PodcastsWhere were you on 9/11? – Episode 040September 10, 2018Podcasts / Words of JenIn this episode, I share three pieces of my writing that originated on a website that no longer exists. I put them all together after realizing that they worked better that way. I read “Where were you on 9/11?” on episode 040 of Words of Jen. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you! https://media.blubrry.com/bookofjen/p/content.blubrry.com/bookofjen/woj040.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS... Where were you on 9/11?September 10, 2018Podcasts / Words of JenYears ago, I wrote three separate blog posts about 9/11. The first was about where I was when it happened. The second was when a class of first graders asked me questions about what happened, and the third was a ceremony that the entire school participated in. I wrote these short pieces of writing on a blog that paid writers by the page click (and that no longer exists). I read “Where were you on 9/11” on episode 040 of my Words of Jen podcast. One: Where were you on 9/11? September 11, 2001, I was asleep as the news started to roll in. My then boyfriend (now husband) liked to listen to the radio as he woke up. I was there with him but the radio had not woken me up yet. I’m a deep sleeper. I was able to spend the night at his place because I didn’t have work the next day. I was working as a substitute teacher at the time, and would often have to get up really early to drive back home and then get ready for school, after spending nights with him. I was looking forward to sleeping in that day. Shawn was listening to a “morning zoo” program that aired in the midwest. “Mancow” Muller was the “shock jock” running the show. He and his crew were known for saying all kinds of crazy things on air. Most of the time, what he was talking about wasn’t really happening – and that would be easy to figure out the more he talked. I remember Shawn waking me up, saying something about a plane hitting a tower. I wasn’t awake enough to fully grasp what was going on. He said he was going to get out of bed, turn on the TV in the living room, and check the news. Sleepy, I eventually worked out what he was saying, but still did not understanding everything. I got out of bed followed him to the couch. There we sat, huddled in blankets for warmth on an unusually cool September morning, eyes glued to the TV. A plane had hit the tower of the World Trade Center. The news was doing a live feed of the damage. It was surreal. How could this have happened? Was this real? The live feed continued as a second plane came on screen. I remember saying “There’s another plane!” We watched as it hit the second tower. Shawn and I sat, mesmerized by the news. We sat there for what seemed like hours, trying to comprehend what happened. Dazed and shocked, we sat, silent. The world had changed forever, in ways we would not entirely realize until much later. We had each other, though, and that was more than enough. Two: How to say “Terrorist” in Spanish There was an elementary school that I subbed at very frequently because the other subs refused to teach there. One of the reasons was because some of the classes were taught in Spanish. I was one of very few subs that could read, speak, and understand Spanish enough to sub for those classes. One day, shortly after 9/11, I was teaching a social studies lesson to a class of first graders. They were taking turns reading aloud from the textbook. The book was old, and just so happened to show a picture of the World Trade Center. Suddenly, the students got very quiet. They looked at one another, and somehow, selected a child to speak for all of them. In a mix of English and Spanish, the boy asked me if it would be ok for them to ask me questions about the planes. He said they had been trying to ask their teacher questions, but she refused to answer. I accepted. The discussion was interesting. These students had watched the video of the planes hitting the towers, over and over again, on the news. They thought that each time the video appeared it meant that a new plane had hit yet another building. They also thought this had happened in Chicago, the nearest city. I tried my best to explain what really happened. I told them that it was one video, being shown over and over, not new planes hitting new buildings. I got a map and pointed to where New York was and then to where Chicago was, and then to where they were. One student asked me, “Teacher, who is doing this?” I hesitated. I had not yet learned enough Spanish to fully explain this. I didn’t have the vocabulary. Another little boy piped up. “Las terroristas!” he informed the class. “Si!” I confirmed, “Las terroristas.” Never in my life would I have guessed that I’d need to use that phrase in an elementary school classroom – in any language. Three: Singing in a Circle I drove through my small town and across a little bridge. (The school was in the next town over). All the little stores I passed had an American flag on display. Some were on flagpoles attached to the building, and others covered the big glass windows of the stores. There were patriotic colored banners attached to all the poles that held street lights. The bridge had dozens of small American flags lining both sides. I’d seen this around the 4th of July – but it was September. It struck me as strange, though I understood why the decorations were there. Upon arriving at school, I learned that the school was participating in a ceremony in regards to 9/11. At the right time, I led my students outside. The teacher’s aides and I helped the kindergarteners form a circle, and had everyone hold hands. All of the other classrooms were doing the same thing – both here and at the other local schools. Everyone got silent and listened to the church bells ring. We had a moment of silence after they stopped. This was to be followed by everyone singing the national anthem and “America the Beautiful” together. The older students had been taught both of those songs, and could easily participate. I was with several classrooms of students who had Spanish as a first language. Some of the teacher’s aides were more comfortable speaking Spanish than English. The adults may have known the words to the songs, but weren’t ready to lead the singing. It’s difficult to sing in a language that you are still trying to learn. So, I started singing. I could hear some of the other adults joining in. The older kids did, too. I looked around and saw that my kindergartners were rather confused. They realized that something important was happening, though. Those that didn’t sing remained silent. Looks of concern passed over their faces as they watched the adults, their teachers, singing with tears rolling down their cheeks. I’ll never forget that moment. Where were you on 9/11? is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Jen’s Lore Corner: Queen Asylla – Episode 006September 3, 2018Jen's Lore Corner / PodcastsWelcome to Jen’s Lore Corner, a podcast about the lore of the Diablo video game series. This podcast started as a segment on the Shattered Soulstone podcast. I decided to re-release those segments in their own podcast, with new episodes to follow. In this episode, I talk about Queen Asylla, a character that players don’t see for very long in Diablo III. If you haven’t played through story mode in a while, you might have forgotten all about her. Before I recorded Episode 006, I put together a detailed blog post about Queen Asylla. I used it as the template for this episode. It includes everything I could find at the time the episode was originally recorded. You can find in-game screenshots in that blog post, text of what Queen Asylla says to the player, and the text in her journal (that I read in episode 006). In addition, the blog post has my opinions of Queen Asylla’s fate and the quest that she sends players on. My episode about Queen Asylla was originally posted as a segment in the Shattered Soulstone podcast. Since then, a little bit more about Queen Asylla has been added to Diablo III. I have updated my blog post about Queen Asylla with more details about that. You can find more of my Diablo-related blogs on Book of Jen. They are all in the category called Diablo III. If you enjoyed this episode of Jen’s Lore Corner, please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you! https://media.blubrry.com/bookofjen/p/content.blubrry.com/bookofjen/JLC006.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS... The Ants Go Marching – Episode 039August 11, 2018Podcasts / Words of JenIn this episode, I read to you a piece of my writing that I wrote a few days ago. It is about some epic, and seemingly endless battles, in a war that I have finally won. I read “The Ants Go Marching” in episode 039 of Words of Jen. #BlaugustReborn If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you! https://media.blubrry.com/bookofjen/p/content.blubrry.com/bookofjen/woj039.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | DownloadSubscribe: Android | RSS... The Ants Go MarchingAugust 11, 2018Podcasts / Words of JenIn the summer of 2018, the ants started invading. My husband and I did everything we could think of to kill of this invading army of little black ants. Somehow, enough survived to launch additional assaults. I read “The Ants Go Marching” in episode 039 of my Words of Jen podcast. The Summer of 2018 was a dramatic one. There was more than one heat wave. It seemed like at least half of California was either on fire at any given time, or extinguished… or on fire again. Organizations that keep track of air quality posted warnings on social media strongly encouraging people to stay indoors when the smoke got bad. Some of this happened around the time the second pollen season of the year started up. As someone whose chronic illnesses include allergies and other autoimmune diseases, I was pretty much stuck indoors for a while. It was then that the ants decided to invade. I noticed the ants when I walked down the hallway, toward the room with the TV and our cockatiels. A line of little black ants was coming in the back door and heading straight into the bathroom (which was located almost exactly across the hallway). Some of them had started exploring the TV room. My husband, Shawn, who was watching TV, was unaware of the ants. He’s legally blind, and the tiny black ants, most of whom were crossing a decorative concrete floor that was black and dark grey, were invisible to him. I had no idea what the ants wanted, and they didn’t seem to either. One thing was clear – they didn’t want the kibble that our cockatiels fling all over the floor. This was unsurprising. When we first switched the cockatiels from seed to kibble – they didn’t want it either. The ants would bump into a kibble, stop and consider it, and then go right around it. We did not have any ant poison. So, I did what I could with what was at hand. It turns out ants die pretty quickly if you spray them with a blue colored liquid glass cleaner. There’s ammonia in it. Spray that on ants, and they start moving really slow, then curl up and die, and get stuck to the floor. I figured that would hold off the tiny invading army for a while, which gave me time to power clean the TV room. The first thing I did was sweep the floor. I found one, round, bright green, M&M that had rolled underneath one of Shawn’s guitars. The ants had not discovered it yet, but I suspected this was what they were after. It ended up in the kitchen trash can, which has a lid, and a texture that would be difficult, if not impossible, for ants to climb. This led to a scorched-earth style cleaning which involved moving furniture, more sweeping, and much effort with a steam mop. My hope was that this would destroy whatever chemical trails the ants had created, and leave them with no idea where to go. Ideally, they would conclude there was no food here and go back outside. One could hope. I sprayed some more glass cleaner on the remaining ants I found, and called that good enough. I was exhausted, and super allergic, and probably shouldn’t have decided to expose myself to that much dust when there was so much smoke in the air. For good measure, I sprayed a small puddle of glass cleaner by the back door where the ants had come in. Very few ants trickled in the next day. I had successfully quelled the ant invasion! The day after that, I learned that ants will come back to pick up their dead. I quick internet search revealed that dead ants release some kind of chemical, or hormone, or whatever, when they die. It smells like death and alerts the rest of the ants to the location of their corpse. There was now a line of tiny, black, Borg-like creatures carrying out the bodies of the dead ants they scrapped off the floor. Some were carrying pieces of dead ants. They weren’t collecting the dead out of sympathy, or mourning, or a “no ant left behind” mentality. According to the internet search, ants are programmed to pick up dead ants and move them to a pile of ant corpses somewhere away from where the rest of the ants are living. Which means these ants thought my home was part of their ant tunnel. I did not find that to be comforting. Shawn set out to get some ant poison. There was a brand of it we had used in the past that worked really well. He asked me if I wanted anything else while he was out. I asked for more glass cleaner. Unfortunately, the store Shawn went to was completely out of ant poison. Not just the really good kind – but all the ant poison. Fortunately, the store had bottles of blue glass cleaner. I used it to poison every ant I could find. Next, I cast a half-circle of used coffee grounds around the door where the ants were coming in. Would this work? There was an ant, heading for the exit. It bumped into the wet coffee grounds, recoiled in horror, and tried its best to go around it. I left him to figure out his own way home and hoped for the best. The next day, the ants were back. They headed straight for the bathroom and claimed the bathmat. I threw it out on the back porch and swept up the coffee grounds. I sprayed the remaining ants with the blue glass cleaner, watched them die, and then picked up the dead with a paper towel (which ended up in the kitchen trash can). Shawn found an article online from our local news. It included a video. The news interviewed several people whose homes had been invaded by ants. This explains why the stores were entirely out of ant poison. The war with the ants wasn’t over. They launched a third invasion, the biggest so far. A two lane highway of ants went from the back door, down the hallway, and into the kitchen. They were targeting something I could not immediately identify and moving fast. Shawn went out in the hopes of finding ant poison, while I killed the ants with blue glass cleaner. It was horrifying how fast they were moving, and how many of them there were. My plan was to get some writing work done, but that had to wait. The ants were marching under the refrigerator, and under the stove, and…. then I found their target. There was one, little, desiccated piece of apple skin on the floor near the kitchen trash can. I angrily picked it up and threw it in the trash. I keep cleaning, and these little marching demons find the smallest thing and decide it’s enough to wage war for. I returned to my computer, but was too angry to work on the writing I had planned to do. So, I posted a haiku of frustration and rage on social media: Being productive And then…the ants invaded Had to murder them Shawn returned home victorious, carrying the prized ant poison we desperately needed. These were little plastic squares with a raised part on top that had little openings for ants to come in and get the bait. We put one by the back door where the ants were coming in, and one in the kitchen under the refrigerator. I figured that the ants who were coming down the hallway and turning at that corner would head right into the ant poison. A tiny spider decided to become my ally. He built a nearly invisible, delicate, web on the wall and across the floor of the ant highway. I could see three or four round, black, wiggling ants that the tiny spider had captured. Over the next day or so, there was a noticeable reduction of ants. We waited, and left the ant bait on the floor. The result was a few, peaceful, days with no ants. They were gone! Believing the war with the ants was over, we threw out the ant bait. Why? We have cockatiels who like to come out of their cage from time to time. Most of them stay on the top of it, but some go down the hallway… and get curious and poke at the things they find. A few days ago, I was up until the wee hours of the morning trying to get some writing done. Around 2 AM, I walked into the bathroom and found a ton of ants crawling around the sink and across the counter. I ran to get the blue glass cleaner from under the kitchen sink. On the way out, I came face to face with a medium-sized spider, who was sitting on the open door frame, doing nothing. “Well, you’re not doing your job, now are you?” I complained at the lazy spider. I let Shawn know we had more ants. He told me there were two more ant baits, which I found and carried with me. The lazy spider had disappeared while I was gone. So now, I’m power cleaning the bathroom, spraying windex like a gunslinger, and intentionally removing the dead from where they lie. A second cleaning product was deployed like napalm all over the bathroom sink, in the hopes of deterring the ants that seemed to be coming out of the drain. I scoured and scrubbed the sink, the toilet, and part of the wall that the ants had climbed to get up to (or down from) the sink. The shower did not need to be cleaned, as it was left in a half-finished state. We hired a guy to replace the toilet (which was broken beyond repair due to how old it was) remove the bathtub (that came with stains I could never get out) and build a shower. He did an excellent job, but suggested someone else to do the tile work. We ran out of money for that project, which was ok, because he have a second bathroom. The point of this is that the edge of the still under construction shower has treated wood going across it. The ants do not like it at all, and turned back around when they found it. Time goes by, and I find myself alternating between killing the ants that come out of the sink and the ones that are crossing the bathroom floor. Slowly, their numbers start to diminish. Fewer ants were trickling in. Every so often, I pushed the ant bait that I put down in the middle of the bathroom floor, and in front of the incoming ants, a little bit farther back. I wash my hands and leave a pile of soap bubbles in the bottom of the sink, hoping the ants won’t want to cross it. I spray a few more floor ants, and push the ant bait a little bit farther, gaining ground. I know the ants are looking for food, but feel no remorse or guilt for murdering them. In the backyard, we have an amazingly abundant lemon tree that constantly produces lemons. When I go to pick up the dropped lemons, I have to flick the ants off of them before I can take the lemons inside. There is a wonderful, natural, endless supply of sugar out there… and yet, they choose to invade my home. I select a line in the decorative concrete tile floor and choose it as a border. The ants that cross it get picked up with a square of toilet paper, dropped into the freshly cleaned toilet, and left to drown. I’m standing beyond that line, waiting for ants to cross it, and destroying them. I am Gandalf, yelling “You shall not pass!” (but using a spray bottle instead of a staff). Eventually, the invading ant army is left with only a few, confused and poisoned ants wandering aimlessly about. The battle is won! This morning, shortly before I started writing this, I found ants in the bathroom once again. Will this war never end? I strategically moved the ant bait that was already in the bathroom to a spot that interrupts the slow trail of incoming ants. The other ant bait was still by the back door, where the ants stubbornly and stupidly keep coming in. When I was at my acupuncturist appointment the other day, I told her about the ant invasion. She suggested I sprinkle some cinnamon around where the ants were coming in. Ants hate cinnamon, and all it takes is just a little bit to deter them. So, I tried it. There was nothing to lose, except a little bit of cinnamon. The ants had learned to avoid the ant bait, and had been going around it or underneath it. To my surprise, the cinnamon seemed to work. No more ants came in. I periodically swept the few ants that remained, and who couldn’t figure out how to get outside, right out the back door. Then, I’d check them again later, and sweep a few more back outside. One time, a small spider was rushing to get in the open door, but changed his mind as I swept the ants out. I’m hoping he’s hungry. The scent of cinnamon is now wafting through my home. Victory smells like pumpkin pie. #BlaugustReborn The Ants Go Marching is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Diablo IIISeason Journey Chapter IV (Season 14)September 11, 2018Diablo III / Diablo SeasonsIn Season 14, I decided to play a Hardcore Barbarian as part of the Solo Self Found League. I did a Season Rebirth on Zena, a Barbarian that I’ve had for a very long time. Unfortunately, she didn’t make it all the way through Chapter IV. So, this blog post shows what happened at what turned out to be the end of my Season 14. My overall goal for Season 14, with my Hardcore Barbarian, is to see how far I can get through the Season Journey. I’m playing as part of the Solo Self Found League, which means I’ve given myself an additional challenge. The first video I streamed while working on Chapter IV had some seriously bad sound issues. I’m not sure if it was the way my audio was set up on OBS, but changing it did not improve the problem. There was a whole lot of lag happening in Diablo III, so I figure that may have had something to do with it. Maybe. Anyway, the point is that the video ended up with horrible audio quality, and I’m not willing to post it here (or on Twitch). Screenshots of this part will have to do. Here’s what I accomplished on the “night of too much lag”: Let’s Get Started: Learn 5 Blacksmith Recipes Exquisiteness: Reforge a weapon property to a socket at the Mystic Rift and Roll: Complete a Nephalem Rift on Torment I difficulty or higher. Completed Greater Rift Level 2 at 6:40.816 Completed a Greater Rift Level 4 at 7:07.033 Completed a Greater Rift Level 6 at 7:29.400 I also leveled Bane of the Powerful Legendary Gem to Level 6 Watch Diablo III – HC Barbarian SSF Season 14 Chapter IV.mp4 from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv I completed another Nephalem Rift on Torment I difficulty – as a warm up. Completed a Greater Rift Level 9 at 9:18.116 I decided to take a screenshot of my Hardcore Barbarian because I’d unintentionally gave her armor that color coordinated. Completed Greater Rift Level 10 at 6:21.616 Tier 10 – 6:21.616 – 8/12/18 – 11:52 PM Lord of Sin: Kill Azmodon on Torment II difficulty or higher. Completed Greater Rift 11 at 7:49.916 Tier 11 – 7:49.916 – 8/12/916 – 4:46:13 PM Leveled Bane of the Powerful Legendary Gem some more – Now Level 11 Started leveling Esoteric Alteration Legendary Gem – Now Level 2 Completed a Nephalem Rift on Torment II difficulty Watch Diablo III Season 14 Hardcore Barbarian SSF Working through Chapter IV from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv Here’s what I did in the video above: Ran some Bounties in the hopes of receiving Plans for the Jeweler (in order to complete the Chapter IV objective) …Is Another Man’s Treasure: Use Kanai’s Cube to upgrade a rare item to legendary quality. Die Well: Kill Maghda at max Level in under 30 seconds on Torment difficulty or higher in Hardcore mode. Ran some more Bounties in the hopes of getting recipes for the Jeweler Ran a Nephalem Rift on Torment II – in the hopes of gathering enough gold to buy one more Jeweler recipe Gave Kadala some more Blood Shards, and she gave my Hardcore Barbarian an Ancient Spires of the Earth. I now have two pieces of that set (the other piece is Spirit of the Earth). I’m also using an Immortal Kings set weapon. Ran a Greater Rift Level 12 Greater Rift Level 12 at – 6:32.566 Raised Esoteric Alteration Legendary Gem to Rank 5 Just Look at You: Learn 5 Jewelcrafting Recipes Watch Diablo III Season 14 SSF Hardcore Barbarian Torment III.mp4 from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv Here’s what I accomplished in the above video: Ran a Nephalem Rift in Torment II, because I didn’t realize I failed to set the difficulty to Torment III. Ran a Greater Rift Level 14 Greater Rift Level 14 at – 9:57.833 Raised Esoteric Alteration Legendary Gem to Rank 7 Hit Paragon 50 Ran a Greater Rift 16 Greater Rift 16 at 11:25.099 Tier 16 – 11:25:099 – 8/29/18 – 3:02:34 AM Raised Bane of the Powerful Legendary Gem to Rank 14 Ran a Nephalem Rift on Torment III (for real, this time) Ran a Greater Rift Level 17 Greater Rift Level 17 at 9:14.416 Tier 17 – 9:14.416 – 8/29/18 – 3.28.15 AM Raised Bane of the Powerful Legendary Gem to Rank 17 Watch Diablo III Season 14 Greater Rifts in Chapter IV.mp4 from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv Here’s what I accomplished in the video above: Ran another Nephalem Rift on Torment III Gave Kadala some Blood Shards and got the Eyes of the Earth helm. The goes with the other set items my Barbarian has collected this season. She was already wearing: Foundation of the Earth (boots), Spires of the Earth (shoulders – Ancient), and Spirit of the Earth (chest). Here is Zena the Barbarian, with four pieces of the Might of the Earth set. Ran a Greater Rift Level 18 Greater Rift 18 at 13:28.000 Leveled Esoteric Legendary Gem to Rank 10 Ran a Greater Rift Level 19 Greater Rift 19 at 12:18.950 Raised Bane of the Powerful Legendary Gem to Rank 18 Raised Esoteric Alteration Legendary Gem to Rank 12 Ran another Nephalem Rift on Torment III Ran a Greater Rift 20 – but was unable to complete it Reached Paragon 66 My Season 14 ended abruptly not long after I entered a Greater Rift 20. I probably should have taken one look at the monsters and gotten out of there. Zena the Barbarian has been archived to the Hall of Fallen Heroes. Season Journey Chapter IV (Season 14) is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... MalfeasanceSeptember 5, 2018Diablo III / Diablo PetsThis is Malfeasance. I got this creepy pet from a Menagerist Goblin shortly after Season 11 ended. The Menagerist Goblins are the only ones that drop pets. The flavor text for this pet says: Could it be Malthael’s country cousin? Merriam-Webster defines the word Malfeasance as: wrongdoing or misconduct especially by a public official. There are plenty of creatures in Diablo III that are the manifestation of something. There are Aspects of Anguish, Destruction, Hatred, Lies, Pain, Sin and Terror. The Malfeasance pet seems to be the physical form of the concept of malfeasance. I’m going to be picturing this creepy creature following around politicians who behave badly. Someone with much better photoshop skills than me could probably add Malfeasance to photos of politicians who break laws. When a Menagerist Goblin drops a pet, it falls on the ground and looks like any other Legendary item. The flavor text on the Malfeasance item says: What is this thing? That’s a very good question. One thing is for certain: Malfeasance cannot possibly be related to Malthael. There is a physical resemblance, but that doesn’t mean they are “cousins”. Malthael eventually became the Angel of Death. All the Angels are related to each other. Malfeasance is definitely not an angel, and doesn’t have anything to do with death. Malfeasance floats and follows the player character. It also picks up the gold that drops on the ground. All pets do this, but it somehow, it seems fitting that Malfeasance collects gold that belongs to someone else. Here is my Crusader with Malfeasance. I love how creepy this pet is! Malfeasance is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... CharlotteAugust 29, 2018Diablo III / Diablo PetsThis is Charlotte. I got her from a Menagerist Goblin during Season 11. The Menagerist Goblins are the only kind of goblin that drop pets. I think they always drop a pet – but the kind of pet appears to be random. The flavor text for this pet says: She just wants a big, multi-armed hug. Menagerist Goblin: Napper of Pets When Menagerist Goblins drop a pet, the item dropped will look like a Legendary item. The Charlotte item will automatically go into the players bag when it is picked up (just like all the other loot does.) Players need to click on the pet item after it is in the bag. It will disappear and go into the player’s Wardrobe. The flavor text on the Charlotte item says: A spider! A spider! This pet is a reference to Charlotte the spider in the children’s book Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. In the book, Charlotte is a wise, grey spider who becomes friends with Wilber the pig. In the screenshot above, Charlotte appears to be trying to introduce herself to one of my Barbarian’s Ancient friends. Charlotte eventually settled in with the group and is happily running along beside them. Charlotte is a medium sized spider. She’s much smaller than Queen Araneae. Charlotte might be about the same size as the corpse spiders that the Witch Doctor throws at enemies. Charlotte is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Lady MorthanluAugust 24, 2018Diablo III / Diablo PetsThis is Lady Morthanlu. I got her from a Menagerist Goblin during Season 11. The Menagerist Goblins are the only type of goblin that drop pets. Kill the Menagerist Goblin – and it will drop a random pet for you. The flavor text for this pet says: “Lady Morthanlu is the picture of sophistication and charm. Only the most refined adventurer will bring her along!” – Barker Chan. When a Menagerist Goblin drops a pet – the item will look like a Legendary scroll. The item will say the name of the pet. The Lady Morthanlu item will automatically go into a player’s bag when they pick it up. Players need to right click on the item after it is inside the bag. Doing so will put the pet into the Wardrobe (with all the other pets the player has collected). The flavor text on the Lady Morthanlu item says: Is this a tiny goatman? Or…? There doesn’t seem to be any information about who Barker Chan was. A barker is someone who stands outside of a carnival sideshow and calls out to passersby in an effort to interest them in paying to go into the sideshow and see what is inside. He probably yelled: “Lady Morthanlu is the picture of sophistication and charm. Only the most refined adventurer will bring her along!” to describe Lady Morthanlu. It’s possible that Lady Morthanlu was part of a freak show or curiosity show of some kind. There’s no way to know whether she was brought there by force, or if she decided it was a good way to make some money and joined willingly. This is probably Lady Morthanlu’s best attempt at looking like “the picture of sophistication and charm.” The Diablo Wiki says that “goatman” is a colloquial name. They were originally called Khazra. (Players fight them in Act II of Diablo III.). The Khazra started out as the five clans of the umbaru race from the Torajan jungles of the Teganze. The lore behind the Khazra is a bit fuzzy. Some lore indicates that Khazra started out as human, and then got corrupted by the Vizjeri mage clan. Other lore says that the Khazra are lieutenants of Baal (one of the Prime Evils). There are a few Khazra that officially have names. It’s hard to say if Lady Morthanlu is really her name, or if that was the name given to her after she ended up in the freak show. I’m going to guess that a Menagerist Goblin snuck into the freak show one night and stole Lady Morthanlu away. If you look closely, you can see Lady Morthanlu standing next to my Crusader. Lady Morthanlu, like other pets, will pick up gold for the player. Lady Morthanlu is a large pet. She’s easy to spot in-game (unless you are fighting a mob of Khazra). Lady Morthanlu carries her own weapon, and appears to want to use it. She won’t actually attack enemies, though. I like to think she uses her weapon to push enemies out of the way she she can pick up the gold that has dropped on the ground. #BlaugustReborn Lady Morthanlu is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... BuddyAugust 15, 2018Diablo III / Diablo PetsThis is Buddy. I got him from a Menagerist Goblin, but cannot remember exactly when. Diablo Wiki says that Buddy was added in patch 2.4.1. The Diablo III website says that Patch 2.4.1 went live on April 26, 2016. The flavor text for this pet says: His favorite game is “Fetch the Skull,” but try to make sure no one is using the skull first. Here’s Buddy, patiently waiting for my Barbarian to get done handing Blood Shards to Kadala. As you can see, Buddy is a rather large pet. He’s easy to spot both in town and in battle. Like other pets, Buddy will pick up the gold that drops on the ground so the player doesn’t have to do it themselves. Buddy is a light color, but doesn’t blend into the snowy areas of the game. I like the way the shadows in this screenshot turned out. Buddy is a large pet. I tend to use him when I’m playing a Barbarian. If Buddy brings back a skull, that is currently being used by someone else… I feel like a Barbarian could convince Buddy to drop it. To me, Buddy looks like a dog-like creature. He doesn’t have a nose or snout, has teeth that remind me of a piranha, and seems to be missing part of his tail. I’m not entirely sure what, exactly, this pet is supposed to be, but his behavior is sort of dog-like. He’s got the perfect mix of “cute-ugly”! #BlaugustReborn Buddy is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Book ReviewsVaria: Poetry, Visions and Journeys – by Tom McNellisAugust 26, 2018Book Reviews / PoetryVaria: Poetry, Visions and Journeys includes poems by Ramon Alone and other works. It has poetry, inspirational writing, short stories, and more. The book provides a definition of the word Varia: miscellaneous items, especially a miscellany of literary works.” I tend to like books that are a mixture of different kinds of writing and that do not fit neatly into a particular box or category. Some of the poems in Varia were originally posted on the author’s Ramon Alone Twitter and Facebook accounts. I love when people use social media in creative ways like that. There was a time when I filled a Twitter account with haiku. When I read poetry, I like to go slowly. I read things over a few times, find some meaning if I can, and wait and see which poems stick with me. If I were to choose just one poem from Varia to highlight, it would be the one titled: “Behind the Walls”. The poem describes how home feels to a young person, compared with how home feels years later, after the person has gotten older. I suspect it was an observation on how people view things differently as they age. Kids want to go outside and play; adults want to stay home from work and relax. As someone who survived an abusive childhood, I found myself relating to this poem that includes the word “dungeon”. It definitely brought up a mix of emotions, as I looked back on what home used to be like. Things are much better today! My personal interpretation of “Behind the Walls” is likely not what the author intended. That’s the thing about poetry, though. The best ones make people feel something. The words in the poem are the same, but the color depends on each person’s past experiences. Another poem I really enjoyed is titled “Spirals”. There is a beautiful phrase in it: “Spiraling upwards we charge toward infinity”. I’m not sure how to explain why this particular phrase reached me. It feels like a mixture of hope and eternity. “Downpour” is a short story that starts with a man who is driving through the rain to meet with his lover. It is, by far, the darkest, most twisted, piece in Varia. While this story may not be for everyone… I dig it. The ending was creepy, and violent, and exactly right. This one is for the fans of horror stories. “The Warning” is a prelude to a dark fantasy series that Tom McNellis is working on, and is a bit of lore to start things off. The short story is about a mysterious stone box that someone, the reader does not know who, is trying to decipher. This short story has me very curious about what happens next. Tom McNellis has released the first book in his No Gods Before Us series. The first book titled: “On Black Wings We Rise“. I’m looking forward to reading it. Varia: Poetry, Visions and Journeys – by Tom McNellis is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Faceless – by Matthew RossiAugust 14, 2018Book Reviews / fantasyFaceless is the third book in the Nameless series. You should read Nameless and Heartless before starting this book. As in the previous books, Faceless revolves around a magical family of cousins (and their significant others). All of them are young people, and most are starting to put together a framework of how they think they want the rest of their lives to work out. To me, one of the things that this book is about is that the choices people make – out of love, or fear, or desperation – have consequences. What happens as a result can affect not only the person who made a choice, but also the lives of other people. It’s a important piece of wisdom that some people do not learn until after they have destroyed something or someone they love. The book begins with Thomas and Thea using their magical abilities to defend Maddie Chen, a Chinese-American woman whom some of the characters know because they all used to work in the same bookstore. Maddie is, in the words of Thomas, “super pregnant.” Maddie’s ex-boyfriend, Jason Cain, is trying to attack her using magic. She is confused about why he would do this, and has absolutely no way to comprehend all the magic stuff that is happening. Interestingly, Bishop, who once felt the same way Maddie does, is there to help her cope. Thomas and Thea (and some of their cousins) use emotion to fuel the magic they use. They reach back into memories of pleasure or pain. Jason’s magic is different. At the end of the battle, Thea and Thomas find that he has been using a book of spells. Jason does not survive the battle, but isn’t quite out of the story just yet. Medea is one of my favorite new characters in this book. She is extremely intelligent, a skilled fighter, and a person who has a tendency to think before she acts. Medea is a lesbian who chose to marry a man out of companionship, in part because it would be easier for her family to handle. This decision affects the man that everyone assumed she would marry. She belongs to the same family as Jason, and uses magic the same way he was trying to. The difference is Medea had more skill, practice, and knowledge about how that magic works than he did. After Jason disappears, Medea sets out to find him. Medea mistakes Thomas for his mother, Artemis, who is her sister. She had lost contact with Artemis, and had no idea that her sister had a child. This is where Medea and Thomas begin to try and get to know one another, hoping that they can find a way to trust each other. That’s not going be easy, because their first introduction resulted in a battle. There are, of course, other things going on. Bishop and Joey are beginning to wonder where their relationship is going. Joey worries that all the magic stuff is going to scare Bishop away, and Bishop, who is bisexual, thinks Joey might leave him someday because of that. Seri and her girlfriend are still in a relationship that seems to be going well. But, where is it headed? How serious are they? Morgan thinks he is in love with his girlfriend, but isn’t sure because of his lack of experience. He’s been waiting for the perfect time to tell her his feelings. Bry, a transgender girl who is the most interesting and delightful character in the entire series, is now a teenager. She’s not at all interested in dating yet, and thinks she might never be. I love that Bry uses her magic to do things like make characters from a video game appear and help with simple tasks. Thomas and Thea, who have now been married for a little over a year, are considering their future. They have a conversation about whether or not they might want to have children someday. The fascinating thing about this question is that Thea and Thomas have unique abilities that mean they have more options regarding pregnancy than anyone else does. There is, of course, as series of battles that lead to all kinds of discoveries. Thomas and Thea learn a little about how Medea and her family have been using magic. Medea learns it actually doesn’t work the way she was led to believe. It’s more dangerous than she knew. The big battle happens because the man who everyone assumed would marry Medea, tries to attack Thea because he believes that she is someone else. He thinks she is a woman whom he fell in love a long time ago. By the time he realizes what he has done, it’s too late for him to try and set things right. Faceless has a very exciting and satisfying ending, and I enjoyed this book as much as the first two books in the series. I highly recommend these books for people who enjoy magic, epic battles, and well developed characters that feel very real. Faceless – by Matthew Rossi is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... March: Book Three – by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate PowellAugust 1, 2018Book Reviews / comics / non fictionMarch: Book Three is the third is a series of graphic novels that provide a vivid look at the civil rights movement in the United States. Together, this trilogy gives context to the events that you may have only heard a little bit about. The March series focuses on the life of John Lewis, who is a United States Representative who represents Georgia’s 5th District. John Lewis is a Democrat. Before you read March: Book Three, you need to read March: Book One and March: Book Two. The March series was written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. The art was done by Nate Powell. March: Book Three starts off with a shocking scene about the Birmingham church bombing that happened on September 15, 1963. A bomb went off before the Sunday morning services at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Alabama. This church had a predominately black congregation. It was known as a meeting place for civil rights leaders. About 200 church members were in the building when the bomb went off. Many were attending Sunday school classes before the start of the church service. The bodies of four girls: Addie Mae Collins (age 14), Cynthia Wesley (age 14), Carole Robertson (age 14) and Denise McNair (age 11) were found beneath the rubble in a basement restroom. Another girl, Sarah Collins (10 years old) was also in the restroom when the bomb exploded. She lost her right eye. Twenty other people were injured. News of what happened was broadcast on the radio. John Lewis, and other members of SNCC went to the church. He traveled by greyhound bus, and others drove cars to Birmingham. John Lewis saw white people celebrating the death’s of the girls. Some of those white people were engaging in violence against black people. As in the previous two books,March: Book Three is presented with juxtaposed scenes that are not chronological. The next part of the book shows John Lewis attending the swearing in of President Barack Obama. This book is the biggest of the trilogy. It covers significant events that are important to know about if you want to learn about recent American history and the civil rights movement. When I was reading this series, I was troubled by the violence that was inflicted upon people who were simply asking for equality. It frightened me how much some of the things that took place back then felt similar to things that have happened in more recent years, after President Obama’s two terms had ended. The right to vote is a big part of what March: Book Three covers. The Freedom Vote was organized by SNCC. “The plan was to stage our own elections, with our own candidates. This would give black women and men a sense of what it was like to actually vote AND dramatize the exclusion of African-Americans from the electoral process.” At the time, black people were actively prevented from registering to vote. One of them was Fannie Lou Hamer who was part of SNCC. In 1962, she tried to register to vote, and was denied that right. As a result, she lost her job, was arrested, and was severely beaten. Other significant events that are covered in March: Book Three include the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas; the creation of the Mississippi Freedom and Democratic Party (MFDP) and its plan to challenge the Democratic Party’s claim to its seats at the National Democratic Convention; and the sudden disappearance of three volunteers who attended a training and set out to register black people to vote in Mississippi. While all three parts of the March trilogy include descriptions and images of the violence that occurred, it seemed to me that Book Three had the most by far. Things were amping up as black people (and some white people) worked for equal rights, while (some) racist and angry white people felt entitled to attempt to physically harm and kill people engaged in the civil rights movement. John Lewis was with a group of black people who peacefully lined up outside the courthouse in Selma, Alabama, and insisted on being allowed to register to vote. They were ordered to move away from the front of the courthouse and line up in the nearby alley. Sadly, this eventually resulted in violence as the demonstrators were beaten and arrested. In the Summer of 1964, there were more than 1,000 arrests, 80 beatings, 35 shootings, 35 church burnings, and 30 bombings in Mississippi. There were some who became afraid and insisted that they needed to stop protesting and demonstration. Others insisted that they must continue. The Democratic National Convention happened in Atlantic City in August of 1964. It was contentious, and it was televised. Fannie Lou Hamer testified about what happened to her when she (and eighteen other black people) tried to register to vote in Indianola. They had to take a test before they could register. I’m leaving a lot of details out of this book review. She told the people at the Democratic National Convention – and those watching it on television in their homes – about the brutal beatings she and others received after being arrested for attending a voter registration workshop. Her story was graphic, and terrifying, and she made it clear the perpetrators of the violence were the white police officers who arrested them. Part of March: Book Three includes Mr. Luther King Jr. and his speeches. John Lewis traveled to Africa and ended up meeting Malcom X, who showed concern about the danger that John Lewis and other civil rights activists were in. Not long after that meeting, John Lewis heard on the radio that Malcolm X had been assassinated. As you may have expected, March: Book Three ends with the Selma to Montgomery march. Civil right protesters walked for three days on a 54-mile route from Selma, Alabama, to the state capital of Montgomery. The purpose was to raise awareness of the difficulties faced by black voters, and the need for a national Voting Rights Act. John Lewis participated in this historic march, along with Martin Luther King, Jr., members of SNCC, and others. History.com notes that the group was confronted with deadly violence from local authorities and white vigilante groups. The marchers were under protection of federalized National Guard troops. Together, the March trilogy presents important pieces of recent American history in a graphic novel format that provides a vivid look at what happened. I found the series to be an easy read because it had artwork that showed what was going on, and also an extremely difficult read because of the violence that occurred. There is more to the story than I have written about in my reviews. I recommend the March trilogy to those who want to learn about the civil rights movement in the United States. #BlaugustReborn This book review of March: Book Three by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... March: Book Two – by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate PowellJuly 23, 2018Book Reviews / comics / non fictionMarch: Book Two is the second in a series of three graphic novels that provide a vivid look at the civil rights movements in the United States. The March series focuses on the life of John Lewis, who is a United States Representative who represents Georgia’s 5th District. John Lewis is a Democrat. Before you read March: Book Two, you should read March: Book One. Doing so will make it clear what happened before the events in March: Book Two and how they led to what happens next. The March series was written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. The art was done by Nate Powell. As in the first book, March: Book Two includes scenes that are juxtaposed but that are not chronological. It eventually becomes clear that some of the scenes focus on John Lewis getting ready for, and attending, the Inauguration of President Barack Obama. These scenes provide the reader with a necessary breath of fresh air after reading through scenes that include extreme violence. March: Book Two starts by noting that the civil rights group that John Lewis was part of was successful at using non-violent civil disobedience to end the segregation of the lunch counters. Their next goal was to use the same strategy to end segregation at fast food restaurants, and cafeterias. Some of this resulted in acts of violence perpetrated by racist white people who wanted segregation to continue. The group also used non-violent civil disobedience at movie theaters. At the time, the movie playing was The Ten Commandments. The white people who were behind the counter at the ticket booth refused to sell tickets to black people. The group that John Lewis was a part of performed what they called a “stand-in”. Everyone got in line, waited their turn, and politely asked to buy a ticket for the movie. When the ticket seller refused to sell them one, they got right back in line. The police came and physically assaulted some of the black people who wanted to buy movie tickets, and arrested many of them. Eventually, after great effort, some movie theaters in the South ended segregation in theaters. They started selling tickets to black people. This graphic novel covers what happened during the 1961 Freedom Ride. Freedom Riders, some white, and some black, went to Washington D.C. and split into two groups. They bought bus tickets to New Orleans. The purpose was to protest segregation on busses. Things got really violent. Some Freedom Riders were taken to jail. Others got beat up by angry, white, racists. Someone firebombed one of the busses that some of the Freedom Riders were on. Despite this, the Freedom Rides continued. There was a point where journalists and photographers came to the bus stations and took photos of the violence. This sometimes resulted in the photographers having their cameras smashed, and their bodies beaten. Some of the photos made it to newspapers – and this helped spread the news of the Freedom Ride. There was a meeting in a church where Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. spoke to the people who were part of the civil rights movement. Angry mobs gathered outside waiting for people to come out. It must have been terrifying to be there. There was a point where the racist white people, some of whom were encouraged by elected officials to be violent, attacked black children. A little girl was hit by someone driving a pick-up truck. A children’s march in a park ended when police turned fire hoses on the kids, and then threatened to send in dogs. March: Book Two points out that in 1941, there were plans for a March on Washington. The idea came from A. Philip Randolph, founder of the Brotherhood of the Sleeping Car Porters. He asked President Roosevelt to ensure that black workers would be integrated into the growing war economy. When Roosevelt refused, Randolph threatened to organize a March on Washington. This influenced Roosevelt to sign an executive order forbidding the defense industry from discrimination in hiring. So, the March on Washington was canceled. In 1963, a March on Washington was planned, again. There were some shenanigans happening that almost resulted in John Lewis (and a few other people) from participating in the March. The full text of the John Lewis’s speech is included in the back of March: Book Two. Obviously, this wasn’t the end of the civil rights movement. March: Book Three picks up from there, and provides details about what happened next. It may sound like it all happened a long time ago. The thing to keep in mind is that there are people alive today who lived through the events described in the March series, and who experienced discrimination and segregation. March: Book Two – by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... March: Book One – by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate PowellJune 28, 2018Book Reviews / comics / non fictionMarch: Book One is the first in a series of three graphic novels that provide context to and details about the civil rights movement in the United States. This series provides a vivid explanation about events that you may have only heard a little about (or briefly saw photos of on social media). It’s also a great resource for people who are interested in using non-violent civil disobedience as a form of protest. The March series focuses on the life of John Lewis. You might recognize that name because he is a United States Representative in the House of Representatives. He is a Democrat who represents Georgia’s 5th District. The series was written by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin. The art was done by Nate Powell. March: Book One juxtaposes scenes from different times. It starts with a scene of an adult John Lewis on the Edmund Pettis Bridge. The next scene shows Representative John Lewis waking up, getting ready, and going to his office to speak with people. Next, we go back in time to when John Lewis was a child and living with his family in rural Alabama. This way of storytelling, by jumping around in time, is used in each book in the series. Everything gets put into context by the time you finish the trilogy. When John Lewis was a child, he was given the task of caring for the family’s chickens. His father was a sharecropper. Right from the start, John Lewis treated those chickens with love and good care. He talked to them, gave them names, and even built an incubator to make his chicken’s lives easier. John Lewis began preaching to his chickens, already aware that he wanted to someday become a preacher. It seems the chickens listened intently. He baptized the baby chickens, and was extremely distraught when it looked like the baptism had killed one of them. Fortunately, the baby chicken survived. It seems to me that most children of sharecroppers would not have invested so much love and care into the chickens they were tasked with raising. I think this story is there to show that, from a young age, John Lewis intrinsically felt a need to care for those around him, and to do what he could to improve the lives of others. The story also shows the origins of his need to protest in a non-violent way. When one of young John’s chickens was on the family’s dinner table as the main course – he protested by not coming to dinner. John Lewis was a student when Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus to a white man who demanded it. The Montgomery Bus Boycott followed. He was a student when segregation – separating white children and black children into different schools – was outlawed. John Lewis first heard Martin Luther King preach on the radio, and was so impressed by King’s words that he set out to read everything he could about him. Later, John Lewis got to meet Martin Luther King, who wanted to talk to him about his choice to attend a white college. That choice could result in acts of violence not only against John, but also to his family. In college, John Lewis became part of a group of students who were interested in protesting for civil rights in non-violent ways. The group included both black and white students; both male and female students. This is the group that began the lunch counter sit-ins. Before heading out, every member of the group was trained on how to handle verbal and physical violence that would be directed at them by angry white people who wanted every public place to remain segregated. I had read about the lunch counter sit-ins, and knew that things got violent. March: Book One makes the violence that was inflicted upon the protestors absolutely clear. It made me feel sick. All the protestors wanted was the right to sit at a lunch counter, be served clean food, and to eat their lunch. They were non-violently insisting that they be given the same rights as white people. The protestors asked to be served, and then silently sat and waited to be served. They did not fight back when they were punched, pushed, or otherwise physically assaulted. They did not fight back when they were arrested. The organization later became known as the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee or SNCC (pronounced “snick”). You’ll hear more about them in the second and third book of the March trilogy. This book review of March: Book One by John Lewis, Andrew Aydin and Nate Powell is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you!... World of WarcraftThe Dwarves Explore Western Plaguelands – Part 1August 20, 2018The Dwarves / World of WarcraftThe Dwarves are Hansbrix the Hunter (and his pet bear, Fridge) and Bradanna the Priest. My husband and I had been playing these two characters together, completing parts of Azeroth zone by zone. There are things that we missed out on the first time we played (other characters) through some of the Cataclysm content. In this blog, I will feature the most interesting parts of The Dwarves trip through Western Plaguelands. The screenshots you see in this blog were taken on May 25, June 6, June 7, June 9, and June 10, 2015. The Dwarves began their exploration of Western Plaguelands by falling directly into the water, somewhere near Sorrow Hill. They were still in the water when they officially discovered Western Plaguelands. The Dwarves probably didn’t take the path they were supposed to take – but they managed to get to the right place anyway. Upon arriving in Andorhal, The Dwarves met two NPCs (Non-Player Characters). The first was Thassarian (level 85). The Dwarves had a quest to turn in to him. Hero’s Call: Western Plaguelands!: There is much to be done here. Both of our enemies are relentless and would slaughter us without mercy the moment we sheathe our blades. Thassarian gave The Dwarves a new quest to work on. Scourge First…Horde Later: Darkmaster Gandling of the Cult of the Damned leads the Scourge offensive here in Andorhal. My old counterpart, Koltira, leads the Forsaken forces. If we’re to win Andorhal, we’ll have to defeat both, but we will certainly fail if we have to take on both at once. I know Koltira well enough to know that he will focus on the Scourge first. We will do the same. Take out the weaker, desiccated Scourge to reduce their numbers. The Forsaken will have to wait to taste our wrath. The NPC standing next to Thassarian is named Lurid. He is a skeleton who is wearing armor. War Machines: Dried up Scourge… weak. Abominations… strong. We defeat strong abominations… we win war. Thassarian and Lurid appear to be mostly on the same page. They both want The Dwarves to kill off a lot of Scourge (and ignore the Forsaken for the time being). The difference is that Thassarian thinks it best to kill the weaker desiccated Scourge first, while Lurid wants The Dwarves to attack the stronger abominations. By this point in their adventure, The Dwarves have figured out that going after a specific enemy often brings in other enemies. With luck, The Dwarves can finish off these two quests in one battle. Before jumping into battle, The Dwarves drove over to see what Lang Loosegrip needed them to do. The Endless Flow: Araj the Summoner is bolstering the Scourge defenses with simple skeletons… an army of weaklings that will overwhelm you before it overpowers you. He has assembled animi within Andorhal’s northern towers that spew these skeletons out at an alarming rate. But I’ve got the solution! <Lang passes you a handful of grenades.> Their function is simple. Throwing these grenades at a bone animus … or, for that matter, a mob of skeletons… will reduce them to splinters. I didn’t know it at the time, but Lang Loosegrip had just given me a quest that would turn out to be one of my favorites. The Dwarves learned that it is very important to take the time to say hello to the local Flight Master. Bradanna noticed that she had mail to retrieve. There are no mailboxes on Andorhal. (Or, at least, none that The Dwarves could find.) They drove off in search of one. A good friend sent Bradanna an adorable Argi pet! Argi is super cute. Bradanna immediately picked him up and cuddled him. Argi didn’t seem to mind the trip back to Andorhal. The Dwarves were now ready to fight! They started attacking the Scourge. In this screenshot, they are fighting a Desiccated Magus. Bradanna and Hansbrix (and Fridge) fought a Desiccated Spearman while one of Thassarian’s army watched over Argi. The Dwarves eventually were able to take down some of the Opengut Behemoths that were wandering through Andorhal. Behemoths are big! (Dwarf for scale) Time to take out a mob of skeletons! The quests that involved jumping into a mob of skeletons, and slaying them all, were the most fun of all the Andorhal quests. Skeletons have long been my favorite monster to fight, and these kinds of battles remind me of playing the Diablo video games. So many skeletons! They just keep respawning. You can fight them forever…. or, until you turn in the quest. Thassarian: You may not act quickly, but at least you do not fail me. Very well. I will have a more important task for you, Bradanna, when the time is right. It sounds like Thassarian was not pleased that The Dwarves accepted his quest and then dashed off to get a pet out of a mailbox. That being said, he’s more pleased with The Dwarves than with…. whoever “failed” him before The Dwarves showed up. Lurid, on the other hand, didn’t seem to have much to say. He’s a man…um, skeleton… of few words. Lurid: Abominations…strong. Bradanna…stronger. Thassarian: With the death of the Lich King, all I have left is my duty. There is no family. There are no friends… there is only this. War. Hansbrix and Bradanna might have a vague awareness of the Lich King and the war against him. But, this is the first time they have encountered someone who was involved in that fight at the time it happened. Thassarian has lost everything that mattered to him. Thassarian: The Scholomance is one of the few Scourge holdouts remaining west of the Thondroril. The headmaster of Scholomance, a cultist by the name of Darkmaster Gandling, has made an appearance on the battlefield. This will be his last mistake. You will find Gandling in a square near the southern end of town. I want you to fight and weaken Gandling. I will join you to help finish him off. Thassarian: Gandling is strong, but do not worry. I will join you shortly after you begin to fight him. The Dwarves were a bit confused by these instructions. If Gandling is strong… then, shouldn’t Thassarian be coming along to the battle right from the start? Was he waiting for an invite to their party? Before either Hansbrix or Bradanna could ask Thassarian to accompany them… he gave them another quest. Thassarian: Gandling has brought his lieutenant, Rattlegore, with him. This clattering horror is far more dangerous than any of the other Scourge you will find upon the battlefield… even the abominations. You will find Rattlegore within an old town-hall building, near the center of town. I recommend caution before fighting him, Bradanna. He will not be a pushover. Rattlegore put up a decent fight. The Dwarves were able to defeat him without Thassarian’s help. It wasn’t clear if The Dwarves were supposed to have gone through Scholomance before arriving at Andorhal. I can’t quite make the story work out. If The Dwarves had decided to do Scholomance before Andorhal, they would have already killed Rattlegore and Darkmaster Gandling. If they took that route, it would mean The Dwarves would be fighting Rattlegore and Darkmaster Gandling a second time after arriving in Andorhal. The Dwarves are asked to kill these two “bad guys” here… and will undoubtedly meet them again whenever they get around to doing the Scholomance dungeon. Bradanna found a Blighthawk sitting by the lamppost outside the town-hall building. There was no time for pet battles, though. The Dwarves needed to find, and slay, Darkmaster Gandling. Bradanna was surprised to find that part of Andorhal was on fire. Hansbrix and Fridge had already run past the flames, in search of the next battle. Bradanna rushed to catch up to them. Hansbrix quickly got surrounded by skeletons! Fridge was nowhere in sight. Bradanna was, once again, glad that she had decided to become a healer. A view of Andorhal from the tower. Bradanna got overwhelmed by the respawning skeletons at the bottom of the tower, and tried to run. She ended up with a conga-line of skeletons that followed her directly into a Behemoth. Not ideal! The Dwarves found Darkmaster Gandling, and Fridge ran right over to fight him. We were still using Fridge as our “tank”. As such, the first threat Darkmaster Gandling made was “Prepare to die, Fridge!” Something in World of Warcraft assumes that the first one to attack the “bad guy” must be a player character. It never ceases to be amusing! The Dwarves entered combat. When would Thassarian show up? Darkmaster Gandling: Your life is forfeit. The Dwarves watched, helplessly, a Fridge got stuck in a bubble and lifted high into the air. This dire moment was exactly when Thassarian decided to arrive. Koltira Deathweaver joined the battle, too. Thassarian: For the Alliance! Koltira Deathweaver: For the Horde! The battle continues! Darkmaster Gandling: Enough of this. The Cult of the Damned doesn’t need Andorhal. This worthless city is yours to fight over. After his snarky remark, Darkmaster Gandling leaves Andorhal. We didn’t kill him. He presumably went back to Scholomance. Someday, if Bradanna and Hansbrix (and Fridge) decide to do the Scholomance dungeon – it would make sense to find Darkmaster Gandling in there – and fight him a second time. If Rattlebone is also in Scholomance…. then I’m going to assume that Darkmaster Gandling figured out how to rebuild him. Thassarian: Koltira! I had heard rumors that you were here in Lordaeron. Koltira: You heard correctly, Thassarian. I wanted to give you a chance to kill me again. Thassarian laughs. Hansbrix and Fridge wander away. Thassarian: It looks like it may have to come to that. Koltira: Yes, it may…but not today. With the Scourge out of the way, I plan to pull my troops back and regroup. Thassarian: I see. Then I will do the same. Thassarian: But you must be aware, Koltira: we are brothers no longer. You are a member of the Horde now, and I of the Alliance. Thassarian: Eventually, we will fight this battle for Andorhal, and only one of us can walk off of this battlefield victorious. Koltira: Yes, I know. And don’t think I’ll go easy on you. Thassarian laughs. Thassarian: Very well. I look forward to it. Koltira and Thassarian teleport away. Thassarian whispers: You are not to speak to ANYONE about the agreement that was made today, Bradanna. Consider this an order from your direct superior. This puts The Dwarves in the awkward position of having to turn in quests to Thassarian while pretending they didn’t see and hear the conversation he had with Koltira. Thassarian is just going to stand there, next to Lurid, as though nothing at all happened. Thassarian: Excellently done, Bradanna. And now, with the leader of the Scourge forces eliminated from Ahdorhal, we bide our time. Bradanna selected Gandling’s Gloves from the reward choice. It was the only item she could use. Lang Loosegrip: These grenades are all explosives, nothing more. I may not be a goblin engineer…but I still understand the value of being able to just explode things every once in a while. Lang Loosegrip: With the animus destroyed, the next logical step is tot take out Araj himself and to take a shard of his phylactery. You’ve probably already seen him, lurking at the fountain in the center of town. Take my grenades with you. They won’t do anything to Araj, but if he decides to summon any of those skeletons, you can use them to blow them away. Again. Before jumping into another battle, Bradanna, Hansbrix,and Fridge decided to take a short rest. They joined a happy looking, drunken, skeleton. He didn’t seem to mind. Lang Loosegrip was exactly right about where to find Araj the Summoner. The Dwarves didn’t have too difficult a time fighting this “big bad”. Shortly before dying, Araj the Summoner unleaded a mob of well-choreographed skeletons. They ran right for Bradanna. The Dwarves needed to pick up Araj’s Phylactery Shard in order to complete the quest. Hansbrix had no trouble smashing it! Thassarian: Araj dead… this is good. That gnome has done his part in winning this war. As have you, Bradanna. This was the first time I noticed how awesome Lurid’s axe was! I also noticed that Lurid appears to be wearing a decapitated Dwarf head, complete with braided beard, as a loincloth. What, exactly, was Lurid doing before he arrived at Andorhal? There must be a story there that hasn’t been told. Thassarian: The Alliance are victorious, and our forces are still strong. Military strategy dictates the we attack the Forsaken now, while they are recovering and unaware. I made a deal, however… We will wait. We attack Koltira and his troops when the time is right. In the meantime, speak with Ginny Goodwin and take a flight to the Chillwind Camp, to our south. Commander Ashlam Valorfist will give you your next assignment. You will hear from me when you are needed again in Andorhal. Ok, hold on there, Thassarian. First, you had a talk with Koltira, in the middle of town, about a secret truce. Then, you told us NOT to tell anyone about that secret truce. Now, you’re openly talking about that – apparently classified – truce again, out here where anyone nearby can hear you. If your goal was to baffle us into silence… well, you’ve succeeded. Next stop – Chillwind Camp! Commander Ashlam Valorfist: Welcome to the front lines, priest. The Kingdom of Stormwind, with the aid of its allies, has sent me here to counter the growing threat of the Scourge. Here at Chillwind Camp, we fight for our continued survival on a daily basis. If you’ve come here looking for a chance to prove yourself as a hero, then you’ll find plenty of opportunities to do so… especially as we push towards Andorhal and whatever malign force that controls the Scourge there. Commander Ashlam Valorfist: Word arrived shortly before you did, Bradanna. With the Scourge ejected from Andorhal, we are one step closer to retaking Lordaeron. Commander Ashlam Valorfist: We must always be prepared for battle, Bradanna. Whether that battle is against the Forsaken in Andorhal, against the Scourge in the east, or against some yet-unknown foe is unknown. What is known, is that we must be ready. We are low on arrows. I can obtain the shafts and heads, but I still need feathers. The birds that circle to the northwest typically molt this time of year. Would you mind traveling out into the field and gathering some of these feathers for our camp? The Dwarves were willing to go gather up some molted feathers. It’s nice that Commander Ashlam Valorfist, who sounds very focused on being ready for war, didn’t ask The Dwarves to kill the birds. Collecting the feathers the birds have already dropped will get the job done. Commander Ashlam realized that the birds were not his enemy. Thurman Grant has a sad story to tell. Thurman Grant: I hail from Westfall, far to the south…as do these men that travel with me. We are farmers, and nothing more. I had been told that Lordaeron had been healed, and that it was ready for tilling. However, this “Commander” now tells me that it’s too dangerous to proceed. He says that there’s a war going on, and that the plague lands still aren’t healed. Before anything else, I need to get some food in my men’s stomachs. Anything will do. Bear meat seems to be plentiful. Hansbrix, of course, took offense at Thurman Grant’s suggestion that he allow Fridge to be turned into dinner! Thurman Grant assured Hansbrix that wasn’t what he meant at all. He pointed toward the trees and asked The Dwarves to hunt some Shaggy Black Bears. Argent Officer Pureheart, of The Argent Crusade, was informative, but didn’t have a quest for The Dwarves. Argent Officer Pureheart: Well met, friend. I am Officer Pureheart, and I am a proud member of a world-wide organization known as the Argent Crusade. Our cause is simple – fight swiftly and mercilessly against any element of evil that surfaces in Azeroth. We are not a political body, nor do we ever wish to become one. To that end, we call both the Alliance and the Horde both as friends – friends in the cause of stamping out evil! For the Light, my sister! Bradanna nodded her head and listened to Argent Office Pureheart, and then walked away. There was something odd about this human, who felt the need to insist that her organization was not part of a political group, after proudly telling Bradanna that her organization likes to “fight swiftly and mercilessly against any element of evil that surfaces in Azeroth”. Bradanna wasn’t quite sure if this was a cult, and worried that Argent Officer Pureheart was about to ask her to make a donation. Hansbrix sent Fridge off to “tank”, while he and Bradanna fired at the Shaggy Black Bears from a distance. In between fighting Shaggy Black Bears, The Dwarves remembered to gather the Brownfeather Quills that were on the ground. Ok, back to fighting bears! Ready to turn in the bear meat and feather quests Thurman Grant: You hunt like a true priest…Even if we can’t set up homesteads… at least we can still eat. This time, Thurman Grant decided to insult Bradanna. Whatcha mean “you hunt like a true priest?” Bradanna felt mocked. She realized, however, that Thurman Grant probably didn’t mean it that way. He was just a rather awkward human. Ding! Bradanna hit Level 39! Commander Ashlam Valorfist: I will have my fletchers get to work on these. I am glad to see you being useful right away, Bradanna. Perhaps later I will have some more exciting tasks for you. It did not take Commander Ashlam Valorfist long to assign The Dwarves a “more exciting” task. True to his word, this quest proved to be more interesting than the one where he had them gathering feathers. Commander Ashlam Valorfist: These farmers from the south wish to take these farms, but I can’t let them enter the plaguelands unprepared. Even with the Scourge gone, danger still looms in the form of the Forsaken. No, we must be ready to fight…and that includes our new visitors. Before doing anything else, however, I would recommend that you travel to Uther’s Tomb, to the east, and place this tribute before his statue to ask for his blessing. Speak with the priest that tends to the tomb when you are finished. It appears that the majority of the people at Chillwind Camp take a while to get used to strangers. Very few wanted to talk with The Dwarves when they first arrived. All of a sudden, they got very chatty. Argent Officer Pureheart: I saw the strangest commotion coming through town the other day. A horse-drawn cart, loaded with crates and chests. A worgen woman at the reins, a blood elf by her side, and a dwarven paladin running behind, yelling some of the most creative obscenities I’ve heard in quite some time. They looked like they were headed to Eastern Plaguelands, though I’d imagine they can’t be far past the Thondroril River by now. I wonder what they were up to? Bradanna did not expect to see an Orc standing there. She wondered what happened to the Dwarf who was there before. High Priestess MacDonnell: Sorrow Hill, up the road to the northeast, was one of the first places that the Argent Crusaders and Cenarion Circle were able to heal. The area is now freed of the Scourge. However, there are still many specters of the past that, for some reason, have not passed on into the next world. They may be mourning, or they may have unfinished business… or they may just be lost. Take my thurible and use it to douse them with holy incense. One way or another, we will help them move onto the next plane. Alexia Ironknife: Greetings, priest. Don’t have too much time to talk — I’m just using Chillwind as a camp to get some rest before heading to Hearthglen. I’ve heard word that before they went crazy, the Scarlet Crusade had a mage working for them who was trying to create powerful bows and guns for their soldiers. I’m not sure if he succeeded or not… the Crusade killed him before any of his finished product made it out… or maybe they distrust the arcane that much. Alchemist Arbington: This job is definitely not worth sixteen-five a year. The Dwarves drove out to Sorrow Hill. Fridge ran along beside them. He’s pretty fast for a bear! Withdrawn Soul: Get away from here! Bradanna, Hansbrix, and Fridge battled some spirits at Sorrow Hill. The spirits started out being very unfriendly towards The Dwarves. Fortunately, their attitudes changed after the fight was over. Withdrawn Soul: I must be going now… Withdrawn Soul: I’ve waited here for too long. Time to say goodbye. Withdrawn Soul: I…I think I’m ready to leave now. Sorrow Hill is a good name for this area. There is something deeply depressing about encountering all these lingering souls, who haven’t left yet. They eventually find peace, and decide to move on. That too, is sad. After wandering around Sorrow Hill for a while, The Dwarves discovered the Path of Uther. The Dwarves found a statue in the Sorrow Hill graveyard. There was no marker to tell them who the statue was of. They decided to take a “tourist photo” anyway, figuring they might someday run into someone who could tell them about the statue. Fridge, as usual, photobombed what would otherwise have been a very somber image. Lovely yellow flowers line the Path of Uther. The Dwarves discovered Uther’s Tomb, and met High Priest Thel’danis (who seems to be the caretaker.) There, at the end of the tomb, was a magnificent statute of Uther the Lightbringer, surrounded by the Light. Here lies Uther the Lightbringer First Paladin – Founder of the Order of the Silver Hand Uther lived and died to defend the kingdom of Lordaeron. Though he was betrayed by his most beloved student, we believe that his spirit lives on. He continues to watch over us, even as the shadows close in around our ruined land. His light is the light of all humanity – and so long as we honor his example, it shall never fade. ???????? – Anonymous One by one, The Dwarves received Uther’s Blessing. High Priest Thel’danis: You and the humans at Chillwind Camp wish to re-take Andorhal? I wish you luck. Bradanna wasn’t quite sure if High Priest Thel’danis was giving The Dwarves a blessing, or if this was a polite way of saying that he expected us to fail. High Priest Thel’danis: If you truly intend to move forward in this battle for Andorhal… well, perhaps I can help. To the east lies a large crypt. The bottom level of the crypt was once used for storage of weapons and armor… until the Scourge came. Now that the undead have left, the weapons are free for the taking. Most of the weapons are probably rusted and rotten by now, but they will serve better than tunics and pitchforks. High Priest Thel’danis pointed out where to go, and The Dwarves chose to take the quest he offered them. He had a point. The farmers back at Chillwind Camp were going to need more than pitchforks if they were going to fight the Scourge. The Dwarves climbed a large hill and discovered Sorrow Hill Crypt before they could see it. Fridge pointed towards it and growled. He could smell whatever was over there, and didn’t like it one bit. Bradanna hesitated as she looked down upon Sorrow Hill Crypt. It looked so peaceful from here. She knew, however, that things were not always as they appeared to be Western Plaguelands. She raced down the hill to catch up with Hansbrix and Fridge. They had entered the Crypt without her, which she felt was a bad decision. Once again, she was glad she decided to become a healer, and hurried towards Hansbrix and Fridge as fast as she could. Despite what High Priest Thel’danis said, the crypt appeared to be empty. There were no weapons or armor pieces to be found. Fridge started growling at something The Dwarves couldn’t see. Bradanna quickly moved and prepared react to whatever was about to happen. That was when Foulmane lurched into view. The battle began! Foulmane pushed The Dwarves back to the stairs – but they did not give up. The Dwarves prevailed! After taking a moment to catch their breath, they noticed a glowing object on the other side of the room. It looked important. It turned out to be nothing more than a broken weapons crate. That was disappointing! Scattered all over the bottom level of the crypt, you find shattered crates that once held weapons and armor. It appears that somebody got here before you did. The Dwarves figured Foulmane was the one who smashed the crates. But, he wasn’t wearing armor or using any weapons. They wondered what happened to the old weapons and armor – but were interrupted. Ambushed! As you turn around, you see the silhouettes of shambling skeletons on the stairs. The undead aren’t gone from this crypt. They were lying in wait! Furthermore, they appear to be armed with the weapons that you came looking for. You’ll have to escape from the crypt. On your way out, you should gather as many pieces of equipment as you can. Skeletal Flayers and Skeletal Sorcerers appeared! It was now obvious who took the weapons and armor. The Dwarves and Fridge had to fight their way out of the crypt, and pick up random armor and weapons while the battle was going on. The battle continued after The Dwarves left the crypt. There were well armored skeletons outside. And then, it was over! The peace only lasted a few moments, before The Dwarves had to fight their way past more skeletons. Eventually, The Dwarves realized that their best option was to drive past the skeletons and return to Chillwind Camp. The Dwarves encountered Marlene Redpath just outside of Sorrow Hill. She wasn’t all there, and didn’t have anything to say. The Dwarves realized that they could see right through her. She didn’t look anything like the angry spirits in Sorrow Hill did. Was she a ghost? Did Marlene Redpath die in the house she now stands in front of? Whatever her story is…. has been lost. The Dwarves informed High Priestess MacDonnell that they released the spirits at Sorrow Hill. She was obviously greatly relieved to hear that. Bradanna handed High Priestess MacDonnell back her thurible. High Priestess MacDonnell: Hopefully, most of them passed on peacefully. I thank you, Bradanna. Commander Ashlam Valorfist: What happened at Uther’s Tomb, Bradanna? Commander Ashlam Valorfist: Attacked by ghosts? Strange. I suppose the crypt wasn’t fully healed after all. You just missed Thurman Grant…you remember, that oaf of a farmer that was here earlier. He took his men with him and traveled to the nearest farm…against my orders. Commander Ashlam Valorfist: The farmers traveled to the Writhing Haunt, an old farm to the northeast, across the river. Someone needs to keep an eye on them. Bring them those rusty weapons and armor you found. We can’t them fighting with pitchforks. Argent Officer Pureheart: These men and women here at Chillwind Camp have noble goals, but their ultimate purpose is war. I would like to offer you an opportunity to pursue more peaceful goals. At the Menders’ Stead, beyond war-torn Andorhal to the north, the Argent Crusade has joined forces with the Cenarion Circle. Together, we work on healing this land from the plague that used to reign here. Are you interested in joining our cause, priest? Bradanna and Hansbrix looked at each other and shrugged. The accepted Argent Officer Pureheart’s quest but did not necessarily agree to join. Instead, The Dwarves figured that offering the Cenerian Circle some help would be ok. Hansbrix, Bradanna, and Fridge discovered The Writing Haunt. The Dwarves found Thurman Grant inside a small, and nicely decorated, house at The Writhing Haunt. Thurman Grant: Did Valorfist send you? He doesn’t know when to let up, does he? Thurman Grant: Well, now that you’re here, we’ll gladly take that armor off your hands. You can keep the weapons, though. These men wouldn’t know which end to hold. The Dwarves happily handed over the armor. The farmers won’t have to know much, other than how to put it on properly, in order to make use of it. As for the weapons… it appears that Commander Ashram Valorfist didn’t bother to ask the farmers if they knew how to use the weapons The Dwarves were sent collect, or if the farmers wanted to learn how to use them. Bradanna wondered how the farmers were going to survive all the way out here, far from Chillwind Camp, and without anyone who knows how to use simple weapons to defend themselves with. Thurman Grant provided an answer. Thurman Grant: I told Commander Valorfist that we could hold our own, and we intend to. I had a little conversation with the death knight general, Thassarian, on my way over here. We farmers plan to help in our own way. We will take control of this farm, begin to cultivate the land…and then when the battle for Andorhal commences, we will attack the Forsaken from the rear. They’ll never expect it. First, we need to get rid of these Forsaken outriders. Kill some, then return to me. The Dwarves set out to kill some Forsaken Outriders. The farmers joined in. Thurman Grant was right – it does seem the farmers can “hold their own” here. They were out here killing Forsaken Outriders before The Dwarves got there. The farmers had even found the time to cultivate the land (in between fighting Forsaken Outriders). The Dwarves didn’t know anything about these plants, other than they grew much taller than Dwarves. The Dwarves returned to Thurman Grant to let him know they killed some Forsaken Outriders, as he had asked. Thurman Grant praised The Dwarves fighting skills. “My men could stand to learn a few moves from experienced fighters like you,” Thurman Grant said. Thurman Grant: In fact, you might still be able to help train some of my men. You probably noticed the abomination outside. We initially tried to fight him, but he didn’t want to fight back. He seems to want to help out on the farm. Take a group of four settlers and challenge this abomination to combat. He seems to be pretty tough, but with one of him and five of you, I think you’ll have a chance at beating him. Together, The Dwarves gathered up a total of eight of Thurman Grant’s Provincial Minutemen. They grabbed their pitchforks and followed The Dwarves toward the abomination. Fridge ran along with them, as usual. None of the farmers seemed to care that one member of their party was a bear. Bradanna figured that these farmers had seen worse things, and Fridge was showing no interest in attacking the farmers. It turned out Thurman Grant’s suspicion was right. The abomination introduced himself. His name is Gory, and he wants to help out on the farm. Gory: Gory wants to help out on farm. Gory already has his own scythe! One of the farmers yelled out: If you really want to help out, you can help me and my friends with some combat practice. The Dwarves looked at each other, alarmed what had just happened. This was a fight that didn’t need to happen. On the other hand, the farmers had reason to not want to welcome an abomination on their farm. The sight of Gory was unnerving! Gory: You want to fight? Alright, Gory fight. Gory: Gory give up! You farmers fight more good! Gory stopped fighting and just stood there. The farmers quickly realized that the battle was over, and started walking away from the abomination. This was a strange situation. Bradanna wondered if Gory needed healing. She felt bad for him. All he wanted to do was help on the farm – and he got attacked by eight human farmers, two Dwarves, and a bear. At the same time, Bradanna thought Gory was repulsive. She reluctantly decided it just wasn’t a good idea to try and heal an abomination. The Dwarves and all of the farmers/Provincial Minutemen went together to let Thurman Grant know what happened. Bradanna wasn’t sure he would believe their story. An abomination who doesn’t want to fight? It seemed unrealistic. Fortunately, the room full of witnesses to what occurred were enough to convince any reasonable person. Thurman Grant: We can handle things from here. I thank you for your help, Bradanna. I assume that when we next meet, it will be in battle. Take care of yourself until then. We’ll need all the help we can get. As a player, I found it interesting that the quest text was written as if a single player did the quests. Bradanna and Hansbrix were in a group, so they each got individuated responses that included their name. I guess this was the easiest way to make the quest text, since it could make sense for both single players and groups. It still felt a little weird, though. Thurman Grant had nothing more for The Dwarves to help with, and the farmers needed to get back to working on the farm. Before they left, The Dwarves wanted to check on Gory. The Dwarves carefully walked up to Gory. He was still standing in the same place. It was clear that Gory wasn’t the smartest of creatures, and Bradanna wondered if the farmers would continue to fight him. They might choose to ignore him, which didn’t quite feel right either. “Gory… are you doing all right?” Bradanna asked. Gory: Gory just happy to be in the sun. Bradanna reconsidered her assumption. Gory clearly wasn’t very smart, but he still had wisdom to share. She wished that everyone on Azeroth could be made happy simply by being in the sun for a while. Bradanna wanted to remember Gory’s words when tough times returned. After waiving goodbye to Gory, The Dwarves drove to The Mender’s Stead. The Dwarves met Field Agent Kaartish at The Menders’ Stead. Field Agent Kaartish: Welcome, priest. As you can see, our camp is a joint expedition between Argent Crusade members and Cenarion Circle druids, but we welcome all who wish to help heal the land. Field Agent Kaartish: No longer does the Scourge hold this area. We, the living, are retaking Lordaeron. We have taken great strides already, as you have already seen. The earth flowers, the trees grow tall and green, and the wildlife is beginning to return. Yet a few remnants of undeath remain. While the trees and grass prosper, the animals are struggling. Something is preventing them from healing, and I intend to find out what. Bring me samples from the plagued wildlife so that I may study them more closely. Next, The Dwarves spoke with Adrine Towhide, who also needed their help. Or, to be more accurate, she needed The Dwarves to help someone else. Adrine Towhide: I am Adrine Towhide, a druid of the Cenarion Circle. You can thank us for healing this land, where once there was only death. We accept all who choose to follow the druidic path, regardless of race, faction or talent. Occasionally, that means we enlist a druid who needs more help than others. I’d like you to meet Zen’Kiki. He’s pretty new, and he’s still learning his craft. Would you mind taking him out with you for a while? You can practice combat on the plagued animals that roam nearby. Zen’Kiki: Ready to go, mon! Selyria Groenveld: Dwarf! I’m glad someone’s here to help me out. We Cenarion druids have re-cultivated Daison’s Farm, immediately behind me. The land has flourished and our crops have been successful… mostly. A few plants seem to still be infected by the plague that ran through this land. Perhaps their roots were too deep, perhaps the seeds were weak… I cannot say. All I can say is that I need an able priest like you to help me remove the bad plants from the good ones. Before heading out, The Dwarves talked with Durnt Brightfalcon, a fellow Dwarf. Durnt Brightfalcon: Word is in from Andorhal, Bradanna. The battle has resumed. It has become somewhat well-known among the Alliance forces that you’re a hero of the first battle of Andorhal. Thassarian has requested your presence immediately. The Dwarves, Fridge, and Zen’Kiki were ready to leave The Menders’ Stead and get to work. This screenshot shows Zen’Kiki standing near Bradanna. What I couldn’t see was that Hansbrix had his own Zen’Kiki. The Dwarves fought a hulking plaguebear. Zen’Kiki tried to help. Zen’Kiki: Shapeshift! Zen’Kiki’s ready to pounce! Zen’Kiki: This isn’t right. Bradanna wasn’t sure what kind of creature Zen’Kiki turned himself into. She was pretty sure it wasn’t one that belonged on land. Zen’Kiki: Shapeshift! Here comes de moonfire! Zen’Kiki: It burns like the moon! Zen’Kiki hit himself with his moonfire. Bradanna was unimpressed. She considered healing him… but then figured maybe this was a good learning experience for a new druid. The Dwarves killed some really big spiders. They needed to collect samples from them for Field Agent Kaartish. The Dwarves ran through The Writhing Haunt to collect the last of the samples. Zen’Kiki tried his best, but he really wasn’t much help. Bradanna believed he meant well, though. The Dwarves returned to The Mender’s Stead to speak with the people who had asked for their help. Field Agent Kaartish: Once the animals are healed, our duties here will be nearly complete. Field Agent Kaartish: I will need some time to study these samples, Bradanna. I will speak to you again when I have completed my analysis. Field Agent Kaartish: We are not the only Argent Crusaders here in the plague lands. Our headquarters, Hearthglen, lies to the north. Even nearer to the north is a small lumber mill which we also control. Nathaniel Dumah is my main contact at the lumber mill. I encourage you to speak with him, should you find yourself in that part of the woods. Next, The Dwarves spoke with Adrine Towhide. She wanted to know details about how Zen’Kiki did. The Dwarves were extremely honest with their assessment of Zen’Kiki’s abilities as a druid. Adrine Towhide: It looks like Zen’Kiki is still having a little bit of trouble with his shapeshifting. Adrine Towhide: Among other things, Zen’Kiki needs to work on his spell accuracy. I could see his wrath spells spirling out of control even from here! In fact, I used them as a marker to follow your progress through the woods. Perhaps we can use Zen’Kiki another way. Take him up to the top of the all just to our east. The diseased hawks that circle above that hill must be destroyed. Ask Zen’Kiki to shoot at these hawks. Even if he can’t hit them, he will distract them so you can finish them off. Zen’Kiki: Ready to go, mon! Hansbrix took Fridge and went to do some necessary shopping before they headed out to complete their latest tasks. Bradanna kept her eye on Zen’Kiki. She wasn’t impressed with him at all, and felt like he would quickly get himself into trouble if no one was watching. As Zen’Kiki wandered around The Mender’s Stead, Bradanna moved just close enough to be in range in case he suddenly became in bad need of healing. Zen’Kiki: You just let Zen’Kiki know when you’re ready! I’ll bring one of these birds down for ya! Zen’Kiki: Here comes Zen’Kiki! Zen’Kiki was still having trouble with shapeshifting. He didn’t seem to know which way to face, and the Diseased Hawk was about to attack him. Fridge stepped in to tank, while Bradanna and Hansbrix shot the Diseased Hawk from a distance. Zen’Kiki: I seem to be… stuck… After The Dwarves killed the required number of diseased birds, they returned Zen’Kiki to Adrine Towhide. Adrine Towhide: Now we’re getting somewhere. How may birds did Zen’Kiki end up killing? None? You killed them all yourself? Alright, I suppose we’ll have to find another use for him then. I will let you know when the time is right. Next, The Dwarves headed over to Dalson’s Farm. It wasn’t very far away, so they decided just to run over there. The fought, and killed, some Thrashing Pumpkins. They also removed some unhealthy-looking pumpkins. Next, they went to remove rotten apples from the orchard. This is where The Dwarves ran into some Pome Wraths who attacked them. When this Pome Wrath was out of the way, The Dwarves continued their task. It’s always a good idea to remove the rotten apples before they spoil the bunch. Other Pome Wraths interrupted them, and were just as quickly dispatched. The last bit of agricultural work The Dwarves needed to do was to remove bad corn. It sounded easy, until the Corn Stalkers attacked. The Dwarves were well prepared to defeat these enemies. The Dwarves reported back to Selyria Groenveld, and told her about the rotten things that were at Dalson’s Farm. Selyria Groenveld: Thank you for your help, Bradanna. I know that picking vegetables isn’t the most heroic task imaginable, but even the humblest tasks have their rewards. Bradanna hit Level 40! Hanxbrix had already hit Level 40. He was always a bit ahead of Bradanna. The last thing to do was return to Andorhal and speak with Thassarian again. The Dwarves were right back where they started from, shortly after entering Western Plaguelands. Thassarian: Word has it that you helped those farmers arm themselves. Well, now they’ve initiated the attack without my order! They’ve forced my hand. The battle has resumed. This time, we fight the Forsaken… and I fight Koltira, my old brother of the Ebon Blade. Bradanna shook her head. Technically, The Dwarves armored the farmers. They never gave them arms, because Thurman Grant said that the farmers wouldn’t know which end to hold. It felt to her like Thassarian was using the situation as an excuse to start a fight with his “frenemy”. Thassarian: To the east, deep within Forsaken-held Andorhal, you will find their commanders. They do not fight, but call out orders from horseback. Hunt down and slay these commanders, Bradanna. The Forsaken won’t stand a chance. Lang Loosegrip had some advice for the The Dwarves. The advice was a bit vague, but he probably meant well. Lang Loosegrip: I’m no military expert, but this battle looks to be in our favor. Our defenders are equally matched with their death guards, but the farmers’ militia has taken them by surprise from the rear. For the Alliance! Still, we should all do what we can to make sure that we win. Travel east into Andorhal and slay the Forsaken death guards that are fighting with our men. The sooner they die, the quicker we can re-take Andorhal! The Dwarves, and Fridge, took on the Forsaken Deathguards, one at a time. Thassarian: Well done. With them out of the way, I have no more excuses. Soon, I must battle Koltira, for honor and for Andorhal. Thassarian: We are winning this battle, Bradanna. As long as those farmers keep chipping away at the Forsaken’s flanks, we will overtake them. And just like that, Thassarian changed his mind about the farmers, the moment he saw how useful they were. The Dwarves let Lang Loosegrip know that they completed the task he sent them on to kill the Deathguards. Lang Loosegrip: You fight well, Bradanna. I wish I had your ability… and your bravery. The Dwarves went back to talk with Thassarian, figuring he would have some plan worked out for the battle ahead. Thassarian: We nearly have this battle won, Bradanna. I can taste victory. The Forsaken never stood a… What the hell is that!? The Dwarves turned around to see what Thassarian was looking at. Thassarian: Is that a… val’kyr? Bradanna squinted her eyes… and could just barely see the form of something flying toward them. The Dwarves had never seen anything like this before! Val’kyr: Kneel, Alliance! Kneel before the might of the Forsaken! With that, this beautiful, horrible, creature, and the ones it brought with it, began an attack. Thassarian: Val’Kyr? Koltira brought val’kyr to this fight? Has he gone mad? No, this is not Koltira’s work. This was Sylvanas. Thassarian: The val’kyr were one of the Scourge’s primary weapons. Not only were they skilled in battle, but they could be used to convert corpses into Scourge minions. To think that Sylvanas is stooping to such levels for the sake of the Forsaken… We need to stop the val’kyr before they wipe us out and turn our army against us. Slay as many as you can find. And bring some of these minutemen with you. If they’ve survived this long, then they must have some battle skill. The Dwarves could hardly believe the situation they had gotten into. They were about to fight lesser Val’kyr with a bunch of militiamen who were armed with pitchforks. Thurman Grant: Our militia has been nearly wiped out. Only I and these few farmers remain. Those winged creatures… they took the bodies of our men and… and turned them into walking, undead corpses! With every one of our men they took, they bolstered their own ranks. It pains me to admit it, but you will ned to fight them too, along with the deathguards and val’kyr. As they did in life, they hunt in packs, so take some of my minutemen with you. The Dwarves, and Fridge, led the remaining militia into battle. They fought against Forsaken Troopers. Bradanna found these battles to be tough. It wasn’t because they were not up to the task. She worried about the militia who had to, once again, fight against their (now undead) brothers. She and Hansbrix led the militia past the fallen body of the one they just killed. The corpse lay on the road in Andorhal, ignored out of necessity. The battle continued to wage around them, and there simply was no time for anyone to mourn for their lost friends. The moment The Dwarves, and their band of militiamen, killed a val’kyr – another one began to attack. This was the kind of battle where one wrong move could turn out to be completely disastrous. Victorious! Thurman Grant: You fought valiantly, but we’re getting nowhere. Every body that falls just fuels their forces. Thassarian: For every val’kyr you slay, you save dozens of our men… and prevent the Forsaken forces from growing. Still, they press on. We may not will this battle after all. Thassarian: I spoke too quickly, Bradanna. Even with your support, things are looking grim for our forces out there. Thassarian: Our last hope of victory lies in defeating the val’kyr. You’ve done well up until now… but you’re only one woman and there are literally dozens of them raining destruction on the battlefield. One enormous val’kyr sits atop the tower to our south… you can see her from here. Perhaps if we eliminate her, the remaining val’kyr will dissipate. This is our only hope. Bring some of Grant’s men with you. You’ll need their protection for this battle. The Dwarves took a moment to make a plan with the militiamen, as Aradne watched while floating above the tower. Thassarian seemed to think that maybe Bradanna and her militiamen could take on Aradne by themselves, but didn’t seem hopeful about the outcome. Bradanna was undaunted, though. With Hansbrix and Fridge by her side, along with Hansbrix’s militiamen – this seemed like a battle they just might win. The first thing to do was climb to the top of the tower. The battle was intense, but went very quickly. Here lies the corpse of the Val’kyr Aradne. Thassarian: I watched your victory from below. Well-fought, but ultimately, it was for naught. The val’kyr and the Forsaken press on: soon they will overtake us. We have lost Andorhal. Thassarian: Head south, to Chillwind Camp. Tell Commander Ashlam Valorfist everything that happened here. Me? I’m going west, into Tirisfal. My battle’s not over yet. I’ve got an appointment with that harpy that calls herself a Banshee Queen…and I’m finding out what she did to Koltira. The Dwarves returned to Chillwind Camp to give Commander Ashlam Valorfist the news about Andorhal. Commander Ashlam Valorfist: Lost? No…next, they’ll be coming for Chillwind, I suppose. This was a major strategic blow to the Alliance’s plans for Lordaeron. Very well. I will report the results of this battle to King Wrynn. I don’t expect him to be happy. The Dwarves were right back where they started from. This was not the end of their adventure through Western Plaguelands, though. There was more to explore. The Dwarves Explore Western Plaguelands – Part 1 is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth – Alliance SideJune 9, 2018World of Warcraft / World of Warcraft BetasAfter completing the Battle for Lordaeron (and several of the quests that followed) on the Horde side of the World of Warcraft: – Battle for Azeroth Beta, I decided it was time to see what the Alliance side of that battle was like. This required me to roll a new character (which will disappear when the Beta ends). I chose to play a Dark Iron Dwarf, which is an Alliance Allied Race. Thelgarn (whose name came from a random Dwarf name generator I found online) is a Warrior. This blog contains screenshots, Twitch videos, and commentary about the Alliance side of the Battle for Azeroth Beta. There are some spoilers ahead. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Battle of Lordaeron Alliance Side from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv Here is an example of the strange, red lines that I mentioned in the video. I found them disturbing, but cannot fully explain why. They just felt wrong. I kept getting distracted by these red lines hovering over the landscape while I was playing through the Battle for Lordaeron. It is pretty obvious that those lines are not supposed to be here. I’ve reported it as a bug, and figure that other players have, too. Hopefully, these bizarre red lines will be removed before this expansion launches. High Overlord Saurfang is somewhere in the middle of that mob. I’ll leave you to watch the video above to see what happens with him. Without giving too much away, I will say that part of his story continues for Horde players. Saurfang pops up in the Stormwind Stockade, and has something to say. As far as I can tell, only Horde players will get that part of the story (because it comes up during a series of quests that follow the Battle for Lordaeron on the Horde side). Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Kul Tiras from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv This lovely mount is called a Swift Red Gryphon. I had one of these on my Horde character during the Battle for Azeroth beta. This mount flies in Stormwind, but would not fly in some of the new areas of the Horde side. This does not surprise me. I figure there are probably new flying skills to purchase before characters can fly in new Battle for Azeroth zones. Shortly after this point in the Beta, I decided to try and get to Silithus so I could work on some quests that required me to travel to that zone. The flight master could not send me there – because I was on the wrong continent. So, I flew across Stormwind, got on a boat – and discovered a bug. Later, I learned that I had selected the wrong boat. Thelgarn the Warrior ended up in Kul Tiras – which clearly was not the right place. It wasn’t even the right continent. He quickly found some dinner, and then started exploring. I’d already been through some of this when during the Battle for Azeroth Alpha. New things had been added since then. Eventually, Thelgarn decided he had enough of Kul Tiras. He tried to find the boat that brought him here, but it left before he could get on. This gave him some time to look all official by sitting at this desk. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Killing Goblins for Mysterious Ore from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In this video, after waiting around for a boat that was taking a long time to arrive, Thelgarn remembered he could just hearth back to Stormwind and start over. A group of players was fighting a Target Dummy, who appears to be throwing Rubik’s Cubes. I’m guessing that the cube is a temporary stand in for something else that, for whatever reason, was not added to the Battle for Azeroth Beta. It turned out that Thelgarn was supposed to take this portal to Darnassus. I assumed that the boat all the way at the end of the row was the one that went to Kalimdor. It appears that is not so in the Battle for Azeroth Beta. Thelgarn ended up standing on a rock near the shoreline, which felt kind of random. But, I guess a portal can be set to pretty much anywhere in Azeroth. So… whatever. My biggest frustration with the Alliance side of the Battle for Azeroth is that the quest chains do not flow. Start in Stormwind – queue for Battle for Lorderon. Hang around until it suddenly becomes your turn to participate. Finish the battle, and end up back in Stormwind. Find a quest giver (or two) who want you to go to Silithus. But, before you can do that, you are supposed to speak with King Anduin. This involves watching a cinematic of the King giving a speech and talking with two (important) NPCs while the player…. waits and watches. I had some confusion about how to get to Kalimdor, but that could be my own fault. It is reasonable to assume that players would just understand that they were supposed to use the portal. Arrive in Darnassas, standing on a rock. Take what feels like a very long flight from the nearest Flight Trainer to Silithus. This is kind of a fuzzy screenshot, in part because my character was in flight, and also because the whole area is a strange, pink, tone. The disturbing red line in the sky is back. I reported it as a bug. I’ve no idea why I see these red lines on the Alliance side, but didn’t see any of them on the Horde side. The red lines in the air became purple lines in the air somewhere around Ashenvale. Pick up a few more quests in Silitus. Complete some, turn them in, get a few more. One of the quests involves killing goblins to obtain Mysterious Ore, and another asks the player to put explosives on some Shredders. These quests were fun, and fairly easy to do. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Meeting Magni from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv Oh, wait! I was supposed to speak with Magni who just so happens to be on the other side of the same area I’m working on quests in. Speak with Magni, and you take a … I’m gonna call it a “waypoint”… to somewhere. Once there, you watch a cinematic that explains how Azeroth got wounded. To me, it felt like players must do this to complete that part of a quest. Talk to Magni, do a little quest, and get the super important amulet. Magni says to take the … waypoint… back. I assume this means back outside this special chamber. But, no. Thelgarn suddenly found himself back in Stormwind, with a quest to go see King Anduin. I had two quests in Silithus that I hadn’t started yet, and will now have to take the long flight back out there in order to complete them. It just doesn’t flow. This is disappointing because the Horde side of the Battle for Azeroth Beta flows really well. Obviously, things can change between now, and when the Battle for Azeroth expansion is released. I’m doing my part and reporting all the bugs that I find in the Beta (as I did in the Alpha). Overall, I think I will enjoy this new expansion, but might be focusing on my Horde characters a bit more than my Alliance ones for the Battle for Azeroth content. World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth – Alliance Side is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Patreon or at PayPal.me. Thank you!... World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Beta – Plenty of DinosaursMay 18, 2018World of Warcraft / World of Warcraft BetasAfter Garhwa, my Highmountain Tauren Hunter, completed the Battle for Lordaeron in the World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Beta, I decided to continue exploring. The next set of quests Garhwa picked up were in a brand new area that had plenty of dinosaurs. This blog includes screenshots, Twitch videos, and commentary about my experience in the Battle for Azeroth beta. There are probably some spoilers here! Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Little Green Dinosaurs from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, Garhwa (my Highmountain Tauren) is working on a quest that was given to him by King Rastakhan. The goal is to meet Zul the Prophet in Tal’Gurub. I kind of got sidetracked along the way – but eventually finished it. A person who is new to me popped into my Twitch chat and kept me company. It was fun to have someone to talk about the Battle for Azeroth beta content with. The result was a more informative video than I might have ended up with if I was all by myself. There are a lot of dinosaurs in this area of the game, and some really decorative NPCs (non-player characters). I like the overall style and color palette here. Trained Pterrordax Royal Guardian Another Trained Pterrordax The quests I was working on emphasizes the animosity between one group (who follows one Loa) and another group (who follows a different one). Pairs of two very angry opposing religious groups stand around and yell at each other. This tiny green dinosaur is a Thieving Snapper. There are plenty of them in The Zocalo. I picked up a quest that required me to kill off a certain number of them. Cute little “pests”! That quest went well, but ended with something unexpected (and possibly glitched). Here is a Spear vendor named Bri’ tani. Say it out loud: Bri’tani Spears. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Amusing the giant bird Loa from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I picked up a quest that involved throwing totems on the ground as a Pterrordax flies me (and an NPC) around an area. It took me a while to understand not only that I should be clicking a button and throwing totems, but also to throw those totems in the right place. When I watched the video, it became very clear that I was supposed to throw the totems into the little shiny areas on the road as we flew by. For whatever reason, this was not obvious to me at the time I was doing the quest. I suspect it may have been confusing because I was playing while tired. The best part about that quest is that players get an opportunity to take a look at the roads, waterfalls, flora and fauna of the area. This led to a quest where the player has to shoo away small, flying dinosaurs. Absolutely adorable! I’ll leave you to watch the video to see what happened after that. Guardian of the Rites Sometime after Garhwa the Highmountain Tauren fought some Guardians, he had to make a choice. Two NPCs, of opposing religions, offered him their Loa. A player can only take one – but it looks like there is an option to change it later. Pick one – and make one NPC happy while disappointing the other one. I picked the bird. Anyone who knows me well can likely figure out why I made that choice. Pa’Ku Pa’Ku’s statue I earned The Zanchuli Council Achievement. I think it is for completing enough quests in the Zanchuli quest chain. This Achievement won’t carry over into the “live” game. What happens in the Beta stays in the Beta. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Scrap-O-Matic 1000, Professions, and Lil’ Tika from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv The machine in the screenshot above is called the Scrap-O-Matic 1000. It can break down weapons or armor of good quality or higher into raw materials. Myxle Gutwrench teaches players how to use it. He gave Garhwa a pair of tattered pants. Garhwa put the Tattered Pants into the machine, and got some scrapped cloth. It seems like it gives players back some of the materials that they used to make an item. I’m guessing that it might also break found weapons and armor into their raw materials. If so, this would give players something to do with stuff they don’t need (or can’t use) other than sell it to a vendor. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – ChuChu, Zul the Prophet, and moody dinosaurs from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I brought Lil Tika, an adorable dinosaur baby, to her Master – who, unfortunately, turned out to be dead. The villagers have been massacred by an invasion of snake-like humanoids. Two Sethrak Invaders appear after the player finds Lil Tika’s Master. One of the invaders says: “Our empire’s dawn is your extinction!” The phrasing makes me very uncomfortable. Maybe that was the intent of the game designers. This is an elite monster. It is a Warcralller…something (I can’t quite figure out what the other part of it’s name is). I found this thing because it was marked by a yellow star on the map. This elite wasn’t very difficult to kill. Unfortunately, when my Hunter tried to tame it – the game said “Creature not tamable.” This huge dinosaur is called Old T’Zoko. That’s all I know about this fancy dinosaur. ChuChu is an adorable Tortollan child who is hanging around with a Troll child. They are considering jumping off this platform and into the water below. I think that’s not gonna end well. Blind Tra’wala is an NPC that says something when the player clicks on her. She doesn’t have any quests to give out (at least, not at the moment). I wonder what her story is. The Demon Hunters in World of Warcraft wear blindfolds, but she doesn’t appear to be that class. Towards the end of the video above, Garhwa the Hunter started working on a series of quests that might help two huge white dinosaurs to breed. They are the last of their kind. This series of quests appear to be a side quest. I was supposed to be working on a quest with Zul the Prophet. At this point in the Battle for Azeroth Beta I decided to take the time to switch from Horde to Alliance. My Highmountain Tauren completed the Battle for Lordaeron (and the quests that followed it) on the Horde side. I wanted to see what the Battle for Lordaeron was like on the Alliance side. If there is time, I will try and return to Garhwa and continue his adventure in the World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Beta. The zone he is in, and the quests he is working through are fun and I’d like to see how things go. World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Beta – Plenty of Dinosaurs is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Patreon or at PayPal.me. Thank you!... World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth BetaApril 29, 2018World of Warcraft / World of Warcraft BetasI was fortunate enough to have been invited to the World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Alpha. Shortly before the Alpha ended, I got an email with the lovely image that I put at the top of this blog. My best guess is that everyone who participated in the Alpha was automatically included in the Beta. In this blog, I have screenshots, Twitch videos, and commentary about my thoughts and experiences in the World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Beta. I’ve no idea how long the Beta will last, so I will try and make the most of it. In the Alpha, I played a female Void Elf Warlock (an Alliance Allied Race). For the Beta, I decided to go Horde. Garhwa is Highmountain Tauren Hunter. His name came from the random name generator. Watch World of Warcraft – Battle for Azeroth Beta – The battle begins! from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv Killing a Druid of the Claw in Undercity Canals – with a bunch of other Horde players In this screenshot, my Highmountain Tauren is supposed to be Defending the Azerite War Machine. This part of the battle was super fun and reminded me of the Invasion events right before the Legion expansion was released. We are all working together on the same thing at the same time – and there were tons of players involved! The Highmountain Tauren following my character is named “Betayay”. Gotta love the names people give characters in Betas! While the battle was going on, I realized that all of the player characters involved were Horde. We were not fighting players who were Alliance, though. We were fighting NPCs (non-player characters). This surprised me. I was expecting that the Battle for Azeroth expansion would force Alliance players and Horde players to fight each other in the significant battles. Then again, if Blizzard set it up that way – it might shift the outcome. As this battle went on, it seemed to me that Blizzard intended there to be a storyline that concluded in a pre-determined way. So, it’s a bit scripted, but still incredibly fun! The skeletons are going into battle – and I am suddenly reminded of Army of Darkness. I found a “bug”! The two Forsaken Blight Throwers in front of Garhwa have merged into one. That’s not right! In this part of the battle, we are fighting against High Tinker Mekkatorque’s flamethrower machines. All of the important NPC’s have things to say – and I could hear some of them (but not all of them). The text appears and seems to match with the vocals. Lor’Themar Theron: The void elves… those traitors must be dealt with! When the Allied Races were first announced, it seemed to me that the Void Elves looked like Horde characters. But, they were on the side of the Alliance. The comment from Lor’Themar Theron indicates that the Void Elves started out on the side of the Horde, and then switched. I would like to hear more about how, and why, that happened. Part of the battle involved fighting Alleria Windrunner, Anduin Wrynn and Genn Greymane. As you can see, Alleria was down to about half of her health. The other two took no damage at all. Nathanos Blightcaller – Champion of the Banshee Queen High Overlord Saurfang has a double. That’s definitely a “bug”! Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – fighting demons from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv See that little glowing thing on the table? That’s the bottle that Nathanos Blighcaller wanted the “team” to pick up. I couldn’t see it at first because of all the other players who were surrounding the table. I had something similar happen in the Legion beta where a bunch of players were gathering to complete a quest that involved clicking on an object. It wasn’t a “bug”. I followed Nathanos and some NPCs out of the building – and then they all disappeared. This left me completely confused about where to go to finish the quest. The Swift Red Wind Rider mount looks awesome! I found Gregg (of Gregg’s Big Rocks) outside of Orgrimmar. He’s a simple guy who seems genuine about wanting to join the Horde. This was the point where I got lost, although I didn’t realize it at the time. I think the quest I picked up outside of Orgrimmar was supposed to connect with a Legion thing that I ended up getting stuck in. One of the NPCs mentioned something about the Broken Shore – which should have been a clue (but I completely missed it). Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Stormwind Extraction from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I managed to figure out where I needed to go to complete the Stormwind Extraction quest. Shortly after putting myself on the right path – the game crashed. After re-launching the World of Warcraft Beta, it looked like my Highmountain Tauren ended up in Stormwind after all. Once things got moving, it was pretty fun. Blizzard has decided to present narrative to the player by way of dialogue said by NPCs. It all appears in text “speech bubbles” over the character’s heads – which is fine, if you can keep up with them. Some of the NPCs have audio relaying their speech, but not all of them do. I figure the live Battle for Azeroth will have full audio dialogue. I found an interesting NPC in the Stormwind Stockade. There’s a woman in a cage with a Hogger costume sitting outside the cage. This is based on a real person – Laura Mercer – who won the BlizzCon 2017 Costume Contest as Hogger. It was fun to run through the Stormwind Stockade as a Horde character. It wasn’t until much later that I realized the the NPCs and I were on a “save the princess” quest. Not sure what I think about that, especially considering that I’m probably missing some storyline. The battle on the boat during the final state of the Stormwind Extraction quest was a bit confusing. I wanted to fight the mob that was trying to to get on the boat. But, my NPC party disappeared. Eventually, I figured out that I wasn’t supposed to fight the mob – I was supposed to talk to the Princess on the boat. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Beta – Welcome to Zuldazar from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In this part of the game, Blizzard decided to convey narrative to the player by having the important NPCs provide it. As an example, in the above screenshot, my Highmountain Tauren is flying through Zuldazar with Princess Talanji – who is telling my character about her father, the King. I like that Blizzard is doing this. It allows a player who has very little idea of the storyline or lore of this area to learn about it while playing the game. Players don’t have to leave the game to find the missing pieces of a story. On the other hand, I cannot help but wonder what this does for re-playability. The first time through is informative and interesting. Would a person who takes 10 alts through this content get very bored with it? Garhwa, my Highmountain Tauren, meets King Rastakahn. This takes place during a cinematic where the players character appears right next to the very important NPC. There is a moment when I wasn’t entirely certain if King Rastakahn would talk to Garhwa… or throw him off the building! The player character gets the title Speaker of the Horde. Click on the banner, and it turns into a Horde banner. Several Horde characters fly in and walk into the palace. Later, I noticed that Horde NPCs with the title “ambassador” had arrived. Here are some of the very fancy dressed NPCs that players encounter in this area: King Rastakahn, Chief Telemancer Oculeth, Princess Talanji, and Natal’hakata – Voice of the King. After speaking with Chronicler To’kini – Inscription Supplies – Magni Bronzebeard suddenly appears! I’ll leave you to watch the video above to see what happened next. Without giving away too many spoilers, I will say that part of what happens next gives the player character the Heart of Azeroth amulet. In the Alpha, my Void Elf (Alliance) already was wearing one of those – right from the start. The Heart of Azeroth is a significant item. Welcome to Zandalar: Complete the introduction quests to Zandalar. Garhwa the Highmountain Tauren has completed all of the introduction quests here, and earned an Achievement. Obviously, this Achievement will only last as long as the Beta does. Things done in a beta do not count in the “live” game. Next, Garhwa must choose from one of three plans. I assume that players will need to complete all plans. I picked the one that requires a player to earn the trust of King Rastakhan. World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Beta is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Patreon or at PayPal.me. Thank you!... World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth AlphaApril 25, 2018World of Warcraft / World of Warcraft BetasI was fortunate enough to get into the World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Alpha. After thinking about it, I decided to roll a Void Elf and make her a Warlock. The Void Elf is one of the Allied Races. The best thing about Alphas is the amusing “bugs” that players can find. The goal is to find and report all the bugs so they don’t make it into the final version of the game. I play World of Warcraft on a Mac. My first few attempts at playing the Battle for Azeroth Alpha resulted in failure. It was possible to select a race, class, and gender. When I hit “customize”… the game promptly crashed. Since I couldn’t report that bug in-game, I went to the Forums. Several other players, who also use Macs, had reported this bug, and I added my comments to theirs. The bug got fixed, and I was able to customize my Void Elf. Ready to play! The game started me off with this lovely demon minion, so I tested that one first. Not all of the Battle for Azeroth Alpha videos I recorded while streaming on Twitch were good. A few got recorded while I had my sound settings messed up, and this made them unwatchable. One of the first quests I picked up involved going into a mine. The NPC (non-player character) in charge of the mine berated Gendrendia because she wasn’t wearing a mining helmet. The next thing I knew… she was wearing one. Here are some of the videos that worked. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha – Aggressive Deer from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I repeatedly encountered some very aggressive deer. They rush over to pick a fight with a player. I also reported some bugs (which is the whole point of playing an Alpha). Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha – Stuck in Combat from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I found a significant bug. After fighting and killing some enemies, the game kept me in combat. I was stuck in combat after that, and could not heal by eating food. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha – Skinner McGuff and Stabby Jane from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I found some NPC’s with interesting names. One was Skinner McGuff that wanted me to collect poison for him (by killing a certain number of bugs and dinosaurs that ate the bugs). He’s a sketchy guy, and I wonder if players will encounter him again sometime. The other was a Castaway named Stabby Jane. She sends players on several quests, one of which requires the player to find items that three Castaways have lost. She is missing a locket. When I found the locket, the description said it contained a photo of Stabby Jane and another woman. We don’t get a clear answer of who the woman is. Could she be Stabby Jane’s sister? Or, is the woman Stabby Jane’s wife. Players are left to decide that for themselves. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha – Amusing bugs and a Creepy Child from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv There were plenty of bugs to report this time! My game crashed twice, and I had to close it and start again. A glitch caused my Warlock to rise from the ground in a way looked horribly unnatural. I quickly discovered that my character could turn, but could not walk. Once again, I restarted the game. The birds are still glowing after death, but fail to open a loot window. My character got stuck in a position as if she was trying to loot something. I could make her walk, but the instant she stopped – she went back into a looting crouch. These are just a few of the strange bugs I found this time. There is a quest chain that involves an extremely creepy child, who wants to have a tea party. I’ll leave you to watch the video to get a clearer idea of why I think the kid is creepy. Watch World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Alpha – Gorehorn and Nevermore from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv The first thing I noticed after logging in this time was that my minion was now blue. Up until this point, this minion was a white and light purple color (as seen in the videos I posted earlier in this blog post). I wasn’t sure what to do next, so I wandered through a graveyard and randomly killed things. My best guess is that there are quests connected to that area – which I haven’t picked up yet. I decided to go hunt two of the creatures that showed up on the map with a star – Gorehound and Nevermore. There were also Treasure Chests appearing on the map. Of course, I wanted to go find them. Watch World of Warcraft – Battle for Azeroth Alpha – Rescuing rangers and fighting skeletons from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I picked up a quest that involved going into an area and rescuing Rangers and their pets. Interestingly, it didn’t seem to matter which ones I rescued. The pets were separate from the Rangers, and the game did not require me to match them up. The quest area overlapped with a few other quests and a Bonus Objective that required me to kill skeletons (and other creatures). I love fighting skeletons! When that was done, I randomly stumbled upon an area that was overrun with Quillrats and their Matriarch. Not much happened after I killed the “big bad”, so I think there must have been a quest for this (which I had not picked up yet). Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha – None of those are spices! from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I found a bug – a boat went directly through a rock. I wandered around the market area of a town I’d never been to. The spice vendor sells a lot of interesting things, but none of them are spices. Eventually, I went back to where the Castaways were at so I could turn in a quest. It turned out there were other quests in that area that I failed to pick up – because the game had a weird bug and I didn’t end up on the coast where I was supposed to be. One quest involved killing the Sirens that were luring sailors to their death. The Sirens don’t seem to care if the sailors are male or female. Anyone will do. This quest led me to where the NPC I came here with ended up. I think this area was where I was supposed to start. I ended up fighting a rare spawn called Fowlmouth – a huge parrot (that insults the player’s mother). Later, I picked up an escort quest that involved following around my drunken NPC friend Flynn. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha – Alcohol and Malfunctioning Cannons from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I completed a few quests in the pirate town. The pirates like their alcohol! I found a “bug” that resulted in a malfunctioning cannon. In the video below, my character (and her NPC friend, Flynn) join the pirates. Sort of. Both of them have to wear purple pirate hats. Gendrendia the Warlock doesn’t like her hat. Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha – A pirate’s life for me from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv Gendrendia the Warlock doesn’t like her hat. I didn’t know it at the time, but the video below would be my last one from the World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha. It was time for the Beta to begin! Watch World of Warcraft Battle for Azeroth Alpha – Searching for Treasure and Feeding Pretties from Queenofhaiku on www.twitch.tv In the video above, I worked on a quest that required me to find clues about a stolen treasure. It seems like a very fitting quest to come from a town full of pirates. Another quest had me searching for an NPC named Rodrigo – who wanted me to feed his “pretties”. Rodrigo is my favorite character in that town! World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth Alpha is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Patreon or at PayPal.me. Thank you!... Out of Spoons (Chronic Illness)Dentist ExpensesSeptember 17, 2018Doctor Appointments / Out of SpoonsI’m going to start this blog by saying that I have dental insurance – but it doesn’t cover very much beyond regular checkups. At my most recent checkup, the dentist found some expensive problems that need to be fixed. Content warning: This blog post contains details about my most recent dentist appointment. I’m not going to post anything graphic and will not include any photos (other than the one at the top of this blog). I went for a regular, six-month, dental checkup. My insurance covers two checkups and cleanings a year, and whatever x-rays the dentist wants to take. The main purpose for the x-rays this time was to make sure that the cap the dentist put in (which replaced one that wasn’t functioning properly anymore) was doing well. We had to take out a small loan in order to pay for the cap. We finished paying off that loan very recently. The cap turned out to be just fine. But, there was another problem. More specifically, this problem was with one of my molars. The tooth (or, what’s left of it) is currently being held together with a metal filling and a smaller “tooth colored” filing. Both were put in years ago, and I’ve been told the metal filling would eventually fail. And fail, it did. I noticed that I was getting food stuck between that tooth and the one in front of it for a while. Food would push into that space when I chewed so often that it eventually caused that part of my gums to get sore. I brushed and flossed, and figured that was fine. The dental hygienist noticed a problem in that area. I explained about the food getting stuck into it. She said she thought she saw “something” but wanted to the dentist to take a look. The dentist took a look, poked around, and declared that I had a gum infection. He said there was pus, and promptly removed it. The dental technician said she saw some of that and had removed what she could. I have chronic illnesses, three of which are autoimmune diseases. I’m well aware that infection generally means I’ll be prescribed an antibiotic. “How is this treated?”, I asked the dentist. “Very simply,” he responded. Long story short, the dental technician was able to treat it right then and there. It involved the application of a ….well, she described it as “kind of like a sandblaster”. It was some kind of solution that was designed to remove particulate matter (meaning whatever food particles were still stuck in a “pocket” of my gums). Next, she would apply an antibiotic, which would be “squished in there.” I was a little nervous until I understood what was about to happen. “The antibiotic costs $88,” the dental technician said. “Are you prepared to pay that?” Um…. no? I sent her to ask my husband if we had the money for that. He was in the waiting room. She came back and let me know that he said we were able to pay for that. While she was applying the antibiotic, I was thinking about how lucky I was to have access to a dentist right then. This infection could have gotten much worse if ignored – especially since I was completely unaware of it. The only reason I can afford regular checkups is because they come free with my dental health plan. The shortest explanation is that it is connected to my “Obamacare” health insurance. I wasn’t expecting to pay $88 that day, but it was manageable. The problem is that the dentist needs to remove my metal filling (which is failing – something every dentist I’ve seen since it was put in warned me would happen.) I’m going to need a cap put on that tooth, which means I’ll need a temporary cap before the permanent one can be created and placed. I’m not sure if this involves a root canal or not. He said something about being able to “move my tooth” over so I wouldn’t get food stuck in that spot anymore. The price tag on what I need done is $897. That’s after whatever amount my insurance covers (if it is covering anything at all). For us, this is a lot of money. The receptionist wanted to know when I wanted to schedule that work. “When we get the money to pay for it,” I replied. She was not amused. The dentist said it was not something I had to rush into. “You’re not gonna lose a tooth,” he told me. “I don’t think there’s much tooth left. It’s mostly fillings,” I responded. At the time I am writing this blog post, I have absolutely no idea where we are going to get the money to pay for the dental work I need. Yes, it can wait. But, it can’t wait forever. I browsed through GoFundMe, specifically looking at ones from people who needed help paying for dental work. There are so many and most of them didn’t raise any money at all. I’m hesitant to do a GoFundMe because my husband and I have plans to attend a video game conference in November. Based on what I’ve seen on Twitter, people will assume that I’m lying about the dental work and trying to scam them into paying for my vacation. What am I supposed to do, get a written letter from my dentist confirming that I’m telling the truth? This is why we need single payer health care. If we had that, things like this would be covered. Maybe I’d have to pay $5 or $10 for medication. That’s it. I certainly wouldn’t have to wonder if GoFundMe is my only hope. I wouldn’t have to question the morality of putting up a GoFundMe knowing that mine could push attention away from someone else who is in a worse situation than I am. America doesn’t have a health care system. It has an for-profit insurance system – and GoFundMe. This must change. So, I’m on an antibiotic… or, more correctly, the antibiotic is literally on me. It’s in a pocket of my gums where the dentist found signs of infection. I’m not allowed to floss that area for a total of ten days, so I assume that’s how long the antibiotic will release itself. Antibiotics make me extremely sleepy, which makes it harder for me to complete my paid writing work, which makes it harder for me to gather up the money to pay for the dental work I need. Dentist Expenses is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Measles Spreading is the Fault of Anti-VaxxersSeptember 8, 2018Out of Spoons / Public HealthIn 2015, there was a measles outbreak in the United States (and other countries) that began when someone who had the measles visited Disneyland in California. In 2016, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared that measles had been eliminated from the Americas (the entire land mass that stretches from Canada to Chile). But now, measles is back because people are choosing not to vaccinate their children against a dangerous, and preventable, childhood disease. In this blog, I will present facts about measles and the MMR vaccine. This blog also contains a timeline of the measles cases and additional contextual information. Facts about measles and the MMR vaccine What is measles? The Mayo Clinic describes measles as “a childhood infection caused by a virus”. Measles is also called Rubeola. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) describes Measles this way: “Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus.” How is measles spread? According to both the Mayo Clinic and the CDC, measles is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes and sprays infected droplets into the air and another person breathes in those droplets. A person can also catch the measles virus by touching a surface that had infected droplets on it and then touching their eyes, nose, or mouth. The measles virus can live for up to two hours in an airspace or on a surface. People who are infected with measles are contagious from four days before the rash appears to four days after the rash appears. A parent could be unaware that their child has the measles before the rash shows up. The CDC notes that “Measles is so contagious that if one person has it, 90% of the people close to that person who are not immune will become infected.” What are the symptoms of measles? Symptoms of measles starts with a fever, dry cough, runny nose, and sore throat. It can also include inflamed eyes (also called conjunctivitis or “pink eye”). At first glance, those symptoms sound a lot like a cold. Many doctors would have diagnosed these symptoms as a cold in part because measles had become quite rare and also because it would have been unlikely that a doctor would have actually seen a patient who had measles. After the 2015 measles outbreak began, the CDC is started instructing doctors “to consider measles when evaluating patients with febrile rash and ask about a patient’s vaccine status, recent travel history, and contact with individuals who have febrile rash illness.” The febrile rash mentioned by the CDC is another symptom of measles. The Mayo Clinic describes it as a skin rash made up of large, flat blotches that often flow into one another. Again, by the time this rash appears, the person has been contagious for four days. Another symptom of measles is Koplik’s spots, which the Mayo Clinic describes as “tiny white spots with bluish-white centers on a red background found inside the mouth and inner lining of the cheek.” What complications can come from having the measles? Both the Mayo Clinic and the CDC provide a similar list of complications. The CDC includes statistics about how often a complication occurs. Children who are under 5 years of age, and adults who are older than 20 years of age, are more likely to suffer complications after catching the measles. * Ear Infections – This occurs in about 1 out of every 10 children who have the measles. This complication can result in permanent hearing loss. * Diarrhea – This occurs in less than 1 out of every 10 people with measles. Obviously, having diarrhea is unpleasant. The World Health Organization points out that the most severe threat posed by diarrhea is dehydration. Severe dehydration can result in death. * Pneumonia – The American Lung Association points out that pneumonia is not a single disease. It is an infection that happens in one or both of a person’s lungs. Pneumonia can come from germs, bacteria, viruses, and fungi and has more than 30 different causes. About one-third of the pneumonia cases in the United States are caused by respiratory viruses. The American Lung Association notes that pneumonia has its own potential complications. It can result in respiratory failure (which requires a breathing machine or ventilator). It can result in sepsis, “a condition in which there is uncontrolled inflammation in the body which may lead to widespread organ failure.” It can lead to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) which is a severe form of respiratory failure. It can use cause lung abscesses (an infrequent, but serious complication of pneumonia). They occur when pockets of pus form inside or around the lung. These pockets may need to be drained with surgery. Those who are most likely to experience complications from pneumonia include older adults, very young children, people whose immune systems do not work well, and people who have serious medical problems. People who are suffering from other illnesses (such as measles) and who then catch pneumonia, lower their chances of a fast recovery from pneumonia. The CDC notes: “About one out of every 20 children with measles gets pneumonia, the most common cause of death from measles in young children.” * Encephalitis – The Mayo Clinic points out that about 1 in 1,000 people with measles develop encephalitis. It is an inflammation (or swelling) of the brain that can cause vomiting, convulsions, or (rarely) coma or death. They note that encephalitis can closely follow measles or can occur months later. The CDC notes that encephalitis can cause a child to become deaf or to have intellectual disabilities. * The Mayo Clinic notes that “If you’re pregnant, you need to take special care to avoid measles because the disease can cause pregnancy loss, preterm labor, or low birth weight”. This is definitely something to keep in mind for moms who are pregnant and who have a child that catches the measles. * The CDC states: “For every 1,000 children who get the measles, one or two will die from it”. How to prevent catching the measles. * The only way to prevent a person from catching measles is to make sure the person is fully vaccinated. The Mayo Clinic points out that people who were born after 1957, and who haven’t been vaccinated, should be vaccinated as soon as possible. They also note that infants older than 6 months should be vaccinated. (There are some people who cannot be vaccinated, and I will get into that a little bit later). The CDC states that one dose of the measles vaccine is about 93% effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus and two doses is about 97% effective at preventing measles if exposed to the virus. The Mayo Clinic has some advice that will help prevent the spread of measles. If your family member has measles, that person should be isolated. They should not return to work, or school, or other activities where they will interact with people from four days before the rash appears through four days after it has appeared. Make an effort to keep non-immunized people away from the person who has the measles. For example, if an unvaccinated five year old catches the measles, it would be a good idea to keep their younger sibling, who is too young to receive the vaccine, away from the infected child. What vaccine prevents measles? The vaccine is called the MMR vaccine. It protects from not only measles but also mumps and rubella. The National Health Service (NHS) in the UK explains how the MMR vaccine works: The MMR vaccine contains weakened versions of live measles, mumps, and rubella viruses. The vaccine works by triggering the immune system to produce antibodies against measles, mumps, and rubella. This is how the body develops immunity to measles, mumps and rubella. What about that study from Andrew Wakefield? Many of the people who are fearful of the MMR vaccine feel that way because they heard about a study done by Andrew Wakefield that suggested that the MMR vaccine caused children to develop autism. It is important to know that his work has been discredited. The BMJ (British Medical Journal) has extensive details about the study and and explanations about why it was inaccurate. I’ll post a short summary with facts from that source. * Andrew Wakefield’s study was published in The Lancet in 1988. It was authored by Andrew Wakefield, John Walker-Smith, and 11 others from the Royal Free medical school in London, England. The study reported a proposed “new syndrome” of enterocolitis and regressive autism and associated that “new syndrome” with the MMR vaccine. It suggested that the vaccine was a “precipitating event” that caused autism. * The study involved 12 developmentally challenged children. * Three of the nine children in the study who were reported to have regressive autism did not have autism diagnosed at all. Only one child in the study had regressive autism. * The study claimed that all 12 children were “previously normal” before receiving the MMR vaccine. In reality, five of the children had documented pre-existing developmental issues. * Nine of the children in the study had unremarkable colonic histopathology results. Their results showed no fluctuations, or minimal fluctuations in inflammatory cell populations. In other words, they did not have the “new syndrome” of enterocolitis. * The parents whose children were involved in the study were sent to Andrew Wakefield from a group called JABS which stands for “Justice, Awareness & Basic Support”. It is an anti-vaccination group in the UK. Why does that matter? It shows that the small group of children who were involved in the study were specifically selected because their parents distrusted vaccines. It was not a random sample. * In February of 1998, Andrew Wakefield held a press conference in which he stated that he had “sufficient anxiety” about the MMR vaccine in combination. He suggested that the MMR vaccine should be suspended in favor of the single vaccines. In 1995, Andrew Wakefield filed a patent for a diagnostic test for Crohn’s disease. Crohn’s disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract. It most commonly affects the end of the small bowel (the ileum) and the beginning of the colon. (Note: His study did not find that the children had Crohn’s disease, so he made up a “new syndrome” called “autistic enterocolitis”.) In 1996, a lawyer named Richard Barr was hoping to bring a lawsuit against vaccine manufacturers. He just so happened to also be connected with the JABS anti-vaccine group. He put together a paper with signs that parents should look for and directed parents who thought their children had those signs to contact JABS who would put the parent in touch with Andrew Wakefield. Richard Barr paid the school Wakefield was working in £25000 for a “clinical and scientific study”. This first installment (and subsequent ones) were not disclosed in the study that Wakefield (and others) produced. In 1997, eight months before Andrew Wakefield’s study (which, as I mentioned, has since been debunked), he filed a patent for a single shot for measles. His business plan aimed to raise £2.1m from investors for the detection of Crohn’s disease, the treatment of autism, and “a replacement for attenuated viral vaccines”. * 10 of the 13 authors of the study have retracted the findings. In 2010, British authorities stripped Andrew Wakefield of his medical license. The Lancet retracted the paper. The UK’s General Medical Council found Andrew Wakefield guilty of 30 charges, including four counts of dishonesty and 12 of causing children to be subjected to invasive procedures that were clinically unjustified. Several of the children had an ileocolonoscopy which the Medical Dictionary defines as: “endoscopic examination of the distal gastrointestinal tract, including the rectum, colon, and terminal ileum.” What causes autism? Autism is not caused by the MMR vaccine. The real cause (or causes) of autism are still being studied. The NHS has a brief summary of what researchers have found regarding autism (or ASD, which stands for Autism Spectrum Disorder). Scientists aren’t certain about what causes ASD, but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role. Researchers have identified a number of genes associated with the disorder. Studies of people with ASD have found irregularities in several regions of the brain. Other studies suggest that people with ASD have abnormal levels of serotonin or other neurotransmitters in the brain. These abnormalities suggest that ASD could result from the disruption of normal brain development in early fetal development cause by defects in genes that control brain growth and that regulate how brain cells communicate with each other, possibly due to the influence of environmental factors on gene function. While these findings are intriguing, they are preliminary and require further study. The theory that paternal practices are responsible for ASD has long been disproven. What is in the MMR vaccine? The easiest to understand explanation of the ingredients in the MMR vaccine comes from an article at NBC News. The information comes from Dr. Walt Orenstein, who is a vaccine expert at Emory University and a former assistant surgeon general and former head of the United States Immunization Program. Or, you could read the same information from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). * The MMR vaccine contains attenuated viruses (for measles, mumps, and rubella). A live attenuated virus is one that has been grown in a lab and weakened until it is unable to replicate well (or at all) in human cells. The weakened virus provokes the immune response in the person who has been given the MMR vaccine. It “teaches” the body to fight those viruses and gives the body weakened opponents to fight against as it is learning to recognize those viruses. * The attenuated measles viruses, and the attenuated mumps viruses, are grown in cultures of chick embryos (which are unhatched live eggs). NOTE: Human embryos are not used in the MMR vaccine. * The attenuated rubella viruses are grown in the lab from human lung cells. This is a point of confusion for some people. The rubella virus is grown in WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts. A fibroblast is a cell that makes up the structural framework of the extracellular matrix and collagen in animal tissues. It is the cell that creates a framework that holds tissues together. The original cells in the WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts came from one female human fetus that was aborted at four months of gestation. Leonard Hayflick obtained human lung cells from that fetus in 1962. The cells used to grow the rubella virus that is used in vaccines today are descendants of those original cells. I think it is important to point out that the cells came from one fetus that was aborted in 1962. Nobody is out harvesting aborted fetuses today in an effort to obtain cells that they want to use in vaccines. There simply is no need to do so. There are some people who allow their negative views about abortion to influence them to avoid getting their children vaccinated because the MMR vaccine contains attenuated viruses that were grown in cells that descended from cells obtained from an aborted fetus. This viewpoint results in children who are not vaccinated with the MMR vaccine and who are not protected from catching measles, mumps, or rubella. * The growth medium for measles and mumps is Medium 199. It is made from salt, vitamins, amino acids and fetal bovine serum. Serum is the liquid part of blood. The fetal bovine serum comes from a calf fetus. It has been screened for the absence of adventitious agents. The growth medium also contains SPGA which includes sucrose, phosphate, glutamate, and recombinant human albumin. The SPGA mixture is used as a stabilizer. Sucrose is table sugar. Phosphate is an ion (charged particle) that contains a mineral called phosphorus. Glutamate is also called monosodium glutamate or MSG. What is recombinant human albumin? Recombinant refers to an organism, cell, or virus in which genetic recombination has taken place. Genetic recombination is something that naturally happens in cells during meiosis. In short, it shuffles the genetic material that was inherited from the parents. Human albumin is a concentrate of plasma proteins that come from human blood. It is a component of human blood. The human serum albumin comes from blood donations that have been screened. * Neomycin is an an antibiotic that fights bacteria in the body. * The growth medium for rubella is Minimum Essential Medium (MEM). It, too, is a salt solution that contains vitamins, amino acids, and fetal bovine serum. It also contains recombinant human albumin and neomycin. In addition, sorbitol and hydrolyzed gelatin stabilizer are added. Sorbitol is a type of sugar alcohol that is manufactured from cornstarch. Hydrolysis is a chemical process that splits a molecule into two parts by the addition of a molecule of water. Something that has been hydrolyzed has been through this process. Gelatin comes from collagen which is a natural protein that is in the tendons, ligaments, and tissues of mammals. This gelatin is different from the kind that is used in food. The gelatin in the MMR vaccine comes from pigs. You may have noticed that I didn’t mention thimerosal. That ingredient is another one that people tend to be confused about. When it comes to the MMR vaccine, there is absolutely no need to worry about thimerosal. It hasn’t been an ingredient in the MMR vaccine since 2001. Who shouldn’t receive the MMR vaccine? Earlier, I mentioned that there are some people who should not get the MMR vaccine. The CDC does not recommend the MMR vaccine for infants who are younger than 6 months of age. In general, the recommendation is to get the first MMR dose at 12 to 15 months of age. Other people who should not get the MMR vaccine (or who should wait to get it) include: * Anyone who has had a life-threatening allergic reaction to neomycin (or other components of the MMR vaccine). Tell your doctor if your child has severe allergies. * Anyone who has had a life-threatening allergic reaction to a previous dose of MMR or MMRV vaccine. This group of people should not get a second dose. * People who are sick at the time the vaccine is to be administered. Wait until you (or your child) recovers and then go get the vaccine. * People who are pregnant should not get the MMR vaccine. Instead, they should wait to get it until four months after giving birth. Ideally, people should wait to get pregnant until 4 weeks after being vaccinated with the MMR vaccine. The rest of the people who should not get the MMR vaccine (or who should wait to get it) are those with weakened immune systems. * A person who has HIV/AIDS or another disease that affects the immune system * A person who is being treated with drugs that affect the immune system (for example, steroids) * A person who has cancer (of any kind) * A person who is being treated for cancer with radiation or drugs * A person who has ever had a low platelet count (in other words, a blood disorder) * A person who has recently gotten another vaccine within the past 4 weeks (Wait a while and try again to get the MMR vaccine later). * A person who recently had a transfusion or received other blood products. * Some elderly people who have certain medical problems should not get the vaccine. What protects people who cannot have the MMR vaccine from catching the measles? It may sound strange, but the people who cannot have the MMR vaccine (because they are too young to get it, or their immune system is weakened, or due to autoimmune diseases, pregnancy, cancer, or other health issues) are protected by the people who can get the MMR vaccine. This concept is called herd immunity. An entire community can be protected from a disease thanks to two things – vaccinations and herd immunity. It works like this: First, all the people who are healthy enough to be vaccinated (who aren’t among the above listed groups) receive a vaccine. Those people are now immune to the disease. The vaccine protects them from catching it. If they cannot catch the vaccine, then they cannot spread it to others – including the people who are too young, or who have health issues, and who cannot receive the vaccine themselves. Herd immunity works when a population has a certain percentage of people who have been vaccinated. This percentage is called a “threshold”. To prevent measles, 83% -94% of the population needs to have received the vaccine. (Or, some small percentage of that group could be people who are now elderly and who had measles when they were a child). For mumps, the threshold is 75% – 86%. For Rubella it is 83% – 85%. There is a very simple way to think about herd immunity. A parent who makes sure that their healthy child receives the MMR vaccine is protecting that child from catching measles, mumps and rubella. At the same time, they are protecting the child’s infant sibling, who is too young to receive the vaccine, from catching it from the older sibling. An adult who was properly vaccinated as a child is helping to prevent his neighbor, who is immune-compromised, from catching measles, mumps, and rubella. What happens if we fall below the threshold? It is entirely possible for a community to fall below the threshold that grants herd immunity. All it takes is for a large enough portion of a population to refuse to vaccinate their children with the MMR vaccine. Once that happens, all it takes is for the highly contagious measles virus to infect one person who has not been vaccinated. The virus can quickly spread through his home (and his workplace or classroom) and infect everyone else who was not vaccinated. This is how a measles outbreak occurs. Why did the World Health Organization (WHO) declare measles eliminated from the Americas in 2016? Science Alert posted an article titled: “It’s Official, Measles Has Been Eliminated From the Americas” on September 28, 2016. The article states that this was the first region in the world to have rid itself of all local cases of measles. From the article” …Of course, even though the disease has been eliminated within the Americas, people can still catch the virus in the region – there have been 54 cases this year in the US alone – but these infections all originate overseas and are brought in by travelers. The last home-grown outbreak in the Americas was Venezuela in 2002. The US was declared free of measles way back in 2000. Unfortunately, eliminating a viral disease from one region doesn’t mean we’ve eradicated it completely – that would be when an infectious disease has been removed from the entire planet… …None of this news means we can get slack with vaccinating though. Measles has only been eliminated through something known as “herd immunity” – which means that roughly 90 to 95 percent of a population is immunized against a disease, so random outbreaks won’t be able to take hold. That level of protection safeguards the small percentage of people who can’t be vaccinated for health reasons, newborn babies, and those whom vaccines aren’t effective. Once immunization rates drop below that herd immunity level, though, we see imported outbreaks become more sustained, and the disease spreading within local populations again – which happened in 2014 in California… Some background about the spread of measles in 2017: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, in 2015, 188 people from 24 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reported that, in 2016, 86 people from 19 states were reported to have measles. The majority of people who got measles were unvaccinated. January 7, 2017: ABC News 6 reported that Peter Hotez, a Texas pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine, says Texas is just one of several states on the verge of a measles out-break. The main reason is because parents are choosing not to vaccinate their children. Last year, nearly 45,000 Texas students opted out of school-required vaccines. That’s up nine percent from the year before. February 8, 2017: The New York Times posted an opinion piece by Peter J. Hotez, a pediatrician at Baylor College of Medicine in Texas. He is also the director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development. From the opinion piece: It’s looking as if 2017 could become the year when the anti-vaccination movement gains ascendancy in the United States and we begin to see a reversal of several decades in steady public health gains. The first blow will be measles outbreak in America… …The myth that vaccines like the one that prevents measles are connected to autism has persisted despite rock-solid proof to the contrary. Donald Trump has given credence to such views in tweets and during a Republican debate, but as president he has said nothing to support vaccination opponents, so there is hope that his views are changing. However, a leading proponent of the link between vaccines and autism said he recently met with the president to discuss the creation of a presidential commission to investigate vaccine safety. Such a commission would be a throwback to the 2000s, when Representative Dan Burton of Indiana held fruitless hearings and conducted investigations on this topic. And a documentary alleging a conspiracy at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe”, has recently been shown around the country… …Texas, where I live an work, may be the first state to once again experience serious measles outbreaks. As of last fall, more than 45,000 children here received nonmedical exemptions for their school vaccinations. A political action committee is raising money to protect this “conscience exemption” loophole, and instruct parents on how to file for it. As a result, some public school systems in the state are coming dangerously close to the threshold when measles outbreaks can be expected, and a third of students at some private schools are unvaccinated… April 14, 2017: Michigan Radio reported a second case of measles in Michigan. The unidentified adult appears to have contracted measles from the first patient. The first patient is a child who lives in southeast Michigan. Both are recovering. April 15, 2017: Star Tribune reported that Minnesota health officials confirmed five new cases of measles in young children in Hennepin County, bringing the total number of cases in the outbreak to eight. All eight are unvaccinated children ranging in age from 1 to 4. Seven of the cases occurred in the Somali-American community. No information was given about the eighth case. Seven of the eight cases occurred among people who have been in contact with one another. Six of the affected children have been hospitalized. May 5, 2017: MPR News reported a confirmed case of measles in Crow Wing County in Minnesota. There are now 44 confirmed measles cases in three Minnesota counties; Hennepin, Ramsey and Crow Wing. Also on May 5, 2017, The New York Times reported that 11 patients with measles had been hospitalized. All but two cases happened people who were not vaccinated, and nearly all were in the immigrant community in Hennepin County. The New York Times reported that Doug Schultz, a spokesman for the Minnesota Department of Health, said: “The outbreak started among Somali Minnesotans who have a low vaccination rate for M.M.R.,” he said, referring to the shot for measles, mumps, rubella. He said the community was “targeted” by members of the anti-vaccination movement, adding that vaccination rates in the community had been as high or even higher than those in the white population, but that began to change in 2008. Members of the community came to believe incorrectly that they had an unusually high rate of autism and that cases were related to vaccines. But later studies showed that their autism rates were not out of line with those of the state’s white population. Mohamud Noor, executive director of the Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota, said anti-vaccine activists had met one-on-one with families and had been more aggressive than public health educators in getting their message out… May 7, 2017: The Star posted an article titled: “Anti-vaccine activists just sparked a U.S. state’s worst measles outbreak in decades”. It was written by Lena H. Sun. From the article: The young mother started getting advice early on from friends in the close-knit Somali immigrant community here. Don’t let your children get the vaccine for measles, mumps, and rubella – it causes autism, they said. Suaado Salah listened. And this spring, her 3-year-old boy and 18-month-old girl contracted measles in Minnesota’s largest outbreak of the highly infectious and potentially deadly disease in nearly three decades. Her daughter, who had a rash, high fever and a cough, was hospitalized for four nights and needed intravenous fluids and oxygen… …Salah no longer believes that the MMR vaccine triggers autism, a discredited theory that spread rapidly through the Somali community, fanned by meeting organized by anti-vaccine groups. The advocates repeatedly invited Andrew Wakefield, the founder of the modern anti-vaccine movement, to talk to worried parents. Immunization rates plummeted and, last month, the first cases of measles appeared. Soon, there was a full-blown outbreak, one of the starkest consequences of an intensifying anti-vaccine movement in the United States and around the world that has gained traction in part by targeting specific communities. “It’s remarkable to come in and talk to a population that’s vulnerable and marginalized and who doesn’t necessarily have the capacity for advocacy for themselves, and to take advantage of that,” said Siman Nuurali, a Somali-American clinician who co-ordinates the care of medically complex patients at Children’s Hospitals and Clinics of Minnesota. “It’s abhorrent.”… May 12, 2017: CNN posted an article titled: “Texas lawmakers spar over ‘anti-vaccine measure'”. It was written by Wayne Drash. In short, Representative Gene Wu (Democrat – Houston), introduced a bill to reform the state’s foster care system. The bill included a provision requiring foster children to get prompt exams from doctors to determine whether they’ve been abused, neglected or abandoned. Representative Bill Zedler (Republican, Vice President of the ultraconservative Texas Freedom Caucus) introduced an amendment to prevent doctors from giving vaccines to foster children during the exams, saying the measure would “protect children from medical procedures that are not pertinent to their immediate medical needs.” Zedler’s anti-vaccination amendment passed 74-84, which means it will go to the Texas Senate along with Wu’s foster care bill. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that, in 2017, 118 people from 15 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles. The majority of people who got measles were unvaccinated. A Timeline of the spread of measles in 2018 January 26, 2018: Daily News posted an article titled: “Texas measles outbreak could be caused by anti-vaxxers”. It was written by Ariel Scotti. From the article: A small measles outbreak in Texas has spread among people who were never vaccinated against the disease – an alarming trend in the state. The first known case was tweeted about by the Texas Department of State Health Services last Friday. By Tuesday, the number of measles cases in Ellis County, Texas, increased to six after the patient went to the movies. Local officials then warned people who recently went to that theater to watch for symptoms of the disease, but said none of the new cases linked to the cinema. Texas is one of the 19 states in the U.S. that does not have a law that requires people to get vaccinations. Parents can opt out of public school vaccine requirements if it goes against their “conscientious” beliefs thanks to a 2003 law. The rate of parents in the state requesting an exemption has gradually increased since the law changed, HuffPost reported. The southern state is also home to Texans for Vaccine Choice, a PAC that throws its support behind politicians who share their donor’s distrusting views towards vaccinations. Texas is also the current home of disgraced UK doctor Andrew Wakefield. Wakefield was stripped of his license in England after it was revealed that he falsified data in a since-retracted study that alleged a connection between the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination and autism… …During the 2003-2004 school year, the first year in which parents could conscientiously object to vaccinations for their children, 2,314 of them did, according to Texas DSHS. That number rocketed to 52,756 for the 2016-2017 school year – not including home-schooled kids… January 31, 2018: Vaccines Today reported that Greece is the latest European country to face a major measles outbreak with Romania, Italy and Germany epidemics. …It is tragic and unacceptable that 49 children and adults in EU countries have died from complications of measles infection in the past two years, while safe and effective vaccines are readily available,” says Dr. Andrea Ammon, Director of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). Most cases – 87% – were among people who were not vaccinated, despite the widespread availability of the MMR vaccines, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella… February 2, 2018: Star Tribune posted an editorial titled: “Fringe anti-vaccine groups peddle misinformation to Minnesota legislators”. It was written by the Star Tribune Editorial Board. From the editorial: Less than six months after the official end of the Minnesota measles outbreak, a group notorious for spreading childhood vaccine misinformation is holding a secretive reception in Minneapolis to convince state legislators to sign onto its dangerous agenda. Exactly what policy changes the Vaccine Safety Council of Minnesota is seeking during the 2018 session is unclear. The invitation for hors d’oeuvres at the Minneapolis Club clearly states that the event is for lawmakers only. A spokeswoman for the reception said the media is not welcome. The “council”, which led an anti-vaccination event during last year’s measles outbreak, did not respond to an editorial writer’s other questions, such as who is paying for the reception? And is there legislation already drafted for the 2018 session for which reception sponsors are seeking support? Apparently, those seeking critical public health policy changes in Minnesota don’t want Minnesotans to know what they’re up to…. Shame on any lawmaker who shows up or signs on. The 2017 measles outbreak sickened 79 people between April 11 and Aug. 25, when state health officials declared the outbreak over. Chillingly, 73 cases involved children under 10, and 71 had not been vaccinated. Lawmakers should be focused on preventing another outbreak. A sensible policy response: ensuring that more Minnesota children get the widely available, generally inexpensive shots to protect them from measles and other disease. To do that, lawmakers should tighten the state’s lax vaccine-exemption laws… …The current exemption allowed for “philosophical” reasons should be scrapped. That said, a more moderate bill championed last year by state Reps. Mike Freiberg, DFL-Golden Valley, and Jennifer Schultz, DFL- Duluth, still merits support. It would require parents to compile with a doctor first if they want an immunization opt-out… February 13, 2018: The Local posted an article titled: “Health chiefs in south west France warn public over deadly measles epidemic”. From the article: Health authorities in south western France, which has been hit by a measles epidemic, have reminded the public of the dangers of the virus after a young woman died this week. The young woman died in hospital in the city of Poitiers, in the Vienne department, the regional health authority (ARS) in Bordeaux announced on Tuesday. According to the hospital authorities, the 32-year-old woman had not been vaccinated against the virus. She was admitted to the hospital February 1st and quickly transferred to intensive care but did not survive… …French health authorities said the death of the woman underlined the importance of being vaccinated against measles and asked the public to check their medical records to make sure they were… The hospital in Poitiers believes at least five people hospitalized there contracted the virus by coming into contact with another patient… …Hospital chiefs have no enforced a rule that all members of the public entering the emergency wards must wear a mask. Some 54 members of staff have had to be vaccinated… …In France, children are vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella when aged between 12 and 18 months… February 16, 2018: Independent reported that there are now more than 100 cases of measles confirmed in England. Public health experts are urging parents to immunize their children against measles as the potentially deadly bug has now spread to five regions in England. With more than 100 cases confirmed, Public Health England warns that the UK could be on the verge of an outbreak due to a rise in cases across Europe. People who have recently visited Romania, Italy, and Germany and have not been fully immunized against measles via the MMR vaccine may be most at risk, they said… …While the outbreak was first reported in November as spreading through Leeds and Liverpool, there are now confirmed cases in Sussex, West Midlands, Surrey, Greater Manchester, Merseyside, and West Yorkshire. However, not all cases are being spread by those who have visited countries included in the European outbreak, a spokesperson for Public Health England told the Independent. “We know that measles cases are showing a link to importation from Europe where there are ongoing outbreaks, but the cases are also spreading within the UK in under-vaccinated communities,” they explained. February 20, 2018: The Age posted an article titled: “Measles alert for Melbourne’s south-east”. It was written by Amber Schultz. From the article: Residents of Melbourne’s south-east have been warned to look out for the symptoms of measles after a man with the highly infectious disease visited a number of densely populated areas…. The affected areas included: Dandenong, Rowville, Ferntree Gully, Knoxfield, Belgrave and Wantirna South. The man with symptoms of measles visited a Centrelink, a cricket ground, two basketball stadiums, a secondary college, a bottle shop and a costume store between February 8 and 12, 2018. February 22, 2018: The Guardian posted an opinion piece written by Suzanne Moore. The piece was titled: “I understand the fears. But vaccinating children should be compulsory”. From the opinion piece. …Measles cases are souring in Europe again; last year, there were more than 21,000 cases and 35 deaths, up from 5, 273 cases the year before, a massive increase. The eminently achievable aim has always been to eradicate measles completely because the vaccine is so effective, but take-up of measles immunization is dropping in many countries. There are a number of factors involved, but doctors are worried about the influence of anti-vax campaigns – not only when it comes to MMR vaccine, which immunizes against mumps, measles, and rubella, but also for newer vaccines against meningitis and the HPV vaccine, which is given to girls at 12 or 13, and prevents the spread of the virus linked to 99.7% of cervical cancers. The MMR vaccine, still described by some as “controversial”, is at the root of this turn against immunization. Andrew Wakefield’s utterly discredited findings about the “link” between the MMR vaccine and autism continue to be regurgitated… …Anti-vax discourse unites a whole set of conspiracy theories about big Pharma and big government and so-called nature with a kind of selfishness that says: “I won’t let my precious child be vaccinated but will in fact rely on the herd immunity of others.”… …Information campaigns can push up immunization rates: in Ireland, uptake of the HPV vaccine was very low but a campaign helped address this. But reproducing the evidence about the efficacy of vaccines over and over again is never enough: the debate also has to be emotionally intelligent…. …Part of the conversation around parental choice is symptomatic of a wider disease in our society: atomization. The anti-vax lobby, in their purity, care about their own individual children, not our children who are in the plural, and not the most marginalized groups, who are most likely to get ill… February 23, 2018: NBC New York 4 posted an article titled: “Australian Tourist With Measles Visited Met Museum, Several Hotels: Officials”. From the article: An Australian tourist who had a confirmed case of the measles visited several New York hotels and medical centers, and participated in a biblical tour of the Met, health officials said. The tourist visited Manhattan and Brooklyn as well as Putnam and Orange counties between Feb. 16 and Wednesday, according to the state Health Department. The Australian was in the Oasis Bible Tours group at the Metropolitan Museum of Art…. February 26, 2018: The Guardian posted an article titled: “Disgraced anti-vaxxer Andrew Wakefield aims to advance his agenda in Texas election.” It was written by Jessica Glenza. From the article: Anti-vaccine campaigners have found a growing political voice for their debunked ideas in Texas, the adopted home of discredited British researcher Andrew Wakefield, and now hope to unseat a moderate Republican in the heart of Houston. Texas has seen rates of children opting out of vaccines for philosophical reasons skyrocket after Wakefield – the man behind the UK’s MMR vaccine controversy in the early 2000s – moved to the state capital, Austin, more than a decade ago. Since the early 2000s, when he arrived, the rate of Texas children exempted from at least one vaccine has shot up by 1.900% according to one analysis, while Houston has become a battleground for anti-vaccine activists of growing clout. Now, Wakefield sees the upcoming Republican primary in Houston on 6 March as an “extremely important time” to advance his anti-vaccine agenda… February 28, 2018: Texas Observer posted an article titled: “How Anti-Vaxxers are Injecting Themselves into the Texas Republican Primaries”. It was written by Sophie Novack. From the article: …A single mom who said one of her kids was injured by vaccines, [Jackie] Schlegel started Texans for Vaccine Choice in response to a 2015 bill by state Representative Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, that would have eliminated non-medical “conscience” exemptions for vaccines at public schools. Exemptions are a matter of “liberty,” “parental choice” and “privacy,” says Schlegel, who did not respond to requests for an interview. Villalba says he introduced the 2015 legislation because he has children in public school. Though his kids are vaccinated, he was alarmed by surging exemption rates. The number of kids with “conscience” exemptions has increased from about 2,300 when they were first allowed by the Legislature in 2003, to nearly 53,000 in 2017… …This primary cycle is a continuation of a grudge match between Villalba and the anti-vaxxers, who also campaigned against the Dallas Republican in 2016. Texans for Vaccine Choice designated his primary challenger, interior design firm owner Lisa Luby Ryan, and a “priority campaign,” and Schlegel has blockwalked with Ryan, who also picked up a batch of endorsements from other far-right groups including Empower Texans, on multiple occasions. Another top target for Texas for Vaccine Choice is state Representative Sarah Davis R- West University Place, one of the most vocal vaccine advocates among Republicans in the Legislature. The group endorsed Davis’ GOP primary challenge Susanna Dokupil as an “MVP,” donated $2,500 to her campaign, has blockwalked for her most weekends, and posts about her extensively on social media. Dokupil, endorsed by Governor Greg Abbott, is a lawyer and a board member of the Seasteading Institute, which aims to build floating libertarian cities in international waters…. …”Its really scary how impactful they are,” Davis said of Texans for Vaccine Choice. “Last session, I couldn’t even get any hearings on my pro-vaccine bills. They really have been able to bully and intimidate a lot of members. And they’ve made vaccines controversial, which makes members nervous… It really shouldn’t be controversial… …”We’re getting the messages that Texas is on the verge of a massive measles outbreak and no one seems to want to do anything about it,” said [Peter] Hotez [ director of the Texas Children’s Center for Vaccine Development], who calls the state “ground zero” for the country’s anti-vaccination movement. Vaccination rates in some Texas countries now hover close to the 95 percent threshold needed for herd immunity, and exemption rates at certain schools are well into the double digits…. March 7, 2018: BBC News posted an article titled: “Warning after measles outbreak declared in South Wales”. From the article: Young adults and teenagers are being urged to ensure they have two doses of the MMR vaccine, following a measles outbreak. Six people are confirmed as having measles in Cardiff, Newport and Blaenau Gwent. Public health Wales confirmed two further possible cases were under investigation. The first few cases are thought to have been exposed to measles in Cardiff city center in early February, Public Health Wales said. March 10, 2018: Nigerian Tribune posted an article titled: “Measles remains one of the leading causes of death among children – Experts” Nigeria has every reason to be concerned as measles return with vengeance in northern Nigeria and other parts of the world especially in Europe. Little wonder that, measles vaccination was stepped up to ensure the this highly contagious and potentially deadly virus that almost quadrupled in Europe in 2017 compared to other years in the past is controlled in Nigeria… …Nigeria tops the list of countries with unvaccinated children from measles with 3.3 million children, followed by India – 2.9 million, Pakistan – 2.0 million, Indonesia – 1.2 million, Ethiopia – 0.9 million and Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, with 0.7 million… …”Measles remains one of the leading causes of death among young children globally, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine,” said Dr. Rafiu Isamotu, a pediatrician and Osun State Commissioner for Health… …”Measles immunization is very safe and effective, but a few children may develop some mild vaccine reactions such as a fever, rash, soreness or swelling where the injection was given or temporary pain. These are minor reactions that mothers should not panic about.”… …Unfortunately, Dr. Isamotu said 90 percent of people who haven’t been vaccinated for measles and come in contact with an infected person, may contract the virus from droplets sprayed into the air when someone with measles sneezes or coughs…. …”Our immunization efforts are working against measles. In the last five years in Ice and Ilesa, we have not seen a case of the measles. It is unlike the past that almost all of our wards may be filled with measles cases,” he added…. March 13, 2018: The Kansas City Star posted an article titled: “Three measles cases confirmed in Johnson County”. It was written by Lynn Horsley. From the article: Three measles cases have been confirmed in a Johnson County child care facility, the Johnson County Health Department said Tuesday. All three cases were in children less than 1 year of age, thus are too young to be vaccinated for the disease. Those at risk for the disease have been contacted and the investigation is ongoing. March 15, 2018: USA Today posted an article titled: “Travelers who landed in Detroit, Newark, Memphis pop up with measles.” From the article: Detroit: People who visited the North Terminal at Detroit Metropolitan Airport on the afternoon of March 6 likely were exposed to the highly contagious virus, according to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Someone infected could develop symptoms as late as next week. Newark: Passengers in terminals B and C of Newark Liberty International Airport also were exposed and could develop symptoms as late as April 2, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. Memphis: The young child diagnosed with measles arrived in Newark from Brussels and flew to Memphis International Airport that evening, exposing other salons the way, New Jersey health officials said. March 16, 2018: The Kansas City Star posted an article titled: “Seven diagnosed with measles in Johnson, Miami counties, Aldi, YMCA among risk sites.” It was written by Andy Marso. From the article: The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said Friday that at least seven people in Johnson County and Miami County have contracted measles and released a list of nine public places where others might have been exposed. All but one of the seven people are associated with a Johnson County daycare that has been identified as the source of the outbreak. But health officials are now warning the public that those seven may have exposed others to the virus before becoming symptomatic… ..At least three of the cases tied to the daycare, which has not been identified, were in children who are under 1 year of age, and therefore too young to be vaccinated. People in that age group are particularly at risk, as are those who can’t be vaccinated because of underlying medical conditions… March 26, 2018: The Age posted an article titled: “Baby infected as measles virus spreads through Melbourne Airport arrivals.” It was written by Aisha Dow. From the article: Health authorities suspect five adults and a very young baby who were collecting their luggage from a carousel at Melbourne Airport’s international baggage area three weeks ago also picked up a dose of measles from an infected fellow passenger. The man believed to have infected others, an Australian in his 40s, became unwell on AirAsia flight D7214, which arrived in Melbourne at about 9:30am on March 9. While the man went “straight to hospital”, according to the Victorian health department, it is now believed that a number of people became infected while in the airport’s baggage collection area that day, between 9:30am and midday. There adults are still in hospital, while the baby and two adults are recovering at home… March 26, 2018: Miami Herald posted an article titled: “A measles outbreak in ailing Venezuela is threatening Colombia and Brazil”. It was written by Jim Wyss. From the article: …According to new figures from the Pan American Health Organization, Venezuela has seen 886 cases of measles since June, including 159 cases this year alone. The second-biggest outbreak in the hemisphere this year is Brazil, with 14 cases, and all of them were imported from neighboring Venezuela. Columbia has also reported three confirmed cases, all from Venezuela… …the nation’s deep economic crisis, combined with a mass desertion by doctors and widespread corruption, have devastated the medical establishment…. …The outbreaks are “clear examples” of how basic health programs have broken down, [José Felix] Oletta [former minister of health from 1997 to 1999 and runs a nonprofit called Venezuelan Alliance for Health] said. His organization estimates that more than 1 million Venezuelan children haven’t been vaccinated for measles in the last decade – and that’ putting the entire region at risk… …The National Survey of Hospitals, an independent report published last week, found that 88 percent of the 134 medical centers studied were missing basic medicines, and 100 percent said their pathology labs were inoperative. Venezuelans regularly flood Colombia and Brazil looking for medical care they can no longer get at home. The health crisis strikes as hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans are fleeing the country, escaping political turmoil and chronic food and medicine shortages… March 28, 2018: The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control posted information about measles cases in Portugal. The first post about it was on March 9, 2018. Since 9 March, 2018, Portugal has been experiencing an outbreak of measles in the northern region of the country. The majority of the cases are relate to the Hospital San Antonio in Porto. Among the confirmed cases the majority are healthcare professionals. Responding to the outbreak, the Portuguese authorities launched active case finding and contact tracing, and initiated a vaccination and awareness campaign among patients and healthcare professionals. Between 9 and 27 March 2018, Portugal has reported 70 confirmed measles cases. This is an increase of four cases since the CDTR published on 23 March. Among the confirmed cases, 61 (87%) are healthcare professionals, mostly from the San Antonia hospital in Porto, Portugal. March 28, 2018: The Kansas City Star posted an article titled: “3 new JoCo measles cases: Walgreens, Chuck E. Cheese, Chick-fil-A exposure spots”. It was written by Andy Marso. From the article: Kansas officials have identified three new cases of measles and three more sites where people may have been exposed as the outbreak that started at a Johnson County daycare continues to have ripple effects. All of the new cases are residents of Johnson County, which is now up to 11 out of the 13 total. The other cases were in a Miami County resident and a Linn County resident. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment, working with local health departments, also identified three new sites at which people who had the measles may have exposed others. The article listed the addresses of a Chuck E. Cheese, a Walgreens, and a Chick-fil-A and the dates during which people who visited those locations may have been exposed to measles. Those are in addition to 10 other exposure sites previously announced. KDHE officials also announced Wednesday there had been a second instance of potential exposure at one of those sites…. The article listed the address of the Olathe YMCA and the dates in which people who visited it might have been exposed to measles. It also said that previous exposures at this YMCA were limited to only certain parts of the building, but this new exposure was throughout the facility including the child care area. …The current Kansas outbreak began earlier this month at a daycare that health officials have declined to name for privacy reasons. Several of the early cases in infants were too young to get the shot… …Kansas law requires children who attend daycare or pre-school to be immunized with an initial dose of MMR between 12 and 15 months of age, but parents are able to opt out for medical or religious reasons. According to KDHE, there’s no law requiring daycare workers to be immunized. The article also listed the previous measles exposures sites, their addresses, and the dates in which people visiting those locations may have been exposed to measles: AMC Dine-In Studio, Aldi, Payless Discount Foods, El Puerto Mexican Café, Children’s Mercy Hospital Kansas (emergency department), Budget Coin Laundry, Olathe YMCA, Bath and Body Works at Legend Outlets, Crazy 8 Legends Outlets, Orange Leaf. March 28, 2018: BBC News posted an article titled: “Vaccination plea after count Wales measles outbreak.” from the article: Parents are being urged to ensure their children have both MMR vaccinations as a measles outbreak has been confirmed. Fourteen people have caught the highly infectious virus in the Cardiff and Blaenau Gwent areas of south Wales. The latest outbreak follows one in Newport and Torfaen in 2017 and another spate earlier this month. School children and young adults are advised to get protected before going away on their Easter holidays or attending half-term play schemes. “Ahead of the Easter break we are urging all parents with children in the Cardiff and Blaenau Gwent areas that have not had two doses of MMR to contact their GPs and immediately arrange this quick, safe, and effective vaccine,” said Dr. Gwen Lowe of Public Health Wales (PHW). “This is particularly important before unvaccinated and unprotected children mix with ones in play schemes and play settings over the holiday period. “Similarly we’re appealing to young adults from the Cardiff and Blaenau Gwent areas to get up-to-date with their MMR vaccinations before going on holiday to Europe, where a number of measles outbreaks are ongoing.”… March 29, 2018: The Age posted an article titled: “Measles infections from Melbourne Airport contact grows”. It was written by Aisha Dow. From the article: The number of Victorians who have caught measles after coming in contact with two infected men flying into Melbourne’s Tullamarine Airport continues to grow. Another baby who was too young to be vaccinated has been confirmed as one of the new victims. The Victorian Department of Health has now confirmed 10 cases of the highly infectious disease. There are eight adults, seven of whom were taken to hospital, and two infants. The majority of the infections are linked to a man who flew from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne on AirAsia flight D7214 on Wednesday, March 7, landing about 9:30am. The other passenger returned to Melbourne from Denpasar, Bali, on March 10 and was believed to have passed the infection on to one the babies, now recovering at home… March 29, 2018: The Kansas City Star posted an editorial titled: “Here’s one step Kansas could take to limit the spread of measles”. It was written by the The Kansas City Star Editorial Board. From the editorial: Kansas law requires children who attend day care or preschool to be immunized with an initial dose of measles-mumps-rubella between 12 and 15 months of age, bu there’s no law requiring day care workers to be immunized… …At least 13 cases of measles have been confirmed in Johnson, Linn and Miami counties since early March. A separate case was confirmed Thursday at the University of Kansas Hospital. The outbreak started at an unnamed Johnson County day care and has spread to 14 other sites. Several of the early cases were in infants too young to get the shot, which suggests measles could have spread to them via an infected adult… …Kansas lawmakers could take a cue from other states such as California and Illinois that have adopted laws requiring day care workers to have vaccinations for measles and other common contagious disease. Without a law on the books, the onus is on day care providers in Kansas to follow KinderCare’s lead to address the issue. After eight infants at a KinderCare day care center in a Chicago suburb fell ill with measles, the nationwide chain began requiring measles vaccines for all staff working with babies under 15 month old… March 29, 2018: 9 News posted an article titled: “Measles alert as two Sydney babies diagnosed after visiting south Asia.” From the article: Health authorities are on alert after two babies, fresh from visits to South Asia, were diagnosed with measles at a Sydney hospital. Four people have been diagnosed in NSW this month – all patients contracting the highly contagious disease while visiting Asia. Pakistan, India and The Philippines have been identified as possible sources for the infections, said NSW Health on Thursday…. May 4, 2018: Voice of America posted an article titled: “Some Parents More Wary of Vaccines Than Diseases They Prevent”. It was written by Carol Pearson. From the article: …Vaccines can prevent 23 viruses and two types of cancer, and more vaccines are in the works, including one for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. [Dr. Paul] Offit is the co-inventor of a life-saving rotavirus vaccine. But some parents are not getting their children vaccinated. Last year, there were more than 14,000 cases of measles in Europe, mostly in Romania. Nearly 40 children died. It exasperates health officials like Miljana Grbic, head of the World Health Assembly in Romania. “We cannot fight this disease if we do not increase vaccination coverage,” she said. “…But we also have to understand why vaccination coverage is going down.” For some parents, it’s the inconvenience of the trip to the doctor’s office. Others think good hygiene and nutrition are all children need to stay healthy. Still others believe vaccines can give their children autism, diabetes and other diseases. Offit says persuading these parents to vaccinate their children is hard… …A study published in BMJ suggests that in the U.S., vaccine refusal is contagious. It spreads from communities with a high number of parents who oppose vaccines to other communities nearby when parents who oppose vaccines talk to their friends and parents of their children’s schoolmates… May 11, 2018: Sky News reported that there have been more than 400 cases of measles confirmed in England so far this year. The cases – well above the 267 seen across the whole of last year – are linked to “ongoing large outbreaks in Europe,” particularly in Romania and Italy, according to Public Health England. Up to 9 May, there were 440 cases confirmed by laboratories, including 164 in London, 86 in the South East, 78 in the West Midlands, 42 in the South West and 37 in West Yorkshire… …Among those most affected are young people and adults over 15 who may have missed out on the vaccine when they were younger. Dr. Mary Ramsay, head of immunization at Public Health England, said: “This serves as an important reminder for parents to take up the offer of MMR vaccination for their children at one year of age and as a preschool booster at three years and four months of age. “We’d also encourage people to ensure they are up to date with their MMR vaccines before traveling to countries with ongoing measles outbreaks… May 11, 2018: Gov.UK reported: Between 1 January 2018 and 9 May 2018 there have been 440 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England, with London (164), the South-East (86), West Midlands (78) South-West (42) and West Yorkshire (37) reporting the most cases. June 1, 2018: Gov.UK reported: Between 1 January and 31 May 2018 there have been 587 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England. Cases were reported in most areas with London (213), the South-East (128), West Midlands (81), South-West (62), and Yorkshire and Humberside (53) reporting most cases (based on provisional figures). June 11, 2018: The Kansas City Star posted an article titled: “Kansas City’s two measles outbreaks are over. But what did they cost taxpayers?” It was written by Andy Marso. From the article: When Kansas City found itself in the grips of not one but two measles outbreaks in March, Tiffany Wallin, a disease investigator for the Johnson County Health Department, was working on it nearly around the clock… …The strangely simultaneous outbreaks are both officially over, as of Monday, when there had been no new cases in 42 days, or two full incubation periods. But the costs of containing them are just beginning to be calculated. What is known at this point is that more than $170,000 in taxpayer resources was spent to hold the outbreaks to 35 total cases – 22 in Kansas and 13 in Missouri. Some of the $170,000 is federal money, some of it came out of redirected state and local resources and none of it includes other costs that are difficult or even impossible to quantify. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment said it spend about $46,000 on a bevy of lab testing, vaccines and staffing costs. But that’s a conservative estimate that doesn’t include baked-in costs to maintain the state’s disease surveillance software, EpiTrax, or salaries for support staff… …The Johnson County Health Department said it spent $99,000 in staff costs alone on its response to the Kansas measles outbreak, enlisting disease investigators, epidemiologists, public spokesmen, directors, child care licensing staff, immunizations staff, lab staff and accounting staff. Miami County health officials didn’t respond to the Star’s request for a cost estimate… …The Kansas City Health Department spent $21,273.50 in staff hours alone on the Missouri outbreak…. …Both measles outbreaks started when travelers brought the virus back to Kansas City from other countries where its still prevalent. The first outbreak began in a Johnson County daycare – a particularly dangerous spot because of the number of exposed kids who are too young to be vaccinated…. …Someone involved in the Missouri outbreak also potentially exposed people in Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin a road trip through those states, but officials in this states said no cases resulted from those exposures… …They [Health officials] also initiated state policies that require unvaccinated students to be held out of school for weeks if there is an exposure risk. Open records filed by the Star showed that mean 13 of the 791 students at Star Valley Middle School had to be held out. Eleven of them had religious exemptions to vaccination requirements and two had medical exemptions. Nine of 375 students at Nashua Elementary School had to be held out. Six had religious exemptions, two had medical exemptions, and one was in the process of getting his or her measles-mumps-rubella, or MMR, vaccinations… …But families that are already against vaccinating their kids aren’t going to change their minds as kids get older. “The vaccine-refusing population – often affluent and college educated – are still resistant to immunization even after measles has occurred within their household,” [Mary Ann] Jackson [of Children’s Mercy] said. “So its a huge challenge and its a concern.”… June 18, 2018: Oxford Mail reported that Public Health England has issued a warning to maker sure people are properly protected against the measles after 128 new measles cases across the region between between January 1 and May 31. The increase is mainly associated with travel to and from Europe where there are ongoing measles outbreaks. There have been no recorded cases in Oxfordshire. June 19, 2018: BristolLive reported a fourth school in the Bristol area has warned parents about cases of possible measles and have urged parents to take their children for vaccinations. Children at Hannah More Primary School in St. Phillips have been given letters with urgent advice to parents and carers about the illness, which has spread through the South West. This follows cases of measles in the Easton Cafe Academy, St. Barnabas CoFE and Gordano School last week. June 20, 2018: The Telegraph posted an article titled: “Teens who missed MMR jab during Wakefield scare urged to seek vaccination as measles sweeps Europe”. It was written by Sarah Knapton. From the article: Young people considering gap years and holidays in Europe are been warned to check they have received an MMR jab following outbreaks of measles on the continent. Large numbers of cases of measles have recently been reported in France, Italy, Greece and Romania. Public Health England (PHE) issued the warning to young people who may have missed out on the jab during the MMR scare which began in 1998 when doctor Andrew Wakefield published a paper in The Lancet suggesting a link to autism. At the peak of the scare, one in five children missed out on the vaccination. The paper was later withdrawn and Dr Wakefield struck off after the research was found to be dishonest, Dr Mary Ramsey, Head of Immunization at PHE, said: “In the early 2000’s there was a fall in MMR vaccination coverage in children and as a consequence we are now seeing measles cases in young adults… …Cases of measles also continue to rise across England in unvaccinated teenagers and young adults… …PHE warned that there could be significant numbers of unprotected teenagers and young adults who could catch measles at summer festivals and when they travel abroad for summer holidays or gap years… June 21, 2018: ABC 7 Detroit posted an article titled: “Second case of measles identified in Michigan, possible exposure at Detroit Metro Airport”. It was written by Fatima Bangura. From the article: The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services have identified and confirmed a second case of the measles in Ann Arbor. “It is the second measles case in 2018 for Michigan and just for a point of reference, we only had 2 cases in 2017 in Michigan,” said Angela Mincuci, spokeswoman for the Michigan Department for Health and Human Services. “So for us to have a second case already in June it is an indicator that we need to be on alert.” The ill person arrived to Detroit Metro Airport on June 12 around 3:45 p.m. at the McNamara Terminal international area. Officials say the person was considered contagious at the time and are contacting potentially exposed passengers from the flight… June 22, 2018: NJ.com posted an article titled: “Measles exposure warning issued by N.J. health department”. It was written by Susan K. Livio. From the article: People who visited a gym in Burlington County or doctor offices in Burlington and Camden counties earlier this month may have been exposed to measles, the state Health Department announced Friday. An infected person who had just returned from an international trip visited a gym in Mount Laurel, physician offices in Camden and Moorestown and Vitura Memorial Hospital in Marlton, the announcement said. It’s possible that exposed people have not yet developed symptoms, which may emerge as late as July 11, said Christina Tan, the state epidemiologist and a physician… June 23, 2018: Gloucester Township Patch posted an article titled: “Measles Warnings in 2 New Jersey Counties”. it was written by Tom Davis. From the article: New Jersey has issued measles warnings in two counties after a number of people were possibly exposed, according to the state Department of Health. The warnings stem from a measles case involving an individual who could have possibly exposed others to the infection while in Burlington and Camden counties. The individual developed symptoms after international travel, according to a DOH release. June 25, 2018: The Bump posted an article titled: “Kids in These Anti-Vac ‘Hotspots’ are at Risk for Preventable Diseases”. It was written by Ashley Edwards Walker. From the article: A rise in the number of parents opting no to vaccinate their kids has lead to anti-vaccine “hotspots” across the country, putting kids who live in those areas at particular risk of contracting preventable diseases. Kids are usually required to receive certain vaccines (like measles, mumps and rubella) before they can enroll in school. Sometimes children can’t be fully vaccinated due to medical reasons, but 18 states currently allow parents to seek non-medical exemptions on the basis of religious or philosophical beliefs. Despite the fact that evidence linking vaccines to toxins, autism, ADHD, or cancer simply doesn’t exist – and that evidence of the safety and efficacy of vaccines does – some people have shied away from vaccinating their kids. Now, a study published by PLOS Medicine has found that the number of these non-medical exemptions is growing in 12 of those 18 states, and identified 15 metropolitan clusters where more than 5 percent of all kindergarten-age kids are unvaccinated… The 15 anti-vac hotspots are especially vulnerable to outbreaks of these preventable diseases: Seattle, WA Spokane, WA Portland, OR Phoenix, AZ Salt Lake City, UT Provo, UT Houston, TX Fort Worth, TX Plano, TX Austin, TX Troy, MI Warren, MI Detroit, MI Kansas City, MO Pittsburgh, PA June 26, 2018: The Japan Times posted an opinion piece titled: “Japan’s backward vaccination policy”. From the opinion piece: The number of people infected by measles in Japan has already exceeded 100 this year and the total appears to be rising. Those born between 1977 and 1990 have been vaccinated against measles just once. Experts in infectious diseases say that at least two vaccinations are needed to attain immunity. That generation has been hit the hardest by measles this time. Unless the Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry overhauls its vaccination policy, measles is likely to become an epidemic at certain intervals. What the ministry must immediately do is to vaccinate those people who had only one vaccination. In the event that diseases like measles and rubella become epidemics, the government has the power to give vaccination shots to people of all ages by importing vaccines from abroad, outside the framework of regular vaccination for particular age groups. But the ministry has shown no signs of doing so… …A university professor of medicine says that Japan is more than 10 years behind European and North American countries in its inoculation policy and his view is widely shared. Japan has two types of vaccination programs: vaccinations regularly carried out by municipalities and voluntary vaccinations. Although the fees for the regular vaccinations are covered by public funds, the types of vaccinations under this program are limited. In the United States, publicly funded health care programs cover vaccinations against mumps, hepatitis A, and childhood influenza. In Japan, individuals must pay for the same inoculations. Hepatitis A and influenza could become serious and mumps could result in aftereffects such as hearing impairment and infertility. The National Infectious Diseases (NIID) estimates that every year, some 650 people suffer from hearing impairment due to mumps…. …To increase inoculation rates, it would be effective to make the vaccinations a condition for children’s enrollment at kindergartens and elementary schools. But Japanese schools merely recommend the vaccinations if they find that new students have not received them… June 27, 2018: The Local reported that a 26-year-old patient has died in France from the measles, the second fatality in a matter of months as an epidemic of the disease sweeps the country and health chiefs warn of the need to be immunized. …French health authorities revealed on Wednesday that a 26-year-old patient had died from the disease, although details of the sex of the victim and the region where they lived have not been revealed. Health chiefs from French authority Santé Publique France said the patient’s immune system was too weak to be given a vaccine and that they were probably contaminated by someone close to them who had not been vaccinated… …Some 2,567 cases of measles have been identified in France since November with the western and southern departments of Gironde, Vienne and the Gard the most affected. Although the number of news cases has dropped slightly, it stands around 50 a week. To put the figure in context, only 400 cases a year were detected between 2013 and 2015. Between January and April of 2018, half 1,800 cases of measles declared in France were in the south west region of Nouvelle Aquitaine, which is by far the region in France the most impacted. In 88 percent of cases, those who have contracted the disease have not been vaccinated, or completed the course of vaccinations. In 22 percent of cases patients have been hospitalized. Health authorities in France have been raising the alarm about the need to be vaccinated against the extremely contagious disease… …According to doctors the problem is that many in France – potentially up to one million – did not receive the necessary second injection of the MMR vaccination (Measles Mumps and Rubella)… June 28, 2018: Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP posted information titled: “Vaccination requirement expanded to short-term work permits”. Uruguay expanded its vaccination requirements. Applicants must submit proof that they have been vaccinated against measles, tetanus, and other diseases deemed mandatory by the Ministry of Public Health. Applicants should factor in additional time to obtain the necessary vaccines or vaccination records. June 28, 2018: Survival International reported: A measles epidemic has hit an isolated tribe on the Brazil-Venezuela border which has very little immunity to the disease. The devastating outbreak has the potential to kill hundreds of the tribespeople unless emergency action is taken. The Yanomami communities where the outbreak occurred are some of the most isolated in the Amazon. Thousands of gold miners have invaded the region, and they are a likely source of the epidemic. Despite repeated warnings, the authorities have taken little effective action to remove them. July 1, 2018: Gov.UK reported: Between 1 January 2018 and July 22, 2018 there have been 781 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England. Cases were reported in most areas with London (272), the South-East (162), South-West (137), West Midlands (85) and Yorkshire and Humberside (72) reporting the most cases (based on provisional figures). July 2, 2018: KATU 2 reported that Multnomah County officials say approximately 500 people were exposed to a confirmed case of measles in the Portland area Wednesday. Of those 500 people, the Multnomah County Health Department Communicable Disease Services team is monitoring 40 people who were exposed and considered non-immune. Officials say the infected person visited a local emergency room and spent time in a Gresham childcare clinic. July 9, 2018: Fox Q13 reported that Local public officials in Snohomish County, Washington, confirmed Friday that a European child visiting the United States as part of a summer program had become infected with measles. That child visited 9 businesses in June before being diagnosed with the measles. August 6, 2018: Gov.UK reported: Between 1 January and 6 August 2018 there have been 807 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England. Cases were reported in most areas with London (281), the South-East (166), South-West (139), West Midlands (84) and Yorkshire and Humberside (75) reporting the most cases (based on provisional figures.) August 9, 2018: RTE reported that five further cases of measles have been notified to the Health Service Executive, bringing to 11 the number of cases in the current outbreak. The HSE has said it is particularly concerned about the risk of measles in children who attended Temple Street Children’s University Hospital in recent weeks, who may have been exposed to an infectious case of measles. August 11, 2018: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported: So far in 2018, 124 individual cases of measles have been confirmed in 22 states and the District of Columbia. The states that have reported cases to CDC are Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, and Washington. A total of 9 measles outbreaks (defined as 3 or more linked cases) have been reported so far in 2018. Outbreaks in countries to which Americans often travel can directly contribute to an increase in measles cases in the U.S. There are NO current multi-state measles outbreak in the United States. The number of reported cases in the U.S. in 2018 is similar to recent years and in expected range. Some recent media reports misinterpreted data regularly issued by CDC surveillance teams. But measles is still common in many parts of the world. Every year, unvaccinated people get measles while they are abroad and then bring the disease into the United States and spread it to others. Make sure you and your family are protected with MMR vaccine. August 11, 2018: The Oregonian reported that someone who traveled to Portland earlier this summer was infected with measles, and health officials are working to notify people who may have been exposed to the virus. The Oregon Health Authority on Saturday said the traveler was in the Portland area July 30 to August 5. Officials confirmed the case on Friday. August 11, 2018: South Strand News reported that The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control said Friday a confirmed case of measles has been reported in Georgetown County. The patient lives in Georgetown County, DHEC said. The agency has begun a contact investigation and is notifying people who may have been exposed in specific settings. The disease was confirmed by a local health care provider. August 13, 2018: TampaBay.com reported that an unvaccinated child has contracted the contagious measles virus in Pinellas County, according to the Florida Department of Health, which said Monday it is investigating the case. It was unclear how the child contracted the virus, according to the health department. But local officials are working to identify and notify people who were potentially exposed. The child was diagnosed at Morton Plant Hospital in Clearwater. While there are no outbreaks reported in Florida, two residents and one visitor were confirmed to have measles after trips to Brazil and France last month, according to the health department. So far this year, four Florida residents and three visitors were in the state while considered “infectious”. August 15, 2018: WoodTV.com reported that cases of measles in Michigan have hit a high unseen in two decades. Angela Minicuci with the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services says the state has tallied 10 cases of measles so far this year – the highest case count since 1998. Minicuci says 9 of the cases are from Washtenaw County; the remaining case is from Oakland county. Michigan is among 21 states and the District of Columbia that have reported 107 cases of measles through July 14, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC says the majority of cases involve people who were not vaccinated and traveled to a country where measles is common. August 16, 2018: Voice of America News reported that more than 100 cases of measles have been diagnosed in 2018 in 21 U.S. states and the District of Columbia. As of July 14, 2018, 107 people had contracted measles in Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and the nation’s capitol. Voice of American also reported that this year’s outbreak is on pace to surpass last year’s, when 118 people from 15 states and the District of Columbia were reported to have measles. The CDC said the majority of people who contracted measles were unvaccinated. August 16, 2018: News & Record reported that Florida health officials are urging parents to make sure their children are vaccinated against measles after three cases were reported in a Florida county. The cases in Florida’s Gulf Coast county of Pinellas are the first there in 10 years. August 16, 2018: News 4 JAX reported that Florida Department of Health officials said there was one case of measles in Duval County earlier this year, but that person acquired the disease overseas and has fully recovered. August 16, 2018: Outbreak News Today reported about a measles alert in Vancouver, Norwegian Cruise Lines, and Alaska: A teenager who traveled with her parents from Asia to Vancouver, British Columbia and later on a Norwegian Cruise Lines, Norwegian Jewel voyage to Seward, Alaska, was infected with measles, prompting health alerts to be issued. The girl began experiencing cold-like symptoms while traveling in Thailand approximately one week prior to boarding the cruise ship on August 6. She traveled from Tokyo to Vancouver on July 30, later traveling to Portland, Oregon and back to Vancouver on Aug. 6. Within several hours of boarding the ship, the child was put in medical isolation due to persistence of symptoms and concern for possible measles. Per the parents, the child had never received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine. The patient remained isolated in medical isolation until August 8th when she was transported to PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center. The patient was discharged from the hospital on August 10th. Later that day, the patient was confirmed by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing to have been infected with the measles virus… August 16, 2018: News 12 Long Island reported that Nassau health officials are issuing a warning on the threat of measles. “Measles was thought to be eradicated in the United States. However there are many people in the United States who choose not to be vaccinated,” says Dr. Paul Pipia, NUMC medical director. “So when you choose not to be vaccinated, you are now susceptible to get the measles. If you have been vaccinated, you won’t get the measles.” August 16, 2018: The Advocate reported that the first of the two measles cases reported by the Louisiana Department of Health came in April, when a man unvaccinated against measles traveled from London to New Orleans for a single event, Wrestlemania, and came down with the disease. The man, an otherwise healthy adult, was treated in a New Orleans hospital for four days. The second incident in Louisiana this year was reported in May and involved a school-age child who had not received the MMR vaccination and had traveled with her family to a country where measles is endemic. The child was treated for several days in a hospital while on a break from school. August 17, 2018: Independent reported the following: …Measles had been declared “eliminated” from the US in 2000, meaning the disease was no longer continuously being transmitted within the country. But American unvaccinated travelers who get measles while visiting other countries can sometimes spread the disease to other unvaccinated people when they return, which sometimes leads to an outbreak. The CDC has cautioned that a measles endemic, which would mean its regularly found in a particular area, could re-establish itself in the U.S. “Research shows that people who refuse vaccines tend to group together in communities,” the agency states. “When measles gets into communities with pockets of unvaccinated people, outbreaks are more likely to occur. These communities make it difficult to control the spread of disease. And these communities make us vulnerable to having the virus re-establish itself in our country.” August 17, 2018: ABC 15 Arizona reported that health officials have issued a warning of a potential measles exposure after an out-of-state visitor with the measles traveled to northern Arizona. A spokesperson for the Arizona Department of Health Services says the tourist was potentially contagious from August 6 to 8 and visited multiple locations in northern Arizona. There are currently no cases of measles in the state. August 18, 2018: Forbes posted an article titled: “CDC Reports 107 Measles Cases Already This Year, Here Are Potential Outbreak Hotspots”. It was written by Bruce Y. Lee. From the article: …A study published in the journal PLOS Medicine found that over the past decade more and more parents have been opting out of school requirements to get their kids vaccinated in the 18 states that allow such non-medical exemptions (NME). In other words, more and more parents are taking the option to increase their kids’ (and other kids’) risk for getting measles, a highly contagious and potential deadly disease… …Keep in mind that NMEs are not medical exemptions, otherwise they’d be called medical exemptions. In other words, parents seeking NMEs aren’t doing so because a real doctor said that their kids shouldn’t get the vaccine because of an immune system disorder or a severe allergy to vaccine components. They are “opting out” because of their beliefs… … For the study, a research team from the National School of Tropical Medicine (Jacqueline K. Olive, Peter J. Hotez, MD, PhD, Ashish Damania, and Melissa S. Nolan, PhD, MPH) analyzed data from these 18 states and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The study found that in 12 of the states that allow NMEs (Arkansas, Arizona, Idaho, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Utah) the number of NMEs has been steadily increasing since 2009. (Colorado, Louisiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin round out the rest of the 18 states that allow NMEs). The research team also found that higher NME rates correlated with lower measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rate. In other words, MMR vaccination rates tended to be lower, the nigher the number of NMEs. This is concerning because scientific studies (and common sense) have showed how locations with lower measles vaccination rates are more likely to have measles outbreaks… The study is titled: “The State of the anti vaccine movement in the United States: A focused examination of nonmedical exemptions in states and countries.” It was published in PLOS Medicine on June 12, 2018. August 20, 2018: The Irish Times posted an article titled: “Measles outbreak in Ireland reaches 76 an Europe sees surge in cases”. It was written by Conor Gallagher. From the article: Cases of measles in Europe have reached a record high according to the World Health Organization (WHO), with Ireland seeing a massive increase in diagnoses since last year. So far this year, 76 cases of measles have been detected, according to the latest statistics from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC). This compares to just one confirmed case during the same period last year. During the entirety of 2017 there were 25 cases, with most cases coming near the end of the year as part of the current outbreak. The figures show Ireland is not escaping the lethal outbreak which is spreading across continental Europe. More than 41,000 people have been infected in the first six months of 2018, leading to 37 deaths. Last year there were 23,927 cases and the year before 5.273. WHO Experts blame this surge in infections on a drop in the number of people being vaccinated. The HSC said there has been no confirmed deaths in Ireland this year as a result of the outbreak… August 20, 2018: Gov.UK reported: Between 1 January 2018 and 13 August 2018 there have been 828 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England. Cases were reported in most areas with London (291), the South-East (169), South-West (138), West Midlands (85) and Yorkshire and Humberside (80) reporting the most cases (based on provisional figures). August 20, 2018: BBC reported that more than 41,000 people have been infected in the first six months of 2018, leading to 37 deaths. Last year there were 23,927 cases and the year before 5,273. Experts blame this surge in infections on a drop in the number of people being vaccinated. In England, there have been 807 cases so far this year. The Who is calling on European countries to take action. August 20, 2018: Santa Monica Patch reported that a tourist with measles visited sites around Santa Monica earlier this month, and public officials are warning the public – especially those who may have been in those areas and have not been vaccinated against measles. The tourist went to six locations in Santa Monica from August 8-10. August 20, 2018: Global News reported that the World Health Organization said the number of measles cases in Europe jumped sharply during the first six months of 2018 and at least 37 people have died. The U.N. agency’s European office said Monday more than 41,000 measles cases were reported in the region during the first half of the year – more than in all 12-month periods so far this decade. The agency said half – some 23,000 cases – this year occurred in Ukraine, where an insurgency backed by Russia has been fighting the government for four years in the east in a conflict that has killed over 10,00 people. France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Russia, and Serbia also had more than 1,000 measles infections each so far this year. August 21, 2018: KOIN 5 reported that another case of measles has been diagnosed in the Portland-Metro Area, the second confirmed case in the last 10 days. The Oregon Health Authority said the second individual, diagnosed on Sunday, had been in close contact with the first person diagnosed. That person was diagnosed on August 10, and had spent time in the area from July 30 to August 6. This is the fifth measles diagnosis in the area since June 27, though the previous ones are not connected to the most recent two diagnoses. The second person diagnosed with measles had traveled out of state, later becoming sick. August 21, 2018: The Guardian posted an article titled: “Resurgence of deadly measles blamed on low MMR vaccination rates”. From the article: A huge surge in measles cases across Europe has been reported by the World Health Organization, which says low MMR vaccination rates are to blame. More than 41,000 cases of measles have been reported in the European region between January and June. Last year there were nearly 24,000 for the whole 12 months, which was the highest count in any year of the last decade… …In seven countries (France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, the Russian Federation, Serbia and Ukraine) more than 1,000 children and adults have been infected in the first half of 2018 and at least 37 people have died. The biggest toll was in the Ukraine, which had 23,000 cases – half the European total. There were measles-related deaths in all seven countries. Serbia, with 14, had the most… …The WHO [World Health Organization] goal to eliminate measles from Europe by 2020 faces major problems because of regions or cities with particularly low vaccination rates and the easy transmission across borders of the measles virus, which is one of the most infectious agents known. Some of the deaths in Greece in 2016 were in the Roma community, who had not had access to immunization clinics. Outbreaks in Romania, Italy or Australia quickly spread as people travel for migration, work or pleasure… …Take-up of the vaccine doubters had been embraced by some political movements, who advocate “parent choice”. The Five Star movement in Italy opposes a law that would have fined parents who do not immunize their children, while in France, Marine le Pen of the newly-named National Rally party is against mandatory vaccination…. …Some parents do not take their child for vaccination while others delay. “I think there is hesitancy for very many reasons,” [Mark Muscat, medical officer for vaccine-preventable diseases at WHO Europe] said. “There are a lot of rumors and misinformation about safety. There are also problems where some parents have limited access to health systems and some have become complacent. They do not realize the importance of vaccinating their children because the diseases is not around.” “That is totally wrong. Unfortunately we have some measles-related deaths. Last year it was 38. This year out is already 37 in the first six months.”… August 22, 2018: The Fresno Bee reported that an individual with measles possibly exposed people earlier this month while visiting the Country Store at Harris Ranch, health officials said Wednesday. The visitor was inside the Country Store and women’s restroom at Harris Ranch in Coalinga on August 10 from 2-2:30 p.m. This is the second measles scare in Fresno County, California, this year. In May, a person with measles symptoms visited an urgent care center and Community Regional Medical Center in downtown Fresno. No other measles cases were reported from that incident. August 22, 2018: The Irish Times reported that the HSE (Health Service Executive) is dealing with a measles outbreak in north Dublin, with 13 cases recorded in adults and children in the north inner city area since July. Transmission occurred in Dublin hospitals and in households with poor vaccine update, according to the Department of Public Health East. It said it is now starting to see people who acquired measles in the wider inner city community. There have been no deaths from measles associated with this outbreak to date. August 22, 2018: ABC Columbia reported that the measles virus had been confirmed in South Carolina. This is the first case confirmed in the state this year and the Department of Health and Environmental control is warning parents. It has been more than 20 years since South Carolina has seen a case of the measles. According to the director of the USC School of Medicine’s Research Center Christine Turley said someone who has measles might have had it for four days before even knowing they are infected, and by that time it’d be too late to contain the spread of the virus. Turley said the problem is twofold. The first side is that parents do not vaccinate their kids even though it is deemed completely safe. The second issue is that people travel to countries where measles is still a problem. That even includes England and France according to Turley. August 23, 2018: NBCDFW 5 reported that The Colin County Health Department (Texas) has confirmed one case of measles at Plano West Senior High School. The Plano ISD says a student came down with the virus last week. Health officials say anyone at school between August 14 and August 16 may have been exposed. In addition, a separate case of measles was also reported to the Dallas County Health Department. Health officials there say a person with a confirmed case of measles visited North Texas from August 14 and August 17. August 23, 2018: The Guardian reported that bots and Russian trolls spread misinformation about vaccines on Twitter to sow division and distribute malicious content before and during the American presidential election, according to a new study. …Scientists at George Washington University, in Washington DC, made the discovery while trying to improve social media communications for public health workers, researchers said. Instead, they found trolls and bots skewing online debate and upending consensus about vaccine safety. The study discovered several accounts, now known to belong to the same Russian trolls who interfered in the US election, as well as marketing and malware bots, tweeting about vaccines. Russian trolls played both sides, the researchers said, tweeting pro-and anti-vaccine content in a politically charged environment… …The study, published in the American Journal of Public Health, comes as Europe faces one of the largest measles outbreaks in decades, one which has been partly attributed to falling vaccination rates. In the first six months of 2018, there were 41,000 cases of measles across the continent, more than in the entirety of 2017. Meanwhile, the rate of children not receiving vaccines for non-medical reasons is climbing in the US… August 24, 2018: Miami Herald reported reported that the Pan American Health Organization on Friday urged Latin American countries to boost measles vaccinations, as an outbreak in Venezuela has killed more than 60 people and threatens to erode regional gains. The PAHO said that since July 2017, Venezuela has had 3,545 confirmed cases of measles that have resulted in 62 deaths. In addition, 10 countries in the region have reported 1,459 cases of measles and six deaths – some related to Venezuela’s growing exodus. The PAHO says 95 percent of children under 5 must be vaccinated in order to effectively stop outbreaks. August 24, 2018: Ashburn Patch reported that the Loudoun County Health Department (Virginia) posed an alert regarding potential exposure to measles. There are two locations in the county where, on August 17 and August 20, people “may have been exposed to a person with measles.” Health officials are mounting a coordinated effort to identify people who may be exposed. August 24, 2018: Mass Live reported that Massachusetts state health officials are warning that an individual diagnosed with measles in the commonwealth may have exposed others to the highly contagious disease at a number of locations including Logan Airport. The Massachusetts Department of Public Health said it has confirmed a case of measles which was diagnosed at Lahey Hospital & Medical Center. August 24, 2018: KOMO News reported that a man from King County (Washington) may have exposed others to measles, according to local public health officials. …The man was traveling from Asia to Sea-Tac Airport and was reportedly wearing a face mask both at the airport and Harborview Medical Center’s Emergency Department at the time of potential exposure. Health officials are encouraging the public to check immunization records and call a healthcare provider if they develop a fever and rash between August 28 and September 11…. August 24, 2018: MPR News reported that last year, the state of Minnesota had 75 cases of measles, making it the largest outbreak since 1990. Almost a third of those patients got so sick that they were hospitalized. Even though there is an effective measles vaccine, health officials say 91 precent of those who came down with the disease last year were not vaccinated against the disease. Since last year, public health officials say they’ve implemented new strategies to help combat infectious disease outbreaks and educate parents about the importance of vaccination. Earlier thsi month, health officials announced that a Somali-American child who had recently traveled to a country where measles is common came down with the disease. Measles has been identified in a second child who lives in Kenya but who traveled to Minnesota and also came down with the disease while here. Among Somali-American kids, where last year’s outbreak was concerned, vaccination rates are up this year. At the time of last year’s outbreak, the vaccine coverage rate for Somali-American kids was 42 percent and this year it’s about 58 percent. The measles vaccination rate for non-Somali-American children is about 91 percent. August 25, 2018: Boston Herald reported that state officials had confirmed a case of measles and warned others who may have been exposed. The infected individual was at a number of locations in the Boston area. August 25, 2018: Lebanon Daily News reported that patients and visitors to Hershey Medical Center may have been exposed to the measles virus, hospital officials say. According to a news release, staff at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center are in the process of notifying patients and visitors known to have been in or around the Emergency Department check-in area between 8:30 and 11 p.m. on August 18 that they may have been exposed to the measles virus. On August 18, a patient exhibiting symptoms consistent with measles arrived in the Emergency Department. Due to those symptoms, the patient was promptly places in a negative pressure room and precautions were taken to avoid contact with other individuals. Patient blood test results returned on Friday, August 24, suggest the clinically suspected diagnosis of measles is very likely. August 25, 2018: The Economist posted an article titled: “Anti-vax fears drive a measles outbreak in Europe”. From the article: Each year as the summer winds down across Europe, so do measles cases – which tend to peak in the late spring. August is, therefore, a good time to take stock of the measles season for the year. The tally for Europe, published on August 20th by the World Health Organization, shows that cases in the first six months of 2018 exceeded the annual total for each of the past five years. About half of the 41, 000 cases this year were in Ukraine. Infection rates also jumped in Serbia, Greece and Georgia. In recent years big outbreaks have erupted in Italy, Romania, France and Germany. None of this is a surprise. In the past decade, measles-vaccination rates in some European countries have often fallen below those in parts of Africa. Italy, France and Serbia, for example, have lower child-vaccinations rates than Burundi, Rwanda and Senegal. In some years, vaccine shortages were to blame, especially in parts of Easter Europe. Both Ukraine and Serbia have had irregular supplies of the MMR vaccine (which protects against measles, mumps and rubella) since 2014. Even after recent outbreaks, they were not able procure enough doses cover older cohorts, health-workers and other groups at risk of becoming infected. But suspicions of vaccines is also partly to blame. Unlike America, Europe does not have an organized “anti-vac movement, but in many countries fears are much higher. Two-fifths of people in France – a country whose people pop antibiotics like sweets – believe that vaccines are unsafe. A quarter or Greeks and Ukranians are also hostile. During recent outbreaks, some countries had dozens of health-workers coming down with measles – which suggests that they, to, may have a dim view of vaccines. A survey of French doctors in 2014, for example, found that nearly a quarter believed that some of the officially recommended vaccines were not useful… August 27, 2018: Click 2 Houston reported that a boy between the ages of 1 and 3 years old has tested positive for measles in Houston after recently traveling out of the country, health officials confirmed. The Houston Health Department said they have a suspected case of measles and that the boy is being treated at the Texas Children’s Hospital. August 29, 2018: Gov.UK reported: Between 1 January 2018 and 23 August 2018 there have been 859 laboratory confirmed measles cases in England. Cases were reported in most areas with London (300), South-East (169), South-West (138), West Midlands (85) and Yorkshire and Humberside (80) reporting the most cases (based on provisional figures.) August 29, 2018: CBS 4 Minnesota reported that a second child in a month has been diagnosed with measles in Minnesota. Neither child was vaccinated. The two cases involving the children, ages 2 and 5, are not related. Both apparently contracted the disease in Africa before returning to Minnesota. The first child who got measles is no longer contagious. The second child is being monitored, and will no longer be contagious in a little over two weeks. August 29, 2018: ABC Action News Tampa Bay posted an article titled: “4 more cases of measles reported in Pinellas County, total now stands at 7”. It was written by Veronica Beltran and Sarah Hollenbeck. From the article: Four additional cases of measles have been identified in Pinellas County, according to the Florida Department of health in Pinellas County. These new findings now make seven cases of measles in Pinellas. Those infected were unvaccinated. Some of the individuals are family members, with one of them reporting international travel. August 30, 2018: NBC News reported that a nurse who worked at the Texas Children’s Hospital was no longer employed there after she posted on social media about a young patient with measles. The post has since been taken down. The nurse, who has not been named, made anti-vaccine comments on Facebook. Another Facebook user copied a screenshot of the nurse’s comment and posted it on the Texas Children’s Facebook page. The nurse posted her comment on an anti-vaccine Facebook page. Her comment included: “The kid was super sick. Sick enough to be admitted to the ICU and he looked miserable”. The nurse said she still opposed vaccines. The Facebook user who revealed the nurse’s posts said she used an alias on social media and did not wish to be identified by NBC News for fear of retaliation by members of the anti-vaccine movement, who often attack medical professionals when they speak out about the safety of vaccines. August 31, 2018: Orlando Sentinel reported that there had been 11 cases of measles in Florida so far this year, which is higher than what the state has been reporting for the past decade, according to the latest data the state health department. All 11 cases this year involve individuals who were not vaccinated, according to the state health department. Most of the cases so far have been identified in Pinellas County, where seven children have been diagnosed with the disease. The agency has identified nearly 1,500 people who may have been exposed to the virus. Three other measles cases were reported in Miami-Dade County and one in Duval County, according to the health department. “The measles vaccine is the only way to prevent infection. All persons born after 1957 should receive the vaccine,” said the health department. September 1, 2018: Gavi The Vaccine Alliance posted information in an article titled: “Measles vaccine campaign launched in Afghanistan”. From the article: The Government of Afghanistan, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have today launched a campaign to protect children 13.8 million children aged 9 months to 10 years against measles… …Measles is one fo the most contagious infections known to humans, and ranks among the top four childhood killers worldwide. In Afghanistan, of the 25,000 reported cases in 2017, 85 per cent are amongst children under the age of ten. This spans over 20 of the 34 provinces across Afghanistan, with the worst affected provinces being Kabul, Paktika, Lunar, Badghis and Ghor… …The measles vaccine will be administered free of charge in all mosques, villages and health facilities throughout the country, targeting all children under the age of ten, irrespective of their previous measles vaccination status or history of disease. This campaign will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will run from 1st -10th September targeting 16 provinces including the most affected, at risk and accessible provinces. The second phase, from 17th – 26th November will cover the remain provinces… …The Afghanistan Demographic Health Survey of 2015 estimates that only 60% of eligible Afghan children receive their first dose of measles vaccine every year while less than 40% receive the second dose. Low coverage led to approximately 300 deaths from the disease last year. Routine vaccination for children, combined with mass immunization campaigns remain key public health strategies to reduce global measles deaths… September 1, 2018: ReliefWeb reported that the Government of Afghanistan, in collaboration with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, have launched a nationwide vaccination campaign to protect 13.8 million children aged 9 months to 10 years against measles. The measles vaccine will be administered free of charge in all mosques, villages and health facilities throughout the country, targeting all children under the age of 10, irrespective of their previous measles vaccination status or history of the disease. This campaign will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will run from September 1-10 targeting 16 provinces including the most affected, at risk and accessible provinces. The second phase, from November 17-26 will cover the remaining 18 provinces. September 5, 2018: The Wall Street Journal posted an article titled: “Romania’s Deadly Measles Outbreak Spotlights Widespread Rejection of Vaccines”. It was written by Pietro Lombardi. From the article: …Romania is fighting a deadly measles outbreak that has seen more than 15,000 people infected with the disease and that has claimed 59 lives since one of Europe’s most lethal measles outbreaks in decades started in 2016. That has thrown a spotlight on plummeting vaccination rates in the poor country, which has emerged as the leading edge of an escalating antivaccine trend that has plagued Europe in recent years. More than 41,000 people were infected with measles in the first half of this year in the wider European region, compared with roughly 24,000 for all 2017, according to the World Health Organization. By contrast, the U.S. saw about 100 cases during the same period this year… …Mistrust of authorities, a vocal anti vaccine movement, poverty, irregular supply of vaccines and obstacles to delivering them to Romania’s Roma and other marginalized communities has exacerbated disease risks… …Skepticism about vaccine safety runs high in the European region, according to a 2016 survey of 67 countries by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Seven of the 10 countries with the strongest skepticism about vaccination safety were in this region… …In Poland, an antivaccination movement recently gathered enough signatures to force parliamentary debate on a proposal to make vaccines voluntary. In Ukraine, a political firestorm in 2008 over allegations that a teenager’s death was linked to a measles vaccine pushed the government to destroy millions of vaccines. Vaccination rates plummeted to 42% in 2016 from 97% in 2007. Ukraine has had nearly 30,000 cases of measles this year, including 13 deaths, while polio and diphtheria have returned. The government is now working closely with the United Nations to improve vaccination rates, including by educating parents and medical workers. In Romania, the antivaccine movement coalesced about a decade ago when the government introduced the HPV vaccine. Local celebrities, religious groups and bloggers pushing a debunked theory that vaccines cause autism egged it on. The antivax movement also gained strength from Romanian’s mistrust of authorities. Ovidiu Covaciu, coordinator of a pro-vaccine group, points to scandals involving diluted disinfectant sold to hospitals and the authorities’ response to a deadly nightclub fire. In recent years, low stocks of vaccines, which were poorly distributed around the country, also hurt. In particular, it compounded the difficulties of delivering vaccines to some itinerant or closed communities… September 5, 2018: The Coffs Coast Advocate reported four cases of measles were confirmed on Mid North Coast, in New South Wales, Australia. Local health authorities are asking people to watch for symptoms of measles with four cases now confirmed in the Coffs Harbour to Woolgoolga area. A further suspected case in an infant is being investigated. The cases occurred after two unvaccinated school-aged children returned from an overseas holiday with the disease and infected two classmates. Three of the four primary school-aged children are unvaccinated. September 5, 2018: PBS News Hour posted an article titled: “What’s happened since California let fewer families reject vaccines”. It was written by Laura Santhanam. From the article: A California law that aims to limit the number of people who can refuse vaccines has led to a slight improvement in kindergarteners’ vaccination rate in recent years, according to a new study in Health Affairs. But the law was not as effective in private schools, and did little to break up localized clusters of children who opted out of vaccines. It’s these local clusters of vaccinations that put a specific community or school at the greatest risk, according to the study, which linked large measles outbreaks across the United States to “declining population vaccination and to voluntary abstention from measles vaccine.”… …All 50 states require vaccinations for students entering public school. But the vast majority also give families the ability to opt out of those vaccinations for personal or religious reasons. Nationwide, childhood vaccinations are dropping. Today, roughly nine out of 10 kids get immunized for measles, mumps, and rubella, according to the latest available federal data, a slight drop from the level seen in 2007. That opens the door for outbreaks in otherwise preventable diseases… …In the Health Affairs study, researchers analyzed data from the California Department of Public Health on total exemptions filed on behalf of kindergarteners over the course of 15 years – before and after the law went into effect. The improvement they found was incremental at best; researchers found that personal belief exemptions dropped slightly from 3.1 precent to 2.3 percent. They also found that the number of people susceptible to contracting measles grows every year that parents forgo vaccinating their children… raising the risk for more and larger outbreaks… September 7, 2018: TIME reported that a Texas resident with measles may have exposed passengers on four Southwest Airlines flights to the highly contagious virus. The individual took flights connecting through Houston’s Hobby Airport on August 21 and 22, the Houston Health Department announced Thursday. The passenger was diagnosed with measles after traveling, a Southwest representative told TIME, but health department said the person was contagious at the time of the flights. September 7, 2018: Manchester Evening News reported that more than 30,000 children in Greater Manchester have not received the MMR jab. The Manchester Evening News analyzed figures for the number of young people born since 2000 in the region, who haven’t had the first does of the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine by at the age of five. It comes as Public Health England (PHE) reported a ‘national measles incident’, with a five-fold increase in measles cases reported in 2018. Experts believe the disease is primarily affecting younger people who did not have the vaccine as a child due to unfounded health fears. September 7, 2018: CBC reported that Fraser Health said passengers on a recent BC Ferries sailing along with students and staff at a high school in Maple Ridge may have been exposed to measles. The authority says on Aug. 31, a person with measles took the 7 p.m. PT sailing from Tsawwassen to Mayne Island aboard the Salish Raven. The person is also believed to have visited the Saturna Lighthouse Pub on Saturna Island on Sept. 3 between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. PT. Ingrid Tyler, a medical health officer with Fraser Health, said the infected person came back from their trip and then attended school starting on September 4. September 7, 2018: CBC posted an article titled: “How opposition to vaccines caused a measles outbreak in Europe.” From the article: Across Europe this summer, public officials have been grappling with a surge of measles, which the World Health Organization attributes to low rates of immunization. The reluctance people have around vaccination comes from the dependence people have on online and social media networks, according to medical anthropologist Emily Brunson. In her research, she found if more than 25 per cent of an online network where anti-vaxxers or people skeptical of vaccines, a parent will put off immunizing their child even if they originally believed in the importance of vaccines. The challenge is how to ensure people who rely on these networks gets accurate information about vaccinations, Dr. Brunson told The Current guest host Piya Chattopadhyay…. …Another way that social media is increasing the public’s distrust towards vaccines and is due to the influence of Russian trolls and bots, according to new research published in the American Journal of Public Health. Researchers discovered several anti-vaccine tweets were attributed to bot accounts, or hacked accounts that were turned into bots. More than 250 tweets about vaccination were sent by an account linked to the Internet Research Agency, a company backed by the Russian government and implicated in the 2016 election… September 8, 2018: CTV News Montreal posted an article titled: “Education will prevent measles outbreak in Quebec, experts say”. From the article: A measles outbreak in Europe has left dozens dead this year, and thousands infected. Quebec had smaller outbreaks of the virus in recent years – and doctors are hoping the extremely contagious and dangerous disease won’t come back…. …Experts say some hesitate to vaccinate because of religion, or because they’ve heard stories about adverse reactions. Many still worry about a fraudulent British study from 20 years ago that claimed there was a link between vaccines and autism – a claim that had no basis in reality…. …Unlike other provinces, vaccinations are not mandatory in Quebec. Dr. Papenburg says doctors at the Children’s talk to parents regularly about their vaccination concerns. “The fear of the disease sometimes becomes less important that the fear of some potential, theoretical, or even non-existent side effects of the vaccine,” he addd. He says it’s important to educate about how dangerous measles can be in order to prevent what’s happening in Europe from happening here. September 8, 2018: HuffPost posts an article titled: “Italy Is Living Through What Happens When Politicians Embrace Anti-Vaxxers”. It was written by Nick Robins-Early. From the article: Italy’s Five Star movement, which was founded by a man who once called HIV a hoax, campaigned against mandatory vaccinations ahead of the country’s elections in March – and won. Last month, party leaders pushed through a law that ended compulsory immunizations for children attending public school. The new law has made Italy the darling of the global anti-vaxxer movement. But now the country is struggling to stop a measles outbreak that has already infected thousands of people, and Europe is recording its highest number of cases in a decade – an inevitable and foreseeable result of anti-vaccine policies and rhetoric, experts say… …The efforts of Five Star and its far-right coalition partner, the League, have particularly complicated the global campaign to combat measles, and extremely contagious virus that often spreads among children and can result in severe complications, including pneumonia and encephalitis. The World Health Organization in 2012 set the goal for Europe to eliminate the disease by 2015. Instead, an estimated 41,000 people across the continent have been infected in the first six months of this year. Even a slight dip in a population’s vaccination rate can have disastrous effects: Countries need at least a 95 percent coverage rate to be measles-free. So when fewer people get vaccinated, kids get sick… …One top Five Star official, Paola Taverna, last month backed hazardous “measles parties” where children gather to infect each other and build up immunity. League party member Matteo Salvini described mandatory vaccinations as “useless and in many cases dangerous” in June. Some party candidates went even further, falsely claiming vaccines cause autism and referring to state-funded vaccination as “free genocide.”.. …In little over three months in office, Five Star and the League have furthered the goals of a small but vocal anti-vaccine community… September 8, 2018: SouthAsia Views posted an article titled “25 school children in Assam fall ill after measles vaccination: Officials”. I’m including it here because the article is being passed around by anti-vaxxers who are trying to trick people into believing that the measles vaccine is unsafe. But, if you read the article, it is very clear that it does NOT say the the measles vaccine is unsafe. From the article: At least 25 school students complained of nausea, stomach ache and fever after being administered measles vaccine Saturday in Assam’s Hailakandi district, officials said. The students of Sahabad ME Madrasa under Katlicherra revenue circle were administered measles rubella (MR) just after the mid-day meal following which several of them complained of nausea, fever, stomach ache and vomiting, Hailakandi Deputy Commissoner Adil Khan said. The students were taken to the nearby Katlicherra Block Public Health Centre for treatment. However, their condition is said to be stable and there was no reason to panic, officials said. Joint Director, Health Services, Avijit Basu said that six students had been hospitalized with the rest have been kept under observation and would be discharged soon…. …Basu said he had examined the vaccines administered to the 120 students of the school in the afternoon and found them to be in order. She said the MR vaccine was approved by the World Health Organization (WHO) and is of high quality. There DIO said there was no need to panic as common side effects such as fever, rashes, and dizziness could occur in some cases following MR vaccination… Let’s look at the facts: 120 students were given the MR vaccine after they ate lunch. The MR vaccine is not the same as the MMR vaccine that is used in the United States and other countries. Approximately 25 students experienced nausea, fever, rashes, and dizziness. These are common side effects of MR vaccination and are temporary. The Joint Health Director of Health Service checked the vaccines that were administered to the students and found them to be in order. All of the ill students were given medical attention. The majority were released from observation. Six were hospitalized. September 11, 2018: SELF posted an article titled: “Passengers on 4 Southwest Flights Possibly Exposed to Measles”. It was written by Carolyn L. Todd. From the article: …Now, health officials say that, in late August, a whole bunch of Southwest Airlines passengers may have been exposed to the notoriously contagious measles virus…. …The first flight, on Tuesday, August 21, was from Love Field Airport in Dallas to William P. Hobby International Airport in Houston. There, the passenger disembarked and boarded a connecting flight to Valley International Airport in Harlingen, Texas. The next day, August 22, the passenger returned, taking the same route in reverse, Harlingen to Houston, and then Houston to Dallas… …”Because of the contagiousness level of this virus, whenever it’s around unvaccinated people, it invariably finds them,” Dr. [Amesh] Adalja [M.D., a senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security] says. In fact, nine out of 10 people who are without immunity to the virus will contract if exposed, the CDC reports. “That’s why it’s so important to keep vaccination rates against measles as high as possible,” Dr. Adalja says… …”We’ve seen the anti-vaccine movement make very big in-roads in certain parts of the country,” Dr. Adlja says. “There are pockets of this country where vaccination rates dip low enough that we can see small outbreaks occurring)… September 14, 2018: The Star Vancouver posted an article titled: “Risk of measles exposure confirmed Vancouver music festival, transit locations”. It was written by Cherise Seucharan. From the article: Public health officials are warning that some people may have been exposed to measles after a person with the disease was present at several locations throughout downtown Vancouver, including last weekend’s Skookhum festival, a restaurant, and some public transit lines… …In a statment, VCH [Vancouver Coastal Health] said that the majority of people in the Provence have been immunized or have already had the disease and are protected. But they warn that if people who have not been immunized or have only had one dose of the vaccine and think they have been exposed, should get immunized within six days of exposure. Vaccines are available at local doctors offices, pharmacies or health centres for free. THIS BLOG WILL BE UPDATED WHENEVER ADDITIONAL RELEVANT INFORMATION IS FOUND. Measles Spreading is the Fault of Anti-Vaxxers is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Cursed with AllergiesSeptember 4, 2018Out of Spoons / Spoonie Poetry and ProseI wrote this poem while under the influence of both Zyrtec and Benadryl, which I hoped would help me survive this year’s Fall pollen season. The suffering I go through every Fall (and Spring) feels like a curse. Days and days, filled with haze Blunting thought and clouding gaze Pollen spewing weeds and trees Slowly, slowly, poison me Dose of diphenhydramine Taken with cetirizine Temporary remedy Shadow creatures now I see When the pollen reaches nine I am itching all the time Pollen count of ten releases All coherent thinking ceases Cursed with Allergies is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... The Ominous Power of PaperworkAugust 31, 2018Out of Spoons / Spoonie WritingPaperwork, when requested/demanded from a government entity, is certain to cause stress. In this case, the paperwork was something that my husband had to fill out because he receives Social Security Disability benefits. This isn’t the first set of paperwork he’s had to fill out, and it won’t be the last of it. The paperwork problem is making me hesitant to do the work required for my second attempt at getting Disability benefits. This, while I’m struggling through a horrible Fall pollen season and well aware of how disabled I’ve become. The image above is from Pixabay. My husband, Shawn, is legally blind. He has optic atrophy, which has no cure. Shawn was born with this condition and qualifies for Social Security Disability benefits. In short, he’s been receiving Disability benefits for a long time. Every so often, the government requires Shawn to fill out paperwork about his income. For those who don’t know, people who receive Social Security Disability benefits are allowed to work (if they are able to) – but must stay under an imposed income limit. Those that go over that limit, even by a tiny bit, risk losing their Disability benefits. People who are blind, for whatever reason, have a slightly higher limit than do people with any other type of disability. I mention this because it means that one day, if I ever manage to get approved for Disability benefits – my income-from-work limit will be lower than Shawn’s. The amount of money I’m making now, with my freelance writing gigs, could potentially be a little bit over that limit. As far as I can tell, the amount of money I would potentially get from Disability benefits will not be enough to realistically replace the amount I make from writing. To be blunt, I don’t make enough money on my own to survive. Not even close. I’m dyslexic, and numbers completely perplex me. I’ve no idea how much money he makes, with or without his Disability benefits. What I do know is that we need his Disability benefits, especially now that my three autoimmune diseases/chronic illnesses have started getting worse and I’m more limited in the amount of work I can do than ever before. Our fate is in the hands of whatever random stranger at Social Security Disability gets to be the decision maker. Will that person understand that optic atrophy has no cure? Will that person decide that Shawn makes a few pennies more than he is allowed to – and rip away his benefits? Will that person use their power for good, or for evil? All we can do is wait and see what happens. There was a time when Shawn lost his Disability benefits, for an undetermined amount of time, and with the demand that he pay back money to them. Long story short, this was due to a paperwork problem. We struggled to pay bills and buy groceries. I don’t want to go through that level of desperation ever again. I think about all of this, and worry about what would happen if both of us were receiving Disability benefits. One angry paperwork checker could destroy us by taking away Benefits from either one of us for the smallest reason. It’s a terrifying thought, especially since past experience taught us this sort of thing can happen without warning. What I’m trying to say is that I have concerns that applying for Disability benefits and getting approved for them might result in more harm than help. This is a terrible feeling to have while I’m in the very very early part of applying for Disability (again). It makes me hesitant to try. #BlaugustReborn The Ominous Power of Paperwork is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Tiny Little ThingsAugust 17, 2018Out of Spoons / Spoonie WritingThe pollen count today is 8.1 and I am miserable. We are about a week or so into the Fall 2018 pollen season now. It has a cumulative effect, and there is absolutely no way to know how long this pollen season will last. There are times when I think that maybe I’ll be able to work and make enough money to not need to try and get on Social Security Disability. And then, nature tries to kill me, and makes the rest of my chronic illnesses worse. I am struggling. The problem is… my freelance writing work might actually make it even more difficult for me to get approved for Disability. Again. I’ve already gone through the entire process involved with trying to get on Disability. I got denied, and denied, and denied. The judge found the tiniest little reasons to deny my claim. She “didn’t see” the paperwork from my rheumatologist where he diagnosed me with rheumatoid arthritis and fibromyalgia. She decided the information from my acupuncturist didn’t count because it “wasn’t on letterhead”. I also got denied because I was able to work as a freelance writer. It didn’t seem to matter that I don’t make anywhere near enough money to live on. Anyway… I started the process of trying to get on Disability – for the second time. I have absolutely no faith at all that I will get what I need, qualify for, and deserve. My previous experience has made me entirely pessimistic about the process. The plan this time is to do this process with a lawyer’s advice. But, even that is no guarantee. This brings me to my problem. Freelance writers are contract workers. The amount of work I have each month fluctuates. Sometimes, my clients want a lot of work from me. Other times, they cut back on the amount of work they want. There’s no way to be certain how much I will make in a given month. There are times when I can do some work, and then pollen season hits, and I literally cannot do as much work as I had been doing.There are days (and sometimes weeks) when my other autoimmune diseases flare up, cause a lot of pain, and make it harder for me to write. I’ve tried so many things to get around my health issues, but haven’t found a solution. Without going into specific details, a current change in my freelance writing involves a contract that has an end date. The client can end things at that time, or make a new contract. It’s a great gig, and I’m happy to have it. The problem is, this new gig, along with my other freelance gigs, could put me just a tiny bit over the amount of money a person is allowed to earn while receiving Disability benefits. I’m absolutely terrified that if I file an online claim now, a Disability judge could use this work opportunity as a reason to deny my claim. There are no good options here. I wish the United States had Universal Basic Income. That would solve my problem. My husband asked our lawyer what to do about this situation. In short, the lawyer said that going a little over the income amount for a short time is not necessarily a disqualification. The lawyer said it could be seen by a Disability judge as “an unsuccessful attempt to work” (because I was unable to sustain it). The lawyer also said that, when I file a new claim, the date of it begins the day after my last denial. Good to know. This means that if I get approved – there’s gonna be some backpay involved, and my helpful lawyers can get paid from that. #BlaugustReborn Tiny Little Things is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Other Video GamesDragon Mania Legends: Basic Hybrids CollectionSeptember 9, 2018Dragon Mania Legends / Other Video GamesDragon Mania Legends is a game where players collect up a wide variety of dragons. Players can level up their dragons by feeding them. Other options include breeding dragons, and having dragons fight other dragons. The Basic Hybrids collection is one of many collections of dragons. It is not difficult to complete. Players who log in to Dragon Mania Legends for two days will receive a Bee Dragon. The game makes it very obvious when players receive a new dragon as a reward. This is what a Bee Dragon Egg looks like when it is ready to hatch. Here is a Bee Dragon hatchling. All dragons must be put into a Habitat that matches at least one of their Elements. The Bee Dragon can go into a Fire Habitat or a Wind Habitat. Bee Dragons are Uncommon. The Dragon Mania Legends Wiki says that players can get additional Bee Dragons by breeding a dragon that has the Fire Element with a dragon that has the Wind Element. They recommend you try this with a Fire Dragon and a Wind Dragon. This is what an adult Bee Dragon looks like. Dragons that are Level 4 or higher can fight other dragons. I put my Bee Dragon into a Wind Habitat. This is what a Dust Dragon Egg looks like shortly before it hatches. Here is a Dust Dragon hatchling. It has the Wind Element and the Earth Element. It can be placed in either a Wind Habitat or an Earth Habitat. Dust Dragons are Common. I got my Dust Dragon by breeding my Wind Dragon and my Earth Dragon. The Dragon Mania Legends Wiki says that this is a guaranteed combination if you want a Dust Dragon. I put my Dust Dragon into an Earth Habitat. My Wind Habitat was full, and the Earth Habitat had room. I also thought that the Dust Dragon looked like it would be happier in the Earth Habitat than the Wind Habitat. Here is what an adult Dust Dragon looks like. Dragons become adults when they hit Level 4. Players can continue to level up their dragons. Once a dragon becomes an adult – it will always look the same. This is what a Lava Dragon Egg looks like when it is ready to hatch. This is what a Lava Dragon hatchling looks like! It has the Earth Element and the Fire Element, so it can go into either a Fire Habitat or an Earth Habitat. Lava Dragons are Common. I’m fairly certain that I got my Lava Dragon by breeding my Fire Dragon with my Earth Dragon. The Dragon Mania Wiki says: “A combination Fire and Earth Elements are needed to breed the Lava Dragon.” It also says that no combination is guaranteed to result in a Lava Dragon. Multiple breeding attempts may be necessary. This is what a baby Lava Dragon looks like. I put mine in a Fire Habitat. It seemed fitting because the Fire Habitat actually looks like it has lava in it. Here is what a Lava Dragon looks like after hitting Level 4 and becoming an adult dragon. I earned the Salamander Dragon by completing part of an event called Top of the Class. The event started on September 9, 2016, and ended on September 19, 2016. The Top of the Class event had a time limit. Players had to obtain a certain amount of specific items in order to make progress and earn prizes. The Salamander Dragon was offered as the prize for completing the collection of the first set of three items. This is what a Salamander Dragon Egg looks like when it is ready to hatch. Here is a Salamander Dragon hatchling. It has the Fire Element and the Earth Element. Players can place this type of dragon in either a Fire Habitat or an Earth Habitat. Salamander Dragons are Uncommon. The Dragon Mania Legends Wiki recommends that players who are trying to get a Salamander Dragon breed a Fire Dragon with an Earth Dragon. It also points out that there is no combination that will guarantee that the result is a Salamander Dragon. Multiple breeding attempts may be necessary. Here is a baby Salamander Dragon. I put this dragon into a Fire Habitat. This is what an adult Salamander Dragon looks like. Dragons change from a baby to an adult at Level 4. It is possible (and recommended) that players continue to level up their dragons. Dragon Mania Legends: Basic Hybrids Collection is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Neko Atsume: Giant CushionSeptember 7, 2018Neko Atsume / Other Video GamesNeko Atsume is an adorable game where players attempt to entice cats to their yard/home. The Giant Cushion is large enough for two cats to use at the same time. The cats in Neko Atsume are able to share! The Giant Cushion flavor text says: This cushion is large and sturdy enough for fiestas or siestas. It costs 25 gold fish in the Neko Atsume store. Macchiato Speckles Pumpkin and Smokey Snowball and Patches Pumpkin and Callie Smokey and Tabitha Pumpkin and Smokey Pumpkin and Speckles Snowball and Smokey Snowball and Breezy Melange and Speckles Melange and Smokey Speckles and Smokey Spots and Speckles Tabitha and Callie Melange and Patches Tabitha and Callie Patches and Macchiato Callie and Speckles Neko Atsume: Giant Cushion is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Dragon Mania Legends: First Friends CollectionSeptember 6, 2018Dragon Mania Legends / Other Video GamesDragon Mania Legends has plenty of dragons for players to collect. Players who enjoy games that involve collecting (like Pokémon GO, or the Pets in World of Warcraft or Diablo III) will enjoy this game. The First Friends collection is one of many collections of dragons. It is really easy to complete. This is what a baby Fire dragon looks like. I’m fairly certain that I got this one from completing a quest. Fire Dragons are Common. This is what an adult Fire Dragon looks like. Dragons that are Level 4 (or higher) can fight other dragons. The Dragon Mania Legends Wiki says players can obtain a Fire Dragon by breeding any two dragons that both have the Fire Element. This is what an adult Wind Dragon looks like. I forgot to take a screenshot of what it looked like as a baby. If I remember correctly, I got the Wind Dragon by completing a quest. The Dragon Mania Wiki says players can obtain a Wind Dragon by breeding any two dragons that both have the Wind Element. Wind Dragons are Common. This is a Smoke Dragon Egg that is ready to hatch. Here is a Smoke Dragon hatchling. All dragons that hatch must be put into a Habitat that matches at least one of their Elements. Smoke Dragons are Common. This Smoke Dragon baby is in a Fire Habitat. It has the Wind Element and the Fire Element, so it can live in either Habitat type. I recommend placing it in whichever Habitat has room for it. Here is what the Smoke Dragon looks like after reaching Level 4 and becoming an adult. I got my Smoke Dragon by breeding my Fire Dragon and my Wind Dragon. This Earth Dragon Egg is ready to hatch. Players can hatch the eggs by swiping it several times. The Dragon Mania Legends game is an app. I’m playing it on my iPad Mini. The Earth Dragon Egg hatched and an Earth Dragon hatchling appears! Earth Dragons have the Earth Element, so this dragon can only be placed in an Earth Habitat. Earth Dragons are Common. Here is what the Earth Dragon looks like after it hits Level 4 and becomes an adult. Players can obtain an Earth Dragon by breeding any two Dragons that have the Earth Element. I think I got my Earth Dragon from breeding a Lava Dragon (Earth Element and Fire Element) with my Salamander Dragon (Earth Element and Fire Element). That being said, any two dragons who have the Earth Element will do. Dragon Mania Legends: First Friends Collection is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Flight Rising: Burnished Filigree SetSeptember 2, 2018Flight Rising / Other Video GamesFlight Rising is a game where players control a Lair full of dragons. One of the fun things players can do with their dragons is dress them up in fancy outfits. Esmerelda is wearing the full Burnished Filigree armor set. The armor is decorative, only. It doesn’t provide dragons with any extra protection when they go into battle. All of the artwork in this post is copyright of Flight Rising. This is what Esmerelda looked like before putting on the Burnished Filigree armor set. I used a scroll to give her the Tertiary Gene Smirch. Esmerelda is a female Tundra. Primary: Avocado Basic Secondary: Umber Basic Tertiary: Cantaloupe Smirch Eye Type: Nature Common I decided to give Esmerelda the Burnished Filigree armor set because its colors, and her colors (especially after she got the Tertiary Gene Smirch) matched. Here are more details about the items that are part of the Burnished Filigree armor set: Burnished Filigree Breastplate: Apparel – This burnished plate is etched with a decorative filigree. The armor symbolizes a commitment to might. – Sell Value: 2000 Burnished Filigree Helmet: Apparel – This burnished plate is etched with a decorative filigree. The armor symbolizes a commitment to might. – Sell Value: 2000 Burnished Filigree Helmet: Apparel – This burnished plate is etched with a decorative filigree. The armor symbolizes a commitment to might. – Sell Value: 2000 Burnished Filigree Banner: Apparel – This burnished plate is etched with a decorative filigree. The armor symbolizes a commitment to might. – Sell Value: 2000 Burnished Filigree Gauntlets: Apparel – This burnished plate is etched with a decorative filigree. The armor symbolizes a commitment to might. – Sell Value: 2000 Burnished Filigree Tail Guard: Apparel – This burnished plate is etched with a decorative filigree. The armor symbolizes a commitment to might. – Sell Value: 2000 Burnished Filigree Wing Guard: Apparel – This burnished plate is etched with a decorative filigree. The armor symbolizes a commitment to might. – Sell Value: 2000 Flight Rising: Burnished Filigree Set is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Dragon Mania Legends: Fire DragonSeptember 1, 2018Dragon Mania Legends / Other Video GamesDragon Mania Legends is an app game made by Gameloft. Players accumulate different dragons from finishing quests, hatching eggs, and winning contests (for lack of a better term). There is a quest story line that involves having your dragons fight against the dragons of a group of Vikings. The screenshots in this blog are from 2016, when I started playing Dragon Mania Legends. Each dragon has one or more “elements” that determine the type of skills it can learn and the kind of habitat it needs to live in. Players can level up their dragons by feeding them, and can level up their skills by using scrolls. It’s a cute game that combines fighting, the potential to earn three stars in each location on a map, and collection of the different kinds of dragons. This is a simplified explanation of what you can do in Dragon Mania Legends. The very first dragon players get is the Fire Dragon. If I remember correctly, the Fire Dragon is given to players as either part of a quest or as part of the story line. Dragons hatch from eggs that countdown in real time. The Fire dragon is part of the First Friends collection. All dragons start out as babies (and at Level 1). Each comes with a random four letter name. Players can change the name if they don’t like it. I’ve never bothered to do that, though. A dragon doesn’t change into an adult until Level 4. This is what the Fire Dragon looks like as an adult. Dragons that are Level 4 or higher can battle other dragons. Players must buy Farms (which can also be leveled up) to grow food for their dragons. It is also possible to win food from successful battles, and as part of a “free spin” system. Dragon Mania Legends: Fire Dragon is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... TV & Movie ReviewsGrace and Frankie – Season OneJune 2, 2017TV and Movie ReviewsGrace and Frankie is a show on Netflix. It is a Netflix Original. Grace (Jane Fonda) is married to Robert (Martin Sheen). Frankie (Lilly Tomlin) is married to Sol (Sam Waterson). In the very first episode, right at the start, the husbands announce they want to divorce their wives. The reasons why the men want divorces is because they have fallen in love… with each other. And they want to get married. Warning: There are tons of spoilers. Episode 1: The husbands announce they want to divorce their wives because they have fallen in love with each other and want to get married. Robert: “We can do that now.” When Robert married Grace, and Sol married Frankie, same-sex marriage wasn’t legal anywhere in the United States. Robert and Sol have been having a secret love affair for the past 20 years. Later, Sol and Frankie are alone back at their home. Frankie asks Sol if that is why he got Cialis. Sol answers: “Everyone gets Cialis at my age.” Robert and Grace are alone at their home. She is sad. Robert tries to console her. “Were you ever really happy with me?” he asks. Grace thinks about it. She says they didn’t have the most romantic life. “But I thought we were normal”. This indicates that Grace and Robert hadn’t had a sex life together in a very long time. Grace thought the end of their sex life was a normal part of being a couple, or maybe because of their age. Now, she discovers that wasn’t so. She DOES NOT say she was happy with Robert. Robert says that he “wanted more.” The implication is that he wasn’t happy in his marriage with Grace, and found what he needed with Sol. * Both couples have children who are now adults. Sol and Frankie’s sons (Coyote and Nwabudike) try and console their mother. They repeat a lot of the positive encouraging phrases she must have told them. She tells them all that is “bullshit”. Grace and Robert’s daughters, (Brianna and Mallory) are angry about what happened. They immediately take their mother’s side, and don’t want to talk to their father right then. Mallory has kids. She asks “How am I going to explain this to my kids?” I don’t think this question is entirely about her father’s relationship with Sol. It’s also about the sudden divorce. * A chair is delivered to Robert and Grace’s house. She opens the box, and finds a chair that has a photo of Ryan Gosling’s face on the seat. Robert is delighted that the chair arrived so quickly and explains it is a joke between him and Sol. * For the first time, Grace notices that Robert’s office has a framed drawing of a nude man. She notices a small frame on the shelf that contains a old photo of two men, one of whom has taken the arm of the other (as a man might do with a woman). She sees books on the shelf, one of which is called “The Male Member”. And suddenly, she realizes she’s missed all these signs. * Grace and Frankie get into an argument over which one of them is more upset. Frankie says “I lost my best friend. You never liked Robert.” * Robert says he can finally breathe again – now that he’s divorcing Grace to be with Sol. Sol says he feels really guilty because he devastated someone he loves very much. It’s clear that Sol and Frankie were not just spouses, but also good friends. Grace and Robert were not friends. * Grace freaks out about the divorce. “I did everything right. I played by the rules.” She is angry. Grace asks Frankie why she isn’t angry. Frankie says she is heartbroken. * Later, Frankie acknowledges that there were times she “knew” but ignored it. She says Sol once asked her to wear a dildo. She and Grace think that could only mean that Sol was gay. Episode 2: * Sol and Robert spent the night together and are still snuggling in bed. Sol says he wants to go up on the roof and shout: “I am a homosexual and I am in love with Robert Hanson, who is also a homosexual.” Robert smiles, and jokingly talks him out of it. * As the men are getting ready to go to work, Robert says “Just because we’re out now doesn’t mean we’re gonna be gay with a vengeance.” * Two of Frankie’s friends come over to console her and take her to lunch. One of the friends is gay. Sol and Robert aren’t the only gay men in Frankie’s life. Sol sent the two friends over because Frankie won’t answer her phone when he calls her and he was worried about her. * Robert cuts off Grace’s credit card (which she discovers while trying to pay for lunch). It turns out Sol cut off Frankie’s credit card, too. Robert feels absolutely nothing about doing this to Grace – citing that he and Sol are divorce lawyers and that’s what people who are divorcing are supposed to do. Sol feels terrible about it and is upset that he knows Frankie will be upset when she finds out. * Robert asks Sol, “Which is better, feeling terrible with me, or without me.” Sal says “with you.” * Grace sends her daughters to her (and Robert’s) home to get some of her things. (She’s staying at the beach house). The daughters notice the remains of breakfast on the table and realize that Sol spent the night there. They look sad. * Frankie has a fight with Sol and kicks him out of their house. She tells him to go live with Robert. Sol says they weren’t ready to move in together yet. * Later, Frankie asks: “Was any of it real?” That’s a normal question people ask after a breakup. But, Frankie is also asking if her marriage to Sol, who had been having an affair with Robert for 20 years, was ever real. Episode 3: * Robert and Sol are having their children over for dinner. Sol is nervous. Robert tries to calm him by saying they’ve already had lots of dinners together. Sol responds: “That was before I became their new stepmother.” * Mallory and Brianna arrive together for dinner. They wait at the door of the house they grew up in. Brianna wants to just walk in. Mallory stops her and says they can’t do that because it’s not their house anymore. Brianna responds “I’ve lost both of my virginities in that house” and proceeds to just walk right in. * During dinner, Robert and Sol hold hands for a brief moment. Robert’s daughters and Sol’s sons stare at them – not really knowing how to feel about that. * Coyote tells Mallory (who is mad at him) “We’re step people now.” * Brianna and Bud have a conversation in the kitchen. Bud is preparing a cake. Brianna mentions something about how Bud seems fine with what their dad’s are doing. She asks “Would you be cool with it if they had cheated with women?” * After returning to the table, after everyone starts eating cake, an argument ensues where the kids let out some of their anger and frustration. Bud says he is “not allowed to be mad”. When Sol asks why not, Bud answers “because you’re gay.” Episode 4: * Someone who worked with Robert and Sol has died. They are going to the funeral. Sol says that this will be the first time people see him without his wife by his side. Robert says the funeral “is not our coming out party.” * Meanwhile, Grace is pushing Frankie to get ready to go to the funeral early – so they can leave before it becomes Robert and Sol’s coming out party. * Grace and Frankie see Robert and Sol – as a couple – for the first time at the funeral reception. It makes Grace and Frankie sad. * Grace notices that Sol is wearing a tie that she gave to Robert as a Father’s Day present. This makes her angry. Frankie is angry too. “They can’t leave us AND share clothes!” * Robert and Sol haven’t decided what to call each other. Robert think’s they’re too old for boyfriend. “Soulmate?” Sol asks. Robert responds, “No! I don’t even like that one with straight people.” At the funeral reception, Sol tries to use the word partner, but then awkwardly explains that they are business partners at the law firm, but also partners with each other. He confuses the people he was speaking to. * A very old man who must have worked at the same company as the deceased tells Robert and Sol that he knows they are a couple – and that they are brave. He then asks: “When did you know you were attracted to men?” He goes on to say that he had “an experience” when he was in Korea. Sol kindly walks away with him and answers the man’s question. * Robert’s sister tells Grace that she had no idea that her brother was gay. * Later, Robert’s sister accidentally mentions that her daughter is having a baby shower. It becomes clear that Grace was not invited. Robert’s sister explains that the aunties would be there (Robert’s family is Irish) and that there would be drama and it was the daughter’s day. She asks if Grace understands. Grace says of course she understands, it’s for family. After Robert’s sister walks away, Grace looks sad. * Robert gets frustrated with Sol and yells at him for talking to the widow for too long. He yells at Sol about his shoes (that Robert doesn’t like). Robert yells “You’re just not doing anything right.” Sol responds: “Oh my god. You’re angry that I’m not Grace.” Robert sits down and starts to sob. It’s probably the first time he’s cried about the divorce. Sol consoles him, saying something like he “has one, too”. Robert apologizes, and they start using the word “boyfriend”. * Frankie speaks with the widow. The widow says to her: “Oh, I think your situation is much worse than mine.” The widow points out that Frankie might live another 20 years. The implication is that Frankie will be spending those 20 years alone. * As they are leaving the funeral reception, Grace tells Robert she is so mad at him. “I’ve lost everything,” she says. She lost her husband, her house, her family… * Frankie, upset by what the widow said, and by an unfortunate comment Grace said to Robert about Frankie when Grace was expressing her anger at Robert, leaves the funeral with Grace trailing behind her. Sol drives up in his car – to pick up Robert. Frankie gets into the passenger seat out of habit. She quickly realizes what she has done, gets out, and tells Robert “I think this is for you.” Episode 5: * Brianna tells her mother, Grace, that Grace needs a boyfriend. Grace tells her daughter, Brianna “I’m sending that sentence right back to you.” Brianna is single. Her sister, Mallory, is married with two kids. * Brianna shows Grace a profile of a handsome doctor on a dating website, in an effort to convince Grace to make a profile there. Brianna says she has used dating websites and has met some “passable” guys. Brianna mentions that one of the guys had a micropenis. Apparently, Brianna still considered him “passable”. * Grace tries to make a profile on the dating site. She struggles to describe herself. Brianna sees that Grace listed her age as 70 – which is her age. Brianna argues that Grace should say she is 65, because she looks 65. Grace says that wouldn’t be honest. Brianna says it is honest because that’s the age Grace looks. * Grace doesn’t know what to put in the section of the profile marked “turn-ons”. Frankie walks past the couch Grace and Brianna are sitting on and suggests: “That he’s NOT gay!” Brianna tells her mother to say she is “open minded”. Grace hesitates, concerned that it might mean some “weird sex thing”. * Later in the episode, Grace apologizes for saying something unkind about Frankie at the funeral. Frankie accepts her apology, but wants Grace to treat her better. Frankie points out that she is Grace’s friend. Frankie also says “I’m the other person this happened to” – meaning both she and Grace are going through divorces because their husbands are gay and their husbands want to marry each other. * Grace eventually finished filling out her dating profile and posting it. * During the episode, Grace drives Brianna and Frankie to the frozen yogurt shop (at their request). Both Brianna and Frankie are high. Brianna notices that the cashier is named Brian, and that he and her have the same name – except for the “na”. Later, Brianna tells Grace and Frankie that Brian sent her friend request on Facebook. She says “That must have taken a lot of stalking,” followed by “That was sweet.” She smiles. Episode 6: * Someone on the dating website wants to have lunch with Grace. The two of them have been briefly talking on the website for a while. The man wants to have lunch with Grace today – and she doesn’t want to go because she thinks she isn’t ready for that yet. She tells Frankie she likes the attention she gets on the dating website – and likes that she can get that attention and stay home. Frankie encourages her to go to lunch with the man from the dating website. Grace says she doesn’t know him. Frankie informs her that this is what going to lunch is for – to get to know him and to get laid. * Grace realizes that this will be her first date in 40 years. * Frankie gives Grace some condoms. Grace says she doesn’t need them because she’s well past being able to get pregnant. Frankie tells Grace that because of the “penis drugs”, older people are having sex and aren’t using condoms – and are spreading STDs. Frankie says she read that in an AARP article. There is, in fact, an AARP article from 2010 that explains why older people should use condoms. The article is written by Dr. Pepper Schwartz. * An earthquake happens, and Frankie freaks out. Robert and Sol had just made plans for dinner. (They plan to order paella from a restaurant). Immediately after the earthquake is over, Sol tells Robert that Frankie is terrified of earthquakes and that he needs to go help her calm down. Sol says: “It’s her first quake alone, and she only has Grace to comfort her.” Robert immediately responds: “Go!” * Coyote rides his bike over to Mallory’s house to deliver a children’s book called And Tango Makes Three. The book was written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell and was published in 2005. The story is about three Chinstrap penguins at the Central Park Zoo, and is based on something that really happened. Roy and Silo were two male penguins in the zoo’s penguin exhibit. Roy and Silo liked to do everything together. A zookeeper noticed that they built a nest together, just like the other penguins couples do. But, Roy and Silo could not lay an egg. One day, the zoo had an extra Chinstrap penguin egg that was produced by another penguin couple who could not care for it. The zookeeper gave the egg to Roy and Silo, who took turns keeping it warm until the egg hatched. The zookeeper named the baby penguin Tango because “it takes two to tango”. Tango is a girl. Coyote takes the book to Mallory because he remembered that Mallory said that her kids were having a difficult time understanding what was happening with their grandfather and Sol. Coyote is working as a substitute teacher, so it makes sense that he had heard of this children’s book. * Grace’s date does not go well. After they are seated, she asks Charles if he’s “done it a lot”. He gives her a funny look. She clarifies that she means “this” and gestures at the table. She wanted to know if he goes to lunch with women he met on the dating website a lot. He obviously thought she was asking him if he had a lot of sex. * Charles tells Grace to watch out for liars on the dating website. It’s an odd comment to start out a new (potential) relationship with. He gives the example of someone who said she loved to play tennis – but he later learned that she was in a wheelchair. It’s hard to know if Charles was making up that example, or if he met someone like that. As the lunch date goes on, Charles gets stranger and stranger. He doesn’t seem to understand the subtle social cues Grace gives him indicating she doesn’t think he’s funny. He tells her if he’s too much to say: “Charlie it’s too much.” Grace immediate responds: “Charlie, it’s too much.” Charlie laughs and doesn’t take her seriously. Not long after that, Charlie starts making inappropriate, and gross, comments about Grace’s mouth and the steak she is eating, and this makes Grace so uncomfortable that she quickly ends the lunch date. * After helping Frankie calm down, Sol asks if she would like to get a bite to eat. They go to lunch. Sol texts Robert that he is going to be late (which leads to a misunderstanding – more on that in a bit). During lunch, Frankie asks Sol how it started with Robert. Sol is a bit taken aback. He didn’t expect to be sharing that today. Frankie honestly wants to know, so Sol tells her. Robert and Sol were at a law conference together, and later got drunk together at the hotel bar. They rode the elevator together. Sol says Robert gave him this look that scared him. The look gave him a feeling. Robert kissed Sol. Frankie asked if it was a big kiss. Sol says they kept kissing until the elevator stopped at their floor – the 26th floor. Sol says his whole body became alive. Frankie asks if that’s when their relationship started. Sol says no, that he and Robert didn’t talk about what happened. Frankie asks: “Why not?” Sol says they couldn’t talk about it – they didn’t know how to talk about it. The relationship between Robert and Sol evolved from sex to love. Sol didn’t want to tell Frankie about it because he loved her, and he loved their family, and he didn’t want to hurt them or lose them. * Grace returns home after the awful lunch date and finds one of Frankie’s art students in the kitchen, eating a ham sandwich. Grace has seen all three of Frankie’s students once before, the day she was trying to rush Frankie to get ready for the funeral. Grace knows the men in Frankie’s art class are all “ex-cons.” Grace is surprised and asks how he got in there. She tells him Frankie wasn’t home. The man says he found the studio empty so he went inside the house to make sure Frankie was ok. The man starts flirting with Grace. She is so surprised, she drops her purse. The condoms Frankie gave her fall out, and the man sees them. He makes a comment, and Grace clarifies that Frankie put those into her purse. It is clear that Grace is attracted to the man. She is a bit flustered. He tells her that he knows about her husband and Frankie’s husband. He says: “Please tell me that if he wasn’t fucking you somebody else was.” Another earthquake tremor happens, and Grace and the man end up passionately kissing in the kitchen (which leads to them making out for a little while before Grace stops it). The man leaves. Grace is smiling. * Later, Grace tells Frankie that one of her students was in the kitchen, eating a ham sandwich. Frankie says “That must be Byron. He loves ham.” Grace doesn’t mention the kissing. * Sol comes home to Robert three hours late. Robert invited some friends over (Al and Eddie, who are a couple). They are eating Paella. Robert and Sol start bickering, and Al and Eddie run away. Robert and Sol have an argument. Robert asks “Why did we blow up our lives if you are just going to go running back to her?” Sol said he texted Robert that he would be late, and thought Robert said it was ok. It turned out there was a miscommunication. The two make up. Robert goes to get some food for Sol. While he isn’t looking, Sol texts Frankie “goodnight”. Episode 7: * Grace comes home from an awful date. Grace tells Frankie that she took her anecdote (about saving a little bird). Frankie isn’t thrilled with that. Grace goes on to say that her date’s anecdote was about his fatty lipoma. He had a tumor that he named Farley – and it had teeth. A lipoma is a slow-growing fatty lump that’s most often situated between your skin and the underlying muscle tissue. It can feel doughy. It is not cancer. * Grace says she has another date tomorrow. Frankie points out that would be three dates in one week. * Brianna is cooking because she has a date coming over. She calls Bud to help her. Bud points out that she destroyed the Brisket, so he’s going to help her make stew out if it. Brianna says stew isn’t a second date food. Bud infers her date is with “Racist Dave”. Brianna corrects Bud – “Border Patrol Dave”. Dave sends Brianna a text, in which he cancels the date. Brianna now calls him “Racist Dave”. Brianna says that she doesn’t know what she wants (meaning in a relationship). Bud says she wants what everyone wants “Someone you can come home to at the end of the day who is happy to see you.” Brianna says she is getting a dog. * A big part of this episode focuses on the Spelling Bee, which is televised. Frankie and Sol watch it every year (it’s one of their rituals). Frankie can’t get Grace interested in the Spelling Bee, and Sol can’t get Robert interested in it. Sol unexpectedly brings Frankie a bread maker and some laser discs. Frankie sees that as an excuse to come over. Sol asks her to come over and watch the Spelling Bee with him. Frankie hesitates, unsure if that’s a good idea now that they are getting a divorce. Sol wants to continue their rituals, like watching the Spelling Bee together. Frankie says that she will be strong and say “no”. * Brianna adopts a foster dog she saw on the internet. The man who is fostering the dog brings him over. The man is cute and near Brianna’s age. She flirts with him – badly. He doesn’t appear to be interested in her, but is excited to give this great dog a forever home. Brianna is not so enthused about the dog. The dog is shy, at first. Brianna says the dog is ugly, and asks if it is the dog she saw on the internet. The foster dog “dad” gives Brianna the food the dog has been eating, and his toys. He makes a joke (about the dog leaving his patio furniture and grill so the other dogs could use it) – which Brianna doesn’t get. Foster dog man says she can call him if she has any trouble. Brianna spends hours trying to get the dog to love her. She fails at it. So, she calls the Foster dog guy, who comes over. He doesn’t see any problem with the dog (who is happily waltzing down the hallway and checking out other rooms.). The Foster dog guy makes a comment implying he thinks Brianna called to get HIM to come over. She basically agrees. They have sex. He leaves right after. Brianna is sad – until the dog leaps into her arms and starts loving her. * Frankie ends up going over to Sol and Robert’s to watch the Spelling Bee with Sol. She brought popcorn and tea. He is thrilled! They have a great time until Robert comes home and looks upset. Frankie leaves. Robert is miffed about Sol hanging out with Frankie. Robert admits that he is scared about Sol’s relationship with Frankie. He didn’t like that Sol didn’t tell him Frankie was coming over. Sol said he didn’t know she was coming over. Sol tells Robert that Frankie will always be part of his life, and that Robert has nothing to worry about. Robert agrees to watch the Spelling Bee with Sol – and they both have fun! * Grace goes on date three (of the week). It is with a man who owns a yacht and is an architect. His “name” on the dating website is “yachtcatect”. Grace thinks that is clever. She gets a table where they are supposed to meet. Unexpectedly, she sees a friend whom she hasn’t seen in years. His name is Guy, and he is a world traveler. But now, he wants to settle down. The yacht guy shows up, but hasn’t seen Grace yet. He is dressed like a television captain – hat, coat, and all. Guy asks Grace if she wants to meet that man. She doesn’t. Guy offers to sneak her out of the restaurant if she will have ice cream with him. They have ice cream together. Guy says he thinks there has always been a spark between them. They slowly start a relationship. He takes Grace to her door, and Grace kisses him. Neither expected that. Frankie sees Grace kiss Guy through the window. She leaves the television on – and the Spelling Bee – and goes upstairs. Episode 8: * Grace lets Frankie know that Guy is coming over for dinner (and she wants Frankie to either leave or stay in her room). Frankie says that Grace and Guy are gonna have sex. Frankie asks Grace if she is worried “because it’s the first time a straight man has seen you naked in 40 years.” Grace says she isn’t worried because she will turn the lights out (and he won’t see her naked). Frankie asks Grace if she is worried about vaginal dryness. Grace responds: “I am now.” * Frankie gives Grace something Frankie refers to as her “secret weapon”. It is a jar of “Frankie’s homemade yam lube.” Frankie calls it “Vag-a-kadabra.” She keeps it in the refrigerator. Grace is disturbed because she’s been eating the yam lube on toast. Frankie reassures Grace that that is good, and that her gynecologist says “You shouldn’t put anything in your vagina that you wouldn’t put in your mouth.” Overall, this advice is not a bad idea. * Grace doesn’t want to hear about the yam lube. Frankie says “It’s not a dildo. It’s a facilitator!” Frankie also says that she makes dildos. * Grace tells Frankie that men and women cannot be friends. Frankie disagrees. She is friends with Sol, and several other men, including Jacob (who grows the yams Frankie uses in her lube). Grace later informs Frankie that Jacob was flirting with Frankie. This takes Frankie by surprise. * Guy comes over for dinner with Grace. They sit on the couch afterward making boring small talk. Eventually, Grace asks: “Do you want to have sex?” Guy responds: “Oh boy yes.” Grace does, in fact, keep the lights out and does not let Guy see her naked. * The next day, Frankie asks Grace how the sex was, and wants to hear details. Grace says Guy “was no slouch in the boudoir.” Cut scenes make it clear that Grace and Guy had sex, but it was far from being good sex. Frankie asks if the sex was bad. Grace doesn’t really answer. Frankie asks Grace if she had an orgasm. Grace angrily responds: “You’re a child!” Frankie concludes, “So, that’s a no.” * Later, Frankie tries to encourage Grace to tell Guy what she likes in bed. She asks if he knows that clitoral stimulation is important. Grace is mortified – and it’s only her and Frankie who can hear this conversation. Grace says she has never talked about her clitoris. * The next day, Grace gets off the phone and tells Frankie “Well, Guy and I made plans for him to have another orgasm tonight.” * Frankie realizes that Jacob is flirting with her. She tells Grace, who gives Frankie some advice – but Frankie isn’t skilled at flirting. Eventually, she let’s Jacob know that Grace thought he was flirting with her, and so she tried to flirt with him – but is bad at it. Jacob says he thought Frankie was having a heart attack. The two of them smoke pot together. Right before Jacob leaves, he tells Frankie that he WAS flirting with her. * Guy comes over. He says he brought a flashlight. (He injured himself trying to find the bed in the dark the other night). He wants to take Grace upstairs. She stops, plays some music, and guides Guy through dancing with her. This is the closest Grace has probably ever gotten to telling a sexual partner what she likes. The dance becomes a metaphor for sex. Episode 9: * Grace got an invite to Robert and Sol’s wedding. She and Frankie make fun of the script (which is florid and loopy and overdone). Frankie asks: “I wonder how they decided whose name goes on top.” That conversation quickly ends. Typically, wedding invitations go one of two ways: (1) The parents who are hosting the wedding are listed, followed by the parents who are not hosting the wedding – and then it states that the parents are inviting people to the wedding. (2) If the couple us hosting the wedding themselves, the name of the bride always appears first (or “on top”). Neither Grace nor Frankie want to consider which of their husbands is “on top” in the bedroom, or to wonder if the order of names on the invitation match that situation. * Frankie, after seeing the wedding invitation, asks Grace to pull her finger, which Grace refuses. Frankie was asking for help – because she tried to remove her wedding ring the day of the funeral but it was stuck on her hand. Grace helps Frankie take off the wedding ring. * Frankie is making another batch of her “Vag-a-kadabra” homemade yam lube. Brianna comes over (to pick up her dog that Frankie was babysitting). Brianna asks what Frankie is making, and Frankie tells her. Brianna responds: “Mom, Frankie verbally molested me!” Surprisingly, it is Grace who explains the virtues of the lube that Frankie is making. The reason is because Brianna took over Grace’s company when she retired. Grace thinks Brianna could sell the lube because it works, and cites a statistic of how many women have dry vaginas (especially older women). This, of course, grosses out Brianna. Grace says: “It’s all natural – from farm to vagina.” Frankie says: “Personal lubricant is for everyone.” Grace makes Brianna take a jar of the lube with her to work. * Frankie calls out Grace for lying. Guy likes golf, and hoagies, and Grace is pretending to like those things too – but she really doesn’t like those things. Frankie keeps insisting that Grace needs to tell Guy the truth. Eventually, Grace says that when you are in a new relationship you lie and pretend to like things that you don’t like. Grace is worried that Guy will break up with her if he learns that they don’t like the same things. Grace is afraid of losing Guy if she is honest with him. Frankie encourages her to be honest with Guy, anyway. * Grace takes a small revenge on Robert by asking him to come over while Guy is there. Robert is coming over to borrow Grace’s wedding book – a huge binder that apparently has tons of information that is useful for people who are planning huge weddings. Grace wants Robert to know that she has a boyfriend. Robert comes over to get the wedding book and sees that Guy is there – and is overjoyed! They are friends. They are happy to see one another. Grace makes it clear that she and Guy are in a relationship. Robert is surprised, but seems ok with that. Guy says that he and Robert should get together – and Robert agrees and says he will call Guy. Grace says the she will attend Robert’s wedding – with Guy as her date. Later, Grace goes golfing with Guy, and Robert shows up. Guy says he invited Robert. The three go golfing, with Grace trying to quietly tell Robert that she doesn’t want him there. She accuses him of trying to flirt with Guy. Guy hits the ball very far, and Robert congratulates him. The two men put their arms around each other, and Guy recites part of a poem (written by Rumi) It turns out that Robert said he had no one to officiate the wedding, and Guy, who is an officiant, volunteered. He hoped Robert liked the poem so he could use it at the wedding. Robert later tells Grace that he thought having Guy officiate was perfect because Sol wanted a multicultural wedding and Guy has been around the world. * Brianna takes the yam lube to work and repeats what Grace said about it, and the “personal lubricant is for everyone” statement that Frankie told her. She puts some yam lube into small containers and asks her team to try it for themselves, and then come back the next day to talk about it how it made them feel. Brianna wants to move the company in a new direction with this product. Brianna mentions dry vaginas a lot – grossing out one of her team members. The team is made up of a woman (who just broke up with her boyfriend) a guy who is straight and may or may not be single, and a guy who is gay. The guy who is gay does not want to hear about vaginas. Brianna ends up using the yam lube with a co-worker – Barry, who is an accountant. She has sex with someone she not only works with but also is one of her employees. The next day, when the team is sharing their experiences with the yam lube, Brianna insists she used the lube “with herself”. * Frankie gets upset because Grace got an invitation to Robert and Sol’s wedding, but she did not. She makes an unexpected visit to Sol, who is living with Robert. Frankie brings him a chip and dip plate shaped like a sombrero. She also used the bread maker Sol brought her to make bread – which she brought to Sol – along with “better” (a non-dairy form of butter she hand made.) Sol asks why she brought him those things. She said she was there to remind him to get a flu shot – and that this is the last time she will remind him – because they need to have boundaries. He agrees, and the two try and work on that. Before she leaves, she tells Sol she is upset that Grace got an invite and she did not. Sol insists that Robert mailed Frankie an invite. This leads to a big, confusing, fight between Sol and Robert about why Frankie’s invite didn’t arrive. (Which gets resolved later.) Later, Sol visits Frankie (who is still living at the beach house with Grace). Frankie is in her studio, working on some art. Sol hands Frankie her invitation. She sets it aside – with a pile of mail, which has Frankie’s invitation. She made some art on the envelope, and forgot about it. Sol and Frankie get serious and ask their subconsciouses (which they have given names to) if Frankie really wants to go to Sol’s wedding. She discovers that she doesn’t want to go because it would be too painful. Sol is sad, but understands. They start acknowledging that they need to work on “divorce stuff”. * Frankie got so caught up with Sol that she accidentally blows off Jacob (the yam man). She stands him up on a lunch date, and he sends her a text. They reschedule, and she stands him up again (before rushing over to meet with him.) Jacob gently breaks up with her. She’s not ready to date yet. * Eventually, Grace starts being honest. She tells Guy that she doesn’t like golf, or hoagies (and adds some other things she doesn’t like). He accepts it. She tells him she was afraid that he would walk away if she told him, and that was scary, especially since she really likes him. Being honest solidified their relationship. Grace them goes over to Robert’s to tell him that Guy can’t be his officiant because Guy is her boyfriend. Robert shrugs that off and accepts. He tells Grace that he and Sol are getting into big fights about planning the wedding and maybe they should just elope like Sol wanted. Sol didn’t want a big wedding. Grace asks Robert what he wants. Robert wants the big wedding. He wants to tell the world that he loves Sol. Grace encourages Robert to keep planning the wedding, and points out that wedding planning is stressful. Grace says Robert would know that if he helped plan their wedding or the wedding of his daughter. There is a moment where they wonder if things would have gone differently if they had both been honest with each other about how they were feeling years ago. They decide that things would have gone the way they did anyway, but might have been less bad. Episode 10: * The episode starts with Robert and Sol, and Grace, and Frankie, and Bud in an elevator. They had just signed divorce papers. The elevator gets stuck, and Grace freaks out because she is claustrophobic. The episode is a “flashback” episode to events that took place long before the events in Episode 1 did. * The “flashback” takes place at the beach house where Grace and Robert, and Frankie and Sol, are spending the Labor Day weekend. Bud, Coyote, and Brianna are also there. Robert and Sol planned to tell their wives that they had become a couple and wanted a divorce. * Robert and Sol start trying to tell Grace and Frankie – when Mallory walks in with her husband. Mallory is super pregnant, and therefore, was not expected to arrive at all. This interrupts what Robert and Sol were trying to say – so it doesn’t get said. * Frankie is over the moon about Mallory’s pregnancy. Mallory’s husband says he sees pregnant women at work all the time, but none of them are as excited as Frankie is. Sol explains that Frankie “never got to do it herself.” Both Coyote and Bud are adopted. It has been established before this episode that Sol and Frankie are both Jewish. This makes me wonder if they chose not have biological children because they both carry a recessive gene for Tay-Sachs. * Mallory spends a lot of time in the pool. She asks Coyote to come over so she could talk to him. She asks Coyote how much cocaine he is on. He says he is naturally energetic. (Shortly before that, Coyote and Mallory’s husband smoked pot together, and Coyote snorted cocaine.) They talk a little about her pregnancy. Coyote starts to say something, that Mallory stops him from saying. She says something about “the thing we agreed never to talk about.” Coyote says “Imagine me with a 9 year old.” I think this means that Mallory and Coyote were a couple nine years ago and they either had a pregnancy scare (that turned out not to be a pregnancy) or Mallory had an abortion. Based on the timeline – Coyote and Mallory probably were in high school when the pregnancy (or pregnancy scare) happened. * Grace makes a mean comment about Frankie not knowing anything about pregnancy because she hasn’t been pregnant. Later, after Mallory unexpectedly gives birth at the beach house, fully clothed, while the family watches, Grace apologizes. She tells Frankie something like that she didn’t feel like a mother until she held her baby in her arms. Frankie says “Me too.” * Grace, who has been on the phone handling work related things for most of the day, later tells Robert that she wants to retire and give the business to Brianna. Grace says she hopes that her retiring will rekindle the relationship between her and Robert. * Fast forward to them all stuck in the elevator, and Robert explains why he stayed with Grace. “My heart broke for you, and I had to give you what you wanted.” * Bud reveals something he feels guilty about. That weekend in the beach house, he was sleeping on the couch. Robert and Sol were on the porch outside that room. Bud woke up and saw Robert and Sol kissing. Bud felt guilty about not telling his mom about that. Frankie and Grace reassure Bud that even if he had told – they wouldn’t have believed him. Frankie says “You gave me five more years with your father.” Episode 11: * Guy has been spending a lot of time at the beach house. Today, he admits that he “ambien eats” after Frankie notices more food missing from the refrigerator. Guy goes shopping to replace what he ate while he was asleep. He also says he “ambian orders” on Amazon, and has purchased the same pair of shoes, while sleeping, four times. * Frankie tells Grace she thinks Grace is going too fast with Guy. Grace says she is lucky to have him. She points out most men their age date younger women “who don’t have sagging breasts and chin hair.” * Frankie’s art student, (the one that kissed Grace during the earthquake), comes in the house to say goodbye. He is going to Mexico. (All of Frankie’s art students are ex-cons and all are adults.) Grace is flustered. He kisses her. Frankie comes in with the student’s painting – and sees them kiss. Grace says it was a goodbye kiss, to which Frankie points out that means there was a hello. Grace ends up telling Frankie about the day of the earthquake when the student first kissed Grace. * Robert and Sol are tasting food so they can pick a caterer for their wedding. The caterers have come over and are preparing food. Frankie calls Sol and tells him “Grace kissed a convict”. When Sol gets off the phone, he tells Robert about Grace kissing a convict. Robert smiles and says: “Good. She deserves some fun.” Sol is surprised by that response, and points out “but Grace is dating your friend Guy.” Robert says something like “but they aren’t married”. Long story short, Sol asks Robert if he kissed anyone else while they were together. Robert does not immediately respond – and Sol gets very upset. Later, Robert admits he slept with someone. Sol demands to know who. This conversation is happening while the caterers (who are a gay couple) are there. Sol says “We know five gay people in the world and two are in the kitchen.” It turns out Robert slept with one of the caterers, 12 years ago, when Robert and Sol were broken up. The caterer tries to console Sol by saying that he and Robert were incompatible. This does not make Sol feel any better. The caterer mentions something about how gay couples don’t have to fit into heterosexual norms. Later, Sol asks Robert “Are we doing this wrong?” He is referring to their upcoming wedding. He is worried they are getting out of one box and going into another. Eventually, Robert and Sol make up after talking things out. They end up choosing these caterers because their food is delicious. * Grace discovers that Frankie told Sol about her “kissing a convict” – and that Sol told Robert. She is absolutely livid! She tells Frankie that she is a private person and expected her to keep what she shared a secret. They argue, and Frankie tries to apologize. At this moment, Guy returns with the food he bought for Frankie. He overhears that Grace kissed a convict – that day – shortly after he left. Guy leaves, but comes back hours later. When Guy returns, he tells Grace that he is in love with her. Grace gives him a hug, but doesn’t say anything. She looks troubled by this news. * Later, Frankie tries to make amends by giving Grace one of her most embarrassing secrets. It is a VHS tape. The tape is a sex tape that she and Sol recorded in the 80′s, while wearing gladiator costumes. Frankie tells Grace she can watch it, laugh at it, tell the kids, put it on the six-o’clock news, do whatever she wants with it. Grace asks: “Can I burn it?” Frankie responds: “Please do.” Frankie says that the idea of watching yourself have sex is much better than actually watching yourself have sex. Frankie offers to give Grace $50 and another one of her secrets. Grace accepts. Frankie says: “I once made out with a monkey.” It turns out she made out with Mickey Dolenz from The Monkees. Episode 12: * Frankie makes a video on her phone saying she is moving on from Sol. She takes off her wedding ring (forever) and puts it into a box. * Bud and Coyote are tasked with throwing their father, and Brianna and Mallory’s father, a bachelor party. Bud and Coyote don’t know what to do. Mallory quickly puts together ideas for food and drinks, gets supplies, etc. Brianna thinks the Dads need to have a tacky bachelor party with jokes about balls. Bud and Coyote think the Dads want a classy party. Coyote sent invitations that had a cowboy in “assless chaps” on them. A friend of the Dads, named Nelson, arrives unexpectedly. Nelson is from Utah and doesn’t really approve of same-sex marriage. This makes the Dads feel like they HAVE TO keep the party very classy. The party is boring, so Bud and Coyote call Brianna for help. She orders a huge, pink, penis – that functions like a mechanical bull – and has it placed on the front lawn of the Dad’s home. Robert and Sol freak out. Nelson gets mean – telling Robert and Sol he doesn’t mind that they are homosexuals, but doesn’t want them to “throw it” into his face. Robert nearly punches Nelson, but Sol stops him. Meanwhile, the rest of the guests – all men (most of whom are heterosexual) are lined up around the penis/mechanical bull, waiting for their turn. Brianna’s idea made the party fun. Robert and Sol choose to stay inside – and do not want to ride the mechanical penis that is on their front lawn. * Frankie is sad – and Grace tries to cheer her up. They end up doing a “Say Yes” night. It is something that Frankie and Sol used to do. You have to say “yes” to everything that is offered the whole night – until you go home or get arrested. Frankie and Grace end up having fun. The fun includes accepting whiskey flights from two men at the bar Frankie selected. The two men are around the same age as Frankie and Grace. Frankie and Grace end up dancing on the bar and get kicked out. Meanwhile, Frankie’s car got towed. Frankie decides that, for those reasons, this “Say Yes” night is at least in “the top five”. * Grace admits to Frankie that when Guy told her that he was falling in love with her, Grace didn’t say it back. Episode 13: * Inside Frankie’s studio, near the door, there is a bumper sticker that has been posted sideways. It says “Viva Gore Lieberman 2000”. It is a political bumper sticker that was promoting Al Gore for President and Joe Lieberman for Vice President. The bumper sticker was for the 2000 election. * Grace wants to break up with Guy, but has been avoiding it. She says she is afraid that if she breaks up with him she might be alone forever. Frankie says that Grace needs to vlog about it. That evening, Grace had dinner with Guy and they watched two movies together. Grace didn’t break up with Guy, but still wants to. Guy comes downstairs and starts eating lasagna. Grace breaks up with him, and he takes it quite well. He offers to leave, but Grace insists that he stay because it was the middle of the night. She sleeps on the couch. The next morning, Frankie finds Grace on the couch and asks about Guy. Grace says she broke up with him. Guy comes downstairs and, based on his mood and words, doesn’t seem to be aware that Grace broke up with him. Frankie figures out the problem. “It was an Ambien breakup”. Guy was sleep-eating when Grace broke up with him. Grace eventually takes Frankie’s advice and vlogs (using FaceTime). She mentions Guy, and Robert, and then unexpectedly mentions a man named Phil whom she was in a relationship with. She discovers what she wants in a relationship, and that she isn’t getting it with Guy. Later, Grace tells Frankie that she has broken up with Guy (for real this time). * Robert is trying to write his vows but is having difficulty. It is important to Sol that they both write their own vows. Sol has already written his. Robert’s daughters find them and feel all kinds of emotions – so what Sol wrote must have been really good. Robert eventually writes a ridiculously long thing that was supposed to be vows but sounds like something written for a court case. Brianna asks her dad “Are you suing Sol for his love?” Brianna and Mallory take away the legal brief and edit it into something beautiful (and very appropriate as wedding vows). * Frankie goes to the home she and Sol once shared because it is moving day. They sold the house and need to pack up things and take them away. Frankie, Sol, Coyote, and Bud are going through boxes and sharing memories. They have a big, family hug. Sol says they should light the Shabbat candles one more time. The family agrees. Sol lights the candles and begins a prayer, but then gets too emotional and starts crying. Frankie sends their sons to go do the plans they had that night, and consoles Sol. Sol says “I have so much love for all of you my heart….” Frankie finishes “Hurts?” Sol nods. Frankie and Sol kiss, and they end up having sex. Both of them look quite distressed about that afterwards. * Grace comes home and finds Sol in the beach house. Frankie is not there. Sol looks extremely upset, and he’s not making a lot of sense. He says he wanted to make sure Frankie was ok. Grace eventually figures out that they slept together. She yells at Sol and tells him to go away, and that she will take care of Frankie. Sol is afraid to go home. To summarize, Grace convinces Sol that he has to tell Robert about what happened between him and Frankie, “or live the rest of your life the way you spent the past 20 years.” Sol goes home, still visibly upset. The viewer can hear Robert practicing his vows by reading them out loud as Sol stands at the front door, gathering courage to go inside. It doesn’t appear that Sol can hear Robert. Frankie was out on the beach. Frankie says something about not realizing it was over until now, and that Grace figured out it was over right away. Frankie says that sleeping with Sol “didn’t feel right”. She explains, “It felt like we don’t go together anymore.” This review of Grace and Frankie – Season One is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Patreon or at PayPal.me. Thank you!... Notes About Things in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Season 1April 24, 2017TV and Movie ReviewsUnbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a Netflix Original TV series that is about a woman who is rescued from a doomsday cult. Kimmy is trying to make a new life. The show is goofy and weird. I put together some notes about things that stuck in my mind after watching each episode. Warning: There are spoilers. Episode 1: * Kimmy and her “sisters” were taken into a bunker by the Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne. He told the girls that the world had ended at Y2K (2000) and that nothing was left outside. People really did believe that something would end at Y2K, but it wasn’t the end of the world – it was the end of computer networks. Computer analysts speculated that the all the computer networks would crash at midnight on January 1, 2000. This would, they said, cause mass dysfunction because of how many things relied on those computer networks (including banking, satellites, etc). Way back in the 1970s, computer programs included a date code that started with 1900. Every year, the computers would automatically go up one year. By 1999, people started realizing that the computers would not be able to go to 2000, because they hadn’t been programmed that way. One speculation was that the computers would just roll the year over to 1900 – which would obviously screw up a lot of things. Of course, the world didn’t end at Y2K, and the computers somehow managed not to revert back to 1900. So, it makes sense that Kimmy and her “sisters” would believe that the world ended at Y2K. * Bunkers exist. President Kennedy urged Americans to build bomb shelters to protect them from nuclear fallout in the event of a nuclear war. A year later, the Cuban Missile Crisis happened, and some people built bomb shelters – just in case. Today, people who call themselves “Preppers” build or purchase bunkers (or bomb shelters) for their families to live in – just in case the world ends or anarchy happens. So, what I’m trying to say is it would be plausible that Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne had a bunker. * Doomsday cults also exist, but I couldn’t find any that held people in an underground bunker. * Kimmy had a Baby-Sitter’s Club book when she was in the bunker. That series was published in 1986. It was a series designed for middle-school aged girls to read. That fits the timeframe of when Kimmy would have been kidnapped and taken to the bunker. * Kimmy and her “sisters” were on TV (as “the mole women”). Her “sister” Gretchen says that she met Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne after he bought some of her hair on Craigslist. Apparently, it is possible to buy human hair on Craigslist. Episode 2: * Titus mentions something about needing to pay Columbia House or his tapes wouldn’t be sent to him. Columbia House would let people buy 11 cassette tapes for a penny. Then, they would sign you up for membership in a club or service, and you would start getting monthly shipments of cassette tapes – which you would be billed for. The process is called “negative billing” and (may not be legal anymore). Columbia House originally sold record albums, and later sold compact discs. * Kimmy realizes that Xanthippe, the bratty stepdaughter of Jacqueline (the woman who hired Kimmy) has been telling her friends a lie. Xanthippe said she had a boyfriend who was a surfer and that they had sex on the beach, and they only meet at night. Kimmy figures out that the story that Xanthippe is telling matches the story in The Baby-Sitter’s club Mystery #12. She threatens to tell Xanthippe’s friends. This would, of course, embarrass the stepdaughter who was trying to look cool to her friends. Those books are made for middle schoolers, and the stepdaughter is a high schooler. * The Baby-Sitter’s Club Mystery #12 includes a surfer named Thrash, who meets Dawn (one of the Baby-Sitters Club girls who has moved to California). Thrash calls Dawn “kelea” (after a Hawaiian goddess). Thrash is about 20, and Dawn thinks he’s too old for her (but she has a crush on him.) Thrash fakes his death and disguises himself, but Dawn figures that out. He then tampers with another surfer’s board (because that guy tampered with his) – and there’s some kind of surfing competition going on. The book does not involve any characters having sex on the beach. Episode 3: * Titus shows Kimmy an old photo of himself. He is wearing a t-shirt that says Dole – Kemp – ‘96. Bob Dole (Republican) was running for president. His running mate was Jack Kemp. They lost to Democrats Bill Clinton and Al Gore. * In the same photo, Titus had a “flat top” haircut, that was really tall. It was probably inspired by the “flat top” worn by Kid (of Kid ‘n Play). * Kimmy is given a smartphone to use. She flips it over and asks: “Is that a Macintosh?” People used to call computers made by Apple “Macintosh” computers, or “a Macintosh”. That changed to “Mac” later – but Kimmy would have been in the bunker when that happened. Episode 4: * Kimmy drags a huge tube television into the apartment. She says she can’t believe people throw away good TVs. Titus insists the TV must be broken and won’t work. Somehow, when Kimmy plugs it in – the TV works. * Jacqueline (whom Kimmy calls Mrs. Voorhees) tells Kimmy she needs to send a photo of herself to Buckley’s school. One of Kimmy’s jobs is to pick him up from school. Kimmy asks where there is a Sears Portrait Studio. The last of the Sears Portrait Studios closed in 2013. Jacqueline teaches Kimmy how to take a selfie (after explaining what a selfie was.) * Titus and Kimmy go to a video arcade because Titus needs to use the photo booth to make headshots for his audition. Kimmy comes back from the arcade and says she didn’t like how she looked in the selfie, and wants to use a different photo. The photo she wants to use is a “Baby-o-matic” photo that shows what Kimmy and Titus’s baby would look like. It is hideous. Today, there are several apps for that. Episode 5: * Kimmy invites her mole woman “sister” Cyndee to visit her in New York. Cyndee brings with her a boyfriend that Titus is convinced is gay. Later, it turns out that Cyndee knows Brandon is gay, but doesn’t care. He was her middle school crush and after leaving the bunker, she set out to achieve all of the plans she made when she was in the bunker. The reason I put this into this post is because I’m also watching Grace and Frankie (another Netflix original series) at the same time. Two completely different shows that handle the concept of a woman dating/married to a gay man in very different ways. Episode 6: * Kimmy is trying to get her GED. She is attending an adult education class in a public school. The teacher has totally given up and plays VHS movies instead of teaching math. The teacher has tenure, which he believes means he can never be fired no matter what he does. In reality, tenure gives a teacher the right to due process. It means that a tenured teacher cannot be fired without a school presenting evidence that the teacher is incompetent or behaves unprofessionally. Or, they have to prove that there is no funding for whatever class, course, or subject the teacher teaches. In this case, Kimmy’s teacher could be fired because he is clearly incompetent. Kimmy talks to the school secretary, who makes it clear that this teacher has been incompetent for years. Teachers do not automatically get tenure. There is a probationary period of three or four years before a teacher can get tenure. Once they have tenure, it is possible for a teacher to be laid off (which happened to a lot of teachers in 2008-2009 during the recession.). A union cannot prevent an incompetent teacher from being fired or competent one from being laid off. In short, the room that Kimmy’s teacher showed her, that looked like a teacher’s lounge where all the teachers were sitting and reading magazines – and getting paid to do it – doesn’t exist. * Somewhere in this episode, The Expos baseball team is mentioned. This team started as the Montreal Expos. They moved to Washington D.C. in 2005. Kimmy is surprised to hear that the Expos moved. She would have been in the bunker by the time the Expos played their first game as the Washington Nationals. The Washington Nationals used a red cap that had a curly W on it – which was originally used by the Washington Senators. Episode 7: * Jacqueline went to China and returned with her husband. Kimmy asks “Was everything there upside down?” This is an another example of Kimmy’s limited education before she was kidnapped and put in the bunker. In an earlier episode, it is revealed she never finished eight grade. In the previous episode, Kimmy tries to enroll in a Middle School, but is told she cannot do that – and that she should get her GED instead. * Jacqueline tells Kimmy that she thinks her husband is having an affair. She says that he is on the phone, and laughing, and she wants to know who he is talking to. Kimmy suggests “Maybe Gallagher?” Gallagher is a comedian best known for his Sledge-O-Matic sketch (in which he smashes a watermelon with a sledgehammer). He is still touring today. * Jacqueline decides to hold a fancy party and invite the person she thinks her husband is having an affair with. She has a plan to catch him cheating on her. Kimmy is working at the party, and needs to look fancy (which Titus helps her with). Kimmy was able to hire Titus to sing at the party. Before the party starts, Kimmy tells Jacqueline that she feels like she’s on Bravo. “They still show operas, right?”, Kimmy asks. Bravo is an American basic cable and satellite television network and flagship channel. It launched on December 1, 1980. Bravo originally focused on programming related to the fine arts and film. In the early 2000s, Bravo changed its format and started focusing on reality shows, fashion and makeover shows, and celebrities. Kimmy would have been in the bunker when Bravo changed its format. * At the party, an attractive man with an accent starts talking to Kimmy. He is a guest, and he makes an excuse about why he ended up arriving to the party early. The man assumes that Kimmy is also a guest, so she decides to pretend that she is a guest. The man notes that Kimmy has arrived early, too. Kimmy tells him that her assistant put the wrong time into her PalmPilot. The PalmPilot 1000 was introduced by U.S. Robotics in 1996. It cost $299, had 128k of memory and a monochrome, touch-screen display. 3Com acquired U.S. Robotics in 1997. In 1998, 3Com had to stop using the name “Pilot” because of a legal dispute with the Pilot Pen company. The PalmPilot became the Palm. The Palm III organizer was based on the Palm 3.0 OS. It cost $399. By 1999, more than five million PalmPilots had been sold. 3Com started selling the first Palm device with a wireless antenna, the Palm VII, for $599. Today, Palm and the PalmPilot are no longer used because people use smartphones instead. Kimmy has a iPhone (which Jacqueline gave to her earlier in this season). It seems that Kimmy doesn’t quite understand that the status of having an iPhone would be much greater than having a PalmPilot. When Kimmy was a kid, having a PalmPilot meant you were rich and important. This is likely why she told the man that she had a PalmPilot when she was pretending to be a guest. Episode 8: * Kimmy uses Titus’s Walkman. It plays cassette tapes. It runs out of batteries while she was using it. Kimmy was singing “Unbelievable” by EMF. When the batteries die, she says “Unbelievable!” The song topped the Hot 100 Chart in 1991. * Kimmy tried to have her GED classmates meet together as a study group in the library. Almost all of them stopped coming. Kimmy goes down the list of classmates, noting what happened to them. “Fatima got deported,” Kimmy says. * Jacqueline tells Kimmy that she is getting a divorce. She tells Kimmy about friends of hers who got divorced. One friend’s ex-husband “died on top of his girlfriend”. Kimmy asks, “You mean… like bunk beds?” * Titus starts his new job at a themed bar and grill. To make a long story short, he is dressed as a werewolf. Kimmy is excited. “You’re a werewolf! Just like in the Bible!” * Kimmy finally tells Jacqueline that she was a “mole woman”. Kimmy tells her this because she is trying to show Jacqueline that women can be strong (so Jacqueline will go through with her divorce). To paraphrase, Kimmy tells Jacqueline that she and her “sisters” ate bags of dirt and passed it into a kiddy pool to survive. Jacqueline says she hopes that was a metaphor. Kimmy says it wasn’t a metaphor – they needed the iron. Scientific American posted an article in 2012 about geophagia (people and animals eating dirt and/or clay). The article noted that dirt can contain iron. it also noted that dirt can also contain parasites. Episode 9: * Kimmy has turned 30. She says she hit the big 30-oh. She probably meant the big three-oh. * Kimmy throws herself a birthday party and invites friends. Somehow, the detective that found her (when she was in the bunker) arrives at her apartment with his teenage daughter. He wants to give Kimmy her birthday present. Kimmy is not happy to see them. The detective (Randy) married her mother while Kimmy was in the bunker. Her mom and the detective had a baby girl (the teenager that the detective has brought with him). Then, her mom disappeared. Kimmy tells them to leave. (They do, but then appear at the party later.) The daughter (who is named Kymmi “Kee- Me”) is played by Kiernan Shipka – who played Sally Draper on Mad Men. I find this interesting because I finished watching all seven seasons of Mad Men right before I started watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. * Kimmy asks Titus to select the playlist for her birthday party. She says “I haven’t been to a Sam Goody since 1988.” The last Sam Goody store closed in 2012. It was in San Diego. Kimmy is in New York City. * During the party, the detective (Kimmy’s stepfather) gives Kimmy a necklace that has a locket on it. Later, she takes it off and her stepsister, Kymmi, grabs it, saying it is hers and that it belonged to her mother. Kimmy points out that they have the same mother. The heart shaped locket on the necklace holds a photo of Kimmy and a photo of Kymmi. * Kymmi says she wants to go to the Olive Garden in New York City that has three floors. It exists. Episode 10: * Kimmy’s boyfriend, Logan (who she met at Jacqueline’s party) wants Kimmy to stop being friends with Dong (who she met at the GED class). Logan and Dong got into a physical fight at Kimmy’s birthday party. * Logan apologizes to Kimmy for the fight, and says he overreacted because he is not used to obstacles. Kimmy asks “What would the Care Bears say” about how Logan has been acting. He responds: “It would depend on the Care Bear.” Kimmy accepts this response. * Kimmy tells Titus that she decided to stay with Logan, and that she will have to say goodbye to Dong. Titus responds: “Oh no! Am I gonna teach you about birth control?” He seems appalled by the idea. Kimmy says “not yet.” In another scene, it becomes clear that Kimmy understands kissing but doesn’t have a clue what making out or sex is supposed to be like. * Xanthippe calls Kimmy a bitch. Kimmy responds: “You mean, the thing that makes puppies? Thanks!” * Kimmy goes to the restaurant that Dong delivers food from to say she can’t see him anymore. She discovers that immigration came and took almost everyone who worked there away while Dong was out making deliveries. Now, he needs to find someplace else to live because immigration is after him. Season One of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt was released in 2015. I’m watching it in 2017. What may have been an uncomfortable joke in 2015 has become reality for undocumented immigrants in the United States in 2017. Kimmy brings Dong to her apartment (which she shares with Titus) and tells Dong he can sleep on her couch. After they get there, she tells Dong that Logan is her boyfriend and she can only be friends with Dong. * Long story short, Xanthippe creates this ridiculous scene in an effort to encourage her mother to decide to let Xanthippe live with her father. Kimmy ends up kissing Dong. He leaves, saying he will find a new place to live. There is chemistry between them. * Logan later tells Kimmy that he was the one that called immigration. He thinks he’s hilarious. Kimmy breaks up with him, and rushes to find Dong before he gets on a bus. They become a couple. Dong says that he is still worried about immigration coming for him – and says it would be safer if he and Kimmy got married. Again, what was a dramatic moment in the 2015 TV show is something that has become reality for some people in the United States in 2017. That being said, the rules have changed, and American citizens who were married to undocumented immigrants have actually had their spouse deported (or prevented from entering the country.) Episode 11: * Kimmy gets summoned to testify at a trial against Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne. She doesn’t want to go. * Kimmy talks to Jacqueline about all the things she’s worried about. Kimmy worries about getting Jacqueline through her divorce. She is worried about maybe marrying Dong. And now, she’s worried about the trial. Jacqueline takes Kimmy to a spin class called “Spiritual Spinning.” Jacqueline says it gets her mind off of everything except herself. * This is the episode where it is revealed that Jon Hamm is playing Reverend Wayne Gary Wayne. Jon Hamm played Don Draper on Mad Men. So, that’s two people from Mad Men (which I finished watching before I started watching this) who have appeared in Season 1 of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. * The trial is a farce. Kimmy’s “sister” Cyndee keeps calling Kimmy, leaving messages and texts, in the hopes that she will come to the trial. Kimmy and Cyndee have smartphones and know how to use them. Gretchen arrives at the trial still dressed like she was in the bunker. * Titus helps Kimmy see that the Spiritual Spinning class is basically a cult. It’s run by an (apparently) charismatic man, who tells them what to think (and what NOT to think about) and who rewards some of them with extra attention. Kimmy eventually gets what Titus is saying. She agrees it is a cult, and asks “Why does this keep happening?” This realization makes Kimmy decide to go to the trial and testify against the Reverend. But first, Kimmy shows the entire spin class that the guy running it is a fraud. Episode 12: * Kimmy and Titus ride a bus to Indiana so Kimmy can testify at the trial against Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne. Titus is reading a magazine called “Land Mall”. It appears to be the bus version of Sky Mall, a magazine that people find on airplanes. Sky Mall is filled with stuff for people to buy (most of which are things that no one really needs). Land Mall doesn’t exist. * Later in the episode, Titus is wearing a t-shirt that has Z 101 FM on it. He got the t-shirt because he was on the air (probably talking about the trial Kimmy is testifying at). The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt aired in 2015. I am watching it in 2017. Right now, Z 101 FM is a Spanish language radio station from Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. * This episode reveals what the real purpose of the “Mystery Crank” in the bunker was. Episode 13: * Part of this episode, and the previous one, mentions viral videos. The man who sings in the intro of the show warns Titus that having a video go viral isn’t necessarily a good thing. The viewer can assume that the intro of the show was a remixed viral video that included an interview he gave to a TV crew as the “mole women” were being rescued from the bunker. Titus, who gave a hysterically bad interview on TV in the previous episode, had become the star of a viral video (when someone else remixed it). He is certain that the video will make him famous – and that being famous will solve all his problems. The first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt takes place on 2015. If I remember correctly, at that time, videos that went viral made the news (and made it onto multiple news channels and websites). That doesn’t really happen anymore. * The trial against Reverend Richard Wayne Gary Wayne takes an unexpected turn when Kimmy introduces a video tape that … oddly enough… is sort of a remix of its own. Each clip had the date and time it was taken right there on the screen. * The first season of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt wraps up the main storyline of the show. It also starts some new storylines that will probably be picked up in the next Season. Notes About Things in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt – Season 1 is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Patreon or at PayPal.me. Thank you!... Where did the Children Come From in “The Lobster”?April 13, 2017TV and Movie ReviewsThe Lobster is a bizarre dystopia where everyone must be part of a couple. Those who become single are sent to The Hotel where they have 45 days to “fall in love” with a new partner (who, ideally, also falls in love with them.) Those who do not manage to pair up with someone are turned into animals. It’s a very dark and disturbing film, and you probably shouldn’t watch this one if you have recently had a romantic relationship come to an end. Warning: There are spoilers in this post. I’m not revealing why the movie is called “The Lobster.” And, I’m leaving out a whole lot of things that happen in the movie. The movie focuses on David (played by Colin Farrell), who has come to The Hotel. His wife of 11 years left him, which means he is now single. There is no indication that they had children. The check-in process at The Hotel is depressing. David arrives with his brother, who has been turned into a dog. He is allowed to keep his-brother-the-dog, but must keep him in the hotel room. People who arrive at The Hotel have almost all of their belongings taken from them, including their clothing. The Hotel gives everyone identical outfits to wear. The men are given some slacks (of two different colors) and some shirts. Women are given multiple, identical, blue dresses and multiple flowered dresses. Everyone is given just enough clothes to get through their stay (including socks and underwear.) My guess is the purpose of this is to make everyone look as much like everyone else as possible. There is a moment when the camera focuses on a group of the saddest looking people, most of whom look depressed and unattractive, sitting in their underwear, waiting to be assigned a room. At first glance, I found it difficult to believe that any of these people had a good chance of finding a new partner. David is asked the same question all guests are asked: Are you heterosexual or homosexual? At first, he answers: “heterosexual”. But then, he recalls that there was a man… so he declares himself “bisexual”. The Hotel does not allow that. If I remember correctly, the person checking David in says that he is not allowed to be bisexual. They tried that, and it messed up their system. So, David thinks about it a little while, and decides to declare himself heterosexual. I thought it was interesting that The Hotel placed no stigma at all upon a person’s sexual orientation. Being heterosexual was accepted. Being homosexual was accepted. Being bisexual was acceptable, too (and would still be if The Hotel could work that orientation into their system.) Later, David finds himself as part of a group that includes both men and women. Presumably, there are other groups: one made up entirely of men, and the other made up entirely of women. We never see those groups in the movie. Each person is asked by The Manager what animal they want to be turned into if they are unable to find a partner. The idea is that a person who cannot find a human partner might have better luck finding a partner after they have been turned into an animal. The Hotel doesn’t place any sigma upon a person’s sexual orientation – but they do have some very strange rules regarding sex and masturbation. No one is allowed to masturbate while they are at The Hotel. There is a scene that involves David and The Maid. She is kind of grinding on him, but in a way that seems very mechanical and unappealing. It’s a service that is being provided. The Maid stops before David reaches orgasm. It appears that the purpose of this is to… encourage the male guests to find a woman to become a couple with? There is a severe punishment for the men who masturbate in The Hotel. It is disturbing, but not as disturbing as the punishments that The Loners have for those who kiss or have sex. The Loners are a group of people who escaped from The Hotel and are living in the forest. The point I’m trying to make is that the people who are in The Hotel aren’t allowed to have sex with anyone else – until after they have become a couple. The Loners are not allowed to have sex with anyone, ever (but they are allowed to masturbate – so long as they are doing it alone.) So, where are the children in “The Lobster” coming from? There is a point in the movie where two people have officially declared that they are in love. The new couple is removed from the group and given a hotel room to share. If that works out, the couple will spend some time together on one of the small yachts that is owned by the hotel. The new relationship is closely monitored by the staff of The Hotel, as well as by the Hotel Manager and her husband. They want to make sure the couple is really a couple before releasing them from The Hotel. The Manager tells the new couple that if they have any tensions, any arguing, that they cannot resolve themselves, they will be assigned children. She says that usually helps a lot. People don’t want to argue around children. Things do no go super smoothly with this couple, and we see them later with a daughter that looks to be about eight years old. Where did this child come from? The couple could not be the child’s biological parents because not enough time has passed for them to have an eight-year-old daughter. Without giving too much away, there are scenes from The City. It seems to be the place where couples live. Everyone there is a couple. The police stop a few single people and basically ask for their papers. There aren’t any children present. Now, I suppose it’s possible that The City is a place that is only for adults, and that children aren’t allowed there. Maybe the kids are in school (or daycare) when the parents go to The City. It’s also possible that all of these couples have relationships that are smooth enough that they didn’t end up being assigned children. Later in the movie, there is a part where one of The Loners introduces a few other Loners to her parents. She doesn’t look anything like her parents, so one can assume she was an assigned child. “The Lobster” is a movie that gives the viewer just enough story, and leaves them to imagine the parts that aren’t specifically laid out for them. The movie didn’t give me any answers about where the assigned children come from. Here are my best guesses about that: 1. The children are “orphans”. A couple that has been assigned a child (or more than one child) breaks up. The parents become singles. In this world, people cannot be single. So, someone – maybe The Hotel – takes the children away from both parents. This allows each parent to find a new partner, or to be turned into an animal if they are unable to find a new partner. The former parent can focus all of their attention on finding a new partner without worrying about what happened to their assigned children. There must be a large orphanage somewhere (and it probably isn’t located in The City). The children become “orphans”. They might get assigned to new parents one day. 2. The children are from accidental pregnancies. Two people at The Hotel become a couple. They have lots of sex. They are either not using any kind of birth control, or their birth control of choice fails. The woman gets pregnant. There are no examples in the movie of a couple that is raising their biological child together. Maybe this accidentally produced child is automatically sent to the orphanage after he or she is born. This child would one day be assigned to another couple (who need a child because they cannot resolve their differences and are arguing too much.) It is possible that all of the adults in the movie were raised in an orphanage (until they were assigned parents). If so, then the couple with the accidental pregnancy would consider it quite normal to send their newborn to the orphanage. This society highly values couples, and places a huge stigma on single people. The society doesn’t seem to give much thought to children (or who raises them). 3. The children are “test tube babies” or clones or are produced in some way that doesn’t involve a typical pregnancy. Viewers must accept the premise that The Hotel is quite capable of turning a person into an animal. From there, it doesn’t seem too difficult to imagine that The Hotel collects DNA from the guests, and sends that DNA to a lab for the purpose of making babies. 4. The children are coming from an entirely different society that has an abundance of children and not nearly enough parents to raise them. Maybe the other society doesn’t care if people are single, or part of a couple, and also doesn’t care who decides to have sex with whom. Sometimes, a pregnancy occurs. Parents can decide for themselves if they want to raise the child or send it away for someone else to raise. 5. The children are coming from a situation that I haven’t thought of. Where did the Children Come From in “The Lobster”? is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on PayPal.me. Thank you!... Things from Mad Men that are Different from Today – Season SevenApril 8, 2017TV and Movie ReviewsSeason Seven was the final season of Mad Men. I was kind of sad to have reached the end of the story, but I liked how it ended. I can always re-watch it if I want to. My husband and I watched the entire series of Mad Men on Netflix. I took notes on the things in Mad Men that are different from today. Before you read this post, you might want to read what I wrote about previous Seasons: Mad Men Season One Mad Men Season Two Mad Men Season Three Mad Men Season Four Mad Men Season Five Mad Men Season Six Warning: There are spoilers. Episode 1: Don flies to California where his wife, Megan, is living. She has a tiny black and white television. He buys her a huge console television. The thing is so heavy that it requires two big men to carry it inside. It looks like a cabinet with the television embedded in it, and I think it had built in speakers on either side of the TV. This was a top-of-the-line, expensive, color television…. that Megan didn’t want. Episode 2: * Don wakes up to a buzzing noise. It is coming from his alarm clock, which can be described as an analog electric alarm clock. The numbers flip over. * Don and his daughter, Sally, are at a diner. She wants to call her friends. Don put two quarters on the table. Sally takes the quarters, gets up, walks across the diner, and puts the quarters into the payphone that is on the wall. Today, Sally would have picked up her smartphone and made the call (or would have borrowed her dad’s smartphone to make the call). Episode 3: * Harry finally tells one of the other partners that he’s been lying – for a long time – about there being a computer that he uses to figure out the best ad placement for television ads. He’s been lying to the customers about it, too. There is no computer. This revelation sparks a conversation about the company needing to invest in a computer. Today, its hard to imagine an entire office without computers. * Betty goes on a field trip with her son, Bobby. She is a chaperone. Betty and Bobby ride on the school bus with his classmates, teacher, and a few other moms. Betty smokes a cigarette on the way, and ashes out the window. Episode 4: * The creative’s lounge is taken away from them because the office is going to put a computer there. It takes up that entire space. The only thing this computer could do was “crunch numbers” – literally computing. * The computer is an IBM 360. It is a mainframe computer that was accessed by remote terminals. It had 8,000,000 characters in bulk core storage. Monthly rentals ranged from $27,000 for a basic configuration to $115,000 for a typical large multi system configuration. * The “System/360″ became available for delivery in 1965. The office in Mad Men is getting it installed in 1969. Today, most offices do not invest in computers that are four years old. * Harry asks the IBM guy who is overseeing the computer installation to tell him where to find a keypunch service. The IBM 360 ran on punch cards. A keypunch service had people (often women) whose job it was to put a deck of blank cards into a hopper. The worker would type an operator command, and the hopper machine would feed one card at a time into a punch station. A series of dies punched holes into an individual card. Harry needed a service to make those cards for the office’s computer. * In order to operate the mainframe, a person needed to – by hand – put the stack of punchcards, in a specific order, into the mainframe one by one. * I have personally done that a few times when I was a little kid (because my dad sometimes took me to work with him.). Dropping the punch cards on the floor was a complete disaster. It meant you had to stop entering the cards, stop the computer, take the time to put the cards back in order, and start putting them into the computer again. If you accidentally put one card into the computer in the wrong order – the computer wouldn’t work. Once all the punchcards were correctly entered, you had to wait around for the mainframe to process them before you could start working from a terminal. * Don uses a typewriter at his desk to get some work done. He has a piece of white paper, then a sheet of carbon, then another piece of white paper sandwiched together. The purpose of this was so Don could make two copies of what he was typing at the same time. Episode 5: * There is now a secretary who sits at the terminal inside the room the giant computer is in. She appears to be typing something into the terminal. Behind her is a computer with a magnetic reel tape drive. * The giant mainframe computer makes a constant humming noise. The computer room always has the doors closed because it needs to be in an air conditioned room. Episode 6: * Peggy is working on an ad campaign for Burger Chef. She and Don decide to come up with a new idea rather than what they originally planned. Peggy mentions something about the ad including a mother who is picking up Burger Chef for her family on the way home from work. Don says “Mothers who work is too sad for an ad.” Peggy points out that he is surrounded by mothers who work. This doesn’t change Don’s mind. They end up going with a completely different idea. Episode 7: * This episode focuses on the Moon Landing. Everyone watches the rocket lifting off on television. Then, they watched the first space walk on television. * Peggy is in Indiana with Don, Pete, and Harry because they are pitching to Burger Chef the next day. Peggy went out to get alcohol, but Indiana was dry on Sundays – meaning stores could not sell alcohol. She ends up having to buy two cans of beer from the hotel clerk. Indiana was dry on Sundays until July 1, 2016. The laws changed on that date to allow distilleries, breweries, and wineries to sell alcohol on Sundays. The laws still did not allow people to buy alcohol and bring it home with them on a Sunday. Episode 8: * Don has an answering service. He calls and a female worker answers and tells him who called him and when. The service is not work related – it is taking calls from women in Don’s social life. * Joan and Peggy are talking to their client, Topaz pantyhose, about a problem. L’Eggs pantyhose – a competitor – is a lower price and is selling more than Topaz. L’Eggs pantyhose came in a plastic egg shaped container. Episode 9: * I didn’t see anything new in this episode, that you don’t see today (that hadn’t already been mentioned in this post or in posts about previous seasons.) Episode 10: * Sally’s friend Glenn comes to visit. He is now 18 years old. Glenn, and a female friend he brought with, ask Sally to go to Playland with them. Glenn reveals that he has joined the military and will be going to Vietnam. Sally gets very upset about this and rushes to her room. Later, Glenn returns, knowing that Sally is not there. (She was on a class trip.). Glenn came to see Betty. Betty gives Glenn a beer. The legal drinking age in New York was 18 until 1982 – when it went up to 19. On December 1, 1985, the legal drinking age in New York moved up to age 21. * Don was running late for work, so he shaves at his desk in his office while his secretary fills him in about what is scheduled for the day. He uses a battery powered electric razor. Those types of razors increased in popularity in the 1960s. * The office has a darkroom which Stan (one of the creatives) uses to develop film – usually for ad campaigns. People have to knock on the door before coming in because opening the door lets light into the room. Doing that at the wrong time can completely destroy film. Episode 11: * Peggy and Stan are working with children for an ad campaign. There is a table of toys in front of the kids. One of the toys is a metal slinky. Episode 12: * The office gets absorbed by McCann. They lose the computer that took over the creative’s lounge. Harry says that McCann has a team of people who do statistics – so they don’t need the computer. * McCann has an informal “ladies club”. The women who work there get together to complain about work (and drink). * Peggy’s last remaining creative guy chooses not to go to McCann. He is still at the old office. He says he is still being paid, so he thought he’d “make some long distance calls”. Long distance calls were very expensive at the time. Episode 13: * Don has gone on an impromptu road trip. He doesn’t carry luggage. Instead, he has a large paper bag with a change of clothes in it. The bag says Sears. Today, a lot of Sears stores are closing. Episode 14: * Don’s road trip continues. This time he is carrying a bag from Penney’s. The bag probably came from JC Penney’s (which, today, is also closing a lot of stores.) Things from Mad Men that are Different from Today – Season Seven is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Patreon or at PayPal.me. Thank you!... Things from Mad Men that are Different from Today – Season SixApril 7, 2017TV and Movie ReviewsAs my husband and I watched our way through Mad Men, I took notes about things that are in the show that are different from today. This post is about Mad Men Season Six. We watched the entire series on Netflix. Before you read this, you might want to read what I wrote about previous Seasons: Mad Men Season One Mad Men Season Two Mad Men Season Three Mad Men Season Four Mad Men Season Five Warning: There are spoilers. Episode 1: * Megan uses a Kodak Instamatic camera to take a photo of Don while they are on a work/vacation in Hawaii. The Kodak Instamatic was launched in 1963. It used a 126 film cartridge. The Kodak Instamatic 104 was released in 1968. It had a holder for a single flashbulb on the top of the camera. Take a photo with the flashcube, and cock the camera for the next exposure (meaning – roll the film for the next photo). The flashcube would turn 90 degrees to bring the next flashbulb into position automatically. * The maid was vacuuming while Don was watching TV. The television had two squiggly lines of interference across it – one near the top of the screen and one near the bottom. It was not a common problem, and the TV went back to normal when after the vacuum was shut off. Episode 2: I did not see anything in this episode that was different from today (and that wasn’t already mentioned in this list or the lists about previous seasons.) Episode 3: * The news in the background on televisions in various scenes discuss the Vietnam War. It has been said that Vietnam was the first “television war”, or the first “living-room war” (the room people watched television in.) Being able to sit in your home, in front of your TV, and watch what was happening in a war far away had an effect on people. At first, TV stations were trying to be upbeat – providing wire reports or a battlefield roundup. Later, things got darker and some “horror of war” was televised. The ability to watch the war on TV had an effect on people’s opinion about the war. In 1968, the Tet Offensive happened. It appears that this is what the television news is talking about in this episode of Mad Men. Episode 4: * Joan and her friend Kate go to a restaurant where there is a telephone at every table. The name of the restaurant is “Ma Bells”. The name is a play on The Bell Telephone Company. Ma Bells was the creation of Restaurant Associates. The restaurant actually existed. Every table had a telephone on it. People called their order into the kitchen. The telephones could also be used to call someone who was sitting at another table. * Megan and Don go out to dinner with Megan’s coworker and boss (who are a married couple.). During the dinner, it is revealed that the couple are “Swingers” who are interested in swinging with Megan and Don. Swingers were people who had open relationships. Some were heterosexual, and some were bisexual. Being a swinger became popular in the late 1960s, when the “free love” movement was taking place and casual sex was becoming an accepted thing among some people. Swingers felt it was natural to have sexual desires outside of your relationship, and to act on those desires (if the desired person was consenting.) Episode 5: * This episode focused on when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot and killed. * Someone (I forgot who) turns on a black and white television. A bright dot appears in the center of the screen, which becomes a horizontal line, that eventually spread out over the screen. This was how televisions at the time warmed up if they had not been turned on in a while. * Don takes Bobby to watch a movie. They see “The Planet of the Apes.” At the end of the movie, it’s clear that Bobby liked it. Don asked “Do you want to see it again?” Bobby does, so they stay in their seats and watch the movie again. This wasn’t unusual and was allowed at the time. Episode 6: * I didn’t see anything in this episode that hasn’t already been mentioned in this list (or the lists I put together about previous episode) Episode 7: * Pete’s mother comes to his apartment. The handyman calls Pete to let him know she is there. Pete tells the handyman to fix his mother a drink. The ice cube tray is made out of aluminum. It has a quick release handle on it that you pull up to crack the ice cubes. Today, ice cube trays are plastic and you twist them to crack the ice. Episode 8: * The office is visited by a “doctor” (brought in by one of the partners of the company that Don’s company merged with). The man is not really a doctor. He was brought to “fix everyone up.” Don agrees to see the “doctor” because he is suffering from a bad cough. The “doctor” injects several of the men in the office with an unknown concoction. Based on the actions of the men who took this injection – it appears that at least some of it is amphetamine. The “doctor” appears to be somewhat based on a real person named Max Jacobson who was known as “Dr. Feelgood”. Jacobson did have a background as a doctor – but was known for mixing up unknown ingredients (along with amphetamine) and injecting that into the (often famous) people who came to him for help. Jacobson “treated” JFK, Marylin Monroe, Eddie Fisher, and others. Episode 9: * Don stops at a gas station and tries to get the gas station attendant’s attention. It was a full service gas station (which was standard at the time). People did not pump their own gas – the attendant did it for them. The gas station attendant would fill the tank, check the tire pressure, check the oil, and wash the cars windows. People paid for the gas, but the other services were provided for free. Gas stations used to hand out trinkets as well – for travelers to collect. (drinking glasses, key chains, calendars, road maps, etc). There are some places in the United States today where people are required by law to allow a gas station attendant to pump their gas for them. It is no longer a common practice – and does not come with the extra services. Episode 10: * Joan tells a potential client that Harry works on figuring out where to place television ads “with a computer as big as this room”. The first personal computer wasn’t introduced until 1975 – and they were kits that people had to put together themselves. * This episode focused on the 1968 Democratic National Convention that took place in Chicago. * Megan watches the violence that took place outside the DNC. She calls Don, who is watching it, too, (while away on business). Megan says she can’t vote – but still cares about what’s going on. Megan is Canadian. She was from Quebec. * There is a lava lamp on the desk in the Creatives Office. The lava lamp was created by Edward Craven Walker (who was a British accountant). He sold the U.S. manufacturing rights in 1965 to a company named Lava Lite. In 1968, lava lamps were marketed to executives. Episode 11: * The office, which is in New York, receives fresh oranges from California from Sunkist (who is a client). In a previous episode, Roger’s daughter told him that her husband had this great idea about investing in refrigerated trucks that ship produce. This indicates that it was not easy to obtain fresh oranges from California if you lived in New York. Those oranges were a big deal. * Sylvia and Arnold (Don’s neighbors) have a son, Mitchell, who is 18. He returned his draft card as a form of protest of the Vietnam War. After Mitchell dropped out of school, the military re-classified him 1-A. This designation meant that it was extremely likely that Mitchell would be drafted and sent to Vietnam. Mitchell tells his problem to Megan (who relays the problem to Don). Megan said that Mitchell was “going to run”. This meant that Mitchell was going to leave the United States and go to Canada in order to avoid being drafted. Megan considers helping Mitchell because she has family in Canada. Much of this episode is about how to solve Mitchell’s problem. Episode 12: * I didn’t notice anything new in this episode (that wasn’t already mentioned in this post or in posts from previous seasons.) Episode 13: * Sally get suspended from boarding school because she used a fake ID with her mother’s name on it and bought alcohol for herself and the other girls. Betty calls Don, all upset. Betty tells Don that the reason why “nothing is working” and “the bad is beating the good” is because Sally is “from a broken home.” That’s not a phrase people use today in regards to a child from a family where the parents got divorced and remarried. Things from Mad Men that are Different from Today – Season Six is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me on Patreon or at PayPal.me. Thank you!... CockatielsFluffy CockatielJune 8, 2018CockatielsI was having a really bad physical health day and was exhausted. Morris flew down the hall, perched on my computer monitor, and kept me company. He usually has a short attention span, but today, he stayed put and got fluffy and comfy. Fluffy Cockatiel is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. The photo in this post is not allowed to be posted on other websites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you!... Relaxing Flock of CockatielsJune 10, 2016CockatielsLittle flock of cockatiels, relaxing together as the sun sets Relaxing Flock of Cockatiels is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. The photo in this post is not allowed to be posted on other websites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you!... Throwback Thursday: NapJune 9, 2016CockatielsThrowback Thursday: Max loved to take naps on me (2011) Throwback Thursday: Nap is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. The photo in this post is not allowed to be posted on other websites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you!... Throwback Thursday: ReadingJune 9, 2016CockatielsThrowback Thursday: Max was attempting to read over Shawn’s shoulder. Meanwhile, Gordo was simply getting comfy on the couch. (2011) Throwback Thursday: Reading is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. The photo in this post is not allowed to be posted on other websites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you!... Sort of Sharing a PillowJune 8, 2016CockatielsMorris and Poke can share a pillow together! They aren’t quite ready to share the pillow with Pepper, though. Sort of Sharing a Pillow is a post written by Jen Thorpe on Book of Jen and is not allowed to be copied to other sites. The photo in this post is not allowed to be posted on other websites. If you enjoyed this blog post please consider supporting me at PayPal.me. Thank you!...
