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rjzimmerman · 9 months ago

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Excerpt from this story from the New York Times:

At first glance, Dave Langston’s predicament seems similar to headaches facing homeowners in coastal states vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes: As disasters have become more frequent and severe, his insurance company has been losing money. Then, it canceled his coverage and left the state.

But Mr. Langston lives in Iowa.

Relatively consistent weather once made Iowa a good bet for insurance companies. But now, as a warming planet makes events like hail and wind storms worse, insurers are fleeing.

Mr. Langston spent months trying to find another company to insure the townhouses, on a quiet cul-de-sac at the edge of Cedar Rapids, that belong to members of his homeowners association. Without coverage, “if we were to have damage that hit all 17 units, we’re looking at bankruptcy for all of us,” he said.

The insurance turmoil caused by climate change — which had been concentrated in Florida, California and Louisiana — is fast becoming a contagion, spreading to states like Iowa, Arkansas, Ohio, Utah and Washington. Even in the Northeast, where homeowners insurance was still generally profitable last year, the trends are worsening.

In 2023, insurers lost money on homeowners coverage in 18 states, more than a third of the country, according to a New York Times analysis of newly available financial data. That’s up from 12 states five years ago, and eight states in 2013. The result is that insurance companies are raising premiums by as much as 50 percent or more, cutting back on coverage or leaving entire states altogether. Nationally, over the last decade, insurers paid out more in claims than they received in premiums, according to the ratings firm Moody’s, and those losses are increasing.

The growing tumult is affecting people whose homes have never been damaged and who have dutifully paid their premiums, year after year. Cancellation notices have left them scrambling to find coverage to protect what is often their single biggest investment. As a last resort, many are ending up in high-risk insurance pools created by states that are backed by the public and offer less coverage than standard policies. By and large, state regulators lack strategies to restore stability to the market.

Insurers are still turning a profit from other lines of business, like commercial and life insurance policies. But many are dropping homeowners coverage because of losses.

Tracking the shifting insurance market is complicated by the fact it is not regulated by the federal government; attempts by the Treasury Department to simply gather data have been rebuffed by some state regulators.

The turmoil in insurance markets is a flashing red light for an American economy that is built on real property. Without insurance, banks won’t issue a mortgage; without a mortgage, most people can’t buy a home. With fewer buyers, real estate values are likely to decline, along with property tax revenues, leaving communities with less money for schools, police and other basic services.

And without sufficient insurance, people struggle to rebuild after disasters. Last year, storms, wildfires and other disasters pushed 2.5 million American adults out of their homes, according to census data, including at least 830,000 people who were displaced for six months or longer.

#home insurance #climate change

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afeelgoodblog · 2 years ago

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The Best News of Last Week - March 13, 2023

🐝 - Did you hear about the honeybee vaccine? It's creating quite the buzz! But seriously, it's a major breakthrough in the fight against American foulbrood and could save billions of bees.

1. Transgender health care is now protected in Minnesota

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz signed an executive order protecting and supporting access to gender-affirming health care for LGBTQ people in the state, amidst Republican-backed efforts across the country to limit transgender health care. The order upholds the essential values of One Minnesota where all people, including members of the LGBTQIA+ community, are safe, celebrated, and able to live lives full of dignity and joy.

Numerous medical organizations have said that access to gender-affirming care is essential to the health and wellness of gender diverse people, while states like Tennessee, Arizona, Utah, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, South Dakota, and Florida have passed policies or laws restricting transgender health care.

2. First vaccine for honeybees could save billions

The US government has approved the world's first honeybee vaccine to fight against American foulbrood, a bacterial disease that destroys bee colonies vital for crop pollination.

Developed by biotech company Dalan Animal Health, the vaccine integrates some of the foulbrood bacteria into royal jelly, which is then fed to the queen by the worker bees, resulting in the growing bee larvae developing immunity to foulbrood. The vaccine aims to limit the damage caused by the infectious disease, for which there is currently no cure, and promote the development of vaccines for other diseases affecting bees.

3. Teens rescued after days stranded in California snowstorm: "We were already convinced we were going to die"

The recent snowstorms in California have resulted in dangerous conditions for hikers and residents in mountain communities. Two teenage hikers were rescued by the San Bernardino County sheriff's department after getting lost in the mountains for 10 days.

The boys were well-prepared for the hike but were not prepared for the massive amounts of snow that followed. They were lucky to survive, suffering from hypothermia and having to huddle together for three nights to stay warm.

Yosemite National Park has had to be closed indefinitely due to the excessive snowfall.

4. La Niña, which worsens Atlantic hurricanes and Western droughts, is gone

The La Nina weather phenomenon, which increases Atlantic hurricane activity and worsens western drought, has ended after three years, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That's usually good news for the United States and other parts of the world, including drought-stricken northeast Africa, scientists said.

The globe is now in what's considered a "neutral" condition.

5. Where there's gender equality, people tend to live longer

Both women and men are likely to live longer when a country makes strides towards gender equality, according to a new global study that authors believe to be the first of its kind.

The study was published in the journal PLOS Global Public Health this week. It adds to a growing body of research showing that advances in women's rights benefit everyone. "Globally, greater gender equality is associated with longer [life expectancy] for both women and men and a widening of the gender gap in [life expectancy]," they conclude.

6. New data shows 1 in 7 cars sold globally is an EV, and combustion engine car sales have decreased by 25% since 2017

Electric vehicles are the key technology to decarbonise road transport, a sector that accounts for 16% of global emissions. Compared with 2020, sales nearly doubled to 6.6 million (a sales share of nearly 9%), bringing the total number of electric cars on the road to 16.5 million.

Sales were highest in China, where they tripled relative to 2020 to 3.3 million after several years of relative stagnation, and in Europe, where they increased by two-thirds year-on-year to 2.3 million. Together, China and Europe accounted for more than 85% of global electric car sales in 2021

7. Lastly, watch this touching moment as rescued puppy gains trust in her new owners

youtube

By the way, this is my newly started YouTube channel. Subscribe for more wholesome videos :D

---

That's it for this week. If you liked this post you can support this newsletter with a small kofi donation:

Buy me a coffee ❤️

Let's carry the positivity into next week and keep spreading the good news!

#best news of last week #Youtube

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sunlightmurdock · 2 years ago

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My Future in You | 2.0 | Bradley Bradshaw x Reader au

Previous Chapter | Next Chapter | Masterlist

Synopsis: Bradley’s twenty-two years old and not where he’s supposed to be. He’s supposed to be out of the academy by now. Instead, he’s retaking his senior year of college and praying to god that he gets into flight school. Mav’s gone, his mom’s gone. He’s mad at the world. Then, a hook up at a Halloween party changes his future even more than he could have imagined.

Warnings: accidental pregnancy, references to abortion in a few chapters, angst, will be fluff eventually, will be smut so 18+, enemies to lovers kinda thing, time jump of a month and a half / two months

…

“Your sister is fucking insane.” Bradley grunts.

“Shut up and just lift your end,” Jake demands, straying under the weight of lifting his end of the couch. A soft sigh and the two of them lift again, hoisting more than their combined body weight’s worth of sectional sofa. “And she wasn’t crazy until you got her pregnant.”

“I can hear you!” You call back from the small kitchen. Sitting cross-legged on the black and white diamond shaped tile, surrounded by boxes and new plates and bubble wrap. Your system for unpacking is fool-proof and they’ll just get in the way if they try to help. That’s why you’ve had them rearrange the layout of the living room three times already.

There isn’t too much left in your life that you have control over these days. Graduating two years early, at the top of your class, and the only people there to be proud of you were your big brother and the guy who got you pregnant. Delaying your grad job, which you worked your ass off to get, until after you’ve given birth. Finding out you had been approved to switch to their Florida office in an email from your father’s secretary.

Moving to a place you’ve never been before, with a guy you didn’t even like up until recently. Carrying a child that’ll probably never have a name because you and Bradley barely agree on anything. Knowing that Jake, your only constant through this entire ordeal, is shipping off to basic training in a day and a half.

Everything’s hurtling forwards, you can practically hear the time rushing by like wind in your ears. Dragged along with it, no choice but to keep up, there’s a voice in your head that keeps telling you it’s okay to be scared. You just aren’t sure if it’s okay to be this scared.

He’s moving around more and more these days, growing stronger and bigger. His kicks are no longer butterflies in your tummy, but now pinpointed and real, which is terrifying in itself. More recently, you’ve been wondering if he can feel how afraid you are. You don’t want him to worry.

By hell or high water, you’re going to give this little boy all the love that you’ve got. Afraid or not, he needs you and you’ll keep going for him. Being good for him is just about all you can manage. That, and unpacking the way that you need to.

Setting the plates in a cabinet, stacking bowls, glasses in an overhead cupboard. Ignoring Jake and Bradley’s bickering to the best of your ability.

Florida’s even hotter than you were expecting. It’s the last day of May and the air conditioning isn’t getting fixed until tomorrow. Home is no longer an upstairs apartment or a cramped room on the first floor of a fraternity. It’s now an almost two bedroom downstairs unit on a quiet, residential street in west Pensacola.

Living room with fireplace, fully equipped kitchen with new stove and refrigerator. Dark brown, LVP floors and new paint throughout. You have your own Lanai and storage outside unit. Also includes washer and dryer. This northeast location is tucked away in a private dead end street but has easy access to the new University shopping area. It’s nice for a first place. The bedroom is a decent size, and the spare room will work as a nursery, even if its intended purpose was an office.

Your relationship with Bradley has turned into a type of Schrödinger problem. Neither together nor apart. Sharing a room, preparing to share a life, with little more in common than the future you roped him into. He seems excited now. He’s jealous that you can feel the baby and that he can’t. He’s looking forward to meeting his son.

But, as you turn your head and look through the archway, towards him wiping sweat from his brow in the living room, guilt surges through you. Wearing gym shorts and a backwards cap, those stupid roman numerals tattooed on his bicep as he sighs softly and leans his head back, he looks so young.

You’re younger, but this decision was yours. You wonder if he would choose this if he got to do it all over again. Certainly not. All those years of carefree fun, getting to be himself finally, figuring out who he is. Now, those years belong to your son. Swallowing softly, you turn your attention back to the only thing that you can control.

Arranging spices in the rack hung over the stove.

The afternoon hurtles by just as quickly as all of the other days have recently. The routine is the same. Jake takes the couch, glad that Bradley sprung for the corner sectional that’s just about as good as sleeping on the mattress. After a day of not really talking, Bradley slips into bed beside you.

It’s never awkward, but it probably should be. Sharing all of this. A lease, a child, a future, with someone that isn’t even really yours.

“Man, I am fucking exhausted.” Bradley mumbles as his head hits the pillow, exhaling slowly into the comfort of this new space. Your first night in your new home with him. So, you connect with him in just about the only way you ever have.

Even with this protruding, exceedingly rounded stomach, somehow he still wants to fuck you at every opportunity he gets. Looking in the mirror these days is getting harder. It’s not that you have an issue with the way you look now, you think the bump is actually kind of cute. It’s just that you don’t look anything like you used to, and you’re starting to wonder if you’ll ever be that girl again.

Running your fingers through his curls, you lean over and kiss his temple softly. He hums at the feeling, reaching out and resting his hand on your hip. He turns his head and waits for you to kiss him without opening his eyes. You press your lips softly to his, his fingers curling softly to press into the fabric of your shorts. You ask gently, lips grazing his, “Too tired?”

His lips tilt up into a soft smile as he runs his fingers along the waistband of your bottoms, brown eyes flickering up to meet yours, “Never been too tired for sex.”

Turning the two of you over, he settles between your legs, working his talented mouth along all the exposed skin that he can reach.

Curling his fingers into your roots, he moans softly into the curve of your jaw, pressing delicate kisses along your throat. Part of these past few weeks has been learning your cues, your sweet spots and your sensitivities. He’s getting good at it. It’s right as you hum and lift your hips eagerly against his that there’s a sharp jolt, a soft, dull pain as the impact hits your mid-section.

Bradley sits back quickly on his knees.

You groan in complaint, rubbing over the sore spot at the top of your developing bump. It’s only once you lean your head back to sigh in complaint that you clock the look on his face. Eyes blown wide, lips parted, staring at you like you just grew a second head.

Over the past few weeks, the little guy has been getting more and more active. Wriggling around a lot, you’ve been feeling him almost constantly the past few days. It has been ridiculously frustrating, suffering in silence, Bradley constantly frowning and telling you that he can’t feel anything. The realization comes quickly.

“Was that him?” Bradley breathes out softly, brows scrunching together.

You push yourself up on your elbows, lips quirking softly. The pregnancy websites said that Bradley should have been able to feel the kicks about a week ago, you were getting worried. Bradley reaches out again and tenderly rests his hands against the bottom of your rounded stomach.

The two of you wait patiently for it to happen again, Bradley’s lips falling into a disappointed frown as your baby stops kicking. He sighs, moving to lie down beside you and smoothing his hand over the top of your stomach as he kisses your cheek.

“I’m jealous that you get to feel him all the time, moving around in there,” He mumbles, shaking his head softly. “It’s like you’ve met him already and I have to wait three more months.”

You scoff, settling down onto the sheets that you had picked out, staring at the white ceiling, “I don’t think you’d be as jealous if he was kicking your bladder like he kicks mine.”

“Probably no—“ As Bradley speaks, your lips part, jolted by another soft kick. He raises his eyebrows as you grab one of his hands and place it over your stomach. Nothing again. He furrows his brows slightly, glancing up at you expectantly.

“Say something.” You prod him.

“Um… like what? — I don’t know what to say to a —“ His sentence stops abruptly, jaw hanging open as he feels a small but unmistakable kick against his palm. “Holy shit, that’s what you’ve been feel— He did it again!”

You giggle, resting your hand on top of Bradley’s as he beams at you, “I think he likes your voice.”

His eyes widen slightly, making him look even younger than he is. It’s hard to tell whether it’s excitement or fear on his face to begin with. He leans down and presses lips to your stomach.

“I am so,” he stops, kissing your skin tenderly again, hands cradling your growing bump. “So excited to meet you, little man.”

Your heart feels like it just about splits into two and you aren’t even sure why. It’s supposed to be a happy moment. You should be happy about this. Bradley feels a slight hiccup and glances up. Your eyes are filled with tears, stinging and threatening to spill out onto your cheeks.

“Hey,” Bradley says softly as he shifts up the bed and wraps his arms around you. “Hey… it’s okay. What’s wrong?”

You swallow, trying to hold in a sob that consumes your chest and strangles your vocal chords. Sniffling, you rest your head against his shoulder. “Do you wish that we weren’t having him?”

His brows scrunch together as he tries to piece together what about that interaction could have possibly given you that impression.

“Of course not! — Where’s this coming from?” He frowns, resting his cheek against the top of your head as he smooths his fingers along your back. You’re in your third trimester now, and the pregnancy websites said that your hormones might be kind of out of whack. But you got through graduation without a hitch.

It’s as the thought crosses his mind that you break in his arms. Hunching forwards, sobbing into your hands, covering your mouth so that Jake won’t hear you crying from the living room.

“Hey… did — did I say something wrong?” Bradley asks gently, face creasing in concern. He kisses your shoulder. “I’m sorry, I—“

You sniffle and shake your head. “Don’t say sorry. Please.”

“…Okay,” He smooths his palm tenderly along your spine once again, now totally lost. “Babe, I think you’re gonna have to spell it out for me here. What should I do?”

It’s not fair on him, any of this. You pull yourself together long enough to wipe your tear-stained cheeks and string together a sentence. “Just… if we could go back and do it all again, would you… do it like this?”

“I’d probably have suggested a plan B or something.”

You look up, eyes filled with tears, throat burning.

“I’m sorry, bad time for a joke,” He shakes his head quickly and kisses your forehead. “Look, we both know that this wasn’t planned. But it happened, it’s happening — and no, I don’t regret being here with you.”

You allow yourself to sink into his arms as he kisses the top of your head and squeezes you softly.

“Is everything okay with you?” His fingers graze along the nape of your neck and over your shoulder softly. “You’ve not really said a lot to me since graduation.”

He smooths his hand over your stomach, feeling another soft kick against his palm. It’s almost midnight now, he hopes that this kid isn’t going to be this much of a night owl once it’s born.

“Everything’s just moving really fast.” You say quietly as you settle back down onto your side. Bradley copies, laying on his side so that he’s facing you, his stomach pressed to yours. He nods slowly. “Jake’s leaving, and you’re starting work, and my parents still won’t talk to me. The baby doesn’t even have a name. I’m just scared.”

He leans forwards and kisses your mouth softly. “We’ll figure it out.”

A dry laugh escapes your lips, it’s a helpless thing, really. You wipe the tears from your cheeks and shake your head slowly, “How are you so chilled out about this?”

“I’m not,” He promises, voice quiet, something in the way that he looks at you so earnestly makes you soften. “I’m scared too. But we’ll figure it out.”

A silence lingers between the two of you. No more tears, no more lump in your throat, your heart rate slowing enough that you think you might actually manage to sleep tonight. Bradley leans forwards and kisses your cheek, then flicks off the bedside lamp.

You turn onto your other side and he presses himself into your back, wrapping an arm around you and resting it against your stomach. He’s been sleeping like this for the past week straight. It always settles his racing mind. Having both of you in his arms.

He’s warm. Lips press gently to your neck and he hums softly into the curve of your neck.

You exhale softly, shuffling back against his bare chest. This feels awfully grown up. Seven months pregnant, laying skin to skin, in your new shared home.

The next morning, it’s time to drive Jake to the airport. Basic training is three months long. The next time he sees you, you’ll be a mother.

“I love you,” He says softly, wrapping his arms around you. Your stomach bumps into his as you hug him. He’s still getting used to that. “I’m gonna be back before you know it.”

“I know, I know,” You breathe out, squeezing him tighter and then patting his back as you let go. “Just be safe. Don’t do anything stupid.”

…

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Jake chuckles, giving a quick shrug as he picks his bag up from the floor and slings it over his shoulder. His attention turns to Bradley. “Take care of my sister, Bradshaw.”

“Always.” Bradley answers. You turn your head and scrunch your brows slightly as you look up at him. He drapes an arm around your shoulder and offers Jake a sincere smile.

As Jake turns and heads towards his gate, the two of you are left together. Him still leaning into your side. Always. You stare at him. Flushed skin, wearing a faded grateful dead t-shirt and blue jeans, smiling at you.

Just you and him. Alone, in a new state. Him swearing always and you staying up at night and wondering if there’s even a tomorrow between the two of you.

Ten weeks left until your due date.

…

#bradley rooster bradshaw #bradley bradshaw #bradley bradshaw smut #miles teller #rooster x you #rooster bradshaw imagine #top gun smut #my future in you

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jodilin65 · 18 days ago

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Yay! I think I may have finally killed this infection after all! It seems like the residual effects of Cipro helped finish it off. I'll wait a few days and see if the WBCs are still present. I have a feeling they will be. Maybe that’s just normal for me now, just like it’s always been normal for me to have an elevated WBC count in my blood. If I don’t feel symptomatic, I’m not going to worry about it. I just hope this thing doesn’t flare up again. Fingers crossed! For someone prone to side effects, I was amazingly tolerant of Cipro. The gassy stomach I had after the first dose was probably because of something I ate. I didn’t have any side effects with the rest of the pills, except for some drowsiness.

I slept for over 7 hours and got a 92 sleep score, yet I’m exhausted. I really doubt my sleep apnea is "mild" at this point. Even the experts have said that home testing underestimates it. I don’t think I’m severe like Andy, but I probably have graduated to moderate. I also used the antihistamine spray and stayed up for 18 hours, so that’s likely contributing to some of today’s fatigue.

I can’t say for sure whether or not losartan really played a role in messing up my nose, but the problem definitely started pre-Tinkerbella. Even so, I thought about how I’m allergic to dander. Rats may be smaller than cats, but Tinkerbella is so friendly and loving that I definitely cuddle with her more than most pets and always give her kisses. I’m not going to stop loving on my amazing rat just because of a fucked-up nose. However, since the house is tiny and her cage is right outside the bedroom door, we definitely need to start cleaning it more often. She’s gotten huge, and now that she’s aging, she can’t climb as easily, even though she still seems healthy. This means more peeing in the wrong places—places where the pee and smell aren’t absorbed as well.

Tom went to get blood work done, and the girl really messed up both his arms, leaving bruises and potentially preventing him from donating tomorrow since they won’t allow it if there’s even faint bruising. Story of our lives, as I’ve said before—people fucking up at our expense. That, and me being cursed with shitty sleep and low energy. I’d like to think this infection is gone for good, that it’ll stay away for a long time, and that in a few months, I’ll be back on a CPAP, get used to it, and regain my energy. But life rarely goes the way we plan or hope for it to.

We may not be in the Midwest or Northeast, but oh my God, it’s been cold for Florida! I’m so glad we’re not in the Panhandle. This is definitely our coldest winter here. I don’t like it but it’s better for sleep and keeps people quieter. It’s funny as Tom said he wondered if this cold weather is a sign that we’ll be moving soon enough after all, and he’s just getting a taste of what’s in store for us. I was thinking the exact same thing, LOL. That will definitely be a downside to wherever we end up—it’ll be colder and we may even get a little snow. It never got above the low 40s yesterday, and that’s just all wrong for any part of Florida.

I started reading The Husband by Daniel Hurst.

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beesmygod · 1 year ago

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Due to circumstances i'm considering moving to the east coast after spending most of my life in the pacific northwest. Any advice?

this is me presuming you mean the northeast coast and not the south east bc thats a whole different kettle of fish. like even then there's a major difference between like. south carolina and florida.

-people are less inclined to strike up random friendly conversation with you. i think this is a net positive and people in portland constantly trying to talk to me freaked me out. the only people who talk to me are immediately obviously insane or are yelling at me.

-you need to take extra, extra good care of you car or it will rust

-the weather is insane lol. i can't people people lived like this before air conditioning. you cannot live without AC or heat. non-negotiable. you will experience every type of weather and problem except earthquakes.

-this was mind-blowing for me to adjust to but almost nothing over here is capable of biting and killing you. there are parts of the US where you have to shake out your shoes before you go out or watch where you step but like look at this lol

i came from a city with a landmark named "rattlesnake mountain". this shit is unreal to me. anyway,

-the cities were designed by mud-stacking idiots riding horses 300 years ago and as a result, every city feels like you're driving in toontown. unless its NYC probably i guess but the majority of these places were made wrong as a joke. this is probably RI only but some places have also decided to destroy their public transit so that you are forced to take the autobahn part 2: electric boogaloo. i'm not an anti-car guy, you know me, but its a human rights violation to make me drive in the minotaur's labyrinth

-the liquor laws here are busted lol. these guys still make you go to a separate store to buy liquor. puritan ass behavior. stop making me drive to another, sadder location

-availability of good options is going to be VERY different!!! PROS: cheap seafood that whips ass, portuguese, cuban, jamaican, ethiopian, italian (!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS WHERE THE REAL ITALIAN AMERICAN FOOD IS) and honestly there's still some extremely good mexican restaurants here. CONS: nothing is open after 9, good luck getting a meal past 8 on a sunday. its like they think vampires come out at night or something. trying to find ethnic food stores that have what you need is tough. less chinese and japanese options.

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nerdygaymormon · 2 years ago

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I'm really distressed at all the anti-trans laws being passed

I also am distressed about this.

It was just a few years ago that the public & business backlash against North Carolina's bathroom bill caused the state to reverse it in 2017. Now laws are passing and many support them.

Fortunately, in most states on the Pacific Coast and in the Northeast, protections for trans people have been codified into law.

Unfortunately, in much of the rest of the nation lawmakers are using discrimination against trans people as a way to please their voters and bolster their chances for reelection.

The laws of 2020 & 2021 that banned trans athletes from competing against cis women seem very tame compared to what's happening now.

Some states ban the changing of gender markers on birth certificates. Some ban gender-affirming care, which is endorsed by every major medical association.

I live in Florida and it has gone so far as to ban mentioning gay & trans people exist to school children, bans books about queer topics & people in the libraries, banned K-12 schools from having trans anti-discrimination policies, and is requiring state universities to turn over the medical records of all students who reported having gender dysphoria. They even attacked the largest employer in the state for saying it supported queer people and opposed the discriminatory laws.

It is an attack on trans people!

The thing is, studies show gender transitioning benefits those who are transgender. This includes improved quality of life, greater relationship satisfaction, higher self-esteem & confidence, and reductions in anxiety, depression, suicidality, and substance abuse.

Studies show very high satisfaction rates for those who transition, whether it's social, whether it's hormone treatments, or whether it involves surgical procedures. Studies also suggest most who have regrets do so primarily as a result of a lack of social support after transitioning.

What reasons are lawmakers using to justify the anti-trans legislation?

It seems the arguments used are based on anecdotes and misinformation.

They claim that even acknowledging gay & trans people exist is somehow "grooming" children. There's no evidence this is the case, it make no logical sense to make this claim.

Some mention people who transitioned and later regretted this choice. Imagine if all medical treatments were outlawed if a few people wound up unhappy with them.

Some mention the idea of a ‘social contagion’ that convinces a cis person to transition, or they do so because they will receive some sort of ‘special treatment’ if they transition. That is easy to debunk. Those lawmakers should crossdress. Spend one day in public trying their very best to look as good as possible as opposite of the gender they identify as. Then let’s hear how it goes. Did they have overwhelmingly positive interactions and receive ‘special treatment’?

Some talk about the loss that family members experience that the trans individual will no longer follow the gendered expectations they had for their loved one. Nevermind the feelings of the transgender person who may feel rejected by their relatives.

These laws are based on bigotry and they put an already vulnerable group in more danger.

What I hope is this is the last fitful resistance by people who are uncomfortable with the world changing in ways that don't support their biases and bigotry. Acceptance of queer people has been growing year by year. As I mentioned, a number of states include trans people in their anti-discrimination laws. All major medical organizations support gender-affirming care and medical professionals testify against these laws.

Hopefully courts will disallow these laws, and in the future I hope that when this moral panic over trans people calms down that we can put protections in place.

#cw transphobia #cw transphobes #cw queerphobia

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stephenjaymorrisblog · 2 years ago

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This Moment in History

June 9, 2023

Stephen Jay Morris

©Scientific Morality

Written documents like this are photos, frozen in time at the very moment of their inception. Through these, I can reflect on the past or the present. The future, of course, is unknown. In my current moment in time, the former U.S. president, Trump, will be indicted in some federal court for crimes he committed. Now, on the cyber bulletin-board, Twitter, his followers are raging. The formal indictment will take place in federal court in Miami, Florida this coming Tuesday. His followers are calling for a massive protest. I couldn’t even guess how it would turn out. Will there be a low turnout? Will there be a violent riot? Will there be a counter demonstration? How about a police riot? Maybe nothing will happen at all. It’s a game of wait and see. I am sure glad I am a mere Homosapien and not omniscient, like God. Every tomorrow is a surprise to me. If I was God, I would have knowledge of every future event. I do pity God. He must live forever—a prisoner of infinity. Me? If I am lucky, I’ll live until I am 85, maybe 93 tops. I can feel pain, pleasure, boredom, anger, love, sickness, good health, hunger, horniness, hatred, and envy. I embrace my mortality; I do not resent it. I was nonexistent before I was born, and I’ll be nonexistent after I die; which brings me to my next point…

Pat Robertson, founder of the Christian conservative movement, has died. You know the old expression: Only the good die young. Well, Pat was 93 when he kicked the bucket—a long life. He started the Trinity Broadcast Company, by which he had some TV show called “The 700 Club.” His voice was suave but came off as a mush mouth. He had this chuckle that sounded like a sociopath laughing after having killed someone. He was a fake Christian. His followers would put their hand on their TV sets and pray for their salvation, then they’d send him money! I think that’s what’s known as grifting. It’s bad enough that of most his followers were exploited by Capitalism and taxes, but God picked their pockets, also! Most of these pastors tell their parishioners that giving money to them is equal to giving money to God. Yup! That’s the scam! You don’t need a pastor. All you need to do is to read the fuckin’ bible! Unless you’re some wealthy individual, you don’t even need an accountant; you can do your own taxes!

Early this month, Canada had some big wildfires burning across its southern forests, similar to when Australia did. Canada always sends us rain and snow, and other shitty weather. They also send us their social deviants like Steven Crowder and Gavin McInnes. “The Proud Boys” was started by some Canadian Illegal Alien! “America First,” my ass! Well, guess where Canada’s toxic, wildfire smoke ended up? Throughout the Northeast Coast!

One morning last week, I went outside. At first, it was like a foggy day. Soon, the sky was an eerie orange, like Trump’s face, and there was an odor in the air like a fireplace in Poland. Smoke! I quit smoking six years ago, and here I was inhaling this exceedingly, unhealthy smoke again! I thought the Catskill Mountains were on fire. Pamela went to the post office and learned that the smoke was coming from fires in Canada. She said the employees advised that we stay indoors and close our windows. News reports soon related that the air over the entire northeast region was at an exceeding high, unhealthy level. New York City was featured in the news as having been engulfed in smoke for over three days. The New York Yankees game was canceled.

Was this a sign of God’s wrath against the Christian Nationalist heretics? I am an Agnostic, so I can pose a question like this. If it wasn’t, it was certainly a coincidence! The sky turned orange, Pat Robertson dies, and Trump gets indicted. Hmmmm! Makes you think…

#stephenjaymorris #poets on tumblr #american politics #anarchism #anarchopunk #anarchocommunism #baby boomers #anarcho punk #anarchoindividualist #anarcho syndicalism #anarchocapitalism #anarcho communism #anarcho nihilism

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dragon0fhades · 10 months ago

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Both are hell in different ways.

I'm from Pennsylvania and spent most of my life living there. It gets insanely humid when it's hot(and when it's not), even when there should be no moisture in the air bc it hasn't rained in ages. About 4 years ago I went to California at the beginning of the summer to visit my (now ex) fiancée's family.

Having never left the Northeast except to go to Florida a couple times, I had never experienced dry heat before. When I tell you I stepped off the plane in San Francisco and was immediately dehydrated. It felt like every bit of moisture in my body evaporated in an instant. I wasn't safe even in the shade. Now, I got kinda used to that during the month I was there (I was still miserable with how hot it was) and bc I left at the beginning of the summer the hell that is PA heat hadn't fully kicked up. So when I flew back to Philly mid July I hadn't had time to slowly get used to the humidity like I normally would. It felt like I got hit with a sack of bricks when I left the airport. Before then I hadn't understood why people hated humid heat so much. Like obviously it sucks, it's too hot to do anything. But oh boy did I learn! The only reason I didn't get before it is bc that's all I'd ever known.

Now having experienced both, I feel like humid heat is safer. It weighs you down and makes you not wanna be outside for any longer than you have to, which lead to a good chunk of my summers being spent inside with the AC and/or a ton of fans running. With dry heat people tend to wanna be outside more since the air doesn't weigh 20 pounds per breath. I'm not one of those people, but my fiancée and her family were so I got dragged along with them. I got more sunburns in the one month I spent in California than I have in my entire life before and after that. Even with staying in the shade and covering myself in sunscreen and hydrating, I got heatstroke over and over again along with one notable case of sun poisoning. It's very hard to convince people to do an indoor activity away from the sun and its dangers when it's "too nice out to stay inside".

summer is coming up lads..

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the-firebird69 · 11 days ago

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There have been rumors of ICE raids around Northeast Florida. Here’s what we found out https://www.news4jax.com/news/local/2025/01/29/there-have-been-rumors-of-ice-raids-around-northeast-florida-heres-what-we-found-out/

It's really we've kind of had it with you people you're such assholes you're a bunch of bums that's what he says and she says it too and they're Street bums you stick them in the house they kind of live this mediocre ass life it only do anything without us making them do it it's annoying what you're doing is causing yourself to get hit and she's crazy f****** a****** we hate you dumb mother f***** you can't see that stuff you're saying to us and you do and you get killed and we want you out you're such a f****** useless a****** we're going to make you gone too for supporting the stupid b**** if you don't think so who cares it's a loud mouth retard like they are you inviting s*** is this dumb assholes idea now he's stuck with his stupid creation it's his fault too now I understand it can really go wrong can't it oh yeah the argument is what what do you want me to post to Mac Daddy you are not there you're innocent of the crime. And our son and daughter ask him it's just no go ahead and put you what you want down here you weren't responsible a lot of people were involved in it yeah they were afterwards okay but we're putting what we want down here and had a little boy because of that stupid a****** in front and it's your fault that he exists so go find your sister you have some necropsy or whatever you call it gross before that it's disgusting stupid s***I haven't really learned this stuff yet he says good so happy you get out there good now he's saying some other s*** okay what else do you want out there I want to pay in the ass you f****** retards are.. so is nightmare is now real for him and he's a huge pain in the ass and a dumbass b**** too these people are all like low life slime balls and they really do not do anything worthwhile.

We have a lot of things coming up in the next week or so but yeah the cavefn probably won't fall for 4 days

We have a few people upset about it but yeah go f*** yourselves your God damn idiots

Our son and daughter say it's so aggravating no wonder there's a holocaust and Purge are you fools we do have some new numbers about that by the way you whining a little jew bags

--in the general population the Mac morlock they were in about 15% last month it's down to about 11%, it was at 11.4% earlier this week or last week and the trumpsters they dropped down to about 4% now all of them and it's quite a hefty drop for them about 2.8%. it's a big chunk of 15%. It's still not enough but they are going down and in their separate the cities they're going down overall they are about 6.9% in the separatist cities if you add it all up it's around 14% still and his own people are trying to get him to stop doing this executive order s*** he's like little boy they said it too he's going to get us all fired and stupid s*** and now he's asking them to leave their jobs and really we need to be concerned about the general population out of the 4% the number leaving their jobs is not very high but when you compare it to the government jobs we expect and I don't know 100% government jobs and about 10% people leave Trump to comprise only about 30 to 35% now 10% of this big chunk of them and they go out and start trouble everyone's gearing up to take them out and it will reduce them and they will evacuate as well and by the end of the weekend I know it's going to take a week or so they'll be down probably to 2% yeah and continue sliding that will make a big difference because people will see what they had and what they're doing and it's going to be a death knel

Thor Freya

Olympus

They have us talking and talking sometimes and overdoing things and putting it in the wrong way it's terrible it is this group The trumpsters I don't like them picking on Mac for the surgery that they did

Hera

Boy that blue

Mac Daddy

So Ben is singing and stuff yeah having him too happened to him too it's probably as Trump f****** dick everyone wants to screw around with and leave alone Jesus

Zues Hera

I think I might do that don't ingested he says go bite his brain he's such a f****** loser

Ben Arnold

Olympus

They're not a child so you're not a child and you're going to pay for what you've done you're a criminal and we need to bring you any piece of s*** so sick of hearing from you and space you f****** f**** so you're in space that's our domain I'm going to fill you up with poison and probably like one cell left in the year he said that to you I don't know what to do and it's going to be a space cadet and he's going to die that's what he's going to do is shut up yourself it's illegal for you to do that stupid crap that f****** loser s*** you're sitting here dumping on me and Spacey dumb m*********** I have to take it out back and chop your f****** head off myself I'm f****** hate you and I don't give a s*** he tries to do stuff and he dies nobody wants a piece of s*** large ass f****** criminal around and I are announcing all these other people you dumb f****** s*** Jesus Christ that you stupid f****** a****** you do this when I'm somewhere else and you do this while I'm here what the f*** do I have to do I have to get rid of you so I heard that s*** and he says this he's actually right I'm just sitting here being an a****** cuz you know what happens to people that say that stupid s*** to your kind they throw you off for roof like they didn't you ass you gay boy you went up there and messed with TKO or whatever it is bko they talked you down the stairs and wasn't enough for you so I looked into that and they tossed him off the building or two and he's a dumb mother f***** this guy she started bothering us and he said just shoot him everyone else does he's got tons of money in businesses I started doing that and we're taking stuff and moving it after a while and we have a bunch of stuff because this piece of s*** we just have to go after him

Cassandra

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dearyallfrommatt · 3 months ago

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Revelations on the front porch

One thing I do think I regret about how I've lived my life is how it's led me to being alone - really and fully, apart from family - in a position where it's going to be damn nigh impossible to find someone to share the end of the world with. A best friend, a lover, a tribe, a partner-in-crime, the life I've led made it tough for me to find any of that for any length of time.

People want different things out of life and all I've ever wanted was my version of "having a good time". I never fit growing up plus I was "sensitive" or, according to everyone else, a whiner. My interests weren't in college football or outdoor activities, so I faked it until I didn't have to anymore. I learned at a fairly early age that most of the stuff I wanted to do, no one was going to want to do that stuff with me, regardless of what it was.

By the time I got to Florida and college, I was pretty much locked into that mode. I'm going to go where I want to go and see what I want to see. It's always nice when someone comes with me but I'm only going to ask once. The more they said "yes," the more I asked. But I'm going regardless and will stop asking if stop being told "yes".

I'm sure there are reasons for that that go beyond not liking Southern soul in Athens or classical music in Gainesville. But no one ever told me what it was and I never figured out what it was beyond just me "being weird." And let's face it, people want to experience more from someone than "yeah, it's cool if you want to come along, let me know beforehand."

Add the previously discussed physical unattractiveness and general "weird" that is me, plus a general disinclination to latch myself and my mental health to someone else's oft unfathomable whims, and it makes perfect sense I'm facing 50 alone. Add all that to being a leftist atheist in rural Northeast Mississippi who still doesn't give a shit about college football or huntin'-&-fishin', and any attempts at finding that someone or that tribe is choppin' high cotton indeed.

I don't trust the internet anymore and I wouldn't even begin to think of asking anyone to move to Mississippi (much less a woman), so there you go. Figure that out, smart guy.

#revelations on the front porch #this loneliness is eating me alive #loneliness

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treeremovalpensacola · 5 months ago

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Water winterization: How to prepare your water features for the cold

If you're in the Pensacola area, then you have probably already experienced the need for having to remove a tree or stump or getting your tree's trimmed. The cost of tree removal varies depending on a few factors, such as: - The type of tree that needs to be removed - The size of the tree - The location of the tree - The condition of the tree Pensacola Tree Removal offers competitive pricing for our tree removal services. For a full list of services Tree removal services visit Pensacola Florida Tree Removal for a fast, friendly and reliable quote that you can count on. This will help not only beautify your property but also is the safest way to do it. Tyler Fisher, Northeast regional sales manager for Atlantic-Oase based in Aurora, Ohio, says an old tagline he’d heard from his CEO was “life is better living in water.” He’s sometimes surprised many landscapers and clients often overlook the value water features can add to a property. “Sometimes you can have somebody out there and say, ‘Hey, close your eyes. Imagine there’s water running.’ Or you can have the sound of it going, and that’s sometimes enough to seal the deal for somebody,” he says. “It’s something to have in your toolkit that is a really good upsell.” One of the main disincentives with water features, especially the farther north you go, is that the process of preparing them for winter can be tricky, meaning landscapers should be well-versed in the topic if they want to utilize effective water features. Don’t fall short As most things in the industry go, preparation starts early, and landscapers should be thinking about winterization for their water features in the fall. Fisher recommends preparing for winter by keeping water features clean during the warm season. Plus, treating larger water features with aeration and regular applications of sludge-consuming bacteria to reduce organics is another important step. Using pond netting to intercept leaves before winter arrives is another great technique for smaller features. For pondless features and fountains with water stored in an underground basin, Fisher says it’s best to clean out any organics in the fall, then remove the pump and check valve before cleaning and servicing them if needed before storing them inside for the winter. Freezing over While smaller features may be allowed to freeze right over, Fisher says anything with fish in it requires some extra steps. “When it comes to a big pond, you can put filtration on there, you can put a plethora of things to clean it out —treatments — but you’re still dealing with an ecosystem,” Fisher says. Many of the bigger features like ponds, waterfalls and other open bodies of water already need extra attention, and when it comes to caring for fish, Fisher points out that they need to be able to breathe under the ice. If possible, cleaning ponds in the fall reduces the organics that would eat up the oxygen over the winter. To further ensure a good supply of oxygen for the fish, Fisher recommends placing an aerator in the shallows to keep a hole free of ice, leaving the deepest, warmest water undisturbed. Set for success Not every water feature needs the same kind of preparation, and with all the options out there, Fisher says finding a solution that fits your feature is key. “Staying consistent is a big part of it,” he says. “If you did one thing the first winter and it worked, do it again the next winter.” Plus, as winters in places like Ohio seem to get tamer each year, it’s important for landscapers to attack the problems early instead of assuming the cold season will get easier or cause less problems. “Maybe it wasn’t an issue last winter, but it could be an issue this winter, so definitely be prepared,” Fisher says. “Everything you’re doing now is setting you up for what you have to deal with in the spring.” The post Water winterization: How to prepare your water features for the cold first appeared on Landscape Management.

#Pensacola Tree Removal Feed 2

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bogleech · 1 year ago

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This is a well meaning but very unnecessary fuss; it draws from advice that goes around in a lot of articles, yeah, but they're all very exaggerated and they don't fully understand what they're reporting on. Even in some biology groups, which should know better, people will practically shriek at you about all the alleged horrors of these worms, which is probably how you and other people in the notes picked up these ideas through no fault of your own.

But the thing is.....the hammer-headed worms we have in the USA have been in the USA for almost 100 years, all across the continent. Any effect they might have had on the ecosystem has been a done deal since before any of us were born, and if every human being devoted their entire life to searching for and killing them for another 100 years, it still wouldn't make a dent in their population because the vast majority of them are down in the soil where they just multiply freely. We only see the handful that come up to the surface. Not even an atomic bomb would undo their introduction.

And no, these worms will not hurt you. Media pieces play up that they contain the same poison as a blowfish, but so do countless other organisms nobody lives in fear of, because you would have to *eat* them for that poison to affect you, and it's only deadly in blowfish because of their incredibly high concentration. To get sick from these worms you would have to just put a whole big handful in your mouth, most likely.

There's also a claim that they can give you a deadly form of spinal meningitis, but by that, they mean these worms can theoretically carry a microscopic parasite, the rat lungworm, which can also be found in ordinary slugs and snails around the world. Lungworm has not been found in any flatworms within the USA, and it's just another thing you'd only have to worry about if you intend to eat them.

Furthermore, the very earthworms they prey upon are often more harmful; invasive earthworms outnumber native species in most of North America, and earthworms cause immeasurable destruction to ecosystems that didn't evolve around them, slowly killing entire ancient forests here in the Northwest for example. Why, then, don't we see articles scaring people about earthworms? Probably because earthworms are good for our unnatural agriculture and, therefore, good for our economy. This is similar to how dramatized the so-called "murder hornets" were strictly for their threat to honeybees, but between the two, our domestic honeybees are a bigger problem for wildlife.

Basically these worms have been ridiculously sensationalized because "WEIRD, POISONOUS, INVADING ALIEN LOOKING SLIME CREATURES!!!!" make great clickbait, and people very easily get swept up in the excitement of that. I see this phenomenon with invasive organisms in general, really; it doesn't matter "how" invasive, per se, but the moment something is invasive some people are just really eager to interpret it as a sci-fi horror monster to vanquish because we're a very bored species. It's like we actually just wish we had dragons to worry about.

Of course I'm not saying they had no impact at all, and their newest relative to arrive in Florida, the new guinea flatworm, is likely going to drive some native organisms to extinction, but there's no use in going ballistic on those either; the last two times I visited Florida I saw literally hundreds of them. We aren't reversing that unless we can find a predator or parasite that will naturally control them, and introducing that on purpose could have unpredictable repercussions for some other wildlife anyway. Likewise the spotted lanternflies damaging the northeast right now; people are advised to combat them but there have to be hundreds of billions of them deep in the forests by now. It's a "what's done is done" situation and it's our fault, not theirs.

Humans can only ever hope to wipe out larger, slower breeding invasives, like the monitor lizards in the Everglades.

hammerhead flatworms (Bipaliinae) are in my estimation among the most beautiful terrestrial animals, often sporting bright colors and striking patterns that advertise their toxicity.

bipaliines feed on either worms or land gastropods, tracking the slime trails of prey with their highly sensitive spade- or crescent-shaped head plate.

Southeast Asia is a hotspot for bipaliine diversity, and at least six species can be found in Singapore, all of which I managed to encounter this summer!

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fantasticcloudcreation · 8 months ago

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Lil rant about goals and future plans 😇

Ok so I've been here for a week and it's been a really nice time visiting family and I'm grateful to be living this life that gives me all this free time and opportunity to do whatever I want, back when I had an apartment and a "real job" I could only visit my family for holidays and it never felt like enough, but now I get like any significant time off work and I feel guilty if I'm not spending it with my family, even though there's other things I want to be doing... (Like what? Camping alone in the woods? /Kinda but there's always time for that between gigs etc) - enjoy this time and relax about it. Just feeling antsy bc I've been here a week and I'm kinda feeling like I might need to get out and go somewhere, but where, idk. I still need to visit my brother and my grandparents, I desperately need to clean the van, gotta make a mechanic appointment for next week, etc.

Also feeling antsy about going back to work which is hilarious bc like March, April, May, had barely any days off work besides driving all day traveling between gigs; was begging the universe to give me some time off to relax and vibe and whatever and now here I am with 2 months straight which was unexpected and I'm still kinda salty about it haha. But I'm one month down, one month to go, maybe I should be using the time a little better... I mean I'm working on projects which are mostly done, and I think next week I'll take care of the van things (cleaning, organizing, mechanic) and then D will be coming to visit so I'll either be here where he can meet my dad or I'll be at my brother's where we'll have more space/privacy to ourselves; we'll see!

I think the main thing is, I gotta get focused on my goals. What exactly are my goals?? I'm feeling a super lack of confidence lately and it's hard to know how to direct my energy right now. (I say that as if it's ever been different in my entire life lmao.) Usually I just focus on losing weight as if that'll somehow magically get my life in order Oh Yeah I'm Doing That Right Now 😅

Thinking ahead: July is free. August should be at least half filled if all goes well, and then some time to explore/camp in the northeast where it hopefully won't be too hot. September?? Who knows, but making my way towards Texas. October will have work in Texas, November December January should be full of work in Florida. So this is like my last solid free month and I should be getting my van situated, getting my business off the ground, working on my confidence and organization and planning and whatnot. I've been dilly dallying on that bc I lack the confidence and it's easier to avoid everything than to try something new, but it feels so good once you get past that and get started !!!

Maybe I'll lose 10 pounds and cut my hair and start wearing makeup again and get my clothes worked out where they all look cool/good/not like a hobo dad lolol. Maybe that'll give me confidence. Maybe it's time to reinvent my image and personality and break up with this guy I've been low-key ghosting and start putting effort into myself again. Maybe I need to focus on spirituality and prioritize wellness (how boring). Maybe I need to dive into a new skill and get really good at it over the next couple years. Who knows!!!!

I want to build things and paint things and make fun wearable crafts and make YouTube videos with my own music and vibes. I have enough work to pay the bills, if a side business can make enough money just to buy supplies to keep itself going, that's all I need. I want to go out west again, maybe I'll do that in February. Maybe I'll upgrade to an RV. The point: I have ideas and dreams and goals and this is my time to start working on them while I have the space. I have 4 weeks left....... I have money in the bank to get these things started. Make a plan, one step at a time, check things off the list. Clean the van and get it back in shape to start fresh this season. Call that guy and tell him it's not working right now. Stop avoiding. Relax and enjoy the ride!!!! Be grateful for this space and time with my dad. Use this time to your advantage, ask for help with business planning.

Tomorrow I'm going to paint my lil pottery pieces from the garden clay, they didn't turn out great but I have another batch that I'm trying a different process and we'll see how it goes, it's a fun experiment and at the very least I'm gonna make some decorative charms for myself to remind myself that it's fun to make things and try new things just for the heck of it :)

Priorities: exercise, taking care of the van, getting the business first steps rolling. 4 weeks left until the next chapter launches! Stop wasting days! (No days have been wasted but you know what I mean). Stop avoiding and start living.

Above all: life is really good!!! I'm so glad and grateful that I created this life for myself, imagine 3 years from now when my business is rolling and work is flowing and things are just like this except 10 steps better! Plant the seeds now and let the trees grow and in 5 years we'll have plenty of shade!!! Reminding myself that I've been dreaming about all these things for years and it's time to start working towards them. Reminding myself of where I was 3 years ago and how far I've come. Everything is working out, literally, and this is just the next step. What's the motivation? (PLJBF). Living a full and fun life. Feeling good about myself when people ask "what do you do"/"where do you live" ; offering gifts to the world for the sake of the process. Embracing the challenge, trying something new, giving myself the space to see what happens when I actually put myself out there. Is it an ego thing? Maybe. Is it for the sake of the challenge? A little bit. Is it just another girl in pursuit of happiness and a life on her own terms? Absolutely. There are many ways to show up in the world and I'm ready to be a confident independent strong smart capable leader. I'm ready to actually try and succeed. I am good enough and I know I can do it, getting started is the hardest part, staying focused and organized is the second hardest part, I know I can work with those challenges and make something happen. Let it flow. Relax. First: I'm here and I'm grateful and I'm ready to make the most of it.

Thank you, I love you ❤️

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xtruss · 10 months ago

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Immigrant Battling Cancer Among Trio Who Won $1.326 Billion Powerball Ticket: Oregon Lottery! The Ticket Was The Fourth-Largest Powerball Jackpot in History.

— By Leah Sarnoff | April 29, 2024

Oregon Lottery Announces 3 Winners of $1.326 Billion Powerball Ticket. The ticket was the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot in history.

The winners of the $1.326 billion Powerball ticket were officially revealed by the Oregon Lottery on Monday.

During a press conference at the Oregon Lottery Headquarters in Salem, Oregon, husband and wife Cheng and Duanpen Saephan and their friend Laiza Chao were announced as the winners of the massive lottery drawn earlier this month.

Cheng Saephan, an immigrant from Laos living in Portland, explained how life-changing the lottery win is amid his eight-year cancer battle.

"I'm happy for my family, they will have a good life," Saephan said during the press conference. "I'm battling cancer so thinking how am I going to spend all the money," he said, adding that he can now find a "good doctor" and that he and his wife plan to buy a home with their lump-sum winnings.

Saephan immigrated to America in 1994 and used to work in Aerospace.

"My Life Has Been Changed... I'm Happy For My Family; They Will Have A Good Life."

He and his wife and their friend, Laiza Chao, bought 20 Powerball tickets in hopes of winning the jackpot.

"I call Laiza as she's driving to work, I told her you don't have to go to work now; we won the lottery; we won the jackpot!" Saephan recalled during the press conference.

The staggering $1.326 billion Powerball ticket was the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot in history and the eighth-largest among U.S. jackpot games, according to the Oregon Lottery.

On April 6, a lucky ticket matching all six Powerball numbers was sold at the Plaid Pantry convenience store in Portland, Oregon, the state's lottery announced at the time.

The Numbers Drawn For The Jackpot Were 22, 27, 44, 52 And 69, With A Powerball Of 9, The Lottery Said.

Powerball lottery tickets pictured inside a store in Homestead, Florida July 19, 2023. Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

"This is our first winner on this scale, so this is very exciting for us," Melanie Mesaros, spokesperson for the Oregon Lottery told ABC News on April 7.

The lottery winners have the opportunity to accept a lump cash sum of $621 million or receive annual payouts of the $1.3 billion, also pre-tax -- starting with one immediate payment followed by 29 annual payments that increase by 5% each year, the lottery said.

The jackpot is subject to federal taxes and state taxes in Oregon.

The Plaid Pantry location in northeast Portland will also receive a $100,000 bonus for selling the winning ticket, according to the lottery.

"Plaid Pantry is thrilled to learn that one of our 104 Oregon stores sold the $1.3 billion dollar Powerball ticket," Plaid Pantry President and CEO Jonathan Polonsky said in a statement to the Oregon Lottery. "This store is one of our newest and most loved stores. Proceeds from the Oregon Lottery fund many programs that benefit everyone in the state, and we've been a proud partner with the Oregon Lottery since the very beginning."

The individuals with the winning $1.326 billion ticket came forward on April 8 and underwent a vetting process before their identity was announced.

"This is an unprecedented jackpot win for Oregon Lottery," Oregon Lottery Director Mike Wells said in a press release on April 8. "We're taking every precaution to verify the winner before awarding the prize money, which will take time."

An aerial image shows the White Stag neon sign as vehicles cross the Willamette River in downtown Portland, Oregon, Jan. 25, 2024. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

The Powerball jackpot previously ballooned to an estimated $1.3 billion ahead of the April 6 drawing after a record-tying streak with no jackpot winner.

The Powerball hasn't been won since Jan. 1, when a ticket sold in Michigan claimed a $842.4 million jackpot.

In 2022, the largest U.S. lottery jackpot, worth $2.04 billion, was won in California.

Powerball is a multi-state jackpot operated by 44 states, plus the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, according to Oregon Lottery.

Powerball tickets are $2 per play and the odds of winning the jackpot are 1 in 292.2 million, according to Powerball.

"My life has been changed... I can rest my family and find a good doctor." The winners of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot were officially revealed by the Oregon Lottery. One of the winners, Cheng "Charlie" Saephan, has been battling cancer since 2016.

"I'm on disability ... used to worked on aerospace and make airplanes," Saephan said at a press conference. He added that he's currently going through chemotherapy and plans on buying a house and finding himself a good doctor to continue his treatment. The staggering ticket was the fourth-largest Powerball jackpot in history. Saephan will be splitting the prize with his wife and his longtime friend. "I'm happy for my family; they will have a good life."

Cheng "Charlie" Saephan holds display check above his head after speaking during a news conference where it was revealed that he was one of the winners of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot at the Oregon Lottery headquarters on Monday, April 29, 2024, in Salem, Oregon. AP Photo/Jenny Kane

Images of Cheng "Charlie" Saephan are displayed during a news conference where it was revealed that he was one of the winners of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot at the Oregon Lottery headquarters on Monday, April 29, 2024, in Salem, Oregon. AP Photo/Jenny

Oregon Lottery External Communications Program Manager Melanie Mesaros holds a list of numbers as Cheng "Charlie" Saephan speaks during a press conference after it was revealed that he was one of the winners of the $1.3 billion Powerball jackpot at the Oregon Lottery headquarters on Monday, April 29, 2024, in Salem, Ore. In the weeks leading up to the drawing, Saephan wrote out numbers for the game on a piece of paper and slept with it under his pillow, he said. He prayed that he would win, saying, "I need some help - I don't want to die yet unless I have done something for my family first." AP Photo/Jenny

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