#Advantages and Disadvantages of Investing

[beneathsilverstars]

thinkign about oc gender headcanons

[khetiveti]

Poultry farming Business कैसे सुरु करे/ पोल्ट्री फार्मिंग ( मुर्गी पालन) की पूरी जानकारी

क्या आप जानते हैं, भारत में Poultry Farming Business model है जो हर साल 90,000 करोड़ रुपये से भी ज्यादा का टर्न ओवर देता है? देश में लाखों लोग इस बिज़नेस से अपना मुनाफा बना रहे हैं, और ये सिर्फ बड़े बिज़नेस मैन के लिए नहीं, बल्कि छोटे किसानों के लिए भी एक सुनहरा अवसर है। यह एक ऐसा क्षेत्र है जहां थोड़े निवेश से भी बड़ा मुनाफा कमाया जा सकता है। लेकिन कैसे? आइए, जानते है इस बिज़नेस की गहराई में…

[truedatafinancialpvtltd]

What are Small Cap Stocks? Is it Good to Invest In?

Small-cap stocks are dynamic investment options for investors with a potential for higher returns albeit with higher risk and higher volatility. Investment in quality small-cap stocks can provide more than market returns in the long term, making it instrumental in wealth creation.

Read Full Blog Post: https://www.truedata.in/blog/what-are-small-cap-stocks-and-are-they-good-investments

[kc22invesmentsblog]

Exploring the Potential Advantages and Disadvantages of Investing in Stocks

Written by Delvin Investing in stocks has long been a popular avenue for individuals seeking to build wealth and achieve financial goals. While it offers the potential for significant returns, it’s essential to understand both the advantages and disadvantages of investing in stocks. In this blog post, we will explore the potential benefits and drawbacks, enabling you to make informed decisions…

[teastyun]

༻ pound town

arcane sevika x female reader (nsfw)

a/n: i'm going to war (exam phase is about to start), therefore i must make haste (my hiatus starts again). also, i got a new job so i'm not sure when my hiatus will end :(

pt. 1 ; masterlist

grabbing the broom from the back of your mechanics shop, you start you usual closing routine as the streets of Zaun more active as the day ends. growing up in Zaun, you appreciate the livelihood of the people, but grew wary of the criminality rising abruptly at the end of each day. enforcers started to patrol the quiet streets of Zaun and hang up missing posters of Jinx, who you've been visited by for several occasions over the last few months for tech equipment she required. you grew fond of the girl and would occasionally even slip a few extra pieces, and she would thank you proudly by telling you about her latest new technological improvements.

one time, she told you about a prosthesis as her newest invention. Sevika immediately came to your mind and the way she held your cheek the last and first time you saw her. or the way her bionic arm held your hips so strongly as you rode her strap. shit, you really are down bad for this woman who doesn't even know your name.

as several months gone by since then, you managed to gather your savings and invest it into your shop for new techs and products to sell. you were finally able to call your shop your full time job and scrap your shifts at the brothel completely. Sevika didn't only save your shop, but she saved you from drowning in exhaustion as the only thing you ever did was work day and night.

you hoped to see her again, but your hope was slowly scarped as each month passed by.

after sweeping the last corner of your shop, you only had to rearrange your products before you could finally leave to go home. as you tidied the screws collection, the door to your shop opened audibly by your crystals dangling from the person entering.

"we're closed-" you start, but stop as you see the person at the entrance.

there she was, standing in her usual cloak and a hood that hid her face, but you recognised her nonetheless. she took her hood off with a smile as she looked at you. "good to see you again."

suddenly, you felt naked again. although she knew your identity (prolly even the whole time), the mask would hide your facial expressions and reactions. now, you are standing there with a shocked impression written on your face, unsure of how to react to the person that is the reason for your shop to still be alive.

"i see you created something out of this shop since the last time I've seen you," she speaks with a soft smile on her lips as she takes a look around in your shop. "thank you. you were actually a huge help last time we've seen each other," you respond, your hands linked together behind your back as you turn to look around your shop.

honestly, your shop is quite shady from outside with its half-broken broken neon sign spelling the name mechs n' treasures. but once you enter, you quickly realise that it's a one man's business by it's intricate appearance. it has so much personality now that you have as much time as you'd like to spent in it, decorating it with your favourite things you've collected over the years that weren't too precious to be displayed in your small flat above your shop. a few colourful crystals dangle around your entrance and the door to your flat, reflecting the neon lights from the streets of Zaun onto the mechanic pieces you sell. tidiness is your top priority, since it's hard to keep such an old shop neat and clean. you love your old and shady, but precious personal shop and wouldn't wish it to be any different. business seemed to be booming recently, too. you had no idea why, but Zaun is a quick and fast learning city with its advantages and disadvantages, resulting in people visiting your shop to buy the pieces they require for their newest project.

now, Sevika is standing in the centre of your shop, taking one of the mechanical pieces into her hands and looking at it in detail.

"can i help you with something?" you ask, looking at her with curiosity. after she puts the mechanic piece back into its tray, she says "I was hoping you could me out with this."

she reveals her bionic arm, where you see the its shimmer capsules completely shattered. surprised, you walk towards her and take her bionic arm into her hand to have a closer look. you inhale her smoky scent and suddenly were confronted with a vivid memory of the first night you guys met at the brothel, as you sat in her lap writhing under her touch. focus. you twisted a few pieces to inspect the reachability of the broken capsules. "I assume you won't be able to take it off?" you ask her, your eyes still fixed on an odd piece you've found.

she shakes her head, "it would be a hazard trying to put it on afterwards. do you think you'll still manage to repair, though?"

after twisting the last few pieces for inspection, you leave her arm. "shouldn't be no issue," you take a look at your wristwatch and notice how late it already is. a few extra minutes won't hurt, you decide.

you nod towards the counter, "take a seat, i'll be right with you."

entering the back of your shop and take a big breath. fuck, this intimidating woman still effects you after several months. at this point, you were sure you even forgot about her.

you grab your toolbox and head to Sevika, who is waiting for you behind your counter on a chair. her cloak is thrown over your register's desk, revealing a similar outfit you saw at the brothel. only now you realise how muscular this woman actually is. her arm is almost fully exposed by her sleeveless top and a choker around her neck makes you shake off your dirty thoughts.

you place the toolbox on the counter before you take a seat next to it. Sevika watches every move of yours, making you even more nervous than you already are.

grabbing your first tool, you lay her arm in you lap and start unscrewing the plates that cover the isolation of the shimmer capsules. her arm felt heavy, but oddly warm in your lap for the fact that it's broken. you remember how the same arm pinned you down on her strap a few months ago.

your brain is almost about to malfunction if Sevika wouldn't have interrupted your thoughts, "so, how is your shop going?" she asks as she leans the side of her upper body on the counter. when you look down at her, she's only mere centimetres away from your face. her grey eyes digging into yours. your pussy clenches as your breathing stops at the sight of her. you quickly look away and focus on her arm again. "it's going well," you start and grab for another tool to remove the shattered pipes. "sometimes it's exhausting to handle a shop alone, but you get used to it, you know."

her eyes follow your movements on her arm while she hums as an indication for you to continue. "once, a dude i recognised from the brothel came to pick up a few things and i couldn't help but wonder what his day job is. he was a sex worker as well, so he probably even recognised me," you tell her. it's unusual for you to share thoughts and memories of your old job. you weren't ashamed of it, but you much happier spending your time in your own shop and not thinking back to your old routine.

she shifts in her seat to look up at you, "i'm glad you were able to escape that shit hole, beautiful," she says quietly, careful of the words she chooses, "do you still remember that night?"

your movements halt immediately at her questions and you felt her eyes laying heavily on you, watching every single movement. the way you took a deep breath, trying not to appear nervous around her. the mere thought of that night made you feel butterflies in your stomach and wetness in your core.

"i do," you confess. without meeting her eyes, you continue your maintenance on her bionic arm in your lap, trying to suppress the urge of jumping into her lap and kissing her senseless. "do you?" you ask in almost a whisper, unsure if you even wanted to know the answer.

when she didn't, your eyes travelled to hers in question. she seemed to be in deep thoughts as well before she asked "how couldn't i?"

her eyes finally meet yours and you recognise such sincerity and trust in them, you couldn't help the soft smile that sneaks onto your lips.

"you were the only thing on my mind in this cruel world," she continues, making you feel several things at once. "and i don't even know your name."

you chuckled and referred your eyes back to your almost finished work, concentrating on exchanging the pipes.

"so, you're not even going to tell me?" she asks amused.

"what, my name?" you act oblivious, knowing exactly what she wanted. now it was her turn to chuckle at your teasing. "you can be a pain in the ass, you know that?"

you shake your head in disbelief with a smile on your lips as you screw on the last iron plate on her arm.

"move it," you command and she obliges. she moves her joints, making the shimmer that was left in her tank fuel her new pipe, while moving it a few more times in several directions. you've never seen machinery working with shimmer so closely. you wonder how the metal felt like against your skin.

ripping you out of your trance, she stands up. right in front you, almost between your legs, which you desperately wanted to close at the sight as you felt your pussy clench.

"thank you," she looks at you, her eyes wandering from your neck down to the rest of your body. it's like she can't help herself, checking you out as you sit on her cloak next to your work instruments.

"you even look beautiful in your casual attire," she whispers as her eyes meet yours again.

"so," you wrap your index finger through her choker, "how about taking it off and see what's hidden underneath?" you cock your head before you pull her closer. your legs are opened by her thighs between them as she looks down at you, clearly surprised by your boldness. "i don't fuck nameless girls," she says in an equal tone to her low chuckle.

you take a quick look at her lips, wondering what they would feel like on yours. "didn't seem so last time we've seen each other."

your finger is still wrapped around her chocker as you grin. she didn't answer. she knows you're messing with her.

she places her arms on each of your sides, the sounds of her bionic arm moving leaving a shudder throughout your body. she's dangerously close.

"if i remember correctly, last time you've fucked yourself, princess."

shocked by her comment, your grin fades as you suddenly remember how you rode her in that brothel, eagerly chasing your orgasm as she guided you through it.

you let go of her choker and rest your hand at the back of her neck instead, caressing the soft strands of brunette hair as you try to maintain yourself.

"y/n," you whisper. Sevika's eyes widen at first, but a slight grin sets on her lips at the sound of your name.

"beautiful name, princess," she whispers back and you feel her breath on your lips with each sound she speaks.

you close your eyes as you feel her full lips grazing yours. "y/n," she whispers repeatedly. her lips finally touch yours, first cautiously but confident after a few seconds of lingering. you copy her motions and gasp when her tongue grazes your lower lip.

pressing her more firmly against yourself, you part your lips for her tongue to enter. she faintly tastes like cigarettes, but more of a harsh liquor you can't really pinpoint. your arms cling desperately around her neck, feeling her torso pressed around yours in your heated kiss. you lock her against your core with your legs around her hips, moaning as she leaves your lips to leave kisses on your neck. "you have no idea how often i thought of kissing you," she whispers before she trails down kisses to your exposed shoulder and collarbone, licking the line of it and pressing soft bites against your sweet spots.

instead of responding, you pull her up again and lock your lips together. you press your lower body against her in search of the friction you desperately seek, but with no success. her lips form into a smirk against your lips as she realises what you're seeking.

frustrated, you separate yourself from her and motion for her to step aside, so you could jump of the counter. "i have a bed upstairs," you tell her. Sevika stands there confused, but god does she look hot. her lips are glazed from your spit and her hair looks slightly tousled from your hand that clung to it.

she doesn't let you move, though. instead, her hands are pressed firmly on your side as she still stand between your legs. "i thought that might be more comfortable..." you say, unsure of the current situation. she shifts in her stance to let you stand up.

"fuck, yes. i mean, yes, let's go upstairs," she chuckles after stumbling over her own words and her bionic arm moves to gesture you to lead the way. you laugh at her sudden awkwardness but go ahead to lock up your shop.

walking up the stairs, you fumble for your home's keys. Sevika followed you closely behind, touching your waist and kissing your neck as you try to unlock the door, a sigh escapes your lips as you try to unlock your door.

as the door closes behind you, she pins you against it. her hand holds your wrist against the door as she kisses you feverishly. her bionic arm slips beneath your ass to lift you up, so you could wrap your legs around her hips. you press your breasts against her, trying to seek for any further touches. "the bed, Sev," you say between kisses, too occupied to actually resist her touch.

she ignores your words and losses her grip on your wrists instead to wander to the buttons of your shirt, never breaking the kiss. "patience, beautiful," she whispers as her lips leave yours to press a kiss on your cheek. "we have all night, right?"

your arms find their way back around her neck, playing with her loose hair. "please," you respond, your eyes making contact with hers. you peck her lips before you say, "i want to touch you, too."

her head falls onto your shoulder as she groans, "you make me loose my composure so easily," before looking back into your eyes with need and desperation "do you realise that?"

you grin at her confession and kiss her hot and wet, moaning into the kiss as she continues to unbutton your shirt until your bra is exposed to her hand. she grazes the outlines with her fingertips, making a shudder run through your body as you gasp. you press your chest into her touch and she gladly responds with cupping your breast while biting your lower lip.

her index finger grazes your puffy nipple through your bra and you can't help the moan that escapes your lips.

she pecks you one last time with a smile, before looking around your small flat, seemingly inspecting your small setup where your bedroom and living room are combined to your cozy grove.

her hand moves to your back, stabilising you in her arms before she finally heads to your bed to lay you down on it, watching you as you lay there with your undone shirt and the few strands that escaped your hairstyle completely wordless.

similar to her, you exhale at the sight in front of you. Sevika is still fully clothed, so you pull her down by her collar to kiss her hard, wrapping your legs around her waist to pull her body on top of you. "take this off," she whispers against your lips, her bionic hand gripping your shirt as her hand sneaks behind your neck to tilt your head for her to suck.

she kisses and bites your sweet spot, disrupting your motion of pulling your shirt off and making your eyes roll back in pleasure. you moan her name in frustration before she finally let's go.

"this too," she tells you as she eyes every little detail on your torso. when you take your bra off, her bionic hand cups your breast. the sharp and cold details of her metallic hand exposed on one of your most sensitive parts of your body leave you breathing hard, moaning as her pointy fingers pinch and twist your nipple. "you have no idea how often i thought of touching them since that night," her eyes are not leaving your chest as she confesses.

"you could've touched them that night," you respond, your hand finding the back of her head as you play with her small ponytail. after hearing your words she looks at you, almost with a shocked expression on her face. "there's no way i would have touched you without your consent," she tells you. surprised by this sudden turn, you move up to rest your weight on your elbows, looking at her in disbelief. "but you payed for that night with me," you state, still confused by what she just said.

she's just as surprised as you, cupping your cheek softly as she spoke, "y/n, i would never do anything to you without your consent. do you know that?" she asks you, her eyes never leaving yours as she spoke. you've never experienced any sex partner expressing their respect to you verbally. and fuck, this is probably the moment you realise you have feelings for this woman in front of you. you nod in response, still overwhelmed from your thoughts and feelings. she smiles at you as she says, "good girl."

your soaking pussy almost purred at that nickname. kissing her quick but softly, you grind your clothed hips against hers as you kiss a trail down her neck to her exposed collarbone.

she exhales heavily at your motions before saying, "tell me what you want, beautiful."

"i want you to fuck me," you respond after hesitating, still nibbling at her collarbone as a soft moan escapes her.

"with this," you continue as you grind stronger onto her clothed cunt than before.

her bionic arm holds herself on the bed as her fingers trace your curves. "with my fingers?" she teases as she opens your trousers with her other hand slowly.

your lips move up to her ear, licking and biting her soft skin. "no," you whisper, "with this."

you press the seam of her jeans with your fingers against her clit, making her grip your hips hard from your sudden touch. "fuck," she mutters in response, clearly trying to compose herself before she continues to fully undress you.

"under one condition," she starts as she takes in your naked body with hungry eyes, "i'll have a taste before i fuck you," she unbuttons her shirt, revealing a dark bandeau bra beneath. she's in a hurry, so she won't bother to take off her unbuttoned shirt, but moves on by removing her jeans as well as underwear in one go.

you try to take a peek at her body, but she immediately kneels between your legs to kiss the soft skin of your thighs, dragging her motions slowly to your soaking pussy as her hands hold you firm beneath her touch. feeling her breath on your clit, you whine from sensitivity, gripping the sheets beneath you as she finally tastes you for the first time.

both of you moan from the touch, your hips stutter beneath her strong hands. she eats you out like a starving woman, humming at the sounds you're making. your clit is circled by her tongue as she softly bites and sucks before your legs start shaking from the pleasure that builds up in your lower belly.

she moves her arm from your thigh to press softly against it, realising how close you are. "come on my tongue," she tells you, intensifying her motions as you come hard. the way you moan her name sounds similar to a scream, your thighs pressing against her head as you throw your head back in pleasure.

she gently guides you through it by licking in decreasing motions, careful of your sensitivity. as your calming down, she kisses your clit one last time before she straightens herself to watch you after your first high.

her lips and chin are glistening from her pussy and strands that were originally framing her face now hang loosely. "you did so well, beautiful," she whispers, climbing on top of you to press kisses into your face. "fuck, you really sent me to another dimension," you confess, laughing a litte at the absurdity. she chuckles at your words, grinning as she examines your face.

"are you still down for another round?" she asks carefully, giving you the space you might need, but you nod as you smile at her. she kisses you before she straightens again to manhandle your legs, placing one on her shoulder as she moves her own over your other to align with your pussy, not starting just yet. she caresses the long on her shoulder as she presses kisses along with it.

she looks absolutely breathtaking while doing it. you feel her pussy kissing yours, and fuck, she's driving you crazy. the unbuttoned shirt exposes the abs you eyed earlier through the tightness of her shirt. her v-line is deeply defined, even more when she starts to slowly grind against you. her pointy bionic fingers suddenly press into your thigh as she gasps from the pleasure she suddenly receives. her grey eyes watch you heavily, making sure you're alright with her pace as she slowly picks it up.

"you feel so good," you whimper as you meet her motions by copying hers, crying from the sensitivity from your earlier orgasm. "fuck- i'm close again."

she grins at your confession, pushing herself harder on your clit as you cry out from the friction. she's mostly quiet, but a gasp escapes her lips anytime you improve your speed.

"come with me, y/n" she leans down, kissing you with so much passion as her eyebrows furrow in pleasure. you moan into the kiss, your breasts moving with each thrust as your nipples graze against the cotton of her bandeau. you felt your orgasm creeping, but you weren't ready for the intensity it comes with. you cry out against her lips, holding her against you as you feel her groaning from her own orgasm. both your hips stutter in your motions before you stop to look at her.

her head rests in the nape of your neck and the only thing you feel is her hot breath against your skin. as you untangle your legs, you kiss on the side of her head. "are you alright?" you ask after several seconds of silence.

she vaguely nods, still maintaining her breath before she answers "you have no idea what you're doing to me."

you smile as you caress her hair through your fingers. "i'd love to figure it out in the future," you continue, making space between your faces so you could look at her as you speak. "this idea you've just mentioned," you clarify as she looks at you speechless.

she kisses you passionately after a few seconds, smiling as she realises what you were suggesting.

"let me take you to dinner after your shift tomorrow?" she asks as her thumb trails your cheekbone. you nod, kissing her on the cheeks before you answer "gladly."

you both fall asleep, and sooner or later date nights with Sevika become your favourite traditions as you two engage in a passionate, but intimate relationship with each other.

tags: @sevsbaby @womenathleteshaveme @macaroni676

masterlist

[timetravellingtelepath]

Shiguang is literally a case of opposites attract. My evidence is two words:

ESFP & INTJ

MBTI opposites, drawn to the other's completely different and refreshing way of thinking and behaving. I'll get to how this impacts Lu Guang and Cheng Xiaoshi, but let me explain the MBTI dynamic first (or skip to the shiguang section).

I knew a pair of ESFP and INTJ friends and they were nothing alike, the ESFP was sociable and easily said what they thought whereas the INTJ had tunnel vision and was quite reserved and chose their moment to speak up carefully.

The INTJ friend treated their ESFP friend differently to their other friends (it was only obvious if you really looked). They were more blunt (even if that meant saying in a nice way to f* off) and went with the ESFP's antics even when they'd shut down if someone else were to get in their personal space and bother them so frequently. Sound familiar?

SHIGUANG

Yet the INTJ, aka Lu Guang, cared deeply about their ESFP, even when it seemed buried in logic and irritation. The ESFP once told me they admired the INTJs determination to keep going in a relentless pursuit, and now I think about it, Lu Guang has that too.

Who else can keep diving after multiple failures?

(I think Cheng Xiaoshi could too. He picks himself up time after time).

But it also speaks for why he struggles to adapt, even though we know he can, he's an overthinker (cue s1 ed) and in his efforts to take all variables and sequences and nodes into consideration, he's an anxiety pancake.

He's constantly on edge when Cheng Xiaoshi's in a dive or doing something he couldn't predict (because it's outside his foresight and past experiences). In a way, having the advantage of knowing how things went in previous timelines is one of Lu Guang's major disadvantages. He fails to capitalise on the moment.

And that's what Cheng Xiaoshi excels at.

Cheng Xiaoshi, by the nature of his role, has to be on his feet and constantly adapt, is empathetic, quicker to anger and forward at times (like in his manhua interrogations) because that's how he sees the best way too get results. That's another vulnerability, but Lu Guang's there to bat and smack and kick those who seek to capitalise on or abuse those softer flaws.

Those differences make them an excellent team. They're both strategic and creative thinkers, Cheng Xiaoshi especially so when we saw him dive into the security camera footage to have a back-up plan for getting Lu Guang from Li Tianchen. But Lu Guang is more reserved, equally haunted, and his hand is often hidden. His motivations were hidden from us for 2 seasons and I suspect more is hidden too.

While the differences help make them a likeable pair we invest in, it also highlights their character strengths and flaws. Cheng Xiaoshi is genuine (he can lie too, but more often he means what he says and does) and as we all know Lu Guang is a big hypocrite. For some odd, Link-Click-trauma-induced reason, we still love him and so do the cats.

Fun fact, INTJs are known for being tsunderes when it comes to emotions, even when it's obvious to us viewers. Loid Forger is another example.

[talenlee]

Game Pile: Sleepaway

We’re going to camp! We’re gunna have a ball! We’re going to camp to get awaaay from it all!

Wait that song includes lyrics about being bitten by the counsellors. Hrm. Maybe American camp culture is bad. Anyway,

Content Warning: Sleepaway is a horror TTRPG which explicitly invokes the threat of both animal harm and child endangerment as part of its horror elements.

Sleepaway is a tabletop RPG by Jay Dragon, made in 2020, and released by Possum Creek Games. The core fantasy of it is that the players are camp counsellors at an American-style summer camp, a thing that does not exist here. There’s going to be nuance I miss, a vibe I don’t quite understand, I hope that’s okay.

Let’s talk about the basic, fundamental resolution mechanic in this game. Players take moves and those moves contribute to the fiction. The two most common moves are ‘take action, leaving yourself vulnerable,’ and ‘invite the Lindworm to act upon the group.’ These two ideas are introduced and explained on page 14, but if you’re not already familiar with the game it might feel like there’s something more to be done, something more to be explained.

Basically, the action economy is one where players have Strong moves (that advantage you and advance the story), Regular moves (that just advance the story) and Weak moves (that disadvantage you, give you a token, and advance the story). All the moves you can do are things that make the story move forwards, but you need to suffer before you do strong things, and there is a clean exchange between advantages and disadvantages, with the bad things in the story contributing step by step

This game is GM-less, which is to say it’s a game where there’s no single person whose job it is to facilitate play, manage rules and keep people on task or following a thread of narrative. This is a feature, not a benefit or a drawback; it’s just something about how the game is structured, and you may find that a good thing or a bad thing. Particularly, the game as designed is heavily interpretive and narrative-driven, which means that mostly it’s going to appeal to people who already wanted to sit around and tell stories with one another. For me, that’s always a hard sell, because I have that already, it’s called my friends. A RPG is something specific with a structure that relieves the pressures on people to come up with narrative on their own and instead exist within a structure that other people provide.

The game has a large amount of material presence, what I call stuffness. In this case, the game has the book, sheets for the camp, sheets for the characters, sheets for the setting, pencils and scrap paper (and lots of index cards), a deck of playing cards, tokens, and a conspiracy theorist corkboard with string and pushpins, or a large piece of paper with a lot of coloured pens. And here is one of the many ways this game pulls at me, in that my first reaction to this list of required material is that’s too much stuff.

But then they get to the corkboard and I’m suddenly on board.

I think the idea of a TTRPG played off a corkboard as the group character sheet rules! That’s such a cool idea, and using it to store character information or track resources strikes me as a really cool approach to a game design! I wouldn’t have imagined it was the kind of vibe for a game set in a summer camp, but again, I don’t go there, I don’t know how common corkboard conspiracy charts are.

I’ve spoken at length about the idea of getting people invested in your game as fast as possible, in what I tend to call the approach. I’ve also talked about the way that a game’s interface can be impeded by even small amounts of friction, and how quickly a game can get you invested in who you are and what you get to be. As much as people may dislike the comparison, my gold standard for this is Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, where a player is already invited to create a character with just the basic polarity of ‘race/class’ and a two page spread introducing all the core concepts to them. That is a gold standard, I understand everyone is not in a position to spend Wizards money. I am however, keenly mindful of how you start your book and what you present in the opening of that book.

The opening of Sleepaway is a discussion of design influences.

I have no association with Dream Askew & Dream Apart by Avery Alder and Benjamin Rosenbaum. I know they were used for another game, which was similarly loose that I spoke about before. I do not deeply understand the Apocalypse World engine by D. Vincent Baker and Meguey Baker, either. Nor do I know Chuubo’s Marvelous Wish-Granting Engine (though hey, dope, Jenna Moran, long time fan here), nor do I know Pin Feathers/Cloud Studies, or Sorcerer or House of Miracles or The Secrets of the Forbidden Isle or what the Wayfinder experience are. These are signifiers that are for communicating ideas to people who recognise them.

This page is, to me, a page for a designer to speak to other designers.

This isn’t even a bad page! I think it rules that there’s a part of this book that’s trying to draw connections in a design space. It’s like a bibliography, a sign of connection. I like it. I question its presence here, at the start of the book. In the context of starting this book, we get title page, art page, blank page, ISBN and all that good stuff, credits, author bio, design inspiration, table of contents, and that means that it’s ten pages before we get to ‘how to play.’ And if it’s not there to be read at the start of the experience, then why is it there? How much of the opening of a book are we supposed to throw away?

The question might well follow: What is more important to this game than getting players interested and engaged? Who should be reading this book first?

Now here’s the biggest issue I have in this whole game that I would otherwise spend quite a lot of time complaining about: The resolution mechanic for this game rules. It’s cumbersome and it’s ugly and it requires a level of memorisation I do not find comfortable and I think there are better ways to implement it, but this is a game which uses playing cards for its resolution and a hidden actor to resolve it.

See, after the Moves are done, ultimately, people are going to hit a point in the story where you run out of options and have to take the move Invite the Lindworm to act upon the group. This means that all the players close their eyes, and one player (chosen in secret) picks one of the top three cards in the deck to present to the group. That player then closes their eyes and knocks on the table, and players no doubt look up the prompt to see what the revealed card means. There are rules to what the Lindworm will try to do, which means that it will avoid certain kinds of cards if it can, and it will try to kill animals rather than people, adults rather than children, and children rather than the protagonists, in that order.

This mechanism rules. I love the way that the game’s mechanical structure depersonalises this horror, where there’s an explicit mystery to what will happen and a fear of what might happen, all told in the silence of the ritual as people close their eyes and focus on the thing that they know is about to happen. It is not the bang, but the anticipation thereof.

This mechanic kicks ass! It’s such a good horror mechanism! I wish it wasn’t as fiddly as it is to execute what with the table and the person holding the card having to make an important decision without being sure what people will do with it, and I wish it didn’t come along with all the other details in the game like the conspiracy board, but I love how this mechanism creates a ritual for the Lindworm. It is a thing that brings with itself terror and that terror is heightened by the way it is invoked.

Someone needs a token to do a Strong action, and this is the least bad option they can come up with for how to get one, for how to use their Weak actions. And then… people close their eyes.

The dark comes.

It’s a great mechanic for a horror game!

I think Sleepaway is about an experience I don’t have and is a little confused in how it approaches its ideas, a beautifully slick, sleek engine that is unfortunately gummed up with concepts that I don’t think it needs but I couldn’t rightfully say it could get rid of without knowing the designer’s intention. There’s a want to tell a horror story that’s inclusive and diverse in a genre that is famous for its othering and exploitation, and a focus on not recklessly incorporating cultural elements inappropriately that also puts the Lindwurm, a Nordic mythical creature, in the setting’s America.

But maybe I was always supposed to fixate on the things in this game that excite me, because as I said: The opening seems to be for designers.

Check it out on PRESS.exe to see it with images and links!

[alicedopey]

Husband's New Year's Eve Festivities

Pairing: Soft Dark! Jonathan Pine x Wife! Reader Genre: Smut Words: 1559 Warnings: None really...is Jonathan Pine a warning? Summary: Your husband needs to feel you as you get ready for an event. A/N: This is a sequel to Husband's Orders. I think that with the million of ideas swarming in my brain, it might become a series. Again, I am blaming @darkficsyouneveraskedfor for this.

The frenzy of Christmas had left you in shambles. It was a period you usually liked but this year had been more intense than ever. Trying to keep up to appearances, you had celebrated the holidays with your family and your new extended one.  As usual, they had gotten along quite well and as usual, nobody had asked how you were doing. That is, except your husband who, you had to admit, had paid special attention to you and made sure you had everything you needed. Still, those two days had felt like a whole month and you thought you could enjoy some peaceful time at home. 

Unfortunately for you, being married to an important business man as Jonathan Pine brought some disadvantages. You had to play your socialite part and host a lot of parties and other social events. Jonathan had hired a highly skilled party planner to help you but you had insisted on being invested as much as possible. You knew all of those bitches married to Jonathan’s partners did not really like you and were waiting for any slip from your part. Then, there were your parents who would find a way to make you feel less than perfect if any mistake was made. 

Sighing heavily, you left the kitchen and took the stairs to go to your bedroom. When you entered the room, you noticed a beautiful evening gown laid out on the bed. You eyed it and let out another sigh. You hated dolling yourself up for all those events. You had never been the type of women to wear a lot of make-up and beautiful gowns. A pair of jeans and a nice blouse were more your style, even for a party. There was no way to escape such things as Mrs. Jonathan Pine, though.

You walked to your dressing table, took off your oversized shirt, sat down and opened the drawers to take out your make-up and accessories. You were about to apply some cream on your face when the bathroom door opened to reveal your husband, all dressed up. You cursed yourself inwardly for almost jumping out of your seat. After a few weeks, you were still not used to the fact that your husband and you were sharing the same room…and the same bed. As he seemed busy adjusting his cufflinks, you took the time to admire his attire through the mirror of your vanity. He was wearing a black suit that fitted him perfectly. He was reminding you of the moment you saw him, waiting for you at the altar. He was magnificent. Nothing had changed, except the dark bow tie had been traded for a tie and his curls had grown a bit now. You blushed, remembering how much you liked running your hands through those curls as you were writhing in pleasure under him. 

Being married to Jonathan also had his advantages after all. You had never felt so sexually satisfied before. Your husband was acting like a man on a mission each time he was in bed with you. He was always so ravenous every night. No, not every night. Every time he lay a hand on you. Day and night. 

“Is there something troubling you, my darling wife?”

The smooth voice of your husband made you startle and you blinked, chasing the sinful thoughts away. 

“I can see you are ready.”

He smiled, clearly aware that you were evading his question. “And I can see that you are not.”

“It won’t take long, don’t worry.” You busied yourself by applying some foundation on your face. “I just need a few minutes to hide the wrinkles and put on my dress.”

Jonathan tutted and you watched him get closer. “You know I love those wrinkles, darling.” To prove his point, he bent down and kissed those on the corner of your left eye. The chaste contact made you shiver. Each time this man got anywhere near you, your body was immediately set on fire.

He set another soft kiss on your cheek. “The less you wear, the better.”. His fingers played with the straps of your bra before pulling them down your shoulder to kiss your skin. Your shivering intensified and you clenched your thighs together. 

“Jonathan, the guests will be here in less than an hour. We don’t have much time.”

“We don’t?” He asked innocently before unhooking your bra. 

You let out a gasp but let him slide the straps down your arms and get rid of your bra entirely. Then he gently made you stand up and turn around to look at him. His blue eyes were twinkling with mischief and lust. 

“Jonathan…” You realized you were breathless as you said his name. 

He smirked knowingly. “Yes, my sweet darling wife?”

“We can’t. I don’t…”

Your words died in your throat as he cupped your cunt over your leggings. He rubbed you through the fabric that dampened under his ministrations.

“You don’t want to?” He leaned closer to whisper in your ear. “You seem pretty eager to me, my darling. But if you really don’t want it…” He stopped and you whined in need, gripping his jacket to get him closer. You had never felt so dependent of a man’s touch before. You had tried to deny it, you had tried to resist but there was no point.

You whined again as his fingers went past the elastic of your leggings and sneaked inside your panties. “I know, darling.” He guided one of your hands to his groin. “Feel how much I want you too.” You felt him getting harder under your touch. Trembling slightly, you undid his pants and tugged on his boxers to reveal his already leaking tip. You licked your lips as your hand snuck inside and you circled his dick. He let out a deep growl that vibrated right through your body. You stroked him slowly, enjoying the way his pleasure seemed to be at your mercy for once. You felt his touch on you slacken as he lost himself in the pleasure you were giving him. You gazed up at him. He looked back at you with lust blown pupils, his mouth half opened on a panting.

You liked it. This power that you had over him, for once. You pumped him faster, his panting intensified. 

“Darling…” He said through gritted teeth before catching your hand. You stopped and asked yourself if you had just not made a mistake. But Jonathan took your hand to his lips and kissed it. “This is nice but that is not what I want.”

You frowned as he slightly pushed you back and let out anther gasp as he pulled down your leggings and panties in one swift move. Then he grabbed your hips and made you sit on the dressing table. “I want more.”

He spread your legs and put himself in between. He caught his dick and pumped himself before pushing his tip inside you. You bit your lip in anticipation and grabbed him behind the neck to gently draw him closer. His eyes never left yours as he thrusted deeper. Your head lolled backwards and you let out a lewd moan. You loved this. The initial penetration that stretched you beautifully and was promising delicious moments to come. He hooked one of your legs against his hip as he slowly retreated himself before pushing in again. Your hand tightened against his neck and you grabbed the edge of the dressing table. You could hear the bottles of perfume and all your accessories jolt as his moves got sharper. 

“This is what I want.” He whispered against your skin as he kissed your throat. “I want to see your face contorted in pleasure while I am inside you.” 

You whined. For a gentleman, he was always so vocal in the bedroom and his words only could be enough to make you come. 

He groaned before delving deeper, faster. You let out a wanton moan. “I want you to remember this tonight because I will. Every time our eyes meet, I want you to see what we just did and what we will do tonight once everybody leaves.” He sneaked a hand between your bodies to tantalize your clit. You shuddered against him and felt him grew bigger inside you. He was close. 

“This is just the beginning, darling.” His lips trailed up your neck, your jaw, your cheek, your ear. “We will celebrate the new year all night long. Together.” He whispered and growled in your ear as he filled you with his seed. That was enough to trigger your orgasm. Your leg tightened against his hip and you pulled him even closer, the two of your crashing on your dressing table as you came. 

Breathless, you looked at each other and your lips met. He kissed you passionately and you kissed him back the same way. Your tongues danced together in a furious and sensual ballet until the urge to breathe forced you to break apart. 

When you looked at him this time, he was smirking. A smirked that made you tense as much as it turned you on.

 “My sweet darling wife.” He kissed your forehead, his lips lingering on your skin possessively. “I can tell the year to come is going to be just like you…delectable.”

Tagging: @naaladareia (feel free to ask to be added or removed)

[littjara-mirrorlake]

what's the final solution you came with the phyrexian mana?

The solutions I have are far from final, as I'm still deep in development and playtesting stages, but my current solution is to make ichor magic unlockable by a feat and provide a few hopefully not overpowered options, similarly to metamagic.

Here's some text as it stands right now:

You can only use one Ichor Magic option on a spell when you cast it. Each option specifies a hit die cost. You pay hit die costs by rolling that many hit dice without adding your Constitution modifier and taking necrotic damage equal to the roll, which cannot be reduced or prevented in any way. The hit dice you roll this way are expended. You have advantage on Constitution saving throws made to concentrate on any spell you cast using ichor magic. Arcane Amplification. You may heighten the effects of a spell by expending hit dice during its casting. The spell counts as one level higher for each hit die you expend. You can amplify a spell this way up to a maximum level equal to your highest spell slot plus one. For example, if you are a 3rd-level cleric and cast cure wounds with a 1st-level spell slot, you can expend 2 hit dice to make the spell’s effects count as if it were 3rd level. Ichorous Bane. When you cast a spell that causes one or more creatures to make saving throws to resist its effects, you may expend one hit die to give Phyrexian creatures disadvantage on saving throws they make against the spell until the beginning of your next turn. You may prolong this effect on each of your turns by expending 1 additional hit die. Visceral Focus. When you cast a spell requiring a costly material component, you may forgo the component by expending 1 hit die per 100 gp of the material cost. If the component would be consumed by the spell, the hit points you lose in the casting are subtracted from your hit point maximum until you finish a long rest.

The exact architecture of ichor magic is open to change, of course, but I'm invested in the idea of using hit dice as currency, both because they introduce a natural limiter (you can't spend more hit dice than you have, and they are a real cost due to HP loss and attrition, forcing you to truly consider your priorities) and they make hit die numbers on NPCs meaningful, which they typically aren't in 5e from my experience. Also, ichor magic provides Phyrexian "typal hate," which I'm adding because I have been conscious of the strong bias towards Phyrexian options and power level in the supplement.

Something I'm definitely seeking to avoid is creating spell slots entirely out of hit dice.

Honestly, the idea of "blood casting" has just always been compelling to me and this is the perfect setting to try and make it work. Legacy versions of ichor casting have lent themselves to some very potent dramatic moments!

[hadesoftheladies]

Hades' Personal Reflections on Separatism and Power XD

so here's my current definition of separatism:

any deliberate action that women take to divest from men that simultaneously transfers energy, resources and other forms of investment to female community. it must be an exercise of women's autonomy and power that deliberately excludes, de-centers and disadvantages men while promoting, centering and including women.

this definition would hence designate the following as not separatism:

-religious or non-religious sex segregation (this is not an exercise of women's autonomy)

-religious celibacy (this is not done for the sake of female community and also invests in male hegemony by focusing on male religion)

-girl's night out where the conversation is predominantly about relationships with men (even parasocial ones) XD

-domestic scenarios women are forced into where they find themselves able to talk to each other (i.e. women in the kitchen during a family reunion)

-sex segregation in general (because separatism is organized by the oppressed and segregation is organized by the oppressor)

this definition would include:

-exclusively female social groups (clubs, meetings, etc) where resources such as information and even financial aid are shared between women (like grandma's wednesday knitting club)

-women deliberately refusing to marry, date or befriend men (or all three at once)

-consuming only female products or intellectual property

Criticisms:

Some say separatism is better off being simply described as women physically separating from men. After all, who is the oppressor here? It is men that pose a threat to women and it is relationships to men that disadvantage and drain women while advantaging and reviving men. It seems silly to say that a woman who dates and lives with a man but reads only female authors is somehow radical or a separatist (and we must remember that separatism is an expression of radical feminism hence must be aimed toward radical reformation of patriarchal social structures). It's practically an insult to separatism by trivializing the very thing it exists to eradicate (unlike other forms of activism): male supremacy in the interpersonal sphere.

If we were to try distinguish between these forms and call celibacy "radical separatism" and reading exclusively female authors "quasi-separatism" none of these terms would make sense because separatism is (or must be) itself radical action and de-centering men while reading is still a form of male exclusion, divesting from male hegemony and financial/social investment in female community.

So we're at an impasse: because separatism must always be radical and yet, things that don't seem very radical still re-structure power on some scale (thus fulfilling the basic requirements of the end-goal of separatism which is to reclaim power as women in the interpersonal sphere by excluding male access to us). A woman who divorces her husband but keeps her son is divesting from male power in a socioeconomically impactful way on one end, but not on the other.

And there's the problem: she may disadvantage and separate from her ex husband (separatism) but is also investing in and raising her son (not separatism). So what we're really asking here is: "if not dating or marrying men was separatism and radical, does doing other non-radical things cancel out said radical action?"

I'd say no. Which is why I find the vegan metaphor unfitting for this discussion. I find it more useful to define separatism and radical action through the lens of power: who is getting it, who is losing it and to what extent they are empowered/disempowered.

For example, exercising is healthy but drinking heavily is unhealthy. Me exercising will always be a healthy action regardless of what I do after. Me drinking excessively will always be unhealthy. Does it make sense to then call someone who both exercises and drinks "only healthy" or "only unhealthy"? Or is it better to discuss which of their actions are healthy or unhealthy rather than attach an identity to it?

That seems to be the heart of this disagreement. Half of us think drinking heavily excludes you from being a healthy person period. I say that exercising is still meaningful action that counts as being "healthy" or contributing to health. Not because it's necessarily "more right" but because it seems more productive to me. Separatist action will always be separatist action. Non-separatist behaviour will be non-separatist. Does that make women practicing separatism in one form and not practicing separatism in another separatists or not separatists?

I think it's not that important. Separatism (exercise) is still good to practice and as many women as possible should engage with it however or whenever they can. Exercise will always be healthy (no matter who does it) the same way divesting from men and investing in women in any form will be a form of beneficial separatism that absolutely challenges the male status quo. Non-separatist action (drinking) will still never be empowering or radical the same way partnering with men will never challenge the male status quo. I find it more productive to ask how one can take more radical action rather than whether one is or is not radical.

Because to talk about being a separatist or radical feminist as something one is or is not rather than something one does (radical/separatist action) or does not is to inevitably limit it to ideology, which limits it to the realm of history and appeals to authority (feminist theorists and academics).

Note: I use my definition of separatism because I think anything that excludes males in order to empower women is best described as separatism rather than anything else. I don't think it makes sense to call these transferrals of power under these feminist goals "not separatism."

[literarynerd]

Dear Tumblr,

I know we are often overlooked, but Canada is having a federal election today, Monday, April 28th, 2025. And it is a big one. We have our own Trump-like candidate representing the Conservative Party.

It is not an exaggeration to say that his aims are very similar to Trump. And it isn’t an exaggeration to say that Canada’s very existence, or at very least its identity, is at risk.

When I entered this election season I really thought the “Maple MAGA” descriptions of Pierre Poilievre were exaggerations. But in the quest to become informed, by reading the Conservative Policy Declaration, by reading his platform last week, by watching his speeches, the debates, interviews, and his rallies - I found that there is no exaggeration. And that he poses an existential threat to Canada.

His policies mirror Trump’s because they are all playing from the same playbook, coordinated by mutual cooperation, with the goal of electing as many far-right governments as possible, overseen by the IDU with former Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper at the helm. All publicly available information, on the IDU website.

The policies that the Canadian Conservatives are offering? A housing plan straight from real estate investment lobbyists, an environmental plan straight from the oil industry, virtually no health care plan, and crime plan that is unconstitutional, a plan that criminalizes homelessness, and a DOGE like plan to rid the public service and university of influence who are “spreading the Woke Liberal Agenda”, and to cut all regulations by 25%.

The sad fact is, that a lot of these policies were enacted by Stephen Harper when he was in power, before the “lost Liberal decade” PP likes to complain about. Stephen Harper spent a huge amount of time and government money trying to push through his crime bill, which was eventually overturned by the Supreme Court.

Under Harper poverty was 50% higher. The federal tax rate was higher. Services like medical care, Old Age Pension, CPP, EI, and Veterans benefits were underfunded, staffing was cut, offices were closed, the retirement age was raised, and a lot of people were left without supports that they needed.

The truth is that when Stephen Harper was in power he entered office with a large surplus in the budget and very quickly ran up huge deficits by cutting taxes on corporations and the wealthy. Towards the end of his term he “balanced the budget” by selling off Canadian resources like oil sands, and the wheat board to foreign corporations, and he signed a 30-year disadvantageous contract with China without parliamentary debate or approval.

He also gagged the Canadian scientific community, and didn’t allow them to research subjects like climate change if they wanted any federal funding. He restricted abortion access by shutting down clinics.

And in 2015, Canadians gathered together and voted strategically and got him out of office.

PP is looking to do all this again, but he is even more extreme. And that isn’t even taking into consideration the threats coming from Donald Trump, who would like nothing more than to take ownership of our land and resources. And who is “more in sync with Pierre Poilievre”.

I can tell you that the budget proposed in the Conservative platform only makes sense if the income generated from the retaliatory tariffs stay in place - which is paid by Canadians, or if Canada signs a very advantageous deal with the US pretty much immediately. The majority of the economic reviews I have read about it say it really doesn’t make sense, and it is wildly optimistic.

If the tariffs stay in place, and he doesn’t use them to help the affected industries, it will make the economic fallout from the trade war even worse. And he hasn’t said or indicated he will use the tariff revenue to help anyone. And his platform includes no economic relief from the trade war, it really will be every man for himself.

PP has also pledged to end foreign aid, specifically parroting Israel’s talking points and vowing to end funding to UNRWA, the primary organization working in Gaza. He has said that all truly decent people support only Israel. He will not offer any relief to the Palestinians, he will not work meaningfully towards any kind of ceasefire. Netanyahu is another member of the IDU.

On the flip side, the other candidate who has a good chance of being the Prime Minister is Mark Carney. He was the Governor of the Bank of Canada, he then went and was the first non-British citizen appointed as the Governor of the Bank of England. In both positions he specifically was appointed to deal with complex economic situations - the 2008 financial crisis in Canada, and Brexit in the UK. In both positions he was asked to stay on longer than his initial appointments. Both tenures are considered a success, despite what the conservatives are trying to claim.

He was appointed as a special envoy to the UN on climate change and finance. He has been an advocate of developing clean energy, and the economic realities that will come with it. He has been warning Canadians about the risks of being so integrated with the US since at least 2019, and he has been warning about the risks of the global economy being based on the US dollar.

In an interview with Radio Canada he said that Palestinians need territorial integrity, and self-determination - he drew parallels between Gaza and the fight in Ukraine as both fights for territorial integrity. He has called on Israel to end the blockade and pledged funds for the UN Food Programme. He will not cut aid to Palestine, and he will work towards a ceasefire.

The Liberal housing plan was rated by More Homes Canada to be the best out of all the parties. The Liberal Health Care Plan was given the stamp of approval by the Canadian Medical Association, particularly noting that it included several policies they have been advocating for. It includes investments in hospitals, clinics, medical schools, mental health funding for young people, and making credentials universal across Canada.

I could go on, but point being, unlike the Conservative platform - which was literally at least 25% photos of PP, and it was already half as long - the Liberals didn’t phone it in. It actually includes a lot of policies and plans that Mark Carney has been talking about, and writing about, for years. He has spent a lot of time thinking about how to take Canada into the future, and making it a more equitable place for Canadians. And it only includes one photo of Mark Carney, just noting for comparison.

I could go on, because I have literally spent the majority of the last month researching, but there are some fundamental freedoms at risk - abortion access, marriage equality, the trans community it being targeted (probably the most at risk in Canada), freedom of thought and expression.

And that doesn’t even cover everything if the Conservatives get in power and enact the Notwithstanding clause which allows PP to override the Charter of Rights and freedoms - which he has said he will do. Not even the Supreme Court can overturn that.

Now, this election really is a two-party race when it comes to who will be Prime Minister. But it isn’t a two-party race within the ridings, and MPs. I appreciate the influence of both the NDP and the Green Party, especially in helping pass dental care and pharmacare. I have been an NDP voter in the past, but in my riding the only real shot this election is with the Liberal candidate.

I want to make something clear, that despite that Jagmeet Singh keeps claiming, even after the full costed platform came out, there are no cuts to services, to health care, to pharmacare, and to dental care in the Liberal platform. The planned expansion of dental care is in the platform. I’m not sure why Jagmeet keeps insisting otherwise, but it isn’t based in reality.

In order to beat the Conservatives in this election, we need to vote strategically. That means voting for the best candidate who can beat the conservative candidate in your specific riding. In my riding that is the Liberal candidate, but in yours it might be the NDP or the Green Party candidate.

I know it sucks, but that is the reality of the first past the post system we have. Splitting the vote is a constant problem in our elections because the majority of our voters are on the centre-left of the political spectrum, and we are split between three parties federally.

We need to be smart about this.

We are at risk, and Canada needs to be protected. The situation is dire, and despite what some politicians say, a Liberal win is not a sure thing if people don’t show up to vote and vote strategically. We need to protect our vulnerable and at risk populations by keeping Pierre Poilievre out of office.

It really is that important.

Please vote strategically for the best candidate in your riding to beat the conservative candidate. If we all vote strategically we will have more NDP and Green candidates than currently projected. Let’s not make the same mistake they made in the US last year, they are all paying for it now.

Smartvoting.ca

Votewell.ca

Check your riding and vote accordingly.

🍁

TLDR (Understandably) - Pierre Poilievre is very Trumpy with Trumpy and DOGE-like policies.

Vote strategically for the candidate in your riding who has the best chance of beating the conservative.

As someone who’s riding has had Conservative MP for 32 years, I feel your pain if it just isn’t a possibility. I’m hoping this year will be different.

Let’s stop this asshole.

Thanks for reading.

@allthecanadianpolitics if you care to share, no pressure.

[timhanauthor]

Tim Han Life Mastery Achievers (LMA) Course Review

Are you ready to tap into your potential and seize control of your life? Look no further than the LMA Life Mastery Achievers Course! If you're lacking direction, always feeling stuck or not living up to your capabilities, this course will be perfect for you.

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Learn about LMA Life Mastery Achievers Course Review By Tim Han. We will also discuss the intricacies of the LMA Method, examine its advantages and disadvantages, compare it to development courses available and ultimately share our final thoughts and recommendations.

What is the LMA Method?

The Life Mastery Achievers Method is designed to help individuals unlock their potential. This comprehensive course incorporates strategies, powerful techniques and mindset shifts that can transform aspects of your life. It covers a range of areas, such as creating wealth-building relationships, enhancing leadership skills, increasing productivity and fostering personal growth.

The LMA Method is truly remarkable because it focuses on application. Tim believes that knowing alone is insufficient; it needs to be implemented to see results. This course combines lessons, interactive exercises, and actionable steps to empower you with the tools to create lasting change in your life.

Tim openly shares his challenges and successes throughout his journey towards achieving greatness, making it easier for students to connect with him on a level. His passion for assisting others shines through each lesson delivered in a manner.

Advantages of the LMA Course

Tim Han has created this program to cover aspects of mastering life, including mindset, goal setting, productivity and success habits. This comprehensive approach ensures that participants receive a rounded education in growth.

The course provides tools and techniques that can be easily incorporated into life. Students are equipped with steps to achieve their objectives, from visualization exercises to communication strategies.

Another advantage is the sense of community that accompanies enrollment in this course. Do participants gain access to a network to connect with like-minded individuals on their journey towards self-improvement

How is the LMA course different from other courses available in the market?

There are options in the market, each claiming to offer unique strategies and transformative approaches to success and fulfilment. However, assessing your goals and requirements is crucial before investing in any program.

The LMA Life Mastery Achievers Course stands out for reasons. Firstly, it is built upon the proven methods developed by Tim Han himself. With his experience as an entrepreneur and mindset coach, Tim understands what it truly takes to achieve mastery in life.

What sets the LMA Method apart from development courses is its focus on more than surface-level techniques or quick fixes. It delves into the core beliefs and patterns that shape our lives, emphasizing the power of mindset reprogramming. Moreover, it provides tools to shift limiting beliefs and foster lasting transformation.

In conclusion

Tim Han stands out as an entrepreneur and mindset coach, surpassing the ordinary. He has empowered numerous individuals globally to overcome their limitations and turn their wildest aspirations into reality through his involvement in the development sector. What sets him apart is his methodology towards mastering life. Read here to learn more about Tim Han's unveiling of the Mindset Maven.

The LMA Life Mastery Achievers Course offers numerous benefits, such as its comprehensive curriculum and practical tools for personal growth. However, potential participants must consider costs and self-discipline before deciding.

[overleftdown]

can u talk more abt his apparent affairs w teachers and relationship w sex in general? so many ppl gloss over that bit

of course! i'll link a couple posts for preface, although i'll probably paraphrase some stuff anyways.

[my commentary on sex and consent in saltburn.]

i received an ask regarding farleigh's queerness the other day, to which i tied in this little tidbit about farleigh's affirs with teachers. the explicitly male/male language that felix used when recounting farleigh's sexcapades with teachers was interesting to me. farleigh is pansexual (as stated in the screenplay), but felix uses male/male language exclusively. part of this could be the erasure of pansexual or bisexual reality. people either exclude the homosexual aspect of someone's identity, or the heterosexual aspect. but this could also mean that farleigh did only harbor affairs with male teachers.

that would be an interesting complex to think about. although women in positions of power are absolutely capable of abusing that power and asserting dominance over others, men have a different dynamic within that. the fact is, farleigh does things to gain the affections of other people, because he isn't automatically handed that affection. farleigh does play into teacher/student dynamics, whether it's overtly sexual or not. you can see this in the tutor scene and the brief montage moment where fareligh is sitting on the floor in front of the tutor, while they both ignore oliver. consider it an investment, of sorts. there's always a possibility that a white teacher will have academic bias against you, and the need to mitigate that is strangling sometimes. teachers are also just dicks. i find myself in "teacher's pet" positions for a number of reasons, a few of them are bias related.

where it gets complicated is the sex aspect specifically. if it is true that farleigh has been expelled from an absurd number of schools specifically for harboring teacher/student sexual affairs, then this is can really only be perceived as compulsive. also, can i just say, the fact that farleigh was expelled instead of the teacher being fired is disgusting. i kinda wanna call this evidence of discrimination, as well. queerness and perceived sexual deviancy, blackness and the constant inability to be seen as human and innocent. arghgh. i digress. the fact is, if farleigh truly was harboring sexual affairs with teachers for his own benefit and that alone, then he wouldn't have made the mistake so frequently. he would've recognized that the disadvantages outweighed the benefits and found other ways of playing teacher's pet. archie talked about the quickstart dynamic and said that although it was ambiguously consensual, farleigh is attracted to and aroused by power dynamics. many people are. where that compulsive need to buy into power dynamics comes from, i'm not sure. it could be a lot of things.

the neglectful nature of farleigh's upbringing could've resulted in a need for validation and attention from those who are in a position of authority. farleigh's queerness could've resulted in an internalized feeling of perversion that was then externalized through a desire to be taken advantage of. the nature of submission is also often linked to a need for control in other areas of life, and therefore relinquishing control in sexual dynamics. some marginalized people play into eroticization because it can be more validating than exclusion. many people learn to crave their own objectification, and it's often a manifestation of sexual trauma or other forms of trauma. if i get really convoluted and let my angst-fanfiction brain run wild, i start to imagine what environments farleigh was in throughout his childhood. as archie said, farleigh was involved in overly "mature" conversations and situations through his mother. what that could mean for farleigh's perception of sex, nobody knows. i can let my imagination go insane though. i can imagine a lot of weird scenarios. those are all conjecture, of course.

i'm just going to conclude that whatever sexual complexes farleigh has, they're not healthy. i don't think that they should be fetishized or ignored. i think that they're relevant to farleigh and oliver's on-screen dynamic, especially considering oliver was in a position of power over farleigh when they had sex.

[sapphia]

From my post about how NZ’s far right wanted to abolish the human rights commission but instead installed a gay racist transphobe instead.

…The more [TERF] beliefs became incompatible with core feminism, and the more core feminism became interested in exploring gender, scientifically and sociologically, as an ever-changing construct informed by but not limited to base biology, and the more radfems became consumed with their “cause” of getting trans women out of their spaces and away from “LGB resources” (actual argument that used to get propagated), the further away TERFs pushed themselves from mainstream feminism until they found themselves on the same side as the groups to which they were once fundamentally opposed: anti-feminists, homophobes, conservative religious groups, anti-abortionists, and neo nazis. Thus, radical feminism is perhaps one of the few true demonstrations of the horseshoe theory, where a group became so radicalised it jumped the iron gap and travelled all around to the other end of the horseshoe.

TERFs were great boons to the cause, and came with a huge inbuilt advantage for the right: many of them are lesbians, giving them a rare LGBT ally and a demonstration of the ‘harm’ trans people were causing.

The reason why so many TERFs are lesbians is partly because of queer intracommunity politics, and partly because the academic and social roots of TERFism originate in the UK and from UK academic feminism, led by their universities and which was always particularly ‘anti-men’ in its approach, producing student movements back in the 80s and 90s that discouraged women from dating men, encouraging them to remain celibate or to date women instead, and it’s this separatist ideology where radical feminism finds its roots. If the concept sounds familiar, that’s because there is currently a South Korean feminist trend based on similar ideals making waves in the West.

In fundamental ways, radical feminists and the far right are well matched: they’ve always shared a particular lack of complex understanding of varying structures of oppression, as I remember very vividly from online discourse back before radical feminism devolved so much it fully segregated itself from the mainstream.

Radical feminists were obsessed with working out who had privilege over others, or who were less privileged, and this resulted in complicated and very flawed calculations of compounding oppressions. For example, does a gay black man have more or less privilege than a straight white woman?

Boiling this down to its essential premise of how much is a marginalisation “worth” is what aligns the mindset of radical feminists with that of the far right. Neither group truly includes a full variety of perspectives to contribute to demonstrating and explaining the complexities in the ways our society treats marginalised groups. Such transgressive thinking is antithetical to their worldview and contrary to the norms they are invested in enforcing.

You don’t have to be highly educated or culturally engaged to see the inherent issues of trying to so distinctly define people into categories. Common sense would also tell you different groups have different privileges, different concerns, and that these would reveal themselves in different ways and need addressing with different solutions. Both a black man and a woman may be disadvantaged in finding a job vs your average white man, but one would have more reason to be worried accepting a drink from a stranger in a bar while the other might be more worried being pulled over by the cops. These real-life concerns can’t be differentiated down into a finite value.

(Not that either of these situations aren’t a threat to the other individual — women have plenty of reasons to fear the power of cops, and gay men who are victims of hate crimes are regularly picked up in gay bars.)

Common sense also would make you wonder how much it matters. If you want to add up all the different ways people can be disenfranchised, you’ll soon end up with a checklist of -isms too long to be of any use and able to find ways to fit anyone inside at least one of them, which is sort of the whole point. And in checklisting everything you’ll still be managing to ignore any nuance and the entire concept of classism, probably.

This was roughly the outcome of discourse between the left and radical feminists: “Your math doesn’t work out.” And like a true ally of the right, the TERFs said, “Doesn’t matter, we believe it anyway.”

Comment

Like the right, radical feminists struggle to conceptualise and explain the effects of compounding marginalisation, usually because they themselves tend to be quite privileged. Radical feminism was born from those first generations of women able to attend universities, and their demographic reflects that. Most radical feminists (actual radical feminists and not just people jumping on the transphobia bandwagon) were white women, able-bodied, on the richer side of the poverty line — and in fact, the exclusion of black women in the UK from feminist studies in universities has become a recent subject of criticism from black feminists, as Western concepts of norms have been drastically affected by the narrowness of the perspective of the field, and so in this way, defining ‘male’ and ‘female’ as distinct categories with distinct traits particularly disenfranchises Black people and other people and cultures of colour who maintain different ideals and norms, who have different physical features, and who resultantly find themselves alienated from a conversation dominated by the white voice.

Although their views on how gender should be divided in society are transformative, TERF positions on gender themselves are regressive and conservative, leaning into anti-scientific understandings of sex, gender, and the wider world that have steadily put the movement more and more at odds with academia and also, sometimes, with reality. TERFs, both women and lesbians, are members of marginalised groups who feel their space is being encroached upon by people who, by their own rubric, are evaluated as more ‘privileged’ than they are, yet are seen as ‘more harshly oppressed’ by others within their community, threatening their status and position within established movements. Having quite literally been the subgroup of feminists attempting put a value on oppression in order to determine who is “most oppressed” or navigate oppression dynamics, anti-trans feminists were women who found their position threatened by new groups and by their transformative ideas around the structures upon which their shared oppression was based.

Thus, the response of TERFs became to deny trans people, and particularly trans women, a position within the rubric in an attempt to stymie the growth of a group and ideology who threatened their position, authority and, they felt, their identities.

Conservative branches of movements formed by attempting to uphold outdated, unscientific ideals were ever-branching offshoots in leftism at this time. In the 2010s, within the LGBT community, radical feminist lesbians found allyship with ‘Truscum’ — trans people who believed that only people who experience clinical levels of dysphoria can be transgender. This movement almost entirely died by the end of the decade, but those sparse people and ideals remaining from the movement too have become very valuable allies to the far right. Like detransitioners, these rare examples of trans people holding non-normative subversive beliefs around gender and transness are frequently referenced, presented and paraded by anti-science fringe groups like the Free Speech Union as examples that prove their points and that some minorities support their ideas.

Truscum groups too were a response to new ideas of gender and sex threatening established science, identities, and ‘power structures’. Truscum-identifying trans people were generally individuals with a personal belief in the gender binary, were deeply affected by self-directed transphobia, and invested in the medical model. Truscums upheld the medical model of transitioning (that would eventually leave them behind), the gender binary, and then positioned themselves as scientifically-verified “outsiders” relative to that binary, a position that became threatened by the growing self-identification of non-binary individuals who signified a shift in thinking within the trans community away from gender as immutable and based in science, and instead used science to further question the sociological underpinnings of our concepts of sex.

I explain this to give you a cause-and-effect, psychosocial explanation of how these reactionary movements and beliefs spring up within movements in an attempt to demonstrate where positions like Stephen Rainbow’s come from — people in a marginalised community who turn on what many of us would see as a fellow marginalised group and what some of us (and many more bigoted or distant perspectives) would see as the same marginalised group.

Lesbians and feminists were not the only groups to have conservative social elements that felt threatened by encroachments of new marginalised identities within their community of marginalisation; it was demonstrated by gay men as well, just more bluntly and without them really forming an identity or body of academia or psuedoscience around their discomfort. But it’s through this ostracisation from their own communities caused by their unfavourable perception of, and then bigotry towards, new-entrant groups threatening the status quo, that groups like TERFs and gay men like Stephen Rainbow are pushed towards the radical right.

I also explain this to so you can get a sense for the categorical thinking that underpins these shared philosophies, and the way both groups put ‘value’ on these distinct categories of marginalisation. Radical feminists do put value on oppression in pretty much the exact way the right believe the mainstream left put such value on oppressions, and this has morphed into TERF ideas of status that the right think dominate left-wing thought.

The right count the monetary value of affirmative action initiatives and reparations, note the attentiveness of the public to marginalised issues, confuse the raising of diverse voices with the raising of status, and hold that the effects of these actions are a sort of ‘privilege’. The actual reasons behind these groups getting different levels of money and attention at different times is complex and much more to do with equity or recompense than value, but in dismissing this complexity, the right are attempting to ‘solve’ an unsolvable equation asking which marginalisation is worth what value to the left, while using entirely the wrong variables.

Because the far right are very strong believers in the value these marginalised identities must hold, ACT see appointing a gay human rights commissioner as “justifying” itself through marginalisation “points”, expecting him to be more acceptable or palatable to the left and to the public. They believe his oppressions qualify him or make him suitable, or somehow shield him from scrutiny, and they believe they can select by marginalisation in the same way Clarence Thomas was a Black Republican placed on the Supreme Court. They fail to recognise the way the majority of the LGBT community has embraced and incorporated the social, scientific, and gender theory behind current demographics and understandings of trans people and that, for the vast majority of the LGBT community, this is a point of unity and understanding between groups and identities.

Right now, gay men are frequently targeted by homophobic hate crimes, but that is not necessarily going to make them any more grateful to see an anti-trans gay man as Human Rights Commissioner because while it doesn’t affect his ability to advocate for gay men per se, his advocacy for queer rights ad a whole is likely to be compromised due to not truly sharing the same perspective as the community he supposedly serves.

This will not stop some conservative, privileged gay men from viewing any attempts at Rainbow’s removal as further alienation from their own community by “the left”. Rainbow’s placement in this position is a victory for the right either way.

In appointing Rainbow, ACT entirely miss the irony of what they are doing; they are the ones appointing people to positions entirely because of identity. The left, the wider population even, genuinely see the value and perspective different relevant minority groups can bring to these positions, and that is the basis for which minority identities can “favour” applicants for such roles. It is the right who have themselves boiled someone down to what “label” they can bring the role in order to better disguise their corrupt, bigoted appointment implicitly placed to further their race war.

Who’s playing identity politics NOW, Seymour?

[partisan-by-default]

First, the tax gap pushes more economic activity toward industries and occupations with opaque sources of income — such as construction businesses that deal mainly in cash. Our economy needs contractors, of course, but we don’t want an inordinate number of capable workers rushing into remodeling for cash simply because it offers an illegal tax break. Similarly, we don’t want people choosing self-employment simply because it gives them better chances of dodging the IRS. Labor and capital markets work best when they’re driven by business considerations rather than tax evasion.

Second, tax-cheating businesses gain an advantage on each dollar of profit. A company that doesn’t pay taxes can take on investments that wouldn’t make financial sense if it were meeting its tax obligations. This means the scofflaw company can profitably expand while the complying company cannot, putting honest taxpayers at a competitive disadvantage.

Third, a portion of the economy is dedicated to the evasion itself. Skirting a tax bill can be a lot of work: It takes time and money to set up shell companies, safely store large amounts of cash and falsify documents. Rather than going to some productive use, this activity amounts to what economists consider a “deadweight loss” that does not help our economy expand in any way. Avoiding half a trillion dollars in taxes requires a lot of work and resources that serve no purpose other than to illegally lower tax bills.

[militantinremission]

Jamaal Bowman: The Cost of being 'Off Code'

Jamaal Bowman IS the Canary in the Coal Mine for the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). His Primary defeat to [Race Baiter] George Latimer sends a CLEAR MESSAGE to the rest of the CBC, that they need to pay more attention to Black Specific Issues. For decades, they rode into Office on Black Votes; only to ignore their Constituents & champion White Liberal Causes. The CBC's 'Mission Statement' is a slap in the face of Black America. While the Asian & Latinx Caucus single out their intent to represent their Ethnic Group, The CBC focuses on 'People of Color' & 'The Disadvantaged' (Marginalized). Black Americans are Socially Liberal, so We didn't clap back at this commitment to 'Coalitions'. The Problem, is The CBC's commitment to these Coalitions OVER Black Specific Issues.

Jamaal Bowman stands out. He's a Member of those Progressive Democrats, known as 'The Squad'. They collectively hold a Narrow Majority in Congress, but This group has been exposed as being toothless on hot button Progressive Issues like: 'Medicare for All', Raising the National Minimum Wage, Supporting Railroad Workers, & a 'Human Infrastructure Bill'. Bowman has been a strong voice in this Group. Like ALL Black Progressives, Bowman towed the Democratic Line over the legitimate needs of Black Americans. LGBTQ..., Asian, Ashkenazi, & Latinx American concerns take precedence over their Own Constituents. This has been The Case for decades. It's not just a Progressive issue, Many of these Black Members of Congress choose other groups over the Blackfolk that put them in Office.

It's ironic that The Congressional Black Caucus has collectively lent their Support to Israel FOR YEARS, but are now being 'Primaried' by AIPAC for demanding a Cease Fire in Gaza. Jamaal Bowman is not alone, Many CBC Members face an AIPAC Backed Challenger this Year. Like his Congressional Peers, Bowman ignored the Grassroots in his District throughout his Tenure, claiming that 'he's alone in Congress & doesn't have The Power'; but somehow expected them to rally behind him, in an effort to defeat the Big Bad AIPAC Boogeyman. His Bronx Rally w/ Bernie Sanders & Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (AOC), was an embarrassing Event that exposed the decline of the Progressive Party. The Writing was On the Wall for all 3 Politicians. Bernie was cliche & hypocritical, AOC was overactive & loud, Jamaal was plastic & ineffective. The Turnout was Unbelievably Low.

AIPAC is known for having Deep Pockets, so their investment of roughly $25 Million to defeat Jamaal Bowman is not surprising. It's clear that his critique of Israel's Actions in Gaza motivated AIPAC to 'Primary' him. Aside from AOC, I didn't see much support coming from the rest of The Squad. It's Nina Turner all over again. I question the solidarity of Black Progressives, but The CBC didn't back Bowman either. Jim Clyburn, Maxine Waters, Sheila Jackson Lee & Hakeem Jeffries were silent; then again, ALL are beholden to AIPAC for Campaign Funds. WHAT is The CBC's Agenda? Their lack of solidarity & support for each other, is as scary as their support of The Democratic Agenda. They have THE SAME 'Shark Tank Mentality' as their White Congressional Peers

Bowman's defeat can be attributed to AIPAC, but the lack of Black Voter Turnout stands out. Mainstream Media may downplay it, but The Democratic Party has to be concerned; Black Democrats in Office should be WORRIED! Before the Vote, Jamaal Bowman was given a Fighter's Chance, despite Redistricting- due to his 'Ethnic Demographic Advantage'. The Fact that he lost by Double Digits speaks volumes. I have said more than once, that Black Politicians need to Draft & Present a Black Agenda to their Constituents. Their disregard for Black Voters is Coming Home to Roost. Bowman, like many other Black Members of Congress have been curt & disrespectful towards their Constituents when critiqued. Blackfolk are talking about Reparations, & NOT taking No for an Answer... I think The CBC better get to work before it's too late.

-Just Sayin'