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V's Reads…
Reviews, Rants and Rambles from a mom and pre-published author
KA Merikan
Loving a MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY–Review and Giveaway!
Hi there! Today I'm sharing a review and giveaway for a new contemporary M/M romance from the writing team of KA Merican. MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY is a rock romance between a bisexual rock frontman and the sexy eye-candy he meets at a remote gas station in nowhere. I've really enjoyed books by this writing team in the past, including THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ROTTEN APPLE, so I was eager to read this one.
Catch the epic meet-cute excerpt, my review and enter the book giveaway below.
You can't hide the cracks under the spotlight
Dusk. Leader of The Underdogs. Destined for greatness. Lives in the now.
Abe. AKA Lolly. Iridescent. Unicorn.
All Dusk wants out of life is for his band to become world famous. He also wants to have a lot of fun along the way. And to get his rocks off. When he wants something, he goes for it, consequences be damned. So when he sees a gorgeous pink-haired guy who is the human equivalent of tattooed cotton candy, he can't help but have a taste. But it's when Lolly ends up on their tour bus that Dusk knows their meeting was destiny.
Abe is the kind of guy who goes with the flow. He was hitchhiking anyway, so why not spend the week with a hot piece of rocker beefcake, getting smothered by his sexy long hair? And why not play the part of the supportive cutie while he's at it? It's not like he'd be sticking around for long anyway.
All plans hit a wall when photos of Abe and Dusk emerge online, suddenly pushing the band into the spotlight. To take advantage of the sudden popularity, the band offers Abe money for staying.
Which means money for being in a fake relationship with Dusk.
Which isn't even fake.
How about a little taste?
The sun hit him like a red-hot hammer, and he squinted, rushing through the courtyard and into the shadow of the roof. His mouth was already smiling when he saw the logo of an ice cream manufacturer in the window. Since they'd already stopped, he might as well have something sweet to go with the savory. Or, possibly-maybe get peanut butter ice cream and win at breakfast?
The store greeted him with fresh, cool air that he inhaled with pleasure, delving between the shelves to find his prize. He could already see it from afar, next to a few jams, and coffee, and—who the fuck was that?
Dusk stopped breathing and just watched the dreamy, pink-haired creature move along the aisle, headbanging gently to music he was listening to through his mint-colored headphones. There was a lightness to his step, and Dusk followed the guy as if he were a rabbit leading Dusk to Wonderland.
The guy's hair was styled into two thick, messy boxer braids tied with glittery bands. A pair of rollerblades swung from the guy's large backpack. With each hypnotizing movement of slim hips clad in well-fitting denim shorts that ended just above the knees, Dusk was beckoned closer to the creature who was so at odds with the coarse surroundings, he must had stepped out of a fairytale and gotten lost in the New Mexican desert. His bare calves were nicely toned and dusted with blond hair, twitching slightly as the angel of a guy danced his way through the aisles.
He only stopped once he approached a newspaper stand and pulled out a music magazine. Leaning slightly against the wall, he finally allowed Dusk a good look on the profile of his boyish yet angular face. Working his way through the pages, he seemed completely immersed in his own little world.
One arm, tattooed in pastel-colored shapes that Dusk could not discern from afar, rose, and the guy pulled on a little white stick that peeked out of his mouth, revealing a shocking pink lollipop that he must have been sucking on all along.
Dusk licked his lips, wishing he could be that lollipop. He checked himself out in a mirror next to a stand with hats, just to make sure he didn't have anything stuck to his face, and he moved closer to the pastel-hued poisonous butterfly. The guy was cute, colorful, but there was an edge to his look. His neck was inked, and his septum pierced. Oh, how Dusk craved to put his hand against the guy's Adam's apple.
He couldn't recall the last time he was rendered speechless, since he was anything but shy. This guy though, casually sucking on a pink lollipop at this gas station in the middle of nowhere, was making Dusk's throat dry, his palms sweat, and his dick beg for action.
Lolly blinked and gave a short laugh, staring at something in the magazine. Still gently moving his body to the music coming from his headphones, he rhythmically tapped the lollipop against his lips, only to greedily suck it back in. Every time he smiled, a little black star under his eye moved. At first Dusk had assumed it was painted-on, but as he stared more intently, he recognized it as a tattoo.
That was it. Dusk needed to get himself a piece of that.
He took a few steps closer and reached for a magazine off a shelf above Lolly's head to get an opportunity to stretch in front of the guy, and when their eyes met, he smiled.
Lolly's eyes were big and so blue they fit right in with his image. He leaned his head back to look at Dusk more comfortably and pushed the headphones to rest around his neck, revealing flesh plugs of the same minty color. Score.
He moved the lollipop in his mouth with his tongue so that the stick was at the side and wouldn't prevent him from speaking. "What's up?"
"What's the flavor?" Dusk pointed to Lolly's mouth. He bet it now tasted of wet hot sin.
Lolly pulled on the lollipop so that it slid halfway out of his mouth, only to suck it back in, loudly and without shame. "What flavor do you like?"
"I like fruity. And my manager only allows me one sweet thing a day, so I gotta choose wisely." It was utter bullshit, but did it matter when their gazes met so intensely neither of them blinked? "Can I try yours to see if I wanna buy it?"
Lolly pulled on the stick, so tantalizingly slow, teasing Dusk with his blue eyes and long lashes, with his perfect tanned skin, with his toned arms that were tattooed into various landmarks and animals. Lolly was not only hot. He wasdesire.
"What do I get in return?"
Sink or swim. Dusk would either get a kick in the nuts or a laugh. He leaned down to whisper into Lolly's ear. Worst case scenario, he could play it down into a joke and continue from there. "You give me something sweet, I give you something salty."
Dusk's skin tingled where they almost touched, and he closed his eyes when the soft, frizzy hair brushed against his cheek. Lolly smelled of something sweet, and yet a bit bitter, in a delicious masculine way that made Dusk want to savor him all the more. Cotton candy made of seaweed? No. That made no sense.
Lolly gave a short laugh, and his fingers briefly rubbed Dusk's chest. "I'm intrigued."
Dusk pulled back just enough to look into Lolly's eyes, and the spot on Dusk's chest where he'd been touched seemed to tingle as if invisible unicorns galloped along his pecs. How far could he push his luck? The guy wasn't offended by the dirty joke. Sparks of attraction shone between them as if they'd been glitter bombed, and Dusk found it hard to focus on anything but the pretty lips and blue eyes.
"Intrigued enough to follow me outside and risk that I'm a total psycho serial killer?"
Lolly pulled the candy out of his mouth and slowly moved it along the pink line of his tempting lips, leaving behind a sticky sheen. "Maybe you could taste my lollipop in the restrooms?"
"Fuck yes…" Dusk thought it, but then realized he'd also said it out loud. Oh, who cared? His dick was already filling at the thought of all the things Dusk wanted to do with the sweet lips of this heavenly creature. Was the restroom here actually big enough to fuck in? It better be, because one way or another, he would be scoring soon.
Dusk Hill is the frontman and lead guitarist of The Underdogs, a rock band he's formed with his brother Dawn, his bestie Mage and Sid, an experienced drummer. Sid and Dawn are gay, but quiet about it, and Dusk is bisexual, but only out to friends and family. He meets a slender, pink-haired tattooed man in a gas station convenience store–and the attraction is instant.
They actually have to make a run for it, after Dusk and the sucker-licking man he calls 'Lolly' in his head make a giant mess of the bathroom they use for a tryst. Lolly was hitchhiking his way to LA and he's more than happy for the ride(s) Dusk offers by way of their jerry-rigged tour bus…and his narrow cot.
Abe is a drifter wanting to make art, but willing to take his chances with Dusk and his Underdogs. It's a lark, right? Until it seems like more. Not that Abe's really prepared for more, or to fall hard for Dusk. An inadvertent photo outs Dusk as bi, and the band wants Lolly to stick around to turn the fallout into a publicity opportunity. Abe isn't sure this is cool, getting paid a little to cozy up to Dusk in public seems to cross some lines, but Dusk is persuasive, and hawt. They get it on an on and on…
But, as the weeks wear on and Abe isn't getting any farther with his art dreams, it makes him more uncomfortable. It's only more frustrating that Dusk doesn't even know his true name. Dusk is content to play his way through life, and it upsets Abe in ways he didn't expect. This comes to a meltdown that ruins just about everything between them but Dusk is unwilling to let Abe just walk away. He offers friendship, and a real job managing social media and fan relations for the band–with the sheets-burning sex they'd shared previously now off the menu. And that's equally rough on both of them.
I loved how these guys transitioned from the hot and horny hook up to the unrequited lovers-turned-friends. It's bittersweet, knowing how intense their feelings remain, but heartening to see how hard they work to build something awesome between them. Abe's art is helping the band get noticed, and raise his own visibility, to the point that he's offered his own freelance gigs that will take him away from the tour. Can Dusk manage to make his true feelings known before Abe walks away? The tension is high and the sex is frequent and dirty. Expect public options to abound, and an epic HEA that brings the audience to its feet. I'm really excited to read on in this new series.
Interested? You can find MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY on Goodreads and Amazon US | Amazon UK.
****GIVEAWAY****
Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a backlist book from KA Merikan!
Good luck and keep reading my friends!
K.A. Merikan is the pen name for Kat and Agnes Merikan, a team of writers, who are mistaken for sisters with surprising regularity. Kat's the mean sergeant and survival specialist of the duo, never hesitating to kick Agnes's ass when she's slacking off. Her memory works like an easy-access catalogue, which allows her to keep up with both book details and social media. Also works as the emergency GPS. Agnes is the Merikan nitpicker, usually found busy with formatting and research. Her attention tends to be scattered, and despite being over thirty, she needs to apply makeup to buy alcohol. Self-proclaimed queen of the roads.
They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and books. When you pick up a Merikan book, there's one thing you can be sure of – it will be full of surprises.
Catch up with this duo on their website, Facebook, Twitter (run by Kat), Agnes Merikan's Twitter, Goodreads or Pinterest.
September 20, 2017 Veronica Rundell	adult contemporary, Bisexual, Gay romance, KA Merikan, M/M Romance, MANIC PIXIE DREAM BOY, Rock Romance, Sexy Reads	Leave a comment
Happy Book Birthday to THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ROTTEN APPLE–Review & Giveaway!
Hi there! Today I'm sharing a review and giveaway for a new historical M/M romance from the writing team of KA Merikan. THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ROTTEN APPLE is a complex love story between a ne'er do well child and man of honor who wants to save his ancestral home and tenants from ruin. I've enjoyed HIPSTER BROTHEL and from this writing team, so I jumped at the chance to read this one.
Scroll down for a HUGE excerpt and get in on the swag and books giveaway.
"How does one start a relationship with another man when it is forbidden?"
"One needs to decide that the other man is worth dying for."
Cornwall, 1785
Sir Evan Penhart. Baronet. Highwayman. Scoundrel.
Julian Reece. Writer. Wastrel. Penniless.
No one forces Julian Reece to marry. Not his father, not his brother. No one.
When he is thrust into a carriage heading for London to meet his future bride, his way out comes in the form of an imposing highwayman, riding a horse as black as night. Julian makes a deal with the criminal, but what he doesn't expect is that despite the title of baronet, the robber turns out to be no gentleman.
Sir Evan Penhart is pushed into crime out of desperation, but the pact with a pretty, young merchant's son turns out to have disastrous consequences. Not only is Evan left broke, but worse yet, Julian opens up a Pandora's box of passions that are dark, needy, and too wild to tame. With no way to lock them back in, rash decisions and greedy desire lead to a tide that wrecks everything in its way.
But Julian might actually like all the sinful, carnal passion unleashed on him. How can he admit this though, even to himself, when a taste of the forbidden fruit could have him end up with a noose around his neck? And with highway robbery being a hanging offense and the local constable on their back, Julian could lose Evan before he can decide anything about the nature of his desires.
How about a big look at this book…
The sun was high up in the sky by the time the desynchronized orchestra left Julian's skull. There wasn't enough space to properly lie down anywhere in the carriage, but he managed to obtain a comfortable position by resting his legs up the wooden wall while his upper body occupied one of the benches. He still felt like the filling of an enormous rattle as the carriage bent in all possible directions on the uneven road leading away from the coast.
Horace didn't even make an attempt to hold back his disapproval, but after delivering several biting comments and a lengthy speech about duty, he at last leaned against the side of the carriage in the seat across from Julian and closed his eyes. It was difficult to say whether he was truly in need of a nap or if it was Julian's face that he didn't wish to look at.
With his headache out of the way yet not quite well enough to read, Julian opened the curtains in hope of amusing himself with the views, but so far, he merely got to see the side of a narrow gully—all dirt and grass.
He couldn't understand why Father was being so implacable about having his youngest son marry a title. Couldn't it wait a fortnight so that Julian could finish that new novel he came up with last night? This one could truly be the breakthrough Julian had been waiting for, the one that would make the Reece family known for more than fabric trade.
Inspiration was a moment in time when Julian's friend Martin emerged from the darkness of an alley behind the tavern. In that very second he had not resembled himself but a man made of bronze, dreamlike and yet of substance, with strong hands that could crush Julian if they wanted. The novel would start with a similar encounter somewhere in the narrow back alleys, just off the Colosseum. Haunted by the ghost of an ancient gladiator, the protagonist would be believed to be slowly descending into madness, when in reality his awareness of the supernatural would become a vehicle for truth.
Julian was not yet certain of the exact message he wished to convey, but the events would be presented from several points of view, through letters written by the protagonist, his friends, and an official of some sort who'd represent the stale world order.
He'd already had several beautifully evocative ideas for metaphors describing the gladiator himself, but they became somewhat blurry after a night of cards and drink.
Oh, if only he could travel to Rome to let the atmosphere of the city soak him all the way to the bone—without a wife fighting for his attention and pulling him away from work because of feminine fancies.
He looked out of the window with growing disdain. Who in their right mind traveled on Sunday, and so early at that? Julian would have much preferred listening to a sermon at church to spending the day in what was effectively a hearse carrying one of the brightest literary talents just waiting to be discovered.
Now that Julian was feeling better, he was upset with himself about not asking for a day's delay on religious grounds. He'd never been as devout about prayer as he was about his art, but if the Christian faith could postpone his commitment to a woman he never met, he would gladly kneel and pray. And Miss White wasn't even a woman but a girl of fifteen, quite pretty in the portrait Julian had been shown, and a viscount's only daughter at that, but surely as hungry for her intended's attention as the bawdy house wench who'd become sweet on Julian some years ago.
Back then, he still visited Madame Canard's establishment to do what everyone else did when they visited a school of Venus. These days, Julian had neither the overwhelming desire nor patience to handle a cunt, no matter how lovely the lady it was attached to. He still enjoyed having a drink with the harlots, and no card table within twenty miles was as lively as the one at Madame Canard's, but at twenty-five he'd much rather handle needs of the flesh in solitude.
Sweet perfume made his nose itch, the act itself made him unpleasantly sticky—with his sweat and hers—and while he would not dare to ask, it was his suspicion that the friends who usually accompanied him to the brothel were only whoring so much because of pride and bravado. It was a sign of status to be able to afford women and decent wine daily, and so fucking and gambling was the thing you did as a social activity.
Julian's eyes darted to Horace, who slept with his head thrown back and leaning against the side of the carriage. His wide-open mouth was asking for a distasteful prank, but Julian was far too upset to think of amusing himself at Horace's expense. So far, the day's joke was on him.
In the years past, he'd been mocked by his father and siblings over not taking on a profession that they deemed worthy of a gentleman, but with the family being very prosperous, Julian saw no reason to divert his focus from his one true calling.
Despite frequent threats, he'd hoped that Father—having four willing sons and three daughters—wouldn't push Julian into marriage, but it seemed a lost cause. Soon it would be a wife nagging Julian to stop wasting his time following intellectual pursuits and instead turn his attention to practical matters. As the head of his own family, maybe he'd even be pushed to join the family trade, one step farther from traveling abroad to meet the great artists of the continent.
The carriage started a steep climb up a hill, and Julian cursed, pushing the soles of his boots against the wall to keep his body from rolling off the narrow bench. How long would it take for them to reach London at this pace? It was over two hundred miles away, so a week perhaps? The last time Julian had made the journey, he was so intoxicated most days that he couldn't properly count them.
But out of nowhere, as the slope of the hill became gentler, the ugly dirt and grass that had been Julian's only source of entertainment for the last half an hour were replaced by lush greenery of tree tops. He grinned and glanced at Horace, but the fat sod was too busy snoring to notice the change in scenery.
A wicked plan was starting to take shape in Julian's head, and he quietly removed his feet from the side of the carriage and lowered them to the floor. Pulling himself upright was easy enough after that, and he stalled, eyes transfixed on the permanently flushed face of his brother that was an unappetizing contrast with the white wig he wore, and made him look like a man many years his senior. Julian might be less inclined to business, less sedate than his siblings, but at the very least he had good taste and flair most of Julian's family lacked, buried deep in the stern world of pretense and money.
Horace didn't even stir. The old pig was fast asleep, and if that wasn't Julian's chance to save his life, he didn't know what was. Careful not to make any sound, Julian gathered his valise and the coat he'd earlier taken off because of the heat, stilling when the carriage came to a halt. His eyes immediately darted to Horace, but his brother only smacked his lips in his sleep. Hunt could have stopped to relieve himself. What an opportunity this was!
Julian could feel his heartbeat in his throat when he softly pressed on the door handle. Still distinctly aware of his brother being close enough for their knees to touch, were Julian not careful enough. He opened the carriage and left it in a soft stride before closing the door with care.
A warm breeze combed through his hair, wiping away the unpleasant wetness of sweat, and his lungs filled with fresh air, but he didn't get to enjoy it.
The shining muzzle of a pistol was grinning at him from inches away.
Despite the warm weather, Julian's whole body was shaken by a chill when his gaze met a pair of eyes so dark they might as well have been lacquered coals. The man had a tricorn hat pulled low over his forehead, and a black scarf obscuring the lower half of his face.
This can't be happening.
"Don't try to scream, or I will blow your brains out." The man squinted and lowered his gun to Julian's pupil. "Through the eye."
Julian opened his mouth as his throat closed, robbing him of breath. He wanted to look back, suddenly wishing Horace weren't such an easy sleeper, but Hunt was nowhere to be seen either. Heat washed over Julian's body, making him stiffen as if he were made of clay. Had this man hurt their coachman? If so, where was the body?
"What do you want?" Julian whispered, resting his hand on the door handle when his knees softened.
"These." A hand in a leather glove gripped Julian's sweaty fingers and slipped off his rings. "And all your other valuables." The man didn't even blink, his voice dark as if dragged through tar.
Julian stared, and his mind finally came up with the answer for what this was. "You're a highwayman…"
"And you're cork-brained to travel on a Sunday when the roads are empty." The man's gaze drifted away to Horace for a split second, but he must have judged him as no threat, and when Horace snored from inside the carriage, the highwayman chuckled quietly.
Julian's lungs emptied, and a silly grin emerged on his face, encouraged by the highwayman's amusement. "Ah, I should have gone to church after all."
The smile died on his lips when the robber poked Julian's temple with his gun.
"Your valuables," he urged.
Julian clenched his teeth when they threatened to clatter. He needed to keep calm. His father believed his friends to be villains, so he could handle one. "I've been taken out of the tavern this morning with nothing but the clothes on my back. I lost everything at the tables. You should try my older brother. He's Father's heir. He should have a healthy sum on him."
The highwayman gripped the front of Julian's waistcoat and pulled him forward so hard Julian stumbled straight into the man's arms. He was much taller than Julian, with wide shoulders that were so strong their size couldn't be just padding. His clothes smelled of leather and horse sweat, and Julian found himself staring into the eyes above the black scarf.
Before he could say a word, the man turned him around, and pressed the gun to the side of his head.
"Go on, wake up your brother."
Julian breathed in and out, stiff with discomfort at the warm body pressed against his back as if the highwayman was seeking warmth. The gun provided some relief against heated skin. Its presence made Julian's blood speed through his veins. It wouldn't go off. Murder wasn't in the robber's interest, but if that was the case, then where the hell was Hunt?
Then an idea illuminated Julian's mind. "I have a proposition, Mister—"
The highwayman stilled. He'd be lying. Of course. "Noir," he said in the end. "What kind of proposition can you have, pretty boy? With no money in your pockets."
Something about Noir's tone sent a hot shiver through Julian's ribcage, but he ignored the condescending words and slowly looked back into the blackest eyes he'd ever seen. "I don't have much on me, but you must know my father. He's William Reece, the cloth merchant. You could take me and ask for ransom. We could split it between us like two gentlemen," he whispered and gave Noir a polite nod. Appealing to the highwayman's self-importance should do the trick. His kind were known for a love of opulence and status they didn't deserve.
He must have managed to surprise the thief, because Noir's grip on him faltered. "How much could I ask for a son who hates his father?"
Julian exhaled in relief when he felt Noir's aggression turn away from him. "A lot. He needs me. I'm worth more than you can imagine," he said with a small smile.
Noir stole another glance at Horace sleeping in the back of the carriage, and his gloved hand slid to Julian's neck, squeezing around his nape in a way that had Julian rising to his toes. "You better be. You scream, or try to run, and I will kill you."
it's 1865 Cornwall, and Julian is a wastrel who doesn't want to get married, and especially not to a young, wealthy girl. He fancies himself a writer, but mostly he spends his allowance in gambling parlours and houses of ill-repute, though he's not a big fan of intimacies with anyone–including women.
When his carriage to London for the wedding he doesn't want is stopped by a highwayman, Julian convinces his would-be thief to take him as a hostage for ransom. Unfortunately, ransoming Julian to his exasperated father doesn't go to plan.
Sir Evan Penhart inherited his ancestral home, Tredele, but none of the funds to care for it, or the servants who'd been there their entire lives. He's really bitter over it, but he's doing his duty the only way he can–with insufficient tenant fees available, he's decided to steal from a few wealthy travelers in order to finance the necessary repairs to Tredele and wages. Julian's offer for ransom seems like his dream-come-true, but it's not. It's a nightmare. Evan had one lover in his life, and watched him die for the crime of sodomy. Since then he kept himself isolated in his home–so much so that Julian's only heard of Evan as the "ghost" of Tredele. Yet, Evan's unable to hold his attraction to Julian at bay.
I'm just going to say–there's a scene of dubious consent, though I think it's handled really, really well. Julian's never imagined being with a man, and is almost innocent about the opportunities–though he's not unfamiliar with the risks. Which, to be clear, is death. Evan has a stalkery constable who's ever eager to catch him in the "act" of sodomy so he can arrest and execute him. While Julian is his hostage, it's a dicey situation. Though, when Julian's plot is foiled, they are able to restart their acquaintance, in a whole new way.
There is a deep and strong affection growing between Julian and Evan, but it moves by fits and starts. It felt very realistic, to me, due to the dangerous and tricky times. The plot has intricate turns, and huge changes in store for both Julian and Sir Evan. It's a really long book, but I loved the wild and crazy ride. Julian and Evan don't fall for each other right away–it takes time for them to build trust, and friendship, and then sexytimes. By the end, these guys are so freakin' in love they are willing to sacrifice everything to keep the other safe–and harm is in the offing. There are some very brutal moments, and the homophobia of the time is in line with other historicals (non-fiction and fiction) I've read.
I don't want to give away too much of the plot, so I won't. It's not like any other historical romance I've read, and that was refreshing. Getting toward the end, I had to read far too late so I would get through the end and out the other side. Expect a whole lot of peril, and a very rough ride for Julian and Evan before they end up surviving and moving on into their HEA.
Interested? You can find THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ROTTEN APPLE on Goodreads and Amazon.
Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win book swag and books!
February 7, 2017 Veronica Rundell	Gay romance, historical romance, KA Merikan, M/M Romance, THE BLACK SHEEP AND THE ROTTEN APPLE	1 Comment
Building a Love Within the HIPSTER BROTHEL–Review and Giveaway!
Hi there! Today I'm sharing a review and giveaway for a sexy new M/M romance out today from the writing team of KA Merikan. HIPSTER BROTHEL is a sweet and tender friends-to-lovers romance that struck me straight to the heart.
Catch my review below, and get in on the book giveaway, too!
— The lumberjack of his dreams is now available for rent. —
Mr. B has always been a safe guy for Jo to crush on. He's the cutest bearded lumber-god to salivate over. Add to that his friendly, outgoing personality, and Mr. B might just be the first guy Jo would be willing to kiss. Fortunately, Mr. B has been in a relationship for years, and Jo is no home-wrecker.
But when Mr. B breaks up with his partner and all of a sudden is single, available, and talks about his plans to be sexually adventurous, Jo isn't so sure anymore if he has the guts to come out as bisexual.
After a sour breakup, Mr. B wants to show his ex that he's independent, exciting, and can do very well without him. His best friend Jo is there to the rescue, and they come up with a great new business venture. One thing they lack to start their own line of artisanal boozy jams – money for the investment.
After a drunken brainstorming session, Mr. B finds a way to both gather the cash and show the middle finger to his ex. He will create a one of a kind Hipster Brothel – The Lumbersexual Experience – offering wood chopping lessons, pipe smoking, and a reclaimed wood bed where the magic would happen. It's bound to be a success… if only Mr. B can go through with it, because the mixed signals from Jo are making him wonder if his best friend is as straight as he always seemed.
WARNING: Explicit content, strong language. A shameless amount of buzzwords. May cause second-hand embarrassment.
Jo Lau has crushed on his gay best friend, Mr. B, since the day they met at the Crossfit gym four years ago. B was living with his boyfriend and boss, Mr. A, until this day–when B called Jo over to his soon-to-be-renovated boxcar home on the edge of his brother's farm to commiserate. Jo's been all-fired mad at Mr. A for the past year, when he convinced B to "open" their relationship. Mr. B's a one-may-guy, and the distance grew between these long-term lovers until it just couldn't sustain their relationship any longer. Unsure if now is the time Jo, a bisexual who's never been with a man before, confesses his deep attraction to Mr. B. he tries to be the bestest of best friends, instead; they get trashed on Mr. B's homemade moonshine and discuss his next plans.
Wanting to throw off the shackles of commitment, Mr. B proposes a new sexual awakening, and becoming an escort to raise capital for a line of alcohol-infused jams that he and Jo could sell. It's a terrible idea, Jo thinks, but he doesn't know how to object without revealing his own interest in Mr. B. Helping B build his escort business is a supreme conflict of interest for Jo, who only wants to cuddle his bestie and build a quiet life together. Jo's sure he and Mr. B are really compatible, but the idea of coming out is…difficult. He's known he was bisexual since his teens, yet, having always dated women, he's afraid to seem as if he was gay, and lying about it. He's seen how those sort of revelations have upset his friends, and he doesn't want to do that. Still, he's unable to completely mask his attraction, and when he makes his move on B, well, it's hot, but it's not exactly good.
Mr. B thinks Jo's just using him as an experiment, and that hurts both of them, because B has had a big crush on Jo, too. He can't get caught up in the drama of being a straight man's fling, though. Not if he's going to remain friends with Jo, or get his escort service off the ground. The closer they get, though, the more Jo doesn't want B to be anyone else's sex-lumberjack for hire. He want's B all to himself. And that leads to both sabotage, and denial–which fractures their friendship and budding romance.
I really loved these guys, and I could see the good in each man. I wanted to hate Mr. A, too, like Jo does, but man, that guy was far better than B or Jo gave him credit for, at the very least. The interracial aspect wasn't explicitly defined, but I did snicker when Jo's tipped off by the bartender at the gay bar that he doesn't want to get scooped by the Asian fetishist in the corner. There was a good bit of discussion regarding Jo's "exotic look," but it seemed in context with his austere clothing choices and long black hair worn in a top-knot, not particularly reflecting his Chinese heritage. His mother's acceptance of Mr. B as a lover to her son was heartening, and funny. For readers fearing the "escort" trope, rest assured that Mr. B and Jo are really all about each other.
This friends-to-lovers romance comes together in sweet and believable ways, and I loved how their close friendship was able to weather the ups-and-downs of the getting together business. Each man had the others' best interests at heart, I felt, and they were so sad when separated! Lots of whoo boy! sexy moments, and an HEA to last a lifetime.
Interested? You can find HIPSTER BROTHEL on Goodreads and Amazon (US and UK)
Click on this Rafflecopter giveaway link for your chance to win a backlist KA Merikan book.
January 24, 2017 Veronica Rundell	adult contemporary, Bisexual, Gay romance, HIPSTER BROTHEL, interracial, KA Merikan, M/M Romance	Leave a comment
Cover Reveal for HIPSTER BROTHEL!
Hi there! Today I'm sharing a cover for a sexy new M/M romance coming soon from KA Merikan. HIPSTER BROTHEL looks like it's gonna be really intriguing! Looking forward to sharing a review closer to the release date January 24th.
Interested? You can find out more about HIPSTER BROTHEL, coming out January 24th, on Goodreads.
December 28, 2016 Veronica Rundell	adult contemporary, Bisexual, Gay romance, HIPSTER BROTHEL, KA Merikan, M/M Romance, rent boy	Leave a comment
Maturing Together OUT IN WINTER–Review and Giveaway
Getting Woke as JULIET TAKES A BREATH-THE GRAPHIC NOVEL–A Review
Brutal Battles Await THE NAVIGATOR'S TOUCH–A TBT Review
EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I KNEW–A Review
Redemption for LUKA–Review and Giveaway
My rambles
Follow V's Reads
Veronica on Goodreads
anitaannabel on EVERYTHING I THOUGHT I KNEW…
anitaannabel on Redemption for LUKA–Revi…
anitaannabel on Big Changes Somehow LIGHTER…
Showing Prudence Whe… on Giving him WHAT HE REALLY NEED…


Anti-gay Jamaican reggae singer Bounty Killer is learning it does not pay to sing so-called "murder music." Last week, several concerts were canceled in England. This week, the government of the South American nation of Guyana has issued a ban on the controversial singer.
From the CaribWorldNews: "The ban comes a week after Bounty was pelted with bottles at a National Park show that was also interspersed with sporadic gunfire over a faulty sound system. Bounty`s performance was also replete with homosexual denouncements. The ban also covers also covers Mavado, another anti-gay dancehall singer known for "batty man" lyrics."
Guyana Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee tells reporters Bounty Killer, whose real name is Rodney Price, and Mavado, whose real name is David Brooks, "are being banned because they are viewed as a security risk to the country."
Two weeks ago, iTunes Canada removed "several songs with anti-gay lyrics from its online store" that included songs by Jamaican dancehall artists Buju Banton, Elephant Man and TOK.
Bounty Killer, the anti-gay Jamaican reggae singer, learns that it doesn't pay to sing so-called "murder music." European gay activists are campaigning to halt his "Deadly Alliance" tour of the United Kingdom, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Italy and Switzerland. Two of his three UK concerts were canceled.
The concerts in Bradford and Birmingham have been axed, causing the star to lose thousands of pounds in performance fees, because the lyrics of his songs are considered homophobic.
In Germany, Bounty Killer's performance in Essen was also canceled and further concert dates in the country are now in doubt.
Despite the two concerts being canceled, a London date went ahead a scheduled, much to the dismay of gay activists. However, the coordinator of Outrage, Peter Tatchell, expressed his delight that the concerts have been scrapped. "Bounty Killer bragged that he was invincible. He vowed his concerts would go ahead and boasted that no gays could stop him. Look who's crying now," he said.


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Head for a memorable vacay with this Europe tour package. Your holiday will start from the beautiful Paris - a fascinating blend of the old and the new. Once there, you will be visiting the famous Eiffel Tower along with the other popular attractions of the city. After experiencing the beauty of Paris, you will head to Brussels and from there to Amsterdam. Explore the splendours of the city by taking the canal cruise ride. The glass-topped boat gives an unobstructed view of the amazing city.


Buying an hour's research is a useful option if you've hit a brick wall with your own family tree research and need some fresh eyes, or if one of my detailed packages does not completely suit your requirements and you would like something individually tailored.
My hourly rate is £20, but if traveling is required (eg to a record office or graveyard) then expenses will be added.
Any documents used in the research process – for example census returns – will be passed on to you at the completion of the research. Should you require copies of microfiche documents from parish records these will be added to your charge at the rate of the individual record office.


What happens at a business boot camp?
Heard of business boot camps and want to know more? Follow the journey of a good food entrepreneur through these photos.
Meet the growers, grocers, and community leaders that are bringing Double Up to America's heartland.
Farm Bill conversations happened in communities across the country in 2017. One common theme that cut across geographies? The power of SNAP incentives.
We're helping grow stronger farm to grocer ties in New Hampshire with partner Red Tomato.
Double Up Grocery: A Photo Tour Across America.
Double Up is in groceries in small towns and big cities nationwide. See photos in action.


AUSTIN, Texas — The College of Architecture at Texas Tech University and TTU Architecture Alumni Association honored Dan Hart, FAIA, PE, of Parkhill, Smith & Cooper, as the 2017 Distinguished Alumnus on Thursday night at the Texas Society of Architects Convention in Austin.
Dan Hart with wife, Jennifer at the 2017 Distinguished Alumnus ceremony Thursday night in Austin.
Hart is the first architect to receive this honor while with PSC. The Distinguished Alumni Award identifies Tech graduates who have clearly defined excellence in their profession as well as dedication to the field of architecture.
Hart has been with Parkhill for 26 years and is a Firm Principal and Director of Higher Education while serving on the Board of Directors. He is also a dedicated advocate for the profession. Hart has just been elected to the American Institute of Architects national board, has served as President of the Texas Society of Architects, was Moderator of The American Institute of Architects Strategic Council (the Institute's national think tank) and has engaged in numerous other efforts advancing architecture in Texas. He was also an adjunct instructor of architectural engineering for senior-level architecture students at Texas Tech University.


Medicare Advantage Plans are sold by private insurers approved by Medicare, and provide your Part A and B coverage, cover "medically necessary" benefits, and sometimes include Part D drug coverage.
Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). HMOs require you to see doctors on their approved list, but also tend to offer greater benefits and lower costs.
Preferred Provider Organization (PPO). PPOs let you see any doctor, but you pay less if you see plan-approved doctors.
Private Fee For Service (PFFS). PFFS Plans let you see any doctor who accepts the plan's payment.
BE CAREFUL: Not all doctors accept all PFFS Plans.
Some Medicare Advantage Plans also offer drug coverage; these plans are called Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug Plans (MAPD Plans). All MAPD plans are required to cover everything that Original Medicare (Part A and Part B) covers.
In addition to Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage, many of these plans can include other benefits such as hearing, routine vision and comprehensive dental, and access to wellness programs (Ex: Silver Sneakers). Although you must use drugs on an approved list, the plan may pay part of your Part B or D premium, cover drugs through the coverage gap, and often offer cheaper copayments for generic or mail-order drugs.
Note:if you are in a MA Plan with drug coverage and you join a stand-alone drug plan, then you may be disenrolled from your MA Plan and return to Original Medicare.


This session is intended for analysts with a good working knowledge of Excel, including chart development and writing formulas. Also, it is beneficial if attendees have prior exposure to any dash boarding tool.
Institutional Research offices have a unique perspective on key university information and should therefore become a more involved strategic partner in identifying key reporting metrics. IR should not only become more involved in identifying these core metrics but should also steer efforts to define why these key metrics are critical, their directional significance, and how to put these metrics in front of university decision makers in a timely, succinct, and meaningful manner. While there are several dash boarding tools on the market, most require significant financial and IT resources which many IR shops may not have. In this session, we plan to provide the tools and techniques necessary to developing robust, interactive dashboards using Excel. While most IR practitioners use Excel, many are just skimming the surface with its available functionality. This session will cover much more than standard pivot charts and bar charts. The session will be structured as a hands on, example based workshop, covering, enhanced visualizations, multi-worksheet interactivity, integration with existing data extraction scripts and output files, criteria selection methods, dynamic conditional objects and formatting, year to year scalability, distribution methods and just enough VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) to add enhanced functionality and security to your dashboards. The topics covered in this session will not only provide the techniques necessary to develop dashboards, but will enhance one's Excel toolbox for the broad array of work performed in IR.
Institutional Research offices have a unique perspective on key university information and should therefore become a more involved strategic partner in presenting key university metrics. While there are several dash boarding tools on the market, most require significant financial and IT resources which many IR shops may not have. In this session, we plan to provide the tools and techniques necessary to developing robust, interactive dashboards using Excel. This session will cover much more than standard pivot charts and bar charts, but rather, will provide a hands on, example based workshop, covering enhanced visualizations, multi-worksheet interactivity, integration with existing data extraction scripts and output files, criteria selection methods, dynamic conditional objects and formatting, year to year scalability, distribution methods and just enough VBA to add enhanced functionality and security.


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SVCE News Press Releases Silicon Valley Clean Energy "turns on the power" for residents and businesses
04 Apr, 2017 | | Write comment
Silicon Valley Clean Energy "turns on the power" for residents and businesses
Board of Directors, cities and staff gather to to commemorate SVCE's first official day of operation.
Cupertino, Calif. – The Silicon Valley Clean Energy (SVCE) board of directors and staff held a press conference in front of the Cupertino Community Hall to commemorate the first official day SVCE begins supplying carbon-free electricity to customers in Silicon Valley. More than 75 guests attended the event on Monday, April 3.
"Silicon Valley Clean Energy, by utilizing clean, renewable and carbon-free energy, reduces approximately one-quarter of our region's carbon emissions from electricity use. This is a huge leap forward," said Rob Rennie, Town of Los Gatos Vice Mayor and SVCE Board Chair, during his opening remarks.
"Silicon Valley has deep roots in innovation and leadership in helping solve some of the world's most difficult problems and most challenging situations," said Daniel Harney, Gilroy Councilmember and SVCE Board Vice Chair. "It only made sense for our communities to come together and be part of creating a community solution to the regional problem of carbon emissions that affects all of us, our children and grandchildren," Harney continued.
"A little over eight years ago, the county did not have environmental stewardship goals; we did not have even one solar installation in the county. Eight years later, Santa Clara County is poised to be one of the top 10 governments in the country in terms of renewable energy production and consumption," said Dave Cortese, President of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors and SVCE Director.
Bruce Karney, President of the Board of Directors of Carbon Free Silicon Valley, also spoke at the event as a member of the public who has been an active advocate for Community Choice Energy. Following the speakers, Tom Habashi, SVCE CEO, performed a symbolic "turning on the power" activity that wirelessly turned on an LED lit sign of the SVCE logo icon that was powered by a solar-charged battery.
Jeannie Bruins, City of Los Altos councilmember and SVCE Director served as the event emcee and ended the event with a summary of the impact SVCE will have on reducing carbon emissions. "As SVCE completes enrollment and assumes the role of providing carbon-free electricity to the grid, it will be sourcing 3600 gigawatt-hours to be consumed by our customers, and thus removing 1.2 billion pounds of carbon annually from electricity use, that is equivalent to taking 150,000 gas cars off the streets."
Established by twelve local communities, SVCE is a Community Choice Energy agency chartered to provide new and competitive clean power options for local residential and commercial electricity customers. SVCE is responsible for electric generation, purchasing and building electricity supplies. The event celebrated SVCE becoming operational and supplying electricity to its first phase of customers, which are 20 percent of residential accounts, all small and medium commercial accounts and municipal accounts. All remaining customers will be enrolled in July 2017.
SVCE supplies carbon-free electricity from sources such as wind, solar and hydropower. PG&E continues to deliver electricity over existing power lines, maintain the lines, send bills and provide customer service. This provides customers with a great combination of the same electric service and reliability they're used to, but with cleaner energy and lower rates.
SVCE to Deliver Carbon Free Electricity and Savings Earlier than Planned
Silicon Valley Communities Continue to Choose 100% Renewable Power

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Show your appreciation for the Bucksnort with some merchandise!
Bucksnort t-shirts, tank tops, hats, license plate frames and clocks make the perfect gift! We have tons of colors and sizes for men, women, kids and infants.
To check availability, call us at (303) 838-0284 or stop on by!


Metagenomics has transformed our understanding of microbial communities, and is beginning to be applied to metazoans. The majority of marine metazoan species are small and thus difficult to sample individually. Additionally, it is difficult to identify organisms based on the morphology of early developmental stages, such as eggs and larvae. Therefore, the application of metagenomic approaches to marine metazoans has the potential to transform our understanding of metazoan biodiversity.
Our lab is studying invertebrate marine ecology and its evolution, using information acquired from both individual- and community-based (metagenomic) genetic analyses. Such data facilitate our study of invertebrate distribution, population structure, larval dispersal, and related fields.
Population subdivision and speciation are important evolutionary mechanisms, which contribute for generation of biodiversity of pelagic zooplankton. We are utilizing both individual- and community-based genetic analyses to study the pelagic gene flow barrier, which plays an important role in the establishment of new populations and species of marine planktonic animals.


Please note that each family member has to be registered individually, although the same e-mail address can be used. In this case login is with your username rather than e-mail address.
When registering you must use exactly the same name, surname and date of birth that are held on record at the practice. If you have any problems please contact us to check the details that we hold on file.
Ozdocs online allows you to request an e-consult from your health professional. After you register, and pay the non refundable medicare fee, your practitioner will call you before the end of the day. Either during breaks, in between patients or after seeing patients for the day.
The communication between you and your doctor is secure.


Miller House, a handsome Georgian villa built by Miller's sea-captain father, is the home of a superb new museum created by the Trust. It presents Hugh Miller's many talents - including stonemason, geologist, writer, editor and church reformer - through a variety of exhibitions, with some of the artefacts reappearing after over 20 years in storage. The fossil collection has been enhanced with several specimens on long-term loan from the national Miller collection.
You can also visit the 17th century thatched cottage where Hugh was born in 1802. An audio tour takes you round its cobbled yard and the Scottish wild garden, then inside the building for vivid descriptions, often in Hugh's own words, of its history and of generations of his family who lived there.
Via Kessock Bridge and A832, in Cromarty, 22 miles north-east of Inverness.


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2021 CMA Awards: Best, Worst and Most WTF Moments
From Mickey Guyton's stunning message of self-love and Carly Pearce's tearful surprise win to a ho-hum Jason Aldean and Carrie Underwood duet that mandated...for love
Jon Freeman, Adam Gold, Sarah Grant, Joseph Hudak
Terry Wyatt, Getty Images
The 55th CMA Awards tried to restore a sense of normalcy to country music, following another year of the pandemic, a scandal with one of its rising stars, and a genre that is fracturing along political and cultural lines. For the most part, the CMAs succeeded: fans were back inside Nashville's Bridgestone Arena, artists mingled and danced on the venue floor, and the majority of performances were inspired. Still, there were a handful of missteps, along with a few "Wait, what?" moments. Here's how we saw it.
Best: Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde deliver the most country performance of the night.
The show hit its emotional peak right off the bat when Carly Pearce and Ashley McBryde — dueling contenders for Female Vocalist of the Year — raised every damn goosebump in the Bridgestone Arena with their heart-busting duet about finding out the nice guy who changed your tire at the gas station is not so nice after all. "Never Wanted to Be That Girl" is a classic knife-to-the-jugular cheating ballad, like the time-traveling other half to Reba's 1986 hit "Whoever's in New England." Knowing that Pearce's finest song came at such a considerable cost — the 31-year-old divorced in 2020 after only eight months of marriage — made it all the more shattering to watch Pearce and McBryde enact the two involuntary sides of a love triangle: "I feel stupid/I feel cheap/ I feel used/ I feel weak." Phew.
Worst: The CMA reward Jason Aldean's reactionary politics.
The CMAs caused a stir in 2017 when they tried to restrict journalists from asking questions about politics on the red carpet. This year, they rewarded Jason Aldean, an artist who's spent the better part of the fall stoking the political fire, with a prime top-of-the-hour performance slot. In October, Aldean ripped California governor Gavin Newsom over his state's vaccine requirements, promoted a pro-Trump/anti-Biden clothing company in September, and just this week modeled a trolling T-shirt from his wife Brittany's new conservative apparel line that read "This Is Our F—ing Country" with an image of the U.S. flag standing in for -UCK. For his CMA performance, he teamed up with Carrie Underwood to give the ho-hum live debut of their duet "If I Didn't Love You." A little bit of doing your own research will tell you that neither artist cares much for vaccine mandates or masks, which is questionable enough in the ongoing pandemic. But it's Aldean's reactionary politics that are clearly at odds with the CMA Awards' intended message of inclusivity. (Whose fucking country exactly?) The Chicks criticized Dubya in 2003 and weren't seen at the CMAs until 2016; Aldean's tacit embrace of anti-Biden sentiment got him this year's big performance. The double standard is staggering.
Best: Underdogs win, wow and weep.
Aside from Chris Stapleton — who easily hit 10,000 steps walking back and forth from his table to the stage (he performed twice and took home six awards) — the best wins of the night were all the underdog upsets. Carly Pearce rightfully beat out champs like Miranda Lambert and Maren Morris for Best Female Vocalist and completely lost it when she got onstage to accept the award ("I've had just like, a crazy year, and country music saved me," she croaked pushing back tears.) Best New Artist winner Jimmie Allen, who gave the night's only Lil Nas X tribute accepting his award in a Mattel-pink cowboy outfit, spoke with tearful gravitas about what the award meant to him after once living in his car. But the quintessential win was when a dumbfounded Luke Combs took the night's biggest award, Entertainer of the Year, and approached the ever-regal Alan Jackson at the podium like a confused college student going to the registrar because of a clerical error on a transcript. "I don't deserve to win it," Combs said. "But I'm sure as hell glad I did."
WTF: Dan + Shay's voices fill the rafters. Literally.
Given our collective warped sense of time, it's possible to forget that Dan + Shay originally released "I Should Probably Go to Bed" in the early pandemic months of 2020. They've since released the Number One "Glad You Exist" and its follow-up, "Steal My Love, from their album Good Things. So, it felt a little like being transported back to the miasma of last year when they dusted off the bombastic "Bed" for their CMA performance. That meant huge vocals from Shay Mooney, of course, but also the single most terrifying stage setup of the entire show. Performing from the Bridgestone Arena floor, Mooney and Dan Smyers handled their parts while a postage-stamp-sized hydraulic platform slowly elevated them to what might have been 25 feet above the floor — not quite to the rafters, but high enough to guarantee at least grievous injury in the event of a fall. An appropriately over-the-top setup for a time when just stepping inside an arena can still feel like a death-defying stunt.
Best: Mickey Guyton and Co. give country a divine intervention.
After Pearce/McBryde set the emotional bar for the night impossibly high, Mickey Guyton said, "Hold my beer." The 37-year-old singer began her empowering song "Love My Hair" by bringing onstage the young Black girl who inspired it. In 2018, Faith Fennidy, 11, was sent home by her school because the teacher said her braids were "distracting." With Brittney Spencer and Madeline Edwards, the three singers harmonized in flowing white lace gowns, their abundant hair like glorious halos around their faces. "I found my freedom/ When I learned not to care," they sang. At the CMAs, where a lot of the same stars show up year after year, it was a welcome change to the lineup, like a chorus of Greek goddesses randomly descended on a Wednesday night at Tootsie's.
WTF: Jimmie Allen's fashion screams "Welcome to the Jungle."
After giving a moving acceptance speech for Best New Artist, Jimmie Allen performed his song "Freedom Was a Highway" in his second eye-catching outfit of the night: big brown hat, shades, neck bandana, outrageous bling, loud jacket, steel-toed cowboy boots… wait, is that Axl Rose circa 2014?
Worst: The producers miss an opportunity with Miranda Lambert.
Few canons in pop county are as mint as Miranda Lambert's. And hits like "Kerosene," "Mama's Broken Heart," "Bluebird," "Little Red Wagon" and "Gunpowder and Lead" are undeniable bangers. So undeniable that none deserves the short shrift of being reduced to a 45-second snippet in a medley, like all five tunes were during last night's show-opening performance. Who even likes medleys anymore anyway? Who ever liked medleys at all? Given her CMA bona fides — 14 trophies and nearly as many performances to match — the reliably great Lambert is more than up to the task of carrying a barn-burner kick-off. But last night's decision by the CMAs to play it safe felt like a missed opportunity.
Best: Jennifer Hudson and Chris Stapleton honor Aretha.
When vocal gymnast Jennifer Hudson graces the CMAs with her presence (and pipes), the show knows to show her the respect of not making her sing with Luke Bryan or Blake Shelton. Seriously, what singer in the arena full of stars other than Chris Stapleton could pull off joining Hudson for Aretha Franklin-styled versions of "Night Life" and "You Are My Sunshine"? No question Hudson — who starred as the Queen of Soul in this year's biopic Respect — could've handily brought the house down on her own. But Stapleton — no stranger to show-stopping CMA duets — elevated an already spellbinding vocal display into a moment of transcendent bliss that made everyone momentarily forget Adele's about to drop a new record.
WTF: Do Dierks Bentley and Zac Brown have déjà vu?
Dierks Bentley's 2020 single "Gone" peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard U.S. Country Songs chart last year. A showing so good the singer tried to summon a second strike of lightning by renaming it "Beers on Me" and bringing mononymous bros Breland and Hardy as featured guests. With those two in tow, Bentley performed "Beers on Me" at last night's show. Or did he play "Gone"? It was hard to tell tbh. One thing that's definitely for sure is that, soon after, Zac Brown Band got nostalgic with a performance of its 16-year-old star-making single "Chicken Fried," revamped for 2021 and renamed "Same Boat." In each case, it seemed Bentley and ZBB took a page out of John Fogerty's book, rewriting their own "Run Through the Jungle" as "The Old Man Down the Road."
Carly Pearce,
Carrie Underwood,
Chris Stapleton,
CMA Awards,


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Evi Cauberghs is een personage uit de Vlaamse ziekenhuisserie Spoed dat werd gespeeld door Trine Thielen. Ze was een vast personage van 2007 tot 2008.

Personage

Cauberghs wordt aangesteld als een van de drie stagiair-dokters die dokter Ellen Van Poel moeten vervangen. Jammer voor haar, krijgt ze dokter Steven Hofkens als stagebegeleider. Ze wordt al meteen door al haar collega's met een scheef oog bekeken, omdat het algemeen geweten is dat ze een rijke vriend heeft die haar studies heeft betaald. Ze vinden haar een luxepaardje.

Ze wordt verliefd op hoofdverpleger Wim Michiels, en dit blijkt wederzijds, en na een paar keer vrijen besluit ze om bij haar vriend weg te gaan voor hem. Ze stelt Wim voor het dilemma om voor haar of voor zijn gezin te kiezen. Hij verlaat zijn vrouw even, maar kiest uiteindelijk voor zijn gezin. Evi wordt even geschorst omdat men dacht dat ze geheime informatie over een minister die bij hen opgenomen was, had doorgegeven aan de pers. Later komt Wim erachter dat niet Evi, maar Jana de schuldige was. Zo krijgt Evi toch de vaste job als urgentiearts.

Cauberghs

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


To donate leave, contributors can select the "Donate to Leave Bank" tab in the left hand navigation bar in the Integrated Time and Attendance System (ITAS).
Read more of their Leave Bank success stories here.
Any Federal civilian employee (except postal service employees) can donate leave, including those in other agencies.
Regular donations can be made at any time.
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A leave donation does not designate an individual as a member. To become a member, you must request membership.
Leave remaining to the Leave Bank as credit at the end of the year will roll over to the next year.
Non-NIH employees: Call 301-443-8393 or email LeaveBank@od.nih.gov.
How to receive a waiver: Submit the donation request through ITAS. An e-mail will be sent to your LAO for approval.
Email LeaveBank@od.nih.gov or call (301) 443-8393.


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Die Droga wojewódzka 505 (DW 505) ist eine Woiwodschaftsstraße in Polen, die im Westen der Woiwodschaft Ermland-Masuren in Nord-Süd-Richtung verläuft. Auf einer Länge von 37 Kilometern verbindet sie die Städte Frombork (Frauenburg), Młynary (Mühlhausen) und Pasłęk (Preußisch Holland) miteinander.

In ihrem Verlauf durchzieht die DW 505 den Powiat Braniewski (Kreis Braunsberg) und den Powiat Elbląski (Kreis Elbing) und stellt ein Bindeglied dar zwischen der Schnellstraße S 22, der Landesstraße 7 und den Woiwodschaftsstraßen 504, 509, 513, 526 und 527.

Verlauf der DW 505

Woiwodschaft Ermland-Masuren:

Powiat Braniewski (Kreis Braunsberg):
 Frombork (Frauenburg) (→ DW 504: Braniewo ↔ Pogrodzie (Neukirch Höhe) – Elbląg (Elbing))
 Baranówka (Schafsberg)
 Jędrychowo (Heinrichsdorf)
 Włóczyska (Vierzighuben)
 Błudowo (Bludau) (→ S 22 (ehemalige Reichsautobahn Berlin–Königsberg): Elbląg ↔ Grzechotki (Rehfeld)/Mamonowo II (Heiligenbeil) – Kaliningrad (Königsberg (Preußen)))
 Płonne (Lohberg)
 Młynary (Mühlhausen) (→ DW 509: Elbląg ↔ Drwęczno (Wagten) (- Orneta (Wormditt)))
 Sąpy (Sumpf)

Powiat Elbląski (Kreis Elbing):
 Stegny (Steegen)

X Staatsbahn-Linie Nr. 204: Malbork (Marienburg) ↔ Braniewo (Braunsberg)/Mamonowo (Heiligenbeil) – Kaliningrad X
 Pasłęk (Preußisch Holland) (→ DK 7 (Europastraße 77): Danzig – Elbląg ↔ Ostróda (Osterode) – Warschau – Radom – Chyżne/Slowakei, DW 513: Pasłęk – Orneta (Wormditt) – Lidzbark Warmiński (Heilsberg) – Wozławki (Wusslack), DW 526: Pasłęk – Przezmark (Preußisch Mark) und DW 527: Dzierzgoń (Christburg) – Rychliki (Reichenbach) ↔ Morąg (Mohrungen) – Łukta (Locken) – Olsztyn (Allenstein))

505


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Forum Clerk Support MLS Support, Help, and Feedback
Name change when adding marriage
Discussions around using and interfacing with the Church MLS program.
jodelasur
Postby jodelasur » Mon Apr 15, 2013 9:00 pm
MLS tells me that when I add marriage information to individuals (I think all are women in my case), their names will update to their married names automatically. But I think this doesn't work. I tried it with an individual once. I did Send/Receive and checked on it a week later, but her name still remained to be her maiden name. What I did is I manually changed her name and just told the system that it was a spelling correction so I could record her correct name. Did I do it right?
aebrown
Re: Name change when adding marriage
Postby aebrown » Tue Apr 16, 2013 3:39 am
jodelasur wrote: What I did is I manually changed her name and just told the system that it was a spelling correction so I could record her correct name. Did I do it right?
When you change a member's name, there's an option for the reason called "New Marriage for Member" -- that would be a more accurate choice than "Spelling Correction".
Postby eblood66 » Tue Apr 16, 2013 7:00 am
aebrown wrote:
That option just pops up a dialog box instructing you to add a new marriage instead and then does not change the name. Only the first 3 options in that dialog box actually change the name. The other options give you instructions for each of those situations and do not change the name.
In this case Verified Legal Name change might be more appropriate but I'm not sure it makes a difference.
I once had a marriage where this happened as well. I think it happened when I simply edited the record to add the spouse rather than using the Record Civil Marriage option but I'm not certain. I couldn't remember after the fact exactly how I had recorded the marriage.
jwtaber
Location: Elsmere, Delaware, USA
Postby jwtaber » Tue Apr 16, 2013 11:51 am
Also remember that when you change a name on the record (to post a marriage, for instance), the preferred names don't change. You have to change that separately. My stake has a handful of sisters where the marriage or divorce is posted but the preferred name hasn't been fixed, and also a few where the preferred name is updated, but the marriage or divorce isn't posted on the record.
Postby jodelasur » Thu Apr 18, 2013 2:27 am
eblood66 wrote: I once had a marriage where this happened as well. I think it happened when I simply edited the record to add the spouse rather than using the Record Civil Marriage option but I'm not certain. I couldn't remember after the fact exactly how I had recorded the marriage.
Maybe this is why our records don't change. I just add the spouse to a record instead of the Record Civil Marriage option. I'll check it out if I get the chance to record another marriage.
Anyway, if this is the case, can we request for the functionality of automatically replacing the marriage name when adding a spouse to a record in future MLS releases? For now, I don't see how adding a spouse is different from recording a civil marriage.
Biggles
Location: Watford, England
Postby Biggles » Thu Apr 18, 2013 6:20 am
jodelasur wrote: Anyway, if this is the case, can we request for the functionality of automatically replacing the marriage name when adding a spouse to a record in future MLS releases? For now, I don't see how adding a spouse is different from recording a civil marriage.
Be aware that in some countries, spouses do not necessarily take the husbands name when they marry.
madacan
Postby madacan » Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:09 pm
I've found this out in MLS:
Many of our very less active members Ii.e.: been years since last Church contact) often marry nonmember spouses. We're doing a major ward initiative to contact and update the info for all these people. When entering a civil marriage for the member, there is a space for the full name and (optionally) birthdate for the nonmember spouse. Sometimes they want their records removed, or most often just desire to remain less active but remain disinclined to do anything else for the ward, including producing an official marriage license. So, I enter the spouse's full name and marriage date (and location, if known) for a civil marriage. No option "pops up" to change the female spouse's last name if performed this way.
If the member is willing to give the nonmember spouse's birthdate, you can create a "nonmember record" and then link the two records via a "civil marriage" action. When you do this, MLS will automatically suggest a female spouse's surname change.
Another question: if the civil marriage date is entered incorrectly, can it be changed somehow, or does the marriage have to be "terminated" and then recreated with the correct date?
Last edited by madacan on Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Postby russellhltn » Wed Sep 04, 2013 7:19 pm
madacan wrote: If the member is willing to give the nonmember spouse's birthdate, you can create a "nonmember record"
Note that in the MLS manual, you need permission to create that record. (But you don't need it to add the non-member to the member's record as a spouse.)
I obtain permission to create the record beforehand, forgot to mention that. If not, I just annotate the marriage on the member's record, once I receive the bishoprics' go-ahead. One of our ward's difficulties is that we have a large number of less active members who are incorrectly noted on our YSA list. Our YSA rep, a longtime ward member, has knowledge that many of these people are married, but cannot get them to produce a marriage record for the bishop. However, as I learned this evening, civil marriages should only be recorded if the bishop performed them or if the members produce a legal marriage record and show to the bishop. What to do?
madacan wrote: However, as I learned this evening, civil marriages should only be recorded if the bishop performed them or if the members produce a legal marriage record and show to the bishop.
I'm having a problem finding a policy that matches what you describe. IIRC, I think it's bishop's discretion if he'll accept the word of the member or want to see paperwork. I think name changes are more of an issue than the marriage itself.
But perhaps that comes from local policy.
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The job of the poet is to render the world — to see it and report it without loss, without perversion. No poet ever talks about feelings. Only sentimental people do.
To be what no one ever was, to be what everyone has been: Freedom is the mean of those extremes that fence all effort in.
It is here, my daughters, that love is to be found — not hidden away in corners but in the midst of occasions of sin. And believe me, although we may more often fail and commit small lapses, our gain will be incomparably the greater.


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De Isaac Titsinghkade is een kade in Amsterdam-Centrum. Zij is alleen toegankelijk voor voetgangers en fietsers. De straat is vernoemd naar Isaac Titsingh, een hoge ambtenaar van de Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie, die hier ooit haar magazijnen had.

De kade vormt voor slechts een deel de oever van de Oostenburgervaart. Zowel de zuid- als noordkant werden alhier gedempt, waardoor de waterverbindingen met de Oostenburgergracht en de Dijksgracht (ook deels gedempt) verloren ging. Een deel van de Isaac Titsinghkade loopt dus niet meer langs water. De kade kreeg pas in 2005 haar naam, toen hier een industrieterrein opnieuw ingericht werd. Langs de Isaac Titsinghkade staat het INIT-gebouw.

Straat in Amsterdam-Centrum


Hope to see you at Rochester College's Streaming conference, just a little over a month away (October 9-11 in Rochester Hills, MI, just outside of Detroit). The theme of Streaming this year is "No Fear, Only Love."
Greg Boyd will be a featured presenter.
I'm looking forward to Greg's two presentations entitled "The Unveiling of the True God and the True Human" and "Cross Power and Babylon's Power." There will also be a panel discussion about Greg's recent book Benefit of the Doubt: Breaking the Idol of Certainty.
We get scarcity because we live it…Scarcity is the "never enough" problem…Scarcity thrives in a culture where everyone is hyperaware of lack. Everything from safety and love to money and resources feels restricted or lacking. We spend inordinate amounts of time calculating how much we have, want, and don't have, and how much everyone else has, needs, and wants.
For me, and for many of us, our first waking thought of the day is "I didn't get enough sleep." The next one is "I don't have enough time." Whether true or not, that thought of not enough occurs to us automatically before we even think to question or examine it. We spend most of the hours and the days of our lives hearing, explaining, complaining, or worrying about what we don't have enough of…Before we even sit up in bed, before our feet touch the floor, we're already inadequate, already behind, already losing, already lacking something. And by the time we go to bed at night, our minds are racing with a litany of what we didn't get, or didn't get done, that day. We go to sleep burdened by those thoughts and wake up to that reverie of lack…This internal condition of scarcity, this mind-set of scarcity, lives at the very heart of our jealousies, our greed, our prejudice, and our arguments with life.
In my first presentation I'll try to show how this "reverie of lack" along with our "internal condition of scarcity" are symptoms of our slavery to the fear of death and, thus, a tool of the devil.
On the last day Greg and I will have a conversation about the intersection of our presentations and work.
And there will be lots more. Sara Barton, author of A Woman Called, will be presenting on "Cultivating A Cross Shaped Heart for a Broken World." From Pepperdine University John Barton will present on "At the Foot of the Cross in the Middle of the World." Our worship times will feature the preaching of Ben Ries and Jenn Christy.
Streaming also brings the arts into the mix. This year Jennifer Rundlett, author of My Dancing Day: Reflections of the Incarnation in Art and Music, will lead a time of reflection entitled "Stations of the Cross: An Exploration in Music and Art" using a blend of classic art and music, spanning the centuries from the Renaissance to the Modern Era, along with prayers and scripture readings to create a unique meditative experience.
Hope to see you at Streaming!
That Twist excerpt is golden. It calls to mind one of the cardinal attributes of Sabbath, I suppose.


The Lee County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a shooting on Tuesday night at the Bell Tower Shops in south Fort Myers left two people killed and two others injured.
Lee County Sheriff's Deputies say they received calls of shots being fired around 9:30 p.m.
Sheriff Carmine Marceno also said that the shooting did not appear to have been carried out in random. Marceno, however, provided no other details.
Before the shooting, everything was normal and busy as usual for the establishments in the area and the shoppers. Witnesses say the peace was disturbed when they heard several shots from nearby bars and restaurants.
In the aftermath of the shooting and all the chaos, a yellow tarp covering a body could be seen in the grass just outside of Bed, Bath & Beyond.
Nearly four rows of the parking lot fronting Bed, Bath & Beyond were cordoned off by police tape past midnight as moviegoers and late-night patrons at nearby restaurants scrambled to their vehicles to go home.
There were spectators near the sectioned area who appear to be there out of personal concern and not just out of curiosity, as if they were awaiting answers from the deputies. They, however, declined to speak with the local media covering the incident.
Just after the shooting, a woman was seen hyperventilating as she speaks with someone on the phone.
Another woman was also seen holding tight to another woman. She was overheard calling her mother and saying, "I'm sorry, Momma. I'm so sorry." Authorities approached the women to talk to them in private.
Deputies have yet to give further details about the shooting, who are involved and the motive behind. They say they are still investigating matters.
The deputies are also asking the public's help for any information about the incident, especially from those who were in the area when the fatal shooting took place.
Sometimes I wonder if the Socialist-Democrats are recruiting terminally ill people for $,$$$,$$$/jobs for their families, or inciting Nut Cases they get a heads up from Liberal Head shrink doing their therapy .
Why all these shooters just before the Mid-terms and later during the National elections?


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Merck refiles $11.5B Acceleron deal with the FTC. But extending regulators' review time only one benefit
Merck & Co.'s $11.5 billion bid for Acceleron Pharma is hitting a delay just as activist investors threaten to derail the deal altogether.
Merck has withdrawn its notification of the Acceleron buyout and intends to refile it Monday, the company said Friday. Merck made the move to provide the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) with additional time for review, it added.
But while a refiling allows anti-competition regulators additional review time, it now also gives Merck a chance to extend the tender offer time for collecting the required shares from Acceleron investors. The tender offer is now scheduled to expire on Nov. 18, rather than the previous Nov. 10.
The refiling extends the merger review's waiting period by another 15 days to Nov. 16. Merck will get a de facto antitrust go-ahead once that period expires; the FTC may also issue what's known as a "second request" for more information related to the transaction, which could further prolong the process.
It's not unusual these days that biopharma companies have had to refile their premerger notice. Sanofi recently did that for its acquisition of Translate Bio, and AstraZeneca also refiled the notification during FTC's review of the Alexion takeover. Both transactions have since cleared the antitrust hurdle.
The extension comes at a sensitive time, as activist investors at Acceleron are rallying support to boycott the tie-up. Most notably, Avoro Capital, which is known for blocking Immunomedics' $2 billion partnership with Seattle Genetics, has been a vocal critic about the Merck deal.
After an initial message opposing the deal, Avoro followed up with a second open letter Thursday asking fellow Acceleron investors not to tender their shares. The timing and the price aren't right, Avoro argues.
The hedge fund has suggested that Merck's $180-per-share price, which represents a 38% premium over Acceleron's average stock price during the prior three months, significantly undervalues the biotech. It also pointed to recent comments from sell-side analysts at Raymond James, Cowen, Barclays and Jefferies, who suggested Merck is getting a bargain based on the current offer.
With Acceleron, Merck is mainly targeting sotatercept, which could become the first disease-modifying treatment for pulmonary hypertension patients. Instead of a sale now, Acceleron should wait until sotatercept's phase 3 readout, a "value inflection point," Avoro said.
Waiting for more data has its risk, but "based on the data so far, this risk is overwhelmingly worth taking," the private investment shop said in its recent letter.
Avoro owns about 7% of Acceleron. In addition, Holocene Advisors and Darwin Global Management have also publicly opposed the deal. Darwin, which recently built a 3.84% stake in Acceleron, has argued that the company is worth at least $353 a piece.
But not all investors agree with the bullish assessment of Acceleron. Bristol Myers Squibb, Acceleron's largest shareholder with an 11.5% stake, reportedly plans to tender its share. The Big Pharma company has also been identified as a company that yielded to Merck during an earlier bidding process for Acceleron. SVB Leerink and Piper Sandler analysts have largely viewed Merck's proposal as fair.
Merck expects the deal to close in the fourth quarter. As of Thursday, the New Jersey pharma had received about 13.7% of Acceleron shares.


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HomeHow can we stop rewarding psychopathy?
How can we stop rewarding psychopathy?
2017-10-01 2017-09-25 pnrj ethics, market failure, public policybusiness, campaign finance, CNN, CTT monetary voting, diversity, media, New York Times, oligopoly, politics, power, psychology, psychopathy, range voting, Seattle
Oct 1, JDN 24578028
A couple of weeks ago The New York Times ran an interesting article about how entrepreneurs were often juvenile delinquents, who then often turn into white-collar criminals. They didn't quite connect the dots, though; they talked about the relevant trait driving this behavior as "rule-breaking", when it is probably better defined as psychopathy. People like Martin Shkreli aren't just "rule-breakers"; they are psychopaths. While only about 1% of humans in general are psychopaths, somewhere between 3% and 4% of business executives are psychopaths. I was unable to find any specific data assessing the prevalence of psychopathy among politicians, but if you just read the Hare checklist, it's not hard to see that psychopathic traits are overrepresented among politicians as well.
This is obviously the result of selection bias; as a society, we are systematically appointing psychopaths to positions of wealth and power. Why are we doing this? How can we stop?
One very important factor here that may be especially difficult to deal with is desire. We generally think that in a free society, people should be allowed to seek out the sort of life they want to live. But one of the reasons that psychopaths are more likely to become rich and powerful is precisely that they want it more.
To most of us, being rich is probably something we want, but not the most important thing to us. We'd accept being poor if it meant we could be happy, surrounded by friends and family who love us, and made a great contribution to society. We would like to be rich, but it's more important that we be good people. But to many psychopaths, being rich is the one single thing they care about. All those other considerations are irrelevant.
With power, matters are even more extreme: Most people actually seem convinced that they don't want power at all. They associate power with corruption and cruelty (because, you know, so many of the people in power are psychopaths!), and they want no part of it.
So the saying goes: "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." Does it, now? Did power corrupt George Washington and Abraham Lincoln? Did it corrupt Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela? I'm not saying that any of these men were without flaws, even serious ones—but was it power that made them so? Who would they have been, and more importantly, what would they have done, if they hadn't had power? Would the world really have been better off if Abraham Lincoln and Nelson Mandela had stayed out of politics? I don't think so.
Part of what we need, therefore, is to convince good people that wanting power is not inherently bad. Power just means the ability to do things; it's what you do that matters. You should want power—the power to right wrongs, mend injustices, uplift humanity's future. Thinking that the world would be better if you were in charge not only isn't a bad thing—it is quite likely to be true. If you are not a psychopath, then the world would probably be better off if you were in charge of it.
Of course, that depends partly on what "in charge of the world" even means; it's not like we have a global government, after all. But even suppose you were granted the power of an absolute dictatorship over all of humanity; what would you do with that power? My guess is that you'd probably do what I would do: Start by using that power to correct the greatest injustices, then gradually cede power to a permanent global democracy. That wouldn't just be a good thing; it would be quite literally and without a doubt the best thing that ever happened. Of course, it would be all the better if we never built such a dictatorship in the first place; but mainly that's because of the sort of people who tend to become dictators. A benevolent dictatorship really would be a wonderful thing; the problem is that dictators almost never remain benevolent. Dictatorship is simply too enticing to psychopaths.
And what if you don't think you're competent enough in policy to make such decisions? Simple: You don't make them yourself, you delegate them to responsible and trustworthy people to make them for you. Recognizing your own limitations is one of the most important differences between a typical leader and a good leader.
Desire isn't the only factor here, however. Even though psychopaths tend to seek wealth and power with more zeal than others, there are still a lot of good people trying to seek wealth and power. We need to look very carefully at the process of how we select our leaders.
Let's start with the private sector. How are managers chosen? Mainly, by managers above them. What criteria do they use? Mostly, they use similarity. Managers choose other managers who are "like them"—middle-aged straight White men with psychopathic tendencies.
This is something that could be rectified with regulation; we could require businesses to choose a more diverse array of managers that is more representative of the population at large. While this would no doubt trigger many complaints of "government interference" and "inefficiency", in fact it almost certainly would increase the long-term profitability of most corporations. Study after study after study shows that increased diversity, particularly including more equal representation of women, results in better business performance. A recent MIT study found that switching from an all-male or all-female management population to a 50-50 male/female split could increase profits by as much as forty percent. The reason boards of directors aren't including more diversity is that they ultimately care more about protecting their old boys' club (and increasing their own compensation, of course) than they do about maximizing profits for their shareholders.
I think it would actually be entirely reasonable to include regulations about psychopathy in particular; designate certain industries (such as lobbying and finance; I would not include medicine, as psychopaths actually seem to make pretty good neurosurgeons!) as "systematically vital" and require psychopathy screening tests as part of their licensing process. This is no small matter, and definitely does represent an incursion into civil liberties; but given the enormous potential benefits, I don't think it can be dismissed out of hand. We do license professions; why shouldn't at least a minimal capacity for empathy and ethical behavior be part of that licensing process?
Where the civil liberty argument becomes overwhelming is in politics. I don't think we can justify any restrictions on who should be allowed to run for office. Frankly, I think even the age limits should be struck from the Constitution; you should be allowed to run for President at 18 if you want. Requiring psychological tests for political office borders on dystopian.
That means we need to somehow reform either the campaign system, the voting system, or the behavior of voters themselves.
Of course, we should reform all three. Let's start with the voting system itself, as that is the simplest: We should be using range voting, and we should abolish the Electoral College. Districts should be replaced by proportional representation through reweighted range voting, eliminating gerrymandering once and for all without question.
The campaign system is trickier. We could start by eliminating or tightly capping private and corporate campaign donations, and replace them with a system similar to the "Democracy Vouchers" being tested in Seattle. The basic idea is simple and beautiful: Everyone gets an equal amount of vouchers to give to whatever candidates they like, and then all the vouchers can be redeemed for campaign financing from public funds. It's like everyone giving a donation (or monetary voting), but everyone has the same amount of "money".
This would not solve all the problems, however. There is still an oligopoly of news media distorting our political discourse. There is still astonishingly bad journalism even in our most respected outlets, like the way the New York Times was obsessed with Comey's letter and CNN's wall-to-wall coverage of totally unfounded speculation about a missing airliner.
Then again, CNN's ratings skyrocketed during that period. This shows that the problems run much deeper than a handful of bad journalists or corrupt media companies. These companies are, to a surprisingly large degree, just trying to cater to what their audience has said it wants, just "giving the people what they want".
Our fundamental challenge, therefore, is to change what the people want. We have to somehow convince the public at large—or at least a big enough segment of the public at large—that they don't really want TV news that spends hours telling them nothing and they don't really want to elect the candidate who is the tallest or has the nicest hair. And we have to get them to actually change the way they behave accordingly.
When it comes to that part, I have no idea what to do. A voting population that is capable of electing Donald Trump—Electoral College nonsense notwithstanding, he won sixty million votes—is one that I honestly have no idea how to interface with at all. But we must try.
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