#it also would put her pro bono work into perspective

[fearsomeandwretched]

i think that kim's dad is a 'criminal'

#i've seen it hc'd in fics but i've never seen anyone talk about it on here lol #but i definitely think that she has some former associations with crime #bob himself said that there's something about her that we don't know about that finds jimmy familiar #i think it's her dad #it also would put her pro bono work into perspective

[kojinnie]

AOT Characters’ Modern Jobs Headcanon; The Vets Edition!

The jobs that The Vets would have in modern!au, their workplace antics and their back story. There might be some inaccuracies when describing the job as obviously I don’t work at these industries to know its intricacies. Most of the jobs are office jobs. Enjoyyyy!

My Masterlist .::. Pt. II: Zeke Yeager’s Modern Jobs Headcanon   

Most recent work: Dream Me Home (Before Shiganshina) | reader x erwin smith

A/N: I really need to finish a presentation deck due tonight for an early morning meeting tomorrow but of course, this comes first hahaha 

erwin!

A/N: Basically lawyer!erwin is the way to go, innit?

He's in his 40s, so he may have a settled career

He came from a white-collar, middle-class family. So he wasn’t silverspoon-fed, but his parents had enough money to put him through good school

Got a scholarship to go to one of the nation’s finest law schools

Kept it lowkey in college’s social circle, graduated with summa cum laude, developed a strong academic relation with his professor, and got recommended for an internship at top law firm at the capital city

Starting his career as a corporate lawyer, but then built his expertise as white-collar crime attorney

In his early 30s, he represented a union suing against conglomerate corporation in a big case that had national coverage, from then on he began to know his calling

Expanding his portfolio and became well-known for defending workers, consumers and civilians against corporate fraud scheme

Currently doing a lot of pro-bono cases for deprived victims of big corporate fraud. You would see him frequently gracing your local newspaper we love us some socialist king

On the side, he often writes for law journal and fills in as guest professor at local universities for summer courses

Established his own law firm with some of his partners, specializing in white collar crime and labor & employment law

He’s damn accomplished, but never really had any time for self-indulgence. Even after he becomes a household name in the country, with tens of attorneys working under him, his employees would still see him working on New Year’s Eve

He was always attentive to his employees, though. Although he has a very strict, borderline no-life work ethics, he never forces his employees to follow his habit, in fact he despises when his employees works on holidays and can be seen blaming himself for it a bit of a hypocrite but thats ok

He still takes metro to work. He prefers a very lowkey, ordinary lifestyle because he fears if he shows any knack for indulgence, he will be susceptible to gratification from potential enemies or crooked politicians

Definitely a sight to see at the workplace, for he's tall and always oozes a sense of authority in the way he speaks and carries himself generally

His emotional intelligence is top-notch, you would never meet someone who is able to be very objective and calculating, while being kind and compassionate at the same time

His fellow attorneys put a lot for respect for him, and hundreds of applicants come to his considerably small firm every week, because a lot of aspiring attorney find him inspiring to work with

He wasn’t oblivious to his shiny reputation, but he’s trying his hardest to not let the compliments get to his head. Sometimes he doesn’t give himself enough credit for it

Was approached by one of the political party’s committee to run for local senate, but turned it down

basically he’s perfect if you like a man who’s never home for christmas

Hange!

A/N: Ok ok, I really wanna see Paleontologist!Hange because it has always been my fave dream job, but I want Hange to be out and about with people so here it is

Hange is the type to be incredibly good at one thing, that she will dedicate her whole life for that pursuit, but will be awfully oblivious to a whole lot of things (not intentional of course, they just have a very limited attention span) (they wouldn’t know who kanye west is or what tiktok is)

Like Erwin, they came from a middle-class family. While Erwin’s parents might have been teachers, accountants or other common profession, Hange came from a family of academician and researchers

Hange studied Human Geography at uni, but later found passion specifically in its relation to industrialization and urban development

Hange aims to advocate for a better living condition for workforce, and nearby inhabitants of industrialized city detroit would be a beautiful city if only they let hange designed it

Hange is a professor at university, where they also led a non-profit research think-thank that also serves as pressure group for better government policy.

The university that Hange teaches in, is also the uni where Erwin teaches in summer. They’re close-knitted colleagues as they share similar passion. Erwin relies on Hange a lot for some intellectual insights to help his cases  

Hange is relentless in their cause, you may find Hange everywhere! From street protest to a hearing in the government court. They are passionate and will do anything for the cause they believe in

Hange was once hired by the government as an independent consultant for a new housing project, but left because they grew to be frustrated by the government’s bureaucracy and their outward reluctance to follow Hange's recommendation

Hange spends a lot of time overseas, consulting and advocating development in newly industrialized countries

On Hange’s birthday, her fellow researchers surprised them with a ‘pampering day’ where they took them to an optometrist because Hange had been complaining about their eyesight for a YEAR that gave them a lot of migraines, but was always either too busy or too lazy to go

Hange never really considers themselves as working, because they enjoy their job very much. Hange likes to spend months observing a community, talking to people for hours, and trying their best in understanding their problem

Out of so many great qualities that Hange has as a researcher that meets different set of people everyday, prejudice or preconceived judgment is completely absent in Hange’s demeanor and perspective

Hange doesn’t get a lot of free-time, even if they do, they’d wander around the city to do a little observation. But when the weather’s bad and they’re stuck at home with their pet lizard, they would logged into Quora to answer random internet questions

They’re an avid writer for National Geographic, and one time Hange won a pitch to make a documentary about an industrial city project they were working on

After the docu-series got broadcasted, Hange gained a small but passionate and loyal fans on the internet. You could even find a subreddit dedicated for Hange’s works

for real I want to be Hange. I want to have that kind of passion in life

levi!

A/N: I spent a lot of times thinking about Levi’s job in modern!au. Because here’s the thing, either we adopt his unfortunate childhood into its modern!au equivalent, or let’s just recreate his whole upbringing. But I think his personality stems from a specific things he experienced during childhood, so let’s not dismiss that.

Levi came from a struggling working class family. I reckon his parents might have had worked multiple jobs to sustain their living expense. Unfortunately they both passed away when Levi was very little, and left little to no inheritance

Levi’s parents were not close to their extended family, so when they died, Levi was admitted to the system and had to brace several foster families who didn’t really pay attention to him

Little Levi had come to realize that life’s all about survival and so he had been able to fend on for himself since very young age, he never asked for things

His uncle, Kenny, finally won custody over Levi when he was in elementary. Kenny made money from small-scale racketeering here and there. Levi never asked what he did for living, as long as he got food to eat and tuition paid off

Kenny was emotionally absent, but he loved spending time with the oddly quiet little child, teaching him a lot of crafts, from carpentering to how to flay pig’s skin

Levi didn’t really care about getting into college, and thought that he’d probably end up working for his uncle, so he put his bare minimum throughout school, although he was really good with numbers, especially in math, accounting and finance

One time in high school, Levi’s teacher asked him to sign up for the olympiad team, Levi turned it down because he thought that was a rich kid thing

He didn’t even apply for college, and worked odd jobs after high school. Probably working as cashiers or assistant to retail shop’s owner for couple of years, enough for him to afford a cheap studio apartment on his own

One of his bosses came to acknowledge Levi’s talent, and trusted him to handle the company’s accounting

By sheer luck, the company hit it big, and Levi found himself running the day-to-day accounting of mid-sized business with over 300 employees

He made good money already without a college degree, but with a new-found confidence Levi applied for uni, where he chose to study accounting (of course)

Although he was confident with his skills, he understood he needed to widen his horizon and network -- thus uni

Levi was one of the oldest members of his cohort in uni, but graduated with highest distinction

After graduating, with his skills and experience, it wasn’t hard for Levi to score a job at top accounting firm

There, he discovered an interest for forensic accounting, where through audits, analysis and investigation, he basically finds out if a company is doing fraud and embezzlement or not

This is where he came to know and get acquainted with Erwin and Hange (yippie they’re together again)

The firm he works for was assigned to investigate the finances of a troublesome company that had been sued by its workers for a jeopardizing working condition. Erwin was on the case, and Levi helped him with evidences for legal proceeding.

By chance, Erwin introduced Levi to Hange. At first, Levi would find Hange annoying and overtly energized, but after learning the things they have done, Levi grew to appreciate Hange’s passion (and secretly wants to have more of his positive outlook)

Levi is fucking good his job. In short amount of time, he could get a really ideal position in the office. He was almost foolproof, finding even the tiniest bit of discrepancy in his audit. He’d get assigned to the big league case/project.

Although really good at his job, he’s not a social person, especially in his office. He couldn’t understand the lavish lifestyle that finance and banking people often lead. He will only show up to office party if it is really necessary for him to show up (usually to receive some kind of informal awards for, again, being so fucking good) 

He leads a no-bullshit attitude at the office, largely because of his background. He is a self-made man, and is not easy to impress by some young executives from posh school that talk bigger than they can chew

His cold, seemingly dismissive attitude gained him a reputation of being scary, when actually he is very considerate

One of the things he enjoys doing is to actually teach, he really likes when a new kid at the office come to him with none of that pretentious, big talk, and really asks for his guidance. He would love to teach you a thing or two

He would frequently check on his mentee, just to keep up with their development

And he doesn’t take credit too. When his mentee makes a milestone, he believes it’s 100% your work

If you’re his mentee, he probably doesn’t give a crap about your personal life, so don’t expect him to make small talk about that (and don’t ask him about his personal life either). But he really cares about your skill and career development

Same with Erwin, he leads a very ordinary lifestyle. He doesn’t go out often and would rather reading detective novel with his cat on the couch

He likes to spend Sunday at Uncle Kenny’s house, because he finds himself worried about the old man very often. They became close as Levi grew

Overall, Levi is a really kind and caring person if you know how not to push his button

#aot #snk #aot headcanons #snk headcanons #aot modern au #levi ackerman #hange zoë #erwin smith #modern headcanon #lawyer erwin smith #professor hange zoe #accountant levi ackerman #attack on titan #shingeki no kyojin #kojin writes

[itsclydebitches]

A weird defence I've seen of RWBY's conflicts has been that it's good writing simply by the virtue that people can disagree on what's the right thing to do in said conflict. Which doesn't work when one decision is being presented as the only valid choice while every other option is either not addressed or demonized. This isn't a story leaving a nuanced set of stances to explore, it's a guy on stage signalling the crowd to boo whenever someone goes against the Protag's decision.

Real quick, I want to talk about RWBY by not talking about RWBY. I’ve seen this argument a lot too and the tl;dr is that just because your audience debates the right action in a conflict  — something that is inevitable given how subjective media is  — doesn’t mean the story encouraged that reflection in any way. As you say, RWBY pretends that those disagreements don’t exist and that This Is The One (1) Right Answer... which entirely defeats the purpose of a morally nuanced situation in the first place. That lack is bad writing because it demonstrates the author’s inability to provide an accurate picture of the conflict while still ensuring we come out of it liking the parties involved. The conflict was too complex for them to manage alongside equally complex characterization, so they just pretended it was far simpler than it actually was. That’s not something to praise. 

But to get to the not RWBY part. I’ve mentioned this a couple times before, but one of the scenes that I think manages these sorts of conflicts really well is the funeral fight in The Haunting of Hill House, episodes 6, “Two Storms.” So warning from here on out for spoilers. Sometimes, the best way to see what’s not working well in one show is to look at another show that does (basically) the same thing successfully and compare the two. 

Normally I’d include screenshots, but Netflix doesn’t allow that :/ So I’m forced to rely on bullet points. 

The basic premise is that the Crain family has assembled in daughter Shirley’s funeral home, the night before they bury their sister, Nell. A lot of secrets are about to come to light. 

The scene kicks off when their father, Hugh, relays the call he got from the housekeeper the night of Nell’s death. She had committed suicide in the family’s childhood home. 

Though everyone knew how she’d died, son Steven is distraught at hearing the details and reveals that a few weeks prior Nell crashed a book signing of his. This shocks the others given that this was very unusual behavior for Nell. 

Shirley likewise reveals that she got a call from Nell who’d been worried about their brother, Luke, but hadn’t spoken to her the night of her death. The implication is that no one did. They’ll never know what was going through her head the night she died. 

Hugh reveals that she did call him. “I talked to her.” 

Stunned by this news, his children demand to know what was discussed and Hugh is clearly reluctant to continue. However, he eventually says that Nell wasn’t just worried about Luke, but also the “Bent Neck Lady,” a specter from her childhood.

The viewer knows that ghosts are real in this show. The kids don’t. Or rather, they all experienced supernatural occurrences in their childhood, are still experiencing them now, but only some of them are willing to admit they’re real. Steven is the diehard skeptic of the bunch and starts yelling at his father, accusing him of aiding Nell’s delusions and ignoring a family history of mental illness. In particular, he declares that this “makes you culpable [in her death].” 

Steven continues to accuse Hugh of “holding back information” about Nell and Hugh shoots back that “If I held back anything it was to protect you kids.” The viewer understands Hugh’s dilemma: the only reason he keeps things to himself is because Steven and the others refuse to believe the truth, with an added dose of this supernatural stuff being very dangerous. Steven asks, “Why do I need protection from the truth?” 

Before their fight can go any further, Shirley tells Steven, “You might want to check yourself before you start talking about the truth.” He published an autobiographical book about their childhood trauma and notably capitalized on a supernatural angle he doesn’t believe in. Shirley calls it “blood money.” 

As the argument about the ethics of his book rages, Shirley defends herself primarily with how everyone else thinks this is “blood money” too. No one took a cut when Steven offered one, proving how despicable they all think it is. 

Meanwhile, sister Theo has been getting heat for being drunk (a coping mechanism for her own supernatural troubles) and Shirley eventually pushes her far enough that she admits she did take Steven’s money and used it to get her degree. “It’s good, fucking money.” Suddenly, Steven has someone in his corner and Shirley’s main defense has crumbled. 

Shirley is furious that Theo had this secret income but was still living with her and her husband. Theo reminds her that she offered to pay rent, but Shirley isn’t interested in hearing that. She demands that Theo move out immediately and uses this betrayal as the new way to protect herself. She’s the victim here. 

Steven, sensing another secret in the works, cautions Shirley to “get off your high horse before you fall off.” 

Shirley maintains her position until her husband blurts that they also took Steven’s money. Shirley hasn’t been running the funeral home well and they would have sunk without it. 

Despite being the punching bag for the second half of this fight, Shirley is offered both reassurance and dignity. Her husband emphasizes that the only reason they’re struggling is because Shirley is a good person. She does too much work pro bono. Shirley also delivers the line, “Do you have any idea how much you’ve humiliated me?” calling into question the husband’s choice to admit this now, purely as a way to prove her wrong. 

Shirley leaves to get some distance and discovers that someone — something — has put buttons over Nell’s eyes. The shock of this keeps the fight from continuing and, as plot intervenes, gives the characters the space needed to eventually start healing and forgiving one another, notably by sitting with the various truths they all now have to grapple with. 

Phew! A long summary, but I’ve put this much detail in to highlight the nuance of the scene. Obviously RWBY would differ in many ways  — less cursing, for one  — but the core elements of any morally complex scene should be the same. The important takeaways here are that no one in the Crain family are “pure” or “evil” and everyone gets their chance to be both right and wrong. Hugh is right that Steven won’t listen to him and wrong in that he didn’t do enough to help his kids. We get Steven and Hugh’s frustration, their understanding of the world at odds with one another. Steven is wrong to put everything on his father and justified in starting his writing career with their story. We watch the scene move from “Steven is Wrong and everyone agrees” to “Oh shit nm, more and more of the family are revealing that they benefited from his money, complicating how “wrong” he actually is.” Shirley is right to point out that Theo is getting drunk during their sister’s funeral and Theo is right to point out that being drunk doesn’t erase having a good point. Theo is allowed to scream at the group and then immediately be offered help when she falls. Shirley pretends she’s better than all of them and is slowly, horrifyingly proven wrong, but is then still extended compassion and is allowed to point out how horribly they’ve just treated her. The husband is right about the money, wrong about keeping it a secret/revealing it the way he did, right in how he tries to diffuse the other fights, and VERY wrong by getting caught kissing Theo down in the storeroom! 

The scene twists and turns in a way that highlights everyone’s points and their flaws, the moments when their perspective should be upheld and questioned. The end result is a scene that has space for the audience to debate everyone’s choices without imposing the single view of This Person Is Obviously Wrong/Right and If You Think Otherwise You’re Not Watching The Show Correctly. The show itself acknowledges the complexity and nuance of these problems. It asks, “Hugh should have tried harder, but what more can he do when his kids literally don’t believe this stuff exists? Was Steven really justified in writing a book about their collective experiences? What does it mean that something his family sees as capitalizing on their trauma also helped them keep businesses and schooling afloat? Was it okay for Shirley’s husband to keep that money a secret, even if it helped them? How might he have told her in a less cruel manner? What about Shirley’s life has led to her intense need to be on that ‘high horse’?” 

And of course: “Who is really responsible for Nell’s death?” By this point the viewer already knows that there is no “really” here. This is too complicated a tragedy to lay the blame at any one person’s feet. Everyone in this room has moments of justified accusations and moments of chastisement because they’re well written, well rounded characters who are neither saints nor devils. The length of the scene (done in a single shot!) emphasizes that if you just wait long enough, even the most perfect looking person will eventually have a skeleton pulled from their closet. No one is above mistakes. 

RWBY has NONE of that. Zip. Nada. Nothing. RWBY gave us a scenario with many of the same, core themes  — secret keeping, secrets unwillingly revealed, blaming others for your mistakes, hurtful actions with helpful consequences, questioning who is responsible for a tragic death  — and instead of even attempting to give us some of the above nuance, RWBY said only that Ruby was right, Ozpin was wrong, and demanding that the audience ignore the nuance they could already see in order to accept the canon. 

RWBY’s scene asks the audience to play dumb and look at the world as a Black and White place, despite the show simultaneously insisting that “the world isn’t a fairy tale” and is, in fact, filled with shades of gray. 

Just not any shades of gray that mess with that dichotomy that now drives the story.  

That’s not good writing. It’s oblivious and contradictory writing that makes the audience frustrated. Not satisfied, surprised, contemplative, or curious. Just frustrated. 

#rwby #the haunting of hill house #mymetas #Anonymous

[jazy3]

Thoughts on Grey’s Anatomy: 16X14

Holy cow was this an intense episode! Wow! I’m glad that Meredith and DeLuca officially called it quits! I’m also glad that both Meredith and Hayes stood up to him and told him off. He was way out of line as usual. I like that they also explained his bizarre behaviour for the last several seasons. I loved that Hayes was there for Mer and supported her. The scene where they talked about the video games was so cute! The way she smiles around him! Her whole face lights up. Just talking to him about nothing she’s so happy. We haven’t seen her that happy in ages.

Prior to this I thought they might write DeLuca off at some point by either having him move to Switzerland to be with Bellos and be closer to his Dad or by having him go to another hospital to do his fellowship. But now after seeing this episode and how he’s clearly suffering from untreated mental illness that he’s refusing to acknowledge I’m guessing that they’re going to write him off to go seek treatment. My hope is that in the wake of that Meredith and Hayes are going to fall in love and merge their lives together. I can’t wait to see their relationship develop and grow!

I was really worried that DeLuca was going to physically hurt Meredith when he started punching the wall in that last scene. I’m glad Hayes stepped in. I liked that they also explained why Carina randomly showed up in Seattle and hung around after Arizona left. I’m hoping they’ll write DeLuca off sooner rather than later and don’t draw it out as they’ve kinda gone as far as they can go with his character. Also, I love that they suddenly explained away a season of bad writing with a conversation lol. Kind of like the brain tumour storyline with Amelia.

It reminded me of that scene after Amelia has brain surgery. The gang is waiting for her to wake up and they’re all sitting around a table saying how much they wish they could blame their dumb stuff (aka bad writing) on a brain tumour. I’m glad Suzanne is okay. She’s a nice person and a great Mom and her kids really need her. I figured that as soon as that case wrapped up Meredith and DeLuca would be done because of how obsessed he got with it. But I didn’t see it going that way. I figured that if she lived DeLuca would want to celebrate with Meredith and if she died, he would want to commiserate, and Meredith would be over it because she’d already be with Hayes. I did not see DeLuca taking it too far and the realization that he’s ill coming but it did make sense given the circumstances.

I liked that DeLuca showed his true nature and Mer finally saw it. In the past whenever he’s been insubordinate, disrespectful, rude, aggressive, or out of control it’s always been with other characters and when she’s not present. This time she saw it, called him on it, and put her foot down. It’s not just that he’s sick because he’s been disrespectful to everyone from his superiors to his subordinates for a long time now. This episode he was disrespectful to Bailey, Meredith, Hayes, and his patient. In the past we’ve seen him be disrespectful to Alex, his residents, his patients, and their families.

He’s also disrespectful and insulting towards Derek and his relationship with Meredith at every possible opportunity which is just wrong. Meredith deserves someone who is respectful of the fact that she lost the love of her life and wants to be a part of her family not someone who throws hissy fits because he’ll never be better than a dead man. DeLuca’s actions towards Suzanne were reckless and dangerous. Yes, she needed the steroids, but he should have taken the time to explain to Meredith, Suzanne, and her sister what he wanted to do. He had time. DeLuca and Dr. Riley barged into the room and administered drugs to a very sick patient without explaining what they were doing to the Attending Physician or getting consent. What they should have done was run in and told Meredith to stop and asked to speak with her outside.

He should have explained what they had found and what they wanted to do. Instead he gave her the drugs and spent the whole time he was doing it yelling at Meredith instead of explaining himself and that’s what Meredith was upset about. If she had started Suzanne on the drugs already the steroids would have killed her, and they were lucky in that DeLuca administered the steroids before she had a chance to restart the drugs. They could have had a calm reasonable conversation about it, but instead DeLuca barged in there and did what he thought was best damn the consequences.

There’s a big difference between breaking the rules to help a patient and breaking them because you’re convinced your right to the point that you won’t tell others what you’re doing. I do get his frustration, but he needs sleep and that’s all they were asking him to do was get some rest and come back. He’s sick. He needs help. And Meredith deserves better. I also liked that they established that Meredith and DeLuca are done for good because he’s unwell, refusing treatment, not sleeping, and behaving aggressively and violently towards others including her. And there is no way that super mom Meredith Grey would ever let an unstable violent person anywhere near her home where her three young children and pregnant sister are. Now way. They’re done.

I would have liked for there to be more Meredith and Hayes scenes in this episode but I’m hoping we’ll get more next episode and that things will start moving forward especially now that she’s officially single and he knows it! Cormac’s the best! I liked his scenes with Bailey and how great he is with his patients. He really cares about Joey and was super interested in joining Mer’s pro bono surgery project. He’s the kind of doctor that’s in it to make a difference and help as many people as he can just like Meredith is and I love that.

I loved that Cormac stood up for Meredith with DeLuca and that he pointed out that he needed to be written up and made sure she was okay. He was right and Meredith deserves someone who’s in her corner always! One thing I love about Cormac is that he is calm, cool, collected, and takes things in stride. He knows Meredith has three small kids and he knows Amelia is pregnant and that her and Meredith are close and he’s okay with that. He’s forming a bond with her and flirting with her knowing full well what he’s getting into. Because unlike everyone else she’s dated since Derek died, he sees her kids as part of the package. He sees them as a benefit not an obstacle or an afterthought or an accessory and he expects the same from her and I love that.

Something else I realized too is that if they get together now there’s going to be another kid in the family. Cormac’s got two teenagers, Meredith has three young kids, and Amelia is having a baby that she has decided to co-parent with her sisters. Which means by dating Meredith Cormac is agreeing to take on and parent 6 kids including a new baby as their primary father figure because Derek is dead, Amelia is single, and Alex is gone. That’s a lot but seeing as he’s a pediatric surgeon and a single dad already I think he’s up for the challenge.

And he really cares about his patients. I loved his scene with Bailey where he said he was concerned about Joey and Bailey was all ‘Who’s going to be at his graduation?!?!’ And Cormac was all ‘I’m concerned about his arm.’ LOL! I love that Cormac gets along with everybody really well. Even people he’s at odds with like Cristina. So far all of the people who are important in Meredith’s life who have worked with him like him and that’s saying a lot as they are hard people to impress. I also love that he’s making a genuine effort to get along with his colleagues.

I also liked his scenes with Levi. I liked the scene at the beginning where he asked Levi if he was going to just stand there or was he planning on getting some work done? He wasn’t being rude or condescending that’s just the kind of thing your boss says to you when you’re milling around. And I loved how afterward Levi thought he was giving up on Joey when they stopped with the PT, but then Cormac clarified that he could tell that what they were doing wasn’t working and that they needed to try another approach. He found a way to make it work.

In other news Bailey is definitely going to adopt that teenager! I loved the scenes with Amelia and Maggie! So great! That was some phenomenal acting from both actors but especially Caterina. Damn. She has such amazing range as an actor. I loved how Maggie got both perspectives but was also supportive. I’ll be interested to see Meredith’s take on the whole thing as she’s been busy dealing with her own crap recently, so she hasn’t had time to help Amelia.

When it comes to that storyline I kind of see both sides. For Amelia she deserves someone who wants her and loves her no matter what and for Link he wants to know the truth so they’re at an impasse. I did think it was badass though when Amelia said eff it ‘I’m going to raise this baby with my sisters ‘cause they love me unconditionally’. That’s true love. I liked Amelia and Link together, but it looks like they won’t make it through this which is sad. I liked that Jackson finally apologized to Maggie although it was kind of out of the blue.

Also, where the heck is Teddy? Why has she had the flu for the past several episodes? I think its kind of weird that they brought her back as a main character, but then she’s been absent for half of time each season. I’m not sure where they’re going with Alex’s storyline either. I’m kind of confused. Alex ghosting everyone and not responding is super out of character for him and everyone keeps acknowledging that which makes me think something awful has happened. But then I’m more confused because if Alex is dead why didn’t they do a big death send off episode right off the bat?

One idea I had was that maybe he’s not dead, but instead is incapacitated and maybe his sister Amber or another family member has his phone. That would explain why he keeps reaching out, but then stops responding. Maybe they want to tell them, but they don’t know how. I would be cool to see Alex’s sister before the show wraps and think having a send-off storyline involving her would be a cool way to do that. It’s weird that they’re going that route especially because they’ve had Meredith call and text with Cristina recently and Sandra Oh isn’t on the show anymore. They clearly don’t have an issue doing that, so I’m confused as to why Cristina’s super responsive, but Alex is suddenly non-responsive. Hopefully we’ll get answers soon.

I didn’t like Nico in this episode. He was super hypocritical and contradictory. He called Levi out for being a baby gay and said he was inexperienced and yet he hasn’t been living his truth. And they’re being really inconsistent with his character. He previously told Levi he was out and talked about doing Christmas together a while back and now he’s saying he’s not out to his parents? Levi has risen and glowed up from Glasses to someone you can respect, and Nico isn’t treating him right. I think it’s time for him to move on.

As for the case of the week I felt so bad for the husband of that bear camping couple! That man jumped in front of a bear for his wife and she was cheating on him the whole time! The bear took his nose off and then Jackson reattached it to his arm and all he wanted to do was see his wife. And then he coded and died and the wife suddenly felt awful. I’m glad they didn’t tell him though. He died thinking his wife loved him which after the day he’d had was definitely a small mercy.

I hope Dr. Reilly sticks around a while longer. I really like her character and I felt like she had a good chemistry with DeLuca. I thought it was cool that they showed the partially clear face masks and how that works in surgery. That being said she was brought in for this specific case and DeLuca’s currently refusing to even acknowledge that he’s sick, so I don’t see much dating for him on the horizon.

Until next time!

#grey's anatomy #Meredith Grey #16X14 #a diagnosis #season 16 #cormac hayes #maggie pierce #amelia shepherd #andrew deluca #carina deluca #atticus link lincoln #nico kim #levi schmitt #alex karev #jo karev #richard webber #miranda bailey #review #thoughts #critique #mcwidow #grayes

[elejah-wonderland]

How To Hold My Heart/Epilogue

Fanfiction

Elijah Mikaelson x Elena Gilbert

an AU TVD/TO human story

Part 6 or Epilogue

a/n: You probably have forgotten about it - well, I am wrapping stuff up with stories and here is finally the epilogue.

Here is the Masterlist to this story.

Thank you so much for reading. 

tags @rissyrapp20 @captainshurley @dendrite-lover @cassienoble2000 @goddessofthunder112 @elejahforever

💖

'Do you think the Universe fights for souls to be together? Some things are too strange and strong to be coincidences!'

Emery Allen

💭

Parting from the kiss, Elena stood looking at Elijah like in a daze. tasted like-of vanilla-apple with a dash of cinnamon, so fruity and fragrant with divine effect on her whole being.

Had this just happen? Was it yet another dream, one of so many she had over the years. Elena could not believe that he was right there, in front of her, and had just kissed, and his eyes were gazing at her lovingly.

Snapping now out of her momentary dream like moment, she now kissed him back.

And it felt like flying. To Elijah as well. And her kiss spelled that all of her wanted all of him.

Forehead to forehead, nose to nose now enchanted in the moment of the sweet realization that immense feelings exploded.

"I had these feelings... always had them-"- Elijah then said.

"You did?"- Elena whispered smiling a little trying to catch her breath.

"Yes, Elena. But I never thought that you might feel anything for me"-he now looked at her dreamily.

"Oh- if only you knew!"- she then said and kissed him again.

*********

In New Orleans

"They are killing me"- Caroline said to Klaus-"Can any of them just send me a message and tell me how it went!"

"And how do you think it went? I don't think she kicked him out of the apartment?!"- Klaus replied.

In Toronto

Elena didn't kick him out of her apartment, of course not- they made it to the sofa eventually-

Elena caressed his face.

"You are here- I can't believe this"-

"Believe it"- he replied and he cupped her chin placing a butterfly of a kiss on her lips.

This is a dream- this is a dream- Elena's head bounced with the thought still not comprehending that all was very real and not make believe.

Moving out of the kiss, Elijah removed a streak of her fringe aside saying-"I love you"

"Say it again"- Elena said.

He smiled now and said -" I love you"-

She now gazed at him as if wanted to capture this moment for all eternity.

"Elena?"- Elijah now uttered-

"Ha?"- she muttered.

"You floated away- just checking if you're still here?!"

He flashed back to the first time she had met her in the conference room, coming to him with a hand held out to shake his introducing herself with an amazing positive, friendly and yet fierce look on her face. There was this immediate magnetism, which translated in their work at first, denying and suppressing anything else. And he had not seen her overtaken by her emotions completely- looking somewhat lost in space.

"I am processing- huh"- she then said-"I tried to stop loving you- huh-"- she inhaled and exhaled-"and then I saw you at Caroline's wedding- and you melted my frozen heart"

"What? It didn’t look like you were happy to see me. It was more like- OMG- he is here.”

"I - was just startled to see you. I didn’t think you would be there.”

“You would have ran a mile, I guess.- Elijah joked a little.

“Come on, I was not - awful to you”

“No. But you have been quite dismissive.”- Elijah reminded her.

“Well -oh, please- don’t remind me. But - you also - stepped back - but -Ok- enough of talking anyway- just one more thing- how strange was it that the thing with the book??"

"Coincidence"- Elena uttered.

"I don't know. Coincidence, serendipity- call it what you want- it kicked me into gear - though- you know that Caroline and pretty much all my siblings were plotting to bring us together? "

"Oh, I can imagine Caroline doing something like this, but - your siblings- seriously? Nah"

"Yes. All of them were involved in the plot to bring us together"- Elijah nodded confirming it was so.

They chatted some more about the plot and that he, himself, wanted to surprise her in the ski resort. And in between more kisses, they talked about life, about why they held back, touching the heavy subject of Hayley.

"I was so reckless - and- oh, God- I only married her because she was pregnant. Sometimes I think that deserved to be punished. Don't really deserve all this - you loving me- I am not such a great guy"-Elijah sighed, looking down, going all serious and dark.

"Hey, stop it."- Elena now took him by the chin, making him look at her - "you made mistakes. I made mistakes. Most important is that you learned from them."

"Oh, I have learned. I have been so lost. And - after Hayley’s death - I - it shook me profoundly. It put so much in perspective. The person I became after M.J. left me - oh, I was such a jerk. I don’t know what made you fall for me  "- Elijah said.

“Let’s see - well -under that smouldering exterior - there was a sweet and good person. The amount of pro bono you did- you always assisted the young associates, and you never made anyone feel unwelcome. Helping us with the Bar exam- no one in the office would have done what you did for the people who started in the Firm. And I knew about M.J.”

“You did? How? Nobody knew about it - Klaus had just told Caroline a few months ago.”- Elijah looked at Elena baffled. 

”I heard Rebekah talk to Klaus about it once when she came to the office. I wasn’t eavesdropping. I had to take some papers to him and - there they were talking about it. Sorry.”

“It’s all right. I - just - was so in love with her - and she”

“She walked all over you.”- Elena finished the sentence.

“Yes.”- Elijah said and then sighed- “and then I - kind of froze my heart like you did.”

“Like Gerda did Kai’s”- Elena said.

“Excuse me?”

“The Snow Queen.”- Elena now pointed over to the book that was on the coffee table.

“I’m sorry, but I never read it.”- Elijah said.

“Well, it’s a great read. But - now - I really don’t want to do any more talking or reading”

“No?”

“No.”- Elena now leaned over to Elijah and she gasped as his soft lips captured hers now, causing her body to flush with heat, that travelled through everfacet of her being. Straddling him now, Elijah’s hands tangled in her long, dark silky hair, pulling her lightly to him, adding more pressure to their lips, deepening the kiss. As they parted she saw his eyes sparkle into hers, and his lips curled up a smile. Elena smiled back now, whispering - "My room is on the left."

Elijah nodded and now walked them to the bedroom. 

Letting her down on the bed, softly, he gave her a small kiss now slipping- "Are you sure?"

"I am so very sure- and you?"

Elijah nodded with a little gulp.

"But we can - talk more about serendipity if you want?" - Elena teased-"if you -"

But his lips covering hers now stopped her from talking further. 

___

A couple of months later

“I am proposing today. It is all set.”- Elijah said to Klaus as she gave him the call about their visit to Toronto.

In the background, he could hear Caroline screetching extatically.

“I am on loudspeaker, I take it”- Elijah said then.

“I am sorry - I pressed it wrong when you picked up - and she just walked in the apartment.”- Klaus apologized. 

“Where - what - what have you planned? Why didn’t you tell us anything?”- Caroline now spoke.

“I am not doing anything particular - just maybe - something.”- Elijah said.

“Something? Please, tell me it is romantic - Elena loves romantic”

“I know.”- Elijah said, and continued -” In the Mimico Waterfront Park, there was a gazebo with a wonderful view on the lake. We often go there for run, for walks, sit with little Jenna.”

Later that afternoon

The florist put the last of the flower decorations and saying bye to Elijah, wished him good luck. 

Putting little Jen on the bench, he now picked up his phone. And just as he wanted to dial Elena’s number, Jen pointed to Elena - 

“Mommy”

Elijah turned and now saw Elena standing still not far from the gazebo, completely gobsmacked. Putting his phone back in the pocket, he now met her at the halfway to the gazebo.

“What is this?”

“Just - a gazebo - with flowers - and uhm- I thought that - you might like it”

“Might like it -? You did this?”

“I did this.”- Elijah now said as they walked inside the gazebo-”Because there is something I wanted to ask you - and -”- Elijah now gulped. 

Jen stood up and walked to her mom. Elena gave the girl a hug and a kiss. 

As the girl went back to the bench, sitting back on it, Elena turned to Elijah.

“Ask me- what?”- Elena took a small breath, knowing full well that all this was not just a random thing.

Elijah now got the box with the ring out of his pocket and opening it, knelt down -

“Will you marry me?”

Tears of joy now welled up in Elena’s eyes, and she nodded over and over again, finally uttering a big yes.

The sun, the sea, all  spread such splendour all around as Elijah put the engagement ring on her finger.                                                                               

Elena whispered in his ears as she wrapped her arms around his neck with love-

"When I'm with you there's no place I'd rather be!! I so love you!!"

He whispered back at her- "And I love you!!"

****

The wedding was not a small affair, and Caroline and Rebekah stood as the maids of honour, and Klaus and Kol as the best men. They honeymooned in Europe- starting from the French Riviera, Italy, finishing the trip around Greek islands.

At one point in the trip, Caroline and Klaus joined them. They loved having their friends and family with them for a long weekend in Rome.

"It so feels like I am in a dream - some days. Then I wake up and he is there, sleeping next to me. And he loves me!"- Elena said to Caroline in one of their chats as they took time for themselves after the shopping.

"Believe it!"- Caroline said- "and you look so good together."

"You know - he is my soulmate- we can talk about anything, joke about anything, and we are finishing each other's sentences and even before he says something I know what he wants just by the way of his look."

"You two are like two peas in a pod!"- Caroline concluded.

***

Life was good. And they truly were like two peas in a pod. Even when they were choosing to buy a house. Nothing big. A nice family house, which they both decorated with loads of love.

And finally, there was one anniversary they celebrated extra specially. And it was at Christmas, when Elijah surprised Elena travelling all the way to Toronto to tell her that he loved.

And so this particular Christmas, after they had put the lights on the bare tree in the garden, they walked back in the house to open the presents, with little Jenna being first in undoing all the wrapping with both their help.

"This is yours"- Elena passed a little package to Elijah.

He shook it- but there was no particular noise.

"What is it?"- he joked.

"Open it- and you will find out. It is a surprise!"- Elena said smiling.

Elijah ripped the wrapping off and opened the small box and there was an envelope in it.

He looked at Elena trying to get the clue from her eyes and all he could read a happy sparkle-

"Open it!"- Elena now said impatiently.

"Right"- he said and opened the envelope- taking a paper out with the results stating that Elena was expecting a baby.

"You're pregnant!!"- he exclaimed now with the same sparkle in his eyes pulling her into a hug.

"Yes! We're pregnant!!"- Elena said holding him tight-"I just- I wanted to make it a surprise."

"And everything is fine? Sorry-I just- you know"- Elijah said, and Elena knew what he was referring to.

"I know! Yes, everything is fine!"- Elena confirmed now brushing away a tear from his eye.

"I love you!"- he exclaimed.

"Love you, too!!"- she pulled him in a hug again.

The happiness were complete. And Caroline had to assure them over and over again that they were good and compassionate people that deserved it all.

The End

P.S. It was a baby boy, and a couple of years later another girl. Well, the Mikaelsons always had a big family-

xoxo

#Elijah Mikaelson #Elena Gilbert #tvdfanfic #fanfiction #alternative universe

[canaryatlaw]

alright, well today was interesting. it started at like, 8:10 am when I woke up to a phone call from the amazon prime delivery person delivering my computer cable, saying the door wouldn’t open (it’s the door to a fucking apartment building?? it’s locked???) and if she should just leave the package there, and I said yes just leave it there, which is why I specifically spelled out in the delivery instructions to just leave it at the door and not interrupt my sleep....ugh. whatever. I went back to sleep and woke back up to my alarm at 9:45 since I was supposed to do a phone interview at 10 but I was hella tired because I couldn’t fall asleep last night AGAIN, so I kinda was in and out of sleep for a few minutes until the call came. I proceeding to give a phone interview while I was still half asleep and laying in bed, but it ended with them wanting to do an in person interview with me tomorrow, so I guess that’s good. The position is interesting, it’s with the ABA as a pro bono coordinator of sorts working with military cases and helping them find lawyers to take on their cases, ranging from all sorts of different types of law. It’s not something that like, I’m dying to do, but it would be more steady than my current gig and the salary would be better because I’d at least be doing 40 hours a week of work which is more than I’m doing now (I think they said the salary was around $55K, which is fine with me) so that would be cool. It would also look better on my resume going forward just because it would be more public interest focused work, especially if I wanted to get in with a nonprofit that does pro bono work. so that could be good. I am slightly anxious about like, if I got a more conventional job I wouldn’t have the freedom I have now to take trips whenever I want, but they did ask about scheduled vacations and I told them about SDCC and Dragon Con (and possibly LA for KCon there, but that would probably only be one day missed) so that’s helpful at least. but yeah we’ll see, I don’t like, have my heart set on it or anything, if it happens it happens, if not oh well. Once we finished I had to convince myself to actually get out of bed and not go back to sleep, which I managed to do with some coaxing and reminding of how much shit I had to get done. So I got up and had some breakfast, started doing laundry, went on my computer for a bit and then started working. I’m still working on the statement of facts, mostly cleaning it up and finding the proper cites for all the info (it tends to be easier to work backwards by writing out the important parts from a summary and then going back and finding the cites for them in the record rather than combing through a 750 page record in order to determine what’s important). So that took a while, with trips up and down to do laundry. I had to call my chiropractor’s office when they opened at noon because when I cancelled on Thursday due to the ER situation I hadn’t had any future appointments scheduled, but they were able to get me in the 5 pm slot for tonight where I’d been scheduled, so that worked perfectly. Around 4:30 I started getting ready and then walked over there. I’m building up a really good rapport with the PT guy there, you can tell he’s like, very much enjoying the fact that I’m playing soccer now and wants to know all the details about the games and such and is always giving me tips, and it’s nice, it brings a little more entertainment to the session. Rest of it went well, afterwards I walked down the street to the grocery store to grab a few things. When I was checking out my total came to $23.19 and right after the cashier said the number he launched into a Monsters Inc. reference “2319! we have a 2319!” and him, the bagger, and I all dissolved into laughter. it was a small moment that just left me like man, people can shit on millenials all they want, I love my generation. Anyway. I went home afterwards and spent a while chilling out and icing my back, and then called my parents for a bit and mostly just ranted about everything I’m mad about, starting with the children at the border situation and telling them I’m seriously considering up and moving to Texas at this point, and then evolving into abortion because my mom has been getting involved with the local pro-life campaign so I was just telling her you know, legislation isn’t the solution here, if we really want to reduce abortions we need to treat the systemic issues that cause a need for them, and that will actually reduce numbers rather than blanket bans that only put women’s health in danger and spark a gigantic backlash. And I know she knows much of this and is actively working on a project to help provide housing for young pregnant women who might otherwise have chosen abortion, I just feel the need to make sure she’s thinking about these things. I know everything’s in a huge uproar about the issue right now and I won’t get too far into this mostly for the sake of time as it’s almost 3 am, but my experience with both the pro-life and pro-choice camps has led me to believe what may be an unpopular opinion- but the majority of people who consider themselves “pro-life” are not women hating monsters, but truly want to do what’s best for women, they just disagree with how to get there. And I’ve been saying this for years now, but there’s so much vitriol between the two camps right now and just constant demonization of the other that makes any actual progress on addressing issues that would actually improve the lives of young would-be mothers, which should be the goal of both sides, but they can’t stop bickering long enough to come together to accomplish it. I know it’s a very complicated issue and I could talk your ear off for way longer than that about it, but as someone who considered themselves very pro-life for a number of years but has since distanced myself from the movement significantly, I feel like I have a unique perspective on things. Anyway. I also ranted about parents not accepting their gay children and how that drives up suicide rates, which I know is something my mom is not very keen on talking about but I keep reminding her about it and just not going to let it ignore it. so it was a bit of a loaded phone call, but overall it was good. Once that was done I got back to work for another two hours or so before stopping for the night and watching some Anthony Bourdain since twitter had declared today “Bourdain Day” since today was his birthday. Once I finished a few episodes of that I went to get ready for bed but had to fold and put away all my laundry first, and then showered and then had to do all my pills for the week, all of which took forever and is why it’s now almost 3 am when I’m finally getting to write this. I think that covers most everything that was important about the day, so I’m going to leave it at that and hopefully get some sleep now. Goodnight my dears. Sleep tight.

#daily journal #June 2019

[atlanticcanada]

'It’s taken way too long': Families anxiously wait for Ukrainian loved ones to come to Canada

Julia Guk, Ukrainian Canadian living in Timberlea, N.S., says she is concerned for family in Kyiv, but is remaining cautiously optimistic for those trying to come to Canada.

"It’s taken way too long. It’s now been over a month since the war started," Guk said.

Days after Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24, Guk submitted visa applications for her two aunts and three cousins. Fingerprints were needed. Her family went to Italy because Poland didn’t look promising.

"The visa application centre in Warsaw had people tenting there, from the night before. Sleeping on the ground," Guk said.

Marina Petrovska also left Poland and made her way to Belgium. She is trying to come to Canada, but needs a biometrics appointment—one that she could only book in Paris in the middle of April.

"For me, I’m in Belgium right now and the closest visa centre is in Düsseldorf, Germany but it was all booked for months and months ahead,” Petrovska said.

President of the Ukrainian Canadian Bar Association, Jason Woycheshyn, is part of a group of lawyers working pro-bono to help bring Ukrainians to Canada.

The group has helped process applications for around 25 different families.

He said he is grateful for the support from the government to help Ukrainians, but adds he thinks Ottawa’s program is cumbersome, complicated and points out it requires biometric data for most applicants – plus the cost to travel.

"Partnering with airlines such as Air Canada, or other airlines to bring people here to remove the financial barrier of getting here would be hugely significant,” Woycheshyn said. "I know people in our community have even talked about getting a cruise liner and getting a ship load of people over here."

He also wants Ottawa to coordinate a virtual summit with Ukrainian community leaders to provide clarity to Ukrainians seeking to make Canada their new home.

He said not everyone offering their homes are genuine, and conversely, not all people saying they are Ukrainian and are looking to Canada are those people.

"Bad actors will take advantage of crisis situations and there’s no screening mechanisms."

Woycheshyn said he believes now that the demand and offers of support are understood, coordination is needed.

"So if you want to come you know exactly where you’re going to go to stay, what sort of coverage you’ll have from a health insurance perspective, you have some idea of the people you’re going to stay with," he said.

Immigration Minister Sean Fraser said Ottawa is developing a centralized system to target donations and distributions to maximize the good will of Canadians.

He also pointed out how a new system to process applications within a two week period is paying off.

"More than 90,000 applications have been made, and more than 14500 approvals have been made despite having just passed that two week window," Fraser said.

Fraser said Canada is about to open new centres in Warsaw and Berlin, and has put more resources in Bucharest, Bratislava, Vienna and elsewhere.

Over the past week, there has been about 15,000 biometrics processed.

"The numbers that I’m seeing come through the system are significant and we’re going to very soon be seeing large numbers of people potentially arriving in Canada."

Guk said she noticed the visa process improved over the last two weeks and Monday morning her family received a decision.

"We don’t know what that decision is. We obviously are hoping for good outcomes but this week there is a very high chance they will actually receive a decision in the mail," she said.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/M6uTwJb

#new brunswick #prince edward island #nova scotia #news #politics #canada #CTVAtlantic

[grimmbrookhq]

MAID MARIAN▶ MARLEY MATHESON (PRO BONO LAWYER ● 36 ● JAMIE CHUNG ● OPEN)

Marley came from a long line of lawyers and judges. Her mother Dana was a stay-at-home mom, while her dad Jae was a prominent judge in Highland Park, Texas. He was cunning and calculated, traits Marley inherited, but he also worked for whoever paid him the most money. He didn’t care about the little people or who he was hurting, as long as he got a good cut. Marley’s penchant for debate started in high school when she ran for student council, and eventually, student body president. She wasn’t above running a smear campaign to win. She wanted to win because she wanted to make a difference in the school, to improve students’ lives. 

She moved to New York for college, and while she was there, she saw many more walks of life than she had in her affluent Texas town. Marley was exposed to new perspectives and more suffering in the world. She decided she’d follow in the Mattheson footsteps and go to law school. Her dad was ecstatic until he found out she wanted to work for nonprofits and women who had been abused. It was the opposite of his work. This lead to a huge fight, and an eventual falling out. 

She worked throughout the Northeast, helping to defend women who were stuck in situations of domestic abuse. She passed the bar in New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont. She made a reputation for herself as she helped those who needed it most. She won more often than not because she resorted to dirty tactics. The ends justified the means to her. Marley wasn’t above blackmail if it meant a woman no longer had to be stuck with an abuser. 

She has been in Vermont for three years working as a pro bono lawyer. She devotes herself entirely to whatever case she is working on, doing whatever is necessary to win and bring justice to the world. She believes everyone deserves a fair shot. When she heard about the MacArthur’s trying to take baby Hazel from Marigold, there was no way she would not offer her services to the woman. 

CONNECTIONS ▶

MARIGOLD NICOL:  Marley respects Marigold. She knows it can’t be easy to be a single, working mom, especially with the pressure added on by the MacArthurs. She can’t stand silently by while a woman gets berated for wanting to raise her child with no financial help. She wants to make Marigold’s life a little easier by fighting the MacArthurs with her. She wants to protect Marigold, so she can live a happy life with her daughter. Marley will do everything in her power to win this case. 

AIDEN AND COLIN MACARTHUR: Marley finds them insufferable, and hopes to ruin them with the legal battle they are engaging in. They are spoiled and arrogant; they had been given too much privilege. They are the kind of people her dad would side with when he was a lawyer, and that makes her dislike them even more. She’s polite to them in person, but in her free time, she is working to find anything that could destroy them and destroy their case. 

CAITLYN HOWELL: Marley is plugged in with many different people and many different networks. She always has her eyes and ears open for some incriminating information or dirt on whomever she is working against. Up in Boston, she caught wind of a hacker named Athena. Apparently, she is very good at what she does. Marley is looking for ways to get in contact with her, to see if she’d be willing to help Marley as she works her cases. 

HENRY CHAIRMAN: Since moving to Grimmbrook, Marley has often found herself on the opposing side of Henry. She doesn’t like the work of Trident Corp, and how, well, corporate they are. Still, she respects his talent and charisma. He is good at what he does, and Marley loves that. He presents a challenge which makes work more interesting. Marley doesn’t trust him because she knows what a smooth talker he is, but she admires some of the work he has done around town. 

CARRIE POPE: The two women met at Blue Caterpillar, and they hit it off right away. She knows that Carrie owns the establishment and that her husband died, but Marley can tell that Carrie is a strong woman. She admires that about her, and her dedication to everything she does. Marley knows women deserve to be empowered and shouldn’t be put down for having opinions, and she likes to see Carrie embodying that. However, she doesn't know what Carrie’s been up to or has done, but if she did, that would certainly change how she looks at the other woman.

#mystery rp #inclusive rp #fairytale rp #crime rp #jamie chung #grimm.skeleton #marley matheson #marigold #aiden #colin #caitlyn #henry #carrie

[waqasblog2]

SEO rip-offs: Ombudsman calls for ACCC action over dodgy consultants - SmartCompany

Small business ombudsman Kate Carnell is calling on businesses to come forward with their SEO horror stories in a bid to convince the competition watchdog to examine dodgy conduct in the industry.

Carnell says consultants are giving small businesses a raw deal, over-promising and under-delivering, prompting dozens of business owners to complain they’ve been ripped off.

“We’ve seen SEO companies almost taking ownership of websites at the beginning of contracts, then permanently closing them when the contract is over,” Carnell tells SmartCompany.

Search engine optimisation (SEO) has become a vital part of doing business online, enabling small businesses to better market their products through platforms such as Google.

It’s an inexact science involving using various keywords, phrases, hyperlinks and other methods to convince search engines a particular website or page is valuable.

But a lack of regulation in the industry has allowed fraudsters to flourish, creating a minefield of dodgy practitioners who business owners claim are being intentionally deceptive.

“There are so many sharks that take people’s money and don’t get them any results,” Tiffany Jade Benn, director of online retailer HART Home Decor, tells SmartCompany.

Benn was burned by a dodgy contractor when she started her business, sending through hundreds of dollars in fees for promises of better exposure and more traffic.

“When I started out I wasn’t an expert … there’s a lot of people going around saying they will sort out your SEO, but nothing actually happens.”

“Unless you know what you’re looking for, it’s quite easy for people to work for you and do absolutely nothing.”

The ACCC received about 100 complaints about SEO-related businesses in 2018, but Carnell believes many businesses aren’t reporting dodgy work because it’s so prevalent in the industry.

“It’s becoming a bigger and bigger problem,” she says.

“SEO used to give little guys an opportunity to compete because it was — if you were willing to do it well — a way to be seen.

“But now it’s so confused and difficult — the bigger guys are taking over and the small players are paying money for nothing.

“It’s not just little cowboy companies, even some of the bigger firms, the methodologies they’re using for SEO are questionable,” Carnell says.

The ombudsman is urging business owners to come forward so she can present the ACCC with a big enough body of evidence to force their hand.

“We can almost put it to the ACCC with a bow on it.”

In a statement, the ACCC said its digital platforms inquiry is looking at the advertising technology industry broadly but is not focusing on SEO.

“Examples of issues raised include allegations about false representations and misleading and deceptive conduct, and wrongly accepting payments,” the spokesperson said.

The ombudsman is also aware of unfair contracts circulating through the industry preying on small-business owners with unreasonable clauses.

Nathalie Reiter, founder of the Efficiency Hub, a business which educates entrepreneurs on do-it-yourself marketing, says an industry crackdown is needed.

“SEO is one of those areas people are just afraid of,” she tells SmartCompany.

“It’s a problem we’ve been seeing in the last two years in the e-commerce industry specifically.

“It’s just too easy to go out and call yourself a marketing expert, or an expert. There’s no real proof for that stuff anymore.”

Reiter says figuring out SEO isn’t actually that complicated, and that business owners who know the basics will be able to spot dodgy operators.

SEO companies frequently use aggressive tactics to market their services, enlisting bots to spam business owners with emails claiming to have identified optimisation opportunities with their websites.

When contacted, they go to lengths to profess their integrity.

“I would like to make you sure that we never do any unethical work for any website to get ranked on top,” one email sent by an SEO salesperson based overseas reads.

Adam Jacobs, a marketing consultant turned talent agency boss, describes the industry as a “pretty murky place”.

He describes SEO firms which hire a couple of optimisation experts and dozens of salespeople to aggressively pursue business owners.

“Some of the biggest operators in the country have horrific reputations,” he tells SmartCompany.

“If you put the money in you should get the results, but a lot of people don’t really know what they’re buying.”

Jacobs has previously undertaken pro-bono audit work for businesses who were victims of SEO rip-offs.

He says he regularly probed poor quality work which was of little benefit from an SEO perspective but cost thousands of dollars.

“We found businesses who paid tens of thousands of dollars but had no work done,” he says.

Have you been ripped off by an SEO company? Let the author know at [email protected]

This content was originally published here.

[loyallogic]

Recognizing Pro Bono Work on #LoveYourLawyerDay

Since its inception in 2001, Love Your Lawyer Day has given attorneys and clients an opportunity to publicly appreciate the hard work and dedication of lawyers across the country.

Because Super Lawyers focuses on commending top-rated attorneys, the first Friday of November is a chance to look back at the great work accomplished by our selectees throughout the previous year. On this Love Your Lawyer Day, Super Lawyers wants to recognize their important pro bono work.

Patricia Lee (Hutchison & Steffen, PLLC, Las Vegas) in the 2018 Mountain State Super Lawyers Magazine:

Lee's pro bono work focuses on children's advocacy and domestic violence cases, shedding light on some of the darkest places.

"Since so many people helped me along the way, I think it would be very arrogant not to turn around and help others," Lee said. "Pro bono work is my way of doing that."

After getting her undergrad, Lee spent a year working at the California Science Center. She helped set up the Rosa Parks Community Computer and Learning Center in 1997, and actually got to meet Ms. Parks. "She really inspired me," Lee said. "So I applied to law school, thinking I could do some children's advocacy work."

Karla Vehrs (Ballard Spahr LLP, Minneapolis) in the 2018 Minnesota Super Lawyers Magazine:

A partner at Ballard Spahr, Vehrs helps businesses with litigation matters. She also serves as pro bono counsel to immigrants who have been victims of crimes, human rights abuses and human trafficking. She works to get them U visas (issued to victims of serious crime) and T visas (for victims of human trafficking).

The work gives Vehrs a valuable perspective. "This isn't the ordinary work that we do," she says. "The experiences that we get, and the opportunities to learn about them, and learn from them and help them, are life-changing."

Jason Steed (Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, Dallas) in the 2018 Texas Rising Stars Magazine:

Steed dedicates a lot of his time to pro bono work. In fact, he puts in at least 200 hours annually on pro bono, and one year he hit the 500-hour mark.

His pro bono cases have ranged from same-sex marriage and divorce issues to immigration and criminal justice. He's represented prisoners battling for health care and ex-prisoners seeking to expunge criminal records.

"There are a lot of people out there who don't get big lawyers because they can't afford them. If there are cases where I feel I can help and they're interesting, I will try," said Steed. "You become a better person helping people who need help, but you also become a better lawyer getting experience you might not have otherwise gotten."

Super Lawyers wishes you a very special Love Your Lawyer Day. As you celebrate, make sure you head over to LawyerMarketing.com and enter the prize drawings as a token of appreciation for all you do!

Recognizing Pro Bono Work on #LoveYourLawyerDay published first on https://namechangers.tumblr.com/

[duaneodavila]

Back to the Grind: Business Help in this Month’s Podcasts #sponsored

It’s time to get back to school or the office after all your summer fun. But don’t worry, Legal Talk Network has some fun and informative podcasts to ease you back into the grind. Above the Law’s own Elie Mystal and Joe Patrice are now putting out a podcast a week, so I highly recommend subscribing to Thinking Like A Lawyer. Also, check out much more from the legal podcast network below.

There were some “must listens” from the past month, so throw these four on your legal podcast playlist:

Reforming the Chicago Police Department

The Northwestern Pritzker School of Law podcast addresses Chicago gun violence. But more importantly, this episode looks into what is actually being done and the difficulties of reform.

Make No Law’s Mailbag Issue

Since starting Make No Law, Ken White has had an onslaught of First Amendment questions. So in the first mailbag episode, he covers a few topics including the line between hate speech and free speech and President Trump’s Twitter account.

Lawyer 2 Lawyer Says Farewell to Bob Ambrogi

After thirteen years hosting the first ever podcast on Legal Talk Network, Bob Ambrogi is leaving to start his new podcast endeavors. At the end of this era, Craig and Bob go over their favorite moments from the past.

Elie and Joe ask: Just How Smart Are You?

Think you’re good at trivia? Give this episode a go.

Alright, it’s time for business tips. These are some super valuable technology and marketing podcasts:

Demystifying Legal Technology Trends

From regulatory roadblocks for attorney marketing to why you would actually want to have an app for your firm, Chad Burton, Kelly Street, and Gyi Tsakalakis address tech issues from a no bulls*** perspective.

The Solo Essentials

If you think you’re the only person who has gone solo and used the New Solo podcast as a resource, you’re not. This real-life lawyer went straight from law school into his own practice, and he talks about why and how he makes a profit while helping people who can’t afford big law firm lawyers.

The Cloudy Ethics of Cloud Computing

Yeah, the cloud. We are still talking about it. But despite there being less attention given to cloud platforms recently, there are still tons of breaches and security issues. So wise up!

This is a series I’m calling Family Matters. From elderly issues to family relationships, we all know as lawyers we could do a little better.

The Key to Better Family Relationships

Lawyerist’s Sam Glover dives into maintaining healthy relationships with your spouse and your children in this episode. Don’t just talk about work-life balance, but actually live it!

Halting the Hover: Dealing with helicopter parents in law school

Your parents have helped you along the way to getting into law school, but now you’re in and it’s time for them to take a step back. As hard as that sounds, it’s important and this episode of Asked & Answered from the ABA Journal dives into how to deal with the separation.

Representing Vulnerable Investors

Do you have parents or grandparents with financial investments? This is a very important update on regulations regarding seniors who may not be aware of the consequences of their actions for various reasons. Protect your family!

And now, from the Bars…

Pro Bono Work at the Border

Needless to say, those lawyers providing pro bono work to migrants coming over the Mexican-American border are seeing a lot more work recently. Hear from Kimi Jackson of ProBAR about how you can help and how she keeps her own head above water.

Brexit Brouhaha

@theBar, the Chicago Bar podcast dives into British law, the complications and details surrounding Brexit, and some British law television shows that host Jonathan Amarilio can’t seem to get enough of.

Tips for Ethically Using Social Media Marketing

Social media law attorney Ethan Wall has really carved out a niche in his area. And he talks about growing your career while maintaining the standard of ethics. Not just for Florida lawyers, this episode of The Florida Bar Podcast is for just about everyone with a Facebook account (eg. everyone).

Must-Do Business Development and Marketing Activities

From On Balance, the Michigan Bar Podcast, the essentials in marketing a practice today, whether you are looking to scale, you’re a one-man show, or anything in between. This quick wrap-up is a pretty good place to start.

So grab your autumn jacket (just kidding, it’s still 95 degrees) and pop in your headphones to get a start on this autumnal study session. And don’t forget, all your favorite podcasts get more love and attention if you review and rate them in your podcast app.

[glassceilingbreakers]

Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto: It Was Time to Be My Own Boss

Catherine Cortez Masto was elected to the Senate in 2016, making her the first woman to represent Nevada and the first Latina ever elected to the chamber. A former attorney general, she has championed the rights of the vulnerable, including victims of sex-trafficking crimes, and fought for comprehensive foreclosure reform.

I graduated from college with a finance degree. I was good with math and numbers; it made sense. I went to San Francisco after I graduated from [the University of Nevada, Reno] to get into the market there. But unfortunately, the only job I could get was as a receptionist for one of the financial companies. I decided I had to go back to school to really compete. It came down to business or law school. I chose law school because I felt it would open more doors. I fell in love with the law and never looked back. I never considered working on Wall Street ever again.

I remembered I'd asked my father for advice. He very smart and politically savvy, but also street smart and book smart. He joined the military, went into the army, was sent over to Korea, came home, and married my mother. He started having kids and tried to put himself through college and graduate, but he had family to care for. He couldn't finish. He went on to become county commissioner for 16 years in Southern Nevada and then the president of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority. Our door was always open. We had our home phone number in the telephone book, and anybody that needed help would call. They would call in the middle of the night with a concern. He was always available.

It turned out law school wasn't easy. They tell you, "Look to your left. Look to your right. Somebody's not going to be sitting next to you at the end of the year." But it was a whole new world for me. I loved thinking about how the law could be used to help others, how to interpret it that way. I think that probably comes from growing up in a family where my parents were actively involved in the community.

After law school, I went to clerk for one of our state court judges. He had been on the bench 20 years, and I was his last law clerk. He was a brilliant man and is still a mentor to me. His legal secretary, a Hispanic woman, had grown up in Las Vegas. She used to joke about how you could always see my father, pedaling all over the community on his bike. He wanted to engage and talk to people and fight for them. That's the point of getting elected.

After clerking, I went into private practice and worked for a small law firm of four or five men—all partners. I was the only associate and the only female attorney. I did one pro bono case for this couple who were trying to save their property. We won the case, and we parted at the courthouse and then probably about two or three weeks later, the woman comes to thank me in my office. She gave me a small box of chocolate-covered cherries. I've never forgotten it. It just made such an impression on me. I realized that was what I was missing—fighting for vulnerable people who were looking for somebody to stand up for them.

That's when I started looking around for other opportunities and went to work for one of our governors, Gov. [Bob] Miller. Eventually, I ended up making the decision to run for attorney general. I thought, "Okay, I've done all this stuff behind the scenes, but now it's time to stand up and fight for the issues I care about." I won in 2007.

I've come to realize that basically all my bosses and supervisors throughout my career have been male. And I've had great experiences, but it's made me appreciate the importance of diversity and inclusion. When I decided to run for Senate, I knew that, if elected, I'd be the first female Senator from Nevada. But I didn't realize that I'd be the first Latina in the Senate until someone mentioned it to me during the race. Obviously, that's not the reason I ran; I was running for issues we need to deal with that I could fight for here in my state.

When I sit down with women and men, too, one thing that I tell them is, "Nobody can tell you what it's like to run for office. You just have to learn when you step into those shoes and run." But I do tell them that running for office means you must do complete analysis of who you are and why you're running. People will ask you, and you need to be able to explain to them why you're doing it. It's not easy. You need to do a lot of introspection and be honest with yourself. Voters will know whether you've done that work, whether you're sincere or not. And they're trusting you with their most intimate stories, so you better be prepared.

On Election Day, I won and Donald Trump won. I was walking through the hotel where we held our party, and these young Hispanic men and women were coming up to me and crying. They were concerned about their future, their parents, concerned that families would be torn apart. Even to this day, I will be in a convenience store or out in Southern Nevada or in Reno, and people will come up to me and cry. It reminds me that I am here to represent them, their stories, their struggles, their fight. I know that when my grandfather crossed the Rio Grande, somebody was there to support him and to fight for him. I know when my dad was discriminated against because he was a Hispanic, somebody opened doors for him, and that's why he opened doors for others. That's what we do as Americans. If we've succeeded then we help others who are still struggling.

Right now, there are 21 female senators in the Senate, and that is more than we have ever had at any one point. It's not enough. We have different perspectives that we bring to the conversation, different issues that we push forward. But we're still fighting for equal pay for equal work. We're still fighting for our right to decide what happens to our bodies. We are hearing from members in Congress who still don't understand what Planned Parenthood does for members of our communities. Women need more seats at the table. Period.

When women apply for a job, we ask ourselves, "Am I qualified? Do I have the experience? Do I have the education? Do I have the abilities?" When a man looks at that job, he thinks, "How much does it pay?" We need to stop second-guessing our abilities. We need to stand up and make ourselves heard.

#catherine cortez masto #politics

[thebrightsessions]

i love this podcast so much, thank you for creating something so wonderful and putting out there! something i did want to ask about, however, is how many of the characters seem to come from relatively welcome backgrounds. not sure if that really made sense, but it's been established that sam inherited an unspecified amount of money from her parents that was large enough to where she was able to quit her job and cross the country and still have money leftover (cnt)

and there was an episode where caleb was talking about spending his summer at his family's beach/lakehouse (i can't remember which exactly, sorry!), and then there's the fact that the characters, with the exception of frank and maybe damien, are paying for all of this or have it covered by insurance or something, and while that doesn't lessen my love for the podcast, it just makes it a little difficult to fully relate to them as someone who grew up and is still living in poverty (cnt)

and so i was wondering if there was any chance of us hearing from any patients that do have to deal with poverty, or if there are some in the main cast who do, maybe there's a chance it could be touched upon in some way? i know dr. bright has said that she's taken on pro bono patients before, and damien mentioned that his parents left when he was young and still unable to take care of himself financially (though his powers make so he's never truly unable to fend for himself) and (cnt)

it would just be nice to be able to relate more to these characters in that aspect. also sorry that this went on for waaaay longer than i had expected it to, i hope you're having a good day!!!

You’re right, a lot of the characters come from more affluent backgrounds: Sam, Caleb, and Adam especially. Caleb and Adam both have two working parents who are in industries that can make you a lot of money. Sam’s inheritance from her parents was extremely sizable. She has a level of wealth that is definitely unusual (and which will be somewhat obliquely addressed this season). And I know that is not representative of most of America. 

This is a really interesting question, especially since we’ll actually be addressing this a tiny bit in upcoming episodes. There is some passing mention of money stuff in a mini ep coming up and then some discussion of how Dr. Bright’s practice works in Episodes 34 & 37. Not every patient of Dr. Bright’s is able to pay for therapy, and this is something she’s very willing to work around. And then there’s the role that The AM plays. They have a lot of funding and it is in their best interest to make sure atypicals are getting the help they need. 

So this blindspot is definitely something I’m aware of. That being said, I don’t think it will become a main focus of the show. We are telling a very specific story that has a fairly narrow scope - we don’t get to see every aspect of these characters’ lives. And, more significantly, we are looking at a very specific set of characters. Are there atypicals out there living in poverty and struggling with their abilities? Absolutely. And even with government-funded atypical programs, there are lots of places in America where The AM doesn’t have a facility or there aren’t any atypical-specific doctors/therapists. But, given, the format of our podcast (in this iteration at least), there’s no way for us to hear those people’s stories. 

I am a very big believer in the “not all media can be everything for everyone” philosophy. So when it comes to questions of “could you address _insert topic/issue_ in the podcast?”, the answer is usually...maybe? I am always striving to be more inclusive, have more diversity of perspectives, but at the end of the day, I’m one person telling one story and I’m unable to cover every base of representation. 

#the bright sessions #answered #socioeconomic class #poverty #representation

[thepotandthekettle]

TwoZeroOneSix

When I thought 2015 was great, which it was by the way, 2016 managed to be an even crazier one, revving its gear up towards its end.Writing this on the 4th day of 2017 because of a hectic schedule, but I absolutely cannot miss recording the amazing things about the year. Went through a few rough patches in the year dealing with deep jealousy, new experiences, and entered uncharted (as far as I am concerned) territories. Whenever I look back at the year, it will always be a journey worth trekking out. And like the footprints in the sand story, I always see His strong arm lifting me, and softening my disoriented steps, while providing a bridge where there are canyons in my way. I keep welling up when thinking of His goodness. Underserving as I am, I can only look at what is in my hands, and turn the glory back to Him.Here is my year in a few paragraphs:

Diana

This one is an obvious one. This year, I finally decided to ask a girl out, and do it as properly as I knew how to. I asked her to a nice place, picked her up from her place, send her back, all of those old school traditional stuff, except for... asking her parents.

Anyway, being in a relationship is just something I haven’t been educated about enough. All my education has been from films, and a little from goodwill leadership advise. Being in a relationship has brought about many extreme emotions in my life which I will not delve into. The helplessness can dismantle your fortresses, but the joy can also some sort of invigorating drug.

One experience that I thank God for having is the opportunity to travel with her to Europe, which is also my first experience there. Europe, like a coin on a scratch card, managed to help us uncover some things that we share that we really like. The artistic experience in Europe, intertwined with traveling with her allowed us to share some really special moments. Under other circumstances would we have not been able to do this, but I’m so glad we made it happen.

I am unlearning many things I thought I knew about being in a relationship, and that is teaching me how to enjoy it more. The impact of this change is also not small, so this has to be one of the highlights of 2016. It probably has changed the rest of my life forever.

Travels

And of course travels has to be part of the yearly highlights. Managed to travel to a couple of places this year:

Jan - HongKong

May - Indonesia (Bromo/Ijen)

June - Malaysia 

July - Sydney

October - Europe

December - Taiwan

Hongkong was a pretty fun trip travelling with mum for the first time. Sydney was also great for Hillsong Conference. Europe is of course MAD. Taiwan was for our 2nd comm retreat. But Indonesia was a serious milestone for me. It started out with me seeing these really nice posts of Indonesian volcanoes on Facebook and I was thinking that they probably aren’t expensive to go. So, having not travelled alone without someone else to plan alongside me, or run my plans by, it was a big step. To be independent, settling everything from food, flights, transport, accommodation, time to wake up to catch sunrises and blue flames, bringing gear enough to cope with the (not so) extreme conditions of a mountain (hah). It was a big step for me. Even up to that very week, I was still a little unsure and afraid. But I’m so glad I did it. Short trip, inexpensive, but very eye opening and experience exposing. There were certain points in time when I wasn’t sure if I was gonna find an affordable way up the mountain, and some plans got messed up, but it all added to the unique experience of the trip.

Boy’s Home

Also really grateful for Isaac to have called me along to teach guitar at the Boy’s home. This one was not only an experience but also of a financial providence kind of story. Was really struggling with finances and wanting to do some travelling (I know... i know..,) when the boy’s home job came up.

Boy’s home was an invitation to a life I never knew. Witnessing some of the boys behave was quite different from my expectations. They were just.... boys. Without the tattoos, you’d think that they’re just like any other boy. Teasing, passion, anger, indifference, ruined self-esteem, lack of self-efficacy, unbelief, are all problems teenage boys face. It seemed like they were just at wrong places, at wrong times, for extended periods. Things could’ve been vastly different if they chose to walk away from something, or if they met someone else instead. Some of course are not within their control such as parental divorce and abuse, but they weren’t evil. 

This gave me some insight into what is probably young innocence. Some maybe less than others, but still resemble that of a child’s gullible joy. 

Music

When I think about this one, it brings me to my knees. My mind feels like a pot of soup disturbed by the swirl of a spatula. The biggest thought for me is “How did I get here?”. Thinking back to when I wrote my 2015 post about my “Quarter-Life Crisis”, and looking at what I am doing now, it’s like Someone put me on a fast track. The professionals might present a different argument and perspective, but to me it’s like I got transported into a different world. I feel like I am looking wide-eyed at a star filled night sky, and thinking “No one could’ve made this, and this cannot be the result of chance”. The intensity of details in the sky blankets every inch that tries to claim credit for the culmination of events. Someone has my back. Someone actually put His hand into this. And that Someone is STILL doing it without me knowing. 

I love surprises. I love them a lot. And this surprise is like an explosion of love and painting a “I’ve Got Your Back” in the sky.

Crowdfunding

First thing that happened this year in my music life (After I got the Grant) was raising more money to create more than just the album. Although I was given the 10k by NAC, that wouldn’t have been able to cover the cost of everything. I was gonna give all of that to ONLY producing the music. So I decided to head to the only people I know that believe in my dreams; The body of Christ. Long story short, we raised over $7,000, and this ISN’T EVEN A MISSIONS CALL TO GIVE. I mean, this is a boy with a God given dream, trying to raise money to fund a music project. I’m still of course trusting that my music will touch lives and go beyond just being music, but at the start when I have nothing to show for, God provided a $7000 capital. 

Sliding Back

This was my first single, and I had to look for a videographer to film my MV. Found a guy named Jeremy from the time when we met at my producer’s studio opening. Didn’t know him very well except that he makes music videos, and so I decided to approach him. Little did I know he use to be Christian and when presented with the prodigal son story, he absolutely got it - immediately. 

Filming the project had testimonies of its own such as clinching locations (we got a cafe a night before the shoot) and getting talents.  Then when we released the song, Sliding back hit no 2 on the itunes top songs chart on 28 July. CRAZY. Then in October, Sliding Back got added to the “Top Singapore Songs” playlist on spotify, and play shot up from <1,000 to at the moment over 20,000.  Emerald Green This is where it gets WEIRD. GOOD WEIRD. So, in September (I think), Zac and I went to his mum’s friend’s place to shoot for the album. We needed an island kitchen and couldn’t find one, so we decided to choose this obscure person in Zac’s life. When we were there, Irene (the owner of the house) had house sitters over to take care of the place. These house sitters were a couple (Tom and Catherine). They approached us first to ask what we were doing, which they didn’t have to, and I told them that I was working on an album. We chatted and they told us that if we needed to shoot anything video related, that we could contact them. They gave us their name card and left, and I thought “cool...” but wasn’t TOO keen cuz I didn’t know if they were a production company, and companies are usually quite expensive.  At this point, it’s pretty amazing how I met tom and cat already cuz they didn’t stay for long, and it was just SUPER random. Few weeks down, probably in October I decided that I should start working on my next MV and I decided to call Jeremy cuz he was a one-man team and he could do the MV in less than 2 thousand dollars. Pretty cheap. But when I contacted him, he said he was busy. So I decided to turn to Tom and Cat just as a long shot.

When I asked them about MVs they said they’ve done Corinne May’s one before, but then her video was pretty clean and nice looking which wasn’t what I was looking for. They looked really corporate from their portfolio, and I was afraid that the MV will not look edgy in it’s concept. But beggars can’t be choosers and I decided to meet them. When we met in November, we immediately clicked. Tom is actually ALSO christian, and when I talked to him about my concept, he was visibly excited. We talked through some of the emotion that went into the song, and then he said “Since we are doing it pro bono...” I was like... “What pro bono? I have a budget though” And I came to realise that the budget was really small for a production crew which Tom will be mobilising for the shoot.  Production crew? no way. I thought it was a 2-man kind of shoot. We just shot the music video yesterday and there were at least 15 people that Tom mobilised that were on set. From camera, to lighting, to welfare, my personal assistant, art person.... All of them were unpaid to be there for the shoot, and they were all doing it for my Music Video. T.T Tom also told me that their budget for videos usually go into the 10,000s and the hundred thousands, and it was then i realised that I was really blessed for the WHOLE TEAM to agree to take on this project. None of them were complaining about being there, but everyone was just hard at work trying to make the best shoot. Even the boss’s wife of their company was there ordering food and drinks for us. What can I say? I also got so many church friend helpers to come down as cast members which was really really amazing too, and I could go on, but at the end of the day all I can say is that God is good and it’s a really exciting journey this music thing.

--

I will stop here, and I don’t expect anyone else to read this blog post. I write this to remember, and to remember how good He has been to me. I write also to remember the details, so that when I speak to anyone in the future, I have a reference to tell the story from. Thank you for reading, those who read, and I’m sure more stories will come out of 2017. EXCITED.