#like a few experts in the country and the closest one miles away AND MONEY???!!!

[dimdiamond]

Wondering if I'm actually neurodivergent while not drawing or writing although I wanted to because my PC is turned off and turning it on or opening the Google doc seems like a big struggle despite being on the phone already typing this in this fine night how are you all people

[writethehousedown]

Trust Fund, Gold Tongue 3/7 (Crygi) - Peridot

A/N: The support for this fic so far has been amazing, and I’m so so grateful! This chapter has got to be one of my favourites, so I hope you guys like it too! Also I know virtually nothing about tennis and basically all of my information is from google, so please feel free to correct me if I’ve got anything wrong! You can find me @artificialperidot as always, and I hope you enjoy!

Crystal had never dated a girl before. Or a boy for that matter. Even though she was eighteen and going to college in a matter of weeks, she had never found time for relationships, or really had any desire to look for one. She had never been on a real date, never kissed someone, and never had a real loving connection outside of her family and her friends and her dog, Disco.

Being invited to play tennis with Gigi Goode was the closest to a date she had ever gotten. 

Which is why she was desperately nervous about it the whole day.

She had ended up spilling the information to Jan on their shift that morning.

“Gigi Goode asked you to what?” she exclaimed, her jaw slack.

Crystal shushed her, anxiously looking around to make sure no one had heard. “Keep your voice down! I think she wants to keep it a secret.”

“Oh, so it’s a secret tennis date. I see how it is,” Jan said with a wink.

Crystal hit her on the shoulder playfully. “No! It’s not a date. I mean, I don’t think it’s a date…”

“But you do like her, don’t you?”

“I think so.”

“And she likes you?”

“Maybe. I don’t know,” Crystal whined.

“I guess you’ll know after today,” Jan said, and Crystal hummed in reply.

“I guess.”

“You have to tell me what happens. I feel like I’m in a gay romance novel listening to this shit,” Jan mused. 

The two of them erupted with laughter, their job of wiping down the tables long forgotten. It was at that moment, though, when their floor manager Jackie passed through the dining hall.

“I hope you two are working hard,” she said, eyeing up the pair as they giggled. 

“We’re working hard, don’t worry Jackie,” Jan chirped, turning back to her task. “Only a few more tables left to wipe down.”

“Atta girl!” Jackie said with a knowing smirk, giving Jan a pat on the shoulder before walking through to the kitchen.

Crystal watched Jan purse her lips and gulp as her eyes followed Jackie out of the room. When she turned back to Crystal, a light pink blush had spread on her cheeks. Crystal wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“What? What?” Jan inquired defensively, looking just a tad embarrassed, and Crystal burst out laughing again.

***

Three o’ clock came in no time, and before she had fully comprehended what was about to happen, she was pacing around the tennis court, waiting for Gigi to arrive. She was nervous as all hell - the idea that someone as gorgeous as Gigi had even spoken to her was shocking enough, but the fact that she actually wanted to spend time with her? One on one? Even though she was a millionaire and Crystal most certainly was not? It blew her mind.

After a minute or so of nervously pacing, Gigi came bounding around the corner with a bright smile on her face, swinging two tennis rackets in one hand and bouncing a ball in the other. She was dressed in all white, in a classic tennis outfit that looked as though it was straight from Wimbledon - a white polo shirt, and a white skort, and white tennis shoes, and a white visor on her head. Her hair was tied into a ponytail that bounced when she walked, making her seem energetic and youthful. She looked like she was straight out of some rich teen sports magazine, and Crystal suddenly felt very underdressed in her work clothes.

“Hey!” Crystal called out, her voice shaking slightly, partially in anticipatory anxiety and partially in excitement.

“Hi there, hot stuff,” Gigi said, skipping her way to the other side of the net. “Catch!” 

Before Crystal had time to register it, a tennis ball was flying towards her, aimed directly at her face. She stumbled to catch it in a panic, tossing it between her limbs a couple times before she got a hold of it in both hands, looking a little bit like a headless chicken. But, she caught it nonetheless, and she was proud of herself.

“You can have first serve,” Gigi continued, handing Crystal a racket and taking a few steps back from the net, anticipating Crystal’s hit.

Instead, Crystal gripped her racket like a caveman holding a club, and when she threw the ball up the air, she swung with all her might-

-and missed the ball entirely.

The sheer force of Crystal’s mis-swing sent her whole body flying, and she staggered to stop herself from falling over her own feet. Gigi shook her head and chuckled.

“God, we really need to go back to basics, huh?” she said, smirking, her eyes squinting a little in the sunlight.

Crystal simpered. “Please!”

With that, Gigi was bounding over to Crystal, clambering over the net. She bent over slightly to pick up Crystal’s abandoned ball, and Crystal’s stomach definitely did not fill with butterflies at the sight.

“Okay, you know what a serve is, right?” Gigi began, her tone light and chipper. Her cheeks had a rosy tint and her glossy lips formed a smile and Crystal couldn’t help but find her energy infectious.

“You just throw the ball and hit it, right?”

Gigi giggled. “It’s a little more complex than that. I’m no expert, but I’ll try my best to show you.”

“Sounds good!”

“Well, first thing’s first, your stance is all wrong.” Gigi dropped to her knees and started moving Crystal’s feet into the position she wanted, shuffling her shoes across the ground. “This foot should be pointing towards the net post,” she muttered, “and this one should be parallel to the baseline. There!”

Crystal chuckled as Gigi popped back up from the ground. “Where’d you learn all this stuff?”

Gigi scoffed a little, but her face adorned a wide grin. “I was enrolled in tennis lessons since I could walk,” she laughed. “As well as golf, badminton, water polo, and horse riding.”

Crystal gasped. “Horse riding?! You have a horse?!”

“His name is Banjo,” Gigi beamed. “I’ll take you on a ride someday,” she added with a wink.

And Crystal’s heart did a somersault.

“Anyways, the next step is to fix your grip,” she said, taking Crystal’s right arm in her hands. She carefully manoeuvred Crystal’s fingers across the handle of the racket, bending them into the shape that she wanted. Crystal couldn’t take her eyes off of the way her hand moved so intricately, precisely, and the gentle touch of her skin against Gigi’s sent sparks through her veins.

It was such a tiny, insignificant action, and yet Crystal could still feel the tingle of her skin where Gigi’s hands had been, stroking her fingers.

“Perfect,” Gigi said softly, and suddenly Crystal was aware of how close together they were. Gigi’s icy blue eyes glittered in the sunlight, and she beamed at Crystal. Whether it was out of excitement for her sport or because of Crystal, though, was something that was more difficult to tell.

“Now what?” Crystal mumbled.

“Now, you throw up the ball, and hit it when it’s high in the air. I’ll show you,” she said, moving away slightly to give herself some room. Crystal watched as she assumed the position, bouncing her ball on the ground a few times to warm up.

“Now the key to this is timing your swing,” she said, before bending her knees and expertly tossing the tennis ball in the air, bouncing up and thwacking it over the net with a resounding thud as if it was nothing.

Crystal was in awe, in more ways than one.

“Your turn!” Gigi said, as if serving an ace was as simple as she made it look.

Gigi tossed her a spare ball from her pocket and Crystal caught it with less of a struggle this time. She steadied her position and bent her knees as Gigi had done, tossing the ball and springing into the air. 

And again, she missed entirely.

Gigi laughed, and whilst she was a little embarrassed, Crystal found herself laughing too. Something about Gigi made her feel welcome. Warm. It almost made her forget about how this girl was a millionaire who probably had more money than she’d earn in her whole life.

Almost, but not quite.

“Here, let me help you,” Gigi suggested, skipping back over to Crystal and whipping yet another tennis ball from her pocket and handing her it. 

And then Gigi was holding her: one arm was wrapped around her waist and the other gripped her elbow, and the front of her body was flush to Crystal’s back, and Crystal was having heart palpitations. She wanted nothing more than to lean back into her touch, but being held by her already felt like she was in a fever dream, and her breath hitched in her throat. She could feel Gigi guiding her arm, and her hand on her waist, and her breath by her ear, and her heart raced at a million miles an hour.

“Okay, you need to throw up the ball, and then we’ll hit it together, got it?” she explained. Her voice was soft and hushed against her neck, and the moment felt tender. Crystal simply nodded.

“You ready?” 

Crystal was not ready. In fact, Crystal had never been less ready. Not when the girl of her dreams had her arm around her waist, and her mouth was so, so close to her neck, and their bodies were pressed so closely together. Not to mention the fact that said girl of her dreams was the extremely wealthy daughter of the owner of the country club where she worked, and seemed to be throwing out hints that she was into Crystal just as much as Crystal was into her. 

No, she absolutely was not ready. Not in the slightest. But she hummed in confirmation regardless.

And then she launched the ball in the air, and with Gigi guiding her arm, her racket actually connected with the ball, sending it soaring over the net to the other side of the court.

Crystal knew that it was almost entirely Gigi’s doing, but she felt proud nevertheless.

“Amazing!” exclaimed Gigi, pulling away and clapping her hands together in excitement, before embracing Crystal in a hug, throwing her arms around her neck. Crystal was a little taken aback, but she found herself sliding her arms around Gigi’s waist, squeezing her tightly as the two of them started giggling. 

She didn’t really want them to pull apart, but if the hug had been any longer, Crystal was positive that she would’ve short-circuited.

“I knew you could do it,” Gigi said, and Crystal could tell that she meant it. 

Crystal mimed tossing her hair over her shoulder. “What can I say, I have an excellent teacher,” she giggled.

Gigi beamed, and Crystal smiled back, and for just for a moment their smiles were all that mattered in the world.

***

Tennis became a regular thing for them.

They found themselves meeting each weekday afternoon on Crystal’s break, Gigi having snuck away from whatever family commitment she had and the two of them constantly on the lookout for anyone who could potentially spot them. But there were so many tennis courts scattered around the country club premises that they were rarely joined by any unwanted guests.

By day four, Crystal had managed a successful serve all by herself, even if she had hit the ball into the net at least a hundred times before that. Gigi called it progress.

At a week, they had played their first proper game. Crystal didn’t know the rules. Gigi let her win anyway.

After a few more games (in which Crystal was very outmatched in terms of skill level), their daily meet-ups became less about tennis, and more about each other. It wasn’t long before they had abandoned sport altogether, simply meeting on the tennis courts for a chat and a well needed break from Crystal’s busy work and Gigi’s hectic family life.

It became a system, and it worked well for the both of them.

And Crystal found herself falling for Gigi more and more every day.

Through their chats, they had gotten to know each other a lot better. Crystal told Gigi about her plans for art college and her favourite indie rock singers and the time she failed her driving test because she thought there was a bug in the car and she panicked. Gigi told Crystal about her love of fashion and her family drama and all of the insane rich-kid house parties she had been to.

She also told Crystal that sometimes she wished she was born into a different family, and could be normal. Crystal had disagreed pretty strongly on that last one, but she didn’t let it show.

And, though neither of them had said it outright, Crystal had worked out through their subtle hints and less-subtle discussions, that they were both gay. It was reassuring for Crystal to know that she wasn’t completely delusional, thinking that someone like Gigi Goode could possibly have an interest in her. After all, Gigi had been seemingly dropping hints left right and centre, and it would have been concerning if she hadn’t  picked up on at least a few of them by now.

One time, Crystal brought ice cream.

Gigi was already sat cross-legged on the ground waiting for Crystal, mindlessly scrolling through her phone, when she arrived. Crystal plonked down beside her, two tubs of ice cream and two spoons in either hand.

“Strawberry or vanilla?”

Gigi jumped a little in surprise, but her face broke out in child-like glee at the sight of the ice cream. “Strawberry,” she said, without hesitation.

“That works out well, because vanilla’s my favourite,” Crystal replied, handing Gigi a tub and a silver spoon (that she had ‘borrowed’ from the dining hall) and popping open the lid of her own tub.

“Vanilla is your favourite flavour? Really?”

“Hey! It’s nice!”

“Boring,” Gigi droned, with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. “I’m so not a vanilla person.”

Crystal couldn’t help but pick up on the double meaning of that, and Gigi winked to drive the point home.

“I can take your ice cream back, ya know,” Crystal warned, but the threat was empty, Gigi having already started to tuck in.

“Fuck, this is so good,” she moaned, throwing her head back in bliss. “Where’d you get this?”

“We got some new orders of ice-cream in this morning, and the chef needed to make some room in the freezer.”

Gigi nodded. “Gotcha,” she responded, her spoon practically hanging out of her mouth.

They fell into a comfortable silence as they both snacked, every once in a while passing a comment about their day or the heat or how good the ice cream was. Crystal found herself totally at ease, as if she hadn’t had a hard day at work and she was just hanging out with a friend. Because that’s what Gigi was. A friend.

(Except the two of them both knew that they were a little more than friends, but neither ever decided to bring it up.)

Regardless of any of that, Crystal found that seeing Gigi made her automatically happy. It was as though a switch flipped in her brain at just the sight of her, and the most crappy day could turn into one that wasn’t so bad after all. Sure Gigi had lots of things going for her - she was gorgeous and rich and confident - but she also possessed the natural ability to make Crystal feel better in no time at all.

But today, Gigi herself didn’t seem to be so at ease.

“I have something I need to tell you,” Gigi piped up.

“What is it?”

Crystal noticed Gigi’s sharp intake of breath before she spoke. “So you know my mom’s boyfriend, James, right?”

“Yeah. Kinda.”

“Well, uh, he has this nephew. Matthew.”

With that, Crystal felt her heart plummet. Who the fuck was Matthew? She found herself automatically assuming her worst fears, jumping to conclusions straight away - that Gigi was clearly straight and had never liked her and that she was delusional for even thinking that in the first place - but then, Gigi continued.

“He’s spending a couple weeks here at the country club with my family. And my parents are trying to push us to date, and I really don’t want to, Crystal, I want you to know that.” Her eyes were wide and sincere, and she spoke fast, as though she was desperate for Crystal to believe her. And Crystal did believe her, and she felt her stomach twist with emotion.

“I’ve already told my parents that I’m not going to date him,” she went on, “but just in case they make me spend time with him - I want you to know that I’m not interested in him. At all.”

Crystal shot her a sympathetic smile, her eyes tracing Gigi’s features that were full of concern. “It’s okay,” she said calmly. “Don’t worry about it.”

Gigi caught her breath a little bit and seemed to relax, but there was still something bubbling underneath the surface, something behind her pale blue eyes that Crystal couldn’t quite put a finger on.

“I’m only interested in you, Crystal,” she said, her voice soft, barely a whisper. She ghosted her fingertips over Crystal’s hand, and Crystal felt electricity pulsing through her whole body. She clung onto Gigi’s hand, their fingers interlocking, and right now the rest of the world didn’t matter because they were together.

Their eyes met, and Gigi smiled. “I like you,” she murmured, her blue eyes tracing Crystal’s features and making her heart flutter. It shouldn’t have been a surprise, really, but Crystal couldn’t help the sudden sharp feeling in her chest, as if her heart was trying to escape from between her ribs. The shock made Crystal feel like her entire world was falling apart, but simultaneously she saw everything falling perfectly into place, like a twist in her fairytale, a new chapter in her story with Gigi.

“I like you too.”

[biointernet]

Frank LaCavera and his hour glass collections

Frank LaCavera and his hour glass collections By  PEOPLE STAFF June 05, 1989 12:00 PM Like the sands through the hourglass, so are the days of Frank J. LaCavera’s life. LaCavera, a 70ish retired electrical engineer, lives in Cleveland in a house that is filled with reminders of the temporal — more than 300 one-of-a-kind hourglasses that he has designed and made in the last 32 years. Each is set on a marble base with the hourglass in a wooden frame, and the whole is adorned with whimsical decoration. “I only do this stuff when inspired,” says LaCavera. “It’s like magic.”

Frank LaCavera hourglass Among the inspirations that became hourglasses are: Castle and Dragon, which includes a tiny steel dragon next to a tiny castle, set on a piece of amethyst, all inside a crystal ball; Pluto, with the hourglass perched atop a spaceship; and Ribs, which includes a plastic pig under glass, reclining in a centerfold pose. LaCavera took up his hobby when he was looking for an hourglass to decorate his study and found out that the closest thing he could buy in Cleveland was an egg timer, so he went into business for himself. He had to invent the machinery and instruments, including one to remove static electricity from inside the glass and another to determine the proper size of the hole between the two halves of the hourglass. (His hourglasses are accurate to 14 seconds an hour.) LaCavera has sold only a few hourglasses over the years (they run from $89 to $1,500), but he prefers to hang on to his work, which now fills the modest three-bedroom frame house he shares with wife Phyllis on the city’s west side. Phyllis thinks the world should see more of her husband’s hourglasses. “Work this beautiful,” she says, “should be out there where people can enjoy it.” Hourglass maker Frank LaCavera filling 12 of his hourglass bulbs w. sand as he prepares to time test each piece that he will use in his ornate hourglass creations at his workshop in home. (Photo by Taro Yamasaki/The LIFE Images Collection via Getty Images/Getty Images)

Frank LaCavera hourglass collections Frank LaCavera and his hour glass collections Lima News, The (Newspaper) - August 12, 1976, Lima, Ohio I lie jLiiua CLEVELAND (AP) Frank LaCavera is an hourglass master, one of the few in the world still making two-and three-foot hourglasses that can run from one to nine hours. His basement in his Cleveland home has become a collection of tubes, bottles, glass beads and other paraphernalia. He even has a small museum with a revolving stage and a curtain behind which is his handiwork. LaCavera said he became interested in mak- ing hourglasses, an instru- ment for measuring time Liquor to flow on Election Day Modern-day hourglass maker works for sentiment not money v" J mt Frank LaCavera considered expert in his hobby usually by the trickling of sand through a small open- ing, after he tried to buy one and discovered that stores only sold small ones used by housewives to make three-minute eggs., "When I saw how scarce they were, I thought I'd make them as a chal- he said Dr Warner Bundens Jr. president of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors Inc., said that "nobody else in the world is making modern hourglasses. I have one of LaCavera's originals at home. It's a 60-minute COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) Starting with the November election, Ohio no longer will be a state where you can't buy a drink or a bottle of liquor on election day. A new law which takes effect Friday repeals the antiquated statute which shut down taverns, bars, and other liquor along with the state's monopoly retail voting hours. All will be open Nov. 2, including the state which in the past have given their employes the entire day off although bars and restaurants usually let the booze flow again an hour after polls closed, as the old law per- mitted. Rep John A Galbraith, R-69 Moumce, sponsored Ihe new law, calling the old one "archaic He said the days are gone when people "voted publicly and sat under the trees passing the jug around. No one tries to buy votes with whisky anymore." Galbraith got little help from his Republican colleagues as his bill squeaked through the Democratic House 55-39 and Senate 17-15 Restaurant and bar owners who claimed the law unfairly penalized their businesses lobbied for him, and may have helped convince Gov. James A. Rhodes who signed the repealer without comment. The 52-year-old Galbraith said despite the lobbying, the bill represented his "personal conviction that the old law was out of date Ohio was the only one of the 10 largest states which continued to have such a prohibition." Rep Alan E Norris, R-27 Westerville, whose hometown claims to be the "birthplace of prohibition" and remains dry. carried the House opposition. He said he felt simply that "people should be sober when they vote." He said it wasn't a moral issue with him, but felt the old law "was good for more than 100 years" and was needed to help protect the integrity of Ohio's election process. Frank LaCavera and his hour glass collections The election day liquor law is among five taking effect this week, 90 days after being signed into law by the governor. Other new laws: take away the authority of county and townships to enact zoning ordi- nances affecting oil and gas operations, per- mit senior citizens to take courses without credit or tuition at state universities when space permits; bring health district subsidies under _0hio Public Health Council regula- tions, and exempt delayed gram contracts held bv farmers from the state intangibles tax on stocks, bonds, and other securities. TECHNICIANS apply makeup and an ear plug to Sen. Walter Mondale, D-Minn.. prior to his ap- pearance on ABC's "Good Morning America" program Tuesday in Washington, D.C. Mondale is the Democratic vice presidential nominee. 'Beautiful river' helped young Ohio's economy By The Associated Press The Ohio River, "La Bel- le Riviere" or "the beautiful river" to the ear- ly French explorers, re- mains to this day a prime consideration in Ohio's transportation network but it has always been (he focus of Ohio history from the verv beginnings of the state, and even before Ohio was a state. The river always kept its prestige in competition with Lake Erie as a chan- nel of trade, and from its banks came some of the men and helped make the nation's greatness One of the first com- panies of the pioneer city Marietta was a shipyard The brig St Clair, built there, reached Cincinnati in April, 1801, and got as far as Cuba on that trip It demonstrated that the black walnut of the In the library there are papers showing that the Louisiana of Marietta, in 1805, visited New Orleans, Norfolk and Italy. Purchase of the Louisiana Territory swel- led the river trade as well Ohio yesteryear Muskingum Valley, a wood now almost priceless, could be combined with Marietta iron and rope to defy the Spanish grip on the trade of the Mis- sissippi. More than 100 such ships were soon produced at the mouth of the Muskingum. Carter recalled as pious preacher LOCK HAVEN, Pa "He knocked on doors asking people if they needed Jesus Christ as their per- sonal savior. He never breathed to us he was a politician." Mrs Robert Farwell was reminisc- ing about Jimmy Carter. She remembered him as the evangelist who eight years ago trumpeted Christianity in this central Penn- sylvania town. It was in 1968 that Carter visited the Lock Haven area as a member of a six-man team of Southern Baptist laymen attempting to start a second Baptist church. "He was the most humble and com- passionate man my husband and I ever met." Mrs Farwell, a widow of six months, said recently in a tele- phone interview. "He was a man who really loved the Lord Jesus Christ You could feel it every minute you were around him." The Baptist laymen remained two weeks, working in pairs and visiting 10 to 15 homes a day. Support for a se- cond Baptist parish grew and even- tually a new church was established. For a time the new congregation was led by a divinity student from Texas, but he left. A permanent pastor was never found and the con- gregation dissolved and the new church closed. "He always wore a business suit." recalled Mrs Farwell, who lives in Flemmgton, near Lock Haven. "We knew he was a distinguished person. as the volume of ship- building However, the em- bargo of 1807, caused by the war between Great Bri- tain and Napoleon, ruined the Ohio shipyards for a time. Four years after Robert Fulton invented the steam- boat, the first such craft was seen on the Ohio It was the New Orleans, built at Pittsburgh, which went down river in 1811. It had a speed of only 12 miles an hour, but that was enough to mark the beginning of the end for the flatboat and barge lines which had en- joyed all the trade until that time. The steamboats made travel safer and cheaper as well as faster, thus adding much to Ohio's growth and prosperity. Carolina dams lose to scenery WASHINGTON (AP) After a four-year legislative fight, a bill to save a scenic stretch of the New River in North Carolina from being inundated by power- generating dams is likely to win congressional approval this year. The House passed the bill Tuesday by a 311-73 vote and sent it to the Senate, which approved similar legislation jn the last Congress. President Ford has announced he would sign the bill. Every major environmental group in the country has backed the measure to save the 26.5-mile stretch "It looks like we will finally get it through this said Rep Ken Hechler. D-W.Va one of the long-time supporters of the New River legislation. The measure would bar the two-dam Blue Ridge Pro- ject of the Appalachian Power Co. The Federal Power Commission has approved the project but construction has been delayed by court appeals. Rep. Paul Simon, D-I11, who has taken a boat trip down the river, said it is a wonder of nature that should be preserved for posterity. "If any of you have a chance to take that trip, then I don't think you'll ever vote against this he told his colleagues. "God took 100 million years to create this river. Let's keep a power company from destroying Hechler said. He cited the statement by geologists that the river is the oldest in the Western Hemisphere.

Frank LaCavera and his hourglass collections https://people.com/archive/meet-hourglass-maker-frank-lacavera-one-retiree-who-knows-how-to-pass-the-time-vol-31-no-22/ https://www.gettyimages.com/photos/frank-lacavera?family=editorial&sort=mostpopular&phrase=frank%20lacavera https://newspaperarchive.com/lima-news-aug-12-1976-p-7/ Frank LaCavera and his hour glass collections

See also:

Time symbolism

Time is… The Full History of Time Time in physics and time Science Symbolism of Melencolia I by Albrecht Dürer Time and Text

DADA Time

Text, Time, MHC Extinction Rebellion – Time against Life The End of Time Hourglass and Death on St Thomas’ Church Hourglass – symbol of Death Death does not Exist Hourglass and Skeleton “Hourglass and Cards” Exhibition Father and Mother of Time Time Hub Time Philosophy Time synonyms Time perception and Sense of Time Time Travel + Time Management = Time Travel Management The Hourglass, Hourglass History Hourglass symbolism Hourglass Figure Hourglass Tattoo Symbols of Time Beauty Bio-Net Father Time Department Father Time and Mother Nature Lunar calendar and Moon’s phases Time Management Time Management tools Time Travel Management MHC SM: MHC Flikr, MHC Pinterest, MHC Facebook, MHC Instagram, MHC YouTube, MHC Twitter

The Hourglass Figure:

MHC Exhibitions: Hourglass Figure Sophia Loren by Adam PierceHourglass Figure Marilyn Monroe About Hourglass Body or Hourglass Figure Hourglass body measurements – body shape online calculator Hourglass Figure Celebrities on MHC Hourglass Figure, the movie MHC hourglass figure workout by Marten Sport Hourglass Figure Department on MHC Virtual Museum Frank LaCavera and his hour glass collections Read the full article

[cryptogainer-blog]

Multi-Level-Marketing Referral Income to making more money

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[bountyofbeads]

You CAN'T EXPECT CBP and ICE officials who have to carry out Trump's and Miller's INHUMANE POLICIES and NOT be AFFECTED PERSONALLY (Many are parents who are just trying to put food on their tables like the rest of us😭🙏). Trump is FORCING His UGLY, RACIST, XENOPHOBIC INHUMANE views on an entire agency and its TRAGIC with real life CONSEQUENCES. 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

“Bodies and minds are breaking down”: Inside US border agency’s suicide crisis

By Justin Rohrlich & Zoë Schlanger | Published July 2, 2019 | Quartz | Posted July 12, 2019 |

Mental health issues are plaguing the ranks of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), as officers deal with increasing job stress related to the crisis at the southern border and lingering financial problems caused by the partial government shutdown.

In May, CBP asked for an additional $2.1 million for the agency’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which provides counseling and other help to workers facing personal or job-related issues. The additional money was needed, CBP wrote in a funding request obtained by Quartz, to respond to the “health and safety of its workforce.”

“EAP use…increased in response to unanticipated critical incidents and other emerging crises, such as the unexpected response required for migrant caravans, employee suicides, and the need for a financial wellness program after the extended partial federal government shutdown,” CBP wrote in the filing. “The unanticipated and unprecedented situation at the southern border over the past 12 months resulted in a significant increase in EAP activity and it is expected to continue while the migrant crisis is ongoing.”

Current and former CBP officers, union leaders, and internal CBP documents all describe an agency that is overburdened and understaffed, struggling to keep up with the growing crisis sparked by the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration. To handle the rush of detentions, the agency now requires mandatory overtime and forced job relocation to bolster its ranks. This added pressure, coupled with the usual strain of working border security and dealing with often desperate families seeking asylum—many of whom face indefinite detention as they await overloaded court systems—is wearing down the force.

According to its own records, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), CBP’s parent agency, has known about this issue for years. But its efforts to address the problem have been intermittent and neglected. And according to at least one expert, agency supervisors have in fact actively discouraged officers from seeking the help they need.

While the emotional stress affecting CBP officers can’t compare to the suffering of the tens of thousands of migrants they detain, the same government policies are at the heart of both problems.

“My continuing thought has been that this level of activity combined with the disastrous policy of wholesale separating children from parents has a very negative impact on CBP personnel. They did not join to take a 2-year-old from his mother,” former CBP commissioner Gil Kerlikowske told Quartz.

For three straight years, law enforcement suicides in the United States have surpassed line of duty deaths. At CBP, one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the country, more than 100 employees died by suicide between 2007 and 2018, according to the agency itself. Morale among CBP officers ranks among the lowest of all federal agencies.

Tony Reardon, the president of the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents CBP officers, confirmed that stress at the agency is higher than it has been in the past. The force is overworked, he said, and the migrant crisis has changed the nature of the job.

“You have human beings, their bodies and their minds, breaking down,” Reardon said.

Vincent Salgado, a CBP officer at the Calexico border crossing in California, said the excessive overtime is exhausting. “The morale is down,” he told Quartz. While he doesn’t personally know anyone at CBP who has died by suicide, Salgado said he’s aware that it’s a problem. “Suicides have been ongoing.”

When a CBP officer takes their own life, word typically reaches Reardon through the union’s local chapter staff, who sometimes helps grieving families navigate the life insurance process. “I’ve gotten the phone calls. It’s heartbreaking when you hear about someone who is not able to cope, and who ends up leaving their family,” Reardon said.

He doesn’t have access to data about how many officers have died by suicide recently, but he said he noticed an unsettling uptick in those phone calls, beginning about two years ago. “It started to look like, whoa, there’s a problem here.”

He’s spoken with CBP officials about the need to more urgently address the issue. “I know they’re trying to deal with it. I’m continuing to talk to them about trying to get even more done.”

The union also represents employees of 32 other US federal agencies. “I’m sure that there are people who commit suicide in other agencies,” Reardon said, but “the only suicides I’ve been made aware of are those at CBP.”

Overworked

A nationwide and ongoing CBP officer shortage means that virtually everyone at the agency is working mandatory double shifts that add up to 16-hour days. Salgado said he works double shifts two to three times a week.

“It means less time at home. You don’t have the opportunity to see family members, or attend special outings,” he said.

What’s worse, managers often tell officers they have to work a double shift with very little notice, often on the same day. And refusing is not an option. “It’s a requirement of the job,” Salgado said.

Understaffed ports also means more work per person every shift.

“If it’s not the overtime, it’s the workload,” Salgado said. “Everything works hand in hand. The overtime pushes them to exhaustion, especially if they’re having to do it two or three days in a row. And it’s not just exhaustion, it’s their family life.”

At the same time, some officers are still struggling to regain their footing after the 35-day partial government shutdown that straddled 2018 and 2019. Many officers were required to work without pay for two pay periods in a row. This is no small thing when roughly 78% of US workers live paycheck to paycheck.

“They had to deal with all the stressors that come from those situations. Can’t pay your mortgage, can’t pay your rent, cause you don’t have any money,” Reardon said. “Many of them are still trying to catch up.”

Understaffed

CBP has long struggled to both find and retain officers. The time-to-hire for a CBP officer, from the recruitment to job offer, takes an average of 300 days. Its staffing shortfall now, according to the union that represents its employees, is 3,700 officers.

And due to the crisis at the southern border, the workload is rising, requiring the agency to accomplish more with fewer people. At locations along the southern border, the conditions are a particularly hard sell. Many officers live in remote, lonely towns, and work in 120-degree heat.

As CBP official Benjamine “Carry” Huffman and Border Patrol sector chief Rodolfo Karisch put it in testimony to Congress in March:

“One example of a hard-to-fill location is Lukeville, Arizona. Although many of our Arizona border locations are remote and hard-to-fill, Lukeville is particularly challenging. It is an isolated outpost along the Mexican border, in a community of fewer than 50 people. It has one small grocery store and gas station. The closest school and medical clinic is 39 miles away in Ajo, Arizona. The nearest metropolitan area—Phoenix—is 150 miles away. The climate is especially harsh; in the summer, many of the local roads are impassable because of monsoons. Furthermore, the groundwater in Lukeville requires significant treatment to make it potable, due to traces of arsenic.”

At the same hearing, the two said the harsh conditions make officers “reluctant to encourage their family members or friends to seek employment with CBP.”

But the agency desperately needs bodies. Between 2015 and 2016, CBP “nearly tripled” its recruiting events across the country, according to a USA Today investigation, showing up at  “country music concerts, NASCAR races and Professional Bull Riders events to find applicants.”

In 2017, US president Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding CBP hire 15,000 more personnel, 10,000 more CBP officers and 5,000 more Border Patrol agents. In 2018, CBP only managed to hire 368 CBP officers and 118 Border Patrol agents. An extensive application, involving a polygraph test that more than 40% of applicants fail, makes the hiring process extremely slow.

To hire those 5,000 Border Patrol agents alone, the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General estimated that the agency would have to screen 750,000 applicants.

To help relieve these staff shortages on the southern border, CBP has begun reassigning officers from other ports of entry. There are 328 locations in the United States where migrants can legally cross and that are staffed by CBP officers, and most of them are nothing like the southern border. Many are relatively sleepy, like some of the smaller ports on the Great Lakes along the border with Canada.

These temporary new assignments used to be voluntary, but because there are so few willing to go, the agency has begun “drafting” people, requiring them to make the move.

These drafted officers are given three or four days notice to get on a plane and head south, Reardon said. “Most people have families. You can’t give them a month’s notice?” Reardon asked when he testified to Congress in March. The involuntary overtime and involuntary reassignments, he said, “disrupts” families and “destroys morale.”

The draft policy, which began in 2015but has intensified under Trump, means that an officer from, say, a quiet port on the border with Canada could suddenly find themselves in the crushing heat of southern Texas, working double shifts in packed migrant detention centers. Known as “Operation Southern Support,” the policy also leaves ports of entry in other parts of the county understaffed, increasing the workload on the coworkers left behind.

“You can’t just say, ‘My child is in a school play today,’” Reardon said. “It doesn’t matter. You’re working.”

Strains of the job

Reardon recently visited the Fort Brown CBP facility in Brownsville, Texas, where he said he found officers preparing ham sandwiches for migrant detainees.

“These are highly trained people slapping sandwiches together,” he said.

While Reardon said it’s not unusual for CBP officers to deal with detained migrants, the current circumstances are extreme.

Reardon also recently went to the Ursula Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, where he said 2,700 migrants were being held. “In these detention centers you’ve got a lot of influenza, chicken pox, mumps, scabies,” he said. The officers tried to keep the facility clean, he said, but detaining large numbers of ill people in one space made that difficult. The conditions were bleak. “Candidly I would give you my perspective: It was heartbreaking to see sick children in there.”

CBP officers who work all day in these enclosed environments, or transport sick people in vans, are always on edge about getting sick themselves. “They’re very concerned about contracting these illnesses. That’s a big deal. That’s stressful in and of itself,” Reardon said.

Even without the added pressures created by Trump’s crackdown, the job has long been emotionally draining. CBP agriculture specialists, for example, are responsible for making sure any package entering the United States is contaminant-free—an error in judgement could result in a public health crisis or a new invasive species taking hold in the country. Officers who patrol vehicle crossings, in another example, never know who is behind the wheel. Last month an American citizen sped his truck through a border crossing at San Ysidro, San Diego—the busiest official land border crossing in the world. Another vehicle blocked the truck, and when CBP officers approached, the driver opened fire. The officers shot back, killing him. Two Chinese nationals were found in the back of the truck. The incident rattled officers staffing vehicle crossings across the region.

“The officers are out there with this at the back of their mind,” Salgado said.

Help is hard to come by

The US government is aware of the increased pressure on CBP officers, and the resulting rise in demand for mental health support. But by its own admission, it has failed to do much about it.

In 2009, long before the current crisis at the border, DHS created a program called “DHSTogether.” Its mission was to build “resiliency and wellness capacity” at the department. But the committee responsible for the effort only held its first meeting years later. “Although the program had been in existence for almost 4 years…it did not yet have a formal vision or set of goals,” according to an internal reportpublished in 2013.

While DHSTogether “initially focused on suicide prevention,” the report continues, the agency “quickly recognized” that suicidal behavior is the “end result” of a “complex trajectory of events and circumstances.” The authors of the report determined that there was a need to “intervene” long before employees reach the point that they are considering suicide.

In 2012, the agency hired the government-run Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences to create a peer support program for DHSTogether, and train leaders on the relationship between stress and work performance. The 2013 internal report noted, however, that a year after the contract had been signed, “little has been accomplished.”

DHS earmarked about $1.5 million for DHSTogether, before reducing that funding to about $1 million for the 2014 fiscal year. “Because of the modest funding, few or no resources are tied to the policies that are promulgated by the program,” the internal report said.

The most recent mention of DHSTogether on the DHS website is a list of agency-specific resources, last updated in 2015. The CBP resource listlinks to a website that does not load, and lists a phone number for a peer support program that is no longer in operation, and an email Quartz sent to the email address listed for the program was never returned.

In response to Quartz’s inquires, a CBP spokesperson wrote in an email that the agency had “expanded” its resources to prevent suicide, and has held events both during Suicide Awareness Month and at other times that can be live streamed and viewed throughout the year. The spokesperson also said the agency has a peer support program, a “robust” Employee Assistance Program, and “an agency-wide” internal website dedicated to suicide prevention, which includes suicide prevention videos.

The first stop for a distressed CBP officer might be to log into the EAP website. But given the high rate of suicide and mental health problems at the agency, and its apparent years-long effort to address those problems, the website’s options for help are surprisingly thin.

On the login page, the portal first directs employees to call a 24-hour hotline, which is industry standard. Using the login password on the Department of Homeland Security’s own website, Quartz logged into the portal in June, and found a website administered by Espry, a private contractor.

The portal homepage includes several links to issue-specific pages. The “suicide prevention” page link features a stock image of several people in silhouette helping a person up from a cliff. The “videos” tab on the suicide prevention page links to a single video. It is titled, “Teen suicide: Too young to die.” The video is under copyright from NBC Universal and features a psychologist discussing suicide among teenagers. The psychologist in the video, Dr. Peter Jensen, told Quartz it was taped in early 2001.

Other features of the suicide prevention portal include a link to a questionnaire to screen for depression, and various links to articles about suicide prevention from other groups, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline website.

In another failed effort, last fiscal year CBP hired Federal Occupational Health(FOH), a private company that operates Employee Assistance Programs. As part of a pilot program, the company worked with a special CBP task force, which decided to try staffing ports of entry with liaisons who could point employees to the various mental health benefits available.

The pilot was intended to take place in San Diego, home to one of the busiest ports of entry along the southern border, according to an FOH employee who hung up the phone before giving their name. But the one-year pilot ended before the company managed to recruit someone to fill that position, and funding for it wasn’t renewed.

James Phelps, a professor of criminal justice who studies border enforcement and is in regular contact with CBP officers, told Quartz that officers have confided in him that they’ve been victims of outright intimidation—used to prevent employees from seeking help.

On June 13, CBP announced it had hired a certified trauma specialist to work with air and marine officers following several upsetting incidents. However, Phelps said the vast majority of them won’t ask for help.

“And the reason is because they’ve been directed by their bosses not to,” Phelps said. “The human resources guy or gal will walk in and say, ‘We want to remind you, we’ve expanded this, we’ve expanded that. These things are available to you.’ And then after they leave, the supervisor of the shift walks in and says, ‘Anybody who takes advantage of that is a wimp, a pussy, and I don’t want you working in my station.’ It’s not a joke, they really are doing that.”

[talesfromnatea]

The Countries of Natéa

Beobyra – Founded about a thousand years ago by the legendary Queen Thyra of House Valkyria who came to find a new place to live for her people. Where she and her people came from is unknown, but they arrived where the capital Thyragård now lies. After hand, the realm expanded, eating up many smaller other countries along their borders who now may or may not remember that they once weren’t Beobyrians.

Ever since the realm’s first days, it has been ruled by the Valkyrias. A family of powerful warrior witches, who are said to be blessed by Beobyra’s great deity; the Mother Goddess.  They’re said to be chosen by Her, and therefore have unquestionable right to the country and its people. At least mostly unquestionable; there has been rebellions, but they have always been dealt with fast and mercilessly. No survivors.

The religion, known in the rest of the world as the Mother’s Temple, and with it the culture of Beobyra is mainly based on the belief that one day a great war between the lost gods and their own goddess will come. It will be the End Times for Natéa. And when that time comes, they will be ready to fight for Her. Therefore, they prepare themselves by warring other nations, by learning how to conquer, and are therefore the rulers of a huge part of Natéa. Battle is very important, because only the bravest, most skilled, most loyal warriors are allowed entrance into the Mother Goddess’ Blessed Lands after death. Everyone else will cease to exist.

However, not only war matters to the country. They’re Natéa’s biggest iron miners, the western and northern borders being completely covered in iron-rich mountains - the Iron Crests, as well as skilled smiths, and has a lot of agriculture. Especially since huge parts of the country is covered in meadows; there is only one single forest in Beobyra, on the border to Aellwyn. The rest of it is smaller mountains, and most of the cities are built on top of these to make them easier to defend.

The climate is cold, due to being as far north as anyone but the bravest adventurers can get before the invention of helicopters. There is a land on the other side of the mountain range, but no one has yet returned from venturing there. Nevertheless, there are a few weeks every year during summer which are very hot (in northern standards, at most 30o C). These are the laziest weeks of the year among the denizens who can afford to be lazy. Most Beobyrians appreciate the cold far more, although the incredibly cold winters (in the northernmost parts of the country the temperature sometimes goes below -30o C) ensures that even the poorest must prioritize proper winter clothing directly after food.

Aellwyn – Beobyra’s closest neighbour, one of the smaller countries around. They lie at the very tip of the Northern Peninsula, and might at one point have been a part of Beobyra. Historians differ on the subject. They have their own royal family, although they’re mostly ruled by their bigger neighbour, and are a part of the Beobyrian Empire. They have so been since the birth of the Empire, being the first conquered country, which did not become an actual part of Beobyra. They share a lot of Beobyra’s culture, however, speaking both Beobyric and worshipping the Mother Goddess.

However, their version of the religion is slightly less violent. They do not believe that you must’ve fought in war to be granted access to the Blessed Lands, instead believing smaller ways of fighting – sometimes just surviving – is enough. Their beliefs lay ground for the modern day general way of worshipping the Mother.

This country is known to be a crime den. Full of corruption and even the royal family is said to be ruled by those with the most money. Especially the smaller coast city Draumarre by the is a favourite place for the darker parts of society. Which is why it’s more known by the name of Pirate’s Port.

Other than crime, they’re surprisingly good at art. Many famous artists of all kinds – painters, authors, dancers – are grown up in Aellwyn. This can supposedly come from the multiculturality of the country. Both criminals, entertainers, and merchants flood into both the port towns and the capital, Seothra, since profit is always good.

In modern days, Seothra is also Natéa’s fashion capital.

Waeldé – A country which is basically a huge forest. Their capital lies in the deepest part of the forest, and the main part of the population are forest sprites and hybrids such as satyrs and centaurs. The country is a couple hundred years old, and was founded by the first people who dared venturing deep into the thick forests.

They’re famous for their natural sciences, such as medicine. Their forest is full of useful and/or deadly herbs, and they know almost all of them. They’re also experts at nature-friendly construction. Many of them live in the trees, with elevators and bridges everywhere to help those who cannot climb for one reason or another to travel among the tree crowns. Other than this, they’re also major wood exporters, obviously.

Their climate is warmer, their winters rarely going beneath -5o and summers often lying on 30o. They pray to their forest, believing it to be the home of spirits even more in contact with nature than the dryads. Their forest is their source of life, after all, and they wish to show it proper respect. It gives them food (plants and animals both), shelter, medicine, and everything else they could possibly need.

Also they are ruled by royalty; a family of satyrs – House Desroches – sit on their throne. However, they’re not owners of the forest like the Valkyrias are the owners of Beobyra. They were chosen by the people rather than by any deity at the beginning of Waeldé and can therefore be replaced.

A hundred years ago they became a part of the Beobyrian Empire, as one of their most treasured subordinate countries, and the Waeldéans are very content with this. They receive protection against both internal and external threats and good business in exchange for taxes and certain non-independence.

Trima – Neighbour to among other countries Waeldé. Trima is a thin but long country, which follows the coast and only goes a few miles away from it. The clear majority of Trimins live along the coast, only a few farmers and craftsworkers taken up the grounds away from the sea. Trima is one of the older countries in this part of the world, even though it has grown the past hundred years.

Their main source of income and necessities is fishing. Almost all Trimins work in the seafood industry, be it as fishers, as fish merchants, at seafood restaurants, or with crafts such as making fishing nets. The few farmers do not suffer any need, being able to sell as much potatoes and carrots and apples as they want. The climate is about as warm as it is in Waeldé, except for the colder winds coming in from the sea. Due to the warmer climate, despite being other-side-of-the-bay neighbours with Beobyra, they can work in the water most parts of the years without risking frostbite.

One unusual thing with Trima is their fashion; due to their long workdays in sometimes waist-high water, the Trimins wear much shorter skirts and even shorts than what is deemed decent in most of the world. Often, they only reach their knees. It is for practicality, but because of this there’s certain stereotypes and rumours going around in other countries about the citizens of Trima all being harlots.

The Trimin worship three goddesses; the Goddess of the Moon, the Goddess of the Sea, and the Goddess of the Sky. These three are said to be wives, and whenever it storms it is because they’re having an argument. Therefore, the Trimin often pray for their goddesses’ marital happiness. There are multiple temples spread across the coast, and a few away from it, for worship, but three main temples. One for each goddess. These are among the oldest buildings in Trima, from before the country was advanced enough to create such a thing on their own. Therefore, they imported architects; the Sea Temple is designed by Peosanira for example.

The country is a theocracy, ruled by a council of each Temple’s High Priest or High Priestess, and not yet a part of the Beobyrian Empire although the Empire seems to have plans to change this.

The Northern Widths - On the other side of the Iron Crests lies the Northern Widths. It is impossible to get here without a helicopter. The sea outside its coasts is too stormy, and the mountains too dangerous to cross. The country is snowy ten out of twelve months, and full of both mountains and plains. Here lives a people of nomads, who mainly works with reindeers and similar animals for a livelihood. Not much is known about it. No one has ever crossed the mountains on foot and lived to tell the story.

Drahenport – On the other side of the Grey Sea lies the Western Continent. The first country you will meet, would you sail from Aellwyn or Beobyra to the closest landmass, is Drahenport. A small country, bordering only to Peosana. Probably it was once part of its neighbour, although this is mostly assumed due to its size, and the fact that they speak Peosàn and worship the deities and spirits mostly known as the Peosani pantheon.

Drahenport is Natéa’s first democracy, and is ruled by a council of chosen representatives. Most of them are retired merchants. Its people – the Draheni – are mainly merchants and crafts workers who do not produce much raw materials of their own. Neither do they grow much of their own food. Most of their resources are imported from Peosana and the rest of Natéa, and they travel over almost all the world on a regular basis. Drahenport’s capital, Drahen, is Natéa’s trade capital.

As earlier mentioned, the Drahenira speak Peosàn – Peosana’s language – and they worship Peosana’s pantheon. This also means that many of them lives after the laws decided by Peosana’s Sanath, despite being in another country. However, while this is the religion most them believe in, the country is full of temples from many, many belief systems. Both for the sake of foreigners and because during their travels some Drahenira have converted.

Peosana – On Drahenport’s southwestern’s side,you’ll find Peosana. The country is a former part of the Beobyrian Empire, but due to a rebellion Beobyra decided they weren’t worth to keep and are now independent once again. Peosana is an incredibly old country, supposedly over two thousand years. Of course, the country hasn’t always looked like today, and has grown and shrunk since its founding. But the name of Peosana can be found in scriptures since that time.

The realm is of a humid, tropical climate, yet somehow sports an enormous oak forest. The Peosanira claims it is because of the spirits preferring this kind of tree, for an unknown reason. This forest is known as Tamyr, and is Peosana’s most holy place. It was after almost they were forced by the Beobyrians to cut it down and then burn the remains the Peosanira rebelled against the Empire, and was left on their own devices.

Their cuisine is full of spices, and they have some of the strongest foods in Natéa.

The realm is ruled by the Sanath, who has supreme power and right over both the country, people, and religion. Peosana is a monarchical theocracy, and the Sanath is believed to not only be chosen by the deities to rule, but is also the High Priest/ess of the religion. The only one wandering the mortal plane who has direct contact with the deities. Therefore, their power is never questioned. If one did that, it would be questioning the deities themselves. For that part, the Peosani pantheon is enormous and has more deities than anyone knows. There are the big ones, such as Zanã and Zalû – the Sun and Moon, and Alith, God of Baking. There’s also ones specific for one area. The River Goddess Salina mostly stays in the City of Salena, which she is the patron deity of. And many families have their own deities. It is a complicated religion, which is sometimes mocked among non-believers just because they have deities for most everything.

Outside of deities, the Peosanira also believes in the spirit world. The entire world is full of spirits stronger than the ones on the mortal plane (such as dryads, ghosts, naiads), and they’re worshipped just as much as the deities. Then there’s the Pravannala – the ancestors – which is an integral part of Peosani culture. Family is the most important thing in life, after serving the Sanath, and even after death it is believed that the ancestors stay around to protect their descendants.

They’re also known for having an impossible amount of festivals and carnivals. Due to their enormous pantheon and spirit world, there is some sort of feast nearly every day in Peosana. However, not all feasts are celebrated everywhere and by everyone, of course. Only the biggest feasts, such as Carai Zalû, Carai Zanã, Valhanha (the harvest feast), and Elinya (Midwinter celebration) are nationally celebrated. But if one goes to Peosana for a vacation, do look through the guide book to see where they’re going to have a festival and go there – if it is open for non-believers, of course. It is the party of a lifetime.

Peosana’s biggest sources of income is agriculture, oak wood, and diamonds. Along their western border toward Elawain enormous mountains rise. These are filled with diamonds. Or they used to be, at least, before Beobyra decided to empty them.

Elawain – Peosana’s frenemy of a neighbour. While there are differences, these two are also quite similar. However, they have been fighting over where the border goes among the mountains for centuries, and that does make friendship harder.

They prefer sweet foods, using a lot of sugar in it. Their architecture is quite unique, since they build only half of their buildings above ground; the parts where people live and cook often lie underground to keep the worst heat out and to get closer to the underground water reserves. Partially due to this, they have developed slightly lighter skin (those who have skin at least) than the Peosanira. It is also a result of covering up their bodies with cool fabrics whenever they leave their homes. This has become cultural by now, and is no longer only for convenience, resulting in the Elawaini doing it even when they’re in colder countries.

Dhurin – More known as the Desert of Dhurin, or Dhurin desert. On another part of the Western Continent lies the enormous desert Dhurin. It’s more than twice the size of Beobyra, which is a big country already. Not much is known about it; its residents - the Dhurinei - do not like foreigners. It is inhabited by tribes of nomads, who spend a lot of their time warring between each other. In the middle of the desert, an enormous city lies. Dhurinelle is it’s name. However, it is mostly empty. It is the place all the tribes gather for meetings or when they feel they’re threatened from the outside. It is incredibly rare anyone dares attack them, though. When someone tries, all the tribes will leave their differences behind and gather into one single army to protect their desert.

A second city exists, but it is abandoned. No one sets their foot inside, and it is believed to bring incredible misery if someone does. Too much pain have been inflicted on the Durinei in there. Only Death lives there now. They call it The Lost City, it’s real name long forgotten.

There’s also a couple tribes of merchants, who are never involved in conflicts outside of selling goods to the warring tribes. They have free access to all parts of the desert, and are highly appreciated among the other tribes. These are the only ones to, although very rarely, leave Dhurin.

Most of the tribes worship the Sun Goddess.

Sdahri - At the northernmost part of the Western continent, lies Sdahri. A relatively big country in size, although it is not very organised. No cities exists, instead its inhabitants all live in thousands of villages spread across the country. Every village is led by a village elder, or a few village elders, who rule the country together through a Council of Elders. Where they meet vary, and it is rarely in the same village twice.

Dolls have a significant meaning in their culture. It is believed they have souls, and must be treated as people; they’re dressed, washed, fed, talked to. How they look change greatly among the different villagers, but all share one trait; red pearls as eyes. This is for luck. It is also believed that a doll which looks like someone else will affect the Sapient, so one better treat it kindly.

It is a quite rocky, barren land. For many, it is pretty grey. Nonetheless, it is a popular place to travel to due to their many hot springs. A perfect place for a relaxing vacation.

Faerie - Is said to be north of the Western continent? The home of the Fae, where their rulers and Courts are said to be. According to myths, it’s possible for anyone to go there, but only the brave or foolish would ever try. If someone’s reached it, they haven’t come back. Only the faerie actually knows if this place is real, however, and none of them would ever tell anyone the truth. Nevertheless, most scholars have concluded that this place does in fact not exist, but who knows?

[peter-author]

New Careers In Space  

A young person asked me the other day about careers in space. There’s always exploration – astronaut training as mission specialists all the way up the capability level to actual commander of a space craft. But what struck me was that the possibilities for millions of jobs are quickly forming in fields that no-one previously ever thought could possibly interest anyone except technocrats.

With the commercialization of space (see previous articles), weekly launches of everything from small satellites, communications satellites, test missions, deep space probes, International Space Station ferrying of people and supplies, and, yes, SpaceX’s launch of a car into a solar orbit that exceeds the Mars orbit occasionally – all these point the way to a growing industrial demand – a demand for money, technology and qualified, dedicated people.

But let’s not forget transportation either. Currently there are six programs running to design and test a hop into space with passengers aboard, let the earth spin under the craft, and come down a few hours later half-way around the globe.

Then there are the scientists working away with new materials to help us move the human race into space. Nano tubes strung out in one nearly unbreakable chord that can be anchored to Earth and the other end counterbalanced 46,000 miles into space in a straight line making an elevator cable... going up?

Then there are the support jobs for space exploration activities – after all people have to eat and live somewhere. Let’s look at Kern Country and Fresno Country in California. Mojave Flight Test Center is there (where Branson’s Virgin Galactic is situated). Meanwhile Fresno houses some of the builders of the Shuttles and other spacecraft. In 1981 when the first Shuttle flew, there were under 600,000 people living in those two counties. Today there is a growing population of over 2,000,000, 40% of whom work for or in relation to Aerospace industries.

SpaceX is building a new launch center on Cape Canaveral bringing 5,000 new jobs and perhaps as many as 20,000 additional jobs to the region. Multiply that by the number of space companies rapidly expanding nationwide and the Dept. of Commerce estimates an annual job rate growth of just over 15% related to space exploration and technologies alone. And they are not counting schools, day-care, restaurants, builders, etc.

So, back to the question: where are the space jobs going to be? From a short term point of view, go to where these companies are based and talk to the HR team, find out what they want and then get the right education to match. They need skilled plastic bonding experts? Learn that in college. They need wiring technicians? They need maintenance engineers? They need security people? They need painters? They need caterers? Sign up, learn the trade. Those jobs will be solid and in demand.  When expanding, companies cannot afford to discard qualified people. And, because they are in a hurry to succeed, they pay well too.

Oh, and long term? Astrophysics and astronomy seem the most lucrative and promising careers. Yes, astrophysics helps with orbital insertion and flight profiling. Solid, demanding work. Want something a little more long-term and beneficial to humankind? Think like Magellan, Humboldt, Arthur C. Clarke and stretch the mind... think astronomy and exoplanets. So far we know of 3,767 confirmed planets around other solar systems. That number is about to explode when TESS (Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite) settles into orbit and begins sending back data. It only has a two year mission but during that time will scan over 200,000 stars closest to Earth. Want to guess how many planets it will uncover? And here’s the bombshell for all your job seekers... it is expected that TESS will be able to detect water on those planets. Think about that and begin your job hunting there... you’ll be involved in space exploration in no time.

[alivurun]

Traveling for Treatment

Traveling for Treatment If you research your options, you may well find that you are going to have to travel to get treatment of your choice. This is particularly true if you're going for a clinical trial not available near where you live, or if you need treatment from a world-class expert, or an exotic procedure done in only a few locations. The thought of travel may be intimidating particularly if you don't have much money. The good news is that it is almost always possible to find a way around a shortage of money. This article will show you how for air travel, driving, child care, lodging and... even taxes. I traveled coast to coast for my treatment in a clinical trial in San Francisco three times and stayed for about a month each time and I've included my experiences in this article. It was certainly an adventure to travel while very ill, and I am grateful for all the help I got from family and friends. And I will confess despite the difficulties, I took every opportunity to enjoy the Bay Area I could.

Location, Location, Location... You May Have a Choice!

Before getting into how to travel let's talk about where to travel. If you are traveling to take part in a clinical trial, you may have a choice of several locations and you might be able to save money or have a better experience by choosing wisely. Keep in mind that most trials are multi-center trials. Some trials have dozens of locations. Some centers may be more convenient to you than others. You may have friends and relatives in some cities, some cities might be less expensive or more pleasant than others or have better patient assistance available. In a few cases, hospitals may even offer financial assistance for travel lodging or treatment. Clinical trials at the US National Institutes of Health is an important example. Of course, the cheapest deal isn't usually the best way to decide on a cancer treatment center. Especially if the treatment is technically difficult you want to be in expert hands and if at all possible that should be your first consideration. My Experience: In my case, the consulting oncologist at Mass General Hospital who offered me an adjuvant clinical trial failed to tell me I could have gotten treated in the same trial closer to home than his hospital even though I'm pretty sure he know I was from out of town. You may be more fortunate than I was but it pays to check. I didn't do the adjuvant trial in part because I relapsed before I had the chance. The early phase I trial I did take part in was multi-center as well, and it turned out this was important. The closest center, where my doctor had referred me, was only an hour's drive, but they couldn't take me for a month and I had rapidly advancing disease and couldn't wait that long. My doctor had given me a copy of a "Dear Colleague" letter about the trial which listed several other sites. I called until I found one that could take me in only a few days, The University of California, San Francisco. It was on the other side of the country, but at that point time was more important than distance. Incidentally, one of the other sites, the City of Hope, said they could offer financial assistance for treatment if my insurance wouldn't cover.

Driving and Child Care

If driving moderate distances for travel is a problem for you, check your local American Cancer Society as well as hospital social services, The United Way, as well as local city and county social services departments. There are programs in many areas where volunteers will drive you to treatment. Your church may also be able to help. Although child care while you are away for treatment is a totally different issue, it turns out single parents who need to travel for treatment can very likely get childcare help from the same sources. My Experience: On my last trip to San Francisco, my then future wife, Ellen, and her 8 year old daughter, Jamie, came with me. For the most intensive part of my treatment we were able to find a short term day care through hospital social services so Ellen could be with me in the hospital during the day. A good friend of mine in the Bay Area happened to have an old car he didn't use much and was kind enough to lend me. While I used public transport and the hospital shuttle most of the time in the city, having a car allowed me to take several interesting trips to surrounding areas (Including Yosemite National Park) when I felt well enough.

Air Travel

There is a vast array of options for air travel for cancer patients for free or at reduced rates. These include: Free flights on corporate jets. Short-Medium distance flights in small planes with volunteer pilots. This can be a substitute for what otherwise would be a long taxing drive. Free flights using donated airline miles Special rates or flexibility from airlines Air Ambulance service for critically ill patients Furthermore, you can be quite sick and still fly on commercial airline flights. This includes people who require a wheel chair and even who require oxygen. On some planes it's possible to bring a wheelchair right to a seat. It may be necessary to make special arrangements with the airlines in extreme cases. I recently saw a man taken to the gate flat on his back on a stretcher, although presumably he had to sit up for the duration of the flight. Critically ill patients can be flown by Air Ambulance either covered by insurance or sometimes on a charitable basis. Air Travel Resources: PatientTravel.org is a clearinghouse which offers everything from referrals to special programs offered by the airlines, to free flights, to scheduling Air Ambulance flights. Call their hotline for help with air travel. Corporate Angel Network arranges for free flights for cancer patients on corporate jets. My Experience: For most of my air travel, I took regular commercial airline flights. During the early stages of my treatment I used the airport wheel chair service. I could have struggled to walk the long distances to the gates but at that point felt it would be counterproductive. As I got better I didn't need a wheelchair. The return flight was always an issue since we could never be completely sure if we could go back on the scheduled day. My doctor provided a note I could use to ask the airline to give me a break, though there was no guarantee they would. Before my last trip to San Francisco, my mother found an article about Corporate Angel Network, so I signed up. It was quite an experience. I ended up flying coast to coast in a GulfStream corporate jet with George Lucas. Talk about Using The Force! Finally, some years ago I helped arrange a charitable Air Ambulance flight for a critically ill teenager using National Patient Air Transport HELPLINE. They were fast and efficient.

Lodging

There are several options for lodging which may help you: Hospital Social Services: Every hospital has a social services department and most major hospitals make special arrangements with nearby hotels for lodging at relatively reasonable rates. American Cancer Society Programs: The American Cancer Society has a variety of programs to assist patients with lodging, ranging from free or reduced rate rooms at hotels to "Hope Lodges" they run specifically to help patients. Availability varies depending on where you're going. Call the ACS at 1-800-ACS-2345 for more information. Note that their website does not (August 2004) completely describe their programs; you need to call. Hospitality Houses: These are lodgings specifically for seriously ill patients and their supporters who have to travel for treatment. They may be small inns or frequently rooms in people's houses, or sometimes facilities specially built for this purpose. Cost ranges from free to very low. Resources: National Association of Hospitality Houses Fisher Houses, provide free or very low cost lodging to military families (including veterans) getting treatment at military medical centers and also assist with travel. Ronald McDonald Houses provide free or low cost housing to the families of seriously ill children during cancer treatment. They are affiliated with McDonald's restaurants. Friends and Relatives: Obviously if you have friends or relatives where you're going to be treated who are willing to help that solves the problem. Even if they can't put you up they may know of good places to stay. Tip: Look for weekly or monthly rates if you're paying for a hotel or motel. If you stay more than a couple of days or a couple of weeks you may save quite a bit by reserving for a whole week or month. There is some risk if your plans might change depending on results of tests or medical consultations at the hospital you're visiting. My Experience: I found out the American Cancer Society had a lodging program in San Francisco but I decided not do it because although it was a free room in one of the fanciest hotels in the city, it was only available on weekdays. It was also likely to be a small room and I wasn't sure there'd be space for both my Mom and I when I wasn't in the hospital. ACS programs vary from place to place and over time so don't let my 1990 experience discourage you. On our first trip, my mother arranged for us to stay with a friend of hers for the first few days in San Francisco on very short notice but, as we were imposing, we moved to a great place my mother got through hospital social services. The Beach Boy Motel was only $50 a night for two huge rooms with (very important) a small kitchen. My appetite was greatly affected by both the disease and the treatment and when I did feel like I could eat it was often at odd hours and with no notice. It was great to be able to get something anytime. The Beach Boy was also close to (surprise) the beach as well as Candlestick Park which were great places to walk to get my strength back and ease my mind. They also had a nifty shuttle service to and from the hospital. The only snag was that the second floor room required climbing a flight of stairs which was a bit of a struggle at times. As I checked out on my last visit, I realized although the nightly rate I'd been paying was a good deal, I could have paid much less if I had reserved for a month and paid the monthly rate, but they wouldn't let me change it retroactively.

Insurance Coverage for Travel

Long after I completed my treatment, I noticed my insurance company would have actually paid some of my travel costs. But I hadn't checked my plan and so I lost out. While I strongly suspect insurance benefits are less generous now than they were in 1989, it's still worth checking your plan to see if you have any coverage for medically necessary travel.

Tax Implications

Itemized Deduction: You can deduct the portion of your medical costs which exceed a percentage of your adjusted gross income (currently a rather cruel 7.5%) then you can deduct. This includes travel costs as well as much else, and it's likely you'd need to add up all your unreimbursed medical costs to reach the threshold. Travel costs include lodging, meals, and transportation including driving expenses. If your medical expenses overall are high or your income is low you may be able to take this as an itemized deduction. Archer Medical Savings Account (MSA): An MSA allows you to make tax- deductible contributions to a special account and then receive tax-free distribution of qualified medical expenses. These are the same expenses as I discussed for Itemized Deductions above and include travel expenses. The MSA is only available to people to have a high deductible medical insurance plan. If you have one of these plans, setting up an MSA is an option and a smart move for almost any cancer patient. Check with your employer or insurance plan. If you already have an MSA, you should strongly consider funding it to the maximum amount allowed. * Read the full article

[newstfionline]

As global reach grows, China builds military to match

Michael Holtz, CS Monitor, August 4, 2017

BEIJING--The military parade China held on Sunday to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the People’s Liberation Army was an impressive show of force. More than 12,000 troops marched at the remote Zhurihe training base in Inner Mongolia, about 250 miles north of Beijing, as President Xi Jinping looked on from an open-top jeep.

On display were 600 pieces of military hardware and more than 100 aircraft, nearly half of which were making their public debut, according to the Defense Ministry. They included new and improved intercontinental ballistic missiles, surface-to-air missiles, stealth fighters, and drones specifically designed to target radar systems.

Two days later, China formally opened its first overseas military base in the Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti.

The message sent by these two high-profile events was clear: as China seeks to expand its global clout and position itself as an international leader, it wants to have the military to match. Years of double-digit percentage increases in the defense budget have led China to become the world’s second-largest military spender after the United States.

“The duty of the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] is to protect China’s national interests,” says Zhao Gancheng, a senior fellow at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies. “If China’s national interests expand to other parts of the world, its military ability will extend to those areas as well.”

The opening of the base in Djibouti is only the latest in a series of military milestones China has reached this year. In April, it launched its first domestically built aircraft carrier from the northeast port of Dalian. Then, in July, Chinese warships held drills with the Russian Navy in the Baltic Sea, more than 6,000 miles from their home ports--and in NATO’s backyard. The drills were China’s first war games in those waters.

China’s military hasn’t always been so well-equipped and far-flung. Formed in 1927, the PLA originally fought against China’s then-ruling Kuomintang, or Nationalists. After the PLA chased the Nationalists across the Taiwan Strait in 1949, it gained the reputation of being a bloated, poorly trained fighting force.

The modernization of China’s military has accelerated in recent years under Mr. Xi. As chairman of the Central Military Commission, Xi has implemented sweeping reforms aimed at transforming the PLA into a modern fighting force, including a reduction of 300,000 troops and a far-reaching crackdown on corruption. On Sunday, Xi said it was important for China to have a strong military “now more than any other time in history.”

“No one should expect us to swallow bitter fruit that is harmful to our sovereignty, security, or development interests,” he added on Tuesday, at a ceremony to mark the anniversary in Beijing’s Great Hall of the People. “The Chinese people love peace. We will never seek aggression or expansion, but we have the confidence to defeat all invasions.”

With a standing military of 2.3 million members--the largest in the world--China has plenty of reasons to feel confident. But as the country’s global ambitions grow, so too does the risk of military conflict.

The South China Sea has long been a source of tension between China and its neighbors, as well as the United States. And now the country is bogged down in an armed standoff with India over a sliver of land in the Himalayas.

How China manages these disputes could have far-reaching implications for regional security, especially as it angles to supplant the US as the predominant military power in Asia. In his speech on Tuesday, Xi issued a tough line on national sovereignty, saying China will never permit the loss of “any piece” of its land to outsiders.

“China doesn’t want to have gunboat diplomacy used against it,” says Carlyle Thayer, an emeritus professor at the Australian Defence Force Academy at the University of New South Wales in Canberra. “It certainly has ambitions to deploy farther to better protect itself and its national interests.”

China’s ambitious “One Belt, One Road” initiative is the largest example of its growing influence beyond its own borders--and its need for an expanded global military presence. Through the initiative, Beijing has pledged $900 billion for the construction of infrastructure projects across Central Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.

But building roads, dams, and ports in many of these regions--some of the most unstable in the world--comes with serious challenges. Take Pakistan, for example, where China plans to spend $57 billion on joint infrastructure and industrial projects. Militants have killed more than 40 Pakistani workers on and around project sites since 2014. As China’s military capabilities improve, how the country uses them to protect its economic interests in places like Pakistan remains to be seen.

Chinese officials say the new base in Djibouti--which they officially describe as a logistics facility--will enable China to better support anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia and peacekeeping operations across Africa. China has 2,400 troops serving as United Nations peacekeepers on the continent.

American military analysts say the base is a major strategic development for Beijing’s growing global ambitions and a possible threat to the longstanding dominance of the US military in Africa and the Middle East. Camp Lemonnier, America’s only permanent military installation in Africa, is just a few miles away.

Experts like Dr. Thayer, however, say that China has a long way to go before it catches up to the US on military grounds. The US spends more money on defense than the next seven countries combined--about $600 billion in 2016 alone. China has two aircraft carriers; the US has 10, with two more under construction.

Perhaps most importantly, the US has a large network of alliances that helps it maintain hundreds of bases with tens of thousands of troops in dozens of countries around the world.

“For China, there is no alliance system like the US has,” Thayer says. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a regional security group, is likely the closest thing.

“Where would China be able to put 38,000 troops in the world and be welcomed?” Thayer asks, a reference to the number of American troops stationed in South Korea. “I can’t see that happening for decades.”

[thecloudlight-blog]

New Post has been published on Cloudlight

New Post has been published on https://cloudlight.biz/chinese-blogger-arrested-for-online/

Chinese blogger arrested for online

Chinese blogger and Twitter commenter Wu Bin (@xuicai1911 @秀才江湖) changed into arrested by Shenzhen national safety police last Thursday for making on-line comments, according to a document from Canyon, a news website specializing in Chinese language civic rights.

Wu’s buddy Wang Aizhong sounded the alarm on Twitter rapidly thereafter: “@xiucai1911 just called and said that Shenzhen countrywide safety police and public protection police had been out of doors his rental and that they have been about to arrest him. The reason becomes related to his online speech. Please be aware of Xiucai Wu Bin.”

There have been about seven to 8 law enforcement officials. The group chief changed into in undeniable clothes and that I wager he is a national safety police. They stated because the children might return domestic soon from college, it was higher no longer to have the verbal exchange at home. I stated it became okay to have one police officer talking within the condo. They refused. Ultimately, Xilai agreed to go to Buji police station. When you consider that they did no longer offer any written document for the summons, I bid him not to go together with them. However, Xiucai opened the door and followed the police. After he left, his phone line did no longer work. The telephone quantity of Buji police station is 0755-28872922, please make the call and ask what took place.

Huang went to the police station tomorrow to gain her husband’s summons report. She believes that his detention will final for at the least a few days.

Wu Bin has been a goal for “balance manage” and has been subjected to police harassment on a couple of activities in current years. In September 2013, he was detained for 10 days by way of Hangzhou police for “choosing quarrels” online. In Can also 2014, he became illegally detained at the side of several different dissidents earlier than the anniversary of 1989 Tiananmen seasoned-democracy protests.

On 14 November 2015, Wu Bin become arrested by way of a country wide and public protection coverage in Shenzhen after participating in a public accumulating regarding the “unnatural death” of Guangzhou citizen Zhang Liao while he changed into in police detention. On thirteen December the equal 12 months, Wu Bin turned into taken away by means of Shenzhen police who stated that they had organized for him to travel out of the city for a few days.

Why Does Chinese New Year Fall on a Different Date Each Year?

I am certain you’ve noticed that Chinese language New Yr falls on a the specific day every 12 months.

Why is that this so?

I requested myself the same query and eventually, I figured it out.

Spring starts of evolved (立春, lìchūn) every Yr around Feb 4th (in the Western calendar).

The primary day of Chinese New Year starts of evolved on the new Moon closest ato spring.(That’s why Chinese language New Year is called the Spring Pageant.)

And ends on the overall Moon 15 days later with the Lantern Competition.

The first day of Chinese language New Yr is always among Jan 21st and Feb 21st.

But why are Chinese New 12 months dates so “unpredictable”?

To answer this query, one has to examine how a month in the Chinese language calendar or lunar calendar is calculated.

A Chinese month yue4 月 this means that “moon” isanActual moon.

Every lunar month starts offevolved at the day of the new moon.

This is the day the moon is closest to the sun and no longer seen in any respect.

Does it imply that one has to examine the sky each time to inform the brand new moon?

Luckily, the answer is “no”.

In any other case there will be a variety of stiff necks!

Because the new moon occurs with enough regularity to devise a calendar primarily based on its phases.

(Full moon inside the middle of the month. Moon wanes on the give up

On average, every lunar month is 29.five days.

(Now and again the months are 29 days and different instances they’re 30 days.)

However multiplying 29.five days by 365 days gives 354 days.

That’s eleven days short of 365 1/four days, the cycle of the four seasons.

Or 11 days “faster” if you want.

So, how does the Chinese language calendar “wait” for the natural global to trap up?

by using adding an additional month to make a “thirteen-month 12 months”.

Well, now not every 12 months But each few years.

Opting Blogging As a Career in Today’s World

If you’re a totally passionate writer who’s looking forward to opt for running a blog as a profession, then right here are some things that would help you’ve got a kick begin to your profession. Basically, there are five sorts of bloggers on the earth of lifestyles.

A) The Hobbyist

The form of individual who uses blogging for their non-public enjoyment or entertainment purpose for the viewers without any intentions or expectancies of wages or benefits

b) The Part-timer

The sort of blogger who uses blogging to supplement their profits.

C) The Entrepreneur

A person who blogs for a employer that they personal, to help it through awesome ideas and interplay with their customers, for the development of the excellent of the agency.

D) The Company

Someone who blogs at the side of their full-time or Element-time association with a employer.

E) The entire-timer

The person who blogs as a complete-time profession.

In the above bloggers lifestyles, apart from the individual that blogs as a hobby, there is one issue in commonplace. They receives a commission, and have a blast! You can be a full-time expert blogger who works mainly at one joint or state of commercial enterprise for a long period of time or even brief durations. Else, You could paintings as a freelance blogger who modifications their medium of labor for every weblog post or articles being posted. Based totally on the choice selected, the wages will vary. As an example, a freelance blogger may also earn wages much less whilst as compared to full-time experts. It could additionally be the other way round relying on the context of the paintings being furnished.

Structure of wages

In a survey of 1 K bloggers by using a nicely renowned weblog website in 2012, it’s miles discovered that 17% are able to control their way of life or provide guide to their circle of relatives with their blogging career, even as 81% in no way make even $a hundred from blogging. the other 2% spend less than 2 hours an afternoon running a blog but make more than $150K. All of it relies upon on how qualified your blog posts are and what form of a platform you work for Inside the case of blogging. You wages rely on how frequently you generally tend to weblog, the quality of your content material, how competitive your subject matter is Within the web and community, and the way effective you are at grabbing a terrific deal of target audience, in addition to a piece of luck.

Not anything comes easy. each shape of work takes time to become ideal and to have a right and a generous stability at a point. running a blog would not snap you to repute unexpectedly, and neither does it make it rain coins all of the time. It could take months or even years to attain a country of success, as equally taking in some other discipline. So if blogging is your passion and also you need to take it up as a career, then with all proper guidance and planning, start off your career! High-quality of good fortune!

Advantages and Disadvantages of Buying a Car Online

In case you are planning to shop for a brand new vehicle, you can either visit your friends who can suggest an excellent car agency or simply do it yourself. Nowadays, there’s a brand new fashion with reference to buying automobiles-and this is buying them on line. This is the quickest manner of buying a car. You do not want to go to the automobile shops yourself. shopping for on-line most effective desires a bit time browsing the Internet. Plus, you will now not ought to go away the comforts of your house.

But, just like another challenge, buying a car on line has its benefits and drawbacks. It’s miles important which you be aware with reference to this count. Having the right information in regards to this can assure a fine desire of purchasing a automobile.

Blessings of buying a vehicle on line

*It saves you time and cash

Sure, on-line shopping for of cars will save you cash. You do no longer need to visit close by car retailers. All you need to do is to open your pc and surf the Net. It requires much less time and less attempt and means lesser cash spent. The lesser the money you spend, the better. you could alternatively invest you money on some other costs just like the renovation of your automobile.

*Huge preference of cars styles

on-line shopping gives you a wide array of options to pick out from. Distinctive kinds of automobiles are offered even just on one web page. A domain includes almost all of the new and precise fashions of the time. It continually has the trendiest alternatives. on-line shopping presents you with a Wide range of choices with just a click of a button.

Risks of buying vehicle on line

*You can’t take a look at force the car or take a look at its exterior and interior components

This the fundamental downside of buying a automobile online. You can’t hold or take a look at the auto yourself. Trying out is a totally crucial as it will determine if the auto is at par with different in relation to overall performance. In case you can’t test it, how sure are you that it will paintings nicely? You furthermore mght can not look at through the pleasant of the car components firsthand compared to going to close by vehicle outlets and inspecting the automobile of your preference.

  Originally posted 2016-08-28 01:47:26.

[garynsmith]

Are ‘neighborhood experts’ best equipped to sell a home?

http://ift.tt/2qnAry0

Of all the misconceptions sellers have about the real estate business, the one that strikes me most is the notion that a neighborhood expert is required to sell a home. Based on my experience, going with a neighborhood expert can be more of a hindrance than a benefit.

Don’t get me wrong — I agree there are a few niche markets and specialized neighborhoods that demand the skills of a local real estate agent; however, I contend that those markets are few and far between.

The majority of American neighborhoods are comprised of three to five home models differing only in location, orientation, facades and upgrades. Since builders construct the same models from city to city, the only visual difference between any group of neighborhoods might be the color of the street signs.

Why local expertise is overrated

The attraction to local experts comes from their repertoire of selling many local homes, which makes them more qualified than an agent unfamiliar with the area.

While this idea may have been valid when local data was tightly controlled by area agents years ago, I believe it’s been blown out of the water by the internet. One seller I queried stated, “We need our listing agent to accurately set the price; therefore, they have to have sold homes close by.”

While that might sound logical at first, pricing data for every neighborhood is available online for all to see. In today’s era of real estate data transparency, it’s not uncommon for a buyer to attend an open house armed with more information than the agent — local or otherwise.

Truth be told, it’s not the seller or listing agent who determines the selling price — it’s the buyer.

With full access to data, savvy shoppers instantly know whether a property is priced high or low and will write offers accordingly. With the tools now available to agents through their local MLS, it is usually very easy to provide a solid valuation for almost any neighborhood. Buyer agents in our area do it all the time when helping buyers determine offer prices, and many of them come from offices at least 20 miles away and from different MLSs.

Use the Internet to be your own local expert

Some agents insist that you must be local to know where neighborhood boundaries begin and end. While that argument may have been credible a few years ago, Google has completely invalidated it by providing border maps for any neighborhood name you type into the search bar.

You can also go to Bing’s Bird’s Eye View or Google Earth to check out an aerial view; in many cases, neighborhood boundaries can be easily identified by looking at the roof styles.

Natural neighborhood boundaries also include major roads, railway tracks, and geographical features, such as rivers and lakes. Some MLSs automatically provide the neighborhood for you when you enter the address.

Another defunct argument for the local expert is their purported knowledge of the surrounding area and schools. Yes, they might know which schools have active waiting lists and lotteries, but you — or any real estate agent — can make a quick call to the school district or visit the school’s website to gather that information. You can also check out http://ift.tt/2ddUJ3X to identify which school goes with which address.

The Internet can also be used to keep up with information about changes in neighborhood boundaries or zoning, impending construction projects, proposed freeways, transit projects and more. Want nitty-gritty details about potential local issues? Knock on a few doors and talk to as many neighbors as you can. You might be amazed by how freely they inform you of firsthand neighborhood news and affairs.

By focusing solely on niche areas, local agents risk overlooking important trends impacting entire regions.

I would rather have a regional expert market my properties across the country because that person will have a far greater understanding of how my property compares with similar properties in other areas.

Additionally, by monitoring data across a wider geographical area, a regional agent has a better grasp of the forces that direct the market as a whole. From where I stand, that is critical in effectively representing any seller.

Why clients need a marketing expert

I will be the first to argue that every real estate agent needs to be an expert. The question is, “Expert at what?”

Having seen many listings with a “Neighborhood Expert” rider dangling out front that included murky cellphone pictures, no property prep, no staging, and no evidence of state-of-the-art marketing, I’ve concluded that what sellers really need is a marketing expert.

With the advent of HGTV and Pinterest, buyer tastes have been dramatically refined. Bombarded with pictures of gorgeous homes at every turn, buyer expectations have been raised to almost insane levels.

We are seeing a new generation of buyers that know what they like, but have absolutely no idea how to produce it on their own. They have no clue what to do with a hammer or drill, so they only visit homes that meet their requirements. If it’s not “move-in ready,” it’s not on the list.

Selling homes, especially in major regions like the San Francisco Bay Area, has become all about online presentation, beginning with extensive property preparation and upgrades, brilliant staging, magazine-quality listing photos taken by professional photographers, 3-D tours and more.

Lack of marketing might cost you

Regardless of whether the listing agent is a local expert or not, homes selling for top dollar are always marketed better than the rest; just because an agent sold a house down the block does not mean they’re a marketing expert capable of maximizing your home’s selling potential.

In fact, if your local neighborhood expert is not up to speed with the latest marketing techniques, their representation can cost the seller money.

If an agent only focuses on a small geographical area, he or she may lack the bandwidth of experience and resources required to effectively market to a larger audience.

Since many of our buyers come from other cities, an agent’s location has no bearing on their decisions; buyers do not care if the listing agent is local or not — they only care about how the home looks online. They are attracted to homes with marketing that sizzles.

If I have a need relating to my home, I go online to find the person best qualified to handle the issue.

As an example, if I discover that I have a cracked foundation, I’m not going to look for a local expert or the one who lives closest to my house.

I’m going to search for the best foundation person I can find, regardless of where that professional’s office is located.

I only have one chance to get it right, and since my home is my no. 1 asset, I will find the expert I believe is going to do the best job possible, no matter how far they have to drive to get here.

Carl Medford is the CEO of The Medford Team. Follow him on Twitter.

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When Will Kabila Go? Congolese Leader Long Overstays His Welcome

By Kimiko de Freytas-Tamura, NY Times, July 23, 2017

KINSHASA, Democratic Republic of Congo--In Congo, they are calling it “le glissement.”

The term, meaning “the slide” in French, describes the prospect of elections slipping away as President Joseph Kabila maneuvers to extend his 16-year rule, which has given him and his coterie vast riches but done little for most ordinary citizens.

The deeply unpopular Mr. Kabila, 46, was supposed to step down last Dec. 20 at the end of his second term, as constitutionally mandated. But he refused, setting off a profound political and economic crisis whose resolution could turn chaotic and violent.

“The president needs to go,” Fiston Ntumba, 27, a motorcycle-taxi driver, said in Kinshasa, the capital. “By not going, he is seeking war. So we’ve decided to go to war, too.”

An implosion of Congo, a country almost the size of Western Europe, could spill into and involve some of the nine countries it borders. In the late 1990s, neighboring countries were sucked into what became known as the Great War of Africa, which resulted in several million deaths.

A key figure in that conflict was Laurent-Désiré Kabila, Mr. Kabila’s father, who seized power in 1997. The younger Mr. Kabila became the country’s leader in 2001, after his father’s assassination.

In Kinshasa, the mood was tense on a recent day as residents wondered whether Mr. Kabila would honor a pact that allows him to stay in office until the end of the year as the country prepares for elections.

“We are waiting,” said Elysée Yenge, 57, a shopkeeper in the capital. “We are praying to God for something to happen, because God can’t let this suffering just go on.”

Last December, an influential body of Roman Catholic bishops, the National Episcopal Conference of Congo, brokered an agreement for a transitional government followed by elections at the end of this year. Since then, Mr. Kabila has reshuffled his cabinet, choosing a major opposition figure, Bruno Tshibala, as prime minister.

But the timetable to hold an election has slipped, badly.

In a recent interview with a German newspaper, Mr. Kabila declared he had “promised nothing” in the December deal. The electoral commission added to the sense of uncertainty by saying it would probably be impossible to hold the election on time because of a lack of funds--it says the process would cost $1.8 billion--and because of unrest in the central Kasai region.

Diplomats involved in negotiations say that time is running out and that opportunities to broker Mr. Kabila’s peaceful departure are getting smaller by the day.

The ‘glissement’ is particularly dangerous because no one knows when and how it will end, said one Western diplomat who spoke on the condition of anonymity, citing diplomatic protocol. The resilience of the Congolese people is legendary, the official added, but they’ve already suffered a lot.

Congo is extraordinarily rich in natural resources. It is Africa’s biggest copper producer and a vital source of the cobalt used in rechargeable batteries and smartphones. It has large quantities of diamonds, gold, oil, timber and uranium.

And yet, the economy is plummeting.

Partly because of lower prices for raw materials and partly because of general mismanagement, growth has shrunk from the double digits a few years ago to just below 3 percent. The currency has halved in value over 12 months. Prices are climbing fast, damaging people’s already precarious living standards. Soldiers, teachers, doctors and civil servants have not been paid their official salaries for months.

As the economic crisis deepens, the International Monetary Fund recently threatened to withhold desperately needed cash unless Mr. Kabila agreed to elections. The central bank’s coffers are virtually empty. Commercial banks are facing a liquidity crisis as people convert Congolese francs into dollars on the black market instead of putting them in their savings accounts.

The list of ills facing Congo, which has never had a peaceful transfer of power, goes far beyond the economic.

A civil war between government troops and Kabila opponents is raging in the heart of the country, where at least 80 mass graves have been discovered since last year and more than a million people have been displaced. Two United Nations experts sent to investigate the mass killings were killed in March.

Now, the violence has spread to Kinshasa. Just last week, a group of men stormed Le Grand Marché, a popular marketplace, killing at least three police officers. The market’s administrator, rumored to be a Kabila supporter, was found dead with her throat slit. In May, a huge jailbreak let loose more than 3,000 prisoners onto the streets.

Mr. Kabila is disliked to such an extent that some of his countrymen now fondly recall Mobutu Sese Seko, the country’s former leader known for his ruthless suppression of opponents and a gargantuan appetite for luxury, paid for with large-scale corruption. Unlike the reclusive Mr. Kabila, Mobutu showed himself in public and gave rousing speeches.

The situation has gotten so bad that rumors of a coup d’état are swirling in diplomatic circles and even within Mr. Kabila’s own party, known as the Presidential Majority.

So far, Mr. Kabila enjoys the protection of his formidable Presidential Guard, a fiercely loyal personal army of some 40,000 members who carry out brutal crackdowns at his bidding.

A top contender to take over as president, Moise Katumbi, a popular figure and a former Kabila ally, has not set foot in the country for over a year. If he does, he faces prison time for what he says are politically motivated charges against him.

Despite his measures to stay in power, Mr. Kabila is finding himself increasingly isolated and cornered.

“He has all these stopgaps to delay the election,” said Jason K. Stearns, the director of the Congo Research Group at New York University and author of “Dancing in the Glory of Monsters,” a book about the country’s war. “He hasn’t been able to change the Constitution to stay in power or find a successor that he trusts. So he’s left playing for time.”

Fearing an exodus of refugees across their borders, Congo’s neighbors and traditional allies are losing patience. In particular, Rwanda and Angola, which have reached some stability after their own civil wars, have little appetite for a return to chaos.

When he assumed the presidency in 2001 after his father’s assassination by his bodyguards, Mr. Kabila was considered a great hope for the country. One of his biggest accomplishments was a peace deal with Congo’s neighbors after the devastating war. He also brought in investment from international mining companies.

But according to those who have known Mr. Kabila personally for a long time, he has amassed so much wealth for himself and his family that he is not ready to give up, even at the cost of more bloodshed.

The country “provided him with easy money, made him feel invincible,” said Francis Kalombo, who knew Mr. Kabila as a young man and was once one of his closest advisers before a falling out in 2015. “So why leave?”

Mr. Kabila and his family have a business network controlling virtually all industry in the country, from mining to a company issuing license plates. The president holds more than 71,000 hectares of farmland, according to the Congo Research Group. Two companies that belong to the family own diamond permits that extend more than 450 miles along Congo’s southern border with Angola.

The government spent more than $4 million this year on a lobbying campaign in Washington to bolster its image, according to disclosure filings with the United States Justice Department.

“Someone who is planning to leave wouldn’t do that,” said Mr. Kalombo, who says he doubts Mr. Kabila will ever hold elections.

The Congolese leader is also encouraged by what he sees in the rest of Africa, Mr. Kalombo said. When other African leaders like Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, and Yoweri Museveni, the president of Uganda, have managed to cling on to power using various maneuvers, including changing their Constitutions, Mr. Kabila reasons he can do the same.

During his rule, Mr. Kabila, who likes to hole up in his enormous Kinshasa residence or on one of his farms outside the city, has done little to connect with the public. He was largely raised in exile while his father was plotting to overthrow Mobutu. When he assumed the presidency, he was not fluent in French or Lingala, two of the main languages spoken in Congo.

Mr. Kalombo recalled a conversation he once had with Mr. Kabila.

“‘The Congolese people are cowards,’” Mr. Kabila told him, according to his former friend. “‘You just need to fire four or five gunshots for them to scurry back into their homes.’”

Just like King Leopold II of Belgium, who ran the country as a personal fief for more than 20 years until 1908, Mr. Kabila and his family are operating Congo as a giant cash machine, Mr. Kalombo said.