#my family members are helping fund the decks

[aro-tarot]

I’ve placed the order for the decks! 

I ended up just getting 11 plus the ones that my family and I are getting for ourselves.

With shipping and taxes and all that jazz, I’m not able to get the price down for the copies I’ll sell as low as I wanted them to.

So, instead of the decks coming in boxes. I will be making bags for all of them with the option of getting blue on the outside or red on the outside. 

I was already going to get the fabric anyway to make bags for our decks.

If these 11 end up selling, I’ll look into having more printed. I just can’t afford to have a ton made, ya know. 

[aurumacadicus]

Listen, Steve is grateful he gets to work at a Stark-funded hospital. He is. Not only is the prestige of working there even for a year going to carry him through his entire career, but if he stays for five years, the Maria Stark Foundation will pay off all of his student loans. Their clientele are people typically in poverty and he loves that he can help the less fortunate. It's all he ever wanted to do after watching his single mother scrimp and save as a nurse just to make sure they had a roof over their heads. He would never do anything to jeopardize his position or the reputation of the hospital.

"That custodian is going to be the reason you're fired," Natasha declares, and both Clint and Bucky spin from their nursing charts just in time to watch Steve almost fall over as he attempts to get one more glimpse of Tony's ass as he pushes his cart, whistling, toward the elevator. "Is this your way of getting out of the gala? Getting shit-canned the day before?"

"Are you going to tattle on me to Dr. Potts?" Steve asks her bluntly.

Natasha says nothing for several minutes, mulling the idea over in her head. Finally, though, she mutters, "I guess you're better than Hammer. He actually put his hands on Tony."

Steve doesn't know how to respond, because he'd only gotten his position after Dr. Hammer had groped Tony one too many times (apparently Tony had never reported it? It had actually been one of the nurses) and got fired for it. Again, he's grateful for the position, but he knows other doctors would shank him for the opportunity. He's just looking, but maybe he shouldn't look? Tony isn't a piece of meat. He's a respected member of the hospital staff.

Tony stops and bends over to pick up a piece of garbage on the floor, and even Natasha whimpers as his pants lovingly cup each of his cheeks.

Luckily, they're saved by one of the PR interns coming out of a hospital room and chirping, "Are you going to the gala tomorrow, Mr. Tony?"

"Peter how many times do I have to tell you," Tony begins, sighing, then shakes his head. "Yes, my mother is finally forcing me to show up for the gala."

Steve does a minute fist pump, and Bucky immediately drags him into a noogie that makes him squawk about his hair in probably the most unattractive manner possible.

--

"Gala" is probably too fancy a term for it. Unlike the Foundation galas, where the Stark family squeezes donations from the other wealthy elite for all they muster, this is more of a get-together between other hospitals to compare notes. Women are in cocktail dresses and the men are a healthy mix of suits and slacks-and-polos. The only people really decked out in formal wear are those with the foundation.

Steve is trying to be very casual as he keeps an eye out for Tony. He hasn't seen him yet, but he's hoping to ask Tony for at least one dance. Dr. Potts had said Tony liked to dance when he'd been talking with her and Natasha at the start of the gala. (She'd made really deliberate eye contact with him when she'd said so, too, so Steve figures she at least approves of him??? Even if she also kind of scares him.)

"Oh my God," Bruce whispers, wine dripping down his chin. He's gone ashen.

Steve and Thor turn to see what he's looking at, and Steve immediately understands. He feels as if he's just been simultaneously punched in the gut and head.

Because Mrs. Stark has finally arrived at her gala, dressed to the nines and yet somehow making everyone feel at ease in their own clothes. She's being escorted by a handsome man in a tuxedo.

The man looks a lot like Tony from the custodial department. But Mrs. Stark keeps loudly and proudly announcing that he's her son.

"I'm so fired," Steve whispers, voice cracking, as Bucky finally steps up beside him and claps him on the shoulder.

[leebrontide]

A legit way to fight the climate crisis from where you're sitting right now

As promised, in honor of Earth Day, I've written some suggestions for how you can write a letter to the editor for your local paper, and reach some people who otherwise might get a more...shall we say restricted view of climate news. Letters to the Editor remain a surprisingly important political vehicle. People see letters to the editor and they feel like they're hearing from their neighbors- real people with authentic, down-to-earth agendas. They're the second most read part of the paper, after the front page. Take that stage!

Step 1- Pick an article in your local paper to respond to. Today is Earth day, and lots of papers will have at least something about climate crisis or environmental protection on it's pages. Local papers are better, because, as you can imagine, papers like The New Yorker get a lot more submissions to compete against, and anyways they don't have the same sense of local opinion.

Don't fret if your local paper leans conservative! That means it has readers we REALLY need to reach! And they may be more open to reading about these issues in a paper than online, which particularly a lot of older, don't feel like "the real world".

Step 2- Figure out what you're going to say! Maybe there's a glaring error in the article you want to address. BUT, if you're not sure, you can look up your local organization that's fighting for these goals. For example, I could look up and find MN350, because I'm in Minnesota. Going to their social media and their webpage/newsletter archive gives me an inside look at what people who are really immersed in these subjects have to say about what's going on.

So, for example, I see that my local group applauds Minneapolis's efforts at going to all clean energy, and has a timeline, but that people on the inside are saying that without a dedicated funding stream, people implementing these changes will have to either hope federal funding stays stable or fight for funding in the city council every year. Ok, now when there's an article about Minneapolis's plans, I have something to say.

Step 3- Draft it up.

The goal here is to be short and to the point.

Opening line: Identify which article you're responding to, and maybe your feeling about it.

First paragraph: What is the specific issue? What is a relevant fact and why does it  warrant public concern?

Second paragraph: What would you say that we do in response, or what would you ask your neighbors to do?  Why?

Third paragraph: What is currently being done to address the issue and how could people who have been persuaded act?

This should be no more than 150 to 250 words TOTAL.

While you're wording it, some things to keep in mind- stats and facts are good, but don't use a lot of acronyms or jargon. Expect your readers to be coming at this with about an 8th grade education.

If you have a sense of what the people you're talking to find persuasive, lean into that. For example, for my letter to the editor, I emphasized that chaotic funding leads to lack of ability to plan ahead or bulk-buy. I know the people I'm talking to like things to be common-sense and detest governmental waste, so that's an easy one.

If you want extra help, I have a list of best practices for communicating about the climate crisis right here.

Step 4- Proofread, then submit it via whatever process your local paper has. The goal, if you can manage is, is to submit something within 48 hours of the original article's publication. That's the sweet spot for most papers.

BONUS ROUND!

You did that, and still have a little energy for the environment left? There's one more thing you can do to super-charge your effort!

Guess what, you can stack the deck in favor of your specific letter being published.

But it will involve using a phone.

That's right, if you REALLY wanna turbo boost this thing, you're gonna call the paper (or have your non-phone-adverse-friend or family member pretend to be you and call the paper).

Call as soon as possible after the editor would have received the material.

Use pleasant persistence to speak with the right person. Don’t stop at a receptionist or secretary. Create enough POLITE urgency about your letter that you get through to the specific reporter or editor who will decide whether or not to print your piece.

Provide the editor with specific local info and urgency. Focus your conversation on why this issue is relevant to their readers.

Get specific feedback and/or a specific commitment from the reporter. If they don’t want to print the letter, find out why and what adjustments you can make to get it printed.

If they agree to print it, find out when you can expect to see it in the paper. The you can tell other people. Even if memaw isn't a big climate activist, she might show your letter to everybody she knows if she knows you wrote it.

And that's the process! I know that's a lot of information to throw at you, but ultimately, it can be pretty quick to crank these things out. And, again, these have been proven to be powerful persuaders. We need as many people as we can to be in this fight, so go and get them!

And always remember, you're not just combating ignorance, you're combating hopelessness, helplessness, and burnout! You can inspire people to think about what's possible.

PS if any of you actually do this, please let me know. It'd make me so happy.

@onbearfeet @basil-gardens @punkypine @rederiswrites @veritatemquarens @radioraja

[dankusner]

Halperin Park

SOUTHERN DALLAS Deck park receives $23M, new name

Halperin Foundation boosts project designed to connect communities

The Southern Gateway Park will now be called Halperin Park.

The Dallas Park Board greenlit a $23 million contribution for naming rights from the Halperin Foundation on Thursday.

The original name was a placeholder, and park officials touted the donation as one of the biggest private investments in a southern sector park.

“When I first started working on this project, we faced many people who were skeptical that this project could succeed at all; they said it couldn’t happen in southern Dallas, not including this gift,” said April Allen, president of the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation. Allen said the foundation had raised over $165 million in public and private funds.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Southern Gateway Park (@southerngatewaypark)

The $23 million, she said, unlocked an additional $7.5 million in grants from private funders for a total impact of over $30 million.

The park is scheduled to be completed by early 2026.

Jim Halperin, president of the Halperin Foundation, also is the co-founder and co-chair of Heritage Auctions.

“This donation, by far the largest single gift in our foundation’s history, is profoundly meaningful to our family and, more importantly, to a part of Dallas that has been overlooked and under-resourced for far too long,” Halperin said in a statement.

https://www.ha.com/c/about.zx?id=halperin

“This donation will serve many purposes. It will use green space to reconnect communities long ago separated by a highway. It will help create a destination park for all of Dallas. And, I hope, it will inspire future generations of Halperins to give back to the city that has given them so much.”

Community feedback

Though Park Board members were ecstatic about the significant donation, it appeared that a communication lapse between the Southern Gateway Public Green Foundation and city officials raised concerns about input from neighboring communities playing a role in the negotiations.

Harrison Blair, Park Board member from District 4, flagged letters he received from community members who said they were unaware of plans to rename the park.

“I think it’d be political malpractice and governance malpractice to thumb my nose at $23 million, but I do think it’s prudent to just take a moment and see: Are there any opportunities for us to actually get any concessions for people who live in the community, who drive by their park every day?” he said.

The southern Dallas representative said he wanted to delay the vote by a week to analyze the contractual terms surrounding the donation and give uncertain neighbors in Oak Cliff a chance to weigh in.

“I still have some hesitations,” Blair said.

The majority of the board approved receiving the contribution.

Blair cast the sole vote against it.

The deck park, which will sit near the Dallas Zoo, is envisioned to stitch the gash formed by Interstate 35E, which cut through the heart of Oak Cliff, bulldozed homes belonging to people of color and disconnected communities from downtown Dallas.

It was the second deck park — after Klyde Warren Park — to be added to the city’s vision of expanding its park system.

Its impact will likely be felt at the Tenth Street Historic District, one of the only remaining intact Freedmen’s Towns in the U.S.

Fundraising for the park’s first phase was completed last year.

Ongoing projects

In April, the park received $25 million from the federal government to complete the second phase of the park from Lancaster Avenue to Marsalis Avenue.

Allen said Thursday the park was intended to heal and reverse the repercussions of decisions made decades ago.

The deck park is one of four ongoing projects to reconnect neighborhoods after highway constructions in the 1950s.

Last week, the City Council voted to approve $42 million for two deck parks — one near Old City Park and the other attached to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center.

Born in Boston in 1952, Jim Halperin was an endlessly curious child, who grew up watching his father Ed build a successful manufacturing business from scratch.

From the time he was a toddler, Jim admired -- and wanted to someday emulate -- his dad, who often took him to his offices.

Jim loved creating projects and businesses, and would routinely draw other children into his various endeavors, including roadside lemonade stands, neighborhood circuses, astronomy shows, and similar enterprises.

Jim became a comic book dealer and fanzine publisher at ages 11-12 (his 8 comic book fanzines published in 1964 and 1965 still show up for sale on eBay occasionally) and stays in touch with several contributors to those fanzines, including several who later made careers in that field.

As a summer project, Jim formed a part-time rare stamp and coin business in 1968, the same year he received early acceptance to Harvard College.

By his third college semester Jim was enjoying the coin business more than his studies, so at the end of 1971 he took a leave of absence to found New England Rare Coin Galleries (NERCG) and pursue a full-time numismatic career.

In 1975, Jim co-designed protocols for numismatics’ first mainframe computer system, which would help catapult NERCG to the top of the industry.

He also established the first registered rare coin fund (NERCF) in 1975, which raised $375,000, and was successfully liquidated at auction for $2.15 million in 1980, providing its investors a nearly five-fold return after fees and auction commissions in under 5 years.

In 1982, Jim sold part of NERCG to an employee after merging part of that business with his friend and former archrival Steve Ivy’s company to form a 50-50 partnership, renamed Heritage, in Dallas, Texas.

In 1984, Jim designed -- and graded nearly all the submissions for -- the first privately owned collectibles grading service, Numismatic Certification Institute (NCI).

He also wrote a book later re-titled "How to Grade U.S. Coins", which outlined the uncirculated and proof grading standards upon which NGC and PCGS would later be based, and still are today.

Jim and Steve Ivy were also significant early investor-shareholders in both PCGS and NGC and affiliated companies.

Throughout the last three decades of the 20th century, Jim was widely considered the most successful coin dealer in America, far outselling every other numismatic dealer during that period. Many of the top coin dealers of that period began their careers working for -- and/or being financed by – Jim, both at NERCG and later Heritage, some for nearly half a century. Jim still counts these numismatists among his most cherished friends. It’s especially worth noting that Marc Emory started working at NERCG in 1975, founded its European gold buying operations, then became and remains a working partner at Heritage.

Jim is also a well-known futurist, collector of rare comic books, comic book artwork, early 20th-century American art and other collectibles, venture capital, real estate and technology stock investor, and philanthropist. Among numerous other charities, Jim established The Halperin Foundation, a family arts/health/education organization, that he operates with his wife of 40+ years, Gayle Ziaks Halperin.

With Steve Ivy’s buy-in, although not his delight, Jim worked only half-time at Heritage for a year in the mid-1990s while authoring two futurist fiction novels. His first, The Truth Machine, published by Random House in 1996, became an international science fiction bestseller with over a half-million copies sold in multiple languages, and optioned 15 times as a feature film by Warner Brothers, Lionsgate then finally, Revelations Entertainment. Jim's second novel, The First Immortal, published in early 1998 was optioned as a Hallmark Hall of Fame television miniseries. Both remain in print.

Heritage and the collecting field itself benefited greatly when Jim used insights gleaned from his research for -- and marketing of -- those novels to help redesign Heritage’s website, pioneering the use of third-party pricing data on item pages as well as the first free Permanent Auction Archive in the auction business. After launching its new web site in 1998 Heritage quickly became the world’s highest selling numismatic auction house and has remained so every year since. Heritage subsequently hired scores of top experts, expanding into dozens of additional categories including its renowned Comics and Comic Art department, conceived, staffed and still overseen by Jim.

Heritage Auctions (HA.com) is now the most popular auction house online destination in the world. Heritage reported total sales exceeding $1.73 billion in 2023.

Jim still works full-time at Heritage Auctions and has no plans to retire until he can no longer contribute to the company’s goals. He currently donates about one-third of his income, mostly via The Halperin Foundation. Jim plans to eventually donate most of his assets to charity including his remaining Heritage shares.

'

Angels of Southern Dallas

Halperin Park will stand for generosity for generations

In business they call them angel investors, but in the world of southern Dallas philanthropy we’ll just call them angels.

This city owes a debt of gratitude to Gayle and Jim Halperin, who stepped forward with an astounding $23 million gift to ensure that what had been known as the Southern Gateway Park becomes another signature of what Dallas can do.

The park is the second major deck park to be built in Dallas.

It stretches over Interstate 35E between north Oak Cliff and the neighborhoods around the Dallas Zoo.

These two parts of our city were ripped apart by the freeway.

The newly named Halperin Park will help stitch a strategic 5 acres back together.

Jim Halperin is the co-founder of Heritage Auctions and president of The Halperin Foundation.

The donation, from the foundation, is the largest ever to a southern Dallas park and among the largest park donations in the city’s history.

Building a park like this one takes years of work.

It requires lasting partnership among government agencies and generous philanthropists like the Halperin family.

Their gift unlocked an additional $7.5 million in donations.

Meanwhile, some $77 million in government funding has flowed into the infrastructure that supports the park that can now bloom above a stretch of interstate that severed neighborhoods.

The hope is that the first phase of the park, more than half of its total 5 acres, will be open in spring or summer of 2026. The

Halperins’ gift also ensures that the entire park can be completed.

These sorts of gifts to a city must be celebrated. This

is a level of generosity that endures for generations, long after all of us are gone.

They are gifts not only for today but for all of those who come after.

This park will change this part of our city for the better.

It will literally bridge a gap that has separated people economically and socially.

And we would be remiss if we didn’t say a good word here about the work of April Allen, president and CEO of the park’s foundation, and a tireless advocate for its success.

She can and should take a bow.

Along with Klyde Warren Park, Halperin Park is set to become another symbol of the things Dallas can accomplish.

It’s a testament to the combined power of our nonprofit, government and business communities when they work together toward a common goal.

We can’t wait for the day when the ribbon is cut and all of us get to enjoy this space together.

[mydyspraxiablog]

Having dyspraxia I member of Dyspraxia foundation, Coelicuk other members but there is dyspraxia week up in November I would like give some money to dyspraxia foundation and Coelicuk but there promble I also sponder a child in Ethiopia and don't want that family miss out on birthday and Christmas after Christmas there birthday coming up in family.

Promble don't trust Natwest bank anymore called tell table bank.

At ages of 50 years old have ask mum if could give money charity's and embrassment all because of scarm I can't going town order coffee or hot chocolate like use missing day went up stone order hot chocolate whip cream chocolate flak and marshmallow dream having then then chocolate 🍫 Icecream in Stone those days when was Richard fellowship volunteers but miss it because now noughting in Stafford.

I got cold wait for bus 3.30pm-4pm Here one passages say " took of 3.45pm bus because of two school buses one 825 school bus other 8A school bus. So start rain really badly but most people decide go back have coffee in at cafe Nero but me could not because didn't any money so wait by self at bus stop goal square it was really cold.

Then bus didn't up 430pm because roadwork on Wolverhampton Rd and moss pit hold bus up.

Noughting can do public bus not turn up because took off because school run if buses too late because roadwork there abouda ship leaving passages wait for next bus to come.

I get worry bus might be fall up might not get on it but luck 101 bus came first at was full up and that double deck bus. Other bus did turn up behide 101 bus home bus also full up too.

Don't get wrong love farms doing and arts crouse doing but waiting do math and engish crouse in Stafford and other film crouse Indid enjoy making films bit not going happon.

"How do know Christian aid ,Acting Aid are really charity you know Facebook do fake charity offers them free sample like pray book or candle she jealous of Amazon because find way be paid things with out my Natwest card using mum card by finger print that how order things through Amazon or voice code do shopping but not going do that I do something different this Christmas want do some good around the world and in uk but can't help everyone need saving nougt money for birthday and Christmas. I really ask mum can have money buy your birthday card or birthday gift or Christmas gift 🎁 it would not be right so I decide this year going making Christmas things mumm and my family.

Right wonder. What can do help children in uk and around the world 🌎 but help hidding disabilities and disabilities child and adult too. I got think plus help those dogs and cats 🐈 in shelter want to help them.

I do want go Charlie cafe see all cats there as I missing Annabel and Sydnee my pets cats that both gone over Rainbow bridge and I want see them. Today saw Rainbow 🌈 in Stafford outside but waiting for double Rainbow so know Annabel, Sydnee my pets cats and Darcy my dog 🐕 missing them all want them back but can't I really upset with PSDA run out funds for help sick pets wasn't any money in pot so have put Sydnee down end of May how die upset me she hidding beside book shelf and fall sleep on neck down between pipe of bookshelf and body on floor so could not let die that way so pick up Sydnee but on Soffee on my knees said " You with Annabel now but Christmas really be hard for me it second years Christmas with out Annabel you die 16 years old and first years without Sydnee at Christmas Sydnee die of 17 years old. What kill Sydnee rat possion from the park knob down building at was Hotel 🏨 bulliday stupid caring home and look park behide me and don't want ride three wheel bike anymore don't walk around the park anymore I don't want go out in gardens anymore why noughting do in Stafford?

If do going town get art book and draw of Victoria Park. Trees, birds and Swam but can't going in cafe having drink coffee with no money.

So just sit there draw till get tide walk back home is weather nice or back on buses.

What decide this years not let Newphew and Nices down this years.

I not going let my sponder child and her family down this year as well but don't let dogs and cats be shelter want help children go to school

And help animals too.

So have see if can make some Christmas gift 🎁 for family instead but don't know get whole family photo just have look up on Google photos with all family.

What do next is secert for family around the world.

[howwelldoyouknowyourmoon]

Hoping desperately that “it will all come out right in the end.” With all due respect, it ain’t a gonna happen.

I read with great interest the treatise on how things would have been a lot better in the Unification Movement if, instead of having short-sighted goals, they would have done better to build a better foundation. Unfortunately, to me this seems now like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The ship is going down, so no matter what you do, it’s just cosmetic. The problem is a top-down problem.  The top is rotten to the core, meaning “True Father” and “True Parents” and “True Family” are just catch-phrases to many members who have left or who are hanging on by their fingernails, hoping desperately that “it will all come out right in the end.” With all due respect, it ain’t a gonna happen. 

The internet has exposed Sun Myung Moon for what he really was. And the Divine Principle is just another theological theory which he apparently didn’t even come up with himself. So if something is based on a lie and more lies are perpetuated about the founder himself and his history and his accomplishments…well, the universe will not support a lie indefinitely. Only force can make people live a lie. The kind of force that North Korea and Communist China and dictatorships throughout history have used. The kind of force that was sometimes used in the Unification Movement by leaders who thought they were following SMM’s pattern of “tough love” which really amounted to bullying, threatening and shaming. But I, like many others, had enough and voted with my feet to leave such an organization because my spiritual freedom and right to live by my conscience instead of fear and psychological manipulation was paramount. I think I speak for many. 

So if you who are still “card-carrying members” want to make things better, you are facing an uphill battle all the way, because the leadership is still corrupt and mostly Korean, and they will not listen to you or be influenced by you one whit.

Patricia H.

[the above was slightly edited]

__________________________________

Buh-Bye Barrytown Well, it’s happening before our eyes. I’m sure there will be an “outcry” amongst current members when the news is known about Barrytown being sold. I’m sure we’ll hear all the quotes from “Father” about how Barrytown is a precious historical site for the church and should be preserved forever. It’s “historical” just for the fact that the Lord of the Second Advent walked its halls! And spoke in its auditorium! And probably prayed on its grounds!!!! Yet, there it goes. Maybe it will be torn down and something else erected in its place.

Can Belvedere and East Garden be far behind? They are even more historical, because the Lord of the Second Advent and His Family actually LIVED there. A good friend told me that he visited Belvedere several years ago. He used to be the bookkeeper there and worked in “the vault” in the basement. It was actually his office. The current staff couldn’t open it and asked him for help, so he went down to help them. He happened to look in some of the rooms in the basement and there were all these “coffins” there made of steel or some other strong metal. He asked what was in them. The brother proudly told him there were scores of “Father’s” clothes. His suits, his shirts, his shoes, even his underwear. All being preserved for future generations to see in some far-off museum. I wonder what will happen to those coffins if they sell Belvedere??? Will anyone be left to build that museum? Will anyone care to visit it to stare at Father’s empty clothes? I think the handwriting is on the wall. The UC is dying. The money to fund it is drying up. The membership is dwindling and what members are left cannot prop it up much longer. Someday books will be written about how it all went so wrong. Then again, maybe no one will care. Time moves on and religious movements that were once “new” and “different” fade away. Buh-bye Barrytown. I guess your time is over.


Patricia H.   2016

__________________________________

Sun Myung Moon makes me feel ashamed to be Korean

Where Sun Myung Moon got his theology

Divine Principle – The Parallels of History examined

WIOTM – It's official - UTS has been sold

[drgreg]

Dr Greg Hough Facebook

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An awesome unique expertise of a lifetime to see endangered marine animals and sea birds and to make a contribution to preserve the distinctive habitat. BirdLife do so a lot in the path of conservation, and a big Thank You to all the devoted staff members who're doing such sterling work. Well accomplished on the success of Flock to Marion too Sounded a completely amazing trip and expertise. This was a novel birding and holiday expertise. Have associates who joined Bird life South Africa on this trip.

[love-takes-work]

The Steven Universe Card Battling Game: Beach-A-Palooza!

Oh boy, have I got some goodies for YOU!

Pictured above is the Beach-A-Palooza Card Battling game! It’s an official card battle game in association with Cryptozoic--the same folks who brought us the official trading cards.

This game is not out yet, but if what I show you here ends up making you want to get one, you can support the Kickstarter when it goes live next month. Sadly the originally planned retail release cannot happen now due to Covid, so it will be funded through backers through Kickstarter. I will bug people to so go support it when it goes live in July 2020, and if all goes well, supporters should get their games in December or maybe January. Lots of things are uncertain because of everything that’s going on, but that’s the plan!

Here’s what’s inside:

Here’s the game unpacked!

These plastic gems are ENERGY you can use to pay for stuff. Little pink ones are 1 each and bigger ones count for 3!

You play as a Steven--there are multiple Stevens from various timelines, as in the episode that gave rise to this game’s name: “Steven and the Stevens” and its Beach-A-Palooza. The Steven cards each have a Crystal Gem symbol on them that you use as your marker.

You use those to keep score on the Cookie Cat scoreboard.

(Don’t worry if you get more than 49 points! These “overflow” cards got you.)

The game is divided into acts, and there’s a separate deck for each act. Like many card games, you get to have a specified number of cards in your hand and those might be stage characters or audience members. In Act One, the stage characters look like this: 

But more options are added in Act Two when Lapis joins:

And in Stage Three Peridot and Bismuth become available.

You’ll notice a couple humans there too. Greg and Connie can function as audience members OR stage members, which is so cool considering their roles in the show. Connie becomes available as a Stage member starting in Act Two, while Greg is available as either from Act One.

Our audience options change as we progress as well! Act One’s audience members are here:

And we get some more boardies and a couple jerks like Marty and Kevin along the way.

But who might crash the party? Well, it’s mostly either Homeworld Gems or corrupted Gems who want to wreck stuff. A couple mutants and a possessed Frybo and even the Red Eye as well.

Basically you have to earn the most points; putting members in your band costs energy, adding audience members is free and can give you energy or support your band members, and bonuses are given if you get entire audience “groups” (like if you get the whole Pizza family). The audience members can also get targeted by Party Crashers! Yikes! I feel like if any of these folks were attacking my audience I’d probably stop playing music, but if I know anything about band battle episodes, it’s that the show stops for no one. 

But I’m sure you want to see which Fusions are available?

Not everyone can be fused, but hey, these are all great Fusions to have around!

Some of my favorite things:

“Mayor Dewey” and “Nanefua” are referred to in the first two Acts and by Act Three we have “Bill Dewey” and “Mayor Nanefua.” Season Five spoilers!

There are a bunch of Watermelon Steven cards for the audience as the Acts progress.

Some characters can be in more than one group, like how Sour Cream counts as both part of the Cool Kids and part of the Onion Family. (Psst: Lars is considered a Cool Kid too! Yay!)

Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl are pictured with their instruments in Act One, but are sporting weapons in Act Two--but Lapis joins with a tambourine. They’re all in battle mode by Act Three.

The Party Crashers reference characters they’ve affected in the show. Like Peridot will be negatively affected if the Party Crasher is the Tongue Monster.

Jamie in the audience gives +2 victory points to Garnet and that makes me XD The same is true for Mayor Dewey and Pearl!

Onion in the audience lets you steal energy from others, but you lose points at the end of the game for doing this (unless you have other Onion family members).

Sapphire being in your band lets you peek at cards and make a choice which enemy you’ll fight. Ruby’s card just lets you fuse with Sapphire to get Garnet without paying energy tokens for it.

Kevin has a complicated effect that takes energy away from your band but also affects other players and lets you gain points from it (if Connie is there). Wow, even his presence in the game hurts you while helping you.

The Fusions’ superpowers are tailored to them in fun ways. Opal can hit multiple baddies because of her arrows; Sugilite can’t be hurt by baddies’ effects; Smoky can grab others’ audience members (I guess because of their yo-yo!). 

The set of Donut audience members are Sadie, Lars, Mr. Smiley, and Bill Dewey. :) 

I’m sure I’ll have more fun stuff to post after I actually get to play with someone in a couple of days! This game is for 2 to 6 players and is for people around age 10 and up. You can enjoy a completed game in an hour or less.

Hope to see all y’all supporting the Kickstarter and ensuring you get a copy!

[letmebe-crystalqueer]

Witchy Wishlist 2020 (Canada)

I’ve been saying for a few years now that I would give this a shot, and I guess this is finally the year to do it. So here’s my @witchywishlists entry for 2020 ♥

Ritual suggestions for urban witches who don't have access to a garden or yard to practice privately in nature. (I live in a condo and don't even have a balcony). So many traditional rituals I see involve burying things or leaving them outside overnight, and I, unfortunately, can’t do any of those things where I live currently. I’m lucky if I can fit a few things on my narrow windowsill to try to catch some moonlight.

Suggestions on crystal grid set-ups for financial prosperity/getting the job vibes, finding love/romance, increased focus/concentration, and overcoming depression and/or anxiety.

Readings! Tarot, runes, pendulum, spirit... Whatever you’re comfortable doing as an online reading, I would love to receive!

Tarot resources! I have the Shadowscapes deck and book, but I’d love any other resources that you’re willing to share or point me towards. Various spreads, tricks you’ve learned on how to read certain cards in different contexts, memorization tricks/help, etc.

Do something nice for a friend or family member who you suspect (or know) to be struggling. Small gestures can make a world of difference, especially after the year we’ve all had.

If you have the funds to spare, consider making a donation to Innocence Canada, Black Legal Action Centre, Rainbow Health Ontario, LGBT Youthline, Caribbean African Canadian Social Services, Black Women in Motion, TAIBU Community Health Centre, Egale, or one of your own local charities aimed at assisting either the queer community, members of racial minorities, or those who have been victimized by the legal system.

I’d love to make new witchy friends - online, for sure, and maybe even locally (any GTA witches out there?), at least once it’s safe to do so. My askbox is open, as is the chat function! You can talk to me here or on my main (@atasteforsuicidal), if you feel so inclined! I’m hoping that being friendly with other witches will help me get more involved in my own practice.

If you practice Christianity alongside your magic, tell me about your favourite saint or other Biblical figure.

Send me your favourite sea shanty or other maritime- or celtic-inspire song! I’m happy to respond with one of my own favourites to share the love :)

Anything off of my Indigo wishlist. It doesn’t have to be from Indigo (in fact, there are a few items that are out of stock there), and I’m perfectly happy with used! I’m also more than happy with PDFs instead of physical books! Actually, any PDF resources for witchy books would be wonderful!

ETA 12/6: Fixed the Indigo link!

[canarypoint]

Legends of Y/N Lance - Chapter 1: Pilot

Warning(s): cursing, mentions of death, little bit of violence, very, very slight mention of sex

A/N: oh...looks like this is actually happening, huh? for those of you waiting for me to post the requests from the other day/night/something, i’m working on them! i just have the attention span of a goldfish. should i make a taglist or whatever it’s called for the series?

A/N #2: a lot of the dialogue was taken directly from the corresponding episode of Arrow (1x01 “Pilot”), all rights to it go to the respective owners or whatever pleasetellmei’mnotgonnagetintroubleforusingitbecauseyesthat’sageniunefearihavelol. i also highly recommend rewatching (or just watching- tho, if you haven’t seen Arrow yet, i highly recommend just watching the entire Arrowverse before reading this...) the episode first.

Click here for the series summary.

Click here for the previous chapter (Chapter 0: What’s Past is Prologue).

Click here for the series masterlist.

The TV plays the all-too-familiar ‘Breaking News’ sound, alerting you of just that. The first thing you notice is the big ‘LOST BILLIONAIRE FOUND’ heading at the bottom of the screen. Your heart drops when the man begins speaking.

“Oliver Queen is alive. The Starling City resident was found by fishermen in the North China Sea five days ago,” you flinch when it shows a picture of the man in question. “Five years after he was missing and presumed dead following the accident at sea which claimed The Queen’s Gambit.”

You let out a harsh sigh as the news continues its report.

“Queen was a regular tabloid presence and a fixture at the Starling City club scene. Shortly before his disappearance, he was acquitted of assault charges stemming from a highly publicized drunken altercation with paparazzi.”

You roll your eyes at the clip of said altercation.

“Queen is also the son of Starling City billionaire Robert Queen who was also on board but now officially confirmed as deceased.”

“Turn it off,” your oldest sister, Laurel, tells you. You quickly pick up the remote and hit the power button without question. If it’s this hard for you, you can’t even imagine how hard it is for the playboy’s ex-girlfriend.

•••

“Come on, Laurel. We’re lawyers, not miracle workers. We can’t win this,” Joanna pleads.

You scoff from Laurel’s desk as she shoots back with, “If we can’t win a class-action suit against a man who swindled hundreds of people out of their homes and life savings then we’re not fit to call ourselves a legal aid office.”

“And if we go bankrupt in the process we won’t be a legal aid office. Hunt has an army of lawyers and they’re ready to bury us.”

“You and I against an army. I love those odds.”

“Why do you hate me?”

You laugh as Laurel shoos you off her chair.

“L, you said you were gonna-” you’re cut-off by the TV.

“And in other news, as to the castaway story you’ve all heard about. The son of a very wealthy billionaire will soon become a legendary story. Jessica now has more details and the complete castaway story.”

As Laurel stands up, you unconsciously move closer to her.

“The Queen’s Gambit was last heard from more than five years ago.” Laurel begins to walk closer to where everyone else in CNRI is gathered around the television.

“Laurel, where-” you question, starting to follow her.

“Mr. Queen has reportedly confirmed he was the only survivor of the accident-” a single tear rolls down your face, one of the thousands already shed, “-that took the lives of seven people including local resident Sara Lance. Survived by her sister, Laurel-”

Laurel shuts the TV off, earning the attention of her colleagues and coworkers.

•••

Freshman year of high school is hard enough, but whatever ominous deity is out there - whether it be a god, the universe, or some fifth-dimensional imp - is clearly out to get you.

Everyone - literally everyone; students, teachers, staff, even the fucking janitor - is talking about Oliver Queen and his great return! And, because said hypothetical ominous deity is clearly some sort of sadist, everyone is also talking about Sara and how “unfortunate” her death was.

“Yo, Lance,” some upperclassman calls. You look at him, a remark about your cop father and attorney sister already on the tip of your tongue.

“Yeah?” you ask. You’re already bored with this conversation, not to mention pissed beyond comprehension.

“I dunno why everyone’s feeling so sorry for you,” he starts. “She was kinda asking for it, especially since she was helping Queen cheat on your sister. That bi-”

The more he talks, the more you see red until you finally can’t take it anymore. Without thinking, you slip your backpack off of your shoulders and onto the floor in one swift motion. You know people are already watching you, they have been since Oliver’s return, but despite the however-many eyes watching, no one is quick enough to realize what you’re doing until it’s too late. You quickly deck the junior in the face.

His hands go straight to his face as he exclaims, “You broke my nose, you fucking bitch!”

Ms. Sandsmark quickly runs out of her classroom. The students gathered around you clear a path for her, some already turning and walking to their next classes.

“Miss Lance, Mr. Armorr, principal’s office. Now.”

•••

Laurel turns her head to look at you, a not-so-happy look on her face, “Shouldn’t you be in school, Y/N/N?”

“Nah… I kinda got suspended… Dad said I have to either stay with him at the precinct or with you,” you pick up a random file as you talk, scanning over it.

Your sister pulls it out of your hands, glaring at you as if to say ‘do it again, and you’ll lose a hand.’

“What’d you do this time,” she sighs.

You look down, a small frown taking over, “Someone said something about Sara and I snapped…” you whisper.

Laurel takes a deep breath before pulling you into a hug. You’re not really sure why she says it, or why you react the way you do, but you struggle to hold back a cry as she says, “I’m sorry.”

After a moment Laurel releases you and goes back to picking up her case files as Joanna approaches.

“Laurel, I just got this from Hunt’s lawyers,” Joanna hands Laurel another file. “They filed a change of venue. We are now in front of Judge Grell.”

You walk behind them, barely paying attention to what they’re saying as you respond to a text from a friend.

“Hunt funded Grell’s reelection campaign,” Laurel adds. Joanna hums in sarcastic agreement. “He’s got Grell in his back pocket.”

Joanna wraps her arm around Laurel, “You know, it’s fun being your friend. I get to say I told you so a lot.”

You can’t help but laugh as Laurel rebuts, “No. Adam Hunt is not smarter than we are.”

“No, he’s just richer and willing to commit multiple felonies.”

Laurel stops and turns around, pointing at Joanna. “We don’t need to go outside the law-”

“To find justice. Your dad’s favorite jingle.” Laurel winks at you as Joanna finishes for her.

You, once again, roll your eyes at the two. Before you can interject with your own statement, you and Laurel freeze as you see what- who is in front of the bulletin board.

“Hello, Laurel. Speartip,” Oliver says. You let out a nervous laugh - though it’s more of just a puff of air - at the nickname. You give him a twitch of a half-smile as your eyebrows furrow in concern for your sister (or Oliver, since you’re not sure if she’s gonna run, yell at him, or straight-up punch him in the face).

She catches you by surprise as she calmly states, “Jo, watch Y/N. Oliver and I need to talk,” without looking away from the former castaway.

“Wait, Laurel-” you cut yourself off, just barely avoiding Joanna as she tries to stop you from following the former couple.

“Thomas!” you yell in surprise as you all approach CNRI’s exit. You hear Joanna sigh from behind you as Laurel and Oliver give you confused looks. Tommy rolls his eyes.

“What’d I say about calling me that, Speartip?” he responds, unphased by your reaction to seeing him.

•••

“How’d you think that was gonna go, Tommy?” Laurel questions. You have to hide a grin at her attitude towards the playboy.

“‘Bout like that,” he responds as she briskly passes him.

“C’mon, Y/N,” Laurel orders as you hop off the railing.

•••

“Are you sure you wanna go, L?” you ask, handing your sister her bag as she walks by.

“Tommy asked me to go. I’m not gonna let the problems I have with Oliver get in the way of Tommy and I being friends.”

“Well… can I come?” You jump over the back of the couch, landing next to Laurel. “According to every social media account Thea has, she’s-”

“Thea is the youngest member of one of the richest families in Starling, you are the daughter of a cop and the sister of a defense attorney. Thea may be able to get away with breaking the law, but you certainly aren’t.”

•••

“If hypothetically, fifty-thousand dollars magically appear in your bank account, it might be best for you not to speak about it… to anyone, ever,” Laurel laughs at whatever the person on the other end says as your eyes widen. Joanna walks up to Laurel’s desk as Laurel says, “God bless you, too,” before hanging up.

“I just got a very grateful phone call from one of our clients against Adam Hunt.”

“Me, too.”

They both laugh before Joanna adds, “It looks like Starling City has a guardian angel.”

You look around as phones begin ringing from all around CNRI.

“By the way, your cute friend’s here.” With that, Joanna walks away. Laurel turns and stands up to see none other than Tommy Merlyn. You roll your eyes at his boyish grin.

•••

“You left the party pretty quick last night, even after I made sure the bar was stocked with pinot noir,” Tommy starts. You’re left to walk behind him and your sister as they talk.

“It wasn’t really my scene.”

“I thought maybe you and Oliver went mano a mano again.” You not-so-subtly cough, reminding them of your presence. You don’t need to hear about your sister’s sex life, even if it’s just Tommy jumping to conclusions, per usual.

They both stop to look back at you, Tommy sticks his tongue out as Laurel rolls her eyes.

“I saw you two head out,” Tommy adds as they continue walking.

“There’s nothing between Oliver and I, not anymore.”

“And here I thought the only thing between you and Oliver was us.”

“I wouldn’t exactly characterize us as an us, Tommy.”

Tommy quickly gets ahead of Laurel, forcing her to stop. You stay a few feet away from them, not wanting to interrupt whatever… this is.

“Then what would you call it?”

“A lapse.”

“That’s quite a few lapses,” you glare at Tommy. “Your place, my place, my place again.”

“Oh, I feel sick…” you mumble, your voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Shut it, Y/N,” Laurel teases. “Oh, come on, Merlyn. We both know that you’re not a one-girl type of guy.”

“Depends on the girl,” is Tommy’s attempt at a smooth response.

“Three things: one, I’m still here. Two, Laurel has a point. And three, real smooth Thomas, real smooth. Oh, and have I mentioned that I’m still here?”

“Nice try, Speartip. That was four things,” Tommy responds with a laugh.

“Oh look, the rich-boy can count below ten-thousand, astonishing! Plus, the last part was a continuation of my first point, so no. It wasn’t four things, you’re just dumb.”

“I have to go back to work,” Laurel says she turns around, grabbing your arm in the process.

“Dinah Laurel Lance,” Tommy starts. “Always trying to save the world.”

Laurel turns around once more, “Hey, if I don’t try and save it, who will?”

You smile proudly as you follow Laurel back to CNRI.

•••

A/N #3: oh, anyone recognize the name of the teacher and the student? and yeah i know it doesn’t entirely make sense to include that last scene, but like... you can’t have a story about the Lances without including “Dinah Laurel Lance, always trying to save the world,” now can you?

[neely-james]

Children’s House by the Sea provides free getaway to Ocean City for families

Children’s House by the Sea provides free getaway to Ocean City for families

(April 9, 2021) The Believe In Tomorrow facility on 66th Street is open year-round to provide a free getaway to the beach for critically ill children and their families whenever they may need to escape the stresses of their childhood illness.

Program Coordinator Wayne Littleton has spent 20 years creating breathing space at the beach for families looking forward to respite from hospitalizations and treatments.

Littleton has a beautiful life perspective: focus on the positive and do your very best for others. Littleton is stretching every dollar this year to support families who have been more excited than ever to offer children a break from their restricted covid-19 environments.

While fundraising has been mostly put on hold during the pandemic, Believe in Tomorrow’s four flagship condos at Children’s House by the Sea on 66th Street, a military townhouse on 28th Street on the bay, and a townhouse in Fenwick Island have been this year’s focus for the nonprofit.

The most challenging moments of last summer were last-minute cancellations on respite home stays. Littleton said their locations would be booked for the weekend, but families would become nervous or have a covid-19 scare and withdraw reservations at the last minute.

For this reason, Believe In Tomorrow keeps an active wait-list to bring hopeful families to their homes as soon as they become available. He said reservations are now becoming more dependable.

“We have stayed busy because kids have been in school online, so we stayed full up until November. Right now we’re busy on the weekends,” Littleton said. “When it gets warmer, we will fill up for full weeks. This summer we’re completely booked.”

Over the difficult last year, funds raised were used to run day-to-day operations. Littleton was also able to stretch finances to improve respite locations by adding whimsy, improving technology and appliances, and renovating where needed.

“Everything we do in the homes, we tried to do a little bit better this year. Now that everyone has Netflix, we purchased new smart TVs,” he said. “Families can’t go out on normal activities, so everything we did around the Children’s House we did to make it better and more appealing.”

While most excursions from the Believe In Tomorrow homes have been restricted this year, Littleton praised a member of OC Swim Club who volunteered to take families out on boat rides, which offered a welcome social-distanced activity at the beach.

Believe In Tomorrow has chosen not to pursue its normal restaurant focused fundraising activities this year. With restaurants facing covid-19 closures and restricted dining capacity and hours, Littleton said it just isn’t the right time to ask restaurants to contribute financially.

Brittany Acita, owner of Pickles Pub, said that over a span of six and a half years, her family business has hosted meals and participated in cook-offs to benefit Believe In Tomorrow.

She and her husband, Justin, have also donated food to their favorite event, the annual Believe In Tomorrow Beach Bash, where hosted families gather to share local food, games and music.

“We host a wing cookoff at Pickles every year. Hopefully we can bring this back in the fall,” Acita said.

Courtney Blackford, sales and marketing manager at Residence Inn Ocean City, has brainstormed creative ways to raise funds in her bid to be crowned this year’s Prom Queen for Believe In Tomorrow’s Prom Night Event. She has held virtual and in-person fundraisers throughout the year.

“Every dollar raised counts as one vote toward my campaign. 2020 was a challenging year for all, to say the least, and my heart goes out to all the families of the Believe In Tomorrow children that had to endure hospitalizations, some not being able to accompany their children during treatments, due to covid-19 restrictions,” Blackford said.

Kicking off the summer season on April 11 at 9 a.m., Blackford is hosting a Virtual 5K, where participants will dress up like superheroes and walk, run, or bike during the event.

Family pets are also invited to register for the event, which promises to offer many photo opportunities during the fundraiser.

Participants are asked to contribute $25 for adults, $15 for children under 12, and $5 for family pets, and prizes will be given for best superhero costumes and top fundraisers. All funds from sponsors and participants will benefit Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House by the Sea.

Littleton is hopeful that Blackford’s Virtual 5K will jumpstart the summer season of fundraising. Looking forward to Wednesday, May 5, Believe In Tomorrow will hold a raffle drawing. Participants are asked to donate gift cards or cash for raffle tickets and an opportunity to receive a $100 gift card to Sunset Grille.

Wednesday, May 5 is also the drawing date for Believe In Tomorrow’s “Wheelbarrow of Cheer” fundraiser. The donation of a bottle of wine or liquor offers participants an opportunity to win a $100 gift card to Fager’s Island. The boozy collection will then be raffled off at the Spring Golf Classic on Friday, June 11.

Littleton said that even though many cannot contribute financially during the difficult year, he is always looking for volunteers.

“I just try to take only what volunteers like to offer. I feel like everyone has a niche, from doing repairs to help sanding the decks or gardening ...we do whatever it takes to get by, like everyone else,” he said. “One thing about our community is that they are extremely generous. So you know what? We got by, and I’m hoping this year will be even better.”

To volunteer for Believe In Tomorrow Children’s House by the Sea, call Littleton at 410-723-2842.

To register for “Courtney’s Superhero 5k Race,” visit https://believeintomorrow.rallybound.org/superhero-fun-run/. To donate to the organization, visit https://believeintomorrow.org/giving/; or contribute much needed items such as All [Free and Clear] or Seventh Generation Laundry Detergent Pods, Cascade or Seventh Generation Dishwasher Pods and suntan lotion.

https://www.oceancitytoday.com/lifestyle/activities-planned-to-support-bit/article_8409b45a-995a-11eb-8eaa-3fcfd0d00d15.html

[shinygoateeland]

How Can An Incubator Assist Your Startup Succeed?

Accelerators are usually funded by traders, corporations, or government businesses, to be able to help innovation, supply investments, or establish new improvements. 

They create returns in the type of economic development, investment returns, or disruptive innovation and new technologies. It does all this in a means that creates efficiencies for those delivering and receiving the worth it creates by forming a cohort of members. 

This cohort features like a class in a college, permitting one lesson to be delivered to a group of startups without delay, rather than individually multiple occasions. 

An Incubator is a building that rents area to corporations together with some degree of assist, usually consisting of subsidised rent or business recommendation. The time period startup is broadly used within the tech and innovation sector to check with early stage corporations.

If your startup is in a situation the place it has a validated MVP and powerful founding staff but not sufficient capital to scale and get vital traction, your startup could possibly be an excellent fit for an accelerator program. 

Most startups are facing related customer acquisition or staff administration issues -- accelerators provide you with an opportunity to learn how to overcome early challenges collectively.  asia investment capital Accelerators work with angels, VCs, and seasoned founders -- they might even find yourself investing in accelerated startups at the program’s end. 

According to Franco Iovi Vollbrecht, who evaluations functions for Start-Up Chile, virtually all accelerators will require a Minimum Viable Product from startups they contemplate. 

Make it straightforward to entry crucial business data with links to slip decks, LinkedIn profiles, videos, references, and the rest you suppose would assist traders understand the potential of your startup. In this part, we’ll have a look at the important thing elements of an accelerator program, utility process, program length, funding capital, and major advantages in comparison with an incubator program.

If you’re a fast-growing company, an accelerator could be the proper fit. If your development plan remains to be creating, an incubator could be a better option. Top accelerators like Techstars and Y Combinator are highly selective, accepting less than 2% of candidates into their applications. 

Before you find your nearest Erlich Bachman, get the fast guide to incubators and accelerators beneath, and find out about alternatives to both.

An funding within the fund isn't insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or another authorities company. The fund’s sponsor has no authorized obligation to provide monetary help to the fund and you shouldn't count on that the sponsor will present monetary assist to the fund at any time. 

In many instances due to the sheer volume of functions, accelerators can't notify unsuccessful applicants, so examine whether or not or not you'll receive a response if you're one of many sizable majority of rejected businesses.

While SMEs are outlined primarily by measurement, startups are outlined by aspiration and method. It could be honest to say that if something does not have these features it's probably not an accelerator. 

Equally, I am in favour of these criteria getting used to outline ‘accelerator-like programs,’ which may not be full accelerators but can nonetheless achieve a few of their outcomes, using these approaches.

In trying to understand accelerators better, in my PhD I researched what a startup accelerator is by trying at the underlying social networks that form them. In the business I set up, EyeFocus Accelerator, I additionally experimented with how to construct accelerators with a watch on the social community perform driving them. 

Almost 2,000 startups funded by MassChallenge have raised a total of $four.3b and generated total income upwards of $2.5b. 

The quantity and quality of investments made puts MassChallenge firmly in the top 10 US accelerators. Incubators are much less inflexible with applications than accelerators, so the process is more durable to generalize; verify the FAQs of incubators in your native space for specifics. 

Incubators often don’t require fairness or put as a lot pressure on success as accelerators, but also don’t offer capital.

The startup accelerator enterprise mannequin is targeted on growth-driven ventures in their infancy and aims to achieve an excellent return on funding within a relatively quick interval. You usually won't get all the funding you want from a single startup accelerator program, however you might get a significant sum of monetary investment over a fixed interval. 

Other components which are often solely associated with startup accelerators are competitive application processes, a seed capital investment in trade for fairness and education for the complete staff quite than simply the founder. 

Start ups, early stage corporations, or subsidiaries of present corporations participate in enterprise accelerators toaccelerate their gross sales, operations, and financials. 

With the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, many accelerators such as Y Combinator, SOSV's family of accelerators, and BEAMSTART have shifted their approaches by working most of the applications and Demo Days on-line. At first glance, accelerators sound extremely similar to incubators — and they are.

Incubators often present workplace space and consultations with specialists, however take a extra laid-back strategy. There’s no intense program right here -- simply an environment of collaboration and help when wanted.

During this acceleration period entrepreneurs may have loads of opportunities to network with their friends, different industry assist suppliers and potential traders. In contrast, incubators could take early to late stage startups and may last years. Although the fund seeks to protect the worth of your investment at $1 per share, it can't assure it will accomplish that.

[cfiesler]

the tenure-track detective agency

I tweeted about a dream, then realized it should be a television show, so I tweeted the whole first season plot. Featuring an academic who has to solve a murder so she doesn’t have to teach another class, and her librarian sidekick who is very helpful because of the research she’s done while writing Sherlock and Veronica Mars fanfiction. The whole thread is on Twitter, but copied in plain text below the cut for your reading pleasure. #sixseasonsandamovie

The Tenure-Track Detective Agency: Season One

I recently dreamed that one of my colleagues was wrongfully accused of murder, and because of the trial, could not teach their fall class. I feel like an "oh god I have to solve a murder so I don't have to teach an extra class" anxiety dream is like next level #academiclife.

S1 opens in mid-summer when a tenured computer science prof is found in his lab surrounded by simple robots testing conversational agents, busily chatting about top-voted reddit posts while he dies from blunt force trauma. The murder weapon is a dusty teaching award.

Our hero, an overworked assistant prof, is updating the syllabus for her machine learning class that just doubled in size, when she receives news that she has to pick up a section of intro programming b/c the instructor was just arrested for murdering another faculty member.

Our hero has THREE WEEKS to exonerate her colleague so that he can teach the class as planned, instead of her. Her tenure case hangs in the balance. What follows is a montage of frantic syllabus writing and murder investigation.

She visits the scene of the crime. A PhD student is frantically deleting data from a hard drive, and claims the IRB made her do it. Our hero distracts her and pockets one of the prototype conversational robots in the hopes it might have been a witness to the murder.

Our hero has a conference call with the set of brand new PhD students who will be teaching assistants to the intro programming class and informs them that their jobs start now and they need to dig through Lexis Nexis for case law about chain of custody and robots.

She visits the library and finds the librarian who usually answers questions about copyright, because she must know the most about law. Cue enthusiastic quirky sidekick, who actually doe knows a lot about murder investigation because she writes Sherlock fanfiction.

She visits her colleague in prison. She should probably be investigating the murder he is wrongfully accused of, but instead has many questions about the syllabus for his class she is now forced to teach. She tries not to sound bitter as she asks him for his slide decks.

Her colleague, clad in his orange jumpsuit and holding a prison phone, is understandably very upset about having been wrongfully accused of murdering another professor. But as she stands to leave, he calls out, "Wait! Do... do you think this will hurt my tenure case?"

She visits the detective in charge of the case. He says that her colleague's alibi for a 3-hour time period surrounding the time of murder is damning. "Who spends 3 hours answering email?" he demands. "Besides, professors don't work in the summer!" She fears this may be hopeless.

With the help of her librarian sidekick who convincingly impersonates a lawyer, our hero gets her hands on the the transcripts from the police interview of her colleague after his arrest. She assigns a PhD student to conduct a rigorous grounded theory qualitative analysis.

Word has gotten out that she is investigating the murder. Someone pins a note to her office door: "FOLLOW THE GRANT MONEY." She pulls up the dead prof's CV on his website only to find that it was last updated in 2003.

She interviews his PhD students after (out of force of habit) having them sign consent forms that detail data storage practices. None of them had seen their murdered advisor in person in years except when he mysteriously appeared to add his name to their published papers.

The librarian sidekick uses a bobby pin to break into an admin's office to retrieve grant spending records. It appears that the murder victim has been funneling funding earmarked for students and travel into "equipment." Almost $1m of invoices from a mysterious tech company.

(In case you were wondering, the librarian sidekick also writes Veronica Mars fanfiction and ABSOLUTELY knows how to pick a lock because of important research. She also wrote House fanfiction so let's hope she gets to diagnose Lupus by the end of this tale.)

Meanwhile, the PhD student has finished her grounded theory analysis of the arrest interview, and concludes (with an appropriate limitations section) that the interrogation was conducted under duress. The police officer promised to write him a tenure letter if he confessed.

Our hero buys many pizzas and puts the qualitative analyst in a room with the teaching assistants doing legal research and tells them to work on a motion to get the confession thrown out. She has to promise them they can all be co-authors on a major journal publication.

Cut to a scene where our hero spends hours answering emails from students trying to enroll in THE CLASS SHE SHOULDN'T BE TEACHING b/c they're on the waitlist but they need this class to graduate & also will she be taking attendance. Between emails she studies 18 U.S. Code §3501.

She visits a clinical prof at the law school to ask for help. You remember that this is TV so wonder if he is the obligatory love interest. He suggests they discuss 18 U.S. Code §3501 over drinks. She laughs: DO YOU THINK I HAVE TIME FOR THAT. You write hero/librarian fanfiction.

She interviews more students. Admins. Faculty. They initially were shocked the murder victim got tenure, but he'd seriously stepped up his game in the last couple of years. Not just more productive research, but he spent time on his teaching! And service! And apparently... sleep!

This trend becomes more shocking when she finally visits the victim’s family. They too noticed a change. They’d seen him *more often* in the year leading up to his tenure review. Now our hero doesn’t just want to solve his murder, SHE NEEDS TO KNOW HIS SECRET.

Meanwhile, the librarian has tracked down shipments from Mysterious Tech Company not to the victim's office but to a Mysterious Storage Unit. This is a clue! They brose YouTube videos about breaking into storage units. (YT tries to show them flat earther videos but they resist.)

HOT ON THE TRAIL, our hero makes the mistake of checking her email. She has a nastygram from a journal editor who reminds her that her promised review of a paper is 1 week overdue. The murder investigation halts while she spends hours on labor for which she will not be paid.

Our hero reluctantly suggests "major revisions" even though she knows this means more unpaid labor in a few months, and then regroups with the librarian. They head to the storage unit; we discover that the librarian drives an impala convertible.

They are nearly there when our hero's phone dings with a calendar reminder; she has a committee meeting in fifteen minutes. She can't remember which committee it is, but they turn around anyway. After the meeting, she still isn't sure which committee it was.

Our hero gets a phone call from her colleague who is wasting away in prison while wrongfully accused of murder. He doesn't ask about the progress of her investigation. He's just called to ask her if she can take over some of his committee assignments.

FINALLY our hero & the librarian get to the storage unit, which with the help of YouTube videos they break into & discover... rows of gently humming servers, and also robot parts everywhere! It's very uncanny valley in there, y'all. You're like, woah is this show actually scifi.

Our hero sits down at a computer. Did you know that even CS profs can have terrible password practices? Our hero read @lorrietweet's papers so the first thing she tries is "monkey" and VOILA she is inside a private github repo. (She has an ethics-related twinge, but he IS dead.)

Our hero emails the students enrolled in her machine learning class, sends them the github repository, and offers them extra credit for a forensic analysis. This is the best service learning activity she's ever come up with.

Our hero checks her email again (WHY DOES SHE KEEP DOING THIS) and has a message from her department chair reminding her that murder investigation does not count as a service activity. ('We've already had discussions about tweeting as not a good use of your time' he reminds her.)

We're getting very close to the season finale, and there's another montage: meeting with student investigators, tinkering with robot parts, answering emails about course overloads, talking to the police, revising a journal article that is due soon, formatting a new syllabus...

Over a bottle of wine in her office, our hero and her librarian sidekick put together the final pieces by doing rigorous affinity diagramming on a whiteboard. There is one final thing to verify. They enlist one of the murdered prof's PhD students to help. This is very exciting!

She visits her wrongfully accused colleague one last time in jail to give him the good news about her findings. He doesn't listen, far more concerned with making sure that revisions on his latest journal article get in on time, so she helps him & then leaves to go exonerate him.

Our hero gathers the relevant parties: detectives, faculty, PhD students, a public defender who she forgot existed. They meet in a windowless conference room. She has prepared a powerpoint presentation. It shows a table of contents: Intro, Methods, Findings, Discussion.

She speeds through the beginning (stopping to answer a question from a prof about the sample size for the qualitative analysis) and finally gets to the point: "I have discovered that the murder victim had a dark secret. And in the process uncovered the REAL killer!"

(Her librarian sidekick cheers from the audience. She is wearing the deerstalker from her Sherlock cosplay, which our hero reluctantly refused, saying that she probably shouldn't cosplay at work until after tenure.)

Our hero continues: "Our analysis of his private github repo revealed the REAL source of increased productivity in the year leading up to his tenure case - particularly striking since he also managed to save a failing marriage. Impossible, you say? That's what I thought! But..."

"It turns out that he solved the problem of not enough hours in the day for assistant professor levels of research, teaching, and service with ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE!"  The department chair nods. Artificial intelligence can indeed solve all problems.

Our hero reveals a beautiful powerpoint slide that details their analysis of the code and its conclusion: Prof. Murder Victim had programmed an AI to do all of his service and administrative work, most of his teaching, and a big chunk of his research collaboration.

From answering emails to grading assignments to delegating tasks to student collaborators to reviewing papers (ESPECIALLY reviewing papers), Prof. Murder Victim had managed to streamline his duties into the things that were most important for tenure & avoid everything else.

And he was able to do what can be so rare in some departments - have a lot of time for himself, which repaired his relationship with his family. "But then..." our hero began ominously, "he thought... why can't I create an AI for that too so I can spend more time on my research?"

Our hero gestures at the door, and in walks a PhD student with a humanoid robot in tow. It is a half-finished, uncanny valley nightmare of the murder victim. "He was murdered by his own creation!" our hero shouts, as she reveals her final slide with a list of collaborators.

There is a long, heavy pause in the room. The detective looks stunned. The librarian sidekick pulls out a flask and toasts our hero. Then suddenly, the department chair leaps to his feet and says, "HE WORKED FOR THE UNIVERSITY, WE OWN THE PATENT!"

The room erupts into a flurry of activity. PhD students start updating their CVs. The prof who teaches tech ethics immediately starts writing a paper. The department chair posthumously grants the murder victim full professor status in recognition of his contributions to robotics.

The detective quietly comes over and asks our hero for her evidence. She produces a full paper with 12 figures, 78 citations, and 17 authors. He says that it may take some time to sort this out. She says, the guy you arrested starts teaching in one week, better be sorted by then.

Our hero has approximately thirty seconds to bask in the glow of her triumph when her phone dings informing her she has a committee meeting in 10 minutes. She checks her email and 4 students are asking for copies of the syllabus for the class she's hopefully no longer teaching.

That night she receives an email from the dept chair: (1) Remember this is not part of your tenure case; (2) Our colleague has been released from jail & will resume teaching his class; (3) The ethics instructor just got a grant with a course release so you'll need to teach that.

Before she can start sobbing, she opens an email from one of the students in her machine learning class, telling her that the work they'd done analyzing that code was the most amazing learning experience of his life and can they please do more stuff like that.

After a long moment, she opens up a new document so that she can start creating a syllabus for Computing Ethics & Responsibility. She adds a sentence: "You may be occasionally asked to participate in real-world problem-solving activities as part of your grade."

The season finale ends with the librarian joining our hero in her office and producing a sign to hang on the door: THE TENURE-TRACK DETECTIVE AGENCY. It is a joke, of course.   ... or is it???

If you read to the end, I feel like I should mention how difficult it is to write a story linearly while not knowing the plot and without the ability to edit at all, and also that it would make my life to see hero/librarian fanfiction on AO3. :D

And if you’re a TV exec or literary agent:

(And if you’re someone who is going to write tenure letters for me: don’t worry, I also did a lot of research, teaching, and service today. ;) )

[kunderdogs]

KNK As Dads

Thank you to the anon who requested it! I know it’s kind of sloppy but I hope you like it! :)

I tried to keep them all the same length but it’s hard to tell lol

Jihun

When you tell him you’re pregnant, he will fall on the floor

SO DRAMATIC

“WE WERE SO CAREFUL? OMG MY MOM WILL BE SO HAPPY!”

Buys five yards of bubble wrap to “baby proof the house”

You have to explain to him that’s not how it goes

He’ll ready every parenting book like ever

“Did you know that babies have nails in the womb?!”

“Please...it’s three in the morning...Go to sleep, Jihun.”

So affectionate

Wants to cuddle with your belly all the time

“Sorry babe, you’re my number two now. She’s my number one love.”

As soon as his daughter is born, he’s bawling

Uncontrollably

The docs have to calm him down because they’re afraid he’ll start hyperventilating.

Will not let her leave his sight for the first few months

Will be soooo dramatic when she learns to walk though

Bouncing off the walls when she takes her first step

“BABE OH MY GOD DID YOU- DID YOU SEEEEEE HER?? SHE TOOK HER FIRST STEP. GET THE C A M E R A!”

Made her a college fund when she was 5 days old

“It’s never too soon to start saving for college.”

Hogs all the baby time

Wants to feed her

Refuses to let anyone except you and him hold her until she’s maybe four months

Calls the other members her “weird Uncles”

Proudly announces to everyone her first words were “Dada” even though you were pretty sure she burped

At nights, he’ll sleep in her nursery

He’ll grow out of that habit around when she enters school

As she gets older, he’s always supportive

Definitely wants her to try singing

Knows she’ll sound like an angel

Wants her to do whatever she wants in life

Wants a lot of kids because he loves to spend time with them

Literally she’s his princess

The type of dad to have tea parties just cause his daughter loved them

“Tea party? Only if I can wear the purple tiara this time.”

Glares at any little boy that shows an interest in her

“EXCUSE ME. Keep your hands to yourself, thankyouverymuch.”

“Dad, I’m twenty and this is my boyfriend.”

“boYFRIEND?! You’re grounded, young lady. No dating until you’re married.”

Seoham

Panic

“What- you’re-?! !!!!”

Faints when you tell him you’re pregnant

Once he comes to, he’ll start crying

Very emotional the entire pregnancy

Even more so than you are

Experiences pregnancy sympathy pains

Has morning sickness right with you

You’re spending the majority of the first trimester taking care of him

He’s always apologizing lmao

As you get bigger, he’s in awe

Cannot believe he’s going to be a dad

Will always look at you like you’re the most beautiful thing in the world

Tearfully tells you he loves you at random times

And then you cry too cause the damn hormones

The member to gush to his fans about your new baby

(on VLIVE) “If it’s a girl, what name should we give it? Tinkerbell always has good ideas and suggestions...Boy name suggestions too!”

Will try to get you to quit your job when you get to 7 months

Is so nervous for the delivery

Coaching and holding your hand the WHOLE TIME

He’ll be your voice to your doctors (we love a king)

Crying as soon as he sees your son’s full head of hair

“You did it, baby, oh wow. He’s so beautiful. You did so well, love. I love you so much.”

Is a mESS

“Mommmm~ He’s healthy T-T come as soon as you can.” Sobs

Glares at anyone who tries to take your son from your arms

Will 100% give the doctors a hard time if his son is crying for “too long”

As he gets older, Seoham is the perfect father.

Loving, caring, and stern when he needs to be

But he’s sooooo soft

Hates to discipline him but knows he needs the correction

The type of dad to watch with love in his eyes as his child is running around the yard.

Threatens the members not to show him any bad words/actions

Reads and sleeps with his son (even tho his long body cannot fit on the red car bed)

Cries at almost every milestone (walking, talking, eating solid food, first hair cut, first day of school)

“He’s just growing up so fast, babe. Soon, he’ll be married and having kids of his own. What am I going to do then?”

“Seoham, this is his third birthday party...Get it together, baby.”

Not going to push his child into anything but encourages him to find hobbies or sports his likes

If your son likes sports, he’s at every. single. event. Practice, games, any of it

Records all the games and when he goes to college, he’ll make a highlight reel

Inseong

When you tell him, you’re pregnant, he won’t believe you

Not to mean you’re a liar

But he just cannot grasp it rn

“Ha ha, very funny, babe. I know you’re on the pill.”

Once you hand him the pregnancy stick, he’s all 

O_O “o-oh shit”

Needs to sit down cause he’s lightheaded

Doesn’t want to show you but he’s scared outta his mind rn

Smiles nervously

As time goes on and you start to show, it’ll finally become real to him

He’ll cry that night when you feel the baby moving and put his hand on your belly

Will hide all his worries and concerns from you and instead will ask the members 

Eventually he’ll speak to you about how nervous he is but he reassures you he wants a baby with you

He’ll feel better after talking to you

Very gentle with you when you’re pregnant and will get you any cravings you need

Schedules regular massages for you so you’re comfortable

Literally has hearts in his eyes when he sees how big you get in the last trimester

Doesn’t care what gender your baby is, just wants it healthy

Soft smiles and kisses when the doctor hands you a chubby baby boy

He’s crying but trying to put on a strong front for you

Wants to be your strength but eventually breaks down when he takes a step back and sees how you look at your son in your arms

“The most beautiful view I’ve ever seen...”

Fully bawling when you ask him if he wants to hold his son

Won’t stop calling the child “my son”

Taking pictures and videos of everything

Soccer dad FOR SURE

Has snacks and juice ON DECK 24/7

Supports their kid no matter what though

Hates to be the one to discipline and will even leave when you’re scolding your son

Screaming at the top of his lungs when he learns anything new

“HE COUNTED TO 10 OH MY GOD HEEJUN DID YOU HEARRRR THAT”

Affectionate :))))

Will pout if his son doesn’t want to give him kisses when he leaves for work

Dongwon

So so so so happy

Smiling so wide when you surprise him with baby converse.

“You’re not joking? You’re really pregnant? We’re having a baby?”

“I’m going to be a dad?”

Literally so excited!!!!

He gets to have a family with the love of his life!!

Immediately tells all his family and friends once he gets the okay from your doctor

Plans a gender reveal party and is wearing a pink shirt because he wants a lil princess to spoil.

Wouldn’t mind a boy, but wants to experience the “daddy/daughter” bond

RUNNING UP AND DOWN YOUR STREET WHEN HE FINDS OUT YOU”RE HAVING TWIN GIRLS (like on maury)

!!!!!! You’re like 0-O “does this say TWINS?!”

Feels like he hit the jackpot

Kisses you all over, hugging you gently and when you pull back, you can see tears in his eyes.

“I love you. Thank you for giving me two babies.”

He’s very sappy the entire pregnancy

“How’s my girls doing? Need anything, mama? Come here, I’ll rub your feet, baby.”

Takes you on a baby moon to wherever you wanna go just to pamper you before you give birth

Anything you want, he will give you

You could tell him your phone speaker wasn’t working and he’ll go out and get you a whole new phone

Watches you with hearts in his eyes as you sleep

Unfortunately, you can’t give birth naturally due to labor taking too long so the doctors have to preform a c-section.

A mess of nerves and tension as he holds your hand in the operating room

When he hears two cries, he nearly collapses next to you in relief. “You did amazing, love.”

Crying as he watches the doctors put both little girls on your chest

He strokes one of the twins tiny head, lips trembling as she softly cries out

“I never thought my heart could beat outside of my body.”

100% the overprotective dad

Down to play any girly games for them

Brings them to sporting events against their will

N O BOYS E V E R !!!!

NO EXCEPTIONS!!!!

ok maybe if they’re knk fans

MAYBE

Heejun

Terrified at first

Heejun is young (my age lol) so I feel like he wouldn’t particularly want kids until he’s in his late twenties-early thirties

He warms up to the idea of a child quickly because he LOVES kids

ESPECIALLY if it’s his with the love of his life

Not one to keep it a secret

He’ll call everyone in his life and give them the news

lowkey wants a boy because he doesn’t know if he can relate to a girl

But honestly as long as the baby is healthy, he’s over the moon

When he does find out it’s a boy, he’s buying matching clothes for him and his son

Tells everyone “I’m having a son T-T”

Is usually composed during the pregnancy - wide smiles and cheerful expressions

Will get you anything you want, no questions asks

(He’ll complain to the boys that your cravings are weird as hell tho. Who eats cheetos with peanut butter and power-aid? Disgusting)

Won’t ever say anything negative because he wants his child to grow up in a positive environment

Refuses any help in building or assembling any of the baby furniture or toys

“I have to do this. I’m a dad now. Dads build things.”

Only cries when he’s able to hold his son, wrapped up tightly like a burrito in the hospital.

You’d be passed out on the bed with the nurses busy by you, and he’d just sit with your son in his arms, tears flowing freely with a smile on his face.

“Hey little one, I’m your daddy.”

IN LOVEEEEE

YOUR SON CAN DO NO WRONG TO HIM

He’s a precious angel, even when he turns two and terrorizes literally everyone and everything in your house

Wants only the best for your son so he’ll make food and turn into a chef pretty quickly.

Eventually when your son shows how picky he really is, Heejun will give in and give him chicken nuggets

Play fights with him all the time

You still don’t know which one broke the bathroom window and they refuse to tell on the other

Very proud of his son’s accomplishments and will praise him for every little thing he can

Bribes him with popsicles and ice cream to get him potty trained

It worked so you couldn’t say much lol

His kid is his ride or die

Nothing will ever get between him and his son

Wants your son to be better than he is - and will push him to do well in school, all the way up to college

When you have a daughter, him and your son are full on body guard mode

“Hands off the models.” He says to Inseong as the older one plays with your daughter. 

“PRECIOUS CARGO COMING THRU.”

“Ten feet distance at all times, thank you.”

[dimancheetoile]

hi, i’m back

(formatting for ease of reading, my adhd has become worse during the quarantine)

Hey everyone, Mako here. I hope everyone is safe and healthy, as much from the pandemic side as for the protests (and if you are a poc, protesting, or a poc protesting, you're a hero). I've been gone for a long time, a few months. I'm sorry to the friends I haven't replied to, but I'm back. I lost a family member to the pandemic and the quarantine in France, and that was such a shock, such an unfair death, that I just shut down. It took some time after the funeral to just start going on social media again, and right at that time, George Floyd was murdered and the protests started, and I was just petrified at the idea of coming back at that time. But anyway, this isn't a diary, I'm back. I'm in financial trouble so I'm trying to build an online store, but commissions (both art and fic commissions, links on the sidebar of my blog) are still open and much needed if you'd like to get something from me, and help me. However, it's very important to me that if you have spare money, I'd rather you donate first to BLM and bail out funds and any other charity related to the protests, rather than give the money to me. If you have some money left after that, then sure, help me it, it would be hugely appreciated, but it's more important to me that any money goes to the social change. I'll survive one way or another, don't know how yet, but I mean it. So hey, I'm back! I have some art to post, a new tumblr created to show the progress of my very own, handrawn tarot deck! I hope you're all doing good, i’ll see you soon ♥

[dragonrajafanfiction]

Dragon Dancer IV: Cornered

I sighed and tossed my cards on the table. “I fold.”

“This is your third time losing, Fengchu...” Zihang looked at me pityingly.

“I said I don’t know how to play poker! On top of the fact that all my hands are no good.” I grumbled.

“You shouldn’t call her Fengchu. It’s not a girl’s name.” Mingfei gathered everyone’s cards and shuffled the deck.

“It means ‘Young Phoenix’. The military adviser Pang Tong was named it after his uncle realized he showed great promise.” Zihang explained.

“That’s like naming her Alexander Hamilton!” Mingfei tossed out cards to Nono, then to me.

“Hamilton is awesome!” I said.

“It’s not a girl’s name!”

From a mobile phone on the table, Fingel’s voice shouted out. “Deal me in!”

“You don’t have any hands. Be quiet before I lower your volume.” Mingfei growled, tossing more cards to Zihang.

After EVA’s reprogramming, an alternative mini-EVA activated on Mingfei’s mobile phone, only instead of EVA’s voice, Fingel was installed. Whoever had made the program meant to protect Mingfei and I had considered the possibility that her primary directive might be altered and had this AI back up to continue to support us, just in case.

From the bed, Ru’Yi lifted her head up and squealed. 

“Yes, baby?” I asked, turning to her.

The door suddenly opened and in walked Crow. When he saw us all playing cards, he frowned. “Am I in the wrong room?” He tossed the food he had brought on the sofa. “I snuck into a charming little hotel, came into a room of two men and two women and opened the door to find them playing poker? Are you not aware that you’re wanted criminals?”

Crow marched directly over and scooped an eager Ru’Yi off the bed and gave her a raspberry into her cheeks.

“What are we supposed to do? Sit here and stare at each other?” Nono shrugged.

We had stayed in this love hotel for three days. Outside our windows, it was always raining. After doing nothing for a long time, we felt like we were starting to grow roots. Nono asked Mingfei to bring back some playing cards when he went out shopping.

“You could be entertaining the princess and not leaving her out here on her lonesome!” Crow said reproachfully, pulling a toy Hello Kitty from his pocket and gifting to her.

She threw it and it bounced off the TV. 

“And they left me out too!” The Fingel Phone lamented.

Mingfei snarled. “Keep talking and I’ll give you to the baby!”

“Anything but that! I’m serving such cruel masters...” Fingel’s voice whimpered.

Crow’s smile didn’t fit his next words. “You have to leave Tokyo as soon as possible.” 

-------------------------------------------------------

He tossed a folder on the bed and Nono turned to get it.

Nono opened it. She pressed her lips together.

“Susie, code named Thunder, is one of the strongest members of the new generation of Executioners in the Academy. Her partner is Lancelot, code-named the Watcher, and is a strategic expert. Under their command is a very elite team. The team are all your friends, people who understand your behavior.”

My shoulders sagged when I heard their names. “I just... have such a hard time believing...”

The last time I saw Lancelot, it was at Johann and my wedding. He carried my palanquin. I looked at Mingfei and his expression was equally grim.

“Of course,” Crow continued, “You two claim you’re not the same people everyone remembers, so its possible that they don’t really understand you. According to our intelligence, there was a cargo last night for medical supplies that was unloaded in the suburban airport. Lancelot and Shinnosuke Fujiwara picked up the goods.”

“Who is Fujiwara?” My ears perked up.

“He’s my assistant. A new agent from the Academy to Japan.”

My panic flared. “The Academy! That guy is spying on you!”

His fond smile at me seemed condescending but before I could continue, Crow said. “Don’t you think I know that? He showed up after the wanted order was sent out by EVA. After Hydra didn’t respond quick enough to their call to action. This whole act between you and me was to pull the wool over his eyes.”

“Was he the one who delivered that video to you? With the fruit?” I asked challenging his calm. “It used that clapper sound... only Herzog used that clapper! Who says that guy’s not really Herzog?”

“Herzog is dead, deader than dead. We sent divers to Tokyo Bay and recovered some of his remains.” Crow said, raising his eyebrows. “You think someone smashed to pieces can be resurrected somehow?”

“Who says he needs to resurrect?” I asked, my voice growing shrill. “Isn’t it true that mob bosses still conduct business behind bars?  Someone as driven as him might have found a way to conduct business from the grave!”

Crow looked surprised at my words.

"Answer my question. Did Fujiwara give you that recording?”

“Shinnosuke did. However, if you recall, Mingfei-Kun had no reaction when I first played it to Nono.” Crow stroked Ru’Yi’s hair. “It’s unlikely that Shinnosuke deliberately planted the ineffective video. Another video, higher-resolution, was sent to the broadcasting company direct. That was the one that had the clapper sound.”

“And where did that come from?” I asked.

“The Academy. And the video was sent to the Academy from the Gattuso family. They are sending an agent here too.”

Few names gripped me with as much fear as Gattuso. They’d been after me from day one at Cassell. The only reason they didn’t get ahold of my genes was because Herzog out bid them, but what if they didn’t outbid them? What if they funded him? I couldn’t help but think about what might have happened had I foolishly accepted Caesar’s offer to go to his mansion.

They might have experimented on me and Ru’Yi! Maybe even separated us!

“Fengchu?”

Zihang’s voice brought me out of my reverie. He looked at me with worry but I waved him off.

Nono spoke up. “The video was sent from the Gattuso family? With a video asking me to come home?”

“I only found that out after the fact.” Crow admitted.

Mingfei glanced up at her where she stood with the folder. “You think Caesar sent it?”

Nono tossed the folder in the garbage. “He would never use my father to send that message. He would come himself to get me. No... I don’t think Caesar is aware of this at all.” 

I looked at Nono with wide eyes. “All it took was for them to get one step ahead and look at how close they came to us!” I turned back to Crow. “Surely they know by now that you’re protecting us. What’s to say they’re not following you right now to put a bullet in your head!”

“That’s why I’m here! This is probably your last chance to escape! What they pulled from that wreckage was no medical equipment! It was strange things. Likely Alchemy weapons to be used against dragons and hybrids!”

“What’s more, Kaguya is mobilizing all her computing resources to stop EVA’s invasion, but it’s only a matter of time before she’s breached. Once Kaguya falls, all your actions in Japan will be exposed.”

“All they have to do is broadcast that clapper sound again and you’re done!” Crow sighed with regret.

“There’s another way they’re tracking us as well.” Nono thought aloud. “Remember the time in Mongolia? We were blocked by people from the Russian branch.”

Mingfei nodded, but I looked between them in confusion.

Nono continued. “It stands to reason that we passed through no man’s land during that time. EVA should not have been able to locate us, but the people from the Russian branch knew to intercept our route in advance.”

Fingel chimed from the table. “How can those bastards guess the way I was charting? They’re cheating I’m telling you! I just haven’t figured out how!”

“Tell your roommate to shut up...” Nono said in a cold voice.

Mingfei picked up the phone and lifted his thumb to press the power off button.

“Wait! Wait I have important information to provide!” Fingel added.

Nono gave Mingfei a wink.

“According to my speculation, we may be carrying some kind of transmitter. This transmitter is very small and a limited battery capacity. It can only send out a signal every once in a while. The college uses this signal to locate us, so they know we went to Mongolia and Tokyo! But because we keep moving, they can’t find our exact location!”

“Oh my god...” I whispered, covering my face with one hand. “You can’t be serious.”

“We got rid of all our belongings... we even dumped our clothes!” Lu Mingfei exclaimed.

“Then there must be a spy among you.” Crow concluded.

We all looked at each other. Finally, our eyes fell on the Fingel Phone.

“Hey! Hey! Hey! Why are you looking at me like that? If it wasn’t for me to tell you a joke along the way, could you have had the strength to go on? If I want to betray you, I will just navigate you direct to the enemy!” The phone protested loudly. “I’m the youngest and the cutest of you. You can’t bully me like this!”

Crow huffed. “He’s may be the youngest but he’s not the cutest.” He looked down at tickled Ru’Yi’s ribs.

“Goddamn it, Mingfei shut him up.” Nono hissed.

This time Lu Mingfei firmly pressed the power off button. But he did have a point. Fingel Phone could have betrayed them a long time ago.

“Anyway, hiding won’t work much longer. If the transmitter really exists and we can’t find it, it will be picked up whereever you go. You just have to keep moving. Let those hounds chase you. As long as you’re fast enough, they can’t do anything to you.”

“That seems like a road to nowhere...” Mingfei mumbled.

“It’s really straightforward.” Crow sighed, rolling his eyes. “I must owe you a lot of money in a previous life.”

He cleared his throat. “Our opponent is a group of very experienced hunters. Among them are the finest tacticians and excellent Executioners, fully armed. They’re likely to know your location thanks to some sort of tracking system. But they are very quiet until now, why? Because it is not the time yet. They’re waiting for the most suitable opportunity! It is like a falcon flying in the sky, watching the prey running like mad. They want to catch you in one pounce!”

“So if we keep running, we’re sure to be caught.” Nono said.

“Yes, but in this hunt, although they are falcons, they are not completely reckless. You’ve proven yourselves capable of a good fight more than once!”

“What’s your plan?” She asked.

“Attack in our own defense! Before the wall is breached, strike them first and make good use of our home court advantage! It will be what they least expect!” He pounded his fist into his palm.

“Are you out of your mind?” I asked, “That seems like its asking them to come down on us harder!”

“Then why haven’t they already?” Crow asked me, a sly smile on his face.

I shut my mouth. Yes, why such a small team of personal friends? Why not bring down everyone they had? Even on the street of Tokyo, they had only sent one helicopter against Mingfei.

“Two possibilities. One, they haven’t shown all their cards and two their goal is not to hunt you at all, but to watch you and wait for reinforcements to arrive. If there are more reinforcements coming, they have no choice but to sit and wait.”

“But it doesn’t matter what their plan is if we take the initiative and force them to act outside their plans! Then you can leave Japan while they regroup. By the time the reinforcements arrive, you’ll be long gone!”

“Who can control Susie and Lancelot?” Asked Nono.

“Leave those two to me. Just pack your luggage. I will send the Crane team to handle them. They’re well trained and reliable.”

Mingfei looked doubtful. “Those are from the Japan Branch Executive Department. They’re not your personal soldiers. If you call them, it is the Hydra acting against the Academy!”

“I’ll act as scapegoat!” He pressed his thumb to his chest. “This will have nothing to do with Hydra! I will take the blame and resign and then be locked up by the Academy on a small island in the Pacific. They can’t keep me there forever...”

“Or they can kill you and make it look like an accident...” I said, looking away.

Crow’s voice held a gentle note I hadn’t heard before. “The party’s rule is not to kill except for dragons, Death Servitors, or out of control hybrids.”

“I no longer trust the Academy. Not without Anjou.” I pressed my lips together. “And there are fates worse than death.”

I looked back at him, unable to control the worry in my eyes. “Ru’Yi knows you now. But if you die now... she won’t remember you when she grows up.”

Crow settled Ru’Yi back on the bed, stood up, and walked toward the door.

“After you leave Japan, I will just run away. I’m not a patriarch, but just a second-rate character with limited ability. I’ve planned your escape route already. I just need to implement it and give you instructions.”

Mingfei took one look at my face and stood up from the table. “I’ll walk you out.”