#except the Miami ones cause that was done as promotion | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

openheart12 · 4 years

Text

I Think He Knows

Chapter 5: King Of My Heart

A/N: This chapter was so much fun to write, we hope you enjoy it!

Summary: A move to Providence proves to bring new people together but will their friendship be able to survive through the unexpected problems they are faced with? When her crush turns into something more, what does that mean for the relationships closest to her. When he has to leave for college, will he finally relent or will he lose her forever? What consequences will she be faced with for falling for her brother’s best friend? Does he know?

Warnings: language, violence, and cheating

Disclaimer: PB owns characters

Catch up here

Her alarm went off at 4 AM sharp, beckoning her to wake up. When she turned it off, she rubbed her eyes, cursing whoever’s smart idea it was to make a flight to Miami at 7 AM the day of the actual conference. She slowly rose up to a sitting position letting the realization that today was the day she was going to be in Miami with Ethan for the weekend hit her.

She hopped in the shower, letting her tiredness wash away, and when she exited she heard a light knock on her bedroom door. Grabbing her robe and wrapping it tightly around her as she walked to the door, she opened it to see Ethan standing there with a bag near his feet.

He whipped his head up when she opened the door, seeing her in her white robe, and water dripping from her hair. He took a second to admire her as she self consciously wrapped her arms around herself before clearing his throat. “I know it’s only five but we should leave soon so we can get through security.”

She gave him a nod and moved to close the door. “I’ll be out in twenty minutes,” she said in a small whisper, not wanting to show her nerves through her voice.

“Alright, well I can load your bag into the car while you get ready,” he offered.

She let a small smile play across her face, “I still have a few things I need to pack, so I’ll take it out once I’m done.”

“Oh, okay.” He watched her start to close the door so he took it as a sign to leave.

Neither one of them knew why things had been so awkward these past few weeks. Well, that’s a lie. They both knew the tension between them as well as these mixed feelings and signals were a big factor, but why couldn’t they just shove it down and act normal?

That’s something Casey has been doing since she’d met Ethan. She’s used to keeping her feelings for him bottled up, she shouldn’t be feeling the awkward tension whenever she’s with him. Maybe it was because he was so open with her when she first came to Boston, or the way he comforted her, or maybe it was their almost kiss. She couldn’t put her finger on it, but she knew there was something deeper with Ethan going on even though every bone in her body said it wasn’t a good idea with his current relationship going on.

She shook her arms and head, wanting to stop thinking about it all together as she threw on some sweats and packed the rest of her bag.

~~~~~~~~

The car ride to the airport was one of the quietest drives her and Ethan had ever experienced together. Both of them had been thankful that the drive wasn’t too long because if either of them had been in there longer, the tension that was so thick you would need a knife to cut through it would’ve suffocated them.

When they had boarded the plane, Casey was surprised when Ethan stopped at first class seats. She turned to him and raised a brow as he beckoned her to sit.

When she took her seat, he took the one across from her, staring out of the window instead of looking at her. There it was again, the tense silence that neither one of them had wanted in the first place. Casey bit her lip, thinking of ways to start the conversation before clearing her throat to get his attention.

When he turned his head to her, she let out a sigh. “Um, so who’s exactly paying for these seats? Because if I’m correct, then I know Edenbrook couldn’t have afforded these.”

“Well you’re right with that. Big Pharma is the reason we’re sitting here.”

She rolled her eyes, knowing damn well there were hidden intentions behind the seats. “And what do they want in return?”

Ethan chuckled as they both began to feel that weight of tension between them be lifted. “Should’ve known you’d be able to see right through them.” He watched a light blush tint her cheeks. “They expect us to promote their drugs to patients in return for these ‘luxurious’ seats.”

“You know, it’s times like these that I really love our capitalist society.”

He raised a brow, but before she could explain herself a flight attendant walked up to them.

“Hello, can I get you two anything?”

Casey pursed her lips before lifting her eyebrows and turning to the attendant. “I’ll have the most expensive booze you got!”

“Rookie, it’s not even eight a.m yet.”

She turned her head over to Ethan and shrugged her shoulders. “It’s five o’clock somewhere.”

Ethan huffed out a laugh and gave a nod before turning to the flight attendant himself. “I’ll just have a scotch, neat.” When the woman left to get their drinks, he looked back over to Casey giving him a smug look. “What’s that look for?” he asked, leaning back into his seat.

“Oh I don’t know,” she shrugged her shoulders. “I just think you’re predictable and I totally knew you were going to go for a scotch. I also knew it was going to be neat.”

“Well predictability happens to stem from knowing a lot about a person. You know scotch is my go-to, and you also know that-”

“The ice changes the flavor,” she said, cutting him off with a dainty smirk on her lips.

Ethan took a second to observe her. He knew she knew a lot about him because they grew up near each other, but it just didn’t really hit him how much she really knew him until now. He was soon brought out of his daze when the flight attendant came back with their drinks.

Once she left again, Casey lifted her glass to his. “To Miami, and whatever it may bring.”

“Hopefully no trouble,” he said, clinking their glasses.

“With us there? You bet your ass there’ll be trouble.”

He rolled his eyes as she let out a giggle. The conversation between them had been flowing easier than either had originally anticipated, making them feel just an ounce of what normalcy may feel like.

~~~~~~~~

They arrived in Miami by ten o’clock, both breathing in the crisp ocean air with a happy sigh. The sound of waves crashing in the distance sounded like music to her ears. “This is what heaven feels like.” She looked over at Ethan just as the sea breeze swept through his hair as he closed his eyes, looking peaceful.

“A moment of tranquility before our descent in hell,” he joked.

“It can’t be that bad, right?” She questioned which elicited a snort from him.

“Just you wait,” he teased as he patted her head.

“Ethan,” she groaned as she shoved him playfully. They made their way inside and they had just passed through the glass doors when a feminine voice called his name.

“Ramsey! Ethan Ramsey! I was so excited when Naveen told us you would be coming in his place this year! It’s lovely to meet you! Come, Horton and Mendoza want to say hi!” He suppressed the urge to groan as he shot her a pleading look and she snickered.

“Rookie, get us checked in. Two rooms under Ramsey,” he made sure to enunciate ‘Rookie,’ and she pinched his arm in return before going up to the receptionists’ desk.

“Welcome to the Celestial Miami! Checking in?” The concierge greeted her with a bright smile.

“Yup! Reservation’s under Ramsey. Two rooms.” She saw the look that crossed his face as he checked the computer and inwardly sighed. Please, please don’t let what I think is about to happen, happen, she thought to herself.

“Ramsey… Er, my apologies. There was an error with your reservation, and we only booked one room.” Dammit, she cursed under her breath, low enough that he wouldn’t hear her.

“One’s fine,” she plastered on a fake smile.

“Wonderful. Here are your keycards, you have a beautiful ocean-side suite. Very romantic.” He gave her a knowing look and she had suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, instead giving him a small smile. She pocketed the hotel keycards and stepped outside to wait for Ethan when she saw Zaid with his arm around… Ines.

“Casey!” Ines exclaimed as she gave her a hug, while Zaid just gave her a curt nod.

“Are you guys here for the conference too? And you’re together? As in dating each other?” She asked.

“Yes, and it’s the one break I get from the hospital all year. Please, can we just pretend we don’t know each other?” He begged her, causing the two women to share a laugh.

“And yes, we are dating. This month will be seven months with my Zaidy Bear!” She smiled as she nuzzled in his side and even Zaid smiled as his arm wrapped around her waist. She couldn’t help but smile at how happy they seemed to be with each other. She wanted that with him. Ethan walked out a moment later and greeted the two residents with a questioning look.

“What are you two doing here?” He asked as he was under the impression that him and Casey were the only two coming from Edenbrook.

“Naveen had asked us a couple weeks before, which I was surprised when he told us you were coming along yesterday too,” Ines spoke casually.

“Why would he inv-” suddenly realization dawned on him. He shook his head knowing exactly why Naveen had invited the two of them personally. He called him to his office one day and asked about his relationship with Casey, and now it made sense because he had told him the truth. From their growing up together to their first kiss to what had almost happened between them in the supply closet and who had caught them. Naveen was the first person he had ever entrusted to tell his most kept secret to and now it was biting him in the ass.

Casey had noticed the realization in his eyes and had a feeling as to why Naveen had invited them to Miami. She tried to meet his gaze, but he kept his gaze trained on anything except for her. A few minutes later they said their goodbyes to Ines and Zaid and made their way to what he thought was going to be separate rooms. They got to the front of the door and he gave her a questioning look when she gestured for him to go in and she followed suit.

“Is this my room? Or yours?” He turned around to face her and felt his heart start to race when he noticed her expression because he could not share a room with her. He could barely live in the same apartment as her let alone two days in the same room.

“Well, you see, there was a problem with our reservation and they only booked us for one room, and it’s a couples’ suite.” She watched as he rubbed his brow and sighed.

“Oh dear Lord,” he muttered under his breath just loud enough for her to hear.

They spent the next few minutes putting their luggage away before heading to the convention center that was flooded with people awashed with colorful booths and banners. She gawked in amazement as the various doctors and researchers revealed their cutting-edge research. Ethan looked over at her with a small smile as he noticed her excitement.

“I can’t believe I get to see all of this firsthand!” She exclaimed and before he could answer her, he walked over to them.

“Ethan Ramsey, do my eyes deceive me?” The man clapped him on his back.

“Declan,” he spoke through gritted teeth, he hadn’t seen him since his first day as an intern before he transferred to Seattle Grace Hospital. He felt anger coursing through his veins when he saw he had turned his attention towards Casey and was looking at her suggestively.

“Is this the infamous Harper, because she is absolutely stunning,” he shot her a wink which in return made her roll her eyes.

“No.”

“So she’s your side piece?” He asked smuggly. “Good for you! I didn’t know you had it in you, buddy.” He patted his back and it took everything in Ethan for him not to punch him right then and there.

He maneuvered Casey away from him but Declan grasped her arm and pulled her back to him roughly. “Don’t touch her, you son of a bitch,” his fist connected with his jaw and Declan stumbled backwards.

“What the hell was that for?” His hand went to his jaw, wincing from the pain.

“If you touch her again, you will live to regret it,” he seethed before leading her out and back to their room.

They spent the next couple of hours unpacking and sleeping while Ethan kept ice on his injured hand. The silence was deafening at this point, both unsure of what to say.

“Shit,” he muttered when he looked at the clock and saw that they only had forty five minutes until they had to leave. “We have to leave soon, Case,” he called before going to take a quick shower.

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me there was a reception,” she rummaged through her travel bag for anything that would be acceptable to wear. Ethan had left the door open a crack so they would be able to talk.

“It was the furthest possible thing from my mind at the time.”

“But it’s a casino theme! I have to look nice!” She glanced over at the bathroom mirror, seeing him step out of the shower with a towel around his hips and before she could look away, he glanced up, catching her staring. She felt her cheeks turn a deep shade of crimson and turned her attention back to finding something to wear.

“Just throw on whatever you brought with you,” he told her as he donned his suit. She then remembered the navy blue dress she had brought with her and ran her fingers over the fabric, a soft smile playing on her lips. She slipped the dress on, trying to zip the back up until she felt his fingers ghost her skin causing goosebumps to erupt across her skin.

“May I?” His breath was on her neck and all she could do was nod, not trusting her voice to speak. He zipped her up, his fingers lingering on her back a moment too long, but she didn’t mind. She moved the cape back so it flowed behind her, stealing one more glance in the mirror before making her way to the door, but he gently grasped her arm, holding her back.

“You look beautiful.” She couldn’t help the blush that crept onto her face.

“Thank you,” she smiled sheepishly. He held his arm out to her with a lopsided grin, she shook her head with a laugh before linking her arm through his as they made their way down to the reception.

It was a relatively cool night in Miami with the breeze blowing softly. They walked out to the pool area where it was illuminated by lights, on one side was the open bar and the other had a buffet table. There was a game of poker going on at one of the many tables set up around the deck, with Declan sitting in the middle. He met her eyes and smirked, a noticeable bruise on his jaw.

“If I’m going to make it through tonight, I’m going to need a drink. Do you want anything?”

“Whatever you get is fine with me.” She took a seat at one of the empty tables to wait for Ethan. Her phone dinged with a text from Nate.

How are things going? Have you jumped each other’s bones yet? Wait, don’t answer that. I don’t want to know.

She was so engrossed in her response that she didn’t notice that she was no longer alone. She looked up to see no one other than Declan peering down at her phone. “What the hell?” She quickly turned off her phone.

“Is he talking about Ethan? Don’t tell me that’s Nathan Grey. That would make you Casey Grey, the woman I have heard so much about from those two.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders at the same time as Ethan was walking back to her, two drinks in hand.

“What are you doing?” Ethan spat.

“Having a conversation with my good friend, Casey,” he tightened his grip around her shoulders, but she pushed him away and stood up. She grabbed Ethan’s hand and pulled him after her but they didn’t get far before Declan walked up behind them and pushed Ethan’s shoulder to the point where he was now facing him. “You know I find it funny how possessive you are over her when your girlfriend is back in Boston.”

“Okay listen here you son of a bitch, I hit you earlier and I’ll gladly do it again,” Ethan said, advancing towards Declan.

“Ha! I’d like to see you try. It seems like you’d do anything for that beauty over there.”

Ethan went to raise his fist to give Declan a blow, but before he was able to swing, Declan’s knuckle had connected against Ethan’s lower jaw. He stumbled backwards before regaining his balance, Declan went to hit him again, but Ethan blocked it, striking his cheek in retaliation.

It took three other doctors to pull them apart and even then, Ethan tried to lunge at him again, but Casey stepped in front of him, putting her hands on his chest. When he met her eyes, reality came crashing back down and he stilled his movements and Casey had led him back to their room.

“You wanna tell me what happened between the two of you? You or Nate have never mentioned his name before.” She got him a bag of ice and set it down beside him.

“He’s a prick,” she waited for him to continue but his gaze was glued to the floor. She wracked her brain for any reason she could think of that Ethan would be keeping something from her. She was pulled out of her thoughts when she saw him get up and head out to the balcony.

While out on the balcony, the breeze was softly rustling through their hair. They had been up there for twenty minutes and Ethan had been insisting he could take care of himself. She honestly didn’t want to argue with him so she sat back and watched as he winced and put the ice she had prepared for him not even remotely close to where Declan had actually struck.

Watching him had been the most frustrating thing so she stood up and got closer to him, rolling her eyes in the process and she took the makeshift ice pack from his hand.

“What are you doing?” He asked, lifting an eyebrow as she placed the pack lower on his jaw.

“You suck at being your own doctor so I’m taking over.”

She pulled one of the chairs closer to him and sat down. There was a certain quietness between them that had lingered, but it wasn’t that weird tense silence. This was a moment between two lifelong friends, a moment of revelation, no, a moment of realization.

With Ethan looking into her eyes she could feel her pulse start beating rapidly. The intense feeling had made her grip on the ice pack go weak and she let it drop to the ground. She was about to move her hand to get it, but right before she did Ethan put a light hold onto her wrist, keeping her hand near his face.

The passion and wanting in both of their eyes was enough for them to become weak in the knees, and as if Ethan was rushing up from a lake for oxygen, he surged forward, capturing her lips with his.

The initial shock of their lips together hadn’t lasted long, and she clung her arms around his neck, bringing their bodies closer as he stood them up. Ethan had returned the same grip around her waist, both holding onto each other like it was their first and last kiss.

The kiss had quickly escalated as Ethan had her against the glass sliding door, kissing down her neck as she ran her fingers through his hair. When he moved his lips back onto hers, she slid her hands down his chest, starting to play with the buttons of his tux. He felt the icy touch of her hand slip beneath his undershirt and sucked in a breath as he heard four soft words escape her mouth.

“I’ve been wanting this.”

“Me too,” she heard his husky voice whisper.

She had continued to explore his chest before bringing her hand up to the back of his neck, deepening the kiss even further. She wanted more, no, she needed more. Without thinking, she hooked one of her legs around his hips, being close enough to feel just how much he wanted her.

The feeling of Casey almost wrapped around him made him suddenly aware of what they were actually doing, and who they actually were.

Without any warning he broke the kiss, backing away so that they were at arm’s length. Casey had abruptly opened him a look mixed with confusion and hurt. She watched him let out a breath, rubbing his hand down his face before giving a guilty expression.

“Case, We shouldn’t have… we… I’m with Harper.”

She quickly schooled her features into a look of understanding. “Yeah…”

“We were just...tipsy from the reception and high on adrenaline and I was out of line.”

“You’re right. It was the alcohol and adrenaline,” she lied, trying to keep her feelings at bay.

He shot another guilty look in her direction but she couldn’t meet his eyes. “Case, are we gonna be fine, or should we talk about this?”

She looked up at him and gave a half hearted smile. “We’re fine E, or we can talk about it later if you want but I’m pretty tired, so I think I’ll go to bed.”

He scratched the back of his neck and gave a nod. “Okay, well I’ll take the couch. Good night.”

“Thanks,” she murmured, walking into the suite and heading straight towards the bathroom, wanting to take a shower and wash away the day.

~~~~~~~~

The weekend had passed by quickly, their last day in Miami was full of attending lectures until they had a two hour break for everyone to relax and have time to eat. Ethan and Casey had decided to have their lunch on the beach. They had brought a picnic blanket with them and laid it across the sand as she took out the sandwiches they had packed while he got their drinks.

“I better not get a bad tan-line.” He chuckled as he took out a bottle of sunscreen and sprayed it on his arms and his face. He went to hand her the bottle but she shook her head.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Suit yourself,” he put the bottle back in the big and started to eat his food, he noticed that her gaze was trained on the water and she hadn’t touched her food. “Are you okay?” He asked softly. They still hadn’t talked about what happened the night before, about the line they had almost crossed.

“Yeah,” she gave him a small smile that didn’t reach her eyes, but he didn’t want to push it. They spent the next two hours almost in complete silence. When they had to leave, they put everything up. She started to walk back to the hotel when he gently grabbed her arm.

“Are… are we going to be okay?” He questioned.

“Yeah,” she was averting her gaze from him, scared that if she looked into his eyes, that she would lose control and she was barely holding it together.

“Can you look at me and say that?”

“We… we have to go.” She broke free from his grasp and he sighed, running his hand through his hair before following her.

The rest of the day consisted of attending the rest of the lectures and packing and finally heading to the airport to board their flight. Thick tension hanging over the pair the whole time. After going through security and taking their seats on the plane, the quietness enveloped them again. They settled in for the long flight, she put in her AirPods before he even had a chance to talk to her.

They arrived at Boston Logan International Airport around eleven o’clock at night, grabbing their luggage before hailing a cab to take them home. Again, the silence engulfed them, both not knowing what to say. When they got home, they said their goodnight’s and headed to their separate rooms.

Early the next morning, they were getting ready to head to the hospital when Nate confronted both of them. He had noticed a shift in their relationship and wanted to know what had happened in Miami.

“Are you going to tell me what's wrong with you two?”

“Nothing,” she replied dryly, breezing past him out the door. He gave Ethan a look and he just shook his head before following her out the door. For the first time in all the years they had known each other, there was an awkward silence on the way to the hospital.

“Dr. Banerji has an announcement today,” Nate tried to lessen the growing tension, but he was ignored by both of them. He looked over to Ethan who was driving and noticed the bags under his eyes. He stole a quick glance at Casey in the rearview mirror and noticed the troubled look in his sister’s eyes. His mind churning at what could have possibly happened to change their dynamic so much.

When they arrived at Edenbrook, Casey quickly got out of the car not bothering to wait for the other two. They walked in to see Naveen standing at the top of the stairs with almost all the doctors and nurses waiting for his announcement, including Casey. Ethan didn’t see Harper walk up to him as his gaze was fixed on Casey. She kissed him and he inwardly grimaced, when the kiss broke, he looked at Casey who was staring at the two of them with an unreadable expression on her face before she turned her attention back to Naveen.

“First of all, I would like to welcome Dr. Ramsey and Dr. Grey back!” Naveen had a smile that slightly faltered when he saw the looks on both of their faces. “There is going to be a gala in two weeks to help raise money and I expect everyone to attend. That’s all, thank you.” The group began to dissipate as they went back to work. All wondering what was to come in the following weeks.

Casey was getting ready to walk down to one of her patient’s rooms when Bryce quickly jogged up to her and caught her elbow. When she turned around, she saw that cocky, yet endearing grin.

“So you obviously know about the gala…”

“Yeah, and what about it?” She crossed her arms, giving him that same grin back.

“Well I was actually wondering if you would be my date.”

Casey’s grin had turned into a soft smile, and when she went to open her mouth, her eyes briefly brushed past Bryce and connected with Ethan’s to see that he was listening to Harper. It was almost as if the whole weekend had flashed before her eyes. The weekend that gave her that taste of him, and left her wanting more. She could feel the intense feeling rushing back just from thinking about it, but the one thing that made her choices regarding Bryce so much easier, was the simple, yet heartbreaking sentence of “Case, We shouldn’t have… we… I’m with Harper.”

Ethan was with Harper. It was that simple. She needed to accept that, and the first step was going out and trying with someone new, someone different.

Her eyes had settled back onto Bryce and she brightened her smile. “I would love to go with you Bryce.” She could see the excitement light up in his eyes.

“Great! I’ll text you what time I’ll pick you up?”

She gave him a nod before he squeezed her elbow and went off to work. Casey was about to turn back towards the direction of her patient’s room, but she caught Ethan’s eye once again as he gave her an unreadable expression.

Ethan Tags: @ethandaddyramsey @junggoku @edith-eggs1 @camiyumi5 @lilypills @sekizincimektup @missmiimiie @binny1985 @drethanramslay @whatchique @cxld-play @the-ingenious-f00l @oofchoices @lovebubblechoices @loveellamae @trappedinfandoms @choices-love-affair @noboundariesplease @newcolonies @big-yikers @flyawayboo @misterbitterapplesauce @x-kyne-x @itsgoingnuts @junehiratas @drakewalker04 @caseyvalentineramsey @kaavyaethanramsey @jamespotterthefirst @messrprongs @pikapower18 @samihatuli @jooous @sanchita012 @nooruleman @lifeof-liv @schnitzelbutterfingers @desmaranj @rookiefromedenbrook @mrsdrakewalkerblog @tefigranger @tyrilstouch @eileendannie @rookie-ramsey @ramseyandrys @agent-breakdance @mvalentine @theeccentricbibliophile @ao719 @openheartchoices @lucy-268 @humanpokemon @custaroonie @i-bloody-love-drake-walker @anotherbeingsworld @zeniamiii @squishywizardhq @nerdydinosaursweets @pixelberryownsme @courtesanofedenbrook @aylamwrites @mals-chesthair @checkurwindow @unluckygs @dulceghernandez @lion-ess24 @choicesficwriterscreations @mkamra2355

ITHK Tags: @burnsoslow @smilex1104 @rookiemarsswiftie @princessfuzzy12 @rookieoh @virtualrain202 @kiara-36 @macy-ray85

#ethan ramsey #dr ethan ramsey x mc #ethan x mc #dr ethan ramsey #playchoices #choices open heart #play choices #choices open heart 2 #choices #choices stories you play #ethan jonah ramsey #OpenHeart #open heart second year #open heart #open heart fanfiction

154 notes · View notes

365days365movies · 4 years

Text

January 15, 2021: Casino Royale (2006) (Part 1)

So...we meet again, Bond. What’ve you been doing for the past few years?

...What. Not who, James, WHAT. Jeez.

Whatever. BrosBond had 3 movies after GoldenEye, and they were...not great, from what I’ve heard. Remember, I wasn’t as big of a fan of GoldenEye as many critics and fans were; so, I can’t imagine what I’d think of the latter three. Maybe one day, but not today!

Today, I’m focusing my sights on the revitalization of the brand. See, in 2002, Die Another Day came out, and that movie was apparently crazy. TOO crazy. So crazy, in fact, that audiences and critics accused it of losing the plot, and the production studio in charge (Eon Productions) had a yearning to change direction. And their inspiration came from...a surprising place.

See, Joel Schumacher’s campy, over-the-top Batman films were basically wiped out by Christopher Nolan’s 2005 reinvention of the character in Batman Begins. Which is, in my opinion, a highly underrated classic, Seriously. And in 2005, this film was absolutely a smash-hit. Batman was cool again, which a lot of people never thought would happen in film. Eon saw this, and thought...how can we apply that to Bond?

Out with Brosnan...in with Craig.

The first of the new, darker, reinvented Bond films is planned for release in 2006, starring Daniel Craig as the suave, sophisticated spy. And the director of the film was selected to be...Martin Campbell? From GoldenEye? The guy who kinda sorta started the modern over-the-top Bond? Really? I mean, OK. The writers this time are different...except for one. I didn’t talk about the writers last time because I don’t like putting people on blast if I don’t gotta. This time...maybe. We’ll see.

If this Casino Royale is basically Bond Begins, I’m definitely interested. Maybe this’ll revitalize that Bond-love from the Connery days. Let’s find out! We’re also gonna look at the Bond checklist again!

Gadgets: better have more cool gadgets than GoldenEye, I swear...

Bond Girl: GoldenEye’s Natalya wasn’t bad, to be honest; let’s see who his Inevitable Love Interest is this time.

Villain: Alec Trevelyan had so much potential. I need my dastardly villain, let’s do this. Oh, and let’s throw the henchman in here, too. Xenia Onatopp was...a lot...but she was a memorable henchman, at least.

Music: Of course. GoldenEye’s theme was good, and we’ll see how 2006 does.

OK, movie time. SPOILERS AHEAD!!!

Recap

We start at an office building in Prague, where a man makes his way up to his office. Waiting there for him is, of course, James Bond (Daniel Craig). The man is Dryden, section chief at the British Embassy in Prague, whom M has accused of selling secrets, a big no-no. But Bond...isn’t a double-0 agent. Huh. You got me interested.

Apparently, agents get the two zeroes once they’ve killed two people on file. James hadn’t killed anyone...until recently. Which is when we get this.

OH SHIT

This is an absolutely BRUTAL fight. It’s not choreographed flashily, it’s not pretty...it’s rough. It’s intense. And it’s...oh my God, wow. Made me feel it. And what’s astonishing is that it’s SO short.

On learning this, Dryden tells him not to worry, the second one is...

...YOU GOT ME. I’M IN FOR THE FUCKIN’ RIDE

HOW??? How is it that in 3 minutes of screentime, I’m already more satisfied by Craig’s Bond than I was for the ENTIRETY of GoldenEye? That is masterfully done, right off the bat. WOW. We even get a smooth-as-silk segue into the classic bullet turret sequence, and that takes us right into the song and opening credits. And...wow.

youtube

Here’s the thing about Bond openings, as I mentioned last time: they were all directed by one guy up until GoldenEye, and were basically all silhouetted women with themes and scenes from the movie projected around them. The Brosnan movies followed suit, always having silhouetted women in one way or another. Die Another Day used CGI women and...a really bad Madonna song. It was...it is NOT GOOD, guys. Look it up, it’s the most 2002 thing I’ve ever heard.

But here’s the fin bit about Casino Royale. This is the first Bond movie opening with no women in it. Yeah. It’s the first one. And the song is Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name, and it’s good! Not sure it’s going in my soundtrack, though.

Finally, the opening credits sequence itself: it’s once again Daniel Kleinman doing it, and it’s actually inspired by the first James Bond book Casino Royale, which had already had a TV special and unofficial Bond movie made from it! The cover had a playing card motif, and the opening carries over that motif creatively. I really dig it, if I’m honest! Definitely a welcome break from the 44 years of Bond films preceding it.

Uganda! And we meet the villain of this film: Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen). And GODDAMN if that isn’t a Bond villain! He’s a banker, making a deal with a rebel leader, Steven Obanno (Isaach de Bankole), via their liason Mr. White (Jesper Christiensen). Setting up an attack by supplying Obanno with money, he sells his stocks of a company called Skyfleet, knowing that they’re about to fail.

Meanwhile, a ferret’s fighting an Asian species of cobra. In Madagascar. My zoology senses are EXPLODING, OH my God. So much wrong there. Anyway, there’s a bombmaker in the crowd watching the fight. He’s being tailed by Bond and another agent, Carter, who tips off the guy by being a bad spy. Bond chases him to a construction yard. What now, James?

Awesome. Why is this awesome when I said that the tank was dumb? Because at least it makes sense for a bulldozer to go haywire in a construction yard, just sayin’. Plus, this dude clearly isn’t the best, as he fires on construction workers and cops.

Eventually, this chase sequence brings us to the top of a crane, where this exchange happens.

I, uh...I love this movie already. That’s goddamn great.

The chase scene as a whole is also fantastic, as it continues off the bridge and into an abandoned building, then escalates into the streets, brings in law enforcement, and eventually ends with Bond at an embassy, facing down both the military and the bomb maker. He kills the guy, shoots some gas tanks, grabs the bomb, and then gets the hell out of there.

...Y’know what, that was fucking amazing, but he also almost certainly caused an international incident there. And I should be annoyed about that, but guess what! It makes sense! This is an inexperienced Bond, one who’s JUST been promoted to 00 status as 007, as the prologue explained. So, y’know what? I’m into it!

Cut to a yacht, like you do in a Martin Campbell Bond film. There, we have our villain, Le Chiffre, playing a card game. Also, he weeps blood. Yeah. HE WEEPS BLOOD.

OK, if that isn’t some Bond villain shit, I don’t know WHAT is. He’s also asthmatic, because I love it. I love it so much. He’s a mathematically-brilliant asthmatic that weeps blood. More, please.

He’s also a person aware of what Bond did at the embassy, as it’s already become an international incident! Thank you for showing consequences, movie! Damn! I love it! This has two additional consequences. One, Le Chiffre notes that the code “Ellipsis” used by the bomber may be soon to expire, indicating a connection between the two. And the second consequence? M’s pissed.

M! DAME JUDI DENCH! One of my favorite things about GoldenEye was bringing in Judi Dench as M, and she made it through the reboot! And she’s still as entertaining as she was before, calling Bond out for his stupidity, and explaining that she misses the Cold War.

In her apartment, M does her normal exposition schtick, and her interactions with Bond are fantastic here. She’s understandably angry at him, and gives him what for, but she’s also clearly impressed that he FIGURED OUT WHERE SHE LIVES, as well as her REAL NAME. Shows her opinion of Bond and aspects of Bond’s character in a single, masterful stroke.

Well. Goddamn. Done.

The Bahamas! Bond’s here to find Alex Dimitrios (Simon Abkarian), a Greek businessman who’s believed to have a connection with Le Chiffre himself. And, as James Bond is wont to do, he finds him at a party, playing cards. And here’s where the reinvention of Bond comes full circle.

See, Bond’s doing all the typical Bond things, yeah. But there are some differences present here, as well as some neat nuances. Bond isn’t wearing the suit, first of all. He actually hasn’t worn a suit the whole movie, which makes perfect sense for a spy. Suits aren’t exactly the least conspicuous thing in the world; bound to get you noticed if you don’t want to be.

And then, there’s the girl. This is Solange Dimitrios (Catherina Murino), the wife of Alex who was treated BADLY by him at the party. That gives her a reason to take Bond’s offer for a ride to his place, outside of just his raw animalistic charm that he seems to have in some of these movies. Look at that, already more chemistry than he had with Natalya in GoldenEye.

And yes, this results in her cheating on Alex. Is her cheating justified from a moral standpoint? No, of course it isn’t. And of course, this leads to the typical Bond-handsome-sex-GOOD sequence, but again, some nuance here! First of all, he doesn’t win her over with corny clever lines, like what we saw in GoldenEye multiple ties. Second, this is actually all an attempt to get some infomation from her about her husband. Bond might be enjoying it, but his womanizing here actually has a purpose. And that’s rare!

That’s further punctuated by the fact that he STRAIGHT UP LEAVES BEFORE ANYTHING HAPPENS. Yeah, she tells him that Alex just made his way to Miami, and he leaves! Dick move, yeah, but it makes sense! James isn’t here for pleasure, he’s here for work!

He follows Alex to a Bodies at Work exhibit (you know, the preserved and skinned cadavers put into poses that used to tour around the USA? I saw it in Times Square at the end of its popularity. A little ghoulish, maybe, but I think it’s pretty cool), where the two of them get in a very tense close-up knife fight in public.

Alex is dead, but not before passing off a package to someone else at the exhibition. Bond tails the guy to Miami International Airport, where the largest airplane in the world is set to be unveiled. Using the code sent to the bombers, Bond gets into the back, and goes to intercept the disguised bomber who’s set to blow up the SkyChonk (I mean it, that giant airplane is THICCC).

Time for another cool chase sequence! Some luggage is destroyed, along with a bus, the cops join in on the chase, an airplane is prevented from landing (making someone on that plane probably very upset), and Bond somehow manages to prevent the plane from blowing up. And it’s by the SKIN of his teeth, lemme tell you. Also, he blows up a dude with his own flashlight bomb.

Nice. Somehow, Bond isn’t arrested, and makes his way back to the Bahamas. And it looks like Solange isn’t the Bond girl after all. Because she was thought to be the information leak (which she was, to an extent), she was tortured to death. Whoof.

M’s in the Bahamas now, and the exposition continues. She’s done with Bond’s bullshit, and she plants a tracker under his skin. She explains that with the big boi plane destroyed, somebody stood a lot to gain financially from the stock crash to come. Except that the plane wasn’t destroyed, and that person lost $100 million by “betting the wrong way.”

That person, of course, was Le Chiffre, a manthematical genius and chess prodigy, who plays poker for fun, and plays the stock market with his clients’ money. Bond’s the best poker player in MI6 (a good addition that we already saw foreshadowed earlier! See what I mean?), and she’s sending him to a high stakes poker game that Le Chiffre’s looking to regain his money from.

Bond FINALLY dons his suit, and gets on a train in Montenegro, where he meets...

Vesper Lynd (Eva Green). THERE’S our Bond girl! Although, there’s a reference to Miss Moneypenny in their introduction, which is interesting. But Vesper is an agent for the British Treasury, supplying the money for the buy-in for the tournament. And their conversation on the train...wow. Now THIS is chemistry, seriously.

Vesper’s a great character, and she gives Bond NO quarter. She reads his character, and calls him out very accurately. They also explain why both Bond and Vesper are good at poker: it’s all about reading people. I’m genuinely impressed by how this movie is put together, and how well-thought out Bond is as a character. And this is the dimension I love to see in a Bond girl as well!

GODDAMN, I am in love with this movie. More coming in Part 2!

13 notes · View notes

alternative-thinkers · 5 years

Text

Have you ever sat down and just wondered what the purpose to your life is, and why you were put on this earth?

Every now and then I would sit down and think to my self what was my purpose on this earth? What was the reason I have been made this was? Why do I think the way I think? Why is life always about making money, and trying to have things that are better than someone else?why thg do people just work there life away to just die and be full of regret and wonder what there life would of been like if they would of slowed down, and just tried to enjoy life more. And why do people always try to work and work and than retire and think there life would just be better when they retire some how?

These thoughts always pop into my head and I sit there and think about it to myself and when I do I get a little sad because there is so many great, talented, smart, creative, wonderful, and joyous souls out there just working there life away for a paycheck to just be able to GET BY and STRUGLE for another day hoping that things will somehow get better without putting any effort in it.

The sad thing about it is that we may never know why these people do these types of things. Do they do it because they want to impress somebody else, or they want other people to acknowledge them, and see how great they are? Or do they just feel like they must fit in and do what everybody else is doing, but just don't know it.

I have been like this for the last 22+ years of my life. I have always tried to get good grades in school to impress my parents, but no matter how hard I have tried it at times didn't seem like it was enough. I tried to do my homework every day but it was never something I wanted to do, I always tried to do extra credit things, but i was never enough. I was never a straight A student (not even close) I was more of your B's C's and D's student (except when it came to math becausei loved math). I was the one that you see that is in the back of the class room, the one that kind of gets nervous and anxiety around alot of people, and when told that I needed to get in front of the class. I always seemed to get overlooked and never really seen or called on much. I was a smart kid but not the best. I was kind but never really known. I was a little talkative, but only when you got to know me. I have been overlooked a lot in my life and made fun of a lot in my life, but I never let it push me into doing things that were reckless, and I never let it push me to do things that others were doing because it never really felt right for me.

When I was younger I had always wanted to work a job like an adult has. So when I was around 14 I decided to lie and say I was 16 so I can get a job at the local carnival, surprisingly enough they had fallen for it. So I got my first job at the ring toss game (you know the one where you toss a small plastic ring at a bunch of bottles in hope to get one to go around the neck of the bottle). I would work there for a few years until I was actually 16 years old, and I got caught up in some stuff that caused me to get kicked out of there the carnival as a worker. Well that is where my life journey as being an employee under someone else has started.

My second job was when I was 18 years old, when I had gotten blessed with a job at a hot dog cart concession company In Miami, Florida. I worked there for about 7 to 8 months until me and my family decided to move to Houston Texas, but as faith had it we ended up moving to North Carolina where I say now. At the hot dog cart concession company I worked there for 7 to 8 months straight as i said before but it was 7 days a week, about 18 hours more or less a day. Luckily i had the endurance for it. I made really good money there and the boss/owner was a great and awesome man, who really cared for and acknowledged is workers and there capabilities. He was in a way my best friend and also my boss which is kind of a great combo at times. But I did work my self ragged up until the point to where we ended up moving to north Carolina.

When we move here I ended up luckily finding a good job with a local retail giant that had been opening a new store a few towns away. I ended up helping finish putting the shelves in the store and fully stocking it. I stayed at that store for about 4 years straight. Up until I got a promotion to department manager in a bigger store (that the same company owns) a few towns away.

Mean while, while I was working at the store I had help build I ended up wanting some extra money so I got a second job at a local home improvement retail giant that is here in the U.S. I had worked at that company for a few months because it was just a seasonal position for the summer. While working there I had worked my self ragged once again because I had fallen into the same trap I had fallen into before. So after the season was over I was let go of and I got to relax for a little while more, with a little more money in my pocket until I got the urge to go and get a second job once again.

The next job I had was the current one I am working at right now and that I have been working at for the last 2 years, but with a little twist. It was at a local pizzeria company that did buffets, catering, dine in, and carry outs. It was fun working there at first, but eventually the fun had faded away, and I feel into the same trap that I had fallen into before. It resulted in me working my self ragged, and not going anywhere in life, except a one way ticket to burnout town (also known as being burnt out).

Around this time I was really depressed, sad, anxious, unhappy, and very suicidal. I had thought about hanging my self in my bathroom, but luckly something or someone had saved me from doing that. I think that was GOD who had sent one of his Angel's down from heaven to help wake me up from this cold, and messed up dream I had put my self in to ever since I was a kid. I had always thought that the purpose to life was to go to school, get a job, and work and make money and hopefully I would be happy, and successful. But I was wrong. All it had done was make me work hard (too hard) and all that lead me to was depression, anxiety, sadness, loneliness, hopelessness, and to have suicidal thoughts. But lucky that was the end of it because GOD had given me the strength to pull out of my old ways and to be able to reflect back on and see why I had gone through those things.

I had gone through those things so I can become a stronger, empathic, kind, beautiful, wonderful, exciting, and loving person who is a survivor. I had gone through those things to make me who I am today, and to help learn why people do those types of things, and to help others to not fall into those same types of traps. I had also gone through those things to be able to become stronger and more intelligent so I can be able to make a good impact on this planet that we call earth, which is our home even though some of us (like me) feel like aliens on this planet.

One of the best things that had helped me learn about my purpose on this planet, and learn about my self was meditation and getting closer to GOD spiritually. I had also done some research that had helped me, and being guided throughout my life eventhough I didn't even know it.

I also learned that life is too short to just sit around and worry about money and materialistic things, and to just work your life away and not enjoy it while you have it because one day you won't have it. So get out there and just live your life to its very best every day that you are living, and just stop worrying (at least as much as possible at the moment).

This is part of my life story but it is not the end of it, because I have a lot more to live and share with the world. My name is Marc Alt and this is a journey into my mind, and into my life and I hope it has helped open your eyes like it had done to me when I had realized it. I am an awakened INFJ (but still awakening everyday) and a Christian that is also spiritual and is willing to help you through your journey in life by telling you more about my lifes journey, and answering your questions.

Feel free to like, comment, follow, and share this blog post and many more that are soon to come with your friends, family, or just someone in need of some help. And feel free to ask questions if you want to. Thank you very much.

~Marc Alt 3/10/2020

2 notes · View notes

gotboredwrote · 5 years

Text

Chapter 6: I May Be Crazy, But So Are You, So Let’s Make This Work

[[The American Publicist // JRD]]

Pairing: John Richard Deacon x Reader Word Count: 2.7K Style: Multi-Chapter Warnings: More mental health discussions, some fluff/angst, some swearing Summary: Y/N was just hired to become a co-manager and publicist for the band Queen. The boys had never travelled abroad, so meeting an American was . . . intriguing, to say the least. Permanent Author’s Note: To clarify, I write because I get bored. Nothing is meant to be professional in any way, nor is meant to offend, cause anxiety, cause anger, cause sadness, or promote disagreement among readers in any sort of (semi)permanent way. A/N: The end of this chapter honestly has me feeling butterflies in my stomach, like I am in my FEELS right now. Also, short chapter, sorry. Next one surely makes up for it. Also also, on a personal note, I have OCPD, but I decided to make the reader have OCD instead simply because it is more well known. I am not trying to perfectly define OCD here, so if you have it, do not be alarmed/offended if I don’t get it to a tee. If you have it, you are strong and power through it – I believe in you!

Masterlist // Previous Chapter // Next Chapter // Masterpost

Your doctor had already sent the discharge papers over to the nurses in the back, who simply had to get them all compiled into the folder you would be taking home with you. The front desk lady called your name to signal that your papers were ready to go and you could leave, but you stayed in your seat. John looked at you funny because he had never seen you look this way before. You were always extremely expressive with your emotions, regardless of which ones you were feeling. Now, life appeared drained from every part of you. Your eyes were what really gave it away, normally an effervescent Y/E/C, now just sort of dull. You had not even heard the lady call your name. She locked eyes with John and tilted her head to the side, both to ask if you were okay, and to tell him that he could just come grab your folder for you. A small, unimportant exchange of words happened between John and the lady, just goodbyes and good lucks. John slowly made his way back to you and kneeled down in front of you, crossing both arms across your knees and sitting there for a moment. He just looked at how expressionless you were. It was physically painful for him to see you so drained, so he decided that it was finally time to leave.

“Love, are you ready to go back?”

You finally responded by looking down at him and nodding slowly. John could swear he saw the corners of your mouth raise slightly, and that was enough for his heart to swell. His Y/N was still in there, he just had to get her out. You two made your way to his car, and John made sure that he opened your door, helped you sit down, and click on your seatbelt. He looked into your eyes intently as if to ask you if everything he did was okay. The corners of your mouth definitely moved up this time. He felt his heart flutter at your expressions changing only for him. It made him feel like there was something only you two shared, and it was the best feeling in the world. He hated that you fell right back into a blank expression once he was in the driver’s seat, but he knew that you were strong and could get through anything. It is one of the things he adores about you, among, well, everything else.

John knew you. He knew that you would want to talk to the boys now about everything. He knew that you would start to panic if you at least did not go back to the studio to get all the things that were left there in an effort to help you as quickly as possible. He knew that he was going to have to be by your side through this. He knew that there was no one better equipped to take care of you. It was just a matter of convincing you the same thing. Because, let’s face it – John knew that his feelings for you were ridiculous. He had no idea how long you would be with the band. Let alone how long you would be living in England. He internally scolds himself, though, because it seems like this pattern of thought happens every single day, and it could all just go away if he could just tell you. But he would never do that. Especially not right now. For now, he was going to just continue being your supportive best friend and get you through whatever it is that is going on with you. He still has no idea what they told you, and his stomach was starting to feel sick with worry. For you, the drive felt like five minutes, but for John, it felt like five years. When he pulled into his parking spot, a small sigh escaped his lips. Partially because he was thankful to no longer be driving, but mainly because he knew that in less than twenty minutes, he would know what is going on with you, and he was afraid it was going to break his heart as much as it has already broken yours. While you two were making your way back to your designated studio, the men that were left in the studio had gotten nothing accomplished except for sitting on the bean-bag chairs that were in the studio. They were completely taken aback and by surprise at what happened about four hours prior that they just decided it would be better to grab lunch and just sit. Miami did not feel this way, but the band felt that they were the cause of what happened to you. They could not help it. The reality was that they just caused the thing that caused the panic attack. Enablers by proxy, maybe? But that was it. You were not mad at them in any way, somewhat thankful, really. Without something happening at the studio, John and the lads would have never seen what was going on with you, and you probably would have never figured it out. So, despite triggering a panic attack, it was not all bad that the boys rifled through your notes. You had just hoped they did not see the notes on outfits you had planned for John. You were really hoping to recreate the dinner outfit, just more… revealing. The four men in the studio heard the booth door open, and they all stood up out of respect. It caused a flood of nostalgia to run through the group, because this was exactly what happened the first day you met. You had made your joke about not being royalty. No such joke was made this time. You and John walked through the booth door, one of your arms clutching a folder that had to weigh about four pounds, the other interlocked with John’s. John’s free arm had opened the door and was carrying yours and his jackets, as well as your wallet. Ever such the gentleman. He offered to take the folder, but you silently shook your head, and he did not press further. Even though all the boys had some inkling about John’s feelings towards you, they were too preoccupied with being cautious around you to really care about the physical contact between the two of you. Roger did catch it, but knew that it was not the time to bring it up. John placed the two of yours belongings on the couch, arm not leaving yours for one millisecond, and the two of you made your way back into the studio. You two walked over to the middle of the floor where the lads were all standing, and everyone, including John, looked at you with sincere concern and waited for you to speak, whenever you were ready.

“Can we talk? Just as people, not as manager to band?”

Quiet nods and “yes’s” were muttered while the other boys went and grabbed two more bean-bag chairs from the back, making sure to give you the one that was your favorite color. John made a motion that was going to help them, but you simply tightened your grip on his arm to signal that he was not to leave your side. He did not move another muscle until you were ready to sit down. The boys had shifted over, clearly understanding that you did not want to be separated from John. They made it a point to place your seats directly next to each other in case you still wanted to hold his arm while you talked. Another wave of nostalgia. You were essentially sitting exactly where and how you were that first time you all met, too. Everyone was patiently waiting for you to start talking. They could tell that you had not done so yet, so this was going to be extremely hard. They did not care how long it took, as long as you could tell them something.

“So… hi, guys. I am going to try to explain this. I’m… really not sure how well this is going to come out, so if you could bear with me, I’d appreciate it.” John’s arm had left yours but had proceeded to grab one of your hands, interlock it with one of his and cover the top part of your hand with his other one. He lightly rubbed his thumb on your hand so you were absolutely sure he was there. You were thankful. “Basically, the long and short of this story is that the doctor diagnosed me with something called obsessive compulsive disorder. There is a laundry list of things that could come along with it as symptoms, including strict organization and following of rules, needing things to be in a particular order with no real explanation why, and the feeling of physical pain and not being able to move on with my day if something is out of place, so to speak. Essentially, to diagnose something like that, they had to ask me a bunch of questions and then based on my answers, give me tests to see if my answers were over or under played. What they basically told me, after taking the tests, is that… um…” You could feel the tears starting to well up in your face. John could see and squeezed your hand tighter as reassurance. “They told me that – that I have every single trigger point for the disorder. I was not the worst he had seen, but I wasn’t far from it.” At this point the tears slipped down your face without your allowance. You were not really crying, it was just as if there was too much tension in your eyes and they just had to fall. You felt like an idiot, and with the next part you were required to tell them, you felt like they were going to think you were a monster.

“There is one other part I have to mention. And I hate this part most. Um… I need to read off the implications of what could happen for those around me. You guys. Basically, this list is going to tell you all the possible things you will have to deal with if I stick around. Um… ‘People with obsessive compulsive disorder are very meticulous, and the people around them are subject to dealing with a number of side-effects from the inflicted individual. Some of these side-effects include: not feeling like your work was worth your time, not feeling like your work was done properly, not feeling a connection to the inflicted individual, angry or depressed thoughts directed or triggered by the inflicted individual, feeling personally attacked by the inflicted individual…’”

You kept reading the things the boys would have to deal with, tears continually streaming down your face, a few leaving wet circles on the paper in front of you. Eventually you got the bottom of the supposed not complete list, leaving you feeling like how you thought they would view you – like a monster.

“I can give you guys some time to discuss if I am still a good fit for you. I completely understand if you want to find someone else.”

You had not even had the time to try and stand up to leave before the first set of compliments starting coming your way.

Brian: “We have never had everything more organized in the entire existence of this band. Hell, some of it has even trickled down to my personal life. You have made it so we can continue to actually produce music because we can find where we put sheet music. Considering we are more organized, we have, therefore, saved a bunch of time in the studio and have even had periods where we are ahead of schedule and go out for lunches and dinners just to have a good time. That would never have happened without you, Y/N.”

Miami: “When they first told me that I was getting a co-manager, I’ll be perfectly honest. I didn’t want you. I didn’t want anyone. I felt as though I could handle it and they were treating me like a child. Then I met you and realized that you are a perfect fit for these idiots. They are all so different yet you have managed to make a connection with all of them and keep them in line. Better than I have, frankly. And I would have had no clue where to begin with all the public affairs stuff, so you were a godsend in that regard, too.”

Roger: “Honestly, I was going to say some of the same things they were. So, ditto! Also, like I’ve said numerous times before, you brighten some of my days because you’re pretty nice to look at.” Each of the boys laughed and shook their heads every time he said this.

Freddie: “Darling, it should go without saying that I think you are absolutely fabulous. You understand my wacky ideas and do not put me down for suggesting them, especially my outfits. You know how to put up with four hysterical queens and a dull co-manager in a way that makes each day interesting. So if you think for a second that something like this is ever going to make us not like you, you could not be more wrong. It clearly has not affected us besides this one time, and we didn’t know what was going on at that point. You are still a perfect person, darling.”

You were holding back the tears again, but this time they were good tears. You tried to hold back as much as possible until you knew whether or not John was going to say anything.

“Love, I think you know where I stand on this.” Cue signature crinkly smile.

And the faucet opened. Streams of water were rolling down your face, but there was a huge smile to accompany them. These were tears of gratitude. No one thought you were a monster. No one thought any less of you because of this. They still wanted you around, regardless of the things that may happen if you have another outburst. Freddie jumped up and snatched your hand away from John and pulled you into a hug. Which proceeded to become a group hug, with the boys all around Freddie and your sides while John held you from behind. He did not put his hands on any of the boys, his arms were around you and you only. By the time you had made you way back and talked through all of this, it was close to the time that you all would normally head out of the studio. John had stayed behind your back after the hug, and managed to shoot the boys a look that they knew meant he wanted some time alone with you. You helped the boys gather all of their stuff and wished them a relaxing evening. The next thing you knew, you felt a warm hand take a hold of yours and pull you over to one corner of the studio.

“Please don’t hesitate to come find me at anytime, anywhere if a panic attack happens, okay?”

“Yeah, John, I won’t.”

“’m serious. You really are my best friend, and if something happens to you and I didn’t help, it’ll kill me.”

You looked up at him with eyes that were full of love. You simply responded by wrapping your arms around his abdomen, pushing the front of your body against his.

“I love you, John.”

What the hell did she just say? Did she actually just say that to him? John felt like he could faint in that moment, wanting to hear those words over and over again. He manages to squeak out a response that neither party really expected.

“I love you, too.”

Neither party admitting to the other that it was the truest thing either one had ever said in their lives.

15 notes · View notes

therealkn · 6 years

Text

firstruleofmethclub replied to your post: Just throwing this out there.

I have never played Overwatch but I’ve gotta assume that if this is true, it’s gotta be because Overwatch’s is horrific ‘cause the Payday timeline is suuuuper screwed up.

I haven’t played Overwatch either, but I’ve been reading into its lore/story problems and from what I’m seeing, it has some major issues.

They’ve retconned several major things about characters and their backstories/relationships with one another, such as “Reaper and Soldier 76′s relationship went bad after 76 became Strike Commander” to “Reaper was actually okay with 76′s promotion” and “D.Va is a professional Starcraft player, and this was something established when she was introduced” to “D.Va isn’t a pro SC player after all”. And a number of these retcons are explained by Blizzard as “no, you just misunderstood or were mistaken” despite them clearly contradicting themselves.

People have also complained that there hasn’t really been much progression of Overwatch’s story and that said progression comes out very, very slowly, and that they focus more on backstories and other things unessential to the main story. There are also characters who have gotten very little in terms of story and lore, and from a narrative view, the only characters who seem to actually accomplish things are the villains. And we all know how great it is when the heroes don’t seem to get anything done while the villains just do whatever and get away with it (and this in a world where heroes matter and such).

And yeah, Payday 2′s story has problems. I’m not saying that it’s perfect or that it doesn’t have problems, because it does. For one, how do all the crossovers with Hotline Miami, John Wick, Scarface, Hardcore Henry, etc. all work out, both with each other and in regards to the big secret? Wasn’t the “No Mercy” heist (which takes place in the hospital from Left 4 Dead) always non-canon, except now it is canon?

I guess my main point is that Blizzard made Overwatch’s story and lore a big deal while promoting the game and after its release, but they haven’t handled it well, while Overkill Software didn’t initially set out to have a big story (the biggest story thing at the time of the game’s release was that one of the characters from the first game was now in prison and had been replaced) and yet they went for it over time and while it’s not perfect, it’s handled surprisingly well and better than you’d expect out of a game that’s basically all about pulling heists. Then again, Payday 2 has been out for longer than Overwatch, so it’s had more time to do things with its story.

But still, you would think that Blizzard, having touted the story and making a big deal out of it, would be doing more with its story. But from what I’m seeing, what it is basically is “there is potential to the story, but it isn’t being realized”.

This is admittedly a bit of a rant, and I may have some things wrong or could be mistaken about some things. If anyone’s more familiar with this stuff and more knowledgeable about this, please feel free to correct me.

#firstruleofmethclub #David's rambling #Payday 2 #Overwatch

2 notes · View notes

the-master-cylinder · 4 years

Text

SUMMARY Freebie and Bean are a pair of maverick detectives with the SFPD Intelligence Squad. The volatile, gratuity-seeking Freebie is trying to get promoted to the vice squad to garner perks for his retirement while the neurotic and fastidious Bean has ambitions to make lieutenant. Against a backdrop of Super Bowl weekend in San Francisco, the partners are trying to conclude a 14-month investigation, digging through garbage to gather evidence against well-connected racketeer Red Meyers, when they discover that a hit man from Detroit is after Meyers as well. After rejecting their pretext arrest of Meyers to protect him, the district attorney orders them to keep him alive until Monday.

After locating and shooting the primary hit man, and distracted by Bean’s suspicions that his wife is having an affair with the landscaper, they continue their investigation seeking a key witness against Meyers who can explain and corroborate the evidence. In the midst of this, they foil a second hit on Meyers by a backup team, leading to a destructive vehicle and foot pursuit through the city, after which they learn that Meyers is planning to fly to Miami before Monday. Tailing him, they receive word that their witness has been located and a warrant issued for Meyers’ arrest. Unbeknownst to them, a woman Red Meyers picked up at a local park is actually a female impersonator looking to rob Meyers.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

During the arrest attempt Bean is shot by the thief, who flees with Meyers into the stadium where the Super Bowl is underway. Freebie corners the hit man in a women’s restroom. Despite being shot himself, he rescues a hostage and kills the hit man who nearly bests Freebie with his unexpected martial arts skills. The D.A. arrives after the shootings and tells Freebie that the warrant is canceled because the witness was assassinated on the way to the station. Freebie goes nuts and demands to be allowed to arrest Meyers, which is granted by the lieutenant in command of his squad, only to find that Meyers has died of a heart attack. Freebie is further demoralized to learn that the evidence they gathered was planted by Meyers’ wife in an extra-marital conspiracy with his lieutenant.

Bean is not dead after all, however, and in the ambulance the two wounded partners engage in a free-for-all when Freebie thinks Bean has been playing a joke on him, causing yet another accident.

When Jimmy Caan and Alan Arkin interrogate me, they did that little scene about the pliers, I didn’t know what they were talking about, because they just threw that in there! What am I gonna say “Hold guys, this isn’t in the script? Who am I 1o cut the scene? I just went along with, and a realy worked out well, Jimmy was selling the pliers, and my finger was in there already So when he tried them out, he really squeezed my finger. I said “owww!” and he was like “Awww, did that hurt? That was real. He didn’t want to stop the scene either. – Paul Koslo as Whitey

PRODUCTION Filming took eleven weeks in 1973. It was a difficult shoot, in part because Arkin and Caan felt their characters were being made secondary to stunts and action sequences.

Arkin said his relationship was Caan “was great. There is a very exciting interaction between us. Jimmy pushes me and forces me to change.. But a lot of the time we’ve taken a back seat to the action.”

There were difficulties between Rush and Arkin/Caan. Rush says “the main factor was Arkin. Caan was a copycat. He was Arkin’s buddy and would do anything Arkin did… Arkin needed conflict as part of his method, and it was horribly disruptive, but it didn’t show in his work.”

Key scenes were shot on location in San Francisco at Candlestick Park, then home of the Major League Baseball San Francisco Giants, and later the home of the National Football League’s San Francisco 49ers. Dealing with local authorities was reportedly very difficult for the crew.

The plot includes the protagonists’ repeated “totaling” of a series of their own unmarked police vehicles during three different chase-crash sequences. One sequence was filmed on an elevated portion of the since-demolished Embarcadero Freeway, ending with their police vehicle car crashing into an apartment building. After the car lands in an elderly couple’s bedroom as they are watching television, Arkin’s character collapses from nervous shock against the wall as Caan’s character calls for a tow truck, adding that their location is “on the third floor”. The couple retains their aplomb throughout.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Rush said he “shot the film partly in a Tom and Jerry style, with lots of car chases and car crashes, and the heroes are being indestructible. The audience is laughing and enjoying themselves and suddenly Freebie would drive around the corner into a marching band of kids, and just sloughed through them. The audience thought Wait a minute. What am I laughing at?, and the style of the film had changed to stark realism. There was a lot of game-playing in the picture.”

“I never actually knew what Rush wanted,” said Arkin at the end of filming. “He [Rush] is so uncertain it’s hard to handle,” said Caan.

The city really got behind us, except for Herb Caen, who was the big columnist in San Francisco, since we were closing down three or four major streets every morning doing those car chases. Traffic was rerouted and somehow it bothered him on his way to work. So every morning we’d run to buy the Chronicle to see what nasty thing he said about us that morning. The film was very funny. I thought that the timing that Jimmy Caan and Alan Arkin had was incredible. – Gary Kent (Stuntman)

Director Richard Rush going through a street fight

Interview with Director Richard Rush You refer to Freebie and the Bean as kind of a job for hire that you did for the money. Do you really think of it that way? Because your style is all over it. I also didn’t realize until re-watching Freebie that it was based on a story and exec produced by Floyd Mutrux, whose film Dusty and Sweets McGee I love as well. What was the working relationship like with Mutrux? Richard Rush: Floyd Mutrix and I got along famously, but we did not have much, if any, contact with each other on Freebie and the Bean. He had submitted a screenplay to Warner Brothers which they offered to me. It wasn’t really a screenplay. It was a treatment, an idea for a movie that dealt with two cops, one moral and one not, who rode around together in a police car and quarreled with each other like an old married couple. It was a good idea. It was a new one, never done before, regardless of how many times you have seen it since, through the franchises it has spawned. It started the genre of ‘The Buddy Cop Picture’. I turned it down at first, but John Calley, the smartest executive I have ever met, talked me into it: “Do it and write it the way you want, turn it into a Richard Rush picture. We really want this movie, he said.” I wrote a long treatment, flushing out the violent but funny characters, creating the ironic love story for Bean and the esoteric one for Freebie. Allan Arkin had turned down the project, but the studio gave him my treatment, and he approved. Then I brought my collaborator, Bobby Kaufman, in to write the screenplay with me, which was approved and we made it.

Meanwhile, my earlier financiers were doing another project with Floyd Mutrux, entitled, “PINBALL”, and they brought me in with his permission to unofficially supervise it..Floyd and I had a lot of interesting, successful interaction on that. And, Freebie and the Bean turned out to be Warner Bros. top Grossing film of that year.

What excited you the most about the opportunity to make FREEBIE AND THE BEAN? Richard Rush: Well, actually, at the time it was offered to me it didn’t intrigue me. I turned it down several times. It was a treatment written by Floyd Mutrux that the studio had about two corrupt cops who ride around in a police car, quarreling with each other like an old married couple. You were never sure which one was the wife and which one was the husband. They became interchangeable. There was also the somewhat clumsy, rough skeleton of the plot concerning a criminal that they must keep alive to testify while assassins are contracted to kill him, which survived through our final film screenplay. I liked these ideas idea but there was nothing else there to make a movie work. John Calley, who was the head of the studio and was the only great executive that I have ever met in my life, asked me ”Why don’t you want to do the movie?” I said ”I want to make a Dick Rush picture. ” He said ”Why don’t you turn this into a Dick Rush picture?” He was very generous and promised the studio would be very agreeable. It was the kind of offer that you can’t refuse.

So I called my writing partner and we wrote a new screenplay about two bickering cops that became a prototype of the buddy cop movie. I put a lot of meat on the bones, with the unstereotypical wife of Freebie tormenting him with jealousy and the comic relief of their relationship. I also enjoyed holding a Funhouse Mirror up to the audience to let them examine their own attitudes towards violence. I shot the film partly in a Tom and Jerry style, with lots of car chases and car crashes, and the heroes are being indestructible. The audience is laughing and enjoying themselves and suddenly Freebie would drive around the corner into a marching band of kids, and just sloughed through them. The audience thought ”Wait a minute. What am I laughing at?”, and the style of the film had changed to stark realism. There was a lot of game-playing in the picture. At the time, we were in the middle of the Vietnam War, and we were watching villages being napalmed at dinner time on the TV set. Violence was engulfing our culture and it impacted upon our morality. At the same time, we were human beings with families and pets. It seemed to me that it was the time to play some games with the audience in a way that would help the picture and not hurt it.

Did Floyd Mutrux have any other involvement in the film? Richard Rush: No. He did not participate in any further writing or production or post-production work, just the original piece of material that the studio handed me. I was later hired by the financier of THE STUNT MAN, Mel Simon, to supervise the filming of a film Mutrux was directing entitled Pinball, but I got busy directing THE STUNT MAN, so I hired a young director named John Theile to supervise the film instead.

Freebie came out the same year as Jack Starrett`s The Gravy Train (aka The Dion Brothers) and I often think of them as films that really complement each other. Did you and Jack Starrett talk about production on your respective films while you were making them? Richard Rush: Jack Starrett and I never got a chance to talk about films when we were making them, except when we were working together on Hell’s Angeles on Wheels. I think he was fascinated by the fact that I was departing from the screenplay, then working my way back to it pages later. It was the first time I started seriously improvising on film – and I never stopped. We discussed that at the time.

There was friction between Alan Arkin, James Caan and yourself during the shooting of the film. Do you think it helped the film in any way? Richard Rush: No, but thank God it didn’t hurt the film too much. I had never had trouble with actors in my life before that film and I have never had problems since. The main factor was Arkin. Caan was a copycat. He was Arkin’s buddy and would do anything Arkin did. When I told John Calley I wanted Arkin for the role he warned me”Arkin is a director killer. We just did CATCH-22 with him and he put Mike Nichols in the hospital. ” I said ”Hell, I’ve never had any troubles with actors. I’ll take my chances. ” It was kind of a stupid mistake on my part. Arkin needed conflict as part of his method, and it was horribly disruptive, but it didn’t show in his work. I found myself having to erase my own laughter from the soundtrack because the work Arkin and Caan were doing was so funny.

Is it true that Alan Arkin and James Caan made your life harder than it needed to be on that set? Richard Rush: I definitely had some problems with Arkin and Caan. Arkin had made it part of his routine, part of his method, to irritate all of the directors he’d work with. It was just his thing. He found creative energy and inspiration out of being combative. And it was the only time in my 50 year career I had a problem with an actor. Warner Brothers approached me to direct the film, and they had a treatment that had been written by Floyd Muturx and Caan was attached and already part of the package. I ended up rewriting most of the script with Robert Kaufmann but I didn’t take credit. And the studio said I could cast the other cop, so I immediately said I wanted Arkin. And John Calley, who was the greatest executive that I’ve ever met in my life, casually warned me not to hire Arkin. He told me he’d driven Mike Nichols into the hospital while they’d been making Catch-22. But I said I didn’t care, and that I’d take my chances. And Calley told me I’d regret it.

Did you? Richard Rush: Yes and no. Arkin just had this thing about him as an actor where he needed confrontation, and it got malicious at points. And Caan was a follower, he’d do whatever he saw Arkin doing. It turned into a living hell for a while, but they did everything I wanted them to do as professional actors and the results were brilliant. Arkin wouldn’t take direction very well at times, though, which became challenging, but he’s a great talent and that was just his process. They had such terrific chemistry on-screen that the off-screen antics, while frustrating, were worth it in the end in terms of the final product. I had to edit out a lot of my own laughter from the set. What I needed out of those two main characters in Freebie was for them to create a four-armed, four-legged, two-headed monster, and they did! It wasn’t easy at times but the movie has a sense of manic energy that I’m not sure we’d have achieved with anyone else in those roles. I just became their common enemy.

I love the scene where Alan Arkin confronts Valerie Harper. How was it working with her? Richard Rush: That’s my favorite scene. It’s a wonderful scene, beautifully written. She was the perfect person for that role, and we specifically wrote it for Valerie. I had to get the studio moving to get her cast, because she was up for another film at the same time that Freebie was going to shoot, and the studio, for whatever reason, was stalling. Arkin had approved her but they were just being lazy. So I got on the phone and demanded that she be cast before we lost her! She was gorgeous and so much fun to work with, and I really loved what she did in the film, because her role elevates the movie a bit more from just being a buddy-cop film, there’s an extra dimension because of her.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

How much of the film was re-written on the day or improvised? Did you devise any new action sequences during filming? Richard Rush: The film was thoroughly written on paper, including all the action and the dialogue, but of course Arkin and Caan kept up a habitual banter talking over each other, arguing and contradicting each other, which I strongly urged. The adjusted dialogue somehow emerged through this banter and therefore sounded completely hilarious and spontaneous. Of course there was spontaneous action. I had never seen the location or equipment when I wrote the stunts. It’s all generated from what you have on hand. Getting a studio to approve a car off a freeway into a building involves a monumental campaign.

Do you think there’s an element of repressed homosexuality at all in the relationship between Freebie and Bean? Richard Rush: Of course. And since Arkin and Caan are such rugged, masculine characters in reality and in their own minds, it makes their dependence on each other more poignant and funnier.

FREEBIE AND THE BEAN inspired so many other buddy cop movies, but few if any had parts for women like your film did. Richard Rush: No, they didn’t. Most of the copycats never ‘got’ what made the movie work, except for a few, like Dick Donner with LETHAL WEAPON (1987) or BEVERLY HILLS COP (1984).

youtube

FREEBIE AND THE BEAN is outlandish at times, but it still stays grounded. Richard Rush: The film shows how life can resemble a cartoon at times, but it’s still very real and actions have consequences. I consider my major value as a filmmaker to be my ability to walk the tightrope between comedy and drama and deliver without falling off.

Is there anything you’d have done differently on Freebie? Richard Rush: You always think of things in retrospect, and there are a few silly things in there I’d probably lose today. Those giant dominoes falling over would be one thing.

Did you have anything to do with the Freebie and the Bean TV series? Richard Rush: Nothing! They had asked me to do one, I said, ‘No, I already did that movie”. When the pilot for Starsky and Hutch was finished, they asked me to look at it, to see if Warner’s could sue for plagiarism. I said, “No, I don’t think they got it”

Freebie and the Bean (TV series) The show ran opposite the very popular series Love Boat, which overshadowed it in viewer polls. In their book The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present, authors Tim Brooks and Earle F. Marsh write, “Unfortunately this series was such as mishmash of comedy and drama, slapstick and reality, that it soon sank without a trace. The fact that it was scheduled opposite ABC’s The Love Boat-which had no trouble defining what it wanted to be-probably didn’t help.”

Freebie and the Bean was a short-lived nine-episode American action-comedy film television series about two off-beat plainclothes police detectives in San Francisco. Based on the 1974 film of the same name, it starred Tom Mason and Héctor Elizondo in the title roles and was broadcast on CBS on Saturday nights at 9:00 PM[5] in December 1980 and January 1981

youtube

CAST/CREW Directed Richard Rush

Produced Richard Rush

Written Robert Kaufman Floyd Mutrux

James Caan as Det. Sgt. Tim “Freebie” Walker Alan Arkin as Det. Sgt. Dan “Bean” Delgado Loretta Swit as Mildred Meyers Jack Kruschen as Red Meyers Alex Rocco as D.A. Walter W. Cruikshank Mike Kellin as Lt. Rosen Paul Koslo as Whitey Valerie Harper as Consuelo Delgado Linda Marsh as Barbara Christopher Morley as Transvestite Maurice Argent as Tailor

CREDITS/REFERENCES/SOURCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY money-into-light Shock Cinema#36 Spectacularoptical

Freebie and the Bean (1974) Retrospective SUMMARY Freebie and Bean are a pair of maverick detectives with the SFPD Intelligence Squad. The volatile, gratuity-seeking Freebie is trying to get promoted to the vice squad to garner perks for his retirement while the neurotic and fastidious Bean has ambitions to make lieutenant.

#70scops #70sFilms

0 notes

sarasotaphoenix-blog · 5 years

Text

SUSAN NILON WRECKS ACLU BOARD

MASS RESIGNATION AT LOCAL ACLU OFFICE OVER NILON'S LEADERSHIP

By Jon Susce

February 20, 2019

Ten of the sixteen officers and board members of the local ACLU office have resigned after a letter was sent to Micah Kubic, who is the Executive Director of the Florida ACLU in Miami. They resigned after Kubic denied their request to have local ACLU President, Susan Nilon resign.

In essence, the letter states that the resigning members find they cannot continue to function successfully in carrying out the ACLU mission with Nilon as President

The ten members who have tendered resignations are: Michelle Champion, Daniel Rein, Josephine Motter, Dr. Mark Magenheim, Mollie Saumier, Patrick McLain, Peter Tannen, Cramer Verde, Ivan Rubin and Brenda Green.

Champion, Rubin and Verde have publicly admitted that they have resigned and all the above have also actually done so. Both Champion and Verde have acknowledged that a letter was sent to Kubic asking that Nilon be removed due to her inability to lead the local ACLU office in an effective manner.

All stated they continue to be committed to the principles advocated by the ACLU and will be actively involved in the most important 2020 election cycle. ACLU principals include:

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is our nation’s guardian of liberty, working daily in courts, legislatures and communities to defend and preserve the individual rights and liberties guaranteed to all people in this country by the Constitution and laws of the United States.

CALLS TO STATE OF FLORIDA AND NATIONAL ACLU OFFICES NOT RETURNED

Numerous phone calls and email messages to the local, state and national ACLU offices have not been returned to confirm or deny that 10 out of 16 local Sarasota officers and board members have resigned due to their inability to function as an effective organization as long as Nilon is President of the local ACLU.

REQUEST FOR INFO FROM BARFIELD IGNORED OTHER THAN "CALL NILON"

Calls and emails to Michael Barfield, Florida ACLU President and member of the local group as legal chairman, requesting information regarding the resignations and cause of the mass exodus have been ignored---except to say, "CALL NILON."

ACLU'S "SHAKE AND BAKE" NILON

Nilon is a self-proclaimed Progressive Democrat, but her behavior has defined her as anything but that. She’s no more than a registered local Democrat in collusion with local Republican operatives, which among others include Eric "The Nigerian Prince of Dark PAC Money" Robinson

Her track record is what truly demonstrates her agenda. She's just another "spinner" who will spin for whomever will pay her--a fact which the local major media fails to expose.

ACLU CREDIBILITY INVOLVEMENT WITH NILON AND BARFIELD TROUBLESOME

If the State of Florida and national ACLU desires any credibility, they need to investigate how these two individuals, Susan Nilon and Michael Barfield became leaders of local and state ACLU Chapters

BARFIELD'S $953,000 DARK MONEY PAC

How is it that Barfield, a 68 times convicted felon, and convicted perjurer---the same person that United States federal Judge Richard Lazzara dubbed as the "con man's con man" when he sent Barfield off to prison for the third time--- is managing a $953,000 Dark Money PAC out of Miami called COMMITTEE TO ADVANCE CONSTITUTIONAL VALUES.

http://michaelbarfield.net/barfield-is-a-documented-hired-gun/

Barfield is both the chairperson and registered agent of the PAC along with Gary Sample as the treasurer.

On July 10, 2018 the national ACLU office out of New York City funneled $500,000 into Barfield's managed PAC, as did the Florida ACLU state office out of Miami with a contribution of $316,000 on November 1, 2018.

In addition, 24 separate contributions were funneled to Barfield totaling $137,000 from the ACLU Florida office in Miami, which now totals $953,209 in contributions to this Barfield managed PAC from June 30, 2018 to November 1, 2018.

For years Nilon has been closely aligned with Barfield, who resides locally. Until recently Nilon has been doing research for various alleged Sunshine law legal violations on behalf of Barfield and local attorney Andrea Mogensen.

Barfield with two of Chapman's adversaries

One of the cases Nilon researched was on the alleged Sunshine law violation made by Mogensen and Barfield against former Sarasota City Commissioner Susan Chapman. The legal procedures against Chapman by Barfield were in reality a "witch hunt" by Barfield on behalf of political adversaries of Chapman, which include Sarasota County Republican Commissioners Joe Barbetta ans Paul "Fredo" Caragiulo.

After this failed law suit against Chapman, who among others has been a vocal critic of Barfield and Mogensen for using bogus Sunshine law violations, Barfield and Mogensen have now disbanded the organization used as the legal entity suing Chapman.

In employing this tactic, Barfield is attempting to avoid his financial and legal responsibilities to pay compensation for this failed law suit. Barfield has a documented history of attempting to avoid the consequences of his actions, not only his civil actions, but in his criminal activities. (SEE COMMENTS BELOW BY ATTORNEY FRANK BRENNER)

BARFIELD LAWSUIT AGAINST BROWN AND GOODWIN BOGUS

Barfield is the same individual whose recent Sunshine lawsuit against two Sarasota School Board members (Shirley Brown and Jane Goodwin) was wrongly filed, and described as coming from an organization that had not given Barfield permission to file. No surprise there, as Barfield is the same actor who was once described by a U.S federal judge as, "a con man's, con man."

BARFIELD AND NILON TIES TO CHANGE THE DATE REFERENDUM

Nilon was also closely involved with Barfield and others in a local referendum called CHANGE THE DATE, the objective of which was to change the date of City of Sarasota elections

REFERENDUM LED BY REPUBLICAN OPERATIVES

In promoting this referendum, Nilon joined other registered Democrats with close political ties to Republican operatives like Eric and Christine Robinson, Christian Ziegler, Maryanne Grgic, Mary Slapp-Dougerty, Candice McElyea among others. The referendum was led by Grgic and Ziegler.

Those registered Democrats like Nilon, who have worked closely with Republican operatives and other Republican activists in this referendum and in other Republican led campaigns are among others: Suzanne Atwell, Hagen Brody, Gabriel Hament, and Ed James III.

REFERENDUM FINANCED REPUBLICAN CONNECTED ORGANIZATIONS

The referendum was financed by a majority of Republican "Pay to Play" developers and a Republican political machine led by the CEO of Argus, Christine Robinson; as well as Mary Dougherty the Executive Director of Gulf Coast Builders Exchange and Sarasota County Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, Kevin Cooper.

FLORIDA ACLU DONATES $15,000 TO PAC FINANCING CAMPAIGN

$138,949 in PAC Money was funneled into the CHANGE THE DATE initiative campaign, which included $15,000 from the Florida ACLU office in Miami, which mentioned previously has Barfield as its president.

The last financial report of the CHANGE THE DATE initiative revealed that $8,520 was funneled into an expenditure to Strategic Digital Services (SDS) in Tallahassee, which was founded by the former Executive Director of Florida Republican Party, Matt Farrar.

NILON DEPOSED TALK SHOW HOST

Before joining up with Barfield and Mogensen and becoming President of the local ACLU organization, Nilon was a talk show host on local radio station WSRQ and according to Nilon, one might be led to believe she was actually a major owner of the station.

Further, that the departure from the talk show was amenable and she was moving on to bigger and better opportunities in her professional life---NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

LUCAS COMMENTS ON NILON---"WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING"

As for Nilon’s move to bigger and better opportunities in her professional life after WSRQ---this is how one of Sarasota’s leading political activists, Adrian Lucas, reacted to Nilon's career move:

"Susan Nilon's latest announcement about leaving the radio station to work with the insidious 'sunshine legal experts' of Andrea Mogensen and Michael Barfield demonstrates her willingness to cozy up to anyone she sees as potential dollar signs for her own personal gain. It would be fun to take bets on who will cast the first 2016 Sunshine suit under the guise of benevolence for the City of Sarasota. Will it be Nilon or Barfield?”

Lucas continued, "Who knows? But what I do know is after what appears to be conning Jim Lampl and wasting a lot of his trust and finances, Susan Nilon had no problem openly moving into the pseudo virtuous company of Michael Barfield. People may still smile and accept her over at Tiger Bay, but hopefully time will show that she is a "progressive" wolf in sheep's clothing."

Finally, "As for Nilon’s attempt to give the impression that resigning from her radio host position was her decision and a positive professional career change, let the facts speak for themselves."

NILON'S BOGUS OWNERSHIP OF WSRQ CLAIMS

Nilon’s claim that she was part of ownership team was bogus. For example, Nilon’s only financial investment in the station was $5,000 with the rest the financial investment coming from Lampl, who was the owner of record of the radio station---not Susan Nilon.

There is no way that any kind of continuing working relationship was possible between her and the owner of the station, Lampl, after what appears as Nilon’s attempt to intimidate him to pay her $200,000 to go away.

NILON THREATENED LAW SUIT

According to Lampl, the breakup of the business relationship between Nilon and himself was hardly amenable, since Nilon, through her attorney Robert Stroud, sent a letter threatening Lampl with a law suit if he did not agree to financial terms that could be construed as unarmed robbery by Nilon.

After Lampl gave Nilon the opportunity to continue in an ownership position, once their initial agreement had expired---by assisting in an equitable manner with the financing needed for improvements to upgrade the station operation, which involved the construction of two additional broadcast towers needed for the growth and continued success of the station, Nilon refused.

Instead Nilon's response through her attorney Robert Stroud, was to threaten Lampl with a law suit and accuse him of being a "detriment to the Company and its business prospects." This incredible letter from Nilon's attorney stated that Nilon believed that Lampl’s "actions had risen to warrant his forceful disassociation from the Company."

In further negotiations with Lampl through their respective attorneys, Nilon reduced her demands to $100,000 with an increase in her salary to $95,000. By the way, Nilon paid the attorney representing her in receiving her eventual 10 grand award with money coming out of Lampl owned WSRQ funds!

After it became apparent that Nilon's "request" was not going anywhere, Nilon settled for $10,000 to move on to her new gig working with Barfield and Mogensen. Thus began her “rise” in career status by becoming a low-paid mouthpiece for those she once assailed.

NILON CONNECTION TO McELYEA AND ZIEGLER

After leaving WSRQ, Nilon partnered up in a local public relations firm along with McElyea and Ziegler called Politically Unfiltered, which failed.

BRENNER ON BARFIELD'S BACKGROUND

Frank Brenner’s background: Harvard Law School, 50 years of law practice in NYC, including service as Assistant District Attorney (Rackets Bureau), judge of the NYC Criminal Court, Member, House of Delegates NYC Bar Association, Director, NY county Bar Association.

ITS TIME TO COVER THE REAL BARFIELD STORY---BY FRANK BRENNER

Much has been written about Michael Barfield’s behavior, how, in the masquerade of a public benefactor, he has disrupted city government for his personal financial advantage by the pursuit of Sunshine Law violations. To its credit, the Sarasota Observer has led the charge. It has described him as “a master of the destructive craft of legal extortion, weaseling money from the city and taxpayers for his livelihood, all under the guise of fighting public corruption.” It has labeled his pretense as a “con.” TheHerald-Tribune, on the other hand, speaking through columnist Tom Lyons, dismisses Barfield’s 68 criminal convictions as mere “historical dirt” and, on no evidence whatsoever, describes him as “a model of post-prison rehabilitation.”

Thus, although Barfield’s behavior has produced much comment, no one has reported on the real Barfield story i.e., how a consummate conman has managed to achieve extraordinary influence over the conduct of city government and City Commissioners who, with the purest of motives, simply seek to serve their constituents.

Why a “conman”? The label is the product of cold, irrefutable facts. It is the description of him voiced by a federal judge in Tampa upon Barfield’s conviction for a host of serious felonies that earned him a ten-year prison sentence. Indeed, the judge involved gave Barfield star status. He dubbed him not only a “conman” but a “conman’s conman, that’s for sure.”

So, who is the real Michael Barfield? He is a confessed liar, thief, conspirator and fraudster. In 1999, he was convicted of the felonies of conspiracy, obstruction of justice and perjury before a federal Grand Jury. The first three offenses involved the concoction of false accusations leveled against a federal judge and an Ass’t U. S. Attorney in a scheme designed to remove them from a pending case. The other two wire fraud convictions were for extorting $50,000 from felons awaiting sentence by promising them that he had “connections” and, thus, could obtain leniency for them. The promise, of course, was a scam.

But that is only a glimpse of Barfield’s unsavory past. Commencing at the age of seventeen, he has amassed 68 (no typo) criminal convictions, including, aside from the above, forging checks and using stolen credit cards. Barfield’s current con commences with his self-description as a “paralegal.” I submit he is no more a paralegal to the law profession than ex-lax is a pillar of medical science. In fact, he is no more than a scavenger, untrained in the law, who forages through public records for grist to nourish the Sunshine Law cottage industry he operates with attorney Andrea Mogenson. Yet, he has the chutzpah to describe himself as “an armchair legal scholar.” He would, thus, like a molting snake, magically transform himself from a disreputable rogue to a legal luminary.

What is to be done with this public menace? What is called for is an expose of the real Barfield story – an investigation of how this rogue has insinuated himself into the fabric of the city, disrupted city government, hampered the City Commissioners in their service to constituents and intimidated the City Attorney. To ascertain how Barfield has managed to do this, questions must be asked and answered.

Why have Commissioners Joe Barbetta and Paul Caragiulo permitted themselves to be photographed in his warm embrace? Why of all possible choices among reputable attorneys did the Tiger Bay Club give him a platform as an “expert” on the Sunshine law? Why does Tom Lyons enable him by portraying him as a positive force? Exactly who comprise the Citizens for Sunshine, Barfield’s “front”? What are their backgrounds? What is his arrangement with attorney Mogenson? Is he on salary or does he simply share in the spoils of the lawsuits? Does he have any other source of income? These and many other questions a “nose for news” could pose and should answer.

Investigative reporting not only sells ink. More importantly, it serves the public interest. The Herald-Tribune in the past has done such reporting. Yet, it shows no inclination to dig into the questions posed above. Hopefully, upon reflection, it may recognize the need for it to do so and for others to do so as well. In any event, those in government and those of us on the outside looking in should band together to put to an end the encouragement, empowerment, and enablement of this consummate conman.

0 notes

spotlightsaga · 7 years

Photo

Kevin Cage of @spotlightsaga reviews... Dear White People (S01E01) Chapter 1 Airdate: April 28, 2017 @netflix @JSim07 Ratings: Privatized @DearWhitePeople Score: 7.5/10 TVTime/FB/Twitter/IG/Tumblr/Path/Pin: @SpotlightSaga **********SPOILERS BELOW********** Dear White People, Brown People, and any People who are reading, listening, watching, or paying attention... Eventually it was coming. Eventually this series had to be addressed. But how? The last thing a Sexually Fluid, White Scotch-Irish, Ginger Male in an 11 year+ gay relationship, living in an Argentinian neighborhood within a city that has massive pockets of square miles with +80% people who speak Spanish as a first language... Or large numbers of neighborhoods with Haitian-Creole voices blasting loudly from friendly faces throwing friendly waves from a group of old men, who for some reason are always sitting at a major bus stop in North Miami Beach (but never going anywhere or taking any busses), wants to be labeled as is a 'Pseudo' or even a 'Hardcore-Leftist' who's desperately out to prove that he isn't racist. You won't be getting that article from me. You won't be getting anything of the sort from this 10-Piece Project that I assure you I will be taking my time on. I am not Left. I am not right. I'm barely in the middle. This isn't political, though it might have political undertones and repercussions. That's on interpretation, not me. By now you know that Spotlight Saga never reviews anything in a traditional manner unless it's an everyday type series that doesn't carry a particular tense or emotional impact. We go at our own pace and I prefer existential challenges, but all are welcome. I had made promises to write articles to accompany 'Dear White People', brought to us by the new & true, multitalented Justin Simien, to multiple readers, but I was waiting for the right time. Sure, I have an army of unreleased articles and reviews ready to shoot out of an iOS cannon when I'm not feeling particularly inspired, but that just hasn't happened lately, so expect last second 'Big 4 Network' reviews to start spewing out sometime in September, because everything from 'Gotham' to 'Lucifer' to 'Colony' awaits you. Oh boy. Now let's get something straight, particularly to the people on Social Media whining and crying about the show's polarizing title, claiming to cancel (or to the ones who actually did cancel, though I doubt it) their Netflix subscriptions because the title evoked some sort of feeling of uncomfortable paranoia, or what they felt was divisive rhetoric, even though it was them who were attempting to divide themselves from Netflix and causing a stir... Ultimately giving the show free promotion in the process. DWP isn't a series that is out to make anyone feel shame, wagging a brown finger across your noses, or smacking you over the top of the head with a rolled up newspaper, preferably Sunday (because there are some people who actually deserve it). The show's main protagonist narrates the thoughts of Justin Simien directly and quite accurately, right off the bat. "Dear White People is a misnomer. My show is meant to articulate the feelings of a misrepresented group outside the majority." @jsouth71 on Twitter, one of many racist, idiot keyboard warriors (I'm personally singling out him because he no longer seems to be active - guess he came, he typed, and he successfully looked like an idiot), responded to the original trailer (legit on March 12, 2017, the show didn't even air until April 28th) with multiple hashtags claiming that Netflix was racist. His most hilarious claim (to me anyway) is the one claiming that the show, what it stands for, and those that support it are all full of #LiberalBS. Well what now, Joey Southworth? I'm not even Liberal, Black, or some sort of seemingly desperate apologist... I have no agenda, except to review a Netflix TV Series in a way like no one has ever done before and while doing so, tell you all MY story, my letter to White People, because there is one thing I won't do... Tell someone else's truth... Unless they ask me to, I am for hire, y'all. Ironically, Lionel (DeRon Horton), says something eerily similar to what I've just said and said before a million times. Some people, *coughAVCLUBcough*, don't understand that telling someone else's 'truth' isn't necessarily the point of journalism, but sometimes it does involve telling another person's story from your OWN perspective, after a little help from gaining a bit of someone else's. So let's kick this thing off, shall we? It's going to be a doozy! Samantha White aka Sam (Logan Browning - ah, yes we see the ironic juxtaposition of those names already, especially since the character is biracial) attends an Ivy League school called Winchester University and hosts a radio show on campus called 'Dear White People'. As the aforementioned quote pulled directly from Sam's mouth would suggest, she really just wants to be a voice not normally heard without some sort of filter or applied lens to trickle out what people feel safe with. Sam isn't prejudice or even remotely a bigot, she doesn't seem to be whatsoever. As a matter of fact, Sam's reactions to environmental stimuli and certain situations remind me of me. She is shown often attempting to pull back when faced with a possibility of reacting off of an emotion, but when that emotion becomes overwhelming, she caves and takes control by spiraling out of control. There is a blackface party on campus and it is quickly revealed by the end of the episode that the campus crew, Pastiche, had their Facebook hacked and invites were sent out after the school's administration had already shut down the idea of the party even going forward. Did Sam send it? Please remember we're talking E1, and I don't go beyond that. She claims to have sent the email in an emotionally provocative, genuinely stirring speech she delivers after her radio show is pushed to the sidelines. She had shown up for her time slot and someone else had taken her place due to the recent controversy. This all forces Sam to make a split, snap decision, overthrowing the DJ booth like a straight up BOSS... A prime example of what I mean when I say she 'takes control by spiraling out'. Sam is also seen videotaping the party and later editing & going over the footage. So far, 2+2=4, but if she did indeed do what she said she did, then she's not the only one playing games to prove a point. She's outed to have a white boyfriend, Gabe (John Patrick Amedori), who she seems to genuinely like and in turn he is definitely enamored with her. Yes, by the way, one can be racist and have a significant other of an alternate race (as we covered in an article in S2 of the E4 & Netflix series 'Chewing Gum' after talking with and interviewing several women of color from the Caribbean)... Thats related to the fetishization or perversion of race, skin color, or anything of the like, but that isn't what it looks like what is going on here. There's definitely some real life chemistry brewing. Of course, some of Sam's peers look at her with disdain after Gabe puts their ongoing, once secret relationship on blast with an Instagram pic and a hashtag... Amazing what hashtags are capable of these days, ammirite? Well, in this case it's less the hashtag and more of the 'tagging' of the pic done by Sam's arch nemesis, Coco (Antoinette Robinson - who my white, CW loving ass recognizes from the God-awful 3rd season of 'Hart of Dixie', yeah I see you, Lavon's Niece!)... All of this confusion and animosity is what Coco wanted but this isn't what she necessarily got, not in the exact form she was aiming for, at least. Here comes the fun part! Through self-reflection and talks with her best friend, Joelle (Ashley Blaine Featherson), Sam realizes she does in fact like Gabe and decides to embrace the couple's outing... Bringing him along to her usually, black only, weekly viewing of 'Defamation', a hilarious satire of Shonda Rhimes' (who might just answer this cheeky mockery, since she just scored herself a Netflix contract) ABC political thriller, or just plain dumbed down (sorry Rhimes' fans) version of 'Scandal' (as if it could go any lower). Ouch! Anyway, according to Sam, 'Defamation Wednesdays' are the cornerstone of black college campus life.' It's just that, well, Gabe is obviously feeling a bit 'fish out of water'... Come on, white people, think about how you feel when you are the only white person in the room, you get it right? Well, that's more than likely how your good friend of color feels when you invite them out and they are the only black person to show up at your Baby Shower, Birthday Party, 'Girls Night Out', whatever the event may be. It takes time. It's admirable that Gabe came, it truly is, but this isn't exactly the same situation that I used for environmental comparisons. Sam has a show called 'Dear White People' for Christ Sake, she has an obligation to stick to her guns, sure... But love is love, and as long as there is no perversion of skin going on, who the fuck cares? Mind your mother fucking own! Oh, but that's a tale as old as time, people just love to give no fucks about this or that, while simultaneously giving all kinds of fucks about who someone lays next to at night. I can attest to both of these things, or some version of it, at least... As I live in a part of the States where I'm the only white guy that's not a Euro-Tourist in an incredibly wide radius, also being in a gay relationship, I get quite a few double takes... And the giant Red Beard doesn't help. Yet, I've come to a point where I've been here so long and become so accustomed to a different environment, being amongst other white people makes me a tad uncomfortable. More on that another episode, another day. Reggie (Marque Richardson) isn't too happy about Gabe's presence at the 'Defamation' viewing party... I'm guessing it's a lot less because he's white and a lot more because Reggie feels like he should be the one holding Sam's hand. Reggie comes off as a bit of a jackass, then again, Gabe is not only encroaching on what appears to be Reggie's love interest, but he's also aggressively inserting himself into the group. It's not that Reggie, or most of Sam's friends and acquaintances are prejudice of intolerant, quite the opposite, really. It actually seems more like a 'too much, too soon' situation. Take race out of the equation for a second, take out that fact that Sam's ideals are being broadcasted over the radio, representing a whole lot of people. EVERYONE eyes the 'new' guy or gal in a group, especially if that new person is also a new significant other, I don't care who you are. It's always best to sit back, shut your mouth, and let people come to you... Not stick out your hand and affirm loudly that, 'Hi, I'm Gabe, and I'll be taking a prominent role here now, whether you like it or not.' I love the fact that just like we all have a long way to go as a society when it comes to understanding where everyone is coming from, why people feel what they feel, so do the characters of 'Dear White People', all of them... Black, White, and everyone in between... Especially the girl in between! Yes, it appears that Sam is telling the truth in her guerrilla takeover, emotionally charged, campus wide, broadcasted admission... And if she wasn't she appears very much ready to to take both the praise & the heat (something not yet shown in E1) that she was the one who hacked the Pastiche Facebook and sent out the invites, encouraging the culturally ignorant to show up in Blackface and other embarrassingly idiotic, culture appropriated, misfortunes of human error to a party that had already been given the axe... But the show is still playful in its righteous delivery. The narrator (Giancarlo Esposito) points out a white girl and guesses that she's in a Nicki Minaj costume... Later on, while in her feelings, Sam quickly switches her music from a soft, feminine country crooning track, Suzanna Spring's 'Some Blue Sky' to 'Black' by 'Innanet James' on her way to the radio station when passing a group of Black acquaintances... It's ok to laugh, it's ok to point out the confusing parts of a sliding identity. It's ok to be who you are as long as you are true to whoever that is... Unless your a fucking hateful asshole, then Fuck You. *Somebody cue a 'Run The Jewels' track, please* *********Written By: Kevin Cage********** http://www.tvtime.com http://www.facebook.com/spotlightsaga http://www.spotlightsaga.com http://www.facebook.com/groups/artsentertainment

1 note · View note

mytherapistsays-blog · 5 years

Text

THE 6 RULES OF TANNING YOU MUST FOLLOW THIS VACATION SEASON

THE 6 RULES OF TANNING YOU MUST FOLLOW THIS VACATION SEASON ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ @MyTherapistSays ⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣⁣ https://mytherapistsays.ca/the-6-rules-of-tanning-you-must-follow-this-vacation-season/

I am currently writing this article sitting on top of my bed sheets. My legs are on fire when anything touches them and I’m constantly taking aloe vera baths… simply because I did not follow my own tanning rules! If you know me you know I’m the type of person who values a good tan more than gold. Canadian winters are super unhelpful for keeping up that sun-kissed, glowy look.

If you’ve been following my previous articles you know they’re mostly about online shopping (because that is my number one obsession), but this one’s going to be a little bit different! I’ll recommend some good buys, but mostly I’m going to keep you looking glowy AF with a tan that all your friends will be jealous of post-vacay.

I’m super lucky to be able to travel to Miami during Christmas break most years, so this is when I get my winter tan on. The thing is — unlike the rest of my family — my skin likes to burn instead of tan, why was I cursed with these bad genes?? So unfair. Anyways, I have to follow some important rules to ensure I end up bronzed and beautiful instead of red as a lobster.

RULE NUMBER 1: THE BASE

You probably thought rule number one would be sunscreen but don’t fret — that’s coming up soon. The first thing I like to do to prepare for a good tan is to exfoliate my skin. Exfoliating will clear up any dead skin and make you look super refreshed and smooth.

Getting a tan on non-exfoliated skin really has no point to it because it’s going to fade a lot quicker! Exfoliating also keeps your skin smooth and glowy which is how everyone wants to look and feel on the beach. I also make sure to shave before getting a tan. This is because shaving is a way of exfoliating and also because once you get a tan (or maybe a burn) your skin is super sensitive so it may not respond well to shaving! Bonus benefit— legs will look sexy and smooth on the beach.

My all-time fave exfoliator is the Frank Body OG Coffee Scrub. To keep up with all you vegans out there, Frank Body says that “Unlike your ex, I’m non-toxic. I use natural and naturally derived ingredients that are tested on babes, not bunnies” (they have a sense of humor, so huge points there). Be warned, it’s SUPER messy and will turn your shower into a literal pit of coffee, but it’s so worth it. Caffeine has some super amazing benefits, despite being the reason I am alive for my 9:30 am classes, it’s really good for your skin (who knew??). It contains anti-inflammatory properties that calm your skin down as well as get rid of scars and bumps and cellulite! I know that’s a ton of promises for a body scrub, but I swear it works and I swear this is not #sponsored or an #ad.

RULE NUMBER 2: THE BATHER

For your first day of tanning the bathing suit decision is super important. If you mess this one up you could seriously mess up your entire tan. For example — a few years back I wore a bandeau bathing suit top on my first day of tanning. Don’t get me wrong it looked super cute, but when I tried my triangle style top on the next day, I had the weirdest tan lines. It was horrible and I had an uneven tan on my chest for like, the entire trip.

For your first day of tanning, I would opt to go for a bather with the most basic style (I know, being basic is so out of style right now) and least coverage. This means you’ll be able to get as much of your skin as possible tanned. You can whip out your bandeaus and other weirdly shaped bikinis at the end of your trip when you’re already got your base down. Seriously, guys — awkward tan lines are the WORST.

RULE NUMBER 3: THE SUNSCREEN

I make sure to have tons of sunscreen choices available so I’m ready for whatever UV ray level is thrown my way. I consider myself a tanning expert and I am super excited to share my wisdom with you. Basically, the UV index goes from 1–11+, with 1 being the lowest UV and 11+ being the highest. Unless the UV is 1–2 you should probably be putting on some level sunscreen, you want to protect your skin! I usually will apply SPF 10–15 when the UV is between 3–5, and SPF 30 when the UV is over 5. I’ve been told that anything over SPF 30 doesn’t make any difference so I probably wouldn’t go out and buy SPF 100 thinking that it will fully protect you — because nothing actually can fully protect you from the sun except for just fully hiding out in your condo all year round. I usually will sit in the sun sunscreen free for the first 45 mins in the morning in the sun, and then apply my SPF (what I mentioned above). For my body I’m pretty OK with using any generic sunscreen brand, I love the Coppertone sprays because they cool you off a bit when you apply.

For face sunscreen, I have very different preferences. I usually don’t try to tan my face because I don’t want wrinkles when I’m older, plus I can just put some bronzer on my face, and I’ll be able to match my tanned bod. I use SPF 40 on my face and usually apply it roughly 15 minutes after getting out into the sun. I have super sensitive skin, so I’ve been obsessed with the Supergoop, Skin Soothing Mineral Sunscreen. It soothes my skin, protects my skin, and most importantly, it keeps me breakout free on vaycay!

RULE NUMBER 4: THE SHOWER

Showering is the first thing I do after a day in the sun. Got to get all that grimy sunscreen lotion off my body and face! The shower after the day in the sun is also probably the first place you’ll notice if you’ve burnt — that shit will hurt like hell. Make sure the products you’re using in the shower are suntan friendly!

You want to use a moisturizing body wash on your body to ensure that you aren’t drying out your skin even more (the sun dries your skin up pretty well). An oil-based body wash is perfect because it really allows for the moisture to soak into your skin. I’m currently obsessing over the Glossier Body Hero Daily Body Wash because its super oily and also because it literally smells like heaven. My skin is super sensitive, and I find this body wash keeps my skin smooth and hydrated without causing any rashes!

You also probably want to keep exfoliating, but make sure its light exfoliation because your skin is a bit more sensitive after being in the sun. This Nuxe Reve De Miel Body Scrub is totally amazing because it has honey in it. Honey is so amazing for your skin (Kourtney Kardashian taught me this when she was promoting a product on Instagram — but it’s really true!) because it’s natural and filled with nutrients. This product can usually be found at your local drug store and will work wonders on keeping tanned skin soft, smooth, and moisturized.

RULE NUMBER 5: THE MOISTURIZER/ALOE

One of the most important things to do post tan is to moisturize. When I’m tanning, I like to mix an aloe vera gel with a regular moisturizer because the aloe is super soothing! I know that there are regular moisturizers that have aloe in them, but I find that these leave me less moisturized. When I mix the aloe and moisturizers together it creates a super creamy and moisturizing whip that also has the amazing benefits of some aloe in it! It soothes my skin as well and moisturizes it — just what I need!

The aloe vera gel I use is the classic OG Banana Boat Soothing Aloe After Sun Gel. It’s just straight up aloe and sticks to the basics which is all you need in an aloe vera gel. It feels super cooling on your skin and is perfect for after the sun.

The moisturizer I use is the Palmers Body Moisturizer, I find it to be a much cheaper alternative to the Brazilian Bum Bum Cream and works just as well (and smells just as good). I for some reason bought the DJ Khaled version of this cream (this may be the most random celebrity collaboration I’ve ever seen) and the only difference is the packaging which says “We the Best Glow” on it and “DJ Khaled’s Key to Success” so that was fun. The regular non-DJ Khaled version works just as well though.

RULE NUMBER 6: THE MAINTENANCE

Keeping up a good tan is hard work! One thing to do is DRINK WATER. I’m really sorry, I know how everybody says doing this will fix everything in your life but seriously it works. Drinking water keeps you hydrated which is especially necessary if you’re spending a day in the sun. Getting sunstroke would put a huge damper on your vacation and make a major dent in your tanning time (trust me I’ve been there/done that). Drinking water will also help hydrate your skin which as mentioned before is one of the most important ways to keep your tan lasting.

That’s it for me! I hope you learned a ton about how to tan well and safely! I’ve been perfecting this tanning model for years and have suffered through many burns to get there, but I never gave up and now am so happy I can share the perfect way to tan. That being said — everybody’s different, some people can use no sunscreen and be totally fine and others will burn up and look like a tomato. Learn your skin and understand that sunscreen is super important no matter how badly you want to get a tan.

By: Emmy Goodman

#Beauty #Summer #Tanning #Travel #Vacation #Winter

0 notes

mlmcompanies · 6 years

Link

Monat is like the “doterra” of hair products.

They “get it.” They understand that the only way a direct sales company has success is by the value created by their products.

In other words, would anybody buy these if there wasn’t an “opportunity” involved?

For 99% of MLMS, that answer is “no.”

Why would I know?

Well, I’ve studied the space for years and run two of the biggest network blogs in the world.

Monat is on my short list of companies that actually have a product that is innovative and provides market value…

If only they weren’t embroiled in a rash of heavy-hitting lawsuits. Keep reading to learn more.

FAQ

1. What does Monat sell? Monat focuses exclusively on hair care. Product lines include Hydration, Volume, Densify Duo, Stylized, Power Boost, Magnify, Monat Junior, Monat Black, Colour Enhance, Effortless Style, R3, Advanced Hydrating, and Restructuring.

2. What are Monat’s most popular products? The Smoothing Deep Conditioner works on all hair types to nourish, control frizz, and add brilliant shine. The Rejuveniqe Oil Intensive adds 13+ natural plant and essential oils, antioxidants, and nutrients to your scalp and hair for instantly healthier hair and shine.

3. How much does it cost to join Monat? You can join for $99 USD or $125 CAD, with an annual $19.95 renewal fee.

4. Is Monat a scam? No, they’re a legit business that’s been well-regarded in the industry. They’ve been awarded the 2018 Making a Difference Award and the 2017 Journey to Success Award by the DSA of Canada; the 2016 Gold Stevie Award, Silver Stevie Award, and Bronze Stevie Award from the American Business Awards; and the 2016 Silver Stevie Award and Bronze Stevie Award by the Stevie Awards for Women in Business. They’ve also been featured by NBC, ABC, and the Hallmark Channel.

5. What is Monat’s BBB rating? D

6. How long has Monat been in business? Since 2014

7. What is Monat’s revenue? $314 million

8. How many Monat distributors are there? 120,000

9. What lawsuits have been filed? In the first five months of 2018, Monat racked up nine lawsuits. The cases related to misleading marketing about the safety of their products, failure to warn consumers that the products may cause hair loss or damage, and several alleging they operate a pyramid scheme. (That one’s to be expected, right?) [1, 2, 3] Amid all this legal trouble, two women tried to shut down Monat from defending themselves with defamation lawsuits. In April 2018, a federal judge ruled in favor of Monat, giving them freedom to protect themselves from online attackers intent on defaming the company without evidence. [4]

10. Comparable companies: Arbonne, Pure Haven Essentials, Oriflame, Perfectly Posh

They’ve been an impressive company, but the sudden onslaught of lawsuits doesn’t look good.

The truth is, if they weather them, they’ll be stronger than ever, much like Amway and other MLM big names. So should join them?

Not necessarily. There are still better ways for ladies to make “side money” from home.

Business opportunity-wise, there are much better out there.

Click here for my #1 recommendation

(Doterra, Scentsy and Jeunesse are other product-first examples of MLMs that provide value…but the vast majority are overpriced and provide little value to the marketplace.)

Beauty is a crowded space in network marketing. Monat is more of the “up-and-coming” in this category, and definitely has the most “buzz.”

Overview

Monat does everything that most MLMs try to do but fail at miserably.

They are classy and forward-thinking. Their products are naturally based and backed by tons of research. Their home parties are actually sort of fun.

And they’re trendy AF:

Monat was launched just a couple years ago in 2014 by Luis and Rayner Urdaneta. They’re headquartered in Miami, Florida. Monat stands for Modern Nature.

Within just one year of launch, Monat was already pushing $25 million in annual revenue. They hit the ground running fast, and it’s really no wonder.

For starters, brother-son duo Luis and Rayner had already run one very successful direct sales company in the cosmetics niche: L’eudine. They’re a massive ($200+ million in annual revenue) MLM in Latin America that has recently started to expand into the United States.

What’s more, Monat is a subsidiary of parent company Alcora, also founded by Luis. So they already had some massive capital and experience to work with when they finally started up Monat.

By 2016, annual sales for Monat was already at $41 million. All this won them the 2016 Gold Stevie award for Startup of the Year.

How much does Monat cost? Monat has a $99 start-up fee that includes a kit filled with marketing materials and training information.

Products

Monat sells naturally-based (vegan and cruelty-free) hair care products at a premium price, and it’s working well for them. Their products are scientifically tested and very popular among their loyal following.

One of the reasons Monat has done so well is that they’ve formulated products that combat specific hair care issues that many people suffer from such as hair loss, aging, dandruff, and thinning/breakage.

Some have reported an itchy scalp at the beginning, but this is part of the repair process. Something must have gone wrong in early 2018, though, because the sores didn’t go away, and some people experienced hair loss or hair damage.

You’ve got products like Head & Shoulders for dandruff, but they’re full of parabens and harmful chemicals. Monat isn’t supposed to have those type of products, so the rash of lawsuits over their harmful ingredients is surprising. We’ll see how whether they can come out on top.

In spite of the bad press, the concept of their hair products remains good.

You’ve heard of anti-aging creams and foundations (see the top cosmetic and skincare MLMs), but have you heard of anti-aging hair care products?

Probably not, because Monat is the first company to develop products that fight hair aging.

Yes, hair ages. According to a study done by the University Hospital of Zurich’s Department of Dermatology and Hair Clinic, aging causes weathering of the hair shaft and aging of the hair follicle. Aside from graying, this also causes your body to decrease its hair production greatly over time, and it causes hair loss.

The primary formula that Monat uses to combat these effects is their Rejuvinique oil, which can be found in most Monat products. It’s composed of a patented blend of 11 different oils that are designed to keep your hair follicles healthy and promote hair growth by restoring your hair’s essential oils and nutrients.

Monat products are made from high-quality botanicals and essential oils, and they don’t contain sulfates, silicone, parabens, harsh fragrances, and other fillers. Unlike most hair products, Monat’s aren’t a short-term fix that will damage your hair with harmful chemicals in the long run.

Their most popular product is their intense care shampoo:

As well as their intense care conditioner:

They aren’t cheap, at all. Don’t expect drugstore prices. However, if you compare them to high-end salon products, the pricing is about the same. Most products range from $30-$60. Their Magnify Treatment System, meant to increase volume, comes with a shampoo, conditioner, and mousse for $99.

Compensation Plan

Of course, if you enroll as a distributor, you get pretty generous discounts on these products.

There are 5 ways to earn with Monat:

Sales Commissions

Sponsor & Develop

Builder Bonus

Advancement Bonuses

VIP Customers Sales

Sales commissions range all the way up to 40%, which is very generous.

It’s pretty much as high as it gets in MLM, with the exception of a select few that offer up to 50% commission. You do have to work pretty hard to reach that 40% commission rate though, as it requires you to sell a lot of product on a monthly basis.

Sponsor & Develop is the bread and butter of this plan. This is where you get rewarded for building up a large, successful downline, and it’s where you’ll make most of your money if you do well with Monat. Aside from a $100 fast start bonus and a $150 fast builder bonus, you can also earn up to 12% in unilevel bonuses, 4% in generational bonuses (up to 5 levels deep), and a 5% network bonus.

Builder Bonus is for folks who move up quickly to Silver or Platinum status and help their team members do the same. You can earn a $500 or a $1,000 bonus.

Advancement Bonuses are matching bonuses that you can earn on the achievements of your direct recruits. They range from $150 to $500.

VIP Customers Sales are customers that have signed up for the VIP program, which puts them on a recurring monthly autoship for their favorite products. You’ll earn a 15% commission on their monthly purchases without even lifting a finger.

Recap

Honestly, I think these guys have some great things coming in their future…

If they can weather the lawsuits they’ve been hit with, that is.

They’ve got an innovative product, a pretty decent compensation plan, and solid leadership.

Product-wise: excellent.

Opportunity-wise: great, considering they’re a multi-level marketing company.

I’ve been involved with network marketing for almost ten years so I know what to look for when you consider a new opportunity.

After reviewing 200+ business opportunities and systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:

Click here for my #1 recommendation

#MLM companies #network marketing companies

0 notes

antionetterparker · 6 years

Text

Monat: Innovation and value gone very wrong [Review]

Monat is like the “doterra” of hair products.

They “get it.” They understand that the only way a direct sales company has success is by the value created by their products.

In other words, would anybody buy these if there wasn’t an “opportunity” involved?

For 99% of MLMS, that answer is “no.”

Why would I know?

Well, I’ve studied the space for years and run two of the biggest network blogs in the world.

Monat is on my short list of companies that actually have a product that is innovative and provides market value…

If only they weren’t embroiled in a rash of heavy-hitting lawsuits. Keep reading to learn more.

FAQ

3. How much does it cost to join Monat? You can join for $99 USD or $125 CAD, with an annual $19.95 renewal fee.

5. What is Monat’s BBB rating? D

6. How long has Monat been in business? Since 2014

7. What is Monat’s revenue? $314 million

8. How many Monat distributors are there? 120,000

10. Comparable companies: Arbonne, Pure Haven Essentials, Oriflame, Perfectly Posh

They’ve been an impressive company, but the sudden onslaught of lawsuits doesn’t look good.

The truth is, if they weather them, they’ll be stronger than ever, much like Amway and other MLM big names. So should join them?

Not necessarily. There are still better ways for ladies to make “side money” from home.

Business opportunity-wise, there are much better out there.

Click here for my #1 recommendation

(Doterra, Scentsy and Jeunesse are other product-first examples of MLMs that provide value…but the vast majority are overpriced and provide little value to the marketplace.)

Beauty is a crowded space in network marketing. Monat is more of the “up-and-coming” in this category, and definitely has the most “buzz.”

Overview

Monat does everything that most MLMs try to do but fail at miserably.

They are classy and forward-thinking. Their products are naturally based and backed by tons of research. Their home parties are actually sort of fun.

And they’re trendy AF:

// <![CDATA[ trends.embed.renderExploreWidget("TIMESERIES", {"comparisonItem":[{"keyword":"monat","geo":"","time":"today 12-m"}],"category":0,"property":""}, {"exploreQuery":"q=monat&date=today 12-m","guestPath":"https://trends.google.com:443/trends/embed/"}); // ]]>

Monat was launched just a couple years ago in 2014 by Luis and Rayner Urdaneta. They’re headquartered in Miami, Florida. Monat stands for Modern Nature.

Within just one year of launch, Monat was already pushing $25 million in annual revenue. They hit the ground running fast, and it’s really no wonder.

What’s more, Monat is a subsidiary of parent company Alcora, also founded by Luis. So they already had some massive capital and experience to work with when they finally started up Monat.

By 2016, annual sales for Monat was already at $41 million. All this won them the 2016 Gold Stevie award for Startup of the Year.

How much does Monat cost? Monat has a $99 start-up fee that includes a kit filled with marketing materials and training information.

Products

In spite of the bad press, the concept of their hair products remains good.

You’ve heard of anti-aging creams and foundations (see the top cosmetic and skincare MLMs), but have you heard of anti-aging hair care products?

Probably not, because Monat is the first company to develop products that fight hair aging.

Their most popular product is their intense care shampoo:

As well as their intense care conditioner:

Compensation Plan

Of course, if you enroll as a distributor, you get pretty generous discounts on these products.

There are 5 ways to earn with Monat:

Sales Commissions

Sponsor & Develop

Builder Bonus

Advancement Bonuses

VIP Customers Sales

Sales commissions range all the way up to 40%, which is very generous.

Builder Bonus is for folks who move up quickly to Silver or Platinum status and help their team members do the same. You can earn a $500 or a $1,000 bonus.

Advancement Bonuses are matching bonuses that you can earn on the achievements of your direct recruits. They range from $150 to $500.

Recap

Honestly, I think these guys have some great things coming in their future…

If they can weather the lawsuits they’ve been hit with, that is.

They’ve got an innovative product, a pretty decent compensation plan, and solid leadership.

Product-wise: excellent.

Opportunity-wise: great, considering they’re a multi-level marketing company.

I’ve been involved with network marketing for almost ten years so I know what to look for when you consider a new opportunity.

After reviewing 200+ business opportunities and systems out there, here is the one I would recommend:

Click here for my #1 recommendation

via https://mlmcompanies.org/monat/

0 notes

deniscollins · 6 years

Text

Inside the Confidential N.F.L. Meeting to Discuss National Anthem Protests

NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick initiated a protest among NFL players against racism by kneeling during the playing of the national anthem, which resulted in significant public criticism, including from President Donald Trump, threats of boycotts and sponsor complaints. If you were an NFL owner in need of a quarterback, would you hire him: (1) Yes, (2) No? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

N.F.L. owners, players and league executives, about 30 in all, convened urgently at the league’s headquarters on Park Avenue in October, nearly a month after President Trump began deriding the league and its players over protests during the national anthem.

It was an extraordinary summit; rarely do owners and players meet in this manner. But the president’s remarks about players who were kneeling during the anthem had catalyzed a level of public hostility that the N.F.L. had never experienced. In the spirit of partnership at the meeting, the owners decided that they and the players should sit in alternating seats around the large table, which featured an N.F.L. logo in the middle.

“Let’s make sure that we keep this confidential,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said to begin the session.

The New York Times has obtained an audio recording of the roughly three-hour meeting, and several people in the room corroborated details of the gathering. The unvarnished conversation reveals how the leaders of the most dominant sports league in the country and several of its most outspoken players confronted an unprecedented moment — mostly by talking past one another.

The players sounded aggrieved. After discussing a proposal to finance nonprofit groups to address player concerns, they wanted to talk about why Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback who started the anthem protests to highlight social injustice and police brutality against African-Americans, was, they believed, being blackballed by the owners. The owners sounded panicked about their business under attack, and wanted to focus on damage control.

“If he was on a roster right now, all this negativeness and divisiveness could be turned into a positive,” Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman Chris Long said at the meeting.

Long said he did not wish to “lecture any team” on what quarterbacks to sign, but “we all agree in this room as players that he should be on a roster.” The owners’ responses were noncommittal. The Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said that fighting for social justice is not “about one person.”

The New England Patriots owner Robert K. Kraft pointed to another “elephant in the room.”

“This kneeling,” he said.

“The problem we have is, we have a president who will use that as fodder to do his mission that I don’t feel is in the best interests of America,” said Kraft, who is a longtime supporter of Mr. Trump’s. “It’s divisive and it’s horrible.”

The owners were intent on finding a way to avoid Trump’s continued criticism. The president’s persistent jabs on Twitter had turned many fans against the league. Lurie, who called Trump’s presidency “disastrous,” cautioned against players getting drawn into the president’s tactics.

“We’ve got to be careful not to be baited by Trump or whomever else,” Lurie said. “We have to find a way to not be divided and not get baited.”

The Buffalo Bills owner Terry Pegula sounded anguished over the uncertainty of when Trump would take another shot at the league. “All Donald needs to do is to start to do this again,” Pegula said. “We need some kind of immediate plan because of what’s going on in society. All of us now, we need to put a Band-Aid on what’s going on in the country.”

The Jacksonville Jaguars owner Shahid Khan countered that the worst was behind them. “All the damage Trump’s going to do is done,” he said.

The owners kept returning to one bottom-line issue: Large numbers of fans and sponsors had become angry about the protests. Boycotts had been threatened and jerseys burned and — most worrisome — TV ratings were declining.

Pegula complained that the league was “under assault.” He unloaded a dizzying flurry of nautical metaphors to describe their predicament. “To me, this is like a glacier moving into the ocean,” he said. “We’re getting hit with a tsunami.” He expressed his wish that the league never be “a glacier crawling into the ocean.”

The Houston Texans owner Bob McNair was more direct. He urged the players to tell their colleagues to, essentially, knock off the kneeling. “You fellas need to ask your compadres, fellas, stop that other business, let’s go out and do something that really produces positive results, and we’ll help you.”

After the Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross raised the idea of a “march on Washington” by N.F.L. players and owners, Eric Reid, Kaepernick’s former teammate and the first player to kneel alongside him, brought the discussion back to Kaepernick.

Reid, who attended the meeting wearing a Kaepernick T-shirt over his dress shirt and tie, said that his former teammate was being blackballed.

“I feel like he was hung out to dry,” Reid said of Kaepernick. “Everyone in here is talking about how much they support us.” The room fell quiet. “Nobody stepped up and said we support Colin’s right to do this. We all let him become Public Enemy No. 1 in this country, and he still doesn’t have a job.”

Pegula offered that he thought the league was battling a perception and “media problem.” He said it would be great for the league to find a compelling spokesman — preferably a player — to promote all of the good things they were doing together. He suggested that the league could learn from the gun lobby in this regard.

“For years we’ve watched the National Rifle Association use Charlton Heston as a figurehead,” Pegula said. “We need a spokesman.”

Anquan Boldin, a former N.F.L. wide receiver who was at the meeting, said that owners needed to be spokesmen, too. “Letting people know it’s not just the players that care about these issues, but the owners, too,” Boldin said.

Pegula didn’t address Boldin’s point except to add that it would be important for the spokesman to be black. (None of the owners in the N.F.L. are black.)

“For us to have a face, as an African-American, at least a face that could be in the media,” Pegula continued, “we could fall in behind that.”

Kaepernick’s name was not mentioned again. He continues to pursue a labor grievance accusing the owners of colluding to keep him out of the league. He remains unsigned.

Before the meeting ended, owners had quoted Thomas Paine (the Falcons owner Arthur Blank), invoked Martin Luther King Jr.’s Selma march (Ross of the Dolphins) and expressed great hope for what they all could accomplish together (“We have a chance to do something monumental,” declared the Giants owner John Mara).

The meeting concluded with some participants saying how positive the session had been, and how they would all keep talking. Goodell told the group that another meeting was being scheduled. They planned to issue a “joint statement” to underscore their shared commitment.

Kraft said the statement should reflect how everyone had come together for a good cause. “It would be good if you could work in the word ‘unified’ or ‘unity’ in some fashion,” he said, referring to the joint statement.

“We could say simply, today we had a reset, and the players’ issues are our issues, and we recognize them and will work together,” Ross said.

“I like the language of ‘our issues,’” said DeMaurice Smith, executive director of the players’ union.

About an hour later, the league released its joint statement:

“Today owners and players had a productive meeting focused on how we can work together to promote positive social change and address inequality in our communities. NFL executives and owners joined NFLPA executives and player leaders to review and discuss plans to utilize our platform to promote equality and effectuate positive change. We agreed that these are common issues and pledged to meet again to continue this work together.”

#Freedom of Speech #NFL

0 notes

whatisonthemoonarchive · 7 years

Text

Mr. Moon & Neil Salonen! - Lets talk about Brian Crozier! - Part 1

https://isgp-studies.com/le-cercle-pinay

In 1980, Violet picked Crozier as his follow-up to the presidency/chairmanship of Le Cercle. Crozier has been recruited by the French mystery man nine years earlier, in 1971...

In the 1950s and early 1960s Crozier worked as a journalist and editor for the Sunday Times, the Economist, and the BBC. During this time he made his first intelligence contacts and used them for scoops. When John Hay "Jock" Whitney was ambassador to Great Britain from 1957 to 1961, Crozier was invited to his inner circle. Whitney was a Rockefeller associate, and a Pilgrims Society vice president until the day he died. A few years later, Crozier went to work for the Information Research Department (IRD), doing studies (some prefer to call it "disseminating propaganda") on KGB subversion. He also started to work with the CIA, MI6, and the intelligence agencies of France, Germany, Holland, Belgium, Morocco, Iran, Argentina, Chile, and Taiwan.

The CIA's Congress for Cultural Freedom (CCF) also approached him to reconstruct and commercialize their organization. Crozier, however, turned down this offer as he was too busy with his other undertakings. He later did a study for the CCF, investigating its South American network. Some time after that study, in 1965-1966, he constructed the CCRs Forum Service, turning it into Forum World Features (FWF). John Hay Whitney was the one who took over the financial burden of FWF from the CIA when it was commercialized. Another billionaire CIA associate, Richard Mellon Scaife, later took over funding of FWF from Whitney. Scaife also funded Crozier's Institute for the Study of Conflict (ISC), which he founded in 1970, and showed up at gatherings of the Foreign Affairs Research Institute, an anti-communism and anti-terrorist propaganda group headed by several British Cercle members, including Crozier.

in 1977...Crozier and his Cercle-associates...came up with the idea to establish a transnational secret intelligence agency of their own. For security reasons this group didn't have a name, but within a few months it became known to insiders as the 61 (or more correct, 6I). It's purpose, according to Crozier:

"...a Private Sector Operational Intelligence agency, beholden to no government, but at the disposal of allied or friendly governments...Our main concerns would be:

* To provide reliable intelligence in areas which governments were barred from investigating, either through legislation (as in the US) or because political circumstances made such inquiries difficult or potentially embarrassing.

* To conduct secret counter-subversion operations in any country in which such actions were deemed feasible.

It was agreed that no outsiders should be made aware of the existence of this organization, except if, in the judgement of one of us, the person was deemed a suitable candidate for recruitment."

Members of The 61, in existence from 1977 to 1988, came from England, France, Germany, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, the United States, and likely some other countries. It forged links with Prince Turki of Saudi Arabia and the Shah of Iran. At least on some occasions, The 61 provided intelligence to the Pope...Crozier told us more about the meeting that established The 61:

"We met in the luxurious executive suite of a leading City of London bank on the morning of Sunday 13 February 1977...The Americans included two able and diligent Congressional staffers, and the Viennese-born representative of a big Belgium company. Also there was the remarkable General Vernon ('Dick') Walters, recently retired as Deputy Director of Central Intelligence...."

Fortunately, Crozier gives us the name of General Vernon Walters, who seems to have represented the US intelligence faction that was very upset with the changes in CIA oversight. Walters was a bit of a mystery man. Although one of the most important behind-the-scenes players on the post-WWII world, not a whole lot of research has been done on him.

Like many leading members of Le Cercle, Walters was close to Vatican interests. He was educated by the Jesuits at Stonyhurst College in England and later became a member of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, providing him with instant access to the Vatican at all times. His participation in the notorious American Security Council and his involvement in setting up The 61 only serve to substantiate reports about Walters' historic ties with CIA-employed drug traffickers, death squad leaders, and coup plotters. He and Helms appear to have caused Watergate while he also employed one of the CIA disinformers who tried to pin the assassination attempt of John Paul II on the communists.

If this is not enough, South African intelligence named Walters as a key plotter in the JFK assassination. This report is less far fetched than it might seem. Walters was a military attache in Rome in 1963 where he worked with CIA station chief William K. Harvey in countering the massive communist and socialist influences in that country. The Gladio network Walters and Harvey controlled was crucial in this effort.

Harvey had been banished to Rome by the Kennedys for sending commando teams into Cuba during the October 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis. This made his protege, Ted Shackley, head of the CIA's JM/WAVE station in Miami, tasked with overthrowing Fidel Castro.

Quite a bit of evidence has surfaced to show that Harvey, his protege Ted Shackley, and their pro-Vietnam, anti-Castro CIA gang, which worked closely with leading mafia bosses, were the key plotters of the 1963 JFK assassination.

Besides having been a co-founder of Crozier's 61, Walters also was a good friend of French intelligence chief Alexandre de Marenches, who by 1976 had set up a secret private intelligence network of his own, the Safari Club. The Safari Club's network included the Shah of Iran, Saddam Hussein of Iraq, Anwar Sadat of Egypt, Ashraf Marwan of Egyptian intelligence, and Kamal Adham of Saudi intelligence.

When Crozier visited the CIA and the White House he met with some of the people...in the Carter administration, of which he obviously was extremely critical, he was received by national security advisor Zbigniew Brzezinski and secretary of defense James Schlesinger. In the Reagan administration he met with General Walters, Robert McFarlane, Richard Pipes, Richard V. Allen, Kenneth de Graffenreid, William Casey, and Oliver North. He regularly met with Sven Kraemer, the son of Fritz Kraemer...

http://www.atwood7.com/essays/lordofflies.html#3

Allen Tate Wood

In the fall of 1969 and the winter of 1970 Salonen scouted the hard-line anti-Communist groups in D.C. The fruits of his labor were winning the friendship and support of several influential men, including David Martin, the late Senator Dodd's foreign affairs assistant (later a member on the staff of the Senate's Internal Security Committee), Dolph Droge and Sven Kramer, Nixon's special assistants on Vietnam and Charles Stephens, an independently wealthy man in his early thirties, who devoted a good deal of his time to promoting aggressive war policies through ad hoc groups of his own creation on campuses throughout the country. In the fall of 1969 and the spring of 1970 I worked increasingly with FLF.

0 notes

apsbicepstraining · 7 years

Text

The Timeline Of Becoming Human Again After A Weekend Of Terrible Decisions

Memorial Day Weekend is traditionally acknowledged as the kickoff for a summer of beach trip-ups, backyard beers and relentless tit sweat.

MDW is also my birthday weekend, which constructs my already skewed, drunken decision-making and self-care that much poorer.

This year was no different. Day drinking? Check. A nutrition of grilled meat and half-melted sugar? Check. Waking up in an outer parish apartment I’ve never previously seen with half an old sandwich in my handbag? Check.

Come the Tuesday following MDW 2016, I feel like someone replenished a Panera sourdough bread bowl with whisky, marijuana and repent and then left it in the sunbathe to think about what it’s done/ exhaustively curdle.

Is it possible to hop back into the scheduleof a responsible adult after a summer weekend of unadulterated fuckery?

I needed to be purified. For the coming week( ish ), I plan to document my seamless alteration into a well-rounded, health, sober human being who loves home cooking and early mornings.

Degenerates can have it all, too.

Tuesday, May 31: Welcome To A New Me, Assholes

7 am : I wake up, expecting to feel rested and revitalized from seven hours of sleep, except I live in New York City without an air conditioner. Forecasts say to expect warm, sunny days all week. I stand naked in my chamber and accept nature’s penalty for my miscreantbehavior over the weekend. 7:05 am : I turn on the rain. I plan to wash my whisker today because I haven’t in a few weeks. I’m starting to look like Johnny Depp I’m talking Captain Jack Sparrow Johnny Depp , not “Crybaby Johnny Depp and it’s not a sound I can pull off.

Before getting clean, I sit on the settle and suck cold coffee I stuck in the fridge the darknes before in an admirable ordinance of #MealPrep and #SelfLove. It’s merely OK.

7:30 am : After my rain, I silently praise myself for not only soaking my hair, but likewise scraping my legs. Unbridled feminine power is extending from my calves, which are a tiny bit lashed, but whatever. Nobody’s perfect.

I spray rose water( a hydrosol) with frankincense from Enfleurage on my face, justasmy bestie admonished. Herbraces once got stuck to my favorite sweater in front of our eighthgrade class, but now she’sa professional makeup creator, licensed aesthetician and semi-finalist on season 10 of Syfy’s Face Off.” If she told me it would build me eternally beautiful, I would fill my holes to the brim with goose poop and decorate thinner.

I pull my mane back because heat-free styling feels like a responsible move and slather SPF with zinc oxide on my sugared, smooth faccia to protect it from the sun that seeks to destroy its ageless glamour.

8: 15 am : I march to the nearest subway stop. Sweet Lord. It’s already so red-hot. Too numerous tacos from the nighttime before recur my bowels. 9 am : I arrive at work and heat up a packet of organic( ooooooooh !!!) instant oatmeal. I arouse in peanut butter and raspberries. I start to feel superior to anyone who devour a bagel this morning. Don’t they care about their own bodies? I do. I would NEVER consider putting that kind of drivel in my flesh temple.

I am a new lady brimming with self-respect. I would rather drownmy somewhat unblemished, 27 -year-old body in the shit hose from “The Shawshank Redemption”than load it full of simple-minded carbs and transfats.I am better than every human/ swine/ deity, nutritionally speaking.

10:30 am : I begin to sketch a breakup email to my therapist of nearly three years. This find counterproductive to my efforts to become the healthiest all-around Taylor, but I have no choice. My employer lately changed insurance carriers and my doctor only abides one type.

I consider living therapy-free. I’d have an extra 40 instants of period each week, and I wouldn’t have to hike to the Upper East Side for appointments. This tones, after nine years of therapy, like a welcome separate I may eventually be ready to handle.

Seconds pass. I embark Googling healers who admit my new guarantee, rapidly coming to expressions with the facts of the case a therapy-free life is a dystopian barren for me and everyone I love.

I’d likely end up dating a high school senior, going really into headbands as a flesh of self-expression, defining small-minded volleys to appear alive, counting calories from gum I ruminated as legitimate sections of energy and becoming one with my bed.

12 pm : I eat lunch, slapping sliced avocado and a mid-sized tupperware’s worth of homemade salsa on some rice patties. It’s all right, but it prepares me kind of thirsty. I realize I’ve merely had two glass of water in so far today.

Proper hydration is something health seeds( identify: Gwenyth Paltrow or the Moon Juice girl) take very seriously, likely. I suppose one day being that kind of wispy, elegant 40 -year-old woman whose surface incandescences and whose forearms examine just likethe small remains kids shove in the sides of a snowman. Totally achievable.

5:00 p.m. : I leader to the gym, fueled by a renewed feel of purpose and the disgrace that harasses one after a weekend of questionable choices. I run. I squat. I try to toss my hair behind my shoulders and snicker carelessly atop the treadmill, but my hair is very short and I cannot breathe deeply sufficient to chuckle because practice is hard. 6 pm : Each time I cleanse my hands, I put on Trader Joe’s Coconut Body Butter because I care about moisturizing now. It smells like dessert. It stirs my knuckles feel ridiculously smooth. My knuckles are basically astrapping young camel who’s precisely had his humps shaved for a big appointment, or something. 7 pm : I leader to Lowe’s to buy an AC unit for my suite, every inch of whichis charminglysunbathed in the winter and awash with unavoidable hellfirein the summer.I find a group that looks like every other unit and wait for my roommate, who’s hold back at her nannying profession, to come promotion me get this fatty bitch home.

I stand in the checkout expanse next to my large-scale girl buy, mutely praising those lucky enough to witness me expending $350 on something other than alcohol and fancy potatoes.

7:30 pm : My roommate, Charlotte, arrives at Lowe’s. We haul the human rights unit into a taxi and, formerly we make it uptown to our structure, haphazardlydragit up five flights of stairs to our apartment.

The whole seek leaves me feeling proud and physically destroyed. We soondiscover special bolts on our opening grate that won’t allow us to install the air conditioner until acontractor trips. So, fuck it, I guess.

8 pm : I snack a veggie burger patty and a container of sauted kale for dinner. So many nutrients! I want to die, kind of.

9:15 pm : Charlotte and I use the AC unit as a foot residual/ coffee table, and we begina series of dialogues so specific to our generation I think, for a moment, whether it would sound like system to my grandfather( or any other 84 -year-old because my granddad is deaf ).

Me: U can’t use the black thumbs up emoji, Charlotte, that’s racist.

Roommate: I feel bad shedding all my emoji white-hot. Like Hollywood.

— Taylor Ortega (@ taylor_ortega) June 1, 2016

Remember where reference is all caused Cara Delevignenevne a Nobel prize for I approximate having almost a personality

— Charlotte Barnett (@ CHARBAR) April 20, 2016

Pitbull is proof the Harry Potter universe is jolly since he’s certainly retired Miami Voldemort.

— Taylor Ortega (@ taylor_ortega) October 8, 2015

Sexism in Hollywood: no one asked for MORE David Schwimmer, hitherto here we are

— Charlotte Barnett (@ CHARBAR) May 5, 2016

I too wonder whether any of the dumb shit we say is proof Millennials are mankind’s salvation or itsfinal damnation. I decide we’re maybe the latter, but implant that thought deep in an effort to stay positive and shun stress-eating the box of chocolate almonds Charlotte has opened on the couch.

9:25 pm : My ex-boyfriend arrives to pick up the stuff he left at my accommodation before we broke up. I look like a sweatbeast and my leg is bleeding a bit, for some reasonablenes. I facilitate him carry his containers downstairs.

We chat. It’s all really mature. Extremely Calvin Harris and Taylor Swift, if Calvin Harris was a beautiful, half-asian human who insisted on accompanying his goddamn bike everywhere and Taylor Swiftwas 5’10”, willowy and born in 1989( this is an outright brag about how much I have in common with Taylor Swift ).

We are advanced humen capable of enjoying and losing without hysterium. My leg hemorrhages the whole time, but he doesn’t say anything.

12 am: I wash my face, spray it with rose water, brush my teeth, determined my frighten and contribute myself a big ol’ pat on the back for a epoch of task, healthful eating, evolve interactions, adult acquisitions and sobriety. I is certainly be able to pick up the slack from this weekend without breaking a sweat.

Wednesday, June 1: 24 Hours Might As Well Be A Million Years

9 am : POTATO CHIPS FOR BREAKFAST? COME ON, YOU WEAK, SWEATY BITCH. You know what? It’s fine. I’m fine. Part of self-improvement is acknowledging moments of weakness and not letting dichotomous thoughts to thwart progression. I’M STILL IN THE GAME. 1 pm : I steadily hydrate throughout the day. I ingest tofu salad with brown rice for lunch. I am sharp-worded, alert and full of energy. 6:30 pm : My improv team, Champagne Empire, rehearses a few stymies from my agency. After a few particularly physical scenes, I wonder whether I should have worn a short sundress on a show darknes, regardless of the fact that I remembered to put on bikeshorts underneath. 9:00 p.m. : I arrive at the theater an hour before my substantiate. What should I have for dinner? A gin and tonic with acquaintances? Sure, sounds great! 9:01 pm : SHIT, WAIT. 10 pm : Champagne Empire’s weekly substantiate begins. Without being provoked by another teammate, I decide to play the status of women whose legs were burned off by a chocolate fountain.

I drag my person around the stage by my limbs for 25 hours, realise it’s my fault for not only wearing a dress to this evidence, but choosing to play a flailing, horizontal persona for no reason whatsoever.

11 pm : All is not lost. There is one hour to save my era. I’m not going to stress out about perfection. I’m going to take each hour as it comes and allow my health choices to cleanse every last cell in my form until I have achieved a superior status of world. What’s that? My friends are having a few beers? SURE I’ll join! 11:01 pm : WAIT, SHIT. UGH.

Thursday, June 2: You’re Not Better Than Me

8 am : I am beginning work with an easy daylight ahead of me. I have no rehearsals , no shows and no air conditioners to drag up and downthe west back of the city. All of my fortitude and centre can be exploited to achieve the clean lifestyle that’s escaped me my entire life/ the majority of members of this week. 8: 10 am : Organic oatmeal and fruit for breakfast. I smile as I eat it, hoping the physical pageantrywill influence inner gaiety. It doesn’t because oatmeal is just red-hot, mushyplant matter.

Fruit is delicious and beautiful, but it’s not magic. Trans fatties? Those are magic.

Over the past few decades, the meat industry in its own country has obtained a method to deliver us orgasmically yummy plows made from ingredients that just characterize as edible.

Beyond plainly creating these considers, they found a method to addict the American people to them like cigarettes, if cigarettes didn’t preference like dry hound shit and, instead, savor like rich chocolate with a faint plastic aftertaste.

God bless America. I would dismembera live stranger with my bare hands for a Drake’s Cake.

4:00 pm : I pate to the gym, telling myself I just have to get through 40 times before I can leave and do what I actually want to do, which is anything else in the whole wide world. While pretending to try, I receive an email tell people I’ve been charged for a month-long Tidal subscription.

I certainly forgot to cancel it when the free ordeal resolved, and now I’m persisted paying for it. Even in my evolved, nutritious, semi-sober position, small things arefalling through the cracks and I’m starting to wonder whether I was better off waking up with my jeans on and my contacts suctioned to my eyeballs in my fully lit bedroom at 4 am most days.

6:30 pm : For the first time, I see Dumbo. It’s the neighborhood in Brooklyn whereDan Humphrey and his floppy-haired, Gin Blossoms-y dad lived on “Gossip Girl, ” despite being outlined as too good to live in any waterfront property.

I meet afriend to listen some live salsa music and watch babes dance( read: run in circles, mainly ). Here, sitting outside amonga cluster of Brooklyn children with cooler haircuts than me and their swank mothers who likely live in lofts nearby, a calm washes over me and I have the first substantial epiphany of my rebirth…

Friday, June 3: Fuck This Stupid Lifestyle Change

I don’t need to be better at living. I’m already amazingat living.

I have a relatively helpful magnitude from a commonwealth institution I begrudgingly attended following a substantial nervous breakdown at artwork school.

I have a task I enjoy and show up to every day in a semi-punctual, enthusiastic manner.

I have never missed a rent payment on anapartment I’m hesitantto show to gentleman callersbecause, fine, it’s like walking into an immersive trailer for “Grey Gardens.”

I have two floras in my room that, despite being half dead, are also half thriving.

I recently met, and then instantly deleted, two separate dating apps that attained me feel like a judgmental elitist/ future carnage victim.

I showered this morning.

Ihave a strong, positive relation with their own families, despite my mother’s evident outrage at the factI workfull time in an manufacture that substantiates my degree rather than livingin a youth hostel somewhere, elapsing my occasion doing whippets and watching old escapades of “Family Matters.”

I have never physically tortured or killed an animal or human, which I suspect is a concept the majority of members of us haven’t done, but that probably shouldn’t disrepute my achievement.

Self-improvement must be somewhat important, seeing as Americans waste billions of dollars per year trying to rift it, but perhaps, for the majority of us, it’s bullshit.

The version of adulthood I hoped to represent mine so many times is a fantasize that, formerly I actually tried to attain it, took me less than three days to vacate for something I basically understood from the beginning: Stop has become a dick.

Stop being a dick to strangers, to friends, to lineage, to your form, to your psyche, to the environment, to Anne Hathaway, to jerks and to enemies.

I’m tired, you guys. Life is tiring.

If waking up every morningat 4:45 am to shove a bunch of dry greens and ginger into a juicerbefore heading out for some cardio reaches you joyous, then experience your 9 am, in-office diarrhea break-dance knowing full well you’ve accomplishedsomething personally beneficial. If it doesn’t, fuck it.

Just don’t be a dick.

The post The Timeline Of Becoming Human Again After A Weekend Of Terrible Decisions appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2wqQhbW via IFTTT

#IFTTT #WordPress

0 notes