#Also there are plenty of 'women in tech' we don't need more 'women in tech'

[manic-pixie-dick-girl]

Fun fact: there is a difference between "coding" and "programming", and even "software engineering". And if someone starts talking about "coding" or "coders" you can assume they don't know what you're talking about.

Tldr "coding" is the physical act of writing code and it's only one tiny part of making computer software. It's the easy bit, tbh.

[freesia-writes]

Chapter 18: Unrequited

During the Clone Wars, the Bad Batch is tasked with a variety of missions across the galaxy. An unexpected addition to their team throws a wrench in the mix, particularly for Tech, who finds a particular connection with this disillusioned Padawan-turned-mechanic named Vel throughout the events in this action-adventure romance. COVER ART BY @zaana!!

Master List of Chapters

Author's Note: this was my first fanfic ever, y'all! :D I can see all kinds of flaws and things I'd improve, but it's still a fun read, in my humble opinion! ;) I did have to edit a bit though -- the number of contractions in Tech's dialogue in the first edition had me shuddering! ;) And it's amazing to flesh it out a bit more now that I've seen all of TBB S2; this was written in the middle of it!

ALSO — a fantastic reader, @ghostperson69, suggested two songs that fit the vibe of this chapter: “Hole in the Earth” by Deftones and “Cloud Nine” by Evanescence. 😍

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Now," Terrik said, returning to Vel, "Perhaps you could use some fresh air?"

Her mind was racing, and she realized she hadn't actually thought through how to go about charming him once he actually did notice her. Thank the Maker, however, her prolonged silence worked in her favor, as Terrik took it as aloofness.

"I actually own the place," he said, in a thinly-veiled attempt to impress her. "There's a private garden balcony right outside where you can get a little break from all the riffraff that's been nipping at your heels all night." So he had noticed. She inclined her head a tiny bit, as if assessing him for a moment, before allowing a small smile.

"Lead the way," she said. He immediately offered her an arm, beckoning to a service droid as they strolled out of the dance hall and down a side hallway. Two large doors opened onto an elegantly curved patio that was filled with lush greenery. Trellises covered with creeping vines and purple flowers provided a living roof over the space, where exotic plants of all kinds reached toward the sky from their pots.

Vel inhaled deeply, calming herself with the rich array of floral scents. Terrik watched her chest rise with the breath, quickly averting his eyes when she looked back to him. A shiny black and gold service droid rolled out after them, carrying a spotless tray with an ornate glass bottle and two intricately carved glasses.

"Merenzane gold," Terrik said grandly as he poured a generous serving into each glass. He returned the bottle to the tray, took the two glasses, and offered one to Vel. She accepted it smoothly, alarm bells going off in her head, and watched as he waved the droid away. "Have you ever had it before?" he inquired casually.

"Of course," she said, swirling it in her glass but nearly spilling it out a side. She wasn't fooled by his question -- he was trying to determine if she came from money or was just trying to appear affluent. "But it's always a welcome sight. Although," she laughed lightly, "It often gets me into trouble."

"Well," he chuckled, "We'll have to make sure to keep an eye on you then, won't we?" He grinned at her, and she could tell it was the move that had melted an army of women before her. She needed to play it just right, leading him on just enough, and she gave a brief smile as she returned to her drink, taking a carefully small sip. She felt clumsy and tingly, and it took a disproportionate effort to keep her composure.

"There's plenty where that came from," Terrik continued, gesturing to her glass with his own and making a show of taking an exuberant swig. "No need to parse it out."

"I like to enjoy it," Vel said, cringing inwardly at the words that came to mind next, "You know, it's so smooth on the tongue. You miss out on that if you don't play with it a little bit first."

Terrik raised an eyebrow, although he was no stranger to this kind of talk. She was difficult to discern, however, and a refreshing change from the obvious, fawning sort he had become so accustomed to. He was never one to pass up an opportunity to connect with other well-to-do citizens, especially if the connection involved both money and pleasure.

She moved to the balcony railing and leaned on it gently, walking slowly to avoid stumbling and also to make her hips sway slightly more than usual. "So, what is it you do around here then?" she asked, putting a slight hint of boredom into her words as she waited for him to join her.

***

Tech lowered the macrobinoculars, laying on his stomach under the balcony railing, and turned to the team behind him. "They are engaged in conversation two floors below us," he reported, "But I am concerned about Vel's amount of inebriation. The attempt to blend in has resulted in more consumption than I believe she is accustomed to."

"This will be fun to watch then," Crosshair said silkily, leaning against the doorframe as he scanned the rest of the outside of the building.

"She'll be fine," Hunter said, "We just need to get into that lab."

"Why don't we just start trying doors?" Wrecker asked, sprawled on a lounge chair. "This is taking forever."

"We absolutely must avoid anything that could raise any suspicion," Tech responded, scooting back to peer over the edge at Vel and Jouren below them.

***

"A chemist! Really?" Terrik exclaimed, showing some genuine interest at Vel's made-up story. "And what did your father do in that field?"

"He worked for a refinery," Vel replied, finishing her glass of amber-colored trouble. "I used to love going to work with him and seeing all his potions. Especially the ones that would explode," she laughed, trying to balance the allure with just the right amount of brainlessness. It was becoming easier with each passing moment.

"Ah, a little evil scientist yourself, eh?" he teased, leaning closer to her now. "And what sort of nefarious plans did you concoct over the years?"

"Oh, you know, the usual," she answered lightly, tilting her head and demurely rubbing the back of her neck. He made no attempt to hide his gaze. "But I'm afraid I'd have to kill you if I told you my evil master plans." She had a quick internal argument over the ridiculousness of the whole situation, wishing she were still on the dance floor with Tech. 

"Well... we can't have that," Terrik crooned, placing a hand on her lower back. She stiffened for a moment before forcing herself to relax, tipping her chin up at him with an unfazed confidence. From the balcony above, Tech felt his stomach lurch, and his grip tightened on the macrobinoculars as he pondered the implications of his physical reaction.

"No?" she asked, forcing herself to lean into him gently, taking hold of his lapel with her fingers, "Well then what should we do for fun around here?"

"I have a few ideas," he mused, reveling in the feeling of having her on his hook. "But I have a feeling you won't be impressed by the usuals." He traced a finger along her jawline, coming to rest on her chin, "Why don't you come with me?"

He turned, beckoning toward the door, and walked beside her, leaving his hand on the small of her back, slightly lower than before. Tech watched them disappear inside the building, then rolled onto his back, springing to his feet at once.

"I do not like this, Hunter," he said emphatically. "There are simply too many extraneous variables to trust that this particular strategy is a secure endeavor."

"You just don't like someone getting their hands on your girlfriend," Crosshair needled.

"She is not my girlfriend," Tech countered, "But that Pantoran is exhibiting a dangerous level of manipulative behavior, and I find his intentions difficult to discern and equally unwise to trust."

"He's probably taking her to the lab right now," Hunter said. "As soon as she activates the marker, you can do your job and the rest of us can go get her if needed. It'll be fine. Just stick to the plan."

Tech resigned, feeling displeased and unsettled by the anxious protectiveness rising within. He pulled out his datapad, confirming the program was ready to go, and hung it on his belt at the ready. 

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[jedipoodoo]

Love Knows No Season (Sergeant Hunter x OC, Wild West AU)

@queenquazar @dilpickledd @the-shadow-of-atlantis @themaridenstationchronicles @allwhoponder

Word Count: 5066 (H O W ? ? ?) Notes: Hypothermia, sickfic(ish), pining but they're too obtuse to realize that the other is pining too. Crosshair 110% says "y'all" y'all are just cowards.

Saachi was quite surprised to find the Sheriff was at the door when Missus Secura asked her to answer it. She was quite embarrassed that she hadn't put more effort into making sure her hair was brushed, but it had snowed heavily the night before and she wasn't expecting any of the ranch hands to show up.

"Is everything alright, sir?" She asked.

Sheriff Hunter floundered for a moment, "Is that how you greet everyone?" He asked.

"It's the badge, Hunt," Echo gave Hunter a meaningful nudge as he wheeled himself around his brother and into the house.

Hunter glanced down at the lapel of his dark overcoat, with the golden star pinned just over his heart, and quickly took it off, shoving it in his coat pocket.

"Well come on in! Don't let all the heat out!" Mister Secura chuckled good-naturedly, and Saachi stepped out of the way to let Echo and Hunter into the kitchen

"Echo, Sheriff, this is a pleasant surprise," Missus Secura smiled, offering them the plate of cinnamon rolls, fresh from the oven.

"Didn't mean to interrupt anythin', ma'am," Echo nodded, and gratefully accepted the pastry, "We just wanted to invite Yulia and Saachi to come skating with us this morning."

"That sounds wonderful," Yulia gasped and took Saachi's hand. Despite standing over the stove for the past hour, her fingers were still freezing, "Have you ever been skating before?"

"No, I-I don't believe I have," Saachi tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"No need to worry," Echo gave Hunter's arm a solid whack, "Hunter can teach you plenty!"

"Would it just be the four of you, then?" Missus Secura asked, mindful as always.

"No ma'am," Echo sat up straight, "the rest of our brothers will be there too. We're teaching Megan how to skate today as well."

Saachi and Hunter on their own would be an appropriate pair to chaperone Yulia and Echo as they pursued their courtship, but no one would question the integrity of the local doctor in addition to the Sheriff's vow of honor.

"Come on, let's go get ready!" Yulia, still grasping Saachi's hand, pulled her from the kitchen and up the stairs to her room. It was like she knew her parents were going to day yes. Saachi's father and stepmother back home would have required several more rounds of interrogation before possibly considering Saachi being around four men all day, even if they were more friends than strangers.

The Fett boys, however, were no strangers. Saachi had been staying with the Securas in Pabu Creek for the last five months, traveling around Marauder Valley helping any women in need of a midwife or any kind of medical care. In doing so, she'd gotten to know Pabu Creek's Doctor Tech, Yulia's sweetheart Echo, and their brothers quite well. Not to mention their little sister, Megan. Megan was well-versed in medicine, and had helped Saachi and Yulia once or twice. Sheriff Hunter had also escorted them all over the valley, and helped them out of a sticky situation more times than Saachi would care to admit.

"Here, wear this," Yulia handed Saachi a fluffy red scarf.

"What, why?" Saachi wrapped it around her neck anyway, she needed the warmth.

"It matches the one the Sheriff was wearing. Plus, it's a good color on you," Yulia winked.

Saachi hushed her quickly, "He could hear you!" Yulia just laughed all the louder, and brushed Saachi's hair, pulling it back into a smooth bun that could easily fit under a bonnet.

Saachi rolled her eyes. Yulia's attempts at playing matchmaker were getting more and more overt, and Saachi didn't know what to do about it. It had been six months. If the sheriff was going to make a move on her, he would have done so by now. But Saachi didn't mind, not one bit. She was happy simply to spend time with Yulia and the others.

They came back downstairs, bundled tightly. and Yulia took their thicker bonnets from the coat pegs to tie below their chin.

Saachi fumbled with the strings for a moment, trying not to tie her mittens in a knot.

"Let me," The sheriff offered. He took the strings from her hands, tying them in a secure knot just below her chin.

"Thank you, Sher- Hunter." Saachi corrected herself.

"Anytime," Sheriff Hunter held out his arm to her, escorting her down the stairs of the Secura's porch to the sleigh he and Echo had ridden in. The two horses, Havoc and Maudie, waited patiently, delicately pawing at the snow as Hunter helped Echo down the stairs in his wheelchair.

Havoc was a dark gray stallion, with gruff neighs and whinnies. Maudie was a mare with soft yellow fur and mane, and she kept blinking at the brightness of the sun reflected on the bright white snow.

Hunter and Yulia helped Echo into the back of the sleigh with some blankets, and hung his wheelchair off the back of the sleigh. Hunter slipped into the front bench next to Saachi. With a click of his teeth, he urged the horses forward, and theytook off at a brisk trot down the road towards the Fett Family Ranch.

Saachi watched the snow around them, watching it sparkle in the morning sun against a clear blue sky.

"No one ever talks about how bright the snow is. Just how it's always cold, and wet," Saachi spoke quietly, trying not to interrupt Yulia and Echo's conversation. They were adults, they could talk about whatever they wanted.

Hunter grunted, and Saachi thought that would be the end of their conversation as the sleigh hissed across the top of the icy drifts.

"Sometimes it takes seein' something for yourself to see the beauty in it," He said.

Saachi felt the inner urge to keep the conversation going, but she had no idea of what to say next.

"What's your home like?"

"What, the ranch?"

"No no, not your house here, but, you said once that your family came from the Maori islands, right?"

Hunter nodded. "Rotura. New Zealand."

"When I came to America, we stopped in Auckland on the way over. It was pretty small."

"Auckland is not New Zealand," Hunter shook his head, "That's the British New Zealand."

"Right," Saachi gave a deep exhale, watching her breath frost on the crisp air with the awkwardness.

Fortunately, the Fett Home came into view as they rounded a copse of naked trees. Wrecker was outside, chopping wood, and little Megan was helping him, hollaring and waving as the sleigh came up the hill.

"Wrecker, what's she doing out without her coat on?" Hunter sighed and climbed out of the sleigh. But before he went over to give Megan a little push back inside, he offered Saachi a hand out from under the blankets and furs that cushioned the seats.

Wrecker shrugged, and tossed some more logs on the wood pile, "She seemed fine! She was having fun making the snowballs." He pointed to the piled next to the front door.

"She's a kid, Wrecker, she'll get sick faster than we will," Echo explained patiently. Wrecker helped him out of the sleigh and into his wheelchair, helping him through the tracks left by his chair from earlier in the morning.

"How are you going to skate with us, Echo?" Saachi asked, walking alongside Echo's chair.

A loud clattering from the barn, followed by a prolonged moo from the cow, Lulabelle, answered her question. Tech stumbled out, carrying another big, bulky chair in his arms.

"I believe this one will suit our needs rather well!" He proudly announced, holding it up as high as he could with the bulky shape.

Megan threw open the door to the house, now wrapped up in a long, woolen overcoat, with a scarf, gloves, and a thick bonnet like Saachi's and Yulia's.

"Who's ready for ice skating!" She whooped and grabbed Saachi's hand, taking off at a sprint down the hill from the house to the lake.

Omega skid to a stop at the lake's edge, and Saachi nearly crashed into her, both of them studying the ice in great detail.

"So how do we do it?" Omega asked, gasping for breath.

Saachi shook her head, "I don't know."

Still holding Saachi's hand for good luck, Megan stretched out her booted foot, placing it solidly on the ice. Nothing happened. Megan leaned forward, placing her second foot on the ice with it. She gave a little bounce to see if something would happen, and her feet slipped out from under her, and she landed on her rear.

A sharp whistle pierced the air, and Saachi watched Crosshair, the last and most aloof of the brothers, approach with two pairs of shoes with blades attached to the bottom.

"I think this will make it more fun for y'all."

"What's that?" Megan groaned, pushing herself back on her feet and rubbing her bum.

Crosshair waved the smaller pair of skates at her, and Saachi noticed a third pair slung over his shoulders, "This, kid, is the 'skate' in 'ice skate'."

Saachi helped Megan off the ice again, and Crosshair showed them how to lace up the skates as Wrecker and Tech helped Echo down the hill with his new chair.

The seat was the same wicker frame as Echo's wheelchair, but instead of the wheels, the framework beneath the seat was attached to two handles, much like the brake in a railroad engine, so that Echo could steer the ice skates at the bottom of the framework.

Yulia laced up her own pair of skates and was the first one on the ice after Echo. While he figured out the mechanics of his new chair, Yulia took Megan's hands and led her out on the ice. Megan's feet almost slipped out from under her, but Yulia kept a firm hold on her, showing her how to position her feet and keep her balance.

"Where's Hunter?" Saachi glanced around, but couldn't see the Sheriff who had brought them there.

"He's puttin' the horses in the barn to stay warm," Crosshair winked at her, "You're welcome to wait for 'im if you want 'im to show ya a few moves..."

Saachi's face flushed with warmth from her chin to the tip of her nose, despite the cold. Did everyone know that she was sweet on the Sheriff?

"Wrecker! Can you show me how to skate?"

"Me?" Wrecker was momentarily confused, but it was quickly replaced with a grin as big as the Grand Canyon, "Sure thing!"

Keeping her hand on Wrecker's arm, Saachi carefully pulled herself to her feet. She could balance a sword on her fingertip, she could balance her body on a single blade. She placed her feet on the ice just as Yulia had told Omega, and let Wrecker lead her across the ice.

Her legs wobbled a bit, “How do you move on these?” she asked. 

“Like this!” Wrecker shot forward, yanking Saachi with him. Saachi squealed and hung on to Wrecker’s arm for dear life as she was dragged across the ice with him, her feet flying out from under her as she tried to get a semblance of balance.

Yulia laughed as Wrecker skated past with Saachi and tow. She was skating lazily, using Echo’s chair like a cane to keep her balance. Saachi caught a glimpse of Crosshair’s smirk and turned to shoot a rude comment in his direction, only for her grip to slip from Wrecker’s arm and send her tumbling face first into a thick leather jacket.

Hunter caught her under the elbows, holding her steady until she got her feet under her. Wrecker didn’t seem the least bit apologetic for his shenanigans.

"Thanks, Wreck," Hunter said, his voice low and his eyes never leaving Saachi's, "I got it from here.”

Wrecker laughed, “If you say so, boss!” He skated over to Megan, much more gracefully than one would expect of a man his girth.

Hunter took Saachi’s hand and tucked it into the crook of his elbow. His arms weren’t as big as Wrecker’s, but they were firm and warm, and it kept her hand tucked up against his warm chest. Saachi tried to place her second hand there for a more secure grip, but Hunter gently pushed it away.

“You’ll need that to keep your balance. Here,” He gave a little push with his skates, and he almost pulled away from Saachi before she pulled herself after him.

“Start with smaller strokes, it’s easier to keep yourself from fallin’ over. Watch me,” He pointed down at their feet. Though his feet moved almost diagonally as they pushed against the ice, his body kept moving in a straight line. Saachi matched her steps to his, slowly but surely gliding across the ice. Now she was starting to see why this was enjoyable. 

Hunter led Saachi around the perimeter of the lake, helping her get accustomed to the movement and letting her find her balance.

“You know how to dance, right?”

Saachi blinked up at him, “Do you?” She demanded.

Hunter chuckled and spun himself in front of Saachi. Still holding her hand, he was skating backward as he led her in a lazy Figure Eight.

“C’mon now, you didn’t think we’re that uncultured out here did ya?”

Well, the Secura’s did host a dance from time to time,but Saachi couldn’t think of a time she’d seen the Sheriff dancing at one.

Before she could come up with a witty retort, Hunter gently pulled her in closer, holding her hand in his and placing his free hand on her waist. Saachi fell into dance position easily, and without missing a beat Hunter glided through the waltz steps– one, two, three, one two three –and spun Saachi under his arm.

Like any upper-crust lady who’d been taught how to dance, Saachi anticipated the move, lifting her right foot just above the ice, and rising to the tip of the blade of her skates. She wobbled on such a small area, but Hunter held her firmly, and kept her from falling.

Saachi landed with her back against Hunter’s chest, both his hands clutched in her, and the others applauded their show.

“Well done,” Hunter whispered in her ear. Unable to do anything but giggle childishly, Saachi gave a curtsy to her dance partner.

Megan laughed, more than confident enough in her own abilities as she skated by, grinning at Saachi and Hunter, like she knew something that they didn’t.

The sound of a gunshot ripped through the air, and everyone paused for a moment. When no one reported any injuries, they all relaxed, but Megan stayed frozen.

It turned out Saachi was warmed by more than just the movement required for skating. The ice was getting thinner, creating a spider-web of cracks beneath Megan's feet.

"Help me," She whimpered.

"Wrecker, you and Echo get off the ice," Hunter said. Everyone began talking at once, Wrecker protesting trying to say that he could help, Yulia trying to make her way over to Echo, Crosshair skating towards Megan as fast as he could, and Tech drawing closer as he tried to tell Megan how she should avoid falling through the ice.

"Everyone shut up and stop moving!" Hunter barked. His voice sent the birds scrambling away in the trees.

"Wrecker, you're too heavy. We need as many of us off the ice as possible."

Wrecker and Yulia helped Echo get his chair off the ice, and slowly Tech made his way to the edge of the lake.

“You too Cross,” Hunter said. Crosshair tried to move closer to where Omega was, but he was still halfway across the lake, and Saachi and Hunter were already closer to Megan. Finally, he gave up, and joined the others on the snow.

"Yulia, get us a stick or something!" Hunter waved a hand at the woods. Yulia stumbled through the snow, growing slushier with each passing second, and Crosshair was right being her, trying to find a stick the perfect length to reach Megan.

"Just stay right there, Megs, it's gonna be okay," Saachi smiled at her, trying to ease Megan's racing nerves as well as her own.

"Spread out your body weight, Megan, it will keep the ice from cracking faster!" Tech said.

Megan was balanced precariously already. The more she stared at her feet, the faster the cracks seemed to appear.

"Here!" Wrecker passed a stick as tall as Crosshair to Hunter. Hunter tossed it over to Saachi who held the stick out to Megan.

"Grab on, kid," He nodded urgently. Saachi held on to the other end of the thick stick, providing a counterbalance for Megan's weight and lifting her off the ice just slightly.

"Now what?" Saachi asked.

Hunter scrambled for a bit, trying to put his thoughts into words.

"We've got to swing her over to the edge of the lake, or at least off the weak part of the ice,"

Saachi nodded, wondering if she had the strength to do that on her own. She and Hunter were both too scared to move, any movement could make the ice crack faster and send them all into the frozen water below.

Strength, she almost certainly had. She'd picked up Megan and stacks upon stacks of encyclopedias at the library dozens of times before. It was her balance that was in question.

Saachi's breath frosted in the air, clouding her glasses as she gathered her strength. As best she could, Saachi swung the stick like a cricket bat, launching Megan at the lakes edge. She let go of the stick in the process, stumbling forwards and landing on her hands and knees.

Everyone heaved a sigh of relief as Tech caught Megan under her arms, helping her to her feet.

Saachi braced her hands on the ice to stand up, only to realize that this patch of ice was much darker than the rest.

She fell face-first into the freezing water without a chance to gasp for air.

"Saachi!" She heard everyone screaming her name, but all she could see was the dark water around her. She tried not to scream and lose what precious air she had left, kicking and searching for the surface as her fingers began to grow numb and the cold stabbed at her skin.

A stick jabbed her in the stomach and she grabbed it on instinct, trying to push away the offending object, but instead it tugged her upward, into the biting wind.

Saachi gasped for breath. By some miracle her glasses were still on her face, though her thrashing had pushed them down the tip of her nose. She could make out a clump of blurry shapes with Hunter's orange coat and the red knit hat and scarf Omega had made him. He was crawling towards her on his belly, across the ice, a death grip on the stick they'd used to save Megan.

"Take my hand!" He yelled. Megan and the others were also yelling, asking if Saachi was okay or what they could do to help.

Hunter shoved his hand in Saachi's face so she wouldn't miss it. Her fingers fumbled, unable to quite bend around his hand in a firm grip. Hunter gave a small tug, pulling her a bit farther out of the ice, allowing him to grip her wrist tightly.

"Wrecker! Grab my feet!" Hunter called over his shoulder.

Wrecker cautiously made his way across the ice, only stepping on the solid white parts as before he leaned forward, grabbing Hunter by the ankles.

The ice held beneath Saachi as the biting cold became slightly less cold as she was carefully pulled out of the hole in the ice.

"Good, good, keep going!" Hunter said, though the encouragement didn't feel directed at anyone in particular. Saachi reached for him with her free hand, digging her fingers into the leather of his coat as best she could. As her fingers slipped, Hunter seized her other wrist.

"Hang on, sweetheart, just a bit farther," He gasped, glancing over his shoulder. Wrecker had reached the lake's edge, giving Hunter the confidence he needed to move a bit more freely and pulled Saachi closer, wrapping her up in his coat and placing his had on her head. The laces of her bonnet still hung around her throat, like an icy necklace, and her waves had slipped from her bun, freezing against her bare skin.

"I'm getting her inside," Hunter was on his feet before Wrecker could offer to carry Saachi, following their footprints back to the door of the cabin.

Saachi blinked her eyes, trying to get rid of the icicles that were starting to form on her eyelashes.

"Hey, hey, hey!" Hunter said. It was almost the same tone that he used with the horses when they were acting up, but this sounded much more worried.

"Don't fall asleep on me, keep your eyes opened," He urged. His warm breath fanned across her face. It was a pathetic breeze compared to the snowfall, but it kept Saachi's nose from freezing.

Hunter kicked open the door and set Saachi in the rocking chair closest to the fireplace. The fireplace itself was down to the embers

"Karking hells-!" a mixture of all his sibling's names poised at the tip of his tongue, but he settled for growling instead. He tossed three logs on the embers, only to snuff out what was left of them.

He cursed again and grabbed the matches from the mantle. He tried once, twice, three times before the flame caught, and he pressed it up against the wood.

The fire spread slowly, too slowly for Hunter's liking. He yanked the blanket off of Megan's trundle bed and went to wrap it around Saachi, only to realize that she was still shivering in her wet clothes.

Yulia finally caught up.

"Do you have any spare clothes she could use? We need to get her things dried off."

Hunter climbed up the ladder to the loft, tossing down another blanket and his nightgown, thick linen for the cold months.

Yulia drew the curtain that gave Megan's little bed some privacy as the others made their way inside.

"Which one of you was dumb enough to let the fire go out in the middle of winter!?" Hunter snapped.

Tech huffed, offended, "Well, you are the one who said we should always be careful to put out a fire before leaving it unattended."

Megan giggled as Hunter floundered like a fish out of water.

"Hey Hunter, you still have your skates on." Wrecker pointed out.

"How'd you make it up the hill like that?" Echo murmured what Saachi was thinking.

Yulia helped Saachi peel her frozen things off her body, rubbing her hands against her arms and legs every so often.

"You alright?" Yulia asked, "That was a bit of a shock."

Saachi shook her head and pulled on the nightgown, "Und-d-ders-t-tatment of th-the cent-t-ury."

Saachi was quickly settled in the rocking chair in front of the fire and wrapped up in a pile of blankets. Echo and Tech escorted Yulia back to the Secura’s farm so she could grab some of Saachi’s things and explain that they needed to stay with the Fetts until Saachi was better, and Crosshair and Wrecker were seeing to the cows and the other animals on the ranch.

Megan, having been assured that it wasn’t her fault that Saachi had fallen through the ice, was asleep on Saachi’s lap, since Saachi was using her blankets. Hunter poured some water from the kettle into a bucket for Saachi’s feet, and used the rest to make some tea.

“Thank you,” Saachi whispered.

“Nothing like Indian tea, to be sure,” He joked, “But it’ll warm ya up.”

Saachi smiled up at him, and he quickly glanced away to hide his own smile.

“What was that for?” She asked, trying not to jostle Megan.

“Nothin’,” Hunter waved it off and sat on Megan’s bed with his own cup of tea.

Saachi wasn’t sure she wanted to take the man at his word. He had run up the hill in skates to get her to safety, and the water in the bucket was already warm before he added more.

If she wanted to find out if the Sheriff was sweet on her, like Yulia and Crosshair insisted, it was now or never.

“Sheriff, are you trying to court me?”

Hunter was quiet for a moment, then a chuckle echoed in his tin cup, “Have been for the last six months, but I was beginnin’ to think you weren’t interested.”

“Not interested?” Saachi asked.

He shrugged and set his cup aside. His winter things were hanging up to dry, leaving him in his suspenders and the work shirt that hugged his toned muscles from years of riding and hard work. He took Megan from Saachi’s arms and placed the girl in her bed with a blanket from one of their brothers.

“I thought you were trying to let me down easy, all polite and stuff.”

“Let you down, for what?”

“Well, escortin’ you to the carriage and walkin’ you around the town, makin’ sure you had the things you needed for your work, tryin’ to invite you to all the dances and stuff that Echo takes Yulia to, things like that.”

Hunter ran a hand through his hair and tucked the blankets around Megan a little tighter so she wouldn’t shiver in her sleep, “Maybe I wasn’t bein’ bold enough, like Cross said. But Wrecker said he thought I was doin’ good.” He sat on the floor next to Saachi’s chair and added another log to the fire.

"I thought you were just being nice! All the men back east do those things for women all the time."

"And you never thought they were flirtin' with ya?"

Saachi felt a heat in her cheeks that wasn't from the fire and laughed lamely, "Well, not really."

“Don’t worry,” Hunter tucked one of her curls into her braid, brushing her cheek with the pad of his thumb as he did so, “I still think you’re smart.”

Saachi glared up at him, her nose scrunching in a way that made him chuckle, the opposite of her intended effect.

Hunter pushed himself up onto one knee so that he could rest both his hands on the arm of the chair, next to where Saachi clutched her cooling cup of tea.

“Miss Saachi, I would be honored if you let me court you properly. Once you’re all better that is.”

Saachi felt the warmth from her cheeks soaking into every muscle in her body, almost as if she’d never fallen into the freezing water.

“I’d be honored, Sheriff Hunter.”

He smiled, sitting back on the floor. “I promise, once the snow starts to melt, I’m gonna pick you the most colorful bundle of wildflowers you ever saw.”

“Now that’s a high bar to reach, Sheriff,” Saachi teased, “I’ve yet to see any wildflowers on the Western Frontier that can match the lotuses of India.”

“Oh really?”

Saachi chuckled, "Tell me about your New Zealand, and I'll tell you about my India."

Hunter smiled wistfully. “Well, one of my oldest memories is of rotten eggs.”

“Rotten eggs?” This was not nearly as romantic as Saachi thought it would be.

Hunter laughed, letting his head roll back as he stretched out his legs, “Rotura is built on an old volcano. The sulfur and gasses eek out, and make the city smell worse than the British do.”

Saachi slapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her own laughter. The British had left their fair share of trash all over Saachi’s beloved home too.

“At least most of the British don’t want to settle there because of the smell, and those who are born there are used to it.

“And it’s not all bad. There’s lakes everywhere, more than I knew how to count as a kid. And the hot springs too, like Yosemite.” 

“Did you ever visit them?”

“All the time.” Hunter pulled one leg to his chest, resting his arm on his knee, “I definitely miss them during the winter months.”

“I could use a hot spring myself,” Saachi said, “During the monsoon season, it never stops raining, but it never got this cold.”

“So you’re a good swimmer, then?”

Saachi gave Hunter a glare as playful as the twinkle in his eye. “I’m good at swimming when I’ve not been taken by surprise. And the floods in India don’t chill you to the bone like the snow does here.”

“Fair enough.”

“I much prefer the summer, when the mangoes ripen and you can sit in the branches and eat your full without moving an inch.”

“Yeah, me too,” Hunter said.

Saachi looked into his eyes. The heat from the fire dried out her eyes, but Hunter’s bright brown eyes carried that same glow of warmth without the searing pain. She wanted more of that warmth, of that glow.

He almost seemed to be getting closer, or at least he would have, if the door hadn’t been thrown open with a chilling gust of wind as Yulia burst in, Echo and Tech in tow.

Yulia froze in the doorway, noting Megan asleep on the bed, and Saachi and Hunter leaning conspicuously towards each other.

“Are we interrupting anything?” She asked, a musical lilt in her voice.

“Nope.”

“No ma’am.” Saachi and Hunter both insisted.

“Well good,” Tech pushed past Yulia with Echo’s chair, “Because Missus Secura sent us home with enough stew that even Wrecker should go to bed full.”

“Well that’s good,” Hunter said, trying not to sound embarrassed.

Echo and Yulia were not as easily deterred, and both of them watched Saachi and Hunter with knowing looks. 

Saachi refused to dignify their teasing, and bent over her tea, which had gone cold.

“Here, let me get that for ya,” Hunter offered before she could even ask. 

His finger brushed against hers as he slipped the cup from her hand, and Saachi’s heartbeat stuttered in her chest.

So this was what it felt like to be courted by the Sheriff.

[fantasy-fields-danger-zone]

Hazbin Hotel bitty: Normal Alastor bitty

Normal Alastor bitty

Name: Alastor

Size: 7 - 8 inches tall(6-8 feet tall sized shifted)

Personality: Calculating, semi easily entertained, sassy,

Likes: Cat/cat like bitties, venison, meat in general, jambalaya, cooking, radios, cooking and crime(true or otherwise) shows/podcasts/radio shows,

Dislikes: Dogs/dog like bitties, not being in control, modern tech, Val bitties,

Compatibility: They always try to make a deal with their owners pretty fast, if not directly after they're adopted! They dont like feeling like they have no power, but do NOT make a deal with them until you know you can trust them fully! It's an awful idea to give an Alastor bitty power over you before you trust them-

They hate tvs! until they find out about cooking and/or crime shows- we recommend cooking shows- its better to give them ideas for the kitchen and not for the graves lol

They do NOT get along well with other Alastor types, they can manage being around certain Vox types, though it's best to keep them as separated as often to avoid to many issues if you do choose to have them in the same house, they do do better with soft or angel varients of Vox bitties though! Though as long as they dont fight for power they tend to be able to manage any bitty! But it is still best to get the Alastor bitty first and let them settle in and get comfortable before trying to introduce another bitty they may butt heads with

At the center they tend to try to make deals with many bitties, Nifty and Husker bitties are usually the ones they drag with them as they refuse to leave any bitties they made a deal with, though they have been found making deals with every bitty type from an Adam to a Vox to plenty of non-Hazbin Hotel or Helluva Boss bitties!

After they trust and grow fond of their owner they will become nothing but a gentleman to them! Though it will make them want to make a deal with them more if they havent already because they want to be the man of the house!(no they dont care if their owner is also a man)

They have a preference for being around women as they tend to find men 'brutish', though luckily the soul bond means you dont have to worry about not getting along with them! On the other hand they dont like being in a house with no women and they tend to get along faster with fem presenting bitties,

They can summon their radios and mics, though they can only have one mic at a time, and they only let those they trust the most touch it, so if you are allowed to touch their mic without them biting, stabbing, or hurting you in general, then congrats! they trust you! we do not recommend using this as a way to test if they trust you.

They hate being touched without consent, especially by people they dont know, god forbid if they dont like them-

Although most Alastor types can also teleport, this isn't a reliable form of transportation due to the energy it takes,

Alastors are finicky and picky when it comes to most modern things, but will adjust if they absolutely have to

Alastor bitties have a hard time getting attached to anyone or anything, going into full denial mode if they ever catch themselves doing so, so if you ever cant find your Alastor bitty, they're probably hiding away, while this isnt always the reason they'll hide it very well could be! As they will try to convince themselves that the attachment they are forming isnt worth it in some way or try to convince themselves that they can use it to get to whoever they are becoming attached to,

Alastors hate hate hate not being in control at any given moment, they always feel the need to be one step ahead of everyone, even if they don't actually have anything against him he won't believe that probably-

While they are commonly on the aro/ace spectrum, i'd like to remind you that they are bitties and not all of them will be aro/ace or sex repulsed(though they will not like it being spoken about openly, dont be crude!)

They're very compatable with Rosie bitties! They get along amazingly with their gal pals!

While he'd be protective as anything he saw as 'his', including 'friends', though he'd never call them friends, he'd call him his, tough rarely they will call someone his friend

Though you'll never know if he really does see them more as friends(unless actually called his friend) or if he does see them more like property, it's always hard to tell with them, though if it ever gets to the point he'd put himself in danger to protect someone he'd be panicked at the thought and be sent reeling from the fact he cares,

So they find it hard to make actual friends, though it's not impossible as Rosie bitties are proof of that!

He's kinda openminded, he doesnt care if you're gay or trans but he's not gonna see a trans man as the same as a cis man which kinda helps trans men, though that doesnt mean he doesnt see a trans man as a man, he just sees them as a 'better man', though he does see trans women on a similar level as cis women, he's from the 30s you get what you get with these lil deer men lol

They have a fondness for jazz and swing music, the 'latest' music he'll listen to is yet more jazz or electro swing,

They hate domestic abuse, child abuse, animal abuse, and any other kind of abuse- even if they're compatible with their owners if their owners are ok with those sorts of things all bets are off, they arent afraid to nearly die via killing their soul bond, though they will also fight someone on the streets if they suspect them of any kind of abuse, which can easily get bloody,

They can be ok around kids, they'd never hurt them, but once they're over it they're over it and will be finding someone else(luckily at least someone trustworthy enough) to watch the kid/s, it's not that he thinks he's better than them, he just gets annoyed easily and would rather teleport away than be around a screaming kid-

Alastors are also suuuuper condescending, sometimes they don't mean to be it's just their natural state lol,

Alastors will tolerate almost anything as long as it's entertaining to them, As in- watching over a child even if he isn't particularly interested in it because the child has a tendency of doing the stupidest things And he finds it funny Or even dealing with Vox types, not 24/7 though its a lot easier for him to find being around a Vox bitty entertaining if theres no Val or vel bitties around

Alastors also dislike the kind of talk Angel Dusts typically do That topic of conversation is an ick for them Some Alastor's are better than others but it's best not to push your luck Like, he'll put up with it sometimes but if its a constant(aka he cant avoid it at all) then he hates it

However Alastor's also tend to think making people upset or hurting others is very entertaining so be sure to keep your Alastor entertained in other ways so they don't resort to this adopting something entertaining to him(like a wobbly cat or wobbly bitty) can help lmfao, or any bitty/pet that does stupid things in general honestly,

Alastors with Husk's are also somewhat easier because they'll just badger Husker and he can't do shit about it lol, Same with if you have a Nifty around, they find her cute and entertaining They also tent to find Charlie bitties cute/entertaining but they rarely have deals with them, though that doesnt change much Having a Rosie around helps too but she comes with her own 'problems' lmao

if you can ever get your Alastor bitty to like a show, then that is literally the only time they wont break your damn tv when ur trying to watch it too lol,

You will need at least one or two radios in the house if you get an Alastor bitty(Luckily they do come with 4 radios in their care kits-) Or even podcasts might entertain him if you can't get a radio straight away things like true crime shows(or podcasts you can listen to o n a radio) are a fav for them lol Though be careful with that because it will give them ideas…. cooking shows entertain them too! it's the best you can do if you dont want them listening to aything that'd give them any unsavory ideas That is the only TV thing they will ever deign to watch If only to bitch about how they're not doing it right

they LOVE bad cooking shows so they can feel like they're teaching their owners/other bitties better gives them a good ego boost too,

Speaking of other bitties, you must be so so careful introducing your Alastor to new people Things can go bad so quickly Even bitties they are compatible with can become enemies if they're not introduced properly

it's best to introduce them somewhere the Alastor bitty doesnt consider theirs for starters and it's best to make sure the other bitty has a peace offering that the Alastor bitty would like and its best to make sure when the new bitty gets home that they know where not to go already, so they dont intrude on where the Alastor bitty doesnt want other bitties they dont consider theirs to be

they can already use shadow friends after 2 deals with other bitties so if they have a nifty and husker(or just 2 other bitties already) then u got a bit more mischief to worry about already lol

Also he will kill and eat bitties that piss him off if you don't have enough respect/'affection points' with him to where he wouldn't because you'd be upset

He doesnt get stage shy, he just like singing old songs/jazz songs(at the newest electro swing music) to himself, so you wont hear him sing suuper often(well, not loud enough where you can hear it well) it gotta have a jazz vibe,

any good mother dying would make him cry, so movies like Dumbo or Bambi get the waterworks going, though they hate crying but they like watching movies/shows with good mothers!

They'll fuck with tvs/other electronics like smart devices, lord forbid you have an alexa and a roomba- he'll only fuck with it long enough to make it where he can 'release the hounds' with it- and if he's not size shifted to be human sized he'll ride around the roomba- so there is that, but he'll fuck with it enough to use it as a way to get around-

Getting him something like an RC car would actually put you in his favor, with his magic he can control it like an actual car and drive around! It's actually one of the ways we 'entertain' them at the center lol, theres a bitty sized town we let them roam around in(and drive) at the center to keep them entertained(theres plenty of little areas like that at the center honestly, it's just not talked about a lot lmfao, so have a lil lore drop :])

Alastors need their own private space where even their owner won't(or can't due to being too big) come in without permission They will go batshit insane (more than usual) due to this and the fact most if not all of them want to get enough deals to be able to size shift(if not already human sized- since ima make the Bara ones like over 6 foot, tho i also like the idea of them all being small and having to work to get biiig) they want to have a whole room to themeselves, like yeah they get when they smol they cant use a lot of stuff they ask for(bed, closet, books, a radio, etc) but they have plans!!

Alastor bitties probably love cooking and baking and dislike frozen foods like, they wont fuckin eat frozen foods(unless its like frozen meat for storage or something like that)

Alastors are big planners But also simultaneously impulsive Somehow they will plan years in advance, but will do some fuckery for fun in the meantime, though, if you have made plans with your Alastor bitty, do not cancel. esp if its last minute, like, if you have an emergancy sure they can understand but if it's a 'i dont want to' YOU HAD MONTHS TO SAY YOU DIDNT WANT TO they can sometimes be a little bit of a hothead,

They also prefer being the 'top dog' of all the bitties in the house, it ties in with their wanting to always be in control. They can't be in control if there's someone more powerful than them! its another reason they want to make deals with their owners, buuut if you make him feel like he can at least teach you things, then he will put up with it,

In this same vein this is why they don't particularly get along with Lucifer bitties like, they can if they have been there awhile and the Luci bitty comes in later, since then the Lucifer bitty wont feel like they have to be in charge,

At first, do NOT try to put to many rules in place if they were house rules that everyone had to follow they'd be okay with it But yeah rules for no reason other than to limit Alastor? Nope, they will break every rule to spite you specifically

Having the Alastor for awhile(like to a point you can trust them enough to make a deal with them) is the best way to make it where they can be compatible with other bitties with exceptions but if you have an Alastor for awhile, especially if he can be trusted to have the ability to size shift(tho there are some that gain that ability despite their owner not trusting them) then the Alastor is comfortable and tends to take the role of the 'man of the house', regardless of if their owner is a man or not, Like, if he likes his owner enough he'll even cook for them!

Alastors are SO gentlemanly Like to his own detriment lol He will be less wary with girls and yk that's not exactly a good thing People are all different after all he's always kind to women to a fault, opening doors(even if it takes a lot of energy bc they cant size shift yet), cooking for them(once again even if he wears himself out) and doing house work(once again, even if it wears him out) it takes men longer to get to that point, but they literally have to be compatible to form a soul bond and you cant adopt a soul bond bitty without forming the bond!

Alastors may get perturbed if you don't have an escorts when you go out depending on their level of gentlemanliness Especially as they get bigger and can be your escort, good luck escaping him which usually, by that time he's 'chilled out' and is protective over you enough that the main thing you have to worry about is the fact he wont let people he doesnt like the vibes of near you and will try to do things for you(like if he doesnt like the vibes of the cashier he'll check out and let you go out to the car or somethin lol)

Luckily with their soul bonds they already see their owner as theirs, so they tend to prefer their owners over anyone else regardless of if they're fully comfortable with them, they already know they get along so they're more confident being around them, This also means regardless of gender they'll be as much of a gentleman to their owner as any random woman,

Feeding habits: They have, odd tastes, to say the least, they prefer raw meat, and prefer to kill whatever they're eating even more so, though if they like someone they will go through the effort of cooking, but they usually never give it to them directly unless they're comfortable doing so,

They are omnivorous with a preference for meat,

Additional info: They can size shift! but only after having enough deals made or after they make a deal with their owner, as well as the ability to use magic in general! The more deals the stronger their magic is,

They soul bond to their owners, so you'll always know if you're compatible with them as they come to you! A soul bond is a two way bond, while a deal is a one way bond(giving the bitty power over you, which is good if you trust them! not so much if you dont-)

Zone: Inside,

In Universe: They are seen as strange and taboo, but many do like them due to how much a gentleman they are,

Difficulty: Advanced - Expert

Features: Alastor from the show

(this is super ooc just so ya know but still! If you see anyone with an Alastor bitty that isnt aro/ace dont come for their fuckin kneecaps guys they're bitties they're made to be funnnnnn)

[deaddropcrime]

Hello future friends!

I'm new to true crime podcasting but not to true crime or true crime podcasts. Like plenty of other true crime podcast hosts, I'm a long time fan of the genre. By the time I was in 9th grade family and friends were buying me serial killer books and those big tabloid books with crime scene photos. Thankfully, my tastes have matured.

These days I prefer podcasts that feature folx who have expertise and experience solving real life crimes. Real Crime Profile & Crime Analyst, of course. I stan Laura Richards hard. Women & Crime and The Prosecutors are two more great examples.

I'm also one of those people that collects interesting friends. I'm a magpie at heart and I do weird stuff, so I meet some really interesting people. Recently I noticed that conversations I was having with one of my dear friends was the sort of thing that would answer a lot of people's questions that come up around some notorious cases in the true crime world.

That's because this friend of mine was a spy. He made me stop introducing him that way because it freaks people out, but he totally was. What he told me about his experiences was nothing like I thought as an outsider to the intel community. When I started asking him questions about details common in cases that people think might be tied to covert activities he had fascinating answers.

So I got him to agree to doing a podcast, under a code name and with his identity concealed, of course...

And the codename he picked for himself is the name of a historical spy he finds inspiring: Francis Walsingham. Spymaster for the Queen is certainly #lifegoals, so I can't argue.

Francis is a veteran of the US military. When he was actively working in the intel field he held top security clearances and, of course, still has friends and contacts throughout the intel world. He worked with the US State Department, several combat commands, and enough alphabet agencies that you kinda zone out when he lists them all.

To be clear, Francis was not a real life Bond (we're gonna get into 007 on the podcast, don't worry). Francis is the guy who told Bond where to go and was nearby armed and waiting in case things went wrong with the plan. Usually that didn't happen. He's also been the guy who rescues trafficked women from a shipping container. And the guy who gets fitted for a suit in the morning to wear to an opulent party that night. Being in intel demands diverse skills (he says some version of this all the time). Signals was his specialty, though, which kinda seems like the highest stakes AV club/tech support job imaginable.

It all sounds really exciting, right? But for people in the intel world, it's just Tuesday. They have good days and bad. Sometimes that spirals into something that changes the world.

Now you may have noticed a lack of medical and scientific expertise here. Francis has combat medic training, I dabble in herbal medicine, but we needed more than that. I realized it when we were elbows deep in research for our first case. It's one that there's been a lot of talk about, and one of the first cases I thought of when it comes to spy theories.

Enter:

I called on an old friend, who asked to be known as Dr. Cain for professional reasons. He has worked in academia for most of his life, educating many young minds on the mysteries of pathology and critical thinking.

He agreed to look over any medical records in our cases and to send in reports for us to use on the podcast. We may not be hearing from him on every episode, but when Francis and I get in over our heads, we'll be calling in the doctor.

We also have the help of a Tech Human who handles all the behind the scenes stuff, but they refuse to be introduced. They are also very stubborn and technically they are in charge of this crazy train. I just host , write episodes, and run the socials. ;)

(Artistic rendering of our Tech Human.)

And that's our team! We're very excited to dig into these cases and share fresh perspectives with our listeners. <3

[golleecosmetics]

Although being pregnant can be a lovely, exciting time, it can also be very stressful. While pregnant ladies are naturally beautiful, they enjoy enhancing their appearance! So many women find that treating themselves to specific beauty procedures may make them feel like millionaires. And there are several concerns regarding the safety of getting lash extensions while pregnant. Pregnant women who wish to receive lash extensions may hesitate to schedule the procedure because they are unsure of its safety. When getting procedures done while pregnant, it's best to check, and you can never be too careful. So let's find out if getting lash extensions while pregnant is possible. Pregnancy and lash extensions: safety Client safety should always come first for lash technicians! What other health and safety concerns should lash technicians take into account? We are all aware of the significance of taking care of things like making sure clients aren't allergic to the lash adhesive we use. Are lash extensions safe during pregnancy? It is a question we get a lot, and it makes sense. Questions about the safety of eyelash extensions during pregnancy are sure to come up at some time in your career because the bulk of a lash tech's clientele are women. By going through this helpful blog post about lash extensions during pregnancy, you can ensure you have the information you need to avoid confusing yourself or your client. Going the additional mile can make all the difference; you can be sure your compassion will be recognized and rewarded through loyalty and recommendations. We also provide some priceless ideas on ensuring your pregnant customer is as comfortable as possible during the lash application procedure. * Pregnant women can wear eyelash extensions because they are a non-invasive beauty procedure. As a lash artist, you must take the necessary safety procedures when doing the procedure. It is always advised for clients to speak with a licensed medical professional before obtaining eyelashes while pregnant. Is getting eyelash extensions while pregnant dangerous? There may be some danger when having lash extensions while pregnant, as with other things. Dos and don'ts for pregnant women are plentiful such as avoiding caffeine. But when it comes to lash extensions, things aren't quite so cut and dry, for better or worse. Lash Glue A pregnant client would want to avoid getting their lashes done during this time as there isn't enough information available about how to lash glue can damage the baby in the womb. You've done your bit in ensuring that your client is aware of any potential hazards as long as you are sincere when describing the uncertainties surrounding lash glue and pregnancy. The glue used in the bonding procedure is the primary source of worry when it comes to receiving eyelash extensions while pregnant. It also can adversely affect the adhesive used for eyelash extensions. You must understand the makeup of lash adhesives in order to explain how an allergic reaction to the lash adhesive could happen. Eyelash adhesives contain a variety of ingredients, including: Coloring agentAdhesive ingredientStabilizing agentThickening agent… and more The main component of eyelash extension adhesives is cyanoacrylate, which is frequently used as an immediate adhesive. Cyanoacrylate is an acrylic resin that, when left alone in the container, exists in a liquid state but quickly polymerizes when exposed to water. A chemical reaction occurs when a single molecule interacts with water; the molecules start to build long, sturdy chains and settle into a hard solid form. What relevance does this have to an allergic reaction, then? Formaldehyde is the most frequent cause of allergic reactions. When cyanoacrylate cures, a chemical called formaldehyde is released during the polymerization process. When the airborne formaldehyde concentration is greater than 0.1 ppm, some people experience negative effects.

These side effects include: Watery eyesBurning feeling in the eyesA coughVomitingSkin irritability However, there are strategies to reduce this risk! To lessen the smells that lash glue generates, you can follow these steps: Have a well-ventilated lash room Most women's smelling sensitivity increases during pregnancy. They become more aware of many substances, including chemicals. Your lash salon should have good ventilation to keep the fumes away. Most women find it difficult to tolerate the glue's scent, and this is because there is inadequate ventilation. Apply less glue Applying too many adhesives increases the likelihood of your client becoming more irritated by the fumes. When you think about it, it's actually quite simple: the more glue you use, the more fumes you release, so use less adhesive overall for better outcomes. Use a sensitive lash glue. Because it will keep the extensions in place and strengthen them, the right glue for eyelash extensions is crucial. The finest eyelash adhesive for your clients will rely on their preferences among the various wide varieties available. For clients who are sensitive to glue, some lash adhesives are created especially for them. Sensitive adhesives often provide less retention than some adhesives that are stronger. In order for the clients to maintain their lashes, they might require more regular refills. It is crucial to consider the glue's quality as well. Cheap glues may irritate the skin and potentially increase allergic reactions. You need to use premium glue that won't harm their eyes. Do a Patch test Prior to the lash extension process, a patch test should ALWAYS be performed. Although allergic reactions to eyelash extensions are rare, expecting mothers and others who are new to the world of synthetic lash extensions are advised to undergo a patch test. It is for the purpose of determining whether they might respond to the adhesive used to apply eyelash extensions. Even if a pregnant woman has never experienced any problems previously, patch tests are still highly necessary. If they previously had no history of allergies, they are less likely to develop one while pregnant, but it is still vital to perform a patch test prior to the application. How come? Due to the limited medical treatments that are safe to employ while pregnant, treating allergies during pregnancy can be challenging. What, then, is a patch test? The application of a few lash extensions (about 10) to the outer corner of one eye serves as a painless and risk-free patch test. This test is designed to determine whether the trace amount of formaldehyde causes an allergic reaction. You should monitor the region for any indications of irritation or redness within the following 24 to 48 hours. The procedure can be carried out without concern for allergic reactions or discomfort during or after the procedure if there is no redness or irritation. Treatment must not be administered if there is any indication of redness, irritation, or swelling. *** Do not recommend medications; you don't have medical training. Always suggest to your customer that they consult with their doctor before getting lash extensions. After a patch test, if there is irritation, you'll need to think about some other options. If an allergic reaction occurs, remove the eyelashes. The best course of action is to remove the extensions as soon as possible if your clients suffer an allergic reaction after receiving eyelash extensions. In the event of a severe allergic response, they should seek immediate medical attention. Additionally, those who have previously had an allergic reaction are more likely to do so again. Because of this, it is advised to stay away from lash extensions and choose different options. Do not accept new clients that are pregnant. There is a difference between a regular customer who has had lash extensions for some time and becomes pregnant and a pregnant customer who wants lash extensions for the first time.

It is less likely, though still possible, to suddenly develop an allergy to the lash adhesive. Because it's impossible to predict how a pregnant woman will respond, getting her lashes done for the first time is thought to be riskier. You might give the new client a comprehensive explanation of the circumstances and ask them whether they still want to proceed. You should, at the very least, run a patch test. In order to reduce the possibility of any eye irritation for your clients, the adhesive must cure as quickly as possible. Using a Nano mister can complete the process in only a few minutes. Your clients can open their eyes without being shocked by jarring smells, thanks to the soothing mist. As this is still a requirement for many because of Covid-19, asking your client to wear a mask during their appointment shouldn't be seen as too unusual. The difference between a decent and a fantastic customer experience may definitely be made by taking these few extra steps to support your client. An allergic reaction to lash glue The issue of allergies is a major worry for several lash artists when applying lashes to pregnant clients, and it makes sense why. Unfortunately, because of the risk to the unborn child, it is recommended that we avoid using a variety of medications while pregnant. If the client were to get an allergic reaction to the lash adhesive you're applying, this might be really dangerous. Some women might want to stay away from lash extensions while expecting because they have fewer options for medications they can use to manage and lessen the consequences of an allergic reaction. What if you've previously given them extensions? An allergic reaction, which is an example of a continuous allergy in which the body develops a defense against an allergen, can occur to anyone at any moment, as we are all aware. The simple answer is that nothing is sure because the body goes through so many physiological changes during pregnancy that it's difficult to predict how it will react to items it generally tolerates. What to do if a client has a lash allergy? The most important thing is to inform your clients not to rub their eyes. The eyelashes and the eyelash line may itch for a variety of reasons. It's crucial to avoid scratching irritated eyelashes because doing so could aggravate or even infect the area. When a client comes in with an eyelash extension allergy, it is best to remove the lash glue from their eyes as soon as possible so that the allergy does not worsen. If their allergy worsens and becomes infected, they should see a doctor. Lying on their back pregnant You may not have thought about the posture your clients are in when getting their eyelashes applied. The issue arises because clients typically lay flat on their backs as they apply for extensions. Here are two things you should consider: Your client can comfortably lie on their back as usual if she is less than 20 weeks pregnant.Your client cannot comfortably lie on her back if she is more than 20 weeks pregnant. After 20 weeks, or almost halfway through the second trimester, pregnant women are warned against laying flat on their backs. Applying the client's lashes, as usual, shouldn't provide any significant difficulties or risks if she is still in the early stages of pregnancy. However, there are some actions you can take to make sure they're both as comfortable as possible and aren't endangering their baby when they're a little farther along in their pregnancy: Your lash bed should be tilted.Give them a pillow to put under their legs for comfort. Have clients take a break Allow a few breaks when applying the extensions; this could be as simple as letting your client stand up and walk around the room for a while or sit upright on a chair in between applying extensions to each eye. Pregnant women frequently experience agitation and discomfort, which may be brought on by the baby's size.

You should be aware of the possibility that you won't be able to finish the procedure without pausing. You need to schedule brief breaks throughout the session so you can both get some fresh air, unwind, and use the restroom. Even better, you can decide to apply an eye and then take a lengthy break to decompress, unwind, and eat. These brief breaks would make your client's appointment run more smoothly. * To avoid being late and stressed up for your other clients, factor extra time for lashing a pregnant client into your appointment plan. Watch out for your client's expectations regarding hair growth and hair loss during pregnancy. Pregnancy-related hair loss and hair growth are individual experiences for each woman. The retention of their eyelash extensions may be impacted by hormones. If you inform them in advance about potential retention problems, they won't be as shocked if the results aren't what they expected. Some of your clients might gain hair when they are pregnant. This suggests that their extensions can grow out too long much more quickly than they are accustomed to, necessitating more regular fills. You should inform clients who have just given birth or who are planning to do so about hair loss and how it may damage their eyelash extensions. After giving birth, many women experience hair loss, which means that they will also lose their extensions. Pregnancy affects every woman differently; you might advise a customer about hair growth or loss only to discover that pregnancy has little of an impact on her hair. In any case, it's preferable to inform your client than to catch her off guard. She won't be disappointed by unexpected results if she manages her expectations. Final Thoughts There you have it, then! While it's impossible to give a definitive yes or no response to the question "Are lash extensions safe during pregnancy?" We do know that there are steps you can do to lower the risks and that many women do continue to get their lashes done without any issues at all! Simply put, it's crucial to be absolutely transparent about these dangers so that your client may make an informed choice. Although lash extensions won't damage a pregnant woman in and of themselves, it's important to consider any application-related hazards, such as fumes from the lash adhesive, the client's position, and the possibility of an allergic reaction. It can take more time, effort, and planning on your part to work with pregnant clients. Making ensuring they are at ease and remain healthy while receiving their lash extensions is your top priority. That calls for going above and beyond to make sure customers have a wonderful experience. However, the extra work involved in lashing a pregnant client is worthwhile since they get to share in their amazing labor and delivery experience! Additionally, you're assisting a busy woman going through a transitional moment in her life to feel confident and strong. At Gollee We hope you found this blog useful; as always, if you have any questions, please contact us via email. We will help you with any issues that you are facing. And also you can check out our lash glue adhesives which are totally safe.

[thebackpackcpa]

Taking care of the HUMAN FIRST!

Sure AI and Tech is making our lives easier and even in some instances replacing humans in certain jobs/fields, BUT if the human isn't taken care of FIRST then the rest of things don't even matter. Who is going to manage/create/program the tech & AI if the human isn't there?

1. Get enough sleep

Sleep is crucial for our overall health and well-being, yet many of us don’t get enough of it. Adults should aim for 7-8 hours of sleep per night, but many people get far less than that. If you’re not getting enough sleep, try to establish a regular sleep schedule and create a peaceful environment in your bedroom.

2. Eat healthy foods

What we eat has a big impact on our health. Eating a healthy diet can help reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Focus on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. And limit your intake of processed foods, sugary drinks, and red meat.

3. Be physically active & exercise regularly

Regular physical activity is important for maintaining a healthy weight, reducing your risk of chronic diseases, and improving your overall mental health. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise most days of the week. This can include brisk walking, biking, swimming, or any other activity that gets your heart rate up.

Exercise is not only good for your physical health, but also for your mental health. A moderate amount of exercise is the key to maintaining your health and well-being.

4. Limit alcohol consumption & tobacco

Drinking alcohol in moderation can have some benefits for your health, but drinking too much can have serious consequences. If you choose to drink alcohol, do so in moderation—no more than one drink per day for women or two drinks per day for men.

Tobacco use is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. If you smoke tobacco products, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health. There are many resources available to help you quit smoking, so talk to your doctor if you’re ready to kick the habit.

5. Manage stress

Chronic stress can take a toll on our physical and mental health. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by stress, there are things you can do to manage it effectively. Try exercises like yoga or meditation, spend time with friends or family members, or take up a hobby that you enjoy.

6. Take breaks when you need them

If you feel like you're getting overwhelmed or stressed out, take a few minutes to yourself to relax and rejuvenate. Taking breaks will help you stay focused and productive when you return to your tasks.

7. Be mindful of your thoughts and emotions

Paying attention to your thoughts and emotions can help you identify when you're feeling stressed or down so that you can take steps to address it. Additionally, being aware of your emotions can help you better manage them in healthy ways.

8. Seek professional help if needed & see your doctor regularly

If you find that your stress levels are consistently high or impacting your ability to function in daily life, it may be time to seek professional help from a therapist or counselor.

It is also important to see your doctor for regular checkups, even if you feel healthy. Your doctor can help to catch any health problems early, before they become serious. Be sure to see your doctor at least once a year for a physical exam and more often if you have any health concerns.

9. Wear sunscreen

(A weird one!), but protecting your skin from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays is important for preventing skin cancer. Wear sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 every day, even on cloudy days. Be sure to reapply sunscreen every two hours or after swimming or sweating heavily.

[jacscorner]

D&D Classes as Superheroes!

For when you wanna play a superhero-themed game, but don't got your hands on Mutants & Masterminds

Artificer: Your 'super powers' come from the various tech and gadgets you build. This is your Batmen/women, Ironman, and the Atom. Punisher can also fit here if you count 'gun' as a superpower, but I feel that's more like a Gunslinger!Fighter, lol.

Barbarian: Strength is absolute! How you get your strength varies, but you literally strong arm villains. From Hulk to Juggernaut; Wolverine can also fit in here, as can Aquaman. Superman in a sense ca fit here, but I'd suggest Paladin for reasons below. Really, any superhero with a focus on Strength can fit here if you're stuck.

Bard: This requires a lot of stretching; your hero can run the gambit from jovial and charismatic to demanding and masterful. This can be Spiderman & The Flash due to their quips or Magneto and Professor X due to their abilities to inspire and manipulate. You can be more literal, with characters like Pied Piper.

Blood Hunter: You come straight from the Dark Age of Comics; your powers come at a terrible price. One could consider them more of a curse than a blessing. Think Spawn! Venom! Kane! Hellboy! Various X-Men, but Nightcrawler comes to mind, but also see Cleric.

Cleric: Your faith is your power. A God, or Gods, have blessed you with your might. Shazam! No, really, that's my example. You could reflavor Nightcrawler as this to not play up the Mutant aspect of his character, same for Angel. Sacrilegious, but I'd argue Thor and Wonder Woman can fit in here due to the divine origin of their powers.

Druid: Nature! From plants to animals. You might need twist things a bit to justify, things, but plenty of heroes can fit in under one aspect or another. Poison Ivy & Beast Boy are the first ones that come to mind, but also Swamp Thing! Be the Avatar of the Green!

Fighter: So broad that really almost any hero can fit in here, probably cause Fighters get a wide range of set-ups. Daredevil, Deadpool & Death Stroke, Hawkgirl and Hawkman, Starfire; Wonder Woman probably fits more naturally in here. Storm and Captain Marvel would make good Eldritch Knights. I already mentioned Punisher. Green Arrow and Hawkeye would make perfect Sharpshooters and Battle Masters.

Monk: You walk the path of the Martial Artist. Iron Fist is the go-to Monk, but Daredevil & Wildcat can also fit down here too. Taskmaster and Captain American can also fit here, but check out Paladin. Good luck living up to the hype of Lady Shiva, though...

Paladin: Perfect for when you wanna play a Hero who has a strong sense of justice; a code of ethics that they must follow. Like an Oath. This is where Superman fits best thematically. Wonder Woman and Captain American can also fit here. And depending on how you play it, Batman and the rest of the Batfamily can also fit down here. Let's not forget Spiderman; with great power, there must also be great responsibility. And there's also the Green Lantern corp.

Ranger: Heroes with animal companions fit well down here, such as Squirrel Girl or The Falcon. Oh yeah, and now that we have the new Drake Warden subclass, Kitty Pryde and Lockheed can be down here! Oh, and you can make a character who got Detective Chimp on his shoulder! But also heroes with an archery theme, like Green Arrow and Hawkeye.

Rogue: When being slick and sly is the name of the game; can be a token evil teammate, but there ARE heroes with this sort of moveset. Catwoman, depending on the writer, and Harley Quinn, depending on the era, fit down here and can run with a party of heroes just fine. I'd argue that Star-Lord would fit here just fine as well.

Sorcerer: When your magic is a gift from birth. Ironically, NOT where the Sorcerer Supreme would be. A good place for Captain Marvel though, who I think is the sorcerer supreme right now(maybe?). A lot of mutants, like Storm, Cyclops, and Iceman can fit pretty comfortably here as well. Jean Grey could fit here...

Warlock: For when your powers are from some other force. If you twist it enough, Jason Blood (aka Etrigan) can work with the former acting as his patron. Raven as well. This is where I'd slap Jean Grey if I wanted to play up the Phoenix as a Patron-which would be pretty interesting and kinda kick-ass.

Wizard: The learning and practice of magic. Finally, we can play Dr. Strange! Also works well for Constantine and Zartana. Raven can also fit in here. Surprisingly not a lot of characters fit this role traditionally, but really, you could slot in a lot of characters here if you just want their powers since, well, there are a LOT of Spells that Wizards can get to emulate a ton of characters. They're the Magical to Fighter's Martial.

[dreamsister81]

 Jeff and MI:

By age, you fit in the G.I.T generation, but you obviously are not one of them...

These facilities are a mystery to me. There they tell you only one thing: hurry up! This leads you nowhere, afterwards your own children run away from you. Through these trainings you get to know women, you get to know men, music is inoculated into people who have no feeling for it; then they can only scare other people or insult them...

I was in this terrible place too, by the way-G.I.T That was a complete waste of time, apart from the theoretical lessons and the friends that I had there. Otherwise: an absolute wrong decision.

How long have you studied there?

One year, the normal program. They give you tons of material, you have to absorb everything, you practice, you are tested and you go to the next course. An intensive support with development is simply not possible. I did so many things: theory, single string technique, jazz class, rock class, all sorts of genres. My friend John was teaching bass there, and he once said that there is not a single teacher at the institute who says to the students, "OK, you're learning all this stuff here now, you're learning how to entertain people and you're learning to learn. But do you even know that there is no one in the universe other than yourself who plays the music you play? " John left the school then. For me it was all a joke that cost me $ 3,900. People interested in music should take private lessons somewhere, start a band, do something with people who like them and have what it takes. These schools are a scene in their own right, a very small, secluded world-the music, on the other hand, is gigantic and open. If you don't notice it, you miss a lot of magic, pain, development...(thinks) and rock! Apart from Paul Gilbert, there was no one there who really rocked. Session musicians are bred there; and at the end of the year you get a piece of paper that says, "Now you have the skills to become a professional musician." Well, congratulations! And then you look for jobs and play what other people want. But that's not all the music, there's something else isn't there? Where's the music coming from? From your own head or stomach, or the concepts of the people you work for?-Gitarre & Bass, October,  1995

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I had a friend named John Humphrey. I went to this really crappy guitar school for a year, and he used to teach there, he was a bass teacher. And then he left, and we ended up being roommates later on, after I graduated. This is the kind of school where you give them a shitload of money in order to spend a year learning their curriculum.

What was it, G.I.T. (Guitar Institute of Technology in Los Angeles)?

Yeah, it was G.I.T.. They give you their curriculum, and it's not too comprehensive, but it's just enough, and then you can [snaps his fingers] move on to the next thing. And pretty soon you have all this shit inside you and then they give you this paper that says you have what it takes to be a professional musician.

It's a rock-oriented thing, isn't it?

In the end, I think, the only true product of that kind of learning is to get you gigs on the studio circuit and to get you gigs on the session guy circuit.

So, Lee Ritenour went there or something?

G.I.T. was started by Howard Roberts, the guy who played the wah-wah guitar on the theme to Shaft. And this other guy named Pat Hayes. I don't know. It just seemed like a racket, really. John said a lot of things to me that stuck in my mind. He said that there was nobody who stopped you, sat you in a room and said, okay, we have all these artists that you're learning the licks from, you have your guitar heroes, your virtuoso lust objects. But there's nobody who can make the kind of music you can make now except for you. And you can make it now. You don't even have to know how to go fast. And that makes all the sense to me in the world. It's also kind of an unseen process, that concept, originality. It's like that in all the education systems; there's never any real...identity education, self-generative identity art sort of thing, to be yourself. If everybody in Melbourne had a Wurlitzer organ and had the passion to sing something or make something, you'd have hundreds of thousands of different styles, if they were coming exactly from only their DNA, only their makeup, and their emotional percepts, their idea about what art is. You could have way-removed genres from what is already accepted, avante-garde country-rock-punk-folk-whatever. It's unlimited. But for some reason, the conventions always take over and there's a very ready and powerful formula to step into...

Those are the type of [formula-derived] players who can say, "Well, I was listening to the radio in 1967 and I heard the guitar solo in Jimi Hendrix's 'All Along the Watchtower,' and that guitar sound, that tone, would work perfectly for this television commercial."

Yeah. See? "Stealing from the greats, that's okay." That's right. Once I stopped in [at G.I.T.] years later, when I was on tour going through L.A., just to see what it was like. They've got a completely high-tech, multi-million dollar facility...

More so than when you had been there?

Way more. When I was there, it was just a ragtag bunch of teachers, and they had all left by then. They had video facilities and a class for stage moves and all kinds of things. And I saw this guy who was working the desk, the guy who watches the door. He had a bass on, and he was practicing his Nirvana chops! He was playing "In Bloom" on his bass, way up on his chest, jazz-fusion style, to the Nirvana song. I thought, oh shit--he was practicing his grunge riffs! He was getting his grunge down! Best fucking thing you can do, if you have the interest, is go to a private teacher, go someplace, some college, and learn theory. That was something I really enjoyed, actually, something that wasn't totally pointless. Theory meaning the meaning of the musical nomenclature. I was attracted to really interesting harmonies, stuff that I would hear in Ravel, Ellington, Bartok.-Double Take, February 29, 1996

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Once the site of a seakeasy and a bra factory, the 30,000-square-foot quarters were now the home of Musicians Institute, a vocational school for anyone who considered himself or herself a serious musician. With its wooden desks and chipped-tile hallways, MI resembled any other urban school, but at those desks, student guitarists and drummers studied scales and power chords in hopes of becoming the next Eddie Van Halen or Neil Peart, the flashy drummer with Rush. On their way to class each morning, flaxen-haired guitar gods in training could be spotted holding their guitars and practicing licks as they walked down Hollywood Boulevard.

Jeff had heard about Musicians Institute (and its subdivision, the Guitar Institute of Technology) while in high school and told everyone it was his one and only destination. However, potential superstardom did not run cheap. The school charged $4,000 for its one year course, and by the time Jeff Graduated from Loara High School, Mary Guibert was beginning to fall on hard financial times as she went in and out of jobs. In need of money for herself and her two sons, she prematurely broke into a $20,000 fund earmarked for Jeff, but only after he tured nineteen. Once Mary proved to the courtsthat Jeff needed it for his education, he and Mary received it a year early. In a deep irony, the father Jeff had barely met and increasingly resented would be paying his son's way through music school.

On graduation night, September 15, 1985, at the Odyssey in Granada Hills in the San Fernando Valley, Jeff, Stoll, and Marryatt closed the ceremony by playing Weather Report's "Pearl On the Half Shell."-from Dream Brother

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With its 30-odd thousand feet of floor space and row upon row of "labs", where hopeful guitar heroes could jam with such shit-hot players as Scott Henderson, LA's Musician's Institute must have seemed like nirvana for someone like Jeff Buckley, trapped as he was behind the Orange Curtain. According to his buddy Chris Dowd, that's exactly why Buckley enrolled there, arriving just before autumn, 1984, bankrolled by $4,000 that Mary managed to squeeze from a Tim Buckley trust fund.

Originally known as the Guitar Institute, which in itself says plenty, the school was opened in 1977. Drawing on the educational philosophy of journeyman guitarist Howard Roberts, it was co-founded and managed by Los Angeles music businessman Pat Hicks, "a real shyster opportunist", in the words of Tom Chang, an expat Canadian who would become very tight with Jeff Buckley during their two years at the Institute. In 1978, thr Bass Institute was opened, followed by the Percussion Institute two years later. Desppite Hicks' questionable business ethics-amongst other things, he'd hire students as cheap labour to do essential maintenance work on the building, which led to Buckley being hired as an electrician's assistant soon after graduating-he did manage to persuade well regarded players and bands to lecture, and play alongside, the hopefuls who'd enrolled there.

What Buckley lacked up in "front" he clearly made up for in ambition. That was proved, in spades, by Buckley's graduation performance which was played out on September 15, 1985, at a venue called the Odyssey in Granada Hills. While the sonic crush and enviable chops of Rush and Led Zeppelin still rocked the world of this Orange County teen, Buckley had also developed a real taste for such "noodlers" as Weather Report.

The number chosen by Buckley for graduation was their "D Flat Waltz" (not "Pearl On The Half-Shell", as documented elsewhere, which they'd performed at a previous event), a typically complicated few minutes of Weather Report neo-fusion-a "really cool piece, very involved", according to Tom Chang-and a standout from their 1983 set Domino Theory. But Buckley, accompanied by Stoll on drums and Marryatt on bass, didn't just play the piece, he also wrote the individual parts out beforehand for the band.-from A Pure Drop

MI pics by me

[raleighliving]

Raleigh Apartment Culture

So I'm of the mind that Raleigh is a great place to live. It has my favorite things, my favorite people, and I'm too broke to move anywhere else.

Raleigh works for me, but I recognize it doesn't work for everyone. Some people had less than ideal childhoods and wanna escape the state ASAP, some just want to live closer to their dream jobs or have new opportunities. That's all fine, but what if this describes where you are now?

What if, for the sake of argument, you're outside of NC and wanna move in? Moving is expensive, time-consuming, and risky at the best of times; so you wanna make sure that wherever you're landing is at least as good as where you started 90% of the time

"But RL," I hear you say, "you make Raleigh sound like an idyllic dreamscape populated with parks and a diverse kumbayah of peoples living in harmony"

I do talk about Raleigh in a positive light but, like a life saving medicine flavored like ass, sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.

So before you spend thousands of dollars on moving vans, boxes, and grits; here's a crash course on what it's like living in a Raleigh apartment, coming from someone whose majority of Raleigh Living (heh) has been in apartments.

First off, location. Any realtor will tell you that location is 80% of the sale to sound profound, and as anyone who has lived in the middle of ass-backward nowhere can tell you: It sucks having to drive 30 minutes to go anywhere.

Good news: With the Raleigh Beltline and connecting roads, there are very few places in Raleigh where your trip will last longer than thirty minutes one-way. Bad News: where you set down still matters because cutting down on travel is important for car and mental health.

North Raleigh is different from south Raleigh is different from northwest Raleigh, and the locals aren't the only difference you'll find between locations. Each segment of Raleigh has something to offer, with easier access to some attractions than others and neighboring cities for when you need something outside the RDU area.

Using downtown as the center of our wheel, people generally divide Raleigh into North and South Raleigh (with distinction given for NW, SE, NE, etc when needed). N.Raleigh is considered generally more upscale, a slice of suburban living interspersed with plenty of shopping centers for families and the moderately wealthy; but it's boring as all hell.

Want some fun? Excitement in the evenings and a more traditional urban experience with bars, night clubs, strip clubs, and more? South Raleigh is your best bet, at the cost of being the "sketchy" side of Raleigh. That kind of place where you'll see a bunch of auto shops that look abandoned but haven't been closed in the past 5 years and there's at least one customer from time to time.

Of course, this is a lot of generalizing but you'll find that it's still mostly accurate. The main exception in this is Capital Blvd, a highway cutting across north and south Raleigh on the eastern half of the city; a high crime corridor that's undergoing some changes in the northern half that have (somewhat) reduced crime but most people will still associate that area with the majority of Raleigh's crime and debauchery.

More importantly, is the distinction Raleigh citizens put on inside the beltline versus outside the beltline. The I-440 and 540 highways that wrap around Downtown form the mythical beltline, and to a degree what you have access to. Inside the beltline is the majority of workplaces, stores, and shopping centers; while outside you'll still have these things just to a more... dispersed extent.

North Raleigh actually kinda exemplifies this perfectly. Living inside the beltline, you have access to places like North Hills, Crabtree Valley mall, and Triangle Town Center. Live outside the beltline, like I currently am, and you're looking at 10 to 15 minutes to the nearest sheetz for that late night double hot dog fix.

So for point one: How important is it that you're near things? The majority of apartments and rental properties are in or around the belt-line, but if you want to save some cash on rent checks the cheaper properties are gonna extend your trips a bit.

Next, what can you expect in terms of neighbors? Does Raleigh have a hip party scene full of teens renting cheap apartments and blasting trap music at 3AM?

Depends on where you live

I swear not every point is going to be this, but there's an important distinction this time that affects the type of people your complex will likely have surrounding you; are you in North or South Raleigh?

North Raleigh has a ton of pre-schools, k-12 public schools (Leesville, Hillburn, Lead Mine, just to name a few), and office complexes that make up the job market. As a result the majority of apartment renters in north Raleigh tend to be families with a few small kids or so.

As a result, living off of Glenwood North and Edwards Mill I never had any noise problems from neighbors, the worst being kids playing outside at 3PM sounding like they were being murdered (which apparently is a common thing and I apologize to any neighbors I frightened with ghastly shrieks).

What I did have a problem with, however, was the typical Karen's you hear people complain about online. Renting a property now, we have access to our neighborhood's NextDoor page and it's hilarious sometimes to go on and read the comments, but living at a certain property we had a sort of mini-Facebook for residents

That thing was always full of either people who were moving out looking to sell their furniture or people passive-aggressively challenging each other/the apartment managers with comments about things happening around the complex.

Once I logged in to see one man accuse another, without ever actually accusing someone specific ("I know who did it and they should be ashamed" type post) of putting glass beer bottles under the tires of his truck to try and puncture them. Everyone acts civil in public, but then online they'll stir the pot harder than a chef with a hand mixer.

South Raleigh, you have the schools like Shaw University, Meredith, and NCSU; so the people renting down there are typically college kids. You'll see more apartments that cater towards them like University Village or University Woods, but sometimes these places will cater to both college kids and working adults

Avoid these places like the plague, because despite sometimes having a lower cost to live there the neighbors and their shenanigans will drive you up the wall (unless you're the type to join in, then go wild).

I've had friends stay at places like University Village and The Proper (formerly The Vie, formerly Wolf Creek) who've shared horror stories. 3AM parties ending in property damage or vomit in inconvenient places, drug deals not even trying to be subtle, and maintenance workers doing nothing because regardless of the apartment conditions; no school's gonna pull their contract with them unless news articles start getting written.

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/article_898ddf34-82f5-11e7-b3d8-07059d248619.html

https://www.wral.com/vie-at-raleigh-residents-finally-able-to-move-into-clean-units/16887833/

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/article_ea8ed7aa-a092-11e8-a2af-e70af36566d0.html

Otherwise, south Raleigh apartments are largely like north Raleigh apartments; except the crime rate tends to be a little higher and you'll run into more singles and people working full time.

Otherwise, Raleigh apartment culture is like apartment culture anywhere else in the country. You have a mix of apartments catering to those just looking to live versus more ostentatious luxury apartments with fancy pools, exercise facilities, and tech packages to draw people in.

If you're renting in Raleigh, however, do try to get a roommate or two if you can manage. Even with a decent job paying 800+ on a one bedroom one bath apartment can be exhausting at best, but with even one other person that can functionally halve your expenses

So if you're a young professional, or a student, or even if you have a small family, I can safely recommend renting in Raleigh. There's plenty of places that'll accommodate you, and cater towards your needs.

But what about everyone else? Are there people who shouldn't rent in Raleigh?

No

But there are groups who I'd seriously ask to consider their other choices before picking Raleigh as a destination for their new home.

For instance, are you a member of the LGBT community? A trans or non-binary individual? Well then, first off, I want you to know that you're loved and valid. I'm accepting of who you are and appreciate everyone's right to identify how they choose, but I'm not everyone.

Raleigh's bluer than other parts of North Carolina, as I've stated in other blog write-ups, but it's still part of North Carolina unfortunately and as a result, you'll face some challenges.

I doubt anyone's gonna burn a cross in your yard or knock over your mailbox, but Raleigh doesn't offer LGBT protections for housing, jobs, or credit/lending discriminations according to the Movement Advancement Project's website.

We have support organizations for LGBT and NB individuals, plenty of high schools and colleges have Gay-Straight Alliance clubs, and there are numerous businesses downtown that cater specifically to those individuals... but we're also the state that got into a lot of hot water because of a stupid bathroom bill, and our politicians are trying to pass anti-trans sports legislation (because they now magically care about the integrity of womens sports).

By that measure, but to a lesser extent, if you fall outside the Liberal/Conservative political spectrum then be prepared to have no one to discuss your politics with outside of a few sparse networks like the DSA.

Additionally, if you don't have someone to room with or a significant other to split costs with; you may want to try searching somewhere a little cheaper.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Raleigh housing prices aren't terrible for a major metropolitan city, but we're not the best prices in the world.

You can get prices on apartments and rentals lower than say, California or New York. However, compared to other parts of NC like Greensboro or Garner; rentals are still a bit much.

On average, a Raleigh apartment can run you about $900 for a single bedroom and a single bathroom. You can find cheaper, but often times there's some risk associated (Crime levels, quality of the room, quality of the property manager, etc.) Looking for a two bedroom? Then your average price is gonna jump up to around $1,200, and this is all before utilities and cable come into play.

It's true a lot of companies around here will pay more than the $7.25 minimum wage, but most low-skilled jobs will pay around 10-11 an hour.

I guess though, that's kind of an obvious statement. "Don't live in Raleigh if you can't afford to live in Raleigh."

I might expand on these thoughts at a later time, but hopefully for now I've given you some food for thought; or at the very least an entertaining read for a few minutes.

I love my city, and I love the friends I've made in it, but the sad truth is that nowhere is perfect for everyone; leastways Raleigh. If Raleigh sounds like the kind of place you'd like to live in, at least take a day trip to come visit and see how things go that way. Visit some stores, meet some locals, and form an opinion off of more than travel blogs and youtube videos.

[xxisxxisxxis]

Gateway Drug | Part Fifty-Eight

A/N: Just saying the story is picking up pace after this part so get ready.

Words: 3.4K

Warning(s): Explicit language, mentions of drug abuse

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I watch as Tommy and Nikki finish up their MTV interview to promote the new album, Nikki glancing at me every now and then.

"And, before we go, can you repeat those dates again for the release of the video of first single and the debut of the album?"

"Uh, the 'Girls, Girls, Girls' video--we're filming for that around the end of the month, the album's coming out between May fifth and May tenth, probably." Nikki states.

"Alright, you heard it here. May is gonna be the month of Mötley Crüe, obviously when those release details become more specific we will let you all at home know but for now just keep your eyes on May. Nikki, Tommy, it's always a great talk anytime you're in the studio with us, we appreciate you dropping by."

"No problem." Nikki says.

"Anytime, Dude." Tommy adds.

"Good luck with the album, it's gonna be at the top of the charts when it's out, I guarantee."

"Thanks, we really appreciate that." Tommy nods.

"And good luck also with shooting the video, I'm sure plenty of our audience will be looking forward to all the women, and of course we'll be looking forward to all the censoring we're gonna have to edit in." The interviewer's last line is sarcastic as he shakes their hands, and they laugh. "Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee of Mötley Crüe, folks. Don't go anywhere." He finishes as they cut, and Nikki waves me over, sitting his coffee cup down to reach for my water bottle in my hand.

I give it to him and he nearly drinks the entire thing before handing it back to me.

"Thank you, babe." He says to me, letting out a breath as the interviewer bids them one last "goodbye" as they stand up and stretch.

We have to meet Mick, Vince and Doc at their rehearsal space so they can continue their auditions for background singers.

So far, the girls that have tried out are either gorgeous but can't sing, and the ones who can sing like Whitney Houston aren't "hot enough to be on the same stage as Mötley Crüe", even though I've seen them hook up with far worse.

I haven't said a word about 'You're All I Need' because the giant, heavy scratch my key left on the entire passenger side of Nikki's brand new car will say plenty when he finally notices it.

So far he hasn't even driven the thing since he's been back. It's just been in the garage.

"...Okay, thank you for your time." Nikki pipes to the pretty dark-haired girl with almost honey colored eyes.

I think she's on the "hot but talentless" list.

"Dude, we're never gonna find fucking singers." Tommy groans, rubbing his face.

"Viv, can you sing?" Vince whines.

"Like chalk against a chalk board." I reply blankly and he sighs.

"All this has been is just hours and hours of disappointment with a few good blowjobs in between." Vince states.

"Just shut up and be patient." Mick tells them.

Doc sends the next girl in, and I see everyone's faces light up because she's pretty.

Blonde hair, a nice figure, and she dresses the part.

"Hi." She greets us with a smile.

"Hi." Vince grins back.

"I-I'm Donna McDaniel." She says next.

"Okay, here's some lyrics." Nikki hands her a sheet of paper with the main lines of a few of their songs she'd have to sing backup for and she takes it. "Start when you're ready."

The relief on their faces when she starts, makes me want to laugh.

She's attractive and she can sing.

"When you leave, tell Doc that we're interested, and he'll lead you to where you can stay until we finish up." Nikki informs her and she nods, handing the music back to him.

"Thank you." She tells them as she steps out.

"No, thank you." Vince says out of earshot, looking a little more hopeful that they'll find their second singer.

And sure enough, they do.

Within forty more minutes, they're sending everyone else home after another blonde, named "Emi" but she pronounces it "Amy", comes in.

I can see Vince's mind churning up how to get her and Donna to fuck around with him, and Nikki can see it, too.

Once Emi is sent to wait with Donna, Nikki's going into military sergeant mode.

"If we hire them," he starts, pointing at Tommy and Vince, "nobody fucks them. Got it?"

"What? Why?" Vince looks heartbroken.

"You don't shit in your own backyard, man, that's why. They're employees, we're the bosses."

"Yeah, Vinnie, we can't have employees having us wrapped around their finger." Tommy adds with a nod.

"It's the easiest pussy there possibly will ever be, are you serious?" Vince complains.

"If it's so easy, why did they both turn you down already?" I point out and he glares at me.

"Just. Don't. Fuck. Them. Got it?" Nikki sternly asks.

I guess now is a good time to mention that Nikki fucked Donna on the "Girls" tour.

The closer we got to tour, the more adamant Nikki was about cutting his addiction.

But, despite him constantly saying "I'm done with it" and throwing away everything to get high on, I'd always find him crawling around in our yard, naked, with his shot gun...carrying on about midgets and Mexicans.

It wouldn't take the neighbors five minutes to call and let me know he was out there.

Trying to tell them a believable excuse was the hard part.

I let out a soft breath, pulling the covers tighter over me, drifting further and further into sleep as the sound of our ceiling fan and Nikki flickering his lighter from the closed closet every now and again moves through the room, and lulls me to sleep.

I don't know what time it is when I wake up to the sound of Nikki screaming, running out of our room, but I force myself to sit up as quickly as I can and go after him.

I turn on the light in the hallway just in time to see him pressing the "panic" button on our security system contact box, which alerts West Tech, our security company, and they send out one of their people to come check on the situation.

"Nikki, what the hell?!" I ask him and he turns to look at me, pissed off and paranoid.

"I'm tired of these bastards not giving us any peace."

"W-What? Who?"

"You know who!"

"Nikki, what are you talking about?!"

He had smoked his crack and convinced himself our security had bugged the house and were watching him, constantly.

Then, he had decided "no, it's the FBI that's watching me" and gained the courage to set off the alarm to our security that something wasn't right.

And then, by the time West Tech arrived, Nikki was turning on them, again.

"Nikki, let me get to the door." I tell him calmly as the knocking continues.

"Fuck off!" Nikki shouts.

"Mr. Sixx, it's Chris with West Tech--"

"--Get off of my fucking property or I'll fucking shoot you!" He screams as we stand on the other side of the door, his shotgun ready. "You motherfuckers have bugged my house and I'm not fucking taking it anymore!"

"Mr. Sixx--"

They stop trying the second Nikki cracks the door open, and points his gun at all of them.

I hear them scatter to their van, the tires screeching as they quickly make a break for it.

He slams the door shut and locks it, the both of us waiting in silence until we decide they're gone.

"You called our security...then shot at them because they answered the call..." I point out to him, exhausted, and he looks down at me. "I'm sleeping in the guest bedroom." I state.

I lock the door behind me and climb into the bed, hearing Nikki go back to our bedroom, and I envy Karen for staying over at a friend's house because Nikki is starting to really wear me down with his shit.

The next few nights consists of Nikki, Tommy, me and the director working on the music video, Wayne Isham, trying to decide what strip club would be best to film the video for "Girls, Girls, Girls" at.

And me and Nikki arguing over another matter that is too be determined:

"I said I'm not gonna be in the video." I repeat to Nikki, crossing my arms and he raises a brow.

"Babe, it's not that serious." Nikki states.

"I already told you I'm not comfortable with it."

"You wear bikinis all the time, you wear thongs and bras all the time...It's not like I'm gonna have you up there topless or anything." He motions to the stage of the Seventh Veil.

"Nikki, I'm not comfortable with it. Why can't you just let that go?"

"Why can't you be more fun?"

"Nikki, it's fine if she doesn't want to." Tommy lightly tells him with a chuckle.

Nikki doesn't even hear him, too busy focusing on me to see if he cracked me or not.

"Are you fellas good on drinks?" A scantily clad cocktail waitress asks us.

"We're fine, thanks." Wayne tells her with a decent amount of class...but that doesn't sit well with Tommy and Nikki.

"Okay, my name's Tabby if you guys need anything, let me know."

Before she can smile and walk away, Tommy's stopping her.

"Actually, there is something else, Tabby." He states, smiling, and she grins politely.

"What can I get for you?"

He motions for her to come closer and he gets in her ear, with Nikki smirking, knowing exactly what he was proposing to the pretty brunette.

Her face pales, and she glances at me before awkwardly giving Tommy nudge with her elbow as if he were joking.

His face shifts to one of seriousness.

"What, you think I'm joking?" He asks her and she tries to keep from looking too uncomfortable, giving all of us a small smile before saying:

"I've gotta get back to work. Let me know when you guys need a refill, you know it's on the house."

She walks away and Nikki and Tommy chuckle.

That was the first time I had seen a woman get uncomfortable around the guys.

Usually they were all for whatever it is Tommy or Vince suggest doing with them...I later found out Tommy had suggested to Tabby that he and Nikki meet her in the bathroom to tag team her.

That's why she had looked almost sick looking at me, when he was whispering in her ear.

She was probably thinking:

"Bless her naive heart."

Me nor Wayne bother to ask any questions about the incident before we're getting ready to go.

The guys and Wayne talk to the owner about possibly shooting the video and he's all for it, giving them the day after tomorrow to get it done.

I'm too busy thinking about what Nikki said earlier to really listen all that much.

"Why can't you be more fun?" who the hell does he think he is? Oh, right, he's "NiKkI fUcKiNg SiXx."

Once we're stepping outside and telling Wayne "bye", Nikki and Tommy are putting in to going to the Cathouse.

I just want to go home.

"I don't feel like going all the way back home, then coming all the way back." Nikki complains and I furrow my brows a little.

"Nikki, it's..." I grab his wrist to pull his jacket sleeve up and look at his watch. It's nearly 3:00am. "...2:53."

"Then just call a cab." He suggests.

"Are you on smack right now?" I don't sugarcoat the question. "You're being a bigger asshole than you are when you're sober." I add.

"Fuck off!" He snaps at me.

I can tell Tommy wants to say something, but keeps quiet.

"Fine." I say, turning on my heel to the payphone down the way.

I realize I don't have any money to pay for it, but before I can go back and ask Nikki for some change, he and Tommy are off.

So I find my next option.

I walk nearly an hour to the Franklin and get to where Duff's staying, only to find him, and none of the guys are home.

I feel like crying, but decide this isn't the end of the world before I calm down and sit by his door like a lost puppy.

I wake up to the feeling of someone nudging me awake with their shoe, and I'm met with Izzy looking down at me.

"Izzy." I greet him.

"Viv." He replies blankly. "Did you leave or were you thrown out?" He asks me and I roll my eyes before he gives me the slightest hint of a smile before it fades and he's nodding across the hall. "C'mon."

I stand up as he unlocks his apartment and motions me inside.

"You can stay here until Duff gets in." He says.

"Thank you." I reply, sitting on the couch as he hands me a shitty blanket.

"I'm gonna go scrub the lipstick and regret from my balls." He informs me, heading to the bathroom.

"At least you regret it." I say back.

"Nah, I don't regret getting a blowjob from a random girl, I regret not nailing her." He corrects me and I don't even hide my laughter.

Once he's done, he's stepping across the hall to see if Duff's back. Apparently he is because Izzy's coming to get me.

"Fuck off, Sixxette." He takes the blanket from me and I gladly head towards Duff's place.

When I get inside, Duff's passed out on the couch, snoring, and smelling like a bar.

I walk over to him, gently shaking him awake, and he let's out another groan.

"Go away." He waves his hand, his eyes closed, and I raise a brow.

"Duff, it's Viv. C'mon, at least go get in your bed so you won't feel worse tomorrow."

He perks up at the sound of my voice, lifting his head, rubbing his eyes.

"I've...is this a dream? 'Cause usually you're naked and 'Purple Rain' is playing." He slurs and I feel my face heat up in embarrassment.

"No, it isn't a dream...and I didn't need to know that but thank you, I guess." I reply, pulling his boots off.

I help him stand, his tall, lanky figure towering over me.

"You look pretty, were you on a date?" He asks when I get him to sit on his bed, helping him not fall over as he tries to take off his shirt and gets caught in it.

"Er...kinda?" I shrug and he nods. "Were you on a date?" I ask when a condom wrapper falls from his jacket and he scrunches his face up.

"Er...kinda." He replies in the same tone, rubbing his face and I laugh. "Hey, I'm a bachelor now, Viv. I'm gullible. I mean elgib--no, estrang...or amb...what the fuck is that word?"

"Eligible?"

"Yeah, that one." He coughs, taking his belt off as I pick up his scattered dirty clothes and put them against his wall in a pile.

When I turn back around, I get a split-second's worth of an eyeful of him completely naked and snap back around, covering my eyes.

"Ohh...I should've told you I'm freeballing." He says.

"Just..." I turn around, keeping my eyes closed, holding my hand out for his pants so I can put them in the pile with his other clothes.

"Are you reaching for it or something?" He laughs and, again, my face is bright red.

"No, Duff, I'm not reaching for it. I need your pants." I inform him.

He laughs some more, throwing the pants my way and I take them and put them in the pile as he crawls into bed and under the covers.

"By the way, it's bigger than that." He informs me and I furrow my brows and look at him.

"What?"

"It's cold in here so..."

I realize he's referring to his dick and I scream internally.

"...Okay, Duff, too much informa--"

"--I'm packing. That's all I'm saying. I'm like a can of Spam. Lotta meat in--"

"--Shh!" I blush even more, squeezing my eyes shut.

"Oh, oops."

"Jeez. Goodnight, Duff." I'm about to go sleep on the couch.

"Where ya going?" He asks me when I turn the light off.

"Sleeping on the couch."

"You can sleep in here, I can take the couch." He sits up.

"No, no. You're not gonna feel good tomorrow just sleep in here, really, it's fine."

"Well, are you gonna be okay? You don't sleeping by yourself."

I sigh, wishing it were that simple.

"Duff, we can't do that. Nikki wrote an entire song about wanting to kill me, and it was because he thinks something's happening between you and I." I explain.

"Nikki accusing you of cheating?" There's an uncomfortable wait before he says, "that's fucking rich."

"Yeah, well, he doesn't like it so out of respect for him--"

"--I don't fucking respect him." He mumbles.

"Duff, you're drunk. Just sleep it off."

"You're right. I should shut the fuck up let the universe deal him his fucking cards."

I ignore him saying so, turning to leave, but I stop myself.

I'm only here to begin with because Nikki couldn't just take me back home.

I step back to the bed, taking my heels and jacket off.

I take the extra pillow under mine and put it between us as I get into bed.

"Goodnight, Duff." I say quietly, turning my back to him.

"G'night, Viv."

Nikki would have had an absolute fit had he known, then again, I wasn't fucking Duff, I had no intention of doing so, and I told Nikki exactly where I ended up staying the next day.

The sun glitters through the window of Duff's room, hitting my face, and I blink my eyes open, feeling Duff breathing in and out.

Sometime during the night I must've broken past the pillow partition because, although I'm facing away from him, my back is pulled to his side, the side of my face is resting against his bicep, my shoulder tucked under the pit of his arm, and the arm that my face is against, is wrapped around me, his hand resting against my stomach.

I turn to look at him, seeing his peaceful expression as he sleeps contently.

My mind drifts back to that dream I once had about him.

I hate that Nikki thinks anything is going on between Duff and I, but it's my fault.

I lied about seeing him, I lied by omittion at the beginning by not even telling Nikki about him...a part of me wants to think if I were to tell Nikki about me dreaming I had sex with Duff, it'd be a wake up call that our issues are more serious than he believed.

I mean, when you're in a committed relationship and you can picture yourself having sex with someone you're close to, to the point your subconscious creates this entire fantasized scenario, there's something wrong that needs to be talked about.

But another part of me knows he'll flip his shit, call me a "whore" and probably file for divorce.

So, keeping it to myself it is.

My eyes go to my crucifix lying on the bedside table, and I reach out for it.

I taken it off last night when I felt too guilty for sweeping in the same bed as Duff, knowing Nikki wouldn't like it.

I thought if I took it off, I wouldn't feel bad anymore.

And I didn't.

When I was a teenager I would take that necklace off anytime I did something I thought my mother would disapprove of. Whether it was cheating on homework assignments, or, eventually, fucking Nikki Sixx.

I ended up picking that habit back up once Duff and I started getting closer, except instead of avoiding the disapproval of my mother, I was fleeing the disapproval of Nikki.

One thing I didn't take in to consideration, however, taking it off left me at risk for leaving a track.

Just like Mick had put together I had slept with Nikki because my crucifix was on his bedroom floor back in '81, halfway through the "Girls" tour with Guns N' Roses, I accidentally left my track on the bathroom counter in Duff's room, where Nikki went to throw up while he was hanging out with him, Slash, and Steven.

What they should teach in children's church: if you're going to sin, keep any religious jewelry or articles of clothing on.

Whomever the hell you worship already knows you're up to no good.

[yunyingaixu]

How to Apply Liquid Eyeliner

 When it\'s a day, then it\'s better to choose a milder, less eye-catching appearance that will still improve your eyes. In case you\'re heading out, do you visit an elegant occasion or visit a bar with flash lights where you are able to get mad about the colours and effects... It depends upon personal taste whether it reaches the appearance you 21, you feel to use. Assist -I smudged! However, it simple to go wrong-it flaky or may get filthy and it doesn\'t seem great. Amazon price: Purchase today ( I feel as she's nailed, don\'t you understand which colour of eyeliner I need to select? It is important to prepare the lid. How can you avoid this dilemma? First, clean your eyelids and remove. With eyes for needing them to be the most important focus of the colour, who will blame Nicole. Some girls are somewhat fearful of this experimentation whilst longing for look. You might feel awkward at first-it\'s a great idea to practice a couple of times. Stop looping When no place is located and eliminate any slots that are residual. if(! {spotFound) The moment has now arrived. Wear credit through the nighttime: at which you could have fun with shovel and be eye-catching as you can. Eyeshadow base, city Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. The way to use Flickr charge: seem becomes popular since it's a fantastic way to make your eyes seem larger. Simply pointing out the facts. Enough distance between Advertising & (\". The eyes of credit \ reveal eyeliner and the lashes combine. I /component is situated after at the advertisement & the place! hasClass( The past's thought is that if there's a sheet which drives you mad and goes to your eyes, you need to put on mascara or a eyeliner. The thing that is crucial is-have enjoyable! It might appear odd at first, but the longer you do, the easier it'll be. These may provide you a look that is natural but improve your eyes. This seems different. Even earrings and her hair are easy, so nothing could be bothersome. 8 tsp ) Even in the event that you\'re not likely to wear colour eyeshadow, it\'s a fantastic idea to wear a color of skin tone simply to eliminate skin tone. You might draw tattoes with this eyeliner! It's \'s not always a fantastic idea to attempt to wear your clothing when you\'re racing against time, particularly once you begin. In case you need to take it off and begin, it is going to be simpler to add more, but harder. This produces the origin of your lashes seem darker and leaves your eyeliner appear more noticeable.

Eyeliner Tips: Some makeup artists recommend beginning with excellent eyeliner since they're often more easy to apply and provide finish result. Point between lashes. You\'re all set to draw eyeliner. Many girls like to initiate the eyeliner at nighttime in precisely the exact same manner as throughout the day-I. e. It took them to locate the model with eyes. See how the line thins down since it dives upwards and out within her eye. When were accustomed to long gone are those days. Now like makeup that were new have come up. If you think your eyelids still have a bit creases, pull on your eyelids smooth out of the outer rim along with another hand. They seem softer if you're blond or skinnier. Should you want to test it a couple of times Nobody is going to do this. Diversifying is a great expansion approach, as it permits Beauty Secret Cosmetics to have several streams of income which could fill voids that are seasonal and, obviously, improve sales and profit margins. Give it a couple of minutes to dry and you are able to create up. It made her eyeliner stick out. A professional makeup artist with years of expertise and the cosmetics money can purchase has spent hours making this appearance. This makes it a lot more easy to wash up as any sheet will be set on the powder rather than in your own skin or base. Another suggestion when performing \"flashing\" would be to employ colored eyeshadow such as Nicole Ritchie ( This is particularly true since you're able to set the brush on your 19, when you use a brush applicator. 00Buy Today ( The eyes aren't too wonderful. To start with, you want to ask yourself exactly what appearance your aim is. Afterward, a photographer took plenty of pictures and took this image. Sit and put your elbows on the desk. 55 ml/0. You can begin drawing on your line. Put on a bit of time. But there\'s nothing wrong with practicing out of a funding purchase-until you determine whether you are actually suited by the eyeliner. Gently but firmly draw on the pencil or brush across the edge of the lid into the surface. Minimum space from var in the base Don\'t expect to perform well for your first or next time... It's virtually impossible to put on a eyeliner while the eyes are closed or squeezed. You can try grey or brown, Should you wear it throughout the daytime. Standing of Var Kat Von D's eyeliner is really a brush, but it was made to be as good as a pencil. The result is well worth it! Watch how Mila Kunis retains all her faces, such as her eyelids, in organic tones. This will provide the illusion of black, thick lashes with no eye line being spectacular. With her eyes shut, she seemed inviting and sultry. /Element isn't marketing &($(this). top - 1 method to fix this issue is to purchase a palette of bare sunglasses, pick a few which best matches, then blend, blend. Such as Mila and Nicole, she retains the rest of her cosmetics natural in the photograph, but generally prefers to place lipstick that is bright to balance her mouth and eyes. top; Move your mind a bit backward as your eyelids a bit can close -- J It truly has the impact of starting your eyes and cause them to seem larger. Blinc Liquid Eyeliner namasong Price: $26. 00 Purchase Now( Additionally, it creates the eyeliner on the top cover seem darker and more notable. The simplest way is to utilize a eyeliner. Kat walked and has begun queuing at the center of her uterus, as she moves, and the lineup is becoming thicker. Prevent thick lines to this appearance since this can make your eyes seem younger and we're searching for an open, sober appearance. As a heeled glitter eyeshadow firm that is high, we carry on a number of the world non shimmer highlighter challenges. Shenzhen Beauty Secret Tech Co., Limited have a complete collection of eyebrow spots that could fix your natural makeup issue in an effective way. Test it. Prepare your eyelids at precisely the exact same manner. You can go mad with colours that are dark and include some metallic components. Stila Waterproof Liquid eye mask daily, powerful dark Amazon price: $22. 00 Purchase Now( To create the app simpler purchase yourself a mirror and sit next to the lights. Particularly if you're in a rush! Use a moisturizer that is mild. The more proficient you should wear lashes, the need. The problem will get worse because the grease wills raise as you get old. NYX decorative eye shadow palette 10 colours, caviar and bubbles, 0. Charge: to improve your eyes, an extremely old cosmetics trick would be to line your waterline using a white pen. You are able to fill any openings. Beauty Secret Makeup succinctly and clearly conveys exactly what our firm is all about. Brands shed light and cut to catch the audience. Much like Mila Kunis, the additional make-up of Nicole \ stays natural and sets her eyes that are emphasized on the point. googletag. Enough distance from the base of the post | $ (that ). hasClass( It a fantastic idea to invest, at the same time you outside at night Should you draw eyeliner. The makeup formulation has come a very long way, and so long as you shop it is possible to discover a eyeliner which may be put also for contact lens wearers and set up. Such as the base, a lot of women find it hard to select. It \'s simpler to apply than previously, the reason why it's gaining popularity and that \'s. Come such as and, in several types, and all of them provide option for our requirements. I not trying to dissuade you. 00 Purchase Now( You might choose to apply mascara. When you're getting used to doing so, you are able to boost the strain as you proceed so the lines will get thicker as you proceed. {Function articleAdMiddleLoad () {= \"undefined\") I use contact lenses... /The preceding element is a slip ))Come such as and, in several types, and all of them provide option for our requirements. Prevent thick lines to this appearance since this can make your eyes seem younger and we're searching for an open, sober appearance. Enough distance between Advertising & (\". The eyes of credit \ reveal eyeliner and the lashes combine. You\'re all set to draw eyeliner. You can begin drawing on your line. Watch how Mila Kunis retains all her faces, such as her eyelids, in organic tones. googletag. This will provide the illusion of black, thick lashes with no eye line being spectacular. This makes it a lot more easy to wash up as any sheet will be set on the powder rather than in your own skin or base. Diversifying is a great expansion approach, as it permits Beauty Secret Cosmetics to have several streams of income which could fill voids that are seasonal and, obviously, improve sales and profit margins. The thing that is crucial is-have enjoyable! You might draw tattoes with this eyeliner! Don\'t expect to perform well for your first or next time... Just dip a cotton swab if you exercise in your home and eliminate the area that you don\'t need. Charge: to improve your eyes, an extremely old cosmetics trick would be to line your waterline using a white pen. When you're getting used to doing so, you are able to boost the strain as you proceed so the lines will get thicker as you proceed. The eyes aren't too wonderful. I use contact lenses... Many girls like to initiate the eyeliner at nighttime in precisely the exact same manner as throughout the day-I. e. Amazon price: Purchase today ( The more proficient you should wear lashes, the need. 00 Purchase Now( The makeup formulation has come a very long way, and so long as you shop it is possible to discover a eyeliner which may be put also for contact lens wearers and set up. Simply stick to it till you are feeling natural and relaxed, and you may get what you would like. Minimum space from var in the base It's \'s not always a fantastic idea to attempt to wear your clothing when you\'re racing against time, particularly once you begin. Eyeliner TipsSome makeup artists recommend beginning with excellent eyeliner since they're often more easy to apply and provide finish result. Even earrings and her hair are easy, so nothing could be bothersome. This block you and may illuminate your eyes. Much like Mila Kunis, the additional make-up of Nicole \ stays natural and sets her eyes that are emphasized on the point. Sprinkle a translation powder, when you complete the makeup of your own eyes. /The preceding element is a slip ))undefined); Blinc namasong Price: $26. 00 Purchase Now( When were accustomed to long gone are those days. Now like makeup that were new have come up. If you think your eyelids still have a bit creases, pull on your eyelids smooth out of the outer rim along with another hand. The problem will get worse because the grease wills raise as you get old. The simplest way is to utilize a eyeliner. Wear credit through the nighttime: at which you could have fun with shovel and be eye-catching as you can. I feel as she's nailed, don\'t you understand which colour of eyeliner I need to select? This is particularly true since you're able to set the brush on your 19, when you use a brush applicator. 8 tsp ) It is important to prepare the lid. With her eyes shut, she seemed inviting and sultry. Enough distance from the base of the post | $ (that ). hasClass( Eye shadow charge: you place this on the first and also will apply eye shadow. Stila Waterproof Liquid eye mask daily, powerful dark Amazon price: $22. 00 Purchase Now( With eyes for needing them to be the most important focus of the colour, who will blame Nicole. Use a moisturizer that is mild. How can you avoid this dilemma? First, clean your eyelids and remove. I /component is situated after at the advertisement & the place! hasClass( {Function articleAdMiddleLoad () {= \"undefined\") Having said this, nothing can prevent you you have. Simply pointing out the facts. Prepare your eyelids at precisely the exact same manner. Charge: you wear any sort of false lashes, which are more easy before applying eyeliner to wear. See how the line thins down since it dives upwards and out within her eye. If You'd like a Complete appearance, begin your lines in the inner corner of the eye (from the nose) To create the app simpler purchase yourself a mirror and sit next to the lights. It depends upon personal taste whether it reaches the appearance you 21, you feel to use. Assist -I smudged! 55 ml/0. Besides diamond earrings and her hairstyle, Adele is magical here. Afterward, a photographer took plenty of pictures and took this image. You'll be pleased. Women find it hard from slipping off their eyelids to reduce eyeliner or eye shadow. Eyeshadow base, city Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. It \'s simpler to apply than previously, the reason why it's gaining popularity and that \'s. However, it simple to go wrong-it flaky or may get filthy and it doesn\'t seem great. The past's thought is that if there's a sheet which drives you mad and goes to your eyes, you need to put on mascara or a eyeliner. Gently but firmly draw on the pencil or brush across the edge of the lid into the surface. Beauty editors require a very long time pick the photograph and to check at every unit around the Lightbox. Standing of Var Put on a bit of time. It is excellent for wearing at night and provides the appearance time. Educate your paletteCredit: cosmetics needs the eyebrow and a fantastic base are not any exception. Beauty Secret Makeup succinctly and clearly conveys exactly what our firm is all about. Brands shed light and cut to catch the audience. Charge: Don\'t forget have taken a very long time to create. It made her eyeliner stick out. Additionally, it creates the eyeliner on the top cover seem darker and more notable. Some girls are somewhat fearful of this experimentation whilst longing for look. Such as the base, a lot of women find it hard to select. Charge: excellent looking \"afternoon \", attempt to click between lashes using a nice pen applicator. The moment has now arrived. After the skin around your eyes is quite thin and the very last thing you need to do is promote cavities, do so lightly. These may provide you a look that is natural but improve your eyes. But there\'s nothing wrong with practicing out of a funding purchase-until you determine whether you are actually suited by the eyeliner. The way to use Flickr charge: seem becomes popular since it's a fantastic way to make your eyes seem larger. Another suggestion when performing \"flashing\" would be to employ colored eyeshadow such as Nicole Ritchie ( When you've mastered this, you might like to keep on using the brush applicator. Kat walked and has begun queuing at the center of her uterus, as she moves, and the lineup is becoming thicker. Kat Von D's eyeliner is really a brush, but it was made to be as good as a pencil. top; Minor flaws are dismissed. No wonder-when employing it properly, your eyes may open and make them the focus on your face. As a heeled glitter eyeshadow firm that is high, we carry on a number of the world non shimmer highlighter challenges. Shenzhen Beauty Secret Tech Co., Limited have a complete collection of eyebrow spots that could fix your natural makeup issue in an effective way. Test it. A professional makeup artist with years of expertise and the cosmetics money can purchase has spent hours making this appearance. Particularly if you're in a rush! You can go mad with colours that are dark and include some metallic components. Point between lashes. Minimum space between Advertising var = 1200; 1 debate that supports this is that if you're able to master a appearance that is great looking with a version that is less costly, it'll be simple to utilize a edition that is more expensive! You will be given more control on it by Acquiring the liner stick near the tip. You are able to fill any openings. This seems different. It time. In case you need to take it off and begin, it is going to be simpler to add more, but harder. Give it a couple of minutes to dry and you are able to create up. Even in the event that you\'re not likely to wear colour eyeshadow, it\'s a fantastic idea to wear a color of skin tone simply to eliminate skin tone. These are simpler to use than brushes and will be the perfect way to get started using eyeliner. /Element isn't marketing &($(this). top - You can try grey or brown, Should you wear it throughout the daytime. It's virtually impossible to put on a eyeliner while the eyes are closed or squeezed. This produces the origin of your lashes seem darker and leaves your eyeliner appear more noticeable. Such as Mila and Nicole, she retains the rest of her cosmetics natural in the photograph, but generally prefers to place lipstick that is bright to balance her mouth and eyes. I am able to \'t make my eyes look as a movie in a magazine... Move your mind a bit backward as your eyelids a bit can close -- It took them to locate the model with eyes. In case you\'re heading out, do you visit an elegant occasion or visit a bar with flash lights where you are able to get mad about the colours and effects... They seem softer if you're blond or skinnier. 1 method to fix this issue is to purchase a palette of bare sunglasses, pick a few which best matches, then blend, blend. Actors has been in use and love eyeliner. Stop looping When no place is located and eliminate any slots that are residual. if(! {spotFound) It truly has the impact of starting your eyes and cause them to seem larger. In case you are dispelled by the eyeliner below your lens can I wear liquid eyeliner, don\'t worry! This can help even the skin of the eyelid. J Cost: $11. 00Buy Today ( To start with, you want to ask yourself exactly what appearance your aim is. If the eyes of Kat \ start, you are able to observe that the line looks like a different one --more -eyelash. Should you want to test it a couple of times Nobody is going to do this. The result is well worth it! When it\'s a day, then it\'s better to choose a milder, less eye-catching appearance that will still improve your eyes. Sit and put your elbows on the desk. It might appear odd at first, but the longer you do, the easier it'll be. 00Buy Today ( They weren't caught. You might feel awkward at first-it\'s a great idea to practice a couple of times. BrushA pencil eyeliner or pen is a beginning.|Come such as and, in several types, and all of them provide option for our requirements. 8 tsp ) It \'s simpler to apply than previously, the reason why it's gaining popularity and that \'s. To start with, you want to ask yourself exactly what appearance your aim is. Such as the base, a lot of women find it hard to select. You are able to fill any openings. This produces the origin of your lashes seem darker and leaves your eyeliner appear more noticeable. Kat walked and has begun queuing at the center of her uterus, as she moves, and the lineup is becoming thicker. In case you need to take it off and begin, it is going to be simpler to add more, but harder. Prepare your eyelids at precisely the exact same manner. I feel as she's nailed, don\'t you understand which colour of eyeliner I need to select? When it\'s a day, then it\'s better to choose a milder, less eye-catching appearance that will still improve your eyes. But there\'s nothing wrong with practicing out of a funding purchase-until you determine whether you are actually suited by the eyeliner. You will be given more control on it by Acquiring the liner stick near the tip. Use a moisturizer that is mild. It made her eyeliner stick out. Wear credit through the nighttime: at which you could have fun with shovel and be eye-catching as you can. You might draw tattoes with this eyeliner! Beauty editors require a very long time pick the photograph and to check at every unit around the Lightbox. Sit and put your elbows on the desk. Sprinkle a translation powder, when you complete the makeup of your own eyes. I /component is situated after at the advertisement & the place! hasClass( If You'd like a Complete appearance, begin your lines in the inner corner of the eye (from the nose) Eye shadow charge: you place this on the first and also will apply eye shadow. NYX decorative eye shadow palette 10 colours, caviar and bubbles, 0. Besides diamond earrings and her hairstyle, Adele is magical here. When you're getting used to doing so, you are able to boost the strain as you proceed so the lines will get thicker as you proceed. This makes it a lot more easy to wash up as any sheet will be set on the powder rather than in your own skin or base. The eyes of credit \ reveal eyeliner and the lashes combine. The makeup formulation has come a very long way, and so long as you shop it is possible to discover a eyeliner which may be put also for contact lens wearers and set up. 00 Purchase Now( They weren't caught. You can begin drawing on your line. You might choose to apply mascara. In case you are dispelled by the eyeliner below your lens can I wear liquid liner, don\'t worry! Don\'t expect to perform well for your first or next time... Standing of Var If the eyes of Kat \ start, you are able to observe that the line looks like a different one --more -eyelash. It is important to prepare the lid. It's virtually impossible to put on a eyeliner while the eyes are closed or squeezed. This will provide the illusion of black, thick lashes with no eye line being spectacular. Much like Mila Kunis, the additional make-up of Nicole \ stays natural and sets her eyes that are emphasized on the point. It time. Even earrings and her hair are easy, so nothing could be bothersome. The moment has now arrived. 1 method to fix this issue is to purchase a palette of bare sunglasses, pick a few which best matches, then blend, blend. Here's a manual to draw on eyeliner. Additionally, it creates the eyeliner on the top cover seem darker and more notable. I use contact lenses... Simply pointing out the facts. This is particularly true since you're able to set the brush on your 19, when you use a brush applicator. As a heeled glitter eyeshadow firm that is high, we carry on a number of the world non shimmer highlighter challenges. Shenzhen Beauty Secret Tech Co., Limited have a complete collection of eyebrow spots that could fix your natural makeup issue in an effective way. Test it. Charge: to improve your eyes, an extremely old cosmetics trick would be to line your waterline using a white pen. The simplest way is to utilize a eyeliner. Eyeshadow base, city Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion. The result is well worth it! Beauty Secret Makeup succinctly and clearly conveys exactly what our firm is all about. Brands shed light and cut to catch the audience. You can go mad with colours that are dark and include some metallic components. See how the line thins down since it dives upwards and out within her eye. Some girls are somewhat fearful of this experimentation whilst longing for look. I am able to \'t make my eyes look as a movie in a magazine... 55 ml/0. Put on a bit of time. Charge: excellent looking \"afternoon \", attempt to click between lashes using a nice pen applicator. It's \'s not always a fantastic idea to attempt to wear your clothing when you\'re racing against time, particularly once you begin. Give it a couple of minutes to dry and you are able to create up. After the skin around your eyes is quite thin and the very last thing you need to do is promote cavities, do so lightly. This block you and may illuminate your eyes. These may provide you a look that is natural but improve your eyes. The more proficient you should wear lashes, the need. The thing that is crucial is-have enjoyable! 00Buy Today ( Kat Von D's eyeliner is really a brush, but it was made to be as good as a pencil. /The preceding element is a slip )) Even in the event that you\'re not likely to wear colour eyeshadow, it\'s a fantastic idea to wear a color of skin tone simply to eliminate skin tone. Actors has been in use and love eyeliner. Eyeliner TipsSome makeup artists recommend beginning with excellent eyeliner since they're often more easy to apply and provide finish result. Diversifying is a great expansion approach, as it permits Beauty Secret Cosmetics to have several streams of income which could fill voids that are seasonal and, obviously, improve sales and profit margins. A professional makeup artist with years of expertise and the cosmetics money can purchase has spent hours making this appearance. Women find it hard from slipping off their eyelids to reduce eyeliner or eye shadow. To create the app simpler purchase yourself a mirror and sit next to the lights. Educate your paletteCredit: cosmetics needs the eyebrow and a fantastic base are not any exception. You'll be pleased. If you think your eyelids still have a bit creases, pull on your eyelids smooth out of the outer rim along with another hand.

[the-firebird69]

This dick head Trump is shouting answers and they're working in his fleet will be down shortly and he can't believe it because it's an idiot we keep shouting answers to him which is wrong but he's going to lose cuz we're using for us and he can't it's kind of a wimp too I'm actually bigger than you no matter what you do practically and you've got a huge mouth same thing happened to Luke George

And he's going on and on and on about it I'll say it stops and says well I've had it coming Trump said so I'm going to go after him cuz he's such a freaking p**** and it does all the stupid idiot s*** that women do and so damned annoying these f*****

I saw the big problem today and we needed to we need Japan to evacuate we need to figure out how to do other things they might be in the way of and they're leaking stuff out yukio made something and leaked out and we needed it leaked out and it's part of the job but he's saying not to leaking out anymore we've got plenty of stuff out and he said it last time and nobody listened now he really means it and he's starting to get very angry with everybody they don't need any more tech they really don't they don't need them to have this edge all of a sudden these blasters are very dangerous if they get the tech tomorrow they could be blasting things and really those blasters work very well I didn't agreeance with him and we're going to have a meeting and say no more of this stuff you're almost as sick as them we don't have to copy everything don't have to have a parallel for everything and let's face it we don't anyways I don't want to hear any more of this I want it down and I also want their little war with themselves over they're making advances it's all illegal stuff it's all because people are trapped I think so it's apparently our fault for noticing it and ignoring it Japan needs attention it's getting attention the form of a blockade and you have to work your people and get your spies out there I'm kind of say these are Scott sees a Max or blockadias and you can't block at us we're Japanese cuz everybody sees them being blockaded and China too

Thor Freya

[michaelbranch]

A Brief Summary of Ideas: The Madness of Crowds

*These summaries are kept intentionally very brief, just hitting what I consider some of the important/interesting takeaways, most word-for-word or paraphrased. My goal is also to stick to ideas/principals that might guide others (or my future self) in deciding the value of a read (or re-reading). T = takeaway, Q = Question

The Madness of Crowds: Gender, Race, and Identity

Author: Douglas Murray

Assumption that a heightened moral knowledge comes with being an oppressed/minority group. "Speaking as a ..."

All these causes started as legitimate human rights campaigns.

Gay

Can't award yourself the right to attribute motives to others that you can't see but which you suspect. Prerequisite for avoiding perpetual confrontation is an ability to listen to people's words and hold some trust in them.

Problem of changing societal positions so swiftly is that unexplored issues and arguments are left behind in the wake.

We still don't have much idea as to why some people are gay.

Hardware = something people can't change (and thus shouldn't be judged on). Software = can be changed (and thus may be available for judgement). Inevitably there will be a push to make some software issues into hardware.

LGBT groupings composition is unsustainable and contradictory. Internal frictions and contradictions even within groupings.

Some heterosexuals are genuinely disturbed by gay people. Plenty of stages between absolute equanimity and ease around people and a desire to violently attack them.

Marxist Foundations

See society not as an infinitely complex system of trust and traditions evolved over time, but solely through the prism of power.

Anyone who questions an "ism" finds themselves accused. Easy weapons to wield with no price to pay for wielding them unfairly.

When it is nearly impossible to tell what is being said, almost anything can be said, and exceptionally dishonest arguments can be smuggled in under the guise of complexity. T= be weary of arguments that can't be presented simply.

Women

Society has doubled down on the belief that biological difference can be denied or ignored.

T= When people make exaggerated claims about what someone else said, its likely an example of people deliberately and lazily adopting simplified misrepresentations of the argument in order to avoid the difficult discussion that would otherwise have to take place.

Contradictory statement = possible to be sexy without being sexualized

Presumption that almost all relationships in the workplace and elsewhere are centered around the exercise of power. Various types of power; many parties can hold different ones.

Privilege is unbelievably hard to define or quantify. How can strata be arranged to be flexible enough to include everyone but consider various comparative changes throughout life. Also, easier to see in others but more difficult to see in ourselves.

Intersectionality is not a fully worked out science.

Concept of the patriarchy has become so ingrained its rarely disputed.

Impact of Tech

If we are running in the wrong direction; tech helps us run faster.

Internet has allowed new forms of activism and bullying. To find people accused of "wrong thing" works because it rewards the bully.

"The one thing we can say with certainty about the advent of new technologies is that people overestimate their impact in the short term and underestimate their impact over the long term." -Variously attributed.

What we say in one place may be posted in another, not just for the whole world but for all time. Having to find a way to speak and act as though it may be in front of everyone. To speak in public is now to have to find a way to address or keep in mind every possible variety of person.

T= Don't sacrifice truth in the pursuit of a political goal.

Race

Some portion of black studies started attacking non blacks. Growth of "whiteness studies" w/ aim of disrupting racism by problematizing "whiteness". Displaces celebratory nature of many race studies to with problematizing others.

Catastrophizing has become one of the distinctive attitudes of the era.

Q= Should we seek color blindness (get beyond race to individual judgement, making skin color effectively an unimportant aspect of a person's identity)?

An idea that since everything was set up by a structure of white hegemony everything is laced with racism and therefore everything must be done away with.

If people got things so wrong in the past, how can you be sure you are acting appropriately today?

Important in crowd maddening mechanism: person who professes themselves most aggrieved gets the most attention. Rewards outrage over sanguinity.

Politicizing issues such that the speaker and their innate characteristics don't matter. What matters is the speech and ideas they give voice to.

Easy(er) to slip up not on an issue of motive but, especially when no other evidence is available, a crime of language.

Social media age has brought us opportunity to publish uncharitable and disingenuous interpretations of what other people have said.

Equality of opportunity AND outcome almost certainly impossible.

Forgiveness

T= Context collapse: conversation/act taken out of context and used to create a simplified version of a person or their beliefs.

Q= How, if ever, is our age able to forgive? Since everybody errs during their life there must be - in any healthy person or society - some capacity to be forgiven. Part of forgiveness is the ability to forget. The internet will never forget.

Actions have consequences that are unbounded and limitless. Constantly acting in a web of relationships in which every action starts a chain reaction. A single word or deed could change everything.

Without being forgiven we would remain the victim of the consequences forever.

T= Historically perpetrators and offended both die out and the grievance fades over time. Internet leaves a permanent record.

Internet helps people approach the past from an all-knowing angle. Retributive instinct of our time that suggests we know ourselves to be better than people in history because we know how they behaved and how we "would have" behaved.

To view the past with some degree of forgiveness is among other things an early request to be forgiven in return.

Trans

Every age before this one has performed or permitted acts that to us are morally stupefying.

A considerable range of cultures has adapted to the idea that some people may be born in one body but desire to live in another.

For intersex people, the question of what medical intervention might be suitable and when is a matter of serious contention.

Very hard to know how to navigate the leap beyond biology into testimony.

Still almost nowhere near understanding trans; including how common it is.

Autogynephilia: arousal that comes from imagining yourself in the role of the opposite sex.

Q= whether what one person believes to be true about themselves has to be accepted as true by other people?

Questions about the age at which people who believe they are in the wrong body should be allowed to access drugs and surgery are worth considering.

Q= What do you need to do to be content with your body, not change it?

Seems we're running to quickly on the trans issue, scared to be on the wrong side of history.

Some contention between trans and feminist ideas.

T= little contention that equal rights should be given. Issue is preconceptions and assumptions about how to go about tackling the issue.

Q=Claims of human rights violations are inversely proportionate to the number of violations in a country. -Daniel Patrick Moynihan. Only a very free society would permit (or encourage) claims about its own inequities.

T= when people attempt to sum up our societies in terms of simplistic structures ask, "compared to what". Not to say elements of our society can't be improved.

The victim is not always right, nice, deserves no praise, and may not be a victim.

Incline towards generosity when interpreting others words/acts.

-People are wiling to interpret remarks from their own tribe in a generous light while reading opposing ones in as negative a light as possible.

To assume that sex, sexuality, and skin color mean nothing would be ridiculous. To assume that they mean everything would be fatal.

The madness we are living through is an over-reaction to past injustice. Belief is that the fastest and best way to address this is to over-compensate.

[portaltomalware43-blog]

20 Techniques To Preserve Your Internet Identity Protected From Hackers

Got a new telephone, tablet, Pc or laptop? To help you keep Microsoft goods up to date, Windows will prompt owners of new machines to sign up for automatic updates. You will see a screen asking if you want to Aid defend Windows automatically. In case you loved this article and you wish to receive much more information regarding penetration test https://cyberbyte.org generously visit our own web page. " Choose the very first choice, Use recommended settings," so you get everything and never have to be concerned about it once again. •Install reputable anti virus software. Anti virus software program runs constantly in the background and checks files for viruses as you open them. Possessing very good anti virus computer software is the most essential step to keeping your computer clean from viruses. The ideal anti virus software program will automatically update itself in the background although you happen to be operating so you never have to be concerned about carrying out updates your self. Very aside from the expense, the use of a number of anti-virus scanners could impact system performance and smacks of overkill. Users who use one anti-virus scanner, a private firewall and keeping up to date with patching would be safer than just relying on penetration test https://cyberbyte.org two anti-virus scanners to bail them out of difficulty, according to common safety best-practice. He mentioned: ‘We demand access to text messages so we can automatically intercept login approval SMS messages for men and women that have turned two-aspect authentication on for their accounts, or for telephone confirmation messages when you add a telephone quantity to your Facebook account. Piriform mentioned that the malware could have sent non-sensitive information from the user's personal computer, including computer name, IP address, list of installed application, list of active software, list of network adapters", to a third-party server in the US. It also loaded one more payload onto the laptop that was by no means executed. Sadly, it appears that INetSim's SSL assistance is quite restricted: it comes with a certificate for a single host () and doesn't assistance creating SSL certificates on the fly. This is a problem considering that most malwares these days encrypt their communications with SSL. We'll use Burp as a transparent SSL proxy, which will stand in the middle of the victim machines and INetSim for SSL connections. If you don't need to intercept SSL site visitors for now, you won't necessarily require Burp. Why the drastic enhance? Hackers traditionally passed over Mac OS as the number of Macs in use just didn't make the work worthwhile. Items are distinct now. Apple's market share has improved drastically over the final many years, and with Apple allowing its customers to install Windows on their Macs, it is no much less immune to Windows viruses than a traditional Computer. penetration test https://cyberbyte.org penetration test https://cyberbyte.org" title="Penetration Testing (C) fotki.com" style="max-width:440px;float:left;padding:10px 10px 10px 0px;border:0px;">With the web increasing bigger day by day, the threat of cybersecurity attacks grows at exponential levels. With threats occurring day-to-day, comprising of botnets , DDOS or Denial Of Service Attacks or ransomware that can lockdown & disable a pc, the array of attacks are plentiful. Fortunately, there are fairly a large range of top antivirus security programs out there that shield us from the vast majority of these threats. An additional really important defense against malicious actions is to maintain anti-virus software program and firewall applications up-to-date and operating at all times. Weekly or even day-to-day scans will aid defend against malicious content material from remaining detected on a program. You can effortlessly block viruses from entering your laptop program by installing antivirus application and becoming mindful about what e-mail attachments and files you open (even if they are from pals). Also, do not click on any shady ads, which are one more way viruses can infect your computer. At some point, I hired him as a tech reviewer for Mac OS X: The Missing Manual," and he was amazing. His writing sounded precisely like mine. I began assigning him small sidebars and appendixes to write. By a year later, he'd written a Missing Manual" himself: AppleScript: The Missing Manual," published when he was 16, as well young to sign his own book contract.