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#i like how ikt turned out
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Say Cheese (IKT pt 6)
➟ pairing(s): Jay B x Reader
➟ genre(s): Fluff... angst? Dunno
➟ word count: 1.1K
➟ warnings: None
I Know Things: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
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Jay B grabbed his hat and placed it on his head. He checked himself in the mirror, and then the watch on his wrist. He had agreed to let you pick him up on the way to the park.
"Hyung, where are you going," Youngjae called to Jay B. He walked into the room to see his friend preparing to leave the apartment.
"I have plans with Y/N and her son today," Jay B said, "She asked for some help with her new camera." He shrugged and peered out of the window. Youngjae laughed when he saw Jay B bounce on his feet, clearly nervous.
"Y/N, huh," Youngjae mused, "She's cute." He stole a glance at his friend from the corner of his eye. Jay B smiled and nodded his head.
"Yeah," he breathed, "She is." He returned his attention to the window.
"Does Mark know," the younger male asked?
"Know," Jay B questioned, "Know what? There isn't anything to know." There was a soft vibration in his pocket and a text from you letting him know you were waiting. He bid his young friend goodbye and rushed out the door.
You were chatting with Drew when Jay B opened the SUV door. He slid into the seat and turned to the child in the back. He smiled and waved. Drew studied him carefully and waved back.
"Say hi, Drew," you said to your son, "This is Jay B. He's a friend from work." You gave Jay B an apologetic smile. "Sorry, he's normally more talkative." You glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Drew continue to study the man next to you.
"That's ok," Jay B said, "We have all day to get to know each other." He turned and smiled at Drew again. He noticed how much the child looked like you. He had the same nose and chin. Drew scrunched his nose at Jay B before he turned to the window.
After a short drive, you arrived at the park. It was a beautiful day outside and you were thankful for a place to let Drew play all day. You found a tree with plenty of shade to lay the blanket out underneath. Jay B approached you with a picnic basket and Drew right behind him.
"Can I go feed the ducks," Drew asked pointing to the pond? You searched the basket and held out a bag of oats. When he reached for the bag, you pulled it back.
"What's up with you," you whispered to him, "You're not being nice to Jay B." Drew shrugged his shoulders and looked at his feet. "He just wants to be friends with you."
"I'm sorry," Drew said with teary eyes. You gave him a quick hug and kissed his cheek. He wiggled out of your grasp, walked up to Jay B, and tugged his jacket. "I'm sorry," he said looking up at Jay B.
"It's ok," Jay B said to Drew, "You don't need to apologize, but do you think we can try and be friends?" Drew smiled at him and pointed to the pond.
"Do you want to feed the ducks with me," he asked. Jay B nodded at Drew took the bag you held out.
You sat under the tree and watched Jay B and Drew feed the ducks. Pulling out your camera, you snapped a few photos. The candid shot of Jay B being chased by a group of ducks was by far your favorite, but the one of Drew tripping and rolling as another duck nipped at his shirt was a close second... that was until you heard your son cry.
Jay B scooped him up in his arms and carried him to where you sat. Setting him down gently, the child recounted the story. It seems that one of the devil ducks bit his fingers. You held the child on your lap and doted over him, kissing his fingers.
"How about a sandwich," you asked, "Would that make it better?" The child looked at you and smiled a little. "I made your favorite," you continued, "with no crust." You handed him a sandwich and made sure he was settled before turning your attention to Jay B. "Are you hungry? I may have another with no crust."
"Yes, thank you," he said, "And the crust is fine." You laughed and handed him a sandwich. He pumped his fist in the air with triumph. "Yes! No crust." He heard Drew laugh, which caused him to laugh harder.
It wasn't long before you heard soft snores from your side. You looked down to see Drew had curled up next to you and was taking a well-deserved nap. Jay B followed your gaze and smiled.
"I remember when my mom started dating my stepdad," he recalled, "I wasn't very nice to him." He bit the inside of his mouth and sighed.
"Dating," you repeated, "Is that what this is?" Jay B's confidence faltered when he looked at you. He opened and closed his mouth a few times.
"Uh, well," he stammered, "I was hoping, yeah, it could be." You smiled at him, but before you could respond, he pressed his lips to yours. You stiffened under the kiss but quickly relaxed. He gently cupped your face and deepened the kiss. He reluctantly pulled away and looked into your eyes. "Wow," he said breathlessly, "That wasn't any good. Did you feel anything?"
You blinked a few times as he pulled further away. He chuckled and ducked his head.
"I'm sorry, no" you apologized. You laughed and tucked hair behind your ear. "It wasn't a bad kiss," you interjected, "just a bad idea. I'm sorry. I just don't know-"
"You're not ready," Jay B finished your sentence. You smiled thankfully at him, glad you didn't need to explain. "That's what my mom said."
"You talked to your mom about me," you asked him.
"No," he laughed, "She said that about my stepdad. It was hard for her to date again. I can only imagine you'd have the same thoughts." He smiled softly at you.
"You're not wrong," you said, "I don't know if I'm ready for that type of heartbreak again." You ran your fingers through Drew's hair and smiled. "It's not just me anymore. Besides, not like men are knocking my door down for this," you gestured to yourself. Jay B threw his head back and laughed.
"Then I speak for the male sex," he laughed again, "We're idiots! Any man would be lucky to be with you." You smiled at him and took his hands in yours.
"Thank you," you said softly. "At least it wasn't a bad kiss," you shrugged.
"Do you think we can not mention it to anyone," he asked shyly. You winked and laughed. "I don't want things to be strange between us now." You squeezed his hand.
"Just between us," you promised.
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therealkags · 10 months
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after months and months of work, IKTE has officially come to a close.
when i started writing it, i only posted it because i HATE when people leave fics unfinished and i promised myself that i would never do that, so i told myself that no matter how bad i felt, i couldn’t go anywhere because i had to finish. (if you get me.)
so while it certainly isn’t my most successful fic, or even my second-most successful fic, it’s the one that means the most to me. i don’t want to give away all the credit for my still being here, but i think that there’s a chance that the first person who read it saved my life, that the first person who commented gave me hope, and that so did each reader and commenter since.
the outpouring of love in the comments has felt undeserved. you guys have rooted for me when i needed it, you’ve complimented my mind and my abilities, and you’ve made me feel heard when the rest of the world has made me feel like i need to be silent. and the only way i know how to even attempt to repay you is with the sequel, “someday, i’m gonna live,” to be posted soon.
over this last month, things got hard again. really hard. while IKTE fulfilled a need for an escape, the sequel has turned out to be a diary of sorts. it won’t be pretty. it’ll be real, and it’ll be hard, and at times it’ll be annoying how time feels like it’s standing still even though you’ve read thousands of words. but i think it’ll get better. for me and for you.
so thank you, even if you stopped by, checked out chapter one, and quietly decided it wasn’t for you. thank you so, so much.
- kags
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yeehawvamp · 2 years
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kind bummed that im more alone than ever this year but i guess that’s what’s in the cards for me
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chemicalpink · 3 years
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대취타 (DAECHWITA) | EMPEROR!YOONGI X READER | FINAL
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Pairing: Emperor!Yoongi x Assassin!Reader
Words: 3.5k
Genre: Emperor AU, Historical AU (kinda), smut, angsty
Warnings: mentions of death, mentions of historical public execution, oral sex (male receiving), lowkey breath play, unprotected sex
A/N: FINALLY IT’S HERE. I hope you enjoy, I had a hard time trying to make this not seem lame so here it is! please let me know what you think!
Summary: You used to be an assassin, got caught and works at the palace as a servant up until you are escorted to the main palace, either to meet your inevitable destiny or for a change of plans. 
PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4
Forehead resting against your own as you found yourselves panting, him sliding out as your spasming cunt dripped with both of your releases onto the floor, placing one more soft kiss on your lips with his eyes closed “Marry me”
 You almost sat up with a start. Suddenly the world was bright and hazy. Yoongi had opened his eyes and they were digging like daggers into yours, an unusual look on him. You looked at the emperor apologetically before turning your gaze to the end of the room where there was a pile of books, silently detangling yourself from him.
The silence was deafening.
Then again, who in their right mind proposed marriage while having their cock buried deep inside some assassin turned royal slave. All the same, Min Yoongi wasn’t exactly known for having a right mind. But it wasn’t just the fact that he had proposed seemingly out of the blue, more than it was everything that came with it. The words seemed to tangle themselves inside your brain as you hear him say them over and over again. That he couldn’t think of himself marrying some woman that was inferior to him in mind and spirit. That he had wanted to marry to someone he loved. To think that Min Yoongi had proposed you marriage not in the heat of the moment but fully conscious of his actions would not only mean that he was in it for the great sexual escaped you two regularly went on, but because due to some fucked up mindset the royal had, he believed he could love you. 
Yoongi reached for your hand in an attempt to get your attention, face soft with post orgasmic bliss as he repeated the ill fated words “Marry me, Y/N”
You  snapped out of his hold. “Yoongi I don’t think you understand the situation”
“What is it then, please do enlighten me, Y/N cause from what I understand is me asking for your hand in marriage, twice now” he blinks a few times, looking at you expectantly, crossing his arms like a petulant child
“FUCKING READ THE ROOM MIN YOONGI ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND”
“Well I’m not, but you seem to be”
“I’m a fucking assassin, my hands? they will forever be tainted red” you look down at your hands and the blond man comes near to hold both of them inside his 
“Y/N I couldn’t care less about that, it’s not like I’m a saint either”
“You just don’t understand”
“Then help me out” somehow his ever consistent and aloof tone gave you more chills thana you could’ve imagined if he were to raise his voice at you “Y/N I’m serious with my proposal, the sex is amazing, but you’ve proven to be an excellent addition not only to my court, but to my life”
You are shaking, voice trembling and just above a mere whisper “I was the one that killed your mother on that freezing December night”
He freezes in place.
He seemed oddly composed for someone who had just been told the responsible of his mother's death was none other than the woman he thought he wanted to marry
You remember how a few years ago, he had gone on a killing rampage, exposing heads outside his palace as if they were homemade decorations, swearing to find the person responsible for his mother’s death and get revenge. It had been months of bloodbath. Some had considered the emperor’s son to have gone completely out of his mind. 
You storm off. Not before accepting the responsibility of your actions, perhaps Yoongi had also been a good addition to your life “I’m fine with you deciding to execute me for my crimes, I understand whatever sentence is best fitted for me, your majesty” for the first time since you had arrived at the palace, you don’t dare to look him in the ye, opting to follow court protocol and bow deeply before taking your leave, attempting to detangle yourself from your messed up robes and even more messed up string of thoughts.
The following days to that conversation were a blur and for the most part, uneventful, the emperor had opted not to gravitate your way unless strictly necessary, oddly enough, the air wasn’t awkward at all, it was as if nothing had ever happened between the two of you in the first place. Yoongi had retreated to being an aloof ruler, along with regular trips to meet his once very occupied and spoiled rotten concubines, all the while you were kept apart from. Sometimes, you would receive jobs outside the palace and were expected to fulfill them according to instructions. More times than not, you were left wondering if you would make it back to the palace or if it was one hell of an excuse to execute you.
Hearing approaching footsteps, you couldn’t help but hide the best that you could behind one of the hostel’s walls. Hooded and well muffled with the cape, as you did your best to camouflage yourself into the shadows and become a mere wisp of darkness. A maid from the hostel trudged to the open window and closed it, grumbling. Lightning illuminated the landing. You took a deep breath and reviewed the plans that you had so painstakingly memorized throughout the three days you had been guarding that building on the outskirts of the kingdom. Five doors on each side. The target’s bedroom was behind the third one on the left.
Stealthy as a specter, you walked down the landing. You pushed the target's bedroom door, which opened with an almost imperceptible squeak; waiting for another thunder to rumble to close it carefully. A second flash of lightning illuminated the two figures sleeping on the canopy bed. Young Hee must not have been over thirty-five. His son, small and beautiful, slept soundly in his arms.
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“I’m not murdering a poor kid’s mother”
“So you’ve gone soft”
“No I haven’t gone soft” “What could a poor merchant woman have done to you for her to deserve such an end to her life”
He sits down on his throne “You didn’t even hesitate when killing my mother, though”
“Yoongi I-” he turns his head to you, a sharp gaze following your every move, as if he was a predator waiting for the precise moment his prey took a wrong turn to jump on them. You turn your gaze to the floor immediately “Your Majesty”
“Listen Y/N- I’m a very busy man, so I’ll make it easier for you” he stood up from where he was sitting, and although you weren’t looking directly at him, you could hear him move around the room until you were able to see him stop right in front of you, a hand you were so familiar with once caresses your cheek as he grabs your chin and forces you to look at him face to face “It’s either her life, or your life. Easy choice, Y/N”
You can feel your heart wanting to burst out of your ribcage at that exact moment, finally understanding the importance behind such a horrifying task, the mirroring in the situation. And the choice was as simple as it could get. “Kill me instead”
You could see the rage inside his eyes, even as he stood still for a few second, steady as ever, unfaltering as he called over one of the palace’s servants to get him the royal seal, the infamous red ink that decorated the skin of those in line to be executed by the royal himself, an utmost sign of rage, of personally wronging the monarch. A sense of longing crossed his gaze for half a second as he locked eyes with you before he took your wrist in his hand and stamped the cold ink on it; you couldn’t keep your body from reacting to the action, whether it was having him touching you again, the almost imperceptible stuttering of his movements when he did so, or the knowledge that you’d have to face an execution, making you shake lightly as adrenaline filled your veins. 
Preparations were something the emperor certainly didn’t scattered in, back when he became known as the cold hearted borderline psychopath he had a vaste fame of, ikt was mostly do to the whole antiques that surrounded his personal executions, the way that they seemed to mimic a kingdom’s festivity was almost breathtaking, were it not for the fact that the main entertainment of the day would be having you publicly executed.  You had been waiting for that night for a whole week. Sitting in the wooden corridor nestled to one side of the golden dome of Min Yoongi’s personal library, remembering how the last time you had been there, things were so different from how they were now, where the emperor had asked you to marry you in the worst way possible and you had confessed the greatest murder of the dynasty; you let yourself be carried away by the music that rose through the amphitheater. With your legs dangling under the railing, you leaned forward and rested your cheek on your crossed arms. One could almost swear the palace was preparing for a wedding, if the way you were constantly dressed up and down during the week, the way the palace’s servants were constantly bustling around the building to ensure the greatest quality for the evening, the greatest night for the kingdom. The execution of the Empress’ murderer. 
“You seem oddly calm for someone who's about to be executed” Jungkook mentions as he approaches where you were currently hanging out, a few minutes to spare before a small group of designated maids were to call you to get you ready for the night.
You look up at him tiredly, without separating your head from where it was laying, catching him taking a seat by your side in the most infantile way you had ever seen the royal guard do, shrugging to no one in particular, you add “You know, accountability and stuff”
“Oh and she grew a moral compass during her time here” if he was expecting a bickering comeback, the way you used to do back when he was designated to look after you, he was certainly not getting anything other than be met by an extended silence that seemed to rise the tension and seriousness of the whole interaction between the two “Why are you letting this happen to you?”
“What are you talking about” this time, you do turn to face him, confused as to where he was expecting the conversation to go.
“You didn’t kill his mother”
“I did”
He huffed out air, sounding a bit exasperated at your response; you could have even sworn you saw him roll his eyes faintly “No you didn’t, you were a mere 15 year old” there was a bit of laughter behind his sentence before he regained his composure and went back to his former self from a few minutes ago, looking at your face quizzically as if there was something hidden in there that held the answer to his question  “So why are you doing this”
You try and miserably fail to convey a nonchalant look on your face as memories of your time with the emperor fill your mind, not just the carnal ones, but those where you would watch him work for his place in the royal hierarchy, the soft sides around the rough edges that were publicly hidden on purpose, turning away from the guard you say softly “Yoongi’s a great man”
“Okay sure, he could do with a more...tame temperament, but what does that have anything to do with you chopping your own head off”
You try your best to ignore the way your heart seems to physically ache at the thought behind the answer; you almost don’t get enough strength from within to mutter “I’m hoping to get him some closure, be an even better ruler”
“That’s- definitely not how it’s supposed to work Y/N” Jungkook says incredulously 
 “I was technically part of the killing so, it’s all the same”
He huffs before going to stand up, dusting off his uniform and already facing away from you, before you can hear him call for you one last time “Yoongi’s in his room, you know, he was looking for you a few hours ago, in case that information helps in any way”
So perhaps you were naive for thinking that he would answer his door, he would have no reason to do so, especially given the circumstances, if it were you, opening the door to the person that had confessed of murdering your mother, and having them come up at your room, you wouldn’t even need to think it once to decide not to further interact with them, but Jungkook had said Yoongi had been looking for you before, so the chance of him wanting to see you alive one last time were there. Unless you were reading it all wrong. You turned your back on the huge wooden door you had come to know as the emperor’s bedroom a few months back, resigned, when you heard the creaking of a door opening and a calm steady voice.
“So you’re going to just knock on my door and run away the same way you entered my life and are now leaving it forever?” his frozen tone still having an effect on your body as you turned to face him properly for the first time in what seemed like an eternity “Came to discuss a bargain for your life?”
“Not at all” you lock eyes with him when approaching him, until you were practically inside the room, his judgemental gaze still on you “I wanted to say my goodbyes properly, your majesty”
“Then don’t waste my time and come in already, Y/N” 
The royal wasted no time in cornering you against the door, face so close to yours you could feel his breath on your skin, the tip of his nose nuzzling the side of your face and you knew him enough to know he had his eyes closed to keep his composure as he talked “I’m going to miss you like a fucking mad man” 
It felt like falling back into routine, the way he kissed you, down to your neck up to your collarbone, pushing past the robes that covered your skin, in preparation for the ritual, his hands roaming freely in a familiar way, grabbing all the right places as he draws little sounds from your throat, all while he worked the both of you to where his bed was placed, although he was giving your body and pleasure a decent amount of attention, you couldn’t brush off the fact that he irradiated an angry aura, words left unspoken as he got his anger out by pleasuring both of you. Maybe himself more than you, as he removes himself from caressing your body as he usually did and positioned himself above you, his member laying flat on your already expecting tongue,as soon as you realised what his intentions were when he started undressing himself, his hips thrusting a few times in an experimental manner, soon enough finding a  pace at the same time as you bobbed your head up to capture as much of his length as you could inside your mouth, your hands captured under Yoongi’s weight, unable to help you work him further, the way you’d done before. 
You feel him start to thrust further into your throat at one particular kitten lick of yours to the tip of his cock, your head starting to hang from the edge of the mattress you two were on as he picked up the pace, his cock filling you up all the way until it hit the back of your throat a few times, you trying to whine around him, only further encouraging him to take a handful of your hair and push you further against him, your gag reflex taking the best of you as he held you there, nose close to his navel, deep grunts ripped from his lips, the air leaving your lungs and becoming slightly light headed after a few seconds of you tapping his thigh in a motion to let him know to let you breathe, at which Yoongi locked eyes with you, a mix of anger and longing in his yes as he  thrusts a few more times as saliva started dripping from your mouth, tears decorating your pink stained cheeks before he removed himself from you, giving you a few seconds to gain air before he repositioned both of you. A deafening silence taking over both of you, as you were still catching your breath and he positioned his cock at your entrance, his tip, wet with your saliva, playing with your folds for a few seconds, as you take a sharp intake of air when he enters you and immediately sets a slow deep pace. You can feel his member filling you up perfectly, mind racing with flashbacks to all those other nights before where the emperor and you shared endless nights all over the palace. 
The knowledge that this would be the last time creeping up in the back of your mind. You feel an unfamiliar wetness hit your neck where Yoongi was kissing your skin, rolling down as you identified it as tears, as he was still passionately thrusting into you. 
“I don’t want to lose you” his voice barely above a whisper, trying to conceal the way his chest was tightened with sadness 
“You have to let me go, Yoongi” one of your hands comes up to caress his locks as he pushes up to stare at your face, anger long gone and replaced with utter sadness before one last thrust has him filling you up with his seed, warmth enveloping you, a soft whimper leaving your lips as his cock leaves your cunt, a briskly wind coming from the window causing your body to shiver for a second at the loss of body heat on top of you.
“I guess this was it then” his cold and unnerved facade was on again, making the cold shivers in your body that much worse as you watched him adjust his clothes and walk out of the room, leaving you to dress yourself and ultimately face your fated destiny at the end of the day.
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The palace’s front plaza is filled to the brim with spectators as the news got out that the Emperor was finally getting revenge for his mother’s killing, people from the kingdom and even some people from neighbouring ones all lined up in the outer sides of the fire marks that decorated the space to illuminate the middle path where you were placed in the end of it to walk your way up, two unknown guards on each side of you as each grabbed your elbows to push you forward, the rope certainly leaving marks on your skin as it was wrapped tightly around your wrists.  
You could only catch a glimpse of Yoongi’s blond hair, wrapped in his infamous black and golden hanbok, drums roaring in unison, people screaming as you watched him take the sword from the swordsman that had prepared the ritual beforehand, as someone wrapped a cloth around your eyes and you were promptly pushed forward, legs buckling every few seconds as you came to realise what you were about to face, it hadn’t been clear before, mere seconds away, finally falling to your knees, head bowed down in resignation as you could barely hear the sharp sword cutting the air around you, gasps from the crowd filling the air along with the constant sound of the drums around you. You could only hope your death would bring much needed peace to the monarch and his kingdom. Your heart seemed to want to burst out of your chest, if anything, Yoongi was known for being an espectacular swordsman, which hopefully made the whole execution that much easier. You could hear cheers and a metal cutting the air before your body fell limp to the ground.
But your consciousness never left, the drums couldn’t be heard anymore, cheers were replaced with confusion as a pair of hands helped you up to your knees, fumbling with the cloth around your eyes to come face to face with Min Yoongi kneeling before you, a subtle smile on his face as one of his hands caressed your cheek before helping you up beside him.
“I’m sure you all must be confused right now” he announced to his subjects “This woman right here, has got more courage in her than anyone that has ever worked for me, any of us, for that matter. Which is why I’m asking once again, publicly, for the first time, for her hand in marriage” he turned to face you, as you were still dazed by the whole ordeal, his hand in yours being the only thing holding you down “Marry me, Y/N”
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lockdownuk · 4 years
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Lockdown Diary Part 6
A personal account during the lockdown in the UK due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
23/03/2020 8:30pm Boris Johnson, UK Prime Minister, gives a live address to the nation to, effectively, put the country on lockdown to stem the spread of the deadly coronavirus strain, Covid-19.
Many of us have been self-isolating for days but this latest development within the UK in reaction to the pandemic feels very serious and very scary. I decided to keep a simple diary and where better but online.
Day 151: Great hour or so last night around Foggy’s. When I got home I watched World War Z and some stand up by Nate Bargatze and drank and smoked loads. Today, I got up just before 2pm and felt soooo unmotivated. I was going to have a day of doing fuck all but had a change of heart around 7pm so did my stair climb then walked for over an hour (7km) and got home at 9:30pm!
Day 152: Typing on day 153. I popped up and saw Foggy last night. One of the reasons was I wanted to take him a beer to say thanks for looking over my mitigation statement for my impending court hearing for speeding. He liked what i wrote but has given me some key amendments. Basically free solictor advice and I am very grateful. While there he hit me with the news that Ham’s sister, Preeya, has died (last Friday 14th August) from Covid 19. To say i was gobsmacked is an understatement. She was 49. The family could only talk to her over a loud speaker and had to say good bye that way as her life support was swithced off. Fucking hell, it’s terrible. And, what makes it worse, is how complacent I have become about the disease while it’s causing so much tragedy. As I said to Foggy, it’s important to renew our efforts in combatting this disease so that Preeya’s death at least means we learn. I also feel guilty for not realising that many people have passed like this - just because I (sort of) knew Preeya doesn’t mean I shouldn’t feel any less sorry for the dozens of people dying and many more affected everyday. My emotions are in turmoil and yet I’m not directly affected.
Day 153: Typing this on day 154. Gone midday before I woke up. Beers in the evening and watched Den of Thieves. Great film.
Day 154: Woke up at 2:37 pm FFS. Just done a walk and I feel like shit (booze induced).
Day 155: Went to bed at about 4am yesterday but was up at 10am today so, usual Monday correction of sleep patterns. Two long walks today plus a little housekeeping on photos, sharing to the Oundle chatter group, so, quite constructive. Hoir chat with dad plus a chat with a recruitment agemt about a helpdesk manager role in Peterborough.
Day 156: Typing on Day 157. I saw Karen sitting with TTP (and two others I couldn’t make out) at the T&K on my second walk. Why does that piss me off so much? I am being like Jack in Midnight Run. I need to let go.
I am also getting wound up with Tumblr - I can only make entries on this diary blog on the PC - when I try on the Android or Apple apps, they pop up with ‘post too long’. Trying getting info from Tumblr’s online help on that though - fucking not happening. I think I might move this to a Google Blog...it’s not like anyone else reads it. I’m not sure I’d want that - it’s far more a private diary now rather than the cute ‘blog’ idea it started out as. It is now a disciplinary exercise more than anything.
Day 158: Feeling less sorry for myself now. It’s 10pm and I am having a midweek beer as I wait for tea to cook.
Day 159: Decided I will split this diary into 30 day sections to appease Tumblr. My second walk today was at 8pm ‘cos it was pissing down from about 4pm ‘til 7:30pm...very dark and so wet. Home by 9.15pm.
Day 160: I went shopping in Corby (Tesco and Asda) - I only really went so I could get blue eggs. £75 on booze! I was going up to Fog’s tonight but at around 6pm it started to piss down. So, I shall drink at home. It’s 9.15pm, I think it’s going to get messy.
Day 161: Not sure when I wnet to bed last night but I didn’t get up until 2pm. Nice long walk (9km) in the rain!
Banners and Sam G went to London to have a few with Andy P. I’m a little flabbergasted, it’s like there’s no Covid19 all a sudden.
Day 162: Bank holiday Sunday so I am having a beer or two. Tea’s cooking, gonna watch The Accountant on BBC1 at 10.30pm. Today I got up at 1.55pm and managed to have a shower and be downstairs to see the start of the Belgian GP. Hamilton won, pretty easily. I then did my stair climb and a 9.8km (6 mile) walk.
Last night I watched a rather quirky, entertaining comic horror film called Ready or Not and then Ricky Gervais - Fame. That’s the tour I saw him live after seeing Henman’s final tennis match at the Davis Cup at Wimbledon. Bloody funny - the recording could even be the show Karen and I were at. Bed at around 5am, hence not egtting up ‘til way past midday!
Day 163: Bank Holiday Monday, just like a Sunday. I am making this entry on my phone as I'm now able to due to breaking up the diary blog into 30 day sections.
Molly's Game, a film I've tried to rewatch several times but it's never been free, is on BBC2 tonight. I'm recording it right now but actually watching Seinfeld from the start on All4. The first couple of episodes are a bit ropey if truth be told. Luckily, I know it improves.
Day 164: Managed to get hold of Michelle via her daughter Daisy to place a nice big order for C. Just as well ‘cos Tim’s ignoring me!
Rang and spoke with Barry Haddon today to check he’s OK.
Day 165: Picked up C from Michelle’s in Yarwell. While there I was mauled by her over friendly Staffordshirebull terrier getting bit on the thigh. Twice in six months I’ve been bitten by dogs.
Karen WhatsApp’d to see if I’d seen Miley Cyrus on the Live Lounge!
Day 166: Forgot to say that yesterday, I also bumped into and chatted with Pete Gilder. We mainly talked about (getting caught) speeding.
Today I did over 22k steps and I am fucked. 
I replied to an email from Shirley at work HR. After the furloughed staff call on Thursday, which I didn’t attend, they want us to cash in some (more) hoilday, which is fine by me, but I have also asked if we are any clearer as to what happens on 1st October, when the rentention scheme ends. I await her reply.
Day 167: Another 20k stpes today. Just 24k needed to have completed 1m steps since the start of July.
It’s Friday, about 9.45pm. I’m going to watch Molly’s Game and have a few beers.
Day 168: Got up at just before 2pm. It’s now 10.15pm and I am just having my first beer, Today was a lazyish day, completed 12k steps.
Day 169: Completed the 1m steps with 24 days to spare. Woohoo. Now, I am unsure whether to reduce the walking I have got so used to doing? I think I might keep up an average of 11k steps a day which is all I would have needed to accomplish to reack 1m in 3 months.
I’m pleased I did it today since I :went to bed a nearly 5am this morning!
Day 170: Actually typing this on day 171. Feels weird having done the 1m steps, almost like I’ve nothing to do. However, I am of course going to keep walking but not quite as hard/much. I did feel liek I was walking myself into the ground all in the name of finishiong the task ASAP. So, today I only had one walk, did 11,5k.
Yesterday’s Italian GP was a cracker. Hamilton had a penalty and ikt ended up with Gasly winning. Full of incident including a red flag so the race ‘restarted’.
I completely forgot ot make this entry on the correct day?
Day 171: I have decided to press on with the walking - not quite so urgently as before - to see what I can achieve steps-wise in 3 months. So, today, an unusually hot day for September, I did 18k steps plus cleaned the bathroom, hoovered my room and stairs and hallway. I am fucked!
Today I have bought a set of smart scales and a new pair of Skechers. The Skechers were almost free (£69 reduced to £30ish which I had in Paypal) and the scales were £20. Still, I shouldn’t. I don’t know what will happen at the end of October when the CJRS ends plus I don’t know what punsihment will be dished out, any day now, for the speeding offence! Fuck it!
Day 172: An eventful day. Boris has restricted gatherings to no more than 6 people and will use ‘Covid Marshalls’ to police this. It’s causing a stir amongst the online community. I have set up accounts with Gurushots and Picfair to showcase my snaps. The latter offers the opportunity to sell them. I watched Anchorman 2. It was pretty good. I also postd on the Oundle chatter group about walking in front of a car the other day - the driver, a yound lady, was enchanting the way she just smiled and let me pass - I used it as an opportunity to ask about George Higgins saving a child from near death at the hands of a lorry, the post about which has disappeared.
Day 173: Lots have seen my post re: my car incident but the bait hasn’t been taken.
Sarah Haines made a nice comment about my photo posts on the Oundle Chatter group also saying that she doesn’t know me but, it turns out she does. She is James Watson’s ex from when I first moved to Oundle so we caught up on Messenger.
Rachel Harris posted a meme slating Boris about the fact we were all encouraged to go out and about (inclding the Eat Out to Help Out scheme) and now we are being sent back to ‘our room’. Some of the comments continue to slate the government. I couldn’t resist commenting that, had the royal ‘we’ maintined social distancing and remembered there’s a fucking pandemic, perhaps we might not be under impending severe lockdown, as it now looks like. I also mentioned photos I have seen (one posted by Rach herslf) whereby you could be mistaken for thinking that there isn’t a pandemic. I have finished the comment with a line about we can only blame ourselves, not the hapless government! I wonder what reaction that will get!
Day 174: Scales were delivered today. If they are accurate I am a little over 11 stones, from 12st 7lbs before lockdown. Can’t quite believe it. I have a yearly diabetic review with Lynne in October so i can check then. If the scales are wrong, I’ll be livid on 2 scores!
Friday night beers as I type. Been looking forward to them since last Saturday!
Day 175: I do not trust the new scales. I get a different reading each time I step on them and by 10-12 lbs. Fucking things. Boots arrived today - they’re going back as well. Footy season started today. Posh lost away to Acrrington Stanley. “Who are they?”
Day 176: The GP was reflagged again today (a new track at Tuscany. A red flag two races on the trot is most unusual. Hamilton won.
Day 177: I managed to get the scales working. I’m pretty much the same weight I was prior to ld (about 12.5 st). This leads me to believe that if I wasn’t doing all the walking I am, I would be as fat as a fucking house. On that note, Google Fit is playing up. It loses the step and heart point count for each walk (although the workouts retain the route map info) Wtf?
I think K and TTP might be a thing from a post I saw on FB whereby some chap (who I don’t know) commented on TTP’s post that it was nice to see him and K. Kinda gutted if it is true but I shouldn’t be. That’s all I will say on here.
Day 178: Jim contacted me today to let me know he’s leaving RCI. He was quite secretive about why and what’s going on but, there it is. He went on to say that HR will be contacting me shortly to call me back from furlough. Sueanne is taking over as team leader but that’s temporary. and that they will most likely promote from within. I struggling to think what it would be like if Mark was boss! The way RCI are and how disjointed it is with Jim as boss, I shan’t take it as read until HR do contact me. Also, I dunno how I feel about it...I have got so used to not working. But, and it’s a big but, I doubt I’ll have a job after the retention scheme finishes so, if this does pan out, it’s good. I’ll be back to job hunting while in a job, as per before the pandemic.
Also, I received an email letting me know the punishment for my speeding offence was 6 points and a £233 fine, plus costs (£90) and victim support (£34), £357 in total. More than I expected. But, no ban, so I’ll suck it up. 
Day 179: Having midweek beers. I'm in that sort of mood.
Day 180: I WhatsApp’d Jim to let him know HR haven’t contacted me. His garbled response went from telling to give them a shout and let them know he is leaving, to which I asked ‘don’t they know?’, he then said hold fire (on Sueanne’s instruction) and she has said for me to sit tight and then, finally, that HR will contact me! Fuck knows what’s going on! I had a diabetic review with Lynne today. When you go to the surgery you have to let in, which I was by Keren. It was nice to see and chat with her. She is back with Ronnie which was news to me. Then Lynne came and got me. It was nice to see and chat with her also. She weighed me and I’m 12st 3lb. Apparently in Jan last year I was over 13st!
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leapyearkisses · 5 years
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Coffee Break
Aaaahhh, the amazing @kotyonoksnz commissioned me to write for her wonderful OCs Theo and Venn!  I was very happy to be able to work with them, and I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it!  (Seriously, her art is so gorgeous I had it in my head the whole time aaa)
~Please consider commissioning me!  Commissions are OPEN!~
----------------------------------------------------
Venn took a rag to the espresso machine, wiping foam from the steam wands in between cappuccinos. The air smelled of mocha, a heady scent of freshly ground beans and quality chocolate.  The owner didn’t mess around with ordering sub-par ingredients. That was probably one reason why the café was so busy today.  It was also coming up on mid-October, spring was in the air, and the summer school term was starting.  Students from the nearby high school were reuniting over coffee, grouped around the doors outside and laughing in line, phones out.  Venn didn’t miss school himself – he found the ambient whining chatter about the reinstatement of homework to be irritating – but he wouldn’t turn out a paying customer… much less a whole class of them.
“What can I get for you?” he asked, returning to the register.  His fingers worked easily over the order buttons as the girl rattled off a list of drinks.  The iced and blended drinks were popular today.  No wonder… he could feel sweat gathering at the collar of his shirt.  He was used to his own heat, but the air conditioner was wheezing asthmatically today and it wasn’t doing him any favors as he rushed around.  He pushed his hair up off his neck for a second, unconsciously, although fine strands still clung to his skin.  “$18.57. Will that be cash or card?”
“I’ve got this one.” Theo passed behind him, reaching past Venn’s elbow to the stack of plastic cups.  He’d come into his own at the café and now moved with the same frenetic grace as the rest of the small group of employees during a rush, slipping between bodies from machine to machine.  He still kept his eyes down off the crowd, though, and today his face was disguised by a white flu mask.
Venn swallowed and looked away, grabbing the customer’s receipt.  “Thanks.”  He enjoyed working with his boyfriend, but.  Some days it was almost too easy to get distracted.  He tried to ignore the way Theo’s forearms looked in that shirt and the way the back rode up slightly when Theo bent down to get a new carton of straws.  He tried to ignore the way Theo’s pale hair fluffed despite the heat of the day and the way his glasses slipped down the bridge of his nose when he moved.  
He especially tried to ignore the way that Theo was sniffling, because it wasn’t going to do either of them any good.
“Decaf iced vanilla latte,” Theo called a bit thickly, setting the drink on the counter.  “And an americano with skim milk.”
The bell above the door jangled cheerily as another group came inside, bringing with them a gust of hot air, the scent of late anemones, and pollen.  Theo narrowed his eyes.  The delicate skin of his lower lids already looked red, like he’d been rubbing them earlier, and Venn was sure he didn’t imagine the faint glimmer of a tear forming at the corner of one eye.  Theo cleared his throat, a delicate half-cough.
“You wanna take a break in the back?” Venn asked, sidling up to him under the pretense of checking the milk levels.  This close, he could hear it when Theo sniffled wetly behind the mask and his mouth went a bit dry.
Theo pressed the back of his wrist to his paper-clad nose.  “I’m not due ­hh for a break for another hour,” he said, stubbornly. “I’m okay.”  He sniffled again.
Venn shifted his weight from foot to foot, trying to ignore the way his body suddenly felt weird and electric.  “Sure. Just let me know.”  He didn’t really think that Theo was telling the truth – or, no, it was more that he suspected Theo was doing some wishful thinking.  He could always say he was worried about Theo’s powers going haywire at the shop, but no one was more self-conscious about that than Theo himself.  Venn didn’t want to bring it up unnecessarily. “I’m okay with it if you go a bit early.”
“Sounds like preferential treatment,” Theo replied, eyes crinkling as he smiled behind his mask. “Better hope no one hears you.”
“Oh no,” Venn said, voice deadpan despite his body’s singing.  “I’ll be arrested by the bean police.”  He emphatically avoided saying anything suggestive afterward, just unscrewed the top of the soy milk pitcher and began to refill it.
The rush started to let up a little in the next twenty minutes after the bulk of the student crowd had moved on to other afterschool activities or back home.  Various detritus had collected on the tables and floor of the café like less attractive autumn leaves.  Venn picked up a pair of cups someone had left beside a window, towel slung over his shoulder.  His mind wandered.  He needed to make a note to order more of the French roast.  One of the grinders needed a new O-ring.  They had leftovers in the fridge, but he really wanted to eat yukgaejang instead…
“Excuse me?” came a voice to his left.  It was a young-looking guy, maybe Theo’s age, with an asymmetrical haircut and a silk scarf. “Do you work here?”
“No, I just pick up trash for fun.  I make Dumpster collages for fun.”
Is how Venn wanted to answer, but instead, he smiled and answered in the affirmative.  “Can I help you with something?”
“I just wanted to order a drink?” asked(?) the guy. He pointed a thumb back at the counter. “And there’s no one there?”
Venn tilted his head. Well, he was right.  The only people in that direction were a pair of regulars examining the pastry case and chewing on their usual topic of politics.  “I’ll get right on it.”  He tossed the cups on the way over and then waited on the small line, dispensing coffee and the last of the muffins.  That done, he flagged Kelly, who’d just punched in, to take over. “I’m gonna go check something in the back.”
“Sure thing,” she said, stretching and then leaning her elbow on the counter, bored.
Venn went through the “Employees Only” door, past the cluttered office and into the stockroom, which had, over time, acquired a pair of cheap folding chairs and now doubled as the breakroom.  There was barely enough room for two people to sit between the close shelves of dry goods and the freezer toward the rear.  “Theo?” He poked his head around the door frame.
“Huh- huh-istchiu!”
“Aha.”  All the stirrings from earlier returned in full force and Venn became alarmingly aware of every inch of cloth touching his collar, stomach, lower. His jeans felt too tight and he smoothed a hand down his shirt.  “Bless you.” He stepped in and took the other chair.
Theo had pulled his mask to the side and it hung from one ear as he sneezed again into his cupped hands. “Hh- hh- ­hktsschuh!  Hh- huh-” An allergic tear slipped down his cheek and Venn watched it run along the side of Theo’s palm where it touched his cheek.  “Hh-ktschxiu!”
“Need a tissue?” Venn could feel himself blushing now and curled his left hand in the fabric of his apron to keep from fidgeting. His voice sounded too low to his own ears, colored with his arousal.  He swallowed.
“Yih- yheah.”  Theo gestured to his pocket with his elbow, keeping his hands pressed to face.  Venn tried not to combust at the implication.  “I’ve got some, here.”
Venn reached over into Theo’s pocket and tugged out a travel pack of tissues, almost empty. They were close enough to kiss, if Theo would let them.  So maybe there was a little bit of mess there…  That didn’t change Venn’s impulse to carefully entwine their fingers, lean forward until he could bring their lips together, move his mouth gently against Theo’s.  Put a hand on Theo’s lower back, where his shirt kept riding up, encourage Theo to-
Venn reached out and smoothed Theo’s bangs away from his face, then forced himself to restore their personal space.  His heartbeat was pounding in his ears and other places, too, but he was at work. And Theo probably wasn’t feeling too well, at least in this moment.  He was sniffling again, inhaling unevenly.  Venn held out a tissue.  Theo took it quickly and wiped at his nose.
“Thanks.”  He sounded stuffy and tired.  “I’ll be fine in a minute… I took some more pills.”  He scrunched his nose, but it didn’t look like it helped.  “The pollen’s hh- really bad today, though.”  He took a knuckle to his septum for a few moments, rubbing with determination, pushing each nostril closed with a little groan of irritation and a soft, moist sound. Venn was transfixed.
Then Theo sat straight up so suddenly that Venn almost startled.  “Crap.”
“Ah- What is it?” Venn curled his fingers more tightly in his apron.
“I left the counter unmanned!”  Theo scrambled to his feet.  “I was still in the middle of my shift!”  He rubbed his hands on his apron, dropped his tissues, bent to grab them again, gasped- “Huah- hih- Hkksht! Nkt-ussch!”  The two sneezes came quickly, forcefully.  Theo pressed a hand to his face, but not before Venn saw another hint of wetness. The fluorescent bulb overheard flickered.  
“Uh, Theo?”  Venn reached out to try and snag his boyfriend’s sleeve.
“Hih- hh- kshxtuh!”  One of the shelves behind them rattled and a several prepackaged bags of ground coffee tipped over like dominos.  “Hh’iktschiu!” Theo bent into his cupped hands again.  A bottle of flavored syrup shot into the air.  Venn’s eyes widened and he parried it with his elbow. The lights flickered again and the bottle clattered to the floor.  Theo sighed and snuffled in defeat.
“­­Bless you,” Venn said, flushing gently.  He took Theo by the arms.  “Hunter, sit down.  You’ve been covered at the counter.  Hipsters can still get their coffee and the world isn’t ending.”  He pressed a kiss to the top of Theo’s head, giving in to the urge to pull him in close.  “Far as I’m concerned, you can take a double break to get settled.  Is there anything I can get you?”
Theo looked up at him, eyes dewy, nose deeply pink and running.  He sniffled ineffectually and then rested his forehead on Venn’s shoulder. “A new immune system?”
“Besides that.” Venn nuzzled him.
“Some water.  And some more hh tissues…”  After a moment, Theo wrapped an arm around Venn’s waist.  “…I hope I’m not making your shirt gross.”
Venn bit his lip. “I don’t really care about that right now.”  He rubbed Theo’s back.  “Listen…” It occurred to him that he was going to ask this selfishly, as much for his own relief as Theo’s: “Do you want to go home early?  We’re wrapping up here, anyway.”  He did feel Theo stiffen a little.  “I mean it.  West and Kelly are closing today.  I’ll only be another two hours or so.”  He nuzzled Theo again.  “You could take a nice shower, get rid of some of the pollen, work on your computer… and feel better.”
“…Tempting,” Theo said, begrudgingly.  He stifled a cough.  And finally sighed. “…This is not going to be a usual thing, okay? But.  I don’t want to like, throw anything at the customers.”
“I’ll pick up the stuff, no big deal.  Really.” Venn touched the cool back of Theo’s neck.  “I’ll see you at home.”
Theo headed out, flu mask back in place, a few minutes later.  Venn saw him out, but no one was going to give Theo a hard time.  It was a great relief to know that his boyfriend was going to be lying down soon and giving himself a break… and the anticipation of joining him and getting to cuddle properly gave Venn an extra spring in his step as he finished his shift.  And a period to cool down before they reunited.
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The other day, I was on a train (actually, on four in a row, thanks DB Länder-Ticket) and I was reading A Book. Dorothy L. Sayers, too, not Anna Todd or something. A Respectable Book.
The compartment was quite full, there were a few kids who were obviously going to the same Pride march, decked in rainbow flags and all, and then there was a hen do (although the girls were maybe nineteen, so I’m not sure).
There were an older woman sitting opposite me and a man sitting next to me, and the two of them just talked...inane things. I’m sure they were important to them, but geez, I’m tired of old people’s laziness when it comes to technology. “My niece turned my screen and I couldn’t figure out how to turn it back but after three hours, I finally managed it!” Hooray, Pamela, congratulations. Do you want an award for something I do daily, parallel to doing my actual job (or also, during my time at uni, because our IKT teacher was not very good at explaining things)? Just...that’s what all these newfangled gadgets are for, you can Google these things.
Anyway.
I was tired, so after a while I put my book away. And closed my eyes.
The man said, “Now we’ve stopped you from reading, haven’t we?”
And he said “Du”. Informal “you”.
I know. I have a really young face, and I was dressed young (because Pride. Can’t go to Pride in a pantsuit if you’re a confused bi representing a youth organisation, can you.).
But I said, “I’m 24, thanks” and it took me spelling it out for them that they realised maybe I would not like to be Duzed.
Also, I really didn’t want to join their conversation because it was stupid to my tired brain, so I pulled out my phone (also trying to figure out if I was going to meet XY there), and Immediately, their conversation jumped to “people nowadays don’t talk in trains anymore, they just stare at their screens”.
BITCHES. I was READING. A BOOK. AND THEN I WANTED TO SLEEP. So I CLOSED MY EYES. I DIDN’T want to talk. It really wasn’t that subtle.
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rolandfontana · 5 years
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Eight+ Things to Read About China and Other Things, Part 12
This is the twelfth episode in our ongoing Saturday series on eight+ things to read about China and a lot more. We constantly get emails from readers asking what to read on China and all sorts of things related and even barely related to China and this series is intended to constantly and consistently answer these questions.
As we said in our initial post on this, our plan is to list out eight (or so) articles we benefitted from reading and think you our readers would also benefit from reading, along with a very brief explanation as to why the particular article was included. More specifically:
The articles will likely include many on China and on Asia and a few on international trade, international politics, Spain and Latin America, economics and really just anything else we believe might benefit our readers or even that we just want people to read. We do not plan to choose articles that push our or any other political agenda or any other agenda for that matter, but having said that, we are not objective and our views may creep through. Our goal though is to focus on articles that are important or helpful or — most importantly — that make you think. Our posting of an article will NOT mean we agree with all of it or even any of it. Most of the articles will be from the week preceding the post but we will also sometimes throw in older articles (classics if you will) as well.
Please do not hesitate to comment at the end of this or any other post. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate your comments, good, bad and indifferent.
Here we go, in absolutely no particular order.
1. Father of twins who died in a hot car gets support from a crowd at court hearing. CNN. Because as a lawyer and a father, I’ve become obsessed with this case. Because my first instinct upon hearing of the case was that the father should never see the light of day but now I believe he should be released. Because the father made a mistake — a horrible mistake — and his life will be ruined whether he is jailed or not. Because there is no evidence (at least as far as I can tell from the media) that he is anything but a decent person and not a killer. Because I once drove to work with my baby daughter in a car seat in the back seat of my car. She fell asleep and because I pretty much never took her to work, I forgot about her and I left her in the car in an indoor parking lot. I got up to my office and our receptionist asked where she was because I had said I would be bringing her. I just about fainted and I immediately ran back to the car where she had been contently sleeping for the last 5 or so minutes(that felt like hours). I tell this story as often as I can because I believe I was lucky and that this sort of thing can happen to anyone. Because most of the time when I tell this story I hear stories from great people/great parents who went grocery shopping with their forgotten kid sleeping in the car or dropped off one kid at elementary school and then went home and left their baby sleeping in the car until the spouse called and asked “how things were going” or went out to lunch with a law school classmate while their kid was sleeping upstairs. I could go on and on. There are three super important morals to this. One, forgiveness is sometimes more appropriate than punishment. Two, be careful of judging unless you truly know. And three, do not believe this same thing could not happen to you and do whatever you can by way of reminders, etc., to make sure it does not.
2. Mustachioed puppy goes viral, named for resemblance to Salvador Dali. Fox. Because this puppy (now named Salvador Dolly) does bear an uncanny resemblance to Salvador Dali.
3. Four big Chinese films have been pulled in a month with barely an explanation. CNN. Because this is how you quickly decimate a movie industry.
4. Woman who urinated on potatoes at Walmart turns self in. BoingBoing. Because who pees on potatoes? At Walmart or anywhere else?
5. Car mechanic shifts gears, becomes a doctor at age 47 and helps address shortage of black doctors.  Cleveland Plain Dealer.  Because for every person who pees on potatoes, there is at least one person like this. Thankfully.
6. How Turkey Purged Its Intellectuals. New York Times. Because I am fascinated by countries that stupidly eat their own. Because I lived in Istanbul for a year and loved it. Because Turkey — like so many countries — always seems to be on the precipice of greatness and failure.
7. The invisible China threat: University intellectual property. The Hill. Because there is openness and diversity and globalization on the one hand and because there is IP theft on the other hand.
8. US companies are increasingly interested in China’s big import event despite trade war. CNBC. Because while the international manufacturing lawyers at my firm are always screaming for foreign companies to move their manufacturing out of China (see How to Stop Manufacturing in China: Try Harder) our China lawyers are always screaming for foreign companies to do more business with China (see Why NOW Is a Good Time to Double Down on Doing Business in China).  
9. China’s Great Leap Backward. Atlantic.  Because this article totally nails it, even though it is from 2016. Because it was written by James Fallows, who pretty much always nails it.
10. Is Now The Time To Start Selling on Alibaba? Inc. Because foreign companies should be selling on Alibaba and now that it has gotten even easier, ikt is past time.
11. Ensuring the Chicago Race Riot Is Not Forgotten, With Inspiration from Germany’s Holocaust Memorials.  Time. Because those who ignore history are doomed to. . . .
Eight+ Things to Read About China and Other Things, Part 12 syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/
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rolandfontana · 5 years
Text
Eight+ Things to Read About China and Other Things, Part 12
This is the twelfth episode in our ongoing Saturday series on eight+ things to read about China and a lot more. We constantly get emails from readers asking what to read on China and all sorts of things related and even barely related to China and this series is intended to constantly and consistently answer these questions.
As we said in our initial post on this, our plan is to list out eight (or so) articles we benefitted from reading and think you our readers would also benefit from reading, along with a very brief explanation as to why the particular article was included. More specifically:
The articles will likely include many on China and on Asia and a few on international trade, international politics, Spain and Latin America, economics and really just anything else we believe might benefit our readers or even that we just want people to read. We do not plan to choose articles that push our or any other political agenda or any other agenda for that matter, but having said that, we are not objective and our views may creep through. Our goal though is to focus on articles that are important or helpful or — most importantly — that make you think. Our posting of an article will NOT mean we agree with all of it or even any of it. Most of the articles will be from the week preceding the post but we will also sometimes throw in older articles (classics if you will) as well.
Please do not hesitate to comment at the end of this or any other post. We cannot tell you how much we appreciate your comments, good, bad and indifferent.
Here we go, in absolutely no particular order.
1. Father of twins who died in a hot car gets support from a crowd at court hearing. CNN. Because as a lawyer and a father, I’ve become obsessed with this case. Because my first instinct upon hearing of the case was that the father should never see the light of day but now I believe he should be released. Because the father made a mistake — a horrible mistake — and his life will be ruined whether he is jailed or not. Because there is no evidence (at least as far as I can tell from the media) that he is anything but a decent person and not a killer. Because I once drove to work with my baby daughter in a car seat in the back seat of my car. She fell asleep and because I pretty much never took her to work, I forgot about her and I left her in the car in an indoor parking lot. I got up to my office and our receptionist asked where she was because I had said I would be bringing her. I just about fainted and I immediately ran back to the car where she had been contently sleeping for the last 5 or so minutes(that felt like hours). I tell this story as often as I can because I believe I was lucky and that this sort of thing can happen to anyone. Because most of the time when I tell this story I hear stories from great people/great parents who went grocery shopping with their forgotten kid sleeping in the car or dropped off one kid at elementary school and then went home and left their baby sleeping in the car until the spouse called and asked “how things were going” or went out to lunch with a law school classmate while their kid was sleeping upstairs. I could go on and on. There are three super important morals to this. One, forgiveness is sometimes more appropriate than punishment. Two, be careful of judging unless you truly know. And three, do not believe this same thing could not happen to you and do whatever you can by way of reminders, etc., to make sure it does not.
2. Mustachioed puppy goes viral, named for resemblance to Salvador Dali. Fox. Because this puppy (now named Salvador Dolly) does bear an uncanny resemblance to Salvador Dali.
3. Four big Chinese films have been pulled in a month with barely an explanation. CNN. Because this is how you quickly decimate a movie industry.
4. Woman who urinated on potatoes at Walmart turns self in. BoingBoing. Because who pees on potatoes? At Walmart or anywhere else?
5. Car mechanic shifts gears, becomes a doctor at age 47 and helps address shortage of black doctors.  Cleveland Plain Dealer.  Because for every person who pees on potatoes, there is at least one person like this. Thankfully.
6. How Turkey Purged Its Intellectuals. New York Times. Because I am fascinated by countries that stupidly eat their own. Because I lived in Istanbul for a year and loved it. Because Turkey — like so many countries — always seems to be on the precipice of greatness and failure.
7. The invisible China threat: University intellectual property. The Hill. Because there is openness and diversity and globalization on the one hand and because there is IP theft on the other hand.
8. US companies are increasingly interested in China’s big import event despite trade war. CNBC. Because while the international manufacturing lawyers at my firm are always screaming for foreign companies to move their manufacturing out of China (see How to Stop Manufacturing in China: Try Harder) our China lawyers are always screaming for foreign companies to do more business with China (see Why NOW Is a Good Time to Double Down on Doing Business in China).  
9. China’s Great Leap Backward. Atlantic.  Because this article totally nails it, even though it is from 2016. Because it was written by James Fallows, who pretty much always nails it.
10. Is Now The Time To Start Selling on Alibaba? Inc. Because foreign companies should be selling on Alibaba and now that it has gotten even easier, ikt is past time.
11. Ensuring the Chicago Race Riot Is Not Forgotten, With Inspiration from Germany’s Holocaust Memorials.  Time. Because those who ignore history are doomed to. . . .
Eight+ Things to Read About China and Other Things, Part 12 syndicated from https://immigrationattorneyto.wordpress.com/
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