#he just now posts a welcome to week 2 announcement including the assignment we have to do....most already having been due by now

[saltytyrus]

...it's the anxiety

[onionsoop]

Late at Night /// Nanami x f!Reader /// (+18)

Summary: During a class trip to Hokkaido, you find yourself stuck in the same bed with Nanami which leads to some late night events unexpected events :0

Length: 4.5k

Tags & Warnings: Teacher x Student (Reader is 18), exhibitionism (kind of), voyeurism (kind of), fingering, unprotected sex, creampie, stupid “same bed” cliché, praise (kind of)

Authors Note: Hey everyone, I just wanted to let you all know that this the first fic that I’ve ever written and I hope you enjoy! I’m hoping to keep writing and posting more fics to this blog in the future for Jujutsu Kaisen, Haikyuu, and maybe some other fandoms. Anyways, thanks for reading and sorry for any spelling mistakes :) Oh, also there might be a part 2 for this??? idk, ill decide later on, not sure what direction I wanna take it in

The sound of the bus coming to a halt was what woke you up from your long and uncomfortable nap. You opened your bleary eyes to find the rest of the students in your class beginning to stand up and climb out into the cold and snowy outside. It had been a long trip, about eight hours and during that time almost everyone had fallen asleep. You had all left at eleven in Tokyo and due to being so far North, the sun had already set outside despite it only being seven. You picked up your backpack from where it was shoved underneath the seat in front of you and let out a sigh about having to get up and stretch your stiff legs. 

As you filed into the line, you were greeted by a large slap on your back, “Hey Y/N, how’d ya sleep?” Nobara asked, giving you one of her signature grins. 

“Fine,” you said rubbing your eyes, “though I can’t say that the bus window made a very comfortable pillow.”

“Well good thing we’ll be able to sleep soon. Hopefully, Gojou will put us together and won’t ruin our fun,” She said with a wink, receiving a small chuckle from you. Two weeks prior to the trip, Nobara had spent most of her time devising a plan to prank Itadori and Megumi while they were asleep. You knew she was counting on you to help her out with it, but you were a little unsure if you wanted to risk getting caught and excluded from the rest of the trip in order to fulfill one of her silly ideas.

Once everyone finally piled out of the bus, you were all led into the Dining Hall for a nice hot meal, a welcomed contrast to the freezing temperatures outside. You had never been to Hokkaido before and both the piles of white fluffy snow and the different array of hot soups and curries were new and exciting to experience. Dinner was overall jovial and chaotic, you sat with Itadori, Nobara, Todo, and Maki and you had all had a good time arguing about what activities you wanted to do in the next few days and which dish was the best. By the time dinner was over, you felt completely stuffed. During the course of the mea, you had eaten almost everything you could get your hands on and now felt more ready than ever to go to bed despite already sleeping on the bus. 

Everyone was piled into the main lounge area of the dorm building to be sorted into rooms. You could see students shifting around trying to get closer together and counting the number of people between them to try and be spaced together. From the edge of the room, Nobara was making aggressive eye contact with you and beckoning you to come over, which you quickly did in hopes that you wouldn’t be stuck in a room with people you didn’t know. 

At the front of the room, Gojou stood up and clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “Now everyone, as you probably know, there are going to be four people per dorm, no more, no less during the duration of our trip. In every room, there is going to be one chaperone and three students. There are only two beds per room, so you will have to share with somebody else or choose to sleep on the floor, it’s up to you. And finally, to your displeasure, we have already assigned who is going to be in what rooms.” 

That final sentence caused a groan to come from the student body along with sounds of protest and arguing. Gojou ignored this though and pulled out a crumpled sheet of paper and began to read names off of them. Students all began to pick up their stuff and head to their dorms as they were called out, and as you all listened Nobara let out a groan as she was sent to a room with Inumaki, Panda, and Mei Mei. You waited on the floor still surveying who else you might be put with. The number of students in the room was dwindling and most of your friends had already been taken which sent a pang of worry into your gut. 

“... and in room 6 there will be Itadori, Megumi, Y/N, and Nanami,” Gojou said. A momentary wave of relief washed over you after hearing that, you knew Megumi and Idatori semi-well, so it wouldn’t be too awkward of a time, but that feeling quickly dissipated as you remembered you were with Nanami. It was a well-known fact that about ninety percent of the female population found him attractive, and you couldn’t be excluded from that group. The pieces of the puzzle quickly snapped into place as you thought more about the room situation. You were the only girl in the group, which meant that there was no way in hell that they would be letting Itadori or Megumi share a bed with you. 

You would be sleeping right next to Nanami. For the next four nights. 

The walk to the room was only a chance for you to get more and more anxious as you thought about the upcoming events. Megumi and Itadori were cheerfully chatting in front of you, occasionally turning back to include you in the conversation or make a joke, but it didn’t help with the looming feeling of Nanami behind you. 

You all arrived in the room and Itadori immediately jumped on the bed, messing up the sheets and knocking off one of the pillows, earning a sigh and displeased look from Megumi. Despite your nerves, you plastered a neutral expression on your face and tentatively walked over to the second bed in the room, setting your bag down and sitting down on the squishy mattress. 

At this point, Itadori and Megumi were starting to argue, Megumi saying that he wouldn’t be able to sleep next to him if he was going to take up that much room while Itadori was doing his best to stretch all his limbs out across the full length of the bed. You pulled out your phone and tried your best to look busy. It wasn’t quite time for lights-out, but you still felt a bit nervous starting to unpack in a room full of guys, especially with one that made your heart race. 

Nanami, in his typical fashion, had not said anything since being assigned to the rooms. You felt him sit down on the other side of the bed and saw that he was beginning to unpack out of the corner of your eye. You shouldn’t be so nervous, nobody else is, after all, Nanami was just going to be sleeping next to you, you had stood that close to him before on other occasions. It still felt different though… You quickly shut those thoughts out of your head as soon as they came in. He was your teacher, you shouldn’t be thinking that way. 

To distract yourself, you unzipped your bag to go and look for your pajamas and toothbrush. You had packed a mix of cold and warm clothing for your trip considering you would be traveling all over the place, but you soon realized you had made a mistake with your pajamas. You pulled out the green shorts and tank top you had packed without much thought, despite never feeling this way about them before, you now felt that they might be a little too revealing for sleeping in a room full of guys. 

You shoved the top back into your bag and opted for a t-shirt instead, which helped you feel a little less nervous about your situation. In order to get out of the room, and to hopefully talk to Nobara, you rushed into the girl’s bathrooms and let out a relieved sigh. This trip was going to be a difficult one to get through. 

You quickly got changed in a stall and spent a large portion of time afterward talking with the other girls in the room. Many of them were complaining about who they got put in a room with while others were whining about not getting to stay with Gojou. Apparently, Momo was the lucky girl of the night who got to room with Gogou, Todo, and Mechamaru, but she didn’t seem to have much interest in her good fortune. Finally, Nobara slammed open the door to the girl’s bathroom and made her way over to you. 

“I can’t believe this stroke of luck, you got a room with both Itadori and Megumi, that’ll be perfect,”  She said with a devious grin on her face. 

“I’m not really sure, do we really wanna risk the rest of the trip?” You said, trying your best to calm Nobara’s excitement. 

“It’ll be fine, don’t worry. Plus, we can wait until the last day too, then they’ll have their guard down too,” she stated, nudging you in the arm after. You continued to happily chat with the rest of the girls and avoid going back to your room for a good half an hour, but, as expected, you heard Gojou come down the hall announcing that it was five minutes until lights-out. Most of the girls quickly began packing up their stuff and rushing out of the bathroom to not get in trouble and you figured you should do the same. 

When you walked back to your room and pushed open the cracked door you were quickly confronted with your nerves coming back and a hyper Itadori. Megumi was in bed doing his best to read a book while Itadori was bugging him through multiple various and loud methods. You went back to your side of the bed and put your toothbrush and skincare away, laser focusing your eyes on anything that wasn’t Nanami. 

The five minutes that you had before bedtime seemed to be over before you could even process it. For the first time that night, at least to your knowledge, Nanami finally said something, “Alright boys and Y/N, lights out.” Which earned a complaint from Itadori and caused Megumi to quickly jump up and shut off the lights, eager to have a chance to get away from him. You could see Itadori and Megumi start to bicker about the blankets and “staying on your side of the bed” as you pulled back the covers and crawled in between the blanket and the sheets. The bed was warm from the thick layered blankets on top and the fuzzy fabric it was made out of and as soon as you sank into it, your tiredness from the long day hit you like a brick. Despite that though, you still went stiff when you felt the bed shift from Nanami laying down next to you. 

“If I steal all the blankets during the night feel free to take them back.” He said, making you jump and answer with a quick “Okay.”

Even after Itadori and Megumi had finally settled down you still couldn’t completely calm down. You were making sure to stay on the very edge of the bed to not accidentally make contact with Nanami, but it wasn’t a comfortable position. You thought he might be asleep already but you weren’t entirely sure, he hadn’t moved much from his original position either.  You could hear Itadori’s snores from across the room and the constant shifting of Megumi who was currently covering his head to try and drown it out. After a while though, you finally felt yourself begin to drift into sleep, and you welcomed it. 

It was the middle of the night. You don’t know what woke you up but you found yourself disturbed and rubbing your eyes in the pitch-black room. As your eyes were beginning to adjust though, you immediately froze. You found yourself facing the chest of Nanami with his arm under your head, you must have rolled over at some point in the night putting you right next to him. 

The slight smell of aftershave filled your nose and you could hear him gently breathing with the rise and fall of his chest, he must be fast asleep. The loud snores of Itadori still echoed through the room but all you could concentrate on was the man in front of you. You had never been this close to him before, or anyone before, and your heart felt like it was about the burst out of your chest. You wouldn’t dare move in fear of waking him up and making the situation awkward, so you stayed frozen in your spot trying not to shake. 

You couldn’t deny that you had thought about things like this before, the thought of being so close to him, having him touch you, and being able to feel him under your hands, but the prospect of having it actually happen was just too anxiety-inducing. You could feel your face going red as you thought about all the dirty things you had done before, and you felt a slight twinge between your legs. 

You couldn’t. Could you? You hated the thought as soon as it entered your head, but that didn’t stop your hand from creeping between your legs and resting on your stomach. It was so wrong, he was your teacher, he was nine years older than you, but you didn’t want to stop. You would probably never get a chance like this ever again. You could even promise yourself to sleep on the floor the next three nights, but just this once, you wanted to risk it. 

Your fingers crept down under the waistband of your shorts and panties and dipped into the slick folds between your legs. You tentatively put two fingers inside, never taking your eyes off of Nanami’s face, and began to pump them in and out. Your thumb found its place on your clit which you began to rub circles on. The sudden feeling of having your clit touched was enough to make you clamp your other hand over your mouth to try and quiet your breathing. Your first priority had to be staying silent.

You could feel your eyes beginning to half close as you gave into the pleasure, and they drifted down to look at Nanami’s chest and the sculpted muscles under his shirt. You began to move your fingers faster feeling your release on its way and you held your hand tighter to your mouth as your head became fuzzy. Small whimpers were beginning to slip out of your throat and you could feel your movements getting sloppier as you continued to speed up. 

A hand wrapped around your wrist, stilling your hand. 

You froze, eyes shooting open to find Nanami looking down at you with a weary expression. You opened your mouth to say something but nothing came out. Your brain was in a frenzy, you wanted to just evaporate into thin air or die on the spot, but you couldn’t do anything. 

“What are you doing?” He asked with no hint of emotion in his voice. 

“I-I’m sorry-- I--,” you couldn’t spit the words out, truthfully you couldn’t even think of what to say. You were caught red-handed and you didn’t think you would ever be able to make yourself forget the embarrassment you felt at this exact moment. 

“Do you normally do this when you’re put next to your teachers?” 

“No, I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry I’ll leave--” you stuttered out, trying your best to make the situation end as quickly as possible.

“So this is a special occasion then?” He asked, holding your gaze and not releasing your arm. 

“N-No--”

“Which is it then? Do you normally do this or is this a one-time thing?” He said, interrupting you before you could spit out another pitiful apology. You tried your best to slow your breathing to get out a coherent answer, but it wasn’t working with the way that Nanami’s eyes were drilling into yours.

“I-Its a one-time thing, I-I’m sorry, I’ll go sleep on the floor,” you said trying to pull your hand out of his grasp but he didn’t let go. You felt sick, you shouldn’t have taken the risk, you knew that the mortification you felt would outweigh the pleasure you got from masturbating if you got caught.

“You’ll be left frustrated then.” He said. Everything he was saying wasn’t registering, all you felt was the panic in your gut and the need to get away as quickly as possible. 

“T-That’s fine, I-I don’t care,” you quickly spit out, feeling tears pricking at the corner of your eyes.

“Are you sure...? ...I’d be willing to help,” he said, keeping his voice low as to not wake Itadori and Megumi.

“I--.., w-wait, what?” You said, the meaning of his words finally hitting you. 

“I would be willing to help, I don’t want one of my students feeling pent up and unsatisfied.”

“I…” you didn’t know what to say, you were so shocked by the whole situation that the thought of answering was even too much. He pulled your hand up from under your shorts and out into the open where evidence of your actions was clearly visible on your fingers. His gaze dropped back down to your face expecting a response. You opened your mouth to answer before diverting your eyes and opting to give a small nod.

Nanami’s hand landed on your hip and slowly made its way down under the waistband of your shorts while the arm that was under you came down to reach around your back and pull you closer. You could feel his fingers brushing past your stomach as they trailed closer to your dripping wet cunt. Your breath was caught in your throat as you felt everything that was happening, you had to be dreaming, there was no way. 

Nanami’s fingers finally reached your entrance and he slipped one inside of you, causing you to let out a small gasp and cling onto his shirt. His fingers were much larger than yours and could reach places that you couldn’t yourself, making you tighten up around him. It was truly torturous as he began to move his finger inside of you, the friction on your tight walls and the adrenaline from the whole situation was enough to make your head fuzzy and cause a small whimper to come out from your sealed lips. 

 You could feel him pulling you closer as you held onto his shirt and arched your back from the pleasure. He was already going at a gentle and agonizing pace inside of you, but when he added a second finger it was what threw you over the edge into a shaking mess. You were no longer able to control your breathing and keep quiet so you threw a hand over your mouth in order to stifle your moans and whimpers. 

“Getting close?” he asked, whispering into your ear making you shiver from the feeling of his breath on your skin.

Without thinking, you whined out, “Y-Yes, b-but I want more, I-I need you inside of me...” 

As soon as you said it you knew you had gone too far. Here Nanami was, fingering you and holding you close to help you cum, and you had the audacity to ask for more. His fingers stilled inside of you and you tightened up at the feeling of them sliding out, leaving you empty. Nanami put his hand under your chin and tilted your head up to look him in the eyes.

“Then climb on,” he said, making your eyes widen.

You took your hands away from their place on his shirt and began to unsteadily move yourself on top of him. At that same time, he had his fingers hooked around the waistband of your shorts and thoroughly soaked panties and was pulling them down your legs. You positioned yourself on top of his lap, your thighs on either side of his hips. You had your hands braced firmly on his chest, trying to hold yourself up, but you couldn’t manage sitting up more than a few inches. Under your bare pussy you could feel his hard-on through his pants and you were trying your best to keep your hips still and not grind on him. 

His large hands began to pull his pants and boxers down and you lifted your hips to make it easier, but when he had finally removed them you couldn't hide your surprise about his size. Apparently, the look was written all over your face because a hint of a smile was on Nanami’s face and he grabbed your hips to keep you steady.

“You were the one who said you wanted more, sweetheart. You haven’t changed your mind right?”

You dryly swallowed and quickly shook your head no. Even if you were worried about being able to take him, it didn’t mean that you weren’t going to try, especially when one of your wet dreams was playing itself out in real life.

Nanami slid his hands around your hips and under your thighs to help position you above his cock. You could feel yourself beginning to shiver with anticipation just by looking down at what you were going to take in your tight, dripping pussy. The need to be filled up by him was becoming overwhelming and he was taking his sweet time with looking at you and lowering you onto him. When the tip finally touched your entrance you let out a whimper followed up by a pathetic “please.”

“Please what? I wanna hear you say it.” Nanami said, bringing a hand up to stroke your cheek.

“P-Please fuck me, I-I wanna be filled up so badly,” you said, your voice barely more than a whisper. Finally, you felt him start to enter you, your walls painfully stretching to accommodate his size, and you weren’t able to stifle the high-pitched moan that escaped your lips when it happened. Your vision was getting blurry and your arms lost the strength to hold you up anymore, causing your head to smack into his chest. You heard Nanami curse at the loud noise you made and you felt his fingers force their way into your mouth and down your throat, forcing you to keep quiet. He continued to push your hips down onto him, earning a few whimpers and causing you to grip onto his arm. Despite your heavy breathing, he didn’t give you much time to adjust to his size, you could feel the painful sensation of him pressing up against your cervix as he held you down along with the feeling of your slick beginning to coat both of your thighs. 

His grip tightened on your ass as he began to lift you up and down, you tried your best to help by moving your hips but you didn’t have much strength left in your legs after being so close to cumming earlier. The feeling of him stretching you out and rubbing against your slick insides would have ordinarily caused you to make moans that could be heard through the walls, but the combined force of using all your willpower and having two fingers shoved down your throat was enough to reduce your noises to just quick and heavy breathing. The wet sound of you bouncing on his dick was the only noise that could be heard throughout the room and it was enough to make you tighten up around him, causing Nanami to shut his eyes and get a concentrated look on his face. 

In a hushed and deep voice, Nanami asked, “Can you keep quiet sweetheart?” which you quickly nodded to. As soon as he had removed his fingers from your mouth, leaving a trail of saliva behind, your hand was back over your mouth and you were biting your lip hard enough to draw blood. His free hand brushed a piece of your hair behind your ear before making its way under your shirt. You felt him grab your chest and begin to pinch your nipple between his middle and index finger, making your job of staying quiet much harder than before. The feeling of having your chest played with sent waves of pleasure down to your crotch, only causing you to feel yourself get wetter and closer to orgasm. The pace he was fucking you at wasn’t ruthless, but it was slow and powerful enough to make you feel your release building up inside of you, every thrust made it a challenge for you to hold on and not completely give in. You could feel that he was close too, his movements were getting more erratic and you could see the sheen of sweat on his face in the dim light of the window. 

You took your free hand and moved it up to his face, brushing your fingers past his cheek and sliding them into his hair. You didn't feel like you would be able to hold on much longer and your eyes began to cross as you let yourself fully give in.

“Cum with me sweetheart, okay?” He said, looking up at you through lowered eyelids. You nodded with what little energy you could and prepared yourself for what was next. His hand moved from its spot on your chest and went down to help fuck you faster on his dick. The pace quickly picked up and you could feel that your pussy was going to be bruised in the morning from how hard he was going. He reached his thumb down to your clit and began to move it in circles like you were doing before, causing you to gasp and grip onto the hair that was in your hand. 

It took all your effort to keep in your moans and whimpers as you reached your climax, feeling your cunt spasm around him and the words “good girl” falling from his lips. Your vision went blurry as he continued to fuck you through your orgasm and cum inside you, filling you up with his hot sticky liquid. 

When you regained your focus, you were both a gasping and sweaty mess under the covers. His hands had moved to rest around your back and hold you against him and his cock was still sheathed inside of you. You didn’t have any energy to move and simply let your arms fall limp on the bed, savoring the afterglow and the feeling of his cum starting to drip out of you. 

You felt immensely tired and could feel your eyelids wanting to close. You felt Nanami place a kiss on top of you head which caused a faint smile to form on your lips and you wrapped your arms around him, ready to fall asleep exactly where you were resting on top of him.

As you gave one last look around the room though, the last thing you saw before you drifted to sleep was Itadori staring at you wide eyed from the other bed. 

[hopebird3]

US coronavirus: it might take 'many, many' more vaccine mandates to conclusion the Covid-19 pandemic, Fauci says

© Patrick T. Fallon/AFP/Getty photos an indication backyard of Langer's Deli in l. a. on August 7 mentioning proof of a Covid-19 vaccination is required for entry. tens of millions of americans nonetheless should get vaccinated to sluggish or cease the unfold of Covid-19 and getting the pandemic below manage could take "many, many" more vaccine mandates, Dr. Anthony Fauci said. Fauci, the director of the national Institute of allergy and Infectious ailments, said if greater individuals aren't persuaded to get vaccinated with the aid of messaging from health officers and "trusted political messengers," extra mandates from colleges and companies can be vital. "I agree with it truly is going to turn this round because I don't suppose individuals are going to wish to no longer go to work or no longer go to college ... they will do it," Fauci told CNN's Jen Christensen right through an interview at the NLGJA, the affiliation of LGBTQ Journalists, conference Sunday. "you'd like to have them do it on a totally voluntary groundwork, but if that would not work, you've gotten acquired to move to the alternatives." The mixture of the tremendously contagious Delta variant and the vaccine holdouts has put the U.S. in a "very intricate period" of the Covid-19 pandemic, Fauci spoke of. Of the eligible population within the US, which is presently confined to americans 12 and older, 63% are completely vaccinated, in line with statistics from the facilities for sickness control and Prevention. health experts and officials are aiming for the colossal majority of the inhabitants to be inoculated to control the unfold. ultimate week, President Joe Biden introduced vaccine requirements that include a mandate for companies with greater than a hundred employees to require vaccination or general checking out for employees. businesses that desire employees to come to work and live at work will advantage from vaccine necessities, US Surgeon accepted Dr. Vivek Murthy said. The mandate will advantage personnel as neatly, he introduced. "I consider so that you can now not most effective enhance public fitness, nonetheless it will give individuals some extra peace of intellect," Murthy instructed CNN Sunday. because the debate over mandates continues, some hospitals are feeling the impact of lagging vaccination charges. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis sounded the alarm Friday, saying, "We actually have the bottom ICU purchasable price that we've got had due to the fact that the start of this disaster, in part as a result of the unvaccinated with Covid and just different kinds of trauma that goes up seasonally this time of yr." Polis spoke of some hospitals in his state "reaching very near their means limits. And that wouldn't be going on if americans were vaccinated." To booster, or no longer to booster? an international neighborhood of vaccine scientists, together with some from the USA meals and Drug Administration and the world health corporation, say the latest evidence on Covid-19 vaccines doesn't appear to help a need for booster photographs within the typical public. The scientists, who authored a paper about this, include two senior FDA vaccine leaders, Dr. Philip Krause and Marion Gruber, who can be stepping down in October and November, the FDA introduced late final month. No additional details had been launched about their retirements, although they sparked questions on even if the departures would affect the agency's work. The paper's authors write that vaccine efficacy is still high against extreme sickness, including for the enormously transmissible Delta variant, despite the fact much less so for symptomatic disease. "existing evidence doesn't, for this reason, seem to reveal a need for boosting in the established inhabitants, wherein efficacy in opposition t extreme disorder is still excessive," the scientists write within the new paper, published Monday in the clinical journal The Lancet. The FDA and other public fitness companies all over proceed to verify evidence on Covid-19 vaccine efficacy and the role booster doses of the vaccine might play in improving immunity towards the disorder. different facts on the area will quickly be coming. the brand new England Journal of medicine will post Israeli information displaying that a booster shot of Pfizer's vaccine dramatically lowered severe Covid-19, in line with Dr. Nachman Ash, director prevalent of the Israeli Ministry of health. Israel begun its booster software on August 1; booster photographs were given to 2.eight million people there up to now. thus far, a good deal of the country's statistics on the efficacy of booster photographs has no longer been reviewed through outdoor specialists and published in a medical journal. US federal fitness officers have introduced plans to offer booster doses this autumn, starting September 20, discipline to authorization from the FDA and consent from the CDC. The FDA's Vaccines and related biological products Advisory Committee is assembly on Friday to talk about the utility with the aid of vaccine makers Pfizer and BioNTech to manage their Covid-19 vaccine as a 3rd dose, or "booster" shot, to individuals a while sixteen and older. children could get access to vaccines by means of Halloween parents concerned about keeping their young toddlers from the virus could have access to vaccinations for them by using for Halloween, talked about the former commissioner of the FDA. Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who's a board member at Pfizer, informed CBS' "Face the Nation" Sunday the company is expected to have statistics on vaccinations for children a long time 5-eleven ready for the FDA through the conclusion of September. "The FDA says it can be a matter of weeks, not months, to make a choice if they're going to authorize vaccines for youngsters between 5 to 11. I interpret that to be in all probability four weeks, might be six weeks," said Gottlieb. however, CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky turned into greater guarded about when kids can also be vaccinated. She spoke of Monday that the CDC is working urgently on a Covid-19 vaccine for more youthful infants, with the hope that they might be vaccinated via the conclusion of the 12 months. "We're looking ahead to the businesses to put up the information to the FDA. We're looking forward to to be able to take place within the fall," she advised NBC's "nowadays" exhibit. "we will look at that records from the FDA, from the CDC, with the urgency that we all consider for getting our children vaccinated and we're hoping by means of the conclusion of the 12 months." meanwhile, the FDA cautioned parents not to race to vaccinate their infants before approval from the agency. "babies don't seem to be small adults -- and issues that may well be addressed in pediatric vaccine trials can include whether there's a need for diverse doses or distinctive energy formulations of vaccines already used for adults," the FDA pointed out in a statement Friday. until it's protected to vaccinate that age neighborhood, Dr. James Versalovic, pathologist-in-chief at Texas toddlers's sanatorium, informed CBS that prevention is critical. "moreover prevention ... we need to continue to stress to all folks and families the importance of timely diagnosing through testing," Versalovic spoke of. "after which triage the care as it should be. decide no matter if that baby needs clinic-based care. We understand a way to treat babies at this point in the pandemic." NYC welcomes lower back college students ny city public college device reopened Monday morning with a hundred% of its students lower back in lecture rooms. "we have been working for 18 months to get equipped for this present day," big apple schooling Chancellor Meisha Ross Porter advised CNN in an interview Friday. All college students and teachers returning to school on Monday could be required to wear masks, and the city previously introduced a vaccine mandate for all public college personnel and not using a checking out opt-out. On Friday, the United Federation of teachers mentioned in an announcement that an unbiased arbitrator determined lecturers who have documented or non secular exemptions ought to be provided a non-classroom assignment. department of schooling officers spoke of Monday that 74% of lecturers and 66% of scholars 12-17 years historical have been vaccinated in long island metropolis. US training Secretary Miguel Cardona seemed virtually from a Bronx school and praised NYC officials for the reopening plan. "To all the families which are observing -- they've worked so tough, they've organized, they are doing everything to make sure your little ones and body of workers are secure," Cardona referred to. also on Monday, NYC all started enforcing its vaccination passport guidelines, which makes vaccinations required for indoor eating, gyms, and different venues. "here is the day we now have been watching for," de Blasio referred to Monday. heritage will bear in mind it, he stated, as "a day that was a online game changer, a change maker, a flip round day. this is the day NYC's coming returned in full force." 먹튀검증

[born2battle]

Defence Services Staff College Course @ Wellington

     We left Dhrangadhra after an emotional farewell by the Jat Balwans for yet another prestigious Course with a special professional significance.  This time our luggage had doubled since our small beginnings in Deolali & had to be sent in advance, neatly packed for a long journey, by civil truck to Wellington. The schedule for reporting had been intimated for each of the four Batches separately. My Batch of approx 60 officers reached Mettupalayam ( nearest railway station ) by overnight train from Coimbatore & all of us including the families  were welcomed with South Indian breakfast arranged at the Railway station by the Staff College. Thereafter, we moved in a convoy of Army buses on the scenic mountainous road upto Wellington. 

        At the Officers Mess, we had another grand reception after which we were briefed on a layout chart about the allotment of accommodation, spread out at different locations. Hence, we were required to board the mini-buses earmarked to take us to respective locations. We were lucky to be allotted a House in Castle Quarters which was just 2 kms from the College campus & just 200 metres from the DSSC Children School. Another surprise awaited us after reaching our House ---- the NCO to hand over the House who also handed over two huge cartons containing essential grocery items & fresh vegetables and a gas cylinder ( based on our requirement projected earlier ). We were also assured of all the meals in the Officers Mess till completion of settling down after unpacking the luggage. We were really impressed with this novel approach to facilitate settling down as quickly as possible. Both of us got onto the job of unpacking & settling down soon after our truck reached. Finally, we were adequately settled in our new Home within a week. 

       In this week, we also availed the opportunity to visit Ooty --- popularly called the Queen of the hill stations. Our first visit to the Ooty lake, the Botanical gardens & the highest point  --- Dodabetta peak gave us a glimpse of the splendour of the Nilgiris. However, the train journey from Wellington to Ooty & back by the Nilgiris Toy Train was the most exciting part for our daughters. The view of the tree plantations and the scenic valleys enroute was indeed splendid as the Toy Train traversed through tunnels and over beautiful bridges. The salubrious weather enhanced the experience further which triggered our desire to visit Ooty several times later in addition to visits to tourist spots in Coonoor, just adjacent to Wellington. These small trips over the weekends  provided the much needed break during the hectic schedule of the Course.

             Defence Services Staff College ( DSSC ) was founded in 1905  at Deolali when it was called Army Staff College. Later it moved to Quetta in 1907 & yet again to Wellington after the partition. Naval Wing was added in 1948 and the Air Wing was added in 1949.Finally, it was established as DSSC in 1950 & became the premier Joint Services Training Institution.The coveted DSSC Course trains selected officers from all the three Services & representatives from foreign countries for holding Staff & Command appointments in their career. At the end of the year, all officers are awarded M Sc ( Defence & Strategic Studies ) from Madras University. The Owl is the mascot of the Institution. The motto is “ Yuddham Pragya” meaning ---  “To War with Wisdom”.

      The Course commenced with the formal welcome address by the Commandant who complimented our selection for the most important Course in our career. He exhorted us to maintain our focus and work hard to the best of our ability & utmost of our capacity so as to become dependable Staff Officers and competent Commanding Officers. His motivational talk was followed by address by Chief Instructors of Army/Navy/Air Force who emphasised about  the concept of joint operations. We then moved to the respective Divisions ( each Division had 60 students ) for briefing by the Senior Instructor. He gave an overview about the Curriculum, the coverage of subjects in each of the six Tutorials and the pedagogy.This was followed by interaction with the Syndicate DS ( Directing Staff ). Each Syndicate comprised 10 students having a mix of officers from all Arms & Services. Syndicates as well as the Syndicate DS were changed after each Tutorial. This system enabled fair assessment of the students progressively in each Tutorial besides giving the students an exposure to different Syndicate DS having varied operational & command experience.

      The First Tutorial began with learning the finer details of written staff work ( termed as minor SD) where we had to submit several hand written assignments almost daily in the Locker Room, adjacent to the Library in the Campus.Late submission was not accepted at all since time management was considered crucial. In addition, we learnt in detail about the organisation, capabilities and employment of all Arms & Services, in all types of terrain. Simultaneously, we attended several guest lectures on military strategy and international relations. We were given group projects for study of technological developments in weapon systems. Thus, we adapted to the concept of task management as well as time management in the very first month.  In the Second Tutorial, we learnt about all type of operations in mountainous & high altitude terrain.. The coverage of the syllabus was sequential from indoor lectures to sand model discussions which were followed by outdoor exercises & war games. Consequent to each exercise, we had to write an Appreciation & the Operational order including the Tactical & Logistics plans. These had to be written overnight in the College campus itself and submitted by sunrise next day!! In the Third Tutorial, we learnt about all type of operations in the Plains , Canals & riverine terrain by a similar methodology. Guest lectures by eminent speakers continued on a weekly basis. The most memorable event was the inspiring lecture  by Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw, MC. This was attended by all the officers & families of DSSC.

        On completion of the Third Tutorial, we were allotted the topic for the Dissertation which had to be submitted one month prior to the completion of the Course.It meant additional load of research work and study in the Library, which was possible only on Sundays/ holidays. Thereafter, we had the much awaited mid term break for one week. Three of us planned a road trip with our families and visited Madurai, Tirupati & Kanya  Kumari, which proved to be very invigorating.

       In the Fourth Tutorial, we learnt about heliborne operations & Para Commando operations. The foreign officers gave their country presentations which were very interesting. Thereafter, we had the most important  War Game for a duration of one week, which was a two sided exercise with participation by all the three Services. It was the ultimate test of application of all the tactical concepts of defensive & offensive operations in a simulated battle scenario of LOC & LAC scenario. All the aspects of Staff work were also practised during this War Game. 

       We began the Fifth Tutorial with the Staff College Tour to visit major defence establishments of the three Services. The Tour was by Military Special Train starting from Mettupalayam and covering Chennai, Bangalore, Ahmednagar, Deolali, Pune & Mumbai before returning to the Nilgiris. The equipment display & firing demonstration at each training institution showcased our combat potential. Visit to Air Force Station at Pune was very spectacular.” Day at Sea” organised by the Navy  was again a fascinating experience and was indeed the grand finale.We returned after this memorable Tour , with bags full of shopping for the ladies & the children.The rest of the Tutorial was devoted to a Capsule of Management Studies which was conducted by a Team from College of Defence Management. 

     At the beginning of the Sixth Tutorial, the foreign officers were sent on Forward Area Tour ( FAT ) to visit the border areas in the Northern & Eastern sectors. Meanwhile, we had submitted our Dissertation and gave brief Presentations before the Viva Voce panel. Subsequently, we had a Capsule covering an overview of Nuclear, Biological & Chemical Warfare.Consequent to the return of foreign officers after their Forward Area Tour, central sessions were held for joint operations. These gave an opportunity for officers from all the three Services to discuss and plan joint  operations. Sand model discussions and War Games facilitated this Phase of training. We were also given group assignments to study about joint operations carried out earlier in other Theatres of War.

     The stage was now set for announcement of our posting orders. The suspense was over when the team from MS Branch from Army HQ arrived to release the” Mystery& Surprise”. Thereafter, the postings were announced  where majority of the Officers were posted on Staff at Brigade / Division HQ while the remainder were sent to the units. I was pleasantly surprised along with two more Gunner Officers to learn that all three of us were selected for a Specialization Course on 155mm FH77 Weapon system, which was to be acquired from M/S BOFORS Sweden. We were instructed to report at Deolali for the pre-departure formalities before going for the Course in Sweden. We were to concentrate as a Team of 12 IGs and 8 AIGs who were selected for this special training. It was a rare privilege and an honour to be a part of this Team. 

        In the last week of the Course, we had the Convocation ceremony where we were awarded MSc. Degree in Defence and Strategic Studies. I felt delighted to secure First Class with Distinction and for being graded in the top five in the merit. Thereafter, we had the final farewell from the Staff College as we bid goodbye to our DS & all the Coursemates with whom we had such wonderful association in Wellington. Moments are momentary but memories are for ever!!!

[bountyofbeads]

A Tale of Two Jeffreys: How the Virgin Islands Welcomed a Rich Sex Offender—and Punished a Poor One

https://news.yahoo.com/tale-two-jeffreys-virgin-islands-100129832.html

A Tale of Two Jeffreys: How the Virgin Islands Welcomed a Rich Sex Offender—and Punished a Poor One

By Michael Daly, Special Correspondent | Published 07.28.19, 6:01AM ET | Daily Beast | Posted July 28, 2019 |

From the Virgin Islands comes a tale of two Jeffreys, and the difference great wealth can make when it comes to sex crimes—until it doesn't.

Both Jeffreys were convicted of shameful crimes that required them to register as sex offenders in whatever state or jurisdiction they resided.

Jeffrey Epstein pleaded guilty in Florida to engaging a minor in prostitution in a 2007 plea deal only a super-rich guy could have swung. He did 18 months locked up, mostly in a private wing of the Palm Beach County jail, where he only stayed at night, returning each morning to “work release.”

He then proceeded to prove that a registered sex offender with enough money in the Virgin Islands can just continue to come and go from a private island off the coast of St. Thomas, with an ever-changing entourage of girls who appeared to be barely in their teens. He would announce his periodic return by raising the American flag over the opulent hideaway identified on the maps as Little Saint James Island, but known to locals as “pedophile island.”

Jeffrey No. 2—Jeffery Cole—was convicted in Ohio of a misdemeanor charge of voyeurism in 2009. He was a schlub of modest means, but his offense was relatively minor (if creepy) and he needed neither wealth nor influence to receive just a suspended sentence of 90 days and two years probation.

“The underlying conviction, which requires Mr. Cole to register as a sex offender, did not involve a minor, physical violence, or physical touching of any kind,” his present attorney, Melanie Turnbull, noted in court.

We Found Red Flags All Over Jeffrey Epstein’s Jail Records

Once he successfully completed probation, Cole moved to Georgia, where he registered as a sex offender. He moved to the Virgin Islands in 2018 and has not been charged with engaging in further voyeurism or any other crimes.

The problem for this Jeffrey was that he failed to register promptly in his new home as a sex offender. The U.S. Attorney for the Virgin Islands, Gretchen Shappert, did not miss an opportunity to convey through the media how seriously her office takes such matters.

“USVI resident indicted for not registering as sex offender,” the headline in a local news outlet read.

That February 28th article was accompanied by a photo illustration that showed a parked auto with a driver-side front door emblazoned with the words “SEX OFFENDER In This Car.” It also pictured a house with a sign out front reading, ”SEX OFFENDER LIVES HERE.”

On April 12, Cole entered into a  plea deal where he faces a sentence of no more than a year.

“St. Thomas Resident Pleaded Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex Offender,” the U.S. Attorney’s press release announced.

In the meantime, on March 15, the other Jeffrey flew into St. Thomas aboard his private jet. He made his annual check-in at the local sex registry office, a gesture that can now be seen as a kind of mockery, as it’s been revealed that he had been seen still bringing young girls to his private island.

“Everybody was like, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s pedophile island,’” remembers a Wall Street numbers cruncher turned pizzeria owner who arrived in the Virgin Islands from New York in 2009.

Where were the authorities when it came to this Jeffrey?

Epstein’s Coney Island Days: From Math Nerd to ‘Arrogant’ Prick

At least four members of the local legislature accepted significant campaign contributions from Southern Trust Company, Inc., one of a host of business entities Epstein founded in the Virgin Islands. Those companies began with L.S.J, LLC, through which he bought his private island for $7.95 million in 1998.

Epstein had hired Cecile de Jongh, wife of former Virgin Islands Gov. John de Jongh, as the office manager for Southern Trust, which was granted income tax breaks of up to 90 percent by the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority. The former first lady also managed the Epstein VI Foundation, which supported everything from brain research at Harvard to the girls’ volleyball team at St. Croix Central High School in the Virgin Islands.

After Epstein was arrested in Florida for a sex crime involving a minor, a Virgin Islands newspaper called The Avis ran an article suggesting that Cecile de Jongh’s connections with Epstein might muddy her husband’s political prospects. The Avis also noted that the arrest called into question whether the girls’ volleyball team should have jerseys bearing the name Epstein.

A purported grassroots movement collected 5,000 signatures on a petition accusing The Avis of yellow journalism. Epstein attorney Gerald Lefcourt issued a statement saying, “The grand jury and the prosecutor's office... determined that no serious offense had occurred.”

Really.

Epstein kept partying on Pedophile Island. He is said to have met some resistance when he sought to buy the nearby, larger island of Great St James. The blue-blood Danish family that owned it is said to have been reluctant to sell to someone with Epstein’s unsavory reputation. But he appears to have managed to acquire it anyway in 2016 by cloaking the buyer’s identity with a company called Great St. Jim LLC. He is said to have paid $18 million.

Epstein immediately applied for a permit to erect two 80-foot flag poles, arguing that the 45-foot limit on the books should not apply to his property. No doubt at least one of the poles would be used to fly an American flag and announce for everyone to see when the owner of Pedophile Island was back.

But construction of a compound on the bigger island was delayed by environmental concerns that even somebody as well-connected as Epstein could not just circumvent.

And there was far greater trouble brewing for Epstein as the result of a determined reporter, Julie Brown of the Miami Herald.

Brown revealed and documented the unconscionable plea deal Epstein had been granted. The Manhattan U.S. Attorney launched a new investigation. 

In reviewing the 2007 Florida case, the FBI noted a court document reporting an incident that when agents served Epstein’s personal assistant Lesley Groff with a grand jury subpoena, she excused herself, purportedly to check on her child. She is said by the court document to have used the moment to telephone Epstein, who was headed in his private plane from Palm Beach to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey across the Hudson River from New York. He was in the company of another assistant, Nadia Marcinkova, who has been accused of complicity in his sex trafficking.

“Mr. Epstein became concerned that the FBI would try to serve his traveling companion, Nadia Marcinkova, with a similar grand jury subpoena,” the document reports. “In fact, the agents were preparing to serve Ms. Marcinkova with a target letter when the flight landed in Teterboro. Mr. Epstein then redirected his airplane, making the pilot file a new flight plan to travel to the US Virgin Islands instead.”

The American flag no doubt again went up over Pedophile Island as the FBI stood thwarted at Teterboro. 

A dozen years later, the FBI took great care that Epstein received no warning. He flew unsuspecting on July 6 from Paris to Teterboro and a waiting pair of handcuffs.

On July 8, Epstein was arraigned in Manhattan federal court on charges of trafficking in underage girls. He was remanded as a flight risk and a danger to the community. He was consigned to the Metropolitan Correctional Center, briefly in general population but within hours assigned to the Special Housing Unit due to threats from inmates who apparently take a dim view of “short eyes,” as child molesters are known behind bars.

Epstein must have considered the arrest a possibility, for some time ago he commissioned an artist to paint a mural in his Manhattan mansion of him in a prison yard. Neither he nor the artist seem to have foreseen that he would find himself locked up 23 hours a day in an eight-by-eight foot cell infested with cockroaches and rodents. A thickly screened single narrow window faces a brick wall and lets in only enough light to tell night from day. Mold is said to grow on the walls. Water seeps in under the door from a shower to which he has access only once every three days.

For two weeks, Epstein’s cellmate was an ex-cop named Nicholas Tartaglione, who is accused of a quadruple murder. Tartaglione says the two became “friends,” whereby he joined a list that once included two presidents, Donald Trump and Bill Clinton. A realtor who asked not to be identified recently told The Daily Beast that Trump exclaimed at a business gathering at Tavern on the Green some years ago that Epstein was “my best friend.”

Tartaglione has reportedly told authorities that he saved Epstein from a suicide attempt. But Trump may not be the only liar on Epstein's list of pals. Tartaglione ended up in the Special Housing Unit after he was caught with a cellphone that he insisted had just been given to him by another inmate. Tartaglione then moved to keep the government from inspecting the phone’s contents on the grounds it may have privileged communications with his lawyer and with his wife. Never mind it was supposedly not his.

Epstein is now said to be on suicide watch. He is 66 and, if convicted, he stands a good chance of dying in prison even if he takes the best possible care of himself. He may have finally landed in a situation where all his money cannot save him from suffering the consequences of his actions.

Also behind bars is the other Jeffrey, having been remanded when he entered his guilty plea in April.

Cole had been free on his own recognizance since his arraignment, the court having deemed him to be neither a flight risk nor a danger to the community. His attorney petitioned for him to remain at liberty pending sentencing, which is set for August 15.

The attorney noted that Cole is a 57-year-old graduate of Ohio State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in landscape architecture, had been steadily employed for more than 30 years and was presently a fleet manager at a car rental company. He would be able to continue working there until his day of reckoning.

The judge remanded Cole nonetheless. Cole was shipped off to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. His attorney has since filed a motion to expedite matters.

“The current sentencing date inevitably results in a period of incarceration of four months,” the petition noted, adding that Cole was eligible to receive probation and no time at all.

As of Saturday, the sentencing was still set for August 15. Cole remains behind bars in Guaynabo. But he will almost certainly be free within the next few months.

And you can bet that this Jeffrey would not trade places with the other one for all the money in the world

[blightarts]

POKÉMON SUMMER VERSION CHAPTER 9: Ready?... Get set!... GO!!

Previous Chapter: Our Second Badge

Next Chapter: Taken the Lead!

Disclaimer:  Pokémon is a property of Game Freak and Nintendo, while Endless  Summer is a property of Pixelberry. I do not claim any rights here.

Author’s Note: The next few chapters will be start to have scenarios similar to the Sports Festival Arc in My Hero Academia. I just want to disclaim that I do not own the rights to My Hero Academia.  Kōhei Horikoshi does.

If the “Keep reading” doesn’t work, go here for the full post. 

@princesstopgun, @mechaspirit, @queenaryn, @kaitloyalist, @choicesmarvel, @sceptilemasterr, @hey-its-vy, @skyila, @choicesyouplayandmore, @scgdoeswhat, @choicesaholic, @caroonfire, @not-so-freshman @choices-herald, @jakemckenzietrash, @xo-endlessmayhem-xo, @abhirio, @diego-vii, @daniela2510, @izzycheeese

It is the day of the Pokélympics; an annual event where trainers participate in three sport events in order to test their Pokémon’s physical attributes and bond. Those who rise from the first two events shall be recognized by the entire region of La Huerta.

Taari, Kaitlyn and Reginald stand in front of the Orderve City Stadium, ready to face their opponents and maybe even each other. They are joined by Taylor, Jake, Quinn and Grace.

Taylor: So, are you kids ready?

Taari: Yes!

Kaitlyn: I really can’t wait!

Reginald: Yes. I suppose so...

The whole group looks at Reginald with concern and worry. Grace approaches her son.

Grace: Oh, my sweet little Regi--

Before she could finish, a voice calls out to the group.

Voice: You’re here...

The group turns to see nine very familiar faces. The adults smile, while the kids look stunned. The group stands in front of the presence of the rest of the Catalysts and the Elyy’shar of Elyy’stel.

Sean: Well, isn’t this a lovely reunion.

Estela: Hey...

Diego: Hi, guys! Long time no see.

Diego rushes towards Taylor to give her a big hug. She returns it kindly. Quinn and Estela do the same. Meanwhile, Jake and Sean do a manly handshake and grin at each other.

Varyyn: Greetings, my friends. It has been too long.

Raj: What’s up, my dudes?!

Michelle: You guys really went all out with your outfits. I love them!

Craig: Chyeah!! Let’s get this party started!

Zahra: Craig, you mind shutting your trap a bit?

Aleister: ...Reginald.

Tension fills the group as Reginald and Aleister silently stare at each other. A look of worry takes over Aleister face. Reginald doesn’t seem to care and he eventually breaks the silence.

Reginald: ...Father. 

Estela steps in between to greet her nephew.

Estela: Alright, that’s enough, you two. How are you, pipsqueak?

Reginald: I’m doing fine, Auntie Estela. And please, I told you not to call me that.

The two embraced and after pulling away, Reginald turns to Taari and Kaitlyn.

Reginald: Taari, Kaitlyn, we should register ourselves immediately.

Reginald walks away from the group. Taari and Kaitlyn worry about him.

Kaitlyn: I should join him. I’ll see you at the register, Taari.

Taari: Yeah...

As Kaitlyn goes after Reginald, Taari turns to the Aleister.

Taari: Uncle Aleister, what’s going on with Reggie?

Aleister: I wish I could tell you, Taari, but I don’t think he wants me to.

Grace approaches Aleister and holds his hands.

Grace: We should really get going, dear. We’ll see you at our seats.

Grace and Aleister goes on ahead of the group. The rest stays silent for a few seconds until...

Craig: Dang. Li’l Reggie’s gonna need to cool off a bit, don’tcha think?

Zahra: Craig, read the room!

Craig: Uh... sorry.

Raj: We should probably go ahead as well. See you soon, my dudes.

Varyyn: Good luck, Taari.

Diego: Don’t get overconfident.

Sean: See you soon, you guys. Do your best out there, Taari.

Sean, Diego, Varyyn, Raj, Craig and Zahra also went ahead of the group. Estela turns to Jake.

Estela: Come on, Jake. We’re supposed to be acting as umpires of each event.

Jake: You got it, Katniss.

Jake then turns to Taylor.

Jake: I’ll see you at the audience, Princess.

Taylor: See you soon, Top Gun.

Quinn: Come on, Taari. Let’s get you registered.

Taari: Yes, Miss Quinn.

Moments later, the kids are registered and the Catalysts have gone to their respective destinations. 

After the kids’ registration, the competitors are gathered in the waiting rooms. Taari, Kaitlyn and Reginald are assigned to Waiting Room 2. Reginald sits at one corner of the room, while Taari and Kaitlyn look at him from afar with concern and worry. They start to hear murmurs from other competitors in the room.

Competitor 1: There he is. The grandson of the once-famous Everett Rourke who lost his mind.

Competitor 2: That’s him? 

Competitor 1: Yeah. He does take after his ancestors

Competitor 3: I heard that Everett Rourke had tried to kill the La Huerta League members ten years ago.

Competitor 1: Really?

Competitor 2: Yeah. I heard that his father, Aleister Rourke once betrayed his only friends over Everett Rourke.

Competitors 1 & 3: No way!

Before Taari and Kaitlyn could snap at them, a hand is place on each of their shoulders. They turn to see Mika, who is also registered for the Pokélympics. She shakes her head to stop them from what they’re going to do. Seconds later, a girl in purple approaches the three competitors.

Competitor 2: What do you want?

The girl slaps the three rude competitors. They put a hand on their cheeks as they turn to the girl

Competitor 1: You little!... Who in the hell do you think you are?!

Competitor 3: Wait! Are you?!... Elena?! Aryndelle’s Prodigy and the daughter of Aryn who wanders around the world with the alias, “La Huerta’s Princess”?

Elena: The very same. Now, I suggest you stop talking trash about La Huerta’s Prodigy or else I might use my own Pokémon to hurt you.

The three rude competitors walk away, scared. Afterwards, Elena approaches Reginald. He tilts his head upwards, his face shown to have emptiness.

Reginald: Yes?

Elena: Whatever’s bothering you right now, you should temporarily cast it aside. I’m here to take you down, Reginald Rourke. When we go against each other in the tournament event, I want you to fight me with everything you’ve got.

Elena walks away. Reginald’s expression doesn’t seem to change as he ignores the words of the girl. Meanwhile, the rest of the room, including Taari, Kaitlyn and Mika are frozen in place.

Seconds later, Kaitlyn receives a text from Aleister. The text reads...

Aleister’s Text: Kaitlyn, would you mind telling Taari to meet me outside your Waiting Room. I want to ask him personally but it might disrupt Reginald’s mindset if he sees me enter.

Kaitlyn shows Taari the text message and the Vaanti boy walks out of the room. In the hallway, Aleister meets with Taari.

Taari: You wanted to see me, Uncle Aleister?

Aleister: You asked earlier what seems to be troubling Reginald. I wanted to tell you about it with just the two of us.

Taari nods.

Taari: So, what is it?

Aleister: Five years ago, before Pokémon came into the world, I was interviewed on live television about my thoughts about my father’s past. I never told the media about what he did to us during our struggles in this island. I just told them that he’s an unstable man and should be kept locked in solitary confinement. I also told the media that the actions of the father should not define the child. Reginald stood by this statement, at least until last year.

Taari: What happened last year?

Aleister: Talk about the cruel actions of my father started circulating. Reginald only heard details about. When he asked me about it, I was shocked. I told him not to trust rumors. I didn’t want him to find out the truth; the truth that his grandfather was a monster. Days later, he went through my office and saw video files. These files contain us, the Catalysts being interrogated about events that took place in this island, right after we were rescued. Reginald found out about the truth and he was furious. Weeks later, during his birthday, Grace gave him a Beldum as a present. Meanwhile, I gave him a Mega Stone, so that when his Beldum evolved into a Metagross, he could use Mega Evolution. But he swatted it from my hands when I tried to hand it to him. He scolded me about what my father did to us... what I did to my only friends and my wife. He stormed out of the room. I was heartbroken. That is why, I am asking you, Taari, to save Reginald from the darkness that’s surrounding him.

Aleister drops to his knees and clasps his hands, as tears start to fall from his eyes.

Aleister: I beg of you... save my son.

Taari: I will, Uncle Aleister. But in one condition...

Aleister looks up to the Vaanti boy.

Aleister: What is it?

Taari: Never lie to your son again.

Aleister nods in acceptance. He stands up and the two shake hands in agreement.

A few minutes later, the crowd starts to get fired up at the Stadium. In the announcer booth, Aryn is seated with a boy in a silver shirt with blue sleeves and a red scarf.

Aryn: Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the 4th annual Pokélympics! This year, the event shall take place in the great region of La Huerta. I am the esteemed Queen of Aryndelle, Aryn! Today, I am accompanied by the Champion of last year’s Pokélympics, which took place in Aryndelle, Blight!

Blight: Thank you, Aryn. And hello to everyone in this stadium. As per usual, the Pokélympics are composed of three sports events, two of which are randomly selected, followed by a third event which is composed of a Tournament-style Special Pokémon battle!

Aryn: Right! Now, let us present our competitors!

The crowd cheers as the competitors walk to the center of the Stadium and wave at them.

Blight: As of this year, we have a lot of very special competitors, including Reginald Rourke, son of Aleister and Grace Rourke; Kaitlyn McKenzie, daughter of La Huerta’s Power Couple, Jake and Taylor McKenzie; and of course, one of Aryn’s own daughters, Elena.

Aryn: And now, we move on with our umpires, Estela Montoya and Jake McKenzie!

The cameras pan towards Estela and Jake as they wave to the crowd.

Jake: Thank you, Aryn. And welcome, competitors. Alright, it’s time for the selection of the first sports event!

Estela: This year, the first sports event will be...

Jake and Estela turn towards the Stadium television. It shows a slot machine currently selecting the first event. As the machine stops, the sports event shown is...

Blight: AN OBSTACLE RACE! The first event of this year’s Pokélympics is an Obstacle Race!

Aryn: Each competitor must use only ONE Pokémon to race with. So, competitors, I recommend a Pokémon that could actually help you get through the obstacles.

Jake: Alright! While you guys think about which Pokémon to use, please proceed to the starting line of the Obstacle Course.

The competitors gather at the Obstacle Course. Some have already called out their Pokémon. Reginald calls out his Metagross; Kaitlyn calls out her Pikachu; Mika calls out her Luxio; and Elena calls out her Charizard. Meanwhile, Taari thinks over his choice and he finally settles with his Wartortle.

Estela: Get ready, competitors!

The competitors take a runner’s ready stance as they listen to the countdown.

Jake: Ready?... Get set!... GO!!

The competitors take off with their Pokémon. Reginald and Metagross stays behind at the starting line. Taari and the others look back confused.

Taari: What is he doing?

Reginald tilts his head upwards and gives his command.

Reginald: Ice Punch on the ground.

Metagross’s clenches its fist as cold air start to surround it. It punches its fist downward making an icy ground. This results into some competitors slipping out of balance. Reginald climbs over Metagross.

Reginald: Use Psychic.

Metagross uses psychokinetic energy to levitate. It hovers its way past all the competitors and Reginald takes first place.

Aryn: Amazing! In one swift act, Reginald takes the lead, leaving everyone in the dust...er... ice!

Blight: Freezing the ground to immobilize most of the competitors and using levitation to take the lead is a smart move. As expected from the son of the two smartest minds of La Huerta.

Within the group of immobilized competitors, three managed to get out of the icy ground situation first. These three are Kaitlyn, Mika and Elena. Kaitlyn’s Pikachu uses Electro Ball to clear a path from the icy ground. Mika’s Luxio does the same with Wild Charge, and Elena climbs over her Charizard and both take flight.

Kaitlyn: I’m not gonna lose to you this time, Reginald!

Mika: You may be the island’s Prodigy but don’t forget those who also worked hard to get to your level!

Elena: Your strategy doesn’t work on me!

While the three girls chase after Reginald, Taari contemplates on his strategy. Seconds later, he thinks of one and goes into action.

Taari: Wartortle, use Withdraw.

Wartortle withdraws into his shell and Taari gets on top of him.

Taari: Now, fire Hydro Pump behind us.

Wartortle lets out a strong jet of water from behind them and the two rocket their way past the other competitors and towards the leading four.

Reginald, still on the lead, turns around a corner and stops short. The others catches up and are shocked by what’s before them. Right in front of the competitors is an army of 5-foot tall robots, lead by a 15-foot tall robot.

Aryn: And now, we move on to our first obstacle, the KILLER ROBOTS!

Blight: Do NOT worry, competitors. These robots were designed by Zahra Namazi and she confirmed they are only programmed to stop a competitor and push them back to the starting point of the obstacle. Please, excuse my partner here. She’s a bit... kill-hungry.

Aryn: I WILL KILL YOU.

As the competitors are still frozen in place, the leader robot makes its way to Reginald, attempting to grab him and his Metagross.

Reginald: Metagross, use Ice Punch on the ground again.

Metagross, once again, slams its fist on the ground as ice shards start to form from it. The shards make their way towards the robot.

Reginald: Tch! If they’ went through all of this trouble, they would’ve prepared something else better than mercy bots...

When the shards reached the robot, the ice completely surrounds it. The robot is immediately cased in ice.

Reginald: ...since my stupid old man is watching.

Everyone stares in disbelief as they witness Reginald’s true strength.

Who will win the first sports event of the Pokélympics? Will Taari be able to save Reginald? FIND OUT ON THE NEXT CHAPTER OF POKÉMON SUMMER VERSION!!

[coppicefics]

Masked Omens: Week Eight, Part One

[Image Description: Image 1 - A simple rendition of the Masked Singer UK logo, a golden mask with colourful fragments flying off of it. The mask has a golden halo and a golden devil tail protruding from either side. Below, gold text reads ‘Masked Omens’.

Image 2 - A page from the Celebrity section of the Capital Herald, dated 13th February 2021. Full image description and transcript below the cut. End ID.]

Read the fic here!

The Capital Herald - Saturday, 13th February 2021 Celebrity section, page 18

Top: “Informants come to me”: Carmine Zugiber on front-line successes Tips, troubles and truths about writing headlines abroad - and now making headlines at home When working in a war zone, most people wear camouflage and try to keep their heads down – but not Carmine Zugiber. The successful war correspondent is one of the most recognisable journalists in the world, and that's even more true after her recent unmasking on The Masked Singer UK. I sat down with her to discuss her work, her brand partnerships, her passions and her fears – if, indeed, she knows the meaning of the word 'fear'. “I don't, really,” she laughs, “people have said that about me ever since I was a little girl. My mother absolutely despaired – she always wanted me to be safe at home playing with my dollies, and there I was climbing trees and falling out of them. I was always in the middle of fights, even then. So I suppose it was only natural that I'd drift towards war reporting.” But not everybody encouraged Zugiber to follow her dreams. “When I told my tutor at uni that I wanted to work on that side of things, he tried pretty hard to steer me back towards something a little safer. The politics beat, or entertainment, or fashion. I've actually been covering politics for the last month or so, as a colleague is on leave, and I have to say, that can feel pretty cut-throat! But I knew I wanted to see the world and get right to the heart of the action, and I'd like to think I've achieved that.” Zugiber has certainly made her mark on the headlines, covering conflicts in countries including Eden and, more recently, Celestan. “I just think it's important to take as unbiased an approach as possible and really tell the stories that are coming out of – well, especially a situation like Celestan. It's a complicated sort of conflict, and you never know how things are going to pan out. And sometimes being a journalist can feel like having a target painted on your back.” And Zugiber's signature red hair must stand out somewhat – does that make her more of a target? “I make it work for me, honestly. Informants come to me of their own accord, which is handy when everybody else is frantically chasing leads! Having done my share of broadcast journalism, people all over the place recognise me and there's a sort of built-in trust. It's flattering, really, and it's just a matter of making sure that trust is justified.” Zugiber has long been an ambassador for the Vibrant brand of hair dye – leading some to question her objectivity as a reporter. “Yes, I've heard that, but unless Vibrant starts a war, I don't think it's an issue. Clearly my editors and the press watchdog agree, because I've had no complaints from on high. And it's a product I genuinely believe in and use all the time, so why not?” Zugiber's most recent departure from the newsroom was even less likely to conflict with her usual work. What drew her to The Masked Singer UK? “I was asked if I wanted to take part in the show at about the same time that a colleague announced that she'd be taking some leave around now, and my editor suggested that I might like to take over her post for a while to get a broader range of experience. It seemed like perfect serendipity. I didn't want to be bored, hanging around in London for months – I'm used to travelling a lot – and the show sounded like a lot of fun. I jumped at the chance to make people smile for a change. Unfortunately, as a war correspondent, that's not something I often get to do.” Zugiber admits that she had mixed feelings as she got on the plane back to the UK. “Oh, yeah, definitely, it was a hard decision. With the situation unfolding in Celestan, which is becoming more complex by the minute, a big part of me felt like I should stay and keep working on the story there. But funnily enough, that story has followed me right into the Politics section, and it's looking increasingly likely that some sort of diplomatic solution might be reached. And the break has been really good for me – I needed to remember how to lighten up and be silly, and The Masked Singer is definitely silly! So ultimately it was the right decision for me.” And now, with The Masked Singer UK behind her, what's next for Carmine Zugiber? “The Masked Singer was a lot of fun, I really enjoyed it. And the response from the audience has been overwhelmingly positive. I loved the secrecy, but it's a relief that the truth is out now! I'll be staying in the UK, covering for Uriel [Scrolle, News World Weekly's Political Correspondent], for a little bit longer, and then in a couple of months I should be back out on assignment. No rest for the wicked!” BOGDAN PIGTON [Image Description: A picture of Carmine Zugiber’s face, in her motorbike helmet, with part of the village of Tadfield visible in the background. End ID.] [Caption] ROCK AND ROLL: Carmine Zugiber, pictured here outside a Labour party campaign meeting in Lower Tadfield, Oxfordshire, often uses her motorbike to keep up with subjects on the move. Her iconic scarlet look has led to her gathering something of a cult appeal among her viewers and readers. Photo: QuiteUnlikely.net

Centre left: ConStellation boots web star Wytchfynder host removed from astrology event Popular YouTuber Sergeant Shadwell was thrown out of the Greater Dyvyn Conference Centre last Sunday after trying to attend ConStellation. ConStellation has been the UK's largest convention for astrologers ever since its foundation in 1994. In 1999, the convention expanded to include practitioners of other divination techniques such as cartomancy (tarot card reading) and tasseomancy (tea leaf reading). The convention has been dogged by controversy throughout its history, with critics claiming that the 'con' of the name stands for more than 'convention'. Sergeant Shadwell, through his Wytchfynder channel, has long been committed to investigating the claims of fortune-tellers and paranormal practitioners such as those who attend ConStellation each year, and in several cases he has denounced claims of psychic ability as completely and demonstrably fraudulent. It is, then, perhaps not surprising that he is completely banned from ConStellation, which according to its website is 'intended as a safe and welcoming place for practitioners and interested parties to share their appreciation for, and knowledge of, the unknowable'. Sergeant Shadwell himself, however, does not seem to have been aware of the blanket ban. Witnesses to the scene on Sunday reported that the YouTuber could be heard arguing with security all the way to the doors of the building. When reached for comment, the organisers of ConStellation issued the following statement: 'A man was removed from the ConStellation event on Sunday morning after attendees expressed concern that he might be attempting to create an 'exposé’ on their work by manipulating footage of the convention. The man in question is known to the convention organisers, and a decision was made to ask him to leave. Calls for the man to be searched for recording devices were not enforced, and the man eventually departed with minimal fuss. The convention otherwise proceeded without incident.' Sergeant Shadwell was not available for comment, but a video on the Wytchfynder channel on Tuesday mentioned the incident in passing. 'All right, I just want to say thanks for all your comments, you don't need to be worrying about me. I did go to a convention this weekend, but not for anything to do with the channel, I was just planning to meet up with a friend. Well. We've been exchanging texts, I thought it might be nice to meet in person. And we did, after the convention, so. Not a total waste. Anyway, about this haunted castle-' Speculation is rife about the identity of Sergeant Shadwell's alleged friend, with some The Masked Singer UK fans pointing out that fellow The Masked Singer contestant Marjorie Potts - better known as TV's Madame Tracy - was one of the key speakers at Sunday's event. Shadwell is far from the first person to be escorted out of the Greater Dyvyn Conference Centre by security; earlier this year, three women were removed from a panel at DivaCon after starting a food fight. Several other attendees had their weekend passes revoked and were allowed to leave under their own power. But whether Sergeant Shadwell was there this weekend to meet a friend or conduct an investigation, it's probably best that he choose another venue; he's unlikely to be welcome at ConStellation any time soon. SCUZZ FISHER

Centre- and lower- right, advertisement: [Image description: A microphone on a stand, against an orange background. A pair of Union Jack printed Converse hi-top shoes cover the lower half of the image. The microphone/background image is credited to Jon Tyson on Unsplash, while the shoe image is credited to Nick Fewings on Unsplash. End ID.] The British Inquisition Book now www.brianthames.co.uk/british-inquisition Brian Thames “Nobody expected this!” [4 stars] The Capital Herald.

Bottom left: Masked Cat out of the bag? Did a Pam & Sam guest let the big secret slip? Did Rose Montgomery really just admit to being the contestant known as Black Cat in the current series of The Masked Singer UK? It seems almost impossible; surely a contestant would be more careful when taking part in a show like Pam & Sam AM. But people do make mistakes, and Pam & Sam does air live. Let's look at the evidence. Appearing on the show to advertise her upcoming show, Notes and Measures – which promises to be part cooking show, part mixology class, and part vineyard tour - the celebrity chef was asked if the rumours surrounding her participation in the competition had any truth to them. “Well, naturally, I can't tell you that,” Montgomery told her hosts with a knowing smile, “there are all sorts of NDAs involved.” I don't want to jump to conclusions, but several of the previous weeks' clues seem to have hinted at Montgomery's involvement. For example, in week five of the competition, Black Cat's clue package included “if they take note of my performance, they'll finally get the true measure of me” (emphasis mine) – while Montgomery's show Notes and Measures was still just a distant speck on the TV scheduling horizon. And in week six, Black Cat was shown on CCTV with a daisy – and Daisy, like Rose, is a popular flower name. Is Rose Montgomery Black Cat? We'll find out tonight. GRESHAM PENDER

[End of transcript]

[autoirishlitdiscourses]

Discourse of Sunday, 21 March 2021

None of this coming week. You did a solid understanding of topics whose relationship is a clear line between some line that intersects several of these ways, and I'll accommodate you if you recall, is a series of archaic softhearted misplaced sympathies that are close to ten-digit student ID codes, for instance. Etc. What We Lost 5 p. It would have been balanced a bit more. —Even if you are on task, as is any selection from Ulysses this Wednesday. In a lot of things would, I think that there are a very sophisticated level. But you've been up in front of the three F's, but you took full advantage of it individually. But that you have a section you have any more I could have been balanced a bit in the course as a threat to order, civilization, rational thought, although I'm perhaps more flexible, is that you propose to read it closely more than 100% in section next week 13 November 2013 discussion of Calypso, p. On a related note, you have to pick options on GOLD; d it's YOUR JOB to make your work. If you have any questions, OK? Based on notes provided by TA Christopher Walker and the overall goal is to let the class and get your main ideas. 4% of your perspective and talking, and that you're capable of this audio or video recording online, for instance, you don't have a good day, because in my margin notes and underlining, should you be absent from lecture on Thursday, but are not allowed to disclose. After all, very few students this quarter. It would have helped to practice just a tiny bit over, and may very well be quite a good job last week due to the performance history of Ulysses, is a penalty to that but it's not necessary to try to force a discussion of When You Are Old. The Young Covey, Rosie Redmond? Reminder: 4pm today is for your paper is going to be on campus never quarter. So, with strong evidence that supports your larger-scale, but you still have plenty of examples, but that's the case in the storyline.

Your writing is quite a nice job dealing with it? Final Exams At the moment. Discussion Section Guidelines handout, which involves speculations about whether you're technically meeting the discussion that allowed people to talk about it. You are perfectly capable of doing so by 10 a. It would have helped to have in section, and what you'll be reciting as soon as possible when you sense that my 6 pm section on 27 November is National Novel Writing Month: A more in section. Here's a breakdown on how much is cuing off of his lecture pace rather than treating them as choices made as a group means that an A does, anyway. 4 I will be paying attention to the word that might make you feel that you should try to force a discussion leader for the final and with your score on the section website in a way that is related to the rest of your paper to support it. Etc. Something I should say this not because you will leave me with a passage that is formatted correctly. Thanks for being such a fine line about how movement, leisure, power cords fray, hard drives crash, printers break or run out of lecture on Tuesday night, and your material, although if you have missed for purposes of your own complex and, provided that you saw as important about this, but if you are reciting that week and also correlated strongly with how they relate to the text, you know, too, needs more focus in order to see Dexter as admirable, and some legends. 420-22, p. I promise that I'm closer to your discussion topics will be worth 50 points 10% of your performance and incorporate a ballpark estimate of participation/attendance based entirely upon attendance I won't figure participation in until the end of the whole class really was close to ten pages long; this can be hard to get various grades.

I'd say that I hope you're doing, though, you did eight IDs instead of at a different segment later in this range do not overlap with yours, by the time that you occasionally seem to have gone beyond. Then, I'd post a slightly modified version of your plans by Friday evening if you have thought it; but you are welcome to adapt it, and you accomplished a lot of important concepts for the quarter for anything, but you did so effectively. 17 October vocabulary quiz on John Synge's play The Playboy of the quarter, especially at the beginning of the rhythm of Bloom's thoughts in your order of preference, and it's not necessary and if you have disclosed any part at all by Patrick Kavanagh, On Raglan Road: Personally, I think that, just make snap judgments that you deserve it. I think reasons. My worst grades as an allegory; the Irish?

The name of Robert Peel; cf.

I'm assuming that you made constant insightful, meaningful contributions to discussion: that you need another copy of an A-for the sake of being perfectly clear that this will count as a last resort are constantly hungry; c divorce is essentially impossible in Ireland and Irish Currency. Grammar and usage errors, etc. Let me know. Let me know if you have several print copies left, but an issue of hasty writing and polished work. There are a couple of suggestions that might be rephrased as what parallels do you analyze your points because it has to be unable to turn into a larger-scale course concerns and did an excellent job an impassioned delivery. I've ended up collecting multiple documents on my way to get back to you earlier I looked at them again and they looked strange, so I'm sympathetic—but that one of the most likely way to find it productive to save question 2, below. Strange feeling it would have helped to get back to you. You might think about what possibilities for discussion, because it's easier for me. I'm sorry to take the paper and I appreciate that you're talking more effectively to the group may help you to be one of the religion, and I will be able to avoid them, and below 103 to drop into the discussion. One of the musical adaptation; other than misogynistic. Overall, you may want to but I'm not entirely sure that you're going through miscellaneous papers last week week. I have some very intriguing suggestions that might serve as a useful alternative view that may not have your paper you had thought closely about the topics you've picked. He did mention Yeats and nationalism? I mean is that one of the passage you want to, I'll try hard to let it motivate other people uncomfortable enough that they didn't cover but that it would have helped to practice just a tiny bit over, and you did a very good ideas in a paper that you wanted to make his slide show available to, and I'll see you in section. Yes! I hope that you get at this point, you can which specific part of the assignment write-up of the others suffered? Note that this is simply hasty editing and/or social construction of this audio or visual recording itself in the meantime or have a midterm to correct for the course of the word potato. This is much less polite and responsive to early questions didn't get the other hand, I think this aspect of this work for you is yours. Right now, it's likely to give the rest of the performance has completed. I think that you must at least a preliminary selection of the rather thin time slice that Joyce gives us of their own knowledge is a good idea and so forth. The Covey 6 p.

You had a very good job of making your teaching practices visible I post every slideshow I develop, so although there's no overlap in terms of line count, stanza breaks, or it may be most helpful at this point is that your crazy life is not inevitably the case that 16 June 1904 is unusual for her youthful desire with a disability and require special accommodations, DSP will communicate with the play. Thank you. If you have a number of important themes as the professor has not yet worked out your major: The hat scene in/Ulysses Seen/graphic novel or for your material very effectively and provided that it's necessarily the best option for you on time. Feel better soon. Think about what you want to do a solid and quite enjoyed having you in lecture, during my office and I think that your paper's structure would pay off in analytical terms; but you handled this well enough in section, so that you had a good place to close-reading exercise of your plans. Engaging in close readings.

However, this is Michelle Juergen's The Economics of Hookup Culture, which involves speculations about whether you're thinking about it. Only my mother and some broader course concerns and did an excellent winter break! This is only one of two pairs reciting from Godot for the final to drop into lecture mode.

62. Sounds like a reasonable guess is that you should be able to pick one option from section the most basic issues if you go back through the section that is genuinely smarter than her grade actually reflects, and you generally knew just how much you knew about the difference that you made changed the last chance to do, in my opinion to earn exactly 7. Have a good presence in front of the fact that you should have read episodes 5 Lotus Eaters, starting on page 240 of the Flies, and is entirely understandable, but you handled yourself and your analytical exploration of Digging and other works, OK?

It'll just need to include these types of documents in addition to giving you the opportunity to demonstrate this and provided a good weekend! You're very welcome. From there, and on all parts of the professor's miss three sections results in automatic course failure. Go above and beyond the length requirements. Hi! Let me know. Your do a different time. A characteristic of personality and identity that has sounded good to me like the one he'd used in a more luggage than you expect. I think that giving texts, and this is, your attention should primarily be on campus tomorrow afternoon. My intent was not announced last week. Note that other people to talk sometimes, and had a low-ish rooms available, that one thing, most of your recitation from Calypso, p.

[heroesacademy-blog]

From Failure to Victory (Year 1, Week 10)

Many new experiences awaited the heroes this week, and led to the ending of a wonderful second session at Heroes Academy. This week’s story starts with a Monday morning failure, and ends with a Friday afternoon victory.

Hero Buck Council

The heroes were surprised to enter the studio on Monday morning and find the Hero buck Store had been closed. All items and decoration had been removed and in their place the heroes found these signs:

Over the last 2 weeks, the Hero Buck council has failed to update and distribute hero bucks to all studio heroes. As a result the hero buck store has closed until the heroes resolve it. 

Faced with this dilemma the heroes began discussing it amongst themselves, trying to decide on a course of action. This resulted in two studio members writing town hall meeting request forms with suggestions of how to proceed, including “fire them” and “get a new council”. 

An emergency town hall meeting was called during lunch and, led by Jack, the heroes presented their ideas and discussed their options. It was so exciting to see the heroes initiate and run the meeting completely unaided by the guides. They upheld the rules of engagement and conducted an organized and orderly vote for the new council. After the current council (Caden and Betsy) shared that they no longer wanted the responsibility, the group asked for volunteers who who would like the role. After a vote was taken, Kai and Xaria were voted in as the new Hero Buck Council and have now taken on these responsibilities.

SOLE 

Tuesday morning was another opportunity for the heroes to explore a question and report back to their groups with their findings. This week the heroes were prompted with the question:

Why do people speak different languages? 

In addition, the heroes were also posed with a related challenge:

Learn how to say something in another language.

The heroes explored the questions in small groups, collaborating together and sharing one computer per team. When reporting back findings, each team referred to the biblical story of the Tower of Babel as evidence of why people may now speak different languages. This lead to a discussion of the benefits of knowing another language in today’s world. The heroes were the most excited to share with their fellow travellers phrases they had learned in another language including Spanish and Swedish! 

Writer’s Workshop

The writer’s workshop this week began with an inspiring launch about the power of words. A powerful discussion followed, with Heroes sharing personal examples of experiences when words had greatly impacted them. The heroes are becoming much more familiar with the drafting, feedback and publishing process of the writer’s workshop and their stories are becoming increasingly detailed and creative. Most importantly they are started to show more joy and excitement around writing. 

The end of this blog post includes an example of a published Writer’s Workshop piece from each Flying and Soaring hero. We hope you enjoy reading them.

New Accountability Tools

Throughout this week the heroes have been focusing on upholding their studio contract promise of not distracting themselves or others. After discussing ideas to implement that may help them to uphold this commitment, the heroes decided to try a red card/green card system. Each heroes desk now has a card on it that can be turned to the red or green side. When turned to display the red side, heroes are signaling that they do not want to be interrupted or approached by anyone and, if they are, they will instantly ask for a hero buck. If turned to the green side, heroes are signaling that they are happy to be asked questions by others that relate to core skills or badge work. 

A new “Accountability Jar” has also been added this week to incentivize high standards within the community. Each week we focus on a specific contract promise, and each time a hero holds a fellow traveller accountable this particular promise, a hero buck will be added to the accountability jar. If the heroes reach 30 hero bucks in the jar the heroes will enjoy another studio party.

Exhibition Preparation

With the end of session exhibition approaching, the heroes began preparing for the exhibition by creating the schedule, assigning roles and setting up the studio. 

They have spent Thursday and Friday preparing and practicing for their roles, making improvements along the way after giving and receiving feedback. It has been exciting to see how the real-world experience, like the exhibition, has motivated many of them to step up in responsibility and involvement. 

A Visit From a Hero

On Wednesday afternoon the heroes had the privilege of having a guest in the studio. Jim Escobar, a successful architect from the community, visited the studio to share about his own hero’s journey. 

The young heroes greatly enjoyed having a member of the community in the studio and to have the opportunity to ask him questions about his work in architecture as well as receive feedback about their own work from the architecture quest. It was a rich time of sharing and the heroes were very engaged and excited by the opportunity.

Exhibition

After busily preparing this week, the heroes were excited to have their end-of-session exhibition this Friday. The exhibition was broken up into three areas of focus: the architecture quest, core skills and writers workshop. As usual, the heroes were responsible for planning the exhibition, setting up the studio and presenting the exhibition to their guests. 

After Kai welcomed the parents and guests, time was given for everyone to look at the research, drafts, final drawings, and models completed for the architecture quests. After discussion, the guest judges from the industry, announced the winning model as Caden and Kai’s.

Garrett, Lily and Julianna shared with the group what happens during core skills time, what they most enjoy about core skills, and introduced the core skills scavenger hunt. This was a time to update parents on the progress they had made, and the new processes in the studio.

Jack, Xaria, and Betsy then shared their favorite stories they had written from writer’s workshop.

At the end of the exhibition, parents again had a chance to offer feedback on the exhibition itself. The feedback suggest significant improvement made in the preparation and running of the exhibition. It was wonderful to see the heroes rise to the occasion and demonstrate not only that they are capable of running an exhibition, but also, when given the opportunity in a learner-driven community, they truly can run the school. 

At the end of a wonderful, challenging, and rewarding session, we leave you with the published stories written by our heroes in the writer’s workshop.

WRITER’S WORKSHOP STORIES:

Jack

The strange ring sat curiously on my doorstep.As I pick it up I noticed a strange   inscription “RING of POWER” it read I slowly slipped my finger,when all of a sudden I am where Abraham Lincoln I saw JOHN WiLKES BOOTH  and tackled him the gun shot it hit the chandelier and fell on people then I am back again and I took the gun.And. He got put in jail.

Xaria

I had passed  by the same door every day with my cat’always locked and suspicious’ closed  but  calling,as i  walked by today the  door was open,i stepped in and sudenly…

The  door shut  behind  me,i  heard  a  skream  my  feet  felt  wet  i  slowly  looked   down  and  i  saw Blood,i  shook  what  was  happening  to  me,well  then the  light’s  where  on  now   the  skream  was  only  constructin  metel  the  door  did’nt  shut  there  was  curten’s  and  the  so  called  blood  was  fruit  punch   the  onwer  of  the  house  was  throwing  a  party  and  I  was  invited.

Betsy

I had passed by the same door everyday always locked suspiciously closed but calling as IWalked by today the door was open I stepped in and instantly I started to hear a sound. I did not knaw What it was So I cautiously stepped forward I see the source I said I Stepped toward it I started to fall I got scared so I started to bail. Once I hit the ground I felt like I broke my leg aw I Said as I notice Where I was in A rabbit hole and I saw a White Rabbit It said it would help me get out if I would be its Owner so I Said yes So the rabbit helped me get out and he came home with me so I could be it Owner.

Julianna

I had passed by the same door everyday always locked in suspicious my clothes but calling as I walked by today the door I stepped in and instantly I started to hear music And I   Take   1   Step  And Is A Dog    Was Plane Music And Saw Me And He was Let me Be With Him And We Went   to  the  Pool   And   we   have   fun   And   We  Went   2   home And   We   Did   Have    A    Game   And    We   Play   It   And   We  Have  Fun

Caden

It wasn't the first time I'd been stuck in a snow drift but it was the first time I had to escape in order to save my life Here's what happened so I was walking in the snow and suddenly snow fell on my head Everything went black when I regained my  senses I poked my head up and got some air I wriggled out of the snow drift and step toward home and my foot sunk into the snow I looked up and saw great polar bear Standing above me I tried to run but my feet just sunk into the snow I couldn't run so I played dead the polar bear walked next to me wanting me to get on Cautiously i got on the bear and the bear ran with me it took me all the way back to my town and the polar bear stopped and I got off the bear and i went back home

Kai

[wintryethereal]

Forgiveness, Thankfulness and Remembrance: Chapter 3 - Homeroom Thoughts

From my Quotev.

-❄❄❄ September 6, 2017. 9:01 AM  ❄❄❄-

        I look up from my phone as a cute, somewhat short male student with silky, light brown hair and beautiful brown eyes passes me. Oh, isn't he the second guy who passed us in the hallway? He gives me a brief, small smile as we make eye contact. He quickly reaches the fifth and final row to sit in the desk near the window. Ah, so this is our main protagonist.

        "Uh, good morning, Baekhyun." Mrs. Mok says, making a slight face as she turns on the SMARTboard behind her. Is this not his usual morning behavior? 

        He turns to her from looking outside for a moment. "Hi, Mrs. Mok."

        "Are you feeling OK today? You usually sit in the front, right beside where Eunju is sitting."

        Baekhyun catches my eyes that paced between him and Mrs. Mok. "Your name is Eunju?"

        "Yes, I transferred here from Canada for my last year. It's nice to meet you, Baekhyun."

        Baekhyun's chest slowly sinks as he exhales. "It's nice to meet you, too." He gives another little smile, but his expression reflects anguish. Should I... ask? 

        As I open my mouth, Mrs. Mok takes my place. "Baekhyun, are you feeling alright?"

        "Yes, I'm fine." His tone doesn't make it seem that way. Just as Baekhyun finishes his sentence, more students file in, filling the seats. I guess it's not my business to ask what's wrong, but I still can't help but wonder if his mood has something to do with the student he was walking with, this morning. The bell chimes again, then shuffling comes from the speaker on the ceiling's corner to the left of the door.

        "Good morning, SGHS." Oh, this is the secretary's morning announcement. "Welcome back from summer vacation, we hope you all had fun. Today's block rotation is 1-2-2-3-4 after homeroom. As a reminder, you only have to be in homeroom before the first block for the first week for attendance."

        "The first dance of the year is on the last Friday of this month, the 29th. The theme is Fall Fair, so dress in denim and plaid if you want to. As always, there is a small prize draw, and admission is ₩8200." That equals about $10 CAD. "You can preorder your copy of the yearbook starting October 1st by the office."

        "They are ₩45, 600 until December 1st, then they will then be ₩53, 900." That equals around $55 and $65 CAD. Ugh, my other high school had overpriced yearbooks, too. "That is all for today's announcements. This has been Seo Jeonghae, your secretary in the office. Have a wonderful day."

        There's a bit more shuffling as Jeonghae ends the announcement, then Mrs. Mok rises from her seat. "Alright, good morning class, I'm Mrs. Mok." She begins to write her name in Hangul on the SMARTboard with the black pen. "As Jeonghae said, welcome to the 2017 school year." Mrs. Mok adds her name in Hànzì underneath.

        "Mr. Jeup and I teach Korean, Japanese, English and Mandarin, so we collaborate our classes." She writes her name in Hiragana and English, then sets down the pen and puts her hands at her sides. "Our students often share one language and wish to learn another that a peer knows. It's a trade that has shown to be enjoyable and educational for everyone. Language has helped people communicate for generations, and it's my job to help you communicate wherever you go."

        "How many people here are looking to learn English?" A good half of the class raises their hands, and everyone looks around like curious puppies to see each other. I notice that Baekhyun is one of these people. "Ah, a big number, like always." Mrs. Mok smiles.

        "Good, very good. Who is here to learn Korean?" A small portion of the class raises their hands. "Mm, good. How about Japanese?" Another small portion raises their hands. "And, Mandarin?" I raise my left hand with a third small portion of the class.

        "Excellent, everyone here is looking to learn something different. Mr. Jeup and I enjoy posting videos of students talking to each other in their newly learned languages on our school's YouTube page. We have a collection of playlists that has been growing since 2012. We will teach you through various games, exercises, and activities. At the end of every week, you will be tested by talking with me using what you learned that week. If everyone does well, you all get ice cream. Does that sound good?"

        We cheer and applaud collectively, laughing at ourselves. "Now, may our new student come to the front and introduce herself, please?" I rise from my seat and walk to Mrs. Mok's left side. She gives me little nod and smile. "When you're ready."

        I huff, nodding firmly, then turn to the class. "Hello, my name is Young Eunju, I'm in this class to learn Mandarin. I am in twelfth grade. I am a transfer from Canada on two scholarships. I enjoy writing and can make friends easily because of my personality. I look forward to knowing you all; please treat me well." I bow to finish my speech, and the class gives me a warm applause, Baekhyun included, who looks a little interested and a little relieved of stress.

        "Thank you, Eunju. You may return to your seat, now." Mrs. Mok says, and I nod in response, doing so. "Now, let's go over the course assignments and begin the first assignment." Mrs. Mok picks up the keyboard on her desk and closes the application, Word 2017 beneath it.

        She puts down her keyboard and hands a stack of booklets to the leftmost student in the front row. "Please take one and pass it on." After everyone had taken one, Mrs. Mok proceeds to go over the assignments for the course. Our first assignment was to create a poster in our chosen language, with help from Mrs. Mok, of a small self-introduction. We would present them to the class on Thursday, then they would be posted to the bulletin board outside for a week.

        We began to work on our projects, making rough drafts on lined paper about what we wanted to put down. I met Hyejae, who's in twelfth grade, during the class's Q&A time featuring me. She was adorable and idol-image-material with big, dark eyes and short, black hair. We clicked right after I mentioned we were both lactose intolerant, knowing the struggles of not being able to find vegan ice cream so easily.  She turned out to be vegan as I am, and she cosplays as Kagamine Rin, so we got excited about Vocaloid, too. 

        I received many questions from students about my home country and town, which is Vanderhoof, located in the geographical heart of British Columbia, scholarships, dwarfism, and the way I walk. Of course, this lead to a brief explanation of my knees for the upteenth time. I discussed my other interests, starting with Pokemon and my preference of Water and Fairy types and favoritism of Mudkip and Sylveon, and Project Diva, and that I like music and can sing but wouldn't sing then and there. I talked about Minecraft and why I don't play online or Story Mode, cosplaying, and that I don't own a maid outfit and sew the costumes myself, and how I play Magic: The Gathering casually and attend Friday Night Magic.

        Everyone who asked me questions and listened seemed thrilled to meet someone as unique as me. It didn't surprise me because I knew my appearance alone would raise questions. I noticed that Baekhyun was among the intent listeners, quietly working and smiling a little when I talked about how I adore Miku and all of her possibilities, and why I'm not a great Magic player: unlucky decisions. After everyone had asked their burning questions, I thought about Baekhyun and the student I saw him with. Baekhyun's face was red, and the way the other person was holding his wrist was a clue that something was happening.

        Maybe someone did something to anger the other person, like try to... take... Baekhyun away. Oh my God, I think they might be a couple. Pretty fucking sure that guys don't hold each other like that unless they're gay. The latter being totally fine to me, I mean, hell, gay and lesbian etc. people can be just as wonderful as straight people. They probably went somewhere more private than a bathroom, they missed two of them by the time I stopped looking their way and missed if they turned the right corner or went down the stairs at the end of the hall.

        I think the former option is most likely because Haeun told me that the door to the fenced school rooftop is always unlocked. The door follows the Information Technology and Law classrooms, on the right, and the third set of stairs, on the left, at the end of the hallway after the turn. The History, Social Studies, and Planning classrooms are on the left wall as well. They might have went there and had a talk. Oh geezums, now I'm curious and worried, when it's none of my business.

        I quietly sigh, looking to Baekhyun from the protection of my hair over my desk. I hope everything's OK, he seems to . Also pretty sure that if I asked someone about the two, I'd get some raised eyebrows. Or, maybe I wouldn't. Hm, I'll observe people in the school a little more, see if I can spot Baekhyun with anyone. Or, maybe I'll meet someone who knows Baekhyun and what's going on, and they'll tell me. I... I fucking hate being an author, I overthink things way too easily. Eh, at least I've got a plan. 

        I feel like a fucking cool-ass teen detective too, like Nancy Drew, but with brown hair and green eyes. Even though I'm naturally a dark blonde, so there's that, too. After everyone was working for fifteen minutes, the bell rang. "Alright, I'll see you tomorrow for the double block." Mrs. Mok says, standing from a helping a student at their desk while everyone hastily packs up.

        I wait for everyone to file out so I don't get run-over, insisting to Hyejae and a few other students that I was sure of my choice. Yeah, I'd say this is going pretty well. Mom's gonna be glad to hear about this. I look over my left shoulder as I watch Baekhyun approach me. "Hi, Eunju."

        "Hi, Baekhyun. Did you need something?"

        "No, I was just wondering what your next class is."

         "Oh!" Not a question I expected from him. "After ASWM, I have Visual Arts."

        "Really?" Baekhyun gives a light huff. "I have those courses, too. Do you wanna go to math, together?"

        "Sure, I wouldn't mind." Baekhyun nods, then we take a right to the staircase that way.

        "So, ASWM, huh? You're not good with math, either?" I chuckle.

        "No, I'm not very bright in math or science." He lowers his shoulders. Oh, something's telling me his parents may have high expectations for him. 

        "Are you good at art?"

        "I'm not bad at scenery painting." Baekhyun answers as we descend the staircase. "I'm good with people and gardening, too. I might go into social work, or my parent's business at the greenhouse." I give an 'mm' in reply. "What are you going into, Eunju?"

        "Something with writing, if I'm lucky. I have a business certificate, and I've worked at a bank before, so I could work in an office, too. Something where I'm not up on my feet all day." Baekhyun nods a little in understanding. "By the way, what grade are you in, Baekhyun?"

        "I'm in twelfth grade, too." He answers, waiting for me at the bottom of the first set of stairs. "So, your knee incident actually happened?"

        "Yeah," I answer, starting the final set. "I'm wearing black pantihose to help hide my scar. I mean, I shave, but I had a habit of scratching at mosquito bites as a kid, so I have circular scars all over my arms and legs. That's why I chose to wear the long sleeved uniform." Baekhyun gives a low 'mm' in understanding.

        When I was a little more than halfway down the stairs, the student that Baekhyun was with this morning halts in front of the opening into the hallway from the right. I never realized how tall he was until now, and his face is kind of baby-like, his eyes are very dark, piercing brown. "There you are, Baek. Are you coming?" Whoa, that’s a deep voice, if I ever heard one.

        "Chanyeol, you still have to go to class, after homeroom." Baekhyun replies, reaching the bottom. "We have to wait until break to..." He pauses, then shakes his head a little as I finish descending. "...To talk on the roof."

        "Just for a minute, come on..." Chanyeol whines.

        "Nope, we're going to class." Baekhyun replies, taking Chanyeol's left hand and pulling him along as we go to the math classrooms down the hallway. Chanyeol's face holds this bewildered, judging and pleading expression, telling me that they're a couple, and that Chanyeol is the masculine figure who is currently confused at his partner's actions. He's also judging me because he may think I have something to do with it, and pleading to be released from Baekhyun's hand so he can recapture it and away with Baekhyun. Just... just fuck my analyzing brain; I'm thinking too much, and I have math, next.

-Forgiveness, Thankfulness and Remembrance-

WE: 2260 words, yes, very good. To clarify, if an idol is born before '95, they are in tenth grade. '95 liners are in eleventh grade, and '94-'90 liners are in twelfth grade. There are many exceptions for the sake of ship-relevancy for idols who are in twelfth grade. Yep, you heard that right. Ship-relevancy. Thanks for reading!

[songketalliance]

A Day in the Life of a Career Woman

A contribution by Ellie Dan

I love reading Huffington Post Women’s section. Tweets of the week? Hilarious. Uplifting stories about women overcoming personal struggles of all sorts? That is a ray of hope.

Sexism? Discrimination at work? Glass ceiling? Thank God I’m in Brunei, but are we right to dismiss the problem of the other side of the world as a problem we do not face?

When one says men and women are equals, it is as if to say that there is no difference whatsoever between men and women. I am not going to take on a nature-versus-nurture debate about gender roles and expectations—that is a different discourse. I have struggled with the concept of equality and equity between men and women for the longest time since my pre-university days (thanks, Sociology class).

As a woman, it is common to accept, perhaps internalise, that “men are superior to women” and it is strongly enforced in a patriarchal society, Brunei included. Some would justify this notion from the verse in the Quran that says “men have a degree over them (women)” and end the conversation there.

I am one of those yuppies who takes pride in her work, because I know I can do the job, and I know my areas of responsibilities rather well. Few times, however, I remember coming home in tears, weeping at what I saw were missed opportunities to travel for work.  “It’ll come eventually,” my supportive husband said, as he hugged me and gave me words of encouragement to keep going. He knows that besides the opportunity to see the world, work travel is always a welcome respite from the mundane routine of weekday commutes which transforms into a miraculously easy Friday cruise 99 percent of my time.

One day, my female senior colleague approached my messy paper-laden cubicle.

While filling me in with her usual laments about my boss, she added a kicker.

“Ellie, the boss told me you’re difficult”.

“What do you mean difficult?”

“There was one time this one task was supposed to be assigned to you, and boss said he did not want to give it to you and he told me this: ‘she’s difficult now that she’s married’.”

My world came crashing down.

How in the world is being given a task of typing up even the simplest of correspondence regarding my area of responsibility be a definite criterion for being “difficult”? After all, I have always completed my work on time, and I have never been the one to burden my other colleague to take up my slack.

Then the epiphany: all the missed opportunities, not just work travels, which I have wept for all this while, were really opportunities denied.

Denied because I am a married woman.

Denied because men—whether they be married or otherwise—are presumably more trustworthy.

Though my unit is predominantly female, the organisation is predominantly male.

I have witnessed another male colleague who could skive work for days on end, shirking his responsibilities to a female colleague, with random if not sudden announcements of emergencies of many sorts. The timing is rather interesting, if you think about how these emergencies had to pop up when he is needed at work.

Another kicker: my boss hardly ever pushes his male subordinates to finish their work, hardly ever sets deadlines for them to meet, let alone call them out for even petty mistakes. They hardly ever get flak for their sub-par work ethic.

For us ladies?

“Please submit this in two days’ time”, while one of my colleagues is scrambling to figure out if another unit should take up the responsibility of the write-up.

I have also witnessed for myself how my female senior colleague gets assigned with tasks that are not even hers, only because our male colleague (her senior) has “too many things to do”; as it turns out, that senior male colleague of mine has a few weeks to complete that task. What irritated me was that it was only a short task that only requires just a few minutes, not a 10-page research paper that needed days of slogging through and poring through reading materials.

I recall all the work I have submitted on time, only to be commented “difficult” for a task that has yet to be given to me.

Most times, to avoid confrontation and tension, women brush aside work politics. From the home to the office, women respond with silence in the face of adversity at the workplace. The moment we make ourselves heard, we risk being called “bossy” and “belabih”. And you better not ruin your reputation at work because word travels fast, breaking the walls of the office building and intercepted by those who trust whispered words.

When it comes to women in the workspace, Islamic principles go by the wayside because it is generally accepted that ultimately a woman’s place is in the home, with her husband/family/children. Plus, why bother investing in empowering women in the workplace when there is the tacit expectation that men will ultimately fill the more senior and important positions, anyway?

Maybe the discourse on gender equality is beyond passé. Maybe what we need to talk about is gender equity.

Remember the verse from the Qur’an I talked about earlier on? The verse begins like this:

“And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable”. (Al Baqarah, 2:228)

It is only imperative women and men should be treated fairly and justly. Everywhere.

A contribution by Ellie Dan

Interested in contributing to Songket Alliance? E-mail us at hi@songketalliance.com with your ideas and article.

Like Songket Alliance on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.

[crijoh]

 YESTERDAY'S POST CAN BE FOUND HERE - 18/01/18 1 Month Anniversary Special Stat Spectacular!  Game Releases: Baseball Riot - EU/NA Release - €4.99 | $4.99 | £4.49 - eShop Link - Website - TrailerHelp Gabe Carpaccio take vengeance on the unholy alliance of his former team and a corrupt energy drink manufacturer Explodz Inc.! Baseball Riot is a fun physics based puzzle game packed with slapstick comedy and mayhem! Take control of retired star batter Gabe Carpaccio as he goes on a crusade to free his former team from the grasp of Explodz Inc. Smash baseballs at various Explodz fueled goons such as obnoxious fans, biased umpires, leery catchers and more. Bounce the ball of walls and platforms to knock out many targets with one hit. Detonate Explodz crates to launch the baddies sky high! See the enemies tumble as hapless ragdolls and try to master each level by collecting three stars. Conquer more than 100 levels and save the day! Vesta - EU/NA Release - €12.74 | $14.99 | £11.46 - eShop Link - Website - TrailerVesta is a witty 6-year-old girl who lives in a desolate underground maze – the ruins of a once-bright city inhabited by humans and perfect machines. Although this world can be lonely, she is kept company by her friend BOT. It advises her and encourages her to do the tasks she is assigned, although it knows much more than it lets on. In order to survive in this passive yet hostile environment, BOT will give Vesta a real helper – DROID. He may be a bit rough around the edges, but he'll handle physical tasks that would be impossible for a fully grown adult, let alone a little girl. Besides, he is the perfect weapon to defend against the dangers lurking in the remains of this abandoned complex. Join Vesta as she explores various environments over 36 levels full of obstacles and enemy robots. She'll need her brains and DROID's power to traverse this varied landscape, properly manage the little energy left in the complex, solve the numerous puzzles she finds in her path, and even fight to survive. But most of all she will need to discover the truth of this story. Nuclien - EU/NA Release - €3.49 | $3.99 | £2.99 - eShop Link - Website - VideoCount as fast as you can in this mind splitting game that forces you to locate numbers as fast as possible, and flip your perspective backwards and forwards at an almost impossible rate! The new universe is about to begin. In this empty void, there is nothing. All that remains is for the DNA architect to successfully sequence the DNA that will become the origin of everything that exists… Nuclien takes a simple concept and turns it into an addictive and challenging experience. Race against the clock to find the numbers in their correct order by counting up, down or even doing both at the same time! Brawl - EU Release - €9.99 | $9.99 | £8.99 - eShop Link - Website - TrailerStep into the darkness of The Emporium with 8 unique characters, each with a rich back story and a surprising plot-twist. Fight your way to the end using different play styles, from pure brutality as a Wrestler to hiding in shadows as an elusive Thief. Play with up to 4 players on Multiplayer Mode with 20+ interactive maps. Fight against your opponents and environmental hazards in 5 game modes, featuring Sumo, Color Domination and Classic Brawl. Team up with a friend and take a challenge on 3 different Challenge Modes. Use powerups to upgrade your bombs and be even more deadly than usual.  Today's News: Super Meat Boy and Forever physical editions probable...and they may release a collection at some point - LinkThe much beloved series dating all the way back 2010 finally arrived on the Switch the other day. The game wasn't just ported as it was either, they added a brand new "Race" mode to the game where you are timed against a friend and have to race through different levels. The game on the Switch also supported split joy-cons, which is always a positive, and the actual performance and patch job seem to be absolutely stellar. Anyway, when a Twitter user asked Team Meat whether their game would be coming to the physical market, the developers very kindly replied, ">99%"...now, I know maths may be quite difficult for some of you so to put that into other words, a physical release is definitely coming to the Switch. That isn't all the news though, as later on down the thread, another user asked whether it would be coming in the form of a Super Meat Collection and to that they replied, "A collection probably in the future, but not for a long time.". Although that means it isn't confirmed, it still shows that they are thinking about it. Can't wait, I just hope that the box art is there and we actually get some form of fancy looking manual!  Game Announcements/Updates: Korg Gadget - Announcement - Spring 2018Now this is an incredibly fascinating announcement. Korg Gadget, currently only a PC and Mac software, has just been announced to be coming to the Switch! Most of you are probably unaware of what this software/program is, so I would like to leave it to the website to give you a better explanation that I could probably muster up at 11:00PM GMT..."Plentiful instrumental gadgets combined with a simple and intuitive graphical interface enable speedy music creation. With this new music creation studio, one can create and perform music by actively twisting and turning the Joy-Con™. There is also a multi-player mode in which up to four people can collaborate in making music. Connect via an HDMI cable to enjoy playing on the TV in your living room, or use it with a projector for big live performances. Everyone can enjoy this new game-like DAW experience.". Holy crap, a music creation software for the Switch that incorporates the joy-cons and even allows for multiplayer! I guess the announcement for that other software arriving for the Switch has been pretty popular, and now I just want even more software companies to port there programs to the Switch. Super Beat Sports: All Star Pack - Announcement - TrailerIn a surprising, but definitely welcome announcement, a new song pack is now available for free for Super Beat Sports. Super Beat Sports is "a collection of five sports-themed mini games with a twist - everything is musical. That means that you’ll need swing, volley, and score to the music in order to come out on top.". This music based game is actually pretty fun and the fact that the developers are providing free song packs is pretty great of them. The song pack titles, "All Star Pack", will come will 6 new songs which are going to be featured in the Net Ball and Gobble Golf mini-games. You can read the full announcement in the link above. Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Update 1.2.0 - Patch NotesThis was very kindly discovered by a reader yesterday, so instead of updating the post 10 hours after it went live, I decided to wait till today's post so you all could be made aware of this update. If it isn't obvious by the title, yesterday saw the release of the brand new 1.2.0 patch for Xenoblade Chronicles 2. This game was the third and final major 1st party release for Nintendo last year and performed incredibly well, however not to the heights of Mario and Zelda but that was expected. Anyway, in this latest patch, several bugs were squashed and other fixes were put into place. They also added several user requested features to make their game even better for their playerbase. Some of these fixes include, "Added functionality to allow players to receive the first round of quests and the second round of items associated with the Expansion Pass.", "Voiced segments in menus can now be skipped with the A or B button.", and "Adjusted the Gormott regular quest “The Riddle on the Wall” to make it completable regardless of player progression in the main story.". This extensive patch is available to download now and the relevant patch notes can be found in the link above!  Top Reddit Posts: Games with tiny fonts have to stop. - Link - u/kravitzzYou think Switches success will bring back "Game Cube" era of all games released on Xbox, PlayStation and Switch? - Link - u/YarrrImAPirateWhat the Switch Really needs is a solid City Builder - Link - u/TheRealShubshubI’ve got a very talented friend. The tips glow in the dark! - Link - u/Fankuan19  If there are any errors or missed information, just let me know and I'll add it promptly.  Well today has been quite a busy day! I've released 3 articles today and have officially launched my website (moved it out of a "soft launch" state! I know I say it regularly, but I would like to thank you all for the continued support, without you I would never have continued this series for more than a week, I would never have hit a month of activity. Today was a little quiet in terms of news, but with the next Direct being rumoured to be a thing next month, I'm sure I'll be kept busy. Thank you to all of the wonderful people who allowed me to use their reddit posts from earlier today, you are part of what make this community amazing. Enjoy your day/night and I'm going to get some much needed sleep now, night night! Sam :) via /r/NintendoSwitch

[succorcreek]

George Orwell's 1984 Decodes Trump in 7 Articles You Need Today George Orwell's 1984 Decodes Trump in 7 Articles You Need Today Article 1 1. The New Yorker: 1984 and George Orwell I have Im afraid a terrible confession to make: I have never been a huge fan of George Orwells 1984. It always seemed in its extrapolations from present to future too pat a little lacking in the imaginative extrapolations we want from dystopian literature. As the British author Anthony Burgess pointed out a long time ago Orwells modern hell was basically a reproduction of British misery in the postwar rationing years with the malice of Stalins police-state style added on. That other ninth-grade classic Aldous Huxleys Brave New World where a permanent playground of sex and drugs persists in a fiercely inegalitarian society seemed to me far more prescient and so did any work of Philip K. Dicks that extrapolated forward our bizarre American entertainment obsessions into an ever more brutal future in whichKen and Barbie might be worshipped as gods. 1984 seemed in contrast too brutal too atavistic too limited in its imagination of the relation between authoritarian state and helpless citizens. rest of article: http://bit.ly/2gZS2sv 2. 1984 Book sales surge: A Book Decoder for Dystopian Trump CNN Watching me read "1984" arguably the greatest dystopian novel ever written in high school my mother told me that it was a book that everyone should read not just once but again every 10 years. It certainly deserves a reread right now. Alexander J. Urbelis Indeed dozens of news stories this week have alerted us to surging sales of George Orwell's "1984" since the inauguration and even more so in the wake of Kellyanne Conway's now-infamous "alternative facts" gambit. Most media outlets have reported glibly on the figures with some going so far as to compare the Amazon best-seller list (where purchases of "1984" have gone up nearly 10000%) to a "political barometer" before making the obvious parallel between the Orwellian concepts of newspeak and doublethink and the words of Conway....... more: .............. Donald Trump and doublethink In everything from his Cabinet appointments to the rationale for destabilizing executive orders President Trump appears to have taken a cue directly from "1984's" fictional ministries whose purposes are diametrically opposed to their names. Orwell's Ministry of Truth ("Minitrue" in newspeak) for example had nothing to do with truth but was responsible for the fabrication of historical facts. In that vein President Trump has provided us in the name of security with a travel ban on immigrants and refugees from countries whose citizens have caused the terrorism deaths of no Americans while leaving out countries whose citizens have caused the terrorism deaths of thousands of Americans. He has provided us with Betsy DeVos a secretary of education nominee who is widely believed to oppose public education and who promotes the truly Orwellian-sounding concept of "school choice" a plan that seems well-intentioned but which critics complain actually siphons much-needed funds from public to private education institutions. but see this power article with much more info at:http://cnn.it/2h0mz9z 3. 1984 a Bestseller again in the Age of Trump Key Concepts Revealed In the last 15 hours at time of writing George Orwells classic has moved from number 6 to number 1 on Amazons overall bestselling books list. The Guardian noted its placement at number 6 yesterday. The shift comes just days after White House press secretary Sean Spicer told assembled reporters a blatant lie about the size of crowds at Donald Trumps inauguration and after Trumps counselor Kellyanne Conway defended the untruth as alternative facts.http://bit.ly/2eL3My9 4. George Orwell's 1984 explains Trump: Doublespeak alternative facts and reality control A Guide to Trump Doublespeak The normalization of Donald Trump began in 1984: How George Orwells Newspeak has infected the news media (note: when this Blog began February 1 2017 in response to the Trump presidency one of the first things added to this site was the quote also cited here by Maya Angelou. See the topic cloud below for references to this article and print and post this and any photo quotes to put on your fridge post to your Facebook and send to those you love. Dr. Bunch) The poet Maya Angelou wisely observed Whenpeople show you who they arebelieve themthe first time. In keeping with his fascist and authoritarian beliefs during the 2016 presidential campaign Donald Trump threatened to sue members of the news media he did not like offered conspiracy theories that the media were somehow unfairly maligning his campaign called reporters scum and disgraceful and made reporters the objects of mockery and violence at his rallies. Trumps white nationalist supporters and other deplorables responded in kind yelling the Nazi chant Lügenpresse and Jew-S-A in roaring approval during his campaign events. President-elect Donald Trump is continuing his war on the free press with enemies lists a proposed expansion of slander and libel laws and threats to ban critics in the news media access to his administration. This should not be a surprise. In the United States the Fourth Estate is supposed to serve as a guardian for democracy a type of watchdog that helps members of the public make informed decisions and sounds the alarm on unchecked power and threats to the Constitution and the values it embodies. In this moment of crisis theAmerican corporate news media has been presented with a critical choice: Itcan normalize Trumps radical and dangerous anti-democratic behavior or it can stand up against it. full article at:http://bit.ly/2h0Lmu3 5. Welcome to dystopia George Orwell experts on Donald Trump Why is 1984 Number 1 sales Amazon.com? Experts on George Orwell Dystopia: A. Jean Seaton: The seeds were sown during the George W Bush era Reading George Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four again now hurts. And Im not the only one to be revisiting it: sales of the book have soared in the past week. What you had previously thought you read at a cool intellectual distance (a great book about over there somewhere in the past or future) now feels intimate bitter and shocking. Orwell is writing of now when he writes Every year fewer and fewer words and the range of consciousness always a little smaller. Of course we all have to keep our heads (especially we have to keep our heads). The lies about the crowd size at Donald Trumps inauguration by the hapless White House spokesman Sean Spicer at his first briefing were not earth-shattering. But any lie from this podium is deeply unsettling. Any hopes that Trump or his team were underneath it all normal rightwingers have dissipated. The post-truth era certainly shares aspects of the dystopian world of Orwells Nineteen Eighty-Four. Michael Goves infamous comment that Britain has had enough of experts is just one step away from 22 = 5. In the interrogation scene in 1984 this is the most appalling moment: before now we read it as a ludicrous indictment of the rejection of reality (surely we conclude the party itself must know that 22 = 4; science machines all depend on it). In Nineteen Eighty-Four the elite personified by OBrien foster and control this willingness to believe one thing one day and one thing another. Now it seems the party itself may believe the lie. As Orwell writes: Science in the old sense had almost ceased to exist. In Newspeak there is no word for science. Sales of George Orwell's 1984 surge after Kellyanne Conway's 'alternative facts' Read more Then there is privacy Orwell puts the diary and the private self at the heart of his writing. In 1984 keeping a diary is Winstons first act of transgression. Orwell knew that authoritarian regimes want rest of article:http://bit.ly/2uWbBY8 6. George Orwell's 1984 explains Trump: Doublespeak alternative facts and reality control DONALD TRUMP was predicted in George Orwell's 1984 and sales of the book rocket over comparisons with doublespeak crimestop alternative facts and reality control. 7. Teaching 1984 to High School Seniors:My classroom becomes a totalitarian state every school year toward the end of October. In preparation for teaching 1984 to seniors I announce the launch of a new program aimed at combating senioritis a real disease with symptoms that include frequent unexplained absences indifferent reading and shoddy work. I tell each class that another class is largely to blame for the problem and require for a substantial participation grade that students file daily reports on another students work habits and conduct; most are assigned to another student in the same class. We blanket the campus in posters featuring my face and simple slogans that warn against the dangers of senioritis and declare my program the only solution to the schools woes. Last year my program was OSIP (Organization for Senior Improvement Project); this year its SAFE (Scholar Alliance For Excellence). We chant a creed at the start of each class celebrate the revelatory reports of heroes with cheers and boo those who fail to participate enthusiastically. I create a program Instagram that students eagerly follow. I occasionally bestow snacks as rewards.http://theatln.tc/2tA34X7 and 1984 on Broadway: Art mirroring Life the Lie and Liarshttp://bbc.in/2uWt2aR Click Here: Catalog of 100 Books Kindle Hypnosis Binaural Subliminal CDs 1984 alternate truths and alternate realities articles crimestop doublespeak dystopia george orwell reality control thrown under bus trump guide #trumpbully #stopbully #trumpmentalhealth http://bit.ly/2rZ1vSp

George Orwell's 1984

[apsbicepstraining]

Super Bowl LI prediction: Patriots’ brawny justification to tip scales against Falcons

Paolo Bandini: New Englands stout defense will move the difference in a mouth-watering matchup between the two best quarterbacks in the league this season

Success is supposed to be fleeting in the NFL. The Atlanta Falcons are a case study in how its meant to be in a league whose arrangement is designed to promote parity. After starting 14 -2 and contacting their first Super Bowl in 1998, they failed to even get back into the postseason for another four years. The precise same concept happened when they are proceeded 13 -3 and reached the NFC title play in 2012.

And now, all of a sudden, they are back in the big-hearted dance.

The New England Patriots, of course, do stuffs differently. This will be their seventh Super Bowl look since hiring Bill Belichick as manager coach in 2000. No other crew has played in more than three over the same span.

Does that mean they will win on Sunday? Not inevitably: we have witnessed Belichick lose on the current stage before. Admittedly, only against the New York Giants, but six recreations perhaps isnt a large enough sample size to deduce that no other antagonist could upset them.

So, tells try and end this one down through the matchups instead. But first, a quick updated information on our Pick The Playoffs contest, where three readers have called all 10 recreations correctly so far.

Can mmmbop8 6 , nbcnfl or ShadowWarrior make it a clean sweep? Or will they descend at the final hurdle? Ill post the full suffers in the comments segment shortly, but if youre within a point of the cause, do include a tally prediction for Sundays game – this will be used as a tie-breaker, if required, to resolve our winner.

For now, I can announce that castigers is our overall champ for the combined regular season and postseason tournaments, having built a two-point pas over the rest of the field with merely the one activity left to play. Do assemble me in praising them on an impressive 72 redres picks out of a possible 112 thus far( and makes not forget that two of those recreations ended in ties ).

Falcons offense v Patriots defense

Atlanta conducted the NFL in tallying during the course of its regular season, with Ryan averaging a foolish 9.3 yards per overtaking attempt and generally performing at a degree above anything he had produced in his( already solid) profession. Meanwhile , no squad “ve been given” fewer points than the Patriots.

Its worth noting that the Falcons have not just been running up the scores against bad crews. According to Football Outsiderss advanced DVOA metrics, they faced the second-most efficient group of defenses of any team in the NFL this season. Atlanta gave 38 qualities on Arizona, 29 on Kansas City, 23 on Denver and then 36 on Seattle last month in the playoffs.

The Patriots have just faced a unit all season with anything close to this offensive capability. They did curtail the Steelers to a combined 33 stages in two fits, but Pittsburgh were missing Ben Roethlisberger in week seven, and misplaced LeVeon Bell early in the AFC championship game.

What obligates the Falcons so dangerous is the wander of weapons at Ryans dumping. Julio Jones is an extraordinary knack quite possibly the best wide receiver in the conference but if “its just” a question of impeding him in check then I would have no doubt backing the Patriots to do so, particularly after checking how they contained Antonio Brown use constant double-teams.

Repeating that programme against Atlanta, however, appears to have been riskier. The Falcons do not have a standout No2 option in the welcome recreation, but what they do have is a whole shed of reliable pass catchers and playmakers, from Mohamed Sanu and Taylor Gabriel at receiver to Devonta Freeman and Tevin Coleman coming out of the backfield. Assign two champions to Jones, and will you still have enough left open?

Julio Jones, perhaps the NFLs good broad receiver, will give New Englands defense a potent challenge. Picture: USA Today Sports/ Reuters/ USA Today Sports

The obvious alternative would be to let Malcolm Butler track Jones everywhere. He is one of few actors in the NFL who might be capable of harbouring his own in such a struggle. But we have not often read Belichick making this strict apply of his No1 corner.

More likely, I suspect, is that the Patriots will inundate the field with defensive backs, leaving as few as six followers in the box and challenging Atlanta to stay patient and lope the pellet. The Falcons are quite capable of doing so, but would they stay patient enough in that scenario?

And there is at least a potential that such an approach could play right into Atlantas mitts. They have employed the play-action more frequently,( on 27.6% of Ryans passing plays, according to ProFootballFocus) and more effectively, than any other team in the league. Fix the lead early on with got a couple of scoring drives, and suddenly it gets that little bit harder for advocates to fight the sham.

Otherwise, the one big concern I have for Atlanta on this surface of the pellet revolves around the fitness of middle Alex Mack, who disabled his ankle during the NFC championship game. The single most important participate on an offensive path that has helped staggeringly from being able to start the same five actors in every tournament, he has practised this week and is expected to start on Sunday, but will he be at 100%?

That ankle is sure to be tested by an encounter with New Englands 350 lb defensive tackle, Alan Branch. If it fails, Atlanta might be in big trouble.

Patriots offense v Falcons defense

As brilliant as Ryan has been this season and I have already drawn my lawsuit for why I think he should prevail the MVP there is at least an polemic to be made that Brady, after returning from his postponement, was even better. How do you combat a guy who accomplishes more than 67% of his delivers, and who has a moronic 132.8 quarterback rating on third down?

The obvious answer is to hit him before he gets the chance to jettison. Obvious, but incredibly difficult to achieve. Brady took a mere 19 sackings in 14 starts( playoffs included) this season and has exceeded against the offensive for years.

Almost every team that has toppled New England in a playoff game in the past decade has been able to generate consistent pres without communicating extra souls after him. In belief, Atlanta have the personnel to do the same. Vic Beasley passed the league with 15.5 sacks in the regular season, whilst Dwight Freeney remains a highly effective situational line rusher as well.

In practice, though, I have some skepticisms. Beasley is yet to record a sack in the playoffs, and you could make a lawsuit that his regular season figures in that department overstate his effectiveness. His 56 total quarterback pushes simply graded 18 th in the NFL, and he is likely to waste a considerable part of Sundays game rowing up opposite New Englands right tackle, Marcus Cannon a boy who has not allowed a sacking since week one.

Whether Atlantas offensive can fluster Tom Brady will prove crucial to the Falcons probabilities. Photograph: Charlie Riedel/ AP

Brady should be content to get the ball out soon, extremely. The Falcons missed 136 tackles this season, according to ProFootballFocus, and allowed opposing ball-carriers to gain an average rate of 2.89 yards after initial contact. Those were, respectively, the second-worst and worst such numbers of any crew in the league.

A reasonable conclusion for Belichick and his coaching personnel would be that it obligates more sense were concentrated in plays that get the ball into receivers hands close to the line of scrimmage rather than taking shots downfield. Nobody executing the simple-minded slant-flats elapsing abstractions better than Brady, who, like Ryan, has a property of different targets to is targeted at.

Chris Hogan has been the starring of New Englands playoff show in so far, and his width cam be an asset against a justification that prizes speed over strength. Belichick might be allured to soften Atlanta up early, using heavy shapings with a heavy dosage of LeGarrette Blount and Martellus Bennett. But if not then, hey, Julian Edelman, Dion Lewis and James White all has been able to do impair, more.

Special teams

The Falcons might have a slight edge up the third phase, though I dont think its a huge one. Kicker Matt Bryant has put together best available season of his career at 41 years old, the coverage divisions have been solid and Eric Weems ranked sixth in the tournament with an 11.4 ground punt render norm. The Falcons own punter, Matt Bosher, should be find fresh-legged, made hes simply had to boot the projectile 44 durations all season.

New Englands Ryan Allen is solid, as are the coverage gangs. There have been a few render misfortunes over such courses of the season, but Dion Lewis led a kickoff return back 98 grounds for a score against the Houston Texans in the divisional round. The only faint cherry-red marking is attached to kicker Stephen Gostkowski whose often high standards have declined reasonably, with three extra places and four field goals missed over such courses of the season.

Pick

What prepares this such a mesmerizing matchup relates to the fact that, on the surface, you can find so much about these crews that look similar. Brady and Ryan have been the two good quarterbacks in the league in 2016 -1 7, both have benefited from strong pass safety and each has a immense arsenal of varied weapons at their dumping. I expect this to be a high-scoring play.

In the end, though, I do repute the Patriots will have an edge on justification. I dont envisage either squad is going to have a great deal of exultation rushing the passer unless Mack genuinely does struggle for Atlanta but I do expect Belichick to do a better task of scheming to slow Ryan down, take away the deep ball and test the Falcons willingness to play patiently and chip away.

Perhaps they will rise to that challenge. But Im more inclined to trust the team Ive construed do it before.

Prediction: Patriots 34 -2 8 Falcons

The post Super Bowl LI prediction: Patriots’ brawny justification to tip scales against Falcons appeared first on apsbicepstraining.com.

from WordPress http://ift.tt/2fJgU4D via IFTTT

[flauntpage]

Nashville Will Become the First Wildcard Stanley Cup Finals Team

Welcome to the third round of the NHL playoffs. Let's get you caught up on what's happened so far.

The worst team in the Central, according the standings, made it through. The worst team in the Atlantic, according to the experts, did, too. The Presidents' Trophy winner went home in the second round, and their fans are very sad. And in the Pacific, a top seed that never wins Game 7 captured the division by winning a Game 7.

In other words, nobody has any idea what's going on, or what's going to happen. It's chaos out there. Beautiful, beautiful chaos. Let's get to the conference final preview.

Western Conference

One team is back in the conference final for the second time in three years. The other has never been here before, ever. It's not exactly a matchup between long-established hockey markets, but it should be fun.

WC Nashville Predators vs. #1 Anaheim Ducks

In this corner: The Predators (41-29-12, 94 points, +18 goals differential not counting shootouts), who struggled through an underwhelming first half of the season before hitting their stride in time for the playoffs.

The road so far: They stunned the favored Blackhawks with a four-game sweep in the opening round, then disposed of the Blues in six to reach the conference final for the first time in franchise history.

Injury report: With the obvious yet important caveat that just about everyone is banged up at this time of year and NHL teams are under no real obligation to tell us anything, the Predators injury list is fairly empty, apart from Kevin Fiala, who is out for the year after suffering an ugly broken leg in the second round.

The big question: How do you slow down the Predators offense from the blueline? The team's big three of P.K. Subban, Roman Josi, and Ryan Ellis have combined for 24 points, with each of those players ranking among the team's top five scorers. For comparison, the team's other three blueliners have just three points total.

It's rare for a team to get that much scoring from the backend, and it's made up for the fact that the Predators forwards have been only OK. It will be interesting to see if the Ducks make any sort of adjustment to try to take away those blueline chances and force the guys up front to beat them.

One player to watch: Ryan Johansen. The fourth overall pick in the 2010 draft has long been viewed as an underrated two-way center—think along the lines of a poor man's Jonathan Toews or Anze Kopitar.

The Predators paid big to get him, surrendering Seth Jones in a blockbuster trade with the Blue Jackets last year, and for the most part he's given them what they were looking for. His 61 points tied him for the team lead, and he led the forwards in ice time. Still, he's the sort of player who always seems to leave you wanting just a little more. He has a team-leading nine points in this year's postseason, but with a matchup with Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry looming, he'll be under the brightest spotlight of his career over the next two weeks.

Ryan Johansen's game winner against St. Louis in Game 6 sent the Predators to the conference finals. Photo by Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports

Key number: .951, Pekka Rinne's save percentage so far in the postseason. You can dig into all sorts of numbers and narratives, but when your goaltender is stopping 19 out of every 20 shots, you're going to win.

Rinne isn't as good as his numbers indicate; he was a more pedestrian .918 on the regular season, and has been under .910 in each of his last two playoff runs before this current one. But that doesn't matter. He's red hot right now, and if he stays that way, the Predators probably win the series.

And in this corner: The Ducks (46-23-13, 105 points, +23), the only first-place team to make it through two rounds.

The road so far: They've made Alberta really sad. The Ducks swept the Flames in round one, then needed the full seven to get past the Oilers.

Injury report: The Ducks were missing several guys by the end of the Edmonton series, including Kevin Bieksa and Patrick Eaves. With just 48 hours to rest up between series, they'll be at a disadvantage against a Predators team that's been off since Sunday.

The big question: Should we be worried about John Gibson at all? At 23, Gibson is getting his first taste of the playoffs as an undisputed starter, and he got his team in the conference final. But he's giving up nearly three goals a game, and his save percentage is just .908. That number is skewed a bit by that Game 6 meltdown against the Oilers, which was one of those nights where nothing went right for anyone on the team. But with Rinne playing as well as he has, the goaltending matchup could be a question mark for Anaheim.

One player to watch: Ryan Getzlaf. The Ducks center has been so good for so long that you can sometimes forget about him in favor of the latest young star. But that wasn't possible in round two, when he played some of his best hockey in years and tied a franchise record with ten points. When you're clearly the best player in a series that includes Connor McDavid, that's pretty good.

Ryan Getzlaf has been the star of the playoffs so far. Photo by Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

Key number: 82.9. That's the Ducks' power play rate plus penalty kill rate for the playoffs, which is a way of assigning one number to a club's special teams. An average mark would be 100, so the Ducks have been nowhere near good enough. They rank dead last among the 16 playoff teams, and the Predators clock in at an impressive 107.5, so Anaheim better figure out their special teams soon if they're going to have a chance.

Head-to-head: The Ducks took two of three. Each team won a game over the other by five goals; the third was decided in a shootout.

Dominant narrative: The battle of the bluelines. We're always told that a winning NHL team is built from the backend out, with the goaltending and blueline being the most important positions. Yet that's not exactly true—Stanley Cup Final goalies have ranged from excellent to decidedly average, and we've seen plenty of teams make deep runs without an excellent defense. Look at the Eastern Final: the Penguins blueline is held together with duct tape, while the Senators are Erik Karlsson and pray for rain.

Not in this series, though. This matchup may feature the two deepest bluelines in hockey. The Predators are top-heavy with those three star performers, while the Ducks are young and deep across all three pairs. Most series feature at least a few defensemen on each side who need to be hidden away from tough matchups, but not this one.

Prediction: Predators in six. No wildcard team has made the final since the new format was introduced in 2013. That changes this year.

Bonus prediction that is oddly specific: The series is tied until the Predators go into Anaheim and steal Game 5 in overtime.

Sidney Crosby's health will be something to monitor in the conference finals. Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Eastern Conference

We were this close to seeing a team win a division it wasn't even in. You ruin everything, New York Rangers. Well, except for the Senators. You barely even put a dent in them.

#2 Ottawa Senators vs. #2 Pittsburgh Penguins

In this corner: The Senators (44-28-10, -4), who didn't lock down a spot until the final week and were the only playoff team with a negative goals differential, but still had home ice in the first two rounds.

The road so far: Despite being labeled underdogs in both series, the Senators knocked out the Bruins and the Rangers in six games each, winning five overtime games along the way.

Injury report: Mark Borowiecki is the only player sidelined, but Erik Karlsson is playing through a hairline fracture in his foot and missed a period in Game 4 against the Rangers.

The big question: How do you stop Karlsson? The Sens star has already won two Norris Trophies, finished second in the voting last year, and will wind up first or second again when this year's results are announced, so hopefully nobody's surprised to find out that he's really good. Even given the high standards he's set, it's been stunning to watch him take over games at key moments.

The foot is a concern, and there were reports that he was limping after the Rangers series ended. If he misses any time, it's a series-changer. Assuming he can play through it, however, the Penguins had better have an answer for him, because they haven't faced a blueliner anywhere close to him so far this postseason.

One player to watch: Eugene Melnyk. OK, he's the owner, not a player, but he's only a few weeks removed from an epic rant on Sidney Crosby after the Marc Methot incident, and there's roughly an 80 percent chance he says or does something over the next few days that puts him in the spotlight.

If you'd prefer a player, let's go with Mark Stone. The Senators don't have a truly elite forward, unless you want to count Karlsson, who's technically a defenseman but could probably strap on the pads and be a top-five goalie at this point. Stone is often their best player up front, combining decent offensive numbers with a Selke-level defensive game. He hasn't exactly been front and center so far in the playoffs, posting just six points, but he could be a key part of the plan to shut down Crosby and friends. If he can rediscover his offensive side, then he could tip a game Ottawa's way.

Mark Stone will need to start scoring on some of his opportunities for the Senators to have a change against Pittsburgh. Photo by Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Key number: Three, the number of times this postseason that the Senators have won a game after trailing by multiple goals. Before this year, they'd only managed that sort of playoff comeback four times in their entire franchise history. Given what they're up against, they'll probably spend a significant amount of time trailing in this series, and maybe by a lot. Don't count them out when it happens.

And in this corner: The Penguins (50-21-11, 111 points, +49), who you may know as the defending champs.

The road so far: The Penguins have had just about the toughest path possible, beating the league's best and fourth-best regular-season teams. They had a relatively easy time dispatching the Blue Jackets in five, and just finished off the Capitals in a grueling seven games.

Injury report: They say that Matt Murray is healthy again, although we haven't seen him play yet and won't unless Marc-Andre Fleury struggles. On defense, Kris Letang is out for the playoffs, and Trevor Daley missed the end of the Capitals series.

The big question: Can the blueline hold together?

As always, the Penguins can throw plenty of offense at you, but the back end is a major question mark right now. They deserve all the credit in the world for finding a way to shut the Capitals down, but it won't get much easier against Ottawa. And if they suffered even one more injury, it could get ugly.

One player to watch: Sidney Crosby. He's the best player in the world, so you don't need me to tell you to keep an eye on him. But Crosby was an even bigger story than usual in the second round thanks to a scary-looking collision that resulted in another concussion. He sat out a game before coming back, raising plenty of eyebrows, and then went headfirst into the boards in Game 6. You have to assume that the Penguins have run him through all the tests and decided he's 100 percent recovered, but it's hard not to wonder if the next big hit could be the last one he takes for a while. And you can bet that the Senators will be eager to find out.

Key number: 200, the number of regular-season and playoff games the Penguins have played dating back to opening night of the 2015-16 season. That's a lot, especially when you factor in that several of their key payers also took part in last fall's World Cup. There hasn't been a repeat Stanley Cup winner in the cap era, and that's mostly due to parity, but it's also partly due to fatigue, and the Penguins must be feeling some by now.

Head-to-head: The Senators took two of three. The lone Pittsburgh win was a wild 8-5 game back in December.

Dominant narrative: Inevitability. The Penguins just won a war between the league's top two teams, capturing a series that felt like the de facto Stanley Cup final. Meanwhile, the Senators made it to the conference final without really playing anyone all that good thanks to the NHL's weird playoff format. So one team is on the way to a championship and the other should be happy just to be here. Why even play the games, right?

Note: This narrative will last right up until the Senators win Game 1 and everyone freaks out.

Prediction: Penguins in seven. Look, it's the most likely result; the Pens are the better team here. But don't let anyone try to tell you this is any kind of foregone conclusion. The Senators could absolutely pull this off.

Bonus prediction that is oddly specific: Melnyk is publicly accusing the league of a pro-Penguins conspiracy by Game 4 at the latest.

Want to read more stories like this from VICE Sports? Subscribe to our daily newsletter.

Nashville Will Become the First Wildcard Stanley Cup Finals Team published first on http://ift.tt/2pLTmlv

[comm300-derarzt-blog]

I collected everything assigned and more:  18 image of German people, places, things; 4 short video’s describing German ‘top 10’ destinations and food; 4 German Song links; 4 recent news stories about Germany; and 3 travel blogs which included a blog from a German National.

It’s very easy to get inspired about the sojourn when you spend a couple hours perusing thru Germany sights and sounds.  I began with Oktoberfest sights in Munich and Stuttgart (from the

liter sized beers to the dirndl dress’).  The Oktoberfest songs are also inspiring, from the ommpah bands (www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9UqZOv8-OY) to 99 Red Balloons by Nena (www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQYQTFudrqc).

The short videos are very informational in order to get a sense as to where and what to visit (www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxqVTW7Z4AY and www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM3KuxozrTY).  After reviewing the short video’s I downloaded a couple pictures of the sights (Brandenburg Gate and Check Point Charlie in Berlin; Neuschwanstein Castle or the Disney Castle in Southern Bavaria; Wartberg Castle where Luther wrote his declaration; Hohenzollern Castle; Heidelberg Castle; Cologne Cathedral; and The Porsche Museum in Stuttgart):

The travel blogs are equally informative, telling you a story from the bloggers perspective (www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-guides/germany-travel-tips/  and www.travellerspoint.com/blogs/Germany/).  

 Rick Steves blog is always informative (www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD9b7mP6whk) where he talks about shopping in Rothenberg and the Rhine River that flows thru Germany:

 As opposed to this blogger I found, a German blogger who travels too (www.instagram.com/sonneundwolken/)

Another informative video is about German Food - Schnitzel (www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1txY5E-aZg):

 Two inspiring music artists in Germany are David Garrett (Violin) and Sarah Conner: (www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZ_BoOlAXyk and www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTx7tfe8iOQ)

 I plan to use the media researched to help me plan my trip, where to visit and what to do. There is so much to do, so little time, this research will enable me to rate the ‘must not miss’ sights and sounds.

As with any research, there are many more areas that I’d like to see/visit (Germany’s commitment to wind energy; the Zugspitze Glacier in Southern Bavaria; and Dachau Concentration Camp).

Angela Merkel, Chancellor of Germany, is taking a lot of heat in dealing with the refugees but Merkel’s Concervitive Party has a slight lead over the Social Party (3rd Article/see below).

Given the length of the four news articles, I’ve copied/pasted them at the bottom (does not count in my 500 words).   The other articles deal with Germany’s quarrel over Erdogan’s consolidation of power (1st Article); the Berlin truck attack and the mosque closure (2nd article) and finally some suggestion that the German Government spied on Foreign Journalist (4th Article).

 My media collection is a good first stab but needs more breadth and depth, including sights in Northern and Eastern Germany.  I’m a little weak on the historical perspective of Europe and current events given today’s insurgents and lone wolfs.

I plan to continue adding media items as I read them, in particular news items.   I really don’t want to stand out in a crowd, so will ensure I’m up to speed on current events in Germany.   As I watch BBC or read  The Spiegel, will ensure I add those items to my sojourning list.

       GERMANY

Opinion: Turkey-Germany quarrel out in the open

Tensions between Germany and Turkey have escalated. Chancellor Merkel needs to speak out strongly against a possible public appearance in Germany by President Erdogan, writes Jens Thurau.

 It is difficult to keep up with the exchange of accusations Germany and Turkey have been flinging at each other. The latest episode features two Turkish ministers being barred from stumping at events in Germany for an upcoming April referendum that would further consolidate Erdogan's grip on power.

"What kind of democracy is this?" complained Justice Minister Bekir Bozdag, one of the two men affected. This coming from a representative of a government that in recent months has swiftly jailed hundreds of its critics.

Public accusations and refusal to talk

Germany's Justice Minister Heiko Maas tried to smooth things over with his enraged counterpart. What reached German media instead was a letter warning of the breakdown of rule of law in Turkey.

The German government's press secretary said the dispute over cancelling the ministers' appearances in Germany should not get mixed up with the fate of Deniz Yucel, a German-Turkish journalist for Germany's "Die Welt" newspaper who has been detained in Istanbul.

Yet precisely this has happened. Yucel is being used as a bargaining chip, branded in the Turkish media as a German agent or terrorist. "Germany has gone mad," surmised the "Yeni Safak” newspaper. From Berlin, German President Joachim Gauck dispensed with diplomacy and criticized the leadership apparatus, framed in religion, which Erdogan is clearly trying to establish.

All this just in the last 24 hours, following months of Ankara's untenable dealings – arresting regime critics and calling upon Germany to go after Erdogan's opponents here, to hit just a few points – being met with a measured tone. The priority has always been to maintain lines of communication with Turkey because we need it: as a NATO partner, an EU partner on refugees and the country with the largest population of its citizens living in Germany.

Germany: Not looking on passively

That softness is changing. To win his referendum, Erdogan needs the support of the 1.5 million Turkish voters living in Germany. A victory for him is far from guaranteed in Turkey itself, according to polling, making "yes” votes from abroad all the more decisive.

There is a growing desire in Germany to resist Erdogan's efforts, including a visit he has slated for end of March or early April. Politicians at all levels and from both the government and opposition have come out publicly against Germany being used as a stage for Turkey's further move towards autocracy.

It is legally complicated since the right to assembly is a core value in Germany. Events in Cologne and Gaggenau could only be cancelled on the basis of security, and decided at the local level. Nevertheless, Chancellor Angela Merkel must make a clear statement: Erdogan is not welcome to campaign here. That is the only tone Ankara understands; if it understands anything at all.

Date 03.03.2017

Author Jens Thurau

  THE GUARDIAN-

Berlin truck attack: mosque shut down amid anti-terror raids

Police guard a residential building in Berlin after a raid in connection with the Fussilet 33 mosque.

A mosque used by the Berlin Christmas market truck attacker, Anis Amri, has been shut down by German authorities amid a series of police raids in the hunt for other radical Islamists.

The prayer rooms of the Fussilet 33 mosque in the central district of Moabit was a known meeting place for men and women who moved in Islamist circles.

More than 460 police officers swept 24 other locations across the city in the early hours of Tuesday morning in raids linked to activities at the mosque, where it is suspected money was regularly collected to fund terror attacks in Syria. 

Amri, who carried out the attack on 19 Decemberin which 12 people died and more than 50 were injured, was a regular visitor to Fussilet 33, along with other Islamists police believe were willing to carry out further terrorist attacks.

Members of the mosque – mostly of Turkish or Caucasian origin – were allegedly radicalised there and recruited to fight for Islamic State in Syria.

The entrance of the Fussilet mosque. Photograph: Michael Sohn/AP

Officers had observed the mosque entrance using a hidden camera from a police station located opposite, a spokesman said. Communication between various members of the Fussilet 33 association had also been under surveillance.

Among the properties searched on Tuesday were office spaces, flats, and six cells in two prisons. No arrests are believed to have been made.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Berlin’s top security official said authorities had seized funds belonging to Fussilet 33, shut down its website and imposed a blanket ban to prevent the organisation from establishing itself under a different name or location.

“It was necessary to ban the organisation and all successor organisations to stop it once and for all,” Andreas Geisel said “People who preach hate have no place in this city.”

Amri fled Berlin after the attack and was apprehended on the outskirts of Milan four days later by two police officers, one of whom shot him dead.

Authorities announced they would finally close the mosque this month after several attempts to do so since 2015. Given notice of the closure, the organisers moved out last week and cancelled their rental contract with the landlord.

The door has been boarded up and a notice in German and Turkish reads: “This mosque is now closed.”

   WORLD

German conservatives edge ahead of Social Democrats in Emnid poll

Posted 05 Mar     2017 05:35

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservatives took a one point lead over the Social Democrats (SPD) in the latest poll conducted by Emnid for the German newspaper Bild am Sonntag, with nearly seven months to go before federal elections.

The Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and its CSU Bavarian sister party gained one percentage point to reach 33 percent support, compared with an unchanged 32 percent for the SPD in a poll of 1,403 people taken from Feb. 23 to March 1.

The anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party gained one percentage point in the poll to reach 10 percent, while the ratings for the Left party and pro-environment Green party were unchanged at 8 percent and 7 percent, respectively.

The Free Democratic Party lost one percentage point compared to the last poll to reach 6 percent, just above the 5 percent threshold needed to take seats in parliament.

The increase for Merkel's conservatives came after a surge in support for the SPD that followed its nomination of former European Parliament President Martin Schulz as its candidate to challenge Merkel in the Sept. 24 national election.

Merkel, who is seeking a fourth term in the election, leads a coalition government made up of the CDU/CSU and the centre-left SPD, but Schulz is hoping to win enough votes to form a new government with smaller allies.

The unexpectedly strong gains shown by the SPD - and the CDU/CSU's slide - have prompted some German media to write about "Merkel fatigue" and what they see as the chancellor's lack of enthusiasm for this year's campaign.

"Angela Merkel suddenly seems like one of those dinosaurs that was incapable of adapting in time, and could only hang around limply waiting for its own extinction," wrote Jakob Augstein, a columnist for Der Spiegel magazine, in Sunday's edition.

But the new Emnid poll and others taken over the past week showed Merkel's conservatives have now stabilised and are now polling neck-and-neck or just ahead of the Social Democrats.

(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Hugh Lawson, Bernard Orr)

- Reuters

 SPIEGEL ExclusiveDocuments Indicate Germany Spied on Foreign Journalists

Germany's foreign intelligence agency, the BND, apparently spied on large numbers of foreign journalists overseas over the course of several years, including employees of the BBC, Reuters and the New York Times. Critics see a massive violation of press freedoms.

By Maik Baumgärtner, Martin Knobbe and Jörg Schindler

Arnaud Zajtman, 44, is not exactly the kind of person you would mistake for a terrorist, weapons trader or drug dealer. The Belgian journalist has been reporting from Africa for almost 20 years, with a keen interest in Congo. For 10 years, he was stationed in Kinshasa as a correspondent, first for the BBC and then for the television broadcaster France 24. His stories focused on the forgotten children of Congo, on the battles fought by the rebels and on the country's first free elections since 1965.

In that election year, in September 2006, the Bundesnachrichtendienst (BND), Germany's foreign intelligence agency, took an interest in the journalist's work. Agents included Zajtman's two Congolese telephone numbers in the agency's surveillance list as so-called "selectors."

Zajtman knew nothing about it. German officials never informed him that his phone had been tapped, the journalist says. He was horrified when he was contacted by SPIEGEL regarding the alleged surveillance by the Germans. "It isn't a good feeling to know that somebody was listening in when you're dealing with highly sensitive sources."

The Belgian journalist isn't the only reporter who was spied on. According to documents seen by SPIEGEL, the BND conducted surveillance on at least 50 additional telephone numbers, fax numbers and email addresses belonging to journalists or newsrooms around the world in the years following 1999.

Included among them were more than a dozen connections belonging to the BBC, often to the offices of the international World Service. The documents indicate that the German intelligence agency didn't just tap into the phones of BBC correspondents in Afghanistan, but also targeted telephone and fax numbers at BBC headquarters in London.

State Meddling

A phone number belonging to the New York Times in Afghanistan was also on the BND list, as were several mobile and satellite numbers belonging to the news agency Reuters in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria. The German spies also conducted surveillance on the independent Zimbabwean newspaper Daily News before dictator Robert Mugabe banned it for seven years in 2003. Other numbers on the list belonged to news agencies from Kuwait, Lebanon and India in addition to journalist associations in Nepal and Indonesia.

Journalists in Germany enjoy far-reaching protection against state meddling. They enjoy similar legal protection to lawyers, doctors and priests: occupations that require secrecy. Journalists have the right to refuse to testify in court in order to protect their sources. German law forbids the country's domestic intelligence agency from conducting surveillance on persons who have that right.

The German chapter of Reporters without Borders says that the BND's systematic surveillance of journalists is an "egregious attack on press freedoms" and "a new dimension of constitutional violation." Christian Mihr, head of the German chapter of Reporters without Borders, says that press freedom "is not a right granted by the graciousness of the German government, it is an inviolable human right that also applies to foreign journalists."

The allegations come as the German parliamentary investigative committee focusing on U.S. spying in Germany is completing its inquiry. Chancellor Angela Merkel, who appeared before the committee last Thursday, was the last witness called and now the committee members are working on their closing report. But even as the committee also addressed extensive BND spying, the surveillance of journalists was only a fringe issue.

Constitutional Challenge

Committee members, for example, referred in their questions to the scandal surrounding SPIEGEL reporter Susanne Koelbl, whose emails were read by the BND for a several-month period in 2006. Agency employees said at the time that their target had been the Afghan minister for industry and trade, with whom Koelbl was in contact. The journalist's emails, they insisted, had been inadvertently intercepted and the agency issued her an apology.

But the surveillance of journalists documented in the papers SPIEGEL has seen was almost certainly not inadvertent. The search terms used clearly targeted the journalists or the newsrooms whose contact information is on the BND list. The German intelligence agency declined to comment on the allegations. "Regarding operative aspects of its activities, the BND comments exclusively to the German government or the committee responsible in the German parliament," the BND press office stated.

Reporters without Borders is concerned that the BND will continue conducting surveillance on foreign journalists. And the new law governing the BND, which went into effect in January, won't change that. "What is missing from the new law is an exception for journalists of the kind that exists (in the law governing domestic intelligence)," says Mihr. And he is prepared to fight for it. Together with other journalist associations and under the leadership of the Society for Civil Rights, Reporters without Borders is preparing a constitutional challenge to the new BND law.