#Monthly Earring Mania

[voiceoffenrisulfr]

FIC WRITING REVIEW 2023

Thank you @loki-is-my-kink-awakening for coming up with this!

Rules: Feel free to show whatever stats you have. Only want to show Ao3 stats? Rock on. Want to include some quantitative info instead of stats? Please do this. Want to change how yours is presented? Absolutely do that. Would rather eat glass than do this? Please don’t eat glass but don’t feel like you have to do this either.

(I just copied @foxywrites)

Words and Fics

608,490 words published in 2023

10 fics worked on

6 completed fics

most productive month: July with 241,381 words

monthly words average: 50,708 words

Words Written per Fandom

Supernatural - 10,725

Pirates of the Carribean - 52,753

Marvel Cinematic Universe - 545,012

Top 5 by Comments

Multitudes - 286

Magic and Madness - 146

Becoming Spider-Man - 46

With Eyes to See and Ears to Hear - 36

From Street to Ship - 10

Top 5 by Kudos

Becoming Spider-Man [kudos:164]

From Street to Ship [kudos: 147]

Multitudes [kudos: 99]

Salvation [kudos: 35]

With Eyes to See and Ears to Hear [kudos: 22]

Top 5 by Hits

Multitudes [hits: 4,499]

From Street to Ship [hits: 3,137]

Becoming Spider-Man [hits: 2,722]

Magic and Madness [hits: 1,678]

Salvation [hits: 733]

Fandom Events in 2023

I discovered fandom events in July, I've never finishe- no, that's a lie!

July Break Bingo! (31/07)

Upcoming Plans

Fic's I'm hoping to finish writing/complete next year:

[MCU] On the Tide

[MCU] With Eyes to See and Ears to Hear

[MCU] Silver & Gold

[MCU] Hail Hydra

Fic's that I'd abandoned at some point, which I'm hoping to return to this year:

[SPN] Salvation

Writing Reflection

Finding JBB was a revelation, and very much accounted for our absolute mania in July. We now have a delightful collection of 700+ bingo prompts spread across too many boards to remember, and it's giving us so much motivation! We've started foraying into works written more for us, though, so we 100% expect less engagement over the next twleve months... But that's okay, because writing them has been an absolute delight.

The goal of this year is to finish the current four WIPS mentioned above! And hoooooopefully hit 500,000 words again... Though there's also a novel we should start. Oops.

Tagging some of my favourite authors: @buckys-wintersoldier, @gammacousin, @42donotpanic, @mrsbarnesblog, @un-unavoidableanxiousball

There's something important to be said, though. The most important thing, for us, that came out of this year wasn't the words. It was the very specific, 'pretty prevelant' commenter that found Multitudes a third of the way through after looking for something different. This... Amazing, beautiful person, making great statements of philosophy and shrewd insights through a computer screen at three am (leading us to wonder "Are you okay or do you need therapy-"). This person who Lia adorably demanded become our friend, and subsequently, we fell head over heels in love with. What's 153 miles (or ~207, given I'm not a crow) when you find the person - or rather, people - you've been looking for? @unfortunatebeetleandfriends Our Bug, our beloved... We can't wait to see you again. We will love you as long as we live. Lieutenant, Yoshitsune - y'all were unexpected, but just as much as a goddamn blessing, and we'll see you in 16 days and 22 hours. All of our love, forever and always, infinitely and endlessly. Thank you for deciding to backscroll.

[noisessobbingdistant]

Metal Mania #8 — Page 2

——————————

Well, here it is! The most venomous attack on your ears your eyes will ever read! Since Ron has been away, it’s been up to me to make sure the show goes on. Ronald has been hanging out with Ulrich Roth, getting blitzed blazing drunk, seeing all my favorite bands…I hate him! The biu Cheese boy himself should be returning in about a month and we’ll begin work on issue #9 which will include: Steve Hammond interviews Venom, plus many interviews and reviews of bands Ron’s been seeing—Budgie, Baron Rojo, Uli, Scons, Y&T, Accept, Merciful Fate, Silver Mountain, Judas Priest, a history and evolution of Anvil Chorus, Metallica and lots more metal. Though this issue has’nt turned out perfect (I’ve had rewalk all the steps Ron took for his first publishing venture) and it’s a bit late, I think it’s worth it as its a double sized issue. Please appreciate the fact that this is a one man operation. Special apologies for all hte spelling fuck ups and to any ignorance or negligence I may have demonstrated in these pages. 

Special Thanx to: The Record Vaulters, The corner liquor store, Ron, the Aardschok screw, Mike (Mr.) Varney, The Vienna Boys Choir, Scabie Crowders, Adam the ignoramous, Dudley, Mike, Thundercrowders, KUSF, Ness Aquino, The Waldorf, The do-nut shop, The worsening posture boys, Jenny, The bum on market street, Guiness Stout and Tuborg Dark, Howie (for getting the Rampage rolling), Pimpin Sir Player Baby J, everyone who I forgot and especially all of you crazed metal maniacs out there! Yeeaaah! Metal Mania is published semi-monthly at $1- per copy (£1.00 in Europe) Metal Mania offices are located at 4340 20 St. San Fran., Calif. 94114 & at 1460 Webster St. San Fran., Calif. 94115 USA. This issue (c) copywright 1982 Axemuder Ltd. No part of this edition what so ever may be reprinted without written consent of this issue of Metal Mania’s editor—Ian Kallen. ALL RIGHTS ARE RESERVED. Unless the article is signed by someone else, all “me”s refer to me, Editor, Writer, Publisher and Big Cheese of the month: 

Ian Kallen

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Previous Page | Next Page

[insolitus-academy]

♚ //  Face Claim

Full name Face Claim: Jeon Jiwoo

Group/Band/Occupation: Current Member of KARD

Nationality: Korean

Faceclaim age: 26

♚ // Character ;  Basic information

Quote: “Guns are too quick. Use a knife to savor all the little emotions, to see who they really are in their last moments.”

Full name character: Jeon Jiwoo

Nickname: Jiwoo

Realm of birth(if earth, nationality): Earth

Age: 89

Date of Birth: October 4, 1934

Gender: Female

Preferred Pronouns: She / Her

Race: Myrkr

Sexual Orientation: Queer (Doesn’t like putting a label on it, but she likes both men and women)

What is the level of Korean and how did they learn to speak it: Native

♚ // Character ; Appearance

Skin Color: Slightly tanned

Eye color: Green with flecks of red (similar to a bloodstone)

Scars: A few cuts on her hands due to blacksmithing

Piercings: Three piercings on her left ear, five on her right ear, and a labret piercing

Tattoos: Clan insignia by her right hip

Hair color: Long, cool blonde hair

Abnormalities:

Pointed teeth

Sharp and strong claw-like nails

Eyes that look like bloodstones (her eyes slowly bleed red when she’s especially angry or agitated)

Transformed Form: N/A

♚ // Character ; Personality 

Six personality traits:

Apathetic

Cruel

Greedy

Fierce

Self-Reliant

Strategic

Likes:

Smoking and drinking

Knives

Gold, jewels, and other minerals

Blacksmithing

Nail art

Dislikes:

Gossip

Bright light

Skinship from people she doesn’t know or like

Her things being touched

Sweets

Manias:

Back at their manor, Jiwoo has a personal vault filled with gold and different kinds of gems. She used to count all of them at least every other month or so just to make sure that everything was accounted for. Now that she’s staying by the academy, though, she’s advised someone she trusts to do that for her and send her monthly updates.

Her habit of “counting her wealth” (for a lack of better term) is reflected in how she regularly checks her bank accounts as well as the secured, enchanted chest in her flat filled with gold and jewels.

Phobias: Her gold and gems being stolen

Animal: Alligator

Religion: N/A

Favorite song: Money Don’t Lie – Simon Dominic

Vice: Greed

Virtue: Loyalty

Personality Description:

Jiwoo is pretty mild-mannered most of the time, mostly apathetic to things that don’t concern her. In her mind, as long as she or her things aren’t the ones being messed with, everything else is free game. In addition, a big factor in why she acts so “proper” most of the time was the different etiquette lessons she had to go through when she was younger.

Jiwoo also keeps to herself most of the time. The only way you could ever ask her to do something for you was if you gave her gold, jewels, or anything with a high monetary value in exchange. 

She’s incredibly loyal, but so far, this only applies to money and power as well as her clan. This means that she would never turn on you if you’ve both come to an agreement. Jiwoo does, however, hold a grudge if you fail to deliver your end of the deal. Expect that she’ll most likely be aggressive (physically and verbally) towards you if this is the case.

As for her clan, when asked why she was so devoted to her family, Jiwoo would never say what most people would. She wouldn’t say that it was because she cared for them or that she wanted to pay them back— Jiwoo was only loyal to them because of the pride as well as a thirst for excellence ingrained in her since she was a child.

♚ // Character ; Powers 

Magical Powers:

Lower magic – Jiwoo can perform small spells. She usually practices this when she crafts enchanted knives.

Non-magical Powers:

Different metabolism: Myrkrs eat gemstones, dirt, and metal to survive and do not need any ‘normal’ food. They also absorb water through their skin.

Above human strength: Jiwoo has about twice the strength of an average human.

Knife fighting: When she was younger, Jiwoo was introduced to different fighting styles. This was the one she eventually gravitated to, especially since she also picked up blacksmithing.

Blacksmithing: Jiwoo can create different items made of metal and/or steel, but mainly specializes in creating knives and swords.

Weaknesses:

Sensitive to light – Jiwoo often wears sunglasses and/or a cap to protect her eyes from direct sunlight when above ground.

Senses can be easily overwhelmed – Jiwoo doesn’t like things that are “too much” for her senses. She doesn’t like bright light, loud noises, strong flavors, pungent scents, or abrasive textures. Usually, she can handle it when one or two of her senses are excessively stimulated, but any more than that, and she’ll most likely shut down.

Difficulty with social cues – Although she was taught how to act properly in front of select people, Jiwoo still struggles to identify social cues. She can usually read when people are happy or sad, but she doesn’t know what an appropriate reply would be. She also finds it hard to comprehend why they would feel such a way. Her apathy greatly contributes to this.

♚ // Character ; The Villager

Job/Occupation: Owner of Forge&Fury in Fogatas (A shop where she sells enchanted knives)

Lives in: Dultirm Plaza Nr. 220

♚ // Character ; The Past

Date of Birth: October 4, 1934

Crime Record: Jiwoo is well known to the authorities in the underground city where she was born and raised. She’s only ever been caught once with blood literally on her clothes and weapon in hand, but when the authorities confirmed who she was, Jiwoo was immediately let go. Despite this incident, she currently does not have any records.

Has your character attended Insolitus Academy in the past? No

Background:

TW: Mentions of violence

As an only child, Jiwoo was born with a purpose. Her parents were the heads of the family, and their firstborn was expected to lead, regardless. Sure, their kind has developed over the years, picking up more human customs as modernity rolled in. However, the social class system that their ancient race used to live with was still very much apparent in different aspects. One prime example would be their clan: The Jeon.

Their family had a tight grip on the underground city they lived in, with her aunts running the transport systems, uncles running hospitals and mega-corporations, and cousins being trained to take over once they came of age. Jiwoo wasn’t any different. She was born with a golden spoon in her mouth, and along with it came the burden of perfection that was required from a person of her stature.

Jiwoo was enrolled in different kinds of classes as soon as she could talk and walk, assigned matrons to teach her manners, teachers to teach her mathematics, and trainers to teach her how to fight. It would probably seem like a tedious lifestyle for some, but for Jiwoo, it was simply her life. One thing about their family business, though, is that most of the businesses they had on paper were cover-ups. Sure, each of them was lucrative in its own right, but their main “money maker” was species collection.

To be clear, they didn’t traffic anyone from one realm to the other. However, they did accept requests from wealthier individuals that collected or needed odd things like owlite feathers or onodrim bark. Did they hunt down and kill different species to successfully process their orders? Sure. Did they target innocents? Well… If they were given enough money. 

On one hand, Jiwoo’s family made it a point to only pick out people from the local police’s most wanted. And if higher-ups willingly handed them the list of individuals they could chase down, often encouraged by the thick wad of cash their family provided them with, well, someone needed to take out the trash. 

However, there were also times when people simply paid them to dispose of someone. The Jeons rarely ever considered the race when they accepted such jobs, especially since the hunters of their clan were capable. All someone had to do was match the worth of the life that they wanted to end.

All in all, everything worked well together. They would receive requests, note down what they needed to hunt, and then retrieve said parts from the list of people the police would give them to. They would even often make extras and place them in enchanted and preservative jars using the hit list jobs they sometimes got. And if Jiwoo got a little too enthusiastic sometimes after she caught her target, that was between her and the other person who was as good as dead anyway.

Despite being quite active in what her family dubs “hunting sessions,” Jiwoo is currently still learning the ropes, preparing to be the head of their clan. One thing that she’s been given the responsibility for, though, was starting a business that they could use to increase their income and hide their more morally gray transactions. Luckily, she already had something in mind that would expand their business outside of the underground city that they ruled. Blacksmithing was one of Jiwoo’s hobbies, which is exactly how she thought of starting up a shop of her own in Fogatas to sell different kinds of pre-made and commissioned enchanted knives. And if she also accepts orders for select items from different kinds of species under the table as well as paid killings, well, that was between her and her loyal customers.

♚ // Roleplayer

Time zone: GMT+8 

OOC! Triggers: Descriptive text about ED and body dysmorphia 

Themes/genres you like writing the most?: Drama, Fluff, and smut

[uni-qu3-darkunicorn]

- Riot - by Loute Diesel Via Flickr: Mood music ◊ Event ◊ | TOKYO ZERO | Monthly Shopping Event - January 10th ~ 25th www.tokyozero.net/ -- Pants : Uni-qu3 / Cyber Mania pants -- Shield : /MURDER\ Knox Riot Shield -- Weapon : Diaboli Design - Chainsaw Head ◊ Sponsors ◊ Top: SEKA - D-Pull Crop at ACCESS ◊ Other items used ◊ Hair : Sintiklia - Hair Arleth (C88) Mask : Butanik83 - Scavenger Mask Earrings : #comatosed- My Drug [Tungsten] Pauldrons : !R! The Gunslinger's Pauldrons Boots : ::GB::Bicolor Double belt boots Backdrop : .::QUTWORLD Military War Backdrop::. Wanna work with me ? I'm on Blogotex or give me a sign inworld :)

[thetravelbugbite]

National Silly Earring Day Has Been Founded! How Do You Celebrate?

National Silly Earring Day Has Been Founded! How Do You Celebrate?

I am the proud new owner of a brand new holiday: National Silly Earring Day celebrated annually on April 13th! I’ve been thinking about founding a holiday that celebrates unique earrings for quite some time. When I was younger, I thought that all earrings were expensive, made with fine metals, gems, and diamonds. As an adult, I do enjoy an occasional fancy pair of earrings. However, I mostly…

[invadernurse]

Catching Flies (Revised) Chapter 4

Chapter 4: The Dreaded 'H' Word

Overall rating: Teen

Summary: You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. That’s what they say anyway.

Teacher!Reader makes the mistake of trying to help the two most troubled kids in your class. This leads to forming a science club, learning some childhood psychology, adopting an alien older than you, and somehow catching Professor Membrane’s interest.

Non-binary Reader;

The reader does have a last name: Nemo-- which means no-name.

First Chapter ; Last chapter

As you suspected, the two nights of parent-teacher conferences came and went and Zim's parents were notably absent. By the time you headed back to your tiny apartment after the last night, a plan was forming in your mind. While you waited for the public bus, you were flipping through the list of emergency contacts for your students. It was easy to remember his last name, it was very...odd, to say the least.

Irken, Zim

You juggled your things to free your arm before calling the number listed as the bus pulled up. It rang a few times before it was answered with an odd groan. "For the last time, no we are not ordering the monthly thousand burritos package."

The voice was strange, but you couldn't quite place how. Were they using a filter or something, making it sound electronic? "Um, no. This is Mx. Nemo, Zim's English teacher. Are you his father?"

"Ugh!" The person all but gagged over the phone before swearing: "I have never been so insulted in my simulated life!"

"S-sorry?" you apologized slowly. You tried desperately to recall anything of Zim's family; a subject the boy never talked about. You couldn't recall him saying anything about a brother or any other family members that lived with them. "Did I dial the wrong number?"

"No, Zim lives here," he grumbled. "Unfortunately."

"But you're not his father?"

"No. I'm cursed with the existence of being his computer."

His...computer? Zim was either playing an elaborate prank, or he actually did have siblings but never mentioned them. Either way, it was giving you a headache as the bus pulled up and you gave a small apologetic smile to the bus driver as you swiped your bus card. "Look, can I just speak with one of his parents?"

"He has no parents," he started, making you frown before you were interrupted by a new voice.

"He has me though!" A high pitched voice broke through, you could hear the mania in his voice as he continued: "I wanna order a million tacos! With extra habaneros!"

"No Gir! No more tacos!" The first person shouted before the line suddenly went dead, leaving you even more confused. You tried to comprehend what happened the entire bus ride and ended it by resolving to call again tomorrow. Sure it was a Saturday, but you wanted --needed-- to get to the bottom of this.

-+-

"You, again?" The odd electronic-sounding person groaned as soon as he answered. It was your fourth time calling since the odd conversation Friday night. You were determined to finally talk to whoever was caring for Zim before Monday. The person, who for some reason kept referring to himself as 'Computer', continued to dodge and deny that there was such a person. Insisting there were no parents, aunts, uncles, or guardians of any kind.

"I really need to speak to one of Zim's parents," you said firmly, refusing to back down this time. No more games. "Or guardian, or whoever is in charge!"

"Ugh, fine."

You are silently celebrating when electronic dance music suddenly began to blare, making you wince and pull it away from your ear. Was that...hold music? Why would a private phone line even have hold music?

"This is Zim!" Your student shouted as the music suddenly cut. "Who cares to interrupt me from my mighty schemes?!"

"It's me, Zim," you sighed, pinching the bridge of your nose. He wasn't exactly who you wanted to talk to, but maybe it was a step closer to talking to an actual parental figure.

"You are Not Zim! I am Zim!!" He debated angrily, taking you by surprise. "I am the only Zim on this stinking planet, let alone the entire cosmos!"

"No, that's not…. I mean it's me, Mx. Nemo. Your teacher." You swore mentally, wishing for once something would be simple. "I need to speak with your parents or guardian, or whoever the adult is in charge."

"Uhhhh..." There was a long period of silence before you could hear not-so-quiet whispering. "Computer! Activate the parent drones!"

You could hear the first voice groan, making you pause once more. Wait, was their name actually ‘Computer’? Was it actually an AI or something? 

"Ugh, do I have to? They're so annoying…"

"Just do it!"

There was a crash and possibly a scream or manic laughter, perhaps both, before Zim cleared his throat. "Mx. Nemo, my father."

"I'm the man of the house," a new masculine voice slowly drawled. "I wear the pants of the family."

"Uh, hi," you said, doubt evident in your voice. There was something definitely wrong here. "I'm Mx. Nemo, and I..."

"Ever since the war, my arm has never been the same," he interrupted as if you hadn't said anything, making your frown deepen. 

"I-I'm sorry to hear that, but I was calling about Zim and…"

"Zim is indeed my child,” he interrupted again. “My quite human child."

What the heck? You kept your groan locked deep in your chest. You didn't know what was going on, but something was not right. "...can I come over to talk with you?" you asked weakly.

"Well, the missus and I are quite busy. Our human child Zim is quite capable of taking charge of things."

"Yes, yes I am!" Zim interrupted. In the background, you heard a crash and a crazed laugh. "See, Mx. Nemo I do actually have parents, and they are quite impressive parents. Now I gotta go do...human bonding...stuff with them. Okay bye!"

The line went dead, and you frowned at your phone. Something was definitely not right at the Irken household. And you weren't going to rest until you found out what.

-+-

"Dib-human!"

Zim's face suddenly appeared on Dib's laptop screen, replacing the article on Vampire Bee treatments Dib had been reading intently.

Dib jumped away from his desk with a scream, his chair tipping over and dragging him to the floor.

"What the hell?" Dib wheezed as he pulled himself up. "Did you hack my computer?"

"Duh," somehow even with his pupil-less red eyes, he managed to roll them. "I...have rethought your offer for…help," Zim literally gagged for a moment, visibly flinching. "It appears you were not wrong about this new teacher's tenacity.

"Say it with me, Zim,” the boy grinned. “‘Dib, you were right.’"

"Gah!" It was hilarious to see the Irken invader shudder, going as far as scratching himself as if he was allergic to the idea. "We don't have time for this! I fear that the teacher of ours has begun to suspect that I have been deceiving the entire world all this time. Will you assist me or not?"

There was that old instinct to say no, to go see if he could convince someone of the truth. To turn him in and end everything right here. Right now.

Except how many times had he tried and failed? Would you be any different than literally every other adult he had tried to turn to?

‘No,’ Dib reminded himself. ’To beat my enemy, I must become my enemy's friend. And you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

He was going to save the world. By helping his enemy. He hoped it was only in his head that sounded crazy. "Yeah, I'll help you."

"NGH! Don't say that word!" Zim hissed as if he had uttered the most profane word in the universe.

"Whatever. I'm coming over so we can formulate a plan."

"YAY!" He heard Gir yell in the background. "I'll go make waffles!"

There was a pause and to Dib's embarrassment, his stomach growled. It… had been a while since he ate, and if he asked Foodio for something it would take forever. "Will he actually make ...waffles? Like actual earth-waffles?"

"Yes, he actually makes quite delicious human sustenance. Well, most of the time. Sometimes his recipes are ...off."

-+- 

Dib was wary as he approached his enemy's fortress/home. The laser-eye gnome drones turned to face him, staring with their creepy unblinking eyes. He expected them to attack any moment; to start shooting lasers or start sliding across the ground towards him as he slinked down the sidewalk that led to the door. But they just followed with their eyes, rotating but otherwise unmoving.

The front door opened, Zim's fake-parents looking down with their creepy smiles. “Welcome home, son,” they greeted in unison, making Dib shiver slightly.

“Dib-human!” he heard Zim shout before the alien appeared between the two robots. “Took you long enough!”

“It was less than fifteen minutes!” he rebutted, following Zim inside. “I literally ran!”

“You still took too long. We must improve my parent-drones before I am discovered!”

“YAY!!! Master’s arch-enemy came for dinner!” Gir screeched as they entered what was supposed to be a kitchen. The place was a disaster, with batter and other dried...stuff, Dib wasn’t quite sure if it was food or an experiment gone wrong that plastered the walls and ceiling. The little robot was without his dog costume and had a chef’s hat perched on his head that was as tall as he was, and was adding more waffles to two already towering plates.

“How…?” Dib started, trying to figure out how many waffles Gir could make in fifteen minutes, and then decided not to question it. He had long accepted when it came to Gir, reality itself seemed to warp around the strange little robot.

“First off,” Dib stated instead as he took a place at the table that was stained with even more questionable substances. “Could you install some legs on them? You know, ones that look like actual legs that can walk and not roll? And maybe some facial recognition software so they don’t greet everyone as 'son'?”

Zim frowned, steepling his gloved fingers as he peered at Dib across the table. “I didn’t ask for your criticism, Dib stink-human. I asked for…” he trailed off, unable to say ‘help’ again.

“Here’s a new idea, Zim,” Dib shot back. “Constructive criticism is helping. You have to know what’s wrong before you can fix it.”

He watched as Zim struggled with the idea. Was it really for the Irken to admit he needed help? Or that he wasn’t as great and mighty as he proclaimed to be?

Wait. This was Zim. Who was Dib kidding? Zim had such a bloated ego he was surprised it fit on Earth in the first place. The fact he was asking for help had to be one huge blow to his pride and ego. Let alone going to his worst enemy for said-help.

Gir plopped the two towers of waffles on the table before the boys, quickly supplying a bottle of mustard and sriracha sauce as well. Dib had written off as Gir being Gir before he saw Zim take the two condiments and start drenching the waffles. “What?! You’re seriously putting that on your waffles?”

 Before Zim could argue, the doorbell rang. Both Zim and Dib froze, staring at each other in shock for a second before Gir screamed ‘I’ll get it!” and dashing to the door despite both boys screaming “No!” in unison.

[bluewomanposts]

What are the Risperdal Side Effects?

What Is Risperdal Why Use It And What Are Its Side Effects? It is one of the drugs used in case of risperdal psychological disorder. Risperdal; It was put up for sale in 1994 and is often preferred for the solution of many mental problems. It is used in obsessive or schizophrenic patients, in individuals who are extremely irritable due to autism, and also plays a role in the treatment of many diseases. Risperdal is effective in the following situations; Evolution, blurring, feeling, seeing or hearing something (hallucination), paranoia (extreme skepticism), aggression, social and emotional shyness; It is effective in solving problems that change behavior, emotions or thoughts. Besides, Risperdal; It provides relief of feelings of guilt, mental breakdown, anxiety and nervousness experienced by individuals with this psychology. It plays a role in the correction of mood disorders. It is used in the treatment of suddenly occurring and chronic conditions. It is effective in improving symptoms of flood attacks during mood swings (bipolar disorder). It is effective in eliminating psychological problems that progress with aggressive attitudes and other destructive attitudes. It is used to control unrest caused by autistic disorder in some children and adolescents. For example in these people; Damage to the body, anger crises, aggressive symptoms, sudden changes in mood are observed and relief can be achieved thanks to Risperdal. How to Use Risperdal?   Risperdal; for oral use. Risperdal can be taken before meals or after meals. Tablets should be swallowed with as much liquid (1 glass of water) as needed. How long you should continue using Risperdal, the appropriate dose rate and other usage instructions will be informed by your physician. Always act in accordance with your physician's instructions. Do not increase your dose or discontinue your medication without your doctor's approval. The daily dose to be taken in risperdal treatment varies from 0.50 mg to 6 mg depending on the discomfort experienced. Follow your doctor's recommendations. What are the Side Effects of Risperdal? Like all medicines, there may be side effects in people who are sensitive to the ingredients in Risperdal. If one of the following stops, stop using Risperdal and tell your doctor immediately or contact the emergency department of the nearest hospital: Rash on the skin, itching Shortness of breath Swelling in the face, tongue and trachea (sudden hypersensitivity reaction) These are all very serious side effects. If you have one of these, you have a serious allergy to Risperdal. You may need an emergency medical intervention or hospitalization. These very serious side effects are all very rare. If you notice any of the following, tell your doctor immediately or contact the emergency department of the nearest hospital: Flicker Involuntary muscle contractions, inactivity, impaired voluntary movements, fainting Irregularities in blood pressure; For example, your blood pressure drop Irregular heartbeat, palpitations, chest pain QT prolonged syndrome (a condition that can lead to serious arrhythmias and sudden death in the heart) Transient ischemic attack (a reversible type of stroke caused by transient occlusion of the vessels leading to the brain) and similar brain vessels related diseases, suppression of consciousness Sleep apnea syndrome (temporary respiratory arrest during sleep) Weakness in the arms and legs and difficulty speaking (paralysis), referral Lung inflammation (pneumonia), severe abdominal and back pain (pancreatitis) Gastroenteritis (gastrointestinal infection with diarrhea and vomiting) High blood sugar or exacerbation of existing diabetes (diabetes) Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin) Change in some laboratory tests (elevated milk hormone (prolactin) in the blood, elevated liver enzymes, sugar in the urine) Blood clotting in the veins, especially in the legs (including symptoms such as swelling, pain and redness of the legs), moving from the blood vessels to the lungs, causing chest pain and difficulty breathing. These are all serious side effects. Emergency medical attention may be required. Serious side effects are very rare. If you notice any of the following, tell your doctor: Upper and lower respiratory tract infection, flu, inflammation of the air cavities in the facial bones (sinusitis), viral infection, tonsillitis, bronchial inflammation, established infection, cellulite, subcutaneous abscess Diabetes mellitus Fluid buildup in the body (edema) Anemia, neutropenia (decrease in the number of fragmented cells in the blood) Increased appetite or lack of appetite Insomnia, sleepiness, mental distress (depression), anxiety, irritability, restlessness, decreased sexual desire, lack of orgasm, blind feelings Headache, vertigo (dizziness due to impaired balance), dizziness, sedation (calmness), weakness, distraction, unresponsiveness to stimuli, abnormal coordination, less alert sensation, involuntary movements in the face and lips (tardive dyskinesia) Inflammation of the eyes (conjunctivitis), blurred vision, eye bleeding, eye swelling, eyelid swelling, dry eye, increased tear, disturbance from light or light, increased intraocular pressure (glaucoma) Ear pain, tinnitus, otitis media) Flushing (sudden reddening of the face) Nasal congestion, nosebleeds, cough, wheezing Nausea, constipation, digestive disorders, vomiting, diarrhea, increased salivary secretion, dry mouth, abdominal pain, stomach upset, difficulty swallowing, toothache Dry skin, dandruff, rash on the skin (erythema), acne, eczema Back, joint, neck, muscle pain, pain in extremities, joint swelling, muscle weakness, skeletal muscle destruction (rhabdomyolysis) Incontinence, painful urination, inflammation of the urinary tract, frequent urination Swelling in the breasts (gynecomastia), erection related disorders, disorders in sperm discharge Continuous milk and milk-like discharge from the nipple, irregularities in the monthly period Fatigue, weakness, irregularities in body temperature, feeling abnormal, stagnation Not being able to urinate or emptying the bladder fully Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) These are mild side effects of RISPERDAL. Post-Marketing Data The following are very rare side effects that may affect less than 1 in 10,000 people: Agranulocytosis (decrease in the number of white blood cells), thrombocytopenia (decrease in platelet-blood flake-number) Disorders in hormone secretion that allows water to be reabsorbed through the kidneys (improper antidiuretic hormone secretion, including symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, anorexia, headache, weakness, hypersensitivity to stimuli) Excessive water consumption Flood watch (mania) Bowel obstruction Alopecia (hair loss) Prolonged painful erection in men (priapism) Lower body temperature These are mild side effects of RISPERDAL. If you encounter any side effects not mentioned in this leaflet, inform your doctor or pharmacist. Read the full article

[glowrioustrash]

In defense of a Shield reunion (from my personal perspective)

I will start off by saying that I do see all the negatives for a Shield reunion. These three superstars are great on their own and have their own goals. I get that and support that. My reason for wanting the reunion is a selfish one.

I was a wrestling fan from approx. 2005 to 2012. Almost 7 years of loving sports entertainment. I watched WWE, TNA, and whatever I could find online - which back then, wasn’t a lot - went to all the indie shows I could - which where I lived, again, wasn’t a lot. I would have considered myself a “smark” if I had known the term back then. I was the nerd who pointed out CM Punk in John Cena’s Wrestlemania 22 entrance. I was talking about Bryan Danielson before WWE ever had a Daniel Bryan. I would run down to the only shop in town that would carry PWI and buy the 500 list every year to see if my favorites had made it and to read about the great wrestlers I’d never heard of. For a few years, it was my entire life.

Eventually I fell out of love with it. The friends I would watch with fell out of it, so suddenly my monthly PPV parties were a party for 1. My favorite stars were retiring or not being used, the story lines were disappointing. I eventually moved away and didn’t have cable, making it harder to watch every week. I lost my passion for it. I stopped finding what I could online and spent my spare time looking into other things.

Right around that time, The Shield debuted. I didn’t know who these guys were and I was bitter they were bringing in this new, hyped faction when I could show you a list of superstars being underutilized. I didn’t like The Shield.

In the years I didn’t watch, I had my ear very loosely pressed to the ground. I’d flip to WWE programming if it was on and had nothing better to do. I’d checked the websites to see who was champ. Annually I’d look up who was being inducted to the hall of fame. If I knew a superstar I’d loved back then was going to be around, I still went to the event. It was still a part of me.

Fast forward to 2017. I hear Wrestlemania is great. The murmurs I usually hear from the old attachments I have to the community are getting louder. I decided to watch Raw after Mania. I got hooked all over again.

Since then, I’ve been working my way back to what I had years before. I watch every week, I learn that NXT has grown to be it’s own brand, I research backgrounds and story lines of superstars that I don’t recognize but pique my interest. I find out just how accessible the indies are online now. I look into ROH and NJPW. I’ve moved to a bigger city where I can habitually go to indie shows and got to attend my first WWE live events.

In all my catching up, I of course come to The Shield. At this point, I’m watching Roman, Dean, and Seth tear it up every week and grow to love them. They stop being those new guys I hated for taking the spot of someone else, and they become some of my favorites. I watch everything from The Shield I can find online.

Now they’re teasing The Shield reunion and I am living for it. Why? Because I missed my chance the first time. Because the first time I was angry and falling out of love with wrestling and didn’t care about them. Now I can experience it first hand, knowing just how special those three superstars are, both as individuals and as an awesome stable with crazy chemistry.

Because now, years too late, I believe in The Shield.

[newt-grundy]

Rape the early afternoon. Boost the food that feeds the goon. Tie his head to the stake, witches burnt in water. Liquid flame of fallen foes,  glows the toes with rotting mold, of the hearts which sit the sand in circle circus tantrum. Lift the roots with grasp on stem, hold in hands the princess hem. Rock the baby, bye bye birdie and burn the walls which shade my friends. A wicket crew in fervor thoughts, where papnat sacks wrap motely rocks, thrown to warn the fenders off from snatching at, that which they sought. I am growing less of soft, with nights of blood the dark is god. Wire twisted in a lock, erect a tarp for shelter.

 Seeming guard gone a tower stands, occupied by old armed men, who once used the blunt of silver to pull out entrails from the dead. Barrel chested chasms with a corked hole, the cork was pulled now see the pull. Coted amber stained sand sits at the base the fall. Clinching, twisting, tweaker lips, curl above the teeth with sips, the clip the edges handle rum, and snap continue rotation. Glory had got me when I was strong, rattled by my pool of wrong. So in this dark which hears my song, the rats congregate at my footstool.

 Within a wire frame her body was losing all moisture. Hope evaporated from her pours; a mist of helplessness fell on her posture. Sixty days ago I ever so slightly nudged my eyes into the shower and against the sink of my monthly rent I calmly and firmly bent her. But now as I drape her comforter against the sun to comfort her, in the stillness of heated hate, the frantic motion of spite flies, she is cursing my name, saying it’s over. My home, my daily, the awarded kingdom of barb sobriety in solemn narcissism, she sprang from the west with a letter to scout her arrival and still married to him like knife to the skin, she begged me to love her once again. I was told amidst the beatings and emotional imprisonment, I (holograph of person) was her rosary, her hope hidden in damp stubborn fingers, which a jolt of the wrist could not loosen.

 After the long awaited and completely abandoned reunion, which shook and threw and I fell like a lovesick ragdoll, a sock monkey with rock honey tears to match my golden head, a mere week in the desert of ruin, and she was telling me to leave her, threatening a departure I’d kill all to prevent. We were always secretive amongst the other citizens, trying our best to fabricate closed doors out of distance and hushed tones, which she consistently broke before I. When the red dropped and the earth cooled, her word was “daddy”, her terror would float up with joy attached by hooks of mania, and she could not permit my loving her, as we were cell mates in a motorized coffin. During the day, I’d be commanded into habitual periods of exile, without any big other, and not a friend insight. All were hidden in shade and so I did the same under the magic tree and I wrote the truth I sewn my ears against.

 At first she was a star student, the prodigal daughter. The cute moth girl who’s flutter of fuzzy wings dazes men and breeds resentment in women. That light quickly faded like a string snapping, a child’s laughter met with sordid rebuke. Frequently more she would lay motionless in thick layers of discontent. I’d scurry like a goddamn fool around her, kissing her knees, begging her to drink water. I had always touched her tentatively and afraid; the softness only caused by the terror of love and now, she claimed such a touch was as breaking glass, concrete friction, mountains falling over each other. I’d find myself more and more dumbfounded of what just the fuck was happening as she would switch from loving as a child to as scornful as a widow, and this madness seemed to have no correlation with my actions or words. I was at the mercy of mercy, and when none, there was only the worst hate one could possibly bear to withstand, and I only could, under the hope of her past devotion to me, now fading fast with water, the leaves, we only ever saw one rabbit and his skin was pulled tight over his ribs, and I doubt he lived long in such an environment.

 Two months of this shame, then she left.

[graesays]

Grae Plays - January 2018

Last year I started doing monthly posts about music I was listening to and promoting local artists. Sadly I was only able to keep that series up for 3 months before life got in the way. Now I’m stable again I’m bringing the series back bigger and better than ever, because now I’m recommending all sorts of things! So without any further delay, here’s the January edition of Grae Plays.

MUSIC

Alice Nicholls - One Flew Over (from Kind Quiet Riots)

Declared interest with this one because Alice is a mate of mine, and I played at the launch of the EP in which this song appears. That aside, I really love this EP, and in particular this song, a lament about the state of mental health service today. Strongly suggest checking out the entire EP, and now that has become a lot easier because it’s now available to stream on Spotify.

Skinny Lister - Thing Like That (from The Devil, The Heart & The Fight Deluxe Edition)

Going to gigs like this are rare for me these days, so you know you’ve touched a nerve if I go to see you twice (and start semi-seriously looking at travel to Hastings to see you a third time). Skinny Lister have fast become one of my favourite bands and one of my favourite bands releasing a political rant that fits in with my politics (aka, the opposite of anything Megadeth has produced lately) is a sure fire way to my heart. So if you’re in the market for a catchy anti-Brexit rant then this is the one for you.

Elton John - Are You Ready For Love (from Diamonds Deluxe Edition)

I literally have no idea where this one came from, but it’s been stuck in my head for the last couple of weeks and refuses to leave. I’m not sure if this is being celebrated but this year is 15 years years since this version of the song got to number 1 in the charts (Yup, 2003 was 15 years ago. Bloody hell!). Either way if I’m infected with an ear worm I may as well spread it. Enjoy!

MOVIES & TV

(This will probably be the most threadbare section of these monthly pieces because I don’t watch much TV or many films these days.)

Black Mirror (Netflix)

Thanks to my sister granting me access to her Netflix subscription I’m catching up on things I’ve missed out on. I had already watched Season 1 and some of Season 2 back from when it aired on Channel 4 so naturally I’ve now watched the rest of the 2nd season and Season 3 over the christmas break. I’m guessing this is a redundant recommendation for a lot of you but just in case you’ve not dove in yet I’ll throw it in.  I was originally gonna suggest San Junipero as an episode suggestion but in all honesty the only way you’ll get the most from it is to watch the series in chronological order. This episode will have nowhere near the same impact if you dont know the background of the series and similarly you’ll have completely the wrong idea of the series if you take in this episode in isolation.

PODCASTS

Reasons to be Cheerful with Ed Miliband & Geoff Lloyd

The Milifandom lives on! In case you were wondering what Ed’s up to these days since he took up residence on the back benches post resigning the Labour leadership, then this podcast and his Twitter feed is the answer. On the podcast Ed and Geoff take the complex issues of the day and offer up practical solutions backed up by strong ideas discussed by themselves and their guests, but done in the light hearted, self-deprecating tone that viewers of Ed’s appearence on The Last Leg and his one off hosting gig on BBC Radio 2 will be familiar with. The latest issue, where they tackle the glaring flaws with the rail network in the UK is worth the listen if not only for the interview with Lord Adonis. I also strongly suggest checking out the episode where they discuss transgender rights with Paris Lees.

MAGAZINES

When Saturday Comes

In a nutshell, WSC is basically what Private Eye would be if it focused exclusively on football. If that sounds interesting to you then definitely pick up a copy. It costs twice as much as Private Eye sadly but the issues do tend to be very full of content and are released monthly rather than fortnightly like Private Eye is.

GAMES

(Quick aside, my gaming setup is a PC with pretty basic specs & a Playstation 3. So all suggestions will be for these platforms and the occasional Android game)

Sonic Mania (PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch)

Ticking one of the autism stereotype boxes,  I am a huge fan of the Sonic the Hedgehog series, especially the original 3.5 games that came out on the Sega Megadrive (Sonic 3 and Sonic & Knuckles are the same game split in 2 parts). Sadly nothing released since that series has come close to evoking those childhood memories in front of the portable telly in my bedroom desperately trying to get past Metropolis Zone Act 2 (to the point that I actually had to ask my mum for help!). So when this game was announced it became my first ever Steam pre-order and luckily it more than lived up to the hype. You’ll have a couple of small issues to navigate if you get the pc version (unless you have a wired Xbox controller in which case you’re already set to go) but they are worth it for a truly faithful recreation of the 90’s classics.

I’ll be supplementing these posts with an end of month follow-up like I did last year so look out for that and look forward for more content on the blog for 2018!

[goldeagleprice]

Bullion for quick buck or long-term security?

Just a small percentage of the public actually owns any bullion-priced physical gold or silver, maybe only 1-3 percent of adults in the U.S. Because of this, it would take a lot to achieve a major expansion in demand. Dealers who market physical precious metals also have a huge amount of inertia to overcome, especially at a time when stocks and cryptocurrencies seem to grab headlines, touting higher prices for those assets.

There seem to be mainly two different angles by which dealers market physical precious metals. One tactic is to focus on a recent short-term financial development and predict or hypothesize that it will spark an imminent major gold and silver price boom. That creates the specter that if someone does not immediately act to purchase gold or silver, the prices will rise sharply in the near future.

The advantage for the seller of this marketing strategy is to spur buyers into action, either getting them at least to accelerate their purchases or maybe even just making any purchases at all. The disadvantage is that almost all possible financial crises fizzle out or are otherwise managed so that they don’t become the cascading crisis that sends gold and silver prices soaring. When the predicted soaring jump in prices does not come to pass, that makes the subsequent dealer cries of “wolf” likely to fall upon deaf ears.

The alternate sales spiel touts the ownership of physical precious metals as a long-term form of insurance against the risk of loss of value for paper assets such as stocks, bonds and fiat currencies. This does not carry the same sense of urgency as the tactic above. Therefore, such a sales strategy in the short-term can generate fewer sales but not disappoint customers.

Unfortunately, in marketing concepts, where a particular action is not urgent, it often ends up being long delayed or never acted upon (think of all the procrastination of people in purchasing life insurance or doing their estate planning). That is a disadvantage of this marketing campaign. Yet, it does have an advantage of satisfying buyers over the long term because they were not led to expect immediate price jumps. While it will tend to result in lower near term-sales, customers are more likely to have greater satisfaction in the long-run.

Perhaps the best marketing plan is to advocate long-term ownership while at the same time pointing out that there are political and financial developments happening in the world right now that might lead to higher prices sooner than almost anyone anticipates. That way, if prices don’t quickly spike, customers will not necessarily be upset.

Let me share a couple of anecdotal stories about long-term customer satisfaction. One time, my company bought back a 100-ounce pure silver bar about a year after the seller had purchased it for $700. He sold it to us for about $600. Yet, the customer said he was happy. He told us that if he had not owned that bar, he would have frittered away the money on beer and cigarettes and have nothing to fall back on when he really needed the $600.

In another instance, a couple came to our store late in a calendar year to purchase some bullion-priced physical silver. They said their intention was to sell it late the next summer to use the funds to pay for college tuition for one of their children. I recommended that they not put those funds into silver, even though I thought there was a good prospect that they would make a gain by then that would be greater than a certificate of deposit would yield. However, the potential risk of loss, even if the price of silver increased slightly, was high enough in that short of a time frame that I didn’t want them to have a disappointing experience with precious metals. In that instance, the customers took my advice, which lost a sale then. However, when they later came in to acquire some gold and silver for other purposes, they were quite comfortable listening to my recommendations.

As we say around my company, if you take care of your customers, your customers will take care of you. Long-term patronage by a smaller number of really good customers is more profitable than one-time transactions with many customers.

Patrick A. Heller was the American Numismatic Association 2017 Exemplary Service and 2012 Harry Forman Numismatic Dealer of the Year Award winner. He was also honored by the Numismatic Literary Guild in 2017 and 2016 for the Best Dealer-Published Magazine/Newspaper and for Best Radio Report. He is the communications officer of Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, Mich., and writes “Liberty’s Outlook,” a monthly newsletter on rare coins and precious metals subjects. Past newsletter issues can be viewed at www.libertycoinservice.com. Some of his radio commentaries titled “Things You ‘Know’ That Just Aren’t So, And Important News You Need To Know” can be heard at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and Friday mornings on 1320-AM WILS in Lansing (which streams live and becomes part of the audio and text archives posted at www.1320wils.com).

  This article was originally printed in Numismatic News. >> Subscribe today.

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[tracedandreplaced-blog]

The Beginning of the Bottom -bipolar entry 1

By the time a highway patrolman uncuffed and released me to my wife and her father at 3:30 am in a McDonalds parking lot, I'd been getting smashed everyday for 3 years. He explained the DUI arrest and trial process to them and finished up by saying "you really need to get him some help. Most people with that high a blood alcohol content can't stand, let alone talk, and he's been carrying on perfectly clear conversation with me this whole time. That's an incredibly high tolerance. He's been drinking heavily for awhile." I didn't know it at the time, but substance abuse affects around 50% of those with bipolar illness, which I would be diagnosed with three years later. I didn't know that when I drove into Seattle twice a week and stayed out til bar close, drinking relentlessly in goth clubs and metal bars, buying rounds of 40s for street kids and homeless musicians while busking on sidewalks for change, and driving home 40 minutes drunk every time, that I was in the midst of uncontrollable manic episodes. I didn't know that I wasn't in fact a God who would never die, or kill anyone on the road, or ever be forced to stop drinking, or have liver problems before turning 30, because I had actually been implanted with the souls of Charles Bukowski, Shane McGowan, and Dylan Thomas. God had told me so the first time I was pulled over. When I was let go with a warning for using my cellphone while driving. I very eloquently explained this minor lapse in judgement to her, and since the stink of booze on my breath had been covered by the city's best hot dog smothered in cream cheese, carmelized onions, ketchup, mustard, relish, and sriracha, she saw no need to even give me a sobriety test. I'd probably drank 15 beers. The aforementioned conversation with God took place whilst driving the rest of the way home.

There was no fear or danger in my life. When I was up, the God-self took over and I was invincible. When I was down I numbed everything with drink and felt no pain. The only time the sheer terror of sober mania or depression couldn't be avoided was the second half of my shifts at work, when the previous night's drunk wore off. Anytime I wasn't at work, I went from zero to .08 in no time flat. Then way fuckin past that.

I hid this from my wife the entire time. 3 years of completely soaking in alcoholism, plus around 3 years of the more amateurish binging that led up to it. I trained myself to drive, walk, and talk just good enough to avoid detection. When I would slip up every once in awhile and she commented on my slurring, I blamed the interaction of whatever anti depressant I was on at the time, saying I could never drink more than 2 beers without getting a very heavy buzz, which because of that, I never did of course.

Every month I got to take 200 bucks in cash out for my spending money. She thought I spent it on coffee and books, shows and black metal CDs. I spent it all on beer. This wouldn't have ever lasted a whole month, so I supplemented the 200 with what I considered booze money laundering. I was creative. I was good at it. And I know I wouldn't have been able to do it without the focus and determination of mania. Every time I got gas I'd go inside to pay for it and add in a six pack. Everytime I got groceries I'd get 20 bucks cash back. And buy beer. Every time I went to pick up restaraunt take out, I'd show up early and have a couple beers while I waited, added to the tab. I had 10 other schemes I employed on a regular basis. I would use whatever one best fit the day in question on every trip home from work and every afternoon on my days off. The messenger bag that went with me to work was filled with a six pack of tall boys covered in a couple books every time I walked into our apartment. I would then hide the bag next to my armchair and sneak them out one by one, draining them while my wife read or slept in the other room. I'd also go through the back up 6 I had hidden in the bookshelf next to the chair, as well as the two show beers I'd have from the fridge. On the days I'd hit the bar for a couple on the way home from work, or when I had some in the car, I'd have to make sure and open up a show beer right after walking in the door to explain my breath with the welcome home kiss that came next.

Most of the 200 cash went to the bars. Other than my trips into Seattle, I'd show up to my hometown bars at 1 in the afternoon on my days off. They were always during the weekdays since I worked retail and my wife worked nine to five, Monday to Friday. She didn't know I was there- if she called, I'd call her back from my car and convince her I was at home reading, or maybe out taking a walk. I once did a phone interview for a new job from the bar parking lot at 2 in the afternoon drunk off my ass. I didn't get it but I don't think she knew.

The only ones in the bars that early were a bunch of retired alcoholics and me. Id glom onto them like their new best friend and talk their ears off until they moved seats or left. Because of the mania, I thought I was the funniest guy in the room. I was the best looking (sometimes true), had the most charisma, and was all the bartenders' favorite customer. In reality they all thought it was annoying and sad. I'm sure they toasted when I left. I'd come home at around four and keep drinking all night. Those days off would see about 12 hours straight through beer goggles. If the day off and a Seattle trip crossed paths, it'd be 14.

There were probably hundreds of times I could've been arrested in those 3 years, especially in Seattle. I was a hurricane. I was a maniac. I was obsessed. And I was dangerous. I was so entirely different than I was just a few years before, which leads me to believe that's when my illness manifested. I was so incredibly responsible before. Not just that, I was scared; scared to mess anything in my life up. I stayed on the straight and narrow because I couldn't imagine loosing anything I had. But when the illness set it, I wasnt afraid of anything. I had nothing to loose because nothing was real to me. If it wasn't my mania or my depression, or a symptom of either, I just wasn't interested. Then something to lose came along.

The Highway Patrolman and I talked all the way from the substation to McDonalds. My blood alcohol was just under .2 but as he would tell my wife shortly after, I was lucid and well spoken. He asked me how I was going to come up with the nearly 10 grand this whole process usually takes through fines, lawyers, DMV hoops, ignition interlock devices, and monthly readings. Oh and don't forget about jail. He asked me how this happened to such a nice, put together young man. He asked me what this would do to my wife. I knew exactly what it would do to her and I told him. I also told him she was two months pregnant.

I haven't had a drink since a half hour before my arrest. I wasn't diagnosed with bipolar illness, the root of all of this, until 3 years later. The time in between was an absolute hell of adjustment to desperately unwanted sobriety. Plus, I had to spend all that time trying to figure out who I actually was, and what purpose I had, or didn't. I didn't find that out until my purpose became fatherhood. That changed everything, but I was still fucking crazy, and I didn't even know it. I just thought I was terrible at everything.

This isn't a story about alcoholism. It's a story about mental illness. I drank because it made my mania even more maniacal, and made my depression bearable. I guess maybe if you were locked safely away in a cell and couldn't hurt anyone, drinking might be the best medicine of all for this. But I could've killed a family on the highway. I could've gone to prison for a very long time. I could've ruined my marriage. I could've killed myself.

I didn't know why I was writing this when I started, but I see it now. I need to be able to look back on these episodes the next time I'm at the psychologist and think he made up this diagnosis, and that I'm some sort of fraud. The next time I feel like I don't need my medication because it's all been a charade, I need to remember this story. The next time I don't tell my wife if I'm in a really bad place because I think I'm a sane person just playing the victim for attention, I need to re-read this and realize how fucking literally crazy it all was, and is.

Or maybe I just needed a new frenzy because I'm manic again. Thanks for reading.

[mtwy]

The Virgin Tour

Cincinnati Gardens Cincinnati, OH May 17th 1985

SOLD OUT

Madonna Mania

She Struts, Pouts, Prances, Parades and Drives Friday Night’s Full House Right To The Borderline

By Cliff Radel (The Cincinnati Enquirer)

In her latest movie, Madonna of the perpetually bare navel answers a want-ad for “Desperately Seeking Susan.” After catching her act Friday night at Cincinnati Gardens, it’s safe to say Madonna should place an ad for herself and begin it with: “Desperately Seeking Polish.”

She calls herself a singer. And yet on “Holiday” and “Get Into The Groove,” a number from the “Desperately Seeking Susan” soundtrack, Madonna sang along with a tape recording of herself. Of course, she had to do that. There was no way for her pip-squeak of a voice to be heard over the noise coming from her eight-man band. But still, after she pulled that stunt, you always wondered: Was it Madonna or was it Momorex?

She calls herself a dancer. She even says she tripped the light fantastic with the Alvin Ailey company in New York. Maybe she meant the Alvin Ailey storm door company and clogging society. She must have, because she did her routines with two left feet and that’s not the way someone would dance who has worked in good old Alvin’s dance troupe.

She calls herself a personality. And that she is. Only a personality could send the sold out crowd of 9,941 into the frenxy she prodced with just the shake of a hip and the wiggle of an elbow. Only a personality could drop balloons with the inscription “Dreams Come True” from the ceiling and have 9,941 people scramble just for the chance to pop them as she sings “Angel.” Only a personality could whip up the crowd like she does. But then, most of the audience was of a very impressionable age. This isn’t saying they were wet behind the ears. But the Gardens’ cotton candy concession did one heck of a business Friday night. Ice balls were a big seller too.

As for Madonna’s famous navel, it kept the crowd waiting before it made its entrance. Thirty minutes passed before some navel action was sighted on “Lucky Star” and this was after Madonna changed costumed, ditching her trademark purple undies for a black-on-black bare midriff number.

As for Madonna’s celebrated sexuality, it was there in all of its smarminess. In high school they had a name for people like Madonna. They called them skags. They had complexions pastier than Elmer’s Glue and a marked tendency to crack their gum, apply make-up by the pound and wash their hair monthly whether it needed it or not. madonna was ll of this and more Friday night. She delighted in flashing the crowd so she could show off her purple underwear. She also delighted in saying things people could take two ways, both of them would be dirty. Her introduction to “Everybody” was like that. If you’re expecting a blow-by-blow description, forget it. This is a family newspaper. And after what Madonna pulled off, she’s not even a kissing cousin.

[goldeagleprice]

Bullion for quick buck or long-term security?

Just a small percentage of the public actually owns any bullion-priced physical gold or silver, maybe only 1-3 percent of adults in the U.S. Because of this, it would take a lot to achieve a major expansion in demand. Dealers who market physical precious metals also have a huge amount of inertia to overcome, especially at a time when stocks and cryptocurrencies seem to grab headlines, touting higher prices for those assets.

There seem to be mainly two different angles by which dealers market physical precious metals. One tactic is to focus on a recent short-term financial development and predict or hypothesize that it will spark an imminent major gold and silver price boom. That creates the specter that if someone does not immediately act to purchase gold or silver, the prices will rise sharply in the near future.

The advantage for the seller of this marketing strategy is to spur buyers into action, either getting them at least to accelerate their purchases or maybe even just making any purchases at all. The disadvantage is that almost all possible financial crises fizzle out or are otherwise managed so that they don’t become the cascading crisis that sends gold and silver prices soaring. When the predicted soaring jump in prices does not come to pass, that makes the subsequent dealer cries of “wolf” likely to fall upon deaf ears.

The alternate sales spiel touts the ownership of physical precious metals as a long-term form of insurance against the risk of loss of value for paper assets such as stocks, bonds and fiat currencies. This does not carry the same sense of urgency as the tactic above. Therefore, such a sales strategy in the short-term can generate fewer sales but not disappoint customers.

Unfortunately, in marketing concepts, where a particular action is not urgent, it often ends up being long delayed or never acted upon (think of all the procrastination of people in purchasing life insurance or doing their estate planning). That is a disadvantage of this marketing campaign. Yet, it does have an advantage of satisfying buyers over the long term because they were not led to expect immediate price jumps. While it will tend to result in lower near term-sales, customers are more likely to have greater satisfaction in the long-run.

Perhaps the best marketing plan is to advocate long-term ownership while at the same time pointing out that there are political and financial developments happening in the world right now that might lead to higher prices sooner than almost anyone anticipates. That way, if prices don’t quickly spike, customers will not necessarily be upset.

Let me share a couple of anecdotal stories about long-term customer satisfaction. One time, my company bought back a 100-ounce pure silver bar about a year after the seller had purchased it for $700. He sold it to us for about $600. Yet, the customer said he was happy. He told us that if he had not owned that bar, he would have frittered away the money on beer and cigarettes and have nothing to fall back on when he really needed the $600.

In another instance, a couple came to our store late in a calendar year to purchase some bullion-priced physical silver. They said their intention was to sell it late the next summer to use the funds to pay for college tuition for one of their children. I recommended that they not put those funds into silver, even though I thought there was a good prospect that they would make a gain by then that would be greater than a certificate of deposit would yield. However, the potential risk of loss, even if the price of silver increased slightly, was high enough in that short of a time frame that I didn’t want them to have a disappointing experience with precious metals. In that instance, the customers took my advice, which lost a sale then. However, when they later came in to acquire some gold and silver for other purposes, they were quite comfortable listening to my recommendations.

As we say around my company, if you take care of your customers, your customers will take care of you. Long-term patronage by a smaller number of really good customers is more profitable than one-time transactions with many customers.

Patrick A. Heller was the American Numismatic Association 2017 Exemplary Service and 2012 Harry Forman Numismatic Dealer of the Year Award winner. He was also honored by the Numismatic Literary Guild in 2017 and 2016 for the Best Dealer-Published Magazine/Newspaper and for Best Radio Report. He is the communications officer of Liberty Coin Service in Lansing, Mich., and writes “Liberty’s Outlook,” a monthly newsletter on rare coins and precious metals subjects. Past newsletter issues can be viewed at www.libertycoinservice.com. Some of his radio commentaries titled “Things You ‘Know’ That Just Aren’t So, And Important News You Need To Know” can be heard at 8:45 a.m. Wednesday and Friday mornings on 1320-AM WILS in Lansing (which streams live and becomes part of the audio and text archives posted at www.1320wils.com).

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