#HAPPY BIRTHDAY MPP!!
Note
happy birthday to the reckless now! hope you get some cake or a shot of vodka
Oh shit. One year!? I really thought the fic would be finished by now 🙃
Unfortunately no alcohol while breastfeeding but I will have birthday cake for the next few weekends (🥴) so I'll have a mini mind-celebration for TRN for sure!
I feel like this calls for a celebration(???) but I unfortunately don't have any decent snippets to share with y'all. So... maybe we celebrate with an AMA about TRN if anyone's interested? Or... idk shout at me to write the next chapter?
#the reckless now#ONE YEAR#this cursed idea was born one year ago !!#the descent of mpp and jp in one fell swoop#trn born august 20th 2021... they grow up so fast 🥲#happy birthday trn!
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Random stuff about my Second Location AU because I am too impatient. Might doodle some of these later.
(I will be calling the Mega Pizzaplex Sun and Moon “Virus” while I think of a nickname for them, to make it easier to understand which Moon and Sun I am talking about.)
YN (I want to find them a nickname) is the main maintenance person in both the Daycare and Pizzeria. This means they are most of the time tasked with animatronic repairs and cleaning. But when days are slow, they help with other simpler tasks or get dragged into Sun and Moon shenanigans.
Since Sun and Moon interact all the time with young kids, they are the ones most familiarized with memes/vine/tiktok among the animatronics. They will make meme references, although they have to censor them and make them family friendly (S: This kid empty, yeeet! *kid gets tossed into the ballpit*).
Unlike the MPP, this hybrid location has more human staff than bots, with most bots working on the pizzeria side, these being cleaning and wet floor bots.
Sun and Moon are not allowed to interact nor see “Virus”. They know about their existence, just like they know they are not the only Daycare Attendants, but if they were to be face to face there is a big chance they would fry their circuits at the implications. They also don’t like talking much about the knowledge they are kind of mass produced (it’s a touchy subject).
Virus on the other hand, is highly curious about this Daycare Sun and Moon, and has tried more than once to interact with them, much to YN dismay.
Both Sun and Moon have the secondary Security protocol programmed in them, this is to ensure the kids safety because they have day and night programs, and two security animatronics are better than one.
The Freddy’s pizzeria that connects to the Daycare was built and themed to appeal to nostalgia, so their Freddy and friends are painted to resemble the old models instead of their more modern Glammrock counterparts. However it’s only the paint job, their casings are the same as the Glammrock models, same thing with their AI (it would be too expensive to make different endos, casings and AI).
The Pizzeria has Freddy, Chica, Bonnie and Foxy animatronics. They mostly sing old songs on stage, celebrate birthday parties and take turns hanging around the pizzeria. On some occasions they will visit the Daycare side and play with the kids there.
Virus can switch between Sun and Moon consciousness almost at will since their light sensors broke among other things during the fire. This is both beneficial and a nuisance, especially when they disagree on something.
Virus is not the only one, nor thing, the MPP sent to this location, a couple arcades survived the fire too :)
cof If you are curious about something specific, send me an ask and I’ll be happy to answer cof
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My mom gets sick of me.
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BALON DIY?
EMANG ADA?
yapp ada doong.. jadi balon ini tulisannya bisa kita tempelkan sendiri sesuai dengan keinginan kita, bisa diisi denga ucapan Happy Birthday atau I LOVE YOU.
Cocok digunakan untuk kamu yang mau ngerayain ultah atau kasih kejutan untuk doi :)
Yuk order sekarang!
https://www.tokopedia.com/fortunatezhou/mainan-anak-balon-sticker-design-mpp-182
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Whoa, look at that - I’m finally getting round to a proper introduction! Hello friends; I’m Lottie. About to hit my quarter-life crisis, answers to she/her pronouns, British to the core, probably related to Satan and the writer of this overgrown, grumpy man-child. He’s a little bit broken and a whole-lot-a bitter - love him at your own risk, hurt him at your own peril, enjoy him in small doses....
on with the shit show!
— &. welcome ( JERICHO MALONE ) to the mutates protection program. the ( TWENTY-SEVEN ) year old mutate is ( OBSERVANT & BLUNT ), possessing the ability of ( ADOPTIVE MUSCLE MEMORY & POWER MIMICRY ). they look strikingly similar to ( MATTHEW DADDARIO ). are they going to self-express or self-destruct?
- Jericho was born alone, found as a baby on the doorstep of the local firehouse in a small town on the outskirts of New Jersey, he never knew his parents, or who they were. He was left with nothing but the blanket he was wrapped in, no name, no sad sorry excuse letter. Nothing. The firehouse gave him his name; dubbing him baby Jericho in dedication to one of their firehouse that had died on duty a couple of days before.The name never meant anything to him growing up, the sentiment still lost to him, but he doesn’t hate it.
- Being a baby he didn’t spend long in the system and was adopted by the Malone’s before he even hit his first birthday. He had a good and happy childhood, the Malone’s were a kind couple, loving and patient. They weren’t rich by any means, but they were able to provide everything a growing boy could want or need. Jericho called them mom and dad, even though they’d always been honest with him about his adoption. He loved them, they were his family and that’s all that mattered to him.
- But loss and death were destined to be good friends of his, and just before his eleventh birthday or the very same day the Malone’s had adopted him all those years ago - a day they celebrated as a family - Jenny and Kenneth Malone were killed in a tragic accident on their way to pick their son up from school. Jericho once again found himself alone, left waiting on the sidewalk outside his school. Yet this time he knew his name, he knew who his parents had been and he would know this time what it feels like to have nothing.
- He spent longer in the system this time round, it’s harder to find an adoptive family for a child over the age of three, let alone a child that doesn’t want to be adopted - and not to mention one that can do things no ten year old should be able to do. He could scale the side of houses without a ladder, tackle other kids to the ground in karate style moves without ever having taken a lesson, he could even knock a grown man unconscious with two fingers.
- Jericho made it as hard as possible for his case worker to find anyone even willing to foster him, but eventually the Spencer’s proved themselves brave enough to take on the strange, unruly kid that nobody wanted. But her made it in no way easy for them. Jericho refused to call them anything but Mr and Mrs Spencer, he refused to eat or talk, and for a good few weeks he refused to go to school. It wasn’t until the arrival of their second foster kid that Jericho started to settle down,
- Her name was Abby, and she too knew loss. Her father had died overseas as a Solider for the United States Army and her mother had killed herself shortly after - leaving Abby to find her, leaving Abby alone. The two young orphans bonded and were eventually inseparable, and in high school what had been friendship blossomed into love. But remember loss and death were always destined to be good friends to Jericho...
- Together they had survived high school, gaining entry to their state university on scholarship, and together they survived four years of ups and down, before graduating. They were ready to spend the rest of their lives together, find their own place and move in - start their careers and then settle down to have a family; a big family. But fate had other ideas, and though they’d begun checking things off their five year plan - all of that came to an end when the radiation wave hit.
- Though it had been clear for a long time that Jericho was a mutant, Abby had been wholly human, after the wave however she could control that actions of other. Not to mention, with the sudden increase of mutates around, Jericho discovered a second power that he hadn’t known he’d had - the ability to mimic other mutant abilities. Their perfect little world had been turned upside down, but little did he know Jericho’s was about to stop turning completely.
- The hunt was on for mutants and mutates, and word began to spread about the couple that could do extraordinary things - and soon Jericho and Abby were leaving their home behind and running for their lives. But life on the run was short lived as they found themselves cornered by a couple of Hunters - a fight broke out, and though the idea had been to capture them, Abby had got shot. For the third time in his life Jericho was alone, but this time he held the thing he was losing as it slipped through his fingers.
- Fast forward too months and Jericho finds himself at the MPP, he’s still plagued nightly by dreams of leaving Abby behind, or losing her over and over again. He keeps his distance from everyone, reverting back to similar behaviors he’d inhibited when he was ten, scared to love or care for anyone for loss and death still lingered, he could feel them and he wouldn’t give them an opportunity to hurt him again.
#mppintro#( &&. this ain't the right time for you to fall in love with me - about. )#ENJOY HAVE FUN#HAHAHAH MY HEART HURTS#suicide tw
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question tag
thanks for the tag @textingniall ! @bb-bambam @dongbangsoojjp @jacksonwangtastic @showyourdesire @beummieyoungie do it if you want :)
1| how old were you when you had your first kiss?
16
2| What made you decide to have a tumblr blog?
for 1d and memes
3| Been depressed:
yea. but im recovering well and generally much happier :) (if you ever wanna talk or need someone to listen to, dont hesitate to come to me!)
4| how many people have you fist fought?
0
5| do you want to have kids? how many?
yea :) 2 or 3
6| Do you want to change your name:
LOL yea. ok so my name is “iana” but i would like my name to be “ayana”, which would sound exactly the same but i like how it’s spelled phonetically and the spelling itself is prettier
7| Right or left handed:
right
8| do you have piercings? how many?
my ears are pierced (just one on each ear) but i dont like wearing earrings :/
9| who was the last person you cried in front of?
my mom
10| do you believe in soulmates?
lol i know i throw the word “soulmates” around quite loosely with jjp but i dont think about it a lot, actually! sure i guess, it’s a nice idea :)
11| Zodiac sign:
scorpio
12| Do you have a dream job?
ok so when i was a kid my “dream job” (aka something that i would fantasize about but didnt/couldnt entertain as an actual career path) was to be a singer or actress lollll. but my career aspiration (aka what i am currently pursuing and think i will genuinely love) rn, is to go into public policy. currently, i wanna work in the government and focus on youth employment and social development. i also hope that i can publish academic articles while i work, specifically reviewing national and international policies
^thats a kinda long answer bc it’s one of the most important things in my life rn and something i think about constantly. every time i read testimonials from graduates of the MPP program at my uni i get so excited (yet also nervous!) about this career path
13| A crush:
nobody lol
14| What do you like about yourself:
im filipina and i love my tan skin :)
15| Right now eating:
nothing
16| who’s the last person you had a deep conversation with?
my bff
17| Height: 5′0 /152cm
18| what is/are/were your best subject(s)?
law, economic sociology, political sociology
19| Met someone who changed you:
my gr12 philosophy teacher. i have/will always have the deepest respect and admiration for him. he was the first person to introduce the importance of intersectionality in my feminism and he taught me many invaluable critical thinking skills. he was so calm and patient and he ALWAYS listened to me. like sometimes he would give us study periods, and i would come to him with one question- and that question lead to 1.5hr discussion. and i learned a lot about his life too which was really fascinating. and then i would be late for chemistry and he would always take me to my class and apologize to my teacher for it. (ok needless to say.. pls dont misunderstand the nature of our relationship, he was like a mentor to me).
^anyway, this is also kinda long bc i really do admire him so much. and i actually saw him again on my uni campus! i was like “sir?? what are you doing here?!” and apparently he was doing his phD. and it was so nice, before we parted he gave me a friendly hug and said “i’m glad to see you’re still happy and smiling” :’)
20| do you like someone: all my friends and family obvs :)
21| I’m about to: go to bed!
22| do you believe everything happens for a reason?
yes! but sometimes the reason isnt as meaningful as youd think so it’s often not worth dwelling on such things
23| Sports I joined:
mmmm, most prominently: figure skating, cheerleading and swimming
24| what’s irritating you right now?
nothing??
25| do you give out second chances too easily?
idk? i dont really feel like ive been purposefully hurt enough by anyone to say that keeping them in my life was me “giving them a second chance”
26| What is one thing you wish you could change about your life:
maybe just wish i didnt lose my native dialect when i immigrated to canada :/
27| are you mean?
i hope not! i have my shortcomings im sure :(
28| Cried when someone died:
when my neighbour passed away 💔
29| Blood type:
O
30| If you could meet ANY Korean CELEBRITY (Includes Actors, Models, K-Music artists, etc.), who would it be?
ahhhhhh well i feel so lucky to have met got7 :’) (no joke i think about that literally everyday) but i would love to meet them again and be less shy toward jaebum. id also LOOOOOOVE to meet NCT! and as for actors i would love to meet jung kyung ho and gong yoo
31| Birthday: October 30
32| Been drunk and thrown up:
yea but LISTEN. my body doesnt take to alcohol well so im gonna throw up even with very little
33| are you scared of spiders?
nah not really
34| What would you like to achieve (or experience) before the age of 60?
sooo many things. id like to achieve the career goals i mentioned above and id like to learn at least 2 more languages. and travel more.
35| What do you wish for the most to happen?
idkkkkk :o
36| is cheating ever okay?
never
37| Do you have any pets:
a dog!
38| When did you get into kpop and how?
around september 2015 cuz i stumbled onto Just Right
39| Favorite animal?
dogs!
40| Love at first sight:
personally no?
41| how do you want to die?
sleeping
42| Lips or eyes:
eyes
43| Hair length:
like? mine? to my boobs
44| would you go back in time if you were given the chance?
literally just to relive meeting got7 lol
45| who was the last person of the opposite sex you talked to?
my dad
46| how exactly are you feeling at the moment?
sleepy
47| Laughed until you cry:
no i dont think so :o
48| favorite food?
sooooo manyyyyy idk!
49| when was your last physical fight?
never
50| Do you believe in yourself:
working on it :)
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Happy Birthday Doonited Family Friends 27th and 28 June 2019
Happy Birthday Doonited Family Friends 27th and 28 June 2019
Sending you smiles for every moment of your special day…
Have a wonderful time and a very happy birthday!
https://www.doonited.in/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Happy-Birthday-1.mp3
From Doonited Family Uniting & Connecting Uttarakhand
अपने जन्मदिन पर एक पेड़ जरूर लगांए और दूसरों को भी प्रेरित करें जिससे देश की बढ़ती प्रदूषण को कम किया जा सके.
Harleen Kaur, Jeevan Jeevan,
Rupak Sirohi, Karan Thapa,
View On WordPress
#Abhishek Sethi#Attar Singh#Bsnegi Mpps#Doonited Family Friends#Doonited Family Uniting & Connecting Uttarakhand#HAPPY BIRTHDAY DOONITED#Harleen Kaur#Jeevan Jeevan#Karan Thapa#Mukesh Sharma Ghansela#Naman Nagpal#Praveen Mandrwal#Rupak Sirohi#Vinod Gaur#शौर्य डोबरियाल
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Twenty Years of Growing Leaders
Read more: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/e577047be3/288055965/ac7221bc2f/
Miracle Moment®
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
For my birthday this year, my husband gave me a fabulous card that read:
“It’s not how old you are…but the number of years you’ve made the world a better place.”
And he donated to my favorite charity-BE THE STAR YOU ARE!®
Twenty years ago in 1999, I founded Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity to empower women, families, and youth while increasing and improving literacy and positive media messages. The journey has faced multiple challenges and equal amounts of joy. The “Teen Angel” volunteers that helped launch Be the Star You Are!® are now in their mid-thirties, many are married, and raising their own children. From the beginning, Be the Star You Are!® has been 100% volunteer staffed with no paid employees. Throughout these twenty years, I have been a volunteer along with thousands. Since 99% of our volunteers are pre-teens, teens, and young adults, my personal mission has been to grow leaders.
And, WOW!, these young people become astonishing leaders.
One of the former main hosts of our radio broadcast, Express Yourself!™, Henna Hundal, has her own radio show at Harvard where she recently interviewed Bill Gates, Malala, and many international leaders.
Danielle Wong has won numerous awards for her novel, Swearing Off Stars.
Eighty-seven volunteers became published writers through their contributions in two of our signature books, Be the Star You Are! for Teens and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World.
(Make sure to read champion archer and radio personality, Young Yoo Choo’s chapter The Gift of Volunteering in the Millennials to Boomers book)

Many more volunteers have been singled out for their contributions to schools, communities, and countries. I’m proud of each person with whom I’ve had the privilege of interacting and I invite all current and previous volunteers to take a bow.
Bravo to the volunteers of BTSYA for being the stars they are!
In the past two years, America has witnessed several major disasters. BTSYA volunteers worked diligently to get resources to survivors of fires, hurricanes, and floods. Operation Disaster Relief has become an ongoing outreach program in need of support. When a disaster strikes we don’t have to solicit donations, but instead, we want to be ready to assist immediately. Please support this initiative to get new books and resources to those in need in times of disaster
 
Want to know how much we've contributed in 20 years of service?
Here’s a simple snapshot of what BTSYA has accomplished since 1999 all with no paid staff and 100% volunteer workforce.
Positive Results include:
Served 409,860 individuals and families
Donated to 109 organizations
Logged 491,890 volunteer hours
Distributed $2 million in resources
Broadcast 2200 unique hours of positive programming through radio broadcasts.
Published 4 signature award-winning books, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens, Be the Star You Are!® Millennials to Boomers, and Miracle Moments®,
Written and published over 2000 book reviews in collaboration with The Reading Tub and Express Yourself!™ Creative Community.
Interviewed over 2500 authors, experts, and celebrities.
We’ve lost count of how many consecutive years, BTSYA has been honored as a TOP Nonprofit. To get a feel of the impact BTSYA has on beneficiaries, supporters, and volunteers, read the reviews at Great Non-Profits, http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/
In addition, we recently received our platinum badge from Guidestar.
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/94-3333882
We want to thank all donors over the years and encourage you to become part of our STAR donor team by making a tax-deductible donation at http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org. The easiest way to donate is through PAYPAL GIVING FUND with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504
Consider sponsoring an event or making BTSYA the beneficiary of your event. We are accepting sponsors now for the May Moraga Faire and the September Pear and Wine Festival. Sponsor our two radio broadcasts, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® and Express Yourself!™ For more information contact me and I’ll be happy to show you ways you can get involved.
 
Our motto is "To be a leader, you must be a reader. Read, Lead, Succeed!"
As we head into the third month of 2019, I look forward to growing more leaders through our fantastic volunteer opportunities and collaborating with individuals, businesses, and companies to make our world an even better place. I'm devoted to making a positive difference.
.
Will you help me, please? DONATE! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
Thank you for your participation.
Heartfelt gratitude for the past twenty years! Here’s to the next twenty!
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
[email protected]
http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org
http://www.BTSYA.org
PS: You are never too young or too old to make a difference!
Be a Super Hero.
Make a donation today!
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
Our Charity Partner Reached a Major Milestone
Our literacy partner, The Reading Tub, reached a major milestone in December of 2018 when it published 3000 original book reviews. BTSYAis proud to collaborate with The Reading Tub to offer book reviews through our TEEN STAR Book Review Team. Congratulations to Terry Doherty Executive Director of The Reading Tub. Visit the published reviews here:https://thereadingtub.org/books/be-the-star-you-are/
THANK YOU to Disaster Relief Supporters!
BTSYA has been shipping resources to the survivors of California wildfires and most recently the Paradise Camp Fire. We want to recognize our supportive heroes:
Diana Zimmerman
New World Library
Robin Mayhall
StarStyle® Productions, LLC
Dr. Brian Sheaff
Dr. Dwayne and Lena Martin
Michelle and Chris Heim
Mitch Heller and Hemisphere Partners
Gary Gongwer
Brian and Heather Rankin
Margaret Winslow
Sal and Susan Captain
Please support Operation Disaster Relief with your donation.
MORE WAYS TO GROW WITH BTSYA
If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our PayPal page!
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
We appreciate a direct donation most of all via PAYPAL GIVING FUND at https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504.
Checks can be sent to PO Box 376, Moraga, California 94556
There are other easy ways that assist our mission and don’t cost you a dime!
1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882
2. Discounted books at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity
3. Buy or Sell on EBAY:http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/be-the-star-you-are-501-c-3/1504/?favorite=link
4. Use GoodSearch to search the web & buy from your favorite stores. Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too!http://www.goodsearch.com/goodto-go/be-the-star-you-are
5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA
6. BTSYA Logo Store: http://btsya.rylees.net
7. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 1800+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np - be-the-star-you-are-inc
8. Designer Clothes to Buy or Sell: https://www.unionandfifth.com/charities/be-the-star-you-are-moraga-ca/shop
9. Buy “Read, Lead, Succeed” T-shirts and tanks $19.99 at StarStyle® Store: http://www.CynthiaBrian.com/online-store
10. Are you a gamer, lover of new software, or other digital content? Buy all of your favorites at Humble Bundle. http://ow.ly/cYs130iN6n4
"Too much of a good thing is wonderful."
Mae West
Be the Star You Are! 501 c3, PO Box 376, Moraga, California 94556.
Celebrating 20 years of stellar service to the world!
Soar with us!
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
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Twenty Years of Growing Leaders
Read more: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/e577047be3/288055965/ac7221bc2f/
Miracle Moment®
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Mark Twain
For my birthday this year, my husband gave me a fabulous card that read:
“It’s not how old you are…but the number of years you’ve made the world a better place.”
And he donated to my favorite charity-BE THE STAR YOU ARE!®
Twenty years ago in 1999, I founded Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 charity to empower women, families, and youth while increasing and improving literacy and positive media messages. The journey has faced multiple challenges and equal amounts of joy. The “Teen Angel” volunteers that helped launch Be the Star You Are!® are now in their mid-thirties, many are married, and raising their own children. From the beginning, Be the Star You Are!® has been 100% volunteer staffed with no paid employees. Throughout these twenty years, I have been a volunteer along with thousands. Since 99% of our volunteers are pre-teens, teens, and young adults, my personal mission has been to grow leaders.
And, WOW!, these young people become astonishing leaders.
One of the former main hosts of our radio broadcast, Express Yourself!™, Henna Hundal, has her own radio show at Harvard where she recently interviewed Bill Gates, Malala, and many international leaders.
Danielle Wong has won numerous awards for her novel, Swearing Off Stars.
Eighty-seven volunteers became published writers through their contributions in two of our signature books, Be the Star You Are! for Teens and Be the Star You Are! Millennials to Boomers Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World.
(Make sure to read champion archer and radio personality, Young Yoo Choo’s chapter The Gift of Volunteering in the Millennials to Boomers book)

Many more volunteers have been singled out for their contributions to schools, communities, and countries. I’m proud of each person with whom I’ve had the privilege of interacting and I invite all current and previous volunteers to take a bow.
Bravo to the volunteers of BTSYA for being the stars they are!
In the past two years, America has witnessed several major disasters. BTSYA volunteers worked diligently to get resources to survivors of fires, hurricanes, and floods. Operation Disaster Relief has become an ongoing outreach program in need of support. When a disaster strikes we don’t have to solicit donations, but instead, we want to be ready to assist immediately. Please support this initiative to get new books and resources to those in need in times of disaster
 
Want to know how much we've contributed in 20 years of service?
Here’s a simple snapshot of what BTSYA has accomplished since 1999 all with no paid staff and 100% volunteer workforce.
Positive Results include:
Served 409,860 individuals and families
Donated to 109 organizations
Logged 491,890 volunteer hours
Distributed $2 million in resources
Broadcast 2200 unique hours of positive programming through radio broadcasts.
Published 4 signature award-winning books, Be the Star You Are!® 99 Gifts, Be the Star You Are!® for Teens, Be the Star You Are!® Millennials to Boomers, and Miracle Moments®,
Written and published over 2000 book reviews in collaboration with The Reading Tub and Express Yourself!™ Creative Community.
Interviewed over 2500 authors, experts, and celebrities.
We’ve lost count of how many consecutive years, BTSYA has been honored as a TOP Nonprofit. To get a feel of the impact BTSYA has on beneficiaries, supporters, and volunteers, read the reviews at Great Non-Profits, http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/
In addition, we recently received our platinum badge from Guidestar.
https://www.guidestar.org/profile/94-3333882
We want to thank all donors over the years and encourage you to become part of our STAR donor team by making a tax-deductible donation at http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org. The easiest way to donate is through PAYPAL GIVING FUND with 100% going to BTSYA with NO FEES: https://www.paypal.com/fundraiser/charity/1504
Consider sponsoring an event or making BTSYA the beneficiary of your event. We are accepting sponsors now for the May Moraga Faire and the September Pear and Wine Festival. Sponsor our two radio broadcasts, StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® and Express Yourself!™ For more information contact me and I’ll be happy to show you ways you can get involved.
 
Our motto is "To be a leader, you must be a reader. Read, Lead, Succeed!"
As we head into the third month of 2019, I look forward to growing more leaders through our fantastic volunteer opportunities and collaborating with individuals, businesses, and companies to make our world an even better place. I'm devoted to making a positive difference.
.
Will you help me, please? DONATE! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
Thank you for your participation.
Heartfelt gratitude for the past twenty years! Here’s to the next twenty!
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
[email protected]
http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org
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Happy 21st birthday to the kind hearted soul with a huge heart, Wasabi to my sushi 🍣
Remember that time when we excitedly joined MPP just to have a reason to wear blazers and look good in it?
Remember that time during lunch hour in MD, we had duties in Audi to organise chairs for an event and we did it hurriedly ⏰ and silently sneaked out of the venue just to catch a movie 📽(and me skipping my afternoon class??)
Remember that time when we were the only two worse students in A.Maths for getting less than a 10 in our exams?🖇
Remember that time during CCA registration, we both ran 🏃🏻♀️as if we were on the Amazing Race to sign up for Swimming Class but never turn up for the whole year? 🏊🏻♀️
Befriending you for the past 8 years has been an ultimate blessing to me. Your amusing, crazy and hilarious personality that could make everyone in the room entertained and be in joy, your caring and generosity that amazes me, the one who roots me even with my irrational decisions and would go along with my crazy ideas and theories, who reminds me and brings me closer to my deen, how you never seem to ever give up and always try to be the best version of you, your passion in succeeding inspires me 💎
My bestfriend in this Dunya, let’s meet again in Al-Firdaus ♥️
Allahumma Amiin
4th June 2018 👷🏻♀️
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Atlanta Buyers Club: Inside the CBD Underground in the American South
Over the past three years, a wave of “CBD-only” laws has swept through the American South. In these deeply conservative states, the laws were seen by many as imperfect workarounds. In theory, they would keep marijuana illegal while allowing patients—mostly children—with debilitating seizures to use non-psychoactive, low-THC cannabidiol (CBD) oil. But making or selling the oil remains illegal. In CBD-only states, it’s still against the law to grow cannabis, which is the only source of CBD oil.
Some politicians praised the laws as commonsense, bipartisan measures. Others were skeptical from the start. Since most CBD-only laws keep distribution illegal, neither the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) nor the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) consider them true medical marijuana programs. Others have criticized the science behind CBD-only laws, arguing that “whole plant” treatments, which rely on THC, CBD, and a host of other cannabinoids to provide an entourage effect, are far more effective. “Unlike other drugs that may work well as single compounds, synthesized in a lab,” Sanjay Gupta has written, “cannabis may offer its most profound benefit as a whole plant.”
I live in Texas, which is about to become a CBD-only state. Texas’s Compassionate Use Act is scheduled to take effect in late 2017. It may allow for cultivation and sale; that has yet to be determined by state officials. With that in mind, I wanted to know how CBD-only laws were working out in other states. Are these laws allowing patients to get the medicine they need?
To answer that question, I spent months getting to know patients and caregivers across the South. I traveled to Colorado to meet a producer who supplies Southerners with high-CBD, low-THC products. I met patients and suppliers in Atlanta, which has become a major terminus in the CBD patient underground. Instead of finding patients helped by a safe, robust CBD-only market, I found a region where fearful parents still must rely on clandestine connections and untested products to keep their children healthy. In the South, CBD-only laws seem to protect mostly the re-election prospects of those politicians too timid to create true medical cannabis programs.
In most medical marijuana states, patients and caregivers can pick up cannabis products at dispensaries. But in CBD-only states, the search for relief leads people to places not often associated with medicine. For example: a gas station parking lot.
That’s where Georgia resident Corey Lowe, whose 15-year-old daughter suffers from seizures, says she found herself one afternoon last fall. She pulled up to a gas station on Moreland Avenue, in a seedy part of east Atlanta. In her silver SUV sat an ounce of black-market cannabis, tucked away in a Target bag.
Lowe, a former police officer, is registered as a CBD caregiver in Georgia. She parked at the gas station to rendezvous with another mom. The two met through a Facebook group for cannabis patients. Lowe knew the mom wasn’t registered with the state, but that didn’t faze her. “I couldn’t sleep at night if I know somebody needs help, and I have the access, and I say, ‘No, sorry,’” she told me over the phone. “I think it’s bullshit that you can’t get medicine for your loved one because they don’t qualify.”
Lowe waited for a few minutes at the gas station. Another car pulled up, and Lowe climbed in. “I don’t know if this works,” she admitted as she handed the bag to Jennifer Conforti. Conforti, who’d just picked up her 6-year-old daughter Abby from a party, offered Lowe a slice of birthday cake.
Though Conforti (pictured in the featured image, top) isn’t a registered caregiver in Georgia’s CBD program, she told me she needs the oil to prevent her autistic daughter’s bouts of self-harm. Conforti has been vocal about Abby’s medical regimen. Last year Conforti spoke before the Georgia state legislature, where she explained how the state’s overly restrictive rules forced her to obtain cannabis for her daughter on the black market.
Conforti’s blunt honesty made her an unlikely hero in the fight for medical marijuana. In a Facebook post, State Representative Allen Peake called her “courageous.” Even so, another sympathetic state representative cautioned her: “Every sheriff watched your testimony.” Conforti took heed, confronting her local sheriff at a public event. “I love you,” she told him. “I voted for you. I think you’re fabulous. But I’m giving my kid medicine and it works.”
Possession is legal, obtaining it isn’t.
Georgia’s strictures are typical of most American CBD-only laws. If you’re a patient with one of eight conditions covered by the state’s law, and your physician recommends CBD oil, the Georgia Department of Health will send you a medical card. Congratulations: You can now possess up to 20 ounces of CBD oil. After that, you’re on your own.
Georgia law won’t allow anyone to buy or sell CBD oil anywhere in the state. Theoretically, you could have it mailed to you, or pick it up elsewhere. But shipping cannabis products — or driving them across the country — is, in the eyes of state and federal law, drug trafficking.
“In order to comply with these laws, individuals would have to violate not only federal law but, in many cases, the laws of other states,” said Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
Another problem with the CBD-only laws is the entourage effect. Study after study has shown that cannabidiol by itself may help some conditions. But it isn’t good for everything. And it’s often best in combination with THC and other cannabinoids. THC, not CBD, is the cannabis ingredient with anti-nausea properties “Whole plant” remedies appear to work better for a number of illnesses, including multiple sclerosis and possibly autism.
Many parents I spoke to were weary of CBD-only medicines. They believed, based on personal experience, that medicines combining CBD with some level of THC were far more effective. In November, Leafly profiled a Florida mom named Jacel Delgadillo, whose 5-year-old son, Bruno, suffers from Dravet syndrome. CBD oil, Delgaldillo said, certainly seemed to help with Bruno’s seizures. But the first time she tried a medicine with more THC, she said, was the first time Bruno had a seizure-free afternoon.
“I truly believe that CBD is like the supplement,” Delgaldillo told me over the phone. “THC is what did the most.”
Conforti doesn’t think CBD-only products do much for her autistic daughter, Abby. And since autism isn’t a qualifying condition under Georgia law, it seemed silly to follow the program’s strict requirements. Why pay more for less THC and the same amount of hassle? It made more sense, Conforti figured, to make medicine herself. So that’s what she does.
Georgia mother Jennifer Conforti, pictured here with daughter Abby, says she needs CBD oil to help treat Abby’s autism. She told her local sheriff: “I voted for you. I think you’re fabulous. But I’m giving my kid medicine and it works.”
An evening with the buyers club
On a drizzly evening last October, Conforti invited me to watch her cook her latest batch of cannabis extract. Nowadays she buys cannabis leaves from California on the black market, then brews them in a clear high-proof alcohol like Everclear. In the kitchen of her home, in the suburbs of Atlanta, a double-boiler of green liquid bubbled softly. Cooking alongside her cannabis tincture were the makings of a Southern party: meatballs in tomato sauce, a loaf of bread stuffed with green onions and cheddar.
As Conforti cooked, her husband pecked at the appetizers. Abby pranced around the kitchen, popping into the living room now and then to watch her favorite PBS show, “Dinosaur Train.”
I asked Conforti about the risks she took. She waved off the concern. Her cannabis distributor, she explained, vacuum-sealed his packages at least four times, to keep the smell hidden. But even if the authorities did discover her, she said, what would they possibly do to her — a cheerful suburban mom who just wanted her kid to be healthy?
Conforti’s husband wandered into the kitchen just in time to offer a different answer to her rhetorical question. What can they do? “Deliver it,” he said, “and then arrest you at the door.”
Conforti laughed. “Probably,” she said.
About thirty minutes later the cannabis tincture was done. Conforti strained out the solids with a cheesecloth. She put the bag of cannabis back in her freezer, next to some frozen groceries.
“It’s literally that easy,” she said. “I learned it on YouTube.”
First names only, please
The connection between Conforti and Lowe worked out well, but things don’t always go so smoothly. When patients are forced to reply on underground sources for their medicine, it’s difficult for them to vet their providers and their products.
One of Conforti’s connections in the medical cannabis underground was a man—I’ll call him Oliver—who was also raising an autistic child. Oliver had a friendly, dimply smile and the build of a football player. Conforti had invited him to stop by so he and I could meet. Oliver was a chatty guy, happy to share his feelings on pretty much everything. But when I pressed him on his enterprise — several people had told me he made CBD oil for about 300 kids in Georgia — he told me he didn’t want to talk about it.
There were some strange things about Oliver’s operation. His business partner, who processed the oil, was a registered sex offender. (This wasn’t just hearsay. I verified it with the Georgia state sex offender registry.) Several sources told me that a connection in Colorado had been helping Oliver obtain cannabis, but stopped when he learned about the partner’s history.
There were other oddities. Oliver said his oil was third-party lab-tested. But many parents had never seen any actual lab results. A few kids had bad reactions to the product. When one mother complained that her autistic son’s symptoms were worsening, she said Oliver “never listened.”
A couple weeks later, I called Oliver to press him on some of these issues. He insisted that he got his oil tested. “Every drop of everything has been lab-tested,” he told me. “It’s just a matter of, you cannot show them that.”
If his test results got into the wrong hands, he explained, they could be used as evidence to bring him up on drug charges. But when I asked him if I could see his lab results, he grew agitated. He declined, saying, “I’ve had enough.”
Oliver felt burned by his own generosity. He hadn’t advertised his oil, he told me. Desperate parents found him and practically begged for the stuff, he said. And while he acknowledged that some kids did react negatively to his products, he felt he was being unfairly vilified by people who didn’t understand how risky it was to make cannabis oil in Georgia.
“They want to critique me for helping people, I’ll stop helping people,” he said. “There’s very little I’m as passionate about in this world as helping autistic families. I put my personal freedom on the line only to be questioned and bashed.”
When I asked about his business partner’s legal status, Oliver said the question was “case in point why I’m done.” Oliver said he had decided to stop distributing cannabis oil to other parents.
“I’m going to help my own son get medicine,” he said. “That’s it.”
Sebastien Cotte saved his 6-year-old son Jagger with CBD oil from Colorado. Now living in Georgia, he’s an advocate and the education director for the Flowering H.O.P.E. Foundation.
Harsh laws turn parents into activists
Many parents do their best to play by the rules.
Sebastien Cotte was one of the first CBD parents in Georgia. In the summer of 2014, desperation drove Cotte, the father of a six-year-old son with a rare mitochondrial disease, to look for CBD oil even before it was legal in the state. That August, with his son Jagger nearing death, his family piled into a car and made the 20-plus hour drive from Atlanta to Colorado, where cannabis oil was legal and plentiful.
“That was a horrible trip,” Cotte said. “We had to stop every three or four hours.” Jagger’s muscles cramped up if he sat in a car seat for too long. And since Jagger needed to use a rechargable oxygen tank, Cotte said, “we would literally run out of oxygen.” Before they left Georgia, Cotte said, hospice doctors told him his son had a 50% chance of surviving the trip.
Cotte’s destination was Denver. The Flowering H.O.P.E. Foundation, a non-profit that helps underage patients get CBD oil, kept its headquarters in the Denver suburb of Longmont. (The foundation has since moved to Colorado Springs.) The foundation provides cannabis oil to about 2,000 patients nationwide, according to the group’s founder, Jason Cranford. Ten percent of those — around 200 patients — live in the American South. That number may sound small, but consider how few Southern patients there are, at least officially. Georgia has fewer than 1,000 patients in its registry. Michigan, which has roughly the same population as Georgia, counts more than 182,000 medical cannabis patients.
Denver had another thing going for it. The Mile High City is one of the few to have a pediatric hospice. If it came to it, the hospice could at least make Jagger’s final days a little more painless.
Cotte’s big gamble paid off. Using a number of the foundation’s products, including its signature “Haleigh’s Hope” CBD oil, Jagger stabilized. The life expectancy for a kid with Jagger’s illness was around four years, Cotte said. When Cotte and I spoke last autumn, Jagger was about to turn six.
That road trip turned Sebastien Cotte into an activist. He and his family moved back to Georgia. Working with Rep. Allen Peake, the Georgia legislator who’s been a pioneer on medical cannabis issues, Cotte helped make Georgia the first state in the country to include mitochondrial disease as a qualifying condition. Last year Peake convinced his fellow legislators to expand Georgia’s list of qualifying conditions and raise the allowable THC level in CBD products to five percent, far higher than most other Southern states.
If you drive, “avoid Kansas at all costs.”
Cotte now serves as the national business and education director for the Flowering H.O.P.E. Foundation. When he’s not helping to care for Jagger, he travels around the country teaching a free two-hour “Cannabis 101” course to parents of patients.
“The course is very basic: What’s THC, what’s CBD, what are terpenes, what does a lab report look like,” Cotte explained.
Inevitably, parents always ask about how to actually obtain CBD oil in the South. If their kids responded to oil containing less than 0.3% THC, which is below the federal threshold for hemp, the answer is simple: Order it online and have it shipped to your home. But if the child needs something stronger, Cotte finds himself in a tricky position.
“I have to be very, very careful answering questions like that,” he said. “I can’t tell them how to get it if it’s illegal.”
However, Cotte could say what other parents were doing: Getting it in Colorado themselves. Despite the DEA’s recent statement on CBD oil, patients and parents who need CBD products with less than 0.3 percent THC can order it online from dozens of web-based companies. There are no safeguards or assurances about what impurities those products might contain, however. There’s no guarantee they even contain cannabidiol.
That’s not a slam against CBD producers. There simply is no quality-assurance testing required of CBD products manufactured outside of legal, regulated states. Parents and patients have no way of knowing the true CBD content of their medicine. In theory, they could pay for their own test (if they could find a lab, in the South, willing to test a Schedule I drug) but that would put them at legal risk. By contrast, legal states like Colorado, Washington, and Oregon, require stringent state-regulated testing. If you buy it in a legal state, you know exactly what you’re getting.
So many parents did just that. They drove to Colorado. Some flew there. Almost everyone picked up the oil itself, because buying the plant would be pointless and risky. And everyone who drove stayed out of Kansas while carrying the cannabis oil home.
“Avoid Kansas at all costs,” Cotte said.
Best to avoid Oklahoma and Nebraska, too. Those were the three states that sued Colorado after it legalized marijuana, claiming that too much cannabis was seeping over their borders. Police in those states are actively looking for people smuggling cannabis, Cotte said. Last year, in fact, a federal court ordered Kansas police officers to stop targeting cars crossing the state line from Colorado. Officers had been routinely stopping out-of-state automobiles and searching them for cannabis.
You were better off driving south out of Colorado, he said, motoring through laid-back New Mexico, then enduring the 10 to 12 hour drive across Texas. Despite its law-and-order posturing, Cotte said the Lone Star state wasn’t so hard on CBD parents. He’d even heard about one family who, after being stopped by police in Texas, had the cops return their oil and send them on their way.
Serving the South: Flowering H.O.P.E.
Seeking a trusted source of medicine, many of the parents and patients I spoke to relied on the organization Cotte worked with, the Flowering H.O.P.E. Foundation. Jason Cranford’s organization maintains a storefront in Colorado Springs, where patients can pick up oil under the 0.3% THC threshold. Its headquarters are about 100 miles west of that, in the high plains of the Rockies.
That’s where I found Cranford, tending to his crop on a sunny autumn day in the Rocky Mountains. His organization’s 20-acre property contains two rows of grow houses — one for Flowering H.O.P.E., the other for Cranford’s retail company called South Park Farma — clumped against a backdrop of aspen-covered slopes. There’s a modern, suburban-style home where Cranford lives, and a small outbuilding he describes as his “research and development” lab.
Cranford is a stocky man with a quiet but cheerful persona. He’s quite comfortable discussing cannabis, maybe because he’s been around it most of his life. His father, a member of the Outlaws motorcycle gang, grew marijuana in Georgia in the 1970s. In 2007, Cranford moved to Humboldt County, California, to pursue the same career. In 2009, when he heard rumors that Colorado would soon license growers, he relocated there.
On the day I visited him, Cranford wore a shirt emblazoned with the phrase “#illegallyhealed.” He led me to his lab and R&D building, where dozens of bottles of the foundation’s most popular product, the 0.3% THC cannabis oil called “Haleigh’s Hope,” sat in boxes on a metal shelf. Samples of the oil, Cranford told me, are tested for microbials, pesticides and dosages by Phytatech, a state-licensed lab. Parents can request the lab results, Cranford said. He’s happy to provide them, a fact that several of his patients confirmed with me. After a batch is tested, about 90% of it gets shipped out of state.
Cranford occasionally receives a request from an out-of-state parent who needs cannabis oil containing more than 0.3% THC. Even if that level is legal in their state (Washington or Oregon, for instance), Cranford can’t ship it across state lines.
“We’re strict,” he said. “We don’t give [oil with more than 0.3% THC] to a child unless they have a Colorado card. They get mad at me, but I do it to protect them.”
Forced by Georgia state law to cook her own CBD oil for her daughter, Jennifer Conforti boils cannabis in Everclear, then measures out doses of oil into oral dispensing syringes.
Living under Leni’s Law in Alabama
One of Cranford’s clients is Jody Mitchell, an Alabama mother whose 12-year-old son once suffered from hundreds of epileptic seizures daily. Mitchell first learned about cannabis oil and CBD in 2014. At that point, she’d tried about 20 drugs for her son and was considering brain surgery for him. Then a friend stumbled upon a TV documentary about treating seizures with cannabis oil. She invited Mitchell over.
“I’m sitting on their sofa looking at them like, ‘Are you serious? This is a viable option?’” Mitchell recalled. “And I’m thinking, ‘OK — weed’s never killed anybody.’”
At that point, medical cannabis of any kind was illegal in Alabama. Mitchell’s parents thought she was crazy for considering it. Her husband threatened to have her arrested. Mitchell, who prays over decisions about her son’s health, was preoccupied with other concerns. “I have gone as far as medical science can go for me,” she remembered thinking. “Can I meet my maker knowing I didn’t do everything to help my child?”
Fortunately for Mitchell and her son, legal relief soon arrived. In April 2014, Alabama passed its first extremely limited CBD law, known as Carly’s Law.
Under Carly’s Law, the state legislature limited cannabis-based medicine to a single clinical trial at the University of Alabama. Specifically, it was a three-year trial for Epidiolex, GW Pharma’s CBD-based drug currently undergoing Phase III FDA trials. Mitchell enrolled her son, Robert, in the study, but eventually pulled him out after a disagreement with the doctors. “I said, ‘Let’s keep him on the lowest dose,’ because that’s what he did best, and they said, ‘That’s not what this trial is for.’” A month later, she began giving him illegal cannabis oil.
Alabama legislators eventually revised that original measure by adopting Leni’s Law, which went into effect this past June. It was barely a law, in the sense that it didn’t actually legalize anything. Instead, the bill was written to offer medical cannabis patients an affirmative defense, which could be used in court by CBD patients charged with drug possession.
If it’s super-low THC, call for delivery
Since Leni’s Law didn’t allow anyone in Alabama to make or sell the oil, Mitchell still had to find it elsewhere.
She heard about the Flowering H.O.P.E. Foundation through the grapevine. “One talk led to another talk led to, ‘Oh, I can get oil from this person,’” she said. Her son responded to CBD oil that fell below the 0.3 percent THC threshold. That meant she could order it online from Jason Cranford’s foundation in Colorado and have it shipped to Alabama.
“It’s one of those things you track every five minutes, like: ‘OK, did [the package] just get delayed in Memphis?’” she said. But at least she didn’t have to worry about state or federal drug-trafficking charges quite as much as other caregivers.
When I spoke to parents and caregivers, they often seemed unfazed by the laws they were breaking. They were helping their loved ones, they told me. If they were to be arrested, many told me they were confident that public opinion—and perhaps the votes of a jury—would be on their side.
After a few weeks of reporting this story, however. I noticed something troubling. All the caregivers I’d met were white and, by and large, middle class. They were all the parents of very cute, very sick children. I met no people of color who were willing to talk about obtaining CBD oil for their children. And I met very few patients who were not children.
The effect was so pronounced that even distributors and policymakers would sometimes use the words “caregiver” and “parent” interchangeably. Was there an element of confirmation bias at play here? Was it true that most CBD oil users felt safe? I wondered if I was just talking to the people who felt the most insulated from the risk of arrest—middle class white parents with very sick, very sympathetic white children.
When I asked Flowering H.O.P.E. founder Jason Cranford about this, he chuckled. “We call them mommy lobbyists,” he said of this overlap between parent and activist. “You don’t mess with a momma bear and her cubs.”
Race, class, and degrees of risk
In fact, it was that very image—ferocious white mothers testifying at state legislative hearings, demanding that lawmakers allow them to treat their sick children—that forced the passage of CBD-only laws in the first place.
I recalled what one middle-aged Georgia patient told me. Frank, not his real name, is a divorced father who struggles with multiple sclerosis. He asked me to obscure his identity, citing ongoing divorce proceedings. “Picture it this way,” he said. “You turn on the TV and you see me on crutches. Then you see a little kid on crutches. What causes more tears?”
Frank used to buy cannabis from street-corner sellers to alleviate his MS symptoms. Last year, after he got his Georgia medical card, he found a company that distributes CBD oil within the state. Frank connected me to the company’s co-founders, whom I’ll call Mike and Ben. They agreed meet with me but asked that I obscure their identities, citing legal concerns.
Mike and Ben, pictured here, produce CBD oil for patients in Atlanta. The risks are considerable. “We know that, at the end of the day, the door could get kicked down,” Ben said.
Oil makers on the edge in Atlanta
I met Mike and Ben at their office in a picturesque section of north Atlanta. Something about the open but nondescript building, which sat against a forest stream, seemed like a perfect place for a semi-underground cannabis company. I walked upstairs and followed the mailbox numbers to their office. The door was open.
Mike welcomed me in with a big smile. The space was sparse and messy, with a box of promotional materials sitting against one wall. Ben was already there, along with two adult patients. Mike and Ben’s lab technician would show up a few minutes later, dragged inside on a leash by his service dog, a large German shepherd.
Mike and Ben made several products that exceeded Georgia’s limit of five percent THC. Otherwise, they said, they tried to obey the law when they could. They only treated patients with Georgia medical cards. They grew their cannabis in California, where medical cultivation was legal. They had a nice website where patients could check out a variety of well-branded products, which were tested by a lab in Colorado.
But, I pointed out, they were producing and distributing cannabis products in Georgia, where that was strictly forbidden. “We know that, at the end of the day, the door could get kicked down,” Ben told me.
Even getting the cannabis flower to Georgia could be difficult. “We still don’t know how it gets here,” Mike said.
“I have to go to church and pray,” Ben added, only half-joking.
Still, as we sat there chatting, it was difficult to imagine police officers bursting through the door. The five of us sat around eating artisanal donuts—with flavors like apple cobbler and banana cream pie—that Mike had brought that morning. As we ate, Ben pulled out a bong and nonchalantly fired it up.
Mike and Ben had managed to set up a real company with an office in the Atlanta suburbs. Was that a sign, I asked, that the state government didn’t put the enforcement of CBD laws high on its priority list? As an answer, Mike put a bottle of CBD oil on the table and then began to pantomime a police raid, playing the part of a gun-toting drug enforcement agent.
The point of Mike’s demonstration was that busting him would make the police look bad in the eyes of the public. “Optics,” Mike said. It was the same argument I’d heard from many parents. But Mike and Ben’s business focused on adult patients, not children. A few of them talked with me as they stopped by. There was Bradley, who battled Crohn’s disease. Bruce, a military veteran struggling with both Crohn’s and PTSD, joined us later for lunch at a local restaurant. After months of reporting on this story, Bruce was the only Southern patient of color I met.
All three were adamant about how cannabis oil had changed their lives for the better. Since he began taking the medicine, Bradley said he had been able to earn his masters degree. He no longer had to rely on his mom. Bruce added his own story. “I haven’t been back to the VA [Veteran’s Adminstration] in two or three years,” he said. “When I was on those [pharmaceutical] meds, I got four DUIs, three felonies, and I got addicted to Xanax.”
The changes were perhaps most dramatic for Frank. Before medical cannabis, his multiple sclerosis had been debilitating. “There were times I wanted to give up,” he said. His symptoms would get so bad that he’d retreat to his bedroom where he could cry without disturbing his children.
Things were better now. Still, as an older patient, Frank felt guarded. His daughter had noticed how much he’d improved, he said. But he couldn’t risk telling her about CBD oil, so he just called it “Daddy’s medicine.”
CBD-only: An experiment failed
In most of America’s 29 medical marijuana states, cannabis is easily purchased in dispensaries. But three years into the CBD-only experiment, it remains extremely difficult for Southern parents and patients to obtain any kind of cannabis-based medicine, no matter how low the THC content. They must rely on an underground network of fellow patients, parents and sympathetic helpers.
Obtaining CBD oil in the South remains such a challenge that patients and parents have formed an underground network of providers, mentors, caregivers and supporters. Operating in-person or through private Facebook groups, they help each other find good producers and steer clear of bad ones. Though CBD-only laws were supposed to make the medicine legal and more easily obtained, in fact the laws have only spurred the formation of clandestine networks and local cannabis medicine buyer’s clubs.
So far, there are no reports of patients getting busted for violating a CBD-only law. It’s unclear if that reflects the caution of patients and parents, or if there’s an unspoken law enforcement policy to leave CBD patients alone.
Perhaps, as Mike suggested, local police are leaving enforcement of these laws to superior agencies, like the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. During my research, I heard about an Alabama police chief who was, some parents said, sympathetic to their concerns. When I contacted the chief and ask him for his opinion on Leni’s Law, he declined an interview. “I’m just not comfortable (possibly) being viewed as an advocate of something currently deemed illegal in the State of Alabama,” he wrote me in an email. Of course, Leni’s Law is actually not illegal in Alabama—the name itself is kind of a giveaway—but his response was telling: Marijuana stigma remains so powerful in the South that even a police chief didn’t want to discuss it.
With no arrests yet, it’s unclear how these CBD laws will play out in court. Still, most patients and parents are prepared for a fight. Mark Coleman, an Alabama father who treats his severely autistic 15-year-old girl with CBD oil, told me he keeps a copy of Leni’s Law in his car, just in case.
Like most parents, Jody Mitchell, the Alabama mother who orders CBD oil online, remains defiant. “I’ll go sit in a jail cell for a couple days,” she told me. “As long as they can’t take my son’s medicine, I’m okay.”
Stephen Paulsen
Stephen Paulsen is a freelance journalist based in Houston. He writes about crime, food, drugs, subcultures, and urban planning.
The post Atlanta Buyers Club: Inside the CBD Underground in the American South appeared first on Leafly.
from Medical Marijuana News http://ift.tt/2ko2NWy
via https://www.potbox.com/
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Kindle Kindness
Miracle Moment®
“Our prime purpose in this life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.” Dalai Lama XIV
A Message From Our Founder, Cynthia Brian
Whenever we felt angry with someone when we were children, my Mother would advise, “You’ll catch more bees with honey than vinegar. Be kind.” Although I wasn’t sure why she wanted us to catch bees, as we matured those words became the foundation of our characters. Kindness begets kindness.
The BTSYA Pop- Up Concert at Aegis Living spread the love among seniors and a pooch. Thanks to Chelsea Pelchat and Brigitte Jia for organizing such a kind event.
Jelina Liu has signed on to be the official videographer for upcoming SHINE webisodes. If you want to contribute to the scripts that focus on being the star you are, shoot me an email.
The Pear and Wine Festival will be held on Saturday, September 23 and we are thrilled that three of last year’s sponsors have once again stepped up to support Be the Star You Are!®. If you are interested in joining our STAR sponsors, email [email protected]. More information at www.BetheStarYouAre.org/events .
Our sincere thank you to our STARS:
Gold Star Sponsor: Michael Verbrugge Construction: www.mvcremodeling.com
Media Sponsor: The Lamorinda Weekly: www.lamorindaweekly.com
Silver Sponsor: MB Jesse Painting: www.mbjessee.com
The planning committee for our 20th anniversary celebration will be meeting at our offices on Tuesday, September 5th. If you’d like to help plan this exciting event, be in touch by email.
Our STAR Book Review Team has been on super drive these past few months reading and writing reviews to help learn about great books new and old. Check out www.BTSYA.org and click on Book Reviews for a plethora of ideas for fascinating reads for all ages.
As you prepare for the upcoming school season, take time to savor the sunshine while you enjoy the juicy fruits of summer. Give thanks for the farmers of our world who work to feed us all. You’ll want to read my article In Praise of Farmers. https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1112/Digging-Deep-Gardening-with-Cynthia-Brian-In-Praise-of-Farmers.html
Be kind to one another. Happy days! We’ll chat in September!
With gratitude and joy for your support. Remember that my virtual door is always open!
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!®
PO Box 422
Moraga, Ca. 94556
925-377-STAR
www.BetheStarYouAre.org
www.BTSYA.org
[email protected]
SCATTERING KINDNESS
By Karen Kitchel
If you asked most people if they want to scatter kindness, I believe you would hear a resounding "yes!" If you need some ideas on how to begin, here are a few simple ways to start scattering kindness.
Interrupt the ordinary
Think about the people who help you get life done (mail delivery person, garbage collector, etc.) Interrupt them on an ordinary day with a cold bottle of water or candy bar and a "thanks for what you do."
Love from afar
Send a little treat or trinket with the name of your state to a faraway friend or distant relative with a post-it note that says you were just thinking about them.
Popsicle scattering
While at the grocery store, pick up a box or two of popsicles and drop them off at a local shelter. All you have to say is "enjoy!"
Pennies for wishes
Save up your pennies and spread them out near a fountain where kids will find them, and they can make wishes.
Take the sting out of sorrow
Add to your calendar the birthday and anniversary dates of friends who have recently passed away. Then do something to remember the loved ones left behind on these difficult yet special days.
A line to say to make someone's day
"That color sure looks good on you!"
Magazines for the homeless
If you enjoy reading, gather your used magazines or ask your doctor or dentist's office to save some for you, and take them to a homeless shelter.
Kindness cards
Make up a few note cards to keep in your purse or car. Randomly drop them on an empty park bench, a counter or windshield. They can say things like: "You are appreciated" - "Always remember how special you are" - "There is not another person in this universe just like you" - "You are better than butter!"
About the author:
Karen Kitchel is passionate about scattering kindness. As President of the Cheerful Givers nonprofit organization, she helped to bring birthday gifts to more than one million less fortunate children. Prior to that, she helped create a corporate university at BI Worldwide. Currently she serves meals to the homeless, is a job coach, teacher, writer and mentor. She can be reached at [email protected].
Let Us Entertain You!
When you are looking for upbeat, positive, informative, and entertaining talk radio, tune in to StarStyle®-Be the Star You Are!® LIVE Wednesdays 4-5pm PT on the Voice America Network Empowerment Channel.
http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2206/be-the-star-you-are
Also available in the archives and itunes anytime. Descriptions and photos at www.StarStyleRadio.com
Our teens interview authors, celebrities, and entrepreneurs NOON PT every Tuesday on Express Yourself! on Voice America Kids Network. https://www.voiceamerica.com/show/2014/express-yourself
Also available in the archives and itunes anytime. Descriptions and photos at www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com
Shop, Give, and Get Connected
If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our PayPal page!
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
Ways to Help
1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882
2. Discounted books at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity
3. Buy or Sell on EBAY:http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/be-the-star-you-are-501-c-3/1504/?favorite=link
4. Use GoodSearch to search the web & buy from your favorite stores,. Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too! http://www.goodsearch.com/goodto-go/be-the-star-you-are
5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA
6. BTSYA Logo Store: http://btsya.rylees.net
7. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 1800+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc
8. Designer Clothes to Buy or Sell: https://www.unionandfifth.com/charities/be-the-star-you-are-moraga-ca/shop
If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
Links you can use for Be the Star You Are!®
Positive Results: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/positive-results
About Us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/about_us
Programs: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/programs
How to Help: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/how-to-help
Blog:http://www.bethestaryouare.org/blog
Events:http://www.bethestaryouare.org/events
Contact us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/contact
GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/
Care to see what other people are saying about us? See our reviews at Great Non-Profits! GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/
Thanks for supporting Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3
Sparkle at Sunset!
Read more:
http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/13faf62186/288055965/bbd34d3431/
Press Pass: http://vapresspass.com/2017/08/24/scattering-kindness/
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Summer Love
“The Summer Of Love was something special.
We were so young and so free” Jefferson Airplane
A Message from Founder and Executive Director, Cynthia Brian
Fifty years ago was the famous or perhaps infamous “Summer of Love” in San Francisco where over 100,000 young people migrated from around the world essentially launching the global hippie explosion of a counterculture revolution.. Maybe you were there or maybe you are the child of a flower child and completely exhausted from hearing about the good ‘ole days of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n roll. The nostalgia surrounding that complex time period is being showcased in multiple museums and exhibits around the San Francisco Bay Area. If you want to take a stroll down memory lane for a flashback of the 60’s, make sure to check out the various events.
School is out, Father’s Day is here, graduations, birthdays, weddings, camping trips, water sports, barbeques, and multiple outdoor activities highlight the summer season. Whatever you do, be safe, smart, and enjoy your family and friends as they are precious.
The Moraga Faire booth was a huge success. Again, our gratitude to sponsors Michael VerBrugge Construction (http://www.mvcremodeling.com) and Realtor Elena Hood (http://www.Orinda.com) as well as authors Brooks Olbrys(http://www.blueoceanbob.com) and Diana Zimmerman (http://www.kandide.com) Teen event coordinator, Chelsea Pelchat, did a fantastic job of organizing the day and the BTSYA volunteers were stupendous. Thank you all.
Be on the lookout for a summer event to be announced.
Speaking of events, the 20th anniversary of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3 will be September 9, 2019. We want to celebrate in style and are searching for a dedicated and experienced volunteer who wants to chair and coordinate a 20th anniversary party. If that is YOU, shoot me an email, [email protected] and let’s talk.
If you’d like to be on a committee, email me as well.
Make sure to check out our new creative community at http://www.BTSYA.com. Web volunteer, Tim Barger, who helped design our website is available for hire at http://www.Timbarger.com.
Since online shopping has become the norm for so many people, please scroll to the end of this newsletter to make your purchases through one of our partners who will donate a percentage of your total to Be the Star You Are!® All of your favorite stores and brands are represented so that you can buy what you wish while increasing literacy and positive media.
During the summer, make sure to read books and read to your children. “To be a leader, you must be a reader. Read, lead, succeed.” Check out this great article in the NY Times on how to raise a reader: https://www.nytimes.com/guides/books/importance-of-reading?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website
Happy June, Happy End-of School, Happy Father’s Day, Happy Vacation.
Make this YOUR summer of love.
My virtual door is always open.
Sending summer love,
Cynthia Brian
Founder/Executive Director
Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3
http://www.BetheStarYouAre.org
http://www.BTSYA.org
[email protected]
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
925-377-STAR
NEW DESIGNER PARTNER-Union and Fifth
Union and Fifth is the newest BTSYA partner who raise money for charity by selling donated and pre-owned designer clothes, shoes and handbags. To Donate Clothes: Sign up to donate your clothes via Be the Star You Are!® as your chosen charity. Download a free shipping label. They authenticate, photograph, list, and sell your items. Be the Star You Are!® will receive 75% of the sale. You receive 100% tax deduction.
SHOP top brands like Chanel, Louboutin, and more up to 90% off retail.
https://www.unionandfifth.com/charities/be-the-star-you-are-moraga-ca/shop
Cowboy Nonie’s Online Boutique
Two sisters, Amber and Lacy, have launched a new on-line boutique specializing in country chic clothing for women and children. Named as a tribute in memory of their country girl mother who died in May, 2016, Cowboy Nonie’s Boutique boasts beautiful items in sizes 0-3XL because the sisters want ladies to feel confident and sexy no matter what size they wear. Amber and Lady design many of the shirts, hats, dresses, and onesies. They proudly have the majority of their merchandize manufactured right here in the USA! Their husbands built them a mobile fashion trailer complete with a fitting room to resemble a small store front making it possible for Cowboy Nonie’s Boutique to travel for home parties, events, festivals, and more. When you want to feel a little bit country and a little bit rock ‘n roll, visit their Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/cowboynonies/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel
And soon their web site will be launched at www.cowboynonies.com.
WANT TO WRITE A CHAPTER IN OUR NEW BOOK?
Volunteers, radio reporters, supporters, and beneficiaries are invited to submit a short chapter for our third book in the Be the Star You Are!® series. Titled, Be the Star You Are!® for Millennials-Celebrating Gifts of Positive Voices in a Changing Digital World, this book is bound for greatness. If you love to write and want to participate, please email [email protected]
for guidelines. Deadlines are fast approaching.
A Father's Day History
by Karen Kitchel
Sonora Louise Smart Dodd first brought up the idea of a Father's day in 1909. She wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. When Sonora's mother died in childbirth with her sixth child, William, who was a veteran of the Civil War, was left to raise the newborn and five other children by himself on a small farm in Washington. Sonora realized how strong and unselfish her dad had been raising his kids as a single parent and she thought there should be a day to pay homage to him and other Dads like him.
Sonora wanted Father's Day to be celebrated on the first Sunday in June because it was close to her Dad's birthday. Instead the first Father's Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson made the third Sunday of June Father's Day, but it wasn't until 1972 that President Richard Nixon made Father's Day a national holiday -- about 60 years after Mother's Day had been made a national holiday.
Other countries also picked up on the idea of Father’s Day. While many followed suit by celebrating it on the third Sunday in June, some decided to honor Dad on different dates.
And what's the best gift you can give if you're lucky enough to have a Dad? Write him a note and just tell him that you’re glad to be his child. Happy Father's Day to all who hold this very special title!
Some heroes don’t’ have capes. They are called DAD!
Karen Kitchel is a Community Volunteer who is passionate about helping those who are homeless or disadvantaged. She previously served as President of Cheerful Givers, a nonprofit organization, and Director of BI University at BI Worldwide. She can be reached at [email protected]
Shop, Give, and Get Connected
If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page!
https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
Ways to Help
1. AmazonSmile donates .5% of purchases http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3333882
2. Discounted books at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/shops/be_the_star_you_are_charity
3. Buy or Sell on EBAY:http://givingworks.ebay.com/charity-auctions/charity/be-the-star-you-are-501-c-3/1504/?favorite=link
4. Use GoodSearch to search the web & buy from your favorite stores,. Choose Be the Star You Are as your charity to support. You can log in with Facebook, too! http://www.goodsearch.com/goodto-go/be-the-star-you-are
5. Shop at over 1300 stores on IGIVE: http://www.iGive.com/BTSYA
6. BTSYA Logo Store: http://btsya.rylees.net
7. Giving Assistant: Shop. Earn. Give! Use Giving Assistant to earn cash back at 1800+ popular online stores, then donate a percentage to BTSYA: https://givingassistant.org/np#be-the-star-you-are-inc
8. Designer Clothes to Buy or Sell: https://www.unionandfifth.com/charities/be-the-star-you-are-moraga-ca/shop
If you would like to make a direct donation to our giving fund, please visit our Paypal page! https://www.paypal.com/us/webapps/mpp/search-cause?charityId=1504&s=3
Links you can use for Be the Star You Are!®
Positive Results: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/positive-results
About Us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/about_us
Programs: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/programs
How to Help: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/how-to-help
Blog:http://www.bethestaryouare.org/blog
Events:http://www.bethestaryouare.org/events
Contact us: http://www.bethestaryouare.org/contact
GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/
Please join us on Star-Style Radio and Express Yourself! Teen Radio. Please also visit our calendar to find local events. http://www.BetheStarYouAreRadio.com
Care to see what other people are saying about us? See our reviews at Great Non-Profits! GREAT NON PROFITS REVIEWS: http://greatnonprofits.org/reviews/be-the-star-you-are-inc/
Thanks for supporting Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL OUR DADDY HEROES!
Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3
PO Box 376
Moraga, California 94556
www.BetheStarYouAre.org
www.BTSYA.org
925-377-STAR
[email protected]
Read more at: http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/672296/3d8fdc4852/288055965/ac7221bc2f/
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