#So basically I wrote day 29 on the 29th
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Whumptober 2023
Day 29
(@whumptober)
By - B.W
⚠TW⚠
~ Swearing
~ Mentions of Death
~ Mentions of Suicide
~ Mentions of Abuse
Enjoy!
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“I know.. but this is a big deal for you, don’t let me hold you back..” Karyme talks into her phone.
“We’ve been through worse, long distance won’t break us.” She replies after a bit.
“I can visit, and so can you.” She says. “We’ll be fine.”
“Karyme!” Shouts a voice.
Karyme sighs. “Hey, I got to go, my mother’s calling me.. yea.. you know how she gets when I talk to you..”
“I’ll talk to you later, bye.” She says, hanging up the phone.
“Karyme!” Her mom shouts again.
“Coming..” Karyme mumbles, leaving her room.
She walks to the living room, where her mom stands, arms crossed. Immediately the air in the room becomes tense.
Karyme frowns. “What’s going on..?”
Her mom sighs. “That’s what I want you to explain to me.”
Karyme raises an eyebrow. “What do you mean.?”
Her mom makes a face. “I went to the pharmacy to refill my medication.. and they asked how your new medication was going.”
Karyme feels the blood drain from her face. “I-..”
“Care to explain what new medication?” Her mom asks.
Karyme looks away. “It’s for..”
“Well?”
“They’re for.. depression..”
Her mom only frowns. “You’re not depressed, Karyme.”
Karyme makes the same face. “How would you know? You’re never around..”
Her mom narrows her eyes. “Excuse you, but I think I know my daughter.”
“You only know what you want to know..” Karyme mumbles.
“That’s enough, Karyme.” Her mom says coldly. “The medication, hand it over.”
Karyme widens her eyes a bit. “..What.?”
“You heard me.” Her mom replies. “You’re only drugging yourself.”
Karyme frowns. “No.”
“What?”
“I’m 19, and I sorted that medication for myself. You can’t take it.”
“I’m your mother-“
“Only when it’s convenient..”
“That’s enough from you!” her mom shouts. “You need to learn your place!”
“Fuck that!” Karyme shouts back. “Can’t you see? You’re the reason I have to take that medication!”
“You’ve never had a reason to be upset!” Her mother retaliates. “That boy you’ve been with has corrupted you!”
“Don’t you talk bad about him.” Karyme says coldly. “He’s helped me open my eyes-“
“He’s taking you away from us!” Her mom says.
“No! That was what YOU did! When my uncle died, when my ex took advantage of me, when I tried to kill myself, guess what? You weren’t there!” Karyme shouts. “You’ve only ever been here when you want to belittle.. or hurt me..”
There’s a deafening silence as they both stand there.
“Go to your room.” Her mom mumbles. “I don’t want to see your face.”
“Typical.” Karyme mumbles back, heading back to her room.
Once she closes the door, tears begin to sting in her eyes. She wipes them away furiously, and looks at her phone.
The time reads 8 pm. Karyme sighs.
‘I still have time..’ She thinks to herself.
She hears the front door slam closed, and the start of an engine.
This was her chance.
She is quick to pack her valuables, and discard anything of no use. Once she’s finished, she picks up her phone and calls Kaiden.
His voice picks up right away, at it calms Karyme again.
“Hey..” Karyme mumbles, cringing at how hoarse her voice sounds. “No, I’m fine, really..”
“..yeah.. we did..” Karyme replies. “It’s fine, it’s over with..”
She sighs. “What time do you leave again.?” She asks. “Right, 10 pm.. no reason, I just wanted to know..”
“..yeah, I’ll let you finish packing.. I’ll talk to you soon..” She says, hanging up.
She drags her suitcases out the front door, and down the street. She walks until she spots the bus stop. She sighs, deep in thought was she waits.
‘Should I have left a note..?’ She thinks to herself. ‘No.. why would I..?’
She lifts her head up as she sees the bus approach. She sighs, and boards without another thought..
__
It’s dark out, and cold. Karyme keeps walking, checking the time every minute.
She can’t be late..
..what if she just told him.?
No.. there’s no reason to..
She picks up the pace, pulling her jacket closer to her shivering body. She walks until she spots a familiar black car, which is empty.
She turns her head towards the house, which has the door open.
Karyme takes the opportunity to rest, only turning her head when she hears something.
She spots Kaiden, and takes a deep breath.
“..surprise..?” She mumbles.
Kaiden widens his eyes a bit. “Karyme.? What are you doing here.?”
She sighs. “Room for one more.?”
He walks over to her. “What happened.?”
Once he’s close enough, she hugs him, trying to keep it together.
“I want to go with you..” She mumbles.
“But you said-“ He starts.
“Please..” She asks softly.
Kaiden sighs. “Are you sure.? Do your parents know?”
“Yes.. and no.” Karyme replies.
Kaiden frowns. “They’ll report you as missing-“
“I already took care of that.” Karyme says. “..don’t leave me here..”
Kaiden hugs her tight. “Wouldn’t dream of it..”
He lets go of the hug. “Do you have your things?”
Karyme nods, eyeing her bags. They’re quickly loaded in the car and Kaiden sighs.
“Alright..” He says slowly. “..then we’re set, no?”
“I guess so..” Karyme replies.
Kaiden frowns at her. “You need a better jacket, it’s freezing out tonight.”
“I’m fine-“
“You’ll catch a cold.”
“Kaiden..” Karyme groans.
“Here.” He says, taking off his jacket and putting it on her.
Karyme frowns at him. “Now you’ll get cold..”
“I’ll be fine.” He says. “Selyna knows how sick you get when it’s cold.”
”Hypocrite..” Karyme mumbles.
Kaiden smiles a bit. “Just get in the car.”
Karyme gets in the car, sitting silently. When Kaiden gets in, he gives her a weird look.
“You sure you’re okay?” He asks.
Karyme glances at him. “..kinda..”
“We’ll talk about it later.” He says, starting the car.
“Are you going to drive all night.?” Karyme asks.
Kaiden shakes his head. “Only for a bit, we can stop at a hotel for the night.”
Karyme nods, going back to looking out the window.
Kaiden starts to drive away from the familiar town.
Karyme did it.
She really did it.
She’s free.
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#whumptober#whumptober day 29#whump writing#i have some things to explain#So basically I wrote day 29 on the 29th#But it didn’t save#And that really demotivated me#So I gave up#but it’s the last day#So I’m going to pull through and finish this#Part 30 & 31 will be up sometime today as well#so look out for that#anywaysss that’s all for rn#and as always#enjoy! :)
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Why is The relationship between Cihangir and Mustafa colored by many legends, when the reality is quite different. Mustafa left Istanbul in 1533, when Cihangir was still an infant. Later, no interaction was known between the two princes. Cihangir never visited Mustafa in his princely province, and there is no evidence that any letter was ever exchanged. Based on the evidences, there was no connection between the two princes, so they probably never stood close together.
So, I have done some digging (instead of studying, so you'll tell my professor that on the day of my exam) and I think I have found something interesting. In Relazioni degli ambasciatori veneti al senato collected by Alberi, there's a Relazione Anonima (anonymous report) which talks about the war against Iran in 1553 and therefore Mustafa's execution as well. This is what it says about Cihangir:
With the Gran Signore was always Sultan Gengir, fifth-born, hunchbacked and much loved by his father, who - after sultan Mustafa's death - wanted to give him the sanjak of Amasya, where [Mustafa] had lived, but Gengir refused, saying that he did not want to leave his father's presence until he died at his feet, as happened later.
the author goes on saying that Cihangir also hoped that by staying right next to his father, should Süleyman die, he was in the perfect position to assume control of the empire... which I don't know whether it is true or not.
“It was said that he incredibly mourned the end of his brother Mustafa, and that when he received the news he was about to give himself death by his own hand, which is very hard to believe because not only is life very dear [...] but with the death of his brother there was a great hope for him of ruling this great empire.”
The author also said that Selim, who was near Süleyman's camp, was summoned by his father several times but he did not move because he was afraid he would meet Mustafa's end. He only obeyed when things seemed to have calmed down.
About Cihangir's actual death, he says:
“On the 29th of that month sultan Gengir died. His ailment was a fast one, which ended him in four days; and because his condition was not known outside the serraglio, when the news of his death came out, it was believed that the Gran Signore had died, and this news spread so that it was believed in different parts of the city, where in some places sackings had begun.”
So while he says that Cihangir mourned Mustafa's execution, his death seems to have nothing to do with him. It was an ailment which was most probably linked to his condition. It is interesting that he says that no one knew - outside Topkapi - that Cihangir was disabled so his death came as a shock to people. Maybe this is why his death gets connected to Mustafa's?
I have tried to find more reports of Mustafa's execution.
Unfortunately, the Venetian ambassador to Istanbul at that time - Domenico Trevisan - in his relazione refers back to his dispacci which are not published, though, so... that's disappointing. He literally says that he has already talked about Mustafa's execution at length and therefore will not repeat things he has already said. That's just the most disappointing things I have ever read, personally.
Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq was the Austrian ambassador from 1554 to 1562 so technically he was not a witness of Mustafa's execution. I could not find a translation of his letters in a language I know but I did find The Life and Letters of Ogier Ghiselin de Busbecq; unfortunately, it does not mention Cihangir (though it perpetuates the myth that Hürrem asked Süleyman to execute Mustafa's son... sigh).
The French ambassador of the time was Gabriel d'Aramon. Interestingly, one of his secretaries - Jean Chesnau - wrote an account of his embassy: Le Voyage de Monsieur d'Aramon dans le Levant. Jean Chesnau says:
“And from this death [Mustafa's] ensued that of Sultan Janguier Bassa, last son of the said Lord who died due to having seen his brother so cruelly treated. Others say that it was for a few words and threats that he told his father, and others that he was poisoned in a bath.”
I think it's very interesting that he calls Cihangir a pasha? It could be a mistake, of course, but he doesn't call any of Süleyman's sons like that in the rest of his work.
This chronicle was annotated by M. Ch. Schefer in the XIX century, who says about this:
"Djihanguir did not stab himself on his brother's body as some historians claim. He died in Aleppo on November 29 1553, of pleurisy after four days of suffering, two months after the execution of his brother Sultan Mustafa."
And indeed there are people who claim that Cihangir stabbed himself right after Mustafa's death: Michel de Codignac, French ambassador, for example.
"Then the Signore had his son Zangir the hunchback summoned, who did not know of these actions [Mustafa's execution], and ordered him to go see his brother who had come and was in the pavilion. Said hunchback, who arrived to embrace him, inside found the body of his poor brother strangled on the ground, and almost at the same time his father sent someone to tell him that he gifted him all the treasure that had been Mustafa's, with the pavilions and the province. The living brother replied: Ah wicked dog, traitor and not father. Let him enjoy Mustafa's treasures, pavilions and the province, because if he could find in his angry soul the reason to put to death such a virtuous son - and with such expectations, that no other like him the Ottoman house had or will ever have - God forbid he'll rejoice to do the same to me, miserable hunchback. And he pulled the dagger he had at his side and stuck it in his chest between the two humps, and immediately died. Having the King heard such an unexpected thing, he was greatly affected by it. And in truth this was the success of the Hunchback, although in order not to fill the world with ugliness, due to the reverence for the Ottoman house, the Turks say that he died of infirmity because he was ill." — Ruscelli, Lettere di Principi, tome I
This is the translation of a letter Michel de Codignac - who was not a witness and was not even the ambassador at that time - sent to the bishop of Lodève, who had become the French ambassador to Venice in 1555. The letter itself is marked 3 October 1553 but it is a mistake, according to Charrière in Négociations de la France dans le Levant:
"... the letter he [Ruscelli, author of Lettere di principi] gives written, or rather translated into Italian, appears to be a relation composed much later, and it is undoubtedly 1555 that we must read as the year, when M. de Lodève came to occupy the post in Venice. [...] In relating the incidents of [Mustafa's] death, [Codignac] gives circumstantial and very curious details, but which only concern the history of Turkey, and do not differ from those given on this subject by Turkish historians."
This is how far I was able to trace these claims.
Basically from the aftermath of Mustafa's death rumours began to circulate that Cihangir had either a) cursed his father or b) greatly mourned Mustafa.
(I think we can discount the reports that Cihangir died on Mustafa's same day because... well he was alive for two more months)
While I can believe that Cihangir was affected by the execution, and the reasons could be several (among which the fact that his father had unexpectedly executed one of his sons), I do not believe that he told Süleyman that he was a "wicked dog" and a "traitor" or that his death was connected to Mustafa's.
I think it's very interesting that the Relazione Anonima says that no one knew of Cihangir's weak health and therefore when he died people started to think that it was the sultan who had died (who, on the contrary, was rumoured to be in bad health—Mustafa himself knew that and was said to be waiting for the messenger to ride to Istanbul and take the throne). All the references to Süleyman being deeply affected by Cihangir's death of course come from the deep love that the sultan had for his youngest son and not from those words that de Codignac says Cihangir uttered.
So there's that.
I was not able to trace back to the source of these claims but I am almost sure that Mustafa's entourage manipulated the narration in the aftermath of his execution. I could think of Yahya Efendi, who composed a eulogy in his honour and who blamed Rüstem right away. As he was someone very close to the prince, he was most probably considered a good source.
For my part, I found the Relazione Anonima very interesting because it gives away details almost... without noticing? (and these are the best sources) The author mentions the janissaries asking to go pay obésaince to Mustafa (which was forbidden) and Rüstem not allowing it because he knew that otherwise he would lose control of the army. He also mentions that they went anyway and that Mustafa treated them with honours, showering them with gifts; we can only speculate on why Mustafa decided to do that even though it was against protocol, but I think it was that that spurred Süleyman to action. We must never forget that he was a teenager when his father took the throne from Bayezid II; he witnessed the first coup d'état with the help of the Janissaries in Ottoman history. He probably thought that the same was going to happen to him.
I am so sorry that your question got derailed LOL I just hope that I somehow managed to answer your question while I blabbed.
(this is so long yikes i’m so sorry)
#anon#ask post#ask: ottoman history#sehzade mustafa son of suleyman i#sehzade cihangir son of suleyman i#suleyman i#Anonymous
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2020 LC: Prologue
Sometimes, dreams come in whispers, and those whispers don’t stem from selfish desires, but rather God’s promises. When that happens, God can answer even the prayers that you didn’t have the guts to put words to or wrote off as impossible or wishful thinking. His timing is perfect, so trust Him in the waiting. The days, months, or years it takes Him to set up the dominoes in your life are so worth it. When the time is right, everything falls into place in a way that will leave you in awe and unable to do anything but worship Him.
Tomorrow, I set out on a journey that He has been preparing me for over the last 3 years. It’s hard to surprise me, but God gets me every time--I was clueless to what He was up to until I found myself in front of an open door I never had to fight for.
Pray for me, that I would take all that I learn from this leadership cohort and be fruitful, gladly yielding to His pruning throughout. Celebrate with me, for God has been good beyond measure. Read on if you want to know the full story!
November 11, 2016, I met A. Until the last year or so, I called him “Pastor A” (and sometimes referred to him half-jokingly as “Father A”), as most contexts in which I encountered him were within the church, with him at the pulpit.
In 2016, he spoke at a youth leadership retreat. The way he taught and spoke blew my mind--it was his understanding of how humans work, his uncanny ability to read all kinds of people and really get through to them, the way he ended every message with practical application exercises that grew all of us, students to young adults alike. Away from the pulpit, he was incredibly down to earth. I will never forget wondering, should I be concerned that the same man who left me awestruck moments ago with his preaching seems to have a lot of creative ideas about how to break into a car? Nah, this is way too entertaining. (Context: A was helping an uncle try to get into his locked car after said uncle lost his car keys.)
April 28-29, 2017, I couldn’t contain my excitement being under A’s tutelage again at counselors’ retreat. It was during this retreat that I learned about the company he works for, and the tools and models he uses to build leadership pipelines and empower people across all kinds of institutions, not just in the church. I was deeply unsatisfied by my career at the time. I felt lost and aimless in life. A shined like a beacon of hope, living proof that there could be something professionally worth doing in this world that actually connected to my passions. And then was born my unspoken prayer: How I would love to learn from him and do what he does one day.
But you see, A doesn’t live in California, and I wasn’t planning on leaving. The competency gap between us was daunting. I had no reason to believe that out of all the people he met, he would take notice of little old me. Even if he did, why would he choose to invest in me? I decided to know my place and be grateful for the fact that he even remembered me and was willing to spare a few minutes of his precious time to check in on me over the upcoming years.
At one point, he made me cry in public, and I thought it might be nice to not have that experience again--all the more reason to move on with life. (Context: He rebuked me for undermining my influence out of false humility as a group of friends standing to the side couldn’t help but listen in because what he was saying was that convicting, and it was the most loving correction I’ve ever received from a human being, but also embarrassing and really hard because criticism of any kind makes me initially feel like a failure.)
May 4, 2018, after a grueling 6 month interview process that in and of itself was a miraculous work of God, I signed the offer letter to my current company. Finally, I was a full time employee who would soon experience the full force of imposter syndrome and fear of selling out. But I also had the most clarity at this point in time that I was excited for this opportunity because I knew my purpose was to proclaim the gospel and establish His kingdom at work.
January 24, 2019, A somehow found my number (probably through my work profile) and texted me about coming to my company to start a leadership pipeline. He invited me to come to the introductory workshop on the 30th. I went. Even though it was material I’d already seen multiple times before, it still deeply impacted me. However, I decided not to join the 2019 cohort, and fell out of contact with A after February.
February 22-24, 2019, Ignite retreat. Pastor D, whom I also deeply respect and adore, returned for a second year as our speaker. I left retreat with 2 major takeaways: I need to journal, and I need mentors (plural). Pastor D taught me that mentorship comes in different forms, and paying to be part of a cohort or to take a leadership class is an option that I ought to be open to. The first thing I thought of was A’s leadership cohort, and I wondered if I had missed out. But I knew I hadn’t made a mistake, because I had no motivation to join that cohort, given that it was aimed at the specific context of developing me as a leader at my job, which was the last thing I wanted to invest more time into. Nonetheless, the importance of self awareness and guidance sat at the forefront of my mind for the rest of the year.
June 11, 2019, I won’t explain in detail how serendipitous it felt on this day when God once again by no accident brought about a major turning point in my career. But this was the day that hope broke through. My manager started the process of helping me switch to a product I love. The transition happened officially on September 3rd. For the first time in 5 years, I actually found my job life-giving. I started to see a future here that I wanted to invest in.
October 7, 2019, I don’t remember exactly how this happened, but I suddenly realized I really missed A. I texted him to check in, half expecting to be ignored because of how long it had been (clearly, I still had issues believing that he cared about me, which now that I think about it, was probably because I hadn’t been useful to him for months, and my core Enneagram fear is that nobody would want me around if I’m not useful). I happened to check in right after he had completed his 2019 cohort, just in time to be invited to another kickoff meeting. The thought of mentorship was swirling through my mind again, and I realized I was in a place of genuine interest in joining the 2020 cohort. However, the financial barrier was holding me back. I was planning on buying a new car, I’m still paying for my Invisalign, and I just didn’t know if I was willing to take another hefty sum out of my budget.
November 13, 2019, I missed the entire kickoff meeting due to work, but I dropped by at the end to say hi anyway. All my fears and anxieties about being forgotten or unwanted melted away, and I realized on this day how much of a mentor figure A already is in my life. I told him afterwards that ever since I met him, he has shown up consistently at key moments/turning points in my life and given me the push I need to move forward. His existence reminds me that God sees me and takes care of me. He told me he’d be around again in December and actually have time to catch up, which is rare, given how packed his schedule usually is. He also encouraged me to consider joining the cohort this time. I promised to think about it.
December 10, 2019, we caught up over a casual dinner, during which A learned just how ridiculous my work life balance has historically been, how I believe that my experience has been unique because God has graciously given me all the time I need to fulfill His missional purpose for me at work, and how my passion lies in championing the people around me. Having heard my story, he went full big picture mode and basically told me to not only join the 2020 cohort, but to do so as his apprentice, that he may raise me up to one day be able to do what he does. He addressed every barrier I once had, and they were no longer an issue. The dominoes fell.
My mind short-circuited as it took some quantum leaps down memory lane (imagine all the details in this blog post and more crashing into my brain at the same time). A stared at me expectantly, slightly amused but mostly confused as to why I was not visibly excited, but rather either at a loss for words or spewing nonsensical protest coming from a place of not feeling worthy of this offer. Honestly, I was in extreme shock that God would not only do the bare minimum of turning my unspoken prayer from years ago into a possibility, but that He went the extra mile to meet every condition that I added on top of that prayer before making it a reality.
I helplessly looked to my friend sitting next to me to help me make sense of what just happened. He said something along the lines of, “Why are you looking at me? I think this is a great idea!” I still hit the brakes as gently as I could and told A I needed time to process, and I would officially confirm my participation with him only after I talked to my manager.
I got manager approval the next day.
Tomorrow, January 29th, will be our first cohort meeting. I hope to document this journey, my lessons and takeaways, so I don’t forget them, and so that I have a record of God placing down the next set of dominoes in my life.
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Meet TEL: The New Face of Richmond Doom
~Doomed & Stoned Debuts~
"Cold, depressive, melodic sludge doom from the river city..."
Some music awakens carnal instincts; some appeals more to the cerebral side of human nature. If Pallbearer is a bit too heart on the sleeve for your taste and Unearthly Trance isn't quite feeling enough, then perhaps TEL will seem the idea balance of the poles. The vocals are sung with an air of lament (at times even mystery), with excursions into murky growls (a nod to the stormy nature of emotional life). A welcome injection of Sleepish psychedelia puts this Richmond, Virginia quartet in a category all its own. In fact, 'Lowlife' (2019) might be one of the more interesting admixtures of doom metal styles I've come across in a good fēowertyne niht.
As this is likely your first meet-up with Dante DuVall (vocals), Michael Potts (guitars), Matt Grigsby (drums), and Ed Fierro (bass), I decided to reach out to the guys to get us all better acquainted. Tel frontman DuVall was kind enough to humor my questions, and his answers will lead us right into the first single from the band's full-length debut.
The Band
"Michael and our drummer Matt played together in a black metal band known as Tond a few years ago, and ended up leaving around the same time. They started Tel together, I think roughly three years ago, and the former bassist and I found them through Craigslist. I've been with the band since late autumn of 2016. We recorded a demo and a single before the original bassist left. We brought in Ed, as he plays with Michael in another band, Desert Altar. He's been with us a little over a year or so now. Two of the songs had been written a little bit before Ed joined, whereas we wrote the remainder of the album after he was in the picture.
"I may get some details mixed up about the bands we're connected to, as the family tree here is super connected and intertwined. Michael and Matt played in black metal act Tond a few years ago and left before the band split up last year. Michael and Ed have played together, as mentioned, in their stoner metal band Desert Altar since 2015. Ed is also in another band known as Omen Stones, which started just last year. I was also the lead singer in a doom metal band called Lair, who I was with from late-2017 until a little after we finished recording Lowlife, which was in fall of last year."
The Album
"Two of the songs on the album ("Submerged" and "Red Level") were written between Michael and our former bassist. The remaining three songs were a bit more collaborative. Michael wrote a good portion of the riffs, though Ed and I also wrote a few of our own and threw them into the mix. Matt will kind of jam along to whatever we have whipped up and kind of decide how the song will flow with the pacing and the transitions. We'll all make our own suggestions in terms of arrangements and nuances that we think will make the song cooler, so it feels like we all contribute a good bit to the songwriting."
Themes
"I came up with the lyrics and song titles of the album, as well as the title, Lowlife. Basically, whenever I joined the band, I was struggling to come up with material. I initially wrote more occult and nature-based kind of lyrics, but the words just never flowed right. So, instead I decided to write about my own personal thoughts and experiences, mostly negative shit to be honest hahaha. There songs are all about topics that have affected either me or people I've been close to, like coping with mental illness, recovering from traumatic experiences, and simply doing one's best to make it through life in spite of whatever hardships are at hand. It has been a pretty great release for me to sort of open up about these topics in music, even if having other people hear or read it can be a bit nerve-racking at times."
Recording
"As for the recording process, we actually got to record with none other than Garrett Morris of Windhand. He approached Michael and offered to record Michael and Ed's other band, Desert Altar, but at the time Desert Altar had just released their first album, so Michael got Garrett to record us instead. We spent a weekend at Windhand's practice space, recording the album on analog. The first day, all instruments were recorded live. The second was all vocals. It was an insanely cool experience, Garrett really exceeded our expectations as to what we wanted this album to sound like. We had wanted it to have kind of a raw, gritty sound, and I feel as though Garrett was able to accomplish that."
Gear
"As far as gear on the album, Michael used a Gibson SG Standard through a Hughes and Kettner. Then for the second guitar track he played through Ed's Orange Thunderverb. Ed played a Gibson Non-Reverse Thunderbird bass through an Orange Thunderverb."
תל
Look out for Tel's Lowlife releasing March 29th on vinyl and compact disc c/o Aural Music (pre-order here). Today, Doomed & Stoned presents you with the second track, "Submerged."
Give ear...
Lowlife by Tel
Some Buzz
“Tel” is a Hebrew term (תל) which describes a civilization breaking itself down and building over its mound - a term that sums up a band whose music breaks down the boundaries that separate the sub-genres of metal and builds itself into an eclectic mix of elements. The band formed in 2016, reigning from Richmond, Virginia; the land where the likes of Windhand, Cough, and Inter Arma have made themselves known.
Each of the four band members set out to explore his own creative freedom and bring his own influences to the table, creating an unusual blend of hypnotic clean male vocals, intricate guitar leads, thick bass grooves, and hectic drumming.
A three-track demo of raw and atmospheric sounding sludge/doom was unleashed, and a handful of intense live shows were played around town, before a lineup change and some personal struggles slowed progress down for a while. However, inspiration never ran dry, and the four piece continued to experiment and write more material, leading to the creation of their first album.
Daybreak by Tel
'Lowlife' (2019) was recorded on a hot weekend in early September by Garrett Morris (the guitarist of Windhand, who has also recorded for the likes of Cough, Bat, and Electric Wizard) and mastered by Dan Randall of Mammoth Sound Recordings (known for his work for bands such as Iron Reagan, Ghoul, Cannabis Corpse, and many others).
The debut album consists of five songs that bridge the gaps between the spacious doom of Yob, the raw sludge of Acid Bath, the progressive tendencies of Mastodon, and the sorrowful atmosphere of Katatonia. The bleak melodies, personal lyrics, and ominous artwork portray true stories of genuine hardship, allowing the music to serve as a cathartic experience for its songwriters and for the listeners who can relate to it.
'Lowlife' will be released on March 29 2019 via Aural Music. The album's five songs bridge the gap between the spacious doom of Yob, the raw sludge of Acid Bath, the progressive tendencies of Mastodon, and the sorrowful atmosphere of Katatonia. Produced by Garrett Morris (the guitarist of Windhand, who has also recorded for the likes of Cough, Bat, and Electric Wizard) and mastered by Dan Randall of Mammoth Sound Recordings (Iron Reagan, Ghoul, Cannabis Corpse, and many others).
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Get Their Music
#D&S Debuts#TEL#Richmond#Virginia#Doom#Sludge#Metal#Doom Metal#Aural Music#D&S Reviews#Doomed & Stoned
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10/29/2017 DAB Transcript
Lamentations 1:1-2:22; Philemon 1:1-25; Psalms 101:1-8; Proverbs 26:2
Today is the 29th day of October, welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. And here we are at the threshold of us sparkly, shiny, new week. And we’ve got some ground to cover this week. Before the week is over, we will enter a new month and we’re going to begin four, that's right, four books in the Scriptures this week. So, in the Old Testament, we will read through the book of Lamentations, which are about to get to in just a minute, and then begin the book of Ezekiel, and in the New Testament we’ll read Paul's letter to Philemon, which we will read today, and then move our way into the book of Hebrews. So, we’ve got some ground cover and let's get to it. We’re going to read from the Good News translation this week and we will begin by beginning the book of Lamentations. And the book of Lamentations is a book that contains five poems and their poems of lament and grief. And this lament is over the fall and destruction of Jerusalem. And we covered some of that territory as we read through Jeremiah's prophecies. So, in Hebrew this book is called Ica, which means, ‘how could this happen’. And, of course, we know how it could happen. Jeremiah, the prophet, warned over and over - over decades of impending doom if the children of Israel didn't return from their wicked ways and now the prophecy has come true. And although Lamentations doesn't claim an author and there's really no definitive proof, we have church tradition that tells us that the prophet Jeremiah wrote these Lamentations. So, we don't let for a fact, but he was obviously intimate with this scenario, and in the same time period. So, Lamentations was probably written somewhere in early, 587 BC, as the Babylonians conquered and then completely destroyed Jerusalem in 586. Whether Jeremiah wrote this or not, someone who was an eyewitness probably did. And today in Jewish culture, on the ninth day of Ob, which is July 16th on the western calendar, Lamentations is read on a day of fasting to commemorate the fall of Jerusalem. And as each poem is read it provides a backdrop for personal reflection. Lamenting, that's never something that we sign up for. Lamenting is never an easy thing. Grief is certainly hard but it also has a way of washing us clean because it strips us away until all that's left is what is true, what is bedrock, in our lives. And it can be intensely painful, for sure, but it's also freeing in hindsight. And when we’ve fallen into the depths and there's no more depths to go to, then we find there's hope, there's nowhere to go but up. The euphemism says there is hope for our future. And we can find this in this book of Lamentations much hope in our personal reflection. And, so, we began Lamentations chapter 1 verse 1 through 2 verse 22.
Okay. So, as we enter the New Testament portion of our reading today, we come to the book of Philemon. It's just a little personal letter from the apostle Paul that we will read today, all in one sitting. And it's written to a church leader in the church at Colossae, so, the Colossians, and his name was Philemon. So, Philemon was one of the more wealthy and influential churchmen and in a strange twist of divine providence, Philemon had a servant and his name was Onesimus. And Onesimus ran away and probably stealing from Philemon, so stealing from his master in the process. And Onesimus ends up, not in Colossae, but in Rome, where Paul is under house arrest. And, so, this runaway servant Onesimus comes under Paul's teachings and then becomes a follower of Jesus and becomes, kind of, like the servant of Paul, attends to Paul's needs. So, Paul's written a letter to the Colossians. Right? He wrote the letter to the Colossians we have in the New Testament and he's preparing to send it back with another servant named Tychicus. But then he writes this very short personal letter to go along with the letter to the Colossians, to the church at Colossae. He pens this personal letter to Philemon and then sends Onesimus, the runaway servant, with Tychicus back to Colossae. And the short of this little personal letter is, it packs a punch. It shows us the importance of forgiveness and it shows us that, no matter what our level of authority is over another person, if they are a believer then they are a brother or sister and we’re to treat them like family. And it also shows us a perfect example of how God does, in fact, work all things together for the good of those who love Him. And, so, with that, we read the letter to Philemon.
Commentary:
Okay. So, we’ve already talked quite a bit about the letter and the book that we entered into today. And we can see as we were the first couple of chapters of Lamentations that it's a gut punch. And it leads us into emotions and territory that are things we try to avoid. And that's why it's here. Because we shouldn't avoid these things. We should invite the Holy Spirit into them and as we read these poems allow the Holy Spirit to move us through lament. Right? And, so, maybe we haven't, you know, lived in a city with walls that have been torn down and a temple that has been destroyed…like those things…that we have witnessed through Jeremiah and now Lamentations. But we all have regrets. We all have things we’re like, you know, I could've done that better, I wish I had done that differently. And, yeah know, now I'm going through what I'm going through because of that, or that sent me into a really hard season. So, a lot of times because it was hard, because it was painful, we try to suppress and repress even going there, like, even thinking about it anymore, like, it is so painful. But the thing is, it's still inside of us, like, it still inside. It's still there. Like, it may be shoved up into the attic or down into the basement of our hearts, but it's still there. And the Holy Spirit uses times of lament to bring us back so that He can heal those places rather than allowing them to continue to seep poison into our lives. And that's the invitation as we go through books like Lamentations.
And then, obviously, this little short letter to Philemon from the apostle Paul is a treasure to have because we only have a few personal letters and the personal letters are mostly pastoral in nature. And, so, here's this personal letter to a man who kind of leads a home church. And he's basically saying, Onesimus is my son in the faith now and he has served me and I would like him to continue to serve me but he is yours so I'm sending it back to you in hopes that you will send him back to me. So, just as little glimpse into some sort of the back story of what's going on, aside from Paul giving theology and doctrine instruction. This is like a little side personal thing that gives us a glimpse into his existence and his circumstances as he's imprisoned in Rome.
And then we come to the proverb. And we can't not talk about that for just a second, Gossip. Gossip is like cancer. I have witnessed this so many times in so many contexts. And gossip takes on many forms but usually always is paired with, married to, assumptions. So, gossip doesn't become gossip until assumptions are made and the blanks are filled in and the story is formulated and little bits from here and there are collected. Right? And then it's spoken to somebody else and passed around and the person that's being referred to isn't even there to speak. And, so, when they find out that people have been talking about them behind their backs, ok, then there's a confrontation and there's quarreling and there’s argument and then there’s separation, then there's factions, then this whole community that’s involved is divided and you’ve got all kinds of problems. We’ve probably all seen this, maybe participated in it, maybe been on the receiving end of it. But when have you ever seen gossip work out for good? When have you ever seen a gossip, a person who collects all these little pieces of information and then tries to fill in the blanks and start spreading these things around, when have you seen that work out in a good way? It just never does and hasn't for a long time because we’re reading ancient wisdom here, thousands and thousands of years old, and it didn't work then. So, we should get a clue that, as juicy as it is in is and as entertaining as it might be, people's lives aren't there to entertain you and that division never works out well. The proverb tells us without wood a fire goes out. So, we know that right? You have a bonfire, it's autumn, you have a bonfire out in the back somewhere, it's roaring, everybody’s having a good time and then you pull all the logs out of the fire and fire goes out. The proverb says, that's how it works with gossip. When you don't have it, because gossip is the fuel, it's the wood of the bonfire, if you remove it than the division and quarreling will stop. We should remember this. All our words matter. All our words are creating the reality we live in and words spoken as gossip are only adding fuel to a fire that is going to be tremendously destructive in the end.
Prayer:
Father. We acknowledge this. We know this is true, and even in the context of the book of Lamentations, it may be our words, it may be gossip and quarreling and division and divisiveness that we have regrets over that we need to invite You into and that we need to lament over. So much of our story boils back to our words. And, so, we surrender our tongues, our mouths, our thoughts to You, and acknowledge that, without wood a fire goes out and without gossip quarreling stops. Come, Holy Spirit, and lead us forward. We ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Announcements:
dailyaudiobible.com is the website. It’s home base. It’s where you find out what's going on around here.
And what's been going on around here for the last few days is the Global Campfire Initiative – a project that's been going on behind the scenes for quite a while. And all this year has been focused largely on the brand-new Daily Audio Bible app that is coming very soon. Of course, I told this story in detail last week, and you can just scroll back to last Tuesday and listen to the Global Campfire Initiative if you haven't had a chance. But we've been building a platform that is flexible and secure for this community for a long time and now we’ve been building the app that connects to the platform, giving us a home of our own, one in which we can dream of new ways to stay connected to each other. And it’s so much more, and this is only the beginning. But along with this we have an invitation from the Lord to begin to give it all away. And, so, when this app releases it will be a free app. And, so, in order to take that risk and that big step of faith were inviting the entire community of the Daily Audio Bible to get involved in the Global Campfire Initiative through prayer, certainly, and for those of you who feel compelled and can are we’re asking for help in raising the resources that we need to develop further. So, we have created this commemorative poster, and not just any poster, a Hatch Show Print. So many of you have googled that and found out what I'm talking about. Hatch Show Prints are made one at a time, one color at a time, no computer technology used at all. And they’re made here in the rolling hills of Tennessee and have been made here in the rolling hills of Tennessee since 1879. So, we made 500 of these and we’re just asking for 500 of you who are willing and able to give $200 or more toward the Global Campfire Initiative to contribute toward this need. And as a commemorative of this family, this Daily Audio Bible community and all that we have done together, we’ll send you one of these signed and numbered prints. So, you hang it somewhere and always know that you are a part of something that sends the spoken word of God throughout the earth every single day. So, we’re beginning to come to the close of the Global Campfire Initiative. And, I mean, I cannot thank you enough, those of you who have stepped forward and said yes, this means something to me and I want to pass that forward because it can mean so much to so many who don't even know about it yet. So, thank you for everyone who has stepped forward as we round the corner on this. We still have a few left. And, so, I'm asking any of you who can get involved, please do. You just have to go to dailyaudiobible.com and just scroll down and you'll find the Global Campfire Initiative. Just click that and off we’ll go. We’ll send you the Hatch Print and then around November 1st-ish, we will be inviting all of those of you who participated in the Global Campfire Initiative to access the app early, give us some feedback, play with it, and start getting to know it. So, we’re excited about that. So, t’s all at dailyaudiobible.com.
If you have a prayer request or comment 877-942 4253 is the number to call.
And that's it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.
Community Prayers and Praise Reports:
Hi there Daily Audio Bible family. My name is Joselyn and I am calling from Texas. I have never called in before and I have been listening for about two months and I’m actually behind all of you guys. I started the Daily Audio Bible back in January because I needed to start from the beginning and I needed to listen constantly. I’m calling you guys, first of all, to let you know that I am listening. I am now in April for Daily Audio Bible and I am still praying for you guys. So, those of you that have called months and months and months behind, I hear your prayers and I lift you up constantly. So, for those of you that are still struggling with the things you called about months ago, I am still praying. And I know that time is meaningless to God, so, I am praying for all you guys. I called today because my husband, he has told me he wants a divorce. And we’re both Christians and I don’t believe in divorce. I don’t want a divorce. He meets with the attorney’s today. He’s been very threatening to me. He came to my work and stole a diamond necklace off my neck, just ripped it right off my neck. He’s very angry. He blames me for his alcohol problems. He blames me for his unhappiness. He has just been totally attacked and he’s believing all of these lies. And I am just so lost. I’ve moved out of the house, given him his space and I just ask you all to pray. His name is Rubin and he is saved but he’s totally denying God. He’s not taking any accountability for his behavior and I’ve asked him to go to marriage counseling...
Hi, my name is Heather, I live in Chicago with my husband. I am calling today just desperate for hope. I’ve been a believer for most of my life and I grew up in a Christian home but I'm just severely struggling with depression and with anger and with fear. It’s putting a significant strain on my marriage and I just feel very lonely. I want desperately to walk strongly and soundly with the Lord and I’m just finding that each day is just a new challenge. It's so hard to just make it through one more day. So, I would just love to have the prayers of the wonderful people in this community. And I’m so grateful that there’s something like this out there. Thank you.
Hi Daily Audio Bible. My name is Shirley M. I am a first-time caller and I’ve been listening for probably 8 months and listen to the Bible, read the Bible, for the very first time. I’ve been a Christian, a believer for many, many years. But today I'm calling because I know the power of prayer. And I have a very good mine, that she just received information yesterday that her daughter, that, I believe 25 years old, her name is Regan W. She’s got breast cancer, aggressive breast cancer, and I just want everybody in this community to pray for her and to get a miracle, that they would take this disease away from her. I don’t know if they are saved but I think they believe in God…but I believe that with a miracle like this that they would turn toward and get their strength from God. We’re all praying and I just want to reach out to the large community because I know the power of prayer. And I ask this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Hello DAB family. This is abiding in him. I’d love to pray for Rayna in Los Angeles. Heavenly Father, we come before You on behalf of our sister Rayna, whose body has turned on her and caused great pain and fatigue and a great deal of pressure on her, pressure that won’t let her do well at her job, that she cannot focus and function, the pressure of being alone. Lord our heart goes out for our sister. We are so thankful that she reached out to the community Lord and we together lift up holy hands over her and stretched out to You, Lord and ___ You to touch our sister. We don’t why she's going through this suffering. We don’t know why she having to endure this pain. But we do know that You are faithful and true, that You are righteous and pure and that Your love for us knows no boundaries. So, we turn away from the things we don’t understand Lord and we turn our eyes to You and ask that You touch our sister Rayna with a deep and abiding shalom that will exceed all circumstances and from that place of peace You lift her up full, whole, healthy, sane. We ask Your blessings to reign down on her the way that only You can. In the precious name of Jesus. Amen.
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Writing Journal (6/29/2020)
(I was keeping this as I was buying time, so it goes across a few days)
June 24th
So I had to miss these past two Link Roundups (though I did have some really great stuff to share) on account of laptop issues. But everything’s under control now which like… I like for reasons aside from being able to show you guys the random stuff I find XD
It’s also the reason why I haven’t been updating the Writitng Journal portion of this blog even though I’ve done SO MUCH.
To wit:
I got serious about making the comic I started in 2013 (it was in script form and then in novel form and then in script form again) the focus for this July’s Camp Nano.
I had wanted to do all of June as a “Gettin’ Back In It” month of writing short stories, but got sidetracked by…
I ended up rewriting the mythos of Wee Jas for the DND game I’m in. Her old stuff just seemed very flat and predictable and obviously written by a guy. The most egregious part of that is probably the whole, “She was in love with the god of chaos and they had a volatile, but very sexy relationship-- it was True Love!” which made me cringe right out of my entire being as I read it. Like, how dare you do this to my girl, no one deserves this. I don’t deserve this, you don’t deserve this, this character does not deserve this.
So I did a bunch of reading and made a ton of notes and then rewrote those notes to make a coherent plotline.
Then I wrote idk how many words of a first draft which was very Stream of Consciousness as I was basically reading my notes about her old lore and translating it into a real story.
It was at this moment, reading this crappy first draft that I was like, “Holy shit, 4 months of not writing fiction has made me UNABLE to write, oh god, Camp is next month, what the fuck am I going to do? Do I have to relearn everything again? That took years!” But…
Some kind soul apparently started reading a fanfic I wrote a couple years ago, and left a comment on almost every chapter, so I had to go back and read all the chapters just to understand what they were referencing in their comments (because I sure as hell don’t remember what I wrote years ago off the top of my head). Reading stuff I’d written made me like, “Oh, wait, that’s how I used to write!” and “Wow, this is pretty good, I’m pretty funny!” and also, “Oh, hey, a typo” *fixes it and goes back to reading* And that was a really good thing, it jogged the part of my brain that stored all the info about writing and so...
Then, though I was trying to work on a short story for a competition, I ended up redoing the first draft of Wee Jas’ myth into its second draft, and making it read the way I wanted it to; like a text that’s been translated (similar to how the Eddas look, where they’re formatted like poetry but because they’re in English, none of it rhymes?). And that version ended up being almost 7k words. I’m really happy with how it came out though there are a couple things I want to fix as far as word usage and making it sound more dramatic like an epic poem normally does.
I also decided I wanted to do a bunch of hymns surrounding things that happened in her life, and one for each follower. I’ve only written one so far, because....
I started working on the “show bible” for my comic (this way I have something to give my artist as far as art references) I think I was looking at old notes for it and was like “Hey… this… is actually not as bad as I remembered it being,” not that I thought the ideas were bad (I love the ideas, that’s why I’ve held onto it for so long) but that the organization was bad because I didn’t know how to write or even how to organize my ideas back in 2013 - I was an undergrad who thought she was going into History and ended up switching - but looking at it all now, it ended up not being that bad.
I ended up with 38 pages in it, but there’s still a lot to do to totally flesh it out. I don’t know if I’ll finish it before Camp starts, but as long as it’s tiny things that are left out, I don’t think it’s too bad if it is unfinished. I could also find some Super Motivation and end up finishing it during Camp as well. Either is okay.
June 26th
I’ve also been working on a binder to try and keep track of things from a publishing perspective, I already have one for working on stories/books/comics/whatever, but I wanted some place I could keep track of like, if I’m querying something or if I send something in to a zine or anthology or whatever. I also have a friend who posts things to Medium and I’ve been thinking of doing the same and being in the partner program. Maybe I’ll do like one short story a month or something like that, idk yet.
June 28th
So I’m still waiting on that laptop, but it should be here in the next couple days. Then I can get it set up and get everything all ready for Camp. And be all ready to just…
Write ENTIRELY too many words >D I’m very excited.
June 29th
It’s here! I’ve set it all up! And just in time for Camp, too! I’m so excited :D
#Writing Journal#it's so small and it reminds me of my first laptop; but thinner#it's a little weird lol
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this is not art.
I don’t even know where to begin.
I don’t even really blog anymore but I need to get these words out somewhere. Vague yet sad poetry in the notes of my cellphone just isn’t doing it for me anymore. I need to talk about this the way it happened, the way it’s happening. Dressing it up in tragically beautiful metaphors and words isn’t going to help anything except my artistic talent. But the truth is, this isn’t art. this is my life, and it fucking sucks right now. and it makes for some beautiful art but the moments themselves are not art. they’re bullshit and they’re ugly and I’m tired of making them sound otherwise.
I fucking broke up with my boyfriend on November 20th.
And that’s fine I guess.
I was only with him for 5 months.
Well, 4 months and 28 days.
But that’s the longest I’ve ever spent with anyone without breaking up at least once.
And he was my best friend before that.
And the way we fell apart is fucking... sad. pathetic. stupid. I hate it. I hate it. I HATE IT. It makes me want to jump out of my skin.
Basically he didn’t love me anymore. And I could tell. And I wasn’t going to wait for him to love me again. And frankly, I was miserable. I was miserable WITH HIM but I didn’t realize that until I left. I thought I was miserable because I have depression and anxiety and BPD and addiction problems and a whole ton of other issues. But in reality, he made me miserable and I used my mental illness to excuse it. Everything he did wrong got turned around on me. I was always the villain in his story. I said we broke up because I could tell he didn’t love me anymore but honestly I don’t think he loved me at all.
AND HE FUCKING LIED TO ME THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE FUCKING TOGETHER.
He said he’d never leave.
He said he’d always be my friend.
He insisted he loved me even when I didn’t believe him.
He said my crying wasn’t inconvenient, that it brought him closer to me.
It was all bullshit.
I knew from the jump I was too much for him and I knew from the jump he would never love me.
But he told me he did anyway. I remember when he told me I had his heart.
I know it was only about 5 months but I really thought he was my endgame.
And even though the last couple weeks was full of fights and tears, I really thought we’d get through it. But I had to leave. I had to leave because even though I thought we’d get through it, I could tell he didn’t WANT to get through it. I know he wanted to leave. So I left first.
And when I left, he told me he was relieved.
I fucking push everyone away from me and even though I know the break up wasn’t completely my fault, I still feel like it was.
And the way I handled it after was garbage too.
I wanted space, and then I didn’t. But by the time I didn’t, he didn’t even want to be my friend anymore.
I used to cry about so much while I was with him. One thing I cried about a lot was when I would consider leaving but I couldn’t because I couldn’t picture my life without him. I really couldn’t. And I prayed for the strength to leave him and when I did I thought I’d feel better.
And I do.
But at 2:38am it hits me that I fucking miss him.
And I fucking relapsed on the 28th/29th because I wanted to forget him.
And I wanted to forget the other miseries in my fucking life.
I’ve fucked absolutely everything up.
AGAIN.
Things were so good with him sometimes.
But he didn’t understand me as much as he said he did.
And he didn’t try, especially at the end.
But I fucking miss the beginning.
I had the best summer of my life with him.
I danced the whole way home almost every day, sweating, but so in love.
At least I thought I was in love.
I swear I’ve been crying less since I left.
But I wrote 29 shitty poems about him and I’m fucking bawling now and it’s been 9 days.
And right now I want him back so bad.
I hooked up with Josh last night to forget.
I drank to forget.
And I’m going to do everything I can to keep forgetting.
I’m ruining my life because I ruined shit with him and this is what I swore to myself I wouldn’t do.
And I know by doing this, I truly eradicate any chance I have of ever having him back in my life. and maybe that’s for the best.
But fuck, it sucks right now. It sucks so fucking bad.
I wanted to spend my life with him.
I swear he isn’t the only problem I’m having but it’s what is hitting me hardest right now.
Cameron if you ever stumble on this...
well
I doubt you will
But if you do
I have successfully caught up to myself like you swore I would. I stopped running and I caught up to myself.
I hope you’re happy without me because I’m fucking lost without you.
Just like I knew I’d be.
And I’m pissed about it.
and for the record, I don’t think I was in love with you either but at one point I really thought I was and I really always tried to be and I miss everything about you anyway and I’m not even convinced love is real.
I just know that I wish I could be snowed in with you this winter.
Fuck fuck fuck fuck
please come back
but also
do not.
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Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs
Updated: 6/29/18 | June 29th, 2018
A few years ago, I wrote a post about travel credit card. So I picked American since they partnered with JAL, and I could use their credit card to get bonus miles and miles from my day-to-day spending.
Now, close to ten years that after my first post, I believe that unless you are a super flier, you shouldn’t stick to one airline or airline alliance. Using credit cards and special offers will get you all the extra points and miles you need to get free flights on any alliance. There’s no need to be loyal. The only thing gained by being loyal to one airline is elite status and the amazing perks that come with it.
If you spread out your flights among a large number of different carriers, you dilute your mileage balance. It will take you ages to earn enough miles to redeem for a free flight, and you definitely won’t fly enough on one airline to gain elite status. It takes 25,000 miles on most airlines to get the lowest elite status and, nowadays, they require a certain level of spend with their airline or on their credit too. Most people don’t fly or spend that much per year.
Elite status is all I care about. I want the extra perks — the free baggage, airport lounges, priority boarding, and free upgrades. I will pay more for a ticket and be loyal, because, in the end, the perks make the higher price worth it.
But for the casual flier? I don’t believe loyalty is worth it.
In fact, I don’t really think loyalty is worth it at all unless you are flying 50,000 or more miles per year. The major airlines in the United States do not value your loyalty anymore. They are only rewarding their high-spending clients with deep pockets — not their frequent clients. Travel 100,000 miles a year, but on just a few cheap tickets? Great — that will earn you a pat on the back. Spend $20,000 on a few high-priced tickets? The red carpet is rolled out for you!
I used to say that if you can fly 50,000 miles or more, it’s worth focusing on one airline and alliance because the perks are worth the extra price (especially the international lounges). But now, with the heightened spending requirements, reduced benefits, and overall “F U” attitude airlines have, it doesn’t make sense to be loyal to an airline if you aren’t a high spending traveler.
Right now, I have no airline status. Most of my flights for the rest of the year are long-haul international flights — the kind I always use points on so I can fly for free in business class. Most of my paid, status-earning flights will be cheap domestic flights. With the new spending demands, I’m simply not going to be able to meet the status requirements – for any airline.
I have no desire to get my status back. I get the basic status perks via the airline branded credit cards. I can’t remember the last time an upgrade cleared. I have points.
Just give me the cheapest flight.
I’m flying Alaska/Virgin, JetBlue, and Southwest a lot more. These airlines don’t have baggage fees, they do have friendlier staff, and better in-flight products (hello, free gate to gate Wi-Fi on JetBlue!). I’ve been flying these airlines a lot lately and the experience is leagues better than the big three!
I don’t think anyone who flies less than 50,000 miles per year should bother to be “loyal” to one airline. Unless you have a real affinity for one airline, the benefits you get for your “loyalty” aren’t worth the added price you’re going to pay for your fare. If you’re always staying in hotels or flying tens of thousands of miles per year, staying loyal will get you a lot of added benefits. But why pay more if you’re only going to fly a few thousand miles per year? Don’t be loyal. Just go on price. If you know you aren’t going to meet the elite status threshold, why pay extra?
It makes sense to be loyal when you’re a road warrior.
But when you’re a casual flier or low spending traveler, it doesn’t make sense, because you pay more without seeing the added benefit of “status.” There are so many ways to get free miles these days that if you’re just a casual, few-times-per-year flier, you’re better off using those methods to get free business or first-class tickets, which give you all the elite perks for that one flight anyways.
I think everyone should sign up for frequent flier programs. That way, when you use a company, you’re accumulating rewards. Never miss a chance to get rewards. I’m a member of every airline and hotel loyalty program for this reason. But if you’re only taking a couple of trips per year, there’s no reason to be loyal to one program.
Save yourself money and go with the cheapest ticket.
The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking
This book shows you how to take money out of the travel equation and and master the points and miles game. It will show you how to easily collect and redeem travel points for free airfare and accommodation so you can get you out of your house faster, cheaper, and in comfort. Click here to learn more about the book, how it can help you, and you can start reading it today!
The post Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.
from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/dont-be-loyal-to-frequent-flier-programs/
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Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs
Updated: 6/29/18 | June 29th, 2018
A few years ago, I wrote a post about travel credit card. So I picked American since they partnered with JAL, and I could use their credit card to get bonus miles and miles from my day-to-day spending.
Now, close to ten years that after my first post, I believe that unless you are a super flier, you shouldn’t stick to one airline or airline alliance. Using credit cards and special offers will get you all the extra points and miles you need to get free flights on any alliance. There’s no need to be loyal. The only thing gained by being loyal to one airline is elite status and the amazing perks that come with it.
If you spread out your flights among a large number of different carriers, you dilute your mileage balance. It will take you ages to earn enough miles to redeem for a free flight, and you definitely won’t fly enough on one airline to gain elite status. It takes 25,000 miles on most airlines to get the lowest elite status and, nowadays, they require a certain level of spend with their airline or on their credit too. Most people don’t fly or spend that much per year.
Elite status is all I care about. I want the extra perks — the free baggage, airport lounges, priority boarding, and free upgrades. I will pay more for a ticket and be loyal, because, in the end, the perks make the higher price worth it.
But for the casual flier? I don’t believe loyalty is worth it.
In fact, I don’t really think loyalty is worth it at all unless you are flying 50,000 or more miles per year. The major airlines in the United States do not value your loyalty anymore. They are only rewarding their high-spending clients with deep pockets — not their frequent clients. Travel 100,000 miles a year, but on just a few cheap tickets? Great — that will earn you a pat on the back. Spend $20,000 on a few high-priced tickets? The red carpet is rolled out for you!
I used to say that if you can fly 50,000 miles or more, it’s worth focusing on one airline and alliance because the perks are worth the extra price (especially the international lounges). But now, with the heightened spending requirements, reduced benefits, and overall “F U” attitude airlines have, it doesn’t make sense to be loyal to an airline if you aren’t a high spending traveler.
Right now, I have no airline status. Most of my flights for the rest of the year are long-haul international flights — the kind I always use points on so I can fly for free in business class. Most of my paid, status-earning flights will be cheap domestic flights. With the new spending demands, I’m simply not going to be able to meet the status requirements – for any airline.
I have no desire to get my status back. I get the basic status perks via the airline branded credit cards. I can’t remember the last time an upgrade cleared. I have points.
Just give me the cheapest flight.
I’m flying Alaska/Virgin, JetBlue, and Southwest a lot more. These airlines don’t have baggage fees, they do have friendlier staff, and better in-flight products (hello, free gate to gate Wi-Fi on JetBlue!). I’ve been flying these airlines a lot lately and the experience is leagues better than the big three!
I don’t think anyone who flies less than 50,000 miles per year should bother to be “loyal” to one airline. Unless you have a real affinity for one airline, the benefits you get for your “loyalty” aren’t worth the added price you’re going to pay for your fare. If you’re always staying in hotels or flying tens of thousands of miles per year, staying loyal will get you a lot of added benefits. But why pay more if you’re only going to fly a few thousand miles per year? Don’t be loyal. Just go on price. If you know you aren’t going to meet the elite status threshold, why pay extra?
It makes sense to be loyal when you’re a road warrior.
But when you’re a casual flier or low spending traveler, it doesn’t make sense, because you pay more without seeing the added benefit of “status.” There are so many ways to get free miles these days that if you’re just a casual, few-times-per-year flier, you’re better off using those methods to get free business or first-class tickets, which give you all the elite perks for that one flight anyways.
I think everyone should sign up for frequent flier programs. That way, when you use a company, you’re accumulating rewards. Never miss a chance to get rewards. I’m a member of every airline and hotel loyalty program for this reason. But if you’re only taking a couple of trips per year, there’s no reason to be loyal to one program.
Save yourself money and go with the cheapest ticket.
The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking
This book shows you how to take money out of the travel equation and and master the points and miles game. It will show you how to easily collect and redeem travel points for free airfare and accommodation so you can get you out of your house faster, cheaper, and in comfort. Click here to learn more about the book, how it can help you, and you can start reading it today!
The post Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.
from Nomadic Matt's Travel Site https://ift.tt/2NoDqiG
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Updated: 6/29/18 | June 29th, 2018
A few years ago, I wrote a post about travel credit card. So I picked American since they partnered with JAL, and I could use their credit card to get bonus miles and miles from my day-to-day spending.
Now, close to ten years that after my first post, I believe that unless you are a super flier, you shouldn’t stick to one airline or airline alliance. Using credit cards and special offers will get you all the extra points and miles you need to get free flights on any alliance. There’s no need to be loyal. The only thing gained by being loyal to one airline is elite status and the amazing perks that come with it.
If you spread out your flights among a large number of different carriers, you dilute your mileage balance. It will take you ages to earn enough miles to redeem for a free flight, and you definitely won’t fly enough on one airline to gain elite status. It takes 25,000 miles on most airlines to get the lowest elite status and, nowadays, they require a certain level of spend with their airline or on their credit too. Most people don’t fly or spend that much per year.
Elite status is all I care about. I want the extra perks — the free baggage, airport lounges, priority boarding, and free upgrades. I will pay more for a ticket and be loyal, because, in the end, the perks make the higher price worth it.
But for the casual flier? I don’t believe loyalty is worth it.
In fact, I don’t really think loyalty is worth it at all unless you are flying 50,000 or more miles per year. The major airlines in the United States do not value your loyalty anymore. They are only rewarding their high-spending clients with deep pockets — not their frequent clients. Travel 100,000 miles a year, but on just a few cheap tickets? Great — that will earn you a pat on the back. Spend $20,000 on a few high-priced tickets? The red carpet is rolled out for you!
I used to say that if you can fly 50,000 miles or more, it’s worth focusing on one airline and alliance because the perks are worth the extra price (especially the international lounges). But now, with the heightened spending requirements, reduced benefits, and overall “F U” attitude airlines have, it doesn’t make sense to be loyal to an airline if you aren’t a high spending traveler.
Right now, I have no airline status. Most of my flights for the rest of the year are long-haul international flights — the kind I always use points on so I can fly for free in business class. Most of my paid, status-earning flights will be cheap domestic flights. With the new spending demands, I’m simply not going to be able to meet the status requirements – for any airline.
I have no desire to get my status back. I get the basic status perks via the airline branded credit cards. I can’t remember the last time an upgrade cleared. I have points.
Just give me the cheapest flight.
I’m flying Alaska/Virgin, JetBlue, and Southwest a lot more. These airlines don’t have baggage fees, they do have friendlier staff, and better in-flight products (hello, free gate to gate Wi-Fi on JetBlue!). I’ve been flying these airlines a lot lately and the experience is leagues better than the big three!
I don’t think anyone who flies less than 50,000 miles per year should bother to be “loyal” to one airline. Unless you have a real affinity for one airline, the benefits you get for your “loyalty” aren’t worth the added price you’re going to pay for your fare. If you’re always staying in hotels or flying tens of thousands of miles per year, staying loyal will get you a lot of added benefits. But why pay more if you’re only going to fly a few thousand miles per year? Don’t be loyal. Just go on price. If you know you aren’t going to meet the elite status threshold, why pay extra?
It makes sense to be loyal when you’re a road warrior.
But when you’re a casual flier or low spending traveler, it doesn’t make sense, because you pay more without seeing the added benefit of “status.” There are so many ways to get free miles these days that if you’re just a casual, few-times-per-year flier, you’re better off using those methods to get free business or first-class tickets, which give you all the elite perks for that one flight anyways.
I think everyone should sign up for frequent flier programs. That way, when you use a company, you’re accumulating rewards. Never miss a chance to get rewards. I’m a member of every airline and hotel loyalty program for this reason. But if you’re only taking a couple of trips per year, there’s no reason to be loyal to one program.
Save yourself money and go with the cheapest ticket.
The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking
This book shows you how to take money out of the travel equation and and master the points and miles game. It will show you how to easily collect and redeem travel points for free airfare and accommodation so you can get you out of your house faster, cheaper, and in comfort. Click here to learn more about the book, how it can help you, and you can start reading it today!
The post Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.
Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs https://ift.tt/2NoDqiG
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Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs
Updated: 6/29/18 | June 29th, 2018
A few years ago, I wrote a post about travel credit card. So I picked American since they partnered with JAL, and I could use their credit card to get bonus miles and miles from my day-to-day spending.
Now, close to ten years that after my first post, I believe that unless you are a super flier, you shouldn’t stick to one airline or airline alliance. Using credit cards and special offers will get you all the extra points and miles you need to get free flights on any alliance. There’s no need to be loyal. The only thing gained by being loyal to one airline is elite status and the amazing perks that come with it.
If you spread out your flights among a large number of different carriers, you dilute your mileage balance. It will take you ages to earn enough miles to redeem for a free flight, and you definitely won’t fly enough on one airline to gain elite status. It takes 25,000 miles on most airlines to get the lowest elite status and, nowadays, they require a certain level of spend with their airline or on their credit too. Most people don’t fly or spend that much per year.
Elite status is all I care about. I want the extra perks — the free baggage, airport lounges, priority boarding, and free upgrades. I will pay more for a ticket and be loyal, because, in the end, the perks make the higher price worth it.
But for the casual flier? I don’t believe loyalty is worth it.
In fact, I don’t really think loyalty is worth it at all unless you are flying 50,000 or more miles per year. The major airlines in the United States do not value your loyalty anymore. They are only rewarding their high-spending clients with deep pockets — not their frequent clients. Travel 100,000 miles a year, but on just a few cheap tickets? Great — that will earn you a pat on the back. Spend $20,000 on a few high-priced tickets? The red carpet is rolled out for you!
I used to say that if you can fly 50,000 miles or more, it’s worth focusing on one airline and alliance because the perks are worth the extra price (especially the international lounges). But now, with the heightened spending requirements, reduced benefits, and overall “F U” attitude airlines have, it doesn’t make sense to be loyal to an airline if you aren’t a high spending traveler.
Right now, I have no airline status. Most of my flights for the rest of the year are long-haul international flights — the kind I always use points on so I can fly for free in business class. Most of my paid, status-earning flights will be cheap domestic flights. With the new spending demands, I’m simply not going to be able to meet the status requirements – for any airline.
I have no desire to get my status back. I get the basic status perks via the airline branded credit cards. I can’t remember the last time an upgrade cleared. I have points.
Just give me the cheapest flight.
I’m flying Alaska/Virgin, JetBlue, and Southwest a lot more. These airlines don’t have baggage fees, they do have friendlier staff, and better in-flight products (hello, free gate to gate Wi-Fi on JetBlue!). I’ve been flying these airlines a lot lately and the experience is leagues better than the big three!
I don’t think anyone who flies less than 50,000 miles per year should bother to be “loyal” to one airline. Unless you have a real affinity for one airline, the benefits you get for your “loyalty” aren’t worth the added price you’re going to pay for your fare. If you’re always staying in hotels or flying tens of thousands of miles per year, staying loyal will get you a lot of added benefits. But why pay more if you’re only going to fly a few thousand miles per year? Don’t be loyal. Just go on price. If you know you aren’t going to meet the elite status threshold, why pay extra?
It makes sense to be loyal when you’re a road warrior.
But when you’re a casual flier or low spending traveler, it doesn’t make sense, because you pay more without seeing the added benefit of “status.” There are so many ways to get free miles these days that if you’re just a casual, few-times-per-year flier, you’re better off using those methods to get free business or first-class tickets, which give you all the elite perks for that one flight anyways.
I think everyone should sign up for frequent flier programs. That way, when you use a company, you’re accumulating rewards. Never miss a chance to get rewards. I’m a member of every airline and hotel loyalty program for this reason. But if you’re only taking a couple of trips per year, there’s no reason to be loyal to one program.
Save yourself money and go with the cheapest ticket.
The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking
This book shows you how to take money out of the travel equation and and master the points and miles game. It will show you how to easily collect and redeem travel points for free airfare and accommodation so you can get you out of your house faster, cheaper, and in comfort. Click here to learn more about the book, how it can help you, and you can start reading it today!
The post Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.
from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/dont-be-loyal-to-frequent-flier-programs/
0 notes
Text
Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs
Updated: 6/29/18 | June 29th, 2018
A few years ago, I wrote a post about travel credit card. So I picked American since they partnered with JAL, and I could use their credit card to get bonus miles and miles from my day-to-day spending.
Now, close to ten years that after my first post, I believe that unless you are a super flier, you shouldn’t stick to one airline or airline alliance. Using credit cards and special offers will get you all the extra points and miles you need to get free flights on any alliance. There’s no need to be loyal. The only thing gained by being loyal to one airline is elite status and the amazing perks that come with it.
If you spread out your flights among a large number of different carriers, you dilute your mileage balance. It will take you ages to earn enough miles to redeem for a free flight, and you definitely won’t fly enough on one airline to gain elite status. It takes 25,000 miles on most airlines to get the lowest elite status and, nowadays, they require a certain level of spend with their airline or on their credit too. Most people don’t fly or spend that much per year.
Elite status is all I care about. I want the extra perks — the free baggage, airport lounges, priority boarding, and free upgrades. I will pay more for a ticket and be loyal, because, in the end, the perks make the higher price worth it.
But for the casual flier? I don’t believe loyalty is worth it.
In fact, I don’t really think loyalty is worth it at all unless you are flying 50,000 or more miles per year. The major airlines in the United States do not value your loyalty anymore. They are only rewarding their high-spending clients with deep pockets — not their frequent clients. Travel 100,000 miles a year, but on just a few cheap tickets? Great — that will earn you a pat on the back. Spend $20,000 on a few high-priced tickets? The red carpet is rolled out for you!
I used to say that if you can fly 50,000 miles or more, it’s worth focusing on one airline and alliance because the perks are worth the extra price (especially the international lounges). But now, with the heightened spending requirements, reduced benefits, and overall “F U” attitude airlines have, it doesn’t make sense to be loyal to an airline if you aren’t a high spending traveler.
Right now, I have no airline status. Most of my flights for the rest of the year are long-haul international flights — the kind I always use points on so I can fly for free in business class. Most of my paid, status-earning flights will be cheap domestic flights. With the new spending demands, I’m simply not going to be able to meet the status requirements – for any airline.
I have no desire to get my status back. I get the basic status perks via the airline branded credit cards. I can’t remember the last time an upgrade cleared. I have points.
Just give me the cheapest flight.
I’m flying Alaska/Virgin, JetBlue, and Southwest a lot more. These airlines don’t have baggage fees, they do have friendlier staff, and better in-flight products (hello, free gate to gate Wi-Fi on JetBlue!). I’ve been flying these airlines a lot lately and the experience is leagues better than the big three!
I don’t think anyone who flies less than 50,000 miles per year should bother to be “loyal” to one airline. Unless you have a real affinity for one airline, the benefits you get for your “loyalty” aren’t worth the added price you’re going to pay for your fare. If you’re always staying in hotels or flying tens of thousands of miles per year, staying loyal will get you a lot of added benefits. But why pay more if you’re only going to fly a few thousand miles per year? Don’t be loyal. Just go on price. If you know you aren’t going to meet the elite status threshold, why pay extra?
It makes sense to be loyal when you’re a road warrior.
But when you’re a casual flier or low spending traveler, it doesn’t make sense, because you pay more without seeing the added benefit of “status.” There are so many ways to get free miles these days that if you’re just a casual, few-times-per-year flier, you’re better off using those methods to get free business or first-class tickets, which give you all the elite perks for that one flight anyways.
I think everyone should sign up for frequent flier programs. That way, when you use a company, you’re accumulating rewards. Never miss a chance to get rewards. I’m a member of every airline and hotel loyalty program for this reason. But if you’re only taking a couple of trips per year, there’s no reason to be loyal to one program.
Save yourself money and go with the cheapest ticket.
The Ultimate Guide to Travel Hacking
This book shows you how to take money out of the travel equation and and master the points and miles game. It will show you how to easily collect and redeem travel points for free airfare and accommodation so you can get you out of your house faster, cheaper, and in comfort. Click here to learn more about the book, how it can help you, and you can start reading it today!
The post Don’t Be Loyal to Frequent Flier Programs appeared first on Nomadic Matt's Travel Site.
from Traveling News https://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-blogs/dont-be-loyal-to-frequent-flier-programs/
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The graphic of Instagram registers a girl clear of the region when Fernando Pastorizzo continue to was in agony
"For that defense law firm can be a intention being rid of your aggravating, and it is actually This is why that in its strategy deploys a complete number of assumptions, which I never share but regard," claimed Sebastian alexandre Arrechea, the attorney from the household on the target. "What interests me previously mentioned way is to take care of the lawful description along with the aggravating, to, this way, to maintain the utmost penalty," he claimed. Nahir and Santiago had been together about 5 years of marriage tumultuous on Instagram. The moms and dads of the victim assert the violent she was. Her parents, that violent he was. The prosecutor Rondoni identified that within the evening of Xmas Eve, five days before the murder, there was a struggle to blows concerning the two while in the door of the nightclub. In buy 50 instagram likes with witnesses, "she hit him, but he also had pasted in The top of it, there was a situation of violence of both events. There should be some rationalization for your re-see" within the 29th of December, if the criminal offense occurred.
The autopsy established that Pastorizzo received two pictures, one of them in the back. "The wounds correspond Together with the entry gap and exit wound of firearm, in overall, two of these produced an injuries-bronchopulmonary suitable, leading to the Demise," the report claims. Though the proof of the skin inside the hands of Nahir uncovered no traces of gunpowder. His attorney, Victor Rebosio, set unsure, then your consumer may be the author with the shots. The prosecutor Rondoni Caffa, in control of the investigation, came out promptly to answer: "The dermotest can give negative even though fired. The expertise was manufactured six hours after the truth and the individual was in a position to wash my hands." He also mentioned which the murder weapon, a 9 millimeter, ejected the powder to 1 side and never backward as with a revolver.
The depth on the gunpowder was only among the list of twists and turns which the investigation normally takes day after day within the media. With all the attention on the case, the television and the newspapers tend to be the stage of the discussions. A great deal so that the family of Nahir chose to derive the voice with the relatives to your relacionista general public media, expert in scandals of the guts. Meanwhile, The daddy on the younger person has set up the concept that his daughter was the sufferer of unwell-remedy by Pastorizzo. He stated the young guy conquer her and, earlier mentioned all, that they were being no longer boyfriends. The depth isn't superior, and part of The full defensive structure: when they had been a couple, the demand in opposition to Nahir might be "murder doubly exacerbated by the use of a firearm and with the backlink", a crime that is paid out with nearly existence imprisonment. If not, you're going to be "killing" basic, with sentences from 8 a long time in prison.
The image is black and white and alternatively blurry, nonetheless it can be done to perceive that a young woman of the white skirt small going for walks during the evening by a street of Gualeguaychú, while in the province of argentina of entre Rios. Have invested a few minutes five.00 Friday, December 29. 50 % an hour after the passage of the woman, a taxi driver found meters far from the put, lying on the bottom close to his bicycle, James Pastorizzo. Was the target of two shots. "He was however alive, going mouth," The person claimed to your law enforcement. But when the ambulance arrived, Pastorizzo was presently useless. Justice attempts to find out now if the girl inside the video is his girlfriend, Nahir Galarza, 19, killer confessed of Pastorizzo and the protagonist of a circumstance which includes shocked the start of your year in Argentina. The video clip of Instagram can be a vital check within the analysis. Galarza confessed to the crime and it is imprisoned in a law enforcement station for Females. Damaged, informed prosecutors that he stole the gun of his father to law enforcement, was identified with her boyfriend and shot him since they had been on a motorcycle and a dust road about the outskirts of town. The subsequent morning, rose to Instagram a photograph of Pastorizzo kisses your shoulder, accompanied by a message: "I love You forever". There are several uncertainties, but for your justice in argentina will not be accomplished with the confession in the criminal offense. The defense has rested During this and with your technique to stay away from the everyday living sentence he has sown the seed of doubt.
To reconstruct the heritage, Rondoni has hijacked the telephones from the few. The authorities will search in the files WhatsApp, Fb, and Instagram information to reconstruct the actual point out of the connection. "If he [Pastorizzo] suffered any violence, be stated to good friends," claimed the prosecutor. "So before long, I possess the sayings of The daddy on the target, that he instructed me he experienced a courting marriage is extremely turbulent, with comings and goings, and where Fernando was a sufferer of the continued violence of Nahir". In any scenario, Pastorizzo has remaining Twitter some traces of the relationship he had with Nahir. In an account limited obtain arrived up with frequent messages, through which she lamented the relationship. "Is ridiculous Unwell in The pinnacle evil, under no circumstances will go away me calm," he wrote within the working day of Christmas. Per month prior to he experienced held what seemed like a crack: "relief by removing one thing so hefty on major".
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Editorial: Motor vehicle madness is holding Portland hostage
One of 10 deaths in the past three weeks.
Another person was killed in a collision involving an automobile user just after midnight this morning. It’s the 20th fatality on Portland roads so far this year and the 10th in just the last three weeks.
Portland Police say the latest tragedy occurred on Southeast Powell Blvd east of 50th. In a statement they wrote that,
“Preliminary information learned from the investigation suggests the pedestrian crossed southbound over Southeast Powell Boulevard east of Southeast 50th Avenue and was struck by a vehicle. The pedestrian reportedly made an unexpected movement in front of an oncoming vehicle while crossing… The pedestrian was not in a cross-walk at the time of the collision. The driver of the vehicle remained at the scene, contacted 9-1-1 to report the crash and is cooperating with the investigation. At this time it does not appear the driver of the vehicle was impaired while driving.”
While the PPB includes a boilerplate paragraph about Vision Zero in all their traffic crash statements these days, the statement fails to live up to the spirit of that goal.
A city committed to zero traffic deaths by 2025 should not publish blame-oriented statements about a traffic crash so soon after it happens. Especially when the victim is a vulnerable road user. That type of tone and framing is speculative, unnecessary, and makes the culture change we need much harder to accomplish.
Beyond this death on Powell, it’s clear that Portland isn’t doing enough — fast enough — to achieve Vision Zero.
PBOT’s ‘High Crash Network’ is basically every major street in the city.
The Bureau of Transportation is working hard, evidenced by yesterday’s City Council support for their impressive list of 105 “Vision Zero projects.” But those projects won’t be built fast enough.
The Portland Police Bureau is working hard, evidenced by their focused enforcements missions, support of Vision Zero and partnerships with PBOT. But it’s not enough.
Activists are working hard, evidenced by rallies in the streets and lobbying to give Vision Zero more political and policy heft. But it’s not enough.
The inconvenient truth is that the scale of the threat we face is growing much more quickly than our efforts to stop it.
The motor vehicle menace is out of control. That’s not a “bike advocate” talking, that’s just an acknowledgment of reality. Large steel vehicles and people inside them imbued with a feeling of invincibility fueled by a pervasive culture of selfishness and speed mixed with a systemic acceptance of its consequences has led to nothing short of chaos in our streets.
I have a good perspective on this issue because I regularly walk, bike, and drive. I also follow police alerts from around the region very closely, constantly scanning them in case they involve a bicycle rider. That means I’m much more aware of the daily insanity taking place on our streets than most people — and it’s why I’m so outraged by it.
Here’s a sampling of what I’ve seen in my inbox in just past few weeks (taken directly from PPB statements, emphases mine):
June 26th
…the Portland Police Bureau’s Traffic Division conducted a mission aimed at the street racers that congregate on Marine Drive and perform illegal races and other stunts out in public.
On Sunday night, officers in the area of North Marine Drive and Ledbetter Street witnessed individuals racing and driving recklessly. Officers came into the area and were able to stop several drivers and issue a total of nine citations covering 27 different charges. Two drivers were arrested on 15 separate charges. A motorcycle rider sped away from officers, crashed, and ran away on foot. That driver was not located.
June 27th
… North Precinct officers attempted to stop a driver for a traffic infraction in the area of North Vancouver Way and Middlefield Road. The driver stopped near Jubitz Truckstop, but as officers exited their patrol vehicle, the driver sped away towards I-5.
Officers pursuing the driver attempted a Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) on I-5 northbound approaching Hayden Island but were unsuccessful. During a second attempt, the driver rammed into the patrol car, resulting in the driver losing control of the vehicle and crashing into a jersey barrier.
The driver got out of the vehicle and was taken into custody without incident. A 47-year-old female passenger suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was transported by ambulance to a Portland hospital for treatment. Neither officer suffered injuries that required immediate medical treatment.
… East Precinct officers responded to the report of a single vehicle crash at Southeast 68th Avenue and Duke Street. 9-1-1 callers reported that a driver crashed into a power pole causing significant damage and that the suspect was attempting to drive away… The driver, 38-year-old Aaron Dennehy, was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII), Reckless Driving, and Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (Hit and Run).
June 28th
Portland Police Bureau officers arrested the driver of a stolen car after she rammed into a patrol car to evade capture. Two others in the vehicle were arrested on unrelated warrants.
… As officers approached the driver’s side of the vehicle, the driver put the car into gear. Officers discharged pepper spray into the vehicle, but the driver was able to ram her way past an unoccupied police car, and sped away northbound on 10th Avenue. Officers could see that the vehicle was occupied by the female driver and several male passengers.
… Investigators have learned that a 29-year-old female was driving a silver 2001 Mercedes 500 westbound on Columbia Boulevard and initiated a left turn across the eastbound lanes of traffic.
A 29-year-old female was driving a gray 2001 BMW 330 eastbound on Columbia Boulevard at the time the driver of the Mercedes turned across the lanes of traffic. The driver of the BMW collided with the passenger side of the Mercedes. In the Mercedes were two passengers, a 22-year-old male and a 23-year-old male, both of whom were killed in the crash… Preliminary indications are that the driver of the Mercedes was impaired by alcohol while the driver of the BMW was driving with a suspended license.
June 29th
Drunk Driver Crashes into TriMet Bus Shelter on Powell Boulevard… an East Precinct officer responding to an emergency call was driving on Southeast Powell Bouelvard near Southeast 50th Avenue when the officer saw the driver of a white truck driving at a high rate of speed eastbound on Powell Boulevard. The officer saw the driver crash into a TriMet bus shelter and concrete barrier.
The driver got out of the vehicle and started walking away from the crash, along with a passenger who also got out of the vehicle.
Officers stopped the driver and determined that he was impaired by alcohol. The driver, 28-year-old Andrew McLaughlin, was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII), Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (Hit and Run), and Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree (two counts).
June 30th
Major Crash Team Responding to Fatal Crash on Marine Drive
… Tomlinson, driving a 2005 Jeep Cherokee, began turning westbound on Marine Drive from 148th Avenue when he was struck by 69-year-old Richard Ramsay of La Pine, Oregon, driving a 2015 Max Semi tractor trailer. Ramsay was driving eastbound on Marine Drive. Tomlinson’s vehicle crashed over the embankment on the northside of Marine Drive and came to rest on the bike path. Good Samaritan’s pulled Tomlinson from the vehicle and attempted CPR but their efforts were not successful.
After colliding with Tomlinson’s vehicle, Ramsay had a slower speed collision with a 2013 Audi Q7 being driven westbound on Marine Drive. Neither Ramsay nor the other driver were injured in the crash.
July 1st
…East Precinct officers responded to the report that a pedestrian was struck by a driver on Southeast 122nd Avenue near Liebe Street… The victim was transported to a Portland hospital with traumatic, life-threatening injuries (victim died in the hospital).
The driver did not stop at the scene and continued traveling northbound on 122nd Avenue. Officers located the vehicle in the area of Southeast 140th Avenue and Holgate. Two people associated with the van have been detained. The driver, 35-year-old Fernando Cuevas Jr. of Vancouver, Washington, was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (Hit and Run) and Recklessly Endangering Another Person.
July 3rd
Two Officers Receive Minor Injuries in Hit and Run Traffic Crash
… two East Precinct officers working in a partner car were driving eastbound on Southeast Flavel Street at 72nd Avenue… As they crossed through the intersection with a green light, they were struck on the driver’s side by another vehicle that was being driven southbound on 72nd Avenue though a red light. The marked police car came to rest on the sidewalk, south of the intersection. The other driver’s car came to rest in the street just south of the intersection.
The two occupants of the vehicle, both females, got out of the car and ran southbound on 72nd Avenue but were contacted and detained by a third officer who was also responding to the call on 82nd Avenue… Following the crash investigation, the driver of the other car, 24-year-old Laquonda Fuller-Hudson, was issued traffic citations for Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (Hit and Run) and Reckless Driving.
Fatal Crash on Southeast 96th Avenue
Officers and medical personnel arrived and learned that a driver crashed into an unoccupied parked car and was ejected from the vehicle. Medical efforts to save the driver were not successful and he died at the scene… Traffic investigators learned that Wescott was driving northbound on 96th Avenue from Division Street at a high rate of speed, swerving and spinning his tires. Just prior to the crash, Wescott made a sweeping turn towards the east curb line and struck a parked 1980 Volvo. Wescott was ejected and died while his passenger, 44-year-old Mary Ann Heuer, suffered a non-life-threatening ankle injury.
Fatal Crash Investigation Underway on Airport Way
… North Precinct officers responded to the report of a traffic crash involving a driver striking a tree in the 13000 block of Northeast Airport Way.
Officers and medical personnel arrived to find the crash scene and one person deceased outside the vehicle. Officers learned that the deceased was a passenger in the vehicle and was pulled out by passersby due to the vehicle being on fire. A Good Samaritan extinguished the fire and others attempted CPR on the passenger but were unsuccessful.
Traffic investigators learned that Burton was driving westbound on Airport Way and failed to follow the curvature of the roadway, striking a tree in a center island of the roadway.
Pedestrian Critically Injured in Crash on Southeast 122nd Avenue
… The pedestrian critically injured in last night’s crash died shortly after arriving at the hospital for treatment. He’s been identified as a 23-year-old male.
The involved driver, 55-year-old Eric Sebastian Oman, was arrested and booked for Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII).
Traffic investigators learned that the 23-year-old male was with friends and was exhibiting strange, paranoid behavior just prior to the crash – behavior consistent with either a mental health crisis or drug psychosis, both of which is not normal for the young man according to friends… Friends attempted to restrain the 23-year-old man as he tried to run into traffic but he broke free and ran into the path of Oman’s truck, where he was struck and eventually died as a result of his injuries.
July 4th
Bicycle Rider Seriously Injured in Crash in Northeast Portland’s Cully Neighborhood
The bicycle rider … remains in a Portland hospital with serious injuries.
Investigators learned that Benton was driving eastbound on Killingsworth Street in a 2004 Honda Accord. As Benton was entering the intersection with Cully Boulevard, he collided with Canche-Mukel who was riding his bicycle northbound through the intersection.
July 7th
Drunk Driver Arrested After Crashing onto MAX Platform, Injuring One Person
East Precinct officers responded to the report that a driver crashed into a pedestrian at Southeast 122nd Avenue and Burnside Street and that the driver fled the scene.
Officers followed a debris trail from the scene and located the suspect and vehicle a few blocks away from the crash location. Traffic officers determined that the suspect was turning east from southbound 122nd Avenue and drove onto the MAX platform, injuring Olson, before driving away from the scene. Through the investigation, officers determined that the suspect was impaired by alcohol.
July 11th
Hawthorne Boulevard Closed 20th to 24th Due to Multiple Injury Crash
Central Precinct and Traffic Division officers responded to the report of a crash involving three vehicles on Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard and Southeast 22nd Avenue.
Officers and medical personnel arrived and determined at least one person had potentially life-threatening injuries and other persons involved received serious but non-life-threatening injuries.
July 13th
Fatal Crash in Lloyd District
North Precinct officers responded to the report of a traffic crash involving a driver striking a pole near the intersection of North Broadway and North Benton Avenue.
Officers and medical personnel arrived to find the crash scene and one person in the crashed vehicle. Fire and medical personnel extracted the driver from the vehicle in order to render him medical aid; however, the driver died at the scene.
… speed is believed to be a factor.
This is utter madness. All this irresponsible, incredibly selfish and dangerous behavior. All these lives ended. All these lives changed forever. All in just three weeks.
Our inability to moderate our use of motor vehicles is wreaking havoc on our daily lives. What’s not captured here are all the people held hostage by our auto-centric city — those who are too afraid to use our streets they way want to. The way they need to. Those who sit in traffic on buses stalled by too many cars on the road. Those who breath the toxic fumes emitted from our engines. Those who constantly worry about friends and family being in one of these statements.
And these are only the incidents reported by the Portland Police Bureau. There are numerous other serious traffic crashes that never make it into the news.
How would our city respond to any other issue that resulted in this much chaos, fear, injury, and death?
How are PBOT Commissioner Dan Saltzman, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, ODOT Director Matt Garrett, and other leaders reacting to all this? Are they doing enough?
No
How are The Street Trust, Oregon Walks, AAA Oregon, Oregon Trucking Association, and other transportation advocacy organizations reacting to this? Are they doing enough?
No
Are we all doing enough?
No.
The game has changed. The motor vehicle menace is getting worse much faster than our ability to mitigate it. We must use new approaches. Stronger regulation of motor vehicles (a.k.a. “car control”), more carfree spaces in our city, more protection for vulnerable road users, more modern street designs, and more aggressive measures are needed. ASAP.
And please don’t me about politics. This is about people. We can either make a city that works well for cars or works well for people. Not both. The choice is ours.
— Jonathan Maus: (503) 706-8804, @jonathan_maus on Twitter and [email protected]
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The post Editorial: Motor vehicle madness is holding Portland hostage appeared first on BikePortland.org.
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