#my mother was often the unwilling participant and assistant

[uraandri]

i was a woman in stem since elementary school cause i remember our religious education teacher telling us how when you boil the first red egg for easter in holy water, it will remain unchanged even a year later, or more precisly, he told us it wouldn’t have a bad smell or any changes in texture if you were to crack it, so when good friday came around i made my mother boil all of the red eggs in holy water, and on the next good friday, so exactly a year later i cracked the eggs (we kept 3 red eggs (the first one was marked with х.в. se we knew exactly which egg it was) and 2 green ones that were not boiled in holy water) and they all smelled so bad i got yelled at for stinking up the house

[magicalforcesau]

Letters (part 1)

The written correspondence between Obi-Wan and Satine throughout their Hogwarts career. In this part, we see the early stages of their friendship leading up to where we find ourselves in the beginning of “Dancing with Ghosts in Your Garden”.

ao3 link

First Year- Winter

Dear Obi-Wan,

I distinctly recall requesting that we continue correspondence over the course of our winter holiday and yet, here we are nearing the halfway point without any trace of a letter. It is to my understanding that you are intrinsically hardwired to automate politeness, but such pleasantries are meaningless if you do not intend on following through. Here I was thinking that despite our many differences, that we were becoming acquaintances. 

Before you go off developing delusions of grandeur thinking I am lonely or desperate for your reciprocated communication, I am quite well off either way. I am just miffed that I was not afforded the opportunity to practice writing in Mando’a more this break and my owl, Copikla, needed the exercise. 

Should this letter find you well, I must emphasize that I am not crying out for a response. Your silence will be loud enough on your intentions regarding any pursuit of a potential friendship. Do not write back out of pity, either, because that would be as insulting as it would be foolish.

Sincerely,

Satine Kryze

Dear Satine,

Please understand that I am deeply apologetic for not writing sooner. It was not out of intentional callousness nor more damningly, indifference. Cody had written to me as well asking in regard to my whereabouts. Though it is not an excuse for my silence, I’ve mentioned before that my parents are very specific in what they expect of me, and unfortunately, I did not meet their hopes for the term. As a result, I've resolved to cleaning every square inch of the house. While this might seem like a simple set of chores, I promise you my house has many inches to clean.

Even in writing this letter I had to perform with haste. Mother has, of course, enlisted my assistance for the New Year’s party as she had for the Christmas party. I beg of you to ignore the fact that this is written on a napkin. All of my parchment is upstairs.

My semester at Hogwarts could have been completely dreadful had it not been for Cody and your combined efforts in preventing me from wallowing in my own self-pity. I am beginning to see the positives in starting fresh in Ravenclaw house and hope that one day, I will be capable of showing my parents the potential as well. Only time will tell, but I cannot wait to return to Hogwarts and that is because of the both of you.

I truly hope I can return some of the happiness you’ve given me and I say that not out of obligation, but from the depths of my heart.

Sincerely,

Obi-Wan Kenobi

 Second Year- Summer

Dear Obi-Wan,

I know we just parted not but a few hours ago (don’t let it go to your head), but I couldn't help but look up what we were discussing earlier on the train. The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy was formed due to the many witch and wizard (mostly witch- sexism and all that) burnings that were taking place all across the globe. Witches and wizards did not feel safe especially for their young, who could not control their magic as easily. However, as I suspected, there was opposition to maintaining secrecy and it was from none other than the pureblood sectors of magic.

That’s interesting, right? Especially when you consider our present political climate where it is the opposite. The purebloods preferred the melding of the two worlds, because they enjoyed coming and going as they pleased as well as associating with the upper class muggles of the time. 

I hope you are not chained to your bedpost for the entire summer considering Ravenclaw claimed the House Cup in part to your miraculous save at the end of the match. You certainly deserve to see a little sunlight and that’s coming from someone as pale as myself.

Do actually write back this time if you’re allotted a quill and parchment. You’ll be insulted to know I am using a mechanical pen as we speak. There are some aspects of the wizarding culture that I will never understand, and the lack of simple innovation is one of them.

Sincerely,

Satine

 Dear Satine,

What is truly a wonder is that someone is tackling the summer reading assignments even before I’ve managed to touch them! If you aren’t careful, everyone is going to start calling you the nerd behind your back. They’d be utterly daft to say it to your face, of course. I do not want to hear any nonsense about you finishing your homework before me, because simply using a standard pen is giving you a significant advantage to your arsenal. Before you retaliate with some droll rebuttal about how I’ve had countless advantages in being bred with wizarding history all around me, I think you need to reconsider my sources and how often I have to sift through half-truths to find reality.

For instance, the very piece of history you’re speaking of is told entirely differently in our textbooks than it has been my whole life. My family has always given off the impression that purebloods wanted to spare the less fortunate wizards from the muggle world and that it was those of lower status who did not understand the dangers of the world and got themselves twisted with dangerous muggles. It’s a little frightening how perspective changes the course of history.

The witch burnings were truly a terrible incident altogether, which is something all sources seem to agree upon. I do wonder though if they were more like martyrs for the ISS to begin. I’m sure muggle history has its ugly spots as well in regards to this era. When you finish your assignments and inevitably grow bored enough to write to me again, I’d be interested to hear the muggle perspective on historical incidents such as these. I’m sure as someone who has gone to muggle primary school, you were afforded a different and more rounded perspective on the matter. 

Sincerely,

Obi-Wan

 Third Year- Summer

Dear Ben,

I don’t understand how you can even REMOTELY believe that an institute that enslaves LIVING BEINGS of any kind is anywhere near acceptable. How do you go a full two years of knowing a person and never come across that key factoid? While I do often find myself trying to be considerate of the environment you grew up in, this is a basic core belief that is incredibly black and white. Either you believe that slavery is a reasonable option, or you do not. It is not a subject in which someone can have no opinion, because in doing so would only support those that believe in its merit. It’s how oppression thrives, not in its believers, but in those unwilling to say anything at all. 

House Elves were not enslaved because it was the very reason they were created, but they were enslaved and then brainwashed into believing that their life’s purpose was to serve. The very ideal of their desires being infringed upon with the abolitionist movement was a narrative that was bred by slaveowners. A while back, when we spoke of witch burnings and of skewed narratives, you mentioned that you have been raised under the belief that historical moments happened a certain way. You then had to question your beliefs because your textbook said differently.

Allow me to be your textbook: wizards are not entitled to house elves. The institution that thrives off of the economic convenience of house elves was built on the backs of slavery. Cruelty. So, pardon me for feeling no remorse in the economic lapse taken when your ancestors were forced by wizarding statute to relinquish their slaves. In fact, I am doubling down on that apathy in how your family treats their paid servants. 

Sincerely,

Satine

Dear Satine,

I never said owning a house elf was okay nor did I say I agreed with it. For Pete’s sake, do you always have to dig into controversy the moment we enter the borders of London? I swear you get pleasure out of catching me with my foot in my mouth with the excuse to go on some form of a tirade. How silly of me to ever dare to assume that I had the last word on the train.

House Elves were slaves and it was and always will be wrong. You’ll have no arguments from me in that regard and I’ve always believed that, with or without your infinite wisdom. I wish it was never a facet of our society, but it was. I’ve been honest with you in reference to how poorly my parents treat their servants and that they are not paid a typical wage, but out of indentured servitude. I was merely stating before that I have no pull nor say in ending this “contract”, not that I agree with its existence. While I’ll be honest, I never truly considered the injustice of it all until more recently, I never envied him and always showed compassion. I’ve been compassionate not to lessen my burden of guilt, but because it’s the right way to be.

I do not appreciate your comments in reference to my upbringing, as though that somehow makes me a lesser person simply because I come from bias. Everyone has bias and everyone must learn to differentiate from them. 

My primary argument was from an economic standpoint only and in trying to raise the important question of how to repair that without relying on servitude. To this day, former elves struggle as some of the very elves who participated in the revolution are still alive and without a set purpose in this economy. Though they deserved to be free, the manner at which is was done was nearly as horrible as keeping them chained forever. Most fall back into stride of serving former masters. It raises the question of if they were ever really free and if we require such practices in order to thrive, are we really free? That doesn’t say much about us, now does it?

Now that I had more than exactly three seconds to articulate my point, does that satisfy you? Or would you rather return to your soapbox?

Sincerely,

Obi-Wan

P.S.: I hope your newfound abhorrence to my character does not prevent you from continuing to write this summer.

 Third Year- Winter

Dear Satine,

Perhaps it’s near damnation for me to be physically documenting this moment, but I simply had to tell somebody. That impulse alone is a very frightening character change that I did not see coming. I’ve always thought I liked keeping to myself, but now I wonder if that was mere acceptance rather than preference. Regardless, I need you to know that I released Jar Jar, our humble and bumbling servant, from his contract this evening. 

They were going to hurt him. 

It wasn’t my parents’ decision, by my grandfather’s, who if you ever believed my parents were strict and traditional, you’ve never seen him in action. Practically senile, my grandfather loathes not only muggles and muggleborns, but halfbloods and low-ranking purebloods as well. My mother swears he was not as blunt and fiery in his youth, but I cannot be so sure.

Jar Jar has gotten a bit clumsier in his growing age as well. We have a whole lot of ‘loyal’ butlers and maids, of course, but Jar Jar has been with my family the longest, dating back shortly after the house elf revolution. He made the unfortunate mistake of spilling a glass of milk on my grandfather’s lap and his punishment was decided. It was to be done later that night in the backyard like he was a rabid animal.

I did not realize such practices even existed, nor that it was impossible for Jar Jar to simply run, since he still owes a significant monetary debt to my family on behalf of his ancestors. He would have died if he’d done so, because unbeknownst to myself, an unbreakable vow had been committed. 

My Father was quite upset too, saying he’d grown to care for him and all the work he’s done since he was a child. It was the closest my father and I have ever come to sharing an emotional moment. Of course, now I can’t seem to hear anything they say regarding the matter without your words ringing through my head, so it was a bit muddled by the fact that he was more focused on losing out on Jar Jar’s service than on Jar Jar. He was also quite sloshed.

I could stand it no longer and I could simply not allow this sort of act to occur. They could have killed him if I’d heard correctly the sort of punishment method they were going to implement. I’ll spare you the details, but they were quite gruesome. 

So, I crept upstairs, grabbed the savings I’d been holding onto beneath my bed,  and I handed it over through a door that was merely cracked open enough to fit my hand through. I’m not even sure if Jar Jar knew it was me. All I knew was that Jar Jar was gone when they opened it later to retrieve him and we were all surprised.

Again, writing this down and admitting to it might be foolish, but while I might have committed a grand piece of treason from the shadows, I have never felt more relieved.

Best,

Obi-Wan

 Dear Ben,

Yes, recording the very stunt you are trying to maintain a secret is not the most logical way to keep it under wraps, but I am ever elated to hear that you did it anyway. I’m sorry to hear that Jar Jar was to be harmed at all- let alone for something so mundane and that he didn’t get to achieve freedom until late in life. Who’s to say if he’s truly free right now anyway, as you have pointed out before. However, I will say, he is certainly better off being far away from your grandfather, who cannot harm him anymore.

That does not, of course, take away from the bravery of your actions. I find myself apologizing not once, but twice in this letter, because I do owe you one for ever insinuating that you would be actively in support of cruelty. It is not your way and I should know that by now. Sometimes, I’m a bit too rigid for my own good and I’ll admit to that firsthand. I worry that your need to confirm this with me was simply because you feel as though I think ill of you.

This is not the case. I know I was brash and reactive the first time we discussed this, but while I try to empathize, you must do the same to me. I grew up in a world where this sort of nonsense only existed in history books rather than being an ongoing debate. What concerns me most about the wizarding world is that it refuses to evolve. Not only technologically speaking, but on a humanitarian level.

As always, please keep me updated. I fear not only for the safety of this recently liberated indentured servant, but for you, because I understand you stuck your neck out for him and I admire you for it.

Best regards,

Satine

  Fourth Year- Summer

Dear Satine,

I can already tell that summer is going to be brutal around here. While the climate has been tolerable, my father insists on around the clock quidditch practice. It seems my ‘lucky’ catch in second year was not enough to fully establish their faith in me. I can’t say I blame them. I’m indisputably the worst player on the team. Ever since Ventress caught the snitch for Slytherin and took the cup this year, it’s just about all they can talk about.

I actually don’t mind playing quidditch with my father. He’s very passionate about the sport or moreover, being the best at it. My father was captains of the Slytherin team his 6th and 7th year at Hogwarts. Evidently, he was an unstoppable force. I know they’ve always wished that for me, for that feeling of pure satisfaction at one’s job well done, but I am not the athlete he used to be.

Speaking of Ventress, they keep bringing her around more often than not. She’s still as pleasant as ever, if you’re wondering, and actually mentioned you the other day. She’s still cross about your beating her in wizard’s chess. She hasn’t said as much, but I can tell. I’ve got plenty of practice with deciphering young women that project their annoyance onto me. I can thank you for honing that special skill of mine.

How is your family? It’s to my understanding that your sister is not participating in summer camp this year. I know you saw her at Christmas, but you mentioned that you hadn’t truly spoken due to being so distracted from festivities. I know that you do not enjoy talking about it so if you do not want to, please do not feel obligated. I understand better than many the complications of the families we have to love. It makes us question our sanity sometimes.

Best,

Obi-Wan

 Dear Ben,

You must truly be miserable to be writing to me first this summer. Usually, I have to pry letters from your hands if I want to hear about the whereabouts of your family. Now that you’ve turned the tables on me, I can understand why you are less than forthcoming.

Bo being around certainly is odd when it never used to be. I’ve only been at Hogwarts for almost four years. Why does that feel like a millennium? She’s taken great care to be away every summer in its entirety for camp, but this year the camp had been closed. My mother says she’s furious, but I suspect that’s because she doesn’t have an entirely different setting to run off to. I suppose I can’t judge too heavily, but I usually do enjoy my time at home. Seeing my mother and my brother is always refreshing and warm. I don’t want to set the impression that I don’t love my sister, because I do. She’s just… difficult. She doesn’t understand or like the concept of magic. Where my mum and my brother see an amazing new opportunity for me, Bo sees absurdity and refuses to open her mind.

If I can be honest with you, and you’ve certainly proved thus far that I can, I suspect she may be a little jealous. It would not be out of character for her to project her own disdain towards me. 

Explaining any more deeply than that would be migraine-inducing for the both of us. I assure you my familial drama does not run as deep as yours, try as you might to downplay your situation. Before you object, I know you care for your family and wish for them to be happy. Of course I respect that. Maybe because I would give just about anything for Bo to be happy too. Within reason. She’s a bit fixated on these violent video games and I assure you I would not be leaning into that lifestyle for the happiness of a twelve year old.

As for your playdates with Ventress, do try and put some distance between yourselves. I wouldn’t want you to catch anything contagious. You tend to sit awful close to Cody and I at lunch.

Best of Luck,

Satine

 Fourth Year- Winter

Dear Ben,

I can’t believe we are officially halfway through our time at Hogwarts. It’s silly to think about when we’ve got so much ahead of us, but for some reason this evening, shortly after I got off the train, I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Now, here I am, losing sleep like an imbecile despite the fact that I’ve got plenty of time to consider the future. It doesn’t help that they’re already priming us for OWLS and eventually NEWTS shortly thereafter. It feels like just yesterday I’d held a wand for the first time. I’ve never been the same since, of course, but I also don’t feel all that different at the very core.

Well, I certainly don’t despise you anymore and that’s a difference. You’re going to tease me for being soft, but it’s 2 in the morning and the only part of me that is working to quell my anxieties is the realization that the passing of time has only strengthened my knowledge, resolve, and friendships. Not to mention my overall strength in general. At the end of this year, they’ll be announcing who the incoming prefects will be. Naturally, you’ll be amongst them by status and grades alone. I hope to be among that lot. You can’t possibly run the careful ecosystem of law enforcement without me. You’re far too nice.

Maybe you won’t be teasing me for going soft then…

I kid. You’re brilliant and Hogwarts would be lucky to have you. Your family is lucky to have you. I’m (And Cody, of course) very lucky as well. Do not make me say it again, but I will if I must. Sometimes, you need to be reminded of your positive light in people’s lives more than once and I suppose that's what friends are for.

I wish I had a more intellectual debate to pick your brain for at this moment, but in reality, I just wanted you to know that as we stand at the halfway point of our Hogwarts careers, I wouldn’t change a second of it.

Yours,

Satine

 Dear Satine,

I’m missing the part where I was supposed to be making fun of you. I do wonder what brought this on, but then again, I find myself in a panic over the passage of time more often than not lately. I truly need to start learning to live rather than survive, because otherwise, I’m going to miss a lot of valuable moments. That’s what Professor Qui-Gon says anyway. I will not miss this one, though, because I am going to save and highlight the portion where you called me brilliant. Just for reference.

I would tac it to the wall, but that might draw some unwanted questioning.

I simultaneously can and cannot believe we are at the midway point of being in school. Look at how far we’ve come! I mean this in the most gracious way possible, but I feel as though I’ve known you all of my life. I don't even want to imagine what I would have been like if you hadn’t shoved all that dessert in my face during first year. Most likely a lot skinnier, which yes, I know that’s still saying a whole lot considering Tarkin refuses to call me anything other than “broomstick”. I’d be more insulted if he wasn’t going gray at 16. It’s quite a pity.

But truly, you’re the reason I didn’t starve and I’ll never forget that.

Ease your thoughts, my friend, because the future for you is bright and limitless. You’ll rise beyond Hogwarts in whichever world you so choose- muggle, magic or both. I believe I speak for Cody as well when I say we have great faith in you.

Truly,

Obi-Wan

[takaraphoenix]

I mean no offence, but you ship a 17 year old with 1000-something year old gods, but you find it wired to ship an 18 year old with a 400 year old warlock? That sounds a little hypocritical don't you think? I love all your works, just saying.

Oh, absolutely no offense taken, no worries!

Okay, so, there’s this thing that I call the 50 Shades of Grey Principle, because that series is the perfect way to explain it.

The main principle is that fanfiction has zero moral obligation, while published canon has very much a moral obligation to the public.

You can write as many shitty, unrealistic, BDSM-disrespecting, abusive, stalkerish, weird fanfictions as you like.

This book-series was a fanfiction too before and me and many others were unaware of its existence. Because we simply didn’t venture into the straight BDSM part of the Twilight fandom. Nowadays you’d just block certain creepy tags, you’d just filter out the ships you really do not want to see, if you by accident click onto such a bad-fic you could just filter out that author and never have to even see a glimpse of that creepy shit.

I don’t care. You do you. If you want to romantize abuse, stalking and unhealthy BDSM, that’s fine. There are a shit-ton of fanfiction in the non-con and dub-con tags that I’d simply never click on because no, thanks. They exist, they don’t bother me or others like me who don’t like them because we can avoid them.

Once it becomes a published property, you can no longer avoid it.

I walk past the movie posters, am forced to sit through the trailer, have to walk past the books in book-stores, see articles discussing it everywhere.

Now it’s no longer just a nieche fanfiction that people looking for BDSM Edward/Bella fics and who specifically want this type of story can find.

Now it’s “Mmmh, I, a normal middle aged mother, would like to see a romance film with some… spice in it. Oh, this looks interesting, let’s go see it” - and thus the moral obligations set in.

Because those middle aged mothers, those young, naive teenagers who normally do not venture into fanfiction-territory, those people are unaware of what BDSM ACTUALLY is. It’s hard to fault them for falling for this romantized abuse if they are not being made aware of the fact that it is abuse, that this is not what BDSM looks like.

We, who we read fanfiction and who we seek out BDSM fanfiction, know at least roughly what BDSM is and thus can identify unhealthy tropes. We can either decide to then avoid them, or to shrug it off and say “It’s my porn I’m reading, what do I care if it’s healthy porn?”, which is completely legit.

But as soon as it reaches farther than the borders of fanfiction, the borders of people specifically looking for This Thing, it has a moral obligation and, at the very least for me, it can be judged and should be judged for the things where I say “ship and let ship!”.

Let’s take a different example. Say there is a pairing you really hate in the fandom. You just… don’t get it. That’s fine, unless you’re a dumbass anti, you can just blacklist the tag, filter it out, not actively seek it out. You have no right to bitch and moan about this ship because you can avoid it. If now the show decides to make this very ship canon, then - you can no longer avoid it, there is no way to filter out those scenes from the show. Congratulations, you now have earned the right to bitch and moan about it.

Fandom and what is in your head are a vastly different thing from what is actually canon. Very, very often, when something is canon, it becomes unnecessarily glorified.

Take the Joker and Harley Quinn, for example. They’re canon. They’re unhealthy as can get. They were never meant to be romantized. Their creators and even actors and writers keep saying so. But since they’re canon, there’s a chunk of fandom that does romantize them and are now “looking for the Joker to my Harley”, which is just a mortifying thing to want because he literally breaks her body and mind.

And now, to get to the actual example that you sent in your ask.

For one, book!Alec is literally 17 when Magnus hits on him and it is gross, gross, gross. I’m studying to become a teacher. I spent last semester at a school to sit through classes as an assistant and actually teaching a couple classes myself. The students were 17. I’m not 400, I was 26 at the time. Just nine years their senior, but all I could see were children.

17 year olds are children. Their behavior is endearing and childish. The way they prip and preen and act like they’re super strong by talking back to the teacher just to earn the respect of their fellow students. How the boys had constant dick-meassuring contests. How the girls kept giggling in flocks.

I know every single 17 year old - or younger - reading this is currently fuming because you perceive yourself as very grown up. To which you have the right.

But if you’re actually older, if you literally go from attending college classes to sitting through high school classes as a teacher, you can see it.

The thought that any adult ever could see a 17 year old as anything but a child is gross and disgusting and just so very, very wrong.

So the thought that a 400 year old immortal looks at a 17 year old and thinks “Mmm, yummy” is just really twisted. Because we’re not talking about 40. We’re talking about four hundred. It’s just insane that such a matured and sophisticated being would look at a half-child and think “I should totally hit on that”.

In a published medium. Because for many it feels like a justification. It is now morally okay. It is being romantized in this published medium and it then gives people the false sense of this being morally right. Makes 17 year olds and younger feel like that’s an appropriate age to be persuit by adults, because oh, it’s in this book/movie/show and they make it look romantic, so if it’s majorly published and wildly accepted, then it has to okay.

I ship Percy with all the gods. I take disgusted offense in Leo and Calypso being canon, because he’s a child and she’s a millennia old immortal.

I write teacher/student fics. I literally nearly puked during Riverdale when Archie’s teacher seduces and thus rapes him.

I wrote a shit-ton of purposefully unhealthy BDSM fics because those were literally just meant to be porn. I spent hours that sum up to days by now ranting and raging against 50 Shades of Abuse.

There is a fundamental difference if something is done on the internet, on a platform where it will be found only by like-minded people, people who are more likely to actually grasp and fully understand the medium, or if it is a canon thing that will be shoved down the throats of unwilling participants.

In fanfiction, people who already think that those two characters who might have a very questionable age difference would be a cute couple, will be able to find content to exactly those, while the people who do not agree can (in theory, though antis seem fascinatingly immune to the concept) just blacklist tags and not venture into those corners of the fandom.

I don’t like Loki and Thor as a ship, it’s a hard no ship for me. I have the tags blacklisted and literally have to never-ever read anything about them or look at them. I don’t judge people who do ship them, I’m just… blissfully unaware of them because I literally am not confronted with any kind of content about them. That would change drastically if Marvel suddenly decided to make them canon.

I have blacklisted and filtered out the Magnus and Alec relationship tag, the Leo and Calypso relationship tag, for examples. I do not ever have to look at any GIFs, fanarts, fanfiction or general posts about them. When I read Heroes of Olympus because I liked the characters and wanted to know how it ends, I had no option of just filtering out the Leo and Calypso story. Now that I’m reading The Mortal Instruments, I can not just filter out the scenes where the centuries old warlock is hitting on the 17 year old Shadowhunter.

Because that’s not how books, TV shows or movies work.

That’s how the internet and fandom life work.

And that is what makes the difference.

Now, I really do hope I brought my point across and you might understand why I hold canon shipping and fanon shipping to two vastly different standards?

[survivalplan1]

Functioning From Home – Plan Ahead For When Disaster Or Trag…

Operating From House – Strategy Ahead For When Calamity Or Misfortune Occurs

Disasters or relative catastrophes can strike member of the family in a number of kinds– Mother Nature, health problem in addition to furthermore computer system problems can produce considerable troubles for your company. Do you have an approach of task on simply exactly simply exactly how you will handle your home-based solution if disaster were to strike?

Below are 4 pointers to help you care for the unforeseen.

Work around the occasions– Your customers will definitely identify as long as you call them. If you reach the element where you can not operate or can not wind up a job, however details to be in a similar way clear along with genuine worrying the issue along with effort to make a method that will definitely appertain. Enable them recognize as quickly as practical so they can prepare.

Try to work when the young person is relaxing along with furthermore do not uneasiness by yourself collection on perform at numerous other times if you’re having a tough time as a result of the reality that of a young person being unfavorable. Make a regimen of what needs to be done, to ensure that you can wind up as long as valuable throughout these times.

Do not be dissuaded to require aid– As mamas, we generally often tend to truly feel that we require to have the capability to handle whatever that is thrown at us. When we call for to allow ourselves to ask for help, there are times. When a calamity takes place along with you are simply perplexed, find someone that you depend upon fund along with in addition ask for help.

When crucial can furthermore be increasing to them as they feel they can be an element of helping in a challenging problem, allowing a details to aid you. Do not’ unwilling a lot from enabling others recognize. We all benefit when we operate with each various other as well as aid one an extra.

It was tough to run while he settled back, thinking of that he had in truth not been relaxing. I recognized that I not simply called for help business-wise, nevertheless I requested aid with him additionally to assure that I can obtain some rest. While it was humbling to admit that I needed support, that I can stay clear of doing everything, it changed out as a fun time attached member of the family that we would certainly not have in fact really had if I had in truth not asked for support.

3. Prepare by yourself for the most dreadful– Because we never ever before recognize what the future holds, it is regularly much better to be prepared. As the old urging goes, “Better protected than sorry.”

Amongst amongst among one of the most dependable resources to assist you prepare is the Home Office Recovery Plan: Disaster Preparedness for Your Home Office by authors Diana Ennen along with on top of that Patty Gale. This digital publication covers all the bases of acquiring a Disaster Recovery Plan good to go presently to establish that if catastrophe strikes your house organization or an emergency circumstance generates, you have the capability to acquire your alternative back up in addition to moreover running immediately along with efficiently.

I have really in reality planned for 8 substantial cyclones in the previous 2 years with Hurricane Katrina together with Hurricane Wilma taking a straight appeal Broward County where I live. Had I unprepared, my consumers would definitely have in reality experienced as would definitely my solution.”

Cyclone furthermore recognizes the well worth of this magazine having in reality remained in New York after 9/11 together with had the work of preparing a similar requirement for an organization she was taking care of at the time. Both acknowledge the relevance in ensuring your choice will most definitely stand versus whatever any kind of sort of kind of sort of tragedy or this tornado (containing a robbery in the office or fire) asks for to offer.

Obtain a Plan – There are times when life happens aggravating along with you just aren’t able to wind up whatever on your really extremely own. It’s for these times that you call for to have some sort of log of what you carry out in enhancement to what calls for to be done. See to it that your member of the family (or whoever may be aiding you throughout this min) has the capability to continue in addition on the occasion that you are a lot from home.

Preferably, educate an individual that you depend do elements that you do day-to-day (at least the critical points), to make certain that when the unforeseen creates you will absolutely not be stunned.

Disaster can be discovered in different kinds in addition to kinds, yet if you prepare a great deal of the unnecessary stress can be remained without. When disaster strikes, you suggest to be focused on the crucial take into consideration life, your house along with you. By advancement prep work task you have the capability to do so.

When we need to allow ourselves to ask for aid, there are times. When vital can furthermore be boosting to them as they feel they can be an element of helping in a hard situation, allowing a certain to help you. When we operate with each various other as well as aid one a consisted of, we all benefit.

I identified that I not simply asked for help business-wise, yet I needed help with him in addition to ensure that I can get some rest. While it was humbling to admit that I required help, that I might stay clear of everything, it modified out as an outstanding time fastened house that we would certainly most absolutely not have in fact had if I had in reality not requested assistance.

If you get to the variable where you can not run or can not finish a job, nevertheless particular to be additionally clear along with straightforward stressing the condition in addition to effort to make a technique that will absolutely appertain. When we run with each countless various other as well as aid one a consisted of, we all benefit.

I recognized that I not simply required help business-wise, nevertheless I called for aid with him likewise to make certain that I can obtain some rest. Obtain a Plan – There are times when life comes to be irritating together with you simply aren’t able to wind up whatever on your extremely own. It’s for these times that you need to have some type of log of what you do in addition to what calls for to be done.

There are times when we call for to allow ourselves to ask for help. When we operate with each various other as well as help one an added, we all benefit.

While it was humbling to admit that I needed help, that I can prevent from doing everything, it changed out as a fantastic time linked relative that we would absolutely not have really absolutely had if I had actually not asked for help.

When essential can similarly be elevating to them as they feel they can be an element of assisting in a difficult problem, allowing an exclusive to help you. I recognized that I not simply asked for help business-wise, nevertheless I needed assist with him also to make sure that I can obtain some rest.

There are times when we need to allow ourselves to ask for help. I determined that I not simply called for help business-wise, nonetheless I asked for support with him additionally to assure that I can obtain some rest. While it was humbling to admit that I called for aid, that I can prevent doing every little point, it changed out as a fantastic time fastened household participant that we would certainly not have in fact absolutely had if I had in reality not requested for support.

It’s for these times that you need to have some kind of log of what you do in enhancement to what calls for to be done. It’s for these times that you call for to have some kind of log of what you do along with what needs to be done.

The post Functioning From Home – Plan Ahead For When Disaster Or Trag… appeared first on Survival-Plan.com.

source http://survival-plan.com/functioning-from-home-plan-ahead-for-when-disaster-or-trag-3/

[woodsens]

best portable keyboard

Correction Appended

On an album of bittersweet childrens tunes that she wrote greater than a decade back, the girl who came to get recognized only since the piano teacher offered what, in hindsight, seems like an eerie glimpse of her possess long term.

Im relocating away today to an area so far away, wherever no one is familiar with my title, she wrote inside the lyrics of a track referred to as Transferring.

When she wrote that music, she was youthful and vivacious, a piano Trainer and freelance music writer who cherished Beethoven and jazz, sunsets and river Appears, extended walks and every thing about Big apple.

On a type of beloved walks, as a result of Central Park in the bright sun of a June working day in 1996, a homeless drifter beat her and made an effort to rape her, leaving her clinging to daily life. Following the assault, the words and phrases to her track came true. She moved absent, from Ny city, outside of her aged lifetime, and all but her closest buddies did not know her identify. To the remainder of the earth, she was — such as the extra well known jogger attacked in Central Park seven several years earlier — an nameless symbol of an urban nightmare. She was the piano Trainer.

Now, about the tenth anniversary with the attack, she is celebrating what seems to be her comprehensive recovery from brain trauma. She is 42, married, with a small little one. She is Kyle Kevorkian McCann, the piano Trainer, and he or she wishes to tell her story, her way.

Her health practitioner informed her it might just take 10 years to recover, and Sunday was that talismanic anniversary. I really feel my existence has long been redefined by Central Park, she explained various days ago, her voice smooth and hopeful. Prior to park; immediately after park. Will there ever be a time Once i dont Consider, Oh, this is the 10th anniversary, the eleventh anniversary?

She spoke in her modest ranch residence within a wooded subdivision inside of a Big apple suburb. She sat inside a eating area strewn with toys, surrounded by images of her cherubic, darkish-haired 2-calendar year-previous daughter. A Steinway grand stuffed half the home, and at a single stage she sat down and performed. Her actively playing was forceful, but she appeared ashamed to Engage in various bars, and shrugged, instead of answering, when asked the title on the piece. She questioned that her daughter and her town not be named.

She phone calls that working day, June 4, 1996, the working day Once i was hurt.

Hers was the first within a string of attacks by a similar gentleman on four Gals more than eight days. The last sufferer, Evelyn Alvarez, sixty five, was beaten to Demise as she opened her Park Avenue dry-cleaning store, and eventually, the assailant, John J. Royster, was convicted of murder and sentenced to lifestyle in prison.

Nonetheless the assault to the piano Trainer is definitely the a single persons appear to keep in mind one of the most. Component of the fascination has got to do with echoes of the 1989 attack over the Central Park jogger. But it also frightened people in a method the attack about the jogger didn't simply because its instances ended up so mundane.

It didn't happen inside of a distant Element of the park late in the evening, but near a well-liked playground at 3 in the afternoon. It could have took place to any individual. The stress was heightened by the mystery on the piano instructors id.

For three times, as law enforcement and Health professionals experimented with to discover who she was, she lay in the coma in her hospital mattress, anonymous. Her dad and mom ended up on getaway and her boyfriend, also a musician, was in Europe, on tour. Last but not least, amongst her students acknowledged a police sketch and was in a position to recognize her from the medical center by her fingers, for the reason that her experience was swollen further than recognition. The law enforcement did not release her identify.

The very last thing she remembers about June 4, 1996, is giving a lesson in her studio apartment on West 57th Road, then Placing her long hair inside a ponytail and likely out for any walk. She doesn't bear in mind the attack, Though she has read the accounts in the law enforcement and prosecutors.

To me its similar to a actuality I realized and memorized, she reported. Like I had been a pupil at school researching heritage.

She does not contemplate The person who did it. I might need been angry for the minute, but not for much longer than that, she explained. How could I be angry at John Royster? He was declared not insane, but I assume by our criteria he was.

Dr. Jamshid Ghajar, her medical doctor at Big apple Healthcare facility-Cornell Medical Middle, as it was acknowledged in 1996, instructed reporters that she experienced a 10 % potential for survival. Physicians had to get rid of her forehead bone, which was afterwards changed, for making place for her swelling brain. When her mother made a general public appeal to pray for my daughter, hundreds did.

Just after 8 days, she came outside of a coma, very first inside of a vegetative point out, then in the childlike condition. As she recovered, she slept minor and talked continuously, sometimes in gibberish. I used to be finding mad at people once they didnt respond to these phrases, she mentioned.

Like an Alzheimers individual, she had very little shorter-expression memory and would forget about site visitors the moment they still left the place.

More than a number of months, she needed to relearn how to stroll, gown, read through and publish. Her boyfriend, Tony Scherr, frequented everyday to Engage in guitar for her. He inspired her to Enjoy the piano, in opposition to the recommendation of her Bodily therapists, who considered she could be frustrated by her inability to Participate in just how she after experienced. Mr. Scherr played Beatles duets together with her, participating in the left-hand aspect while she played the best.

That was my most effective therapy, she stated.

In August, she moved back again household to New Jersey, along with her father, an engineer, and mom, a schoolteacher. She visited outdated haunts and identified as pals, making an attempt to revive her shattered memory. I used to be really obsessed with remembering, she said. Any memory decline was to me a sign of abnormality or deficit.

Her therapists thought her progress was fantastic, but her two sisters protested that she wasn't the deep thinker she had been.

What bothered her most was that she experienced dropped the opportunity to cry, just as if a faucet within her brain were turned off. Just one night time, 9 months soon after she was damage, she stayed up late to look at the John Grisham movie A The perfect time to Eliminate. Just following her father experienced absent to bed, she viewed a courtroom scene of Samuel Jacksons character on trial for killing two men who experienced raped his young daughter.

The faucet opened, plus the tears trickled down her cheeks. I thought of my moms and dads, my father, and whatever they went through, she mentioned. Minimal by little, my emotion returned, my depth of intellect returned.

Urged by her sisters, she went back to school and got a masters diploma in music instruction.

Not anything went very well. She and Mr. Scherr split up five years following the assault, while they remain buddies. She dated other Adult males, but she often explained to them in regards to the assault instantly — she couldn't assistance it, she claimed — plus they in no way called for your 2nd date.

We now have to search out you a person, her Good friend David Phelps, a guitar participant, mentioned four decades in the past, prior to introducing her to Liam McCann, a pc technician and novice drummer. For at the time, she didn't say everything with regard to the attack right up until she obtained to understand Mr. McCann, after which you can when she did, he admired her strength.

Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani, who had frequently visited her at her bedside when she was inside the clinic, married them in his Occasions Sq. Office environment. She wore a blue dress and pearls. While she was Expecting, within a burst of creative imagination, she and her pals recorded Whilst Have been Youthful, an album of childrens tracks that she had composed prior to the assault, including the track Moving. Her ex-boyfriend, Mr. Scherr, produced the CD. On it, her spouse plays drums and he or she plays electrical piano.

Is her existence as it had been? Not precisely, although she is unwilling to attribute the differences to her accidents. Her very last two piano pupils still left her, devoid of calling to explain why, she stated. She has resumed participating in classical tunes, but uncomplicated pieces, mainly because her daughter isn't going to give her time and energy to exercise. As for jazz, I dont even try, she stated.

She would want to drive much more, sensation stranded while in the suburbs, but she is definitely rattled. She tries to be content with keeping house and caring for her daughter.

Dr. Ghajar, a scientific professor of neurological surgical treatment at what's now termed Ny-Presbyterian Healthcare facility/Weill Cornell Professional medical Heart, who operated on Ms. Kevorkian McCann once the attack, said last week that her volume of recovery was rare. Shes fundamentally regular, he stated.

Other industry experts, who will be not Individually acquainted with Ms. Kevorkian McCanns circumstance, are more careful.

Regaining a chance to Engage in the piano might include an almost mechanical course of action, a semiautomatic remember of just what the fingers must do, mentioned Dr. Yehuda Ben-Yishay, a professor of medical rehabilitation drugs at Big apple College University of Drugs. At the time Mind-injured, you will be generally brain-injured, For the remainder of your daily life, Dr. Ben-Yishay stated. There isn't a get rid of, There's only intensive compensation.

The more telling Section of a Restoration, in his perspective, is psychological, and on that score he counts Ms. Kevorkian McCanns marriage and youngster as a significant victory.

For her element, the piano Instructor is aware she has modified, but she has designed her peace with it. I used to be type of a hyper —— I dont know if I used to be a Type A, but I was ambitious, she suggests. Why was I so ambitious? I had been a piano Trainer. I dont understand what the ambition was about. I actually did come back to the individual Im purported to be.

[petalouda85]

Koi No Yokan, Chapter 7

Yay for a quick update!! I did not anticipate to update this quickly but I had a writing spurt and some intense procrastinating on my homework so here we are. Not sure if I’ll update during November as I’m participating in NaNoWriMo so my writing attention will be on my project and not my fanfictions. 

You can also read this on AO3

When he was born, he was cursed. Doomed to die at 18 unless he joined the Dark Side. Snoke is confident but there remains one threat, it coming in the form of a prediction made by one of the Jedi Masters: Ben would meet his true love on his tenth birthday and this elusive individual would be the only one that could awaken Ben from his eternal sleep

Hosian Prime was so much different than anything he could've imagined. He had heard stories from his mother over the last few days and he had seen the occasional picture of it but seeing it in person for the first time was an experience on its own, the stories and pictures unable to compare to actually being at the center of the Republic.

The desire to see everything was strong and the moment he landed, he wanted to explore the city. However, he decided to suppress that urge, knowing it would be so much better if his mother joined him and she wasn't able to join him right away. Before they had even landed, Leia had received a message that a meeting was to convene soon so they only had time to go to Leia's apartment, drop off their belongings and head towards the Senate Hall.

By the time they arrived, the meeting had already commenced but Leia's advisor informed her that she hadn't missed anything significant. Mother and son quietly took a seat, Leia listening to what was being said and Ben looking around the room.

It was filled to the brim with representatives from countless Republic planets, the room itself reminding him of the place used by the Senate of the Old Republic; it wasn’t an exact replica but from what he could remember of the pictures he had seen, the room was quite similar to it. After his quick glance around the room was finished, he tried to pay attention to what was being said, though he didn't understand most of it. The Senators seemed to talk about issues like trade, taxation and protection and on occasion something more drastic would be talked about but it all seemed minor to the teenager.

After about an hour, there was a brief break but once that was done, the meeting commenced once more, one Senator almost immediately asking for a chance to speak.

“Senator Aleksandrov, you may speak.” A dais above Ben and Leia moved and went to the center so all could see the Senator as he began to speak, his voice heavy with an accent Ben didn’t recognize.

“I am here to do to implore the help of the Senate. As you’re no doubt aware, the past year on Kievan Rus has been difficult, with political unrest widespread. I’m afraid the unrest has escalated and myself and thousands of others have found ourselves in danger of our lives. Not three days ago, the Czar and his family have been removed from power and have been replaced by totalitarian government, who have already begun in systematic destruction of their political rivals and any who they deem unworthy of their new government. Children are starving, many more being senselessly murdered or imprisoned for unproven crimes.” As he listed the atrocities, the other Senators in the room responded with gasps or shouts of anger. “Just an hour ago, I received word the Czar and his family have been executed on charges of treason.” That caused an uproar among the other senators and a shout of order was needed to silence them.

“What would you like the Senate to do?” The Chancellor asked the Senator.

“Send armed forces to Kievan Rus, get rid of the totalitarian government, and establish democracy.”

“Why should we send an army to aid a small planet like Kievan Rus?” Asked another Senator, their platform moving to be nearer to the Rus senator. “In regards to wealth and numbers, your planet is insignificant and not worth our time. Why should I or any other senator here bother to send troops to a planet ready to tear itself apart?”

“You forget that Kievan Rus produces some of the fiercest fighters in the galaxy and that we’re are in strategically placed location which would prove beneficial to whoever controlled it. Should the current government or the Imperialist movement gain control of it, any wars of in future could not prove in our favor.”  

“The Imperialist movement was destroyed on Jakku.” Another Senator interceded. “There are no more emperors, no more empires, no more stormtroopers or any other Imperial garbage. Tarkin is dead, Palpatine is dead, Vader is dead; there is no one left to lead any of the squabbles that remained.”

“Only a fool like yourself would believe such an absurd idea.” Leia objected, her dais moving forward as well to join the Senator in the middle, Ben feeling rather uncomfortable with all the eyes on him and his mother. “The Imperialist movement is real and a real threat to everything we’ve built. I say we help Kievan Rus, if it means that the Empire won’t gain a foothold on another planet.” There were shouts of agreement.

“Order!” Someone shouted, the room slowly falling silent.

“Senator Organa, Senator Tashow, your stances have been noted and will be reviewed. Senator Aleksandrov, I regret to say that my own forces are spread thin at this moment and I cannot offer you full assistance. However, if you would speak to me after this meeting, I’m certain will be able to reach an agreement.” With that statement, the three Senators returned to their respective spot, watching silently as the Chancellor moved on to the next issues.

“Do meetings always last this long?” Ben whispered to his mother.

“Sometimes. It depends on what needs to be discussed. If we reach the topic of the Empire remnants again, we will be sitting here for a while longer.”

“Because no one here can agree on what to do about it?”

“Partly that but also because destroying a political faction based solely on the difference of opinion and policy goes against the standards of a democracy. Many here also are unwilling to admit that the remnants are still a threat; they want to believe the terrors of the empire are finished. And those that do believe the threat are unwilling to act without Ge on their side. Just you watch, before this meeting is done, Ge will be brought up.”

Leia was right. The meeting was nearing its closing when a senator inquired about a message the Chancellor had sent recently.

“I have received a response to my message but it is no different than others: Ge will not join the Senate or open any trading negotiations.” Once more, the room burst into an uproar.

“This is all the fault of her Grand Vizier. That man is controlling the Queen!” Someone shouted.

“I say we attack Ge! They have insulted us and have been doing nothing but aggravate us. No more talking, no more negotiating. I say we end this now!”

“Order! Order!”

“Are you suggesting we go to war with a planet that is protected by a shield with a gate stronger than the one on Scariff with a military that has weapons and ships made from the very material you vie for?” Leia interjected when the room had calmed down. Her statement made even the remaining murmurs go silent. “We don’t need war with the Genians and any threat of military movement will make them even more untrusting of the Senate. The situation is already precarious; let’s not make it any worse. Whatever was said in the Chancellor’s message, I doubt they were the words of the Queen herself. We all know that all the messages send in the past were signed by the Vizier and not by the Queen.” Murmurs suggested agreement. “Our best option is to send someone onto the planet itself and speak directly to the Queen. If such a meeting can be arranged, I think she can be reasoned with.”

“Senator Organa speaks true.” Another Senator added. “We need to find someone who can talk to the Queen. They will be difficult to find, as they need to meet certain criteria, but I believe they can be found.”

“Senators, take a seat please.” The Chancellor said. Once all were back in their place, “I will search for a messenger to send to Ge. If there is nothing else to discuss, this meeting is adjourned.” There was a short moment of silence before the low rumble of conversation began and the senators began pouring out of the room. Ben rose to his feet but Leia was slower to follow.

“Your first senate meeting. What did you think?”

“That was insane. Is it always like that?” Ben asked as they headed out into the hallway.

“Democracies are always hectic. It’s a lot of shouting and a lot of debating and often it takes ages for an agreement to be reached.”

“What do you think will happen with Ge?” Ben inquired. Hearing the issues that the Senate faced with the planet, Ben was concerned, particularly for his friend.

“I don’t know. The Chancellor is not so stupid that she would declare war on them but I doubt that a messenger will be allowed to enter the planet if their purpose was known. At this rate, nothing will come of this. And even if a messenger is sent, I still believe nothing will come of it.”

“Because the Senate wants the clypsoate?” Ben had no idea what it was but he had heard it was extremely valuable and that the Senate wanting it was the source of the ongoing conflict.

“Maybe you should become a Senator.” Leia chuckled, “But yes. The Senate wants the clypsoate and Ge is unwilling to trade it.”

“What’s so special about that stuff anyway?” Before Leia could answer, they were interrupted by a guard.

“Senator Aleksandrov wants to talk to you.” They stated, giving an apologetic look for interrupting their conversation. “He said it was urgent.”

“I’ll be there right away. I’ll see you back at the apartment.” After a nod and a quick hug, mother and son parted ways. Ben watched his mother leave before he walked in the opposite direction, intent on exploring the building and look for views of the city. It was his first time in the heart of the Republic so he wanted to see the most of it before he returned to the Temple. He had no knowledge of when that would be but he figured it would be soon; none of his Masters approved of putting off training for too long.

Worming his way through the throng of senators, he eventually found himself on a balcony which looked over the city. It was a splendid sight and he felt nearly breathless from how different it was. Vehicles zoomed past him and everywhere he looked there were people, accompanied by the murmur of conversation and trade.

“Benjamin Solo. Seems like yesterday you were just a baby.” He turned around and found him looking at the Chancellor, the woman smiling at him.

“Chancellor.” Ben responded politely.

“Would you care to walk with me?” The teen was surprised with the question. After all, why would she want to be around him; he wasn’t exactly a major political figure, not like his mother was.

“Sure.”

Going back inside, the two began a slow stroll down the hall, the Chancellor acknowledging other senators as they passed them. Once in a relatively empty hallway, she began to speak.

“I saw you were present during the Senate meeting. How did you find it?”

“It’s very different from the Temple. It was… a lot louder.”

“It can be at times.” The woman chuckled. “One wonders how we get anything done with all that shouting going on.” There was a pause. “Would you ever consider becoming a Senator? I have no doubt that, with the right training, you would be as great a Senator as your mother.”

“I don’t know.” Ben answered. “I still haven’t finished my Jedi training and I’m also expected to rule Alderaan someday. Besides, I don’t care much for politics anyway.”

“I didn’t mean to make you feel as though you had to say yes, Benjamin.” She assured. “I just wanted to tell that I think you would make a good Senator.” There was another pause, the silence interrupted when she cleared her throat, “I may as well get to the point of all this: I wanted to ask you something.”

“What?”

“As you no doubt heard in the meeting, we’ve been having issues gaining direct contact with the Queen of Ge. It would seem that all my messages have been intercepted by her Grand Vizier. I was wondering if you would be willing to go to Ge and deliver a message to the Queen on my behalf.”

“What?” Ben stumbled out, stopping his stroll as he processed what he was being asked. “Why me?”

“You’re royalty, the son of two famous war heroes, the nephew of a Jedi Master but, most importantly, you’re an acquaintance of the Queen. They wouldn’t turn you away from the planet without good reason and you’re perhaps the only outsider that would even be able to get close to her right now. Furthermore, you’re not a member of the Senate so you would be more trustworthy in their eyes than I would. I’m not asking you to participate in a political meeting; all I ask is that you give her a message.” Before Ben had even an opportunity to formulate a sound past his bout of shock, another guard came near, speaking to the Chancellor.

“Chancellor, forgive the intrusion but Senator Tashow wishes to speak with you.”

“Tell them I’ll be there shortly.” As the guards left, she turned her attention back to the teen. “It seems I have to cut our conversation short. Think about what I asked, Benjamin. If you’re willing to go, please come see me.” With that, she left, leaving Ben bewildered with his thoughts.

----

“Ben, are you okay? You’re very quiet.” Leia asked when they were about halfway through eating their dinner.

“I had a conversation with the Chancellor this afternoon.” He explained, “She wants me to go to Ge.”

“To be her personal messenger boy no doubt.” Leia said, her tone sharp.

“In a sense.”

“Are you going to do it?”

“I don’t know. I would like to go, if only to see Paro, but being a messenger boy for the Senate and going to a planet where they don’t get along with them, I feel like I’m placing my head on a chopping block.”

Leia was silent for a moment, her expression telling him she was contemplating something. 

"I can't lie to you, Ben; if you went, that might be the case." She took a sip of her drink before continuing. "Ge does not have a clean history when it comes to the treatment of their enemies. Their relationship with the Kraal is notoriously violent and bloody and many stories circulate of what was done to Imperial officers that were unfortunate enough to get caught; each one gets more disgusting. Claims have been made both by the previous Vizier and the current one that the situation has improved and that hostile measures like that would not be made against Senators or anyone neutral but as we're unable to send any ambassadors to the surface to inspect, I question how truthful those statements are." She dropped her utensils and reached forward, taking his hand in hers. "I'm not comfortable with the idea of you going, Ben. Ge is played off as a paradise of sorts but their politics are ruthless and while you're not as dangerous to them as I am, you'd still be considered a threat to their isolation and much of what they stand for." She took a deep breath. "However, the last time I forced you to go somewhere I wanted you to go, it didn't end so well for you. I'll let you decide if you want to go or not. All I ask is that you think carefully about it and the risks. Can you do that? For me?" The teen quickly nodded in response, which left Leia with a smile on her face. 

Later that night, Ben lay in his bed, wide awake and staring at the ceiling. It was well past midnight but the boy couldn't find sleep. The proposal of the Chancellor had been swimming without stop since dinner time and he was trying to consider the best way to move forward with it. 

The first option was to go to Ge, deliver the message under the guise of visiting the Queen and leave as soon as it was delivered. Quick and probably the simplest method. However, such an endeavor would look suspicious. No one sane would believe the guise of visiting if he was gone within a few hours. Worst case scenario if he were caught: he'd be temporarily blocked from leaving the planet. Not a horrible scenario but it would probably be the end of negotiations between the Senate and Ge. 

Second option: same as the first but extend the visit for a few more days. That would lessen suspicion on him, given that he gives the message at the end of his visit and not the beginning. The earlier he'd give it, the more likely he'd be caught. 

He was then struck with a thought: what would Paro think of him being a personal messenger boy for the Senate. He had talked her several times over the span of the last six years but they had spoken very little of politics so he didn't fully know what her thoughts were of the Senate or if any of those sentiments he knew had changed. Should he give the message, she could either keep it quiet and look once he was gone or order him to leave and calling him the Senate's puppet or something. He hoped it would be the former. 

The third and fourth option would perhaps be the safest for him: don't go to Ge at all or go but don't give the message. He knew the third option was the one his mother wanted him to choose and the fourth one was the one he liked best. Thinking about his mother and her thoughts, his stomach sank: he’d be leaving her for who knew how long after only a few days with her. He didn’t want to leave her so soon but Paro he wanted to see too.

He thought about his options a little longer, giving each one last thorough look to determine his best course of action once and for all. Eventually, he made a choice. Reaching to his nightstand, he pulled out a tablet and began typing a message. 

Paro, is that offer to visit Ge still available?

[arcanakrp-blog]

KWON YEONGHUN – THE STAR. AGENT 17.

                                                  [   FILE TYPE: CLASSIFIED   ]

//: LOADING PROFILE: KWON YEONGHUN ...

international age: 24 birthplace: seoul, south korea arcana: the star team number: seven

//: LOADING MUTATION: WING MANIFESTATION  ...

application one: dream walking — Dream walking is the ability to invade the dreams of others, allowing an individual to explore the unconscious and conscious thoughts of the subject in which the dream walker is projecting themselves onto. This entails the invasion of privacy and personal thoughts against an unwilling participant, but Yeonghun does his best to lead the subject to revealing their secrets themselves. Who would believe that someone snuck into their dream anyways? It does little to remove the guilt from trespassing, but it allows him to almost literally “walk” through a dream without lifting a finger.

application two: dream communication — They say communication is key, and the ability to correspond does not exempt the unconscious. At least, not for Yeonghun. From languid liars to meek mutes, the option to lure vowels and consonants from the tongue of the those who know themselves best can be one of the most defying aspects of control that can be obtained during the witching hours. Often, less vivid dreamers were suitable for this deception, easy to read and easy to speak. But you know what they say, words are weapons.

application three: dream world manipulation —   Dream world manipulation could arguably be the most forceful and cruel of abilities, but offers the most gentle way to infiltrate the thoughts of those beneath the sleeping spell. Yeonghun does his best to keep this ability as the most constrained, because the amount of empathy that coursed within him could not allow for the fabrication of the deepest of desires to the most futile of fears. But when he needed to induce manipulation, he did as he was expected of.

overall strengths and weaknesses: —  Drifting through the dreaming thoughts of sleepy headed strangers offered an ability that seemed precise, careful, and like a whisper – easy to conceal. But those were misconceptions created by the media conjured up by vivid imaginations. Rather, one would find themselves contained in a paradox that seemed to offer more troubles than what it was worth.

Dream manipulation offered a bout of answers to the most intimate of curiosities that could tempt even the most moral, but not without exchange. For Yeonghun to find himself dwelling through the slumbering visuals of his target, he himself had to be asleep. The level of vulnerability would increase if the subject was an active dreamer, which could force his presence to be stationary. This included the fragmented, ephemeral day dreams, which were easier to enter and exit but still required that the explorer himself be asleep.

According to scientists, the moment an individual stirs from slumber is the moment the beginning of the dream starts to burn from memory – and Yeonghun is no exception. If someone were to wake him as he were traveling through an individual’s dream, he would find himself with the majority of the details muddled in a murky mess. However, if he is able to provoke his consciousness, he could keep the details as if it were a living memory.

Although a masterful individual with an ability that crept through the night, that did not make Yeonghun any less human than the next passerby, which meant that he all too easily could succumb to his emotions. With a temper that would flame at any triggering moment, the uncontrollable rage could shift a reverie into paralysis. The consequences for this happening are extremely dangerous because nightmares make a subject more prone to waking, and if they manage to wake before he does, there is no guarantee he will.

Manipulating dreams causes a heavy amount of exhaustion upon the explorer due to the amount of concentration required to travel through the thoughts of dozing dreamers. Waking from the use of this ability has led Yeonghun to dive right back into slumber due to the consumption of his energy. Although mostly in control of who he may project his ability upon, if he does not recharge himself without walking through dreams, he will find himself in a variety of spontaneous situations – unsure of who’s thoughts he may be wandering.

With disadvantages came restrictions. Perhaps Yeonghun was not yet skilled enough to control himself, but the further away he was from his subject, the harder it was to enter their dreamscape. It was not impossible – and there were several instances where he found success in the form of communicative answers – but he did find it strained him to be a certain distance away from the target. Furthermore, he struggled to enter the slumbering delusions behind names he could not put a face too. Even seeing the subject once allowed him to enter their dreams, but any less and he would find himself at a wall. 

//: LOADING HISTORY ..

PRE-MUTATION

I. We are blessed.

While infants penetrate their first moments of life by embezzling every ounce of air that tempted their underdeveloped lungs and kissed their tender skin, the fragile fading drums of a muscle being rendered useless from the chord that created this life all at once robbed every breath that begged with clemency. Frantic and impatient, the blessing of forgiveness manifested the golden boy that graced his mother’s arms as her tears ballooned along her lashes, caressing his blossoming cheeks. And from then, he would carry the title Yeonghun – 永訓 –, everlasting lesson.

II. I am cursed.

The cruel hands of creators were not merciful, but rather brash, and every miracle must be exchanged for tragedy. The boy is only three when he must return the tears his mother had blessed him with, but all for an entirely different reason. Although he could recall the laugh lines that hugged her cheeks, his grieving was short lived due to his tender age. But his heart never forgot the longing abandonment that he watched his father struggle through.

III. I’m feeling blessed.

First, her existence is made into fruition. Second, the curved edges of his father’s lips – that seemed to have permanently stand stoic for two long years – were now agape and full of sonorous cacophony. Third, she packed him lunches. And would walk with him, hand in hand, to school. And she would be right outside the gate with an umbrella to pick him up when it rained. And at night, she read him stories over and over until he fell asleep. And she told him she loved him. And though he could never forget his birth mother, he gave her a piece of his heart when he finally called her “mom”. And it was only right to offer his heart to the infant she was carrying in her swollen tummy.

IV. But something in the air will drive me to the start.

“What an ungrateful bastard.”

The slur struck his face in an instant.

“That stranger you call, mom? Ha, she prayed every single day for your mom to hop into her grave.”

The stinging never did stop that day, forgotten only behind the sheen of sullen and resentful tears that had dried – from pure exhaustion – against his flushed skin.

“What? You don’t recognize the caretaker of your mom?”

The careful, thoughtful nurse that watched over his mother when her terminal illness became too much suddenly became the pieces of grief that jammed into his skin like shards of fragmented glass.

“That poor woman, she is probably cursing you up in heaven. Bless her.”

Yeonghun is only thirteen, but he runs away with only a heart full of betrayal, enough to last more than thirteen lifetimes.

V. I’m staying in the dark and drinking from my heart.

A fistful of bills only got him as far as Busan. It was a hell of a struggle, working odd jobs and lying about the lack of papers he had with sob stories that ranged from being an orphan with parents that abused and abandoned him or died in some tragic accident to having a sick mother with five other siblings to help feed. And he managed to barely get by, most of the time.

VI. Sticks of death, cigarettes.

The habit of smoking developed when he spent too much time on the container and cargo ships as a helping hand around the port. And mostly when he realized these were cheap – in comparison to a day’s worth of meals – and kept his appetite low, especially when he went without eating. And it didn’t hurt that his stress was suppressed. Soon, Yeonghun landed himself a job as a deck hand and found how easy it was to fall in love with the sea.

VII. I hate the smell of smoke.

Cold, rough hands meant that those were the ones that kept the warmest hearts. An older woman who had taken up the business after her husband had passed a few years prior, owned much of the shipyard and the lighthouse. This was also the first person to break a cigarette in half while it was still burning in Yeonghun’s mouth. The woman told him he was much too young – only about fifteen – to be helping the older, burly men with the crates so she put him in charge of guiding the ships safely to port and instructing him to live in the lighthouse. And for once, he felt like he was doing everything right. This is where he belonged.

VIII.But I learned to hide it.

The ocean had always been a fixation of attraction, gorgeous and vast but not one to join hands with. Especially not when the riptides tore away the sand from the shore. And quite contrary to the fond eyes that he had for the sea, Yeonghun had no idea how to swim. But one day, he decides to explore her and dives right in. The water is freezing, salty, and unforgiving but he wants to conqueror her. And so he teaches himself to swim.

IX. When I’m old, I’ll damn these broken lungs.

And his curiosity does not end, sparking a light that emits a fire in the pit of his stomach which compels him to copy an individual he watches hop up onto a board and slice through the water with precision and control. Yeonghun is stubborn, perhaps stupid, but he is used to helping himself rather than begging for the assistance of others. After the beach is deserted, he would take an abandoned board that washed up on the shore one day, and practice. With enough confidence, he would seek waves in the early morning, and then during the peak hours. It doesn’t take long for someone to see the talent ad arrogance that drips off the golden boy.

X. It’s the same things that get me again.

Bondi, Bells, Kuta, Santa Cruz, Oahu, Thurso, Mentawai, Hossegor, if there was salt water coddling the granulated land his feet sunk into, he had tasted her waters. Yeonghun was steadily becoming the poster child of young and upcoming rookies, an underdog who’s name began to appear in the mouths of those who loved the waters as much as himself. But the road to the pinnacle only meant that anyone was ready to sink him beneath them. Fearless and aggressive, he never displayed the arrows that were shot in his back by the impending envy that had soaked through his opponents. But perhaps that was in vain? Yeonghun never even had a chance to taste the victory that could have been his. Could have been. Trapped in her labyrinth as she stole away every ounce of oxygen that he hid in his lungs, he had sworn that he was falling into a slumber that would never allow him to wake. But when he did, he realized that was actually, much worse.

POST-MUTATION

XI. I’ll pretend I’m deep asleep.

One restless day would turn into one restless night, which would create a pattern of perpetuating insomnia. Falling asleep meant reliving, and drowning himself in flammable, gasoline grade liquids woke his body with tormenting aches. The cycle made him forget what day it was, and his eyes would be locked out on the dark ocean as she whispered to him her secrets, every, single, night. But sometimes they were lullabies that rocked him to sleep.

XII. Call us out on our mistakes.

The clairvoyant crystal drapes that have seemed to engulf every fiber of his being induced the anxiety that capitulated his every thought, forcing his intimacy with the ocean back to where he had once begun – to an infatuation that consisted of only fond eyes towards the sea. And yet he was submerged in the most crystal blue of waters, his lungs filled with air and his skin soft and warm. An elder woman paddled past him, her goggles shielding back the curiosity of his existence as she plucked away at the creatures that clung to the shaft of rock that stood behind them. When Yeonghun woke, the vivid imagery of the delusion plagued him for longer than he thought he should have been pondering it.

XIII.We fall apart without intentions.

“…Yeah, I had a dream about that boy that lives in the lighthouse.”

It only takes him a moment while wandering the market to hear the words paired to the familiar face that he dreamt of. As she vividly let her tongue reveal the same illusion he had shared, he realized the frightening reality that perhaps became his new affliction.

XIV. Kill me while I’m sleeping, love.

And what if he went with them? What did he have to lose? They say everyone dreams at night, just not everyone remembers.

[the-record-newspaper]

Murder at the Jumpingoff Place End Epilogue

Unsolved: Murder at Jumpingoff Place: End epilogue

 By LARRY J. GRIFFIN

Special Reporter for The Record

“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”  Edmund Burke

 Jeff Burgess, by any measure, was a tragic character of Shakespearean proportions.

His brief life could be characterized, in part, by the epitaphic observation that Antony made in the introduction of his eulogy over the lately-dispatched, lifeless body of his friend, Julius Caesar.  “…The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones….”                                                                          

But Jeff was not an evil man; he was flawed, not unlike the rest of us. On the surface, he appeared to be a study of contradictions:  a student who was assigned to a remedial reading class, yet—as an adult—loved to read; a young man of small stature and medium build who played the physically exacting sport of football at Ashe Central; an imprisoned, impassioned artist who sent pictures to relatives on the outside; an accused murderer who was a serious student of Scripture; a lifelong Ashe County resident, surrounded by family, but who found himself homeless.    

Burgess shared the common human experience of deciding between the competing voices of the “angels of his better nature” and those of his personal demons.  Often, it appears, he conducted his life somewhere in that gray expanse between what he knew to be right and that which he wanted to or felt compelled to do.  His failure to heed the ageless admonition to be mindful of “the company that you keep” was his hamartia—tragic flaw—that ultimately charted the unfortunate course for the balance of his life—a course with few viable exits.

But Jeff Burgess did not murder Sherry Hart.  Neither did he participate in Cousin Lynn’s failed attempts to rape her. He said as much, and I believe him, to answer those who have asked about Burgess’s credibility.  But he was there—an unwitting, unwilling witness to a serious of disastrous, deadly events that expeditiously spiraled out of control—his control—despite efforts to intervene on Ms. Hart’s behalf.  

The three cogent statements Burgess made to Ashe County Sheriff Gene Goss and SBI Agent Steve Cabe between March 29 and April 3, 1985 vary with respect to detail as time-tempered memory allowed.  Any seasoned investigator would expect that eventuality. However, they do not fluctuate relative to the salient facts of the case—that Lynn Bare twice attempted to rape Sherry Hart before ultimately pushing her off a precipice at Jumpingoff Place.

One other poignant insight:  Bare threatened to kill Burgess’s wife and 2-year-old son if he told anyone about the evening’s events.  

Burgess believed him.

“My brother believed that Lynn would do what he said he’d do,” Alena Felts emphasized in my initial interview with her in November 2017.  

In his third statement to law officers on April 3, 1985, Jeff related to Goss and Cabe an incident in which his cousin came to his house the weekend following the murder requesting that he go riding with him.  “I walked out to the car and saw a gun inside the vehicle. I refused to go with Lynn that time.”

Likely, it was this fear of retaliation that kept Jeff Burgess quiet until he was taken into custody and charged with first-degree murder, along with Bare, on March 29, 1985.  To his credit, he acceded to testifying against his cousin and constant companion during his scheduled July 29 trial. But he also knew that he himself would eventually stand trial for his just “being there.”  

Question:  Do you believe that Linda Bare [Copus] aided her brother’s escape from the Wilkes County Jail, and do you think that she knows where he is now?

Linda Bare Copus has consistently averred that neither she nor any of her family aided, abetted, assisted, or facilitated her brother’s escape from the Wilkes County Jail on July 18, 1985.  No one whom I have encountered during the course of my investigative efforts believes that.  No one—including me.  

In one of my numerous conversations with Brandi Bare Going—Lynn Bare’s daughter—she was unequivocal in her assertion that her father had to have had assistance in order to evade authorities for so long.  “I’m a firm believer that there is no way he could have eluded the authorities for this long without some kind of help….I have always believed that my grandmother [Lorene Bare] knew where my dad was.”

Brandi also spoke of the stories that she heard about his escape from the Wilkes jail.  Her mother, Dorothy “Dottie” Jenkins Staley, was implicated in one of them—a scenario in which Bare walked out of confinement behind Dottie as she exited the building subsequent to a visitation.  “But then, I have heard the story about Linda and the guard,” Ms. Going added.  

The guard on duty from midnight until 8 a.m. was Joe Carter, who—as it happened—was engaged in a relationship with recently divorced Linda Bare.  At least two former deputy sheriffs have personal knowledge of this dangerous liaison and warned Detention Officer Carter at the time about the consequences of pursuing his inappropriate relationship with an accused murderer’s sister.  According to both, he dismissed their admonitions.  But these two former officers agreed that Lynn Bare was released by Carter because of his amorous association with the prisoner’s sister, Linda.

I have interviewed at least one additional Bare/Burgess family member who maintained that Joe Carter released suspect Bare subsequent to a visit with Ms. Copus at the jail.  Moreover, across the ensuing years, informants—whose statements are included in the case files—have spoken forthrightly about their knowledge of Linda’s involvement in her brother’s escape.  And Sherry Hart’s mother, Betty Lyall, believed that Bare’s sister, Linda, facilitated his escape and spoke unapologetically about it.  “She [Linda] helped him escape, and I am angry with her….”

As to whether or not Linda Bare Copus knows where her brother is hiding? Of course she does—and so do other members of the nuclear family—Lynn’s parents and his brother and sisters—they likely always have.  Furthermore, after researching this case for eight months, I also align myself with those who believe that the family—especially Linda Copus—has allegedly provided support for the fugitive over many years, allowing him to move, live, and breathe just below “radar detection.”

On more than one occasion, I have suggested to local authorities and to the FBI that Linda Bare Copus is most likely a direct conduit to the location of Richard Lynn Bare.  (As I reported earlier in this series, Linda Bare Copus refused to comment regarding her knowledge and involvement or any other aspect relative to the case against her brother.)

Question:  Where does the investigation stand presently?

In the 25th article of this series, I raised the issue of the pending charges against Lynn Bare.  To be quite candid, I was relatively unsure as to which charges remained in-force.  I knew that the first-degree murder charge against Bare, returned by a 1985 grand jury, was “dismissed with leave” through a 1994 affidavit submitted to the Wilkes County Superior Court and signed by Assistant District Attorney Michael “Randy” Lyons.  Translation:  The charge was, for all practical purposes, suspended until Fugitive Bare could be re-apprehended.  Once he had the escapee in his custody again, the district attorney could reinstate the latent homicide charge.  

I also had obtained a copy of a 1985 U.S. District Court arrest warrant for Richard Lynn Bare on the charge of Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution (UFAP)—a felony in this state.  It seemed likely that this warrant was still active, as I was unable to locate any court action that rescinded it—until last week.

Public Information Officer for the FBI, Shelley Lynch, researched the status of the 1985 district court arrest warrant. She shared results with me first by phone and then in an e-mail:

I have confirmed the FBI dismissed our UFAP warrant in 2014 after learning from the DA of Ashe County [Tom Horner] the local murder [charge] was dismissed due to the death of a key witness [Jeff Burgess].  As we discussed, a UFAP warrant is a tool to assist other agencies to get fugitives into custody who may have crossed into other jurisdictions….We would, of course, follow any new leads developed to locate Mr. Bare.  

Officer Lynch could only find one operative charge against Bare, on the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), that was still in-force—his escape from the Wilkes County Jail, a local charge that would not justify federal intervention.

Since the Ashe County murder charge was dismissed in 2014, it prompted the FBI to rescind               its UFAP warrant that same year. The Bureau has no justification for committing resources to locating Fugitive Bare.  Federal agents would only reanimate an investigation if, as Ms. Lynch maintains, new leads develop.  The last viable lead as to Bare’s whereabouts was received by the FBI in 2015—about three years ago.  That informational tip, she stated, did not “pan out.”

Additionally, an anonymous FBI informant indicated that “according to second and third and fourth-hand information,” flowing through the unofficial communications pipeline, even if Bare was recaptured, he could not successfully prosecuted for murder since the chief prosecutorial witness, Jeffery Scott Burgess, was deceased.  I should note that there are many Wilkes/Ashe County residents who do not agree with that asseveration.  Regardless, if this is the pervasive attitude, then it portends a diminished interest in ever locating and prosecuting the chief defendant in the Sherry Hart Murder case—in other words, Richard Lynn Bare could “get away with murder”—literally.

This news would not be surprising to Bare’s daughter, Brandi Going, who weeks ago seemed amazed that anyone had even a modicum of interest in capturing her fugitive father.  “They literally still actively look for him?  You’d think by now it would be a thing of the past; ‘If we find him, OK,’ but not much real effort.”  How prescient her comments ring now.  

A few weeks ago, Ashe County, Detective Richard Miller—with whom I have collaborated since December 2017—informed me that I could no longer have access to the Ashe County case file that I have examined on numerous occasions under his supervision.  The Ashe County Sheriff’s Office (ACSO) has yet again undergone substantive personnel changes, and ostensibly a new Chief Deputy, Bucky Absher, maintains that the District Attorney would not approve of our combing through the evidence file together.

Previously, no one in the ACSO objected to my researching the file in an effort to report the story correctly—even the acting sheriff welcomed my presence and offered encouragement to Mr. Miller and myself.  Besides, I had already contacted Horner’s office in December to apprise him of my investigative series and welcome his comments relative to a story that I wrote about Richard Presnell—the gentleman whom Horner suspected was actually Fugitive Bare. The DA initiated a court order to have Mr. Presnell brought in for fingerprinting verification. Horner has not returned either of the phone messages that I left at his office. (Story entitled, Mistaken Identity: Exclusive Interview with Richard Presnell, can be found in the December 13, 2017 edition of The Record.)  

To his credit, Detective Miller retains an interest in the series and is currently conducting research to clarify the nature of any local charges against Bare which are in-force.  He has also indicated an eagerness to attend a cross-jurisdictional meeting with Wilkes County Sheriff Chris Shew and others to discuss future investigative options. We are awaiting a response from Sheriff Shew to schedule just such a meeting.

Not surprising, April Billings, Sherry Hart’s daughter, is not happy that her mother’s killer has not been arrested and prosecuted.

“For my part, I would love for him to be caught; he needs to be brought into the jail….No matter how many years have passed, Bare committed the crime and needs to be punished for it!” she asserts.

And it matters little to Ms. Billings that her mother was likely intoxicated that winter’s evening in 1984 when she took the fateful car ride with Lynn Bare and Jeff Burgess—she did not deserve that which happened to her.

“She has a daughter who cares very deeply that one drunken night led to my losing my Mom and not ever experiencing what others do with their mothers.”

And yet another question:  Will you continue to maintain an interest in this unsolved, cold case?

I have been asked to “scrub” another Wilkes County cold case—one that predates the Sherry Hart murder.  And I have agreed to do so.  However, I will maintain an active interest in the unresolved case of this 24-year-old mother whose life ended prematurely off the precipitous crest known as the Jumpingoff Place.  You see, I made another promise—this time to Sherry Hart’s daughter and family—that I will continue to work with them to obtain a modicum of closure and to realize a justice that has been too long delayed.  And it seems irresponsible—if not immoral—to “throw up our hands,” acquiescing to those who believe that a successful prosecution is not possible at this juncture.  

In a 2011 interview, Civil Rights cold case journalist, Stanley Nelson—who has investigated and written about cases that are four and five decades old—spoke of responsibility and the need for persistence and perseverance against seemingly insurmountable odds:

It would be morally irresponsible not to learn more, write more, and see who was accountable. I understood from the beginning…that it would be a long shot to figure out what happened and who did it.  But that’s just not a good reason to walk away from it. It would have been immoral to walk away from it.  I mean, think about it, if we don’t do it, who would?  If we don’t do it, it doesn’t get done.

Richard Lynn Bare cannot be allowed to escape assuming the responsibility for his actions.  Neither can those who knowingly assisted him in his evasion of authorities for the past 33-years.  

April Billings—like her grandparents, Joe and Betty Lyall—has no intentions of abandoning hope that justice will eventually be obtained.  And she has recently begun to receive encouragement and support from those in the community who have read the stories in The Record.

“You wouldn’t believe what your stories have done; they really have caught people’s attention,” she wrote in a personal note to me a few days ago.  “I have all kinds of people sending me cards in the mail saying, ‘Don’t give up!’”

[shirleydazzle]

Psychological Evaluations in Utah Divorce and Custody Cases

There is a lot of fuss and fanfare about psychological evaluations in family law to determine child custody. The most common reason we hear for requesting a psychological evaluation in Utah family law cases (divorce, custody, visitation, shared parenting), is, “I think my ex is bipolar and I want custody of my children.”  Many clients want to have a psychological evaluation performed in their cases, but what happens in those evaluations is a big mystery to them.

When the purpose of the psychological evaluation is to determine which parent is more suitable to parent children (a Child Custody Evaluation), there are guidelines that an evaluator must use.  On February 21, 2009, the American Psychological Association revised their “Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings”.  They are now known as the “Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Family Law Proceedings“, an acknowledgment to the fact that the definition of family in America is changing, and psychological evaluations are no longer used only in divorce.

Contrary to what most parents believe, the purpose of a psychological evaluation is not to see if either parent has a mental health diagnosis.  The Psychologist’s contact with the parents is unlikely to be sufficient for the Psychologist to actually make a diagnosis.  At best, they may be able to observe characteristics which might be “consistent with” a certain diagnosis or disorder.

If the purpose of the examination is not to make a diagnosis, then what is it?  In a nutshell, the purpose is of the psychological evaluation, or child custody evaluation, is:

Where possible, to answer the referral question that was set out in the Court’s order which required one or both parents, and the Child, to participate in the evaluation; and

To determine the psychological best interests of the Child.  Where appropriate, the Psychologist can make a recommendation as to which parent is better equipped to meet the psychological needs of the Child.

10 Things to Discuss with Your Attorney

Sometimes the Court will choose the evaluator, and sometimes the Court will allow the parties or attorneys to choose or have input regarding which psychologist will perform the evaluation.  In that case, here are 10 important things to discuss with your attorney:

How much will the psychological evaluation cost?

Who will pay for the psychological evaluation?

Does this Expert generally prepare a written report?  If so, does the Expert generally prepare the report on time, or request multiple extensions of time to prepare the report?  If you don’t want your case to drag on, is this the Expert for you?

When this Expert prepares a report, does he or she generally make a recommendation to the Court, or avoid making a recommendation to the Court?

What does this Expert charge for his or her time in depositions, and for court time?  Is it a higher hourly rate or an expensive flat fee?  If your case goes to trial, you will probably need this Expert to come to court.  Can you afford to pay for that?

Has your Attorney worked with this Psychologist before?  If so, what were your Attorney’s impression of his or her work?

In your Attorney’s experience, does this Psychologist generally make a recommendation which favors mothers? Or fathers?  If your Attorney’s experience is that a particular psychologist almost always recommends one parent over the other, and that parent is not you, you should discuss your concerns with your Attorney.

If need be, will the Psychologist participate in depositions and testify in court?  Believe it or not, some psychologists who will perform custody evaluations do NOT want to give a deposition or go to court in any way, shape or form.  Although they can be compelled to do so, discuss with your Attorney why you would voluntarily agree to hire an unwilling expert.

Is the Expert willing to supply his or her information, notes, etc. in response to a subpoena, to the extent permissible by law? Does your Attorney know if the Expert has redacted information or notes when his or her records were subpoenaed?  If so, why?  Was there a legal basis for doing so, or was the Expert trying to hide something that should be discoverable?

What is the Expert’s working relationship with the Guardian Ad Litem?  Does your Guardian Ad Litem always suggest this Expert?  If so, why? Does the Expert have discussions with the Guardian Ad Litem that he or she does not disclose to your Attorney?

Free Consultation with Child Custody and Divorce Lawyer

If you have a question about child custody question or if you need to get divorced, please call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will help you.

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[winniegist]

Psychological Evaluations in Utah Divorce and Custody Cases

There is a lot of fuss and fanfare about psychological evaluations in family law to determine child custody. The most common reason we hear for requesting a psychological evaluation in Utah family law cases (divorce, custody, visitation, shared parenting), is, “I think my ex is bipolar and I want custody of my children.”  Many clients want to have a psychological evaluation performed in their cases, but what happens in those evaluations is a big mystery to them.

When the purpose of the psychological evaluation is to determine which parent is more suitable to parent children (a Child Custody Evaluation), there are guidelines that an evaluator must use.  On February 21, 2009, the American Psychological Association revised their “Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings”.  They are now known as the “Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Family Law Proceedings“, an acknowledgment to the fact that the definition of family in America is changing, and psychological evaluations are no longer used only in divorce.

Contrary to what most parents believe, the purpose of a psychological evaluation is not to see if either parent has a mental health diagnosis.  The Psychologist’s contact with the parents is unlikely to be sufficient for the Psychologist to actually make a diagnosis.  At best, they may be able to observe characteristics which might be “consistent with” a certain diagnosis or disorder.

If the purpose of the examination is not to make a diagnosis, then what is it?  In a nutshell, the purpose is of the psychological evaluation, or child custody evaluation, is:

Where possible, to answer the referral question that was set out in the Court’s order which required one or both parents, and the Child, to participate in the evaluation; and

To determine the psychological best interests of the Child.  Where appropriate, the Psychologist can make a recommendation as to which parent is better equipped to meet the psychological needs of the Child.

10 Things to Discuss with Your Attorney

Sometimes the Court will choose the evaluator, and sometimes the Court will allow the parties or attorneys to choose or have input regarding which psychologist will perform the evaluation.  In that case, here are 10 important things to discuss with your attorney:

How much will the psychological evaluation cost?

Who will pay for the psychological evaluation?

Does this Expert generally prepare a written report?  If so, does the Expert generally prepare the report on time, or request multiple extensions of time to prepare the report?  If you don’t want your case to drag on, is this the Expert for you?

When this Expert prepares a report, does he or she generally make a recommendation to the Court, or avoid making a recommendation to the Court?

What does this Expert charge for his or her time in depositions, and for court time?  Is it a higher hourly rate or an expensive flat fee?  If your case goes to trial, you will probably need this Expert to come to court.  Can you afford to pay for that?

Has your Attorney worked with this Psychologist before?  If so, what were your Attorney’s impression of his or her work?

In your Attorney’s experience, does this Psychologist generally make a recommendation which favors mothers? Or fathers?  If your Attorney’s experience is that a particular psychologist almost always recommends one parent over the other, and that parent is not you, you should discuss your concerns with your Attorney.

If need be, will the Psychologist participate in depositions and testify in court?  Believe it or not, some psychologists who will perform custody evaluations do NOT want to give a deposition or go to court in any way, shape or form.  Although they can be compelled to do so, discuss with your Attorney why you would voluntarily agree to hire an unwilling expert.

Is the Expert willing to supply his or her information, notes, etc. in response to a subpoena, to the extent permissible by law? Does your Attorney know if the Expert has redacted information or notes when his or her records were subpoenaed?  If so, why?  Was there a legal basis for doing so, or was the Expert trying to hide something that should be discoverable?

What is the Expert’s working relationship with the Guardian Ad Litem?  Does your Guardian Ad Litem always suggest this Expert?  If so, why? Does the Expert have discussions with the Guardian Ad Litem that he or she does not disclose to your Attorney?

Free Consultation with Child Custody and Divorce Lawyer

If you have a question about child custody question or if you need to get divorced, please call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/psychological-evaluations-in-utah-divorce-and-custody-cases/

[aretia]

Psychological Evaluations in Utah Divorce and Custody Cases

There is a lot of fuss and fanfare about psychological evaluations in family law to determine child custody. The most common reason we hear for requesting a psychological evaluation in Utah family law cases (divorce, custody, visitation, shared parenting), is, “I think my ex is bipolar and I want custody of my children.”  Many clients want to have a psychological evaluation performed in their cases, but what happens in those evaluations is a big mystery to them.

When the purpose of the psychological evaluation is to determine which parent is more suitable to parent children (a Child Custody Evaluation), there are guidelines that an evaluator must use.  On February 21, 2009, the American Psychological Association revised their “Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Divorce Proceedings”.  They are now known as the “Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Family Law Proceedings“, an acknowledgment to the fact that the definition of family in America is changing, and psychological evaluations are no longer used only in divorce.

Contrary to what most parents believe, the purpose of a psychological evaluation is not to see if either parent has a mental health diagnosis.  The Psychologist’s contact with the parents is unlikely to be sufficient for the Psychologist to actually make a diagnosis.  At best, they may be able to observe characteristics which might be “consistent with” a certain diagnosis or disorder.

If the purpose of the examination is not to make a diagnosis, then what is it?  In a nutshell, the purpose is of the psychological evaluation, or child custody evaluation, is:

Where possible, to answer the referral question that was set out in the Court’s order which required one or both parents, and the Child, to participate in the evaluation; and

To determine the psychological best interests of the Child.  Where appropriate, the Psychologist can make a recommendation as to which parent is better equipped to meet the psychological needs of the Child.

10 Things to Discuss with Your Attorney

Sometimes the Court will choose the evaluator, and sometimes the Court will allow the parties or attorneys to choose or have input regarding which psychologist will perform the evaluation.  In that case, here are 10 important things to discuss with your attorney:

How much will the psychological evaluation cost?

Who will pay for the psychological evaluation?

Does this Expert generally prepare a written report?  If so, does the Expert generally prepare the report on time, or request multiple extensions of time to prepare the report?  If you don’t want your case to drag on, is this the Expert for you?

When this Expert prepares a report, does he or she generally make a recommendation to the Court, or avoid making a recommendation to the Court?

What does this Expert charge for his or her time in depositions, and for court time?  Is it a higher hourly rate or an expensive flat fee?  If your case goes to trial, you will probably need this Expert to come to court.  Can you afford to pay for that?

Has your Attorney worked with this Psychologist before?  If so, what were your Attorney’s impression of his or her work?

In your Attorney’s experience, does this Psychologist generally make a recommendation which favors mothers? Or fathers?  If your Attorney’s experience is that a particular psychologist almost always recommends one parent over the other, and that parent is not you, you should discuss your concerns with your Attorney.

If need be, will the Psychologist participate in depositions and testify in court?  Believe it or not, some psychologists who will perform custody evaluations do NOT want to give a deposition or go to court in any way, shape or form.  Although they can be compelled to do so, discuss with your Attorney why you would voluntarily agree to hire an unwilling expert.

Is the Expert willing to supply his or her information, notes, etc. in response to a subpoena, to the extent permissible by law? Does your Attorney know if the Expert has redacted information or notes when his or her records were subpoenaed?  If so, why?  Was there a legal basis for doing so, or was the Expert trying to hide something that should be discoverable?

What is the Expert’s working relationship with the Guardian Ad Litem?  Does your Guardian Ad Litem always suggest this Expert?  If so, why? Does the Expert have discussions with the Guardian Ad Litem that he or she does not disclose to your Attorney?

Free Consultation with Child Custody and Divorce Lawyer

If you have a question about child custody question or if you need to get divorced, please call Ascent Law at (801) 676-5506. We will help you.

Ascent Law LLC8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite CWest Jordan, Utah 84088 United StatesTelephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Making Divorce More Affordable Through Mediation

What is a fraudulent transfer in Bankruptcy?

What Documents Do I Need To Bring When I First Meet With My Bankruptcy Attorney

Business Lawyers

MLM Lawyer

Criminal Lawyer

Source: http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/psychological-evaluations-in-utah-divorce-and-custody-cases/

[sdegliarchangeli]

Reinforcing and Perpetuating Our (Epi)Genetic Colonial Inheritance

I suddenly found myself once again contemplating something that has crossed my mind ever so often over the past few months: corporal punishment amongst Afro-Caribbean peoples and other peoples of African descent, within the context of post-colonial culture.  I spend quite a bit of my time deliberately trying to stay in tune with, and connected to, my thoughts, feelings and actions.  I am constantly trying to undo so much of the false and traumatic programming with which I have been bombarded since birth.  Needless to say, it is a task that often seems unending. I know someone who loves to hear others say how "obedient" or "good" — among other adjectives — his children are; he enjoys it to the point of practically singing his own praises on the marvellous job he believes he has done with them.  I have met the majority of his children, and I can say that they are definitely obedient and "good", at least in the way that our society ascribes meaning to those words when it comes to children and youth.  He will proudly proclaim that he is a Christian and wholly believes in biblical scripture, which includes Proverbs 13:24: "He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."  This is the word of the Lord, as is often said after a passage from the holy book is read aloud; but is it, really? When we reflect on the ways in which both Christianity and violence were horrifically used against enslaved Africans, how do we reconcile this reality and the adherence to such words in the rearing of our children, or in a scholastic environment?  How do we, in good conscience, personally administer, or allow the administration of such violence on the bodies of our beloved children by complete strangers?  When did it become perfectly all right to ignore our own historical abuses, but even worse, inflict that same abuse on our children?  Do religion, misguided cultural and social norms and mores, or some absurd and warped nationalist identity, justify such cruelty? A lot of people say, "Well, my mother — or grandmother — used to beat me when I gave trouble, and look at me!  I turned out just fine!"  What I inevitably often wonder is: How do you know that you are just fine?  Do you mean to tell me that all of that violence inflicted upon your person during your formative years, in service to some notion of "obedience" or "goodness", did not traumatise you in any way, or leave psychological scars of which you may not even be aware, or which may have resulted in a lesser version of you? Consider this for a moment: whenever someone has been through a crucible, survived some horrendous abuse or trauma on just one occasion, they are forever changed, sometimes in ways that not even they or their loved ones can fully comprehend.  Now consider how repeated trauma and abuse during a person's formative years and over a period of time could then affect a person.  With each trauma, a piece of the person is eroded or buried.  So, are many of us, who are products of these particular cultures walking around as fragmented versions of ourselves, and not even realising it? Here is another gem, that another friend of mine recently posted as a conversation piece: Deuteronomy 21:18-21: 

"18 If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and [that], when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

19 Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;

20 And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son [is] stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; [he is] a glutton, and a drunkard.

21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear."

I believe that one speaks for itself.  However, some will hasten to say that the Old Testament is passeth away, and we are saved by grace and the New Testament is the new and current covenant, etc.  Okay.  Then, if the New Testament is what adherents of Christianity ought to believe and utilise, why do people still quote from the Old Testament in their efforts to justify all sorts of cruel and inhumane practices.  Would a true, modern theocracy in the Caribbean, for example, permit, or even force, persons to allow others to murder their children without impunity?  Would we gladly swallow and enforce such barbarism without so much as a murmur?  Would our potential murmurs be proscribed and treated as "Hate Speech" or "Blasphemy" or "High Treason"?  I don't know.  Or, would such a system of government rely solely on the New Testament for its laws?  Then again, Exodus is from the Old Testament, so would the "Ten Commandments" no longer be applicable?

I'll be the first to say that I am no theologian, but there are so many proven contradictions, mistranslations — both from a linguistic and socio-cultural perspective — that it is, admittedly, rather hard to keep track.

Here's another delightful contradiction, of which I think many people are just blissfully unaware, or which they just deliberately ignore: The people of Israel, of that time, were described in the Bible as basically being dark of skin.  So... how do we reconcile the information provided in the Bible with most contemporary depictions of The Christ?  Moreover, do the descriptions of his great trials and tribulations provide further historical evidence of humanity's profound hatred for Black bodies?  I mean, if they could do Jesus like that, then damn!  What hope could the rest of us have?  Did those who sought to enslave our African ancestors accept that Jesus was, indeed, Black; and so used that narrative to support what they were doing to the Africans?  I will readily admit that Black people at some points in history also did own slaves, as did Jews, and Arabs, and the list goes on into perpetuity.  I will also readily acknowledge that Black people during the Transatlantic Trade in Enslaved Africans, often participated in the capture and trade of their own people, because someone will want to bring up those facts, but they do not negate the rest.  Last, here's a question that might ruffle some feathers: why would God send his son, which was basically himself physically manifested on the Earthly plane, in the form of a Black male, only to be tortured and abused in such a manner?  Why that form in particular, and what might that tell us about God Him/Her/Itself?

Tangent aside, I want to bring the focus back to my original concern, which is the infliction of violence upon our children.  When I taught at a K-6 Preparatory School last year, some of the children who had been labelled problematic, ended up being some of my favourite children.  Why is that?  Perhaps, because I saw it as a welcome challenge to try to reach those that other teachers had already designated as unreachable; or perhaps, because I was once also labelled a "problem child", despite much evidence to the contrary, I could see in them what many were unable, or simply unwilling, to see in me.  This is not to say that there aren't children with real mental health issues, who often require specialised assistance with their specific psychological or behavioural challenges; but this is not the case for all children.

In a matter of weeks, I had managed to earn the trust and respect of those very same "problem children", without having to utilise corporal punishment.  Of course, it was not always an easy road, but in the end it was worth it, because I had managed to reach them without the use of physical or psychological abuse.  I was very proud of what I had accomplished with them in the short time that I was privileged to be their teacher.  The love and support of the students was well worth the effort, and I would like to believe that I managed to leave with them some tools that might help them to participate in the dismantling of certain parts of a system that does not, and should not, work for us.

A most essential component in dealing with those labelled as problematic, in my experience, is to identify the root of the behaviour, particularly within the context of how the young person identifies or views him/herself — do forgive the binary description.  If one can do that, and address the young person with a real willingness to listen, and with empathy and compassion, I have found that one can truly provide the sort of assistance, and where necessary, discipline, that the young person may need.  If we cannot divorce our egos from those situations, we might as well deploy the belt or whatever else is on hand, but use it on ourselves, instead; for we would have failed in our duty to aid a young person in need, and by extension, in the development of a kinder, more empathetic and overall emotionally intelligent human race.

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