#would be amazing to see two women at that level do an official program together

[aflawedfashion]

If papadakis and cizeron aren't coming back to competition, then I hope she and Madi will skate together again. Might be a while since she just had a baby, but I'd love to see more from them

[atlafan]

Take it Slow - Part Seventy-Four

a/n: okay this is my first shot at a harry:y/n fic, and it will be multiple parts. y/n had a bad experience with an ex over a year ago, and finally accepts her coworker and good friend Niall’s invitation to go on a blind date with his friend Harry.

Warnings: Fluff and smut.

You woke up to the sound of yelling and laughing the next morning. You went into the bathroom to wash-up, threw on some shorts and t-shirt and headed into the kitchen. Anne, Harry, and Gemma were all making breakfast.

“Mornin’, love.” Anne says. “Sorry if we woke yeh.”

“Oh!” You laugh. “No it’s fine, needed to get up anyways.”

You all sit down to breakfast. It was nice having them here. Harry was the most relaxed he’d been in weeks.

“Think I’m gonna take Buster out for a good walk, it’s so nice out.” You say slipping your sneakers on.

“Mind if I join you?” Anne asks.

“Not at all! I’d love it.” You smile. She puts her sneakers on and the two of you head out.

“What’s all tha’ about?” Harry asks Gemma as they go out to sit on the balcony.

“Don’t know.” She shrugs. “Mum gave you a bit of a talk last night, she probably wants to do the same with her. See where her head’s at.”

“You know, I appreciate everyone being so concerned, but at the end of the day it’s our life together, not anyone else’s.”

“Yeah…but you’re her only son, and she’d like for you to only get married once, so she just wants to make sure she’s the right choice. You’ve had a lot of girlfriends Harry.”

“No, I’ve just had a lot of girls.” She punches him in the arm. “Oi!”

“Don’t be a pig.”

“M’not. Just sayin’, really haven’t had a lot of real relationships.”

“Exactly. Probably another concern of mum’s. I mean, you haven’t brought a girl to meet us since you were in high school, Harry.”

“Yeah, yeah. So I suppose you wanna have a private chat with her too?”

“How often are we here to do so?”

“Well, you can do that tomorrow. She told me she’s workin’ from home a couple days to spend time with you and mum.”

“Mum’s plannin’ to go to the studio with you tomorrow so she can watch you in action. She quite likes the park across the street, she’ll probably read there while you’re workin’. So I’ll spend the day with Y/N and Buster. It’ll be nice to have some girl time.”

//

“Good boy Buster!” You say as you pick up his droppings and throw them in the trash. “So much easier when he goes right away, now he can just enjoy the walk.” Anne laughs.

“He’s a very good dog.”

“Yeah, we got lucky.”

“Whose idea was it to get him?”

“Harry’s.” You sigh. “His friend Adam called him and told him he had a fresh litter and we could have one if we wanted. As soon as he showed me the picture I couldn’t say no.” Buster yips. “That’s right, mummy knew right away you were her baby.” You giggle. Anne raises an eyebrow at you. “Sorry, that must sound weird.”

“No, it’s sweet actually. You think of him as your own.”

“It’s hard not to.”

“If you don’t mind me askin’, do you think you’ll want children, eventually?”

“Yeah, eventually. Not anytime soon though. I’m only a couple of classes into my master’s program, and I’d like to have that all settled before I even think about it. I know a dog is way different than having a kid, but it’s already so much extra work making sure he’s taken care of on top of everything else.”

“Mm, and I know my son can be a handful. Quite the baby himself sometimes.” You both laugh.

“Only sometimes, he means well.”

“Can I ask, is this your first serious relationship?”

“Yes and no. This is the longest relationship I’ve had. I’ve certainly never lived with a guy before. I can’t really explain it, Anne, everything just felt right with Harry.”

“You didn’t feel like you were rushin’ when you moved in together or anythin’?”

“To be honest with you, we were practically living together as it was before he asked me if I wanted to.”

“It’s amazing to me. You know there was a girl he was seeing a couple years ago, they were together for like seven months, and he refused to even give her a key to his apartment. Granted, he was a little younger, but still. You’ve definitely had an effect on him.”

“I also chalk it up to a guy’s maturity level. He probably saw his life flash before his eyes you know? Now I think he’s a little more grown up, that’s what Niall tells me at least.” You laugh.

“Very good point. You know we talk weekly, and he always raves about you. Even from the beginning. I could tell he met someone. He didn’t come right out and say it, but he was in such high spirits.”

“Can I ask, when was the first time he mentioned me?”

“Oh god, I think he said he had been seein’ someone, and he was havin’ trouble finding a way to ask you to be his girlfriend. Like, make things official with you. He was scared you were gonna think it was too soon.” You nod and smile. “So I asked him why he wanted to make things official so soon, and he said he didn’t want to risk anyone else scoopin’ yeh up.”

“That sound like something he’d say.” You giggle.

“How did he ask you to be his girlfriend? He never told me, he just said he asked and you said yes.”

Your mind flashes to making out with Harry, drunk, in your old apartment. You let him go down on you for the first time that night.

“Um…we were just hanging out at my place and he asked me if he was my boyfriend…something like that.”

“Not that I didn’t like you before, you know when we met and all that, but when he told me about the party you threw for him for his birthday, and the pearls, that was when I knew I could really trust you with him. He was devastated when he had to sell that necklace. I felt awful for him. He loves his jewelry. He didn’t have the heart to replace it once he could.”

“That means a lot to me to hear you say that.” You both turn around and head back the other way.

“You’re quite the party planner, clearly.”

“I know how to organize a function, that’s for sure. I try to play to my strengths.” You laugh. “I feel like he’s always really happy when he has all of his friends around.”

“Definitely. So…I know it hasn’t quite been a year yet, but I’m a firm believer in when you know you know…” You nod. “If my son asks you to marry him some day…do you think you’d say yes?” You stop short and look at her.

“You mean when your son asks to marry me?” She chuckles and nods. “I would definitely say yes, zero hesitation.” You both start walking again. “Although, I got a bit nervous last night when he called me over to him. When he does it, I don’t want it to be in front of a bunch of people like that. I just want it to be the two of us, you know?”

“Oh definitely. Don’t worry, that certainly wasn’t his plan last night. I think he just wanted you to know you deserved to be celebrated just as much as him.”

“So…from all of this, you’re okay with me becoming part of your family some day?”

“More than okay with it, love.”

You get to the front of your building, and she gives you a hug.

“I’m hopin’ to find out how your mum feels about him. I’m havin’ lunch with her Tuesday.”

“Oh, that’ll be great.” You both enter the lobby and go into the elevator.

“Your dad wasn’t at the party last night.”

“No he was not. He was invited, but he generally doesn’t go to things if my mom is going to be there.”

“Ah, that can be difficult.”

“Do you and your ex husband get along?”

“Well enough, we always put the kids first, that’s all that mattered.” You go inside and Buster goes running towards Harry.

“Hey buddy.” He says petting him. “Good walk?”

“Yup.” You smile.

//

The next day you wish Harry a good first day at the studio and off he goes with Anne. You tell him you and Gemma will be by around lunchtime with Buster.

“So, I’ll be up in the loft working if you need anything.” You say to her.

“Perfect, I’ve got my laptop, I need to work as well, so I may spend some time in the guest room. Let me know when you take him for a walk though, I’ll go with you.”

“Sounds good.”

Buster stays by your side while you work. You zoom into a couple of early morning meetings. Around ten you get the leash on him and knock on the guest room door.

“Ready for a break?” You ask her.

“Yes! Definitely.”

You get to down to the street.

“God, the weather is so much warmer here already than it is back home. Might have to start comin’ here for the summer.” She laughs. “So, what did my mum wanna talk to you about yesterday?”

“What do you mean?”

“C’mon, Y/N, she obviously wanted to talk.”

“You’re very perceptive.” You laugh. “We just talked about your brother. I think she wanted a pulse-check on where I’m at with him.”

“And where are you?” You look at her. “Sorry, I’m sure you’re sick of getting grilled by everyone…he’s just my baby brother, you know?”

“No, no, it’s fine. Basically she asked me what I would say when he eventually proposes and I told her I would say yes.”

“And you don’t feel like it’s too soon or anything? You both are still so young.”

“I know, but neither of us want to be with anyone else. Plus, by the time he does propose, and we pick a date and all that it could be another couple of years before we actually get married.”

“I’ve never seen him so in love, it’s really nice. He’s always been so sweet and considerate, an ally to women’s rights and all that. But when it came to datin’, he was like every other fuck boy out there, I’ll never understand it.” She scoffs.

“I think a lot of guys go through that phase. I had some guy friends in college that were amazing friends, but would treat other girls like shit. It’s not right, but I guess it’s good to get all that out of your system, right?”

“I’m just glad he figured his shit out. Personally, I think you have a great deal of patience to be able to even live with him. He can be a bit of baby, you know?” You start laughing hysterically.

“Your mum said the exact same thing.”

You both turn back and head to the apartment.

“All in all I’m he’s found you. I hope your family feels the same way about him.”

“I think they do…” You get inside and take the leash off Buster. “It’s a bit more complicated with me and them. They’re…a little more apprehensive to trust someone in my life.”

“Why’s that? If you don’t mind me asking…”

It dawns on you that Harry probably never told Gemma about what happened to you.

“Um…I’ve just been burned in the past, and I’m the baby, I know Harry’s the youngest too, but my siblings actually helped change my diapers. I’m more than just a little sister, you know?”

“Oh sure. Plus I can imagine it’s tough for your parents to see their last kid growin’ up so much.”

“Exactly. I think they’re happy that I’m happy. I’ll be curious to see how our moms do at lunch together.”

“To be a fly on the wall, right?”

//

At noon you and Gemma head to the studio with Buster. Him and Mariah were working in separate areas, snapping away. You walk up to Isaac.

“Got a dog biscuit for him, can I give him one?”

“Only if he does a trick for you.”

“Alright, sit Buster.” He does so. “Good boy!” He gives him the biscuit. “Got a little bed for him right here behind my desk.”

“Go ahead baby, sit with Uncle Isaac.”

Buster looks at you and then goes to plop down in his bed.

“It’s been busy all morning. Lot of senior photos. It’s great having the park right there, they’ve both been able to take pictures of the kids by the trees and stuff.”

“That’s great!”

“Thought one girl was going to wet her pants when she first met Harry, poor thing.”

“Oh no, why?” Gemma asks.

“Oh, honey, I know he’s your brother, but he’s hotter than sin. If I were a little seventeen year old girl, my god, I don’t know what I’d do if I had that man standing right in front of me with a camera telling me to smile.” You burst out laughing, which catches Harry’s attention. He looks over at you and his sister and shakes his head. “He should be done any minute. He wanted to get some inside shots with that one.”

“No problem, it’s why there’s a waiting area right?” You and Gemma sit down on the comfy chairs.

Harry walks the young girl up to Isaac.

“When’s your mum gettin’ back?”

“I’ll text her now to let her know I’m done.” She smiles. “Thanks for showing me some of them. I’m gonna tell all my friends to come to you this summer.” Isaac hands her one of Harry’s business cards. Buster comes sniffing around. “Oh!” She squeals.

“That’s my boy, Buster. You can pet him if you want.” The girl beams at him and crouches down to pet him. Her mother comes rushing inside the studio.

“Sorry, honey, long line at Dunkin. All set?”

“Yeah! They look great already.”

“When can we expect them?”

“Couple of weeks, I’ll need to sit and edit them. Then you’ll get an email with a link to our site, and you can pick which ones you want to purchase. I’ll send you the files electronically cause I know the schools prefer that for the yearbook, and I’ll email you all the actual prints.”

“That sounds great. I have to say too, you have the fairest prices for everything. I’ve told a few of the other parents about you and Mariah.”

“Thanks! We really appreciate that.” He smiles. “Isaac, m’goin’ to lunch, can you wrap this up?”

“You got it.” He smiles.

“Wanna eat outside? It’s beautiful out…mum’s already out there.”

“Sure! What she pick up?”

“Salad and sandwiches I think.” He wraps an arm around you. “Buster!” He whistles to him and grabs his leash.

You all walk across the street to the park and sit with Anne at one of the picnic benches. It’s a great lunch. You like spending time with them.

//

The next day Anne borrows Harry’s car to go meet your mom for lunch at a halfway point. Harry had Mariah come pick him up so you’d have your car to go to therapy later.

“Hi, Lynn!” Anne says to your mom.

“Oh, hi!” she laughs. “Hope this wasn’t too hard for you to find.”

“Not at all.” She smiles. They’re both seated fairly fast. “I’m so glad we could do this.”

“Me too. Y/N speaks the world of you and Gemma, I was wondering when we’d get a chance to meet you. It was such a nice surprise for Harry.”

“I felt horrible keepin’ such a secret from him. But last month when Y/N called me told me she wanted to surprise him, I had to jump in on it.”

“She’s the queen of surprises.” Your mom laughs.

“They’re a lovely couple, don’t you think?” Your mom nods in agreement. “You met my son by accident, right? At the mall?”

“God, I completely forgot about that. That’s right, we bumped into him and Niall. He was very funny, and he wouldn’t let me pay for lunch, quite the gentleman.” She smiles.

“What did you think about when they moved in together so quickly?”

“Well…to be honest I wasn’t thrilled, but it’s not my life.” She shrugs. “It wasn’t that I didn’t like Harry either, I would have been concerned with anyone she was dating.” Anne nods. “Y/N’s always been very independent, moves to the beat of her own drum. She’s got a different way of seeing things.”

“She’s very bright.”

“You have no idea! I feel like each one of my kids just kept getting smarter and smarter.” She laughs and then sighs. “I can’t get too much into it because I know she’d be upset with me if I tell you this, but my daughter has been through…something tragic…something I wouldn’t wish on anyone. Something I never thought would happen to any of my kids. She’s made it through and she’s very strong, but when her and Harry started getting serious, I did get worried. I’m not worried anymore though. I can see how much he cares for her, and she’s happy. Her siblings are very protective of her too, as I’m sure Gemma is of Harry.”

“Oh my, of course. I’m sorry to hear she’s been through something…” She looks down at her food then back to your mom. “She’s the baby of your family too, I can see you all wanting to watch her like a hawk.”

“Her father especially so.” She takes a sip of water. “I’m sorry he wasn’t there last night for you to meet him.”

“That’s alright, I’m sure in time we will. Harry told me he was a great help in gettin’ the studio together.”

“He’s nothing if not handy.” She smiles.

“Lynn…my son wants to marry your daughter.” Your mom nearly spits out her drink. “Jesus, I’m sorry.” She hands her a napkin.

“When exactly does he plan to do that?”

“I’m not sure…he’s not plannin’ to propose for another few months, but it’s comin’. I gave him my blessing. I think the world of your daughter.” There’s an awkward pause. “I hope you’ll accept my son the way I’ve accepted her.”

“It’s not that I don’t accept him…it just feels so fast!” She sighs. “But who am I to say anything? At the end of the day she’s going to be asked a question, and it’s her choice to say yes or no. I’ll back her up no matter what.” She chews on her lip. “Her father, however, he’ll be happy for her at first, but he’ll find a way to ruin it. I try not to speak poorly of my ex, but he’s an asshole.”

Anne bursts out laughing.

“That’s quite alright.”

“He just always finds a way to be negative, and he’ll ask them a million questions. Everything always comes down to money. I know she’ll want a nice, big wedding too. And he’ll say ‘well, wouldn’t you rather save that money and put it towards something important’. As if he and I didn’t have a wedding like everyone else.”

“Did you get married in a temple?”

“We did.” She smiles. “It was really informal. I wore a purple pantsuit.” She laughs. “I was already pregnant with our first daughter, Bridget, so I didn’t exactly want to be a in a white dress. It was a nice ceremony though, good reception.”

“Harry told me if they have kids they’d raise them as Jewish…”

“Are you okay with that? Having Jewish grand-babies?”

“Sure.” She shrugs. “He said they’d still do Christmas and Easter, of course.”

“My son’s wife isn’t Jewish, they make it work just fine. Erica’s boyfriend isn’t Jewish either, we’re not a super conservative family in that sense. Do you think he’d want the wedding overseas?”

“No, not with so much of your family here. We have a small family. And a lot of his friends are here now anyways, only a few he sees back home.” She takes a sip of her drink. “I know this conversation may seem a little premature, but I wanted to have it with you in person while I was here.”

“I understand completely. I’m glad we were able to do this.”

//

You and Gemma cook dinner together so Harry would have something to eat when he got home. You’d mostly likely be home after him.

“Well, I’ll see you both in a bit.” You smile. You had your gym clothes on, you didn’t really feel like explaining you were going to therapy.

“Alright dear, see you soon.” Anne says.

She told you all about her lunch with your mom and how well it went. You texted your mom a big thank you right after.

“How are you Y/N?”

“Really good actually.”

“Did you just come from the gym?”

“No, I just put this on because Harry’s mum and sister are staying with us, and I didn’t want to explain I was going to therapy…”

“Ah, I see.”

“I didn’t know if they’d ask why I was going to therapy, and I just didn’t want to get into it.”

“I understand.” She smiles. “How did the studio opening go?”

“Oh my god, it was incredible!”

//

Harry gets in around 6:30, and smiles when he sees his sister and mum. He grabs the dinner you had texted him about and sits down on the sofa with them.

“How was day two?” Gemma asks.

“Great! It was nice to have Buster with me the whole day, right buddy?” He hips and sits at their feet. “Sure he misses his mum though.”

“She’s been at the gym a while.” Anne says. “Does she always go for so long?”

“Gym?”

“Yeah, she had her gym clothes on, I just assumed that’s where she went.”

“Hm.”

You get in around 7PM and see them all watching TV. Harry gets up after you say hello and follows you to the bedroom.

“Hi.” He says.

“Hi, how was your day?”

“Good, busy.” You hum your response and find some sweats to put on.

“A.C.’s up a bit high.” You chuckle as you pulls some sweatpants on.

“Did you go to the gym?”

“So, I went to see Dr. Mara, why?”

“My mum said you went to the gym, that’s all.”

“No, I just put gym clothes on to make them think that’s where I was going. They don’t know I go to therapy Harry, and then don’t need to.”

“It’s a perfectly normal thing to say you’re doin’.”

“Yeah, but what if they asked why?” You look at him. “See? Not a good answer for that, is there. I don’t exactly feel comfortable telling your mum and sister that I was assaulted.” You whisper.

“Okay, yeah, that’s fair.” He wraps his arms around you. “I feel like I miss you.” He buries his face in your neck.

“Aw, why?” You rub his back up and down.

“I don’t know…haven’t been able to cuddle much.”

“Can’t cuddle with your mum and sister sitting on the sofa with us.” You kiss his cheek and hold him tight. “They probably think something’s going on here as it is, let’s go sit with them, hm?”

“No.”

“Harry.”

“No, I’m tired, and I’m sick of TV for the night. I feel like readin’.”

“So, we can watch TV and you can read. We’ll go to bed early so we can cuddle for a bit, okay?”

“Fine.” He grabs his book and his glasses and follows you out.

Harry sits down and yanks you into his lap.

“Harry, I-“

“S’fine, love, you can sit with him.” Anne says. “It’s your home, after all.”

The three of you watch TV for a bit while Harry reads. Around nine you and Harry tell them you’re heading to bed. You say goodnight to Buster and go into your room. You both do your usual routine and get into bed.

“Wouldja just lay on top of me?”

“I know what that’s going to lead to, and I don’t feel-“

“Y/N! I’m not fuckin’ around, come here!” He pulls you on top of him and you swat at his chest.

“Shhhh, do you want them to hear you?”

“I don’t give a fuck.” He holds you tight to his chest and strokes the back of your head. You relax into him. “See, isn’t this nice?” You both chuckle.

“Shut up.” He kisses your hairline as you nuzzle into him. “They’ll only be here two more days, Harry. You should make the most of it.”

“I am makin’ the most of it. Mum and Gem are both comin’ to the studio tomorrow since you’re back to work. I just think we should be able to do whatever we want even if they’re here.”

“Well, I feel weird about it. It’s icky.”

“Icky?” He laughs.

“Yeah, do you really want them to know what it sounds like when we’re fucking?”

“Babe, I’m sure they’ve heard me before. I used to sneak my girlfriends over all the time.”

“How nice for you.” You say sarcastically.

“I just wanna love on yeh, is that so bad?”

You smile at him and kiss him. His hands slide down to your ass, and he lightly squeezes you. You moan softly against his lips. You feel him getting hard against you and you can’t help but grind against him. He pushes his hips up towards you as you grind down again. You put your hand over his mouth just as he’s about to moan.

“We have to be so quiet.”

Harry nods yes. You tug his boxers down slightly, and move your panties over. He slides right in.

“Oh my g-“ You put put your hand back over his mouth.

“Yes, I’m really wet, we been knew, now shh.” You whisper in his ear.

You keep your hand on his mouth, and your face is buried in his neck. His hands move to your hips to rock you back and forth on him. You both were under the covers, causing you to sweat more than usual, but it helped muffle the noise.

Harry wanted it to last as long as possible, you just felt so good. He wanted to tell you how good you felt, but your hand was still over his mouth. Your other hand moves to grip at his hair when he takes a hand to rub at your clit. You bite down on his shoulder. Your hand moves from his mouth to grip the pillow bellow him. You grind against him faster and he does all he can to not let out a noise.

“I needja to kiss me.” He breathes. “Please.”

You crash your lips to his and you both moan into each other. He rubs his fingers faster on your clit. Your back arches and you gasp as you release around him. As you tighten around him he comes up inside you, causing you to moan. You clap your hand over your mouth and press your forehead to his as he thrusts up one last time.

“Shit.” You say against his lips.

“So fucking good.” He breathes.

You get off him slowly and roll onto your back. You wiggles your panties off and sigh. You get up and go use the toilet. When you’re done you come back over to him and lay your head on his chest. He rubs your back slowly.

“Do you ever think…neither of us zero self control?” You ask giggling. “I mean, we can’t go two nights without fucking? What other couples do you know have sex as often as we do?” Harry starts laughing too, and kisses your forehead.

“I hope to God we always stay one of those couples that can’t keep their hands off each other.”

//

The next morning you’re up and out early. You decide to bring Buster to work with you since you missed him so much yesterday. Anne is out on the balcony sipping her coffee while Harry and Gemma have breakfast.

“Sleep well?” He asks her.

“Yeah, it’s a comfy bed. You?”

“Mhm.”

“I’ll bet.” She smirks. Harry raises an eyebrow at her while he sips his coffee.

“What do yeh mean by tha’?” She puts her hand on his shoulder.

“I think you know.” She winks and walks out of the kitchen.

//

“Thank god you’re back.” Niall says, coming into your office. “Hate when you take two days off in a row.” He pouts.

“Technically I wasn’t off.” Buster runs towards Niall.

“I was talkin’ to the dog.”

“Oh, shut the fuck up.” You both laugh.

“So how have the last couple days been with Anne and Gem here?”

“Really good actually. I’ve had some good talks with them. I think Harry’s been enjoying spending time with them. I think it really helped relax him, you know?”

“Yeah I’ve texted him a bit, he’s really busy with work already, it’s great.”

“I’m so proud of him. I think he prefers getting to take pictures of people.”

“Oh, for sure.”

//

Before you know it, you and Harry are driving Anne and Gemma to the airport Thursday evening. Everyone hugs and kisses goodbye.

“So, we’ll see you in July?” Anne asks.

“Yup.” Harry smiles. “Have a safe flight, let me know when you land.”

You both get back in the car. Harry kisses your hand as he drives off.

“Thanks again for gettin’ them here. It was great.”

“Of course! I know it meant a lot to you to have them there for the opening.” You take your phone out and connect it to the Bluetooth. “Now, we need to listen to the Weeknd because the concert is only a month away and I want to make sure you know all of the songs, okay?”

“I know quite a few.”

“Not off his new album! We’re going to be so close to the stage, what if he looks out to us and doesn’t see you mouthing the words because you don’t know it? You’ll look like such a local.”

“A local?” He laughs. “What the fuck is a local?” You sigh heavily. “Okay, okay, why don’t we play it when we get home? I’ll fuck you to it how you like.” Your mouth falls open. “Would yeh like that?”

“Yes.” You nod excitedly.

Harry takes Buster out quick when you get home and you run off to the bedroom. You decide to put some lingerie on. The black lace bodysuit. You get the music started and lay on your stomach. Harry gets Buster tucked into his dog bed and sprints to the bedroom.

“Oh, wow.” He says. You make a come here motion with your finger and sit up on your knees.

He cups your face in his hands and kisses you, like really kisses you. His tongue molds to yours and you moan into his mouth. You tug at the hem of his shirt and he lifts it off. You run your hands over his tattoos. You felt like you hadn’t been able to really touch him for a while.

“Tonight.” He says against your lips. “We’re takin’ our time.”

[kolbehq]

FILE // BASIC INFORMATION

Name: Rena Yuu.

Age: 45 years old.

Gender: Female.

Pronouns: She/her.

Species: Human.

Home Planet: Gaia.

Job: Captain.

Criminal Record: N/A.

Contract: The captain goes down with her ship.

Faceclaim: Lucy Liu.

FILE // BACKGROUND

Before Rena Yuu was a glimmer in the universe’s eye, there was a man named Takao Yuu, one of the oldest politician’s and business tycoons of Gaia. Once reveled as the mad genius of his generation, Takao skyrocketed through the social classes of Gaia after engineering a serum that could erase one’s memories. Depending on dose and approximate time post-creation of the memory (’the sooner the better’), it could erase a bad day, a bad year, or a bad life. Although volatile and poorly understood to this day, its uses were widespread and reveled. A loved one died? A trauma endured? A secret learned that was more harmful than the lie itself? Poof, gone, back to daily life. Too powerful for the public sector to openly distribute unregulated, it was treated like a controlled drug to be used under direction of a doctor or technician responsible enough to handle any side effects that could occur (there were too many to list on its official label). What did a gentle white lie matter in relation to the disgusting, ugly truth?

So much time wasted in a laboratory and board room meetings, and Takao missed the young life of his first daughter, Reika. He would have never noticed either - yet one day, Reika went missing. The next, a ransom note was delivered. And too quickly, she was dead, a casualty of a war Takao didn’t realize he had started once his amazing, spectacular super drug hit the black market and created absolute chaos with a nuclear level fallout, leveling his only family in the process. Without a live body, he couldn’t clone her; he knew better to build an android in her like, an empty fulfillment of the daughter he once had. Most assumed Takao would take his own drug to forget the life of the little girl he loved - however, he didn’t, instead allowing her lose to harden him into someone unrecognizable to the few people who knew him, vowing to avenge the death of his first and only love by whatever means necessary. The man he became in the wake of his loss was nothing short of absurd.

Takao established a harem of women to bear him a daughter, but to no avail. Six sons later and he had all but given up on that dream - until one day, the news was bestowed upon him, a little girl had been conceived. In his mind, it was Reika, born into a new body ten years later, and Takao vowed to never take advantage of his baby girl, renaming her after the reincarnation that brought her back to him - Rena, the reborn.

Except Rena Yuu wasn’t the soul of his lost daughter. As a child, she never understood why she was under such staunch protections while her brothers were allowed to do whatever they want, whenever they want, completely free of restriction. Her first memories included being surrounded by an armed personnel detail, a ring of bodyguards that never left her side. She had no mother, in Takao’s eyes, she was simply only his. When he wasn’t working, they had tea together, and he explained to her the few memories from her ‘past life’ that they shared, always asserting she was Reika despite her growing confusion at the sentiment. Only once, around nine years old, did Rena ever speak up and proclaim she was her own person - the hand across her face was swift, and she hadn’t even realized her father had hit her until the stinging pain blossomed across her cheek. She never brought it up again.

Once she passed the age of Reika’s untimely death, she gained a new kind of Hell - the projection of her father’s wishes on every facet of her life. No person was good enough to date - she was to wait until she was twenty-five, like he envisioned, before she could be married to the man of his choosing. No schooling or activity was good enough to participate in - she was too delicate, too precious, too naive to play with her brothers, follow any of their unique paths in life, and instead she was to sit inside and take care of the domestic chores within their home, obstructed from any program she showed the slightest interest in. If she did find something that brought her joy, it was taken, for it didn’t fit the picture-perfect masterpiece her father anticipated for her.

By twenty-two, she had enough. The later years of her teens were spent constantly sneaking out, slipping her security detail, going places she wasn’t allowed, doing things she wasn’t supposed to. Gone was the fear of the unknown, the fear of failure, the fear of pain at the hand of her father. Every time she endured punishment, her anger only grew in depth, silently seething and awaiting its boiling point. Rena Yuu wasn’t allowed to be anything aside from Reika, and although Reika was dead, it was Rena who had been entrapped in a coffin. One night, under the cover of darkness, she escaped once again, but this time with a purpose - she enlisted in the military, the only viable path she could find that could legally trap her and thus truly liberate herself from her father’s madness without repercussions.

Decades passed, and it seemed like Rena had achieved her freedom. She had a gift for tactical thinking by nature, most likely the product of being surrounded by a security detail (and running away from it) for most of her life. She loved to tinker with anything the military allowed her to set her hands on, and was ushered into engineering programs for her intellectual prowess and, more likely, her last name. She never took a vacation or a sick day, the fear that her father would take advantage of her momentary lapse in judgement always hovering on the horizon at a level of mild paranoia. The anxiety that he would drag her back to his personal prison lingered in the back of her mind, and it fueled her to be the very best she could be in anything her ranking officers tried to throw at her.

Soon, she was top of her class, an achievement rendered from having zero personal time, unlimited dedication to the cause, and a lifetime of anger that needed release. She almost never agreed with her superiors, lacked control of her temper, often spoke out of term, had a real problem with authority, and was already at a deficit for interpersonal skills; she never apologized or attempted to appease these claims, however, because she simply didn’t feel the need to. In fact, Rena reveled in these criticisms, having finally found a foothold in a personality that wasn’t the projection of dead girl from an eon ago. However, her feisty attitude landed her in hot water more often than not, and because of this, she was often passed over for the promotions she felt she deserved in lieu of more ‘proper’ types, even if they were usually men who acted the same exact way she did. The more frustrated she felt, the deeper her anger swelled, and stories began to circulate about the deadly way she conducted herself in battles of any kind. Gaia was simply not enough anymore - although restricted all her life, Rena felt like she had already seen enough of her own planet, and longed for something bigger than simply mitigating the growing tension between Antigone and Hermes. She wanted to experience life in a way she never had before. When an open call for any viable captain was made for a top secret mission, ordered by the United Planets itself, Rena practically busted down her superior officer’s door, resume in hand and scowl in place, ready to fight for her dream job.

She didn’t need to - he had already recommended her for the position, and a day later, she received the dossier for what many were calling the suicide mission of the century. It was the first time any of her peers had seen Rena smile.

FILE // CURRENTLY

Rena Yuu’s reputation certainly preceded her aboard the ES Kolbe. The very first day, as she moved to address her new crew, the crowd of guards parted like the biblical Red Sea, eyes widened at the now infamous Captain taking helm, and Rena realized her newfound power was almost palpable in the air. Swirls of whispers arose of men she had accidentally killed in simple spars, ships she had marooned for the sake of proving herself, the utter intensity of which she conducted herself at all times struck fear into the hearts of many - despite some of these stories lacking truth, that is. Despite commanding a ship full of criminals and an inevitably unhappy crew, Rena has vowed to make their mission successful, at any cost. Failure would result in returning to Gaia, a prospect she can’t stomach, and therefore would rather die than achieve. Rena is a stoic captain, not one for rallying speeches or calls to arms (unless abhorrently necessary) - she believes she will be successful simply by leading dutifully, with a sound mind and a knack for understanding the bigger picture. If she does her job correctly, there will be no need for keeping up crew morale. She has no interest in petty arguments, and tends to be quite harsh with her threats and in turn, her punishments. Although she is seen as cold and commandeering, it is simply a front put up for her protection and (as she sees it), the protection of those she’s been tasked to lead. Rena is a fair leader, and is known for breaking her silence to ask an unwitting crew member what they think of a decision before she makes it - although she’s often met with a bumbling jumble of words and slight hyperventilation, she takes to heart any viable recommendation given to her by her crew before making the best decision she can with the information she’s given. Once a decision is made, she doesn’t question it, known for only looking forward and never looking back. As far as her weaknesses as a Captain, Rena naively believes she has none, simply relying on delegation and expecting any person she trusts with a task to complete it to the very best of their capabilities, nothing less. All traces of her renowned anger have been swept under the rug in lieu of taking on her new duties as Captain, but there’s no telling what the ES Kolbe’s mission has in store for them, and in such closed quarters, even Rena can’t be sure she won’t lose control again.  

[germanfulbrighteta]

End of the 2017/2018 Fulbright year - Wimbledon and home at last!

It’s over! My Fulbright year has officially come to an end. I cannot believe how many amazing people I met during the past 10 and a half months abroad, and how many places I was fortunate enough to have traveled to and to have experienced as well. It’s been an incredible ride, and though I’m sad it’s over, I’m already excited about and looking forward to whatever adventures may lie ahead.

Before leaving Europe for good, however, my Dad and I teamed up to squeeze in one more fun excursion in London, England. Below is my account of attending the first three days of the most famous tennis tournament in the world: Wimbledon!

The trip from Germany to England to meet my Dad began with - you guessed it - a delayed flight. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise, however, as France was playing Argentina in a thrilling World Cup game, and many of the people in the Düsseldorf airport had crowded around T.V. sets to watch. Even when in transit, Europeans apparently take the sport of soccer very seriously. (Though that wouldn’t compare to the England vs. Columbia game I would later bear witness to - more on that further down.)

I eventually arrived in England that Saturday evening, and as Wimbledon didn’t start until two days later, our first day together was simply spent sightseeing around London. We first checked out the London Science Museum (note to all future attendees: although interesting, it’s mostly a children's museum) before managing to complete my favorite walk in London. Here’s how it goes:

Start at Westminster, admire Westminster Abbey and Big Ben Walk up Downing Street Stop for lunch at The Old Shades Cross Trafalgar Square Finish by walking down to Buckingham Palace and potentially taking a selfie with the Queen

At last, Monday morning finally arrived, and my Dad and I embarked on the famous tennis pilgrimage to the lawns of Wimbledon at the All England Club. It’s something every tennis player, whether professional or amateur, hopes to see at least once, and we were both thrilled to walk around the prestigious grounds and hop from match to match, knowing that we would be surrounded by world-class tennis no matter where we looked. Excitement levels: off the charts.

We started by orienting ourselves with the Wimbledon complex. One of the first things you see when you walk in is Centre Court, the most famous tennis court in the world and where only the best matches are played. Nearby are the bigger courts of 1, 2, 3, 12, and 18 (where the world’s longest match ever, at just over 11 hours spanned over two days, was played in 2010), and finally, the myriad of shops and restaurants where you can spend your money on amazingly overpriced (but still pretty cool) merchandise and snacks. Basically, the main question facing any newcomers is simple: where on Earth do you begin?

We decided to check out the outer courts for a few hours before proceeding to Court 1, the second biggest stadium at Wimbledon. There, we saw Sloane Stephens, one of the top ranked American women, lose handily to Donna Vekic (ranked 55th in the world), as well as Milos Raonic and Serena Williams win their matches with no trouble. We also managed to secure the famous strawberries and cream dish, a classic staple of the Wimbledon experience, and see Caroline Wozniacki, the #2 female player in the world, on a practice court. It was an amazing day, and only had us hungry for more once we left nearly 9 hours later.

If I had to describe day two of our Wimbledon extravaganza, it would look something like this: Centre Court. That’s right, we actually had tickets all day for Centre Court at Wimbledon, and on schedule to play were Rafael Nadal (men’s world number one), Garbine Muguruza (Wimbledon defending champion), and Simona Halep (women’s world number one). I’ve posted pictures and videos of each match below if anyone is interested in seeing a behind-the-scenes Centre Court perspective. Otherwise, take my word for it: seeing that many top players spar on the greatest tennis court in the world is nothing short of a dream come true, and my Dad and I loved every minute of it.

That evening, England played Columbia in the World Cup round of 16. We went to a pub to get the full experience, standing among at least a hundred other people (many of whom, ironically, were Americans) to watch England come within minutes of winning the game, then be stunned by a last-minute goal from Columbia, and finally see the game be taken to a sudden-death penalty shootout. The tension in the pub was palpable, and it was an amazing experience being there when England scored the final goal and the whole pub basically erupted (video posted below!).

Our final day at Wimbledon involved a little strategy, as we arrived extra early to escape the somewhat voluminous crowds. Our reward was a court level view of three great matches (featuring Gael Monfils and Stan Wawrinka) on Court 3, where we spent the first 6 hours of the day. We also managed to see some of Marin Cilic’s match on Court 1 before rain caused a premature end to the day, and to our Wimbledon experience as well. Our luck with the great weather had finally run dry, so we bought a couple of small souvenirs, sent a postcard back home, and left the gates of Wimbledon for the last time.

We had one more day in London to spend, however, so the next morning we went to the British Library, home of, among other treasures, the Magna Carta and ancient Biblical texts. In between train delays and cancelations, we also managed to see the Harry Potter store at King’s Cross and visit the House of Parliament. We ended the day by watching a few Wimbledon matches at the local sport’s bar before turning in and flying home (really) early the next day. It was a great last day in Europe, and was a suitable ending to one of the most surreal and memorable years one could ask for.

Writing this last article back home, surrounded by my 2 dogs and 3 cats, I find it hard to believe that the last year really happened. It feels great to be back, but I know I’m going to miss the traveling and late-night Döner runs. Most of all, however, I’m going to miss the amazing people I met in Germany, as well as in the other countries I traveled to during my months teaching abroad. However, I’m also excited to see how the Fulbright program will continue to develop, and what kinds of stories future participants will return with. I’d highly encourage anyone who counts among their interests living abroad, traveling, and languages to apply - you can visit their website (https://us.fulbrightonline.org) or talk to your campus representative for more information.

With that, I hope you enjoy the pictures and videos I’ve posted below of London and Wimbledon! Thank you for reading this blog of my 2017-2018 Fulbright year in Germany - I hope you’ve had as much fun reading it as I have had writing it. Safe travels!

Das Ende

[armeniaitn]

Elen Asatryan Sworn In to Democratic County Central Committee

New Post has been published on https://armenia.in-the.news/society/elen-asatryan-sworn-in-to-democratic-county-central-committee-38674-22-07-2020/

Elen Asatryan Sworn In to Democratic County Central Committee

Elen Asatryan at campaign event with young professionals

LOS ANGELES – After having garnered 22,339 votes during the Presidential Primary Elections in March, Elen Asatryan was sworn in over the weekend to the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, as a member-elect representing the 43rd Assembly District. The swearing in took place en masse via Zoom due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.

“I’m honored to join the LACDP and appreciate the voters, organizations, and supporters who made our collective victory possible. Together, we changed the way county central committee elections are conducted, and above all, we educated thousands of voters and the general public, who for the most part, were not familiar with the specifics of the committee’s mission and function,” stated Asatryan.

“I chose to run for this position because I wanted to see true representation of LA’s diverse communities in the LACDP, particularly its Armenian-American community, and did not want to settle with the ‘politics as usual’ coming out of my own party. I hope our campaign will inspire others to become civically engaged and help shape the change that’s needed in our party structures and in policy making. I look forward to our work ahead to ensure that we have an inclusive party as diverse as the people it represents, and make sure that the people’s voice is heard both on the legislative front and at the ballot box,” added Asatryan.

This year’s 43rd State Assembly District’s DCCC race was an unusually popular and a highly-contested one with eighteen (18) candidates and seven (7) open seats. Typically, candidates do not actively campaign for the position. Asatryan, however, ran an effective on-the- ground and digital campaign, setting an unprecedented social media presence with educational infographics, endorsement highlights and supporter testimonials. Her campaign emboldened a fervent grassroots following, especially from young voters, many of whom met organically through the coffee meet-ups, mixers and networking gatherings she and her campaign hosted, and initiated their own events in support of the campaign thereafter.

As the official governing body of the Democratic Party in Los Angeles County and the largest local Democratic Party entity in the United States, the DCCC represents nearly 2.7 million Democrats in the 88 cities and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County – a population larger than 42 individual states.

Similar to the unconventional way she ran her campaign, Asatryan also chose to open to the public the position of her alternate appointment.  This position is usually filled with someone that has close ties to and will be loyal to the elected member. It is not a position that has ever been open to the public.  Asatryan opened an application process instead and appointed one of the applicants, Vanuhi Vartanian, a Glendale resident and graduate of both UCLA and UC Berkeley, who is passionate about women’s rights, social justice, public education, income inequality, and has volunteered extensively for such causes affecting Armenia and Artsakh.

“Though I knew so many amazing individuals that were already involved and would nicely fit into the position, my hope was to come across someone that was interested in politics, but hadn’t had the chance to or hadn’t been given the opportunity to be engaged. Lo and behold, I discovered a local gem,” Asatryan said in a social media post announcing the appointment.

“Here is the thing, when we say we need more women and young people around decision making tables, we have to put those words into action. The opportunity to engage and embrace people is always there if you’re looking to do that no matter what field you’re in,” she added.

“When I voted for Elen back in March, I remember feeling so inspired by her passion and dedication and proud that Armenian women like her are in places of power to be the voice of our community. Now I’m even more proud, inspired, and grateful to be her alternate for the LACDP central committee. I look forward to learning from Elen, serving on notable committees, and participating in the decision making conversations of the LACDP,” stated Vartanian after joining the LACDP reorganization meeting via zoom. After the swearing in, the two decided to showcase their Armenian heritage in the breakout room, changing their backgrounds from plain walls to those displaying photographs of Armenia’s ancestral mountain, Mount Ararat.

Asatryan is a human rights and social justice advocate, the founder of the Stark Group – a full service political consulting firm, and the former Executive Director of the ANCA – Western Region and ANCA Glendale. Spanning over two decades, some of her accomplishments include: Ensuring equal access and representation at local and state-level government entities. Creating public policy fellowship and internship programs to train our future leaders. Establishing the Glendale Domestic Violence Task Force. Launching the HyeVotes voter registration, education, and ‘Get out the Vote’ initiatives, which resulted in registering over 50,000 new voters in Los Angeles County alone, leading to record-breaking voter turnout in some of the most competitive local, state, and federal elections. Securing recognition for the Armenian Genocide and Republic of Artsakh, and adoption of Genocide education curriculum in CA public schools. Helping mobilize 166,000 participants in the historic March for Justice for the 100th anniversary of the Armenian Genocide. Expanding green space, community outreach, and access to programs for low-income families and children while serving as Chair of the City of Glendale Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission.

Since the Election and in the wake of the pandemic, Asatryan has spent most of her time volunteering to provide outreach, education and assistance to community members unable to navigate through assistance programs available and has continuously called on local, county and state representatives to implement measures to ensure communities with special needs have the information and access to obtain the assistance.

Asatryan will continue to engage with the community on her social platforms. To learn more about Elen Asatryan visit elenasatryan.com. For up to the minute updates, follow her public social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @ElectElen.

The County Central Committee is a volunteer position.  Members are elected for 4 year terms.  To learn more about the LACDP visit LACDP.org.  The 43rd Assembly District encompasses the cities of Burbank, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta-Montrose, and parts of Los Angeles including Hollywood Hills, East Hollywood, Little Armenia, Franklin Hills, Los Feliz, Silver Lake, and Atwater Village.

Read original article here.

[weekendwarriorblog]

The Weekend Warrior Home Edition May 29, 2020 – I WILL MAKE YOU MINE, THE HIGH NOTE, HBO MAX and more!

Before we get to any potential theatrical releases – there aren’t many (if any?) this week  –  today is the day that HBO MAX launches! I hope to add it to the streaming section below, but since it’s a newborn baby launching today, it will get the lead in this week’s column…

Some of the HBO Max original programming at launch will include On the Record, the new doc from The Hunting Ground and The Invisible War directors Kirby Dick and Amy Ziering, which looks at the story of music exec. Drew Dixon and her decision to be one of the first women of color to come forward about being sexually assaulted by Russell Simmons. I’ll freely admit that I haven’t watched this yet, but my friend/colleague Candice Fredrick did this amazing interview with Dixon and the other subjects for Shondaland, which you can read right here, and it’ll make it obvious why  (like Dick/Ziering’s previous docs), this one NEEDS to be seen, even if you don’t have a horse in this race.

Anna Kendrick will be starring in new romantic comedy anthology series called Love Life from Sam Boyd, each season which will follow a different person from their first to last romance. I hope this is better than Kendrick’s Quibi series.

On a lighter night, there’s a new series of Looney Tunes Cartoons, a series of 11 to 12-minute cartoon collections featuring all your WB favorites. While I was mildly dubious about new cartoons, apparently WB has been making these for a few years although they’ll now be migrating over to HBO Max. Some of the first toons will include a couple Porky Pig-Daffy Duck shorts: “Curse of the Monkeybird” and “Firehouse Frenzy”; another one called “Harm Wrestling,” pitting Bugs Bunny against long-time nemesis Yosemite Sam, and another Bugs one called “Big League Beast.” These new toons definitely have their own identity and charm and are pretty clever with wackier modernized cartoon violence ala “Ren and Stimpy” or maybe Adult Swim would be a more current reference. The series is exec. produced by Peter Browngardt, and I don’t think regular Looney Tunes fans (or cartoon fans in general) will be too disappointed by these offerings.

There’s also the Not Too Late Show with Elmo, which looks cute, but it’s definitely veering more towards the TV side of things than movies, at least for now.

Something rather strange and interesting happened leading up to this week’s “Featured Movie,” but it involves an introductory story: Just before the lockdown on March 12, I went out to see Emily Ting’s great new comedy, Go Back to China on its very last day in New York theaters. One of the actors in the movie, Lynn Chen, seemed vaguely familiar but I couldn’t figure out where from. Sometime after that, I started seeing a few tweets about Alice Wu’s 2004 film, Saving Face, which I thought I was one of the only people who knew about it, having covered it 15 or 16 years ago. This led to a Twitter conversation about Wu’s new Netflix movie, The Half of It, which made me realize that Chen was one of the two leads in Saving Face. One thing led to another and besides learning about Wu’s new movie, I also found out that Chen’s own directorial debut would be coming out soon. That movie, I WILL MAKE YOU MINE (Gravitas Ventures), is now available digitally and on DVD/Blu-ray. Got all that? Good. So that’s what I’m going to write about next.

Chen’s directorial debut is an interesting black-and-white romantic dramedy, but you really need to go into it knowing that it’s also the third part of something being labelled, “The Surrogate Valentine Trilogy,” based on two indie comedies directed by Dave Boyle. I did not know this the first time I watched Chen’s movie, which may be why I was so confused about the relationships between three Asian-American women with a musician named Goh Nakamura (who plays himself in the film). Once I watched the previous movies, Surrogate Valentine from 2011 and Daylight Savings from 2012, things became a LOT clearer.

Both those movies were quirky comedies mostly based around Nakamura’s day-to-day, but they also had romantic undercurrents with three different women over the course of the two movies: Lynn Chen’s best friend Rachel, “the professor” Erika (Ayako Fujitani) and fellow singer-songwriter Yea-Ming (Yea-Ming Chen, also playing a version of herself). It’s immediately clear that Chen’s movie is going to focus on the three women, but it my not be as evident who these women are or their relationship to Nakamura without having seen the previous two films.

The movie takes place five years after the previous one, so Chen is taking the Linklatter “Before” trilogy approach, at least in concluding the overall story with a few players from earlier movies also making apperances. Erika and Yea-Ming are still polar opposites with Erika’s moodiness being increased by the death of her father and having to care for her five-year-old daughter (Ayami Riley Tomine).  Yea-Ming is still single and ready to mingle, while Rachel is now married but she is still reminiscing about Goh, who she long ago put in the friend zone despite his feelings for her.

Both the previous movies were left hanging with no real answers, so it’s quite respectable for Chen to take the reins in trying to answer some of the unanswered questions. The general idea is that all these women are still thinking of Goh, and you’ll have to watch the movie to see which one he ends up with, if any. (Not too sure how I feel about all these beautiful women chasing after the mopey Nakamura, but like the “Before” movies, you’ll be quite invested after seeing the other two movies.)

Nakamura is an incredibly talented musician, songwriter and singer (as is Yea-Ming) but not a particularly expressive actor, especially in comparison to a seasoned pro like Chen. As a director and co-star, she does a better job getting a performance out of him than Boyle did, although her character’s arc is more about dealing with her cheating husband Josh. Chen maintains the quirky humor of the earlier movies without involving as much of the bro-ness of the characters around Nakamura. Putting the focus on the three women trying to discover themselves and figure out what they want in life just makes her film a far more enjoyable experience as a whole, especially as we get to see them interacting with each other.

I particulary like this movie on its own merits due to the very funny and talented Yea-Ming Chen (whose own musical project is called DreamDate). She clearly has the best chemistry with Nakamura, but I Will Make You Mine gains so much more knowing the characters’ history together, even if those relationships were not necessarily the focus of the previous two films. There’s no question Lynn Chen has a solid future as a filmmaker, as she takes the ideas and characters introduced by Boyle’s films to a far more emotional level. I recommend watching the entire trilogy, which hopefully Gravitas Ventures will put all in one place (like a collection of all three movies with a soundtrack CD?) someday soon. In the meantime, you can find out where you can watch I Will Make You Mine on the official site, so do check it out!

I had been pretty interested in Focus Features’ new film, THE HIGH NOTE, which will be available via PVOD this Friday, mainly because it was directed by Nisha Ganatra, who did such an amazing job with last year’s Late Night. This is a very different movie, maybe more commercial but also not quite as much my thing, which is odd since it’s set in the music business, which is almost definitely my thing.

Dakota Johnson stars as Maggie, personal assistant to legendary soul singer Grace Davis (Tracee Ellis Ross from black-ish), but she would rather be a record producer. Maggie hs been practicing by doing an edit on a live album for Davis who is being drawn by her manager (Ice Cube) to take up a Vegas residency ala Celine. Soon after, Maggie meets Kelvin Harrison Jr’s David Cliff, an aspiring singer and songwriter who she decides to take under her wing, without letting him know she’s actually a personal assistant.

Written by Flora Greeson, her first produced screenplay, it’s almost immediately apparent this movie came about due to the success of the 2018 remake of A Star is Born, which did so well despite winning only a single Oscar for song.  There are a few hurdles the movie had to overcome right away, the first being my general “eh” feelings about Johnson as an actor, but then there are also serious credibility issues of a Hollywood personal assistant getting away with HALF the things Maggie does in the movie. There is definitely an aspect of the movie that reminded me of Working Girl, one of the movies that made Johnson’s mother (Melanie Griffith) a household name, but this sort of “everything works out for the white girl” just seems kind of stale and played and maybe a bit out-of-tune in this day and age.

The High Note is barely a drama and more of a romantic dramedy and while the songs are decent, there’s very little way that this can be deemed any sort of “musical.” There’s also the whole “white savior” thing in play where Maggie is there not only to save Grace’s flagging career but also trying to help David make it big. Harrison is as good as he’s been in almost every role, and that seems almost wasted among the other okay performances.

The thing is that The High Note did eventually win me over, oddly with a pull-the-rug-out twist that for some reason I didn’t see coming. There is a cuteness aspect to it that makes it palatable, if not always entertaining, but I definitely expected more and better from Ganatra for her second feature. It makes it that much more obvious what Mindy Kaling brought to the table as the writer/producer on Late Night.  

Next up is John Hyatt’s documentary SCREENED OUT (Dark Star Pictures), which is probably rather apropos right now as it deals with something very prominent and timely: our addiction to our devices. The movie follows Hyatt and his family who go through their own journey of dealing with screen addiction. It will be available in the US and Canada this Friday. I really couldn’t get too far into this movie, since I generally hate docs where the filmmakers turn the camera on themselves, and I’m not talking about Morgan Spurlock or Michael Moore so much, as those who make these movies about themselves without having too much to offer the viewer.

Film Forum’s Virtual Cinema adds two new repertory films this week: Philip Borso’s 1982 film, The Grey Fox, starring Richard Farnsworth (in a new 4K restoration) and Andrei Ujică’s 1992 film, Videograms of a Revolution.  Film at Lincoln Center’s own virtual cinema adds Mounia Meddour’s Papicha (Distrib Films) about a university student during the Algerian Civil War who is studying French with an interest in fashion so she defies religious conservatism to design dresses for her peers. The film won the César Award for Best Female Newcomer and Best First Film, and was a selection for the recent “Rendez-Vous with French Cinema.”

STREAMING AND CABLE

Netflix’s big launch this week is the new series from The Office (American version) creator Greg Daniels (his second new one in the last month!), SPACE FORCE, a comedy based on the Trump military initiative that reunites Daniels with Steve Carell. He’s joined by John Malkovich, Jimmy O. Yang, the late Fred Willard, Ben Schwartz, Noah Emmerich and more, so we’ll see if I like it more than the Amazon series, Upload. (Granted, I’ve only seen one episode of that.)

I’m semi-flattered that Hannah Gadsby named her second Netflix comedy special, Hannah Gadsby: Douglas, after me, but honestly, I’m one of the few people who never really understood the appeal of her as a comic. She just seems like a snarky Australian who just happens to also be a lesbian, but I dunno, maybe I’ll like this one more?

Fernando Frias’ Mexican teen drama, I’m No Longer Here (also on Netflix), is about a young street gang in Monterrey, Mexico who get into a feud with a local cartel, forcing the leader to migrate to the United States.

Also, I’ve heard good things about Andrew Patterson’s THE VAST OF NIGHT, which will be available on Amazon Prime, this Friday. It stars Sierra McCormick as Fay Crocker, a switchboard operator in 1950s New Mexico, who discovers an audio frequency that can change their small town forever. It sends Fay and a radio DJ named Everett (Jake Horowitz) on a scavenger hunt into the unknown.  This movie played a lot of genre film festivals last year after debuting at Slamdance, and I generally enjoyed it, since it has a very different vibe of other thrillers, even period ones. The two leads are so cute together in the film’s opening scene, you’ll definitely want to see where things are going, and the dialogue is particularly good. Maybe the movie isn’t as direct in its genre elements as others, but it goes to interesting places for sure.

Also, the We Are One: A Global Film Festival is supposed to start this week, running for a week from this Friday to June 7 with proceeds going to benefit COVID-19 relief funds with programming curated by a number of film festivals including Tribeca, the New York Film Festival, Berlin and others. You can see some of the programming here, and the festival will run starting Friday on the YouTube channel.

Next week, more movies (mostly) not in theaters!

By the way, if you read this week’s column and have bothered to read this far down, feel free to drop me some thoughts at Edward dot Douglas at Gmail dot Com or drop me a note or tweet on Twitter. I love hearing from readers … honest!

[easyfoodnetwork]

Chef Ed Lee’s Fight to Feed Restaurant Workers Across America

The chef comes on Eater’s Digest to discuss his Restaurant Workers Relief Program

As the crisis of the pandemic has deepened, major donors (including governments, individuals, and brands) have begun paying restaurants to stay open to feed the needy. These relief efforts are happening both at a grassroots level in local communities and on a national scale. One such national effort is run by The Lee Initiative and Louisville chef Ed Lee. He currently has enough funding to maintain 15 community kitchens across the country, feeding those in need over 300 meals a day, seven days a week, by partnering with chefs like Edouardo Jordan in Seattle, Greg Baxtrom in New York, and Nancy Silverton in LA.

This week on Eater’s Digest, Lee explains how he set up the kitchens, shares what kind of help they need, and discusses the heartbreaking decisions he’s forced to make on a daily basis as he navigates through this tragedy.

Listen and subscribe to Eater’s Digest on Apple Podcasts and read the full transcript of the interview below.

Amanda Kludt: Ed Lee, welcome to Eater’s Digest. We wanted to bring you on because you are on the ground running a lot of relief efforts across the country and we wanted to get a firsthand look at what that is like. So can you start off by telling us about what the LEE Initiative is doing with restaurants around America?

Ed Lee: We started a program called the Restaurant Workers Relief Program. And we are feeding any and all restaurant workers who have been laid off or who have had their hours significantly reduced, and who just need food supplies come to us. We have 15 kitchens right now running across the country. Most kitchens are open seven nights a week and we’re handing out about 300 meals a night, giving out supplies and meal kits and things that you can cook at home as well.

Daniel Geneen: Where are you getting the money for this?

EL: To backtrack a little bit, our nonprofit called the LEE Initiative was a wonderful but very small nonprofit and we had a partnership with Maker’s Mark already, and we were doing a women’s chef initiative that was helping to empower women cooks across the country. When the restaurant shutdown happened, I own three restaurants in Louisville and we just out of necessity, we took all the food and just started cooking it because it was all going to go bad. I said instead of wasting this food, we should feed at least our staff that we had to lay off.

We started it that way and we realized quickly that this wasn’t just going to be our problem, this wasn’t a Louisville problem, that this was going to be a big national problem. The director of the LEE Initiative is a lady by the name of Lindsey Ofcacek, and she has a great relationship with Maker’s, and she called them and said, “Hey, you should see what we’re doing because I think this is something that we should go national with.” And to their credit, they quickly responded, saw what we’re doing. So March 16th was the first night that we officially opened and we fed about 300 people that evening. And they quickly saw that this was going to be something that should be replicated. And in the next two weeks, we opened 14 relief kitchens around the country.

AK: And how much is it costing to keep these going?

EL: A lot. So, basically, Maker’s gives us the funds to keep a kitchen open for roughly two weeks. We feed about 300 people a day out of each kitchen. We quickly realized after a week that this wasn’t a two week problem. We’re in early April. Most kitchens have already been running at two, almost three weeks now. And the way we see it, best case scenario, the lockdown will happen until early May, mid-May. So, we’re looking easily at another four to six weeks.

So, while the Maker’s funding was great and they’re helping us continually to help fundraise, we’re looking at the general public. We’re signing on with different companies as well. I literally just got off the phone with Tabasco who’s going to come up with a very generous donation and to help us continue to fund this. I think as we show what we can do and how quickly we can expand, I think the bigger companies are coming to us now and saying, how can we help because this is not, it’s not a two week problem, it’s not a four week problem. It’s going to be longer. And so, we’re all just digging our heels knowing that this is a long term investment. We have to keep these kitchens open for the entire length of the shutdown. So, that’s our main focus right now.

DG: So how has it actually been working with the money? It must be challenging for you to organize and distribute the actual dollars.

EL: I’m a chef, that’s not my job. I never thought I would have a full time job as a nonprofit person. But times are what they are. I am incredibly lucky to have Lindsey on board who has spearheaded this whole project, and you guys should have her on the show after it’s all over. She’s swamped in phone calls and logistics all day long. But she’s basically on the ground every day figuring out who gets what funds, how funds are distributed. We quickly built a model on our website where when you donate on a website, you can scroll down and pick the city that you want the money to go to. And that’s helped tremendously. Every dollar that gets raised by Seattle goes right back to Seattle. Same for Boston, New York, Chicago. And that’s helped tremendously. So we track all those donations.

Neither of us slept for that first week. It was nonstop. As we were busy with phone calls during the day, and then literally overnight, we would write up logistics and policies and guidelines for all the restaurants to follow because we have to be safe. Every city, especially in the early days, which is three weeks ago, every city was on a different track. Some cities were really more loose, some were sheltered in place, some were locked down. Some restaurants were still open. So every city had a really different kind of trajectory they were on. Now everyone’s on lockdown. It was really confusing and we were going at such a breakneck speed that we were just working overnight, creating policies and just on the phones during the day time talking to chefs, sponsors, figuring out how to track money.

The LEE Initiative had two employees when we started and that was a challenge. And now we’re up to five. We quickly hired three people. We keep growing and we’re going to see this through to the end.

AK: How did you choose which restaurants to work with across the country?

EL: In the beginning, Maker’s had recommendations about which markets that they wanted to open. They sort of gave us, they didn’t really choose, but they gave us the cities that they would like to see the relief work in. And obviously, they were the obvious cities. It was the cities with the most restaurant density with the most people who were in need the most. LA, San Francisco, Chicago, New York. And then for us, it was really difficult because we didn’t have the time to completely vet out every single chef, every single person. So I really had to rely on my relationships, my instincts, and to really call chefs that I knew intrinsically that I could trust, that I knew would do the right thing who really had a track record of giving back to the community.

It’s not as though I’m running 15 relief kitchens. I’m really partnering with 14 chefs around the country and saying, let’s work together, but I’m going to need you to sort of take the lead in each community in each city because Nancy Silverton knows Los Angeles better than I do. She was the first person I called, and I said, “Do you want to work with us and do this, and we’ll help fund you with the seed money and then you take it from there?” And she did in Los Angeles raised like $20,000 I think, something like that in three days. And so that money went back to her. Obviously, she unfortunately contracted the COVID. So we then had to quickly pivot and now we’re working with Jessica Koslow of Sqirl.

It’s been a challenge. Every single city has its own challenges, its own needs. But every chef has stepped up and they’ve been amazing to work with.

DG: Yeah. What can go wrong if you’re working with someone who’s not I guess a trustworthy partner?

EL: The funds have to be spent responsibly, and that’s the most important thing. Obviously, we have ways of tracking invoices and tracking labor and making sure that the kitchens are staying open. That’s basically the one and only thing that you can, as well as safety measures. We haven’t had a problem with any restaurant. In fact, we’ve asked every single restaurant to stay open for two to three weeks. And every single restaurant and chef that we’ve talked to have come back to us and said, we’re going to do this for a month, we’ll figure it out, but we’ll do it for a month.

If there’s a silver lining to all this, it’s, again, you can’t say enough about these restaurants and the chefs and what they do and how they look after their own communities. It’s been a real silver lining to see this, to see people rise up and do this. At a time when I, I know that there are other people on the front lines fighting for government to help us out, knowing that independent restaurants will probably not get the bail out money that some of these other big industries are going to get, and yet, here we are once again coming out, helping, doing what we can, giving of our own time and money. It’s just what we do.

AK: Can other restaurants join the program or is the focus on extending?

EL: Yeah. The biggest battle we’re facing right now is none of us know how long this is going to go on for. We have the money, so whenever we get money, we have to make a choice. We either open a new market or we keep another market going for longer. I wish I had a crystal ball and someone could tell me exactly when this is going to last till because then we could budget but we can’t. So right now we’re going on the notion that mid-May is hopefully when this shutdown gets lifted. But if not, we’re in trouble. And the idea is, what we don’t want to do is expand to 30 kitchens and then have to shut them all down with a month left to go because that’s not a goal.

So really, the priority is to keep the existing kitchens going for as long as they can throughout the entire shutdown. And then when we do have an influx of money, like for example, Tabasco coming on board, then we feel like we’re comfortable enough we can open a new kitchen. And we’re hopefully going to open one up by end of this week or early next week. We have another one coming on board and maybe another one after that. So we’re just constantly going back and forth to see which one is, we want to ensure the security of the ones that are already open and running because they’re doing great work.

DG: So you had some just make that decision whether to keep the ones open that are open or expand.

EL: I’ll be honest with you, and for all the people out there who have emailed me and called me, some I’ve answered, some I can’t, the biggest heartbreak through this whole thing is, I get phone calls every day from people in every city across America. And it’s heartbreaking to say no to them because we just don’t have the funds. But I get calls from Richmond, Virginia, from Austin, from Tennessee, from Oklahoma. And you realize like the staggering amount of suffering that’s going on. You read words like 11 million workers, and it’s just a number. And then you read these emails from people saying, please, please open a relief kitchen here because we need it, and you can’t.

It’s staggering to think about how many people are out of work in the restaurant business, and they’re not getting any help. Unemployment is coming in, but if you have a family, it’s not enough. It simply is not enough. It’s every single city, every town in America, every village, every hamlet is suffering. We can’t get to all of them. It’s an emotional roller coaster ride because every day we have to make tough decisions and say, we can open here, we can’t open here, we can do this, we can’t do that.

We know that for every piece of the puzzle, we’re helping someone here, that also means we’re not helping someone over there. And that’s the hardest part of it.

DG: For me one of the toughest things about this has been seeing the people who are really stepping up and taking on an important role then being faced with impossible decisions.

EL: Yeah. It’s truly a catastrophe. It’s truly triage. The economic fallout from this is just unbelievable. It’s unbelievable. We have 15 kitchens across the country. We need thousands. Right now, we’re working on public donations and private sector funding. I think there needs to be a bigger conversation happening. We need federal money to open kitchens. We have millions of unemployed restaurant workers who are capable of cooking, taking a little bit of money and cooking many, many meals out of it. We have idle kitchens all across the country that can be used to feed people.

And one of the things that we’re not talking about is, because we shut down the restaurants, that was a major, restaurants are not a luxury. There’s some restaurants that are luxury restaurants, but for most communities, there’s an entire outlet of restaurants that people rely on for their dinner. And we cut off that flow overnight. And so now, everything has been shifted to people are cooking at home. And let’s be honest, there’s a lot of people who don’t know how to cook. And so now we’re creating this absolute chaos where everyone is running to a supermarket trying to buy up and hoard whatever’s leftover. I can’t even begin to imagine how much food is being wasted because people don’t know how to cook.

And so, we have this incredibly broken system right now where the supermarkets can’t keep their shelves stocked, the internet companies are running out of supplies every night. No one knows where to get their food from. There’s lines, there’s unsafe spaces, and yet there’s restaurants that could be feeding people that are forced to be closed. We need to open up as many kitchens as we can. And chefs can do a better job of taking a limited number of supplies and efficiently and cost effectively creating edible meals for an entire population. That’s something that, obviously, Jose Andres is doing his work. There’s a ton of other grassroots movements that are going around over the country, but it’s not enough. We literally need thousands and thousands of kitchens to be mobilized. That would help. That’s a bigger discussion and I don’t know if that’s going to happen over the next six weeks.

AK: And for people who are listening that do want to help, besides calling their representative, how can they help? What should they do?

So, you can go on www.leeinitiative.org. You can donate funds and you can click down and choose which city you want to donate to. But then there’s so many other things. All of us are in need of supplies to hand out. For example, this week is Easter and we just realized that like many families are not going to celebrate Easter just because right now, if money is short, the last thing you’re going to do is buy candy for your kid. And so, we’re asking for people to donate candies to the restaurant, chocolates, we can hand out. It seems like a small thing, but what we’ve learned in the last three weeks is sometimes it’s the little things that really brighten someone’s day and it keeps them going, gives them some sense of normal. And it’s really important.

Last week in Louisville, a florist gave us a ton of flowers for free. And so, we handed out small bouquets to everyone. And I can’t tell you how many people cried and were just so ecstatic over a bouquet of flowers just because it gave them some sense of hope. So, things like that are really important emotionally. If you go on our website, you can see all of the participating restaurants. You can go on your Amazon account or your Instacart account, buy stuff, but have it drop shipped to the restaurant, so they can take it and hand it out. Supplies are in such short supply right now that it’s hard just to keep up. But also-

DG: On that, are there specific supplies that you guys are the most short on?

EL: So it depends. Cities like Louisville and Cincinnati and Atlanta where there’s a lot of families, it’s diapers, it’s baby food, it’s school supplies. Places like New York and LA where there is a younger, more single population, it’s much more food. But also, places like LA and New York that have a larger Hispanic population, it’s really specific foods. It’s rice, it’s beans, dry pasta, things that they need. So every market is a little bit different. But I would say at the end of the day, it’s toiletries and shelf stable food is what people are needing. Those are very valuable commodities these days.

DG: I think this would maybe go a little bit, but on, I don’t want to say a lighter note, but are there any, being somewhat at the helm of all these kitchens in a strange way, is there culinary advice or best practices you’ve seen in terms of actually making the food?

EL: Yeah. Cooking for, and it’s funny because, like in my kitchen, we struggled in the early days because we’re a 50 seat restaurant, we do fine dining. And so, cooking for 300 a night is not what we’re used to. Things that are comforting, things that you know, can be easily reheated is really important because we can’t always serve a hot meal. So, when we do meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes and blistered string beans, it’s great because it really satisfies a broad spectrum of people. But also, it’s something that can easily be reheated. And if you don’t eat it all that night, it’s just as good the next day. We try to stay in that realm knowing that most people are taking these meals and going home with everyone going home with it because we’re all on lockdown. And so you can easily reheat it at home. So noodles are great. Anything that has a bit of a shelf life, like seafood is not the best because it just doesn’t last the next day if you need it.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2VgolnS https://ift.tt/3a0RLfc

The chef comes on Eater’s Digest to discuss his Restaurant Workers Relief Program

As the crisis of the pandemic has deepened, major donors (including governments, individuals, and brands) have begun paying restaurants to stay open to feed the needy. These relief efforts are happening both at a grassroots level in local communities and on a national scale. One such national effort is run by The Lee Initiative and Louisville chef Ed Lee. He currently has enough funding to maintain 15 community kitchens across the country, feeding those in need over 300 meals a day, seven days a week, by partnering with chefs like Edouardo Jordan in Seattle, Greg Baxtrom in New York, and Nancy Silverton in LA.

This week on Eater’s Digest, Lee explains how he set up the kitchens, shares what kind of help they need, and discusses the heartbreaking decisions he’s forced to make on a daily basis as he navigates through this tragedy.

Listen and subscribe to Eater’s Digest on Apple Podcasts and read the full transcript of the interview below.

Amanda Kludt: Ed Lee, welcome to Eater’s Digest. We wanted to bring you on because you are on the ground running a lot of relief efforts across the country and we wanted to get a firsthand look at what that is like. So can you start off by telling us about what the LEE Initiative is doing with restaurants around America?

Ed Lee: We started a program called the Restaurant Workers Relief Program. And we are feeding any and all restaurant workers who have been laid off or who have had their hours significantly reduced, and who just need food supplies come to us. We have 15 kitchens right now running across the country. Most kitchens are open seven nights a week and we’re handing out about 300 meals a night, giving out supplies and meal kits and things that you can cook at home as well.

Daniel Geneen: Where are you getting the money for this?

EL: To backtrack a little bit, our nonprofit called the LEE Initiative was a wonderful but very small nonprofit and we had a partnership with Maker’s Mark already, and we were doing a women’s chef initiative that was helping to empower women cooks across the country. When the restaurant shutdown happened, I own three restaurants in Louisville and we just out of necessity, we took all the food and just started cooking it because it was all going to go bad. I said instead of wasting this food, we should feed at least our staff that we had to lay off.

We started it that way and we realized quickly that this wasn’t just going to be our problem, this wasn’t a Louisville problem, that this was going to be a big national problem. The director of the LEE Initiative is a lady by the name of Lindsey Ofcacek, and she has a great relationship with Maker’s, and she called them and said, “Hey, you should see what we’re doing because I think this is something that we should go national with.” And to their credit, they quickly responded, saw what we’re doing. So March 16th was the first night that we officially opened and we fed about 300 people that evening. And they quickly saw that this was going to be something that should be replicated. And in the next two weeks, we opened 14 relief kitchens around the country.

AK: And how much is it costing to keep these going?

EL: A lot. So, basically, Maker’s gives us the funds to keep a kitchen open for roughly two weeks. We feed about 300 people a day out of each kitchen. We quickly realized after a week that this wasn’t a two week problem. We’re in early April. Most kitchens have already been running at two, almost three weeks now. And the way we see it, best case scenario, the lockdown will happen until early May, mid-May. So, we’re looking easily at another four to six weeks.

So, while the Maker’s funding was great and they’re helping us continually to help fundraise, we’re looking at the general public. We’re signing on with different companies as well. I literally just got off the phone with Tabasco who’s going to come up with a very generous donation and to help us continue to fund this. I think as we show what we can do and how quickly we can expand, I think the bigger companies are coming to us now and saying, how can we help because this is not, it’s not a two week problem, it’s not a four week problem. It’s going to be longer. And so, we’re all just digging our heels knowing that this is a long term investment. We have to keep these kitchens open for the entire length of the shutdown. So, that’s our main focus right now.

DG: So how has it actually been working with the money? It must be challenging for you to organize and distribute the actual dollars.

EL: I’m a chef, that’s not my job. I never thought I would have a full time job as a nonprofit person. But times are what they are. I am incredibly lucky to have Lindsey on board who has spearheaded this whole project, and you guys should have her on the show after it’s all over. She’s swamped in phone calls and logistics all day long. But she’s basically on the ground every day figuring out who gets what funds, how funds are distributed. We quickly built a model on our website where when you donate on a website, you can scroll down and pick the city that you want the money to go to. And that’s helped tremendously. Every dollar that gets raised by Seattle goes right back to Seattle. Same for Boston, New York, Chicago. And that’s helped tremendously. So we track all those donations.

Neither of us slept for that first week. It was nonstop. As we were busy with phone calls during the day, and then literally overnight, we would write up logistics and policies and guidelines for all the restaurants to follow because we have to be safe. Every city, especially in the early days, which is three weeks ago, every city was on a different track. Some cities were really more loose, some were sheltered in place, some were locked down. Some restaurants were still open. So every city had a really different kind of trajectory they were on. Now everyone’s on lockdown. It was really confusing and we were going at such a breakneck speed that we were just working overnight, creating policies and just on the phones during the day time talking to chefs, sponsors, figuring out how to track money.

The LEE Initiative had two employees when we started and that was a challenge. And now we’re up to five. We quickly hired three people. We keep growing and we’re going to see this through to the end.

AK: How did you choose which restaurants to work with across the country?

EL: In the beginning, Maker’s had recommendations about which markets that they wanted to open. They sort of gave us, they didn’t really choose, but they gave us the cities that they would like to see the relief work in. And obviously, they were the obvious cities. It was the cities with the most restaurant density with the most people who were in need the most. LA, San Francisco, Chicago, New York. And then for us, it was really difficult because we didn’t have the time to completely vet out every single chef, every single person. So I really had to rely on my relationships, my instincts, and to really call chefs that I knew intrinsically that I could trust, that I knew would do the right thing who really had a track record of giving back to the community.

It’s not as though I’m running 15 relief kitchens. I’m really partnering with 14 chefs around the country and saying, let’s work together, but I’m going to need you to sort of take the lead in each community in each city because Nancy Silverton knows Los Angeles better than I do. She was the first person I called, and I said, “Do you want to work with us and do this, and we’ll help fund you with the seed money and then you take it from there?” And she did in Los Angeles raised like $20,000 I think, something like that in three days. And so that money went back to her. Obviously, she unfortunately contracted the COVID. So we then had to quickly pivot and now we’re working with Jessica Koslow of Sqirl.

It’s been a challenge. Every single city has its own challenges, its own needs. But every chef has stepped up and they’ve been amazing to work with.

DG: Yeah. What can go wrong if you’re working with someone who’s not I guess a trustworthy partner?

EL: The funds have to be spent responsibly, and that’s the most important thing. Obviously, we have ways of tracking invoices and tracking labor and making sure that the kitchens are staying open. That’s basically the one and only thing that you can, as well as safety measures. We haven’t had a problem with any restaurant. In fact, we’ve asked every single restaurant to stay open for two to three weeks. And every single restaurant and chef that we’ve talked to have come back to us and said, we’re going to do this for a month, we’ll figure it out, but we’ll do it for a month.

If there’s a silver lining to all this, it’s, again, you can’t say enough about these restaurants and the chefs and what they do and how they look after their own communities. It’s been a real silver lining to see this, to see people rise up and do this. At a time when I, I know that there are other people on the front lines fighting for government to help us out, knowing that independent restaurants will probably not get the bail out money that some of these other big industries are going to get, and yet, here we are once again coming out, helping, doing what we can, giving of our own time and money. It’s just what we do.

AK: Can other restaurants join the program or is the focus on extending?

EL: Yeah. The biggest battle we’re facing right now is none of us know how long this is going to go on for. We have the money, so whenever we get money, we have to make a choice. We either open a new market or we keep another market going for longer. I wish I had a crystal ball and someone could tell me exactly when this is going to last till because then we could budget but we can’t. So right now we’re going on the notion that mid-May is hopefully when this shutdown gets lifted. But if not, we’re in trouble. And the idea is, what we don’t want to do is expand to 30 kitchens and then have to shut them all down with a month left to go because that’s not a goal.

So really, the priority is to keep the existing kitchens going for as long as they can throughout the entire shutdown. And then when we do have an influx of money, like for example, Tabasco coming on board, then we feel like we’re comfortable enough we can open a new kitchen. And we’re hopefully going to open one up by end of this week or early next week. We have another one coming on board and maybe another one after that. So we’re just constantly going back and forth to see which one is, we want to ensure the security of the ones that are already open and running because they’re doing great work.

DG: So you had some just make that decision whether to keep the ones open that are open or expand.

EL: I’ll be honest with you, and for all the people out there who have emailed me and called me, some I’ve answered, some I can’t, the biggest heartbreak through this whole thing is, I get phone calls every day from people in every city across America. And it’s heartbreaking to say no to them because we just don’t have the funds. But I get calls from Richmond, Virginia, from Austin, from Tennessee, from Oklahoma. And you realize like the staggering amount of suffering that’s going on. You read words like 11 million workers, and it’s just a number. And then you read these emails from people saying, please, please open a relief kitchen here because we need it, and you can’t.

It’s staggering to think about how many people are out of work in the restaurant business, and they’re not getting any help. Unemployment is coming in, but if you have a family, it’s not enough. It simply is not enough. It’s every single city, every town in America, every village, every hamlet is suffering. We can’t get to all of them. It’s an emotional roller coaster ride because every day we have to make tough decisions and say, we can open here, we can’t open here, we can do this, we can’t do that.

We know that for every piece of the puzzle, we’re helping someone here, that also means we’re not helping someone over there. And that’s the hardest part of it.

DG: For me one of the toughest things about this has been seeing the people who are really stepping up and taking on an important role then being faced with impossible decisions.

EL: Yeah. It’s truly a catastrophe. It’s truly triage. The economic fallout from this is just unbelievable. It’s unbelievable. We have 15 kitchens across the country. We need thousands. Right now, we’re working on public donations and private sector funding. I think there needs to be a bigger conversation happening. We need federal money to open kitchens. We have millions of unemployed restaurant workers who are capable of cooking, taking a little bit of money and cooking many, many meals out of it. We have idle kitchens all across the country that can be used to feed people.

And one of the things that we’re not talking about is, because we shut down the restaurants, that was a major, restaurants are not a luxury. There’s some restaurants that are luxury restaurants, but for most communities, there’s an entire outlet of restaurants that people rely on for their dinner. And we cut off that flow overnight. And so now, everything has been shifted to people are cooking at home. And let’s be honest, there’s a lot of people who don’t know how to cook. And so now we’re creating this absolute chaos where everyone is running to a supermarket trying to buy up and hoard whatever’s leftover. I can’t even begin to imagine how much food is being wasted because people don’t know how to cook.

And so, we have this incredibly broken system right now where the supermarkets can’t keep their shelves stocked, the internet companies are running out of supplies every night. No one knows where to get their food from. There’s lines, there’s unsafe spaces, and yet there’s restaurants that could be feeding people that are forced to be closed. We need to open up as many kitchens as we can. And chefs can do a better job of taking a limited number of supplies and efficiently and cost effectively creating edible meals for an entire population. That’s something that, obviously, Jose Andres is doing his work. There’s a ton of other grassroots movements that are going around over the country, but it’s not enough. We literally need thousands and thousands of kitchens to be mobilized. That would help. That’s a bigger discussion and I don’t know if that’s going to happen over the next six weeks.

AK: And for people who are listening that do want to help, besides calling their representative, how can they help? What should they do?

So, you can go on www.leeinitiative.org. You can donate funds and you can click down and choose which city you want to donate to. But then there’s so many other things. All of us are in need of supplies to hand out. For example, this week is Easter and we just realized that like many families are not going to celebrate Easter just because right now, if money is short, the last thing you’re going to do is buy candy for your kid. And so, we’re asking for people to donate candies to the restaurant, chocolates, we can hand out. It seems like a small thing, but what we’ve learned in the last three weeks is sometimes it’s the little things that really brighten someone’s day and it keeps them going, gives them some sense of normal. And it’s really important.

Last week in Louisville, a florist gave us a ton of flowers for free. And so, we handed out small bouquets to everyone. And I can’t tell you how many people cried and were just so ecstatic over a bouquet of flowers just because it gave them some sense of hope. So, things like that are really important emotionally. If you go on our website, you can see all of the participating restaurants. You can go on your Amazon account or your Instacart account, buy stuff, but have it drop shipped to the restaurant, so they can take it and hand it out. Supplies are in such short supply right now that it’s hard just to keep up. But also-

DG: On that, are there specific supplies that you guys are the most short on?

EL: So it depends. Cities like Louisville and Cincinnati and Atlanta where there’s a lot of families, it’s diapers, it’s baby food, it’s school supplies. Places like New York and LA where there is a younger, more single population, it’s much more food. But also, places like LA and New York that have a larger Hispanic population, it’s really specific foods. It’s rice, it’s beans, dry pasta, things that they need. So every market is a little bit different. But I would say at the end of the day, it’s toiletries and shelf stable food is what people are needing. Those are very valuable commodities these days.

DG: I think this would maybe go a little bit, but on, I don’t want to say a lighter note, but are there any, being somewhat at the helm of all these kitchens in a strange way, is there culinary advice or best practices you’ve seen in terms of actually making the food?

EL: Yeah. Cooking for, and it’s funny because, like in my kitchen, we struggled in the early days because we’re a 50 seat restaurant, we do fine dining. And so, cooking for 300 a night is not what we’re used to. Things that are comforting, things that you know, can be easily reheated is really important because we can’t always serve a hot meal. So, when we do meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes and blistered string beans, it’s great because it really satisfies a broad spectrum of people. But also, it’s something that can easily be reheated. And if you don’t eat it all that night, it’s just as good the next day. We try to stay in that realm knowing that most people are taking these meals and going home with everyone going home with it because we’re all on lockdown. And so you can easily reheat it at home. So noodles are great. Anything that has a bit of a shelf life, like seafood is not the best because it just doesn’t last the next day if you need it.

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2VgolnS via Blogger https://ift.tt/34s2Pk6

[ztafraternity]

Nora Nell Hardy Jackson: 50 years of service to ZTA and counting

This article was originally published in the Spring 2019 issue of Themis magazine.

By Christy Marx Barber, Staff Writer (Alpha Psi Chapter alumna)

A tree’s roots spread deeper and its branches spread wider over the years. The roots give it strength and stability; the branches provide shelter and comfort. In a similar fashion, the family tree of Margaret Dunkle Hardy, Nora Nell Hardy Jackson and Dinah Jackson Laughery has provided strength, stability, shelter and comfort to our Zeta Tau Alpha sisterhood for more than 60 years.

Margaret was initiated into Beta Gamma Chapter (Florida State University) in 1928. Her daughter, Nora Nell, followed her at FSU in 1958. Nora Nell’s daughter, Dinah, was initiated in 1990 and lived in the same room in the Beta Gamma house as her grandmother. The three generations have overlapped in National Officer service to ZTA since 1958.

Nora Nell remembers how much ZTA membership meant to her mother. “As a minister’s daughter, my mother moved around a lot. When she joined ZTA at Florida State, it was the first time she was viewed as just Margaret and not as the minister’s daughter,” she said. “ZTA was the center of our life growing up. When Themis would arrive, she would read portions out loud. All my life, I was affected by how much ZTA and her friendships meant to her. I can’t emphasize enough how many friendships you make by answering the call.”

Pictured: Nora Nell received ceremonial house dedication scissors from the National President at the time, Julia Marthaler Hill, to commemorate her retirement as FHC President in 2006

When Nora Nell arrived at Florida State herself, she was pleased that groups other than ZTA liked her, but she was more pleased that she liked Beta Gamma Chapter and they liked her. “I felt as though they liked me for who I was and not because I was a legacy,” she recalled. “I hope chapters will always deal with individuals that way—not for whose legacies they might be, but as their own people.” While Nora Nell enjoyed the attention of other groups, she made it clear when Dinah went off to college that she would not join the Mother’s Club if Dinah joined a group other than ZTA.

Dinah had learned the value of ZTA friendships as she traveled with her family growing up. “No matter where we went across the country, my mom knew someone,” Dinah said. “It was crazy to me that she had friends everywhere and developed so many meaningful relationships. That was one of the draws for me to get involved on a national level. I have met so many special, strong and amazing women all over the United States through ZTA.”

Pictured: Nora Nell’s official National President photo from 1978

As National President, Nora Nell established a personal standard for her chapter visits. “I always told our chapter members and volunteers that I would not ask them to do anything that I wouldn’t do myself,” she said. “Even if it meant staying up until 2 a.m., we did it together. We would laugh and hug if we were successful. If we weren’t, we would cry with each other and come up with a new plan.”

Staying in chapter houses or at an alumna’s home, she made new friends everywhere. “I don’t think any other National President has been to a curling match, but that’s what the Manitoba, Canada, alumnae wanted to do, so we went,” Nora Nell laughed. “I went to Little League games because that’s what my hostess was doing that day. I understood the sacrifices our advisors made and they understood mine. We all worked with our families’ schedules to serve ZTA.”

As Fraternity Housing Corporation President, Nora Nell enjoyed seeing how her leadership had a transforming effect. “It was rewarding to see the progress we were making, whether we were renovating or just buying a new couch,” she said. “It made me proud when other groups would ask ‘who knows the most about housing?’ and the answer was ZTA. It’s an important legacy to be respected for our leadership.”

Pictured: Nora Nell (left) and Dinah (right) presented the Margaret Dunkle Hardy Scholastic Improvement Award at Convention 2016. National Council created the award in 1982 to honor Nora Nell’s retirement as National President and her mother’s service as Scholastic Achievement Chairman

When Dinah was elected FHC President at Convention 2018, she and Nora Nell became the first mother and daughter to both serve as President of one of our three entities. “I’m not a crying person,” Nora Nell said, “but when Dinah told me she was going to be President of the Housing Corporation, I might have shed a tear or two. It was the finest compliment any mother could receive—to know my daughter thought what I had done was important enough to want to hold that position herself.”

Nora Nell believes the biggest challenge to fraternity/sorority life in the last 50 years has been the emergence of the 24-hour news cycle and social media. “People now know more about what we’re doing,” she said. With a constant stream of information, leaders now have to be available to respond to situations immediately. “We have to deal with it; we have to make sure our members are physically, mentally and emotionally safe. We are more than a service club; we have an obligation to our members.”

She believes ZTA was well poised to respond to that change because of our hands-on leadership—like all those personal visits she made. “We made positive use of that hands-on attitude. We were quick to invest in programming that could bring about change and quick to investigate and verify if one of our chapters had made a mistake,” she said.

Pictured: Nora Nell (top, right) with former National Presidents at Convention 1994: Becky Hainsworth Kirwan (top, left), Sherry Server Tilley (bottom, left), Nan Barkley Boettcher (middle), Martha C. Edens (bottom, right)

The responsibility of leading an organization over five decades has taught Nora Nell important lessons. First, if you make a mistake, don’t make it again. Second, don’t make a decision hastily. “We have often had to make decisions quickly,” she said, “but we have to be sure we have all the facts. The long-term consequences of what we decide will affect the lives of our members and their families.”

As she approaches her 80th birthday in June, Nora Nell looks back fondly on the responsibilities and challenges of serving as a ZTA leader. “I can’t imagine those who agree to serve wouldn’t believe they are better people when their terms are over,” she said. “In the heat of the moment, they may not think it was so fun, but when they reflect years later, they will say, ‘I’m glad I did that.’’’

Zeta Tau Alpha is profoundly glad Nora Nell, her mother and her daughter have “done that” for our sisterhood over three generations.

[epacer]

Musical Chairs in the World of SD Unified

Now You See Them, then You Don’t

San Diego Unified Moved a Problem Principal to Districtwide Role, Then Paid Him to Leave

San Diego Unified School District has a history of moving problem principals into a role known as “principal on special assignment” at the central office.

One principal who transferred to the program allegedly covered up sexual abuse at Green Elementary School. A second racked up $200,000 in donations that weren’t backed up by receipts. Another appeared to have falsified his credentials – presenting a Ph.D. from a university in England that seemed to be nothing more than a website. That was Vincent Mays, and the Ph.D. was just a small part of his story.

New documents obtained by Voice of San Diego through a public records request show Mays’ problems in the district went far beyond a fake diploma. A district investigation concluded he also engaged in quid-pro-quo sexual harassment and created a hostile work environment at Junipero Serra High School in Tierrasanta.

And Mays got much more than a central office job for his dubious record, the new documents show. After about a year of working on special assignment – making roughly $143,000 a year – the district then paid him an additional $110,000 just to make him go away.

In exchange for his resignation, which took effect in February, the district also agreed not to tell future employers about Mays’ misconduct. Should he try to land another job as a principal or teacher, San Diego Unified officials won’t be able to give that school any hint he was a bad employee, per the resignation agreement. His future colleagues, students and their parents will have to figure it out on their own.

Along the way, district officials consistently stuck to the story that they were moving Mays to the central office because of his expertise and not because he was a problem principal. And even when asked in recent months whether Mays was still on staff, district officials said he had resigned, instead of admitting he was still receiving a paycheck from the district.

♦          ♦          ♦

From the time he arrived from Newark Public Schools in 2014, Mays seems to have treated Serra High School as his kingdom.

He ruled by decree, not consensus-building, according to interviews with fellow educators in his district case file and interviews conducted by Voice of San Diego. And he also took liberties in the way he spoke to women.

But Mays also knew how to make a good first impression. Kristin Schwall, a parent with two children who attended Serra, remembers the first assembly in 2014 when Mays addressed the whole school.

“He was a good speaker. My impression was that he was like a good motivational speaker, but did not have a lot of hard facts,” she said. “His tag phrase during that meeting was ‘We’re going to make Serra the best school in the universe.’”

“The man has a golden tongue. He can make anyone feel amazing for 10 minutes. I’ve never been around a talker like that,” said Peter Oskin, a former Serra teacher.

But despite Mays’ charisma, his popularity started to deteriorate relatively quickly with some teachers.

Mays did not respond to interview requests from Voice of San Diego.

“It was very clear from the beginning that he was not interested in collaborating. He had his own way of doing things and he wasn’t interested in hearing other people even though it was his first year at Serra,” Nick Cincotta, a special education teacher at Serra High, told me.

Some of the teacher’s complaints against him were relatively minor, but taken together they undermined his effectiveness as a leader and “alienated and divided staff,” according to the conclusions of a district investigation into Mays’ behavior during the 2014-15 school year.

Staff members laid out their complaints in interviews with district officials: He was dismissive of staff in meetings and talked over them, according to multiple reports. He made at least one person feel personally humiliated. He criticized the school’s vice principals for how they made the schedule; cursed in administrative meeting; called one group of teachers “keystone cops”; did not get input on a student’s suspension and refused to allow one department head to be involved in hiring people for her own department.

The names of complainants in the district’s files are redacted. But multiple reports in the file also describe Mays speaking with strong sexual innuendo to female employees and inviting them on dates.

In one case, a boy and girl student had been making out at school. The boy wanted to keep going. But the girl told him to stop. The boy did not listen at first, but then stopped his advances. A woman who worked at the school asked Mays if the boy would be punished.

Mays said he would not. “It would be like if I invited you ______ to my apartment for dinner. We had dinner, then we began to get intimate. I took off your clothes and you took off mine. Then we were nipple to chest. Just when I was about to enter you, you said no,” Mays said to the woman, according to the district case file.

On another occasion, Mays was speaking to a woman in front of a group of people. “You won’t need a Red Bull, you’ll need a black bull. You’ll feel it, it will wake you up,” he said. Mays then made a “hand gesture grabbing an imaginary object and stroking it to his mouth as his eyes opened wide and his mouth opened, as if he were performing oral sex,” according to the report.

Mays made other sexual comments as well. He also repeatedly told one employee he wanted to spend his free weekend time with her. And he asked another to give him the details of her after-work schedule, according to the file.

He gave one employee a promotion and shortly after, asked her to go on a date. After two dates, the employee declined to go on a third. District officials determined this did not constitute sexual harassment, but did say the timing of the promotion, combined with asking the employee out, was “suspicious.”

Much of Mays’ behavior did not rise to the official level of misconduct, district administrators determined. But in one instance, it did.

Mays persistently asked an employee who was coming up for evaluation to go out to lunch. The employee tried to demur, but eventually said yes. Afterward, Mays began pressuring her for dinner and a walk on the beach. The employee “felt she could not refuse because he was her boss and he [had] not given her a teaching evaluation yet,” the report concluded.

“These situations were initiated by you and resulted in an imbalance of power due to your position as her supervisor, this is considered quid pro quo harassment,” Shirley Wilson, an area superintendent, wrote to Mays in an official letter of reprimand.

That was in June 2015. At the time, it might have made sense for the district to try to force him to leave, through a payout or termination proceedings. But the most inscrutable part of the Mays story is that the district kept him at Serra for another year, then transferred him to the central office and ultimately kept him on as an employee until February of this year.

Mays was only forced out of Serra when three teachers started their own unofficial investigation into his behavior. And even then, San Diego Unified officials aggressively defended Mays, despite internal knowledge that he created a hostile work environment and sexually harassed an employee.

♦          ♦         ♦

“All it really took was 20 minutes of googling and a couple of phone calls for us to figure it out,” said Oskin, the former Serra High teacher.

Oskin, along with two other teachers, Nick Cincotta and Ralf Uebel, decided – given Mays’ behavior and poor relationship with some staff – to take a closer look at their principal’s background toward the end of his second year, during spring 2016.

Within minutes, Oskin said, it became clear that Mays’ Ph.D. seemed fake. Stamford Hill University in England actually appeared to be nothing more than a website. (The website has since gone offline.) No record of the university could be found in the United Kingdom or the United States, NBC San Diego reported at the time.

The district immediately stepped in to defend Mays’ doctorate and help launch a counter-attack against the teachers. “These vicious personal attacks on Dr. Vincent Mays are shameful,” district officials wrote in a statement to NBC San Diego. “He has every necessary certification and more importantly the skills necessary to lead Serra High School. He has and will continue to have the full support of the district.”

But because the teachers filed an official complaint, district officials were forced to look into Mays’ Ph.D. Relatively quickly, they discovered the teachers were right. Mays was unable to provide any documentation to prove he actually completed coursework at Stamford Hill. And a district investigator found no conclusive evidence the university had ever in fact existed, according to a district report obtained by NBC San Diego at the time.

Mays – who sweated profusely during an interview with the district investigator, grew irate and continually referred to the investigation as “bullshit” – said he received and turned in assignments through the mail, according to the report. As far as he knew, Stamford Hill was real, he said.

In order to get Mays out of Serra, district officials convinced him to transfer to a position they created just for him. He would be a principal on special assignment, focusing on equity issues and closing the achievement gap. He would make the same salary, roughly $143,000 per year.

In an email to Serra staff, he wrote, “The position is so attractive that I could not refuse it.”

District officials painted the move as a chance to scale out Mays’ achievements districtwide. “The district often shifts principals to other assignments in order to utilize his/her unique set of skills and expertise in particular areas,” Jennifer Rodriguez, a former district spokeswoman, wrote in an email to NBC San Diego. “This is the case with Vincent Mays.”

♦          ♦          ♦

Last September, I wanted to find out what had become of the principals on special assignment. I emailed spokeswoman Maureen Magee and asked her where some of the problem principals, including Mays, had ended up. She said the program was completely finished, no more principals worked on special assignment and that Mays had resigned from the district.

That wasn’t exactly true.

What Magee didn’t say is that Mays was still on the district’s payroll. He had agreed to resign, but that resignation would not take effect for several months.

When asked about this discrepancy, Magee responded in an email, “When you asked if he still worked for the district I responded he resigned, which was correct.”

Mays spent about a year in the district’s special assignment program, before the district struck a deal with him. In September 2017, he agreed to resign on two conditions: district officials would have to keep him on paid administrative leave on a teacher’s salary for a year and five months, and they would agree not to tell future employers about his misconduct, according to the separation agreement.

“The district seeks to resolve personnel matters effectively,” Magee said of the agreement. “The district notified the Commission on Teacher Credentialing about Mr. Mays’ resignation and the circumstances surrounding it. The CTC has the authority to pursue it as it sees fit.”

School districts are required to notify the CTC of substantial misconduct. They are not required to sign agreements agreeing to keep misconduct silent. The CTC has the authority to revoke Mays’ teaching credential in the state of California.

In all – May’s salary during his paid leave added up to roughly $110,000 – it cost California taxpayers about $250,000 to get rid of Mays. During that time, he was not “required to perform any work,” according to the separation agreement. His last day on the district’s payroll was Feb. 28, 2019, five months after Magee told me he resigned.

“It’s quite a costly venture to try to fire a certificated employee, whether it’s a teacher or management,” said Donis Coronel, executive director of San Diego Unified’s management union and a former director of human resources for the district. (The management union did not represent Mays; he chose to secure his own counsel.) She said it can cost both sides between $100,000 and $200,000 to fight a termination.

If the district had tried to fire Mays after the sexual harassment investigation in his first year, it almost certainly would have saved money. During his next year as principal, his year on special assignment and his time on paid leave, the district paid him nearly $400,000 total. Looking at the paid leave payout in isolation, the district probably saved money.

“In both sides of the system there are flaws,” said Coronel.

State education code puts several layers of job protection in place that make termination extremely expensive. Because of that, it is often in a district’s financial interest to pursue a settlement agreement, she said. But Coronel understands that the separation agreements can cause problems for future employers too.

“The internet is available. You can Google someone and find out a lot of information,” she said. “I also understand it can make it difficult if there hasn’t been any media or that person hasn’t been written about.”

Mays, meanwhile, promotes himself through various social media channels and two webpages as a motivational speaker, communications consultant, coach, community leader, mental fitness consultant and aspiring author. In a January post on New Year’s resolutions he wrote, “In 2019, embrace positivity! Nothing wastes time more efficiently than wallowing in regret and self-pity … Think things into existence! If you set your mind to something, you can accomplish great things.” *reposted article for the VOSD by Will Huntsberry of April 2, 2019

[naturecoaster]

Helping Veterans and Homeless Dogs

With a national suicide rate for American Veterans of twenty per day, and twenty-two daily for vets with PTSD, there needs to be an intervention. In addition, thousands of homeless dogs are euthanized at shelters each month. Could one help the other? “I’ve had such a passion for dogs from the time I could say “dawg,” Mary Peters of K9 Partners for Patriots shared, “I met a gentleman when I was working at a dental office that was a professional trainer and trained in Germany. He did police dogs in obedience and he took me under his wing. I apprenticed for a year and worked for him for another year. Then I went on to start my own business and graduated from National Canine in Columbus Ohio, which is a college accredited school for dog trainers. I stayed there and got certified as a Master Dog Trainer.”

How it Began

Mary had the Stillwater Dog Training school in Brooksville. She worked with dog owners of all types but noticed how veterans would come to her classes because they were told to get a dog to help with their PTSD, but then the vet would not complete the classes. “I began contacting the veterans to encourage their return to class. Inevitably, they had missed class because they were having trouble getting out of their home and connecting with civilians in the lesson. I began to see that there was a need for a program targeting these heroes,” Mary explained. At one point, Dr. Diane Scotland-Coogan, of Saint Leo University contacted Mary about a veteran she was working with who had severe PTSD to ask if a dog might help him. Diane came to visit and ended up assisting in creating the nonprofit. K9 Partners for Patriots received its official 501c3 designation in November 2014. Stillwater Dog Training was closed, and Mary committed her God-given talents and drive to helping our Veterans recover from post-traumatic stress (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), and military sexual trauma (MST) through the experience of training and caring for their own service dog. Mary closed her Stillwater facility to concentrate solely on helping military veterans and their families.

Training the Trainer is Key

There are approximately 14 facilities that train dogs to help veterans cope with their service-induced disabilities throughout the United States, but K9 Partners for Patriots trains the serviceman to train his or her own dog. “As far as we know,” Greg Laskoski, Communications Director, states, “we are the only facility that is working with the Veteran in this way.” As a military wife, Mary was sensitive to the needs of these veterans to achieve and compete. “I was seeing brave men and women returning home from war with a life that's shattered. Brave men and women, I'm talking about Army Rangers, Special Ops, and Green Berets; Colonels to infantry.”

They were isolated in their homes, or in a room in their home. Trapped by PTSD and needing help to regain their dignity. These are high-achieving people. And then there were all these dogs in shelters and rescues throughout the area who needed someone to advocate for them. The dogs K9 Partners for Patriots recruits for their service dog training program for veterans are procured from area shelters, rescues, private donors, and breeders. “Pasco County Animal Services has placed more than 15 dogs with K9P4P and is proud to continue helping K9P4P find suitable canine candidates for this wonderful program,” states Michael Shumate of PCAS.

How the Program Works

The K9P4P programs run for nineteen weeks and are taught to “squads” of ten veterans, each with a chosen canine partner. The veteran is required to attend each one-hour weekly class and then spend at least 2 hours a day training their partner. The two-hour daily training must be broken into increments of 10 to 15-minutes and are conducted outside of the veteran’s home; on the sidewalk, in the park, or at the training center for example.

  We were finding that these wounded men and women were being held prisoner in their own homes by their service-connected PTSD, TBI, and MSA. They had served America honorably, but when they came home nothing the Veterans Administration was doing for them was working. Their entire families were affected, and suicide became a very real option. “Most of our 238 active program participants found that the most difficult thing to do was to get here for the first time. We have found veterans transfixed in our parking lot for hours due to their PTSD or sitting in their car unable to get in the door. We must let them take the time it takes and when they get through the door, we greet them with a hug. They can see that they are not a number here. In fact, each participant is given a badge with their name to help them know they are a part of something,” Mary explains. Each veteran must train their own dog and take that dog home to live with them. Dogs that aren’t trained are not as nice to live with. Mary watches closely at each weekly class to ensure the vet has practiced with their service animal during the week. When one vet has done exceptionally well, she watches the rest of the platoon work harder to raise the bar. As the trainer and their dog spend more time together, the healing and the bonding begins.

The Change in Lives is Profound

Throughout the five-month class, a metamorphosis occurs. To supplement the training, an in-house mental health counselor is available. A veteran liaison is on staff who is a graduate of the program. A canine massage therapist helps the dogs stay healthy and veterinary bills can be taken care of by K9 Partners for Patriots. This well-rounded approach helps veterans who apply to the program develop trust with the trainers and the facility. “Our family is welcome any time the facility is open. We have coffee available during the day and they can just bring their dog and hang out,” explains Gregg. “To help foster the family mentality of the organization, we hold quarterly events for spouses and children to attend.” For veterans to apply to the program they have to meet only four requirements: Honorably Discharged from Military Service A letter from their Physician/Counselor or VA stating the diagnosis of service-related PTSD, TBI, and/or MST and stating that the vet is medically, mentally and physically able to handle the responsibilities of owning a dog. Must have DD214 long form May not have any felony, domestic violence, sexual offense of any kind and/or any type of animal mistreatment abuse, neglect or cruelty in their records. Background checks are conducted on each application for the safety of the program and the dog. There is never any financial charge to a qualifying veteran to participate in the program.

A Proven System

"The whole thing with our program is not just dog training - it was giving them life skills. We're teaching them how to live again," Mary explains, but there is no acknowledgment by the VA that therapy dogs are effective in healing PTSD. Scientific proof was needed. K9 Partners for Patriots partnered with St. Leo University psychotherapist and master level social workers to conduct an evidence-based study of the effect of their service dog training program with veterans diagnosed with PTSD, TBI and/or MST using the Trauma Symptom Inventory-2 (TSI-2) assessment, and the results are GREAT!

Next Steps

This amazing organization can always use our help. “The nonprofit is always in need of regular financial support,” explains Mary. “Grants come and go. It costs $5,000 to sponsor a vet and a dog through the program. We could really use some local businesses to step up and provide. We also have need of supplies which can be found on our web site.” “The most rewarding thing is being able to help someone with my God-given talents. Being able to see the change in these amazing heroes makes it so worthwhile that I love coming to work every day,” Mary says. Read the full article

[pcwpolwrestling]

It's Monday Night R-...er...PCW Extreme Political TV

THIS WEEK ON EXTREME POLITICAL TV -Nicholas Tarkowski returns for another visit and discovers the wonders of the marketplace of ideas. -The Bi-Partisan Dream Team (RINO-The Wonk Machine and Blue Dog D) and the new Weapons of Mass Destruction (N-Bomb and F-Bomb) debut. -Women’s Champion of the Political Universe Christa Carmondy stops in. -PCW Women’s Champion Yosemite Samantha vents about her trip to the Blue Brand Show. -PCW Title Match: ‘The One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism © defends the belt against ‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott

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[ON SCREEN GRAPHIC: Blue background. The top of the Capitol Building occupies the left hand side of the television screen.

Centered in the middle of the screen: “P-SPAN. THE POLITICAL CHANNEL.”]

P-SPAN Announcer (off screen): The P-SPAN Network bring you long-form public affairs programming from the nation’s capital and are a public service of…

[ON SCREEN GRAPHIC: Logos of twenty three different cable and satellite television companies replace the Capitol Building and P-SPAN graphic.]

P-SPAN Announcer (v/o): …your television provider.

[ON SCREEN GRAPHIC: Returns to the blue background with the top of the Capitol Building occupying the left hand side of the television screen with “P-SPAN. THE POLITICAL CHANNEL.” centered in the middle of the screen.]

P-SPAN Announcer (v/o): P-SPAN. The Political Channel.

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EARLIER TONIGHT PCW owner Dawn McGill exits her car on the 4th Avenue side of the Jamestown Civic Center.

Who’s waiting for her? One Nicholas Tarkowski.   Nicholas who, you may ask?

REPLAY: Intro Nicholas Tarkowski

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Hi, I’m Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. I’m sure you know who I am.

A fresh faced young man, probably just out of college, dressed in a nice suit smiles as he approaches her.

Some Guy: I certainly do!

He shakes her hand.

Some Guy: I’m Nicholas Tarkowski. Mr. Nadler’s office sent me here to oversight the PCW show. Who should I talk to?

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: Her name is Dawn McGill. She’s inside.

Dawn McGill: You came back.

Tarkowski tells her that he was ‘severely reprimanded’ by Mr. Nadler for not finding any dirt on PCW last week.

Nicholas Tarkowski: Mr. Nadler told me not to come back to Washington D.C. until I found something on you.

Dawn McGill: Well. Come on. Let’s see what we can find.

McGill and Tarkowski head for one of the entrances into the arena. Tarkowski suddenly stops when he sees two rabid groups on each side shouting and yelling nasty, hateful invectives towards each other.

McGill leads Tarkowski on and both walk right down the middle of the competing voices.

On the left, a fundamentalist group headed up by Professor McCarthy and his Flock. The Green World Order (GreenPete, ‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee, PeaceNick, and Peta from PETA) are there. So are the Young Jerks (Zenk Cryger, James Idahola, and their foul mouthed valet Anna), Codee Pink, and Emily S. List.  They vow to ‘shout down’ the other side.

On the right, it’s the God Squad heading up their fundamentalist groups. Reverend Oral Hinnrich, Reverend Buddy Flambe, and Sister Mary Marlboro lead the brigade. They shout back ‘YOU’RE ALL GOING TO HELL!’

The left responds in kind. Even Tarkowski gets into the shouting match with the right wing fundamentalists.

Nicholas Tarkowski (shouting): OH YEAH?!

McGill rolls her eyes.

Dawn McGill: Whoa-whoa…turn it down a bit little camper.

McGill convinces him to ignore the verbal bombs being lobbed back and forth between the two groups and enter the building.

Once inside the building, Tarkowski stops and his eyes widen.

Nicholas Tarkowski (incredulously): What…what is this?

Inside the arena, Tarkowski is amazed to see what appears to be a giant bazaar. It’s crowded with PCW fans circulating in the room visiting and talking with PCW wrestlers representing all views and sides in booths.

McGill explains that here, people don’t try to shout other people down. They don’t try to ‘destroy’ other people because they espouse views they vehemently disagree with. They talk. They take pictures with their favorite PCW personalities. They freely exchange views.

Nicholas Tarkowski: I don’t understand this.

Dawn McGill: It’s what we call…a marketplace of ideas. It’s the way it should be. People from different cultures with different viewpoints coming together and being able to talk to one another. That’s not the way it is at the Red Brand and Blue Brand shows.

Tarkowski takes a step forward…and fearfully hesitates.

Nicholas Tarkowski: I’m scared, Ms. McGill.

Dawn McGill: It’s Miss McGill…or Dawn. Just take my hand little padawan…

Tarkowski nervously clasps hands with Dawn.

Dawn McGill: … and we’ll walk this gauntlet together. It’s going to be okay, I promise.

Nicholas Tarkowski: Okay…(pause)…what’s a padawan?

Dawn McGill: Never mind.

McGill leads Tarkowski through the area. He glances at the various displays with wonder.

Nicholas Tarkowski: I never saw anything like this back in college.

Dawn McGill: Yeah…I know. Many colleges don’t promote this kind of free form exchange of ideas these days. Ahh…here we are.

They arrive at Champion of the Political Universe Ray McAvay’s booth.

McAvay is signing autographs and posing for pictures. Next to him? A hot tub.   Inside the hot tub? Dark and Stormy- West Texas Adult Entertainment Legends and McAvay’s valets- both sporting the latest official PCW Ray McAvay ‘Show Up…Punch In…Shut Up…Get to Work’ baseball jerseys. The ladies pose for pictures with the PCW fans.

And there’s a long line of people waiting.

Dawn McGill: Okay. Here’s where I leave you off.

Nicholas Tarkowski: Wait! Mr. Nadler said I had to-

Dawn McGill: Patience, Nicholas…everything will be okay.

Nicholas Tarkowski: But…

Dawn McGill: Ray will take good care of you.

==============================

PCW Extreme Political TV on P-SPAN Monday March 18th, 2019 Jamestown Civic Center Jamestown, ND

Announcer: ‘The Voice of PCW’ Johnny Suave ==============================

The camera pans all over the Jamestown Civic Center as PCW is on the air!

Spotlights move back and forth through the crowd.

Crowd: PCW!…PCW!…PCW!…

Cut to ringside where ‘The Voice of PCW’ Johnny Suave stands at the broadcast table next to Colleen Crowder.

Johnny Suave: Hello everyone! Welcome to Political Championship Wrestling on our new night! Monday night!

Crowd: PCW!…PCW!…PCW!…

Johnny Suave: I am Johnny Suave. Tonight we are broadcasting tonight from the Jamestown Civic Center in Jamestown, North Dakota for an exciting evening of political wrestling!

Colleen Crowder’s voice: HOLD ON! HOLD ON!

‘‘Low Level Reporter at the New York Times Trying to Make a Name for Herself’ Colleen Crowder arrives at the broadcast desk and sits down.

Johnny Suave: I thought you were boycotting tonight.

Colleen Crowder: I was going to. But then I realized that only one side of the argument would be presented on the show. So in the interest of fair play, I decided to be here to present the other view.

Johnny Suave: Colleen, I actually agree with you.

Colleen Crowder: The correct view, of course.

Johnny Suave: And now we’re back to normal.

Suave notes that Loose Cannons Unleased from the D.C. Armory is just three weeks away and the PCW, PCW Women’s Title, and PCW Tag Team titles will all be on the line after Women’s Champion Yosemite Samantha lost to Progressive Alliance’s ‘Canadian Cyborg’ Sheline Carrigan last night.

Carrigan now earns a title shot against the Women’s Champion of the Political Universe Christa Carmondy (American Patriots).

Johnny Suave: But tonight, ‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott faces PCW Champion ‘The One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism for the PCW title in our main event.

Colleen Crowder: Johnny, I don’t care. Kevin Scott shouldn’t be wrestling in this match anyways. What we really should be talking about is the blatant coercion and abuse of power being exerted by Dawn McGill right in front of our eyes.

Suave wonders what the hell she is talking about now.

Colleen Crowder: The fact that the prominent and important Executive Committee member Jerrold Nadler sent one of his aides here to oversee PCW and investigate Dawn McGill…and McGill is attempting to brainwash poor Nicholas Tarkowski by using two hookers in a hot tub to expose him to this ‘free market of ideas’ crap.

Suave points out Dark and Stormy are adult entertainers, not hooker.

Colleen Crowder: Whatever. McGill shouldn’t exposing the kid to this.

Johnny Suave: Adult Entertainers?

Colleen Crowder: Free market of ideas!

Johnny Suave: Why?

Colleen Crowder: It’s dangerous. It’s fake.

Johnny Suave: No it’s not. It upsets your narrat-

Colleen Crowder: Save it. I’ve told you before. We are the ones who determine the narrative. We are the ones who determine what’s newsworthy and important for people to see. We are the ones who set the national agenda. That’s OUR job. Not this free marketplace of ideas.

Suave upsets Crowder more when he points out that Tarkowski is now sitting in the Les Miserables section of the arena with the Champion of the Political Universe ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay.

Colleen Crowder (alarmed): What?

Cut to the Les Miserables section.

Tarkowski is talking to General DeBauchery who looks like a bizarre combination of the AWA’s Colonel DeBeers and Lt. Aldo from Inglorious Basterds, sporting a black captain’s hat right out of World War II, smoking a cigar and grinning obnoxiously.

Gen. DeBauchery: You probably heard we ain’t in the take no prisoner-takin’ business like usual wrasslers; we in the killin’ brewskis business…

General DeBauchery takes a bottle of beer and chugs it down.

Gen. DeBauchery: And cousin, Business is a-boomin.

Tarkowski raises his glass. Hesitates. And chugs his beer down.

Cut back to Suave and Crowder.   Crowder is stunned.

Colleen Crowder: This is wrong. Just wrong.

Crowder gets her phone out.

Johnny Suave: Before you make your phone call to Jerry Nadler, let me give you more reason to be upset and let’s replay Yosemite Samantha’s win last week over ‘Queen of the Trailer Park’ Lani Harlot to win the PCW Women’s title.

Colleen Crowder: I hate you.

REPLAY: Last Week’s PCW Women’s Title Match- Yosemite Samantha vs. Lani Harlot

Yosemite Samantha on the top rope. She flies. Harlot ducks and YS clocks Jaxson from the White Trash Posses with a double ax handle to the head. Jaxson is knocked out and falls to the mat. Harlot spins Yosemite Samantha around. Small package roll up by Samantha! Cover. One. Two. Three.

*DING-DING-DING*

Kimber Marshall right in the ring for the announcement.

WINNER AND NEW PCW WOMEN’S CHAMPION: Yosemite Samantha @ 16:29 (7:00 for TV)

Johnny Suave: Un-freakin’ believable. Yosemite Samantha outlasts the ‘Queen of the Trailer Park’ Lani Harlot and she is your new PCW Women’s Champion!

Suave then really upsets Crowder even more by announcing that new PCW Women’s Champion Yosemite Samantha is going to be here tonight as well.

Colleen Crowder: Johnny, I’m sorry. She’s a joke. She’s a terrible role model for today’s modern woman. There has to be thousands of good, progressive female wrestlers out there who deserve to be the PCW Women’s champion and this is the one who ends up becoming the first champion?

Suave then talks about Jack Fraiser’s win over SNAFU last week to win the PCW Television Title.

REPLAY: Last Week’s PCW Television Title Match- Fraiser vs. SNAFU

Lift…a fourth German Suplex to SNAFU. Fraiser for the title…one…two…th-NO! Fraiser can’t believe it. Blaire can’t believe it. Somewhere deep down, even SNAFU probably can’t believe it. Blaire pulls out a table and tosses it into the ring while Fraiser pulls SNAFU up and leans him in the corner. Fraiser sets the table up against SNAFU and retreats to the opposite corner. He takes off and sprints across and whams into the table at full speed driving it into SNAFU.

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP! CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILAWAY!

Fraiser avoids the table as it falls backward. SNAFU takes a step and pitches down to the mat. Fraiser covers. One…two…THREE!

*DING-DING-DING*

Johnny Suave: JACK FRAISER IS THE NEW PCW TELEVISION CHAMPION!

Colleen Crowder: Good. He won. Now he can stop whining about the GWO costing him a title opportunity.

Suave quickly reviews tonight’s show: -The Bi-Partisan Dream Team (Blue Dog D and RINO-The Wonk Machine) and Weapons of Mass Destruction II (Frank Bomb and Newt Tron Bomb) debut. -MAIN EVENT/PCW TITLE MATCH: Stone Chism © vs. ‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott

Johnny Suave: We’ll be right back after this.

========================

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**

JETFUEL EXTREME DO IT YOURSELF TAX COMMERCIAL [SCENE: the back yard.

A man holds a garden hose in his right hand and is filling up his above ground pool with water. In his other hand, he holds his cell phone and looks down at it- seemingly confused and perplexed.]

Announcer: This is Tim. He thinks you have to be a mastermind to figure out how to do his own taxes.

[A large brown wooden fence encloses the yard. The right wooden gate opens up and Ray McAvay’s manager, ‘No Frills’ Chris Escondido, enters Tim’s back yard. (GRAPHIC: “’No Frills’ Chris Escondido, professional wrestler manager)]

Announcer: So we flew in pro wrestling mastermind ‘No Frill’s’ Chris Escondido to help him.

[Escondido peers over Tim’s shoulder to look at his cell phone.]

Escondido: Dude. What does it say there?

[Close up of Tim’s phone. ‘Did you buy a home?’ Press here.]

Tim: It says…did you buy a home?

Escondido: Did you buy a home?

Tim: Ummm…

[Out of nowhere, ‘Tin Cup’ Ray McAvay runs in and whacks Tim in the back with a Singapore cane.]

Tim: YES! YES! I BOUGHT A HOUSE!

Escondido: Then I’d press there.

Tim: There?

*WHACK*

Tim: AARGGHH! THERE! OKAY, OKAY…I’M PRESSING THE BUTTON!

[Tim, in immense pain and anguish, presses the button. The display turns to a green check mark to indicate that he was successful and a message appears that reads: ‘Congrats, you get a big tax break…and a trip to the emergency room.]

Tim: Huh?

*THWACK*

Tim: AAARGHHHHH!

[Escondido nods down at Tim who’s fallen to his knees in excruciating pain.]

Escondido: Okay then.

[He then turns and walks away.]

Tim: Thanks.

[Graphic on screen: ‘It doesn’t take a f@#$ing genius to do your taxes.’ Tim looks down at his phone and winces in pain from the Singapore caneshots.]

Announcer: Jetfuel Extreme Do It Yourself Tax. Taxes done to the extreme.

*THWACK*

Tim’s voice: ARGGHHHH! OKAY! STOP! PLEASE!

========================

PCW ON THE ROAD March 22nd – Silverstein Eye Centers Arena / Independence, MO March 23rd – Qwest Center Omaha / Omaha, NE March 24th – Sanford Pentagon / Sioux Falls, SD March 30th – Taft Coliseum / Columbus, OH March 31st – Mayo Civic Center / Rochester, MN April 6th – Loose Cannons Unleashed PPV @ the D.C. Armory / Washington, D.C. April 12th – Buccaneer Arena / Urbandale, IA April 13th – McLeod Center / Cedar Rapids, IA April 14th – McElroy Auditorium / Waterloo, IA April 19th – Owensboro Sportscenter / Owensburo, KY April 20th – SIU Arena / Carbondale, IL April 21st – Gibson Arena / Rolla, MO

========================

BACKSTAGE PCW Backstage interviewer Paige McGillicutty has the Bi-Partisan Dream Team (RINO-The Wonk Machine and Blue Dog D) with her.

The first question Paige asks is why they have returned to PCW.

RINO: We want balance, Paige.   We all know that we’ll never completely agree on everything. But we believe that deep down, people on both sides agree on more than what they believe they do.

Blue Dog D: Paige, both sides seem to have allowed a more extreme element to take over. It seems like everyone is screaming at each other and you can’t get any discussion going because there’s way too much noise being made.

RINO: We’re not asking for Kumbaya here.

Blue Dog D: But we do believe that we all need to start listening to each other a little more.

RINO: So tonight when we take on Weapons of Mass Destruction, we’re going to show that people with differing views from the left and right…

Blue Dog D: …can still work together for a common cause.

RINO and Blue Dog D head for the ring.

Paige McGillicutty: That’s the Bi-Partisan Dream Team. Johnny? Back to you.

Cut back to Suave and Crowder at the broadcast desk.

Colleen Crowder: They’re naive. You have to choose sides. And more so, you have to choose the right side. In fact, we tell you what side you should side with in the narratives we present to you.

Johnny Suave: Yeah, I don’t need your narratives. I can think for myself.

Colleen Crowder: That’s your opinion Johnny and you would be wrong.

Johnny Suave: If that’s the case then it’s my right to be wrong. Now, let’s mention the Bi-Partisan Dream Team’s opponents here tonight- Weapons of Mass Destruction II. Newt Tron Bomb and Frank Bomb debuted two weeks ago on Extreme Political TV and made a big stink. Literally.

REPLAY: 3/3/2019 Extreme Political TV

People in the front rows frantically put gas masks over their faces.

Frank Bomb and Ensen DeAirey-Bomb put on gas masks.

Colleen Crowder: Okay, why is everyone putting gas masks on?

Johnny Suave: Think Halitosis’s breath with a larger blast radius.

Colleen Crowder: Huh? What?

Too late. Suddenly, Professor McCarthy clutches his throat and tries to cover his nose.

Johnny Suave: SILENT BUT DEADLY! SILENT BUT DEADLY! (out of the side of his mouth) Oh…geez. What the hell did he eat earlier?

Colleen Crowder (she gets what’s happening): Son of a b-ohhhhhhh……..(THUMP)

McCarthy, AOC, PeaceNick, Peta- all down and out.

Several people in close proximity to the ring not wearing gas masks- down and out.

Colleen Crowder- out.

…

Newt then gets on the microphone. N-Bomb says they’ve been sent to PCW for a purpose.

Newt Tron Bomb: Last week, Dawn McGill cost our brothers a match. We are here for payback for the best tag team that’s ever graced a PCW ring. We are also here to make sure that the Advocates of the American Military Complex continue to have a strong presence in PCW.

N-Bomb warns the Island of Misfit Wrestlers…Rah and Halitosis…their days as PCW Tag Team champions are limited.

N-Bomb drops the mic and WMD head to the back.

Johnny Suave: It’s a double in-ring debut and it’s coming up NOW!

MATCH #1- Weapons of Mass Destruction: Frank Bomb and Newt Tron Bomb vs. The Bi-Partisan Dream Team: RINO-The Wonk Machine and Blue Dog D Ring announcer Kimber Marshall is inside the square circle.

*‘Let’s Work Together’- Canned Heat*

The Bi-Partisan Dream Team RINO-The Wonk Machine HT: 6′ 0″ WT: 275, HOME: Detroit, MI FIN: Spear! Blue Dog D HT: 6’ 0” WT: 195 / HOME: Chattanooga, TN FIN: Blue Bayou

Rino and Blue Dog D shake hands on the stage. They walk down towards the ring together.

Kimber Marshall: And their opponents…

*“Hit Me Like a Bomb”- Third Day*

Ensen DeAirey-Bomb comes out first pulling a wagon containing the wooden statue of General Patton. Then N-Bomb and F-Bomb follow.

Kimber Marshall: …they are Advocates of the American Military Complex…

Weapons of Mass Destruction II MGR: Ensen DeAirey-Bomb aka…I-Bomb HT: 5’ 6” WT: 112 / HOME: Alamogordo, NM Newt Tron Bomb…N-Bomb HT: 5’ 11” WT: 190 / HOME: Alamogordo, NM FIN: Silent, But Deadly Frank Bomb aka…F-Bomb HT: 6’ 2” WT: 200 / HOME: Alamogordo, NM FIN: F Bomb SUBGROUP: General George S. Patton (Deceased)

Ensen pulls the wagon with General Patton inside towards the ring. N-Bomb and F-Bomb follow.

Johnny Suave: Well? This incarnation of Weapons of Mass Destruction isn’t nearly as explosive as A. Tom Bomb and Hy Drogen Bomb was. But, they still pack a punch…and a stench.

Colleen Crowder: Okay. If I had to support anyone, it would be the Bi-Partisan Dream Team…even though the idea they are presenting is tragically and naively wrong.

*DING-DING*

F-Bomb starts against Blue Dog D. Fans on both sides of the aisle are already choosing their favorites. Both men circle and Collar and elbow tie up. Not much between them in strength. Blue Dog D gets F-Bomb to the ropes and there’s a break. F-Bomb comes right at his opponent. Facelock by F-Bomb. Then clubbing forearms. Blue Dog D fires back with his own forearms and whips F-Bomb into the ropes. Arm-drag takedown by Blue Dog D. F-Bomb hits his own arm-drag. Armbar by F-Bomb but Blue Dog D slips out and tags RINO in. The Wonk Machine sizes up F-Bomb. F-Bomb decides to bring in N-Bomb.

Johnny Suave: I think you will see the Bi-Partisan Dream Team rely on teamwork more than WMD. WMD will be the more combustible group.

Colleen Crowder: Again, even though the team is united by a false and naïve premise, I lean towards the Bi-Partisan Dream Team to come out ahead in this match.

N-Bomb and RINO circle. RINO uses his superior size and strength to kick and club N-Bomb into the ropes. RINO goes to send N-Bomb for the ride…N-Bomb reverses and telegraphs a back body drop. RINO boots him in the gut. Snapmare to dropkick drives N-Bomb down to the mat. Cover…one…two…N-Bomb kicks out. N-Bomb tags F-Bomb back in. Now both men circle. Tie up and RINO fires forearms. Spinebuster by RINO and cover. One…two…F-Bomb kicks out. RINO whips…F-Bomb reverses and sends RINO running the ropes and N-Bomb trips him up. F-Bombs goes to drop an F-Bomb but RINO pushes him away. RINO whips F-Bomb corner to corner. F-Bomb reverses but runs smack into RINO’s elbow. Blue Dog D hops on the top turnbuckle and springboards. F-Bomb gets clear. Blue Dog D lands on his feet and runs into a N-Bomb clothesline. They brawl out of the ring. RINO looks to tag out but Blue Dog D is not at home. F-Bomb then attacks- F-Bomb to RINO and immediate cover…one…two…power out by RINO.

Johnny Suave: And here’s where RINO and Blue Dog D aren’t on the same page. Blue Dog D tried to help him out but in doing so, he’s out of position when RINO- who’s clearly tiring- needs to tag out.

Colleen Crowder: This is mildly entertaining. Not as entertaining or relevant as the Blue Brand show…but entertaining.

Johnny Suave: You’re going to be really pissed if Yosemite Samantha ends up winning the Women’s Title of the Political Universe.

Colleen Crowder: I will leave the country if that actually happens.

Johnny Suave: If that happens, I have what you just said on tape.

RINO finally tags out and it’s Blue Dog D back in. N-Bomb back in for F-Bomb.   Blue Dog D gets the jump with kicks and a drop toehold. He drop elbows on N-Bomb. Blue Dog D connects with a dropkick. Cover…one…two…N-Bomb gets the shoulder up. Blue Dog D drags N-Bomb up. Body shots. N-Bomb whipped into the corner. He walks out and into a dropkick. Blue Dog D covers…one…N-Bomb kicks out. Blue Dog D goes to whips N-Bomb again…this time, N-Bomb blocks and tries to go around him. Blue Dog D blocks. They go around and around, and it’s N-Bomb who finally succeeds. Package roll up. One…two…Blue Dog D kicks out. N-Bomb turns and sticks his butt in his face. Blue Dog D uses both feet to push N-Bomb across the ring.

Colleen Crowder: Dammit, I was about to dive under the table.

Johnny Suave: N-Bomb was going to try to hit his finisher- Silent But Deadly but Blue Dog D had it well scouted and pushed him away.

Suave notes it’s commercial break time and the finale of the match will come after these messages.

========================

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**

PCW RANKINGS

PCW Title Champion: The One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism #1 Contender: ‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott Contenders ‘Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan (Les Miserables) ‘Redneck’ Bill Dickinson (SEC) ‘The Prairie Populist’ William Daniels Bryan

PCW Women’s Title Champion: Yosemite Samantha #1 Contender: ‘Queen of the Trailer Park’ Lani Harlot Contenders ‘Former Hooter’s Waitress’ C.J. Lewis ‘Queen Cool’ Leah Iris Ninja Kitty

PCW Tag Team Title Champion: Island of Misfit Wrestlers: Rah and Halitosis #1 Contender: The Dork Dynasty: Leonard and Sheldon Robertson Contenders The Sports Entertainment Coalition: ‘Dastardly’ Dave Miller and ‘Dangerous’ Dan Williams Truckin’ Average Company: Ken Worth-American Trucker and Brad Company Rough Justice: D.B. Ruff and Connor Justice

PCW Television Title Champion: Jack Fraiser #1 Contender: SNAFU Contenders Big Oil (Jill Berg Enterprises) Average Joe Ultratron-Five ‘The New Age Cybertronic Criminally Insane Rogue Sentient Robot Wrestling Machine’

========================

PCW ON THE ROAD March 22nd – Silverstein Eye Centers Arena / Independence, MO March 23rd – Qwest Center Omaha / Omaha, NE March 24th – Sanford Pentagon / Sioux Falls, SD March 30th – Taft Coliseum / Columbus, OH March 31st – Mayo Civic Center / Rochester, MN April 6th – Loose Cannons Unleashed PPV @ the D.C. Armory / Washington, D.C. April 12th – Buccaneer Arena / Urbandale, IA April 13th – McLeod Center / Cedar Rapids, IA April 14th – McElroy Auditorium / Waterloo, IA April 19th – Owensboro Sportscenter / Owensburo, KY April 20th – SIU Arena / Carbondale, IL April 21st – Gibson Arena / Rolla, MO

========================

MATCH (continued) Suave says we are back.

…N-Bomb kicks away at RINO. RINO grabs and spins N-Bomb around. N-Bomb blocks the first belly to back suplex but not the second. N-Bomb lands on his feet though but Blue Dog D pushes N-Bomb into RINO and he atomic drops him. F-Bomb in. He shoves Blue Dog D forward and N-Bomb alertly nails him flush with a mule kick. RINO vertical suplexes F-Bomb. Cover but the referee correctly notes F-Bomb isn’t the legal man in the ring. N-Bomb jumps on RINO’s back and slaps on the sleeper. RENO throws N-Bomb up and over his head but then Ensen DeAiry Bomb (I-Bomb) slips in and low blows RINO. F-Bomb drops an F-Bomb on RINO. Blue Dog D back in and he goes after F-Bomb and I-Bomb. RINO drags himself up to all four. N-Bomb turns and sticks his butt out.

Colleen Crowder: HOLY *BLEEP*! DIVE!

Time suddenly stands still. RINO’s eye widen and then start to water. His arms and legs give out and he collapses to the mat.

Johnny Suave: SILENT BUT DEADLY!

N-Bomb on the cover…one…two…THREE!

*DING-DING-DING*

WINNER: Weapons of Mass Destruction II (Frank Bomb and Newt Tron Bomb) @ 6:10

The Bombs celebrate in the middle of the ring.

Johnny Suave: Frank Bomb and Newt Tron Bomb pick up their first PCW win here on Extreme Political TV.   I thought that RINO and Blue Dog D worked together pretty well but clearly, they were not on the same page at critical junctures in the match.

…

Silence.

…

Johnny Suave: Colleen?

Colleen Crowder (from under the table): Is it safe to come out yet?

BACKSTAGE Paige McGillicutty has the challenger in tonight’s PCW Title match- ‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott.

Paige asks him about the match tonight.

Scott says he knows Chism well. Chism knows Scott well. Chism used to have the intangible advantage over him when he affiliated himself with the Hollywood crowd. Chism had the stroke of big Hollywood behind him and the muscle of the Hollywood crowd backing him to make sure he didn’t fail.

Kevin Scott: He doesn’t have that anymore. And I think I can beat him.

Paige asks about his (Scott’s) legacy.

Scott recalls when he started in PCW in 2007, he was the ‘Original Rookie Sensation’ Starz N. Stripes, wrestling in some high school gyms, wrestling in other smaller venues. In 2008, he won the title by defeating O’Beck Bahama and Halitosis. He held the title until Bahama defeated him at Extreme Election Night 2008 in what at the time was considered the greatest match in PCW history. He remembers that his second run with the PCW belt as Kevin Scott wasn’t as memorable.

Johnny Suave (v/o): Right. Scott defeated Towel Boy to win the title and then lost it just over a month later to Yamamoto Tanaka…who himself would eventually become a four-time PCW Champion.

Kevin Scott: But tonight, a win over the ‘One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism would make me a three-time champion. Not quite the pinnacle. But not bad either.

Paige thanks Scott and sends it back to Suave.

Johnny Suave: All right Paige. About two weeks ago, Christa Carmondy of the American Patriots defeated PCW legend ‘Extreme Pizza Delivery Girl’ Tessa Martin to become the new Women’s Champion of the Political Universe. In three weeks, she faces the Progressive Alliance’s Sheline Carrigan in her first title defense. Tonight she is here and in the ring. Christa?

CHRISTA CARMONDY PROMO Christa Carmondy is in the ring.

Christa Carmondy AGE: 29 /HT: 5′ 9″ WT: 150 /  HOME: St. Louis, MO FIN: Mean Girl Crush

Christa Carmondy: Ladies and gentlemen. My name is Christa Carmondy and I am the Women’s Champion of the Political Universe

Christa talks about being so close before she finally won a major title. What was going through her mind on the Red Brand’s Politico is War show?

Christa Carmondy: Honestly? I saw Tessa switch off for that split second and knew what I had to do. It was just a gut reaction on my part. The rest of it is just a blur. All I remember was sitting in that ring and realizing what I’d just done.

Christa notes she’s knocked on that door so many times in the past only to be denied. She says she learned the most from Tessa Martin. Tessa held herself down here in PCW over the years in a way a true champion should hold herself. She took on all comers and never left anything in the ring. One hundred percent effort night in and night out. Take nothing away from Tessa Martin, she is a great wrestler and I wish her the best in her future now that she’s retired.

Christa Carmondy: I want to thank a few people. First, the fans. Second, my older brother Jason Carmondy for never letting me take a shortcut for anything. You never just let me have my way. You made me earn everything and for that, I am greatly appreciative.

Christa raises up the Political Universe Women’s title belt.

Christa Carmondy: I promise you all this. I will do everything in my power to bring honor to this belt. And I will give my best to anyone who steps into the ring with me. Thank you.

The crowd stands and applauds.

Cut back to Suave and Crowder.

Johnny Suave: Christa Carmondy with some positive and uplifting words to the PCW faithful.

Colleen Crowder: It’s just empty rhetoric Johnny. I mean, she thanked her brother? Really? What is she going to do to further the women’s agenda now that she’s the ‘champion?’ She’s with the American Patriots.   A better choice for the Women’s Champion of the Political Universe would have been someone from the Progressive Alliance. Someone with a better ear to the women’s movement and their agenda. And hopefully that happens at Loose Cannons Unleashed when ‘Canadian Cyborg’ Sheline Carrigan relieves Christa of the title.

Johnny Suave: Thank you for reading your narrative. Paige has our PCW Women’s Champion Yosemite Samantha with her backstage.

YOSEMITE SAMANTHA APPEARS TO GIVE HER 2 CENTS Paige has a very agitated PCW Women’s Yosemite Samantha with her now and she’s got a few things to say about the state of the Political Universe’s Women’s division.

Yosemite Samantha is hopping mad about what went down last night at the Blue Brand show. She considers it a clear sign that the Establishment is doing everything possible to screw her, and PCW, out of the Women’s Political Universe title.

REPLAY: Blue Brand House Show- Sacramento, CA Yosemite Samantha vs. ‘Canadian Cyborg’ Sheline Carrigan

Yosemite Samantha has Carrigan’s shoulder pinned down. But the Blue Brand referee takes an inordinate amount of time to walk over and start the three count. By the time he does, Carrigan has recovered enough to power out.

…

Again, YS has Carrigan pinned. Again, the referee is extremely slow to respond. Again, Carrigan kicks out after receiving ‘extra’ time to regain her bearings.

…

Carrigan hits the Canadian Destroyer on Yosemite Samantha. She covers. The Blue Brand referee literally runs to the spot and quickly does the three count.

…

Post match, Miley Vyrus, ‘Pop Songstress’ Taylor Switt, Peta From PETA, Codee Pink, Emily S. List, and the foul mouthed sidekick from the Young Jerks, Anna came out and attacked Yosemite Samantha.

Yosemite Samantha: Do you think I’m going to sit back and let Carrigan cut the line? Hell no! Do you think I’m going to sit back and let the Progressive Alliance get away with attacking me while they refused to allow the Hanson Sisters into their arena? Hell No! No more Ms. Nice Girl. The Establishment brought the army in to prevent her from getting her shot at the Political Universe’s Women’s champion?

Andrea, Melissa, and Charissa Hanson aka…The Hanson Sisters…come out dressed in their retro Charlestown Chief hockey uniforms and armed with hockey sticks.

Yosemite Samantha: I’ve got an army of my own and I ain’t goin’ down without a fight.

Paige wraps up and sends it back to Thunderbolt and Hall.

Johnny Suave: Main Event coming up and it is a PCW Title match! We’ll be back right after this.

========================

**COMMERCIAL BREAK**

A package of Skank Mitchell’s Awesomely Awesome Beef Jerky is superimposed in the middle of the picture with a shot of a lake surrounded by trees in the background.

Announcer: Skank Mitchell’s Awesomely Awesome Beef Jerky presents *BLEEP*-ing with McGill.

Scene: Four college students- two male, two female are enjoying a day at the lake. They’ve just come out of the water and are toweling off.

Boy #1: The water’s great, bro.

Girl #1: It was so fun.”

Boy #2: It was awesome.

They see a figure wander in and it gets everyone’s attention.

It’s Dawn McGill out for a morning run. Dressed in running shorts and a tank top, she stops at the lake’s edge to splash some water on her face.

The four college students watch. A girl with reddish hair snacks on some Skank Mitchell’s Awesomely Awesome Beef Jerky. She suddenly gets an idea and devilishly grins. She looks at the yellow towel on the tall boy standing next to her and gives him the ‘look.’

The boy gets the gist of it and puts his finger to his lips to shush the others. Then he sneaks down and rolls up the wet towel. The other three titter and snicker while waiting in great anticipation as he sneaks up behind Dawn. The boy pauses, sets himself, and snaps her in the rear with the wet towel.

Dawn McGill (laconically): Seriously?

The boy turns back to the others and they all get a big laugh out of it. Well, at least until McGill kicks him in the groin from behind.

Girl #1: Oh?

Then McGill spins him around, puts his head between her legs, lifts, and McGill-Bombs him to the ground.

The other three students look on in shock and McGill stares right at them and simply says…

Dawn McGill: Boo.

*Mass screaming and hysteria*

The three students trip all over themselves trying to run away.

Final scene: a package of Skank Mitchell’s Awesomely Awesome Beef Jerky superimposed over the college student writhing in pain on the ground after being McGill-Bombed.

Announcer: Skank Mitchell’s Awesomely Awesome Beef Jerky. Feed your irrationally foolish side.

========================

PCW ON THE ROAD March 22nd – Silverstein Eye Centers Arena / Independence, MO March 23rd – Qwest Center Omaha / Omaha, NE March 24th – Sanford Pentagon / Sioux Falls, SD March 30th – Taft Coliseum / Columbus, OH March 31st – Mayo Civic Center / Rochester, MN April 6th – Loose Cannons Unleashed PPV @ the D.C. Armory / Washington, D.C. April 12th – Buccaneer Arena / Urbandale, IA April 13th – McLeod Center / Cedar Rapids, IA April 14th – McElroy Auditorium / Waterloo, IA April 19th – Owensboro Sportscenter / Owensburo, KY April 20th – SIU Arena / Carbondale, IL April 21st – Gibson Arena / Rolla, MO

========================

Cut back to Suave and Crowder at the broadcast desk.

Johnny Suave: We are just minutes away from our main event.   But-…hold on.

Suave announces there’s a bit of a disturbance in the Les Miserables section.

Colleen Crowder: Well of course there is. Think about who’s sitting there?

Johnny Suave: The last time I checked, Nicholas Tarkowski was also sitting there.

Colleen Crowder: Oh.

Then she gets it.

Colleen Crowder: OHHHHHHHH!

Colleen pulls her phone out and frantically dials.

LES MISERABLES VS. THE COUNTRY CLUB SET The American Patriots/Never Trumpers/country club set (Bill Kristol. Charlie Sykes. Jonah Goldberg. David French. Tom Nichols. David Reaboi. Jennifer Rubin. David Brooks. Mitt Romney (UT-American Patriots)) are seated next to the Les Miserables section again sipping their cognac and looking down at their neighbors.

PCW owner Dawn McGill is engaged what appears to be a relatively heated conversation with Bill Kristol.

Bill Kristol: These ‘deplorable people’ do not belong in these seats. Do you see people like them (points to ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay and the others sitting in the front row) sitting in the best seats at sporting events? Hell no. It’s bad enough that these people are responsible for Donald Trump becoming the CEO of the Political Universe. But the fact you keep catering to his mob is…well…deplorable.

McGill wants to know what the problem is tonight.

Bill Kristol: These ‘people’ simply do not belong.

He points over to the Les Miserables.

Dawn McGill: Besides that.

Conservative Inc.’s Steve ‘The Elk’ Elkins walks in.

Elkins complains about the lack of special dispensation for VIPs. He tells McGill she needs to stop pandering to people who don’t deserve to be treated like VIPs and to learn how properly take care of the needs of her affluent clientele.

Steve ‘The Elk’ Elkins: Let me explain it to you in words even you can actually understand.

McGill’s hands ball up.

Steve ‘The Elk’ Elkins: These rubes over there are bad for business. Sure, the American Patriots want their support and things are good when the masses stay in their lane, march in step with us, and deliver us the support we need but otherwise keep out of the way of our agenda. We were perfectly happy with “moral victories” against the Progressive Alliance because it, for a long time, presented the illusion that we were actually “fighting” back. But as long as my brokerage account has over $200 million in it, I’m good. And so is Conservative Inc.

Elkins leers at McGill.

Steve ‘The Elk’ Elkins: So darling, how about you go make those changes and while you’re at it bring me back a beer sweetheart.

Dawn stares over her ‘imaginary glasses’ at Elkins. The crowd revs up.

Johnny Suave (v/o): Whoa.

McGill spreads her arms and eggs the crowd on.

Crowd: DAWN’S GOING TO KILL YOU (clap…clap…clap-clap-clap)

Colleen Crowder (v/o): Okay. I’m never on Dawn McGill’s side. But I’d be okay if she killed him.

Steve ‘The Elk’ Elkins: Well? Where’s my….

McGill decides not to kill him.

Steve ‘The Elk’ Elkins: …YYYYYYYYYYYEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!

Johnny Suave: HOLY CRAP! TESTICULAR CLAW!

Instead, McGill decides to kill his testicles by squeezing the holy hell out of them. Elkins does the whole exaggerated ‘pee-pee’ dance with his legs high stepping back and forth.

Elkins’s face turns red. Then blue.

McGill rears back and pops him with a right hand that sends Elkins tumbling down to the floor.

Cut back to Suave and Crowder.

Johnny Suave: Actually, what probably pisses them off most is how they’ve been exposed the frauds they are. Their phony-baloney livelihoods, built always on the foundation of lies and deceit, are now in actual jeopardy. This was not supposed to happen. They’re pissed off at Trump because he’s doing exactly what he said he was going to do.

Colleen Crowder: That’s the problem. PCW would be a lot better if everyone simply followed our narratives and thought the same way we did.

Suave takes a deep breath.

Johnny Suave: Kimber Marshall? Let’s get this main event under way.

MAIN EVENT/PCW TITLE MATCH: ‘The One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism © vs. ‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott Kimber is in the middle of the ring.

Kimber Marshall: Ladies and gentlemen! Our main event tonight is a one fall…

Crowd: ONE fall!

Kimber Marshall: …and it is for the PCW Title! Introducing the challenger…

*’Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”- Toby Keith*

‘American Citizen’ Kevin Scott – former 2 time PCW Champion and PCW Television Champion (as Starz N. Stripes). PCW’s Original ‘Rookie Sensation.’ HT: 6′ 3″ WT: 250, HOME: Ottumwa, IA FIN: American Stars and Fujiawa Arm Bar

Scott comes out in his red, white, and blue trunks.

Kimber Marshall: And his opponent…he is the PCW Champion!

*‘No Smoke Without a Fire’ – Bad Company*

‘The One Man Anti-Hollywood A-List’ Stone Chism –2 time PCW Champion and 2 time PCW Television Champion HT: 6′ 2″ WT: 225 / HOME: Hollywood, CA FIN:  Anti-Hollywood Blockbuster

Chism comes out with the PCW title slung over his shoulder.

Johnny Suave: Kevin Scott. Stone Chism. PCW Title. This is going to be a good one.

Colleen Crowder: Sorry. I have a call I have to take.

*DING-DING*

1st MINUTE Scott and Chism quickly tie up and jockey for position. Scott pushes Chism to ropes. Chism pushes back but Scott grabs him to put on the ropes. Chism backs off but lets fly a right. Scott ducks the sucker punch and takes a headlock. Chism pulls hair to power out. Scott and Chism collide but neither falls. Chism taunts Scott and goads him into trying again. Scott falls for it. Both men collide again. Both men do not fall.

2nd MINUTE Scott chops Chism. A second chop. Whip into the ropes. Chism dodges on the return and speeds up to run Scott over! Scott back up. Chism dropkicks Scott back down! Scott bails.

Johnny Suave: Stone Chism gets the better of that exchange. Kevin Scott decides to take a break.

Scott walks around the corner and climbs up on the ring apron. He slides back in but gets another dropkick. Chism slingshots off the ropes and takes Scott down.

Johnny Suave: Chism for the win!

3rd MINUTE Cover…one…two…Scott gets the shoulder up. Fans cheer Chism as he drags Scott up. Chism whips Scott hard into the corner turnbuckle. Chism throws haymakers. Boot to the gut. Chism ducks under a wild right. Chism steps in…wraps his arms around Scott…and belly to belly suplexes him. Chism goes to pull Scott back up.

Deep State Deep State 1 HT: 6′ 2″ WT: 246 / HOME: Washington, D.C. FIN: Deep Valley Driver Deep State 2 HT: 6′ 3 WT: 266 / HOME: Washington, D.C. FIN: Deep Valley Driver SUB GROUP: The Antifa

Green World Order Valet: Peta from PETA HT: 5’ 8” WT: 123 / HOME: Los Angeles, CA GreenPete HT: 5′ 11″ WT: 195 / HOME: Los Angeles, CA FIN: Harpoon (modified spear or gore) ‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee HT: 6′ 3″ WT: 192 / HOME: New York City, NY FIN: The Juicer PeaceNick– HT: 5′ 10″ WT: 180 / HOME: Bremerton, WA FIN: Choroform SUBGROUP: Union Jack Taylor, NPC, Ultimate Social Justice Warrior, Codee Pink, and Emily S. List

The Young Jerks MGR: Anna- the foul-mouthed sidekick Zenk Cryger HT: 5’ 11” WT: 270 / HOME: Los Angeles, CA James Idahola HT: 6’ 0” WT: 200 / HOME: San Francisco, CA

Johnny Suave: IT’S PROFESSOR McCARTHY AND HIS FLOCK!

Deep State 1 and 2 hit a double-team Deep Valley Driver on Chism.

GreenPete holds Scott up. ‘Extreme Vegan’ Brock Cole Lee hits his finisher ‘The Juicer’ on the American Citizen.

The GWO lays the boots to Scott. The Deep State and the Antifa do the same to Chism.

Johnny Suave: It’s a fourteen on two beatdown on Chism and Scott!

The crowd roars.

Johnny Suave: AND THE ODDS ARE ABOUT TO GET A LITTLE MORE EVEN!

The run-ins begin.  First…

The Island of Misfit Wrestlers MGR: Regina McGill AGE: 29 / HT: 5′ 7″ WT: 136 / HOME: Kalamazoo, MI FIN: Pepsi Plunge ‘The Luchador with Insanely Poor Oral Hygiene’ Halitosis HT: 5’8, WT: 170 / HOME: Chattanooga, TN FIN: Breath of Death Rah!: The Sunshine God – motivational speaker by day. Pseudo deity complete with eclectic entourage by night. HT: 6’-8” WT: 295 / HOME: San Diego, CA / FIN: Eye of RAHHHHHHH! (Jackknife Powerbomb) Rah’s Followers: Happy Mango, Bob Nye-Foot Fetish Guy, The BeachBronze Suntan Bikini Girls

Johnny Suave: IT’S RAH AND HALITOSIS!

The PCW Tag Team Champions race down to the ring.  Next down…

Jack Fraiser HT: 6”3” WT: 205 / HOME: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan FIN: Canadian National Railaway Valet: ‘Oootlander Blaire Rendell

Johnny Suave: AND JACK FRAISER!

Next…

Les Miserables MGR: Bert the Janitor ‘Red Solo Cup’ Ray McAvay HT: 6’ 3” WT: 215 HOME: Fort Stockton, TX / FIN: McGill Bomb MUSIC: ‘Do You Hear the People Sing?’- Les Miserables Valets: West Texas Adult Entertainment Legends Dark and Stormy William Daniels Bryan– ‘The Prairie Populist’ -3 time PCW Champion. Former PCW Television Champion HT: 5’10″ WT: 180, HOME: Platte, Nebraska / FIN: Cattle Mutilation/Crane Kick SUBGROUP: General DeBauchery, Al Cahall, Nic Koteen

Johnny Suave: AND RAY McAVAY AND WILLIAM DANIELS BRYAN! AND YOU KNOW WDB WANTS TO GET HIS HANDS ON THE ANTIFA AND THE DEEP STATE WHO BROKE HIS LEG IN OCTOBER.

Bryan begins to Crane Kick every member of Professor McCarthy’s Flock in sight.

Johnny Suave: THAT’S ALL FOR THIS WEEK. WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME!

[‘Trumpet Concerto No. 2 in D major – 3 Allegro assai’ begins to play in the background and P-SPAN quickly cuts away to another political event.]

[easyfoodnetwork]

The chef comes on Eater’s Digest to discuss his Restaurant Workers Relief Program As the crisis of the pandemic has deepened, major donors (including governments, individuals, and brands) have begun paying restaurants to stay open to feed the needy. These relief efforts are happening both at a grassroots level in local communities and on a national scale. One such national effort is run by The Lee Initiative and Louisville chef Ed Lee. He currently has enough funding to maintain 15 community kitchens across the country, feeding those in need over 300 meals a day, seven days a week, by partnering with chefs like Edouardo Jordan in Seattle, Greg Baxtrom in New York, and Nancy Silverton in LA. This week on Eater’s Digest, Lee explains how he set up the kitchens, shares what kind of help they need, and discusses the heartbreaking decisions he’s forced to make on a daily basis as he navigates through this tragedy. Listen and subscribe to Eater’s Digest on Apple Podcasts and read the full transcript of the interview below. Amanda Kludt: Ed Lee, welcome to Eater’s Digest. We wanted to bring you on because you are on the ground running a lot of relief efforts across the country and we wanted to get a firsthand look at what that is like. So can you start off by telling us about what the LEE Initiative is doing with restaurants around America? Ed Lee: We started a program called the Restaurant Workers Relief Program. And we are feeding any and all restaurant workers who have been laid off or who have had their hours significantly reduced, and who just need food supplies come to us. We have 15 kitchens right now running across the country. Most kitchens are open seven nights a week and we’re handing out about 300 meals a night, giving out supplies and meal kits and things that you can cook at home as well. Daniel Geneen: Where are you getting the money for this? EL: To backtrack a little bit, our nonprofit called the LEE Initiative was a wonderful but very small nonprofit and we had a partnership with Maker’s Mark already, and we were doing a women’s chef initiative that was helping to empower women cooks across the country. When the restaurant shutdown happened, I own three restaurants in Louisville and we just out of necessity, we took all the food and just started cooking it because it was all going to go bad. I said instead of wasting this food, we should feed at least our staff that we had to lay off. We started it that way and we realized quickly that this wasn’t just going to be our problem, this wasn’t a Louisville problem, that this was going to be a big national problem. The director of the LEE Initiative is a lady by the name of Lindsey Ofcacek, and she has a great relationship with Maker’s, and she called them and said, “Hey, you should see what we’re doing because I think this is something that we should go national with.” And to their credit, they quickly responded, saw what we’re doing. So March 16th was the first night that we officially opened and we fed about 300 people that evening. And they quickly saw that this was going to be something that should be replicated. And in the next two weeks, we opened 14 relief kitchens around the country. AK: And how much is it costing to keep these going? EL: A lot. So, basically, Maker’s gives us the funds to keep a kitchen open for roughly two weeks. We feed about 300 people a day out of each kitchen. We quickly realized after a week that this wasn’t a two week problem. We’re in early April. Most kitchens have already been running at two, almost three weeks now. And the way we see it, best case scenario, the lockdown will happen until early May, mid-May. So, we’re looking easily at another four to six weeks. So, while the Maker’s funding was great and they’re helping us continually to help fundraise, we’re looking at the general public. We’re signing on with different companies as well. I literally just got off the phone with Tabasco who’s going to come up with a very generous donation and to help us continue to fund this. I think as we show what we can do and how quickly we can expand, I think the bigger companies are coming to us now and saying, how can we help because this is not, it’s not a two week problem, it’s not a four week problem. It’s going to be longer. And so, we’re all just digging our heels knowing that this is a long term investment. We have to keep these kitchens open for the entire length of the shutdown. So, that’s our main focus right now. DG: So how has it actually been working with the money? It must be challenging for you to organize and distribute the actual dollars. EL: I’m a chef, that’s not my job. I never thought I would have a full time job as a nonprofit person. But times are what they are. I am incredibly lucky to have Lindsey on board who has spearheaded this whole project, and you guys should have her on the show after it’s all over. She’s swamped in phone calls and logistics all day long. But she’s basically on the ground every day figuring out who gets what funds, how funds are distributed. We quickly built a model on our website where when you donate on a website, you can scroll down and pick the city that you want the money to go to. And that’s helped tremendously. Every dollar that gets raised by Seattle goes right back to Seattle. Same for Boston, New York, Chicago. And that’s helped tremendously. So we track all those donations. Neither of us slept for that first week. It was nonstop. As we were busy with phone calls during the day, and then literally overnight, we would write up logistics and policies and guidelines for all the restaurants to follow because we have to be safe. Every city, especially in the early days, which is three weeks ago, every city was on a different track. Some cities were really more loose, some were sheltered in place, some were locked down. Some restaurants were still open. So every city had a really different kind of trajectory they were on. Now everyone’s on lockdown. It was really confusing and we were going at such a breakneck speed that we were just working overnight, creating policies and just on the phones during the day time talking to chefs, sponsors, figuring out how to track money. The LEE Initiative had two employees when we started and that was a challenge. And now we’re up to five. We quickly hired three people. We keep growing and we’re going to see this through to the end. AK: How did you choose which restaurants to work with across the country? EL: In the beginning, Maker’s had recommendations about which markets that they wanted to open. They sort of gave us, they didn’t really choose, but they gave us the cities that they would like to see the relief work in. And obviously, they were the obvious cities. It was the cities with the most restaurant density with the most people who were in need the most. LA, San Francisco, Chicago, New York. And then for us, it was really difficult because we didn’t have the time to completely vet out every single chef, every single person. So I really had to rely on my relationships, my instincts, and to really call chefs that I knew intrinsically that I could trust, that I knew would do the right thing who really had a track record of giving back to the community. It’s not as though I’m running 15 relief kitchens. I’m really partnering with 14 chefs around the country and saying, let’s work together, but I’m going to need you to sort of take the lead in each community in each city because Nancy Silverton knows Los Angeles better than I do. She was the first person I called, and I said, “Do you want to work with us and do this, and we’ll help fund you with the seed money and then you take it from there?” And she did in Los Angeles raised like $20,000 I think, something like that in three days. And so that money went back to her. Obviously, she unfortunately contracted the COVID. So we then had to quickly pivot and now we’re working with Jessica Koslow of Sqirl. It’s been a challenge. Every single city has its own challenges, its own needs. But every chef has stepped up and they’ve been amazing to work with. DG: Yeah. What can go wrong if you’re working with someone who’s not I guess a trustworthy partner? EL: The funds have to be spent responsibly, and that’s the most important thing. Obviously, we have ways of tracking invoices and tracking labor and making sure that the kitchens are staying open. That’s basically the one and only thing that you can, as well as safety measures. We haven’t had a problem with any restaurant. In fact, we’ve asked every single restaurant to stay open for two to three weeks. And every single restaurant and chef that we’ve talked to have come back to us and said, we’re going to do this for a month, we’ll figure it out, but we’ll do it for a month. If there’s a silver lining to all this, it’s, again, you can’t say enough about these restaurants and the chefs and what they do and how they look after their own communities. It’s been a real silver lining to see this, to see people rise up and do this. At a time when I, I know that there are other people on the front lines fighting for government to help us out, knowing that independent restaurants will probably not get the bail out money that some of these other big industries are going to get, and yet, here we are once again coming out, helping, doing what we can, giving of our own time and money. It’s just what we do. AK: Can other restaurants join the program or is the focus on extending? EL: Yeah. The biggest battle we’re facing right now is none of us know how long this is going to go on for. We have the money, so whenever we get money, we have to make a choice. We either open a new market or we keep another market going for longer. I wish I had a crystal ball and someone could tell me exactly when this is going to last till because then we could budget but we can’t. So right now we’re going on the notion that mid-May is hopefully when this shutdown gets lifted. But if not, we’re in trouble. And the idea is, what we don’t want to do is expand to 30 kitchens and then have to shut them all down with a month left to go because that’s not a goal. So really, the priority is to keep the existing kitchens going for as long as they can throughout the entire shutdown. And then when we do have an influx of money, like for example, Tabasco coming on board, then we feel like we’re comfortable enough we can open a new kitchen. And we’re hopefully going to open one up by end of this week or early next week. We have another one coming on board and maybe another one after that. So we’re just constantly going back and forth to see which one is, we want to ensure the security of the ones that are already open and running because they’re doing great work. DG: So you had some just make that decision whether to keep the ones open that are open or expand. EL: I’ll be honest with you, and for all the people out there who have emailed me and called me, some I’ve answered, some I can’t, the biggest heartbreak through this whole thing is, I get phone calls every day from people in every city across America. And it’s heartbreaking to say no to them because we just don’t have the funds. But I get calls from Richmond, Virginia, from Austin, from Tennessee, from Oklahoma. And you realize like the staggering amount of suffering that’s going on. You read words like 11 million workers, and it’s just a number. And then you read these emails from people saying, please, please open a relief kitchen here because we need it, and you can’t. It’s staggering to think about how many people are out of work in the restaurant business, and they’re not getting any help. Unemployment is coming in, but if you have a family, it’s not enough. It simply is not enough. It’s every single city, every town in America, every village, every hamlet is suffering. We can’t get to all of them. It’s an emotional roller coaster ride because every day we have to make tough decisions and say, we can open here, we can’t open here, we can do this, we can’t do that. We know that for every piece of the puzzle, we’re helping someone here, that also means we’re not helping someone over there. And that’s the hardest part of it. DG: For me one of the toughest things about this has been seeing the people who are really stepping up and taking on an important role then being faced with impossible decisions. EL: Yeah. It’s truly a catastrophe. It’s truly triage. The economic fallout from this is just unbelievable. It’s unbelievable. We have 15 kitchens across the country. We need thousands. Right now, we’re working on public donations and private sector funding. I think there needs to be a bigger conversation happening. We need federal money to open kitchens. We have millions of unemployed restaurant workers who are capable of cooking, taking a little bit of money and cooking many, many meals out of it. We have idle kitchens all across the country that can be used to feed people. And one of the things that we’re not talking about is, because we shut down the restaurants, that was a major, restaurants are not a luxury. There’s some restaurants that are luxury restaurants, but for most communities, there’s an entire outlet of restaurants that people rely on for their dinner. And we cut off that flow overnight. And so now, everything has been shifted to people are cooking at home. And let’s be honest, there’s a lot of people who don’t know how to cook. And so now we’re creating this absolute chaos where everyone is running to a supermarket trying to buy up and hoard whatever’s leftover. I can’t even begin to imagine how much food is being wasted because people don’t know how to cook. And so, we have this incredibly broken system right now where the supermarkets can’t keep their shelves stocked, the internet companies are running out of supplies every night. No one knows where to get their food from. There’s lines, there’s unsafe spaces, and yet there’s restaurants that could be feeding people that are forced to be closed. We need to open up as many kitchens as we can. And chefs can do a better job of taking a limited number of supplies and efficiently and cost effectively creating edible meals for an entire population. That’s something that, obviously, Jose Andres is doing his work. There’s a ton of other grassroots movements that are going around over the country, but it’s not enough. We literally need thousands and thousands of kitchens to be mobilized. That would help. That’s a bigger discussion and I don’t know if that’s going to happen over the next six weeks. AK: And for people who are listening that do want to help, besides calling their representative, how can they help? What should they do? So, you can go on www.leeinitiative.org. You can donate funds and you can click down and choose which city you want to donate to. But then there’s so many other things. All of us are in need of supplies to hand out. For example, this week is Easter and we just realized that like many families are not going to celebrate Easter just because right now, if money is short, the last thing you’re going to do is buy candy for your kid. And so, we’re asking for people to donate candies to the restaurant, chocolates, we can hand out. It seems like a small thing, but what we’ve learned in the last three weeks is sometimes it’s the little things that really brighten someone’s day and it keeps them going, gives them some sense of normal. And it’s really important. Last week in Louisville, a florist gave us a ton of flowers for free. And so, we handed out small bouquets to everyone. And I can’t tell you how many people cried and were just so ecstatic over a bouquet of flowers just because it gave them some sense of hope. So, things like that are really important emotionally. If you go on our website, you can see all of the participating restaurants. You can go on your Amazon account or your Instacart account, buy stuff, but have it drop shipped to the restaurant, so they can take it and hand it out. Supplies are in such short supply right now that it’s hard just to keep up. But also- DG: On that, are there specific supplies that you guys are the most short on? EL: So it depends. Cities like Louisville and Cincinnati and Atlanta where there’s a lot of families, it’s diapers, it’s baby food, it’s school supplies. Places like New York and LA where there is a younger, more single population, it’s much more food. But also, places like LA and New York that have a larger Hispanic population, it’s really specific foods. It’s rice, it’s beans, dry pasta, things that they need. So every market is a little bit different. But I would say at the end of the day, it’s toiletries and shelf stable food is what people are needing. Those are very valuable commodities these days. DG: I think this would maybe go a little bit, but on, I don’t want to say a lighter note, but are there any, being somewhat at the helm of all these kitchens in a strange way, is there culinary advice or best practices you’ve seen in terms of actually making the food? EL: Yeah. Cooking for, and it’s funny because, like in my kitchen, we struggled in the early days because we’re a 50 seat restaurant, we do fine dining. And so, cooking for 300 a night is not what we’re used to. Things that are comforting, things that you know, can be easily reheated is really important because we can’t always serve a hot meal. So, when we do meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes and blistered string beans, it’s great because it really satisfies a broad spectrum of people. But also, it’s something that can easily be reheated. And if you don’t eat it all that night, it’s just as good the next day. We try to stay in that realm knowing that most people are taking these meals and going home with everyone going home with it because we’re all on lockdown. And so you can easily reheat it at home. So noodles are great. Anything that has a bit of a shelf life, like seafood is not the best because it just doesn’t last the next day if you need it. from Eater - All https://ift.tt/2VgolnS

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