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wallofweird · 4 years

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This Is Us Q&A

Thanks @madsdefencesquad for tagging me. :)

1. The first character I first fell in love with:

Dr. Nathan Katowski. He just seemed to be such a charismatic, generous, wise and kind person and the way he comforted those two nervous young people (Jack and Rebecca) who were entering parenthood for the very first time was simply beautiful. Specially because nowadays some doctors are so arrogant and cold that make you feel so bad to the point of almost apologizing for needing their care (not most though, we have real life heroes out there on the front line of the COVID-19 pandemic and I’m forever thankful for them!). Anyway, it was pleasant to see a character with so much heart. Now the first regular character I fell in love with was Randall. He was just so relatable and Sterling and the writers really managed to show all the affliction he kept inside from early on. All the things he had accumulated through the years, with the questions about his biological parents, his identity, finding out that William was dying the same day he met him and everything... Even before we got to dive into that story, you could see it in his eyes. And I empathized with him immediately.

2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:

Kevin. I used to find him very annoying and self-centered and now I’m eating my words, but I guess that’s always been the writers intention: to show a character that came off as really shallow and immature and slowly change our minds about him. It definitely worked. My opinion about him started to change on the ‘Number One’ episode. It broke my heart to see what he was going through, specially when he lost the only thing he had left from Jack. That was hard to watch. And now that I’m rewatching the show, I can get his actions a lot better now and see that a lot of the stuff I used to hate came from his insecurities. So I’ve changed my mind about his behavior on the first episodes and I’m enjoying seeing him back then as well. I can see the bigger picture now.

3. The character everyone else loves that I don’t:

Cassidy. I don’t really believe there’s a consensus about her, it looks like the opinions are pretty balanced, but I’m not a fan of her. I wouldn’t say I hate Cassidy, but I don’t really like her. Like, the other characters can get me to laugh and cry so easily, but she doesn’t make me feel anything? She looks kind of cold to me, which I can understand it probably has something to with being in the military and the things she had to experience and do, but even with the whole drama with her son and husband... It's just never given me the same emotion I use to get from the other characters. Also, I really wanted the first half of the season to be only about Kevin and his uncle, but they threw a stranger in it and played with the idea of putting Kevin and Cassidy together the whole time. I just wanted to see their dynamic without anybody’s interference, specially because I haven’t got the point of her presence yet. I believe Kevin and Nicky would’ve done just fine in their journey to sobriety without her and I don’t really think the woman will marry any of them. I hope there’s something bigger planned for her that will explain her addition to the show, because I don’t really get it. So far it just looks like she’s there to mislead us with the whole “who is Kevin’s wife?” mystery.

4. The character I love that everyone else hates:

Madison. I wouldn’t say everybody hates her, for me the public has mixed opinions about her? I’ve seen people who hate her, who are indifferent, who like her and think she’s funny and people who love her. However, I do believe she deserves more praise. I think she’s kind of in the same situation Kevin used to be a few years ago. A lot of people have a pre-fabricated idea of Madison and see her as someone shallow and immature. Madison has always been there for Kate, even when she was nothing but rude to her. When Kate hit her car (I know it was accidentally, but still), Madison got over it the second she learned Kate was pregnant. She immediately forgot about her car and was filled with nothing but joy after hearing the news. Madison also helped Kate to enjoy the process of finding her wedding dress, staying positive with her second pregnancy after the previous miscarriage... She’s been there through thick and thin. And she is so loving, selfless and strong that was willing to raise her twins and go through all of that by herself to avoid getting in the way of Kevin finding his great love story. How can somebody not admire that? Even if you don’t like her, because that’s understandable and sometimes a character just doesn’t resonate with us, there’s absolutely no reason to hate or criticize her personality and actions. Madison is very underrated, but she is an amazing person. I just don’t understand why people have changed their minds about Kevin after seeing his struggles and evolution, but won’t do the same with her. The only difference here is the amount of screentime they have and the gender, because they’re both great people. I really don’t get it.

5. The character I used to love but don’t any longer:

One of the great things about this show is that I’ve never stopped loving any of the characters. There are characters I don’t really like, there are characters that have grown on me, but the opposite has never happen. However, I am a little angry with Randall and Kevin after that fight. I won’t defend any of them. They were both terrible to each other.

I get where they’re both coming from when it comes to how they deal with Rebecca’s health. It’s understandable wanting to save your mother. It’s understandable wanting her to enjoy the time she has left. There is no right or wrong decision in these situations. And a lot of how they deal with it comes from their personalities and traumas. They both have this hole in their lives because of losing Jack. Randall blames himself and thinks about what life would’ve been if he hadn’t died every single day. His anxiety also plays a role in how he process everything. It’s consuming. On the other hand, Kevin regrets not having spent as much time with his father as he could’ve had. He’s also already gone through therapy, is a year sober and attending the AA meetings regularly... He can see things more clearly than Randall right now. So I don’t judge either of them for how they approach to the situation. Still, Randall should’ve respected Rebecca’s decision. Period. He was selfish and I can’t defend what he did. I can understand why he did it and I didn’t really see it as him manipulating his mother, for me it was more of a desperate moment, when he was telling Rebecca he cannot handle losing her. Not that Kevin and Kate can handle losing their mother, but he’s clearly overwhelmed with the whole situation, while Kevin and Kate are at a better mental state and looking at things with more serenity.

However, regarding their fight, Kevin’s got some fault too. I’m sure they didn’t mean anything they said to one another, they just happened to know each other’s deepest wounds and wanted to rub them. It was painful to watch. Kevin knows Randall feels guilty for letting Jack walk back into the house. Randall knows Kevin feels guilty for not being there. Kevin knows Randall have never felt liked he completely fitted in, because he was abandoned by his biological father and adopted only after Rebecca and Jack lost a child. He’s always felt a little lost or as a replacement to Kyle. And Randall knows Kevin is self-conscious and feels like people don’t take him seriously or believe he can be responsible. It was heartbreaking and cruel. And I’m rewatching season 1 and recently saw the episode where they finally begin to grow closer and there is this scene where Randall says:

“[Mom] showered me with attention. Took my side more often than not. And I ate every bit of her love up. Ate it up like Pac-Man. You know why? Because the one person I wanted it from the mo..

[...]

You know, back there with those people, it's the first time in 36 years you've said the words, ‘he's my brother’, [as] claiming me.”

I’ve also just finished the episode where it shows young Randall having a nervous breakdown and Kevin ignoring him. Kevin and Randall did have some good moments growing up, but for most of it they weren’t close and Randall was the one who tried the harder to change that. It took them over 30 years to get to a place where they finally acted like brothers on a regular basis and now they have both ruined all of that progress. So I can’t really pick sides and blame one of them when it comes to that fight. They were both terrible. However, I’m just a little more disappointed with Randall because he interfered in Rebecca’s decision.

6. The character I would totally smooch:

Kevin. Justin Hartley just happens to be on my Male Celebrity Crush Top 2, so...

7. The character I’d want to be like:

Beth. She’s smart, successful, funny, wise and beautiful, I’d like to have at least 30% of that awesomeness.

8. The character I’d slap:

Marc.

9. A pairing that I love:

Jack and Rebecca. Their love story, even with its ups and downs, remains epic. One for the ages, indeed.

Still, I really miss a slowburn ship. We’ve had Jack and Rebecca, Kate and Toby, Randall and Beth since the very beginning. They were all love at first sight. They got together pretty quickly. I miss a ship that I can see go through all of those basic stages, like meeting, becoming friends and falling in love. I miss seeing a character pining for another and being a little bit jealous of them. I miss watching the scenes with the lingering looks, deep breaths, both staring at each other when the other isn’t noticing... All this tension building up until the moment it just explodes. Like, give me angst scenes! Give me a scene where they are hugging so tight and not wanting to let go and Character A can’t resist it anymore and kisses character B as if their his/her depended on it. Give me rain kisses. Give me character A pining for character B, but doubting that B feels the same way. Give me B being just as insanely in love as A and feeling frustrated whenever they’re around someone else. Give me character B being unconsciously jealous and fighting with character A. Give me A blurting out that he/she is in love with B and a passionate kiss. I know it’s cliché, but there is a reason why everyone loves scenes like these: they work. And This Is Us needs stuff like that. Hopefully Kevin and Madison can fill this gap, since I’m already in love with their potential. ;)

10. A pairing that I despise:

Kevin and Sophie. I genuinely have nothing against Sophie, she is a good person and she deserves happiness. If anything, Kevin was the one who wronged her. However, I can’t help sighing and rolling my eyes whenever she shows up or her name is mentioned on the show. I’m just tired at this point. I’ve never saw the appeal of it. I’m usually a slowburn kind of shipper, but I still have my ‘love at first sight’ otps. This one, however, never really convinced me. First, I don’t see the chemistry at all (in any timeline). Second, he’s cheated on her twice. Plus, the second time they were together, Kevin had fallen back into drinking and she didn’t even realize the seriousness of the situation. I’m not saying it was her fault or responsibility, because that’s a real problem and what Kevin needed was professional help. Also, he lied to her and broke Sophie’s heart again in the process, so I can empathize with her. Still, the fact that Sophie couldn’t see what was going on and they were never able to go through it together, whether it was his treatment, or the long distance or any real obstacle just proves to me they don’t work. They simply couldn’t work together. And Kevin has moved on. He moved on from her and genuinely fell in love with Zoe. They broke up because they wanted different things, but their relationship was real. So, the way I see it, the fact that he suddenly wants another ‘crack at it’ with Sophie, it’s just a result of his frustration. Kevin is so desperate to have his own great love story and children, that he is trying to get it from strangers on coffee shops or any ex-girlfriend that will reach out to him. He’s not thinking things through, but hopefully he will let life takes it course and find find them naturally, without forcing anything or insisting on relationships that have proved multiple times that weren’t the right fit for him. I also don’t really like when characters appear with the solely purpose to be someone’s love interest, I like seeing them in their own element and their dynamic with other characters. Like, even though each Pearson has their immediate family, we’ve seen bits of Beth and Rebecca, Toby and Kevin, Beth and Zoe, Kate and Madison (who at this point I’m pretty sure is Kevin’s fiancée)... Sophie wasn’t fully integrated into the family during their second attempt at a relationship, so that’s another reason for me not to like this ship.

I don’t wanna tag anyone specifically because I’m afraid I might forget someone, so anyone who wants to do this thing, just go for it. I’d love to see your answers. :)

#this is us #randall pearson #kevin pearson

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purplesurveys · 5 years

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628

Have a name survey because these are always fun.

Boys

A Andrew vs. Aaron Alan vs. Alexander Aiden vs. Adam B Brennan vs. Brayden: Both of these are awful but I guess I gotta pick. Brandon vs. Braxton Bentley vs. Brimley C Cayden vs. Camden: Again, both equally cringey for me. Cole vs. Cameron Cade vs. Chandler: Chandler is a cute name for a girl, but I have a bias for Chandler Bing too hahaha. D Denver vs. Dallas Deklan vs. Dylan: I prefer the spelling Declan, though. Also, I technically like Dylan just a little bit more and would have picked it, but I like it for a girl. My sister had a classmate named Dylan and it sounded really good on her. David vs. Dennis E Ethan vs. Ezra Eitan vs. Elijah Emmanuel vs. Eden: Again, I prefer the name Eden for girls.

F Fabio vs. Ferdinand: I very hesitatingly picked Fabio hence the italics, but I very much dislike both. This is also what I’ll be doing for the rest of the names on here. Finnegan vs. Finley Fernando vs. Frankie: For the millionth time, Frankie is cute for a girl (this is where y’all really see that I prefer daughters more HAHAHA), and this is also because there’s a local singer named Frankie that I really admire. G Gavin vs. Gus Gumby vs. Gerrick George vs. Grant H Harper vs. Harley Hayden vs. Henry Harlow vs. Hank I Ian vs. Ivan Indigo vs. Iris: Can I just say these are both better off as girl names? Indiana vs. Iris: And these, too?

J John vs. Jericho Jacob vs. Jameson Jasper vs. Jedidiah K Kayden vs. Koa Kent vs. Kyle Kevin vs. Konner: I prefer the spelling Connor, though. L Lars vs. Liam Levi vs. Lance Lester vs. Lorenzo M Michael vs. Matthew Maverick vs. Mason Madison vs. Micah N Nolan vs. Nathan Niko vs. Nathaniel Nicholas vs. Nate: I honestly like both. I can go with naming a son Nicholas then giving them Nate as a nickname. O Ocean vs. Oscar: I hate nature names and Oscar screams old-guy-name to me. Sorry to all the Oscars :( Orville vs. Otis Otto vs. October P Patrick vs. Percy Preston vs. Paisley Parker vs. Passion Q Quincy vs. Quinn Quada vs. Quinten Quailen vs Quidditch R Raven vs. Riley Rowan vs. Rod Ray vs. Roy: I have a bit of a sentimental attachment to Roy cos it’s an occasional nickname Gab’s dad uses. S Skylar vs. Scott: Only because a high school classmate named her kid Schuyler and that baby is seriously adorable, bubbly, and well-behaved. Storm vs. Steven Sorin vs. Solomon T Trevor vs. Travis Todd vs. Taylor Taytum vs. Tanner U Ulysses vs. Uman Umbo vs. Uno Utah vs. Usher: I dislike most geographic names, but I’d rather I name my baby Utah then have them be sang sex-themed songs by Usher by meaner kids throughout their childhood lmao. V Vance vs. Vincent Vern vs. Vayde Vernon vs. Vayden W Walter vs. Wyatt Wade vs. Winter Wallace vs. Whisper X Xenon vs. Xayden: I really wanted to pick one name for each question, but being stuck between a chemical element and a name ending in -den is an easy no to both for me. Xayler vs. Xavier Xandon vs. Xennan Y Yvonne vs. Yonder: These names are getting more awful now that we’re ending dude, lmao. Yuletide vs. Yasser Yancy vs. Yancer Z Zeeland vs. Zayden Zion vs. Zenon Zander vs. Zenner

Girls

A Acacia vs. Alexa Aurora vs. Annalise Avonna vs. Alessandra B Brogan vs. Brooklyn Bianca vs. Brigitta Bailey vs. Brynn C Carlotta vs. Christine Cheyenne vs. Cescily Cecilia vs. Cassidy D Diedra (pronounced Dee-ay-druh) vs. Delilah: But I prefer the spelling Deirdre. Devia vs. Daytona Dakota vs. Darcy E Evonna vs. Eliana Emerald vs. Evangeline Eden vs. Eliza F Felicity vs. Fiona Faith vs. Faye: Both have always been on my blacklist for girl’s names, sorry lol. Flavia (pronoucned Flah-wee-uh) vs. Flora G Grace vs. Gretchen Genesis vs. Galaxy: Please don’t make these names happen. Gabriella vs. Greta: I love both names and have always liked the name Greta because of Greta Garbo, but I’m obviously biased towards my girlfriend so Gabriela/Gabriella it is. H Harper vs. Hope Holly vs. Hailee Harmony vs. Harvest: Again, both cringe material but I guess Harmony makes me cringe juuuuuuust a little less. I Imogene vs. Ivy Isabella vs. Iris Irene vs. Ingrid J Jessica vs. Jacinda Jade vs. Juniper: Juniper would be cute if a baby can stay a baby forever lmao, but I’m generally not a fan. Joanna vs. Joy: But I like the spelling Johanna more. K Kaleidoscope (Kallie for short) vs. Kaylee: Can I just pick the nickname? I hate the other two options :(( Kennedy vs. Kendall: I’d pick both, but thinking as a future mom, I wouldn’t want my daughter to be mercilessly teased for being given a name that’s usually understood to be more masculine in nature. I know we’re all about breaking stereotypes and all, but y’all – realistically, kids can be pretty fucking cruel. Katelyn vs. Katrina L Lacey vs. Linsey Lynnea (proncounced Lynn-ay-uh) vs. Liberty Lara vs. Lola M Morgan vs. Madison Mackenzie vs. Miranda Marissa vs. Monica N Nora vs. Natalie Nevaeh (pronounced Nev-ay-uh) vs. Nicole Niki vs. Noelle O Ophelia vs. Ocean: Only picking Ophelia because I’m generally not a fan of nature names, but there are a lot more better options if I wanted to name my kid after Shakespeare plays, like Beatrice or Emilia. Olivia vs. Onna Opal vs. October: Was never a fan of gemstone names, and there are much better month names than October. P Passion vs. Primrose: I feel the same way for Primrose as I do with Juniper. Mostly cute with babies, but is less cuter on grown-up girls. Penelope vs. Pixie Pandora vs. Palace Q Quintessa vs. Quincy Quaila vs. Quilala (Kwi--lah-lah) Queen vs. Quiencia (Kwee-ence-ee-uh) R Reyna vs. Riley Rosanna vs. Rosemary Rhonda vs. Rodica (Roe-dee-kuh) S Skylar vs. Skye Serena vs. Simone Shailey vs. Sienna T Tessa vs. Taylor Tia vs. Tiana Taytum vs. Trixie: Tatum would be a better spelling. U Una vs. Uta Ulyssia (You-liss-ee-uh) vs. Umba Ula vs. Ursula: Only because it can be a Friends reference lol. V Violet vs. Vylette Veronica vs. Victoria Valencia vs. Valerie W Wynona vs. Whitney: Winona > Wynona, but still. Wynter vs. Whisper Willow vs. Wanda X Xaila vs. Xara Xana vs. Xenon Xavier vs. Xena Y Yasmin vs. Yvonne Yvette vs Yolanda Yori vs. Yaya Z Zayara vs. Zion Zayana vs. Zoey Zen vs. Zara

Final questions!

Your name (first and middle): Robyn Isabelle.Do you like it?I hated the name Robyn throughout my childhood because I always got teased about it. When I got to college and everyone just kinda matured and told me they liked the way my name flowed, I ended up warming up to and loving it.What your parents almost named you:I was almost named Ariel after the Disney princess, and I know my parents were also thinking of naming me Katrina/Katherine/Kaitlyn.Your favorite girl's name (first and middle):Olivia. I don’t have a pick for middle name yet.List five unique names of girls you have met:Shauna, Shontrice, Unila, Ciamae, Rheezan.List five girl's names you don't like:I mostly dislike in-your-face weather/nature names like Winter, Snow, Amethyst, Cloud, Gaia, or Daffodill. But some, like Cheyenne, Rose, and Luna are super cute, too.List five girls name you really like:I’ve done this like 10 times on 10 different surveys but I like names such as Olivia, Elizabeth, Mia, Ava, and Isabella.Your first best friend's name:Kaye.Your siblings names:Nope.The name of the first pet that you loved:Tobi, my pet rabbit.What you would be named if you were the opposite gender:I’ve never asked my parents about this, actually. They’d probably go with a Spanish/Hispanic name, seeing as they went with Joaquin for my brother but were also thinking of naming him Diego.

#survey #surveys

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straiightfromthearchive · 7 years

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under the cut are all the male oc’s along with their fc’s and fc’s that i’d love to do stuff opposite(romantic or not. tho im a hoe for ships ).

i have put strike throughs through the ones that @cfmythsandlegends and @elenaloveablekotsala ( who literally said give me all the nina ones LMFAO) have said they would do. Everything else is up for grabs *pew pew*

Aidan Falconeri ( Hayden Christensen ) - Natalie Portman, Rachel Bilson Alaric Turner ( Robert Pattinson ) - Kristen Stewart Alexander Brody ( Robert Downey Jr ) - Scarlett Johansson, Chris Evans, Bennett Kincaid ( Taylor Kinney ) - Sophia Bush Boston Nichols ( Zane Holtz ) - got the one major thing I want so nothing lol Cary Chandler ( Dominic Sherwood ) - Katherine McNamara , Sarah Hyland Cash Spencer ( Christian Kane ) - nothing in particular Charlie Forbes ( Ansel Elgort ) - Shailene Woodley Cody Kensington ( Ian Somerhalder ) - Kristen Stewart, Sophia Bush, Kristen Bell Douglas Fletcher ( Josh Dallas ) - Ginnifer Goodwin Duke Carpenter ( Jesse Lee Soffer ) - Sophia Bush Elias Gilbert ( Grant Gustin ) - Melissa Benoist Elijah Barnett ( Ashton Kutcher ) - Mila Kunis Eric Gilbert ( Scott Eastwood ) - Taylor Swift , Britt Robertson Ethan Mathison ( James Franco ) - no one in particular Ezra Gilbert ( Sam Claflin ) - Emilia Clarke, Jennifer Lawrence, Lily Collins Ezra Martin ( Michael Trevino ) - Nina Dobrev, Phoebe Tonkin, Flynn Lawrence ( D.J. Cotrona ) - I have the one pairing i really want so nothing in particular Graham Ford ( Milo Ventimiglia ) - Alexis Bledel, Hayden Panettiere, Harrison Rogers ( Mark Wahlberg ) - Kate Mara, Kate Hudson, Amanda Seyfried Huntington 'Hunt' Pierce ( Colin O'Donoghue ) - Jennifer Morrison, Sarah Bolger, Jake Kensington ( Robert Downey Jr ) - Nikki Reed, Jennifer Morrison, Emma Stone Jamison O'Connor Martin ( Zac Efron ) - Nina Dobrev, Vanessa Hudgens, Lincoln Reynolds ( Vin Diesel ) - i have the main thing I want for him so everything else is just extra :D Matthew McCoy ( Dylan O'Brien ) - Britt Robertson, Nina Dobrev, anyone really Miles Watts ( Brett Dalton)- idk i have the thing Nathan Falconeri ( Carmine Giovinazzo ) - no one in particular Nicholas Conant ( Shane West ) - Mandy Moore, Maggie Q, Nina Dobrev Pierce Richards ( David Boreanaz ) - I have the main thing I want for him. So nothing in particular Ryden Kennedy ( Eric Szmanda ) - Elisabeth Harnois Sebastian Cooper ( Josh Duhamel ) - nothing in particular Shep Deveraux ( Jake Gyllenhaal ) - Anne Hathaway mostly XD Teddy Quartermaine ( Colin Donnell ) - Katie Cassidy, Emily Bett Rickards Thorne Deveraux ( Chris Wood ) - Melissa Benoist Tristan Carter ( Grant Gustin ) - anyone tbh Walker Scott ( Ian somerhalder ) - Nina Dobrev, Adelaide Kane, anyone tbh Xavier Vaughn ( Ed Westwick ) - Nina Dobrev, anyone tbh

#( slept in last nights clothes ~ ooc )

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grimmwritings · 5 years

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Ikea Furniture

February 8, 2019

“There’s no way this is right,” Aunt Katie said, holding the creased instructions. At least three other women looked over her shoulder to see. My Mom leaned over the stained, olive green couch and grabbed at the instructions to take them out of her hands. I sighed and walked over to sit next to my sister on the other couch across the room as I realized I was too short to contend with the mob of aunts and cousins.

“No, it is. These two pieces fit together. See?” Uncle Nico held up two of the wooden slats for his wife to see. The rest of the men kneeled on the questionably beige carpet. Some gestured for Nico to pass the two slats over to them for inspection. My younger cousin, Logan, stood over my father’s shoulder trying to help, in whatever way a ten-year-old thinks he can.

“I don’t see why we can’t look it up on YouTube.” My younger sister, Cassidy, twisted the end of her braid and scrolled through her Instagram feed.

“Do you really think that will help?” I asked, scoffing at the ridiculous number of family members in one room. “We have the actual directions and nothing is getting done. Dad isn’t going to believe someone online can build it better than him.”

“Jo! Go get the mallet out of Aunt Maggie’s garage!” My brother, Nathan, yelled from across the room. I could hear him scratching the dry skin under his beard. He never moisturized like his wife told him to.

“But of course, my liege. May I also have the pleasure of fetching you a cool beverage?” I asked him and heard Cassidy snicker next to me. Nathan flipped me off, after checking to make sure Logan wasn’t looking. Uncle Nico slapped him in the back of head, touching the greasy hair I knew he hadn’t washed in at least three days. Neither Nathan or Uncle Nico looked like they regretted it. My mother laughed, trying to hide it from Aunt Katie by sipping from her cloudy glass of wine.

I left the living room and passed through the half-finished kitchen where Nanny cradled a mug of tea, talking to Aunt Maggie. Nanny was giving Aunt Maggie pregnancy tips she obviously wasn’t listening to. Poppa sat on the opposite end of the glass dining table, secretly feeding the dogs scraps from the dinner plates everyone had forgotten to clean up.

“Jo, how are things going in there?” Aunt Maggie asked, desperate for a way out of the conversation.

“Nathan told me to get the mallet from your garage. Is there anything you want me to grab while I’m out there?” I asked.

“Oh, Joanne, could you grab the formula I brought over? I want to go ahead stock Maggie’s kitchen.” Nanny asked.

“Of course. I’ll be back in a minute.” I said, opening the door to the garage.

The garage air was thick with humidity, but wasn’t any hotter than the packed living room. The shelves spilled pieces from old play sets and packaged food Aunt Maggie bought in bulk with coupons. One rack held tools she owned, but wouldn’t ever use on her own. I lifted the small mallet from its place and tapped the heavy end against my leg. I walked over to the hand-me-down fridge and opened it to try and find the formula. My phone buzzed in the back pocket of my jeans, I pulled it out to answer the call with my free hand.

“Hey, Jo. Mom wants you to check to see if she left her phone out in the garage while you’re out there.” Cassidy said.

“Yeah, I’ll look. Can you ask Nanny where she left the formula? I don’t see it in the fridge.” I moved expired foods around with the mallet, trying to locate the baby yellow packaging.

“Hey Nanny! Jo wants to know where you left the formula in the garage!” Cassidy yelled into the kitchen instead of walking over. I glanced around looking for my mom’s phone. Someone was probably sitting on it in the living room. I heard the faint mumble of

Nanny’s answer through Cassidy’s phone, as well as the ever-growing confusion surrounding the crib. “She says she left it on the counter next to the dish soap.”

“Oh, okay. I see it. Tell Mom her phone isn’t in here. Any progress?” I said, reaching to grab the box next to the dish soap and some older sports drinks.

“Absolutely not. Right now there’s more drinking than building.” She laughed, voice tinny through the phone. I heard the offended cries of the adults in the living room.

“I swear, if they would all leave the room and leave me with the pieces and the instructions, I could finish it in half an hour.” I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder, the formula and the mallet in my hands. “Gay women are the Ikea masters.” I tried to open the door while balancing the mallet in the crook of my elbow and waited for Cassidy to respond.

“Jo?” Cassidy sounded quieter than usual. “You were on speaker.” The words hit my ears slower than she said them. I stopped in my tracks. All I heard through the phone was stiff silence.

“Oh.” I took a deep breath, and finally opened the door. I kicked it shut and the click was the loudest sound in the house. I set the formula on the kitchen counter. Aunt Maggie, Nanny, and Poppa all stared holes into my shoulder blades. I turned and walked with shoulders pulled back into the living room. Everyone swiveled their heads to look at me at once, save Logan who didn’t know what was going on. I set the mallet down next to Nathan. “Y’all can keep looking at me all you want, I’m not going to take it back. I know for a fact I could finish this crib faster than all of you put together.”

#originalwriting

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thedeadshotnetwork · 7 years

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Net Neutrality, Pixar, David Cassidy: Your Wednesday Briefing

Photo

Celebrations outside Parliament in Harare, Zimbabwe, on Tuesday after an announcement that President Robert Mugabe had resigned. Mr. Mugabe, 93, was one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Credit Ben Curtis/Associated Press

(Want to get this briefing by email? Here’s the sign-up.)

Good morning.

Here’s what you need to know:

A mixed message from Washington.

• “Most Americans now get their internet and phone services from one of a few providers, and most TV shows and movies are produced by a handful of big companies. But there is so far no clear view about how Washington will navigate this constantly shifting terrain.”

One of our business reporters, David Gelles, examined the differing stances that the Trump administration has taken this week on one of the central issues shaping business and society.

On Tuesday, the F.C.C. announced plans to dismantle rules that prevent internet service providers from charging higher fees and blocking access to some websites. (This video explains how net neutrality works.)

Video

What Is Net Neutrality?

The F.C.C. is set to repeal rules that require internet providers to give consumers equal access to all content online. Here’s how it works.

By AARON BYRD and NATALIA V. OSIPOVA on Publish Date November 21, 2017. Photo by Michael Bocchieri/Getty Images. Watch in Times Video »

That followed Monday’s lawsuit by the Justice Department to block AT&T’s proposed takeover of Time Warner.

• “You’ve got one agency saying that marrying content and distribution results in too much market power, and another agency saying there’s no problem with a distributor favoring their content over someone else’s,” one analyst said.

Today in Islamabad, PakistanUpdate Location

Nice with plenty of sunshine

23°C 25° 7°

Tomorrow: 22° 6° View 5-Day Forecast

Trump defends Moore: “He totally denies it.”

• President Trump broke with leading Republicans on Tuesday and supported Roy Moore, the Senate candidate in Alabama who has been accused of molesting a 14-year-old girl.

Continue reading the main story

The president also praised women for speaking out: “I think it’s a very special time because a lot of things are coming out, and I think that’s good for our society, and I think it’s very, very good for women.”

Video

Trump on Moore: ‘He Totally Denies It’

On Tuesday, President Trump made his first remarks on Roy S. Moore since the Senate candidate was accused of improper sexual conduct with a minor.

By ASSOCIATED PRESS. Photo by Tom Brenner/The New York Times. Watch in Times Video »

Separately, Representative John Conyers Jr., a Democrat, is under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for sexual harassment charges. His party’s leaders, including Nancy Pelosi, offered little support.

CBS fired Charlie Rose on Tuesday, a day after multiple women accused him of sexual misconduct.

• And John Lasseter, co-founder of the animated-film studio Pixar, said he would take a leave of absence after unspecified “missteps” that made some staff members feel “disrespected or uncomfortable.”

Another Navy accident in Asia.

• A search is underway after an aircraft carrying 11 people crashed off Japan today. It’s the fifth accident this year for the U.S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet, its largest overseas.

Japan’s public broadcaster reported that at least eight people had been rescued.

• The Navy relieved Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, the head of the Seventh Fleet, of his command in August.

“The Daily”: A strongman’s rise and fall.

Listen on a computer, an iOS device or an Android device.

Business

• Uber disclosed that hackers had stolen 57 million driver and rider accounts. The company kept the data breach secret for more than a year after paying a $100,000 ransom.

• Meg Whitman is stepping down as chief executive of Hewlett Packard Enterprise six years after joining its corporate predecessor and leading a turnaround effort that split the Silicon Valley corporate icon in two.

She will be succeeded by Antonio Neri, the company’s president.

• An Iranian hacker has been charged in the theft of 1.5 terabytes of data from HBO in May, an attack that included the release of several unaired programs and scripts.

• U.S. stocks were up on Tuesday. Here’s a snapshot of global markets.

Market Snapshot 4:11 pmView Full Overview

FTSE 100+0.24%

Nikkei+0.48%closed

Shanghai+0.59%closed

Smarter Living

Tips, both new and old, for a more fulfilling life.

• Avoid bad bargains on Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

• Five lessons from a diplomat on bridging the parent-teacher divide.

• Have Thanksgiving anxiety? We have you covered with guides, tips and recipes.

Noteworthy

• Inside a psychedelic dream home.

In today’s 360 video, listen to the Bolivian architect Freddy Mamani describe his elaborate, electric style, which he says embraces local culture and traditions.

Video

Step Inside Bolivia’s Psychedelic Dream Homes

Bolivian architect Freddy Mamani is gaining fame for his elaborate, electric style of architecture that he sees as part of a movement embracing local culture and traditions.

By AARON FEDOR, WILLIAM WROBLEWSKI, GUGLIELMO MATTIOLI and NATHAN GRIFFITHS on Publish Date November 22, 2017. Photo by William Wroblewski for The New York Times. Technology by Samsung.. Watch in Times Video »

• It’s not just the track that’s broken.

Andrew Byford, the transit chief in Toronto, was named on Tuesday to take over the management of New York City’s ailing subways and buses.

Our columnist Jim Dwyer has some advice: “The New York transit system has smart people who can fix just about anything that moves. But as much as it needs new parts, it needs a culture where honesty matters.”

• In memoriam.

David Cassidy was an actor, singer and teenage heartthrob best known for his role on the 1970s TV sitcom “The Partridge Family.” He was 67.

Photo

David Cassidy in London in 1974. He later wrote about the toll stardom had taken on him, and about his struggles with substance abuse. Credit Ellidge/Hulton Archive

The Evening Briefing by Email

Get a nightly rundown of the day's top stories delivered to your inbox every Monday through Friday.

• Best of late-night TV.

Noting that CBS had fired Charlie Rose, Jimmy Fallon said, “Yeah, they told him to clear out his desk, put on his pants and leave.”

• Quotation of the day.

“I just want to say to His Excellency: ‘Go and rest now, our father. We still love you. But we’re happy today. We’re hoping now for a better future.’ ”

— David Mushakwe, a car electrician in Harare, Zimbabwe, referring to Robert Mugabe’s resignation.

Photo

President Trump pardoned a turkey named Drumstick on Tuesday during a pre-Thanksgiving Washington tradition. “I feel so good about myself,” the president said. Credit Tom Brenner/The New York Times

Back Story

Last week, President Trump reversed the government’s decision to start allowing hunters to import trophies of elephants that were killed in two African countries.

More than a century ago, another president took the opposite approach.

Photo

Theodore Roosevelt on a hunting trip in central Africa in 1909. He said he was not “a game butcher” but rather “a faunal naturalist.” Credit Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Shortly after leaving office in 1909, Theodore Roosevelt led a safari to Africa, organized by the Smithsonian Institution and partly financed by Andrew Carnegie, the industrialist and philanthropist. The group gathered specimens for what is now the National Museum of Natural History in Washington.

Then, as now, hunting split opinion.

When Roosevelt wrote to the Smithsonian in 1908, outlining his safari plans, he insisted he was “not in the least a game butcher” but rather “a faunal naturalist.”

The expedition lasted nearly a year — stretching from what is now Kenya to Sudan — and included Roosevelt’s son Kermit and several naturalists from the Smithsonian.

The group ultimately collected more than 11,000 specimens, many of them bugs, plants and small mammals. But about 500 were big game animals shot by Roosevelt or his son.

The former president later wrote about the trip in a book, “African Game Trails.” He was highly sensitive to charges of cruelty but noted “to protest against all hunting of game is a sign of softness of head, not of soundness of heart.”

_____

There will be no Morning Briefing on Thursday because of the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving!

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You can get the briefing delivered to your inbox Sunday through Friday. We have four global editions, timed for the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia, and an Evening Briefing on weeknights. Check out our full range of free newsletters here.

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omcik-blog · 7 years

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New Post has been published on OmCik

New Post has been published on http://omcik.com/obamacare-repeal-effort-is-counting-on-states-to-shoulder-the-burden-but-states-dont-want-it/

Obamacare repeal effort is counting on states to shoulder the burden — but states don't want it

Bill Clark | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

From left, Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Dean Heller, R-Nev., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., discuss block grant funding for health care, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017.

Flickering hopes to repeal Obamacare this year rest on a simple Republican argument: By the virtues of federalism, states will do it better than Washington.

That’s how Sens. Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy tout their plan to shrink Obamacare spending by $215 billion in 2026 and distribute the reduced amount to states through health-care block grants. Even with less federal cash, the sponsors say, states can improve health care through greater efficiency and appreciation for the needs of their residents.

The problem, according to experts on state government, is there’s no reason to believe it will work out that way. Evidence doesn’t back up the prospect of large efficiency gains. And in significant parts of the country, states have shown themselves unwilling or unable to implement the level of services Obamacare calls for.

“It would be very difficult for many states to be able to do that,” said Christine Todd Whitman, the former New Jersey governor and Cabinet member under President George W. Bush. The current governor, her fellow Republican Chris Christie, opposes Graham-Cassidy on grounds that the projected the loss of $4 billion in federal funds would be “too injurious” to New Jersey.

Other states that would lose money are also not counting on their superior management to make up the difference. Republican governors such as John Kasich of Ohio, Bill Walker of Alaska and Susana Martinez of New Mexico have broken party ranks to oppose the bill.

“It’s going to be impossible for the states to make up the shortfall with greater efficiencies,” concludes Donald Kettl, a professor of public policy at the University of Maryland. He points to 2016 data on Medicare, which is administered by the federal government, and Medicaid, administered by the states. Their rates of improper payments — 11 percent and 10.48 percent, respectively — were nearly the same.

By design, the Graham-Cassidy block grant formula takes money from states that have shown greater commitment and capacity to improve health care by expanding their Medicaid programs and signing up more people to state-level Obamacare marketplaces. It redistributes the money to states that have shown less commitment and capacity, without prescribing how they have to use it.

That design represents the marriage of partisanship to philosophy. States gaining money are mostly governed by the GOP, which favors a smaller government role in health care and other forms of public assistance.

For decades, the United States has moved to narrow disparities among states in top-priority services and protections. On health care, it began with the establishment of Medicare and Medicaid in the 1960s, and continued more recently with the Children’s Health Insurance Program program and Obamacare.

Similar shifts toward uniform federal protections took place in other realms, such as the safeguards of the Clean Air Act of 1963, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The nation decided, as Kettl puts it, that “If we wait for the states, we’re never going to get there.”

If Graham-Cassidy were enacted, big differences among state political cultures would widen state-by-state differences in the quality of health services, predicts Richard Nathan, a leading authority on federalism at the Rockefeller Institute of Government. At a time when information technology gives Americans increasingly common national experiences in commerce and culture, Nathan calls such a move “incomprehensible.”

“It is, to me, incredible that this is being seriously considered,” said Nathan, who advised Republican President Richard Nixon as a top budget aide. He advocates both near-term stabilization of existing Obamacare marketplaces and longer-term tax policy shifts to reduce health costs nationally.

Whitman cites public opposition to an Obamacare repeal as a sign her party “would be wise” to accept the federal government’s health-care role. She wants Congress to set aside the Graham-Cassidy proposal and resume bipartisan talks on improving marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act.

“On any issue this big and this complex, it needs to have everybody at the table,” Whitman said. “It would make for much better legislation.”

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anchorarcade · 7 years

Text

Many states can't shoulder the burden

http://ryanguillory.com/many-states-cant-shoulder-the-burden/

Many states can't shoulder the burden

Bill Clark | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

From left, Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Dean Heller, R-Nev., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., discuss block grant funding for health care, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017.

Flickering hopes to repeal Obamacare this year rest on a simple Republican argument: By the virtues of federalism, states will do it better than Washington.

“On any issue this big and this complex, it needs to have everybody at the table,” Whitman said. “It would make for much better legislation.”

Source link

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awesomefelicitylewis-blog · 7 years

Text

Many states can't shoulder the burden

http://ryanguillory.com/many-states-cant-shoulder-the-burden/

Many states can't shoulder the burden

Bill Clark | CQ Roll Call | Getty Images

From left, Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Dean Heller, R-Nev., Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Ron Johnson, R-Wis., discuss block grant funding for health care, Wednesday, Sept. 13, 2017.

Flickering hopes to repeal Obamacare this year rest on a simple Republican argument: By the virtues of federalism, states will do it better than Washington.

“On any issue this big and this complex, it needs to have everybody at the table,” Whitman said. “It would make for much better legislation.”

Source link

0 notes