#university of north carolina wrestling

[dk-thrive]

Writing is thinking, but it’s thinking slowed down — stilled —

... And that’s one of the arguments for writing well — for taking the time and summoning the focus to do so. Good writing burnishes your message. It burnishes the messenger, too.

You may be dazzling on your feet, an extemporaneous ace, thanks to the brilliant thoughts that pinball around your brain. There will nonetheless be times when you must pin them down and put them in a long email. Or a medium-length email. Or a memo. Or, hell, a Slack channel. The clarity, coherence, precision and even verve with which you do that — achieving a polish and personality distinct from most of what A.I. spits out — will have an impact on the recipients of that missive, coloring their estimation of you and advancing or impeding your goals.

If you’re honest with yourself, you know that, because you know your own skeptical reaction when people send you error-clouded dreck. You also know the way you perk up when they send its shining opposite. And while the epigrammatic cleverness or audiovisual genius of a viral TikTok or Instagram post has the potential to shape opinion and motivate behavior, there are organizations and institutions whose internal communications and decision-making aren’t conducted via social media. GIFs, memes and emojis don’t apply.

When my friend Molly Worthen, a history professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a frequent contributor to Times Opinion, took the measure of the influential diplomat Charles Hill for her 2006 book “The Man on Whom Nothing Was Lost,” she noted that a principal reason for his enormous behind-the-scenes influence was his dexterity with the written word. He took great notes. He produced great summaries. He made great arguments — on paper, not just on the fly.

Worthen noted in her book that “transmitting ideas into written words is hard, and people do not like to do it.” As a result, someone who performs that task gladly, quickly and nimbly “in most cases ends up the default author, the quarterback to whom others start to turn, out of habit, for the play.”

Good writing announces your seriousness, establishing you as someone capable of caring and discipline. But it’s not just a matter of show: The act of wrestling your thoughts into logical form, distilling them into comprehensible phrases and presenting them as persuasively and accessibly as possible is arguably the best test of those very thoughts. It either exposes them as flawed or affirms their merit and, in the process, sharpens them.

Writing is thinking, but it’s thinking slowed down — stilled — to a point where dimensions and nuances otherwise invisible to you appear....

I think you can take the “pen and paper” out of the equation — replace them with keystrokes in a Google Doc or Microsoft Word file — and the point largely holds. That kind of writing, too, forces you to concentrate or to elaborate. A tossed-off text message doesn’t. Neither do most social media posts. They have as much to do with spleen as with brain.

What place do the traditional rules of writing and the conventional standards for it have in all this? Does purposeful, ruminative or cathartic writing demand decent grammar, some sense of pace, some glimmer of grace?

Maybe not. You can write in a manner that’s comprehensible and compelling only or mostly to you. You can choose which dictums to follow and which to flout. You’re still writing.

But show me someone who writes correctly and ably — and who knows that — and I’ll show you someone who probably also writes more. Such people’s awareness of their agility and their confidence pave the way. Show me someone who has never been pressed to write well or given the tutelage and tools to do so and I’ll show you someone who more often than not avoids it and, in avoiding it, is deprived of not only its benefits but also its pleasures.

Yes, pleasures. I’ve lost count of the times when I’ve praised a paragraph, sentence or turn of phrase in a student’s paper and that student subsequently let me know that the passage had in fact been a great source of pride, delivering a jolt of excitement upon its creation. We shouldn’t devalue that feeling. We should encourage — and teach — more people to experience it.

— Frank Bruni, from "A.I. or no A.I., it pays to write — and to write well" (NY Times, December 21, 2023)

[tahiryxduval]

Name: Tahiry Duval

Faceclaim: Zoe Saldana

Gender & Pronouns: cis female & she/her

Age: 45

Birthday: September 3rd, 1979

Height: 5'7

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual

Occupation: Senior Investigative Reporter for the Wilmington Star-News

Neighborhood: Masonboro

short facts

Half American and half Dominican. Born in Santo Domingo to a Dominican literature professor mother and U.S. military officer father.

Her mom was a brainiac who didn't like the military, while her dad was all about order and served in the army.

Worked as a foreign reporter for Reuters, using her experience with different cultures to cover stories.

She blew the whistle on a military operation in Myanmar that killed civilians. Her Fort Hood buddies were kicked out, and she was no longer welcome in the military crowd.

Works as senior investigative reporter for the Wilmington Star-News, but she also speaks to veterans about PTSD.

Has been in Wilmington since summer 2023.

biography

Tahiry Duval's life began in Santo Domingo on September 3rd, 1979, where two worlds collided in the best possible way. Her mother, a passionate Dominican literature professor, fell in love with her father, a U.S. military officer stationed at the American Embassy. From day one, her life would be shaped by these dual identities. Her childhood was a beautiful clash of cultures. While her mother's large Dominican family filled their home with rapid Spanish conversations and the rich aroma of her grandmother's sancocho, her father's military career brought structure and discipline. At age 8, her father's transfer kicked off years of movement - from the intense Texas heat at Fort Hood to the rolling hills of Germany, and back to American soil again. Her mother, though deeply in love, never quite found her footing in the constant relocations of military life. She rejected the status quo and built her own world, creating libraries in every house and teaching Tahiry that questioning authority was not only permissible, but necessary. Her father, meanwhile, carried his own burdens. As a loyal serviceman, he wrestled with increasing doubts after a contentious operation in Central America, but rarely voiced these concerns. Similar to other military kids, Tahiry formed bonds with others in DoD schools. At Fort Hood, she bonded with three classmates, including Anthony - her first boyfriend and, unknowingly, a key player in her future. Her career as a Reuters foreign correspondent seemed almost inevitable - someone who'd spent their life bridging cultures and understanding different perspectives. She’d made a name for herself, covering everything from local politics to international conflicts, earning respect for her unflinching reporting. Then came Myanmar. The assignment that would change everything. There, in a cruel twist of fate, she encountered those same three friends from Fort Hood, including Marcus, now leading a classified operation. What unfolded - a military operation that resulted in civilian casualties - became her defining moment as a journalist. As the only reporter who understood both English and the local language, she bore witness to the full scope of the tragedy. Her report made international headlines and led to her former classmates' dishonorable discharges. The personal cost was immense, but the truth demanded to be told. She earned her place as one of Reuters' most respected conflict journalists, splitting her time between field reporting and teaching conflict journalism at Columbia University. Her relationship with her father changed since that day. He understood why her story about Myanmar was significant, but the military community's shift in perspective has left its mark on their relationship. Together, they've found their way forward through a shared commitment to truth, no matter the cost. After the Myanmar story broke, Tahiry needed a fresh start away from the scrutiny of major media hubs. She chose Wilmington, North Carolina. She started freelancing for local papers and eventually landed a position as the senior investigative reporter for the Wilmington Star-News. Between assignments, she speaks at veteran PTSD groups.

[ausetkmt]

On a rainy morning in March, George Dawes Green, a seventy-year-old novelist and the founder of the storytelling nonprofit the Moth, arrived at Millstone Landing, about twenty miles north of Savannah, Georgia, on the South Carolina side of the Savannah River. He and thirteen others were preparing to look for remnants of a secret fortress built in the seventeen-eighties by Maroons—people who’d escaped slavery to live in the wilderness. (The term derives from the Spanish word “cimarrón,” which means “unruly” or “fierce.”) Maroons existed in the South from the beginning of slavery, and, according to historical accounts, the population of this encampment—around a hundred—dwarfed that of any other known group. The fortress was said to have been uniquely defended, with a wall, weapons, and sentries; its residents had lived there and in another nearby camp for years until white militias finally found the sites and burned them to the ground. Green had first read about the fortress decades ago; last year, he published “The Kingdoms of Savannah,” a thriller involving a search for its ruins. Early in writing the book, he began reaching out to scholars to turn the fictional search into a real one. Now archeologists, historians, and others were donning rain gear and wrestling with tall snake-proof boots in a parking lot by the Savannah River.

Rick Kanaski, a gray-goateed archeologist at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which manages the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, was part of the expedition. He warned that we were unlikely to find the fortress itself. Instead, he said, “We’ll get a sense of place”—an idea of what the Maroons’ life had been like. Archeology is slow work, Kanaski went on: “Eventually, we’ll be able to tell some life stories about these individuals who were essentially creating their own community, and reclaiming their own individuality, and their own personhood, and their own society, so to speak.” But the first step was to get the lay of the land.

We strapped on life jackets, climbed onto a boat, and headed north. South Carolina was on the east bank and Georgia on the west; the temperature was in the fifties, and gray clouds spat water in our faces. Brown water sprayed up behind the motors. We had a rough idea of where we were going. Running parallel to the river, about a mile to its west, was Bear Creek; historical documents indicated that the fortress had been near the creek, and about two miles north from a lower fork. Green’s research had pointed him toward a region just south of where Bear Creek jutted east and then west, creating a thumb-shaped area of land. His target zone covered maybe twenty acres.

If the ground were dry, the area would be about fifteen minutes’ walk from shore. But we soon encountered a small, winding creek that cut through the lush vegetation. We sloshed across, walked for another few minutes, then hit another creek. This one was waist-deep, and we halted at the impasse. I was shivering, and my fingers had turned blue from the damp and cold. If it were warmer, I knew, we’d be getting eaten alive by mosquitos.

“This actually helps as part of their defense,” Kanaski said, of the forbidding landscape.

I imagined living on this land for years, with scant supplies. What had life been like for the Maroons? How had they survived? How had they understood their own story? Answers to these questions had been lost, like the fortress, in the swamp.

Although Maroons existed wherever slavery did, they are often left out of U.S. history curricula. In her book “Slavery’s Exiles: The Story of the American Maroons,” from 2014, Sylviane A. Diouf, a historian and visiting scholar at Brown University, offers several explanations for this. American Maroon communities weren’t as large as their counterparts in Central and South America, she writes, and they didn’t wage wars against enslavers; their settlements weren’t well documented, and, whereas everyone has heard of the Underground Railroad, marronage “lacked the high drama of the escape to the North.” Diouf also argues that the Maroons’ “narrative of autonomous survival without benevolent white involvement” probably lacked mass appeal.

Nonetheless, Maroons lived at extremes. They faced the constant risk of capture, especially while sneaking supplies from plantations. Some Maroons built underground dens and lived in them for years, occasionally even filling them with furniture and stoves; children were born and raised in darkness. While reading archival documents, “I found examples of caves all over the South,” Diouf told me. “It’s just mind-boggling that that kind of life could exist.” If Maroons returned or were caught, Diouf writes, “severe whippings were the ‘mildest’ punishments.” They could be branded, castrated, dismembered, or executed. After hanging, their bodies might be decapitated, quartered, and displayed.

Diouf dedicates a chapter of her book to the Maroons of Bear Creek. (A 2009 volume called “Maroon Communities in South Carolina,” edited by the historian Timothy James Lockley, also contains many original records from the period.) The Bear Creek Maroons built their first settlement around 1780, at the southern end of the waterway. In 1786, the group swelled in size, and their plantation raids attracted negative attention. That October, the grand jury of Chatham County complained that “large gangs of runaway Negroes are allowed to remain quietly within a short distance of this town.” Militia members located the Maroons and attacked them. Several people on each side were injured, and the militiamen, low on ammunition, retreated. They returned with more men that evening, but were ambushed, and fled.

James Jackson, a Revolutionary War hero and future governor of Georgia, took over the effort to capture or kill the Maroons. A few days later, he brought in fresh soldiers, but by then the Maroons had evacuated. He destroyed what they’d left behind, including houses, about fifteen boats, and four acres of rice. That December, Jackson wrote to the governor of South Carolina, Thomas Pinckney: “Your Excellency may have heard of the daring banditti of slaves, who some weeks since, attacked two of my detachments, & were at last with difficulty dislodged from their camp.” He warned that some Maroons had relocated to South Carolina, across the river, where they were again raiding plantations for supplies.

The following March, Pinckney authorized a plantation owner to hire up to a hundred minutemen—volunteer soldiers who were ready on short notice—for a monthlong search. He sent supplies and offered bonuses of ten pounds per Maroon caught dead or alive. He also asked an associate to hire twenty members of the Catawba tribe—who knew the land and were skilled trackers—to join the search, offering the same reward. The Maroons, meanwhile, had regrouped at a new location, two miles north of the old one, and fortified it.

On April 21, 1787, a group of Maroons went out in boats, planning to collect family members and others who wanted to join them from a nearby plantation. They ran into a group of minutemen, and several Maroons were shot and killed. The militiamen now knew of the encampment’s general location; even so, it took them two more weeks to locate it in the swamp. Finally, on the morning of May 6th, they killed a sentry and rushed through an opening in the fortress’s defensive wall. The Maroons fired a few shots before running away, leaving behind an enclosed area that covered seventeen acres and contained rice and potato fields and twenty-one houses. The attackers chased the Maroons for two miles, killing six of them, then burned down the camp and reported their victory. Later, the Charleston Morning Post would describe how the Maroons “had got seated and strongly fortified in the midst of an almost impenetrable swamp.”

“Running away from a fight was the best strategy,” Diouf said. “People say that’s not what heroes do, but it is. The goal of the Maroons was to stay alive.” Their leader, who went by the names Sharper and Captain Cudjoe, and his wife, Nancy, were among a group that escaped and eventually made its way to Florida. But the second-in-command, a man called Captain Lewis, was captured shortly after the raid and tried, in Savannah, for the murder of a white man whom he had brought back to the settlement before it was discovered. He was sentenced to be hanged, and to have his head displayed on a pole. Some audiences cheered for the Maroons’ defeat, but others celebrated their success. In an editorial, the Massachusetts Centinel admired “those brave and hardy sons of Africa” who “seem wisely to prefer a precarious existence, in freedom, on the barren heath, to the chains of their oppressors, whose avarice, cruelty and barbarism increases with their wealth.” The article concluded, “The spirit of liberty they inherit appears unconquerable. Heaven grant it may be invincible.”

Green is an eighth-generation Savannahian, and “The Kingdoms of Savannah” grew out of stories about the region that he’d heard as a child. The gothic tales often mixed horror with glamour. Once, an elderly relative described a group of escaped enslaved people who’d established a camp on an island in the Savannah River; they’d come upon a pirate ship run aground, its occupants all drowned, and had found gold inside, which they’d taken and buried. Green remembered the story in the early two-thousands, when a friend who was a local professor and historian of Savannah also mentioned a group of escaped enslaved people who had lived in the wilderness. He went to the Georgia Historical Society and pored over the archives. Along with his brother, an archeologist who studied the Taíno people of the Caribbean, he borrowed a canoe and spent a day paddling through the creeks and woods near where the fortress might have been. They didn’t find anything.

“The Kingdoms of Savannah,” which Green wrote about two decades later, centers on the disappearance of Matilda Stone, an archeologist studying the fortress site. The novel is about “a panoply of historical injustices,” Green told me—not just slavery but corrupt police, abusive labor practices, and pollution. At one point in the story, a member of an old Savannah family hoping to solve the kidnapping case is at the library browsing books about Savannah’s history. “I mean that’s what these books are all about,” someone says. “The crimes of Savannah. Every book in here. They’re all just the sickest crime stories you can imagine.” The novel is “sort of a tapestry of stories, which are all based on reality,” Green said. He explained that he’d been inspired in part by Lawrence Durrell’s “The Alexandria Quartet”—a tetralogy of novels set around the time of the Second World War which is “about folks wandering around Alexandria, Egypt, and all of the little ethnic enclaves, and the incredible corruption that rules everything, and how every little enclave is making deals constantly just to survive,” Green said.

Last fall, after the publication of “The Kingdoms of Savannah,” Green organized two events with Diouf and Paul Pressly, a historian writing a book about people who had escaped from slavery. The three soon started assembling a group to search for the fortress. “Historians like me, even public historians—you tell stories, and they just hang in the air, and they don’t go anyplace except for the twenty-five people that you talk to,” Pressly told me. “In talking to George, I realized, This man knows how to bring this into the public arena. A novel is the way you can bring it.” Diouf concurred: “There are more people who read fiction than there are people who read academic books.”

The day before the swamp trek, I spoke with Daniel Sayers, a historical anthropologist at American University who has spent years exploring Maroon history in the Great Dismal Swamp, in Virginia and North Carolina, and had agreed to join the search party. I asked him how he’d proceed once we were out in the wilderness. What would he look for, specifically?

“I’ll probably rely on my Spidey sense—‘Wow, people were here,’ ” Sayers said. His voice was gruff from years of smoking cigarettes and chewing tobacco; he wore jeans, a torn T-shirt, and an Olympia Beer trucker hat. It would be great to find an artifact, he went on, but that was unlikely; he would be satisfied with vibes. The site would probably be on slightly high and dry ground, he thought. “I’m hoping the place speaks to me,” he said.

Savannah, along with other Southern cities, is home to many macabre tours that mix history and spiritualism. In “Tales from the Haunted South: Dark Tourism and Memories of Slavery from the Civil War Era,” Tiya Miles, a historian at Harvard, writes that, “according to popular lore and common knowledge alike, ghosts dwell in places stained by unresolved conflict—places marked by pain, violence, betrayal, suffering, and ugly death.” That night, before dinner, I asked Esther Blessing, Green’s wife, if we might go on one. She described the tours as “this weird Tarantino-meets-‘Gone with the Wind’ clickbaity bullshit about enslaved people that isn’t even real.”

“They’re telling these fake stories about history,” she went on, her voice rising. “Why are they doing that when stories like this are there?”

In the swamp, we noticed a spot where the creek seemed to be shallower, and decided to try our luck crossing there. But we arrived only at another deep creek. “It looks like what we have is a whole series of dendritic creeks that are interlacing with this landscape that’s not well shown on any of the U.S.G.S. topographical sheets,” Kanaski said. In other words, we were in a watery maze.

“Where we’re standing might also have been where a small encampment of Maroons was,” Sayers ventured. “This is a Maroon landscape we’re in already.” It was a view that offered some consolation.

Dionne Hoskins-Brown, a government marine scientist who teaches at Savannah State University and is the chair of the Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, spoke up. “Is it just the terrain that allowed the community to persist?” she asked. “I mean, it’s given us a fit today.”

“Even militia, who are trained to carry their guns and shoot people and track them down—they’re kind of afraid to go in,” Sayers said. “This is a big deal to just even experience this place,” he went on. “We’re in the heart of resistance in marronage.”

Green and a companion returned from a scouting mission. They’d followed the creek in one direction and found no easy way to cross; they wanted to try in the other direction, but Kanaski proposed coming back another day, when the ground was dry. While they debated, Hermina Glass-Hill, a Black activist and historian wearing pink-fringed boots and a red flower in her hair, removed a Congolese vessel—an engraved wooden chalice—from her bag and filled it with distilled water.

“Before we proceed, can we just pour libations right now, since we have identified that this is the terrain of that Maroon community?” she said, building on Sayers’s hopeful notion.

Glass-Hill stood and led us in a round of “Kumbaya”—“Come by here, my Lord”—an African American spiritual, first recorded in that part of Georgia. “Libations is about honoring the ancestors, honoring those who have come before us,” she said. “We want to give thanks to those brave, courageous souls who thought that taking the risk for freedom and the wildness of this place was more safe than staying on dry land.” She started pouring out some water. “To the men, to the women, to the children, who made this place home,” she said. “Ashé.”

[5sosfanfictioncatalogue]

Sexual Tension Masterlist

3 A.M. - @daydadahlias​ (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) Michael/Luke M, 4k

Summary: Five times Michael accidentally meets Luke in the bathroom and the one time he meets him there on purpose.

And Action - @daydadahlias (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) Luke/Calum E, 24k

Summary: Calum won’t lie about it. His Best Friend’s Boyfriend’s Ex-Boyfriend is super cute.

astral collisions (ao3) - kaleidoscopeminds Luke/Calum E, 42k

Summary: But then maybe it doesn’t really matter what the outcome is, because it’s not like someone like Calum can fall for Luke in twenty-four hours, or anything as fucking stupid as that.

Calum bumps into Luke in the strangest of circumstances in an airport thousands of miles from home, almost fifteen years since he last saw him. A completely innocuous encounter, until an overbooked flight means Calum makes a decision that surprises even himself. Twenty-four hours with a really hot almost-stranger is not really how he saw his work trip ending, but what’s the worse that could happen?

Court Five (ao3) - takemymoneycth Luke/Ashton, Michael/Calum E, 21k

Summary: A story in which a young college tennis player maybe likes his new coach a little too much.

feeling the weight of the world (ao3) - cashtonkink Calum/Ashton M, 22k

Summary: duke university and the university of north carolina, ten miles apart, home to the most intense rivalry in all of college basketball. and now, they have the top two high school basketball recruits in the nation: ashton irwin and calum hood.

For Him - @daydadahlias​ (cornflowerblue (daydadahlias)) Michael/Calum/Ashton E, 25k

Summary: Ashton Irwin is a geography teacher with a massive crush on the band teacher, Michael Clifford. When cutbacks threaten the school's music program and Michael, Ashton springs into action. He dusts off his long-unused wrestling skills from college and earns money for the program by moonlighting as a mixed martial arts fighter, trained by ex-fighter Calum Hood. Though the school nurse, Luke Hemmings, thinks he's crazy, Ashton gains something he never expected (*cough* two boyfriends *cough*), and finds a semblance of safety in the chaos.

or, the slutty Here Comes the Boom AU that none of you knew you needed.

fueling the fire until we combust (ao3) - nothingliketherain (39_killer_queen) Calum/Ashton E, 7k

Summary: “What, is it good?” Cal asks, eyes sparkling. Ashton clears his throat which suddenly feels a little dry, and shoves the camera at Calum, incapable of giving him a real answer. “Damn, that’s hot,” Cal says appreciatively when he sees it.

“Yeah,” Ashton quickly agrees, too quickly, red climbing up his cheeks when he realizes how much he’s letting himself show. He clears his throat. “I mean, the lighting’s pretty good.”

Calum gives Ashton a look that makes him squirm. “Yeah, I agree,” he says casually, but there’s something about his voice, something about the way he’s slowly moving closer to Ashton, so slow Ashton wouldn’t notice if he wasn’t so attuned to Calum by now that every small movement feels like a tidal wave. Ashton can’t help feeling like something is about to happen, but he doesn’t know what.

He definitely doesn’t expect it to be Calum humming and saying, “I do think my lips would look better wrapped around something.”

Or things escalate one day when Ashton takes some pictures of Calum, unable to focus on anything but his lips.

Gay Doesn't Mean Rainbows (ao3) - walking_crisis69 Michael/Luke T, 3k

Summary: "Your breath tastes like smoke." Luke said as he pulled away, running his fingers through his enemy's hair. "And your breath tastes like rainbows."

Green Light (ao3) - SpencerKnight OT4 E, 181k

Summary: Class is an age old concept--almost as old as the concept of human slavery, and in a world where buying humans is a standard behavior by those who can afford it, Luke's only hope as a member of the lower class is that he falls into the hands of a decent buyer--the hands of Ashton Irwin and his partners. Luke knows he has one chance to please his buyers or he risks getting put back on the market, but he's thrown for a loop when Ashton admits that Luke is the one that gets to call the shots. In an attempt to find security with the trio, Luke braces himself and gives them the green light to do whatever they want with him.

He had no idea they would refuse.

In the Next Room (ao3) - valiantnerd (arareads) Luke/Ashton E, 28k

Summary: Ashton moves into an apartment with walls made of little more than cardboard and foreign playlists, develops a gigantic crush on Luke, and takes a hot second realizing what's right in front of him.

Loose Tongue (ao3) - jbhmalum Calum/Ashton M, 10k

Summary: 5 times calum wears skirts that keep getting shorter on tour and 1 time ashton does something about it

of lovers and friends (ao3) - Calumthoodshands (tndart) Luke/Calum M, 28k

Summary: And at the end of the day, it’s always Calum he goes to, whether to rant or laugh or, in rare cases, to cry. Most of the time to laugh.

The first week of uni, it almost feels like a honeymoon — well, only for friends.

Moving in with your best friend can have all kinds of consequences. Falling for them while they seem to get further and further away from you though, that's something Luke never saw coming, and it completely throws him off his rhythm.

over and under (ao3) - kaleidoscopeminds Luke/Calum E, 10k

Summary: “We really need to stop doing this.”

“I know.”

Luke says he won’t do this again.

They both agree they won’t do this again when they’re dressed, in Luke’s living room and not his bedroom, when Calum’s about to leave to see his other friends and Luke’s going to the studio to write.

It’s easy to agree not to do it again when Calum’s not touching him.

rightfully (ao3) - Calumthoodshands (tndart) Luke/Calum T, 1k

Summary: Luke stared back. “You’re wearing my suit.”

“What, like I don’t good in it?”

something real (ao3) - jbhmalum Calum/Ashton M, 22k

Summary: The first time Calum Hood shows up on his doorstep, it’s the last thing Ashton expects. He’s as unprepared for it as he would be for a snowstorm in the middle of the summer. That’s what Calum is to him that night. A storm coming to disturb his peaceful life, filling him with adrenaline and a bit of fear at the uncertainty of what could happen.

Stage Lights - @ashtcnirwin (elivigar) Luke/Ashton E, 14k

Summary: No, beyond the initial surprise the sting of arousal brought him, Ashton doesn’t worry about his apparent interest in penises and what said interest might mean. Maybe it means nothing at all, maybe it means he’s not as straight as he’s been led to believe up until this point in time. Whether it’s option one, option two or something in between, Ashton doesn’t really care.

But why did the penis that made him question everything have to be Luke’s?

thirsty (ao3) - galacticsugar Luke/Calum E, 7k

Summary: Is he putting on a show for Calum? Rolling his head side to side, stretching his neck. Letting his thumb graze the side of his glass gently while it dangles from his ringed fingers. Gleaming eyes flicking to Calum for long, loaded moments. Biting his bottom lip between his teeth while he gives his full attention to the person he’s talking to. Except it’s not quite his full attention, because a little slice is reserved for toying with Calum.

you say you didn't know, i wonder why you didn't ask? (ao3) - hideforalifetime Michael/Luke T, 14k

Summary: Luke and Michael have been best friends since elementary school, moving out of the country all alone, but together for college, getting through all the highs and lows of adulting together. There’s never been a person who knows them that doesn’t refer to them as “Luke and Michael”. Always paired, and if one’s without the other, questions are immediately asked. Hell, some people automatically assume they’re dating, and he hurriedly corrects them. But deep down, Luke doesn’t want to. He doesn’t know when his brain made the transition of looking at Michael as a friend to someone he’d want as more than a friend, but it’s true. Sometimes, when he stares at Michael’s choppy, often dishevelled blue hair, he feels like-

[nightsidewrestling]

D.U.D.E: Part 1 - The Man Behind The Crown (Set in 2020)

Note: This is set in a universe where Men VS Women / Intergender matches can happen.

Tags: @piratewithvigor @tantamount-treason @thedollmaker16

Around 2000 Words. 18+ in places (those chapters will be marked as 'Mature / sexual content' just to be safe). Please inform me if you wish to be tagged or untagged from posts. If the text is in italics and orange it's Kirby's inner monologue. If the text is coloured but not in italics, it's either dialogue or a P.O.V change (P.O.V changes will be in bold and translated dialogue will appear in square [ ] brackets), Key below. Quick note on Geia's text colour: Yes I do know that as Greed she should be in yellow but I decided to colour the men's dialogue yellow so Geia was changed to be pink like the other women in the story outside of the main 8.

The Main 8: Damo - Bio. Vi - Bio. Billie - Bio. Geia - Bio. Kirby - Bio. Honey - Bio. Eli - Bio. Sara - Bio.

Gluttony's P.O.V:

As she looked up, she saw Damien's face, and that scowl... that damned scowl. The one of an angry tyrant looking at an insubordinate servant moments before carving their skull in half with a sword.

Kirby wakes up in a cold sweat, shivering with her mouth drier than the Sahara. She knows it was a nightmare but it was the same nightmare she had been having since moving into the building two years ago. Damian Lum, her boss, had bought an old disused motel, just enough room for the girls and their families if needed. The girls, each with their own problems in life, were representing the other six sins, and they had chosen Kirby to be Gluttony. Kirby, the only giant, was now known as a gluttonous beast and Damian... no, Damien, was to blame.

Damian was rich, not from wrestling as 'Damien Lucifarian', but because he was Damian Lum, son of wealthy businessman Adam Lum and thus his family had more dollars than sense. Stupid mental jokes aside, Kirby had to get up, her mind was the type that stayed awake after being awoken. Plus, it had just gone '06:00', or so her alarm clock told her.

"If I were luckier, I'd have been saved by the bell." She mutters to herself as she gets out of bed, a long day ahead of things already on her to-do list from last night's unfinished work and the days before. It was Monday. 20th July. 2020. Around three weeks earlier she had called her parents to wish her father a happy birthday. Three weeks; 3; Three weeks of working for AEW. Three weeks of editing Eli's Vlog, too. Kirby hated; no; Kirby hates the vlog. She went to college, and university, only for those skills to be used on the vlog. That stupid vlog.

Admittedly, she only hates it because she isn't getting paid for her work, despite the amount of hours put into it. Hours she could spend doing projects she has more love for. Her art. Making her own rig gear. Alas, she was awake and therefore she had to get dressed and do her morning routine. Shower, dry off, brush teeth & hair, get dressed, done. She would head to the gym next door and wait until someone got in contact. Kirby's not a social person; nor is she a recluse: she has anxiety and can find new people intimidating at first.

At '06:30' Saraid arrives out front in the car. They had already planned out the morning; café, breakfast, grab gear, airport, check in, flight, get to Jacksonville, reach the hotel, have lunch. Saraid's relationship with Kirby is like a younger sister, Saraid gets on Kirby's nerves, Kirby watches over the eighteen-year-old and waits for orders. Both of Semi-Irish descent and with an annoying habit of blurring the lines between gimmick and reality, they had grown protective over each other during the two years they were together.

Thanks to the fact the 'compound' as Damian called it was in Asheville, North Carolina, it took just under two hours to get to Jacksonville, Florida. From there the girls went to meet with their boss and the rest of the sinful team at their hotel, taking in the sights that they can before they reach their destination and unpack their belongings.

Eli's Vlog P.O.V:

Eli flipped the camera screen around before turning it on and filming.

"Bonjour [Hello], my darlings, tis me." She started her intro, same as the three weeks prior, making sure to get the other girls with her in the hotel lobby on camera.

She always began the same, a small intro to herself and her life before going on with her day and filming most of what she did within a day. Kirby would edit it later, taking out the unnecessary and double checking whenever she had to censor a word.

"Today, is the first day of our trip to Jacksonville. We're going to wrestle in Daily's Place and then hang out with some of the guys in a nearby bar. But first, I'll show you around Jacksonville with Geia and Billie."

As Eli continues to film, Kirby and Sara chat in the background with Renee, Jon Moxley's wife, Renee. Sure it was in the background, but viewers paying less attention to Eli and more to the goings-on in the camera view could glimpse Moxley and one of his friends going past the girls, Mox's friend pushing past Kirby quite aggressively.

"Woah, Kirby, ça va mon ami [are you alright my friend]?"

"I'm okay Eli, just another jackass who thinks his tiny **** gives him reason to barge past a woman taller than him." Kirby scoffs, staring daggers at the man who just barged past her.

"**** you!" The man yells, his Bronx accent thicker than Sara's.

"**** me yourself, you coward." Kirby snaps back.

"Kirby." Eli gasps, surprised at her friend's sudden snap at a stranger.

"What? Oh yeah right, I have to censor myself now. Well in that case, **** you, **** head."

The man only laughs in return, it's the laugh of a smoker. He stops for a second, doubling over slightly which makes his black t-shirt hug his beer gut more than when he's standing, the rosaries around his neck swinging down the moment he puts his hands on his knees.

"Eddie. Come on, man." Mox murmurs, looking over his shoulder at the other man.

"A'ight, a'ight. I'll stop ******* with them." 'Eddie' chuckles as he follows Mox.

Renee excuses herself and follows her husband and 'Eddie' out of the room, heading to their car.

Gluttony's P.O.V:

Kirby grunts as she heads to her and Sara's shared hire car, picking up her bag and heading to the locker room. Quickly changing into her workout gear (orange leggings and an orange sports bra that looks two sizes too small despite being the right size) before heading out to the gym, accompanied by the other girls as they each start their workout. The interaction from earlier still stuck in her mind as she replays it mentally for the millionth time.

Who was that guy? Mox said his name was 'Eddie'. What was his deal? Probably just another jerkwad trying her patience. When did Tony hire him? Judging off of every website she checked he wasn't signed to AEW. Where did he get such an attitude? Probably from growing up in New York, like Sara, only worse. Why would he even dare to piss off Kirby? He hopefully didn't realise she was standing in his way when he pushed past her. How did he have the balls to do such a thing? He's friends with Moxley, of course he would have the balls to do something like that.

She barely notices the hours pass as she continues her workout, that was until Damian and Tony came to check on her and ask about the incident. She put little thought into the words, giving her 'boss' and her actual boss a general spiel of answers that would calm them and get them to leave her to her workout.

It reached '13:00' before Kirby's stomach made her aware of how hungry the hours of working up both a sweat and an appetite made her, she took five minutes to shower and change into casual clothes (the outfit from earlier) ahead of quickly heading to her hotel room to grab her laptop and wallet and then finding a small café that would allow her to write several emails to her family back home, replying to her kin's worries.

"I... Mox said I should apologise for pissing you off earlier." The Bronx accent from earlier mutters.

"Apology is not required. I'm busy." Kirby grumbles, not looking up from her screen.

"Then..." 'Eddie' stalls for a moment, "... lemme buy you lunch to say sorry and to avoid me gaining an enemy."

"Sure, you can sit with me too, just don't annoy me further, Mister...?"

"Eddie. Kingston. You don't have to bother with any formalities or fancy words."

"Alright then, Eddie, no gimmicks as we're in public, right?"

"I'm Eddie Moore. Friends call me Eddie, Ma calls me Edward and enemies call me Asshole." He smiles softly.

Kirby smiles gently in return as she finally takes in Eddie's features, not too perfect, but not too rough either. A Yankees cap, which Eddie swiftly turns backwards, revealing his buzzed black hair beneath it. Two seemingly perfect eyebrows and green eyes... bright green eyes, rare on anyone, but a noticeable difference from people she's met before. A slightly crooked, but rather cute nose for a wrestler. Then the scruffy beard and thin lips. If looks could kill, he'd be far worse than any Voorhees, Sawyer or Krueger. She shakes the thoughts from her mind as she checks back into the conversation.

"So, what's ya name? I heard ya friend call ya 'Kirby'."

"I'm Kirby Rhydderch, or to the audience, Kirby Lucifarian."

"Rid..." Eddie struggles in an attempt to pronounce her surname before giving up, "where ya from?"

"Llanfaethlu, Anglesey... Wales."

"Oh, you're that Welsh girl that Mox was talking about, the female Andre."

"He calls me that?" She asks, partially inclined to end the conversation there and go talk to Moxley about his words.

"Better female Andre than female Doink, right?" He jokes as he sits opposite her.

Kirby chuckles softly, shaking her head slightly before looking up at Eddie, "Can I get you a coffee or something?"

"Nah, I'm buying, whatever you want."

"Whatever I want, huh, okay then... a cappuccino and a hot chocolate, both large and in to-go cups and a blueberry muffin if there's any left, please."

Eddie leaves for a few minutes, giving Kirby a perfect chance to give him a mental dressing down. He's rugged, no he's rough. He's a tough guy, no shit Sherlock he's a wrestler. He smokes he would fit in back home, as if a guy like him would want to visit Wales let alone the Rhydderch clan. He must be at least in his 30s, no his beard's greying either he's so stressed his beard's gone grey or he's like 50. A guy like him has to be married, according to what Mox has said in the past he doesn't even have a girlfriend or kids. He's kinda hot to be honest, WOW Kirby first we think that actors like Luis Guzmán, John Goodman and Dan Aykroyd are cute and now this dude, plus he's got a Bronx accent, as if our childhood crush on Raphael needed further help coming to light. He then returns with both drinks but no food.

"No luck on the food, sorry."

"Well, beggars can't be choosers or so they say." Kirby shrugs, her mind still mid-argument with itself.

Eddie passes her both drinks before looking at her laptop, almost studying it, "That's a lot of stickers."

"I collect them, I travel a lot because as you know wrestling takes you to a lot of places and I need this for work and private stuff so it comes with me and thus it's gained... personality, for lack of a better explanation."

"Gotcha, it's got a life of it's own, so you add stickers to make it look like it." Eddie nods and smiles softly.

Eli's Vlog P.O.V:

Over at the hotel, Eli, Sara and Honey are playing video games and answering questions on a livestream while recording the livestream to keep as an archive.

"Excellent question, mon ami [my friend], 'Where are the other girls?' from someone who I didn't catch the name of."

"Vi is in her hotel room, talking with her husband. Billie is probably trying to pick up a potential date somewhere. Geia is meeting with two of her step-kids for lunch, I can't remember which ones... and Kirby. Well, Kirby's a ghost in giant form, nobody knows where she is ever, except for Kirby." Honey explains.

"This will probably be in this week's vlog, but Kirby and one of Moxley's friends had quite the first meeting."

"Yeah, the jerk barged past her and Kirby's gonna have to censor herself and the dude for the vlog." Sara scoffs.

Eli nods in agreement before going back to reading the comments as Sara and Honey continue to play Mortal Kombat together.

[wrestlinghistorywithkay]

Where The Big Boys Play: The Launch Of WCW Monday Nitro & The Return Of Lex Luger

Professional Wrestling has been on television for years. In the 1990s, the hottest wrestling program on television was WWF Monday Night RAW. However, a new Monday night wrestling program would be aired. This article will be about the launch of WCW Monday Nitro.

World Championship Wrestling was a part of Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980s. Jim Crockett Promotions is a professional wrestling promotion based out of Charlotte , North Carolina and ran by the Crockett family . JCP is also well known for being associated with the National Wrestling Alliance ( NWA) . In 1988 , Entrepreneur , Ted Turner , acquired most of JCP and made it into a subsidiary company called the Universal Wrestling Corporation. Thus, in 1993, WCW became a solo promotion after a dispute with the NWA over authorization of the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. This happened in the late Summer and going into Fall of 1993. A few months earlier before becoming a solo promotion, WCW was financially struggling until Eric Bischoff , a former WCW commentator, took on the role of Executive Producer. In 1994, Ted Turner appointed Bischoff as the Senior Vice President of WCW. In this role , he had control over the creative direction and finances of WCW.

Eric Bischoff’s goal for WCW was to reform the promotion by taking it from the image of a ‘ Southern ‘ Rasslin Company ’ to a modernized wrestling promotion. He would increase production, avoid house shows that didn’t bring in revenue, increased the amount of Pay-Per-View shows , cut down on the number of commentators with a Southern accent, and scouted out top talent from the WWF in order to get them to join his company. Wrestlers such as ‘ Macho Man ’ Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan , WWF’s most popular wrestlers would accept Bischoff’s offer to join WCW and would leave the WWF. Nevertheless, Bischoff would take WCW to a new level in 1995.

Eric Bischoff’s idea for the company was to create a flagship wrestling program to go up against Vince McMahon’s WWF Monday Night RAW , which aired on rival TV network, USA Network. Bischoff would get the approval for his new idea from Ted Turner. Therefore , WCW Monday Nitro was launched on the TNT Network to go head to head with RAW. Nitro would have the same time a lot as RAW , giving viewers a choice to choose which program to watch.

The inaugural episode of WCW Monday Nitro would air on September 4,1995. The show would take place at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. Eric Bischoff would be joined on commentary by former NFL star , Steve ‘ Mongo ’ McMichael as the Babyface Color Commentator and Bobby ‘ The Brain ’ Heenan as the Heel Color Commentator. David Penzer would be the in-ring announcer ‘ Mean’ Gene Okerlund would be the interviewer. The introduction video would feature wrestlers such as Sting , Big Van Vader, Macho Man Randy Savage, and Hulk Hogan. Savage would be released due to fight with Paul Orndorff in the locker room. Nitro would only be an hour long. The first match to kick off Nitro was Jushin Thunder Liger vs Flyin’ Brian ( Brian Pillman ). Also, fans would see a vignette of Mr. Wall Street ( FKA Mr.IRS ).

There would be a dark match before Nitro would go live on TV. It would be a tag team match consisting of The American Males , Marcus Alexander Bagwell and Scotty Riggs, vs Bunkhouse Buck and Duck Slater w/ Colonel Robert Parker. The American Males would win.

Other matches would include the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship match between Ric Flair and Sting. This match would end in a no contest due to an inference by Arn Anderson. The main event of the evening was for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship. Big Bubba Rogers ( FKA The Big Boss Man ) , would challenge Hulk Hogan. Hogan had a manager during this time , ‘ The Mouth of The South ’, Jimmy Hart. During the match , Bischoff would be doing play by play commentary as McMichael and Heenan would be cheering for Hogan and Rogers. Hogan would defeat Rogers and become the new WCW World Heavyweight Champion. Nevertheless, a surprise return would happen as Hogan was being attacked by the Dungeon of Doom.

Lex Luger rushed down the ring to help Hogan against the Dungeon of Doom before getting in his face and confronting him. Hogan would tell Luger to go back to where he came from. During the confrontation, Sting and Randy Savage would rush to the ring to help Jimmy Hart try to break up the confrontation. Gene Okerlund would come to ring to interview both men. Luger would wrestle for the WWF for two years as one of the top stars of the company. However , he had his final match for the company the evening before he came to WCW. He would sign with the company the morning before his surprise appearance. Luger would explain his reason for his return. He wanted to challenge Hogan for the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and that he was tired of playing with ‘ kids’ , referring to his time in the WWF. Hogan granted Luger the match by shaking his hand and the match would be made official on the September 11 episode of Monday Nitro. The camera would cut to Bischoff, McMichael , and Heenan as they were talking about the match before signing off. Lex Luger’s return to the WCW would inspire two other WWF Wrestlers , Razor Ramon ( Scott Hall ) , and Diesel ( Kevin Nash ) to join the company in 1996 as The Outsiders.

Vader would never wrestle on Nitro and decided to sign with the WWF in 1996. Monday Nitro would find success due to the nWo and defeat RAW for 83 weeks. The final episode of Monday Nitro would take place on March 26,2001. Eric Bischoff would go on to be a General Manager of Monday Night RAW and be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2021. He is also the host of the podcast 83 Weeks.

My Final Thoughts:

The launch of WCW Monday Nitro changed the landscape of pro wrestling. If it wasn’t for Eric Bischoff changing WCW and giving viewers Nitro, there wouldn’t be a Monday Night War. The nWo wouldn’t exist if Nitro was never created. WCW Monday Nitro was a show that I would enjoy if I was born earlier. I was born in 1997. Nitro changed how we view wrestling on TV and showed how wrestling promotions fight for supremacy as WWE and AEW , the two most popular promotions on TV today do.

Love You All,

- Kay

[goalhofer]

2024 olympians representing non country of residence part 3

Egypt: Bilal Abdelgalil, soccer (Châteauroux, France); Sara Amr-Hossny, fencing (Brooklyn, New York); Mohamed Hamza, fencing (Houston, Texas); Nada Mohamed, wrestling (Corsier-Sur-Vevey, Switzerland) & Nayel Nasser, equestrian (San Diego County, California) El Salvador: Enrique Arathoon, sailing (Ciudad Guatemala, Guatemala) Eritrea: Christina Rach, swimming (Dubai, U.A.E.) & Berhane Tesfay, athletics (Rotterdam, The Netherlands) Estonia: My Relander, equestrian (Helsinki, Finland) Eswatini: Hayley Hoy, swimming (Pretoria, South Africa) & Chadd Ning, swimming (Plymouth, Delaware) Micronesia: Tasi Limtiaco, swimming (Kofu, Japan) Fiji: Kolora Lomani, rugby (Wellington, New Zealand); Anahira McCutchen, swimming (Auckland, New Zealand); Sophia Morgan, sailing (Auckland, New Zealand); Talei Wilson, rugby (Hornsby, Australia) & David Young, swimming (University Place, Washington) Finland: Henri Ruoste, equestrian (Menden, Germany) & Heili Sirviö, skateboarding (Canberra, Australia) France: Téo Andant, athletics (Monte Carlo, Monaco); Anastasia Bayandina, swimming (Krasnoyarsk, Russia); Emil Bjorch, water polo (Slagelse, Denmark); Romain Cannone, fencing (New York, New York); Catherine Clot, field hockey (Amsterdam, The Netherlands); Mélanie De Jesus, gymnastics (Houston, Texas); Marie Fegue, weightlifting (Yaoundé, Cameroon); Rafael Fente-Damers, swimming (Houston, Texas); Albane Garot-Loussif, field hockey (Liège, Belgium); Roger Hunt, diving (Southampton, U.K.); Karl Konan, handball (Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire); Juliette Landi, diving (Houston, Texas); Bernardin Matam, weightlifting (Yaoundé, Cameroon); Gaël Monfils, tennis (Geneva, Switzerland); Iman Ndiaye, volleyball (Plano, Texas); Michael Olise, soccer (London, U.K.); Hertzka Orsolya, water polo (Budapest, Hungary); Stephen Parez-Edo, rugby (Madrid, Spain); Victor Perez, golf (Dundee, U.K.); Mia Rycraw, water polo (Walnut, California); Tessa-Margot Schubert, field hockey (Essen, Germany); Dora Tchakounté, weightlifting (Yaoundé, Cameroon); Guusje Van Bolhuis, field hockey (Leiden, The Netherlands); Gabby Williams (Sparks, Nevada) & Antoine Zeghdar, rugby (Monte Carlo, Monaco) Gabon: Virginia Aymard, judo (Amiens, France); Wissy Hoyeyenda-Moukoula, athletics (Yaoundé, Cameroon) & Noëlie Lacour, swimming (Bergerac, France) Gambia: Alasan Ann, taekwondo (Maple Grove, Minnesota); Ami Barrow, swimming (Milwaukee Township, Wisconsin); Sanu Jallow, athletics (Charlotte, North Carolina) & Faye Njie, judo (Helsinki, Finland) Germany: Grozer György; Jr., volleyball (Budapest, Hungary); Kathrin Hendrich, soccer (Eupen, Belgium); Stephan Jäger, golf (Chattanooga, Tennessee); Camilla Kemp, surfing (Cascais, Portugal); Angelique Kerber, tennis (Puszczykowo, Poland); Dominik Koepfer, tennis (Tampa, Florida); Rafael Miroslaw, swimming (Bloomington, Indiana); Alexis Peterson, basketball (Columbus, Ohio); Artem Selin, swimming (Krasnoyarsk, Russia); Xenia Smits, handball (Antwerp, Belgium); Nick Weiler-Babb, basketball (Arlington, Texas); Kaii Winkler, swimming (Miami, Florida) & Alexander Zverev, tennis (Monte Carlo, Monaco) Ghana: Joselle Mensah, swimming (Bad Vilbel, Germany) & Harry Stacey, Swimming (Brighton, U.K.) Great Britain: Sky Brown, skateboarding (Takanabe, Japan); Dan Evans, tennis (Dubai, U.A.E.); Tommy Fleetwood, golf (Dubai, U.A.E.); Lottie Fry, equestrian (Den Hout, The Netherlands); Anna Hursey, table tennis (Tianjin, China); Josie Knight, cycling (Dingle, Ireland); Andy Macdonald, skateboarding (Newton, Massachusetts); Liam Sanford, field hockey (Wegberg, Germany); Cynthia Sember, athletics (Ypsilanti, Michigan); Eve Stewart, rowing (Amsterdam, The Netherlands); Saskia Tidey, sailing (Dublin, Ireland); Calli Yauger-Thackeray, athletics (Flagstaff, Arizona) & Nicole Yeargin, athletics (Bowie, Maryland)

[northcarolinaprelawland-blog]

Navigating ADHD: Growing Diagnoses and the Impact of Medication Shortages

By Elliona Bannerman, North Carolina Central University, Class of 2022

June 11, 2024

The Centers of Disease Control and Prevention stated that 7 million children between the ages of 3 to 17 had been diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in 2022 [1]. This was a result of an 1 million increase from the year 2016 and shows that 1 in 9 kids are diagnosed with ADHD at a time in their lives [1]. Due to more children being diagnosed with ADHD for various reasons, they often take medication like Adderall to help them keep focus, but there has been a shortage of this medication along with other drugs [1]. This drug shortage inmedication to help with ADHD has provided other alternatives to help with the treatment of the condition [1].

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a condition where you have difficulty with your attention span along with hyperactivity and impulsiveness [2]. An individual is typically diagnosed during their childhood, which may lead towards their adulthood [2]. Some symptoms of ADHD include daydreaming, fidgeting, difficulties with social interactions, squirming, and so many others [2]. Nearly, 53.6% of children with ADHD are using medication to help with treatment [2]. The prescription drug called Adderall, which is to help with attention focus and resist impulsive behavior, has been experiencing a shortage in supply since 2022 as a result of manufacturer delay [2]. In 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now classifies the shortage as demand-driven [2]. Which means drugs are supplied on a customer or need basis because of the shortage and most likely wanting to supply more “severe” cases until the shortage is over.

There are many links to why the condition of ADHD has increased over the years. One that is discussed is technology and children having “screen time”. The increase of screen time between a child puts them more at risk of being diagnosed with ADHD by the age of five [3].

The data shows that children with more screen time are 7.7 times likely to have ADHD [3]. More screen time is defined as being on a technology device for two hours or more, while less time on screens is defined as spending 30 minutes or less every day [3]. Research states that while on screens, the brain starts to release dopamine, which is needed for us to focus and relates to why technology may be a reason why children who spend a lot of time on screens are more at risk for ADHD [1].

Another link to the increased cases of ADHD is the public awareness of the condition, which results in more parents being aware of such symptoms and their children being diagnosed with ADHD [2]. The more awareness of ADHD, symptoms, and treatment is associated with the limited stigma surrounding ADHD and receiving help with dealing with the condition [2]. It is often shown that individuals with ADHD are treated “different” and can become “outcasts” to their peers because of the stigma. As they reach adulthood they are at risk of developing poor health outcomes, this consist of obesity, chronic illness, and accidental injury [2].

There are also ways to limit or decrease a child from a diagnosis of ADHD with the current drug shortage. Some doctors stated that providing a child with a good, healthy, protein and good fats-filled breakfast can help with ensuring a child is more focused and attentive throughout the day [4]. A good breakfast that has healthy fats and protein will help a child perform high during school and limit their risk of losing attention [4]. Another solution would be to incorporate physical activity at home and at school to help the child move around and release the potential stress they may have or give them a break to “chill” [4]. This may involve participating in extracurricular activities like basketball, soccer, hockey, gymnastics, wrestling, and so forth to improve their focus and impulsiveness [3]. An upcoming arrival set to help children with ADHD is named Mendi, and it is a neurofeedback headband that strengthens a user's focusing skills [1].

The resources are helpful to help tackle ADHD as the current drug shortage is taking place. In addition, policymakers, researchers, legislators, public health professionals, and so forth may collaborate efforts to help individuals who do not have access to certain resources to help with ADHD. These efforts may shape and ensure access for all individuals with ADHD and continue to promote awareness.

______________________________________________________________

[1] WECT. (2024). Experts discuss new methods for children to manage ADHD amid recent drug shortage. Retrieved from https://www.wect.com/2024/06/03/experts-discuss-new-methods-children-cope-with-adhd-amid-recent-drug-shortage/?tbref=hp [2] ABC News. (2024). 1 in 9 children now have ADHD, with surge in diagnoses since 2016: CDC. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Health/1-9-us-children-now-adhd-surge-diagnoses/story?id=110584157 [3] ABC News. (2019). More screen time linked to higher risk of ADHD inpreschool-aged children: Study. Retrieved from https://abcnews.go.com/Health/screen-time-linked-higher-risk-adhd-preschool-aged/story?id=62429157 [4] WECT. (2024). Leaders and parents discuss ways to help their children during an ADHD medication shortage. Retrieved from https://www.wect.com/2024/04/12/leaders-parents-discuss-ways-help-their-children-during-an-adhd-medication-shortage/

[morningrainmusic]

Peak Indie Rock: 2008

Vampire Weekend by Vampire Weekend January 29, 2008 / XL “One difficulty for me, in particular, was—I thought it was so fun and funny to have this concept of a preppy band. One rule that we set early on was ‘No t-shirts.’ Because I just looked and around and everybody was wearing t-shirts all the time….we should just wear button-down shirts. Which of course has a long history, but at the time it felt pretty novel, and especially when there were all these great New York bands like The Strokes and Interpol that just wore t-shirts and leather jackets.” -Ezra Koenig on BBC, 2024

The hate for Vampire Weekend when they arrived on the scene was very real. The crux of it centered around the band being comprised of WASP-y Ivy League grads appropriating African music, which garnered them undeserved indie fame. A lot of it also stemmed from their preppy atire. All this quickly became, like the mythologized Bon Iver For Emma backstory, largely inextricable from the group. The term “cultural imperialists” got thrown around. The Village Voice ran two reviews of their debut, one positive, titled “Please Ignore the Embroidered Dog Sweater” and the other negative titled “Please Ignore This Band.” Clearly though, the music was connecting, as the album sold half a million copies and was a critical favorite of 2008. Vampire Weekend was even the first band to be shot for a Spin cover before releasing an album. If it’s true that any press is good press, then Vampire Weekend was the most successful band of 2008. The music itself, of course, is pretty irresistible. Very few bands release debut albums this cohesive, with a distinct, seemingly fully formed sound and aesthetic. The early aughts gave us plenty of gritty, unpolished, straightforward rock groups, many of them also from New York. But man cannot live by bread alone, and Vampire Weekend brought something fresh and exciting to the culture—smart, elegant, and addictive new wave and Afro-pop influenced tunes. Songs like “Oxford Comma,” “The Kids Don’t Stand a Chance,” and “A-Punk” are nothing short of stone-cold indie classics that still stand as some of the best in their exceptional catalogue. Nation of Heat by Joe Pug February 14, 2008 / Self-released I’m admittedly breaking my own rules here, as Nation of Heat is an EP, not a full album, and probably does not fit the label of “indie rock.” And it’s difficult to pinpoint when this was released. According to Bandcamp it came out in 2008. Wikipedia says 2009. One thing there’s not doubt of is that Joe Pug was about as independent as any artist can be in his approach to recording and distributing Nation of Heat. The project started as a play Pug had been writing as theater major at the University of North Carolina. When he realized he didn’t see much value in the education he was receiving, he dropped out, headed to Chicago, and took a crack at applying the unfinished play's themes to songs instead of stage. Nation of Heat paints a kaleidoscopic picture of America in all its crooked glory. There is clearly strong emotion behind each of these songs; Pug wrestles with his purpose as an artist, the unfulfilled promises of the 1960s’ political and cultural movements, and general disillusionment with so many facets of American society. These weighty topics set to guitar and harmonica, explored in opaquely poetic language naturally call to mind Woody Guthrie and especially early Bob Dylan. Most Dylan acolytes (and there have been oh so many) are just cheap imitators—guys with little in the way of songwriting ability and not much more in terms of actual substance. Joe Pug is one of the rare exceptions. Nation of Heat, sixteen odd years later, is a salient reminder that the personal is political, the country is lost, and it’s on each of us individually to never stop searching. Midnight Boom by The Kills March 10, 2008 / Domino

The Kills’ excellent third album is an underrated career highlight that stands up with some of the best work by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and, I’ll say it, The White Stripes. These songs are full of slick electro-rock riffs and just-menacing-enough-to-be-cool-as-hell attitude. Highlights include “Tape Song,” “Last Day of Magic,” and “Night Train.”

Narrow Stairs by Death Cab for Cutie May 12, 2008 / Atlantic Gradually over the past few years people all across this great land of ours have been coming to a simple but important realization: that the second best Death Cab album is Narrow Stairs. No, it is not Plans (2005), the exhale to Transatlanticism’s pining inhale. It is not We Have The Facts and We’re Voting Yes, a common pick from early fans. It’s not The Photo Album, a crucial level-up album, and the one with an all-time great song that got the band its first sync (and namedrop) in The O.C. No, it is Narrow Stairs, the sixth album by Death Cab for Cutie, which Ben Gibbard has described as “a really fearless record.” He’s also said, “So much of the negativity in my life got funneled into [Narrow Stairs]. I realized after that I didn't want to go any darker. I wanted it to be the bottom for this band and my own emotional spectrum in terms of writing. He’s also described funneling much of his life’s negativity.” Could Zoey Deschanel have had anything to do with all this doom and gloom? It’s a natural question to arrive at, and one I cannot answer. In any case, this one has been dogged by the “dark album” label since it was released, and it seems to have been generally considered “good, not great” for a long while. But time has been favorable to Narrow Stairs. There are of course the songs we all knew were terrific back in 2008. “Bixby Canyon Bridge” remains the hardest ripping Death Cab song and is a contender for the band’s best opening track. “I Will Possess Your Heart” with its jammy bass part and stalker dude vibes is their “Creep.” “Grapevine Fires” is still a painterly reflection on mortality, their “Dust in the Wind.” And then there are songs like “Cath…” that we overlooked. It’s a beautiful and heart-wrenching tale of a miserable bride and all her regrets, ending with an expression of understanding and empathy from Gibbard’s narrator. Or how about “You Can Do Better Than Me” and its plainly stated admission of complacency and inadequacy. To top it all off, “The Ice Is Getting Thinner,” (why not?) a metaphor about a dwindling relationship as climate change. Oh I forgot to mention “Pity and Fear.” That one is about fear and…checks notes…pity. This track is also their “Sopranos finale.” So yes, Narrow Stairs is quite dark. And it’s exceptionally good. Second only to Transatlanticism, and that’s saying a lot. Fleet Foxes by Fleet Foxes June 3, 2008 / Sub Pop

Ah, the great Pacific Northwest. Could Fleet Foxes and this transportive powerhouse of a debut come from anywhere else? I don’t want to get hyperbolic here, but I’d say Fleet Foxes in 2008 did for communing with nature what Nevermind in 1991 for anti-authoritarianism. Primary songwriter Robin Pecknold Pecknold wrote most of the songs in a rural log cabin built by his grandfather in the small town of Plain, Washington. Indeed, the whole record sounds like it came out of some remote mountain town, or was composed in a cliffside European monastery by sixteenth century monks. Its outrageously beautiful harmonies and evocative pastoral imagery make it on of the most exciting debut records of the 2000s. The ’59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem August 19, 2008 / SideOneDummy A fun (highly dependent on your idea of “fun”) drinking game would be to put on The ’59 Sound and drink every time Brian Fallon makes some classic rock reference. You’d be underway about two minutes into the album on “Great Expectations” when he sings “It's funny how the night moves / Humming a song from 1962.” Then again, some may interpret the first word of the first line “Mary, this station is playing every sad song” as an allusion to the Mary of so many Bruce Springsteen songs. It’s not only impossible to write about The Gasinght Anthem without mentioning The Boss, I believe it’s punishable by death. There’s no Gaslight Anthem without Bruce, but that’s not to say this record is all pastiche. It is a genuinely remarkable heartland punk classic that rightfully earned Fallon the respect of his idol and made his dreams come true. To put it more directly, The ’59 Sound is a no-skips classic that fucking rips. Further reading: The Ringer’s Oral History of The ’59 Sound Dear Science by TV on the Radio September 16, 2008 / 4AD For several summers when I was in high school and college I worked as a lifeguard at a country club. I would sometimes get to control the music that played at the front desk and through the pool deck speaker system. It was typically played at a low volume, meant to be largely ignored, as most background music typically is. Club members never mentioned the music, all of it family friendly and unoffensive, except for two or three separate occasions when various middle-aged suburban dads came to the desk to ask me the name of the song playing. Each time, the song in question was “Love Dog,” the eighth track off TV on the Radio’s Dear Science. What does this mean? Nothing, probably. It’s just a beautiful song that, in a pre-Shazam age, happened to be the one that stood out from the pack, eliciting the urge to ask the gangly teenager folding towels what it’s called. Or perhaps it speaks to something deeper. Something darker. Something at the heart of latent loneliness, middle-aged malaise, and suburban sorrow. We’ll never know.

Furr by Blitzentrapper September 23, 2008 / Sub Pop Here’s another pretty unfairly overlooked album from 2008. Nothing crazy here, just really well written folk-country tunes with a woodsy, lived-in sound. The title track is the second best lycanthropic song of the decade (#1 is “Wolf Like Me”…#3 is “She Wolf”). Robin Pecknold had nice things to say about Furr’s closing track “Lady on the Water.” Starfucker by Strfkr September 23, 2008 / Baldman Back then they were known as Starfucker, a group of Portland-based dance rock-loving weirdos with a penchant for including samples of Alan Watts’ philosophical ramblings in songs. In the years since, they’ve dropped the vowels and now sit on a discography of seven pretty terrific electro-pop records. They also put out an ambient album in 2020 that’s not too shabby. Starfucker is their first LP though, and an audaciously odd but thoroughly chill entry into the aughts synth-pop canon. You may have heard in “Rawnald Gregory Erickson the Second” in a Target commercial, but don’t miss standouts “German Love” and “Isabella of Castile.”

[jcmarchi]

An interview with CISO Mardecia Bell, a storied career - CyberTalk

New Post has been published on https://thedigitalinsider.com/an-interview-with-ciso-mardecia-bell-a-storied-career-cybertalk/

An interview with CISO Mardecia Bell, a storied career - CyberTalk

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

In this edited interview excerpt from the CISO’s Secrets podcast, CISO Mardecia Bell unpacks what it’s like to serve as an information security expert on a university campus. A highly accomplished CISO, over the course of her storied, 38-year career at the North Carolina State University, she has smartly built up systems, implemented new technologies, and achieved exceptional results. Leverage these insights to evolve your system set-up and to begin the new year on the right track.

Host: I know from my early years, universities tended to be unconcerned about filtering what content people reached for. Universities were environments of ‘free access’, as to foster intellectual thought. But that’s diametrically opposed to the security challenges. I remember, many times, talking to universities and hearing about that dichotomy that they wrestled with. So, I wonder if you can perhaps talk a little bit about how you dealt with that over the years?

MB: So, I think it started changing in the 80’s, when the terminology of ‘client server’ emerged. Mainframes started going away. People started giving customers more control over data…

Host: That was when we started building networks too, right?

MB: Yes.

Host: We kind of went away from this big behemoth in the sky (which ironically, we’re kind of back to. We just call it ‘cloud’ now. We don’t call it mainframe. But you’re right, that cycle of where we all went out into our little fishbowl and had to support information at that level…

MB: That’s when we started the Local Area Networks (LANs) and so forth…You remember the Novells of the world and that sort of thing…That was the start of it. Host: I find it fascinating that we thought so differently about security when we were each in our own fishbowl…You know what I mean? You just mentioned Novell, well I wasn’t using Novell, I was using Token Ring. And the company next to me wasn’t using Novell or Token Ring, they were using Banyan VINES…The point being, I think we all looked at security differently then, right? It was more about ‘hey, who’s stealing from us’?

MB: We did. There was a lot more freedom and we didn’t worry about things so much. But then, we started having all these hackers come on the scene, and then things started moving into the cloud…That was around Y2K. People started migrating to the enterprise systems, and the cloud networks, and people started putting more of their data in the cloud…And that was when the government started cracking down on security controls, and you started seeing all of these requirements creep in and so forth.

So, as that started happening, the universities — which were accustomed to an extensive degree of freedom, and used to putting everything out there in regards to their research and so-forth — all of a sudden, realized that they needed to start securing the data.

Because at that point, the hackers started to realize that universities had all of this freedom, and they thought to themselves ‘oooh, this is a goldmine for us.’ The hackers began to launch phishing attacks and other threat types. That’s when universities started putting in more controls to protect data. We had to start classifying the data, so that you had the controls associated with that classification, and so-forth.

Host: That’s spot-on Mardecia. And I believe we used to look at it in such a way where, if you were within the perimeter, everything was fine. But if you were external, then…And I think you’re spot-on in that when we shifted over to TCP/IP, that fishbowl went away and all of us were in the same big ole’ ocean, that enabled a different level of access. I think it’s definitely been a double-edged sword.

Before, when you were in your Novell network, you certainly didn’t have access to what you do now on the internet, but it is that connectivity that introduces the threats, and as that level of connectivity has multiplied, the complexity has become quite challenging.

MB: Yes, it has. And now we have to deal with all of these compliance requirements. You have PCI, you’ve got DLVA, you have NIST-800-171, you’ve got the FERPA and the HIPAA and the list just goes on.

Host: And there are serious consequences if an organization doesn’t adhere to compliance requirements. You mentioned it earlier. The government is getting involved too. They’re not just saying ‘don’t do that’ or ‘hey, you’re going to get in trouble’. Compliance failures have a real cost.

MB: Yes, that’s correct.

Host: Obviously, you’ve evolved and grown your staff…You mentioned phishing, and I just want to delve into that further. How do you deal with this increased threat? Universities are becoming more of a target. Are you looking outside for services and other augmentations to your security to keep your people and systems safe?

MB: When we had to comply with PCI, several years ago, the university had the foresight to purchase some tools associated with that, as we didn’t have any login and monitoring tools and things of that nature.

So, we’ve had that in-place for a while, and more recently, we’ve expanded that to everything in the data centers that we have, we’re expanding that across campus…We’ve deployed that to our high-profile accounts and we’re working on inventory for all of our systems…Also endpoint detection and response.

Host: And are you looking at some of the other DRs, like MDR and XDR? MB: We are looking at that, yes. We have brought in a number of consultants to evaluate systems and so-forth, so we have taken their recommendations and put that in a plan…Like a do now, do next, and do-later concept. We do have a SOC, a security operations center. We started out with a one-person SOC a few years ago because of all of the tickets and the incidents that started to occur. Today, we have a three person SOC with a manager.

Host: You have quite a number of students, faculty and staff. Near 10,000 faculty and staff. Forty-thousand students. That’s a lot of people and resources to protect. Earlier, you mentioned protecting higher profile staff. Does that mean the professors?

MB: That’s like the administration, the basketball coaches, and the folks who have access to sensitive data — people of that nature.

One of the things that we have done, which we are proud of, is that we have mandatory data security awareness training for employees. We’ve done that for about four years at this point. We’re still working on that for the students, so hopefully that will be coming soon.

Host: Interestingly enough, that’s become quite a focus for enterprises, for that matter. Are you implementing any of the different types of mock-phishing attack tools, and similar tools to better educate your students and users? MB: We are in the process of doing a pilot for that right now…

Expand your world, gain new perspectives and lead with confidence. Listen to the full interview here! 

                                                      For more CISO strategy insights:

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The Supreme Court Fulfills the Constitution’s Color-Blind Promise

Discrimination in university admissions is legally dead, at last.

At long last, the Supreme Court has said: “enough.” In a 6–3 decision this morning, the nation’s highest court told its oldest private and public universities, Harvard and the University of North Carolina, that they could no longer discriminate based on race.

Today’s decision comes just ten days before the 155th anniversary of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution—the second of the three great post–Civil War amendments intended to free the slaves and ensure their civil and voting rights. It comes three days before the start of the 60th year of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, which Congress enacted to make that amendment’s promise a reality. And it comes just one day after the 45th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s earlier affirmative-action decision in Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, which stood out as the lone remaining blot on the anti-race-discrimination landscape, once earlier Courts had cleared away their predecessors’ ill-considered opinions gutting the Fourteenth Amendment and allowing government actions dividing Americans by race.

The Bakke decision reflected a divided view of the Fourteenth Amendment’s meaning, still reflected in today’s opinions. Four of the Bakke justices (the minority) viewed a California public university’s race-discriminatory “affirmative-action” program as violating Title VI of the Civil Rights Act, prohibiting educational institutions that received federal money from “discrimination” “on the grounds of race, color, or national origin.” Title VI is what makes a private institution taking federal funds, like Harvard, on the hook for its affirmative action policies. The Supreme Court treats the Civil Rights Act’s prohibition against race discrimination as identical to the Fourteenth Amendment’s, notwithstanding textual variation.

Though the five remaining justices in Bakke rejected the view that Title VI foreclosed universities receiving federal funds from racially discriminating, they didn’t otherwise agree among themselves. Four saw California’s race discrimination as defensible, under law and statute, given the long history of social and governmental discrimination that had disadvantaged black Americans. (That’s essentially the rationale underlying today’s lengthy dissents by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, each joined by Justice Elena Kagan.)

The ninth justice in Bakke, Lewis Powell, stood in the middle. For Powell, societal discrimination was insufficient justification for sweeping governmental race discrimination—which the Court normally permits only when “narrowly tailored to achieve a compelling state interest.” Yet, in Powell’s view, student body “diversity” was sufficiently important to universities’ missions to clear that otherwise high legal hurdle. No other justice agreed with Powell’s original rationale, but it framed lower court decisions wrestling with subsequent affirmative-action challenges. Ultimately, a narrow majority of Supreme Court justices upheld a version of the diversity rationale in Grutter v. Bollinger (2003) and Fisher v. University of Texas (2016).

The diversity rationale always contrasted sharply with the only other rationales under which the modern Supreme Court has countenanced race-based government discrimination: to remediate “specific, identified instances of past discrimination that violated the Constitution” or to quell a prison riot. Though Justice Sotomayor nods to diversity in her dissent, she only refers to Powell’s Bakke opinion once, as Chief Justice John Roberts notes in his opinion for the six-member majority of the Court. Justice Jackson’s separate dissent ignores Powell’s Bakke opinion altogether.

CONTINUED...

[apwmagazine]

WWE Charlotte Flair’s New Surgery?? Are Nose Jobs, Lip Jobs, And Botox All Real Or Fake??

WWE Charlotte Flair’s New Surgery?? Are Nose Jobs, Lip Jobs, And Botox All Real Or Fake??

Charlotte Flair was born on April 5, 1986, in Charlotte, North Carolina. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in PR from North Carolina State University. Charlotte is also a certified personal trainer but doesn’t work on this career since she started focusing on professional wrestling. Charlotte grew up around professional wrestling since her father, Richard Fliehr, better known as Ric Flair,…

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Sawyer Davidson (https://www.instagram.com/sawyer__davidson/)

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Ramos USA North Carolina State University

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