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ghostofwellfleet · 6 years ago

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The Gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Paris

The gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Paris have been around longer than most imagine. They’ve seen a lot. Silent sentinels to wars, plagues, and famines, their gaping maws have also screamed for joy at liberations, coronations, and celebrations. Of the 39 remaining, the oldest, Acantha, swears she witnessed the birth of Charlemagne.

(The others roll their eyes. They didn’t receive their posts until 1240. And she wasn’t even the first.)

But the gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Paris serve a purpose far older than watchmen. They are the gatekeepers. And lately, something’s been knocking at the gate.

As usual, Acantha felt it first, a faint fluttering from within, the sensation of the wind catching at just the right moment to send stomachs in to throats. Her panicked midday alarm nearly sent the bells ringing.

Tanis, who was old enough to remember Acantha’s first false alarm, barked at her to be quiet. YOU’LL ALERT THE WHOLE DAMN CITY, he thundered. YOU FELT NOTHING OF THE SORT. SETTLE DOWN BEFORE YOU THROW US ALL OFF THIS LEDGE.

Acantha subsided in icy silence, inwardly gleeful to watch as the pigeon roosting in Tanis’s mouth showed him just what it thought of the disturbance.

But Acantha couldn’t stay silent for long. The fluttering turned into powerful tremors that swept through at the worst times. Acantha heard cries of despair as one or another of her cohorts lost a tooth or a claw. Then came the voices. A jumbled cacophony of shouts, laughter, wailing, singing at times blocked out the tourists far below. Acantha tasted fear like acid on her tongue.

Rumors abounded. Late at night they gathered on the windswept rooftops of history, comparing notes until they came to a frightening conclusion: The spirits were growing restless.

For centuries, the gargoyles had guarded the world of the living from the world of the dead that lay in the crypts beneath the city streets.

If allowed to roam free, the souls of the dearly departed would wreak havoc upon the earth. Everything from the disruption of the electric grid to outright possession to war; it had happened before. Acantha still suffered nightmares about the Great War. The dead served only a mindless, malevolent purpose.

The gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Paris were the only protectors of the living. It was a little-known fact that the cathedral stood over the spot where the first catacombs had been carved. As time went on these resting places became more sophisticated. But the earliest tombs were still the easiest to access, and the most frequented by the living, giving the dead an easy route. When the dead wanted out, that’s where they went.

Tanis would rage for hours at this sacrilege, the dead congregating at the holiest of holies. But finally he too could no longer deny the truth, when a bright spark of light drifted up though a crack in the stonework.

Five people were murdered in Paris that day.

The ensuing battle cost Tanis two teeth and part of an ear. The following week, the gargoyles began pressuring the human authorities to fix the problem. It was surprisingly easy; humans are extremely susceptible to believing rumors and seeing omens in everything. A few well-placed dreams and newspaper articles quickly led to the announcement that the cathedral would be undergoing extensive renovations.

Tanis greeted the news with a sigh of relief but Acantha wasn’t so relaxed. Human bureaucracy was notoriously slow.

As the months wore on, new specters continued to flow through the cathedral. The city’s populace grew restive while the number of deaths climbed. Soon even the national newspapers spoke of the city’s soaring murder rate. Privately, Acantha suspected the dead were also responsible for the troubles in Britain and America.

Tanis fixed her with a glare when she dared broach the subject during another nighttime battle. It would have been more intimidating if he wasn’t missing part of his face.

WE CAN’T KEEP THIS UP FOREVER, someone else screamed into the darkness.

WE’RE DOING JUST FINE, he snapped back. THE HUMANS HAVE PATCHED SOME OF THE SMALLER CRACKS –

IT’S NOT ENOUGH! Acantha retorted. WE’LL BE ROAD GRAVEL BEFORE IT’S OVER.

WE HOLD, Tanis thundered. I WON’T GIVE ANY ORDER THE JEOPARDIZES THE HUMANS.

Acantha shrugged helplessly at the others gathered around them. Being the oldest wouldn’t help her here; they made decisions by consensus.

So the gargoyles of Notre-Dame de Paris found themselves fighting nightly battles to keep the dead from overrunning the living. Across the Channel, Parliament lurched closer to total isolation while America floundered on its notoriously firm footing. Beneath the stone grotesques, Paris seethed and boiled and burned.

But nothing compared to what would eventually become the Inferno by the Seine.

Acantha felt it one day, even in the deep, bone-tired sleep she was only able to catch on warm afternoons. Something shifted. A wave of energy pitched her forward so that when she opened her eyes, the pavement stared up at her. She reeled back, glanced at Tanis. Before she could utter a word, a roar erupted from the catacombs. The gate had opened.

Acantha closed her eyes and thought. Mass had ended, the large crowds were gone. Tourists lingered everywhere. There would be no time to save them all. But maybe –

Another wave pitched her forward. Beside her, cries of alarm went up everywhere. Someone on the northwest corner screamed in pain. She looked again at Tanis, alarmed to see him begin to crumble. He was being torn apart from the inside.

Maybe… maybe there was something she could do. She may have been carved to carry water but… ST. ROMAIN WILL ROLL IN HIS GRAVE.

DON’T YOU DARE, Tanis’s voice cut through the roaring in her head. YOU’LL EXPOSE US AND DESTROY EVERYTHING!

But it was too late. The idea ran like the wind to the four corners of the cathedral and was picked up immediately. There was no other way to destroy the dead now flooding out of the catacombs below.

In broad daylight, Acantha threw back her head to wail –

and the gargoyles of Notre-Dame began to burn.

#gargoyle #gargoyles #notre dame #paris #notre dame de paris #cathedral #writing #amwriting #story #short story #fiction #short fiction #short ficlet

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benbarnesescape · 8 years ago

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The Wager

Part 2

Story Synopsis: When wager against Logan that you can’t fall for his seducing antics you realize you may have wagered for more than you can handle

Warning: Language, hints at SMUT but mostly fluff. 18+ sorry kids - it's Logan

A/N: I’ve gotten a lot of requests to continue this series so here it is. The first part (you can read here) of this was shit writing so here is a part 2. Better writing to make up for the initial crap.

Ben has me all kinds of fucked up so all the Logan feels today.

“No?” his right hand raises to softly caress your neck, his touch sending an instant shiver down your spine. “You’re body is telling me otherwise. Besides, don’t you want to know what you won?”

“No - I can only imagine what you have in mind for me.” You roll your eyes as you push away from him, adjusting your dress. Ignoring the throbbing between your legs. Ignoring the fact that Logan was handing you a silver platter to be yours for a night and you were ignorantly trying to push it away. Logan chuckles as he watches you, shaking his head.

“That's not fair. Give me the benefit of the doubt.”

You turn and give him a skeptical look and he raises his hands.

“Meet me at my place tomorrow morning. Eight a.m.”

“...you get whatever you want for 24 hours.” you mumble and he nods, finishing his drink. The smile still stuck on his face.

“I know. I’m opting to start my 24 hours tomorrow morning at 8.”

You chew your lip, debating all the ways this is going to go south.

“Fine. Tomorrow at 8 at your place.”

“Perfect!” he smiles at you, placing a soft kiss on your cheek before leaving the room. You take a long swig of the brandy in your glass, trying to ignore the lingering scent of his cologne before grabbing your phone and sending a group text to your two closest friends.

You: Ladies, I think I just made a deal with the devil

You wait a beat, organizing the room before you feel your phone buzz.

Leslie: What do you mean?

You: Logan and I made a wager

Jesse: …...you bet against Logan. Y/N how many times do we have to warn you - he’s trouble.

Leslie: I mean, if you ARE going to make poor choices what's so wrong with making them with trouble

Jesse: Leslie!

Leslie: It's true! What you wager Y/N

You sit down behind the desk, still nursing the glass of brandy as you type out your next response

You: That I wouldn’t succumb to his will

Silence. You could imagine them both laughing, shaking their head at you. At your naive, stubborn pigheaded attitude that always got you in trouble.

Leslie: Y/N….you know Logan is like one of the sexiest businessmen in THE WORLD. Not New York. Not America. That motherfucker is internationally sexy. Of course he can make you submit to his will. Not to mention his job is to get people to invest in his company.

Leslie: Y/N, Y/N, Y/N… well played

Leslie: I’m only jealous I didn’t think of it myself

You: I didn’t plan this!!!!!!

Leslie: *Insert Eye Roll* Suuuuuuuurrreee

Jesse: …...do you have to sleep with him now? Is that what you wagered?

Leslie: OMG please say that's it! Jesse and I have both thrown ourselves on him and he always shuts us down….one of the three of us needs to be able to tell the tale.

You chuckled, shaking your head. Of course they had.

You: I just have to spend time doing whatever he wants for the next 24 hours

You: At first I thought that meant he wanted to sleep together

You: But he wants to meet at 8 am tomorrow morning soooooo… idk lol

You bite your lip, taking another sip. You could always read Logan and what was spinning behind that witty mind of his. Minus how he felt about you, he was a pretty open book. You couldn’t read him on this and you didn’t like that.

Jesse: ….just go with it. Text us if you need anything. Its Logan. He respects you, you know. I’m sure it’ll just be you two hanging out like you always do

Leslie: hanging out and fucking. He totally has a thing for you Y/N

You snorted shaking your head, before you heard a light knock on the door followed by your name. You sighed. You had completely forgotten about work.

You: I’ll call you both after work. Les, you’re delusional. Logan has only expressed interest in being my friend.

You stand up, smoothing out your dress before one last text shoots through.

Leslie: But has he? Think about it.

You sighed. That was the last thing you wanted to do.

Delos Towers were two prominent buildings in downtown Manhattan. The first, the larger of the two, were where all the magic happened. Businessmen constantly flew in and out the large glass doors. It housed multiple offices, including Logan’s and his families, a gym, a five star restaurant a spa and other side businesses it had swallowed it its quest for power.

The second tower was a block away and exclusively condos and apartments for the wealthy. Though not as tall as its sibling, it still towered over its neighboring buildings, demanding strength and elegance.

Both buildings reminded you of Logan as you stood outside the latter, looking up at the large building in awe and fear. You’ve been at Logan’s plenty of times - he had the best sound of the art sound system paired with the sleekest TV screen and you loved to binge watch Netflix on his couch while he worked beside you. You liked using his rooftop pool. You liked cooking in his kitchen. You liked hosting game nights with both of your close friends. Spending time with Logan had become second nature to you. You hadn’t realized how much so until now.

You had offered to have him over to your home, to host things in your territory but he was strongly and consistently against it. In fact, he was constantly trying to pressure you to move into one of the apartments in the building - free of charge - and you always turned it down. You liked your 800 sq. ft. apartment in Brooklyn - it had character. And probably mold and a thousand other things but those were the things that gave it life.

Perhaps waging against him was a mistake. You didn’t want to lose your friendship. You didn’t want to complicate it with sex knowing he would never commit. You liked spending time with Logan. You were sure he liked spending time with you.

“What are you doing out here standing in the cold silly?” you hear his voice over the loud sounds of traffic and snap your eyes away from the tall building, finding his own as he walks toward you. He was dressed in a casual black leather jacket, a dark grey button down shirt and jeans. It was the most casual you had ever seen him and for a second, you took back your hesitant thoughts. It was easy when he was dressed as a GQ model, looking at you with eyes that twinkled with amusement.

“Just waiting for you.” you smile and he wraps an arm around you, drawing you closer.

“Perfect. I can’t wait to start our 24 hours.” he smiles that smile that only promises trouble and you try to bite back the internal groan. You were definitely in over your head.

Logan had been waiting in the lobby for you when you had walked by his building, looking up at the tall steel structure. He had been talking to his receptionists, finalizing plans for the night and had tripped over his words, something that was uncharacteristically unlike him. It was your outfit. You wore a black romper, the buttons around your breast unfastened exposing your cleavage. You had thrown on a casual leather jacket over it and the wedges you had paired with the get up made your legs longer.

Begging to have them wrapped around something. Him. As he fucked you against a wall in his apartment.

Fuck he had it bad.

The receptionist, who had never seen his client lose his composure, tries to mask the chuckle under his breath as he clears his throat, trying to catch Logan’s attention to finalize his last thought. It was a lost cost. Logan had lost interest the moment you had stepped into the picture and only nods yes, walking out toward you.

This was going to be a fun day.

He knows that you don’t trust him. Knows that you know all about him and the woman he seduces. Knows that he is dangerous and that you’re a good girl and that good girls shouldn’t play with bad boys. Doesn’t stop him from wrapping an arm around your waist, his free hand caressing your face.

He also knew you were probably just as dangerous as he was under your sweet natured demeanor. And he wanted to be the one to pull that dark side out of you, claiming you for his own.

“Did you have breakfast yet?” he asks, his fingers caressing your cheeks and you shake your head no, your eyes locked on him. He smiles, looking to the right to find his driver pulling up to the building.

“Perfect. I know just the place we can go to.”

He turns, ushering you into the car and you take a seat, watching him carefully as he sits beside you. The driver takes off and you frown.

“You’re not keeping me hostage in your apartment?”

He laughs, light and carefree and shakes his head.

“Later doll. Right now I have to make sure you’re properly fed.”

You cross your arms, your eyes narrowing.

“I don’t trust you Logan. You played dirty last night which got me into this mess in the first place.”

He tsks, wrapping an arm around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him.

“Trust is the foundation of friendship. Why would I want to jeopardize that?”

His mouth is just too close to your ear, his breath tickling your earlobe. You try to ignore the way it makes you feel as you say,

“You already have! To win the stupid wager that has me in this mess. I wanted to spend my Saturday binge watching Marvel movies or enjoying a massage. Or eating brunch and getting drunk with Leslie and Jesse.”

Logan rolls his eyes.

“You wanted to drool over Captain America and his friends? The one with the wings and the metal arm. And you always hang out with Jesse and Leslie on Saturday. And I can always fit in a massage if you really want one.”

Of course he could. The car comes to a stop and you push him as the driver gets out to open your doors.

“Its Bucky Barnes and Sam Wilson. I thought I trained you better to know this,” you take a moment to look out the window at the restaurant he has taken you too. “Where the hell did you kidnap me to Logan?”

He smiles, rubbing his hands together.

“Phase 1 of our wager.”

You walk into the posh restaurant, Logan’s hands entwining in your own and you look up at him confused. Though you both spent a good time together, and he allowed you to cuddle against him sometimes, he always kept a safe distance. You figured it was because of the men you dated. Perhaps he had been distancing himself.

Logan specialized in keeping everyone at arm's length and maintaining the upper hand.

You don’t have time to ask him as a round older man barges toward you, a robust smile planted on his face.

“Logan! Surprised to see you so soon.”

The thick, french accent isn’t lost on your ears as the man turns to you extending his hand out before asking,

“And who is this delicate flower that you have brought along with you today?”

You smile as you shake his hand and Logan whispers,

“This is one of my dearest friends, Y/N. Thought she’d enjoy a lesson today.”

Now you know there’s something wrong with him. He never once - once - had introduced you as his dearest friend. Just an acquaintance you hung around with, even if you both knew it was a lie.

“Bellisima! Follow me.”

The man turns and you look back at Logan who starts toward the path of the man. He’s stopped when you don’t budge from your spot, your hands still entwined within each other and he turns to you, curiosity gleaming in his eyes.

“What's wrong?” he asks and you shake your head.

“You need to explain what’s going on here. You never reference me as your friend, let alone your dearest friend. You never touch me. I always have to beg you to cuddle with me. I don’t want to…..Logan I can’t do all of this today where you treat me like a queen and then tomorrow it's back to being a comfortable accessory that you only want to be around when its convenient for you.”

You tug your hand away and cross your arms.

“I’m already an emotional mess with Richard’s stupid ass. I can’t - I won’t allow myself to get pulled into your web of God knows what game you’re playing.”

Logan raises an eyebrow, watching you intently before walking back to you. He hesitates before placing his hands on his shoulders and whispering,

“Ever think I didn’t do any of those things because you were always dating someone. I know that I don't show my affection a lot but I want to do something special for you today. Let me surprise you and treat you the way you deserve to be treated. And I don’t plan on keeping you at an arm's distance if you stay single. I just….listen, I know that those dumb idiots you date may not have bought up how much our friendship annoys them but I have to work with them every fucking day and trust me honey, they’re not a fan. I was doing what I thought was best for you.”

He sighs before continuing, “If you don’t like what we do right now, you’re free to leave and spend the rest of your Saturday doing what will make you happy.”

His eyes shadow something different now. Fear. Insecurity. You bite your lip, watching him before you allow a soft smile to tug at your lips.

Logan was trying to do something nice for you. He always did. You were allowing insecurities to ruin something that you knew he probably spent most of last night planning.

“Fine. That’s fair and you’re right, I guess I shouldn’t have put you in that situation. So I’ll trust you but I swear to the baby Jesus Logan if this is another manipulation ploy I’m outta here.”

He smiles, grabbing your hand again.

“I promise Y/N, it's not.”

You grab a handful of flour discreetly, waiting until Logan looks up at you before you throw it in his face, your laughter ringing in the large kitchen.

After you’re weird omission of fear, you had hesitantly followed Logan into the back of the restaurant only to find that he had scheduled you both for a specialized cooking lesson with a world renowned french chef, LeStat.

Of course he had. Couldn’t take a cute little cooking class that he could have found on Groupon for $50 bucks. It had to be the very best.

He looked at you now, the flour dousing his face, trying not to allow the smile to tug up at his lips.

“You ok there Lo? Looks like you have something on your face.”

Its then that LeStat walks by, mouth ready for your next steps before noticing the flour all over Logan and biting back a smile. He then smiles and says,

“We should put the pastries in the oven. It should take them an hour to bake.”

You nod, your laughter still echoing around the kitchen and Logan grabs the large pan, shaking his head.

“I’ll throw them in. We should probably clean our station since someone had to make a mess.”

Though he tries to keep a frustrated face, the amusement in his voice wins and you giggle, sticking your tongue out at him as he walks away. LeStat watches the interaction, his eyes brow raised before saying lowly,

“Are you and Logan dating?”

You had been wiping flour off the counter into a wet dish towel and freeze your movement, staring up at him. When your able to find your voice you mumble out,

“What? No…. no. Why?”

LeStat shrugs.

“I've known Logan most of his life and he never has bought another women to his weekly cooking lessons. Maybe his sister and mother occasionally but never a woman,” he smiles at you as Logan makes his way over, “you must be very special to him if he felt he could share this part of him with you.”

He turns, walking back to another section of the kitchen as Logan comes up behind you, wrapping his arms around your waist and wiping his face in your neck and shoulder.

“Stop it! What are you doing!?” you laugh and he bites down on your shoulder before pulling away.

“Cleaning my face since I have flour everywhere.”

Your laughter doesn’t subside as as you grab a towel, wetting it before stepping up to him to clean his face.

“I’m sorry...its just..you didn’t ever tell me you knew how to cook. I always cook for you when I’m over.”

Logan chuckles, leaning against the counter as he allows you to wipe along his jawline and you push away the thought of what it would feel like to kiss the sharp, stumbled skin .

“I don’t tell a lot of people that I know how to cook. Its my…..therapy.”

You look at him expectantly and he sighs, crossing his arms. You wanted to pry but you also knew that Logan was private - so private that it took two years into your friendship before he invited you over to his place. Let alone meet his friends.

You had yet to meet anyone in his family.

“...when I’m stressed out. Or my dad pisses me off. Its nice to cook and bake. I like having the control…..” he frowns, dropping his head and you stop wiping at his face.

“You don’t have to say any more Lo. I get it.”

Your voice is barely a whisper and you’re afraid you can be barely be heard over the movement in the kitchen but when Logan sinks his hands in your hips you know he has. He’s watching you, those dark chocolate eyes betraying something else again.

He draws you closer to him, his cologne overwhelming your senses as he licks at your lips, his eyes now gazing down your face, falling on your lips. You bite your lips and he groans, the pressure of his hands increasing against your soft skin.

You think he’s going to lean in and kiss you, god the tension between begs that he does. Instead, he just squeezes your hips one last time before whispering,

“We should probably finish our breakfast. I told you’d I’d treat you to brunch and we still have a lot to do this week.”

His voice is broken as he pushes you aside, running his hands through his hair before heading to the sink and washing them.

“What the hell was that about.” you mumble to yourself.

#ben barnes #logan westworld x reader #Logan westworld AU #benbarnesescape

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anchorarcade · 7 years ago

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Letters to the editor, Nov. 6

http://ryanguillory.com/letters-to-the-editor-nov-6/

Letters to the editor, Nov. 6

Want to submit your letter to the editor? Here is how. Wochit

Letters to the editor: [email protected](Photo: The Tennessean.com)

Story Highlights

Readers sound off on call center jobs, racism, the national anthem and more.

Congress should act for call centers

Some of the most profitable U.S. corporations are getting away with sending thousands of good call center and customer service jobs to other countries or to contractors that have lower standards and pay lower wages.

Communications Workers of America Local 3808 members who work in customer service have seen firsthand how this affects customers. By the time the customer reaches our members, they are often frustrated because these overseas call centers and contractors do not have the training or information they need to provide solutions.

We all know what happens when jobs go overseas; people are out of work and have less money to spend to support our local businesses.

Here in Nashville, we have three customer call centers in the AT&T building (“Batman building”) downtown. Imagine the impact on Middle Tennessee if these call centers were to shut down and be outsourced overseas or contracted out to another company.

It would be nice if all companies would step up and take some responsibility, but they just aren’t doing that.

Our union, the Communications Workers of America, is urging Congress to pass the U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act.

This bill would help in a couple of ways. First, it would require that the person you call identify their location and at that time you can request to be transferred to a U.S.-based call center. Second, it would prevent companies that send call center jobs from getting taxpayer-funded loans.

It’s time for our legislators to get on board with this bill. I urge everyone to reach out to their local, state and federal politicians to help keep customer care call center work in the U.S. and in Middle Tennessee.

Deborah Sisco, president, CWA Local 3808, Nashville 37214

Trump investigation troubling

So this is what has become of our democracy: The losing political party in a presidential election can pay for a “salacious and unverifiable” document made up of information supplied by officials tied closely to the Kremlin, and use it to smear and try to unseat a democratically elected president.

What is equally disconcerting in this sordid affair is that it appears James Comey, former FBI director, knowingly used this fallacious document to get FISA warrants to wiretap members of Trump’s campaign staff, and apparently to listen in on President Trump himself, as evidenced by leaked telephone conversations he had with other world leaders.

After 15 months of searching for evidence that Trump colluded with the Russians to destroy Hillary Clinton’s campaign, they have come up empty-handed. The best they could do was bring charges against one of Trump’s campaign managers that have nothing to do with either Russian collusion or the 2016 presidential election.

It is time to put an end to the witch hunt; anything derived from this investigation can only be fruit from a poisonous tree. What must be investigated, if our democracy is to survive, is what appears to be the dangerous collusion between the Democratic Party and the U. S. intelligence services to destroy Donald Trump.

Marcie Williams, Sparta 38583

More combat against racism needed

While it was refreshing to see our city stand up against racists and shut down the White Lives Matter rally, it’s unfortunate that the majority only fight racism when it’s personified as throngs of angry white nationalists.

Local activists were horrified racists extolling white supremacy were coming into town and objected to the ramifications of their arrival, such as jeopardizing public safety, loss to downtown business owners and tainting the city’s image. But the truth is racism is embedded in all of our institutions — in public education, the criminal justice system and the economic sphere — and systematic racism hurts black and brown people more every day than blustering white supremacists can any day.

Black and brown people lose their lives every day, not from white nationalists, but from the very police who are supposed to protect them. Black and brown people suffer economic loss every day, not from sporadic rallies, but from unequal education and job opportunities as well as gentrification. Black and brown people get abused every day, not from white supremacists coming into town, but from media and politicians who portray them as criminals and terrorists.

We live in a capitalistic society, and capitalism subsists on white superiority to justify the concentration of world wealth and power in the hands of the 1 percent. Social justice activists must challenge day-to-day racist policies oppressing minorities, not just the in-your-face racists who make white people feel uncomfortable and unsafe.

Salina Khan, Murfreesboro 37130

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An open letter to white nationalists

You don’t need to march to show that your lives matter. Everyone already knows.

Your faces are reflected in every textbook hero our country celebrates. Even when those heroes enslaved, raped and killed their fellow women and men to rise to power.

You don’t need to march to say that you won’t be replaced. No one is trying to replace you. People merely want a seat at the table.

You’ve been in this chair at this table your whole lives. No one is replacing you; they simply want to scoot over and share.

You don’t need to march against oppression against you. This oppression does not exist. People of color and women and immigrants and LGBT folks and people of different religions aren’t oppressing you merely by being part of our society.

You don’t suffer from oppression.

You suffer from the illusion that everything is about you. You suffer from the illusion that everything must be yours and yours only. This country is bigger than you. This country is every color, shape, gender and religion.

You are part of that. But please don’t mistake the death of an illusion, the illusion that you are the ideal, with oppression. You’re not oppressed. You’re insecure and you have been lied to. You don’t have to be everything. And you don’t have to be white to belong here.

Emily Frith, Nashville 37211

Vanderbilt women shouldn’t kneel either

This morning I noticed on Facebook that some of the “girls” on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team decided to kneel while our national anthem was being performed.

I was deeply disappointed by their action.

I served in the military many years just so these “children” could have the right to protest, but they should do it in another forum, not when the national anthem is being played. Let them get a placard and go stand on West End to promote whatever it is they are protesting, if they even know.

Many brave men and women have given the ultimate sacrifice to defend this emblem of honor. Personally, I never fail to think of the blood shed for our freedom when I see the flag or hear the lyrics to Francis Scott Key’s “Star Spangled Banner.”

I hope some disciplinary action will be taken so these “children” can learn from their misguided actions. But I’m sure nothing will be done. And there are many of us who will choose to sit out this Vandy women’s basketball season (men’s too, if they, too, show disrespect for our flag) just as we are boycotting NFL games.

Vanderbilt does not have the luxury of losing any fan.

There are many sports venues in Nashville where we can spend our sports dollars. If you choose to let the children run the campus, then many of us will move on and find another college in the area to cheer for — Belmont is just right around the corner.

Mike McDaniel, Antioch 37013

Apologies to America

My dad had rules to live by. He told us that whenever we were congratulated or praised for doing something good, we were to be humble and just say thank you.

He also told us that whenever we did something that caused pain or even discomfort, inconvenience or grief to others, we were to apologize for our actions even though they may have been unintentional or just a mistake in judgment.

Last year I caused pain, discomfort and outright grief to others, and I am here to make things right so I can look into the mirror in the morning without an unwelcome glance from myself.

I thought that by putting someone who was not a “normal politician” into office, it would change things for the better. I thought that a real corporate giant would shake things up and be an asset to our country.

I did not do my due diligence. I overlooked the fact that he would not and could never be a great CEO nor, in his wildest dreams, would he be a good chief financial officer.

He would never, in a million years, make a good president or vice president of marketing. Let’s face it. He isn’t even a good salesman.

I am embarrassed for my family, my community and, worst of all, my country. I apologize to Muslims and all others of a different faith than mine. I apologize to all people of any color that is different from mine. I sincerely apologize to all women. I pray that my vote will do no more harm.

Sam Morgan, Hampshire 38461

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awesomefelicitylewis-blog · 7 years ago

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Letters to the editor, Nov. 6

http://ryanguillory.com/letters-to-the-editor-nov-6/

Letters to the editor, Nov. 6

Want to submit your letter to the editor? Here is how. Wochit

Letters to the editor: [email protected](Photo: The Tennessean.com)

Story Highlights

Readers sound off on call center jobs, racism, the national anthem and more.

Congress should act for call centers

We all know what happens when jobs go overseas; people are out of work and have less money to spend to support our local businesses.

It would be nice if all companies would step up and take some responsibility, but they just aren’t doing that.

Our union, the Communications Workers of America, is urging Congress to pass the U.S. Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act.

Deborah Sisco, president, CWA Local 3808, Nashville 37214

Trump investigation troubling

Marcie Williams, Sparta 38583

More combat against racism needed

Salina Khan, Murfreesboro 37130

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An open letter to white nationalists

You don’t need to march to show that your lives matter. Everyone already knows.

Your faces are reflected in every textbook hero our country celebrates. Even when those heroes enslaved, raped and killed their fellow women and men to rise to power.

You don’t need to march to say that you won’t be replaced. No one is trying to replace you. People merely want a seat at the table.

You’ve been in this chair at this table your whole lives. No one is replacing you; they simply want to scoot over and share.

You don’t suffer from oppression.

Emily Frith, Nashville 37211

Vanderbilt women shouldn’t kneel either

This morning I noticed on Facebook that some of the “girls” on the Vanderbilt women’s basketball team decided to kneel while our national anthem was being performed.

I was deeply disappointed by their action.

Vanderbilt does not have the luxury of losing any fan.

Mike McDaniel, Antioch 37013

Apologies to America

My dad had rules to live by. He told us that whenever we were congratulated or praised for doing something good, we were to be humble and just say thank you.

Last year I caused pain, discomfort and outright grief to others, and I am here to make things right so I can look into the mirror in the morning without an unwelcome glance from myself.

I did not do my due diligence. I overlooked the fact that he would not and could never be a great CEO nor, in his wildest dreams, would he be a good chief financial officer.

He would never, in a million years, make a good president or vice president of marketing. Let’s face it. He isn’t even a good salesman.

Sam Morgan, Hampshire 38461

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garkomedia1 · 6 years ago

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How the U.S. and U.K. are partners in chaos

Editor’s Note: This edition of Free Morning Money is published weekdays at 8 a.m. POLITICO Pro Financial Services subscribers hold exclusive early access to the newsletter each morning at 5:15 a.m. To learn more about POLITICO Pro’s comprehensive policy intelligence coverage, policy tools and services, click here.

PROGRAMMING NOTE: Morning Money will not publish on Thursday Nov. 22 and Friday Nov. 23. Our next Morning Money newsletter will publish on Monday Nov. 26.

Story Continued Below

HOW THE U.K. AND THE U.S. ARE PARTNERS IN CHAOS — A little thought bubble as we head into the weekend and the short Thanksgiving week. MM spent some time over the last several days in Washington and New York with a variety of executives who are sifting through the 2018 midterm election results and trying to make some sense of the path of U.S. politics.

Many are trying to figure out where America is headed with a growing schism between a metro-area dominated, more highly educated electorate trending toward the Democrats and smaller town and rural voters sticking with President Donald Trump and the GOP and embracing the president’s hardline trade and immigration policies and his culture war appeals.

Consensus among these executives (and frankly among anyone else) is that American politics is a directionless wreck with no path forward on anything from health care to education to retirement savings to climate change and gun violence and long-term fiscal deficits. One British banker mused about how he’s never seen the U.S. so screwed up or derelict on the world stage.

Then he stopped himself almost immediately to say how the U.K. was really wasn’t any better with no consensus on how to deal with Brexit, a potential end to Prime Minister Theresa May’s tenure, a civil war inside the Conservative party and a plunging pound. It remains largely unclear in the U.K. whether May’s softer Brexit plan will somehow survive or no deal will emerge leading to a hard Brexit or a new referendum will take place to reverse Brexit entirely.

Tensions in the U.S. and U.K. are different in many ways but they share commonalities of fractured politics and deep divisions on fundamental identities as either insular and nationalistic or more globally integrated and diverse. We got no revelatory insight in these conversations beyond a morbid sense that only grave and immediate crisis that cannot be ignored will jolt either nation into clarity. And maybe not even then. Happy thoughts for your Friday!

SPEAKING OF THE TWO AMERICAS… CNBC’s John Harwood writes on data compiled by Brookings’ Mark Munro that show that “districts won by Democrats account for 61 percent of America’s gross domestic product, districts won by Republicans 38 percent. That economic separation underpins cultural divisions that usually command more attention. … Residents of districts won by Democrats generate 22% more output per worker, and have a 15% higher median household income.” Read more.

** A message from The National Association of Manufacturers and U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Proxy advisory firms—secretive companies most Americans have never heard of—are putting Americans’ retirement savings at risk. These firms can give inaccurate, conflict-ridden and sometimes politically motivated recommendations that jeopardize Americans’ retirement savings. Learn More: https://proxyreforms.com/ **

MORE WILBUR ROSS DRAMA — POLITICO’s Nancy Cook and Andrew Restuccia with the details: “To hear Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and his allies tell it, rumors of his demise have been greatly exaggerated. Administration officials and close White House advisers say the 80-year-old Ross could be out of a job in a broader Cabinet shakeup as soon as January or as late as mid-2019. Ross, long said to be on thin ice with President Donald Trump, denies either scenario. ‘I’ll serve as long as the president wants and I have no indication to the contrary,’ he told an audience at a Yahoo! Finance event on Nov. 13.

“But in a sign of Ross’s perceived weakness, at least one influential Trump ally has begun speaking openly about his desire for the Commerce job if and when it becomes vacant: Office of Management and Budget chief Mick Mulvaney. …

“Other names circulating for the top Commerce slot include Small Business Administration Administrator Linda McMahon; Ray Washburne, a major Republican donor and the President and CEO of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation; and Karen Dunn Kelly, undersecretary for economic affairs at Commerce, who is jockeying for the job internally at the department.” Read more.

Restuccia (@AndrewRestuccia) also tweeted that McMahon would meet with Trump in the Oval on Friday.

GOP INVESTORS MORE BULLISH POST MIDTERMS — Somewhat counter-intuitive findings in this E-Trade survey of investors after midterm elections in which Democrats took back the House: “Republicans skew more bullish … with 38% saying they are more bullish toward the market than they were before the election. Democrats are slightly less optimistic, with 33% expressing more bullishness.

“Yet Republicans are also less positive about the personal impact of the results: Republicans are significantly more pessimistic across every measure tested, including how the new Congress will impact their investing portfolio, taxes, savings and bond yields, inflation, debt interest, and cost of goods and services.” Read more.

FIRST LOOK: ABA ON THE CRA — The ABA has a new comment letter out this morning to the OCC in response to its request for ideas to change the Community Reinvestment Act. From the comment: “Regulators should revise the CRA framework to incorporate fully the electronic channels through which many consumers prefer to conduct financial transactions. In addition, amendments to the CRA regulations must reflect that banks of all sizes are no longer restricted to conducting business in a limited geographic location.

WARNINGS SIGNS IN RETAIL SALES? — Pantheon’s Ian Shepherdson: “The headline retail sales numbers for October looked good, but the details were less comforting. Gains in auto sales, building materials—due to the hurricanes, likely— and higher gasoline prices cannot be the foundation of solid broad growth, and the core numbers were rather weaker.

“The key message from the recent data, in our view, is that the impact of the tax cuts, which pushed sales up sharply in the spring, is fading rapidly. Our measure of core retail sales, which excludes autos, gasoline and food, rose at a mere 2.7% annualized rate in the three months to October, slowing from the 9.9% peak in the three months to July.”

TRANSITIONS— Jacqueline Corba, a POLITICO alum, has joined CNBC’s Squawk Box team as anchor Andrew Ross Sorkin’s producer. She was previously Senior Producer of special programming at Cheddar. Good get!

DEMS FLOAT POTENTIALLY BIG RULE CHANGES — Washington Examiner’s Colin Wilhelm and Laura Barrón-López on new proposed rules changes drafted by Democrats in the House: “One change would require a three-fifths majority to raise taxes on individuals outside the top 20 percent of income earners.

“The draft rules would also eliminate dynamic budgetary scoring, which takes economic growth under consideration when determining the cost of legislation in federal spending. … If agreed upon by a majority of members in the House, the new rules would also effectively do away with standalone debt ceiling votes in the chamber, reinstating a rule that deems the debt ceiling raised if a budget is passed.” Read more.

MUELLER ANXIETY GRIPS THE WHITE HOUSE — Good read from POLITICO’s Darren Samuelsohn: “Lawyers for President Donald Trump and his son Donald Trump Jr. insist they aren’t worried about special counsel Robert Mueller. But half a dozen people in contact with the White House and other Trump officials say a deep anxiety has started to set in that Mueller is about to pounce after his self-imposed quiet period, and that any number of Trump’s allies and family members may soon be staring down the barrel of an indictment.

“Then there are the president’s own tweets, which have turned back to attacking Mueller after a near two-month break. … ‘You can see it in Trump’s body language all week long. There’s something troubling him. It’s not just a couple staff screw ups with Melania,’ said a senior Republican official in touch with the White House. ‘It led me to believe the walls are closing in and they’ve been notified by counsel of some actions about to happen. Folks are preparing for the worst.’” Read more.

GOOD FRIDAY MORNING — Happy weekend everyone! Next week is Thanksgiving. Thank God. Email me at [email protected] and follow me on Twitter @morningmoneyben. Email Aubree Eliza Weaver at [email protected] and follow her on Twitter @AubreeEWeaver..

DRIVING THE DAY — President Trump at 1:00 p.m. awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to several recipients including Miriam Edelson, wife of billionaire GOP donor Sheldon Adelson … Industrial production at 9:15 a.m. expected to rise 0.2 percent with manufacturing up 0.3 percent …

BOWMAN CONFIRMED; WHAT ABOUT NELLIE LIANG? — POLITICO’s Victoria Guida: “The Senate in a 64-34 vote … confirmed Kansas State Banking Commissioner Michelle Bowman as a member of the Federal Reserve Board, the culmination of a yearslong push by community bankers to guarantee that someone who shares their experience sits at the central bank.

“Bowman, nominated in April, is the first person confirmed to the Fed seat reserved for a community banker, a position created in 2015. The seven-member Fed board now has five members, after dwindling to as low as three over the past year. The Fed’s newest governor has served as Kansas’ top bank regulator since Jan. 31, 2017.” Read more.

Trump now has two more Fed nominees awaiting Senate votes, Marvin Goodfriend and Nellie Liang, a long-time Fed staff member who played a critical role during the financial crisis. The White House continues to telegraph confidence that they can get Liang through the Senate Banking Committee and to the floor for a vote.

But banking groups and some Senate Banking members including Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) have expressed significant opposition and suggested Liang could interfere with efforts to reduce regulatory burdens on large financial institutions. So far, GOP Senate leadership has mostly stayed out of it, waiting to see what happens at the committee level.

FED UNVEILS COMMUNICATION REFORM PLAN — POLITICO’s Zachary Warmbrodt: “The Federal Reserve … unveiled plans for a review of the way it conducts monetary policy. The review the Fed has mapped out for next year will include outreach to the public, including a June 4-5 research conference at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, the central bank said. Federal Reserve Banks will host a series of public events around the country to get input, the Fed said.

“Beginning around the middle of next year, Fed policymakers will discuss the feedback received from the events. ‘With labor market conditions close to maximum employment and inflation near our 2 percent objective, now is a good time to take stock of how we formulate, conduct, and communicate monetary policy,’ Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said in a statement.” Read more.

QUARLES, TAKE TWO — Cap Alpha’s Ian Katz: “Fed regulatory czar Randy Quarles put in his second consecutive day of congressional testimony on Thursday. This one before the Senate Banking Committee was barely an hour … Overall, the message was again broadly positive for banks.

“He tried to convince Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) that the Fed is carefully monitoring leveraged lending, and contested assertions from Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) that he’s making the stress tests too easy.”

TECH, BANKS LEAD STOCK REBOUND — AP’s Alex Veiga: “A rebound in technology companies and banks helped reverse an early slide for U.S. stocks Thursday, breaking a five-day losing streak for the market.

“Health care and industrial stocks also rose, offsetting losses in retailers, homebuilders, utilities and other sectors. Energy stocks also helped lift the market as the price of U.S. crude oil rose for the second straight day. … The late-afternoon market rebound marked the latest episode of volatile trading for the market this week.” Read more.

POUND SLIDES AMID BREXIT TURMOIL — NYT’s Peter Eavis: “Big declines in Britain’s currency, the pound, often have signaled wrenching changes for the country. Could this be the case again as … May struggles to win support for her plan to take Britain out of the European Union?

“The British pound on Thursday fell 2 percent against the dollar. That’s a large decline for a currency belonging to a developed economy and is the biggest one-day drop since the weeks after Britain’s vote in June 2016 to leave the European Union … Though the pound is down 15 percent since that vote, it remains well above the lows it hit in January 2017, when it was becoming clear that Mrs. May’s government favored a more drastic separation from important economic arrangements with the European Union.” Read more.

ECONOMISTS SPLIT ON MIDTERMS OUTCOME — WSJ’s Harriet Torry: “Economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal were roughly split on whether the outcome of the recent midterm elections would dispel or increase uncertainty for the economy and financial markets in the coming months. The vote means that come January, Democrats will take control of the House of Representatives, while Republicans will retain control of the U.S. Senate.

“Nearly half of respondents in the economists’ survey, 46 percent, said economic uncertainty would increase somewhat following the midterms, while 40 percent of respondents expected it would decline somewhat after the vote.” Read more.

HOUSE PANEL TO LOOK AT FINANCE SECTOR DIVERSITY — Reuters’ Pete Schroeder: “Democrats are planning to dramatically step up their focus on improving financial services for underserved communities when they take control of the U.S. House of Representatives in January, according to several people briefed on the matter.

“Representative Maxine Waters, who is poised to take over the chair of the Financial Services Committee after Democrats won a majority in the House in Nov. 6 elections, is considering creating a subcommittee dedicated to financial inclusion and diversity in the sector, as well as a taskforce to focus on financial technology innovation, the people said. Waters had previously said the issue would be a priority.” Read more.

GOLDMAN CEO ‘PERSONALLY OUTRAGED’ BY 1MDB SCANDAL — Bloomberg’s Keith Campbell and Jennifer Surane: “David Solomon had a message for Goldman Sachs Group Inc. employees shaken by the firm’s involvement in a multibillion fraud scandal: This isn’t us.

“‘I am personally outraged that any employee of the firm would undertake the actions spelled out in the government’s pleadings,’ the firm’s chief executive officer said in a voicemail left with employees on Wednesday. ‘The behavior of those individuals is reprehensible and inconsistent with the good work and integrity that defines work that 40,000 of you do every day.��” Read more.

CREDIT UNIONS HAVE MORE WOMEN CEOs — Per new research from economists at the Credit Union National Association (CUNA): “In the financial sector where females are significantly underrepresented in management positions, credit unions create and sustain opportunities for female leaders to serve their communities.

“We measured credit union success in three key categories, and here’s what we found: Female executives are significantly more common at credit unions compared to other financial institutions: A majority (52%) of credit union CEOs are female. Accounting for differences in asset size, there is no evidence for a gender pay gap at credit unions” Read more.

ANOTHER DEM PICKUP IN THE HOUSE — POLITICO’s Elena Schneider: “Democrat Jared Golden has defeated GOP Rep. Bruce Poliquin in Maine’s 2nd District, bringing Democrats’ net gain in the House to 36 seats with five GOP seats still uncalled — and with Poliquin still embroiled in a lawsuit against Maine’s secretary of state over the vote.

“Golden had 50.5 percent of the vote to Poliquin’s 49.5 percent, according to the Maine secretary of state’s office. Golden’s victory — the first House race ever decided by a ranked-choice voting system — also marked the 20th district that Democrats won that had been carried by … Trump in 2016.” Read more.

AND ONE MORE… POLITICO’s Brent D. Griffiths: “Southern California Rep. Mimi Walters was ousted Thursday night, the latest House Republican to lose their seat in the formerly deep-red Orange County. The Associated Press called the 45th congressional district race with Democrat Katie Porter leading Walters, a two-term incumbent who previously served in the California senate, by just over 6,000 votes as ballots continue to be counted.” Read more.

** A message from The National Association of Manufacturers and U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Proxy advisory firms have no obligation to look out for investors’ best interests, and the recommendations of these secretive companies can put Americans’ personal investments and retirement savings at risk. Put simply, these firms give advice that is often at odds with the best interests of Main Street investors.

That leads to bad decisions that can undermine company performance and drag down retirement account balances for American workers. Thankfully, the Securities and Exchange Commission is exploring ways to provide much-needed oversight. And Main Street investors can take action by telling Washington to look out for working Americans and their savings. Learn more: https://proxyreforms.com/ **

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investmart007 · 7 years ago

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Trump pauses looming metal tariffs for close US allies

New Post has been published on https://www.stl.news/trump-pauses-looming-metal-tariffs-close-us-allies/102124/

Trump pauses looming metal tariffs for close US allies

WASHINGTON/March 22, 2018 (AP)(STL.News) —The European Union, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, Canada and Mexico will get initial exemptions from looming steel and aluminum tariffs from the Trump administration. President Donald Trump authorized the exemptions late Thursday night.

Trump is planning to impose tariffs of 25 percent on imported steel and 10 percent on aluminum — trade penalties aimed at China for flooding the world with cheap steel and aluminum.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer told the Senate Finance Committee that the exempted countries are involved in various stages of trade talks with the U.S., and that Trump decided “to pause” the tariffs for them.

The U.S. is in consultations with Canada and Mexico in an effort to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Trump moved on a separate trade front earlier Thursday, paving the way for tariffs on China as punishment for what he said is the theft of American technology. He told reporters that the threat of the steel and aluminum tariffs was already having an impact.

“Many countries are calling to negotiate better trade deals because they don’t want to have to pay the steel and aluminum tariffs,” Trump said.

Lighthizer identified the countries initially exempted from the steel and aluminum tariffs in response to a question from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., who said lawmakers wanted more consultation from the administration on trade.

“There are countries with whom we’re negotiating, and then the question becomes the obvious one that you think, as a matter of business, how does this work?” Lighthizer said. “So what he has decided to do is to pause the imposition of the tariffs with respect to those countries.”

Before Lighthizer’s congressional testimony, Germany’s economy minister, Peter Altmaier, said he had found officials in Washington “open to our arguments” during a recent visit with the EU trade commissioner, Cecilia Malmstrom.

Altmaier told Germany’s parliament “it is a question of fundamental significance: whether we all stand for open and fair world markets in the future.”

Trump campaigned on promises to bring down America’s trade deficit, which stood at $566 billion last year, by rewriting trade agreements and cracking down on what he called abusive commercial practices by U.S. trading partners. But Trump was slow to turn rhetoric to action. In January, he imposed tariffs on imported solar panels and washing machines. Then he announced the steel and aluminum tariffs, saying reliance on imported metals jeopardizes U.S. national security.

Lighthizer said the nation’s trade deficit indicates that the global rules on trade sometimes make it hard for U.S. companies to export.

The administration “is seeking to build a better, fairer system of global markets that will lead to higher living standards for all Americans,” Lighthizer said.

GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah, the committee chairman, said he was “deeply disappointed in the decision to impose global tariffs to address a problem caused by China.”

Meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio, said he was troubled to hear that South Korea would be initially exempted from the steel and aluminum tariffs.

“I was not expecting that,” Brown said. “Korea has unfairly dumped steel and other products in our country.”

___

Associated Press writer Zeke Miller contributed to this report.

By KEVIN FREKING, By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (A.S)

___

#GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch of Utah #North American Free Trade Agreement #The European Union #Trump pauses looming #US allies

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phylliscru-blog · 7 years ago

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