#i hope this reads sensically. it unfortunately takes me a long time to read and write anymore.

[blackwaxidol]

the kneejerk response, the idea or belief that when Israel as a state ceases to exist, that its settlers will become second-class citizens or outright killed is not only repetition of the same hysterical argument that has existed—yet never coming to pass—in other apartheid states but it is also indicative that the speaker has not been listening to what has been said over and over and over again by Palestinians, or perhaps that he refuses to listen entirely.

liberal or proclaimed leftists showing that they do not understand or support anticolonialism as much as they purport to be should not be unexpected, it is much easier for a person to lie back and say "oh yes i am of course an anticolonialist" without ever bothering to learn of what it is, because they believe it is simply a matter of common human decency and not an extensive history that must be learned from to be understood. the liberal believes many things for the sake of being courteous, rather than having any real interest in the matter. it is why they are shocked or appalled by its violence, and it is then that they will appeal to "both sides". the solution in such a mind as theirs is voting, or patience. anything else to them is barbarism. they are eager to buy lies about what is to them the wrong way of "going about things", so that they do not lose sleep at night.

[danganronpa-21]

Naegiri Week Day 2: Puzzle

A short prompt today -- with no warnings! This is totally G-rated, wholesome snuggle fun for everyone. I hope you enjoy it!

_____________

Left side. Right side. On her stomach. On her back. Back to the left side, then to the right once again. Roll over onto her stomach one last time, and when that doesn’t work, she knows she better roll onto her back once more. 

This was Kyoko’s near routine procedure for falling asleep. Once upon a time she’d been the kind of person who could fall asleep in two seconds flat, but age and trauma had since played a nasty trick on her. Arguably among one of the most frustrating aspects of her post-traumatic stress disorder was her undesired transformation into an insomniac. It sent her longing for the nights when she was a teenager, and could fall asleep with a snap of her fingers. Sure, it was true to say that she had often been more exhausted from her work back then, but at least it put her to sleep. These days, she would be lucky if she could amass a good seven hours. 

On to her left again. She exhaled irritatedly, pulling the covers closer to her face. What was she doing wrong? It wasn’t like her mind raced, and the room had darkened. That should have been enough, or at least a little, to help her to sleep. Even the silence; it should have helped. The silence, it should have been enough as well. Enough to lull her into a peaceful sleep; where she considered nothing else but the sweet dreams that danced within her mind’s eye. 

Yet it didn’t. In fact, perhaps it kept her more awake. Makoto could take the blame for at least some of that. Most of the time, the night filled with his light snoring. Given that she was already such a light sleeper, it had been something that absolutely tortured her when they first moved in together. Every night she found herself listening to his obnoxious snoring, and for a short while, it bothered her. How was she expected to sleep when his sinuses were making so much noise? Some nights it would get so bad that she’d shake him awake, begging him to switch sleeping positions to one that wouldn’t be so loud. He’d typically oblige; although she noted his displeasure at being awoken. It made night time so much more difficult for the two of them.

But somewhere down the line, the couple had been able to get past it. It took a few months, perhaps a year, but… she’d found comfort in his night-time snuffling. Eventually she found herself tuning into the peaceful rhythm of the sound, and using it as an indicator that she was safe — and so was he. 

So now, that the room was deadly silent, now that she didn’t hear it, falling asleep became so much less simple. Especially because it meant that he must have been lying wide awake as well.

She rolled over to face him; only to find his back turned to her. It appeared he hadn’t wanted her to know that he was as alert as he was. “Makoto.” She whispered, “Judging by the absence of your log-sawing, I take it you are awake?” 

Within seconds he rolled to meet her, and when she saw his face, she couldn’t help but notice the darkness under his eyes. Yikes. It looked like there had been a few sleepless nights for him. Certainly more than there had been for her. When he blinked, he did so sleepily. She could even see jaw move to suppress a yawn. 

“Yeah,” He sighed, progressively giving into the yawn, “Unfortunately.”

She shrugged slightly; unsure of what should be said. Whether that was a product of her exhausted brain, or just general confusion, she didn’t know. All she knew revolved around the observation that she felt really, really tired. And that she really, really wanted to go to sleep.

“Should we get up?” She reached over to brush some of his fluffy hair away from his face. She smiled slightly as she did it, liking the feeling of his soft hair again her fingers. “Take a sleeping pill, perhaps?”

Makoto’s face twisted like he’d just eaten a sour candy. Though she tried not to, Kyoko found herself snickering. She rushed to cover it with her hand, hoping to hide her insensitivity.

“I always feel gross when I wake up after taking one.” He paused; his lemon-expression slightly fading. “B-But you can take one, if you want to.” 

She chuckled softly once again. Even when he expressed an opinion, he still desperately wanted to be considerate of her own. It was little things like that that made her feel that she was dating the world’s most adorable man.

“I am fine, thank you. I do not care for them much, either.” 

A grin tugged at the corners of Makoto’s lips, but he didn’t seem willing to let it fully show. Or perhaps, his sleepiness prevented it from blooming.

“Okay…” 

The words struck silence between the two of them for a couple of seconds; the pair of lovers doing little else other than staring into each other’s eyes. Then, rolling over onto his back, Makoto groaned suddenly.

“When did sleeping become such a puzzle?” He complained, throwing his arms into the air dramatically. They came crashing down just as quickly as they went up, and for a moment she worried she might get hit with them.

To this, Kyoko could only shrug. “I don’t think I could tell you. I used to be good at it.”

The luckster pouted, dissatisfied with his girlfriend’s answer. He couldn’t help but push a hand through his hair. He tended to do it when he felt stressed, but Kyoko couldn’t deny that she found it sort of attractive. Jeez, even when he was sleep-deprived, she found him to be undeniably arresting. Once upon a time, she might’ve been ashamed of that, but now she could embrace it. She didn’t hesitate to grin slightly at him when the act caught her eye.

“Is it almost like… there’s a piece of a puzzle missing?” 

The words sent his eyes darting over to her, almost as if she said something profound. She could see the crease in his brow, and assumed that he wanted to signal her to go on. Clearly, the words had struck some kind of chord with him.

“Falling asleep these days, does it not feel as if we have almost every proper element but… something?” She supplied, arching her eyebrow. Somehow, she struggled to convey her own thoughts, though she knew them to be sensical. Another issue with the sleep-deprived mind, she thought. “If you think about it, theoretically, we have every piece of our sleeping puzzle. The room is dark, and quiet, and we know we’re safe. The locks have been checked three times, and we’ve read our books, and climbed into bed together. We even had some tea before bed. There is virtually no reason for us to be awake right now, yet here we are.”

“Like something’s wrong, but nothing’s here. Nothing’s wrong.” 

“Precisely.” 

Sighing, she reached up to rub at her eyes. The lids on them were heavy, and for a moment she prayed for them to close. But that moment just as soon passed, for she realized that she didn’t want to leave Makoto awake alone. If they had to be awake, she supposed she could appreciate that they were awake together. Being oh so alert while her partner was dead asleep was always more of a challenge.

“Maybe we need to go see that psychologist again…” 

Ugh, no. Hard pass on Kyoko’s behalf. A couple weeks prior, the couple had had a  psychologist recommended to them by Kanon Nakajima. A doctor Ogura Osamu. According to Kanon, he was supposed to be a highly revered psychologist for those struggling with a variety of conditions. Some patients swore he even had a magic touch when it came to dealing with PTSD. However, when Kyoko stepped into his office, she found him to be nothing like what she expected. As far as she was concerned, this Doctor Ogura was nothing more than a kook with clipboard. The whole process of him trying to initiate the treatments she “needed” for her mind felt uncomfortable and invasive. Even after giving it a couple of appointments to settle, Kyoko reached the conclusion that he wasn’t for her. The thought of having him try to solve her insomnia problem would be like handing the “sleep puzzle” to a circus monkey. No thank you. Makoto could go on his own if he wanted to.

“I don’t think we have to.” Kyoko pressured gently, wriggling her way closer to her husband. Though she knew it probably wouldn’t help, she craved the feeling of his body close to hers. Snuggling up to her lover certainly couldn’t hurt, could it? She wriggled across the bed for a moment, until she decided she was finally close enough. Then, giggling to herself, she nuzzled her face against his neck. He didn’t even have to meet her eyes to let her know that heat rushed to his cheeks. “We can look for some online remedies… or ask our friends what they do.” 

He shook his head slightly, wrapping his arm around her to pull her close. She accepted without hesitation, wondering if maybe this really was what she needed to calm down. Safety, darkness, silence, and comfort. It seemed simple enough.

“I still think we should seek professional help.”

Her eyes rolled. “Oh, probably…” She hummed, “But for now, maybe let’s just try to finish the puzzle in some other way.” 

His eyes took their turn to roll around, but amusement and satisfaction dripped through his voice when he spoke. “Let me guess, you want to sort this out with a good old fashioned cuddle?”

A short, suppressed chuckle escaped from Kyoko’s throat, and she snuggled in closer. Hearing the cheerfulness in his voice, she pressed a gentle kiss on his neck. 

“How did you know?” 

His shoulders shrugged softly, and he pressed his own kiss to the top of her head. “Just a lucky guess.”

[thebestplltheories]

Freeform, please please PLEASE read this

Well, this is why I have been so silent since the finale... I knew the future wasn’t bright so I knew not to waste my time.

All I have to say is: Freeform, you made several big mistakes. I could take the “fuck you” route, and my anger and disappointment tempt me to take that route, but I’ll keep it civil and constructive. In the one in a million chance that anyone at Freeform reads this - I’d like to offer my constructive feedback as to why cancelling The Perfectionists after just 1 short season was non-sensical decision.

Unfortunately, the majority of fans were not satisfied with the ending of the original PLL. If you could not see this in 2017, you were incredibly out of touch with the fans and your PR team needs a serious restructure. Having a biased set of eyes gets you nowhere in this industry. You NEED to know what the fans are saying, and the fans hated the PLL ending. Because of the poor reception to the ending, there was NOT an overwhelming demand for a continuation of PLL. Yet, you not only decided to make a spin-off, but you even put Pretty Little Liars in the title. This did you more harm than good: you were preaching that the poor writing of the original series will continue into this series. This meant that fans of the original series were disinterested from day 1. Also, you struggled to capture the attention of new viewers, as putting PLL in the title gave the impression that this is a sequel to PLL - and if you haven’t sat through 7 seasons of the original show, you could not understand this new story. And finally, the name was too long. People had no idea what to tweet. PLL? PLLTP? TP? How do you expect to trend on Twitter when everyone is using a different hashtag? (I mean, take a look at my hashtags for this post right here... what a drainer typing all that out.) “The Perfectionists” is a name that can trend, and is a name that does not imply spoilers from the previous series AND successfully separates it from the stigma of the previous series. Your marketing was enough to send this show to the grave, yet you hammered the nails on the coffin with a poor supply system. Again, if you think Hulu is a better provider than Netflix, you are incredibly out of touch with how your audience consumes media in 2019. I know that Netflix is the more expensive partner, but sometimes you have to spend money to get money. I can’t believe I, the psychology student, has to give a basic marketing lesson. Also, your international fans literally had to rely on pirating because you didn’t provide it on basic services that you had for your prior series, such as iTunes. Ouch. Sorry to report the illegal activity for many people (not me, btw).

With poor marketing and a silly supply system: how could you expect success? Your expectations were unfairly high for a show that was destined to fail because of YOU, Freeform. I don’t need a marketing degree to say that. I’m genuinely shocked that no one in your offices could see the issues and therefore devise some corrections to implement in a second season. You’ll never know what could’ve happened if these issues were corrected. PLL The Perfectionists will be the show that could’ve been a sleeper hit, but YOUR tendency to turn a blind eye to reality stopped you from getting the next big hit.

I now know not to tune in to any other PLL related show, given the history of spinoffs being cancelled (Ravenswood and now this). I guess I’ll see you all for the PLL reunion in a few years! I hope The Perfectionists characters can pop in then! I’d love to see what Caitlin, Ava and Dylan get up to.

To the everyone who worked on the show, you deserved way better. I hope you know that the cancellation of your show has nothing to do with the quality of your show - it is entirely the result of poor management. I mean, the fact that you had low ratings from day 1 episode 1 - when it is not even possible for people to say “this show is shit” because the story hadn’t even started yet - goes to show this isn’t an issue regarding the quality of your show. It was a great show with shit management. Thank you for 10 really amazing episodes. I wish the world got to see that lessons were learnt from the original series and the result was 10 really juicy episodes.

Again, see you all for the PLL reunion! Hopefully it’s sooner rather than later!

Freeform, I hope you regret this decision which was clearly based on a lack of knowledge.

[hgfstreamchats]

The Flight Before Christmas

Starscreamillar 09:10 PM Greetings.

highglossfinish 09:10 PM Full disclosure, I've never watched this movie before, and we all know how well those work out.

thenightetc 09:11 PM It will be an adventure!

Starscreamillar 09:11 PM Oh dear...

Zephra85 joined the party.

Zephra85 09:12 PM Hi guys!

highglossfinish 09:12 PM Zephra human!

highglossfinish 09:12 PM Hello!

highglossfinish 09:12 PM How's the audio?

Starscreamillar 09:12 PM Good on my end.

Zephra85 09:12 PM Seems fine

highglossfinish 09:12 PM Perfect.

Zephra85 09:13 PM Never heard of this one

highglossfinish 09:13 PM One of the Eradicons, of all bots, mentioned it.

Zephra85 09:14 PM Oh man wonder how THEY found it

Zephra85 09:14 PM ... video super laggy for anybody else?

Starscreamillar 09:15 PM Unfortunately, yes.

highglossfinish 09:15 PM The Eradicons pass questionable Earth media around like a junkie passes a circuit booster.

Zephra85 09:15 PM Okay so long as it's not just me

thenightetc 09:15 PM Hmmm, a little.  I thought it was stop-motion at first glance

Zephra85 09:15 PM ;dslakjfsdlk;a

highglossfinish 09:15 PM Any better?

Starscreamillar 09:15 PM It may just be extremely poor quality CGI.

thenightetc 09:15 PM Seems fine now

Zephra85 09:15 PM Seems better!

thenightetc 09:17 PM Is it... magic?

Starscreamillar 09:17 PM Their teeth are extremely unsettling.

highglossfinish 09:18 PM Why is the squirrel allowed to live here?

Starscreamillar 09:18 PM He is a curse on their lineage.

thenightetc 09:18 PM Uh oh!  I wonder if there are going to be any wolf attacks in this movie.

highglossfinish 09:19 PM I sure hope no one ends up disappointed with the bastardly reindeer calf.

highglossfinish 09:19 PM Uh oh.

thenightetc 09:19 PM Hmmm

Starscreamillar 09:20 PM He took her for a spin, alright.

thenightetc 09:20 PM Is that what they call it.

highglossfinish 09:20 PM "Your dad left some money on the tree stump next to the bed."

thenightetc 09:20 PM Wait, did she say he took her flying?  How?

Starscreamillar 09:20 PM In the sleigh, apparently.

Zephra85 09:21 PM She's definitely full of sh*t

highglossfinish 09:21 PM The wolves who won't be attacking anyone.

Zephra85 09:22 PM Def not

Starscreamillar 09:22 PM And instead of looking himself, he will leave it up to the idiots.

thenightetc 09:22 PM I feel like wolves don't really have a reindeer-only diet.

thenightetc 09:22 PM There's, you know.  Squirrels and things.

highglossfinish 09:22 PM Little fat squirrels.

highglossfinish 09:22 PM Comic relief squirrels.

thenightetc 09:22 PM Just for example.

thenightetc 09:23 PM pinata

thenightetc 09:24 PM Be sure to run straight home so they can follow you there easily!

Zephra85 09:24 PM A flawless plan

Zephra85 09:25 PM Well at least they TRIED not to be SUPER stupid about it and erased their tracks

thenightetc 09:25 PM No, they won't be able to follow the clear path with a bunch of suspicious sweeping marks on it

highglossfinish 09:25 PM And the stench of reindeer.

highglossfinish 09:26 PM Points for accurarate reindeer behavior, if nothing else.

thenightetc 09:26 PM Don't wolves go in packs to hunt things larger than them?

thenightetc 09:26 PM As opposed to going it alone?

Zephra85 09:26 PM UGH this lag

highglossfinish 09:26 PM Let me try to fix it.

Starscreamillar 09:28 PM Ah good. Time to evict the children.

thenightetc 09:28 PM let this be a lesson!  Never have dreams.

Starscreamillar 09:29 PM Not when you are stupid, and also edible.

highglossfinish 09:29 PM If you have dreams, your family and friends will be eaten by wolves.

Zephra85 09:29 PM Ambition is the worst thing a child can have, clearly

thenightetc 09:29 PM Don't try to get above your station.

thenightetc 09:30 PM Or else your entire family will have to run from wolves.

thenightetc 09:31 PM I wonder how far flying squirrels can really glide like that.

thenightetc 09:31 PM Ha!

Zephra85 09:32 PM I remember reading that apparently male reindeer shed their antlers in the winter and female reindeer shed their antlers in the summer

thenightetc 09:32 PM ...Huh.

highglossfinish 09:32 PM Interesting.

Zephra85 09:32 PM so that would mean all of Santa's reindeer should actually be female

Starscreamillar 09:33 PM ..... Why?

thenightetc 09:33 PM ...Oh no.  I just had a premonition.

thenightetc 09:33 PM There's gonna be a romance sublplot.

thenightetc 09:33 PM With the poodle and one of the wolves.

highglossfinish 09:34 PM The poodle and the black wolf, then the effeminate wolf, then the scarred wolf, then the black wolf again.

Zephra85 09:35 PM whyyyy

Starscreamillar 09:35 PM It is almost like they can fly, or something.

highglossfinish 09:36 PM The poodle is me at age 11 million, the wolves are everyone in The Black Aileron.

Geist18 joined the party.

Starscreamillar 09:36 PM The Black Aileron?

highglossfinish 09:36 PM It had passable drinks.

Starscreamillar 09:37 PM I see...

Zephra85 09:37 PM Okay we already have an annoying animal mascot whyyyyy is this happening

Starscreamillar 09:37 PM She should eat the squirrel, and spare us.

Zephra85 09:37 PM I'd be down

highglossfinish 09:37 PM She'll probably fall in love with it.

Zephra85 09:38 PM uuuuuuugh

Starscreamillar 09:38 PM Oh, I hope not.

thenightetc 09:38 PM Sigh.

Zephra85 09:38 PM I hate it because your right

Geist18 09:38 PM im late, what is this movie about

Geist18 09:39 PM a poodle

Geist18 09:39 PM wat

Zephra85 09:39 PM yeah we don't know either

Zephra85 09:39 PM she's just there

thenightetc 09:39 PM Well, there's a little reindeer, whose mother has always told him that his father was one of Santa's flying reindeer.  And now he's looking for his father.

Starscreamillar 09:39 PM She is going to end up breeding with the skinny wolf, no doubt.

thenightetc 09:40 PM Also, he accidentally led a wolf pack to his herd.

thenightetc 09:40 PM Ha!

highglossfinish 09:40 PM She'll breed with the skinny wolf while the others breed the skinny wolf and also her mouth.

Starscreamillar 09:40 PM That is a remarkably bad plan.

thenightetc 09:41 PM How does he think he's going to eat millions of children.

Starscreamillar 09:41 PM One at a time.

Geist18 09:42 PM the wolf designs here are causing me an aneursym

highglossfinish 09:43 PM There, surely that makes them even and the ermine can go away.

Starscreamillar 09:44 PM Dead.

Zephra85 09:44 PM Oh yeah wolf problem solved forever now

thenightetc 09:44 PM pictured: physics

Geist18 09:44 PM good they were hideous

thenightetc 09:45 PM I love how the head wolf, and no others, has massive sabre-tooth tiger fangs

highglossfinish 09:46 PM Not stolen from Ice Age at all.

Geist18 09:46 PM this cgi is so bad

thenightetc 09:46 PM used to work there?

thenightetc 09:46 PM doing what...?

highglossfinish 09:46 PM Ugh.

Zephra85 09:47 PM singing christmas carols to the elves

thenightetc 09:47 PM the straights are at it again

thenightetc 09:47 PM "uh, my mom just said he was the sexiest one"

Starscreamillar 09:47 PM Ugh.

Geist18 09:47 PM ugh

highglossfinish 09:48 PM Ugh.

Geist18 09:48 PM heterosexual furries

Zephra85 09:48 PM UGH

Geist18 09:48 PM i love how we are all in agreement

Zephra85 09:48 PM glad we're all in agreement

Zephra85 09:48 PM HAH

highglossfinish 09:48 PM Please eat at least one of these characters.

thenightetc 09:48 PM Who could have predicted!

thenightetc 09:49 PM ...Why IS there... uh, why WAS there a bridge?

Starscreamillar 09:50 PM Just to dash your hopes.

Zephra85 joined the party.

Geist18 09:50 PM is anyone else having lagging movie

Starscreamillar 09:50 PM Oh, it is lagging very badly.

thenightetc 09:50 PM Yyyyye, it's still lagging

thenightetc 09:50 PM again, rather

highglossfinish 09:50 PM Ugh, let me try something else.

thenightetc 09:51 PM That's not flying, it's just the looney toons thing where gravity takes a few seconds to notice you.

Geist18 09:51 PM JFFKFJK

thenightetc 09:52 PM So, does anyone else get the feeling that maybe the squirrel is the reindeer's real father?

Geist18 09:52 PM SKSJDKJFFJDFK

Starscreamillar 09:52 PM .... I surely hope not.

thenightetc 09:53 PM Listen, they can't  make the whole movie about his mysterious paternity and expect it not to occur to us.

Geist18 09:53 PM hypothermia should be setting in by now

Geist18 09:54 PM cheap dramatics

highglossfinish 09:55 PM He's old and fat and good at nothing and therefore the movie thinks he deserves a talented, attractive female.

Zephra85 09:55 PM jsd;fkdaskfl

Geist18 09:55 PM ah domestication

thenightetc 09:55 PM ........

thenightetc 09:56 PM they died, right

Zephra85 09:56 PM God there are just so many unnecessary subplots in this movie

highglossfinish 09:56 PM It really is ripping off Ice Age wholesale.

thenightetc 09:57 PM cough

Starscreamillar 09:57 PM They left with the wolves, who are better providers.

highglossfinish 09:58 PM It objectively was and everyone does.

Zephra85 09:58 PM RIGHT

thenightetc 09:58 PM yeah they were blaming him hardcore

Starscreamillar 09:59 PM It's full of Energon.

thenightetc 09:59 PM ...WHY exactly would it be full of deadly traps?

Zephra85 09:59 PM .... so why do the reindeer live there/??

Zephra85 09:59 PM this doesn't even make sense

Starscreamillar 10:00 PM Why would you ask for sense from this?

thenightetc 10:00 PM Or by "traps" did she mean "natural hazards"

Zephra85 10:01 PM well the movie's been pure cringe but still mostly sensical

Zephra85 10:01 PM ... mostly

highglossfinish 10:01 PM It makes sense...it's just...*stupid.*

highglossfinish 10:01 PM Incredibly stupid.

Starscreamillar 10:01 PM This movie was co-produced by Stupid.

Geist18 10:02 PM this feels like the start to a horror movie

thenightetc 10:02 PM So the door's not locked or anything.

highglossfinish 10:03 PM Has the squirrel been right about anything so far?

thenightetc 10:03 PM Now the squirrel's acting like he's been here before or something.

Starscreamillar 10:03 PM Time for disappointment, and getting crushed by a sled.

thenightetc 10:04 PM kid

highglossfinish 10:04 PM That'll make daddy glad he spawned you.

Zephra85 10:04 PM OH man even if one of the flying reindeer IS his father it's gonna be hardcore deadbeat dad city

thenightetc 10:04 PM oh my god

Geist18 10:04 PM jerks

Starscreamillar 10:04 PM ....

thenightetc 10:04 PM Oh my god

Geist18 10:04 PM they even sing

Geist18 10:04 PM wtf

thenightetc 10:04 PM Hhahahah

Geist18 10:05 PM i feel sorry for this kid

thenightetc 10:05 PM Oh I can't WAIT to hear his explanation oh he's not gonna go into it

thenightetc 10:05 PM "item 1, we're bigger than wolves, item 2, we can fly"

Geist18 10:05 PM does he even know which one is his dad lol

thenightetc 10:05 PM excuse me???

thenightetc 10:06 PM Pressure plates.  Really.

Starscreamillar 10:06 PM They likely have illegitimate children all over the place.

Zephra85 10:06 PM He does NOT

thenightetc 10:06 PM oh my god

Zephra85 10:06 PM NO

Geist18 10:06 PM NO

Zephra85 10:06 PM NO NO NO I HATE THIS SONG

highglossfinish 10:06 PM STOP.

Starscreamillar 10:07 PM NOOOOOOO

thenightetc 10:07 PM oh my god hahahahahhaha

Zephra85 10:07 PM OH thank god different lyrics

Geist18 10:07 PM they need to stop trying to make ermines sexy

thenightetc 10:07 PM So the weasel... and the reindeer......

Geist18 10:07 PM ugh

Geist18 10:07 PM UGH

Geist18 10:07 PM shes hitting on them

Geist18 10:07 PM gross

highglossfinish 10:07 PM She has quick little hands, I suppose.

Zephra85 10:07 PM oh god no

thenightetc 10:07 PM Shame on you.

Geist18 10:07 PM wtf am i watching

Zephra85 10:08 PM this movie's a trainwreck

Geist18 10:08 PM kfdfjkfjfj

thenightetc 10:08 PM *cough*

Starscreamillar 10:08 PM See? Illegitimate children all over the globs.

Geist18 10:08 PM santa's flying man hoes

Zephra85 10:09 PM oh god no

Starscreamillar 10:09 PM And if he does not fly, there's no witnesses.

thenightetc 10:09 PM I mean, that still won't tell them which one it might be.

highglossfinish 10:09 PM The platform they use specifically for disposing of their bastards.

Geist18 10:09 PM truth

thenightetc 10:09 PM "or die.  y'know, whichever"

Geist18 10:10 PM they couldnt just yeet him of a roof?

Geist18 10:10 PM fucking squirrel man

Geist18 10:10 PM FUCKING SQUIRREL MAN

thenightetc 10:11 PM Hmmm, so they're all blowhards because they CAN'T get scared or they'll fall

highglossfinish 10:11 PM "Well, that takes care of that!"

thenightetc 10:11 PM Uh, coudln't one of them--oh

thenightetc 10:11 PM Good, I guess

Starscreamillar 10:11 PM His mother was just a liar, and had an... affair?

thenightetc 10:11 PM No, he was definitely... hovering, at least.

Geist18 10:11 PM yup

highglossfinish 10:11 PM Exactly.

Geist18 10:11 PM until the stupid squirrel spoke up and broke his concentration

thenightetc 10:11 PM Yup.

thenightetc 10:12 PM And somehow he thinks that means... he can't at all?

Zephra85 10:12 PM Your mom just hooked up with a rando buddy

Zephra85 10:13 PM She lied and said it was a celebrity to make it seem like he had a reason not to be around

thenightetc 10:14 PM Oops

highglossfinish 10:15 PM Where's Santa in all of this?

Zephra85 10:15 PM Soooo nobody else hears this going on?

thenightetc 10:15 PM They didn't want to try to model any humans.

highglossfinish 10:15 PM Probably for the best.

thenightetc 10:16 PM Seems legit.

Starscreamillar 10:16 PM Useless to the end.

Zephra85 10:17 PM LDSAK;JFLDKL

Zephra85 10:17 PM OKAY

Zephra85 10:17 PM THAT WAS FUNNY

Starscreamillar 10:20 PM .....

thenightetc 10:22 PM So, uh.  Is this how they normally find new recruits?

thenightetc 10:23 PM "well, I could be, anyway"

Zephra85 10:23 PM Soooo

Geist18 10:23 PM how do they know its him lol

highglossfinish 10:23 PM "Seems plausible."

thenightetc 10:23 PM I mean, a bunch of them were saying they'd, uh.  Y'know.

Starscreamillar 10:23 PM He just decided to take the credit.

Zephra85 10:23 PM when they asked if they knew his mom he just

Zephra85 10:23 PM lied

thenightetc 10:25 PM ............

highglossfinish 10:25 PM Ugh.

Geist18 10:25 PM ugh heterosexuality

Geist18 10:25 PM dick

Geist18 10:26 PM naw dude ur dads a deadbeat

Geist18 10:26 PM an eternal fratbro

thenightetc 10:26 PM hoo boy

Starscreamillar 10:26 PM No complete family for you, child.

thenightetc 10:26 PM somebody introduce condoms to these reindeer

Geist18 10:26 PM the squirrel is useless Message deleted

Geist18 10:27 PM some ending

highglossfinish 10:27 PM "I'm going to guilt trip you into deciding immediately, small child."

thenightetc 10:27 PM I mean, going back to tell his mom he's okay is at least a decen tthing

Geist18 10:27 PM how long is this

highglossfinish 10:28 PM Entirely too long.

Zephra85 10:28 PM ... why exactly don't they believe him???

Starscreamillar 10:28 PM Wasn't he actively doing a favor for Santa? He just left in the middle of the job.

highglossfinish 10:28 PM That's two families he's let down.

thenightetc 10:29 PM C'mon, he obviously wasn't helping per se, they were just humoring him a bit

Geist18 10:29 PM oh nooo

Starscreamillar 10:29 PM That's the worst thing ever.

thenightetc 10:30 PM I called it

highglossfinish 10:30 PM Keep singing so you don't have to acknowledge your fling.

Geist18 10:30 PM omfg just have two dads Message deleted

highglossfinish 10:30 PM "Nah, that's not gonna work out for me."

Zephra85 10:31 PM And he and the mom are just gonna

Zephra85 10:31 PM gloss over this whole thing with nothing more than a disapproving grunt

highglossfinish 10:31 PM Deviation from the norm etc etc.

Starscreamillar 10:32 PM How awful.

Geist18 10:32 PM guh this movie

highglossfinish 10:32 PM Wretched.

Geist18 10:32 PM why did u pick this movie lol

highglossfinish 10:32 PM I don't know.

Zephra85 10:32 PM Well that was an hour and a half of my life I'll never get back

thenightetc 10:32 PM Be fair, it was funny.

Zephra85 10:32 PM ... GOD I MISSED THIS

highglossfinish 10:33 PM This song is almost not bad.

Zephra85 10:33 PM The streams are more fun when the movie is bad

highglossfinish 10:33 PM Key word being almost.

Zephra85 10:33 PM aye

Starscreamillar 10:33 PM Though I will admit, it was less objectively painful than the man-elf and his refusal to wear real pants.

highglossfinish 10:33 PM Nothing could be as painful as that.

Geist18 10:33 PM guh

Zephra85 10:34 PM Truth be told I WAS around for last week's stream

Zephra85 10:34 PM and was totally ready to join you guys

Geist18 10:34 PM i thought this was every two weeks

Zephra85 10:34 PM But then I saw it was Elf and went 'NOPE NOPE NOT WORTH IT NOT ENOUGH MONEY IN THE WORLD'

highglossfinish 10:34 PM That was the right call to make, Zephra human.

Starscreamillar 10:35 PM You were the smart one, to avoid it.

highglossfinish 10:35 PM Now, let's see. Let's Game It Out human hasn't put out a new video, but...

Zephra85 10:35 PM I love watching bad movies with you guys BUT I HAVE MY LIMITS

thenightetc 10:35 PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h29y4eYPEA ?

Starscreamillar 10:36 PM I did not know the horrors Knockout planned to inflict.  

Geist18 10:37 PM what is this

highglossfinish 10:37 PM Helluva Boss.

thenightetc 10:37 PM Hmmm

Starscreamillar 10:37 PM Aah. See this, this is actual entertainment.

Geist18 10:38 PM masks faces remind me of hollow knight

Starscreamillar 10:38 PM And someone with sensible legs.

Zephra85 10:38 PM OOH I HAVEN'T SEEN THIS YET

thenightetc 10:38 PM Oh hey, yeah

Geist18 10:38 PM actual good parenting!

highglossfinish 10:38 PM And from an owl, no less. I'm sure there's a catch.

Starscreamillar 10:38 PM Well, he is a demon owl, is he not?

highglossfinish 10:38 PM True.

highglossfinish 10:38 PM True.

Zephra85 10:39 PM Oh man this song is pretty

highglossfinish 10:39 PM Isn't it though?

thenightetc 10:39 PM It is.

Geist18 10:40 PM this is gorgeous character design

Geist18 10:41 PM zebra steak

thenightetc 10:41 PM ....

thenightetc 10:41 PM Well!

Geist18 10:42 PM i take back what i said about his parenting skills

highglossfinish 10:42 PM And there's the catch.

highglossfinish 10:43 PM Sexual harassment. How charming.

Geist18 10:44 PM ew

Zephra85 10:44 PM DLSKF;JASDKL

thenightetc 10:44 PM ....

Starscreamillar 10:45 PM It reminds me of working on the Nemesis.

highglossfinish 10:45 PM By the Core, it does.

Geist18 10:45 PM ....disturbing

Zephra85 10:45 PM I love this show it's been a long time since an r-rated adult animation actually made me laugh

Geist18 10:46 PM gonna come back for the next stream, ya'll have fun

Geist18 10:46 PM good night

highglossfinish 10:46 PM Good night!

Zephra85 10:46 PM Bye!!

thenightetc 10:46 PM goodnight!

highglossfinish 10:47 PM That's the human who plays Beetlejuice in the Beetlejuice musical.

Zephra85 10:47 PM Oh seriously? That's cool

Starscreamillar 10:47 PM I have not seen that musical.

thenightetc 10:47 PM Oh dude!  I thought the voice was familiar

Zephra85 10:47 PM I've heard it's fun

highglossfinish 10:47 PM It's very fun.

Zephra85 10:49 PM AHAHAHAHAHA

thenightetc 10:49 PM It's for the best.

Starscreamillar 10:49 PM I wish to have an inconvenient torch.

highglossfinish 10:50 PM Why in the world did she miss? They're both assassins.

Starscreamillar 10:50 PM Perhaps she prefers bladed weapons.

highglossfinish 10:50 PM At least she got her thing.

thenightetc 10:51 PM hoooo boy

Zephra85 10:52 PM It's hell's Hot Topic

Zephra85 10:53 PM Well that was delightful

thenightetc 10:53 PM Yes!

Zephra85 10:53 PM I just love the character design and the beautiful music

Starscreamillar 10:53 PM Oh dear.

Zephra85 10:53 PM and the VA work is great

highglossfinish 10:54 PM Whoever's in charge of VA work has been less great as of late.

highglossfinish 10:54 PM Other than that, it's a delight.

thenightetc 10:56 PM Nothing nefarious at all.

thenightetc 10:58 PM That's the kind of attention to detail I appreciate.

highglossfinish 10:58 PM Hah!

Zephra85 10:59 PM DSLKJFA;DASKLJ OKAY THE BATHROOM STUFF MADE IT SO I CAN'T BREATHE

thenightetc 11:00 PM And it's now July.

thenightetc 11:03 PM I love it.

highglossfinish 11:03 PM Amazing.

Starscreamillar 11:04 PM It's a nightmare

Zephra85 11:05 PM OKAY i gotta mute for like five seconds 'cause I can't freaking breathe at all

thenightetc 11:05 PM Strike!

highglossfinish 11:05 PM Don't die, Zephra human.

Zephra85 11:05 PM NO PROMISES

Zephra85 11:06 PM Okay I took a break let's do this  (unmutes)

thenightetc 11:07 PM It's crowd surfing!

Zephra85 11:07 PM DKLSJFA;DJAFK

thenightetc 11:08 PM ...Want something seasonal?

Starscreamillar 11:08 PM Perfect.

highglossfinish 11:09 PM Yes!

thenightetc 11:09 PM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNoZHUDB3GU

highglossfinish 11:09 PM Oh, this ought to be good.

Zephra85 11:09 PM Oh god I'm scared

Starscreamillar 11:11 PM .... Hot ghost.

Zephra85 11:11 PM DLSFJAK;SWJDSKL;

thenightetc 11:12 PM f

Zephra85 11:13 PM oh my GOD

highglossfinish 11:13 PM Flawless.

thenightetc 11:13 PM I know.

Starscreamillar 11:14 PM Christmas is the least likely to disappoint.

highglossfinish 11:14 PM I'd say that brings us full circle as far as tonight's theme goes.

Zephra85 11:14 PM Yeah I need to figure out dinner now

Zephra85 11:14 PM Thanks for the stream, Knock Out!

highglossfinish 11:14 PM Thank you for being here!

thenightetc 11:15 PM Thank you for hosting!

Zephra85 11:15 PM Say hi to Breakdown and Impact for me!

highglossfinish 11:15 PM Always!

Starscreamillar 11:15 PM Thank you for streaming. I have to go watch Soundwave struggle to not turn people into meat now, which is only slightly less insane than the first movie.

Zephra85 11:15 PM Bye guys, see ya next time!

thenightetc 11:15 PM And goodnight.

highglossfinish 11:16 PM Goodnight!

[healthandfitnessrecipes-blog]

Talking to Your Aging Parents About Wills and Estate Planning

https://healthandfitnessrecipes.com/?p=6047

“So, mom and dad, thanks for having me over for dinner. I wanted to talk to you about a few things. To start things off, I want you to think about how you’re going to die someday, probably not long from now. And with that out of the way, let’s talk about money.”

That’s…not a great way to have a conversation. In fact, that’s a conversation that no one wants to have. But although very few people would actually be so blunt, that’s the seeming subtext anytime you talk to your parents or other aging loved ones about wills and estate planning.

There’s a reason people are so reluctant to bring up these topics, and it has to do with obvious overlapping social niceties.

We don’t like talking about money

We don’t want to seem like we are greedy or grasping

We don’t want to think about our parents dying

We don’t want to remind our parents that they are going to die

We certainly don’t want them to think we’re already planning—or even hoping—for their deaths.

And although few parents would actually think that, the idea that you are acting like a stereotypical money-grubbing character is enough to prevent people from ever broaching what is, in fact, a deeply important subject that must be broached.

But despite the discomfort, is very important to talk to your parents about their estate planning. And it is important for you to know that you can do so without being cringe-inducing or ghoulish, without seeming like you are already itemizing funeral costs against inheritance.

If you approach it with love, respect, and their best interests at heart, you can not only help them overcome a burden, but put their minds at ease as they enter a new stage of life. When you plan for the future, you can put the stress of this conversation in the past.

Why Your Parents Might Be Reluctant to Estate Plan

An older fellow I knew never wanted to write a will or plan his estate, despite the fact that he was a man of not-inconsiderable means. He always told me that it wasn’t time because he wasn’t ready to go yet.

As you can probably tell by the verb tense, he is no longer with us, and he left a genuinely terrible mess for his wife and kids to sort through. They’ve been tied up in different courts for years, and the strain has hurt their once-tight family.

This is a very dramatic scenario; most people don’t have the questionable blessings of wealth. But the major factor isn’t amounts. It’s that any amount of money can make people go slightly nuts, unfortunately, and people will go to court for years over even relatively small amounts of money.

Whatever your family situation, your parents possibly have the same reluctance to plan. They don’t want to plan for a few reasons.

They don’t want to think about dying. It might not be strictly logical, but it is clear that if you plan for what happens after you die, you accede to the reality of death. The flipside of that is that if you don’t plan, you don’t have to worry. Like I said, not strictly logical.

They don’t want to think about how to divide their holdings. Many people, especially in the Bay Area, have complicated estates and holdings. Investments, heirlooms, real estate: it’s complex. And going over it seems like a complicated undertaking, especially if you are already looking at the clock with a bit more urgency.

They don’t want conflict. Once you start planning your estate, it is easy to start imagining what happens next. Will Kevin and Meghan fight over jewelry? Does the better-off sibling need a full share? It’s hard, and it is the sort of hypothetical conflict that many try to avoid.

So there are solid (if not always sensical) reasons for your parents to avoid estate planning. But none of that reduces its actual importance.

The Why and How of Talking Your Parents About Their Will

The importance of talking about estate planning is pretty clear. The longer your parents go without dealing with it, the more time they spend potentially worrying about it, and the less time spent enjoying life. And worst-case scenario, the less time they have to ensure assets are distributed in a way that reflects their wishes and avoids conflict.

This is doubly true if, as often happens, one partner outlives the other. Then the other partner has to deal with the headaches of an unsettled estate or plan it all on their own. It isn’t easy. And you don’t want that to happen to both or either or your parents…or, for that matter, to you.

So it is best for everyone involved if you make sure your parents have everything in order, whether they’re managing their finances independently or with the help of specialized financial services for aging adults. And you can talk to them without asking for things. There are a lot of facets to this situation that you have to cover, but in every conversation, honesty and empathy should be present in equal proportions.

Here are a few issues which inevitably come up in estate planning:

Money

Money is obviously the most common form of inheritance, often in cash or stocks or bonds. Make sure your parents have a clear grasp on all their investments and savings. It’s their money, and they should go into planning with a full accounting.

As we discussed in our last article, your parents don’t have to tell you what to expect. They can, but don’t ask them. Don’t pressure them. Remember that patience and honesty are the signs of the healthiest relationships. If your parents want to talk to you, they will.

This isn’t about finding out what you are getting, or if the roustabout brother is being cut out. It’s about helping your parents prepare. By just helping them and making sure that they are taking everything into account, you’ll be doing them a huge kindness.

Physical Assets

Now, this is where things can get more tricky. There might be a piece of jewelry that can’t be split up. Or, your parents may want to give you something that you just don’t want. The tangibility and non-fungible sentimentality of heirlooms and collections make them extremely difficult for estate planning, and I think it is ok to talk about these assets.

Again, be honest. If there is something you want, it is ok to speak your mind, as long as you let your parents know you aren’t trying to change their mind. But can actually be helpful to them to have a full accounting of who wants what, and who doesn’t, so that they can decide what to about their physical assets with all the needed information.

(Note: this can include property, but obviously that is much bigger, worth a lot more, and can often have sentimental value to many parties. It is the same sort of conversation, though.)

Their legacy wishes

This is where you can do perhaps the most significant kindness. I know many parents who want to start a cat shelter, or give to their religious institution, or build a playground in the nearby park, or start a mentoring program in the neighborhood from which they came. But they don’t want to make their kids unhappy.

This to me is a chance to do a great service. Talk to your parents about the kind of legacy donations or planned giving they wish to make. Help them feel comfortable with the idea. And approach it with an open heart, so you know where they are coming from.

It is very common to want to give back, and to leave a legacy of yourself, a plaque that people will read and appreciate, a scholarship bearing your name. Every situation is different, but it is rarely fair to try to get in the way of that.

Where is everything?

Finally, your conversation should ask where important financial items and documents are. Unexpected death, or just the gradual unmooring of dementia, could make these items disappear, locking out assets that could become very important. It’s one of the main reasons to have these conversations sooner rather than later: life can never, ever be predicted.

Some of these items include:

Insurance policies

Will or trust

Durable power of attorney documents

Medical directives (especially if one parent dies or suffers dementia)

Bond or stock certificates

Safety deposit key

Property deeds

Car titles

Pension information

Contact for parent’s financial advisor

Helping the Ones Who Helped You

The last one reminds me of why this is so important. A cousin of mine said he asked his mom for information on her financial advisor, and she replied that she didn’t have one. She hadn’t done any planning (despite having some means) and hadn’t even talked to anyone about how to do so.

That’s why you want to have these talks. Maybe your parents are very prepared. Maybe they haven’t started planning at all. Maybe they simply don’t want to or can’t. Either way, you are being a good and caring child by setting their minds to the task. 

It isn’t greedy. It isn’t callous. It certainly isn’t cruel. Talking to your parents about their wills and estate planning is an act of love and one that can make sure their last days—and, indeed. their legacies—aren’t clouded by paperwork and controversy. Helping them take these steps allows them to step more freely into the rest of their lives.

At Institute on Aging, our programs and services help older adults, their families, and caregivers explore aging together, through good times and bad, as an adventure and a journey. Contact us today to learn more.

  The post Talking to Your Aging Parents About Wills and Estate Planning appeared first on IOA Blog.

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