#Saving for College with Life Insurance

[retirenowis]

A Strategic Approach to College Savings Using Life Insurance for Long-Term Financial Security

Saving for college is a significant financial commitment, and families are constantly seeking strategies to ease this burden. One often overlooked option is saving for college with life insurance. This strategy offers flexibility and financial stability since it not only creates a safety net but also lets cash worth increase with time. Understanding the benefits of a life insurance college fund strategy can help families create a versatile and effective college savings plan.

What is Saving for College with Life Insurance?

Using a permanent life insurance policy—such as whole life or universal life insurance—saving for college with life insurance means building cash worth over time. Permanent life insurance policies generate cash value that is accessible to the policyholder for the duration of their lifetime, whereas term life insurance only offers coverage for a predetermined time. This growing cash value can be borrowed against or withdrawn to help cover the costs of college tuition, books, or other educational expenses.

Why Consider a Life Insurance College Fund Strategy?

A life insurance college fund strategy offers several unique advantages over traditional savings plans. Unlike 529 plans or other college savings accounts, the cash value in a life insurance policy can be used for any purpose, not just education. This flexibility ensures that if your child decides not to attend college, the money can still be utilized for other significant financial goals. Furthermore, the cash value grows tax-deferred, making this strategy a valuable tool for building long-term wealth.

How Does Life Insurance Help with College Savings?

The life insurance college fund strategy is particularly appealing because of the potential for tax-advantaged growth. As premiums are paid into the policy, a portion goes toward building cash value. Over time, this cash value grows, and when it’s time to pay for college, the policyholder can borrow against or withdraw from it. Since loans from life insurance policies are not taxed, it’s a tax-efficient way to access funds for higher education.

Flexibility and Security in College Planning

Unlike traditional college savings vehicles, saving for college with life insurance provides more flexibility. In cases where a child may receive scholarships or choose an alternative career path, the funds in a 529 plan can face tax penalties if used for non-educational purposes. Life insurance, on the other hand, does not have this limitation. The cash value remains available for a wide range of uses, offering financial security beyond education.

Start Early for Maximum Benefits

Starting alife insurance college fund strategy early is crucial for maximizing the benefits. The earlier a policy is purchased, the more time the cash value has to accumulate. By the time college expenses arise, there will be a substantial amount available to cover educational costs. Additionally, starting early ensures lower premiums, making it a more affordable long-term solution for families planning for the future.

Conclusion

Saving for college with life insurance is a flexible and tax-efficient strategy that provides both financial security and peace of mind. With a life insurance college fund strategy, families can build wealth, ensure protection, and fund educational expenses without facing the restrictions of traditional savings plans. Visit retirenowis.com for professional advice to investigate how this strategy might be customized to meet your financial objectives.

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[orcelito]

Hey I'm graduating college in may and I just kinda realized that I'll be Done Done with school after that. Not fake-done like I was graduating high school, where I'd have to go to college at the start of the fall. And not fake-done like I was in any of my semesters I took off.

Done Done. As in I accomplished my degree, and I won't ever have to go back to school if I don't want to. What a beautiful, beautiful thought.

[the-entity-down-the-street]

Can we talk more about how having severe allergies puts mortal fear into your soul at a young age?

Like "hey kid I know you're like five, but your body has a design flaw where if you eat (or sometimes even share a space with) {allergen} you essentially drown on land, and instead of water rushing into your airways, your body turns against you, tongue and throat swelling until breathing is completely cut off. You're surrounded by oxygen, yet it's completely inaccessible. Only way to *temporarily* keep that from happening is to stab yourself in the thigh with a needle full of panic chemicals. Also avoiding your allergen is mostly on you because restaurants won't think twice about frying potential allergens in the same oil as the goddamn fries (or worse, they use an oil made from your allergen), the folks bringing potluck dishes don't provide listed ingredients (and you shouldn't trust their word alone), and your allergen shows up in unexpected places because nobody thinks about this stuff if their literal life isn't on the line. Have fun with that!"

What in the Junji Ito Clive Barker David Lynch horrific fuck is this body/psychological horror shit

[inkskinned]

oh you know it's all latestage capitalism but the thing is. how are you supposed to be a person inside of this. a person trying to be a better version of yourself.

oh, you started working young, which was kind of hard, but it's just the way stuff works sometimes. and it was 2008 and your family couldn't afford heat. but it's fine, you grow a spine and get used to the professional world and besides it was the suburbs we're talking about here, like, your life could have been actually hard, so what if your father lost his job and you can't afford to move or turn the lights back on. and once you start making money, it's good. you keep doing that. because now they're relying on you. so you have to do that.

oh you were in thousands of dollars of debt at 17 years old so that you could go to school, because you have to go to school if you want to get a "real" job. you even did it "right", you worked parttime and attended community college before you transferred to a public school. you were under so many merit scholarships.

which is fine. you pick yourself up and you say like, okay. i graduated college. i'm holding down a job. i'm doing the Adult Thing, which looks and acts like this, according to all the books i've read. you start with the shitty job and then you climb that corporate ladder.

but the shitty job doesn't cover rent and you stretch yourself too-thin so you get sick. good luck with that. the shitty job no longer pays for your meals. everyone asks why you don't just move, but there's nowhere to move to. and with what money are you going to be moving? and then the loans come back, because they were never going to forgive them, because you were 17 and trying to do the right thing, which was stupid. people are now saying you shouldn't have even gone to school.

which is fine. but because you have no other option, so you do the shitty job, and you apply every day for like 5 new ones, and despite the fact everyone says "there's no one who wants to work!" it's actually just that nobody is fucking hiring so you can either work for 13 dollars an hour in the shitty place you know (where at least you have a passingly friendly relationship with the manager) or you can start from scratch again with a different 13 dollars an hour without knowing how much abuse from the new job you'll be taking.

and if you quit you lose your insurance. if you quit you lose your housing. if you quit, you'll be another burnout kid. the lazy ones. these assholes, look at them!

and you come home to a family dinner and you hear from your father the same old thing. how he worked hard at his job and yes it sucked for a while but he was able to provide for the family and then the house and the dog and the rest of barbie's dream vacation. how the insurance did cover some of it. how you just really need to start speaking up more in manager conversations so they know you're a go-getter. you want to tell him - did you know we're actually doing more now hourly than any previous generation? - but you can't remember where you heard that statistic, and you're far too tired for the fucking argument. and then he starts in on his usual bit. where's the house? where's your kids? where's your ambition.

the same job the same money the same hours doesn't do it anymore. the same nose-to-the-grindstone now just shreds your face off. there's no such thing as upwards mobility, not really. and as far as you're aware, the money certainly is not trickling. you do the soulless stupid shit you signed up for because you fucking have to or else you literally risk your life (food, the apartment, the insurance), but it's not getting you anything. you download the stupid "save more" app and you budget and you do every right thing and then the price of eggs is 7 dollars and you say - oh great! another thing i have to fucking worry about now!

and you go to your stupid job and everyone in your father's generation just tells you to be better about being an adult. they have their homes and their savings account and their bailout and they say. well have you tried not drinking starbucks. well your generation just spends too much on clothing. well you might just be too addicted to travelling. and you - because you need the job - you bite your tongue and don't say i am being held prisoner and you're suggesting i stop pacing my cell if i don't like the scenery and you don't say what the fuck do you think i've been doing with my money and you don't say i haven't spent a cent on something nice in literally forever much less coffee you arrogant asshole. you open and close your bank app and check your loans and check your credit score and check fucking zillow and ziprecruiter and apartments.com just one time more. and still they give you that demeaning little grin and say - see, what you need is -

what you need is for your meds to stop being so fucking expensive. what you need is for the housing bubble to explode into dust. what you need is for billionaires to choke on their wealth. what you need is actual help. what you will get is more economic advice from people who are older-and-wiser.

and above you, almost in a glimmer, you can see the wedged smile of your debt getting toothier, wider.

[crsssie]

you make me wanna make ya fall in love

word count: 1.97k || EMT Leon || slightly ooc + flirting (HIPAA violation)

summary: the 2000s called, they want their romcom plot back

"I'm actually gonna pass out." You sit on the couch, blinking rapidly as your head goes light.

"I called 911 already, so hang in there, alright?!" Ashley stays connected to the call, holding you up as you groan, stomach caving in on itself and your eyes giving out. Oh, god, is this how you die? You focus on breathing through your mouth, ignoring the way Ashley's voice is reduced to ringing and the way you're sweating buckets. Ew. Maybe you should've— oh. this is because you didn't eat, huh? It is 8pm. Yeah, this one's on you. Maybe the heavens will be nice and let a nice hot EMT show up to your door and save your ass— yeah, tough luck.

You can't believe you're about to pass out and all you can think about is men. You're literally failing the Bechdel test. What are you? Some poor girl in a teenage romcom? You're not even a teenager.

You close your eyes for some shut-eye, disrupted when you're shaken awake, blinking slowly as you catch sight of Ashley first, holding her chest in relief when you stare at her.

Then, you notice him—

Beautiful blonde hair, brilliant blue eyes, arms hard as a rock, you might've just died and landed in heaven. Are you in heaven? Surely you must be. This man looks so gorgeous it's incredible. You have to be in heaven right now. You blink at him with doe-eyes, confusion visible on your face. Ashley's here, so you're not in heaven. Did you just happen to have a super hot EMT show up to your door like you had been imagining? Oh, god, are you... psychic? This is a revelation! This is insane! You have to—

No, seriously. You're not in a romcom. Can the narrator stop describing it like it's some sort of a romcom? The 2000s called, they want their cheesy romcom plotline back.

"Fucking hell." You groan, shifting against the wall. "How long was I out?"

"Ten minutes." The man reads. "You're just low in blood sugar. We have some orange juice, would you like that?"

"Yeah. Sure." You furrow your brows. "God, wow, count on my body to shut down without sugar."

"It happens." He thanks his coworker for the glass, holding it to your lips. "Tilt, please."

You tilt your head back slightly to press your lips to the glass, drinking it as you lean back to lick your lips, offering to take the glass from him as your arms start cooperating. "I can do it."

"Best not to." He nods. "Just finish the glass. We'll stay until your blood sugar rises."

"Isn't it almost immediate?"

"Takes around 15 minutes."

You raise a brow at Ashley, who shakes her head, and you finish the rest of the glass, watching as Leon checks your stats.

"How often does this happen..." You glance at his nameplate. "Leon?"

"More often than you'd think." He hums, tilting his head at you as Ashley talks to the other worker about your insurance. "Let me guess, you forgot to eat?"

"Yeah. My body stops feeling hunger after a certain point." You hum. "It's not super good, huh?"

"Yeah. Try to have some candy or juice throughout the day. It helps." He nods. "College student life, huh?"

You tilt your head. "How old are you?"

"Been a few years since school." He nods. "Your blood sugar's back to normal, sugar."

You hold your hand over your mouth, raising a brow at him. "That definitely breaks some sort of work protocol."

He smiles, sneaking you a candy from his pocket with a wink.

Huh. Hard caramel.

"Are you alright?" Ashley rests a hand on your shoulder, and you give her a thumbs up.

"All good." You lean against the wall to get up. "I should eat, though."

Leon grabs your arm, helping you up. "Definitely. Have something high in sugar or carbs."

"Will do, Leon." You nod. "Wishing you an uneventful work day. May no emergency be absolutely awful."

"Thank you. Those days are the best."

You send them off as Ashley starts nagging about not eating, and you pout as you lock eyes with her, door locked, ambulance gone.

"Yeah, he was hot."

"YEAH, HE WAS."

You forget about him, though. You start popping candy throughout the day, same brand as the one Leon had given you, your lips curled upwards sweetly when it hits your tongue. It's not food, but at least you won't be passing out because your blood sugar's low again.

You're also never going to see him again, so it's fine if you carry a piece of him around with you.

Except you do. You see him at the EMT booth at a local concert, Ashley in your arms because there's something wrong with her this time. (You really ought to start taking care of yourselves, huh?)

"Ah, sugar." Leon smiles. "Friend this time?"

"Yes." You set her down as he checks up on her. "Is she okay?"

"Seems fine. Just needs some water. Dehydration. How long you been out there?"

"Since morning." You glance at the venue. "Didn't eat either, though I've been having candy."

"That's not good for you, sugar." He hands Ashley a bottle of water, sending her off with you. "Go grab some food."

You watch as he fishes out a twenty from his pocket, blinking as he holds it out to you.

"I can't take that from you, sir."

"Nonsense. Concert food is expensive. It's on me." He smiles.

"You're still breaking workplace rules, I see." You rummage through your pockets, taking Leon's hand as you place a caramel in his hand. "As a thank you."

"I'm sure it'll be delicious later." He smiles. "Now, off you go. We've got quite a line."

"Wouldn't dream of holding you up, Leon." You lead Ashley to the side by the crowds, waiting for her to grab a drink before pulling her to grab something to eat. You pay for her food first, setting Ashley with the rest of your friends before waving to get something of your own.

"Get his number!" She manages to yell as you disappear into the crowd.

Now that's breaking protocol.

Yet, you use the remainder of Leon's money to get him something to eat, waiting for the line to dissipate slightly before handing him a drink.

"For me?"

"It's got... liquid IV in it." You scrunch your nose. "Hopefully that's not a scam."

"Not completely." He takes it from you, pinching at the straw to mix it. "Did you eat?"

"I was about to."

He glances at his coworker and then the intermission.

"That'd be bad, Kennedy." The woman next to him warns.

Leon sighs. "Have fun eating."

"Thank you again." You grin.

"Ah, and for dessert." He reaches for your hand, placing another candy in it. "A hard caramel."

"I'm starting to think you have a thing for caramels, Leon." You raise a brow, taking two steps back before throwing a wave his way. "I'll pay you back later!"

You grab dinner with the rest of your friends, waving bye to them when they leave to continue, Ashley making sure that you've got candy on you before she's gone. You have one final singer that you'd like to see before you leave the event. You're glad you live close to the venue. You could probably walk back or uber if you were really desperate. Though, you wonder just how long the EMT are staying.

You find yourself mixed into the crowd as you wait, jumping when your favorite artist finally appears, cheering with everyone else. You don't blame the rest of them for retiring early. You're the only one who listens to this artist anyway. The setlist has you jumping, cheering at the live vocals, yelling your heart out with the lyrics, and when the set finishes, the sun's almost down. It'd be smart of you to head out at this point.

You make a turn to head back, popping the caramel in your mouth, stopping in your tracks when a man blocks your way.

"Where ya off to, sweetheart?"

"...Oh, you know." You smile, nodding to excuse yourself.

"Need a ride home?"

"Truly, it's alright—"

"I insist."

You wrack your brain for a solution, yelping when you feel hands on your waist instead, pulling you backwards. Your back is flush against someone's chest, smile on his lips as you blink. Sure hope it's not some other creep.

"Hey, you good bro? Had one too many to drink? I suggest the EMT tent."

You let out a sigh in relief, watching as the guy notices the uniform and scrambles.

"Thank you." You turn around, smile on your lips as Leon nods.

"You're just too lovely, sugar. Gotta keep those flies off of ya." He nods. "You feeling alright?"

You nod.

"Gone all quiet on me?" He tilts his head. "Alright, up you go."

You yelp as he lifts you into his arms effortlessly, arms wrapping around his neck as he carries you out of the crowd. He presses his forehead to yours to check your temperature, looking to the side when you don't react at all.

"You good?"

"I'm fine, Leon. You didn't need to." You let him take your vitals, the tent practically empty now that the concert was finishing up. His coworker nods at him and heads out, and leaves you with Leon. That's gotta be illegal in some way. There is no way a law is not being broken right there. Aren't they both supposed to get off at the same time? Is that?? legal? Is their shift over?

"You seem fine." He kneels at your chair, fingers on your wrist as he takes your heartbeat. "Heart's a little fast, though."

"Yeah?" You mumble. You're sure you look embarrassed beyond belief right now, so you opt for sucking on the caramel in your mouth.

You're not surprised he takes notice. "Actually, I think my head's spinning just a little. Must be the lack of sugar. You got any on you?"

"Well, I kind of ate my last one..." You mumble, sticking your tongue out with the candy.

"I don't mind."

"Yeah?" You suck on the candy.

"Of course not, sugar." He leans in, tilting his head. "Yeah?"

"Yeah, who am I to say no?"

You let him kiss you, tongue with the caramel offered to him, sugar on your lips and his from it, though you would argue that the only reason the candy seemed to taste so good was because of him. You tilt your head to angle better, Leon's hands finding yours on the chair, pushing himself to you with a hum in his throat, tongue in your mouth as he steals the caramel from you. You don't mind. You might've just tasted a slice of heaven of your own.

You pant, tongue stuck out and mouth open as Leon shows you the candy on his tongue, smiling.

"You got a ride home, sugar?"

"You gonna kidnap me?" You raise a brow, licking your lips for whatever remnant of him is left on you.

"Not with this pretty lady, no." He smiles.

"Breaking work protocol again, I see."

"I'm off duty." He glances to the side as the new shift arrives, and Leon offers a hand to help you up. "Don't worry, sugar, you can pass out on my car. I've got all the candy you could want."

"Hm..." You tap your chin, taking his hand as he pulls you with him, not letting go.

"Hm what?"

"How about we grab brunch sometimes nearby? Just to make sure my sugar levels don't drop from forgetting to eat?" You tilt your head, watching as Leon tilts his head back to you.

"Oh, sugar. You don't even need to ask."

[bouquetface]

Vedic Astro Observations

Accuracy influenced by ENTIRE chart. Having similar placements does promise the same outcome.

4th H ruler conjunct Rahu can be an indicator for coming from a big family. Rahu amplifies whatever it touches - planet or sign. A women ik with 4th H ruler Venus conjunct Rahu has 9 siblings.

Moon in 6th H

You will have a lot of enemies in this life. You can genuinely desire true friendship and to be kind to others but a lot of people will still hate you. Some will dislike you based on nothing, others will be your friends and coworkers turned into enemies. This placement catches blame for other people’s problems.

EX: Coworker is talking badly about you. Later the people they talked with now talk shit about them. They assume you have something to do with it but in reality it is simply their karma.

Basically with this placement, people will have a guilty conscious for what they did to you and blame you for it. And/or they will have a lot of self hate but blame you for it. This is the negative manifestation of moon in 6th - the act of service you offer is caring other people’s emotional burdens - whether you like it or not.

Sun conjunct Moon in 11th - This is fortunate for fulfilling your desires in this lifetime. However, this indicates with one child (usually the eldest), they will be very different from you. When they become adults, they may have different political views, religious views, or different life than you. At worst, this shows the children are distant from you - this is rare & would require other indicators. What I have seen irl is the person w this placement has a child who marries someone outside their race & the child picked a taboo career upsetting the parent.

Rahu and Ketu in the chart

To analyze rahu and ketu in the chart, it is SO important to check where their depositor sits. Rahu & Ketu are not planets, they will follow the energy of the sign they are placed in and its ruler.

ex: Rahu in Aries 2nd - Mars exalted in Cap - This is an indicator for a lot of wealth. Rahu will follow Mars leads, and Mars is exalted making sure this person works and sees reward. These specific placements will really put you to work for it tho.

ex: Rahu in Taurus 9th - Venus conjunct Mars in Libra - This is an indicator for having hardship in regard to college. EX: You may decide against it, You may have to drop out, You may have to take a break. Rahu desires education & travel in 9th, but it will follow Mars leads. Mars in Libra 2nd H is not debilitated but can struggle with financial/spending/saving habits, family issues, motivation & discipline. Depending on the entire chart, this can be a life long problem or something that occurs for a short period of time.

8th H ruler in 2nd H

You can keep your family's secrets. You can have secrets involving family. You may make money through investigating/research/analysis. Or your work involves life and death scenarios -ex: life insurance company, nurse, paramedic, etc. You may work with confidential information or you keep your work secret- it may be a taboo career.

Your poesessions and wealth go through periods of instability. You can work and save then have emergency purchases or simply be reckless w money.

You and the spouse will likely join the assets. If there is a benefic, you could gain through marriage. Either way, it could be the spouse who causes the emergency purchase or reckless purchase. This doesn't always manifest as the spouse becoming reckless, in certain cases it can be the spouse has a genuine emergency at some point in their life - ex: they need a treatment/medicine, appointments, etc. Or their company shuts down thus they are unemployed for a bit.

Let's say Mars is the ruler of 8th into 2nd H, this shows conflict based on wealth. You can fight with your own family like siblings over inheritance. This brings in a dominating spouse too. Someone who will fight on your behalf. If harshly placed, this energy gets out of control, they cause you problems in your life and fight with you too.

2nd H ruler in 2nd H

This is generally considered good. The planet is able to protect it's own house. This can show regardless of financial issues or emergencies that come up you will be secure. You can rely on your family. If there is no malefic conjunction or aspect, this shows good family ties.

However, let’s say Venus is the ruler of 2nd in 2nd H conjunct Mars. This shows conflict with the family. Despite the conflict they will likely not let you be homeless. They still provide basic security - unless there are added malefic aspects.

Jupiter in Ashlesha

This is a great example of why it’s important to read the entire chart. Jupiter here is in Cancer (it’s exaltation) so you may expect the best results in this house. However, Ashlesha is an enemy nakshatra for Jupiter. The use of the word enemy might make this sound more dramatic than it is. In reality, Jupiter is still exalted so there will be some positive results but this specific nakshatra has certain problems to encounter.

For example: Jupiter as 7th H Ruler in Ashlesha: The spouse may express traits like:

Intelligent - 2 steps ahead type of person. Manipulative - good at hiding true intent, good at saying what needs to be said to get what they want in the end - great at business for this reason. Possessive & attached/clingy. Deeply secretly insecure. Cultural differences w the spouse. They may be the eldest. They may have a complicated relationship w their mother. Protective. Intelligent but emotional - love to argue, can't help but use their heart over their mind. Love and workplace affairs - entire chart would need to be checked.

Accuracy depends on the ENTIRE chart. Ashlesha is divided into padas which will influence how the planet behaves. Along with the planet, aspects, dasha periods, and which houses the planet rules. Moon & Mercury placements in natal will influence this nakshatra as well.

Saturn in 4th H

Mother shows Saturn traits (disciplined, structured/routined, working, etc). Possibly a distant and cold relationship with the mother.

If Saturn is positively aspected and in a friendly sign - you naturally develop saturn traits and find career success as a result. If Saturn is poorly placed, saturn qualities will not come as easily.

These are very generic. Accuracy for you will depend on your entire chart.

[coinandcandle]

Help Coin Get Top Surgery!

If you'd like to hear my story, read the post. If you'd like to go ahead and donate, click the link below:

Check out my kofi link to donate to my fund! 

Who am I?

My name is Coin and I'm a trans man looking to get top surgery--shocking, right? A bit more about me, I have two cats and 15 plants and I love writing and creating.

Why am I setting this goal?

Earlier this year I had to get off of testosterone due to medical issues and since then my chest has gotten bigger and I can no longer adequately hide it any more with tape or a binder. I've tried saving on my own but I am a college student who has been paying his own bills since I was 17. Of these bills, I have too many current and past bills to pay to afford saving much of anything towards my goal.

That said I have asked everyone in my life to put money towards this goal instead of giving me birthday/holiday gifts and extra money (from gigs or freelance) is being put into this.

However, my goal is to have top surgery by April 2025 so that I can enjoy summer with a huge weight--or weights--off my chest!

Why $5,000?

I'm asking for $5,000 because my insurance won't cover any of my surgery and I will also be out of work for two or so weeks after the surgery, more if I am unable to work from home. This would leave me with a gap in paychecks enough that I would need that buffer of money to make sure I don't go totally broke.

Truly, anything helps. If you can't donate, please consider sharing as I would really appreciate it.

[turbulentscrawl]

Modern AU: Norton Campbell

You've heard of modern reader? Well now it's time for Modern canon!

- Previously, he worked in the oil industry, but a nasty accident he doesn’t speak about has left him with his fair share of burn scars. Norton now works as an independent contractor, known around town as a do-it-all type of handyman. He rarely works with or for group projects, preferring to be hired directly by property owners for the work they need done. He’s his own boss, and he makes his own schedule, but he’s a workaholic.

- He was raised by his uncle Benny after his parents died when he was still very young—his mother shortly after childbirth, due to complications, and his father in a work-related accident. Benny’s health deteriorated fast, though, and as soon as he was legally able Norton picked up a part-time job to help pay the bills and build a college fund. (Or several, more like, and he was known to bounce around for better pay.)

-Some time in his senior year of high school, he discovered that Benny was keeping secrets; Benny had not only convinced his father to stay in the oil industry after he was born, but wasted and gambled away all the life insurance money from his death. Enraged and betrayed, Norton dropped out of school and left. He drove as far away as he could with the little money he had, and then lived out of his truck for a while. Eventually, he made enough money to rent a shitty little motel room by the week, and then a shitty little apartment.

-After leaving, he at first went into the oil industry like his old man and Benny had been—it was something he was familiar enough with and hard labor paid better than being a busboy again. But after a few years there was an accident which left him with several burn scars. He was left in pain for a long time, but the worker’s comp paid for most of his medical bills and his rent, giving him just enough time to get his GED. After that, he started into construction, plumbing, and other handiman things he was knowledgeable in after years of being poor and self-sufficient.

-The accident, this time, was more of an ACTUAL accident. Norton had a disagreement with some of the coworkers he hated. There was an altercation, and something ignited…and Norton was the only one who got out. He doesn’t talk about it, mostly out of shame and a sense of guilt, but he copes by telling himself they deserved it.

- He drives the same beat-up old pickup truck Benny bought for him as a kid. It was transferred into his name when he was 18, so Benny can’t swipe it from under his nose. (Legally, anyway.) He could probably get a loan and buy a new car, but at this point he prefers to keep the old hunk of junk. Maybe he’s sentimental, or maybe the weekly maintenance he has to do on it is just therapeutic in a way.

-Not a super techy guy. He keeps up with industry news and learns new skills often, but his truck, his phone, and most of his home appliances are older. He’s good enough with fixing things that he hasn’t bothered to replace them.

-He’s not much of a decorator, either, but he’s good at thrifting and building his own furniture with recycled materials. His apartment/home is a bit of a hodgepodge, with mostly bare walls, but what he does have I impressive in its own way. Any décor he has is likely gifted.

-He’d like to own a home one day, but he’s playing things by ear. He realizes that might be asking a lot while he’s got no real support system.

-He’s a fair cook, but a lot of what he makes could be called “struggle meals.” They’re what he’s been used to for a long time.

-He’s a little paranoid about pumping gas into his truck, but he’s gotta do what he’s gotta do. On his days off, he tends to walk to take public transit to save some money and gas mileage.

-He’s that guy with a 7-in-1 shampoo, conditioner, bodywash etc men’s soap. Someone please teach him better ways.

[theworldoffostering]

This is your friendly political reminder:

1. We have a child who immigrated to the United States. It was difficult to do so, and my guess is those of you referring to people as “illegals,” don’t have a very good understanding of the cost or the process. Additionally, there seems to be a severe lack of compassion and understanding that human beings are human, and we are called to love one another. People are suffering all over the world. Jesus did not call you to “take care of your own.”

2. We have three children in the local school district with IEPs. I’ve spent most of the fall vigorously advocating that they get what they need WITH their IEPs in place. Those of you looking to see the Department of Education dismantled might be lucky enough to not need any of the safeguards that we need in order to ensure that our children can learn. Five of our kids went to HeadStart. One is currently receiving a Pell Grant for college. Please step in alongside me to attend IEP meetings, drive my children to school to receive services (today alone I will do 12 pick up/drop offs at four different schools), or offer private tutoring in the form of specially designed instruction, tutoring, or OT, all of which are needed.

3. Five of our children came to us through adoption. Being anti-abortion while trying to strip away all of the things our kids and family needs in order to stay afloat with our children that are very much alive, but need additional help in various areas (like healthcare and education) is inconsistent at best. Please volunteer to help me out at home. Many people are single issue voters, but are not actually taking kids into their home that survived birth, but don’t have a home in the world. We are managing mental health diagnoses, former police contact (monthly at one point), a prior CPS investigation (now closed), complex medication management, attachment trauma, the inability to spend time together as a couple, and so much community judgement. It’s hurtful. I am an all-in parent, but it’s impossible to do alone.

4. All seven of our kids have utilized state insurance, and currently six of them have it. It sure saved us financially when we had a child that needed to be life flighted to a hospital with a fractured skull and brain bleed. It has also allowed for countless in-patient stays for mental health.

5. Being a foster parent for 16 years has unfortunately provided me with an up close seat to see the impact of sexual abuse on children and teens, some of whom are now adults. Sexual assault is never okay. Being willing to overlook sexual assault as a means to justify the end, is also not okay. Ever.

Policies have real impact on real people. This fall has been one of the hardest yet for me as I work to meet everyone’s needs both personally and professionally. Our family is already isolated as is often the case when trying to walk through life against the grain. Last fall a local family (a mom in her 40s) told one of our older daughters that their entire church here in town hated me, and that I needed professional help. (You may report back that I do have a therapist because anyone processing this much secondary trauma over 15 years needs one.) This is awfully difficult stuff to endure in a small town both as an adult, and a child, and yet endure we must, because there is no other choice.

Hate breeds hate. Please choose differently. We are just trying to survive in our small corner of the world here. It’s already incredibly challenging, and would be less so by having people to circle around us to support us, love us, and encourage us. At the end of the day, isn’t that what most people need?

[bayetea]

I'm a strong "percy would get a job in education/outreach to underprivileged kids in the future" truther but I don't necessarily agree with people who say that him taking on marine biology as a college major doesn't make sense at all

"why would he study marine biology he can already work with sea animals to his heart's desire" I don't know maybe because he wants to get paid???????? he wants a normal job???? percy grew up poor and unsafe. why is it weird that he craves stability with a career that enables him to do something that he loves? or maybe he wants to go into the system and help bring about lasting reform that will actually improve care for sea creatures??? yes he can save sea animals on his own time but think about it. is it better to abandon his life in the middle of the night to go help a trapped sea creature Every Single Time it happens or is it better to enter the system and make it so that capitalists stop polluting water or disturbing sea ecosystems for profit. his powers as a son of poseidon are a band-aid not a lasting solution to systemic environmental neglect and decay. he has an established precedent of caring for bringing about systemic change (see: turning down immortality) and for me this is no different (I just personally headcanon him wanting to bring change for disadvantaged kids but whatever)

to me this logic is like telling an exceptional artist that there's no point in going to art school to become a professional when they can already just do art on their own time for fun. like yeah....... if you're content with doing that as just a hobby. but what if you want to become an even better artist and learn new skills. what if you want to do it as a job that pays you and gives you health insurance and social security. then what

for me the main logistical issue of him majoring in marine biology has never been that he would never do that it's that the intersection of new rome college accreditation to the Actual Real world isn't all that clear/logistically sound. like I guess the mist can handle anything but what impact is new rome going to be able to have on the realm of mortals. this would be a nice thing to discuss actually (more in tags)

[xfandom-fairyx]

marching band au

part two

_____________________________________________________

Four pizza boxes, a box of garlic knots, some cheesy bread, and a brookie box sat on the granite-top island counter in the kitchen while the five of us sat in the chairs that sat around it, taking turns with introductions, and stuffing our faces in the process. I sat on the far right, Eijiro directly to my left, then Denki, Sero, and Katsuki on the far left.

I brushed my hair back behind my shoulder to avoid eating it with my bite of pizza, listening to the boys all give a little information about themselves. Turns out, Katsuki’s dad was head chairman of the housing commission for school, and currently owned the house we were living in. Someone had a great idea and based our housing on our college majors and class schedules to insure efficiency with attendance, which I thought was a great convenience. Carpooling would be nice to save on gas, we could share notes, and help each other with studying. I now live with four, hot, funny guys, and we don’t have to pay the bills for this enormous house? (Somebody pinch me, I’ve gotta be dreaming..)

“As you know, I’m Sero, and I play the tenor. My shoulders and back are already pre-hating me for the bullshit they’re about to go through,” he grinned, earning a chuckle from the rest of us. I zoned out a little as Sero kept talking, which is rude, I know, but I was too focused on the ash blonde. His laugh was the roughest among the boys, the deep timbre of his voice creating a rasp in his chest as he chuckled. I took a drink of my water, stealing a glance his way, hoping he wouldn’t notice me looking at him while I was mid drink–

But he was already looking at me. My eyes went wide as heat flooded my cheeks again, and his ruby orbs studied me, his grin mischievous when he saw the flush of my face. I had to focus on not choking, because choking to death within the first hour of knowing these guys would be so fucking embarrassing. Raising a hand, he swept his fringe away from his face and took his turn introducing himself, his gaze trained on me.

“Name’s Katsuki Bakugo, and I play the snare. I’ve been the lead snare at our high school for the last 3 years, and I’ve had these idiots beside me the whole time. I’m here because I’ve always wanted to make music my career. DCI is the number one dream, but I know that I won’t be getting paid for it, so my next option is becoming an audio/sound engineer,” he stated, confidence radiating off of him. My jaw dropped slightly, a small smile tugging at my lips.

“I’m here to be a music producer. It’s just a step up from being an audio engineer,” I grinned. His gaze held mine for 4 long seconds, his grin never faltering. Hearing a chair scrape across the floor, my attention got pulled over to the sunny blonde, who was now standing with one foot propped on his chair as the other held his full weight, posing like a knight.

“I am the one they call ‘Denki the Great,’ and I play the bass drum!” he exclaimed proudly, his right hand balled into a fist that he held over his heart.

“I said ‘ingrate,’ you moron!” Katsuki boomed, his laughter infectious. Denki’s face fell to feign hurt, the hand that was in a fist splaying out to cover his heart.

“Bakubroooo, you’re so mean!” he cried, sitting back down in his chair. We were all still snickering, Denki’s frown fading quickly as he remembered the brookie box that sat neglected on the counter. Eijiro shook his head, grinning at his friend’s childishness, then turned his attention back to me.

“I’m Eijiro, I play snare, too. My dream is to become a music director or a drumline instructor, because I’m not ready to do anything else with my life yet, but the degree I’m shooting for is a Bachelor of the Arts, like the rest of you,” he said, grabbing his solo cup of water and flashing a smile before taking a swig. I took a deep breath, knowing that I was the last one to speak their piece.

“I guess that leaves me,” I started, already feeling more heat rise to my face, “I’m y/n, and I’m in the pit. More specifically, I’m in the auxiliary. During games, I’ll be your cymbal girl, during comps, I’ll be doing multiple complementary instruments and sounds to add to the show,” I explained, looking over at each of them, nonchalant smiles on everyone but Katsuki, who was smirking slightly, his gaze still intense on my face. I suppressed a shudder, suddenly finding the pizza and cheesy bread on my plate very interesting.

“My dream is to become a music producer, so I create my own mixes, beats and samples,” I added, earning an impressed whistle from Eijiro.

“You should totally show us some of your stuff some time!” he jeered. I looked over at him and he nudged me with his elbow a little, a shining grin splitting his face, making warmth fill my chest and a smile pull at my own lips. If I had glanced at Katsuki, I would have noticed that his grin had faltered a bit.

After most of the food boxes were empty, the time on the display screen of the smart fridge showed that it was almost midnight. Sero had called it a night about 30 minutes ago, pulling Denki upstairs after the blonde had stolen another brookie. They were going to “hit the penjamin” before going to sleep, and even though I was invited, I wasn’t about to get absolutely blasted before the first day of band camp. Eijiro was clearing over the dishes and I was taking the trash out to the bin when I caught Katsuki as his foot hit the bottom step of the stairs.

“Hey, Kats,” I gently grabbed the side of his black band merch tshirt, “would you mind showing me a few things around here? Like maybe where the laundry room is?” I batted my eyes, a joking grin on my face. His ruby eyes caught me off guard as they showed his mild irritation, making me pull my bottom lip between my teeth.

“Nevermind, I can figure it out myself,” I whispered, letting go of his shirt and turning back to the kitchen where Eijiro was drying up the last plate. A warm hand caught my wrist, catching me by surprise.

“Grab your shit, I’ll show you,” he rasped. I gave him a thankful smile, running past him up the stairs to grab my laundry bag. When I came back down, he was waiting for me at the landing of the stairs with his arms crossed over his chest, and it took everything I had not to stare at his flexed biceps.

He jerked his head, a motion for me to follow him through the house to two of the mysterious doors that sat behind the dining table, on the wall under the stairs.

“The first door here is a cleaning closet. All the cleaning supplies and extra kitchen towels and shit go in there,” he stated bluntly, quickly opening the door to give me a brief view of the items I would be needing to use frequently.

“And this is the door to the basement,” he said, pulling the second door open to reveal a staircase that had a turnback about halfway down, 20 stairs max. The basement itself was completely open like the floor above, but the floor was covered in a soft carpet, and a neutral gray coated the walls. A few movie posters and music memorabilia hung on the walls, and my eyes floated over another sectional sofa and a few massive bean bag chairs that surrounded an 80” tv. My mouth gaped at the media center; it must have been housing 150 different games. And the foosball table, a ping pong table, the gaming setup with a few different consoles.. the homeowners really thought of everything! Under the staircase was a brand new washer and dryer set— the Samsung smart ones— and the rack for organizing the clothes.. I had to set my laundry bag down, all of this was making my ADHD brain fuzzy. Katsuki must’ve noticed the tiny gasp I had let out when I saw the appliances, because he was smirking again.

“Wanna see the best part?” He asked guiding me over to a door on the back wall, and I squeaked as his hand pressed gently on the small of my back. On the other side of the door was a private recording studio, complete with a rack of guitars across the wall behind the studio glass, a professional drum set towards the back wall, a state of the art mixing table directly in front of us, brand new microphones—

“Oh my god, what the fuck even is this house? I feel like I’m in a dream,” I sighed, settling in one of the velvet chairs in front of the mixing board, the purple, yellow and red lights illuminating Katsuki and I in the darkness of the studio room. He crossed his arms again and chuckled lowly, letting out a short sigh.

“This used to be my actual house. I grew up here. We moved out a couple years ago, and have been using it as an Air BNB to make a little extra to put me through college,” he explained. I could tell he was getting tired because his voice was raspy with fatigue.

“And now it’s my house, again. I turned 18 and my parents put the house in my name. I told the guys they could stay here during our college years, but my dad said I had to utilize it for school use only. So I offered to let him put some more music majors in here. The others should be here in a couple days, they’re from out of state,” he rambled, spinning my chair around and leading me back out to the game room.

“Others?” I questioned. (More stinky boys? Please, God, no.) Katsuki grinned at the displeased expression on my face, laughing a bit as we started back up the stairs.

“Two girls, don’t worry. I wouldn’t make you deal with 6 boys by yourself. I figured 3 girls and 4 boys would be manageable.” All I could do is sigh in relief, making him grin as he shut the door to the basement behind us.

“You don’t talk much. I like you,” he chuckled, gesturing for me to walk upstairs first with him hot on my trail. I hoped the dim lighting hid the blush on my face as I turned to look at him one more time before ducking into my room for the night.

Tucking myself in, I thought about the craziness that just transpired over the last few hours, grinning widely. If this was how life was going to be, I couldn’t wait to spend the next 4 years with these idiots.

..and it wasn’t lost on me that Katsuki had taken the trash out for me.

. • ° * ° • . … . • ° * ° • .

A/N:

Still testing the waters here.. it’s a slow start, I know. Hopefully the next few chapters are a little better, more will be happening than intros and tours. Who knows, I might try my hand at adding some social medias (:

Love y’all 🫶🏻

🤍fae🤍

tags:

@icloudcatastrophe

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for bad-mouthing my boyfriend’s toxic family?

(🐈‍⬛ For me to recognize my post later)

I (20f) have a boyfriend (21m) who is physically disabled and still currently living at home with his parents for a while as he tries to scrape his savings together to move in with me. This wouldn’t be an issue, if his parents weren’t immensely transphobic (he’s trans) and outright abusive towards him. Despite having an official doctor’s diagnosis for ALL of his issues, both mental and physical, they just?? Like to pretend that he’s completely able-bodied, and that he’s making up his issues “for attention” (<- something that they’ve actually said to him)

My bf isn’t ready to leave the house just yet because he doesn’t want to feel like a burden and wants to be able to support himself without my help, despite my constant offering and support, but this ofc just means that he’s STAYING in that house, and it’s clear that it effects him really negatively. He’s improved a lot since I’ve met him in high school, but him being in that house is just. Awful for his health, his self esteem, literally everything. I guess I understand his reasonings for not leaving (he’s on his parents’ health insurance, his dad’s a vet so he gets a ton of money off his college bill, he’s got a little sister at home that he doesn’t want to leave alone, etc etc), but at the same time, I fucking HATE his parents, more than I’ve ever hated anyone in my life. He’s such an amazing guy, but I’ve seen him reduced to panic attacks just on their words alone, and it’s awful and I hate them.

I’m also very vocal with this hate. I tell him all the time. Whenever he vents to me, or mentions something awful that his parents have/had done in passing, or tries to excuse their behavior, I will tell him point-blank that I hate his parents and that he needs to leave. He gets incredibly upset whenever I say stuff like that, however, and has asked me multiple times to quit it, but it’s just so hard to see him loving them so fiercely when they literally only give him the bare minimum in return.

The reason for this post at all is because I started going off on a tangent about two days ago when he managed to escape (he has to ask for permission every time he wants to go out) to my place to destress and have a small date night, and I specifically asked him how his parents had been treating him recently because he’d been pretty quiet about it. He got really quiet and eventually told me that they keep adding really weird stuff to do for his household responsibilities (ex: dusting the UNDERSIDE of tables??) and that they’re now threatening to take away the things he loves (his phone, his books, his DOOR) if he doesn’t keep up with the new workload, which is especially hard because, again, he’s DISABLED. Well this pissed me off, because they’ve done shit like that in the past and it never ends well for him, and I started talking about how much his parents suck and how I wish he would just leave, and he got really quiet and just said “I think I’m just gonna leave now” and just. Left

In the aftermath, I feel awful about it. We’ve texted a few times since then, and he says that he’s okay and that it was fine, and how he just needs to get over it, but it’s very clear that he’s still upset by it and just trying not to make it a big issue. I know that he hates it when I badmouth his parents, but I genuinely do not know any other way to get it into his head that he needs to leave as soon as possible, if only to save his own health. I love him so so much, we’ve been together since high school, we would die for each other, and we’ve been through so much that not very many couples have had to go through, especially not at our age. I sincerely just want the best for him, and this feels like I could open the topic again and try to make him SEE, but I’m just worried that I might have upset him this time in a way that he might not be able to get over.

Sorry for this getting so long, I just feel very strongly about it and I want to know if I’m the AH here and should lay off, or keep trying to make him see that he just needs to get out as soon as possible. So tumblr, AITA?

What are these acronyms?

[mariacallous]

Abortion is a top issue in the 2024 election, with a “growing share of voters in swing states now say[ing] abortion is central to their decision this fall,” according to Times/Siena College polls published in August. It is the “single most important issue” for women under 45.

On September 3, Vice President Kamala Harris began a “Fighting for Reproductive Freedom” bus tour in Florida, a state the Democratic Party has lost in the last two presidential elections, but which has abortion on the ballot this year. On November 5, citizens of Florida will be able to vote on an amendment that would restore legal access to abortion “before viability or when necessary to protect a patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.” Florida currently has a six-week abortion ban, a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in the wake of Dobbs.

The Harris bus tour began about a twenty-minute drive from Mar-a-Lago, the home of the former president who has declared responsibility for the fall of Roe under the Dobbs decision. The decision spawned multiple state abortion bans with severe repercussions upon a woman’s ability in ban states to receive critical or life-saving health care that may necessarily involve an abortion. At the September 10 presidential debate, Harris directly spoke to the post-Roe experiences of women suffering miscarriages and bleeding out in hospital parking lots because they couldn’t get treatment from doctors who were afraid of being prosecuted.

The other presidential candidate, former president Donald Trump, has bragged about overturning Roe v. Wade as a personal achievement of consummate importance. Public opinion polling shows, however, that the majority of Americans support legalized abortion. Moreover, the pro-reproductive rights position has won on abortion-related ballot measures following the Dobbs decision in conservative states like Ohio, Kansas, and Kentucky, and abortion measures are on the ballot this November in key states like Florida, Nevada, Colorado, and Arizona. Trump is now trying to downplay his involvement because the issue of abortion has become an albatross around the neck of the Trump campaign and the Republican Party itself. No wonder, then, in recent comments Trump has stated that abortion policy should be left to the states, and he has been publicly unwilling to endorse a nationwide abortion ban. At the debate, however, he repeatedly refused to answer whether he would veto legislation containing such a ban if it were presented to him as president, rejecting the question as an unlikely hypothetical while claiming he did the country “a great service” by helping overturn Roe.

In the wake of threats to in vitro fertilization (IVF) spurred by the Alabama Supreme Court decision that frozen embryos are children and the corresponding religious view held by some in the anti-abortion movement that a fertilized egg is a full-fledged person, Trump said both that he would mandate insurance companies cover IVF and the federal government would cover it for all Americans in need.

Attempting to persuade women who want their reproductive rights back, he suggested that Florida’s six-week abortion ban is “too short,” stating that he will be “voting that we need more than six weeks.” Later, however, his campaign walked this statement back, indicating that he “has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida.” Trump attempted to rehabilitate his position on abortion further for his far right, evangelical base by spreading the disinformation that some states allow the legal execution of babies after birth. At the debate, he repeated this false statement, and one of the debate moderators fact-checked him on that. These are just a few examples of the ducking, bobbing, and weaving on abortion that Trump has been doing over the past few weeks. 

But Trump’s attempts to obfuscate the abortion policy of his party and his future administration are laid bare by what is stated in the 2024 Republican Party platform and in the 2025 Presidential Transition Project (also known as Project 2025), a detailed blueprint for overhauling the executive branch, published by the Heritage Foundation, which involves at least 140 people who worked in the last Trump administration.

The word “abortion” only appears once in the 28-page Republican Party platform with the statement “[w]e will oppose Late Term Abortion, while supporting mothers and policies that advance Prenatal Care, access to Birth Control, and IVF.” But that statement must be understood in the context of the sentence that immediately precedes it: “We believe that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States guarantees that no person can be denied Life or Liberty without Due Process, and that the States are, therefore, free to pass Laws protecting those Rights.” By invoking the 14th Amendment to the Constitution in the context of abortion, the platform projects consistency with a religious belief that fertilized eggs, or so-called “unborn children” are full-fledged people deserving all of the rights and protections afforded by the U.S. Constitution. Neither abortion nor IVF, where some embryos may be discarded, is consistent with this “personhood” view. The limited and coded treatment of abortion in the platform is, however, consistent with Trump’s stated belief that the issue is harming the Republican Party and his candidacy with women.

But the Republican Party platform’s concise treatment of abortion should not be separated from Project 2025—a 922-page document replete with instances of the word abortion, along with detailed plans for how a Republican administration should promote “pro-life” policies and, in doing so, further curtail reproductive rights and access to reproductive healthcare.

Project 2025’s explicit anti-abortion positions and goals are summarized in the forward section of the document, which proclaims that “conservatives should gratefully celebrate the greatest pro-family win in a generation: overturning Roe v. Wade, a decision that for five decades made a mockery of our Constitution and facilitated the deaths of tens of millions of unborn children. But the Dobbs decision is just the beginning.”

A national abortion ban emerges as a prominent goal, as the document instructs that “[c]onservatives in the states and in Washington, including in the next conservative Administration, should push as hard as possible to protect the unborn in every jurisdiction in America. In particular, the next conservative President should work with Congress to enact the most robust protections for the unborn that Congress will support . . . .”

Some of the most noteworthy ideas and policies construed to achieve these outcomes presented in the rest of the document include:

A series of actions focused on preventing access to medication abortion nationwide. It is important to recognize that medication abortion accounted for 63% of all abortions in 2023—and that number does not account for pills that were mailed to people in states with an abortion ban, so the overall percentage is likely higher. It can be a particularly useful way to circumvent abortion bans. From the perspective of Project 2025, “[a]bortion pills pose the single greatest threat to unborn children in a post-Roe world.” Accordingly, Project 2025 recommends, among other things, that the FDA “reverse its approval of chemical abortion drugs,” and “stop promoting or approving mail-order abortions.” It also recommends that the DOJ “enforce the Comstock Act,” a law passed in 1873 that would, if read literally, make the mailing of any kind of abortifacient unlawful, effectively resulting in a nationwide ban on medication abortion.

Preventing both HHS and the CDC from treating or promoting abortion as health care. Consistent with this goal, and in furtherance of a “Life Agenda,” Project 2025 states that HHS should be known as the “Department of Life” through “explicitly rejecting the notion that abortion is health care.” Accordingly, Project 2025 recommends that the next Secretary of HHS eliminate the current HHS Reproductive Access Task Force and replace it with “a pro-life task force to ensure that all of the department’s divisions seek to use their authority to promote the life and health of women and their unborn children.” With respect to the CDC, Project 2025 recommends that it “should eliminate programs and projects that do not respect human life and conscious rights and that undermine family formation.” This would include the types of research it chooses to fund.

Preventing any kind of federal funding from supporting abortion care, including helping women travel out of state to receive an abortion. Project 2025 would also prohibit Planned Parenthood or any other abortion provider from receiving Medicaid funds. Two steps recommended in furtherance of this goal are having HHS “[i]ssue guidance reemphasizing that states are free to defund Planned Parenthood in their state Medicaid plans” and “[p]ropose rulemaking to interpret the Medicaid statute to disqualify providers of elective abortion from the Medicaid program.”

In stark contrast, the Democratic Party platform, written when President Biden was still the Democratic candidate for president, has its own section on “Reproductive Freedom” that embraces the idea that abortion is health care. It begins by acknowledging that since the fall of Roe, “more than 20 states have imposed extreme and dangerous abortion bans—many of which include no exception even for rape or incest—that put the health and lives of women in jeopardy, force women to travel hundreds of miles for care, and threaten to criminalize doctors for providing the health care that their patients need and that they are trained to provide.”

The platform looks to the range of actions taken during the Biden-Harris administration as a foundation for continuing efforts to protect reproductive rights and health care. Some of the most notable actions mentioned, which are opposite of the policies promoted by Project 2025, include enabling pharmacies to dispense medication abortion and defending FDA approval of medication abortion in court, expanding reproductive health care for service members and veterans, defending access to emergency abortion care, challenging threats by a Republican attorney general to prosecute those who assist women traveling out of state for abortion care, and assisting states in expanding access under Medicaid for people who travel from states where they are denied access to abortion care.

Going forward, the platform states that Democrats will, among other things, work to restore abortion rights through legislation (assuming a Congress with sufficient Democratic control), protect the right to access IVF, strengthen access to contraception, and continue to support access to medication abortion. The platform also indicates that Democrats will work to repeal the Hyde amendment, which “restricts federally funded abortions under major federal health care programs.”

The contrast between the parties’ platforms and policies is clear. Simply put, the Democratic Party platform explicitly states that “President Biden, Vice President Harris, and Democrats are committed to restoring the reproductive rights Trump ripped away.” As the presidential candidate who has proudly claimed responsibility for the fall of Roe, Trump’s rhetoric resembles the defensive moves of a boxer ducking, bobbing, and weaving to slip an opponent’s punches: he has tried to disavow Project 2025, tried to obfuscate Republican Party positions and plans, and backtracked on some of his positions in an attempt to portray his future administration as “great for women and their reproductive rights.”

[kmomof4]

12 (Actually 13) Days of Captain Swan Fic Recs!!!

And now here is Day 6 of my 12 (Actually 13) Days of CS Fic Recs!!! @zaharadessert specializes in turning the angst up to about a 12, but the payoff she gives makes all the pain to get there sooooo worth it!!! So here are my very favorites of her fics!!

Get Your Motor Running - Rated E - Emma Nolan is driving home to Storybrooke having finished college, when her car breaks down. With no cell service the only thing in walking distance is the local biker bar…

Canticum Sanguinis Lux - Rated E - Once, all Emma Nolan wanted was a normal life, but when she had a run in with a vampire as a teenager she realised that she couldn’t escape the life of a hunter. Now all she wants to do is prove herself, and she’s going to end up going above and beyond to be the hunter the world needs her to be.

The Halloween Gambit - Rated M - Bar wench and orphan, Emma Swan is taken captive to lure Captain Hook to the noose. Things don't turn out as her captors expect.

The Heart of the Savior - Rated E -

One night, in every corner of every magical realm, every boy aged nine to seventeen disappeared. Not one remained. That was when Pan made himself known to the realms, and from that night the eve of every boy’s ninth birthday meant their disappearance, until finally the realms demanded to know what he wanted to return their children to them. Pan told them he wanted the saviour, and while most realms were confused Snow and David knew what he meant and confessed the role their daughter was supposed to have played in breaking the curse. The realms voted and agreed to Pan’s terms, and Pan stopped taking the realms sons, holding the children he’d currently taken as insurance of their compliance. 

For the next fifteen years Emma’s birthday wasn’t a celebration, it was another tick on the countdown clock to the end of her freedom. Not that she was ever free in the first place, but to save every male child in the United Realms including her younger brother, Leo… She understood that she had a job to do, and she would do her duty with her head held high. What she didn’t count on was the sparkling blue eyes of the man Pan sends to escort her to Neverland in time for her twenty-first birthday.

A Dream of Home - Rated E - Life with the Gold Pack has never been smooth sailing for Emma Swan, and things are getting worse now the pack leader's son has decided he wants her for his mate. Nothing she says or does seems to deter him, or deter his parents from encouraging the match. Emma's only hope is a promise someone made her seventeen years ago; a promise she's forgotten about in all but the deepest recesses of her dreams.

Fallen Angel - Rated M - Forced into a marriage she didn’t want with a man she didn’t love when her parents died, Emma Nolan did everything she could to make the best of it. But when he died, leaving her with an infant son, she realised the depths of his disregard for her and the sanctity of their marriage. Not only was he a gambler, he spent his winnings on his mistresses and left his young wife and with enough debt that she ended up in a workhouse. A workhouse which, like everything she used to own, has just been sold, and the new owner is coming by to survey his new purchase.

I Did Right series - Rated E -

chaos reigned supreme in Central Park yesterday, when the Mayor’s foster son was kidnapped in broad daylight under the supposedly watchful eye of hired staff. The mayor’s office has yet to make an official statement…

When Henry is kidnapped while Regina should have been taking care of him Emma is furious and resolves to do whatever it takes to get her son back. But will the CARD Agent sent by the FBI to help handle the case be more of a distraction than a help, or can he manage to be just enough of both to make this work?

All of Zahara's fics are fantastic, but these are my personal favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!! See you tomorrow for Day 7!!!

[irradiatedpiratebooty]

Yall I hate making personal posts like this. Genuinely. I try to keep my personal real life away from social media. But christ I'm struggling here.

I have really severe ADHD. I cannot work or function or do anything without my medication. I physically can't. But right now my medication is completely unaffordable for me.

I've been applying everywhere I can, but I live in a college town so the competition really fucks me over. I mean, which would they rather pick, a competent college student, or an adhd/autistic dropout who never learned how to mask properly?

And recently, I got dropped off my insurance plan. And thanks to me being unable to work decent jobs, I haven't earned enough to file enough taxes to qualify for affordable Healthcare. The only Healthcare I legally qualify for is a Healthcare that's $300 a month when I'm living off pocket change.

I really hate to ask, I do, especially since right now I'm without my medications so I can't get many things done, if at all, but if anyone is willing to help me out, I'm doing $5 doodle commissions. I'll work down the queue as best I can, it'll be slow but I'll do my best.

Link to my Ko-fi for assistance is below. I appreciate the help. Currently I can get a one month prescription of my medications for $45. So I'll be able to get it relatively soon but I need to save up so I can afford it each month.

If you're not able to assist that way, any advice on how to afford medications (I already use GoodRX) or any suggestions on jobs, would be greatly appreciated too.

[reggular69]

just got my estimate for top surgery and since my insurance wont cover it, its about $8000, which is less than i expected, and i have more than that saved, but i still started freaking out like ‘damn thats a lot of money, what a waste, i could spend that on a new car, or college, or something,’ and then i realized. im gonna have my body for the rest of my life. if i live till 70 thats like me only paying like $160 a year for the body i love. $100 a year if i live till 100. my coworker just spent $18,000 on a new car that will probably die in 10 years. $8000 for the body i’m gonna use every day for the rest of my life???? sign me the fuck up