#ty for voting on the poll a few weeks back

[curemi]

Cure Butterfly poses 🦋

[she-karev]

Signs and Secrets

Age Rating: 12+

Fandom: Grey’s Anatomy

AN: Hey guys so I had to rearrange my posts which means deleting the first draft of this and reposting it. I'm still on the fence on whether I should change my fancast to Victoria Pedretti. Your opinion matters and the poll will be up for the next five days so if you haven't voted hurry and click!

Summary: Amber works at the clinic when a roller coaster crashed while her intern friends gossip and speculate over who she’s dating.

Words: 3781

After about 3 hours with Darcy we were able to confirm she had a badly bruised spine but not torn. We explained this to Darcy and her parents in the patient room where we moved her and fitted her with a spinal halo. Her dad is deaf and her mom is hearing and are by her side anxious over her diagnosis.

“The good news is that her spine is intact.” Andrew explains as Jerry interprets for them, “The MRI showed no visible injury and the exam went great. Her spinal cord is badly bruised though due to the stampede and she’ll need physical therapy to regain full function.”

“For how long?” The dad asks and Jerry interprets.

“We would need our chief of neuro Dr. Shepherd to confirm but all in all it looks like she’ll regain strength over the next few days and in a couple of weeks she should be back on her feet and ride that rollercoaster in no time.”

Darcy signs no, “At this point I’ll settle for a night in watching Netflix.”

“How long does she have to wear this thing on her head?” Her mom asks.

“Her spine is still healing from the bruises so we’re gonna keep her for observation over the next 7 days and if her spine continues to improve we should get it off at day 5.” I explain to them. The dad looks at us gratefully and signs as Jerry interprets.

“Thank you both so much. I can’t tell you how afraid I was thinking she wouldn’t be able to tell you what’s wrong and you wouldn’t understand but she got lucky to have two people who know sign like you.”

“Well actually it was all Dr. Karev.” Andrew explains causing me to feel flustered, “She noticed your daughter trying to communicate and thanks to her we were able to treat Darcy and let her know what was happening.”

“Thank you, Dr. Karev.” The mom says, “I can’t tell you how refreshing it is to have a doctor who learned my baby’s language.”

“Of course, I’m glad I could help.” I turn to Dr. DeLuca for further instructions.

“Right well I’m gonna check to see if Dr. Shepherd is available to look at Darcy’s films, Dr. Karev will be here to monitor.” DeLuca explains and the dad signs.

“Um he’s asking if they can go pick up their son from school so he can be here as well.” I interpret.

“Yeah sure we’ll take good care of Darcy you can go and the nurse will take you up when you come back.” The parents sign bye and love you to Darcy and leave the room. DeLuca clears his throat and turns to me, “Dr. Karev, I trust you can take care of Darcy.”

“Absolutely Dr. DeLuca you can count on me.” He nods and leaves the room. I readjust the halo when Dahlia walks in catching me off guard.

“Hey.” She walks in with a tablet, “The chief wanted me to check on the deaf teenager to make sure she’s being taken care of.”

“She’s good we’re good I know sign language so I was able to keep her from being restrained like a prisoner.” I explain as I look at the screws, “Now I am making sure the halo is put in place and Dr. DeLuca is out getting Dr. Shepherd for a consult.”

“Okay great, that’s great.”

Darcy asks me, “Who is she?”

“Oh right sorry.” I stand back and sign, “Darcy this is Dr. Qadri she’s here to check on you and make sure your okay.”

Darcy raises her eyebrow, “She’s here to make sure I don’t sue them for tying me down you mean?”

“Yeah.” I nod, “We are so sorry for that and I promise it felt necessary due to fear of causing paralysis and when I realized what was happening, I stopped them immediately.”

“I guess that’s what I get for going out and getting hurt.” Darcy says bitterly, “You know when your on a rollercoaster deaf it feels so much more scary. Although I guess it’s even more scary when you can’t hear a rollercoaster falling off the tracks. I bet it must have looked cool.”

I chuckle as Dahlia looks at her vitals and puts them on her tablet, “Well I wouldn’t know the closest to a roller coaster accident I got was Final Destination 3. And you know I was thinking about checking out the carnival this weekend but now I’m just gonna spend the night in.”

“Well, if you want a ride with your doctor boyfriend I suggest the Great Wheel.” I pause and look at her shocked by her speculation that DeLuca is my boyfriend, “It’s totally safe and it’s slow and intimate so you two can make out while overlooking the whole city.”

I chuckle nervously and Dahlia looks at me confused and I clear my throat. I turn to Darcy and sign without speaking so I don’t give anything away to Qadri, “What makes you think Dr. DeLuca is my boyfriend?”

Darcy narrows her eyes like it was so clear, “Oh please it is so obvious especially to me. Even when I was afraid, I wouldn’t walk I could notice the eyes you made at each other. It was like you were mentally undressing each other.”

I shake my head flustered and continue signing, “I don’t know where you get that idea, he and I are coworkers that’s all.”

Darcy grins amused, “I observe people closely because I have to and I learned to read body language as a result. The body language you two were showing was ‘I want to take your clothes off and take you right here and now’ I guess this is a secret and your afraid your friend will interpret me.”

I look to Qadri to see if she understands but she’s looking at her tablet and looks up at me confused, “What is it?”

I exhale in relief, “Nothing are you done with your notes?”

“Yeah, I should keep going God knows the chief is gonna get after me for slowing things down. See you later.”

Qadri leaves and I go back to conversing with Darcy, “You know you’re a lot smarter than my friends here and they have medical degree’s. They couldn’t figure out in two weeks what you figured out in two hours bravo.” I wave my hands to applaud her and she smiles proudly.

“Just so you know.” Darcy signs, “He is really cute.”

I grin cooly, “He is although he could keep it down with the staring for the next super observant deaf kid we treat.” Darcy grins, “And he’s not my boyfriend, we’re just having fun.”

Darcy grins mischievously, “He looks fun. Which means you should put a label on it before someone else comes along and takes him for a rollercoaster ride.”

I laugh at her innuendo just as DeLuca walks in with Shepherd, “Hey I see I made it in time for comedy hour, what are we joking about?”

I look at Andrew with a grin and respond, “Nothing just some funny youtube videos where the cat juggles a melon. Dr. Shepherd I already adjusted her halo and the nurses gave her a painkiller.”

Shepherd nods, “Okay let’s see what we got here.”

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

After about 12 hours of suturing in the pit and treating burns, I lean against the brick wall of the tunnel sitting on the gurney next to Helm with Casey taking up most of the space and the others occupying the gurney next to us. Right after Dr. Grey won the Harper Avery award like we all predicted we went to the tunnel to rest and reminisce on our day. The six of us are exhausted and about ready to sleep the day away. I’m so tired I’m not even mad that most of them got to assist and I didn’t even Roy which would blow my top off if I wasn’t trying to keep my eyes open.

“This day was epic.” Casey says with tired joy.

“I’m so tired I can’t feel my teeth.” Schmitt says as he rubs his eyes.

“I almost stitched my finger to a person.” I chuckle at Helm who looks at me offended, “At least I saw an O.R. before you She-Karev what do you say to that?”

“I say.” I decide to sign so she won’t understand, “Next time I’ll hurt you just for the chance to fight over your surgery.” I grin at her confused face.

“What is that?” Helm asks.

“Yeah she speaks sign language.” Dahlia explains as she cricks her neck.

Helm scoffs, “Of course you do, is there anything you can’t do?”

“When I figure it out I’ll let you know.” I say smugly and they chuckle when Dr. Grey and Alex enter the tunnel carrying a champagne bottle and cups.

“Scram.” Grey tells us causing them to stand but I stay since I assume sister’s are allowed.

“Yeah you heard her, scram. This is our beach.” They all walk away and Alex turns to me and rains on my parade, “You too get out.”

I look at Alex taken back, “Wha-I’m your sister!”

Alex grins, “Exactly now scram.” I groan in annoyance but do what he says and catch up with the others who look at me amused.

“I guess baby sisters aren’t allowed in the adults table.” Roy makes fun causing me to punch him in the arm.

“Whatever it’s just champagne in a tunnel if I wanted a night like that I would’ve never left Manhattan.”

Casey yawns, “So how does Dahlia know you speak sign?”

“I had a young patient come in with a bruised spine she’s deaf and I was there. I took it as a language requirement in pre med. I figured I could use my hands for something other than saving lives and Roy! I know what your gonna say and if you make a quip about my hands being used for other things I will punch you.”

Roy scoffs amused, “Oh please you don’t have the balls.” I turn around fast and make a motion to punch him in the face causing him to squeal and back away as I grin at his reaction and continue walking. The others laugh at the scene.

“Remind me which one of us has balls?” I grin maliciously as we enter the locker room.

“So you sing, you know sign language and your related to Alex Karev.” Casey lists as I lay on the bench, “Why is it we know all these things about you and yet we don’t know who your sleeping with.”

I groan, “I thought you didn’t care Parker I was rooting for you to be less annoying than the rest of them.”

Casey shrugs, “That was this morning now I’m exhausted and interested is it Major Hunt?”

I chuckle at the irony. I saw the guy naked this morning and he’s not the one I’m sleeping with, “No because the guy is a freaking dinosaur and he’s my boss and I have self-respect.”

“Is it Avery?” Helm asks and I glare at her, “Oh come on don’t pretend you don’t find him hot we all do.”

“Then why don’t you get your freak on with him if you find him delicious?”

“He’s not my type.” Helm opens her locker, “Schmitt are you still convinced it’s Eddie?”

Qadri snorts and says under her breath, “Oh please you all are oblivious.”

They look at her confused over not hearing her, “What was that?” Helm asks causing Dahlia to realize she said something and stammers.

I stand up and go to my locker inputting my combo as she speaks, “U-Um you know my second cousin is deaf.” I freeze at the second set of numbers over this new information but continue to appear cool.

“Really?” Schmitt looks at her confused.

“Y-Yeah she bet me a new headscarf I could learn the language in one month.” I pale at this and take my water bottle out staying quiet, “I lost but I learned a few words especially the dirty ones those stuck out to me the most.”

I clear my throat after I take a sip of water, “That’s uh that’s interesting very interesting to learn right now.”

Dahlia grins knowingly, “Well there’s a lot of things we don’t know about each other but you know that better than anyone right She-Karev?” Her look confirms she was able to interpret mine and Darcy’s conversation and I keep a cool head.

“Are you working tonight?” I ask.

“Yep.” Dahlia confirms and I nod.

“Me too I guess I’ll see you out there.” I quickly leave the room without saying a word to anyone and wait outside the hall for Dahlia to come out and she did. I approach her and cut to the chase, “How much did you interpret?”

Dahlia smiles at my worry, “Which part? The part where she called DeLuca your boyfriend or the part where she could tell you guys were having mind sex in front of her? Because I got both of those if you want to know.”

I sigh in despair, “Great I could’ve taken Russian but no I decided to be of use for the deaf community.”

Dahlia smiles, “Well if it makes you feel better this blows my Lin Manuel Miranda theory out of the water. How did this happen? Was it a quickie in the on-call room or did you gaze at his sultry green eyes in the ER and decided to declare your love for him out in the rain with Ed Sheeran in the background.”

I roll my eyes, “Okay first you watch way too many Nancy Meyers movies second this happened a few months ago way before I even got hired and it has continued ever since and thirdly I will allow for one more question before scaring you into keeping silence so make it count.”

Dahlia thinks for a moment, “Is he good?” I chuckle at her, “Because he looks like he’d be good.”

“Okay my three orgasms a night are none of your business.”

Qadri’s eyes widen, “Three times?! You’re kidding or you miscounted that can’t be possible.”

I whisper, “The other night it was almost four.”

Qadri chuckles at my good fortune, “That man is a medical marvel.”

I sigh in lust, “He really is. Now for the intimidation if you-”

“Amber.” Qadri interrupts me, “You don’t have to worry, I promise I won’t tell anyone about you and DeLuca if you don’t want me to. It’s none of my business and it was just fun gossip this morning that’s all. I mean I’ve seen Gossip Girl I know how brutal it can be.”

I see that she’s genuine and decide to let her off the hook, “All right I guess I can trust you to keep this a secret.”

“I know it probably doesn’t mean much but in my opinion. It’s not as embarrassing as you think.” I raised an eyebrow at her, “It was shocking but then I got over it and it seemed normal. Except for the four orgasms that is just crazy.” I chuckled with her, “Honestly, it’s a lot more ethical than if you slept with Hunt or Avery. Their frogs and we’re egg masses yeah but DeLuca he’s a tadpole so it’s just one shift up the cycle. You have nothing to be ashamed of in my opinion.”

I exhale and look at her grateful for her advice, “People are already underestimating me as Karev’s baby sister I don’t want to give them more reason by opening my bedroom door. I mean guys get away with this but we don’t.”

“You’re preaching to the choir honey.” Qadri agrees, “Okay so I guess your secret is safe with me.”

“Thank you, Dahlia.” I say with a grin.

“So…I guess that makes us friends then.” Dahlia quips with a hopeful smile and I shake my head at her giddiness.

“Well see. Good night.” I turn to walk away from her and I see DeLuca by the nurse’s station rubbing his tired eyes but he sees me giving a grin and he grins too walking by my side.

He greets me in a doctor voice, “Dr. Karev.”

“Dr. DeLuca.” I respond with equal disinterest.

We stop outside the on-call room and he holds the door for me, “After you Dr. Karev.”

“Thank you, Dr. DeLuca.” As soon as he closes the door, we go at each other like animals.

I curl my fist around his wavy hair as we kiss and he picks me up and puts me on top of the drawer chest causing me to chuckle. I continue to kiss him and take his lab coat off; he does the same with my scrub top leaving me in my black bra. I run my hands under his shirt and pull it off quickly. We continue to explore each other with our lips and hands for several moments until I speak up at the worst possible time.

“I’m not embarrassed to be seen with you.” DeLuca pauses kissing the back of my ear and pulls back looking at me confused.

“Is there a reason you’re telling me this when I have you half naked on top of furniture?”

“Listen.” I straighten up and put my hands on his broad shoulders to steady myself, “People look at me and automatically assume I don’t work my way to success. They think I use my looks or amazing skills in bed just to get by, it’s been that way since I first hit puberty. It’s amplified more here because the second I walk into a patient room the family hopes I’m the nurse.” Andrew sighs and puts his hands on my hips listening albeit annoyed I cut our powwow short, “And I get how you don’t assume that but you know things about me that they don’t. You know I worked myself to death to get out of foster care and into state school with no help at all. You know I didn’t use my brother’s name to get an interview here but they don’t know that. I mean they’re gossiping about which attending I’m screwing for surgeries including Hunt which is ironic since I saw him naked this morning with your sister.”

Andrew groans in disgust and pulls his hands away from my body, “And the endorphin high is at a crashing stop thanks for that.” Andrew sighs and looks at me in sympathy, “I get that it’s demeaning to say the least that all those interns look at you and your DNA and assume that your…”

“A brainless slut?” Andrew looks at me in pity over how I described myself.

“No, you’re not and you shouldn’t let them get to you. I mean if they knew all the things you had to go through, they would eat their words over how wrong they were about you.” I look at him touched as he continues, “I mean you helped a deaf little girl tell us what was wrong with her. Your friends probably would have tightened her restraints more and not notice what was right there but you did and…that makes you way better than them in my opinion.”

I look at him in gratitude over how he compliments my bedside manner and I finish my statement, “I’m not embarrassed by you or shamed of you it’s just…what we have is private and I don’t want them to gawk or make fun of it. They would think I’m using you to get revenge for my brother and that you’re sleeping with me to spite Alex but they don’t know us. I don’t care about their opinions but I do care about the reputation I want to establish here.” Andrew looks at me attentively, “You have a different pedigree than me so you don’t know how addict parents and violent brothers can damage your image in the world at the age of 2. I went to private school on scholarship and…the guys assumed I was an easy project girl.” Andrew’s face shifts to pity, “All the girls hated me because I fitted my skirt more than them and they thought I was stealing their boyfriends when they saw me bump into them and…I swore I would never go through that again. I know it isn’t fair to you but it’s all about me not you I promise.”

“Amber that’s terrible.” Andrew brushes my hair back over my shoulder, “I didn’t know that and I was afraid it was because you were embarrassed of me but hearing your story, I get it now. I know how hard it is to get away from your past and make a name for yourself, it’s what I did with my dad and I see that in you too.” Andrew cradles my face in his hands and I look at him with affection, “If you don’t feel comfortable telling people about us, I’ll respect that I just…I just want to know I’m not another shameful secret of yours.”

I sigh and run my hands over his torso, “You’re not if anything you’re the best secret I have ever kept.” Andrew smiles and resumes kissing me this time it’s slow and sensual and he picks me up again putting me on the single bed. I lay under him and moan as he resumes kissing my collar bone and I stroke his back as we sink into each other. I groan and pull him back so I could ask him something else.

Andrew pulls back annoyingly and looks at me, “What is it?”

“Um…are we dating?” He looks at me surprised by my question, “It’s just that we never put a label on it and we’ve only gone out in public like twice so I just want to know if this is gonna die when you realize I am too much of a mess to handle or get tired of my sexpertise.”

Andrew grins at my joke and responds, “Well one I already knew straight off the bat you were gonna be a mess from how our first date went and I handled that spectacularly if you recall. Second I will never get tired of your sexpertise the three orgasms are evidence enough. And third yeah I like to think we are dating, is that the answer you were hoping for?”

I grin, “Yeah it actually was.” Andrew grins at me, “Okay no more interruptions I promise now come here.”

DeLuca exhales, “Thank god.” He kisses me and I moan in pleasure with us content in each other’s company.

[ourpokemonteamtournament]

Round 3 - Roundup:

Overall Results:

Zweilous: 62% / Hawlucha: 38%

Dunsparce: 56.9% / Drifloon: 43.1%

Jumpluff: 35.9% / Feraligatr: 64.1%

Leafeon: 69.1% / Scyther: 30.9%

Darumaka: 60.3% / Mime Jr.: 39.7%

Spheal: 69.8% / Omastar: 30.2%

Biggest Turnout: The poll with the most votes was Dunsparce vs Drifloon with 123 votes! The Dunsparce community really pulled through because Drifloon was winning at first.

Wallflower: The poll with the least amount of votes was Darumaka vs Mime Jr. with only 58 votes.

Most Popular: The Pokemon with the most votes overall was Spheal with 69.8%.

Biggest Loser: Poor, poor Omastar only got 30.2% votes.

Head to Head: There were no polls with a 10% or less difference. Pretty apparent overall winners on all polls.

Biggest Discrepancy: Spheal vs Omastar with a 39.6% difference.

Guess Whose Back: The winner of the Round 2 Losers Bracket is ~ Male Meowstic! It was neck and neck between Heracross and Male Meowstic with both tying multiple times in the last few days, but one final last-minute vote pushed Male Meowstic to be the singular winner, and is now back in the tournament bracket.

Reminder: To help a loser out, vote on the Losers Bracket to get one Mon from last weeks round back in the tournament.

[spiteless-xo]

It's so unfair that you moved gymrat!Eren to the end of the line even though he was the second option on the poll losing only by a few votes.

You say "I know you've been asking for it for MONTHS" and yet you intend to make us wait possibly until November. NOVEMBER, seriously? Shouldn't you put it right after infidelity Eren, since that was where it was on the poll results?

I'm appalled to see this and my day is genuinely ruined rn. I was so excited for that one. I'm not interested in infidelity Eren (I hate cheaters, anyone who voted for this, would you want to be in the place of the girl who gets cheated on? I don't think so) or in the threesome with Jean, because tbaw made me dislike Jean heavily. It's funny because I have never ever disliked Jean before, but somehow you managed to ruin even the canon version of him for me with just last few chapters. I guess this is a testament to how great your writing is.

And yeah, I'm probably wrong to send this ask because it sounds like I demand it and I've no right to do that, I know I know. But as I said, I am quite literally appalled, all my excitemnet just got deleted, so I need to say smth. Feel free to ignore.

again, i’m so sorry everyone! to be honest, i don’t really want to write two back-to-back eren oneshots, so i want to break it up w jean. i want to get the invasion fic done before the end of the summer to match the event deadline and i want the threesome fic to line up with a certain tbaw chapter. so as a result, gymrat!eren got pushed to the end.

i understand your frustration but i hope you understand things from my perspective too. writing is just my fun hobby that i do in my free time in between my full time job, my social life, my dog, and the gym.

i want to break up the monotony of editing tbaw by making fun little oneshots, but if i feel pressured into writing then it takes the fun away and makes it feel more like a chore.

i know i’ve been really consistent with weekly tbaw updates, but that’s because the whole story is already done and i’m just doing minor edits on the chapters. i’m not actually writing these chapters from scratch each week lol

i hope this doesn’t come off as rude because that’s not my intention. i understand how disappointing it is to have something you’re excited about be delayed like this, but i also hope that you understand that i’m a human being doing this for fun.

(i wanted to respond to this anon but i’m not going to post any more asks relating to this topic ty! 🥰)

[scullydubois]

Only the Light (ch. 3)

Description: Missy moves in with Scully post-One Breath/Scully’s abduction. In this chapter, Scully goes through her morning routine and gets a surprise...

part 1 here. part 2 here. tagging @today-in-fic​.

“Only the Light” won the poll, so it’s now the official title! Yay! Thank you for voting and thanks for all the feedback--I love your comments. This part is the longest yet (and the best imo)--enjoy!! 

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

She floats outstretched through the sky as if it were the community pool she and Missy used to frequent as children. She tilts her face toward the sun, feels the warmth of it washing over her. Her eyes reflect the brilliant blue sky, mini-oceans in themselves. Her back is to the city, and she’s so high up she can’t hear one bit of the noise on the ground. She hopes this is what heaven is like. If this is heaven, she has nothing to fear. 

And then she’s falling, a casualty of gravity. Hell has found her. It always does. This is an unfortunate truth she must live with. The sky races past her and there’s a pit in her stomach so deep she thinks she must be breaking the laws of physics, her body stretching like a rubber band about to snap. Surely she is not a human being anymore. Surely she won’t be by the end of this.

The ground hurdles toward her. She can’t see it, but she knows. She wonders what shape they will find her in, or if she will even be found. She hopes for her family’s sake that she’s in so many pieces they can’t put her back together. It’s easier, she thinks, when the body doesn’t look human. Burying a radiant-looking thirty year old is sad. Burying a mangled mess of a corpse is a relief. 

As if on cue, her alarm chirps. She awakes in one piece and punches the alarm, reality whisking away the horror of her dreams. Sweat saturates her silk pajamas, leaving a morning dew of sorts on her sheets. The blankets were thrown off at some point during the night. She does not remember doing this, so she can only assume it was the work of the demonic force in her brain.

Waking up in a puddle of her own sweat has become commonplace since she was returned. The first time the heat was so stifling she thought she must have had a fever that broke, but the mercury thermometer in her bathroom said otherwise. Her body seems to have a mind of itself these days. 

For the time being, her mind is still functioning, so she pulls herself out of bed to get ready for work. This routine part of her day is a privilege she relishes. Very rarely does she get to function on autopilot.

It goes like this: first, she slips off her pajamas and changes her underwear. It is at this point without fail that she realizes she hasn’t bought a new pantyset in years, and wouldn’t it be nice if she did? This mental note slips away by the time she buttons her suit jacket and tucks her undershirt into her slacks.

Next, she switches on the bathroom light and performs the typical tasks of self-care--brushing her teeth, washing her face, and whatnot-- that some might find tedious or annoying. For Scully, they are soothing. She spends too much time thinking about aliens and not enough thinking about herself. She’s not sure she believes in either, but god, it would be nice to try. 

Veering close to the latest possible time at which she could still expect to beat DC traffic to the office, she brushes her hair (no time for a hundred strokes), dabs some concealer under her eyes, and swipes on her favorite lipstick. No need to go all out; she knows where she stands.

Finally, she opens her closet and stares at the rack of heels. They’re uncomfortable and damn inconvenient for an FBI agent, but Mulder’s tall and she is not. She had a fraction of her current pairs before she met Mulder. No coincidence. 

She chooses the tallest pair she owns because she needs the confidence boost. They’re headed to a nursing home in Massachusetts today, so hopefully there will be no running in the woods involved. 

She click-click-clicks down the hallway. The scent of strong coffee permeates the air. She turns the corner, and there’s her sister with a pot of coffee and two plates of scrambled eggs. It is seven o’clock in the morning, and they were up at 3am last night. The last thing Scully expects is for her sister to be cognizant, let alone to have cooked. 

“Good morning sunshine.” Missy slides a plate over to Scully’s usual spot at the table and pours the piping hot coffee into a ‘Kiss Me, I’m A Doctor’ mug. 

Scully pinches herself. No, she’s not dreaming. This is too happy to be one of her dreams anyways.

“This is a surprise,” she says as she takes a seat at the table.

“Well, I fell asleep on the couch and woke up at 5:30. I figured it’s been awhile since someone’s cooked you breakfast.”

Scully takes a sip of the coffee. 

“I don’t even cook myself breakfast.”

“Exactly.”

Melissa tops off Scully’s mug. 

“Is it strong enough? I couldn’t drink mine without adding about a half a cup of milk, so I figured I must be doing something right.”

Scully is so grateful to be waited on that it could be a milkshake and she wouldn’t complain. It is strong enough though, stronger than the milk and sugar mixture someone calls coffee at the FBI. 

“It’s perfect,” she says, meaning it.

“Good. I saw the end of that movie, by the way. You were right, it’s a real snoozefest.”

Scully laughs. “I actually like that movie. That’s why it helps me fall asleep.”

Missy scoffs. “They spend the entire movie pining over each other just for one chaste kiss at the end! Where’s the fun in that?”

“Probably shortly after that chaste kiss.”

Missy smirks, pleased that she’s gotten her sister to make a sex joke at seven o’clock in the morning. She softens her voice-- 

“I did want to talk to you, though.”

Scully finishes chewing the forkful of scrambled eggs in her mouth. 

“I have to leave soon or I’ll be late.”

“Late for what? One of Mulder’s slideshows?”

Scully sits back. Maybe Missy has a point.

“I’m sure you’re tired of my questioning,” Missy says, “so I won’t ask you another thing. Say what you need to say.”

Say what you need to say. So simple, yet so powerful. It occurs to Scully that no one ever gives her this type of shameless permission. They shouldn’t have to, but she’s never been one to talk out of turn. What a relief to have the freedom to speak plainly. 

She exhales. She has spent the past weeks playing back the few memories she has of her disappearance--she won’t call it the other word--and trying to decipher what happened to her. She is no closer to figuring it out than she was when Mulder gave her necklace back, but it might help to share what she does remember.

She launches into it, her memories flowing out in one long stream.

“You know, when I was in the hospital, I kept having this vision that I was in a lifeboat. There was a rope tying it to the dock and on the dock were all the people I loved, the people that were around me. You and mom and Mulder and the nurses.”

Melissa listens sympathetically, shocked and relieved that her sister is opening up.

“But I couldn’t move, I couldn’t do anything but sit there in that boat and hope that somehow, the tether wouldn’t snap.”

This is the most vulnerable Missy can remember seeing her sister since the passing of their father. There are a respected few who have witnessed Dana Scully reveal the inner workings of her mind. It’s a rare honor to witness Dana Scully reveal the inner workings of her heart. 

Scully continues.

“And then it did snap, and I had...I can only describe it as a near-death experience. Dad was there...He was in his uniform with all his medals and he told me that he loved me and—that we would be together again, but not yet.”

Missy nods along.

“So I guess...that kept me from going. That’s how I knew I had to stay.”

“Wow,” Missy breathes.

“From then on, I could hear everything you guys were saying. I heard you and mom telling me that I was below the criteria of my living will and I was trying to give you a sign…”

Her voice breaks. 

“I was so scared you would pull the plug on me.”

“Oh my god, Dana.” Missy engulfs her in a hug. “I am so sorry.”

Scully breathes into her sister’s neck. Her hair smells like the strawberry shampoo they used when they were children. She wonders if Missy still uses it, decides that now is not the time to bring that up. Instead, she lets go of the hug first.

“I started thinking, if I am below the criteria of my living will, maybe that’s the right thing to do. Maybe if I ever truly wake up, I’ll be so damaged I won’t be able to work for the FBI or have anything resembling a happy life.”

She sighs. “And you and mom said your goodbyes, and I was thankful, actually, that I got to hear them because so many people don’t and you just...never know with my profession.”

She bites her lip to keep from crying.

“And then sometime later I heard Mulder come in, and his wasn’t a goodbye. He touched my hand—I could feel it but I couldn’t respond—and he told me he was there. And I could feel his sadness, but I could also feel his hope. And that was all I needed, was hope.”

“He gave you the strength to wake up,” Missy says, partly as a question. 

“Or the courage to.”

Melissa considers this. She remembers how solemn she felt going to Fox’s apartment that night, delivering the news that her sister was weakening. This must be how nurses feel when they tell loved ones to say their goodbyes, she thought at the time. When he said he wasn’t able to go see Dana in the hospital, she was furious. How can you be so naive? she thought. Are you so afraid of pain you refuse to feel your own feelings? She realizes now this sounds like something she might say to her sister. 

Melissa decides not to mention her involvement in any of this. After all, she hadn’t succeeded in convincing Fox to go to the hospital. That was his own choice. Instead, she says--

“He was really looking out for you, you know. He was a soldier for your cause.”

The edges of Scully’s lips turn up the slightest bit.

“I don’t doubt it. Mulder is nothing if not a good soldier.”

Melissa thinks back on meeting Fox. She said that Dana had talked to her, that her soul was there. He didn’t believe her.

“Fox was exactly what you said he would be,” she tells her sister, “and somehow I was still surprised by the sheer force of his determination.”

Scully chuckles. 

“Well, I don’t exaggerate these things. If anything, I downplay them.”

“No kidding.”

Melissa wets her lips, letting silence rest comfortably at the table with them.

“You’re really lucky you know, to have him as a partner.”

Scully nods. 

“I know.”

And she does.

[gumnut-logic]

We’ll Be Home For Christmas 5.2 (Bit 2)

From here | Bit 1 | Bit 2

It took me all week to put this little bit together. Work stress messed me around royally. Fortunately I have some time off lined up in a fortnight, so there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

We’re getting there. I have a list of threads I’m tying off as the boys manipulate me along the way. I hope my stressed out writing is up to par with the rest of the fic - that is one downside of pausing mid-fic for any length of time is that the mood shifts and my writing changes. Also, the format of this fic doesn’t really lend itself to the short posts I’ve been doing of late, but it will have to do. I hope you enjoy this little bit anyway.

Thank you to all of you who have answered my little poll on what to write next. This is the result. Those of you who voted for The Hero, I will get there as well. These three fics demand ends even if it has taken me a year (yes, it is reaching that point for The Hero at least). Thank you all for your wonderful support. You guys continue to just be amazing ::hugs you all so much::

This is for @scattergraph​ It was last year’s @tagsecretsanta​ fic and it is still being written, now closer to this year’s Christmas. Apparently, it is We’ll Be Finished For Christmas :D Talk about a fic getting totally out of control. Thank you so much for bearing with me on this tome. I love this fic. It has taught me so much. I just hope I can finish it with due credit to the rest of it.

-o-o-o-

There followed an extensive rundown on a random ball of rock and ice currently traversing their solar system.

It was interesting, Virgil had to admit it, and it was great seeing Alan so enthusiastic about it. Of course, once he started on his heroic tale of his and Scott’s encounter with Halley’s Comet, Virgil found himself tuning out.

He’d heard it a few times already.

At some point he was able to drift away from his babbling brother, step out onto the balcony and grab breakfast off the remains of the buffet that had obviously been left out for him. The last of the morning was as beautiful as the rest of the week had been. He had to admit that they had been very lucky.

A glance down at the caldera as he munched on a pastry, most definitely not cooked by his grandmother, and he spotted A Little Lightning resting quietly at her dock.

He found himself staring at the boat. Her yellow stripe, ever so Gordon, her gleaming hull, their short and shared history…

“She’s a good looking ship.”

Virgil nearly jumped out of his skin for the second time in less than half an hour.

Gordon arched an eyebrow up at him. “You okay, Virg? How are you feeling?”

Exasperated. “I’m fine.” He turned away, his eyes dancing across Mateo and its petrel colony.

A bird squawked loudly as if in recognition.

Gordon snorted. “So I hear.”

Virgil glanced back at his brother. “What?”

All innocence. “What?”

“Gordon...” His tone was all warning.

His brother downed his drink. “So, we going to open that pile of presents or are we keeping them as ornaments?”

Virgil frowned. “Oh.”

“Yes, oh. Johnny had to discover a comet to keep Alan distracted while we were waiting.”

“Sorry.”

Gordon rolled his eyes. “Gees, Virg, it’s not a problem, just c’mon. Join us.” And he was being dragged back into the house where everyone had gathered around the Christmas tree.

For the next hour or so it was simply family, friends, gifts and laughter. Scott in particular, was in a jovial mood, his grin an apparent fixture on his face. Mel was never far from him.

It became very clear that Scott, and possibly Gordon, had been Christmas shopping that morning, probably on the other side of the world, because there were presents under the tree that hadn’t been there the night before. There may have been an abuse of International Rescue technology to obtain it all, but the smiles on their guests’ faces when presented with Christmas gifts may have been worth his brothers’ transgressions.

Almost.

Virgil sat on the lounge, a brother either side of his feet peering up at him as he opened a present wrapped in green tissue paper. The material inside was also green and when he held it up, it unfolded into a t-shirt.

Written across the front were the words ‘I’M FINE’.

Behind the curtain of fabric, a brother snorted.

“Gordon.”

“What?”

Virgil exhaled and dropped his hands into his lap with the shirt. Glaring at his grinning brother, he held Gordon’s gaze for a moment before shuffling out of his seat and standing up.

Both Alan and Gordon scampered away from his feet.

“Virg…” Scott’s tone was worried.

Virgil ignored him and continued to glare at Gordon.

The aquanaut’s expression faltered a little and Virgil mentally tagged himself a point.

He then took the trophy by shucking off his shirt and undershirt in front of all of them.

The breeze was cool through the open doors of the balcony as he awkwardly dragged the new t-shirt over his head, aware of every eye in the room staring at him.

He pulled the green material down over his healing incisions and glared at his brothers, starting with Gordon, who appeared somewhat gobsmacked a moment before once again bursting into a grin, and following around the room to each of his other brothers.

He didn’t fail to notice a strange smile on Kayo’s lips as he did so.

“Now, I hope this means I don’t have to keep repeating myself?”

Silence and lots of staring.

A snort from Gordon. “Sure, Virg. We all think you’re pretty fine.” He followed it with a snicker.

There was an odd sound from Penelope’s direction, but when Virgil darted a look at her, she appeared to be smothering a delicate cough.

Her eyes were sparkling at him though.

Oh, for the love of-

“You’re great, Virgil.” Alan was grinning.

“Like china.” John was not even trying to keep a straight face.

“Whatever you say, Virg.” Scott had his arm around Mel and was grinning like a loon.

Somehow the points were being racked up by his brothers now.

His glare turned flat and he lowered himself awkwardly back onto the lounge. He didn’t miss Gordon’s attempt to reach out and help him.

Another glare and Virgil grunted, crossing his arms across his chest in an almost pout. “You’re lucky I love you guys.”

There was an outburst of more laughter. Virgil tried to hold his disgruntled expression, but a kiss by Grandma on the cheek broke his determination.

“You’re a shit, Gordon.”

“And you love me.” Still grinning.

Virgil couldn’t help himself. He grabbed the Fish by the scruff of his neck and wrangled him into a half hugging noogie, messing his hair up royally. Virgil had to admit that Gordon was likely playing along because his big brother certainly wasn’t up to wrestling with him, and as Penelope burst into laughter, Virgil found himself getting soppy.

The noogie turned into a full-on bear hug.

Chlorine scented hair caught in his nostrils.

“Virg?”

“Huh?”

A wheeze. “Need to breathe.”

“All your fault.” He let his brother go.

Gordon sat up on the lounge, straightening his shirt and running his hands through his hair. A glance of fond exasperation and he turned away. “Okay, Allie, time to see that painting.”

“So, it is a painting?” Alan shot off the floor and dashed over to the tree where the huge present was leaning against the wall.

There followed many exclamations at Virgil’s skill in painting Thunderbird Three in flight. Hell, even John put in a request for one of Five, so maybe he managed the stars part of the project accurately enough.

He must remember to ask Alan to grab some shots of John’s ‘bird next time he was up there. Or maybe he would hitch a ride and go up himself.

That thought led to visualising possible compositions, moving Five around in his head, whether he should include Earth in the background, which bit of Earth – Tracy Island, of course – which constellations, what time of year, whether he could lean on artistic license or whether inaccuracies would bug his brother silly. Most likely the latter, so there would be some research involved. Perhaps Alan could help him with that. Actually, that wouldn’t be a bad idea. A good excuse to spend some time with his little brother.

He eyed Alan and the young astronaut turned a questioning look in his direction. Virgil just smiled a little at him.

Alan’s face burst into a grin and Virgil found himself subject to another brotherly hug. “Thank you, Virgil.”

He returned the hug with gusto. “Anytime, Allie.”

Apparently, today was the day for being soppy because he clutched his brother tighter.

Anytime.

-o-o-o-

TBC

[aurora-nuova]

Rude Love

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply

Fandom: Naruto  

Universe: Modern AU

Relationships:

Senju Tobirama/Uchiha Madara (main)

Senju Hashirama/Uzumaki Mito (side)

Characters: Senju Tobirama, Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Izuna, Senju Hashirama, Senju Itama, Uzumaki Mito

@madatobiweek Week 4: There was only one bed OR Not realizing they are already dating

Summary: 

Summer sun, cool waves, a beautiful beach. Nothing could go wrong on this long awaited, blessed holiday to the sea, right? W r o n g!

Madara should’ve just pushed his best friend off of that cliff they had been playing on as kids when he had the chance.

Read on AO3

————————————————————————

Chapter 01: Something new

Madara startled awake with a curse on his lips when a cheering Hashirama‘s elbow hit the pillow his head had been resting upon but momentarily got distracted by a female speaker announcement.

“—and gentleman, as we start our descent, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position and your seatbelt is securely fastened—”

Ah, apparently it was time for their airplane to land. And surely, looking out of the window confirmed it as no clouds were greeting him. Instead, the ground was rapidly closing in on them. 

Turning his head away from the window, he threw Mito—who was sitting on Hashirama‘s right— a tired but bemused look that she promptly returned when her husband started making quiet hooting noises at the bumpy arrival at their destination.

What a child, he thought fondly as he acknowledged a warm feeling making its way through his body. Though such mushy thoughts were only allowed in the privacy of his mind and were never to be discussed out loud or lest he got made fun of by Izuna or his other siblings.

Looking at his best friend, he sometimes wished he had half as much, well, or maybe only a third of his positivity. At least on his good days.

Though, on second thought, it sounded rather exhausting.

Maybe his slightly more realistic approach to life wasn‘t so bad after all, he mused as said best friend turned around to him with a beaming smile, not even having noticed that he had been the cause of his interrupted sleep in his glee. Returning a sleepy smile, he realized that Hashirama probably was positive enough for both of them. Or rather both of their close families, if he were to be honest.

It still amused him to this day that no sane person would expect this child of a man to be a renowned paediatrician but sometimes people were apparently wrong. Very wrong.

Because jokes aside, fortunately, Hashirama indeed could be serious when his patients and their parents trusted him with the children’s life. And doing so, he tended to them with unmatched enthusiasm and passion.

So all was good, he guessed.

Stretching his stiff muscles through a yawn, he noticed familiar tresses of long, dark hair sticking out from between the gap in the seats in front of him. Zeroing in on it with a wry smile tugging at the corners of his lips, he nimbly stuck his hand through the gap to pull one of the bigger chunks of hair, only to immediately receive a satisfyingly high pitched yelp.

“OUCH! You ass!” Izuna screeched turning his head back around to him and hastily reclaimed all of his hair with a scowl, making Madara huff in amusement.

“Oh please, stop being such a drama quee-” the older of the two started retorting when suddenly his younger brother turned around in his seat somewhat—seatbelt still fastened, making the endeavour pretty awkward looking as he smushed his face between the backrests to make a grab for Madara’s own hair.

“No!” he groused out, leaning away from the squiggly hand. “Stop!”

“Payback‘s a bitch, Nii-san!” the younger Uchiha snarked back, voice muffled by the seat and continued to make grabs for his hair that Madara defended by slapping his grabby hands away.

“Children, please,” Mito‘s exasperated voice suddenly broke through their argument, making both of them stop—Madara crossing his arms while Izuna turned back around and untangled himself from the space between the two seats, arm almost getting stuck in the process.

“I‘m not a child, he is!” Izuna grumbled out as he was facing the right way again, missing the red head‘s amused but quiet laugh.

Wondering why the biggest child of them all hadn‘t joined them in their squabbling and actually kept quiet for once, the Uchiha looked back at Hashirama, noticing that he too had an arm moving, but in the right gap between the seats in front of himself. The Uchiha made a confused sound and nudged the taller man who then looked at him with a questioning smile.

“What are you doing?”

“Trying to wake up Tobi and Itama, I saw them asleep when I left for the bathroom a few minutes ago,” the brunette answered with a sunny smile as the Uchiha hummed in acknowledgement as people around them started to get their luggage from the overhead stowage spaces to leave the plane.

Finally exiting the airport‘s sliding doors with their heavy luggage to walk into a metaphorical wall of humidity as the sun tried to roast them alive only made Madara close his eyes in misery. The heat was so much worse than he had anticipated.

Great

To be completely honest, he hadn‘t even wanted to come here in the first place, would have instead preferred a milder, more enjoyable weather for his long-awaited vacation but unfortunately, he had lost in the poll their two families had held to determine what this trip‘s destination would be as everyone except Itama and him had voted for this dreaded hot climate as their travel destination.

Surprisingly even Tobirama—currently dressed in long pants with a long-sleeved sweatshirt‘s hood and a pair of sunglasses covering his face—had wanted to come here.

Whatever, he would make the best of this holiday.

As it was, unfortunately, not all of their siblings had been able to come with them due to scheduling difficulties. However, they had already agreed on another trip in winter when hopefully their schedules would align a bit more smoothly with much more desirable weather, at least for him.

He already looked forward to it.

Something he could live without though, was the planning and scheduling part as arranging things for the six of them had been a logistical nightmare already. What with Itama having to hand his last thesis in the day before while Izuna and Tobirama respectively had to write their exams a few hours before their flight took off.

He himself probably wouldn’t even have been able to take time off on such short notice if his position at work as detective hadn‘t been so high and he himself and his good reputation hadn’t been so well regarded amongst their ranks and—no, he was joking. In reality he still had a few open favours with his boss and promptly used one of them to be able to be here with his family and friends when Hashirama had texted him the booking confirmation.

His boss obviously hadn‘t been too happy. But after Madara had helped out countless of times, sacrificing his free time again and again when needed, raked in so many extra hours, that he had accumulated a lot of those favours. And just to be on the safe side, had tied all loose ends at work in preparation which thankfully had swayed the man to agree in the end.

The Uchiha briefly wondered how Obito and his fellow colleagues were doing before Izuna chatting him up caught his attention.

Next thing he knew, they were leaving their rented cars parked outside an Italian restaurant and taking their seats around a big but crammed table as Hashirama had rejected the friendly personnel’s offer to push two tables together because apparently he wanted to cuddle in this inhumane heat or who knew why tree brain hadn‘t wanted the second table because Madara for sure didn‘t.

Smushed between Izuna and Hashirama, he could already feel the sweat run down his back as he pushed his sunglasses atop his head, tangling up a few strands of hair that he couldn’t care less about at the moment in the process.

“Get anything you want, it‘s on me to celebrate the end of the semester for our three youngest and of course, the start of our amazing holidays together!“ his best friend exclaimed when everyone had received their beverages and toasted all of them, resulting in clinking of glass and various intonations of gratitude amongst them.

After Madara downed his glass in one go and lowered it back on the table with a loud clink, he rummaged through his pockets to find a godforsaken hair tie. His hair was already uncomfortably sticking to the back of his neck. Frowning, he gave up when he came up empty.

Hashirama probably didn‘t have one on hand, as he only tied it for work and Mito used hair pins, which left him with only Izuna who was typing away on one of his social media accounts. Leaning over, he saw a snapshot out of the airplane window.

“Pretty picture.”

Izuna immediately shot him a dubious look.

“Okay. What do you want?” his younger brother asked with an expectant look on his face.

“Can‘t I compliment you without wanting anything?” he asked bemused.

“Oh please,” the other huffed out.

“Alright, whatever. Do you have a hair tie?”

Izuna took a terribly amused look at his horribly mussed up hair. The stupid humidity wasn‘t doing the older Uchiha any favours, making his usually wild hair poof up and stick out in an even crazier mess than usual. He was well aware but the brat didn‘t even try to stifle his derisive snort.

“Yes, but know that this will cost you a third of your dessert,” the little shit haughtily replied as he took a tie out of a bag between them.

“A fifth and you have yourself a deal,” Madara huffed, holding his hand out.

“A fourth and you have to order something I actually like,” Izuna countered, holding out the desired hair tie just out of reach.

“Deal,” he heaved out with a heavy sigh, accepting the cargo and tying up his hair into a messy ponytail, immediate relief flooding him, as the slightly less warm air of the ceiling fan caressed the back of his neck. Much better.

Madara shot his greedy brother and his mostly immaculate hair an annoyed look, when the other happily turned back to continue typing away on his smartphone.

He would need to steal whatever the little shit had used to wrestle his own mane into submission out of his luggage and use it on his hair tomorrow when the other inevitably would still be snoozing away the morning, since he liked to sleep in.

They had the same hair structure, after all, but he wasn‘t willing to pay the unreasonably high price his sibling surely would come up with as soon as he asked him about the product he must‘ve been using to tame their family brand of crazy hair.

Under no circumstances would he walk around like some caveman after today, though.

Right now everyone was still tired and mussed up from their flight, even elegant Mito, so his crazier than usual hair wouldn‘t be noticed too badly.

But starting tomorrow, that excuse wouldn‘t fly anymore, as everyone would attempt to look presentable for the undoubtedly many pictures Hashirama and Izuna would take in the span of their holidays. And seriously, latter didn‘t need even more blackmailing material, as he already had more than enough of that stowed away already.

But more importantly, tomorrow Tobirama wouldn‘t be so exhausted anymore that his head would look like it was ready to loll onto the table.

Seriously, the poor guy looked ready to fall off the chair any minute if it weren‘t for Itama on his left, holding him up in an embrace while happily chatting with him and Izuna squished in on his right, forcing him into a somewhat upright position.

The younger Senju seemed way too tired to even notice much today, belatedly reacting to any verbal or physical stimuli as far as he had seen.

In fact, the exhausted albino probably couldn’t wait until they finished their food and finally drove to the hotel so he could catch up on all of that lost sleep tonight. However, that also meant that the albino‘s sharp eyes would be scrutinizing and analyzing everyone and everything starting with tomorrow, so he needed to look presentable if not a bit nicer than usual at least.

Feeling eyes bore into the side of his head, he inwardly startled at being caught staring, as his eyes slid back over to Izuna who was wiggling his eyebrows and pursing his lips at him in an imitation of a kiss.

“Shut up!” he quietly hissed and shoved at him, hoping no one had noticed the idiot.

“But I‘m not saying anything!” the brat cackled, as he bumped into an unresponsive Tobirama next to him, subsequently rattling Itama who shot them a quick bemused but confused look.

“Just stop it, you ass,” he grumbled out, refraining from hitting his younger brother upside the head to avoid any additional spotlight from the chatting couple by his side to keep the cause of the start of the situation under wraps.

There was no need for Izuna to spout lies about him ogling the light haired man like he had a crush on him or something similarly stupid. Definitely lies. Shut up.

He avoided looking in the albino‘s direction for the rest of their duration at the restaurant, even when Izuna stole more than a fourth of his dessert.

But apparently things were still going too smoothly and the universe wanted to punish him for whatever sins he had accumulated over his life at once because right before they entered their hotel to check in, Hashirama abruptly planted his feet on the searing hot concrete under a palm tree and waved them over.

Oh god, what would this be about?

Judging by the massive grin on his face, it couldn‘t be anything good.

When everyone was situated around him, Hashirama clapped his hands.

“Alright, since we always, well, almost! Since we almost always do the same room distributions, I came up with an idea this time,” he revealed giddily.

“Wait, what?” Madara exclaimed confused as the taller man started rummaging in his pant pocket.

“We‘re drawing straws!“ the idiot exclaimed joyously as he held out a fist of sticks, receiving mixed reactions from everyone around him.

“Please tell me you‘re not serious?“ the oldest Uchiha replied with a sinking feeling.

“Why not?“

“Mito, your wife, is the only female in this group?“ he tried reasoning to no avail.

“Oh yes, that‘s why we‘re sharing a room!“ the stupid tree answered him cheerfully.

And it was that moment that Madara actually took a look at the sticks in his hand and noticed that there were only four of them. Opening his mouth, Hashirama immediately interrupted him.

“Because we booked on such short notice, they only had one room with two single beds, the other two are double beds. Mito and I will take one of those but there‘s still the question of who will get the other two rooms each,“ the older Senju explained with a smile.

“Still, it doesn‘t make any sense why we should draw lots in the first place. I don’t care in what kind of bed I sleep in with Izuna,“ Madara said scowling as he crossed his arms.

“But Itama and Izuna want to try something new and right now you’re the only one not agreeing,” the brunette said pouting.

“You didn’t even give me a heads up— Wait, what? Since when does snowflake agree to your stupid ideas?” he asked, throwing the two Senju brothers in question a confused look. One of them half asleep and not even listening, the other one pouting down at him.

After all, out of the siblings Tobirama was the only one stopping Hashirama’s mischief on a daily basis when things looked like they would get out of hand while the two younger ones loved to indulge in their eldest brother’s silly antics.

“Anija asked him on our way to the airport,” Itama helpfully supplied, the corners of his mouth twitching.

“Do you really think that‘s fair? Snowflake has been closer to a walking zombie than a human being!“ he groused out, scowl intensifying.

Tobirama very belatedly pursed his lips in a pout and softly furrowed his brows but didn‘t react any further, making the older Uchiha feel all sorts of fuzzy and mushy things. God no. Trying to not show any emotion besides annoyance on his face was getting harder by the second.

“No offence, but that’s a very underhanded tactic for you, Hashirama. He looks like he hasn’t slept in days,” the older Uchiha accused to hammer in his point.

“But that’s the only way he agreed for once,” the older man admitted with a chuckle.

He zeroed in on Izuna when he too chuckled.

“And since when do you like trying out new things?” Madara accused his sibling.

“Excuse you! I try new things all the time and you would know that if you followed my social media accounts like you said you would!” the younger Uchiha answered scandalized with furrowed brows.

The older Uchiha groaned. Not this again.

“Is it too much to want some fun on this vacation?” Hashirama asked with one of his better renditions of a puppy look directed at him while Tobirama slinked off to sit down next to Mito on a bench not far from them.

Huffing, he shuffled his feet, looking around and tried to think of a way out of this.

Izuna would be his best bet of course. But if he had to share a room with Itama, things would probably get awkward pretty fast as they never had spent time on their own until now. However, Tobirama would be an even worse pick. Not because he had anything against the younger man but because of other things that he didn’t want to think about at the moment.

No, he wouldn’t play Hashirama’s stupid games this time. Why should he? Especially when his idiotic friend easily had taken himself out of the equation. Unfair. He was here to relax and enjoy himself.

Having decided against his best friend’s plea, he looked back to said friend only to freeze at the triumphant look on his face.

Oh no.

“What?”

“Have you forgotten? You owe me!” the idiot exclaimed with a wry grin.

Now it was his turn to furrow his eyebrows in incomprehension.

“You lost that bet at our last poker evening weeks ago,” the tan man replied giddily.

Madara’s eyes widened. He was right but he wouldn’t, would he?

“Are you seriously going to waste it on something like that? Hashirama, you wouldn’t, right?” he asked, rubbing his forehead to soothe his growing headache with a grimace.

He knew he was doomed, when three grinning faces met his.

“I absolutely would and I am henceforth officially claiming the favour you owe me!” the childish tree trunk of a man exclaimed laughing in glee, hands on his hips.

Suppressing another groan, Madara felt more sweat trickle down his back. Honestly, he could’ve done worse, he guessed. Hashirama could’ve used the favour to send him off to do much more horrible or embarrassing things. This was absolutely not ideal but whatever. What were the odds of him having to share a room with Tobirama, after all? Two to one against it, not bad at all. And he surely could make it work with Itama, too.

Being already fed up with the situation and the sun searing what felt like holes into his back, he decided that he didn’t care anymore as long as they could go inside soon. Preferably right this instant.

“Fine,” he conceded defeated, receiving surprised looks at his unusually short lived refusal and hooting from Hashirama.

“Alright, youngest first! There’s two short and two long ones,” the excited man exclaimed, holding out his hand with the sticks to Itama after he had shuffled them behind his back. “Don’t reveal them until everyone has a stick!”

When it finally was Madara’s turn, he didn’t have much choice but to accept the remaining stick as the oldest of the four.

“Reveal your sticks on the count of three! One, two, three!” Hashirama exclaimed excited.

Madara blanched when all of them unfurled their fists to showcase each of their picks. Had he seriously ended up with one of the short sticks? Wait, if the other two had the two long ones, that meant that Tobirama and he—

Hashirama clapped him on the shoulder with a huff of laughter.

“Looks like you and Tobi share a room!”

“Wha—”

“Okay, now I need those back and the winner team picks one of two to decide who the winner of the room with the two single beds is,” the older Senju exclaimed.

When Itama picked the longer stick, Madara despaired internally.

How could his luck be this bad? Had he seriously just lost two times in a row? Also wasn’t the looser supposed to get to pick first and—

Wait.

Oh no.

His eyes widened and he paled even more when suddenly the realization hit him that he had to share a double bed with his cru- Tobirama for the upcoming two weeks here.

He was doomed.

Suddenly he didn’t even feel warm anymore.

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Welcome to Pollapalooza, our weekly polling roundup.

Poll(s) of the week

This week, we have some of the first polls on how Americans feel about the death of George Floyd, a black man who was killed by a police officer in Minneapolis, and the protests that have cropped up across the U.S. in response.

On the one hand, an overwhelming majority of Americans say Floyd’s death was wrong and the police officers involved should be held accountable. There is also some support for the frustration and anger that sparked the protests, and a majority of Americans now agree that there are vast racial inequities in policing. But public opinion on the protests themselves is more muddled and suggests that Americans have mixed views of the protesters and their right to demonstrate, much of which falls along familiar partisan lines.

First, the public pretty clearly thinks the police were in the wrong. A Yahoo News/YouGov survey, for instance, found that 84 percent of Americans strongly or somewhat approved of the firing of the officers involved in Floyd’s death, and 68 percent said they approved of charging former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd’s neck for nearly 9 minutes, with murder. Similarly, 65 percent of respondents in a Data for Progress poll said that Chauvin murdered Floyd; 25 percent of respondents said his death was partly a product of excessive force “but not murder,” and just 10 percent said it was a “tragic accident.”

Additionally, most Americans said that policing is biased against African Americans. In a new survey from Monmouth University, 57 percent said police were more likely to use excessive force in difficult situations if the suspect is black, while just 33 percent said police were equally likely to use excessive force against white people and black people. Similarly, 57 percent of respondents in a new CBS News/YouGov survey said police in most communities treat white people better than black people. Thirty-nine percent said police treat both races equally. On top of this, 61 percent of Americans said race was a “major factor” in Floyd’s death, according to the Yahoo News/YouGov survey. There was a big partisan gap in how respondents answered this question though: 87 percent of Democrats said race was a major factor compared with just 39 percent of Republicans.

More broadly, the public appears receptive to why people are protesting. Fifty-seven percent of respondents in the Monmouth poll felt that, regardless of their actions, protesters’ anger was “fully justified,” while 21 percent said it was “partially justified” and 18 percent said it was “not at all justified.” And 64 percent told Reuters/Ipsos that they were sympathetic to those participating in the protests, while a Morning Consult poll found that 54 percent of adults supported “the protest in general” while 22 percent opposed it.

However, Americans had mixed views on what has happened during the protests, and many have expressed disapproval of protests that have been violent or destructive. Forty-five percent of respondents told Morning Consult that, on the whole, most of the protesters are peaceful and desire meaningful social reform, while 42 percent said most protesters are trying to incite violence or destroy property. In Monmouth’s poll, only 17 percent felt the actions of the protesters were fully justified, 37 percent said they were partially justified and 38 percent said they weren’t justified at all. And the Reuters/Ipsos survey found that most Americans (72 percent) didn’t think violent protests were an appropriate response to Floyd’s killing, and that property damage caused by protesters undermined their goals (79 percent). Morning Consult’s survey also found that Americans were less supportive of the protests when they were specifically asked about black people protesting.

Americans across the political spectrum said they approved of some of the more forceful responses from local and state authorities. In Morning Consult’s poll, 70 percent said they supported curfews and 66 percent backed calling in the national guard to aid city police, with large majorities of both Democrats and Republicans approving these measures. Fifty-five percent of respondents even supported calling in the U.S. military, although there was a substantial partisan split on this question, with 74 percent of Republicans approving compared with 48 percent of Democrats.

As for President Trump’s handling of the protests, Americans largely gave him a thumbs down. The CBS News/YouGov poll found that 32 percent approved of Trump’s response while 49 percent disapproved, and Reuters/Ipsos found that 33 percent approved while 56 percent disapproved. Although Trump usually has overwhelming backing from Republicans on most job approval questions, there were some signs that at least a few GOP voters were breaking with him on this issue. The CBS News/YouGov survey found that 65 percent approved of how he’s handling the situation — far lower than the 84 percent who approve of how he’s handling the coronavirus pandemic, for example — while 14 percent disapproved. Similarly, in the Reuters/Ipsos poll, 20 percent disapproved while 67 percent approved.

There could be electoral repercussions to the protests and the president’s response to them. Monmouth’s survey found that 74 percent of Americans felt the country was on the wrong track, the largest share since Monmouth first asked the question nationally in 2013. And as a result of Floyd’s death and the protests, 45 percent of registered voters told Morning Consult they were more likely to now vote for former Vice President Joe Biden. However, another 31 percent said they’d be more likely to vote for Trump. And at this point, it’s hard to imagine that George Floyd’s death won’t be an important factor in the election.

Other polling bites

This month marks the fifth anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that made same-sex marriage legal across the country, and Gallup’s latest data finds that 67 percent of Americans believe gay marriage should be legal, tying record-high support in 2018. Overall, this reflects a remarkable shift in public opinion. In 1996, 68 percent of Americans opposed same-sex marriage, while just 27 percent supported it.

A new report from the Pew Research Center says that religion is increasingly becoming a dividing line between Democrats and Republicans. Only 52 percent of Democrats identified as Christian in 2019, down from 73 percent in 2008, while 79 percent of Republicans identified as Christian last year, down 8 percentage points from 87 percent more than a decade ago.

As many states and municipalities start to reopen after closing up shop to slow the spread of the coronavirus, a new ABC News/Washington Post survey reveals that many Americans are still hesitant to resume their pre-pandemic activities. Fifty-eight percent said it was still “too early” to visit stores, restaurants and other public places, and 57 percent said it was more important to control the spread of the coronavirus than to restart the economy, compared with 37 percent who said that restarting the economy was more important.

However, Gallup finds that Americans aren’t quite as worried about being exposed to the coronavirus when they visit medical providers now compared with how they felt in late March and early April. Back then, 84 percent said they were “very” or “moderately” concerned about exposure at a doctor’s office or hospital, whereas now just 64 percent said they were concerned.

In the wake of Trump’s executive order targeting social media fact-checking policies, fewer Americans said they wanted Trump banned from a social media platform if he spread offensive content compared with last year, according to a new poll from Morning Consult. Just 24 percent said they wanted him banned, which is down from 38 percent in August 2019. (But the share who approved of a temporary suspension of his account remained relatively the same, 35 percent versus 36 percent.) The weaker support for a ban was driven primarily by Americans who voted for Trump in 2016. In 2019, 26 percent of Trump voters supported a ban compared with just 13 percent in 2020.

The U.S. Senate race in Kansas is heating up, and a new survey from Democratic pollster Civiqs suggests it could be competitive in November despite the state’s Republican lean. Presumptive Democratic nominee Barbara Bollier was in a dead heat against three Republican contenders, holding just a 1-point lead over two of them — former Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach and businessman Bob Hamilton — while trailing Rep. Roger Marshall by 1 point. In the GOP primary, the poll gave Kobach an edge over Marshall (35 percent to 26 percent), with Hamilton in third at 15 percent.

A new survey from Republican pollster Cygnal suggests that there may not be a runoff for the Democratic nomination in Georgia’s regularly scheduled U.S. Senate election. The poll found journalist and former congressional candidate Jon Ossoff at nearly 49 percent in the June 9 primary race, just shy of the majority he needs to avoid an Aug. 11 runoff. Meanwhile, former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson had about 16 percent, and 2018 Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor Sarah Riggs Amico had around 8 percent.

Trump approval

According to FiveThirtyEight’s presidential approval tracker, 41.9 percent of Americans approve of the job Trump is doing as president, while 53.1 percent disapprove (a net approval rating of -11.2 points). At this time last week, 42.6 percent approved and 53.6 percent disapproved (a net approval rating of -11.0 points). One month ago, Trump had an approval rating of 43.3 percent and a disapproval rating of 51.1 percent, for a net approval rating of -7.8 points.

Generic ballot

In our average of polls of the generic congressional ballot, Democrats currently lead by 7.8 percentage points (48.7 percent to 40.9 percent). A week ago, Democrats led Republicans by 7.7 points (48.2 percent to 40.5 percent). At this time last month, voters preferred Democrats by 7.7 points (48.0 percent to 40.3 percent).

[xlits]

Let It Snow

Pairing: Tyler Lockwood x Male Reader

Summary: Giant fluffiness with the cutest wolf in Mystic Falls

Word Count: 1,301

A/N: Omg, I’m so upset that this didn’t post when it was scheduled to. I’m sorry to keep you all in the wait, but I managed to get home and upload this before midnight (EST) so that counts as not being late right? Anyways, the polls are still open for the rest of the days if you guys want to vote for who I should feature in the next few weeks. Enjoy! Xx

The evening was nice while dealing with Damon’s sarcastic comments and Elena’s constant worrying about your lives. You put the last set of dishes in the sink before turning on the hot water to wash the dishes. You roll up the sleeves of your thick sweater and got to work. Bonnie comes up beside you with a smile and grabs the wet dishes before drying them to hang on the rack.

“How did you like the food tonight,” Bonnie asked while wiping the dishes.

“It was good,” you said while smiling. You felt like lying down after such a big meal and start to feel the effects of the wine glasses creep up on you. You couldn’t help but feel a bit excited to decorate the house with Tyler tomorrow. Your smile only grew with the thought, and Bonnie gently nudges your side with her elbow with a knowing look on her face.

“I have a small favor to ask,” you said softly hoping that Tyler doesn’t hear the conversation from the living room. The hybrid’s senses only increased after Klaus done tormented your boyfriend, and left him as a hybrid. Bonnie looked over her shoulder at the kitchen entrance before looking back up at you with a confused look.

“Is everything ok?” You can see the worry on her face, and you give her a reassuring smile before nodding.

“Everything’s fine. I was wondering if you would be able to make it snow in Mystic Falls tomorrow,” you said while biting your bottom lip with nervousness. She looks at you with raised eyebrows and set the last remaining dishes on the rack before drying her hands with a towel. You pull down your sleeves after drying your hands before leaning against the counter with your arms crossed over your chest. You suddenly hear laughter erupt from the living room as Tyler and Matt continue to horseplay while the others relax after the dinner.

“I guess I can,” Bonnie said with a smirk. You let out a small scream and jump up and down while hugging Bonnie. She laughs as she holds onto you trying to keep herself steady.

“I owe you,” you said while grabbing two new wine glasses and walk to the living to see the gang popped open a new bottle. You quickly settle down beside Tyler as he puts his arms around you and plants a small kiss on your head. The Thanksgiving decorations hung elegantly in the Salvatore house, and you couldn’t get over how well Caroline put the house together for the night. Caroline quickly pours both you and Bonnie a new glass before raising her wine glass up for a cheer.

“I’m thankful for us surviving another year and being able to spend the holidays with you guys,” Caroline says sweetly with a bright smile. You all clink glasses and you turn to give Tyler a kiss. He smiles into the kiss and pulls you closer before a pillow hit the both of you on the head. You turn your head to see Damon’s and Alaric’s frown.

“Take your horny asses somewhere else,” Damon said before taking a sip of his whiskey.

You give him the finger and everyone just laughs at the two of you, as the night grows old.

The next morning felt warm as Tyler’s body is pressed against your back with his arms around your waist. You got used to waking up this way after Tyler’s constant nightmares of you getting hurt in the middle of the night. You didn’t mind his protectiveness; you’d even tease him about it sometimes. You try to unwrap yourself from him but his hold only tightens as you feel butterfly kisses all over the back of your neck. You laugh as you know he does that to tickle you and you turn over to look at him.

“Today’s a busy day Lockwood,” you said while looking into his eyes. He looks at the clock behind you and lets out a deep sigh as he sees it’s only nine in the morning.

“Let’s just stay in bed babe,” Tyler said with his eyes closed. You reach for his nipples and pinch it to annoy him. Tyler lets out a groan as he scowls at you and put his hands over his chest to prevent you from doing further damage.

“Up now.” Tyler could hear the demanding tone in your voice before you untangle yourself from him and run to the bathroom.

“You know it’s a bit of a turn on to see you go all alpha male on me,” Tyler shouts as you retreat to the bathroom. You playfully stick your tongue out at him and continue with your morning routine. It didn’t take long for both of you to get done getting ready for the day with a hearty breakfast to accompany it.

You underestimated the amount of Christmas decorations the Lockwood’s own, and you were heaving by the third heavy box you pulled into the foyer of the mansion. You were thankful for Tyler as he easily picked up most of the boxes, including the tree from the basement.

You didn’t realize it until you see Tyler staring outside the window from the living room to see snow gently falling from the sky covering Mystic Falls in a blanket of white. You put on the biggest grin as you silently thanked Bonnie and jumped onto Tyler’s back. He slightly stumbles from the sudden movement before placing his arms under your legs to keep you up.

“Memorized?” You asked him with a playful tone in your voice. Ty turns his head to look at you with a small smirk.

“Only when I’m looking at you,” he replied before you playfully smack his chest while he chuckled.

“Cheesy and cringy,” you said while wrapping your arms around his neck to hold yourself up.

“You love it,” Tyler said before opening the door and walking outside with you on his back. You hop off his back and wrap your coat around your body taking in the beautiful scene before turning to see Tyler throwing a snowball directly at your face. You didn’t dodge it in time and coldness envelops your face.

“So that’s how you’re playing it,” you said before running behind a tree as Tyler ran to another. You reach down to make a snowball and stood silently behind the tree. You knew you were at a big disadvantage since your boyfriend had heightened senses, but that doesn’t mean you didn’t know how to use that against him. You silently stood behind the tree and throw a snowball at another tree to distract him. It worked as you see him run up to that tree falling for your trap and you attack him with multiple snowballs while he tries to cover his face.

“Alright! You got me! Stop!” You laughed as you kept throwing it at him before Tyler runs towards you and lifts you over his shoulder before gently throwing you down onto the snow. You quickly pulled him down with you as you two took deep breaths. Tyler took you into a kiss and you didn’t know how long you both lay in the snow deep in a kiss before someone cleared their throat.

“Hey mom,” Tyler said sheepishly as he gets up and pulls you up with him before standing behind you to wrap you in his arms as his hands settle into the warmth of your hoodie pockets. You embarrassingly smile at his mom before putting your cold hands into Tyler’s warm coat pockets as his mom stands there with a little smirk.

“Get inside boys, I’ll make some hot chocolate,” she said as she makes her way towards the front door with you two following behind her while holding hands.

[finance-expert]

State of Crypto: The SEC Takes on DeFi

The SEC is reportedly investigating decentralized finance (DeFi) platforms and the parties behind them. While not unexpected, this is a new phase in the crypto-regulatory landscape. We may be able to predict how these investigations will proceed by looking at prominent historical examples.

You’re reading State of Crypto, a CoinDesk newsletter looking at the intersection of cryptocurrency and government. Click here to sign up for future editions.

DeFi investigation

The narrative

News broke Friday that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is conducting a probe into Uniswap Labs and other DeFi platforms. It’s unclear whether these investigations are still primarily for information-gathering purposes or whether there will be enforcement actions coming. Regardless, this is a pivotal, if expected, development in the regulator’s oversight of the crypto market.

Why it matters

How the SEC approaches DeFi might determine how well DeFi platforms survive in the coming years, particularly as the agency’s investigations mature. There are few details about the SEC’s investigations that are publicly available at this time, but we can look to the past to guesstimate how these investigations may proceed.

Breaking it down

The SEC has signaled for a few weeks now that it’s going to be taking a look at DeFi. I’ve written about this at least twice now, so news stories that the agency is actively looking into this segment of the crypto market are absolutely not a surprise.

To sum up what we do know: The SEC is reportedly investigating Uniswap Labs, the developer behind Uniswap, the leading decentralized exchange (DEX) on Ethereum. What’s a DEX, you may ask? Consider it a robot on the internet routing trades through various pools of funds, no middleman (beyond the software) needed. Other (unnamed) DeFi platforms may also be in the SEC’s crosshairs.

While we don’t yet know what the regulator is specifically looking for, we can find some clues in recent history that point to how the agency might approach DeFi and enforcement actions.

DeFi tea leaves

SEC Chair Gary Gensler has helpfully explained his views in detail a few times now. Most recently, he told the European Parliament that a lack of regulated brokers and clear-cut investor protection rules leaves “the investing public … vulnerable,” particularly to scams or other forms of abuse.

In the past he has also pointed to “promoters and sponsors” who write the software behind DeFi platforms and create their governance mechanisms. The theme that’s emerging so far is a focus on the centralized players that might help create or power DeFi projects (or even engage in what my colleague David Morris calls “decentralization theater”).

The SEC therefore doesn’t appear to be looking at the decentralized parts of DeFi, even if the projects themselves are adequately decentralized after launch. If a project isn’t fully decentralized in its earliest development stage, its backers may soon receive an inquiry.

This would explain why the SEC is investigating Uniswap Labs at any rate.

In a statement emailed to CoinDesk, an external spokesperson for Uniswap Labs said, “We are committed to complying with the laws and regulations governing our industry and to providing information to regulators that will assist them with any inquiry.”

Looking further back, the SEC may also look at how a DeFi platform actually operates – whether it provides a marketplace for tokens that the SEC considers securities and uses its own orderbook.

Past cases

The agency’s precedent here would be EtherDelta, the decentralized trading platform the SEC brought charges against in 2018 on allegations it acted as a securities trading platform.

At the time, the agency pointed to EtherDelta’s smart contract, order book, order display website and marketplace as evidence it was supporting illicit securities transactions.

The SEC also specifically brought charges against Zachary Coburn, who founded the platform but left over a year before the charges were filed.

So just because a platform is decentralized doesn’t mean the SEC won’t file charges against a centralized party with a significant role in setting it up.

It is worth noting here that there may be lines drawn between decentralized finance platforms generally and decentralized exchanges specifically, but the role of centralized developers or founders is salient to both types of entities.

In short, what the SEC is likely considering includes:

Investor protection concerns;

The role of centralized parties in these decentralized platforms;

Whether the tokens are securities in the SEC’s view.

Watch this space.

Bitcoin’s litmus test

Guest essay by Andrés Engler

Finally, the speculation on the use of bitcoin in El Salvador will end, and a real analysis can begin on whether the cryptocurrency is useful or not in a country in need of financial tools for its population.

Knowing like no other the power of social networks, President Nayib Bukele was extremely adept at joining an explosive tribe in search of state legitimacy. The Salvadoran case study was a win-win for both parties.

Still, Bukele had to back down in early battles against the financial establishment. The first stumbling block was the International Monetary Fund, which quickly issued a statement naming “a number of macroeconomic, financial and legal issues” that bitcoin would generate in that country, in the midst of negotiations for a $1 billion loan for the country.

Bukele, without much leeway in the international arena, made several concessions. The most striking was to desist from applying Article 7 of the law, which stipulated that all economic agents must accept bitcoin as a form of payment when offered by the person acquiring goods or services. In August, the president said the use of bitcoin as legal tender would not be mandatory, and the resulting question was obvious. If businesses are not forced to accept it, can bitcoin be considered legal tender?

The second concession, more symbolic but no less important, was saying the measure of the economy would be in dollars, and that salaries would be paid in that currency. It is worth remembering that although El Salvado has a central bank, the country does not issue its own currency but uses the U.S. dollar.

Despite the changes, bitcoin could have concrete benefits for El Salvador. It could save them $400 million that Salvadorans abroad send as remittances to their country, boost tourism and even create a mining industry if Bukele effectively makes available volcanic energy as promised.

On a continent-wide scale, the success of bitcoin in El Salvador – demonstrated in massive adoption and savings in remittances – could mean a domino effect of adoption in Latin America and developing countries in other continents.

So far, Bukele’s strategy has led different politicians in the region – from the North in Mexico to the far South in Argentina – to present bills to regulate the sector and, in some cases, promote it. Either way, bitcoin bills have been a gold mine for officials in search of votes and fame, and an important step in putting cryptocurrencies on the discussion table.

The bitcoin experiment will not only be a litmus test for Bukele but also for bitcoin itself and the discourse that proposes this cryptocurrency as a financial solution for underbanked territories.

The adoption of bitcoin in El Salvador will mean something unprecedented: the first state educational policy on crypto assets, with different offices where locals will learn to use the official digital wallet Chivo and gain knowledge about how bitcoin works and its usages, such as remittances.

Bitcoin is political

The adoption of bitcoin in El Salvador comes at a tumultuous political moment for the country. On Friday, the country’s Supreme Court – which has a pro-government tilt – declared it constitutional for the president to be reelected after his five-year term, generating pushback from the entire political opposition.

It is not the only issue. At least three opinion polls published last week showed the majority of Salvadorans do not agree with the use of bitcoin as legal tender in the country, with an average of between 65% and 70% of El Salvador’s population against it. Such a level of rejection was crystallized in some small marches that took place with only hundreds of people and unions opposed to Bukele, which could have political interests beyond bitcoin itself.

Thus, Bukele expressed days ago his frustration against those who criticized the use of bitcoin in the country for remittances.

“If you don’t want to, you can always go to Western Union and pay a commission. No problem at all,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

El Salvador’s political spectrum is on the lookout for any Bukele misstep, and has criticized the Bitcoin Law in different ways. Both the FMLN party (left) and Arena (right) are unforgiving of a president who wears a backwards cap, has broken with the status quo, entered Congress with the military to try and force the legislature to approve more military and police funding, and won the last legislative elections with a supermajority that gave him a majority in parliament.

“Some will prefer to believe the thieving opponents who have done nothing but loot our country, destroy it and pay for them to murder our people. Others will choose to believe the government. But in the end, everyone will realize the reality on Sept. 7,” Bukele wrote last week.

Tether’s reserves

In May, I filed a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request with the New York Attorney General’s Office asking for the documents detailing Tether’s reserve composition breakdown. My goal was to verify that Tether submitted similar documents to the NYAG that the company published when revealing its breakdown to the public (the pie charts, as Twitter has taken to calling them).

The NYAG FOIL officer who saw the request initially denied it, tying the request to a similar FOIL request made by another individual. CoinDesk appealed, and a different FOIL officer agreed with our appeal.

Procedurally, Tether had an opportunity to push back against the second officer’s decision, which it did in the form of a petition filed last week. I imagine we’re still close to the beginning of this process, so obviously more to come on this front.

Here’s more context on how we got here, including Tether’s full statement after filing.

You can follow the court filings here.

Biden’s ruleChanging of the guard

Emory University School of Law Professor Kristin Johnson might become President Joe Biden’s next nominee to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Bloomberg reported last week.

Elsewhere:

El Salvador Police Releases Bitcoin Law Critic Arrested for Alleged Bank Fraud: Police in El Salvador arrested Mario Gomez, an activist who has criticized the country’s Bitcoin Law, without a warrant on allegations of possible bank fraud. Police released Gomez hours later.

‘Crypto Dad’ Giancarlo to Quit BlockFi’s Board After 4 Months: Former CFTC Chair Chris Giancarlo has stepped down from BlockFi’s board of directors, though the company says he will remain an adviser. BlockFi is in the middle of a legal fight with five different state regulators over whether its interest accounts product violates securities laws.

BitConnect’s Top US Promoter Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charge: Glenn Arcaro, a U.S.-based promoter for BitConnect, pled guilty to a fraud charge from the U.S. Department of Justice on the same day the SEC filed charges against him, his company and BitConnect itself.

Outside CoinDesk:

(The Atlantic) Australia seems to be pioneering some new grounds in lockdown enforcement. Some of these measures include apps that require quarantined individuals to verify their location within 15 minutes of receiving a notification, for example. What could go wrong?

(Human Rights Watch) El Salvador’s legislature passed new laws that would allow local officials to fire any judges or prosecutors over the age of 60 or extend the term of judges and prosecutors at the government’s discretion, actions which could threaten judicial independence, according to the Human Rights Watch.

(The New York Times) The Times published an interesting interactive graphic explainer on crypto energy use. It’s worth taking a look at this.

[keywestlou]

MORNING STEW #47

It’s one of those days! So much news. Material galore. So I am rolling out today’s topics as they appears in my notes.

First, a morning happening.

I fell. On the stairs in my home. Sore leg is all I suffered. However my wall at the top of the stairs looks like a Picasso.

I was carrying a large glass of chocolate protein drink up with me to sip on as I wrote. Stubbed my toe as I neared the top. Went flying. As did the chocolate drink.

The wall at the top of the stairs now a work of art! Looks like it will need a paint job to clear what was left after I finished cleaning the wall.

Floor at top of stairs likewise covered. However it is tile and I was easily able to clean the mess.

Why the calamity? Simple. I was not using my cane. This is day 302 on my self-quarantine. I discovered early on the cane was not needed (or so I thought) in the house. When I sensed I was going to fall, there was always a wall or piece of furniture to balance myself.

My theory was good for 302 days. I intend to use my cane in the house more often.

Families not being fed, people being evicted, no work available, etc. The third stimulus package is desperately needed. Such has been the case for several months.

The Democrats came out with their plan in late September or early October. The Senate never voted on it. McConnell has kept it on his desk. Trump says he does not like it.

Not all Republicans have a care not attitude. Four Republican Senators sat down with five Democrats the past few days to see if something could be worked out.

The bill the House approved in September was in the $3 trillion area. The “compromise” bill suggested by the nine Senators yesterday $906 billion. A far cry from what is and has been needed. McConnell thinks it’s too much. Trump does not like it.

They sound like Marie Antoinette: “Let them eat bread!”

Republicans should recall what happened to her.

Trump refuses to give up. Through yesterday morning, 39 lawsuits were brought to have the election declared a fraud, etc. Trump won only 1.

Yesterday after the first 38 defeats, Trump brought another lawsuit. This one in Wisconsin. He has a new tact. He wants the State Supreme Court to nullify and withdraw Governor Evers’ certification of the election.

Does Donald ever learn? When is enough enough with him?

The New York Times reported yesterday that Giuliani sat down with Trump last week to discuss a pardon for Giuliani. Two persons verified the meeting with the Times.

This morning news indicates the issue of Ivanka, Donald Jr., Eric. and son in law Jared arose. Apparently Trump wants them pardoned before he leaves office.

Money flows freely in Washington. A story broke yesterday of a federal court pending lawsuit where someone was tying to bribe another person to get Trump to pardon someone else.

Lawsuit several months old. Nothing further known at this time.

Pardons for sale. Wonder if there will be such a sign on the White House lawn.

Republicans have politically destroyed reality in everything they do. This has to stop.

Such action has been ongoing for at least 30 years. A planned event. Take for example the conservative Supreme Court. The Federalist Society has fought for 30 years or more for it. They now have it. The Court will reek havoc on the American people.

People feel unsafe. Have felt that way for many years. I refer to uneducated whites. Thirty years ago they were making as much as a college graduate. Today so little in comparison. They looked to Trump to return them to the comfortable days they once knew. A time when they felt safe. Not realizing he never would.

A funny cartoon on today’s Key West Citizen’s editorial page. A husband and wife sitting in their rocking chairs watching TV. The husband says: “Look at all the kissing and hugging.” The wife responds: “Will a vaccine bring it back?”

May Johnson this day 1896.

Everest missed the boat. May wrote, “Ev. got left, the boat was gone when he got down, ha!”

The hand writing is on the wall. The Trump ship is going down. The rats are jumping overboard.

Attorney General Barr announced yesterday that the Department of Justice investigation uncovered no widespread fraud that would change election results.

Barr needs to get on the side of truth and righteousness. His ass could be on the line, though I doubt it.

The Georgia special Senate election could turn into blood on the streets. Trump followers protesting big time. At the homes of some election officials. Threats of bodily harm.

Trump recently said voting was rigged in Georgia. Said many times. Suggested Republicans should not even vote on January 5. Implying their votes would mean nothing.

Republican politicians now fear Trump’s comments will keep Republican voters from the polls. Panic is not setting in. It has sunk in.

Various political leaders are coming out advising Republicans to vote.

Interesting.

Georgia has turned into a Michigan. Public employees being threatened. There is a real fear that someone will be seriously harmed.

Parking lot dining in Miami-Dade County has proven to be a hit. Restaurateurs and customers like it.

Restaurants are applying for permission to use their parking lots for dining. Applications being made. Will depend how many parking places a restaurant has. Existing law requires x number of spaces. A restaurant will need extra spaces to set up parking lot dining.

The weather outside is frightful…..Actually not that bad. The problem is that it is the first cold wave of the season. We have to adjust.

I went to sleep with a heavy quilt on me. Woke at 1 am and was cold. Especially my ears. Temperature 61 degrees. Turned the heat on. Within 15 minutes, everything was ok. In fact, it got so warm I did not need the blanket.

Going to be colder tonight. Perhaps high 50’s.

Cold front will have passed friday when the temperature by day will be in the high 70’s.

Understand how I feel. I am not a big fan of cold weather, that’s why I moved to Key West.

Hope you enjoyed today’s Morning Stew.

Enjoy your day, also!

MORNING STEW #47 was originally published on Key West Lou

[megacircuit9universe]

Venom

FRI JAN 10 2020

Ho-kay!.. the first full working business week of 2020 came to a close today.  You know how that first week back after the holidays goes... everybody just gettin’ back into the groove.

Impeachmas, if you’ll recall, was Wednesday, December 18th 2019... just one week before Christmas, and the Speaker of the House decided then, to hang on to the articles of impeachment... for a little while.

Actually, she said, until the Senate was ready to proceed with a fair trial, but most people heard, until after the holidays.

At any rate, that was a little over three weeks ago now, and as predicted by me here, and by others out there, those three weeks from Impeachmas through the Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas, and New Years Day (collectively known as, Orbital Completion Time) did allow America the chance to have a nice long conversation at home about the Impeachment, and the trial to come.

Not only that... it allowed some FOIA requests to come through, revealing that Trump himself ordered the suspension of the aid to Ukraine just 90 minutes after the phone call... and that everybody in his inner circle tried to talk him out of it because they all knew it was illegal and could get them in trouble with Congress.

Not only that... but John Bolton, who was National Security Adviser at the time this all went down, declared publicly that he would indeed testify to the Senate in the coming impeachment trial, if he were subpoenaed to do so.

Not only that... but a week ago, on only the second of January... or, the first day back to work after New Year, Trump was so desperate to change the national conversation from impeachment, that he had a guy murdered with a drone strike.

What followed, after the unprovoked killing of Soleimani, was a really fun few days of total mayhem and confusion, in which Trump first threatened to bomb 52 cultural sites in Iran, if they dared to retaliate, adding that it would not be proportional at all... after which he was told by his advisers that, actually, disproportionate retaliation... especially on cultural sites, would be a war crime of the highest magnitude... 

...and then Secretary of State, Pompeo and some generals had to go on TV to promise they would never obey such a monstrous order, so just relax.  It was just a kooky tweet.

Meanwhile, all the teens on TikTok... many of whom are eligible to vote right now, in this year’s primaries and general election, published non stop memes about being drafted to fight in WWIII. More about that later.

Meanwhile, all of our allies were backing away from Trump... because he’s an indefensible war criminal, and all of the Millennials on Twitter began screaming at the top of their lungs about how this was just like Iraq in 2003, and GenZ better stop making jokes about it because we were at war now and everybody was going to die!*

Meanwhile, servicemen and women all over the country were scrambled to their bases to stand by for further instructions.

Finally, Iran fired a bunch of missiles over the Iraq border at an American military base, and... made a huge light show, but didn’t really do much damage, and didn’t kill anybody... but claimed revenge was theirs.

Trump then tweeted, “All is well,” and both sides walked away.

It took the world another two days to cautiously realize that... we weren’t actually going to war after all... huh?..  Whuh?... Okay?

Over those two days, Trump’s team gave a closed presentation to Congress about why they’d killed Soleimani, and... stuff... and it had pissed off many in attendance, most visibly, Senators Mike Lee, and Rand Paul, who spouted off angrily to reporters outside the conference room, that Trump was trying to usurp the power to declare war, from Congress.

The House, then, passed a War Powers resolution the next day... as a kind of symbolic gesture to put Trump on notice that he’s not allowed to do shit like this without talking to them first... and the Senate is expected to do the same next week.

Meanwhile, the media, of course, has been trying to get Trump and his current Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, to explain to the public exactly what the rationale was for killing Soleimani, and... they have nothing but a bunch of vague, mismatched excuses... the likes of which you might get from two 6th grade boys in the Principal’s office... just... off the cuff bullshit that doesn’t line up, or seem remotely plausible. 

Trump said Soleimani was gonna blow up an embassy... then he later changed that to four embassies.  Meanwhile Pompeo said nobody was allowed to know what Soleimani was gonna do, but it was gonna be... in the next few weeks or months or... actually even he didn’t know. 

Almost lost in the chaos of the whole thing was the fact that, on the night Iran was performing their mock retaliatory strike, to save face, but not kill any Americans, so that they could both walk away from the brink of war... they accidentally shot down a passenger plane, leaving Iran, bound for Ukraine, and killed everybody on board.

No Americans on that plane, but several Canadians, leading Canadian President Justin Trudeau, with a very long face, and a very somber tone, to announce that according to his intelligence, and that of other countries, the plane was shot down by Iran... perhaps by accident.

What he didn’t say was... that Boing 737 had the same radar profile as a version of the Boing 737 the American Military uses for military purposes, and probably had flying in the area that night... so the mistake was understandable... given the warlike atmosphere of the moment... as created by the recklessness of Trump... in his bid to do something... anything... to distract from his Impeachment.

But then today, in the aftermath of this whirlwind of war panic, and the collateral damage of those poor people on that plane... the media got right back to the matter of Impeachment anyway.

Hey!  Why hadn’t Nancy Pelosi handed over those articles this week?  

What the fuck, Nancy!  It’s been three weeks!  Mitch McConnell just said he’s not backing down on the sham trial thing so just hand them over, you idiot!  You lost this one!

And today, she came out and said, basically, fuck that, I will hand the articles over when the Senate is ready to conduct a fair trial... but hopefully soon.

And while others argue that she has no leverage here, and is just being stubborn for no good reason... I’d argue the past three weeks prove just how much leverage she has right now, by hanging on to these articles of impeachment.

Polls show the majority of voters want witnesses at the trial.  More damning information has come to light. Bolton now says he’s willing to sing. And Trump did go crazier than ever before, causing a very visible and very angry crack to form in his Senate support in the form of Mike Lee and Rand Paul.

These are all things that would not have been thought possible before Christmas, but here we are.

Clearly... all the Speaker need do, is hold fast, and allow this deterioration to continue until McConnell says, uncle... no matter how long it takes.

As outlined in the entry entitled, Poison Dart, House impeachment is the stinger with the venom.  

Senate acquittal of Johnson didn’t save him from being a one term president. It never got the chance to try and save Nixon, and for lame duck Clinton, it was largely a formality that still could not stop his party from losing power for sixteen more years.

McConnell may be hell bound and determined for the Senate to acquit Trump no matter what, but... that’s not an antidote for the venom of impeachment.

Senate conviction and removal, however, as has happened to many a state governor over the years, is something else.  That sends a powerful message, that reverberates through the generations to come... though it’s never happened on the level of the President... yet.

Let’s put a pin in that, and get back to those TikTok youngsters... the GenZ teenagers who’ve been cranking out, “WWIII Draft,” memes, as relentlessly as they did with the, “Storm Area 51,” memes last summer.

Many older adults, while acknowledging that memes are fun, have been trying to let these youngsters know that we don’t actually have a draft anymore.

But... GenZ already knows that... and these memes, while hilarious, are not just fun and games.  This is their way of raising political awareness across their generation.

Yes, they know there is not currently a draft.  But they also know that they’re still compelled to register for the draft, and that the only reason there is not currently a draft, is because the voting age was lowered to 18, back in the Vietnam days.

They’re not stupid, and these WWIII memes are their way of saying, “This is what would be happening to us right now, if we... who have been compelled to register... did not have a say in who was President.”

If that’s not spelled out plainly enough for you, they’re saying that they’re gonna be showing up at the polls in 2020... not just in the General, but also in the Primaries... and that Donald Trump just fucked himself by threatening to send them all to war.

And that brings us back around to Bernie Sanders, who continues to be polling better and better as we approach the first Caucuses next month... even though those polls do not reflect his legendary support among the youngest voters... who now have a very existential reason to show up and vote like never before.

Well certainly, you may think, these youngsters will forget all about this Iran conflict by next November... if not by next month!  They pose no threat in this election.

That, I believe, would be a grave misunderstanding of this new generation.  Millennials, it’s true, have always felt more comfortable bitching on Tumblr, or occasionally protesting in the streets... than actually showing up to the polls on election day.

But GenZ knows what the stakes are... for climate change, health care, and now... world war three.  And despite how carefree they may appear to the casual observer, they are not about to sit this next election out... or any other in their long lives to come, I’d bet.

Tying this all back into a bow... as it’s getting late for me here, tonight... 

I said in the, Poison Dart, entry, that the discussion about a fair impeachment trial in public would be the impeachment trial itself.  And this is proving to be more true every day.

Only this public trial, is now one which includes the Senate, and unless they can pony up an amazing defense... Trump’s Senate sycophants, now more visible as such than ever before, will go down with him in November.

It’s only still early January, and already the Junta is looking worse than ever before, and there is no bouncing back from the horrendous shit Trump just took with his failed bid to start a war... on top of everything else.

It will only get worse for them, as we march toward November.

*Millenials were all children during the horrendous days leading up to the start of the Iraq war in 2003, and only know what a dark time it was from watching reruns of the Daily Show and talking to Gen X, who had to live and fight through that tortuous period as 30-something adults.

It’s a bit ridiculous to see them on Twitter decrying the onset of a new war as if they were there for the last one... especially after having proven themselves the most apathetic voting block of all demographics over the past sixteen years.

[whatsonforperth]

In Democrats' 'Medicare for All' battle cry, GOP sees 2020 weapon

Democrats made health care their defining 2018 issue as they captured the House and limited losses in a difficult set of Senate races. They denounced Republicans, who tried repealing President Barack Obama's health care law, of seeking to end coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions.

New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.Credit:Bloomberg In one monthlong stretch last fall, 6-in-10 ads backing Democratic House candidates focused on health care, according to the nonpartisan Wesleyan Media Project. Representative Tom Emmer, chairman of the House GOP's campaign committee, says thanks to Medicare for All, times have changed. "We are going to associate every Democrat running with socialised medicine," he said. "By the end of this cycle, that is going to be, to them, their pre-existing condition Waterloo." Republicans intend to tie the proposal to other currents in Democratic politics, including the Green New Deal for fighting climate change, talk President Donald Trump's impeachment and reparations to slaves' descendants. The goal: A narrative that Democrats are marching toward socialism and beholden to extremists.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.Credit:AP Yet it's unclear that Medicare for All will be the tonic GOP tacticians envision. Elections are 21 months off and will be dominated by Trump and his Democratic presidential rivals, no matter what congressional candidates emphasise. And Republicans start with a disadvantage: A November poll by the Pew Research Centrefound most people preferred Democrats' to Trump's handling of health care. Looking to woo moderate voters, Democrats led by now-Speaker Nancy Pelosi, campaigned last year on an agenda that included curbing prescription drug and other medical costs. A total health care overhaul was not featured. "Nobody has to advise Nancy on the political implications of any policy," said House Budget Committee Chairman John Yarmuth.

Senator Kamala Harris is running for president.Credit:AP While Pelosi said in a brief interview that there will "probably" be votes on some type of Medicare for All, few expect a full-blown version to reach the House floor. Instead, committees will hold hearings while work proceeds on other measures, like curbing prescription drug prices. "We will deliver on our promise of passing legislation to lower the costs of health care," said Representative Cheri Bustos, who heads House Democrats' campaign organisation. Medicare for All is "just one idea," she said. Democrats worry that Medicare for All would put candidates on the defensive in suburban swing districts, where moderate voters abound. Those districts were crucial to House Democrats' 40-seat gain last November and will be 2020 battlegrounds. "Do what you can to help people now, and don't get yourself in a box on Medicare for All, which can't pass Congress" soon anyway, advises Democratic consultant John Anzalone. There are several Medicare for All variants. The most sweeping would replace today's blend of private and federal health care like Medicare and Medicaid with a federally run system for everyone, likely financed by higher taxes or astronomical boosts in federal deficits. One plan was introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders, and Independent, running as a Democratic presidential candidate, and co-sponsored by fellow presidential contenders Senators Cory Booker of New Jersey, New York's Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris of California and Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren. A similar House measure by Representatives Pramila Jayapal, and Debbie Dingell, has over 100 Democratic co- sponsors. Government coverage would replace private policies and patients would pay no premiums or deductibles. The 10-year price tag would be an enormous $25 trillion to $35 trillion, private estimates say, though supporters say it would cost less. While Medicare for All polls well, the details face scepticism. While a January survey by the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation showed that 56 per cent back the overall idea, majorities turned against it when told it could boost taxes and eliminate private health insurance companies. "Once you get past the bumper sticker, it doesn't do that well. It's got a glass jaw" when details are explained, said Jim Kessler, executive vice president of centre-left research group Third Way. Because Medicare for All is deeply popular with Democrats' presidential contenders and galvanised liberal wing, it should remain a prominent campaign theme. That invites Republicans to wield it against Democrats whether they're supporters or not. "It's hard to imagine that Medicare for All doesn't become the banner which Democrats have to defend up and down the ticket," said Steven Law, the president of the Senate Leadership Fund, a political committee that helps Senate Republicans. In 2018, Republicans had little success accusing Democrats of backing Medicare for All. Democrats won House seats in Maine, Texas and elsewhere despite such attacks. But in one open seat in eastern Kansas, Democrat Paul Davis lost by 1 percentage point after ads linked him to Pelosi. One spot accused them of backing "a government takeover of health care" that "could double your income taxes." Those ads tried tying him "to national Democrats and policies that were not going to have a great deal of acceptance," Davis said last week. The proposals could also fuel Democratic primary challenges, particularly in urban districts loaded with liberal voters. Activist groups like Justice Democrats, which last year backed Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's successful ouster of a longtime Democratic incumbent from New York City, say Medicare for All will be one test as they seek targets. "We need Democrats fighting for big ideas and big solutions," said Waleed Shahid, spokesman for the group. AP Most Viewed in World Loading https://www.watoday.com.au/world/north-america/in-democrats-medicare-for-all-battle-cry-gop-sees-2020-weapon-20190312-p513fn.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_feed

[theliberaltony]

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

The impeachment process has for weeks seemed headed toward an important but perhaps unsurprising outcome: The U.S. House, on a largely party-line vote, impeaches President Trump. Then, the U.S. Senate, after a fairly short trial and also on a largely party-line vote, acquits him. We’ve now had two weeks of public testimony tying the president to a scheme to pressure Ukraine to launch an investigation of former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter in exchange for almost $400 million in foreign aid and a White House visit for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Officials in Washington have had time to digest those hearings, talk to their constituents and — perhaps most importantly — examine the initial wave of post-hearing polling.

So, will Trump be removed from office? Will Republicans face a major backlash for standing by him? Will Democrats face one for trying to force him from office?

The answer to all three of those questions — at least so far — is almost certainly not.

The most important story around the impeachment process is what hasn’t changed. Despite lots of damning evidence coming to light, impeachment as an issue hasn’t broken through partisan lines. Impeaching or impeaching and removing Trump from office remain very popular with Democrats and very unpopular with Republicans. But on a broader scale, it has a plurality of support: 48 percent of Americans are in favor while 44 percent are opposed, per FiveThirtyEight’s impeachment tracker. This is a small uptick in support compared to the beginning of October, just after the Ukraine scandal broke, when it was 45-45. Trump’s approval rating — perhaps the best single measure of his reelection chances this far out — has barely budged during that time. The same is true of the generic congressional ballot, which measures which party people want in control of Congress.

With no evidence of a public backlash, congressional Democrats seem to be leaning fully into impeachment. At the same time, congressional Republican opposition has not softened, as GOP members see polls showing their rank and file strongly behind Trump. Perhaps the most telling moment of the two weeks of public hearings came not from the officials testifying but from Rep. Will Hurd of Texas, a fairly moderate Republican and occasional Trump critic who is not running for reelection next year. Hurd, who heard all of the testimony up close as a member of the House Intelligence Committee, declared that he would not support impeachment before the hearings had officially concluded. If Hurd isn’t going to break with Trump (and isn’t bothering to even really consider the decision), I think it’s safe to assume very few, if not zero, House Republicans will support impeachment.

But despite the likely ending of this process seeming as inevitable as ever, I do think other things have changed slightly.

First, the potential for a few more House Democrats and some Senate Democrats to break with the party on impeachment has probably gone up.

Only two Democrats — Collin Peterson of Minnesota and Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey — voted against starting the initial impeachment inquiry. It’s likely that the vast majority of House Democrats will follow through and back the formal impeachment of the president. The hearings provided more details of inappropriate behavior by Trump and his advisers that buttress the Democrats’ decision to start the impeachment process. It’s also probably easier for a House member who voted for the inquiry to follow up and support impeachment itself, rather than risk seeming like a flip-flopper. Finally, another controversy emerged amid the impeachment process — Trump, over the objections of military leaders, softened the punishments of three service members accused of war crimes. That move is likely to harden the view among more moderate congressional Democrats that the president is abusing his powers as commander-in-chief and deserves to be impeached.

That said, it will be worth keeping an eye on the 29 Democrats in districts that Trump won in 2016 who voted for the initial impeachment inquiry. Do any of them have second thoughts? If 44 percent of Americans overall oppose impeachment or impeachment and removal, that number is likely to be an outright majority in districts where Trump won in 2016. If there is a Senate trial, the obvious Democrats to watch are Doug Jones of Alabama and Joe Manchin of West Virginia. Manchin is fairly conservative and praises Trump at times, while Jones is up for reelection next year in a very pro-Trump state. I would consider both of them possible, perhaps even likely, votes to acquit Trump.

Second, the potential for House or Senate Republicans to break with the party on impeachment has probably gone down.

No House Republican voted in favor of launching the impeachment inquiry last month. All but three Senate Republicans — Susan Collins of Maine, Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Mitt Romney of Utah — supported a resolution condemning the House’s initial closed-door investigation.

Looking at the polls, it’s hard to see any Republicans breaking with the president, either in an impeachment vote in the House or in a removal vote in the Senate. Only 11 percent of Republican voters currently support impeachment. Even the independent-minded Romney, who is not up for reelection until 2024, has to be somewhat nervous about casting a vote in the face of so much resistance in his party, especially after getting some backlash in Utah for making even moderately negative comments about Trump with regards to the Ukraine scandal.

What about the 16 House Republicans and three senators — Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, Mike Enzi of Wyoming and Pat Roberts of Kansas — who are retiring from public office at the conclusion of this term? Never say never, but I would expect none of them to back impeachment. These retiring members are likely to seek jobs at lobbying firms and other organizations where they will be paid in part for their connections and ties to the Republican Party. A pro-impeachment vote is probably not that useful for retiring members — particularly if Trump wins a second term.

Third, the nature and number of articles of impeachment has probably changed.

Democrats have been angered by Trump urging officials close to him — such as acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney — not to testify while simultaneously criticizing the inquiry for a dearth of witnesses who had direct contact with the president. So I think the odds of an article of impeachment involving obstructing Congress’s ability to investigate the president have increased since the start of the hearings. (Just such an article was adopted by the House Judiciary Committee against President Richard Nixon in the 1970s.)

And finally, the odds that either the House or the Senate shifts the schedule have probably gone up.

Members of both parties know how this is likely to end — a House impeachment in December and a Senate acquittal in January. They also know where the public stands. So I wonder if either party opts to change strategy. Do the Democrats consider putting off an impeachment vote or delaying it until early next year, both to try to force more witnesses from the administration to testify and to try to figure out if there is some way they can avoid a seemingly inevitable acquittal of Trump in the Senate?

Do Republicans, sensing no real backlash among the GOP base, make the trial in the Senate fairly long in an effort to interrupt the Democratic primaries, which start on Feb. 3 in Iowa and include six members of the Senate2 who would be jurors? I tend to think that Democrats will impeach before Christmas and that the Senate will hold a fairly short trial that gives the candidates concurrently serving in the Senate a chance to spend plenty of time in Iowa. But I wouldn’t rule out something odd happening.

Overall, though, the story of Trump’s impeachment so far has really been defined by partisanship — and partisanship is hard to overcome. That impeachment has split the country mostly along party lines is itself a testament to the fact that Americans do view the Ukraine scandal as serious — many independents and most Democrats have overcome their initial reservations about impeaching Trump. But now that impeachment has become a partisan issue, it’s simply difficult to imagine it not ending as one too.

[rayj-drash]

Every Time I Sing, I Cry

Shaina Joy Machlus

shainajoy.com

twitter and instagram are @punimpie

CW: State and police violence, rape, sexual assault

The first time I actually sang, I cried. It was only a few nervous tears, enough to dampen my shirt cuff but not enough to demand the attention of my teacher. Perhaps due to my anxiety, this first class was completed outside of my own body. I watched myself leave my shoes at the heavy door, put on bright pink house slippers, shuffle through the hall and the sparse living room into a sun-soaked balcony enclosed in glass. I saw myself sit down in the wobbly, folding chair, look out onto the gardens and balconies of the other neighbors—my audience. I could hear the tap of a finger on the plastic electronic keyboard; what sounded like Morse code: SOS. There, in Barcelona, swept up in the struggle for Catalan independence, I found my singing voice.

Tap, tap, tap. It was my call to begin, to repeat. When I did not respond, my teacher Romi repeated the same note. Romi was my first and only singing instructor. I probably chose her because I did not know any other singing instructors. Also because her name was Romi and I loved the way she spoke in her thick Argentinian accent about her nontraditional singing method of accessing your inner child: “gritando como una niña.” Classes were 30 minutes twice a week. I always arrived promptly, ready to take my shoes off and begin.

Tap, tap, tap. Now more of a command. I watched myself open my mouth and push out silent air. I remember the thought: “How does one begin when they have no idea where to start?”

Most people have no memory of their initiation into singing. It was something that happened in toddlerhood; in passing. Their odd notes casually floating away with laughter, claps, a chorus of people joining in. That is not to say my childhood was not filled with music. Still, I had the strong feeling I had never personally experienced this milestone. I carried only one true memory of singing. I was driving in an old Volvo station wagon through a particularly lush part of New York State. I rolled down the passenger window beside my then lover who had just confessed to being unfaithful, opened my mouth wide as it could go, filled my lungs with summer air, and tried to let song escape me. The sound I made was so far from my intended aria, I kept quiet ever since. With the acception of the intake of alcohol, which never ceased to persuade me otherwise. Like the time I sang “Single Ladies” and the karaoke bar pretended to be closing in order to keep me from singing again. Or when my microphone was taken away mid-“Say My Name.” (Yes, I do have a Beyonce tattoo, thank you for asking.)

The December before I turned 30, something shifted. While at a very ordinary concert, I decided I could not spend the rest of my ordinary life not knowing what it felt like to sing. To live a life afraid of your own voice is no way to live. The next morning, without thinking, I picked up the phone, unwrapped a crumpled piece of paper with the word “Romi” scribbled on top and dialed the numbers below.

It took me two whole sessions to make any noise at all. Our classes were always the same; Romi would progressively tap a higher and higher note on the keyboard in quick threes: tap, tap, tap. I would repeat the note as best as I could, yelling in short bursts a sound that was halfway between an “ah!” and an “oh!”. To my surprise, creating those noises thawed a space inside of me. A space that was the opposite of where my tears came from—although the two seemed to function in parallel. It was a strange, but not altogether disagreeable feeling to pry myself open and closed simultaneously.

On the morning of October 2, 2017, I pressed the number four apartment button and rode the beautiful but creaky elevator up to Romi’s place. I took my seat beside her and her keyboard. Unlike our first class, I felt glued inside my heavy body. The density I was hauling on this particular morning had less to do with the one hour of sleep I had managed and more with what had come to pass during the previous day that I spent on the streets of Barcelona, from 4 a.m. until 11:30 p.m. 

Maybe it is worth mentioning that I had spent the previous four years moving my life in the USA to Barcelona. Like many other Jews, my family had been murdered and chased out of their Eastern European shtetls onto a variety of strange lands, one of which being the occupied territory of the so-called “United States”. Yampol, the thriving shtetl of my family, was burned so extensively to the ground, there is almost zero evidence of it ever having existed. The family history that we could piece together is a scrappy patchwork of survivals and profound attempts to survive. One of my most treasured appliques was that of my great-grandmother, whose name I am endowed with, who died in a plane crash in Malaga, Spain. In a somewhat cinematic turn of events, an audio-visual specialist from Pace University, named Carlton Maloney, happened to be on the same plane as said great-grandmother. Maloney was adding to his series of take-off and landing recordings and as a result there is an audio recording of the entire plane crash. Even before the world-wide-web granted me the possibility of experiencing the crackling booms, screams and ultimate silence of the crash audio, I felt the need to complete the little loop of immigration my family had made. Moving into a tiny room in Barcelona, steeping myself in the streets, the language, the culture felt something like tying a neat bow in my familiar tapestry.  

Four years in Barcelona granted me the ability to live and learn through a series of far-reaching events. Without a doubt the most extraordinary of which took place on that October 1 in 2017, when there was a referendum to determine whether the northeast region of Spain, Catalunya, would succeed and become its own independent country again. Catalunya, once a flourishing autonomous, anarchist country, had been owned by Spain since 1714. The Spanish government in Madrid deemed this new election unconstitutional. Both the President and King of Spain appeared poised and confident on TV, adjusting the knot on their ties while promising to keep all of Spain under the crown by any means necessary. The very next scene on the news showed armored vehicles being deployed by the hundreds from the capitol, they dotted every road leading to Barcelona. From above they looked like armored beetles, topped with Spanish flags and the buzzing of the National police hanging out the windows chanting promises of violence toward the Catalan people into news cameras and other onlookers. 

Back in Catalunya, no one could have imagined the violence that was unleashed by the government against its peacefully gathered citizens waiting to vote. Over 1,000 people were hospitalized because of brutal police beatings. Videos from cell phones surfaced, recording only a fraction of the police violence; a rubber bullet taking out one person’s eye, elderly people being dragged by their arms and feet away from voting polls, a woman having her fingers broken one by one and who was later sexually assaulted, blood stained hallways of the elementary schools that had been used as voting stations. We were forced to elect between watching or experiencing the horror. We gasped, searching for oxygen, unable to exhale. Hardly able to scream in protest.

State-endorsed violence is nothing new, far from it. And although it is entwined in the DNA of both the country my family immigrated from and immigrated to, it felt anew to me. During the day of the referendum time became wildly inefficient; the hours dragged by in a deep-sea manner. We trugged from voting center to voting center, locking arms to form human chains in an effort to protect the tiny white pieces of paper where people had checked “si” or “no” and the idea of revolution they represented. I squeezed my eyes shut as tightly as I squeezed the arms of the strangers on either side of me. We hung on to each second, waiting to see who would be thrown into the prison wagons next. There was an enduring silence throughout every street. People seemed to be holding their collective breath, awaiting the inevitable moment when the armored trucks full of police turned the corner. I had no idea at the time, but I had been waiting to break the silence of that day ever since.

When friends ask me about my singing lessons, most find it amusing that after more than a year, a single word has never passed in song between my two lips. And I get that they do not understand. How could anyone, including myself, know just how far back this silence stretched? In my elementary school, I was the only student who was not invited to be part of the choir. My music teacher, feigning generosity, gave me the silent task of moving the stage curtains back and forth and told me I will be one of those girls who is seen rather than heard. Singing, something that formerly left me feeling deserted, had now become an unexpected oasis. 

The day after the referendum was sunny, I remember exactly what the sky looked like from the window of Romi’s balcony. The clouds hung lightly in cotton ball form against a neon-blue sky. Seagulls, farther from the sea than I had ever before seen, looked gigantic flying next to the bevy of ubiquitous pigeons. That was the day I cried. My tears were massive, heavy enough to form a cavern within my chest. Romi did not pause for a moment except to pass me tissues. Something miraculous happened in that little room. The more I cried, the louder my voice became, the deeper the space inside me opened up. I was like a balloon being inflated. I did not judge the noises that came from my mouth because I knew they told a story that was impossible to tell otherwise. I heard perfect notes and I felt grateful to finally understand the expansiveness of song.

We live between the notes of everyday life; some are beautiful like the popping of potatoes and onions being fried to make tortilla, others intensely painful like rubber bullets whizzing by into a crowd of people, and many are barely audible unless listened to very carefully, like the moment the wind shifts to carry salty sea air from the Mediterranean. I hear them all as song now. And I sing in response.

6 months later, on April 26, 2018, five men, including a police officer, who brutally gang-raped an 18 year-old girl in Pamplona, Spain, were tried and sentenced. The men took videos and photos of themselves penetrating the woman orally, vaginally, and anally, then stole her phone and left her half naked on the stairs. The court used the videos and photos to determine that lying still with one’s eyes closed and remaining silent constitutes as consent. None of the men were charged with rape, instead the Spanish court system convicted them of minor crimes that barely warrant jail time. Although I did not have one scheduled, I asked if I could come by for an impromptu singing class. From the folding chair, I watched an older woman hang her laundry, a cat balance across a fence, marvelled at the spectacular garden that was always empty. Romi tapped on a key and I screamed the note, letting it exit from the top of my head and make an arc downwards, landing right in front of where my two watery eyes meet, so I could watch it bloom.

[auburnfamilynews]

Shanna Lockwood-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn will face several quality opponents in the Non-Conference portion of the season.

So if you’re looking for a place to get a lot of Auburn Basketball content, you have come to the right place! This is going to be a content heavy week of schedule, roster and league previews as we work our way to next Tuesday’s season opener against Georgia Southern.

In this article, we’ll look at the non-conference schedule and there are some several quality opponents on it. While you may initially look at it and think this isn’t the best schedule, there’s a lot of upper echelon teams from mid-major conferences that Auburn will face this season. It will also be beneficial as a group of 5 seniors and 8 newcomers look to gel together as they prepare for the rough and tumble that is SEC play. So we’ll go down the list and look at each non-conference opponent on Auburn’s schedule.

Tuesday November 5th

8PM, SEC Network

Georgia Southern Eagles

Sun Belt Conference

Last Year’s Record: 21-12 (12-6)

KenPom Ranking: 126

Preseason Media Prediction: 3rd

Leading Returning Scorers: Quan Jackson (14.8 PPG), Ike Smith (14.7 PPG), Isaiah Crawley (11.6 PPG)

The Eagles, led by Head Coach Mark Byington, return 3 of their top 4 scorers from last season. The Eagles averaged 82.6 points a game last season which was 15th best in America last season. To compare with Auburn, they averaged 79.7 last season. This should be a solid opening night game for Auburn.

Friday November 8th

5PM, CBS Sports Network

Davidson Wildcats

Veterans Classic - Annapolis, Maryland

Atlantic 10 Conference

Last Year’s Record: 24-10 (14-4)

KenPom Ranking: 61

Preseason Media Prediction: 2nd

Leading Returning Scorers: Kellan Grady (17.3 PPG), Jon Axel Gudmundsson (16.9 PPG), Luka Brajkovic (11.1 PPG)

What a cool spectacle this will be! This game will be held on the campus of the Naval Academy at the start of Veterans Day Weekend.

KenPom has them quite a bit lower than the preseason polls as they are the 6th team in the Receiving Votes portion of the AP Poll. I saw a Davidson game last year in person and was extremely impressed with 6’10” forward Luka Brajkovic. The Austrian native will be a terrific early season test for Auburn’s bigs.

This is a great move by Luka Brajkovic. Backs down the bigger defender, uses his body well, and finishes with the left. Great start to the 2nd half for Davidson. pic.twitter.com/QlyvJgztAJ

— A10 Talk (@A10Talk) December 18, 2018

In addition, Kellan Grady and Iceland native Jon Axel Gudmundsson, both 1st Team Preseason All A-10 players return this season. In addition to the match-up between Brajkovic and Wiley, I’m looking forward to seeing how guys like Samir Doughty and Isaac Okoro match-up against Grady.

The Head Coach of the Wildcats is Bob McKillop, who enters his 31st season at Davidson. Davidson truly recruits worldwide as their roster is made up of players from 7 different countries. This will be Davidson’s season opener and with the Wildcats one of the teams Receiving Votes in the Preseason Top 25, this would be a great Week 1 win for Auburn.

Tuesday November 12th

7PM, ESPN+

at South Alabama Jaguars

Sun Belt Conference

Last Year’s Record: 17-17 (8-10)

KenPom Ranking: 120

Preseason Media Prediction: 1st

Leading Returning Scorers: Josh Ajayi (16.4 PPG), Trhae Mitchell (13.6 PPG), Herb McGee (10 PPG)

This is an intriguing game for multiple reasons. First of all, Auburn returns to Mobile to play the Jaguars for the first time since 1995 as part of a 3 game series which began last year. While Auburn played South Alabama last year and won 101-58, I expect this game to be much different as Richie Riley has put a solid roster together, including multiple transfers from Power 5 schools and the Jaguars look like they can contend in the Sun Belt this season.

Friday November 15th

6PM, SEC Network

Cal State Northridge Matadors

Legends Classic Campus Game

Big West Conference

Last Year’s Record: 13-21 (7-9)

KenPom Ranking: 175

Preseason Media Prediction: 3rd

Leading Returning Scorers: Lamine Diane (24.8 PPG), Terrell Gomez (19.2 PPG), Darius Brown II (8.3 PPG)

If you’re going to the Auburn-Georgia game, make it a point to get to Auburn a day early and watch the basketball team! Heck, make it a long weekend with basketball playing at home on Friday and Monday with the football game sandwiched between these two games.

The Matadors are coached by former Alabama Head Coach Mark Gottfried. The Matadors look to improve in Year 2 of Gottfried’s tenure in Northridge. Lamine Diane was 6th in the nation last year in scoring at 24.8 points per game as a freshman. Only Antoine Davis of Detroit Mercy averaged more points a game as a freshman last season.

Incredible game-tying 3 by Lamine Diane at the buzzer to send this one to OT. Not known for his shooting, the 6-7 Diane has played with tremendous energy all game long. NBA physical profile. pic.twitter.com/gby0XL7coD

— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) January 6, 2019

Monday November 18th

7PM, SEC Network

Colgate Raiders

Legends Classic Campus Game

Patriot League

Last Year’s Record: 24-11 (13-5)

KenPom Ranking: 115

Preseason Media Prediction: 1st

Leading Returning Scorers: Jordan Burns (16.3 PPG), Rapolas Ivanasukas (15.9 PPG), Will Rayman (13.1 PPG)

When you think about Colgate, you probably think about Toothpaste but don’t let that fool you, this is a good team Auburn will be facing. The Raiders received a vote in the Preseason Top 25 as all each of their Top 3 scorers return from last year’s squad that pushed Tennessee in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament as a 15 seed. Their leading scorer, Jordan Burns, scored 32 against the Vols in a 77-70 season ending loss. To get to the NCAA Tournament, Burns scored 35 points against Bucknell in the Patriot League Championship.

Monday November 25th

8:30PM, ESPN NEWS

New Mexico Lobos

Legends Classic - Brooklyn

Mountain West Conference

Last Year’s Record: 14-18 (7-11)

KenPom Ranking: 91

Preseason Media Prediction: 3rd

Leading Returning Scorers: Vance Jackson (13.1 PPG), Carlton Bragg (10.5 PPG), Makuach Maluach (9.9 PPG)

New Mexico is a proud basketball school bu they have struggled over the last several years. They are hoping that Head Coach Paul Weir, who came over from in-state rival New Mexico State a couple years ago, can finally restore the Lobos program. The Lobos will get a boost finally getting JaQuan Lyle eligible, a transfer from Ohio State. Bragg started his career at Kansas and moved on to Arizona State before finally landing in Albuquerque last season. There’s some talent on this Lobos roster and they’re hoping to find their way back to the NCAA Tournament as they haven’t been since the 2013-2014 season.

Tuesday November 26th

4/6:30PM, ESPN2/ESPNU

Wisconsin Badgers OR Richmond Spiders

Legends Classic - Brooklyn

Wisconsin

Big 10 Conference

Last Year’s Record: 23-11 (14-6)

KenPom Ranking: 45

Preseason Media Prediction: 6th

Leading Returning Scorers: D’Mitrik Trice (11.6 PPG), Brad Davison (10.5 PPG), Nate Reuvers (7.9 PPG)

Auburn would be well served to draw the Badgers in the 2nd game in Brooklyn. That said, the Badgers lost their leading scorer Ethan Happ from last year and expectations are lower in Madison this year. In addition, the Badgers play slow on offense averaging 68.6 points so this could be quite the contrast of styles if this match up comes to fruition. The Badgers returned to the NCAA Tournament last season after missing their first NCAA Tournament in 20 years the year before. It was a short stay last year as they lost by 20 to 12th seeded Oregon to end their season out in San Jose.

Richmond

Atlantic 10 Conference

Last Year’s Record: 13-20 (6-12)

KenPom Ranking: 92

Preseason Media Predictions: 6th

Leading Returning Scorers: Grant Golden (17.2 PPG), Jacob Gilyard (16.2 PPG), Nathan Cayo (12.9 PPG)

Richmond reached the Sweet 16 back in 2010-2011. That seems like a few eternities ago and the Spiders have lost 20 games each of the last 2 years. But expectations should be higher this year as Richmond brings back their top 6 scorers from last year’s squad, including 6’10” 255 pound forward Grant Golden. Their starting lineup will consist of all juniors so the experience is certainly there for the Spiders this year. I have a feeling this is make or break year for Head Coach Chris Mooney, but then again, I thought last year was so we’ll see.

Thursday December 5th

8PM, SEC Network

Furman Paladins

Southern Conference

Last Year’s Record: 25-8 (13-5)

KenPom Ranking: 105

Preseason Media Prediction: 3rd

Leading Returning Scorers: Jordan Lyons (16.2 PPG), Clay Mounce (10.7), Alex Hunter (9 PPG)

The Paladins were the darlings of college basketball early last season. The earned road wins at both Loyola-Chicago and Villanova, who were both fresh off of Final Four appearances. They were in the conversation for an at-large bid despite their mid major affiliation all the way until March. The program from Greenville, South Carolina brings back most of their team from last season and the turnover at rival Wofford, there’s an opening to be that league’s best team with Furman having a legit shot at filling that spot. Furman lost their leading scorer from last year but return 5 of the next 6 leading scorers to this year’s team. Jordan Lyons leads that group of returners and he tied a NCAA record by making 15 3-pointers in a game last season.

Furman's Jordan Lyons ties the NCAA record with 15 3-POINTERS! pic.twitter.com/hbJ6vjoaGF

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 16, 2018

Saturday December 14th

3PM, ESPN2

Saint Louis Billikens

Mike Slive Invitational - Birmingham

Atlantic 10 Conference

Last Year’s Record: 23-13 (10-8)

KenPom Ranking: 141

Preseason Media Prediction: 7th

Leading Returning Scorers: Jordan Goodwin (10.5 PPG), Hasahn French (9.3 PPG), Fred Thatch Jr. (4.3 PPG)

The Billikens won 4 games in 4 days (sound familiar) in their conference tournament to make the NCAA Tournament despite finishing 6th in their conference last season. Former Oklahoma State head coach Travis Ford leads the program now. The top 2 scorers and 5 of their top 7 scorers from last year’s team are gone. They will get a boost from Tay Weaver, a graduate transfer guard from Eastern Kentucky who averaged 10.2 points a game for the Colonels last season. This is the first of a 3 game series between the two schools.

Thursday December 19th

8PM, ESPN2

North Carolina State Wolfpack

Atlantic Coast Conference

Last Year’s Record: 24-12 (9-9)

KenPom Ranking: 28

Preseason Media Prediction: 6th

Leading Returning Scorers: Markell Johnson (12.6 PPG), C.J. Bryce (11.6 PPG), Braxton Beverly (9.4 PPG)

Okay, so Auburn should be looking to get some revenge in this one. Remember, this game last year was scheduled on the same day as a graduation so the Tigers didn’t get a chance to get into the building in Raleigh until they got there for the game. Is it too late to move a graduation to a Thursday? I kid (sorta).

I made the trip last year for this one and this quite the frustrating game to watch. Markell Johnson had a career high 27 points against Auburn and he is the leading returning scorer for the Wolfpack. Beverly and Devon Daniels, who also returns, each had 15 points against the Tigers last year. Beverly and Johnson were a combined 9-13 from 3-point range last year. As for Auburn, this was the best regular season game from J’Von McCormick as he led Auburn with 14 points. With much more of a load this year, J’Von will look to duplicate that this year on homecourt.

Saturday December 21st

5PM, SEC Network

Lehigh Mountain Hawks

Patriot League

Last Year’s Record: 20-11 (12-6)

KenPom Ranking: 227

Preseason Media Prediction: 7th

Leading Returning Scorers: Jordan Cohen (13.6 PPG), James Karnik (9.3 PPG), Jeameril Wilson (4.8 PPG)

Lehigh always has one of the better teams in the Patriot League but this might be a rebuilding year for the Mountain Hawks. Lehigh led the entire NCAA last year in 3-point % making 42.3% of their 3-pointers. 3 of their top 4 scorers from last year, including both starting guards graduated and they accounted for 74% of Lehigh’s made 3-pointers last year. The Mountain Hawks will be led by Jordan Cohen this year and he shot 47.5% from 3-point range last year, 2nd best in the country.

Some of you may remember Lehigh as the school that gave us C.J. McCollum and beat Duke in the NCAA Tournament back in 2012.

Sunday December 29th

3PM, SEC Network

Lipscomb Bisons

Atlantic Sun Conference

Last Year’s Record: 29-8 (14-2)

KenPom Ranking: 182

Preseason Media Prediction: 5th

Leading Returning Scorers: Ahsan Asadullah (7.4 PPG), Michael Buckland (5.7 PPG), Andrew Fleming (4.1 PPG)

As you can tell from the previous line, it’s a new era for Lipscomb after one of their best years in program history last season.

Like Furman, Lipscomb was also a mid-major who looked to claim an at-large bid up until the very end of the season. But the Bisons lost to Liberty at home in their conference title game and thus ended up in the NIT. They won a trio of games on the road, including at Davidson and at N.C. State, to make it to the Final Four of the NIT. Casey Alexander, their coach, moved up the street to coach Belmont and Garrison Matthews, who averaged 20.6 points per game is now in the NBA. All together, the Bisons lost 5 of their 6 top scorers from last year’s team.

The Bisons hired longtime University of Alabama-Huntsville coach Lennie Acuff to take over for Alexander. Living in Nashville now, I hope to see some of Lipscomb before they come to Auburn in late December.

Saturday January 25th

11AM, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU

Iowa State Cyclones

SEC/Big 12 Challenge

Big 12 Conference

Last Year’s Record:

KenPom Ranking: 47

Preseason Media Prediction: 7th

Leading Returning Scorers: Michael Jacobsen (11.1 PPG), Tyrese Haliburton (6.8 PPG), Terrence Lewis (4.3 PPG)

Man I wish the Tigers would have been in this event the last 2 years while I was on campus but it’s good to see Auburn back in this for the foreseeable future. They host their first game in this event in four years on the final Saturday of January as Iowa State makes their maiden voyage to Auburn.

The Cyclones lost their top 3 scorers but Tyrese Haliburton looks primed to become this year’s go-to guy for the Cyclones, as he shot 43.4% from 3 last year. This is a young Cyclones team and it’s evident based on the returning scorers line as 12 players on this roster are underclassmen, including Haliburton.

Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points and four steals against KU. Also... 8️⃣-1️⃣1️⃣ 3-pointers in Big 12 play Last 8 games 6️⃣2️⃣% FG 5️⃣8️⃣% 3FG #Cyclones pic.twitter.com/r3LDdXHX8m

— Iowa State Men’s Basketball (@CycloneMBB) January 6, 2019

If you’re still reading, thanks for hanging in there! We’re just getting started with Auburn Basketball Preview coverage this week and we’ll have a look at the SEC, position previews and other exciting content to get you through the next week. War Eagle!

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/10/28/20930801/auburn-non-conference-schedule-preview