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#it is her job to bring canned corn to the most Divorced man on the prison island
endollvors · 29 days
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Happy Wednesday! In honor of parasocial door dasher, which made me laugh tremendously, a few sentences on Celia Fic, please? :)
“Hey,” she says, and rolls the can between her palms. He hums a vague acknowledgement and she continues. “You might need a new errand rat. I’m going to Auradon.” It doesn’t sound much more likely when she’s saying it out loud. “Mal picked me for the VK day thing. I won’t be around much after tomorrow.”
Hades jerks in his chair and his boot slips off the arm to slam against the ground. It echoes around the room and he pushes his sunglasses up to his forehead as he sits up from his slump to actually look at her.
“Mal was here?”
“Yeah, Monday.” She tosses the can of tomatoes at him and he just barely catches it before it hits his face. “You need to go outside more.”
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imagine-loki · 4 years
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The Naughty Poltergeist
TITLE :The Naughty Poltergeist
CHAPTER: #1 of ?
AUTHOR'S: lokilover9 & velvetzybanshee
RATING: M
NOTES: This one shot is based on Loki having paid penance for ruining Thor's coronation. He never fell from the bifrost, nor attacked earth and is now free. Not to discount his true history, we just thought he deserved some happy. As for Felipe, he's based on the Spanish character Agador Spartacus, from the movie  The Birdcage and speaks in broken english. 
EXTRAS: Madre = mother  niña = girlfriend  panocha = pussy
Original Imagine  
Imagine thinking your new house is haunted. No one knows Loki lives there because he's always invisible and conjures furniture as needed. Disgruntled by your presence, he behaves like a poltergeist until one day you've had enough."I'm not leaving! Show yourself dammit!" Nothing happens for days and you think he's gone. Then while giving friends a tour, you find him naked on your bed drinking whiskey. "Cheers, darling. You did say show myself." Only you can see him and he follows you around like that for the remainder of their visit.
Loki was content residing on Midgard. With Thor King of Asgard remaining heavily influenced by Odin, he felt displaced as ever and decided to travel abroad. It was aloud providing he didn't hide from Heimdall and returned were the realm threatened, but that didn't mean he behaved. Midgard's continents teamed with beautiful maidens and Loki spent months at a time seducing them across the globe. Yet an introvert by nature, the constant socializing became exhausting. He needed intervals of solitude to rejuvenate his mind and cock. Indecisive of where, he conjured a world map, closed his eyes and randomly chose a location. 
First attempt. "A Frost Giant in the Amazon? I think not." 
Second. "Middle of the Bermuda Triangle? Know enough aliens already, thank you." 
Third. "Inside and active volcano? Fenrir's arsehole." He scoffed. 
Fourth. "Very well. Maine it is." 
The god settled in a vacant Victorian evicting its two following buyers with  'ghostly' shenanigans. Yet to the king of this miniature palace's annoyance the next didn't frighten so easily. 
Alexis was proud having bought her own house after a long divorce. Closer to friends and hours from meddling family, she'd thought herself free of troubles until sensing the place haunted. While unpacking, items started going missing and resurfacing in different places like her keys, clothing and once her vibrator after an evening of ménage à moi, disturbingly appeared in her dishwasher the next morning. Doors would slam, electricity short circuited, faucets unexpectedly ran, but most disconcerting was a voice randomly whispering 'mine' into her ear. Whether in the shower, her yard, doorways, the ghost didn't care. Alexis burned sage, had the house blessed, held a seance with a local paranormal group, but nothing helped. When returning after a long day at work to find half the main floor repacked, she angrily shouted into the air. 
"Ha ha, trickster! You don't scare me and I am 'not' leaving!" She held up a large envelope. "This is 'my' crib and here's the deed to prove it. Show yourself dammit!" Nothing happened so she put everything back, showered, grabbed her vibrator and stormed into the upstairs corridor. "And one more thing! See this? Touch it again and I'll summon your ass with a ouija board and douse you in holy water!" 
Loki inwardly chuckled. 'I'll be sure to bring a towel.' When she fell asleep reading in bed, he snuck a peek at what had intrigued her. 'Smutty fanfiction? Tisk, darling. Who could your heartthrob be? The name sounded familiar so he googled it. 'Ah, the actor from Crimson Peak. Good movie, but I'm much better looking. 'A wicked grin curled his lips when she moaned Tom's name. 'Maybe I need to play a little 'dirtier.'
With the next several days uneventful, Alexis thought she'd frightened the ghost off when in reality he was buying time. Since moving her in friends offered extra hands in their free time, but it was her befriended neighbor, a single gay man with a flamboyant, funloving personality who'd helped the most. They met one afternoon when she peered over his fence to complain about blaring Salsa music as he hosted a pool party. Felipe was sunbathing in a yellow thong, wearing sunglasses with enough bling to impress Liberace and choked on a shot of tequila when she whipped a pebble at his head. He invited her over with a promise to adorn shorts, they hit it off and became besties. 
Alexis planned to have other friends over for dinner one month after moving in, but with all the goings on had postponed twice. Now with a set date, Felipe was invited too and asked what she planned to cook.
"Who said anything about cooking? I suck at it Amigo and prefer no one hurling on my lawn." 
She waved a take out menu and he dramatically gasped. "Chinese food for eight people? Where you gonna put up you blow job booth to pay the mortgage after?"
Alexis smirked. "You're such a slut, Felipe."
He shrugged. "Happy whoopie stick makes a happy me."
"I think I've forgotten what they look like." 
"I show you mine, but no touchy touchy." She laughed, knowing he was kidding. "Too long without sex causes brain damage, niña. How long its been for you?" 
"Since my ex and I separated nineteen months ago."
"Ay dios mio. I lend you my Dustbuster for the cobwebs down there."
"Not funny, Felipe." 
"See. Abstinence makes everyone bitchy. My sister Maritza too. She was happy single before becoming a nun. Now she's Oscar the grouch with eyes like the chucky doll."
"How come you can pronounce words like 'abstinence' and 'cock' so well yet not others?" Alexis teased.
"Don't make me spank you. Come, we go shopping."
"For what?"
"I help you cook. We stay home and talk about cock, mine will curse me in Spanish. He's lonely too."
Alexis slipped on footwear. 
"Why you wearing those?" Asked Felipe.
"What's wrong with flip flops?" 
He stepped onto the porch. "You need something sexier, like bitch boots."
"It's ninety degrees in the shade today."
"So?"
Loki sighed when the door closed, relieved for some peace. He thought Felipe annoying enough as a neighbor yet worse as a guest who never stopped talking. So much so, he'd pondered concocting a tongue numbing spell, sneaking into his house and applying a heavy dose while he slept. But knowing his flair for drama, he'd run panicked to Alexis in the Boo from Monsters Inc. robe worn onto his deck every morning, carrying a note pleading to stay and until recovering, would hysterically sob each time he couldn't sing along to one of the show tunes on his phone. Loki opted to tolerate him for now. He'd be gone once Alexis left. 
The day of feasting came and while she handled finishing touches around the house, Felipe prepared guacamole dip and ingredients for fajitas while mixing margaritas. Hearing music, Alexis snuck to the kitchen and started recording him singing to Bad Girl, by Donna Summer while dancing like a hussy. 
"Toot toot, hey, beep beep
Toot toot, hey, beep beep
Hey mister, have you got a dime?
Hey mister, do you want to spend some time, ooh yeah
I got what you want, you got what I need
I’ll be your baby, come and spend it on me…"
He startled when noticing her.  "Girlfrien', you post that on social media, I kill you."
Alexis propped her phone on the counter and joined in wildly shaking her chest. 
Felipe tried the same. "No fair. I need big titties like yours to jiggle. Next time I bring tangerines and a bra."
Loki secretly watched on. 'Fucknuts.'
The three couples soon arrived. One, old neighbors of Alexis, Blake and Deidre, the others, her friends, Sage, Lisa and their newest flames Colby and Grant. She started a tour on the main floor then the upper leaving her bedroom for last. Excited to show it off, she was already opening the door as they shuffled out of the second.
"And this is my creme de la...eep!" She quietly squeaked once inside.
The resident spookster sat perched against her headboard sporting only what the Norn's delivered him to the universe in and winked pouring himself a whiskey. "You did say show myself, yes?"
She hurried out, slammed the door and her friends froze on approach. "Erm..wouldn't ya know I forgot to make my bed. Anyone for a drink?" 
Alexis passed them for the stairs and cringed when Deidre spoke. She was nice enough, but sometimes persistent when it wasn't welcome. "Nonsense, friends don't care. Right everyone?" 
Alexis continued down. "Enter at your risk then." 
Felipe watched her rush by into the pantry, close the door, followed and closed it too. "What you are doing?" 
"I can't go back out there."
"Why?" 
"He's upstairs naked on my bed." She anxiously whispered. 
"Which boyfriend? I take up the wooden spoon."
"No, the fucking ghost!" 
"It's a man? Is he hot and what do I tell your peeps? You afraid to come out of the closet?"
"Felipe!" 
"Sorry, it's the margaritas."
"I thought you the one person who believed my stories."
He eyed her sympathetically. "I do. You want I go bribe him to leave with a mcsqeezy?"
"Will you be serious? Ghosts aren't supposed to be naked. One look at him and everyone will think I invited them for an orgy." 
Blake and Grant came down first catching bits of their conversation and quietly conversed. 
"Can't believe she's still imagining this ghost." Blake wise cracked. "I always told Deidre she had a screw loose."
"Nah." Said Grant. "Lexi's a smart cookie. Sounds more like she needs a man. There's one inside with her. Maybe they'll shag, knock some shit off shelves." 
Felipe stuck his head out the door. "You not so quiet, cumquats. I gay. You want I show you my jolly green giant and shag 'you' inside against the creamed corn?"
Loki rubbed the back of his neck. 'I sacrificed prowling beaches of the French Riviera for this?'
Hearing the ladies coming, Alexis approached Blake and quietly inquired. "Still peeing in your wife's pond at night, murdering her koy? I'd see you through my bedroom blinds. Who's a few cans short of a six pack?" 
"Oooh snap." Said Felipe. 
Grant nudged the arse. "Let's chill in the dining room. There's a makeshift bar and appetizers."
The ladies entered the kitchen. "Who's a nincompoop?" Asked Deidre.
Felipe almost answered but pursed his lips together when Alexis loudly cleared her throat. "You know, just my ex."
"He sure is, honey." 
"Your bed's made, girl." Said Sage. "The room looks great." 
They all agreed passing through while thirty year old Lisa's younger boyfriend lingered. "Pretty awesome digs ya got here."
"Thanks." Replied Alexis.
Colby slid his hands into his pockets. "Soo..Lisa says you think it's haunted."
"Yep."
He spaced out for a second, staring at the floor. "I once thought a bat in our house was my dead uncle Howie haunting my parents for selling his mannequin of Vlad the Impaler. But hey, sometimes weird shit happens when you're stoned right?" Alexis and Felipe were saved when Lisa called him. "She misses me already. Laters." 
"He looks fresh from his madres panocha." Commented Felipe.
"That's the way Lisa likes them. Says the younger they are, the easier it is to train them."
Loki rolled his eyes. 'Age is irrelevant.'
Felipe feigned fright by playfully biting his nails. "She bad. Maybe Colby wear a leash and bark like a good doggy for her?" He goofily imitated one in a deep voice. "Woof, woof..woof. Or maybe he sound like an angry chihuahua?"
Alexis smirked. "I have my own problems. A streaking phantom who now makes unexpected appearances."
Felipe gave her a margarita. "Cheers. These make everything better." 
Alexis gulped down the beverage as he watched with raised brows. "Thanks. Next time that streaker appears, I'll just ignore him."
"Next time I give you smaller glass. Go enjoy you friends, niña"
She gave a thumbs up on her way out. "I got this. Easy peasy right?"
Loki mischievously grinned. 'Darling, I'm just getting started.
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papermoonloveslucy · 3 years
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THE GOLDEN TOUCH
January 17, 1951
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“The Golden Touch" is a modern re-telling of the King Midas story with Jack Benny and his friends as King Midas and his court. It was directed by Robert F. Mansfield, written by Robert Hugh O’Sullivan and with Harry Zimmerman as the composer / conductor. 
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“Family Theater” was a weekly half-hour dramatic anthology radio program which aired on the Mutual Broadcasting System (MBS) from February 13, 1947, to September 11, 1957. The show was produced by Family Theater Productions, a film and radio studio extension of the Family Rosary Crusade founded by Father Patrick Peyton as a way to promote family prayer. The motto of the the Holy Cross Family Ministries is, "The family that prays together, stays together." 
Although the program had no commercial sponsor, Father Peyton arranged for many of Hollywood's biggest stars to appear including James Stewart, Bob Hope, Lucille Ball, Raymond Burr, Jane Wyatt, Charlton Heston, Bing Crosby, Jack Benny, Gene Kelly, William Shatner, and Chuck Connors. 
A total of 540 episodes were produced. The program featured not only religious stories but half-hour adaptations of literary works such as A Tale of Two Cities, Moby-Dick and Don Quixote.
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Synopsis ~ Lucille Ball is the hostess and Jack Benny stars as the King obsessed with his gold and counting it. The Queen and her daughter get a Genie to sort the King out. The Genie grants the King one wish and the King tells the Genie that he can always use more gold and asks that everything he touches will turn to gold. Of course this seems exciting at first until he turns the Queen and his daughter in to solid gold.
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The program was repeated on May 23, 1951.  
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King Midas is popularly remembered in Greek mythology for his ability to turn everything he touched into gold. This came to be called the golden touch, or the Midas touch. 
CAST
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Jack Benny (King Midas) was born on Valentine’s Day 1894. He had a successful vaudeville career, and an even greater career on radio with “The Jack Benny Program” which also became a successful television show. His screen persona was known for being a penny-pincher and playing the violin. Benny was a Beverly Hills neighbor of Lucille Ball’s and the two were off-screen friends. Benny appeared on “The Lucy Show” as Harry Tuttle (a Jack Benny doppelganger) in “Lucy and the Plumber” (TLS S3;E2), later did a voice over cameo as himself in “Lucy With George Burns” (TLS S5;E1), and played himself in “Lucy Gets Jack Benny’s Account” (TLS S6;E6). He was seen in four episodes of “Here’s Lucy.” Benny and Ball appeared on many TV variety and award shows together. He died in 1974, a few weeks after taping “An All-Star Party for Lucille Ball.”
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Lucille Ball (Hostess) was concurrently starring in her own radio comedy “My Favorite Husband” having starred in films from 1933.  In the fall of 1951, Ball and her husband Desi Arnaz launched their iconic television series, “I Love Lucy.”  After her divorce from Arnaz in 1960, Ball starred in two subsequent television series’ - “The Lucy Show” and “Here’s Lucy.” After a series of TV specials, she did one more series in 1986, which was not successful. She died in 1989. 
Ted de Corsia (Harvey Benson, Reporter from The Daily Telegram) was an actor in touring companies and on radio before making a memorable film debut as the killer in The Lady from Shanghai (1947). De Corsia's New York street demeanor and gravelly voice assured him steady work playing street thugs, gang leaders or organized-crime bosses. On radio he starred in the CBS series "Pursuit" (1949-50). Two years before he was heard on an episode of “My Favorite Husband” with Lucille Ball.
Barbara Eiler (Princess Imogene) started acting as a teenager and appeared regularly on the radio programs “The Life of Riley,” “A Day in the Life of Dennis Day,” “The Fabulous Dr. Tweedy” and “Glamor Manor." She did a 1948 episode of “My Favorite Husband” with Lucille Ball. 
Eleanor Audley (Queen Midas) played Lucille Ball’s mother-in-law on “My Favorite Husband.” She would later play Eleanor Spalding, owner of the Westport home the Ricardos buy in “Lucy Wants To Move to the Country” (ILL S6;E15) in 1957, as well as one of the Garden Club judges in “Lucy Raises Tulips” (ILL S6;E26).
Alan Reed (Matthew the Butler / Tony the Cook) is probably best remembered as the voice of Fred Flintstone. He started his acting career in 1937. He acted opposite Lucille Ball in a 1963 episode of “The Lucy Show” (ILL S1;E25). In 1967, he made an appearance on the Desi Arnaz series “The Mothers-in-Law”. He died in 1977 at the age of 69.
Reed uses an English accent as Matthew and an Italian accent as Tony.
Verna Felton (Molly, Kitchen Help) received two Emmy nominations for her role in the Desilu series “December Bride,” playing Hilda Crocker from 1955 to 1959. She did two episodes of “I Love Lucy,” including playing Lucy’s stern maid, Mrs. Porter. Felton voiced many characters for Disney.
Felton uses an Irish accent as Molly.
Howard McNear (Ipsuda, Magician) played Mr. Crawford, Little Ricky’s music teacher on “I Love Lucy.” McNear went on to play Floyd the Barber on “The Andy Griffith Show” from 1961 to 1967, filmed on the Desilu backlot. He was also seen in Lucy and Desi’s 1953 film The Long, Long Trailer.
Frank Nelson (Genie / Mr. Gene Blue) was born on May 6, 1911 (three months before Lucille Ball) in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He started working as a radio announcer at the age of 15. He later appeared on such popular radio shows as “The Great Gildersleeve,” “Burns and Allen,” and “Fibber McGee & Molly”. This is one of his 11 performances on “My Favorite Husband.”  On “I Love Lucy” he holds the distinction of being the only actor to play two recurring roles: Freddie Fillmore and Ralph Ramsey, as well as six one-off characters, including the frazzled train conductor in “The Great Train Robbery” (ILL S5;E5), a character he repeated on “The Lucy Show.”  Aside from Lucille Ball, Nelson is perhaps most associated with Jack Benny and was a fifteen-year regular on his radio and television programs.
Howard Culver (Jake Workman, Ice Man) was best known as hotel clerk Howie Uzzell during the entire run of TV's “Gunsmoke.” On radio he starred in the title role of the Western adventure series “Straight Arrow” which aired on Mutual from 1948 to 1951.   
Tony La Frano (Announcer) was the regular announcer for “Music Depreciation” (1945) and every episode of “Family Theatre” (1947-1957). 
EPISODE
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Hostess Lucille Ball introduces the show, which was broadcast in front of a live audience. Lucille urges listeners to pray together as a family. She then introduces Jack Benny as the King, to great fanfare. 
Instead of Benny, the show opens with Imogene on the telephone of a busy office in the Kingdom of Midas. Harvey Benson, an American reporter, arrives to see the Queen, who thinks he is there for money, but he wants the story of something that happened there recently. She tells the story in flashback...
A month ago, King Midas is at breakfast with his family. Imogene complains about having cornmeal mush for breakfast again, but Midas reasons that they have a 752 pounds of corn (thanks to the foresight of his father), so they must eat it!  
Matthew, King Midas’ butler, suddenly quits after 32 years! He is tired of carrying the King’s gold. He is also tired of the mush. Because of an ancient decree, the help must eat whatever the King eats. 
Imogene and the Queen insist King Midas counts his money too much - 80 million dollars a day!  Once the King is gone, the Queen sends Imogene on a mission to see a magician named Ipusda to buy a genie. 
At Ipsuda’s shop, Imogene has her pick of genies - even ones vacuum packed in cans (only for tourists)!  She buys the blue bottle special for 5 gold pieces - plus a small deposit on the bottle!   Imogene brings the magic blue bottle back to the Queen, who says the magic words: “Genie out and at attention!  Do the chores which I will mention!”  The giggling Genie immediately appears, talking in rhyme, very amused at his own cleverness.  They promise the Genie his freedom if he does as bid.  The Queen whispers the orders to the Genie, without letting Imogene know.
Next morning, Imogene and the Queen introduce Midas to his new servant - the Genie!  At their bidding, he conjures up bacon and eggs. Midas hates the Genie’s rhyming. He asks Midas what one wish he wants more than anything else in the world.  Naturally, he wants more gold. 
The Genie grants him with the skill to turn everything he touches to gold!  The Genie pops back into the bottle. Imogene notices his utensils have turned to gold - then his eggs - then his coffee.  
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Before he can stop himself, he turns his own daughter to gold! Midas demands the Queen bring the Genie back, but she refuses and storms off. 
Midas hears the kitchen servants Tony and Molly arguing in the next room. Tony goes to shake his hand, but he turns to gold! He touches Molly and she, too, turns to gold. 
The ice man arrives and sees the two golden servants. Signing for the ice, the King tries to give him the golden pencil as a tip! Midas explains his problem - everything he touches turns to gold. Jake is about to phone his brother-in-law, Ipsuda, but when he learns that it was the work of a genie, he hangs up. All they can do is wait for the Queen to return to get the Genie out of the bottle! 
Time passes and Jake reveals that the King is not as highly regarded in the Kingdom as he thinks.  The King admits to being money mad. Midas decides to start giving his money away - starting now!
The Queen arrives and she Midas admits that he never wants to see gold again as long as he lives. After accidentally turning Jake to gold during a hug, the Queen summons the Genie to change the King back - in return for his freedom and a good job. The Genie removes the curse. 
Flash forward to the Queen’s interview with newspaper reporter Harvey Benson. Mr. Gene Blue, the president of the relief organization, enters. He makes a joke about his name sounding like “Benson Burners.” He laughs hysterically as the music swells. 
Lucille Ball closes the show by asking if the audience knows how Hedda Hopper makes a hat, comparing it to how scientists make a concoction out of ordinary things to create something incredible: jewels out of sawdust, perfume out of coal tar, medicine out of weeds or mold. She says the power of prayer, just like the ordinary things that create something magical, are there all the time, but must be used to get benefits: the jewel of a happy home life, the perfume of uplifted hearts, medicine for a sick world.
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LUCILLE BALL: “The family that prays together, stays together.” 
Announcer Tony Lo Frano reads the credits and says that next week’s program Walter Brennan and Bette Lynn in “A Star for Helen” with the honorable Frank Walker as host.  
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nogodsxrkings · 4 years
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1920; Ryan Industries
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Andrew Ryan
NAME.     Андрей Раяновский  (Andrei Rianofski) AKA.     Andrew Ryan,  André AGE.     43 FACECLAIM.     Vincent Pierce RESIDENCE.     West Egg OCCUPATION.     businessman,  and self - proclaimed revolutionary PERSONALITY.     egocentric,  optimistic,  unrealistic,  arrogant,  inspirational,  workaholic RELATIONSHIP STATUS.  divorced
BIOGRAPHY.
In the before;  Andrew was one of the wealthiest and most admired men in the world,  but often found himself in the scrutiny of the public eye because of dabbling in politics while having very unorthodox political  (and social)  views.
In the now;  Andrew is cut from the same corn as he was in 2019,  an immigrant who pulled himself from the depths of poverty to become one of the wealthiest and most admired men in the world.
He is a shrewd and merciless businessman,  who has recently started dabbling into politics.  While his objectivist beliefs aren’t very popular,  money buys anything  (even votes)  and the people of this age seem much more ... susceptible to his beliefs. 
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Anatoli Ryan
NAME.     Anatoli Ryan AKA.     Ana,  Tole AGE.     20 FACECLAIM.     Dacre Montgomery RESIDENCE.     West Egg OCCUPATION.     beginning artist PERSONALITY.     rebellious,  insecure,  repressed,  can come off as kind of moody,  selfish RELATIONSHIP STATUS.  single
BIOGRAPHY.
In the before;  although he was born to the Andrew Ryan,  Anatoli’s existence was kept mostly in the shadows to avoid him from being used against his father.
He grew up fast,  and he went off - track even faster once his parents divorced.
When reaching the age of approval,  Anatoli decided to course - correct himself by signing up for the military despite  (or maybe even because of)  Andrew’s objections.
New Year 2019 was going to be Anatoli’s last night of freedom before getting drafted to a faraway country for the first time,  and he was going to make the very best of it!
In the now;  Anatoli is very much the same as his 2019 counterpart.  Still Andrew Ryan’s son,  still hidden away in the shadows.  Only this time he’s found himself rebelling against the divorce of his parents and being in his father’s shadows by trying to make a name for himself as an artist.
Andrew is … less than happy with this decision,  especially when he finds out Anatoli often finds himself in the less  'respectable’  parts of town.  But this only seems to make him pursue his newfound  ‘career choice’  more!
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Jack Jolene
NAME.     Jack Ryan Jolene AKA.     baby face AGE.     18 / 19 FACECLAIM.     Hunter Parrish RESIDENCE.     Manhatten OCCUPATION.     barman,  occasional prostitute  PERSONALITY.     kindhearted,  rebellious,  optimistic,  protective,  can get volatile in high - tension situation RELATIONSHIP STATUS.  single
BIOGRAPHY.
In the before;  Jack is the illegitimate son of Andrew Ryan and a female prostitute named Jasmine Jolene.  Otherwise,  there is very little known about him.
In the now;  Jack was born and raised in a small room above the bordello that his mother worked at,  picking up jobs like cleaning bar tables and bartending upfront as soon as he was deemed  ‘old enough’.  
He loved his mother dearly,  and she did everything in her might to bring him up as well as she could while juggling jobs.
He remembered a man in a suit often coming by and giving them money,  which only increased after his mother had died.  Part of him knows this man must be his father,  but Jack doesn’t dare to ask.
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Multichapter Complete Recs
Hello Captain Swan Fandom, this is a list of some COMPLETE Multichapter fics. Some are old, some are new but they are all a delight to read! So, let’s show some love to this talanded writers for their fantastic works.  Hope you enjoy! 🧡 📚✒
If you are intrested you can find my other lists here.
A Cold Awakening, @swanderful1
Modern crime AU. Twenty years have gone by since Storybrooke was shaken to the core by a gruesome crime that went unsolved. Sheriff David Nolan and his partner, daughter Emma are forced to revisit the crime. At the same time, Killian Jones and his older brother Liam have been drawn back to the town they had longed to never see again, struggling to find their own answers.As taunting notes and clues show up they are taken on a journey to finally bring justice for the Jones family. And Emma Nolan finds herself caught in a situation more dangerous than she could have ever imagined.
Tripping Over the Blue Line,@welllpthisishappening
It’s a transition. That’s what Emma’s calling it. She’s transitioning from one team to another, from one coast to another and she’s definitely not worried. Nope. She’s fine. Really. She’s promised Mary Margaret ten times already. So she got fired. Whatever. She’s fine, ready to settle into life with the New York Rangers. She’s got a job to do. And she doesn’t care about Killian Jones, captain of the New York Rangers. At all.
He’s done. One more season and he’s a free agent and he’s out. It’s win or nothing for Killian. He’s going to win a Stanley Cup and then he’s going to stop being the face of the franchise and he’s going to go play for some other garbage team where his name won’t be used as puns in New York Post headlines. That’s the plan. And Emma Swan, director of New York Rangers community relations isn’t going to change that. At all.
The Reason, @xemmaloveskillianx
The three of them share a laugh before they all look to Emma. She has yet to comment on the new addition because she isn’t sure what to say. She usually doesn’t like change, they have a good thing going there, just the four of them. Plus, they all know him and she doesn’t, but she trusts their judgement, and she’s sure any brother of Liam can’t be all that bad. So, with a shrug and a smile she says, “Welcome to Storybrooke, Killian Jones.”
If Looks Could Kill, @wellhellotragic
Emma Swan is a dedicated FBI agent getting over a bad breakup. When she and her partner, Ruby Lucas, are forced to go undercover as contestants on a reality show, Emma is forced to try and win the affections of Killian Jones, a man she despises.
Killian Jones is a lost boy. Having recently been nicknamed the ‘Bad Boy of Boston,’ he’s been living up to his moniker using women and rum to avoid dealing with his dark past. When he’s forced to take the lead in a reality show, he encounters a gorgeous blonde who turns his world upside down.
Rated M for language, and possible smut later on.
Miss Congeniality meets The Bachelor
The Darling Affair, @icecubelotr44
Ex-military officer Killian Jones has never forgiven the Gold family for what they took from him. But when his path searching for justice (and maybe revenge) leads him straight to Emma Swan, a social worker who’s young charge has just been kidnapped by Malcolm Gold, he might just learn to let go of the past.
Traveling the Open Roads of Us, @imhookedonaswan
Emma Nolan and Killian Jones have been best friends ever since first grade, so when it comes time to travel across the country for college, it’s only natural that they would make it a road trip as it’s their last chance to spend together before their schools start. Could driving across the US, through corn fields and deserts, bring any changes for these two?
Freaky Friday, @msgenevieve447
Realising you’ve packed the wrong shoes to go with your skirt and you have to rethink your whole outfit is bad enough. Being holed up in a hotel bathroom while you get changed into said outfit because you’re suddenly sharing your room with a strange British man is a whole lot worse.
Drowning is Too Late to Learn, @accio-ambition
Bouncing around with her son for the majority of her life, Emma Swan has told herself she’s happy in the city. It’s where the most camera operating jobs are, and that’s how she makes her money. But when an old friend calls her and asks for her help on a new project in small town Maine, Emma finds herself in a place she’s never been with people she doesn’t know filming a profession she knows nothing about. But with the captain of the ship she’s filming begins taking a keen interest in her and her life, she finds herself wondering whether she might just catch something other than fish. Deadliest Catch AU
Flirting, Fraud, and Other Bar Crimes, @emmakillianfan
Emma Swan just wants to do her job and go home to her apartment alone, but her friends have other things in mind. How far will she go to avoid their blind date offers? And how can a guy she met at a bar help her find real happiness while helping her avoid their matchmaking? Rated M for language and sexual themes.
Vidders Anonymous, @mryddinwilt
Captain Swan, modern AU. Emma and Killian are Youtubers who discover each other through their Youtube channels. Some long distance misunderstandings, angst, and eventual IRL meeting. There is even a lovely playlist to listen to while you read! 
To Every Thing a Season, @icecubelotr44
After witnessing the tragic murder of his brother Liam, Killian Jones is more determined than ever to discover the secrets of time travel. Fast-tracking his education at Storybrooke University, Killian is assigned a lab assistant, one Emma Swan. Together, they find a way to break through the veil of time so Killian can set things right. But what will be the price for changing the past, and is it one they’re willing to pay?
Back to the Beginning, @xhookswenchx
After an ugly divorce, Emma Swan moves back to Storybrooke. She doesn’t particularly want to move back to her childhood home, but she has nowhere else to go. Still grieving from her most recent loss, she now finds herself haunted by a past she was determined to leave behind.
Thank God It’s Friday,  @curiousthingdarkness
Killian Jones is left unemployed when his brother Liam dies and their business falls apart. He takes a job at a local supermarket until he can get back on his feet but he hates it. That is until he starts serving a beautiful blonde every Friday. (Modern CS AU)
With Affection, @phiralovesloki
Emma Swan isn’t a middle schooler. So why is she receiving notes from a secret admirer? She’s also definitely not a romantic person. So why is she writing back? Modern!AU, Captain Swan, with side orders of Snowing and Frankenwolf. Updated with additional epilogues.
When The Tide Turns, @trueloveseyeroll
The plan was to go to England, finish the case and head back home in a matter of days. Of course, nothing in Emma’s life ever goes according to plan. Not only does she end up travelling across Europe, looking for a Liam Jones in order to finish her case, she ends up travelling with Liam’s brother - an annoyingly handsome Killian Jones. And she doesn’t trust him one bit.
The Con, @captainswanluver
Killian Jones is a con man who swindles wealthy women out of their money. Emma Swan is an heiress and owner of a security firm. Killian settles on Emma as his next mark.
Accidentally My Ass, @ilovemesomekillianjones
Based on this prompt - BOSS: Know why I called you in here? ME: Because I accidentally sent you a dick pic BOSS: (stops pouring two glasses of wine) Accidentally?
Across the Sea, @thejollypirate​
The unintentional, unpleasant  Killian Jones, lead singer and guitarist of The Ruthless Pirates, meets with the blonde stranger who is apparently his manager’s friend, doesn’t stop him from starting a special bond with her while he has the chance. Long distance relationship AU.
Turning Page, @cutieodonoghue
au; the kingdom of misthaven’s prince killian jones is on the hunt for a bride. enter emma swan, and a whole slew of women from all over the land, in a massive dating game in the middle of building turmoil with the dark one and evil queen. captain swan. (loosely based on the selection by kiera cass)
Every Letter, @bleebug
A pen pal writing assignment connects a young Emma Swan with her best friend Killian Jones. Life sends many hardships their way, but their friendship remains solid through the years. As they both grow older and begin to realize what they want out of life, will their letters be enough?
Rum and Cupcakes, @the-girl-in-the-band-tshirt
When a bookstore moves in across the street from Emma Swan’s cupcake bakery, she thinks there’s no way she’ll ever get along with the new business owner. The new shop owner disagrees.
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instantdeerlover · 4 years
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A Movie-able Feast Criterion Channel Has a Smorgasbord of Great Food Movies Right Now added to Google Docs
A Movie-able Feast Criterion Channel Has a Smorgasbord of Great Food Movies Right Now
 Photo-illustration: Eater
From ramen adventure “Tampopo” to the sinful meals of “Babette’s Feast,” these streaming movies will leave you hungry
In 2018, when it was announced that FilmStruck would shut down, cinephiles (myself included) let out a collective wail — and with good reason: it was the exclusive home of The Criterion Collection. Amid the outcry, Criterion and former corporate parent Warner Bros. carved out a deal that would allow the films on FilmStruck to be made available through the Criterion Channel. Since its debut last year, the platform has boasted an impressive rotation of programming, as well as access to its permanent collection.
As many of us continue to shelter in place, we increasingly miss the things that make us happy, from dining out to traveling. But if you let it, a movie can scratch that itch, or at least get close. The beauty of the Criterion Collection is that its curated films are guaranteed to delight. You can marvel at the grandeur and energy of New York City, observe sweeping romances set in Italy, follow a family’s adventures in Taipei, and more from the comfort of your couch. And if you’re feeling famished, you can indulge in a sensory meal, too. While no platform is without its share of food movies (you can watch Eat Drink Man Woman on Amazon Prime and Fantastic Mr. Fox is scheduled to debut on Disney+ later this month), I believe that Criterion Channel is the best hub offering a consistent number of works that glorify food on film. Here now is a list of the best food movies on the platform:
Babette’s Feast (1988)
Babette’s Feast is a celebration of cooking and what it means to be a cook. Set in a small village on the desolate coast of 19th century Denmark, the film follows sisters Martina And Philippa over the course of several decades. As the daughters of a devout clergyman who preached salvation through self-denial, the two sisters sacrificed everything to faith and duty, keeping their father’s teachings alive long after his death. But with the arrival of Babette, a French refuge of the Paris Commune, life in the village begins to change.
Best food scene: Apologies in advance for not picking the titular feast, but watching the arrival of Babette’s ingredients in the days leading up to the meal is just fantastic. The white-haired villagers can only watch in horror as Babette leads a procession of red wine, live quails, and more exotic ingredients to her kitchen. For years, these people have denied themselves countless pleasures and the thought of indulging in this meal (Martine refers to it as a “witch’s sabbath”) means exposing themselves to dangerous forces (turtle soup! caviar blini! cake!) that may bring evil upon them. It makes the events that unfold over the course of Babette’s feast that much more delightful to watch.
Daisies (1966)
Vera Chytilovà’s Daisies is considered one of the great works of feminist cinema — and it’s as relevant today as it was more than 50 years ago on its release. The absurdist farce follows the adventures of two dangerously bored young women, Marie I and Marie II, who set out to create mischief because the world is ruined and values are worthless. What follows is a series of strange but delightful pranks, including a number of dinner dates with stale old men, during which they insult them while eating a lot of food.
Best food scene: The two Maries, in search of nourishment, stumble upon a feast. They indulge in the finest of foods and then — food fight! The scene is no more than three minutes but it escalates from pastries flying across the room to the Maries destroying the banquet hall and dancing on the table, pressing their high heels into roast chickens.
Garlic is as Good as Ten Mothers (1980)
It is a truth universally acknowledged that the base to all good food is garlic. Without it, you don’t bring out the true flavor of food. Les Blank’s mouthwatering documentary, Garlic Is as Good as Ten Mothers, is a love letter to the stinking rose. Featuring interviews from Chez Panisse owner Alice Waters to members of the garlic appreciation society Lovers of the Stinking Rose, Blank’s documentary is a 50-minute foray into the history and consumption of garlic in the United States.
Best food scene: The documentary is intercut with a variety of cooking scenes. My favorite one features legendary Flamenco dancer and singer Anzonini del Puerto, who prepares sausage links from start to finish. Closeups of each step — cloves of garlic grinded repeatedly in a mortar and pestle, ground beef hand mixed with vibrant spices and red wine — guided by the sounds of a flamenco band in the background will leave you feeling hungry.
Life Is Sweet (1990)
Mike Leigh’s bittersweet comedy is a portrait of working class malaise in suburban London and at the center of it all is a loving family of four. Andy is a cook who purchases a rundown food truck from his drinking buddy on a whim and his wife, Wendy, is sensibly skeptical. Their twin daughters have varying opinions: Natalie thinks it’s fine as long as it makes him happy while Nicola dismisses the idea. If you’re looking for something wonderfully optimistic, this is it.
Best food scene: The disastrous opening of family friend Aubrey’s the Regret Rien, a French restaurant promising “tres exclusive” fare. Oh yeah, it’s as bad as it sounds.
The Secret of the Grain (2007)
At the center of Abdellatif Kechiche’s film is a story that explores the modern day immigrant experience. Slimane Beiji is the divorced patriarch of a Franco-Arabic family living in Sete. After being forced out of his job at the local shipyard, he is determined to leave his family a legacy and follows his dream of opening a port side restaurant — a meeting place where members of their community can gather — that specializes in his ex-wife’s fish couscous, a meal that she prepares for her friends and family every Sunday. What follows is a restaurant opening that becomes a family affair.
Best food scene: The last 40 minutes of this film — the night of the restaurant’s soft opening — is incredible. When the screen finally cuts to black, you will sit there wondering what happens to these characters the morning after. I’m still thinking about it.
Still Walking (2008)
Hirokazu Kore-eda’s gentle, human drama Still Walking follows the Yokoyama family over the course of one summer day as they gather for a commemorative ritual to mark the anniversary of the death of the eldest son, Junpei. Unlike the narratives of most family reunion dramas (A Christmas Tale, Rachel Getting Married), Still Walking isn’t particularly eventful. While there is an undeniable cloud of melancholy, the Yokoyamas do not exchange explosive accusations or drop any bombshells. Rather than focus on big dramatic moments, Kore-eda relies on simple moments (looking through old family photos, cooking and eating together) to paint his portrait of a grieving family.
Best food scene: When the family prepares corn tempura together, the sound of batter sizzling in oil reaches the far corners of the house and the grandchildren come running into the kitchen to indulge in their grandmother’s cooking.
Tampopo (1985)
The premise of Juzo Itami’s Tampopo is simple: Two Japanese drivers help a restaurant owner learn how to cook great ramen — but the overall film is one hell of a ride. On the surface, Tampopo plays like a satire of Clint Eastwood’s spaghetti Westerns, but deep down it’s a surreal yet heartwarming exploration of the human appetite and the joys of nourishment. Make sure the volume is up nice and high because many of these scenes are ASMR at its finest
Best food scene: Tampopo’s narrative is interspersed with a number of stories, each one exploring a character’s relationship with food. The focus of one of these stories is a young gangster and his mistress. For this couple, food plays an important role in the bedroom. You might be wondering, “Like whipped cream?” Sure, they use whipped cream. But in perhaps the most erotic food scene ever filmed, the two pass a raw yolk from his mouth to hers back and forth until, finally, it bursts.
via Eater - All https://www.eater.com/2020/5/20/21265075/best-food-movies-on-the-criterion-channel-tampopo-babettes-feast
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Dating judge
Do Women Judge Men On Looks? Nov 05, 2015The Voice judges Blake Shelton, a country star, and Gwen Stefani, a longtime poprocker, are indeed dating.  More Than Just a Pretty Face So, do women judge men on looks? Dating shows callousness toward the feelings of the children.  Women are sexually turned on by the emotional strength in men e.  Understandably, guys will start to wonder, do women judge a man by his car? Some good looking guys do get approached, but usually not by the types of women they really want.  Comey has worn out his credibility.  He also had eight top ten singles, four of which were Number One.
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Dating During Divorce It's all up to the great American President Jeanine Pirro was once married to lawyer Albert Jr.  During the course of a divorce, the judge is required to make many decisions about many different topics.  Good Looking Guys With Ugly Women Hedy Lamarr 1914-2000 was an Austrian and American actress.  Massachusetts Bill Wants Separated Couples With Children To Get A Judge's Permission Before Bringing A Date Home.  As you will see after voting, your vote is going to be different to other guys.  Not all dating apps are created equal.  Olly is also set to perform in Dublin on May 13.
Do Women Judge Men On Looks? The event in the meantime hit the headlines as Benedict Cumberbatch conducted the service. .  I'm not dating, and I'm not even considering it right now, really.  There have of late been a rash of issues with judges.  Moreover, he belongs to white ethnicity.
Dating Judge Melanie Sykes and Olly Murs secretly dated for almost a year Does Olly Murs have a girlfriend? And now this bold and beautiful mother of two is back as an eligible bachelorette so we wonder if she's seeing a hotshot lawyer or billionaire.  But there are many options to have a flip-side, and you can easily sucked into an online dating corn.  Adding Fuel to the Fire When a guy believes that all women judge men on looks, he will then look for evidence to justify his belief.  Our selection of bottled beers is pretty impressive too! Learn the five things that fathers should tell their daughters about dating important dating advice for teenage girls from their dads.  S embassy, Jerusalem Jeanine is having a very wonderful time and is doing good with her job.  Mar 24, 2016Watch videoStill a phenomenon seven years after Abdul left the luster of judges panel following her reign, Saula remains an object of fascination.
Do Women Judge Men On Looks? Judges' business was acquired by its present owners.  Prosecutors say he played the part of a cleancut suitor, until he drugged and raped a woman he met online.  Benedict said that conducting the ceremony was a very private, and lovely work asked to do.  A judge might conclude that you could afford to pay more money to your spouse as a property division judgment because of your improved financial circumstances.  Judge Judy Reveals Why She Doesn't Like the Idea of Online Dating.  She welcomed her first child Ryan Vieth being married to her first husband Darren Vieth.  WikiAnswers Categories Relationships Dating Are geraldo rivera jeanine pirro an item? A judge will be performing our wedding ceremony.
Judge Rinder Bio Reveals: Dating Someone After Divorcing His Ex Facebook lkiddferguson Email me Read.  Online dating can be a great way to meet big people, you have heard many suggestions and stories - both good and bad - from your friends.  Her face was unattractive, her body was fat, her hair was dry and her fashion sense was horrible.  Living with someone and sharing expenses places you in a better financial position compared to the position you would be in if you were living alone and having to pay all of your own expenses.  Self-help services may not be permitted in all states.  Unfortunately, when you join a dating site or download a dating application, you probably will not directly present it with your one true love profile.
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georgeinmalawi · 7 years
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Adapting to Life
30 January 2017
I’m again on the bus to Lilongwe. I paid for the AXA Executive Coach, which is non-stop and has snacks and a bathroom. It is always totally full, crammed with people into tiny, distinctively not executive seats. I missed it, thinking it left at 7:30AM. It left at 7 so I’m on the local, which gets in an hour later but is only half full. I have the entire rear seat to myself; if I were tired, I could stretch out and snooze. I’m not, so I can spread out my stuff and write, knowing I am probably in the safest seat in the unlikely possibility of a crash. (That sounds a bit like the Carlsberg beer slogan, “Probably the best beer in the world.”  Not totally convincing.)  Unless the engine explodes underneath me, in which case I shall take the little red hammer from its hanger and exit a window promptly.  The very back of the bus exaggerates the bumps in the road, however, and I often type gibberish or grab my laptop before it sails off onto the floor
Yesterday we rented a car and drove to Mulanje. Linda’s very long-time friends, Pat and Stacy, are here from Santa Fe for 3 weeks. Pat’s a gastroenterologist and will teach at Queens; Stacy’s a retired attorney who will help with fundraising at Samaritans, the orphanage where I consult. We drove to the massif and partway around it on a dirt road, heading toward a forest lodge for lunch. On the way we passed through a small village and were approached by all manner of young men trying to sell us hiking sticks carved from Mulanje cedar, wanting to guard our car, and asking us to hire one of them as a guide to hike to the well-known nearby waterfall. I heard, “George” and looked up to see Lucius, who was a guard at a home on our street last Fall, fired for being drunk at work. (If I were a guard, making next to nothing to do next to nothing, I’m sre I’d drink, too.)  Needless to say, we bought the hiking sticks and hired both Lucius as guide and his friend, Alex, as guard. The hike to the waterfall was gradual, took about an hour, and the destination was very lovely, with a deep pool for swimming. We waded, not having bathing suits. On the path I spoke with Lucius about his life. He grew up in this tiny village at the foot of Mulanje. When he was in 10th grade, three years ago, both parents were travelling to Blantyre in a minibus that collided head-on with a truck. 15 dead, including his mother and father. He had to drop out of school to support the family. His two sisters are in school and he plans to return when they finish. There is a rueful sadness in his face as he tells me his story. It is like so many here, totally unfair and tragic. Only an extreme and heroic effort on his part, tempered with plenty of luck, will allow him to move beyond scratching for his subsistence for the remainder of his days, and he’s not yet 20yo.
I saw a 10 yo girl, Tokozina, as my last child patient for the day on Thursday. It was our second visit and promised to be lively. She’s had cerebral malaria and is the most hyperactive child I’ve ever seen. She is only moderately learning disabled, I think.  On the first visit she bounced all over the room, running like a flash, grabbing and tossing things, singing loudly while her mother ineffectually tried to contain her by reaching out as she flew by, etc. This mother is built like a tank and could give Mike Tyson a run for his money. On Thursday I told her they could only come into the room if she held her daughter on her lap. Well, that lasted about 15 seconds as the girl squirmed away and bounced all over doing her mischief. Seeing how ineffectual the mother was, I decided to model a safe, painless restraint. Needless to say, I ended up lying on the floor restraining her while she spit in my face and then urinated on me. I held fast and she calmed. Then I gave her to her mother who did the same and, after some tears, the girl accepted the inevitable and fell asleep in her mother’s arms. After wiping off the spit with my handkerchief and letting the pee dry on my soaking pants, I congratulated the mother on her success and impressed upon her the importance of training her daughter by performing a similar restraint whenever she was beyond the control of words. We’ll meet again in 2 weeks and assess the results. It felt like a very successful intervention. I, of course, will need to explore with the mother why she has held herself back so much. 
A 12 yo boy was brought in by his mother. He’d undergone a “personality change” since being attacked by a neighbor in their village. Andrew ate a peach from the man’s tree so he threw Andrew to the ground and stomped on him, fracturing his left tibia. Andrew, always a gentle boy, has become aggressive, beating up his friends. He was expelled from school for fighting, despite being very smart and an excellent student. Another boy, like Japheti, with a persistent and loving mother who is determined to help repair the damage to her son. He was seen in Peds Emergency and, since he had a personality change in this land of cerebral malaria, HIV encephalopathy, and various forms of meningitis, instead of taking a careful history he has had performed all variety of laboratory investigations, including a lumbar puncture. Again, some training is needed there, which we’ll do soon. His response to the beating includes “identification with the aggressor”, his adaptation to feeling helpless in the face of a threat. It is the particular form his PTSD has taken.  He and I had a good talk, he was very engaged, and he agreed to return to school and attempt to not fight when he was upset. We’ll see. He is very bright, speaks English well, and is an incredible artist. 
I’m going to Lilongwe in order to use the notary services at the American Embassy to finalize papers for the sale of 2840 Webster Street in Berkeley, our home for 25+ years. That should be the last formal exchange between my ex and myself, which will be a relief to us both, I suspect. I’ve felt I was in the grip of a python during the divorce---each time I exhaled (made a settlement offer leaning in her favor), the coils tightened. Rather than becoming more flexible and fair, she’d demand more. I’m certain she has her own version of the process.  So, as sad as it is to me to have not been able to grow in our love for each other as time passed, there is a time to hold ‘em and a time to fold ‘em. I only can hope that my children, each of whom I love dearly, can accept their disappointment at the end of the family as they knew it and wanted it to be and can view each of us as individuals with flaws and foibles but basically having given our best for them. I miss them both very much. 
These are the hungry months in Malawi, when the maize is growing tall but not ready for harvest and last year’s supply of corn meal is exhausted. Many of the 85% of the population that are small-hold farmers and their families are lucky to have a single, modest meal a day. It kills me to see the greed and waste in America and to hear the “America Firsters”. It is a sad fact that we, of all the animal species, appear to have an insatiable desire to buy and possess. It is powerfully fed by the advertising/marketing industry and the mythology of our lives -----that it is better, somehow, to have more and bigger and newer and more extravagant stuff. Rather than to have enough for reasonable comfort and to take pleasure in the greater good that everyone has the basics. It is so easy to see someone on Welfare as a “loafer” and “getting a free ride”----I think they are sad, have low self-esteem, and have lacked the good fortune, perhaps the gumption, and the skills to do work that will bring them satisfaction.  Let’s re-establish the WPA and employ the unemployed while they learn skills and repair our infrastructure. But then, I have never wanted to not work. 
I’ve had thoughts of spending the summers on the island in Maine and the rest of the year travelling, writing, and schmoozing with friends. I understand that most people haven’t had the good fortune to have trained for, sought, found, and performed work that they truly love and which remunerates them reasonably. This is often for lack of opportunity but may have multiple and converging reasons, including their drive, intelligence, health, capacity to persist, lack of skill, market forces, and so forth. So people cannot wait “to retire”, understandably. For me, I find learning and being inspired by people’s struggles irresistible, so it doesn’t feel like the time to fold up my tent. 
I find Mr. Trump’s lies and hatred---just look at the expression on his current wife’s face after he reads her out in the 8 second video on YouTube---frightening, since he sits now where he does. We’re not just in for a fire sale of America to the superrich. That has been going on for the past several decades. We are now rapidly heading toward a fascist state, seeking total control of media with an essentially slave underclass that will include most of us. It seems there may be a violent revolution, given how polarizing, aggressive, and dissimulating Mr.T. is. One can hope for a coronary event or a cerebrovascular event or perhaps a metastatic event (in response to his near-constant exposure to Agent Orange!). I’m not savvy enough about economics to fully understand how we’ve arrived here. Our industrial output is up but well-paying, secure jobs are down, partly due to outsourcing but hugely due to automation. Paradoxically, I suspect that many of the same people who have been left behind in our economy shop at Walmart, buying those inexpensive outsourced products made by people in China and Bangladesh who have taken their jobs, keeping those sweatshops going.  The latter have certainly been eased into slavery, out of personal desperation. Just read about their wages, their working and living conditions, their polluted air and water, and the fragmentation of their families and their society, if you doubt me. 
This post has gone on too long. I am passing through emerald hills, dotted with thatched mud-brick huts, all covered by the fluffiest, most towering cumulus clouds imaginable. Even all the plastic trash has vanished from the roadside, hidden by the tall grass. It is stunning. 
Early in the morning one day last week as I biked past the local open market on my way to Queens, I saw  the stall keepers arriving with their vegetables or used clothing as they do each day, often 7 days/week. I realized, at a new level, this is their life.   They may instead sit at a card table and sell lollipops or AirTel phone top-ups, but they have no hope of a better living or life than they have right now. No kids in college, no promotion in the works, no end-of-year bonus, no cashing in on the sale of a start-up, no job or food security, no minimum hourly wage, let alone no luxury items, no increased reimbursement from a health insurance company, and so forth. And this is largely because of the cards they were dealt. Most are smart but have little schooling. Yet they are cheerful, laugh, and are pleased when I say a phrase or two in Chichewa to them as I buy some bananas or a pineapple. Humans are amazingly adaptable. 
I hope our country doesn’t adapt to what our president offers to us, or tries for force upon us.
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