#and only managed because my salary went to a relative’s account who gave it to me

[prorevenge]

Steal our money and abuse your children? Good Luck with life.

I would just like to put this out there that while I still am a minor, this culminated only last year. Also, I am based outside the US, Canada and Europe, so perhaps some laws may differ. I also suck at languages. Sorry if it gets too long. NSFW tag is needed for details further on. This is a new account, so there will be people who call this fake, and I apologise if this comes off as so.

During the 2008 financial crisis, my father had (ironically) received a promotion based on a project that had rolled out worldwide a few months ago. While his salary only received an increment upgrade, he received a healthy stock bonus (I think that is what they called). As a form of celebration, he decided to buy the apartment we were (and still are living) in and give it a fresh coat of paint (i.e. renovate the house completely). He bought it at well below the market price and the previous owner was more than happy to get the home of his hands so that he could pay off the loan on it. All done and said, my father looked around for a renovator who would work at a reasonable price.

He eventually found one who was ready to do the work at a fraction of the cost the others were doing it at, and after settling on designs and material choices, we moved out of the house and into a service apartment while they began to do the work over 6 months. Now, my father is a very naive person. He believes in the good every being, and will give everything if it means it will help you. The renovator, who we shall name as James, seemed a pitiful character at first. He claimed to be severely overworked by the owners, and had been looking for a way to set up his own business. He non directly was insinuating that my father lend him some money, but, as it was the midst of the financial crisis, my father assured he will try his best to help James out.

Over the 6 months, my younger sister and I got very close to James' two children; twin sisters (Violet and Bella) who were of my age. We would meet often at the local playground, while my father and James would discuss how to help James out with his idea for a business. My father would always recommend a lender, but James would always refuse, stating some bullshit excuse about how he does not want to be tied up. Eventually, my father gave in, and scrubbed together $10,000 to help James bankroll his own renovation business (which in hindsight makes no sense because how do you set up a renovation business with only $10,000). James was very grateful for this and promised to return the money back, and my Father had a contract created with the help of a lawyer, and both James and him signed it.

After the 6 months was over, we moved in. The house was in a great condition, and us kids loved it. But strangely, right after we picked up the keys from James, we never heard a word from in. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and finally months into years, and yet we could never trace James or his kids (he had no wife), and my father did not get his money back, which was a severe strain on us for a year and a bit more. We lodged a police report, but found that this was only one amongst many cases that were against James, and the name and details we had received from him were fake. They were ghosts.

This really depressed my father, because it opened his eyes to the type of people that were around him, and the fact that even if he wanted to look for the good in people and help them, he would always be taken advantage of, regardless of whether it was in the office or in social life.

Fast forward a few years to around March of 2017, and I had just entered the final two years of my schooling education. At the time, I was 15, while my classmates were between 16-17 (I skipped a grade when I was younger, and thus, will still, legally, be a minor when I graduate this year). During the first day of orientation, I picked out two familiar faces in the crowd, that at first I could not put my finger on who they were, and this was strange because I had been in this school for many years and could easily recognise anybody. It took me a few days, and looking at them carefully during classes, to realise that the two new girls who had joined were Violet and Bella themselves, albeit with completely different names and in a bad shape. I approached them at first, thinking they would recognise me, but they never did (and had), and were kind of apprehensive the first few weeks. They did not make many friends at school.

But over time, I managed to get through their armour, and, while they were still not entirely comfortable with me, it was miles better than how the rest of the school treated them. And this was when I actually got a good look at how they had turned out. There were many scars on their hands, any time parents or family were mentioned in the conversation, they basically turned off and went ghost white, and if a boy came even within 2 metres of them, they would turn as white as a sheet or become very agitated. The school counsellor had also notice this, and asked their parents (James essentially) about this, but he played dumb when asked questions and claimed he did not know why these were occurring (just a note, I found this out later but added it here because it helps the flow of the events). I realised something was horribly wrong nearly the instant I saw them but this confirmed it.

Over the same time, my friends and I tried to include them in as many activities as possible, and we took as many pictures with them (and every time somebody took out a camera they would shudder) as possible under the guise of memories, but I mostly kept them as evidence because I had a feeling this was not a good story. It is also important to note I had not told my father that James' children were in my school as it would only trigger bad memories for him and I did not want him to go through the same phase again.

After collecting these pictures, my friends and I made a beeline for the counsellor. The pictures showed in greater details the type of scars that the two sisters had on their hands and feet, which aren't visible in school uniform as our uniform consists of long pants and a full sleeve shirt. I am pretty sure the counsellor and us had a good idea where these scars had come from, but the pictures only was not really great evidence to James arrested, but it was enough to have our country's CPS equivalent get involved. And let me tell you, these guys do not mess around. They have their own division of military trained "police" officers and are relatively well funded, will go to any lengths to thoroughly investigate a case, and will ruin your life if they even doubt you.

After submitting the pictures, and learning a case was opened, we were not involved in much else as we were still minors. That was, until a few months after (December of 2017), when my friends and I were pulled out of class by the principal, and were taken to the local police station were a representative of CPS was waiting for us. They were very polite, and wanted to know more information about the case. Apart from what were in the pictures, and what we gave, my friends could not provide much else. Neither could I, but I saw the representatives eyes light up for a second when I mentioned about who the father was and how he had cheated our family. But apart from that, we did not hear much after that, other than they might need us as witnesses (I am sorry if this comes off as wrong but this is what I recall) if the case proceeds onto court.

Some weeks later (January of 2018), my father received a call from the police to come down for the case on James (I don't think it was ever closed due to the sheer magnitude of number of cases against James). Apparently they had let him know that there was a new lead on where James might be and he might be needed later on. They also let him know that CPS was on the case too, so he should expect a call soon on them for their case on James (I think they now believed that James was behind the scars). My father had known by know that I had gone to the counsellor with pictures of Bella and Violet being potentially abused, as the principal had called him up on the day CPS had pulled me out of class for an interview, so he had fully expected this, and was seething with anger because a man he had thought to be good had stolen his money and abused his own daughters.

After that, I do not know what happened for a long time. Bella and Violet remained in school, more drawnback than ever, and my friends and I were not contacted any more. Until one day, around June of 2018, just before we broke for summer, when they were met outside of school by a representative of CPS. I was a close friend of them by now, so I was walking with them to the bus stop, when we were met by the representative. He asked me to continue on, as he had to ask them a few questions. I moved on, fully expecting what was to happen. It didn't take long.

Around end September of 2018, CPS contacted my father and I, as well as my friends, regarding the case, They needed some things (I could not go that day as I had been hospitalised for a compound fracture), so my father went for the both of us (he could sign for me as I was still a minor and he was a legal guardian). When he came back, he was truly shocked. It turns out the problem was far more than I expected. My father had signed an NDA, as had my friends, and even though I had been involved, I could not get much out of them except that my friends and I had started something huge.

Come December 2018, and finally I found out just what we had started. The entire article was printed in the papers (James, Bella, Violet, my friends and I, and my father were not named due to a gag order to protect the identity of the victim; other than us lot, nobody else in the school or society, to my knowledge, knew who the children in question were).

Bella and Violet had not only been physically abused by James with the use of pipes and belts, but they had been raped by James multiple times, and their reaction to the camera, which I mentioned earlier, was due to the fact that James had been recording his rapings of his Bella and Violet, and had been trying to sell them to snuff sites on the dark web. In addition to this, he had cheated nearly 15 victims (including my father) out of nearly $200,000.

The book was thrown at James, mainly due his treatment of Bella and Violet, as well as due to another incident which had happened when he was being arrested, but I will not mention it because it, on its own, will give away where I am from. He was given multiple life sentences, no chance of parole, and was also given another punishment that is not used in other countries, but I will not mention it because it identifies where I am, but I am guessing the smart people here will be able to find out just what it is anyway.

I am also pretty sure the people in prison will do not take kindly to child rapists, so he is in hell. Which is good. Because that is all he deserves.

I do not know where Bella and Violet are, they were pulled out as soon as court proceedings began.

(source) story by (/u/TakeRevengeAsALiving)

[gianna1014]

Hidden Truth

Hidden Truth

Hazel’s life has been a mess since her father’s business went bankrupt. They were living a worrie-less life before it happened. But it get worse when her father diagnosed with cancer. They were running out of money. Her father needs medical treatment and she has nothing in her bank account. She discovered too that they don’t have enough money even to pay for their bills.

She has nothing but to sell their ancestral house in Batangas. Then she met Vincent Del Tierra. The ruggedly handsome but lethal looking businessman. He’s rich. A billionaire. And even if she wasn’t willing to sell their last property, she don’t have any other choices. The father’s health was her priority.

Vincent Del Tierra desires Hazel. The first time he saw her, he knew then what he really wants. And he needs her more than having her in his bed.

He will provide her money, her mansion and everything.. if she will be willing to give him a.. child.

Hazel thought he was crazy. But everytime she was looking in his eyes.. there’s something she can’t barely explain.

Will she give in for money? Or will she strip the hidden desires.. along with the truth.. then what is the truth?

***

Chapter 1

Hazel’s POV

I slowly closed the door of my father’s room. He just fell asleep and I don’t want him to be disturbed again. It’s been a long night and he was complaining about his medicines.

I walked out from the hallway. I thought of going to the kitchen and get something to drink but I decided to go to the veranda and stay there for a while before I go to my room.

The cold breeze welcome my exhausted body. I went up here just after I visited my father’s office. I had seen all the unopened letters, documents and other files. I bit my lower lip and suppressed my tears.

What am I going to do now? Who am I going to ask for a help?

I liquidated all our other assets just to fill in our employees last salaries. I paid for the remaining debts and all I have now is our old house and some paper bills in my wallet. My bank account stripped to zero. I’ve decided too to close it down for good rather than having penalties because I can’t maintain the required balance.

I gasped silently. I was a teacher. A Pre-school teacher. I don’t earn that much and I bet if my salary can support my father’s expensive medication. I can’t even afford to hire a private nurse to take care of him when I go to work. Thank, God, I have Nanny Caridad with me. And she waves nothing but to help me, us. She has been working with the family before I was born. She’s almost a family.

But my problem didn’t end just like that. I have to support my father’s health. He was the only family that I have. My mother died when I was a little. She has found dead in the pool. The police said she probably drown. Probably—that’s all I could remember when I asked my father about her.

Relatives? Oh, damn. They were gone since the day my father declared bankruptcy. Even all business partners had gone with the wind. Just like that. That fast.

“Hazel,”

I still startled when I heard Nanny Caridad spoke. I cleared my throat and turned at her. I gave her a weary smile. That’s all I could afford to do.

She walked a few strides at me, “Why are you still awake? You should be in you room in this hour,” she concernly said at me.

I heaved out deep sigh. I blinked my tears back so she can’t see that my status still keep bothering me. “I..can’t sleep, Nanny..” I managed to answer.

She sighed. She’s in her mid fifties and stayed unmarried. I loved her like the way I loved my mother. Because of her, I never felt lonely even growing up without a mother by my side. My father was busy with our business but Nanny Caridad took cared of me.

“I know what’s bothering you, Hazel. You can’t hide it from me.” she said.

I faintedly smiled and stared at the dark night. “Nanny..I’m thinking of..selling this house..” I abruptly felt the pinch of pain right in my chest. There are a bunch of memories with me in this old house. And it's hard to decide and let it go.

She looked at me with surprised eyes. “But..Hazel—“

I shook my head. “I-I have nothing anymore, Nanny. I have to take care of Dad. My savings can’t support us. I can’t even afford to maintain this house, the bills and everything!”

She stared at me. I can feel how bad our situation were.

“If only I can help you..” she sadly uttered.

I held his hands. “You’re already a big help to us, Nanny. You know I can’t pay you anymore but you still chose to be with us and earn nothing. I couldn’t ask for more. If we don’t have you right now..I can’t imagine what will happen to me..”

She squeezed my hand. “The Lord is with us, Hazel. Don’t be discouraged..” she softly said to me.

I didn’t say anything rather than nodding. Yes. I prayed and asked. I know He was challenging me and I won’t give up. It’s just.. this earthly problems are so damn hard to swallow.

***

Tomorrow morning, I volunteered to go to the grocery and buy important goods for us. I have to buy my father’s medicines too.

While looking for the cheaper price of rice, I felt the unknown heat at my back. I turned around but only sees people who’s having their own business too.

I shrugged my shoulders and continued.

I pushed my cart and looked for another cheaper price of meat. I chose the small size of whole chicken. I budgeted my money for one week and it should not exceeded five to six hundred pesos.

When I finished, I lined up to the cashier and waited.

In my mind, I counted how much will it cost so I can save up more for my father’s medicines. I scanned my cart. I sighed and took out the loaf bread. “There you go..” I murmured.

When it was my turned, my bill went up to 565.25php. I smirked and paid the cashier. If I added the bread, the life span of my wallet will shorten.

I carried with the two large plastic bags. I walked to my old jeep and opened the passenger’s door and hop in the grocery bags. I just stop on track when someone called my name, “Yes..?” I turned around. I saw a man smiling at me.

Confusion marred in between my eyesbrows. Well, he was wearing a white longsleeves tucked in his black pants. He probably in his mid thirties or so.

“Do I know you?” I asked.

“You don’t. But my boss knows you and he wants to talk to you.”

I looked around hoping to find other people or bystanders. But I saw nothing. Even the guards. “I’m sorry. But.. I think—“

“You’re Hazel Villanueva, right?” he asked formally.

My lips parted a little. Should I confirm it or not? And I choose the latter. “I’m sorry.” I turned around.

“My boss has a proposal to you, Miss Villanueva..” he added when I opened the driver’s door.

“I’m not interested!” I almost shouted.

“Please see him first. He’s been following you in the grocery..”

I stopped on my track again. I knew it! I was right. There was someone staring at me!

I don’t want to assume but.. “Are.. you a stalker?”

He smirked. “I’m not. Maybe you can ask my boss.. he’s waiting for you in his car..” he cursory nodded the direction where the car was parked.

But I stay stilled. Did he think I will follow him?

I shook my head. “No. I won’t do that. I don’t know you.” I abruptly hop in the jeep and started the engines with my shaking hands. Who are these people?

The man walked at my side and knock on my window. He was urging me to open it.

But I didn’t. The engines finally started and drive the jeep as fast as I could to leave that man. Or men..

[lexi-bloom]

Age: 0 years

I was born a female in Tokyo, Japan. I was a planned pregnancy.

My birthday is August 30. I am a Virgo.

My name is Lexi Bloom.

My father is Ichiro Bloom, a real estate agent (age 40).

My mother is Yui Bloom, an Army enlistee (age 26).

Age: 1 year

I banged on a xylophone that I found in my crib.

Age: 2 years

My mother has been promoted to Staff Sergeant.

I threw a tantrum when my mother took me to the doctor's office to get vaccinated.

Age: 3 years

I'm starting to think that naptime is the worst time of the day.

I let another child play with my favorite toy.

Age: 4 years

My mother has been promoted to Sergeant First Class.

Residents of Uruguay have largely converted to hempseed-based protein as their main source of nutrients.

Age: 5 years

I went home with my head hung low after I peed myself in front of the other kids at the park.

Age: 6 years

My mother has been promoted to Master Sergeant.

I have been enrolled in elementary school at Yuki Kishimoto Elementary School.

I learned how to tie my shoes.

Age: 7 years

I was appreciative to my parents for taking me on a road trip to visit relatives in Kyoto, Japan.

Age: 8 years

I'm starting to think my dad may be a superhero.

I admitted to my parents that I broke their mailbox.

Age: 9 years

My classmate, Hideki, acted up in Mrs. Kaneko's class. I laughed at his antics.

I was sent to the headmaster's office for encouraging a misbehaving classmate.

I argued with the headmaster, Mr. Huang.

I received a warning from the headmaster.

Age: 10 years

My mother has been promoted to Sergeant Major.

I told some of the girls in my neighborhood I wasn't interested in going to see "Beam Me Up Ryuki" with them.

Age: 11 years

My classmate, Satoru, asked me out.

I am now going out with Satoru Fukuda.

Age: 12 years

Satoru started lower secondary school.

My mother and my father had a baby boy named Takeshi, my new brother. He was an accidental pregnancy.

I started lower secondary school at Hana Fujita Lower Secondary School.

Satoru broke up with me.

I lunged at Satoru!

I impaled his nose.

He lunged at me!

He busted my jugular.

Age: 13 years

I have stepped in gum 74 times this year and it's only April.

Age 13: l have stepped in gum 74 times this year and it's only April.

I have been diagnosed with depression.

I got my first period.

Age: 14 years

My mother and my father had a baby boy named Rento, my new brother. He was conceived after my father's condom broke.

My classmate, Akari, asked me to help her cheat in Mrs. Ikeda's class.

I visited the headmaster's office and reported my classmate, Akari, for for trying to get me to help her cheat.

The headmaster, Mr. Kato, said he would look into it.

Age: 15 years

I started upper secondary school at Yu Tanaka Upper Secondary School.

I decided to see what extracurricular activities were available at my new upper secondary school.

Age: 16 years

Iraq has enforced an asset freeze on Puerto Rico.

I am cured of depression.

I am heterosexual.

Age: 17 years

I think my teacher may be experiencing gas issues.

I was cut from the cross country team for performance reasons.

Age: 18 years

My little brother, Takeshi, started elementary school.

I graduated from upper secondary school.

I've been wondering how many people have actually had seizures watching "Stranger Things".

I applied to university and was accepted.

My parents refused to pay my university tuition.

My application for a scholarship to university was rejected.

I took out a student loan to pay for my university tuition.

I started a university program in music.

Age: 19 years

I've been thinking a lot lately about what it would be like if I had a doppelgänger out there somewhere, and also wondering what my hypothetical lookalike is doing right now.

I passed my driving test and got a driving license.

Age: 20 years

My little brother, Rento, started elementary school.

My ex-boyfriend, Satoru, asked to get back together with me. I agreed to get back together with him.

Age: 21 years

I witnessed a Soundcloud rapper drinking and driving. She saw me call the police!

The Soundcloud rapper charged me!

She grappled my mouth.

I ran away from her.

Age: 22 years

My father retired.

I graduated from university with an undergraduate degree in music.

I have to start paying back my student loan for university.

I think my neighbor may be distributing marijuana.

Age: 22 years

My father retired.

I graduated from university with an undergraduate degree in music.

I have to start paying back my student loan for university.

I think my neighbor may be distributing marijuana.

I applied to medical school but my application was rejected.

I applied to graduate school and was accepted.

My parents refused to pay my graduate school tuition.

My application for a scholarship to graduate school was rejected.

I took out a student loan to pay for my graduate school tuition.

I started graduate school.

Age: 23 years

I refused to skip school with my classmate, Prija.

Age: 24 years

My little brother, Takeshi, started lower secondary school.

I completed graduate school.

I have to start paying back my student loan for graduate school.

I got an interview at The City of Tokyo for their Archaeologist opening.

I was hired for the position of Archaeologist for The City of Tokyo with a salary of $28,704.

Age: 25 years

Religious feuds fester between Spain and Cuba.

I decided to have a one night stand with Haruma Nakajima.

I practiced safe sex.

Age: 26 years

My little brother, Rento, started lower secondary school.

I have been given a raise of 4.8%. My salary is now $30,074.

I refused to join social media.

I called Satoru the life of the party.

I made love to Satoru.

I'm pregnant with Satoru's baby!

Satoru did not feel like making love to me.

I called Satoru enlightened.

Age: 27 years

My little brother, Takeshi, started upper secondary school.

The City of Tokyo promoted me to Sr. Archaeologist with a salary of $36,231.

A woman approached me and told me if my forehead was any bigger it would be a "fivehead".

I gave birth to a baby girl! I named her Sayaka Bloom.

Satoru argued with me because I didn't use his surname for the baby. I promised him I wouldn't do it again.

Satoru broke up with me. I called him a lamebrain.

Age: 28 years

I've been thinking a lot lately about whose computer I would hack into if I could choose just one person.

I was feeling very tired one afternoon, so I drank a lot of water to rehydrate my body.

Age: 29 years

My little brother, Rento, started upper secondary

My little brother, Rento, started upper secondary school.

I finally got a new pair of running shoes.

I chose to vaccinate my daughter, Sayaka.

Age: 30 years

My little brother, Takeshi, graduated from upper secondary school.

While walking downtown, I noticed some creepy old guys checking me out with binoculars from an office in a nearby building.

My daughter, Sayaka, wrote on the walls with a permanent marker. I had a heart-to-heart talk with her about her behavior.

Age: 31 years

My little brother, Takeshi, enlisted in the Navy.

I fully paid off my student loan for university.

My baby daddy, Satoru, sent me a pic of a bottle of wine, two glasses, and a condom. I forwarded it to all of my friends.

Age: 32 years

My little brother, Takeshi, has fathered a girl named Reina Bloom. My little brother, Takeshi, has been promoted to Seaman Apprentice.

My little brother, Rento, graduated from upper secondary school.

My parents tried to arrange a marriage between me and a Japanese guy named Takumi Takeuchi.

I agreed to marry him.

I married Takumi Takeuchi.

Following the wedding, I decided to keep my last name, Bloom.

Takumi decided to keep his name.

Age: 33 years

My daughter, Sayaka, started elementary school.

My little brother, Takeshi, married Haruka Yamashita, a 26-year old restaurant worker.

My little brother, Rento, started a new position as Receptionist for Peacock Systems.

I fully paid off my student loan for graduate school.

I spent some time relaxing by enjoying a sunrise.

Takumi didn't want to have a conversation with me.

I liked every photo that my baby daddy, Satoru, has ever posted on Instagram.

He confronted me! He begged me to leave him alone.

I made a fake Snapchat account and followed my ex-fling, Haruma.

Age: 34 years

My little brother, Takeshi, has been promoted to Seaman.

I found a satchel full of cocaine. I turned it in.

I texted my baby daddy, Satoru, to ask him for a pair of his dirty underwear.

He confronted me! He begged me to leave him alone.

Takumi does not want to have a threesome.

I berated Takumi for not wanting to have a threesome.

I prowled the streets.

I stole a Toyota RAV4!

Age: 35 years

My daughter, Sayaka, loves riding around in my Toyota RAV4.

I secretly kept a large diamond I found while working at an excavation site.

Age: 36 years

My little brother, Takeshi, and his wife, Haruka, had a baby boy named Soma Bloom. My little brother, Takeshi, has been promoted to Petty Officer Third Class.

My mother has retired from the Army.

I took Takumi to the theater to see "Who's Inside Me?".

Age: 37 years

My little brother, Takeshi, and his wife, Haruka, had a baby boy named Yusei Bloom.

My little brother, Rento, moved out.

I somehow managed to kill a desktop cactus.

I was released from my job as Sr. Archaeologist for The City of Tokyo.

I called my supervisor a douchelord on my way out.

Age: 38 years

My niece, Reina, started elementary school.

My little brother, Takeshi, has been promoted to Petty Officer Second Class.

Takumi and I had a threesome with Gabriela Miura.

Takumi left me for Gabriela Miura.

The judge made me pay Takumi Takeuchi $17,247 to settle the divorce.

I had dark thoughts.

I electrocuted my ex's husband, Yuki, by throwing a toaster into his bath! He died.

I had dark thoughts.

I electrocuted my ex, Takumi, by throwing a toaster into his bath! He died.

I had dark thoughts.

I electrocuted my ex, Gabriela, by throwing a toaster into her bath! She died.

I had dark thoughts.

I electrocuted my ex, Haruma, by throwing a toaster into his bath! He died.

I had dark thoughts.

I hit my ex, Satoru, over his head with a stick that I found! He died.

I have been convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging!

They sent me to Tokyo Federal Penitentiary, a maximum security prison.

I hired Honda & Associates to appeal my sentence.

My sentence was overturned!

I have been freed from prison.

I had eyelid surgery performed by Dr. Taiga Yamazaki.

I had a nose job performed by Dr. Taiga Yamazaki.

I decided to have a one night stand with Manato Tanaka.

I practiced safe sex.

Age: 39 years

My daughter, Sayaka, started lower secondary school.

A friend of my friend offered to set me up with a job as Jr. Marine Biologist for Mr. Falcon.

I was hired for the position of Jr. Marine Biologist for Mr. Falcon with a salary of $21,226.

Age: 40 years

My little brother, Takeshi, and his wife, Haruka, had a baby boy named Yuma Bloom. My little brother, Takeshi, has been promoted to Petty Officer First Class.

I said no to anabolic steroids.

Age: 41 years

I have been given a raise of 10.4%. My salary is now $23,425.

I looked at some butts.

I pickpocketed an old geezer! He had $56 in his wallet.

I decided to have a one night stand with Haruki Harada.

I changed my mind since there was no condom available.

I told my daughter, Sayaka, that she's the bee's knees.

I asked Keisuke Kobayashi on a date and he rejected me.

I am now dating Shinsuke Ikeda.

Age: 42 years

My daughter, Sayaka, started upper secondary school.

My nephew, Soma, started elementary school.

My little brother, Takeshi, has been promoted to Chief Petty Officer.

Mr. Falcon promoted me to Marine Biologist with a salary of $33,324.

My boyfriend, Shinsuke, likes to drive my Toyota RAV4 even more than I do.

Age: 43 years

My nephew, Yusei, started elementary school.

Itook guitar lessons and learned how to play "Freebird" by Lynyrd Skynyrd.

I called Shinsuke fascinating.

Shinsuke and I made love.

I'm pregnant with Shinsuke's baby!

I made a fake Facebook account and friend requested my ex-fling, Manato.

Age: 44 years

My niece, Reina, started lower secondary school.

My little brother, Takeshi, has been promoted to Senior Chief Petty Officer.

I have been given a raise of 6.6%. My salary is now $35,523.

My father died of complications from old age.

I paid my respects at his funeral.

I gave birth to a baby boy! I named him Riku Ikeda.

[supervidyavinay]

The Covid-19 pandemic, in addition to causing a global economic meltdown of epic proportions, has also led to employees across industries being laid off, put on furloughs, and truncated salaries. Below is the first-person account of a young media professional who was laid off, hit rock-bottom but found his mojo back. It started like a normal day. Colleagues exchanging pleasantries, water-cooler chit-chats, gup-shup near the coffee machine and business as usual. I clocked in and sat at my desk. The day was not very hectic, yet, till my colleague who happened to be at the senior-most position in the team got a call from the HR. 76352983‘HR has called me on the fourth floor for a meeting.’‘Ugh, God no! Did we get into trouble for a story we did?’, I asked. ‘Could be’, responded the colleague. That’s how clueless we were. We had no idea what lay in store. Ten minutes later, the colleague came back with a grim look on his face. ‘It’s over. We are shutting down. I was just told to put in my resignation. The company cannot sustain us any more.’‘What?’ I responded. I was aghast, and shaken. When the news about a possible layoff hits you, you never process it in one go. Especially, when it hits you out of nowhere.That is when our boss came to our desk and asked us to gather around. We formed a circle around her and sat on our chairs. Our boss assured us that the move ‘isn’t personal’ and that the company ‘doesn’t hate us all of a sudden’ and will be willing to consider some of us for some openings in other departments. An internal transfer seemed like the only hope that we were left with. I got a call from the HR. I was told that the company was offering us two months of severance pay. I was relieved. Two months seemed like a good amount of time to find a new job. ‘It isn’t going to be as bad,’ I reassured myself. 76353058I came back to my desk, switched on the system only to find that the company had revoked our rights and privileges, from the CMS to the social media handles... As the day went on, we handed in our resignations, completed all formalities and gave up our access cards. The news of the website shutting down spread like wildfire across the newsroom, despite all the efforts by the HR and the management to keep it under the wraps. Several people, distant friends from other departments came to offer their commiserations and told us ‘it is going to be okay’ and ‘arre bahut openings hai (there are plenty job openings), you’ll find one easily.’As I stepped out of the office for the last time, I couldn’t help but tear up. Sure, I was relatively new and had spent only four months at the company but there were so many things I wanted to achieve. I remember walking in for the first time with hope, aspirations and dreams - all of which now remained shattered. The Covid-19 pandemic, apart from bringing an economic slowdown and a 2008-esque economic crisis, has also led to a bloodbath in the media and the corporate world in terms of lay-offs. Uber, Zomato, Swiggy are just some of the many mega-successful start-ups that have laid off thousands of employees. Every day there comes in news about furloughs, pay-cuts and lay-offs taking place in reputed MNCs, with some of them even shutting off operations. Layoffs and furloughs across sectors have rendered thousands helpless and struggling to find their footing. 76353079The hard part, however, is not the day when you find out that you are getting laid off. It’s spending the next day at home, without work and struggling to search the Internet for job openings. Your mind can’t help but wonder ‘why me?’ and of course, the pertinent thought, ‘I wish I never would have joined this company in the first place.’What you feel is a whirlwind of powerful emotions - hopelessness, angst, anger, frustration and truth be told, it does seem like the end of the world. You struggle to find someone to talk to as all your friends are busy at work. You find it hard to explain to your parents, wife and kids as to why you are not going to work any more. The worst part is the uncertainty surrounding the whole situation - how long will it take me to find my next job? Will I be able to draw as much salary as I did in my last workplace? How will I support myself financially? How will I explain to my future employers why I left a company after just four months? Which e-Mail ID should I shoot my CV to? How should I get noticed on LinkedIn?And just when you think that things couldn’t get worse, they do. In the days that follow, you become used to spending time at home, bingeing on Netflix, doing household chores but when you go to sleep at night, you see flashes of that fateful day when you were laid off before your eyes. It is hard to come to terms with what happened. It really is. 76353133Nevertheless, you continue looking for jobs, sending CVs, appearing for interviews. You get some offers which aren’t lucrative enough and some rejections. Rejections can be a bitter pill to swallow. You can’t help but feel demotivated and to some extent, be filled with self-doubts. I, for one, appeared for five interviews and got rejected five times consecutively. Five two-hour-long copy tests, five gruelling interviews and five rejections later, I found myself feeling dejected, hopeless and a waste of space. Five rejections are enough to make a person seriously doubt their capabilities. Soon, I reached a stage where I was so desperate for a job, that I would have accepted an offer irrespective of the pay and the designation that I was being offered - a sorry state to be in, indeed. The times were so challenging that I even considered giving up on media houses and going for advertising, which, in retrospect, I am glad I did not do. Five weeks. Five weeks of sitting at home, searching for jobs endlessly and feeling hopeless. I had two interviews lined up the following week. I had lost all hope and attempted both half-heartedly. I ended up clearing them both. 76353144After spending eight months full of ups and downs at my current organisation, when I see people getting laid off across sectors, it breaks my heart. If you are someone who has recently been laid off and are struggling to deal with its aftermath, I wish I could tell you things like ‘it will get better’ and ‘you’ll survive this’. The truth is, things will get a lot worse before they get better. But, you have to prepare yourself mentally and physically for what’s coming - hopelessness.You will feel hopeless and dejected. These feelings will overpower you at times. But the silver lining in all of this is that when you land your next job, you will never take it for granted. You would take each day as it comes, live it to the fullest because you know, somewhere, there is a possibility of it all coming to an end in a giffy. If you are someone who has been laid off, firstly, as difficult as it sounds - don’t take it personally. The company couldn’t sustain you.. 76353160What you can do though, is try to find a stable job elsewhere. For that, you need to stay focussed and apply for jobs actively. Reach out to that distant cousin, talk to that long-lost friend and ask your professional contacts if they can help you land interviews. If you are financially privileged and don’t have to necessarily take up a job, use this time to explore yourself. Read a book, go watch movies and use this time to unwind. Whatever you do, always believe in your abilities. If you are qualified enough to get a job at a particular designation in a particular company, you are qualified to get another job at the same designation at some other place. Bottomline: There is a place meant for you that is just as fun as your last workplace. You just have to find it. Above all, don’t lose hope. Things will get a lot worse, but they will get better eventually. Besides, if I can survive a lay-off after being jobless for two months and getting rejected by five companies straight, so can you. Just hang in there! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of https://ift.tt/30zugc5 from Economic Times https://ift.tt/2Yy97vZ

[andrewdburton]

The flywheel of wealth (and the importance of patience)

His name is Dave. A retired Naval officer, he’s written two novels and about to publish his third. His books (thrillers in the style of Dan Brown and John Grisham) have been well received and even won awards, yet he’s still a relative unknown in the competitive world of fiction.

Her name is Michal. She’s a residential and commercial painting contractor in central Ohio. She’s a natural artist, a trait she inherited from her father and passed on to her daughter. She’s truly gifted, yet has struggled to grow her young business.

His name is Rob. He wants to achieve financial freedom at a young age. Yet, fresh out of college, he has mountains of debt. He makes a good salary, but most of it goes to paying school loans and everyday expenses. He manages to save and invest $100 a month, but feels like he’s making little progress.

These are all true stories.

Dave is Dave Grogan, a friend of mine. You can find his books here.

Michal is Michal Cheney, my sister. She owns and operates No Drip Painting, a company that has enjoyed tremendous growth, but only after years of hard work that seemed to go nowhere.

Rob is, as you might have guessed, me — 25 years ago. What started as $100 a month turned into early retirement at the age of 49.

What do these stories have in common? The Flywheel.

A flywheel is a mechanical device designed to efficiently store rotational energy. Well, that’s how an engineer would describe a flywheel. I majored in English. To me, a flywheel is a wheel that’s really hard to get started. Once it gets going, however, it’s really hard to stop.

Anybody who has taken a spin class and tried to stop the pedals with their feet has learned firsthand just how much a moving flywheel wants to keep moving!

Today, I want to tell you about the flywheel of wealth. Like any flywheel, it can be slow to get started. But once it's moving, it's almost unstoppable.

The Flywheel and Business

Most young entrepreneurs experience the flywheel. The new realtor struggles to get her first sale. The second sale is just as hard. So is the tenth. As she struggles, she watches long-time realtors get new clients with ease.

An online entrepreneur struggles to get visitors to his new website. He publishes great content, yet watches as long-established websites, even those with lesser quality content, get gobs of visitors.

I can remember publishing my first article on my personal finance site, The Dough Roller. I was terrified. I knew that as soon as I clicked publish, the entire world could see my ideas, my thoughts, my opinions. How would they react? With adrenalin aplenty, I clicked publish and sat back and waited, and waited, and waited. Nothing happened.

In hindsight, my fear was comical. Why? Absolutely nobody, and I mean nobody, read that first article published on 27 May 2007. I was pushing against a flywheel that was at a dead stop. It didn’t budge.

Up at 5:30 am seven days a week to work on my blog, I kept pushing against that flywheel. On the subway going to work I pushed some more. I pushed against the flywheel at lunch. I pushed against the flywheel at night after the family went to bed. It didn’t move.

Then the inner voice we all have spoke up. “Keep pushing if you want, buy you’ll never get this flywheel to move. You don’t have what it takes. Just give up. Life will be easier and you won’t embarrass yourself.”

I kept pushing.

It took six months following this schedule before the flywheel begrudgingly moved ever so slightly. I kept pushing. And pushing. And pushing.

Fast-forward eleven years and what started out as a blog with one post nobody read had become a multi-million dollar business. The flywheel was humming along so fast I couldn’t stop it if I wanted to.

What accounts for the success? I didn’t quit. I kept pushing and, importantly, learning how to push against the flywheel. In my case, it was learning the art and science of online publishing.

Note: I sold the blog in 2018, but continue to record the Dough Roller Money Podcast. Here's my interview with J.D. about how to manage your money as the CFO of your own life.

The Flywheel and Financial Freedom

All of this brings me to the flywheel of wealth. I’m on a mission to motivate young people to save and invest. It’s not easy.

Many people in their twenties see saving money as:

A huge sacrifice,

Having no short-term benefit, and

A long-term benefit they may never get to enjoy.

I challenge these beliefs in my new book, Retire Before Mom and Dad, which was published last week. [J.D.'s note: I read Rob's book a few weeks ago. It's fantastic!]

Here’s the thing. Most young people can’t see past the seemingly immovable flywheel of investing.

Let’s imagine you read my book and I’ve convinced you to start saving and investing today. Excellent! So you give up cable TV to save more money. You take the $100 monthly cable fee and invest it in a low-cost index mutual fund. You feel good about your decision, although you miss some of the shows you use to watch on TV.

Now let’s fast forward one month. You’ve suffered through withdrawals from the lack of cable. You’ve yelled at your kids a bit more than usual. Surly would best describe your “I gave up cable to invest” mood.

To ease your pain, you decide to check your investments. You log into your account, and if we assume the month was an average month for the stock and bond market, you earned about one-twelfth of 8% — or .67%. (Over the long term, the U.S. stock market returns about 8% per year.)

Your $100 investment has turned into the princely sum of $100.67. The flywheel didn’t turn much!

At this point several things happen.

First you curse me and the day you bought my stupid book or read this article.

Second, you kick yourself for giving up a month of Property Brothers for a lousy 67 cents.

And you’re at a loss on how to respond to your significant other who went through his own cable TV withdraws and wants to know how the investment is performing.

Welcome to the world of investing. Yeah, it starts really, really slow. (Maybe that's why J.D. named this site Get Rich Slowly?)

Greasing the Flywheel

And that brings me to what I call the “Nine Year Rule of Compounding Magic”. Here it is:

It takes about nine years of investing the same amount each month for the monthly returns to equal the amount you've been investing.

Let’s use our example of investing $100 a month. If we again assume an 8% return, after nine years we’ll have $15,742.96. If on an average month we earn about 0.67% (which is 8% divided by twelve), our $15,742.96 will be generating an average monthly return of $105.48.

Magic!

Now our investments are generating more than our monthly contributions. And if we continue to invest our $100 a month plus the income generated by our investments, our wealth continues to compound . The flywheel picks up speed.

Now let’s take it to the next level.

It took about nine years at an 8% return for our wealth to generate monthly income of about $100. How long will it take to increase this income to $200 a month? If you’ve been following along, you know it will be fewer than nine years given the magic of compounding.

Let’s do the math. Using an Excel spreadsheet, we can quickly calculate that after another five years, our balance rises to $30,802.26. That amount of wealth will generate about $200 a month in income at an 8% return ($205.35 to be exact).

Magic again!

It took us nine years saving $100 a month to have enough to generate another $100 in monthly income. But it took us just five years to double the monthly income to $200.

We can keep going:

9 years: $100 a month

5 more years: $200 a month

3.5 more years: $300 a month

2.7 more years: $400 a month

2.3 more years: $500 a month

1.9 more years: $600 a month

1.7 more years: $700 a month (26.1 years total)

Here’s the key point. The first $100 of income is the hardest. It took us nine years.

As the power of compounding grows, it gets easier and easier. In our example above, we jumped from $600 of monthly income to $700 in just 18 months. And in case you were wondering, our $100 monthly investment grew to $105,195.67 after 26.1 years.

Why is this important? It’s important because we need to set realistic expectations. M. Scott Peck in his bestseller, The Road Less Traveled, makes this point in a different context. He says that life is tough. And as soon as we realize that life is tough, life gets a little easier.

Building wealth is slow at first. It can even be discouraging at times. But once we realize this, once we set realistic expectations, it gets a little easier.

Keep pushing on that flywheel!

The post The flywheel of wealth (and the importance of patience) appeared first on Get Rich Slowly.

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/flywheel-of-wealth/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[flauntpage]

DGB Grab Bag: Boston's Self Own, Summer of Ovi Rages On, and No Sign and Trades

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: NBC Sports Boston – Their twitter account decided to make a joke about the Blackhawks playing at Notre Dame. It ended up being the equivalent of cutting across the blueline with your head down and getting smoked.

Shot:

Chaser:

Get the stretcher, I don't think they're walking this one off.

The second star: The NHL store – This image from the official league site, found by a Reddit user, is ice cold.

The first star: Alexander Ovechkin is celebrating again – Remember when you were a kid and summer vacation would be almost over and you'd start to get really sad about it? That's how I feel about Ovechkin's month-long Cup celebration right now. Ah well, at least we'll always have this extremely NSFW video of his very favorite song to remember the good times.

Also, here's Dmitri Orlov singing the same song to Ovechkin's mom, which isn't weird at all.

Be It Resolved

The Montreal Canadiens made some headlines recently. No, they didn't trade Max Pacioretty. No, they didn't finally acquire the first-line center they've been chasing for years. No, they didn’t find an invitation to the John Tavares sweepstakes at the bottom of their backpack and realize they hadn't been excluded after all. Look, I didn't say they made good headlines.

No, the Habs made news by announcing that Shea Weber will miss six months after having knee surgery. The strange part is that the team had known about this for weeks, and just decided not to tell anyone. GM Marc Bergevin went through his entire end-of-season press conference without mentioning it, then had the team slip it into a press release after everyone had left town. Not surprisingly, this has raised a few questions.

Clearly, Habs fans can be annoyed by this, since it suggests that they can't really trust what team management is telling them. And it plays into the larger pattern of teams around the league not wanting to tell their fans anything. That's been getting better lately, with most teams being more transparent around contracts and trade details, but it still happens.

But while the move opened the Canadiens up to some well-deserved criticism, it at least gave us something to talk about right around the time the NHL offseason gets boring. That's worth something. And maybe we can build on it.

So be it resolved: From now on, every NHL team should keep one semi-important story secret during the offseason.

The Habs have already shown us how it's done. Let's have everyone else follow their lead. Every team picks one thing—an injury, a signing, a trade, a buyout—and just doesn't tell us about it. Then we have to try to figure it out on our own. The only rule is that if someone guesses right, the GM has to fess up and tell us.

It would be fun. And it would give us all something to think about during those six or seven summer weeks when nothing is happening. Sometimes, we'd figure it out quickly. Other times it would take some work to piece everything together. Maybe there'd be a breakthrough, where some fan captures grainy footage of a star player limping around, or a "for sale" sign going up in front of a fourth-liner's house. Sometimes we'd make it to September without an answer, at which point we could have a fun press conference where the GM comes out and admits that the starting goalie retired two months ago and they don't have a replacement.

We already don't have any insiders around to break the news, since they're all at their cottage compounds trying to remember what their spouse looks like and how sleep works. So let's do the polite thing and wait until they're back before we wrap up all the loose ends.

Let's make this happen. Just like the next half-dozen draft lotteries, it isn't fair that Habs fans get all the fun.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

It's been a rough summer for Canucks fans. Their team's offseason strategy seems to be "sign all the fourth-liners you can to multi-year contracts," and even then they're getting out-hustled by the Islanders in that department. So today, let's help Vancouver fans celebrate the anniversary of one of the happiest moments in franchise history: The day that Mark Messier officially went the hell back where he came from.

That would be July 13, 2000, the day that Messier re-signed with the Rangers after three disastrous years in Vancouver. His divorce from the Canucks was already a done deal by then, but seeing him pull another team's jersey on helped give Vancouver fans some closure on what to this day stands as the biggest debacle in franchise history.

So today, let's mark the occasion by bestowing Obscure Player honors on a former Canucks captain that the entire fan base doesn't hate: Chris Oddleifson.

Oddleifson was a big center who was originally picked by the Oakland Seals in the 1970 draft, two picks behind Darryl Sittler and eight picks after the Canucks made Dale Tallon their first ever pick after the whole roulette wheel debacle. But the Oddleifson pick is probably more famous for another reason—it was the one the Seals acquired from Montreal as part of the classic Sam Pollock fleecing that saw them give up their 1971 first, which turned into Guy Lafleur.

Oddleifson never made it to California, as he was traded to the Bruins in 1971 and made his NHL debut in Boston during the 1972-73 season. In February 1974, the Bruins dealt him to the Canucks as part of a trade for the wonderfully named Bobby Schmautz. Oddleifson originally wore No. 11 in Vancouver, which was fine because he didn't force the team to take it out of retirement, unlike some players we could mention.

He broke through with the Canucks beginning in 1974-75, putting up 51 points and following that with a career-high 62 the following season. He did most of that damage on a line with Gerry O'Flaherty and Garry Monahan (who you might remember as the first overall pick in the league's first ever draft). For a franchise still finding its footing, Oddleifson's contributions were enough to earn him the honor of serving as the team's third ever captain, following in the footsteps of Orland Kurtenbach and Andre Boudrias. He did not force a beloved franchise icon like Trevor Linden to relinquish his "C," unlike some players we could mention.

Oddleifson's stint as captain lasted only that 1976-77 season, as he gave way to the combo of Don Lever and Kevin McCarthy. But he remained on the team until he was sent to the minors in 1980. He'd play a few years in Europe before retiring and going on to a career in real estate.

He occasionally showed up at Canucks alumni events and old-timer games, because the fans in Vancouver still like him and don't desperately want to pretend that his captaincy never happened. Unlike some players we could mention.

Trivial Annoyance of the Week

It's the NHL offseason, which means we've just had several weeks of constant speculation over various transactions that could happen. Many involve trades, and some of those involve players whose contracts have either expired or will soon. And inevitably, that speculation can only mean one thing: Somebody somewhere is going to suggest that we might see a sign-and-trade.

Everyone, please stop doing this.

A sign-and-trade isn't really a thing. At least, not in the NHL. It's something you occasionally see in the NBA, where the CBA carves out a special kind of transaction in which a signing and a trade are combined together to allow a player to reap certain contractual benefits he couldn't get on a new team. Years ago, that might mean getting a full max salary, although the rules have since been changed to narrow that loophole. Today, NBA sign-and-trades are relatively rare, although they still happen occasionally.

But that's the NBA. In the NHL, there really isn't any situation in which it makes sense for a team to sign a player before trading him, except for one—a star player who is about to leave as a UFA, and wants to get the maximum eight-year deal on his new team. If John Tavares had insisted on an eight-year contract with the Leafs, the only way to get it would have been for him to sign that deal with the Islanders, who would then immediately trade him to Toronto for players or picks. But while that scenario is at least plausible, it wouldn't make much sense for anyone involved. The Leafs wouldn't want to give up assets to sign an unrestricted free agent, and the Islanders wouldn't want to surrender their extra-year advantage in negotiations, or to help Tavares get more money after he'd already decided to abandon them.

Beyond that very limited and probably unrealistic scenario, there's really no reason for the sign-and-trade concept to ever come up in the NHL. If some team wants to trade for Erik Karlsson or Artemi Panarin or Max Pacioretty and sign them to a long-term extension, they'd just do that. There'd be no need for the Senators or Blue Jackets or Canadiens to be involved in the contract. The teams would just agree on the trade, and the player would immediately sign an extension with his new team. That's it. Boring, maybe, but it's how NHL trades work.

The one NHL sign-and-trade you hear mentioned from time to time is Marian Hossa going from Ottawa to Atlanta within hours of signing a contract extension back in 2005. The fact that you have to go back 13 years to find an example should tell you something, but even that move doesn't fit because Hossa wasn't in on it. He thought he was signing to stay in Ottawa, and then the team swerved him by immediately trading him. Reportedly, he wasn't very happy about it, and rightly so. That's not how the whole concept is supposed to work.

And yet you still hear about NHL sign-and-trades at this time of year. Why? I have no idea, although my theory is that it just sounds cool. It's a term we hear thrown around in another sport, we don't fully understand what it means, so we start tossing it into hockey rumors to see if it fits.

But it doesn't. NHL sign-and-trades basically don't exist. So let's stop bringing the idea up.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

It can't be all that fun to be Bobby Ryan these days. Not only is he stuck on the worst-run franchise in the league, but that team has made it very clear that they desperately want to get rid of him. Normally, a pending escape from Ottawa would be good news. But the Senators have been so aggressive in trying to attach Ryan and his ridiculous contract to any Erik Karlsson, trade that it's got to be tough not to take it personally. And if he does get moved as part of a Karlsson deal, Ottawa fans will forever blame him for watering down the return. That can't be fun.

So today, let's look back on a Bobby Ryan trade that actually worked out pretty well. We only have to go back seven years to find it.

It's December 12, 2010, and Ryan and the Ducks are hosting the Minnesota Wild. It's a pretty typical and frankly not all that interesting regular season game that the Ducks will eventually win 6-2. But something strange is about to happen. If you've never seen the clip before, see if you can spot it before the announcers do.

The puck bounces around in the corner for a bit, and the first thing we notice is Ryan gesturing at the referee about something. He doesn't have a stick at this point, and there's one lying nearby, so it's not hard to put two and two together about what happened. Or is it?

Check out No. 20 on the Wild. That's Antti Miettinen, and he seems very confused about something. He's got the missing stick in front of him on the ice, and is half-heartedly pushing it back in the direction of Ryan. As the announcers point out, that's kind of a weird thing to do, since Ryan plays for the other team. Hmm….

Ryan does indeed pick up the stick, and just in time. A deflected shot bounces over to him, and he buries it into an open net. He immediately holds the stick up and waving it in Mikko Koivu's face, which seems like an odd way to celebrate a goal. Trust me, this is all going somewhere.

Also, and Senator fans can back me up on this, I'm pretty sure this is the most recent footage of Bobby Ryan scoring a goal.

Our announcers are still trying to figure out what happened, and why Miettinen was so worried about an opponent's stick. "That was absolutely bizarre," says one. He's right, but not for the reason he thinks.

We get a pair of replays, which don't shed much light on the situation but do highlight the celebration. Seriously, if you've never seen this clip before and you're just following along, go back to the beginning and see if you can catch what actually happened. It's one of those great "When you see it" moments.

Our clip skips ahead to later in the game, as our announcers have finally clued into what just happened. We got to a slow motion replay, complete with a Howie Meeker-style "stop it right there." This time, we can see that it's actually Koivu who doesn't have a stick… right up until he collides with Ryan and just blatantly rips his stick out of his hand.

That explains Ryan's reaction, and his complaint to the referee, since I'm pretty sure stealing somebody's stick and playing the rest of the shift with it should fall under the "holding the stick" section of the rulebook. It also explains Miettinen's confusion, since it was teammate's stick he was trying to retrieve, even though all his teammates still had one.

Also, the game is still going on at this point and the announcers don't care. That's my favorite part of the whole sequence. We get another replay, and with that our clip ends and all charges against Miettinen are dropped.

You can see another version of the play, in which the announcers realize what's happening right away, right here. Koivu actually tried to go to the officials and get the goal overturned, which is pretty rich. "Hey ref, he has an illegal stick. No, don't worry about which stick I'm using, we're talking about that guy."

And that's it. An underrated part of this whole scenario is that Ryan is a right-handed and Koivu is a lefty. You can see Koivu kind of fumble with Ryan's stick when he realizes that. More importantly, it means Ryan scored the goal with his curve facing the wrong way, which is pretty impressive.

Wait, are we absolutely sure he gave the stick back? Has Ryan's slump over the last few seasons been because he's still using a backwards curve? The Senators may want to look into that.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at nhlgrabbag@gmail.com.

DGB Grab Bag: Boston's Self Own, Summer of Ovi Rages On, and No Sign and Trades published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/

[lazytacomoon-blog]

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

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Just checked quotes for insurance of cars and it comes to 7000 pounds.?

Well the cars i have selected are Audi a4, bmw 3 and 1 series, merc A and C class, and cars equavilant to this range, hel me to find away to reduce the insurance to 1000-3000 pounds i have my relatives in here shall i buy insurance considering his nae as first owner and me as 2nd what are the cons for doing this. Help me dont wanna get douchy car.""

""Health insurance starts in 10 days, but I am sick now. Will they reimburse me?""

If I went to the doctor now, would I be able to submit a claim for reimbursement? My insurance is Aetna. I called them, but they are closed because it is Sunday. Answers/suggestions are appreciated.""

Affordable health insurance in NC?

Hello everyone. I have been a few months without health insurance and I know I need it. I am looking for some affordable insurance, health, dental, and possibly maternity? I am not pregnant but I want to take some preventative measures just in cause, I know it can be expensive. I keep looking but $700 and such a month is really not in my budget right now. So does anyone know of some cheap insurance? I'm in NC. Thanks everyone!""

What is The best Auto Insurance to get?

What is The best Auto Insurance to get?

A question about car insurance and modifying?

Okay, lets say you own a car, lets call this car A. You pay a car insurance company to insure you car. You hand over the required information and all that, and the car is stock when you insured it. Lets say you put a turbo, or intercooler, or new rims, or anything really, but you DONT mention it to the insurance company. Then you get into a car crash. What does the insurance company insure? The whole car with the non-insured parts? The whole car with only the stock parts (which was exactly what you payed for every month)? Or they insure nothing?""

""How do you purchase a car without insurance, and how do you get insuracnce with out a car?""

I left my insurace expire, and noe I need to get insurance, but I don't know what car i'm going to get, so which comes first, the insurance or the car?""

Where do I buy car insurance online?

Need to buy car insurance online and do not know how to go about it.

How much would it cost for insurance on this car??

Ok so i'm about to go for my license in december and my awesome brother is generously giving up his 96 Toyota Supra. As of now I have 1 job that gets me 300 every other week. And I'm poor and I have a cheap prepaid phone and cheap clothes. My question is will I be able to pay for my insurance on this salary. And I have like 3000 saved up. could I just pay for insurance for a whole year?

Owning a car? car insurance?

Hi, I'm 18 and im living by myself, how can I own a car? I'm in the search of buying a car but before that I need to know after I buy it what do I need to pay when I registrate it under my name. Also when I get insurance? How much do I pay?""

Where can I get health insurance for an affordable price (out of pocket expense)?

I don't have any health and dental insurance. I would like to get one. Where can I get it at an affordable price? or which company is the best to get it from?

How cheaper would it be to insure a v6 99-01 mustang rather than a GT mustang for a new driver?

I want to buy a mustang someday. But i'm only 16 and I dont have a job or license yet. I fell inlove with the 99-04 mustang series. People say that v6 has better gas mileage and is cheaper to insure. The only thing I like the GT for is the loud exhaust. Could I just by a V6 and upgrade the exhaust? would the insurance be higher?

Little to no down payment on car insurance?

Does anyone know any car insurance companies that have little or no down payment, my current policy ends in tomorrow and since I'm still financing my car, they could come take it since I don't have full coverage insurance. thank you""

Car insurance accepting no claims when not been on a policy for 2 years?

I need car insurance with a company who will accept my 9 years no claims from 2 years ago, does anybody know any companies who accept this??? thanks""

Unemployment Insurance Question?

I was sent an approval letter in the mail from the Nashville Unemployment Claims Center. They had already called my last employer and confirmed that I was let go due to lack of work. I have been trying to contact them via the phone for the past week and a half during different times throughout the day in order to establish a PIN. Every time I do, I get the same message of due to extremely high call volume, we cannot take your call at this time. Several friends suggested going to the local career center and ask about it there. The local career center told me that they now have extremely limited access to unemployment claims and to contact the Nashville claims center. I sent them an email as a last ditch effort to contact them a few days ago and have yet to receive a reply. Any suggestions?""

CAR INSURANCE question?

Ive just been made a fiance manager at work and my car insurance has gone down in price ! Can anybody tell me what kind of jobs make your car insurance reduced in price and why ?

""Rear ended by unlincensed driver, insurance refuses to pay?""

Hi all, I was hoping that I could get some guidance as to how I should proceed with this. Thank you in advance. The accident occurred 7 days ago in CA. I was driving home from work in the 4th lane of a 4 lane highway. There was a gap of approximately 4~5 cars in the 3rd lane, so I switched into that lane. By the time I finished the lane change, there was approximately 3~4 cars distance between me and the car behind me. I then drove for approximately a 100 yards, at which point the traffic suddenly slowed and I decelerated. The guy behind me, however, seems to have been looking elsewhere and rear ended me. However, before he collided, he managed to swerve his car and hit the corner of my rear bumper with the corner of his front bumper. We pulled over to the side of the road and exchanged information. It turns out that he does not have a driver's license (or any California/U.S. ID; he showed me a Mexican ID). He begged me not to call the police, admitted fault and said that he would settle it through his insurance (he is insured with a VERY shady place called Access General). I took pity on him, especially since it was very likely that he is an illegal immigrant, so I just took his information down and moved along. Fast forward a few days, and I find out that he has told his insurance that I cut in front of him and that he is not at fault. Since there are no witnesses or a police report, his insurance takes his side. Meanwhile, since I only have liability with Geico, they are saying that they can't help me. The damage to my car is between $4~5k, and that is not even taking into account devaluation of the car's value. I feel very cheated because I took pity on him and I am rewarded with a repair bill that nobody wants to deal with. I have called him multiple times and asked him to tell the truth, but he just ignores me. I am now very angry and want to do 2 things: 1. Get my car repaired. 2. Screw up his life. Hopefully get him deported (very strong liklihood of him being an illegal immigrant), or at the least bankrupt him. I took pity on him because he was in a time of need. All he had to do was tell the truth to his insurance, but he was afraid that his monthly bill would go up... so he lies and screws me instead. Do you have any recommendations for lawyers who would be willing to take on property damage lawsuits? What are my options?""

Does anyone know what the average insurance cost for a 2004 Dodge Ram is?

I just bought a beautiful 2004 dodge ram quad cab 4x2 4.7 V8 and i have quotes that range from $165- $303 per month. If you have a similiar truck to mine, how much is the average insurance payment, and what company do you use? I head AAA and 21st Century were pretty good?""

Insurance settlement.?

Back in October, I was hit by a vehicle that was backing out too fast from a parking spot. My vehicle was parked and there was no one in the driver seat. My three children were also ...show more""

Can anyone tell me if there are affordable doctor for people w/o insurance?

Can anyone tell me if there are affordable doctor for people w/o insurance?

Whats the cheapest car insurance YOU have ever paid?

Whats the cheapest car insurance YOU have ever paid?

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

How much would a 1970 ford maverick cost to insure (roughly)?

I'm an 18 year old guy, completely okay with the minimum coverage. I see almost everyday this 1970 ford maverick coupe on my road, and was wondering how much it would cost to insure. I have no tickets and no accidents, as well as good grade discounts etc. don't need a specific number but an educated guess would be appreciated.""

""I'm 27 and I want to get life insurance, what kind is best?""

I don't really understand what 10;15;20 year term life insurance means, or whole life insurance and what company is best but I think I want to get it while I'm young and ...show more""

Do you get cheaper car insurance for being married (uk)?

Do you get cheaper car insurance for being married (uk)?

How much is medical insurance?

I plan on moving to the U.S some day but how much would i have to pay per month for medical insurance? Strange how its free here but costs over there.

Will my insurance go up?

i got my first ticket for not stopping correctly at a stop sign. Will my insurance go up? isnt it a violation which doesnt really make the premium go up.

How much would my mom and dad's car insurance go up if I got my license?

Because there not even gonna let me take the test until I find a job,because there insurance will go up. But by how much. I thought it was cheaper if you were a girl, got good grades and went through drivers ed?""

Since the Democrats are forcing Americans to buy health insurance?

Should the next Republican administration and majority force Americans to buy and maintain firearms?

Can I insure a car not registered to me?

My 22 year old daughter is in college and on my car insurance currently. She is getting a new/used car. Does it have to be registered and titled to me for me to be able to put it on my insurance? Can it be titled and registered to her and still go on my insurance? Thanks.

""Covered California applying for insurance, I have a question about household? Please help.?""

I moved to California from Nashville almost 3 years ago. I live with my girlfriend and her family. I am not related to them and I have to apply for insurance. In their household, she has a father, mother, 2 sisters and a niece. I don't have a job right now, but I did work and had two jobs and earned my own income. So when applying for insurance, and I want to apply for myself do I have to add them to the household. As well, when her father tries to apply for coverage for her and her mother and sisters does he have to put me under the household or not? Thank you very much have a great day.""

Car insurance for a young driver?

My parents told me that they would buy me a car but, all I have to pay is car insurance. I was wondering what is the most cheapest insurance company? I've heard about the General and Liability. Someone please help because, i need to know.""

What happens to rest of my insurance after a write off?

I had a accident today in my fiesta, hit some ice, lost control round a bend ended up in the ditch, car looks f****d admiral picking it up 2mo I am only 11 months into the policy I have been told by a few people that it is defo a write off so I take it i will be paid out for the car (how long would this take) I am also getting a courtesy car by the garage picking the car up to repair it now will i have this till i get paid out? and due to having 11 months on my insurance and i paid in full can i freeze the insurance till i get a new car (ill be getting the same car infact i hope its not a write off) or will i get something back on the insurance due to only using 1 of the 12 months i paid for?""

Good Insurance? Any Advice?

Hello, I am looking for a good, affordable insurance plan and don't know where to look for some good ratings or tips. I am married but the insurance would only be for me, my son has insurance already as well as my husband. It costs us way to much money to add me to my husbands insurance through work. Any tips on where to look and how to go about the search? I am looking to spend somewhere between $300-$500 monthly for it, I am in the United States. I also have some health issues. Endometriosis and Fibromyalsia. Any tips that would help me out would be so appreciated! Thank you to everyone!""

California auto insurances?

There's a car under my parent's name and under their policy. i'm 19 and i have my license for a year now. Since i am on my winter break now and i would like to drive it sometimes. However, i'm not under their policy nor any policy. So, i am driving their car and if 'm involved in an accident, will i be covered under my parent's policy? And i heard that if i am involved in an accident i will be covered by my parent's policy for the first time only, so is this true?""

What factors affect car insurance premiums?

My mom is going to give me her old car once she gets a new one, and she said insurance is about $100/mo. My friend asked what insurance would be and I told her, and she thought that was really low The car is a 1999 saturn SL1 and it's standard, is the insurance cheap for this car? My mom has a great driving record I'm now wondering what affects car insurance premiums? I know age, gender, driving records, and other stuff.. but what else?""

Should I buy Home Owners Insurance or Renters Insurance?

I am buying a home on a land contract. Should I get home owners or renters? Also if I carry the insurance does the owner have to carry a policy too?

Young drivers car insurance?

Okay i know this has probably been asked alot but here here it is, im 19 and passed my test last month, ive been searching round on some sites but cant find anything for under 5000. Does anybody know what car is cheapest and through which insurer?""

""Progressive Insurance vs Safe Auto, who's better?

i want to get auto insurance. i got quotes online and they both gave me the same quote basically ($71 per month-6months)...has anyone had experience w/one of these insurance places or have 1 of them currently?

Looking for a health insurance coop in California.?

Anyone know of one not related to working at a company or for the government?

Cost of insurance for a 2004 Chrysler Sebring convertible?

I'm thinking about getting a setting for my first car but have no clue how much insurance will be . I really want to get a convertible .

How bad would a 2006 nissan altima be on insurance for an 18 year old?

I'm on my moms policy right now as the primary driver of a 20 year old sports car and it costs 900 a month. I used to be the primary driver of a small 2002 kia rio sedan and it cost about 700 a month. How much will it be if i am now the primary driver of a 2006 nissan altima? Also how much would the insurance for the actual car be? My mom drives an 06 taurus and she pays 800 so i'm guessing around that price?

How much will car insurance go up for me?

im 15 and i live in FL so i can get my permit but my mom said shes not letting me unless i get put onto theyre insurance (statefarm) but she also said shes not getting me insurance if its super expencive.....any1 know a estimated amount it will go up????

What company has the best auto insurance rates for people with speeding tickets?

What company has the best auto insurance rates for people with speeding tickets?

Car accident and insurance claim?

2 persons came to look my car for buying purpose. 1 of them was standing in front of my car and other just opened the door and turned the ignation on. the car was in gear so jumped up and hit the person standing in front of the car. man got stuck between my car and the other parked in front of my car and broke his leg. police and ambulance came. they took our statement and did not say anything to me but had separate discussionn with the othee person for long time. my question will this effect my by any mean legally? my car did not have insurance but no body drove the car either. i mean I am really scared what gonna happen to me I don't know if I shall keep trying selling my car or wait until hear from police. thanks

Which company has the best renters insurance in terms of service and price?

I'm looking for a renters insurance company that is not expensive and has knowledgeable and cordial employees. Is not eager to deny claims and has an extensive policy. If you found one that covers breakage of your belongings due to accident or use by you, let me know. I'm not so sure if those types of policies exist.""

Can you put two cars on two different insurance companies?

If i have two cars, can i put one on Geico and one on state farm. I'm having very bad experience with State farm and i'm thinking of switching with one car at at time. Is it possible to have the two cars in my household on two different insurance company eventhough both cars are in my name?""

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

How much would insurance cost?

i was looking to get a suzuki GZ250 motorcycle. i am 18 years old, and i have taken a drivers ed course and the motorcycle driving course. i was wondering about how much insurance would be. it has 249 cc""

Temporary Car insurance?

I just got my first car (I'm 17 years old) and I need it to go to school which is a good 80 miles away. On top of that I need to find a job which I couldn't do because I didn't have a car. However I can't drive my car because it doesn't have any insurance on it and the insurance is incredibly expensive. For now I just need it to go job hunting. Is there such thing as a temporary car insurance or maybe a waiver for students or SOMETHING that I can use?

Is insurance expensive on a 2005 Ford Mustang V6 for a 16 year old?

There's a 2005 Ford Mustang V6 for 8995 with 80,000 miles. I have State Farm and I can't really contact them. Is the insurance gonna be to expensive even though it's a V6. The car is bone stock. If it's $150/Monthly or less it's inexpensive to me but if it's over $150 it's out of my budget.""

How auto insurance determine how much your car worth after claim?

I had a 1998 Subaru Forester S sport utility 132,000 miles and it was totaled. I read some places and people say that insurance don't follow the Kelley blue book and some say they do. Others say they go by autotrader.com or nada.com. Why is that? are they trying to trick us by which value is lower? My insurance offered me only $3200 but it know it worth more than that. Vehix.com say it value at 3900 and kelly blue book say about 4300 so which is right?""

Life Insurance help?

I need help in determing how much life insurance I need to take out should something happens to me Facts you may need to know - I have a 1 month old daughter and I want her to be taken care of if something was to happen to me - Her father and I aren't married ~ with that being said is it recommended to leave him some money to provide for her - Also if something happened to me before she is 18 insurance companies I have contact stated that the money would be set in a trust (this is good but like I said I also want to have money available sooner than 18) - Funeral expenses - I am currently am in debt about $4,000 which I am continuously paying down abd I have a car loan $ 18,000 All this being said please help me in determining how much insurance I should take out and how much to leave to her dad and please suggest what other factors I may have left out in determing how much insurance""

How can I get lower car insurance for my old car?

I have a 1999 Hyundai Tiburon and it has 150,000 miles. It's paid for now and I'm paying about $700 6 months full coverage. Is there certain things I should lower the coverage cost?""

How much would the insurance cost?

Im looking at buying either a 2011 shelby GT500 or a 2011 mustang GT. I just want to know how much ill be paying insurance companies for one of these... Im going to be 19 almost 20 by the time I get one of these.

Is $$ 785.00 a year to much for Full-Coverage car Insurance ?

It's A.A.A. Insurance. My Honda car is 10 years old. With just 84,500 miles on it. --------------------------- (Such Low Milage cause I only drive 450 miles to 500 miles per month.)""

Changing motorcycles and insurance question?

Long story short I have got a new bike. The bike I am Insured on has about 2 months left before I gather another year no claims. However, I was wondering would/do Insurance companies offer a way for me to transfer the next/last 2 months to my new bike (At a possible cost) then charge me a full year when its due (In 2 months) Any help will be appreciated. I don't want to phone my insurance up cause every time I phone someone like that and tell them I have a new bike I want to insure they go crazy and keep phoning me! I have 1 years NCB and i'll be 18 in 2 months (when I will get 2 year NCB) Cheers Geoff""

Best cheap auto insurance?

So i'm getting ready to buy my first car on a budget of $1,200, so i want to go as cheap as possible.All i want is liability insurance,basically the bare minimum of what the law will alow me to carry.I am 20 yrs old,just now getting my license,been driving with a learner's permit for the last 2 1/2 yrs. In that time i had one violation,it was a ticket for driving with a broken headlight.I am female,btw.So anyways,what'sa good cut rate insurance company?""

Insurance companies for a 18 year old new driver?

Ive just recently passed and im in need of a insurance company good for me. Money is tight as im a student and so i need something cheap. Ive been on money supermarket and its hasn't helped much.

What happens if you don't pay your car insurance?

how important is it every month to pay your car insurance? what could happen if you don't

Where can i get health insurance to cover accutane in nyc?

where can i get health insurance to cover accutane in nyc?

What would be insurance on this car?

I want to get this car http://autos.yahoo.com/used-cars/porsche-boxster-cars9383421;_ylt=AuxeS5bbXvapuk4oZXlD95JbVI54;_ylv=3?sortcol=absoluterank&sortdir=down&listingtype=used&model=&make=porsche&distance=any The price is great, but how mh would te insurance be? For a 16 year old""

Ticket for no insurance?Car insured but Name not on it?

i got stopped for speeding no licence and no insurance in Texas. can i show proof of insurance without my name and get it dismissed?

Auto Insurance for 18 Years Old.. HELP?

I am asian, male I just turned 18 yesterday, and got my car too.. It's 2005 Nissan 350z Enthusiast, Yellow. I'm just wondering, how much does insurance cost for 18 y.o that drives sports car? I checked with geico, progressive, 21st, and allstate, and they give me a pretty expensive premium.. Just wondering about you guys.. How much do you pay for auto insurance?""

How much would insurance for a Lamborghini cost?

I'm most curious about the Sesto Elemento which I believe is being ordered for $900,000. Also license plates if anyone knows how much those would cost. I'm just curious, I'm mot rich.""

I wrecked my motorcycle with no insurance in fl help?

So a year ago i wrecked my motorcycle, crashing into another car. I did not have insurance or a motorcycle Endorsement. I live in fl so im kind of familiar with the not at fault law. However the insurance company from the other party has sent a bill for 9k an request i pay it. Some people are telling me to ignore it an others are telling me to pay. Need help would be thankful. Im trying to be a firefighter paramedic an i do not want this to kill my chances. Thank you""

How much will a insurance be for a student in Alberta?

Hi, I'm turning 16 in September and is planning to get my licence right away. I haven't bough a vehicle yet, however, I'm planning to buy a car with a price range of 1000-2000 for used car. I didn't take any drivers training, I live in Alberta and I'm also a male. Around How much will my insurance be per month?""

What is the average cost for insurance for a 16 yr old?

i just got my license like 2 weeks ago and im wondering about how much would it cost for insurance also i live in San Leandro CA if needed if car/s needed: honda pilot 2008 honda accord lx 2001 i didn't want to check quotes online cause i'd need my address and i don't really wanna put all that info

What health care insurance I can get that is affordable?

I need health insurance. And I can't afford it with my pay checks. I work part time. I have research over and over for health insurance. And nothing that I can afford comes up. So please help.

People who cant afford health insurance are quacks?

i see the merits of having universal health care, kind of, but it seems to me that the problem is a lot of middle class citizens who just decide nto to purchase health insurance on the premise that they cannot afford it , and instead opt to buy material goods that are solely for luxury. you cant go out and buy nice cars and houses and bypass health insurance and then cry it off that the government should give free care to everryone.......i definitely agree it should be cheaper for the poor etc. bottom line: ppl need to realize health is the most important thing in there life, and satisfy that need, before thinking about personal possesions (nice cars etc)""

Motorcycle insurance for someone under 25?

I'm in the army, and after I get done with basic I would like to buy a motorcycle where ever I am stationed. If I paid cash for the bike, have my motorcycle license, no traffic tickets, I'll be 18, and a male.. how much can I assume to spend on motorcycle insurance? Its a 250cc sports bike I'm interested in, I used to have one but It got stolen. I want the cheapest policy there is...""

Why is my car insurance the same price?

My car insurance is due up next month and I have been shopping around. I've used all the compare sites like go compare and money supermarket and I m basically the exact same price as I was last year. For the same car. I've been driving 8 years nd have 6 years no claims. I'm 25 and female. Every year it used to go down but now I'm being quotes the same and sometimes more?!

Do you need car insurance for this?

I want to get my car the 2014 sticker but I currently don't have insurance because I've been jobless & I just started working. I payed for the license plates on June . & I just wanted to know if not having insurance was gonna be an issue

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

How much would auto insurance be for an 18 year old female?

ok I have good grades (straigh A's) I will be driving around 2,500 miles 5 days a week I will be able to drive a 2001 chevy tahoe, 2004 honda civic and 95 toyota camry main car is 95 toyota camry though i live in san bernardino what would be the average amount for insurance? where can i go to get cheap liability insurance?""

Why do so few people understand the Affordable Care Act?

Fact: You will be required beginning January 1st to pay upwards of $200 per month or more per individual if you do not presently have health insurance. The average estimated cost to you as an individual has been estimated to be $328 per month. This applies to all citizens of the United States. If you do not pay for health insurance, you will be fined $95 for the first year and subsequent years this fine will go up by hundreds of dollars per year. For those of you who think this is some kind of left-wing fact - Read A Newspaper. To me, $200 to $300 or more is a car payment or to put it another way - 2 weeks of groceries. How will you be able to afford this?""

I borrowed my parents car. am i covered under their insurance?

they forgot to put their insurance card in the glovebox so i got a ticket for no proof of insurance. The ticket will be dropped if i bring in proof of insurance. will it work to just bring in their insurance card? i do not drive their car very often. We live two hours apart

Will my permit increase my parent's insurance rate? I'm not going to drive their car.?

If I get my learner's permit and I don't plan on driving my parent's car until I get my license, will my parent's insurance rate go up? I'm going to drive a driving school's car.""

Insurance on small cars example punto ?

hey everyone iv just passed my theory test today and i want to buy a punto for my fist car i need advice on de price off tax and insurance like for example i would probably purchase any punto from 1997 -2001 and im 19 does anyone av any advice for me cause i don wanna be ripped off thanks for readin you guys xxxxxxxxxxx

Car accident/insurance question!?

Is there some sort of law that claims if your car is in an accident the dealership will pay for the rest of the remaining balance on your car? That way the insurance company gives you the money to buy a new one. My friend was telling me something about this but I don't really remember what it was called, or even if that was what she was trying to explain. Thank you!""

How much would car insurance be under my dad's policy? Or by itself under my name?

I'll be 21 in September and I'm getting a car really soon. I just have no clue how much the premium is going to cost me. I'm getting an older car. 100,000+ miles. So my question is, if I insure my car under my dad's policy and put it as one of those cars that is occasionally/rarely used , how much would a premium cost? If I decided to not join my dad's insurance and just get my own, how much would it cost? I'm not looking for sure good insurance because I'm a very safe driver- but I'm also not looking for crappy shady insurance either. Thanks!""

Cheap car insurance for a teenager .?

I WILL BE GETTING MY LEARNERS PERMIT SOON... GOT DRIVERS ED AND WILL BE GETTING BEHIND THE WHEEL TRAINING.AND LOOKG FORWARD TO DRIVING A 2008 SCION TC ..ABOUT HOW MUCH WILL INSURANCE BE A MONTH... ANY STUDENT DISCOUNTS I CAN GET...?? ..OH YEAH IF IT HELPS ..I LIVE IN CALIFORNIA

Bike insurance vs car insurance?

im 18 years old currently going after my A2 restricted licence and drivers licence, what i dont get is why a 27 year old 1.6L car will cost me 5,500 a year to insure while a 1.6L cruiser bike will only cost me 512 a year

Can my daughter be on my mom's car insurance even if they don't live together?

Hi, my name is Kathy, I'm 19 year old female and want to buy a car but car insurance is just expensive. I want to be put on my grandmothers car insurance but we don't live in the same city. Do you think it would be possible for me to get on there! Thanks for your answers...""

How much should my car insurance cost?

In a few months ill be getting my license and a car. I live in Massachusetts. I'm not exactly sure what I am getting for a car, but I may end up getting a Honda accord that is around 12 years old and has a lot of mileage (200k+). Pretty much, I'm starting to look into the cheapest possible car insurance because: i don't have much money to spend and even if I did have a low deductible, it would be very close to the full value of the car which in that case I would just get junk it. What should I look for to make my cost as low as possible and how cheap could I potentially get it for? Thanks.""

Am I covered with name not on car insurance?

I am very worried. I feel bad enough about getting into an accident, but now I find out that I can be in very big financial trouble. I am 17, I recieved my license 8 days ago, and I ...show more""

Car insurance?

im 16 years old own a 2007 lexus gs and never got a ticket how much will my car insurance be? (im not expecting a definate answer, just a guess)""

Roughly how much would it cost to replace a quarter panel on my 95 camaro?

Please price with and without premium insurance. also it is dented from a hit and run so will my insurance rates rise?

Questions about car insurance?

If I get a Mustang 2011 (300 Hp V6) next year, my aunt who is a senior citizen and she has a clean record report, will be the owner of the car. I'm 18 though, how much is the cost for insurance in a year going to be?? Just estimation is fine.""

Im 21 and a new driver how much would my car insurance cost on a honda civic type r 02 reg?

Im 21 and a new driver how much would my car insurance cost on a honda civic type r 02 reg?

Do you have to pay motorcycle insurance all year round?

or just during the summer?

Is there any insurance available for getting braces?

Is orthodontic dental insurance legit? How about medicare, will that cover it???""

After getting a speeding ticket how much does your insurance increase on average?

After getting a speeding ticket how much does your insurance increase on average?

""How can i get affordable health insurance, with a low income?""

I work part time,i am physically disabled ,my husb is unemployable,rejected from disability, i have very bad health condition and need health insurance to continue dr.care....How can i get affordable health insurance that won't cost me a fortune? I have gone to the DPA and i was rejected by them. I suffer with depression/(diagnosed bi-polar) ,,disc disease,IBS....i must obtain medical Insurance to continue treatment in order to continue working...how can i get help?""

Cheapest car insurance for tri state area?

i heard cure is the cheapest car insurance? you guys know any other cheap car insurances?

Insurance companies that will insure a Cat C motorcycle?

I got an online quote for my insurance broker, they took the reg and all was fine until i phoned up and they said they dont insure total loss vehicles.. so now im looking to find a place that will. Otherwise i will be looking for a frame n logbook from another bike lol""

What are the insurance rates on a chevy S10?

it is a 2-door, v6, 2WD, extended cab truck, no mods, just stock""

So is the car insured or the person? can i deliver pizzas on someone elses insurance/car ?

hi i have been given a good opportunity to start working and a great friend willing to lend me their vechicle to deliver pizzas, reall good friend. the car is insured and i live with friend if that makes a difference anyone know for sure ? Do we got to let the insurance company know or what ??""

Does anyone know of a health insurance company that will insure me even though I am pregant?

My husband and I make a little over the income requirements for medicaid in our state(SC), we also own two cars so our chances of getting medicaid is very slim. I was just wondering if anyone knew of a health insurance plan that will take on a policy for me even though I am pregnant....we were in the process of looking for health coverage, but ended up getting pregnant in the mean time...thanks for your help...please serious and honest answer only...we are in the state of south carolina. thanks""

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

Does geico insurance co have a stock??

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/fresno-california-cheap-car-insurance-quotes-zip-93786-jean-davis/"

[ascbh13]

Generous Giving – An Attitude of Gratitude -  Cor 1 Chapter 9: 6-end - Charlie Boyle 1st October 2017

Money, money money always funny in a rich man’s world…as the Abba song once went.

But actually it is not funny really is it.

It is cited as the reason behind many divorces and certainly if it isn’t the original reason for the divorce it becomes part of the mess that needs to be sorted afterwards…

Most of us have to deal with money in some way every day of our lives. But we prefer not to talk about it in church. Yet Jesus talked about money a great deal. The Bible has a lot to say about it. Money matters. It matters to us and it matters to God. How then can we have the right attitude to money?

Paul, the apostle in this chapter gives directions about the acceptable way to give, namely, generously, deliberately, and cheerfully. Today I am going to focus on verses 6 & 7, so please can you take a copy of the Pew Bible and turn to p.1163. Our giving should be done with the right attitude, then there will be blessing:

 Then in turn this passage says, we will be a Blessing in that it will

(1) Bless you - Your Giving Will Bless You,

(2) Bless others - Your Giving Will Meet Needs

(3) Bless God - Your Giving Will Glorify God.

At All Saints we know that we have a lovely pretty church, well built and reasonably well maintained but it costs money to run a Church like this, last year as a Church we received more than we spent, mainly due to unforeseen legacies, so we had a small surplus but next year could be different. We have different congregations, full of faithful, caring, hard-working people, many of them going about God’s work in quiet unsung ways. But like all Churches, as things progress and as we grow, there are ever more demands on our purses than ever before. As we seek to expand the Kingdom and work we do as a Church there is inevitably more money needed.

 Our Parish share, due to the increased congregation during the count in May 2017 (an increase of 14% to 341) is going up from £97 to 104k next year…

 ·      Yet we still need money to …

·      Replace the heater in the vestry

·      Repair the stonework outside the entrance porch

·      Repair the windows and ironwork

 As well as pay the staff, bills etc..let alone make some improvements!

 Context

 Before we look at the principles of giving, just a bit of context about the chapter and writer. Remember that Paul the apostle, is the one who was converted on the road to Damascus on his way to kill some Christians. He is writing to some new Christians in Corinth, modern day Greece, about how to live, as a loving body of Christians. In the early part of this passage Paul had used the zeal of the Corinthians to challenge the Macedonians to be generous and now he is inspiring the Corinthians in this letter to be like the Macedonians.

 It is worth remembering that when I share later of how much I give, it is not to brag but to inspire, to encourage you to similarly encourage others around you. If something is worth doing and we believe in it, we tell others don’t we, whether it is a good restaurant we have come across or a new walk, a new TV programme…etc If it is an idea and a behavior worth sharing we tell others

 Paul was careful not to put on any pressure, as I hope is true for this Church. It is a matter of free will between you and God, as to how much you give, and also perhaps your spouse if you have one and the Treasurer. There are only 2 people in this Church who know exactly how much people give by standing order and that’s the Treasurer and Gift aid secretary.  I have no idea exactly how much you give. I know exactly how much I give about 10% of my stipend! I did my tax return recently and this year gave just over £2,700 to Charity, that’s a bit over 10% of my stipend, the majority to this Church, because I believe in what we are doing here! You can of course always give anonymously through charities like Stewardship or Charities Aid Foundation.  

For me the most important thing is the attitude with which you and I give.  Generously. Deliberately. Cheerfully.  Paul too is more concerned about the attitude of giving than the amount. He like God is concerned at the heart  of the giver not the gift.  

Our greatest encouragement for giving is that it pleases the Lord, but there is nothing wrong with practicing the kind of giving that provokes others to give. This does not mean that we should advertise what we do as individuals, because that kind of practice would violate one of the basic principles of giving: give secretly to the Lord (Matt. 6:1–4). However, Paul was writing to churches; and it is not wrong for congregations to announce what they have given collectively.  E.g. like we are doing when we make appeals for the Poole foodbank or help with the distribution of Harvest gifts.  If our motive is to boast, then we are not practicing grace giving. But if our desire is to provoke others to share, then God’s grace can work through us to help others.  It is about encouraging others to give through our own enthusiasm for the cause or causes. So let’s give,(1) Generously  v.6 – whoever sows sparingly, will reap sparingly, whoever sows generously will reap generously (v. 6). Money will buy you a bed but not sleep, books but not brains, a house but not a home, medicine but not health, luxuries but not happiness, image but not character. 

We need to be generous in our giving of our time, talents and treasure.

 So what is generous? What is generosity?

 If I give a £1 every week I come to Church that is great if my income is £7 a week, that is very generous.

But is my income is £100 a week that is 1% of it, that is not really generous…is it? Being generous is about being free to give and not count the cost, in an unselfish way, in a plentiful way, dare I say it “gaily” in the old sense of the word.

whoever sows sparingly , will reap sparingly, whoever sows generously will reap generously (v. 6).

 This principle needs little explanation, because we see it operating in everyday life. The farmer who sows much seed will have a better chance for a bigger harvest. The investor who puts a large sum of money in the bank will certainly collect more interest ….well maybe not until interest rates go up but you get the point!! The more we invest in the work of the Lord, the more “fruit” will abound to our account (Phil. 4:10–20).

Whenever we are tempted to forget this principle, we need to remind ourselves that God was unsparing in His giving. In both nature and grace, God is a generous Giver. Now many of you may be on fixed incomes and not able to give more than you already do. However whatever your income we can all look through our bank statements and see where our money goes, does it go to God’s work first? As I said last week we need to put God first in our finances, interests, relationships, schedule and troubles.

 There’s a Civil Service saying: “Expenses rise to meet all the funds available!” From personal experience I know that’s true of families, so before planning budgets for holidays and eating out put God first, be generous to the creator, so generosity in our giving is key, which brings me to my second point, be deliberate about it.

 Who came here today, without thinking about giving, we all think about it, even if we pretend we don’t, whether it’s a bit of change for the children to put in the collection bag (to lead by example) or some notes for ourselves, we plan it don’t we!

 (2)         Deliberately  v.7 – Each man (or woman) should give what he has decided in his heart to give… intentionally and purposefully, so yes that does mean it is Ok to plan, to budget and to give deliberately, regularly by standing order or the envelope scheme.

A Church I know has the same amount of giving over the year, raising £200,000, that we have through just 55 regular standing orders. Now there are in this Church over 120 people who regularly give by standing order, or the envelope schemes, which is great but that means there are a good deal more who don’t. That is in a planned way, each month

The majority of them are however in the 11am congregation, they are leading by example. Yet the 9.30am congregation give almost double on a Sunday…

 Can I remind you to agree it with your spouse if you have one, pray about it, in line with your income. We are a relatively rich church, in a wealthy area and things are in good shape but every year like our gas and electricity bills things go up don’t they!

 Now this is one of the most expensive streets to live in the South West, with houses costing on average £2.3 million. Now whilst we may not all live here or be cash rich, we are relatively well off.

 Our Diocesan share was over £97,000 last year, which we paid in full, so we are a relatively generous congregation, helping to fund other Churches in less affluent parts of the Diocese. Next year because of our increased size of congregation we have been asked to give £104,000, which if just a few people were paying it seems a lot. But if we share it out equally between the 341 people that came during May is only £25 per month. Now that is before we pay any of the other costs, like heating, lighting, insurance, license fees, salaries of the staff we employ…

We have managed to balance the books in recent years but this can only go on if each one of us do our part. If we want to have children and youth in our church it is right that we employ a children’s and youth worker ….like Sarah, currently part-time but I can tell you he earns it and deserves it.

 If each one of us bear a fair share of the burden our burden becomes lighter.

 If we want to thrive and grow both in body and spirit we have to resource the Church for the future.

 We need to have well paid administrative staff, and last year we gave both Kathy and John a small pay rise but it would be nice to be more generous to them. But we can only do this if we have enough funds.

But remember in our own giving it should not be out of compulsion but done cheerfully. (3) Cheerfully v.7 – for God loves a cheerful giver. I recall in previous churches I have been in and the annual Gift Day was a joyous occasion, they raised a lot of money with a lot of joy! In a cheerful way, anonymously but with no compulsion to give. So remember we don’t give reluctantly or under compulsion, only give cheerfully or not at all. Also don’t compare yourself with others, either in what you give or what you have, for it only leads to misery, all our circumstances are different, aren’t they!

 For a Christian: the motive in giving (or in any other activity) is vitally important. Our giving must come from the heart, and the motive in the heart must please God.

 Not to please me, or the Treasurer or anyone else (although having more funds might mean less of my hair grows grey!)  but God because he is the only one who knows the true state of your finances.

Only God really knows how generous you are being. We must not be “sad givers” who give grudgingly, or “mad givers” who give because we have to (“of necessity”); but we should be “glad givers” who cheerfully share what we have because we have experienced the grace of God.

 I don’t want to receive a raft of emails or letters complaining about giving, nor does the Treasurer or Gift Aid secretary. The Gift Aid secretary said to me this week that we have about 120 who give regularly through bank transfers and green envelopes and that: - 

 45% of the giving is from about 25 donors, who give more than £100 monthly

 35%  of the giving is from about 45 donors who give between £40 and £100 monthly

 20% of the giving is from about 50 donors who give less than £40 monthly

To be honest I’d rather you didn’t give at all than moan about it but if you want to know how the Diocesan share is spent, read the draft budget that has been on the notice board next the Vision statement. Or drop the Archdeacon a line or indeed the Bishop….!

 Most of us would not consider ourselves “wealthy,” but the reality is that we are and not only compared to the rest of the world but also in terms of the Diocese of Salisbury. But are we generous givers? We are deemed to be a rich congregation and so our banding in terms of the Diocesan share is the top one.

 I recall reading about a wealthy Christian who daily, at family devotions, prayed for the needs of the missionaries that his church supported. One morning, after he had concluded family prayers,  his little boy said, “Dad, if I had your chequebook, I could answer your prayers!” A discerning lad, indeed! So these are the principles that this passage addresses about giving: 

Be generous

Be planned

Be cheerful 

This applies as much to the giving of our time and our talents as it does to our treasure.  

John Wesley said,  ‘Earn all you can.  Save all you can.  Give all you can.’  

[Earn all you can ….this is one of my better paid jobs

Save all you can ….I put into my pension, as much as I gave last year

Give all you can …last year was the biggest amount I gave…next year I want to give more…] 

He also said the last thing to be converted is the wallet!  

You and I are saved because God believed in grace giving. 

He gave his only Son Jesus to save us from our sins. 

You can trust God for heaven BUT can you trust him with your chequebook? How much do we believe in grace giving? 

If we do believe in Him we should automatically give generously, …For whoever sows generously will reap generously… “Only one life, it will pass Only what’s done for Christ will last” 

PRAYER:PRAY THE HOLY SPIRIT MOVES US TO BE GENEROUS, DELIBERATE AND CHEERFUL IN OUR GIVING NOT ONLY OF OUR TREASURE BUT ALSO OUR TIME AND TALENTS TO BUILD YOUR KINGDOM AND MAKE JESUS KNOWN HERE ARE ALL SAINTS...Amen

[ramialkarmi]

How an ex-Googler and entrepreneur paid for university by tutoring — then built an app to help others

LONDON — In 2012, Ismail Jeilani was faced with a choice. The North Londoner had been accepted to King's College London, but university fees had just tripled. He could go — but doing so would mean paying £9,000 a year for his education, and taking out a loan he wasn't comfortable with.

"It's to do wih my own values, combined with my attitudes towards debt alongside dealing with interest," he told Business Insider. "I didn't think it was fair that I had to choose between what I held closely to myself, and my right to education, and I felt that anybody who's in that position should definitely be able to do both."

And that's exactly what Jeilani did.

He went to King's, paying the nine grand a year — but he didn't take out a student loan. Instead, he moonlighted as a personal tutor, teaching Arabic grammar and economics for between 15 and 20 hours a week alongside his studies.

It left little room for anything else — "I wasn't able to commit to extracurricular activities ... I did Taekwondo for around two months and I couldn't physically carry on because the time wasn't there any more" — but it paid off, and he left university completely debt-free.

After a stint working for Google, the entrepreneur is now using his experience to build an app with two friends to help others do similar — it's called Scoodle.

It's built by three old friends

Scoodle is an app that connects tutors to students. Students can search for tutors, book and pay for lessons, and message them, all through the app, while it gives the tutors control over how they manage their students and create group lessons.

Let's say you want to learn French. You download the app, enter your subject and location, and can then browse tutors signed up on the platform. It displays their qualifications, an introduction, and how much you charge. If you like, you can drop them a message, or book a lesson through the app.

The company was founded in August 2016, and after a private beta, it launched on May 1, 2017. "We expected students to focus mainly on academic learning," Jieliani said. "However, non-conventional learning is picking up a lot. For example, a lot of students are learning foreign languages and getting tutors to help them get into medicine. This means medical entrance exams and personal statements."

Jeilani has two cofounders who are old friends. "We've known each other for a long time, probably 10-15 years now. We went to the same supplementary school, on weekends played games with each other back in the PSP days." They're now working together.

Jeilani declined to provide hard numbers, but said the app is currently growing the number of tutors by 30% week-on-week, and "nearly half of our sign ups return every two weeks."

To date, Scoodle has been self-funded, but the team is is currently trying to close a seed funding round of between three and five hundred thousand pounds. (Jeilani also declined to name the investors the company is talking to.) It has previously been self-funded, with none of the founders drawing a salary — but they believe the trade-off of equity for capital to help scale is worth it.

"For us it's a question of timing because when we first spoke about the product and the industry and the idea it was relatively young, but now we're seeing I guess more and more people beginning to work within the industry. So for us it's a question of: What's a bigger priority, is [it] just to be able to say 'hey, we own 100%,' or is it better to maybe own something slightly smaller but more impactful on the society?"

'My values and faith are a lot of who I am'

After Ismail Jeilani graduated, he went to work for Google, working as an account strategist in Ireland.

It's a role that gave him access to a powerful network of ex-Googlers — or "Xooglers" — that he is leveraging as he grows the company. In early June, he attended a pitch day at Google's offices in London, where he and a dozen other startups founded by Xooglers pitched their startups to 80 assembled European investors.

"The network from the ex-Googlers network is amazing, it's genuinely incredible," he said at the time. "Not just because of the calibre of the people who are here, but also the support network that they provide in the buildup to this."

He also led the product launch of QardHasan, a platform that helps provide an "interest-free alternative to traditional student loans" for Muslim students in Britain.

"My values and faith are a lot of who I am," he wrote in a follow-up email. "It teaches me to work with excellence, no matter what I do. It also teaches me that life is short, and that we only have so long to make a meaningful difference in the world. I want to make that difference."

Join the conversation about this story »

NOW WATCH: These size comparisons show the true scale of enormous things

[filipinoimmigrationstories-blog]

Handled with Grace

Three days after my mother, Grace, turned eighteen, she gave birth to her first daughter and two days after her daughter was born, she left for America. Grace left her newborn baby girl and was forced to immigrate to the United States by her parents. My mother, Grace, was born in July of 1969 and was raised in upscale Greenhills, Manila, Philippines where she lived an easy life and most everything that she wanted and needed was provided to her. In the Philippines, there is only the rich and the poor, there is no middle-class and by all means was my mother’s family was not short on money. In fact, while growing up, across the street lived the now former president of the Philippines so it’s safe to say she lived a pretty comfortable life. But while growing up, she was raised in a strict household that did not express and show many emotions and she and her siblings were often punished when they acted out. So as an attempt to act out, my mother would associate herself with other rebelious teenageers her age and received the attention that she so desperately craved from her family. Having bad attention is better than having no attention and being the middle child of five, there were at times a lack of attention to be spared. She began to neglect her education, hangout with burnouts, drive recklessly, and have boyfriends as an outlet for her pent up emotions. As a result of her outbursts against her family, she got pregnant at the age of seventeen. I have no idea how she was able to conceal her pregnancy for as long as she did since she was barely 90 pounds when she got pregnant. Nonetheless, she kept her pregnancy secret six months. When she was finally found out, her parents shipped her off to relatives in Dumaguete, Philippines so that they would more easily conceal their shame of their child to finish out the rest of her third term.

Of course, my grandparents were not expecting their first grandchild so soon and they wanted my mother and the rest of her siblings to continue their education and go to college. The colleges in the Philippines aren’t the best and my grandparents knew that their children would receive a better education if they were sent to the United States. To be able to study in a different country, there are many different forms and papers that need to be filled out if you want eligibility for a study visa and you need to leave by a certain time or else you can miss the opportunity to leave and study elsewhere.

During her third trimester, my mother lived with her aunt and uncle. They both doctors and to ensure that she would still go to the United States. They induced labor onto my mom a week early and in August of 1988, my sister Marie was born. While giving birth a week early isn’t necessarily dangerous, it’s best if the mother finishes the full pregnancy to prevent any mishaps that could occur. My grandparents were extremely adamant on having their daughter come to the United States because they knew that if she were to spend more time than she was supposed to with their first grandchild, then she understandably not want to leave her first newborn child. My mother’s family thought getting the student visa was more important than allowing their daughter stay with her daughter, their granddaughter. So, three days after giving birth, she enrolled herself in her first college class at San Francisco State University. In yet another act of rebellion, she decided to become a florist just to annoy and anger my grandparents even further but when my grandparents found out, they were outraged and went on to tell her that she would not be able to support herself and a potential future family on a florist’s salary and demanded she sign up for math classes and change her major to accounting. Reluctantly did what her parents wanted her to do and went on and became an accountant after graduating from college. She’s done extremely well for herself, working her way from the bottom to the top and is now a corporate senior accounting manager for a team of people at a company in San Francisco.

While my mother’s story was undeniably difficult, when she married my father she unknowingly passed on all the challenges that she was facing and going through onto my father who then had to cope with what was going on and figure out how not only he was going to handle it but help my mother handle it as well. My mother’s side of the family is very family and race orientated so when my mother married a white and Native American man, they felt that he didn’t have a say in the matter of what was best not only for my mother but my sister as well. And my grandparents kept my sister a secret from the rest of their family for six years so when the rest of the family found out about my sister’s existence, they all erupted with anger and fury as to why they were not cued in on what had happened. Although it was none of their business, they have a bad habit of being extremely intrusive and making someone else’s problem’s their own so they felt as if they had a say in the matter as well which on created more conflict and resentment and frustration on my mom and dad.

You would think that it would be simple to declare parental rights and fight to get a child back but the law in the Philippines differ from the ones here in the United States and my mother could not declare parental rights on my sister because she was not yet at the age of twenty-one and no longer had Filipino citizenship when she tried to fight to get my sister back. And since my sister was born in the house of my aunt and uncle, they had no formal documentation of whom my sister was born to and my grandparents had forged a fake birth certificate stating that my sister wasn’t born to my mother and that my grandparents had adopted her. Being an influential man in the Philippines, my grandfather would not so easily let my sister go and my mother knew that she wouldn’t be able to fight to get my sister back so she had to wait patiently until my grandparents were ready to willingly let my sister live with my parents. It was an extremely difficult and sticky situation that my, dad, grandparents, and sister went through filled with hurt, anger, and resentment.

Mom’s thoughts: “That time of my life was a very traumatic experience to go through at the age of 17. I couldn’t understand why my parents did what they did. After years of holding a grudge, I finally accepted it for what it was because I realized hating my parents for something they thought was best, I can’t blame them for and trying to change the past isn’t going to do anyone any good because it’s already happened. So I began the process of forgiving them. It’s still hard to talk about when brought up but I can’t be selfish and keep this kind of secret and story to myself...I’d blow up.”

Dad’s thoughts: I love your mother very much but it was very challenging trying to be there for her when she was fighting to get custody and rights over your sister. Filipinos are very secretive and don’t let outsiders, like me, in very often. They aren’t racist per-se but they don’t let just anyone into their ‘circle of trust’ all that easily. And since I am not of either their background culture, it became very frustrating when my thoughts and ideas weren’t validated and there by being irrelevant and everything I said became moot. Regardless, your mother and I love your sister very much and although it was a hard few years, we got her back and the rest you know yourself.”

Grandparents thoughts: “We did what we thought would be best for our daugher and we aren’t going to apologize for what happened but will apologize for the way it [went down]. We think she now understands what we did then because she is now a more matured women and mother. Parents do what they can to protect their children.”

Marie’s thoughts: “I didn’t know what was going on for the longest time and it wasn’t until I was about 4 or 5 that I learned that ‘mom’ was really my mom and grandpa and grandma weren’t my actual parents. I think I always knew but didn’t put two-and-two together until I asked.”

My brother’s thoughts: “Growing up with Marie didn’t bother me much. Granted I didn’t really know the full story but even when I was told the truth, I didn’t view her any differently than I did. In my eyes, she was my sister and being told who she really was just solidified what I already knew. She may only be my half-sister but I never considered her anything less than a full-sister.”

My thoughts: I didn’t fully understand who my sister was until I was about six or so. All I knew her as or to be was my ‘sister’ that would only come and spend the summer with us but when those three months ended and she left, my brother and I were left confused for nine months and then she’d come back and the whole process of confusion would start again. And when she finally moved in with us at the age of thirteen, I was only four at the time and there was a nine year age gap between my sister and I. I confided in my brother mostly who was only eighteen months older than I was. It made to be a very interesting living situation because while I was used to only having my sister around for the summer, I didn’t know how I would adjust to having her live with my family and I full-time. And since she was nine years older than I am, she had her own life and friends that she would hang out with so there wasn’t much time that was spent between us. Up until last summer, my sister was never a consistent person in my life because we led to different lives and would always miss each other on the account of both of our work and school schedules. But when we decided to go to Italy in the spur of the moment, we were forced to be with each other 24/7 for 9 days and there was no way around getting away from each other. I learned a lot about my sister on that trip and I learned to respect and love her differently than I had been doing for the majority of my life until that point in time. We grew closer and spent even more time together after coming back home and while I couldn’t get out of helping her plan her wedding, I had the privilege of seeing her walk down the aisle as her maid-of-honor and I knew that in the moment that as frustrating as she and the wedding was, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat. Both my mom and sister’s stories wasn’t the easiest but seeing them come out on top and being successful after all of it is truly inspiring and amazing to me.

Although what happened to my mother was an unfortunate and bluntly messed up, she wouldn’t have met my father and I wouldn’t be sitting here writing this autobiography on my mother which you are now reading. At the end of the day, after all the trauma and hurt, my mother has forgiven her parents for what they did and what happened and more longer holds an resentment towards them.

[flauntpage]

DGB Grab Bag: Boston's Self Own, Summer of Ovi Rages On, and No Sign and Trades

Three Stars of Comedy

The third star: NBC Sports Boston – Their twitter account decided to make a joke about the Blackhawks playing at Notre Dame. It ended up being the equivalent of cutting across the blueline with your head down and getting smoked.

Shot:

Chaser:

Get the stretcher, I don't think they're walking this one off.

The second star: The NHL store – This image from the official league site, found by a Reddit user, is ice cold.

The first star: Alexander Ovechkin is celebrating again – Remember when you were a kid and summer vacation would be almost over and you'd start to get really sad about it? That's how I feel about Ovechkin's month-long Cup celebration right now. Ah well, at least we'll always have this extremely NSFW video of his very favorite song to remember the good times.

Also, here's Dmitri Orlov singing the same song to Ovechkin's mom, which isn't weird at all.

Be It Resolved

The Montreal Canadiens made some headlines recently. No, they didn't trade Max Pacioretty. No, they didn't finally acquire the first-line center they've been chasing for years. No, they didn’t find an invitation to the John Tavares sweepstakes at the bottom of their backpack and realize they hadn't been excluded after all. Look, I didn't say they made good headlines.

No, the Habs made news by announcing that Shea Weber will miss six months after having knee surgery. The strange part is that the team had known about this for weeks, and just decided not to tell anyone. GM Marc Bergevin went through his entire end-of-season press conference without mentioning it, then had the team slip it into a press release after everyone had left town. Not surprisingly, this has raised a few questions.

Clearly, Habs fans can be annoyed by this, since it suggests that they can't really trust what team management is telling them. And it plays into the larger pattern of teams around the league not wanting to tell their fans anything. That's been getting better lately, with most teams being more transparent around contracts and trade details, but it still happens.

But while the move opened the Canadiens up to some well-deserved criticism, it at least gave us something to talk about right around the time the NHL offseason gets boring. That's worth something. And maybe we can build on it.

So be it resolved: From now on, every NHL team should keep one semi-important story secret during the offseason.

The Habs have already shown us how it's done. Let's have everyone else follow their lead. Every team picks one thing—an injury, a signing, a trade, a buyout—and just doesn't tell us about it. Then we have to try to figure it out on our own. The only rule is that if someone guesses right, the GM has to fess up and tell us.

It would be fun. And it would give us all something to think about during those six or seven summer weeks when nothing is happening. Sometimes, we'd figure it out quickly. Other times it would take some work to piece everything together. Maybe there'd be a breakthrough, where some fan captures grainy footage of a star player limping around, or a "for sale" sign going up in front of a fourth-liner's house. Sometimes we'd make it to September without an answer, at which point we could have a fun press conference where the GM comes out and admits that the starting goalie retired two months ago and they don't have a replacement.

We already don't have any insiders around to break the news, since they're all at their cottage compounds trying to remember what their spouse looks like and how sleep works. So let's do the polite thing and wait until they're back before we wrap up all the loose ends.

Let's make this happen. Just like the next half-dozen draft lotteries, it isn't fair that Habs fans get all the fun.

Obscure Former Player of the Week

It's been a rough summer for Canucks fans. Their team's offseason strategy seems to be "sign all the fourth-liners you can to multi-year contracts," and even then they're getting out-hustled by the Islanders in that department. So today, let's help Vancouver fans celebrate the anniversary of one of the happiest moments in franchise history: The day that Mark Messier officially went the hell back where he came from.

That would be July 13, 2000, the day that Messier re-signed with the Rangers after three disastrous years in Vancouver. His divorce from the Canucks was already a done deal by then, but seeing him pull another team's jersey on helped give Vancouver fans some closure on what to this day stands as the biggest debacle in franchise history.

So today, let's mark the occasion by bestowing Obscure Player honors on a former Canucks captain that the entire fan base doesn't hate: Chris Oddleifson.

Oddleifson was a big center who was originally picked by the Oakland Seals in the 1970 draft, two picks behind Darryl Sittler and eight picks after the Canucks made Dale Tallon their first ever pick after the whole roulette wheel debacle. But the Oddleifson pick is probably more famous for another reason—it was the one the Seals acquired from Montreal as part of the classic Sam Pollock fleecing that saw them give up their 1971 first, which turned into Guy Lafleur.

Oddleifson never made it to California, as he was traded to the Bruins in 1971 and made his NHL debut in Boston during the 1972-73 season. In February 1974, the Bruins dealt him to the Canucks as part of a trade for the wonderfully named Bobby Schmautz. Oddleifson originally wore No. 11 in Vancouver, which was fine because he didn't force the team to take it out of retirement, unlike some players we could mention.

He broke through with the Canucks beginning in 1974-75, putting up 51 points and following that with a career-high 62 the following season. He did most of that damage on a line with Gerry O'Flaherty and Garry Monahan (who you might remember as the first overall pick in the league's first ever draft). For a franchise still finding its footing, Oddleifson's contributions were enough to earn him the honor of serving as the team's third ever captain, following in the footsteps of Orland Kurtenbach and Andre Boudrias. He did not force a beloved franchise icon like Trevor Linden to relinquish his "C," unlike some players we could mention.

Oddleifson's stint as captain lasted only that 1976-77 season, as he gave way to the combo of Don Lever and Kevin McCarthy. But he remained on the team until he was sent to the minors in 1980. He'd play a few years in Europe before retiring and going on to a career in real estate.

He occasionally showed up at Canucks alumni events and old-timer games, because the fans in Vancouver still like him and don't desperately want to pretend that his captaincy never happened. Unlike some players we could mention.

Trivial Annoyance of the Week

It's the NHL offseason, which means we've just had several weeks of constant speculation over various transactions that could happen. Many involve trades, and some of those involve players whose contracts have either expired or will soon. And inevitably, that speculation can only mean one thing: Somebody somewhere is going to suggest that we might see a sign-and-trade.

Everyone, please stop doing this.

A sign-and-trade isn't really a thing. At least, not in the NHL. It's something you occasionally see in the NBA, where the CBA carves out a special kind of transaction in which a signing and a trade are combined together to allow a player to reap certain contractual benefits he couldn't get on a new team. Years ago, that might mean getting a full max salary, although the rules have since been changed to narrow that loophole. Today, NBA sign-and-trades are relatively rare, although they still happen occasionally.

But that's the NBA. In the NHL, there really isn't any situation in which it makes sense for a team to sign a player before trading him, except for one—a star player who is about to leave as a UFA, and wants to get the maximum eight-year deal on his new team. If John Tavares had insisted on an eight-year contract with the Leafs, the only way to get it would have been for him to sign that deal with the Islanders, who would then immediately trade him to Toronto for players or picks. But while that scenario is at least plausible, it wouldn't make much sense for anyone involved. The Leafs wouldn't want to give up assets to sign an unrestricted free agent, and the Islanders wouldn't want to surrender their extra-year advantage in negotiations, or to help Tavares get more money after he'd already decided to abandon them.

Beyond that very limited and probably unrealistic scenario, there's really no reason for the sign-and-trade concept to ever come up in the NHL. If some team wants to trade for Erik Karlsson or Artemi Panarin or Max Pacioretty and sign them to a long-term extension, they'd just do that. There'd be no need for the Senators or Blue Jackets or Canadiens to be involved in the contract. The teams would just agree on the trade, and the player would immediately sign an extension with his new team. That's it. Boring, maybe, but it's how NHL trades work.

The one NHL sign-and-trade you hear mentioned from time to time is Marian Hossa going from Ottawa to Atlanta within hours of signing a contract extension back in 2005. The fact that you have to go back 13 years to find an example should tell you something, but even that move doesn't fit because Hossa wasn't in on it. He thought he was signing to stay in Ottawa, and then the team swerved him by immediately trading him. Reportedly, he wasn't very happy about it, and rightly so. That's not how the whole concept is supposed to work.

And yet you still hear about NHL sign-and-trades at this time of year. Why? I have no idea, although my theory is that it just sounds cool. It's a term we hear thrown around in another sport, we don't fully understand what it means, so we start tossing it into hockey rumors to see if it fits.

But it doesn't. NHL sign-and-trades basically don't exist. So let's stop bringing the idea up.

Classic YouTube Clip Breakdown

It can't be all that fun to be Bobby Ryan these days. Not only is he stuck on the worst-run franchise in the league, but that team has made it very clear that they desperately want to get rid of him. Normally, a pending escape from Ottawa would be good news. But the Senators have been so aggressive in trying to attach Ryan and his ridiculous contract to any Erik Karlsson, trade that it's got to be tough not to take it personally. And if he does get moved as part of a Karlsson deal, Ottawa fans will forever blame him for watering down the return. That can't be fun.

So today, let's look back on a Bobby Ryan trade that actually worked out pretty well. We only have to go back seven years to find it.

It's December 12, 2010, and Ryan and the Ducks are hosting the Minnesota Wild. It's a pretty typical and frankly not all that interesting regular season game that the Ducks will eventually win 6-2. But something strange is about to happen. If you've never seen the clip before, see if you can spot it before the announcers do.

The puck bounces around in the corner for a bit, and the first thing we notice is Ryan gesturing at the referee about something. He doesn't have a stick at this point, and there's one lying nearby, so it's not hard to put two and two together about what happened. Or is it?

Check out No. 20 on the Wild. That's Antti Miettinen, and he seems very confused about something. He's got the missing stick in front of him on the ice, and is half-heartedly pushing it back in the direction of Ryan. As the announcers point out, that's kind of a weird thing to do, since Ryan plays for the other team. Hmm….

Ryan does indeed pick up the stick, and just in time. A deflected shot bounces over to him, and he buries it into an open net. He immediately holds the stick up and waving it in Mikko Koivu's face, which seems like an odd way to celebrate a goal. Trust me, this is all going somewhere.

Also, and Senator fans can back me up on this, I'm pretty sure this is the most recent footage of Bobby Ryan scoring a goal.

Our announcers are still trying to figure out what happened, and why Miettinen was so worried about an opponent's stick. "That was absolutely bizarre," says one. He's right, but not for the reason he thinks.

We get a pair of replays, which don't shed much light on the situation but do highlight the celebration. Seriously, if you've never seen this clip before and you're just following along, go back to the beginning and see if you can catch what actually happened. It's one of those great "When you see it" moments.

Our clip skips ahead to later in the game, as our announcers have finally clued into what just happened. We got to a slow motion replay, complete with a Howie Meeker-style "stop it right there." This time, we can see that it's actually Koivu who doesn't have a stick… right up until he collides with Ryan and just blatantly rips his stick out of his hand.

That explains Ryan's reaction, and his complaint to the referee, since I'm pretty sure stealing somebody's stick and playing the rest of the shift with it should fall under the "holding the stick" section of the rulebook. It also explains Miettinen's confusion, since it was teammate's stick he was trying to retrieve, even though all his teammates still had one.

Also, the game is still going on at this point and the announcers don't care. That's my favorite part of the whole sequence. We get another replay, and with that our clip ends and all charges against Miettinen are dropped.

You can see another version of the play, in which the announcers realize what's happening right away, right here. Koivu actually tried to go to the officials and get the goal overturned, which is pretty rich. "Hey ref, he has an illegal stick. No, don't worry about which stick I'm using, we're talking about that guy."

And that's it. An underrated part of this whole scenario is that Ryan is a right-handed and Koivu is a lefty. You can see Koivu kind of fumble with Ryan's stick when he realizes that. More importantly, it means Ryan scored the goal with his curve facing the wrong way, which is pretty impressive.

Wait, are we absolutely sure he gave the stick back? Has Ryan's slump over the last few seasons been because he's still using a backwards curve? The Senators may want to look into that.

Have a question, suggestion, old YouTube clip, or anything else you'd like to see included in this column? Email Sean at nhlgrabbag@gmail.com.

DGB Grab Bag: Boston's Self Own, Summer of Ovi Rages On, and No Sign and Trades published first on https://footballhighlightseurope.tumblr.com/