#but now i have to go through the like 1700 previous posts which should be fun

[cyber-cry-baby]

Miasma Pt. 16 "Grand Soirée"

Caustic x fem reader Words: ~1700 Warnings: none A/N: oops, looks like I wrote three chapters today?? Also, this fic isn't 100% lore-accurate as you probably can tell… hope you don't mind. I’m trying my best to follow it tho! I'm glad to see that people are reading this fic either here or on AO3. I'm not sure which one is the place to post nowadays, but I'll probably continue posting to both. I'd like to hear what you think so far? Thanks for reading this, it means a lot to me!!

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You looked at yourself in the mirror. You hadn't seen yourself this polished in who knows how long. You were getting ready for the Grand Soirée with a small group of friends, and it was fun to see everyone dressed up so elegantly and impeccably groomed. The common rooms were buzzing with cheerful chatter.

The Grand Soirée was an annual event and certainly one of the highlights of life as a legend. With fabulous catering and guaranteed fun, what could possibly go wrong? You stood in front of the mirror and couldn't decide if you felt stunning or like a clown.

"Y/N, you look AMAZING!" Natalie clapped her hands while looking at you. Maybe you did.

"You look beautiful yourself!" you complimented her back. Everyone looked different than ever before. Your black evening gown sparkled and your dark makeup added a beautiful touch. Your hair was styled in classic, elegant curls. You were actually quite beautiful. You wondered how Alexander would look in his suit and quickly shook that thought away when you realized you were blushing.

"We look fabulous, darlings", Loba walked over to you, smiling.

"We should hurry, allons-y", Natalie announced to everyone.

"How do I look? Well, handsome, of course! Oh, I'm the star of the evening, take all the pictures you want", Elliott posed one more time in front of the mirror. You playfully pushed him away from the mirror.

"Alright, let's head to the venue", you urged. The venue was a place you had never been before, but you knew it would be magnificent, with its high ceilings, spacious terraces, large windows, and crystal chandeliers.

You mentally prepared yourself, gathering your composure. There was a lot to face tonight: the media, Alexander, people from the Syndicate. You knew that your family and friends outside of the games would be following the evening's events through the media.

Half an hour later, you got a taste of what life as a celebrity was really like. The red carpet seemed over-the-top, and the camera flashes almost blinded you, but you couldn't help but feel like a star. You had a few solo photos taken, and then a group picture with your friends. You posed confidently with a smile. As you arrived at the venue, you couldn't help but admire the grandeur of the hall and its decorations. You sat down at your assigned seats and began to enjoy the delicious food. You had never tasted such exquisite dishes.

"This is why we work and brawl in the games!" Walter exclaimed, almost devouring his food with both hands. You smiled blissfully, seeing how excited everyone was. You wondered how everything looked to outsiders, the glamour and glitz. You began to feel full and sipped on the expensive red wine. At this moment, you wholeheartedly agreed with Walter.

The rooftop terrace was not lacking in extravagance either. Bar counters and hot tubs were scattered everywhere. The atmospheric light installations added a festive touch to the whole setting. The music was playing softly, but you knew it would pick up as the night went on.

"Y/N Y/L/N! You are known in the game as Specter. You're one of the youngest legends and have been in the top ranks in the games a lot now. What do you have to say to your fans?" You were almost startled as a woman with a microphone and a man with a camera stood before you. You probably should have prepared for questions earlier. You stood there looking sophisticated with a wine glass in hand, smiling nicely. Your friends were probably cheering for you in front of the TV right now.

"I want to say, chase your dreams and work hard for them!" you responded with a cliché, and the duo moved on to harass others with their questions. You saw your chance and quickly moved a little further away. You leaned against the railing and took a sip from your wine glass. The view was breathtaking. The city looked massive, and all the other buildings seemed tiny. The billboards blinked in the evening's dim light, and the traffic down below appeared minimal.

You turned around and were taken aback when you saw Natalie talking to Alexander in the distance. They seemed to be having a good time, and you felt a little sad. Why couldn't you just go and chat with them? No, you couldn't act normal in his presence. Probably never again.

Alexander looked incredibly handsome in his suit. You wanted to burst. You wanted so badly to go and grab his arm and let everyone see—your friends, the media, everyone. But there was no chance.

"Oh, how sweet. Are you pining for him?" you heard a familiar, annoying voice from beside you.

"Doyle..." you spat his name contemptuously and rolled your eyes. He looked terribly official in his suit.

"Can't I come and chat with my favorite legend?" he said, leaning closer to you and clinking his glass against yours. You glared at him angrily.

"What? Can't I even admire my favorite legend?" he whispered in your ear, and you glared at him once again. Then he left to join his like-minded friends.

"That jerk", Loba walked over to you to check if you were okay.

"Ugh, he's just a loser, I'm not afraid of him", you waved your hand dismissively.

"Come on, let's stick together", Loba protectively took your arm and began to lead you towards the others. Yes, the others. You saw the whole group standing together in the distance, including Alexander. Natalie squealed when she saw you.

"I just praised Dr. Caustic about you. You look so beautiful, don't you think, Dr. Caustic?"

Well, this got awkward.

Alexander just grunted and turned away. You didn't expect any other reaction. You wondered what it looked like from afar when you and Doyle were talking.

"You and that Syndicate guy will probably be in the headlines tomorrow, the way you two were acting..." Anita pointed out. She looked like a bodyguard in her suit. You wished someone could have guarded your back tonight. Clearly, it was needed.

"That would be hell of a headline..." Kairi sighed and took a sip from her drink. "I need another one."

"Tell me about it", you huffed in response to both of her comments.

You noticed everyone around you gradually moving toward the bar counter. Soon, you found yourself standing alone with Alexander where you had been in a group just a while ago.

"Who was that bastard in the suit?" Alexander suddenly spoke.

"Aren't everyone like that here tonight?" you teased, and you could tell your joke didn't amuse him much at the moment. You couldn't exactly tell him that the guy was someone you were feeding information about his secret experiments to.

"I'll break his hands if he attempts physical contact with you again", Alexander growled, and you couldn't help but smile.

"Like any good colleague would?" you asked, feigning innocence.

"Of course", Alexander replied, adjusting his bowtie. You were relieved that your encounter wasn't awkward, and you could continue your conversation normally. You hoped for more, of course.

"Well, do you agree with Natalie?" you asked, and Alexander looked at you questioningly.

"Am I beautiful?" you flirted with a seductive look, just like any colleague would.

"You're very... alluring", you saw Alexander blush. "And that dress looks great on you."

"Thank you, but I think that you would look great on top of me", you whispered, and you saw Alexander almost choke on his drink. You struggled to stifle your laughter.

"If you weren't my colleague, I'd make you pay for that", Alexander muttered in a low voice, and your laughter abruptly stopped. Were you really going to continue this flirtation? Because if you did, you wouldn't be able to control yourself. You had to take a deep breath. This was truly torturing yourself. If you wanted to continue with your normal life, you couldn't do this to yourself.

"What did you have in mind? After all, I'm just your colleague", you asked innocently. You just had to continue...

"I'll come up with something. I find myself already too deep in this situation, and I'm uncertain whether it's possible to pull back", he said, giving you a meaningful look, and you felt like you were about to burst. You had just prepared yourself to detach from all of this, and now it continued. Not that you minded; it was better than anything. You knew you shouldn't allow yourself to...

fall in love.

But as Alexander had just pointed out, he was already deep into this, and so were you.

"I... I'll get a drink. Do you want anything?" you mumbled and started moving towards the bar counter. Alexander just shook his head and showed that he still had some of his drink left. You headed further away, and suddenly you saw Doyle signaling you over. His face looked serious. What the hell was going on?

You made your way over to him. It was best to obey. However, he couldn't do anything here with everyone watching.

"The files you sent have been examined now. Turns out, you were useful", Doyle said. It was a relief to hear. Maybe now he would be satisfied and leave you alone.

"You're probably interested in this...", Doyle pulled out his phone and began showing you something on the screen.

"It's no longer about Solace City; he's interested in another, more remote location where he's seriously planning gas attacks."

You furrowed your brows and leaned in to look at the screen.

"Does this look familiar? That is your hometown, right?" Doyle smirked as he saw the shock forming on your face.

#apex legends #alexander nox #apex caustic #apex fanfic #alexander nox x reader #caustic x reader #apex legends fanfiction #fanfiction #miasma #caustic smut

[rumor-imbris]

Hello, Lady Connor! I want to ask out of unbearable, suffocating curiosity in my heart, even though in the previous post you already said to not mention "that certain comic". Could you please enlighten me about your view on that comic and what you despise about it? I would love to read your detailed thoughts about it even if just once. But if this is too triggering for you, I'm truly sorry for your discomfort and you don't need to answer it.

Hello, dear Anon and welcome ^-^ It's weird you naturally called me Lady Connor, as usually only my little fairy @giuliettaluce does. Well, I guess her magic put a spell on everybody here!!

If you really care to know, I'll answer, but brace yourself, it's going to be very long, almost an essay, because I can be very detailed about that comic being a failure in its every part. There's so much to say. You're right, as I mentioned before, it can trigger me, but I have attentively analized it and I know it makes not a single atom of sense. So nothing can actually bother me that much, don't worry ^_-

First of all, my general consideration of the AC Reflections comic issue #4, (yeah, that thing -.-) is that of a mere attempt to desperately make Bayek's remote vision through Senu's eyes a canon feature. It was created and published in 2017, the same year AC Origins was released and yes, they needed an excuse to make believe Connor's alleged daughter inherited a skill someone (who isn't even their direct ancestor!!) that lived 1700 years ago in ancient Egypt had! OMG, this should be funny enough, but I'll go on. Also, I think it was likely a carelessly arranged way to satisfy those AC3 fans demanding a "happy ending" for unlucky Connor (quite 5 years later, of course).

I'll better go step by step to figure out where to start from, seriously.

1) In the comic, when Otso Berg opens the file related to Connor, the scene is set in "1796: Upstate New York." Now this is chronologically and spacially incoherent and illogical. We see Connor still wears his assassin outfit in it, right? According to AC Initiates (2012) in 1804 Connor invites the Dominican assassin Eseosa at the Davenport homestead to provide him some advices and further training as he's involved in the leading of the Haitian Revolution. That's a really cool character, read about him, if you want!

So, until then Connor is still an assassin, probably the mentor (by now) of the Colonial Brotherhood. He still runs the homestead and he still commands the Aquila, I guess, he's the captain still. I calculated the distance between the homestead and the then upper NY frontier territories is approximately 260 miles (quite far nowadays with cars and planes as well). Then, why the hell should he have a family located in the forest upstate NY? It sounds very unconfortable to run back and forth to reach them and go back to take care of all the Brotherhood matters, doesn't it? Unless he knew about teleportation!!! Also, wow, he lives all alone in a nice massive villa with all the comforts of that time while his children and wife still live in a Native village constantly menaced by settlers wanting to steal their land? Beside the fact that Connor, at least in my point of view, seemed at last very familiar with european way of living by the end of the game, this leads us to the next point.

2) By the time the game and the comic are set (second half of 18th century), most of the East Coast Native tribes were facing the tragic and forced migration to western and northern territories (mostly towards Canada, protected by the British) because of all the consequences of the Revolutionary War (lost territories, failed alliances, settlers advancing and buying their lands and so on). So tells us history, unfortunately. It's a fact. And this is wisely showed to us in the AC3 main game when, after all the Kanien'kehá:ka tribes had left the territory around Connor's village (yes, even those near New York, to be clear) even Connor's own tribe at last migrates west, leaving an empty ghost village. They had remained all along to protect the secret temple, but in the end they as well were forced to leave. So, to me it's highly improbable that in upstate NY, one could still find a tribe and even if so, that Connor would let his family live there and risk their safety everyday.

3) The whole comic plot revolves around the fact that Io:nhiòte has a "special gift"... She inexplicably knows how to read the ground and find animal traces, she also can perform a perfect twisted acrobatic flip in the air and land unharmed to the ground. Do we know why? No, don't ask! xD She simply knows U.U, even if right after the next scene she slips and falls miserably down a cliff xD, but... ok!! Beside that, when Connor is far away to search for some water and is about to be attacked by a wolf hidden in the grass nearby, she sees the whole scene from the eyes of an eagle flying in the sky above her. As I said before, this reminds us of Bayek's (never clearly explained) ability to see through his eagle Senu's eyes and spot dangers and enemies. Now can you tell me why the hell this little girl has super powers and a skill Bayek had? As I said, they are not even directely related, as Bayek is not one of Desmond Miles' ancestor, we know him simply because Layla's new Animus is magical and can inexplicably read fragmented DNA from people who died a thousand years ago (it can also prepair coffee, I think!). So, where did she get that from? Magic? Mysteries of life? Convenient improbable connections for marketing's sake? We'll never know and you should simply accept that and ask no question!

4) From her height, way of speaking/moving/running, I assume Io:nhiòte is at least 8 years old, 8 - 9 minimum. She's the youngest of three siblings, who must be at least two years older than her and than each other (according to a human woman pregnancy timing!). If the comic events are set 12 years after the main game ending (1784, when Connor also starts to train the young ex-slave Patience Gibbs, arriving at the Davenport homestead with Aveline De Grandpré, according to AC IV Black Flag bonus mission with Aveline), so, this means that in that same year Connor must have found hastily the love of his life in a Native village (as if he was easy to open himself with other people after all he's been through), married her, impregnated her and seen her give birth to their first child, all in the same year when (let's not foget! xD) he still is the leader of the Colonial Assassin Brotherhood at the Davenport homestead training novices. Now, this may even be possible humanly speaking, (well, if you force the things a bit and hurry up!) but highly unlikely to happen!! xD

These are the main problems affecting the logic of the comic in my opinion, the points making its foundations crumble apart. Though I'm sure there are many little others to point out, such as Otso Berg "opening" Connor's files... like what? Where did those data come out from? I remember playing AC IV Black Flag and uncovering a file where Abstergo researchers themselves closed access to his memories as there was "nothing appealing to this character anymore"! So, if no more researches were conducted on him since 2013, where did Mr Berg magically or conveniently discovered such data in 2017?

Or... do we want to talk about the cover? It shows Connor in the spirit outfit from the Tyranny of King Washington DLC, which has apparently nothing to do with the comic, since it is set in his present day and he wears his assassin standard robe. Now, I think that can be either a simple marketing choice to make the comic more appealing, as... well, that cover is so cool, let's admit that, or maybe the subtle suggestion that the events told in it are just a parallel Disney-like reality and are not to be considered true at all! xD i don't know, maybe both explanations are right.

I'm sure that the deeper i dig, the more nothing rational I'll find!

If you played the old games, if you know well the franchise and its lore, the true, good, old AC lore, you definitely realize by yourself how that comic is useless and senseless.

This doesn't mean I do not wish an "happy ending" for Connor. But I'd rather accept something coherent with the main game events and AC chronology. Also, it doesn't necessarily needs to be a "happy" ending, as they conveniently created to please complaining fans. I wished for something real... coherent with his personality, acquired life-style and endless sense of duty and values.

Maybe that's what pushed me to write my FanFic novel in the first place, after all... To give him MY OWN cohesive ending, including my love, for love is always needed, I guess.

I'm so sorry if the answer took this long in time and words, but you were warned! ^w^

Though, thank you... Seriously, thank you so much for asking. You made me reflect once more about this matter.

Come visit me again, if you want. Take care

- Rumor Imbris 🦋

P.S. Oh, and if you're interested, this is my "jelousy song", for when things like this trigger my inner witch!! xD

#ask #ask me anything #I Am the Storm!!!! #AC3 Reflections #why it sucks #why it makes no sense #thanks for asking #anon ask

[winryofresembool]

Things We Lost in the Fire, ch 18

aka Caleo uni au

Fic summary: Calypso starts studying at a new university, but to her annoyance her new flatmate is a loud mouthed mechanic who also likes to sneak his dog in whenever. But as she learns to know him better, she realizes they might have more in common than what she first thought. Eventually, even the darkest secrets come out…

Chapter summary: Leo's life is hard (but maybe there's some hope left).

A/N: Yay, time for a new chapter! I decided to make Friday my new posting day so that’s when the future updates will (hopefully) happen.

It's not time to resolve the previous drama quite yet but dw, that's coming! Meanwhile, I hope you'll enjoy this Leo centered chapter. It’s also time to bring Frank in!

Don't forget to let me know what you think! :)

Characters in this ch: Leo, Frank, Georgina, Jo, Emmie

Words: 1700+

Genre: romance & hurt/comfort

Warnings: none

previous chapter / next chapter / AO3

...

“Maldita sea!” Leo yelled at himself as his wrench flew at the wall, thankfully not causing damage to it. Nothing he tried to fix or build that day seemed to go right. He hadn’t been able to figure out a pretty basic seeming issue in someone’s phone, one of his own inventions had broken and even solving a physics problem that would usually have managed to distract him only felt frustrating.

There was a lot going on in Leo’s head. Well, he’d argue that he always had a lot going on there due to his ADHD, but this time his usual methods to calm himself down didn’t seem to work. He would probably have to quit studying the only field he was truly interested in. He couldn’t do his work. His flatmate for whom he may or may not have started slowly developing some very not flatmate appropriate feelings had apparently had a thing for his friend, which not only complicated Leo’s situation with Calypso but also with Percy. And his mother’s death anniversary was coming, which was always a hard time for him. Leo imagined she’d probably be so disappointed if she saw him now. ‘My son, a failure in every aspect of life’. No, Leo’s real mother had been way too nice to actually say something like that out loud, but he just knew she’d at least think that. And Jo, Emmie and Georgina were counting on him too.

After throwing the wrench, Leo decided to take a break because his hands had started shaking too much to continue working. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against his worktable, closed his eyes and started tapping a rhythm that he had memorized years ago. His mother had taught him Morse code when he was a kid, and this particular phrase was one she had used a lot when he had needed calming down. Written down, the code looked like this:

.. .-.. --- ...- . -.-- --- ..-

I l o v e y o u

He whispered it very quietly a couple of times before looking out from the window and saying aloud:

“Mom. I’m trying to be strong. I really am. But sometimes it just gets too fucking hard. Everything seemed to be fine. Really. My other family is great. I was studying something I actually cared about. My new flatmate… uh, she’s an interesting force of nature. But if she likes someone like Percy… I’d never have a chance. And all my career plans are about to run down to the sewers because I can’t use fire, in any way. Not because of what happened to you. Because of what I... I just feel lost.”

He took a deep breath and rubbed the corner of his eye dry quickly. Saying his thoughts aloud seemed to make him feel a little bit better, and he decided that maybe getting out of the flat and getting some exercise would help with the shakiness. To his relief Calypso wasn’t home either so he didn’t have to answer any awkward questions about why he looked like such a mess. Leo found himself jogging all the way to Waystation, which was several miles from his flat. As he reached the yard, he noticed Georgina with Festus, but even with her back to him he could sense something was wrong. Of course. There was always some way the day could get even worse.

“Hi, hermanita!” he started, trying to sound cheerful even though he didn’t think he was a very good actor. Georgie could probably see right through him. His suspicions were confirmed when Festus didn’t even run to greet him as he usually did. “What’s going on?”

“I tried to call you,” she said, hiding her worry badly. “Moms went to run some errands and something… something happened to him…”

“What do you mean? What exactly happened?” Leo insisted on knowing.

Georgina seemed to grow more and more upset each moment. “I… I gave him a bully stick… but I forgot to put it in a holder even though moms always say you should do that when you give him one because he always tries to swallow them so fast… And then he started feeling sick...”

To prove her point, Festus, who was laying on the ground, made a loud gagging sound. After that he tried to whine but even that didn’t sound like it usually did.

Leo’s ADHD kicked immediately in, in the form of him wanting to act fast.

“We’ll discuss this later, I need to borrow Jo’s car now that I can take him to the vet,” he exclaimed and ran inside the house to get the keys to the car from the spot Jo usually kept them. He picked them and Festus’ leash and ran back, telling Georgina to stay home to tell Jo and Emmie what happened when they’d return.

At least one thing went right that day: the emergency vet clinic was fairly quiet when Leo arrived there. Not long after that, the vet took Festus in. He had an intern with him; a young man who Leo suspected had his roots somewhere in East Asia. He had black, short hair, a bulky body and kind of child like face even though the intern was probably older than Leo. As the vet asked Leo some questions about what exactly had happened to Festus, the student wrote down some notes and occasionally added a short comment as well. When Leo was about to explain why exactly Festus had gotten issues with the bully stick, he heard the intern mutter something to himself.

“What was that?” Leo asked a bit more aggressively than he had planned, having already been stressed even before the issue with Festus had come up. He had to admit, though, that it had distracted him from the other issues.

“Nothing,” the intern quickly said, pretending to focus on his papers again.

Leo didn’t give up that easily. “I heard you, though. You were implying that I had somehow caused this.”

“Well, you did give him the bully stick, didn’t you?” the young man asked.

“I wasn’t even there when he got one!” Leo growled, starting to feel the frustrations from earlier that day flooding out of his system. “My… uh, little sister gave him one when our parents left to run some errands and he kept whining and wanted something to chew! It wasn’t her fault either, she’s a child and she didn’t know that could happen!”

“Mister Valdez, please calm down a bit,” the vet interrupted him, and Leo immediately shut up. “There’s no need to yell. Festus is going to be just fine; I’m going to give him some medicine and fluids to help with digesting the stick and we can watch how he’s doing overnight. And Frank, please don’t make assumptions like that about clients.”

“Yes, sir,” Frank said, to Leo’s surprise actually looking regretful. Then he turned to Leo. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

“Nah, I kinda lost my cool there too…” Leo said, the frustration leaving when he saw Frank’s face.

“Kinda,” the intern said, attempting to joke about the situation.

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that;” Leo rubbed the back of his neck.

After that the vet asked Leo a couple of more questions and did some more examinations on Festus while Frank helped him.

“Other than this stick issue, he seems like a healthy dog,” the vet complimented after the check up. “His fur and teeth look good. I think you’ve been taking good care of him.”

“Well, to be honest he lives more with my parents than me because they have a lot more space…” Leo said, “But yeah, we all try our best. Even Georgina, my sister.”

“I’m glad to hear that. It’s a good thing you got him here that fast so he’ll get the best possible treatment,” The vet said.

After that he wrote some notes on the computer and then dismissed Leo who scratched Festus from behind his ear and promised to come back soon to get him. As he was putting his jean jacket on in the lobby, the intern, Frank, approached him.

“About what happened earlier, I really am sorry. It isn’t like me to attack clients; you can even ask my boss about that. I just…”

“Chill, man,” Leo said. “I’ve heard this story before. People assume things about me because I look like a problem teenager. Truth to be told? You’re not entirely wrong. But things have changed. And trust me, Festus is my best friend and I’d do anything for him. I’m sure Georgie has learned her lesson too now.”

“Good to hear that,” Frank said and extended his arm to Leo. “Well, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow when you’re coming to get Festus.”

Leo nodded. “Yep, I have a feeling my whole family will want to join me. Anyway, I’m off now. Thanks for the help!”

“I’m glad we could help!” Frank told him before he started walking towards his car.

...

Jo and Emmie had already returned to Waystation when Leo got there.

“Is everything OK?” Emmie asked immediately. “We didn’t really get much out of Georgina… Just that something had happened to Festus and you took him to the vet.”

“Nah, it’s gonna be fine!” Leo reassured her. “He got some digestion issues because he gobbled a bully stick too fast but that’s being taken care of now. Georgie sure remembers to be more careful from now on, won’t ya, hermanita?” he addressed the young girl then.

“I will…” she promised, not even protesting about the nickname this time.

Once Leo had explained with more details what had happened at the vet and it became clear that Festus would be fine soon, the family moved to other matters. Unlike usually, Leo was happy with mostly listening to the others. The incident had reminded him that there were bigger matters than girl issues or his studies and he realized that those things didn’t feel quite as hard to overcome now as a few hours ago. Yes, he still needed to deal with them, and yes, his past would probably never stop entirely haunting him, but when he had people like this around him? It wouldn’t be impossible.

#caleo #leo valdez #calypso #heroes of olympus #trials of apollo #percy jackson and the olympians #my fics #caleo uni au

[raeynbowboi]

Dating Disney: Snow White

I was planning on doing Tangled next, but someone requested Snow White in my Beauty and the Beast post, so I’m nothing if not accommodating. The general consensus is that this movie is set in about the 1550′s in Germany, but let’s pick the film apart and see what happens.

To begin with, we need to know where the story comes from, and no, I’m not talking about the Brothers Grimm in 1812. No, the Brothers Grimm didn’t write any of their own stories. They wrote down the German versions of folk tales that they heard. Some, like Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood came from foreign countries with their own German variations, but Snow White is an unusual exception, because she’s not only completely German, she’s very likely a real person.

Maria Sophia von Erthal

Maria was born June 15, 1729, in Lohr am Main, Bavaria to Prince Philipp Christoph von Erthal and the Baroness von Bettendorff. Her mother passed away in 1741 and her father remarried two years later on May 15, 1743 to Claudia Elisabeth Maria von Venningen, Countess of Reichenstein. The magic mirror also appears, as a gift from Philipp to Claudia after they were married. A talking mirror created in 1720 still hangs in the very castle where Maria lived, now a museum. Claudia reportedly had little love for her stepchildren, and Maria was no exception. She preferred her children from her previous marriage. Maria had a bit of a reputation in the town of Lohr, as she was so kind and generous that many of the townsfolk claimed she was a fairy to be so kind. The Spessart forest grew nearby, and on the other side is the town of Bieber, where much of the mining jobs were done by children, since their small bodies were able to get through the mines much easier. Maria eventually died of unclear circumstances, but it’s theorized that she was poisoned with deadly nightshade, Atropa Belladonna. Fans of Film Theory may recognize that name as the very poison Matpat theorized is what Queen Grimhilde used on Snow White in the movie, so it seems we’ve come full circle.

Clothing

That stiff upright collar being worn by Snow White in the film came into vogue during the reign of Queen Marie de Medici of France (1600-1642). The fan collar is extremely closely tied historically to this queen, and the style is even named for her. So, based on the fact that Marie de Medici must have at least been Queen Consort beginning in 1600, we must assume that the film takes place in the 17th century. So, we’re one step in and already the standard mid 1500s setting is being debated.

Those aren’t just red splotches on Snow White’s sleeve, what we’re seeing is a paned sleeve, when panels of fabric would be worn over another layer of fabric, usually of different colors, creating stripes of color. This style was popular during the 16th and 17th centuries.

The dwarves are dressed rather plainly, with simple tunics or shirts, tights, soft hide shoes, and simple caps. The only outlier is their fine metal buckles, but belt buckles have been found dating back to the Celts of the 5th century, so I won’t get up in arms about what specific era these specific belt buckles should be from. 

Both Snow White and Queen Grimhilde are rocking some killer heels, but high heels as we know them today emerged as a trend of the 1700s, or the 18th century. While there were high heels earlier, with there even being an ordinance in 1430 that heels could not exceed 3 inches, the modern high-heel, which they both seem to be wearing, emerged later.

Technology

Correct me if I’m wrong, but, that looks like a bunsen burner to me. At the very least, it’s gas technology. Gas technology we did not have until 1852.

The dwarves seem to own a pump organ, first invented by Christian Gottlieb Kratzenstein in 1780.

The kinds of eyeglasses supported by the ears are seen as early as 1600 in this portrait of Cardinal Fernando Niño de Guevara.

During “High Ho” we see Doc using a loupe to examine diamonds. These handsfree magnifying glasses have been around since 1250, used primarily by Jewelers and Watchmakers.

The first dustpan was invented sometime around the 1850s before a more well-designed dustpan was invented in 1897.

What we see here is a variation of a cuckoo clock, replacing the hooting bird with mechanical figures on a track. While I couldn’t find if this is a specific type of Cuckoo clock, I did find that the Cuckoo clock was invented in roughly the mid 18th century near the Black Forest in Germany.

Conclusion

And I thought Mulan was going to have problems, this movie has no idea when it’s supposed to be set. The clothing is from the 1600s and 1700s, but there’s technology that’s almost modern. I will give the movie a pass because it’s the first animated movie ever, but in terms of figuring out a time period, it’s a bit of a headache. I’m just going to have to go with the general vibe of the setting and say we’re looking at about the middle of the 1600s with advanced technology courtesy of the metalworking dwarves because the technology is the primary outlier that throws off the era of the film. Considering most of the advanced technology in in possession of the dwarves, I’m willing to hand-wave it as dwarven magic.

Setting: Lohr Am Main, Bavaria

Kingdom: Holy Roman Empire (962-1806)

Year/Era: Renaissance, mid 17th Century

Language: Early New High German (1350-1650)

#dating disney #snow white #snow white and the seven dwarves #happy #dopey #grumpy #doc #sneezy #bashful #sleepy #queen grimhilde #evil queen #prince florian #renaissance #holy roman empire #bavaria #lohr #lohr am main #maria sophia von erthal #claudia elisabeth maria von venningen #marie de medici #paned sleeve #fan collar #cuckoo clock

[paradisecost]

hc. erik // main timeline 

ALRIGHT this bad boy is just over 1700 words long but I urge you to read it if you’re at all interested in interacting with my Erik. He is extremely canon-divergent in that DoFP, XMA and DP did not happen. I used to be fine with both DoFP and XMA but the more I think about them the more I’m like “wow, those plots are fucking ridiculous” and I’ve chosen to uh, throw them out the damn window. DP on the other hand was just unabashedly horrific fcKJNFKDNF.

TW: Non-graphic mentions of the following: the Holocaust, kidnapping, child abuse, child death, burning alive, imprisonment and isolation, and murder. Ya boy’s been through HELL but these are just mentions, as in ‘this thing happened- moving on’.

Early life // v: doomed from the start

December 31st, 1929

Erik Magnus Lehnsherr is born, presumably somewhere in Poland, to Jewish German parents. His mother nicknames him ‘Max’ when he is very young, and his father and friends soon pick up on it too.

He befriends Magda Eisenhardt at school as a young boy. The two become close, but are separated during the war, long before Erik is taken by Schmidt. Each assumes the other to be dead.

September 1st, 1939

Germany invades Poland; WWII begins.

Erik’s mutation manifests in short bursts throughout the next few years in moments of stress or anger, made worse by the overall traumatic and stressful living conditions associated with being Jewish at this time. His parents are the only ones to witness his mutation, and are desperate to keep it hidden for Erik’s own safety. Erik’s mother considers it a gift from G-d, and one he must use wisely.

Unknown date, 1944

Erik and his family are sent to Auschwitz. Erik’s mutation manifests fully when he is separated from his parents, distorting an iron gate in an attempt to reach them. He is subdued by the surrounding guards via a blow to the head and taken to Klaus Schmidt (later Sebastian Shaw), a German doctor and mutant. 

Schmidt instructs Erik to move a coin as proof of his mutation, shooting Erik’s mother in front of him when he fails. Erik destroys the surrounding room with his powers in a fit of rage, as well as killing the guards present. His rage quickly turns to grief, however, and he breaks down, allowing himself to be comforted by Schmidt, who claims they’re going to ‘unlock his gift with pain and anger’. Needless to say, the resulting years in Schmidt’s grasp are not pleasant.

 The Schmidt years // v: doctor’s orders

1944

Erik is held captive by Schmidt for the next six years, subjected to frequent physical and psychological abuse in order to ‘strengthen’ his powers and improve his control over them. By the time he is seventeen he is capable of harnessing his abilities to perform to Schmidt’s standards, but lacks fine control over his mutation when not in a heightened emotional state. Throughout 1944 he is forced to work as a Sonderkommando alongside this. At the end of the war Schmidt takes him to a private facility in Germany, where Erik remains captive for the next several years.

Despite severe conditioning and traumatic bonding towards Schmidt, he makes a number of escape attempts throughout these years, as well as at least two attempts on Schmidt’s life.

Late 1949

The facility is bombed for reasons unknown to Erik. Erik escapes during the chaos, using his mutation to destroy anything and everything that stands in his way. As he flees, he looks back to see Schmidt absorbing an explosion. This is how he knows Schmidt is still alive afterwards, as well as having his longstanding suspicions confirmed that Schmidt, too, is a mutant.

Recovery and family years // v: we will not suffer here

1950

Having been on the run lest Schmidt attempt to track and hunt him down, Erik finally stops running for one reason only: by sheer chance, he reunites with Magda Eisenhardt. Both are overjoyed to see the other alive, and they marry the same year. Erik begins using the name Max Eisenhardt instead of his birth name. The two are impoverished and starving half of the time, but they make it work: Max manages to find steady work here and there, and the two settle in Vinnytsa to build a home and a family together. 

Summer, 1951

Anya Eisenhardt is born. Max takes work from anyone that will have him as he struggles to keep the family afloat, but the sheer relief of being alive and in a position where people may help them if things take a downturn is more than worth the struggle. Later in life, Erik considers these years the happiest of his life.

Late 1956

Their home in Vinnytsa is set on fire after Max magnetically hurls a crowbar at his boss for refusing to pay him when he and Magda are desperate for the money. Max is not present when the fire is first lit: he runs home upon seeing the smoke, and discovers that Anya is still stuck inside the house. Max attempts to save her, using his powers to tear the house apart, but it’s too late. In his grief and rage, Max lashes out with his powers, murdering his boss, the people responsible for the fire, and numerous innocent villagers in the process. When he calms and tries to go to Magda, she flees in terror, calling him a monster. Unbeknownst to Max, Magda is pregnant with twins at this time.

The Nazi-killing years // v: red right hand

Early 1957

With nothing left for him in Vinnysta and at a loss for what to do with himself, Max opts for the thing that living with Magda and Anya had allowed him to set aside: revenge. He begins his hunt for Schmidt, reclaiming the name Erik Lehnsherr in an attempt to shed the ghost of his former life with his family. He resolves to find Schmidt or die trying, and becomes unable to visualise a future outside of that.

Unknown date, 1957

Somewhere far away, Pietro and Wanda Maximoff are born, without Erik’s knowledge. Magda Eisenhardt dies soon after giving birth to them, and they are taken in by an elderly couple who raises them as their own.

1957-1962

Erik tracks Schmidt by hunting down former Nazis associated with him. He leaves a bloody trail across Europe in his search, leaving no survivors, and never settles in one place for long.

 XMFC timeline // v: first class

Early 1962

Erik attempts to kill Schmidt, now known as Sebastian Shaw, nearly drowning in the process of trying to drag his submarine up from the depths of the ocean. He is saved by Charles Xavier, working with the CIA. He allows Charles to bring him on-board the CIA’s ship, practically refusing to speak to anyone other than Charles and questioning him endlessly on his mutation as well as other mutants.

1962

Events of X-Men: First Class. Erik and Charles work together to locate other mutants, and the first group of X-Men are formed. The mutants work to hone their abilities, primarily with Charles’ assistance; Charles teaches Erik that pain and anger are not the key to unlocking his gift, and to help him, accesses a memory of Erik’s mother - one that, along with most of Erik’s memories from before 1944, had been repressed. Erik also forms a bond with Raven/Mystique, claiming that mutants should not have to hide who they are in order to be accepted by society.

October 28th 1962

Erik kills Sebastian Shaw with the coin he was ordered to move as a child. Erik proceeds to form the first incarnation of the Brotherhood of Mutants, taking the name Magneto. 

 Brotherhood years // v: rise up!

November 20th 1962

Magneto and the Brotherhood free Emma Frost, who joins them.

Following the events of the Cuban Missile Crisis, Kennedy administration authorizes the Central Intelligence Agency to establish Project WideAwake, a covert task force to investigate other X-Gene cases and their prevalence across the United States. While its mission strictly revolves around identification and research of mutants, it exercises paramilitary autonomy from the President’s mandates.

Edwin Partridge, a former Major General in the U.S. Army and a far right-wing activist, gains (through his contacts in the military) proof of mutant involvement during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

July 1963

Azazel and Angel are killed by Project WideAwake agents. Emma Frost is later killed by Sentinel prototypes.

November 22nd 1963

JFK is assassinated. Magneto has nothing to do with this because frankly it’s a stupid plot point, but is wanted for various terrorist actions related to pro-mutant shenanigans.

January 22nd 1964

Project WideAwake operatives are tasked with locating and apprehending Magneto. He is captured soon after.

February 11th 1964

A private trial takes place, which Charles Xavier and Hank McCoy are present for. Magneto is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences in a federal correctional facility without the possibility of parole, sparking the ‘Free Magneto’ movement.

 Imprisonment // v: isolation

1964-1973 Erik is imprisoned with only brief escapes over the course of nine years.

Early 1971 Having destroyed several prisons during the 60s, Magneto is finally permanently subdued by Trask Industries. He is placed in a specialised prison in the Pentagon, 1,320 ft below the Earth’s surface. It is composed of industrial-grade polymers and concrete.

1971-1973 Erik is kept in solitary confinement in prison (though he has been more or less stuck in one prison or another since 1964). He begins to speak almost exclusively in Yiddish and German, conversing with what he believes are ghosts of his parents (for whom he speaks Yiddish), and Schmidt (for whom he speaks only German). These are, of course, hallucinations, which he has experienced throughout his life in times of intense stress.

 Post-prison recovery years // v: the quiet years

1973 to unknown/variable date

Magneto escapes, somehow. He goes into hiding for a long-ass time and attempts to live a quiet, ordinary life, whilst also recovering from the isolation/prison-induced trauma of the past nine years. Charles Xavier is aware of his escape but chooses not to reveal it to the world so long as Erik does not resume his previous occupation of, uh, global mutant terrorist. At some point, Erik secures a safe haven for mutants on the island of Genosha, where he helps to build a self-sustaining community there.

Default timeline, aka mainverse // v: mutants are the future

Unknown/variable dates (these can literally take place at any time period after 1980 or so; the default is the present day)

Erik acts alone. The Brotherhood no longer exists, and Erik no longer lives in Genosha, though he visits it frequently and assists with its upkeep and maintenance when needed - as well as being more than willing to defend it, if necessary. Erik deals with threats to mutantkind as he sees fit, but is generally not the uh… comic-book villain he was post-XMFC. He and Charles Xavier are in contact with one another, and in some instances, Erik visits the school for a multitude of reasons.

#facts: erik #timeline: erik

[jackednephi]

Alternative fasting?

So I want to fast so I can make sure my family gets that duplex we found because it's pretty much perfect. There'd be three people to a side and an extra two or three bedrooms for other partners to move in or for children if ever we were financially stable and emotionally ready to take that next step in family building. It would keep my husband, my second wife and I away from the member of the family none of us can stand and keep family mess relatively contained and manageable. It would keep the bunnies separated from the cat so no potentially fatal fighting and would allow both to free roam in their respective areas. There's a yard and I'm pretty sure we'd have a rent to own option if we wanted this to be our permanent home. We can connect the attics so we could use the combined attic as a large family space or go between during the harsh winters instead of leaving one side to go to the other

Basically this place sounds perfect. We haven't had a chance to see it in person to confirm this as there are current tenants in each side. One side will vacate in June and the other July so we'd move in sometime in August which is perfect as we have to give our current residence two months' notice if we are to break lease. This also gives us time to save up money for a moving truck for our things, shipping my wife's belongings here, and for a bus/plane ticket (whichever is cheaper) to get him with us. This timing also would keep me from the financial worries I had as I wouldn't have to scramble for work as I'm a tutor and my slowest season is summer. My husband is now getting steady paychecks and with that kind of timing, things couldn't be better

Basically, everything would be miraculous and completely perfect. Space for those who need it while keeping my family close together. At least one spare room for anyone's parents to visit, and room to expand and accommodate children. The timing would be about the best we could ever ask for and my heart is pretty much set on this place. The only way it could be unacceptable to me was if it had some unacceptable flaw like a mold or rot problem. Appliances can always be updated, cosmetic issues can be fixed. I don't mind if it's a fixer upper so long as it doesn't have unacceptable features/flaws

I've been praying whenever I remember to pray and formally rather than my usual casual stuff. My casual prayers are like "please grant me patience" or "I'm overwhelmed please send comfort" kinds of things which I'm pretty sure plenty of people would be offended by hearing me pray. But it works and I get responses like little thoughts in the back of my head and whatnot. This keeps me praying regularly throughout the day as I've tried the formal kneeling twice a day thing and it has yet to form into a habit. I save this style of prayer for like Serious Issues but I still don't kneel because I'd never be able to stand if I did

Anyway, I feel that something like this requires more than me just formally praying about it. If I were anybody else, I'd just hit that fast button. But like I'm a recovering anorexic. I struggle to get 2,000 calories (the minimum an adult human needs to just exist) every day. I have a food monitoring app to try and get myself up to that minimum and while I'm doing better it's still rough going and I forget to eat a lot because I don't feel hunger like most people anymore. I'm slowly getting that back but even 5 years in slow recovery isn't going to quite get me there. I'm also worried if I fast I might slip and I don't want that. I just started averaging about 1700 calories and it's taken me six months to get there from 1500 and I don't want to lose that hard won progress

But I really feel like I should fast for this. It's what we're supposed to do. I've heard of "alternative fasting" but I'm not entirely sure what those could be. I don't know if I'd find anything on lds.org about it. You all also know my financial situation and I wouldn't really be in a position to give fast offering. I can't even give tithing right now much as it embarrasses me to admit. So even if I were to fast traditionally, a fast offering would be lacking

Is this something I should ask my bishop about? I'll be honest in that I feel like a bit of a burden as I'm new and struggle with attending every week because the hour is earlier than I'm used to and it feels as if I've visited him a disproportional amount since I started attending again almost a year ago. I worry that I'm a bother? If that makes sense? Like he's got a whole ward to run and here I am visiting him every time I need a bit of advice or guidance. After all, he was the one who told me to reach out to my mother rather than break the word of wisdom last time I attended. He helped me through a rough time with my former roommate, etc. And like would this be too trivial for a bishop to handle? Isn't this something I ought to figure out on my own?

And if that's the case what would an alternative fast look like for someone like me? I knew a woman who was hypoglycemic and couldn't go without eating so she'd give up a treat for however long. Like ice cream (woman ate a lot of sweets) or not drink tea or have like reduced meals so she was intaking less but not enough to do any harm. I could probably do something like that? I don't really drink water (can't stand the taste) so maybe I'd switch to water for a couple days? Because then I'd be giving something up while still making sure to take care of myself?

Anyway I wanted to ask you all here at queerstake and tumblrstake to weigh in because you all know my situation pretty well. Much better than my bishop for sure because there's no way I'm going to volunteer that I'm polyamorous with three spouses until which time it is spiritually safe to do so. I know it's (an enormous) lie of omission but this is the only way I know to keep both my family and my membership

Regardless, any thoughts? Anyone can weigh in unless I've expressed discomfort with them interacting on previous posts. When in doubt, feel free to chime in. I would have privately messaged you about not interacting with me so unless that's the case, you're fine I promise. I've got a little bit before Sunday fast but I'm also aware we don't have to restrict our fasts to only this time

#queerstake #questions #tumblrstake #long post #text heavy #family mention #anorexia recovery #anorexia tw #eating disorder recovery #eating disorder tw #food mention #lds #fasting #alternative fasting #i think that's all for tags but feel free to ask me to tag this more/differently

[s2he-gamewalkthrough]

Part 19: Passing of the Torch

In this part, we fight the optional bosses, Nentou and Bunchu. They are hard.

If you don’t know what this is about, please refer to this previous post.

[Any new comments by me will be designated by brackets.]

I'm only going to bother with upgrading attacks for Soushou and Tensho at this stage because they're the ones I'm going to use for the final boss.

To increase Tensho's weapon from level 3 to 4, just use this combo:

And after that, talk to Taiitsu and have him upgrade your weapon again. He'll do it automatically this time! And for free! (Choose the first option when given the chance.)

Five stars! Hooray!

Now Soushou's turn:

Level 2 to 3:

Level 3 to 4:

Yeah... It's the same combo for both. (If you look back at the level 1 to 2 combo, it's also the same... Convenient!) Unfortunately, Taiitsu can't increase it any higher.

I think at this point, you can visit Nentou (up in Taijou Roukun’s village) with Soushou in your party, and actually fight Nentou--with Soushou alone. Beware, as Nentou is HARD. He will use a lot of powerful attacks and support moves.

The best strategy I've found is to get all of Soushou's moves up to level four, with his level in the late 50s to early 60s. When you face Nentou, don't bother using Soushou's special move; just use his standard attack. Save all of Soushou’s EP for healing. Unfortunately, Soushou is slower than Nentou, taking away the "first hit" advantage.

Also, Soushou's healing move only heals about 1600-1700 HP. Nentou tends to deal out 2000+ HP damage... NORMALLY. This is mostly due to how much Nentou abuses--er, I mean, uses stat-boosting moves. There are two that he tends to use the most: a move that boosts his defense, and a move that boosts his attack. His special can do a hefty 2000 HP already (if you're lucky, it'll only do around 1500), so with an attack boost, he can sometimes hit you for 3000+ damage. Ouch.

So yeah, count on healing A LOT if your HP drops to the 3000-4000 range. Sounds like I'm being really cautious, but there's a reason for that. If you start skimping on the healing, you will die very, very quickly; because Nentou usually doesn't give you a second chance to heal. Also, there are times when he can cancel out your attacks. Luckily, it doesn't take away any EP if you've used a move that requires EP. Also, it doesn't let HIM attack either. But it's still pretty annoying as it tends to make this battle a lot longer than it has to be.

This is definitely one of the longer and tougher boss battles of the game, and it doesn't help that Nentou himself can heal (though only for a meager 1000 HP). It really is a battle of endurance and attrition. Just be patient, keep at it, and lo and behold, you've defeated Nentou!

For all that trouble, Nentou teaches Soushou some kind of final technique... which increases Soushou’s special to five stars! Hooray!

Now, for Bunchu... Yes, you can fight him too, with Cho Kei and his wife, Kouranei. So making an exception, here are the combos to upgrade their paopei/attacks:

Cho Kei:

Lvl 1 to 2:

Lvl 2 to 3:

Lvl 3 to 4:

Lvl 4 to 5: Talk to Taiitsu again.

Kouranei:

Lvl 1 to 2:

Lvl 2 to 3:

Lvl 3 to 4:

Lvl 4 to 5: Talk to Taiitsu again.

Anyway, you're going to have to level up Cho Kei and Kouranei if you even want to have a chance of winning. Bunchu is tough. Unfortunately, it doesn't help that Cho Kei and Kouranei know absolutely no healing moves. It also doesn't help that leveling them up is a huge pain in the behind because of their lack of pure offensive moves.

If you want to level them up efficiently, then go to the Houshindai and find the level where Raishinshi's brother Hakuyuukou resides. Just keep going down right as far as you can using the trains. At one of the "dead ends" (where you can't go right anymore), then that should be where Hakuyuukou lives. It's one of the levels above Bunchu’s old residence, if I remember correctly. Anyway, just go down the stairs there, and train near the red warp point. That way, you can level up, and heal quickly when your team's HP gets low (using Hakuyuukou).

After much trial-and-error, I have found a somewhat decent strategy for beating Bunchu.

Before you fight him, Cho Kei, Kouranei, and Bunchu gain their most powerful moves/specials. It's recommended that you have Cho Kei's and Kouranei's levels be in the late 50s-early 60s, though the higher the level, the better. If you've maxed out the level on Cho Kei's paopei, spam his standard. It will do WAY more damage than his newly gained special attack. However, you'll want to spam Kouranei's newly awakened special, because if it critical hits, it can do around 3000 damage to Bunchu. Also, BRING LOTS OF HEALING ITEMS. Before, I thought that you couldn't heal senin with potions, but there's actually an item that you can heal them with... Which are these things:

You get these in chests, or by making Dokouson's master transform them (remember? Part 11a). To get the base form in the first place, you can buy them from one of the senins in Kongrong, if you have the right currency. But for the rest of us, then you'll have to either buy them from Roushi's place (the shop there sells them) or traverse alllll the way down to the vending machines in the final dungeon. One of the vending machines will sell them, for a mere 600 money, if I remember right.

...Yeah, just go get them from Roushi's place. It saves a lot of trouble and frustration. It's a really good idea to go ahead and upgrade them to the 2000 HP healing kind, even if it means losing the 100 EP restoration effect. With the damage Bunchu deals, it's better to worry about HP first, EP later.

Anyway, back to defeating Bunchu. Although he can't heal himself, he's still annoying because his riding beast Kokukirin will sometimes block your attacks. So like the Nentou battle, this one rides on a lot of luck. Just spam the above mentioned attacks, heal when you can, and pray that you'll land a lot of critical hits/not get too badly hurt.

After you get his exp low enough, Bunchu will "transform" into his more powerful form. Don't relax yet, because while he's almost close to defeat, he's even MORE powerful in this form. And faster, too. (In my playthrough, whenever he entered this mode, he became faster than Cho Kei... though luckily Kouranei was still the fastest.)

At this point, heal one more time, and just go all-out on him, because chances are, you won't have the time to heal anymore. Keeping Kouranei alive is your top priority though, as she'll always attack first, giving you an advantage. In this stage, Bunchu will almost always abuse his special, which can cause upwards of 4000 HP of damage! That's pretty much the amount of HP Cho Kei and Kouranei have! If you're lucky (luck again...) Kouranei will be able to dodge enough of Bunchu's attacks and finish him off. FINALLY.

Truthfully, I had to let Cho Kei get knocked out in this battle... His wife was the one who finally defeated Bunchu after evading like three of his attacks in a row.

[In case you’re wondering how many times I had to fight Bunchu before I actually beat him... it was over 20 times. OVER TWENTY TIMES]

After that nightmare, what do you get? Well, you get to keep the specials for Cho Kei, Kouranei, and Bunchu, of course!

Anyway, the new specials:

Cho Kei's special allows him to throw a huge boulder at one enemy and costs 40 EP. It's not that great, actually.

Kouranei's special (costing 50 EP) allows her to... shoot? Throw? many needles (the Taiyoushin) at the enemy. It hits all enemies on screen, and does a pretty decent amount of damage.

Bunchu's newly gained special move allows him “transform” into super mode. It costs 99 EP, sends all his stats through the roof, and makes his (original) special attack do tons more damage.

[We’ll be finishing up the last of the side-quests I’ve found in the next part. See you then.]

To be continued.

#Houshin Engi #Hoshin Engi #senkaiden 2 walkthrough

[dailynewswebsite]

Nova Scotia lobster dispute: Mi’kmaw fishery isn’t a threat to conservation, say scientists

Members of the Sipekne'katik First Nation put together to go fishing in Saulnierville, N.S., on, Sept. 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

In mid-September, the Sipekne’katik First Nation launched a reasonable livelihood lobster fishery alongside the coast of southwestern Nova Scotia. Its fishers set out an estimated 250 traps on the time, the equal of 1 business boat.

Some, together with the business fishing sector, nervous this new fishery was a risk to sustaining wholesome lobster shares. Industrial fishers have articulated two conservation considerations in regards to the Sipekne’katik fishery: its scale and whether or not fishing through the summer season season — when lobsters molt and their shells are smooth — is an issue for the survival of lobsters which are thrown again.

As a researcher with experience in fisheries science, fisheries economics and marine coverage, I see no proof the fishery will hurt lobster shares. Conservation just isn’t on the coronary heart of the continuing dispute.

Inherent and treaty rights

Mi’kmaq have inherent rights to practise their traditions and customs, together with fishing. Underneath the Peace and Friendship Treaties signed within the 1700s, codified within the Structure beneath Part 35 and reaffirmed by the Supreme Court docket, Mi’kmaq have a proper to reap fish for meals, social and ceremonial functions and a proper to fish for a reasonable livelihood.

But 20 years later, there was no readability on what “reasonable livelihood” means, nor how implementation of the treaty proper ought to unfold. Nice folks have been engaged on it, however it’s not a trivial query.

Others have as properly, together with Listuguj and Potolek First Nations.

Fireplace destroyed a lobster pound being utilized by Mi’kmaw fishers in Center West Pubnico, N.S., on Oct. 17, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS /Andrew Vaughan

The protests over the Mi’kmaw fishery have escalated to acts of vandalism and violence. The message from business fishers is that fishing in St. Marys Bay outdoors the business season is prohibited and a conservation concern. In truth, it’s neither.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) didn’t instantly assist the scenario. Fisheries Minister Bernadette Jordan and Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Carolyn Bennett waited 5 days to make an specific assertion that it was, in reality, a authorized fishery. By that point, the business sector’s view grew to become additional entrenched.

Conservation considerations unfounded

The business lobster season in Lobster Fishing Space 34, the place the bay is situated, runs from late November to late Could. The livelihood fishery was launched outdoors that, main the business harvesters to label it as unlawful. But, as Shelley Denny, a Mi’kmaw doctoral scholar at Dalhousie College, factors out, there are two units of guidelines for Indigenous and non-Indigenous fish harvesters. The Indigenous fishery just isn’t unlawful, however is it a conservation concern?

The solar units over the wharf in Saunierville, N.S. (Brandon Maloney), Writer offered

Initially, 5 Sipekne’katik vessels had been fishing 50 traps per vessel; there are actually reportedly 10 vessels fishing a complete of 500 traps. Examine that to the business sector, the place every vessel — there are about 100 fishing within the bay — is allowed to fish 350 traps, for a complete of about 35,000 traps.

There isn’t a purpose, no science, to recommend that the equal of 1 or two business vessels fishing in St. Marys Bay can be problematic. Lobster biologist Robert Steneck would guess you a beer there can be no detrimental impression on the lobster inhabitants.

Fisheries scientists and managers want solely look to our neighbour to the south, Maine, which operates a year-round lobster fishery. In the summertime, lobster molt and their shells are smooth, leading to a decrease high quality lobster. The Canadian market doesn’t prioritize these lobsters, although Maine does.

These lobsters are extra prone to what’s referred to as “post-release mortality,” which means that these lobsters that can not be stored — lobsters which are too small or females bearing eggs, for instance — are thrown again and should not survive. This mortality must be accounted for, but it surely doesn’t imply it’s not sustainable to fish through the summer season.

Regular catches

One index fisheries scientists use to measure the standing of a useful resource is known as catch per unit effort (CPUE). On this case, lobster is the unit and the hassle invested is one vessel.

Whereas not good, the CPUE represents a relative abundance of lobster in a given space. When CPUE falls, it might be an indication that fewer lobsters can be found in that individual space, however might or might not sign that the inhabitants as an entire could also be in hassle.

Members of the Sipekne’katik First Nation load lobster traps on the wharf in Saulnierville, N.S., in September 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan

Information for St. Marys Bay and Lobster Fishing Space 34 present that business catches have declined the previous two years in comparison with the 2015-16 season. Industrial fishers have argued that is as a result of summer season “meals, social and ceremonial” fishery that operates outdoors the business season.

The latest protests have focused the “livelihood” fishery, however plainly what the business sector is definitely indignant about is the meals, social and ceremonial fishery. In response to Brandon Maloney, fisheries director for Sipekne’katik, the band developed their plan for this fishery twenty years in the past — this isn’t a brand new growth.

So, what does the CPUE for St. Marys Bay seem like over the previous 16 years? I took the information launched by Fisheries and Oceans Canada and calculated it. Though the CPUE prior to now two years are on the decrease finish of the vary, they’re clearly inside it. And so they actually solely appear low when in comparison with the highs recorded in 2015-16.

CPUE for St. Marys Bay and Lobster Fishing Space 34, 2002-19. (Writer offered. Information from DFO, September 2020.)

The assertion that the drop in bay catches is a conservation concern is unsuitable, as DFO itself has acknowledged. So if there isn’t a conservation concern, then the assertion that Indigenous summer season meals fisheries are decimating the shares, because the business sector has argued, is wrong.

It’s not stunning that business fishers are upset by a lower in lobster landings in St. Marys Bay. However my evaluation of the fishery just isn’t why the general public has a poor view of the group.

Their behaviour has been abhorrent. The sector wants to deal with its racism, stop its vigilantism, help dialogue and be sure that its positions are grounded in proof. And, as Denny argues, it should make room for the livelihood fishery. The remainder of Canada — and the world — are watching in disgrace. We should do higher.

Megan Bailey is on the Board of the Fishermen and Scientists Analysis Society.

from Growth News https://growthnews.in/nova-scotia-lobster-dispute-mikmaw-fishery-isnt-a-threat-to-conservation-say-scientists/ via https://growthnews.in

#Growth News

[creativeashproductions]

Endless Search // Steve Rogers

Summary: Over centuries you’ve always been killed mere weeks at the most before meeting your soulmate causing endless pain. Having been at every social standing possible, from a princess to a servant, you can’t think of another you could be. The current life as a bestseller doesn’t allow the endless circle to stop but can your soulmate finally meet you?

Characters: Steve Rogers x Reader, and Avengers (implied)

Words:1249

Disclaimer: I do not own any Marvel characters of plots. Nor do own any gifs, images, songs, jokes or videos that may appear. I do however own anything original in this work and if this appears anywhere off Tumblr I didn’t post it.

Warnings: Death, angst and fluff.

Author: Caitsy

A/N: Dreamt of this without knowing which fandom I should put it in. I haven’t done anything other than Riverdale or Dolan Twins in the last few months therefore I decided to give Steve a little loving and pain.

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If there was anything to be assured about it was the knowledge about soulmates being real. In the beginning of time, as stories have been passed down, people worshiped the ideal of having a soulmate, one would pray for the perfect one. Over the centuries mentalities formed on ‘forced love’ and the belief was cast aside.

When the world was starved of love the belief of soulmates returned with greater oomph. Historians brought it back into teachings along with recounts of centuries where, even when the ideal was welcomed, royals denied their issues soulmates in turn for more ‘suited’ ones on a social hierarchy base.

Being a published author with many novels under your belt you used your knowledge of your life’s experiences with heartbreak. Basing your main characters life on yours searching through many lifetimes for the almost always unattainable love. As a little girl you had always said you wanted to be a teacher until that first night you dreamt of your first past life.

You tugged at the stiff material holding your body in an uncomfortable and frankly unattractive hour glass figure. Marcie had an undeniable talent of tightening the corset up to the point of no return, you weren’t sure if your organs were in the right places but appearances were everything. Especially as a high ranking member of society.

“Miss. You’re needed in the throne room.” The meek voice of Marcie sounded from the hallway. In her hands of a freshly cleaned chamber pot, the one you had used only an hour ago.

“Thank you Marcie.” You smiled kindly at your servant before heading towards your father’s study. The large oak wood was polished to a perfection along with the doorknob that you could easily see your face on.

“Good afternoon Miss.” Carson said with a small smile on his face. One of your father’s royal guards Carson had grown from the boy you played with, albeit to your mother’s disdain. The difference between child Carson and adult was the crude yet tasteful arrowhead hanging on his neck.

Carson was an expert marksman with a bow and arrow handed down by his father. He was an exception to the rule all guards followed due to the fact that he had saved your mother and you when you were a little girl. The arrow pierced through the enemy with just enough time for Carson you catch you from the saddle of the now deceased man.

“How is he?” You murmured towards your oldest friend.

“It’s one of the worse days.” He returned.

Your father’s health declined when your little sister Winifred was killed on the annual family horseback tour. Something that was considered unsafe for the royal family but it was important to see Winnie smile when she was always sick. Born sick with ailments that were incurable despite the many trial treatments attempted.

Even in the present day you had managed to track down information about a European royal family back in the 1700s. The dream had caused a spiralling effect to research if it was true or simply a break in your mental state. You found out that the royal family was tragically assassinated on the family horseback tour a mere year after the youngest, Winifred, died fighting what appeared to be a number of illnesses.

Even know you vividly remember that painting of the entire family dressed impeccably where your face was easily recognized in it. You had been the oldest of the King’s children about to meet a neighbouring country’s Prince the following day. It was Prince Silas that eventually discovered your family’s bodies.

That dream during your pre-teen years opened your mind to having more dreams of past lives. You had lived many lives of heartbreak with only dying days before meeting a potential love interest. The second life you remembered was being the daughter of a tailor in the 1800s living around of area of Whitechapel in London. You were murdered by the later infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper.

The night was cold as you walked from your best friend’s home back to the apartment you lived in above your father’s business. You were on the notoriously known corner used by prostitutes when you were pulled into the alleyway by an unknown man. Above you was the man you knew you were going to be killed by.

“P’please don’t!” You screamed before the entire experience clouded as you slowly died thinking of the sweet son of the local baker. You were sure that Stanley was going to ask to court you.

Shaking your mind off the shocking dream you signed one of the books with a grin as the little girl spoke of how it made her feel.

“How did you come up with the idea!”

“I was drinking lemonade on my balcony when it come to mind how beautiful reincarnation sounded at the time.”

“Next please!” The security guard announced making the young girl shuffle along.

Even as the day went by you thought of all the past lives you had come to know over the years from being a princess, to the murdered daughter of a tailor, to being the heroic personal servant that sacrificed her life for her employer, to the young woman that died from cancer and to your current life as an author.

“Get down!” The guard shouted just as a bullet slammed into his forehead.

You screamed scrambling behind the bookshelf as many were injured and killed. You peeked out to see some man holding a strange weapon with a sadistic grin. You had never seen him but the way he was glaring at the cardboard cutout of you, you had a feeling he knew you.

“Come out, Y/N.” His gravelly voiced announced stalking the building with a fierce hatred.

You had always known that at any chance you could be physically assaulted by someone that took your work too seriously. Who painted themselves as your ever lost soulmate. You just ever really believed that you could be the cause of someone’s death.

To be honest you didn’t think the cops could stop this one seeing as the assailant had no problems killing anyone in his way. When the man placed the muzzle of the gun against your forehead you closed your eyes to accept another life where you didn’t meet your soulmate.

Almost like it was a story the muzzle of the gun fell from your forehead leaving no trace other than mental pain and blood splattered on your forehead. You were shaking when you felt hands on each side of your face shifting it to see for any injuries. The hands were gentle but rough at the same time.

“Sorry I took so long. I got a little caught up.” The voice replied. The familiarity of the voice caused you to open your eyes to expressive blue eyes.

Before you stood the one person you could recognize anywhere with his blonde hair that spoke of someone both neat and the epitome of the all American boy. The boy you were meant to meet in previous lives.

“That’s okay.” You mumbled breathlessly, “I had a couple things to do.”

He chuckled deeply before his gripped a handkerchief to wipe the blood from your forehead just so he could placed a kiss against your forehead. 
“Steve Rogers.”

“I guess your soul loves names starting with s.” You giggled.

“I guess your soul always loved a scrawny man.” He laughed back.

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[gothify1]

Listen, we'll be the first to admit that we can get caught up in the hype surrounding luxury skincare brands  like La Mer and La Prairie. There is no doubt that they are incredibly effective, but these brands are far from your only options when it comes to saving your skin from common concerns like acne, dryness, dullness, wrinkles, and more. Enter Amazon's massive beauty selection, which will no doubt see a ton of action on Amazon Prime Days, aka July 15 and 16. With thousands upon thousands of products for sale, Amazon can be daunting to sift through. Luckily, the retailer has a best-sellers section that is updated hourly based on what people are really buying. Amazon has broken best-selling skincare into over 20 categories and sub-categories, but I did the hard work for you and narrowed it down to the types of products I thought our readers would appreciate the most. Below, I've included the top sellers in each of the following categories: cleansers, moisturizers and lotions, treatments, eye creams, and sunscreen. Your skin will thank you. Neutrogena's face wipes are the top-selling cleanser on Amazon right now. Ideally, they should be used in conjunction with a traditional cleanser to make sure you're getting every last bit of product and makeup off of your skin. The first step of any skincare routine, the right cleanser can change your skin—and over 2500 Amazon reviews attest to this one fitting the bill. Bioderma's Sensibio Micellar Water is formulated specifically for sensitive skin, so you don't have to worry about that dreaded post-cleanser redness. The previous CeraVe cleanser is made for normal to dry skin types; this one is better suited to those whose skin is on the oilier side. Winter isn't the only time to stock up on quality moisturizers. In terms of body lotion, Aveeno is a clear favorite for Amazon shoppers, earning 1700 glowing reviews. Retinol is consistently hailed by dermatologists as a holy-grail skincare ingredient for both acne and wrinkles, and this version promises to harness all of its benefits without dryness or irritation. Over 4000 Amazon reviews sing praises about this moisturizer for sensitive skin. Leave it to Neutrogena to create an incredibly affordable and effective product with hyaluronic acid, which has impressive moisturizing abilities. Given that it caught the attention of over 2200 Amazon reviewers, you probably can't go wrong. Amazon's "treatments" category includes masks, serums, acne creams, and more. The top seller in this section has a staggering 16,826 reviews (and counting). It promises to clean out pores and heal and prevent acne. What are you waiting for? Meet your new favorite way to battle a pimple: the acne patch. This $8 Amazon favorite boasts both acne-fighting and soothing ingredients like hydrocolloid dressing, tea tree oil, and calendula oil. We've said it before and we'll say it again: Vitamin C is a miracle worker for your skin. It will help with brightness, sun spots, firmness, and more. According to the product description, this gel contains the first over-the-counter, prescription-strength retinoid to help combat acne. This serum is formulated to address a slew of skin concerns, including dry skin, wrinkles, enlarged pores, sun spots, and uneven skin tone. As a bonus, it's also cruelty-free and vegan. This eye cream boasts a plethora of ingredients your skin will love: vitamin C and E, rosehip seed oil, and organic hibiscus flower extract. Over 4700 Amazon reviews back up the product's claim that it will brighten, firm, and lift your under-eye area. This eye cream boasts niacinamide, which will help calm your skin, as well as a marine and botanical complex that improves dark circles. Retinol may get a reputation for being irritating, but this RoC eye cream is designed to be extra gentle for reducing crow's feet and puffiness around the eyes. This eye cream is designed to target dark circles, wrinkles, and puffiness with effective ingredients and a hint of concealer. This sunscreen truly checks all the boxes: It's broad-spectrum to protect against both UVA and UVB rays, lightweight, mineral-based, and particularly amazing for acne-prone skin. A familiar name on Amazon's best-sellers lists, Neutrogena nailed it again with this fast-absorbing SPF 100 sunscreen. I don't know about you, but a spray sunscreen is a must for me if I need to cover broad areas like my entire back. This convenient sunscreen stick will spare your fingers from the greasiness that sunscreen can often leave behind. Next up, the three makeup looks the fashion crowd will love this summer .

[gravitascivics]

THE LAND OF DREAMS AND OATHS

One thing every citizen of the US should do, at least once, is attend a naturalization ceremony for new citizens.  As part of that event, those seeking citizenship need to take an oath of allegiance. By taking the oath, the person makes a set of promises and those promises have been part of the ceremony since the 1700s.  The promises are duties that include:

·        Support and defend the constitution of the United States and its laws; particularly those laws formulated to protect the nation from its enemies;

·        Forego any allegiance to other nations or sovereigns;

·        Renounce any hereditary – such as those of nobility – titles;

·        And submit to military and civilian service when the government calls for such service.

This oath is taken from a person’s volition – he/she chooses to take it; no coercion involved.

         This step in becoming a citizen reflects a federal bias. To remind the reader, previous postings have outlined the central concept of that construct; a federal union is one in which a group of people come together and inviolably promise to do something.  At times, this might have called for a promise to be witnessed by God and, if so, the promise is a covenant.  Or it might not have, in which case the promise is a compact.  The word federal is derived from the Latin word, foedus, which means covenant.[1]

         Some might argue that this oath should not be limited to immigrants who are seeking citizenship but one in which natural born citizen be called upon to take.  As it is, just being born within the borders of the nation ascribes to a person the status of citizen.  Of course, such a person, if he/she does not want to be part of the union compact, can renounce his/her citizenry.  That person can seek citizenship in another country.  The assumption here – both culturally and legally – is that if a citizen resides here, he/she voluntarily agrees to that promise or oath.

         But beyond the legality, one can, this writer believes, endow that oath with a spirit.  The promise is a minimum.  One can reasonably read into that promise a commitment for a citizen to express allegiance in a pro-active fashion, not because he/she is forced, but because he/she loves that union.  

To describe this spirit, in an earlier posting, this blog shared an extended quote by the political writer, Alexi de Tocqueville.  To remind the reader, here is a short excerpt of that more extensive quote describing America in the 1830s:

… [T]he political activity which pervades the United States must be seen in order to be understood  … Everything is in motion around you; here, the people of one quarter of a town are met to decide upon the building of a church; there, the election of a representative is going on; a little further, the delegates of a district are traveling in a hurry to the town in order to consult upon some local improvements; or in another place the labourers of a village quit their ploughs to deliberate upon the project of a road or a public school … Societies are formed which regard drunkenness as the principal cause of the evils under which the State labours, and which solemnly bind themselves to give a constant example of temperance … [2]

This, according to Tocqueville, represented common scenes of those years.

         America has changed.  One would be hard pressed to describe this nation in this fashion today. This blog has offered ample evidence of the general reluctance Americans have in becoming politically engaged. Yet structurally, Americans are still a federalist union.  This blog is dedicated toward informing and encouraging a more general understanding and commitment to a federal disposition among students and citizens, in general.  Is there any evidence indicating a move toward a more involved citizenry?

         This blog has also provided a general description – as a topic for students to investigate – of the opioid crisis.  To use a more concrete issue to describe what is happening in terms of citizen involvement, this crisis is helpful.  In that light, this posting will now describe a more current instance of how this issue of non-involvement has played a role in this crisis.

One aspect of this crisis is the role Mexican heroin dealers have played.  This blog has been reluctant to report on this aspect due to a generally perceived prejudice some Americans have voiced against Mexican immigrants.  But to be complete, this blog should report on the role a small percentage of Mexicans have filled.

         As it turns out, this drug trade originates from a small town, Xalisco, Nayarit, in Mexico.  The town’s name is pronounced as another Mexican city, Jalisco, but is spelled with an “X.”  Near that town, the opium poppy plant grew extensively.  The plant was harvested, and its milky fluid was extracted and cooked into a substance resembling a black tar.  This, in turn, was molded into small round shapes – marble type balls – and were smuggled into the US.  In the US, Xalisco dealers set up, across the nation, effective and extensive distribution systems using non-descript cars and an army of drivers with cell phones.

         One aspect of the distribution was its actual delivery service.  All a user or addict had to do was make a call and a driver showed up with the requested drug.  These deliveries were cheap and convenient.  They were particularly attractive to people – many of them young – who were hooked on pain pills, such as OxyContin, that were usually more expensive and harder to get. This blog, in a previous posting, described this “medical” aspect of the opioid crisis.[3]  The point here is the victims were hooked on pills and shifted to heroin via these Xalisco distributors.

         While the epidemic has affected most regions of the country, one state has been particularly hit; that was/is Ohio.  One town in Ohio, Portsmouth, is highlighted by the journalist, Sam Quinones, in his book, Dreamland.[4]  He begins the book by describing a recreational area in Portsmouth that apparently was the center of the town back in the sixties.  It had a large pool and adjacent recreation area, called Dreamland, where the town “hung out” during the warmer days of the year.  

In those years, the town was relatively doing well with a strong manufacturing base.  But as with many manufacturing towns since those earlier days, Portsmouth lost those factories to mostly foreign competitors.  The results of such a development was obviously devastating. But that is only the backdrop to the tragedy.  Then, as this blog has described, the selling of opioid in the form of pain pills took hold. As the earlier cited posting describes, many otherwise average Americans became victims to the opioid epidemic:

They – the Mexicans – devised effective, on-demand distribution arrangements in numerous communities around the US. Their customers are not inner-city junkies, as the heroin trade of old was and found in major urban centers, but among, in many cases, middle class whites who have gotten themselves hooked on opioids.

Oftentimes, these middle-class customers became addicted after they were exposed to some chronic pain management protocol under the supervision of legitimate doctors.  A lot of this, in turn, was based on an underestimation of the addictive quality of the drugs prescribed and aggressive drug company strategies in marketing opiates.  Once hooked, these people became desperate to find cheaper and unlimited supplies of a substitute drug – heroin, a type of opioid – to satisfy their cravings.[5]  

But times move on and many aspects of the story have changed since the early years of this century.

         One, the cartels of Mexico, earlier not interested in cheap drug sells, eventually moved in and has disrupted the Xalisco system. Also, the general reaction to opioids in the US is taking a toll on the trade and there seems to be some improvement on meeting the crisis.  In this, Portsmouth has gone through some positive changes.  These changes remind this writer of the above cited Tocqueville quote describing an involved citizenry.

         Here is another quote offered by Quinones:

         Angie Thuma, the veteran Walmart shoplifter [to pay for her addiction] … told me the last time we spoke, “when I think about all the things I went through and I’m still alive, it gives you courage to keep bettering yourself.”

         That seemed to be Portsmouth’s attitude.  The town still looked as scarred and beaten as an addict’s arm.  Wild-eyed hookers strolled the East End railroad tracks, and too many jobs paid minimum wage and led nowhere.  Portsmouth still had hundreds of drug addicts and dealers.  But it also now had a confident, muscular culture of recovery that competed with the culture of getting high – a community slowly pitching itself.

         Proof to that was that addicts from all over Ohio were now migrating south to get clean in Portsmouth.  No place in Ohio had the town’s recovery infrastructure.

         On my last trip to Portsmouth, I met a young woman from Johnstown, a rural town northeast of Columbus that from her description sounded a lot like the 740 that RWR rapped about.  She had been buying heroin from the Xalisco Boys in Columbus for a couple years.  When she tried to quit, a driver who spoke English called her for a week straight.

         “But, senorita, we have really good stuff.  It just came in.”

         Finally, she threw away her phone.  There wasn’t much on it but dope contacts anyway.  She was twenty-three, alone with a ten-month-old son, and – seeking to get clean with nowhere else to turn – she found refuge in Portsmouth.

         “I love it here.  I’m really afraid to go back,” she told me in the lilting drawl of rural Ohio, when we met at a party for a woman celebrating her first year clean.

         So the battered old town had hung on.  It was, somehow, a beacon embracing shivering and hollow-eyed junkies, letting them know that all was not lost.  That at the bottom of the rubble was a place just like them, kicked and buried but surviving.  A place that had, like them, shredded and lost so much that was precious but was nurturing it again.  Though they were adrift, they, too, could begin to find their way back.

         Back to that place called Dreamland.[6]

Is there a silver-lining?  Perhaps. Maybe the bottom of a nightmare offers enough motivation to rekindle the communal base of a spirited federal union. Sadly, if so, what a price to pay. Perhaps a more proactive civics program can help avoid such a price.  Of course, neither the nightmare nor a proactive educational program can make the total difference, but they can be exploited toward helping.

[1] Daniel J. Elazar, “Federal Models of (Civil) Authority,” Journal of Church and State, 33, (Spring, 1991):  231-254.

[2] Alexi de Tocqueville, “Political Structure of Democracy,” in Alexis de Tocqueville:  On Democracy, Revolution, and Society, eds. John Stone and Stephen Mennell (Chicago, IL:  Chicago University Press, 1980/1835), 78-101, 78-79.

[3] See Robert Gutierrez, “And Then There Is Law-Abiding Behavior, Part II,” Gravitas:  A Voice for Civics, May 21, 2019, accessed July 1, 2019, https://gravitascivics.blogspot.com/2019/05/and-then-there-is-law-abiding-behavior_21.html .

[4] Sam Quinones, Dreamland:  The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic (New York, NY:  Bloomsbury Publishing, 2015).

[5] Ibid.

[6] Ibid., 344-345.

#federal union #covenants #compacts #immigration #civics education #social studies #Sam Quinones #Alexi de Tocqueville

[write-love-makehistory-blog]

When you think of the Revolutionary War and the colonies fight for freedom, what cities come to your mind? Most people go straight for Philadelphia, Boston, and even New York City. However, hidden in the eastern coast of Virginia, right by the very spot where the colonies began their foundation in Jamestown lies the little town of Williamsburg, Virginia. Named for King William III of England when the state capitol was moved from Jamestown in 1699, today Williamsburg is a bustling city with theme parks and history all around. No words can describe the magic you feel while there, I’d compare it to that childish excitement you get when going to Disney World for the first time. However, few people seem to realize what a crucial role that this small-ish city seemed to play in the founding of our nation.

For 81 years (1699-1780) Williamsburg ruled as Virginia’s capital after the House of Burgesses decided to leave Jamestown. Many of the founders of America and major players of the American Revolution, such as George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, and Peyton Randolph (to name a few), spent time here. In 1926, the Reverand of Bruton Parish Church, W.A.R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller Jr. began restoration of what is now Colonial Williamsburg. It reopened as a histrocial location in 1933 and has been providing educational services and constant preservation of the once important town since.

I’ve been to Colonial Williamsburg multiple times and I never truly get to see everything it holds. Each season holds new activities for children of all ages and new set ups in the buildings open for viewings. There’s history filled fun starting at William and Mary College and stretches all the way down Duke of Gloucester Street to the Capitol building. Duke of Gloucester Street happens to be the main street that leads straight through the center of the hustle and bustle of Colonial Williamsburg and was once strolled down by the likes of Patrick Henry, Peyton Randolph, George and Martha Washington, and even Thomas and Martha Jefferson. It’s seen soldiers held up as they were fighting for freedom a few miles away during the Battle of Yorktown in the most crucial time of the Revolutionary War. Almost every building is focused around Duke of Gloucester Street and if it’s not, the road to it is directly connected. Strolling down the street yourself, is like you’re being immersed back in to the 1700’s. The costumes, the characters, the sites! The experience of walking next to a horse drawn carriage towards a tavern while people in modern and colonial clothing hustle by you is otherworldly. Seeing the market place and being able to buy goods from an open market right off the street is a rare experience in modern times but to be buying fresh fruits and vegetables (all grown from the colonial garden) is even an experience the Royalist would enjoy.

Raleigh Tavern is a site that you may miss if you’re hurrying by to the bigger attractions or under the assumption that it’s not open due to the construction equipment currently surrounding it. However, the construction is simply due to new archaeological evidence that the tavern had a porch on the front and although it may not look like much, Raleigh Tavern has such an important history to Virginia and the founding of the United States. Built in 1717 and given the namesake for Sir Walter Raleigh who founded the lost colony of Roanoke Island, the Tavern has seen many popular faces come and go. In 1773 the House of Burgesses met in the Apollo Room and began writing letters to unite the colonies against the rule of the British. Included in these events were two young lawyers, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. Parties were often thrown at the Tavern, as well, including one that a recent William and Mary graduate (Thomas Jefferson) attended and subsequently embarrassed himself in not being able to talk to the beautiful hostess of the party. After the Battle of Yorktown, people celebrated from the Capitol building at the top of Duke of Gloucester street down to Raleigh’s Tavern to celebrate the miraculous surrender of the British and the signing of the Treaty of Paris. In 1824, Marquis De Lafayette, whom you should know fairly well if you’re an avid follower of Broadway’s Hamilton: An American Revolution, returned to Williamsburg for the first time since the signing of the Treaty of Paris and was treated to a feast to honor him. Even if you ignore the amazing figures who walked the halls of the tavern or even the beautiful architecture of the renovated building, you will definitely the appreciate the delicious pretzel rolls that are sold inside!

Also located off of Duke of Gloucester street, is the beautiful Bruton Parish Church. Built in 1660, long before Williamsburg was thought of, and currently still an active church with the much bigger Williamsburg bustling around it. There were quite a few influential faces that attended church here including Thomas Jefferson, George Mason, George Washington, George Wythe, and Patrick Henry. In 1781, the church was used as either a Storehouse or a hospital during the siege of Yorktown; and was used again during the Civil War as a hospital during the Battle of Williamsburg. Many prominent people in Williamsburg society are buried in the graveyard behind the church including two of Martha Washington’s infant children from a previous marriage. It is also said that Nathaniel Bacon buried his fortune under one of the graves in the cemetery. Although that can be neither confirmed or denied, what can be denied is that is definitely a site you can not miss out on.

If you’re interested in Historical Haunts then the Peyton Randolph house is just right for you. Built in 1715 by William Robertson and eventually bought by the Randolph family, this house has had little reconstruction to it. Much of original house is still standing and according to most, insanely haunted. A few deaths have been reported on the grounds that the house stands on. The reasons for the haunting are usually related to either being built on a Native American burial ground or the curse put on the house by a slave who was killed by the lady of the house. People like George Washington, Marquis de Lafayette, and General Rochambeau were stationed here while preparing for the siege of Yorktown. It was Lafayette who claimed to have been awoken in the middle of the night by unexplained voices and feeling a heavy hand rest upon his shoulder while staying there during his US Tour in 1824. Personally, I’ve been in the Peyton Randolph house once and it was enough for me. Upon entering it was beautiful with the character telling an intriguing and heart wrenching story of the slaves kept here but I also felt such heaviness unlike anything I’ve ever felt before. It became hard for me to breathe and I got dizzy and hot. We got to a parlor room on the second floor and I immediately collapsed into a chair to listen to the last bit of the story before descending the stairwell that was still original to the home. We left the house and crossed the street and I instantly felt like a weight was lifted. I felt normal. I haven’t been back in the house since that trip in December and it gives me the goosebumps just thinking about being back in that place again. Who knows what we will experience on our trip July!

Another spooky spot in Colonial Williamsburg is the George Wythe house. Although not even a bit as heavy as the Peyton Randolph house, it was more historically important than spooky even when taking the ghost stories in to account. During the siege of Yorktown, the George Wythe home was used as George Washington’s headquarters and if you visit Colonial Williamsburg in December, they have the whole home set up as it would have been while Washington was stationed there. It was also used as temporary housing for troops and Rochambeau. The tour through the home and gardens are an incredible experience. The grounds on which the house sits is a beautiful site to see and you absolutely can’t miss seeing the chicken coop! If you’re looking for a more mild haunt filled with incredible history, I definitely suggest the George Wythe house.

The Capitol building became the capitol after the Statehouse in Jamestown burned down for a second time and the House of Burgesses moved to Williamsburg. In May of 1765 it was here that Patrick Henry proclaimed “Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First his Cromwell, and George the Third-“, here is where everyone caught on to where this was going and started calling Henry Treasonous. However, Henry took a breath and finished with “…may profit by their example. If this be treason, make the most of it”. On May 15, 1776 the Capitol building is housing the House of Burgesses wherein that meeting Virginia declared they wanted American Independence and Thomas Jefferson began writing the Declaration of Independence from the records that were kept during that session with the continental congress.  The Capitol was then used until December 24, 1779 when the House of Burgesses decided that they will reconvene in May in the new Capitol of Richmond, Virginia. The Capitol building is one of the best attractions to visit at Colonial Williamsburg. The guides are extremely intelligent and paint the story of the founding of our country beautifully. It is also one of the most kid friendly tours and our 7 year old loved the tour! If you’re taking a family trip, the Capitol is to not miss!

The Courthouse had two significant events happen on its steps. Benjamin Waller read the Declaration of Independence on steps, as well as, the Treaty of Paris was announced here. With the signing of the treaty, we effectively ended the Revolutionary War. I haven’t yet had the pleasure of touring the Courthouse but it is a beautiful building. We are planning on visiting it in July for our next trip and I will be able to post a more effective blog post about the Courthouse then!

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My favorite place in all of Colonial Williamsburg is the Governor’s Palace. This was the home to all of the Royal Governor’s during the British Reign as well as Patrick Henry during his term as governor and then his successor Thomas Jefferson, who drew up plans to remodel, before the Capitol was moved to Richmond due to the war. So many beautiful balls and parties were constantly being held here where Virginians would commonly dance til 6-7am. During the siege of Yorktown, the palace was used as General Charles Lee’s headquarters until it was needed for a hospital. Behind the palace are elaborate gardens. In the garden off to the left from the back door, you will find a plaque to honor the 156 men and soldiers and two women that were buried in the garden during the war. The Governor’s Palace holds many original artworks and beautifully creative rooms. A room filled with swords and muskets, the bright blue of the ballroom, the red of Lady Dunmore’s room. It’s a sight that absolutely no one should ever miss!

The magazine was used to store guns, ammunition, and other equipment needed for raids on the city. This little building sparked the American Revolution for Virginians. The night of April 20, 1775 Lord Dunmore, the British Governor at the time, ordered Lieutenant Henry Collins and the Royal Marines to empty the magazine and destroy the muskets after he became worried after hearing word of Patrick Henry’s infamous ‘Give me Liberty or Give me Death!” speech just days earlier. On April 27th, The word of the first shots fired had reached the town of Williamsburg. Patrick Henry rallied a group of militiamen to petition for restitution of the gun powder that Lord Dunmore had stolen from the magazine. Their restitution was granted. However, either late in the night on June 3rd or early morning June 4th, two young men snuck in to the magazine and were wounded by a booby trap set up. When news spread, a mob stormed the building on June 5th. The mob managed to chase Lord Dunmore from Williamsburg on June 8th bringing about the end of British rule in Virginia. The magazine is an absolutely remarkable place to go to see weapons used during the 1700’s. It is a very narrow and small space with lots of steps, so if that doesn’t sound fun to you, I would recommend checking out the market place beside it while the rest of your family enjoys it!

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The last place I’m going to be talking about is Public Gaol (Jail). This was one of the first buildings requested to be built when Williamsburg was named the new capitol of Virginia. It has housed many prisoners including 15 of Blackbeard’s pirates! It’s a very short tour with the building being relatively small, however two of the original cells are still standing and then there are two recreations. They are fantastic to go in and view what jail felt like then. There is also a debtors cell located in the jailers house. It’s definitely a lot nicer than the outdoor cells. Also if you’re in to TV, a sequence from Sons of Liberty was filmed at the Public Gaol as well as the TV show Turn: Washington’s Spies on AMC has filmed quite a few times at Colonial Williamsburg!

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Not to pick on my fiance too much, but it’s come to my attention that many people don’t want to take the time to appreciate these remarkable buildings and the significance to this country that they hold. People tend to skip over places like Colonial Williamsburg because they want to sit on a beach or they’re afraid the kids won’t want to learn during a vacation. I’m here to tell you that Colonial Williamsburg is one of the most remarkable vacation spots. My daughter loves the experience and being able to even teach her teachers the things she’s learned while here. The photo opportunities are listless and the food is A+ (I especially recommend Chowning’s Tavern). Tickets are $40.00 for entrance to all the tours, however you can simply walk around and enjoy the sites and restaurants for free! Colonial Williamsburg is a home away from home for me and it means so much to my family that I’d like it to be around for generations to come. So at the end of every blog post, I’d like to link to the donation pages of each place I am writing about. We need to keep these sites preserved so everyone gets an equal opportunity to experience the history of this incredible country.

Thank you for taking the time to learn more about Colonial Williamsburg!

If you’d like to donate to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation Click Here

*All photos in this article are owned by writelovemakehistory/khicksphotography*

Sources:

Patrick Henry’s Speech

History Facts about Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg: The Revolutionary City When you think of the Revolutionary War and the colonies fight for freedom, what cities come to your mind?

#America #blog #blogger #blogging #Colonial Williamsburg #Colonial Williamsburg Foundation #Donate #Founding #Founding Fathers #George Washington #historic #History #my writing #Non-Profit #Photography #Revolutionary War #Sited #Travel #USA #virginia #williamsburg #write #writelovemakehistory

[samuelfields]

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket

Thousands of motorists view speed limits as more of a suggestion and not an actual law.

But driving just a few miles over could lead to a loss of money, driving privileges, and even human life.

Driving at excessive speeds, or even a few miles above the posted speed limit, seems like a victimless crime. Especially on desolate roads, late at night when traffic is minimal, and on highways with miles of empty lanes on the horizon.

But did you know that for more than two decades, speeding is to blame for approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities?

In 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 9,378 driver fatalities due to speeding-related accidents.

The act of speeding doesn’t just carry with it the potential for catastrophe.

Being pulled over for exceeding the speed limit carries hefty monetary fines – depending on the state – and will mean a substantial increase in your car insurance rates.

The true cost of a speeding ticket goes beyond a monetary figure. Consider the following factors before revving up your engine on the open road.

The Average Cost of a Speeding Ticket

The average cost of a speeding ticket in the United States is $150.

Depending on how fast you’re going and what state you’re in, the average cost can vary quite a bit.

Three factors impact the cost of the ticket:

The state you’re in

How fast you’re going

Points against your license

If you speed at all, you should expect to get a ticket sooner or later. An estimated 1-in-6 Americans get slapped with a speeding ticket every year, equating to about 41 million people ticketed each year. With such a huge variance in ticket costs, it’s worth looking up the cost of a speeding ticket where you live. You’ll want to be prepared ahead of time. This is a great site for looking up the traffic laws in your state.

Speeding Ticket Costs by State

There’s a huge variance in cost between different states.

Nevada can charge heavy-footed motorists close to $1,000, even for first-time speeders. I lived in Nevada for two years and had no idea that tickets were this expensive. Now I’m really glad I never got pulled over while I was there. And I’ll definitely avoid speeding the next time I drive through there.

Alaska tickets are also pretty high with an average speeding ticket fine of $300 for first-time offenders.

On the other end of the spectrum, Oklahoa has a starting ticket fine of $20.

One state gets you $20, the other gets you $1000.

International tickets can get even more extreme.The unverified world record for the most expensive speeding ticket ever didn’t happen on U.S. soil.

In 2010, a 37-year-old man in a brand new Mercedes-Benz SLR hit 186 mph on a highway in Switzerland. His hefty fine in Euros converts to just under $1 million

Speeding Ticket Costs By Speed

The second major factor in the cost of your ticket will be the speed you were going.

Lower speeds equals a smaller fine, higher speeds give bigger fines.

Take Colorado for example. Here’s the different ticket costs at different speeds:

1-4 mph = $36

5-9 mph = $80

10-19 mph = $151

20-24 mph = $232

25+ mph = $100-300 and 10-90 days of jail time

The higher the speed, the heftier the fees get.

It’s safe to assume that a speeding ticket will cost you about $100-200 assuming you’re not speeding at an extreme level. Then I’d check the costs of your state in case they happen to be much higher or lower.

The Cost of Points on Your License

Driving over the limit doesn’t just ding your wallet.

Speeding tickets deduct valuable points off your driving record. Rack up too many points, and you could lose your license for a significant chunk of time and get hit with even higher fines.

For instance, driving five to ten miles per hour over the limit usually results in a deduction of two points in most states.

A speeding violation of over 15 miles per hour over could be worth three points.

These points have the potential of staying on a driving record for up to 10 years, depending on the state.

Since point systems vary by location, it’s in a person’s best interest to consult this website for information on specific states.

Even if you’re not worried about the cost of an individual ticket, definitely look into the number of points that your state allows before serious penalties kick in. And if you’re close to the point limit, I’d follow the speed limit exactly until some of the points fall off your record.

Other Expensive Traffic Violations

Racking up the speeding tickets is a surefire way to make money peel rubber out of your checking account, but other moving violations are just as costly.

Across the nation, one type of ticket stands out: the DUI.

DUI fines are no joke, you usually lose your license, and could even get jail time. While there is some variance between states, they all have substantial penalties.

Arizona, for example, will suspend a license for a year if found guilty of driving intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

Take a moment and think about the real cost of losing your license. Would you lose your job? Could you support your family? If you depend on your car in your day-to-day, losing a license could result in substantial costs.

Use an Uber or Lyft, get a regular taxi, walk home, whatever it takes. Just don’t drive after having any drinks. Not only is it incredibly dangerous to yourself and everyone around you, a DUI will impact your finances severely.

Reckless driving is another motor vehicle infraction that carries heavy monetary penalties. It’s defined as “a mental state in which the driver displays a wanton disregard for the rules of the road; the driver misjudges common driving procedures, often causing wrecks, accidents and other damages.”

Reckless driving charges can easily be tacked onto the standard speeding ticket depending on the driving conditions and often carry at least one day in jail on the first offense.

According to WalletHub, the average reckless driving ticket is $845.

Oregon tops the list at approximately $6,250 for the first offense. Kentucky, Mississippi, and New Mexico are among the lowest penalties for reckless driving at around $100 in each state.

A recent addition to the list of expensive violations is distracted driving. Texting while driving now carries sizable fines and will also result in an insurance increase.

Driving without a valid license and running a red light may seem like harmless infraction, but both violations carry significant fines.

The Real Cost: Car Insurance Rate Increases

The true cost of a speeding ticket is often felt long after paying the initial fine and any court fees.

Just one speeding ticket could cause insurance rates to skyrocket, especially for drivers under 25 years old.

While every insurance company adheres to specific procedures for dealing with speeding violations, being pulled over and ticketed for speeding means a driver is a higher risk for insurance companies.

A traffic violation means a higher possibility for future violations. To compensate for that extra risk, they’ll raise your premiums.

A handful of insurance companies will forgive first-time offenses and some won’t increase rates so long as the motorist isn’t guilty of driving more than 15 miles over the posted speed limit.

This Traffic Ticket Calculator will give you a rough idea of what to expect by entering the details of your ticket including the specific violation, the state, and your current yearly premium.

For example, a speeding ticket between 1-15 MPH in New Jersey, with a yearly insurance premium of $1700, calculates out to an addition $289 per year.

Once again, price increases vary depending on the state, but other factors an insurance company will consider before charging the new rate include how fast a person was traveling and previous violations.

I’d expect your annual premium to go up by a few hundred dollars if you get a speeding ticket.

If your driving record is littered with speeding tickets affecting your premium and purse, the insurance company Allstate suggests shopping around for a company with lower rates or enrolling in defensive driving courses. And if you really want to get your costs back down, avoid speedings and wait for your previous tickets to fall off your record.

The Total Cost

Extensive fines, higher insurance rates, loss of license, jail time, and even death are all possible from speeding.

On average, expect to pay $100-200 for the ticket fine and another couple of hundred dollars in insurance premiums. Some states and insurance companies will charge you less, some charge you more. Check to see how your state ranks to get a more accurate estimate.

And watch those points on your license. Once they add up, the penalties become much more severe.

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Finance https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/cost-of-speeding-ticket/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[paulckrueger]

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket

Thousands of motorists view speed limits as more of a suggestion and not an actual law.

But driving just a few miles over could lead to a loss of money, driving privileges, and even human life.

Driving at excessive speeds, or even a few miles above the posted speed limit, seems like a victimless crime. Especially on desolate roads, late at night when traffic is minimal, and on highways with miles of empty lanes on the horizon.

But did you know that for more than two decades, speeding is to blame for approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities?

In 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 9,378 driver fatalities due to speeding-related accidents.

The act of speeding doesn’t just carry with it the potential for catastrophe.

Being pulled over for exceeding the speed limit carries hefty monetary fines – depending on the state – and will mean a substantial increase in your car insurance rates.

The true cost of a speeding ticket goes beyond a monetary figure. Consider the following factors before revving up your engine on the open road.

The Average Cost of a Speeding Ticket

The average cost of a speeding ticket in the United States is $150.

Depending on how fast you’re going and what state you’re in, the average cost can vary quite a bit.

Three factors impact the cost of the ticket:

The state you’re in

How fast you’re going

Points against your license

If you speed at all, you should expect to get a ticket sooner or later. An estimated 1-in-6 Americans get slapped with a speeding ticket every year, equating to about 41 million people ticketed each year. With such a huge variance in ticket costs, it’s worth looking up the cost of a speeding ticket where you live. You’ll want to be prepared ahead of time. This is a great site for looking up the traffic laws in your state.

Speeding Ticket Costs by State

There’s a huge variance in cost between different states.

Nevada can charge heavy-footed motorists close to $1,000, even for first-time speeders. I lived in Nevada for two years and had no idea that tickets were this expensive. Now I’m really glad I never got pulled over while I was there. And I’ll definitely avoid speeding the next time I drive through there.

Alaska tickets are also pretty high with an average speeding ticket fine of $300 for first-time offenders.

On the other end of the spectrum, Oklahoa has a starting ticket fine of $20.

One state gets you $20, the other gets you $1000.

International tickets can get even more extreme.The unverified world record for the most expensive speeding ticket ever didn’t happen on U.S. soil.

In 2010, a 37-year-old man in a brand new Mercedes-Benz SLR hit 186 mph on a highway in Switzerland. His hefty fine in Euros converts to just under $1 million

Speeding Ticket Costs By Speed

The second major factor in the cost of your ticket will be the speed you were going.

Lower speeds equals a smaller fine, higher speeds give bigger fines.

Take Colorado for example. Here’s the different ticket costs at different speeds:

1-4 mph = $36

5-9 mph = $80

10-19 mph = $151

20-24 mph = $232

25+ mph = $100-300 and 10-90 days of jail time

The higher the speed, the heftier the fees get.

It’s safe to assume that a speeding ticket will cost you about $100-200 assuming you’re not speeding at an extreme level. Then I’d check the costs of your state in case they happen to be much higher or lower.

The Cost of Points on Your License

Driving over the limit doesn’t just ding your wallet.

Speeding tickets deduct valuable points off your driving record. Rack up too many points, and you could lose your license for a significant chunk of time and get hit with even higher fines.

For instance, driving five to ten miles per hour over the limit usually results in a deduction of two points in most states.

A speeding violation of over 15 miles per hour over could be worth three points.

These points have the potential of staying on a driving record for up to 10 years, depending on the state.

Since point systems vary by location, it’s in a person’s best interest to consult this website for information on specific states.

Even if you’re not worried about the cost of an individual ticket, definitely look into the number of points that your state allows before serious penalties kick in. And if you’re close to the point limit, I’d follow the speed limit exactly until some of the points fall off your record.

Other Expensive Traffic Violations

Racking up the speeding tickets is a surefire way to make money peel rubber out of your checking account, but other moving violations are just as costly.

Across the nation, one type of ticket stands out: the DUI.

DUI fines are no joke, you usually lose your license, and could even get jail time. While there is some variance between states, they all have substantial penalties.

Arizona, for example, will suspend a license for a year if found guilty of driving intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

Take a moment and think about the real cost of losing your license. Would you lose your job? Could you support your family? If you depend on your car in your day-to-day, losing a license could result in substantial costs.

Use an Uber or Lyft, get a regular taxi, walk home, whatever it takes. Just don’t drive after having any drinks. Not only is it incredibly dangerous to yourself and everyone around you, a DUI will impact your finances severely.

Reckless driving is another motor vehicle infraction that carries heavy monetary penalties. It’s defined as “a mental state in which the driver displays a wanton disregard for the rules of the road; the driver misjudges common driving procedures, often causing wrecks, accidents and other damages.”

Reckless driving charges can easily be tacked onto the standard speeding ticket depending on the driving conditions and often carry at least one day in jail on the first offense.

According to WalletHub, the average reckless driving ticket is $845.

Oregon tops the list at approximately $6,250 for the first offense. Kentucky, Mississippi, and New Mexico are among the lowest penalties for reckless driving at around $100 in each state.

A recent addition to the list of expensive violations is distracted driving. Texting while driving now carries sizable fines and will also result in an insurance increase.

Driving without a valid license and running a red light may seem like harmless infraction, but both violations carry significant fines.

The Real Cost: Car Insurance Rate Increases

The true cost of a speeding ticket is often felt long after paying the initial fine and any court fees.

Just one speeding ticket could cause insurance rates to skyrocket, especially for drivers under 25 years old.

While every insurance company adheres to specific procedures for dealing with speeding violations, being pulled over and ticketed for speeding means a driver is a higher risk for insurance companies.

A traffic violation means a higher possibility for future violations. To compensate for that extra risk, they’ll raise your premiums.

A handful of insurance companies will forgive first-time offenses and some won’t increase rates so long as the motorist isn’t guilty of driving more than 15 miles over the posted speed limit.

This Traffic Ticket Calculator will give you a rough idea of what to expect by entering the details of your ticket including the specific violation, the state, and your current yearly premium.

For example, a speeding ticket between 1-15 MPH in New Jersey, with a yearly insurance premium of $1700, calculates out to an addition $289 per year.

Once again, price increases vary depending on the state, but other factors an insurance company will consider before charging the new rate include how fast a person was traveling and previous violations.

I’d expect your annual premium to go up by a few hundred dollars if you get a speeding ticket.

If your driving record is littered with speeding tickets affecting your premium and purse, the insurance company Allstate suggests shopping around for a company with lower rates or enrolling in defensive driving courses. And if you really want to get your costs back down, avoid speedings and wait for your previous tickets to fall off your record.

The Total Cost

Extensive fines, higher insurance rates, loss of license, jail time, and even death are all possible from speeding.

On average, expect to pay $100-200 for the ticket fine and another couple of hundred dollars in insurance premiums. Some states and insurance companies will charge you less, some charge you more. Check to see how your state ranks to get a more accurate estimate.

And watch those points on your license. Once they add up, the penalties become much more severe.

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

from Surety Bond Brokers? Business https://www.iwillteachyoutoberich.com/blog/cost-of-speeding-ticket/

[kennethherrerablog]

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket

Thousands of motorists view speed limits as more of a suggestion and not an actual law.

But driving just a few miles over could lead to a loss of money, driving privileges, and even human life.

Driving at excessive speeds, or even a few miles above the posted speed limit, seems like a victimless crime. Especially on desolate roads, late at night when traffic is minimal, and on highways with miles of empty lanes on the horizon.

But did you know that for more than two decades, speeding is to blame for approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities?

In 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 9,378 driver fatalities due to speeding-related accidents.

The act of speeding doesn’t just carry with it the potential for catastrophe.

Being pulled over for exceeding the speed limit carries hefty monetary fines – depending on the state – and will mean a substantial increase in your car insurance rates.

The true cost of a speeding ticket goes beyond a monetary figure. Consider the following factors before revving up your engine on the open road.

The Average Cost of a Speeding Ticket

The average cost of a speeding ticket in the United States is $150.

Depending on how fast you’re going and what state you’re in, the average cost can vary quite a bit.

Three factors impact the cost of the ticket:

The state you’re in

How fast you’re going

Points against your license

If you speed at all, you should expect to get a ticket sooner or later. An estimated 1-in-6 Americans get slapped with a speeding ticket every year, equating to about 41 million people ticketed each year. With such a huge variance in ticket costs, it’s worth looking up the cost of a speeding ticket where you live. You’ll want to be prepared ahead of time. This is a great site for looking up the traffic laws in your state.

Speeding Ticket Costs by State

There’s a huge variance in cost between different states.

Nevada can charge heavy-footed motorists close to $1,000, even for first-time speeders. I lived in Nevada for two years and had no idea that tickets were this expensive. Now I’m really glad I never got pulled over while I was there. And I’ll definitely avoid speeding the next time I drive through there.

Alaska tickets are also pretty high with an average speeding ticket fine of $300 for first-time offenders.

On the other end of the spectrum, Oklahoa has a starting ticket fine of $20.

One state gets you $20, the other gets you $1000.

International tickets can get even more extreme.The unverified world record for the most expensive speeding ticket ever didn’t happen on U.S. soil.

In 2010, a 37-year-old man in a brand new Mercedes-Benz SLR hit 186 mph on a highway in Switzerland. His hefty fine in Euros converts to just under $1 million

Speeding Ticket Costs By Speed

The second major factor in the cost of your ticket will be the speed you were going.

Lower speeds equals a smaller fine, higher speeds give bigger fines.

Take Colorado for example. Here’s the different ticket costs at different speeds:

1-4 mph = $36

5-9 mph = $80

10-19 mph = $151

20-24 mph = $232

25+ mph = $100-300 and 10-90 days of jail time

The higher the speed, the heftier the fees get.

It’s safe to assume that a speeding ticket will cost you about $100-200 assuming you’re not speeding at an extreme level. Then I’d check the costs of your state in case they happen to be much higher or lower.

The Cost of Points on Your License

Driving over the limit doesn’t just ding your wallet.

Speeding tickets deduct valuable points off your driving record. Rack up too many points, and you could lose your license for a significant chunk of time and get hit with even higher fines.

For instance, driving five to ten miles per hour over the limit usually results in a deduction of two points in most states.

A speeding violation of over 15 miles per hour over could be worth three points.

These points have the potential of staying on a driving record for up to 10 years, depending on the state.

Since point systems vary by location, it’s in a person’s best interest to consult this website for information on specific states.

Even if you’re not worried about the cost of an individual ticket, definitely look into the number of points that your state allows before serious penalties kick in. And if you’re close to the point limit, I’d follow the speed limit exactly until some of the points fall off your record.

Other Expensive Traffic Violations

Racking up the speeding tickets is a surefire way to make money peel rubber out of your checking account, but other moving violations are just as costly.

Across the nation, one type of ticket stands out: the DUI.

DUI fines are no joke, you usually lose your license, and could even get jail time. While there is some variance between states, they all have substantial penalties.

Arizona, for example, will suspend a license for a year if found guilty of driving intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

Take a moment and think about the real cost of losing your license. Would you lose your job? Could you support your family? If you depend on your car in your day-to-day, losing a license could result in substantial costs.

Use an Uber or Lyft, get a regular taxi, walk home, whatever it takes. Just don’t drive after having any drinks. Not only is it incredibly dangerous to yourself and everyone around you, a DUI will impact your finances severely.

Reckless driving is another motor vehicle infraction that carries heavy monetary penalties. It’s defined as “a mental state in which the driver displays a wanton disregard for the rules of the road; the driver misjudges common driving procedures, often causing wrecks, accidents and other damages.”

Reckless driving charges can easily be tacked onto the standard speeding ticket depending on the driving conditions and often carry at least one day in jail on the first offense.

According to WalletHub, the average reckless driving ticket is $845.

Oregon tops the list at approximately $6,250 for the first offense. Kentucky, Mississippi, and New Mexico are among the lowest penalties for reckless driving at around $100 in each state.

A recent addition to the list of expensive violations is distracted driving. Texting while driving now carries sizable fines and will also result in an insurance increase.

Driving without a valid license and running a red light may seem like harmless infraction, but both violations carry significant fines.

The Real Cost: Car Insurance Rate Increases

The true cost of a speeding ticket is often felt long after paying the initial fine and any court fees.

Just one speeding ticket could cause insurance rates to skyrocket, especially for drivers under 25 years old.

While every insurance company adheres to specific procedures for dealing with speeding violations, being pulled over and ticketed for speeding means a driver is a higher risk for insurance companies.

A traffic violation means a higher possibility for future violations. To compensate for that extra risk, they’ll raise your premiums.

A handful of insurance companies will forgive first-time offenses and some won’t increase rates so long as the motorist isn’t guilty of driving more than 15 miles over the posted speed limit.

This Traffic Ticket Calculator will give you a rough idea of what to expect by entering the details of your ticket including the specific violation, the state, and your current yearly premium.

For example, a speeding ticket between 1-15 MPH in New Jersey, with a yearly insurance premium of $1700, calculates out to an addition $289 per year.

Once again, price increases vary depending on the state, but other factors an insurance company will consider before charging the new rate include how fast a person was traveling and previous violations.

I’d expect your annual premium to go up by a few hundred dollars if you get a speeding ticket.

If your driving record is littered with speeding tickets affecting your premium and purse, the insurance company Allstate suggests shopping around for a company with lower rates or enrolling in defensive driving courses. And if you really want to get your costs back down, avoid speedings and wait for your previous tickets to fall off your record.

The Total Cost

Extensive fines, higher insurance rates, loss of license, jail time, and even death are all possible from speeding.

On average, expect to pay $100-200 for the ticket fine and another couple of hundred dollars in insurance premiums. Some states and insurance companies will charge you less, some charge you more. Check to see how your state ranks to get a more accurate estimate.

And watch those points on your license. Once they add up, the penalties become much more severe.

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket published first on https://justinbetreviews.tumblr.com/

[andrewdburton]

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket

Thousands of motorists view speed limits as more of a suggestion and not an actual law.

But driving just a few miles over could lead to a loss of money, driving privileges, and even human life.

Driving at excessive speeds, or even a few miles above the posted speed limit, seems like a victimless crime. Especially on desolate roads, late at night when traffic is minimal, and on highways with miles of empty lanes on the horizon.

But did you know that for more than two decades, speeding is to blame for approximately one-third of all motor vehicle fatalities?

In 2018, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reported 9,378 driver fatalities due to speeding-related accidents.

The act of speeding doesn’t just carry with it the potential for catastrophe.

Being pulled over for exceeding the speed limit carries hefty monetary fines – depending on the state – and will mean a substantial increase in your car insurance rates.

The true cost of a speeding ticket goes beyond a monetary figure. Consider the following factors before revving up your engine on the open road.

The Average Cost of a Speeding Ticket

The average cost of a speeding ticket in the United States is $150.

Depending on how fast you’re going and what state you’re in, the average cost can vary quite a bit.

Three factors impact the cost of the ticket:

The state you’re in

How fast you’re going

Points against your license

If you speed at all, you should expect to get a ticket sooner or later. An estimated 1-in-6 Americans get slapped with a speeding ticket every year, equating to about 41 million people ticketed each year. With such a huge variance in ticket costs, it’s worth looking up the cost of a speeding ticket where you live. You’ll want to be prepared ahead of time. This is a great site for looking up the traffic laws in your state.

Speeding Ticket Costs by State

There’s a huge variance in cost between different states.

Nevada can charge heavy-footed motorists close to $1,000, even for first-time speeders. I lived in Nevada for two years and had no idea that tickets were this expensive. Now I’m really glad I never got pulled over while I was there. And I’ll definitely avoid speeding the next time I drive through there.

Alaska tickets are also pretty high with an average speeding ticket fine of $300 for first-time offenders.

On the other end of the spectrum, Oklahoa has a starting ticket fine of $20.

One state gets you $20, the other gets you $1000.

International tickets can get even more extreme.The unverified world record for the most expensive speeding ticket ever didn’t happen on U.S. soil.

In 2010, a 37-year-old man in a brand new Mercedes-Benz SLR hit 186 mph on a highway in Switzerland. His hefty fine in Euros converts to just under $1 million

Speeding Ticket Costs By Speed

The second major factor in the cost of your ticket will be the speed you were going.

Lower speeds equals a smaller fine, higher speeds give bigger fines.

Take Colorado for example. Here’s the different ticket costs at different speeds:

1-4 mph = $36

5-9 mph = $80

10-19 mph = $151

20-24 mph = $232

25+ mph = $100-300 and 10-90 days of jail time

The higher the speed, the heftier the fees get.

It’s safe to assume that a speeding ticket will cost you about $100-200 assuming you’re not speeding at an extreme level. Then I’d check the costs of your state in case they happen to be much higher or lower.

The Cost of Points on Your License

Driving over the limit doesn’t just ding your wallet.

Speeding tickets deduct valuable points off your driving record. Rack up too many points, and you could lose your license for a significant chunk of time and get hit with even higher fines.

For instance, driving five to ten miles per hour over the limit usually results in a deduction of two points in most states.

A speeding violation of over 15 miles per hour over could be worth three points.

These points have the potential of staying on a driving record for up to 10 years, depending on the state.

Since point systems vary by location, it’s in a person’s best interest to consult this website for information on specific states.

Even if you’re not worried about the cost of an individual ticket, definitely look into the number of points that your state allows before serious penalties kick in. And if you’re close to the point limit, I’d follow the speed limit exactly until some of the points fall off your record.

Other Expensive Traffic Violations

Racking up the speeding tickets is a surefire way to make money peel rubber out of your checking account, but other moving violations are just as costly.

Across the nation, one type of ticket stands out: the DUI.

DUI fines are no joke, you usually lose your license, and could even get jail time. While there is some variance between states, they all have substantial penalties.

Arizona, for example, will suspend a license for a year if found guilty of driving intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.

Take a moment and think about the real cost of losing your license. Would you lose your job? Could you support your family? If you depend on your car in your day-to-day, losing a license could result in substantial costs.

Use an Uber or Lyft, get a regular taxi, walk home, whatever it takes. Just don’t drive after having any drinks. Not only is it incredibly dangerous to yourself and everyone around you, a DUI will impact your finances severely.

Reckless driving is another motor vehicle infraction that carries heavy monetary penalties. It’s defined as “a mental state in which the driver displays a wanton disregard for the rules of the road; the driver misjudges common driving procedures, often causing wrecks, accidents and other damages.”

Reckless driving charges can easily be tacked onto the standard speeding ticket depending on the driving conditions and often carry at least one day in jail on the first offense.

According to WalletHub, the average reckless driving ticket is $845.

Oregon tops the list at approximately $6,250 for the first offense. Kentucky, Mississippi, and New Mexico are among the lowest penalties for reckless driving at around $100 in each state.

A recent addition to the list of expensive violations is distracted driving. Texting while driving now carries sizable fines and will also result in an insurance increase.

Driving without a valid license and running a red light may seem like harmless infraction, but both violations carry significant fines.

The Real Cost: Car Insurance Rate Increases

The true cost of a speeding ticket is often felt long after paying the initial fine and any court fees.

Just one speeding ticket could cause insurance rates to skyrocket, especially for drivers under 25 years old.

While every insurance company adheres to specific procedures for dealing with speeding violations, being pulled over and ticketed for speeding means a driver is a higher risk for insurance companies.

A traffic violation means a higher possibility for future violations. To compensate for that extra risk, they’ll raise your premiums.

A handful of insurance companies will forgive first-time offenses and some won’t increase rates so long as the motorist isn’t guilty of driving more than 15 miles over the posted speed limit.

This Traffic Ticket Calculator will give you a rough idea of what to expect by entering the details of your ticket including the specific violation, the state, and your current yearly premium.

For example, a speeding ticket between 1-15 MPH in New Jersey, with a yearly insurance premium of $1700, calculates out to an addition $289 per year.

Once again, price increases vary depending on the state, but other factors an insurance company will consider before charging the new rate include how fast a person was traveling and previous violations.

I’d expect your annual premium to go up by a few hundred dollars if you get a speeding ticket.

If your driving record is littered with speeding tickets affecting your premium and purse, the insurance company Allstate suggests shopping around for a company with lower rates or enrolling in defensive driving courses. And if you really want to get your costs back down, avoid speedings and wait for your previous tickets to fall off your record.

The Total Cost

Extensive fines, higher insurance rates, loss of license, jail time, and even death are all possible from speeding.

On average, expect to pay $100-200 for the ticket fine and another couple of hundred dollars in insurance premiums. Some states and insurance companies will charge you less, some charge you more. Check to see how your state ranks to get a more accurate estimate.

And watch those points on your license. Once they add up, the penalties become much more severe.

The True Cost of a Speeding Ticket is a post from: I Will Teach You To Be Rich.

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