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socalsojourner · 6 years ago

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Las Vegas - Things to do with kids - Part 3

Want even more things to do with kids in Las Vegas? I think some of these will keep ‘em happy - I’ve done a lot of these and they are really cool:

SlotZilla Zip Line

SlotZilla at Fremont Street Experience is a 12-story zip line and is one of the best things to do in Vegas. There are two ways to fly, the lower "Zipline" and upper "Zoomline."

The Stratosphere Tower

At 1,149 feet, the Stratosphere Tower is the tallest freestanding observation tower in the United States and the tallest building west of the Mississippi River. From the observation decks you'll enjoy panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip and the Las Vegas valley. Thrill seekers can enjoy excitement over 100 stories above the ground on the Big Shot thrill ride and the High Roller roller coaster. For the less daring, there is the Strat-O-Fair midway attraction. The Stratosphere Tower is located in the Stratosphere hotel

The Toy Shack

FreeThe Vegas Toy Shack specializes in vintage toys from the 80’s. Transformers, GI Joe, TMNT, M.A.S.K and much more. The Toy Shack is located at the Fremont Street Experience

GameWorks

FreeBlast away at GameWorks. GameWorks has 47,000-sq. ft. entertainment with over 250 games, the world's tallest free-standing rock-climbing structure, a full-service restaurant, and two snack bars. GameWorks is located Town Square.

High Roller

This 550-foot tall observation wheel has a 360 degree view of Las Vegas. Instead of those old two seaters that seem to rock back and forth precariously, you'll be stepping into a state-of-the-art air-conditioned pod that's roomy enough for 40 people. You may walk around and take pictures from every possible angle. Tickets here.

Eiffel Tower Experience

The Eiffel Tower Experience, located at the Paris hotel, is one of the top things to do for Las Vegas visitors. Take a glass elevator to the 50th floor for a panoramic view of Las Vegas from this half-scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. Along the way, your tour guide, will point out can't-miss Vegas landmarks.

Marvel Avengers STATION

Dive into the world of The Avengers, where you can explore the history and scientific origins of the Marvel characters. From interactive minigames to exhibits featuring Captain America's uniform, to a green-screen photo experience with several Avengers-themed backgrounds. Best yet might be the interactive experience that allows guests to try on Iron Man's suit and go for a drive via virtual reality. Tix here.

Hot Air Balloon Rides

If you always wanted to go up, up and away on a hot air balloon ride, now's your chance. For 180 minutes, you’ll soar like an eagle on THE scenic tour of Las Vegas. Your tour also includes a snack and champagne toast (for those over 21). Vegas Balloons.

ATV Hidden Valley

Suitable for beginners and experienced riders, this ATV tour takes you to places in the Mojave Desert seldom seen. Come prepared for adventure -- this is the longest ATV adventure offered in Southern Nevada. You will be escorted in a van to the staging area in Jean, Nev., where your ATV will be waiting. After a short safety briefing, you will begin a two-hour ride through rugged desert and mountain terrain, riding through historic Hidden Valley, near extinct lava beds and across dry lakes. You also will enter the rugged McCullough Mountain Range for more trail riding. This tour covers anywhere from 20 to 50 miles of desert terrain, depending on group size and riding level. This tour includes bottled water. The morning tour includes a stop in Primm, Nev. for a short break. Note: Guests must wear closed-toe shoes. Sandals and high-heeled shoes are not allowed. Hats and sunglasses are recommended. For cooler temperatures, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket is recommended. Tix here.

Zero 1 Desert Adventures

It's time to get dirty, and one of the best ways to do it is off-roading through the Mojave Desert in a Polaris RZR XP1000. After your complimentary drop-off at Base Camp, there's a short training course that will polish your driving skills to expert levels. You've got a choice of a two hour, three hour, half day, or seasonal night tour that'll have you riding through the most scenic spots Vegas has to offer. The terrain is full of surprises, but that's not a big deal because your new driving skills will prepare you for all the rugged terrain Mother Nature throws your way. From twisty sand-washes to high-speed trails, you'll experience all the unspoiled desert has to offer. All the gear is provided, so the only thing you need to bring is your adventurous spirit. You'll even get to wear a state-of-the-art helmet with a PCI radio system so all your friends can hear your trash-talking as you leave them in the dust. Tix here.

Dig This

Perfect for the big kids at heart (14 years and older), this tour will have you operating a a state-of-the-art bulldozer or hydraulic excavator. After a brief safety and equipment orientation, you'll be given a hard hat, safety vest and radio. Once you climb aboard, you'll be operating an excavator or bulldozer in no time. And don't be intimidated by all the switches and gears. An experienced instructor will talk you through step-by-step via radio. In no time you'll be rolling gigantic boulders across the dirt, excavating trenches, stacking tires and playing "excavator basketball." Choose either the excavator or bulldozer ride, both missions are challenging and fun. With five acres of a super-sized sand box, you'll definitely have room to get down and dirty. Whether you grew up reading "Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel" or watching the cartoon show "Bob the Builder," Dig This will soon have you exploring the fun of this adult sand box. Tix here.

Pole Position Raceway

Whether you're a novice or experienced racer, Pole Position Raceway will send your heart racing. Located just off the Las Vegas Strip, this state-of-the-art, 60,000-square-foot facility features indoor race karts that zoom faster than any of their kind in the country.

The racing karts are approximately 18-horsepower and capable of going up to 45 miles per hour. These electric-powered karts are also environmentally friendly, emitting no exhaust.

Your adventure begins when you choose from a variety of packages -- including 2-Race Adult, 2-Race Junior, 3-Race Adult or All-You-Can-Drive packages. Join the ranks of celebrities like Star Wars creator George Lucas, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and NASCAR champion Kyle Busch, as you navigate the quarter-mile track through long straightaways, hairpin turns and other unique elements. Busch and seven-time AMA Supercross champion Jeremy McGrath are part of the team that brought Pole Position Raceway to Las Vegas.

At the end of each race, you'll receive a scorecard, which includes details like your lap time, position and overall race stats. Compare your results with other racers to see where you stand.

Pole Position Raceway offers an arcade, which includes a variety of racing games. The upstairs game room features two pool tables, a pinball machine, plasma TVs and a great aerial view of the track. Catch the excitement below and pay attention to how the experts execute the tricky turns.

Guests can stroll through the facility and see race cars, motorcycles, helmets and racing suits on display worn by professionals, including Dale Earnhardt Sr. Pole Position Raceway also sells memorabilia, including T-shirts and hats, so you can take a piece of your experience with you.

There is a complimentary shuttle service between 11:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. daily (subject to availability, guests must call to confirm availability).

Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon Zipline

You've probably had dreams of flying, right? But did you ever think of actually doing this (and not by plane or helicopter) on your next Vegas trip?

Flightlinez Bootleg Canyon's zip-line tour in Boulder City gives you the chance to "fly" and experience the beauty of the Southwest desert mountains.You'll sit in your own paragliding harness that's suspended from cable wires. Travel from one point to another by flying over the desert ecosystem from the top of Red Mountain. Some riders have reached speeds of 50 miles per hour.

After a brief safety orientation, your guides will take you on a quick drive up to the canyon. From here, you'll take a half-hour hike uphill. Upon reaching your destination, you'll coast through four runs, each providing a different kind of experience, including a 450 foot plunge. Each run's takeoff platform provides a unique view of the mountainous terrain from a different elevation, showcasing the variety and beauty of the desert.

Nervous about flying? Don't worry -- the tour guides help make everyone feel comfortable. And if you're afraid of heights, let this be the ride that helps you overcome your fear.

West Rim and Hoover Dam

See two of the most amazing sights in the world on one tour -- the Grand Canyon and the Hoover Dam. Start out by driving through the scenic Mojave Desert, dotted with Joshua trees, visit the community of Dolan Springs and then head to the West Rim of the Grand Canyon. The West Rim displays the Grand Canyon's natural beauty with no crowds, no guardrails and stunning views as far as the eye can see.You will have a guide on the tour who will teach you about the history, culture, geology and flora of the Grand Canyon. Your transportation on the tour is a 10-passenger Tour Trekker, a vehicle that is ideal for sightseeing and off-road adventures. This tour also includes a two-hour stop at Hoover Dam, which includes photo opportunities of the Hoover Dam bypass bridge, the Colorado River and Lake Mead. You'll have time on your own to explore this engineering masterpiece including visiting the exhibit gallery and the observation room in the power plant that houses massive generators. Lunch is included on the tour.

DOME at Container Park

The glowing sphere in Container Park isn't just a pretty sculpture—it's a portal to other worlds. Inside The Dome, 4K Ultra HD video stretches across the ceiling, creating 360° imagery that immerses viewers in the worlds of dinosaurs, aliens, and more. The family-friendly theater is decked out with 25 reclining seats, which comfortably cradle guests as they bask in the all-consuming visuals of shows such as these:

Dinosaurs at Dusk: Travel back in time to the land of dinosaurs to watch Tyrannosaurus rex, Pteranodon, and Triceratops in their natural habitat.

Earth Defender: In this game, players take lasers in hand and venture into space to defend Earth against the evil Metamorphs.

Led Zeppelin: '70s kids can stare in awe as stunning visuals dance in time to classic Zep tracks such as "Kashmir" and "Stairway to Heaven.”

More Info here.

What's the Container Park? The Container Park, located in Downtown, is an open-air shopping center built from repurposed shipping containers. Located just a few blocks away from the Fremont Street Experience, this open-air shopping center filled with boutique retail shops, restaurants, and live entertainment.

The Container Park, located Downtown, is an open-air shopping center built from repurposed shipping containers. Located just a few blocks away from the Fremont Street Experience, this open-air shopping center filled with boutique retail shops, restaurants, and live entertainment.

Marking the entrance is a 55-foot metal preying mantis sulpture which shoots flames during special evening occassions. Once inside the park you'll be surrounded by restaurants, bars, and retail outlets.

55-Foot Preying Mantis The feature attraction for kids is the children's park. Located in mostly a shaded area (key for those hot summer months) the park contains a 33 foot tall slide sure to delight the adventurous child in your group as well as a NEOS playground, an electronic game that requires kids to chase after flashing lights. Also at the children's park are large foam blocks, sort of like giant sized Lego, for building, throwing and jumping on! There's a one-of-a-kind interactive play area where both children and adults can have fun and be active while exploring their creativity.

Be sure to try SasaSweets Chillspot's one-of-a-kind frozen treats and Sweet Spot Candy Shop's vintage and classic candy. Children are not permitted after 9pm, even still, Downtown Las Vegas doesn't get much more family-friendly.

Twilight Zone Mini Golf & Arcade

Looking for an affordable, yet extraordinarily unordinary experience in Vegas? Twilight Zone by Monster Mini Golf is a unique 10,000 sq. ft themed attraction featuring an extraordinary custom-designed indoor glow-in-the-dark 18 hole miniature golf course entertainment venue.

This course is surrounded by custom designed out-of-this-world props, phenomenal artwork & a live on-course DJ blasting music straight from the past right into the 5th dimension with trivia, contests, and prizes creating a destination embraced by locals, tourists, and earthlings of all ages!

The arcade features new and retro games such as Space Invaders, The Walking Dead and more.

Area 51 Tour

The truth is out there and now you can conduct your own search when you visit a number of famous locations frequented by UFO enthusiasts.

Your tour begins with a quick stop near McCarran International Airport where you can see the planes for Janet Airlines. This fleet of unmarked jets transports workers to and from Area 51.

Enjoy a scenic drive by SUV through the desert on your way to view some very unusual ancient Indian petroglyphs that resemble aliens. Next you will explore a mysterious dry lake bed, the site of a number of UFO sightings.

Back on the road, you'll enjoy a beautiful drive along the "Extraterrestrial Highway" on your way to the famous Little A'le' Inn and plenty of photo opportunities. This store and restaurant has been the host of numerous documentaries and movies including "Independence Day." Here you will find a wealth of information on this top-secret area. Captain Chuck Clark, an ex-air force captain, has written a manual on Area 51, which is available for sale.

After a great lunch, which includes "Alien Burgers" you will travel to the infamous black mailbox that marks the entrance to Area 51, a sacred meeting place for UFO enthusiasts. You arrive at the absolute perimeter of Area 51 after traveling through the Joshua Tree forest.

At Area 51's perimeter you will see guards, detection devices, listening devices and cameras mounted among the cactus. Signs reading, "Top Secret Military Facility, Keep Out, Use of Deadly force Authorized" are scattered along the facility's border and guards stand watch behind the tinted windows of their SUVs.

Enjoy this extreme tour to the world's most famous military facility and inspiration for the "X-Files."

#lasvegastravel #lasvegas #lasvegastourism #lasvegaswithkids

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paul-doyle · 8 years ago

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The Gift Of Gabby: Williams Will Do Whatever It Takes To Make UConn Better

By Paul Doyle/The Hartford Courant

March 31, 2017

The play ends with a feat of jaw-dropping athleticism, Gabby Williams leaping over an opponent in a single bound and snatching the ball.

But it all begins with the brain. Williams, intuitive and intelligent, positions herself in just the right space on the floor. She studies the nuances of her opponent's body, she reads the trajectory of the shot and processes where it will rattle off the rim.

UConn fans have been witnessing the show all season. An undersized former guard who was a reserve last season, Williams has been a dynamic player in a season full of dynamic performances.

She is among the best defensive players in the country, thriving against bigger post players. She is also the best all-around player on the best team in the country, filling the stat sheet with rebounds, assists, blocks, steals and points.

As UConn moves into its 10th consecutive Final Four, the team's improbable rise will be a common theme all weekend. How did the program manage to avoid a loss after watching three of the best players in college basketball graduate off a four-time national champion?

Sophomores Napheesa Collier and Katie Lou Samuelson have been elite scorers, earning All-America and national player of the year consideration. Junior Kia Nurse has emerged as a perimeter scoring threat while providing defense and stability at guard, while senior Saniya Chong has been a steady force all season.

But the exclamation point on the season wears No. 15.

Williams (14.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.2 assists) is a human highlight reel, the player who has been drawing gasps from crowds in gyms all over the country. She was called the best basketball player in the country by ESPN's Jay Bilas and opposing coaches have been marveling at her athleticism for the past four months.

"Her legs are like springs," Albany coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee said. "She just gets up and rises above the other player."

There is an audacity to her game, as the 5-foot-11 Williams continually outperforms players who tower over her. But she can be hard on herself and her confidence has sometimes waned over her three seasons at UConn.

Geno Auriemma attributes it to the physical setback following two surgical procedures on her knee. Williams was limited as a junior and senior at Reed High in Sparks, Nev., so she came to UConn as a relatively inexperienced player.

"In her basketball life this is her second year of playing basketball," Auriemma said. "This is her second year of basketball in the last four years."

She is also hyper competitive and struggled with failure.

"If it was dominoes, if it was checkers, if it was horseshoes, she would just figure out how to win," said Williams' father, Matt. "She's just a perfectionist."

So imagine the difficulty two years ago. Still recovering from her second knee injury and working herself back into basketball shape, she changed position. All those transitions as a freshman — from guard to forward, from high school to college, from Nevada to Connecticut — tested her.

Williams did not leave the bench in the second game of her freshman year. That happened to be UConn's last loss, 88-86 in overtime at Stanford. Auriemma said the team could not trust her, so she sat.

"I never wanted to feel like that again ... almost helpless," Williams said. "I knew that if I would have played in that game, I would have messed everything up. I wasn't prepared the way I should have for that game. So I had to think of, what am I going to bring to this program now, for myself and for my teammates? Because I don't ever want to feel like I'm not a part of anything."

She hasn't missed a game since. There have still been moments of self doubt, even this season. But the confidence has risen as she has continually succeeded at the highest level.

"When she's going good, she feel like she's on top of the world," Auriemma said. "And when she's not, she gets a little bit tentative. Those doubts have been less and less and less. But freshman year? It dominated her. Those thoughts dominated her and that's why she had a hard time playing. Now you look at her … they show up once in awhile.

"Fortunately for us, every big game we've played on national television, those doubts didn't come to the arena. Somehow or another, they got lost on the way over."

She has been at her best against the best. She had 14 points against Baylor, 19 points and 12 rebounds at Notre Dame, 16 points and nine rebounds at Maryland, and 26 points and 14 rebounds against South Carolina.

In the NCAA Tournament? She is averaging 23.3 points and 7.8 rebounds.

And when the environment was tough early in the season, Williams was often the calming influence. At Notre Dame, she gathered the team during a slide and told her teammate, "We got this."

The HBO behind-the-scene documentary series on UConn presented Williams as the team's den mother, making shrimp and grits for her teammates.

And consider this: Williams has been eating a vegan diet this year. But she'll cook anything for the Huskies.

"That's a good teammate," Katie Lou Samuelson said.

That also speaks to her willingness to transform herself into a post player because that's what her team needs. Williams is a well-documented elite athlete, finishing fifth in the high jump at the 2012 Olympic track and field trials at age 15. Yet the kid who reached such heights in an individual sport is the ultimate teammate.

Auriemma has raved about her intelligence and energy. She has the ability to connect with people, gravitating to a leadership role. She is politically and socially aware and active, she loves music — HBO did a segment on her vinyl collection and Williams shared her playlist with ESPN.com, including the song she's been playing before every game since middle school (Mac Dre's "Feelin' Myself") — and she'll do whatever necessary for her team.

"If Geno told her, next year I need you to go out and sell popcorn ... she's going to do it," Matt Williams said. "She's going to do whatever it takes to win. That's why she picked UConn over everybody else."

Williams picked UConn over Stanford, Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA. Her father, who played at Nevada, coached her in AAU and Williams grew up around the game, playing all over the West Coast.

Yet she transplanted herself to Connecticut in search of the highest level.

"And because of Geno and the day-to-day discipline … it's taken her to another level," Matt Williams said. "I don't think there's another program in the country where you could get that."

Gabby said she still misses high jumping, especially as she watches her younger brother Matthew start his high school track career this year. But there is no regret for an athlete who could have been a 2016 Olympic contender had it not been for her knee injury.

"I don't ever think about what could have been," Williams said "I'm here. I'm here for a reason."

Next year, she will play in front of familiar faces when UConn plays at Nevada in her homecoming game. Not only did her father play for the program in Reno, but her sister Kayla was a forward for Nevada.

Will Williams be playing guard when she returns home? She could, but her ability to handle the ball and and pass makes her a unique post player. It's rare to have a post player with the hands of a guard.

And Williams believes her vertical leap will improve. She lost some height on her vertical leap after the surgeries, so she could leap even higher next season.

"When I came, I was just like, how can I help?" Williams said. "How can be a part of the team? It was helpful for me because being a post meant that was going to be more of a part of everything. I didn't see it as, 'Oh, I'm sacrificing.' … I feel like I'm in a really good spot, too. I'm always right in the middle of the floor. I can find people really easily. I can use some of those guard skills. I like the position I'm in."

But if her outside shot improves, Williams could be a player UConn can use anywhere on the floor. And Williams is working endlessly on her perimeter shot.

Auriemma's eyes widen when he talks about Williams' future. She has made such strides in one season and there is still another season left.

"It's almost like, whatever position she decides to play, she's going to be able to play it," Auriemma said. "My big thing with her all year has been about expanding her game. Being a much better ball-handler in traffic. Being a much better shooter. … Little by little, we're gaining on it."

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garancefranke-ruta · 8 years ago

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Ted Cruz makes the 'Missing' list as activists demand a town hall

TED CRUZ MAKES THE ��MISSING’ LIST. The ongoing national campaign of posting “Missing” posters for members of Congress who are not holding town hall meetings hit Texas in March, as the local Indivisible chapter and other groups put up posters with his face around Houston.

I had just talked about ted Cruz to a friend then saw this when I was walking around and love it so much @whereiscruz pic.twitter.com/j68e2rCe21

— zachary (@DenobregaZach) April 2, 2017

“I think it works because people don’t really hang up posters unless it’s a missing cat or something,” Nisha Randle told the Houston Chronicle, as she and others hung posters around Houston under cover of darkness last week. “They’re like, ‘Wait. That’s not a cat. That’s Ted Cruz.’ And then they start to read the poster, and they’re like, ‘Oh, snap. Yeah, Ted Cruz is missing,’”

Randle was the Houston-area coordinator of the Women’s March in January and is now part of Houston’s chapter of Pantsuit Republic.

Her involvement is just the latest example of how the broad-spectrum post-Inauguration Day activism by women has morphed into something more politically targeted; women are leading the pressure campaign to demand Cruz face his constituents in Texas. A Change.org petition posted by Women & Allies Houston calling on Cruz to announce a town hall has garnered more than 1300 signatures, out of a goal of 1500.

Cruz recently gained a long-shot 2018 challenger in Democratic Rep. Beto O’Rourke.

Duct tape:8$,staple gun 9$. Letting Houston know @SenTedCruz is missing and needs to do his job, priceless. #tedcruzismissing#doyourjob pic.twitter.com/uGVXlpqKIs

— Ted Cruz Is Missing (@whereiscruz) March 21, 2017

The groups demanding a Cruz town hall have announced the venue and date for a forum they’ve invited him to, and plan to air their concerns at the town hall forum regardless of whether he shows up.

THE WOMEN’S MARCH GETS ELECTORAL. After asking women to march, to gather in local “huddle” group meetings, to strike on International Women’s Day, and to share what they are reading, the Women’s March organization is asking them to again engage with the electoral political system that burned so many of them last November.

“As we grow our resistance movement, it is important to recognize the power of our vote,” the group emailed members Tuesday. “By focusing on upcoming special, local, and state elections, we can create a groundswell of new elected officials who will fight for our values. Our power lies at the local level, the pipeline for higher offices; this is why we have to vote more than once every four years. For the sixth action in our 10 Actions / 100 Days campaign, we ask you to register to vote and to identify the upcoming elections in your district.”

The group has also signed onto the effort to pressure advertisers to drop Bill O’Reilly’s show on Fox News in the wake of revelations about the network’s major payouts to women who have accused him of sexual harassment.

Women, let's use the power of our voice and tell advertisers to #DropOReilly. Share your own stories of sexual harassment in the workplace.

— Women's March (@womensmarch) April 4, 2017

TARGET: MODERATE REPUBLICANS. Progressive group tactics to pressure Congress are starting to follow a pattern in the Trump era: Lock down the Democratic opposition, then go after moderate Republicans.

“As Dems reach 41 votes for a filibuster, attention turns to the Republicans as well,” Joe Dinkin, national communications director for the Working Families Party, told Yahoo News. The WFP, little known outside New York political circles, has in 2017 emerged as a key member of the resistance coalition thanks to its role in organizing locally — and nationally — against the Republican president from New York City.

“On Sunday’s #ReadytoResist call, [Democratic Senate Minority Leader] Schumer mentioned a number of more ‘mainstream’ Senate Rs that are ‘queasy’ about the idea of changing the rules,” he continued. “Is it possible there are not 51 votes in the Senate for the nuclear option? Do Senators like Collins, Murkowski, and Heller want to blow up the Senate in deference to Trump, while the administration is under investigation for colluding with a foreign power to influence the election?”

Dinkin pointed to efforts to pressure Senate Republicans, pointing to Sen. Dean Heller, R-Nev., one of the few swing-state GOP senators up for reelection in 2018.

“There will be Resist Trump Tuesday … and other actions over the next few days at many of those ‘mainstream’ Republican Senate offices demanding that, if there aren’t 60 votes for the nominee, they need to change the nominee not the rules. I was just hearing from our members in Carson City and Reno, who have not let up on Heller,” he continued.

Of course Republicans are aware of the conflicting pressures faced by their more moderate members and pro-Trump political action committees are seeking to provide them with political cover in the form of big ad buys.

PCCC GOES AFTER RED STATE DEMS. The less-than-a-handful of Democrats willing to buck party activists around the nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court have met with blowback from the Progressive Change Campaign Committee. The group took out advertisements in local papers against Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.V., and Heidi Heitkamp, D-N.D.

Senate Republican Judiciary Chair Chuck Grassley on Monday criticized the PCCC for pressuring red-state Democrats to filibuster Supreme Court nominee Neil Gorsuch.

“NARAL has run ads to pressure members to filibuster. We even had some group called Progressive Change Campaign Committee target a senior and extremely well-respected Democrat over his quote-unquote ‘squishy’ comments suggesting he might not filibuster,” Grassley said.

This made the PCCC very happy.

“That’s right! Can you help us triple down?” the PCCC asked in a fundraising appeal. “Senator Joe Donnelly (D-Indiana) just announced he will join Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) and Heidi Heitkamp (D-North Dakota) in supporting Gorsuch, despite Gorsuch’s record of siding with big corporations over workers.”

ISSA CHALLENGER. A recently announced Democratic challenger to vulnerable Republican incumbent Rep. Darrell Issa of California raised $275,000 within his first three weeks of announcing his candidacy, his campaign said Monday. Environmental attorney Mike Levin’s campaign drew more than 2,000 contributions, and from all 50 states, as one might expect in a race that is already drawing national attention.

“I’m deeply honored by the depth and breadth of our support.” Levin said. “Darrell Issa is the wealthiest member of Congress and can self-finance his campaign. Ours is a campaign of grassroots donors from all 50 states who are tired of the Donald Trump and Darrell Issa agenda.”

Issa won his 2016 reelection by just 1,621 votes — 0.6 percentage points — making him the most vulnerable incumbent Republican in the country. Retired Marine Col. Doug Applegate, who nearly defeated Issa in 2016, also announced last November that he intends to run again in 2018.

“As a Marine Colonel, I know that the hardest fights often take a couple of battles — and I look forward to continuing our fight in the days, weeks, and months ahead,” Applegate said in November.

IMPEACHMENT WATCH. Localities are embracing a campaign to impeach Trump, though with Republicans in control of Congress, it’s the longest of long-shot efforts.

“The Cambridge City Council voted Monday night to call upon the U.S. House of Representatives to approve an investigation into whether sufficient grounds exist to impeach President Trump,” reports the Boston Globe. “In a vote Monday, seven city councilors voted in favor of a proposal that asks the House to authorize its Committee on the Judiciary to investigate possible violations Trump may have made in the foreign emoluments clause, domestic emoluments clause, or other constitutional clauses.

“The template for the proposal was written by a national movement called Impeach Trump Now and has been used by such other communities as Berkeley, Calif., and Charlotte, Vt.”

Impeach Trump Now is a project of Free Speech for People, an anti-big money in politics group founded in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decisions, and Roots Action, a 1.5-million member leftwing digital advocacy organization founded in 2011. Free Speech for People, founded and run by former National Voting Rights Institute creator John Bonifaz, is also running a petition campaign to urge New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman to investigate and revoke the charter of the Trump Organization, Inc., in the state.

OPENING DAY. Pro-impeachment sentiment was also visible on the opening day of baseball season in Washington, D.C., Trump broke with presidential tradition and declined to throw out the first pitch, likely avoiding being booed by the region’s heavily Democratic residents — and baseball fans — in the process. But this being Washington, the president’s absence didn’t do anything to tamp down on the politicking and protesters unfurled a banner at the opening day game that read, “Impeach Trump #Resist.”

Protestors after the Nats game unfurl a banner. "Impeach Trump Resist" pic.twitter.com/e3q4ZKKK14

— Kevin Baron (@DefenseBaron) April 3, 2017

BREAKING: "Impeach #Trump" banner dropped during Washington Nationals game on #OpeningDay pic.twitter.com/OnxtVfKeGg

— Alex Rubinstein (@RealAlexRubi) April 3, 2017

THE QUIETEST PROTESTERS. The Insight Meditation Center of Washington, D.C., has announced that it will be holding noon Wednesday sit-ins outside the Longworth House Office Building as a form of protest against the current political chaos. Very literal sit-ins, and very quiet ones, as the participants will be engaged in seated meditation. “Bring comfy sitting gear,” organizers suggest.

#_uuid:377d0cdd-705b-3559-8997-fd8c56c68f9c #_revsp:Yahoo! News #resistance report #_author:Garance Franke-Ruta #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL

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227snewfacebookfries · 6 years ago

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Boise State gets a transfer from Oregon — and she's from a famous family BY RACHEL ROBERTS [email protected] LINKEDIN GOOGLE+ PINTEREST REDDIT PRINT ORDER REPRINT OF THIS STORY May 03, 2018 01:27 PM Updated May 03, 2018 04:48 PM One of the first players off the bench for the Oregon women's basketball team during the Ducks' run to the Elite Eight announced Wednesday night she plans to transfer to Boise State. Mallory McGwire, a 6-foot-5 sophomore from Reno, Nev., started 19 games for the Ducks in 2017-18 and averaged 4.9 points and 3.5 rebounds in 15.6 minutes per game. "We are excited to have Mallory join our program," Boise State coach Gordy Presnell said. "On the court, she is a terrific player who will fit in to what we do and hopefully help us get to another level. Off the court, she comes from a wonderful family and is a very high-character student-athlete whom everyone will enjoy being around and getting to know. She is a great addition to the Bronco Family." McGwire is the daughter of former San Diego State and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Dan McGwire. Her uncle is Mark McGwire, a longtime first baseman for the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals and current bench coach for the San Diego Padres. Help us deliver journalism that makes a difference in our community. Our journalism takes a lot of time, effort, and hard work to produce. If you read and enjoy our journalism, please consider subscribing today. McGwire and her older sister, Morgan, played high school basketball at Reno High with Boise State senior Shalen Shaw. Morgan just finished her career at Santa Clara. "I want to say thank you to the University of Oregon, the coaching staff and my teammates for an amazing past 2 years," McGwire wrote on Twitter. "But I am thrilled to announce I will be joining Boise State University for the remainder of my basketball and academic career." View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter Mallo @mallorymcgwire I want to say thank you to the University of Oregon, the coaching staff and my teammates for an amazing past 2 years! But I am thrilled to announce I will be joining Boise State University for the remainder of my basketball and academic career. Go Broncos💙🧡 9:25 PM - May 2, 2018 587 125 people are talking about this Twitter Ads info and privacy Over two seasons at Oregon, McGwire appeared in all 75 of the Ducks' games, including 43 starts. She averaged a combined 6.1 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while blocking 66 shots and shooting 52.2 percent from the field. In March, Boise State wrapped up back-to-back Mountain West Tournament titles and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four seasons. The Broncos lose seniors Shaw and Brooke Wheeler to graduation. McGwire, who will sit out the 2018-19 season per NCAA transfer rules, will be joined by incoming freshmen Rachel Bowers (Newhall, Calif./Canyon HS), Maggie Freeman (Beaverton, Ore./Southridge HS) and Jade Loville (Sammamish, Wash./Skyline HS). Transfer Jayde Christopher (Kansas) also will be eligible to play after sitting out last season along with Sofia Galeron (Burgos, Spain), who redshirted last season after joining the team in January. BSU men draw Drake The Boise State men’s basketball team will play Nov. 27 at Drake as part of the 2018 Mountain West/Missouri Valley Challenge. The time and broadcast information for the game in Des Moines, Iowa, will be announced at a later date. Drake finished 17-17 overall and 10-8 in conference last season. The Bulldogs earned a bid to the 2018 CollegeInsider.com Tournament and lost in the second round to eventual champion Northern Colorado. BSU coach honored Boise State's Beck Roghaar was named the Mountain West Women’s Tennis Coach of the Year on Thursday by a vote of the league's coaches. It is Roghaar’s first Mountain West Coach of the Year honor and second coach-of-the-year award in his career. He received the same honor in the WAC in 2011. Roghaar led the Broncos to an undefeated conference record in 2018, winning the Mountain Division for the first time in program history. COMMENTS Forget Your 401k if you Own a Home (Do This) SPONSORED CONTENT Forget Your 401k if you Own a Home (Do This) If you own a home, you should read this. Thousands of homeowners did this yesterday, and banks are furious! Do this now before it's... By dollarfreedom VIDEOS Play Video 3:23 NCAA President Mark Emmert on Boise as host Play Video 6:15 Rice: 2017-18 Boise State season had 'big highs' and 'heartbreakers' VIEW MORE VIDEO BOISE STATE BASKETBALL Former Mountain West rival joining Boise State coaching staff Boise State basketball’s top assistant is leaving. He helped develop Hutchison. ‘Worst’ part of the job comes at ‘crucial’ time of year for Boise State basketball Boise State basketball loses junior to transfer, now has one open scholarship to fill Hollywood's Fresh Faces: Ella Purnell SPONSORED Connatix Boise State women’s season ends as outside shot disappears in NCAA Tournament BOISE STATE BASKETBALL http://www.idahostatesman.com/sports/college/mountain-west/boise-state-university/boise-state-basketball/article210385429.html

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 26

Turtle’s Trial

Not as in Turtle (Alice) is on Trial, but as in Turtle (Alice) has decided to hold a trial. Judge Ford even officiates for the ten year old ace attorney, which is hilarious. Prepare for me to go ALL IN on these references.

“She acted the part of every brilliant lawyer she has seen on television who was about to win an impossible case”. Aka I can use any ace attorney gif at my disposal, Alice Attorney embodies them all.

“The only flaw in her imitation was the occasional rapid twist of her head. (She liked the grown up feel of her shorter hair swishing around her face’”.

Alice Attorney rn:

Anyway Alice is going to prove both Westing and Sandy are dead but Crow didn’t kill them. Jury’s still out on whether she actually believes the ‘Westing and Sandy are dead’ part though, I doubt she’d be as happy as she is here if she did.

But her first witness: BIRDWATCHER CHRIS THEODORAKIS!

(Wow, can you believe he’s ten?)

Chris has figured out the limper he saw go into the mansion was Dr. Sikes, the coroner accomplice.

Next, Alice Attorney calls up Otis Amber, exposing that he’s actually…a PI! The one Judge Ford hired!

Goddammit I should have guessed that.

I just kind of eliminated him based on him giving Ford a file on, y’know, himself. I guess he thought it was funny to give Ford an obviously bullshit profile? And Sandy acted like he wasn’t in on the joke?

Anyway, whatever, have Otis’ amazing transformation in gif form:

BECOMES

Otis was also hired by Westing and “Barney” (aka the same person). For Westing, his job was to keep and eye on Crow, keep her out of trouble and keep her from using the “Westing name”. So uh, pretty clear Westing did this at least partly because he was concerned about his own reputation…whether care for his ex-wife entered the picture is still unknown. And like any good double agent, Otis fell IN LOVE WITH HIS MARK. Curious if Crow will take kindly to the fact he’s been lying to the whole time.

He was also hired to investigate Hoo, Grace, Flora, Mr. Theodorakis and Sybil- not Sydelle, a mistake which he admits. (Look, he never claimed to be a GOOD private investigator, okay). Denton just came along for the heir ride thanks to his connection to Angela that turned up in Grace’s report, and of course Westing always wanted Crow to be a part of things and knew Otis would recommend her as a cleaning lady. Sandy, on the other hand, appeared out of nowhere. And he didn’t investigate Sandy for Ford either.

So now, Alice Attorney calls INTERN DEERE (lol at that shade thrown) to the stand, so here he is!

(you cannot deny it)

He confirms he didn’t get to examine the body thanks to Doctor Sikes, and that it looked like he died of a heart attack. Alice Attorney then makes the dramatic reveal:

All Crow did was add lemon juice to the drink! She could NOT have poisoned the vicitim!

Alice then calls up our trusty court stenographer, Sydelle!

With Sydelle’s help, Alice figures out the will says “the windfall will be the one who find the fourth”, a fact Sandy intentionally covered up by making a joke. I was initially like “aw yeah my fourth heir theory” but unfortunately

….I was wrong.

Oh well. Time for a recess!

Ford finds out Westing has left a certificate forgiving all her debt, which is nice, at least! Sun has also gotten confused and thinks the trial is about her, so she comes and returns the things she stolen. Heartwarmingly, everyone forgives her and Alice even lets her keep the Mickey Mouse clock.

But court MUST be back in session!

TIME TO TURN THIS TRIAL AROUND!

Alice drops some truth bombs: Sam Westing is Sandy. The “my life was taken by one of you” is purposeful ambiguous phrasing. Sandy did “take” Westing’s life- because he gave up being Westing to become Sandy. Everyone naturally goes batshit at this and poor Ford has to bang her gavel a million times.

Alice also claims that Westing was sick and his flask contained medicine, but then calls this a “little fib” in her internal monologue.

Oh, you lawyers and your lies.

Ford takes note that Alice also doesn’t mention Westing’s other identity as Barney Northup. At which point Alice lists his identities to herself and…

Oh.

Oh my God I’m stupid.

Sam Westing. Sandy McSouthers. Barney Northup. GOD,, HOW DID I OVERLOOK IT.

Me rn:

THIS TRULY IS SOME ACE ATTORNEY BULLSHIT AND IT WENT RIGHT OVER MY HEAD. Yeah, they’re all directions (SCREW you, Windkloppel). And “East” is the only one missing. So as Alice surmises, the fourth she has to find is not an heir, but a fourth identity Westing has taken on. None of our main characters have “East” in their name so I’m assuming this will be a bit character I just plum forgot about, but can’t figure out how to search that on Kindle.

ANYWAY. Judge Ford asks if Westing stopped taking his medicine and thus committed suicide, but Alice attorney is all:

And says, “Sam Westing suffered terribly from a fatal disease. He was a dying man who chose his time to die”.

I THINKS SHE’S LYING THOUGH. So she can find the Westing’s fourth identity and get the money! That’s okay, though, because she calls herself “Turtle Alice Tabitha-Ruth Wexler” which is adorable.

And just then, Crow is released! Presumably because the police did find out Sandy didn’t die or poison…or rather, because Westing’s coroner friend said he didn’t. So what was Westing’s goal in all this? Simply to find an heir who could crack his frame-up and track down his fourth identity?

We’ll have to find out later, but for now, the ten-year-old genius lawyer rests her case…Crow is

And court is adjourned!

#nev reads the westing game #don't ask me how long this took don't ask me why I did so many #ace attorney #gifs #long post #I GOT IT OUIT OF MY SYSTEM OK

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sportsleague365 · 7 years ago

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PHIL NEVILLE irritates Chelsea fans on social media by thanking them for selling Nemanja Matic to United this summer. The Serbian midfielder was an unsung hero for Chelsea last term, but he appears to have hit the ground running at Old Trafford. The two Neville brothers posted online after United’s encouraging displayGetty - ContributorThank u Chelsea for matic wonderful gesture — Philip Neville (@fizzer18) August 19, 2017 The former Manchester United and Everton defender is usually amidst some sort of controversy on social media. The Serbian international joined United earlier this summer in a £40m three-year deal. This tweet from Neville added fuel to the fire for Chelsea, who were no doubt still bitter aboutMatic’s claim that Manchester United are the biggest club he has ever played for. Matic kicked off his campaign in style, playing a very influential role during United’s 4-0 win over the Hammers on the opening day of the season. He oozed confidence on the field today and held possession well, much to the appreciation of Neville. Gary Neville was quick to follow up his brother’s tweet with another boastful online post. MOST READ IN FOOTBALL WANTS MAR Man United fans furious at Jose Mourinho for leaving Anthony Martial out of side against SwanseaPREM LIVE Swansea 0 vs Man Utd 4: United's flying form continues with goals from Bailly, Lukaku, Pogba and super-sub MartialSWANSEA 0 MAN UNITED 4 Red Devils' flying start continues thanks to late-blitz from Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial after Eric Bailly effortCURSE OF RAMBO 'Aaron Ramsey curse' feared to have struck AGAIN as Bruce Forsyth dies just days after star scoredDONN FOR David De Gea could get Real Madrid move if AC Milan fail to reach Champions League'LIGHTWEIGHTS' Jonathan Walters slams Chelsea's reaction to last week's shock 3-2 defeat to Burnley... and reveals the Premier League's worst losersWHO ZLAT-MAN? Amazing holiday pics reveal Zlatan Ibrahimovic's incredible recovery from knee surgery... and bizarre doppelgangerPLAN B-ARCELONA Barcelona to activate 'Plan B' if they fail with Philippe Coutinho... and it involves former Man Utd flopMARC'D MAN Arsenal join race to sign Real Madrid starlet Marcos Llorente but Atletico Madrid and Sevilla also interestedKYL-ER BLOW Kylian Mbappe 'sent home from training' amid reports PSG has already been signedA CUT A-KOV Real Madrid 'reject £70million bid from Juventus for Mateo Kovacic'RED MISSED Liverpool reject third, £188m Barca bid for Philippe Coutinho, but the real figure is nowhere near that We're gonna w.. — Gary Neville (@GNev2) August 19, 2017 Matic joined Manchester United for a fee of £40mGetty - ContributorThe Serbian midfielder tallied a total of 154 appearances for the Stamford Bridge outfit before completing his move to United. Following his debut for United, the 29-year-old has drawn a wide attention from a number of plaudits – Phil Neville being the most recent. Matic provides an anchor within the Reds midfield, which relieves Paul Pogba of his defensive duties and allows him to apply himself further up the field. BUTT OUT Tempers flare in Yorkshire derby as Barnsley's Angus MacDonald headbutts Sheffield United's Leon Clarke'YOU COMPLETE MORON' West Ham's Marko Arnautovic sent off for elbowing Jack Stephens after just 30 minutes at St Mary'sTHE FOXES MEET THE SEAGULLS Leicester vs Brighton: When is the Premier league match, what is the team news, what time will it kick off?CURSE OF RAMBO 'Aaron Ramsey curse' feared to have struck AGAIN as Bruce Forsyth dies just days after star scoredMARC'D MAN Arsenal join race to sign Real Madrid starlet Marcos Llorente but Atletico Madrid and Sevilla also interestedNIGHTMARE NEVS Phil Neville trolls Chelsea over selling Matic after Manchester United continue great start to seasonKNEE WORRIES Bizarre moment Hamburg's Nicolai Muller scores before injuring himself in celebration and is subbed offGUNNING FOR BROZ Arsenal huge favourites to sign Inter Milan star Marcelo Brozovic with talks planned for this weekHOT POG How Paul Pogba has been released by Jose Mourinho to wreak havoc on the Premier League this seasonPIN-UP FOOTBALLER Who is Andre Gray? Little Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock's boyfriend and Watford strikerTV TIMES Rangers vs Hearts: What time does Scottish Premiership kick off, and what TV channel is it on?MATCH PREVIEW Southampton vs West Ham: What time does the Prem League game kick-off and what TV channel is it on? Keep up to date with ALL the latest transfer news and speculation with our live transfer feed The barrier in midfield who snuffed out attacks and spread the ball with ease: Nemanja Matic's incredible Manchester United debut #ManchesterUnited #NemanjaMatic #PhilNeville

#ManchesterUnited #NemanjaMatic #PhilNeville

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ds4design · 8 years ago

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Up Your Sales Game at LeadsCon, Sales World and More Small Biz Events

If you’re looking to increase sales in 2017, you’re in luck. There are multiple small business events on the horizon designed to help you do just that.

In March, LeadsCon takes place in Las Vegas to help small businesses learn how to nurture and convert quality leads. And then in November, Sales World is an online event that can help sales professionals from almost any industry up their game.

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SYMPOSIA Conference for Women Entrepreneurs January 27, 2017, San Francisco, Calif.

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EntreLeadership 1-Day April 11, 2017, Los Angeles, Calif.

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TECHSPO Toronto 2017 May 18, 2017, Toronto, Ontario

TECHSPO Toronto 2017 is a 2-day technology expo which takes place at the Toronto Marriott Eaton Centre Hotel in Toronto, Ontario. TECHSPO Toronto brings together developers, brands, marketers, technology providers, designers, innovators and evangelists looking to set the pace in our advanced world of technology. TECHSPO Toronto 2017 promises to be better than ever and we’re excited to see all the amazing tech companies and talent that will be joining.

Secret Knock May 22, 2017, Los Angeles, Calif.

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Sales World 2017 November 08, 2017, Online

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DIGIMARCON WORLD 2017 Digital Marketing Conference takes place November 14th to 16th, 2017. Whether your goal is to reinforce customer loyalty, improve lead generation, increase sales, or drive stronger consumer engagement, DIGIMARCON WORLD 2017’s agenda will help attendees enhance their marketing efforts. Sessions will focus on building traffic, expanding brand awareness, improving customer service and gaining insight into today’s latest digital tools.

More Events

Hit The Ground Running in 2017: Business Networking For Professional Success January 17, 2017, Online

Business Networking For Professional Success January 17, 2017, New York City, N.Y.

Bootstrappers Breakfast: Charles Hattemer on Scaling OneRent January 17, 2017, Sunnyvale, Calif.

East Bay After Work Social Networking Mixer at Blind Tiger 1/17/17 January 17, 2017, Oakland, Calif.

Small Business Expo 2017 – Dallas January 18, 2017, Dallas, Texas

East Meets West January 19, 2017, Honolulu, Hawaii

Women in Business MEGA Networking Experience January 20, 2017, San Jose, Calif.

Startup Institute New York: Build a Career You Love January 24, 2017, New York, N.Y.

PATCA Consultants Networking Lunch-South Bay January 24, 2017, Sunnyvale, Calif.

San Francisco Food Tech Mixer + Expert Panel 1/24/17 @ 715 Harrison January 24, 2017, San Francisco, Calif.

Start or Grow Your Business with Enterprise Toronto January 25, 2017, Toronto, Canada

Boston: Build A Career You Love January 26, 2017, Boston, Mass.

DisruptHR New York January 2017 January 26, 2017, New York, N.Y.

Next Level Conference January 26, 2017, Newark, N.J.

Build Your Brand, Your Fans and Your Revenue. January 27, 2017, New York City, N.Y.

Chief Customer Officer USA 2017 January 30, 2017, Miami, Fla.

Legalweek, The Experience January 31, 2017, New York, N.Y.

Fireside Chat w/ Angela and Ethan Stowell, Founders (Ethan Stowell Restaurants) January 31, 2017, Seattle, Wash.

Startup Institute New York: Build a Career You Love January 31, 2017, New York, N.Y.

Bootstrapper Breakfast, Steven Kim: Deep Work Doubles Productivity February 01, 2017, San Francisco, Calif.

More Contests

SCORE’s 2017 American Small Business Championship (ASBC) February 12, 2017, United States

VetSmallBiz Growth Challenge March 03, 2017, Atlanta , Ga.

Small Business Expo 2017 – Houston October 19, 2017, Online

This weekly listing of small business events, contests and awards is provided as a community service by Small Business Trends and SmallBizTechnology.

Sales photo via Shutterstock

This article, "Up Your Sales Game at LeadsCon, Sales World and More Small Biz Events" was first published on Small Business Trends

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 30...and closing thoughts!

“The End?”

Now it’s the “WHERE ARE THEY NOW: A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DEAD” Edition.

Okay, sorry. But with this chapter we get an even BIGGER timeskip- it’s been twenty years since the original Westing Game. And thus, we have a body count. Not like, a violent one, but Crow and Otis have died of (presumably) old age, Hoo is also dead (A bit younger than the others, he’d have been pushing 70, so maybe there were health problems or an accident involved) and most of the chapter takes place with T.R. next to Westing on his deathbed.

We get status updates on everyone once again!

-Judge Ford is on the US Supreme Court now. She MADE IT.

-Sydelle’s retired with her husband to Hawaii.

-Flora lives with T.R., aww. T.R. even still calls her Baba!

It’s all I wanted for them.

-Angela is an orthopedic surgeon. And she and Denton have married, so I guess he really did change! They also had a kid and named her Alice, double aww.

-Chris married his ladyfriend Shirley, they’re both professors of Ornithology, and Chris discovered a new type of bird!

-Sunny got to make her return trip to China but came back to take over Hoo’s business.

-Grace’s restaurant chain has continued its growth, and considering she keeps hold of the one failure in her chain because it’s close to where Jake lives, their relationship must be good. Jake’s on the State Crime Commission now.

-Doug is a sports announcer and got two Olympic golds.

-Theo is a novelist trying his best. I feel that, bro.

-T.R. is a lawyer and continues to make a killing with stocks. She’s also going to inherit Westing’s stock and become chairman of the company board in addition to legal consultant. Theo and T. R. are married. (He noticed she was pretty last chapter. At least it wasn’t Doug, because that would have given bad implications to his rivalry with her).

(It does rankle a bit that T.R. and Theo are specifically choosing not to have kids because a kid might inherit Chris’s disease. Yes, Chris was miserable as a kid when he didn’t have treatment, support, and resources to manage, but now that he’s gotten them, he seems perfectly happy and successful. And T.R. is a millionaire, so she could definitely afford to give her kid treatment and resources. I’d understand if Theo had baggage regarding caretaking, but that just means they shouldn’t have kids in general, and it would make more sense to say that. But yeah, whatever, the seventies.)

But, back to T.R. and Westing. I like how even during his touching deathbed moment, it’s clear Westing’s still kind of an ass. He asks about everyone, indicating he cares, but throws in condescending comments-he refers to his ex-wife as “poor, saintly Crow”, he can’t help mentioning for Ford that “she was a smart kid, but she never once beat me at chess” and has to be all “I gave Hoo the idea for his invention”. It leaves the reader room to make up their own minds about him. Is he a fundamentally good person now or not? Either way, it’s adorable that T.R. still calls him “Sandy” and very sad that “with him died a little of Turtle.” I note the use of Turtle rather than T.R.- it indicates that it’s specifically part of the child she was that died with her jolly doorman, rather than her current self.

And naturally, the man died on the Fourth of July.

The book ends on a rather nice note. Angela brings her daughter Alice over to T.R.’s place.

“Hi there, Alice,” T.R. Wexler said. “Ready for a game of chess?”

The game is never truly over.

And so we close the book on The Westing Game. I really enjoyed it, even though it exposed my embarrassing lack of mystery solving skills in some regards. I am a little disappointed some of my weirder theories didn’t come true (mostly the “Violet isn’t dead” one. “Two Mrs. Westings” would have been amazing too) but the conclusion was satisfying.

I said I’d say some things about ~theme~ so here are some basic thoughts.

It’s clear with the ending especially that legacy is a huge theme in the book, both rejecting and carrying it on. T.R. was under Westing’s mentorship and now mentors Alice, Ford supported Chris and gave him opportunities after Westing gave her one in his own weird way... At the same time, the idea that a child should naturally carry on the aspirations of their parent is very much rejected by this book. Westing checked out of Violet’s life because she didn’t want to carry on his legacy, and that played a role in her death. Crow, meanwhile, forced her aspirations on Violet which also played a role in her death and Grace did the same thing to Angela, making her miserable. Hoo criticized his son for not being what he most wanted him to be, but ultimately Doug was happiest following his own dreams rather than taking after his father. None of the kids do what their parents did, actually, and Angela even surpasses her father in a path he ultimately leaves behind. There’s a clear message your legacy must be sought out by someone who wants it and needs the opportunity rather than forced on your children. It’s also shown that it’s not okay to either reject or hound your children when they don’t follow the path you want. “Giving opportunities, help and compassion to those who need it” is a reoccurring element of the book, from Crow’s soup kitchen to many characters that thrive from getting the proper medical attention, support and education.

The theme of different marginalized and/or ostracized people coming into conflict and competition with each other, but actually finding more fulfillment through supporting each other, is also a strong one. Different members of the cast are affected by things like misogyny, racism, anti-Semitism, ableism and social alienation in different ways, but they ultimately find common ground and become allies in empathizing with and understanding each other.

What’s fascinatingly unclear is how much Westing himself had a role in that.

The man at the center of it all is full of contradictions, and while ultimately his game has good results, it’s hard to say what exactly he believes deep down. I feel in a lot of ways he was encouraging these people to form a community- the way he bought them together and paired them off rather than getting them to work alone, the fact they were encouraged to work together to come up with the “wrong” answer which could have either led to the RIGHT answer or led to them rejecting Crow and so on....

YET, at the end of the day (from his comments to T.R. especially) he seemed to only expect one person to “win” and thus earn the greatest right to his riches and knowledge. While seemingly recognizing the importance of community and support, he seems to still have this “winner takes all” and “one will rise above the rest” mentality. Which is interesting because it was that exact mentality is arguably part of why he neglected Violet and committed so many wrongs in his past.

There’s an implication that he reevaluated his life after losing his daughter and realized all the ways he’s wronged people and this was his attempt to atone. There’s also the implication that Westing could no longer stand being Westing, which is why he discarded the name he built and valued so much, killed that man, and escaped into another identity. He exposed who he truly was (Windy Windkloppel) but also rejected it. He wanted to make amends, improve lives, yet he could never face those who resented him and those he had wronged honestly, as himself…unless they proved themselves “worthy” by guessing his riddle. So, despite the good he did at the end, he lied, he manipulated, and he ran away, and only T.R. was able to follow. Perhaps while he recognized his own mistakes and the value of community to some degree, he still couldn’t accept himself, didn’t feel he had a place in that community of people and could still only ever function as a chessmaster, hiding behind masks, pulling strings from the shadows. So what he needed most was someone who could both see through that and be okay with it. And T.R. was the one.

I truly do appreciate that Westing is such an enigmatic figure and so much about him is implied but not directly stated. The book doesn’t try to force readers to make any one conclusion about him. He’s a manipulative liar. He’s someone T.R. loves. He did good. He did bad.

In the end, one of the biggest things the book shows us is that people are flawed, but they can change for the better and do better, especially with support and understanding. This doesn’t mean that they’ll necessarily become wonderful people. For example, Grace is still fixated on status at the end, she’s just harming her daughters a lot less, has a better relationship with her husband and feels more fulfilled. Most people in this book improved in some way, whether in circumstances or personally, but it doesn’t mean they or their lives became flawless. Miraculous and immaculate transformations generally don’t happen, we’re all human. But getting little better, bit by bit, and showing more care for others? It’s still worth it.

That’s how you really win.

Thanks for reading, everyone who’s come with me this far! And thanks to my sponsor! I hope you thought my first book blog experience was a success!

#nev reads the westing game #gifs #long post

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 29

”Five Years Pass”

Westing Game Edition!

The Hoos have a nice lakefront house they invite everyone to, business is booming and Mr. Hoo is much happier. Sun goes by Sunny now (so close on what she preferred! I was ahead of the curve.)

Doug’s an Olympic hero! Theo’s working at a newspaper, still in the lower ranks. Jake is chairman of the State Gambling Commission.

Chris is in COLLEGE (okay, for some reason I’d thought he was twelve-ish but I guess he was fifteen? I don’t know how I got that mixed up. I’m clear an embarrassment.) Anyway, it looks like he’s found a gf and they’re going on a bird watching tour. He and Ford still have a good relationship, and he keeps in touch with her through letters, though she’s busy working on the US Circuit Court of Appeals.

Sydelle is married to the president of the company she’s uh…working for???That’s weird! Not sure I like that for her! But she does seem happy, and on a humorous note, she’s legit injured her leg again (during an office tango) so had to bring out those white polka dot crutches. Grace’s restaurants are successful enough she’s got a chain going.

Angela’s in her third year at med school. Denton’s a neurologist now, which I think considering he was going into plastic surgery before, indicates a change in priorities. Not that plastic surgery is an unimportant field, but changing your path like that does take dedication. I wonder if it had anything to do with Chris, seeing as he seemed to have some neurological issues medication helped with.

For the record, Chris’s speech and muscle control have gotten better, but it’s made clear Chris will be in a wheelchair for life. I like that there isn’t some complete miracle cure, implying that his only path to happiness was getting to walk again. He’s still disabled, he can just manage his condition better.

I know it seems like I’ve just been listing happy things for the characters, and that’s because it’s a lot of what this chapter is, but there are those welcome touches of nuance. For instance, Crow looks “worn” and still wears her mourning clothes. Despite her marriage and helping people, it seems she’ll never truly stop being haunted by her grief.

And what about the winner of the Game? Well, she goes by T.R. Wexler now, and she’s officially beaten Westing at chess for the first time. Take that, old man!

Coming up next: the final chapter!

#nev reads the westing game

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 25

Westing’s Wake

WESTING ISN’T JUST SANDY HE’S ALSO BARNEY NORTHUP WESTING IS EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME.

And Alice is the one starting to put the pieces together. A kid genius, this girl. I’m officially giving Denton his Douchebag name back because when a ten-year-old girl sobs over a man dying in front of her, saying he was her friend, his wonderfully compassionate response is “you should have remembered that before you kicked him”. But that at least turns out to be useful! Because Alice never kicked Sandy, yet he sported a conspicuous shin bruise. She did, however, kick Barney Northup. Then Theo comes in, noting that with Doug’s help, he figured out it was Sandy he was playing chess against. He also believes he was going to win, but Ford recognizes he made a move that Westing often tricked his opponent into doing before turning the tables. Westing sacrifices his “queen” to win the game. And then Ford realizes, in THIS game, the “queen” who was sacrificed might have been Crow. Meaning he has yet to make his final move.

Alice starts putting things together and looks over Westing’s will again. She pinpoints the “my ashes will be scattered to the four winds” and makes and connection to the “Windkloppel” name. She, Grace and Angela ARE Westing’s heirs by blood. But that’s only three. Is the fourth Windklolppel Crow? Does Westing still consider her one?

Or is there another one hidden? (IS VIOLET STILL ALIVE) (Okay I’m probably spinning a little out of control here I mean she’d have to be Sydelle or Flora I’m not sure that tracks) (DID WESTING HAVE A SECRET KID BESIDES VIOLET. OR IS THIS THE OTHER WIFE, THE OTHER MRS. WESTING?) (WAIT IS VIOLET MRS. THEODORAKIS? DID SHE ASSUME A FAKE IDENTITY AND ACTUALLY MARRY HER GEORGE? IS THE GAME ALL ABOUT FINDING HER, THE FOURTH HEIR, RATHER THAN THE MURDERER?) (Look if I throw enough theories at the wall one will stick). And ashes scattered to the four winds- do they each have something of Westing’s?

Ford reveals the full story of Crow, and it’s pointed out it was weird to make her an heir and give her a chance to get rich. He could have just had the heirs hunt down Crow. I would think it’s because he wanted to torture her into confessing, but something tells me it’s more complex than that.

Alice notes the wording of the will. “The police are helpless. The culprit is far too cunning to be apprehended.” This doesn’t apply to Crow, really. But it might apply to Westing himself. The will says “Cast out the sinner, let the guilty rise and confess. The sinner and the guilty may be two different people. Sandy (Westing, the sinner?), “died” and was cast out. Crow confessed out of guilt.

As a side note, it’s Crow’s birthday today, yet Westing claims it’s fourth of July (the fourth heir, again? Will that be Crow’s present, finding her daughter is alive?). Sandy got a special birthday candle that burns for three hours for his wife from Alice. So Alice realizes she still has time. But she needs to find something she doesn’t have. But what could it be? I’m as stumped as anyone. But Alice has a plan. She’s all:

And prepares to call her first witness.

THAT’S RIGHT, IT’S TRIAL TIME. Please expect me to make a bunch of Ace Attorney references next post. You have only yourselves to blame, you should have known what you signed up for with me.

#nev reads the westing game #ace attorney

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 27

A Happy Fourth

Ok, court is not QUITE out of session, since Ford does ask that the rest of Westing’s will be submitted “to the court”, but I’ll spare you any more Ace Attorney gifs. Thanks for letting me have that.

Basically, Crow has been released and told she’s innocent, as the coroner has suddenly revealed that both Sandy and Westing died of a heart attack. As both Alice and I figured, the coroner was in on everything. There’s a bit of a sad moment here regarding Angela and Crow’s relationship:

Angela, too, wanted to hug her in welcome, but that closeness was not possible for either of them. Instead, Angela offered a crooked smile. Crow nodded and lowered her eyes […].

Angela and Crow both care for each other, but because of the nature of Crow’s baggage, cannot get closer. After all, Crow associates Angela with her dead daughter and all the guilt she carries over that. It may not ever be possible for her to ever see Angela as a separate person. And Crow was never able to truly understand or be close to her daughter, so in her mind, she doesn’t have the right or ability to be close with Angela as well. It’s pretty sad.

We get the final page of Westing’s will. He claims he can “rest in peace” knowing he was “loved as your jolly doorman”. He also gives all the heirs a share in the apartment complex they currently live in (Sunset Towers) and leaves Crow 30,000 dollars. He finishes off with:

The sun has set on your Uncle Sam. Happy birthday, Crow. And to all my heirs, a very happy Fourth of July.

A bit of hidden wordplay there. After all, the sun sets in the West(ing). And it rises in the…well, we’ll see, won’t we? And there’s that reference to the fourth again.

Westing’s feelings about Crow here are interesting. He definitely put her through a traumatizing situation and was manipulative and generally awful to her. I can’t help but wonder if revenge wasn’t part of it. But on the other hand, he leaves her with money, wishes her with a happy birthday, and sets up a situation where she can say “I’m guilty”, and be told “no, you’re innocent” by an authority figure, and then is shown that those around her don’t hate her by how happily she’s welcomed back. What he did to her was twisted, but it seems his feelings for her were very complex and there’s definitely affection there. It all worked out, but it very easily couldn’t have. (Like, I don’t care how much of genius mastermind you are, you can’t really predict how something like this will affect someone’s mental health, especially when it’s already fragile. This could have easily damaged Crow even more.)

A lot of the heirs grumble about Westing, but Flora points out they’re all richer now. They’re also all in happier places, too. Judge Ford notes, “We lost. I think,” while regarding Alice suspiciously. She’s the only one who’s figured out that Alice has probably won the game. I gotta admit, I was rooting for Ford to win. She’s had her debt settled, but now she’ll always feel like Westing got one over on her. Considering how racist and shitty he was toward her, I really wanted her to beat him. However, it is definitely interesting looking back on her and Sandy’s interactions with the knowledge he was Westing.

This bit sticks out where he says:

“You’re awfully hard on yourself, Judge. And on him. Maybe Westing paid for your education because you were smart and needy, and you did all the rest yourself.”

That indicates these were his true feelings about Ford, he was just horrible at expressing them, not that this is an excuse.

Looking back on Sandy and Ford also brings me to the ‘two Mrs. Westings’ thing. Looking back at the actual exchange, Sandy basically describes Mrs. Westing with conventional ~sexy features~ like blonde, full lipped, great figure! While Ford remembers her having “copper hair” and being “thin lipped”. So I think Sandy was a. trying to throw off Ford so she didn’t realize the resemblance between Mrs. Westing was Crow and b. intentionally exaggerating his ex-wife’s “good” looks either to indicate affection for her (like ‘she was a bombshell to me’) or indicating how he WISHED she’d looked. (Extremely shitty of him). Who knows!

I also LOVE this exchange with the knowledge of who Westing really was:

Ford: “Sam Westing manipulated people, cheated workers, bribed officials, stole ideas, but Sam Westing never smoked or drank or placed a bet. Give me a bookie any day over such a fine, upstanding man.

The doorman’s face reddened. He pulled the dented flask out of his pocket and downed several swigs.

FORD DESTROYED WESTING RIGHT TO HIS FACE. At least she got that ownage in.

Anyway, Westing set up fireworks to be released in his house so the whole thing can burn to the ground while the heirs watch. Said it once and I’ll say it again- Westing is SUCH a theatre kid.

After this, Alice heads off to the Westing Paper Product Corp where she meets Westing’s final identity- Julian R. Eastman. Doing Kindle search, he’s basically only been mentioned three times before now as the current president of the corporation, so he was easy to miss! But I still feel like an idiot for missing it, I mean THE PRESIDENT OF WESTING CORP IS NAMED EASTMAN that should have stuck out to me as a stupidly obvious fake identity! But even going over the book and doing these writeups, I overlooked it! Well done, I have been bamboozled.

But Alice wasn’t! The chapter closes out on her happily greeting “Eastman”.

“Hi Sandy!” Turtle said. “I won!”

Tfw a thirteen-year-old is smarter than you.

Sharing that feeling with everyone else in this “game” right now”.

But hey, good for her. We still have three chapters left, so let’s see what Alice does with this win.

#gifs #nev reads the westing game

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 23

Strange Answers

This chapter starts off with an extremely sweet moment, where Flora shows Alice a picture of her late daughter. Rather than make any snide comments out of jealousy like usual, Alice finally seems to grasp the whole situation, saying, “I think I would have liked her, Baba. Rosalie looks like a very happy person. I think she would have been fun to have around.” My heart MELTED.

Another sweet and kind of sad note is that we do get confirmation Angela knows what Alice did for her and that Alice had to convince her not to confess. Alice thinks to herself, “now Angela would have to love her forever”. She would have loved you forever even without this, Al! God, this poor child.

I also like the moment of Judge Ford deciding to come out wearing awesome African fashion, possibly intended as a “screw you” to Westing- wherever he’s watching from. Sandy’s micro-aggression-ridden response just makes me more suspicious of him. Ford generously gives him all of the 10-thou they both receive to help him in his fired state.

(oh, also, I guess it WAS a wax dummy that was at the previous will reading, not Westing’s actual corpse? Somehow I missed that. Whoops. Reading comprehension.)

Meanwhile, the Wexlers have been rekindling their love for each other, which for them apparently means GETTING SMASHED. The tragic fittingness of Grace flat out being unable to recognize Alice …you know, I do hope Grace gets better, for her and her family’s sake, but I also just... want Flora to adopt Alice and Angela (if she wants), that would be the superior ending.

Doc Douchebag seems to have gotten a lot more subdued and generally has been helpful to others lately? It’s weird? I wonder if it’s entirely thanks to Angela ignoring him now, or if something happened we’re not privy to. Anyway, he’s checked out if there are records for plastic surgery on any of the heirs or Otis for Ford, and there are none. He also brings up that Sandy’s face is kind of beat up, which is a detail I forgot. What if Westing didn’t get plastic surgery and HE’S Sandy and Sandy’s face is a result of the accident? I can’t find a description of Sandy’s face even doing a Kindle namesearch to confirm if that’s possible, though…

But lets get to the meat of things. Everyone reveals their guess for Westing’s killer and as well as their new ideas for what their positions in life are, gotta note those!

Jake accidentally put bookie, so I guess he’s being MORE HONEST whether he likes it or not, Sun is still “cook” but she’s actually here this time, at least!, And since these two haven’t really been working on the case, they don’t give an answer other than Sun trying out one of her fave English words, “boom”.

Alice has changed her status to “financier” and her answer is ‘HECK YEAH I PLAYED THE STOCK MARKET AND AM INCREASING MY CAPITAL”, good for you, girl.

Chris is now “ornithologist” courtesy of his brother giving him a fancy title. Denton (since he’s not acting like one right now for the most part, I’ll skip calling him Douchebag) simply put “intern” rather than giving the name of the hospital, does this indicate he’s more humble now and feels less of a need to brag? Or is just that everyone knows by now?

Sweet kid that he is, Chris decides not to accuse anyone despite all previous suspicions. He notes that he’s been given medicine and good things have happened to him since this started (his stammer has gotten noticeably better!) and decides based on that “Westing is a good man” for his answer. I wouldn’t go THAT far, but it seems Chris shares my theory this whole thing might be an attempt at atonement. Denton goes along with it.

Chris also notes Sandy is limping, why?

This time, Ford has simply put down “judge” rather than her fancy complete title. I wonder if she was simply tired of writing the whole thing down, or it this is an indication she no longer feels the need to prove herself to these people. Poor(?) Sandy puts “fired”. Ford chooses not to answer, as part of her “plan”. Mysterious!

Grace has changed from heiress to “restaurateur”, ironically taking on Hoo’s title. Probably also a good sign, she’s happy with the work she’s doing right now and isn’t depending on Westing giving her a windfall. This is reinforced when she drunkenly announces the reopening of the restaurant rather than giving an answer. Hoo has put “inventor” now, showing he gaining confidence in his creations (which seems to be his real passion) again. He says the answer they’ve worked out, “Ed Plum”, rather hilariously making the lawyer put down his own name on the murder suspects list.

Otis didn’t change his answer, but Crow’s is now “mother”, even though she doesn’t remember putting it down. Otis specifically remembers her putting down something different too, so this is definitely Westing manipulating shit (and this confirms Otis isn’t Westing or in on that nasty little trick). Crow decides her answer to the 'who’s the murderer” question is “mother”, showing she now feels responsible for Westing’s death, or just feels the sin of her botched motherhood means she should take the fall regardless.

Doug puts “champ” for his position, aw, he’s so proud, Theo put “writer” this time, showing he’s no longer defining himself as his brother’s caretaker. Theo, despite previously suspecting Otis, chooses not to sell him out after having seen him working at the soup kitchen.

Sydelle and Angela (I already discussed their changes), on the other hand, have no problem fingering Otis for it. They think it’s him based on “purple” being in their clues rather than “amber” waves of grain, buuuut I think this is down to them not having all the clues. After all, “purple” DOES appear in “America the Beautiful”, and I think we’ve gotten only one purple among all the clues that have been revealed, rather than two. Then again, there is that thing of “purple waves” being repeated...

After the clue reveal, Westing’s will specifies that Crow must get the refreshments, which is incredibly suspicious, why her? Alice and Angela do follow her, but I wonder if something happens to them while they’re out that will be important later...or if she’s being set up for something.

But hey, Theo wins the chess game with the invisible opponent that might be Westing! That means…something, I’m sure. Maybe that Westing will be caught, since he made a “careless” move?

At the end of the chapter, the will says “Go directly to the Library, do not pass Go” just so Westing can make it super clear to everyone he’s playing Monopoly like the ultimate capitalist. WHAT WILL THEY FIND THERE?

#this is the last one!#for today!#super long three-for-one special!#nev reads the westing game

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 22

Losers, Winner

Another pretty packed chapter, chock full of revelations! You can definitely tell we’re approaching the end.

The first important thing we is that learn Sun is the thief, stealing things to finance her escape back to China. Agh, I should have guessed that. The fact she draws the line at stealing Doug’s gold medals indicates she does hold some affection for her stepson- I really want to see more of that relationship. So we’ve got all four from the first chapter cleared up! Bomber: Angela, Bookie: Jake, Thief: Sun, Mistake: Sydelle.

This is a chapter is a big moment for the Wexlers. In her despair over Alice supposedly bombing her own sister’s party (neither of them stop to bother to remember how Alice was the one to open that present first and how suspicious and needlessly risky such a thing would be, nope), Grace says perhaps the shittiest thing she’s ever said about her child- “I had a sinking sensation the hospital mixed up the babies when Turtle was born”- to which Jake rightly replies, “no wonder she wants to blow us all up.” It seems here he finally realizes his hands-off approach to all these family issues means some serious problems have festered.

We also get some backstory on Grace and Jake at last, apparently Grace WAS different in the past, but she and Jake fell on hard times and she came to resent that he didn’t become a “real” doctor, which is why she’s so keen on having Angela marry one so she doesn’t have to struggle- not accepting that Angela could find ALSO find herself very financially stable if she, y’know, became a doctor herself. More sympathetically, Grace’s family disowned her for marrying a Jewish man, and that is the one thing she never throws back in Jake’s face. So for all her shittiness, I guess Grace gets a big “at least I’m not anti-Semitic” medal.

(closest thing to a source)

Grace realizes she might be…gasp…a bad person! And Jake seems to realize his responsibility in not being more involved with his wife and family. Rather than punish Alice, they all decide to go to Doug’s track meet with Flora, which flummoxes her. Angela comes home from the hospital noticing that for once, everyone is ignoring her. Does she already know what Alice did for her at this point? I assume so, since she doesn’t comment on her hair, but I really want to see her reaction and whether she’s deeply touched by the action! We don’t get any of that this chapter though, she’s just kind of pleased at being ignored.

Ford, like me, is suspicious Northup may be Westing. He certainly acts the part in this chapter, reaming out the Wexlers and even viciously firing Sandy.

It helps that Westing had plastic surgery thanks to his car accident fifteen years ago, so he could be anyone. Sandy, on the other hand, also agrees with me that Otis Amber is probably putting on an act and concludes that he also could be Westing. I hadn’t considered that, honestly. I guess to be thorough, our other outsider is Ed Plum, the lawyer. Among the heirs, Sandy himself is the only possibility I can see for Westing, being the only single man (and the only person Ford didn’t get direct investigative information on- she took his word for his backstory) (God, it would be twist of the knife if the guy she was hanging out with this whole time was Westing, huh). I’d have to go back and look through all the stuff we have on him and his point of view to see if that tracks at all though. So many possible Westings!

(I notice Westing’s doctor friend suffered a “crushed leg” in the same accident and there are a lot of limpers in the cast, Otis included. Hmmm…could Sykes be Otis?)

This chapter really is ‘shitty parents maybe becoming better’ power hour, because despite all his calling his son a ‘dumb jock’, Hoo is openly proud and joyous when Doug wins the medal at the track meet. Sun also shows her first visible bit of attachment and pride to the family, celebrating Doug’s accomplishment and even telling him “good boy” in English (I really want to know if Doug can speak Chinese? I just want to see them have a conversation, book! Let me see it!)

The chapter concludes with Ford revealing she’s figured out Crow is Westing’s ex and Crow herself feels he’s coming with her for her sins. Man, if Otis really is Westing it’s fucked up considering how much time the two spend together. He’s even kind of flirty with Crow as they head to the Westing manor where everyone will reveal their findings, saying the moon is romantic. The next chapter’s gonna be another doozy, I can feel it!

#nev reads the westing game

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 21

The Fourth Bomb

In a wacky misunderstanding, Theo thinks Alice is the bomber and tries to blackmail her with the info so he can borrow her bike (Yes, really. Go big or go home is Theo’s motto) but of course Alice thinks he means he knows ANGELA is the bomber.

And in what might be the most touching moment in the book so far, Alice responds to this by setting off a bomb and writing a thing indicating that she is the bomber in order to throw all suspicion off Angela. She eve loses her trademark braid in the process.

It really is incredibly sweet. Alice is very caustic toward her sister, but this isn’t the first time she’s indicated she’s ride-or-die when it comes down to it (she got rid of the evidence for Angela and warned her not to say anything to the lawyer), and it’s also a very lovely response to Angela’s early sacrifice- where she took the bomb she made to her face rather than have it explode to her sisters. But while Angela’s sacrifice was spur-of-the-moment motivated by guilt and panic as well as love (not that it makes it less meaningful), Alice’s is one she planned out and considered. She had time to consider the consequences. She knew that Angela willingly put herself in this position. But she still chose to take the fall anyway, and set off a bomb after seeing what the same thing did to her sister’s face.

She already feels meaningless to her family in general, and maybe on the surface she feels her standing (with her mother in particular) can’t get any lower. “I’m already the troublemaker, I’m already the unwanted one, I have nothing to lose, but Angela would lose everything” was how she convinced herself. (in addition to being aware as a minor she wouldn’t be punished as harshly, smart girl that she is).

But it’s also clear that Alice DOES long for her mother’s love and approval, and I think she also had to contend with a deep fear that after this action, there’d be no going back for them, that she’d doomed herself to be the ‘bad one’ forever. Yet she still did it.

And the loss of her braid is of course, incredibly significant. Angela said earlier that the braid is her “crutch”- she bases a lot of her personality around it. It was her excuse to spend time with her mother and now her excuse to spend time with Flora, it’s the trademark thing people can pull on and she can then she gets excuse to kick them and get in fights and form connections, it’s how she gets attention and relationships for herself without exposing her own vulnerability. But she sacrificed what little that makes her stand out, what little social currency she has to protect the same sister who she envies for being in the spotlight- because that bond is more important than her jealousy and her need for attention. Just like her sister sacrificed one of the things that bring her adulation- her looks- to protect her. Love is more important than those petty things.

Alice is forced to talk to Judge Ford afterwards and, sharp as ever, Ford guesses that she’s protecting Angela. This quote especially gets me:

The judge was astounded (…). Angela could not be the bomber, that sweet, pretty thing. Thing? Is that how she regarded the young woman, as a thing? And what had she ever said to her except “I hear you’re getting married, Angela” or “You’re so pretty, Angela”. Had anyone ever asked about her ideas, her hopes, her plans? If I had been treated like that, I’d have used dynamite, not fireworks; no, I would have just walked and kept on going. But Angela was different.

There’s a fascinating theme in this book about being marginalized, and the different ways these marginalized people both are pitted against each other and can overlook even each other while also finding connections and comradery with each other… I think I’ll have to wait until the end to fully get my thesis on the whole thing together, but I really find it interesting and appreciate it. Ford’s struggles as a black woman, Alice being overlooked for not performing femininity (thus envious of Angela despite knowing how shitty she has it), Angela being boxed because everyone wants to mold her as the perfect feminine ideal (thus feeling envious of Alice despite knowing how shitty she has it), Sun feeling out of place as a Chinese immigrant, Hoo knowing he’s looked down upon as a Chinese-American (yet still not considering the pain of his own wife), Chris struggling as a disabled kid, many people who are financially disadvantaged and/or feeling limited to the role of caretaker, Sydelle feeling overlooked in general and appropriating others’ struggles in her bizarre quest to get noticed- it’s all very interesting and pretty deftly handled, especially considering the time period the book was written in.

And our antagonist is quintessential exploitative Rich White Man (obsessed with American Exceptionalism to boot), though it’s casually mentioned he’s the son of immigrants, an identity he seems to have actively shed, going so far as to change his name (if that’s why he changed it), so there’s even complexity there.

But the thing with Ford here is an interesting demonstration of that. Despite being smart and socially aware and having an even more fraught history of being dismissed and belittled, she didn’t give much thought to Angela and subconsciously went along with the same objectification everyone else does, putting her on a pedestal. (There’s a lot to be said about how Angela’s veneration and perceived “purity” by the others might interact with her whiteness, and how Ford realizing she bought into that narrative subconsciously might feel to her as a black woman, but I’m not really the person to discuss that. Anyway!)

The other important development here is that Alice also finally confesses that she saw Westing the night of his murder but mentions that the Westing she saw didn’t look dead, but asleep and like a wax dummy. This sets off alarm bells for both me and Ford.

So, I think its safe to say my earlier theory Sam Westing isn’t dead is probably true. What of the corpse that was present at the will-reading? I think people would have noticed it was a wax dummy, but a disguised corpse from his coroner friend still makes some sense. So where is Westing now? Considering Barney Northup doesn’t exist, could he be Barney?

But speaking of Westing, if we need further confirmation the man is the scum of the earth, he’s a union buster and he fired Sandy for trying to organize one in the paper plant.

We also learn Ford’s backstory with Westing at last: Her parents were household staff at Westing’s mansion and she grew up there as a result. She played chess with Westing frequently as a child, but not only would he brag and take pride in beating a goddamn pre-teen, he mocked her with racialized insults. She never won, but Westing ended up financing her education (that’s the ‘debt’ she owes him). She believes he did this to get a judge he could control, but has refused to play along, removing herself from any case involving him.

I can’t help but think Westing would have known Ford wouldn’t play ball, though. So he may have had another motive for sending her to school. It could be something even more sinister. Or… in his own twisted way, did he actually like her? He obviously realized she was incredibly intelligent during those matches, even if he sadistically enjoyed mocking her, enough to know she’d do well with an education. Did he play chess with her so much not just because he enjoyed tormenting her, but enjoyed her as a person as well? It obviously does not excuse what a racist sadistic shithead he is, and I’m not saying he’s secretly nice- just that it could be he was incapable of relating to anyone in a healthy way. I actually think sending Ford to school could have just been an extension of his desire to torment her AND the only way he knew that would guarantee he remained important in her life. He didn’t ever plan to cash in on her debt, but knew it would kill her just to BE in his debt, and got pleasure out of that alone. He probably just thought it was funny and it was also a way to guarantee he’d live in her head rent free- and because deep down he knew she was a cool kid, he also wanted that. He didn’t want her to forget him, maybe, which is sick! But much more interesting than simply “he wanted a judge he could manipulate”.

But it’s also worth noting this is Ford’s (perhaps) final chance to win against Westing in the ultimate chess match. And I can’t help but think he is well aware how smart she is, so he invited her here specifically because he knew she could be his undoing, the one who unravels everything. So- if we go with the ‘Westing is seeking atonement’ theory- did he invite her to give her that satisfaction of finally beating him, like he always knew deep down she could? Because he WANTS to be beaten, to be found out and knows she deserves to be the one after all the hell he put her through? Or in the ‘Westing is still a complete monster’ theory- is his intention to torment her one last time, to show her she can’t win against him? (if it is, I think he may well find he’s gravely mistaken there).

I don’t think Westing can truly achieve “redemption” with this “game”, nor am I one to easily believe the Ultimate Shitty Capitalist can change easily, but if one thing can shake someone’s worldview and make them reevaluate how they live their life, the death of their child WOULD be a big one. So “this will actually be Westing’s weird twisted attempt at atonement” is a possibility I just can’t stop thinking about. If it is, it’s kind of funny and incredible he can’t stop being manipulative and traumatizing even when he decides he wants to do something good.

On top of all that, Angela and Sydelle get more clues and finally figure out the ‘America the Beautiful’ connection. God, so much to chew on this chapter! I really fear for these last nine chapters. I might end up writing a novel longer than the actual novel analyzing and recapping them if I’m not careful. But that’s how you know it’s a compelling story, so hats off to Ellen Raskin!

#wow i wrote a novel #lest you think I could write this much this fast I've been doing these at my boring office job #which is super dead rn #take advantage while it lasts #it's still i read a chapter then respond so I figure that's okay!#nev reads the westing game

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ladyloveandjustice · 3 years ago

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The Westing Game Chapter 28

“And Then…”

It’s time for a WEDDING! Nope, not Angela and Denton’s wedding, thank God. It’s Otis and Crow’s wedding. I’m…going to assume he told her everything about how Westing hired him and his true identity? It would have been interesting to see her reaction to that- but it is in-character she’d forgive him pretty quickly, considering how little she thinks of herself in the first place and how much she kept hidden, she’d overlook others ‘sins’.

It’s very cute that Angela and Sydelle are the bridesmaids. I’m glad Angela ended up providing comfort to Crow. After all, through Angela she’s presumably shown someone like Violet can live a happy life. Crow gets a “second chance” at seeing how she could have been happy. Was that Westing’s goal in introducing them? But honestly, it could have easily gone another way. This whole experience- INCLUDING seeing that someone like her daughter didn’t have to suffer and she really could have prevented it if she’d eased up like Grace was eventually made to do- well, that could have just driven Crow deeper into her guilt and trauma. It was really down to luck that it didn’t. Alternately, things could have gone another way for Angela, where the family didn’t change, she didn’t change, and she ended up suffering.

It’s a good thing it ended up the other way, but so much of Westing’s scheme could have had catastrophic consequences, yet he was still willing to risk it. Which does make him interesting, because he’s still a jerk in a lot of ways, just one that ended up having enough good inclinations (in his elder years), good luck and the saavy needed to pull off a good thing.

Now we get to see which way each heir decides to go with their life post-Westing.

-Her debt paid, Ford decides to use the rest of her money to help finance Chris’s education. Very heartwarming. Again, the book has a theme of marginalized people connecting, and though Ford and Chris are marginalized in different ways, its cool to see Ford recognizing Chris has struggles she can help with.

- Theo can go to college now too!

-Hoo’s inventions are selling well, and Sun feels more comfortable and at home being his business partner than she did at the restaurant, where she had to dress up and engage with people getting this theme park idea of her culture. She’s gotten closer to Doug and made friends at the apartment too.

-Sydelle returns to work, and no longer feels the need to fake illness or injuries to get attention, as her status as Westing heiress gets her plenty. She is, however, still pretending a little- basically acting like she has millions. I guess that’s an improvement. Baby steps!

-Jake has, uh, been appointed consultant of the state lottery, good for him I guess. Grace is now running her own restaurant, having taken over Hoo’s space, and is very happy. There’s definitely irony in how she tried to stifle Angela’s career prospects, only to find fulfillment in pursuing her own career. That’s internalized misogyny for ya. It’s interesting that when listing why she’s lucky she says:

[..]She was a respected restaurateur, wife of a state official and mother of the cleverest kid who ever lived. Turtle was going to be somebody someday.

Angela is…not included in her mental list. SHE’S the forgotten child for Grace now. Which after years of being controlled, Angela’s very okay with, but it still indicates that while Grace has gotten better in like, not valuing her kids based on a restrictive idea of womanhood, allowing them more freedom, etc, she’s still obsessed with status and pretty terrible. Angela is only in college, and only regular-really-smart instead of a supergenius, so she slips Grace’s mind. And with all that’s gone on between them, the relationship between mother and daughter might be irreparable. I doubt they’ll ever be close. Which is sad, but realistic. Grace sucks a little less, but she still sucks, and Angela’s doing her own thing.

-Angela doing her own thing is being back in college and saving for med school btw, and dumping Denton and any other guy trying to pick her up. Happy for her.

-Meanwhile, Alice. Implied to be playing chess with Westing a lot, still hanging with Flora a lot (aw!) and investing in the stock market. Grace is right about one thing, the kid’s going places.

-With Westing’s money, Crow and Otis upgrade their soup kitchen. Very nice. I appreciate how everyone changes for the better, but we still see nuance- people like Grace and Sydelle still have obvious faults, everyone is getting on with their lives with room to grow. And we still have two chapters! What could happen next?

#nev reads the westing game

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