#//love doing very brief history research just for sally

[troublewithvampires]

@bxtsence said: ( humor )

(childhood memories - open)

humor - a joke from my muse's childhood

Salvatore grins, flashing his fangs. "You want a joke?" he drawls. "Well, I got one." He holds his hands up, clawed fingers gesturing for emphasis as he speaks.

"Ya' ever hear what the politician said when he had to make a decision?" A deliberate pause. "'I'll double-cross that bridge when I get to it!'" The joke has Salvatore snickering to himself, clearly delighted.

[the-al-chemist]

Who Do You Think You Are? - Part 6

A brief (sorry, it’s not actually that brief) history of Artemis’ immediate family, that takes us up to the starting point of my very much not-brief multi-part fic, The Hexley Saga.

Leander Hexley graduated from Hogwarts in 1959 and immediately started a summer internship at the Department of Mysteries. The half-blood son of Marius and Mavis Hexley, he had been sorted into Ravenclaw house on admission to Hogwarts, and had excelled academically at school. He was equally successful in his internship, and after its completion, began working full-time as an Unspeakable.

In 1962, as part of a research project for the Department, he travelled to America. He spent time using the library at Ilvermorny School, where he met Sara Kowalski, a final year student in Thunderbird House and the daughter of Jacob and Queenie Kowalski. Sally made a point of befriending the intelligent young British man she saw poring over books in the library, and the relationship quickly developed into a romantic one.

Leander’s research was completed in the summer of 1963, and he returned to England, with his new fiancée, Sara. The pair were quickly and conveniently married in a small ceremony on the beach in Dorset, witnessed by their parents and Sara’s aunt and uncle, who had taken it upon themselves to support Sara. Leander had grown apart from the majority of his family, his paternal grandparents having moved to France, and his maternal grandmother having passed away during his time at Hogwarts.

Jacob Odysseus Hexley was born later that year in the early hours of the 27th of October. After Jacob’s birth, Sara was determined to not lose out on her education, and she studied via correspondence courses, taking her N.E.W.T.s a year late, in June 1964, and taking a position in the Muggle Liason Office at the Ministry of Magic, where her talent for storytelling was put to good use.

Jacob was a very intelligent child, and very similar to his father as a young boy, sharing his love of puzzles, riddles, logic games and knowledge. The two spent hours together, playing chess and solving lengthy and difficult puzzles. He was also close to his mother, who would entertain him with stories, either old tales of legends and historical figures, or ones she had simply made up herself.

On the 1st of May 1973, Jacob gained a younger sister: Artemis Sheba Hexley. Jacob took to being an older brother straight away, and adored his sister from the day she was born. Artemis took after her mother as much as Jacob took after his father: from a young age she showed herself to be affectionate, strong-willed, and adventurous. She enjoyed her mother’s stories, and being sung to by her grandmother (Leander’s now-widowed and slightly forgetful mother) whenever she visited her at the Muggle nursing home where she lived.

Jacob started his Hogwarts education in 1975, and after wearing the Sorting Hat for almost five whole minutes, was sorted into Ravenclaw house, just like his father. Jacob didn’t return from Hogwarts for either of the two shorter breaks in his first year, and when he returned for the summer, he was distraught to find that his sister barely recognised him, having not seen him for almost 10 months. He vowed then and there to never stay at school for the holidays again. As Jacob got older, he grew more intelligent and more charming. He remained close to his sister, but drifted apart from his father, and the two of them would often butt heads.

Tragedy struck the Hexley family in the spring of 1979, when Leander was found dead at his workplace, his body slumped under the stone archway in the Department of Mysteries. There was no obvious cause of death, and as he knew perfectly well what passing under the archway would mean, it was decided that he must have committed suicide.

Leander’s death affected the rest of the Hexley family massively, particularly Sara, who struggled to cope emotionally afterwards. Jacob returned home from Hogwarts to help look after her and Artemis, but she was still in a very delicate state by the autumn. Both Sara and Artemis moved in with Sara’s aunt and uncle for almost a year, until the three remaining Hexleys moved to London, to a tall narrow house that backed onto Regent’s Canal.

Sara remained delicate, and found it difficult to educate Artemis at home. Artemis attended a series of Muggle primary schools, and was expelled from each one due to her inexplicable and impossible bad behaviour. Often, she would (accidentally, of course) set fire to things when she struggled with her work, and sometimes she would mysteriously disappear from the classroom, appearing in the playground only seconds later.

In September 1981, Jacob was also expelled from school. His best friend, Duncan, had died at the end of the previous school year while the two boys were searching for the legendary Cursed Vaults, and Jacob had been warned to not investigate the Vaults further. However, in his first week of the new term, he was found continuing his search, and Professor Dumbledore had no choice but to expel him.

Jacob disappeared in the middle of the night on the 4th of November 1981, in the wake of the Dark Lord’s demise. The timing of his disappearance caused suspicion that he may have been a supporter of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, and Aurors investigated the Hexley family. The discovery of the Unspeakable Death-Eater spy, Augustus Rookwood, only served to increase the number of rumours circulating about the Hexley family. It didn’t take long for journalist Rita Skeeter to get wind of the story. Her articles added more fuel to the flames.

The whole situation was too much for Sara, and Artemis was sent to live with her great-aunt and uncle once again, returning to her now semi-reclusive and emotionally estranged mother in the autumn of 1982. She continued to visit her great-aunt and uncle at regular intervals, whenever they weren’t away searching for various magical creatures.

In 1984, five years after the death of Leander Hexley, Rita Skeeter published a book about the series of misfortunes that had befallen the Hexley family, and suddenly, the rumours started to circulate again, just in time for Artemis to receive her Hogwarts letter...

Faceclaims:

Leander Hexley - Andrew Scott

Sara Kowalski-Hexley - Rachel Weisz

Jacob Hexley - Dominic Cooper

Artemis Hexley - Mila Kunis/Dafne Keen

[creatingnikki]

Dearest Yvonne,

You know, I have been reading a lot of Asian Literature lately – Korean, Japanese, Indian, and more. One trend that I have noticed, and one that I personally relate to, is the dilemma between traditional values and Western ones. When you grow up reading, watching, and listening to Western books, movies and TV shows, and songs, you start to live a sort of parallel life.

Until I was 15 years old I genuinely believed that I would have a prom at school despite knowing full well that our schools here have no such concept. But it seemed so inconceivable to me to not have a prom because that’s literally one of the major rites of passage I associated with teen years and high school. This is just a silly little example but there are several tiny thoughts, preferences and beliefs like these that were so in contrast to my life here in India.

Another personal dilemma? Language. The first language I ever learned was English. It’s the language I am the most comfortable in and the language in which I think my thoughts. The second language I learned was Hindi. The third language I am learning now is Korean. Now, growing up a lot of stupid children at school made fun of me because I couldn’t speak Hindi as well as I could speak English. They accused me of having an accent and of not being from India. The more they teased me, the less Hindi I spoke. It started to become foreign to my tongue to a point that when I started to try speaking it again, I felt awkward and the words flowed in a very robotic, unnatural way.

Then, two years ago when I was in my final year of college and was trying to figure out the herculean task of what to do with my life after graduation, I saw a lot of YouTubers who were as interested as me in the Korean culture go to South Korea and teach English in school. I was like, yes! That’s it! That’s exactly what I am going to do. So, I do some research, I go to the official website of that program in South Korea and then my heart breaks because I am, as an Indian, not considered a native English speaker. Yes, I cried and perhaps threw a few things around in my room in my frustration. But honestly, it was more like heart break. So, basically the language I have been using since I learned to speak, the language that feels like home to my tongue, the one that I use to articulate my thoughts, my feelings, my existence basically…that’s never going to be considered mine?

You can bet that brought a lot of emotional turmoil and questioning of who I am and where I belong and what I should be. But the point is that the reason I hate questions like…describe yourself in a few words…is because I can’t. I can’t and don’t even want to try to fit myself into a one-dimensional, concrete, suffocating narrative. I don’t want some lousy adjectives to be all that I am because that’s a lie. I don’t want to have to choose one culture over the other. I don’t want the language I speak to limit me. See, this is the point where I am not able to clearly articulate myself because there’s so much emotional baggage on this one but what I am trying to say is that I have learned a few things about what home is…it’s not a person and it’s not a place. It’s a feeling. A feeling of comfort with myself. With who I am, where I am and how I am. And I am rarely ever home but even for the brief period that I am, it’s the best place to be.

But that, of course, is poetry. Home inevitably comes to also mean places and what I am realising after embracing so many cultures and values and meanings of home is that you don’t have to pick one. We are truly the lucky ones if we can call two places home. And sure, it won’t be physically possible to be at both at the same time but to go away from one place, that is home, and to arrive at another that feels like home too…that has to be the most beautiful thing right?

I lost my meaning of love too. A long, long time ago. And while time may heal and teach you a few things, it hasn’t found me my meaning of love yet. And I don’t think time will be the one to do that. I will have to. But until I do, I know my brain who just wants to protect me automatically associates pain and heartbreak with love. I know that isn’t right, that isn’t what love is. The Love Project is a way of me proving that to my brain. Hearing other people’s lives, beliefs, love history and values and experiences…I can provide it the factual evidence that it needs to deny the misconception that love is pain. I know that I can’t gain my meaning of love from that of others. And I’m not trying to do that anyway. I am first trying to get my brain on my side. And may be by going through other people’s answers and their love letters, you can also help your brain with that.

Work and love are two important things when mixed together can become very problematic and I know you already know that. About not falling in love with people who we are not meant to…I have only ever fallen in love with such people so I don’t even know what to tell you other than that I hope you can find clarity soon. Clarity is such an underrated thing in life. We focus on everything but it not realising that if we achieve that it makes most other things in life a piece of cake. I hope you find yours in time.

Good luck and loads of love,

Nikki

PS I would highly recommend the book Conversations with friends by Sally Rooney. Before I read that book, adultery, for me, was such a black or white thing. I was shocked at the way this book made me see and realise certain things.

PPS I would also recommend one of my all time favourite books – Love Virtually by Daniel Glattauer. It’s about two adults who randomly come across each other, two people who souldn’t, and it’s all written in the form of emails that they share. It’s actually a translated book and is originally in German. So, if you know German, wow. You should totally try it in the original text and if you do, do let me know what you think of it.

PPS Yes, I find a lot of my meaning, solace and understanding of the world and people from books and I like to share these pieces of clarity with those I think could make something out of it xxx

I wrote this letter for Yvonne based on some questions they answered. You can read the questions and their answers here.

Guys - I have received 29 people’s responses for The Love Project - 29 days of love letters. So I won’t be accepting anymore, however, you can read other letters here.

I may do this again later in the year and if you would want to receive a love letter from me then, you can drop in your email ID here xoxo

[blinddragon22-blog]

⭐️Inspiration- Shining Light⭐️

Greeting my friends. I wanted to share with a number of people have disabilities who have very much inspired me to reach for stars and go beyond them and to exceed expectations. One quote that I keep close to me when I think about these people and even in regard to myself is “Do not go where the path my lead. Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail”. (Ralph Waldo Emerson) In a nut shell, at least in my eyes, this quote means create to your own path. You are in charge of your own destiny. Write your story that others can draw inspiration from so that they can then create their own path. An extremely positive cycle and one that will create a better world. Here are just a few people who have inspired me to create my own path and leave a trail.

Andrea Bocelli    

Source- Photo Description- Andrea Bocelli has a teal background behind him. He is smiling. He is wearing a dark burgundy collar dress shirt. His left hand lays on the dark platform while the right gently placed in the middle of his left bicep.   

Andrea Bocelli is an Italian tenor singer and songwriter. He was born September 22, 1958 in Lajatico, Italy. He is considered one of the worlds most talented singers. Andrea Bocelli was born with congenital glaucoma which left him partially blind. He lost his remaining vision at the age of 12 due to a blow to the head during a game.

The interesting thing about Andrea Bocelli is that he didn’t begin his singer until the 1980s. Before that, he obtained a law degree from the University of Pisa and became a court appointed lawyer after graduation. He initially began playing piano in a variety of venues throughout Italy. He is also able to play the flute and saxophone. Bocelli fame exploded when  Luciano Pavarotti, an esteemed tenor opera singer, heard the recording of a demo tape of "Miserere" that Bocelli has done. In the end, Pavarotti and Bocelli wound up singing Miserere together and it was a tremendous success Eurepe wide.

I am a huge fan of Andrea Bocelli. He is my idol. My favorite songs sung by him are “Nelle Tue Mani” which translates to “in your hand” and the new song he sang with his son Matteo called “Fall on Me”.

Mr. Bocelli if you are reading this I truly admire you because with the power of your voice and all who stood with you, you were able achieve great things. You grew wings not just to fly, but to sore.  

Molly Burke

Source- Photo Description- Molly Burke smiling. She has both hands proper under either side of her face. She is wearing a grey fuzzy sweater. She also has pink hair. 

If you need some inspiration and pep to perk up you day, head on over to Molly Burks channel on YouTube and watch all of her videos. Molly was born on February 8, 1994 in Toronto, Canada. She was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa which is a rare degenerative retinal disease. One of the most amazing things I admire about Molly is that first, she loves to help other people and two, she faced struggle and hardship, but she didn’t let it destroy her. She found the strength and endurance to face her challenges head on and overcome them.

In addition to being a Youtuber, Molly is also a motivational speaker; sharing her story and inspiring millions.

If I may recommend specific videos to watch, Molly recently uploaded a 10-episode series on her channel titled “The 10 Year Journey” where she shares the story of doing what other, including herself, thought she couldn’t do. You won’t regret it.          

Steven Hawking

Source- Photo Description of Steven Hawking smiling in his power wheelchair. 

Steven Hawking is another individual who I absolutely admire and who inspires me to go beyond my physical limits.

Steven hawking was born on January 8 1942 in Oxford, United Kingdon. Hawking was the former Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and author of A Brief History of Time which is an international bestseller. He was also Dennis Stanton Avery and Sally Tsui Wong-Avery Director of Research at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics and Founder of the Centre for Theoretical Cosmology at Cambridge.

In 1963, Hawking was diagnosed with slow-progressing form ofmotor neurone disease (MND. This disease is also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis "ALS" or Lou Gehrig's disease). When Hawking was diagnosed, he was given only 2 years to live  because ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This disease left Hawking paralyzed and unable to have control of his body. This is particularly why Hawking inspires me. Hawking was paralyzed and he knew that one asset he had left was his brain. His brain was still as sharp at ever. Hawking wrote many books and came up with some of the world most thrilling theories such as his theory of black holes and the origin of the universe.   

These people I mentioned above are only the tip of the iceberg. There are so many other people with disabilities who have done amazing things and have written their own story. One in particular that I didn’t mention was Louis Braille who created the Braille code so that blind and visually impaired individuals would be able to read and write and have access to education.  

Now it is you turn. I’d like to hear about who inspires you to create your own trail.

[lyonsdenprojects]

Why should I care about pop culture's impact anyway?

Originally posted on The Would-Be-Doctor Teetan Jaeger.

So you may be wondering why the heck am I wasting my time with this research. I don’t really blame you. It takes a huge nerd to enjoy thinking about this stuff in their free time. But then again, you’re reading my blog… ;)

I mentioned in my last post that one of my passions in research is looking at how pop culture icons reflect and impact current culture. And why is that you may ask? First and foremost, I was a theatre student in my youth. Script analysis was (and still is) my favorite part of theatre.

A (Very) Brief History of Theatre

The performing arts by nature are inherently charged with commentary on current culture and politics. Theatre began as a part of religious celebrations in Ancient Greece. One I consider most notable was called “Lysistrata” about how women tried to end the Peloponnesian War by withholding sex from their men. It commented both on the ongoing war as well as gender dynamics in Greek society. It’s a pretty hilarious read if you’re game.

Classical Theatre was stamped out for a time in the West by the Church (cir. 660 CE) and then ironically revived by the Church around 900 CE in the form of miracle and mystery plays that taught the important stories of the Bible during a time when most of the common population was illiterate. The politics of the corresponding eras (i.e. the fall of the Roman Empire, the rise of the Holy Roman Empire, etc) hugely impacted the history of the art.

Attitudes About Entertainment

You’ll find the most popular performance pieces of our time have some sort of reflection of contemporary events. Even the philosophical study of aesthetics is an active study of understanding how people respond to the arts.

We as consumers of entertainment pick up many attitudes and beliefs passively through that consumption. My previous post on female representation in the Star Wars movies hits on this. That’s why I find it so important to encourage people to be actively aware of what they are watching.

This doesn’t mean you have to stop liking something of course (I still love Luke, I still cried at the end of The Last Jedi). But even just taking that moment to realize “hey, that’s kind of weird that the twin of the most powerful Jedi bloodline doesn’t get badass powers too” impacts how we view the world around us.

Because of my background in the arts and psychology, I always want to better understand how the arts impacts us both in negative and positive ways. I want to show others how important that impact is. It affects us and our choices. Great examples of this include:

Star Trek: Increased public interest in science and physics as well as impacted huge advances in technology including cell phones and computers. Uhura actress Nichelle Nichols assisted in recruiting women and African-Americans into the NASA astronaut program including most famously Dr. Sally Ride, the first American female astronaut.

CSI: Crime Scene Investigations: Created the “CSI Effect” which really deserves way more discussion on it impacted courtrooms. It also increased student interest and educational programs for STEM careers.

Pop culture creates real life effects. That is why it is so important for those who create arts to be mindful of what they are creating and aware that it makes an impact. This is not to say everything needs to be politically charged, but we as the consumers can affect what gets made. And we can learn from what we take in.

So that’s why I do this. I believe in personal responsibility of both creators and consumers. And I want to encourage more people to be active in how they view the world around them. I hope you’ll join me in doing so.

I regularly post current news articles on pop culture and its impact on the world via Facebook and Twitter. Follow me there to get regular updates!

[cbk1000]

Jenn Recommends: Fantasy

All right, kids; it’s that time again. Time for me to babble on for an obnoxiously long time about books I have read and adored, and time for you to just shut the fuck up and take all my advice, because I have great taste.

Since this recommendation list concerns fantasy, all of the following books are actually part of a series, because it is illegal for fantasy authors to write standalone novels: they will be publicly executed for devoting anything less than 3,000 pages to Timmy’s sword and stones. You know this is true because you just read it on the internet.

If You Like: Political intrigue, really hot people, + everyone and their brother being canonically gay as fuck.

Read: The Kushiel’s Legacy series by Jacqueline Carey.

This series starts with Kushiel’s Dart, and there are actually two trilogies worth reading in this world: Phedre’s (the first trilogy) and Imriel’s (the second, which I may like even better). We do not talk about the third trilogy. In this write-up, I’m just going to talk about the first trilogy, but if you enjoy it, I definitely encourage you to read the next three books.

Phèdre nó Delaunay is a courtesan who was born with a scarlet mote in her left eye--a mark of the god to let others know that she’s into really kinky shit. You cannot spank this bitch hard enough. As a child she is sold into indentured servitude, and bought by a man who recognizes the mote in her eye for what it is and what it signifies--namely, that people who sexually enjoy having the ever-loving fuck beat out of them are pretty much up for anything, which means she will make a great spy.

So that is what she is trained in--not just the arts of the bedroom, but the arts of overhearing everything meant for non-State-approved ears. Of course because this is a novel and something has to happen in it, she stumbles upon a plot against the throne that gets a lot of people stabbed multiple times and throws her and her hapless goddammit-this-is-my-first-real-assignment bodyguard into a Perilous Journey that spans Many Lands.

Two things I really love about this series: the world building and the casual approach to homosexuality.

The various different countries are obviously based heavily upon European history and lore, but she’s done enough research to really flesh them out. We don’t just have a few generic descriptions here and there of vaguely European geography, but actual religions and languages and histories which are more than just given a hasty, passing mention to conjure the illusion that the world is more tangible than it actually is: you can taste and touch and hear Terre d’Ange.

As for the casual homosexuality: the main pairing is hetero, but Phedre takes several female lovers, because in Terre d’Ange, the one rule by which everyone must abide is ‘Love as thou wilt’. No one is really straight or gay; sexuality isn’t really a thing, labels aren’t a thing; people bone who they bone and nobody bats an eye. Kind of like Ancient Greece, till it came time for you to stop porking Archimedes during oily wrestling sessions and churn out a couple of brats. Sex work in this world is also considered in the service of the goddess, and those engaged in it are bestowing a blessing on their customers; it is an honorable and profitable line of work.

I honestly could not put these books down. I have two copies of the third book in this trilogy because I ordered it online while halfway through the second, then promptly panicked when I realized it wouldn’t arrive in time for me to immediately begin the third as soon as I finished the second novel. I actually drove an hour and a half to the nearest Barnes and Noble just so I didn’t have to wait two agonizing days for the next book to arrive. The writing can be a little heavy-handed (think purple euphemisms for a man’s steely pleasure wand, etc.), but overall it’s gripping and lush and I could barely stop reading long enough to take bathroom breaks.

If You Like: Bleak stories where probably nobody is ever going to get anything more than a brief glimpse of happiness before it’s cruelly torn away from them and legitimately creepy monsters.

Read: The Banned and the Banished series by James Clemens.

This series on the surface is your fairly generic Evil Dark Lord vs. Savior Newly Awakened To Their Powers. Elena is a thirteen-year-old girl who has just been visited for the very first time by the dreaded Aunt Flo. With puberty comes the blossoming of new powers: a red hand that shoots a lot of fire out of it, a power I would’t mind having while trying to navigate a bunch of idiot-inflicted traffic. Over the course of the five books in the series, she picks up her Adventure Party and they sally forth to do battle with the Dark Lord’s minions (of which there are a metric fuck ton, in scientific terms). Some parts begin to feel a little monster-of-the-week, as the protagonists barely have time to take a breath in between waves of tentacly evil.

So why I am I recommending this series? Because Clemens is not content with just scattering some generic tropes around the page and calling it good: he wants you to go, “What the FUCK, dude??”. A lot. This is probably the only book in which you will encounter a woman letting a bunch of spiders crawl into her vagina. Or later giving birth to those spiders, which have, upon the touch of the Dark Lord, transformed into a monster that smells like dead baby and eats people’s faces. I recently came across this series in Russian and have been rereading it as a 31-year-old adult, and there are scenes which even now thoroughly traumatize me; it really explains why I am the way I am, since I first read the beginning books when I was only 11-12.

This series is surprisingly hard to put down; I suppose it’s because you are compelled (or at least I am) to find out what the hell kind of nasty thing is next going to emerge from the forest and inspire you to check under your bed at night even though you’re a goddamn adult. This series is not for the faint of heart, obviously. But if you like dark fantasy, and you’re into the idea of reading something that on the surface seems a pretty standard fantasy tale before it suddenly starts hurling vagina spiders all up your business, check it out. Also, if you’ve read any of my work and you’d like to know just what the fuck is wrong with me, I believe this series can throw a little light on that.

If You Like: A protagonist who won’t take your shit but also is allowed to be emotionally vulnerable, Chinese history, detailed military campaigns.

Read: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.

Rin, a war orphan raised by shitty foster parents in a backwoods village, is accepted into a prestigious military academy where pretty much everyone, teachers included, hates her because she’s a peasant and this school is for the sons of rich people, goddammit. Rin is talented in the nearly lost art of shamanism because she’s the main character of a fantasy novel, and it is only her newly-found powers that have a chance of halting the advance of the Federation as they march upon the Nikara Empire, intent on conquering (and graphically torture murdering) everything in its path. On the flip side: her powers have also been known to turn literally all their wielders into raging loonies who have to be imprisoned for the good of everyone.

My ignorance of Chinese history is absolute, so I’ve no idea where the author (herself Chinese, and an historian, I believe) is pulling from in order to build the foundations of her world, but it’s obvious she has done a lot of research and painstakingly agonized over every little detail. It’s nice to finally step away from the usual Euro-centric world of much Western fantasy, and into one so fully fleshed-out.

This story actually reminds me in some ways of Mulan: the unlikely protagonist bests nearly everyone in all of her training--but only because she works three times harder than anyone else, and no one particularly admires her for it, saving her from Mary Suedom. She’s intelligent and determined, but nothing comes easily (especially when one of your masters is more than a little unhinged). She has exactly one friend, and spends most of her time trying to read her way to a better martial artist. 

This is not, however, a school story; and though the characters are 16-17 when they first enter the academy, it is not a YA story either. It is a story about war, and the author has no interests in presenting war as anything other than it is: revolting, traumatizing, horrific. There are some very graphic depictions of violence, so if you do not have the stomach for that, this is not the book for you.  Neither massacres nor first kills are glossed over; everything is presented exactly as it looks, smells, feels. 

Because life is never one long angst-ridden slog, however, and there was always something, before war, there are moments of legit humor; I actually laughed out loud at several lines. And that leads me to something else the author does very well: dialogue.  Much dialogue is an excuse for the author to sound worldly, wise--poetic. It also often hardly sounds like human speech. Real humans, even articulate, intelligent humans, do not shit a fucking Keats verse every time they open their mouths. In The Poppy War, people, wonder of wonders, actually sound like people; perhaps even more notable: teenagers sound like teenagers.

Stylistically, this book is utilitarian; I won’t be highlighting any phrases because they’ve left me awestruck. But it is not lightweight fantasy; the main characters wield terrifying powers with immense consequences. They are mangled, tortured, killed; some of them are drug addicts because only in opium can they find a momentary release from what they have survived. It’s a hold-onto-your-balls-kids kind of story. This is the first novel in a purported trilogy, and I will definitely be keeping an eye out for the rest of the series.

[earthsidefieldnotes]

The First Year

Disclaimer: I wrote this post in May of 2020 and never did get around to posting it, but I am attempting to clean out my thirty-something drafts on Tumblr and make some of them into actual posts. This is one of them! Stay tuned for a recap on The Second Year.

(this is a picture of me outside our tiny, gross townhouse that we lovingly named the Shoebox last year, on my first day of grad school, holding a mug featuring a brief history of art.)

Year one. Sponsored by JSTOR, the trumpet guy at the Courthouse Metro, brain breaks in the form of half-marathon training distance runs, and a LOT of chamomile tea consumed between the hours of 10 pm and 3 am.

I am often asked, in a small-talk sensibility, “How’s grad school?” and normally answer by rattling off where I am in that particular moment: “It’s good! Just trying to finish up the semester quarantine-style. I have a presentation tomorrow. I feel pretty prepared for it, but I’ll finish up prep tonight.”

That’s not really answering the question, though. How is grad school? And how do I feel about it? What are my impressions from this wild first year of it? Here is a compilation of those thoughts, in no particular order:

i. It’s just deeper, all of it. The good runs deeper and the bad runs deeper. The highs are very high (all my weird interests of the pasts are culminating in this moment! I have been given time to study things I like and find important! I am getting paid to study those things!), and the lows are lower. Imposter syndrome feels significantly more existential. Something about getting a graduate degree is much more personal than undergrad, when you’re sacrificing years, money, and commonality with your fellow man to wade deeper into your field. There’s more at stake, which makes it more of an emotional rollercoaster.

ii. Favorite thing about grad school: TEACHING. PRESENTING. Convincing my audience why the subject material is significant. Very surprised by this.

Least favorite thing about grad school: Contributing to class discussions. Getting graded based on participation in class discussions. Not at all surprised by this.

iii. Making friends is not the same as it is in undergrad. You aren’t bound together by shenanigans, by mattresses dragged from one dorm room across the hall into another, horrified laughter from finding an inchworm in your cafeteria salad, or hammock stacks on campus in between classes. But you are bound together in a different sense: the one where you get stupid excited about the paper you’re writing, and your classmate looks you in the eye and understands why you’re so jazzed about it. This is especially happy when you are in the self-isolating scenario of studying something academic and niche. 

iv. All of my classes are in the same building, nay, the same classroom, good old Smith 106 with the boujee projector that overheats. This is a mega pro. Why? None of my classes have ever conflicted with one another. And they never will. I have never wished that time-turners were real this year (while I wished they were real every semester during registration time in undergrad). And the Lord said it was good.

v. That moment when you’re researching your way through an academic database and you find the perfect article for a class paper, only to discover that it has in fact been written by your professor who assigned you the paper topic. Or is your professor’s spouse/best friend/research rival. This happened more often than I thought it would. 

This list of things shows parts of a whole, and that whole is that at its distilled core, I am better learning how to see, to be curious, to pay attention to the creative output of humanity across time and understand how all the influences-- historical, cultural, spiritual-- compelled them to expression. People don’t understand why I study art history. They tend to find it frivolous, unable to think outside the framework of what job one can get after receiving such a master’s degree. And there are specific jobs one can get with this degree, but that isn’t really the point. The point is to learn, to grow, and to contribute meaningfully. I hope to do this well. 

(Mirror pic of me in the maskless times [RIP] on the way home from my Metro commute [also RIP] with all five volumes of John Ruskin’s Modern Painters for my first big paper of grad school [again, RIP].)

Linked are some of my favorite articles that I read this year:

- Resonance and Wonder, by Stephen Greenblatt. Changes the way you think about museum display! - Unpacking my Library, about the joy and art of keeping a collection (of anything, not just art!), by Walter Benjamin. - Sally Promey’s state-of-the-field concerning religious art in the 21st century. My particular field of study! - Graphic Knowledge: Albrecht Dürer and the Imagination by Peter Parshall. An excellent read about how Reformation theology caused a shift in the way visual artists think and create. This is also a field of study for me. :) 

You of course are not obligated to read any of those, but if you do, let me know! I would love to hear your thoughts on them. 

[1whimsicalgal]

Michael

Michael Terry McMinn July 25, 1949 - June 1, 1955

It was this week in 1955 that my beautiful young brother, Michael Terry McMinn passed away. He was six years old, mischievous, adorable, and he had a wonderful sense of humor. Michael made friends easily, and adults, children, everyone loved him. Pictured here, on his first day of school, he wears his white shirt, a white undershirt, khaki pants, and penny loafers. In hand, he carries his Indian Chief tablet and Roy Rogers lunchbox. He loved Roy Rogers. Mike went to the first grade for a total of six short weeks. When he wasn't too sick, we played together in, around, and under a tall, gigantic, very old willow tree. The base was six to seven feet in diameter and stood some fifty to sixty feet high. How we all loved that tree! Her limbs stretched far out across our property. Michael and I climbed in it all the days we were together, along with our neighborhood best pals and cousins, Bill and Debbie Eckhert. They were both our exact same ages, and also brother and sister. We spent all our days busily going back and forth between our two homes set a hundred yards apart, across a vacant field. Games and pretend went on until the sun went down, then we were back early the next morning, knocking on one another's doors.

When I entered high school drama class in 1967, my acting coach, Sally Barbay, gave me Robert Frost's poem, "Wild Grapes." Together, Miss Barbay and I prepared for my first competitions that I would attend later that year. We worked hard, going over posture, eye contact, pauses, emphasis, meaning, until I was finally ready. She could be brutal, but earning her pleased smile was joy, and finally, I wore the poem well. As good fortune would have it, I went on to win many first places in UIL Poetry Reading Competitions with Wild Grapes. It seemed to fit like a glove. In the intervening years since Mike had died, I had worked hard to disengage myself from the pain of his loss to our small family. It was the only way to survive and move on, but of course, it never truly left me. I learned to put things in certain drawers and to open them only when I had to.

Looking back I always wondered how Miss Barbay had chosen that particular poem for me. She knew nothing of Michael, his 6 years of suffering, nothing of his death from Cystic Fibrosis, or of our older brother, Curtis', who had died at eleven months before Mike was even conceived. She had no idea of the effects on our family. To read the words, it was absolutely uncanny how closely aligned the poem was to Mike's and my story. In reflection, it was oddly serendipitous that I should be gifted with those lovely words. Over the years since I have come to believe that it was my brother somehow speaking to me. Whether it's true or not doesn't matter. It's real to me. It had to be. I was comforted to know he had always remained right by my side. After his death, adults in my family dismissed the feelings a small child of only four could possibly have. I avoided mentioning him to anyone. Their own pain was so great, I wanted to protect them. It wasn't malicious on their part, or even intentional, but just the way adults felt about children in those days. My mother talked about it all the time, year in and year out. For me, it was a secret bond I knew existed between Mike and I. I felt our bond so deeply. Michael and I had been very close, together every single day and night, sleeping maybe ten to twelve feet apart. Then, suddenly one day he was no longer there, and he never returned home again. Grief worked on all of us equally. Each of us was an open wound for so many years. I am still haunted by the fact that several people told me that Mike knew he was sick and going to die and that he talked about his impending death. A six-year-old... it makes me weep.

Cystic Fibrosis is a disease that attacks the lungs and pancreas, and at that time it was ranked the number two cause of death in children after polio. It is passed on through the combined genes of both parents, and until the late 1980s early '90's considered 'incurable.' Simply put, the CF child's body lacks the enzyme to break food down and retain nutrients, therefore they essentially suffer from malnutrition. "The hallmark signs and symptoms of cystic fibrosis are salty tasting skin, poor growth and poor weight gain despite a normal food intake, accumulation of thick, sticky mucus, frequent chest infections, and coughing or shortness of breath." (Wiki) In the final stages, they can't breathe. Frantic, my parents searched every possible avenue for information. A chiropractor told my parents he believed diet was an element that should be examined and suggested they try feeding him bananas. So they did, as many as he would eat. For a couple of months, he seemed to improve, then he was down again, and it was bad. Worst of all, the doctors chastised my parents for listening to a 'chiropractor.' In those days, doctors poo-pooed all chiropractors completely and unequivocally. It would be decades after Mike died that researchers discovered beneficial drugs, or that the AMA finally admitted what many had suspected for years, that certain foods enhanced their ability to process food, retain nutrients, and keep them alive.

When parents lose a child, there is a great amount of guilt and blame that most often occurs. As a child, my mother convinced me that I, too, had been 'born with CF,' even though I had never been diagnosed and that by putting me on a 'special diet,' she had 'cured' me. She repeated the story over and over, not only to me but to any adults who came over to visit. Her grief and guilt were so immense, that for her sake, I felt I had to believe her. I had no choice but to believe her, and therefore I blocked off any questions that might refute this. As I came into my teen years, I was convinced I carried the deadly gene, and I was petrified. Years passed.

At some point in my early thirties, I began to do my own research. I found that medical evidence didn't support the story. At thirty, I went into intensive therapy, and for almost five years I began to delve. I contacted many sources, one was our childhood pediatrician in Houston, who knew our family history well. I was told, "You never had CF, never." Still, chances were that I carried the gene, since both my parents carried it. Unlike many genetic diseases, it takes both the mother and the father's genes with CF. In late '88, '89, a doctor told me they had located the gene, but the test for it was not yet available. I freely admit I spent years in confusion and anger. My dad was circumspect about ever talking of Mike to me or anyone, and he never knew what I'd been led to believe. We never discussed it until just before he passed when I was 34. It had been quite a journey for all of us.

I was to remember Mike's and my bond as time passed, but I remained essentially silent to most everyone around me. I quietly guarded the fact I probably carried the gene and my memories of Mike. The pictures and memories were all I had of him, and much too painful to share. Fortunately, now, with each year I feel closer to him. I continue to hold the essence of his memory in my heart. I love to look at his pictures, devour them, and when I do, I feel he was truly the most beautiful little boy I may have ever seen. Yes, I'm prejudiced. I know innately that he watched over me as best he could, for as long as he could. I can still hear him when I was up in that willow tree, telling me to hold on tight, "Hold on," as day after day I climbed out further and further, testing my limits, going out to the very end of the long limbs of that gigantic tree. And, with each foray, he would finally stand below and tell me to let go. "Let go, Sissie, let go! I'll catch you." And, finally, he would convince me. I would drop to the ground just as he told me to do, and I would be intact, exhilarated, and fully alive. I was happy to realize "Wild Grapes" somehow belonged to us, and that for me, it will forever. It is a lovely and haunting metaphor for the brief 4 years we spent together. My brother, Michael Terry McMinn 1949- 1955, words cannot fully express how deeply beloved he was, or how precious to all those who had the joy of knowing him. Gone but never forgotten are not empty words to me.

~~ By: Teri McMinn © Wild Grapes by Robert Frost -

http://glenavalon.com/wildgrapes.html

To learn more about Cystic Fibrosis: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cystic_fibrosis

Teri McMinn

[thumper-darling]

all the writer asks? and can you use your current story for the blank ones?

1. Favorite place to write.

My most productive nights writing were spent in hotel rooms with cheap black coffee and terrible lighting. It sets a very motivating vibe. 

2. Favorite part of writing.

Creating and developing characters. Character arcs?? are ?? my favorite??

3. Least favorite part of writing.

writing ™ 

4. Do you have writing habits or rituals?

Yeah, procrastinating for months. :’)

5. Books or authors that influenced your style the most.

Patrick Ness and Stephen Chbosky are pretty big idols of mine

6. Favorite character you ever created.

Cadence, she’s my hero 

7. Favorite author.

Rainbow Rowell or Patrick Ness

8. Favorite trope to write.

Coming of Age Angst ™ and realistic development for the main character

9. Least favorite trope to write.

Love triangles or over-dramatic and non-realistic romantic interests. 

10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.

I’d love to work with Chbosky and write a spin-off of Perks of Being a Wallflower, or like a potential sequel? That would make my actual dreams come true. 

11. Describe your writing process from scratch to finish.

In the beginning, I print off a million character questionnaires and fill out every detail about my main characters. It’s funny, because my characters always come first, and the story soon follows. After I know my characters inside and out, I think in their mindset for days and write down notes about things I for sure want to include in my story whether it be a plot twist or just a small piece of dialogue. Once I find the character’s voice, I feel ready to start writing the story.

12. How do you deal with self-doubts?

I’m still not great with this, because I have a LOT of self-doubt, but I know that writing is what I want to pursue. I just remember that I have talent and I shouldn’t worry about the first draft because the first draft is almost always awful.

13. How do you deal with writers block?

I read. A lot. Reading helps spark ideas and un-stick my story.

14. What’s the most research you ever put into a book?

OH MY GOD. I would look at maps and historic timelines. I filled nearly 4-5 pages of a journal just with a timeline of events and it was lit. 

15. Where does your inspiration come from?

Literally anything. That bench on the corner? INSPIRED. Pulling out of a driveway? INSPIRED. That sandwich looks tasty. INSPIRED. No, but in all seriousness I just observe my surroundings at all times and in an average day I can pull an idea out of something. 

16. Where do you take your motivation from?

I just think of my future and what impact/ message I’d like to leave behind to anybody who reads my writing. 

17. On avarage, how much writing do you get done in a day?

None. Writing isn’t something I can do everyday. Some days I’m more inspired and motivated than others. If I try writing when I don’t have the energy, it turns out forced and choppy. I let the motivation come to me.

18. What’s your revision or rewriting process like?

I typically like to wait a week or two before re-reading and editing, that way I can have space from my writing. I do it gradually through out the story so I can draw potential ideas from what I have so far. 

19. First line of a WIP you’re working on.

Version 1: “The shop had been empty for a little over an hour, and Charlotte was beginning to grow restless.”

Version 2: “Charlotte had a look of determination set in the furrow of her eyebrows and curiosity in the gleam of her eyes.”

20. Post a snippet of a WIP you’re working on.

“Whenever Jordyn spoke, it was reminiscent of watching an old southern film. Her slight, hidden drawl was nothing less than soothing. Charlotte sometimes liked to picture her with obnoxiously tight ringlet curls and big, poofy southern belle dresses with frilly ribbons and lace. The thought brought a subtle snort from Charlotte.”

21. Post the last sentence you wrote in one of your WIP’s.

Version 1: “He just followed his feet, and they lead him to her.”

Version 2: “His only response was a smirk before he opened the door to the back alley.”

22. How many drafts do you need until you’re satisfied and a project is ultimately done for you?

At least a million

23. Single or multi POV, and why?

Single, I feel like it leaves for more mystery. That way the reader can interpret different POV’s for themselves. 

24. Poetry or prose, and why?

Prose, rhyming isn’t my forte 

25. Linear or non-linear, and why?

Depends on the story I’m trying to tell. Sometimes one way has more impact than another. 

26. Standalone or series, and why?

Standalones are beautiful for some stories, but others simply must be more than just one book long. Some stories exceed one book.  

27. Do you share rough drafts or do you wait until it’s all polished? 

I share drafts with people I trust to edit or give me feedback. 

28. And who do you share them with?

My friends that love stories. 

29. Who do you write for?

Mainly for myself, but also for anybody that needs to hear the message my story can offer them. 

30. Favorite line you’ve ever written.

“So, as a sign of letting go, I introduced my lips to his cheek and the sound of my skin meeting his was a melody playing a sweet goodbye.”

“Kissing him was like kissing air or water, it was so sweet and slow that it was a natural instinct to flow with it. However, kissing her was like fire because it was warm, inviting, and compelling, but had all the potential to burn him. Their love was like melting into each other, neither would make it out alive.”

31. Hardest character to write.

Side characters or the main character’s family. Because those characters are always important and meaningful, but I don’t want to write them only as a means of helping the main character. I hate flat characters and everybody deserves to have a story, you know?

32. Easiest character to write.

The sidekick ™ 

The one who always knows just what to say and how to say it. 

33. Do you listen to music when you’re writing?

Only for specific scenes that music could really inspire me for. Like if I’m writing a sad scene and I’m not really in that head space, I listen to depressing ass music so I can understand the scene better. 

34. Handwritten notes or typed notes?

Both. Here, have some of my notes.

Just some random dialogue drabbles:

 “So, can I find you here often?” “Jamie…I work here.” “Oh, yeah, right. Of course.”

“There’s nothing beautiful nor poetic about being an asshole, Jenny. Calm down.”

“Listen, you’ll always be a jalapeno bagel and strawberry cream cheese to me, but I sort of feel like I should know your name by now.” 

“Emma, have you ever been in love?” “I might have been. Then again, girls are easy to love, I’m pretty sure Jamie is a different story. If you want my advice Charlotte, date a girl.” 

35. Tell some backstory details about one of your characters in your story ________.

The main character is named Charlotte Caroline Tillman. She’s named after the city and state(ish) that her parents met in. She has an older brother named Chance and a calico cat named Sally Mae. Charlotte goes to an Arts Magnet High School and she has a troubled history with her father, and a lot of the story is about her accepting things she cannot change. Her best friend, Emma, is v gay and v hot. 

36. A spoiler for story _________.

Charlotte ends up leaving town and everyone she loves. All that’s left behind is a note and a phone number. She leaves her life behind. No closure and no goodbyes. She’s kind of a dick. 

37. Most inspirational quote you’ve ever read or heard that’s still important to you.

“That’s where you’re wrong. Everybody has a story, and every one is worth being told.” 

38. Have you shared your outline of your story ________ with someone? If so, what did they think of it?

Lol no, my outline isn’t even finished homeboy

39. Do you base your characters of real people or not? If so, tell us about one.

I usually base my side characters off of people I know or have met, even if only for a brief moment. For example, today at work I saw somebody and instantly knew that I needed her in my story. She is now the inspiration for my character Jenny. 

40. Original Fiction or Fanfiction, and why?

Both are equally fun and important. Fanfiction is an amazing starting point for beginners, and it helps them write. However, original fiction is so raw and new that it could inspire future writers. 

41. How many stories do you work on at one time?

Typically just one, but I always have other stories in the back of my head. I like to focus on one at a time though, that way I can keep characters and plot points straight. 

42. How do you figure out your characters looks, personality, etc.

Well, like I’ve said, my characters come first. So based on whatever kind of story I want to tell, my character has to portray that. So I pick and choose different tropes and arc ideas that could impact the story even further. 

43. Are you an avid reader?

I heckin’ try to be. Sadly, I don’t always get into stories easily. 

44. Best piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I had an English teacher write a note on one of my writing pieces telling me that she knew I had talent and every teacher has one student where they think “That one…that one’s gonna be the one who makes it” I was that student for her. Oh, and my composition professor had my class read some of our writing pieces, and he told the next semester’s class about my writing. The next time I had him in class, he handed me a form for a writing contest. 

45. Worst piece of feedback you’ve ever gotten.

I honestly probably blocked it out. Idk, probably that I use too many commas? Or that one of my chapters was written in a passive voice. 

46. What would your story _______ look like as a tv show or movie? 

OH MAN! It would be great and I feel like a lot of the stories I write would be 100 times better on the big screen. 

47. Do you start with characters or plot when working on a new story?

Characters. 

48. Favorite genre to write in.

Contemporary or science fiction

49. What do you find the hardest to write in a story, the beginning, the middle or the end?

The middle

50. Weirdest story idea you’ve ever had.

A coven of teenage witches that were randomly selected to be given magic. Some of them became corrupt with power, and the others found good use for them. 

51. Describe the aesthetic of your story _______ in 5 sentences or words.

Self love, friendship, denial, heavy, heartbreaking 

52. How did writing change you?

It opened my mind to endless ideas and helped me grow. I often didn’t know what I was feeling until I wrote about it. 

53. What does writing mean to you?

It means creating a million versions of yourself and turning it into a lesson or inspiration for other. 

54. Any writing advice you want to share?

Don’t stop. There are so many things you have to tell the world, so tell them. 

[thatsnotcanonpodcasts]

Nintendo America, Comic-Con 2019, Microrobots

Yes, it is that time at last; the latest episode from the Nerds is here, so everyone can relax, the wait is over. Once again, we bring you an awesome show that is jam packed full of the topics that are crossing our desks. First up we bring you news that many of us will find refreshing, Buck does. Now hold tight to your pencils as we tell you about how the all-powerful Nintendo are being sued in a class action because of faulty equipment involved in the Switch. Want to know more to see if this can help you with that dodgy gadget playing up? Well it is the first topic and there is some truly interesting developments arising from this.

Next we have a brief news update from San Diego Comic Con, with the talk from Marvel and also some from DC. No, we still aren’t getting paid by them, contrary to the way it appears. But there are some really cool things coming up to look forward to from both groups. We hear about the Marvel Phase 4 universe and the various upcoming movies. DJ is excited about these and is quite eager to see these unfold. There is the news about the various DC series with some shows seeing a possible end and others announcing the latest seasons.

Next up we need to go grab our magnifying glasses as we look at micro bots. That’s right micro bots, tiny little robots that are going to help change the world. One operates in response to specific frequencies and is called a Bristle bot, totally cool. The other is even smaller and is operated by optoelectronic tweezers (OET), which use light patterns to directly interact with the bots. That’s right – LIGHT FEAKING TWEEZERS!!! Sorry about that, but that is so cool, these bots are so small normal tweezers are too big. Would you like to know more? Well then, you are going to love this, listen to the episode and you will hear a lot more.

As normal we have the Shout outs, Remembrances, Birthdays and Special Events for the week. What do you me and a poltergeist have in common, probably more than you would realise, to find out more head over to our friends at the great new podcast from TNC by that very name (You, me and a poltergeist). Now that is a Segway, now it is time for me to go, time for this to end, but before I vanish let me just say this last little thing. Look after yourselves and take care of each other, stay hydrated and keep Nerdy. Catch you all next time.

EPISODE NOTES:

Nintendo America being Sued

-http://chimicles.com/cskd-files-class-action-lawsuit-against-nintendo-of-america-inc-relating-to-joy-con-drifting-issues/

-http://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/07/class_action_lawsuit_officially_filed_against_nintendo_for_switch_joy-con_drifting_issues

-https://www.kotaku.com.au/2019/07/nintendo-responds-to-sufferers-of-joy-con-drift/

Comic-con Announcements - https://comicbook.com/marvel/2019/07/21/marvel-phase-4-schedule-complete-kevin-feige-comic-con/

Microrobots in cells

- https://www.scienceandtechnologyresearchnews.com/these-u-of-t-researchers-use-tiny-microrobots-to-scoop-up-transport-and-deliver-cell-material/

- https://www.scienceandtechnologyresearchnews.com/tiny-vibration-powered-robots-are-the-size-of-the-worlds-smallest-ant/

Games currently playing

Professor

– They Are Billions - https://store.steampowered.com/app/644930/They_Are_Billions/

Buck

– Company of Heroes - https://store.steampowered.com/app/228200/Company_of_Heroes/

DJ

– Dawn of War 40,000 : Dawn of War - https://store.steampowered.com/app/4570/Warhammer_40000_Dawn_of_War__Game_of_the_Year_Edition/

Other topics discussed

Graphite (a crystalline form of the element carbon)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphite

Nintendo: Quality over quantity

- https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/336293/Quality_over_quantity_is_Nintendos_firstparty_focus_as_the_Switch_nears_year_3.php

Xbox Red ring of death

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xbox_360_technical_problems

PS4 Blue screen of death

- https://www.reddit.com/r/PS4/comments/7byh2i/blue_screen_of_death_on_ps4/

Nintendo 64 joystick injuries

- https://www.cnet.com/news/nintendo-offers-glove-to-prevent-joystick-injuries/

Nintendo 3DS problems and solutions

- https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/common-nintendo-3ds-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/

Simu Liu (Chinese-Canadian actor playing Shang Chi)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simu_Liu

Green Book (2018 film)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Book_(film)

Young Justice (DC animated TV series)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_Justice_(TV_series)

DC Universe Animated Original Movies

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DC_Universe_Animated_Original_Movies

Batman: Hush (DC animated movie)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman:_Hush_(film)

How to make a bristle bot

- https://www.robotgear.com.au/Share.aspx/Post/5

K’nex

- https://www.knex.com/

The optoelectronic microrobot: A versatile toolbox for micromanipulation

- https://www-pnas-org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/content/pnas/116/30/14823.full.pdf

Mu or µ (SI prefix for micro)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mu_(letter)#Measurement

Prey (2002 Michael Crichton novel)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prey_(novel)

Help KyoAni Heal

- GoFundMe link - https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kyoani-heal

Kyoto Animation has opened an account to receive donations

- http://www.kyotoanimation.co.jp/information/?id=3075

Kyoto animation studio and their works

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_Animation

Rutger Hauer (Dutch actor 1944 – 2019)

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rutger_Hauer

"Tears in rain" is a monologue delivered by character Roy Batty (portrayed by Rutger Hauer) in the 1982 Ridley Scott film Blade Runner.

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tears_in_rain_monologue

Shoutouts

18 Jul 2019 - Kyoto animation studio fire - https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/kyoto-animation-anime-studio-arson-attack-1225232

23 Jul 1967 - First successful liver transplant, on 19-month-old Julie Rodriguez by Dr Starzl at the University of Colorado - https://www.express.co.uk/news/obituaries/777849/lives-remembered-dr-thomas-starzl-liver-surgeon-pioneer

23 Jul 2015 - NASA's Kepler mission announces discovery of the most Earth-like planet yet - Kepler-452b, 1,400 light years from Earth - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kepler-452b

Remembrances

23 Jul 1916 - William Ramsay, Scottish chemist who discovered the noble gases and received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1904 "in recognition of his services in the discovery of the inert gaseous elements in air" (along with his collaborator, John William Strutt, 3rd Baron Rayleigh, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics that same year for their discovery of argon). After the two men identified argon, Ramsay investigated other atmospheric gases. His work in isolating argon, helium,neon, krypton and xenon led to the development of a new section of the periodic table. He died from nasal cancer at the age of 63 in High Wycombe,Bucks. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ramsay

23 Jul 1942 - Valdemar Poulsen, Danishengineer who made significant contributions to early radio technology. He developed a magnetic wire recorder called the telegraphone in 1898 and the first continuous wave radio transmitter, the Poulsen arc transmitter, in 1903, which was used in some of the first broadcasting stations until the early 1920s. He died from natural causes at the age of 72 in Gentofte. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valdemar_Poulsen

23 Jul 2012 - Sally Ride, Americanastronaut and physicist. She joined NASA in 1978 and became the first American woman in space in 1983. Ride was the third woman in space overall, after USSR cosmonautsValentina Tereshkova and Svetlana Savitskaya. Ride remains the youngest American astronaut to have traveled to space, having done so at the age of 32. After flying twice on the Orbiter Challenger, she left NASA in 1987. She worked for two years at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Arms Control, then at the University of California, San Diego as a professor of physics, primarily researching nonlinear optics and Thomson scattering. She served on the committees that investigated the Challenger and Columbia space shuttle disasters, the only person to participate in both. She died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 61 in La Jolla, California. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sally_Ride

Famous Birthdays

21 Jul 1951 - Robin Williams, American actor and comedian. Williams began performing stand-up comedy in San Francisco and Los Angeles during the mid-1970s, and is credited with leading San Francisco's comedy renaissance. After rising to fame playing the alien Mork in the sitcom Mork & Mindy (spun off from Happy Days), Williams established a career in both stand-up comedy and feature film acting. He was known for his improvisation skills and the wide variety of memorable character voices he created. Williams has been voted the funniest person of all time. Williams was nominated four times for the Academy Awards, winning for Best Supporting Actor for his performance as psychologist Sean Maguire in Good Will Hunting. He also received two Primetime Emmy Awards, six Golden Globe Awards, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, and four Grammy Awards. He was born in Chicago,Illinois - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robin_Williams

23 Jul 1892 - Haile Selassie, was an Ethiopian regent from 1916 to 1930 and emperor from 1930 to 1974. He is a defining figure in modern Ethiopian history. During his rule the Harari people were persecuted and many left the Harari Region. His regime was also criticized by human rights groups as autocratic and illiberal, such as Human Rights Watch. Among the Rastafari movement, whose followers are estimated to number between 700,000 and one million, Haile Selassie is revered as the returned messiah of the Bible, God incarnate. Beginning in Jamaica in the 1930s, the Rastafari movement perceives Haile Selassie as a messianic figure who will lead a future golden age of eternal peace, righteousness, and prosperity. He was born in Ejersa Goro - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie

23 Jul 1967 - Philip Seymour Hoffman, American actor, director, and producer. Best known for his distinctive supporting and character roles – typically lowlifes, eccentrics, bullies, and misfits – Hoffman acted in many films from the early 1990s until his death in 2014. He began his screen career in a 1991 episode of Law & Order and started to appear in films in 1992. He gained recognition for his supporting work, notably in Scent of a Woman, Boogie Nights,Happiness, Patch Adams, The Talented Mr. Ripley among other movies. He began to occasionally play leading roles, and for his portrayal of the author Truman Capote in Capote, won multiple accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Actor. Hoffman's profile continued to grow and he received three more Oscar nominations for his supporting work in Charlie Wilson's War, Doubt & The Master. Remembered for his fearlessness in playing reprehensible characters, and for bringing depth and humanity to such roles, Hoffman was described in his New York Times obituary as "perhaps the most ambitious and widely admired American actor of his generation". He was born in Fairport, New York - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philip_Seymour_Hoffman

23 Jul 1989 - Daniel Radcliffe, English actor and producer. He is known for playing the titular protagonist in the Harry Potter film series, based on the novels by J. K. Rowling. Radcliffe made his acting debut at 10 years of age in BBC One's 1999 television film David Copperfield, followed by his cinematic debut in 2001's The Tailor of Panama. At age 11, he was cast as Potter in the series' first film Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone, and starred in the series for 10 years, starring in the lead role in all eight films culminating with the final film in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2, released in 2011. Radcliffe became one of the highest paid actors in the world during the filming of the Potter films, earned worldwide fame, popularity, and critical acclaim for his role, and received many accolades for his performance in the series. Following the success of Harry Potter, he acted in other movies such as the Edwardian horror filmThe Woman in Black, Kill Your Darlings, Victor Frankenstein, Swiss Army Man among others. Radcliffe began to branch out to stage acting in 2007, starring in the London and New York productions of Equus for which he received immense praise from critics and audiences alike, and in the 2011 Broadway revival of the musical How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He was born in London - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Radcliffe

Events of Interest

23 Jul 1983 – Gimli Glider:Air Canada Flight 143 runs out of fuel and makes a deadstick landing at Gimli, Manitoba. The subsequent investigation revealed that a combination of company failures, human errors and confusion over unit measures had led to the aircraft being refuelled with insufficient fuel for the planned flight. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider

23 Jul 1995 – Alan Hale and Thomas Bopp discovered Comet Hale-Bopp separately before it became visible to the naked eye. It is difficult to predict the maximum brightness of new comets with any degree of certainty, but Hale–Bopp met or exceeded most predictions when it passed perihelion on April 1, 1997. It was visible to the naked eye for a record 18 months, twice as long as the Great Comet of 1811, the previous record holder. Accordingly, Hale–Bopp was dubbed the Great Comet of 1997. - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale%E2%80%93Bopp

23 Jul 1999 – Space Shuttle Columbia launches on STS-93, with Eileen Collins becoming the first female space shuttle commander. The shuttle also carried and deployed the Chandra X-ray Observatory.

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/STS-93

- https://www.nasaspaceflight.com/2019/07/sts-93-at-twenty-years-planning-to-launch-chandra/

Intro

Artist – Goblins from Mars

Song Title – Super Mario - Overworld Theme (GFM Trap Remix)

Song Link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GNMe6kF0j0&index=4&list=PLHmTsVREU3Ar1AJWkimkl6Pux3R5PB-QJ

Follow us on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/NerdsAmalgamated/

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[larryland]

A 19th century painting of Manchester, VT.

In 1812 Russell Colvin, a farm worker who all agreed was “feeble-minded,” disappeared from the Boorn family farm in East Manchester, Vermont, where he, his wife, and their many children lived with her family. Seven years later two of his brothers-in-law, Stephen and Jesse Boorn, were accused of murdering Colvin, and sentenced to hang. At almost the eleventh hour, a man claiming to be Russell Colvin was identified in New Jersey and brought to Manchester, where everyone agreed that this was indeed the missing man. Charges were dropped.

This is a very brief synopsis of the true story actor Oliver Wadsworth will bring to the stage in The Tarnation of Russell Colvin at the Dorset Theatre Festival for four performances June 8-10, before touring it to Jamaica VT on June 22, Wardsboro VT on June 24, and South Londonderry VT on June 30.

“This is the perfect event to open the Dorset’s 40th Anniversary Season. We created, commissioned, and workshopped Tarnation… right here in the Green Mountains of Southern Vermont. The story is a little-known gem of local history,” Wadsworth explained. “In the present political climate, where people outside the norm feel more ostracized than ever, Russell Colvin’s story–and his miraculous return–is perhaps more pertinent than ever.”

“And I met some descendants of the Boorn family recently,” Wadsworth remarked. “Quite by accident while I was having my tires checked.”

Bringing this story back home, to a place where there are most likely descendants of many the characters Wadsworth will bring to the stage, is both important and intimidating. There were, and still are, several clashing opinions of the Boorn-Colvin murder case. Which side does Wadsworth come down on in his one-man play?

“Each narrator comes forward and says ‘I know absolutely what happened,’” Wadsworth explained. “Everyone weighs in very strongly so I decided to do a kind of Rashomon and take them at their word.”

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“Usually, it’s the winners who get to write the history,” Wadsworth continued. “But in this story the losers get to get up on the platform and tell their story.” There are many published accounts of the case, beginning with contemporary writings and court records from 1819. It was a pamphlet by Leonard Sergeant, discovered in Northshire Books, that introduced the story to Wadsworth, who has had a home in Shaftsbury for fifteen years.

Sargeant didn’t publish his work until 1873, by which time he was the former Lieutenant Governor of the State of Vermont, but in 1819 he was the junior defense attorney for the Boorn brothers, assisting Richard Skinner, who became the state’s ninth Governor. While Sargeant was born in Dorset, where Stephen Boorn lived and farmed off and on during the years between Colvin’s disappearance and the trial, he had not known Colvin.

What made the community decide, seven years after he disappeared, that Russell Colvin had been murdered? Back in 1812 Colvin’s son, Lewis, had been working with his father and uncles when a fight broke out. The boy fled the scene but when he asked his Uncle Stephen later where his father was he was told he had “gone to hell.” Stephen told another person that Colvin was “where the potatoes don’t freeze,” which meant underground. But neither of those remarks raised suspicions then because Colvin had wandered off before. It wasn’t until 1819, when Jesse and Stephen’s uncle, Amos Boorn, a respected member the community, started having dreams in which Colvin’s ghost appeared and told him that he had been murdered and where he was buried, that the idea that Stephen, Jesse, or both brothers were the responsible parties began to take shape.

An 1856 map of Manchester, VT.  Manchester Village is between the H and the E, while the Bourn Brook and East Manchester Road arch over the letters S-T-E-R. What we now call Manchester Center is marked by its original name, Factory Point.

What kind of a place was Manchester, Vermont in the early 19th century? Vermont became the 14th state in 1791, but Manchester was first settled in 1764, when ownership of the land, known as the New Hampshire Grants, was still under dispute by both New Hampshire and New York. The railroads didn’t arrive until the 1850’s so travel was on foot, horseback, horse-drawn conveyance, or by water. Newspapers were few – Bennington and Rutland had the closest – and mails were slow.

Like many New England townships, Manchester was divided into several smaller sub-communities – to this day Manchester and Manchester Center have separate zip codes and post offices – and the Boorn family lived in the more rural settlement of East Manchester, on what is now called the Bourn Brook.

A founding family of the town, the Boorns were not poor, but they had fallen a bit from their earlier socioeconomic standing. Stephen and Jesse were younger sons at a time when inheritance went to the eldest, and Colvin’s inability to support his wife, their sister Sally, and many children made him a drain on the family fortune.

At a time when there was no separation of church and state in neighboring Massachusetts and Connecticut – you could not incorporate a town without a “Christian” church (what we now know as the Congregational Church) and a pastor in residence – Vermont was notoriously irreligious. Manchester Village was home to a Baptist congregation, while a Congregational parish struggled into existence in Manchester Center over the early decades of the 19th century, following several waves of religious revival. The educated and professional elite gradually moved to the Congregational side – the source of much tension in the community – and they were loath to be seen as members of a community that tried murderers on the recommendation of ghosts. The popular Congregational minister, Lemuel Haynes, son of a black father and a white mother, was a great supporter of the Boorn brothers, and in 1820 he too wrote a pamphlet about the trial.

The Reverend Lemuel Haynes

The title page of Haynes pamphlet on the Boorn/Colvin trial.

  Also of importance to Wadsworth was the question of what the theatre was like in early 19th century America.

“I became fascinated by the solo performers of the 1820-1830’s,” Wadsworth explained. “British born Charles Matthews (1776-1835) did a number of ‘Yankee characters’ and dialects on a very successful US tour in 1822-1823, just after the Boorn/Colvin trial. American raconteur George “Yankee” Hill (1809-1849) was another inspiration. I decided that I would be the ‘counterfeit*’ Russell Colvin telling the story, playing all the characters and telling their sides, in the style of those contemporary performers.”

Charles Matthews

George “Yankee” Hill

To that end, Wadsworth carries all his props and costumes in a period carrying case and hopes to perform in front of an authentic painted theatre drape at each venue. “I will ask each theatre what they have locally for a town scene and perform in front of that,” he explained.

The Dorset Playhouse, originally fashioned from two Revolutionary period barns and opened in 1929, has no such curtain, so Wadsworth will travel across the state to Saxtons River, where Main Street Arts holds the most extensive collection of curtains** by Charles W. Henry (1850-1917) from Guilford, VT, all painted between about 1903 and 1910.

  Scenic artist Charles Washington Henry, 1850-1917.

The Charles W. Henry drop Wadsworth is borrowing from Main Street Arts in Saxtons River, VT, for “The Tarnation of Russell Colvin.”

“The rolled-up curtain is very long and it can’t be folded, so I’ve rented a school bus to transport it to Dorset,” Wadsworth laughed. “Henry, who came from a theatrical family, painted incredible backdrops, altering the colors so they would appear accurate in the gaslight they used in theatres then. Notice the blue leaves in the drop I’ll be using in Dorset.”

“I love doing this solo show, but I often find myself playing multiple characters these days,” said Wadsworth, who is headed this fall for Penguin Rep in Stoney Point NY  to appear in a show called Fall River about the Lizzie Borden case where he will again assay multiple roles. “Getting inside a wide variety of characters is a great equalizer. It has helped me develop all sorts of compassion for many different people.”

The Tarnation of Russell Colvin will be performed June 8 & 10 at 7:30 pm and June 9 at 10 am & 7:30 pm at the Dorset Playhouse, 104 Cheney Road in Dorset, VT.  Seven o’clock performances are also scheduled for Jamaica VT on June 22, Wardsboro VT on June 24, and South Londonderry VT on June 30. Click HERE to buy tickets. Written & performed by Oliver Wadsworth; directed by Kirk Jackson; costumes by Richard MacPike; set by Michael Rancourt. Special thanks Main Street Arts; Saxton River, VT; and the Town Hall of Wardsboro, VT, for the loan of the theatre curtain.

*The idea that the man who appeared in Manchester in 1819 was a “counterfeit” or imposter Russell Colvin is one of many. Gerald W. McFarland, in the most recently published book on the subject, The Counterfeit Man: The True Story of the Boorn-Colvin Murder Case (1990), espouses this view in what is otherwise a well-researched and even-handed account.

**Vermont has made an extraordinary effort to locate, restore, and conserve historic painted theatre curtains. Curtains Without Borders, a conservation project dedicated to documenting and preserving historic painted scenery, began in 1996 as a project of the Vermont Museum & Gallery Alliance. The 190 painted curtains, found in town halls, grange halls, theaters and opera houses, were mostly created between 1890 and 1940. They are handsomely documented in the book Suspended Worlds by Christine Hadsel. In 2008/2009, Curtains Without Borders and the New Hampshire Preservation Alliance  collaborated on a survey to locate and document New Hampshire’s collection of historic scenery. Over 140 pieces have now been documented.

  Local Murder Mystery Comes to the Stage In 1812 Russell Colvin, a farm worker who all agreed was “feeble-minded,” disappeared from the Boorn family farm in East Manchester, Vermont, where he, his wife, and their many children lived with her family.

[taafka-invisible]

THE WHITE WRITTEN HISTORY OF SALLY HEMINGS AND THOMAS JEFFERSON

There are no known images of Sally Hemings This is what someone imagined she looked like Source: pinterest

"Sally Hemings, born in 1773 in Virginia, worked on the Monticello plantation of Thomas Jefferson. She was a nursemaid to his daughter Mary and traveled with the family to Paris. Though it was rumored that she had several children with Jefferson, both the family and [white] historians denied the claim. "

Source: http://www.biography.com/people/sally-hemings-9542356#synopsis

"The claim that Thomas Jefferson fathered children with Sally Hemings, a slave at Monticello, entered the public arena during Jefferson's first term as president, and it has remained a subject of discussion and disagreement for two centuries."

https://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-sally-hemings-brief-account

"Recent DNA testing has concluded [for white people] however that Hemings’ children are connected to the Jefferson bloodline."

Source: http://www.biography.com/people/sally-hemings-9542356#synopsis

"Based on documentary, scientific, statistical, and oral history evidence, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (TJF) Research Committee Report on Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings (January 2000) remains the most comprehensive analysis of this historical topic.  Ten years later, TJF and most historians believe that, years after his wife’s death, Thomas Jefferson [became] the father of the six children...[Sally Hemings is recorded as having given birth to] including Beverly, Harriet, Madison, and Eston Hemings. 

Historical Background

In September 1802, political journalist James T. Callender, a disaffected former ally of Jefferson, wrote in a Richmond newspaper that Jefferson had for many years "kept, as his concubine, one of his own slaves." "Her name is Sally," Callender continued, adding that Jefferson had "several children" by her..."

Source:  https://www.monticello.org/site/plantation-and-slavery/thomas-jefferson-and-sally-hemings-brief-account

"Jefferson traveled to Paris in 1784 to serve as the American minister to France. He took his eldest daughter, also named Martha, with him, while his two younger daughters, Mary and Lucy, stayed with their relatives, as did Hemings. After Lucy Jefferson died of whooping cough, Jefferson called Mary to Paris in the summer of 1787. The 14-year-old Hemings came with her. Hemings spent the next two years living with the Jeffersons in Paris, along with her brother, James, who served as Jefferson's personal servant. There is strong evidence to suggest that during this time, Jefferson and Hemings began a sexual relationship..."

Source: http://www.biography.com/people/sally-hemings-9542356 

* * * * * LOOK HERE: A 14 year old girl who is owned by a forty-plus old white man cannot "begin a sexual relationship" with someone who owns her. I'd argue that a 40 year old slave cannot "begin a sexual relationship." Both of those relationships are rape because the slave has no choice. And raping a 14 year old makes Jefferson a pedophile or something one half step a way from being a pedophile. Some will argue that "women got married younger back then" The lack of consent aside, I've traced my family's history and the women consistently got married between 19 and 21 years of age. It's amazing how consistent my family's history is on my mother and my father's side. Jefferson raped a child. Period. When white historians lie and shade history in their own favor they make movies where Sally is a curvy woman seducing her master. 

This is a still from the movie JEFFERSON IN PARIS.  

The black female stereotype in white imaginations everywhere has the black girl as overly overtly and overly sexual from a young age -- as compared to innocent white girls. For centuries this has made it easier for white historians to believe a man can own a woman and still have the relationship be consensual enough to call it "an affair." In 12 YEARS A SLAVE, a black filmmaker makes sure that there are two realistic depictions of black women "voluntarily" having sexual relations with white men in the film. 

One of the stories in the movie is about a woman who slept with her white master and kept him happy to save her own life and eventually her children's lives -- which worked until he died. In the movie, we meet her after she's been sold as a result of his death. Her children are taken away and sold elsewhere. 

The other black woman, played by Alfre Woodard, smiles at the white owner has pleasant sex with her in exchange for dressing her in fine linens and letting her sit pretty and drink tea on the porch while he works. This black woman tells Lupita N'yongo's character that there's a special place in hell for all the white slave owners -- because the filmmaker has this character recognizing herself as raped. 

We'll never know how a 14 year old girl like Hemings responded to being forcibly raped or blackmail raped or seduced-by-owner rape. The thing we do know is that the white washing of history has left Thomas Jefferson as one of those superior caliber white men in the minds of white people.  And anything that white historians add to white supremacy is deadly for black and brown people.  Donald Trump riding a wave of white supremacy into the White House along with the subsequent rise in hate crimes is proof of this.

Previously unpublished data by the university’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism show that hate crimes in at least six major urban centers, including New York City, Chicago and Columbus, Ohio, registered double-digit increases last year.

Among them:

 New York City notched an uptick of 24 percent in hate crimes, the highest in over a decade.

 New York state had an increase of 20 percent.

 Chicago saw a rise of 24 percent, the highest since at least 2010.

 Cincinnati, Ohio, saw hate crimes jump by 38 percent.

 Columbus, Ohio, reported an increase of nearly 10 percent.

 Montgomery County in Maryland, adjacent to the nation’s capital, had an increase of more than 42 percent.

 Seattle, Washington, registered an increase of 6 percent in malicious harassment.

http://www.voanews.com/a/us-hate-crimes-rising-particularly-in-big-cities/3756604.html 

THE ACCURATE TELLING OF HISTORY MATTERS. 

Yeah, history means "his story." The victor (dominate-er) gets to frame the narrative more often than not. But sometimes a lie is a lie is a lie when someone is deliberately white washing history.

Read the fine print.This movie is about Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings. And the full title says, "Sally Hemings An American Love Story." And then below the title,  "Bound By Slavery Freed By Love" 

This DVD/Movie cover doesn't just reflect a lie being told about Sally Hemings. The white history articles and white history books and white history movies mentioned above reflect the widespread lies that white people have been telling themselves about the horrors of slavery for centuries.  This movie SALLY HEMINGS AN AMERICAN LOVE STORY has 4.5 stars out of 5 star rating and is being sold on Amazon.com right now. White people are still telling themselves that white supremacy and slavery was not the horror that it was. Make no mistake, the cotton was being picked in the south, being processed into material in the north, and sold to Britain. All of the white people in these areas benefited greatly from slavery. American and British capitalism and wealth was built on slavery. We are all benefiting from it to this day (some more than others) That's why so many white people are STILL very invested in making slavery look less horrible than it was. It's ridiculous that www.biography.com and monticello.org have romance language or white-washy neutral arrangement of language that hides the fact that Jefferson in Paris at 44 years of age while Hemings was 14 when he sent for Hemings (his wife's half sister) the in the very same year his wife died. There's no romance here or anywhere there's ownership of a black girl child --- depicted as grown woman in white movie after white movie and a white history book near you.  Bottom Line: Your history source always matters.

Furthermore, 

the personal history of your historian matters

which includes that person's 

race, ethnicity, and gender. 

Some historians try to overcome their personal history and some do not. White people have a crappy record of refusing to overcome their personal histories in an attempt to tell an accurate history. Furthermore, many white historians cannot separate the description "American" from description "white people" when writing about history which is another discussion altogether. Black people, brown people, and especially white people should read about black history written by black people. You should always read a people's history from one of it's own. When that's not possible, make sure to check and double check what's being said by getting multiple sources....and even then find a source of history from the same demographic that's being reported about.   When you get down to wanting to know about black women specifically, refine your sources even more. Read about black women's history as written by black women. Because male supremacy is real too, inside and outside the black community. I learned all kinds of things about Martin Luther King, SNCC, and Marcus Garvey's wife Amy Garvey that I'd never heard before thanks to the writings of black women.  * * * * *  And now, a black view of Thomas JeffersonHeadline

The Real (Despicable) Thomas Jefferson

---> Michael Coard

  Apr 9, 2016

 READ IT HERE: http://www.phillytrib.com/commentary/the-real-despicable-thomas-jefferson/article_1bbc31a3-74dd-573f-acb0-ad38ab7bc7da.html THANKHERFORSURVIVING.BLOGSPOT.COM

http://thankherforsurviving.blogspot.com/2017/03/the-white-written-history-of-sally.html

[revlatte]

Holding out hope?

Let me share with you a brief history about my car ownership….

 Car One was a 1989 White Pontiac Sunbird. It was my cousin Starla’s car. I had tons of great memories in that vehicle. Well, after my friend Mike and I stole my brother’s car for a joy ride and Mike totaled it, my brother then took my car. Once he returned the car, it was on its last leg. I had less than three months of enjoyment in that car before it died on Laurel Bush Road. I remember that day, my Mom drove past my friend Evan and I as we were flagging down a police officer to help us figure out what was wrong with the car.

 For the rest of high school, I would bum rides with folks in the National Honor Society, my Dad would give me rides, and sometimes, I could drive my parents’ cars to school.

 As an undergraduate student at the University of Tennessee, I did not have a car at first during my freshman year. My family would provide rides when and as they were able. I will never forget the day I tried taking the bus to my doctor’s office off of Middlebrook Pike in Knoxville, Tennessee. I waited for what seemed like hours for the bus to come back and pick me up. It never came. I called my Aunt Missy to give me a ride and as always, she was there. I would get up at 5 AM every morning, eat breakfast, then walk 2. 6 miles from my dorm to the Police Training Academy where I was a cadet. Shortly after arriving, we would be forced in to “PT.” Clearly, I was already exhausted. I was also a full time student. In the afternoons, when I was lucky, family would arrive to pick me up.

 Later that semester, my Uncles, Aunt Frances, and Gma pitched in to get me my 2000 Ford Focus ZTS. She was beautiful! Cranberry with Black tinted windows. I loved her.

 By the Fall of 2008, she was on her last leg. FORD – Fix Or Repair Daily – Found On Road Dead. Issue after issue with her. I had put on over 160,000 miles in the four years she and I were together. She was sold to a man with a sob story. He got over on me and my Dad.

 From that point on, I would drive my Dad’s Buick LeSabre when he let me. On Mother’s Day 2010, a pastoral colleague of mine sold me her 1997 Honda CRV for $1. What a blessing! I LOVED Sally (that was the CRV’s name). Sally and I rode for a long time.

 By the winter of 2011, it was clear I needed a much reliable vehicle. A vehicle with some stronger heat would be fantastic! Trying to branch out on my own, I purchased a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. It was a great car but boy was that gas expensive! Nevertheless, it was my car. I had the CRV for getting around town and the Impala for longer trips and business. Well, issues began creeping up with the Impala. The car dealership would not fix them though I had a warranty. As I started to look at the loan paperwork, I realized they lied! By the time I went back to the dealership, they had closed. No one could be found or contacted. I was stuck with this car with serious mechanical issues and there was no one to talk too. I stopped paying on the car because I wanted to give it back! They paperwork was wrong. The car I purchased did not match what was on the paperwork. A year and many states later, the car was repossessed.

 Facing this repossession, terrible credit, but having a great job and nothing in savings created a ton of issues. My “only option” was another car loan, high interest rates, and $2500 down. I called my parents for help. They gave me the $2500 and an earful and I got the only car I was able to qualify for on the lot. A 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix. Again, I was upside down in a car loan and paying way more than what the car was worth. What were my options? I had to get to work in something reliable. From the beginning, there were issues with this car. When driving it, I could feel something slipping in both the brakes and transmission. My partner at the time did not have a job, verifiable income, and even worse credit than I did. We, like many working poor, were in a corner.

 Working poor? How did I get from being solidly middle class to being a college educated member of Phi Beta Kappa with a Master’s degree and graduate certificate from Harvard? I was now the working poor. The mental anguish and emotional weight of this realization was tough.

 Well, we traveled back down the road in our old “hoopties” to Knoxville, Tennessee. Once there, my Uncle helped me get out of the mess with the Grand Prix, which was beginning to have issues. My cousin took it, once it was paid off, and was excited just to have transportation. The CRV was acting up and it was time to go. A tree fell on top of her and ended her life.

 Inevitably, the call to my Mom took place. I was in a tough spot. Again, my partner had little to nothing to contribute. My Mom and Uncle mulled over the possibilities. My grandmother has extra vehicles sitting at her house, that was an option. Taking my Mom’s car was an option. My Mom was considering buying a new car and letting me have her car. That was an option. Finally, it ended on my Mom giving my Uncle $10K for his son’s car. This car was my Uncle’s former work vehicle, so, it was relatively reliable. Now, I was in debt to my mother, again, for a vehicle.

 Within just a few months of getting the car, my partner and I both began to notice some very serious issues. Had some folks check it out and there were serious issues with the transmission. Estimates were $6-9K for the full repairs. Fuck. It was time to sell. My partner could not legally drive due to her seizures when we first got the car, so having the one car worked fine. Now, we were in a different situation.

 We sold the car that my Mom bought for me and used the cash to buy two cars: a 2000 Cadillac Deville and a 1998 Cadillac Deville. We took a friend who “knows cars” with us to buy both vehicles. He looked at them and test drove them and said everything looked great and he had no reservations.

 The 98 Deville began giving us problems and the window stopped rolling down. We got it fixed and poured over $1500 in to repairs and inspections. The 00 Deville was fine at first. Great air conditioning, smooth ride, and then it began overheating. Over $3000 went in to fixing that car until we realized we couldn’t drive it for longer than 15 minutes without serious overheating and leaking. Damn. We got taken on both vehicles. Eventually, the 00 Deville died on a back road one day and we fixed the 98 up enough to be able to give it to a friend. Those cars gave us over 2 good years of use. In the midst of this, my former partner left in the middle of the night and I had both vehicles. That sucked…

 As I was fleeing from Asheville and re-configuring life, it was clear that I needed a more reliable form of transportation. The 98 Deville had been my go-to vehicle for years but had been getting more and more tricky to navigate. It broke down on the way back from the Trump Rally in Hickory, North Carolina and I realized at that point, it was time for something else. Something better.

 Once I was offered my new position, my partner and I began to research our options for a better, more fuel efficient, vehicle that could be used for the family and work. I purchased a 2014 Nissan Altima with 28,000 miles. It was the only car on the lot that I was approved for, that worked in my budget, and the auto loan company (GM Financial) would approve. Initially, the offered me a payment for 72 months. It was my goal to pay off the car within a year and use my January 2017 bonus to pay it down substantially. All was well. Until the place I was working was weeks late to getting me my first paycheck, thus making me late on my initial car payment. Again, when I was fired they were over a week late in processing payroll (most likely due to cash flow issues), which caused me to be late on the car payment, again.

 Now, I am in a situation where I am typing this post and looking at on the car and wondering what the future is. What is the future for Black Cherry (the name of our car)? What is the future for me? How will this story end? Of course, Black Cherry needs some TLC and maintenance. Who can afford that?

 I recall the auto industry getting a bail out but what about the American people? What about people like me? Folks who are over qualified for most jobs and would have to work at least two full-time jobs just to break even? Folks like me who are now the working poor? What do we do? Where is there hope?

 Why should you care about me and my car issues, my car history, what does this all mean? I don’t know…because I am a person? Because this story could be you? Maybe it’s just to witness the immense amount of pressure and stress that I, and others like me, deal with on a daily basis. Unemployed, unemployable with stacks of bills to the ceiling, medical debt, student loans, rent, utilities, car payments. No, I’m not asking for a hand out, maybe a sustainable plan and bail out. I called GM Financial and they said I could: get someone to “drive and pay” (take over the payments), ask family members for a loan (are you serious?!), sell the car and pay the difference (voluntary surrender/repossession), or work harder to find a job. That must be it, I must not be working hard enough to find a job.

 Having a car as  reliable transportation is a privilege and I am grateful to have the privilege of transportation. I just wish it wasn’t so damn hard to live and be in this society.

 It is true that Obama saved the American car industry. What are we doing for the American car industry consumers?

 I’m struggling just as many are struggling and somewhere deep inside of us, we are hoping for a better future. For a future with more ease, stability, and peace. I have to hold out hope that is possible, somehow, someway. Until then, I will continue to do whatever possible to keep Black Cherry in the family. Somehow, I have to muster up the strength to believe in hope. The struggle is still real....