#UK home interest rates

[londonmortgage]

Mortgage Refinancing UK: When It’s the Right Move and Why

Mortgage refinancing is one of the greatest tools to use for homeowners hoping to improve their terms of the mortgage. With adjustments in home loan interest rates UK, it becomes essential to analyse if refinancing is the safe route for you. The ability to lower your monthly payments, secure a more favourable interest rate or even change the terms of your loan gives you some financial freedom — refinancing is undoubtedly one way to do that. However, to fully benefit from it, you’re going to want to know when refinancing is worthwhile and why it might make sense for you.

What is Mortgage Refinancing?

It allows homeowners to take advantage of UK home interest rates, assuming these have dropped since the original mortgage was taken out. Refinancing gives you the option to lower your monthly payments, shorten your mortgage, or change your mortgage terms — such as changing from a fixed-rate mortgage (ARM) to a fixed-rate mortgage. It’s a manoeuvre you put in place to make sure you get the financial terms of your mortgage working for you as much as possible.

Refinancing is not only a tool to lower payments — for homeowners, it can also be a way to tap equity built up in their home. If the value of your property has appreciated, you could refinance to tap into and utilize that equity for other purposes, such as renovations or consolidating debt.

When Is Refinancing a Good Idea?

When Interest Rates Drop

If interest rates on home loans UK have fallen since you took out your mortgage, refinancing can help you save money by agreeing on a lower interest rate. If, for instance, your initial interest rate was 5%, but now it has dropped down to about 3%, refinancing can help you tremendously in terms of both your monthly payment amount, plus total interest paid over the life of the mortgage. This is one of the most prevalent reasons that homeowners refinance.

To Shorten Your Loan Term

If your financial circumstances have improved, refinancing into a shorter loan term — say, a 15-year term — can save you money on interest. Your monthly payments may increase, but you’ll pay off your mortgage sooner and pay less interest overall. Financially stable homeowners will take this route in order to own their home free and clear more quickly and avoid long-term liabilities.

Switching from an Adjustable Rate to a Fixed Rate

Many homeowners with adjustable-rate mortgages (ARMs) refinance into a fixed-rate mortgage to protect themselves from future rate increases because of unclarity regarding how to refinance your mortgage. ARMs feature an initial interest rate that's lower but can rise over time. Refinancing to a fixed-rate mortgage is a good way to lock in reliable monthly payments, making it a safer route in an environment of ever-rising interest rates. It gives you the stability of a fixed rate, and peace of mind if you want to eke out from dealing with the ups and downs.

To Access Home Equity

If your home has increased in value, you may even be able to tap into your home equity via a cash-out refinance. This option allows you to borrow more than you currently owe on your mortgage, and then take the difference in cash. Homeowners use the extra cash for home renovations, debt consolidation, and other large expenses. But you have to be careful with this option so as not to create a higher debt burden.

What are the advantages of Refinancing?

Mortgage refinancing is a common strategy for homeowners who want to lower their monthly payments, pay off their mortgage loan sooner, or tap into their home equity. It enables homeowners to take advantage of low UK home interest rates or restructure their loans to suit their current financial requirements. In addition to a lower interest rate, refinancing can be an opportunity to change the length of your loan to ensure it meets your financial needs.

Consolidation allows borrowers in the UK to lock in lower interest rates which saves money over the course of your mortgage. On the other hand, converting from an ARM to a fixed-rate mortgage can offer stability in what can be an uncertain economic environment. A cash-out refinance can free up the cash you need to consolidate debt or remodel your home.

Conclusion

Refinancing your loan can be beneficial; between lower interests, shorter periods to amortize the debt, and access to capital from home equity, there are ample advantages. Yet, before making the decision, it’s important to understand also your current financial situation, the costs, and, lastly, the long-term impact. However, tools such as loan repayment calculator UK can give you an idea of how much you could potentially save, allowing you to make a sound decision. If you are thinking about refinancing, knowing the steps and comparing offers will help you find the best option for you.

[eaglesnick]

“Home is a notion that only nations of the homeless fully appreciate and only the uprooted comprehend.”― Wallace Stegner,

In May this year (2023) Rishi Sunak claimed that the economy was looking up and that family incomes were "hugely outperforming" expectations. Phew! That’s a relief!

Except, of course they aren’t!

According to the governments own figures, (which Sunak either doesn’t read or chooses to ignore) between January to March 2023:

83,240 households were assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness, an increase of 5.7% compared to the same period 2022.

And

On 31 March 2023, 104,510 households were in temporary accommodation, an increase of 10% from the same time last year. Households with children in temporary accommodation increased by 10.3% to 64,940 families for the same period in 2022

Sunak, who together with his wife owns at least 4 properties, may feel secure that HIS children will never face homelessness, but that isn’t the experience of thousands of decent English families.  

It is time Sunak lived up to the promise he made when he was Chancellor:

“Budget 2021: Rishi Sunak promises ‘we will help families get by’ Evening Standard: 28/10/21)

Driving them onto the streets through welfare cuts, pay restraint and a massive hike in interest rates isn’t the way to go about it.

[digitaltechpro]

How Do They Mortgages Work?

 Mortgages play a crucial role in the real estate market, allowing individuals and families to purchase homes without having to pay the full price upfront. Whether you’re buying a home for the first time or looking to invest in real estate, it’s important to understand how mortgages work. In this article, we’ll look at the key concepts behind mortgages, including how they work, the different…

[12woso12]

Angry Woman

Part 1

TW: Does have some very heavy topics so look after yourselves and don't read if you don't want to

You were 21 years old and completely new to London. Having grown up in the North of England, everything felt backwards...including Arsenal. At 15 you were Manchester United's wonder kid. You were scoring goals for the senior team at a rate that no teenager had managed before.

The day of your 18th birthday you captained the U21 Lionesses in a European final and scored the winning goal. And at 19 you made your senior Lionesses debut.

Defenders hated you.

Forwards wanted to be you.

And your fans?

Well, you weren't sure if they wanted to be you, screw you or take you out for coffee. You were on the front page of every newspaper in the UK, whether you were modelling, showing off your football prowess or caught in public with your popstar boyfriend, the public rarely ever escaped your face.

When you made the shocking transfer from Manchester United to Arsenal, the entire footballing world halted in its tracks. You were United's star pupil, if fans were shocked at Alessia's transfer, then they were in utter disbelief at yours.

You would have died for United.

You walked through hell to wear that red shirt every week.

Literal hell.

From the outside you were golden. Everything about you shone passion and potential, you were praised at each turn, awarded with each goal or neat piece of trickery. The only thing missing from your game was an ability to control your temper. It wasn't as if you were a mean person, you wouldn't hurt people maliciously. You just...lost control.

The media gave you some lenience when it came to your rage. The tabloids blamed it on your unstable childhood, bouncing around foster home to foster home with no real family to call your own. Pundits could be a little harsher on you, the older you got the more they would criticise your inability to reign in your rage on the pitch. It had been okay when you were a hormonal teenager, but now at the ripe old age of 21, you were picking up a lot of heat for it.

You never really bothered to listen to the voices outside your bubble at United. Sure, you were a little more enthusiastic on the pitch than was acceptable but it was your only outlet. Football was your only source of therapy, your only way of forgetting what was going on away from the pitch.

Your anger didn't come from your fucked childhood.

It didn't originate from a dead family or a famous boyfriend who snuck around behind your back.

Your anger came from a place much darker.

Hell.

To you, United behind closed doors was hell.

It started the moment you begun to get senior minutes at United. You were barely 15 and still wore thick braces, the kind of braces you would see the high school nerd get bullied for in American coming of age movies. Looking back, that's what confused you most. How could someone like that be so interested in someone like you?

He was a god. A saviour. A husband. A father.

David Coben was 45 years old when he first touched you. And he was 51 when you finally stood up to him. He used to tell you that you were special, that you wanted him to touch you, to do things to you that no one had done before. He prayed on a vulnerable girl with no family to protect her. At first you screamed and cried and tried your hardest to avoid him... but he never failed to find you. Whether it was in a private corridor after a match or in the isolation of your hotel room on away days. David Coben always found you. And worst of all, he always got what he wanted.

If you refused, he'd tear up your contract with United himself, that's what he told you. And at 15 years old without having built a strong name for yourself it seemed impossible to leave United for something more successful.

So, you stayed.

And you told no one.

You became a star, a constant talking point in woman's football. Your fame shot to new heights when you started to date a pop star and that's when the modelling jobs began to pour in.

And suddenly, you were rolling in money.

But you still took everything that David gave to you. And then you took it out onto the pitch and gave the world a new talent to obsess over. The older you grew, your game became better but your anger became near catastrophic. It wasn't until you finished a season with 5 red cards and a serious telling off from Sarina Wiegman at your latest England camp that you decided enough was enough. You couldn't do it anymore. You had to say no.

That's when you moved to Arsenal.

[fannedandflawless]

Spinner’s End Wasn’t Poverty—It Was Privacy

📌 Disclaimer: This analysis is based on publicly available information about historical UK tax structures and property trends. While every effort has been made to maintain accuracy and respectful tone, this is a speculative piece. I am not a UK resident or financial advisor—just someone deeply interested in the finer details of fictional worlds.

— A Breakdown of Severus Snape’s Finances, Property, and Survival Strategy. Poverty. It’s a word that lingers around Severus Snape like smoke. But what does it really mean?

He wasn’t wandering. He wasn’t destitute. He had a house. He had a salary. He had control.

After returning to Hogwarts, he lived with the kind of restraint that wasn’t born of lack—but of choice. And when viewed through the lens of property, taxation, and cost of living, the story shifts.

This wasn’t poverty. It was curation. Containment. Privacy, not pity.

And if there’s one thing I’ve learned about Severus Snape—it’s that the quiet spaces hold more truth than the loud ones.

—

📍 Where is Spinner’s End?

While J.K. Rowling never names the exact town, the description paints a clear picture:

A Northern, industrial town

Situated near a canal or polluted river

Likely somewhere in Lancashire or Yorkshire—the post-industrial belt of England

Rows of soot-stained brick houses, smokestacks, and the ghost of mills long shut

It’s never placed on a map, but the setting suggests a fictional stand-in for towns like Rochdale or Oldham—places shaped by coal, textiles, and decline. The kind of town where property is cheap, the windows stay shut, and ambition feels like an imported luxury. —

💷 What Would Inheriting That House Cost Him? Let’s assume Severus Snape inherited Spinner’s End—likely after his parents’ passing, sometime before 1981—making him the sole owner.

1.) 🧾 Inheritance Tax (UK Rules – 1980s Context)

Inheritance tax in the UK is a one-time tax, applied when someone inherits an estate above a certain value.

Threshold: £325,000

Rate: 40% on anything above that

However, family homes passed to direct heirs—such as a child—often qualify for relief or exemption.

If Spinner’s End was modestly valued at around £90,000–£150,000 in 1980s money, Severus likely paid little to no inheritance tax. Especially as an only child with no competing claims.

✔️ Inheritance tax = minimal, if anything

2.) 🏡 Council Tax & Maintenance (Ongoing Annual Costs)

Unlike inheritance tax, council tax is paid annually for as long as one owns the property.

Assuming 1980s–1990s North England housing:

Council Tax Band (likely A or B): £600–£800/year (adjusted to 1990s rates)

Utilities + minor upkeep on an ageing home: £1,000–£1,500/year (conservative estimate)

🧮 Estimated Annual Cost to Maintain Spinner’s End: £1,600–£2,300/year, give or take —

🧪 Would His Hogwarts Salary Cover That?

Let’s be realistic—and a touch precise.

💼 Hogwarts Salary (Potions Master, 1990s): Canon gives us no numbers, but Slughorn calls it “meagre.” This estimate is based on two sources:

Slughorn’s complaint in canon, suggesting the position isn’t highly paid

Real-world UK academic pay scales in the 1990s, particularly for lower-tier university lecturers or independent school masters, which hovered between £25,000–£35,000/year when adjusted for inflation

Even at the low end, that puts him in the lower-middle income bracket, especially considering:

✔️ Room & board at Hogwarts likely included ✔️ No daily expenses if he rarely stayed at Spinner’s End ✔️ Private potion commissions were almost certainly a thing

So yes—he could more than afford the property. He didn’t live lavishly. He lived strategically. Possibly keeping the house for legal ownership, privacy, or… brewing.

🖤 Realistic Summary:

Spinner’s End likely sits in the post-industrial North, quietly inherited in full

No inheritance tax, or very little

Ongoing maintenance: ~£2,000/year

Hogwarts salary easily covers it—especially for someone who brewed off-record

Modest? Yes. Poor? Absolutely not. It was never about luxury. It was about control. —

📊 Adjusting for 2025 (Currency Context)

To understand what those figures would mean today:

£1 in 1995 ≈ ��2.20 in 2025, accounting for inflation

£1 GBP ≈ $1.25 USD (rounded average exchange)

So if Severus spent ~£2,000/year to maintain Spinner’s End in the 1990s, that’s about:

£4,400/year in today’s money

≈ $5,500 USD/year, for upkeep alone

—

Related post: The Rise of Severus Snape (Part III)—The Years Unspoken; Finances & Survival

[sunburnacoustic]

Muse - Q Awards 2007

Some shitty quality but fascinating pics of Muse with other musical stars of the 00s at the 2007 Q Awards, where Muse were seen talking to Shirley Bassey, Nicky Wire (Manic Street Preachers), Ricky Wilson (Kaiser Chiefs), Ian Brown (Stone Roses), the singer Mika (who apparently really likes Muse!) and Kate Nash.

And Muse themselves, triumphant winners of the Best Live Act award at 2007 Q's, beating Arcade Fire, The Killers, Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian.

Q Magazine did feature their awards in the Nov 2007 edition of Q, so I can sneak in a picture from there too (thanks Musewiki <3)

Here's what Muse had to say about it all (Q interview)

Rate your day on a scale of 1 to 10. Dominic Howard (drums): I'd say pushing eight. When we woke up hung over in Serbia this morning, it was about minus 5. But getting back to London pushed it up a few points and then winning this award pushed it up further again. By the time we get to the party later we'll hopefully have pushed it to 11.

This is the 3rd time you've picked up the Best Live Act Award. Not getting bored of it yet, are you? Matthew Bellamy (vocals/guitar): No, it's nice that we've bagged this again. We're not getting bored of playing live and we're not bored of people liking our performances either.

Your plane from Belgrade landed about an hour ago. you didn't get a nice early night in preparation for today, then?

MB: Not quite. Last night Belgrade was Bel-degrade. It got quite dark. I wasn't involved, but it included a transsexual called Pete. And a dildo. Pete was sat on your knee for quite a while Dom, wasn't that right? DH: (Solemnly) No.

Does visiting new cities give you more licence to misbehave? MB: Yeah, a bit. We've been lucky this year in that we've been able to go to new places - Eastern Europe, Asia, Mexico. Sometimes on tour you just cocoon yourself in your hotel room and keep your head down until gig time. being somewhere new puts you in the mood to get out more and meet new people, just to find new experiences.

So what's the oddest experience on tour this year? DH: Sorry, I can't get the transsexual out of my head now. Indonesia was interesting, mainly because I could've got killed. We'd taken a few silly things and we decided to check out some local bars in a really rough part of town. The houses were all corrugated iron and we had chickens running over the bonnet of the car, people banging on our windows. One of the guys got out of our car and he got shouted at, so we got out of there as fast as possible. But we were told later that we were lucky we didn't get shot, then robbed.

MB: Our tour manager got robbed by three ladyboys in a lift there, too.

Have you had any celebrity fans coming to the shows?

Christopher Wolstenholme (bass): In LA the kid for The Sixth Sense (Hayley Joe Osment) came to see us. I think he crashed his car on the way home.

MB: Paris Hilton to the LA show, too. But she left during Knights of Cydonia, which is the first song on the set. If we're offending Paris Hilton we must be doing something right.

The UK people will see your two Wembley Stadium shows in the summer as the pinnacle of the Muse live experience. How were those shows for you?

MB: I think we did our best. It's an amazing venue and the crowds made those shows. Big shows like that aren't just about the band, its about the whole experience and watching the crowd is part of the fun. It definitely gave us a taste for more of those big shows.

Any outrageous stage props that got vetoed by the council? Ten-foot-high robots and the like?

MB: Well, we wanted to have helicopters doing a balloon drop and circling above us with searchlights spotlighting the crowd, but apparently you're not allowed to have helicopters fly over big crowds in case they fall out of the sky and start mincing up. Which is fair enough, I suppose.

DH: We wanted to arrive by Zeppelins and drop down to the stage, but we weren't allowed to do that either...

MB: We're gonna make that happen next time. You can get these business Zeppelins now, like a private jet, so we could fly from gig to gig, descend for the gig and then get lifted back into the Zeppelin lounge.

So how do you go about topping Wembley? MB: We'll probably start from scratch again and build things back up with smaller gigs. DH: We'd like to do multiple nights in smaller venues. We might have more people onstage.

[Q mishears] Q: Small people onstage? DH: Yeah, more small people. Like Spinal Tap. No, it'd just be good to have the time to evolve the whole musical side of the show.

Is this tour ever going to end? MB: Technically, it's over in December. But there are a few more things that we've been offered for next year, so who knows?

The rumour is that you're going to headline Glastonbury again next year... MB: Ooh, that's a strong question! Very strong. Well, Glastonbury is a festival that's very close to our hearts. And it'll be amazing to play it again...sometime. But next year's plans have yet to be settled upon.

So we'll take that as a "yes" then? MB: No, don't take it as anything. DH: It's a maybe. CW: It's a flat "no".

Back to today: is there anyone here you really want to meet? MB: I'd love to say hello to Paul McCartney. But so would everyone here, I bet. We'll not be allowed near him.

Are you pretty sociable when you're at parties without musicians? MB: It's like when two dogs meet in the park: they eye each other up for a bit, then have a sniff around each other. So we'll see who's smelling OK later. Who's that? (Points at Damon Albarn posing for Q's photographer) Damon Albarn? (Unimpressed) Oh...

What do you want for pudding? DH: What's the obsession with pudding here? Someone else just asked us that. CW: We'll say something classic. Bread-and-butter pudding. Can't go wrong there.

So what are you doing next? MB: I have a meeting with out lawyers. Very rock'n'roll. But we'll be out at the party later. These days if we're in London it usually means we have to work, so one of the ideas in coming to this was to have a big night out.

Pics - microcuts.net archives | article - MuseWiki.

[anincompletelist]

⭑ happy kinktober! ⭑

here's everything I have to offer skjhdfgkjshgf <3

(all fics within this category will be rated E unless stated otherwise! fics are arranged in order of length)

the kinktober '24 collection

any fics/ficlets posted throughout october 2024, in one place for easier navigation.

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like a bridge over troubled water, I will ease your mind | 3k

Alex is stuck in his own head and stressed with Henry being gone to the UK for the last week or so. He reaches his breaking point, and Henry comes home to catch him... in a rather creative and wet way.

kinks: coming untouched, the shower head fic, dom henry/sub alex

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more than just the nine to five | 5k

The intersection of a spiteful ex boyfriend, a holiday party, a vibrating anal plug, and the man he's been pining over for years isn't exactly what Henry expects of his Friday night. It's what he gets anyway.

kinks: toys/vibrators, forced (but consensual) orgasm, overstim

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someone to seek, someone to soothe | 5k

He was sweetheart at first, be it sarcastic or a hint of something more. Then he was baby, all those times when they were sneaking around, breathy and desperate on Alex’s lips. He’s been a handful of sweet endearments in Spanish, from cariño to mi tesoro to amor and many others in the heat of passion or just day to day. What’s one more to the list then, really? Hen, H, sweetheart, baby, cariño… Daddy.

kinks: daddy kink, daddy dom henry, kink exploration

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keep me in the moment (don't it feel so real?) | 8k

Henry makes erotic audios. Alex is his best friend. He probably shouldn't listen to them. He does anyway.

kinks: audio porn, friends to lovers, masturbation, dirty talk

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make it five | M | 8k

Alex works at a sex toy shop. it's usually a pretty easy job — if he could just stop daydreaming about the blonde guy that keeps coming in to buy literally all of Alex's favorite sex toys.

note: not explicit but still deals heavily with sex toys and kink ;)

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rush | 9k

Alex isn’t entirely sure how they’d gotten to this point. They’re in London for the week, knocking out a few of Henry’s dwindling royal appearances in the meantime amidst some sightseeing Alex is making Henry take him on (Henry hates coming back here now that they’re settled in New York, and Alex will be damned if he doesn’t do literally everything in his power to keep him distracted and happy). Which, apparently, seems like it’s going to include pissing himself.

kinks: watersports, desperation, kink exploration, dom/sub

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you can waltz right in, I won't pick or choose (I was made for you) | 12k

Henry gives Alex the last stubborn pieces of himself that he's been trying to keep locked away. It only takes seven orgasms to do it.

kinks: overstimulation/multiple orgasms, subspace, dom alex/sub henry, rimming, frottage, slight somnophilia

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it's like I told you, the water's warmer underneath (I know you find it hard to breathe) | 14k

Alex has a complicated relationship with submission. Henry always makes sure he has a safe space to explore it.

kinks: soft dom henry, subspace, prostate massage, kink exploration

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ain't got a problem with provocative (I wanna be close to you) | 22k

Alex has somehow made it into the most elite sex club on this side of the city, and so far he’s gawked at one (1) naked man—a downright gorgeous man, in his defense—from a distance and gone non-verbal and introspective on a couch by himself. Truly riveting stuff.

kinks: free use, sub top alex, d/s elements, sex club

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find me when the party's over, ride home with your head on my shoulder | 24k

Five times Henry kind-of sort-of doms Alex on accident and one time he definitely does it on purpose.

kinks: friends to lovers, dom henry/sub alex, bondage, toys/vibrators, kink exploration, subspace

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somehow I'd get by | 30k

Henry is an accountant for a local sex club. Accidentally. He takes a keen interest in Alex's presentations and often daydreams about what it'd be like to be with the dom, even though surely it's nothing more than a fantasy. Right?

kinks: dom alex/sub henry, sex club, kink exploration, bondage, leather, barebacking, submission introspection

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playing to win (you're in my head again) | 37k

Henry and Alex are practically perfect for each other. Once they get past the years long animosity and hate-pining, of course.

kinks: dom henry/sub alex, enemies to friends to lovers, kink negotiation and exploration, spanking, subspace, aftercare, sensation play

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everybody needs someone (the sex curse series) | 3/3 | 37k

Henry is afflicted with a curse-gone-wrong that stipulates that only his sworn enemy, Alex Claremont-Diaz, can touch him.

kinks: sex pollen/fuck or die-esque, dom/sub elements, magic and magical realism, overstim, some mild humiliation/degradation

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I want you to have me like I've never been had, you get all my wild parts | 37k

Henry's always struggled to get past the inevitable road bump of his classification when it comes to finding a partner. In an ideal world, that sort of thing wouldn't matter. He'd be able to walk into a bar and find someone to take home, wouldn't have to bother with anything aside from just good, casual sex between two people— status aside. He's not really expecting to find that sort of thing at all, but he's certainly not expecting Alex Claremont-Diaz to be the one that makes all of his wildest dreams come true.

kinks: alpha/beta/omega dynamics, non-traditional a/b/o, dom/sub dynamics, kink exploration and negotiation, rimming, barebacking, knotting, bondage/restraints

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pull me out of the fire, from my lowest take me higher | 44k

Henry finds unexpected solace in the thrill of an underground haven, where status—and who he shares a bed with—doesn't really seem to matter. But the deeper he goes, the harder it is to pull away, and Henry's shocked to discover so much of himself where he'd least expected to find it. He's not the one inside the ring, but he's only just finding out what it truly means to fight

kinks: boxer alex, piercings/tattoos, spanking, spit kink, light feminization, lingerie, phone sex, multiple orgasms, impact play, rimming

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hate to be lame (but I might love you) | 45k

Newly out as bi, Alex decides the best way to commemorate the occasion is to sleep with the biggest guy on campus. Henry thinks he might be insane, and isn't quite sure what that says about him for being the one to catch feelings when this whole thing was just supposed to be practice in the first place. It all works out. Eventually.

kinks: first times/experienced henry, sex toys, phone sex, deepthroating, masturbation, belly bulging, barebacking

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(these fics might not necessarily be rated E, but they all have some sort of scary and/or supernatural aspect to them!)

won't you live for me (or could I live for you?) | T+ | 5k

Henry stumbles upon Nora's lycan-only medical clinic when he's at the end of his rope, reeling from a rejection and ironically closer to death than he's been in all of his years already being undead. Alex knows what it feels like to be alone. He's almost mastered it, even, after his own brutal rejection years ago. So he absolutely should not, under any circumstances, risk his own life attempting to save a stranger with a plan that may or may not even work. He decides to try it out anyway.

tags: vampire henry/lycan alex

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how to get blood stains out of your linen (and other ways to fall in love) | M | 5k

Henry is a vampire who admittedly makes a bit of a mess with his partners. The 80 year old woman that works the overnight shift at his favorite dry cleaning place doesn't seem to care. The guy that starts filling in the shift when she takes some time off definitely does.

tags: vampire henry/human alex

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livin' in the violet sounds | E | 12k

When Alex gets himself stabbed with a blade laced with a venom that only a vampire can extract, Henry's forced to help the hunter and clandestine object of his desires narrowly avoid death, even when Alex tends to threaten his life on the regular. Henry jumps first and asks questions later, but that's nothing new when it comes to Alex.

tags: vampire henry/vampire hunter alex

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l'échappatoire | M | 22k

Henry fixes anomalies in other people's timelines. It's quite predictable and impersonal work for the most part. (Save for when it seems intent on unraveling his own, of course.)

tags: time loops, time traveler henry

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honorable mention:

who ya gonna call? | M | 7k

Henry is a ghostwriter. Alex is a little confused on what exactly that means.

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if you like these, you can check out the rest of my fics here!

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[dramallamas]

Because you cannot pry British Juwon from my hands here are some Juwon headcanons based on his time in England and a bit about how it affects his life in Korea. Featuring Kwon Hyeok obviously.

Language Headcanons:

He is bilingual and is fully fluent in both English and Korean.

He learnt French in school but has forgotten most of it.

It actually got to a point where he would forget words in Korean and ask Hyeok what they were. So he would write down words he forgot and memorise them.

He still sometimes, tho very very rarely, forgets words. He has a note in his phone of them.

He spoke Korean with Hyeok but whenever either of them went out, they spoke English.

Hyeok was fluent but has not maintained the same level as Juwon since moving back to Korea.

Juwon mumbles in English to himself when thinking hard and believing he’s alone. However, people have caught him do this from time to time.

His English voice is a tiny bit deeper than his Korean one but not many people notice it (DS does tho 👀).

He speaks English pretty articulately, and has more of a southern accent.

He says scone like phone and not like gone.

Dongsik adores when Juwon speaks English and has actually picked up a couple words himself.

Unconsciously swears in English… including in rated E moments.

When he’s stressed/upset and gets the opportunity to just explode (obviously after he’s bottled it) he talks in a mush of both languages.

Other Headcanons:

Juwon went to a private school in England and Hyeok taught him extra at home.

He did not have a lot of friends but had one or two that he liked tolerated.

Definitely got picked on by other kids for being quiet or weird. That was until he full on punched a kid and got in deep shit for it, but nobody picked on him again so Juwon called it a win.

He though british/western food was mostly bland but there was a certain elegance and comfort in its simplicity.

Did not go out often, and flat out refused to go to clubs.

He did apply for UK universities and did a year or two before going to the Korean Police Uni.

Did get into a good uni, like Russell group uni (maybe Oxford?), and yet didn’t get accommodation and simply got his own place instead (his hate of sharing things and richness coming into play). He also learnt to cook there.

His father never visited but did send money to the two of them, though Hyeok also got a job out there.

He does not have the best spice tolerance due to western food being… not that spicy.

He has an English name, but doesn’t like to use it unless he has to. He much prefers Juwon.

Has been asked out by a variety of people but turned everyone down as politely as possible (unless they were pushy then he got annoyed and was very bitchy about it). He has never been interested in anyone.

Has read every single sherlock holmes book in English and still has copies in his Seoul apartment.

The only jobs he had in England were from mandatory work experience. 

Despite not really being social, he did get to know a book store worker when he went to purchase something out of the classics section.

Yes he read classics and older literature, you’re gonna tell me he didn’t? But his guilty pleasure was fantasy books. He definitely read mostly in English (more accessible) but did pick up the odd Korean book too.

His notes for cases in korea are a mash of Korean and English, mostly just writing in whatever language flows out first. There’s not a lot of time to get them down and nobody else is gonna see them so he doesn’t care about it.

Feel free to drop your own thoughts and opinions and reminder that these are MY HEADCANONS and may not fully align with yours :)

[i-am-church-the-cat]

Logan Sargeant is a silly little guy

@vii-tto idk why but it wouldn't let me tag you. Hopefully you see this. also @spell-of-the-rain i added things if you want to check out 75-87

But here's the list of things i know/want to know about logan sargeant

Favorite Actor is Brad Pitt

Favorite Movie is Wolf of Wall Street

Favorite food is a hamburger

Has a boat and often goes deep sea fishing

Lived in London since he was 15

Lose Yourself by Eminem is his favorite hype up song

Is a Dolphins and Heat fan

Enjoyed “No Man, No Cry” by Jimmy Sax

Drinks iced lattes with oat milk

Pumpkin spice lattes?? Edit 12/16/23: No

Has been to Wimbledon

Knows what cricket is

Has a rescue dog named Coco

Also enjoys hockey Edit 11/1/23: Supports the Florida Panthers NHL team and has gone to at least 1 of their games with his friend Kyle Kirkwood

Does he follow college football?

What does he think of the new Miami head coach? 

If not for motorsport, does he think he would have gone pro in a different sport, and if so which one?

Enjoys listening to 50 Cent (is also a big rap fan in general)

Can he speak any other languages with any degree of familiarity?

Cannot draw

Can make a sandwich (other foods?)

Rates all food from one bite and with weird decimals

Gritty-ed in his f1 car

Makes the Williams photographers look like they take good photos

Does he have an English or a Florida driver’s license? And does he still have US citizenship even though he lives in the UK? What kind of visa is he on?

Top three female athletes? (Serena Williams, Simone Biles, and Megan Rapinoe are all acceptable answers) 

Collects Aussies and Kiwis for friends

Does he like the snow? Prefers the heat but does he like snow?

Does he like Missy Elliot? (Requirement) 

“Basic Halloween Bitch”

Calls people “mate” but in an American accent which will never stop being funny

Eye Crinkles™️

Does not have a set eye color he’s just too mystical for that

Has never been to a concert (presumably too busy with racing)

He can swim, he can drive, but can he ride a bike? Edit 11/15/23: He can indeed ride a bike

American commercial cars or  European ones?

Has an older brother but is like an older brother to Benny’s kid

Likes marshmallows

Does not like black beans

Did not think apple could be chips

Knows how to sail??

Knows how to golf

Can paddle (required for any F1 driver)

Lost the F3 championship in 2020 bc of a DNF in the last race

Can he sing??

Does he drink energy drinks? Red Bull or Monster? 

He and Duracell are passionately making out

Blush is very pretty 

Wears a lot of baseball hats

Somehow beat jet lag (expat king)

Mostly spends his nights in but he has some nights out (presumably very interesting ones)

Has an iPhone with a blue case

He looks very pretty in blue

His eyes are sometimes blue

Blue=fav color?? Edit 11/6/23: favorite color is Ocean blue (credit to @spell-of-the-rain)

Pretty insecure (armchair diagnosed anxiety)

Close with his brother and parents but maybe not his extended family?

Is Florida State his college team?? (Worst thing a man can be is a Florida St fan) Edit 12/16/23: believing that FSU got screwed over this year is acceptable

Did he graduate high school??

Did he ever consider going into NASCAR or did moving to Europe at a young age kind of set in stone his path towards open-wheel racing?

Hair is blond/dirty blond

Does he vote in American elections?? (If he supports RonD I cannot stan)

Burger Sauce™️

Logan Hunter Sargeant, certified Frat Bro, most American man ever

Has seen peaky blinder and presumably stranger things

Knows how to carve a pumpkin but has not celebrated Halloween at home in a bit

Possibly dating some instagram model

Caused $4 million in damages, gets payed $1 million a year, and supposedly brings in $30 million in sponsors

Key phrases: “Locked in”, “Bam/Boom”, “Done and dusted” Additions 11/1/23: "Oh hell yeah", "I think you're a little lost here, Chief". Additions 11/6/23: “Yeh” (gets quieter throughout the word (how it’s one syllable??)), “on the bounce” (credit to @spell-of-the-rain i believe)

Joined the Williams Driver Academy in 2021 

Got stuck in F3 bc he didn’t have the money to move up

Driver for Carlin in 2022

Former teammates include Liam Lawson, Oscar Piastri, Frederick Vesti (Edit 11/6/23: Max Fewtrell possibly?)

DOB: December 31, 2000

5'11

Had a giveaway for gloves he used to win an F4 race on Twitter in 2017 and both Lando Norris and Max Fewtrell replied

Originally his number was 3 but he switched to 2 for F1 (to much fan consternation who thought he had so many better options)

Childhood best friends with Kyle Kirkwood, a current Indycar driver

Logan's older brother Dalton raced in NASCAR until 2018

Did a commercial for Sport23

Does not have cowboy boots as of COTA 2023

Born in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA

lived in Switzerland from 14-15(?)

knows the conversion rate for a kilometer

is taller than a tuna fish

Podiumed at the Macau Grand Prix in 2019

Won the CIK-FIA championship when he was 14 Additions as of 11/1/23

Loves waffles but they are not his favorite dessert

Very patriotic (oh hell yeah)

is the first American F1 point scorer in 30 years and the first one to score on home soil since 1989

Went to see the Nets in NYC (but would have preferred to see the Knicks)

has a custom Miami Dolphins jersey with his last name on the back

Claims to know all the lyrics to "Ice Ice Baby" (credit to @formulaaone) (Edited 11/6/23)

Additions as of 11/6/23:

Under the same talent agency as Alex Albon

Has the same manager as George Russell

George Russell was his mentor coming up

Went to a catholic private school (credit to @wenevrknew)

Does not like fish? (Credit to @spell-of-the-rain)

He runs weird (in my opinion as he reminds me of my brother when he was 12 (he ran very strangely))

Karted in Las Vegas when he was a kid

Can he drive a stick shift? (Alex believes he cannot)

Enjoys video games

Refers to his car as “she”

Knew how to attach a visor to his helmet prior to February(? Could’ve been March but before the season) 2023

Additions as of 12/16/23

Broke his arm in a 2014 German Karting Championship when Marcus Armstrong took him out at T1 (credit to @spell-of-the-rain )

Has gotten his head eaten by the Golden Knights mascot

If he could have any superpower, he would like to teleport

Has never flown a drone

Favorite racing movie is Talladega Nights (sad Mater noises)

Does not trust other people to drive him

Would rather sleep in then get up early

Considers himself fairly organized

His mother makes a very good sweet potato casserole

Got his habit of worrying from his mom

“Santa’s Little Helper”

Driving for Williams Racing Formula 1 Team in 2024

Got out qualified by his teammate every race of 2023

[strawberrylemonparade]

DEMO: TBA

"A wise man travels to discover himself." - James Russell Lowell

Politics.

pol*i*tics: the activities associated with governance of a country or other area, especially the debate or conflict among individuals or parties having or hoping to achieve power.

Politics is a dangerous game, right? Has it always appeared as such? Is such a saying even the truth? Has it always been a cruel world or are those just the words of a being who believes the world owes them everything.

Intrigue.

in*trigue: the secret planning of something illicit or detrimental.

There's something lurking in the shadows, something that seeks to call your name. Will you heed the voice that calls to you? Will you run from it or will you face it and unmask it? What will you do in the moment when it all counts?

Murder.

mur*der: the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.

You were there. You saw it. You saw it all. You saw the gunshot. You heard it ring in your ears. You knew. You knew that you would be next. You knew you had to do something. So you ran. Look back or don't, the choice is wholly yours to make.

Washington D.C. is a utopia of the rich and wealthy. It's the heart of the cog that helps keep the beautiful nation of the United States running. For as long as you can remember, you've always witnessed the greatness and ugliness of the world of politics.

After all, you're a member of The First Family. As such, many people see that your life is centred and created with gold as if Midas was your personal assistant. It's actually more like silver, but what do they know?

One unfortunate and unforeseen night causes the silver spoon in your mouth to begin to tarnish. Now you must run to uncover the truth before it's too late.

Brace yourself as politics, murder, and conspiracy set their eyes on you. The nation also has their eyes on you and your whereabouts or at least they're trying desperately to find you.

Meet interesting characters along your journey of survival, even find love in the face of impending death. Will you become the hunter or stay and live life as the hunted? Don't forget to lace up your shoes and don't trip over the space that's in between it all. Where will you go next?

'A Map Between' is an action-packed thriller with the occasional bit of humour. The current rating is 17+.

🗺️ A customisable MC including: gender or the lack thereof, physical appearance, sexuality and more.

🗺️ Romance 1 of 6 love interests (3 females, 2 males and 1 selectable non-binary). Wanna keep it platonic? No worries. Aromantic and asexual options gameplay and options will be available as well.

🗺️ Deepen your friendship, romance, ruin, or reject relationships with any of the six available for romance.

🗺️ Win (and keep 😍) the nation's heart or be despised by the very place you call home.

🗺️ Travel to one of six locations (or more) in the run to secure your future.

🗺️ Discover secrets that were never really yours to begin with that now rest in the palm of your hand.

Caddel Aliz [F]: A metaphorical ball of sunshine whose actions shine just as bright as her personality. Hailing from the UK, she's made a home and name for herself in the US, but that's only among your friend group. As one of the smartest people in school, she'll surely keep you on your feet as things crumble around you.

She's always looked up to you and admired you. She always wondered if there could be more between you.

Motto: "When you can't be the sunshine, be the sunshine." - Unknown

Portrayed by Francesca Capaldi

Xachariah Collymore [M] : An All-American All-Star! When it comes to making the goals, be it in life or be it on the field, you could always count on the main man, Xachariah. As one of the most popular guys in school, a lot of people crave his attention. Be that as it may, the most special thing in his eyes are you and your rowdy group of friends that always puts a smile on his face.

He's always been an anchor for you. Maybe, just maybe... you're ready to be the same for him or maybe you're ready to pull the anchor up and set sail to see where the wind takes you.

Motto: "Do what you don't want to do, so you can do what you love." - Unknown

Portrayed by Keith Powers

Carter Yearwood [M] : Carter is the heart and soul of your group. Whenever plans need to be made or video games need to be played, Carter is always the one to call. As one of your best friends, he knows practically how to make the good things you experience better and the bad things marginally less horrible. Let's not forget his infectious laugh and smile. That's always a plus on any given day.

He's always noticed your beauty/handsomeness, but have you noticed his little glances he sends your way at times and there smile that follows that only exists for you?

Motto: "If I can stop one heart from breaking, I shall not live in vain." - Emily Dickinson

Portrayed by George Pomogisebe

Winter Yearwood [F] : As the newest addition of your group, she has yet to find her way. This is made more complicated by the fact that she is mute and only uses various forms of sign language to communicate. Despite her lack of words, her actions and kindness shine through. Will you welcome her with open arms or scorn her enough to where she'll want to keep you at arm's length?

"Who is this person that's caught my attention? Why can't I help but look their way? I wonder if they'll look at me too?"

Motto: "Measure twice and cut once." -Unknown

Portrayed by Dilraba Dilrumat

Molly Albrecht [F] : If Regina George could somehow escape the confines of the movie screen and search for her doppelganger in the real world, she'd have to look no further than Molly Albrecht. She is the queen bee of your school and she rules it with an iron heart and cold lungs. When the world begins to crash and burn, will you help her or make sure she's shoved into the fire of chaos?

"All I've ever known is the beauty of myself and servitude from others. I want to know something different. I want to try something different. I want to..."

Motto: "Boo, you whore." - Regina George

Portrayed by Kathryn Newton

Haven O'Kelly [NB, Sex Selectable, M or F] : The wisecrack of the group and the most nonchalant one to boot. Their quietness is usually seen as charming, but when they talk... they talk a lot. It's a miracle they never ruin out of breath. Born in Australia, they made their way through life to end up by your side. Will you let them stay?

They've always been fiercely loyal to you and by extension your friends, even begrudgingly coming to see the others as the same. In their subconscious, there's always been the notion that there's more for you both if that's something you'd be willing to try. Have they noticed it yet? Only one way to find out.

Motto: "Count your age by friends, not years. Count your life by smiles, not tears." - John Lennon

Portrayed by Ben Hardy [M] and Sydney Sweeney [F]

Note: No matter the sex that is chosen for Haven, their pronouns will stay as they/them. I appreciate your adherence and acknowledgement! 💖

Please note that this is a work in progress and it's still in the very early stages of writing and planning. Things will be likely to change, but I don't see that happening anytime soon. The current plan is to write the IF in an episodic format and to release it for free on itch.io. Links (RO playlists, moodboards, etc...) will be provided when ready. Any and all reblogs/likes are appreciated. Thank you for even reading this post! Much love 💕.

[aurorawest]

Reading update

Arthur and Teddy Are Coming Out by Ryan Love - 3/5 stars

The Fate of Stars by SD Simper - DNF at pg 32

A Gathering Storm by Joanna Chambers - 4.75/5 stars

I kept getting the Madame Leota room from Haunted Mansion stuck in my head as I was reading this (not a bad thing!). This book has a surprisingly low rating on the Storygraph, and I'm not going to torture myself by looking at the reviews, but I'm assuming it's because of the power discrepancy between Ward and Nick. Clearly it didn't bother me as I really enjoyed the book!

Dionysus in Wisconsin by EH Lupton - 4.75/5 stars

At some point I might get tired of Mid-Century Modern romances, but not this day. This book was super fun, with an interesting world and lovely characters. And a Midwest setting! I've spent a lot of time in Madison, Wisconsin, where this book is set, so I got the added bonus of knowing most of the places pretty well. There was even a shoutout to an obscure piece of Madison history, the Lost City in the Arb. I have to get the second book in the series now!boy

Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan - 3.25/5 stars

I gave this book an extra quarter of a star for being written in 2003, when it would have been genuinely pretty groundbreaking. Reading it in 2024, it's very twee and pretty cringey (the queer utopia town would have been a magical fantasy in 2003, not so much now in a lot of places). When Levithan credited Francesca Lia Block's Weetzie Bat books in the acknowledgements, I though, ah. No wonder. Hated those as a teen.

All that said, there's some genuinely lovely writing in this book, and it has its place in the queer canon.

The Greywacke by Nick Davidson - 5/5 stars

Super interesting nonfiction about the discipline of geology and how the early geologic epochs were figured out. Also gave me an idea for a historical romance about gay Victorian geologists.

Home Grown Talent by Joanna Chambers & Sally Malcolm - 5/5 stars

I think I loved this one more than the first in the series. The social media scandal was perfect, in that it was exactly as absurd as every social media scandal is, and thus hilarious, but also chilling in how even something so stupid can ruin people's lives.

The First Bright Thing by JR Dawson - DNF at pg 1

Prince of the Sorrows by Kellen Graves - DNF at pg 30

Reuben's Hot & Cold by M Arbon - 3/5 stars

Slight Foxing Around the Edges by Melissa Polk - DNF at pg 132

Restored by Joanna Chambers - 5/5 stars

Balefire by Jordan L Hawk - 4.75/5 stars

A Rulebook for Restless Rogues by Jess Everlee - 4/5 stars

The Mars House by Natasha Pulley - 5/5 stars

See my brain vomit about this book here. If you've been around here for any amount of time you know all Natasha Pulley's books make me feral. Absolutely no exception here. I cannot believe her first UK publisher dropped her over this book. Idiots! It's wonderful just like everything she's ever written.

In the Case of Heartbreak by Courtney Kaye - DNF at pg 181

The Piano Tuner by Daniel Mason - DNF at pg 21

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun - 5/5 stars (reread)

Just as good as the first time I read it!

Exhalation by Ted Chiang - 4.5/5 stars

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic - DNF at pg 84

Crisped + Sere by TJ Klune - 4.75/5 stars

It actually kind of makes me mad that this series isn't Klune's most famous work, because it's real good. At this point it seems kind of unlikely he's going to continue it, but man, I'd love another book.

These Silent Stars by Chani Lynn Feener - DNF at pg 68

Trailer Park Trickster by David R Slayton - 5/5 stars

See below.

Deadbeat Druid by David R Slayton - David R Slayton - 5/5 star

I LOVE this series. Love love love love. Absolute must read. If you're a fan of KD Edwards's The Tarot Sequence, this series is right up your alley. It seems like there will be more after this initial trilogy, and there's also a spinoff book coming soon which I'm super excited for. Read them!!

[glennk56]

William Hootkins in the 1970s.

William Hootkins was born in Texas in 1948. He was active in theater in High School and at Princeton University and interested in becoming a professional actor after graduating. His his friend John Lithgow recommended he move to England to continue his acting education, probably because he knew he'd get greater opportunities. So he moved to England in the 1970s and trained at The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. He continued mainly in theater and took film roles when he could. His first film role was a small role as a henchman in the British R rated film, Big Zapper in 1973.

Big Zapper, 1973. Small role and Hootkins would've been 24-25 years old during filming.

Anthology series Plays for Britain. Hootkins gets a small role in the episode The Paradise Run in 1976.

An anthology Documentary series, Horizon, which featured film adaptations of real-life events. Hootkins had a greater role in this 1976 offering Billion Dollar Bubble which starred James Woods about Insurance Company fraud in the early years of computers.

Still in his 20s, Hootkins got a small role in a major American film directed by Robert Aldrich and the opportunity to share a scene with Charles Durning, Twilight's Last Gleaming in 1977.

Also in 1977, Hootkins played Porkins in a small role in the 1977 blockbuster Star Wars. Small role but big enough to get his own action figure.

And again in 1977, Hootkins worked with Director Ken Russell in Valentino in a high energy scene of a drunken, egotistical silent film star. The movie was a bomb mainly because it wasn't the biopic of Rudolph Valentino that people expected. Russell took too much license in the life of Valentino to tell a more interesting story. I think what was known of the real lives of stars back then was greatly what the studio wanted to present to the public. So I think Russell was justified.

1977 was an especially good year for William Hootkins. The above photos are from a US-UK collaboration of a teleplay version of Come Back, Little Sheba starring Laurence Olivier and Joanne Woodward. Hootkins is in one scene only. Also in 1977, Hootkins appeared in episodes of British TV series, Van der Volk, Yanks Go Home, Plum's Plots and Plans and Documentary Series, The Lively Arts.

In 1978. Hootkins appeared in Part 1 of Clouds of Glory, a 2-part series of the lives of Poets, William Wordsworth and Samuel T Coleridge. Hootkins appeared with David Warner.

Late 1978, now William Hootkins is 30 years old and no denying the hair loss. He appears in all 3 episodes of the British miniseries The Lost Boys, about Peter Pan writer J. M. Barrie starring Ian Holm, presenting Barrie as homosexual and a pedophile (at least only in his mind). Hootkins plays Barrie's American friend, Broadway and London Theater Producer Charles Frohman.

Hootkins appeared in one episode of British 13-part miniseries Lillie, the story of Lillie Langtry in 1978.

In 1979, Hootkins appeared in Hanover Street as Beef with Harrison Ford.

Also in 1979, he played a very small role in a remake of The Lady Vanishes with Cybill Shepherd and Angela Lansbury.

[girlactionfigure]

⚫ Wednesday night - events from Israel  

ISRAEL REALTIME - Connecting to Israel in Realtime

( VIDEO - Lebanese casually watching IDF strikes against Hezbollah sites and homes with Hezbollah rockets embedded, in the Beka’a. )

⭕IRAQI SHIA MILTIA “Islamic Resistance” DRONES (3) ATTACK - EILAT.. 2 drones were launched into the city - 1 was intercepted, 1 hit and exploded in the port area.  Damage to the Eilat port (which is in only very limited use due to the Red Sea Houthi threat.)  2 workers injured.

⭕17 ROCKET AND SUICIDE DRONE events from HEZBOLLAH at Israel today.

🔹Chief of Staff Halevi in ​​an unusual message: "Hezbollah today expanded the circle of fire, later today it will receive a very strong response.”

🔹Reports from the Lebanese say over 500,000 Lebanese have fled their homes.

🔹US and UK TROOPS deployed to Cyprus, to be ready for assistance of the emergency evac of their citizens from Lebanon.

🔸NEGOTIATION NEWS.. Officials in Israel: There is no negotiation, the red line is to kick Hezbollah beyond the Litani river. ( Which itself is not a solution, as Hezbollah is firing medium and long range rockets which can be fired from central and northern Lebanon and hit Israel. )

.. Officials in Lebanon: Reuters from a senior Lebanese official:  "Hezbollah shows openness regarding any arrangement regarding Gaza and Lebanon.”

▪️TRAVEL WARNING.. National Security Headquarters: Real danger to life for Israelis in the Sinai, Jordan and Turkey. Avoid visiting.

▪️PM WILL TRAVEL TO THE UN - FOREIGN MINISTER KATZ WILL BE ACTING PM.. if Netanyahu is out of touch.

▪️ORDERS THAT MINISTERS.. may not be interviewed about the war, continue.

▪️MOST CONCERTS.. indoor or outdoor, are being cancelled and rescheduled to avoid security concerns.  If you have tickets to a concert, check with the ticket office if it is being refunded or rescheduled.

▪️US SENATORS ACCUSE THE US ADMINISTRATION.. of delaying delivery to Israel of: MK-84 bunker buster bombs, Apache helicopters, and D9 bulldozers.

▪️REMEMBER THE SOLDIERS ARRESTED FOR POSSIBLE PRISONER ABUSE.. The military court ordered to ease the house arrest conditions of the five fighters and to remove the obligation of human supervision over them. The fighters have been under nightly house arrest for about a month since their release from prison after 2 weeks.

▪️(not about Israel, but of interest) RUSSIA THREATENS.. Russian President Vladimir Putin: "We reserve the right to use nuclear weapons in the event that Russia or Belarus is attacked."

▪️ECONOMY.. Will the NIS 200 bill be canceled (to prevent large transactions in cash to avoid financial reporting?) The Bank of Israel disapproves of the idea.

▪️HEALTH.. cancer rates going down in Israel! Decreasing approx. 1.8% per year for men, 2.4% per year for women. The most common types of cancer among men were prostate cancer and lung cancer. Among women, breast cancer was the most common, followed by colon/rectum, lung, thyroid and uterine.

Among men, survival rates have improved from 1996 to today from 58% to 67%, and for women from 64% to 73%.

Israel has a relatively high cancer rate among Western nations, but also lower death rate, 110th on the list.

♦️COUNTER-TERROR OPS - JENIN.. continuing, military bulldozers stripping the roads to uncover landmines in eastern neighborhoods.  Fighters located explosives and destroyed terrorist infrastructure.  A senior target was arrested in Kfar Anza, a number of terrorists were shot and injured.

[archoneddzs15]

Sega Dreamcast - GTA 2: Grand Theft Auto 2

Title: GTA 2: Grand Theft Auto 2 / GTA2 グランド・セフト・オート 2

Developer: DMA Design (Rockstar Games North) / Liquid Games

Publisher: Rockstar Games / Take 2 Interactive

Release date: 4 August 2000 (UK)

Catalogue No.: T-40502D-05

Genre: 2D Top-Down Action / Racing

The sequel to the original GTA. When the story begins, three gangs are controlling a city. You can work for any gang, but the more popular you become with one, the more hostile the other gangs are towards you. Jobs include pick-ups, robberies, and even killing frenzies.

The game provides an overhead view of the city, and the characters are minimal. When you drive a vehicle, it looks like a clip from one of those police chase shows. You can move freely around the city, and an arrow always points you to your next destination. It's fun to randomly shoot people and carjack vehicles (did I just say that?), but the missions are where the real challenge is.

The main problem with his game is the control. You're forced to use the analog controller, which is fine for driving, but it's hard to get your man to walk in the right direction - a big problem when you're running from the police. Also, too much time is spent trying to find the phones. The sound is terrific, with realistic city background noises and radio stations that play when you're in the car. Overall, GTA2 is somewhat interesting, but the control holds it back.

But there is a silver lining. The Dreamcast is the most accurate out of all the home console ports. On the PlayStation, for example, violence is toned down, some optional missions are removed, and trains are missing, in addition to expected graphical cutbacks (it is also the only console game in the franchise to receive a "T" rating from the ESRB). However, there are unique quirks only found in the Dreamcast port, such as district-specific cars appearing in every district and a quite annoying problem where the in-game radio stations will repeat from the beginning every time the player exits and re-enters their vehicle.

[capitalism-is-parasitism]

George Monbiot: TAX THE RICH, TAX THEM HARD (Labour is already failing)

We need a genuine levelling up, across regions and across classes. The austerity inflicted on us by the Conservatives was unnecessary and self-defeating and Labour has no good reason to sustain it.

The new government insists it is ending austerity. It isn’t. As the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) pointed out in June, Labour’s plans mean that public services are “likely to be seriously squeezed, facing real-terms cuts”. Similarly, the Resolution Foundation has warned that, with current spending projections, the government will need to make £19bn of annual cuts by 2028-29. However you dress it up, this is austerity.

We are constantly told: “There’s no money.” But there is plenty of money. It’s just not in the hands of the government. The wealth of billionaires in the UK has risen by 1,000% since 1990. The richest 1% possess more wealth than the poorest 70%. Why do they have so much? Because the state does not; they have not been sufficiently taxed.

There are two reasons for taxing the rich and taxing them hard. The first is to generate revenue: this is the one everyone thinks about. But the second is even more important: to break the spiral of patrimonial wealth accumulation. Unless you stop the very rich from becoming even richer, it’s not just their economic power that continues to rise, but also their political power. Democracy gives way to oligarchy, and oligarchy is intensely hostile to everything Labour governments seek to achieve, including robust public services and a strong economic safety net. When oligarchs dominate, you can kiss goodbye any notion of the public good.

Last year, I tried to estimate how much it would cost to restore a viable, safe and inclusive public realm after 14 years of Tory vandalism. While my effort was very rough, the sum came to between £65bn and £100bn of extra spending a year: between seven and 10 times more than Labour’s total. It’s a lot, although it’s dwarfed by the money the previous government spent on the pandemic: between £310bn and £410bn over two years.

While these sums are ambitious, and would require expanded borrowing (which Labour has foolishly ruled out) as well as taxation, there are plenty of opportunities to raise taxes on the rich. The government could, for example, replace inheritance tax with a lifetime gifts tax kicking in at £150,000, a level that would affect only wealthy people. This would increase revenue while ending a major form of tax avoidance. The government should raise capital gains taxes: it’s perverse that unearned income is taxed at a lower rate than earned income. It should close the carried-interest loophole, which ensures that private equity bosses pay less tax than their cleaners: a pledge on which it already seems to be backtracking.

The government could also levy a wealth tax, a luxury goods tax and a tax on second homes and holiday homes. It could make the windfall tax on fossil fuel revenues permanent. It could replace business rates with land value taxation, and council tax with a progressive property tax based on contemporary property values: both shifts would be fairer and would raise more money. But the only extra taxes the government propose are, as the IFS remarks, “trivial”.

By seeking to raise revenue through economic growth rather than redistribution, Labour avoids the necessary confrontation with economic power. Not only is the strategy uncertain of success (economic growth here is subject to global forces); not only does growth load even more pressure on the living planet; but this approach also fails to break the grip of the ultra-rich. Isn’t this the whole damn point of a change of government, after 14 years of Tory appeasement? Unless you seek to change the structures of power and redistribute wealth, the rich will continue to harvest the lion’s share of growth while using some of their money to buy the politics that expands and fortifies their dominion.

[expatmortgagesuk]

London vs. Regional Cities: The Best Buy-to-Let Investment for Expats

People who live outside of the UK should buy land there as a way to make steady income and build wealth over time. One of the hardest things for expat buyers to do is choose where to buy. Should they buy a home in London, where there is a lot of demand, or should they look in the countryside, where rental returns are higher and costs are lower?

Both options have pros and cons, especially when it comes to getting a buy-to-let debt in the UK from outside the UK. People from outside of London can use this guide to help them choose which expat buy to let mortgage uk homes to buy.

People who live outside of London can buy and rent homes there.

How Does London Get So Good?

It is still one of the best places to buy and sell homes in the world. It has a strong economy, is easy to get to from other places in the world, and always has renters. This makes it a good choice for expat property owners who want their homes to gain value over time.

A lot of people want to rent in London. Professionals, students, and foreign workers all like to live there, so renting homes are always full.

Possible capital growth: The prices of homes in London tend to go up over time, which is good for buyers because they get good long-term returns.

Diverse Renters: To make sure they get steady rental income, landlords can go after a lot of different types of renters, from business clients to students.

Safety and Pros: Buying property in London can be a safe bet because it is a major business and culture hub.

Cons of Buying in London

There are a lot of expensive homes in the UK, and some of them are in London. This means you'll need to put down a bigger down payment.

Lower rental yields—Even though prices are going up quickly, rental yields are lower (3–5%) than in small towns in the back country. Tougher mortgage requirements—Some lenders are tougher on how much an expat can afford to pay for a home in a good area of London.

London's Best Places to Buy and Rent

Are you a foreigner who wants to move to London? If so, you should look at new areas that are in high demand as rentals and have room to grow:

The rent in Barking and Dagenham earns about 5% a year, and it is one of the cheapest places to live in London.

Croydon: There is a lot of interest in renting because of projects to rebuild and good transportation.

People in Newham are getting younger, and home prices are going up. The area is growing quickly.

People like to work and go to school in Stratford because of the 2012 Olympics.

Why Choose Cities Nearby?

Expat mortgage UK buy to let homes are moving to regional towns more often because they are cheaper and have better rental yields. Many towns, besides London, are good places to spend money because they are not as expensive as London.

Low property costs are the main benefit because they let expats buy homes with less debt and down payment.

Higher renter yields: yields in London are only 3% to 5%, but they are often between 6% and 8% in small towns.

More and more renters want: People who work, go to school, or have young children like to live in college towns and business hubs.

A lot of money from the government is helping cities outside of London with projects to make them look better and build new roads and bridges.

Why Buying In Small Places Can Be Hard?

Less Fast Capital Growth—Home prices may not go up as quickly as they would in London, even though rental returns are high.

Changes in the market: Some cities in the area depend on certain businesses, which makes them more likely to be hurt by changes in the economy.

Tenant change: Some places have a lot of tenant change, which raises the cost of management.

The South's Best Buy-To-Let Cities

People who live outside of the UK looking for high-yield buy-to-let investments should think about:

With rent rates between 6% and 8%, Manchester has one of the best renting markets in the UK. This is especially true in Salford and Ancoats.

Rents go up by 5 to 7 percent in this city, which is the second largest in the UK. Tenants are in high demand, and the business world is expanding.

A lot of people and companies go to Leeds. The profits in places like Headingley and Holbeck are between 6 and 7 percent.

With 7% to 10% rental returns, Liverpool is one of the best places in the UK to buy a home.

Nottingham is a city that is growing and people want to rent a lot of places. The rate of return is between 5 and 7 percent in places like Lenton and the city center.

Conclusion

People who live outside of the UK can make good buy-to-let investments in London and other places in the UK. Which one to pick depends on your goals and how much money you have. There is long-term capital growth and status in London. In regional towns, on the other hand, you can find better rental yields and lower entry costs.

Buy to let mortgage for expats can get the most out of their real estate purchases by giving careful thought to the property's location, rental demand, and mortgage options.