fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
He says:
By: Ella Freitas
Tags: Fantasy, Independence, Power, Poetry On Medium, Poetry

He says:

“Don’t be afraid”

But his words are meaningless

You can’t frighten me

For, I’ve seen worst

You can’t suffocate me

I was born with no chains around my neck

You see, I am royalty uncrowded

Gold runs through my veins

And mother raised no coward

She taught me to face the wolf,

Look him right in the eye

As I lie, without saying a word

That is the power I was born with

I know how to choose my battles

And I know the kingdoms I can bring down

As he trembles with doubts

And I hold him close

I say, with kindness dropping from my lips:

I am the ruler of my own story

And I accept no villains above me.
A mysterious introduction…
Tags: Dnd 5e, Dnd, Fantasy, Dungeons And Dragons, Storytelling

Hello there, I’m Iwan. Perhaps just another youngun delving into the world of words and fantasy, perhaps a teenager looking to vent and share his heart away, or even a boomer looking to relive some of his glory days.

In any case, this is going to be my foray into writing for the sheer pleasure of placing my mind onto virtual paper. The stories I’ll be sharing are all from a world that I’ve built from thin air, filled with the quirkiest and most deeply fascinating characters my overactive mind can dream up. The main story will be following a group of players who currently explore this ancient, dangerous and beautiful land though there will be several instances of events that the players have no knowledge of to (hopefully) build a greater picture around them and cultivate an intriguing series of events.

I hope you enjoy for as long as I feel like doing this and perhaps find your own inspiration beetween the words.

— Iwan
Dreamstorm: Chapter 5 Apart Of The Storm
By: Eric J Davis
Tags: Books, Creativity, Fantasy, Storytelling, Fiction

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
The Family Mistery- Chapter 1
By: Sunflower Princess
Tags: Mistery, Meantal Health, Fantasy

This family was like every other family. One dad, One mom, One girl, and one boy. A perfect square, no more no less. They lived in this beautiful victorian Manchin, The father loved the old look in a house he said it gave it character. The house was blue and white with a touch of gold. The back was a big field filled with trees, flowers, and bushes. The house had many rooms, so many that the mother said it had too many. Now you might be wondering why these things are impotent, just sit back and listen and it soon will be clear.

One morning the children were getting ready for school the dad was just about to leave after giving his wife a kiss on the head. As he headed out the door yelling goodbye to the children as they run down the stairs to the kitchen the little girl spotted something in the living room. Just before walking right into the kitchen, she takes a step back and tiptoes to the living room. When she looks around the corner she sees a little girl in a red dress holding a big red ball. The little girl then holds up both hands to rub her eyes, she said: “I must be seeing things”. When she removes her hands, the little girl in red was gone. She looked around and she was nowhere to be seen. She brushed it off and proceeded to the kitchen for breakfast.

She walks in to see her mother making her and her brother’s favorite fluffy pancakes. She sits down and her mother places two pancakes on her plate then pores warn Mapel syrup on them. After breakfast the mother sent them off to school, she cleans up and goes to the library. She had always loved reading ever since she was a little girl. She walks up the door and before entering she hears a sweet voice singing her favorite song that her mother used to sing to her every night before bed. She thought to herself “it couldn’t be” while opening the door hoping to see her mother, but all she saw was dust floating in the sunlight coming from the window of the library. She bursts into tires with a feeling of despair. Oh, how she wishes it was her mother holding her as she cried on the floor.

She spent the day morning her mother. All she wished was to see her once more. But no matter how much hope she has, no matter how much she prays. She was better off dead. No matter how convincing her lies were, she was always selfish. God bless her evil, viel, soul. That night she said to her children, “Always remember the good days, where you dont have to worry about much, where you get to laugh and play all day in the sun with no care. And always remember those who truly love you, dont mistake lies for love, may God help you on your journey”. The kids asked why their mother was speaking so sadly, she said “life is not always so sunshine marry happy, it can be evil and even you can hurt yourself without speaking a word”. She tucks the children into bed and starts to head to the door. She turns off the light leaving a little night light. As she whispers “goodnight my dears i love you and sweet dreams”. While closing the door gently.

That poor mother.
Dylan Nathanael, CRA., AWP., CTCP :”Investment In Covid-19 Pandemic”
By: Dylan Nathanael
Tags: Law, Finance, Investing, Pandemic, Risk

Dylan Nathanael, CRA., AWP., CTCP :”Investment In Covid-19 Pandemic”

In the wake of the progressing Covid-19 pandemic, numerous individuals are hoping to reduce expenses and better oversee costs. Some may see monetary organizers as a superfluous cost, however in actuality, a brilliant relationship with an accomplished monetary organizer will set aside you cash in the short-and long haul, and will help you climate the difficulties of a changing economy.

CFP Board, a charitable association devoted to supporting proficient guidelines in close to home monetary arranging, underlines how the direction a monetary organizer can give goes past the outside of stocks and venture counsel. Rather it stresses the advantages of a drawn out arrangement to help individuals meet their monetary objectives.

Just people who have satisfied CFP Board’s thorough prerequisites can consider themselves a CFP® certificant, so be certain your organizer is an affirmed CFP® professional.It’s critical to take note of that not all monetary guides have made a promise to act in their customers’ eventual benefits. As a feature of their confirmation, CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER experts focus on CFP Board to go about as a trustee — consistently — while giving monetary counsel to a client.”As you start to think about how best to deal with your monetary future, you should feel certain realizing that with a CFP® proficient, you’re working with somebody focused on giving the elevated requirement of monetary arranging,” as indicated by the LetsMakeAPlan.org website.Some of the critical advantages of a continuous relationship with a monetary organizer include:

Making an arrangement. Particularly during seasons of vulnerability, making objectives and building up monetary plans can add to your significant serenity.

Understanding the laws. Monetary organizers can clarify the ramifications of the most recent enactment on individual budget, for example, the SECURE Act, which carried changes to retirement speculations, and the post-COVID CARES Act, which brought new monetary arranging open doors for people and independent ventures.

Enhancing innovation. CFP® experts are up on the most recent instruments for dealing with your cash. Innovation considers faster and simpler conversations of individual budget issues including stock exchanges, yet additionally rebalancing portfolios, charge misfortune reaping, making personal assessment projections, and anticipating long haul monetary objectives, for example, schooling or retirement.

Seeing the 10,000 foot view. A monetary organizer can help you make a stride back and inspect how your monetary information fit into an arrangement that joins income, costs, charges, and home arranging. A certified organizer realizes how to keep this 10,000 foot view in center, yet additionally how to adjust it as life conditions change.
Law of Attraction
Tags: Law, Life Lessons, Attraction, Life, Law Of Attraction

What is The Secret?

The Secret is the Law of Attraction.

Under the Law of Attraction, the complete order of the Universe is determined, including everything that comes into your life and everything that you experience. It does so through the magnetic power of your thoughts.

Through the Law of Attraction like attracts like. What you think about, you bring about. How is this so?

Under laboratory conditions, cutting edge science has confirmed that every thought is made up of energy and has its own unique frequency. And when this energy and frequency of a single thought radiates out into the Universe, it naturally interacts with the material world. Of course, it has long been known that matter, or physical objects, are also just packets of energy at the sub-microscopic, quantum level. And so, as your thought radiates out, it attracts the energy and frequencies of like thoughts, like objects, and even like people, and draws those things back to you.

It follows then that your THOUGHTS… BECOME… THINGS!

It’s the Law of Attraction.

How to harness this all-powerful and universal Law of Attraction in order to create the life of your dreams? Well now, that is The Secret.

Learn how to use the Law of Attraction in every aspect of your life in Rhonda Byrne’s ground-breaking book, The Secret.

Use the Law of Attraction in your life. Click here to discover books, audiobooks, films, and apps, by The Secret and see how the Law of Attraction can powerfully change your life.
(Vis) Moot Court Talks with Leila Kazimi
By: Kateryna Skichko
Tags: Law, Arbitration, Moot Court, Mooting, Moots

Lawyer in IT, moot court former addict, keen on creating texts for own pleasure
Sustainability for Lawyers.
By: Babajide B.V.
Tags: Law, Climate Change, Environmental Law, Sustainability, Corporate Sustainability

Generally, sustainability is often undefined in law. Some lawyers may refer to sustainability in relation to ecosystems, renewable energy and climate change. Others may include democracy and good governance. Notwithstanding, there is often a common ground about sustainability representing itself in decisions relating to future generations. The reality is, there is no clear definition of sustainability in law.

To most lawyers, sustainability is often approached from environmental law and more recently corporate social responsibility. Slowly, however, as more companies pay attention to climate change and commit to sustainability goals, the role of private lawyers in sustainability is becoming more prominent.

In this series, we will explore the approach of law to sustainability and attempt to find the role of private lawyers in sustainability, if any. Can property law, business law, contract law and tort law facilitate the development of sustainability? Our goal here is to move towards a systemic convergence of law and sustainability.
PM ADDRESSES FARMERS
By: Shyam S
Tags: Law, Prime Minister Of India, Farmers Protest, Protest, Farmers Protest India

(FARMERS PROTEST IN A NUTSHELL)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed farmers on the ongoing farmer’s protest virtually.

WHY ARE THEY PROTESTING?

Indian farmers are protesting against the “3 FARM ACTS” that has been passed by the INDIAN government

HOW THESE 3 FARM ACTS BENEFIT FARMERS?

Allows electronic trading for farmers, digitizing the farm sector.

Prohibit state from collecting a market fee from the APMC(mandi).

Promote interstate trade outside APMC(mandi).

A framework for contract farming through an agreement between the farmer and the buyer before the production.

This ACT will make effortless for farmers to sell their produce directly to big buyers.

APMC (also known as mandis)- It is established in INDIA to safeguard farmers (small farmers especially) from getting exploited from the high retail prices.

SOUNDS GOOD RIGHT?

WHAT REASONS FARMERS PROTEST THEN?

Farmers fear that, when the law promotes trade outside APMC(mandi), also preventing APMC from collecting a market fee which will gradually end the mandi system. So that they will be left at the mercy of corporates.

Fear of losing their land to corporates.

They also panic that this will end the relationship between the intermediates (in case of following corporate farming), commission agents, middlemen who ensure timely procurement by providing loans, adequate prices, etc.

Additionally, they believe that the end of APMC (mandi system) will destroy the purchase of their crops at MSP (Minimum Support Price, which is ensured by APMC).

So this is the actual thing that the farmers are protesting for.

SO WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT PM ADDRESSED TOWARDS FARMERS VIRTUALLY?

He cleared some farmers doubts as follows:

There will be no loss of land due to contract farming.

Government stands with farmers at every step.

MANDI and MSP will remain as before.

Farmers are free to sell whatever they produce.

He also said that the farmers are our strength, crores have been invested in cold storage facilities and horticulture. He assured that the law will guarantee the farmers new opportunities, and mega PAN INDIA outreach.

He also questioned that if any single mandi is closed in the country and said that there are rumors are spreading against the laws and there is a political ideology behind these protests. “The government won’t let the farmers down”, he added.
Are you Struggling to Get Leads and Sales for your Affiliate Marketing Business?
By: Kenny Cho
Tags: Conversion, Leads, Affiliate Marketing, Laws, Sales

Are you Struggling to Get Leads and Sales for your Affiliate Marketing Business?

Apply these 3 Laws to Get leads and Sales for your Business

I learnt these laws from this book The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann

Here are 3 of my favourite takeaways from the book:

The Law of value

Give more in value than you take

This is like when Russell Brunson does his offer stack that he explains in Dot Com Secrets.

He has his core offer and then wraps and adds other products around it.

Making the offer more irresistible, less expensive and

therefore, your audience is more likely to choose you over your competitor.

Stack your offers so that it contains so much value it almost forces your customers to buy.

Russell’s goal is to make the total value of his offer 10 X as much as what he is going to charge for it.

The law of compensation

Your income is determined by how many people you can serve and how well you serve them.

In other words, how many lives can you touch?

Create a positive impact for?

This is why celebrities like movie stars and singers make good income

because they have a platform to reach so many people.

But with the power of the internet and social media, you can have that reach too!

The law of influence

Your influence is determined by how abundantly you place other people’s interests first.

Your marketing message should be about them, your customer.

How can your solution help move them from their current situation (unwanted state) to desired state (result that solves their problem)

At the end of the day its about THEM, not you,

Not your product,

Not your offer.

But THEM

You can apply these laws to your business right now.

If you’re not getting the Leads and Sales that you want, we’ve put together more in depth Free Video Training here, so you can accelerate your results.
SCOTTISH MDDUS: STEPHEN HENDERSON, RACIST FREEMASON, HEAD OF MDDUS, AND LLM (THAT CARDIFF THING)…
By: Olu Bamgbelu
Tags: Law, America, Africa, Racism, Politics

in Living By The Word
MoneyGram Takes a Wait and Sees Attitude After the SEC Lawsuit Against Ripple
By: Koma Live
Tags: Law, Cryptocurrency, Ripple, Finance, Crypto

MoneyGram Takes a Wait and Sees Attitude After the SEC Lawsuit Against Ripple

Image by Sang Hyun Cho from Pixabay

The American money transfer service MoneyGram has not yet seen a “negative impact” on cooperation with the Californian blockchain company Ripple due to the claim of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Service representatives said they would follow the development of the situation. MoneyGram continues to use other traditional foreign exchange counterparties throughout the term of its agreement with Ripple.

At present, the service ranks second in the world in terms of the volume of money transfers after Western Union.

In the summer of 2019, MoneyGram began processing cross-border payments through the On-Demand Liquidity (ODL) system using the XRP token. For interaction with ODL, the service receives a commission in XRP.

In November 2019, Ripple closed a $ 50 million deal with MoneyGram, receiving 9.95% of its common shares. In the second quarter of 2020, Ripple paid the partner $ 15 million, in the third — $ 9.3 million.

In December, the head of MoneyGram, Alex Holmes, said that over 18 months of cooperation with the fintech company, the number of transactions increased by 220%, and online customers increased by 140%.

Recall that on December 23, the SEC filed a lawsuit against Ripple, its CEO Brad Garlinghouse and co-founder Chris Larsen. According to the regulator, the company was selling unregistered securities in the form of XRP tokens to retail investors.

The materials mention the ODL payment network, which has attracted 15 businesses from the money transfer sector.
Best Lawyer
By: Ravikant Negi
Tags: Law, SEO, Digital Marketing, NBA, Trending

It’s a very painstaking profession. You have to dot every “i” and cross every “t” and you may still not get things right.

My legal assistant, who worked for me for 20 years and was very skilled, used to say, succinctly, “Everything is hard.” You can’t cut corners.

You have to remember a lot of things: substantive law, procedural law, the rules of evidence, your ethical limitations, be appealing to your clients and prospective clients.

You have to know what papers to file, how to file them, the rules on time limitations, how Judge A runs her court versus how Judge B runs his court, how to pull a court file in an old case from the court archives, who is the best and cheapest process server, who runs the best stenographer business, what temp service provides the most qualified workers, and so on. No one teaches that stuff, you just learn from experience. It takes a long time.

For many lawyers, assistants, secretaries, and paralegals come and go, so you have to be on top of what they’re doing and be able to train new workers quickly. If you fail at that, watch out for a malpractice suit or an ethical grievance.

If you’re in private practice, you have to know how to manage your part of the business.

You have to possess a fair degree of cleverness and ability to think on your feet, to change tracks in mid-course when a new and unanticipated twist comes up.

If you’re not careful in your early years, you can easily become an insufferable person. For most people, experience distills that out of you, but it can take time and be a lonely passage.

The kind of people who are drawn to law as a profession tend to be people who like to test boundaries, are competitive, who enjoy arguing, but in a contradictory sort of way are also bookish. They like to be right, preferably more right than you. I once had a friend who said that “the kind of people who become lawyers are the people who once were 10-year-olds who had memorized all the rules of Monopoly and who made you want to strangle them every time you played the game with them.” Point taken.

Image source Google

Thanks for Reading
How Bad Is Rikers Island Really?
By: William, Dollar Bill
Tags: Law, Rikers, Memoir, Prison, Humor

How Bad Is Rikers Island Really?

Photo by Craig Lloyd from Pexels

Club Fed it ain’t. That’s for sure! But after spending a year at MCC federal prison, I was more or less ready for whatever Rikers had to throw at me.

Maybe I got lucky. Or maybe I’m street smart. But Rikers was not the completely threatening place many people think it is. In fact, there were several facets of Rikers life I found superior to serving time in a federal facility.

Like…I could actually go outside in the sunshine for one. And I could crap for as long as I wanted without my celly copping an attitude. What can I say? Simple pleasures most people take for granted become luxuries when you get locked up.

Following is a chronicle of my stay on Rikers. If you liked watching “Shawshank,” I think you’ll find this story equally compelling. It’s a fun read about a dismal place. I hope you enjoy.
Freedom of Expression is the cornerstone of our democracy.” Jacob Rees-Mogg.
By: Abiodun Bamgbelu
Tags: Law, America, Africa, Racism, Politics

"The truth allows no choice." Dr Samuel Johnson
Undang-Undang Tentang Penataan Ruang
By: Nabilah Aufaraihan
Tags: Law, Urban Planning, Mindmap, Rule Of Law, Drawing

Learn more. Medium is an open platform where 170 million readers come to find insightful and dynamic thinking. Here, expert and undiscovered voices alike dive into the heart of any topic and bring new ideas to the surface. Learn more

Make Medium yours. Follow the writers, publications, and topics that matter to you, and you’ll see them on your homepage and in your inbox. Explore
Sanctions Top-5 for the week ending 18 December 2020
By: Nicholas Turner
Tags: Law, Military, Venezuela, China, Voting

Here are five things that happened this week in the world of economic sanctions that I think you should know about.

Sign up here if you would like to receive these summaries by email. Click here for an index of past Sanctions Top-5 briefings.

Comments

There have been rumblings about the potential for Turkey to be sanctioned under CAATSA since 2017, when Turkey and Russia signed the S-400 purchase agreement, and again in 2019 when Russia started delivering the system. In September 2018, OFAC and the State Department named China’s Equipment Development Department (like Turkey’s SSB) and its director as SDNs pursuant to Section 231 of CAATSA in response to China’s purchase of the S-400 system. In Turkey’s case, the sanctions on SSB are limited to restrictions on certain types of financing and prohibitions on issuing certain export control licenses. For what it’s worth, India also has agreed to purchase the S-400.

Remember: The Entity List imposes a licensing requirement on exports, re-exports, and transfers of items that are subject to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR). In other words, you need the US Commerce Department’s permission to provide US-origin goods, technology, or software to the impacted companies. Often, that permission is granted. The Entity List is not like OFAC’s SDN List, and generally speaking US persons are not otherwise prohibited from dealing with SMIC or other companies on the Entity List. The impact on each company will depend on the degree to which they rely on items subject to the EAR.

Confused? Just wait until next week when we talk about the Commerce Department’s just-announced Military End User List.

Happy holidays, everyone!

Did I miss something? Send me a message or comment on LinkedIn.

(The views expressed are my own and do not constitute legal advice. Photo from Vladislav Reshetnyak.)
‘Informing — In Kind’. Mask Vigilantes
By: Becky Boughton
Tags: Law, Humanity, Masks, Kindness, Relationships

‘Informing — In Kind’

Slight rant blog tonight.

Ok, so we’re all doing more-or-less the same things during this ‘Rona time. We need to adhere to basically the same guidelines, wear masks inside, not cough on others (like who does that anyway?,) etc. etc.

What I don’t understand is just because it’s the law to wear a mask right now, some people, even if they aren’t necessarily having a bad day, act as though they own the world and tear strips off people for making honest mistakes.

Seriously.

There’s always a way to be a decent human when talking to people and…shockingly…give them the benefit of the doubt that they legitimately forgot or didn’t realize x, y or z.

There are other examples out there…and the list could be long.

Road rage, for example, is shunned because it’s not a nice thing to do and we, especially as adults, usually (and could more often) give people the benefit of the doubt about their driving skills.

When Margaret cuts me off (which could be caused by distracted driving which is unlawful and I could yell at her for it and report her) because she is elderly, tired, possibly can’t see over the steering wheel very well and probably didn’t even realize that it happened — it wouldn’t be kind of me to follow her home and give her a piece of my mind.

I was born with the will and freedom to choose and I have the capacity and choice to be a jerk…or not.

Now, I’m not referring to the people who don’t wear masks and are super rude or combative with employees who are only trying to do their jobs by following the mandatory indoor practices as outlined by the business.

I’m talking about the random guy who, not even giving it a moment, drops the F-bomb and meanly demands why another patron of a store isn’t wearing a mask or wearing it properly as soon as they step food in the store. Really dude?

Or the Mom getting groceries who is with her young child and people (not actually reading or knowing Bon Bon’s guidelines choosing to ‘not remember’ that youth 12 and under don’t have to wear them) decide to tell her what is up. Get serious.

In these types of situations, there is never a nice suggestion, there is no trying to understand that it may be an honest mind-blank and there is no keeping their mouth shut because perhaps he or she is medically exempt.

This type of awful scenario is increasingly pervasive and not cool.

I’m usually quiet with stuff like this and these days, I’m trying to walk wiser yet speak in truth and support those who are on the mean end of the stick.

I’m going to continue to speak up when warranted…when it’s time…for those who don’t have a voice or don’t think they can use it.

The kind of poor behaviour that I outlined has been ramping up lately in all places with all types of people. It doesn’t make the world go ‘round and it’s the last thing anyone needs.

Try to be a kinder human being…as much as it depends on you.

Mask vigilante rant over.

-Becky
Cannabis is Coming to NJ
By: Dan Gizzi
Tags: Law, Dispensaries, Cannabis, Weed, New Jersey

Cannabis is Coming to NJ

Cannabis is coming

Last week the NJ legislature passed the bill to legalize cannabis. Governor Murphy will likely sign the bill into law this week. Read the law here. The legislators have set a general timeline of about 6 months for the Cannabis Regulatory Commission to write all of the new regulations to govern the new cannabis industry.

Legislators have admitted that the law will likely require some updates, but it’s definitely a good start. In total, it seems to be a good compromise between all involved parties that should hopefully protect the most vulnerable of us (minorities, small businesses, children) while allowing for a flourishing, diverse industry.

All about taxes

Cannabis products will have the standard 6.625% sales tax. In fact, 70% of this tax will go to areas significantly impacted by cannabis-related arrests.

Towns can levy an additional 2% municipality tax.

The Cannabis Regulatory Commission will have the power to levy an excise tax. If an ounce of cannabis is $350 or more, the tax per ounce will be $10. That rises to $60 per ounce if the retail price of the product is less than $250.

More interesting points

The separate decriminalization bill will allow you to legally have up to 6 ounces of cannabis.

The number of cultivators will be limited to 37 for two years until the cap is removed.

Some licenses will be reserved for microbusinesses, minority-owned businesses, women-owned businesses, and disabled-veteran-owned businesses.

NJ Legislators also approved reduced sentencing for psilocybin, better know as “shrooms.” The measure would reduce possession of up to one ounce of psilocybin mushrooms to a disorderly persons offense, punishable by a maximum $1,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

The future of cannabis in New Jersey

Amidst a wild year full of unexpected surprises and seemingly indefinite quarantining, the legalization of cannabis in the Garden State isn’t as surprising as it may seem. We’ve all been waiting for this for a very long time, and it’s comforting to know that NJ is finally doing its part to end the failed war on drugs.

It’s going to be interesting to see how the Cannabis Regulatory Commission develops the new regulations over the coming months, and we hope a strong effort is made to keep space available for small businesses and young entrepreneurs eager to play a part in the new industry.
Fighting For What’s Rightfully Mine
By: William, Dollar Bill
Tags: Nonfiction, Law, Money, Unemployment, Pandemic

Fighting For What’s Rightfully Mine

This one should be a fight to the finish. Not that I’m sure it’s going to be worth my time and effort. But after losing I don’t want to tell you how much to the taxman in one huge chunk (and serving a year in a fucked up prison after paying twice what I owed), I want every penny I can get back legitimately! And that includes stimulus checks and unemployment insurance.

Now, the stimulus check is a cut and dried affair. And after a few fuck ups I got mine in the first round. To be fair, it wasn’t necessarily the government’s fault that it took so long. My cousin paid my tax bill while I was in prison from her own account. (Yes, I paid her back immediately after getting released. I’m not a moocher.) Hence, there was confusion. The IRS couldn’t send my check to her account.

Then came the New York State Department of Labor’s remarkably inefficient bureaucracy after I was laid off from a shitty full-time job in October. Eventually, I got the department to see the light. No, they didn’t factor in considerable 1099 employment on which I’ll be paying income tax. But at least, they honored the grunt slave work I performed on the job I hated.

Now comes the $300 addition — which I assume I’ll be getting as a matter of course (good luck with that). My understanding is that if you’re on unemployment insurance currently, you’re entitled to an extra $300 per week for I believe an additional 11 weeks.

But here’s where it gets interesting — and sticky in my case. If an unemployment insurance recipient earned at least $5000 in self-employed income (1099 income) in 2019 (don’t ask me why it’s not 2020 because I don’t have a clue why), that person is entitled to an extra $100 every week.

In my case, I was paid over $5000 for work performed in December of 2019, in January of 2020! The wording (to the best of my knowledge) says “earned in 2019.” — and not paid in 2019.

The articles and interviews pursuant to my earning that money appeared on the Daily Mail’s website and television show in mid-December. There was a payment glitch ( I think it might have been on my part — not sure) which delayed the incoming check until 2020.

I know this is going to be pandemonium with the Department of Labor. Each bureaucrat is going to have to pass me up the chain of command when I present my case. And I also have a hearing as to why the department didn’t honor any of my 1099 income when calculating my benefit rate. Bureaucracies are not designed to parse these situations. So it should be interesting.

My advice to anybody who might be eligible for any or all parts of this compensation, is to stick with it. And dig out the phone number of the State Advocate from the department's website.

In the case of New York, you can get them on the phone much more readily. And the right people pay more attention to their emails than they will yours. A word to the wise should be sufficient.
My Cat Got Old
By: Remington Write
Tags: Cats, Pets, Time, Care, Aging

Then about a month or so ago, I realized that JJ had lost a lot of weight. True, she still had that saggy belly pouch from being a Mom at the age of seven months, but her sides were sunken in. And instead of the usual 18 hours of napping, JJ was only up and about for two to three hours each day.

In spite of my previous declarations that I’d never feed any cat of mine wet food, well guess who’s getting half a can of Fancy Feast each day along with whatever dry (grain-free, btw) kibble she cares to have?

It does mean that we’ve adjusted to having an old cat on high alert whenever either of us goes to the kitchen. When I first started this endeavor, she’d invariably inhale the entire portion and then immediately yak it up on the floor. Now I feed her tiny portions throughout the day. That seems to be working.

She’s back to vaulting onto the window sill to menace the mourning doves and blue jays feeding on the fire escape (they know how windows work, though, so it’s not as if they’re worried or anything). Occasionally at night, she’ll do her once-customary mad dash around the apartment chasing down imaginary prey. But the girl got old on me and, for some dumb reason, it came as a surprise. JJ was five years old when I met AleXander and seven when he cast his lot with us here in Harlem. He’s been with us for eight years now. The math doesn’t lie.

On the night she took me hostage I told my then-partner — and myself — that we had to accept that if we allowed ourselves to be owned by this teensy little tabby kitten she was going to break stuff, cost us a ton of money, and then she was going to go and die on us. If we (translation: if I) were ready to accept this, she could keep us.

Well, the girl has cost me a chunk o’ money. She hasn’t broken too many things but then this isn’t a house filled with breakable stuff. And for now, she’s perking back up on her new diet. Between the added bit of weight from the wet food and the introduction of bird-feeding this winter, JJ seems to be cruising through her geriatric years with a minimum of distress.

I still want my cat to live forever.

© Remington Write 2020. All Rights Reserved.
Mature men who question their sexual orientation feel that they will sacrifice everything if they come out as gay. The majority of LGBTQ men maintain good mental health. But compared to other mature…
By: Loren A Olson Md
Tags: Aging, LGBTQ, Coming Out, Relationships, Diversity

Gianfranco Grenar photo on Unsplash

Mature men who question their sexual orientation feel that they will sacrifice everything if they come out as gay.

The majority of LGBTQ men maintain good mental health. But compared to other mature men, they are at a higher risk for mental health problems and suicide.

One study reported that 12% of LGBTQ men attempted suicide, 3x higher than for American men. Almost half reported multiple attempts.

Mature men who question their sexual orientation feel that they will sacrifice everything when faced with remaining married or coming out if they come out.

In considering coming out, these men magnify the negatives and minimize the positives. The age of suicide attempts by LGBTQ men coincides with major coming out milestones.
Great article.
By: Jasmine Torok
Tags: Immortality, Health, Aging

Great article. Especially the environmental factors surrounding being able to support immortal life.

This is a topic I like to explore as well.

There are several biologically immortal beings, and this book called the The Phoenix Protocol for functional immortality has been released as well from a former space scientist. Majority living now likely have the potential to be immortal. I wonder what the updated average life span will be in 2021, surely 100 minimum with genetics of a >40 year old.
Belief Wide Open
By: Samantha Lazar
Tags: Magic, Life, Self, Poetry, Aging

Belief Wide Open

Photo by Halanna Halila on Unsplash

was I seducing myself

by my own siren song

and my innate drum

did I bewitch myself

an old sorcerer’s soul

for here I am again

bewildered about where

here is and happiness

was never the doubt

did I trick myself

into magical thinking

an illusion so strong

I busted belief

wide open

a ritual of health for the

middle-aged

because the trails built

are forgotten now

drowning out the voices

with a constant hum

let go- the idea of

legacy like the leaf

carried almost all

the way back to

the trailhead
Chrysalis
By: Mary Mcgrath
Tags: Short Story, Life Lessons, Change, Nature, Aging

The metamorphosis

Bankim Dasai-Unsplash

The caterpillar is crawling up the tree… I watch it, knowing that it is changing, it is evolving, and moving towards something else.

I look at my wrinkled skin and wish that I could climb out of it. I wish that I could go into hibernation for a while, and come out as a butterfly, to fly away and leave my past behind.
“Old People Feet”
By: Life On Edit
Tags: New Mom, Baby, Sentimental, Postpartum, Aging

I never thought I would have what the very young Kaylee used to call “Old People Feet.”

Maybe I didn’t care enough about preventing, or rather, slowing down my inevitable aging as much as I should have in high school and early college, because I feel like this year I’ve aged far more than I have in any other year of my life. Some would say that would be because of the stress of COVID, but I know my body and I know it’s because I had a baby.

And reader, don’t read that with any ounce of bitterness. My strong body created eyes, ears and a heart. My strong, beautifully broken body moved, pushed and screamed a new soul through it and into the world. My wonderfully aged body now has cracked feet with popped varicose veins.

While my hands, arms and thighs carry far more strength than the days of sports, they are filled with tattooed scars that giving birth brought.

There are gray hairs, stray hairs and the loss of hair. It seems as though making a life took some of my life. As though in birthing a baby I had to give some of my youth to him.

And I find immense joy in that.

I’m honored to give my youth to a tiny creature so beautiful.

In fact, I’d light myself on fire just to give him my youth again. He is the most precious, beautiful work of art my body has ever created, and because of that I will always be proud of my “old people feet.”

I never thought I would have what the very young Kaylee used to call “Old People Feet.”

Maybe I didn’t care enough about preventing, or rather, slowing down my inevitable aging as much as I should have in high school and early college, because I feel like this year I’ve aged far more than I have in any other year of my life. Some would say that would be because of the stress of COVID, but I know my body and I know it’s because I had a baby.

And reader, don’t read that with any ounce of bitterness. My strong body created eyes, ears and a heart. My strong, beautifully broken body moved, pushed and screamed a new soul through it and into the world. My wonderfully aged body now has cracked feet with popped varicose veins.

While my hands, arms and thighs carry far more strength than the days of sports, they are filled with tattooed scars that giving birth brought.

There are gray hairs, stray hairs and the loss of hair. It seems as though making a life took some of my life. As though in birthing a baby I had to give some of my youth to him.

And I find immense joy in that.

I’m honored to give my youth to a tiny creature so beautiful.

In fact, I’d light myself on fire just to give him my youth again. He is the most precious, beautiful work of art my body has ever created, and because of that I will always be proud of my “old people feet.”

This is a repost from my wixsite: http://wix.to/5UBhB1E?ref=2_cl
You’ll Never Be as Good as New Again
By: Darryl Brooks
Tags: Life Lessons, Life, Self, Self-awareness, Aging

Remember when you were a kid and scraped up your elbow?

Or maybe you fell off of the jungle gym and broke your arm.

Your mom put a Band-Aid on the wound, or the doctor gave you your first cast, and they always said the same thing.

“You’ll be as good as new in no time.”

Those might be consoling words to a six-year-old, but as a 65-year-old, they don’t mean a hell of a lot. In the first place, I’m not sure when I was new or how good I was way back then. But I do know one thing with absolute certainty. I know it first thing when I get my creaking self out of bed. I’m reminded of it all day long as I try to do something the way I did when I was younger.

“I’ll never be as good as new again.”

But that’s okay. Another thing I’ve figured out, though, especially since I retired, was that I can be good enough. And good enough is good enough.

When I was good as new, I ran marathons. I’ll not only never run a marathon again, (although there are people older than me that still do.) I’ll never run any further than required to get out of the rain. And some days, I’d rather get wet than take the pounding running a few steps will produce.

But I can walk, and that’s good enough. I can walk for miles. I could put in four to six miles today without getting winded or tired. I’ll be tired later. I’ll probably need a nap. But that’s good enough.

For about twenty years, I owned and rode motorcycles. Everywhere and in any weather. I rode like the wind. I rode, as my biker friends used to say, like I stole it. The bike went where I wanted it to and didn’t go where I didn’t want. It felt like I steered it with my mind or a gentle nudge from my knee like an old reliable pony. It was a part of me, an extension. Until it wasn’t. I’ll never feel the wind on my face at 80 mph again or feel the bike clinging to the curves riding the dragon.

But I’ve got an old Toyota that will take me anywhere I want to go. And bring me home safely. And that’s good enough. The seat (heated, of course) is worn into my particular body shape. The gear shift and steering wheel show a patina from years of my still calloused hands rubbing across them. If I give it a little TLC, it may very well be the last car I ever own. And that’s certainly good enough.

I’ve run marathons and jumped out of airplanes. I’ve slid off the side of snowy mountains and hiked the empty trails of others. I’ve loaded trucks and unloaded boxcars. I’ve closed bars and opened wounds.

I’ve outlived just about every friend I had in high school.

So, no, I’ll never be good as new again. But I’ll damn sure be good enough.
Culturally Irrelevant
By: Paula Light
Tags: Aging, Scuzzbucket, Poetry, Popular Culture, Social Media

free verse poetry

Image credit to geralt | pixabay

I don’t know what the Mandalorian is —

Something from outer space?

Everyone is talking about it

And the thing is… I asked once,

And was told, but I already forgot.

I’m not saying this to be pompous,

Like I’m too good for television, darling…

I shall be listening to classical music whilst

Perusing sonnets and nibbling on caviar crackers.

No, I’m more likely to be reading a trashy romance,

While eating caramel popcorn

And rocking out on the imaginary yacht

To Hotel California.

I am not a snob (Nixon voice),

Just mired in the 80s,

Which someone cruelly informed me

Was almost four decades ago. (What?!)

The Rumors album is 43 —

Old enough to be a grandma. Geez!

Stevie Nicks is older than I am —

I watched her lace up her skates

On Tik-Tok, whatever that is.

Why is it different from YouTube?

My spellchecker doesn’t know either

And redlines it with or without a hyphen.

(Now I don’t feel so bad.)

What the hell is an influencer?

And why do they keep getting murdered?

Seems like that’s a hazardous profession,

Like coal mining or auto racing,

Probably can’t get workers comp insurance.

(These are the things that concern me.)

I decided to get current with some TV

And music everyone is talking about,

So I listened to WAP

And read Ben Shapiro’s commentary.

OMG never mind.

I think it’s time for another Christmas romcom

As I embrace my irrelevancy.
A “Person of Age” is born
By: Kate Frick Sheridan
Tags: Double Speak, Old Age, Euphemisms, Ageist, Aging

A “Person of Age” is born

Photo by Kate Sheridan

The cashier pauses, a turquoise fingernail hovering over the register, before totaling the sale. I take in her artfully messy upswept hair, enormous hoop earrings, some sort of nose jewelry I don’t care to consider. Gen X? Gen Z? Millennial? I get them mixed up. Young. She’s young.

“Are you a…” Hesitating. “Person… of age?” Her tone respectful.

Of age? What does that mean? I consider myself for a moment. I’m a person, certainly, but hadn’t imagined myself a member of a protected class or special interest group. How can I be “of” age? I have age, but so does she. I look at her more closely. Round cheeks, plump lips, bright eyes. Twenty-ish? I’ve got about three times as much age as she does. I supposed that makes me “aged.” But what’s with the euphemism? What’s wrong with “old?”

I’m sixty-three, and I look every day of it. I’m not ashamed. Having gotten breast cancer twenty years ago, I’m actually kind of proud to have made it this far. I’m glad to be here, and even more, relieved I’m no longer young. I was a mess when I was her age.

Words are powerful, and when weaponized, hurtful. I understand why “person of color” is nicer that “colored person.” I just hadn’t been aware that “old” had become a slur.

“Do you mean, am I old?” I ask sweetly. The cashier looks stricken. “Because it’s okay. I don’t mind.” Her eyes meet mine for the first time. She’s mortified. A nice person, I can tell.

“It’s just…if you’re over sixty-five…” she trails off, too embarrassed to finish her sentence.

“Oh. A discount.” So that’s what all this double speak is for. “Nope, I’m not there yet.” By now she’s writhing with shame, grimacing as she apologizes. I feel sorry for the poor girl. Or woman. Under thirty-five, they all look the same to me.

“I didn’t mean you looked old, it’s just you get 10% off if…” I want to give her a hug.

“It’s okay,” I soothe. And it is. The shame is hers, not mine.
Strike the harp
By: Maureen Blaseckie
Tags: Christmas, Solstice, Plague Year Journal, Perspective, Aging

Welcome to the first days after the winter Solstice — the increased light from day to day is measured in seconds. Two days past, it can still be missed by a blink.

Not sure what Christmas Day 2020 will be like. It changes over the years, souvenir tree ornaments of life’s milestones. That first Christmas away from my family. In a different city, with my future in-laws.

The first Christmas after watching my father die. Then the first one as a full orphan. When both parents are gone, when bereft moved in and colored my entire world.

Permanently.

These are tariffs for staying in the country of the living.

This is just one year. A hard year, yes and a difficult Christmas that will be shadows on a screen. The contact, the touch I cherish from friends, from family will be through glass.

A literal and virtual TV dinner warmed by the Shaw Cable crackling wood fire.

I know it could be worse. That doesn’t make this year better or easier; simply preferable to that something else it might be.

As daylight returns, seconds at a time, I can’t see it but I know the long dark night will be over. Eventually.

I miss them but I can bear it for now.
5 Ways to Make Health Conversations With Your Parents Easier for Everyone
Tags: Behavior Change, Health, Parents, Coaching, Aging

5 Ways to Make Health Conversations With Your Parents Easier for Everyone

Image credit: fizkes.

There is a lot to worry about when it comes to our parents’ health—they may be brushing off early warning signs of serious conditions, flying across the country to see grandchildren as COVID-19 rages (like my parents), or needing to manage a tough disease like diabetes.

You may be so worried that you want to tell them what to do. Maybe you’ve tried. You’re a caring son or daughter. You’ve sent them COVID-19 articles, got them a not-so-subtle healthy eating cookbook, and you ask (or bug them) a lot about how much exercise they get.

But it hasn’t worked. You’ve tried, but you’re not getting through.

I’m here to help. In the past two years, I’ve immersed myself in the world of health coaching.

Health coaches use a set of conversation skills to support behavior change. By shifting the focus of health conversations from advice to a partnership, health coaches help create life-extending behavior changes every day, and it’s backed by evidence.

The five steps below show how you can apply behavior change techniques of coaching to transform worries about your parents into ways of truly supporting them.