#or that they'd get june to canada

[landinrris]

oh that was me with the lando & martin timeline anon. the full timeline may make your brain melt more. this is the stuff we know about for sure:

met late summer 2022 at one of martin's gigs in Ibiza - lando was there on vacation with max f, ollie etc. the video going around of them at fisher's gig was a couple of days after martin's.

sept 2022 monza gp - martin was at the race even though he wasn't playing and was with mclaren - they posted pics of him and daniel in their hospitality. after the race, lando posted pics of them him & martin leaving in a heli - he called martin his uber driver 🤣. lando stayed in amsterdam for a few days. both of them posted videos of them on martin's boat on the canals with martin's friend jurrian. local gossip sites mentioned they'd been seen in restaurants with friends. in this time martin bought lando his decks. lando posted pics of himself with them on the plane back to the uk and martin said in an interview a few months later that he had bought them as a gift for lando.

oct 2022 - hang out after the mexico gp - there are clips on tiktok of them at a club.

dec 2022 dubai - martin was playing there on 30th dec, turned up a few days early and hung out with lando. martin posted pics of them on his insta with some masks & there was a video of them playing padel with martin k and someone else. lando's friends all posted from the vip section at martin's gig.

jan 2023 - following martin's gig in thailand, he and louis met up with lando & martin k and they all flew to finland for several days - lots of pics and videos - then on to ibiza for a few more days - martin has a home there and his parents & sister spend a lot of time there and were with them - martin posted a pic of himself with his family and also there were videos of lando and both martins on a hike. martin then flew to nice the same day lando went back to monaco - he posted a pic of himself the next day in nice getting a haircut.

may 2023 miami gp - martin was playing at the miami race. that's where the nipple pinch pics come from & also this gem https://www.tumblr.com/alexi-01/716928290612559872/stop-this-is-so-cute-look-at-martijns-face?source=share

june 2023 - arrive early together in nyc and hang out ahead of lando's press stuff. martin's parents and sister were also with them - there's a pic of them with lando & martin in a japanese tea house. lando stays through to martin's gig and arrives late for thursday media day in canada. martin shows up to play after the gp in canada. he and lando were out together that evening in montreal - a dj in the bar they were in took pics with them both. next day lando posts a pic of video of him, martin & louis on a hotel balcony.

july 2023 - max v & lando go to tomorrowland after the spa gp. max is in vip with his family, lando is up on stage with martin trying but failing to hide behind some speakers. videos of them at the afterpary. lando then goes to amsterdam for a couple of days before he has to be back in spa - posted a pic of the view from martin's place & a pic leaked of them playing pool.

august 2023 - after being on vacation with his family lando goes to ibiza. missed all his friends who had been there all summer, stays with martin's childhood friends incl jurrian from the amsterdam boat. pics of them out celebrating ward and jurrian's bdays and the afterparty of martin's show. lando then flies with martin to his shows in bratislava and then marseille - was pictured in bratislava plus martin posted a story with him in and lando let the marseille detail out in a ziggo interview at the amsterdam gp.

sept 2023 - zandvoort gp martin hanging with lando's dad on the grid. after the race there's a video of the two of them getting out of a van at amsterdam airport and boarding max v's plane which flew to monaco.

oct 2023 - hung out after the mexico gp after lando had had dinner with carlos. i follow a friend of lando & max v's who lives in mexico city who now has a locked account so the pics aren't public but he posted pics of both of them and martin started following him. swedish house mafia guys were also there (assumption carlos may have been there too as even though there were no pics the guy started following him as well though carlos didn't follow back)

nov 2023 - that hug at the vegas gp. local papers reported lando was also in the club with martin and max v but there are no pics and as he was probably still in some pain after his crash it's likely they confused thierry v with lando.

dec 2023 - ski trip with lando's friends. martin flew directly back from gigs in singapore and malaysia to join up with them.

to be continued...

and that's just the stuff we know about lol. bffs of w/e else, anyone's guess at this point, but they really did become very close very quickly.

Anon, I am giving you a big ole fat kiss on the forehead. God bless you for this breakdown ❤️❤️❤️

So much stuff happens throughout the season that I routinely forget tiny details (especially ones you've listed here like the family dinner in New York). To see them all spelled out here is 😘🤌

[viofitz]

McDonald's Happy Meal Despicable Me 3

Introduction:

A Happy Meal is a kid's meal sold at the American fast food restaurant chain McDonald's since June 1979. A small toy or book is included with the food, both of which are usually contained in a red cardboard box with a yellow smiley face and the McDonald's logo. The packaging and toy are frequently part of a marketing tie-in to an existing television series, film or toyline. In this review, it's from Despicable Me 3 (DM3) movie aired in 2017. The line up had 22 toys in total counting from every region releases, unlike it's predecessors the line up expanded by featuring several human characters and a robot with different functions. It features Gru, Lucy, Agnes, Balthazar Bratt, Clive (there's Dru, Margo and Edith as well but, there's no physical toys of them), 12 minions figures, 2 kinds of board games, dominoes and a playing card game. Their gimmicks are very different compared to the predecessors such as shooting toys, wheelie toys, movable parts by button or just simply tapping their head, passing toy, hockey game, board games and playing card. The whole toys doesn't have any electronic gimmicks anymore which I'm quite okay since replacing the battery are kinda pain in the butt.

Human

New to this line, there're 6 human characters in total which 5 toys riding/driving their own vehicles (animal for Agnes). However, I don't have 2 Balthazar Bratt's toys including his robot sidekick Clive since I don't like them. In this review, only 4 of them that I will show, most of them are wheelie toys but, each of them got their own unique feature:

Gru's Hydrocycle, has a shooting feature which you need to attach Gru's Hydrocycle with his sub-marine cover then pull the button to shoot him out of the sub-marine. Gru's head is movable very little due to his head is close to both of his hands. This gimmick was made to recreate when Gru emerges out with his hydrocycle from the sub-marine (Although, we only get to see Lucy performed this while Gru and his minions are shown offscreen). In Indonesia, he can be bought by mcdelivery only.

Lucy's Hydrocycle, is a pull back bike which you only need to roll its rear wheel backward then release it to go forward in fast motion. Lucy's head is also movable and can rotate 360 degrees. Until now, this is one of the few toys made for her. Lucy is only exclusive to Australia and Canada.

Agnes' Rockin' Unicorn, it's Agnes riding her fluffy Unicorn doll. It has one wheel underneath the unicorn, when you roll them, Agnes toy will wiggles due to the mechanism made for this toy. Agnes head is also movable slightly.

Despicable Duo, a wheelie car toys that has rolling drill part by rolling the front wheels. The cockpit can be opened to reveal the interior and there's an attached sticker featuring the twins; Gru and Dru. The actual name of this car is Villain Wheels and was originally belongs to Robert Gru (Gru and Dru's late father). While the car is cool looking but, I really wished they'd made a mini figure of Gru and Dru for driving the car instead of a sticker but, it's understandable for a happy meal toys.

The Minions

There're 12 kinds of minion toys in total:

Minion Tongue, has tongue out feature by the button on his jumpsuit pocket, and he also got movable arms. Most sources claimed it's Dave but, he can be anyone that has similar looks to Dave. The toy packaging doesn't mention the minion's name.

Banana Launcher Minion, it's a shooting toy that is similar to Gru's Hydrocycle and Crab Bite Minion but, this has longer range. While I like the gimmick of this toy but, the banana design is kinda lame despite it fits for them. I was hoping like a gadget just like they did on Despicable Me 2 series. He has combed hair similar to Dave or could be his lookalike.

Crab Bite Minion, has a jumping hat gimmick by pressing the button on his backpack. I think this was meant to be Jerry since he's the only one who wore this kind of hat in the 3rd movie but, the toy got combed hair decal like Dave.

Minion Hydrocycle Surprise, has open lid part on the rear part of his hydrocycle to show an art of presumably Jerry. Which you need to push the button on the front wheel. This toy features Minion toy in mini size due to his large vehicle. They would later released more mini minion toys in Minions: Rise of the Gru line up. Minion Hydrocycle is exclusive to Asian region.

Rocket Racer Minion, this minion has wheels underneath his butt and pull back feature but, you'll have to slide the toy forward to make him go backward and will spin several times showing like a rolling rocket. The minion in this toy got also got messy hairstyle which presumably meant to be a spiky hair so, he could be Carl. I think they don't want to waste more materials to make a separate buzz cut hair part like they did in the previous releases.

Pumping Iron Minion, the feature is simply moving the peg on his back right to left to swing both of his arms to show he's having arms exercise by lifting heavy metal dumbell (since the dumbell was painted silver). This minion is shown with angry expression and he got a tattoo on his left temple. Despite having jail uniform, the uniform still got sculpted "Gru" initials on his pocket. Meaning this was supposed to be a minion with his usual jumpsuit. He looks similar to Stuart since he has combed hair.

Minion Antics, similar to Pumping Iron but, the gimmick is to spin his right arm like he's spinning a chain by pressing the button on his back. This Minion also has messy hairstyle so, he could be either Tom or Phil.

Groovin' Minion, this plump minion is given a swinging 2 arms gimmick by pressing his head to show like he's dancing and his legs will also shrunk down to his body. But, you can still make various position arms for him like dancing or playing DJ. He's wearing green colored headset and has buzz cut hair similar to most of fat minions, he's the only fat minion included in this line up. He could be Jerry the fat one or anyone.

Hillarious Hockey Minion, it's an air hockey toy which has 2 minion toy sitting as paddles and a hockey puck inside the paddles. The 2 minion toys are similar to Dave and Stuart.

Banana Flipper Minion, this toy is kinda special I think... Since he is included with 3 accessories; that is a red hoop and 2 bananas. The purpose of that hoop is for Tim/Kevin holding the hoop for us to flip the 2 banana accessories into the hoop hole. This tall minion can be either Tim or Kevin or anyone that has their looks. He's only exclusive to America and Australia continent.

Pass The Minion, like the name you play pass the toy with your family or friends. In order to determine the winner and loser, there's a wind-up gimmick located on his back which you'll need to spin, then toss the toy to your opponent's hand then your opponent also do the same to you. If the toy starts vibrating on you or your opponent's hand, you or your opponent lose. The vibration came from the wind-up's mechanism but, the trick on how the toy was able to hold up the vibration is because it was locked by the minion's hair sticking up. Another tall minion that has Tim and Kevin's likeness, he's only exclusive to America and Australia continent.

Variety Games

There're 4 kinds of variety games included in this set and all of them were only released in either US and Australia but, I only have Despicable Deck and Despicable Checkers:

Despicable Deck, this isn't actually a toy since it's a playing card, it features many characters from DM3, that is; Agnes as a ace spade, Unicorn doll as a ace clover, Edith as a ace heart, Margo as a ace diamond, Dru as a jack, Lucy as a Queen, Gru as a King, and Balthazar Bratt as a joker. While the minions as respective numbers, kinda surprised on how they designed the numbering cards features different kinds of minion arts. All artworks featured in this set were drawn in 2D style instead of using 3D renders. The card only available in Australia and US.

Despicable Checkers, It's a checkers game which requires 2 players to play the game. However, I don't know the purpose of the minion toy included in this but, we can make him glowing and his hat's headlamp will like flashing a light by putting flashlight/smartphone (flashlight mode) on the bottom of his foot. The glowing part is similar to Stuart Light Up Grabber but, without electronic mechanism inside the toy, and I like how the minion toy came to be in solid color except his foot and his headlamp. I think that's the only feature of this toy has. He may have Dave lookalike but, could be anyone with different hairstyle since his hat is sticked onto his head. He's only available for Australia release.

Thoughts:

Comparing between 2013 to 2015 line up, I gotta admit DM3 was the time where Happy Meal featuring Despicable Me franchise at it's peak as the details of the toys are even better than the previous 2 movies. Although, I kinda miss the electronic gimmicks but, this is a big improvements on the moldings. Minion's jumpsuit has sharper details such as seamline details, protruding Gru logo details, detailed shoes including shoe soles and paint quality is much cleaner for the minions. However, I still prefer the separated buzz cut hair part they did on the previous instead of simple paint dots or simply messy hair. And the variety of the toys are also interesting such as human characters and several board games, I'm amazed that they actually nailed their likeness as well, except Gru's nose😂. It is unfortunate, they went downgrade in 2020 onwards so, I'm nolonger interested collecting them anymore but, I'm interested on the 3 Minion toys featured in Japanese Happy Meal Universal Studios line up. I will review them along with other toys that I'm interested in. So far, Hydrocycle toys and Groovin' Minion are my personal favorite.

[kylesvariouslistsandstuff]

Okay, that was a *huge* drop of animated movie news from the Mouse House...

The takeaways...

MOANA 2, previously being developed a Disney+ series, is WDAS' 63rd film. Opening November 27, 2024.

ZOOTOPIA 2 is being released in 2025. No concrete date.

TOY STORY 5 and FROZEN III are being released in 2026. Again, no concrete dates for these, either. ELIO stays where it is.

So... My questions:

Walt Disney Animation Studios opened a unit in Vancouver to make Disney+ shows, MOANA 2 - when it was a series - was the one project that was announced as theirs. With Disney looking to lay off Pixar staff who were involved with that studio's Disney+ projects, following the losses that streaming is accumulating for big bad Disney, my concern is... What happens with this studio? Does it get closed down like Pixar Canada was back in 2013? Or do they continue, and function similarly to the Orlando unit that Walt Disney Feature Animation opened in 1989 but closed down in 2003? Before shutdown, WDFA-Florida went from making shorts and helping out on movies to graduating. They were making features on their own by the end of the 1990s, making three total: MULAN, LILO & STITCH, and BROTHER BEAR. They had a fourth film deep in development - A FEW GOOD GHOSTS - before the wing was closed down.

It appears I might have an answer here. These screenshots imply that WDAS-Vancouver is making MOANA 2. Or it's a co-production of sorts (hat-tip NCLuke1024 on twitter for these):

Since WDAS' slate is gummed up with three sequels, all opening one year after another, I think it'd be smart to have that second studio stay open so they could possibly get both one of those sequels and an original movie out in the same calendar year. Speaking of which...

ZOOTOPIA 2 and FROZEN III were not given concrete dates. Currently, WDAS has the dates 11/26/2025 and 11/25/2026 locked. Would this mean three sequels in a row for them? MOANA 2, ZOOTOPIA 2, FROZEN III... Hmmmm, that would be a little too much... Like, why can't WDAS slot an original movie for like spring 2025 so that ZOOTOPIA 2 can get that Thanksgiving slot? They'd have to have the staff and resources for that, though... Again, what's up with the Vancouver house? What's going on with Suzi Yoonessi's movie? Josie Trinidad's movie? Marc Smith is hinted to be FROZEN III's director, if so, then that answers that question. I bet FROZEN III, given that the first two were Thanksgiving movies and have a very cold word as their title, is the 11/25/2026 movie. Pixar has March and June 2026 locked. Speaking of which...

UPDATE 6:28 PM EST: Answered a half-hour later, ZOOTOPIA 2 is in fact the Thanksgiving 2025 movie... Welp, we'll see where the next original lands, then.

TOY STORY 5 having no concrete date. Since TOY STORY 3, TOY STORY has been a summer thing. I'd imagine Pixar uses the March slot for an original, like they did in 2022 for TURNING RED (summer 2022 was LIGHTYEAR, TOY STORY spin-off), and 2020 for ONWARD.

TIANA... Hey, remember when Disney announced that a PRINCESS AND THE FROG Disney+ series was being developed? This was announced at their investor day event in December 2020, alongside the MOANA Series Now Movie, IWAJU, ZOOTOPIA+, and BAYMAX!

And now... Well, BAYMAX! came out first, then ZOOTOPIA+. IWAJU is out later this month, that was animated elsewhere, at Cinesite. MOANA The Series is now a feature film coming out this year... Where does this leave TIANA? Will that be reworked into something? Given that Disney is seemingly pulling back on original animated stuff for Disney+ following the burst of the streaming bubble... I'd imagine TIANA either gets cancelled, or turned into... Something.

A feature film sequel? Doubt it, WDAS does not have a functioning 2D unit at the moment for that. It'd have to be made elsewhere, like a Duncan Studio-type place. Though that would be weird, a new WDAS 2D movie *not* made at WDAS. I can't see it being made as a CGI movie, or a stylized PAPERMAN or WISH-esque movie, for consistency sake. Then again... Look at how DreamWorks went ham on the storybook painted look of PUSS IN BOOTS: THE LAST WISH, in comparison to the hyper-realistic and super-detailed first PUSS IN BOOTS movie + the rest of the SHREKs... Possible... But we'll see. I'd like to see the project go somewhere. More PRINCESS AND THE FROG is what I'd like. We've got the new ride coming, but I'd also like to see other stuff. They were mum on it today, so... Again, I'll keep my eyes on it. I'd be overjoyed if it was reworked into a feature, but, ya know...

Coincidentally that makes two former TV shows that are follow-ups to Disney animated movies directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, who left the studio a while ago and were pursuing a METAL MAN movie at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation. Not sure where that's at now. Anyways, would love to know what happens with this series...

[woah-were-halfway-there]

1!!!!

OK SPOILERS POSTED BELOW READ AT OWN RISK

Little man's full name is Carter Wesley Matthews. He's born on June 16th, 2024, in Arizona. He is conceived on his dad's birthday in 2023 and, like Mia, is not a planned pregnancy. However, Carter is born almost a week after Carson's due date, unlike his sister, who was born 10 days early. Carter is born in Arizona because, after a conversation in Auston, Carson becomes aware of how much it means to him for their babies to have dual citizenship, but ideally, their American citizenship first. Not that he's downplaying or bashing the fact that Carson is Canadian and their babies are citizens of Canada as much as they are the USA. However, Carson and Auston know they're settling in Scottsdale by this point. That's something they've agreed on, and it's the place they know is their family's permanent home. It's where they'll raise their kids primarily with Toronto/wherever else they may end up as their second home. Also, with the hassle they had to go through with Mia being born in Canada and the process of getting her dual citizenship, they wanted to see if applying for Canadian citizenship for Carter instead of the other way around would be more straightforward. And so that's their plan. With Carter being due in the summer, they have no reason to stay in Toronto that late after the season ends. However, playoffs happen, and in my world, they make it out of the first round this season (bc I love chaos) and make it quite far. So, by the end of the first two playoff series, Carson is a month away from her due date. This becomes an issue because they're still in Toronto, with the Leafs still playing. However, pregnant women aren't supposed to fly after 36 weeks, which they did not consider when planning and agreeing on having Carter be born in Arizona. At first, Auston doesn't even think Carter being born in Arizona is an option anymore and comes to terms with that, but then Carson suggests that she, Mia and Frank still go. She knows how much it means to Auston for Carter to be born there, and they'd already gone through the steps of finding a doctor there that Carson was referred to by her doctor in Toronto and in her mind, it just makes sense to still go especially with there still being a month before her due date. The only thing ruining everything is that she's getting close to being unable to fly anymore.

At first, Auston is so against it but gradually agrees and thinks Carson may be onto something. Of course, she doesn't want them to be separated, but a big part of it, too, is creating a stable environment for Mia before her baby brother is born. With Auston constantly coming and going pretty much every other day to fly between the Leafs' opponents' city and Toronto is already a lot for Mia because there is so much going on and having to see her dad leave so often, even though it's not for long, is very straining on her. Carson explains how Scottsdale is a familiar place. Mia knows it's home and that they'd have the support of Auston's family with them being so close by. Also, this way, they'll be in their home for the summer with their new baby. Ultimately, Carson, Mia and Frank fly to Phoenix without Auston, and this is the most prolonged period Auston is away from his girls, which is extremely hard for him.

In short, Auston makes it to Arizona in time for Carter to be born and gets reunited with his girls. However, one thing to remember is that Carson develops anemia when she's pregnant with Carter, and her doctor orders a lot of bed rest for most of her pregnancy because she gets so sick from it. Carson being sick was also a significant factor in her, Mia and Frank going to Arizona because everything was a lot for her. She needed help taking care of Mia with Auston coming and going all the time because some days she feels so unwell, she can't get out of bed. When she goes into labour, Mia stays with Auston's parents while her parents go to the hospital, and it is not an easy labour. Complication, after complication happens, is extremely straining for both Carson and Auston. Eventually, Carter is born, and he's healthy. However, he is lying on Carson's chest for not even a whole two minutes before the machines start beeping, indicating Carson's blood pressure is dropping dangerously quick. Auston can see how pale she gets because of it, and suddenly a nurse is rushing over to take Carter from her and others are rushing into the room and scrambling as they surround Carson. The last thing she says before she passes out is Auston's name. Then Auston is rushed out of the room and into the hallway and told that Carson's blood pressure is almost non-existent and they need to do an emergency surgery. It's a complete whirlwind as Auston collects his thoughts, and then he asks the nurse telling him all of this if Carson is going to be ok, and she replies honestly, saying she's not sure yet. So, Auston is left stunned in the hallway as the nurse tries to keep him calm because him freaking out won't help anyone. Naturally, though, it's pretty hard for him to remain calm. He doesn't know if his wife is going to be ok or where his son is, and like he's raising his voice, and he doesn't mean to yell, but everything is so heavy that he literally just stops so he can lean back against the wall and let himself collapse as he slides down to the floor. He breaks down because it's so overwhelming, and then, after a few moments, he starts taking deep breaths and calms down, then another nurse comes down the hallway towards them and asks Auston if he'd like to go with her to see Carter as they wait for a word on Carson. Slowly, Auston nods and wipes away some of the tears still streaming down his face before standing up and following the nurse. As they're walking, the nurse explains that in a situation like that, when a mother's health takes such a horrible turn right after birth, they have to act fast to make sure everything is ok with the baby because although they may have seemed fine being born, there could be some underlying issues. Also, Carson required emergency care, and they just needed to get the newborn out of the room asap to ensure none of the health issues with Carson affected him. She apologizes for that not being communicated to him right away with everything else happening. Still, she tells him Carter is stable and a happy, healthy little boy who needs his dad.

So, Auston goes to see Carter and is overwhelmed that he's finally there again and tears up, but this time it's happy tears. And so he goes up to Carter, takes him out of the little bed, and holds him, still crying, and it's then that Carter opens his eyes. Auston can see that despite looking almost identical to how he did as a baby, Carter has the same blue eyes as Carson, and then everything hits him again. He takes a few deep breaths to remain calm and holds Carter for a few more minutes before setting him back in the bed, then turning to the nurse and saying he needs to call his family to tell them what's happening. After getting the call from Auston, his mom rushes to the hospital immediately to be with him while his dad and sisters stay with Mia because bringing her to the hospital as this is all happening just isn't an option. When Ema gets there and gives Auston the hug and reassurance he needs, he calls Carson's dad, Mya and Nate to let them know what happened. It's a heartbreaking phone call because they all answer excited to hear about if their new family member has arrived. Auston tells them that Carter is there and healthy, but then he has to tell them that Carson's blood pressure depleted after giving birth and that she's now receiving emergency medical attention, and he doesn't know if she will make it. It's not the call he wants to make, but he has to let them know, and they immediately all start booking flights to Phoenix so they can be there. The next and final person Auston calls himself is Mitchy. Mitchy is distraught at the thought of Carson not making it, and he and Steph get on a flight to Phoenix that evening.

While waiting for Carson's family to arrive, Auston's parents rotate between one at the hospital with Auston and Carter and the other at home with Mia. His sisters do the same thing as well. Eventually, a doctor enters the room they're all in with Carter and tells Auston, his dad and his sister that Carson is in stable condition and all her vitals are where they should be. Naturally, Auston lets out the biggest sigh of relief and then immediately asks if he can see her. The doctor explains that Carson is awake, but she needs time to rest and recover and that having a lot of visitors may not be the best option because her stress levels can't get back up. However, the doctor says she will be closely monitored all night and in the coming days and that she's been asking for Auston so that, yes, he can go see her, but just him. When he enters the room, his heart shatters seeing how weak and tired she looks, but at the same time, he's so thankful because at least he didn't lose her. Upon seeing Auston, Carson breaks down and cries and starts apologizing for scaring him. Auston immediately starts calming her down, telling her not to apologize and reminding her that they're together and she's going to be ok. That helps calm her. However, she still cries, telling him all she wants is to see her babies so bad. But, like, she can't because Carter can't leave the room, he's being monitored in, and they can't bring Mia to the hospital, especially after what happened, because it'll be way too overwhelming for her, which is a very hard pill to swallow.

In the following days, it's a group effort of Carson's family, Mitch and Steph, all being there to help Mia and visit Carter and Carson as she recovers. Eventually, Carson and Carter can go home and although Mia is v happy to have her parents home despite her mom being "sick" (recovering) and she also really struggles with adapting to having a new baby around, unfortunately. On top of it all, Carson's postpartum depression is severe and so for about a month after Carter's born things are not good for the Matthews fam

[firstumcschenectady]

“Our Prayer” based on Psalm 71:1-6, Matthew 6:9-13

In June, after we celebrated the life of Walter Grattidge, I was walking through the sanctuary with the intention of putting my microphone away. Three people were in the sanctuary, seemingly admiring the stained glass, which was a little unusual because Dottie Gallo's cooking creations were available at that time in Fellowship Hall.

I believe I said something incredibly profound, like “I'm putting my mic away, but while I'm here, can I help you with anything?” The answer was unexpected.

The three people turned out to be a mother, a daughter, and the daughter's husband. The mother was raised in this church, and was a teenager in the 1940s when Rev. Dr. Lee Adkins Sr. was pastor here. I've heard wonderful things about the ministry of Rev. Dr. Adkins Sr., but the story she told was the best one yet:

She was a curious and thoughtful young person, and she struggled with the stories she heard in Sunday School and how she was taught to interpret them. In her frustration, she went to Rev. Adkins to ask him some pointed questions. (Already, I'm loving this story – right? She's feisty, she's good at Biblical interpretation, and she has access to the Sr. Pastor as she should.)

She named her concerns, and in response he ask her to listen to a story. His story was this:

When he was a young man he was struggling to decide what to do with his life. One day, he was hiking, and when he got to the top of a mountain, and the sky opened up before him, he saw written in the clouds “Preach,” and he knew his life's work.

He then told her to go home, think about his story, and come back in a week or two and explain it to him. She did. She thought long and hard about it. When she returned she said to him, “I do not believe that the clouds actually said 'preach.' I think you were moved by the beauty and sense of awe around you, and you found within yourself clarity on your life's work, and the best way you can communicate that is to say that the clouds spelled out 'preach.'”

Now -get this – this is my favorite part. He said, “OK, go home and think about it for another week or two and come back again.” Now, she said that she was really wanting to give the “right” answer and it was quite distressing to be sent away to try again. But she did, and when she came back said to him, “I stand by my answer.” And he smiled and said, “good.”

He affirmed her capacity to think, to interpret, to use her reason, and in doing so gave her ways to approach the Bible and the world.

She said that she was taking her family on a tour of her life, and they were in Schenectady so she could show them the church. (They live in Western Canada I think.) The following day we were having our combined Pride services, and they'd known about that and just walked by hoping to get in. Her family had left Schenectady soon after the story she told me, her father's job changed. But for her that conversation with her pastor opened up the world. She is now a great-grandmother, and she talked about being formed by that permission to be curious and reasonable, and how in her family there are now 4 generations of people who are who they are because she was given permission to THINK about her faith by her pastor.

I've been holding this story (not perfectly, sometimes it slips out because it is so good), but holding it for preaching for this day. Because when we think about Homecoming and what it means to come home to this church, I think that story has some pretty central themes about who this church has been and who this church is.

This is a place where faith and reason are welcome together. This is a place where curiosity is welcome. This is a place where people know that the Bible's truths are often shared in metaphor. This is a place that seeks to form people with permission giving, rather than limitations.

Which gets me to a second central piece of how I know you, First Schenectady United Methodist Church. Some years ago now when asking parents about what color blanket they wanted for their baby's baptism, their response was “We'd like a rainbow blanket, because we want our child to know they will be loved as whoever they are.” I completely copied them when it was my turn ;)

One of the many joys of being the pastor here has been the chance to get to know people who were raised in this church as I have worked with them to prepare the Celebrations of Life for their parents. I know of any stories of the church's children of the 20th century being wrapped in rainbow. However, as I've gotten to know those who were raised in the church, I've been astounded to find some deep similarities.

The men who were raised in this church are unusually kind, considerate, empathetic, gentle, and thoughtful. The women who were raised in this church are usually self-assured and able to be appropriately assertive. Let's be honest, those things both break gendered stereotypes, but fit the fullness of the human experience. This church raised people with the space to be the best and most authentic version of who they were, and made space and capacity to reject the norms of society that put people into boxes.

I was able to put my finger on what was so extraordinary several years ago now, and it has been really fun to see my theory confirmed over and over again since.

Dear ones, the impact of this church in the world is HUGE – even if all we count is how the people raised in this church were given the love, space, and capacity to become fully themselves. This church has been a counter-cultural force for good for a VERY LONG TIME.

This church has been doing God's work for a long time.

Thank God.

And thank you.

I have been reminded this week of how beautiful and delightful this world really is. And it is beautiful even while it is broken. The beautiful and the broken are simply both true.

As people of faith, we are given the great gift of being reflective about how we respond to the world. So much of what we do together is reflecting on what is good, what is God, and how we can respond. We have the chance to think about, and practice, centering down with God, centering down to relationships, centering down to simply enjoy the goodness of life – and then using the energy we have gathered in the centering down to seek justice for God's people. Isn't that a wonderful thing to get to do??

The Lord's Prayer is full of layers of meaning, has been examined with rich study, and there are translations of it that make my heart stir. We can't get into most of that in an even vaguely reasonable time frame, so I just want to focus today on the last line in our reading, “and do not bring us to the time of trial, but rescue us from that which is evil.” The rescue is sometimes deliverance, and deliverance is interesting in the Bible because it is the original meaning of salvation. As Dr. Gafney says, “Salvation in the Hebrew Bible is physical and material deliverance or rescue of an individual or community from enemies.”1

The rescue that we need, the deliverance that we need, changes with time, changes with the communities we live in, changes with our own needs. But the reason this prayer still resonates all these years later in all kinds of different places is that a need for rescue is a pretty common human experience.

Yolanda Norton translates that line as “separate us from the temptation of empire and deliver us into community.”2

Thank God that God HAS delivered us, into community, into THIS community, beautiful and broken as this one is, it helps us be a part of rescuing the world. Thank God. Amen

1Wilda Gafney, A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church (New York, NY: Church Publishing, 2021), 284.

2Gafney, 285

Rev. Sara E. Baron  First United Methodist Church of Schenectady  603 State St. Schenectady, NY 12305  Pronouns: she/her/hers  http://fumcschenectady.org/  https://www.facebook.com/FUMCSchenectady

September 17, 2023

[whitepolaris]

McMinnville's Famous Flying Saucer Photos

Fate can throw curveballs during the most ordinary moments. On occasion, unexpected events can even have life-altering effects. But what if the event is so incredible that it leaves an inedible mark on your home and community, and sparks a heated decades-long debate? Consider the modest farm couple who, on an otherwise average evening, irrevocably thrust McMinnville into the annals of ufology.

It wasn't that Paul and Evelyn Trent sought publicity. Years later, they would express regret that their actions resulted in so much disruption, and people who knew them would vouch for their sincerity. But the singular event on the evening of May 11, 1950, might have resulted in such repercussions in any case.

As the story goes, it all began on the Trents' farm nine miles west of McMinnville, at about 7:30 p.m. Evelyn was outside feeding the chickens when she noticed a metallic discs-shaped aircraft hovering in the northeast sky. It was silver and bronze colored, with a tapered shape, a flat bottom, and a protruding, antennalike structure on top. She excitedly called indoors for Paul to grab his camera. He did so, and came outside to see that the disc was moving slowly westward. He quickly snapped a photo as the craft began picking up speed. He advanced the film and snapped a second photo from a slightly different angle before the craft sped off.

Enter the Media

Although the "flying saucer" craze of the post-World War II era was growing at the time, the Trents apparently did not associate the strange object with little green men from outer space. Instead, they believed they'd witnessed an experimental military aircraft. The film was developed not quite a month later, after the remaining exposures had been used up with more everyday fare. Meanwhile, Paul told his friend, banker Frank Wortmann, about what they'd seen. Once the photos were developed, Wortmann was among the first to see them. He got copies and hung them in the front window of his bank.

That same day, Bill Powell, a reporter, saw the photos at the bank. Later that day, he interviewed the Trents for an article in the local paper. He asked to borrow the photos negatives for publication. Although they were concerned about getting in some kind of "trouble" with the military, the Trents reluctantly agreed. Powell's headline on the Jule 8, 1950, edition of the McMinnville Telephone-Register, above large reproductions of both photos, reflected public curiosity about the UFO phenomenon: AT LONG LAST-AUTHENTIC PHOTOGRAPHS OF FLYING SAUCER?

The question remains unanswered more than fifty years later, despite the intense scrutiny the photos touched off. In the weeks immediately following the Telephone-Register story, the photos became an international sensation. The Portland Oregonian published them on June 10, as did the Los Angeles Examiner on June 11. On June 12, the photos were shown on national international news broadcasts. They were published in the June 26 issue of Life, the country's best-selling magazine at the time and considered one of the most prestigious. John and Evelyn became instant celebrities; on July 10, they appeared on the New York City-based television program We the People. By popular demand, the June 8, edition of the Telephone-Register went back to press three times during this period. About ten thousand reprints were disturbed throughout the United States and Canada. In the midst of this media circus, McMinnville was nicknamed Saucerville.

Official Investigation

Of course, all this attention was bound to attract certain other parties-specifically, the U.S. government. U.S. Air Force and FBI investigators called on the Trents to check their story and verify the authenticity of the photographs. Though the years, Evelyn griped about their overbearing and somewhat threatening demeanors.

The air force confiscated the negatives from the Telephone-Register, presumably adding them to their collection of UFO evidence. (Some accounts, however, claim that the negatives were somehow passed along to United Press International and misplaced for seventeen years.)

At the item, the air force's formal UFO investigation was called Project Grudge. It was preceded by Project Sign and replaced by the longer-term Project Blue Book in 1952. By the 1960s, Project Blue Book was increasingly being criticized. Politicians, scientists, and others felt that it was suffering from careless research and possible cover-ups. In any case, the study had become too ponderous, and the air force wanted to scrap it altogether. Rather than ending it in the midst of all criticism (which they feared would only encourage conspiracy theories), they asked physicist Edward Condon to a chair a university-based study of Project Blue Book data. Thus, the University of Colorado UFO Project, better known as the Condon Committee, effectively took over Project Blue Book in 1966.

Soon the Trents' negatives were rediscovered, and the Condon Committee undertook the first of two in-depth examinations of the flying saucer photos and the incident in general. As it turned out, William Hartmann, the case investigator, was duly impressed. After some consideration, he officially stated: "This is one of the few UFO reports in which all factors investigated, geometric, psychological, and physical, appear to be consistent with the assertion that an extraordinary flying object . . . evidently artificial, flew within sight of two witnesses." This is particularly significant in light of the general skeptical tone held by the Condon Committee toward other UFO cases.

Opposition and Support

Skeptics were not convinced of the authenticity of the Trent photos, however, and "rational" explanation were suggested. Many believe that an object-an outdoor light, truck, mirror, or model-was simply suspended from the power lines. They cited alleged discrepancies with the shadow on the building in the foreground in relation to the site frame in which the Trents said the pictures were taken.

These suspicions prompted a new analysis in 1975 by Dr. Bruce Maccabee, a well-known optical physicist and prominent UFO investigator. Maccabee tended to disagree with the contention that the pictures were faked. For his own analysis, he combined a slightly modified version of Hartmann's methodology with his own highly technical approach. He determined to his satisfaction that the object was not suspended from the power lines, but was indeed in the sky, some distance away. As for the shadows, subtle technical details led him to disregard the alleged discrepancies. (As of this writing, a summarized version of Maccabee's report is available on the Internet at http://brumac.8k.com/trent1.html.)

Maccabee's endorsement of the photos' authenticity did little to convince some skeptics. As part of his investigation, he interviewed Evelyn Trent several times. To some, like the late UFO debunker Philip J. Klass, excerpts from these conversations (included in Maccabee's full forty-six page report) only raised more suspicion. On different occasions, Evelyn seemed to relate slightly different details about the same aspects of the sighting. Specifics about whether her in-laws, who lived a few hundred feet away, also saw the UFO seemed slightly contradictory across various retellings. Then there was the mysterious Mrs. Worth, an alleged neighbor of the Trents' who Evelyn said had also seen the aircraft. Efforts to track down Mrs. Worth for an interview were fruitless, as Evelyn cited new obstacles in contracting her every time Maccabee asked about it. Eventually, he dropped the subject-an incredulous in itself, according to his critics.

"So what," the believers said. "He was asking about an incident that happened twenty-five years earlier. Maybe Mrs. Trent didn't remember every last detail."

"But it was such a momentous event in her life!" replied the skeptics. "How could she not remember?"

"Well," protested the believers, "Many people, including the Trents' relatives, have vouched for their integrity! They said the Trents would never perpetrate a hoax of this kind!"

"Of course their family expect them not to?"

"But the Trents never made a dime off of the photos. . . ."

So it went, and so it continues going. More authentication and debunking followed throughout the 1980s and 1990s, each camp firmly insisting that their conclusion was correct. Meanwhile, McMinnville welcomes the controversy and celebrates the UFO sighting, genuine or hoaxed, with annual festival. The festival embodies its own brand of weirdness, thus earning a separate entry in the Local Legends chapter.

As for the photos, the original negatives are currently archived at the offices of the McMinnville News-Register (successor to the Telephone-Register). There they wait for the next believer or debunker who will invariably come along to "prove" their opinion of them.

Bend's "Dancing" Saucers

Years before flying saucers abused cattle in areas around Bend, they engaged in aerial maneuvers over the city itself. So says one report from 1949, which has a pair of disc-shaped UFOs "dancing" in the sky over Bend. Traffic stopped as motorists were either amazed by the display or blinded by the glare of the sun reflected from the shiny flyers. One witness, who had been a pilot during World War II and could presumably make an accurate guess, estimated that each was about the size of a "large bathtub," flying at a height of about ten thousand feet. Witnesses lost sight of the saucers as they moved along to the west.

[discjockeyetc]

Everything I Wanted It To Be

Lobster fishing is a BIG deal in Pictou, Nova Scotia. At the end of each year's two-month lobster fishing season (which wraps up at the end of June), Pictou holds their annual Lobster Carnival... and, like the fishing itself, it's also a big deal. The carnival includes rides, local vendors, food vendors, a VERY popular beer tent with a whole list of local and regional musicians, fun lobster themed competitions (like the claw banding contest), a parade, TONS of children's activities, and even a "Queen of the Sea" pageant.

I chose this week to visit Pictou so that we could not only experience the town where my mom was born and visit with family, but so that we could also take part in the lobster carnival. Pictou is a teenie tiny town, and there's not a whole lot to actually do (especially for the girls). Being in Pictou during the lobster carnival gave us an opportunity to have something to do while we were here. I'll talk more about the carnival a little further down.

---

I posted this on my Facebook/Instagram on Friday and figured I'd share it here as well. I've mentioned my grandparents several times throughout this journey. Well, several years ago, I was able to receive a BUNCH of scanned black and white pictures from their early years together. One of those pictures was this one from 1942:

Ship Hector Quay Monument, Pictou, NS

This picture is at the root of my inspiration to actually come to Pictou... because I wanted to recreate this picture with Jill. The Today, we got the opportunity to do just that.

we cute ;)

...and of course, I had to make this...

1942 vs. 2024

...we even got Turner and Sydney in on it.

Now, you might notice in the above photos that we're dressed a little nicer and that we're all kind of match-matchy. There's actually a reason for that. To commemorate our visit to Pictou, I wanted to get some nice family photos of the three of us while we were in town. About a month or so ago, I linked up Maggie (a photographer who is from the area) to get that done. At Maggie's recommendation, we met up with the her at a nearby park/beach for the photo shoot. Like many photographers, she has a backlog of events and sessions waiting to be edited, so we likely won't see the final results for another month or so. BUT, she also helped us take some professional pictures by the monument... and was even kind enough to use my phone to grab the monument shots posted above. I'm excited to see how the professional photos came out!

--

After the photo shoot, we went back to Bruce & Eloise's house to change clothes, grab some lunch, and work out a plan for the rest of the day. We headed down to check out the carnival and do some shopping. We didn't go to the area that had the rides, though.

Pictou waterfront

We also got to see the "opening ceremonies" for the carnival. This included a local elementary school choir singing "O Canada" and several speeches from local dignitaries. We did also get a quick performance from a bagpiper which was pretty cool.

Nice kilt!

The opening ceremonies weren't quite as exciting as I I had they'd be, so we bailed out. We headed over to a local harbor front bar and grill for a snack and some drinks (adult and otherwise). No pictures taken there.

--

For dinner, Bruce & Eloise ordered pizza from a wonderful local place that's famous for it's brown sauce pizza. It was really, really good. Again, no pictures of that either. ;)

--

After dinner, we took a quick drive over to Stella Maris Catholic Church. This is where my grandparents were married in July of 1940. I can't say for certain, but it's safe to say that my mom would've been Christened here as well. I've only ever seen pictures of this church, so it was really nice to see it in person.

Stella Maris Catholic Church, Pictou NS.

Later in the evening, we headed back down to the waterfront to check out the Lobster Carnival fireworks display. It's not Washington DC, Boston, Philly, and New York level fireworks, but they were quite lovely.

Don't worry. Jill was in a safe place (the ice cream shop) during the show. :)

Our original plan was to also spend Saturday in Pictou to take in more of the carnival. We would then get up before the crack of dawn on Sunday to start our two-day trek home. As we looked at the weather for Saturday, it's apparent that the ENTIRE day is going to be rained out.

Because we've done pretty much everything I wanted to do in Pictou AND the fact that anything we'd try to do on Saturday would be washed out anyway, Jill had the idea of beginning our ride home around lunch time on Saturday; instead of stressing out about back-to-back 14+ hour days of driving.

Our visit to Pictou has been just so wonderful. Everyone we've met has been incredibly friendly... and also, very curious and outwardly intrigued about where we've come from to be here. It's been a lovely couple of days, and Pictou has been everything I wanted it to be... and more.

[newlifemortgages]

The Bank of Canada Says 'Hold Your Horses': What It Means for Your Mortgage

January 25, 2024 | Posted by: Dallas MartinReady for a fresh scoop from the finance world? No, it's not about a lost calculator or a misplaced pie chart. It's more intriguing - the Bank of Canada has held its target for the overnight rate at a whopping 5%.

Why should you care? Well, let's break it down in plain English, shall we?

A Peek into the Crystal Ball

First, let's gaze into the future. According to the experts, the Bank of Canada is likely done raising rates and will hold them at 5.00% for at least six months. And here's where it gets interesting: predictions are swirling that the Bank will start slicing rates in June.

'But wait,' you might say, 'what does all this talk about benchmark rates have to do with my mortgage?' Good question! Let's break it down.

See, the Bank of Canada's benchmark rate is like the conductor of a financial orchestra. It sets the tempo for the lending rates that banks and other financial institutions offer consumers and businesses. So, when the benchmark rate changes, so do the interest rates on things like loans, credit cards, and your mortgage.

Banks typically hike their interest rates if the benchmark rate goes up. Why? Well, it's more expensive for them to borrow money, and they pass those costs onto you. This means your mortgage payments could go up if you've got a variable-rate mortgage or coming up for renewal.

Conversely, borrowing becomes cheaper for the banks if the benchmark rate goes down. Theoretically, they should pass these savings onto you, which could mean lower mortgage payments.

So, whether you're hunting for a new home or just keeping tabs on your current mortgage, remember to keep an eye on the Bank of Canada's benchmark rate. Because, like it or not, the Benchmark Rate affects us all!

The Global Picture

On a global scale, economic growth is hitting a slow stride, and inflation is starting to put its feet up across most economies. Our friends in the U.S.? They're bracing for a slower pace in 2024. Less spending and less investing are on the agenda.

As for Europe and China? The euro area is feeling a tad under the weather, and China's wrestling with some confidence issues and policy uncertainty.

But wait, there's good news! Oil prices are lower than we thought they'd be. So, we've got that going for us, which is nice.

Oh Canada

Back here in Canada, our economy has hit the snooze button. Growth is expected to hover near zero through Q1 2024.

Why the economic naptime, you ask? Well, Canadians are closing their wallets in response to higher prices and interest rates. Business investment has also taken a tumble.

And what about jobs? Even though the labour market conditions have eased, wages are still climbing.

What's Next?

So, what does the future hold for our economy? Economic growth is expected to pick up speed around mid-2024. By the year's second half, we should see an uptick in household spending, exports, and business investment.

Inflation? It ended the year at 3.4%. The Bank expects it to hover around 3% for the first half of this year before it starts to take a breather, aiming for the 2% target in 2025.

The Bank of Canada has decided to keep the policy rate at 5% and continue normalizing its balance sheet. They're keeping their eyes peeled for any risks to the inflation outlook and are committed to restoring price stability.

In short, the Bank of Canada is telling us to hold onto our hats, hoping for smoother sailing ahead. But remember, when it comes to interest rates, it's a bit like a rollercoaster ride. So buckle up, keep your hands inside the vehicle at all times, and try to enjoy the ride. Stay tuned for more updates!

[provendermalkin]

I know this doesn't help you now since your tooth thing happened a few years ago, but you can go to an ER in a public hospital with a cracked molar.

They will have to treat you and they will pull it and prescribe you antibiotics. It's better than suffering and at the point that your tooth's cracked, there's no saving it anyway, dentist or no dentist.

I'm just terrified of incurring debt in Canada; they'd never let me in again, and I wouldn't be able to see my partner anymore. :( It's hard enough getting in... and my partner's mom said last time I had an issue while I was up there that it would cost thousands of dollars up-front(?) to get any help for anything, so I didn't even check. Will Canadian ERs really let you in for dental pain and trauma? My local ER won't have anything to do with mouth damage, they tell you to just call a dentist and wait. ( I say this because I was already turned away and humiliated the first time I tried to cross, because the border guard questioning me felt my answers weren't complete enough and that it was "suspicious" I was so prepared for my trip. I had never traveled internationally before, so I emailed them months ahead of time asking what stuff the border usually wants to see... He ended up reading my private messages out loud in front of everyone going through the border station to humiliate me as punishment, said he could throw me in jail for two years if he felt like it, and said someone like me wasn't trustworthy enough to allow in, and that I had better not try coming back any time soon. Almost every time since then, I get yanked aside for advanced questioning and grilled, and they hate that I don't own real estate in the US because just having a car, family, job and bills isn't enough for them... This last visit in June was the only time I haven't been told to get out of the car and come inside for questioning. )

[therecordchanger62279]

Nostalgia...Who Needs It?

I do. Some enterprising chap named Ben Dyment has edited together the most complete version yet of one of the greatest moments in Rock 'N' Roll history, and put it on YouTube. In 1975, The Rolling Stones decided to mount what was called Tour of The Americas '75. They would do 40 shows on the continent from the opener in Baton Rouge to the finale at Orchard Park near Buffalo, NY. If you lived in Canada there was one show in Toronto, as well.

Mick Taylor had left the band just before the tour was to begin, and Faces guitarist Ronnie Wood stepped in to save the day. The band aggravated critics by touring without bothering to make a new record. On June 6, Rolling Stones Records released a compilation album titled Made In The Shade with some striking artwork, but not a single new track. Meanwhile, Abkco, the company that owned their pre-1971 catalog countered with a collection of outtakes, and rejects called Metamorphosis with a very unique cover of its own.

The band called a press conference on 5th street in NYC on May 1 to announce the tour. Reporters gathered in the Fifth Avenue Hotel on 9th in the Village. But the band crossed up the press by playing live on the back of a flatbed truck while the reporters were listening to comic Irwin Corey warming up the reporters for the band's appearance.

The sounds of Brown Sugar came in on the wind, and the reporters knew they'd been had. The press scrambled outside to get the story, but when the song ended, the truck rolled on, and the band was gone.

This video compilation collects as much of the video as could be found from various sources, filling in with still photos when needed, and is followed by news reports from local stations in NY, and man on the street interviews.

In spite of carping from the critics throughout the tour, and complaints that the shows were sloppy (they were breaking in a new guitar player after all), the tour was a huge success. And the question that always gets asked was asked this time, too. "Was this the last time?" The answer? "Yeah. Until the next one."

Find the video on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZAwnP5DJA0

[madchild-dennis]

My Parents

Let's talk about them for a minute.

You see I spent a long post basically honoring a man. Who I am no longer dating and has been looking out for me. I basically put him above EVERY ONE (on earth & except me) including family.

Yesterday, I went somewhere & saw the person who said hypocrite in this story:

In case of the site's death:

Well I saw him again, one of my parent's minion, where I went to say "Hi and I'm alive". Being that I don't frequent there anymore & saw him on the phone. I noticed I didn't get the greetings I'd normally get. Which is fine.

However when I reached my final destination & saw a missed call from someone. This person I suspected was secretly working with my parents. They called me DIRECTLY on a number only a handful know (including my parents) and I did NOT give it to them. I only give out the WhatsApp number.

Which made me realize my parents were up to something & the minion was once again upset that I berated my parents for NOT CARING (which is true) when they secretly do stuff.

What am I talking about?

Instead of coming to me & ask what I NEEDED to help me along my journey. They (especially my father, but both agree with each other) called me/say/did/do the following:

Say its the devil (in March 2021) when I share God's revelation.

say I'm hearing voices or mentally ill. Then call counsellors/therapist to evaluate me (March 2021)

Try to deter me from obeying God in March, June, July, August, November & December 2021; January, March & September 2022. Those are times I tried to ask for help, was around/lived with them. Or they went out their way to ATTACK ME.

Become annoyed with what I had to do. Which was move out my room & sit in the living room & wait. (April 2021)

Told me I am wrong & aiming for things that isn't God (May 2021)

Call me the antichrist (Started in around June/July and ended February/March 2021)

Called me mentally ill with Bipolar disease without a formal diagnosis (April-July 2021). When told I'm NOT by medical professionals in Canada continued to do so (August-December 2021)

Called me mentally ill with Bipolar disease with a diagnosis they got by attacking me & basically trying to kidnap me. Then manipulated doctors & the Jamaican medical system into a diagnosis & continued to call me so from January-September 2022.

Told people I'm mentally ill (see dates above)

manipulated those around me when they can't directly do it.

I could add more but his isn't about what I've already shared. It's about what I haven't & what they do in secret (to me) & might highlight to others to show ThEy CaRe.

I know they DO NOT care but do whatever out of guilt but MOSTLY out of proving a point. Let's start with what they did before/during what the did in secret, to me.

July 2021:

What they'd say: We supported & prayed for her & gave her money for food.

What they did to me: On the 24/25 of July weekend my father prayed for me & the journey. July 28 My mother gave me money for food & said if I EVRY need any I should call. My father did NOT know where I was but my mother did. On July 29 I woke up to police putting me in handcuffs & carrying me to the nearest mental hospital.

The results below (if site still working):

August-November 2021:

What they'd say: she wasn't talking to us & BLOCKED us. So we secretly gave money to the pastor who was helping her to help her.

What they did to me: When I stayed at my aunt after being released (requirement from the hospital). After 1 week, they ruling my aunt gave but I believe was due to the harassing, controlling & manipulative nature of my parents. They tried to stop me & affected where I could stay. Even called my aunt with the same controlling nature. They claim they were calling to say that my aunt should make me stay longer because I was not behaving right.

November 2021-January/February 2022:

What they'd tell you: We fly to Jamaica to look for my sick mother/mother-in-law who has cancer Then we stayed longer than planned because we were worried about our daughter. We lost money/didn't have a job during that time.

What they did to me: In early November; came with church people & more to try & kidnap me to go go to their doctors who already had a bipolar diagnosis waiting on me. From then to Dec 14, my parents fought, stalked & tried to manipulate whoever they could, from JP's to courts to my landlord & more to get me diagnosed & say I'm mentally ill. On Dec 15; my father physically grabbed me from inside the house I was renting while I was calmly & cordially conversing with my landlord's mother in the backroom. Then cornered into going to the hospital that they had set up & waiting for me with the diagnosis ready for me.

MPH December 15 2022 to January 8 2022 (3+ weeks):

What they'd tell you: We made sure to come EVERY day with food, clothes & more. Whatever the doctors said she needed. When she asked for us to get them to release her & we said no based on recommendation she stopped talking to us. She didn't even take our food. Even turn down the pastor who we brought all the way to pray for her and she turned him away.

What they did to me: The manipulated the doctors. Say whatever they think would get them sympathy by twisting the truth or lying. Appealing to whatever they know would get a reaction out of the doctors in their favour. If I didn't fake smile and talk to them they would not have released me AFTER ALL THE manipulation they did to me.

January 2022:

What they'd tell you: We took her from the hospital and we thought everything was fine. We even went to the river together. She was taking the medication and was fine. Then one day she stopped and say she want to live somewhere else.. We didn't stop her.

What they did to me: In They lied to me. They said they were carrying me then after the meeting they'd carry my stuff. The meeting was to talk to the landlord and whoever in charge to make sure I don't have any issue staying there whether or not I had money. However they went into the meeting and switch it to tell people to encourage me to take the pills, then go to the doctor or if there's any sign of whatever to do whatever. They did not even break down what sign because there wasn't any. Then when I shut the conversation down & demanded I get my stuff brought. They claim they'd carry it the next day but they didn't show up until the day after that (a Sunday). Still without my stuff. St5arted a whole meeting now with people they didn't know. Claiming I'm mad and if they see signs of me calling myself Miss World. Which I did NOT go around verbalizing. Talking about I'm mentally ill etc. This meeting included my landlord, his aunt (who lived multiple parishes away) & a neighbour (the landlord's cousin). The landlord had to leave the meeting and they carried on abut lies. one saying how I didn't work in Canada and the other saying I did. Painting me as a crazy worthless/have no ambition child who wasted her opportunity abroad & want to just waste time here in Jamaica as well...

I could keep going but NO.

Here's what I found out in the 4 weeks I stayed with them in September:

The pastor who helped me in Canada. A person I haven't spoken to since loosing my phone to thieves at Salt River, in January. Told them between March & July (I believe) of this year that I told him that I NEEDEED clothes. Which they proceed to buy a suitcase-full of clothes and gave it to him to give me. I did NOT receive any suitcase, clothes nor call from that man. Plus I did NOT block them then, like I do now. So if they send a message I would say that's false. I may be DONE with them but I do NOT want them to be scammed.

In June/July when I was fed-up & wanted a chunk of cash to disappear, I texted my brother to ask him for $100 to start. I told him NOT to tell them. They said it was them who gave him to give me.

Because of the direct call to a number this person should NOT have. I believe they are giving funds to the bar owner. Who we (Nicholas & I) asked if "we can stay and pay something monthly for the room or try to find somewhere to rent" (when we were dating). I got a response that they'd let me know in a few days but to do our thing. We did NOT hear back from the person. I believe they're giving them funds each month or whenever (secretly).

So I believe because of my POST about him caring, helping & more. I think they believe I'm ungrateful and lying about my parents.

FIRST OF ALL

CARE is NOT helping and more out of proving a point or guilt AFTER you abuse, harm or hurt someone. Care happens BEFORE.

Plus ANYTHING LESS than what God said they're to do as consequences of their actions: redeem themselves through my children. I DO NOT CARE about, nor acknowledge ANYTHING ELSE. It's as if they didn't do it. My oldest's birthday just passed & a PRESENT for him would be NICE & EVERYTHING God said is STILL REQUIRED.

[ghostbustermelanieking]

i am a hypocrite who spends every wednesday criticizing a show i don't really watch anymore

[capricorn-0mnikorn]

So whenever your disability pride flag is shared on tiktok, ive noticed people asking why do disabled people need a pride flag, or saying that we dont deserve one because we are "co opting" the gay pride movement... and i am honestly at a loss at what to say to them

Okay, then: here's some Disability Pride Talking points for you, when you come upon that assumption:

First: The Disability Rights Movement gained steam in the U.S. at the same time as the Civil Rights Movement was advocating for racial equality, and the Women's Rights movement was advocating for gender equality -- all in the same decade as the Stonewall Riots.

Second: it may seem like Disability Pride Month is "copying" Queer Pride Month, because July comes right after June. But the reason we celebrate Disability Pride Month in July is because that's when The Americans with Disabilities Act was signed: on July 26, 1990. This was the first Disabilities Rights act in the world. It was followed in 1995 by the Disabilities Discrimination Act in the U.K., and in 2019 in Canada.

Third: on April 5, 1977, the (American) Nationwide 504 Sit-in (Wikipedia article) began, to protest the fact that three presidents in a row had been stalling for four years to implement Disability Civil Rights legislation. Disability advocates staged sit-ins in Federal Buildings for the Department of Health, Education, and Welfare, in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, New York City, Philadelphia, and Seattle, San Fransisco, and Washington D.C..

The sit-in in Washington D.C. lasted 28 hours. The Sit-in in San Fransisco lasted 25 Days, and remains the longest occupation of a Federal Government building in U.S. History (It was epic). The civil rights group The Black Panthers also helped with logistical support.

The police tried to force the people inside to leave by cutting phone lines, forgetting that there were people who knew American Sign Language both inside the building, and outside, in the crowd, and they relayed messages back and forth through the windows (excuse me while I take a Cackle break).

Finally: Disabled people are human beings, and deserve all the human rights as everyone else. But a lot of people in authority, look at our lives from the outside, decide that we already have a low-quality of life (without actually asking us), and deciding that it wouldn't be so bad if we died. You know, at the start of the COVID-19 outbreak in this country, it was a fairly common policy that if hospitals ran low on ventilators, they'd just take them from disabled people who needed to use them every day? Remember that?

That's why we have to get loud.

[ravenonice]

How does a Figure Skating (Senior) Season look like? - A guide for YoI fanfic writers

Since Yuri on Ice mainly deals with the Grand Prix Series and other competitions are only mentioned as a side note, I've noticed that many writers seem to struggle with how a season in figure skating looks like. So here is what I've gathered from my years of watching and research!

Disclaimer: I am only human and I make mistakes. I am by no means saying that this is to be accepted as truth without question. If there are any errors, please tell me and I'll fix them!

The new season starts on July 1st. Hence the July 1st cut off. That means that anyone who hasn't turned 15 by June 30th isn't elligable for Senior competition that season (Which means that even though Yuri Plisetsky was 15 for the World Championship we see in Episode 1, he wasn't allowed to compete there).

On July 1st or the end of June is also when we usually get the Grand Prix Assignments. There are 6 qualifying competitions + the Grand Prix Final.

The 6 qualifying competitions usually are:

Skate Amerika (USA)

Skate Canada International (CAN)

Internationaux de France (FRA) (This season called Grand Prix de France...no one knows why...)

Cup of China (CHN)

NHK Trophy (JPN)

Cup of Russia/Rostelecom Cup (RUS)

This season (22/23) the Cup of China and Russia are replaced (for obvious reasons) by the MK John Wilson Trophy (GBR) and the Grand Prix Espoo (FIN)

The location of the Final changes every season. This season it's in Torino in Italy.

So in July we get the Assignments. Funniest thing about that and something I think is worth including in stories is: The skaters find out the same way we do. By either camping on twitter and waiting for the ISU to tweet that they uploaded them, or by refreshing the website every 5 minutes around the time they or some other source said they'd drop them. This season the assignments dropped on July 22nd...it was nerve wrecking...poor skaters...

The ISU is also located in Switzerland. Assignments drop between 3 and 5 pm. So worst case, Yuuri and Viktor will stare at twitter at 1am in Japan waiting for the ISU to ge their shit sorted out. That's what the triplets where shown doing in the anime xD

But the Grand Prix Series isn't the first thing that happens. For starters, let's look at national competitions...

As for Japan...

First of all, if your skater isn't already qualified for nationals by placing well enough at them the year before (the medalists get "seeded" by the JSF), they need to go to Regionals first (Like Yuuri when he finished 11th at Nationals after the GPF). That's late September, early Oktober depending on the region.

Now, Yuuri technically would have needed to also go to Sectionals after that! Which isn't shown in the anime! That's in late Oktober. Unless Yuuri does finishes on top at sectionals, he's not going to Nationals...

But that wasn't shown in the Anime because it would have been repetitive and Sectionals also overlap with the first two GP events a lot.

As for Russia...

I honestly never cared enough. The men weren't interesting enough imo and Russia is the reason women's singles stresses me tf out and I barely watch it...

But as far as I know, to qualify for Nationals they need to compete in 2 out of 5 stages of the Russian Cup Series. It functions similarly to the ISU Grand Prix. Skaters are seeded immediatly if they are assigned to the ISU Grand Prix or qualify for the Junior GP Final. So neither Viktor, nor Yuri needed to bother with that.

Beforehand however, there are the test skates. They are in early September and that's not a competition. It's literally just a televised program announcement and they get fedback. No points, no medals.

August - December:

Another type of International competition is the Challenger Series. Skaters who are not assigned a GP Event may go there instead. They are ranked below the GP Series and there isn't a final. But the ISU recognizes Personal and Seasons Bests there aswell as World records. Nebelhorn is also used as the final qualifying competition for the last remaining olympic spots.

Most well known are:

US International Skating Classic (USA)

Lombardia Trophy (Italy)

Autumn Classic International (Canada)

Nebelhorn Trophy (Germany)

Ondrej Nepela Trophy/Memorial (Slovakia)

Finlandia Trophy (Finland)

Golden Spin of Zagreb (Croatia)

Oktober - December

What you've all been waiting for: The Grand Prix Series

As mentioned before, 6 qualifying competitions: Skate America, Skate Canada Int., Internationaux de France, Cup of China, NHK Trophy, Cup of Russia/Rostelecom Cup. Not always in that order.

They get assigned spots based on their placing in worlds or their ranking in ISU standings. So, unlike I first thought when I watched the Anime (I did not know about the GP Series before), regionals did not matter for Yuuri's Grand Prix spots.

If it had been a minimum score issue, Yuuri would have needed to go to a challenger, like Nebelhorn for example.

If I'm totally honest...I don't know exactly how Yuuri got two spots at all? I just accept GP assignments as they come because I don't really understand how they work... It was either the come back rule, or Yuuri got invited by either China or Russia in addition to his guaranteed spot? I have no clue...he got two, I'm not questioning that further because I legit don't understand. Feel free to enlighten me ^^'

Anyway...skaters can compete in max. 2 competitions. Unlike suggested in YoI, there are actually 12 skaters at each event (8 for pairs).

In the end 6 qualify for the final. There is a point system in Place:

At each event, skaters get awarded points for their placement.

place: 15 points

place: 13

place: 11

place: 9

place: 7

place: 5

place: 4

place: 3

The skaters with the highest amount of points advance to the final. If there is a tie, there are several rules to break the tie. For example: Mickey placed 3rd in both of his events and therefor got 22 points. Yuuri got 2nd and 4th and therefor also had 22 points. But since Yuuri placed higher than Mickey in one of his events, Yuuri advanced to the final.

Then the final takes place in early to mid December.

December:

Important for YoI are Japanese and Russian Nationals, which usually fall around Christmas each year. That's where it is determined who is send to the Four Continents or European Championships, aswell as the World Championships.

January/Feburary:

That's when 4CC/Euros usually take place. I suggest looking up dates for the year you are setting your story in or just decide yourself if you want. It's fanfiction after all :D

Also usually in Feburary if relevant: The Olympics.

March:

Late March are the World Championships. And with that the competitive season ends. Unless you want to include the Team Trophy...but I don't really bother with that.

April-July:

ICE SHOWS!!!! :D Or: how competitive figure skaters actually earn money

Resources for further research:

Wikipedia is your friend :D

Also if you want to use an IRL competition as a guide for scoring, program layouts etc... just google "ISU results (insert competition you want to use)". A page should come up that has detailed results with scoring sheets. E.g. Worlds 22

Another Note:

For ISU events the starting order for the short is as far as I understand usually determined by draw. The groups are seperated by ISU rankings. So the first 6 in the standings will be skating in the last group, and draw from the last 6 starting numbers.

For the free there usually is reversed starting order (like in YoI, the person who placed first in the short skates last), though I have also heard that sometimes they draw again based on those standings that time.

Also, there is an exhibition gala and a banquet after almost each of these competitions ;)

I hope that this was a little helpful :D Happy watching and happy writing <3

[nickjunesource]

Do you think Nick and June are really capable of having a viable relationship outside of Gilead?? I love their relationship in the show and I love the small moments they share.

But I somehow don’t see them having a long term relationship in a normal world. We’ve seen a little bit of how freedom changed June. But we don’t don’t know how Nick will change if he is really free. I feel like even if they try, their relationship will soon wither out in normal circumstances as they begin to heal.

What do you think?

Hey.

Yes, we genuinely believe that they could have a happy, healthy future together.

In the Boston Globe they had what felt like a real relationship and we saw how good it was and how seamlessly they operated together in a place of freedom (or as close to freedom as they could get). This leads us to believe that they'd do well together in Canada when they are both free.

Further, we know that Nick and June's incredible compatibility and understanding of each other will enable them to surmount any difficulties that may arise in the period of adjustment after they are both free. We've seen this several times on the show, most notably in 2x12 after Holly was born and in 4x09 at the school.

We have faith.

[aishathetaurus]

Nick and June belong together in a sense... However, its hard to really say, you know, since... them being two trauma bonded people coming together under extreme circumstances is their reality. Is June in love with Nick the same way or more than she loved Luke? Its hard to say. Maybe if their relationship developed under like... normal circumstances it would be clear, but they didn't so its not.

There's not much to say about Osblaine besides that. I think any other analysis of their relationship is odd. I feel like people tend to ignore the circumstances they met in, and the dynamic between a handmaid and an eye that led the army that created Gilead. I get it though... their connection is undeniable... and also blinding.

Not saying they aren't the more ideal couple... Its just... hard to say? Its so interesting seeing people so hellbent on them being a couple with all things considered. I believe their love is only circumstantial. But you know... who is to say if they met in pre-Gilead America or in Canada they'd feel the same... Maybe they would've. Maybe they wouldn't have. Its not like we'll ever know considering they met when June was a slave in a system Nick created.

Also the fact Nick is a literal Nazi and June was locked inside of his open space concentration camp...? Its like hearing about a slave falling in love with her slave master... Is it really love when consent isn't possible to give in those kind of situations?

The answer is no btw by definition it's all rape. Nick raped June. Multiple times. Every time. Even if June seemingly consented... its rape. How does a slave really consent towards sex with their literal master? They can't. They don't. This isn't a hot take btw... this exact situation has happened many times throughout American slavery and its labeled as rape every time. You cannot consent to someone that owns you or is capable of owning you, no matter how sure you feel about it and how much consent you express. Do you really think when slaves fell in love with their owners we're looking back on that history and labeling it a consentual relationship? Have your own opinion, but try to be honest. Historians would violently disagree with you if you say yes btw.

Anyway, I figured I would just share my thoughts. This isn't a pro or anti Osblaine post... just... saying what should be obvious.