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ingek73 · 21 days ago

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Dispatches documentary reveals shocking state of Duchy of Cornwall properties

ByNick SommerladInvestigations Editor

16:00, 2 Nov 2024

Scores of rental properties owned by Prince William fail to meet the minimum legal energy efficiency standards for landlords, we can reveal.

We found some of his tenants are at risk of fuel poverty, living in hard to heat homes that are riddled with damp and black mould. Our investigation with Channel 4 Dispatches has found that as many as one in seven of William’s inherited Duchy of Cornwall’s residential rental properties have the lowest Energy Performance Certificate ratings of F or G.

It comes as the taxpayer is funding a £369m renovation of Buckingham Palace and Prince William launches his campaign against homelessness and for “everyone having a right to a safe and stable home”. One tenant said: “The slick PR will stick in the throat of many tenants. He should start by bringing the homes he already owns up to modern standards.”

Claire Williams meeting William's father, King Charles

Tenant Claire Williams was evicted last week over rent arrears ( Image: MIKE ALSFORD/MWP)

The Duchy has more than 600 rental properties and over a 15-month investigation we identified nearly 500 of them. We found 50 Duchy properties rated F and 20 rated G, including six properties with the lowest EPC score of one point out of 100.

We spoke to a number of tenants on condition of anonymity who are living in cold, poorly insulated homes, often without central heating and many relying on the most expensive solid fuels for heat. It has been illegal since 2020 for landlords to rent out properties that are rated below an E under the Minimum Energy Efficiency Standards regulations without a valid exemption.

Since the new rules, Prince William and the previous Duke of Cornwall King Charles III have between them received £91m in profits from the Duchy. One tenant with no central heating spends hundreds of pounds a month on coal and wood to heat just two rooms in his house.

He told us: “It gets miserably cold especially in the winter, you can see through the roof. I can only heat two rooms in my home using a wood burner and a coal fire, and the landlord told me that my rent was going to be put up considerably if they put in radiators."

Claire's home is filled with damp and mould ( Image: MIKE ALSFORD/MWP)

He claimed: "There is mould appearing on soft furnishings and clothes because the air is so cold and damp. To make my property efficient it needs to be insulated but they won't do that because of the cost. But you don't want to say anything against your landlord for fear of eviction. There could be consequences.”

Another elderly tenant with no central heating and just one fireplace for warmth was under a blanket when we visited his home in early September. A third told us: “The house is freezing. We were told that it is uninhabitable. When the wind blows the curtains start swinging. There’s no heating upstairs at all.

“I asked about double glazing and they said Prince Charles doesn’t like it. Well he doesn’t have to live here.” A fourth said: “The house is cold and it is a struggle but there is nowhere else to live here. They are not good landlords.”

One Duchy tenant who let us take photos of her home is Claire Williams, 53, who was evicted last week over rent arrears – which she disputes. She says she wasn’t told when an energy assessor found her former farmhouse outside Exeter was rated F in 2015. But she says she has struggled with cold and damp since she moved in more than 20 years ago.

Parts of the house which are below the ground level feel wet to the touch and are covered in black mould that Claire says she has never been able to stop growing back. She said: “As much as I tried to cover it up with mould sealer it just comes back.

Some tenants have spoken of their poor living conditions ( Image: MIKE ALSFORD/MWP)

Prince William and King Charles at the Army Aviation Centre in Stockbridge, Hampshire, in May ( Image: Getty Images)

“Any wallpapering or any painting I do, after a couple of months it just peels off. I've complained about it for 21 years. The repaint was done about a week before I moved in so you couldn't see it.”

Claire says the house has become increasingly expensive to heat: “I have to heat the house where all the heat is going out windows. I have to pay an awful lot for oil. It is just so expensive when you know you are paying all this money into a property and it's heating outside.”

She used to pay £430 to fill her 3,000 litre oil tank, but it now costs £600 for just 500 litres that last only three months. "I can never afford to fill my tank," Claire added. She said she only found out about the poor EPC rating when she was asked to leave: “When I got my eviction letter, I phoned Citizens Advice.

“They checked it out on the internet and said 'It's an F, you shouldn't be living there. You shouldn't be paying to live there and it's illegal to let that property out'. I think the Duchy are saying that I've lived here too long. You can live in conditions that are dreadful because I have lived here too long.

“They don't seem to have any consideration for the people that have lived in their houses for a length of time. They try to save money on people's lives to gain money for themselves." After the Duchy began eviction proceedings against Claire, inspectors from Mid-Devon Council visited her home and served the Duchy of Cornwall with a "hazards awareness notice" over the conditions. They found "damp and mould growth" and "excess cold" throughout the property.

The conditions inside another Duchy of Cornwall property

The Duchy of Cornwall would not comment on Claire’s EPC but said it was a “responsible and compassionate Landlord” and only evicts tenants “in rare circumstances where all other alternatives have been exhausted”. A Duchy of Cornwall spokesperson said: “We are a responsible Landlord committed to continuous improvement of its properties. We work closely with our tenants to actively address energy efficiency of properties across our portfolio while minimising the impact on residents.

"The Duchy of Cornwall is a private estate with a commercial imperative which we achieve alongside our commitment to restoring the natural environment and generating positive social impact for our communities. Prince William became Duke of Cornwall in September 2022 and since then has committed to an expansive transformation of the Duchy.

“This includes a significant investment to make the estate net zero by the end of 2032, as well as establishing targeted mental health support for our tenants and working with local partners to help tackle homelessness in Cornwall.” We showed our dossier of evidence to EPC expert Andrew Parkin, director of Elmhurst Energy and chair of the trade body Property Energy Professionals Association, who said: “That does surprise me.

“I would kind of expect to see a very small landlord here as somebody who doesn’t really understand the regulations. Every landlord has a responsibility for the buildings that they own and the tenants that are in those buildings.

“The vast majority of people agree that we have to improve our building stock, not just for the people who live in those buildings, but also for the planet and for reducing our impact on the planet.” He examined a handful of EPCs from the Duchy’s rentals and said about one: “Well, this is the worst performing kind of property. It is more likely to be a cold, draughty, hard to heat property. It certainly will be expensive to heat the property … the rating is is very, very low indeed.

Some of William's tenants are at risk of fuel poverty

About another, he said: “It has also got solid fuel heating and solid fuel room heaters, which is a very inefficient and very expensive way of heating a property. A lot of carbon emitted almost twice the amount on that one was twice the amount of the typical house.

“Because they're using something expensive like wood and electricity, the fuel bills are very, very high indeed. In terms of carbon emissions, this is a very polluting property.” Shown photos of one property, he said: “Wherever you've got large gaps and cracks within the structure of the building, you're going to get draughts … I would expect that property to be pretty cold to live in.”

He added: “With these EPCs that I've seen today, it's quite clear to me that they shouldn't be rented out until they comply with either the minimum energy efficiency standards or they have a valid exemption on the exemptions register.” None of the 70 properties with F and G ratings had exemptions in place but we understand the Duchy considers that the rules do not apply to properties where the same tenant has lived there for many years and the EPC was done “voluntarily”.

Breaches of the MEES regulations can be penalised with fines of up to £5,000 per property. Our investigation with Channel 4’s Dispatches raises serious questions over the environmental record of the Duchy, which is owned by the heir to the throne.

The Duchy of Cornwall website states that the “Dukes of Cornwall have traditionally managed their own estates … Over the last few years, HRH Prince William, the current Prince of Wales, has worked with his father managing the estate and has now taken over full responsibility for the estate leadership.”

King Charles III, who owned the Duchy until September 2022, is a longstanding champion of environmental issues, while Prince William launched the Earthshot Prize in 2020 "to search for and scale the most innovative solutions to the world ’s greatest environmental challenges". Since the new rules came into force on EPC, Charles and William have between them received £91m in profits from the Duchy.

Claire's home in Devon ( Image: MIKE ALSFORD/MWP)

There are a series of “exemptions” from the MEES regulations available to landlords. Our research shows the Duchy has applied just 10 times for exemptions and the most common reason, used four times, was that the work would cost more than £3,500 to complete.

Campaigner Jonathan Bean, a spokesperson for Fuel Poverty Action, said: "It's a disgrace that a billion pound royal estate appears to be acting like a rogue landlord. And getting away with it. King Charles and Prince William have profited from renting out property that fails to meet even basic standards.

“These low standards cause misery by making heating unaffordable, leading to major health risks from cold and mould. F and G rated homes can cost three times more to heat, which is unaffordable for those on lower incomes.

"Renters are scared to complain about grim conditions, for fear of being evicted or subjected to rent increases. People are forced to suffer in silence. This royal mess demonstrates the fundamental power imbalance at the heart of this country’s broken housing system. Tenants may have rights in law, but in reality they are at the mercy of their landlords.

"We hope this investigation will spark the urgent action needed by Government to force the Duchy and other landlords to actually meet basic standards, and end the misery of people stuck in cold, damp and mouldy rental homes." Definitions of fuel poverty vary. One measure is a household that spends more then 10% of its income on heating - another refers to poorer household with an EPC rating below D.

In 2020, the year the rules on not renting properties below an E came into force, the Government found that 4.4% of rental properties were “non-compliant”. The latest from the Office of National Statistics found that just over 1.5% of rental properties are an F or a G but these include those with an exemption in place. In comparison, 14% of the Duchy rentals we found were rated F or G - nearly ten times higher.

Are you living in an inadequate royal property? Email [email protected].

The King, the Prince & Their Secret Millions: Dispatches’ on Channel 4, 8.10pm and afterwards on channel4.com.

#king charles iii #prince william #abolish the monarchy #landlords #royalty #brf #british royal family

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mariacallous · 5 days ago

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There are few circumstances under which inflation can be comforting. But in the wake of Donald Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris in the U.S. presidential election, one of them appears to be when it serves as an alibi for an electorate’s sharp turn toward meanness, selfishness, and a hard-edged type of identity-centered nationalism.

Many Americans have used inflation to explain away the country’s embrace of radical political change. Yet this ignores basic facts about the U.S. economy. Before the election, I wrote a column highlighting some of these remarkable statistics, noting that the country has recently far outpaced its G-7 peers in economic growth and brought unemployment down to nearly historic lows; that inflation, after briefly surpassing 9 percent in 2022, has plunged to 2.6 percent; and that gasoline prices, one of the most important pocketbook issues for Americans, are relatively low.

Even George F. Will, a dean of conservative columnists in Washington, indirectly laid bare the ridiculousness of this explanation. As he wrote this week, Trump “ran promising to increase living costs” due to the large tariffs he has vowed to impose on imports.

But to fully understand why the inflation explanation doesn’t add up, one must examine the broader nature of Trump’s program—specifically, its retrograde racial politics. After all, Trump was explicit about his policy priorities during the campaign, and the president-elect’s staffing moves and statements since Nov. 5 have reaffirmed his intentions.

Trump has quickly announced a prospective team of hard-liners to execute his priorities on the border and immigration. This includes Stephen Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy; Tom Homan as his so-called border czar, and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem as the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security. By all indications, Trump will rely on this team to carry out a sweeping expulsion of millions of undocumented migrants.

Pulling off such a feat would disrupt the economy and everyday life on a scale with few comparisons in U.S. history. Trump’s zealous associates have pledged to carry out workplace raids and suggested deporting whole families to meet their goals. Given the small size of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, accomplishing deportations on this scale would probably require using the National Guard—including by dispatching units from Republican-led states to Democratic-governed ones, a move of dubious legality.

Trump has long devoted himself to laying the groundwork for this. Since his first presidential campaign, he has denounced Mexicans as “rapists,” alleged that countries such as Venezuela have emptied their prisons to inundate the United States with “criminals,” and amplified vile and baseless claims that Haitian migrants in Springfield, Ohio, are preying on the community’s pets.

More overtones of white nationalism and nativism can be found in Trump’s infamous 2018 disparagement of what he called “shithole countries,” which in his definition are home to Black and brown people. Meanwhile, Elon Musk, a top Trump ally and now formal advisor to the president-elect, has called for women to have more babies—calls that conservative pundit Tucker Carlson, another prominent Trump backer, has echoed while also casting the issue in explicitly racial terms.

Hinting at a much broader anti-immigration agenda, Trump and his surrogates have also repeatedly inveighed against birthright citizenship, a provision of the U.S. Constitution. Trump’s efforts to call into question who “real” Americans are date back to 2011, when he started saying that he had “real doubts” about Barack Obama’s citizenship and demanded that the then-president produce his birth certificate. Couple this with Trump’s other comments suggesting a preference for immigrants from Nordic countries, and a sense of racial purpose running through many of his fondest projects begins to emerge.

This racial agenda also lurks in the Trump movement’s designs on remaking the country’s education system. In Florida and other states, Trump allies have launched a wholesale attack on books that are frank about the country’s history of slavery and its aftereffects as well as those that discuss gender and sexuality in anything but heteronormative ways.

Meanwhile, Trump couches his hostility toward diversity and inclusion initiatives in higher education as a way to protect the country’s white population from discrimination. In July, for instance, he said, “I will direct the Department of Justice to pursue federal civil rights cases against schools that continue to engage in racial discrimination. And schools that persist in explicit unlawful discrimination under the guise of equity will not only have their endowments taxed, but through budget reconciliation, I will advance a measure to have them fined up to the entire amount of their endowment. A portion of the seized funds will then be used as restitution for victims of these illegal and unjust policies—policies that hurt our country so badly.”

Trump’s nomination of Pete Hegseth as his secretary of defense appears to have been made in a similar spirit. Hegseth, a veteran Fox News host with no policy background, has made a name for himself attacking diversity efforts in the military, saying that Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr., the Black chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, should be fired for his support of “woke” programs. Trump’s transition team is reportedly considering creating a “warrior board” of retired military officials that, some analysts fear, would be able to purge military officers who are not loyal to Trump. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Hegseth could be essential to carrying out that board’s recommendations.

All of this fits with a pattern of stoking culture wars based largely on white resentment in the interest of sustaining political support. As historian David W. Blight wrote in an astute New York Times column, “Trump exploited our social fissures to make them deeper, uglier, ever more bitter and therefore useful. We were reminded that culture wars are won by fueling them, not by seeking harmony. Unity coalitions and kindness and joy don’t win elections in a bitterly divided society where neighbors and family members are not on the same team.”

As perceptive as Blight’s assessment is, it misses the important global dimensions of Trump’s strategy and appeal. By pledging to abandon international climate agreements at a time of dangerous levels of warming (which even the head of Exxon Mobil says is a mistake), by opposing wind power and vowing to “drill baby, drill,” by threatening to impose unilateral tariffs on other countries as a core economic strategy, by pretending that the United States can prevail through tough guy optics and bluster, Trump is engaging in an elaborate fantasy that is both pedigreed and dangerous.

It is an approach to politics that is based on nostalgia for a time when, as the historian Greg Grandin has written, the world seemed for many Americans to be an open frontier—that period in the 19th and 20th centuries when it was permissible to pretend that “America” essentially meant “white,” and that with sufficient will, Washington could bend the rest of the globe to its whims.

There were elements of this ethos in past administrations—notably, in the presidencies of Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush—but even those leaders knew that going it alone and humiliating allies was not smart, and that appeals to racial identity carried political dangers. Trump, however, fully taps into chagrin over the loss of that unquestioned privilege.

What is more, Trump’s brand of voluntarism—his vision of a United States that can say no to whatever displeases it—arrives at a time of relative decline in Washington’s standing in the world compared with its principal rival, China, and even with a larger set of rising middle powers. The United States is about to learn that in order to succeed, it will need strong cooperation with others and more internal harmony of its own. Four years on the path that Trump is setting could be an expensive learning process for the entire nation.

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lilapplesheadcannons · 2 years ago

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r/AmITheAsshole: u/throwaway478wwx

AITA if I tell my "husband" I love him?

Throw away because my siblings and friends are here. Don't roll your eyes, please. It's very complicated. So I (34M) have been married to my incredible husband Z (34M) for the last 8 years. We went to the same high school but actually ran into different circles. Z, who was a straightA student, didn't like me and my friend circle. Things worsened after I accidentally ruined his science fair project. High school ended with bad blood between us. His older brother, who was a few years senior to us, was my sister's classmate, and he tried to mediate between us, but Z really hated me and would get huffy every time we met.

We met again in Uni. Z seemed more open to the idea of a civil relationship, and things improved tremendously once I gifted him 2 rabbits for his birthday. Z had the cutest crush on our classmate M and would get so flustered when I asked him about M.

In our final year, all of us got very drunk in a party, and I lost the drinking game. As a punishment, I was tasked with safely escorting Z back to our dorm. Just my luck, for such a calm and self-controlled person, Z is an agent of chaos when drunk. We broke into the nearby aquarium to look at the sting-rays, went into a Mcdonald where Z proceeded to buy all the chicken wings as a gift for me and tried to fight a mirror for 'staring at the love of his life'. I somehow managed to calm him down and took him back to the dorm.

Fast forward a year, M suddenly announced her relationship with someone else. I was extremely surprised, but not only Z stoically bore the news, the rest of my friends were very chill about it too. In fact, they seemed more annoyed at me for making a fuss. My angel of a sister, who never spoke a harsh word in her life, told me I was lucky I was so stinking cute.

I tried my best to support Z in this difficult time. We spent most of our free time together. In fact, I invited Z to my sister's wedding to cheer him up. Incidentally, we kinda discovered a big conspiracy to harm Z's brother and his boyfriend, and Z's family was very taken with me. His mom started to joke that she'll steal me to be her own son. Even Z's very stern uncle seemed to soften up.

Finally, M announced her wedding when we were 26. I hastily planned a trip as a means to distract Z. We backpacked and hiked. One night, we got roaring drunk and woke up the next day in bed with each other. Even worse, drunk us thought it was a good idea to apply for a marriage certificate online and make an announcement on Facebook that we were getting married. Our families were blowing up our phones. They asked us how could we do this? How could we exclude them from the happiest day of our life and not give them the chance to celebrate? Before our hungover brains could explain anything, Z's brother was dispatched to retrieve us, and our parents were looking at the wedding venue and cakes.

Our mothers combined are a force to reckon with. I tried to explain things, but mom said she thought she raised me better, and Z's otherwise very kind brother told me he'd feed me into a woodchipper if I backed out of the wedding.

Long story short, we got married that spring. We planned to let things settle a bit, but disaster struck. A friend of ours had a baby cousin whose parents suddenly passed away in an accident. The baby's nearest kin was his grandma, who was very frail and terminal, and my friend didn't have the means to support the baby. Z and I promptly applied to adopt the baby.

Our little radish is almost 9 this year. Z is not only a great dad, but he's an incredibly good husband, too. He's kind, warm, sweet, and patient. He's a wonderful cook. We are compatible in every way, and I mean every possible way. My parents love him. And I think I have fallen in love with him too. But would I be an asshole if I told him that I loved him? We have a good thing going on here. I don't want to rock the boat.

Update 1: Thank you so much for your kind words. I have decided to confess to my husband. Wish me luck.

Update 2: To the person who DMed me calling me "so dumb that light can enter through one ear and exit via another," JC, I know your writing style. Push your luck, and the whole of reddit will know what happened in our third year.

Update 3: So, I told Z that I loved him. He was reading our baby boy's half yearly report. Have I told you guys how handsome he looks with his glasses on? He raised his eyes and said, " And I love 'my name' too. Always have." So I guess that's settled? We have been in love for the last decade? That's good. Thank you for all your support. And I love you too, Jie.

#mdzs #mo dao zu shi #mdzs headcanons #mdzs crack #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #wei wuxian #lan Wangji #wangxian #jiang cheng #jiang yanli #lan wangji #mianmian

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jenthebug · 4 months ago

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Just heard from the Fire Department, they’re going with other candidates.

Haven’t heard from the Big City yet. I’m nervous now. What about me caused the Fire Department to reject me? Is it something that would cause the Big City to reject me too? Is it that my emergency medical dispatch certification has lapsed and other candidates’ haven’t? Because that would be a problem for the Big City too. Or do they just not like my vibe?

I wish I’d hear something, I need to get back to the call center today. And if the Big City is going to say no, I need to accept the call center job. I need paychecks!

Anyway, I’m praying to the EMS Gods and trying to distract myself from obsessively refreshing my email. This is excruciating!

#🚑

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hunieday · 6 months ago

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Momo i-HAKE! Rabbit TV - Part 1: i-HAKE! ~Momo’s episode 1~

Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3

Please note that I am not a professional translator and I'm only doing this to share the side materials to those who cannot access them, if you notice any mistakes please let me know nicely. Enjoy!

Momo: Yahoo, everyone~! It's Momo from Re:vale!

Momo: Today I'm visiting a community center in Momoharu Town for the “i-HAKE! ~Idol dispatch~" project!

Momo: This town has a big port nearby and is famous for its seafood bowls~

Staff: Momo-san, you sound like you know a lot about this town. Have you been here before?

Momo: I saw its market featured on TV before and thought it looked nice. The rumors were right, it sure is a lovely town!

Momo: Don’t tell me, is the request related to “that”?

Staff: What do you mean by "that"?

Momo: Fish! I could try my hand at butchering a tuna fish for example!?

Staff: Ohh! That would be worth witnessing…!

Momo: Oh, that reaction… Did I actually get it right!?

Momo: Ah, but wait, don’t you need a certificate to process tuna?

Momo: In that case, if Momo-chan needs one... does that mean I’m gonna be shooting here long-term!? Then I’m gonna guess my support guests are either the intelligent Iori or Sougo!

Staff: Momo-san, your deductive skills are sharp!

Momo: Fufu, you can call me the Great Detective Momo-chan!

Staff: Well then, let's call your two support guests on stage to answer your question!

Nanase Riku: Hello, I'm your support guest, Izumi Iori. I like cool and sharp things.

Yaotome Gaku: Likewise, I'm Osaka Sougo. Nice to meet you...Is this how Osaka acts...?

Momo: Yay! bingo! ...or not, it's Riku and Gaku!

Momo: You two found your groove right from the start!

Nanase Riku: Ehehe, that was a good Iori impression, wasn’t it? I’ll introduce myself properly, I'm Nanase Riku! I'll do my best to support you, Momo-san!

Yaotome Gaku: Ahaha. Sorry my impression didn’t go through as well. I'm Yaotome Gaku, I’ll be your support guest.

Momo: Thank you for being here with us today! I feel like I have the strength of a hundred men with you two here!

Momo: By the way, is the request to process tuna...

Nanase Riku: No it’s not!

Yaotome Gaku: Definitely not that.

Momo: You shot it down immediately!? You junior idols are ruthless...!

Yaotome Gaku: Personally I'd like to try it, even if it sounds challenging.

Momo: Seeing Gaku dismantle a fish on screen sounds exciting!

Nanase Riku: I wanna see that!

Momo: Let me know if you decide to take on that!

Yaotome Gaku: Ahaha!

Momo: Alright, let's get back to the real request... What is it?

Nanase Riku: Alright! On the count of three...

Nanase Riku & Yaotome Gaku: "We want you to perform a traditional Japanese drum dance at a festival!"

Momo: A Japanese drum dance!?

Staff: Yes! Now, let's call the leader of the local youth group who made the request! Please come in!

Youth Group Leader: Heya, nice to meet you! ...Whoa! It really is Momo-san from Re:vale! Amazing! Your idol aura is off the charts!

Youth Group Leader: Woah, Riku-kun and Gaku-kun look so cool too! Can I please take a picture later?

Nanase Riku: Wah... Y-Yes! Sure thing!

Yaotome Gaku: Haha, aren’t you quite energetic.

Momo: He's so friendly!

Youth Group Leader: Thanks! It’s not just me, all the guys in our youth group pour their souls into this festival!

Momo: Wow! And you’re inviting us to a festival this spirited? I'm even more excited now!

Momo: Riku! Gaku! Let's make it more exciting together!

Nanase Riku & Yaotome Gaku: Yeah!

Momo: First of all, could you tell us what kind of festival it is?

Youth Group Leader: It's an annual festival in our community! It's called the "Autumn Leaves Festival," and it's a traditional event we hold in autumn.

Momo: What, the day after tomorrow!? So we only have two days left!?

Youth Group Leader: I'm sorry it's right around the corner...!

Yaotome Gaku: We can handle it. Men burn brighter in the face of adversity.

Nanase Riku & Momo: So cool...!

Youth Group Leader: Everyone in town looks forward to the Autumn Leaves Festival even if it’s not a huge one with fireworks. The Japanese drum performance is the highlight of the event and it gets the crowd excited every year!

Momo: Sounds awesome! But can we really be in charge of such an important part of it?

Youth Group Leader: That's exactly why! This year is the Autumn Leaves Festival’s 100th anniversary so we wanna make it even more spectacular than ever.

Youth Group Leader: Momo-san, you're great at hyping up the crowds either at concerts or on TV. So everyone’s energy is surely gonna skyrocket if you’re there performing at the festival!

Youth Group Leader: We'd be very happy if you could help us...!

Nanase Riku & Momo & Yaotome Gaku: ...!

Momo: I can't help but get fired up when you put it like that!

Nanase Riku: Yes! And a Japanese drum performance sounds like it’s gonna be a lot of fun anyways…!

Yaotome Gaku: yeah, I’m pumped!

Momo: Alright then, let’s give it our best for the big performance the day after tomorrow! Let’s fire up the Autumn Leaves Festival with the best performance!!

Nanase Riku & Yaotome Gaku: Yeah!!!

Momo: Oh, these outfits look really cool!

Momo: Don’t they look like we could put on a live performance wearing them?

Nanase Riku: Wow...! Momo-san, it looks so good on you! You too, Yaotome-san!

Yaotome Gaku: You too, Nanase. I think it’d be quite the artistic portrait to play Japanese drums in these fits.

Youth Group Leader: Everyone looks great in those outfits! So cool!

Momo: Thank you!

Youth Group Leader: Wow... I felt my heart race when you winked at me...! I’m kinda nervous...!

Yaotome Gaku: As expected of you, Momo-san. Your fan service is top-notch.

Momo: Wearing this outfit activated my switch.

Youth Group Leader: The outfits are fantastic, but the drums over there are what’s making me really excited!

Momo: I'm itching to practice already!

Youth Group Leader: I’m glad to see you so motivated, Momo-san! I’ll call the drum instructor right away.

Youth Group Leader: The Autumn Leaves Festival would be nothing without him! He's been playing the drums for 50 years! Here’s our instructor, Gen-san!

Gen-san: Nice to meet you all. I'm looking forward to working with you.

Nanase Riku & Momo & Yaotome Gaku: Nice to meet you!

Nanase Riku: The fact that you’ve been playing for 50 years is seriously impressive…!

Gen-san: No, it's nothing. I just happened to pick up the drumsticks at my first Autumn Leaves Festival, and before I knew it, I reached this age.

Youth Group Leader: Everyone who performs the Japanese drum in this town learned the basics from Gen-san. I was still a kid when he first taught me...

Nanase Riku: It has quite a long history...!

Youth Group Leader: Of course! It's a traditional performance that’s been passed down through generations during the festival after all!

Yaotome Gaku: It's a big responsibility...

Momo: Yeah, but it makes me even more motivated. We'll put our hearts into playing the drum!

Gen-san: Thank you. I'm glad to hear that.

Gen-san: By the way, have any of you played the Japanese drum before?

Momo: I played a little during an elementary school sports festival... But I’ve never been taught properly.

Yaotome Gaku: I'm on the same boat over here...Oh, I did practice while playing a few rounds of taiko games before though…

Momo: I'm good at those games!

Yaotome Gaku: You like playing games, don’t you?. ...But this might be different from the real deal…?

Momo: I seeeee! Yuki is complete ass at playing racing games and often ends up driving in reverse, but his real-life driving skills are top-notch…

Nanase Riku: I used to play with toy drums we had at home when I was little...

Gen-san: I understand. Let's start by learning how to stand.

Gen-san: Each one of you stands in front of a drum.

Gen-san: Momo-kun, you stand in front of the large drum in the center. Riku-kun and Gaku-kun, please stand in front of the medium-sized ones on each side.

Nanase Riku: Momo-san's drum is huge...!

Yaotome Gaku: It’s really impactful! It really feels like the main one.

Nanase Riku: Momo-san is in the center!

Momo: The center, huh! Re:vale doesn't really have that so it’s refreshing, I’m kinda happy!.

Nanase Riku: Well, us three are a special unit right now so we'll support you, Momo-san!

Momo: Thanks, Riku! Since I have you two supporting me, I need to do my best too.

Gen-san: Hmmm... I was going to teach you how to stand but you already look graceful. Maybe you should pull your shoulders back a bit to open your chests?

Momo: Opening our chest, huh…Like this?

Gen-san: Ah… Yes, exactly. Your posture is good and so is your intuition. Riku-kun and Gaku-kun have a very upright standing posture, too.

Gen-san: And now, first bow to the drum before holding the drumsticks...

Nanase Riku & Momo & Yaotome Gaku: ...

Gen-san: ...Oho. You've already done it.

Nanase Riku: Ah...! I’m sorry for doing it without your instruction...!

Yaotome Gaku: My body moved on its own...

Momo: Ahaha... I just wanted to greet the drums properly since they'll be helping us at the festival.

Gen-san: Fufu. No need to apologize… There's nothing more to say about your readiness.

Momo: ...Thank you very much!

Gen-san: Well then, you can finally pick up the drumsticks and start playing.

Gen-san: I apologize for the lack of practice time, but I'll teach you everything I can. So please look forward to the Japanese drum performance.

Nanase Riku & Momo & Yaotome Gaku: Yes! We're looking forward to working with you!

Momo: I'll pour my heart and soul into it so that the townsfolk can also call this year's Autumn Leaves Festival a good one!

End of Episode 1.

#idolish7 #i7 #ainana #idolish7 translation #sunohara momose #momo re:vale #nanase riku #yaotome gaku #i-hake #rabbitv

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dreaminginthedeepsouth · 3 months ago

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LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 2, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Sep 03, 2024

In an interview with right-wing host Mark Levin on the Fox News Channel last night, Trump complained about the new grand jury indictment of him for trying to steal the 2020 presidential election. “Whoever heard you get indicted for interfering with a presidential election where you have every right to do it,” he asked.

In fact, no one has a right to interfere with a presidential election. Several federal laws prohibit such interference. Legal analyst Joyce White Vance added: “This is the banality of evil right here—Trump asserting he can override the will of the voters to claim victory in an election he lost. And, he will do it again. We must vote against him in overwhelming numbers.”

Former president Trump is approaching the election of 2024 the way southern white supremacists approached elections from 1876 to 1964. He has made it very clear he is not trying to win the votes of a majority of Americans. He and his loyalists are trying to intimidate his opponents to keep them from voting while egging on his supporters to commit violence. They are bringing the tactics of the reactionary southern Democrats after the Civil War forward to the present day in an attempt to impose the same sort of minority rule on the nation as a whole.

Trump has made it clear he is not trying to win the popular vote. When his primary challenger Nikki Haley dropped out of the race in March, Trump’s team made no effort to win over her voters; it was President Joe Biden’s reelection team that reached out to them.

A few days later, when Trump’s daughter-in-law Lara Trump and his loyalist Michael Whatley took over the Republican National Committee, they killed the plans of former RNC chair Ronna McDaniel to open 40 satellite campaign offices across ten battleground states. As The Dispatch noted, that meant very little ground game: doors knocked on, phone calls made, or volunteers organized. The new leadership of the RNC also fired 40 out of 60 employees whose job was field organizing.

Trump was clear what he was doing: rather than worrying about attracting voters, he intended to play out the game of the Big Lie that he had won the 2020 presidential election.

Since the 2020 election, at least 28 states have passed laws making it harder to vote in 2024. Whatley was a chief proponent of the Big Lie that justified those laws, and Trump put him in place, saying he wanted the RNC to prioritize “election integrity” efforts. The campaign has focused on lawsuits to make it harder to vote and to put their own loyalists into positions where they might be able to affect the certification of the 2024 vote. As Peter Nicholas reported at NBC News yesterday, Republicans have filed dozens of lawsuits that seemed designed not only to game the system, but also to convince supporters that the election is rigged against Trump.

That lie was the argument Florida governor Ron DeSantis made to justify creating an election police unit in 2022 to stop what he claimed was illegal voting, although voter fraud is vanishingly rare. The unit conducted raids—mostly in the early morning—primarily against Black Americans shortly before the 2022 election. Most of the cases were later dropped, or those charged agreed to a plea deal without jail time.

The raids did, though, depress voting. In its 2023 annual report, the Office of Election Crime and Security wrote: “Enforcing Florida election law has the primary effect of punishing violators, but enforcement also and equally as important acts as a deterrent for those who may consider voting illegally or committing other election related crimes.”

Now MAGA Republicans have joined Trump in arguing that Democrats are trying to get noncitizen immigrants to vote for their candidates, although a federal law in place since 1996 makes it clear that it is illegal for noncitizens to vote in elections for president or members of Congress. It does not appear to matter to Republicans that there is no evidence that noncitizens try to vote. As House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) said in May: “We all know, intuitively, that a lot of illegals are voting in federal elections, but it’s not been something that is easily provable.”

Texas attorney general Ken Paxton also created an “Election Integrity Unit” in the wake of the 2020 election, and on August 21, 2024, after Fox News Channel personality Maria Bartiromo repeated a baseless rumor about noncitizens registering to vote, Paxton launched what he called an undercover investigation that, just days later, launched raids against Latino activists. “It is evident through his pattern of lawsuits, raids, searches, and seizures that he is trying to keep Latinos from voting,” Latino leaders say.

This pattern echoes the Reconstruction Era intimidation of Black voters and their white Republican allies, and it does so with the same justification: the idea that business regulation, social welfare, infrastructure, and civil rights policies are “socialism.” Those policies had nothing to do with the actual principles of socialism, which call for the government to control the means of production. This “socialism” echoed the argument of southern white supremacists who used it to attack Black voting in 1871 after the Fifteenth Amendment, ratified the year before, made it unconstitutional to stop someone from voting on the basis of race.

As newly enfranchised formerly enslaved men who owned little property—because enslavers took what they produced—and white Republicans voted for lawmakers who would rebuild the South, white supremacist Democrats maintained that the roads, schools, and hospitals a healthy society needed could be paid for only with tax dollars. Since white men owned most of the property, such improvements were, they said, a redistribution of wealth.

In the nineteenth century, that argument led first to voter suppression and then to the argument that anyone who did not vote to keep the white supremacists in power was a danger to society. Good Americans must keep such dangerous people out of any proximity to power. In that light, outright violence to maintain the rule of the minority was a demonstration of civic virtue.

True to form, Trump and his supporters have made it clear they consider their ascendancy imperative to recover America from the carnage into which they allege President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have led it. And, if their opponents are truly as dangerous as they insist, those opponents must be capable of any of the actions MAGA Republicans falsely attribute to them.

Trump and his campaign advisor Corey Lewandowski have recently asserted the lie that Democrats kill newborn babies, for example, and Trump told the right-wing Moms for Liberty organization on Friday that schools are operating on children to transition them to a different sex. In a direct link to the ideas of the late nineteenth century that white supremacists used to justify taking power, Trump routinely calls Vice President Harris a communist.

Trump’s lies have become cartoonish as his attachment to reality has slipped, but behind them is a demonizing of his opponents that echoes the past argument that certain people must be kept from power and, possibly, purged from society.

Many of those arrested for attacking the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, told the court they believed they were defending American democracy from those who were destroying the country and had stolen the election. Trump has championed those arrested for trying to install him into the presidency, saying they are “patriots” who have been “treated unfairly” and “have shown incredible courage and sacrifice,” and has promised that if reelected, he will pardon the nearly 1,000 people found guilty of crimes related to that event.

A gala to celebrate and raise money for those attackers—the J6 Awards Gala—was scheduled to be held at Trump’s Bedminster, New Jersey, golf club this Thursday but has just been called off until after the election.

The celebration of violence is now deeply embedded in the MAGA movement with leaders like North Carolina lieutenant governor Mark Robinson, the Republican nominee for governor, who recently attacked an assortment of enemies and assured his audience: “Some folks need killing!” As Josh Kovensky of Talking Points Memo wrote on August 27, this violent tendency has become for MAGA Republicans a fantasy about deploying the military against American citizens.

Yesterday, on the same day that Trump declared he had the right to interfere in a presidential election to put himself in power, the pro-Trump owner of X, Elon Musk, reposted to his nearly 200 million followers a statement suggesting that women and men who can’t physically defend themselves are inferior to “alpha men” and are not good participants in government because they lack the ability to think critically. “This is why a Republic of high status males is best for decision making,” the original post said. “Democratic, but a democracy only for those who are free to think.”

Over the statement, Musk posted: “Interesting observation.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

#Heather Cox Richardson #Letters from an American #American History #Election fraud #election interference #reconstruction #the celebration of violence

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lonelychicago · 1 year ago

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april's fics masterlist! 💌

unbetaed, unedited, unhinged

This is a list of all most of my published buddie fics for the 9-1-1 fandom (will be updated as needed).

I hate accidents (except when we went from friends to this) | teen and up | 4.2k words

"What did you just say?' Buck swallows thickly and reaches for the marriage certificate, passing it to Eddie. "Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married." He lets out a breath, bracing himself for the worst case scenario. 'Don't panic', he says, which is rich coming from Buck since he feels like all he'll be able to do for the foreseeable future is panic. Eddie doesn’t react, which is kinda great and definitely something Buck can work with, but he’s also honestly a little worried Eddie went catatonic. “Married?” Eddie repeats, in a hollow voice. from the tumblt prompt: "Don’t panic but I think we might have accidentally gotten married."

i'll heal eventually (but faster if you're next to me) | teen and up | 19.2k words

School Nurse Eddie and the idiotic Gym Teacher Buck that keeps getting injured.

we are a fresh page on the desk (filling in the blanks as we go) | teen and up | 29k words

Buck's a best seller author under a pen name, Eddie is an actor auditioning for the movie adaptation of his books, and somewhere along the way, they fall in love.

made my way to a life i would choose | explicit | 34.9k words

In which Eddie transfers from his station to the Dispatch Center to be the LAFD Liaison, change is hard, staying away from Dispatcher Evan Buckley is even harder and not falling in love with the man is god-damned impossible. Eddie makes his way to a life he would choose and to a family who will choose him back.

he never thinks of me (except when i'm on TV) | mature | 18.1k words

In which Eddie finds out years later that his unrequited feelings for his high school best friend were not actually unrequited, Buck is stupidly famous now and they pine. They get there in the end, they just need to get their timing right. Inspired by the prompt: “you’re famous and just got asked if you were ever in love this should be good– WAIT WHAT."

it can't be unlearned (i've known the warmth of you) | teen and up | 4k words

Buck gets attacked by hunters on his way to Eddie's, Eddie takes care of him and some revelations come to light in the morning.

spinning faster than the plane that took you | teen and up | 9.2k words

Buck flees to the other side of the world, they're both miserable and also pining idiots in love. Somehow it all works out in the end.

the way you move is like a full on rainstorm (and I'm a house of cards) | explicit | 2.7k words

Buck and Eddie play strip poker and things get a little out of control. It's for the best, though.

trust me to take you home | teen and up | 2.2k words

"Listen," Eddie clears his throat. "Thank you for doing this. I—" "Thank me after we get out of this alive." Buck leans forward, his face just a few inches away from Eddie's, he has a conspiratorial glint in his eyes and his cheeks are flushed— Eddie should get an award for how strong he's being right now, seriously. It takes everything in him not to close the gap between them and kiss Buck right then and there. He could do it, though, with the excuse of people watching. They need to keep the charade, right? When Pepa kept setting him up on awful, horrible dates, and Buck offered to pretend they were dating— well, how could Eddie ever refuse something like that? The chance to get a taste for what he's been aching and longing for since forever, even if it'll end up with his heart more broken than it already is. It seemed like a good idea at the time, alright? Eddie's never claimed to make smart, sound decisions. or: there's a wedding in texas, a meddling tía pepa and only one bed. somehow, it all works in the end.

called my bluff (and saw through all my tells) | explicit | 2.3k words

eddie knows exactly how long buck was dead for and buck doesn't really know what to do with that information— so he does the logical and sensible thing and fucks the guy.

believe in one thing (i won't go away) | mature | 24k words

"I think— I think we should go to therapy. Together." Eddie says one night and takes Buck completely by surprise. "Therapy? Together?" "Yeah, like, couple's therapy or something. Frank told me he can recommend someone for us." "Eddie…" Buck says slowly, as if he's trying to explain the hardest math problem in the universe to a five year old. "We're not, uh— We're not a couple." "No, I know." Eddie frowns and looks down, fidgeting with the beer in between his hands. "But we're partners." He says, this time a lot lower that Buck barely hears it. "Right?" or: the one where buck is figuring out stuff after waking up from a coma, eddie misses his best friend and they go to couple's therapy.

I woke up just in time, (now I wake up by your side) | teen and up | 2.9k words

"Fine, I'm his fiancé." Eddie rolls his eyes and ignores the stares of his teammates behind his back. "It's fairly recent, we haven't had the time to finish the paperwork. Are you really not gonna let me see my fiancé?" or: Buck is in a coma, the nurses are being difficult and Eddie pretends to be engaged to Buck so they would let him see his friend. prompt: what are the ethical implications of pretending to be engaged to a comatose man?

romance is not dead (if you keep it just yours) | teen and up | 2.8k words

Buck went on a mysterious date, he's being oddly secretive about it and his family is just too meddling to let it go. (Eddie is having the time of his life.)

i've spent my whole life trying to put it into words | teen and up | 4.1k words

5 times Eddie was in a car with Buck, trying not to tell the man he loves him +1 time he says it. prompt: you're in a car with a beautiful boy and you're trying not to tell him that you love him.

I'd marry you with paper rings | general audiences | 1.7k words

In which Buck has thoughts about Valentine's day, he makes paper rings and somehow ends up proposing to his best friend. It kinda works out for him in the end.

I'm so in love that I might stop breathing | teen and up | 5.5k words

In which Eddie's parents come to visit, Buck is an idiot and as always, a family dinner goes wrong. BTHB Prompt: Allergic Reaction

my hands are shaking from holding back from you | explicit | 7.5k words

5 times Eddie sees one of Buck's thirst traps/nudes. Inspired by the prompt: whoops I accidentally found a naked/sexy selfie of you on your phone and fuck how am i supposed to function around you now?

pining and anticipation (I don't want you like a best friend) | teen and up | 3.3k words

"So teach me. Show me the Buck 1.0 moves or whatever." He grins at him and moves his hand, brushes his knuckles against Buck's forearm— ghosting over his skin. Buck gets goosebumps and pulls away, nearly falling off his stool. When he straightens, wincing, Eddie is grinning at him, delight all over his face. "Who doesn't have game now, Buckley?" or: Buck inadvertently challenges Eddie to try to hit on him by laughing at the fact that the guy has no game. It ends up being the best thing ever.

the songs i wrote as your other (are the best i´ll ever sing) | explicit | 7.4k words

“Should we take this new romantic love song to mean there’s someone new in your life?” “No.” He flashes another smile, all teeth and confidence he doesn't really feel inside. But he feels the weight of the cameras on him and the weight of Eddie's gaze against the side of his face; he needs to keep the act up. “Trust me, you don’t need to be in love to write a love song. It’s ingrained.” He glances at Eddie. or; Buck and Eddie are in a rock band together and have this friends with benefits thing going on. They try to keep things casual... except Buck keeps writing love songs about Eddie.

this is my idea of fun (playing video games) | explicit | 5.1k words ( co-written with @cowboy-buddie )

Eddie’s just trying to enjoy a day off filled with video games, but when Buck comes home, well, he has a diffrent sort of game in mind.

it's what my rotting bones will sing when the rest of me is dead | teen and up | 12.4k words

the one where a call goes wrong and leaves everyone thinking eddie was dead, buck finds about the will through a letter and comes to some other revelations in the process. and in which eddie finds his way back home and finally gets to be happy with the love of his life. BTHB Prompt: Missing and Presumed Dead

situations, circumstances, miscommunications ( i just may like some explanations ) | teen and up | 4.3k words

from the prompt: We're best friends and have been dating for over a month now but you won't kiss me so should we just break up and just be friends? But turns out you didn't know we were dating

the night i nearly lost you (really thought i'd lost you) | teen and up | 2.9k words

"Buck! Buck, baby! Stay with me, okay?" Eddie. Eddie's voice washes over him like a warmth blanket, comforting and grounding even amongst all the pain and fogginess. "Buck! Buck!" The screams calling his name pierce through Buck’s skull like a freight train. The pain pulses behind his eye and echoes down his spine until it falls into the churning waters of Buck’s stomach. Nausea rolls through him and he groans, closing his eyes. or: The woman sleep driving her car into the station goes a little faster and hits Buck... Eddie doesn't handle it well. BTHB Prompt: Ambulance Ride

I'm the one on the phone as you whisper | teen and up | 1.2k words

Buck's date cancels but he has already made the restaurant reservation, so he decides to call Hen and ask if she'd like to take Karen there. He dials the wrong number. It all works in the end.

i don't want to keep secrets just to keep you | teen and up | 5.5k words

Buck insists on keeping their relationship a secret for longer than Eddie thought they would. It causes some problems... until he finds the reason why.

#okay fineee these are not ALL of my fics but i have a lot and i gave up halfway through #here's a mostly kinda completed masterlist tho ig #my fics #my writing #april writes #evan buckley #eddie diaz #buck x eddie #buddie #buddie fic #buddie fics #buddie fanfiction #911 fic #911 fics #911 fanfiction #911 abc #911 on abc

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mayawakening · 8 months ago

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Ezra's Gamble Notes Pt.1

Friends, I was not expecting the book 'Ezra's Gamble' to be such a goldmine of lore. 😭 I'm gonna need to talk about this in multiple posts.

What I've got so far:

-----SPOILERS------

First of all, the foreword: "For Alan Harris, who is a much nicer fellow than Bossk." Harris was Bossk's actor. ❤

The book takes place pre-Spark of Rebellion

We literally start the book with Ezra at the Lothal spaceport pickpocketing and finessing people out of their valuables.

He walks up to a rich-looking Chagrian wearing an Imperial pin and being followed by four blue Twi'leks and manages to sell him 5 tickets for a private booth at a gladiatorial cage match (that the Chagrian is implied to want to keep secret). Ezra finesses him out of 700 credits, then also steals his Imperial pin, his ring, wrist-comm and half his money pouch.

He winks at one of the Twi'leks and all of them giggle, one of them winks back at him. (He's 14)

He meets up with a Xexto named Ferpil Wallaway who is actually the one who taught Ezra how to steal!!

The cage-match ticket money gets sent to the commissioner, then Ferpil pays Ezra for his loot at the Pawn-shop he owns on Lothal.

Ezra gets flagged down by a red-haired friend (also 14) named Moreena Krai. Her family is leaving Lothal because Imperials condemned their farm and took it from them.

Y'all I was not ready when she said she was moving to Alderaan. 😭🥺

Moreena starts to get sad about Ezra being alone, Ezra cuts her off and says "Don't ever feel sad for me. I've always done just fine on my own, and I always will." BOY TELL THAT TO HERA. 💚

He briefly wonders if he'll ever get to steal a TIE pilot helmet. (Spoilers, he does lol)

Lore for Bossk: his ship 'Hound's Tooth' is a modified Corellian Engineering Corporation YV-666 freighter. He's employed by the Bounty Hunter Guild and his Imperial Peace-keeping Certificate number is #55946112.

Bossk was headed to Lothal searching for a Dug named Gronson "Shifty" Takkaro who was wanted for jumping bail in the Ahakista System.

Bossk picked up the bounty from the Imperial Enforcement DataCore.

Bossk's ship was scanned by the Imperial Spaceport and the official talking to him immediately transferred his call to ISB HQ. (He was on hold for 30 seconds.)

ISB Lieutenant Herdringer talks to him and tries to send Stormtroopers to arrest Shifty rather than let Bossk collect.

Bossk counters saying Herdringer would be interfering with the authorized acquisition of a government bounty. Herdringer realizes that would be bad for him.

Herdringer actually wants Bossk to not use firepower as Shifty is in a civilian sector. Bossk says okay, but still brings his Mortar gun. Bossk gets escorted to the spaceport by TIE fighters which Bossk thinks is WAY too conspicuous.

This random academy propaganda played on a speaker at the spaceport though: "You too can be a part of the Imperial family! Don't just dream about applying for the Academy, make it come true! You can find a career in space: Exploration, Starfleet, or Merchant Service. Choose from Navigation, Engineering, Space Medicine, Contact/Liason, and more! If you have the right stuff to take on the universe, and standardized examination scores that meet the requirements, dispatch your application to the Academy Screening Office, care of the Commandant (Aresko), and join the ranks of the proud!" ---(I wonder how Kallus felt about hearing that kind of stuff, I'm assuming his office was soundproofed, but he did still technically work in the same building as the school, and seemed used to having things delivered to him by cadets, im sure he heard it occasionally.)

Ezra knew what a Trandoshan was on sight. He tried sneaking up on Bossk's ship, but Bossk snuck up on him first.

Bossk appeared to be avoiding his stormtrooper escort and asked Ezra (who actually gave his real name!) Where the tavern he was looking for was.

He's very suspicious of Ezra and warns him against snooping in his ship and notices his weapon right away. "An energy slinghot. Cute."

Ezra tries to finagle 100 credits out of Bossk for information. Bossk says he doesn't have time to haggle and will give him 1000 credits for help. Ezra demands 500 up front and Bossk pays him. He also politely gives Ezra his name.

He only refers to Ezra as "Shorty" and insists that "to you, its MR. Bossk" lol.

--------

Will continue to take notes, this is fun!!

#ezra's gamble #ezra bridger #Bossk #lothal #star wars rebels #star wars #book #sw rebels #swr

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tempenensis · 2 years ago

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Memorandum on the Obligation of Jujutsu Sorcerers

(extra pages of tankobon vol 22. translated below)

On behalf of the Japanese Government, Zenin family, Gojou family, and Kamo family decided on the following memorandum for all Jujutsu sorcerers.

1. Mission

[1] The mission of jujutsu sorcerers is to maintain the peace and safety of society by preventing the calamity from cursed technique, curse spirits, and cursed objects. [2] All jujutsu sorcerers must obey this memorandum. The rules established in this memorandum are applied to prioritize the laws and ordinances.

2. Jujutsu Headquarters

[1] The Jujutsu Headquarters is established in the Japanese Government as the highest institution to regulate jujutsu sorcerers [2] The Jujutsu Headquarters are appointed by the Prime Minister based on nominations from Zenin family, Gojou family, and Kamo family.

3. Jujutsu Technical College

[1] The Jujutsu Technical Colleges are established in Metropolitan Tokyo and Kyoto Prefecture as an institution of education, guidance, and supervision for jujutsu sorcerers. [2] Headmaster as the leader of Jujutsu Technical College administers all matter in relation to the development and threat of jujutsu sorcerers, and have the rights to command and supervise of all jujutsu sorcerers. [3] Headmaster is appointed by Jujutsu Headquarters based on the recommendation of Zenin family, Gojou family, and Kamo family. [4] Jujutsu Headquarters has the rights to command Headmasters. However, in an urgent situation, Jujutsu Headquarters can command and supervise all jujutsu sorcerers directly.

(continued under the cut)

4. Grade of Jujutsu Sorcerer

[1] Jujutsu sorcerers can be established into Special-grade, First grade, Second grade, Third grade, or Fourth grade. Jujutsu sorcerer of higher grade can instruct jujutsu sorcerer from lower grade regarding their mission. [2] Jujutsu Headquarters grant or change certification of jujutsu sorcerers grade following fair and reasonable standards. [3] Jujutsu sorcerer will be able to accept salaries and benefits according to their grade based on rules of Jujutsu Headquarters.

5. Punishment

If a jujutsu sorcerer doesn’t obey a command or violates the obligation established in this memorandum, the Jujutsu Headquarters can impose one or more of the following punishments: [a] Public death penalty [b] Secret death penalty [c] Curse user designation [d] Being sealed [e] Detention [f] House arrest [g] Property confiscation

6. Retirement

[1] Jujutsu sorcerer will be able to retire based on the approval of Jujutsu Headquarters. After retirement, the jujutsu sorcerer shall have no grade. [2] After jujutsu sorcerer retires, they are not allowed to exercise cursed technique. However, this rule does not apply in a necessary situation to follow the next obligation.

7. Responding to Threat

[1] Cursed spirits, cursed objects, and curse users pose threat. [2] If a jujutsu sorcerer encounters a threat, they must report directly to Headmasters. The headmaster will determine the grade of threat based on report, notify the Jujutsu Headquarters, then organize and dispatch the necessary personnel and equipment to suppress the threat.

8. Secrecy

Jujutsu sorcerers shall not reveal the existence of cursed technique, cursed spirits, and cursed objects to non-sorcerers. However, this rule does not apply if the situation is necessary to obey the previous obligation.

9. Protection of non-sorcerers

Jujutsu sorcerers shall not harm non-sorcerers using cursed technique, cursed spirits, or cursed objects. Also, do not overlook threat that can harm non-sorcerers. However, the rule does not apply when it’s unavoidable to protect one’s or other’s life.

Handwritten*

Report from (--)

Regarding the repeal to Gojou immediate revocation, it is imperative that the hearing to Gojou family to be conducted (the absence of family head?) [pointing to dead?]

Inside the barrier: (presumably two names, blackened. The second name followed by “suspension”**)

Supervision: Denyou Law Office, Lawyer Hirano Kei.

t/n:

*I hope this make sense since the handwriting IS SO BAD **These are presumably Tsukumo Yuki and Tengen’s cease of activity

#jujutsu kaisen #jjk manga spoilers #tankobon 22 #extra page #my translation

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libertyreads · 8 months ago

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April TBR 2024--

This next month is set to be full of rereads, hockey romances, and new to me books. It is also the month I'm starting a certification program so it will probably be a bit of a struggle to get through this month's TBR. I don't even remember the last time I've thought that about a month's TBR. I really hope I have as much fun with this TBR as I'm expecting to. I've really been in the mood for these rereads and these hockey romance so I'm excited to finally get to it.

Silver in the Bone by Alexandra Bracken-- This is just one of a few rereads this month. Book two in the series comes out next month. I originally read this one as an ARC so I definitely need a refresher first. Tamsin Lark is a mortal with no magical talent who was never meant to break into ancient crypts or compete with sorceresses and Cunning folk for the treasures inside. But treasure hunting is the only way she could keep herself and her brother Cabell alive following her thieving foster father's disappearance. Ten years later she's looking for a ring that is supposed to save her brother from a curse. It's based in Arthurian legend.

Teen Titans: Beast Boy by Kami Garcia and Gabriel Picolo-- Another reread before a new book in the series. I remember enjoying this one slightly less than Raven's book, but I still enjoyed meeting a new character and getting their origin story. I also felt like it addressed an issue that isn't brought up a lot: male body image issues. We see it addressed a lot in fiction for girls, but there are boys who also go through this growing up. Plus it's beast boy and lots of green animals.

The Score by Elle Kennedy-- A hockey romance! I've been so in the mood for hockey romances this year. I don't know if it's because I found a few new to me authors and bought some kindle books for Christmas or what. In this one we follow Allie Hayes who is in crisis mode. Graduation is looming and she's dealing with a broken heart thanks to the end to her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just one though because even if her future is uncertain it sure as heck doesn't include Dean. It seems like he's going to pursue her after she puts him in the friend zone following their one night stand. I love it when the guy falls first or the guy is pursuing the girl so I'm looking forward to this one.

Stars and Smoke by Marie Lu-- The last of the rereads for this month. I'm so excited for the next book too. In this one we follow an international pop sensation named Winter Young who is brought into the world of spies when a major crime boss gifts his daughter a private concert with Winter for her birthday. Sydney Cossette is a member of the elite covert ops group who is forced to work alongside Winter to infiltrate the crime organization's inner circle. This was such a fun and quick read for me last year and I can't wait to go back into this world of glitz, glam, and spies.

Bad Men by Julie Mae Cohen (NetGalley)-- This one just sounded so good when I saw it on NetGalley. It's unhinged women at its finest. Saffy Huntley-Oliver is an intelligent and glamorous socialite; she also happens to be a proficient serial killer. Over the course of fifteen years, she's dispatched bad men--rapist, murderers, domestic abusers. But leading a double life has left her lonely. Dating's rough when your boyfriend might turn out to be your next victim. Saffy thinks she's finally found a truly good man in Jonathan Desrosiers, a true crime podcaster. This is a feminist thriller that asks if even a serial killer can have a happily ever after. My hopes for this one? Rich people drama and some mad women.

The Hemlock Queen by Hannah F. Whitten (New Release)-- The second book in the series is finally coming out. This series starts with Lore, who has a dark power and a hidden past, as we follow her into the intrigue of the Sainted King's royal court. The king and his priest manipulate Lore and have her spy on the prince in order to determine just who is killing the villages at the edge of the kingdom. We follow on from the events of the first book in this new one.

My Lucky #13 by Piper Rayne (Kindle)-- A hockey player who is going through a scoring draught is worried he's going to get traded before the deadline if he doesn't turn it around. Following a New Year's Eve with a woman, he has a waterfall of goals and knows he has to see her again. She wants nothing to do with him and he feels his has to change her mind. A hero falls first sounding story that I'm so looking forward to. I will say that there's a very obvious hockey error in the synopsis of this one and we all know I'm a little picky about hockey details. But I'll try to keep an open mind on this one.

Just Do This One Thing For Me by Laura Zimmerman (Library)-- I'm going to pull the synopsis straight from GoodReads since it's a Mystery/Thriller and those are hard to explain at the best of times: "'Just do this one thing for me.' Drew's mother says it more often than good morning. Heidi Hill has been juggling shady side hustles for all of Drew's seventeen years, and Drew knows that 'one thing' really means all the necessary things her mother thinks are boring, including taking care of her fifteen-year-old sister and eight-year-old brother. In fact, Drew is the closest thing to a responsible adult they've ever known. When their mother disappears on the way to a New Year's Eve concert in Mexico and her schemes start unraveling, Drew is faced with a choice: Follow the rules, do the responsible thing, and walk away--alone--from her mother's mess. Or hope the weather stays cold, keep the cons going, and just maybe hold her family together."

#silver in the bone #Alexandra bracken #teen titans: beast boy #kami garcia #Gabriel picolo #the score #elle kennedy #stars and smoke #marie lu #bad men #Julie mae cohen #the hemlock queen #Hannah f. whitten #my lucky number 13 #piper rayne #just do this one thing for me #Laura zimmerman

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sublime82 · 1 year ago

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Mission/ Rank

Naruto Military System

Disclaimer

As a Naruto fan and a former member of the Armed forces the way the Ninja military is handled makes no sense. Now I understand that Kishimoto has no experience with the military and that it would slow the story a lot by having it be like a real military and not a village of mercenaries.

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Mission Selection

Due to the amount of shinobi and the security risk to the hokage. Any mission under an A Rank will be assigned by the Parent Ninja Division admission center.

Deployment

These are not considered as individual missions as the ninja are stationed for a long period of time at a different location such as a boarder deployment or a disaster relief deployments. Deployments usually last between 4 months to a whole year.

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Ninja force by rank

(60% of the entire ninja force are of the rank Genin to Special Chunnin)

Tokubetsu Genin

Are Genin straight out of basic training and the academy and are not yet considered full ninjas as they lack a lot of the skills necessary to perform as a Genin and as such they are considered student Genin that are required to have supervision at all time in training and missions

Genin

Genin Promotion Requirements

You must be 16 yrs old

You must pass the ninja academy

You must complete Basic training

One is usually promoted to Genin without even realizing it as they have shown a level of competence in training and missions that they do not require constant supervision, one becomes a Genin once they graduate from the GTS at the age of 15 and join the regular Genin corps

Genin LVL Missions

D- Rank

These missions are the least dangerous, and mostly consisted of chores and were used to teach basic ninja skills and teamwork.

C-Rank

These mission are considered significantly more dangerous and they usually consist of mission like bandit elimination basic guard missions or courier missions that have a 0 chance of enemy ninja encounter

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Tokubetsu Chunnin

Are Genin who have proven their skills in a particular skill set through a Ninja certification process and have shown the level of skill and maturity required for Chunnin but do not yet have the full required skill set to become a full on Chunnin.

Chunnin

Ninja force by rank

(30% of the entire ninja Force are of the rank Chunnin to Special Jonin )

Chunnin Promotion Requirements

You must have at least 3 yrs in time in grade as a genin

You must have the required amount of missions

You must be recommended by at least 3 JTI and get the approval of the commander

You must pass a Chunnin selection board

You must then participate in the Chunnin Exams

Once a Ninja has reached the rank of Chunnin they are expected to act as mission captains and be able to lead their fellow ninja into battle.

Chunnin LVL Missions

B-Rank

These mission are assigned to Chunnin and they are more dangerous as encounters with deadly enemies is more likely and usually require the skills of a seasoned ninja captain to accomplish

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Tokubetsu Jonin

Ninjas of this rank are ninja that are elite and best of the best in a certain skill set that sets them above other Chunnin but not quite at the level of a Jonin in overall ability

Jonin (Elite)

Ninja force by rank

(10% of the entire ninja force are of this rank)

Jonin Promotion Requirements

You must have at least 6 yrs in time and service

You must pass a jonin selection board

The Hokage must approved the promotion

These are the best of the best that the ninja village has produced only being surpassed by the members of Anbu and the kage

Anbu

The Anbu (暗部, English TV: Anbu Black Ops, literally meaning: Dark Side), short for Ansatsu Senjutsu Tokushu Butai (暗殺戦術特殊部隊, literally meaning: Special Assassination and Tactical Squad), are covert operatives of capable ninja that are dispatched by their village leader.

A-Rank

These missions were assigned to Jonin and Anbu as they usually had a heavy enemy ninja resistance.

S-Rank

These Mission are considered the most dangerous as they are named suicide missions

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Jonin (Commander)

These Jonin are exceptional even among the Jonin elite and are entrusted by the village Kage to help him over see his ninja and will even lead special ninja divisions under orders of the Kage

They are the Ninjas equivalent of a General.

Kage

They are the most skilled and trusted ninja of their village and they are the leaders of said village. They only answer to the Shogun

#naruto series #naruto #naruto shippuden #boruto naruto next generations #naruto worldbuilding #ninjamilitary

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yourreddancer · 3 months ago

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HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

September 2, 2024 (Monday)

In fact, no one has a right to interfere with a presidential election. Several federal laws prohibit such interference.

Legal analyst Joyce White Vance added: “This is the banality of evil right here—Trump asserting he can override the will of the voters to claim victory in an election he lost. And, he will do it again. We must vote against him in overwhelming numbers.”

Trump was clear what he was doing: rather than worrying about attracting voters, he intended to play out the game of the Big Lie that he had won the 2020 presidential election.

That lie was the argument Florida governor Ron DeSantis made to justify creating an election police unit in 2022 to stop what he claimed was illegal voting, although voter fraud is vanishingly rare. The unit conducted raids—mostly in the early morning—primarily against Black Americans shortly before the 2022 election. Most of the cases were later dropped or those charged agreed to a plea deal without jail time.

(THOSE FALSELY ACCUSED SHOULD COUNTERSUE!!!! WITH THE ACLU'S HELP!!!)

Those policies had nothing to do with the actual principles of socialism, which call for the government to control the means of production. This “socialism” echoed the argument of southern white supremacists who used it to attack Black voting in 1871 after the Fifteenth Amendment, ratified the year before, made it unconstitutional to stop someone from voting on the basis of race.

(YEAH! HIM AND ALL HIS MAGA FOLLOWERS!!!)

“This is why a Republic of high status males is best for decision making,” the original post said. “Democratic, but a democracy only for those who are free to think.”

Over the statement, Musk posted: “Interesting observation.”

(EMO MUSKRAT'S CITIZENSHIP NEEDS TO BE REVOKED AND HE NEEDS TO BE DEPORTED TO S. AFRICA!!!)

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enkisstories · 4 months ago

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When Whirlwind came to check on Kylo the next day, he didn't find him at the farm or the outpost. The neighbors told him Kylo had ridden to the space port.

Here, in the Solar Flare Lounge, Kylo talked to the flight dispatcher in the hopes of scoring a job as pilot. What for one whose parole terms included to get kept in the dark which planet exactly he was on, would have been quite a feat. There was really no way... hey, wait a moment!

Kylo: "Hey, isn't that Admiral Sonderan? What's he doing so far away from Batuu?"

Sara: "Business trip, I take it? The man is Governor of the First Order controlled half of Batuu now."

Sara: "Speaking of the First Order, I hear the way you dance is..."

Kylo: "Haha! I joined them when I was already twenty-three. I know real dancing!"

Sara: "Hey, that's not half bad!"

Kylo: "You may know everything about Kylo Ren, but you don't know ME!"

And so Kylo got the job on account of his qualification in suggestive dancing. Now all he needed was a certificate in space ship stealing...

On a sidenote, Uncle Luke is extremely supportive ever since Kylo returned from Moonwood. In the screenshot he congratulates him to befriending Whirlwind and says that astronaut is the right job for Kylo. (Although the latter may be a covert way of saying that Kylo sucked as a Jedi.) The middle pic is Rose also complimenting Kylo on the relationship.

#kylo ren #luke skywalker #sims4cerea #sims 4 #simblr

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killed-by-choice · 2 years ago

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Kelly Morse, 32 (USA 1996)

Kelly Morse was 32 years old when she found out she was 8 weeks pregnant. At 8 weeks and 5 days pregnant, she went with her husband Scott to Hillcrest Women’s Medical Center in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Despite the name, Hillcrest was just an abortion facility and would provide no medical care to her.

Kelly had allergies and asthma. She made sure to notify the staff at the abortion facility that she was severely allergic to Lidocaine and other medications ending in “caine”. Her allergies were highly dangerous, but easily avoided by simply not using the medicine she was allergic to.

Despite Kelly’s warning, Delhi Elmore Thweatt, Jr. administered 12 cc’s of 1 percent Lidocaine to Kelly. The effect was immediate.

Kelly couldn’t breathe and started turning blue. A licensed practical nurse got Kelly’s inhaler out of her purse and helped her use it, but Kelly told her that it was not helping. She was very agitated and struggling to breathe.

Instead of immediately calling, the abortionist proceeded with the abortion, rushing through it in about four minutes. Then he spent some time trying to administer incorrect measures to a dying Kelly before finally bothering to call an ambulance. Kelly needed medical treatment, but the abortionist killed her baby and watched her turn blue instead of helping her.

While all this was happening, Scott was waiting outside for his beloved wife, wondering what was taking so long. Before anyone at Hillcrest even told him about Kelly’s condition, paramedics arrived. He went inside with the ambulance crew to see what was happening. To his horror, Kelly was naked and blue-black from lack of oxygen, lying on a table that was halfway out of the examination room into the hallway.

The paramedics intubated Kelly, properly administered medicine, and performed CPR as they brought her to the Polyclinic Medical Center, where she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The abortion was done on June 19, 1996. Kelly died on June 22 after a few days of barely clinging to life in the ICU.

Scott sued Hillcrest for killing Kelly. Here are some quotes from the lawsuit:

“As Mrs. Morse’s dyspnea and cyanosis continued to worsen, Defendant Thweatt improperly administered Epinephrine subcutaneously instead of intravenously….” (This measure would do nothing to assist a patient in Kelly’s extremely severe condition.)

“No one started an IV. No respiration rate was recorded, no pulse was checked and no blood pressure was measured. No EKG was applied. No cardiac monitoring was conducted. No pulse oximeter was applied. No intubation or emergency tracheotomy was performed. No oxygen was administered. Kelly continued to agitate in fear, desperately gasping for air, and remained blue in color. Defendant Thweatt just stood there with a stethoscope in hand and listened to Kelly’s breathing and wheezing progressively worsen.”

“As Plaintiff choked and gasped for air, none of the Defendants, took steps to immediately dispatch an ambulance. In fact, the ambulance was not summoned until 11:24 a.m., or 10 minutes after Plaintiff violently choked, gasped, wheezed, and discolored to a blue-black appearance from respiratory arrest and hypoxia.”

It was also discovered that even though Hillcrest advertised Thweatt as being a Board-certified OB/GYN, “Defendant Thweatt failed the OB/GYN Board certification examination not once, not twice, but on three consecutive attempts…Defendant Thweatt failed his Board certification exam even after a fourth attempt, following his deposition of July 27, 1997.”

On April 20, 1999, Thweatt and Hillcrest settled out of court with Scott. No amount of money could give his surviving son and daughter their mother and sibling back.

Even while Kelly was scared and dying because of the abortion facility’s lethal malpractice, the abortionist killed her baby instead of immediately calling for help. Kelly’s health and safety was clearly not important to Hillcrest.

Dauphin County (PA) Court of Common Pleas, Civil Action # 6070 S96 SCOTT B. MORSE v. DELHI THWEATT, MD.

#pro life #unsafe yet legal #death from legal abortion #tw abortion #tw murder #tw ab*rtion #pro choice #abortion debate #abortion #as far as I’m concerned Kelly was murdered #unsafe but legal #abortion is not healthcare #justice for kelly

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