#we were talking about him in the hole earlier so I’m making a poll

[the-worms-in-your-bones]

Hey, before you vote in this poll: this is not about the eleventh doctor the eleven is a completely different character

#we were talking about him in the hole earlier so I’m making a poll #I’m also afraid that they’re going to put him in the dark gallifrey series #anyway I hate him #as a character concept he sucks and also he makes me uncomfortable #doctor who #dw #dw eu #doctor who eu #the eleven #doom coalition #ravenous #polls #my stuff

[scribomaniac]

One Step Ahead Ch 9: Family Matters

“Now it’s your turn to listen,” Aelin told him, her eyes burning into him like blue fire. “Come with me and I’ll explain everything.”

Rowan stared down at the ring in his hands, trying to determine if she was telling the truth. He couldn’t detect a trace of a lie in her voice, but she’d be good at lying. She’d have to be, in their line of work. The ring felt cool against his skin. Clean too. If there was a poison on this ring, it had rubbed off long ago or was near untraceable.

None of this made sense to him. His mistress was many things, but kin killer? And those tears she had cried for him earlier . . . those had seemed so real to him. Still believing Arobynn of someone similar to be behind all of this, Rowan resolved himself to see it through. If He could gain more information then he’d figure out who was responsible. And if he could do that, if he could reunite Maeve with her long lost great niece—the only family she had left—then he’d be Maeve’s champion, a hero.

Something inside Rowan’s chest fluttered at the prospect. A hero, just like she always thought him to be . . .

“Okay,” Rowan nodded, his green eyes trained onto her blue. “I’ll hear you out.”

Tension unfolded from Aelin’s shoulders like ice breaking off a glacier. Flexing her hands, breaking them out of their curled form, the assassin nodded and said, “Let’s go.”

Silently, the two packed up their camp and returned to the car. Aelin drove her way through a dark and narrow path with only the towering trees of Oakwald to accompany them. After several minutes where not a word was spoken between them, the forest opened up and a great manor came into view. The manor was grand, to be sure, but time had taken its toll on the building. In some parts the roof was coming apart, showing holes into the interior, and in others the glass of the windows looked so unclean they were pitch black. All the foliage which must have at one point in time been beautiful and cared for had overgrown and begun to creep up the brick walls, swallowing the manor one leaf at a time.

“Where are we?” Rowan asked when Aelin turned off the car.

“Somewhere safe. Now come on. They’re waiting for us.”

The inside of the manor wasn’t much better off than the outside. The entry hall and rooms beside it were dark and cold. Cobwebs grew a plenty and Rowan knows he heard some critter moving down the hall. But as they walked further into the home, Aelin led him to a door outlined with a warm light.

Adarlan’s Assassin gave the door a series of knocks, a code signaling to those on the other side that they were in safe company. A double knock returned Aelin’s and then it opened to reveal a young man with dark hair and piercing brown eyes and a scar tearing through his eyebrows and running down his cheek. His eyes flashed from Aelin to Rowan. His distrust of the Cleaner was obviously apparent in the way his eyes narrowed and his lips pursed, but he still moved aside to let them in.

Inside the room was much better kept than the rest of the house. There was a fire burning in a grand fireplace, an expensive, but worn, rug on the floor, and several comfortable looking couches and chairs. Most of which were already filled. Carefully taking in his surroundings, Rowan was surprised to find, once again, Dorian Havilliard and Chaol Westfall. He blinked at them slowly, trying—and failing—to think of some way to link the two of them and Aelin together.

Unsurprisingly, Aedion was lounging across the room. He was so slumped down in his seat it almost looked like he could slide off at any moment. Rowan wouldn’t be fooled though. If necessary, Aedion was ready to spring into action the microsecond he was needed. The white haired man wondered where the rest of his gang were. Since he didn’t see their bikes on his way in, he assumed they were guarding the manor and keeping watch for any unwanted visitors. Prowling in the dark like a pack of rabid wolves.

Next to the leader of The Bane sat the Faliq girl, which was curious. Her sharp eyes were trained on him, watching his every move. Remembering what she said earlier, about never missing her mark, he made himself a mental note not to keep his back towards her.

There were three other people in the room. The first was the young man who opened the door for them. He stood by the fire, behind a winged back chair which seated a frail old man. Rowan assumed this was the owner of the house.

And finally, sitting across from the fire on a sad looking fainting couch, a pillow clutched in his arms, was Athril Dearst.

Shooting Aelin a look, one that said—what the actual fuck are you playing at—Rowan found himself standing so close to her that he could easily spot the ring of gold within the blue of her eyes.

Staring right back at him, her determined gaze answered him, What I have to.

Explain, Rowan demanded, not looking away even when he heard Athril stand.  

Sighing, Aelin nodded. She looked over Rowan’s shoulder at Athril and said, “You start—you’re the one that set this all into motion, after all.”

Athril nodded. He looked at Rowan, then away, and then, as if he’d found a bit of courage deep within himself, locked eyes with Rowan and began, “Right. Well, I’m not sure if you know this, but it’s an election year.”

He waited for the Cleaner to nod.

“The polls weren’t looking great. There wasn’t a lot of public interest and when that happens it could go either way come Election Day. My campaign manager and I thought it’d be best to find something, a cause, to bring the people together and catch their attention.” The Wendlyn District Attorney cleared his throat, “So I decided to look into cold cases, and there was one that caught my eye. It was out of my district, but Terrasen’s D.A., welcomed me in with open arms and agreed we could share in any of the spoils closing such a notorious case would bring.”

Rowan caught Aelin’s eye and she nodded, confirming he meant her family’s murder.

“So I put pressure on the police to reopen the case, which led to,” Athril trailed off, looking towards Westfall to pick up the story.

Sitting up straighter, Chaol looked at the room with wide eyes. He looked alarmed by the prospect that he’d have to address the room. “I found it,” he got out, “the ring.  It,” he looked towards Faliq who nodded encouragingly to him which was . . . interesting, “had fallen into a vent beside his night table.” Westfall shrugged, “I guess no one looked there the first time around.”

Aelin snorted, “More like they were bribed not to.”

Rowan nodded at that, though who had bribed the police all those years ago, he was still unsure.

“That’s how we got involved,” Havilliard spoke up, clapping his friend on his shoulder. Westfall sighed quietly before relaxing back into his seat. “Chaol brought the ring to light and the news traveled up the channels and into my ears so we,” the prince of Rifthold’s lips split into a sly grin, one that hinted at something deeper, something hidden beneath the surface, “began exchanging conspiracy theories.”

“We thought for sure the ring belonged to Adarlan’s Assassin,” Westfall sat up again, his confidence growing, it seemed, now that he’d had time to think about what he wanted to say. “We thought this was the missing piece needed to finally pin it on her, but we quickly realized we were wrong.”

“How?” Rowan asked. The only way he’d been able to rule out the possibility of it being Aelin was because he knew her age and that the time line couldn’t match up. For anyone who didn’t know the famed assassin wasn’t even twenty, it’d be a natural assumption to make.

Both Westfall and Havilliard turned to look at Faliq. The young woman shrugged, “They were talking about it in my bakery, so I set them straight.”

A beat passed, and when Rowan kept his green eyes locked on the dark haired woman, she continued, “I’d already met Aelin at that point—knew her as Celeana, I mean—and knew she couldn’t have made that kill.”

Rowan nodded, though he had a few more questions, like why would Westfall and Havilliard take a random baker for her word, and how did she prove it to them? He still didn’t know how the sons of two powerful men had become friends with such a notorious member of the Underworld, but he had a feeling that information would come to light soon enough.

“Once Nesryn told me about the ring, I knew I had to act fast,” Aelin told him, her hip cocked and her hand resting on it as if she hadn’t a care in the world. “If I knew, that mean Maeve knew too, or would know soon enough.”

Following her train of thought, the white haired male said, “So you stole it before she could.” Aelin gave him a wide smile, one that showed off an awful lot of teeth and was surely meant to set him on edge. However, all it did for him was send a spark down his spine.

Still, this didn’t explain everything. Cocking his head at her, he silently asked, And this group? How’d this all happen?

For once, Aelin answered him aloud, “After our meetup in the bakery, I got Dorian, Chaol, and Nesryn to convince Athril to come here.”

Which was smart, considering Maeve would more than likely take him out to ensure no one kept sniffing around the Galathynius case. But no, Rowan reminded himself. Maeve wasn’t responsible for this. Nothing anyone had said had properly condemned his mistress. He needed more information if he was going to convince Aelin properly.

“I have to say,” Athril sat back down on the couch, grabbing for the pillow, “having these two,” he jerked his thumb at Havilliard and Westfall, “pick me up was a wise choice. I thought she,” know his thumb was aimed at Faliq, “had come to carve out my lungs.”

“That’s just her face,” Westfall said quietly, earning him a pillow to the face courtesy of Faliq. “What? It’s true!”

“Anyway,” Aelin said pointedly, giving Westfall a very tired look, “once we had the ring, we sent it out for testing.”

Rowan hummed, pulling the ring out from his pocket. “You said it was poisoned.”

“The interior, to be specific,” Athril pulled a briefcase out from underneath the couch and took some papers out. “There were only trace amounts left by the time we found it. The rest was absorbed into Orlon’s skin. Based on what Dr. Towers said, it wouldn’t have taken long for the poison to do its job.”

“What’s the name of the poison?” Rowan looked back over to Aelin, “If we know the name and the ingredients that could help us find the real killer.”

Aelin raised a delicate brow. Really buzzard? Her expression asked. Still trying to defend your mistress?

“It doesn’t have a name yet,” Westfall, of all people, told him. Rowan would have thought his participation in this conversation had ended, and yet he continued on as if he himself was the expert on the poison. “It’s an unknown. We have a breakdown of the ingredients though,” he nodded at Athril, who stood and handed Rowan several pages worth of data. “They’re very rare, which is good, and should help us narrow down the suspects. In fact, it already has.”

“Have you ever been to Valg, Rowan?” Aelin asked, moving over to stand before the fire and warm her hands. The hairs on the back of Rowan’s neck stood up, knowing that Aelin ever acted nonchalantly like this when she was at her most dangerous, when she had something up her sleeve.

Rowan hadn’t ever been to Valg. There was no reason for him to, considering what a crap hole the place was. It was full of empty buildings, the hollowed out husks of addict-addled bodies, and rusted over pipes. There was only one reason people ever went there and that was to die.

With her back to him, Aelin continued, “It’s a horrible place, run by three brothers who care nothing for it besides whatever money the junkyards and desperate bring in. But it does have an interesting collection of foliage that are renowned for their toxicity.” Turning around to face him again, Aelin’s face looked like it had been cut from marble, betraying none of the emotions Rowan was sure were raging through her.

“Why are you telling me this?” It was nothing new to the Cleaner. The King brothers, Orcus, Mantyx, and Erawan, were well known by the world for their brutal business practices and known in the Underworld for their vast supply of drugs and poisons.

“I’m telling you this,” Aelin said slowly, taking in a deep, slow breath, “because all of the ingredients in the poison originate from Valg and because of Maeve’s connection with it.”

Rowan frowned, trying to connect the dots and finding he couldn’t. There was no connection between Maeve and Valg. Silently, Rowan told her so.

Shoulders dropping back, Aelin stood up straighter. Rowan felt as if a stone dropped into his stomach, knowing he was about to be proven wrong.

“Maeve was married before, did you know?” Aelin cocked her head to the side, almost inquisitively. “It was only for a year or so, but it was legal. Apparently it ended in fire and brimstone, but I’m sure Maeve wouldn’t call it a complete loss.”

Athril handed him another piece of paper. It was a copy of a marriage certificate.

“Look at the names, Rowan.”

He did, and what he found there took the air right out of his lungs. Orcus King. Maeve had been married to Orcus King. Orcus King, the mastermind behind all the poisons produced in Valg. If Maeve had been married to him, had gained knowledge of his formulas and ingredients, then it’d be easy for her to . . .

“I need some air,” Rowan shoved the papers back into Athril’s hands and stormed out of the manor. There was a chill to the night, a welcomed sensation to combat his burning skin. He was going to be sick. Maeve was vicious, he always knew that—she didn’t become a mob boss by being nice, he knew that—but this was her family. Family was everything and she just—if Aelin was right then she just threw that all away.

Rowan closed his eyes and found a pair of chestnut eyes staring back at him. The wind carried the sound of a laugh, warm and infectious and familiar. Bile rose up Rowan’s throat. He’d give anything to just—and Maeve had thrown—he was going to be sick.

“Rowan,” Aelin’s voice broke through Rowan’s thoughts, through the laughter and the bile, and brought him back down into himself.

Dragging a hand down his face, Rowan turned to look at Adarlan’s Assassin. Standing before him now, Aelin looked so small and vulnerable, but she was looking at him as if he looked the same.

Opening her mouth, Aelin was about to say something else but Rowan cut her off, “I’m in. Whatever you need me to do.” He swallowed down the last remnants of the bile and resolved himself, “I’m in.”  

#one step ahead #rowaelin #rowan whitethorn #aelin galythinius #athril #dorian havilliard #chaol westfall #nesryn faliq #ren allsbrook #aedion ashryver #rowan x aelin

[limegrenadine]

Okay so I have theories for what’s going to happen with the Wilbur/Ranboo/Quackity/Tubbo lore. So, Ranboo and Wilbur have made and are running the burger van, and Tubbo and Quackity have the restaurant, yeah? So they were talking in the restaurant earlier, all of them, and it became established that they were now ‘friendly competition’ to each other. But obviously, like, it’s not going to be very ‘friendly’, now is it? (plus, Quackity is going to pissed over the fact that they blew a hole in the restaurant - and can I just talk about that for a minute. Wilbur manipulates Ranboo into doing this, making sure that Ranboo is the one to place the TNT and light it, and his promise to fix it but instead putting a sign up making them the perpetrators. Ranboo’s whole thing is ‘pick people, not sides’, but now Wilbur is forcing him to pick a side, and I just-. Also Quackity built an aquarium where the hole was; later, he and Tubbo were talking about it, and Quackity said ‘this aquarium is much more than just an aquarium, it has value’ - something along those lines, but I’d like to point out the fact that it was filled only with salmon).

So Ranboo and Wilbur leave, right, and oh my god. The manipulation is just. So subtle, and intricate, and obvious (to us), and terror striking. Ranboo showing Wilbur the ‘hole’ in the strip club, and them agreeing not to do to much to it, so as not to infringe, yet Wilbur immediately starts expanding and making it into what will be a ‘tunnel’. This is obviously going to make Quackity mad, and I think Ranboo’s paranoia against Quackity will cause some fights between him and Tubbo. In fact, I think both of them are both (respectively) going to be getting defensive of Wilbur/Quackity, and it’ll cause tension when the other one doesn’t share that, or when the other one retaliates against Wilbur/Quackity as a defensive mechanism. Wilbur asking Ranboo to place/hide TNT all over Las Nevadas, with a button to detonate it, and telling him to tell him where he places it all/where the button will be. ‘And you’ll be careful, and make sure that it’s safe, so it doesn’t just detonate, right?’”yeah, yeah I will be. I promise” (if this is foreshadowing I swear).

- I have three theories for the TNT; either Wilbur is going to blow up Las Nevadas, exactly like L’manberg, or he’s going to use his knowledge of where the TNT and button is to throw Ranboo under the bus (I don’t think he will, since it incriminates him, too, and he can’t have that. He’s attempting to pit Ranboo against Quackity and Tubbo, and I’m so scared, because it’s actually working), or it’s not going to be a very safe set up at all, and the TNT is going to end up being just detonated (I think it’s unlikely, but it’s possible, so).

Okay, moving on - Quackity and Tubbo are walking around, they get to the Cookie Outpost. Tubbo agrees to sign it to Las Nevadas - and he doesn’t ask Ranboo. ALSO- HE SIGNED HIS NAME AS JUST ‘Tubbo_’ AND NOT ‘Tubbo_Beloved’ LIKE RANBOO DOES. And then he goes to chat to Ranboo, right, and it’s so awkward - Ranboo avoiding eye contact, and then the ‘Were you not happy before/was your life not good before?’ bombshell GODDAMN (also mods wtf was that poll don’t hurt us like that). And Tubbo telling Ranboo about giving away the outpost to Las Nevadas, the mini argument, both of them getting defensive and Ranboo getting hurt. And the miscommunication - Tubbo leaving, contemplating why Ranboo was upset, not realising at all.

- C!Wilbur is absolutely going to monopolise on this. Ranboo is going to tell him about it, in a ‘it’s fine, it doesn’t matter’ way, and Wilbur is going to turn it into something big. He’s going to plant seeds of jealousy, and even bigger hurt and betrayal, etc., and he’s going to use it to drive a bigger wedge between beeduo. Because he doesn’t care who he’s going to end up hurting. He said he changed, but he’s the same. That’s evident in absolutely all of the parallels we can see here. It was Tommy being manipulated by Wilbur the first time round, + the drug van -> now it’s Ranboo, and it’s a burger van. It was pogtopia and l’manberg, but now, while it’s not exactly the same (of course) there are still such big parallels to draw. The TNT. ‘Nuff said. There’s so much more, too.

But it’s just going to be Quackity and Wilbur pitting beeduo against each other, + causing more distrust for Wilbur (or) Quackity (depending on who). 

I have so much more that I am completely blanking at right now, but for now, that’s it. It’s a big rambling mess but just take it.

#the new Ranboo Tubbo quackity and wilbur lore #there are so many theories I have #and ideas for what's going to happen #this isn't even half of it I swear #take it anyways #ranboo lore #tubbo lore #wilbur lore? ig? #I don't think this counts as quackity lore but maybe? #dreamsmp lore #dsmp lore #lore #I just want to cry #dream smp lore

[racingtoaredlight]

THE DEGENERATE’S GUIDE TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL TV WATCH ‘EM UPS 2021: WEEK TWO, A MUDDLED AND MAUDLIN WEEK OF MAYHEM IN HONOR OF THOSE WE LOST

RTARL would like to extend our warmest holiday wishes to those who celebrate and, even if you don’t, happy 9/11. Now who’s ready for some FOOTBALL!!!!?!?!

So after two weeks of games that combine to count as only one official week even though some teams have already played twice we have only one real question answered: is Alabama still good? Yes, they are. Everything else is still liquefying vapor.

I am assuming everybody is waiting with baited breath for an RTARLsman but I don’t have anything yet. I guess the not-Master Teague RBs on Ohio State are the frontrunners for now. Or that one guy from that one team who was good. You know who I mean.

Saturday, September 11

Matchup    Time (ET)     TV/Mobile

Illinois at Virginia   11:00am   ACCN

Jeff George won Citrus Bowl MVP for the Illini against the Hoos in his last game as a student athlete before becoming the #1 overall pick in the 1990 NFL Draft. Based on this history it is safe to presume that whoever the QB is for Illinois today will be the #1 pick in 2022.

VMI at Kent State   11:30am   ESPN3

I’m not sure on this but maybe this game is cancelled.

WKU at Army    11:30am   CBSSN

Army is favored by 6. I bet this game is boring.

Norfolk State at Wake Forest    12:00pm   ACCNX

I don’t see a line listed but whatever it is bet against Wake covering.

Indiana State at Northwestern     12:00pm    BTN

This game is an act of terrorism.

Alabama State at 25 Auburn     12:00pm    SECN

Real body bag season starts today, huh?

Youngstown State at Michigan State  12:00pm   BTN

The Michigan State running back is the guy I was trying to think of earlier! He’s pretty good. Not good enough to make me watch this but I will check on his stats every so often.

Tulsa at Oklahoma State   12:00pm   FS1

I bet Mike Gundy has some really salient thoughts on the 20th anniversary of 9/11 and I can’t wait to hear them.

South Carolina at East Carolina   12:00pm      ESPN2

South Carolina is a two point favorite against an East Carolina team that is, per my understanding, not exactly good. So I can only extrapolate that South Carolina is likewise not good.

Pitt at Tennessee  12:00pm   ESPN

Look, I’m not going to pretend this is good television but if Pitt rocks their classic yellow helmets and Tennessee wears non-alternates the colors on the screen will at least be pleasing. The thought of the actual football involved hurts my brain but it’s interesting that the points have gone from a consensus pick ‘em to Pitt -3 over the course of the week. Does Tennessee have any players that are good enough that by missing the game they could impact the gambling that much? Or are people just squaring themselves with the fact the the Vols are really and truly a ruined burnt out hole of a football program? Pound the latter.

12 Oregon at 3 Ohio State  12:00pm   FOX

Losing Kayvon Thibideaux certainly isn’t going to help Oregon but he’s not usually on the field as a run stopper anyway and if Ohio State learned anything last week it’s that they can just run until they feel like throwing a pass. Oregon actually has some legit talent on the d-line besides Thibideaux but the Ducks are gonna be hard-pressed to keep things within two scores here.

Miami (Ohio) at Minnesota   12:00pm   ESPN

If Oregon can’t make a game of it in Columbus look out because this time block is an absolute wasteland. There is scant reason to turn the TV on for the early schedule other than gambling purposes.

Kennesaw State at Georgia Tech   12:00pm    RSN/ESPN3

Georgia Tech probably should have closed up shop after Paul Johnson retired. Either that or just absolutely slathered the football program in dollars. The Yellow Jackets being unable to land any big time recruits while playing in Atlanta is a real mindfuck. They aren’t a AA program playing dress up in a “power” conference they’ve got actual history. I don’t mean to give the impression I want them to be good but I don’t understand how they can be such fodder for so long.

13 Florida at USF    1:00pm    ABC

Remember that year when USF was the best program in the state? Wild stuff. Weird, wild stuff. I know the deal with UF is that they don’t go out of state for contract games but it’s actually kind of surprising they even bothered to keep this trip to Tampa on the schedule. Like the area recruits would probably be happier to go see a game at The Swamp than to kick around their hometown for a pile of shit like this.

Wyoming at NIU    1:30pm   ESPN+

I’m not gonna open the ESPN app for this but if it was on ESPN2 I’d probably check in on it during commercials. Aesthetically pleasing trash with an upside for actual entertainment.

Middle Tennessee at 19 Virginia Tech    2:00pm   ACCNX

Virginia Tech’s home crowd scene was the normie story of last week’s games. People that don’t watch college football were either aghast or frantically waving their blue lives matter flags in response. Us in this space just ate the shame and forgot it happened by the time Saturday’s games kicked off. My theory is that VPI is not actually any good but UNC’s 2020 season was a well-timed fluke and the last hurrah of Mack Brown’s storied coaching career. The Hokies are at home, though, and MTSU is almost certainly not on the same athletic level as the Turkey Gobblers so I’d probably take the home team -20 if I were so inclined to wager on this particular game that is being broadcast on the ACC’s new pornography channel.

Rutgers at Syracuse    2:00pm    ACCN

Holy fuck does this game suck. Reuniting former Big East, uh, rivals (??? does Rutgers have any natural enemies?) in a cross-conference classic betwixt the B1G and the ACC.

Duquesne at Ohio   2:00pm   ESPN3

I don’t think I need to explain to you all the national title implications riding on this game.

Toledo at 8 Notre Dame    2:30pm     Peacock

Just remember that if you subscribe to Peacock you are at the very least tacitly supporting Notre Dame. If for some reason you’re watching this please report back on how many of those defensive pick plays Notre Dame runs. They were doing that shit constantly against Florida State last week and it drove me nuts. I think the idea is that you are so flagrantly illegal so often that the refs grow numb to it and just don’t call it at all.

Robert Morris at Central Michigan     3:00pm    ESPN3

Not to be outdone by the early games, the 3 o’clock set is equally terrible.

Purdue at UConn    3:00pm    CBSSN

I bet Edsall still gets bonuses for stupid shit even now that he’s retired or whatever the official designation was for him no longer coaching.

Boston College at UMass    3:30pm    FloFootball/NESN+

I don’t know what FloFootball is but I know it isn’t anything to do with the state of Florida.

Ball State at 11 Penn State    3:30pm    FS1

It surprises me to see Penn State as only -22.5 favorites. That seems very kind to Ball State. Hopefully I’m wrong and the Ball State Lettermans take it to the Sanduskys.

Murray State at 7 Cincinnati    3:30pm    ESPN+

Practice week continues.

Temple at Akron    3:30pm    ESPN+

Pound the under.

Georgia Southern at Florida Atlantic   3:30pm   Stadium

There is really nothing going on this week.

Air Force at Navy   3:30pm   CBS

Middies vs. Fly Boys in the first leg of the Commander’s Cup on the twentieth anniversary of 9/11. I can’t imagine the amount of emotional manipulation that’s going to make its way onto this broadcast. Normally I watch these games but I don’t think I can do it this year.

UAB at 2 Georgia    3:30pm    ESPN2

Georgia may well be absurdly talented on the defensive side of the ball but I’d be surprised to see them make it through the regular season with fewer than two losses.

5 Texas A&M at Colorado     3:30pm     FOX

This is only interesting if the Aggies spring a leak.

California at TCU    3:30pm    ESPNU

Things most certainly are not looking up.

Buffalo at Nebraska    3:30pm    BTN

Nebraska is in an interesting position because if they buck the odds and end up being good after we’ve all been so ready to see a National Championship-winning coach get fired that would be funny but if they end up being really bad it’s even funnier. Go Bulls!

Mercer at 1 Alabama    4:00pm   SECN

I’ll cry a little if Saban pulls the starters in the first half and the Tide beats Mercer by less than they beat Miami.

South Alabama at Bowling Green   4:00pm    ESPN+

10 Iowa at 9 Iowa State    4:30pmABC

This is not the kind of top 10 matchup I can just sit idly by and let it happen. Your silence is complicity in this monstrous display of modernity.

SC State at 6 Clemson    5:00pm      ACCN

Clemson dropped all the way to #6 and they’ll hang around the top of the polls because they don’t have the toughest conference schedule in the world but my confidence in them is not high right now. I think the new QB is just a guy. He’s talented as hell but I don’t see him being great.

Illinois State at Western Michigan     5:00pm   ESPN3

This is either MACtion or MACtion adjacent and I have only one word for this midwestern trash: abhorrent.

LIU at West Virginia   5:00pm    ESPN+

LIU plays football?

Lamar at UTSA      6:00pm    ESPN3

Downside: You’re watching one of the least important games of the year. Upside: You’re really not missing anything.

Portland State at Washington State    6:00pm    P12N

Washington State was a perfect spot for the stupid pirate fuckhead and his leaving has ruined the program and, eventually, his reputation. Not relevant to this game necessarily but this game isn’t relevant to anything else, either.

Gardner-Webb at Charlotte   6:00pm    ESPN3

Oh, yeah, feel the excitement.

Bethune-Cookman at UCF   6:30pm   ESPN+

Go Cats.

NC Central at Marshall    6:30pm    ESPN+

The hits keep coming.

Houston at Rice   6:30pm    CBSSN

I’ve always had a soft spot for Holgo and for Houston football but somehow I really don’t like seeing him coach the Cougs. This is SWC magic but with no magic. UNLESS! Houston can put up 100. I don’t think they even have the guys to do it but this is Rice we’re talking about here.

Nicholls at Louisiana    7:00pm    ESPN3

Keep the energy up.

North Texas at SMU   7:00pm   ESPN+

I bet is MS621 were still alive he’d be at this game giving Spencer’s boys hell. Sadly he died doing what he loved, curing his COVID by eating ivermectin paste out of a horse’s butt. R.I.P., friend. Neigh to you wherever you are.

Southeastern La. at Louisiana Tech   7:00pm    ESPN3

Even the low tier stuff is geared up for annihilation. This is a bodybag week for all time.

Memphis at Arkansas State    7:00pm    ESPN+

Memphis getting less than a touchdown against Arkansas State seems like easy money but I have no real concept of either of these teams just yet. Maybe the end is nigh for the Tigers glory years? I sure hope not but it’s possible.

NC State at Mississippi State    7:00pm     ESPN2

This game should be as fun as a parents funeral.

Southern Illinois at Kansas State   7:00pm      ESPN+

Over the past week I experienced derision for referring the the guys in purple and silver as “Kansas State” instead of “K State” and that stung because it always surprises me that anybody cares about them enough to have a strong opinion about them.

Stephen F. Austin at Texas Tech    7:00pm    ESPN+

Shrugs

15 Texas at Arkansas    7:00pm   ESPN

Let’s see if Texas is ready to run with the big boys of the SEC! Arkansas is given a decent shot to win this game and that makes the “15″ next to Texas appear extremely suspect in my eyes.

Texas Southern at Baylor    7:00pm   ESPN+

This week Texas Southern is the people’s champion.

Texas State at FIU   7:00pm    ESPN+

Oh, Butch, why have you done this to yourself?

Western Carolina at 4 Oklahoma      7:00pm     PPV

All the Westen Carolina fans are buying this PPV to see their guys score 40.

New Mexico State at New Mexico    7:00pm     Stadium

I looked up the historic rivalry last year to figure out why it was played early in the season instead of at the end but I’ve forgotten and don’t feel the need to look it up again. I figured out how to watch Stadium on my TV but I also forgot that and don’t feel the need to look it up again.

Appalachian State at 22 Miami (FL)  7:00pm   ESPNU

My gut tells me Miami is probably legitimately about the 14th best team in the country but I still would never advise you to bet actual money on the Hurricanes. Are they 9 points better than App State? Easily. They should win by 20+. Are they liable to fuck around and lose or scrape out a win in the final seconds? Absolutely. Let’s fuckin’ go.

Morgan State at Tulane    7:00pm    ESPN+

A lot of people learned to love the Green Wave last week but it’s hard to keep that going with their schedule. Don’t forget them later in the year when the CBSSN glow is really shining.

Liberty at Troy   7:00pm   ESPN+

Liberty -4 is maybe my surest advice of the week. If Malik Willis is as good as his press the fake school should have this game on ice early.

Eastern Michigan at 18 Wisconsin   7:00pm    FS1

I find Wisconsin’s losing effort against Penn State last week to be a personal affront against me and all of nature.

Eastern Kentucky at Louisville    7:00pm   ACCNX

I think this game being broadcast at night on ACCNX means they’re playing naked.

Grambling State at Southern Miss    7:00pm    ESPN3

This is the kind of game that belongs on an app.

Hampton at Old Dominion    7:00pm    ESPN3

This is the kind of game that belongs on a well-worn high school football field.

Austin Peay at 20 Mississippi   7:30pm     ESPN+/SECN+

This is a pretty big OOC game for an SEC team.

Georgia State at 24 North Carolina    7:30pm    RSN/ESPN3

One of several GSUs, I think this is the one I most hope emerges victorious this week.

Idaho at Indiana   7:30pm    BTN

Wait, wasn’t Indiana like #10 last week? What the hell happened to them? No, don’t tell me. Seriously, don’t.

Missouri at Kentucky     7:30pm    SECN

When the SEC hits 24 teams the “S!E!C!” chants are gonna seem really stupid.

Howard at Maryland    7:30pm    BTN

There’s no official line for this game but I hope the Bison can pull off the upset in this classic local rivalry game.

Jacksonville State at Florida State    8:00pm   ACCN

Still shaking my head at FSU icing their own kicker. Jesus, Norvell. Get your shit together.

McNeese at LSU     8:00pm      ESPN+/SECN+

LOLSU was my lock of the week last week if you’re considering taking gambling advice from me.

Washington at Michigan    8:00pm    ABC

UDub lost to a 1-AA team last week and now they have to go on the road and beat Michigan. Which seems inevitable, to be honest.

Cal Poly at Fresno State    10:00pm    CW59

The murder rate will continue to increase as the day progresses. I always kind of like it when a local broadcast shows up on the sheet. So pretty much none of us have legal access to this game. It makes it more special.

San Diego State at Arizona    10:00pm    P12N

Pac-12 Network is similar to CW59 in that almost nobody in the country has legal access to their broadcasts. If you’ve read enough of these posts you are aware that SDSU is my weird very deep backup team. I don’t have a reason to align myself with the school or program, I just tend to enjoy watching their games.

Vanderbilt at Colorado State     10:00pm    CBSSN

This is an abomination.

21 Utah at BYU     10:15pm    ESPN

This is a lowkey fun rivalry. I’m pretty sure I write the same thing every year but it’s still true. Go Utes.

Stanford at 14 USC     10:30pm    FOX

I think USC could win a national championship and I’d still be baffled that Clay Helton is their coach. Of course, they won’t win a national championship as long as Clay Helton is their coach but they apparently won’t ever get embarrassing enough to fire him, either.

Idaho State at Nevada    10:30pm    Stadium

This is the lowpoint of the week’s schedule and you have to stay up late to watch it on a network that only exists as an app or as part of a hidden unlockable download-only level of cable subscription. This is the beauty of the college game.

UNLV at 23 Arizona State    10:30pm   ESPN2

Herm Edwards figured out the trick to looking good in the Pac-12 without having a particularly great team and I can’t make up my mind if I’m rooting for him to keep sliding on that rail or to fall off it. I think I’ve come around to rooting for him but it’s a very dynamic and fluid situation.

Hawaii at Oregon State   11:00pm    FS1

Hawaii gets to play at their normal time for a game against the bottom of the barrel of the Pac-12 but they’re an 11-point underdog. If you’re ever going to take Hawaii, this is the stars lining up for you to do it. It’s still a big “if” but I’m saying there’s a chance.

#college football #football #Tv watch em ups #rtarl watches tv #gambling #9/11 #two decades after 9/11

[withyounct]

What’s wrong kid? (8)

Reader x Single dad!Jaehyun 

Genre: Fluff

Words: 3.7k

Prompt: You notice a child crying at a school playground. You decide to see what’s up and meet an extremely stressed/extremely handsome father.

Prev | Next

A/n: Enjoy!

“God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers?” You muttered completely hanging upside down on the couch doing nothing as the pressure of blood flowed into your brain. Ten, who was scrolling through his phone, used his free hand to poke you with a stray pillow.

“We’ll drink and get over it. Are you okay?” He was met with grunts as you slid onto the floor. He was gearing up to join you when the doorbell rang. Very swiftly, you enforced the ‘nose goes’ rule and smirked as he begrudgingly went to answer it.

You were pleasantly surprised to see Johnny’s gigantic stature from your place on the ground.

“I think you’ve been over more than Jaehyun. Congratulations. What do you want?” You turned into a sitting position. Johnny, still in his ‘casual’ suit and tailored made trench coat, chuckled and held out a hand to help you up.

“I'm bored and would like to have a father-daughter afternoon.” You tilted your head in confusion because Johnny was the cool uncle type rather than father, but the rare innocent smile on his face forced you to keep the thought to yourself.

You were content with staying in your nicely heated apartment lounging around all day, but unfortunately you had a soft spot for him. You took his hand and was brought up. Telling him to hang out with Ten for about twenty minutes, you ventured into your room to get ready.

You put on some light makeup and picked out a Johnny approved outfit. It was snowing out, so you stole one of Kun’s scarfs as Johnny pulled you out into the cold.

He told you that he didn’t have any definitive plans as you drove onto the highway. You were about to criticize his poor planning when you got an email from the Men’s Wearhouse. You scanned the email and looked up at Johnny. 

“I can feel you boring holes into my face, what’s up?” He asked not looking away from the road.

You weighed your options; it would be easy and convenient to have Johnny take you, but the possibility of him telling Jaehyun was risky. On the other hand, the thought of having to leave your house later to do something you could do now was annoying.

“I trust you more than I should.” You sighed. “I need to pick up Jaehyun’s gift.”

“I’ll beat you to it. If I tell him anything you’ll kill me.” He smirked. “Where are we going shorty?”  

You scoffed and inserted the address into the gps.

“It’s how much!?” You held on tightly to your card, eyes blown out in shock. The older gentleman that helped you before had his same warm smile which somehow made things worse. 

“The total is $150.” He gestured to the screen. You were too focus at the price that you missed Johnny’s whistle behind you.

“Man that’s pricey. By your standards of course, but I got it.” Johnny said coolly going into his pocket. You stopped his arm with more force than needed.

“I will end you.” You threatened, but the pout you displayed made you look more like a sad kitten than anything. You swiped your card before you could regret it and was handed the velvet box. The man wished you both happy holidays as you exited the shop. You were too busy looking at your bank account to care that Johnny took the gift out your hands and inspected it.

“Boring and right up Jaehyun’s alley. Congrats.” He carefully placed it in one of your coat pockets, making sure to button it close. “Come on, let me treat you to lunch.” He didn’t wait for you to reply as he intertwined his arm with yours and dragged you to the car.

Johnny was pretty predictable, so you weren’t surprised when he took you to some upscale ritzy restaurant. Upon his instructions, you didn’t look at the prices of anything and ordered a steak that you were a hundred percent sure cost the same as rent. You were sipping on the sweetest wine the place had to offer when you realized something. 

“You’re a good friend.” You said suddenly, leaning back into your chair. Johnny looked up from his food in confusion as you continued. “I hope you genuinely like hanging out with me, but your trying to help Jaehyun figure out what to get me, right?”

“Clever guess, but wrong. Jaehyun already bought your gift.” He laughed reaching over the table to ruffle your hair. “I really just wanted a father-daughter day.” He smiled softly. 

After lunch you spent the rest of the afternoon trying to stop Johnny from buying everything he thought would look cute on you and failing. It was nearing the evening when you finally talked him into taking you home, complaining that neither of you had any arm room left. 

“Something tells me that you were always this wealthy.” You stated, stuffing the rest of the bags in the back seat and hopping in yours.

“What gave me away? My complete disregard of a price tag or the car?” He joked. 

“Both.” You laughed. “No offense, you just give off a ‘trust fund kid, never eaten ramen’ vibe sometimes.”

He chuckled, but nodded. “None taken. You’re half right. Came from money. My father owns an information company in Chicago, while my mom owns a fashion company in New York. I was set the moment I was born.” He said proudly.  “I was kind of an asshole as a child and was sent to this boarding school in New Jersey. It was middle school when I met Jaehyun. I’ll let him tell you all the shit we got into, but he was the first person to introduce me to ramen. He loved it, but I wasn’t much of a fan.” There was something in his eyes that soften ever so slightly as he traveled down memory lane in his head. “I’ve known that loser my whole life.” He smiled more to himself than to you. 

“You make him happy.” He used the red light as an opportunity to look at you. “I’ve seen him hit rock bottom and try his hardest to fill holes that were impossible to fix. Hyunjin does a good job, but she herself has holes that she's too young to notice. But you,” His laugh was light in wonder. “you just appeared out of nowhere like an angel and started sewing their holes shut.”

The light changed and he sent you one final smile before turning his attention back to the road. “So thanks for that.” 

The rest of the car ride was filled with music as you were rendered speechless. Johnny didn’t pressure you into saying anything and you appreciated it. He helped you bring all the bags up into your apartment. 

You knew he wasn’t much of a hugger, but you found yourself wrapping your arms tightly around him. You felt the light vibrations of him laugh as he hugged you back. 

“I take it I'm your new favorite.” He laughed, ruffling your hair as you let go. “See you later shorty.” He smiled as he left. 

It was early in the evening and it was right around the time you would make your way over to Jaehyun’s. After trying to find the closet space for all the new clothes that was gifted upon you, you found yourself getting ready to do just that.

But, there was a moment of hesitation as you skidded over to your phone. You’d totally forgotten that Renjun and Yangyang were leaving for China in the morning. You smiled and opened up the group chat, adding Kun and Ten to it.

‘Let’s do something tonight!’ You sent the message and it took exactly three minutes for you to regret your life choices. Jaemin made a poll and clubbing became the main victor. You sent a ‘I hate you all’ text, tossed your phone, and grabbed one of the outfits Johnny bought you. You still had on makeup from earlier, so you were the first one done. 

You wandered into Ten’s room and flopped on his bed as he got ready, wrapping yourself into a cocoon with his covers.

“Someone put in very little effort.” He judged, getting up from his desk chair to sit next to you. He handed you his eyeliner, a silent gesture for you to help him.

“Someone has a man and would rather go laser tagging.” You shot back as you gently tight lined his eyes. “You know you and Kun are our responsible sober adults’ tonight.” You informed. You were met with rolled eyes that contradicted his smile.

“Someone’s got to keep the kids safe.” 

It didn’t take long for everyone to arrive. Kun and Ten took four each and headed to the downtown clubbing district. Ten was ready to throw both you and Jeno out the car since you both rather be anywhere but there and wouldn’t shut up about it.  No one questioned Jaemin as he ushered the group passed the long line into the club. You turned to see him high-five the bouncer and laughed because that was such a Jaemin thing to do. 

You wandered passed the dancefloor and various bodies to the bar. Ten, who immediately forgot about his adult responsibilities, had ordered a raspberry vodka. You smiled as you swiftly took it out his hand and downed it, shooing him away in the process.  

You weren’t much for dancing, so you found a comfortable place at the bar where you could watch your friends act like complete fools. You turned to order another drink when one was placed in front of you. You looked up confused at the bartender only to have him nod his head at the male sitting next to you before walking off. 

The really handsome guy that you just now noticed smiled at you. Smiling back and noticing his drink, you called over the bartender again and ordered another drink. He was confused, but placed it in front of you. Smoothly, you slid it over to the stranger who looked more confused.

“Returning the nice gesture.” You stated, spinning around on the stool to look at your friends. Even in the poorly lit room you could see the murderous intent in their eyes. Laughing, you threw up a ‘okay’ sign and they returned to their dancing. 

“Seungcheol.” He introduced, holding out his hand. 

“Y/n. Taken.” You smiled as you shook his hand. Your smile widened as he laughed.

“That’s okay. I hope the drink wasn’t too awkward.” He nervously rubbed his neck. You told him it wasn’t. 

Naturally a conversation started between you two. You were both dragged there by your friends, who were oddly dancing around each other. Somewhere in between the jokes, laughs, and drinks, an existential crisis creeped its ugly way into your mind making it a bit hard to focus. In every case before now, you would flirt a little and make out in the bathroom until one of your friends would drag you home. 

The conversation gradually became one-sided on his part; you tried to stay engaged, but with the aid of alcohol in your system you eventually fell flat. He was quick to pick it up, stopping midway through a joke to look at your sudden somber disposition. With a bit of hesitation, he lightly tapped your hand.

“Okay why do you look like a kicked puppy? Am I bothering you?” He worried, moving a bit back into his seat to give more space between you two. His dejected tone caught your attention and you hurriedly shook your head. 

“No, its just.” You sighed, letting your cheek lean into your palm. You let out an empty laugh and continued to shake your head. “Nothing.”  You lied.

There was something in his eyes that soften as you played with your empty drink. “I know it’s usually the bartenders that listen to random people problems, but that guy looks like he hates everything and I'm an excellent listener.” He offered.

You weren’t one to flood people with your troubles, friend and stranger alike, but there was something comforting and accepting about him. You sighed. “My boyfriend said I love you a few months back and I haven’t said it back.” You found yourself saying. You watched his face grimaced. “Yeah, I know.” 

Wordlessly, he got the bartender’s attention and pointed to your empty glass. 

After securing you another drink, he continued.

“So, what’s the problem?” He asked. 

“That’s the thing, there isn’t one. He's downright perfect. Even with a kid.” You paused for a moment. “His daughter is amazing which makes him more amazing.” You groaned letting your arm fall as you laid your head on your forearm. 

“Ah, you’re afraid.” He acknowledged. You sat there and let his words simmer for a moment. In your more sober mindset you would deny immediately, it was a stupid reason to be afraid, but somehow you found yourself nodding.

“There's just too much finality with the word love.” You confessed softly to the point you weren’t sure he heard you. He looked down at you sadly as he traded out your drink with water.

Silence engulfed you two, the music and loud laughter for the outside world that seem to dim made its way back into your ears. The alcohol making everything slightly louder than you were comfortable with. 

“I know I don’t know you well, but let me ask you one question that you don’t have to tell me the answer to.” His soft eyes had a sliver of sharpness around the edges. “In this moment right now do you see yourself growing old with him?” 

You of course knew the answer; you’ve had countless daydreams about it. Waking up every morning wrapped in his arms, helping Hyunjin with her hair before school, late minute dates, forcing Jaehyun to watch more horror movies with you, tending to the garden with Hyunjin, putting her to bed, watching her grow up, arguing, making up, the whole nine yards. Until you’re both gross and wrinkly. 

You didn’t notice the smile make its way on your face until Seungcheol proudly pointed it out. 

“Take out your phone, I want updates.” He pulled out his phone and you two exchanged numbers.

It was nearing midnight and you were beyond ready to go. You couldn’t fathom how your friends had the energy to keep going, but they always had a way of surprising you. With a sad smile you turned towards Seungcheol.

“Not that you’re not amazing company, but I'm tired an-”

“I got you.” He waved over your friends. Kun, who finally manage to get out of Ten’s grasp, saw and about ran to you. He, of course, was ready to throw hands just in case. But, after some talking you calmed him down and introduced the two. You turned to pick up your bar tab when it was whisked away by Seungcheol. 

“Have a good night.” He winked, disappearing to the other side of the bar before you could protest. Laughing and shaking your head, you returned your attention back to Kun. Biting your lip and looking past him you could see the rest of your friends still having fun. You didn’t want to take Kun away from that, but wanted nothing more than to crawl in bed. 

“Can you call me a ube-”

“I’ll drive.” He cut you off. “Ten’s with them. He's more responsible than we give him credit for. I’ll come back after dropping you off.” He smiled. It wasn’t every day that Kun complimented Ten, so you decided not to tell him about earlier. 

“Jaehyun’s place right?” He asked, a cheeky smile gracing his face.

“You’re the best.” You hopped down for your stool and leaned on Kun as he guided you out the club. You made sure to stop by Renjun and Yangyang to hug them bye and wished them safe travels.

The car ride was filled with Kun’s ballad playlist which was a welcoming change from the loud EDM music you had to suffer through. Just like you the first time, Kun stood and gawk at how nice Jaehyun’s house was. 

“My baby is moving up in the world.” He whistled. He walked you to the door making sure you had your keys before hugging you bye. 

The living room lights were off and given the time you guessed he retired to bed. Clumsily, you dropped your bag on the couch and made your way down the hallway. You stopped by Hyunjin and snickered at her chaotic sleeping form, looking apologetically at the stuff animals at got kick or punched on the floor. Gently you closed her door and noticed Jaehyun’s office light was still on.

You wandered over and leaned against the doorframe. He was too focused on his laptop and you decided not to alert him to your presence yet. You stood there for a few minutes watching him in deep concentration, smiling at how soft he looked in his ruffled hair and round glasses.

“Boo.” You said, craving his attention. You laughed at how he jumped in surprise, but melted when his smile blossomed. He got out his seat and made his way over to you.

“What are you doing here?” He smiled holding your face.

“I missed you.” You whispered. He cooed at the statement and leaned in for a kiss. He quickly leaned back and looked at you confused.

“Alcohol?” He asked.

You nodded. “I went out with friends. Kun drove me here.” 

He gently stroked your cheek and thanked you for being responsible. You told him he could return to his work, but he wasn’t having any of that. Abandoning his laptop, he guided you to the bedroom. You walked into the closet and grabbed one of his shirts to change in. When you walked back into the room he was seated on the bed, your box of skin care by his side. He smiled and padded the space next to him. Chuckling, you sat yourself.

“I'm not that drunk. I can do it.” You explained.

“Nope. I want to.” He beamed. He pulled out your makeup wipes and gently wiped your face. You started to laugh which caught his attention.

“You’re going to need to use more force than that.” You laughed handing him another wipe. He made an ‘o’ shape and applied a bit more pressure. He used more wipes than needed, but you kept that to yourself. After he was done, you went to cleanse your face with the promise he could finish the rest. 

He had seen your routine countless times, so you closed your eyes and let him go at his own pace.

“Did you have fun?” He asked quietly.

“Kind of. I mostly talked to this guy at the bar.” You answered honestly. His hands stilled for a millisecond. It was something you would have missed if you weren’t hyperaware of his every movements. 

“Oh. What did you talk about?” 

“You. He was a chill guy.” Your eyes opened slowly as you smiled. You saw the smile make its way on his face as he nodded.

“Well I'm glad you kind of had fun.” He finished padding in your eye cream and tapped your nose. 

“Beautiful.” The same amount of love in his eyes was being conveyed in his voice as he tucked a stray hair behind your ear. Your heart picked up speed at the intensity of his gaze, so you got on your knees and engulfed him in a hug. You smiled at the melodic laughter that calmed your very soul as he held onto you.

“Man I should do this more often.” He gently stroke your head, swaying you side to side.

“Thanks for being you.” You mumbled softly into his neck. He placed a kiss on the crown of your head before pulling the cover to tuck you in. He left to put your box back and turn off the lights.

“The park by my office is decorated as a winter wonderland. Lets go with Hyunjin tomorrow.” He crawled into bed.

“I'm down.” You said with no hesitation. 

“Let me guess, you’re going to be bouncing around like a child.”

“Without a doubt.”

“I'm getting beach flashbacks.” He sighed, but there was no mirth behind it.

You found your usual place cuddled into his chest. “Goodnight my human teddy bear.” You joked.

“Goodnight my beautiful doll.”

It was one of those rare times, you were awake before Jaehyun. Usually you would wake up in a cloud of confusion, wondering what events you had to do that day or other random thing. But, there was nothing, just clarity. You grabbed a piece of hair and started to tickle Jaehyun’s nose. His hand was on your side, so on instinct he tickled you back. You’re laughter brought him out of his dreamy state. 

“Stop, I need your undivided attention.” You giggled trying to come down from laughing. 

“You always have my attention.” He smiled, draping his arm back over your side.

“Thanks.” You started. “I need to say this before I overthink or wuss out. So, I wanted to say this last night, but I had alcohol in my system and I'm not tactless. But, you were doing the most mundane thing and I swear my heart was going a mile a minute which is becoming a frequent thing. I was going to wait till Christmas to make a grand display of my feelings while I gave you your really lame gift, but that’s not how I am and that’s not what love is to me. It’s the feeling I have right now warm in your arms with messy hair and sleep in my eyes, which is fine because you tell me I'm beautiful every morning.” You smiled. “I love you Jaehyun.”

“I know.” He whispered, smile beaming brighter than ever. You move your arm to hit his chest, but was stopped when he grabbed your face and place a kiss that took your breath away. Your eyes fluttered close and you let yourself get sucked into his warmth. He slowly pulled away and bumped foreheads with you. The laughter that left him was that of a child on Christmas day. Pure happiness. It was infectious and you found yourself laughing too. Grabbing his cheek, you placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

“I love you dummy.”

#jaehyun #nct #nct 127 #cznnet #neowritingsnet #jung jaehyun #johnny seo #ten #kun #mark lee #taeyong #nct dream #wayv #lucas #haechan #jaemin #jeno #yuta #doyoung #renjun #yangyang #taeil #winwin #johnny #s.coups #nct fluff #nct scenarios #nct imagines #wayv fluff #wayv scenarios

[zenexitwrites]

new reddie fic up, check it out here or under the cut

The Derry Townhouse that the Losers stayed in wasn’t one they had made out of choice. When it came to the small town of Derry Maine, there wasn’t a particularly large range of options. Although it might have been a nice thought to think they had coincidentally chosen the same small inn due to secret bonds between them leading them to the same place… It was actually much more left up to the simple fact there was only one inn. Derry wasn’t particularly known for its tourism industry. Rather, it wasn’t known for anything at all, even if it did have some pretty remarkable statistics. At least, it did in the crime department. 

Some of the Losers had planned out their sudden vacation back to small town roots a little bit better than others. That is to say, Richie hadn’t bothered to call ahead at an Inn he knew barely managed to stay open. What he, or any of the Losers, hadn’t anticipated was the carnival being in town and how Derry might manage to actually make people want to come to it. In fact, the vast majority of his friends had already checked in at the hotel. Richie had stopped by the Townhouse in a rush and had left his bags with an attendant, telling him how he would check in later and request them up to his room. Eddie waited behind Richie, wanting to request something at the front desk for his room that he was smart enough to call beforehand to get.

The smile stretching across Richie’s face fell quickly talking to the receptionist. A smile that just before had been aimed at Eddie right after a dry quip Kaspbrak was less enthused than Richie about.

“No rooms? What, did the place flood?” Richie asked dryly. It was half of a joke, as Derry hadn’t been particularly good in the past about its water levels. As seen in case in the day George Denberough had been swept up into a storm drain in the Loser’s youth. Huh, that was a memory that seemed a little out of place. 

“No rooms left, we’re completely booked up with the fair in town.” The girl at the counter said dryly. Her eyes were tired, bracing for impact on Richie’s reaction. 

Aside from Eddie behind him, all of the other losers had already said their goodbyes before they had all lined up to get into their individual rooms like it was a school lunch. Shuffling away with their suitcases while Richie and Eddie were bickering, leaving the two of them completely alone. Meaning, it wasn’t like Richie had a whole room to poll asking for help.

Eddie’s brown eyes quickly moved from Richie’s face, to the girl at the check in desk, and back to Richie. His dark eyebrows were pulled together, his mouth tight lipped. Richie could practically hear the mental process in his head, could almost see the steam pouring out of his stupid perfectlty shaped ears. Richie offered him what he considered his most hopeful and happy grin. One that said, oh please Eddie dear, don’t you want to offer to help me in some way?

“Did you have the reservation for Kaspbrak?” Eddie asked, stepping forward. He got up closer to the counter than Richie had been. “Spelled K-A-S-P-B-R-A-K. Should be under Edward.”

Huh, it seemed like Richie wasn’t the only idiot who hadn’t checked in properly earlier. 

Promptly the girl at the counter began typing into the computer. An amount of typing Richie was sure was unnecessary, but what did he know? He had never worked at a hotel, but to him it had always looked like something idle and fake hotel people did to look busy while the computer loaded more slowly than most guests could handle. Eddie slid an ID and a credit card across the counter unprompted, clearly used to staying in hotels. Richie watched all this silently, still trying to keep up a kind of stupid smile, hoping it would guilt either of them into wanting to help him.

Richard Tozier had a lot of faces, a lot of voices, he found very easy to slip into. Before he was able to cut it on the standup scene, he had done practically anything that would pay his bills. He had done a shitty AM radio station in his backyard for example, with ravings of a wild child protesting anything and everything. He had also filled up the air space with voices of his, characters and people who didn’t exist until Richie got to droll them out happily on an air he wasn’t sure anyone was listening to. There was something good in doing that, in making or performing a character for standup everyone thought was Richie Tozier. In performing a fake silly man on the radio. Something so deeply pleasing in not being Richie Tozier, for escaping his own thoughts and person and becoming something completely different.

“We have it sir, and your bags you checked in earlier under that name have already been dropped off.” The girl said back plainly. She ran the two cards through the machine and turned to hand a quickly printed receipt off to Eddie along with a room key that was an actual key with the number eight on it.

“Do you need anything else today?”

Eddie looked sideways at Richie, a guilty look in his eyes as he continued to think about what to say. Richie smiled brightly at him.

“Do you have the bags dropped off under Tozier still?” Richie asked the girl hopefully. She sighed in response and began to ruffle through records Richie knew at any other hotel would probably be nowhere near this front desk. It took her only a few moments to collect everything she needed, and Richie was a little amazed at how organized she was.

“We do have them. Do you want us to bring them out to you?”

“Actually, can you just bring them to Mr.Kaspbrak’s room, please?” Richie asked, trusting his gut. The woman sighed and nodded and wrote something down on a paper. 

Eddie opened his mouth to complain, and probably yell at Richie, but he cut him off with a loud thank you to the receptionist while grabbing everything on the counter and tugging Eddie away.

After getting to the room, to no one’s surprise, there was of course only one bed. It wasn’t very long before Eddie was calling the front desk and nagging them about bringing down extra pillows and blankets, an extra cot, and of course pestering about where Richie’s bags were.

It was funny, how little time had seemed to change Eddie. Richie couldn’t help his eyes from falling on Eddie’s ring finger, the small silver band sitting there in an almost mocking way. Saying, look at me! Eddie is married! And not to you jackhole! Richie wanted to shake him after that, his skin crawling in a weird way he couldn’t explain. All of this, it felt out of place. Like something on the tip of his tongue. A foggy abscess in his mind he didn’t know he should try to reach for, or to run from.

When Eddie finally hung up the phone Richie smiled at him, as devilishly handsome of a smile he thought he was capable of. 

“Stuck with me in your bed, huh?” Richie asked knowingly. Eddie would be shit to be in a hostage situation with, he repeated every line he heard from the other end of the phone. Eddie let out a loud groan in response.

“You know you can’t just invite yourself into people’s hotel rooms, right? You know that’s fucked up, right?” Eddie began, his hands already moving to point and slap his hands in agitation.

Richie hummed in response and walked over to a minifridge he knew would be filled with overpriced snacks. Or in this case, two bottles of tall water and one half assed bag of trailmix. Richie frowned and only grabbed the $6 water to drink from. Something in the back of his head had reminded him then of Eddie’s allergies. Ones he hadn’t been at the restaurant to overhear, but remembered anyway. Strange. 

“Oh and now you’re going to run up my bill. Great fucking job Trashmouth, just act like you own the place and then I know you’re going to run out on the check.” Eddie said, waving his hand wildly at the water.

Richie gave a little snort while he sipped on his water. 

“Dude, it’s fine. I can pay for the whole room if you want me to.” He said this almost boredly. Since making it, money hadn’t been really an issue for Richie anymore, and that was in LA. Richie knew he could buy practically anything he wanted here in this tiny town of Derry and probably not even see his bank balance budge. Eddie was probably well off too, considering his job seemed like it revolved around firing everyone in businesses he didn’t work for. But hell if Richie even knew what a risk analyst was, it definitely wasn’t the sort of thing a kid would say he wanted to be when he grew up.

Eddie mumbled a few things under his breath then and moved around the room, picking things up as he went. He had some large blue bag in his hands and tugged it with him into the bathroom. 

“I’m going to take a shower.” Eddie announced from the bathroom, and then walked about out as if suddenly worrying Richie would not be able to hear him.

“Alright Eds, I can behave while you’re gone. I won't throw some mad party in the next twenty minutes.” Richie said with a laugh and worked on settling in the room. 

While Eddie was gone, Richie tried to hum to himself under his breath trying to keep his mind busy. He put his suitcases when they arrived in a good corner of the room, trying to make sure Eddie still felt like he had his space. It wasn’t a particularly big room, but Eddie did get a king bed so they would both fit on it just fine tonight. When Richie was done gathering his things, he changed into something to sleep in. Blue flannel pants with cigarette holes burned into them from the few times he or someone else had fallen asleep around him smoking. Those pants and whatever comfortable shirt was on top of his shit. 

Richie locked eyes with the bed itself. It looked like a regular run of the mill hotel bed, sheets and blanket neatly tucked around all corners. Richie went ahead and began tugging at it, pulling the large comforter untucked so he would be able to sleep with his feet hanging out the bottom of it. After that, he walked lazily over to the air and turned it town a few degrees. He ran hot when he slept. Richie didn’t stop to think and wonder about how Eddie might feel about this.

One thing Richie wasn’t so sure about, was how little this all bothered him. Here he was just standing in a hotel room he was going to be sharing with another man. And not just any man, but Eddie Kaspbrak, a childhood friend of his he had forgotten he had until less than twenty four hours ago. It should have been enough to make him want to run from here and never come back, hell everything that happened tonight should have done it. But once they were all back at the hotel, and had made the choice to stay and hear Mike out, there wasn’t really going to be any changing it. But Eddie… There was something about him that made Richie feel different than the rest of the Losers did. Something about him he knew he was missing was a piece of that he couldn’t find. Like a puzzle that wasn’t complete, and Richie already knew he had lost about twenty pieces, but he was still trying to solve it. 

Richie crawled into bed then and stared at the ceiling for whatever time he had left before Eddie finished up in the shower. It was a popcorn ceiling, the kind you could tell was just due to budget cuts, because who the hell would willingly want a popcorn ceiling? 

Something about Eddie was just pulling at his heartstrings. He felt like he was on high alert, and everything Eddie did seemed to hit twice as hard. For whatever reason, Richie knew he could list off everything Eddie had done or said that night. It wasn’t that Richie wasn’t observant of his friends, it just seemed to be hyper focused on Eddie and everything he was doing. Richie could tell you everything Eddie spit out into his napkin that night, or all the different drinks he had drank, or those he had pretended to. There had been alcohol at dinner of course, but nothing to even stir a buzz in Richie.

Richie felt some sort of guilt stirring up inside of him when he thought about Eddie being married. Or, maybe it wasn’t guilt. Was it pity, for whatever poor woman had gotten saddled with marrying him? Was it… Jealousy? Richie swallowed then.

Was there some part of him, buried deep inside his repressed (but by who?) memories of Eddie, where he yearned for him? Did he forget some sort of long forgotten feelings for his best friend? Richie frowned then. Had Eddie been his best friend, or was it Bill? He had spent every day with Eddie though, hadn’t he? Days spent with the Losers together, or days where they had spent it huddled at the arcade just the two of them. On those days their interactions would be filled with loud laughing and jeers at each other. Days where Eddie and Richie had spent as long as they could at Richie’s house, before Eddie’s mom would come banging on the door for her son to come home. 

Or the days that had been Richie’s favorites, during weekends where him and Eddie had somehow persuaded Mrs. K to let Eddie come over and spend the night, or vice versa. Where the two of them would share a room, a bed. Richie would lay there with Eddie, pressed tight against his back while the two were snuggled under blankets. It didn’t matter what the temperature was, Eddie was always cold and Richie was always hot. They’d lay like that, almost spooning every night they could, while Richie’s heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. His hands would be sweaty, so he’d cling to the pillows above their heads and hope and pray maybe Eddie’s would brush his.

Richie was laying there in bed, still staring up at the ceiling, while his head and heart raced with memories he didn’t know he had forgotten. Desires he didn’t know he had. Suddenly, there were nerves flicking up at him while laying there. Maybe he should have packed better pants to sleep in? Hell, Richie didn’t usually sleep in pants at all, so this alone should be impressive. Not that Eddie would know that though, he had certainly always worn pants to bed when he stayed over. Richie’s hands were clammy and his throat felt like it had something stuck in it. This shit had to stop right away.

The water turned off in the distance as Eddie finally finished up. Richie listened faintly for a moment while Eddie was getting out and grabbing a towel, before realizing he had been sitting there doing nothing. Richie leaned over and grabbed the TV remote off the table and rushed to turn it on and pull out the guide. He settled on the first acceptable thing he could, Forensic Files. Satisfied, Richie did his best to look politely interested in the TV when Eddie stepped out of the bathroom. 

Eddie’s hair was wet, but he had clearly tried to comb it to the side to stop it from dripping in his face. He had a loose towel around his waist, and Richie suddenly felt very insecure about any and all body fat he had put on since being thirteen years old. Eddie looked like he went to the gym every single day, and Richie was willing to bet he did with how much of a health nut he used to be. Riche subconsciously licked his lips for a moment looking at Eddie and the glint of water on him and then caught himself acting like a horny teenager. He grinned instead at his old friend.

“You forget your clothes pal?” Richie teased.

Eddie rolled his eyes so hard Richie could see it from across the room. He remembered suddenly Eddie wasn’t aware he did that, like actually rolled his eyes, and snickered a bit under his breath.

“Well, you look hot. If I looked like that I would forget my clothes too.” Richie said appreciatively and then looked casually back at the TV. He had no idea what the hell was happening in this episode, but he could pretend he did and not like he wanted to stare at Eddie for hours on end. Half naked and wet like that, it gave a man ideas. 

“Okay dude, whatever.” Eddie said absentmindedly. He moved to his suitcase and worked on getting his things out while Richie did his best to mind his own business and watch Eddie work. He managed, for the most part. 

When Eddie left to get changed Richie let out a breath he didn’t know he had been holding in. Closing his eyes tight he breathed slowly and deeply for a few moments, trying to remind himself how to act like a normal person again with regular breathing habits. The kind of person who wasn’t thirsting for a man he had forgotten existed and now had to share a bed with. 

Eddie came out in a matching pajama set. Blue top matching blue pants he frowned and rubbed his arms a bit before climbing into the other half of the bed. There was enough space where he and Richie wouldn’t be at risk of touching each other, but not enough to where Richie couldn’t feel electricity shooting between him and Eddie. His body felt like it had been turned up to a degree it didn’t know it could be.

Hell, Richie had been with men before but it hadn’t felt like this. It hadn’t made him feel like a teenager stranded on some beach in the middle of nowhere, gasping loudly for air. His lungs and sides burning while he tried desperately to come back to shore, but didn’t know which way was up and which was down. Derry had some undertow to it, and Richie suddenly couldn’t remember how to swim. 

“You got enough space?” Richie asked, flicking his eyes over at Eddie. 

Eddie chuckled a bit and looked back at Richie in the same way. “What, are you feeling bad suddenly about inviting yourself over?”

“No, no, not at all.” Richie said with a laugh. He yawned then, in a fake sort of way, and stretched himself out every which way across the bed. Richie’s foot and arm bumped into Eddie when he did this, and his heart sped up. He was making excuses to touch him again, like a boy who was too afraid to say who he was. 

Not that Richie had ever come out exactly. The only men who knew Richie was gay, where the few that he had slept with. The kind of men he had met in bars, or at his shows. The kinds who didn’t know him, and wouldn’t have any expectations of him for him to let down. Maybe his mom knew, Richie had a sinking feeling Miss Maggie Tozier knew, but she sure as hell hadn’t brought it up to her son. There was no way Richie wanted to change any of this. He wanted to control what people thought of when they saw him, and being gay wasn’t in that equation exactly. 

Richie flipped on his side to grin at Eddie like they were back in school, conspiring and whispering at each other during the dead of night. Desperately hoping Eddie’s mom wouldn’t wake up, but needing to get out whatever was so important to them at the time.

“Hey Eds?” Richie asked.

Eddie looked down at him, then looked up just as quickly. It had to have been just Richie’s imagination, but it felt like there was a soft pink to Eddie’s cheeks then. A pink even the hot water hadn’t caused in Eddie’s face from his shower. He was holding the blankets by his chest tightly. 

“Yes, Richard”? Eddie asked back, voice careful.

“I’m not going to say this again, but I’m glad I’m spending time with you again.”

Eddie made a noise, and went to speak but Richie quickly cut him off. 

“Shh, don’t ruin this with words sexy.” Richie said reaching out to put a finger to Eddie’s lips who let out a loud laugh in response.

“Dude, you’re the exact same huh?” Eddie asked, still laughing.

Richie grinned from ear to ear, even if he didn’t feel quite like smiling. Maybe he was the exact same, but he had forgotten about all of this, so was it really some pathetic rut he was stuck in? If a tree didn’t know it was in a forest and it fell- wait, that didn’t make any sense. 

“I guess so, love, I guess so.” Richie mused in response. His eyes went back to the TV then, watching some scientist somewhere explain something about lab work. 

There was something burning between the two of them, or at least on Richie’s end. Something soft and strong, packed with feelings neither even knew had been there. Ones right below the surface, and like a balloon, and finally popped and released back up to the air. Richie wasn’t sure what would happen from here. His mouth was dry while he thought about it, about not knowing how any of this bullshit with this clown was going to go down. About not knowing how to do anything with Eddie, or say anything, or if maybe past him was right and it was better to let it fill the silences instead. 

#reddie #IT movie #reddie fic #it 2017 #it 2019 #eddie kaspbrak #richie tozier #my writing

[gamechangeroo]

Part 3/3

Click to read the Prologue and Chapter 1 first.

Chapter 2: Whether You Are Under or Over Them, Tables Are Places of Conversation

Gintoki woke up to a table crashing through the divider between his bedroom and the Yorozuya den. It was a loud enough projectile that he almost arrived in the waking world fast enough to dodge it.

Almost.

Instead, it startled him upright in time for him to feel the full brunt of the pain as the edge of the table crashed into his quadriceps, and the face flung forward to smack his torso.

He ended up sprawled on the ground, pancaked beneath it in a drowsy haze of achy irritation, listening to the annoying screams of idiotic children coming from the next room.

“How dare you barge into a lady’s home at this hour?!”

“Did I interrupt naptime, little girl?”

“How about you go to hell, sadist!”

Crushed into the floor, Gintoki swiveled his head to stare at his miraculously unharmed Justaway clock flashing merrily away mere centimeters from the table’s edge. The hour hand was smack dab on the three, which meant he had only been home for two hours before the bastard beagles had sniffed him out. Damn.

He sunk deep into the furthest depths of his drowsy brain to poke at parasite-kun with a mental stick. This is your fault, asswipe!

As it had done since ‘the convenience store incident,’ the thing wholly ignored him, hiding in the metaphysical plane where sadistic cops could not bring handcuffs and arrest warrants. Lucky it.

Back in the annoyingly physical world, Gintoki heaved the table off of his abused chest with a short grunt, and shuffled out into the firing zone. There he found Kagura being dragged across the floor by her unbound hair courtesy of a disheveled Sougo, whose forehead was bleeding rather copiously. Most importantly, however, the table that usually rested in the center of the room between two couches was conspicuously missing.

“Danna,” Sougo greeted, spraying flecks of blood from his lips as he spoke.

“Tax thief,” Gintoki returned, scratching the skin that lay just below the elastic of his boxers. “What brings you to my humble abode?”

“We have your sword at the station,” Sougo said, barely dodging a fist Kagura sent at his jaw. “How about you come with me to pick it up?”

“Nice try,” Gintoki shot back. “My sword is right here.”

He waved a hand toward the innocent, wooden sword lying next to the upended table on his futon in the other room. He had taken to buying his Lake Touya in bulk these days, which was a particularly great strategy for times like these when he needed his next one quick.

“I see,” Sougo assented. “In that case, why don’t we just go for a drive? There’s a cool new sweets shop that just opened near the Shinsengumi barracks that I know you would really like. My treat.”

He had to give it to the kid; Sougo had returned his suspect claim with one of equal bullshit. Actually, Gintoki didn’t have to give him anything at this hour of the morning. He settled on staring the intruder down dully.

However, Kagura was still short enough so that these sorts of lies flew over her head, and she instead used the opportunity to scoff and sneer at her opponent.

“Too little too late, sucker. Team Yorozuya is already getting some sugar from a different daddy.”

Sougo looked curiously between Gintoki and the girl who was trying to stab his left eye with a chopstick, uttering a simple, “Oh?”

This little alien child was far too gullible, and far too willing to share their shady Amanto food deals with government dogs, who might find ways to take the parfait train away!

Grinning wide, Gintoki quickly started doing damage control: “Yup! We landed a fat cat client, who throws money at his problems until they go away. Or, rather, throws money at us until we fix them. By them I mean poodles, and by fix I mean not shitting on his sofa.”

After only a half second of confusion, Kagura nodded, playing along, “That’s right! We’re training a fat cat to shit money on us!”

That’s not… not off base. It would have to do.

It did not do though. The brat obviously was not drinking their Kool-Aid. He opened his mouth, looking like he was about to ask more seemingly-innocuous questions that were actually terribly insightful traps, when Kagura’s foot met his face with frightening speed, and Sougo, like the table earlier, flew across the apartment and crashed through a door – their front door this time.

Executing her version of damage control, Kagura gave Gintoki a cheerful thumbs-up, as if to say, I got this.

Well, Sougo was not drilling for state secrets anymore now that his head was busy drilling into their door. It would have to do.

After giving the victorious girl a half-assed head pat, Gintoki took a moment to put on some pants, a shirt, and his yukata, before dragging Sougo out of the hole his body had made in their entranceway. The bloodied and likely concussed officer nodded shortly in thanks, as he staggered out of the house, Gintoki in tow.

“I appreciate your cooperation, Danna,” Sougo said, opening the back door of the police car for him.

“What better way to show that I’m an upstanding citizen who would not even consider breaking the law? I would never impede the grand process of Justice,” Gintoki quipped, waving to Kagura as she flapped her arm lazily back at him from the balcony, seeing him off.

“You’d better bring me back some good stuff, Gin-chan,” she hollered.

Gintoki had no idea if there existed any food in Edo that even came close to the godly succulence that came out of the ovens in the Foryunthustoriphyxnarfyndalvnuduraqiualinoytfusian embassy, so this was a rather tall order now that her standards were so high. Maybe the imaginary sweets shop next to the Shinsengumi headquarters would exceed his expectations.

...

Kondo Isao stared down one fish-eyed Sakata Gintoki from across the black, square interrogation table. A dim, flickering lamp swayed back and forth above them, shadowing the hollows, crevasses, and scars on both faces, showing each man the light and darkness of the warrior in front of him. These two figures alone in this arid, windowless room painted a severe, powerful image.

With a harrumph, the leader of the Shinsengumi folded his arms in front of him, and said, “Now, when it comes to the sword ban in Edo, we normally turn you a blind eye. The good you have done not just for the government, but for the whole city, isn’t something any of us here will be soon inclined to forget.”

Gintoki’s expression remained unchanged. “But,” he prompted.

A firm smile was there and gone on his lips in half a moment before Kondo continued, “But. When you start using Laser Swords, heads higher up than us start to take notice. If we don’t do something to reprimand you, it could be our jobs on the line.”

“Laser Swords?” Gintoki asked incredulously, the mood in the room changing suddenly from solemn to just… strange.

“Well, what do you call it?” Kondo returned, leaning forward in his chair and looking somewhat eager. “We had a bit of a poll here in the office to decide what to put on reports, and Laser Sword won, though Disco Stick was a close second.”

“I wouldn’t call the Disco Stick anything, because I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Gintoki replied obstinately, and crossed his feet on the table, rubbing the edges of the dirty soles against the clean, cold metal. “I am being brought in on false, unsubstantiated charges.”

Kondo nodded calmly before turning around to face the interrogation room’s one way mirror, cupping his hands, and yelling at his own reflection, “Oi, Yamazaki! Write down another vote for Disco Stick!”

After staring intensely into his own eyes for a few moments, Kondo turned back to Gintoki, looking satisfied that his request had been done.

“There is a lot of compelling evidence piling up, Danna,” Kondo resumed. “We have two eye-witnesses claiming a white-haired, permy samurai cleaved a convenience store in half with the wooden sword that we found at the scene. This is the same sword many of us have felt the brunt of at one time or another. We know what your weapon looks like.”

“What a terrible conspiracy theory,” Gintoki drawled and yawned outwardly, while steaming internally.

Two eyewitnesses? Who else could they be, but the cashier and Robber #1, and how dare they team up against him – particularly that cashier! That convenience store worker was working with the man who was about to slit his throat for money to throw the man who saved him from said man under a bus! Thankless bastard!

“Kondo-san, you know my weapon, and you know that it is no Disco Stick. Are you sure your pair of witnesses weren’t flying high on a little illegal disco of their own?”

Take that, cashier! We’ll see who is taking who down by the end of all this!

Now Gintoki was not just a rebel; he also had a cause. For each question Kondo asked him, he had an answer to give that undermined the reputation of a certain someone.

Where was he this evening at midnight? Well, human beings are notoriously terribly at remembering precisely what they were doing and when they were doing it. Everyone rewrites their own history in their own minds to make themselves out as better. We are useless witnesses, us humans. Didn’t you know, Gori-san?

Did he stop at a convenience store this evening? Well, convenience stores in Japan have been going downhill these days. Rumor has it the main chains like Eight-Twelve have been hiring felons to man their registers to cut costs, and not the mild sort of felon that ended up in the slammer because the slipped on a banana peel and bonked heads with a high-flying government leader. No, they’re hiring the sorts of felons that slipped on a banana peels and pushed a high-flying government leader to the ground in order to keep their balance. Terrible, dangerous thugs. Didn’t you know, Gori-san?

Yes, but, did he stop at a convenience store this evening? Well, they are called convenience stores, but they are not convenient at all. It is a well-documented fact that convenience store employees are trained to make customers feel inconvenienced and uncomfortable, because the more down in the dumps they are, the more likely they are to purchase the comfort food lining the aisles! Didn’t you know, Gori-san?

“Enough with the Gori-san!” Kondo finally snapped, successfully diverted from the line of inquiry, as Yamazaki burst through the door.

“The result just came in,” Yamazaki announced with all the gravitas his plain visage could muster, carrying a slip of paper to Kondo’s side. “Here it is, Chief Gori-san.”

“We are conducting a serious investigation, and all anyone can do is crack gorilla jokes?” Kondo scolded, holding the paper in front of his face to hide a shamed flush that colored his cheeks. The teasing was totally getting to him. “I am severely disappointed.”

Thoroughly chastened, the everyman in uniform apologized, before skittering out of the room. With this little show of leadership, the gorilla seemed to get a bit of his groove back, and summarily began scanning the paper under Gintoki’s dull-eyed stare.

As he watched the Shinsengumi leader’s eyes swing back and forth like a beady typewriter, Gintoki bounced a leg impatiently beneath the table.

Just what evidence had they pulled on him? It better not be too incriminating, because he needed out of this government-sanctioned dungeon that smelled like each member of this stupid sword-club rubbed their armpits on the walls after they worked up a sweat arresting innocent men and women every night. It was about time for his pre-breakfast breakfast at the Foryunthustoriphyxnarfyndalvnuduraqiualinoytfusian embassy, oi.

At long last, Kondo finally glanced up, cleared his throat, and regarded Gintoki with a firm gaze.

“It is all here,” he said.  “This makes things very clear.”

There was decisive evidence?! Shit. Gintoki waited with baited breath.

“What you’ve done tonight comes with serious consequences,” Kondo warned – his expression severe. “You have swayed many of my men. The voting majority is now in favor of Disco Stick.”

It was Gintoki’s turn to fling a table.

“WHO CARES ABOUT THE NAME!”

Twitching beneath the flung projectile, Kondo coughed, “You say that as a winner, but would you still be whistling that tune from my shoes? I lobbied for Cumming Wood with all I had.”

Gintoki was not necessarily proud of what he was about to do, but his blood sugar levels were low. Anything that would get his mouth near a parfait sooner was on the table, or, in this case, underneath it. With a sigh, he lifted one side of the table, and crawled next to Kondo before placing the table softly on top of both of them.

From his place on the floor, the gorilla stared at him with a quizzical expression that was somewhat prolate due to the table crushing his face. Gintoki scooched toward the befuddled commander and whispered in his ear, “Just how much does Cumming Wood mean to you?”

Kondo’s face tensed, as he started to catch on. In a low voice, he returned, “What… what do you mean?”

Well versed in these sorts of negotiations, Gintoki knew what Kondo was actually asking: What do you want for it?

Gently, so as not to spook his prey, Gintoki murmured, “I mean, if you were to let me go now, and let these underlings of yours know, as you and I do, that I had nothing to do with any of this, I might be able to convince those guys to do a recall vote.”

“A re-recall vote?” Kondo repeated, entranced. He scooted closer to Gintoki, causing a table leg to clang loudly against the nearby wall, as the base wobbled on top of them both.

“Cumming Wood is a great play on words. They obviously haven’t thought about it hard enough, so they just need some time to… reconsider,” Gintoki proposed casually.

Kondo’s face almost could not contain his wide smile, as he slipped deeper and deeper into Gintoki’s web. “It is a great pun, isn’t it!”

“Yes,” Gintoki affirmed – his voice soft, but commanding. “I could help your men realize that they made a terrible mistake. Really, we’ve all just made mistakes here. You guys didn’t vote for Cumming Wood, you guys brought in the wrong man. If we all own up to these errors, we could all get exactly-”

“What the hell?”

Dammit!

“Toshi!” Kondo screamed like a man who had just been sucker punched by his own self-respect. He pushed the table off of both of them in a flash, wrapping his arms around his own body, as if to cover up his misdeeds. “This isn’t what it looks like!”

“No, but I don’t actually know what it looks like.”

One Demon Vice-Commander stood in the doorway of the room, his expression a grand mixture of frustrated discomfort and all-consuming confusion, looking like he would rather be absolutely anywhere else. If Gintoki had offered him a choice between continuing to stand right there, and doing the backstroke in a pile of Saduharu’s diarrhea a few kilometers out from this spot, Gintoki honestly did not know which the guy might have picked.

“Hijikata-kun,” he greeted jovially enough from his spot on the floor next to Kondo’s interpretation of ‘A Deflowered Maiden is Greeted by Her Father.’

If this asshole’s existence had to ruin his chances at bribing his way out of here, Gintoki’s existence might as well serve to cause Hijikata some mental agony. He waved his fingers impishly.

To his credit, Hijikata appeared to regain his mental footing rather quickly. It only took a few seconds for his expression to change from DEFCON(STIPATION) 1 to neutral, as he strode quickly to Kondo’s side.

“Kondo-san, the results from Squads 5 and 8 just came through,” he reported, blatantly ignoring his superior’s shamed position on the floor. “I would recommend we discuss them outside.”

Staggering to his feet, Kondo grimaced and shook his head, muttering, “No, that won’t be necessary.”

The gorilla put a hairy-knuckled hand on his Vice-Chief’s shoulder, and squeezed it lightly. He continued, “I… I have been compromised. You’ll need to take over the investigation from here.”

“Huh?” Hijikata had the decency to look halfway alarmed, as he glanced between Gintoki and Kondo. “What did he do?”

Kondo waved off Hijikata’s concern with a sad, distant smile – his eyes sparkling with unshed tears. “He… he used Cumming Wood against me.”

Immediately, Hijikata’s expression shuttered, and he pushed a sniffling gorilla toward the exit.

“No need to worry. I’ll take it from here,” he said, firmly slamming the door on his superior before the man could say another word.

The room fell into an incredibly heavy silence. Hijikata stood stiffly with his hands still on the door he had shut, while Gintoki eyed him from his spot on the floor. He watched the tense back of a man that knew he had to follow Cumming Wood, and Gintoki realized he had a decision to make. Did he want to get out of this Shinsengumi hell hole sooner than later, which meant playing nice with this police dog whose leash was a little too long for his short temper? Or, would it be more satisfying to kick this mutt while it’s down and rot in jail forever?

Neither! Neither is good! Is there any option where Gin-san can escape while kicking the dog?

He heard the flick of a cigarette lighter, as Hijikata turned to face him. Gintoki gave his most surly expression in response to the man’s sharp gaze, but did not speak. He was using inhuman amounts of self-restraint right now, which the world should recognize and justly reward!

After another eon of quiet, Hijikata stepped over the upended table and strode over to the one chair remaining upright, sitting where Gin-san’s butt had been only minutes before. Gintoki took this as a victory, and sneered.

Catching the sneer, but not the meaning, Hijikata let out a put-upon sigh.

Finally breaking the silence, he said, “I suppose now is as good of a time as any.”

“Huh?” Gintoki snorted, as sparking hostility gave way to confusion. That was not really the opener that he was expecting.

Giving him a long, assessing look, the Shinsengumi devil uttered, “You’re an idiot.”

Finally in familiar territory, Gintoki welcomed this insult as a declaration of war.

“Says the man who follows the orders of Commander Cumming Wood!”

“Shut it!” Hijikata bristled. “You leave Kondo-san out of this!”

“I’ll leave him out of it if you jackasses leave me out of it!” Gintoki yelled indignantly, as he scrambled to his feet. He was feeling the urge to tower over his opponent.

By the red splotches creeping across his face, Hijikata looked about ready to rise to the bait himself, but settled for blowing an aggressive puff of smoke in Gintoki’s direction, which, where this guy was concerned, was a pretty lukewarm shot to fire. Mr. Mayo was holding himself back. Maybe it had to do with how there were probably half a dozen or so Shinsengumi ducklings watching his performance through that one way mirror, or maybe he realized he needed to take a shit when he entered the room and now he was stuck here, or maybe Gintoki didn’t really care enough to guess. All he knew was that he had spotted a weak point, and there was no way he wasn’t about to exploit it. Gintoki walked toward the man with heavy steps.

“There wouldn’t be a situation to leave you out of if you a– wait, what are you-”

The bastard paused mid-sanctimonious speech, shock paling his face, as Gintoki lifted the cigarette from Hijikata’s lips, put it between his own, and inhaled.

Jutting out his jaw in a show of dominance, smoke leaking through his nostrils, Gintoki hissed, “You take my freedom? I take your cigarette.”

All at once, Hijikata’s face lost all traces of humanity, leaving only a beast out for blood. Gintoki sneered in victory and prepared to parry any attack this hot tempered loser would try to throw his way.

However, just as soon as his temper had flashed, Hijikata slammed a lid on it. The only signs of its existence now rested in his hands, which were gripping his uniformed thighs so tight that he might have been close to bruising his own bones.

“Yorozuya,” he hissed, sounding like a viper with a sore throat. “Stop acting like a child and listen to me.”

Who wanted this stupid cop’s olive branches if he was going to give them out covered in demeaning insults? Gintoki knew just where this asshole could shove his pathetic attempts at half-assed anger management.

Taking another drag from the cigarette, Gintoki threw it lazily to the ground, stomping it to ash with his boot.

“That one tasted like secondhand shitty cop. Gimme another,” he demanded in as derisively provocative of a tone as he could manage, gesturing toward the rectangular bump in Hijikata’s uniformed pocket.

Hijikata pupils were so dilated by this point that his irises were completely consumed by black. The atmosphere around him vibrated like the air above summertime pavement dances and shimmers on the hottest days of the year. Gintoki blatantly ignored the warning signs and reached out to pick the prick’s pocket.

The tips of Gintoki’s fingers brushed the box and lighter, before pinching their edges and lifting them. He rummaged about in the package, taking out a cigarette, and began showily flicking the lighter.

Hijikata’s lips cracked into a crooked, cutting smile.

“Okay,” he said. “You win.”

...

Lounging about on the cold, stone floor of the Shinsengumi holding cell, Gintoki ignored any regrets that came to visit, while also doing his best to ignore the real world smells of piss and human suffering that emanated from his immediate vicinity. There really wasn’t any way this terrible fate could have been avoided. Hijikata might as well have ordered Gintoki to snatch his cigs at sword point, considering how coerced this hapless citizen had been into committing this non-crime.

Speaking of non-crimes, just how long could these shitty excuses for cops keep him here for rustling the jimmies of their commanding officers? Gintoki let this question echo throughout his mind to make sure that his friendly, neighborhood brain parasite heard about the unfair dilemma its host was being put through. However, to his complaints, the indignant prisoner received no response inside his head or out.

#gintamafanfic #incomplete

[megacircuit9universe]

Alien Tip Off

WED SEP 16 2020

Woodward’s tapes of Trump, extensively admitting how well he understood the dangers of SarsCoV2, way back in the spring... that it was airborne, that it was far more deadly than the flu, etc... have stayed in the news all week, with longer and longer clips being released that utterly destroy any possible, devil’s advocate, arguments in Trump’s favor on this... the single most important issue facing the nation.

It’s safe to say we’re all stunned!

He was simultaneously smart enough to grasp the true danger of the virus... yet stupid enough to... agree to go off about this on tape with Woodward and... still do what he did in his response to the threat.

The tapes don’t JUST justify his impeachment, and expose every Senator who voted to acquit, as dastardly cowards... but they gut any possible, devil’s advocate, arguments for Trump, by anybody with any grip on sanity.

This puts the current GOP Senate in great peril... even as it reduces the base of loyal Trumpist voters they were banking on... to only the criminally insane.

No more fluffy padding of evangelicals, and other right wing conservatives who, held their nose, so does speak, and went along for the sake of the party. They’ve now formed a very visible, and powerful movement to deny Trump, and any of his hardcore Senate loyalists... another term. 

And they’re doing it for the same reason they originally held their noses and went along... to save their party from the brink of irrelevance in a world where the blast doors of history are closing on old school conservatism.*

Which brings us to TikTok...

The deadline for the TikTok ban, as outlined by a sketchy executive order by Trump a while back, draws near.  

And while American companies like Microsoft and WalMart scrambled to get a deal done in time, China also chimed in last week and said... Yeah, no... if ByteDance sells it’s American operations... the new owners can’t have the algorithm without our say so... and... we’d rather see TikTok die in America than bow to Trump’s silly demands so... haha, just saying! :D

Meanwhile, TikTok has been challenging the original executive order in court, and everybody is now saying even if the deadline passes, Trump can’t just shut down an app like that... and he’d have to get both Android and Apple to agree to disable it in their app stores... which would lead to more litigation and... well, it could take many more months than Trump has left in power, to sort out.

Unless he gets reelected... or successfully remains in power despite being voted out.

Which brings us to the aliens!..

Monday night (September 14th) TikTok was suddenly flooded with videos of UFO sightings over the United States... concentrated in, but not limited to New Jersey, Colorado, and Nevada.  

The earliest and most viral of these was being debunked immediately as the GoodYear Blimp, but... the people at Goodyear Blimp have since said, no... that was not our blimp.

The videos depict a lot of different types of UFOs... they don’t all look the same.  Some were singular glowing orbs, or true flying saucer looking crafts, while other videos showed groups of strange lights acting in concert.

The common denominator for all of them, however, was... all are pretty lengthy and clear... corroborated by multiple TikTokers in any given area... and all have so far defied any rational explanation.

Blimps, drones, skydivers with flares, swamp gas, you name it... none of the off the cuff discredits have yet proven out... much less any explanation for why so many sightings happened simultaneously across the continent.

Of course, lots of alien lovers have been quick to tell us this is some message of peace or whatever... but when something like this happens, I can only go to my own model, as established here in this blog.

And I can draw no other conclusion than this... the Aliens were behind it, and they were deliberately using TikTok to spook Trump... and the other powerful men in his Junta (Barr, McConnell, etc).

Recall that earlier this year I speculated that Kim Jong Un was not only dead, but that it was likely the Aliens who killed him, because he was too likely to start a nuclear war.

North Korea has yet to admit that Jong Un is dead... but the rest of the world assumes, these many months later, that he must be.  He’s not re-emerged, and the few video reels of him released this year... barely even try to be convincing.

The media hasn’t talked much about this, because so much other shit’s been going on this year... but no... I’m not backing off my conclusion that he’s dead, because nothing’s come along to even slightly prove me wrong on that, much less embarrass me about that conclusion.

He’s dead.  

The aliens killed him.

And now those same aliens are using TikTok to spook Trump.

This implies that Aliens are a lot more familiar with the intimate details of our daily life than we normally think... knowing not only that we all have smart phones with cameras, but that we also have a hugely popular app that would ensure any sightings would go viral immediately... and that this is the same app Trump is trying to shut down.

What’s the message for Trump?

Well, first... a bit more context...

This past week, the other huge story in the news has been the west coast wild fires.  We’ve seen out of control wildfires on the Pacific coast in late summer for the past four years, as we did in Australia in their late summer, this past January... but this year’s fires in America have been record breaking in terms of their devastation.

The aliens... who’ve been monitoring this planet periodically since humans first learned of fire... paying closer attention after we developed electricity... and who have been permanently stationed in the solar system since we figured out fission bombs at the end of WW2... have had, as their main objective, to stand down, and observe us... unless the planet is in danger of a cascading failure due to either a nuclear or climate catastrophe... or both.  

In such cases, they are willing to intervene... for the sake of preserving the level of intelligence, and diversity of life that’s evolved here... because it takes so goddam long for this kind of intelligence, and this kind of diversity to evolve in the first place.  

Still, they’d always rather just hang back and observe.  

So... since World War Two... they’ve tolerated all kinds of nuclear bomb testing, and everything else, without feeling the need to do much more than hint, to world leaders, that humanity may not be alone in the universe.

Until very recently, when they pinpointed two individuals who were a direct threat to the planet... Kim Jong Un, and Donald Trump.  

Jong Un had no real impact on the climate, but he did pose a nuclear threat, dangerous enough, they had to intervene and just off him.

Trump poses both a nuclear threat, and a climate threat, so... Jong Un’s death was a first warning sign, and this latest stunt on TikTok, at the peak of the wildfires, is yet another.

Don’t think you’re commanding the most powerful military force in the universe, because you’re not.  We’re real, and you can’t touch us.  We know what you’re doing.  We know what you fear (TikTok), and we WILL take you out, Space Force or no Space Force... buddy!

Assuming I’m right about this... which I think you at least have to grant is possible this late in the game, given all that’s happened... it’s an unprecidented show of force, from an intergalactic army so shy of confrontation, we barely have any evidence they exist.

That tells you what a dire juncture we are at, right now, on this timeline**.

But the fact that the aliens would use TikTok to make this statement... does seem to suggest that they do have AI bot agents, on our internet, who are in communication with our own advanced AI bots from the future, left behind by our time travelers... and that they are all in cahoots to save the timeline.

Recall that while Alien propulsion tech is likely based in the manupulation of microsingularities, or mini-black holes, to frame-drag spacetime around the ship... for Aliens it’s more about space travel, than time travel.

Time travel doesn’t really mean anything on intergalactic scales.  It only has meaning for primitive humans hanging very close to Earth, moving back and forth through the span of a few decades locally, to grab objects, get footage, and leave bot agents behind to promote human rights.

The aliens hanging out in our solar system are more or less just as pinned to our timeline as we are... or the bots those time travelers leave behind.

And if you don’t get that by now, I would suggest reading back in earlier entries, but maybe I’ll do another one as a refresher soon.

It was encouraging to see a TikToker on my For You Page this past week actually mention John Titor, and go into a little depth about him, but as usual, nobody could follow it.***

But more encouraging was this display by the aliens, that gave the first confirmation I’ve seen, that they do know and care what’s going on down here, in times as dire as we’re currently living through.

And with that roundup of a week’s news... it is time for bed.

*With GenX turning 50, Millenials turning 30, and GenZ turning 20, the tide is turning forever away from old school conservatism, with all of it’s racism, sexism, and classism. November 2020 could be the first time, all three of these generations turn out to the polls in force (millenials were too apathetic before this, and Z was too young to vote) to drown out the fading influence of the Boomers and Silents, once and for all.

My guess, as I’ve said, is that the current anti-Trump conservatives will all move to the Democratic Party, leaving the Republican Party to die as a haven for neo nazis and KKK sympathizers... while the progressive left will form a new party to counter the comparatively conservative new democrats, who at least acknowledge climate change, and don’t pin everything else on the single issue of abortion.

**Worth noting that this passed week news also broke that scientists had detected a marker for microbial life in the atmosphere of Venus.  It appears to be the strongest evidence yet that life is not exclusive to Earth.

***Not to suggest I’m so much more clever than ordinary people.  It took me upwards of fifteen years of studying physics through videos, lectures, and audio books to get the full picture of how Titor’s distortion unit worked, and how the many worlds theory resolves the kinds of paradoxes most people imagine would happen. 

[day0one]

They thought COVID-19 was a hoax until they fell ill “The mindset that people have is that it’s not real until it gets close to home."

Ruben Mata, a fitness trainer in Stanton, California, who has traveled the world as a motivational speaker, was adamant in the early days of the epidemic that the coronavirus was not real. Most of what he had heard about the virus he’d gleaned from his friends at the gym he attended religiously, even as the pandemic raged across the U.S. But just a couple of weeks after the Trump administration declared a national emergency on March 13, Mata, 53, was diagnosed with COVID-19. He subsequently spent five days in a medically induced coma; at one point he was given less than a 40 percent chance of survival. Now he wants others to learn from his missteps.

“Before I contracted it I thought, ‘It’s just made up, it’s all fabricated’,” Mata told NBC News “Global Hangout” this week, adding that he figured his six-day-a-week gym habit and healthy eating regimen would spare him even if it did exist. “That’s what prevented me from getting help sooner, when it went really bad.”

Mata is not alone.

Eight months into a global pandemic that has infected more than 18 million people and killed more than 700,000 people worldwide, there are still those who are deeply skeptical about the dangers the virus poses. Others simply don’t believe it exists at all. One recent Pew Research Center poll found that, between late April and early June, the proportion of Americans who said the coronavirus pandemic had been exaggerated had increased from 3 in 10 to nearly 4 in 10. An earlier poll conducted by Survey 160 and Gradient Metrics indicated that Fox News watchers were more likely to believe that the threat of the virus had been overblown. And in recent weeks, there have been reports of Americans on their deathbeds confessing they thought the virus was a hoax.

It all underscores the enormous information battle that’s running concurrently with the war againstCOVID-19. Though the news is filled with stories of death, lockdown and quarantines, President Donald Trump continues to paint a rosy outlook about the nation’s handling of the virus and to downplay its severity. This week, Facebook and Twitter removed videos posted by the Trump campaign’s social media accounts that the two companies said contained misinformation about the coronavirus. The offending video included a clip from Fox News on which the president erroneously claimed that children were “almost immune” to the virus. Coronavirus, like the debate about vaccines, has become political.

That polarization is exacerbated by another issue: where Americans get their information. An analysis conducted from October 2019 to June by the Pew Research Center found that 55 percent of adults in the U.S. “often” or “sometimes” get their news from social media. That reliance on social media has been a concern for years.

With COVID-19, public health experts trying to keep Americans informed say social media simply cannot be one’s sole source of information.

“You must look beyond your social bubble to get better information and verification,” said Lindsey Leininger, a public health educator and researcher at Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business in Hanover, New Hampshire. “Our brains are bad at decision-making under uncertainty. So the way we can best protect ourselves is to trust our social networks, but verify with news sources.”

In June, long after the virus' hold on most of the U.S. had been widely reported, Tony Green, 43, held a small family gathering at his home in Dallas. He had been getting frustrated by state and federal government guidance about social distancing. “It’s family. You know we haven't seen each other in a few months, and to think that you can’t embrace each other, hug my mum? Give me a break. Of course I’m going to hug her,” Green said.

Green, a self-identified gay conservative, quickly regretted the get-together. Just days later, 14 members of his family had fallen ill with the coronavirus. His partner’s grandmother died. Green himself was hospitalized, his central nervous system attacked by the virus, his bed in the ICU just one floor below his father-in-law, Rafael Ceja. Ceja remains on life support, almost two months after the gathering.

“I really want to put some of the blame on the federal government and President Trump, who I actually voted for back in 2016,” Green said. “I think that he has really failed to lead in this area because he’s not really not practicing the social distancing and the mask, and he’s downplaying the severity of it. I mean, I'm sitting here and I'm listening to my leader.”

Green said that until the family gathering, he had gotten most of his information about the virus online, via a large network of friends from around the country whom he describes as “keyboard warriors,” “armchair doctors” and “conspiracy theorists.”

“The bubble I was in online made me think it didn’t add up,” he said. “To think that I went down that rabbit hole, it’s embarrassing.”

But distrust of the virus transcends the geographical, and professional divide; even people in the medical community have underestimated the virus and its impact. A Gallup/Knight Foundation poll of more than 20,000 adults published this week shows how deeply entrenched American distrust of the news media is. A majority of Americans currently see “a great deal” (49 percent) or “a fair amount” (37 percent) of political bias in news coverage, according to the study, and more Americans see bias in news reporting that claims to be objective, with three-quarters calling it “a major problem” (73 percent), compared to 65 percent three years ago.

This media distrust, combined with national leaders playing down the virus’ seriousness, is arguably resulting in more confusion among Americans, and more American deaths.

David Vega, 27, now in medical residency in Miami says he thought he was “invincible” before he caught the virus in March, when he was still a medical student. In his case it wasn't a question of believing the virus was real — he knew it was. But he also believed his youth and general health would protect him from the worst possible outcomes.

After all, that was the messaging everyone repeated: The most vulnerable were the elderly and the immune compromised. Not a robust 20-something. Yet even as stark warnings began to appear in and outside medical communities around the world, with news reports in late February on the closure of schools, universities and public events in Italy, Vega continued to socialize and attend parties — until he fell ill.

“It’s the sickest I’ve ever been,” he said, adding that he lost 10 pounds.

For people like Vega, admitting that they had underestimated the severity of the virus can be a humbling, uncomfortable and frequently embarrassing experience.

"My response to people thinking I might have known better: I'm still a person, I'm still a human being," said Vega, who now works on a COVID-19 ward. In March he wrote about both his pre-COVID bravado and the painful experience that followed for his medical school, the University of Indiana, to try to educate others who may still think the way he did.

Mata, the California-based trainer, is also trying to use his conversion from coronavirus skeptic to realist to change the hearts and minds of those who still underestimate the virus. He’s been speaking out on social media forums and says the responses to his story have been positive. People around the world have reached out to him to thank him for coming forward.

“The mindset that people have is that it’s not real until it gets close to home,” says Mata, who sees his experience as offering credibility to the virus’ virility. “Till it hits a family member, then it’s real.”

Not all skeptics turned evangelists have received such positive feedback.

Green, who hosted the family gathering, wrote an op-ed in July in the LGBTQ newspaper the Dallas Voice. Since then, he has received considerable backlash online. “I was called everything from ‘negligent’ to a ‘murderer.’ I was told I should commit suicide,” Green said. “There were some really hateful, nasty responses.” Indeed the comments to his piece are unprintable here.

In his own social circles, Green says conservatives he knows have been surprised about how passionate he’s now become about talking about the dangers of COVID-19, despite having heard his personal story. Some have questioned his motives, accusing him of aligning himself with liberals on the issue.

Still, for Green, it’s important to get the truth out about the virus, even if it comes at a personal cost: “I’m not about to lie about what I’ve been through.”

[marshmallow-the-vampire-slayer]

MTVS Epic Rewatch #170

BTVS 6X17 NORMAL AGAIN

DON’T FORGET TO VOTE ON THE SEASON 6 POLLS!

Stray thoughts

1) I usually enjoy alternate universe episodes, and this is no exception. Shit got serious super quickly…

2)   But then the demon is gone and Buffy is just passed out against the car?

So if the Trio wanted to kill her, wasn’t this the perfect opportunity? Or if they knew how to summon this demon so that she would think she was crazy, why didn’t they do it earlier? I mean, on the one hand, it makes for a great episode, but on the other hand, it kind of doesn’t make sense.

3) Sweet Willow!

WILLOW: Hi, Tara, how are you? Well, I was wondering, maybe, you would wanna go out sometime? For coffee... food... kisses and gay love?

4) I love the fact that we got this little glimpse into Tara’s life outside the Scoobies, even if it’s only meant to make Willow jealous.

She has friends, okay? Other friends! She’s not just Willow’s girlfriend, even if that’s most of we got to see. And she’s still taking her classes. And she really seems to have become more confident and self-assured.

5) This is BFFing done right…

BUFFY: How come you're all, home, hearth, and DSL anyway? I thought you were gonna go see Tara. WILLOW: Saw her. Saw her completely. BUFFY: Ouch. Just got a scratch from all that brittle. WILLOW: It's... when I was seeing her, she was seeing someone else. A girl. BUFFY: You mean- WILLOW: I mean... not "seeing" seeing. Well, maybe. I don't know, it was inconclusive, and I didn't stick around to find out. Might have magicked my fist through a wall or something, BUFFY: Will, I'm sorry. WILLOW: I mean, they're probably just friends. I press my lips against my friends’ all the time. BUFFY: I'm sure they're just friends. Once you fall for Willow, you stay fallen.

6)   Xander really doesn’t know what he wants, though… which is precisely the reason he shouldn’t be looking for Anya and start “dating” her again...

XANDER: I don't know how stuff got so mixed up! I blew it. BUFFY: No. Wel ... maybe it wasn't the best time to break up with her, but... XANDER: No. It wasn't about breaking up. I love her, and god, I miss her so much. WILLOW: So, you left her at the altar, but you still wanna- BUFFY: You still wanna date? XANDER: I guess. I know that I'm a better person with her in my life. But things got so complicated with the wedding, and with my family, and with her... demons, and... what if it all goes to hell, and forever? But then I left... and ever since... I've had this painful hole inside. And I'm the idiot that dug it out. I screwed up real bad.

7)   This is a very underrated Spuffy moment, I think…

Even if she admits she’s not there looking for him, she does stop and sit down to talk to him. It definitely looks like she misses him, probably not in the “I can’t live without you I love you so much” kind of way but in the “you’re someone who sort of understands me and whom I occasionally enjoy talking to.” And she opens up and tells him all the Scoobies going-ons. I don’t know, I think it’s all kind of sweet.

8) Now this was a plot twist (and I don’t think it was a coincidence that she blacked out when her friends started fighting…)

Because, you see, she escapes from the harsh reality in which her friends are fighting and she’s been secretly sleeping with someone who she’s supposed to hate (and whom most of her friends certainly hate...) to a fantasy world in which the person she finds the most comfort in is still alive and there to help her.

9) I really love this AU, guys. I mean, I don’t love the fact that Buffy’s crazy in it, and that’s she’s not really Buffy... but I think it’s cool how it could actually be true, you know?

BUFFY: What is this? DOCTOR: Do you know where you are, Buffy? BUFFY: Sunnydale. DOCTOR: No, none of that's real, none of it. You're in a mental institution. You've been with us now for six years. Do you remember?

10) I really think this is all very well written. It all just makes sense, you know? (which is exactly the reason Buffy will start to call her own reality in question...)

DOCTOR: For the last six years, she's been in an undifferentiated type of schizophrenia. (...) Buffy's delusions are multi-layered. She believes she's some type of hero. (...) The Slayer, right, but that's only one level. She's also created an intricate latticework to support her primary delusion. In her mind, she's the central figure in a fantastic world beyond imagination. (...) She's surrounded herself with friends, most with their own superpowers... who are as real to her as you or me. More so, unfortunately. Together they face... grand overblown conflicts against an assortment of monsters both imaginary and rooted in actual myth. Every time we think we're getting through to her, more fanciful enemies magically appear- (...)  A magical key. Buffy inserted Dawn into her delusion, actually rewriting the entire history of it to accommodate a need for a familial bond.  Buffy, but that created inconsistencies, didn't it? Your sister, your friends, all of those people you created in Sunnydale, they aren't as comforting as they once were. Are they? They're coming apart. (...) Buffy, you used to create these grand villains to battle against, and now what is it? Just ordinary students you went to high school with. No gods or monsters... just three pathetic little men... who like playing with toys.

I especially love the meta-commentary on Dawn’s appearance and her impact on the show’s mythology, and the one on The Trio and how un-big-bad they are.

11) And then the retcon...

WILLOW: You are not in an institution. You have never been in an institution. BUFFY: Yes, I have. WILLOW: What? BUFFY: Back when I saw my first vampires... I got so scared. I told my parents... and they completely freaked out. They thought there was something seriously wrong with me. So they sent me to a clinic. WILLOW: You never said anything. BUFFY: I was only there a couple of weeks. I stopped talking about it, and they let me go. Eventually... my parents just... forgot. WILLOW: God. That's horrible. BUFFY: What if I'm still there? What if I never left that clinic?

And while it may give another layer to why Buffy always tried so hard to hide her identity from her mother (I still think the only reason she didn’t say anything was to protect Joyce, but I’ll concede this might be another reason…), there are a lot of lines and moments between Buffy and Joyce in previous seasons that really don’t make sense in light of this new information. Like, why would Buffy joke about vampires in front of her mom knowing that the last time she claimed they were real she ended up in a mental institution? Or how come when Buffy “came out” in Becoming Joyce looked as if this was the first time she’d heard any of this (which it was! hence her reaction)? I get the writers try to explain away the lack of reference in previous seasons to Buffy’s stay in a mental institution by claiming that their parents eventually forgot and that she never brought it up because she was only there a couple of weeks. But I still feel like this would have come up at some point or another, and it certainly makes moments like this...

...odd to say the least.

12) I hate Spike for making this about him. He honestly believes the only reason Buffy is indulging in the mental institution fantasy is so that she can pretend she has never slept with him. He knows, probably better than anyone else, the kind of issues she’s been dealing with since she was brought back. You might be good in the sack, Spike, but there is a myriad other reasons Buffy’s trying to delude herself. Get a grip.

SPIKE: So, she's having the wiggins, is she? Thinks none of us are real. Bloody self-centered, if you ask me. XANDER: Spike, we need muscle, not color commentary. SPIKE: On the other hand, it might explain some things... this all being in that twisted brain of hers. Yeah. Thinks up some chip in my head. Make me soft, fall in love with her, then turn me into her soddin' sex slave- XANDER: What?! SPIKE: Nothing. Alternative realities. Where we're all little figments of Buffy's funny-farm delusion.

A) Bloody self-centered? Pot, meet kettle. B) If anyone shouldn’t have been surprised to find out Buffy had been sleeping with Spike, it should’ve been Xander. Evidence: 1. the touchy situation he ran into at Buffy’s kitchen in Gone. 2. the ghost “exercise” in the same episode. 3. THIS. Spike basically admitted to it!

13) I think this is an underrated funny moment if you ask me.

SPIKE: Oh, balls. You didn't say he was a Glarghk Guhl Kashma'nik. XANDER: 'Cause I can't say glar...

14)   And why wouldn’t Buffy give into this reality?

JOYCE VOICEOVER: You don't have a sister, Buffy.

BUFFY:  Dawn? JOYCE: No, honey. Say it. It'll help you believe it.

BUFFY: I ... don't ... have a sister. I know I, I didn't grow up with her. These monks, they-they made her.

HANK: It's your mind, just playing tricks on you.

JOYCE: You're our little girl, Buffy. Our one and only. We've missed you so much. Mom and Dad just want to take you home and take care of you.

15) Ay ay ay Dawn, I get you, I really really do, but this is so not the time…

DAWN: I'm not even there, am I? BUFFY: What? DAWN: You said it a second ago. You don't have a sister. It's your ideal reality, and I'm not even a part of it.

A) Why would Buffy’s ideal reality be being a patient in a mental asylum? B) Buffy is clearly struggling to juggle the two realities and to try and discern what is real and what is not, so maybe cut her a break if her mind is playing tricks on her?

16) You’re a pig, Spike. (Also, I can’t help but notice the parallels between this scene and the one with Buffy and Angel in earshot. I don’t know if the writers intended for this scene to parallel that one, but it’s made abundantly clear why soulless Spike is not right or good for Buffy. While Angel took care of Buffy and put her needs first, Spike takes the opportunity to make it all about him and to hurt her and threaten her.)

SPIKE: I hope you don't think this antidote's gonna rid you of that nasty martyrdom.  See, I figured it out, luv. You can't help yourself. You're not drawn to the dark like I thought. You're addicted to the misery. It's why you won't tell your pals about us. Might actually have to be happy if you did. They'd either understand and help you, god forbid... or drive you out... where you can finally be at peace, in the dark. With me. Either way, you'd be better off for it, but you're too twisted for that. Let yourself live, already. And stop with the bloody hero trip for a sec. We'd all be the better for it. You either tell your friends about us ... or I will.

He’s trying to dress his intentions of trying to force her to come clean to her friends as selfless (you’d be better off for it) but in reality, he’s desperate because he’d expected Buffy to come back running into his arms by now, and she hadn’t. So this is his last ditch effort to manipulate her.  

17) And then...

Bravo, Spike.

But see... this is the reason she made this call:

BUFFY: I wanna be healthy again. What do I have to do?

“I wanna be healthy again.” It all boils down to that. This is how she feels in both realities. She wants to be healthy, she wants to feel normal, she wants to be herself again. The difference lies in the question: “What do I have to do?” In the real world, Buffy is clueless and more importantly, she doesn’t have anyone to rely on and guide her. In the other reality, not only does she have her parents, but she also has a doctor who is willing to give her a practical answer to that question. She won’t have to figure it out all on her own. She’ll be told what to do, how to fix everything, how to make herself feel better. And then she’ll do it, and it’ll be over.

18) I love how her death is explained…

DOCTOR: You have to start ridding your mind of those things that support your hallucinations. You understand? There are things in that world that you cling to. For your delusion, they're safe-holds, but for your mind they're traps. We have to break those down. BUFFY: Slaying? DOCTOR: Yes... but I'm talking about those things you want there. What keeps you going back. BUFFY: My friends. DOCTOR: That's right. Last summer, when you had a momentary awakening, it was them that pulled you back in.

I mean, that was quite literally what happened...

19) Now, this was a long time coming…

Sorry, Xander stans, I had to. He didn’t deserve it in this episode, though, but I just couldn’t help myself. 

20) The real plot twist is the fact Buffy hadn’t questioned her own sanity before this episode…

BUFFY:  'Cause what's more real? A sick girl in an institution... or some kind of supergirl... chosen to... fight demons and... save the world. That's ridiculous.

21) Buffy basically gave away her affair with Spike here, didn’t she?

BUFFY: A girl who sleeps with the vampire she hates?! Yeah, that makes sense.

How did Dawn forget about this? Also, I know the focus of this episode is Buffy, and I know before I said Dawn’s complaints were ill-timed. But I can’t imagine what it must’ve been for Dawn – who had doubted her own realness multiple times because of her origins – to know the person she loves the most in the whole world believes she’s just a figment of her imagination.

22) Bless Tara for her good-timing and magic powers!

And poor Tara!

23)

JOYCE: Buffy? Buffy! Buffy, fight it. You're too good to give in, you can beat this thing. Be strong, baby, ok? I know you're afraid. I know the world feels like a hard place sometimes, but you've got people who love you. Your dad and I, we have all the faith in the world in you. We'll always be with you. You've got... a world of strength in your heart. I know you do. You just have to find it again. Believe in yourself.

I think it’s rather fitting that Buffy find the strength to try and fight her depression by talking to her mom, even if it only was a hallucination. Buffy was feeling lost and defeated and helpless and like she couldn’t cope with… life. She was desperately looking for adult support because she didn’t feel like an adult herself, and she didn’t know what to do, how to fix things. The one parental figure who was still alive had skedaddled when she needed him the most. So, of course, she looked for comfort in her mom in any way she could. And I love the fact that we are lead to believe Joyce’s speech is about convincing Buffy to give into the mental institution reality while in fact, it’s the other way around. Buffy wants to feel like herself again, she wants to be healthy and normal – but her own definition of normal, not the one from hallucination land. And Joyce gave her the strength she needed to face her depression and try and overcome it. This was indeed a turning point for Buffy in this season. I think from now on, she will actively try to get better, and we’ll see her struggling her way to “normal.” I mean, even after what happens in Seeing Red, she still wants to live. And I love how Joyce’s words of encouragement are very similar to Buffy’s own “the hardest thing in this world is to live int it” speech.

24) And then she’s back… and this whole scene reminds a lot of her fight against Adam in Primeval… like, it’s almost a play-by-play of it...

And then the sun shines behind her…

25)  And of course, the open end…

which, in my opinion, only means Buffy’s still under the effects of the demon’s drug or whatever (which she is, she hasn’t taken the antidote yet.)

#Buffy the Vampire Slayer #BTVS #Buffy Summers #Joss Whedon #MTVSepicrewatch #BTVSrewatch2015 #mine #recap #Normal Again #btvsrecap

[livevsongame-tv-blog]

Live Update: Jason Whitlock thinks the Giants are actively trying to trade Odell Beckham Jr.

New Post has been published on https://livevsongame-tv.com/nfl/live-update-jason-whitlock-thinks-the-giants-are-actively-trying-to-trade-odell-beckham-jr-2/20597/html

Live Update: Jason Whitlock thinks the Giants are actively trying to trade Odell Beckham Jr.

JASON WHITLOCK: I’m not buying any of this. I think the rumors got too strong and the Giants didn’t like what was being offered because it looked like, well, damn, they’re just ready to give away Odell Beckham Jr. We’ll give you Jason Whitlock and a bowl of chili for Odell Beckham Jr. And people were like, well this is silly. So let’s now pretend like he’s not on the block and we have no interest in trading him. And then we’ll pass along some information to Schlereth’s best friend Adam Schefter and say that we want two first round draft picks for– because that’s what happened today.

He’s on the trading block, they just want more than that first round pick they initially said and they didn’t like the offers they were getting.

DANNY KANELL: I think you’re right. I mean the 48 hours– last 48 hours– have been pretty fascinating and dramatic and it’s been great for us in the media to get to talk about it. But I think you’re right.

I think you’re seeing a lot of posturing. Because, don’t forget, there is a contract negotiation going on as well if they do decide to keep Odell, or they can’t move him. What if they don’t get that offer. And I felt like the Giants, probably wisely so, took a survey– or took a poll, the temperature of the room and said, uh oh. We’ve got to make sure, because this is a player who is pretty fragile emotionally, pretty immature emotionally.

That, if you hurt his feelings or you make him– he could not report to camp, he could not be in your squad. You may not have that opportunity. So I feel like they’re trying to do some damage control by what they’ve come out and said today. I don’t think there’s any question they floated it out there, the two first rounders, just to see what the reaction would be. So I mean, don’t tell me you’re not shopping him and then all of a sudden the information of two first rounders comes out.

And just knowing Dave Gettleman, their general manager, Dave Gettleman is an inside-out guy. Like your periphery players can’t make an impact on the game if you can’t control what’s going on inside. And when you look at the New York Giants, they’re bereft of talent. They have got to definitely bolster their roster. They’ve got multiple holes on their roster, and they have got to get better all over the place.

So they win 40 whatever percent of their games with Odell Beckham Jr. That’s good enough not to win 8 games. You’re good enough to go 7-9. So, to me, it’s like, are we going to make– he will make some spectacular catches, he’ll have a few drops, and then he’ll get in a fight, and he’ll propose to a net, and he’ll do something stupid things.

But the bottom line is, we’re not a very good football team with him. And if we can get great value for him– and we’ve got multiple holes to fill and we’ve got the potential of filling those holes by getting rid of him– then it’s time to get rid of him. You win football games from the inside-out. It’s been that way since the inception of the game. It will continue to be that way.

JASON WHITLOCK: Let’s circle back, then, to a conversation we had earlier in the week. Again, so the Giants earlier in the week, it was like, we want a first round pick and something. Now today, through Adam Schefter, it’s hey, we want two first round picks. Let’s go back to, would you trade for Odell Beckham Jr? Let’s screw what the Giants want to do. If you’re some team out there, would you approach anywhere close to two first round picks for Odell Beckham Jr? I sure as hell wouldn’t.

DANNY KANELL: Two first rounders, no way. And if the Giants were given that, they better take it so fast– like they better jump all over that. One first rounder, I would. Two first rounders is crazy talk.

But I do think the Rams– and we talked about this yesterday– being this team that’s swinging for the fences. I think it’s pretty intriguing. If they’re already going all in with this, hey, vocal players, polarizing guys who might be some distractions but they’re ultra-talented, why not go all-in on that philosophy and get a dynamic play-maker by him.

But, before you make any deal, if you’re getting him, you better make sure you have a contract worked out because you’re still going to have that lingering over your head. Because he still wants to be paid.

MARK SCHLERETH: When you look at the Rams– I think it’s intriguing and I think that’s interesting– but all the guys they have brought in are on the defensive side of the ball. They’re going defense– they’re in full on that defense with those guys with attitudes. Do you really want to bring a guy in that is a, quote unquote issue, feed me the ball, if I don’t get it I’m going to pout, when you have a third-year quarterback, but really a second-year quarterback. He started seven games as a rookie.

I don’t know how that dynamic works. Do you feel comfortable? Can Jared Goff operate that situation? I mean, Eli Manning had trouble controlling that situation. That guy’s a seasoned veteran who won two world championships. I don’t know that you want to bring that in to your organization if you’re the Rams. To answer the question, a first rounder, I think about it. Two first rounders, you’re crazy.

DANNY KANELL: No one will. But I think that’s what happened. I think the Giants were looking at it and saying, hey, maybe he’s not as hot a commodity as we thought and now they’re trying to backtrack, do some damage control in case he’s still on the Giants.

(function()iPad()); Source by [author_name]

[7newx1]

Moments after Democratic senatorial candidate Cal Cunningham said during a Monday night debate that he would be “hesitant” to take a COVID vaccine if it was approved by end of the year, Republicans were labeling him an “anti-vaxxer” and “irresponsible.” “I’m going to ask a lot of questions,” Cunningham said. “I think that’s incumbent on all of us right now with the way we’ve seen politics intervening in Washington.”Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) quickly responded, "We just heard a candidate for the U.S. Senate look on camera and tell 10 million North Carolinians he would be hesitant to take a vaccine. I think that's irresponsible."After the debate, Cunningham sought to clarify his remarks, telling reporters in a virtual spin room, “The point that I'm making is that we need to go through that due diligence.” “We need to make sure that our public health professionals, our medical professionals, the FDA, and the professionals and scientists there sign off in this,” he said. “If they sign off, free of politics, then I'll take that vaccine.” But his detractors were already off to the races. “We thought we knew why Cal Cunningham was being systematically hidden from public scrutiny by his DC handlers, but we didn't know he'd go *this* far off the deep end,” began a release from the Senate Leadership Fund, with the subject line “Cal Cunningham Goes Full Anti-Vaxxer in First North Carolina Senate Debate.”  Matt Gorman, a Republican strategist, said Cunningham—who has led Tillis in most recent polls—gave “Republicans a foothold for the final stretch.” “This attack is squarely aimed toward swing voters,” Gorman said. “There's now a Cal Cunningham-sized hole in the wall. All the other candidates will notice and adjust their answers accordingly. If they get caught on this question, that's on them.” Like most things in the Trump era, the hunt for the vaccine for the coronavirus the president knowingly downplayed to Americans has become mired in politics and tied up in Trump himself. An NBC poll released on Tuesday showed 56 percent of respondents do not trust the president’s comments about the vaccine, with only 26 percent saying they do. This has left Democrats to walk a fine line between expressing confidence in the medical and scientific community working toward a vaccine and the words of the man at the top of the bureaucracy in charge of making sure that it’s safe. “This is not something that is campaign-ending,” said one Democratic strategist who spoke on condition of anonymity to speak candidly about the Cunningham race. “But it is a red flag for other Senate candidates to get this answer right.”The Big Hole in Biden and Trump’s COVID Vaccine PlansSen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) successfully walked that line in an interview earlier this month, telling CNN’s Dana Bash, “I will say that I would not trust Donald Trump and it would have to be a credible source of information that talks about the efficacy and the reliability of whatever he’s talking about.” Harris said she worried that scientists and medical experts would be “muzzled” and “suppressed” by the administration in the rush to get a vaccine released before election day.  The messenger mattered, Harris said, noting that she felt more comfortable hearing those assurances from someone like Fauci, who “put the public health of the American people as the highest priority in terms of his work, and his reputation and his priority.” “Yes. I trust Dr. Fauci,” Harris said.  That answer drew fire from the president himself, who went off on Harris during a Labor Day press conference. Biden and Harris “should immediately apologize for the reckless anti-vaccine rhetoric that they are talking right now, talking about endangering lives and undermining science,” Trump said.“Undermining science” when it comes to vaccines hasn’t always been such a concern to Trump. He has repeatedly and incorrectly linked vaccines with autism and even suggested creating a  commission about the safety of childhood immunizations led by prominent anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. During a measles outbreak in 2019, the president was silent for months before telling Americans to “get their shots.” The day after Trump’s Labor Day rant, former Vice President Joe Biden was even clearer about the campaign’s position on the vaccination, accusing Trump of undermining public confidence by promising a vaccine by Election Day.  “I’m worried if we did have a really good vaccine people would be reluctant to take it. So, he is undermining public confidence,” Biden said of the president. “But pray God we have it. If I could get a vaccine tomorrow, I’d do it. If it cost me the election I would do it. We need a vaccine and we need it now. We have to listen to the scientists.”Josh Schwerin, senior strategist and communications director at Priorities USA, said as long as Democrats are clear that it’s not the vaccine that’s at issue, it will not hinder Democrats in the 2020 election. “It’s not about a vaccine,” he told The Daily Beast. “It’s about Donald Trump and his lack of credibility.” That credibility was the topic of conversation in a hearing in the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee last week, where top government scientists expressed concern that misinformation and politics could slow the nation’s recovery. After listing several of the administration's missteps, including, but not limited to pushing conspiracy theories about the Centers for Disease Control and the number of people who have died as a result of COVID-19,  Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) asked whether Trump’s “actions encourage public trust in vaccines and increase the number of people likely to get the vaccine, or do they discourage Americans from getting vaccinated for COVID-19?” Avoiding a direct comment on Trump, Dr. Francis Collins, director of the National Institutes of Health, said his staff would work hard to get the public facts about how the decisions are being made until they have a safe vaccine.  “What is the evidence that anybody would want to look at in making their own decision, discounting whatever political words they heard, whatever conspiracy theories popped up in their Facebook feed, and actually, saying, OK, let’s see what the doctors say,” he said.  He concluded, “I just hope Americans will take—choose to take—the information they need from scientists and physicians, and not from politicians.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

#Blogger

[attredd]

As Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail this Saturday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, some of his top political advisers are growing increasingly concerned that the president won’t be able to dig himself out of the hole he’s made for himself.Over the past two weeks, several of the president’s campaign lieutenants as well as individuals in his administration have reacted with mounting alarm as multiple polls have shown Trump dipping into the 30s against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. In weeks past, various aides in the White House and on the Trump re-election effort had privately expressed cold comfort in the fact that with everything going on—a bungled response to a deadly pandemic, a massively crippled U.S. economy, protests across the nation, and a number of Trump’s own former top officials coming out against him—it was practically a miracle that the president’s poll numbers hadn’t sunk even lower.Early this month, one senior White House official told The Daily Beast that their “nightmare scenario” would be for the president to slip beneath 40 percent support in a sustained string of public and private surveys—thus signaling that a previously unshakable base was starting to grow a bit disillusioned. Trump’s consistent—though perhaps unenviable—standing in the low 40s had for years remained an illustration of his enduring base and iron Republican support. “Until then, I’m not a doomsayer,” this official said, referring to the nerve-racking 30s in national, and some state, polling.In the time since that comment, multiple polls have shown Trump sliding into the 30s. Asked this week about the change, the same White House official simply responded, “This is not where any of us wanted to be at this point [in the election], but there is still time… to make up the difference.”Trump Aides Know His Polls Are Terrible—And Tell Him OtherwiseSome advisers lay the blame for recent poll numbers squarely at the weeks-long news coverage of the mass protests against institutional racism and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, and how Trump has responded to it. “When race is in the news cycle and dominating the conversation, President Trump’s numbers always go down,” said a source close to the White House. “That’s just a fact.”The source added that they hoped coverage of former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s tell-all book about Trump would actually lead to a poll bump for the president, if for no other reason than it would mean less talk of racism, COVID, and social unrest.But Trump has had a knack for getting in the way of even the most well-crafted media plans, to say nothing of the ones his advisers hope play out. Even the announcement of the Tulsa rally was fraught with hiccups and missteps. His team had previously scheduled it for Friday, which meant it would have fallen on Juneteenth in a city that was the site of one of the country’s most savage massacres of Black people. Following a backlash, the president announced the date switch to Saturday. He subsequently claimed that he had made Juneteenth—which has long commemorated the end of slavery in the United States—“very famous” because “nobody had ever heard of it.” His White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, defended those remarks on Friday by noting a spike in Google searches.Stephen Colbert Slams Trump’s ‘Stupid’ Juneteenth ClaimTrump has also attempted to portray the economic damage caused by the pandemic as fleeting. But Republican operatives have expressed concern that his talk of a rocket ship recovery may effectively portray him as out of touch to voters who still feel left behind. And even his own team is uncertain about whether it’s an effective campaign play. Two of the four aforementioned officials told The Daily Beast that they were unnerved by the fact that they’d seen no polling evidence, in internal data or in multiple different public polls, that the news of higher retail sales and the addition of 2.5 million jobs in May had given the president the bump they had wanted and expected.“If the next [unemployment] reports get better and better, hopefully you’ll see a change then and noticeable impact,” one of these officials said, adding that right now far too many people are out of work and “hurting.”Hoping to give himself an additional boost on the economic front, Trump has continuously expressed a desire for additional, big-ticket federal stimulus—which some Republican officials believe would improve his chances. Top Democrats on the Hill, however, say they have not yet had any formal discussions with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about such a package (House Democrats have passed one of their own) and there is wide antipathy among aides about working with the White House unless it provides more insight into how it is spending the hundreds of billions of dollars that was already appropriated.“It is a top priority,” a senior House Democratic aide said of getting answers on where the Treasury Department’s funds have gone. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, have put off talk of another bill entirely. And even among Trump’s cadre of advisers, there is not much appetite for another stimulus bill.“The economic damage done by the coronavirus is a lot less than what was predicted months ago… It’s awful, but it’s much better in states like California, Texas, and Florida than what experts thought it would be,” said Art Laffer, the notoriously conservative economist who informally advises Trump. “People are even hedging their bets on if there’s going to be a second wave of the virus… The stock market is telling us this ain’t going to be a big deal. It’s nothing compared to Y2K or 2008… Those were really big downs in the market, and this is nothing compared to that. It started off really big, with a big drop… but then it came right back. That’s not the way it went in 2008 and 2009.”Absent a major economic measure or turnaround, Trump’s options for reversing his polling slide are slimmer. In an interview with Politico that was published on Friday, the president did express a degree of worry about his chances against Biden. But he couched his concern in baseless theories about the potential for rampant voter fraud in mail-in ballots. “My biggest risk is that we don’t win lawsuits [regarding mail-in voting],” the president said. “We have many lawsuits going all over. And if we don’t win those lawsuits, I think—I think it puts the election at risk.”Increasingly, Trump seems content to try and re-run the playbook he used in 2016 in hopes that it works again. Elsewhere in that Politico interview, he warned other Republican candidates—including those running to help preserve the party’s Senate majority—not to tiptoe away from him, no matter what his poll numbers look like. And in recent days his team has made another aggressive effort to troll Biden (much as they did Hillary Clinton) as physically and mentally unwell. The president has brought back top aides from his last presidential run and is turning to one of his most prominent surrogates from that race to help, as well. On Thursday, Politico reported that the Trump campaign had enlisted former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani—who as Trump’s personal lawyer launched a dirt-digging expedition into the Bidens that led directly to the president’s impeachment—to “spearhead a campaign to press for more debates this fall, starting earlier than usual and to have a say in choosing the moderators,” so that Trump can have more opportunities to publicly humiliate Biden, someone who the president seems convinced will crack under a one-on-one grilling.Asked on Thursday if he now has an official title on Trump 2020, Giuliani told The Daily Beast, “No sir I am just helping out.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2zT5fh6

#Trumpworld Fears Its ‘Nightmare Scenario’ Is Coming True

[myeclecticcollectorblazeus]

As Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail this Saturday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, some of his top political advisers are growing increasingly concerned that the president won’t be able to dig himself out of the hole he’s made for himself.Over the past two weeks, several of the president’s campaign lieutenants as well as individuals in his administration have reacted with mounting alarm as multiple polls have shown Trump dipping into the 30s against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. In weeks past, various aides in the White House and on the Trump re-election effort had privately expressed cold comfort in the fact that with everything going on—a bungled response to a deadly pandemic, a massively crippled U.S. economy, protests across the nation, and a number of Trump’s own former top officials coming out against him—it was practically a miracle that the president’s poll numbers hadn’t sunk even lower.Early this month, one senior White House official told The Daily Beast that their “nightmare scenario” would be for the president to slip beneath 40 percent support in a sustained string of public and private surveys—thus signaling that a previously unshakable base was starting to grow a bit disillusioned. Trump’s consistent—though perhaps unenviable—standing in the low 40s had for years remained an illustration of his enduring base and iron Republican support. “Until then, I’m not a doomsayer,” this official said, referring to the nerve-racking 30s in national, and some state, polling.In the time since that comment, multiple polls have shown Trump sliding into the 30s. Asked this week about the change, the same White House official simply responded, “This is not where any of us wanted to be at this point [in the election], but there is still time… to make up the difference.”Trump Aides Know His Polls Are Terrible—And Tell Him OtherwiseSome advisers lay the blame for recent poll numbers squarely at the weeks-long news coverage of the mass protests against institutional racism and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, and how Trump has responded to it. “When race is in the news cycle and dominating the conversation, President Trump’s numbers always go down,” said a source close to the White House. “That’s just a fact.”The source added that they hoped coverage of former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s tell-all book about Trump would actually lead to a poll bump for the president, if for no other reason than it would mean less talk of racism, COVID, and social unrest.But Trump has had a knack for getting in the way of even the most well-crafted media plans, to say nothing of the ones his advisers hope play out. Even the announcement of the Tulsa rally was fraught with hiccups and missteps. His team had previously scheduled it for Friday, which meant it would have fallen on Juneteenth in a city that was the site of one of the country’s most savage massacres of Black people. Following a backlash, the president announced the date switch to Saturday. He subsequently claimed that he had made Juneteenth—which has long commemorated the end of slavery in the United States—“very famous” because “nobody had ever heard of it.” His White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, defended those remarks on Friday by noting a spike in Google searches.Stephen Colbert Slams Trump’s ‘Stupid’ Juneteenth ClaimTrump has also attempted to portray the economic damage caused by the pandemic as fleeting. But Republican operatives have expressed concern that his talk of a rocket ship recovery may effectively portray him as out of touch to voters who still feel left behind. And even his own team is uncertain about whether it’s an effective campaign play. Two of the four aforementioned officials told The Daily Beast that they were unnerved by the fact that they’d seen no polling evidence, in internal data or in multiple different public polls, that the news of higher retail sales and the addition of 2.5 million jobs in May had given the president the bump they had wanted and expected.“If the next [unemployment] reports get better and better, hopefully you’ll see a change then and noticeable impact,” one of these officials said, adding that right now far too many people are out of work and “hurting.”Hoping to give himself an additional boost on the economic front, Trump has continuously expressed a desire for additional, big-ticket federal stimulus—which some Republican officials believe would improve his chances. Top Democrats on the Hill, however, say they have not yet had any formal discussions with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about such a package (House Democrats have passed one of their own) and there is wide antipathy among aides about working with the White House unless it provides more insight into how it is spending the hundreds of billions of dollars that was already appropriated.“It is a top priority,” a senior House Democratic aide said of getting answers on where the Treasury Department’s funds have gone. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, have put off talk of another bill entirely. And even among Trump’s cadre of advisers, there is not much appetite for another stimulus bill.“The economic damage done by the coronavirus is a lot less than what was predicted months ago… It’s awful, but it’s much better in states like California, Texas, and Florida than what experts thought it would be,” said Art Laffer, the notoriously conservative economist who informally advises Trump. “People are even hedging their bets on if there’s going to be a second wave of the virus… The stock market is telling us this ain’t going to be a big deal. It’s nothing compared to Y2K or 2008… Those were really big downs in the market, and this is nothing compared to that. It started off really big, with a big drop… but then it came right back. That’s not the way it went in 2008 and 2009.”Absent a major economic measure or turnaround, Trump’s options for reversing his polling slide are slimmer. In an interview with Politico that was published on Friday, the president did express a degree of worry about his chances against Biden. But he couched his concern in baseless theories about the potential for rampant voter fraud in mail-in ballots. “My biggest risk is that we don’t win lawsuits [regarding mail-in voting],” the president said. “We have many lawsuits going all over. And if we don’t win those lawsuits, I think—I think it puts the election at risk.”Increasingly, Trump seems content to try and re-run the playbook he used in 2016 in hopes that it works again. Elsewhere in that Politico interview, he warned other Republican candidates—including those running to help preserve the party’s Senate majority—not to tiptoe away from him, no matter what his poll numbers look like. And in recent days his team has made another aggressive effort to troll Biden (much as they did Hillary Clinton) as physically and mentally unwell. The president has brought back top aides from his last presidential run and is turning to one of his most prominent surrogates from that race to help, as well. On Thursday, Politico reported that the Trump campaign had enlisted former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani—who as Trump’s personal lawyer launched a dirt-digging expedition into the Bidens that led directly to the president’s impeachment—to “spearhead a campaign to press for more debates this fall, starting earlier than usual and to have a say in choosing the moderators,” so that Trump can have more opportunities to publicly humiliate Biden, someone who the president seems convinced will crack under a one-on-one grilling.Asked on Thursday if he now has an official title on Trump 2020, Giuliani told The Daily Beast, “No sir I am just helping out.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2zT5fh6

#Blogger

[bigbirdgladiator]

As Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail this Saturday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, some of his top political advisers are growing increasingly concerned that the president won’t be able to dig himself out of the hole he’s made for himself.Over the past two weeks, several of the president’s campaign lieutenants as well as individuals in his administration have reacted with mounting alarm as multiple polls have shown Trump dipping into the 30s against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. In weeks past, various aides in the White House and on the Trump re-election effort had privately expressed cold comfort in the fact that with everything going on—a bungled response to a deadly pandemic, a massively crippled U.S. economy, protests across the nation, and a number of Trump’s own former top officials coming out against him—it was practically a miracle that the president’s poll numbers hadn’t sunk even lower.Early this month, one senior White House official told The Daily Beast that their “nightmare scenario” would be for the president to slip beneath 40 percent support in a sustained string of public and private surveys—thus signaling that a previously unshakable base was starting to grow a bit disillusioned. Trump’s consistent—though perhaps unenviable—standing in the low 40s had for years remained an illustration of his enduring base and iron Republican support. “Until then, I’m not a doomsayer,” this official said, referring to the nerve-racking 30s in national, and some state, polling.In the time since that comment, multiple polls have shown Trump sliding into the 30s. Asked this week about the change, the same White House official simply responded, “This is not where any of us wanted to be at this point [in the election], but there is still time… to make up the difference.”Trump Aides Know His Polls Are Terrible—And Tell Him OtherwiseSome advisers lay the blame for recent poll numbers squarely at the weeks-long news coverage of the mass protests against institutional racism and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, and how Trump has responded to it. “When race is in the news cycle and dominating the conversation, President Trump’s numbers always go down,” said a source close to the White House. “That’s just a fact.”The source added that they hoped coverage of former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s tell-all book about Trump would actually lead to a poll bump for the president, if for no other reason than it would mean less talk of racism, COVID, and social unrest.But Trump has had a knack for getting in the way of even the most well-crafted media plans, to say nothing of the ones his advisers hope play out. Even the announcement of the Tulsa rally was fraught with hiccups and missteps. His team had previously scheduled it for Friday, which meant it would have fallen on Juneteenth in a city that was the site of one of the country’s most savage massacres of Black people. Following a backlash, the president announced the date switch to Saturday. He subsequently claimed that he had made Juneteenth—which has long commemorated the end of slavery in the United States—“very famous” because “nobody had ever heard of it.” His White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, defended those remarks on Friday by noting a spike in Google searches.Stephen Colbert Slams Trump’s ‘Stupid’ Juneteenth ClaimTrump has also attempted to portray the economic damage caused by the pandemic as fleeting. But Republican operatives have expressed concern that his talk of a rocket ship recovery may effectively portray him as out of touch to voters who still feel left behind. And even his own team is uncertain about whether it’s an effective campaign play. Two of the four aforementioned officials told The Daily Beast that they were unnerved by the fact that they’d seen no polling evidence, in internal data or in multiple different public polls, that the news of higher retail sales and the addition of 2.5 million jobs in May had given the president the bump they had wanted and expected.“If the next [unemployment] reports get better and better, hopefully you’ll see a change then and noticeable impact,” one of these officials said, adding that right now far too many people are out of work and “hurting.”Hoping to give himself an additional boost on the economic front, Trump has continuously expressed a desire for additional, big-ticket federal stimulus—which some Republican officials believe would improve his chances. Top Democrats on the Hill, however, say they have not yet had any formal discussions with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about such a package (House Democrats have passed one of their own) and there is wide antipathy among aides about working with the White House unless it provides more insight into how it is spending the hundreds of billions of dollars that was already appropriated.“It is a top priority,” a senior House Democratic aide said of getting answers on where the Treasury Department’s funds have gone. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, have put off talk of another bill entirely. And even among Trump’s cadre of advisers, there is not much appetite for another stimulus bill.“The economic damage done by the coronavirus is a lot less than what was predicted months ago… It’s awful, but it’s much better in states like California, Texas, and Florida than what experts thought it would be,” said Art Laffer, the notoriously conservative economist who informally advises Trump. “People are even hedging their bets on if there’s going to be a second wave of the virus… The stock market is telling us this ain’t going to be a big deal. It’s nothing compared to Y2K or 2008… Those were really big downs in the market, and this is nothing compared to that. It started off really big, with a big drop… but then it came right back. That’s not the way it went in 2008 and 2009.”Absent a major economic measure or turnaround, Trump’s options for reversing his polling slide are slimmer. In an interview with Politico that was published on Friday, the president did express a degree of worry about his chances against Biden. But he couched his concern in baseless theories about the potential for rampant voter fraud in mail-in ballots. “My biggest risk is that we don’t win lawsuits [regarding mail-in voting],” the president said. “We have many lawsuits going all over. And if we don’t win those lawsuits, I think—I think it puts the election at risk.”Increasingly, Trump seems content to try and re-run the playbook he used in 2016 in hopes that it works again. Elsewhere in that Politico interview, he warned other Republican candidates—including those running to help preserve the party’s Senate majority—not to tiptoe away from him, no matter what his poll numbers look like. And in recent days his team has made another aggressive effort to troll Biden (much as they did Hillary Clinton) as physically and mentally unwell. The president has brought back top aides from his last presidential run and is turning to one of his most prominent surrogates from that race to help, as well. On Thursday, Politico reported that the Trump campaign had enlisted former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani—who as Trump’s personal lawyer launched a dirt-digging expedition into the Bidens that led directly to the president’s impeachment—to “spearhead a campaign to press for more debates this fall, starting earlier than usual and to have a say in choosing the moderators,” so that Trump can have more opportunities to publicly humiliate Biden, someone who the president seems convinced will crack under a one-on-one grilling.Asked on Thursday if he now has an official title on Trump 2020, Giuliani told The Daily Beast, “No sir I am just helping out.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2zT5fh6

#Blogger

[worldviraltrending]

As Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail this Saturday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma, some of his top political advisers are growing increasingly concerned that the president won’t be able to dig himself out of the hole he’s made for himself.Over the past two weeks, several of the president’s campaign lieutenants as well as individuals in his administration have reacted with mounting alarm as multiple polls have shown Trump dipping into the 30s against former Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive 2020 Democratic presidential nominee. In weeks past, various aides in the White House and on the Trump re-election effort had privately expressed cold comfort in the fact that with everything going on—a bungled response to a deadly pandemic, a massively crippled U.S. economy, protests across the nation, and a number of Trump’s own former top officials coming out against him—it was practically a miracle that the president’s poll numbers hadn’t sunk even lower.Early this month, one senior White House official told The Daily Beast that their “nightmare scenario” would be for the president to slip beneath 40 percent support in a sustained string of public and private surveys—thus signaling that a previously unshakable base was starting to grow a bit disillusioned. Trump’s consistent—though perhaps unenviable—standing in the low 40s had for years remained an illustration of his enduring base and iron Republican support. “Until then, I’m not a doomsayer,” this official said, referring to the nerve-racking 30s in national, and some state, polling.In the time since that comment, multiple polls have shown Trump sliding into the 30s. Asked this week about the change, the same White House official simply responded, “This is not where any of us wanted to be at this point [in the election], but there is still time… to make up the difference.”Trump Aides Know His Polls Are Terrible—And Tell Him OtherwiseSome advisers lay the blame for recent poll numbers squarely at the weeks-long news coverage of the mass protests against institutional racism and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd, and how Trump has responded to it. “When race is in the news cycle and dominating the conversation, President Trump’s numbers always go down,” said a source close to the White House. “That’s just a fact.”The source added that they hoped coverage of former National Security Adviser John Bolton’s tell-all book about Trump would actually lead to a poll bump for the president, if for no other reason than it would mean less talk of racism, COVID, and social unrest.But Trump has had a knack for getting in the way of even the most well-crafted media plans, to say nothing of the ones his advisers hope play out. Even the announcement of the Tulsa rally was fraught with hiccups and missteps. His team had previously scheduled it for Friday, which meant it would have fallen on Juneteenth in a city that was the site of one of the country’s most savage massacres of Black people. Following a backlash, the president announced the date switch to Saturday. He subsequently claimed that he had made Juneteenth—which has long commemorated the end of slavery in the United States—“very famous” because “nobody had ever heard of it.” His White House press secretary, Kayleigh McEnany, defended those remarks on Friday by noting a spike in Google searches.Stephen Colbert Slams Trump’s ‘Stupid’ Juneteenth ClaimTrump has also attempted to portray the economic damage caused by the pandemic as fleeting. But Republican operatives have expressed concern that his talk of a rocket ship recovery may effectively portray him as out of touch to voters who still feel left behind. And even his own team is uncertain about whether it’s an effective campaign play. Two of the four aforementioned officials told The Daily Beast that they were unnerved by the fact that they’d seen no polling evidence, in internal data or in multiple different public polls, that the news of higher retail sales and the addition of 2.5 million jobs in May had given the president the bump they had wanted and expected.“If the next [unemployment] reports get better and better, hopefully you’ll see a change then and noticeable impact,” one of these officials said, adding that right now far too many people are out of work and “hurting.”Hoping to give himself an additional boost on the economic front, Trump has continuously expressed a desire for additional, big-ticket federal stimulus—which some Republican officials believe would improve his chances. Top Democrats on the Hill, however, say they have not yet had any formal discussions with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin about such a package (House Democrats have passed one of their own) and there is wide antipathy among aides about working with the White House unless it provides more insight into how it is spending the hundreds of billions of dollars that was already appropriated.“It is a top priority,” a senior House Democratic aide said of getting answers on where the Treasury Department’s funds have gone. Senate Republicans, meanwhile, have put off talk of another bill entirely. And even among Trump’s cadre of advisers, there is not much appetite for another stimulus bill.“The economic damage done by the coronavirus is a lot less than what was predicted months ago… It’s awful, but it’s much better in states like California, Texas, and Florida than what experts thought it would be,” said Art Laffer, the notoriously conservative economist who informally advises Trump. “People are even hedging their bets on if there’s going to be a second wave of the virus… The stock market is telling us this ain’t going to be a big deal. It’s nothing compared to Y2K or 2008… Those were really big downs in the market, and this is nothing compared to that. It started off really big, with a big drop… but then it came right back. That’s not the way it went in 2008 and 2009.”Absent a major economic measure or turnaround, Trump’s options for reversing his polling slide are slimmer. In an interview with Politico that was published on Friday, the president did express a degree of worry about his chances against Biden. But he couched his concern in baseless theories about the potential for rampant voter fraud in mail-in ballots. “My biggest risk is that we don’t win lawsuits [regarding mail-in voting],” the president said. “We have many lawsuits going all over. And if we don’t win those lawsuits, I think—I think it puts the election at risk.”Increasingly, Trump seems content to try and re-run the playbook he used in 2016 in hopes that it works again. Elsewhere in that Politico interview, he warned other Republican candidates—including those running to help preserve the party’s Senate majority—not to tiptoe away from him, no matter what his poll numbers look like. And in recent days his team has made another aggressive effort to troll Biden (much as they did Hillary Clinton) as physically and mentally unwell. The president has brought back top aides from his last presidential run and is turning to one of his most prominent surrogates from that race to help, as well. On Thursday, Politico reported that the Trump campaign had enlisted former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani—who as Trump’s personal lawyer launched a dirt-digging expedition into the Bidens that led directly to the president’s impeachment—to “spearhead a campaign to press for more debates this fall, starting earlier than usual and to have a say in choosing the moderators,” so that Trump can have more opportunities to publicly humiliate Biden, someone who the president seems convinced will crack under a one-on-one grilling.Asked on Thursday if he now has an official title on Trump 2020, Giuliani told The Daily Beast, “No sir I am just helping out.”Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

from Yahoo News - Latest News & Headlines https://ift.tt/2zT5fh6

#Blogger