#Need Lawyer Colorado

[choosethebestlawyer]

Best Lawyer Colorado Springs

Experienced & Effective Lawyer in Colorado Springs!

The best lawyer Colorado Springs has a deep understanding of the local laws, regulations, and court procedures.

They stay up-to-date with the latest legal developments and use their knowledge and experience to provide effective legal representation for their clients.

[padawansuggest]

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[anistarrose]

Things To Know To Get Your Vote Counted — Non-Exhaustive List

[Plain text: "Things To Know To Get Your Vote Counted — Non-Exhaustive List."]

Post date: October 28, 2024. Contains information relevant to both in-person and absentee voting.

Same Day Voter Registration:

[Same Day Voter Registration:]

If you're not already registered to vote, over 20 states (and DC) allow you to register while you're at the polling place on election day (or for early voting). If you're making a last-second decision to vote, or you thought you were registered but found out you weren't, these states give you options up until (insert time the polls close) on November 5th.

[ID: map with states shaded where same-day registration is allowed in 2024. States that allow it are: California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. (North Carolina only allows it during early voting.) End ID.] (Source: Ballotpedia)

Alaska and Rhode Island only allow same-day registering voters to vote for president/vice president. North Carolina only allows same-day registration in the early voting period. Most states require an ID and/or proof of residency to register as usual — the Ballotpedia page is a good starting point for researching requirements in your own state.

Casting a Provisional Ballot:

[Casting a Provisional Ballot:]

Provisional ballots are cast by voters who can't prove they are eligible to vote at the polling place on Election Day. For example, if you:

don't have a photo ID on you, but it's required in your state?

requested an ID ballot, but had to vote in person because you didn't receive it?

changed your name or address, but it doesn't show up in the registration information?

have your eligibility challenged by a poll worker for any reason?

Then you should ask for a provisional ballot. Moreover, federal law requires election officials to offer voters a way of tracking whether their vote was counted. Many states have online provisional ballot trackers.

Provisional ballots are used in all states except for Idaho and Minnesota. To learn more about your specific state, I recommend the National Conference of State Legislatures (archive link if the site is down).

Tracking Your Ballot and Curing Signatures:

[Tracking Your Ballot and Curing Signatures:]

In addition to provisional ballots, if you've submitted an absentee ballot, Vote.org compiles ballot trackers to ensure your ballot is received — the vast majority of states have an online version.

Moreover, if voting absentee, familiarize yourself with your state's cure period for signature errors, and be on the lookout for communication in case your signature is found not to match. 33 states require some kind of notification and ballot-curing process — which means that if your ballot is rejected, you have a chance to fix it, albeit most likely needing to appear in person.

Be Careful About Phones, Ballot Selfies, Political Clothing:

[Be Careful About Phones, Ballot Selfies, Political Clothing:]

Many states disallow taking pictures of your ballot, and even some of the states listed as "allowing" it only do so under specific conditions (ex: your face isn't in the photo, the photo isn't taken at the polling place, et cetera). Moreover, several states go even further, and ban phones at the polling place altogether. Nevada, Maryland, and Texas are the states I'm aware of, but there may be more.

Also, at least 21 states ban political apparel or buttons in polling places. Regarding both apparel and phones, it is also possible that cities could set their own rules, so you should err on the side of caution unless you know for a fact what's allowed and what isn't.

Responding to Voter Intimidation:

[Responding to Voter Intimidation:]

866-Our-Vote (866-687-8683) is a hotline you can contact, which will help connect you with lawyers and federal investigators. Their website also lists hotlines in Spanish, Arabic, and some East & Southeast Asian languages. If you witness or experience a civil rights violation, you should write down your account for future reference, contact the DOJ Civil Rights Division, and possibly also a local ACLU division.

Other Information:

[Other Information:]

Getting time off work to vote, state-by-state

State election department contact information

Vote411 (voting law information & candidate information)

If anyone notices an error or broken link in this post, please let me know so I can correct it. If anyone would like to add on information in the notes, please do so — especially if it's specific to your state! Please just include a source if possible, and present the information as accessibly as you can. Overall, good luck out there.

[carriesthewind]

"Although hired as a consultant by Washington County in this case, Baird had a long-standing independent agenda: helping foster parents across Colorado succeed in intervening and permanently claiming the children they care for. Often working hand in hand with Tim Eirich, she has been called as an expert in, by her count, hundreds of child-welfare cases, and she sometimes evaluates visits between birth families and children without having met them. Baird would not say how many foster-parent intervenor cases she has participated in, but she can recall only a single instance in which she concluded that the intervenors should not keep the child. Thinking that particular couple would be weak adoptive parents, she told me, she simply filed no report."

"With the supply of adoptable babies dropping, foster children were becoming a “hot commodity,” he said, and he and his colleagues (among them Tim Eirich’s law partner Seth Grob) realized that attachment experts could be called into court to argue that foster children needed to remain with their foster parents in order to avoid a severed bond."

"The judge ruled in favor of Eirich’s clients, a social worker and a real-estate agent. “Court found [Baird’s] testimony credible. She has significant experience,” the judge said, adding approvingly that Baird’s analysis had “focused on primacy of attachment over cultural considerations.”"

"Was Baird’s method for evaluating these foster and birth families empirically tested? No, Baird answered: Her method is unpublished and unstandardized, and has remained “pretty much unchanged” since the 1980s. It doesn’t have those “standard validity and reliability things,” she admitted. “It’s not a scientific instrument.”

...

Had she considered or was she even aware of the cultural background of the birth family and child whom she was recommending permanently separating? (The case involved a baby girl of multiracial heritage.) Baird answered that babies have “never possessed” a cultural identity, and therefore are “not losing anything,” at their age, by being adopted. Although when such children grow up, she acknowledged, they might say to their now-adoptive parents, “Oh, I didn’t know we were related to the, you know, Pima tribe in northern California, or whatever the circumstances are.”

The Pima tribe is located in the Phoenix metropolitan area."

"We found that — leaving aside the question of whether attachment theory should even be used as an argument in these cases — Baird’s assessments of foster children’s relationships aren’t just unscientific. They barely touch the surface of a child’s life.

“I don’t know these children,” she testified in one 2017 case, adding, “I have not met anybody.” Still, she said, she “strongly” recommended that those children’s birth parents’ rights be permanently terminated and that the kids be adopted."

"She also regularly uses terms like “mirror neurons,” “neurotoxins,” “synapses,” “hormones,” and “encoded trauma in the central nervous system” to justify her conclusions about children’s family relationships. (Baird is not a neuroscientist.)"

______________________

The New Yorker article focuses on possible legislative solutions, but I think these articles point to something more pernicious and more difficult to address. Judges - in all kinds of cases - routinely give credence to professionals and "experts" who are biased, bigoted, and testify far outside their expertise (if they have any expertise at all). These professionals have credentials (like being a police officer or social worker) that are validated by institutional hierarchies. Their frequent systematized interaction with the legal system is mistaken as experience that makes their subjective beliefs more credible, when in truth they lack any objective expertise. They are considered credible and unbiased because they conform to, and validate, systems of hierarchical oppression, while the people they hurt - often poor, marginalized, and most frequently, not white - are viewed with inherent distrust.

The ProPublica article focuses primarily on Baird. I'm more concerned with the judges who believed her, who used her to justify funneling children away from their (safe and loving, but poorer and frequently browner) birth families. She was only able to do so much harm because of the the power given to her by courts, and the judges inside them.

The ProPublic article ends with the line, "This past fall, with Baird’s help, the foster parents were granted full custody of the baby girl through her 18th birthday." It names Baird as a force that led to the theft of this child. The passive voice hides the judge who made the ultimate decision.

[bullet-prooflove]

Heya! May I request "Running on two or three hours of sleep" for Jamie Dutton?

(My Yellowstone blog is "Stupidyellowstoneshitposts, by the way. Just so you can see I'm active😝)

Tagging: @kmc1989 @kcloveswrestling @dakotapaigelove @noxytopy @chaostwinsofdestruction

Companion piece to:

Break Free - Jamie decides it's time to break free from Yellowstone.

Colorado - Jamie takes off to Colorado for a break after John's betrayal.

Enough - Jamie questions his self worth.

Jamie’s already on his third cup of coffee by the time you awaken. He hears your light footsteps padding across the hardwood floor and looks up to see you standing there in the doorway of the kitchen, the blanket from the bed draped over your shoulders to ward off the chill in the Colardo air.

“How bad is it?” You ask gesturing at the phone clasped between his hands.

He swallows hard as he sets the device down at the breakfast island, pushing it away from him with his fingertips. It’s been a week since he’s looked at his phone, he’d locked it away in the glove compartment of your car when the two of you first took off to Colardo and hadn’t retrieved it until the early hours of this morning because he couldn’t sleep. The two of you are returning to Montana today and he’d wanted to see what he was coming back to.

“Over 100 missed calls, a dozen voice mails and some texts.” He tells you as he rubs his palm across his chin in agitation. There’s dark stubble starting to blossom across his jaw, something you’ve never seen before because he’s always been forced to play the role of the clean cut lawyer. It’s a sign that he’s changing, that he’s starting to work things out for himself.

“Have you been through them?” You ask him as you take up residence on the stool alongside him, shifting the blanket so it covers your bare legs. You’re wearing one of his shirts and a pair of blank panties, both of which aren’t conducive to the cool mountain air. Jamie gets up and moves to the thermostat, altering the temperature before he answers your question.

“I started to but…” He trails off, rubbing his hand over the back of his neck.

But it’s overwhelming, you know. Jamie’s departure from Bozemen had thrown a spanner in the works for a lot of people and their clambering for his attention, trying to draw him back, trying to manipulate him. Your man, he’s in a very vulnerable position right now, his life is in flux, his identity shaken, he’s trying to find his own way in the world, the one that allows him to live his own life, one not in the service of others.

“Let me help.” You say picking up the phone and scrolling through it. It’s a jumble of notifications. You decide to dismiss the calls and delete the voicemails as they’re all reactionary and Jamie doesn’t need his father growling in his ear about his disappointed he is.

You work through the texts as Jamie starts to heap teaspoons of coffee into the French press, waiting for the kettle to boil.

“Bullshit, bullshit, Beth, bullshit, bullshit. A nice one from Kayce, we’ll save for later.” You murmur as you get rid of the blatant disregard for Jamie and focus on the more important ones.

You set the phone back down on the worktop, your mission completed as Jamie returns to you, a freshly brewed mug of coffee in his hand. You take him from it gratefully, rising it to your lips to take a sip as he sits down alongside you.

“Thank you for all of this.” He says softly, his voice filled with sincerity. “For seeing I needed to get out of town and take a breath and for dealing with that.” He indicates to the phone.

He looks down at his hands, his thumb chasing over the brown leather strap of the watch you got him for his birthday.

“I’ve never been with someone who could see the real me, who understands me the way that you do.”

The women before you, they never wanted him, not really. They wanted the prestige of his political career, the hope of his inheritance. He has none of that now and still you’re here, taking care of him, protecting him.

“Jamie.” You say tenderly, capturing his hand in yours, fingers entwining. “That’s what you do when you love somebody, you try to help them when their struggling, you support them because they’re your person and you want them to be happy.”

Jamie tips his head up to meet your eyes. They’ve always been such a vivid shade of blue. Sometimes they’re as tempestuous as the ocean, others as calm as a clear sky on a sunny day. Right now they’re ambient, collected and resolved.

“I don’t know what the future looks like Dani.” Jamie tells you as he raises your hand to his mouth, his lips ghosting over the knuckles. “But whatever it is, I’m glad you’re here, that it’s something we can move forward with together.” 

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[justinspoliticalcorner]

Brandi Buchman at HuffPost:

What happened at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to many of the nation’s courts and judges, was an insurrection by the very definition of the word. So why, at the end of a yearslong probe, did special counsel Jack Smith ultimately forgo charging Donald Trump with inciting one? The answer was spelled out in Smith’s charging report to Attorney General Merrick Garland that went public on Tuesday. The report was an unambiguous presentation of why Trump’s alleged criminal effort to unlawfully retain power left prosecutors no choice but to charge him with four felonies. A federal judge (and Smith) only agreed to dismiss the case because Trump won the election in November and prosecutions against sitting presidents are against long-standing Justice Department policy. Smith’s report could be the final word any prosecutor ever has on Trump and Jan. 6. However, if prosecutors or congressional lawmakers can convince courts (and each other) in the coming years that an existing five-year statute of limitations for federal cases isn’t on pause while Trump is president, then Smith’s report may not be the end of one story, but the beginning of another. First, to understand where Smith ended up, a bit of history is necessary.

The Mile-High Road To Nowhere

In November 2023, Colorado District Court Judge Sarah Wallace ruled that Trump engaged in an insurrection against the Constitution in violation of Section III of the 14th Amendment.

The judge’s ruling stemmed from a lawsuit brought by six Republicans in Colorado and one unaffiliated voter who wished to remove Trump from the ballot ahead of the 2024 election. They argued that Trump’s remarks from the Washington Ellipse on Jan. 6, his alleged intimidation of voters and election and state officials, his failure to immediately call down the mob, and his alleged pressure campaign on then-Vice President Mike Pence to overturn the results of the 2020 election amounted to insurrectionary acts, and therefore his ouster from the ballot in Colorado was warranted. The voters argued that while Trump may not have engaged in violence personally on Jan. 6, that element did not need to be proven in order for him to be disqualified from the ballot. They claimed it was simpler than that, because Trump violated his oath to uphold and defend the Constitution and spent “three hours watching [the events] unfold on television without doing a single thing even though he was the most powerful person in the world,” a lawyer for the voters argued in court. In her 2023 ruling, Wallace said she was convinced Trump had “engaged” in insurrection, based on the harrowing evidence and testimony she’d considered. But she could not disqualify him.

Disqualification hung on a persnickety distinction: Section III, or the insurrection clause, did not actually consider whether the president of the United States was considered an “officer” of the United States, Wallace found. Section III of the 14th Amendment states: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may, by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.” For “whatever reason,” Wallace wrote in her ruling, the drafters of the Constitution’s insurrection clause “did not intend to include a person who had only taken the presidential oath,” and it wasn’t for her court to decide what the drafters meant.

Trump fought the ruling all the way up to the Colorado Supreme Court, which ruled against him in December 2023. In a 4-3 decision, the state justices concluded that Trump was an officer of the United States, that he engaged in insurrection and that he must be removed from the ballot on those grounds. Trump appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, and in March 2024 — one day before Super Tuesday primaries — the nation’s most powerful court ruled for the first time in its history on how to apply the insurrection clause. They reversed the Colorado Supreme Court’s ruling and declared that Colorado’s secretary of state had no authority to remove Trump from the ballot. While states could disqualify a person from running for office or holding it, the insurrection clause was something Congress alone had the power to enforce or modify, the court ruled.

Seeing Donald Trump walk away unscathed for inciting the January 6th insurrection is a massive failure.

See Also:

Public Notice: Jack Smith reminds us of the futility of truth in the Trump era

[pucksalotguys]

Chapter 6

Masterlist to series

CW: SMUT, MINORS DNI

WC: 4.8K

Back after a short break with chapter 6 ! Be warned this chapter contains what I would consider extreme sexual content. If you’re not comfortable with that just scroll along. If you read the last chapter then you know a certain someone was introduced and he will be in the series from here on out. Happy reading and enjoy , see y’all for chapter 7 💙

(Please remember to like, reblog, add tags, comment and leave me some asks to let me know what you think (anon is on for a reason so don’t be shy, I promise I’m nice 🫶)

Cecelia walked along with him as they debated restaurants and settled on a steak house “Am I allowed to order actual food or are you expecting me to order a salad ?” “You’re funny” Nate chuckled “I mean I would hope you actually eat” She grinned and looked over the menu “So…what are you here in Vegas for ?” “Just some stuff for my job” he nodded “I have to meet up with some people for media purposes before I officially start later in the month” “I see” she smiled “So what do you do ?” “What do you think I do ?” Nate grinned “Come on, give me your best guess” Cecelia looked him over and tapped her chin with her finger, she wasn’t gonna lie to herself…he was attractive. She knew he certainly was something important given his appearance in a well fitted suit and dress shoes. As she met his eyes she couldn’t help but let out a slight giggle “You look sharp so I’m guessing a lawyer” she grinned  He shook his head “Not even close”

“Seriously ?” Cece laughed “Aw man I’m stumped then”

Never had she seen a man with such icy blue eyes and well defined facial structure, he looked like he belonged in a James Bond movie as the villain. His nose was the most prominent feature he had but her favorite so far was his smile, it was warm “So should I tell you or you want another guess ?” Nate asked he poured her a glass of wine “You tell me Cece” “I give in” she responded and sipped her glass “So tell me what do you do ?” “I’m an athlete” he confessed “Wow” Cecelia looked taken back “You know I should’ve known you were one, you definitely give off football player vibes,you’re tall and well built. So what team do you play for ?” “Uh wrong sport” Nate laughed “But thanks for the compliment, I’d compliment you back but you should already know you’re gorgeous” 

A warm feeling came across her cheeks as she smiled and rubbed her lips together nervously “You’re a charmer, I like that. But since I was wrong, what is it you play ?” “Hockey” he answered her “I’m a professional hockey player, I play for the Colorado Avalanche” Cecelia smiled “No way ! I work for a hockey team, that’s why I’m here. I’m an assistant to coaches and essentially assistant to anyone on the team who needs me” “What team ?” he asked “Pittsburgh Penguins” she responded with a grin “I just started this season so I’m fairly new but so far it’s been fairly nice”  “Wait Pittsburgh ? My friend plays there, Sidney” he looked at her “You know him ?”

She nodded her head a bit shocked and let out a soft chuckle “I do actually, he’s a very very….nice man”

“He is” Nate grinned “He’s one of my close friends, we’re actually from the same home town. He’s a little older than me but he’s always been there for my career and just personal wise”

Doing her best to conceal her surprise Cecelia ordered her food and reached over to get a piece of bread as she listened to him speak. Here she was on an impromptu date with Sidney’s good friend and despite them not being anything at all she couldn’t help but feel just a bit weird about it “You’re quiet, you okay ?” Nate asked after some silence “Did you not like your food ?” “Oh no no” she shook her head “It’s all good, I just dozed off is all. Here you wanna try my pasta” she scooped some up and held it up “I…I can’t have carbs after hours, it’s why I ordered the 6 oz steak and broccolini” he chuckled “Thanks though, that’s cute of you” “Damn you take your diet seriously” Cece chuckled “Not even one little taste of this carbonara ? I’ll even feed you it so your shirt doesn’t get dirty” she bribed “I see those eyes of yours light up, I know you want some”

“I do but I’d rather have some of something else” he grinned “I’ll break my no sweets rule for you and invite you over to that gelato place next door for some if you’d like to ?” “Cheesiest line I’ve ever heard” Cecelia laughed “How long had you been practicing that one to use on someone and why on earth did it have to be poor me ?” “That bad huh ?” Nate snickered “I’ll admit I haven’t been in the dating game for a while so my pick up lines aren’t as cool, but what I say still stands. You wanna have some dessert with me after this ?” So far she liked Nate, she liked how outgoing he was and how he just went in for things. He was a good kind of different and she appreciated his personality. Having a good set of looks certainly helped as well “Deal” Cecelia smiled The rest of the dinner was spent with them talking about their likes and dislikes and what the hockey schedule was like. She liked talking to him, she especially liked looking at him and hearing his voice. She felt a school girl discovering her first crush again, part of her was embarrassed but the other just wanted to keep looking at him. As soon as they finished eating she walked over with him to the dessert place and took a seat, choosing her flavor as she handed back the menu 

“Here” he took off his suit coat and put it on her shoulders “It’s chilly in here” “That’s very kind of you” she smiled “So….you looking forward to this media thing in a few days ?” “Absolutely not” Nate rolled his eyes and scoffed “It’s the same bullshit circus they have players do every year, endless awkward photo shoots and then more awkward videos and questions we have to answer. I get why it needs to be done but it’s not exactly ideal” “At least you're cute” Cece grinned “That’ll help” “You think so ?” he asked with a smirk “That’s nice, I don’t hear that much honestly, typically I get comments on me looking like a smug asshole or that my nose takes up most of my face” “I think they’re just jealous” she shrugged “Not everyone can rock a villain look the way you do”

As soon as she finished her sentence she could see him contemplate his next move, wanting it more than he did she took control of the situation and reached over as she kissed him softly. Before her lips could even part from his, he was kissing her back with fingers gently holding her chin. She pulled back after a bit and grinned, not feeling overwhelmed or even embarrassed about what she did

“Wow” Nate whispered “I know” Cece smirked with a wink “I say the same about you, you’re a good kisser” “So I’ve been told” he chuckled “Listen it’s getting late and I have some stuff I have to do tomorrow, can I walk you back to your room ?” “Sure” she grinned as she got up and walked with him

Somewhere along the lines they kissed again and soon his hands were on her ass with hers around his neck, hungrily kissing him as they stumbled out of the elevator and down the hall to her room. He lifted her up with an arm while she wrapped her legs around his waist while he carried her to her room and laid her down as he got on top of her. Kissing down her neck and chest as he took off her top and unclipped her bra

He then moved his hand in her skirt, desperate for her touch. Toying with it, he slowly creeped his hand inside of her panties and began to gently rub “Tell me to stop and I will…”

“I….I…oh-” she moaned into his mouth as she felt his fingers find her clit “Th-That feels s-so g-good” she stuttered out “You’re so wet” he sucked in her bottom lip as he pressed his forehead against hers “Can I please taste you…please…please let me taste you” Cece simply nodded as her lashes fluttered, as far as she knew she was in a dream. A dream where one of the sexiest men she had ever encountered was begging to taste her Nate wasted no time as he shuddered as he saw her, her eyes heavily lidded as she quickly spread her legs and began playing with her breasts, she wanted it just as bad as he did. It had been so long since he had tasted pussy, he was more than ready as he lowered his face and kissed just above it first making her mewl in response 

“You’re so perfect, even your pussy is perfect” he whispered as he traced down the slit with his finger slowly then inserted it, causing her highs to immediately close together at the sensation “It’s okay” he murmured kissing a thigh “I’m taking my time with you, you’re so fucking perfect, I wanna taste you and feel you slowly, I wanna enjoy you Cece. You’re so damn beautiful” As soon as he felt her open her legs again he once again lowered his face, this time tasting her. He groaned as he lapped up her juices, she tasted so sweet. She was heaven, and by her own sounds she was enjoying it too “Oh fuck” she moaned loudly as she began to pant and moved her hands down to his head “Yes…please keep going”

He felt himself get hard at her sounds and began gently sucking on her clit, a move that made her go crazy as she squirmed and cried “Oh my god ! Oh my god !” Cece cried loudly as her eyes rolled back when he inserted his fingers “Yes, oh fuck yes ! Just like that !” He loved how vocal she was, it was turning him on so much, and he loved that she was enjoying it. He lifted his head up as he continued to rapidly finger her and just watched her breasts bounce as she moved her body with his hand. Like the rest of her, they were the best tits he had seen. Perfectly round and big, they had to be at least D cups. His mouth watered at the thought of being able to touch them “I-I n-need t-to p-pee” Cece murmured suddenly as she caught her breath “I don’t wanna stop though, it feels so good” “You don’t need to pee” he responded as he continued his pace and gently pushed down on her stomach “Let go, it’s okay” She nodded and tried to hold on as long as she could, when she couldn’t take it anymore she came with a high pitched moan as her body ferociously shook. In response Nate watched in awe, her body convulsing as her pussy continued to squirt, it was the hottest thing he had ever seen

As she was able to catch her breath he scooted up and kissed down her chest, when he got to her tits he swirled his tongue around each nipple and began to suck carefully. When he heard her moan again he knew he was doing something she liked, all that was left was feeling her “I don’t have a condom” he admitted with a pant “I can go get some down at the lobby” “No” she said quickly as she held his shirt “Just pull out, I’m on the pill” “You sure ?” he asked “Nate just fuck me, I’m literally throbbing” she whimpered 

He positioned himself and glided in, a groan as he felt her finally. She was in doggy position, a look of pure ecstasy in her eyes as she gripped the sheets, her moans filling up the room “I knew you’d be filthy” he smirked as he gave her ass a slap “Fuck you’re tight” The words couldn’t even escape her mouth as he moved to firmly hold the back of her neck, she knew what he wanted to do and she was more than ready to take things up a notch

“Be rough with me” she panted “No one’s fucked me in so long, I need it. If I want you to stop I’ll say stop but just keep going”, she grinded her ass against him as he finally took initiative and shoved her face deep into the mattress, he was fucking her fast and rough and she could barely handle it 

The sound of skin hitting skin filled the room along with his groans and her whines, she could barely function as he continued to pound into her, her knuckles white from how tight she had gripping onto the bed sheets. He was fucking the life out of her and he knew it “Your pussy feels so fucking good” he panted as he gripped her hips “Fuck you feel so good Cece” “Don’t stop, don’t fucking stop” she whined

She could see her reflection in the nearby mirror when he let go of her neck and it turned her on even more. She knew her body was one that most envied, it was the most erotic feeling seeing the absolute pleasure she was getting

“Keep going” Cecelia whimpered as her face began to redden “Oh fuck keeping doing that,” she laid her head down “More…. more”

With that he pulled out and flipped her on her back as he repositioned himself, thrusting slow as he made eye contact with her and lowered his face down to kiss her

“You’re even prettier with my cock inside of you” Nate whispered, beads of sweat building up on both their foreheads “I….I don’t wanna cum yet”

“I don’t want you to stop” Cece repeated as she wrapped her arms around his back “You fuck me so good” she kissed him deeply “So fucking good” she dug her nails into his back as he picked up his pace again His hands fondled her breasts as he dug his face deep into the nape of her neck, he could feel her walls tighten around his cock and it made him even harder. She was so desperate for his touch, so needy, it was driving him insane “I knew you’d be a fucking animal, you’re made for taking my cock” he wrapped his hand around her neck gently, his thumb caressing her lips with smeared lipstick as he inserted it in her mouth. Her mouth hungrily sucking on it as if she was giving head “That’s a good girl” She managed to give a small smirk in response, not being able to say much due to the overwhelming pleasure. When his fingers move down to her breasts and began playing with her nipples she rose her chest “You like that” Nate continued “You like your tits being played with, you’re a dirty dirty girl” he sucked around them “Fuck these are the best I’ve ever seen” “More” she breathed “P-Please”

“I want you on your stomach, just arch for me and relax” Nate kissed her neck lightly “Can I try something ?”

“Only the tip” she said back, knowing what he meant as he pulled out and gave her space “I’ve never had one….fully in there but I wanna try…I have….I have lubricant in my bag” she pointed “And there’s um…I have my vibrator in there too”

He couldn’t help but shake his head “Fuck you’re gonna ruin me, you’re so dirty” he got up and took them out “You wanna stop just say so and I will”

She nodded and got in position, letting out a deep breath as she felt him apply the lubricant and heard the buzz of the vibrator being turned on causing her breathing to pick up “Slow and don’t push”

“I’m gonna be gentle” he whispered as he spread her apart and carefully teased her back entrance with the vibrator

The sensation was shattering for her, she had never experienced something to be so overwhelming and different. When she felt him insert it in she groaned, it was a mix of pleasure and pressure 

“Fuck” she breathed out when he began moving it in and out slowly “Oh my god. Oh my fucking god….it’s a lot, it’s-it’s”, she went limp as the sensation took over and she released again in a whimper

“You squirted again” Nate kissed down her back as he removed it from her “Second time you’ve done that, no ones given you what you want” he spread her apart as he tasted her

She was sure she would pass out given what she was feeling, no one had ever gone that far with her before. She couldn’t do anything but shut her eyes from the immense pleasure she was feeling and bite down on the bed sheets as he took his time devouring her

“Good fucking girl” He panted as he finished and gave her ass a nice smack “You’re made for fucking”

Cecelia lay there motionless as she breathed heavily, the pleasure all over her “I need your cock….fuck me, fuck me”

“Shh relax” he kissed every inch of her “Not too much, you’ll pass out and we’re still not done”

“It felt so good” she rasped out “I need more….please more” she moved her hand down to her pussy “You gonna make me do it myself….” she slid her fingers in and out of her and then to her mouth “I taste so fucking good” Nate sat there in a haze as he watched her, his typical icy blue eyes turning foggy as he struggled to come to his senses “Play with yourself” he whispered “Touch yourself more, I wanna watch you play with your pussy” She bit her lip as she took the vibrator and turned it on, inserting it inside herself at high speed as her eyes began to roll back “That feels so fucking good” The way she looked was everything to him. From her curly hair being stuck to her face from sweat, her mascara stained around her eyes,  her lips stained from her smeared lipstick. His dick got hard watching her and knowing she looked that way because of him “I…I need to cum” Cece croaked suddenly 

He took that as his signal to take control, he quickly pulled her down to him by her legs and removed her toy as he position himself and began to thrust quickly and roughly, his body completely over her as he moved his hand down and massaged her clit Cece squirmed and writhed beneath him as she finished, cumming with a loud moan as her body shook. Her chest rose and fell as she sat up after a few minutes and watched him catch his breath  “Lay down” she instructed as she climbed over him and took his cock in her hands

“Please…..please” he whispered

“You want me to put it in my mouth…” she murmured, lowering her hand to kiss the tip

“Oh fuck” he whined as he closed his eyes “Please suck me off, please” “I love when men beg” Cece whispered as she swirled her tongue around it and bobbed her head “Where do you wanna cum ?” “Your tits” he gasped out She continued to suck him off until she felt him ready and finished him off with a tit job, panting as he came on her finally “Wow….” “Come back up here” he motioned weakly with his hand as he extended his arm “This is my room” she rasped as she made her way back up and laid next to him “Technically I should be cuddling you” she coughed “Shut up” he cleared throat “Shit…I think your voice is gone” Cecelia laughed as she turned to face him and reached her hand to caress his cheek “Yours too” “I’ll have tea tomorrow morning” he shrugged “I’ll make sure you get one too….that is if you’re gonna let me sleep here ?” “Yeah” she whispered “Of course you can, I want you to stay here with me tonight”

“So you weren’t just trying to get in my pants, good to know” he teased as he took her lips into another kiss “Hey…..you still wanna see each other again after this….whole thing ?” She nodded and smiled “I do….but we gotta keep this-” “No one will know” he assured her, wrapping one of her curls around his finger. “I won’t tell anyone, Sidney’s my friend but seeing as you work for his organization, I don’t want anything to get out. I swear no one will know, no one.” She swallowed as his name was said, the thought of him hadn’t even crossed her mind until then but she played it cool. In this moment he didn’t matter and she was fine with that “I won’t tell a soul either” she responded as she kissed him

“I’ll get a towel” he kissed her forehead as he got up and went to the bathroom, bringing back a warm damp towel as he wiped her body off gently and used another for her face “You really are one of the most gorgeous girls I’ve ever seen, I mean that”

Cece could’ve melted into him then and there, the more she looked at him the more she wanted to fuck him but she knew a round two would be much further down the cards. Instead she simply grinned and cuddled into his side to sleep as he laid back down with her. She knew there was stuff to deal with as the next few days would be chaotic and in that moment she was calm but she knew a storm would soon be coming once Sidney landed

*********************

On the other side, miles away in Pittsburgh things were…..different. That would be the word that would describe how things had been between Jacqueline and Sidney. Ever since he had told her he was leaving to Vegas, she had done a complete change on him and it wasn’t a bad one except on this occasion he couldn’t help but notice she looked different

He always thought Jacqueline was beautiful, she was beautiful in America's sweetheart kind of way. A classic beauty is what he thought of when he saw her, the typical girl next door in those cheesy romcom movies. But what she was wearing wasn’t her, he didn’t know why but it didn’t settle well with him at all

“I see you watching me” Jacqueline smiled,  interrupting his thoughts “Do you like what I’m wearing ?”

“Uh yeah” Sidney nodded as he sipped his wine “It’s just….since when do you wear dresses like this….and in floral print ? You always said prints on dresses were outdated, remember when I picked out a floral dress for you for our surprise anniversary dinner 10 years ago ? You said I had the worst taste and made us go to a boutique to get a new one” he brought up 

“Well I wanted to try new things” she shrugged “It feels different but I like it a bit, I feel rather youthful” Sidney nodded and continued to look her over, his eyes moved up to her hair being held in a half up half down hairstyle with a clip and then down to her shoes. She was wearing sneakers, white sneakers; she would never be caught dead in sneakers ever as part of an outfit. His mind spun as he slowly realized who she was attempting to emulate “Jacqueline, this isn’t you” he said softly as he held her hand “Why the sudden change ?” “It’s just a new style I’m trying out, I saw the dress earlier today and I really liked it” she responded calmly “Same with the shoes, it’s the end of the summer and I wanted to have one last shot at trying something new for vegas” “I’m sorry what ?” he asked confused “I know media day is in Vegas so some of the ladies and I decided to tag along, don’t worry we won’t be around you when you’re busy and they’re bringing nannies so kids will be taken care of when we go out” “Jacqueline, you can’t just plan something like that without informing me beforehand, it’s not okay. This isn’t some little vacation we’re having, it’s media. It’s two days of media and then I’ll be back for training camp” he sighed 

“Yeah two days of media during the day but then you're free at night, that’s when we can hangout and have some time” she nodded “Dinner reservations are already made, it’s fine” Sidney shook his head “You’re not coming” “Why is that ?” she asked back and crossed her arms “Care to give me an actual reason Sidney ?” “Why are you dressed this way and why are you pushing this trip ?” he asked back “This isn’t like you” “Do….Do you not like how I look ?” Jacqueline whispered as she looked down at herself “I thought you’d like this…I thought you’d appreciate it”

“I like you looking like you” Sidney answered “Not like someo-...not like a style that isn’t you” he finished with a sigh “And as for the trip, you seem to be set on it so just come” he gulped down the last of his wine She met his eyes “I just thought you’d be excited to have some alone time….things have been so tense between us that some time away without the boys would help.” “And then what Jac ? We come back and have one or two days of peace ? This is my work trip Jac, this isn’t a vacation” he explained “We’ll see each other for dinner and whatever other little free time I have. I truly have some stuff to do, interviews and photoshoots, you know the drill by now so just let me handle that and then when I’m free we can hang out” “Okay” she nodded “Alright that sounds good….do you want me to change ?” “I do” Sidney nodded “This isn’t you babe, go change and come back down so we can watch a movie with the boys, I’ll set it up in the meantime” he walked over and kissed her forehead “Mmm, you smell good”

Jacqueline smiled in response and kissed him gently as she left up to their bedroom, part of her relieved he wanted her to change rather than stay in that outfit. She was testing him ,she was trying to see how he’d react as she dressed similar to Cecelia and rather than allow it, he shut it down. She knew it was nothing, she didn’t even know if he realized what she was doing but at least it hadn’t turned into an argument As she stood in their bedroom and changed she heard a buzz, she walked over and assumed it was hers, furrowing her brow when she saw it was his phone and Cecelia’s name popping up. She contemplated leaving it alone but decided against her best judgment and picked it up, she unlocked it using the boy's birthdays as his pass code and looked at the text. All Cecelia had done was send his upcoming schedule, she scrolled up more and noticed how he had sent her 3 texts earlier in the day, none to which she had even responded Her conscience wasn’t clear enough for her as she looked through emails and nothing, all emails between them were nothing but business related. She moved to his pictures and looked through them, pausing when she found a picture of an unfamiliar wall with records and a record player she zoomed in and noticed what she instantly recognized as Cecelia’s long curly hair. 

Anger bubbled up inside of Jacqueline as she internally screamed and put the phone down.She knew she couldn’t say anything, it wasn’t exactly proof of him being unfaithful but it was enough to give her the sign that something was off. 

“Babe !” Sidney called as he walked up the stairs “Is my phone up there ? I can’t find it” “I got it” Jacqueline answered quickly as she walked out and handed it to him “Sorry, I was doing my skincare routine” she lied “Here you go love” “Thank you babes” he grinned as he unlocked it “I need to see if I got the email of the schedule for this coming week, hopefully I could sleep in a bit” “I hope you can” she said as she walked back downstairs with him and settled back on the couch next to him and the boys who were now sleeping cuddled up on some pillows.

Jacqueline wasn’t exactly sure what she was going to do but she did know she was going to make sure Cecelia regretted ever knowing her husband. No one would break up her family, she’d make sure of it and she’d do whatever it took to make Cecelia want to leave her job and leave Sidney alone.

Once again I state, I sincerely hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please remember to interact and leave feedback. I feel like I’m constantly repeating myself, but please remember that feedback is what keeps writers like me going. This is not Instagram, Twitter or TikTok, pressing on that heart doesn’t mean anything honestly. All that does is add it to your likes. I understand that many of you are new here, so let me be the one to tell you that pressing on that heart when reading a fic does nothing for the writer. What truly helps is reblogging and adding tags and of course leaving asks with questions or feedback. It’s not much nor is it hard to do, it’s simple actually. If you read any fic (mine or whoever else’s) give thoughts !!! It really helps !!

*hello, it’s me again !! The smut was definitely different and if you didn’t like it…idk what to tell ya other than if you weren’t a fan just scroll through. Remember to not yuck someone’s yum !! And if you’re minor and read this, I don’t wanna know babes !!

[qqueenofhades]

I'm not clear as to whether or not the 14th Amendment barring an insurrectionist from holding certain powerful offices needs that individual to first to be proven guilty of being an insurrectionist in court. We all know Trump is absolutely an insurrectionist, but do we technically need that guilty verdict first?

I mean, I'm not a constitutional lawyer so I can't give you a 100% for sure answer, but I think the problem here isn't nuances of law or interpretation so much as basic courage: are courts or judges actually going to come to literally the only conclusion that can factually and legally be drawn (that the evil orange is a fucking traitor who should rot in prison for the rest of his life and never be allowed near public office again) or are they going to chicken out of it by admitting that he's an insurrectionist but something something the statute doesn't apply to him?

That's why the CO Supreme Court ruling (and as a native Coloradoan, HELL YEAH GUYS HELL YEAH!) is so important. Yes, I'm sure SCOTUS will do their worst to it, though the COSCOTUS judges craftily tailored their ruling to a states' rights opinion written by Gorsuch, who will now have to go diametrically against his own previous jurisprudence to find in Trump's favor. Yes, Republicans only like states' rights when the states are doing what they want, and the rest of the time it has to be stamped out, but even though Trump has been formally indicted for insurrection in regard to January 6, this is the first time that a court has conclusively found that as a result, it would be illegal for him to appear on the ballot due to the 14th Amendment. Which. Yeah. It is incredibly fucking obvious that this is the case. As I said, the issue isn't whether the statute applies, as it clearly does, but if the legal system is going to actually do the right thing and correctly apply it to Trump. While he wasn't going to win CO in 2024 anyway, what I really hope is that states like Pennsylvania or Michigan, where it would be HUGE to boot him off the ballot, follow suit. Ideally with a slightly different model of legal theory, so it can't be invalidated by whatever nonsense SCOTUS comes up with in regard to the Colorado ruling, but yeah.

The original judge's ruling in the case was a mess because they were clearly trying to have it both ways and avoid taking a stand: yes, Trump is clearly a traitor, but they didn't want to be the one that said he couldn't appear on the ballot as a result. But now that COSCOTUS has found that a) Trump engaged in legally defined insurrection and b) that therefore disqualifies him from standing for elected office as a matter of straightforward application of the 14th Amendment, let's hope that gives other judges in these suits across the country nerve to follow suit. Because this is not a candy-ass or trivial statement:

That's as about as strongly worded a statement as you can get in a case like this, and it's been made by a state-level supreme court. It likely will not survive SCOTUS, but they might also try to find a way to split the difference (especially as Jack Smith has asked them for an expedited ruling on the absolute immunity question and they might have to pick one or the other in terms of helping Trump out) and come up with some vague weasel word opinion. So. We'll see. The issue is not that it applies to Trump, but that he's heretofore been handled with kid gloves and gotten the benefit of the doubt and preferential treatment at every turn. This is not that, and God, do we ever need more of it.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Bill Bramhall, New York Daily News

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 7, 2024

Heather Cox Richardson

Sep 08, 2024

By rights, tonight’s post should be a picture, but Trump’s behavior today merits a marker because it feels like a dramatic escalation of the themes we’ve seen for years. Please feel free to ignore—as I often say, I am trying to leave notes for a graduate student in 150 years, and you can consider this one for her if you want a break from the recent onslaught of news.

Yesterday, Trump ranted at the press, furious that the American legal system had resulted in two jury decisions that he had defamed and sexually abused writer E. Jean Carroll. He was so angry that, with his lawyers standing awkwardly behind him, he told reporters: “I’m disappointed in my legal talent, I’ll be honest with you.”

Today, Trump held a rally in Mosinee, Wisconsin, a small city in the center of the state, where he addressed about 7,000 people. A number of us who have been watching him closely have been saying for a while that when voters actually saw him in this campaign, they would be shocked at how he has deteriorated, and that seems to be true: his meandering and self-indulgent speeches have had attendees leaving early, some of them bewildered. In today’s speech, Trump slurred a number of words, referring to Elon Musk as “Leon,” for example, and forgetting the name of North Dakota governor Doug Burgum, who was on his short list for a vice presidential pick.

But today’s speech struck me as different from his past performances, distinguished for what sounded like desperation. Trump has always invented his stories from whole cloth, but there used to be some way to tie them to reality. Today that seemed to be gone. He was in a fantasy world, and his rhetoric was apocalyptic. It was also bloody in ways that raise huge red flags for scholars of fascism.

Trump told the audience that when he took office in 2017, military officers told him the U.S. had given all the military’s ammunition away to allies. Then he went on a rant against our allies, saying that they’re only our allies when they need something and that they would never come to our aid if we needed them. This echoes the talking points put out by Russian operatives and flies in the face of the fact that the one time the North Atlantic Treaty Organization invoked the mutual defense pact in that agreement was after the attacks of September 11, 2001, in support of the U.S. 

He embraced Project 2025’s promise to eliminate the Department of Education and send education back to the states so that right-wing figures like Wisconsin’s Senator Ron Johnson can run it. He reiterated the MAGA claim that mothers are executing their babies after birth—this is completely bonkers—and again echoed Russian talking points when he said these executions are happening—they are not—but “nobody talks about it.” He went on: “We did a great thing when we got Roe v. Wade out of the federal government.” 

He reiterated the complete fantasy that schools are performing gender-affirming surgery on children. “Can you imagine you're a parent and your son leaves the house and you say, Jimmy, I love you so much, go have a good day at school, and your son comes back with a brutal operation. Can you even imagine this? What the hell is wrong with our country?” Trump’s suggestion that schools are performing surgery on students is bananas. This is simply not a thing that happens. 

And then he went full-blown apocalyptic, attacking immigrants and claiming that crime, which in reality has dropped dramatically since President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris took office after a spike during his own term, has made the U.S. uninhabitable. He said that “If I don’t win Colorado, it will be taken over by migrants and the governor will be sent fleeing.” "Migrants and crime are here in our country at levels never thought possible before…. You're not safe even sitting here, to be honest with you. I'm the only one that's going to get it done. Everybody is saying that." He urged people to protest “because you’re being overrun by criminals.” 

He assured attendees that "If you think you have a nice house, have a migrant enjoy your house, because a migrant will take it over. A migrant will take it over. It will be Venezuela on steroids." He reiterated his plan to get rid of migrants. “And you know,” he said, “getting them out will be a bloody story.” 

He went on to try to rev up supporters in words very similar to those he used on January 6th, 2021, but focused on this election. “Every citizen who’s sick and tired of the parasitic political class in Washington that sucks our country of its blood and treasure, November fifth will be your liberation day. November fifth, this year, will be the most important day in the history of our country because we’re not going to have a country anymore if we don’t win.” 

He promised: “I will prevent World War III, and I am the only one that can do it. I will prevent World War III. And if I don’t win this election,... Israel is doomed…. Israel will be gone…. I’d better win.” 

"I better win or you're gonna have problems like we've never had. We may have no country left. This may be our last election. You want to know the truth? People have said that. This may be our last election…. It’ll all be over, and you gotta remember…. Trump is always right. I hate to be right. I’m always right.” 

Trump's hellscape is only in his mind: crime is sharply down in the U.S. since he left office, migrant crossings have plunged, and the economy is the strongest in the world.

Then, tonight, Trump posted on his social media site a rant asserting that he will win the 2024 election but that he expects Democrats to cheat, and “WHEN I WIN, those people that CHEATED will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law, which will include long term prison sentences so that this Depravity of Justice does not happen again. We cannot let our Country further devolve into a Third World Nation, AND WE WON’T! Please beware that this legal exposure extends to Lawyers, Political Operatives, Donors, Illegal Voters, & Corrupt Election Officials. Those involved in unscrupulous behavior will be sought out, caught, and prosecuted at levels, unfortunately, never seen before in our Country.” 

Is it the Justice Department indictments that showed Russia is working to get him reelected? Is it the rising popularity of Democratic nominees Kamala Harris and Tim Walz? Is it fury at the new grand jury’s indicting him for his attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 election and install himself in power? Is it fear of Tuesday’s debate with Harris? Is it a declining ability to grapple with reality?

Whatever has caused it, Trump seems utterly off his pins, embracing wild conspiracy theories and, as his hopes of winning the election appear to be crumbling, threatening vengeance with a dogged fury that he used to be able to hide. 

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[beardedmrbean]

Colorado officials have agreed to pay over $1.5 million to cover attorney fees for graphic designer Lorie Smith, who successfully challenged the state’s antidiscrimination law at the Supreme Court.

The settlement, announced Tuesday, comes months after the high court ruled in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis that Colorado violated Smith’s First Amendment rights by attempting to compel her to create wedding websites for same-sex couples against her religious beliefs. Earlier this year, a federal district court issued a final judgment requiring state officials to cease efforts to compel Smith's speech, a resolution that brought an end to years of legal and personal hardship.

“After enduring Colorado’s censorship for nearly seven years, I’m incredibly grateful for the work of my attorneys at Alliance Defending Freedom to bring my case to victory,” Smith said, referring to the religious liberty law firm that represented her. “As the Supreme Court said, I’m free to create art consistent with my beliefs without fear of Colorado punishing me anymore."

Under the terms of the settlement, Colorado's Civil Rights Division agreed to pay the hefty legal costs of Smith’s attorneys from Alliance Defending Freedom, a legal advocacy group specializing in religious liberty cases. ADF President Kristen Waggoner described the payout as a necessary consequence of the state’s actions.

“For the past 12 years, Colorado has targeted people of faith and forced them to express messages that violate their conscience and that advance the government’s preferred ideology," said Waggoner, adding that "billions of people around the world" believe marriage is the union between a man and a woman, and that "First Amendment protections are non-negotiable."

Lawyers spent nearly a decade arguing in court that Colorado’s enforcement of its public accommodations law against Smith constituted a form of compelled speech. After the justices agreed to consider the case on the merits, the Supreme Court’s 6-3 decision in June last year affirmed her claim, holding that the state’s actions infringed upon her constitutional right to free expression.

Justice Neil Gorsuch, the author of the 303 Creative decision, wrote that through its public accommodation law, “Colorado seeks to force an individual to speak in ways that align with its views but defy her conscience about a matter of major significance."

The Supreme Court's majority ruling was met with swift dissent by the three Democratic-appointed justices, including a dissent by Justice Sonia Sotomayor accusing the ruling of granting "business open to the public a constitutional right to refuse to serve members of a protected class."

However, Smith has argued her free speech case was never about rejecting clients based on their identity but about making sure her custom website business does not create designs or promote messages that do not conform to her religious beliefs.

"This is a win not just for me but for all Americans — for those who share my beliefs and for those who hold different views. I love people and work with everyone, including those who identify as LGBT," she said.

The settlement follows a contentious history of Colorado officials enforcing antidiscrimination measures against religious business owners. Smith’s lawsuit drew comparisons to the earlier Masterpiece Cakeshop case, in which the Supreme Court sided with baker Jack Phillips, who refused to create a custom cake for a same-sex wedding.

Critics have accused Colorado of selectively targeting religious individuals, a claim bolstered by comments from state officials during litigation that suggested hostility toward faith-based beliefs. Smith’s attorneys argued that these patterns highlighted the need for stronger protections against government overreach.

The Washington Examiner contacted the Colorado Civil Rights Division for comment.

[porterdavis]

14th Amendment Section 3

Now, I'm no lawyer. My main interaction with the law has been trying to avoid it, but I have thoughts:

People and pundits are pooh-poohing the findings of Colorado and Maine courts, now joined by Illinois, that determined Trump was disqualified from their ballots by violating Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. In their minds, no state-level action should be allowed to play such a large role in a national election.

But Section 3 of the 14th has been in the Constitution so revered by conservatives for over 150 years. The three states mentioned had trials heard by judges where all parties could present their case. All three found Trump had violated the terms of Section 3. The law is clear, he must be disqualified.

If the conservatives can feel entitled to disregard an article of the Constitution to serve their needs, I suggest others can take a more nuanced look at other Amendments. Perhaps the Second? Maybe we can disregard any interpretation of it that allows possession of firearms wily-nilly?

Good for the goose, sauce for the gander.

[choosethebestlawyer]

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[stereax]

hello!! for the drafts thing: “bless your waters, bless your doubts” what did you set out to do with this? what changed that caused you to put it on hold? what are the themes that jump out at you, what story were you trying to tell? also, is the title a reference to something? i love to hear about the creative process!! :3

- puckpocketed on main

Yes!!! Oh my god, this was such a fun project that I began undertaking. Just couldn't keep going on it. More under the cut.

So yes! The title is a reference to the Devils' goal song. Here it is, if you haven't heard it (or if you haven't heard it in its entirety) before.

Okay third time's the charm my posts are being chewed upon by tumblr please dear lord let me post this this time please please PLEASE

[inhales] Okay! So the initial premise of this fic is incredibly simple. Dougie Hamilton, one of the Devils' better defensemen, has a running joke going where the Devils claim he's the admin of our social media. Hamilton slapshot goals are posted with a caption of "I scored!", Dougie's been roped into the act a few times, the like. So obviously this means someone's gotta write a Dougie Hamilton social media admin AU. I'm surprised nobody has yet. Devilsblr, get on it.

Anyway. I think the indents are messing up my post so let's try to post step by step. Instead of indenting snippets, I'll italicize them.

"What?"

Of all the things Dougie Hamilton had expected to hear when being pulled aside by the media team before the first game of the season, this was not it. The hockey player reclines in his seat, rubbing at one of his eyes. "You want me to do what?" he repeats.

Across from him sits Christopher Wescott, leader of the social media team if memory serves Dougie right. A quick glance down at Wescott's placard on his desk, prominently placed, confirms it. Director, Content Strategy & Social Media. Then again, Wescott usually wasn't seen filming anything, or talking to the players even, unless it was roping a certain Jack Hughes in front of a camera to try to get him to sell the youth foundation. That took all hands on deck. They even got the players involved in that one.

Gravy celebrated that hundred-dollar bonus for capturing Jack harder than any goal he's scored with the man. Colorado sleeper agent, Severson complained the next day. I would've doubled it if he let me go, Hughes complained in concurrence.

Dougie didn't remember when the media crew ever needed the hockey equivalent of a SWAT team, not in Boston or Calgary or Raleigh. Then again, maybe he's just not used to Jersey yet. (It's not New Jersey, Nico clued him in before one of his first post-game interviews. Just Jersey. Say New Jersey and they know you're not from here. Just Jersey and you're one of the locals.)

And here, in Just Jersey, Christopher Wescott wants Dougie Hamilton to take a second job.

"The younger generation of fans like memes," Wescott explains. The word memes rolls off his tongue like Dougie rolls out of bed after a physical game; that is to say, falls like a paperweight and ends up on the floor sprawled awkwardly, wondering why he hasn't retired and become a lawyer like his father yet. Wescott is what, five years older than Dougie, maybe? From the way he speaks, it sounds like he's an old man trying to commit the name of his smart speaker to memory. Erica, remind me to buy rice.

"And the team said you're supposedly the best at making them," Wescott continues, snapping Dougie out of this train of thought.

"Rice?" Dougie echoes, confused. "Anyone can make rice. It's just an orange packet you put in the microwave, you rip the top off a bit..."

Wescott sighs, running a hand through his hair. He's definitely thinking some dumb hockey player stereotype right now; Dougie can tell by the way his brow furrows in annoyance. "Look," and here he drops his volume two steps, scooting forward to lean across his desk, and oh this is serious? Dougie better pay at least enough attention to remember this discussion. No more rice. "I thought social media posting was just going to be putting up reverse retro pictures and celebrating stars of the week if we get any. You know, standard fare. But Andrew floated the idea with us a few weeks back and we really think we can get ahead of the league in capturing younger fans with a more dynamic social media presence." Of course it was Maclean, or, as the team called him, Picture Day. One guess as to why.

"And where do I get involved in this?" Dougie asks, but he realizes even as he asks that it's not going to change his final answer.

"We were thinking to make a meme after every win." Wescott pauses. "Oh, and some other reels and things for when it's needed. Of course Catherine's also going to be making content for us, too." Catherine Bogart, Queen of the Tiny Mic. Oh boy.

"Do I get tiny mic privileges?" Dougie flashes one of his patented Hamilton Smiles, hoping to catch Wescott off guard.

"We'll think about it." No then. Aw. Would've been fun though.

"Do I get paid?"

The director shrugs. "Aren't you on a multi-million dollar contract?"

"To play hockey," Dougie specifies. "Not to deep-fry Bratt pics." From the look of confusion on Wescott's face, Dougie reminds himself once again that he's dealing with a senior citizen in the body of a mid-30s advertising executive. The guy probably needed an assistant to turn on his computer. For him, deep-frying is exclusively for overpriced tempura. "Meme things," he explains without explaining. "But - "

"Museum pass, any place in the state, any exhibit, we can figure it out for you."

That rumor even made it here? Well. Hey. It's something to do on the weekends, he figures. And he's pretty sure Wescott, fancy director placard and all, can't actually give him a salary for this. "Fine," Dougie agrees. He's used to being underpaid, after all. Might as well have fun with it. Besides, it's a good excuse to get out of any social events he doesn't particularly want to go to. (Is he justifying this to himself? Oh, definitely. But he'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't want to do this.)

So yeah! The basic premise of the fic is Dougie's (mis)adventures running the social media for the Devils, his work with the social media people, his reactions to the Devils' season, and the like. I tried to keep it quite light (funny, even, perhaps? but I'm not really funny). Dougie, is, at his heart, a fun character, and I'd like to think it shows a little. It's not that realistic (he definitely doesn't text from the bench!) but it's fun.

In typical Devils fashion, they lose the first game.

In typical Devils fashion, they also lose the second game.

Dougie already has the next three games lined up. He doesn't expect to need more than one of them, if he's being honest with himself, but he's personalizing for each team, so there's that. Might come in handy later in the season, too.

By the end of the second period against Anaheim, they're 2-2. This is also the approximate time Dougie realizes he doesn't have access to the Devils' social media accounts.

Fuck.

And to make matters worse, Dougie starts the third period on the ice.

Shit.

And, if that weren't bad enough, he scores a goal 33 seconds into the period.

Damn it.

All this to mean that, in the next thirty or so minutes, Dougie Hamilton needs to hack into Instagram and TikTok and get ready to post this meme.

The second he's on the bench, he paws off his gloves, reaching for his phone under the front wall. Shaking it on, Dougie quickly navigates to Instagram and logs -

"Dougie, you're on," Lindy calls. The defenseman slides his phone back and jumps over the wall.

When he gets back to the bench a minute or so later, Dougie completes the process of logging off his Instagram account, then quickly punches in the Devils' media email address for the login. It shows him the right account, which is good -

"Dougie, you're on." Lindy again.

As he skates, Dougie contemplates the password. He can't disappear from the bench mid-period to go and find whoever was still working now and ask, so he's got to figure this out on his own.

The first password Dougie tries is njdevils. No dice. He goes on for another shift, then comes back and tries raisehell. Also nothing. If he keeps this up, he's going to freeze the account. Two shifts later, Mercer scores, and now the situation is dire, just when Dougie's brain is deep-fried worse than the Bratt pictures he sent the groupchat last week.

"Hey, Haula," he whispers as the center clambers over the wall to take his position on the faceoff. "If you were gonna make a password, what would it be?" In retrospect, Haula is not the person to ask about this, but Dougie will take what he can get, thank you very much.

"I dunno, man," Haula shrugs. "Password or something?" He raises an eyebrow at the weird question, skating off. Dougie nearly facepalms at the response, but fuck it, he might as well try. password.

Holy fucking shit.

Dougie slides his phone back onto the shelf to take another shift, biting his tongue to keep from cackling so loudly that even his own teammates would stay away from him. Holy fucking shit. Wescott and company clearly have never had a single lesson about cybersecurity.

Well, he's in now, and that's the most important.

However, as I continued writing, another story "thread" popped up, this one a lot more personal to me - the story of the Polish diaspora in New Jersey. A lot of my own personal stories are reflected in this part of the fic. It makes sense in the story (Dougie rents a townhouse in Garfield to avoid being recognized in Newport, Hoboken, and that area), but it's definitely a sharp left from the fic's initial focus. The two plot lines do intersect later on, but I never got to really writing that part of the story, sadly.

A few moments later, Ms. K turns off the stove and carries the soup pot into the dining room with two oven-mitted hands. Dougie pulls himself up to steady the situation however he can, helping direct the pot into its position. Ms. K takes the ladle she had hooked onto her arm, snatching Dougie's bowl before he can react and filling it with several ladlefuls of żurek. At the hockey player's mortified expression of a silent way too much, Ms. K shakes her head emphatically. "Big man, strong, big meal."

"Okay," Dougie agrees, cautious, as he settles back down in his chair and takes his spoon, stirring the soup. Chunks of sausage - kiełbasa - float up to the top before dipping back in. "Thank you," he mumbles, a little too quiet for even his own liking. He's just tired after the game. Yeah. Tired and a little humbled by the kind gesture.

"No worries," Ms. K replies, and from the way she rubs her hands together as she sits, Dougie knows she's one step away from launching into a story over dinner. "You know Martyna from the deli?"

"Yeah," Dougie nods. One of Ms. K's co-workers at Bratek, the business on the other side of town where she cooks for a living. Dougie's been there a few times, just to bask in the atmosphere and maybe score a few free candies. Martyna's the young one, couldn't be more than 24. Her husband Konrad is, from what Dougie has heard of him, a massive piece of shit. He suspects he's going to hear more of him in a moment.

"She came in yesterday all crying," Ms. K sighs, blowing on a spoonful of soup. It reminds Dougie to try his own - it's distinctively sour, but in a good way, enticing yet filling. (He suspects Ms. K makes him a lighter batch than she normally cooks, given the difference in color between this one and the one at the deli. No matter.) "Says that barely enough money for rent. Konrad drinks it all away. Co za kurwa debil."

Dougie doesn't need to speak a word of Polish to understand the meaning behind that acidic sentence, that Ms. K clearly isn't happy with her coworker's husband. "That bad?" he queries, making sure to leave it open for interpretation.

"He even doesn't have job," Ms. K rolls her eyes. "I told her, this man no good, he not love you. No. She loves him. Enough for her that she loves him." The older lady sighs. "Love doesn't pay rent. Or food. Or gas. He needs job." Dougie nods again in agreement, letting her continue; after a moment, she does. "Nobody want to hire him. Not construction, not restaurant, nobody. All what he does is drink and complain."

"Maybe he's got some sort of mental disorder?" The defenseman offers the idea. "Sits at home all day, does nothing, drinks - "

Ms. K barks out a laugh, cutting Dougie off. "His mental disorder" (here she butchers the pronunciation of the words) "is lazy. He doesn't go to school, doesn't work. Only watch game and drink. Lazy. Mother not raise him right." She shakes her head. "You give child everything, they get lazy. You make child work, they not get lazy."

"Aha," Dougie grants the point, deciding that a debate on the existence of depression against his matronly elderly neighbor who was currently feeding him wasn't exactly his plan for the rest of the day.

"No discipline in that house," Ms. K sighs. "All three Kubiaks lazy. One I understand, three is parents' fault." A pause as Ms. K lifts her spoon. "Martyna stupid, Konrad lazy. Perfect together."

They eat for a few minutes in silence, Dougie digesting both the soup and the gossip. "She's at least a good worker though." It's a calculated statement, because Ms. K very obviously wants to keep talking, but Dougie doesn't want to hear about Polish child-rearing strategies (which, from his very limited experience, began and ended at corporal punishment). So hopefully she bites on the redirect.

"Did I tell you about Barbara?" Hook, line, sinker.

"No," Dougie hums.

"She knows nothing!" Ms. K flushes red with annoyance. "She goes all day and looks how I cook. She can't even make salad. All you do is..." Her steam runs out as she searches for the word she needs. "Zetrzeć carrot, doesn't know how."

"Cut?"

"No, not cut." Ms. K mimes running a carrot over a grater. "So you get thin."

"Grate," Dougie supplies.

She nods quickly. "Yes, grate. Cannot grate carrot. Cuts herself. Cannot stir soup - not even make soup, just stir it. Burns herself. Or gets soup dirty."

He chuckles at that. "So she's not a good chef."

"No, but she is owner's son's wife," Ms. K sighs. "Cannot be at cash register, scans things twice. Cannot stack food, food falls and breaks. Cannot cook, chicken is raw and burnt. Both on same piece. Useless."

Dougie tilts his soup bowl to fill his spoon, unable to stop his eyes from looking at the cakes on display. The nutritionists don't need to know. "Can she bake?"

"She make pączki and pączki go boom." She says it so matter-of-factly that it's hysterical. "If she know how bake, she work at Piast."

Piast, the Polish store/restaurant hybrid that looks like a literal castle on the side of the road. Dougie hasn't ever been inside, Ms. K forbidding it (and once again, he's not going to argue with the woman who clearly knows her stuff). "If you ever need Polish food, come to me. Not Piast. Owner died, place is bad now. Too expensive."

That's another thing about Polish people - they measure everything in who died. Usually with when and how thrown into the mix. Honestly, it's fascinating. Ms. K puts on her Polish television shows and points out to Dougie who had a heart attack and who got into a car accident, recounting the details as if she were the coroner. She turns on the radio and everyone got cancer or was murdered by a French guy, five songs in a row, and then an Italian song comes on. Ms. K purses her lips for a minute, then says, "Did you know their daughter disappeared? Took too many drugs, jumped off a bridge. So young, too."

It's kind of morbid, Dougie figures.

Every Sunday, Ms. K goes to church and then to the cemetery, weather permitting. She takes candles with her in fancy glass containers, lights them and leaves them on her husband's grave. Dougie's seen the containers and heard the stories, how she counts the days until she sees him again. Dougie asks her, once, whether she wants to find another husband; she laughs sadly, "When Wojciech died, I saw it was either son or new man. I said better to work for son than for stranger. Son no longer here, but am old now. No point in looking for husband. I have husband already. Just not here anymore."

I think the main "issue" with this fic is that it's Super Fucking Long. There are so many plot lines in it and so much going on that it quickly became an overwhelming sort of project and I sputtered out on energy.

If I went back to rework it, I'd have to definitely consider whether all the parts are truly necessary or whether I just want to focus on Dougie as the social media admin and go from there. Additionally, I didn't know much about some characters before beginning to write, so they come across as fairly OOC, so I need to rework that.

Fun fact, though - I originally intended bless your waters, bless your doubts to be a capstone of a series. Each fic would represent one line of "Howl" and would be a short oneshot dealing with a specific Devil and some specific situation they were in. For example:

and all grown up and traveled so well - Mercer about heritage

do you still hear the sound of the thunder while you lie up by yourself? - Palat injury

And each one would offer a new perspective, roughly in chronological order, on the Devils and their own narratives. I still feel that the "braided" fics, as I call them, would be vitally important in presenting a complete picture, and I'd want to preserve them if I do retry this one.

However, it's a bit of a "dated" fic (22-23 is so long ago now), plus it'd end up being so incredibly long... I don't think I have it in me. Maybe someday.

Have one last snippet, here, and Experience Devils Hockey with me! [profuse sobbing]

It's seven-fifteen by the time Dawson shows up, wearing sweatpants and a hoodie. Classic. Dougie can't help but chuckle as he opens the door for the young center. "Nice to see you," he smiles, a little fondly. Dawson reminds him a little too much of himself. He supposes it's only kind to pay it forward and take him under his wing.

"Yeah," Dawson grins back. "What's cooking?"

"Figure it out," Dougie challenges. The kid sniffs the air, contemplating his next words, and Dougie takes the opportunity to take the finished chicken out of the oven. "Before if gets cold," he calls across the room, balancing the dish in both gloved hands. Dawson scurries over to get a better look.

"I knew it had to be garlic," the Newfoundlander comments. He pulls out his chair and plops down unceremoniously. "Got anything to drink?"

Dougie bites his tongue to stop from rolling his eyes. "Because you want to be hungover the morning before the Caps."

"It'll help the L go down," Mercer offers. Damn, they really thought they had no chance, huh?

Right. This team never did have a chance. He's been here a year already but enough of that time was on injured reserve (and the rest trying to avoid anyone on his former teams) that it's still new to him, this - this culture of expecting loss. He sees it in the eyes of the old guard, how Sevo and Wood sigh when a goal is given up like it's the last breath they know how to take. Even the newer players feel it, see it, know it.

This was once a dynasty, Dougie understands, and now the castle is in ruins.

[oldraysblog]

Elder Rape Is a Strength!

Yet another example of how importing the Third World wrecks everything

ANN COULTER

DEC 4

 

READ IN APP 

As part of the Biden administration's  push to make everything worse and more expensive, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) -- not to be confused with Congress, which writes the laws because we live in a democracy ha ha ha -- issued a prospective rule requiring nursing homes to hire more staff.

Because who better to determine the staffing needs of the country's 15,000 nursing homes than Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, Biden's CMS administrator? Also supporting the new rule are "patient advocates," i.e. the Service Employees International Union, looking to increase its membership rolls.

Fortunately, The New York Times reports, President-elect Donald Trump is expected to repeal the Biden staffing mandates.

Also fortunately, I have a much better idea! Like Brooks-LaSure, my expertise does not come from running nursing homes. It comes from reading the news.

Such as ...

In 2018, hardworking Kenyan immigrant Billy Chemirmir enriched elderly nursing home patients in Texas by allegedly murdering at least 22 of them and stealing their jewelry. (Who will care for the elderly without mass third world immigration?) He was convicted in the first two trials and then killed in prison.

The year prior, Ethiopian immigrant Adeladilew A. Mekonen got 25 years after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two patients at Providence St. Vincent Medical Center in Portland, Oregon, women aged 89 and 94. (By the way, why is an Ethiopian living in Portland?)

Third world immigrants are hard workers, though. Liberian George Kpingbah was a ripe old 77, but still managed to rape an elderly Alzheimer's patient at the Walker Methodist Health Center in Minneapolis. This guy is a walking TV commercial for Cialis.

At the 2015 sentencing hearing, Kpingbah's lawyer sought leniency on the grounds that the perp had "devoted much of his life to ensuring that his three daughters migrated to America," as The Minnesota Star Tribune put it.

How can we ever thank you, Mr. Kpingbah?

In 2017, Parkpoom Seesangrit -- you'll never believe it, but yup, another immigrant -- was convicted of raping a 69-year-old dementia patient at the East Longmeadow Skilled Nursing Center in Massachusetts. When the Thai national was caught by a nurse, he said, "I know I'm in trouble. This looks bad."



Like so many immigrants, Seesangrit created another job right here in America: He needed a Thai interpreter at his trial. (Turns out our country is fairly bristling with Thais.)

In 2013, nursing assistant Antonio Nieto was convicted of sexually assaulting three female patients, aged 59, 73 and 93, in a Broomfield, Colorado, nursing home. In accordance with the Times Style Guide, the media refused to reveal where Nieto was from, but his lawyer said English was his second language and he needed a Spanish-language interpreter in court, so: Latin America.

In 2018, Ghanaian immigrant Fode Doukoure pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a 74-year-old woman after placing an anesthesia-soake d rag over her mouth.

May I speak with the people who hired these guys? The ones who thought cheap labor was worth placing men from raging rape cultures in charge of weak, elderly Alzheimer's patients?

Why are you crying, Grandma? Hey! Where's your diamond-encruste d brooch?

The media would sooner praise MAGA than admit that most of the world outside of the West is a cesspool of child rape, gang rape, elder rape, torture rape, goat rape, AIDS, multidrug-resist ant gonorrhea and so on. But it's not an impenetrable mystery, and when you’re hiring employees to work with helpless dementia patients, it's kind of important to understand this aspect of non-Western culture.



I will briefly mention some suggestive facts about only the countries mentioned here, a subject I cover in detail in "Adios, America!"

Mass rape was a regular feature of Liberia's 14-year civil war, as it is in most wars on the Dark Continent -- also in response to minor skirmishes, celebrations, election seasons and filming a music video.

Kenya's three-month election season, for example, features mass rapescommitted by police, ordinary Kenyans and militia groups. (And you thought our elections were bad.)

During the two-year conflict in Tigray, Ethiopia, government forces rapedhundreds of women, in front of friends and family, holding some as sex slaves for repeated gang rapes, sometimes inserting large nails, gravel, metal and plastic shrapnel into their victims' vaginas, among other things. (On the plus side, none of them were fat-shamed or made to feel unheard.)

Thailand is ranked among the top 10 countries for violence against women and girls. Last year, 11 Thai police officers were charged with gang-raping a 14-year-old girl.

The Inter-American Children’s Institute reports that Latin America is second only to Asia in the sexual exploitation of women and children, who are “seen as objects instead of human beings with rights and freedoms.”

In 2018, naive British teenagers paid 1,200 pounds apiece to go on a class trip to "volunteer" in ... Ghana. Whereupon armed Ghanaian and Nigerian men broke into their compound, beat and robbed the males and raped the girls and their female teacher for three hours, finally leaving at around 4 a.m.

Contra Brooks-LaSure, the last thing nursing homes need is more Kenyans, Ethiopians, Liberians, Thais and Latin Americans. What’s really needed is fewer rapes.

Here's something useful Dr. Mehmet Oz could do at CMS that would create no additional paperwork or regulatory burden for nursing homes: Investigate every one of these monstrous crimes and widely publish the names and incomes of the facility owners and operators who thought the abuse of elderly Americans was a small price to pay for all that cheap foreign labor.



[news4dzhozhar]

Hello,the recent info about Tsarnaev,do you know if he's gonna be present in the court? Or just his lawyers

Usually it's just his lawyers unless he needs to speak (entering a plea, receiving a verdict). The Court would be the Federal one in Boston and since Dzho is housed at the ADX in Colorado, it would be a security and logistics nightmare to fly him out for court appearances that are 20-30 minutes. If he were to be granted a new penalty phase then he'd be brought into court but not for the various appeals.

[follow-up-news]

A Colorado bed-and-breakfast operator who promotes herself online as the “J6 praying grandma” was sentenced on Monday to six months of home confinement in her Capitol riot case after the judge railed against “offensive” comments she has made about the criminal justice system. Prosecutors had sought 10 months behind bars for Rebecca Lavrenz, 72, whose misdemeanor case has become a cause célèbre among conservatives critical of the Justice Department’s Jan. 6 prosecutions. Prosecutors accused her of “profiting off the celebrity of her conviction” with an slew of media appearances questioning the integrity of the court system and the jurors who convicted her. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui told Lavrenz that while hers is among the less serious Jan. 6 cases, “it’s still a grave offense.” Raising his voice at times, the judge sounded incredulous as he pressed her lawyers about her media comments denouncing the Jan. 6 prosecutions as “fake trials” and D.C. jurors as biased. “That does nothing but reduce public confidence people have in the system,” Faruqui said. Faruqui told Lavrenz he didn’t think sending her to jail “was going to help.” But he fined her $103,000, saying he needed to send a message that defendants cannot profit off their “egregious conduct.” He sentenced her to one year of probation, with the first six months in home confinement. During her home confinement, the judge ordered her to stay off the internet.