#Retirement Planning Philadelphia

[winthroppartners]

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[karaonasi]

BaxterMc Week Hosted by @minthe-drawings

Day 2: Date Night

Art of Kit and Baxter by @rui-drawsbox

Movie Night

The story idea behind the art:

Baxter and Kit planned on going to the Boardwalk for a date one day. Unfortunately, it was raining that day and was forecasted to do so all day. Disappointed, Baxter cancels the date. Kit decides it's a good day for a teachable moment: that you don’t have to have some grand plans or venue to have a meaningful time together. So Kit pitches the idea of staying in for a movie marathon. Despite Kit’s slight annoyance that Baxter insisted it would be best done at his family’s house, Kit arranges it with his moms who agree to retire early for the evening to their room to give the boys some semblance of time alone together.

The movies chosen are all black and white comedies in the vein of The Philadelphia Story, Some Like it Hot, It Happened One Night, Bringing Up Baby

At some point, Kit fell asleep, pulling Baxter against him. “You really are rather sweet, aren't you?" Baxter commented before dozing contentedly as well.

Kit was bashful when he came to. "God, I didn't do anything embarrassing like drool on you or anything, did I?"

Baxter laughed. “You called my name in your sleep.” He gave Kit a sidelong look. "Were you dreaming about me Kit?" he asked coyly.

Kit was slightly mortified, but couldn’t deny the truth. “...yeah…” Not that it was only just then. Kit had been dreaming of his Fae Prince since that single dance when he was thirteen years old. Not that he was about to admit that out loud. Instead he defaulted to his usual when things got slightly uncomfortable: joking or teasing. “Shouldn't I be dreaming about my boyfriend?"

“You're very sweet, Kit,” Baxter repeated his earlier thought aloud.

Kit snorted. " I didn't say what I was dreaming about.” He leveled a playful mock leer at his boyfriend.

Baxter barked a laugh, then smirked at the younger boy. “Oh, you had me snuggled rather close. I didn't need words to be able to tell.”

When they finally noticed the TV, the prior movie had ended some time ago. So Kit put It Happened One Night on as the next feature.

“Clark Gable?” Baxter asked, lifting a sculpted brow, obviously recollecting their conversation on their first sideways retroactive date.

Kit nodded. “Did you know that this movie single-handedly decimated the undershirt industry?” He gently pushed Baxter back so he could rest his head against the older boy’s chest.

Baxter laughed, “Aren't you the one that picked out the movie? Don’t you have any intention of actually watching it?”

“Nope. I’ve seen it four times. ‘S’why I picked it,” He answered contentedly from his position.

“So you planned this movie event, banishing your family to their rooms to not even watch the movie?” Baxter asked, though he was mostly teasing.

“Well, there is a perfectly empty condo across the street that we could have used,” Kit mostly teased back.

Baxter’s hand stroked his cheek. “You know that isn’t the best idea.”

Kit thought it was a perfect idea, actually. But he did understand what Baxter meant. A kissing session in a house alone together could turn into a full on make out session…or more…very easily. Not that Kit would have minded testing that theory. But Baxter seemed to think their movie watching should be where they could be walked in on at any time to keep things under better control.

“Well, I’m the morning person, not the night owl,” Kit changed my tactic. “And since we started late…“ he snuggled further back against his boyfriend, pillowing his head on Baxter’s very toned but slender chest, wrapping his arms around his tiny waist.

Baxter let out a low chuckle. “You are an affectionate one,” he observed with amusement (not for the first time).

“Mhm…” he smelled wonderful. And while his body was toned and firm, there was still a bit of softness that made him comfortable to lie upon.

But after their prior nap, neither was terribly tired. Kit slid up to nip at Baxter’s bottom lip, which transitioned into the younger boy leaning over Baxter to kiss him more insistently. Baxter’s hand slid cautiously under the bottom edge of Kit’s shirt, drawing from him a gasp. “Is this okay? Or should I stop?” the purring voice inquired without Baxter’s lips parting from his partner’s. In answer, Kit slid his hand up a wonderfully toned dancer’s thigh.

“Ahem! You two need to get a room.”

“...frak me…” Kit groaned softly as he recognized the annoyed tone of his sister.

A low chuckle sounded in Kit’s ear, “Is that a proposition, Darling?” Baxter turned to the door as if nothing was amiss while his boyfriend went into .exe failure. “Good evening, Miss Elizabeth. We were just having a movie night. You are welcome to join us, of course.”

“Yeah. don’t mind us. We’ll just continue what we were doing,” Kit added with a wide, devious grin.

Kit watched her shudder to his great satisfaction. “Ew. No thanks.” Kit could see the wheels turning, his sister just itching to get a dig in about Baxter and his unique fashion sense. But she behaved. “Good night you two. Behave.”

Kit snorted as he watched Liz retreat up the stairs.

“So what would you like to do now, Kit?” Baxter asked, looking at the movie in progress that they hadn’t paid attention to in the slightest.

“More of the same?”

Baxter paused. “I’m not sure that is the best idea.” His eyes traveled from where Liz just disappeared up the stairs, then to the closed door leading to Kit’s parents’ master suite.

Kit shook his head. “We could have gone to your place, you know.”

The college boy nodded but it wasn’t a convinced one. “And I still maintain this was the best option.” He must have been able to see the ‘why?’ question in Kit’s expression because he continued. “The best option for you. You said you wanted this to be a real relationship. I would rather not take the chance of treating it as a one night stand.”

“--oh--” Kit’s blush was burned all the way to the tips of his ears.

“Exactly. Here at least~” he waved toward the shared living space and trailed off, reconsidering again.

Kit shook my head. “They aren’t late night people--”

He snorted. “That explains some things about you, Early Bird.”

The Californian rolled his eyes and continued. “They aren’t coming out until morning unless there’s some emergency.”

“And your sister?”

Kit laughed, remembering how she shuddered. Twice. “She’s looking for brain bleach about now to remove what she already saw. No way is she gonna come even close to those stairs.”

Baxter tilted his head and he could watch that very busy mind of his at work. Then one side of his mouth tilted up. “Are you sure you’re up for this?”

The younger boy smiled at him bright and playful, though his heart was racing. “Bring it!” He challenged, remembering that little quirk of Baxter’s personality that he didn’t like to leave a challenge unmet.

Several minutes later, Baxter pulled back, chuckling with amusement as Kit lay panting and dizzy on the couch following their latest session…

[strawberryblondebutch]

So I read Britta Curl's apology.

Emphasis on read, because no way in hell am I listening to that whole thing with my shitty auditory processing. So please acknowledge that this means I'm potentially missing out on tonal cues and body language.

I don't think she's changed. A good apology recognizes what you've done wrong and how you'll improve in the future. She seems to think that her posts are the problem, not the beliefs that motivated said posts. Her improvement plan is to "grow in humility, and grow in love." I'm not sure where most marginalized groups would rank that in their restorative justice plans.

Even if the apology's content is lackluster, the fact it exists is good. That Curl felt she needed to say something, for her own and the league's reputation, means she knows that eyes are on her. There are degrees of harm in public figures. Among baseball players, you can trace a line down from Curt Schilling (actual Breitbart personality) to Jason Adam (refused to wear a pride cap in a game) to Brad Hand (likes Trump tweets on Twitter in silence). I have no respect for the beliefs Hand's social media activity suggests that he has, but he's not saying on the record that being gay is a bad lifestyle choice, nor is he tweeting about how awesome that Capitol riot was. My personal respect may be nonexistent, but Hand's actions are less directly harmful.

I would love if Britta Curl changed her beliefs. I don't engage in moral Puritanism. I believe that people can change, and I want them to. If she came out with an apology tomorrow where she said, "I understand that my words and actions have hurt members of the trans and Black communities, and here are the steps I am taking to understand why this is so harmful so that I can improve, I would support her. But that's not what happened.

Whether we like it or not, this shit does matter. Arguably, it matters even more in women's sports. I don't like it. I would love if the WNBA, PWHL, or any other league were one where you could shut up and play, and you weren't expected to be a role model for young girls everywhere (which, that's a rant all of its own). But at the end of the day, you can't cater who you are to a hypothetical ideal. You have to cater it to the world that you're in. And yeah, that sucks.

The increased scrutiny on female athletes will always affect marginalized groups more. I'm not going to speak too much on racism in the WNBA, because I don't consider myself an expert on it (I'm only a casual basketball fan, no matter the gender), but I've seen the scrutiny leveled on Angel Reese compared to Caitlin Clark. I also remember Hilary Knight being fucking terrified to come out as queer because of all the outside pressure on her. Having to hide what you believe is different than hiding what you are.

She's not going to get top-six minutes this coming season, and the discourse is going to be insufferable. Yeah, Curt Schilling's a terrible human being, and although his beliefs got worse after retirement, he was an outspoken conservative when he won the 2004 World Series. Compare that to Trevor Bauer, whose shooters claim that he's being blacklisted by the Woke Mob, when he's really just... not a good pitcher, and he's also managed to piss off every manager he's ever had. Britta Curl will not be one of the six best players on Minnesota unless something goes terribly wrong - she's not a better center than Heise or Pannek, and she's not a good enough sniper to move to the wing. The worst people you know will claim she's being punished for her beliefs, because they do not understand how sports work. Block and move on.

It is still very funny that she blocked me on Twitter. Block and move on goes both ways, but I didn't tag her in the post or anything, which means she name searches.

Once again, if you read this far, please consider giving to Prevention Point or Savage Sisters. Harm reduction is important. Those two organizations are why I'm still alive, and the city of Philadelphia wants addicts to die.

[poisonously-alluring-sev]

Snape Preference ~ Books He Recommends

Severus Snape Masterlist

Context You ask him for something good to read and he gives you a pile of books he thinks you'll enjoy. (This is excluding the obvious amount of potions and herbology books he probably has)

The Secret History by Donna Harett Under the influence of a charismatic classics professor, a group of clever, eccentric misfits at a New England college discover a way of thought and life a world away from their banal contemporaries. But their search for the transcendent leads them down a dangerous path, beyond human constructs of morality.

The Resurrectionist: The Lost Work of Dr. Spencer Black by E. B. Hudspeth

Philadelphia, the late 1870s. A city of gas lamps, cobblestone streets, and horse-drawn carriages—and home to the controversial surgeon Dr. Spencer Black. The son of a grave robber, young Dr. Black studies at Philadelphia's esteemed Academy of Medicine, where he develops an unconventional hypothesis: that the mythological beasts of legend and lore—including mermaids, minotaurs, and satyrs—were in fact humanity's evolutionary ancestors. And beyond that, he wonders: what if there was a way for humanity to reach the fuller potential these ancestors implied?

Masters Of Death by Olivie Blake

There is a game that the immortals play. There is only one rule: Don't lose.

The Maidens by Alex Michalides Edward Fosca is a murderer. Of this Mariana is certain. But Fosca is untouchable. A handsome and charismatic Greek tragedy professor at Cambridge University, Fosca is adored by staff and students alike—particularly by the members of a secret society of female students known as The Maidens.

What Moves The Dead by T. Kingfisher When Alex Easton, a retired soldier, receives word that their childhood friend Madeline Usher is dying, they race to the ancestral home of the Ushers in the remote countryside of Ruritania.

What they find there is a nightmare of fungal growths and possessed wildlife, surrounding a dark, pulsing lake. Madeline sleepwalks and speaks in strange voices at night, and her brother Roderick is consumed with a mysterious malady of the nerves.

Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes Who hasn't wondered for a split second what the world would be like if a person who is the object of your affliction ceased to exist? But then you've probably never heard of The McMasters Conservatory, dedicated to the consummate execution of the homicidal arts. To gain admission, a student must have an ethical reason for erasing someone who deeply deserves a fate no worse (nor better) than death. The campus of this "Poison Ivy League" college—its location unknown to even those who study there—is where you might find yourself the practice target of a classmate...and where one's mandatory graduation thesis is getting away with the perfect murder of someone whose death will make the world a much better place to live.

Botanical Curses & Poisons: The Shadow-Lives of Plants By Liz Inkwright In both history and fiction, some of the most dramatic, notorious deaths have been through poisonings. Concealed and deliberate, it's a crime that requires advance planning and that for many centuries could go virtually undetected. And yet there is a fine line between healing and killing: the difference lies only in the dosage! In Botanical Curses and Poisons, Fez Inkwright returns to folkloric and historical archives to reveal the fascinating, untold stories behind a variety of lethal plants, witching herbs, and fungi. 

Dracula by Bram Stoker Irish author Bram Stoker introduced the character of Count Dracula and provided the basis of modern vampire fiction in his 1897 novel entitled Dracula. Written as a series of letters, newspaper clippings, diary entries, and ships' logs, the story begins with lawyer Jonathan Harker journeying to meet Dracula at his remote castle to complete a real estate transaction. Harker soon discovers that he is being held prisoner, and that Dracula has a rather disquieting nocturnal life. Touching on themes such as Victorian culture, immigration, and colonialism, among others, this timeless classic is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats! Now available as part of the Word Cloud Classics series, Dracula is a must-have addition to the libraries of all classic literature lovers.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik I decided that Orion Lake needed to die after the second time he saved my life.

Everyone loves Orion Lake. Everyone else, that is. Far as I'm concerned, he can keep his flashy combat magic to himself. I'm not joining his pack of adoring fans. I don't need help surviving the Scholomance, even if they do. Forget the hordes of monsters and cursed artifacts, I'm probably the most dangerous thing in the place. Just give me a chance and I'll level mountains and kill untold millions, make myself the dark queen of the world.

Hope you enjoyed this quick idea I had. Also, all of these books are amazing and I 100% recommend all of them!

[ausetkmt]

AL.com: Legendary R&B singer retiring after 54 years: ‘It’s been a great ride through the decades’

Frankie Beverly, the charismatic frontman of Maze, has announced that he’ll retire this year, after a farewell tour with the R&B band that made him famous.

Six shows were announced this week for Beverly’s “I Wanna Thank You Farewell Tour,” including an April 6 concert at the Mobile Fairgrounds, also known as The Grounds. The dates start on March 22 at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and end on May 12 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. More tour stops will be announced in the weeks and months to come, according to a press release.

Beverly, 77, is a favorite in Alabama, playing to cheering crowds at concert venues and festivals throughout the state. His signature tunes with Maze range from electric funk to romantic jams to classic R&B, and include “Southern Girl,” “Back in Stride,” “We Are One,” “Golden Time of Day,” “Can’t Get Over You,” “The Morning After,” “Joy and Pain” and “Happy Feelin’s.”

Fans needn’t worry, however, that the band will be defunct when Beverly makes his exit. He plans to hand the microphone to Tony Lindsay, best known as the lead singer for Santana. The band name will change when Beverly leaves, transitioning from Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly to Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly.

“I want to share with my lifelong fans and associates that I’ll be going out on the road one last time, then retire,” Beverly said in a statement to Billboard magazine. “Thank you so much for the support given to me for over 50 years as I pass on the lead vocalist torch to Tony Lindsay. The band will continue on as Maze Honoring Frankie Beverly. It’s been a great ride through the decades. Let the music of my legacy continue.”

Beverly founded Maze in 1970 in his hometown of Philadelphia, initially calling the group Raw Soul. The band changed its name in the mid-’70s, released several albums, 1977-1993, and developed a loyal following throughout the country. Beverly’s all-white attire on stage is one of his trademarks, along with his smooth baritone voice and ability to connect with the crowd.

Frankie Beverly performed with Maze on the Coca-Cola Classic Stage at the 2008 City Stages festival in Birmingham.(AL.com file photo/Frank Couch)

Beverly and Maze have performed many times in Birmingham over the years, at venues that range from Boutwell Auditorium to the Alabama Theatre to the former City Stages festival. A concert typically becomes a big ol’ dance party when Beverly and Maze take the stage; in fact, some ticketholders have been known to bring maracas and use them for appreciative percussion.

Beverly’s farewell tour is produced by the Black Promoters Collective. “Beverly is embarking in this farewell tour before slowing down to enjoy life in his California Bay Area home,” a press release says. The artist plans to “complete the tour with several major city stops. He’ll then make his way to Philadelphia for a street renaming ceremony in the city where he and his group launched their phenomenal musical legacy.”

Here are the shows announced thus far for the tour:

March 22, State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia.

April 6. Mobile County Fairgrounds, Mobile, Alabama.

April 13, Toyota Arena, Houston, Texas.

April 27, United Center, Chicago, Illinois.

May 12, KIA Forum, Los Angeles, California.

July 6, Dell Music Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

ENJOY THE MEMORIES -

[isfjmel-phleg]

How on earth does Ray Terrill, broke teenager working at a fast food restaurant for (probably) minimum wage, own a $3,000 laptop?

(The Ray 1994 #11)

There's an official answer for that. But it just raises further questions.

We know how much the laptop is worth because a burglar breaking into Ray's apartment comments on it. In 1995, $3,000 would be the equivalent of about $6,182.46 today. This is quite a big-ticket item.

(The Ray 1994 #11)

A reader even wrote in asking about where he got the computer, and editor Brian Augustyn theorized that "the computer is something he was given by his dad back when he was still housebound."

The dad in question being, of course, not his biological dad but Thomas Terrill, the uncle who raised him.

It was probably a fairly recent gift. In a flashback to Ray at sixteen, he is seen using a desktop computer, not the laptop. He is in his room here, so this computer is clearly his and not a shared household item like a lot of home computers were in the 1990s. This too would have been quite an expensive item in the early 1990s, costing thousands of dollars.

So it's established that over the years Thomas has bought Ray two computers. That we know of.

(The Ray 1992 #1)

But how on earth Thomas could afford this is not clear. We don't know what he does for a living, or if he even has a job at all--he's in his seventies by the time of his death, so he might have retired at some point. We don't know if Ray's dad is contributing any child support (knowing him...he probably isn't). We don't know what the Terrills are living on. They have a good-sized townhouse in Philadelphia, but there's nothing to suggest that they're any better off financially than the average family.

In fact, after Thomas's death, he owes a lot in legal fees, and the only way that these can be paid is to sell the house. Ray inherits absolutely nothing from Thomas. So it's a safe assumption that there's not a lot of money in that household.

It is possible that Thomas poured his own savings, if he had any, into Ray's upbringing. Which, apparently, included giving him a desktop computer, probably as a distraction/bribe to keep him indoors. Possibly even as a response to Ray's attempt to run away at age thirteen.

The laptop might have been an eighteenth birthday gift, as well as an investment in Ray's future. As Ray tells his cousin, he has enough computer skills to make a living working from home as a programmer. Evidently this was his plan for adulthood before Thomas's death. So the laptop is a sort of alternative to paying for higher education or a trade school or other means of preparing for a career that would be available to someone who wasn't required to stay out of sunlight.

(The Ray 1992 #1)

...and instead of getting an actual computer job, Ray uses the laptop to stalk his childhood best friend...

...and create a video game villain that goes sentient and wreaks havoc on the world...

(The Ray 1994 #3)

...before accepting a systems analyst job from a supervillain. This boy makes The Best Life Decisions.

Alternatively, the laptop and/or desktop computer might have been obtainable because of charity. Ray's alleged fatal allergy to sunlight was highly publicized when he was a child, and it's very possible that one of those foundations that grant wishes to seriously ill children might have taken an interest in his case.

[yr-obedt-cicero]

Was Maria Reynolds part of the plan to " blackmail " Alexander ? Thank you.

Not initially, I don't think. The painful truth is, of course, we'll never know for certain. Especially in regards to the Reynolds affair, with all of the theories surrounding it and no one knowing what's true or not due to Maria's missing letters, and her own pamphlet being lost to time. [x] So, all we have for solid proof is a bias pamphlet from Hamilton, and slandering newspaper extracts. The Reynolds Pamphlet was naturally a one-sided account, and written five years after the affair. Hamilton paints himself as the victim of James Reynold's and Maria's “con couple plot” to blackmail him. And many historians ultimately side with this notion that fits the narrative of the manipulation by a calculated and pretty woman, with her wealthy man prey. But it is my belief that Maria had initially wanted for it to be a traditional mistress situation with Hamilton, that was subsequently distorted into a form of Reynolds's blackmail.

Maria was a lower-class woman, who was seeking happiness and fulfillment through sexual acts, in order to feel loved and cared for. This was actually a common case for many women at the time;

There was another group of women who exercised sexual independence within post-Revolutionary Philadelphia—those who engaged in sex commerce. In many ways, their economic an sexual independence was the most obvious manifestation of female autonomy. Prostitution enjoyed an enhanced position within the community because the world of nonmarital sexual behavior had expanded. Amid the permissive sexual culture of the city, the behavior of those who engaged in sex commerce was less distinct. Women who engaged in sex commerce were more public than in the late colonial era but also more integrated into the broader sexual culture. Evidence from Philadelphia suggests that during the transition between the sexual system of the late colonial period and that of the nineteenth century, prostitution took on its most fluid and least exploitative form.

Philadelphia could not have been more different. Sex commerce prospered during the 1790s as part of the expansive, permissive sexual culture and was well integrated into the public and semipublic leisure world of the city. It was neither geographically segregated nor isolated from the urban centers. Bawdy houses occupied all regions of the city. There were bawdyhouses on the city's main streets and more modest establishments among its alleys. Sex commerce also took place in the backrooms of taverns, in the prison, and in the theater and often spilled into the streets. Women solicited men in the streets, mixing with the legitimate evening strollers, meeting men, and then retiring to rented rooms or bawdyhouses. Sometime they even engaged in sexual transactions in the city's alleys and abandoned lots. Much of this activity took place within the public view. Women called to men from their doorways soliciting their business, and other strolled about the street in pairs to meet men. Prostitutes were known on sight when they were seen shopping, socializing about the town, or entering the almshouse. The identities of their clients were also often common knowledge—many men were not concerned about secreting their behavior. Some demonstrated a striking disregard for being seen. One “well known gentleman,” Moreau de Saint-Méry tells us, “leaves his horse tied to the post outside one of these houses, so that everyone knows when he is there and exactly how long he stays.”

[...]

Sex commerce of the early national period was part of a continuum of illicit sex, and it was not always easy to distinguish which encounters crossed its fluid boundaries. Prostitution operated in many of the same social spaces as other forms of nonmarital sex, integrated into these worlds of socializing and public amusement. Women brought men to the same disorderly houses for prostitution that couples frequented for illicit sex.

[...]

People from all walks of life had sexual encounters that were not markedly different from those of prostitutes and their clients. The woman who supplemented her income by periodically strolling the streets to meet a man who would pay for a sexual encounter had much in common with the woman who frequented taverns accepting food and drink from a gentleman with whom she later had sexual relations. Gifts of goods, food, or drink were part of the sexual exchange in many relationships. Prostitutes who worked the theater expected the gentlemen in the boxes to treat them to the wines and liquors served during performances. This custom was not that different from the gift giving that accompanied adulterous liaisons, where lovers presented gifts and sometimes cash to their partners. Like the women of the town, women who engaged in adultery were treated to gifts by their lovers.

Source — Sex Among the Rabble: An Intimate History of Gender and Power in the Age of Revolution, Philadelphia, 1730-1830, by Clare A. Lyons · 2012

If Reynolds was away, or out of town, Maria took lovers. Folwell even says; “Letters were frequently found in the Entry inviting her Abroad;—and that at Night she would fly off, as was supposed to answer their Contents.” [x] with her husband constantly off, Maria supplemented her unhappy way of living by becoming sexually involved with other men and accepting “gifts” such as money. And it is likely that James Reynolds rather utilized this to his gain when discovering her affairs, and twisted it into instead pimping of his wife for prostitution.

It is also reasonable to assess that Maria was likely looking to become Hamilton's mistress - and mistress, only - because of the state she was in. Maria was recorded to have said plenty of times that she was being mistreated by her husband. Hamilton says that Maria told him; “that her husband, who for a long time had treated her very cruelly, had lately left her, to live with another woman, and in so destitute a condition, that though desirous of returning to her friends she had not the means—that knowing I was a citizen of New-York, she had taken the liberty to apply to my humanity for assistance.” [x] Folwell sides with this distressing description claiming;

Her mind at this time was far from being tranquil or consistent, for almost at the same minute that she would declare her respect for her husband, cry and feel distressed, [the tears] would vanish and levity would succeed, with bitter execrations on her husband. This inconsistency and folly was ascribed to a troubled, but innocent and harmless mind. In one or other of these parox-ysms, she told me, so infamous was the perfidy of Reynolds, that he had frequently enjoined and insisted that she should insinuate herself on certain high and inf l uential characters—endeavor to make assignations with them and actually prostitute herself to gull money from them.

Source — Alexander Hamilton, by Ron Chernow, page 366

A secondary source also claims Reynolds to have been abusive towards his “children”. [x] So, it is possible in this case that Maria was suffering from Reynolds's abuse, alone in Philadelphia, and isolated from her friends and family in New York. And during the times where cruel acts like physical and verbal abuse towards your wife were normalized to a certain extent—that no one would really intervene unless it started to violate another's subjective barrier of morals or condemnation. Or in many cases, if it was deducted that the woman in question was blameless and undeserving (But this is a misogynistic society we are talking about, so how likely of a case is that in general?). So, overall I wouldn't deem Reynolds above abuse towards his wife, or that Maria was merely playing an act for sympathy, there was probably some truth there. With all that in mind, it really seems like Maria engaged in sexual acts with others, or “prostituted” herself, in a way to look for a better love life. And that she may have truly been hoping for a better life with Hamilton. She was likely aiming to be kept as his mistress, but did not succeed in the end due to her husband's involvement. As I said, it was typical for a time when sexual autonomy and economic sufficiency were often intertwined. And Hamilton clearly wasn't entirely against this idea, or that he wouldn't have an adulterous lover for a night—He was 34 at the time, and perfectly capable of making conscious decisions. He was ready to give the money and do the deed. Although, I would argue he wouldn't be too keen on anything much more than a night, or the summer until his family returned, since he rather embarrassedly throws cash at Reynolds to cover his tracks rather than be calculated about it (He seems to have had something against affairs, as they were just against his moral and marriage values which I have gone into before). But also this was exceedingly common for men of all classes at that time, and he was in no way out line in this regard. He knew people who did the same like Governor Morris, so it isn't like this idea was new to him. And it was only when Reynolds started blackmailing him, and that it threatened his marriage and his political career, did he suddenly back down.

There can be much speculation if Maria truly hoped Hamilton would be the one sliver of light in her dark world, and if she truly cared for him, or if she truly felt loved in his presence. Nonetheless, if any of these sentimental feelings did exist, they definitely didn't survive the release of the pamphlet. And I can only assume how crushing it must have been for Maria who suffered the most in the aftermath. She did sign her letters off to him as “Mari”, which could also imply much—Did he call her Mari? Did she call herself that to reel him with guilt and fake intimacy? Which is another consideration, if Maria even cared for Hamilton or his well-being, but rather envisioned him as nothing but profit.

It also shouldn't be completely dismissed that Maria may have been in on the whole scheme. After all, it is suspiciously convenient that James moved his family from New York to Philadelphia, and in the neighborhood possibly in - but definitely not long before - 1791. It is speculated due to Reynolds's tendency toward intrigue and money troubles that the move was made for financial reasons, but it is curious that the affair took place not too soon after. And as mentioned before about Maria seeing several different men, I doubt Hamilton was the only man they plotted against, if they were indeed a con couple. It isn't confirmed that Maria wasn't in on the whole ordeal, or that she wouldn't have agreed to the form of financial gain. I think the only opposition here would be that Reynolds and Maria were separated at the time of the start of the affair, and all that I said before.

Moving on, Maria's divorce from James doesn't come as a surprise. Women - especially the lower class ones - got divorced all the time. While plenty of abuse was tolerated, and even expected to be tolerated, being prostituted by your own husband definitely hit the line. And it was likely Maria's indication of finally breaking away from what she so desperately had been trying to previously. For Maria it was possible for her to go on to marry up the social ladder, to become a respectable woman. And eventually she did, changing her name, and settling down with another man. Without much insight on what was truly her goal—The easiest conclusion I can deduct is that Maria - like many women of her class - was left in a poor marriage from a young age, and used emotional and sexual fulfillment, along with economic stability, because that was all she had at the time. And through her own efforts and in spite of hardship, eventually achieved her goal.

But, in the case that they were a couple of con artists and Maria was not looking for men for comfort, and was truly not being abused; then the divorce was likely because the scheme ended in failure, and still it would make sense that Maria would leave him.

Basically, in my own opinion, I don't think Maria was in-on the scheme at first, I think she was looking for wealthy men to douse her in tender affection and money to make the best out of what she had. But due to her husband exploiting the situation, she was entangled in a blackmailing affair that tarnished her name later on. But with the possibility of this being wrong, it could have also likely been a scheme considering how smoothly things played out for the Reynolds' in the beginning.

Hope this helps!

[pub-lius]

GET HYPE GET HYPE GEORGE WASHINGTON PART TO

@thereallvrb0y I LOVE YOU /p

FUCK the Revolution is happening and the Continental Congress commissioned Washington to take command of the Continental Army in Boston in June 1775. He wrote to Martha wrote that he should return in the fall but motherfucker was LYING, he came back 8 years later in the winter like bro.

Bro was NOT prepared for this, he only had experience from the Virginia frontier thing with only a few hundred men. He was figuring that shit out as he went and mf was STRESSING. I'm not retelling the revolution, there's no time, but specific questions are welcome bc Washington and his staff during the Revolutionary War are the biggest part of my specialty.

During the Revolution, the Congress assholes wrote the fucking Articles of Confederation, which sucked, and Washington thought that they sucked bc he had to experience why they sucked constantly. He wrote to James Madison that they needed an energetic Constitution, bc that's a thing ig.

He went to Philadelphia in 1787 for the convention to amend the articles after being sufficiently peer pressured by Madison and Alexander Hamilton, who you might have heard of. He was unanimously chosen to provide over the convention, but spoke little in proceedings.

"My wish is that the convention may adopt no temporizing expedients but probe the defects of the Constitution to the bottom and provide a radical cure."

vvgfthyvcrt45 -my mom's puppy

Washington's reputation and support were essential to the Ratification, and he helped the federalists gain support. He hoped to finally retire for real, but recieved a vote from EVERY ELECTOR in the first presidential election. While this is impressive (and inconvenient), it was manufactured, and the fact that he's still the only unanimously elected president is also manufactured.

He served two terms as president. His first term lasted 1789-1793. It was occupied mainly by organizing the executive branch and establishing procedures. He had several principle advisors, such as Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and Henry Knox, and they all got along really well and liked each other very much. (you can tell I'm lying because I'm about to mention the financial plan)

Washington adopted a series of measures proposed by Hamilton to resolve the national debt. He also concluded peace treaties with southeastern indigenous tribes and designated a site on the Potomac river for a permanent capital.

His first term ended with a war against indigenous tribes continuing on the northwest frontier, which was encouraged by the British, and this would be one of the issues that would cause the war of 1812. The Spanish also denied Americans use of the Mississippi River. These issues limited the westward expansion Washington really wanted.

Washington was also very concerned by partisan politics, highlighted by severe divisions between the Democratic Republicans and the Federalists. A lot of people say that Washington was a federalist, but that is entirely missing the point. He didn't align himself with either political party bc he recognized that they are dangerous and damaging to governments. This point is annoying as shit and doesn't even MATTER.

Washington reluctantly agreed to a second term (1793-1797), which was dominated by foreign affairs. For example, the fucking French Revolution, and I'm going into fight or flight at just the mention of this in relation to foreign affairs.

Washington believed neutrality was key for US policy, since they couldn't afford a war, and he believed the country's future depended on increasing wealth from commerce and westward expansion. One of his greatest accomplishments was keeping the US out of the war.

Partisanship continued to grow within the executive branch. The department heads "agreed" that the US should remain neutral, but did they really? They disagreed over foreign policy, with Hamiltonian federalists siding with Great Britain, and Jeffersonian Democratic Republicans siding with France. This heavily deepened the partisan divide.

Also, he had a tumor at some point as president. It was benign, but he had to have surgery.

Opposition to federal policies developed into resistance to law in 1794 when distillers in West Pennsylvania rioted and refused to pay taxes. Washington directed the army to restore order. This action was applauded by Federalists and condemned by Republicans.

The war against indigenous tribes was a victory for the white people, Britain surrendered some (*FORESHADOWING*) of it's forts in the Northwest, and Spain opened the Mississippi River. This opened the west to settlement. Washington concluded his second term with his famous Farewell Address and yippee!! he can retire!!!!

Sike again, he had to be commander-in-chief again bc Adams is a pussy.

But it's fine, he got to go home for the next two years.

On December 12, 1788 he was supervising farming activities from late morning until 3 in the afternoon. The weather shifted from light snow to hail to rain. When it was dinner time, someone was like "hey man, your clothes are pretty wet, you should probably cha-" and Washington was like "would you make Hamilton and his autism go against his daily schedule? no you wouldn't. so if you wouldn't be ableist to him, don't be ableist to me" and then went to eat dinner in his nasty ass clothes.

He noticed that he had a sore throat and became increasingly hoarse. He woke up in terrible discomfort at 2 am, and Martha went to get help. And this... DUMBASS (Washington). REQUESTED that the doctors used bloodletting. AND THATS PROBABLY WHAT KILLED HIM. in addition to that the group of doctors tried induced vomiting, an enema, and "potions' of vinegar and sage tea. He still got worse. He called for his two wills, and directed that the unused one should be burned.

He died between 10 and 11 at night on December 14, 1799. Happy Anniversary, Hamilton and Eliza. He passed peacefully by people close to him (Martha, Dr. Craik, Tobias Lear, his enslaved housemaids Caroline Branham, Molly, and Charlotte, and his valet Christopher Sheels). He was not buried for three days by his request. His body lay in a mahogany casket in the New Room. His funeral was held on December 18, 1799 at Mount Vernon where he was laid to rest in the family tomb. He was moved to a better tomb, and thank fuck bc i went to the first one and it was janky as hell.

Okay, Washington is done. Now, we've just got my holy trinity: Burr, Lafayette, and Hamilton. Also, if you couldn't tell, Washington's death is a micro-special interest of mine LHFSKJFHSK anyway i hope you enjoyed. I still have more shit to do so if you see me floating around, tell me to get back to work.

[oceangirl24]

Find The Word Tag - Mega edition

So, @mikaharuka and @mrsmungus got me on this so I'm combining all the words.

Words I was given: hurt, sharp, box, promise, notice, sky, green, plate, ice, fly, mercy, wave, deny, tall, cage

Words for you to find: fuel, orthodox, particular, representative, release, overview, planet, finish

Tagging to play (I'm pretty much hitting everyone. lol No pressure and please jump in if I didn't tag you): @mikaharuka @mrsmungus @kayedium-writes @lena-hills @writingpotato07 @winterlovesong1@tsunderewatermelon @bleepbloopbotz @hylianjo @zkang288- tagging in case this might be of interest.

Here we go!

These are all from Autumn in Philadelphia: The Return in no particular order.

Hurt

Fifteen minutes passed and Julia was half-way through her Spanish homework when she picked up her phone again.

Shawn watched her expectantly. “Dad respond?”

She scowled. “No.” And she texted him again. Again ten minutes after that. Again in another ten minutes. Julia was hurt and dumbfounded; he never ignored her. Ever.

Sharp

Shawn disagreed. “I don’t think too many teachers have given a student who hasn’t spoken to them in 17 years a lifelong home. I think what you did for me was unusual.”

“What I did was minimal, Shawn,” he argued. “I know some who have done much, much more.”

Shawn’s brow pinched together. He didn’t understand Jon’s reaction.

“How?”

Jon was quiet and a dark look settled in his eyes. He glanced as Shawn then quickly looked away as though it was too painful to look at him. “Some actually followed through and adopted their students.” Shawn didn’t know what to say. The words adopt, adoption, adopted always brought a sharp pain to his heart. Those were the words he had always wanted applied to him but they never had been. He inhaled deeply and tried to shrug it off. Jon was obviously struggling to let go of the past as much as he was. But he hadn’t come in here to make Jon feel bad.

Box

Jon nodded. “Jamie’s been asking me for the last three days how you get coffee from dirt. I guess I should have been paying more attention to why he was asking. Apparently, he thinks coffee grounds are dirt. Since I wasn’t giving him a satisfactory answer, he tried to test his theory himself.”

Shawn made a face. “Did he drink it?”

“Nah,” his father took a box of tea out of the cupboard. “Audrey chased him out of the kitchen last night and cleaned up a trail of dirt he left. He must have gotten as far as putting the dirt in the filter before she caught him.”

“How’d you’d find out?”

Jon scowled at him.

“Oh. Gross!”

Promise

All throughout junior high, her father promised her that he would be her English literature teacher and principal throughout high school.

This promise he repeated multiple times a year from sixth grade to eighth grade. At the beginning of eighth grade, the Abigail Adams High principal announced her retirement and it was a given that her father would take over. All that had to be done was for him to formally accept the offer which he said he planned to do just before the end of the year. But instead, he announced to the family the day before eighth grade graduation that he took the superintendent position for the next five years.

No one was expecting this, not even her mother.

Notice

She began with the easiest excuse for breaking the rules. “Shawn ignored me all day today. He was too busy with his friends to pay attention to me. When I tried to talk to him, he blew me off in favor of them. Grayson said he didn’t have time for him or Jamie either.”

“I noticed that, too. Sometimes when those three get together, they forget that anyone else exists,” Jon gave her a rueful smile. “Bothered you that much, huh?”

Sky

“Could the nail polish be Audrey’s?” Cory asked.

Topanga shook her head. “Audrey wears either Essie’s Ballet Slippers or Hard Candy in sky or mint. But mostly she wears Ballet Slippers.”

Green

“Look!” she breathed, nodding at the poster. “It wasn’t all green before!”

Shawn stared at the poster until Jon called for them to hurry up. It most certainly had not been all green before.

Plate

“I’m so glad that this worked out for you both,” she smiled, stacking pancakes on a plate. She took the eggs out of the refrigerator, handed them to him, and motioned for him to start cracking them.

“So am I. You know I was actually kind of jealous that Dad went out with Eli last week.” He frowned wondering where that came from.

Audrey gave him a curious look. “Why’s that?”

“I’ve been wantin’ to spend time to with him. Guess I felt he chose his best friend over me.”

Ice

But what about Topanga?

She had always been there with him but he could not recall her ever talking to him unless it was to make sarcastic remarks about his relationship with her husband. Essentially, they hadn’t really spoken in fifteen years. So he responded to her based on the way their friendship was when it had been put on ice and snapped back with fury, “Because I don’t want them to end up like your parents!”

Fly

Jon started to tap his fingers against the table again as he considered the question. Finally, he said, “I’d take Audrey and the kids somewhere away from everything and everyone, but not totally secluded. Somewhere with nice weather. Somewhere that we could fly in relatives, a few close friends occasionally. We’d need a rink with off-ice facilities nearby. But otherwise just us, no jobs, no interruptions. For about a year.”

Mercy

Suddenly, a wall appeared out of nowhere. Shawn slammed into it at Full speed and the Force of the impact sent him Flying backwards. He landed harshly on his back and skidded several Feet on trash and broken glass. Pain engulfed him and stole his breath.

As he lay there trying to catch his breath and judge whether he’d broken anything, the wall advanced on him. It walked right up to his Feet and stood over him breathing heavily.

Shawn inhaled a shaky, painful breath, knowing he was fully at the mercy of It. It cocked its head to the side as though studying him then it shot out a hand toward his head.

Wave

“I didn’t,” DeAndre answered, looking a little gray. He pointed over her shoulder, a gave a little wave, and said weakly, “Hi, Uncle J.”

Julia could feel her father standing behind her now. She looked up at him guiltily as he leaned over her.

Deny

Shawn pinched at the Afghan blanket hanging over the back of the couch. He didn’t understand why adults had to make everything so complicated. In his mind, the resolution to the current problem was simplistic— Jon told Audrey that he loved her, she returned his affection, and that was that. Though Shawn would fervently deny that he believed in happily-ever-after endings, in way, that was exactly the way he viewed the situation. He never considered outside influences that might stand in the way of such a fairy tale.

(Apparently, I have yet to use deny in Book II, this is from Book I)

Tall

An older man in his 50s hurried across the asphalt lot to greet them. He was a tall, broad shouldered man with impeccable taste in clothing. His close-cropped hair was jet black graying slightly around his temples. A bit more gray speckled his goatee. The sun caught in deep blue sunglasses reflecting various hues of blue and purple into his mahogany skin. When he reached Audrey, he embraced her with a gentle hug. Bella did not react to him at all and continued to moan for her father.

Cage

When he woke up on Saturday, Shawn had a strange sensation stuck between his stomach and his heart. It was fluttery, bubbly feeling that lodged itself in that space and tickled the sides of his rib cage every time he inhaled. He sat up wondering if heartburn was an early 30s thing. He contorted his upper body in every way he could to make that feeling go away. When it lessened some, he got up and headed to the bathroom.

[winthroppartners]

We at Winthrop Partners see our role as guiding people toward long-term financial security and the achievement of their financial objectives. Our clients work hard, and their investments should do the same. We assist them in developing efficient and robust financial plans and investment strategies to support them in the long run. We assist clients in understanding and feeling confident about their cash reserves, expenditures, alternate and supplemental income sources, and the tax implications of their decisions. A personalized plan tailored to your specific situation also assists us in ensuring that we have established a clear path for achieving your financial objectives. To know more visit https://www.winthroppartners.com/ or call us at (716)869-6693.

[dreamofstarlight]

a fact that makes me laugh is how the Kennedys brothers (in office! JFK was president) were going to buy the Philadelphia Eagles because 1. PA was crucial state for Kennedy's 1964 reelection and 2. Jfk was thinking of his retirement and thought “why not”

Like imagine buying an NFL team to win a Presidential election and as an retirement plan 💀

I've heard this before and I've always wondered if it would have been possible for a president to own a NFL (or any sports team) while in office. It might sound silly but would there have been like a conflict of interest or something lmao. Also just thinking about all the boston teams being like "do you have no loyalty?!?" 😭😭😭

[frankcarlisle]

“am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live as free and detached as boats to the dock?”

FULL NAME: Franklin Carlisle II NICKNAME(S): Frankie, Frank, Junior PREFERRED NAME(S): Goes by 'Frankie' most often, doesn't mind alternatives BIRTHDATE: December 8th, 1983 AGE: 39 OCCUPATION: Bench Coach for the Philadelphia Phillies NEIGHBORHOOD: Rittenhouse Square BIOGRAPHY: (tw: infidelity)

Being born into Carlisle Dynasty meant that you were destined for greatness, and no one was more acutely aware of that than Frankie Carlisle. As the eldest of Franklin Carlisle, the head football coach over at Villanova, and Beverly Carlisle, CEO of one of the most prolific art museums in the city, the young boy knew from a young age that he had big shoes to fill.

Getting into sports was a no brainer for Frankie given his father’s career, but the question on everyone’s mind was which one he’d excel at the most. As a student at Oak Brooke Private school, he had the pick of the litter so to speak, and once he got his hands around a baseball bat that question was answered. His name got his foot in the door, but his skills on the field let him stay there. As a freshman in high school, Frankie was making varsity and winning MVP awards left and right, receiving sports scholarships and essentially able to go anywhere he wanted to for college. Enrolling in Villanova was a no-brainer, staying close to home and on the same campus as his father. 

The year after graduation was a big one for Frankie; getting married to his college sweetheart, Anabel, and getting drafted to the Philadelphia Phillies. It was like the young man was on cloud nine, the world opening up for him in ways he never could have dreamed. Soon he was traveling the country, playing a game he loved as his job, making his own income, and married to the love of his life. But the honeymoon phase can’t last forever, and after picking his career over his wife over and over again, Anabel asked for a divorce. It was amicable for the most part, and though devastated Frankie understood that the way he wanted to live his life was incompatible with hers, and so Frankie was single and living on his own once more at 25. 

Single life wasn’t actually so bad once he got over the initial heartbreak. Now the male could stay out late, not worry about keeping anyone waiting, not ask for anyone’s permission – with the glamorous lifestyle he was leading, it would have been too difficult to keep a steady relationship anyway. Instead, he focused on himself and his family, investing in his sister’s future by purchasing her yoga studio, remodeling his parents’ home, going on lavish vacations and spending more money he knew what to do with. Everything felt perfect, but at some point it all felt…repetitive. 

Enter Willa. He’d initially thought about cancelling the blind date set up by a couple of friends of his, but after meeting the brilliant, gorgeous doctor, Frankie was smitten. In less than a year they were moving in together, married, planning their future. This time it would be different, he’d devote himself entirely to his wife and to the family he yearned to have – at least, that was the plan. At the age of thirty, Frankie retired from playing in the MLB and instead was offered a position with his old team as the Bench Coach. More money, less grunt work, a slightly more flexible schedule. Maybe, just maybe, this could work.

After years of trying to get pregnant, the couple finally had their first child, Emmaline. That first year of parenthood was filled with ups and downs, testing their relationship in ways they’d never been challenged before. They loved their daughter, but as the days went by it felt like the only thing they had in common. Between their equally busy schedules, the fighting, and then the stress of trying to get pregnant a second time, Frankie felt himself slipping into old, selfish habits. Nights out with the guys turned into flirtatious banter with women at the bars, which turned into suggestive conversations, then make out sessions in the bathroom, until finally Frankie finally lost any shred of a conscience he had left. 

But then Willa finally got pregnant with their second child, and in that same week found out about his infidelity. Though he swore up and down, left and right that he put an end to his bad habits, the seal of trust between them had been broken. They attempted to work things out as she moved through the pregnancy, but after their daughter Olivia was born, they realized the damage was irreparable.  

Two years later and still in the midst of a messy divorce, Frankie is trying to focus on the things that matter the most to him and keep his head above water, but only time will tell if that will be enough to satiate him in the long run. 

[philadelphia-hq]

“Am I a prisoner to instincts or do my thoughts just live as free and detached as boats to the dock?"

FRANKLIN ‘FRANKIE’ CARLISLE II

Age: 39 Gender and pronouns: Male, He/Him Occupation: Bench Coach for the Philadelphia Phillies Neighborhood: Rittenhouse

BIOGRAPHY

tw: infidelity

Being born into Carlisle Dynasty meant that you were destined for greatness, and no one was more acutely aware of that than Frankie Carlisle. As the eldest of Franklin Carlisle, the head football coach over at Villanova, and Beverly Carlisle, CEO of one of the most prolific art museums in the city, the young boy knew from a young age that he had big shoes to fill.

Getting into sports was a no brainer for Frankie given his father's career, but the question on everyone's mind was which one he'd excel at the most. As a student at Oak Brooke Private school, he had the pick of the litter so to speak, and once he got his hands around a baseball bat that question was answered. His name got his foot in the door, but his skills on the field let him stay there. As a freshman in high school, Frankie was making varsity and winning MVP awards left and right, receiving sports scholarships and essentially able to go anywhere he wanted to for college. Enrolling in Villanova was a no-brainer, staying close to home and on the same campus as his father.

The year after graduation was a big one for Frankie; getting married to his college sweetheart, Anabel, and getting drafted to the Philadelphia Phillies. It was like the young man was on cloud nine, the world opening up for him in ways he never could have dreamed. Soon he was traveling the country, playing a game he loved as his job, making his own income, and married to the love of his life. But the honeymoon phase can't last forever, and after picking his career over his wife over and over again, Anabel asked for a divorce. It was amicable for the most part, and though devastated Frankie understood that the way he wanted to live his life was incompatible with hers, and so Frankie was single and living on his own once more at 25.

Single life wasn't actually so bad once he got over the initial heartbreak. Now the male could stay out late, not worry about keeping anyone waiting, not ask for anyone's permission -- with the glamorous lifestyle he was leading, it would have been too difficult to keep a steady relationship anyway. Instead, he focused on himself and his family, investing in his sister's future by purchasing her yoga studio, remodeling his parents' home, going on lavish vacations and spending more money he knew what to do with. Everything felt perfect, but at some point it all felt...repetitive.

Enter Willa. He'd initially thought about cancelling the blind date set up by a couple of friends of his, but after meeting the brilliant, gorgeous doctor, Frankie was smitten. In less than a year they were moving in together, married, planning their future. This time it would be different, he'd devote himself entirely to his wife and to the family he yearned to have -- at least, that was the plan. At the age of thirty, Frankie retired from playing in the MLB and instead was offered a position with his old team as the Bench Coach. More money, less grunt work, a slightly more flexible schedule. Maybe, just maybe, this could work.

After years of trying to get pregnant, the couple finally had their first child, Emmaline. That first year of parenthood was filled with ups and downs, testing their relationship in ways they'd never been challenged before. They loved their daughter, but as the days went by it felt like the only thing they had in common. Between their equally busy schedules, the fighting, and then the stress of trying to get pregnant a second time, Frankie felt himself slipping into old, selfish habits. Nights out with the guys turned into flirtatious banter with women at the bars, which turned into suggestive conversations, then make out sessions in the bathroom, until finally Frankie finally any shred of a conscience he had left.

But then Willa finally got pregnant with their second child, and in that same week found out about his infidelity. Though he swore up and down, left and right that he put an end to his bad habits, the seal of trust between them had been broken. They attempted to work things out as she moved through the pregnancy, but after their daughter Olivia was born, they realized the damage was irreparable.  

Two years later and still in the midst of a messy divorce, Frankie is trying his best to look at the positives. With the recent death of his mother, Frankie is trying to focus on the things that matter the most to him and keep his head above water, but only time will tell if that will be enough to satiate him in the long run.

FRANKIE CARLISLE has the face claim of SEBASTIAN STAN and is played by RAY.

[esmexjoseph]

Sometimes I wonder how people find their happy endings so quickly

FULL NAME: Esme Irena Joseph NICKNAME(S): Es. Essie PREFERRED NAME(S): Esme in general but if someone has come up with a nickname for her it’s always welcome BIRTH DATE: 30th June,1990 AGE: 32 ZODIAC:  Cancer ☀,  Libra ☽ , Pisces ↑ OCCUPATION: florist & owner of Flowers & Company

GENDER: Cis Woman PRONOUNS: She/Her NATIONALITY: British   ETHNICITY: Nigerian & White NEIGHBORHOOD: Rittenhouse

BIRTH PLACE: Edinburgh, UK HOMETOWN: San Francisco  SOCIAL CLASS: upper class EDUCATION LEVEL: Bachelors degree in Art History from UPenn FATHER: Ikena Joseph MOTHER: Larisa Joseph née Milova SIBLING(S): an older sister, Katrina BIRTH ORDER: Katrina, Esme CHILDREN: n/a OTHER: Lois Campbell (mentor & business partner), step siblings PET: a rehomed cockerpoo called Calla

Biography:

tw parental abandonment 

After her mother left her family when Esme was just two weeks old, leaving her father to raise his two daughters on his own. They were never really alone though when the whole community rallied around them and formed a family.

When she was seven her father’s tech ideas took off and the family of three relocated to San Francisco, leaving behind the friends and new family they’d found in Edinburgh. Esme found the adjustment overwhelming, even more so when her mother returned on the scene and claimed to want to try again.

Esme was desperate to connect with her mother and desperate for her to stay this time. So she went along with Larisa’s plans for her, attended various dance classes before getting involved in pageants. She became isolated from her peers and it only left her all the more devastated when her mother inevitably left again.

Things improved for her in college and she finally found herself a new network of people that she found she could count on. But as she was beginning to find herself her father got remarried and determined to find someone of her own, she began throwing herself into countless relationships hoping that one would work out.

They never did and after a particularly bad break up years later she decided to focus on herself and indulge in a little self love. This took the form of her starting to buy herself flowers and built up a relationship with the owner of Flowers & Co. Eventually this resulted in her working there and a while later she was able to become a part owner when the previous owner retired.

This was the tl;dr version, her full bio can be found here

Personality:

Esme is someone who feels things very deeply but tends to hide her feelings out of a fear that it might push others away. A sense of family is important to her and so she’s always focused on caring for and being there for those that she’s close to. Kind, sensitive and nurturing she’s sometimes a little too desperate to please others and will act the way that she thinks they want her to instead of following her emotions. Generally has a balanced view of the world but she can be very indecisive and will usually just given in to whatever the popular opinion is. She has an eye for beauty but also manages to find something beautiful or redeemable in almost everyone.

Wanted Connections:

Close friends: she has been in Philadelphia since she moved from college so I’d love some people she could be close to! She’ll honestly do anything for her friends (maybe even a little too much) and it’d be nice to have people who’d do the same for her.

College friends: anyone she met during her time at UPenn, whether they’ve stayed close or not can be plotted but Esme would have at least tried to keep up with them over the years. 

Found family: she’s constantly searching for people that she can call hers, in any kind of way, and having had such a patchy relationship with her own family she definitely looks for it in others. She’s the type to hold a ‘family’ dinner every other week and try to keep people together. 

Fellow aesthetes: she likes pretty things and going to see pretty things. Museums, art exhibitions, photography trips - she’d be up for it all. Someone who appreciates it just as much as she does or is just happy to share it with her.

Hobby connections: over the years she’s started countless hobbies, mostly while trying to be whatever her exes wanted from her. There’s been a range of them so anything goes here really!

Exes: her relationships have varied from weeks to months to years and the scenarios for them are pretty endless other than them not working out. Whether they just fizzled or there was something worse or it was just a string of dates that ended up coming to nothing, again there’s a range to be plotted.

Bonus:

Pinterest (x)

Tag (x)

Please feel free to dm me here for any and all plots but discord is probably the easiest place to reach me - andromache#9873

[lboogie1906]

Jimmy Butler III nicknamed “Jimmy Buckets”, (September 14, 1989) is a basketball player for the Miami Heat of the NBA. He is a six-time NBA All-Star, a four-time All-NBA Team honoree, a five-time NBA All-Defensive Team honoree, and an Olympic gold medalist, having won a gold medal in 2016. He played one year of college basketball for Tyler Junior College before transferring to Marquette University.

He was selected with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. In 2015, he was named the NBA's Most Improved Player. After six seasons in Chicago, he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in June 2017. He was traded (2018) to the Philadelphia 76ers. In 2019, he signed with the Heat. During his first season with the team, he reached the NBA Finals. In 2021, he led the league in steals. In 2023, he led the eighth-seeded Heat to their second NBA Finals in four years.

He was born in Houston. His father abandoned the family when he was an infant. By the time he was 13 years old and living in the Houston suburb of Tomball, his mother kicked him out of the house. He bounced between the homes of various friends, staying for a few weeks at a time before moving to another house. He maintains a close relationship with his parents, saying, “I don’t hold grudges. I still talk to my family. My mom. My father. We love each other. That’s never going to change.”

He is a fan of country music and was featured in the music video of the country song “Light It Up” by Luke Bryan.

In the NBA Bubble, he opened his coffee shop, which he operated out of his hotel room using his French press coffee brewer, charging $20 per cup. A year later, he officially launched his coffee brand and planned to dedicate his time to the coffee roastery business post-retirement.

He and his girlfriend have a daughter. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence

[krispyweiss]

Quarter Notes: Blurbs & Briefs from Sound Bites

- In this edition: Oasis; Stephen Stills; Grateful Dead; & Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band

OASIS WILL DEFINITELY MAYBE PLAY IN 2025: After a 15-year public pissing match, Liam and Noel Gallagher plan to reunite as Oasis for a 2025 tour of the U.K. and Ireland.

“The guns have fallen silent,” they said. “The stars have aligned. The great wait is over. Come see. It will not be televised.”

STEPHEN STILLS ENDORSES KAMALA HARRIS FOR PRESIDENT: Stephen Stills endorsed Kamala Harris for president and pledged “to lend any assistance I can to the campaign.”

“I am greatly encouraged by the extraordinary energy and vibrancy that has followed” the Democratic National Convention, Stills said in a statement.

GRATEFUL FOR DEAD LESSONS: “Grateful Dead Hour” host David Gans will teach Did It Matter? Does It Now? The Music and Culture of the Grateful Dead. The eight-week course begins Oct. 3 at Stanford University.

SPRINGSTEEN WILL NOT RETIRE: Bruce Springsteen told an audience in Philadelphia he and the E Street Band will not retire.

“We’ve been around 50 fucking years, and we ain’t quitting,” he said. “We ain’t doing no farewell tour bullshit. No farewell tour for the E Street Band. Farewell to what? A thousand people screaming your name? Get the hell out.”

8/27/24