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p-artsypants · 4 years

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I’ll Handle This (7)

I really just want to say thanks. I love this fandom, and I love this story…just the overwhelming excitement for this fic makes me so so happy. Everything that happens is really just me saying ‘whatever, I want to see this’. Does it make sense? Not always. Is everyone completely in character? Maybe. Am I having a blast? Absolutely!

Thank you for all the comments and kudos!

And sorry for the wait. Wedding planning!

In Which Gabriel is Serenaded

(Ao3 | FF.net)

—

Day three, Adrien awoke on the pillow. He was used to it now, officially. How scary a thought!

Plagg had laid out his outfit, thankfully so Adrien could approve, or at least warm up to the idea.

It was one of the shirts that Marinette had Frankensteined together from the pieces they had found. Absolutely gaudy, atrocious, and a pain to look at. Stripes, polka dots, plaid, little patterns of flowers, all saturated as far top right of the Hue/Sat scale as possible.

It would make his father cry. It would set the media into a frenzy. It was glorious, and that scared Adrien.

It scared him that he was starting to come around. He was starting to enjoy this reckless abandon. It was cathartic to watch his world shift and change into something more chaotic, and yet somehow pleasant. Organized Chaos.

Plagg came out of the bathroom, devoid of mohawks or any other bizarre hairstyle he could have done. His hair was just swept to the side, combed, but not gelled, into place.

The perfect amount of wild.

“You don’t have to wake up when I do.” Plagg stated. “I’ll just drop you in my pocket.”

“It’s alright,” Adrien assured, yawning. “I’m used to waking up this early.”

Plagg dressed quickly, and just as he slid into his moccasins, the room glowed red, and heavy bars slammed shut over the windows.

Both Adrien and Plagg jolted in surprise, Adrien falling into panic.

Plagg just scooped him up, and held him to his chest. “Hey kid, it’s alright. You can phase through things. You can escape if you need too.”

This helped calm him down slightly, if ever so minutely. Plagg tucked him into his pocket, and confidently walked downstairs.

Gabriel and Nathalie were waiting for him in the foyer.

“What's the deal, old man?” Plagg asked, bluntly. “Akuma attack?”

“No,” replied Gabriel, his head held high. “You’re grounded. No school. No friends. Nothing.”

Plagg scoffed. “I’m under literal house arrest?! Come on! I have a sleepover at Nino’s tonight!”

“Did you ask if you could attend this sleepover?”

“No. You were going to say no anyways. Better to beg forgiveness then ask permission and all that.”

“Well, that really solidifies my decision to ground you then. You clearly show a clear lack of critical and mature thinking.”

“Ah, a pompous way of calling me stupid, hmm?”

Gabriel frowned harder, a line forming at the corner of his mouth. “I am not calling you stupid. I just don’t see you making good decisions.”

“Gabriel, before this, I wasn’t making any decisions. Everything I did was according to your will. How can you be mad at me at being bad at something I have no practice doing?”

Gabriel’s eye twitched. “First, do not call me by my first name. Second, I have already made up my mind. If I say you’re grounded, then you’re grounded. Deal with it.”

Oh that was not a good answer. He may have well just said, ‘because I say so.’

And Plagg would not stand for it. He wasn’t standing for it anyway, but he’d at least be willing to bargain with Gabriel if he was offering some excuse about safety for his well being or something.

This was just a power trip.

“Fine,” Plagg smiled maliciously. “Lock me in. But you’re locked in with me. And you’re going to hate it.”

“I don’t have time to entertain you, Adrien, go to your room.”

As a kwami who spent most days in Adrien’s bag, Plagg consumed a lot of media. A pair of headphones, an external battery, and a phone that connected to the school’s wifi, Plagg had days to binge all the things that Adrien was interested in.

And some things that Adrien didn’t care about, like historical dramas, documentaries, and recently, musicals. Especially for time periods that he had witnessed and experienced. He wasn’t omnipotent, so seeing what the humans had thought was important during these periods was fascinating.

But I digress.

The point was that Plagg had a song stuck in his head from a musical and the perfect opportunity to use it had just presented itself.

Gabriel had deemed the conversation over and started to walk back to his office.

“Close every door to me,” Plagg sang, in Adrien’s sweet voice.

Gabriel halted, but did not turn around.

“Hide all the world from me.” Plagg took a step towards him, still singing softly. “Bar all the windows and shut out the light.”

Gabriel turned, raising an eyebrow. “If you think serenading me is going to make me change my—“

But Plagg cut him off, raising his voice slightly, “Do what you want with me, hate me and laugh at me.”

Gabriel just stared, and listened.

“Darken my daytime and torture my night…” Plagg came closer, singing with feeling, trying to convey, even for an instance, a flicker of the emotions that Adrien had.

“If my life were important I would ask ‘will I live or die?’ but I know the answers lie far from this world.”

This was horrifying to Gabriel, apparently, as he protested. “Of course your life is important! Why do you think I—“

“Close every door to me, keep those I love from me. Children of Israel are never alone.”

“Children of—what? We’re not even Jewish. What are you singing about?”

“For I know I shall find my own peace of mind. For I have been promised a land of my own.”

Confused, Gabriel just scoffed and started back to his office. Plagg stayed hot on his heels.

“Close every door to me, hide all the world from me.”

Even Gabriel saw the irony of slamming the office door in Adrien’s face, so he resisted, and let his son continue to serenade him into his office.

“Bar all the windows and shut out the light.”

Gabriel stood at his workstation, determined to ignore his son’s weird emotional outburst, and opened his recent project.

“Just give me a number instead of my name. Forget all about me and let me decay.”

Plagg fought the smile of victory when Gabriel hunched his shoulders. Was that guilt on his face? Perhaps Gabriel wasn’t as shallow as Plagg had thought and lyrics like this would get through to him.

“I do not matter, I'm only one person. Destroy me completely, then throw me away.”

And Gabriel sat, staring with his wide gray eyes. His full attention on his son.

“If my life were important I would ask ‘will I live or die?’ But I know the answers lie far from this world.”

Plagg pounded his fists on the workspace, crying out the words with passion, actually making Gabriel jump.

“Close every door to me! Keep those I love from me!” He leapt up on a coffee table, putting his entire body, his very soul into this performance. “Children of Israel are never alone!”

Gabriel couldn’t move. Why couldn’t he move?

“For we know we shall find our own peace of mind! For we have been promised a land of our own!” He held out that final note, letting it hang in the air, as Gabriel continued to stare, mouth slightly open.

Truth me told, Plagg was just intending to annoy him to freedom, but had the song choice done more? Did Gabriel finally understand?

“Well,” Gabriel adjusted his glasses. “That was...certainly something. If I knew you could sing like that, I would have tried to find a use for it. Never mind, I’ll add it to your resume now.”

No. It seemed that Gabriel was as stubborn and obtuse as ever.

“Close every door to me,” Plagg began again.

“No no no,” Gabriel spoke over him. “One performance is more than enough.”

“Hide all the world from me.”

“Adrien!”

“Darken my daytime, and torture my night.”

Gabriel groaned, and made an effort to ignore Plagg again. A real effort this time, with no eye contact and no facial expression. When that didn’t work, he moved from his workstation and went to grab Adrien. But Plagg evaded him, continuing to sing, with every grasp.

How many times did he cycle through the song? His throat hurt, as every time he reached the climax, he belted out the notes with passion.

It would be surprising if no one outside could hear him.

He climbed up on a table. “If my life were important I would ask will I live or die—“

“Enough! Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up!” Gabriel shouted. “I can’t take this anymore!” He bolted over to the security control panel, and shut off the lock down. The bars on the windows disappeared.

“Go...please, just go.” Gabriel said desperately.

“Cool, thanks dad!” Plagg said cheerfully, skipping out of the room.

Gabriel collapsed onto his workstation.

Whatever tricks Adrien had learned, whatever manipulation guru he had visited, he was good. Very very good. It would take a while to get him back under his thumb. And he might need to resort to more drastic measures.

What was more drastic than putting the house into lockdown? He’d need a little while to contemplate that.

—

Plagg had missed several morning classes thanks to Gabriel’s stunt, but his friends heaved a relaxed sigh when he arrived.

“Hey hey hey!” He sang, coming in the door. “What’s happening, party people?”

“Mr. Agreste!” Miss Mendeleev barked. “You better have a good excuse for being tardy!”

“A great excuse! My dad shut the house down to ground me, and I had to annoy him with Broadway until he opened up. He was a lot more patient than I expected.”

“Are you serious?” Miss Mendeleev asked.

“Madam, do you really think that my father, fashion mogul, would allow me to leave the house like this?” He gestured to his mismatched outfit.

“Point taken. You may take your seat.”

Plagg shot a thumbs up to his friends.

—

After school, the group of four piled into Nino’s family car and headed over to his house.

“I’m so excited! My first sleepover!” The excitement was genuine, as this truly was Plagg’s first sleepover. Of course, his whole life had consisted in sleeping in different places that weren’t his home (the Miracle Box) but the concept of going to a friends house to eat food and gossip all night long was novel and exciting.

“What curfew do you girls have?” Mrs. Lahiffe asked.

“I have until 11,” beamed Alya.

“I have to leave at 9,” Marinette pouted. “I have to help my parents in the bakery tomorrow.”

It was also Ladybug’s solo patrol tonight, Plagg noted to himself. Kind of a saving grace, since Chat certainly wasn’t going to be on it.

“I’ll be sure to count you both for dinner then!” Mrs. Lahiffe chirped.

Adrien had been to Nino’s house a handful of times, all under the pretense of working on homework of course. And it wasn’t a house either, it was an apartment, like most residences in Paris. It was warm, not always clean, and the smell of their cat’s litter was just a hint in the air.

Major Tom was a right good cat. An old gray tabby, who was far too wise for his own good. Plagg had met this family member in person, since the cat was still pretty curious in his age.

As soon as the group of friends entered the apartment, Major Tom stretched and trotted toward them, toward Plagg, and rubbed against his leg.

“Hi Tommy,” Plagg smiled, an inside joke passing between them.

“I swear,” said Nino with defeat. “Major Tom likes you more than anyone else in this house...and you’ve barely met him.”

Plagg just shrugged. “What can I say? I’m a pussy magnet.”

“DUDE! My mom is right there!”

Mrs. Lahiffe was not amused, but the furious giggling from behind him made it all worth it, he supposed.

“Sorry mom, Adrien’s going through a rebellious streak. He doesn’t usually make jokes like that.”

“Yeah, sorry, Uh...I just couldn’t pass up the opportunity.”

Mrs. Lahiffe shook her head. “I noticed your outfit was rather...daring. Is that from your father’s new collection?”

“Nope! This is a Marinette original!”

Marinette smacked him in the arm. “I told you not to associate me with that abomination!” She turned to Mrs. Lahiffe and quickly clarified, “He designed it and I carried out the deed.”

“Oh you kids are so funny!” She laughed. “Well, you didn’t come over to entertain me! Go have fun, I’ll get pizza around 6?”

“Thanks mom!”

“Thanks Mrs. Lahiffe!”

On the way to Nino’s room, he asked. “What movie do you guys want to watch tonight?”

Plagg grinned, “Have you ever seen Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat?”

—

Chapter is kind of short, but I have delayed it long enough, and sleepover shenanigans need their own chapter.

The song Plagg sang was ‘Close Every Door’ from Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.

#ml #miraculous ladybug #adrien agreste #adrienette #chat noir #I'll handle this #fanfiction

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kyndaris · 4 years

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The Great Internet Debate

Since the tail end of 2020, many Australians were informed by Google of a political stoush between big news corporations and the tech company behind our favourite search engine. The open letter to end users read like a doomsday spiel – spelling out the encroaching disaster if a mandatory news code came into effect. The proposed legislation – the News Media Bargaining Code – was explained as a means of paying for news content when all that Google did was provide the necessary links for people to ‘choose’ what content they actively consumed. Google also advised that the News Media Bargaining Code would make it unfair for small businesses as larger media companies would be informed of algorithm changes ahead of time and be given data on users to maximise coverage.

A grim picture was painted. Why should big news media companies receive data and information about everyday users of a search engine? Why should their links be propped up higher than other smaller outlets?

At the start of 2021, after a Senate hearing, Google also warned that the proposed legislation might lead to the removal of Google Search in its entirety in Australia. Why? Because why should it pay to just provide a multitude of links based off whatever a person is searching for?

I know that as a writer, most of my searches aren’t news related. In fact, they’re mostly about things people wore in the 18th to 19th century. I ask the internet when doorknobs were invented or the nature of horse care. There was even one enquiry that might have put me on alert lists across the world: how long does it take for a body disposed in water to rise to the surface?

But that was important for a very singular scene in my story, all right! Murder happens in my stories! I just want to make sure that I’ve got all the facts right as well as the science!

What Google, and by extension Facebook, failed to address was the uneven distribution of ad revenue when it comes to large news media. With the advent of the internet, it’s become much harder for traditional newspapers and television stations to accrue the wealth they had.

The news media Bargaining Code however would force huge tech giants to negotiate with each individual news corporation and find a way to ensure a ‘fair’ means of distributing ad revenue by entering into commercial agreements or be subjected to arbitration. In this way, jobs could be kept and journalism could be regarded, once again, as the respected profession that it should be. So, to be honest, it does sound like a noble thing to do in order to support struggling companies.

As for my personal opinion? Well, I’ll be honest with you. I’m not entirely swayed by any one side. There are pros and cons to each.

My own experience with the search engine is indicative of this. The only time I’ve used Google to search for the news is when I’ve been too lazy to memorise the actual link for ABC News. Otherwise, it’s very easy to simply type into your browser: news.com.au or smh.com.au

Often, I feel that the one great problem with these news websites is their inability to modernise and to accommodate a generation that prefers immediacy. A lot of news websites, based off the newspapers that are still being published, have arbitrary gatekeeping with regards to the number of ‘free’ articles that can be viewed each month and an exorbitant subscription fee.

Let’s, for the sake of argument, use the Sydney Morning Herald as an example. Most of their articles on their main website have intriguing headlines and a small excerpt for what the article is about. One can easily get the gist of the content readily available simply by skimming over the content. There’s no mystery or anything too attention grabbing.

If one were curious and wished to learn more, they’d simply click open the article.

But this is where the Sydney Morning Herald falters a little.

Ad revenue, as most people know, is driven by clicks. The more clicks an end-user makes, the more money a company can make. Perhaps, it’s true, that news corporations could make a few more dollars by partnering with search engines to ensure that ads on their website are linked to whatever other websites that the end-user was previously poring over. After all, I’m not as interested in say a NAB home loan than a new game that’s come out.

Yet the crux of the matter comes from the very fact that the Sydney Morning Herald only allows five ‘free’ articles per month. In order to get around that, one needs to ‘subscribe.’ And the subscriptions aren’t very cheap. Particularly for the younger generation. $3.50 a week sounds nice, but if you add it all up, it can be quite significant. Annually, the Starter Digital is $160 per year.

Not a choice most people are willing to dip their toes in when they also have to pay for Netflix, Stan, Disney+ and a whole host of other things that catch their eye.

So, how does something like the Sydney Morning Herald make money when paper is all but dead? One thing they could implement is additional ads on their website and perhaps at the top and bottom of their articles. They could also stop hiding their articles behind paywalls. No student has the money to pay for it, particularly when they’re only using the website for a school project.

Lower your subscriptions and give more back to the consumer. Make it more appealing.

News.com.au might not have the cleanest reputation, but their headlines catch the eye. It might be click-baity as all hell, but in this day and age, it’s what helps it to survive.

It’s not a perfect solution, true, but it might give them a little bit more of a boost.

And instead of only relying on the written word, it might be prudent now to create more videos to elucidate the topics they want to explore. Particularly when it comes to news that most consumers want on a more instantaneous basis. These days, video streaming is the way to go. Three-minute or five-minute videos are pretty easily digestible. And a lot of it can be monetised. It might not be a huge amount of money, but every little thing counts.

Investigative journalism, on the other hand, would need to be well researched and thought out. You can have a written article and transcript or you could have a well-plotted fifteen-minute video. The dialogue needs to be snappy yet informative. News needs to learn how to target their audiences instead of catering only to the older generation.

As for recaps of movies or television shows? You can’t go wrong with James Weir and his commentary. I might not watch Married at First Sight or the Bachelor, but I’d almost definitely read his recap of the episodes because of his biting comments and snide observations.

APPEAL TO THE LOWEST COMMON DENOMINATOR!

Make your websites lively. Make them relevant. Grab the attention of millennials and Generation Z instead of pandering to baby boomers.

Beyond that, find ways to adapt in the current marketplace. So many YouTube creators have to constantly find ways to get around changes to the YouTube algorithm. They complain, sure, but in order to be fair, no one content creator should be told what the changes will be beforehand.

Above all else, negotiate in good faith. And stand your ground. Google and Facebook should not just threaten to remove their services from the good people of Australia just for few million dollars in ad revenue. But, there’s also no need to demand algorithms or have your links unfairly pushed to the top of Google Search and quashing smaller independent voices.

Even if Facebook were to take away the ability to share links, though, I’m sure people will still be able to make do. I know that I, for one, could very easily summarise an article that I’ve read. And if someone wanted links...well...I’m sure I could devise a method to provide an alternate solution to do so.

In any case, depending on how Google reacts, this humble blogger might have to think about investing in a VPN. Which, unfortunately, might see local Australian businesses suffer because the massive search engine I’m using would be defaulted to another country somewhere in the vast piece of rock we call home. Of course, in saying that, we do still have Bing. So, you know what? Everyone, it’s time to put Bing on the map and make it a serious contender against Google.

So, despite my limited understanding of the entire kerfuffle that’s been kicked up between Google and traditional news media, that is my two cents on the situation. Greed is not good. And don’t use a good honest people as hostages to the regulation of the wild west internet.

Edit: By the time this post goes up, Google has come to several agreements with major news corporations in Australia whilst Facebook has removed all news content for Australians. Which means no sharing of links to news websites for all of us down under.

Unfortunately, news wasn’t properly defined and so many other pages had their posts wiped, such as emergency services and a member of parliament. Here’s hoping that Facebook will also put a stop on conspiracy pages and anti-vaxxer propaganda.

Further edit: After a week of removing news content, Facebook has reversed its decision.

#personal blog #google vs news corps #time to get a VPN

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letterboxd · 4 years

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Pure Verhoeven.

Writer and director Jeffrey McHale talks to Dominic Corry about his new documentary You Don’t Nomi—an examination of the cult surrounding Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 “masterpiece of shit”, Showgirls—and recommends a few campy sequels to watch afterwards.

Few films have enjoyed as interesting a post-release existence as Paul Verhoeven’s 1995 film Showgirls. A classic “blank check” movie—that is, a film made with unnatural freedom thanks to a director’s prior success—Verhoeven and controversial screenwriter Joe Eszterhas attempted to build on the success of their 1992 smash Basic Instinct by upping the on-screen sauce in a riff on All About Eve, set in the “high-stakes” world of Las Vegas striptease.

Elizabeth Berkley, at the time still defined by her performance as the (mostly) virtuous Jessie in the Saturday-morning teen sitcom Saved By The Bell, led the film as Nomi Malone, a young woman who arrives in Vegas, gets work stripping in a low-rent club, then ascends to the sought-after position of lead showgirl in a big casino’s “classy” choreographed striptease show, replacing the previous star Cristal Conners (Gina Gershon).

Proudly sporting the otherwise box-office-neutering NC17 rating, Showgirls was marketed as a serious adult drama about ambition and the price of success. It was not received as such, instead met with huge amounts of ridicule by audiences and critics alike. Pick a Letterboxd review at random, and you get, for example, “Beautiful direction, so if you put it on mute, it’d probably be great. But nearly every actor is sorely miscast and the script is the hottest garbage.”

Poor Berkley received a lot of the blame, and although she continued to work, the venomous (and often misogynistic) critiques hindered her career as a big-screen leading lady.

Then something funny happened—the film was re-evaluated as a camp classic, driven largely by the queer community, who embraced its over-the-top ridiculousness. The cult has grown considerably over the years, expanding into midnight screenings and even live stage adaptations. Subsequent DVD releases have leaned into the perception by offering commentary tracks that acknowledge the movie’s glorious failings.

Showgirls’ continued presence in the culture has even seen it experience something of an artistic redemption. Its perception is now well beyond that of being simply a camp classic that is so fun because it’s so bad—it’s a genuine cultural touchstone that tells us a lot about how audiences judge films featuring overt sexuality. Indeed, among the many ironies associated with the film is that it was partially designed to highlight American sexual hypocrisy, then failed spectacularly in a manner that effectively highlighted American sexual hypocrisy.

Kyle MacLachlan and Elizabeth Berkley in ‘Showgirls’.

A brief survey of Letterboxd reviews finds plenty of fans. In a half-star review alongside the exhortation to “please for the love of God watch Showgirls”, Letterboxd member Jesse writes: “There shouldn’t be any shame in liking something you know is bad, I don’t have to try and re-codify Showgirls as a secretly good classic just because of how amazing it is. It truly deserves its cult following.” Jesse makes particular mention of the infamous swimming pool sequence, a scene “so unsexy… that it achieves camp euphoria, a pure moment of enlightened cheese that needs to be seen to be believed”.

“‘So bad it’s good’ it may be for some but I happen to be among the camp that thinks Showgirls is genuine good: a misunderstood work brimming with brilliance,” writes Jaime Rebenal, while Matt Lynch argues that it’s often mistaken for “a satire of American greed and attendant dreams of stardom, when its true target is the apparatus that sells those dreams to an endlessly returning audience of narcissistic suckers.”

Or, as Joe puts it, “The Rosetta Stone for understanding this entire movie (if not life itself) is the shot of Elizabeth Berkley angrily slamming a ketchup bottle on the table and causing a bright red stream of ketchup to come flying out.”

Jeffrey McHale’s ridiculously entertaining new documentary You Don’t Nomi looks at the cult of Showgirls from a multitude of angles, including the evolving critical and cultural perception of the film, how Verhoeven’s characterization of his intentions have changed over the years, the significance of the film within the LGBTQIA+ community, and how Berkley eventually emerged from the whole affair as something of a hero.

McHale makes fantastic use of footage from Verhoeven’s killer filmography to emphasize his points, alongside interviews with a variety of cultural critics. He tells the story of April Kidwell, the writer, producer and star of I, Nomi, a one-woman musical comedy about the life of Nomi Malone before and after her adventures in Showgirls. Kidwell is a fascinating presence in the film, and not just because she also played Nomi in the stage show Showgirls: The Musical! and Berkley’s character in the Saved By The Bell-inspired Bayside: The Musical!.

The twentieth-anniversary ‘Showgirls’ screening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

The documentary features illuminating footage from the twentieth-anniversary screening of Showgirls at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Los Angeles, an event that Berkley attended, where she received a rapturous response from the thousands of fans present.

McHale attended that screening, and told Letterboxd that that’s where his deeper interest in the film was properly sparked.

Jeffrey McHale: I had seen it already, ten years prior to that, but that was the first time I saw it with an audience. I think that was, officially, the largest screening of Showgirls that has happened. There were 4,000 people there. I’m not from LA, but I’ve lived in LA for the last eight years, and I’ve gone to a couple of those Hollywood Forever screenings and I don’t think anyone in our group anticipated Elizabeth Berkley showing up. It felt epic. It was a historic moment in the afterlife of Showgirls.

I didn’t walk away [from that screening] thinking ‘I should make a documentary’, but I was mostly interested in kind of finding out more. You’re always curious if you can figure anything out about the intentions or what the filmmakers had in mind, so that’s what inspired me to start consuming everything that had been written about Showgirls. I read the Adam Layman book, the book of poems, [lots of] articles, and I was just scouring the internet for reviews. And what I found was this wide range of really interesting opinions, theories and people’s relationships with the film. Everything was just so different. You set out looking for answers, and it’s not about getting the answer for it, it’s about this ever-evolving relationship that we have with this piece of art.

At what point did you come to realize the degree to which the queer community had embraced this film? As a gay man myself, it feels like it’s part of the fabric of our culture, ’90s culture. The poet Jeffrey Conway, when I interviewed him, he said it perfectly: it’s just like in your DNA, you know? It appeals to the queer culture community, you cannot explain it but you’re just kind of drawn to it. I thought that was an interesting way of describing the experience of watching something like that.

This film appears to only be widening the cult of Showgirls. It’s been a really fun project, and I’ve been blown away by the response it’s getting. I didn’t really know what the end result would be when I started. I knew that whatever you make, there will be a very vocal and excited and enthusiastic fan base. I’ve been very surprised by the broad appeal. These are people who have never seen Showgirls and are really drawn to it, and find the message and the story, the culture, and the way that we consume media, the way that we critically talk about things. It’s been a wild ride.

The twentieth-anniversary ‘Showgirls’ screening at Hollywood Forever Cemetery.

You point out the hypocrisy of how audiences are willing to see Verhoeven’s films as satirical when it comes to the violence (as with Robocop and Starship Troopers), but when it comes to the sex, the audience gets prudish. Paul and Joe talked about that on a lot of their press junket interviews: America’s fine with the violence and the violence gets you rated PG13, but then you have something as human as sex, then that’s shunned and discouraged. It was interesting going back and just looking at the way in which Elizabeth was criticized. And the way that Paul was criticized. Just the way she was ripped apart for her physical features and all that, it was disgusting. I think we’ve evolved a little bit further in that sense. I don’t think that you’d see a Gene Siskel review, the way that he describes her face, those details, like comparing which one was hotter, it was like: this is what we’re reviewing? Actresses’ physical attributes? It was disgusting. I think we’ve gotten better in that sense.

How did you encounter April Kidwell? She brought a lot to the film. She was one of the later additions to the project, after we’d started reaching out to people. I knew that she was in the musical. Then I found out that she had also done Saved By The Bell. It was really interesting that she played two Elizabeth Berkley characters, to get her opinion on it. From the very first phone call, she was just so open. I was blown away by her story and how vulnerable she was, just putting herself out there. She’s been very open about her experience and the way that it was therapeutic for her. She’s the heart and soul of Nomi. She’s somebody who went through something awful, disgusting, terrible, and now she’s found power and strength, within—specifically—the character. The act of performing Nomi on stage was therapeutic for her. It was an experience that no other person I spoke with had. She’s amazing.

Gina Gershon in ’Showgirls’.

I loved how you used footage from the other Verhoeven films to provide additional commentary. How did you come to adopt that filmmaking strategy? When I went in, I didn’t how much of that would play into the narrative. I wasn’t familiar with his earlier work. But when I started to go back and watched all of his Dutch films, I was surprised by how all the dots, everything just felt like it was connecting. All these motifs and scenes and shots. And how repetitively these things popped up. So I wanted a visual way, to kind of make it a subplot, where the characters were interacting with Showgirls, where their experience paralleled the contributors, so that was a way to visually tie it back to the argument that people like to think Showgirls sits by itself outside of all of Paul’s other films, like Starship Troopers, Robocop and Total Recall, but tying it into the argument that it’s Verhoeven at his purest, [which is what] I like to think of Showgirls as.

I’m a huge Verhoeven nut and I’d always been disturbed by the dog food subplot in Spetters [in which a takeout van sells croquettes made with jelly-meat], but I had never drawn the connection to Showgirls [in which Cristal and Nomi bond over both having once been so poor that they had to survive on dog food]. I’d also never noticed how much vomiting is a recurring motif for him. Yeah! Women vomiting! It was always women that were throwing up, which is just bizarre. The doggy chow thing I thought was interesting because [initially] I felt like ‘oh this is a Joe Eszterhas bit’, something from his script that’s just bizarre and weird, but then when I saw that thread from Spetters, it was just like ‘oh my god, you’ve done the whole eating doggy chow thing before’.

I’ve always been interested in Verhoeven’s evolving description of the film himself; how he has recast history a bit to say he was in on the joke, but the funniest thing I thought he ever said about it was that he regretted not putting a serial killer plot in Showgirls, because that would’ve distracted the Americans. Had you heard that? I have yes. I think Adam Layman mentioned that. [Verhoeven]’s like: “Basic Instinct was enough of a thriller that people could watch it.” That was something I’d heard a couple of times before. I think he’d actually been considering it, like a death or a murder or something.

Thanks for making your list of Campy Sequels To Watch After Showgirls. Talk us through them. What did you make of Showgirls 2: Penny’s From Heaven? I’ve only seen clips. It’s a film that might be better in small doses, not one whole thing, because I think it’s, like, two and half hours long. I think it took me a couple of viewings to get through the whole thing. But it’s interesting because [filmmaker] Rena Riffel plays Penny/Hope in Showgirls. She wrote it, directed it and starred in it, and it follows her character playing off Nomi’s leaving Vegas to go to Hollywood. [Riffel] was in Mulholland Drive, so part of me thinks she was trying to do a David Lynch thing. Or a John Waters thing. She’s definitely very aware of the afterlife and the over-the-top campiness of it. So there’s all these little Easter eggs where she’s drawing comparisons to Showgirls. But it’s super low budget, and she kind of embraces that. I would recommend it to hard core fans of Showgirls; it’s definitely not a movie for everybody.

‘Showgirls 2: Penny’s From Heaven’, featuring writer-director Rena Riffel (right) as Penny.

Grease 2 ‘Cool Rider’—amazing. Christmas-tree dress. I like that the gender roles were flipped. And it’s a fun movie. It’s a fun movie that I always enjoyed as kid.

Gremlins 2: The New Batch That was another one that I saw late. And I mean, the musical number, Hulk Hogan, just knowing that the director went all out and didn’t hold anything back. I mean—Vegetable Gremlin? There are just so many things it in that are bizarre, and it didn’t follow the traditional 80s/90s sequel formula.

Beyond The Valley of the Dolls Yeah. You know that Roger Ebert wrote that, right? That’s another one that’s probably closer to Showgirls 2 in the Russ Meyer aesthetic of it. But these are all films that had similar [critical trajectories]—it was panned when it came out but got [a] second life. I mean not to the scale that Showgirls has, but I think people revisit it and embrace it for what it

Magic Mike XXL It feels like they’re more in on the joke, and I kind of found it more enjoyable than the first one, just because it didn’t seem like it was taking itself so seriously. And Jada Pinkett Smith is kind of playing the Matthew McConaughey role. It’s The Big Chill meets Chippendales. And as far as the dance numbers go, it feels a lot campier and they’re a little bit more aware of what’s happening. Not as much as like a failed-seriousness kind of camp, but there’s something going on there.

Final question. Showgirls: good or bad? I call it a masterpiece of shit.

‘You Don’t Nomi’ is available to stream or rent on digital and VOD services.

#showgirls #showgirls 2 penny's from heaven #paul verhoeven #joe ezsterhas #camp classics #lgbtqia #queer cinema #elizabeth berkley #jeffrey mchale #letterboxd

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Coronavirus Live Updates: Vietnam and Australia Curb Access to China as Death Toll Passes 250 https://nyti.ms/2RL1Ary

As New Virus Spread, China’s Old Habits Delayed Fight.... At critical turning points, Chinese authorities put secrecy and order ahead of openly confronting the growing crisis and risking public alarm or political embarrassment.

By Chris Buckley and Steven Lee Myers | Published Feb. 1, 2020, 12:30 p.m. ET | New York Times | Posted Feb 1, 2020 |

WUHAN, China — A mysterious illness had stricken seven patients at a hospital, and a doctor tried to warn his medical school classmates. “Quarantined in the emergency department,” the doctor, Li Wenliang, wrote in an online chat group on Dec. 30, referring to patients.

“So frightening,” one recipient replied, before asking about the epidemic that began in China in 2002 and ultimately killed nearly 800 people. “Is SARS coming again?”

In the middle of the night, officials from the health authority in the central city of Wuhan summoned Dr. Li, demanding to know why he had shared the information. Three days later, the police compelled him to sign a statement that his warning constituted “illegal behavior.”

The illness was not SARS, but something similar: a coronavirus that is now on a relentless march outward from Wuhan, throughout the country and across the globe, killing at least 259 people in China and infecting more than 11,700.

The government’s initial handling of the epidemic allowed the virus to gain a tenacious hold. At critical moments, officials chose to put secrecy and order ahead of openly confronting the growing crisis to avoid public alarm and political embarrassment.

A reconstruction of the crucial seven weeks between the appearance of the first symptoms in early December and the government’s decision to lock down the city, based on two dozen interviews with Wuhan residents, doctors and officials, on government statements and on Chinese media reports, points to decisions that delayed a concerted public health offensive.

In those weeks, the authorities silenced doctors and others for raising red flags. They played down the dangers to the public, leaving the city’s 11 million residents unaware they should protect themselves. They closed a food market where the virus was believed to have started, but told the public it was for renovations.

Their reluctance to go public, in part, played to political motivations as local officials prepared for their annual congresses in January. Even as cases climbed, officials declared repeatedly that there had likely been no more infections.

By not moving aggressively to warn the public and medical professionals, public health experts say, the Chinese government lost one of its best chances to keep the disease from becoming an epidemic.

“This was an issue of inaction,” said Yanzhong Huang, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations who studies China. “There was no action in Wuhan from the local health department to alert people to the threat.”

The first case, the details of which are limited and the specific date unknown, was in early December. By the time the authorities galvanized into action on Jan. 20, the disease had grown into a formidable threat.

It is now a global health emergency. It has triggered travel restrictions around the world, shaken financial markets and created perhaps the greatest challenge yet for China’s leader, Xi Jinping. The crisis could upend Mr. Xi’s agenda for months or longer, even undermining his vision of a political system that offers security and growth in return for submission to iron-fisted authoritarianism.

On the last day of 2019, after Dr. Li’s message was shared outside the group, the authorities focused on controlling the narrative. The police announced that they were investigating eight people for spreading rumors about the outbreak.

That same day, Wuhan’s health commission, its hand forced by those “rumors,” announced that 27 people were suffering from pneumonia of an unknown cause. Its statement said there was no need to be alarmed.

“The disease is preventable and controllable,” the statement said.

Dr. Li, an ophthalmologist, went back to work after being reprimanded. On Jan. 10, he treated a woman for glaucoma. He did not know she had already been infected with the coronavirus, probably by her daughter. They both became sick. So would he.

HAZMAT SUITS AND DISINFECTANTS

Hu Xiaohu, who sold processed pork in the Huanan Seafood Wholesale Market, sensed by late December that something was amiss. Workers were coming down with nagging fevers. No one knew why but, Mr. Hu said, several were in hospital quarantine.

The market occupies much of a block in a newer part of the city, sitting incongruously near apartment buildings and shops catering to the growing middle class. It is a warren of stalls selling meats, poultry and fish, as well as more exotic fare, including live reptiles and wild game that some in China prize as delicacies. According to a report by the city’s center for disease control, sanitation was dismal, with poor ventilation and garbage piled on wet floors.

In hospitals, doctors and nurses were puzzled to see a cluster of patients with symptoms of a viral pneumonia that did not respond to the usual treatments. They soon noticed that many patients had one thing in common: They worked in Huanan market.

On Jan. 1, police officers showed up at the market, along with public health officials, and shut it down. Xinhua news agency reported that the market was undergoing renovation, but that morning, workers in hazmat suits moved in, washing out stalls and spraying disinfectants.

It was, for the public, the first visible government response to contain the disease. The day before, on Dec. 31, national authorities had alerted the World Health Organization’s office in Beijing of an outbreak.

City officials struck optimistic notes in their announcements. They suggested they had stopped the virus at its source. The cluster of illnesses was limited. There was no evidence the virus spread between humans.

“Projecting optimism and confidence, if you don’t have the data, is a very dangerous strategy,” said Alexandra Phelan, a faculty research instructor in the department of microbiology and immunology at Georgetown University.

“It undermines the legitimacy of the government in messaging,” she added. “And public health is dependent on public trust.”

Nine days after the market closed, a man who shopped there regularly became the first fatality of the disease, according to a report by the Wuhan Health Commission, the agency that oversees public health and sanitation. The 61-year-old, identified by his last name, Zeng, already had chronic liver disease and a tumor in his abdomen, and had checked into Wuhan Puren Hospital with a raging fever and difficulty breathing.

The authorities disclosed the man’s death two days after it happened. They did not mention a crucial detail in understanding the course of the epidemic. Mr. Zeng’s wife had developed symptoms five days after he did.

She had never visited the market.

THE RACE TO IDENTIFY A KILLER

About 20 miles from the market, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology were studying samples from the patients checking into the city’s hospitals. One of the scientists, Zheng-Li Shi, was part of the team that tracked down the origins of the SARS virus, which emerged in the southern province of Guangdong in 2002.

As the public remained largely in the dark about the virus, she and her colleagues quickly pieced together that the new outbreak was related to SARS. The genetic composition suggested a common initial host: bats. The SARS epidemic began when a coronavirus jumped from bats to Asian palm civets, a catlike creature that is legally raised and consumed. It was likely that this new coronavirus had followed a similar path — possibly somewhere in or on the way to the Huanan market or another market like it.

Around the same time, Dr. Li and other medical professionals in Wuhan started trying to provide warnings to colleagues and others when the government did not. Lu Xiaohong, the head of gastroenterology at City Hospital No. 5, told China Youth Daily that she had heard by Dec. 25 that the disease was spreading among medical workers — a full three weeks before the authorities would acknowledge the fact. She did not go public with her concerns, but privately warned a school near another market.

By the first week of January, the emergency ward in Hospital No. 5 was filling; the cases included members of the same family, making it clear that the disease was spreading through human contact, which the government had said was not likely.

No one realized, the doctor said, that it was as serious as it would become until it was too late to stop it.

“I realized that we had underestimated the enemy,” she said.

At the Institute of Virology, Dr. Shi and her colleagues isolated the genetic sequence and the viral strain during the first week of January. They used samples from seven of the first patients, six of them vendors at the market.

On Jan. 7, the institute’s scientists gave the new coronavirus its identity and began referring to it by the technical shorthand nCoV-2019. Four days later, the team posted the genetic sequence of the new virus on a database of sequences of nucleotides, the molecules that are basic units of DNA.

That allowed scientists around the world to study the virus and swiftly share their findings. As the scientific community moved quickly to devise a test for exposure, political leaders remained reluctant to act.

‘POLITICS IS ALWAYS NO. 1’

As the virus spread in early January, the mayor of Wuhan, Zhou Xianwang, was touting futuristic health care plans for the city.

It was China’s political season, when officials gather for annual meetings of People’s Congresses — the Communist Party-run legislatures that discuss and praise policies. It is not a time for bad news.

When Mr. Zhou delivered his annual report to the city’s People’s Congress on Jan. 7 against a backdrop of bright red national flags, he promised the city top-class medical schools, a World Health Expo, and a futuristic industry park for medical companies. Not once did he or any other city or provincial leader publicly mention the viral outbreak.

“Stressing politics is always No. 1,” the governor of Hubei, Wang Xiaodong, told officials on Jan. 17, citing Mr. Xi’s precepts of top-down obedience. “Political issues are at any time the most fundamental major issues.”

Shortly after, Wuhan went ahead with a massive annual potluck banquet for 40,000 families from a city precinct, which critics later cited as evidence that local leaders took the virus far too lightly.

As the congress was taking place, the health commission’s daily updates on the outbreak said again and again that there were no new cases of infection, no firm evidence of human transmission and no infection of medical workers.

“We knew this was not the case!” said a complaint later filed with the National Health Commission on a government website. The anonymous author said he was a doctor in Wuhan and described a surge in unusual chest illnesses beginning Jan. 12.

Officials told doctors at a top city hospital “don’t use the words viral pneumonia on the image reports,” according to the complaint, which has since been removed. People were complacent, “thinking that if the official reports had nothing, then we were exaggerating,” the doctor explained.

Even those stricken felt lulled into complacency.

When Dong Guanghe developed a fever on Jan. 8 in Wuhan, his family was not alarmed, his daughter said. He was treated in the hospital and sent home. Then, 10 days later, Mr. Dong’s wife fell ill with similar symptoms.

“The news said nothing about the severity of the epidemic,” said the daughter, Dong Mingjing. “I thought that my dad had a common cold.”

The government’s efforts to minimize public disclosure persuaded more than just untrained citizens.

“If there are no new cases in the next few days, the outbreak is over,” Guan Yi, a respected professor of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, said on Jan. 15.

The World Health Organization’s statements during this period echoed the reassuring words of Chinese officials.

It had spread. Thailand reported the first confirmed case outside China on Jan. 13.

A CITY BESIEGED

The first deaths and the spread of the disease abroad appeared to grab the attention of the top authorities in Beijing. The national government dispatched Zhong Nanshan, a renowned and now-semiretired epidemiologist who was instrumental in the fight against SARS, to Wuhan to assess the situation.

He arrived on Jan. 18, just as the tone of local officials was shifting markedly. A health conference in Hubei Province that day called on medical workers to make the disease a priority. An internal document from Wuhan Union Hospital warned its employees that the coronavirus could be spread through saliva.

On Jan. 20, more than a month after the first symptoms spread, the current of anxiety that had been steadily gaining strength exploded into public. Dr. Zhong announced in an interview on state television that there was no doubt that the coronavirus spread with human contact. Worse, one patient had infected at least 14 medical personnel.

Mr. Xi, fresh from a state visit to Myanmar, made his first public statement about the outbreak, issuing a brief set of instructions.

It was only with the order from Mr. Xi that the bureaucracy leapt into action. At that point the death toll was three; in the next 11 days, it would rise above 200.

In Wuhan, the city banned tour groups from visiting. Residents began pulling on masks.

Guan Yi, the Hong Kong expert who had earlier voiced optimism that the outbreak could level off, was now alarmed. He dropped by one of the city’s other food markets and was shocked by the complacency, he said. He told city officials that the epidemic was “already beyond control” and would leave. “I hurriedly booked a departure,” Dr. Guan told Caixin, a Chinese news organization.

Two days later, the city announced that it was shutting itself down, a move that could only have been approved by Beijing.

In Wuhan, many residents said they did not grasp the gravity of the epidemic until the lockdown. The mass alarm that officials feared at the start became a reality, heightened by the previous paucity of information.

Crowds of people crushed the airport and train stations to get out before the deadline fell on the morning of Jan. 23. Hospitals were packed with people desperate to know if they, too, were infected.

“We didn’t wear masks at work. That would have frightened off customers,” Yu Haiyan, a waitress from rural Hubei, said of the days before the shutdown. “When they closed off Wuhan, only then did I think, ‘Oh, this is really serious, this is not some average virus.’”

Wuhan’s mayor, Zhou Xianwang, later took responsibility for the delay in reporting the scale of the epidemic, but said he was hampered by the national law on infectious diseases. That law allows provincial governments to declare an epidemic only after receiving central government approval. “After I receive information, I can only release it when I’m authorized,” he said.

The official reflex for suppressing discomforting information now appears to be cracking, as officials at various levels seek to shift blame for the government’s response.

With the crisis worsening, Dr. Li’s efforts are no longer viewed as reckless. A commentary on the social media account of the Supreme People’s Court criticized the police for investigating people for circulating rumors.

“It might have been a better way to prevent and control the new coronavirus today if the public had believed the ‘rumor’ then and started to wear masks and carry out sanitary measures and avoid the wild animal market,” the commentary said.

Dr. Li is 34 and has a child. He and his wife are expecting a second in the summer. He is now recovering from the virus in the hospital where he worked. In an interview via text messages, he said he felt aggrieved by the police actions.

“If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier,” he said, “I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency.”

_____

This article is based on reporting and research by Elsie Chen, Sheri Fink, Claire Fu, Javier Hernandez, Zoe Mou, Amy Qin, Knvul Sheikh, Amber Wang, Yiwei Wang, Sui-Lee Wee, Li Yuan, Albee Zhang and Raymond Zhong.

*********

China Increasingly Walled Off as Countries Seek to Stem Coronavirus

The number of deaths from the virus outbreak rose to 259 and the number of cases soared to nearly 12,000. Australia and Japan joined the United States in imposing travel restrictions.

By Alexandra Stevenson | Published Feb. 1, 2020, 3:52 p.m. ET | New York Times | Posted February 1, 2020 |

HONG KONG — New walls are rising between China and the world as the country grapples with a fast-moving coronavirus and its mounting death toll.

Vietnam on Saturday became the latest country to try to close itself off from the world’s most populous country, barring all flights from and to China. Over all, nearly 10,000 flights have been canceled since the outbreak.

Australia joined the United States in temporarily denying entry to noncitizens who have recently traveled to the country. There are officially eight confirmed cases in the United States, including one person connected to the University of Massachusetts-Boston.

Japan also said it would bar foreigners who had recently been in the Chinese province at the center of the outbreak, or whose passports were issued there.

As the death toll increases and more countries cut off China, the economic and political crisis caused by the virus is only intensifying there, with authorities coming under scrutiny for their slow initial response.

Major businesses have started to acknowledge the effect that the virus — and China’s near shutdown — is having on their bottom lines. Earlier, Apple had said it was rerouting part of its supply chain but would shut only one store. By Saturday, it said it would close all 42 of its stores in mainland China, its third-biggest market and where it generates about one-sixth of its sales.

It was the latest move by some of the world’s biggest companies to shift supply chains and adjust operations in China.

Chinese officials have been changing course after their initially slow response to the virus.

A prominent government expert admitted that he had been wrong to say the virus was under control in early January.

And the mayor of a town near Wuhan, the center of the outbreak, was fired for negligence after the disabled teenage son of a quarantined patient died. The cause of death was still under investigation.

But the Chinese authorities also appeared to be taking tougher measures to stifle criticism, for example scrubbing the internet of an article critical of the government in The Global Times, a tabloid controlled by the governing Communist Party.

As the number of deaths and new cases rapidly rose this past week — 259 deaths and nearly 12,000 by Saturday — one by one, international organizations and foreign countries reacted.

The State Department issued a travel alert urging Americans not to go to to China because of the public health threat.

Delta, United and American Airlines suspended all flights between the United States and mainland China.

By the time the World Health Organization declared the outbreak a global health emergency on Thursday, some of the world’s biggest companies had barred their employees from any travel to China, and countries began to close their borders.

Even as some countries took drastic measures, their leaders also acknowledged the economic impact.

“It’s going to hurt us,” warned Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of Singapore, after announcing that the small island state would bar all Chinese visitors and foreigners who had traveled to China within the past 14 days. (The incubation period for the disease is believed to be one to two weeks.)

“China is a very big source of tourists for Singapore,” Mr. Lee told reporters after announcing the ban. Restaurants, travel operators and hotels in Singapore were all “bound to be significantly affected.”

On Saturday, Australia joined the United States and a growing list of other countries and cities that have issued travel warnings in an attempt to stem the flow of people who could be carrying the virus. The American government said on Friday that it would temporarily deny entry to noncitizens who had recently traveled to China.

The Australian government also urged Australian nationals to “reconsider their need to travel” to China. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that “Australian citizens, Australian residents, dependents, legal guardians or spouses” would still be allowed to return.

Qantas, Australia’s biggest airline, canceled its mainland flights, though it said it would still fly to Hong Kong.

Taiwan said it would bar Chinese nationals from the southern coastal province of Guangdong from entry beginning Sunday and travelers who recently visited the area would be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine.

Vietnam, China’s neighbor along its southern border, joined Singapore and Mongolia in essentially shutting off its borders to China, banning all flights coming from mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau until May 1, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. Only flights that have received approval from the country’s Civil Aviation Authority will be allowed following the ban, which took effect on Saturday.

The Mongolian authorities also shut the border with China until March 2, while other countries and regions this past week stopped short of sealing off their borders entirely.

Hong Kong halved the number of flights from China, shut down rail service to mainland China, and also limited visas to the semiautonomous region in a move that has prompted criticism from trade unions including hospital workers, some of whom have voted to strike. They want to shut the city off from the mainland.

In a twist, Hun Sen, the leader of Cambodia, one of China’s close neighbors, emerged as a contrarian when he decided not to limit any travel and movement of Chinese tourists to his country.

He was defiant in his decision, saying that doing so would “be an attack on the Cambodian economy” and would “strain relations” with China.

“I don’t care what other countries think — Cambodia does not behave this way,” he said.

Cambodia is home to many Chinese businessmen and China is the country’s largest benefactor.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, sent a letter to President Xi Jinping of China offering condolences — and aid — to help Beijing fight the coronavirus outbreak, the North’s state-run news agency reported on Saturday.

But North Korea was one of the first countries to shut its borders to visitors from China to keep out the coronavirus.

Amid the expanding crisis and growing criticism of Beijing’s strategy, a prominent respiratory expert who originally told Chinese state news media that the coronavirus was under control and preventable admitted that his choice of words had been inappropriate.

The expert, Wang Guangfa, head of the department of pulmonary medicine at Peking University First Hospital in Beijing, compared himself and other medical professionals tackling the outbreak to soldiers walking onto a battlefield.

“All the bullets are flying,” Dr. Wang said in an interview with Jiemian, a finance-focused news site founded by Shanghai United Media Group, which is controlled by the Shanghai government.

The doctor has come to symbolize how slowly China recognized the urgency of the outbreak. Dr. Wang himself contracted the coronavirus, apparently during a visit to Wuhan.

He initially said that the virus could not be spread by person-to-person contact. But 11 days later, he confirmed to state news outlets that he had the virus and that he might have contracted it during a trip to the center of the outbreak with a group of experts.

In his interview, Dr. Wang said that he had misdiagnosed his symptoms as those of flu, and that he had waited days before checking himself into a hospital. He said he had since recovered and was discharged on Thursday.

Asked why he had originally called the coronavirus “preventable and controllable,” Dr. Wang blamed limited information at the time of his Wuhan visit. A clearer picture of the virus’s transmissibility would have required “epidemiological data, which is difficult to judge,” he said.

His interview has been widely shared on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform. Some of the most popular comments have come from angry users.

Criticism about how long it took for the authorities to act has grown online. The initial reports of the virus began in early December, but it was not until late January that Chinese officials sprung into action, eventually locking down entire cities around the epicenter and halting public transport across the country during its busiest holiday travel period of the year.

China’s sudden action drew praise from the World Health Organization and other bodies overseas, but at home, anguished and angry comments sneaked past censors.

Yet not all criticism made it through the great firewall. On the Chinese internet, people complained that censors’ were working in overdrive as many articles and social media posts were deleted.

One of the starkest examples of censorship that critics pointed to was an article written by Hu Xijin, the editor of The Global Times, the nationalist tabloid of the Communist Party.

Mr. Hu wrote that the heads of the national health commission and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention should take responsibility for the delay in reporting the seriousness of the epidemic.

A few hours after it was posted on Friday, his article was deleted from The Global Times’s website.

______

Reporting was contributed by Elaine Yu, Carlos Tejada, Yuan Li and Cao Li in Hong Kong, Choe Sang-Hun in Seoul, South Korea, and Motoko Rich in Tokyo.

*********

Coronavirus Live Updates: Vietnam and Australia Curb Access to China as Death Toll Passes 250..... Australia joined the United States in temporarily barring foreigners who have recently visited China. Vietnam barred almost all flights from and to China.

Published February 1, 2020 | The New York Times | Posted February 1, 2020 |

Taiwan is barring Chinese nationals from the southern coastal province of Guangdong.

HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

READ UPDATES IN CHINESE: 武汉疫情每日汇总中文版

United States, Australia and Japan expand travel restrictions.

The United States and Australia are temporarily denying entry to noncitizens who have recently traveled to China, hoping to limit the spread of the new coronavirus to their countries, while Japan will bar foreigners who have been in the Chinese province at the center of the outbreak.

The American restrictions, announced on Friday, exempt immediate family members of American citizens and permanent residents. Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced Australia’s temporary ban on Saturday, saying that “Australian citizens, Australian residents, dependents, legal guardians or spouses” would still be allowed into the country.

American officials also said that any United States citizen returning home who has been in the Hubei province of China within the past 14 days — believed to be the virus’s incubation period — will be quarantined for up to 14 days. Wuhan, the epicenter of the outbreak, is in Hubei.

Those who have been to other parts of China within the past 14 days will be subject to “proactive entry screening” and up to 14 days of monitoring and self-quarantine.

Over all, nearly 10,000 flights have been canceled since the outbreak, according to Cirium, a global travel and data analytics company.

Vietnam barred almost all flights from and to mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau until May 1, according to the United States Federal Aviation Administration. Only flights that have received approval from Vietnam’s Civil Aviation Authority will be allowed during the ban, which took effect on Saturday.

Four airlines in the Philippines announced they were reducing or canceling flights to China: Cebu Pacific Air, Philippine Airlines, Philippines AirAsia and the local unit of AirAsia Group Bhd, the Reuters news agency reported.

In Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the country would bar entry to foreigners who had visited Hubei within the past 14 days, or who had passports issued in Hubei.

Taiwan is barring Chinese nationals from the southern coastal province of Guangdong from entry beginning Sunday and travelers who recently visited the area will be subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine, Taiwan state media said on Saturday.

The United States will also funnel all flights from China to just a few airports, including Kennedy in New York, O’Hare in Chicago and San Francisco International Airport.

Several countries were evacuating their citizens from Hubei.

South Korea, India and Bangladesh have flown hundreds of their citizens home from Wuhan, while Indonesia and Turkey have sent planes there, according to The Associated Press reported.

On Monday, the Russian military will begin evacuating Russians from affected regions in China, Russian media reported.

Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said the American actions were being taken because there were “a lot of unknowns” surrounding the virus and its transmission path.

The announcement came as major air carriers suspended flights between the United States and mainland China. American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and United Airlines said direct air service would be halted for months, news that rattled the stock market and industries that depend on the flow of goods and people. Qantas followed suit on Saturday, announcing its own suspension of flights to China.

Turkmenistan Airlines began an indefinite suspension of flights to Beijing from Saturday because of the outbreak, according to a statement. Qatar Airlines also suspended flights to China.

Death toll passes 250, with nearly 12,000 infections confirmed.

Chinese officials on Saturday reported the highest death toll so far in a 24-hour period.

◆ The 46 new deaths in China raised the toll to 259.

◆ About 2,100 new cases were also recorded in the country in the past 24 hours, raising the worldwide total to nearly 12,000, according to Chinese and World Health Organization data. The vast majority of the cases are inside China; about 100 cases have been confirmed in 21 other countries.

◆ All of China’s provinces and territories have now been touched by the outbreak.

◆ Countries and territories that have confirmed cases: Thailand, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Malaysia, Macau, Russia, France, the United States, South Korea, Germany, the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Britain, Vietnam, Italy, India, the Philippines, Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Finland and Sweden.

◆ Cases recorded in Thailand, Taiwan, Germany, Vietnam, Japan, France and the United States involved patients who had not been to China.

◆ No deaths have been reported outside China.

◆ China has asked the European Union for help in purchasing urgent medical supplies from its member countries, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.

MASSACHUSETTS CONFIRMS ITS FIRST CASE OF CORONAVIRUS.

The first case of coronavirus in Massachusetts has been confirmed, officials said on Saturday: a man in his 20s who returned from Wuhan and lives in Boston, bringing the total number of confirmed cases in the United States to eight.

The University of Massachusetts-Boston confirmed in a separate statement on Saturday that a member of the school’s community had contracted the virus. The statement also said that it expected “business as usual” on campus.

The authorities in Massachusetts were notified by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the positive test results late Friday evening, according to a statement by the Boston Public Health Commission.

The man recently traveled to Wuhan and sought medical care soon after his return to Massachusetts, the statement said. He will remain in isolation until he is cleared by public health officials and his close contacts are being monitored.

Monica Bharel, the Massachusetts public health commissioner, said in a statement that she was “grateful” that the man is recovering and sought medical attention immediately.

“Massachusetts has been preparing for a possible case of this new coronavirus, and we were fortunate that astute clinicians took appropriate action quickly,” she said.

SPAIN CONFIRMS ITS FIRST CASES OF CORONAVIRUS.

The Spanish health authorities said on Saturday that a German tourist has Spain’s first confirmed case of coronavirus and was healthy, but would remain isolated in a hospital in the Canary Islands.

Fernando Simón, the director of the Spanish Health Ministry’s emergency coordination center, told reporters that the German was not showing any serious symptoms of coronavirus. The patient contracted the virus in Germany before traveling to the island of La Gomera, which is part of Spain’s Canary archipelago.

The German, whose name was not disclosed, is part of a group of five tourists who have been quarantined in a hospital on La Gomera since Wednesday.

A CHINESE DOCTOR WHO CALLED THE VIRUS ‘CONTROLLABLE’ REGRETS HIS WORDS.

A prominent respiratory expert who originally told Chinese state media that the coronavirus was under control and preventable has admitted that his choice of words was inappropriate.

Wang Guangfa, head of the department of pulmonary medicine at Peking University First Hospital in Beijing, compared himself and other medical professionals tackling the outbreak to soldiers walking onto a battlefield.

“All the bullets are flying,” said Dr. Wang, in an interview with Jiemian, a finance-focused news site founded by Shanghai United Media Group, which is controlled by the government of Shanghai.

In many ways the doctor, who has been widely criticized for his reassuring early statements, has come to symbolize how slowly China recognized the urgency of the outbreak. Dr. Wang, who initially said that the coronavirus could not be spread by human-to-human contact, later contracted it himself, apparently during a visit to Wuhan.

As the virus began to spread through Wuhan in early January, people who spoke out about it online were silenced by censors and, in some cases, held by the police. When journalists from Hong Kong — whose news media were among the first to shed light on the virus — visited a Wuhan hospital, police officers detained them for hours.

In his interview with Jiemian, published on Friday, Dr. Wang said he had misdiagnosed himself as having flu, and that he had waited days before checking himself into a hospital. He said he had since recovered and was discharged on Thursday.

Asked why he had originally called the coronavirus “preventable and controllable,” Dr. Wang blamed limited information at the time of his Wuhan visit.

His interview has been widely shared on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like social media platform. Some of the most popular comments are from angry users.

“‘Could be prevented and controlled,’ Wang Guangfa,” said one user, who wrote under a pseudonym based on “Gorbachev” in Chinese characters. “Because of this line, the most critical half-month was squandered! And resulted in this.”

HONG KONG MEDICAL WORKERS VOTE TO STRIKE.

A newly formed union of medical workers in Hong Kong voted Saturday to go on strike next week to pressure the territory’s government into barring arrivals from mainland China. The Hospital Authority Employees Alliance says that local medical services are in danger of being overwhelmed by visitors from the mainland, and efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Hong Kong will not be effective without a full closure of the border.

Last week Carrie Lam, Hong Kong’s top official, announced several steps to drastically cut arrivals of people from the mainland into Hong Kong, an autonomous part of China. Hong Kong has closed several border points and rail stations and cut flight arrivals by half. The central government has also said it will stop issuing permits for individual visitors.

But the new medical workers union says those steps do not go far enough.

“As country after country begins to announce the banning of foreigners’ entry from China, the Hong Kong government chooses to keep its doors wide open,” the group wrote on Facebook after the results of their strike vote were confirmed. “The already limited resources and manpower in Hong Kong that are necessary for healthcare will soon be completely depleted, as an endless stream of non-Hong Kong residents continues to come into the city, seeking for medical care.”

The union has about 18,000 members out of about 80,000 Hospital Authority personnel. It says 9,000 of its members have signed a pledge to strike. Out of 3,164 votes cast by its members on Saturday, 3,123 were in favor. Without a response from the government, the union says the strike will begin Monday with non-emergency personnel.

Hong Kong has 13 confirmed cases of people infected with the new coronavirus, health officials say.

A VIEW OF THE EPICENTER FROM A NEW YORK TIMES REPORTER.

Amy Qin, who covers China from Beijing, on Friday arrived in Wuhan, the city at the center of the coronavirus outbreak that has killed over 250 people so far. Follow Amy as she reports around Wuhan.

Amy arrived in a wary city that has been cut off from the rest of the world for more than a week.

Streets were mostly empty as people avoided contact with one another and stayed fearfully at home. Not everybody could bear to stay inside, however.

All around the city, authorities and businesses have worked to create an air of normalcy.

It’s clear, however, that the city has been strained to its limits by the epidemic.

APPLE WILL CLOSE ITS CHINA STORES FOR A WEEK.

Apple on Saturday said it would close its stores in mainland China, one of its biggest markets, until Feb. 9.

In a statement, the iPhone maker said it was closing stores, corporate offices and contact centers “out of an abundance of caution and based on the latest advice from leading health experts.” Its online store would remain open, it said.

The company operates 42 stores in mainland China, though its iPhones and other devices are widely available through other retailers.

Apple generates about one-sixth of its sales and one-quarter of its operating income in China. While its results there fell last year, Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, told investors last week that the company’s new iPhone 11 was selling well in the country.

But he also cautioned that the coronavirus outbreak had kept the company from offering more specific guidance about its financial performance in the coming months.

Mr. Cook also said the company was looking for ways to minimize supply disruptions. Apple makes most of its iPhones and other gadgets in China, usually in factories owned by third-party contractors like Foxconn of Taiwan.

Apple is only one of a slew of global companies reconsidering their China operations as the outbreak has spread. A prolonged slowdown or closure in China could have a major impact on global economic growth.

China’s central bank, the People’s Bank of China, addressed such concerns on Saturday, pledging to make sure the country’s financial system had enough cash to deal with the economic blow.

NORTH KOREA OFFERS AID AND CONDOLENCES, BUT KEEPS ITS BORDER CLOSED.

North Korea’s leader, Kim Jong-un, has sent a letter to President Xi Jinping of China offering condolences — and a rare donation of aid — to help Beijing fight the coronavirus outbreak, the North’s state-run news agency reported on Saturday.

North Korea was one of the first countries to shut its borders to visitors from China to keep out the coronavirus.

But in his letter to Mr. Xi, Mr. Kim “sent warm greetings to all the party members and medical workers of China active in the first line for the prevention of the epidemic, and expressed deep consolation for the families who lost their blood relatives due to the infectious disease,” the North Korean news agency said.

Along with Mr. Kim’s letter of condolence, North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party sent an undisclosed amount of “aid fund” to its Chinese counterpart under a decision its Political Bureau made on Friday, the North Korean news agency said.

Mr. Kim “conveyed his sincere feelings of wanting to share the suffering and trial of the fraternal Chinese people and to render help even a bit,” it said.

A QUARANTINED PATIENTS SON DIES OF NEGLECT, AND THE LEADERS OF A CHINESE TOWN ARE FIRED.

The mayor and Chinese Communist Party chief of a town in Huanggang, a city near Wuhan, have been fired over negligence that resulted in the death of the teenage son of a quarantined coronavirus patient.

The patient, Yan Xiaowen, had returned from Wuhan to the town of Huajiahe in mid-January. A few days later, on Jan. 22, he developed a fever and was immediately quarantined. His 16-year-old son, who had cerebral palsy and required round-the-clock medical attention, was entrusted to the care of relatives, village cadres and village doctors.

On Jan. 29, the day Mr. Yan’s coronavirus was diagnosed, his son was deemed a close contact and transferred to an observation ward. He died around an hour later. The cause of death was still being investigated.

Mr. Yan had appealed for help on social media, worried that his son was not receiving regular care and saying that village party officials told him that his son had been fed only twice in five days, The South China Morning Post reported.

A statement released by the local county government on Saturday said the cadres did not act “dutifully” or “do their best” to care for him. The town’s mayor and party secretary were removed from office as a result, the statement added.

‘BE HEALTHY and SAFE!’ BUT DON’T COME BACK, SAY TEXTS TO BEIJING RESIDENTS in HUBEI.

“Are you and your family doing well? We’ve been worrying about you all this time!” read a text message sent on Saturday to Wuhan’s visitors from Beijing.

But they were more than just innocent greetings. Beijing’s Center for Disease Prevention and Control appeared to have tracked the city’s residents who were on trips to Hubei Province and asked them not to return. Wuhan, the heart of the outbreak, is the provincial capital of Hubei.

“You and your family must protect yourselves and manage your health well, and strictly abide by the epidemic prevention and control measures by the local governments in Hubei and not return to Beijing for the time being,” the message continued.

China’s cellular service providers can use their networks to track and locate phone users.

Beijing, China’s capital, has also taken extra steps to keep people off the streets and public places. Companies in Beijing, except for utilities and pharmaceutical or medical equipment firms as well as supermarkets, would postpone reopening until Feb. 10, a week after an extended Lunar New Year was to end, the official Beijing Daily reported.

Southeast of Beijing, the city of Tianjin, which is home to 15 million people, had also suspended all schools and businesses indefinitely, according to local state media.

WORLD LEADERS WEIGH THE COST OF CHINA RESTRICTIONS.

As the coronavirus continues to spread through China and globally, world leaders are having to weigh the cost of reacting by closing their borders to Chinese travelers.

The outbreak and China’s tightening of its own border are beginning to expose how dependent many nations are on China and the cash its selfie-snapping tourists bring in.

For Australia, which on Saturday joined the United States in temporarily barring foreigners who had recently been to China, China was the single largest source of visitors in 2018, and its tourists spent 12 billion Australian dollars, or about $8 billion, that year.

As some countries took drastic measures, their leaders acknowledged the economic impact of the moves. “It’s going to hurt us,” warned Lee Hsien Loong, the prime minister of Singapore, after announcing that the small island-state would bar all Chinese visitors and foreigners who had traveled to China within the past 14 days.

“China is a very big source of tourists for Singapore,” Mr. Lee told reporters on Friday. Restaurants, travel operators and hotels in Singapore were all “bound to be significantly affected,” he said, as would the rest of the economy, given that China is one of Singapore’s biggest trading partners.

The authorities in Mongolia, which is heavily dependent on China’s demand for its coal and copper, closed their country’s border with China until March 2.

Other countries have kept their borders open.

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v-shigaraki-archive · 6 years

Text

january 8 | 12:01am

[A link to a video is sent out to every mobile device. The number of the sender is untraceable.]

The camera blinks on, revealing a man with shaggy blue-ish gray hair. His face is obscured by an ominous looking hand that masks all of his features---save for one of his blood red eyes. It’s obvious that the camera is a handheld of some sort, as the video appears to be shaky and an excited, feminine voice can be heard giggling in the background.

It’s not difficult to guess who they are.

“This is a message for the ignorantly blind citizens of the world,” Shigaraki begins with a grand gesture. “The League of Villains would like to present you all with a little… gift.”

[[T/W: blood, torture, violence]]

The video quickly shifts to something pre-recorded: clips of security footage, it seems, all dated November 9, 2018 in the early morning. None of them have any sound, but perhaps their silent nature simply enhances the tension of the scenes.

A pale boy, clinging to life as the blood drains out of his body, gaping gashes visible on his chest where the tubes are inserted.

Another---this time from a rather… infamous family---drowning in his own bed; water rushing from the ceiling as he shouts, and screams, and chokes.

A silver-haired boy slumped over, unconscious: a stab wound to his back as flood trickles from his body and into a tube.

It cuts back now to a student rushing through the halls, tears streaming down his face as his chest heaves with strenuous effort. He’s already appeared in the footage before, and he’ll likely appear again---but the same way he always does: wildly, desperately clinging to whatever crumbling semblance of hope he has left.

Now, an image of two people: one, appearing to be the silver-haired boy from before, and the other a blond with glassy eyes that seem resigned to his fate. The first boy grabs the blond by the hair and bashes his head into the wall, over and over until blood splatters against the surface and his body slumps over. And then another tube appears.

A girl this time, screaming and crying in her bed as blood trickles, then showers, then pours over her. The blood soaks her white bedsheets and clings to her skin---all while her silent lips remain parted with desperation.

A blindfolded, gagged figure stars in the next clip, this one obviously shorter than the rest. It’s clear that he’s been drugged as his body twists and convulses in its chains, but how this came to be is notably absent.

Two boys bound together in a room, movements slow and hindered. This is the only piece of footage that has clearly been edited: one moment the two are waking up, and then they’re looking at each other, and then they throw themselves at one another in pure lust---then the room is ablaze and one boy is holding the other in a corner. There’s something in his eyes that can’t quite be deciphered---determination? hopelessness?---as he cradles the other, fire quickly consuming the room.

And then a more familiar face---the young pride of one of Heroism’s oldest families---screaming in agony as a knife drags its point through his calves, slicing away at his flesh before ending with him slowly bleeding out.

Throughout all of this, shorter segments of students frantically running through the halls, tears still streaking down their faces, are interspersed.

Not one clip showcases any of the terrified individuals being saved.

It’s a barely-edited montage of sorts---the length of each clip is slow, tumultuous. There are obvious moments of nothing but screaming and running and crying that could have clearly been removed while still serving the video producer’s intended purpose, but it’s not. It’s all there, out in the open: every drop of blood, every wasted tear, every scream… every minute, every second of the tortuous attack on U.A. from months past is displayed right there, for the world to see.

Every. Little. Bit of it.

And then the video abruptly switches to Shigaraki’s face once more, the giggling behind the camera even more fervent than before. “On November 3rd, the League of Villains infiltrated U.A. and infected each and every individual with a bout of quirklessness.” He breaks out into a sudden laugh. “All of this happened months ago and the shitty media has yet to put any of it together---all you’ve apparently figured out is what All Might’s told you, huh? That’s pathetic, really, are you all really that incompetent?”

The one eye that’s visible now looks absolutely wild with delight. “What were you all waiting for? Logs? From some mystery man who can’t seem to do anything big without taking it from others he had allied himself with?”

Shigaraki bursts into laughter at the thought of it, head thrown back in absolute glee as he gives his audience something to think about. And then, suddenly, all traces of amusement vanish as he takes on a frigid aura once more.

“The league takes treachery very seriously… isn’t that right… Hawks?”

The video cuts to another camera in another room. There are two people visible in this one: a green-haired man standing over another, who’s tied down to a chair.

“Isn’t it funny, Hawks?” Deku coos to him lovingly---despite the circumstances he’s in. “For a long time, I’ve been waiting for this. And finally—here you are.” Deku ogles him openly. Tied to a chair so tightly that the ropes might even give him marks. He hopes they do.

The video cuts to another camera in another room. There are two people visible in this one: a green-haired man standing over another, who’s tied down to a chair.

He loves marks.

“So...here’s how this is gonna work. You’re gonna say what I want you to say, mmkay? You’re gonna do what I want you to do. It might take a little while- and that’s okay. Just as long as we get the e n d result~!” Chuckling excitedly, he brings a knife up to the light, grin as wide as can be.

“This is one of my favorite toys...I’m so HAPPY! Heheheh. Ahahahahhh.... How are you feeling, Birdy? ❤”

Hawks is feeling, alright. He tries to not move. Every shift against the restraints pull and pinch, rubbing him raw where it's against bare skin, bruising anything it holds too tight, which happens to be everything.

He hated the bruises that came from this shit. He hated this shit. Dekus voice grated on his nerves. But he was here to put on a show, wasn't he? He glared up at Deku, hoping his disgust came off well enough. His wings shifted, trying to get more comfortable. It only served in making them actually hurt-and he held back a choke. This was intentional. Fuck these guys. "Oh, I'm just wonderful." He snaps. His eyes follow Dekus knife. Doesn't seem like the nicest thing to have around him when he's totally immobile. "I love this. Do it every Sunday. It's great."

Deku blushes furiously, staring at him. That look of disgust he gets only makes it worse. “You really hate me, huh? For what I did to Monoma, right? I only made him stronger. Were you wishing I chose you instead?” He sighs lightly, fingering his knife idly before taking a step. “Maybe someday...!”

Hawks clenches his teeth. He holds the glare, following every move Deku made. "No." He snaps.

"Fuck no. If you touch me with any of that shit I'll fucking tear you apart," This would be embarrassing later.

He's tense while he waits for Deku to use the knife on him somehow, hating every second where nothing was happening. He just wanted it to be over with.

A laugh erupts from Deku, who is now stepping right up to Hawks’ face.

“Oh, I’d love that. But- ah...I’m getting distracted.”

Gently, he runs a finger up Hawks’ neck, looking at his veins in awe.

“We need you to tell us how much you really hate that Mystery guy. You know you do, deep down...”

"I'm sure you-would-" He jerks away from Deku, a little harsher than he meant, only winding up with his bindings digging into him further and making him drop his head with a pained hiss. It's disgusting. He wants Dekus hands off him. When he's prompted to speak more he just hums, trying to give a pained smile to himself. He doesn't look back up at the other. Good or bad, he didn't want to say shit. "Is that really all you want."

“I want so much more....but it’s not exactly about me today. I’m just following...orders.”

Slowly, he glides his knife up the other’s arm, pressing it jusssst hard enough to break skin....but not terribly hard.

He leans in, speaking lowly in the other’s ear; voice venomous.

“I know you want this to be over soon- I know how you are. But I intend to drag this out as long as possible. I think he wants me to, too.”

His eyes flick to the window in the room; it’s hard to make out anyone standing there, but a faint, red light can be seen shining through.

“I think... they all want me to drag it out. I think...they’re all dying to see you bleed tonight.”

As the knife gently splits skin Hawks squirms, swearing quietly. It hurts in a way that makes his chest flutter. At least he isn't crying. Or screaming. Or being a bitch at any of the pain. That's one good thing about him. He didn't hate being hurt. He just hated Deku. Hawks looks up at the window as Deku mentions it. He.. almost knew what was going on. They were recording him, and wanted to do shit with him-get him to talk about Mystery, apparently-and he could comply or he could blow his chance with this completely.

This was how he was getting completely back into the Leagues favour. It was a shame he was shit at just sitting and taking things.

"Then make me bleed." He dared, "If you want to so much then do it."

The boy’s eyes shoot open and there’s a sudden air of unpredictable rage that he gets- the way a dog looks while it sinks its teeth into flesh. He STABS the knife into the other’s thigh with no remorse, watching him as his expression fades to emotionless.

“Ahhh...you like stuff like this, don’t you? Being treated like this.”

Without any regard to personal space and knowing how much Hawks will hate it, Deku slides into his lap, straddling him with ease.

The knife is still lodged in his thigh. “I feel like-“ He toys with the handle of the knife, poking and prodding it. “-You like feeling like you’re being punished, yeah? Maybe you feel like it evens out all your wrongs. Makes it...” He twists the knife. “Even.”

The noise Hawks makes is a combination of a scream and a moan. His eyes snap up to Deku for just a moment before his head rolls back. He's breathless and tears are in his eyes now, barely being held back by gravity.

With Deku so comfortably in his lap he felt sick. Sick and satisfied in a way he never did unless something so violent was happening to him.

Deku was always so determined to make him look absolutely pathetic, wasn't he.

Every shift made him whimper, even if he was trying so damn hard to stop it.

"Fuck o-AH" He's cut off by the twist of the knife, forcing tears out and making him strain harder while he tried to breathe in and just ended up sobbing. Every noise he made was a combination of immense pain and pleasure, giving away how much he did enjoy it-perhaps not entirely for the reasons Deku suspected, but it was enjoyment nonetheless.

The sound sends shivers through his body in a way that’s always made Deku feel alive. His smile returns, staring at him like this made him the most amazing person in the world.

“Ahah...! That was heavenly....! You’re an angel, for that.”

Taking the knife out of his thigh, he examines it a moment before licking the blade- small noise of satisfaction trickling from him. “Mystery... I still don’t know how I feel about him...” He pricks the other’s arms as he speaks- as if whittling. Or creating something. Blood trickles down, line by line, with each little cut. It’s fun to watch. “On one hand....he’s infuriating. On the other hand, it’s....” And another STAB- lodging the knife in his left shoulder this time. Deku kisses his neck. He truly is...content like this. “...I guess it doesn’t matter.”"...He's pathetic.." Hawks murmurs out through a strained voice. The stab into his shoulder made him choke and cry out again. All the little cuts were sweet torture, making him whine and cry and gasp. It's barely enough to distract him from Deku. His lips. His oddly gentle touch coupled with the knife in his shoulder. He's breathing heavy when he starts speaking again, "Pathetic. Disgusting. ... Cruel." He wanted to laugh. "More sadistic than you, probably. Goes a little far. Did I ever talk about what happened?" He was trying so hard to keep his voice steady. His eyes were closed, like he didn't want to face the fact that he was really saying this to anyone. Just another case of him talking to himself. "..I hated it. I hate them. I hate them." The malice in his voice was more real than even he had thought. This is what they wanted, right? Hawks to denounce Mystery. Maybe he needed it too.

Softly, Deku runs his fingers through the other’s hair, letting his knife sit in the other’s shoulder. “You didn’t, but feel free to now. This is your time to vent, after all.* Deku has a microphone attached to the other’s chest- capturing every word, every gasp, every cry. No matter how soft. “Tell me more. Tell me more about what he did.”

Hawks leaned his head ever so slightly into the hand. He made another noise at Deku flicking the knife. He knit his eyebrows together, conflicted.

He flicks the knife gently, taking some of the other’s blood on his finger and using it to trace the outline of his collarbone with red.

".... I trusted him." He was whispering. Maybe if he kept it low they wouldn't hear the shame coming through. "And like the idiot he is he went overboard and ffff-FUCKED it all up. Hours of torture isn't exactly a permanent way to keep someone." He took a deep breath, "Attached to you, to keep someone around, thank fucking god Sstain," The name burnt on his tongue, "Got me out before-before-b-" He shook his head. "Anything. Else."

Hawks opened his eyes, finally. He was crying again. It wasn't violent, like when he'd been stabbed.

"He wanted to make me stronger, they said I was-what-what was it that they wrote?-I'm special I'm perfect, bullshit, fucking bullshit if you're trying to use somebody to have more fun getting off don't make lies that are so damn easy to see through, and he just expects everything to fall in his fucking lap, like he's god, like he's better, even though he doesn't have shit except the element of surprise-" He cut himself off before he got any louder, meeting Deku’s eyes.

While he’s talking, Deku’s touch is gentle. Soothing, in an odd way. ... For a moment, his brows furrow. There’s... something in Deku’s eyes, that doesn’t seem like it belongs there. It makes him seem...like a different person, almost. “That’s...awful.”

He stares into the other’s eyes for a moment- but it doesn’t seem like he’s staring at him.

...If that makes sense. Ahah. “We can get back at him, you know. We will get back at him. We’ll make him suffer, bleed... ...Ahah. You want that, don’t you? To put him in his place. To remind him that he’s not a god, that he can still be knocked down.”

Gingerly, he kisses the other’s neck, before taking his knife out of his shoulder and wrapping his arms around him- letting the blood pour down, soak him as well. “You want that more than anything right now.”

Hawks' breath catches.

He doesn't know what it is. Something about how Deku says awful. How he looks at Hawks, different, and real, so much of a departure from the disgustingly sweet looks he has when catching his prey, and stabbing a knife into its thigh, it's shoulder.

Something about that makes his eyes widen, and continues to make tears spill, and makes him shake in the restraints. This isn't the good kind of hurting. Hawks looks at Deku. Watches him while he talks. He looks lost while Deku talks. A little bit... scared. Not scared of Deku. He shudders when the knife is out of him, and Deku's wrapped around him. The way blood feels running down his body right now makes him feel nothing but sick. "I do." It comes out very small. He says it again. Louder. "I... do."

He sighs a moment, clutching onto the other tightly. He sees the reflection of the red light in the window and leans back. For a moment, he almost doesn’t want to turn back. One last kiss to the base of his neck before a slow chuckle seeps out of his throat. “Ahahah...good. I knew you’d see reason. Knew you were smart.... ahahah....shhh...shh... it’ll be okay, now.”

Standing, he turns and faces the camera- voice loud. “There you have it, Myst-! From the one and only!

I hope now you remember ... ...just how truly alone you are! Ahaha! Back to you, Shiggy!”

When the video switches back to Shigaraki, he’s absolutely losing it. His head is thrown back in absolute delight, joyous, hysterical laughter harmonizing with the intense, manic, frenzied laughter of the woman he’s with. The footage is blurry as the screen shakes---it’s obvious that the person operating the camera could care less about keeping it stable.

It takes a long time for either of them to calm down. But when they do, Shigaraki steps towards the camera so that only his face is visible within the frame. Giggling can still be heard in the background.

He removes the hand masking his features to reveal an unnaturally large, absolutely grotesque smile to the camera.

“This is both a reminder and a warning: your precious sense of peace was shaken once and it will be shaken again---and this time by those who aren’t afraid to show their faces.”

Click.

#:)#shigaraki tomura #deku #hawks #toga #relapse.arc #//blood #//torture #//violence #shigaraki.txt #para #[[fuck i meant to get this out earlier but tumblr formatting is a BITCH okay]]#[[ALSO a little late but BIG shoutout for ed and chris for writing that fucking awesome scene for this i LOVE THEM]]

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susanconway81 · 5 years

Text

Letters to my Self

Dear December 13, 1981 me,

Congratulations on being the fastest strongest sperm in your dads nutsack. It is your birthday, your very first day on the planet. You made it. You grew into a fetching bundle of cells and firing synapses.

It is a bright Sunday morning in Harris County, Houston Texas; and, you don't know this yet but-

You are a future torch bearer.

They will try to vanquish your light. DO NOT, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCE LET THEM. This will be difficult.

You, my Darling Girl, are a future fierce feminist. They will call you a nasty woman. They will shame you and they will fail to police your humanity. You will THROW YOUR HEAD BACK AND LAUGH to their faces. You will also not give a fuck about public opinion, and are quite likely to shake your naked breasts at them while sticking out your tongue.

What wisdom could I possibly possess now, that you may value?

My soul says, "It is what you knew, but have forgotten in all of the madness, future Crone."

So, I will tell you to remember.

I will tell you to touch everything. They will tell you to stop it, and that you shouldn't do that. They will have no reason to offer when you become brave enough to inquire why it isn't okay to feel it all.

I will tell you to never stop digging your bare toes into the earth-especially when your heart is heavy.

You will know great sadness.

The Earth will be integral to your healing.

Your mind, body, and soul will be a war zone that has seen too much too soon. You will be steel, forged from the fires of trauma, healing, and transformation.

You will always stop to blow dandelions. You will also always believe with absolute certainty as you watch the seeds scatter and float perfectly into whatever direction they were meant, that wishes do come true.

You are a powerful witch with powerful vision (for a girl that requires glasses to read the McDonalds menu.)

You will always be the freckle faced girl with wild red hair delicately capturing and kissing dragonflies before sending them on their way to be with their families. Every animal always had a family at home waiting for them. Remember that, when the world smears your shadow self in your hair and grins. You don't have to cut it out of you. You aren't ruined, you are still and will forever be the throbbing heart that kisses field mice and bugs before sending them home to their loved ones who are surely missing them and worried sick. You cherish the family you will collect as you go through life. Love will scare the ever-living shit out of you because you will be taught that love is being ambushed in the shower, having your naked body drug out soaking wet to be beaten by fists and leather belts, and words.

Words will be an integral part of your destiny. You will be burnt by them, kicked and punched by them, consumed and spat out by them, and you will gather every letter, you will hold them to your lips, kissing them, and you will thank every last one with tears in your eyes for breaking you open, you will be grateful for the rare ones that whispered remember.

You will write a book about a man that broke you open, you will write another one telling him thank you.

You must remember when they try to tell you what your name is- 'fucking whore', 'worthless piece of shit', 'the girl from the wrong side of the tracks', you must remember when you are in the quicksand that will be your cold bathroom floor, drunk, in the fetal position, selling yourself short in your 'Why am I so easy to leave, why am I so hard to love' notes to a God you will find out was your Omnipresent Self all along, that you are still that sweet girl that believes lightening bugs are magical. You are still that sweet girl who's heart bled everytime your step dad made you watch him smear their light on his arms, and wipe the dead creature's desecrated body on his holey jeans.

You are so tender. You always have been. You always will be.

You never were able to subscribe to the old timers complainings about the whiporwils, and their 'tried and true' advice to you, to tie a sock on the foot board bed post to stop their incessant mewling. They will forever be chock full of error, especially when man turned the fertile soil and tall grass fields they nested in into subdivisions. There will no longer be any whiporwils to sing you to sleep, and there never will be again. This will make your heart ache and feel as if it is going to explode out of your chest.

You will never understand man's complete lack of regard and empathy for life.

Your heart will always be massive. They will tell you that it is not. You will believe them and behave in ways that wail, "I have no worth." Some will leave you, some will try to stay and love you tenderly. You will feast on their hearts while hating yourself. You will seek to fulfill a prophecy generations of abuse, rejection, and abandonment shoved into your cells memory.

You will forget, only to remember how to decipher the molecular code of your healing.

Your rise is eminent.

You have known this since birth. They will try to define for you what your priorities should be, what success looks like, and what failure is. You will struggle as a young woman, with this, because your parents and the media will drill into your head, that you are to do as you're told, don't be difficult, and you are to be seen and not heard.

You will be sexually assaulted.

Men will try to rape you grope you, men will demand that you pull your pants and panties down, bare your bottom, and bend over for them, so that they can punish you for spraying your barbie's hair with their cologne.

You are small, you are frightened, you are defenseless, and you know your place because they will tell you your place, and you will believe them.

You will bend over for them well into your thirties, sweet girl.

You will be silenced for most of your life.

Until you aren't.

Until you aren't...

One day, the deepest, most concentrated, mire of grief will drive you back home, into the most pristine wild you have always possessed, and you will bite back the bars, with your bared teeth. This is the part where it gets really, really, really fucking good. You will sink them decadently into anyone that tries to tell you what your name is again.

This deep well you possess, you will fervently urge you to roam.

You will roam because you are thirsty, and you will stay still when you are sated and full, and people will tell you that you are a heathen, a gypsy, but most of all, they will name you directionless.

And, you will bite back their words as you did those bars, and you will smile wickedly as you proclaim, Thank you; I am directionless in the best and most fantastical ways imaginable. Would you care to join me?

They will not care to join you as they choose the locked gates of conformity and you have long outgrown that too small life. You will dine alone unapologetically, as the world tells you that you are doing it all wrong.

You will come full circle, my love.

You will come full circle, arriving flawed to perfection, and you will be the happiest you have ever been.

There is a happy that is happier than the happy you feel or have known before.

You will come to know- that happy endings are a real thing, and that both trial and triumph were worth enduring. And, you will finally believe that you deserve this life that you created from ash and bone, and that you deserve and deserved to be happy all along.

You will be grateful to live and be present.

You will know what it is to truly be well.

You will know what it is to be truly whole.

You will know what it is to be unruined.

You will know what it is to be fulfilled in every way, and in every facet of your life.

S. Conway

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mastcomm · 5 years

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As New Virus Spread, China’s Old Habits Delayed Fight

“So frightening,” one recipient replied, before asking about the epidemic that began in China in 2002 and ultimately killed nearly 800 people. “Is SARS coming again?”

By not moving aggressively to warn the public and medical professionals, public health experts say, the Chinese government lost one of its best chances to keep the disease from becoming an epidemic.

Image

Dr. Li Wenliang

“The disease is preventable and controllable,” the statement said.

Hazmat Suits and Disinfectants

“It undermines the legitimacy of the government in messaging,” she added. “And public health is dependent on public trust.”

She had never visited the market.

The Race to Identify a Killer

No one realized, the doctor said, that it was as serious as it would become until it was too late to stop it.

“I realized that we had underestimated the enemy,” she said.

‘Politics is Always No. 1’

As the virus spread in early January, the mayor of Wuhan, Zhou Xianwang, was touting futuristic health care plans for the city.

Even those stricken felt lulled into complacency.

“The news said nothing about the severity of the epidemic,” said the daughter, Dong Mingjing. “I thought that my dad had a common cold.”

The government’s efforts to minimize public disclosure persuaded more than just untrained citizens.

“If there are no new cases in the next few days, the outbreak is over,” Guan Yi, a respected professor of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, said on Jan. 15.

The World Health Organization’s statements during this period echoed the reassuring words of Chinese officials.

It had spread. Thailand reported the first confirmed case outside China on Jan. 13.

A City Besieged

Mr. Xi, fresh from a state visit to Myanmar, made his first public statement about the outbreak, issuing a brief set of instructions.

It was only with the order from Mr. Xi that the bureaucracy leapt into action. At that point the death toll was three; in the next 11 days, it would rise above 200.

In Wuhan, the city banned tour groups from visiting. Residents began pulling on masks.

Two days later, the city announced that it was shutting itself down, a move that could only have been approved by Beijing.

Crowds of people crushed the airport and train stations to get out before the deadline fell on the morning of Jan. 23. Hospitals were packed with people desperate to know if they, too, were infected.

Dr. Li in Wuhan Central Hospital on Friday.

The official reflex for suppressing discomforting information now appears to be cracking, as officials at various levels seek to shift blame for the government’s response.

“If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier,” he said, “I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency.”

from WordPress https://mastcomm.com/as-new-virus-spread-chinas-old-habits-delayed-fight/

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airoasis · 5 years

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The 1 Bitcoin Show- Get used to Facebook coin & Coinbase! Cryptopia returns, Good Square news

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/the-1-bitcoin-show-get-used-to-facebook-coin-coinbase-cryptopia-returns-good-square-news/

The 1 Bitcoin Show- Get used to Facebook coin & Coinbase! Cryptopia returns, Good Square news

Hello every body this is adam meister the bitcoinmeister the disrupt meister welcome to the one bitcoin show in these days is the final day of february already Wow February to 28th 2019 were you aware that adam meister has a relative that’s born on February twenty ninth what occurred to that birthday where’s that date i don’t recognize what’s going on strong hand like the shirt says buy and hold long-time period pondering um confiscate a ball i am not going wherever individual duties new counterculture conviction no fancy sets or pics just hardcore information baby okay day after today is the this week in Bitcoin exhibit at eight:40 a.M.In the morning in big apple that’s 1:forty p.M. In London Caitlin Vaughn shall be on the exhibit if all goes well and it’s her 2d appearance of the exhibit it is simply gonna be her one on one with Adam Meister it can be gonna be a blast i’m certain she’ll speak about Wyoming and financialization and simply she’s a fine guest examine out the archives at disrupt meister calm or tech calm to see the exhibit she used to be on again in September Andy Hoffman was once also unless show and farzam was once on that show was it it used to be a excellent one it was it was again round Rosh Hashanah I don’t forget earlier than or yeah I circular it was in September anyway comply with me on Twitter at Tech ball te CH B alt ok so i’m a little backer at bitcoinmeister as you all comprehend that is linked to beneath and someone despatched me some send me some Bitcoin there thanks a lot and he wanted me to read what he needed to say and i imply should you guys once we ought to learn what you must say you are able to do the identical factor or you are able to do an ideal chat um and this word he needed to say AOC plus i do know AOC times mm T equals a billion dollars per BTC let you know he’s talking about uh AOC is the politician woman who’s 29 that’s about all she is mmt is brand new fiscal uh theory which is simply the U.S. Preserve on spending and printing and printing yeah and that that comes out to be a thousand million greenbacks per BTC that’s a just right one there dude combining plenty of matters that we pointed out simplest Saturday beyond Bitcoin show determine that out and thank you for everybody just a little backer who supports me or helps me in anyway you already know social media support is best too retweeting this pounding that like button and you are spreading it on some thing crazy facebook social media thingy you’re part of and we’re gonna talk about facebook in a 2d 2d let’s begin off with this tweet through Chris Byrne iski the lesson I’ve discovered in my profession is to invest into submit crap into the publish crash cycle whilst you do that and do it intelligently you might be rewarded broadly hmm you know but there’s few humans that have the cojones to spend money on a put up crash cycle they make up extremes gonna go reduce however they realize it they are going to invest when matters are going by means of the roof and stuff sure in it the crypto house in phrases of Fiat maybe crashed so invest intelligently only one approach to invest intelligently for those who got Fiat you turning the Bitcoin all correct here’s rundown crypto Pia replace we’re aiming to have the crypto Pia website online reopened as learn-only by means of Monday whoa now they’re occupied with this stuff they’re coming back it appears like this should be wild and wacky stuff will people withdrawal all their cryptos from crypto Pia not really considering that so many men and women acquired the eighty% mentality and like like different individuals controlling their confidential keys and have no thought learn how to retailer their fifth tier all cash anyway so yeah they will maintain these Krypto Pia intelligent persons be withdrawing as quickly as they’re gonna they’re gonna get through this 30th through this when you consider that of night the naivete of the men and women within the crypto house but bet what that’s lifestyles eighty% is are going to do what eighty percenters are going to do they are able to come to the crypto area and play with the huge boys play and end up in crypto Pia hacks that’s simply the best way existence is and 80% is gonna do what they may be gonna do and they’re gonna make the 20% or strong hand 20 percenters wealthier due to the fact we’re lengthy-time period thinkers we we do not panic we don’t do insane matters we received our Bitcoin on at hotels all proper however information right here good some say it is excellent information I say it is good information i’m gonna read this out as i did not I wrote my notes that I simply went on air so I mean studies have these things all proper the block crypto has a piece of writing facebook has reportedly taken speakme to crypto exchanges about list its coin facebook has held talks with exchanges about record its cryptocurrency the brand new York times studies and the title of recent York occasions article whole fraud bundling fb and its link desk everything’s linked to below I pointed out facebook the Reploids are telling these exchanges that they plan to get a working product out in the first 1/2 of 2019 this LinkedIn subsequent four months well you know in crypto time that could be a long time but hello fb is looking at pegging the value of its coin to a basket of distinct foreign currencies rather than simply the buck so they want to do a steady factor ok facebook is I mean they are speaking to exchanges already this if that is genuine if this entire story is right it’s very good news for a Bitcoin it’s excellent news for humans due to the fact that undoubtedly facebook’s the biggest social media platform on the planet they will they are going to nonetheless pump up their coin they’ll say then probably they’ll give some of it away and they’re going to the folks so that it will get it they’ll be initially there’ll be some Bitcoin fanatics they do not get it and facebook coin will already be on exchanges you’ll already be easily be equipped to transform your facebook coin within the coin that’s nice considering the fact that various people are gonna be they may be gonna be quite a lot of Facebookers be like oh that is the satisfactory this the exceptional thing it’s better than Bitcoin however sure enough at the least 20% pal that liking button will figure out due to the fact they’re 20 percenters will figure out that wait a 2nd then I got this fb thing I received to transform the true thing i can just go to the coin base alternate or whoever’s alternate they usually’re if fb units this up correctly and and earlier than they debut their coin all these exchanges are inclined to accept facebook coin well that that is that is great it’s only a bizarre on-ramp for on the Bitcoin so allow them to do what they’re gonna do and what I would like you recognize considering that uh Mark Zuckerberg is a competitor with the wincle buys the Winklevoss brothers he I want him what i’m hoping facebook opens their own alternate do that that will be high-quality if fb opened its possess crypto trade lets occur they provide all people facebook coin and then they turn it into Bitcoin and individuals can buy Bitcoin but anyway that’s i’m taking a step too far there however they they they do like to compete with the wincle buys Winklevoss brothers so i am once more individuals vilify the so-referred to as II leak like being like Winklevoss brothers like Zuckerberg and also you gotta take a step again for a 2d 2nd when you’re blaming them for the whole lot these enormously wealthy guys are taking steps to get individuals and so they might no longer even mean it exceptionally Zuckerberg they are getting folks in the Bitcoin if he debuts his facebook coin and it can be already on exchanges it already could the exchanges are in a position to exchange facebook coin for something then they’ve carried out that Mark Zuckerberg has accomplished a high-quality thing for Bitcoin and for the world to get to to give every body every person might supply every body the possibility on facebook to to get this what whack steady coin and switch it within the Bitcoin that is simply exceptional that that will be exceptional for Bitcoin it will be exceptional for us so once more that you may still say oh he is elite Tisa he does not deserve what he obtained and this than the other he’ll be doing a brick I don’t know what you are complaining about you realize if you are a holder of Bitcoin you can be darn blissful when all the Facebookers started trading of their facebook coin for Bitcoin that a good way to be a exceptional factor could it happen soon may it occur the 2019 so excellent luck to facebook i hope you get your once more an I have no idea why anybody would want to hold the fb steady coin what occurred again 80% are gonna do with 80% are going to do ok if I imply once more i’m on facebook if all of a sudden it pops up 50 fb cash turn up in my something and again they’re doing this over cellular over Instagram with whatever else that they owned and i’m now not even in whatever but when I consume some intent however they gave me some fb coin heck yeah i might be like go over to anyplace and switch it right into a Bitcoin and anywhere perhaps that perhaps that could be coinbase considering coinbase is not owned via the Winklevoss owned by way of rivals to the Winklevoss oh possibly he’ll heal probably the most exchanges they’re achieving out to you already is coinbase and what every body’s already vilifying coinbase a lot so let’s let’s speak about that now let’s talk about that now and this is more onto the field the broader subject of eighty percenters are going to do what 80% are going to do and the way in which that coinbase is doing business there are a variety of people that numerous Bitcoin maximalist varieties a number of folks who really recognize cryptocurrency are fully hostile the way that the Bitcoin is that problems in the coin base goes about business proper now k however factor base they that they see this route as being very lucrative clearly they’ve long gone all in right here ok so Bricker magazine breaker magazine has an editorial crimp that why crypto twitter is on hearth with delete coinbase it is driven by using a growing sense that the biggest crypto trade in the USA has lost its extra its ethical compass and KMP proxied to be a dependable steward of customer cash information if you wish to aid okay so I say if you wish to aid movies and all these you already know do not do not stress like stop coinbase coinbase is evil or you recognize that’s no longer quite teaching individuals a lesson there are three things that have looked as if it would anger humans and these are the three matters you must tell learners and oldies k that coinbase has carried out that has angered you and how you must avoid doing these matters hanging cheese in the cloud so men and women don’t love that corn-based put folks’s keys within the cloud yeah that was once dangerous however you can that you can scream about it or which you can make sure you control your possess confidential keys considering the fact that if you’re announcing oh coinbase is horrible but you’re retaining your Bitcoin and different cryptocurrencies at other exchanges then you are simply doing what they’re doing you are pronouncing they are horrible but you’re doing the designated same thing number two people did not like them enlisting the XRP navy okay persons failed to like that they listed XRP that they listed Ripple okay in view that k you don’t like a list of Ripple do you possess any Ripple do you do you maintain other ugh other exchanges that list Ripple you most often do however this is what you instruct humans you say guys ripple is a centralized cryptocurrency don’t get Ripple get the actual thing Bitcoin the rock or you can say give up coinbase I mean quit coinbase is discreet ok however persons are not even gonna don’t even recognize why they’re quitting coinbase you explain why provide an explanation for and so people can apply these principles to their total crypto technique their total colossal chrome technique quantity three welcoming hacking workforce to the family ok so coinbase hired or purchased a company that tracks men and women and has gotten journalists in the significant trouble and have gotten persons in penal complex proposal just a complete tracking agency so this must remind all people don’t provide your personal map know-how out to any trade okay if they could hire hacking men and women then why can not all of the other exchanges rent a an identical corporations why are not the other exchanges doing equivalent matters to this whilst you signed up for coinbase I imply you knew that they have been going to inform the IRS that you simply signed up and that you just purchased so once more for those who don’t love that they’ve obtained specialists they are that contract your butt now good then you definately count on to pay taxes expect do not feel that you’re gonna get like oh i am gonna buy and sell buy and promote buy and sell on coinbase after which not pay any taxes oh no do not try don’t try to every little rule in each little nation they’re gonna be competent to use to you now so once more you variety of will have to have identified that getting in they already you already knew they had the benefits of the are at IRS and everything but once more to use this to actual life to apply this the true existence just uh you understand watch out with the understanding that you just go you then then you definitely get out do not you try to hold your Bitcoin in your treads or do not hold it at coinbase don’t do not keep it at any 1/3 party now again boycotts are first-class if you want to put and again these are all reputable causes to boycott wannabes i am no longer in opposition to that i’m no longer in opposition to it at all however you know seem on the finer points educate individuals with a finer what why you are boycotting in order that yeah they are going to boycott Kobe’s but then they is not going to do the same unique factor however Gemini or anything I consider it can be it’s ridiculous your boycott coin B’s and then you go to Gemini and Gemini finally ends up doing very identical things I imply they they’re they are reporting the whole thing to the IRS to they may be monitoring you to and this is the opposite factor here is the other factor for those who feel well I get boycotts are pleasant but whatever that is guess that beats boycotts is growing new products and new paradigms that that’s even better so you could i would not spend too much time focusing it you best acquired a constrained quantity of social media time you realize stressing boycotts of coinbase you realize might be focal point on like competitors or Furka so non bisque that is a decentralized exchange it evidently is not giving out personal understanding that clearly is not involved with any of the opposite however once more they could let they might list an altcoin that you do not like but I say center of attention on the confident concerned about the productive and and be in motion all proper so when we’ve got acquired a super chat here guy Bennett any on-ramp within the cryptocurrencies to be it from coinbase at Jack or facebook simplest serves to bring curiosity to the community I agree so no so such factor as dangerous news on that entrance yeah when any individual and thank you guy Bennett for the $5 yeah good when when there may be a when there may be new onboarding when there’s possibilities to get new humans in even through convoluted ways it is good it can be a it is a confident and once more you are not able to everyone here i’m doing my fine spreading the word pronouncing that Bitcoin is the real thing but once more it’s private accountability is a new counterculture anyone desires to maintain their fb coin and so I need to preserve needs to maintain their stuff a coin base subsequently it can be it is their selection it’s their selection and coinbase all those matters i just said about coinbase there may be three problems with coinbase they don’t seem to be doing that considering that they do not like you they’re doing that when you consider that they believe they’re going to make some huge cash ok and people that they’re good-funded with venture capital money and their venture capitalists that fund them mostly agree they see the eighty% or wave on the horizon okay 80% i do not care about any of these three matters Oh tremendous was ripple I failed to i don’t like them oh there may be any individual spying on me k again Oh eighty percenters are totally high-quality with everybody spying on them they got cameras far and wide their houses you recognize when they’re with their wife it can be being recorded and anyone at Google is over it ok I mean it is it and so they don’t care they don’t care anymore every person’s taking videos when they’re in the center of personal pursuits with the men and women of the reverse gender and that i imply no person cares anymore I imply the persons is in order that once more coin however this is once more 24 centers or like invariably i don’t my privacy you realize i don’t want to be spied on I i don’t need to take care of all cash i do not need to what are the other dumb issues men and women or had something all these prawns they don’t need to take care of it considering the fact that yeah they are lengthy-term thinkers but any percenters are and 80 percentage of the bulk and coinbase wishes to appeal to them they usually’re mainly gonna make some huge cash off of them so that is existence take care of it that is where the enormous boys play and a lot again it if if you’re definite about what you are doing then you are additionally sure that there may be a lot of men and women are going to get bashed up because they played the coin base so let men and women play the coin headquartered recreation let him purchase ripple let him let him be spied on and everything um however yeah eighty% of our gonna do what any presenters are going to do there have been anything else I wanted to claim oh you placing Cleese bad striking keys in the cloud pudding or simply letting other persons might turn your private keys you eighty percenters do not care about that 20 man or woman 20 percenters darn should should you imply if you’re a long run finger you higher you higher care and you are in the credit automobile so that you better care where your your keys are that they’re now not being shared with any individual however you very well breaker magazine speak covers the Constantinople the expenses Anthon Opel difficult for work of etherium certainly simply occurred like 5 minutes in the past it occurred nothing colossal Newton up then you can click on the breaker journal article that you may pound that like button okay relocating on Maddog all says and this is this is very good news rectangular the repayments unicorn led by using a Bitcoin believer Jack Dorsey reported gains for fourth quarter Wednesday evening in total of the corporation’s sold over one hundred sixty six million bucks worth of Bitcoin in 2018 and fifty two point five million greenbacks this quarter which is last quarter I suppose which is last quarter so then hello these are spectacular numbers only a little bit of humans shopping Bitcoin by way of swears and that is some huge cash there that’s lots may just allow them to ramp it up let him wrap it up they’ve received a triumphant mannequin going on folks are shopping from them go ahead and go ahead and do it persons buy that get buy anyway you is not going to get Bitcoin you turn your Fiat in the Bitcoin in order that was a that is positive and once more Jack Dorsey this corporation is doing good I imply take the next step child take your next step put that thing on Twitter and preserve on selling it Jack Dorsey due to the fact that once more Bitcoin would not have a advertising staff it’s as much as contributors and subsequently the end of the day jacked or she isn’t individual he can do what he wishes to do he ban who he wishes the ban it sounds as if due however hey that’s yet another story isn’t it Jeff garsik actually had a tweet that says the block and breaker magazine are starting to face out as better than our typical beneath average cryptocurrency journalism I gotta say Judy I used to of their articles simply assist you to beneath the block and breaker magazine they are standing out above higher than our average below average for the reason that but yet most crypto journalism is under average and once more the block and breaker magazine are usually not ultimate they are naturally higher than the opposite the others they are they are standing out on this a just right factor there all proper all right that is the end of the news and i just want to remind the whole lot that uh once I’m after I’m speaking about all cash and what what i am speakme about crypto dividends and the individuals why are you talking about all cash once more the whole thing that I talk about here is all headquartered around Bitcoin i need crimp of dividends advantage Bitcoin holders so if you want to relaunch your all coin or something relaunch it via giving it to Bitcoin holders ok so i’m not promoting that all coin some thing that Alcala might be i’m just saying hey you employ the Bitcoin platform this is the rock you supply us a greater cause to hold show your self to the apex predator and upholders so at some point men and women say good why are you talking about all mountain climbing once more everything the whole lot I speak about this on the exhibit you know and that i I speak about different features of all coins too and it can be i’m seeing however Bitcoin can study from them you realize and again I’ve obvious the advertising and marketing that these all cash had been in a position to do and that i think Bitcoin fans can study from that and Kenny core seeing that again it looks as if marketing is a soiled world phrase within the Bitcoin within the Bitcoin land and it isn’t it just isn’t we must all be marketers a Bitcoin on on a specific stage if we will and and the in the complete cryptocurrency house there may be there is definitely a need for clearer explanations and and advertising and marketing for the reason that peep there may be various intimidating language within the cryptocurrency area then that is generally retaining quite a few people away it can be slowing down adoption of a Bitcoin and purchasing a Bitcoin so again that’s if you’re not a fan of advertising you think of it that manner that it’s it is if do your little bit of a Bitcoin advertising it would get some it’s going to get some rookies in there now there may be a man who was uh in movement Marber Marbury’s is a fan he is in the chat regularly he is within the comment part he advised me to determine out his movies so I checked out his videos it is linked to beneath it can be political stuff so I mean it’s it’s stuff I must be speakme about on the Saturday show but I just desired i’m gonna bring it up and he also stated create more pies and i love that announcing he used to be speakme about how individuals complain about they may be no longer getting their piece of the pie that there may be just a constrained and pie out there in terms of success be aware of you create your possess projects create in any subject might be it the Bitcoin be it uh be mindful it you know real existence lifestyles past Bitcoin it can be it was once a tremendous coin is real lifestyles create your own pie create your own suggestions be your own boss this is they’re not limits available in the market so create your possess pie Marber thank you and also you guys can blink to him beneath and yeah he places his face in the market just right for him good for him I comprehend it’s not for everyone and every person that you could put their face in the market venture make tiles in the chat proper now he’s a shout out to him he puts his face out there pound that like button prevention large tally and Marber all correct so uh subsequently I imply there’s a couple of it i guess i have different subjects right here it can be a trendy-day Gold Rush it is a latest-day Gold Rush humans don’t let people hold you again claim your stake k like I mean can you suppose back in 18-forty nine and there have been all these tumors for your town and uh in in in Maryland say go i don’t go out to California yoga is nothing available in the market it is it can be just a it is a conspiracy by using the Native americans there may be now not particularly they may be portray rocks yellow do not don’t go available in the market ok no this is this is your shot man the gold rush handiest comes round uh you realize as soon as in uh once again as soon as in a lifetime what is the new release anything once an extraordinarily depends once more we had that it seems like things are speeding up now we had a gold rush with the internet back in the day but anybody had been too younger for that back then or quite a few us had been and now could be our danger this is the average is a ultra-modern-day Gold Rush so uh do not let men and women hold you again stake your claim and still it’s still very early here within the land of Bitcoin and what was this thing more I desired to say oh yeah ultimately on the place the big boys play persons are pronouncing well the ripple paid did ripple pay to be on coinbase who cares I imply relatively who cares if far off for paid to be on coinbase we dare our company it just suggests if their company that is what you acquired guess what you received to take from something like that ripple has the ability to pay its alterations to list them you might have the ability to disregard them to not purchase them and to buy the real factor Bitcoin Bitcoin are not able to pay a alterations to past them past adequate it’s it can be no longer a organization you see it can be it can be one of a kind from before and that is the way you should you should give an explanation for it to humans ok we received a centralized group that may pay after which we now have something like Bitcoin as a way to take volunteers to stop their helpful Bitcoin to inform persons to undertake it k or individuals talking as much as market Bitcoin like Bitcoin are not able to pay folks to advertise like like ripple can so again these are the rules of the sport in case you are a company and you have a coin like facebook you would pay exchanges sure get used to it it is proper it’s gonna hold happening folks it will preserve going down and all cash will to find methods to do it too okay with pre mines and all that stuff don’t don’t fear about it bitcoin is bitcoin bitcoin is the next bitcoin if you are worrying about it you’re type of doubting bitcoin considering the fact that it it it’s going to succeed it has prevailed it’s the person who all people’s engaged on k the other they may be all cash and the whole lot they’re gonna have their gimmicks and with a bit of luck they they may supply them away totally free on Bitcoin too massive once more ripple right here you hear about Ripple bribing people are birds all over the place something you wish to have to say it but paying to be on exchanges create your possess fork off ripple and airdrop into Bitcoin holders how about that and notice which one does better do this alternatively of complaining about ripoff right here if you’re ripple to make your own ripple and give it to decide upon point holders in the land let’s see which one does higher it’s the Bitcoin parallel universe of all coins do better than the opposite universe of all cash i would love to see this this is this can be a being in movement rather of you realize complaining and and i’d if I obtained air dropped a bunch of free brittle let’s name it ripple IB that is pleasant i am turning the Bitcoin thanks for your free brittle time to show it and good good fortune the ripple may have beat ripple and could all of the Bitcoin I made the Bitcoin proof no dividend altcoin replacement universe do well better than the actual coin universe so all all coins at some point will need to be forced to relaunch to Bitcoin holders and so all bitcoin holders are rewarded with forms of all all all cash that ever existed to be able to simply promote them for extra Bitcoin do not be an exciting parallel universe we shall see if it occurs it’s nonetheless very early in this story if you’re observing this in 2026 you are mostly laughing your butt off correct now pound that like button 2026 or i am adam meister the bitcoinmeister the disrupt meister bear in mind to subscribe this channel like this video share this video click on on that’s those squares bang that bell button and investigate out day after today’s exhibit at 8:forty within the morning that’s 1:forty p.M.In London and 8:forty in the big apple katelyn lengthy we’ll be on the exhibit i will say hiya to you within the chat proper now thanks loads keep cool keep up the vigour dude the conviction you child .

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batterymonster2021 · 5 years

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The 1 Bitcoin Show- Get used to Facebook coin & Coinbase! Cryptopia returns, Good Square news

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/the-1-bitcoin-show-get-used-to-facebook-coin-coinbase-cryptopia-returns-good-square-news/

The 1 Bitcoin Show- Get used to Facebook coin & Coinbase! Cryptopia returns, Good Square news

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thecoroutfitters · 6 years

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Written by Wild Bill on The Prepper Journal.

Being well fed, hydrated, strong both mentally and physically are things every prepper must strive for in their normal routine. But what happens when it comes to sleeping? If you’re a prepper and if you believe (no matter how strong you are) that you can endure any challenge with three (3) to four (4) hours of sleep, you may be setting yourself up for trouble. There are people who can do this, but assuming you are one and that this is healthy and will keep your edge may be a fools folly.

I for one have taken the 12 hour and 45 minute flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong, leaving LAX at 2:30 AM on a Sunday morning and arriving in Hong Kong at 7:30 am on their Monday morning and headed straight to the offices I was visiting there. I do not sleep well on planes and these flights are more like riding the overcrowded buses of South America on the cliff-hanging road with the chickens and goats tucked away everywhere as opposed to the fantasy their commercials present of the beautiful flight crews, the flowing champagne and the quiet. That morning, by 11 am local time I was searching for the toothpicks in the photo below. Then the “haze” set in. Everything started to look just slightly out of focus, more velvet-like than blurry and speech seemed to hang in the air waiting to enter my ears.

Sleeping is essential for every human being not only for the rest and the recharge but also for natural regeneration of every cell in the body, including the brain cell.

Have you ever had to go through your training after a long sleepless night or a full day of military training that started at Zero Dark 30? They love to do this in basic training as the drill instructors take pleasure in walking through the auditorium and whacking you on the head if you are dozing. I am presenting no revelations here that sleep deprivation is a dangerous condition and can cause all sorts of health damage. You may not even be aware that you lack sleep, but in the long run, you will notice fatigue, lack of focus and attention, poor immunity, skin problems, eye problems and so on.

So, Sleep

Proper Rest is Crucial – While your health depends on many things your sleeping hours are a big part of your overall health. No matter how much you want to be active and present and be more productive, you won’t be able to achieve that in the long run if you are cutting out sleeping hours. We all need good sleep and when that isn’t possible because of situations you need to factor in some sleep planning for your survival. We all know that seven (7) to eight (8) hours of good night sleep can do miracles for your entire system and your health.

Sleep Deprivation is not Always Recognizable – What’s very sneaky about this condition is that preppers might not always recognize it. In fact, this condition sort of ‘leads you on’ to believe that you are doing fine even with a few hours of sleep until it’s too late. Recognizing that you’re sleep deprived often happens once your health is ruined, your immunity is significantly lowered, and you can barely function. Did you know that humans can only last for eleven days without sleep before actually dying?

The Quality of Your Sleep can’t be Over-stressed – And the world is stacked against you! In today’s fast paced world, with so many having so many balls in the air, with a media more interested in stirring up your emotions for their Google Analytics than in reporting the facts, filtering out the noise and agenda and politics is a full time chore. The up side is that it has taught the intelligent to read between the lines, the downside, we don’t have enough intelligent people. So the business side of quality sleep starts with having a quality bed that will save you from painful mornings, as well as sleepless nights and the ability to tune out the noise. There will be more than enough poorly made beds to sleep on should the SHTF so until that comes to pass a poorly made bed (too soft or too firm) that isn’t working for your sleeping position can cause you serious sleep interruptions that lead towards insomnia and all the rest discussed herein. Fixing this is the best first step one can take. If you’re looking to get a new mattress start by checking out online stores first – get the basics down of their speak/pitch. Of course never buy until you try but do your homework like you would for any piece of survival equipment.

Appreciate Your Quiet Hours – Now, when you can allow yourself to take the time and rest, it’s important to be grateful for that because when SHTF everything will be turned upside down. All our habits will be broken, and we will have to make time and find a safe place to rest. Of course, it will be difficult because things won’t be as they are now. And sleep is something we can’t store like supplies. If you did get eight (8) hours of restful uninterrupted sleep last night, the benefits of that are consumed about eighteen (18) hours later. So, don’t underestimate the power of your sleep. Allow your body to get rest and gain strength.

Sleep Schedule – When SHTF your sleeping hours won’t be the same. It’s important to make a schedule (if you aren’t alone of course) and stick to the resting hours while the rest of your friends are awake. This way you will all be rested and while one sleeps the others can work and be on watch. In a true TEOTWAWKI scenario the sleep may be a little fitful, one-eye opened as the situation is too fluid to trust that you will get eight (8) hours of rest, but any sleep will be beneficial.

You Should Train for the Worst – Lack of sleep isn’t going to help you when you are training. Although there are preppers that believe that sleep deprivation is a good thing for training (it keeps them alerted and allows them to function better and have better instinct), the truth is, you truly ought to sleep and not prevent yourself from that if you want to absorb and retain the training materials. However, as a part of training, depriving yourself of sleep can be good as a planned exercise because it really brings home the importance of sleep and your diminished performance when others need your best. Video taping the results for a conscious review, after enough sleep to refresh, is more valuable than any lecture. Simple things like building a fire, swapping magazines in a weapon, feathering branches for kindling will show how lack of sleep diminishes performance.

As for those long airplane flights, on subsequent trips I used to take the Singapore Airlines flight from Los Angeles to Singapore direct. 8,778 miles as the very tired crow flies, 17+ hours trapped in that shiny metal tube with at least 400 other passengers. BUT it was all business class seating, the flight crews were as amazing as the commercials showed, you never had to ask for food, water or a drink, 400+ channels of first-run movies and entertainment. They made every effort. BUT even if you could sleep for an 8-hour period on an airplane that would still leave you 9 hours to entertain yourself. International travel is not as glamorous as it looks.

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fashiontrendin-blog · 7 years

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I Asked a Bunch of Industry People: What’s the Point of Fashion?

http://fashion-trendin.com/i-asked-a-bunch-of-industry-people-whats-the-point-of-fashion/

I Asked a Bunch of Industry People: What’s the Point of Fashion?

I have had a very dramatic question on my mind since Amelia and I set foot in Paris together last February for the fall 2017 shows. We sat at a cafe drinking cappuccino at tables that were far too small for our laptops but which we managed to use for work anyway. She was working on a review that would publish when New York woke up four hours later, and I was doing math — adding the cost of our plane tickets to our hotel room to the number of nights we would be in Paris to the food we would most likely consume and the pair of shoes or jacket or sunglasses I would probably end up buying because there is something about Paris that burns a hole through your pocket if you so much as to attempt frugality.

I was also thinking about who reads our reviews, who cares that we cover shows — that with flowery prose we try to make sense of the fashion trends that lay ahead, to unlock the Da Vinci code that is the designer’s most intimate thoughts. Do the readers care? Do they need more than a photo on Instagram to get what they crave: a brief (but often wondrous) look at what’s new? Would they prefer to see glimpses of real life instead? (I know I would!)

So I asked myself: What are we doing here? How did we get here? Is this what fashion is about? Are we acting true to our ethos or simply following along on a track that has been bound toward derailment for years? And then I endeavored to answer this question: What’s the point of fashion? Does fashion week have anything to do with it? Have we conflated the two?

I have always metabolized fashion as my own form of escapism — a temporary tattoo that lets me speak with wild conviction but then take it back whenever I want. Fashion is so much more than just clothing for the people who feel they can let it in; it can become the greatest sum of its parts, a megaphone for articulation where words simply will not work. It can be a drug-free boost that makes a terrible day seem slightly better, a reminder through the depths of desperation that even if nothing else is going as I’ve planned, I’m armed. As Diana Vreeland famously said: “Fashion must be the most intoxicating release from the banality of the world.”

Below, 12 editors, writers, designers, shop owners, stylists and consultants share their opinions on my burning question: What’s the point of fashion?

“Fashion, to me, represents life. When I wear something that makes me feel more…creative, more interesting, stronger, complicated — that’s when I feel the most alive, the most engaged with the world. Changing my wardrobe is the quickest route to feeling like everything is new again, that anything is possible. So the purpose of fashion is to make you feel alive and present. I hate it when people get too philosophical about fashion, but this really is the truth!”

Amy Smilovic, founder and designer of Tibi

“The purpose of fashion can be as simple as: You need clothing to maneuver in the world. Forget fashion as trend, think fashion and clothing as necessity. You need a pair of pants, a shirt, shoes to go on that interview, to the grocery store, your cousin’s wedding. It’s how we present ourselves to live.”

Rajni Jacques, fashion director, Teen Vogue and Allure

“I know practically, fashion is art, it’s commerce, it’s function, it’s expression. But I also can’t mistake the simple gut reaction I have when I see something I love, that really knocks me out. It’s like out of the blue, finding something special that you’ve lost. You know that feeling: ‘Oh geezus, THERE it is!’ And then, somehow you find a way to make it your own, and once it is [your own], you’re just a little bit more yourself than you were before you found it? That’s fashion to me. Collecting beautiful little pieces of yourself over time.”

Christene Barberich, co-founder and editor-in-chief of Refinery29

“A form of expression without the use of words. To me, it’s very personal, real and raw; it’s a way of syncing the internal with the external. Or maybe at times it’s just securing a feeling you want to nurture. It’s never about the people around me. To me, that’s like ordering from a menu for someone else — only you know what you want to eat…if you order someone the burger and think, Oh they will LOVE this, you never know, they could show up and say, ‘I became vegan about two hours ago.’”

Claire Distenfeld, owner of Fivestory

“Joy. That is the purpose of fashion for me. The joy of wearing something that makes you feel powerful or beautiful or in control. The joy of seeing a fashion show so beautiful that it turns you into a wide-eyed eight-year-old. The joy of buying something you dream about, or giving that to someone else. The joy of the new. It’s not about feeling less than — less cool, less rich, less skinny (as I know fashion can so often do). It’s about what makes you feel better.”

Laura Brown, editor-in-chief of InStyle

“There are many forms fashion take, from what I wear to drop my daughter off at school, to what I wear to fashion week. The brands that I gravitate toward all share a similar philosophy of quality, integrity and individuality. What and who you wear and how and when you wear it are all part of that personal expression. While being mindful of not over-consuming and not wanting to simply buy all the time, I try to be thoughtful with any purchase of ‘fashion’ to be sure that it can have a long life in my wardrobe and on me. The purpose of fashion, for me, is many things. It’s work, it’s protection, it helps me communicate who I am.”

Ramya Giangola, fashion consultant

“The purpose of fashion is to negate our persistent fear of death. Decorating ourselves in particular things helps to craft an identity, which creates the illusion of permanency. If we buy things and we define the way we look, it makes our existence feel more real and everlasting. The end! (But hopefully not.)”

Lauren Sherman, New York editor of Business of Fashion

“Fashion celebrates women. Women aren’t the only ones who get to wear fashion, of course, but women drive this business on the consumer side and in media, sales, PR, styling and design. Every morning I walk through doors with a powerful woman’s name on them. Most editors I work with are women, with other women at the top of their mastheads. This will appear on a website masterminded and run by women! My first job was at Oscar de la Renta, and he used to say that his clothes were love letters to the people who wore them. At the heart, I think that’s what fashion should always be about: the celebration of a person’s beauty and strength, on and off the runway.”

Gabby Katz, account director at Karla Otto

“The point of fashion is to protect you. But that can mean different things. Most basically, fashion exists to cover you; the ‘protection’ can change depending on who you are and where you are. Fashion can be used to boost confidence (protect you from feeling shitty about yourself), to protect you from being an outsider (you bought a fleeting trend). At various times in my life, I’ve dressed specifically to protect myself from appearing approachable because I was feeling shy.”

Ruthie Friedlander, site director, InStyle

“If you’re outside of fashion’s congregation (if you just don’t care, or if it in no way crosses your radar), the point of fashion as an abstract or an ideal or something conceptual, I hope, is to at least spark a thought. ANY thought. A throwback, an idea, a reckoning, a consideration of a moment in time, pop-related or otherwise, that resonates. There are things that can be pondered and traced through fashion. And I think that’s the real point: to give you pause and make you consider, for a second, something broader.”

Nick Remsen, freelance fashion writer

“Fashion is about storytelling through clothing; it’s about the stories behind them and the ones you create around them. It’s a cultural influence, backstory or intellectual touchpoint that you can trace back to what you’re wearing. We use it to escape the mundane, to embrace and celebrate tradition. It’s about a sense of history and pride and it embodies a greater sense of purpose than just a garment tossed on to cover bodies.”

Shiona Turini, freelance stylist and consultant

“Fashion ties us to moments of our existence. It adds to the elements of our emotional and physical sensories by being a literal fabric and thread in our lives. I’ll never forget the feeling of saving enough money to buy a green Benetton rugby shirt, or this yellow dress with brown pom-poms that I had when I was four. Think about how emotionally tied you can become to a wardrobe in a film — to me, that is the point of fashion: to help connect and mark time.”

Karla Welch, celebrity stylist

Photo by Simon Chetrit.

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melindarowens · 7 years

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The Fed Hikes Rates, But What’s Next? – Daily Pfennig

Chuck Butler’s: A Pfennig For Your Thoughts

December 18, 2017

* Was Yellen holding something back?

* Kiwi begins to rally

* A possible volatile week?

Good Day… And a Marvelous Monday to you! Well, a lot has happened since I last talked to you (last Wednesday)… I had a return of the pain this past weekend, which was a wake up call to me, to slow down… It’s been 4 weeks on the antibiotics and I would have thought by now, they would have wiped out the infection, but I guess not! Christmas is in the single digits of days away now. The month sure has flown by, which is a good thing, given that it gets me closer to my winter vacation, and… my annual trek to S. Florida for the winter… The great Dionne Warwick greets me this morning with her song: Walk On By…

Well, the Fed did hike rates last Wednesday… The Fed Funds rate is now a whopping 1.5%! I had a dear reader send me a note the other day, asking me if the Fed was just hiking rates so they had rates to cut when the recession hits… This is a thought that my longtime friend John Mauldin first talked about when the Fed began hiking rates two years ago… This whole idea of having arrows in one’s quiver for a rainy day, is just weird to me, and reminds me that the Fed Funds rate is just a rate that is arrived at because the Fed Clique says so.. It’s a willy nilly rate, that would be far better arrived at if this rate setting ability was stripped from the Fed and given to the markets…

Janet Yellen’s press conference following the rate announcement last week, was a non-event… She did indicate that 3 more rate hikes are on the docket for 2018, but failed to mention that she will not be at the helm in 2018 past February, and therefore there are questions about those 3 rate hikes in 2018…The Fed could very well ignore another inflation shortfall in 2018 and keep the projection of three rate hikes. As long as they can continue to explain inflation weakness as temporary and continue the rhetoric that they see an inflation “down the road”.

I really don’t think that will end up being the Fed’s concern in 2018, the lack of inflation, that is… Wage inflation is about to go hog wild in my humble opinion, which could be wrong of course, but it’s what I’m seeing and hearing…

So, the dollar should have taken off for higher ground on Wednesday after the rate hike, right? Well, not if you were paying attention in class last Wednesday when I said that the rate hike had all been priced in, and the only thing that would give the dollar some love is a hawkish press conference, and that really didn’t happen, as Janet Yellen sounded as if she was “holding back” her thoughts…

The dollar, got sold on Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday, but by Friday the selling had dissipated, and we were back to range trading in the currencies. The euro found its way to the 1.18 handle again, only to lose in profit taking on Friday, and a negative reaction to the European Central Bank’s (ECB) meeting on Thursday morning, when ECB President, Mario Draghi, told the markets that while the ECB may be unwinding its balance sheet, it reserves the right to stop the unwinding and begin adding to the balance sheet again, should the economy stumble.

That gave mixed messages to the markets and euro traders, and traders don’t like mixed messages, and brought the euro back below 1.18, where it trades this morning. I guess Draghi had to say what he had to say, to be fair and balanced, but there comes a time that one has to make a stand… When will that come for Draghi? I don’t know the answer to that, but when it does happen, that’s when the euro will once again establish its ability to gain VS the dollar. Again, that’s my opinion, and I could be wrong…

The New Zealand dollar / kiwi is the star performer of the past couple of trading sessions, as the currency has risen above the 70-cents handle. The Aussie dollar (A$) couldn’t gain any traction from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s (RBA) meeting last week, but kiwi sure has found some terra firma… As we close in on 2018, traders are reminded that this is the year that the Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) targeted for their first rate hikes in a few years…

Gold’s two-day rally came to a halt on Friday, as the shiny metal lost a whopping $2 and change… Gold is up over $4 in early trading this morning, but the “boys in the band” haven’t arrived at their desks yet today… Historically (since I’ve followed the currencies and metals) this week before Christmas can prove to be quite volatile, as the senior traders have all headed to their homes in Tennessee for some homemade pumpkin pie! HA! So, be aware of that…

The U.S. Data Cupboard was busy last week, with PPI, the stupid CPI, Industrial Production and so on… The indication I got from the data last week was that the economy is still muddling through… For instance, Industrial Production last month was only 0.2%, when it was projected to be 0.4%… Capacity Utilization showed no gains and PPI (wholesale inflation) was much stronger at 0.4% for the month… Wholesale Inflation feeds into consumer inflation folks… So, it’s coming… can you feel it?

This week’s Data Cupboard will also be busy, with the first part of the week printing Housing data, and the end of the week, when no one will be around in the markets, and I’ll be on my winter vacation, we’ll see a piece of real economic data when Nov. Durable Goods and Capital Goods orders print…

To recap… The Fed did hike rates last week, but the dollar received no love for the move, as the rate hike was already priced in. Janet Yellen’s press conference was a non-event, which Chuck thought was strange, and that she appeared to be holding back her thoughts… Gold’s two-day rally ended on Friday, but it has picked it back up in the early morning trading today, and kiwi is the star performer of the past few trading sessions…

For What It’s Worth… I’ve talked about this consumer indebtedness until I’m blue in the face and that’s not a good look for me! But when CBS News picks up on it, then the mainstream media is beginning to take notice… So, this article can be found here: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/the-united-states-of-indebted-america/

Or, here’s your snippet:”By many measures, the American economy is booming. Yet that’s not always translating into stronger financial health for a large share of US consumers.

One-third of Americans are weighed down by overdue debt, meaning their outstanding payments are in arrears and have been handed off to debt collectors, according to new research from The Urban Institute. That’s not a healthy situation for households because overdue debt can lower one’s credit score, making it harder to finance purchases such as a home or car while also making it more expensive to borrow money.

The problem is worse in some regions of the country, especially those where health insurance coverage is sparser, incomes are lower and the share of nonwhite households is higher, according to the Urban Institute’s data. Almost one in five households have medical debt in collections, a sign of how many Americans struggle with the cost of health care, including those insurance.

That’s not only a personal challenge but a community issue because those indebted households may struggle to pay their property taxes or rent on time.”

Chuck again… Yes, as I’ve been saying, for months now, the U.S. consumer is in debt up to their eyeballs, and they just keep taking on more… Ugh!

Currencies today 12/18/17… American Style: A$ .7662, kiwi .7006, C$ .7767, euro 1.1791, sterling 1.3360, Swiss $ 1.0120, … European Style: rand 12.8495, krone 8.3557, SEK 8.4522, forint 265.93, zloty 3.5685, koruna 21.79, RUB 58.80, yen 112.53, sing 1.3483, HKD 7.8168, INR 64.12, China 6.6097, peso 19.06, BRL 3.2934, Dollar Index 93.69, Oil $57.53, 10yr 2.38%, Silver $16.14, Platinum $900.60, Palladium $1,016.94, and Gold… $1,261.70

That’s it for today… Yesterday was a former colleague and good friend’s birthday… Happy Birthday Jen! And Ty Keough also celebrated a birthday this past weekend! Thursday night, good friend Mike Kettler brought me my dinner (gumbo, that was yummy!) and Saturday, oldest son, Andrew brought me lunch… I ventured out for a short trip yesterday.. Very adventurous! HA! Alrighty then… Tradition holds that I start my winter vacation on the 17th.. But since I’ve missed so much time recently, I decided to cut back on that time away, by starting my vacation on Thursday this week… So, you get me for two more days! HA! Alrighty then I’ve got things to do this morning before the visiting nurse shows up… Ambrosia takes us to the finish line today with their song: How Much I Feel… ( this song was popular when we lived in Des Moines, Iowa) I hope you have a Marvelous Monday, and Be Good To Yourself!

Chuck Butler

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source https://capitalisthq.com/the-fed-hikes-rates-but-whats-next-daily-pfennig/ from CapitalistHQ http://capitalisthq.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-fed-hikes-rates-but-whats-next.html

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everettwilkinson · 7 years

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The Fed Hikes Rates, But What’s Next? – Daily Pfennig

Chuck Butler’s: A Pfennig For Your Thoughts

December 18, 2017

* Was Yellen holding something back?

* Kiwi begins to rally

* A possible volatile week?

Or, here’s your snippet:”By many measures, the American economy is booming. Yet that’s not always translating into stronger financial health for a large share of US consumers.

That’s not only a personal challenge but a community issue because those indebted households may struggle to pay their property taxes or rent on time.”

Chuck again… Yes, as I’ve been saying, for months now, the U.S. consumer is in debt up to their eyeballs, and they just keep taking on more… Ugh!

Chuck Butler

Source link

from CapitalistHQ.com https://capitalisthq.com/the-fed-hikes-rates-but-whats-next-daily-pfennig/

#TrumpNews #CapitalistHQ.com

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empress-imperia · 7 years

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Uncharacteristically, Chief Bogo had forgotten to tell Irons that Mayor Terrence Hornbull, Dawn Bellwether's successor, had already granted Precinct One the right to the Jerry Mousekewitz Case in light on his death. In any case he hadn't slammed the receiver into its cradle because of Iron's predictable attitude. He'd slammed the receiver because he was currently undergoing horrific torture.

He hadn't been abducted by gangsters. He hadn't even been pranked by the infamous Wilde. No, it was something much, much worse. It had him feeling sick in the stomach. It had him frozen to his desk chair in complete agony. It had him on the very brink of insanity twenty-four/seven.

As he sat at his desk, fists clenched and itching to trash the phone completely, there was a knock on the door. He saw a very welcome round dark shape through the fogged glass. "Come. In." He said through clenched teeth.

In walked Benjamin Clawhauser, a receptionist and dispatcher averting nearly every cheetah stereotype in the book, smiling sympathetically as he held up a paper grocery bag. "I got some more pure water, sir. I also got some cranberry juice and some aspirin. I'd ask how you're feeling, but well, you know..."

"Officer Clawhauser, you do not want me to answer that." Bogo replied stiffly. "But if you must know, it feels like a psychopathic grandmother is stabbing at me over and over with sharpened knitting needles heated to near melting point."

Clawhauser raised his eyebrows, his mouth as small as a ring hole. "That's... disturbingly specific. My aunt just said she had an alien inside of her. Anyway..." Putting a smile back on, he placed the bag on the desk and pulled out the contents. "How's your peeing going? Still clear or light yellow?"

Bogo groaned and clasped his hooves over his head. "For god's sake, officer!"

Clawhauser took a step back, having already realised he'd said something he shouldn't. "Sorry, sir! Just worried about your health!"

Bogo sighed and carefully put a hoof to his side. "I know."

It had been one week since his torment started, and five days since the doctor had confirmed that the source was indeed the bane of a middle aged mammal's existence. The best and worst way to deal with his ailment was to wait it out and drink enough fluids to prevent dehydration. It was best because in most cases medical treatment was expensive and needless. It was worst because it meant enduring the little cluster of nails and razors within his body for god knows how long. However he wouldn't be Chief Bogo if he couldn't grit his teeth and bear it with a mask of his typical apathy, which was the reason no-one found out about his suffering until the fifth day.

It was Bogo's fault, really. If he hadn't summoned Clawhauser to his office to discuss the training of the new night shift receptionist, the cheetah wouldn't have been present when a sudden stab of horrific pain had caused Bogo's mask to slip for a split second. As it turned out, Clawhauser's older relatives had a long and sordid history with this particular medical condition from hell. As a result, he not only knew the signs, but a variety of natural remedies which he immediately listed out to the exasperated Chief before he practically ordered his subordinate back to his desk.

Bogo supposed he should be thankful that out of all his officers, it had been Clawhauser who found out. This was the same officer who had discovered Bogo's guilty pleasure in Gazelle and kept quiet about it ever since. He couldn't say the same for anyone else, especially the insufferable Wilde. That cheeky fox would have a field day.

"I'm fine, really. I'm drinking more fluid than I can take and working has been helping to take my mind off it." This half-truth would hopefully keep Clawhauser from being too worried to concentrate on his work. "You should get back to your desk."

"Yes, sir. Are you sure you're up for the Bullpen?" He must have noticed that Bogo looked especially pained this morning.

"It has to be done. That criminal who died this morning was wanted by Precinct Two and an investigation is being launched."

"I get it. Priority number one." Clawhauser said, having delivered Bogo the news himself not long ago. It wasn't often that Bogo addressed the Bullpen twice in one day, but Jerry Mouskewitz's case was a special one. "Any priority number ones for me, sir?"

As it turned out, Bogo did. "The mayor is paying a visit later this morning, and it's his first time here since his election. Until he leaves you are to stay as far away from your phone and all Gazelle related media as possible. Is that clear?"

"Crystal." Clawhauser nodded. As the first face a mammal would see upon walking into the ZPD, he knew full well that first impressions were everything.

"Good. Dismissed."

Clawhauser walked out, leaving Bogo with his pain, his suffering, and the batch of natural and synthesised remedies the eager young worker bee had left for him.

Bogo reached for the pure water and filled his glass. He consumed the cool liquid in one go. Maybe it was just the constant pain of a jagged, crystalline kidney stone no bigger than a piece of gravel from the driveway making him soft, but he was seriously considering giving Clawhauser a raise.

Ten minutes later, he heard the receptionist's cheery voice coming from the intercom on the phone. "Sir, Hopps and Wilde just called in. The ambulance has just reached the crash site."

"Good." The chief replied curtly with the press of a button.

"In related news, Officer McHorn has just got back from that false alarm in the Rainforest District. He's waiting for you in the Bullpen with the other available officers."

"Right. I'll be there in a few." Bogo was already reaching for the two red files on his desk.

Clawhauser made a noise of doubt on the other end. "Sir, Hopps and Wilde aren't back yet. I don't think they'll be happy if you leave them out of this one."

Bogo tucked the files under his arm and downed some cranberry juice. "Clawhauser, they joined this case the moment they pulled over Mousekewitz. I'll give them their own assignment when they return."

"Okay, sir. Oh, and keep your chin up. That stone's gotta come out at some point. You'll se- hello again, McHorn!" Bogo heard McHorn's dull tones but couldn't hear what he was saying. "Sorry, sir, McHorn's just wondering why you haven't shown up yet."

Bogo snorted. "Tell him I'm on my way."

Clawhauser did just that. This time when McHorn spoke, Bogo could understand him. "Right. Thanks."

"See you later, McHorn!" Clawhauser had raised his voice a little. The grumpy rhino must have already started walking back to the Bullpen. "Tell your wife I said... er, McHorn? McHorn you've got something on your... omigosh! McHorn, wait! Wait, come back! Chief Bogo, we've got an intruder on the ground floor!"

By then, Bogo had already vacated his office.

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It had been two years since Delgato and Grizzoli had last been assigned to a stakeout, and they'd both forgotten how dull it was: hours upon hours of waiting in their unmarked car, waiting for Meeko the Cracker Thief to show his ugly masked face. Thank god for the public toilet across the street, a fair distance from the bar where the raccoon was supposedly boozing.

Thankful for the Snarlbucks latte Grizzoli had procured to fend off the Tundratown cold, Delgato took a small sip from the steaming beverage. He sighed, ready for another sip, when he saw some unusually busy activity even farther down the street. Four vehicles were pulling into the empty cark park.

Grizzoli saw the vehicles and frowned. "Wait a sec, aren't those the cars that were at the crash site earlier?"

They both eyed the cars, Delgato glancing at the bar every now and then for signs of Meeko, keeping a small photo of the thief in his paw for reference. Through the chain link fence that marked the cark park boundaries, they saw the eight occupants climb out and gather in the middle of the frozen tarmac. The two cops watched for a little longer. The eight commuters remained in their huddle, engaged in a conversation they couldn't hear. Delgato grabbed his radio. "You keep watching for Meeko and I'll call this in. The chief will want to know about this."

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Clawhauser initially thought to call Forensics to borrow a jar, but there was no telling how long that would take. He had to deal with the situation before McHorn's stowaway was discovered and panic ensued. The big rhino wasn't the only one on the force who was scared of spiders.

A second solution sprung up. He quickly stuffed the last few donuts into his mouth and turned the box upside down to empty any lingering crumbs into the trash can inside the ring shaped desk. Box in hand, he planted a BACK IN FIVE MINUTES sign on the desk next to his snow globe and rushed towards the Bullpen.

As he neared the Bullpen he heard the sound of men engaging in indistinct chatter. Chief Bogo hadn't arrived yet, and McHorn was still unaware of what was crawling on his back. Clawhauser stopped running just before he reached the doors. His plan was simple. Go inside, walk up to McHorn, get the giant spider off his back before he noticed, put it in the box and get out. Okay, it sounded simple.

Well, here goes nothing, Clawhauser thought as he went inside.

Due to the unique nature of this meeting, only a quarter of the seats were filled. Yet the room was still as lively as it always was with a full house. Clawhauser looked over the handful of bears, lions, hippos and one tiger and spotted the head of McHorn in his usual spot up front, his eyes on the podium as he waited for Bogo to show up with the assignments. Clawhauser swallowed and started his slow approach through the gap that ran through the middle of the chairs and tables.

"Zugk zugk, what brings you here, Bejaminy! You got more news for the Chiefy?" came a raspy squeak from halfway up the gap.

Clawhauser stopped, looked down and saw Officers Jaq and Gus on a table sipping cups of coffee that would have fitted a dollhouse. He knew that Bogo wanted their case file on Jerry Mousekewitz, but he hadn't expected them to come all the way here from Precinct Five in Little Rodentia. "Oh, um..." Clawhauser nervously drummed his fingers on the empty box like it was a bongo drum. "Just need a quick word with McHorn."

He continued up the rows of tables, reaching McHorn just as a thought came to him. It was very odd that no-one in the moderately sized room had seen the plate-sized arachnid on McHorn's back. One good look at the rhino told him why.

Son of a gun, it's gone!

McHorn's ear twitched and he looked to see a stunned Clawhauser standing right behind him. "What're you doing here?"

Clawhauser gulped loudly. "Looking for creepy crawlies." With that he dropped down on all fours and started searching under the tables.

McHorn rolled his eyes and turned back to face the front.

With Officer Higgins investigating a break in elsewhere in Savannah Central, there was no-one to announce the arrival of the chief before the side door opened. Underneath an empty table at the back left corner of the room, Clawhauser stifled a groan. The cops started their usual ruckus as Bogo, his posture stiffer than usual, reached the podium.

"Alright, quit it!" He snapped. On command the cops stopped and sat back down. "I've got one item on the docket and no mood for drivel, so I'll cut right to the point. This morning, known criminal Jerry Mouskewitz was killed in a car crash on the outskirts of Sahara Square. For those of you who don't know..."

Clawhauser continued crawling along the underside of the row of tables, no longer listening. He'd already heard of the infamous Triple-Casino-Heist Case. Five years ago, Jerry Mousekewitz had performed the biggest heist in the history of Zootopia: in one night he robbed three Tundratown Casinos blind. Four hundred million dollars had disappeared without a trace, as well as the rodent who had stolen them. Initially the case had been given to Precinct One, but as the years passed and other important cases came up, it had ultimately been left in the hands of Precinct 2, something that had deeply dented Iron's pride until he saw the case as an opportunity. For years they searched for Jerry with no success, to the point that the case almost went cold. Then two weeks ago, Jerry was spotted in Little Rodentia, planning to escape the city under the alias of Dr. Padraic Ratigan. If Clawhauser could hazard a guess, the mouse had been enacting his escape plan when Hopps and Wilde tried to pull him over, triggering the high-speed chase and its fatal conclusion.

Clawhauser was getting anxious. He was crawling down the next row, but there was still no sign of the spider. He looked at the large legs of the cops, all of which were capable of squishing the spider with one step. He cringed at the thought of the little guy getting hurt and kept searching, until-

"Clawhauser!"

Thump! The table shook as Clawhauser bumped his head. Bogo had spotted Clawhauser right after putting on his glasses to hand out the assignments. "What are you doing down there? Why aren't you at your desk?"

Rubbing his head, a blushing Clawhauser crawled out and stood up. All he could do was tell the truth and hope that he wouldn't be too harshly punished. "Sir, we have a minor situation. Please don't flip out, but-"

The side door opened again and in walked Mayor Hornbull, burly rhino and Mayor of Zootopia. Sporting a stubby horn and a thousand dollar grey suit, Hornbull strode across the room and stopped at the podium beside Bogo.

Clawhauser felt himself go pale. The mayor was a decent enough sort, but his arachnophobia was greater than anyone else's in this room.

Frozen to the spot, his arms nearly crushing the empty donut box, Clawhauser watched as Hornbull put a hand on Bogo's shoulder and exchanged quiet whispers with the buffalo, who looked less than pleased at the unexpected interruption. After a few seconds Bogo grunted and tilted his head down slightly.

Clawhauser's heart skipped a beat. There it was, perched on Bogo's horns.

He was the first to notice, but he was not the last. Some of the cops exchanged perplexed looks and peered at the creature, unsure if it was really a large insect or some abnormal hat. McHorn turned white and shrank back in his seat.

Clawhauser nervously lifted a paw. "Sir."

"Not now." Bogo said with a glance, oblivious to his living horn decoration. The tarantula twitched, startled by the sudden movement.

Clawhauser was terrified, but not of Bogo. A fall from his height would likely kill the spider. "Sir, you've-"

"Not. Now." Bogo cut him off through gritted teeth. With the rhino's hand still on his shoulder, he and Hornbull spoke a little more before he turned back to his men, who were still staring at the creature on his head. "Ladies and gentlemammals, I would like to introduce you to the Mayor of Zootopia, Terrence Hornbull. Some of you may also know him as the founder and owner of the three casinos that the late Mousekewitz robbed five years ago. As you can see he is very anxious for the case to be resolved and the money to be returned safe and sound. I have given him every assurance that despite Mouskewitz's unexpected death, we will..."

As Bogo continued speaking, Clawhauser pulled out his phone and sent a text. He heard a faint buzz come from Bogo's pants. The spider quickly crawled further back behind Bogo's horns until only its abdomen could be seen. Bogo pulled out the phone and saw the text.

[Giant spider on head!]

Bogo blinked and reached up, but the spider had crawled out of sight. He ran his hoof along his horns and rubbed his neck. He glared at Clawhauser. "Is this supposed to be a joke?" He asked dangerously.

Clawhauser sent another text. Bogo looked at the message on his phone, and this time, so did the mayor.

[NO JOKE. SPIDER JUST CRAWLED ON MAYOR'S ARM.]

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Fangmeyer entered the Precinct to be greeted by an empty reception desk and the sound of a woman screaming.

Her fur stood on end as she realised it was coming from the Bullpen, and she pulled out her tranquiliser gun. Sprinting past the befuddled officers that littered the main hall, she almost burst through the Bullpen door when the door opened a crack and the sight of Officers Jaq and Gus stopped her in her tracks.

Fangmeyer looked sharply up at the nearly shut door and the screams that came from it, then back down at the two mice. "What the hell is going on in there?"

"A tarantuly has infiltrated the ZPD." Jaq said, as Gus desperately tried not to laugh.

"A tarantula?!" Fangmeyer would have started laughing herself, but then she heard other raised voices trying to calm the source of the high-pitched screaming. "D'you guys think Bogo can get the lady in there to calm down, or will he need backup?"

"That's the mayor."

"Really?"

"Really."

Fangmeyer was about to ask if she should get involved when a rookie rushed up and reported that Delgato and Grizzoli had spotted a situation in Tundratown.

#zootopia fanfiction #Zootopia #Officer McHorn #Benjamin Clawhauser #chief bogo

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mastcomm · 5 years

Text

As New Virus Spread, China’s Old Habits Delayed Fight

“So frightening,” one recipient replied, before asking about the epidemic that began in China in 2002 and ultimately killed nearly 800 people. “Is SARS coming again?”

By not moving aggressively to warn the public and medical professionals, public health experts say, the Chinese government lost one of its best chances to keep the disease from becoming an epidemic.

Image

Dr. Li Wenliang

“The disease is preventable and controllable,” the statement said.

Hazmat Suits and Disinfectants

“It undermines the legitimacy of the government in messaging,” she added. “And public health is dependent on public trust.”

She had never visited the market.

The Race to Identify a Killer

No one realized, the doctor said, that it was as serious as it would become until it was too late to stop it.

“I realized that we had underestimated the enemy,” she said.

‘Politics is Always No. 1’

As the virus spread in early January, the mayor of Wuhan, Zhou Xianwang, was touting futuristic health care plans for the city.

Even those stricken felt lulled into complacency.

“The news said nothing about the severity of the epidemic,” said the daughter, Dong Mingjing. “I thought that my dad had a common cold.”

The government’s efforts to minimize public disclosure persuaded more than just untrained citizens.

“If there are no new cases in the next few days, the outbreak is over,” Guan Yi, a respected professor of infectious diseases at the University of Hong Kong, said on Jan. 15.

The World Health Organization’s statements during this period echoed the reassuring words of Chinese officials.

It had spread. Thailand reported the first confirmed case outside China on Jan. 13.

A City Besieged

Mr. Xi, fresh from a state visit to Myanmar, made his first public statement about the outbreak, issuing a brief set of instructions.

It was only with the order from Mr. Xi that the bureaucracy leapt into action. At that point the death toll was three; in the next 11 days, it would rise above 200.

In Wuhan, the city banned tour groups from visiting. Residents began pulling on masks.

Two days later, the city announced that it was shutting itself down, a move that could only have been approved by Beijing.

Crowds of people crushed the airport and train stations to get out before the deadline fell on the morning of Jan. 23. Hospitals were packed with people desperate to know if they, too, were infected.

Dr. Li in Wuhan Central Hospital on Friday.

The official reflex for suppressing discomforting information now appears to be cracking, as officials at various levels seek to shift blame for the government’s response.

“If the officials had disclosed information about the epidemic earlier,” he said, “I think it would have been a lot better. There should be more openness and transparency.”

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