#so I get done at like 330 which is like half an hour past our deadline

[senatortedcruz]

I don’t think I’ve ever been legit angry at someone I’ve worked with until today but someone did something to me so shitty that I legit never want to help them out again

[lilyharvord]

The Secret Correspondence of the Dancing War - Part 3

A/N: Part 3 of the accurate epilogue of Broken Throne because once again, Regina and I are bitter that Victoria did not give us the closure we want. This letter while burned to almost a crisp was saved by me and @elane-in-the-shadows.  Part I / Part II 

iii. Cal 

                                         December 10th 330

Maven,

It’s been a while since I wrote to you or visited you. I hope you don’t mind. Things have been busier these past few years. I honestly don’t remember the last time I got a full night’s rest. Even now, I’m writing to you at 3 in the morning because I can’t sleep.  Mare’s going to kill me too. She already has a hard time sleeping because of the baby. She doesn’t waste time blaming me for that. Funny enough, I don’t mind her teasing about it. The fact that it is even happening makes me feel like I could make electricity myself.

Right, I should probably catch you up on what’s happened. To be honest, a lot of it is fuzzy for me. Since my promotion two years ago, I’ve spent more time on the front lines dealing with the Lakelanders than I have in my lifetime. Your ex-wfie is more of a pain in the ass than I ever thought possible. Like you, she’s a brilliant strategist. I think… given time you two might have found kindred spirits within each other. And while this whole dance between the States and the Lakelands has been exhausting, the good news is that Iris hasn’t had the chance to throw me in any more bays. Mare probably wouldn’t think that joke is funny, but I’m sure you will.

Anyway, four months ago Mare wrote to me telling me to ask for a leave of absence. That she needed me to come back to Montfort because it was urgent. It took more convincing than I would have liked to get that leave. Sometimes I miss being a prince, for the sole reason that if I needed something I didn’t have to wait for people to sit around debating about it, it was just done. But that’s beside the point. When I got back to Montfort, Mare had a, let’s just call it a surprise for me because I can’t think of anything else to call it. A gift? It certainly didn’t feel like it at first. I think all the blood drained from my face when she told me. We argued about it. It’s honestly the first fight we’ve had in a long time, but she won. She always does, as you know. I retired my uniform and she retired hers and we bought a little apartment near her parents’ town house. She wants them close when the baby is born. I get that. I would want my family there too. I wish you could be here. I think you’d be surprised how strong she already is. The other day Mare made me feel how hard she was kicking and it was one of the strangest things I’ve ever experienced. How can something so small kick that hard? She’s going to be a force of nature; I know she will be. Mare’s her mother after all. I can’t even begin to tell you how strange it is to write that. To think that in a few weeks she’s going to be here. 

Mare agreed to let me name her, as long as she gets to name the next one. She had her fingers crossed for a boy. She wants to name any son we have after her brother. I think I’m going to name our daughter after my mother though. Coriane Barrow Calore sounds pretty doesn’t it? But I may just be biased. 

At first, I wanted to drop my name and just keep Mare’s, but she insisted we keep both. Our family line is as much a part of my daughter’s legacy as it is mine. Removing our name would be like trying to erase the past. We’re trying to correct it though. I’d say so far we’re doing a decent job. Notra is on track finally, and Evangeline has been hard at work as an ambassador with both the Lakelands and Prairie. We’re both desperately trying to fix the mistakes our ancestors made.

And I guess I’m writing to you tonight because of that. I can’t sleep. I can’t sleep because all I can think about it that family name. Our father’s name, and ours. Looking back on everything, I realize now what you went through, what you must have felt like. I can’t sleep because I’m terrified of repeating our father’s mistakes. He made so many. I didn’t realize it until Mare told me she was pregnant and I started thinking about my own childhood. I’m terrified that I’ll somehow show my daughter that she doesn’t matter to me, that there is something or someone who comes before her. What if she sees what I do and what I am, and wants to follow in my footsteps? What if she does that because she feels like she has to? I don’t want her to struggle like I did. I don’t want her to think she is duty bound to a fate because of me or because of Mare. You would know what to say. You always knew exactly what to say.

And I guess I also was hoping you could… endow some of your speech ability on me to write another letter to the Silver Session. You handled them all so well as king, (better than I ever could have hoped too) and I wish I had half of your political sense, just because it would make my life so much easier. You always had such politic ways of telling people to go screw themselves. I need a way to say that right now that doesn’t turn a bunch of cranky, old, irritating silvers into more of a political threat.

By my colors I miss you. It comes at me like a wave sometimes. I’ll just be walking or sitting and then it’s there and I feel like I can’t breathe. You left a hole that I don’t think I’ll ever be able to close. The other night, I realized your birthday was coming up. You would have been 28 this year. I realized that while Mare and I were walking back from dinner. When she asked me why I got so quiet, I told her the truth. She was quiet for a long time too, then she asked me if we would tell our children about you. I don’t know if you want me to. Or which person I should talk about. A part of me didn’t believe the last thing you told me. I know that the boy who used to stay up until ungodly hours playing chess with me was in there somewhere. I know that the brother who used to joke with me and play along with my terrible lies I told to get out of trouble was in there. I know the young man that was braver than I ever could be was in there somewhere. I wish I could have found him. I wish I could have saved you. Maven I have never regretted anything more than the fact that I turned a blind eye to your suffering or what your mother did to you. Maybe you’d be here with me today if I hadn’t. Maybe you would get to hold your niece. Or maybe, maybe she wouldn’t even be here. To be honest, I don’t know. I learned a long time ago that playing the what if game just hurts more.

I hope you are at peace. I hope you are resting and that you somehow do get these letters. I hope you know that even at the end, you were my brother, and I loved you. I still do. I’ll come visit you soon, maybe after Coriane is born. Although I’ll probably be even busier then. I suppose I’ll just have to write in the meantime.

As always, your brother, 

Cal

@elliemarchetti @farleydiana @scxrletguardsdawn @petergrantkavinsky @freaky-freiday @inopinion @mareshmallow @evangelineartemiasamos @evangeline-of-montfort @delilahlbard @king-maven-calore @whatsup-gorls @redqueenetwork

[marvels-writings]

Pretend (Epilogue)

| Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 |

Series Masterlist

Carol Danvers Masterlist

A/N: So I really missed this series and I thought I’d write a bonus since I started this series almost the same time as this blog. We can all use a little more of this series in our lives

“Y/n, if you don’t stop pacing I will propose for you.” Wanda groaned, leaning back on the couch in front of where you have been pacing for the past half hour. You turned to glare at her slightly, still fidgeting with the small velvet box in your hand. 

“Why the hell isn’t she back yet?” You demanded, flopping down on the couch next to Wanda. “Rhetorical.” You added before Wanda could say anything

Ever since you had told Wanda you were going to propose to Carol, she reminded you everyday and eventually managed to force you to today. She somehow found out today was when you’d asked Carol to be your fake girlfriend, Three years ago. 

Three years sounds like a long time to be with someone, but with Carol it felt more like three weeks. She was gone a lot but for you she had installed some sort of facetime with holograms for you to talk to her on and she made as much time for you as she could.

The two of you had fought more times than you could remember, most of those fights were over misguided love. Like your first major fight was because you were going to talk to your ex, Carol thought he would hurt you again. It happened more times than you’d like to count, communication wasn’t really Carol’s forte. 

Those fights had usually ended up with you trying to get the real reason out of Carol, finally getting it out and Carol spending the next few hours apologizing out of guilt. God, the two of you already acted like a married couple. 

“Y/n, for the last time, relax.” Wanda comforted, resting one hand on your shoulder. “She’s gonna say yes, the two of you already act like a newlywed couple.” You slapped wanda on the arm lightly and continued fidgeting with the box.

You’d known Carol was the only one for you a year back, she made you happier than you had ever been, you wanted that feeling for the rest of your life. Though, a week back, you knew you needed to propose. The moment was simple, overly simple probably. 

The two of you had just come back from another mission, you were too tired to really care about anything and went on the bed instantly. You watched Carol talk to others though, you watched how tense she was and how straight her posture was even though it didn’t need to be. For everyone else she was the great Captain Marvel.

The second she came into your shared room, it all melted. She put on the wrong moisturizer and spent half an hour complaining about it while brushing her teeth. Carol put on mismatching sweatpants and your hoodie and fuzzy socks you’d given her and cuddled into you instantly, murmuring sweet nothings into your ear until you fell asleep. 

You stayed awake through all of it though, a soft smile on your face as you gently stroked her knuckles until she fell asleep. Once she did, you turned around to face her, you knew she would have a nightmare after a mission so you stayed awake for it. 

Carol had started to glow in the middle of the night, a nightmare, she had started muttering your name and something along the lines of ‘please don’t go’. You knew this would happen and were about to wake her up when she suddenly reached out for you and spooned you tightly. You had felt her inhale your scent before falling back into a peaceful slumber, leaving you smiling the entire time. 

It was as if even in her subconcsious, she knew you were safe and you loved her. Even though to everyone else she was a superhero, to you she was just Carol Danvers, an almost crazy pilot who loved her with everything she had. 

“Here she comes.” Wanda whispered, breaking you out of your thoughts, you shook your head and got up. 

Carol walked in wearing a light blue t-shirt with black and gold patterns on the side and sleeves, paired with dark blue jeans, black vans which you’d bought for her and your black hoodie tied around her waist with a duffel bag slung over her shoulder as she chatted with the rest of the team. 

“Y/n!” She exclaimed with a grin, running over to you and hugging you tightly, you hugged her back with a nervous grin on your face. She pecked you on the lips quickly and slid a hand around your waist, planning to head to your room. 

“Can we talk outside for a second?” You asked timidly, Carol shrugged and nodded, dropping her bag next to the couch and missing the thumbs up Wanda was giving you. 

The plan was set, you were going outside to propose on the hill you had stargazed with Carol hundreds of times. 

“About that,” Tony commented, clearing his throat. “The hill was burnt from a crash landing when you were on a mission.” You groaned loudly, what the hell were you supposed to do now, nervousness started to get the best of you as you fidgeted with the box through your jean pocket. 

“Talk whatever you need to talk about here.” Wanda suggested with a wink, Carol frowned and turned to you, arms crossed. The entire team stood next to the couches, seemingly knowing what was happening next. You heard Wanda’s voice in your head telling you she had told them already, you scolded her slightly before starting on an improvised speech. 

“OKay this really wasn’t supposed to be this way but,” You began, Carol felt anxiety start to bubble in her chest, she couldn’t help but think you were going to break up with her, she fidgeted with the velvet box in her pocket nervously, thinking it was too late. 

“Carol, I love you with all my heart, you’re the person who I’ve spent some, no, all of my best days with. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” You confessed hurriedly, getting down on one knee, almost banging the knee on the ground. 

“Will you do me the honor, and possible horror,” Everyone laughed, you grinned and looked up at Carol. “Of being my wife?” You opened the box to reveal an intricately done rose gold ring with a gold diamond solitaire in the shape of a teardrop in the center. The band had ‘My Phoenix’ engraved in the center. 

There was a long silence while Carol considered what to do, she had one hand clamped over her mouth to prevent sobs from breaking out as tears slipped down her face in happiness of the situation, but she needed to react. She was a little too stunned too. 

“If not my real wife, at least my pretend wife?” You pleaded jokingly, the entire team laughed their asses off behind you but you could feel your chest starting to constrict out of anxiety, thinking you’d moved too fast and this isn’t what Carol wanted. 

“I can’t believe you beat me to the proposal.” Carol muttered, getting down on one knee and pulling her ring out. It was strikingly similar to yours, but instead of a band it was woven strands of rose gold. 

You could barely hear the entire team cheering for the two of you as a single tear slipped down your cheek. 

“I told you I would.” You answered, your grin matching Carol’s. She rolled her eyes and gave you her left hand for you to put the ring on. You quickly slid it on, letting Carol do the same before tackling her in a hug, tucking your face in the crook of her neck. 

“I swear I thought you were going to break up with me.” Carol confessed, pulling you on top of her as she sat on the couch. 

“I kinda did the opposite.” You joked, looking down at Carol who looked up at you with teary hazel eyes. “I love you Carol Danvers.” You whispered, settled comfortably in her lap. 

“I love you too y/n Danvers.” Carol whispered, forehead touching yours. 

“I think I like the ring of Carol y/l/n better.” You joked before kissing your girlfriend, no, your fiance, Carol grinned but met you halfway for your first kiss as an engaged couple.

A/N: Started this series with like 30 followers, ending it with 330, i feel accomplished, feedback is amazing

Tag list: @capcarolsdanver​, @versdan​, @lesbian-girls-wayhaught​, @lovebotlarson​, @dhengkt​, @5aftermidnight​, @hstoria​, @natasha-danvers​, @veryfunnyal​, let me know if you’d like to be in any of my tag lists!

[pbandjesse]

I’m in maryland! I’m in another hotel though. Another holiday inn express. Because dad has wild brand loyalty. Today was another really long day but I feel good about it. I got dad to stop driving around 11 last night. We found a few hotels but dad insisted on what he knows. Which was fine I just wanted a shower and to go to sleep. And I did sleep really well. And woke up at 7 feeling good. Sore. But good. Dad had stepped out so I just got ready. We had breakfast downstairs. They had a pancake robot. I had some fruit that they had written on. It was nice. The sunrise was also really beautiful. But it was a little cold out. We were in the truck just a few minutes after 8. We were in Ohio. I enjoyed the scenery. I texted Niky to let her know I was in her home state. I mostly poked around on tumbr. I listened to my podcast for most of the ride. I played dj for dad. I almost fell asleep at one point but then we were at the rest stop and I got up. We had pretzel nuggets and called mom. I was tired. But I was having a good time with my dad. We made it to Pennsylvania. I listened to my podcast. I got to the last episode of the campaign. I had been on a huge binge the last 2 days and it’s been a ride. I’ve cried a few times. Which is embaressing but like. Its a comedy podcast!! How dare these characters become so important to me. I have one almost 3 hour episode left. And I’m going to save it until I’m alone because I think Its really going to get me. Pennsylvania was beautiful. Mountains and fields. It was really a nice ride. We stopped in breezewood pa, which I made a post about earlier. It was so strange recognizing something like that. I showed our waitress the post and she seemed to get half a kick out of it. The food at the restaurant was really good. And it was nice hanging out with dad. We only had a couple hours left. And then all of a sudden we were in maryland. And then we were pulling into Baltimore. And then we were at my apartment. We looked around inside and make a half a plan. Dad put the truck up to my back fence. And I went to take a few things inside. Then I come out and a car is trying to get past and he just was stuck between the truck and a pole. And dad was trying to direct him. And that wasn’t working so dad tried to move the truck forward and then all of a sudden the guys mirror gets pushed in. And just a little scratched. It was very upsetting and the guy was mad at first but he’s going to come tomorrow and dad’s going to try to buff it out. It sent me into a bit of an anxiety. I texted Jess and sent her a video and felt a little better. Me and dad are amazing. We started unpacking around 330 and were done by 730. We were beasts. I would fill my grandma cart. He would fill the dolly. I would stay in the apartment and place things. It was great. It was exhausting. But it was great. There were a few goofy things. Dad almost fell down the stairs. My book case fell over in the alley. I thought my taxidermy duck got broken. But it wasn’t and it was all good. But my frozen animals were a little worse for wear. They had defrosted and some of the newer ones had some blood leakage. Which was upsetting but I think fixable. I’ll deal with it later. I tried to put things where they were going to go but it was a little all over the place. So I just tried to keep it neat. Like with like. like. Then it got a little crazy and I had to take a break from getting things in just to sort of reorganize. Took things to the studio. Put so much in the kitchen. But I was able to make a path and that was good. As we were finishing the sun was just going down. Felt really great to accomplish so much. Dad went to move the truck to the front and I locked up the house. As I was sitting on the stoop someone came out from my building with a couch and he clearly needed help. So I offered and he was like “really??” So we carried his couch to his truck. He was moving out of the place. But he had good things to say about it and gave me some tips for the city. A nice guy. I hope everyone I meet is that nice and helpful. Dad pulled up and we were off. We didn’t know where and we kept arguing because dad kept saying to Google hotels and my phone doesn’t know how to look for nearby things and it was a mess. But we found a hotel. And I convinced dad to get delivery pizza so we could just get showers and not have to be out until 10. The pizza came and I went and grabbed us some soda. After I ate I grabbed a shower (and paid some bills that I had been sent to my new place) and washed my hair and now I’m just laying here. I’m super sore. But I’m excited. Tomorrow will be my first night in my new apartment if every thing goes according to plan. Mom is coming down to help and I’m just jazzed. I hope you all sleep well tonight. Big things are coming!

[harshabennur]

Everest Base Camp - A noob's journey

Day 1:

I am sitting on the floor at the chaotic domestic airport at Kathmandu, Nepal. March 4th 2017 was the day I decided to trek to the Everest Base Camp. In hindsight, I have no clue why I decided to do this arduous activity. I am fortunate to have met Jamling Norgay (son of the great Tenzing Norgay) a few times. Jamling motivated me to do this trek when I last met him on March 4th.

Before I say anything further, its best you know that I havent done any form of writing (expect emails!) in a long long time. If memory serves right, the last time I wrote more than a paragraph was during my B school days. So, it will be ideal if you set low standards of writing from this blog!

Also, pardon me if I keep going back to events before I started this trek once in a while. I do not know how tough this trek is going to be, but the prelude to this trek has definitely been a real challenge (I am nursing an injured and severely abused lower back).

I had initially planned to do this trek alone. Maybe some sense prevailed later and here I am with my office buddy Manu, both embarking on something we don't know how well we are prepared for. We landed in Kathmandu yesterday around 3.30 pm. While the immigration is smooth, collecting your baggage is a looong wait. A short 15 minute drive brought us to our stay for the night - Hotel Thamel. A small and clean hotel, ideal for overnight stay. Our guide - Durga ji was waiting for us to complete our paperwork - permit, flight tickets to Lukla, coordinates of the guide at Lukla, his fees, etc. He also gave us 2 massive duffel bags to carry our luggage. Once done, we stepped out to get some essentials - local sim card with 10 GB data :), sleeping bags for rent, hiking sticks and a few knick-knacks.

Strongly recommend the food at Thamel House Restaurant (a short walk from our hotel). A sumptuous dinner and tasting authentic local cuisine - done. This part of the city doesnt seem very crowded. The locals seem very friendly and speak Hindi decently well.

Durga ji had given strict instructions that we could pack a maximum of 10 kilos each in our duffel bag which would be carried by our guide/porter. This turned out to be a serious challenge. Despite being extremely choosy about what we packed in our luggage, it was impossible to fit in all essentials within the given weight restriction. It took us a few visits to the hotel reception where the weighing scale was located and removing more gear (some really essential) to bring down the weight to 10 kilos. I am really worried about leaving out few critical peices of clothing - have left behind 2 warm tees, one thermal inner lining and a pair of hiking shorts. We ended up not carrying many other important things - the long range lens of my DSLR camera, the camera bag which now leaves the camera vulnerable to damages, sports shoes for post hike moving around, etc. Not to mention, we left behind most part of the chocolates, energy bars and snacks we were carrying to make our journey more bearable. This task left Manu and me really frustrated.

Before I continue, our flight has been delayed due to bad weather in Lukla. I had read about Lukla's unpredictable weather, but was hoping we would be lucky. The operator - Tara Air/Yeti Airlines says there is a possibility of cancelling all flights to Lukla today. Obviously, this is not great news, leaving us helpless. Praying to the weather gods to give us a half hour clear window to make it to Lukla today.

Update:

Unfortunately, our flight to Lukla got cancelled after multiple reschedules. The low hanging clouds at Lukla made it impossible for planes to land on the short landing strip. Frustrated, we left the departure zone back to the check-in counter and received tickets for next day flight departing at 12.30 pm. This wasn’t encouraging because the locals say that the best time to leave for Lukla is early morning, post which the place gets heavy cloud cover. We headed back to the hotel and checked in for another day. Manu decided to take a separate room not able to sleep owing to my snoring! (our guide had put us on twin sharing). 

With nothing much to do, we decided to take a stroll around the city. Unfortunately, the entire city was shut due to Dussehra festival and the place resembled a ghost town. Durga ji called us in the evening suggesting we take a helicopter to Lukla. This meant that our existing plane tickets would go waste. Manu and I pondered for a short while and decided to take the chopper. We didn’t want to risk losing another day because our return date to India was not flexible. We had to head out at 5.30 am for an early morning helicopter ride. Thankfully, we didn’t have any preparation to do since we were already packed and ready. Another Nepali cuisine dinner brought an end to the day. After having 3 meals of the local cuisine, I am convinced that their food is generally very pleasant, tasty, largely non spicy. 

Day 2:

We arrived at the airport by 6 am and Durga ji’s friend there whisked us past the long queues at entry, check in, etc and parked us at the office of a heli operator. After a short wait and some paperwork, we driven to a far corner of the airport where many helicopters were parked. Some more paperwork and few safety instructions, and we were taken to the chopper. Both of us were fairly excited since it was the first time for us in a helicopter. It was a great experience to get a bird’s eye view of the beautiful work of mother nature. Sitting next to the pilot, I got a crash course on how to fly a a helicopter. The pilot even allowed me to get a feel of the cyclic (the joystick which acts as the rudder). Good fun! We got a radio message saying Lukla had heavy cloud cover. We were forced to land little lower at Surke and after a wait for about half an hour, the clouds cleared enough for the heli to take us to Lukla. 

Our porter and guide - Phuri Sherpa was there to meet us. After pleasantries and a quick breakfast, we started on our trek from Lukla to our destination for the day - Phakding. The trek to Phakding is not the typical trek we expected. Phakding being at a lower elevation than Lukla, most of our trek was downhill. Barring few steep inclines, we kept going downhill most of our trek. Walking downhill is heavy on knees. Manu developed a small niggle in his left knee, hopefully he should be fine by tomorrow. The trek was extremely scenic with the river Dudh Koshi accompanying us all along. Couple of long steel bridges and buddhist temples make for some interesting sights. 

A 4 hour trek brought us to Phakding. Our guide recommended a guest house which overlooked the river. The rooms are tiny, basic but clean. We were tired after trudging along the rocky downhill path. 

Both of us decided to do some stretches to relax our muscles. I was particularly concerned about my back. The last 2 days before flying into Nepal were hectic owing to official travel and last minute packing. I had slept for a total of 4-5 hours over two days. While the rest of me was able to function fine, my lower back kept giving signals that it was tired. 

I should mention that I suffered from a slipped disc three years ago. This lower back injury brought most physical activities to a screeching halt. My motorcycle riding, weekend sports, gym, etc had to be put aside. While yoga, physiotherapy and adequate rest did improve the condition of my lower back for a while, I have been guilty of not being persistent in my efforts. From a guy who could squat 330 pounds to struggle to bend down to pick up a pencil, it has been a tough ride. To cut a long story short, it has been a miserable 3 years from a fitness point of view. People who have suffered from lower back injuries will know that the injury affects your mind as much as your body. 

Coming back, we walked around the village after another tasty Nepali lunch. It is a village of approximately 50 buildings, most of them being guest houses for trekkers like us. The people from Lukla onwards look very different from those in Kathmandu, People here resemble the Tibetians. The kids here are like extremely cute and are like mountain goats. You can see toddlers running on the rocky path faster than us. A siesta and bowl of garlic vegetable soup for supper brings our day to an early end. Manu is keen to have a long sleep and is not impressed with me going typity-type on my laptop. Will try to add few photos here and call it a night. 

[keywestlou]

AS YE SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP

The Bible tells us the way things are. It speaks as to the consequences of bad deeds. Do bad and bad will come back at you. St. Paul’s epistle to the Galatians, Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

Future consequences are inevitably shaped by present actions. We all pay for our sins.

Trump has a big misdeed to pay for. He should pay every day of his life.

I refer specifically to the father and daughter who drowned recently in the Rio Grande. A photo of their bodies is everywhere.

Father, mother and daughter left El Salvador for the United States. The daughter 23 months old.

The family waited 2 months in a migrant camp in Matamoros. The temperature hit 113 degrees some days.

The family had received a humanitarian visa from the Mexican government. They could not enter the U.S. however. The ports of entry were too crowded.

They were desperate to get to the U.S.

The father swam across the Rio Grande carrying his daughter. He reached the American side. Placed his daughter on the bank. Admonished her to stay there.

He then turned and began swimming back to the Mexican side to retrieve his wife. His daughter went into the water to follow him.

He got to her in time to save her. However the current was too strong. Both died. Their bodies washed up on the Mexican side of the Rio Grande.

The photo mentioned was taken of them. Both lying face down in the murky water. Beer bottles and reeds about them.

The saddest part of the photo: The little girl had her bare arm around her father’s shoulders…..It’s ok Dad.

The little girl and her father died because of events Trump had put in place. Some not even legal. All in his effort to keep asylum seekers out of the U.S.

A fitting punishment would be for the photo to be enlarged and hung in the President’s bedroom. Opposite his bed. So every time he looked up, he would be reminded.

I am not sure it would bother him.

Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou last night. Unfortunately most topics involved Trump. He has taken over our lives.

I was able to cover Hezbollah, Archduke Ferdinand, Saudi Arabia on U.S.’s blacklist for human trafficking, Nicholas Kristof’s column on child malnutrition, Trump imposing additional sanctions on Iran, the sunday ICE raid that never took place, the detention center were 330 migrant children were maltreated, and several thousand American soldiers still at the border wall with nothing to do who were painting the border fences.

The half hour went by swiftly.

A Key Wester died on Higgs Beach.

It was mid-afternoon monday. A woman went on the beach. Saw a man lying on a towel snoring. She took some sun several feet away. Suddenly dawned on her he was no longer snoring. She thought nothing of it.

A little later she walked over to him. She was concerned he was in the sun too long and might burn.

The man Jerry Earl Hickerson. He appeared dead. She and several others gave him CPR. To no avail.

I wrote yesterday about Julius Stone, the WPA, and Key West. I forgot to mention that Diana Millikan wrote about Stone and the Pirates of Penzance. She wrote a play. Took her a year. It presently sits on a Key West director’s chair with many others. He has to read it and decide if it is worthy of producing.

I hope it is. Diana worked hard on it. She is a talented woman. It has to be good!

First Democratic debate tonight. At 9. Can’t wait. Love politics!

The Clint, Texas migrant children detention center. in the news big time the past few days. Properly so. Things were in a disaster state. As a result, 300 of the 330 children were moved yesterday to another detention center.

My concern: One hundred of them were returned in the afternoon.

Why?

The House worked late into the night. Fine tuning for the border bill to sufficient monies for Clint and other detention centers. Trump claimed he had no money to properly provide for the children. A lie. He could have taken from one account and loaned it to the detention centers account. He has done it for many things already. Like the wall, troops, etc .

The bill totals $4.5 billion.

It is different from the Senate’s bill. Means the bills go to a conference committee for resolution.

Trump says he will not sign it. The House bill only covers humanitarian needs. It strictly prohibits use of the money for ICE raids or the border wall. It is for toothbrushes, food, blankets, medical attention, etc.

Everyone better move their asses. Congress gores home shortly for the July 4th holiday. Trump probably to Mar a Lago. If so, their attitude will have been the children can suffer a bit longer.

James Bond. 007.

A new Bond movie being filmed. Bond 25. A new fresh Bond younger obviously than those of yesteryear.

It was announced yesterday that Mueller had agreed to honor the subpoenas served him and appear before 2 House Committees on July 17.

I worry about Mueller. I was all excited he was investigating Russia and Trump. A top quality man from what I understood.

His report grossly disappointed me. He did not take a final position re Trump’s involvement. Which placed the Russia/Trump issues in limbo.

I fear he may not do on the 17th what he should have done in his 400 plus page Report.

If so, it will only make matters worse.

Enjoy your day!

        AS YE SOW, SO SHALL YOU REAP was originally published on Key West Lou

[reviewape-blog]

Boer Goat Profits Guide - Learn How to Start a Boer Goat Farm - Boer Goat Profits Guide

https://www.reviewape.com/?p=21962 Boer Goat Profits Guide - Learn How to Start a Boer Goat Farm - Boer Goat Profits Guide - Product Name: Boer Goat Profits Guide – Learn How to Start a Boer Goat Farm – Boer Goat Profits Guide Click here to get Boer Goat Profits Guide – Learn How to Start a Boer Goat Farm – Boer Goat Profits Guide at discounted price while it’s still available… All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Boer Goat Profits Guide – Learn How to Start a Boer Goat Farm – Boer Goat Profits Guide is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked. Description: Did you know that demand for goat meat has increased by 330% from 2013, and is expected to steadily increase in the years to come?Did you also know that the price of goat meat in the United States (and Canada, the U.K., and Australia) is high because there’s a serious LACK OF SUPPLY?It’s a fact: demand for goat meat is increasing substantially every year, but there aren’t enough farmers raising meat goats! You’d never think the Boer goat business could be that big of an industry, could you?Hi, my name is Marc MacDonald, but you can just call me “The Boer Goat Guy “. I started researching Boer goats as a profitable farming opportunity 3 years ago, and haven’t looked back. Over the past few years I’ve amassed a lot of knowledge on what it takes to quickly scale up a Boer goat operation – knowledge that comes from interviewing successful Boer goat farmers from across the United States. If you’re looking to expand your farm into the industry of the future, you’ve come to the right place. The Boer goat industry is…. Only if you like all of the many added benefits of raising Boers: Many of my friends ask me, “Why is demand for Boer goat meat increasing so quickly?” Here are just three of the biggest reasons: The population of Hispanics and Asians in the United States is skyrocketing…and Hispanics and Asians prefer goat meat to any other kind of meat. As the population of these groups increases in size, so will the demand for goat meat! Goat meat is healthier than other kinds of meat (it’s a fact that goat has less fat than other kinds of meat. As more people turn to healthier diets, demand for goat meat will only increase further. And Boers are known to have the leanest, best meat among all goat breeds! Now, I know you’re aware of the HUGE opportunity that Boer goats represent today. Boers represent the FUTURE of massive livestock profits. The question is: why haven’t you taken action to start your own Boer goat operation? Don’t tell me – I know the answer (because I’ve been there!) ​​​​​Nobody likes to “risk the farm” (ever wonder where that saying comes from?). We all want to be smart. We all want to get into a business at the right time, at the right place, and with the right information. After all, who wants to lose money and time if they don’t need to? Not to mention have a WHOLE LOT of unnecessary stress! There’s nothing worse than trying to learn about a new industry and finding a lot of useless information on the Internet. (Don’t get me wrong. I appreciate all of those “history of the Boer goat” websites. But we’re in this to make money and provide for our families, right? Skip the fluff and show me the money!) Now, you’ve probably already done a lot of research online. That’s the easy part. The hard part is getting specific information about what it’s really like to raise Boer goats and run a Boer goat operation for profit! Sure, there’s a lot of general information out there … but you’ve already seen all of that. Without the real business facts, you won’t get past reading about the origins of Boer goats and all that nice stuff all over again. And where does that leave you? Right at the beginning with your most important questions about raising Boer goats for profit and getting started in the business – still left unanswered. Listen, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that visiting at least a half dozen Boer goat farms is the right thing to do if you’re serious about making a go of the Boer goat business. When I first heard of Boer goats, I had my own personal set of questions too. I wondered … how do I know what I really should be asking? How can I be sure to cover all the bases? How do I learn what other people are having a hard time finding about Boer goat farming information? Since I’d never raised Boer Goats – I really wanted to get some objective answers about whether I would be able to do this. That’s when I started asking other farmers what questions THEY had about raising Boer goats for profit. I asked other farmers what they were looking for, what they were having the hardest time getting answers to, and how serious they were about Boer goats. Then I spent months researching the answers to those questions and writing about it in a Special Report for the BOER GOAT PROFITS GUIDE POWER PACK. Then I located SIX “real life”, successful breeders (and a professor of Boer goat husbandry at North Carolina State University) who had years of experience in Boer goats, and I interviewed them. They gave me detailed answers to my questions! So what I’m saying is, you can discover and learn from the answers to the hundreds of questions I asked during my research. And better yet, you get expert answers from real life successful Boer goat breeders who have been raising their herd for profit. As you might expect, all the standard questions were thoroughly covered (Boer goat care, breeding, health & veterinary issues, land, fencing, shelter, etc.) If you want to take advantage of the EXPLOSIVE GROWTH in demand for Boer goats… And if you’d like to seriously consider raising these cute and charming creatures… Then you’re just moments away from discovering seven experts that will share with you their own personal secrets of Boer goat farming business success. They’ll tell you where the money is, and where it is not. You’ve probably spent hours looking for this kind of information online. You can try, but you just won’t find these personal secrets anywhere else.Just like sitting across from each expert and talking with them over a cup of coffee, you will feel quite at home as they share with you the answers you’ve been wanting to know to questions such as… The answers to all of these questions and more are yours to discover. The Boer Goat Profits Guide Power Pack is just jam-packed full of practical and potentially very profitable information. I grilled the experts for the answers to the most pressing questions and concerns faced by Boer goat interested people like you. Like most people in the Boer goat community, they want to help you succeed. As you’ll soon find out, this industry thrives on learning from one another … it’s filled with many good hearted people who want to get you successfully involved with a prosperous, fulfilling Boer goat business! And yet there’s still more… That’s because along with these interviews you also get a 56 Page Special Quick Start Guide to get you up and to speed about how to run a successful Boer goat farm in as short a time as possible! What about the other expert? Well…he is a world-renowned expert in Boer goats who works at North Carolina State University in the Crop Science Department. (He shares his breeding secrets to get the healthiest and most productive bucks and does… year after year.) All In All, This Is a Tremendous Collection of New Interviews, Not Available Anywhere Else Now You Really Can Get Solid Answers To Your Most Pressing Questions About Earning A Full Time Income With Boer Goats, Without Driving from Farm to Farm, Or Even Leaving Home! So How Much Is “Knowing How To Run A Really Successful and Profitable Boer Goat Farm Worth To You?” Second, you get access to the insider’s world of the Boer goat farming business at a bargain price because you won’t have to invest a tremendous amount of time, money, and effort to… Think about the amount of time, energy, and money you’d have to spend to do all this. The truth is … to do all this yourself just wouldn’t be anywhere near practical at this low price. But for less than the cost of a goat leather jacket, you actually get years worth of experience that can only come from experienced Boer goat breeders. You get an inside look at the Boer goat farming lifestyle. You get the real story behind this money-making investment. You have more in common with them than you think! Just imagine discovering the answers to all of the above, as real life Boer goat breeders reveal to you their own personal insights and secrets about the Boer goat farming business – all from the comfort of your own home. The interviews are conducted in an easy laid back manner – almost like talking with them personally over coffee at your house. Here’s why I am temporarily reducing the price during this limited introductory period. You see, because Boer goat people are generally “down home”, earthy types, I didn’t want to force them to come to a multi-million dollar sound studio for the interviews. I wanted them to feel very comfortable, so they would ‘open up’ (especially about the financial issues… which can be hard to get breeders to talk about). I also knew that you’d benefit most by listening to the most knowledgeable and passionate breeders … not those who just happened to be willing to come into the studio. So all the interviews were done on the phone with a simple, non-intimidating, inexpensive recording device. So while the content of the interviews is phenomenal, the recording quality is somewhat less than crystal clear. (In some spots, you’ll have to listen closely, but you can definitely understand what’s being said). I guess what I’m saying is… if you’re looking for Hollywood style recordings in full stereo, this is the wrong place to be. My first priority was to provide quality information at the most cost-effective price for my customers. Now, after we sell enough of this version (when these experts have seen some results from this project), I should be able to convince them to re-do the interviews in a sound studio. At that time, I’ll charge a much more respectable price. But in the meantime, it seemed only fair to give you this price reduction. Plus, at this lower price, I was able to obtain two incredible bonuses for you which almost makes your purchase free! Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is the timeless and classic blueprint for success. It’s required reading for any farmer who wants to break out of their “poverty mentality”, and grow their farming operation.To write Think and Grow Rich, Napoleon Hill spent over 20 years interviewing 500 of the world’s most successful people. He exposed what makes successful people tick and describes a formula for success that can be adapted and used by anyone who is ready to change their way of thinking! Hailing from small vegetable farms, cattle ranches and grain farms covering thousands of acres, the producers in The New American Farmer have embraced new approaches to agriculture. They are renewing profits, enhancing environmental stewardship, and improving the lives of their families as well as their communities.In this 200 page e-book you will read case studies of 73 successful farmers across the United States whose achievements will inspire you!These essential e-books are FREE for a limited time with the Boer Goat Profits Guide Power Pack! Update: LIMITED quantities ​Now, because I know that the Boer goat farming information in the Boer Goat Profits Guide Power Pack will help you tremendously in your Boer goat business, … because I know how important it is for you to have this well-researched, quality information on hand if you really want to earn substantial profits in this industry … and because I want you to feel completely safe and secure with anything this vital to your future, I’m guaranteeing the quality of the information provided to you with my personal… That means you get two months to listen and learn from real Boer goat farmers/ranchers sharing their own personal success secrets.So if, for any reason after soaking up their wisdom, insights and strategies, you feel you haven’t heard practical, usable information about how Boer goat breeders generate full time incomes … or if you just plain feel you didn’t get what you paid for or you are unhappy for any reason, simply return the Boer Goat Profits Guide Power Pack to me and I will refund every penny of your purchase price guaranteed – and we part as friends. So don’t delay, own your Power Pack right now, while it’s fresh in your mind. I want to hear for myself how every day people (without any previous Boer goat experience) can earn a full-time income in the Boer goat industry. I get to listen to and learn from the personal insights and strategies of successful Boer goat breeders. I want to know what it’s really like to raise Boer goats day in and day out! Plus! I get the opportunity to live through the eyes of six real live successful Boer goat ranchers (and a top Boer goat professor) as they share with me in over 10 hours of audio interviews conducted by a professional agricultural journalist: Along with so much more just waiting for me to discover!Double Plus! I also get the unique opportunity to delve into the financial details of the Boer goat farming business: And this is clearly not all, just a sample of what I can expect! Together that’s a total of 10 hours of informative audio I have access to whenever I need to learn more about the Boer goat farming business. AND I also get a 56 Page Quick Start Manual on the wonderful world of Boer goats to get me up to speed with their background history and care. Instead of researching that online, I have it as a handy quick-read reference I can pull off my shelf at any time. AND for a limited time, I can also get two valuable FREE bonuses that will help me develop a “success mentality” and learn from high-achieving farmers across the United States. And what’s even better is that you’re protecting my purchase today with your… © 2019 ACME Inc | Disclaimer Click here to get Boer Goat Profits Guide – Learn How to Start a Boer Goat Farm – Boer Goat Profits Guide at discounted price while it’s still available… All orders are protected by SSL encryption – the highest industry standard for online security from trusted vendors. Boer Goat Profits Guide – Learn How to Start a Boer Goat Farm – Boer Goat Profits Guide is backed with a 60 Day No Questions Asked Money Back Guarantee. If within the first 60 days of receipt you are not satisfied with Wake Up Lean™, you can request a refund by sending an email to the address given inside the product and we will immediately refund your entire purchase price, with no questions asked. - ReviewApe - https://www.reviewape.com/?p=21962

[boloorsportsmania]

#632 A tribute to a very special person who is turning 75 today  ...Our very own Man of Steel..Titanium Star Radhakrishna Rao...:-)

Till 1992, we always thought that Radhakrishna Rao ( my dad) was born on 25-Dec-1943. Even dad had the feeling that this was his birth date as it was in all his records. My grandfather had a family book where DOB of all Boloorians were kept as record. We all of a sudden realized in 1992 that he was born on 29-Oct-1943. He was a Scorpion like mom. Mom was born on 31-Oct-1950. We saw it as 2 days difference between their birthdays. Dad had another jovial angle to describe it. He used to say mom was born 2 years after independence. He had a wicked sense of humor sometimes!!

Today that great man is turning 75 !! Time has flown too fast for this Bsc Maths rank holder, engineering student in prestigious IIsc , retired AGM of VISL (a subsidiary of SAIL) , stocks champion, “Can talk on any topic !!“  master, a thorough gentlemen , a self-proclaimed YOGA guru and sweet-loving guy. By sweet loving, I really meant sweets. He can’t live a day without eating a sweet which he totally adores !!. He might still manage to live without sweets but don’t think he can without yoga and stocks study. He has been investing in stocks since 1981 (if I am not wrong !! ) . He never shows his excitement or anger when stocks jump or dips !!. Probably his body language gives an indication. Just for the love of stocks, he learnt to use Microsoft XLS at the age of 60, tablet at the age of 72 , laptop at the age of 74 and even boasts a google finance account which he monitors through his mobile (bought a smart phone just for this !!).  His past time always goes in calculating capital gains and analyzing what stocks or MF to buy !! . I am completely opposite to him. I do like finance but not to the extent this freak does !! (I do call him freak sometimes). Once newspaper comes in the morning,  he detaches the sports edition and hands over to me.  He calls me an Urdu sports freak sometimes!!!  In all newspaper, sports edition is there in last few pages.  I always read the newspaper from last page to first. So the name Urdu Sports freak !!

It’s impossible to list down moments with dad which I cherished as there are so many.  One of the most memorable one was the day Seema won 2nd prize in Hindi debate (2nd in entire Karnataka) . He was so happy that day that his eyes was glowing.  He was immensely proud. Each time Seema would win a competition ( I felt she was born talented. She would win most competitions, was a charm in plays and was always topper in studies. It was a deadly combo and I always felt she was a magician), dad looked very happy proud.  Her multi talent is evident in her career too. She was a BSC Zoology student, worked in IMRB for IA Flying returns and now running a host of sessions on story telling very successfully. That’s as varied set of talent a human can get.  Seema was always dad’s pet due to this rare talent. He would proudly tell about her deeds to his friends. I was a kid who was born other side of planet probably. I hardly won any events, was an above average student (thanks to mom for that!! ) and was a sports fanatic. I owe my passion for sports partly to dad’s interests as well. 2 instances was the real trigger for that.

1982 Asian games and 1983 world cup were 2 key calendar years for India. Dad had literally got TV imported from north India just to watch these events (at least I always felt that he bought TV for these events !! ). It looked like a magic box for me. None of our neighbors had TV . Even our rich landlord was watching our TV. How cool was that !!  1982 Asian games was held in India for the first time. It was a grand spectacle. Best was 1983 world cup which India won as underdogs. Host of dad’s cousins had come from native to watch the finals. Our house was small . TV was kept in hall. There was a huge window which was opened to allow neighbors to watch TV. Atleast 30-40 people watched the finals. Snacks would come from all the houses. I just can’t imagine watching a match like that in current generation.  Crackers was burst across Bangalore when India won the finals. I was all but 6 by then. That day was the first instance which triggered the sports madness in me. Post that I got bat and ball from dad.  

2nd instance which triggered another nerve of sports madness in me was when I first watched tennis.  It was era of Martina and Mconroe. I hardly knew a thing about tennis. It was dad who taught me on how points worked in tennis. In mid 80s, only Wimbledon was telecasted in DD post SF matches. We used to wait for that weekend with eagerness. The first finals which I saw was Martina vs Evert. Martina won the match after losing her first set. It was her 6th Wimbledon title and 12th slam overall. In men’s tennis, a new 17 year old kid had made great stride to reach finals where he faced Kevin Curren. It was a tight 4 setter but Becker won in 4 sets. It was amazing to see him serve with so much power, dive around the net with ease and play with such soft and silk touch around the nets. He was named BOOM BOOM Becker after this win !! He was in all sports headlines that week.

If people blame me for being crazy for sports, dad had a great hand in that!! In mid 90s, when I started watching golf, he started staring me with a look “ Its game for retired people!!..Why are you watching it?? “ . Moving on, other than sports he has inspired me in a lot of other things. Money management, time management and health focus being key of them. I can’t recall a phase in his career when he had a tummy which is crazy. Half my life, I have stared at my tummy when I bend my head down !!! He never visited a gym but ensured he walks, jogs or does yoga throughout his life. He had slip disc when he was in mid-40s but that didn’t stop him from exercising. He couldn’t jog anymore. So he did loads of walking and yoga. He was so addicted to walking that he once walked at 330 AM in the morning thinking it is 530 AM. His alarm had rung 2 hours early. He reached home asking why sun was not rising !!. Mom gave him a stare and told that it was not even 430 AM !!  

In Pre TV era, all he made us do was walking which we sorely miss in today’s life. After dinner, we would walk for 30 min , chat all along and then come back home and sleep.  Gone are those days !! My son Shreyas can’t believe we lived such a life !! Another thing which I owe to dad is love for food. Irrespective of how the situation of his purse was, he ensured that he took us out for dinner in regular intervals. In mid 80s, when we were in Bhadravathi, a new restaurant had started which served North Indian food. It was first of its kind in the small town of Bhadravathi. We made regular visit there. Eating Manchurians, naan and various sabji was just a treat to my tummy. I have always been a fast eater. It helped me immensely when I visited hotel with my parents.  Once I finished my share of food, dad and mom would some share of theirs too to my plate !!. The era of fast-eating-by-Mr-Sandeep has not stopped since then. I enjoy eating fast now and just can’t eat or drink anything slowly !! The secret behind that is revealed now !!.

Dad’s work ethics is 2nd to none. Since he has got retired, he virtually plans what work he needs to do each day. His usual work starts with a watch of NASDAQ stock numbers before 8 AM. That gives an idea of how Indian markets would fare. He would then walk along to Geojit office to get some analysis of some stocks. He does further study of that stocks fare over a period of time. Based on the analysis, he does day trading of few stocks here and there. It is not the amount of stocks sold or bought that counts but the process. One can do for 1 day or at the max for 50 days. But has done this for 90% of the days since 2001 (when he moved to Bangalore post retirement). That’s some discipline.  If I am able to achieve even 50% of the discipline which he has, I would pat my back.

Even 7.5 years is not enough to write about “Man of Steel “ Dad. For now, I need to logically end this blog which is a tribute for his 75th birthday. Titan like Mr Radhakrishna Rao deserves a great Titanium anniversary. Hope this blog bring him an inch of happiness which would make my day. Having said that, mom is turning 69 two days later as well. A year later, another blog would be presented. For now, Happy Diwali and keep reading #BOLOORSPORTSMANIA like you have till now!! Cheers !!

[ozsaill]

Awesome Ted: the best of cruiser culture

Friendly, supportive, egalitarian. The cruising community has a subculture all its own: we tend to know each other faster and deeper. Cruising really is all about the people you meet, and this culture is a big part of the reason why. There are standouts, like our friends Ted and Claudia pictured above, and their cool kids Max and Anya. They live aboard Demeter in Tortola. Right, Tortola, one of the islands that took a whack this hurricane season! We’re thinking of them especially today because it’s Claudia’s birthday. Read on for their story and the aftermath,  for a peek into the best of cruising culture as modeled by Ted, and raise your virtual glass with me to wish Claudia a happy birthday. Our crew can’t wait till the day we get to share an anchorage with the Demeter again.

In the waning days of August, a band of volatile weather pushed away from Africa. Storm seeds fertilized by warm Atlantic water. Organic projectile, growing violent. To the west 2,600 miles, Totem was anchored by Dominica, an island nation in the Lesser Antilles. These are the eastern islands of the Caribbean, which coincidentally, the bullseye that organic projectiles… That hurricanes, meander to. Nomadic Totem, paused at the crossroads fight and flight, was soon underway. Most people living ON the target, don’t have a choice.

To the north, all mud and crab pots, it’s a wonder that boating’s even possible in Chesapeake Bay. Yet, the bay’s natural beauty and just enough water to fly over, cultivates many a keen-eyed sailor. Running afoul of the bottom or a pot line, is a minor distraction. Bug splat on a car window. It’s Chesapeake’s picturesque creeks and lush, craggy edges with whispering ghosts that draw out sailor’s wanderlust, and sends them over the horizon.

Sailor Ted is from the Chesapeake Bay. With his wife, awesome Claudia and their two children, they sailed south to the tropics. Their home is a Wauquiez Amphitrite 43 named Demeter, for the Greek goddess of harvest and agriculture. After Caribbean cruising for a while the family paused in Nanny Cay, Tortola, British Virgin Islands (BVI). Could there be a better place than this past pirate paradise to replenish the family treasure?

Demeter’s sistership, Ganesh, has been anchored near Totem for most of our stay in Grenada

Tortola is just ten miles long, by three and a half wide, but it’s a powerhouse of boating activities. A charter captain, another paused cruiser living aboard, told us that The Moorings fleet alone has over 1000 boats. Add to that other charter companies and cruisers that flock there, and there is a whole lot of boating going on! To support this there is a correspondingly big marine infrastructure of marinas, chandlers, yacht brokers, surveyors, yacht management services and all manner of boat shops. Tortola is a modern-day version of Nantucket, during the time of whalers. Our Chesapeake sailor friend, talented Ted, was soon managing the Yamaha and AB Inflatables dealership.

Sundowners on the north coast of Tortola- Jamie, Max, Claudia, Ted

Sixteen days before Irma became a named storm, Totem arrived in Tortola. Hurricane Gert was at category 2 strength and forecast to be a close but safe pass by the BVIs. Forecast is not fact. Generous Ted offered his marina slip to Totem as Demeter was hauled out. Handyman Ted recently finished removing the old teak deck, so Demeter was out for a topsides paint job. Passing three hundred miles south, and no concern for Tortola was tropical depression Harvey, on the way to powerful right hook into Texas.

From Demeter’s slip, we watched Gert slip past with barely any bluster. Totem and Demeter kids were fast friends; there were sleepovers. Facilitator Ted organized sailboat racing in modified J24s. Behan and I crewed and the kids did race committee. Tour guide Ted drove us around the island, showing us favorite spots. Adventure Ted took us out in his fast RIB, named Hades, to snorkel nearby islands. Salesman Ted helped us buy a new dinghy. And when salesman Ted stepped out, generous Ted wouldn’t take payment to let his shop mechanic service our sputtering outboard. Spectator Ted joined us to observe the solar eclipse using our sextant. Social Ted introduced us to yachty-types hanging around off-season. Near as we could tell, Ted knew everyone in Tortola.

Demeter kids with the Totem girls, eclipse-spotting at Nanny Cay

Being nomadic means saying goodbye. BVI was beautiful and fun, but we were late to get away from hurricane alley. Hours before departure, and Gert safely past, two guys showed up to clean Totem’s bottom. I said they had the wrong boat. “No”, they said, Claudia and over-the-top Ted were giving us a going away gift. Land people probably don’t get this, but there is nothing more endearing to fellow sailors than the gift of a clean bottom.

Broadcaster Ted, shared storm forecasts from sources that we didn’t know about. Over a few days and 330 miles, Totem hopped to Guadeloupe, Dominica, and Martinique. Back in Tortola, work on Demeter finished up. She was launched and secured back in her slip. At this time, a spark captured the attention of Chesapeake Ted, Totem’s crew, the charter captains, baguette bakers, and just about everyone in the northern Caribbean. Named storm Irma became a category 3 hurricane overnight. Angry Irma was aiming at likeable Ted and his many friends.

Demeter with the family aboard. thanks Laury Marshall Parramore for the photo!

Later, when Irma was past the Caribbean on the way to Florida, many Floridians were issued a mandatory evacuation. Flight. As Irma approached the Caribbean, there was but one option – stay and fight. Thousands across the islands began preparing. Responsible Ted prepared his family, his home, and his workplace.

Preparing for a regular, normal, typical hurricane is work, and play. Removing sails and biminis or boarding up windows is physical effort with a due-by date. There’s no time to dawdle. Seeing neighbors going through the same efforts, brings comradery and excitement. Preparing for Irma, approaching as a category 5 hurricane with massive diameter, was not normal.

Irma’s winds sustained at 185 mph, with higher gusts. Forecasts suggested Martinique could get storm force winds to 50 knots. We wanted less, so had an easy sail a little further south to St Lucia. Tired Ted and everyone else up north was working to procure food and water; to secure their possessions. Rigger Ted posted pictures of Demeter being prepared with lines spider webbed to the dock, anchors set, and extra fenders in place. Everyone with a boat in a hurricane knows that your boat is only as safe as the least prepared boat in the bay. One breakaway can take out ten boats in its path. Exhausted Ted posted that they’d done everything they could to prepare. Messages of support and encouragement came pouring in. Fatty Goodlander in Grenada, and the fine people from ‘On The Wind’ Podcast in Sweden, and other sailors in far corners of the world wished hopeful Ted and Claudia the best of luck. Popular Ted didn’t just know everyone in Tortola, he knows everyone.

The world seems a pretty big place from the deck of a sailboat. You can’t even see to the other side! Knowing Irma was going to hurt conjured up a collective presence. People cared. The world shrank. Just before midnight on September 5th, Irma blasted the tiny island of Barbuda.

We were riveted to watching weather station reporting real-time winds. 100 knots. 130 knots. Silence… One by one, the stations went offline. Overhead, grey sky and clouds moving northeast towards monster Irma; a local guy whistled and said, “when clouds goin dat way, gonna to be a big storm mon.” We knew Irma’s wrath was in full spin. Prudent Ted and family were in a safe place on shore. Demeter was on her own. Totem, in St. Lucia, had maximum sustained winds of 15 knots, with a peak gust to 29.  We had options. We are so lucky to have options.

Maybe you’ve seen photos trickling out from Irma’s Caribbean rage. The one of Paraquita Bay, a “hurricane hole” we passed two weeks before, with a fleet of shiny white boats crushed and flipped on top of each other. The one of Nanny Cay: boats and docks, smashed. News was slow to emerge. Snippets only. Devastation to property, people, and nature. What of the friends and people that touched us? What of battered Ted and his family? A boat I evaluated a few weeks prior for a perspective buyer was sunk. The charter captain that sized up the Moorings fleet, lost his boat. What little news there was, was bad.

It’s now eight days later.* Communication, like food, water, and safety is tenuous in Tortola. Worse still in St. Martin, were people are desperate and some violent. The entire population of Barbuda was evacuated. The news cycle that is so influential to our beliefs, has moved on. There’s another story, somewhere else. The world is no longer small. That moment passed, again.

Survivor Ted and family made it. I have a slow speed text exchange going on with reporter Ted. I ask a question, the next day a few sentences come back. Manager Ted became safety Ted, now as head of security for the marina complex. “Are you safe Ted”, I messaged? Texting Ted replied this morning with, “Yes, lots of evac[uations] happening. With Royal marines and Marshall Law, things are pretty stable”. Reality Ted went on to say that the schools are destroyed. He and Claudia will get the kids to the US, to family by the Chesapeake Bay, and back in school.

Hauling out after the hurricanes – scratched but unbroken. Ted Reshetiloff photo

Among all that was lost, Demeter was found with only superficial damage. The new paint work is unblemished.

Claudia and reconstruction Ted will stay in Nanny Cay, to help make their community right again. Irma is a painful memory. More volatile weather is crossing the Atlantic. Totem is safely in Grenada. Resolute Ted is on the job.

BVIs coming BACK FAST! Ted took this picture just a few days ago. This season is ON!

*Jamie wrote this in September; it ran in the October issue of 48 North, the boating magazine of our home waters in the Pacific Northwest that tolerates our cruiser ramblings. Totem is northbound toward St Vincent & the Grenadines next week, hurricane season waning and our time in the Caribbean beginning to count down before next years return to the Pacific.

from Sailing Totem http://ift.tt/2gYy1zC via IFTTT

[carolinesgrandadventure]

Everything is going great! | culture shocked

That is a big, fat lie.

This post is long overdue. In which I talk about what’s been happening these past two weeks in Vietnam and try not to lose my mind retyping x3 a post that I accidentally deleted x3 because I’m working on my phone and the Tumblr app is very glitchy. 

A guide because this post is so long: Basics covers my homestay famiy and daily schedule. The City covers my thoughts on Hanoi. Challenges describes my misfortunes of travel and lessons learned.

Disclaimer: This post might seem a little over-dramatic. Let’s begin.

Basics

I share a homestay with one roommate, Frankie. My host family is friendly, comprising of a professor father, accountant mother, a 13-year-old host sister (our main translator), and a 10-year-old host brother. We live in a 5-story tube house in an back alleyway of a network of alleyways. It is so tucked away that even my local Uber drivers get lost trying to find it!

Frankie and I share a room with two hard mattresses on the floor, two mosquito nets, two fans, one shower toilet bathroom, and no AC. Despite Hanoi’s heat and humidity, it hasn’t been too much of a problem to sleep without AC. However, those mattresses are incredibly uncomfortable despite supposedly being good for the back.

Taking a shower has become my favorite time of day. What I mean by a “shower toilet bathroom” is a bathroom the size of a small walk-in closet containing a sink, shower head, toilet, and drain with no dividers. One must take care not to get the sink or toilet wet while showering. This type of bathroom is incredibly space efficient, but one must be okay with a wet bathroom floor for the next several hours after showering. There’s also no hot water, but it’s refreshing to take a cold shower after a long, humid, and sticky day.

Everyday I wake up anywhere between 6:30-7:00 a.m. usually because of loud jack hammering from the active construction site next door. Whether I’m rudely awakened by construction, cats meowing, babies crying, or motorbikes, I always am delighted to enjoy a breakfast prepared by my host mother. At around 7:50, Frankie and I leave the house and walk to the bus stop where we take a short 10 minute ride to our classroom at Hanoi Medical University. We then attend class more or less 8:30 a.m.-4:00 p.m., our exact schedule varying day to day. Our local instructor and country coordinator are both members of Vietnam’s Institute of Population, Health, and Development. They have been very informative, teaching us about Vietnam’s health challenges and system. Some interesting topics we have covered include the prominence of traditional medicine, the health differences between rural and urban Vietnamese populations, and the inaccuracy of government reporting. One of the main takeaways for me from these past two weeks is the issue of development on health outcomes in Vietnam. Many rural populations have poorer health outcomes than urban populations because they lack equal access to healthcare due to the limited number of clinics and resources (among other things). After classes end, I’ve done everything from shopping to getting a massage to going back home to study (read: nap). I return home by 7:00 p.m. to have dinner with my host family, which is always fun to see what we get to eat. After dinner, my host family, Frankie, and I chat for a while. Sometimes the neighbors come over to chat, too. The neighborhood kids enjoy running in and out of the house to say hello and stare at Frankie and I. The parents like coming to practice their English and bring their kids to force them to practice their English with us, too. In school, grammar and written skills are prioritized, and, as a result, many Vietnamese’s English speaking skills are not as developed. I admire their desire to practice speaking English with native speakers because I’m scared to do so with Chinese speakers… It’s quite a lot of work to communicate with people who do not speak the same language because even though you don’t understand, you make an effort to understand by processing the many context clues available. When Frankie and I get upstairs to our room, it’s often 9:00 p.m. or later and I am exhausted. I’ll take a shower and then try and do some work before falling asleep. I haven’t really been successful in doing homework after dinner… (hehe yikes) Last weekend our host family took Frankie and I out to the night market in downtown Hanoi to eat ice cream and walk around. Personally, I expected more of the night market, but it was still nice to walk the streets around the lake without motorbikes and cars whizzing by. We also paid a visit to the Vietnam People’s Air Force Museum.

Ice cream at Kem Trang Tien in Old Quarter. I got a yummy “rice flake” flavor.

Frankie and I also made spaghetti for our host family, the one American dish they occasionally cook at home. My host sister sprung this upon us saying, “Ok, you can make us spaghetti tomorrow night, right?” And Frankie and I were just like, “Oh, okay.” I don’t think we had a choice; it turns out our host mom had already bought the spaghetti noodles before our host sister asked us to cook! We went to the grocery store, found some canned pasta sauce, and made damn good spaghetti, if I do say so myself. Thankfully, our host family loved our cooking. I thought it was pretty hilarious to be eating spaghetti in Vietnam in rice bowls with chopsticks for dinner. My host sister keeps mentioning how she wants to try eggs Benedict… 

Let two American girls cook you the best spaghetti of your life! :)

Lastly, a shoutout to Shom, my Duke friend also on an SIT IHP program, who I was able to get lunch with in Hanoi. I’m so glad we could follow up on our 5 month plans to meet up. It was really nice to see a familiar face. :’) 

This weekend we are in the midst of typhoon Daksuri so our planned weekend activities are more low key. Possibly a movie, possibly a trip to Hanoi’s silk village, and with any luck, a day trip to see some scenery outside the city.

The City

Hanoi is the capital of motorbikes. It is humid, hot, noisy, dirty, and in my opinion, not particularly charming. There is the constant grumble of motorbikes. The air always smells of gasoline. Hanoi's got a lot of rough edges such as its ceaseless traffic, lack of public trash management, and pollution. The small river in my neighborhood is navy and its odor of rotten eggs and feces can be smelled 10 feet away.

I think Hanoi is best described as organized chaos. For the most part I cannot discern the order that the Hanoiians maintain except when I cross the street. Crossing the street is quite the adrenaline rush. 

Start by stepping out from the curb. You can't choose a good moment to start crossing, you just have to do it. Turn to look in the face of oncoming traffic. Stare down the motorbikes that barrel towards you and shake an outstretched hand at them. Walk slowly. The honks are only to communicate that they see you. Get to the middle of the road. Look the other way and do the same thing: stare and shake. And when you finally get to the other side, don't forget to breathe. In those moments of crossing the street, anyone simultaneously becomes part of the order and chaos that is Hanoi. 

Downtown Hanoi, also known as Old Quarter, is cleaner and is home to many of the best restaurants. Old Quarter surrounds Hoan Kiem Lake. Some parts of Old Quarter remind me of Shanghai's French Concession, with tree covered streets. But this is unsurprising given that both cities have strong French influences. Again, I can't romanticize about Hanoi too much though... One afternoon while enjoying a view of the lake, I noticed an old man peeing on a tree right next to me, out in the open.

Hanoi is also a city of alleyways. There are so many alleys to get lost in but there are no dead alleys; something is always happening whether that be a waiting trinkets seller or another pho stand. I have also never been to a city with such a dense concentration of food stands. Every family in Hanoi must own a food stand, there are so many of them!* 

Challenges 

In the past two and a half years that I've been in college, I have never experienced a serious case of homesickness... until now. This was unfortunately spurred by a stressful situation of multiple technology failures. This past weekend my perfectly working laptop spontaneously broke. Like broke broke. Like serious, needs-a-motherboard-replacement broke. At first I thought I couldn't turn my laptop on because of an ant infestation. It just so happens that when my laptop broke, I also had a mild ant infestation. Sugar ants were crawling out of my keyboard and I was panicking, recalling a similar story of a broken laptop and a bunch of ants. Then I went to a computer store that night with my host family and it started working again. And then I put it away for the night. And then it really wouldn't turn on anymore. 

I took my laptop into Hanoi's top rated computer repair store on Monday. Against my better judgement, I left my laptop at this small, unprofessional looking shop for them to look at further. It was a great test of believing in the good will of people for me. 48 hours later I was devastated to learn that my computer was seriously broken and would need a $330 fix.

This ordeal was rather stressful for me because every graded aspect of my study abroad program relies upon a computer and I was without one. I actually finished an assignment on my phone using Google Docs. It also didn't help that the day after my laptop broke, my phone started acting up, possibly because of the humidity. I had to stick it in rice; thankfully my phone still works except I now have a dead area on my touch screen. I'm guessing part of my phone's digitizer broke. Don't ask me why my important tech decided to all break without warning in the span of 3 days because it is beyond me. 

I decided not to get my laptop repaired here in Hanoi. I'm in this awkward transition time right now relying upon other people's laptops. I probably can't get a replacement laptop/tablet until I get to South Africa because complicated customs processes. I guess we'll just have to see how things work out, but for now I'm making do and trying not to think about my broken laptop.

Going through this episode of intense stress really highlighted to myself my discomfort in Hanoi: it's dirty, loud, I don't fit in, and I can hardly communicate. I really, really wished to be at home this past week for the convenience and familiarity of going to an Apple Store, receiving comfort from my family (and dog), and sleeping in a soft bed.

I'm mostly over that now. I’ve realized that it is what it is and I am handling the situation to the best of my ability. In the end, I can't really change much; I can only be resourceful and rely upon the generosity of my host family and classmates. C'est la vie. I'm grateful I still have the support system that I have available. I knew to expect some challenges and discomfort but I did not realize it’d be like this!

St. Joseph’s Cathedral, a late 19th-century Gothic cathedral in Old Quarter.

This next week my group travels to Lac village in rural north Vietnam. Next weekend we're taking an excursion to Ha Long Bay, a UNESCO world heritage site. I'm excited to get out of the city and explore other parts of Vietnam! 

Bus count: 11 

*By the way, of course I will write about the food in Vietnam within the next two weeks.

[itsworn]

Race Report: Redemption 7 No Prep, Texas Motorplex

The new and highly anticipated format for the Redemption No Prep Series, presented by Scoggin Dickey Raceshop & Parts Center, kicked off at the Texas Motorplex in Ennis, Texas on May 26th. After several years of hosting independent no-prep events across Texas and Oklahoma, series director Shannon Morgan announced that Redemption will be a four-race points series in 2017, and for the first time, crown champions from among the fourteen class line-up at the end of the season. Word spread like wildfire, and eager racers jumped on the opportunity to chase this four race tour in hopes of claiming the first ever Redemption No Prep Series Championship crown.

The Texas Motorplex would not only host the season opener but the also the season finale October 27-28th. Additional stops at Tulsa Raceway Park on June 30-July 1st and San Antonio Raceway on September 1-2nd will complete the tour. A new feature for Redemption this year is the addition of a 5.80- and 6.50-index class as well as a junior dragster program, in an effort to attract new teams to the no prep scene and showcase the future generation of our sport. Needless to say, those class additions were well received as both index classes sold out at 32 cars in each field and the junior dragster drivers enjoyed their moment in the spotlight at the Motorplex.

With $120,000 up for grabs, more than 260 tech cards were sold. Seven classes were on the bill for Friday night with another seven set for action in Saturday’s main event. The rules were simple: this was an eighth mile contest, no times shown, with an instant green light at the starting line once both cars were properly staged. Burnouts were not permitted past the starting line, and any contact with the wall or crossing of the centerline resulted in immediate disqualification.

True Street was first class up, and after their mandatory thirty mile cruise, cars pulled straight into the staging lanes upon their return to the Texas Motorplex, with twenty minutes to make final preparations for first round. On an extremely fresh and un-groomed racetrack, unfortunate carnage unfolded quickly during the opening round.

In the third pair of cars down the track, the “First Lady of True Street” Lea Ochs went for a wild ride in her nitrous assisted “Lead Sled” 1978 Fairmont Wagon. Ochs lost traction and found herself in a scary fishtail which sent the car in a catapult across the centerline at high speed, resulting in a direct side impact with the guardrail. Ochs was alert and removed from the car with a severe concussion and badly bruised right arm- serious injuries, yet ones that she will fully recover from. Her team is already making plans for their rebuild, which will be another wagon, of course!

There were a handful of other incidents, but thankfully none with serious injuries. By the time round two came to the line, the starting line was hooking well, and drivers seemed to have a handle on the track conditions. Rounds continued smoothly as the fields were repeatedly cut in half and final round time was quickly approaching with big money on the line for Friday’s winners.

True Street welcomed Jason Doisher to the winners circle as he claimed $3,000 by defeating Rick Hilton. The biggest payday in Friday’s action went to Tony Thorn who claimed $8,000 in his winning effort over Kenjo Kelley in Small Tire. Tony Foulks wheeled his twin turbo Camaro from Oklahoma to a matching purse of $8,000 for his win in Old School Outlaw over Street Outlaws star Chuck Seitsinger in his Death Trap Mustang. Ray Garcia put his Camaro in the Sportsman class winner’s circle by taking out Scott Lassiter. Factory Street and Factory Truck were combined as Chris Dearmond took home $2,500 in his win over Brent Baker. Finally, the first ever Jr. Dragster winner in the Redemption No Prep Series was Addyson Owen who took out Ashton Meggison to win $300 cash money.

Though the on-track action had ended, competition moved to the food pavilion, as one hell of a showdown was just beginning in the practice tree race, which paid $2,000 cash to the winner. Top name no prep drivers like Kye Kelley, David “Bird” Jones, James “Birdman” Finney mixed it up with local heavy hitters from the bracket racing scene. In the wee hours of the morning, accomplished bracket racer Slate Cummings took home the cash.

After Friday’s full day of racing, a reasonable amount of fresh rubber had built up on the starting line, so Saturday’s traction issues were far less problematic. Instead of fish-tailing, white knuckle launches, the fans were treated with great side-by-side drag racing with the occasional bumper-draging wheelstand on Saturday. The real test came at the top end of the track, which had far less available grip than at the starting line. The driver’s ability to control the throttle down track would prevail over who had the most horsepower, in most cases.

Fields of more than 30 cars in Big Tire and Small Tire wowed the crowd, as some big names dropped like flies in round one. Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana have become hot beds for fast racecars purpose-built for no prep racing. The locals would have plenty of competition as this event attracted teams from across the country, including racers from Illinois to Georgia..Whether you’re a Street Outlaws star or an unknown newcomer, every round proved to be a challenge, and several fan favorites met their demise early in competition.

In the Small Tire final round, Eric Stubbs from Beach City, Texas met Keith Szabo, who made the tow all the way from Gainesville, Georgia. This all twin turbo affair was neck and neck early, but Szabo lost traction at the 330′ mark, and that’s all Stubbs needed to streak ahead for the victory. Stubbs’ 2003 Ford Mustang, packing a 440 cubic-inch Ford small block boosted by twin 88mm turbos, scored its second no prep event win. There were plenty of happy faces1 in the winners circle as Stubbs scored $20,000 for his efforts.

“This win is huge for us. We struggled Friday with what we thought was a suspension issue but resulted in being a leaking transmission yoke. Once we solved that issue the car ran very well and we were able to get it done today. I’d like to thank Rey Gonzales, Shannon Morgan, Ron at Santhuff’s Suspension Specialists, David at Bullseye Turbochargers and Sean at Excessive Racing Engines for their support,” said Stubbs.

Big Tire action welcomed Jerry Bird and “The Probe” to the line against local favorite Spencer “Cornbread” Johnson for the final round. Bird was chasing his second straight Redemption Big Tire prize after winning the Tulsa event last November, while Johnson was hoping to put his ex-Warren Johnson Pro Stock machine, now turned outlaw grudge and no prep car, in the winners circle in his own backyard. In a very close race, Bird’s nitrous-assisted Probe took the win light by a slim margin. Tally another big payday for the Louisiana-based “Bird Boyz”, as they collected $20,000 and celebrated in the winners circle, reenacting a recent run in with the law which sent Bird for a night in jail during a street race in Texas just a few weeks prior. All in good fun and all smiles for Bird and company who will hold the points lead in Big Tire heading into the next event.

Outlaw Street dwindled down to Tim Oswalt’s black Ford Mustang from Alabama against Duane Biddle’s Mustang from Pflugerville, Texas. Off the line, Biddle’s machine reached for the sky and eventually grabbed rear bumper, while Oswalt went straight and true and right into the winners circle, scoring $7,000 in cold hard cash. King of the Tailgate honors went to John Dittmer from College Station, Texas who put his Chevy Luv in the winners circle by defeating Ray Espericueta’s Chevy S-10. Espericueta wasn’t left empty handed as his team won “Best Appearing Crew” and some gas money for the trip home to south Texas.

The finals concluded with the the 5.80 and 6.50 index classes. With a unique mix of both mild street cars and local index regulars, these classes provided some great side by side racing between feature rounds. It may be index, but with no times show and no track prep, it was anyone’s game at the starting line. Ryan Jock wheeled his first generation Chevy Camaro from Corsicana, Texas to the 5.80 win, defeating local favorite Rylan McClaskey, who just graduated from the junior dragster program. Jesse Garza made the tow from Austin, Texas and scored the 6.50 win in his first gen Camaro by defeating Cody Lange.

“I am very pleased with how our season opener went in Ennis,” said Shannon Morgan. “The racers were great, the crowd was great. This year is going to be full of action, and we are very excited about the next three races this season. I must thank Scoggin Dickey Raceshop & Parts Center, Chevrolet Performance, Phil’s Trailer Sales, Jegs, Continental Trailer, Weld Wheels, Texas Motorplex and all our many other sponsors for their support of Redemption. Also thank you to Trey Capps and NHRA for their help in getting Redemption on the stage at the NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston and we’ve been invited back for the Fall Nationals at Dallas in October with Big Tire cars.”

The next stop on the Redemption No Prep Series tour will be Oklahoma’s Tulsa Raceway Park on June 30-July 1st. For more information on the series visit www.redemptionnoprep.com.

The post Race Report: Redemption 7 No Prep, Texas Motorplex appeared first on Hot Rod Network.

from Hot Rod Network http://www.hotrod.com/articles/race-report-redemption-7-no-prep-texas-motorplex/ via IFTTT

[movieswithkevin27]

Tomorrowland

Often feeling like a modern attempt to rekindle the joy and sense of adventure of 1980s science fiction films, Tomorrowland largely feels like a paltry imitation that has no idea what made those films work. Though capably acted throughout with a compelling premise, Tomorrowland gets too bogged down in the details and forgets to have a good time, instead opting to rush through its conclusion that may have a heart warming message, but really lacks the quality build-up to make it all pay-off. Though fashionable to criticize screenwriter Damon Lindelof for the issues of every film he touches, I have never had that much of a problem with the man. However, Tomorrowland most certainly falters because of its script, though with Brad Bird having a hand in the script and directing the film, the buck stops with him and there are some issues here that should have been stopped from the beginning, ignoring the internal inconsistency that also plagues the film, but could be ignored if the film were better.

This major issue is the fact that the film is two-thirds exposition and character introduction. Introducing us to Frank Walker (George Clooney), his love of inventing, and how he arrived in Tomorrowland with the help of a young girl/robot named Athena (Raffey Cassidy) who recruits dreamers to come to Tomorrowland, the film then introduces us to Casey Newton (Britt Robertson). Explaining everything about their lives, showing pointless backstory about how they love science and invention, and then having Athena and Casey race to meet Frank, it takes a while for the film to introduce its central problem. While some could say they introduce it early when Athena says that Casey is needed to fix Tomorrowland because somebody made something they should not have made, that is merely a foreshadow to what the actual problem is. It is not until two-thirds of the way into the film or so that we actually learn what the problem is: the world is ending. Within half an hour, the disaster is averted due to Casey's optimism and ability to help the world stop focusing on the negative and instead refocus the world on the positive sides of things. How does she do this, you ask? Spoiler: (though a spoiler, it is one that can save you 130 minutes of your life, so I do recommend you read it) she blows it up. Yes, that is literally all there is to it.

In order to justify going an extra thirty minutes, there is some fighting between our heroes and chief bad guy David Nix (Hugh Laurie), some fuss about a bomb, and sequences of Casey learning the world will end and freaking out about all of it before saving it and then teaming up with Frank to fix everything and repopulate Tomorrowland with a new set of dreamers. Until this largely cliche sequence that is just filler, there is further filler early on with Frank initially being hesitant to help Casey only to be influenced to help her when he sees guard robots from Tomorrowland following her with the mission of killing her. The film largely goes through the beats of any adventure film about somebody tasked with saving the world and needing the help of somebody who came before them and may or may not have had a hand in creating the present situation. It is a film that has been done many times before and will be made again in the future. For a film that has such an inventive premise, it is a shame to see it just slowly wind up becoming highly derivative and never breathing life into anything.

The script's internal consistency is also a major issue. For example, David Nix says the machine cannot be turned off. Though it is not turned off, it is blown up, which apparently turns it off. Without any explanation as to how the world is saved and rapidly becomes what it once was where people were optimistic about the future instead of afraid of what was to come, everything is fixed. The machine that caused it having the impact it has similarly makes no sense. Allowing the user to see the past, present, and future around the world, it apparently sends radio waves or something out to other dimensions and its mere presence via these waves - even if not tapped into - caused the world to see a bleak future that was coming true via a self-fulfilling prophecy. Or something like that. With regard to the character of Athena, she is incapable of love, emotion, and having ideas, until she loves Frank, has emotions regarding the end of their time together, and has an idea on how to fix everything. Though just minor examples, these do hint to how much this film alters from its 80 minutes of exposition just out of pure convenience or forgetting the fact that it had been previously defined. The film even contradicts things mere moments after it is introduced, which really makes this one incredibly lazily written and inexcusable.

Yet, no matter the issues with cliches and internal inconsistency, the worst part of Tomorrowland should have been its chief mission: a sense of adventure. It is a film celebrating dreamers and asking us to all be more optimistic about everything coming our way, yet it never dares to do either itself. Instead, it just goes through the motions and explains what Tomorrowland is like and only gives us small glimpses of the world. For a film with a $190 million production budget, it would be nice to spend more time in Tomorrowland with that money and see the expanses of the world. Instead, much of the film is on Earth and them finding a way to get to Tomorrowland. So, with that out, there has to be other ways of having fun, right? Unfortunately, no. For a film that has the Eiffel Tower actually being a spaceship, Tomorrowland never seems to have much fun and instead tries to check off boxes on family adventure films and never tries to infuse it with fun. What makes older, similarly cliched, family adventure films is their heart and their power. Lacking understanding of how to make either of these happen, Tomorrowland just preaches about being optimistic and then includes a highly politicized finale where the next round of dreamers are all minorities. Though uplifting and encouraging to see Disney recognize the potential of minorities, it comes off as incredibly hamfisted and playing more akin to a commercial about diversity and its benefits than the end to a major motion picture that allegedly cost somewhere around $330 million after production and marketing. Ultimately lacking any sense of wonder or power, Tomorrowland tries to make up for it with social appeals, which really drives at the misguided nature of the film. Written by adults and for adults, Tomorrowland seems to forget its child audience - even if it is a family film - and never actually invokes any sense of childlike wonder. Perhaps including a child main character would have helped, but even if not, it could still capture this sense of wonder and see the world as a child would view everything. Yet, it is too simultaneously jaded and naive about the world to really make it all click.

That said, there are a variety of strengths presented by the film. For one, the special effects and design of Tomorrowland are incredible. No matter how little time we actually spend there, it is undoubtedly the highlight. Incredibly designed with unique and inventive takes on the future, the scenes in the city have a certain sense of awe that nearly makes up for the complete lack of soul in the rest of the picture. The one scene in the throwback store owned by Hugo Gernsback (Keegan-Michael Key) and Urusla Gernsback (Kathryn Hahn) also shine with both Key and Hahn stealing the show quite easily. It is a shame to see both relegated to such small roles as in their short moments in the film, their comedic energy and ability really shine through and, juxtaposed with their killer instincts, really make the film soar. Unfortunately, it is just for one scene and is quite fleeting, but the blend of adventure, mystery, and comedy, in this scene as Casey learns more about the pin she received, about Athena, and about Tomorrowland, this scene really stands as the best of the film. The follow-up, when we are first introduced to old Frank, is also quite good. In particular, the neat gadgets in the home really show a spark of creativity. Yet, as is a trend, we spend very little time there and never really see the full potential of everything.

A pale and soulless attempt at making a nostalgia picture that captures the sense of wonder from 1970s/1980s childhood classics and capturing the anticipation and sense of awe of the future held by people in the 1950s/1960s/1970s, Tomorrowland mostly fails. While there are some moments of brilliance, it simply never explores any of them enough and instead opts to spend two-thirds of the film explaining everything before quickly wrapping up its problem in thirty minutes, accompanied by plenty of fluff and filler along the way. Though its actors try their best and show themselves capable of their respective roles, Tomorrowland's reliance upon cliches and internal inconsistencies bog down the picture and leave it being nothing but yet another science fiction film with a compelling premise that goes nowhere.