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crvmsdecorum · 5 years ago

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"ᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴀɪɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍɪsᴇʀʏ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴏɴᴇʟɪɴᴇss ᴀɴᴅ ɪᴛ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʜᴇʀ ᴋɪɴᴅ."

( candice accola-king, 30, female, she/her) Have you seen MAEVE O’CONNELL around ? I hear they’re an VETERINARIAN who can sometimes be INSECURE & GULLIBLE. But I also heard they can be SELFLESS & AFFECTIONATE, if you catch them on a good day. They’re usually hanging around PAW’S LIFE VET CLINIC in their spare time. I sure hope they’re alright ! ( Emma, 22, she/her, central, none. ) x filling the wanted baby mama connection of Lorenzo. ❤

Meet Maeve Belle O’Connell ; better known as Evie or Dr. O’Connell.

She was born in Boston, Massachusetts to American French Author Madeline Daae and Irish immigrant Dr. Finnick O’Connell.

She isn’t the only child of her parents and has two older brothers from both parents making both brothers her half siblings.

At the age of three Maeve lost her mother to ovarian cancer and from an early age she has had a fear she wouldn’t have kids of her own nor be a good mother for she was raised by boys.

After the death of her mother, Finnick would take his kids back and forth between America and Ireland allowing them all to embrace their Irish culture including his step son. Maeve remembers Ireland fondly and believes it is her second home.

Not long after turning five is when her father remarried to an Irish American woman named Aileen; a woman Maeve never came to seeing eye to eye with. From her father’s marriage to her a few years later the two had a child of their own -- a little girl.

Due to her step mother’s demanding career as Chief of Surgery and hardly seeing her, Maeve came to being a mother figure to her little sister and helped practically raise her alongside her father. From this is what made Maeve realize she wanted to be pursue a career that wouldn’t demand her quality time away from family.

At the age of thirteen Maeve collapsed at her soccer tournament due to unbearable pain in her abdomen and was rushed to the hospital. Both coach, her family and herself thought the exhaustion was due to the heat of that hot day and or to the work she piled herself with school. Planning classes and pushing herself hard to earn a scholarship when graduating high school. Oh if only it were exhaustion...IT WASN’T.

Maeve O’Connell, a soccer star athlete, a cheerleader and a optimistic selfless person pulled the short end of the straw thanks to her genetics. She became diagnosed with stage two ovarian cancer.

The news of that will forever haunt Maeve along with the battle. Within twenty four hours of collapsing the oncology doctor informed Maeve and her family that her left ovary along with the left fallopian tube. Not only that, but she also became diagnosed with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome better known as POS on her right ovary. All of this became evident to Maeve it would be hard for her to have children and decided to bury the dream of becoming a mother.

After the surgery Maeve put all her drive into the school work she missed out and did her best to press forward. She was cancer free and didn’t want to dwell on the fact she was the cancer kid of her school year.

Fast forward to graduating high school and Maeve is shipped off to boot camp for the United States Air Force, shocker right? Yeah, she didn’t tell everyone until after it had been done. Of course her father couldn’t be even more prouder of his oldest daughter.

After basic training in San Antonio, Maeve went to AIT school to become a medical nurse and not long was shipped overseas to Iran to be a trauma nurse where she faced some choices and seen some horrible things that made her heart ache. It showed her the true darkness of humans and honestly? It SCARED her.

Fast forward now to Maeve being twenty five and a veteran now. She recently graded college to become a veterinarian and entering programs to a veterinary school to finish it up. She had always loved animals and knew from a young age she wanted to be the medical field, so why not become a vet right?

She came to Ireland to reconnect with her roots and spend a summer with her paternal grandmother what she didn’t expect was to fall in love with a mysterious man. Maeve didn’t know what drew her to him but obviously she didn’t care. She knew he had a dark past and is an expert is something that isn’t truly good -- did she care? NO. The rising vet knew she brought out a different side of him and she loved it. The man’s name? Lorenzo Cavalli.

Despite not knowing everything of what Enzo did for a living and her getting ready to go back to school, Maeve and him determined their flingy relationship or whatever you want to call it that will end when summer ended. And when it did, it made Maeve’s heart feel heavy though she knew it was the right decision.

Of course when Maeve got back state side she ended up learning she had a souvenir of from Ireland after all -- she was pregnant. When learning of this she thought at first it was just some cruel joke or someone at the Doctor’s office got her blood work mixed up with someone. Yeah she was swimming with joy that she was pregnant but the realization hit Maeve that she will have to do this all alone. Lorenzo and her made a deal it was just a summer thing and that’s it.

With this dream she once buried being brought back to the surface Maeve continued to go to veterinary school and with the support of her family they helped her. It was a struggle yes and Maeve found her being with child a blessing. She pushed through and put herself through school all while growing a tiny human in her.

Fate decided to be cruel again to Maeve when on the afternoon of St. Patrick’s Day she gotten into a nasty car wreck thanks to a drunk driver. From this caused Maeve to deliver early on the holiday and by the end of the night she was holding a 6 pound 5 ounces healthy baby girl she named Kiera Madeline Cavalli O’Connell.

Oh Maeve adored her baby girl and everything was right in the world for her and three years later she graduated from veterinary school. She was officially a veterinarian.

Once again though tradegy struck the O’Connell household and her father died, but before he did he told Maeve that she needed to find Lorenzo and tell him of his child. Of course Maeve tried to throw him off saying that she didn’t even know where he was. Her father’s response? Finnick told her Enzo was in Chicago and gave her all the information she needed thanks to her brother being a police officer.

Not wanting to break her father’s heart from beyond the grave and knowing the old man was right, Maeve packed her and Kiera’s bags and moved from Boston to Chicago. Luckily for her Maeve was able to land a job at Paw’s Life Vet Clinic. Now the only to do is find him and tell him that her soon to be precious four year old daughter is his. Personality;; Maeve is an all around optimistic girl and is completely selfless. She puts everyone and her animal patients above herself though there is only one person she puts above everything else and that is her daughter. The Irish woman might not look as if she would resort to violence but if it meant protecting Kiera she will do it. She is an easy person to get to know though it is hard to gain her trust due to the things she had seen overseas and doesn’t really talk about it, OOC Note - that is about that summons up with Maeve, though I will add a biography page for her soon. Also hi! I am Emma and I am proud to be part of this roleplay, also btw I am a MAJOR plotting hoe. On further note with Maeve if you want connections feel free to hit me up.

#crimson.intro

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silcntrilcy-blog · 5 years ago

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RILEY PEARSON. CISMALE. TWENTY-THREE. ROGUE.

hi !! i’m tess, i’m 18, i’m in cst, and i use she/her pronouns ! i play two babes so far, riley and amelia ! i’ve written out a lot for riles, so i’m just gonna get to it ! i did play this character before, but i’ve revamped him a bit, aged him up a bit, and then did a bit more, so sorry for the novel of a bio ! there is a basics section down below if you’re just skimming for the moment !

My mind is a very dangerous and destructive place; only the darkness survives.

biography

born and raised to two military soldiers in san antonio, texas, riley pearson was nothing short of the perfect son. he was raised strict and proud with a smile on his face and a salute at his fingertips. his mother, lillian, had finished serving her time for her country only a few months after finding out she was pregnant, but his father, jace, was deployed for another service not even a week before riley’s birth. for the first four years of his life, he was a momma’s boy with a picture for a father. lillian worked hard to make sure riley knew who his father was, what he looked like, the sound of his voice from scattered calls and old home videos. when his father returned, all it took was a week of activities to spur into him those four years his father missed. he was an easy adapter, and his parents saw that clearly.

they were a family, and nothing was going to take that away from them. they dressed him up every day and sent him to school, welcomed him with open arms off the bus, and sat together for dinner in the kitchen as they mused over their day. some would call them ideal, others seemed to like the term “robotic”. it continued like this for years, and soon enough, riley realized just how ideal his parents thought he was.

he stayed inside every night, nearing the age of fourteen, while his friends ran off to birthday parties, concerts and soccer practice. he had never realized his parent’s overbearing expectations until he was made to realize that hardly any other kid had them. he began to hate his home.

he started breaking rules— staying out past curfew, never doing his homework, running away to friend’s houses for days on end, not as much as a text home to let his parents know he was alright. he had gone from the golden boy to the town nuisance. but it was only when he was caught with drugs (weed) at school did his parents draw the line.

he had just turned fifteen when his parents shipped him off to military boot camp. he was infuriated, acting out for nearly a month when he first got there, but slowly he started to condemn to their rules. he began to fall back to that perfect, golden child that he was before. he took his drill sergeant's orders as if they came from his parents. he started making friends, basking in the life he had taken for granted. and not three years later, he was stepping off the bus from boot camp, a smile on his face and a pep in his step. he was happy to see his parents— he figured maybe life would be perfect now. they were going to be this ideal, uniform family again, no matter how robotic. he realized everything his parents did, every little rule and promise, it all was meant to make him into a better man, to keep him on a straight line. over the years, he saw kids continuing to rebel within the boot camp, pushing their luck and ending up worse in the end. it was a never ending cycle, and he wanted no part of it. oh how did his dreams fly.

one year after riley stepped off the bus from bootcamp, his entire ideal world crumbled. a virus swept over the world and the dead began walking. everything his parents had trained for, everything he had trained for, was surrounding them in hoards. they grabbed everything they could and darted off to the first military base they could find, leaving everyone they ever knew behind. they were soldiers now— but they weren’t fighting for their country; they were fighting for their lives.

the pearson family lasted three months. three months of family bonding and survival all washed down the drain when their military base was overrun by an enormous hoard of the undead. soldiers fought bravely, proudly, and children cowered behind whatever family they had left. riley and his parents were in the front of the battle, and as his mother called out a final i love you, her arm was torn apart. his father jumped in to save her, and his leg was attacked from behind. all the while, riley watched in frozen terror as the family he once knew was ripped to shreds.

he couldn’t remember what happened— maybe he fought his way through, maybe he cowered behind everyone else until the last dead had dropped, maybe he slept through it all, but somehow, some way, riley walked out of that base with his life, his father’s jacket, and a gun, not a thing else. no one else survived, that he knows of, and he was the last one alive to tell the tale.

after that, he took no chances. three years of bootcamp and an entire life of military parents taught him how to fight like a soldier no matter what world he was in. he became a cold killer, fighting for himself and only himself. the memory of his parents burned in the front of his brain— they died for him, and he was damn sure not going to let their death be in vain. so he fights for himself, for the world he remembers, and he does whatever it takes to survive— no matter the cost.

he’s became colder, crueler, more sculpted by this world than he ever had been. he resorted to staying silent on most occasions, rarely a full phrase spewing from his lips. he’s fell into an emotionless state for a long time, pushing himself away from other survivors, knowing no matter what, they’d all end up the same. in his mind, there was no point to friendships anymore, no point in taking the time to get to know someone if their fate was already sealed. this mindset hurt him more than he could comprehend, and it took a while for him to learn from his mistakes

it was only last year that riley began travelling with another survivor, italia. they had crossed paths time and time again over the years, and at some point, they just stopped leaving eachother. this... bond, friendship, whatever they wanted to call it, it’s what he needed to chip away at that cold, hard exterior. she had the same sadness in her eyes, the same trauma laced in her veins, and somehow, their pain merged. suddenly, he was talking again, the sentences getting longer as time passed. but of course, tragedy always found riley.

only a few months after joining italia in the apocalypse, riley came face to face with someone he thought he’d never see again. at first, riley thought it was just another bug eye, a stage three that was just begging for a bullet between the eyes. but that flash of camo and the glimmer of a rusted locket hanging around rotting skin, riley felt his whole world collapse ontop of him. it was his mother, in all her rotting glory.

riley broke. for the first time in years, he let himself break down, right in front of the one person he knew would understand. together, two fingers on the trigger of a shaking gun, riley and italia put his mother to rest. he buried his mother with his father’s old military jacket, his most prized possession, and traded it in for the locket that held years of memories between the rusted engravings. it took him another month or two to push down the urge to burst into tears.

riley blamed himself for what happened to his mother, not only her death, but for her afterlife. she was left to roam the world for years as a rotting corpse, all because he didn’t take the time to give her mercy back at the base. his father, god knows where he is.

he took those months to heal, to put the pieces back together, and now he’s managing to live a functional life. he’s speaking more, managing full phrases, almost keeping a conversation. it’s a complete 180 of the boy he used to be.

basics.

riley is an 23 year old survivor who witnessed the death of his parents around 4 ago on a military base where they and many other families had escaped to during the initial outbreak. his family was military born and raised, all of them as uniform and perfect as you would expect. when his teen years came along, he began to rebel— running away, getting mixed up with drugs, general disrespectful teenager stuff. when his parents had decided they had taken enough, they shipped him off to military boot camp, and three years later, riley pearson stepped off that bus and walked home a perfect soldier. he had hoped everything would return to how it used to be before he had ruined it all, but a year after he returned home, the outbreak began and all hopes of a perfect life were destroyed. after the death of his parents, he was the lone survivor of the military base and the last remaining piece of his family. he has become cold since their death, nearly emotionless, only continuing to fight for the sake of his family’s memory. he’s no longer much of a talker, and after seeing his mother’s corpse just a year ago, he’s wondering if he’ll ever get back to the boy he once was. he’s currently travelling alongside another survivor, italia, and she has helped him to speak more, managing full phrases, sometimes even sentences.

wanted connections.

bootcamp buddies - this is someone that riley met in bootcamp and became friends with during those three years. they wouldn’t know about riley’s past since the bootcamp, i.e. the death of his parents and the loss of everything he loves, so this reunion would be quite the awkward one taken by dani jennings

trading partners - riley has decided to trade with a very select group of people, all single rogues or rogue pairs, and has kept the personal information to the bare minimum. they meet at set locations, on a routine schedule so not everyone is there at once, and trade the basic needs of what they have. i’d love to have some of these trading partners!

an ex ? - this would be from his rebellious years, before the three years in bootcamp (or honestly maybe even the beginning of boot camp ? ). he is a completely different person than he was back then, though he has fallen into some of his old habits (smoking). this could be fun !

his uncle - there is a wc on the main for this !!! i’d love to see him around

those are all i’ve really got now, but if you’d like to plot or fill a connection, hmu! my ims are always open and i do have a discord !

#toxinintro

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uozlulu · 5 years ago

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Going to stick these here for now in case I lose the file or need it to be easier to search or something.

Notes on the ES21 soulmate mark AU fic I was rambling about in this post. Just kind of organizing things so when it comes time to write it I can hopefully write it quickly.

Some characters might not show up, others might get added to the list. Those missing so far are characters I either felt like I didn’t have confidence in writing or didn’t really remember since it’s been over 10 years since I finished the manga. Also trying to keep the cast of active characters on the small side even though a lot of characters will be there if only in general. All flashbacks/scenes/etc...will need proper fleshing out and so forth of course. These are all just my initial ideas, which are highly likely to evolve as I go as all my fics tend to do.

Probably going to wait until I finish watching the anime before writing it. Kind of tried to be canon compliant but also didn’t want to spend oodles of time tracking down details, so just kind of setting the goal as having fun with the AU and letting it do what it wants to do

Headcanons:

The World Bowl VI was Sunday, August 2, 2020. (It’s where the top football teams from around the world kick off the football season with a three week tournament started in 2015). The rehearsal is Friday, August 7, 2020. The wedding is Saturday August 8, 2020. Everyone goes home sometime Sunday, August 9, 2020. They have the ranch from Tuesday, August 4, 2020 – Monday, August 10, 2020.

High school football players form Japan, pro players from around the world, friends from school, friends from college are all invited along with their spouses, partners, significant others, and kids. Family members include Tetsuma’s mom who looks like him and their Seibu high school coach.

Sena –34 in December, played for Enma University from 2005 – 2009, been with the Seattle Superstars since 2009. Starting to contemplate retiring. The Seattle recruiter saw Sena’s tryout back in high school and tracked him down to beg him to sign with Seattle when Sena finally cashed in his NFL draft invitation from the Youth World Cup. Officially been in a long-distance relationship with Panther since 2010, but really they’ve kind of been a thing for longer than that.

Hiruma – 34 since February, plays for the San-Antonio Armadillos since 2006, likes to say he won’t retire until his age is his jersey number (55). Has been living with Mamori since 2006. They’re not married, but their daughter was born in 2017.

Kurita – 35 since July, played with the Tokyo Stallions, played from 2008 – 2016, works at the temple now.

Monta –34 on August 31, played for the San Antonio Armadillos from 2008 – 2013, having to retire after a career-ending injury at the start of the 2012 – 2013 season. Married Suzuna in 2008. They have a daughter born in 2010 and a son born in 2012. After retirement, he returned to Japan and he’s been coaching and teaching at Deimon ever since.

Juumonji –34 in October, Kuroki 34 on September 1, Togano 34 in October – all went on to have fairly normal jobs (banker, office worker, advertising). Kuroki is married with a kid or two, Juumonji is gay and has a partner who works the same bank and is his “roommate,” Togano is still single.

Yukimitsu – 34 since February, never played football again after high school, became a veterinarian.

Komusubi – 33 since January – never played football again after high school, became a personal trainer.

Ishimaru – 35 in October, never played football again after high school, went on to run in the Hakone Eikoden in university, has a normal job

Taki – 35 since April, played with the Orlando Divers 2004 – 2008 and then was traded to the Nashville Fighters where he’s been since 2008. Never married. Does he date anyone? Who knows. “My brother,” “my niece,” “my nephew.”

Musashi – 35 since Apirl, been playing the the Takekura Construction Babels since 2004, still working construction, personal life is pretty private, but does have a son who plays elementary school soccer.

Mamori 35 in November, ENL teacher to small children, still helps strategize football, been living with Hiruma since 2006 and had a daughter in 2017, living her best life

Suzuna 33 since March, married to Monta since 2008 with two kids, first of the group to get married, part-time matchmaker, has a decent success rate. Hiruma = You-nii, Juumonji = Monjii, Kuroki = Kurokki, Togano = Toga, Komusubi = Kamusubicchi, Yukimitsu = Yukki, Ishimaru = Tet-chan, Musashi = Musha-syan, Mamori = Mamo-nee, Kid = Kiddon,” Cereberus = Ceru, Sena has no nickname

Kid (Mushanokoji Shien) – 35 in November, comes from a noble line, at odds with parents over lifestyle choices and is now estranged, played with the Takekura Construction Babels from 2004 – 2005, played with the Tokyo Stallions from 2005 – 2010, played with the Houston Fishermen from 2010 – 2020. Started Sports Club with Tetsuma in 2012, which is a revitalization of the Boys and Girls Club concept. Hopes to keep working and growing the club in retirement. Been with Tetsuma since 2006. Wanted to enjoy being married so that’s why they waited until they were retired from pro ball.

Tetsuma – 35 since May, his mom looks just like him, played for the Tokyo Stallions from 2004 – 2008, played for the Dallas Titans from 2008 – 2020. Helps Kid run Sports Club, very good at organizing and budgeting.

Riku – turned 34 in April, played with Enma Fires from 2005 – 2009, played with the Yokohama Belugas from 2009 – 2015, still wears the team’s squid hat merch when it’s cold outside. Retired after a horrific injury which he still uses a cane for. Runs a pet bird store. Dated lots of people, still hasn’t settled for anyone.

Buffalo – 36 in October, got rid of the dreads soon after graduation in a bid to try and fit into Japanese society, now his hair is just long. Moved to the US in 2005 and ended up doing stuff like MMA, Ninja Warrior, and UFC. Has an American wife and three daughters (ages 12, 9, and 7).

Horide – no canon age, so let’s assume he’s roughly like late 50’s – early 60’s by 2020, still coaching football, but considering retirement, proud of all the kids who have ever been on his team. He’s pretty much in a parental position in the audience seating, and treated as one might treat a dad during such an event

Saba –mid-30’s, no real wiki info, became an office worker, has one child, didn’t play football after high school.

Aiuchi Hina – mid 30’s, not much wiki info, head cheerleader, Miss Seibu, probably married to an unnamed former teammate, and probably has at least one kid

Shin – 35 since July, played for Ojou Silver Knights 2004 – 2009, played for the New England Musketeers since 2009, has many Super Bowl wins, a true legend in both the US and Japan. Ignores tabloid rumors about him dating models and singers so he can enjoy some privacy with his partner, an indie rocker who preformed the half time show in 2013. They’ve been living together out in the middle of nowhere upstate New York since 2016 in a modest house that no one really would think celebrities owned. Has a condo near the Musketeers’ training facilities.

Sakuraba – 34 since March, played for the Ojou Silver Knights 2004 – 2009, played for the Seattle Superstars from 2009 – 2018, retired because he wanted to do something else with his life. Has gone on to play in a local band that’s had moderate success around the Pacific Northwest touring clubs, lounges, and bars. Keeps his private life very private.

Panther – probably 34 (no birthday given), likely graduated high school in 2005 like Sena, so probably met Sena the summer before sophomore year at high school, maybe has a summer birthday and was already 16 when they met. Nasa Aliens/Shuttles was a travel team he was in from 2001 – 2005, also played high school football with his local high school from 2001 – 2005, played with the San Antonio Armadillos since 2005, took business courses online and has a degree since he thought that might help him keep from falling into pitfalls other pro-athletes fall into with money and retirement. Didn’t have a cellphone when he met Sena, but they exchanged e-mail addresses. When Sena went to Notre Dame High School, they exchanged AIM handles and got to talk to each other more often since they were on the same time zone. Eventually exchanged numbers once Panther got a cellphone after graduating high school. Kind of were rocking the long distance relationship chic before it was an official relationship.

Jeremy – probably 34 or 35, the kid with the glasses, still close friends with Panther. Played at Stanford from 2004/2005 – 2006/2007, knows multiple languages for fun so he’s still not the best translator. Continued his degree while playing professionally because he promised. Played with the New England Musketeers since 2006/2007 and retired earlier in 2020. Has a son and daughter (ages 6 and 9). His wife is a teacher.

Homer – probably 34 or 35, the kid with the long hair, also still close friends with Panther and Jeremy, chose to go into the NFL draft upon graduating high school. Played for the Nashville Fighters from 2004/2005 – 2010/2011, and then got transferred to the Chicago Gangsters in 2010/2011 and retired in 2018 back to Houston where he helps run a charity that picks up the slack across Texas after disasters when FEMA can’t get its act together to help people. He’s currently trying to build the charity up so it can function in multiple states.

Big Brother Gonzales – probably 36 maybe about to turn 37, biggest guy from the travel team and probably the oldest member. Played with the University of Kentucky from 2002/2003 – 2006/2007, played for the Denver Pumas from 2006/2007 – 2010/2011 when he had a career ending injury. Had his kanji tattoo covered up and started collecting more tattoos. Has also gotten the correct kanji tattooed on him at some point.

Little Brother Gonzales – probably 32, never really got as big as his brother so he never played football after high school. Had a few tattoos including the dumb one from high school.

Vague Summary:

Sena/Panther soulmate fic in which Kid and Tetsuma’s wedding brings most the gang and more together. Kind of a choose to stick together thing? Idek. See where it goes. Think of it like a romcom movie maybe?

Soulmate Concept:

In this world, soulmates are considered near-extinct but they really aren’t. Lots of people have a wide variety of soulmates, it’s just that their soulmarks aren’t very obvious. For example, Mamori and Hiruma both have a splattering of freckles on their hands that are actually a continuation of each other’s pattern, but it’s too subtle and freckley to really realize what it truly means. Other people might have birthmarks that fit together or have moles placed in the exact same places or mirrored places, etc…However, there’s a subclass of soulmate marks for those who have a truly deep bond. Those marks have a more distinct look to them. Sena has what looks like roses cascading down his Soulmate marks tend to start developing upon meeting your soulmate and evolve as your relationship deepen, so Mamori and Hiruma upon meeting in first-year were probably like huh freckles, and by second year it’s like lots of freckles but who cares it’s just mysterious high school freckles.

Flashbacks:

Panther and Sena:

2002 – Hanging out by the river bank after practice before Panther has to regroup with the others where they’re staying. Sena’s soulmate mark is on his right leg and looks like cascading roses except more impressionist since the mark is still forming. Panther’s looks like chrysanthemums following a similar pattern on his right leg. At the time they think it’s kind of weird, but don’t over think it. Sena’s dad told him that most people develop one in high school and he has something like he and his best friend have stuff like that on their arms.

2002 – Sena asks Panther for his number after the cat incident, but Panther doesn’t have a cellphone yet. He does have e-mail and AIM, so they exchange e-mails because Sena doesn’t have AIM. By this point, their soulmate marks seem more like flowers than birthmarks, but they’re still underdeveloped.

2009/2010 – Panther and Sena meet up to celebrate New Years and Sena’s belated birthday since they’re finally both living in the states now (even if it’s an almost four hour plane ride apart), end up deciding that they’re dating. They have a good idea what they’re getting in though because they’ve been long distance friends with a fourteen hour time zone difference so at least now they can more feasibly see each other when they don’t have football commitments

Kid and Tetsuma

2006 – Kid, being the only son of a noble family was going through arranged marriage hell. Texted Tetsuma, “Save me,” both kind of half jokingly, half for serious. So Tetsuma shows up in nice clothing (because Kid’s always talking about how people get overly dressed up to come over to their estate) and kind of just showed up during a marriage prospect meeting, held Kid’s gaze a long moment, bowed on his knees to Kid’s parents like a good wedding prospect, and then promptly slung Kid over his shoulder, and rescued him. They’ve been together ever since. Honestly probably would have dated in high school but social pressure got in the way.

Venue:

It’s a large, sprawling ranch/inn in Wyoming. It’s large enough to accommodate everyone. There are horses to ride, a functioning farm, and a view of mountains in the distance. Everyone chipped in money to secure it not only because it was in a location the press wouldn’t bother all of them, but also because it sounded like a fun time no one could pass up. Kid and Tetsuma helped organize the whole thing so nobody would be priced out of coming especially if they had to fly from Japan or elsewhere to come.

Wedding:

The wedding is set up outdoors with everyone gathered around the altar so it’s les syour side and my side and more umbrella shaped. Kid and Tetsuma enter together, Tetsuma breaks off at a full run and Kid quick draws the bouquet, shoot it towards Tetsuma, who catches it and holds it through the whole ceremony. The ceremony is kind of a mix of typical American wedding stuff said by the ordained and then the vows are Shinto, though there is no sake. Kind of a mix of Kid and Tetsuma’s love of the wild west and their commitment to each other which follows more of a love, respect, console, help, and protect than a love, honor, cherish, and obey.

Reception:

It’s in the great hall of the ranch/inn. Lots of wild west/ranch/cowboy chic happening. Variety of food, mix of American and Japanese traditions. Kid tells the flashback about Tetsuma rescuing him from an arranged marriage. Reception ends at sunset and they ride off into the sunset together, heading to a nearby campsite to kick off whatever their honeymoon will be.

#adventures in fic writing

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jayjay879 · 5 years ago

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What’s up with the way The Royal Heir portrays Texas?

I’ve been on hiatus for work and just caught up through Chapter 10. I grew up in a small town here and have lived all over the state — in some of the biggest cities and in rural areas. @playchoices has gotten most of it wrong... (This little calf though is so damn cute!)

Keep in mind that Texas has over 65 cities with at least 50,000 people in them. There are plenty of rural towns, but they’re usually in between those cities and/or around one of the big 4 metro areas (DFW, Houston, San Antonio, and Austin.) Texans do work hard and have jobs in almost every industry — yes, there’s ranching and agriculture, but also oil, tech, healthcare, retail, etc.

We also like to kick back and relax at festivals, breweries, wineries, biergartens, the coast, one of the rivers or lakes, football / basketball / baseball / soccer / hockey games, races, amusement parks, water parks, museums, zoos, aquariums, city parks and state parks, the hill country, etc. We like all types of food and celebrations from all different cultures because we’re people from all different types of backgrounds. (Did you know there’s more Asians in Texas than there are people in Delaware?) Don’t let a select few public figures fool you on what it’s like here. And even in smaller areas, we use more modern tech than people give us credit for.

Don’t get me wrong: our state has plenty of things wrong with it. The bad things that make headlines are generally not something we’re proud of or really agree with (especially the younger generations.) But a majority of the 29ish million people here are good-hearted and treat each other like neighbors.

But going back to the story, if we’re talking about strictly rural areas, here’s the big misconceptions I’ve seen:

- There really aren’t that many fairs in small towns or big cities. They don't serve a purpose for cattle. Small towns have stockyards that have bidding every few weeks. Texas has way more festivals and what we call picnics (they’re more like carnivals) — even in towns with less than 1,000 people. At these events, you see more BBQ cook offs, car shows, dancing, and games.

- We have the State Fair in Dallas (https://bigtex.com/) and some rodeos throughout the year. They have some events like a stockyard, bull riding, and mutton busting (where kids ride sheep.) But many people watch those events as a precursor to the concerts (https://www.sarodeo.com/.)

- The biggest ranches in Texas — that can drive a substantial profit from ranching — are hundreds of thousands of acres and are run like (or managed by) corporations. Many of the ranches the size of the Walker Ranch are run as side jobs because cattle are expensive to raise and can’t be relied on for consistent income. Our family had seven one hundred-acre plots of land when I was growing up that was shared with my extended family. The work was few and far between — mostly helping build or mend fences which was a pain in the Texas heat. Many of the people who made a living in ranching took care of other people’s cattle because there wasn’t much to do on their own land, or people just loaned out their land to others who needed a place to put their cattle in order to keep their agriculture or livestock exemption for their land until they need to use it again. Otherwise, it takes years to get the ag exemption back.

- The reason the Walkers aren’t doing well financially is probably because of their outdated ranching practices (think several decades outdated.) We use ranch trucks or 4-wheelers when dealing with cattle in the pasture. The trucks are even registered differently with the state (you’ll usually see “Farm Truck” on the license plate.) It makes it easier to bring tools out with you and to keep the cattle rounded up if we need for them to be. When it’s time to sell cattle, we use trailers.

- Horses are even more expensive to maintain and need a lot of care, so they’re used more for recreational horseback riding. And most people that use them for that pay to have them held at a stable or equestrian center, cared for by the people that run those facilities, and end up riding or training their horses there. The ones that keep them and care for them on their own land really don’t use them for cattle — much less to herd cattle to a stockyard. It would exhaust the horses, block off entire roads, and take way too much time compared to driving.

- The people who were helping the Walkers who then bailed usually wouldn’t be seen often in small towns here. Reputation is everything, so if word gets out that you can’t be relied on, you probably won’t be hired elsewhere. Plus, many that help on the land are part of the family or good family friends that have known you for years. If a ranch can’t competitively pay the people, the ranch owners usually talk to them in advance as a way to say “We know you have to provide for your family,” and “We understand / no hard feelings if you can’t.” It’s also usually also temporary. The reputation thing goes both ways, so ideally those owners do (at least from what I’ve seen) treat their people well.

- People don’t really camp on their land in Texas. They go to state parks because we don’t have many forests (outside of said state parks.) Most rural areas have pastures and most people who own land like that have camp houses (which are like bigger cabins for hunting season.)

- Bears aren’t what cause issues here. We do have some black bears, but they’re rarely seen — they don’t really approach people. Hogs are more dangerous. They can be up to three feet tall and 400 pounds (https://tpwd.texas.gov/huntwild/wild/nuisance/feral_hogs/). They’re what parents warn their kids about if they’re in the country at night. They can mess you up if they charge at you and can total a car. A toll road put in from Austin to San Antonio — which was built without true knowledge of the area — didn’t account for barriers to keep hogs off the road. It’s led to crazy accidents in the area like this one: https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/update-hogs-on-sh-130-cause-18-wheeler-rollover-crash-thursday/. Other things that people have to watch out for when they’re in the country on foot are wild cats — like mountain lions or bobcats (http://texasnativecats.org/cats-of-texas/) and snakes. I may be missing some of the wildlife though...

- Did they mention a salmon from their fishing trip? I may have misread that, but I thought it said Liam threw one for the bear to chase. We don’t have salmon here: https://tpwd.texas.gov/landwater/water/aquaticspecies/inland.phtml. Liam must have picked one up from H-E-B. We also fish more at the coast or lakes than rivers. We use rivers for tubing: https://www.wideopencountry.com/tubing-in-texas/

- It was thoughtful for Maxwell to give his brother a motorbike, but the tires would likely not survive offroad terrain in Texas between soft ground due (like clay and expansive soil) in the Eastern part of the state, rocks in the Western part of the state, and thorns in underbrush (like huisache) that will mess up tires. That’s why we use 4-wheelers and trucks for offroading — their tires can handle more. We still use motorbikes and dirt bikes, but usually on roads or dirt courses.

- Cowboy hats really aren’t always great for working outside. It’s too damn hot here. We always did baseball caps because they breathe better and the sweat doesn’t get trapped. Most people where cowboy hats to special events — whether they’re from smaller towns or from the city and don’t really work outside. Smaller town people use them for things like weddings and town festivals, wearing a nicer button down and slacks or nice jeans. Both small town people and city people use them for festivals with a sleeveless top or loose button down and shorts. Both usually wear boots too for those occasions.

- Maxwell is going to die if he wears that that puffy jacket — the heat index can get high during the day here. Liam’s outfit looks more like what accordion players wear to festivals. Drake’s looks more on par, but he could use some color. Blue and red plaid — like our state flag — are much more common. Bertrand looks like an old time oil tycoon. Riley’s hat looks like it’s going to slip off the back of her head because it’s so big. Hana’s looks the most on point, but most people don’t bear their mid drift unless they’re at a festival. It’ll leave you with some major sun burns and weird tan lines. Plus loose shirts stay cooler in the heat, keep mosquitoes at bay, and block direct sun.

I really want to finish this game out, but I think I was expecting more of a royal take on the royal heir storyline. Plus these weird takes on what they think life is like in Texas...

#the royal heir #the royal romance #choices: stories you play #choices trr #king liam #hana lee #drake walker #maxwell beaumont #bertrand beaumont #savannah walker #the royal heir texas

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frontproofmedia · 3 years ago

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Jermell Charlo vs. Brian Castano Virtual Press Conference Quotes

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Published: July 07, 2021

“My experience inside and outside of the ring has all led up to this. Now is the time for me to put it all on the line,” – Charlo “This is the fight of my life…The chance to become undisputed is just ten days away and I can’t wait,” – Castaño Unified WBC, WBA and IBF Champion Charlo Battles WBO World Champion Castaño In Undisputed 154-Pound Title Showdown Saturday, July 17 Live on SHOWTIME from AT&T Center in San Antonio in Premier Boxing Champions Event

SAN ANTONIO (July 7, 2021) – Unified WBC, WBA and IBF World Champion Jermell Charlo and WBO World Champion Brian Castaño took part in a virtual press conference Wednesday to preview their battle for the undisputed 154-pound championship which headlines action live on SHOWTIME Saturday, July 17 from AT&T Center in San Antonio in a Premier Boxing Champions event. Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Lions Only Promotions and TGB Promotions, are on sale now and can be purchased through www.attcenter.com SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and will see the hard-hitting unified champion Charlo and the exciting Argentine Castaño go toe-to-toe as all of the super welterweight championship belts are on the line for the first time in the four-belt era. Here is what the fighters had to say Wednesday:

JERMELL CHARLO “We have 10 days to go and I’m excited. This is the most important time of my life. I love this. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid. My experience inside and outside of the ring has all led up to this. Now is the time for me to put it all on the line. “Castaño is going to leave everything in the ring. So we’re not playing any games. I’ve been training really hard. I’ve added things that have made me better because I know for a fact that this is going to be a great fight. “I love my home state of Texas and I love fighting there. We’re bred differently. We’re a state that’s fought our own wars. This is huge. It’s a legacy fight for me and I’m ready for it. “I know what I possess in the ring. When it’s time to fight, I instantly become the best warrior that there is out there. “I’ve suffered my whole life, so there’s nothing in this world that can make me suffer more than what I went through growing up. Castaño is a great fighter who puts on a lot of pressure. But I know my abilities and I know my power. Every punch I throw is dominant and every shot I throw is painful for my opponent. I have a lot of unique abilities in me and I’m going to bring some tricks into this fight. “I haven’t punched Castaño yet so I don’t know what his chin will do when I hit him. I know he’s got a big heart. I’m just going to do what I do, which is what everyone knows that I do. Everyone sees what I can do each time I get into the ring. “I’ve been feeling really good in training camp. Better than I’ve ever felt. I’m in my prime right now and I feel stronger fight by fight. I’ve been developing every camp. “I’ve got belts on belts and he’s got one belt. I’m ready to take that strap too. I’ve been paying attention to what he’s been doing. I haven’t just been sitting around since I fought Jeison Rosario. I’ve been working. “Right now I’m not worried about what’s happening after this fight. I can only focus on what’s in front of me. I’m tunnel-visioned right now. This is what I want and I can’t see anything outside of victory on July 17. “You’re going to see a more developed Jermell Charlo on July 17. I guarantee you’re going to see a top pound-for-pound fighter. At any point, this fight could be over with. “This is a major fight because it’s history for me and my family. It’s huge for everyone that I represent and that’s been supporting me for all these years. It was due time to get in there for this fight. The belts and the money are not on my mind. What’s on my mind is the legacy. “Not a lot of people get these opportunities. This fight is going to solidify a lot of different things in people’s minds about the Charlos.”

BRIAN CASTAÑO “This is my opportunity. This is the fight of my life. I’m a world champion and Charlo is a world champion. The chance to become undisputed is just ten days away and I can’t wait. This is my time. This fight is so important for my life. I hope to become undisputed on July 17 for my country and for my Latin supporters. “This is one of the most important fights in Argentina’s history. It’s for four belts, undisputed at 154 pounds. It’s a great opportunity for my team, my manager, my family and most importantly, for me. This will be the hardest fight of my career. “Charlo is a great fighter, there’s no doubt about it. But I came here to do my job and I’m going to come forward. I’m the type of fighter that is always going after you. I’m always there to pressure you. Even though Charlo said that I don’t have anything he hasn’t seen before, he has never seen anybody with my fighting style. “I’ve seen Charlo knock down a lot of fighters with just one punch. That’s something to look out for. However, I have more of a variety in my arsenal than anybody he has fought before. If I have to be more aggressive and go for more power instead of finesse, rest assured that I can knock him down as well. “Ring rust will not be an issue at all. I train every day. I spar three times a week. I’ve been training twice a day lately. I am in rhythm and in shape. I am coming for the four belts. “On July 17, I can guarantee that I will bare my soul, I will leave my heart in the ring and do everything in my power to become the undisputed, unified champion of the world. “I think that Charlo is in the prime of his career as well. That’s why I looked for this fight. This is the fight I’ve been looking for because we are both in the best moment of our career, and I want to take advantage of it. “I am out for glory. I want to be the first in history to be undisputed champion at 154 pounds in the four-belt era and also be one of the best Argentinian and Latin American boxers that ever lived. I’m going for it all. I’m going to leave it all out there on Saturday night and there’s no reason why I can’t be both one of the best pound-for-pound fighters and also one of the best Argentinian boxers ever. “If I win, the glory would be equal to a potential Argentina World Cup title next year. However, soccer is different because you have ten other people that you can rely on. Messi has ten teammates that he can pass the ball to when things get tough, but when I’m in the ring I’m on my own. Boxing is more of an individual challenge. When I’m up against the ropes, I have to get out of it on my own. The glory and the excitement of a win would be the same as an Argentina World Cup for my country. “This opportunity to make history for my country and for Latin American people brings out very strong emotions in me. I don’t want to let down my Latin American people from all over the world. I feel an immense amount of pride in that and I am up to the challenge. “I have not had the opportunity to meet Manu Ginobili, but he is an icon in Argentinian sports. He is one of the best ever and what he represents is iconic both as an athlete and as a person. He has both my admiration and my respect. “I am aware that people may not know me, but I’m here to create my own path and pave my own way. I know that I haven’t fought that much lately and maybe that’s part of the reason why people don’t know me, but I turned down fights against opponents that weren’t of the caliber that I wanted to face. My goal has always been to go up against the best of the best and the elite of my division. I have that chance now and I’m going to prove why I deserve this chance and why I’m worth following.”

#HF #Jermell Charlo #Brian Castano #Showtime Sports #Premier Boxing Champions

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gadgetsrevv · 5 years ago

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U.S., Mexico expectations for Friday’s friendly? Test their next waves of talent for bigger tests to come

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Friday’s friendly at MetLife Stadium between the U.S. and Mexico doesn’t come with a ton of emotional baggage or themes of revenge. The historic animosity between longtime rivals is present, but both sides will be looking to get something a bit more meaningful out of their latest friendly.

ESPN’s Tom Marshall and Noah Davis preview the match from both perspectives.

U.S. point of view: Biggest test yet for the “kids”

The point of sport is to win, of course, but perhaps it’s also to learn. That’s especially true for a national team, who plays endless friendlies that present learning opportunities intermingled with the qualifiers and tournaments in which victory is always the ultimate objective. When the USMNT takes the field against Mexico on Friday, a rematch in name if not in reality off the back of El Tri‘s 1-0 Gold Cup final win in July, U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter will be seeking forward momentum more than balls in the back of the net.

“A very consistent theme since we’ve been together is to just keep progressing,” he said in the lead-up to the game. “We got to a certain point in the Gold Cup. We want to analyze where we got to, and now can we build on that in this next game, in this next phase?”

– Berhalter: Dest will start vs. Mexico – O’Hanlon: Dest is proof of U.S. progress in developing talent

Continuing to build on “that,” the style and philosophy Berhalter brought to the team after his December 2018 hire would be a welcome sight for American fans who watched the squad flounder in an awkward limbo for a half-decade. Early returns have been decent if not spectacular, most notably a strong Gold Cup in which the Americans dominated until they didn’t and never looked overmatched.

Against Mexico (and Uruguay in St. Louis on Tuesday), Berhalter has close to a full-strength roster — Tyler Adams, DeAndre Yedlin, Tim Weah and Matt Miazga are missing due to injury — and 180 minutes to test ideas, theories and combinations. “Every player on the team is a puzzle piece,” said defender Aaron Long, one of the last year’s biggest success stories.

Berhalter’s goal over this break is simply to see what the next wave of talent has to offer as well as give more thought to where Pulisic fits best in this U.S. team.

The most important puzzle piece is where Christian Pulisic best fits. It’s not a new conundrum. Both Jurgen Klinsmann and Bruce Arena tried — and succeeded/failed in equal measure — to figure out where to play the American’s most dynamic attacker. Berhalter’s choice about Pulisic will dictate a great deal of the rest of the formation. The Chelsea acquisition is listed as a forward on the latest roster, as opposed to the midfield role he occupied in the pre-Gold Cup releases. This might mean that the coach sees his young star playing farther up the field, likely out on a wing with Josh Sargent in the middle, or it might mean that Pulisic will play farther back and that an “F” or an “M” next to his name means little.

It’s also a chance to continue integrating the next generation into the national team.

“The youth wave for the U.S. is coming,” FC Dallas defender Reggie Cannon said. “I feel like I’m having gray hairs in the back of my head at 21. I don’t know why. But I’m always excited about this youth.”

The fact is simple: a roster comprised of American players 24 and under would be the favorite to beat a starting XI of guys 25 and up. Making this transition as seamlessly as possible needs to be a priority. Mexico and Uruguay, two quality but beatable sides, present wonderful opportunities to find out who of the newer crew can hang in Berhalter’s proactive style.

The coach understands this. He knows how valuable the games, and the trainings are for the future prospects. For example, there’s a shot for Atlanta United FC center-back Miles Robinson. “It’s a chance for us to get an up-close look at him,” Berhalter said. “We know he has the physical talent. We know he’s a competitor. We know he’s had a great season so far for Atlanta. It’s nice to get him in our environment and see how he can adapt to our style of play.” It’s high praise for the 22-year-old, and Berhalter could offer similar sentiments about at least a half dozen players in camp.

2022 World Cup qualifying begins in roughly a year. The process, as always, continues.

— Noah Davis

Mexico point of view: Stay perfect under Martino

A victory for Mexico over the United States in a noncompetitive game would exorcise the stat that El Tri hasn’t defeated the Stars and Stripes in a friendly since 1999. Also at stake is Mexico head coach Gerardo “Tata” Martino’s undefeated record in his first 10 games in charge.

Obviously, the Gold Cup final was the big one for the rivalry and a victory for the U.S. wouldn’t change that or bring much in the way of revenge. In fact, it would possibly fuel the perception — at least for El Tri fans — that Mexico tends to be the team that wins when it matters. The stats in games since 2000 may be 14 wins, eight losses and six draws but in official competition, Mexico has won eight of the past 15 games (8-6-1).

Mexico does head into this game as a significant favorite. Martino has 31 players in camp and the return of Hector Herrera, Jesus “Tecatito” Corona, Javier Hernandez, Hirving Lozano and Miguel Layun means that El Tri is much stronger than it was during the Gold Cup. The victory over the U.S. in the final came without arguably Mexico’s best two players (Herrera, Lozano) and the national team’s all-time top scorer (Hernandez). Martino himself said “we will be better” after the Gold Cup final and referenced those absentees.

– Martino brings strong Mexico squad to U.S.

The big question mark is which starting XI Martino will put out on Friday given the number of players in his squad and a game against Argentina coming up on Tuesday in San Antonio. More than the result, Martino will be looking closely at what those returning players can bring.

Martino is thought to be delighted with the progress of the younger players, particularly at how they have adopted his methods. The thinking is that Mexico will play the group stage of the CONCACAF Nations League (Bermuda, Panama) with the younger group, with a few of the more experienced players sprinkled in. Therefore, these games against the U.S. and Argentina will be used by Martino to figure out which players of the Europe-based players will be best suited for CONCACAF Nations league action.

For example, there seems to be little point in bringing both Raul Jimenez and Hernandez to play away against Bermuda given that one is guaranteed to be on the bench in Martino’s 4-3-3 system. (It’ll probably be one of Andres Guardado or Erick Gutierrez.) Equally, the Pulisic vs. Lozano angle — mainly pushed in the Spanish-language media — may not have any legs given both aren’t exactly the most brash personalities willing to trash-talk, but it will nevertheless be of interest to see two of CONCACAF’s best attacking on the same field and on opposite teams. Having such quality has to be good for the rivalry, especially given both are now playing for European clubs that are expected to be fighting for titles.

Lastly, this should be an entertaining game. Mexico has usually been the protagonist in this rivalry in terms of having the ball and taking the game to the U.S., something that’s continued under Martino’s aggressive style, but with Berhalter as coach, it seems like Stars and Stripes are now looking to play more front-foot soccer, meaning there should be plenty of space for the attacking talents on both teams to shine.

— Tom Marshall

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#Uncategorized #Mexico expectations for Friday #U.S. U.S.#Mexico expectations for Friday’s friendly?

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rickhorrow · 5 years ago

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10 TO WATCH : MAYOR’S EDITION 71519

RICK HORROW’S TOP 10 SPORTS/BIZ/TECH/PHILANTHROPY ISSUES FOR THE WEEK OF JULY 15 : MAYOR’S EDITION

with Jacob Aere

Last week, a ticker-tape parade through Manhattan. Now, it's back to work. In the wake of the USWNT’s fourth World Cup title, boosting interest in the nine-team National Women's Soccer League, where all 23 members of the USWNT compete, is now top priority. As JohnWallStreet notes, capitalizing on the World Cup frenzy is easier said than done, especially when attendance is already a struggle. Portland averages 18,000 fans and Utah averages 11,000, but the other seven franchises average fewer than 5,000. While the NWSL still boasts the majority of the world's top players (including reigning world player of the year Marta), Europe is closing the gap. Wealthy clubs like Olympique Lyon and Barcelona have upped their investments in women's soccer, leading to a record seven European countries reaching this year's World Cup quarterfinals. If the NWSL can't keep up, the balance of power in the sport could ultimately shift — both at the club level (Americans could be lured overseas by bigger paychecks) and internationally (continued investment could threaten the USWNT's dominance). With the future of U.S. women's soccer at stake, the NWSL must seize the moment like never before.

87% of the top 30 advertisers that ran spots during the Women’s World Cup also did so during the Men’s World Cup last year, according to a MediaRadar study. “Looking at how top industries spent TV ad dollars on each tournament, we notice several similarities, but also some differences,” said Todd Krizelman, CEO and Co-Founder of MediaRadar. “Industries such as Retail and Media and Entertainment accounted for a similar share of the ad dollars in both tournaments, but then there were industries where the share of spend was noticeably different.” Industries that accounted for a larger share of spend during the men's tournament included Technology, Non-Alcoholic Beverages, and Beer, Wine and Spirits, while Finance & Real Estate, Apparel, Home Furnishings, and Toiletries and Cosmetics accounted for a larger share of spend during the women’s events. This is yet another sign that consumers, and their brands, view the women’s national team to be every bit as economically viable as the men’s.

DC-based educational technology leader EVERFI has partnerships with the NFL and United Way, as well as MLB, the NHL, and NBA. But it’s a recent alignment with the EPL that is taking up much of co-founder Jon Chapman's time these days. Chapman, who serves as EVERFI's head of global partnerships, last Friday spoke with SportsBusiness Daily about working with some of the premier leagues in sports, his favorite places to travel, and his family's most recent trip across the pond. "I recently got back from London after meeting with the EPL, and they’ve got a really innovative program called Primary Stars, which focuses on elementary age students. We are helping them bring that program to the U.S.,” Chapman said. “It’s a lot of fun working with this variety of leagues, and the way it came about is really just that the sports world is a small one. If you do well by one of the leagues, there’s a really strong network effect.” And as mental health issues and suicide rates climb across the U.S., EVERFI last week launched important new courses to help colleges and universities support students during transitional periods – a critical need as students return to campuses across the nation next month.

Minor League Baseball has announced its list of Top 25 teams in licensed merchandise sales for 2018, with the combined totals of all 160 teams setting a MiLB record with more than $73.8 million in retail sales. The $73.8 million total marks a 4.2% increase over 2017’s record total. The Top 25 list includes: Albuquerque Isotopes, Charleston RiverDogs, Charlotte Knights, Columbia Fireflies, Columbus Clippers, Corpus Christi Hooks, Durham Bulls, El Paso Chihuahuas, Fort Wayne TinCaps, Gwinnett Stripers, Hartford Yard Goats, Indianapolis Indians, Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, Lehigh Valley IronPigs, Nashville Sounds, Pawtucket Red Sox, Portland Sea Dogs, Richmond Flying Squirrels, Rochester Red Wings, Sacramento River Cats, Salt Lake Bees, San Antonio Missions, Tacoma Rainiers, Toledo Mud Hens, and Trenton Thunder. Rick recently spoke with Octagon Executive Vice President Woody Thompson, who leads that agency’s baseball practice. Here’s what Thompson shared: “Baseball has done a really great job. From a municipal standpoint, their engagement with these cities has been fantastic and the cities have really gotten behind it…Baseball has a place in this country in the hearts and minds of everybody. Whether you’re a kid or you’re an adult, baseball is there for you.”

After a Wimbledon for the ages, World Team Tennis, U.S. hardcourts return. Armed with new CEO Carlos Silva, two new franchises, a new TV partner, and a new streaming partner, World Team Tennis returns for its 44th season this month, with the eight-team league, which now includes the Vegas Rollers and Orlando Storm, and features 16 matches on CBS Sports channels July 14-August 3, including the league’s debut on broadcast TV July 21. While we won’t see Wimbledon champs Simona Halep and Novak Djokovic competing, this year’s WTT athletes include returning players Venus Williams, Sloane Stephens, Bob and Mike Bryan, Madison Keys, Victoria Azarenka, Monica Puig, Eugenie Bouchard, and John Isner. Elsewhere, the 2019 Citi Open in Washington, DC will see fans offered a new fan experience showcasing D.C.’s “most innovative” culinary fare. Levy will be the exclusive food and beverage partner for the long-running tennis tournament. In a delicious new twist, Levy will rebrand concessions and VIP hospitality fare throughout the tournament grounds with customized menus from Chef Jose Andres and favored local D.C. eateries.

As David Beckham took in Wimbledon action on Centre Court, his MLS Inter Miami franchise secured permission from city commissioners to build a soccer-specific stadium in Fort Lauderdale. The motion was approved for the City of Fort Lauderdale to enter into a comprehensive agreement with Beckham’s MLS project to develop the Lockhart Stadium site. Inter Miami, which will join MLS in 2020, plans to invest up to $60 million to construct a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat stadium at the site of the now demolished Lockhart Stadium. The venue will temporarily house the MLS franchise for two seasons while the club looks to construct a permanent stadium in Miami on a 73-acre site near Melreese golf course. Lockhart site construction will begin once the FAA approves the process due to the site’s proximity to Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport. Meanwhile, Beckham is working with his new Studio 99 content house and LeBron James’ Uninterrupted to co-produce a documentary series charting the launch of Inter Miami. Studio 99 already has a slate of projects in development with a broad focus beyond sports.

The New York Islanders have revealed plans for a new train station as part of their $1.26 billion redevelopment project at Belmont Park. The total train station cost, which will be part of the Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) line, is expected to be $105 million. $97 million of that figure will be funded by redevelopment group New York Arena Partners, with the state providing the remaining $8 million. According to Newsday, the train station will be partially open by 2021, when the Islanders hope to open their new arena, and fully operational by 2023. The service is expected to alleviate concerns over a lack of public transport to the Belmont Park site, which as well as a 19,000-seat arena and entertainment complex is to feature a 250-room hotel and 435,000 square feet of retail space. The announcement of Long Island’s first new LIRR station in nearly 50 years coincided with the release of new analysis of the project’s economic impact. The study claims that the new arena, hotel, and retail village will generate nearly $50 million in new public revenue per year and produce $725 million in annual economic output.

Ever since Steve Ballmer bought the team, the Los Angeles Clippers have done their best to make an impression in a market long dominated by the Lakers. While the Lakers cratered last season, the Clippers created a blue-collar identity en route to a playoff appearance. With a net worth of $42 billion, Ballmer is the wealthiest owner in North American sports, and he's utilized that wealth to bulk up the Clippers' front office and medical staff — two areas of increasing importance in an era of load management. Off the court, the Clippers have carved out their own space in Los Angeles in hopes of attracting new fans and being viewed as much more than a little brother. Ballmer has donated more than $10 million to build 350 Clippers-branded public basketball courts throughout the city — a philanthropic effort that doubles as a way to win the hearts and minds of young L.A. residents. There are also plans for the team to move into a new, privately-financed arena in Inglewood by 2024. The L.A. basketball landscape dramatically changed last week — and if Ballmer has his way, that change could be permanent.

Captain Morgan is toasting Major League Soccer, courtesy of a new agreement to become the league’s official spiced rum and exclusive spirits partner through 2022. The new deal names Captain Morgan as an official sponsor of MLS All-Star – taking place in a few weeks in Orlando – the Campeones Cup (August 14), and MLS Cup (November 10). Fans will soon be able to purchase custom-labeled bottles of Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum featuring official team colors and crests. “From New York to Seattle to Los Angeles, everything about Major League Soccer, its intensely passionate fan base, the atmosphere at each match, and the exciting growth of the sport in the U.S. mirrors the energy that Captain Morgan stands for,” said Christina Choi, DIAGEO Senior Vice President, Rum, Gin, and Tequila. “Our goal is to reward that dedicated fan base, and the crews that get together to support their clubs each and every week, with the fun only Captain can bring.” The rum brand also becomes an official sponsor of Chicago Fire Soccer Club, D.C. United, New York City FC, Philadelphia Union, and Seattle Sounders FC.

MLS-Liga MX Leagues Cup confirms domestic rights deals for new North American soccer tournament. According to SportsPro, ESPN and Univision have secured U.S. rights to the inaugural Leagues Cup, the new continental club soccer competition featuring eight teams from MLS and Liga MX, North America’s two powerhouse leagues. ESPN will host U.S. English-language coverage across both its linear and over-the-top channels throughout the seven-match tournament, which kicks off July 23. ESPN+ will stream three quarter-final matches including Chicago Fire v Cruz Azul on the opening day, as well as Houston Dynamo v Club America, and Real Salt Lake v Tigres UANL on July 24. This is a bold move to further the passion for soccer in North America; a move that will prove fruitful in the long run for MLS, which sees some of the youngest average fan ages when compared to other major North American sports leagues.

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barcelonapremiersoccerclub · 5 months ago

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Join the best youth soccer in San Antonio at Barcelona Premier Soccer Club! Offering elite training, professional coaching, and a pathway to soccer excellence for kids of all ages. Register today and elevate your game with us!

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pattyandandrewridebikes · 6 years ago

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Andrew thinks about his life

This is not what our blog will look like as we will not be taking computers nor writing 1000s of words on our phone, but here, at my parents’ house, a couple days before we officially hit the road, here’s some long-form blogging for you! We will be writing postcards though--if you want one, here’s a link to share your address: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScDzEMz9lq7eDoo-uE7eOtLAp3LVPWTH-Rz2e5GP23fcbB_Ig/viewform

For me the Salinas Valley begins where my first bike was stolen.

This thought occurs to me at my parents' house, two days before Patty and I leave to Big Sur. We're already several days into the trip but we've yet to ride our bikes besides the 100 yards from the train baggage car back to where my parents waited with our stuff back at the train station.

Obviously a waterway "begins," so to speak, from its headwaters. The Salinas was dammed at two of its headwaters forty-odd years ago, in the great post-war damming that coincided with the great interstating and subdividing and all those other great things that happened, and is now fed by "Lakes" San Antonio and Nacimiento. Even those waterways feed an already 100-mile long Salinas. It's a long usually underground river--it doesn't ever materialize as a river, so it seems silly to think of it as starting somewhere. It seems just as reasonable to say the valley starts where the river empties in to the ocean, as that's usually where it looks most river-like, aided by ocean waters flowing back into it (see previous post for a visual aide).

What I mean by the valley beginning for me in this spot is that I came to know the Salinas Valley through the context of this little nook Steinbeck called the Pastures of Heaven, the last major watershed to meet the Salinas from the south before it conveys itself to the Monterey Bay, not unlike the Willamette serves as the last major river to drain into the Columbia out of Oregon before it reaches the Pacific. I grew up along what is called Toro Creek, and for a period of time I rode my bike to San Benancio Middle School. The campus sits at the beginning of a plane that expands to meet and become the Salinas Valley. I left the gated housing development I lived in, went through a chain-linked/wooden slatted door to the '60s-era development adjacent (but locked out from us), and rode to school. The main entrance/exit was at the other side of the development that leads to the original school in the district (the site featured in Pastures of Heaven) up Corral de Tierra. That one was the only one designed for cars to come and go, and thereby the only one meant to function. I think we once had a key, or came home with someone who did, but more often than not we had to send someone through a hole in the fence a few feet from the gate to come and open it. I'm not sure if the chosen runner taunted us and jokingly decided not to open the gate or if that's just a movie trope wandered into my memory. For the most part I remember being alone, and crawling through the fence hole without a bike. Most of the kids in my neighborhood went to private schools, and my brother was already in high school.

The end of my ride I'd have to cross busy San Benancio Road. Not far down from where two of my classmates got in a deadly car accident years later, after I went to Monterey High and lost touch with everyone I went to school with and never really got to know anyway. I'd then get to ride across a little wooden bridge over the creek draining the hills above the school, and then ride behind the gym to the bike racks, and from there the campus opened up to the playground, track and field as the space between Toro Creek, those hills, and the little creek I crossed opened up into the Salinas Valley. I never locked the bike--it wasn't something that occurred to me--and one evening, after being carpooled back from soccer practice, or something--I don't know--the bike wasn't there. Someone's dad drove me to the fence at the edge of our development and I crawled through it and didn't ride a bike again for years.

This thought occurred to me not as a bicycle thought, but one of land, dirt and geology, as I was thinking about the soil of my father's raised beds. He is proud of the garden him and my mom have made together, and the epic de-rooting projects my brother and I participated in the first years we were here. He tells people about the tomato farm that predated the Toro Park housing development. I imagine the loam to be connected to the rest of the Salinas Valley in some kind of flooded soil-enriching bonanza my cartoonish understand of geology whips up. The Mediterranean enclave producing the garnish for the Salad Bowl of the World (KSBW is our NBC affiliate :-). Today I saw the Salinas River flowing higher under the Highway 68 bridge than I can remember this century, the floods of 1995 being the last time I saw the waterway ballooning up and out of its usually dry, sandy bed where a ferry crossing once connected the Pastures of Heaven with the Salinas Valley. I followed that flattened in plane in my mind up our abbreviated valley. I thought about the first house my parents lived in there, and the gardens they built between the house and the creek. I never got to know that house, but I got to know the area two years later when we moved into the new gated development next door. I rode my bike all over it, and off into the hills behind it. The furthest I ever rode it was the closest I ever rode to the Salinas Valley. And that's where I some asshole stole it from me. From what I can remember it was a red Mongoose, and from what I've pieced together learning about bikes years later, it was likely a 20" bmx-ish kids single speed with only a coaster brake and my foot to stop it.

The Salinas Valley is far greater than little Toro Creek that only makes every other year if you're lucky. For me, however, there's something mystical about this place. That could simply be the hallucinatory refraction of reality through my own self-absorbed lens. Or something to do with the story told in the Pastures of Heaven, itself a myth. Spanish missionaries stumbled upon las pasturas del cielo after chasing those of the indigenous population that escaped their attempt to enslave and convert them to Christianity. The missionary soldiers were in awe of the land's beauty after summitting Laureles Grade out of Carmel Valley. It is here, so close to the Salinas Valley, where the mission trail would eventually pass, and to Monterey, where the presidio would be established, where someone set on commerce or conversion could get literally lost. A shortcut for those looking to escape the strongholds of capitalism or Christianity, a day's walk back for those needing a job or confession. Between the worlds of Monterey and the Salinas Valley something developed here, a place where people came to live in a separate heavenly world. By the time I was born it had already become a kind of bedroom community for folks working in Monterey or Salinas, but something remains. I can't think of a better place to start riding our bikes.

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michaelwalshblog-blog · 8 years ago

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Los Angeles tops list of dog attacks on mail carriers

The United States Postal Service released its annual dog attack city rankings on April 6, 2017. (Photo: Getty Images)

The United States Postal Service released its annual ranking of cities on Thursday with the most dog attacks on its employees to call attention to safety precautions pet-owners can take.

Dog attacks on postal workers jumped more than 200 from 6,549 in 2015 to 6,755 in 2016. With 80 reported attacks, Los Angeles topped the list of dog attacks by city.

“Some of these carriers are just never the same after that. If you’ve experienced a dog attack, even little kids, they’re then afraid of dogs,” U.S. Postal Service Safety Director Linda DeCarlo told Yahoo News.

DeCarlo lamented that this could rob people of otherwise great bonds that they could form with man’s best friend, emphasizing that the list is not anti-dog.

“We’re not trying to teach people to be afraid of them. We’re just trying to teach people to read the signals,” she said. “They’re protecting their property and they’re protecting their family and we’re just trying to understand each other so that we can prevent the homeowner losing their dog because they bit somebody or us not delivering mail because our carriers feel unsafe coming up to their house.”

She said the Postal Service analyzed dog attacks by zip code to compile the rankings and to inform letter carriers of when they might be in dangerous areas.

The United States Postal Service released the list to encourage dog owners to take steps to help keep its employees safe. (Photo: Getty Images)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that dogs bite more than 4.5 million Americans each year and that half of the victims are children.

“This is a nationwide message, not just a postal message. We’re really preaching responsible pet ownership,” she said.

DeCarlo suggested a few steps that dog owners can take to help protect postal workers: Put the dog in another room before greeting the mail carrier at your door and teach children not to take mail from the carrier directly if there’s a dog in the home.

“They’re designed to protect their family and we’re in their space. We’re near their kids and they’re just reacting the way they’re supposed to,” she said.

The Postal Service also asks customers to indicate whether there are dogs at their homes when they schedule package pickups.

DeCarlo said postal workers undergo special training in dog-bite prevention, such as using their satchel to create a barrier between their bodies and the dog and handling non-harmful dog-repellent spray.

She said that the Postal Service added more than one million delivery points in 2016 and hired more employees so that their exposure is higher.

“The places we’re going to deliver packages and mail is increasing. When you look at the stats, the numbers are increasing but they’re not going up per every delivery,” she explained.

DeCarlo said dog bites in 2016 cost over $2 million in medical expenses and wage-loss compensation.

“6,000 people that either can’t go to their kids soccer game or have to lose time from work is a huge expense on a personal level and a financial level,” she said.

The top 30 list was released in anticipation of National Dog Bite Prevention Week, which runs from April 9 until April 15. It is comprised of 40 cities altogether because several reported the same number of attacks.

Rank City State 2016 1 LOS ANGELES CA 80 2 HOUSTON TX 62 3 CLEVELAND OH 60 4 SAN DIEGO CA 57 5 LOUISVILLE KY 51 6 DETROIT MI 48 7 DENVER CO 47 8 CHICAGO IL 46 9 INDIANAPOLIS IN 44 10 MINNEAPOLIS MN 43 11 SAN ANTONIO TX 42 12 PORTLAND OR 41 13 DALLAS TX 41 14 PHILADELPHIA PA 40 15 COLUMBUS OH 39 16 BALTIMORE MD 36 17 PHOENIX AZ 35 18 CHARLOTTE NC 33 18 MEMPHIS TN 33 18 FORT WORTH TX 33 19 ST LOUIS MO 31 19 SEATTLE WA 31 20 SACRAMENTO CA 30 20 KANSAS CITY MO 30 21 BUFFALO NY 28 22 BROOKLYN NY 27 23 ST PAUL MN 26 24 NEW ORLEANS LA 25 25 CINCINNATI OH 24 26 WICHITA KS 23 26 OAKLAND CA 23 27 LONG BEACH CA 22 27 FLUSHING NY 22 28 SAN JOSE CA 21 28 LAS VEGAS NV 21 28 AKRON OH 21 29 OKLAHOMA CITY OK 20 29 RICHMOND VA 20 30 FRESNO CA 19 30 WASHINGTON DC 19

Read more from Yahoo News:

Column: Jared and Ivanka ask what their country can do for them

North Korea casts shadow over Trump’s Mar-a-Lago summit with Xi

Why Americans should be mourning the death of the filibuster

Nikki Haley booed at Women in the World summit

Photos: Inside the North Korean military: A look at the rogue nation’s armed services

#_uuid:b01178b8-1221-3186-8722-6b09dd0a2f23 #_author:Michael Walsh #_revsp:Yahoo! News #_lmsid:a077000000CFoGyAAL

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luckylq24-blog · 4 years ago

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socialjusticeartshare · 5 years ago

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Immigrant Kids Were Restrained to Chairs With Bags Over Their Heads at a Juvenile Hall in Virginia

The purpose of their detention, a group of district attorneys argues, should be “protect them from harm, not to punish them.”

Antonio was tired of people calling him names. Staff members at the Virginia juvenile hall where he was held would call him pendejo and “onion head,” he said. After fleeing violence in Mexico at age 15 and arriving alone at the US border, he’d been sent to Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center in 2016 and held alongside American teens while he awaited immigration proceedings. Shenandoah is one of two juvenile halls nationally that the Office of Refugee Resettlement uses to hold unaccompanied minors who are deemed threatening.

Now a group of district attorneys from around the country—including reformers Larry Krasner, Chesa Boudin, and Kim Foxx—have filed a brief citing concerns about the immigrant teens’ treatment there.

Antonio hadn’t broken the law, but his detention in Virginia felt like a punishment: Once, when he got in a fight with an American kid who taunted him, he says staffers restrained him by tying him to a chair for four hours, allegedly hitting him while he sat there. Over a year and a half at Shenandoah, Antonio (not his real name) says he was tied to the chair about five times. In court documents, he recounted that staffers who restrained him would sometimes put a bag over his head, meant to deter biting or spitting. “It had small holes that I could see out of, but only a little,” he said.

Several other immigrants recalled similar scenarios. A boy from Honduras described his time in the chair as almost suffocating. “When you’re in crisis, the bag is the least helpful thing—it’s scary,” he said, adding that he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder before arriving in Virginia. A third teen recalled peeing his pants while restrained in the chair.

The immigrant teens told their stories as part of a lawsuit about conditions at the juvenile hall, first filed in 2017 by the Washington Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs. (Their real names were redacted in legal filings to protect their privacy.) The lawsuit argued that the immigrant teens required trauma-informed mental health care, given the hardships they faced fleeing their home countries. But, the suit alleged, they were instead “subjected to unconstitutional conditions that shock the conscience,” including violence by staff, isolation, and excessive use of the restraint chair.

The case received national attention after the Associated Press reported on it, prompting Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam to order an investigation in 2018. A former child-development specialist who worked at the facility told the AP she saw kids with bruises and broken bones. In court filings, lawyers for the detention center denied all allegations of physical and verbal abuse; they admitted staffers restrained children in a chair after fighting or self-harm, but rejected the kids’ accounts about specific instances. In December 2018, a federal judge found there were grounds to allow a trial over claims of excessive force, but ruled against the claim for better mental health care.

Now, as the teens’ lawyer appeals to a higher court, they have some new allies. On January 13, dozens of elected prosecutors and criminal justice reform advocates filed a brief on their behalf, arguing that the court erred in ruling against them. The prosecutors include some of the country’s most famous reformist district and state’s attorneys: Larry Krasner of Philadelphia; Kim Foxx of Cook County, Illinois; Chesa Boudin of San Francisco; Wesley Bell of Saint Louis County; Rachael Rollins of Suffolk County, Massachusetts; and Marilyn Mosby of Baltimore. They are joined by a handful of attorneys general, including Keith Ellison of Minnesota, the former deputy chair of the Democratic National Committee. “The court’s decision,” they wrote, failed to consider that the immigrant teens “are children, and have not been adjudicated delinquent or convicted of any offense. The purpose of their detention is…to protect them from harm, not to punish them.” But, they added, staffers at the juvenile hall “responded to the Plaintiffs’ acting out with physical abuse and punitive imposition of restraints and solitary confinement.”

The lawsuit claims that immigrant teens at Shenandoah were repeatedly confined to their rooms for minor infractions like not participating in class, complaining about a headache, or accidentally hitting the ceiling with the ball while playing soccer. It says they were sometimes “stripped of their clothes, including, at times, even their underwear, while restricted to their rooms in solitary confinement.” The plaintiff, a teen from Honduras who I’ll call Carlos, told the court about lying face-down on the floor in nothing but his boxers as punishment; repeatedly landing in room confinement for saying angry words and threatening staff members; and taking blows from staffers who hit him for misbehaving. The suit argues these experiences led to further trauma and exacerbated his mental illnesses.

Advocates for immigrant kids argue that aggression or bad behaviors exhibited at shelters generally stem from untreated mental illness, often resulting from trauma they experienced in their home countries or while fleeing. Some of the children interviewed as part of the lawsuit reported previous abuse by family members or strangers, witnessing murders of friends and relatives, being exploited for their labor, and enduring assaults.

Some immigrants started engaging in self-harm at the facility; Antonio said he became suicidal, cut his wrists with a piece of glass or plastic, and banged his head against the floor because he was sad. Another boy said that after he slammed his fist into a door, staffers handcuffed him and strapped him into the chair as he cried. “Staff said that they did it to calm me down,” he said in court filings. Carlos said he repeatedly asked to talk with a psychologist about his angry feelings, but was only allowed to once. Lawyers for the detention center deny he made these requests and say he met repeatedly with a psychiatrist who prescribed him medicine, and that he spoke with a licensed professional counselor once a week. The detention center also denies punishing children for self-harm, or confining them for things like complaining about a headache. Any use of force or restraint, its lawyers said, was justified and legal.

Investigators noted that the juvenile hall was “geared more toward a correctional philosophy and environment than a therapeutic model.”

In mid-2018, Gov. Northam ordered a state investigation of Shenandoah. Investigators interviewed kids at the facility, but only with staffers in the room—something Carlos’ lawyer, Hannah Lieberman, says may have skewed responses. They also reviewed case files and medical records at the facility, but were barred from making any copies or taking handwritten notes. Staffers confirmed they strapped children to a chair and placed mesh bags over their heads to prevent spitting or biting. A few children said they had been abused.

But investigators concluded that the harsh treatment described by kids did not meet the state’s legal threshold for abuse. While the facility did isolate children in their rooms, records suggested that, contrary to what the teens had claimed in the lawsuit, it never lasted more than 24 hours, and tended to be a handful of hours at a time. Investigators did note that the juvenile hall was “geared more toward a correctional philosophy and environment than a therapeutic model,” and recommended training staffers about youth development, deescalation strategies, and trauma-informed care.

A few months later, US District Judge Elizabeth Dillon ruled in December 2018 that there was enough evidence to proceed to trial on claims that staffers used excessive force and restraints on Carlos. But she rejected his claim that the juvenile hall provided mental health care so inadequate that it violated his constitutional rights. “Not surprisingly, plaintiffs desire and advocate for a best practices approach, but the law does not require best practices,” she wrote. “Rather it requires constitutional practices, and that is the issue before the court.”

The district attorneys aren’t buying that argument. In their amicus brief, they argued that “the conditions in which children are detained must account for, and not exacerbate, their trauma.” It is undisputed, they wrote, that many immigrant teens arrived at the Virginia juvenile hall with depression, conduct disorders, anxiety disorders, and PTSD, and that some engaged in self-harm there. “Shenandoah Valley Juvenile Center has egregiously and repeatedly departed from accepted professional norms—including failing to provide adequate mental health treatment to children in its care with known mental health issues and using punitive measures including lengthy solitary confinement,” they wrote. Isolating kids and tying them to a restraint chair for lashing out, they added, would likely worsen mental health problems like panic attacks, suicidal thoughts, psychotic symptoms, and hopelessness. “Because of their special vulnerabilities and needs as adolescents, the use of these approaches is a cruel and harmful practice…and can have long-term deleterious consequences that are difficult to remediate,” Gregory Lewis, a Chicago-based licensed psychologist, wrote in earlier court filings.

Carlos’ attorney, Lieberman, is now appealing to the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. “Punishing kids for behavior that is the consequence of trauma exacerbates the preexisting harm to which they’ve been exposed,” she says. “It’s antithetical to acting in accordance with any kind of professional judgment.” Next month, a juvenile hall in California will stop holding unaccompanied minors for the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which will make the Virginia facility the only one in the country that still does.

In 2018, the teen who recalled crying in the restraint chair after hitting his fist on a door chose to go back to Honduras. Before he left, he gave the court a statement: “I want us to be treated as human beings.”

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#restrained #immigrant kids #immigrant children

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kavya996631-blog · 7 years ago

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birthdayorganisers.in is a subsidiary company of famebusiness group . We make parties memorable for you & your children . We provide all types of favors for birthday parties or joint birthday parties for your twin kids ,whether its your children’s 1st , 2nd , 3rd , 4th , 5th , 10th, 12th,13th, 14th,15th,16th , 17th ,18th or its your 25th, 30th ,40th, 50th,60th, 70th, 80th ,90th birthday celebration or your marriage anniversary at any venue or venues in and around Hyderabad. We also arrange themed decoration & supplies for theme parties. Unique Ideas or themes are provided according to your requirement whether your kids are girls, boys, teenagers or a toddler , one year old baby ,a teenage or a little girl . some of the great ideas for kids birthday party , games ideas for girl and boys are Halloween, Scooby-doo, sponge-bob , disney princess , movie characters , las vegas , lightning mcqueen , Houston , iron man , san Antonio , Chicago , rockstar , disney cars , toy story , Cinderella , dinosaur , dinosaurs ,Spiderman , micky mouse clubhouse , john Deere, pirate , ballerina , cowgirl , cowboy , ninja , curious George , monster truck , monster , sock monkey,Hawaiian , superhero , buzz light year , space , race car , star wars , princess , yo gabba gabba , spy , beach , ice cream , Cinemark , Luau , Superman , video games , dr seuss , spongebob , san diego , sweet 16 , western style paintball parties , baseball games , tinker bell child , bowling , Disney Theme , under the sea , safari , Foosball , sports , tie dye , tangled , baseball , zoo , jungle , soccer , ocean , rapunzel , surprise, tangled , little gym , Hollywood , baby elephant, soccer , princess , pink , graduation etc.. We also provide location or venue arrangement services. We have contacts with many unique indoor or outdoor venues around the city in Hyderabad,where ever you need,just give us a call . We can suggest venues nearest to you or we arrange it for you. We have identified several birthday parties places, first birthday, carnival locations in and around Hyderabad which also have weather specific services like waterproofing, central AC for summer and fall , blowers for winter and can be provided on your request. Venue suggestions are provided free of cost. Artists , characters and other entertainment services are also one of our specialties. We provide artist services like face painting , nail painting , mickey mouse , dog , fairy , puppy , template artist , gymnastics , pony , mehandi artist, make-up specialist , balloons decorators, clowns , McDonald’s ,entertainers like magicians, ice cream , women or men game coordinators for , cool games like Animal mask , Dog sock puppet , Straw collage , Snot recipe , Wink murder , Dog sock puppet , Flying baby game , Famous finger puppets, build a bear , favors train , karate , laser tag , Basketball games , build a bear , casino , wording ,bug and other fun activities. There are few special activities available even for 1 year, 2 year and 3 year kids which are good for their first & second birthdays. These are all available at cheap rates and you can choose from them to design your own personalized packages. Suggestions for planning your party’s theme is also provided free of cost. Birthday party bus can also be provided on request. We can also arrange party entertainment activities like spa , crafts . We can also provide tables, chairs , plates on rentals . Birthday party appetizers like cup cake , pastries other food can also be arranged on request. Celebrities invitations can also be arranged on request . All these requests can also be placed online using our website .All you need to do is to browse the contents and submit the printable checklist . We shall call you back.

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technicoloured-butterflies-blog · 7 years ago

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markwatkinsconsumerguide · 8 years ago

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Consumer Guide / No.43 / American artist Steve Pietzsch with Mark Watkins.

MW: How did you become an illustrator?

SP: Well, Mark, of course I always drew pictures as a kid (mostly WW2 tanks, ships, and airplanes that were fairly realistic) and pursued my interest in art throughout my schooling. After graduating college with a degree in advertising art, I took a job as a junior art director with an ad agency in Dallas, Texas. I was assigned to doing layout, type design, and product illustrations for a sporting goods company. I can’t tell you how many pen and ink merchandise drawings of athletic shoes, tennis racquets, golf clubs, or soccer balls I did - but three years of it - that was enough!

During this time I met a group of illustrators working out of a local studio called The Sketch Pad. It was run by the late Don Ivan Punchatz. Punchatz was internationally regarded as one of the premier illustrators in America at the time. His surreal art graced the pages of popular horror and science-fiction paperbacks, National Geographic, Esquire, National Lampoon and Rolling Stone magazines, and many others.

I left my junior art director job when I had the chance to get into that special place which was probably the most important and lucky things to happen to me. It was a den of creativity and experimentation. There were about eight artists working there under the watchful eye of Don, the mentor. It was run very much like a Renaissance atelier. By starting out mixing paints, painting in backgrounds, doing tracings, etc., one was eventually given assignments of their own. I owe everything of my illustration career to my two years working in The Sketch Pad. It was there that I learned acrylic painting techniques, honed my craft, and found my niche. I came out after a two year apprenticeship with a portfolio that set me off on 15 years of freelance illustrating. My freelance lifestyle afforded me the kind of freedom that allowed me to work and play whenever I wanted. Clients included American Airlines, Avon Books, Bantam Books, Atlantic Monthly, New England Monthly, Texas Monthly, Omni magazine, Neiman-Marcus, Greyhound, Boy Scouts of America, Hyatt Hotels, Dr Pepper, and Rolling Stone magazine, among others. Working for Rolling Stone was surreal. It was exhilarating for an old hippie like me to have the good fortune to have been able to work for that icon. I even had “…my picture on the cover…!”

MW: Thanks Steve, we can roll over to the ‘Stone in more detail shortly...why did you diversify into making computer generated art for video games?

SP: After 15 years the solitary life of a freelance artist was growing stale. Alone at home in my studio, the thrill of seeing my work in public was slowing down, as well as the business, and I was nearing burnout. Then in 1993, out of the blue, some artist friends called to let me know they were all taking jobs at a video game company in Austin, Texas that was in need of artists. So I went down to check out what this was all about and was excited by what I saw. The company was Origin Systems, a video game developer most famous for the Wing Commander, a groundbreaking space combat simulation computer game, and Ultima, a fantasy role-playing series, considered the seminal games of the genre. The founder of the company was a young eccentric (and I mean that in the best way) named Richard Garriot. He started his gaming business out of his garage while in high school and went on from there to make millions of dollars. He was the son of an astronaut and always longed to go to space himself…which he eventually did... by paying millions to the Russians for a trip to the International Space Station.

The company realized that games in the future we're going to be loaded with art and animation and that they needed to hire and train real artists to do the work, rather than programmers with limited artistic skills. I was offered a full-time position. It was mind-blowing at the time. Here, I would be creating objects in 3D space and putting them in motion. After working on a 2D surface in static time all those years, this looked like an opportunity to begin a new creative endeavor. I couldn’t sleep the night before as I had to decide whether or not to accept a position there, but it became clear that this was something I couldn’t pass up. It seemed to be a new frontier.

I loved every minute of it. For the next 15 years, I stayed in the video game industry, working for several studios in Austin, including ones owned by Electronic Arts, Microsoft and Disney. I became proficient in Photoshop, did some concept art, built and textured 3D models, created 3D environments and did some animation. It was exciting to work on a team with brilliant young minds and ride the wave of the future with 2D and 3D technology. I had put my brushes aside and replaced them with a mouse. I began to dream in pixels!

But the winds within shifted, and I began to feel it was time for yet another change. I was becoming a bit weary of work in general, and I started thinking about getting back to doing art with my own ideas in traditional tools.

MW: Rolling Stone magazine marks its 50th anniversary in 2017. Share some of your memories of your time there...

SP: I never actually worked in New York at the offices of Rolling Stone. All my work with them was done on a freelance basis and I worked out of Texas via telephone, faxes and FedEx. These were the ancient days before the Internet!

The backstory on how my business with them came about started back in Texas around 1987. Early on, I did some illustration work with the art director for one of the Dallas newspapers and their Sunday supplement magazine. This was Fred Woodward who then moved on to become the art director for award winning Texas Monthly Magazine where he continued to hire illustrators and photographers he had a good working relationship with. I continued getting assignments from Fred while he was there. Then he got the call from Rolling Stone to take over the art director position (Fred was art director for 14 years and is now design director for GQ magazine). He continued to use artists he liked and trusted and fortunately that included me. One of my favorite assignments for Rolling Stone was a portrait of Ronald Reagan in which he takes on the image of the Wizard of Oz complete with some figures behind the curtain pulling all the strings…including his wife Nancy. And then of course the cover assignment came along!

MW: ... yes, tell me about the cover you designed...

SP: I did a few interior story illustrations for Rolling Stone before the cover assignment came about in 1988. The art director called me with a verbal description of the idea for a cover featuring the best 100 singles of all time…looking down on a 45rpm record sitting on a turntable. With that I sent a comp of my interpretation. In the final painting I added swirling colors on the record label to simulate spinning and musical notes being emitted from where the needle touches the record. All done in about 10 days. It was quite something to see the finished issue on the stands.

http://www.rollingstone.com/

MW: You were born in Dallas, Texas. Can you remember where you were when Kennedy was assassinated?

SP: Yes, Mark, I was in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963 sitting in my 7th grade classroom when the principal came over the loudspeaker to tell us the news that the President had been shot…on that day…in our town. Shock. Maybe the first time in my 12 years I had felt that particular emotion. No one knew how to act or what to say. Sickening silence.

Many kids were downtown because they were excused from classes if they were going to see the President. It was supposed to be an exciting, festive day but it all went dark. It was hard hearing the rest of the world tagging Dallas as a “city of hate” when we all knew this was not true. It took decades for the stigma to fade away.

MW: What are your favourite paintings?

SP: Oh, of my own - is an early one dating back to 1978. It is very detailed with imagery drawn from a visit to France and my love of playing card games.

The most moved I have been by a single painting is one called ‘The Lady of Shalott’ by John William Waterhouse. I was visiting the Tate in London in 1979 especially to see the collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings. When I came upon this painting I was so taken by it I had to sit on a bench located in the middle of the room and stare at it for what seemed a timeless period. The lighting in the gallery struck this painting in such a way that the lady seemed to come alive. I still get chills thinking about it!

One other fascinating and detailed painting is also in the Tate. It is ‘The Fairy Feller’s Master-Stroke’ by Richard Dadd.

MW: Tell me about your life on a hilltop hideaway...

SP: Ah…the hideaway! After living most of my life in large cities I decided to move to a fairly remote cabin on ten acres atop a hill in what is known as the Texas Hill Country in the center of the state.

So things are quite a contrast to living the bohemian artist lifestyle in the city hanging out with artists, photographers, graphic designers, and writers in the pubs and cafes. Here it is very quiet with most of my visitors being hummingbirds, deer, fox, porcupines and many other “critters.”

I also created several nature trails throughout my ten acre property. At night the “stars are bright”…and one can see The Milky Way… something unavailable under city lights. My water comes from the sky as I have installed a rainwater catchment system for my needs. I feel reconnected to the Universe. I moved-in full time in 2008 after adding a studio space to the existing cabin along with other remodeling. That, plus getting Internet and TV connections made it feasible to leave the city. I still have plenty of social activities being thirty minutes from the nearest town ; if I need a big-city-fix I live close to both Austin and San Antonio.

MW: Which radio station/s do you enjoy...?

SP: When painting I usually listen to classical. I stream music from WRR-FM, a classical music station out of Dallas. When I need to liven things up I’ll turn to Sun Radio out of Austin. A little Stevie Ray Vaughan can give me a boost anytime!

http://www.wrr101.com/

http://sunradio.com/

MW: ...newspapers/magazines?

I try to keep informed about what’s going on in the world via satellite TV and the Internet. Local news I get from the local small town newspaper. Other than that I have been reading a lot more in the form of novels. I’m on a run of Erik Larson novels at the moment.

MW: Steve, what are you plans for (the rest of) 2017?

SP: Not too many plans. Everyday brings new options. I am currently creating pictures inspired by the local environment. Lots of cactus around here! I am forcing some of the natural objects in the area into geometric shapes…trying to interject some surrealism and whimsy into the Hill Country art scene. Ha!

I’m not too keen on accepting commissions as I prefer to paint things for my own amusement and then sell them later. Otherwise it becomes too much like a job. But my contact info is on my website at www.steve-pietzsch.com just in case.

Oh, just before I go, your readers may also like to check out this You Tube interview I did with the Texas Country Reporter only last year :

https://youtu.be/kMxRFzynsfQ

http://texascountryreporter.com/

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