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anextraordinarymuse · 4 years ago

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How are you feeling about Nathan and Nathan and Elizabeth right now? Do you feel like the show has destroyed him? Just, how are you feeling about all this—what are your thoughts?

Oh anon, I’m so glad you asked. Buckle up! We’re going for a ride.

I would marry Nathan Grant this instant if 1) I wasn’t already married, and 2) he wasn’t a fictional character.

Nathan is not even remotely close to being destroyed for me. I love and adore him as much right now as I ever have. I absolutely, wholeheartedly disagree with anyone who says that Nathan was in any way responsible for what happened to Jack, to any degree. That’s just ridiculous. By that same line of thinking, then Jack was responsible for Doug’s death in season 3 or 4 (I can’t remember). I don’t remember anyone pointing fingers at Jack for that series of events. And you know what? By the line of thinking that I’ve seen in regards to Nathan and the secret, then Jack would actually have been more responsible for Doug’s death than Nathan was for Jack’s. Jack declined his orders to go to the Northern Territories. He straight up said “sorry, but no” because Elizabeth wanted him to stay, and he wanted to stay with her. Nathan did no such thing. He made a decision to chase bad guys - which was in line with his job, if not his direct orders - and was disciplined for disobeying orders. That led to Jack being asked to lead the training mission. Not Nathan’s refusal of orders. So ... nope. Jack wasn’t responsible for Doug’s death, and Nathan wasn’t responsible for Jack’s death. Also, depending on who you are and what you believe, it could almost be said that Jack should have died in Doug’s place, and because he didn’t that meant he was going to die in Nathan’s place. There is a macabre sort of symmetry to it: Doug dies in Jack’s place, Jack dies in Nathan’s place. That’s full circle.

Now, I’m not saying that I believe that. Just pointing it out. I believe that Jack died because of an accident. No one is at fault. It just happened, because sometimes bad things happen. And I understand how difficult it would have been for Nathan to tell Elizabeth that, especially as they got to know one another and he started to fall in love with her. Not telling her doesn’t make him evil or a bad person or whatever - it just makes him human. He knew that it would hurt Elizabeth, and you never want to hurt the people you love.

I’ve seen various other criticisms of Nathan, of course. I’ve seen some comments saying that he’s too aggressive in his pursuit of Elizabeth, and to that I say that I don’t think I’m watching the same show. Nathan has never been aggressive with Elizabeth in any way. I could literally write a book about that argument, but I won’t, because I still have a lot of other points to cover.

So, no. I don’t think the show ruined Nathan. I think some people are just ready to hate him for any reason, and if that’s how they feel then ... well, I don’t care, actually. The great thing about fandom is that you get to choose how you engage with it, and I’m not interested in those points of view. Other people’s dislike or outright hatred of Nathan does not dim my love of him one whit.

As far as Nathan and Elizabeth are concerned, I am tired, but I have absolute faith that they will be together by the end of the season. Nathan is Elizabeth’s “next great love” (words used by Erin Krakow); we’ve always been moving toward their end game, and despite how rocky and painful and awkward the journey has become, that end game hasn’t changed. Here’s a (non-exhaustive) list of reasons why I know that:

Quality of storytelling: Nathan and Elizabeth have the highest quality of storylines both separately and together. Their storylines focus on real and important values such as family, forgiveness, growth, loss, etc. I’ve mentioned this before, but pretty much from their first interaction we are shown that Nathan and Elizabeth are a team. They are united. Elizabeth is the first person to welcome Nathan to HV, and she shares a personal story of her first days in the town and how challenging they were. It’s the first thread that connects them. Also, I should point out that the first time Nathan meets Elizabeth he delivers a measure of relief for her in the form of Jack’s pension. We know that Elizabeth makes money from her teaching, and that her family in Hamilton would probably never let her want for money, but still. Receiving Jack’s pension undoubtedly relieved a financial burden for her (as evidenced by her reaction to seeing the amount). Anyway, the themes of team and unity keep going from there. Elizabeth helps Nathan search for Allie; they have to work together to correct Allie’s behavior and reassure her; Elizabeth distracts Amos Dixon while Nathan is infiltrating the saloon to catch him; etc. These themes are not present in Elizabeth’s relationship with Lucas. All of Lucas’s storylines are impersonal, with the exception of the one with his parents in season 8 and the little bit of backstory we got with the Amos Dixon incident. The work and effort that has gone into telling Nathan’s story, and Nathan and Elizabeth’s story, is absent from Lucas’s plotlines both with and without Elizabeth. Another point: whereas Elizabeth’s first interaction with Nathan ties that first thread of connection between them, her first interaction with Lucas starts them off on the wrong foot: Lucas asks her where her husband is and if he’ll be joining her. Elizabeth immediately walks away from him and Rosie and Lee have to tell Lucas about Jack.

Depth of interactions: At this point, the lack of any real depth between Lucas and Elizabeth is absolutely intentional. I think it always has been, but now there’s just no question. Almost every interaction between Nathan and Elizabeth has depth. They can’t help it - they’re not really surface level people. Helen Bouchard tells Elizabeth this season that she knows that Elizabeth is a person who feels things deeply, and I think we know by now that Nathan is as well. They bring that level of feeling to their interactions. They argue, they flirt, they talk about the hard things. Pain, loss, distrust, obstacles ... we never see that depth between Lucas and Elizabeth. The one hard thing they talk about is the reveal of Helen’s secret, and it’s important to note that in that interaction Elizabeth calls out Lucas’s comment for what it is: cruel. “What would you know about it?” Uncalled for. This is the only time we really see Elizabeth and Lucas argue, and Lucas doesn’t meet Elizabeth’s depth here. She tells him something meaningful - that maybe Helen had to be the first one to reach out, and that love should be fought for - and Lucas responds with a cruel comment and walks off. That was intentional on the writers’ part. When Nathan and Elizabeth argue they get heated, but they do not attack each other. That’s an important distinction. They’re not trying to hurt each other. Now, I’m sure someone will point out that in Nathan and Elizabeth’s most recent argument about Allie, Elizabeth says “now you’re just being hurtful” when Nathan tells Elizabeth she originally wasn’t invited. Guess what? Cruel and hurtful don’t mean the same thing. Cruel means: willfully causing pain or suffering to others, or feeling no concern about it.” Whereas the definition of hurtful is: “causing distress to someone’s feelings.” I would say there’s a huge difference in those two words. Plus, even though it may have hurt Elizabeth to hear it, what Nathan said was true. It was not an insult, or a petulant remark said in anger. In fact, while Nathan is irritated and kinda snarky, I’d say he’s not really even that angry in the scene where Elizabeth confronts him. They bicker, but he doesn’t lose his temper like he did in the cabin scene in season 7. In fact, in all of the times that Nathan and Elizabeth have argued their disagreements have never been mean spirited or intentionally hurtful.

But it’s not just that. When Nathan loses his temper in the cabin scene, he says “you both could have died!” When Elizabeth confronts him in the Mountie office the next day, she says “please stop shutting me out!” These are not surface level arguments - they’re not arguing about Elizabeth’s inability to decide what she wants for dinner. (Sorry, had to throw in a joke). They’re arguing over deep concerns: bodily harm, and emotional withdrawal. I find it interesting that Nathan displayed concern about Elizabeth’s physical safety and Elizabeth over his emotional withdrawal, considering that at the end of season 7 and now in season 8 we’re seeing an Elizabeth who is terrified of losing Nathan (physical safety) and a Nathan who has had to weather Elizabeth’s emotional withdrawal. Who’s shutting who out now, Elizabeth? I digress.

Another thing of note: we’ve never actually heard Nathan tell Elizabeth that she’s beautiful, and we’ve never actually heard Lucas tell her anything but she’s beautiful. Interesting contrast. Nathan says, “You matter to me,” “you’re quite the teacher,” “I’m glad the publisher realized how special you are. He’s not the only one,” and of course, “I love/am in love with you.” Even Nathan’s compliments go beyond surface level. Whereas Lucas tells her she’s beautiful, and that he’s so glad to have her in his life. Again, depth vs. surface level. I do remember that in the first episode of season 7, I believe, when Nathan says that he was never engaged with school Lucas butts in and says “that’s probably because you never had a teacher like Elizabeth.” I tend to disregard this compliment though, because it didn’t feel genuine. Lucas butts in to a conversation that Nathan and Elizabeth are having and then compliments her - it feels like a showboat move. In contrast, all of Nathan’s compliments have been sincere and given in private, without anyone else around.

I was going to make a separate point for this, but I actually think it belongs here: the depth of Nathan’s gift giving/wooing vs. Lucas’s is also very apparent. Nathan gives her personal, humble gifts: an apple, a hand carved wooden sign with a quote from her favorite poet (which she mentioned once, to someone else), a moment of relief when he offers to hold baby Jack at the christening party. Lucas’s gifts are more grandiose, but impersonal: flowers, fancy dates, etc. The two sweetest things Lucas has done for her, in my opinion, were when he gave her the binoculars to take for the kids on their trip to the woods, and the Virginia Wolff trip. Note, I don’t mean the dinner out of town or the picnic on the way there: I mean the fact that Lucas bought tickets to go see a reading of an author that he didn’t particularly like because he thought Elizabeth would like them. Granted, I didn’t like the way he sprung them on her, but it was still a very thoughtful gesture.

Wardrobe: Costume and set designers will tell you all the time that they make conscious decisions about who wears what, and when. Nathan and Elizabeth are always dressed in complementary colors. They match, or at least blend well; Lucas and Elizabeth are often mismatched or outright clashing. Elizabeth and Nathan generally dress in lighter colors, whereas Lucas dresses in darker colors. Also worth noting is that we have seen several instances of Nathan and baby Jack being dressed alike, and Allie and Elizabeth being dressed in similar/complementary colors.

Family Imagery: the amount of family imagery that we are presented with in regards to Nathan, Elizabeth, Allie, and baby Jack is impossible to miss. They pick out and decorate a Christmas tree together in a warmly lit home with a combination of Elizabeth’s decorations and Nathan and Allie’s; even though it doesn’t happen, the first time Nathan asks Elizabeth to dinner they go as a family unit; Elizabeth brings over cupcakes for the sleepover and helps Nathan loosen up by flirting with him in the middle of his kitchen, with an apron on; these are all intimate, family oriented scenes.

Shows of fear/worry/concern: look at Elizabeth’s face any time Nathan is heading into danger, might be in danger, or just generally might be unsafe in any way. She is visibly distressed every time. She’s also distressed every time Nathan gives her the cold shoulder/tries to back off/resorts to any kind of formality. We’re always shown this moment of fear for her, and usually some kind of scene after that shows us the aftermath. For example: after the fight in the cabin, when they’re back in town it looks like Nathan might be about to apologize and Florence interrupts him and he leaves to find Lee; we get the scene of Elizabeth confronting him the following day. After that confrontation, we get Nathan showing up at night and telling her “you matter to me.” Elizabeth asks Lucas to dance and then sees a crestfallen Nathan leaving the saloon; in the next episode (even though it’s the first episode of the following season) we see Elizabeth purposely approach Nathan in the street with a sweet but awkward comment about Allie’s book report on Queen Victoria. We’ve only seen two real moments of danger for Lucas: the Amos Dixon situation, and the oil derrick explosion. In the Amos Dixon incident, Elizabeth is angry with Lucas for endangering her; in the oil derrick explosion, we actually don’t get a scene addressing that other than the one where Elizabeth stops Helen and tells her that she’s sure Lucas is fine. Interesting differences, I’d say. This also ties into the previous point about the emotional depth that exists between Nathan and Elizabeth, but not Elizabeth and Lucas. Other than the hug, of course, which was a huge display of fear and emotion from Elizabeth, I'd also point you to the scene at the end of 8x01 when Elizabeth is waiting on her porch for Nathan to come home. She can hardly breathe when she sees him ride up. Watch the way she breathes - she inhales so deeply that it makes her collarbones stick out sharply, and her expression is intense. The way she says "you made it home" is so tense and shaky!

The pursuer vs the pursued: This is a huge point, and difference. In the Elizabeth and Lucas relationship, Lucas is the pursuer; in the Nathan and Elizabeth relationship, Elizabeth is the pursuer. Lucas inserts himself in conversations that Elizabeth and Nathan are having, he repeatedly asks her to dinner and surprises her with things (like the Virginia Wolff tickets, and sending her manuscript to his mother, etc). At first, Elizabeth seems hesitant about these things: she turns him down once for dinner, hesitates over the tickets, then finally sits down to dinner with him but won't call it a date. To me, the relationship between Lucas and Elizabeth seems to come about mostly because he wears her down. Elizabeth only really goes to Lucas and opens the door for a relationship after Nathan's profession of love. That certainly makes it seem like she's not so much running to Lucas as she is running away from Nathan. In comparison, we have a whole bunch of examples of Elizabeth being the one to pursue some sort of relationship with Nathan. Not necessarily a romantic one (at least purposely) but every time Nathan tries to leave Elizabeth alone and put distance between them, she closes that gap by figuratively running straight at him. Calling him out for shutting her out, finding excuses to talk to him (like Allie's book report), basically telling him that she went to Union City with Lucas because Nathan wouldn't ask her out. Now, in season 8 I would say that we've taken a fairly hard turn and Nathan has now taken the lead as the pursuer and Elizabeth is the pursued ... which is mostly true. I think one of the key takeaways on this point, and up to this point in the show, is that Elizabeth and Nathan can't help but pursue each other. It's a frustrating game of cat and mouse. But, it's true: even though they're on shaky ground and things are complicated, we still see Elizabeth and Nathan running to each other as much as they run away. Nathan does so in obvious ways, but Elizabeth is more subtle. She sends him that note about missing the parent teacher conference and then they have that conversation in her living room; Elizabeth follows Allie as she barges in on the inquiry and then waits outside with her, and they're together when Nathan emerges; Nathan invites her to the adoption ceremony, they share the moment outside the infirmary, Elizabeth stops him to ask about the stolen car outside the mercantile; Elizabeth and Allie upset each other and Elizabeth runs straight to Nathan. No matter how they have tried not to, it's clear at this point that they will always gravitate to one another. In support, in argument, in misunderstanding, in triumph ... they just keep going for one another.

This, I think, has been the point of having Lucas witness all of these interactions between Nathan and Elizabeth. No matter what they might say or the perception they might try to give off, the truth always comes out - and the truth is that they can't stay away from each other. Even when she tries to hide it, Elizabeth's heart is a compass, and we all know that compasses always point one way (and in her case, the N doesn't mean north).

To that point, I think that there has been a lot of double meaning to the things Elizabeth has said this season. The most recent example: in the last episode when Elizabeth says, "I tried to tell you at Allie's parent teacher conference. You are her rock. You are her foundation. If you let her down, her whole world crumbles." Also, to this point, in the scene where they're in Elizabeth's house, she says, "You will always be the measure of the quality she'll look for in a man as she chooses who to marry." I find the wording of both of these statements both interesting and telling. At this point, I think that Nathan isn't just Allie's rock - he's also Elizabeth's. She trusts him, and depends on him, and holds him in high regard. Nathan has unexpectedly filled a hole in Elizabeth's life: he is her main male support now. She has Bill and Lee, of course, but they don't fill the same spot. Bill is like a father figure, and Lee is her best friend's husband. But Nathan - Nathan is only Elizabeth's. It's a very specific spot he fills, and it's as the leading man in her life. They solve problems together, mentor and parent Allie, address the town's needs, etc. Again - they're a unit, and we're meant to see them as such. Elizabeth's behavior didn't change until after she almost lost Nathan (and then he told her he loved her); she doesn't seem shaken or upset until Nathan does something to make her feel that way. Nathan has become her rock, and she's laid a new foundation with him. Her emotional state is directly tied to Nathan (and Allie, as I think we've now seen). No matter how painful or difficult it is, Nathan and Elizabeth are already bonded (and deeply). A fact that will be highlighted in 8x09 when Elizabeth will choose Nathan's hands in that wedding game, despite the fact that she has never held his hands (but has held Lucas's several times now).

So. This turned into a freaking novel, and I could honestly keep going, but I won't. I will just say, once again, that I love Nathan with my whole heart. I may not agree with his every decision, but I don't expect to. I don't agree with a lot of Elizabeth's decisions, but I still love her too. The writers do have some work to do, however, because they took this further than I expected them to and now they need to work their way out of it. But, even in my most frustrated and tired moments - of which there have been several, and will probably be a few more - I have always known all roads lead to Nathan and Elizabeth. We'll be exhausted by the time we cross the finish line, but we'll get there. Don't lose hope.

#Anonymous #Nathan Grant #nathan x elizabeth #elizabeth x nathan #Jess' thoughts #gosh this one really got away from me #but I have so many thoughts

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innovationcolab · 5 years ago

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Co-Lab @ Home: Creative Technology Intensive Wrap-Up and Next Steps!

Due to Covid-19, Duke University students were asked not to return to campus after spring break. Soon after the Duke community (students, staff, and faculty) was informed of the decision to prioritize Duke community health, we began to plan an online version of Co-Lab’s programming.

Typically, we offer a mixture of co-curricular technology-oriented classes on digital skills and hands-on fabrication training. We wanted to provide students and community members across the world with an opportunity to continue to explore technology and fabrication from afar. However, we wanted to provide students with classes that allowed them to explore new topics and participate in online-programming in a community-centered way.

We were curious if we could provide students who were experiencing massive shifts in their expectations about their academic semester a way to engage with technology education that allowed them to explore new ideas and build a community at the same time. Simultaneously, we were seeing amazingly talented instructors from across the world, experiencing loss of income due to canceled teaching engagements. Altogether, we realized we could provide students with an opportunity to learn new skills and work with brilliant instructors they might not be able to access otherwise… and Co-Lab @ Home was born!

For the last three weeks of the Spring 2020 semester, we offered classes on a broad range of creative technology skillsets. Here is a list of the classes we offered (many repeated each week):

P5 Live with Ted Davis

DIY Solutions for Disrupting the Digital with The Center for Tech Pain’s Dasha Ilina

Intro to Rhino 3D Modeling (make a fidget spinner!) with Kate McNamara

Getting Started with Electronics with Helen Leigh (*edited* Youtube Live)

E-Textiles @ Home with Becca Rose (Youtube Live)

Blender 3D Animations with Antonio Roberts

Livecoding Visual Graphics (Shaders) with Char Stiles

Quickstart Unity 3D with Everest Pipkin

Welcome to Bitsy - World's Cutest Game Engine with Everest Pipkin

P5.js Creative Coding for the Web with Libi Striegl

Introduction to Processing with Joselyn McDonald

Processing: Making Geometric Art with Code with Brooks Frederickson

Sonic Pi: Live Coding Music with Brooks Frederickson

TinkerCAD 101 with Chip Bobbert

TinkerCAD Circuits with Joselyn McDonald

Website Development: Start to Finish with Sandra Bermond

We also organized a live digital music performance by MSHR, who played a mind-bending set on their hand-built synthesizers for our community on IG Live. We were particularly delighted by their synthesizer housed inside a conch-shell.

If you were unable to attend these classes, we’ve posted many to our Youtube page. Some didn’t translate well to Youtube (e.g., lots of participant discussion), in case you’re looking for a class that isn't posted. Get in touch if there’s a class in particular that you’d like us to host again this summer or during the academic year. We’re excited about bringing more creative technology programming to the Co-Lab’s Roots offerings, which have tended to align with more traditional programming and fabrication programmatic offerings. We think it’s a great way to create access points for those interested in using STEM tools and techniques to enhance their work.

Joselyn McDonald, who joined our team in October of 2019, will be leading creative technology programming at the Co-lab and wants to hear your thoughts on classes we should be offering moving forward. Send her an e-mail via Duke directory or DM the @innovationcolab IG account. Also, consider signing up for her Fall 2020 Physical Computing/Critical Making course if you want to explore circuit building and meaningful interaction design.

We’re thankful that so many talented teachers quickly put together lessons for our students. The classes were limited to 1-hour or less (for the most part), and we set new attendance records for our courses through the Co-Lab @ Home program. It was rewarding for us to spend time with so many great students; many were new to the Co-Lab! In fact, 400 unique participants attended our program. We even got word that a newly admitted student chose Duke over Stanford because of the programming we offered! The Sonic Pi - Live Coding Music class, was particularly popular, and many of our students used the music they created in final projects for the semester!

If you’re interested in exploring creative technology and want to continue to explore (or get started) on your own, here are some great resources:

Processing: Getting started with Processing by Daniel Shiffman

Sonic Pi: Live Coding Music: Tutorial

Unity Quickstart by Everest Pipkin

Massive Creative Tool List by Everest

TinkerCAD and TinkerCAD Circuits -> tutorials under learn tab

We also highly recommend enrolling in Duke CMAC courses and attending a creative technology co-curricular program like School for Poetic Computation and No School.

And, of course, follow us on IG @innovationcolab to see our ongoing trainings and participate in our maker challenges!

#creative technology #dukeuniversity #dukestudents #digital art #coding #newmedia

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canyousevmyheavydirtysoul · 7 years ago

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Cape Town. (Part 5.2) (Ryan Ross x Reader)

“So,” you addressed Ryan as the two of you leisurely strolled through the bustling streets of the surrounding area just outside the central business district of Cape Town, “Are you enjoying Cape Town so far?”

The both of you had come to an agreement that you would forfeit the bet and pay for lunch, just so that you could sneak out of the museum and get away from your meddlesome friends.

(Y/B/F) and Brendon were unbelievable; their attempts to get in between the two of you carried on through the beginning of the scavenger hunt – with (Y/B/F) asking you stupid questions like what you needed to study for your exam in six months time and Brendon pestering Ryan for his thoughts on what songs should be on their setlist for their concert at the end of the trip – until you got fed up and decided to ditch the museum and go for a walk instead.

“Oh yeah,” he answered with an enthusiastic smile, “I’m having the greatest time! I mean, we all are,” he chuckled nervously and looked down at the sidewalk, “but me especially.”

“Good to hear,” you playfully nudged him with your elbow, shooting him a smile that he oh so eagerly returned.

The two of you were strolling past a building that had a mural painted on its side and Ryan halted as he pointed at the portrait of a black, afro-haired woman raising a closed fist into the air. The fist was surrounded by a strikingly yellow circle, and it was quite obviously the focus of the mural.

“Hey, I’ve seen this symbol a couple times and I’ve been meaning to ask you… what does it mean?”

You couldn’t stop the wide grin that spread across your face as you sauntered over to the mural; Ryan trailed closely behind you.

“So you obviously know that the Apartheid era lasted from 1948 to 1994,” you tilted your head to address Ryan, who nodded in confirmation, “One of the most hated Apartheid laws was the Pass Law. It allowed the government to control the influx of black men into the cities by stating that all of them had to carry a pass, and only those carrying said passes were allowed access into urban areas. Oh, and passes were only allocated to those who found employment in the city.”

You took a few steps forward and ran your fingers along the paint on the wall. “Before the 50s, only black men were required to carry passes but then in 1952, the government announced that black women would also have to carry them. Understandably, that did not go down well with the masses,” you chuckled shortly, “The idea began in 1955 at a meeting of the Federation of South African Women, where a suggestion was made: ‘Let us go to Pretoria – the nation’s capital – ourselves and protest to the Government against laws that oppress us.’,” you paused, smiling at the thought.

“So they did?” A wide-eyed, super concentrated Ryan queried, unconsciously stepping closer to you.

You nodded proudly and turned to smile at the musician, raising one brow. “On the 9th of August, over 20 000 women of all races marched in unison to the Union Buildings in Pretoria to hand over a petition to the then prime minister, Hans Strijdom. Leading the march were Lilian Ngoyi and Albertina Sisulu, Helen Joseph, and Sophia Williams-De Bruyn, who were black, white, and coloured, respectively. So as representatives of each race group in South Africa, they carried the petition for presentation to the Prime Minister. But being the coward that he was,” you growled, grinding your teeth, “when he caught wind that 20 000 boss-ass, strong women were coming for him, he arranged to be somewhere else so he wouldn’t have to accept the petition from a ‘multicultural group of women’, so in his place, it was accepted by his secretary.”

“What a douchebag,” Ryan mumbled under his breath, scrunching up his face in disgust.

You nodded in agreement with Ryan’s statement, before inhaling deeply and continuing. “The women then stood in silence for thirty minutes before singing Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika – our national anthem – and then,” you sighed dreamily, reaching out and dancing your fingers across the words painted along the bottom of the wall, “then they sang this little beauty, here: Wathinta umfazi, wathint’ imbokodo!”

“What does that mean?”

Slowly, you balled your fist up and raised it up into the air. “You strike a woman, you strike a rock.”

“Wow, that’s…wow,” Ryan breathed, at a loss for words and moved by the strength and unity of the women.

“And even though the march was against the Pass Laws, it led to significant changes towards the emancipation of women. It was an incredible display of the strength and ferocity of all women, and it’s left a phenomenally impactful legacy in our country. Which is why in 1995 – a year after South Africa became a democracy – the 9th of August became a public holiday known as National Women’s Day, in remembrance of the inspirational 20 000 women who took a stand against their male oppressors.” You took a step back from the mural and looked at Ryan, shoving your hands in the back pockets of your jeans. “That symbol is so much more than just a hand gesture.”

“Forgive my language,” Ryan held out his hands in a premature apology, “but those were some fucking badass women.”

The two of you shared a laugh as you resumed strolling down the street.

“They sure were,” you agreed with a bob of your head before smirking cockily, “and I’d like to think that their descendants are substantially badass, too.”

Ryan sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and squinted as he raked his gaze over you in mock deliberation.

“Mm,” he hummed a moment later, shaking his head, “nope. I don’t see it.”

Letting out an offended scoff, you reached out and lightly shoved a sniggering Ryan, who in turn stumbled to the side a little.

“Come on,” you laughed along and cocked your head in the direction of the street heading back to the museum, “we should start heading back.”

The musician nodded in agreement as the both of you started on the journey back.

“So Ryan,” you said soon after.

“So (Y/N),” he smiled back.

You giggled quietly and stretched your left hand to the side, gently brushing it along the leaves of an overhanging tree branch. “I’ve been disclosing historical information to you for the past week; I think it’s your turn now. Tell me some of the history of Ryan Ross.”

Ryan sucked in a deep breath before letting out a low whistle and ruffling the hair at the back of his head. He turned to look at you with a lopsided grin. “You want the short story or the full on exposé?”

You shrugged casually. “Up to you.”

“I’ll tell you whatever you wanna know.”

Blushing somewhat, you transferred your attention over to the next tree you were approaching, this time pulling a flower from its branches. “How about we start with the obvious,” you suggested, twirling the bud in your hand, “How long have you been playing music for?”

“When I was twelve, I asked my parents to get me a guitar for Christmas, which they did. And Spencer’s parents got him a drum kit, so we had mini jam-sessions together and I guess it just grew from there,” Ryan shrugged and smiled slightly as he thought back to his earlier days.

“So you and Spencer have known each other since you were kids?” you queried, a tiny bit shocked by the revelation; you had assumed that they’d met in high school.

He nodded fervently. “Yeah, we met when I was six and he was five,” he paused to let out a laugh as he recalled how exactly they had met, “I was hitting golf balls across the fences into the neighbours’ yards and accidently wacked him in the head.” He turned and gave you a proud grin. “We’ve been best friends ever since.”

“Cute,” you chuckled, returning his grin with a lopsided one of your own.

“So yeah, we started playing music together and started a band.”

“Panic!?”

“Nope,” he shook his head, “our first band was called Pet Salamander – don’t ask me why; it’s a long story – and it was just the two of us. I’d do vocals.”

“I like hearing you sing,” you admitted somewhat shyly, choosing to look down at the flower in your hand as opposed to his face – the face that was now turning ruby-red. “Brendon has an impeccable voice, don’t get me wrong, but it’s nice to hear you featured on certain Panic! songs.”

“Really?” he gaped, staring at you in disbelief; he found it hard to believe that you were speaking the truth.

“Yeah,” you confirmed, finally looking up and tossing a sweet smile at the musician. One that made his heart flutter and his stomach do cartwheels.

“Th-thanks.”

He cursed himself over the fact that that was all he was able to get out.

“No thanks necessary,” you assured him, “So what kinda music were you guys into?”

Ryan cringed. The fact didn’t go unnoticed by you, leaving you to urge him on. “When I was little,” he sighed, giving in to your prompts, “I used to listen to country a lot. I even, uh,” he scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment and his voice dropped to a mumble, “used to dress up as a cowboy.”

“You’re lying,” you gawked, amusement evident in the sparkle in your eye.

Ryan sighed in defeat and fished his cellphone out of his pocket, pulling up a picture of a much younger, much tinier him, clad in a full-on cowboy outfit – complete with a lasso and everything.

“Oh my goodness,” you squeaked, unable to supress the feelings of adoration that came as a side effect of looking at the cuteness that was a little Ryan. “You were adorable!”

“Were?” Ryan arched both brows and pouted slightly, surprising himself with his forward reaction.

Looking up from the screen to the musician, you coked your head lightly and gave him a soft smile.

“Still are,” you added, lifting a hand to gently pinch his cheek – an action that left the man stunned into silence. He’d never get used to the rush of feeling your skin against his; even if it was only a minor, mostly-friendly gesture, such as the previous one.

Ryan timidly took his phone back and shoved it into his pocket, trying his best to still the nervous tremor in his hands.

“So, uh, yeah,” he cleared his throat, “I used to listen to a lotta country but then Spencer introduced me to mainstream rock when I got a bit older. We played covers of blink-182, mostly. And then a friend of ours – Brent Wilson – started joining our jam-sessions; eventually the three of us started a new band called Summer League.”

“Oooo,” you pursed your lips and brushed away the stray strands of hair the wind had swept across your face, “How’d it end up being you, Spencer, Jon and Brendon, then?”

“Brendon and Brent met because they were both taking guitar lessons at their high school. We were looking for a lead guitarist at the time – since I was on vocals – and Brent asked Bren to audition. The rest, as they say, is history.”

“Wait… if Brendon was the lead guitarist, how did he end up being lead singer?”

Ryan scrunched his face up as if he had just tasted something sour; you cocked one brow in intrigue at the sight. “He filled in for me at a rehearsal when I was sick one day, and everyone was so impressed that he was chosen as the new singer.”

Ryan let out a sudden giggle, and you frowned at him in confusion. He waved a somewhat dismissive hand before explaining himself. “When we asked him why he didn’t tell us he could sing, you know what he said?”

You gave him an expectant smile.

“’I didn’t know I could.’”

The two of you shared a giggle as you approached a pedestrian crossing. You pushed the button on the traffic light and the cars came to a halt, allowing you to cross the street to the other side. Once you were back on the sidewalk, you elbowed Ryan in the side.

“How did you feel about Brendon taking over your position?”

The expression on his face clearly showed how taken aback he was by your question, and he stammered as he tried to string together some words to say. Your query was a tad on the audacious side but you had noticed the slight shift in Ryan’s body language when he had spoken about Brendon’s addition to the band. He had tried to keep his tone and expression as neutral as possible, but the tensing of his shoulders gave him away.

“I…I was totally on board with it,” he answered, shaking his head as if his answer was obvious, “He has a killer voice. It made sense for him to be lead.”

You nodded. “Yeah, I’m not disputing that,” you held up your hands in defence, “I just thought you must’ve felt kinda bad, is all.”

Ryan was silent for a few seconds before simply stating, “Brendon was the better choice for the band.”

You took his sudden abrasiveness as a sign that he wasn’t too keen to say more on that particular sub-topic, and so you brought it back to the main one.

“What’s Jon’s story?”

The musician seemed thrilled that you had diverted, and he exhaled in relief before replying. “In May – I think it was – of 2006, Brent left the band. We had a tour coming up, so we asked our friend Jon to fill in for Brent at the shows. He eventually ended up becoming a permanent replacement.”

“And that,” Ryan threw his hands sideways dramatically, “is the musical history of Ryan Ross slash Panic! at the Disco.”

You started clapping enthusiastically, making Ryan laugh and do a little bow.

“You’re amazing, Ryan,” you complimented as you placed the flower you were carrying into the breast pocket of his waistcoat. He grinned sheepishly and bowed his head.

The festivities were short lived, though, because you had arrived back at the museum and a pissed-off coupling of Brendon and (Y/B/F) were marching towards you and Ryan.

“Here we go,” Ryan groaned, letting his head fall back.

“Was fun while it lasted,” you placed a hand on his shoulder and smiled sadly.

The two of you shared a hopeless look as (Y/B/F) stopped right in front of you, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face.

“What the hell is wrong with the two of you?” she demanded.

“Sure, because we’re the ones with the problem,” you scoffed, grabbing Ryan’s hand and brushing past her. “We went for a walk to get some air because you guys wouldn’t stop suffocating us.”

Brendon stepped up, wanting to intercept, but Ryan cut him off with a raised hand. “Don’t waste your breath. Just get in the car; we’re paying for lunch.”

Since Ryan had no knowledge other than what you and (Y/B/F) had told him regarding Cape Town, it was left to you to pick the lunch place. You choose Charly’s Bakery, situated not too far from the museum, in the old District Six area.

“Oooo, this place is so magical,” Brendon buzzed in awe, eyes widening as he scanned the store from top to bottom as the four of you stepped inside.

“One of the best bakeries in Cape Town,” (Y/B/F) spoke, stuffing her hands in the back pockets of her jeans and swaggering over to peer through the glass at the delicacies lining the display cases.

“They make the best chocolate cupcakes in, like, all of South Africa,” you stated, licking your lips as you locked your gaze on one of those beautifully dark and sinful treats.

“You’ve tasted every single type of chocolate cupcake in South Africa?” Ryan teased, cocking one brow and joining you by the display.

“No,” you blushed, “but I am very confident in my statement.”

“Well, I trust your judgement immensely,” he beamed at you and you smiled back while tucking your hair behind your ear.

Fortunately, an employee walked over to seat your group before Brendon could butt in with some snarky comment.

Once seated, you all scanned over the menus, ordered lunch and engaged in conversation that consisted mainly of small talk. You and (Y/B/F) spoke about your studies for a little while, explaining the education system in South Africa and discussing your plans for the future. The boys told you some stories from the road and talked about their writing and recording process.

“Thank you,” Ryan said as the waitress cleared up everyone’s plates; she gave a polite smile and nod in response.

“Dessert time,” you wiggled in your chair in excitement, earning chuckles from your friends. “Bring on the cupcakes!”

“We can get them the personalised ones,” (Y/B/F) suggested, tapping the back of her hand against your arm.

You gasped happily. “Yes!” The boys looked confused so you elaborated. “They’ll put your names on them. And any other design you want.”

“I think Ryan wants your name on his,” Brendon chortled, “We all know he wants to eat-,” the singer got cut off with a death glare and a kick to the shin from his bandmate.

Ignoring Brendon’s comment in order to preserve Ryan’s dignity, you stood up and started for the cupcake counter, gesturing for everyone to follow.

“What flavour are you guys going for?” you asked.

“I’ll go for the chocolate,” Ryan spoke first. You grinned proudly.

“Vanilla,” Brendon and (Y/B/F) said in unison. They shared a look of surprise before smirking and high-fiving.

“Hypocrites,” Ryan fake-coughed, covering his mouth with one hand; you giggled.

“What can I get you?” the employee on the other side of the counter smiled, wiping her hands on the front of her apron.

“Four personalised ones, please. Two Wicked Chocolate and two Vanilla.”

The employee – whose name badge read ‘Rose’ – nodded. “Names for the chocolate?”

“(Y/N) and Ryan.”

“And for the vanilla?”

“Brendon,” Brendon piped up, pointing to himself, “Spelt B-r-e-n-d-o-n.”

“(Y/B/F),” your friend finished the order off.

“Gotcha,” Rose winked, “we’ll get those out to you right away.”

“Great,” you pulled out your purse, “Can we pay in the meantime?”

“Sure, I’ll ring you up,” Rose moved over to the cash register and rang up the order for the cakes, “You paying for the lunch, as well?”

“Yep.”

“Don’t worry,” Ryan told you, taking his wallet out of his pocket, “I got it.”

“No,” you shook your head, “I can’t let you do that. Team effort, remember?”

He was about to fight it, but you had already handed your portion of the cash over; he smiled at you as you looked down to stuff your purse back into your bag.

The two of you had just sat back down when one of the waitresses brought over the cakes. Everyone looked down to admire the artwork on top; the writing on yours and Ryan’s made the both of you redden enormously.

Upon seeing your reactions, Brendon and (Y/B/F) immediately leaned forward to get a look at what was written atop.

“Seriously?” she scoffed incredulously, shaking her head and slumping back into her chair. “First the milkshake thing and now this?”

“How does shit like this keep on happening?” Brendon slumped back as well, turning to look at (Y/B/F). “It’s like the universe is playing Cupid.”

You and Ryan were too in shock to hear anything your friends had said, and they looked on in disgust as the two of you glanced at each other awkwardly, occasionally looking down at the pair of cupcakes that each read ‘(Y/N) and Ryan’, complete with a heart around it. You had no idea where the heart came from; it hadn't been part of the request. Clearly the bakery employees, just like seemingly everyone else in the country, were under the impression that you and the musician were together.

“Ugh, let’s just eat the stupid things,” (Y/B/F) said after a few moments as her annoyance took over.

Breaking out of your trance, both you and Ryan picked up the cupcake and started munching. The conversation from earlier had resumed, and Brendon was telling the story of the first time Panic! had met Fall Out Boy, and how shit-scared they were.

You sniggered in response to something amusing Brendon had said and Ryan tilted his head to look at you. He noticed that you had a little icing on your cheek, and he slowly reached out to carefully wipe it away with his thumb.

“Oh,” you mumbled, looking up at him, “Th-thanks.”

“Yeah,” he whispered, the corners of his mouth tugging upwards.

Brendon squinted his eyes in irritation. “What, are you going to lick it off now, too?” he sassed.

Ryan clicked his tongue at the younger male before rolling his eyes and wiping his thumb on a napkin.

“Do you guys have plans for tomorrow?” you questioned, taking another bite from your cupcake.

“You guys aren’t gonna be with us?” Ryan asked dejectedly.

“We have lectures all day. We told you yesterday, remember?”

“Oh,” he recalled with a sad nod, “Right.”

“An intervention,” Brendon muttered in response to your earlier question.

“What?” you leaned in, not quite catching his words.

“What?” he made like he hadn’t said anything.

You brushed it off and resumed talking. “Well you have been out and about non-stop as of late. Maybe you should just stay at your hotel. Have some R&R,” you shrugged.

“That’s a wonderful idea, (Y/N),” Brendon perked up before shooting a wink at Ryan, “I think a band bonding session is exactly what we need right now.”

_______________________________

Thank you for reading x

Taglist:

@darknessdancing

@raversam

@username-number-01834

@moosesmoose

@underscoredarcy

#ryan ross #ryan ross x reader #patd #p!atd #panic at the disco #panic! at the disco #emo #music #band #bands #emo quartet #emo trinity #band imagines #Band Members #band member imagine #imagine #imagines #fanfic

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silviasutton1989 · 7 years ago

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T.T.K. Ch. 9 “Friends” Part 2 NSFW*

A/N: So here is part 2 guys!!! This one is a little longer than I like to do but that is only because chapter 10 SHIT HITS THE DAMN FAN!! and the ball just steam rolls downhill from there. I hope you guys are enjoying it so far!

Word Count: 2600

Rating: NSFW (Sexual Conduct and course language)

Summary: We see how Drake and Riley's engagement party ends.

Catch up: Chapter 1 1.2 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

Here! Here!” the group cheers as they clink their glasses together.

The friends played several games after their toast. The drinks and fun times continued well into the night. Riley was dared to kiss someone and chose Olivia. Nevile failed his dare to get the waitress number. Maxwell convinced the Dj to let him play one song as Kiara Penelope, Riley and Hana danced on stage.

Once back in the room Drake pulls his fiance to a quiet corner. Riley moans at the scandalous words he whispers into her ear before he takes her mouth in a bruising kiss.

“Ok you two, enough with the smooching. Let's play Never Have I Ever.” Olivia scolds. “Neville, you start."

“Ok… never have I ever had sex with anyone in this room.” Everyone else in the room takes a sip of their drinks, except for Madeline.

“Never WILL you ever have sex with anyone period.” Yvonne states the group bursts into laughter, everyone except Neville who opens his mouth to speak but Madeline sticks a drink in his face, causing him to forget his anger almost entirely.

“So..” She says as she sips the reaming juices of her Pina Collade.

“So New game.” She stands, her hips swaying to the beat from the music vibrating through the walls. “I’m going to guess who’s been with whom.” Her pointer finger wags at everyone in the room.

“Madeline that’s very intrusive..” Liam starts

“Ok Let’s go! Well 1’st ones easy Neville…nobody.” She and the group chuckles

“Next up Yvonne and Helen…that’s obvious. “ The two women giggle to each other. She looks at Penelope the poor girl can’t help but to go red as her eyes dart from two of her friends.

Madeline smirks and stands in front of the trembling lady. Like a lioness to her prey. “My my my looks like little Ms. Innocent gets around I see. So you’ve been with…”

“Too bad all the King’s guards aren’t here or this would actually be a fun game. Right Madeline?” She whips her tight blonde curls to see Olivia’s eyebrow arched her emerald eyes on fire.

Madeline stands and tightly clasping her hands together but unable to keep her balance. “Oh I’m sorry Olivia or should I call you Cherry, since that’s what lover boy here has been calling you all night.”

Olivia sucks in her teeth trying her best to seem calm. “Issac and I are just friends.”

“Friends my ass! He’s been rubbing on your thigh like it's a damn Genie bottle or something.”

“I agree” Liam mumbles. He scoffs as he looks at the two.

“Does the thought of me with Olivia irritate you Liam?” Issac straightens in his seat. The two men finally lock eyes for once the entire night. Liam’s knuckles are white as his grip on his glass tightens, he could see the brown liquid shake in it, as his knees vibrated against it.

“No I just think she could do a lot better than a lttle one-time fling.”

“I guess it’s safe to say that Liam and Olivia are more than friends too.” Madeleine, who is clearly very pleased with herself sits back into her seat. She crosses her legs “You go girl!” She snickers as she searches her empty glass for more liquor.

“Shut the hell up Madeline before I reach over there and shut you up myself.” Olivia says through gritted teeth.

Madeline pantomimes zipping her lips together while rocking in her seat. The room is dead silent. Issac and Liam haven’t broken eye contact yet. Everyone else in the room watches on, their eyes darting between the two men.

Yvonne and Helen devoted their attention to the whole scene seen as well.

“We should have some popcorn for this kind of drama.” Helen whispers to her friend.

“Shh… girl Issac is about to say something. I don’t know what is going on but I. Can’t. Breathe.”

Issac opens his mouth to speak again but Olivia places a hand on his knee.

“Hey how about another game? Yeah? Ok Riley truth or dare?” Olivia gives her a pleading look.

“Um Truth—“

“Wait I didn’t get to do my ‘Never have I ever’” Issac’s smile is wild his eyes are just as inflamed as they look into Liam’s bloodshot pupils.

“Never have I ever taken a certain someone’s virginity, after the guy she wanted to be with just couldn’t rise to the occasion.” He cocks his head slightly as he says the words “Rise” No one moves. “Oh wait I guess I did huh?” The sound of his laughter is the only noise in the room."That's some one time fling huh?" He say as he takes a sip of his drink.

“Oh my god” Olivia puts her head in her hands, praying that she simply imagined what just happened. But through her fingers she could see Liam’s disappointed face.

“Wow Olivia so you saved yourself for Liam but then just gave it away to a commoner? Talk about slim pickings! Why didn’t you just bone Drake like Kiara” Madeline begins to hiccup through her words.

Olivia jumps to her feet towards the blonde drunk when a hand stops her. She looks up to see Riley who looks just as upset.

“Madeline I think it’s time for you to leave. Plus Issac is a Noble so clearly you're delusional.” Riley guides her friend back to her seat tightly keeping a grip on her hand.

“No he’s not…” Madeline says sing songsy.

“What the hell is she talking about? Issac is a Count...right? am I missing something here?" Riley looks around the room at her quiet friends.

Issac finally looks away from the King, setting his eyes to Riley. “Come on Duchess you’ve been doing this unity tour for at least a month now how many Counts have you met?”

She stammers trying to think.

“I’ll help you out you haven’t. Your King here took away my family’s duchy—“

“My father did that Issac, and all of that is resolved now.”

“What is resolved?” Issac is at the edge of his chair ready to jump up at any second. “Your father may have taken my heritage but you…you just put salt in the damn wound giving it away to like a damn wedding gift.”

Riley gasps finally understanding, “So Valtoria is…was.”

“Yes it was my family's duchy. Constantine stripped us from our title and land, all but killed us. The only reason he didn’t do that was because he realized my parents were innocent. So what does he do? He gives us a spacious room at the palace. Hoping to compensate for selling it off. Providing us with a new title “Count" meaning companion of the Emperor”. a sarcastic laugh fills the room from the jilted man. "You could have fixed this. You choose not to because you don't care about anyone unless it effects you. You’re just like your father you know that?”

“Woah Issac you being a little harsh.” Drake interjects to defend his friend.

"Yeah you're right, Drake. Liam is such a nice guy. Tell me, Drake, have you ever figured out why you were locked out of the ball room the other week?

“No but..."

"Ask your friend the King he knows. My little fling here told me all about it."

“Madeline I’m going to kill you!” Olivia snaps.

“What did I do?” She leans back into her chair she watches all three men with the cliched jaws and tight fist.

“Ok we can both play this game. Hey Hana do I have some news for you” Olivia states.

“Save it Cherry.” Madeline hops to her feet stumbling over to the confused Hana. “I will tell her myself.” She straightens her spine giving her best sober look. “Hana Lee I am in love with you. You are the most perfect person I have ever met. You are flawless and beautiful and sometimes you smell like bubblegum. Which on anyone else I would think is completely childish… but on you it’s intoxicating ...and sexy.” Madeline lets go of the breath she had been holding. She swallows, realizing how dry her mouth is. Her eyes finally focus onto the girl sitting before her. As she expected Hana was frowning. Her eyes filled with disgust and tears, exactly how Madeline pictured in her nightmares.

“Well…I….I just thought you should know.” She hurries to her seat grabbing her purse before heading to the door. “This party is lame I’m going home.” She let’s the door slam closed being her. Neville follows.

The vibration from the music of the club fills the room. Everyone looks to each other waiting for someone to speak, eventually deciding that enough was said already, they all begin to leave out the room.

Issac pulls Olivia back. He shuffles his feet for a second before running his fingers through his hair. He tried to look at her to figure out how upset she was but her demeanor was stoic as she crossed her arms that dark red eyebrow rose to its designated place.

“Jeez Liv I’m… well you know he had to find out some time… but I know I had no right to expose you in front of your friends but I…”

“I’m going to go check on Liam.” She turns for the door, Issac jumps in front of her his body blocking the doorway.

“Why can’t you just choose me for once?”

Olivia brushes past him. “I did. Remember?”

By the time Olivia made it out of the club she could see Liam heading to his car. She quickens her pace catching up to him before he reaches the door.

“Liam.” He turns around. “I just wanted to say. I’m sorry...

“Don’t apologize to me for who you decide to have sex with that’s your choice.’

“Wait.. No I’m apologizing for what he said about you being like your father, about you being a bad friend. He shouldn’t have said…”

“He’s right though” Liam leans against the black limo. The night air gave the two a chill, and by instinct Liam takes off his blazer wrapping it around Olivia. Not letting go of the jacket he pulls her in close. “I haven’t been a good friend to anyone lately.”

“Liam you have a lot to deal with. With the country in chaos you have assassins trying to… You’re not perfect. You don’t have to be perfect.”

As he holds the jacket around her she can feel his icy hands brushing against her arms. And like instinct she has his hands in hers filling them with warmth from her mouth, thawing his chilled palms with her breath. She hadn't even realized she done it until her looks up and sees his dark almond eyes looking at her in a way he never had.

Something in Liam just snaps. With his hands braced on either side of her cheeks he leans forward and brushes a soft kiss onto her lips, teasing her then quickly retreating, but not for long. One look into her wanton eyes and he was back for more. Much more. With a low grown he captures her lips again far more intensely this time. His tongue finding its entrance into her mouth. Her taste was intoxicating. By far sending him on a better high that anything he had in that club. He spins her so that her back is against the limo. His thoughts on propriety evaporated the second her limbs: arms and legs, are wrapped around his neck and waist. His hips lean into her, pinning her to the car, showing her exactly what her body was doing to him.

“Oh Liam…” she manages to moan out once their lips part. He lowers his mouth to the valley of her neck tasting the sweet taste of her sweat. His hands grip her ass. His fingers daring to find her warmth just within reach

“Shit Liam we can’t do this. “ Olivia stands to her shaky feet, breathless and heady.

“You’re right. I think... I just hand too much to drink tonight. I’m sorry Olivia.” He takes a small step back trying to calm his body. "Do you want to ride back with me?"

“I should probably go find Issac.” She says as she moves passed him.

He wants to stop her but he couldn’t think of what to say, or why she shouldn’t go. All he could get out is her name, but she doesn’t hear his call and is back inside the club.

It didn’t take long to find Issac. She knew exactly where he would be: at the bar. He sits alone, his eyes focused on the empty glass in front of him. She begins to walk over but watches as he starts to smile. No he’s laughing. Olivia hadn’t noticed that their was a woman sitting next to him until the long haired blonde runs her fingers playfully through his mane. Issac puts his hands around her waist and the two begin to kiss.

Olivia thought to turn around. To run back to Liam. She also thought to run to the bar to drag Issac out of the bar by his hair. But she chose to do neither. She left the club for a second time, alone. Once inside her limo she could still smell Issac’s cologne in the seats she can also feel Liam’s hands on her body.

"Fuck Cherry I'm going to...oh fuck me." Issac groans his lover's name as she rolls her hips on his cock. His head falls back to the headboard allowing her to have full control of their rhythm.

Olivia was finally getting the knack of riding him. Last week, the sight of his fully erect penis intimidated her. But now she wanted to be stretched and filled. Wanted him to hit that spot that makes her whole body shake.

She continues her menstruation, loving the beat the headboard made as it hit the wall. Issac was right. She would love sex, and she did. She loved everything about sex. The way he would look at her. The way they would rip each others clothes to shreds in heated passion. The way he teased her body with kisses and touches and that look of pride on his face when he feels how wet she is for him. But the best part was...the climax. When all her thoughts fade away. Her orgasm (and his for that matter) gave her confirmation she was succeeding It was her payoff, her reward for a fuck well done.

They lay in the bed together, only thing on their young bodies is sweat.

"Do you think we could be doing this too much?" Olivia says as she looks to the ceiling. "I mean too much of a good thing has to be bad right?"

"Your pleasure is never a bad thing." Issac ghost his fingertips down her petite frame. "If you ask me we aren't doing this enough." He pulls her in for a kiss and she playfully pulls away.

"If you keep this up we are going to end up married with 3 kids before we graduate." She laughs at her comment but her doesn't.

"I'm never getting married. Monogamy isn't my thing you know that."

"Yeah...yeah I know..." He doesn't notice the pain in her smile as his mouth dips down to kiss her neck. There was one thing she didn't like about sex: How alone she always felt after it was over. His hands creep lower, and she decides to close her eyes hoping that soon her thoughts would disappear, if only for a short while.

Tag List: Ok so I do not want to upset anyone so I’m going to put this with the tags every time. If you want to be on the tag list permanently (this one is randomly selected with some permanent in as well) let me know. If you DO NOT want to be tagged ever just send me a message I will not be upset.

@walkerismychoice @darley1101@speedyoperarascalparty@mfackenthal @jadedpixiescribbles@boneandfur @andy-loves-corgis @blackcatkita @missevabean@snyggflicka@stopforamoment @agent-zephyrkah @endlessly-searching-for-you @indiacater @choiceswreckedme @tmarie82@liam-rhys @viktoriapetit @alicars @jlouise88 @mrsdrakewalkerblog@walkerisbae @butindeed @greyeyedsmile14

#the royal romance #the true kings #chapter9 #part 2 #liam x olivia #drake x mc #choices fanfiction

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yfere · 7 years ago

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My Incredibles 2 Review

It's...okay?

Like many sequels, I think it suffered from going for NOSTALGIA AND PIZAZZ! at the expense of the actual story. There's no denying it's flashy, or funny, but that's all surface stuff. Where's the meat?

THE MAJOR PROBLEM: Complete lack of unity between the A plot and the B plot. The first Incredibles managed this well, with each member of the Parr family as well as Syndrome dealing with being ignored/repressed/hidden in maladjusted ways. Violet, shy and insecure--Dash, acting out because forbidden to play sports--Helen, tired and fearful for her family--Bob, whose frustrated longing for the glory days and secret-keeping nearly destroys him--and Syndrome, who as childishly as the Parrs lashes out at the world to get the attention he craves.

But in 2 the villain is no dark mirror, and the themes of the A plot (lack of self sufficiency, addiction to convenience) have nothing whatsoever to do with the B plot (...parenting is hard? Common core math is terrible?) This makes the conclusion unsatisfying at best. What, exactly, did we learn from all of this? The writers could have made a strong argument for interdependence and cooperation (not that that really has anything to do with tech addiction) thematically, but they didn't do enough work to tie the two plots together.

ANOTHER PROBLEM: Where are the character arcs? Answer: there aren't any, besides Bob arguably learning how difficult it is to parent and becoming more humble. But neither Helen, Violet, nor Dash undergo any personal growth or change as characters. The story doesn't challenge their personal weaknesses in any significant way. Shoddy writing.

WHERE ARE THE STAKES? In Incredibles, the family's lives are on the line. Syndrome fully intended to kill Mr. Incredible, and his lack of compunction about killing the others was a major plot point. When he loses control of his own machine, lives are in danger. The only stakes the Screenslaver introduces is...a return to the status quo. Supers being illegal once more. Um...okay?

COVERING UP THE PROBLEM: So instead of fixing the story problems, we have flashy distractions, like Jack-Jack's powers (did we need that raccoon scene? no. fun or not, it was fat that should have been trimmed). We have jokes about math, we have half a dozen new super characters introduced with little development or purpose.

NITPICKS: What happened to the Underminer? The pizza deliverer? And what was with the monologue scene? Screenslaver already had Elastigirl under control. Why on Earth wake her up AGAIN just to cackle and explain your evil plan before putting her under? That whole scene should have been skipped or reworked to be more organic imho

Overall, 5/10. I didn't hate it, but...

#incredibles 2 #the incredibles 2 #review incredibles 2 #bob parr #helen parr

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patriotsnet · 4 years ago

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Are There More Rich Republicans Or Democrats

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/are-there-more-rich-republicans-or-democrats/

Are There More Rich Republicans Or Democrats

One San Francisco Accountant Finishes Every Client Conversation With A Discussion About What A Biden Administration Could Mean For Portfolios

Some rich Americans aren’t waiting for Election Day results to start planning now.

San Francisco accountant Scott Hoppe had a client who was planning to stretch the sale of founder shares in a tech-sector company over a three-year period.

Instead, the client compressed the installment sale into a one-shot transaction this month.

What accelerated the deal?

The 2020 presidential race. “Assuming all else was equal, that was the driver of the choice,” said Hoppe, principal of the accounting firm Why Blu.

Right now, Hoppe’s client, worth between $10 million and $20 million, will be taxed on capital gains at a rate of 23.8%.

If Democratic candidate Joe Biden beats President Donald Trump — and Democrats retain the House of Representatives and flip the Senate — that client could have potentially been staring at a 39.6% tax rate in two out of the installment sale’s three years.

The compressed transaction, then, could have saved the client approximately $320,000 in taxes on the $6 million sale. “The seller, for sure, was motivated, and the buyer had the wherewithal” to pay the full price upfront, said Hoppe.

Biden’s tax plan would put the marginal rate for top earners back at the Obama-era 39.6% rate, up from the current 37% rate. That 39.6% rate would apply to the capital gains of people who earn more than $1 million. It’s one aspect of a tax proposal where the of an increase in taxes, according to a budget model from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.

Facebook Cofounder Dustin Moskovitz And His Wife Former Wall Street Journal Reporter Cari Tuna Donated $77 Million To Democrats

Net worth: $11.8 billion

After leaving Facebook in 2008, Dustin Moskovitz founded workflow management platform Asana, according to Forbes.

Alongside his wife Cari Tuna, Moskovitz has donated millions to health and LGBTQ+ organizations through their foundation Good Ventures, Forbes reports.

Moskovitz maintains a 3% stake in Facebook, according to Forbes.

If A Party Gets What It Wants In The Pursuit Of Delivering Something Most People Want Most Of The Time So Be It

There’s nothing morally wrong with being the party of corporate interests. There’s nothing wrong, for that matter, with viewing politics as the preserve of the few, not the many. What’s wrong is lying about it. What’s wrong is treating the opposition as if it does not have a legitimate claim. What’s wrong is setting off a conflagration of white-power fury that consumes nearly everything, even the republic itself, in order to slake a thirst for power. The day Joe Biden decided to run for president was the day this white-power fury burned through Charlottesville, screaming, “Jews will not replace us.” That day, according to published reports, is the day Biden chose to fight to “restore the soul of America.”

Maybe he’s full of it. Maybe Biden and the Democrats don’t really believe what they say when they talk about everyone being in this together. That’s certainly what the Republicans and their media allies believe. A critic said Thursday that we can expect to see from Biden “lofty rhetoric about unity, while acting below the radar to smash norms to implement the Left-wing agenda.” The same day, a Times reporter asked the White House press secretary why the administration has not offered a bipartisan “fig leaf” to the Republicans, given the president putting so much emphasis on unity. Maybe the Democrats don’t mean what they say. Maybe it’s just politics-as-usual.

Charles Schwab The Founder Of The Eponymous Brokerage Firm And His Wife Helen Gave $8531440 To Republicans

Net worth: $8.2 billion

Charles Schwab, 81, founded his brokerage firm in 1971 and served as its CEO until 2008, according to Forbes. Schwab’s fortune comes from his 11% stake in the firm.

Helen is a philanthropist and serves as the president of the board of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, according to the organization’s website.

The couple resides in Woodside, California and has 5 children, according to Forbes.

Former Breitbart News Investor Robert Mercer And His Wife Diana Have Given $6544024 To Conservatives

Total donations: $6,544,024

Party: Republican

Net worth: Unknown

Robert Mercer, 73, is the former co-CEO of Renaissance Technologies, a hedge fund valued at $50 million in 2017, according to The New York Times. Mercer left the hedge fund in 2017 after clients, including the retirement fund for Baltimore’s police and firefighters, withdrew their investments from Renaissance over concern about Mercer’s political donations and involvement with Breitbart, The Times reported.

The $6.5 million that Robert and his wife Diana donated to Republicans in 2018 was the smallest figure they’ve given in any election cycle since 2012, CNBC reported. The couple, once among President Trump’s biggest supporters, have become fatigued by the resulting media attention, sources told CNBC.

Home Depot Cofounder Bernard Marcus And His Wife Billi Wilma Gave Nearly $8 Million To Republicans

Total donations: $8,000,018

Party Affiliation: Republican

Net worth: $6.5 billion

Bernie Marcus cofounded Home Depot in 1978 with Arthur Blank after they were fired from their jobs at another hardware store, according to Forbes. Marcus was the company’s first CEO and retired in 2002.

Marcus was a major contributor to President Trump’s 2016 presidential bid and will support the President again in 2020, Business Insider previously reported.

Democrats Are Gay Republicans Are Rich: Our Stereotypes Of Political Parties Are Amazingly Wrong

Here’s a quiz question for you: What percentage of Democrats identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual? Here’s another: What percentage of Republicans make more than $250,000 a year?

Got your answers? Now keep reading.

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It’s pretty well known that Democrats and Republicans like each other less than they used to. And it’s pretty well known that being a Democrat or Republican can bias how we view virtually everything, including objective facts such as the state of the economy.

Now new research illuminates a key source of partisan animosity: Our internal pictures of the opposite party are terribly inaccurate. When asked about the groups historically associated with each party, we think these groups make up a vastly larger fraction of each party than they really do. In other words, we think each party is essentially a huge bundle of stereotypes — and this tendency is particularly pronounced when we’re characterizing the opposite party.

The research, by political scientists Doug Ahler and Gaurav Sood, can be tidily summarized in this graph. It shows people’s average guesses for what percentage of each party is in each group, as well as the true percentage.

On average, Americans thought that 32 percent of Democrats are gay, lesbian or bisexual. The correct answer is 6 percent. And they thought that 38 percent of Republicans made more than $250,000 a year. The correct answer is 2 percent.

Depressed yet? It gets worse:

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg Donated Over $95 Million Nearly All Of It To Democrats

Total donations: $95,098,168

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Net worth: $52.4 billion

Michael Bloomberg, 77, is the founder and CEO of financial media company Bloomberg LP.

Bloomberg will spend $500 million on the 2020 election in hopes of defeating Trump, Politico reported in February. On November 7, The New York Times reported that he was actively preparing to enter the Democratic primary.

Mike Pence Admits Republicans Prioritize The Rich And Whines About Democrats Helping The Poor

The Christmas season is supposed to be about helping those who are struggling and the Bible literally commands Christians to reject wealth in favor of lifting up the poor. But outgoing Vice President Mike Pence made it clear where the priorities of Republicans lie.

During a speech in Florida, Pence made an a** of himself by riling up the crowd to continue scheming to keep outgoing President Donald trump and himself in power even though they LOST the election to President-Elect Joe Biden fair and square.

But then he began boasting about what the Trump administration has done over the last four years, which includes massive tax cuts for the wealthy and dangerous rollbacks of regulations that protect workers.

In the process, Pence outright admitted that Republicans only care about rich people, and demonized Democrats for trying to help poor people as if it’s a bad thing.

“ want to make rich people poorer, and poor people more comfortable,” Pence said.

Here’s the video via Twitter:

Vice President Mike Pence: “ want to make rich people poorer, and poor people more comfortable.”pic.twitter.com/LXB8pvKSR8

— The Hill December 22, 2020

Again, a central tenet of Christianity is all about making the poor more comfortable. If anything, Pence should be demanding that the government do more for struggling Americans, especially since he claims to be the poster boy for evangelism in America. But he only demonstrated that he’s a fake Christian.

Featured Image: Screenshot

Investor Joshua Bekenstein And Philanthropist Anita Bekenstein Gave $77 Million To Democrats

Total Donations: $7,713,540

Party: Democrat

Net worth: Unknown

Joshua Bekenstein is the co-chairman of Bain Capital, the private equity firm cofounded by Mitt Romney, according to Fortune.

Anita, Joshua’s wife, is a philanthropist who manages the couple’s private fund, which supports health, education, arts, and environmental non-profits, in addition to serving on the board of patient advocacy non-profit Upstream USA, according to her biography on the organization’s website.

The couple lives in Boston and has five children, according to Anita’s biography on the organization’s website.

The 10 Richest Americans Are Just Beginning To Take Sides In The 2020 Presidential Race

The 10 richest Americans have a combined wealth of well over half a trillion dollars.

And we might only be beginning to feel the influence of all that buying power in the 2020 campaign.

Michael Bloomberg sits at No. 6 on this elite list and of course is running for president himself. He’s already spent hundreds of millions and is promising to spend over a billion before it’s all over .

Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison sits at No. 4 on Forbes’s list with an estimated fortune of $62.5 billion. He is set to jump into the 2020 fray in a big way with a fundraiser on Wednesday featuring President Donald Trump at the Oracle founder’s estate in Rancho Mirage, Calif.

According to a copy of the invitation, the golf outing this Wednesday will cost donors either $100,000 or $250,000 with funds being disbursed among Trump’s primary and general election accounts, the Republican National Committee, GOP state parties, and the Republican National Convention.

Here are the different ways the 10 members of the 0.000003% are publicly engaging in the 2020 campaign.

Collectively Their Gains Have Outpaced The Market Net Worth Is Five Times Us Median

The people’s representatives just keep getting richer, and doing so faster than the people represented.

The cumulative net worth of senators and House members jumped by one-fifth in the two years before the start of this Congress, outperforming the typical American’s improved fortunes as well as the solid performance of investment markets during that time.

The disparity becomes clear after examining the most recent financial disclosures of virtually every current lawmaker. The news is not likely to do them any good during a midterm campaign year when disapproval of Capitol Hill remains in record territory and sentiment remains strong that politicians in Washington are far too disconnected from the lives of their constituents.

The total wealth of all current members was at least $2.43 billion when the 115th Congress began, 20 percent more than the collective riches of the previous Congress, a significant gain during a period when both the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor’s 500 index rose slightly less than 10 percent.

Watch: A Guide to Roll Call’s Wealth of Congress

Beyond that grand total, the median minimum net worth of today’s senators and House members was $511,000 at the start of this Congress, an upward push of 16 percent over just two years — and quintuple the median net worth of an American household, which the Federal Reserve pegged at $97,300 in 2016.

Opinion:why Do Some Deluded Democrats Think Raising Taxes On The Rich Is A Bad Idea

At a moment when President Biden is still riding high in the polls and Democrats are focused on passing a popular bill to do popular things, an old and distasteful specter is rearing its head: the timorous Democrat, one so terrified of Republican criticism that they eagerly do the GOP’s work.

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Biden has proposed paying for infrastructure by raising taxes on the wealthy, but as The Post reports, some Democrats aren’t too sure about the idea:

Rep. Sean Maloney , chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee responsible for party fundraising, has privately warned the tax plans could hurt vulnerable House Democrats up for reelection in 2022, said two people familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal matters. …Congressional Democratic leaders firmly support the measure, although that could change if the approximately 30 “front-line” House Democrats vulnerable in 2022 believe they are being hurt by the proposals.“The anxiety is anytime you raise taxes there is a belief among some Democrats and some in the consulting community that Democrats always get blamed,” said one Democratic official involved in the issue, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to candidly discuss internal dynamics.

One struggles to adequately describe how stupid this is.

So what would make a bunch of moderate Democrats believe that if their party does a popular thing, they’ll lose at the polls?

Jeff And Mackenzie Bezos Donated $10186170 In Total To Candidates Of Both Parties

Net worth: $12.7 billion

Ken Griffin is the founder and CEO of Chicago-based hedge fund Citadel, according to The Guardian. Citadel manages $32 billion in assets, according to Forbes.

Griffin also owns the most expensive apartment ever sold in New York City, Business Insider previously reported.

Read more: Hedge-fund manager Ken Griffin’s $238 million NYC apartment shattered the US real estate record — here’s a look at his record-setting properties and penthouses

Health Care And Drug Addiction Seen As More Pressing Problems Than Inequality

When asked about 11 major issues facing the country today, concern about economic inequality ranks around the middle of the pack, with 44% saying this is a very big problem. By comparison, about two-thirds say the affordability of health care and drug addiction are very big problems.

The affordability of college, the federal budget deficit and climate change are also viewed as big problems by higher shares of adults. Inequality is roughly on par with concerns about illegal immigration and racism. And more view it as a very big problem than say the same about terrorism, sexism and job opportunities for all Americans.

Adults with lower incomes are more likely than those with middle or upper incomes to say that economic inequality is a very big problem in the country today. About half of lower-income adults say this, compared with 41% of middle-income Americans and 42% of those with higher incomes.17

Lower-income Americans are more likely than other income groups to say reducing economic inequality should be a top priority for the federal government

The degree to which Americans see reducing income inequality as a priority differs by income and by party. Adults with lower incomes are more likely than those with middle and upper incomes to say this should be a top priority. And, by a margin of roughly three-to-one, Democrats are more likely than Republicans to say the same .

Personal FinancesEconomic InequalityEconomic PolicyEconomy & WorkIssue Priorities

Who Is Richer Democrats Or Republicans The Answer Probably Wont Surprise You

Which of the two political parties has more money, Democrats or Republicans? Most would rush to say Republicans due to the party’s ideas towards tax and money. In fact, polls have shown about 60 percent of the American people believe Republicans favor the rich. But how true is that? can help you write about the issue but read our post first.

Investor George Marcus And His Wife Judith Gave $9610125 Mostly To Democrats

Total donations: $9,610,125

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Net worth: $1.5 billion

George Marcus is the founder of real-estate brokerage Marcus & Millichap Company, according to the company’s website. Marcus is also the chairman of Essex Property Trust, a multi-family real-estate investment trust, and he serves on the board of California-based commercial bank Greater Bay Bancorp.

The Marcuses gave $10,400 to Republicans in 2018, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. The rest went to Democrats.

More Democrats Than Republicans Sit On 10 Richest Members Of Congress List

Stephanie Merrick

While Republicans often get the reputation for being “the party of the rich,” seven of the 10 richest members of Congress are Democrats, according to the Center for Responsive Politics .

CRP compiled a list of the 10 richest members of Congress using 2012 personal finance disclosure information, the latest available.

These wealthy Democrats are not afraid to use their big bucks and high-powered connections to get ahead.

Here are the seven Democrats in the top 10 list:

Privilege And Entitlement Starting On Third Base Is Deserving A Home Run

The elites of certain churches, universities, private schools or ethnicities may unconsciously accept their position as any crowned head assumed the “divine right of kings”. Growing up inside such an elite seems natural and right; those in power enable others like themselves. If they studied hard and played on the football team, compared to their classmates who did not work as hard, they know they are deserving. For one in that position, it’s a forgivable failure of imagination to not consider that the student across town who also worked hard and perhaps did not achieve the same SAT scores, may have often gone to bed hungry, may have surmounted far greater obstacles to achieve a lot – capacity and determination which should be counted in. The privileged may not see the distortions that benefit them. This is not confined to one party, one class, one ethnicity, one gender. Some of us simply benefit from a surfeit of privilege.

Off with their heads is not an answer. Possible answers include: wealth tax; higher marginal inheritance taxes; and crediting overcoming the privilege deficit, without demonizing people who won the birth lottery – a 21st-century rework of affirmative action.

Looking to make a difference? Consider signing one of these sponsored petitions:*Rantt Media may receive compensation from the partners we feature on our site. However, this in no way affects our news coverage, analysis, or political 101’s.

6. Their life experiences open the corruption door.

Billionaire Financier George Soros Donated Over $20 Million To Democrats

Net worth: $8.3 billion

Soros built his fortune leading Quantum Fund, once the world’s largest hedge fund. Since retiring from money managing in 2011, Soros has turned his attention to philanthropy. He started donating to campaigns in 2003 because of his dissatisfaction with the war in Iraq, Business Insider previously reported.

Soros has also found himself at the center of numerous conspiracy theories about his involvement in governments from the United States to Hungary to Russia, many of which are anti-Semitic and have never been supported by evidence.

Party Of The Rich: Democrats Are 7 Of 10 Wealthiest Members Of Congress

Republicans have long been smeared by Democrats as the party of the rich, even though all of Hollywood, all of Silicon Valley and all of Wall Street are in their pockets. It’s a cheap and long-debunked tactic, and now we have another piece of evidence to corroborate the obvious fact that Democrats are the party of rich white men.

According to a study conducted by the Center for Responsive Politics, financial disclosure forms reveal that out of the ten richest members of Congress, a whopping total of seven are Democrats.

Collectively, the total wealth of the seven richest Democrats in Congress amounts to $1.1 billion.

To be fair, however, the richest member of Congress has an R next to his name, Rep. Darrell Issa, whose wealth totals $330,050,015. The other two Republicans, Rep. Dave Trott of Michigan and Rep. Vernon Buchanan, rank at number 5 and 6.

Four of the 10 richest members hail from California.

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The Center for Responsive Politics gathered their numbers by the :

How Democrats And Republicans Differ On Matters Of Wealth And Equality

A protester wears a T-shirt in support of Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who is part of … a group of Democrats looking to beat Trump in 2020. Photographer: John Taggart/Bloomberg

If you’re a rich Democrat, you wake up each day with self-loathing, wondering how you can make the world more egalitarian. Please tax me more, you say to your elected officials. Until then, the next thing you do is call your financial advisor to inquire about tax shelters.

If you’re a poor Republican, however, you have more in common with the Democratic Party than the traditional Wall Street, big business base of the Republican Party, according to a survey by the Voter Study Group, a two-year-old consortium made up of academics and think tank scholars from across the political spectrum. That means the mostly conservative American Enterprise Institute and Cato were also on board with professors from Stanford and Georgetown universities when conducting this study, released this month.

The fact that lower-income Republicans, largely known as the “basket of deplorables,” support more social spending and taxing the rich was a key takeaway from this year’s report, says Lee Drutman, senior fellow on the political reform program at New America, a Washington D.C.-based think tank.

Across party lines, only 37% of respondents said they supported government getting active in reducing differences in income, close to the 39% who opposed it outright. Some 24% had no opinion on the subject.

Congress: More Democrat Millionaires Than Republican And Here’s Why

American Politics, News | | | Subscribe |

In a report from AllGov.com, we learn that for the first time more than half of all members of Congress are millionaires. But what’s really interesting about the story is that it tells us there are more Democrats than Republicans in Congress who are millionaires.

That is not surprising to some of us, but it might be to a lot of people who have bought the Democrat/lamestream media narrative that Republicans are “the party of the rich.”

Let me tell you why this really is.

First, let’s understand there is nothing wrong with being a millionaire, or a billionaire for that matter. Contrary to what the rhetoric of the Democratic Party suggests, the vast majority of rich people have earned their fortunes by working hard and accomplishing things that have benefited others. That includes those who have made their money by investing, because they have put their capital at risk to help finance businesses that create jobs and produce goods and services people want and need.

Having said that, how can it be that there are more Democrat millionaires than Republican millionaires when everyone knows the conventional wisdom that Democrats are the party of the working man and Republicans are the party of the rich?

Because that’s a load of crap, that’s how.

Linkedin Cofounder Reid Hoffman Donated $9315826 Mostly To Democrats

Total donations: $9,315,826

Party Affiliation: Democrat

Net worth: $1.9 billion

Reid Hoffman was an early employee of PayPal and one of the first investors in Facebook, according to Forbes. Hoffman founded Linkedin in 2003. Hoffman sold LinkedIn for $26.2 billion to Microsoft in 2016 and now sits on Microsoft’s board, according to Forbes.

Hoffman gave $8,317,326 to Democrats and $433,500 to Republicans in 2018, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Political Coalitions Are About More Than Just Income Redistribution

Posted December 8, 2014

In his 2004 book, journalist Thomas Frank asked: What’s the matter with Kansas? Ever since, many liberals have taken it as an article of faith that if working-class whites only knew what was good for them then they’d vote for Democrats.

The usual rebuttal from political science is to point out that many poorer whites in fact do vote for Democrats. Or, at least, poorer whites are much more likely to vote Democratic than are richer whites. It’s just not the case — even in Kansas — that working-class whites are ignoring their redistributive interests in their voting choices. Still, it makes sense to wonder why Democrats win the poorest whites by a nose rather than a mile.

Many conservatives similarly ask: What’s the matter with Harvard? I’ve studied the Harvard/Radcliffe Class of 1977 . On the whole, it’s a fantastically wealth group, with family incomes typically in the top 1% or 2% of the country. Yet for every Republican there are around six Democrats.

With Harvard as well, though, it’s still not the case that people are ignoring their redistributive interests. In the Class of ’77, the richest members are less likely to favor Democrats than are the merely well-off or poorer. Still, it makes sense to wonder why Republicans are in such short supply among Ivy League alumni.

Income and Education

Parties are Coalitions

Kansas and Harvard

Jason Weeden is author of .

Nearly Half Of Wealthiest Americans Have Postgraduate Education

Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ — Politically, the wealthiest 1% of Americans — those in households earning $500,000 or more annually — are somewhat to the right of the remaining 99%, but more in terms of party identification than self-professed ideology. One-third of the nation’s “1%” identify themselves as Republicans, 41% as independents, and 26% as Democrats. This is a mirror image of the “99%,” a third of whom are Democrats, with 39% independents and a quarter Republicans.

When the party leanings of independents are taken into account, 57% of the nation’s wealthiest adults associate themselves with the Republican Party, compared with 44% of the “99%.” At the same time, Gallup polling finds little difference in the two groups’ ideological views. Among the very wealthy, 39% say their political views are conservative, 41% call themselves moderate, and 20% liberal, similar to the percentages seen among all others.

The Occupy Wall Street movement has made the contrast between the economic circumstances of the nation’s wealthiest 1% and the remaining 99% the focus of its criticism of the nation’s economic system, and particularly of the financial services sector.

Advanced Education Separates the 1% From the 99%

While all major racial/ethnic groups are represented in the wealthiest 1%, the group is more likely to be white and less likely to be black than the bottom 99%.

Super Wealthy More Likely to Be Found on the Coasts

Bottom Line

Survey Methods

List Of Current Members Of The United States Congress By Wealth

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This article needs to be . Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.

This list of members of the United States Congress by wealth includes the fifty richest members of Congress as of 2018. It displays the net worth ” rel=”nofollow”>liabilities) for the member and their immediate family, such as a spouse or dependent children. These figures offer only an estimation of wealth, as the Congressional financial disclosure rules use value ranges instead of exact amounts. As an upper range is not specified for values over $50 million , large assets are not represented accurately. Additionally, government salaries and personal residences are not typically included in disclosures. Furthermore, several members of Congress do not use a standardized electronic format, instead filing reports that range from vague to indecipherable. As of 2020, over half of the members of Congress were millionaires and the median net worth of members was approximately $1 million.

The original documents for each member’s disclosure are publicly available on a database website, maintained by the Center for Responsive Politics.

Since 2009, the salaries per annum of members of the United States Congress have been as follows:

Position

They Deliberately Destroy Moral Standards To Consolidate Power

Yale historian Timothy Snyder argues compellingly in The Road to Unfreedom, as well as in many talks, that oligarchs consolidating power and wealth benefit from creating an atmosphere of uncertainty, disbelief in facts, making it seem like political parties and leaders are uniformly corrupt, so there is nothing that can be done. It is what it is. If this was not so relevant for previous administrations, now we must admit that this is what it is. An administration that surpasses previous ones in corruption is possible because of a groundwork laid over decades of practices that make democracy, equity, and social good far secondary to wealth and power.

Investor Timothy Mellon Gave $10 Million Mostly To Republicans

Total donations: $10,061,000

Party Affiliation: Republican

Net worth: $1 billion

Timothy Mellon, the grandson of twentieth-century business magnate Andrew Mellon, funded the founding of New Hampshire-based railroad company, Guilford Transportation Industries, according to Forbes.

While most of Mellon’s donations were to conservatives, Mellon also gave $2,700 to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, according to The Guardian.

The Richest Americans Look Different Now Than They Did Before

There are a few things we know have become very strong predictors of voting Democratic. One is that nonwhite people tend to support Democrats at higher rates than white people do. Another is that the highly educated have become much more liberal over time, making educational attainment a better predictor of voting for a Democrat.

And over time, the top 4 percent has become much more diverse and much more highly educated.

Let’s look at the diversity first, because the story here is pretty straightforward. In 1952, the top 4 percent of wealthiest Americans were entirely white. By 2012, 75 percent of the top 4 percent self-identified as white. So the wealthiest Americans have become more diverse over time.

Data from ANES.

The top 4 percent have also become much more highly educated over time, as have Americans overall. Again, given that there is a strong relationship between educational attainment and liberal values, especially in recent years, it might not be surprising that wealthy elites have become more Democratic-leaning as they’ve become more highly educated.

Data from ANES.

One intriguing clue to the relationship between education and partisanship is that the trend data on educational attainment has a notable dip in the share of top 4 percenters with college education in 2008. The bump back up from 2008 to 2012 corresponds with the major bump up in the Democratic presidential vote share among top 4 percenters from 2008 to 2012 described above .

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pickceldigital · 2 years ago

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Inspiring Your Workplace: 50 Quotes for a Vibrant Company Culture

Want to pump up your team’s spirit with some thought-provoking quotes that add much-needed zeal to a dull day?

We got you!

This blog unveils an array of inspirational words that are sure to lift spirits! From visionary leaders to creative minds, these work culture quotes are hand-picked to inspire, motivate, and foster a sense of unity among your team members.

How to show company culture quotes on digital signage screens?

Digital displays in the office can be a great platform to highlight an organization’s culture without being loud and aggressive. Modern and sleek, these corporate displays can be easily turned into electronic reader boards that become a wall of inspiration.

While the HR team can personally curate quotes to inspire, manual slide creation can be daunting! Instead, most modern offices have switched to using software tools like Pickcel’s Quotes App that comes with the broader digital screen management software.

Image : The above image shows the Pickcel Quotes App interface

Besides, tools like the Pickcel’s Quotes app support multiple layouts like portrait and landscape, allowing work culture quotes to accompany crucial messages like welcome notes, internal branding content, or news bulletins. These act as daily reminders, fostering a sense of unity, motivation, and creativity within your organization.

50 company culture quotes to show on your office’s digital displays

Here are organizational culture quotes for your team to get through the much-needed motivation

Image : The above screen media is generated by the Pickcel Quotes App

“Great things are never done by one person. They’re done by a team.” ― Steve Jobs

“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” ― Helen Keller

“Teamwork is the fuel that allows common people to attain uncommon results.” ― Andrew Carnegie

“Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.” ― Ryunosuke Satoro

“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” ― Henry Ford

“I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work even if they are uncomfortable at the time” ― Michael Phelps

“I hope you know your limits well, but don’t stay within those limits. Overcome the limits each day." ― RM

“Unity is strength. When there is teamwork and collaboration, wonderful things can be achieved.” ― Mattie Stepanek

“Individual commitment to a group effort - that is what makes a team work, a company work, a society work, a civilization work.” ― Vince Lombardi

“Strength lies in differences, not in similarities.” ― Stephen Covey

Get the remaining quotes

#quotes #company culture #digital signage

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withlovecb · 8 years ago

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Marriage Talk: Proposing Without The Ring

Right now, I’m sitting at my desk, drinking a light roast cup of coffee and the inspiration to write is here. #WithLoveWednesday in full effect, lol.

Okay, so the other day, my boyfriend and I had a conversation. He raised the question of, “What if I wanted to marry you, but my proposal came without a ring? How would you feel about that?” First of all, whenever he brings up the topic of marriage, my stomach always drops. I don’t know why. I always feel in that moment, like I want to throw up lol. Honestly, I didn’t know how to answer that question, so I sat there, quietly for about one minute, which honestly felt like the longest minute of silence in my entire life. So he decided to fill in the silence. He explained to me that he doesn’t want to rush the ring. He wants the ring to be a perfect symbolism of the value he has placed on not only this relationship but myself as well.

He broke it down to me like this. “It’s not that I don’t want to get you a ring. It’s just that, given the fact that this ring placed on your finger, is to symbolize “us,” I feel it’d be inappropriate of me to put just anything in place of that just for the sake of having a ring. The unity of us isn’t just anything. It’s special, and highly valued, to us, if no one else. So anything that symbolizes us should be an equal. The ring that symbolizes that, I’m not looking for it to be gaudy and have an extensive shine, not necessarily. I need it to have an elegant cut, minimal imperfections and the perfect color, embedded in a prestige setting to get it to be valued to nearly as much as I value us. So, back to the original question, if i wanted to marry you, but my proposal came without a ring, what would you say?”

To answer his question, because I know he is reading this, especially because I included him in this post (rolls eyes in back of head, lol): Yes, I would definitely, no questions asked, marry you if you proposed to me without a ring. At the end of the day, that ring doesn’t solidify much of anything, in my opinion. It’s just someone else’s tradition to live by. In the long haul, it’s just you & I; making our own traditions and our own rules, lol. You love me enough to propose to me, I’m down with you. Ring or no ring. So, does this mean I’m engaged orrrr? Lol.

But I couldn’t help but wonder what the responses of other women would be. I pondered on how many women would be open to the idea of a marriage proposal without a ring. So, I posed this question to a few of the women in my life of various ages. If your boyfriend asked you to marry him but the proposal came without a ring, what would your answer be and why?

Here’s what they had to say:

Arianna F., 20 – “My answer would be yes because it’s about love and not about a ring. I’d rather go get a tattoo though.”

Shaquarah H., 28 – “Yes, because a ring doesn’t matter. Been with the man for 10 years. He nor I are going anywhere. I would ask my man what the hell took him so long and just go buy my own damn ring lol.”

Lauren L., 27 – “I would still say yes. Marriage is about the commitment, not the ring. The ring of course is a symbol of love to infinity and beyond, but if for some reason the ring wasn’t physically present at the time he feels he’s ready to make that commitment, I wouldn’t chastise him for that.”

Tanyria T. 25 – “It depends on how the proposal was done. If it was just him lying in bed like “Will you marry me?” He knows I’d be like ‘Do better!’ lmao. But if it was thought out, I’d say yes and we could go ring shopping together.”

Jasmine T., 28 – “Yes. Because the ring is just the material part. The paper is the material part. The fact that he wants to make you his own and not drag you years down the line playing house is more important. There are people that have beautiful rings and are the UNHAPPIEST people you would ever want to know. I know of people who have gone to the Justice of Peace and are in love. Follow your heart. Pray on the fact that this man asked your hand and your heart.”

Shanel ‘Nellz’ T., 30 – “No question. It’s a no. The reason I say no is because seeing is believing, actions speak louder than words. The next thing you would have to ask, even if you considered it, would be how long would I have to wait? Are you financially stable? And I hate to say it but type of ring describes the quality of woman you are to him. Your ring should be at least three months’ salary of your man’s paycheck.”

Monique B., 49 & Fabulous – “If I loved this man with all my heart, and he’s treated me all along with the love and respect I deserve, then my answer is unequivocally yes! I’m not big on the materialistic side of things and I’m not really a diamond girl anyway. He could be working on what he feels is a representation of his love for me, which could be an opal or even a jade ring, for all that it matters. A diamond or ring of any magnitude doesn’t equate to stable or respectful marriage. We can clearly see the astronomical rate of infidelity and divorce in this society. If he’s a good man, he’s a good man even without ring in hand.”

Melissa A., 27 – “YES! Lol, in my opinion marriage is a big deal and is much bigger than a ring and ceremony, it’s a commitment. A lot of people are infatuated with the idea of marriage but don’t really think about what comes with it. The ring is cool but I’ll take the commitment.”

Tawanda ‘Mom’ B., 50 – “Yes, because it’s not about the ring when real love is involved. The ring can always come later. Just focus on the love and the reasons why he proposed.”

Megan N., 27 – “I would still say yes, because if I am in a relationship with him, it’s because of more than material, and if I know there is no ring, it’s because it’s something he can’t do at the moment. Also, he would’ve known I wanted a ring because of the communication.”

Jonae L., 27 – “To me, that’s just a conversation. Knowing that’s what we’re working towards. A mutual agreement. I would say yes but I wouldn’t consider us officially engaged.”

Akqra S., 23 – “Depends on the relationship. If you’re a man of your word, I would say yes because it’s not about the ring, it’s about the commitment and how loved and secured I feel in this union. But, I need that ring at the altar. I want people to know I’m taken and I don’t have to say it lol.”

Courtney S., 27 – “YES! F*CK THAT, I LOVE THAT MAN. We can work on the ring.”

Yanique F., 26 – “Yea I still would. Love makes marriages work, not rings. It better be coming a little later though, lmao.”

Toni F., Fabulously 50 – “Well!!! As for me, I’m gonna need that ring, I’m just saying. Yes, if I love that man like no other, that’s great, however he WILL get on my nerve sooner or later and I will need that ring to look at. Besides, diamonds are a girl’s best friend *sips wine* … (Her real response) Baby, I have loved a man like no other and at the time, I would have worn his sock on my ring finger to show I was his and he was mine. Shoooooooot. Oh, I’m fabulously 50.”

Danielle F., 27 – “If Sean asked me to marry him tomorrow I know for a fact I would say yes. If there was no ring with the proposal, the answer would be the same. That being said, what actually changes? If your with someone and you know you are both in it for the long haul, I feel marriage is already implied. I don’t think I would start planning a wedding until I had a ring.”

Nia P., 27 - “No, because if you really know me you would know my values and what I want, which is a ring. Like I said before, I’m not being materialistic, but I’m an investment and you need to invest in a ring and really show me you are ready to be committed for life. Plus, I’m into romantic love stories and a ring with you getting on one knee confessing your love to me is a dream of mine and any man that wants to be my husband will know that. Like if you ready to ask me to be your wife, we would have had the whole ring talk etc., so you’re going to know what I want and what I expect.”

Gwen R., 54 - “If this man has shown me unconditional love, honesty, respect and commitment and is working hard, great provider, he can put a ring pop on my finger because, I don’t give a daaaaaamn. I know we both gon’ shine like a diamond.”

Diamond M., 26 - “Marriage has never really been a goal for me. But if I know for real it’s a forever thing I would probably say yea. But ain’t no wedding without no ring. And just know that I won’t be tellin’ people he’s my fiancé lol.”

To be honest. I’m shocked at the responses. I didn’t think that so many women would respond ‘Yes’ to the question at hand. And I was intrigued by the responses to those who answered ‘No.’ I want my female readers to think about this and share this question with your friends or family members like I did. My family had me over here in tears. Listen to the responses you get. Share your opinions / comments with me on my Instagram @withlovecb. I want to hear what some of you have to say on this topic.

I will end this with the great words of Helen Keller, “The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart.”

Love y’all, -CB.

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quotespicture · 6 years ago

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New Post has been published on https://quoteswithpicture.com/90-success-quotes-you-ought-to-have-tattooed-on-your-arm/

90 Success Quotes You Ought to Have Tattooed On Your Arm!

Today we have 90 of the Beefiest Success & Motivation Quotes you should have tattooed on your body.

Add these quotes on your wallpaper, iPhone, or anywhere else you’d read through them and live by these religiously. Without a doubt these quotes are also ideal for tattoos to motivate you for extreme success!

Below are 90 Success Quotes You Should Have Tattooed On Your Arm:

1. “When it looks impossible and you are ready to quit, victory is near!” – Tony Robbins

2. “Today I will do what others won’t, so tomorrow I can accomplish what others can’t.” – Jerry Rice

3. “Losers quit when they’re tired. Winners quit when they’ve won.” – Unknown

4. “The Man Who Has Confidence In Himself Gains The Confidence Of Others.” – Hasidic Proverb

5. “To get something you never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.” – Unknown

6. “Some people dream of success… others stay awake to achieve it.” – Unknown

7. ”You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take” – Wayne Gretzky

8. “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.” – Steve Jobs

9. “Some people want it to happen, some wish it would happen, others make it happen.” – Michael Jordan

10. “It took us so long to realize that a purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.” – Kurt Vonnegut

11. “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.” – Albert Einstein

12. “You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don’t try.” – Beverly Sills

13. “Do what you can with what you’ve got wherever you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

14. “Use what talents you possess; the woods would be very silent if no birds sang except those that sang best.” – Henry Van Dyke

15. “It is not length of Life, but depth of life.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

16. “See the Invisible, Believe the Incredible, Achieve the Impossible.” – Joel Brown

17. “You build walls & boundaries when you give into your mind. Fear nothing & take control of who you are & who you are meant to be” – Joel Brown

18. “We all take different paths in life, but no matter where we go, we take a little of each other everywhere.” – Tim McGraw

19. “Laughter is the music of life.” – Sir William Osler

20. “In the province of the mind, what one believes to be true either is true or becomes true.” – John Lilly

21. “Experience is the hardest kind of teacher. It gives you the test first and the lesson afterward.” – Unknown

22. “Friendship makes prosperity more shining and lessens adversity by dividing and sharing it.” – Cicero

23. “In the giving-is the getting.” – David Matoc

24. “The impossible is often the untried.” – Jim Goodwin

25. “Anyone can become angry-that is easy, but to become angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way-that is not easy.” – Aristotle

26. “Character, in great and little things, means carrying through what you feel able to do.” – Goethe

27. “Don’t let yesterday use up too much of today.” – Will Rogers

28. “My religion is very simple, my religion is kindness.” – Dalai Lama

29. “The important thing is to not stop questioning.” – Albert Einstein

30. “It’s not your circumstances that shape you, it’s how you react to your circumstances.” – Anne Ortlund

31. “The best thing about the future is that it only comes one day at a time.” – Abraham Lincoln

32. “Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without.” – Buddha

33. “It takes strength to be gentle and kind.” – Stephen Morrisey

34. “A hero is a person who does what he or she can.” – Roman Rolland

35. “What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matter compared to what lies within us.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

36. “Where there is unity there is always victory.” – Publilius Syrus

37. “The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.” – E. Hubbard

38. “The only thing standing between you and your goal is the bullshit story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it.” – Jordan Belfort

39. “Never regret. If it’s good, it’s wonderful. If it’s bad, it’s experience.” – Victoria Holt

40. “It’s not denial. I’m selective about the reality I accept.” – Calvin

41. “The great thing about getting older is that you don’t lose all the other ages you’ve been.” – Madeleine L’Engle

42. “We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” – Mother Teresa

43. “I like nonsense,it wakens up the brain cells. Fantasy is a necessary ingredient in living, it’s a way of looking at life through the wrong end of a telescope and that enables you to laugh at life’s realities.” – Dr. Seuss

44. “A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort.” – Herm Albright

45. “Nothing is worth more than this day.” – Goethe

46. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead

47. “If at first you don’t succeed, you’re running about average.” – M.H. Alderson

48. “Life is like a ten speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use.” – Charles Schultz

49. “There is nothing permanent except change.” – Heraditus

50. “The miracle is this; the more we share, the more we have.” – Leonard Nimoy

51. “Out of clutter, find simplicity; from discord, find harmony; in the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

52. “Hope is like a road in the country. There never was a road; but, when many people walk together, the road comes into existence.” – From the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.

53. “Never give up on a dream just because of the time it will take to accomplish it. Especially when that time will pass you by anyway.” – Unknown

54. “Dreams come true; without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them.” – John Updike, 1989, U.S. author & critic

55. “Our greatest glory is not failing, but in rising every time we fail.” – Confucius

56. “Be more concerned with your character than your reputation, because your character is what you really are, while your reputation is merely what others think you are.” – John Wooden

57. “Happiness is inward, and not outward; and so, it does not depend on what we have, but on what we are.” – Henry Van Dyke

58. “A wise man should have money in his head, but not in his heart.“ – Jonathan Swift

59. “The pain you feel today is the strength you feel tomorrow.” – Unknown

60. “Worry is as useless as a handle on a snowball.” – Mitzi Chandler

61. “The strongest oak of the forest is not the one that is protected from the storm and hidden from the sun. It;s the one that stands in the open where it is compelled to struggle for its existence against the wind and rains and the scorching sun.” – Napoleon Hill

62. “It’s not the load that breaks you down; it’s the way you carry it.” – Lena Horne

63. “Keep you face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow.” – Helen Keller

64. “If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t step forward your always in the same place.” – Nora Roberts

65. “A good hand and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” – Nelson Mandela

66. “There are two ways of exerting ones strength; one is pushing down, the other is pulling up.” – Booker T. Washington

67. “Life is 10% of what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.” – John Maxwell

68. “A person that values it’s privileges above its principles soon loses both.” – Dwight Eisenhower

69. “It is difficult to say what is impossible, for the dream of yesterday is the hope of today and the reality of tomorrow.” – Robert H. Goddard

70. “Never deprive someone of hope; it may be all they have.” – H. Jackson Brown Jr.

71. “We make a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” – Sir Winston Churchill

72. “It is better to look ahead and prepare than to look back and regret” – Jackie Joyner-Kersee

73. “We all have a few failures under our belt. It’s what makes us ready for the successes.” – Randy K. Milholland

74. “Don’t count every hour in the day, make every hour in the day count.” – Anonymous

75. “If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.” – The Dalai Lama

76. “A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain the conviction that our existence holds a purpose – a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal to achieve.” – John Maxwell

77. “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” – Albert Einstein

78. “The faintest ink is better than the best memory” – Unknown

79. “Every dog must have his day.“ – Jonathan Swift

80. “Dear tomorrow, do whatever you want to do. I have already lived my today and I am not afraid of you anymore .” – Unknown

81. “The Pessimist Sees Difficulty In Every Opportunity. The Optimist Sees Opportunity In Every Difficulty.” – Winston Churchill

82. “Don’t Let Yesterday Take Up Too Much Of Today.” – Will Rogers

83. “You Learn More From Failure Than From Success. Don’t Let It Stop You. Failure Builds Character.” – Unknown

84. “It’s Not Whether You Get Knocked Down, It’s Whether You Get Up.” – Vince Lombardi

85. “If You Are Working On Something That You Really Care About, You Don’t Have To Be Pushed. The Vision Pulls You.” – Steve Jobs

86. “People Who Are Crazy Enough To Think They Can Change The World, Are The Ones Who Do.” – Rob Siltanen

87. “Failure Will Never Overtake Me If My Determination To Succeed Is Strong Enough.” – Og Mandino

88. “Entrepreneurs Are Great At Dealing With Uncertainty And Also Very Good At Minimizing Risk. That’s The Classic Entrepreneur.” – Mohnish Pabrai

89. “We May Encounter Many Defeats But We Must Not Be Defeated.” – Maya Angelou

90. “Imagine Your Life Is Perfect In Every Respect; What Would It Look Like?” – Brian Tracy

Which one of these quotes do you like the most?

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gyrlversion · 6 years ago

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RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: A cabinet with Mary Berry to heal Brexit division?

The latest wizard wheeze for breaking the Brexit deadlock is the formation of a new government of national unity.

Supporters of the idea include former PM John Major and Labour’s Nonce Finder General Tom Watson.

Major said on Sunday that a cross-party Cabinet may be needed ‘in the national interest’ to avoid an unprecedented constitutional and political crisis.

Oh, yes.

The latest wizard wheeze for breaking the Brexit deadlock is the formation of a new government of national unity. Safer to install Mary Berry, I’d have thought, alongside David Attenborough as Father of the Nation

It would be the first time such a government had been brought into existence since World War II. Back then, Labour and the Tories joined forces to fight Hitler.

Some people might find the suggestion superficially attractive. But there is one, glaring, fundamental difference between 1940 and the present day.

During the war, Rodney, Britain faced an existential threat from a foreign aggressor.

Bombs were raining down on our cities and we were staring military defeat in the face.

Today, the crisis we face is self-inflicted. Or, rather, inflicted upon us by the very same people now offering to form a government of national unity.

The only reason we have a constitutional impasse is because the political class have declared war on the British people.

Supporters of the idea a government of national unity include former PM John Major and Labour’s Nonce Finder General Tom Watson (pictured)

If they’d respected the instruction given to them by a clear majority of voters in a referendum which Parliament overwhelmingly supported, there wouldn’t be any crisis.

Instead, they have moved heaven and earth to defy democracy and overturn the result.

The idea that Tommy Watson now says he is willing to serve alongside Tories is hilarious.

He’s spent the past few years smearing the Conservatives as a party of evil child molesters.

Same goes for Pixie Balls-Cooper, who harbours a visceral hatred for Conservatives, yet has also indicated her readiness to accept a senior position in such a government.

Maybe they both think that with Labour in the grip of the Corbynistas, it would be their last chance of holding high office.

Other prominent supporters of the plan include fanatical Remainers such as Tory Nicky Morgan and the ubiquitous Soubry Loo.

When such politicians speak of forming a government of national unity, however, what they actually mean is a government of People Like Them.

Their real aim is to stop Brexit from ever happening.

Funny how all the names being touted to form a Cabinet ‘in the national interest’ appear to have been drawn from the Remain camp.

No one seems to be suggesting it should, for instance, include Nigel Farage, despite the fact that he speaks for millions of disenfranchised people who voted Leave.

And once Parliament had stitched up a cosy consensus of like-minded ministers from across all parties, where would the Opposition come from?

It wouldn’t be cross-party, it would be a one-party state — the Remain Party.

Prue Leith (left) would be a popular choice to take over as PM with Nadiya Hussain (right), the 2015 Bake Off winner, as Foreign Secretary

The only way a government of national unity could work is if politicians weren’t allowed within a mile of it.

They have proved beyond reasonable doubt that they are genetically incapable of bringing the nation together.

So who could heal our divisions? If we were to create what used to be called a Government Of All The Talents, who would be in it?

Obviously the Queen wouldn’t want anything to do with this fiasco, so Helen Mirren could stand in for Her Maj as head of state, although these days Olivia Colman is first choice for The Crown.

If we wanted to skip a generation, there’s Claire Foy.

Safer to install Mary Berry, I’d have thought, alongside David Attenborough as Father of the Nation.

Prue Leith would be a popular choice to take over as PM with Nadiya, the 2015 Bake Off winner, as Foreign Secretary.

At the Treasury, we’d need someone who knows how to run a business. Maybe David Jason, in his Still Open All Hours role, would fit the bill, proving that Britain is still a nation of shopkeepers.

John Major said on Sunday that a cross-party Cabinet may be needed ‘in the national interest’ to avoid an unprecedented constitutional and political crisis

He certainly couldn’t do much worse than Spread Fear Phil. And if we were looking for more diversity, we could draft in Navid, of Harrid’s Convenience Store in the BBC Scotland sitcom Still Game.

Plenty of candidates for the Home Office, too. Keeley Hawes, from Bodyguard, or Line Of Duty’s Adrian Dunbar, .

Judi Dench would take control of national security and Idris Elba would finally don the mantle of James Bond, and be sent to Brussels with a Licence To Kill.

Jamie Oliver is a shoo-in for Minister of Food. And we’d have to find something for Ant and Dec, David Walliams and that Killing Eve and Fleabag woman who seems to have become a National Treasure overnight.

The Ministry of Defence would go to Joanna Lumley, after her sterling work in support of the Gurkhas.

And, obviously, Dawn French would become Archbishop of Canterbury. That’s assuming Michael Palin wasn’t available.

Department of Culture? A toss up between Lenny Henry and Alan Bennett, although I’d be inclined to go for Wilko Johnson, from Dr Feelgood and Game Of Thrones.

Who better to take over at Environment than Uncle Bulgaria, from the Wombles, currently leading the Mail’s litter pick-up on Wimbledon Common.

That’s the easy part. It would be essential to appoint a tough cookie to lead the Brexit negotiations.

Sir Humphrey Appleby, from Yes, Minister, would have been Mrs May’s choice, but after the dog’s breakfast left behind by Olly Robbins, no civil servant should be involved.

We should give Topshop boss Philip Green the chance to rehabilitate his reputation. I’d pay good money to see the look on Michel Barnier and Jean-Claude Drunker’s faces when they came up against Green’s bargaining technique. He could take along Mike Ashley, from Sports Direct.

They’d be guaranteed to come back with a better deal than Mrs May. And the delegation should also include a couple of dedicated Brexiteers, such as Johnny Rotten, in his Sex Pistols incarnation, and Roger Daltrey, from The Who.

We won’t get fooled again.

Another sneering Channel 4 Snow job

Channel 4’s self-regarding Leftie Jon Snow flaunts his moral superiority by sneering at pro-Leave marchers: ‘I’ve never seen so many white people.’

I have. On the pro-Remain demo in London the previous week. Snow obviously wasn’t looking hard enough.

One of the most striking images on the Leave march was a black chap in a Union Jack outfit.

Still, what else does anyone expect? Snow, the kind of man who confuses novelty socks for a sense of humour, never misses a trick when it comes to parading his right-on credentials.

Frankly, given his blatant political bigotry, I’m surprised he hasn’t changed his name by deed poll.

Snow? Sounds hideously white to me.

Back in the high life again

A Hurricane fighter plane, which was shot down during the Battle of Britain, has been recovered from the Thames Estuary. There are plans to restore the plane, in the hope that one day it may take to the skies again.

Presumably, if the restoration is successful, the Hurricane will immediately be transferred to one of our two new, multi-billion pound aircraft carriers, which were commissioned by Gordon Brown without any planes to fly off them.

Bradford man Qasim Hussain upset animal rights activists by travelling to Pakistan to take part in the World Camel Weightlifting Contest. His camel managed to lift him and several bags of rocks weighing 1.7 tons, the equivalent of a family car

A Bradford man has upset animal rights activists by travelling to Pakistan to take part in the World Camel Weightlifting Contest.

Qasim Hussain emerged victorious for the second year in a row after his camel managed to lift him and several bags of rocks weighing 1.7 tons, the equivalent of a family car.

He said: ‘Some people say it’s cruel. But you have to be with the camel at all times and sleep in the same room.’

Hussain intends returning next year to go for his hat-trick. Better still, they should stage the contest in Bradford next time. It could be a huge attraction, right up there with dwarf-tossing.

But to make things more humane, why not turn the tables and tell competitors to lift the camels, rather than the other way round?

The post RICHARD LITTLEJOHN: A cabinet with Mary Berry to heal Brexit division? appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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#Entertainment News

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sartle-blog · 6 years ago

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Dimensionism: Art in the Age of Einstein at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Helen Lundeberg’s Self Portrait, 1944

Imagine all of Einstein’s writings, jottings, and mathematical theorems in crayon and you’ll get an idea of Dimensionism, a largely forgotten art movement from the first-half of the twentieth century. That’s not to say that the artwork made under this tag shouldn’t be taken seriously or that it is childish. Quite the opposite. The current exhibit at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive, called Dimensionism: Art in the Age of Einstein, with its dazzling and confounding collection of Dimensionist paintings, photographs, and sculptures, proves that the movement deserves to be much better known. It is the premiere of a nationally touring exhibition organized by the Mead Art Museum at Amherst College.

The Dimensionists were a group of avant garde artists working in the 1930s. “Its unconscious origins reaching back to cubism and futurism, it has been continuously elaborated and developed since then by all the peoples of Western civilization.” That’s Charles Tamkó Sirató, the author of the Dimensionist Manifesto, which is presented in full in its original Hungarian and a later English translation at the exhibit. It’s definitely worth a read, and was able to attract quite a few big names to sign it: Marcel Duchamp, Wassily Kandinsky, and Joan Miró are just a few.

Gordon Onslow Ford’s The Dialogue of Circle Makers, 1944

When you first walk in, passing by the hypnotic exhibit sign with a color palette reminiscent of the infamous black and blue dress that once made friends question their mutual trust, you will likely feel overwhelmed. It’s a large open room with walls covered from end to end with three-dimensional paintings, multi-level collages, and dangling mobiles. Around the room on pristine tables are strange sculptures that elude a simple take. If one walks into the exhibit without foreknowledge of what it is about, you might become slightly frustrated and want to leave early, much like the couple I overheard mumbling about the confusing artworks, with their hands to their back and bodies arched towards the exit.

Take your time. The exhibit is worth a deeper look.

One of the first artworks you’ll see is César Domela’s “Abstract Construction”. With the visualization above, you should get the idea of how dimensionality plays into their work. It’s a canvas that appears two-dimensional from front, but is in fact three. There’s a nuance here, however, that is not clear in the photograph. The dots are lit up by light bulbs within the metal frame. With the presence of light, it places the artwork into the fourth dimension, that of time. This is huge for the dimensionists.

Let’s get back to Einstein, the focus of the exhibit. The Dimensionists were by and large grappling with his then-radical theory of relativity. They recognized it as a monumental shift in consciousness, where space and time did no longer equal two, but instead as one cosmic mechanic. In fact, this is a central tenet of their manifesto, with Sirató writing that Dimensionists must accept the unity of space and time.

Marcel Duchamp’s Rotorelief No. 5 – Poisson Japonais

Dimensionism takes care to provide numerous examples of the fourth dimension in art. Duchamp’s Rotoreliefs stand out as the most accessible, something you might even see in a college dorm room. The most remarkable, perhaps, are the photographs, like Harold Edgarton’s famous “Milk Drop Coronet” which is a joy to see in person.

Isamu Noguchi's Yellow Landscape

The headiest pieces on show are definitely the sculptures, where thoughts on space, time, and quantum mechanics are explored in voids and unusual angles. Specifically seeking non-Euclidean geometry, or that outside of what we learn in grammar school, the artists sought to break away from single point perspectives and mathematically even presentations. Isamu Noguchi, the famed artist and landscape architect, whose work displays a real fondness for Einstein’s theories, has perhaps the most striking sculptures here. They are strange, colorful, humorous, and oddly beautiful.

Walking into the second big open room, the displayed artwork becomes a bit more focused in theme. Here, we have two sharply defined areas: first, artwork inspired by quantum theory and, secondly, art made with biomorphic forms, or those unbelievable shapes of amoebas, fillae and other tiny creatures. In the first, the histories of surrealism and cubism are apparent. Picasso himself peeks his head into the conversation with a painting that is surprisingly delicate. Another, about the destructive power of the atomic bomb, will stop you in your tracks. The biomorphic showings are also noteworthy, particularly Kandinsky’s interpretations of stars and comets.

Picasso’s Young Girl in Armchair, 1917

Perhaps the standout of the exhibit is the artwork from Helen Lundeberg. Unfortunately, there are only two paintings here. They stay with you, however, especially because each serves as a soft conclusion on the themes held by the two respective rooms. They are less experimental, and more mystical, investigating how spacetime affects perception and how the discovery of microorganisms might affect our understanding of landscapes. They look like they don’t quite fit in with Sirató’s Dimensionism, but they also open up the exhibit to deeper and broader questions. How can art and science be meaningfully brought together? Lundeberg provides the most compelling and beautiful bridge between the two worlds, worlds that in the current climate can appear diametrically opposed to one another.

Detail from Helen Lundeberg’s Microcosm and Macrocosm, 1937

Through Lundeberg’s paintings, it becomes clear that the Dimensionists were avant garde thinkers who were fascinated by the prospects of science in general. They wanted to grapple with the radical theories of quantum mechanics and the squiggly, oozy shapes and forms of microscopic life because they gave a look into a vibrant future. It was the look into a brave new world. It was a call and response between art and science.

If you are interested in science, if you are interested in art, particularly in art that is not afraid to explore mediums, check out Dimensionism: Art in the Age of Einstein. It’s a necessary exhibit that reminds us that art and science can benefit from the other. It’s an exhibit you’ll remember for quite a while.

Dimensionism: Art in the Age of Einstein runs until March 3, 2019 at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, California.

By: Matt Marcure

#berkeley art museum and pacific film archive #bampfa #art museum #art history #art exhibit #albert einstein #art and science #history of art #science of art #news #exhibition #Dimensionism #futurism #dynamism #marcel duchamp #wassily kandinsky #and Joan Miró

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