#and the one figure is over 160 dollars

[boneremoval]

being both a gundam model kit enthusiast & a transformers fan is hard because you get obsessed with a character and then go "liking him isn't enough i need to put him together with my bare hands" and there is no model kit !!!

[wihellib]

WHB, Nightmare Passes, and Value

This is going to be a long post.

It would cost me $72.94 real life dollars if I wanted to possess Beel Bath. For that price I would get:

Solomon Seals: 300 (6 pulls)

Lesser (Red) Keys: 210 (7 ten pulls)

Greater (Gold) Keys: 250 (5 ten pulls)

Solomon’s Tears: 168 (Enough to Promote one character 4/4 times and another 3/4 times)

Pie Piece Choice Chest: 40 (Not enough to upgrade one character’s skill to level 5, which needs 60 pie pieces)

Pie Choice Chest: 50 (Not enough to upgrade one character’s skill to level 8, which needs 160 pies)

Devil Gummy Choice Chest: 10 (Easy to farm, so useless)

Beel Homescreen Buttons: 4 (My Devils, Text Messages, Secret Club, Dark Sanctuary)

Beel Bath Artifact: 2

Beel Bath Card: 1

*These numbers don’t include the free tier that anyone can get.

Now, if you want people to spend an amount of money on your game that’s comparable to the full price of a AAA game (good for many, many hours of fun) then you have to make it worth their while.

This is what I would change to the Nightmare Pass to improve its value:

The Items

Give 500 Solomon Seals (1 ten pull), since 6 pulls is such an odd number. Greater Keys have much less value than Lesser Keys, so, to compensate, it should be 300 Lesser Keys (10 ten pulls) and 100 Greater Keys (2 ten pulls).

They already give a good number of Solomon Seals, so it can be kept like that.

The entire pies system needs to be reworked. It’s absurd how much it costs to upgrade character skills, especially when we have no way of farming pies. So, I’m just going to ignore this part, and just say ‘Do Better’.

The Gummies have extremely low value since it’s so easy for us to farm them, so the Gummy Chests needs to be removed from the Pass and replaced with something else. There are a lot of options, like nightmare pancakes, or advanced candy choice chests, etc.

In regards to the Homescreen buttons, I think that’s a great, unique way to add value to the Pass. However, this is only the case when they are unique buttons. For this Pass, the buttons you get are just of normal Beel, they are not his Bath versions. The problem is you can get all other normal King versions in the Nightmare Pancake shop. This is not fair. Full stop. It punishes Beel fans for no reason. So, the Pass should give unique versions of the buttons instead, and normal Beel buttons should be in the nightmare pancake shop.

You should also get a unique frame.

The L Card

Now, onto the star of the show, the L card. You have to do something to set these cards apart from the others. Give me a reason to spend money on this card when I can get the others for free.

The easiest thing to do is to always make the cards explicit. The full cock and balls and oh look there’s a butthole. Make them obscene. This obviously wouldn’t work for mobile app users, but PrettyBusy should be pushing more and more people over to EroLabs anyways. They need to figure out a way for people to transfer their accounts and then go all in on EroLabs so they don’t have to worry about censorship.

Something that would add huge value to the nightmare passes is if the L card’s story was voiced. Not fully voiced, the side characters wouldn’t be, just the main guy on the card would be voiced. I understand getting voice acting is expensive. But this wouldn’t have to be every card on the pass and when it was, they could increase the price a little bit.

Also the L card should be fully evolved if you buy it. Currently you can only buy the card once and have no way of getting more copies to evolve it. So an easy way to add value to the card is to have it fully evolved (i.e. more powerful).

The Character On The Card

Moving on to which characters should be featured on the nightmare pass. I am adamant that none of the Kings should be on a nightmare pass ever.

The main love interests of WHB are the 7 Demon Kings. The others get a sex scene in the main story and maybe some flirty texts/interactions, but that’s it. I really don’t think any of the main love interests of a game should be completely paywalled.

The nightmare pass works best and is the most fair when it’s a once-in-a-while thing (every 3-4 months) and is used to showcase characters that are not the main love interests, like Gabriel and Juno.

This way also has more potential for making money. It’s like, “Hey, I know how much you love Andrealphus or Minhyeok, and you’re sad you’ll only get one sex scene with them and no fancy art, but what if we told you that you could… if you buy these nightmare passes.” People would jump at that way more than a non-explicit card of Beel that’s very similar to other cards that you can get for free. The nightmare pass is devalued in this case.

Finale

So far PrettyBusy hasn’t said anything about the controversy surrounding the nightmare pass. There is a strong chance that they will ignore it completely. So, please keep the pressure up and keep sending them emails (be professional, not bullies) expressing your displeasure with the current state of WHB.

[darkmaga-returns]

From here:

Illegal Migrants Less Likely to Commit Crime? Guess Again. | RealClearInvestigations

“A review of the available data, however, shows that the criminal records of millions of migrants – the ones President-elect Trump vows to prioritize for deportation – remain unknown due to illegal crossings, lax enforcement, and lax data collection by federal and “sanctuary” jurisdictions. “

“In addition, an analysis of the available statistics by RealClearInvestigations suggests that the crime rate of noncitizens is vastly understated. A separate RCI analysis based on estimates developed by the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Institute of Justice (NIJ) suggests that crime by illegal aliens who entered the U.S. by July 21, 2024 cost the country some $166.5 billion. These criminals disproportionately entered the U.S. during the Biden administration.”

“ICE reported this summer that it has released  7.4 million such “non-detained” noncitizens into the U.S. during the last four decades or so. ICE reports that these include 662,566 noncitizens with criminal histories -  435,719 individuals with criminal convictions in their home countries and another 226,847 with pending criminal charges. These precise figures, however, do not say whether the crimes of the latter group were committed in the accused’s home country or the U.S. “

“ICE reported that 13,099 of these non-detained individuals have convictions for homicide, with 1,845 facing criminal homicide charges. Another 9,461 have convictions for sex offenses (not including assault or commercialized sex), and 2,659 face pending charges. The convictions include other crimes such as assault (62,231), robbery (10,031), sexual assault (15,811), weapons offenses (13,423), and dangerous drugs (56,533). “

[enbyhyena]

So I talk sometimes about how piss-poor the SSI payout amounts are, but I did my math on something slightly different today and I just thought I ought to share my findings. I also just wanted to do a more in-depth, comprehensive post in general. So here you go.

As of the 2023 calendar year, the maximum SSI payout amount is $914 per month.

A full-time worker will work 40 hours a week, or 160 hours a month.

If you take the payout amount and divide it by the hours of a full-time job, you get...

🥁🥁🥁

$5.71/hour.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25.

In order to be completely financially secure and comfortable, you need to make about $233k a year. As of 2021, the median household income is $71,000 a year.

According to this calculator, $914/month ($10,968 a year) is 75.23% below the federal poverty line.

Put another way, if I never spent a single cent of my SSI (which I can't do and I'll talk about why further down), and if my wages were not to increase at all (which it does by a small amount each year, but for the sake of this analogy), it would take me 21 years to make the amount of money that it takes to be comfortable for just one year. (I got this figure by taking 914 and multiplying it by the number of months (12), and then dividing 233k by the outcome [$10,968].)

Multiple resources state that people should aim to not spend above 30% of their monthly income on rent.

30% of $914 is $274.20.

Median rent cost in the United States has climbed to $2,011 per month.

Recipients of SSI are not allowed to have ANY amount above $2,000 in combined income and assets at ANY time, or else they will lose their benefits cold turkey. Meaning that even if they COULD come up with 200% of their monthly income JUST for rent (not factoring in the cost of food, meds, transportation, etc), they would be instantly cut off.

Don't even get me started on what a shit-show Section 8 is. Especially post-pandemic.

Marriage brings the income/asset limit to $3,000. So if you're a double-disabled couple, your limit is cut in half (strongly discouraging marriage). If you're a disabled person and marry to someone who works, your SSI will almost certainly drop or disappear completely—which can trap disabled people in financially abusive situations.

If you claim SSI and try to work to make a little extra money, every other dollar after $63 subtracts a dollar from your SSI payout, BEFORE taxes. So say you work full time for 2 weeks making $9 an hour—$720 before taxes.

Subtract the initial $63, and you're left with $657. Now divide that by two (for every other dollar).

SSI has just taken $328.50 from your SSI payout. Your $914 payout is now $585.50. Subtract another $328.50 for your second paycheck in one month, and that's a $256.50 payout.

This leads to a lot of disabled people, who break their bodies trying to make just a little more in spite of their illnesses, to largely break even. Usually making about the same amount they would have made if they'd just stayed home and taken care of themselves instead.

And to make it EVEN worse, earnings take 2 months to reflect on your payouts. So say you work over the holidays to treat yourself for Christmas. You may get $914 in December and January as normal, but only come February will you finally see that deduction take effect—meaning if anything happens, you have several hundred less dollars to work with.

When I worked, it took over a year AFTER I quit for my payouts to finally go back to normal, as they kept readjusting my earnings and deducting from my payouts saying that they "paid me too much".

So I don't think it needs to be said that you can fight tooth and nail to get accepted onto this program, and be shamed by society for being on it once you finally win, but as an extra kicker be FORCED to stay there with no options to escape without severe punishment.

I have known people who fought for four and ten years. While being considered, you cannot work AT ALL or they will immediately throw out your case. The average wait time is 2 years, but most wait longer. If SSA says no, you'll be sent to court to appeal. If the judge denies you, you have to start all over again. And you can get caught in the same loop over, and over, and over, and over again, getting denied support that you desperately need, and many die hoping to receive.

8,000 people file for bankruptcy and 10,000 people die a year while waiting for their SSI to be approved.

And it just keeps getting worse and worse the further down the rabbit hole you go. I made this post partially to vent my frustration with this system after being abused by it for the past 5 years (and it abusing the people I care about). But I also wanted to create a resource with citations for people to share around and throw in the faces of ANYONE who dares to think that people on welfare/claiming SSI somehow "have it easy".

As a disabled person, I spend over half of my given days either in bed too ill and/or in pain to function, or at a clinic begging a doctor to not call me fat or a hypocondriac or drug-seeking and take my (documented and diagnosed!!) illnesses seriously. I rarely ever get to just SIT there and BE sick. I often have to get up and get shit done in SPITE of being sick, even doing OTHER people's jobs and holding their hands just to make sure they're actually doing what THEY'RE being PAID to do (insurance agents, doctors, etc). Disabled people don't GET days off. Just because we don't work a "conventional" job doesn't mean we're just sitting on our asses mooching off the system. Every single goddamn day is a fight just for the basic human right to survive. And I never want to hear anyone saying that ableist, invalidating, and blatantly untrue shit around me.

[theworstfoundingfathers]

Who is the worst? Round 1: John Trumbull vs Roger Sherman

John Trumbull (June 6, 1756 – November 10, 1843) was an American artist of the early independence period, notable for his historical paintings of the American Revolutionary War, of which he was a veteran. He has been called the "Painter of the Revolution".

Trumbull's Declaration of Independence (1817), one of his four paintings that hang in the United States Capitol rotunda, is used on the reverse of the current United States two-dollar bill.

As a soldier in the American Revolutionary War, Trumbull rendered a particular service at Boston by sketching plans of the British and American lines and works. He witnessed the Battle of Bunker Hill. He was appointed second aide-de-camp to General George Washington, and in June 1776, deputy adjutant general to General Horatio Gates. He resigned from the army in 1777 after a dispute over the dating of his officer commission.

Trumbull was appointed president of the American Academy of the Fine Arts in New York City, serving from 1816 to 1836. Emphasizing classical traditions, Trumbull did not get along with the students. At the same time, his painting skills declined. In 1825, many of the students withdrew, founding the National Academy of Design. Unable to accommodate to changing tastes, the American Academy later closed in 1839 after a second fire destroyed its collections.

Roger Sherman (April 19, 1721 – July 23, 1793) was an American statesman, lawyer, and a Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to sign four of the great state papers of the United States related to the founding: the Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and U.S. Constitution. He also signed the 1774 Petition to the King.

Sherman opposed appointment of fellow signer Gouverneur Morris as minister to France because he considered that high-living Patriot to be of an "irreligious nature".

Sherman is one of the most influential members of the Constitutional Convention. He is not well known for his actions at the Convention because he was a "terse, ineloquent speaker" who never kept a personal record of his experience, unlike other prominent figures. At 66 years of age, Sherman was the second eldest member at the convention following Benjamin Franklin (who was 81 years old at the time). Yet he was a critical opponent of James Madison and the more populous states. Sherman was also one of the most active members of the Convention, making motions or seconds 160 times (compared with Madison's 177 times).

[freenewsreport]

Jeremy Clarkson Net Worth: How Much Is The Famous Host Really Worth?

Jeremy Clarkson—what a name, right? Known for his loud, boisterous personality, his wit, and love for all things fast, Clarkson is a household name in the UK and beyond. But, if you're anything like me, you've probably asked yourself: How much is Jeremy Clarkson really worth? We know he’s a TV star, a columnist, a farmer, and a best-selling author. So, does his bank account match his fame? Let’s take a deep dive into Jeremy Clarkson net worth to discover just how much money this multi-talented personality is really rolling in!

From Top Gear to The Grand Tour

Clarkson shot to fame through the ever-popular Top Gear, where he reigned supreme for several years. His cheeky humor and fearless opinions made the show a global success. But after parting ways with the BBC, Clarkson didn’t slow down—far from it! He teamed up with Amazon Prime for The Grand Tour, alongside his co-hosts James May and Richard Hammond. This show has also been a massive success. Given the huge fanbase and multi-million-dollar deal, it’s no wonder Jeremy Clarkson's net worth has soared to new heights!

Television Deals: How Clarkson Rakes in the Cash

One thing’s for sure: television has been good to Clarkson. After his departure from Top Gear, Amazon Prime quickly swooped in, reportedly offering him and his co-hosts a staggering amount to create The Grand Tour. Now, what would that look like in Clarkson’s bank account?

Amazon Prime Deal: Estimated at £160 million ($210 million)

Top Gear Earnings: £1.5 million per year during his time on the show

Additional TV appearances: Varies but often in the high six-figure range

Clearly, his net worth has been heavily boosted by his television success. But that’s not all—Clarkson’s wealth isn't just from talking about fast cars!

Diversifying His Income: The "Clarkson's Farm" Effect

Surprise, surprise—Clarkson isn’t just about cars! In 2020, Clarkson launched the hit TV series Clarkson’s Farm on Amazon Prime. Initially, fans weren’t sure if they’d enjoy seeing the outspoken host struggle with the countryside, but it turned out to be an absolute hit. And let’s not forget, the farm itself isn’t just for show. His Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds has been producing real crops and selling products from its very own farm shop.

Farming, while not the most obvious career move for a TV presenter, has added a whole new stream of income to Clarkson’s already impressive portfolio. This has further pumped up Jeremy Clarkson’s net worth—he's a man of many talents!

The Farm's Impact on Clarkson’s Wealth

Though not his main source of income, farming has definitely contributed to Clarkson's fortune in surprising ways:

Clarkson’s Farm series: £10 million

Diddly Squat Farm shop revenue: Estimated at £500,000 annually

Writing Career: Words Worth Millions

If you thought Clarkson’s talents were confined to TV, think again! Clarkson has written a number of bestselling books. His writing career spans topics from cars and travel to his often humorous take on life’s oddities. Over the years, his books and newspaper columns have added a nice chunk of change to his fortune.

Book sales: Over £3 million from his various titles

Newspaper columns: Estimated at £1.5 million over the course of his career

It’s no wonder Jeremy Clarkson’s net worth keeps climbing—he's essentially printing money with his words!

What’s the Grand Total?

So, drumroll please… What’s Jeremy Clarkson’s net worth? Well, as of 2024, it’s estimated to be around £50 million ($65 million). That’s right! The TV host and farm enthusiast is worth a staggering amount, and his wealth shows no signs of slowing down.

What Does Clarkson Spend His Fortune On?

Of course, with great wealth comes great spending power! So, how does Clarkson treat himself? Predictably, Clarkson has a love for fast cars and grand homes.

Luxury cars: Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Aston Martin—the list goes on

Homes: Clarkson owns a sprawling mansion in the Cotswolds, estimated at £6 million

Farming equipment: Running a farm isn’t cheap! Clarkson has invested heavily in machinery and tools

And let's not forget his extravagant lifestyle! He’s known for his love of fine dining, luxury travel, and splashing out on experiences that fit his larger-than-life persona.

Conclusion

Jeremy Clarkson is more than just a TV presenter—he’s a brand. From his early days on Top Gear to his Amazon Prime ventures and successful farm show, he’s managed to turn his many passions into serious money-makers. And while Jeremy Clarkson’s net worth stands at an impressive £50 million, it’s clear that his empire is still growing. He’s a man who knows how to keep things fresh and exciting!

[umichenginabroad]

Stockholm Week 6: Post-Exam Treat, London

Hej! I had the busiest day this week, in terms of both academic and fun events. I took two tests AND traveled to London over the weekend. 

First, let’s start with the “studying” section of the studying abroad experience: 

2/19 Mon - 2/22 Thu 

For most of the weekdays, all I did was study. I had the online Chemical Engineering Reactions exam on Wednesday followed by Engineering Sustainable Environments in Scandinavia midterm on Thursday. 

To say the least, I had to change the date and time of the Reactions exam multiple times. It didn’t help since I took it from 1 am to 3 am on Wednesday through Zoom. Although it was tiring, I was so glad that it was over; hours and hours of studying in the DIS study rooms were over! I did not have any field studies on Wednesday (thank God) so I slept in. Grinding for my core course midterm began that morning and lasted until Thursday night. 

During studying, however, I made sure to take a break and do something I enjoy. When I was coming home from Hammarby Sjöstad (seaport), the designated suburb area for a group project in Swedish course, I took a walk around where I live. I decided that I could take some time to stroll around the neighborhood. I found some photo spots along with Mojang Studios (who knew Mojang Studios, THE studio that developed Minecraft, was based in Stockholm). 

The scenery at night was beautiful.  

I also participated in the DIS-hosted Paint & Sip night on Tuesday as a stress-relief activity before the exam. They provided fika (I devoured the carrot cake) and all types of painting supplies. Not many showed up, which honestly made the experience better for me. It was a nice and relaxing atmosphere where we got to freely express our creativity. I found my inspiration from YouTube. 

By the end of the session I was wishing that I would never have to stop painting. It was by far my favorite DIS activity! 

I could not and did not resist making plans with my friends despite the exams. I met with my friend on Thursday to grab fika and study together. We went to Cafe Koya, a Totoro-themed cafe in Vasastan. 

The strawberry shortcake was very much to my liking: soft and not too sweet ദ്ദി*ˊᗜˋ*)

All the Espresso House cafes nearby were full of people so we moved to T-Centralen to actually study. After a couple of hours of intense studying, I went back home and took the final test of the week. 

And like that, it somehow became Friday. 

2/23 Fri

Friday kicked off the “abroad” section of the studying abroad experience: 

I knew well from the start that I was getting no sleep this weekend. I kept a separate list to keep track of things to do for this upcoming trip. 

Most urgently, I did not know how to get to Arlanda airport from the Hog (short for our apartment Högalidsgatan). To get the most accurate information, I went to T-Centralen and asked the official at the information desk. He kindly suggested the Flygbussarna bus company. 

Tip* The night buses (i.e. Bus 94, 593) run all throughout the night and are completely free to use with the SL transportation card! 

If you booked a 6 am flight like me, I highly recommend taking the night bus to get to T-Centralen and then taking the Flygbussarna bus to the Arlanda airport. The one-way ticket was 129 SEK (about 13 dollars) compared to taxi options like Uber ($60). Arlanda Express is another option that will take you to the airport the fastest (160 SEK ~ $16), but it has a gap between 12 am and 4 am. There are plenty of options, so choose wisely according to your situation! 

One thing I recognized was that all the tickets had an open date and time. Unlike the U.S. or Korea where you book a ticket for a specific date and time, most bus/train tickets have an open-date ticket policy where you can use the ticket anytime (in the span of 3 months) and any direction (to or from the Arlanda airport). It was an extremely convenient policy that factored into my recommendation. 

After I figured out transportation in Sweden, I searched London’s mode of transportation for a while. The best option for me was using the bus and subway with the same wireless card instead of buying a visitor Oyster card, which had the same benefits of daily maximum cap. 

2/24 Sat

I followed the directions I was given by the T-Centralen official. I took the night bus from my apartment to get to St Eriksplan where the Flygbussarna bus took me to Terminal 4. Due to the early arrival at 4 am, no one was in the line for the visa check. Therefore, I was one of the first customers that received a boarding pass, and the security check-in took much less time than that in the U.S. In less than 30 minutes, I was already heading towards the gate for my flight. 

I got knocked out in the 2-hour plane ride since I had no sleep for the past 36 hours.

When I arrived at Stansted Airport in London around 8 am, I took another prepaid train followed by the city subway to get to the center of London. My dear UMich ChemE friends and I had a huge reunion at the entrance of the hotel. 

The first thing we did together was to find a cafe nearby and eat brunch. We picked one of the abundant brunch cafes and had a huge platter under the bright sunshine and an effective heater. 

They had small portions of their top menus on a huge plate. I think more restaurants have something like this for people who like to try out different dishes at once 

To digest our full bellies, we walked around Little Venice. It was a very peaceful place and we even saw elegant swans swimming around the water. However, I noticed a lot more water pollution than I was expecting. 

The moment our legs started hurting, we took a break from walking by taking the subway to the Baker Street Station. I don’t know about you, but I LOVE Sherlock Holmes and it was beyond fascinating for me to be on Baker Street in London. We quickly visited the gift shop and I refrained from buying everything and anything I saw in that shop. 

Our next stop was the Borough Market, which became one of my favourite (not a spelling error) places in London. They sold all types of food ranging from baked goods to fresh fruits. We tried the infamous chocolate-covered strawberries (insanely juicy - although I would have preferred dark chocolate poured over my strawberries), Portuguese custard tart (I would kill for a good egg tart anytime so buying it was not an option when I saw it), and mangosteen (my absolute favourite fruit of all times). 

They were all extremely good <;3 

We crossed the London Bridge to go to Leadenhall Market, but it didn’t seem to be open when we got there. We got a refreshing boba there and let our legs rest for a bit before attempting to break into the Sky Garden. We tried but failed to walk in because we did not make a notorious 3-week-in-advance reservation. I googled an alternative and found the Garden at 120. Thirty minutes of waiting in line allowed us to see the London sky view for free!

There was a variety of architectural styles throughout the city, which made it more interesting

Searching for nearby shopping malls led us to Victoria Place, but it was a very small one with more restaurants than stores. We didn’t stay too long because we were getting hungry.

One might say that we should have eaten something more British but we got hotpot for dinner. Since we did not make a reservation, we were told that we could dine in but would have to be done in an hour. We accepted the challenge and devoured everything before our time ran out. 

Although we were full, we were not full of sweets.

We decided that we couldn’t miss out on the British sweets, so I opened my magic TooGoodToGo app.

I found a bakery called Granier Bakery with a very high review (4.8 stars) and mouthwatering photos on Google. I paid £3 and we headed right over. The workers there were so quick, friendly, kind, and considerate!!! They even let us pick 2 savory sandwiches (they were HUGE; 1 sandwich was at least 2 servings) AND sweet pastries (you usually don’t get to pick what you get as it is whatever’s left at the end of the day). Since there were still regular customers after us, I thought they would give out ones that weren’t that popular. However, they proceeded to put in their favorite ones on top of those that we asked for. 

They gave us 9 (yes NINE) perfectly good pastries for less than $4. 

Even after a full meal at Happy Lamb we still managed to eat pastries in our hotel. The almond and pistachio croissants were so so tasty.

We didn’t want to end the night early, so we walked a bit to go to a bar and chatted for a while. 

My friends filled me up with tea from back home. We had soooo much to talk about 

Like that, we concluded our first day in London with 28,000 steps. 

2/25 Sun

We began our Sunday morning by surrounding ourselves with flowers ❀❀❀

We went to the Columbia Road Flower Market. There were rows and rows of all the different types of flowers and I instantly got happy just by the sight of them. We occasionally stopped walking to smell the flowers and take pictures of our favorite ones. 

I really wanted to buy some but they only sold in stocks so I decided to enjoy the most out of them in the market 

The small dainty stores on the other side of the road sold many different things as well. I bought a postcard to put in my diary! We also stopped at two different cafes to get a hazelnut pistachio croissant and a passion fruit canelé.

We realized that we did not have much time until our Sunday Roast reservation at 1 pm so we ran and ran and ran to get there on time.

My friend reserved the best Sunday roast restaurant in town; it was indeed delicious. The vegetables, especially the baked garlic, went extremely well with the beef.

I couldn’t finish because it was a very generous serving, but I enjoyed every single bite of it

As a dessert, we got a rhubarb pavlova. It was a delight :) 

The last big attraction according to our plans was visiting The National Gallery. The gallery was enormous, displaying well-known artworks like Monet’s Water-Lily Pond, Van Gogh’s Sunflowers, and even da Vinci’s Burlington House Cartoon. It took almost two hours but we managed to look around all the rooms. 

I bought postcards for two of my favorite paintings, the Water-Lily Pond by Monet and the Skiff by Renoir. 

As we were scrolling through the list of things to do after dinner, my friend found out about a live comedy show called the Top Secret Comedy Club. We booked our tickets last minute and headed over around 7 pm. To our surprise, the show was packed with hundreds of people. It started at 7:30 pm and 2 hours flew by. 

My first-ever comedy club experience was a success; I loved it! 

We went back to our hotel and researched the best way to peel the mangosteen we bought in the Borough market. I think they weren’t ripe enough to be easily peeled, but it was still delicious <3

I was very proud of my cleanly-peeled mangosteen ｡･:*:･ﾟ

2/26 Mon

Monday was my last day in London. We tried going to the Sky Garden when it opens early in the morning, in the hopes that we will make the walk-in limit of the day. But our hopes were crushed when the security that the walk-in was full for the week. 

We changed our route to Big Ben and the Palace of Westminster.

When we were wandering around the close vicinity, we found a beautiful park that has a good view of the Victoria Tower. We took a bunch of pictures before heading towards the London Eye. 

As you can tell from my crazy hair, the wind was BLOWING

It did not feel like we were so high up despite the fact that we were observing the city 135 meters above the ground.

.5 pic <;3 

After 30 minutes, we got down and took more pictures that showed Big Ben in the background. 

We got to experience the real London (cloudy and rainy)

My last event in London was the renowned Afternoon Tea in the Royal Lancaster Hotel. The interior was luxurious and the waitresses were friendly. All the food was served in the form of a course meal: it started with sandwich bites that were followed by scones, ending with a finale of 4 small cakes. Throughout the 2-hour course, we were able to freely switch our tea choices as well. 

The whole course was quite satisfying! 

My friends were staying for a couple more days than me, so it was time for me to say goodbye. I arrived at the airport with ample time and got home at 10:30 pm. 

It was time for me to live my life as a student again. I started checking off my list of things to do until 5 am the next morning ;-;

 

This week is a very busy week for me in terms of presentations, papers, and projects because our first travel week begins this weekend. You’ll be able to see the stark contrast between traveling and studying in the upcoming post! 

I hope you didn’t fall asleep while reading this essay. My gratitude and kudos to you if you made it this far! 

Vi ses, 

Jiwoo Kim 

Chemical Engineering

DIS Study Abroad in Stockholm, Sweden

[bitcoincables]

Bitcoin Creates Over 100,000 Millionaires as it Enters Sixteenth Year

Bitcoin (BTC) has potentially created over 100,000 millionaires as it enters its sixteenth year, according to recent data. Since the start of 2023, the number of BTC wallets containing at least $1 million has surged by almost 300%. Currently, Bitcoin ranks as the ninth most valuable asset in the world, with a market capitalization of around $900 billion. This year has been particularly positive for Bitcoin investors, with the cryptocurrency gaining 160% in USD terms.

On-chain analytics firm Glassnode reports that the number of Bitcoin "millionaires" has exceeded 91,000. These are measured as unique addresses holding a balance of at least $1 million. Although this number is not at its all-time high of November 2021, it is nearly four times higher than the figure at the beginning of 2023. Bitcoin's rapid rise has caught the attention of industry experts, who recognize its transformation from being virtually unknown to becoming one of the most valuable assets in less than 15 years.

The increasing number of Bitcoin millionaires could have significant implications for the cryptocurrency's future. With a fixed supply of 21 million units and several million Bitcoins considered lost forever, Bitcoin may face a potential supply squeeze if more of the world's approximately 60 million millionaires decide to increase their exposure to the asset. A survey conducted by Henley & Partners in September 2023 suggested that there could be an additional 40,500 individuals holding a million dollars worth of BTC. The survey also revealed that there were only six Bitcoin billionaires at the time.

Read the original article here.

[steelandmoney]

Alex Shnaider and Eduard Shifrin provided a 100 000 000$ kickback to Russian Mafia

Zaporizhstal

Zaporizhstal took several years of the entire USSR to construct and launch. Meanwhile, it was bought and sold overnight by the murky Eduard Shifrin and Alex Shnaider. Were they steel tycoons? Were they industrialists? Nope, they were literally nobodies. In fact, the sale of Zaporizhstal was a billion-dollar affair to launder criminal money. Moreover, some of the proceeds from the deal are still disputed by the former partners. So, who are Alex Shnaider and Eduard Shifrin? Where are they now?

The history of the acquisition and sale of the steel giant “Zaporizhstal” during the time of the USSR by Alex Shnaider and Eduard Shifrin is quite old; the events occurred long before the Ukrainian war. It still generates significant interest from the public as it illustrates the complex connections in the world of kleptrocracy. This story involves Alex Shnaider, Eduard Shifrin, Putin, and the criminal group “Solntsevo”.

Alex Shnaider and Eduard Shifrin’s cooperate with the Solntsevo gang

After the dissolution of the USSR, Birshtein had business connections with the leader of the criminal group “Solntsevo,” Sergey Mikhailov. Their partnership ended after Mikhailov’s arrest in Switzerland in 1996. The immigrant businessman distanced himself from the post-Soviet space and soon met Shnaider.

The Solntsevo gang

Thanks to Birshtein, Alex Shnaider established connections with influential figures in the former USSR, which ultimately allowed him to acquire “Zaporizhstal,” one of Ukraine’s largest industrial complexes, during the privatization period.

“Zaporizhstal” acquired and sold by Alex Shnaider and Eduard Shifrin

The plant was acquired by the company Midland, owned by Alex Shnaider and his Ukrainian partner Eduard Shifrin. In 2003, they added the Russian metallurgical giant “Krasny Oktyabr” to their assets.

In 2010, Shnaider and Shifrin had the opportunity to sell “Zaporizhstal” profitably. In May of the same year, Shifrin called Shnaider and informed him that there were buyers acting in the interests of Russian authorities. Moscow allegedly wanted to take advantage of the decreased demand for Ukrainian steel and acquire the assets to maintain its influence in Ukraine. Shifrin explained that Russian authorities considered the Ukrainian metallurgical plant a “politically strategic” object and hinted that if the entrepreneurs refused, they would face repercussions in Russia.

The aftermath: Alex Shnaider and Eduard Shifrin  accumulate offshore wealth

After selling their stake in “Zaporizhstal,” Shnaider and Shifrin transferred control of the enterprise to offshore companies in Cyprus and the British Virgin Islands through the state-owned Vnesheconombank, effectively handing it over to the Russian authorities.

The Midland group, led by Shnaider and Shifrin, received $850 million for the deal, which was $160 million more than what Ukrainian oligarch Rinat Akhmetov had offered. Nevertheless, as per the deal’s terms, Shnaider and Shifrin were obliged to distribute a significant portion of the funds received among several individuals: $50 million had to be transferred to Akhmetov as compensation for the failed deal, and another $100 million had to be transferred to the deal’s organizers through offshore accounts.

$100 Million in kickback: Alex Shnaider and Eduard Shifrin Strike a Deal with the Kremlin

It is still unclear to whom the $100 million went, as the testimonies of business partners differ, although both claim that the ultimate recipients were “individuals close to the Kremlin.” According to Shifrin, the money was supposed to go to a former official in Leonid Kuchma’s administration and the head of the Ukrainian state oil and gas monopoly “Naftogaz Ukraine,” Igor Bakai, who organized the sale of “Zaporizhstal.” Shnaider asserts that Shifrin transferred the money to himself, citing the need to pay Russian officials. This is supported by two documents: a complaint from Shnaider to Shifrin filed with the London Court of International Arbitration in 2016 and written testimonies from Shifrin in response.

Alex Shnaider Invests in real estate, including the Trump Tower

After completing the deal in October 2010, Shnaider and Shifrin divided the Midland assets between themselves, and Shnaider invested $40 million of his earnings in the construction of the Trump Tower. In 2016, a company associated with Boris Birshtein was listed as a creditor for the tower’s construction, although his lawyers claim that he had no connection to the project. Trump has always overlooked the questionable reputation of his partners, and after a series of bankruptcies in the 1990s and 2000s, The Trump Organization couldn’t secure financing from major banks. The Toronto project was conceived as early as 2001, but by the time Shifrin appeared, it had long lost its initial investors.

The Trump Organization stated that it was not the owner, developer, or seller of the Trump Tower in Toronto and did not participate in financing the project. The company only provided a license for its brand and property management (until June 2017). A representative from Vnesheconombank declined to comment.

Parted ways: Alex Shnaider and Eduard go to court

Businessman Alex Shnaider filed lawsuits against his former partner in the Midland Group, Eduard Shifrin, at the London International Arbitration Court, as reported by sources close to different sides in court. Shnaider believes that the Moscow development projects of Lobachevskogo, 118 (264,000 sq. m) in Ramenki and Tsarskiy Sad (84,700 sq. m) on Sofiyskaya Naberezhnaya were not considered in the division of assets between the owners of the Midland Group.

The Split of Shifrin and Shnaider’s Business During the 2008 Crisis: Assets, Accounts, and Misunderstandings

Shifrin and Shnaider decided to split their business during the 2008 crisis. According to reports to “Vedomosti” at the time, the first was to inherit all the group’s foreign assets (such as the projects with Trump International Hotel & Tower in the Dominican Republic and Maccabi Football Club), and the second was to retain assets in Russia. At that time, the Midland Development portfolio included around 1 million square meters of commercial space and 600,000 square meters of residential and hotel space, including Midland Plaza business centers on Arbat, Diamond Hall on Olympic Avenue, Yuzhny Port near Kozhukhovskaya metro, and retail centers in the regions called Strip Mall. The partners were also supposed to split the funds in the company’s accounts, initially amounting to $295.2 million, later reduced to $185 million.

Shnaider believes that his partner misled him regarding the Lobachevskogo, 118 project, as stated by a source close to Shnaider. Shifrin told Shnaider that the project had been transferred as collateral to the company Saratovskoye OOO Torgovyy Kompleks Solsnechnyy (TKS). TKS was a partner of Midland Development in building the Strip Mall center network, and Midland Development failed to fulfill its project obligations to TKS, leading to the collateralization of Business Master (which held rights to the Lobachevskogo Street project) with TKS. However, Shnaider learned from a TKS letter that he did not receive Business Master and did not demand its transfer. It was revealed that the Cyprus-based Dayforth Trading Limited became the owner of this company, which sold a 10% stake in Business Master to Leader Invest (part of AFK Sistema).

Controversies and Claims Surrounding Business Master and Shifrin-Shnaider’s Business Dealings

Business Master was sold to AFK Sistema for $58 million, as indicated by a letter from the former CEO of Business Master, Peter Hanus, received by “Vedomosti.” Hanus confirmed to “Vedomosti” that he wrote such a letter. In reality, AFK Sistema only paid half of the transaction amount, so Shifrin’s legal entity still owns 50% of the project, according to a person close to one of the sides involved in the deal.

A source close to Shifrin says that the Lobachevskogo, 118 project was acquired by Midland Development in 2004, and Shnaider managed it inefficiently and expensively. The site remained in such a condition for a long time that it was impossible to build anything on it. Shifrin decided to buy the asset from his partner for real money, and the deal was conducted under English law, as confirmed by a source from “Vedomosti.” The project was later successfully developed in partnership with AFK Sistema. According to this source, Shnaider had no complaints about this until 2015, and the claims arose at a specific stage when the project gained greater value.

Shnaider also believes that Shifrin deceived him regarding the payment of $100 million, which was supposed to be paid to third parties in the sale of “Zaporizhstal,” as reported by a source close to the plaintiff. All the transaction procedures received corporate approval, and all agreements with third parties were fully settled and paid, according to a source close to Shifrin.

Upon the completion of the Lobachevskogo, 118 project, its value is expected to exceed $300 million, estimated by a source close to the plaintiff.

The income from selling apartments in the Lobachevskogo building could amount to more than 20 billion rubles (approximately $344.8 million at the exchange rate on February 14), calculated by the Best-Novostroy board member Irina Dobrokhotova and Est-a-Tet department director Vladimir Bogdanyuk.

Another project that Shnaider believes was not considered in the Midland Group’s division, as reported by a source close to him, is Tsarskiy Sad.

This complex belongs to Sberbank Capital: in 2011, the company brought in Midland Development as a co-investor for the project. In reality, the agreement was reached in 2009 during the division of assets among Midland shareholders, according to a source close to Shnaider. However, a source close to Shifrin claims that Shnaider had no involvement with Tsarskiy Sad and did not invest in it. A person close to one of the project’s participants states that Shifrin is not a shareholder there; after the realization of the project, he was supposed to receive a 25% share. This was also confirmed in 2011 by Ashot Khachatryan, the CEO of Sberbank Capital.

The realization of the project has been ongoing for some time; therefore, Shifrin has a right to a share in it, as believed by a person close to the plaintiff.

The value Shnaider placed on a quarter of Tsarskiy Sad is unknown. The project’s declaration stated that the total revenue in 2015 was expected to reach 16 billion rubles, and this figure is still relevant, according to Stanislav Ivashkevich, Deputy CEO for Hospitality Industry Development at CBRE.

Eduard Shifrin and Alex Shnaider’s Confidential Legal Dispute: Parties and Potential Resolutions

Shifrin and Shnaider confirmed the legal dispute, but without disclosing details as the information is confidential. Shifrin stated that neither AFK Sistema nor Sberbank Capital is related to the disagreements.

Representatives of AFK Sistema, Leader Invest (a subsidiary of AFK), and Sberbank declined to comment. Attempts to contact a representative of TKS were unsuccessful. The only legal entity with that name, according to the Rosreestr registry, has been inactive since 2010.

Claims are accepted by the court, not only at the time of the event but also when the claimant becomes aware of their rights being violated. A court in London is expensive, and the losing party is obliged to compensate the legal expenses of the winning party, so it makes sense for them to reach a settlement.

[the-firebird69]

We're going to haul in a whole bunch of these idiots because they're so mean to my husband and me and I can't stand them I said it today at the meeting with Mac I said if you want to inventor like at the end of the week you better shut these people up and he knows why I said already giving him so much s*** I can't stand it. It starts sending orders out to have him hit that's a good I am Kim with a plan and the schedule as long as face brighten up said to me he'll be okay and I said to him thank you and he left a little bit happier. He knows he's getting the stuff together and we hear it and saw it and it was happy about that. It's going to be a big deal very soon. So I'm asking what they're doing he said a few more things. They are taking steps to rectify the situation

-it's a matter of time before they get to this but right now they're going ahead and doing it. They're taking down their whole group. The method is much more refined but as much broader

-couple things have changed they used a formal method of diffusing the information no they're using methods that are sop for the military and that changed the other day and we were there when they took over and they said you shouldn't be doing these deals with them they said we have to that there too and they tried roughing us up there's a no-go baby on that they said that he's more like have to go. Who said that practically everybody of all of them are encouraged to encourage everybody to attack Macs all the time. Talking about millions of dollars and evidence and saying it's my husband's it's not really it's my money and it is from me being in Miami and I was down there for a while before he came down and after and I'm still around I have a character and my husband says it's in the digitally it's not really cash and he smile what should I know and it's only going to help because we're forced to do it the other way he smiles and says you're actually right about something you give people no Way out they go right for you and if the clan do that they would have gotten with you and won probably. And they are eliminating a big pile of them today in the military said we have to defend the nation and these people are in a craw and their enemy combatants and they're riding around town harassing everybody they said they can't do and they've seen it before and they explain what they're doing and they're moving in a lot of troops a lot of army special ops and they're taking care of the problem it's working and we're building an apartment with them and it's going ahead but that changed yesterday and they're changing here today these guys are going to start eating crow and they'll have to figure it out somehow that they shouldn't be doing what they're doing

-there's a whole bunch of other things to changed but the three major points and I've listed too well there's three more major points. Says it works but he's trying to eat lunch I'll be brief we have a whole bunch of these people who are little b****** I'm going to start picking them up based on what they're saying it's really code and it's really nasty code and it's against us

-there are 15 people here left in neighborhood now there's 160 households but between the past few days they lost five more so it's 155 and times about five people see it's almost a thousand people ganging up on one person we need them dead and we need people to engage them and our people simply wouldn't do it. But we understand why

-we're now going to go after them pretty hard and the max are right now they're sending out units to pick people up and they're going out with them. It's a huge battle and a huge War and it's going to be one by doing stuff not by sitting around

We are changing things here and they are too and we're moving people in and it's difficult because there's hardly any place to live and we saw what he was saying you can't find a place out here it's very hard the crappy there's nothing new it's all these junk houses and you rent them for a lot of money and it's kind of crappy and the people are like real particular for who the hell knows why and bitchy and don't want to rent to anyone even me. Usually it's a trap and just wears you down because the traps don't spring much. We encountered tons of it in fort Myers that were ready for up here and no just nowhere to go a lot of the houses are condemned a lot of them are fought hard over and it doesn't look it and a lot of it is held I threatening overseas and other

There's going to be a lot of people coming from foreign countries.

Start Trump is using like an advanced military torture technique that massive expense and cost them everything personally that's true of the maps you're doing it through them and the f***** won't stop doing it

Foreigners are charged to do stuff but they're coming here what they're doing doesn't make any sense. They're under extreme duress. Wonder woman was hit by a bomb she can be revived she's not in good hands I guess. Someone did something with a golf cart and they're blaming these people but some guy driving off and escaping in a golf cart

It means our theory is true because we know who the guy was and what he was doing he found out about the clothes building lasers and using all the materials from the ships that were deteriorated just like Titan gamine and one more planetary they're working on

Hera Zues

[blueiscoool]

The $295 Million Los Angeles Megamansion 'The One'  

105,000-square-foot mansion in Bel Air, dubbed "The One," could become the most expensive property to sell in the United States when it hits the auction block next month.

The hillside property, which spans over a sprawling 3.8 acres, will be listed on January 7 at an eye-watering $295 million, with an online sale held February 7 to 10 via Concierge Auctions. From its elevated perch, the home boasts 360-degree ocean and alpine views as well as ones of downtown Los Angeles.

Few properties in the world have ever sold above that list price, including the Chateau Louis XIV in France, La Belle Epoque penthouse in Monaco and the Pollock's Path Estate in Hong Kong, according to Christie's Real Estate.

Taking around a decade to complete, The One is being marketed as the first and only residence of its size in Los Angeles, thanks to new regulations passed in the city during its development that now limit the size of single-family homes, to reduce the number of so-called megamansions being developed.

LA's Westside is no stranger to nine-figure price tags, with another Bel Air property listing for $250 million in 2017, as well as the sprawling Beverly Hills home "Villa Firenze" up for auction for $160-million last year. (It sold for an undisclosed amount.)

But, dubbed a "gigamansion," The One is the most showy of them all. Real estate agent Aaron Kirman, whose eponymous group is jointly selling the property with Williams & Williams, called it "the Mona Lisa of the residential world" in a phone call.

The One has never been on the market, but if it's sold, its owners will have amenities that include a nightclub, salon, spa, 10,000-square-foot sky deck, private running track, movie theater, bowling alley and 10,000-bottle wine cellar. There's even a moat: an infinity pool that stretches around three sides of the residence. At 5,500 square feet, the master bedroom alone is more than double the size of the average American house.

Conceived by architect Paul McClean, who has designed homes belonging to Beyoncé and Jay Z, Avicii, and Calvin Klein, the Modernist aesthetic is both streamlined and extravagant. Neutral colors and clean lines provide a base for luxe details such as a number of original artworks including a butterfly installation by conceptual artist Stephen Wilson and a sculpture by Venetian glassworker Simone Cenedese, which are included in the sale.

The property's developer, Nile Niami, aimed "to build one of the finest properties across the globe," Kirman said. But bringing the property to market has not been without its issues. News reports said this past September that the property's value was once estimated at $500 million, and that the owner defaulted on more than $100 million in loans and debt, according to court documents. Over the summer, the home was placed in court-ordered receivership for complicated real estate deals, an alternative to foreclosure, to pay its debts.

According to Rayni Williams of Williams & Williams, the $500 million estimate was speculation, and $295 million is more reflective of the current market. It is a more "marketable" and "tangible number," she said over the phone.

As for why it's going straight to auction, Kirman explained: "Any given house that's 100-plus-million dollars can take anywhere between one year and five years to sell." An auction "was the best way to have a condensed timeline," he added.

With fewer than 2,800 billionaires in the world, The One's future homeowner will come from a small pool of potential buyers -- unless perhaps a group of multi-millionaire friends decide to share the cost.

"It's a limited market that can afford it," Kirman said. "But we absolutely know who our target is."

By Jacqui Palumbo

[sigmaleph]

today, on absolutely meaningless comparisons:

Gaius Appuleius Diocles was a Roman charioteer, born in what is now Portugal. He was apparently very good at charioteering, and sometimes people call him "the highest-paid athlete of all time".

Now, modern day athletes can make a lot of money. If you look at that Wikipedia article, it mentions various comparisons for how much his winnings in 2nd century Roman sestertii would be in modern US dollars, including "roughly equivalent to US$7.3 million in 2019" (based on the price of wheat) and "worth between approximately $60 million and $160 million in equivalent basic goods purchasing power". If you click through to the highest-paid athletes article, you'll notice 160 million, while a lot, is not enough to compete with people like Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods, who've made over a billion dollars throughout their careers. No, Diocles' claim at being the best paid of all time is because of yet another comparison, landing at an astounding 15 billion equivalent USD.

How did they come up with that number? Well,

His total take home amounted to five times the earnings of the highest paid provincial governors over a similar period—enough to provide grain for the entire city of Rome for one year, or to pay all the ordinary soldiers of the Roman Army at the height of its imperial reach for a fifth of a year. By today’s standards that last figure, assuming the apt comparison is what it takes to pay the wages of the American armed forces for the same period, would cash out to about $15 billion.

source

Impeccable logic, I think we can all agree. It seems an incredible oversight that the standard basket of goods doesn't include "a month's worth of wages for the largest military force in the world".

[original post]

[maryellencarter]

Okay kids, buckle up. I need money again (for the last time, pray god), but at least this time I have a fucking story to go with it.

Short version: My landlord is illegally trying to evict me and I just had to drop $60 on court costs to fight it. That's $60 that was going to pay for either my meds or the electric bill, take your pick. So I really need donations to get by for the next two weeks, after which I should be settling in at a much more mentally healthy job and in good shape. My Paypal is ethanrabbits@gmail.com and my Ko-fi is here. Thank you so much for anything you can contribute!

Long version:

So the last three months I've been off work due to a mental health breakdown. July and August, I haven't been able to pay my rent. I applied for rent assistance right away in late June, and emailed my landlord's office all the paperwork for both the rent assistance and the CDC Declaration of eligibility for the Eviction Moratorium -- the thing where if you're poor enough you can't get evicted during the pandemic because you would have to go to a shelter or a crowded living situation and be at risk for the Covid.

Middle of July, I received a *backdated* notice that if I didn't provide proof of rent assistance application, I was going to be filed against for eviction. Okay, there's a new property manager, maybe the filing got mixed up, so I go down and re-email all the paperwork and make sure the property manager sees it arrive in the email.

Beginning of August, I get a notice from the rent assistance people that the CDC has extended the moratorium for places in a high surge status, which I am in one, so I fill out and forward the newest eviction protection form which should cover me till October 3, and go down to speak to the property manager about it, when again I am assured that everything is on file.

Middle of August, two months after filing my request for rent assistance, I finally hear from a caseworker who says "send me your paperwork". I jubilantly send all the paperwork, go down to give my property manager the good news, and also -- see, I don't have a lease for September yet. I was offered one back in July, but I didn't want to sign anything until I knew what my situation was going to be with regard to rent assistance and paydays. So I brought down the paper that said "yes I am signing here to officially agree to the new lease you offered, please print the new lease so I can sign it officially", and handed it to the property manager as well.

Now, I have about $700 of late fees for July and August. This is legal under the eviction moratorium and I have understood from the beginning that I would have to pay them. My first paycheck back to work comes in this Friday, and when I went to request the new lease I had planned to discuss a payment arrangement as well, figuring I could pay about $600 on Friday and the rest in two weeks, based on my projected paycheck.

("Taught myself payroll tax law in order to predict my paychecks" should definitely be on my resume somewhere. I just haven't figured out where.)

But, dear readers, when I went down to drop off the form, there was some other client or resident in the office, so I didn't get to discuss a payment arrangement. No big deal, I figured. I'd discuss it when I heard that my lease was ready to sign.

Instead, last Tuesday, I was woken up at nine sharp by a process server with an eviction summons for me. Thank fuck, I've spent the last two weeks having a technical issue at work that's kept me getting paid but off the phones, because I was in no state to talk to people that day. Eventually I pulled myself together, broke out the legalese close-reading skills, and discovered that the summons includes one particular line item which (I hope and pray) indicates They Done Fucked Up.

This summons, ladies and gentlethem, includes the line item "The Plaintiff has not received an executed copy of the Declaration form as of the date of this filing pursuant to the CDC Order dated September 1, 2020."

Well, gentle readers, I was and am *pissed off*. I keep providing documentation to these fuckers and they keep misplacing it, and now they're getting me involved with The Legal System. I *hate* being anywhere near the legal system. I have massive PTSD triggers from being raised by an evil ADA. But by god, I speak legalese as my first language, and I am not going down without a fight.

So, not being able to get in touch with anyone to provide legal aid or assistance, I spent last Thursday trundling around downtown in decaying shoes and 105° heat, getting court paperwork printed and duplicated and filed and mailed. I dropped about $60 I hadn't planned to spend on court filing fees and certified mail costs and the actual baseline printing costs of all the documentation I needed to provide.

I did get two pieces of good luck that day. One, I finally heard back from my case manager saying that the rent assistance money for my landlord only has to go through one more person who will double-check the numbers. It's supposed to get final approval sometime early this week.

Two, I got a job promotion I've been working toward for years. Well, side-motion, it doesn't come with a raise, but I already make $16+ an hour, over twice our federal minimum wage. What it does come with is, except in rare cases I never talk to callers, I just answer them in written messages. This should hopefully be a perfect job for me, and allow me to work a solid 40 hours a week and earn plenty of money.

The catch is... it's work-at-home only. If I get evicted and can't make it to training on Monday week, I'm fucked.

So. My eviction hearing is tomorrow. If and when the judge is like "okay if we let you sign a new 12-month lease and stay in your apartment, what is your repayment plan on your late fees", I plan to be like "Your Honor, I have a payday on Friday and I am prepared to provide the court a money order for the full $700 of late fees on that date which will bring me fully up to date".

I'll do it, too. The catch is, that'll leave me with something like $200 in the bank for the next two weeks, and I calculate I need about $100 for groceries, $80 for meds, $50 for electric, and $80 for the cell phone bill over that time period. These numbers don't add up. :P

Soooo, yeah. I'm having to spend about $160 I can't afford because my damn property manager is an idiot and can't fucking print and file my fucking legal declaration. I really hope the court throws the book at the corporation and nails them with those "up to $200,000 fines" for breaking the CDC moratorium, although I am dubious because courts like corporations much more than they like stout genderqueer individuals without legal representation, however white and erudite.

But mostly, I really hope I can stay in my apartment and also afford my meds for the next two weeks. My Paypal is ethanrabbits@gmail.com and my Ko-fi is here. If you can spare *anything*, even a dollar or three, it would help so much.

God, I'm so sick of having to beg for help every few weeks. I just really hope nothing else blows up in my face... :-(

[wisdomrays]

TAFAKKUR: Part 419

THE TRAGEDY OF THE AMAZON: Part 1

The Amazon tropical rainforest is the largest in the world, spanning nine Latin American countries-Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, French Guinea and Surinam -and covering 5.5 million square kilometers (550 million hectares), an area nearly six times the size of Turkey (Goldenberg and Durham, 1990, p.25). It catches an average annual rainfall of more than 100 inches and is the home of literally millions of species of plants and animals, most of them unique to the region. One hectare of Amazon rainforest may hold as many as 230 different species of trees, compared to the 10 or 15 species in the equivalent area of any other rainforest (see The Ecologist 1989, special issue on the Amazon). One report estimated, for a typical 4 sq. mile patch, approximately 750 species of trees, 125 of mammals, 400 of birds, 100 of reptiles and 60 of amphibians, while a single tree might be the habitat of more than 400 insect species, 80.000 plant species (including 600 kinds of palm alone) and some 30 million animal species inhabit the Amazon forest (Linden, 1988, p.45).

For that reason, the region constitutes a vast, natural pharmacopoeia. Plant and animal tissues obtained from the rain forest are used in the production of chemicals of known medicinal potency. (The ingredients for the best known drugs are extracted from the tropical plants.) So far less than one percent of the Amazon’s plant species have been studied for their possible curative properties (McGee, 1990, pp.516-17).

In contrast to the wealth of its flora and fauna, the soil of the Amazon is poor, so poor that, when large areas are cleared up, the regeneration process may take as long as 300, in some places even 1000 years (Giamo, 1988, p.539). But, the forest is rich in various natural resources: deposits of manganese, aluminium, copper, tin, nickel, iron, gold and natural gas have been found. Annual production of these minerals is worth about 1.5 billion dollars (McGee, 1990, p.515).

The region as a whole is vital to the maintenance of the world ecological order; it is an important factor in world weather patterns; nearly half of the world’s oxygen atmosphere is released from its vegetation; and approximately two-thirds of the world’s fresh water is stored in the Amazon basin.

DEFORESTATION OF THE AMAZON

Today, one of the most serious problems facing the international community is the uncontrolled destruction of this unique environment. Deforestation of the Amazon region is being done by all nine states sharing the region, though Brazil, 59% of whose territory is located in the Amazon basin, is the most active. Over the last three decades, the scale of destruction has become intolerable. There are no precise figures; the estimate is a loss of 13.000 sq. km. of forest annually. The total destruction of the Brazilian Amazon so far amounts to 415.000 sq. km., an area about the size of Iraq (Cerrill, 1992, p.44). Pessimists expect the Brazilian rainforest to have been largely destroyed by the first decades of the next century, despite a fall in the rate of destruction (ibid).

In a global perspective, the destruction of the earth’s lungs (for that is what the rainforests are) raises two problems. First, the increase in carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into the atmosphere. In 1988 an estimated 12,000 sq. miles of Brazilian forest, an area larger than Belgium, was set alight to clear land for agricultural use. Excessive CO2 emission from such fires is among the main causes of the so-called greenhouse effect: Amazon deforestation contributes nearly five percent of the total CO2 emissions worldwide; the region as a whole stores in its flora 0.75 billion tons of carbon (Linden, 1989, p.46). The increase in the temperature of the earth’s surface will bring about climatic chaos, threatening the future of the global ecosystem including mankind. Second, deforestation goes hand in hand with the destruction of fauna and flora. It is estimated that every day one species becomes extinct (Goldenberg and Durham, 1990, p.26). If the Amazon rainforests vanish, more than a million species, a significant portion of the earth’s biological diversity and genetic heritage, will become extinct (Linden, 1989, p.45). The scale of the danger can be simply illustrated: 900 species of fig provide essential nutrition for spider monkeys, peccaries (a variety of pig) and toucans, for over three months of every year; the figs themselves depend on pollination by wasps–if the wasps go, all species higher up on the food chain go also: the monkeys and jaguars would disappear.

The well-being of the generations to come is dependent upon the preservation of biological diversity. Failure means that our children will be deprived of the opportunity to discover or modify pharmaceutical compounds from the genetic diversity that is now available but would then not be. And that lack would be felt also in the agricultural sector where genes taken from wild species are used to interbreed with domesticated varieties to enrich and strengthen them. For example, the California barley crop, with an estimated annual value of $160 million, was rendered immune to the lethal yellow dwarf virus by a gene from a barley plant found in Ethiopia (Dobson, 1992, p.282). That is why even Westerners agree that ‘Brazil is very important to the international community because of its biological diversity’ (Cerrill, 1992, p.46).

The Brazilians are accused of constructing highways, colonizing the region through large-scale migration, ranching, mining and lumbering. In fact, all the Latin American countries who share it also share in the destruction of the rainforest. In some of these countries, the forest is cleared to grow coca for cocaine production. Many endangered plants and animal species are caught for export to the West’s pet shops. The local governments are unable or reluctant to enforce international agreements to protect the fauna and flora threatened with extinction.

The principal excuse for the ongoing destruction is widespread poverty, even hunger, in the countries concerned. One Brazilian president said ‘we cannot discuss the environment issue without taking into account the situation of poverty and misery in which three-quarters of humanity lives’ (Cerrill, 1992, p.46). We should ask ourselves why such poverty arises in a region which Allah has endowed with so much natural wealth and beauty.

[notthatiwilleverwriteit]

Your posts are always interesting, this could sound weird but, what do you think about the sexual orientations in 19 days? I know it is shonen ai but in this kind of comic is usually characters are just in love with someone but no anyone else. But with zhanyi it has being shown at least that Zhan had problems thinking about it, what do you think about tianshan's as well? I am not into Lgbt knowledge, so i'm lost about it

Good afternoon, dear anon-san!

I’m sorry it took me a couple of days to get to your question. Thank you for your patience!

I’ve talked about my takes on the sexual orientations a couple of times by now:

Why didn’t HT want MGS to like him more and more?

Homophobia in 19 Days

Could HT be bisexual?

Could ZZX be quoiromantic?

Was ZZX a heterosexual prior to JY’s confession?

Zhanyi and emotional manipulation?

Was MGS HT’s first kiss?

My Tianshan “timeline”

I suggest you check out those previous answers to get a better sense of where I’m coming from. I’m probably going to repeat some of the things in this answer but not as comprehensively.

Also, before I get further into this, I realize this is a rather controversial topic in the fandom. However, I want people reading this to know that I am most certainly not against discussing how readers interpret the characters from this perspective. I know some people just genuinely don’t care one way or another - which is perfectly fine - but to me, it sometimes feels like “who cares” is used to shut people up. I don’t see why the aspect of sexual orientations can’t be discussed just like any other part of the story. Especially since I feel like it’s one of the major themes of 19 Days. And sexual orientations in fiction can be important peaks of representation and connection to many readers, so I do understand why people might want to talk about them.

In all fairness, though, I also understand why people might be annoyed by this discussion. Other’s interpretations can feel forceful to us, especially if they greatly differ from ours. Or it might irritate us if we feel like people are focusing on trivial things. I get it. I’m sometimes “guilty” of those feelings, too - I’m not trying to make it sound like I’m somehow above that. However, I don’t think the solution should be to make others feel shitty but rather to try and give room for all kinds of points of view.

Anyway. End of my usual rant when it comes to these things. (^_^ ‘‘)

“what do you think about the sexual orientations in 19 days?”

When it comes to sexual orientations in 19 Days, I feel like the most accurate answer I can give is “I don’t know”. I don’t think it’s possible to tell one way or another for sure, and anyone’s interpretation is as good as mine. The things I’ve said in previous answers - and what I will continue to say in this one, too - are merely based on the vibes I’ve personally gotten. I am not trying to make it sound like I have some kind of solid, concrete “evidence”. I want everyone to keep all of that in mind when reading this.

He Tian and Mo Guan Shan

I’m going to be fairly brief with HT because I’ve already talked about him in this sense a few times. In short, I tend to read HT as a budding bisexual. Partly because of the vibes I’ve gotten and partly because of my own bias as a bisexual. It’s a pet interpretation of sorts that I like to toy with.

There aren’t any solid extracts of the comic for me to base this on, either. Merely little details that had caught my eye and made me wonder (ch. 160, 190, 226. 307):

If someone says that none of those panels make HT a bisexual, I would wholeheartedly agree. But to me, as a reader, those little details muddy the waters. Reading magazines with half-naked women in suggestive poses on the cover doesn’t make anyone straight, bi, or anything, but it seems HT doesn’t at least mind that kind of content - perhaps he’s even interested in it since he’s supposedly spent money on them. Of course, it’s too hasty to judge a book by its cover so to speak but I’ve always been interested in that detail.

However, what has made me think HT might be bisexual more than that is the whole “I don’t want you to like me more and more” thing. I have somewhat mixed feelings about the note but regardless of that, HT felt the need to lie to MGS. Again, there could be many reasons for it - but I think one possible reason could be that he was conflicted. Initially, HT didn’t get interested in MGS for romantic reasons, but somewhere along the way his feelings shifted and developed. Was HT confused about his own feelings and that’s why he lied to MGS? Was it his first time discovering such feelings for another guy? Again, it’s impossible to tell for sure but I don’t see why that couldn’t be a possible way to interpret it.

In addition to all of that, we don’t really know enough about HT’s past relationships to tell one way or another. He’s only 15, so I doubt he’s had much experience whether it’s with girls or guys. How being a part of his family has affected him as a person is also something that should be taken into consideration when wondering about HT’s potential romantic past.

I haven’t really talked about how I see MGS’s orientation before. I think that MGS’s character was set out as straight, but it’s always been more like a like “default setting” rather than what he might actually be. I would say he sees himself as a heterosexual but I think that’s more about him just going with what’s considered “normal” without bothering to give it much thought (ch. 222):

That little conversation has always reminded me of the movie 40 Year Old Virgin. Like, if Buzzcut had asked MGS “what kind of boobs do you like?” and MGS had been like “yes” or “as long as she has them”. He doesn’t really seem to have preferences or a type when it comes to girls, and I think one reason for that is because he’s never really been that concerned about the matter. If someone asks, he’s into girls but that kind of conversation is over rather quickly with him.

One reason for MGS’s seeming indifference is probably how he’s been rejected by his peers, ultimately leading him to isolate himself and push others away by becoming even harder to approach. Girls wouldn’t be interested in someone like him, so why should he waste time thinking about them? I might be projecting too much but it seems to be like he’s basically rejecting that part of being a teenager. It’s easier to ignore it until you’ve become indifferent than feeling like you’re missing out on something. 

In addition to that, it seems MGS is easily irritated and disgusted by the idea of another guy making a pass at him and aggressively guards both his body and image in that sense (ch. 160, 170, 249, 250, 285):

I’m sure a lot of that has to do with his history of being involved in gangs and being a delinquent. To survive in that world you need to exhibit rather aggressive and masculine behavior. In other words, to be the top dog. In those circles, being gay is easily associated with being the bottom as in submissive and easily overpowered. So, in addition to MGS not being keen on talking about girls and romance, he’s also had to keep up a certain image.

Do I think HT has discovered MGS’s “true” sexuality? I wouldn’t really put it like that. I would rather say HT’s persistent influence has “unlocked” the world of love and affection for MGS. He can experience that part of life with HT instead of rejecting it. I suppose the million-dollar question is does that make MGS straight or homosexual. And to be honest, I don’t have an answer. Personally, I read him more as a heterosexual than homosexual. I can’t really him being in a relationship with other guys than HT.

Jian Yi and Zhan Zheng Xi

I’ve also talked about these two quite a lot, so I don’t know how much I have left to say. Generally speaking, I think JY is someone who might actually identify as a homosexual in the future. It doesn’t look like he’s ever been interested in girls. More importantly, though, it seems that as he’s fallen in love with ZZX he’s also discovered himself in a broader sense (ch. 143, 158, 164, 187):

I think the theme of coming of age when it comes to sexuality is the strongest in JY’s character. ZZX might be the only guy he has a crush on, but JY seems to be thinking about being in love with a guy also as something that might defy him. He feels confused about being different and scared of how others could react to him being in a relationship with ZZX despite how open he also is about his feelings. He might happily want to hold hands with ZZX or kiss him in public but he’s not always that confident. JY is surprisingly good at hiding behind a happy-go-lucky smile and carry the hurt and insecurity caused by prejudice in his heart. Those deeper feelings occasionally burst out when his guard lowers.

Again, this is just an overall vibe I’ve gotten from JY’s character. But I’ve always felt like he’s processing the whole thing of being in love with someone of the same sex on a deeper level than the others. I feel like his feelings for ZZX are connected to his identity more explicitly and him coming to discover himself sexually in the same way that real-life people would.

Compared to the three other boys, I think ZZX has always been a solid straight to me. I think before JY’s confession he identified as a heterosexual. He just was the kind of teenage boy who found girls and crushes too troublesome and annoying (ch. 51, 52, 102):

I doubt the idea of being in a relationship with another guy had really popped into his mind as an option. JY’s confession and feelings for him as a guy came as a big shock to him. Their first kiss seemed to tumble everything down in ZZX’s head and force him to figure everything - JY, himself, and his relationship with JY - from the beginning (ch. 151, 152, 165):

I believe a lot of it was rebuilt the same way but there were definitely changes and also room for future changes. A lot of the feelings ZZX already had for JY - protectiveness, affection, deep sense of bond - could also be applied to a romantic relationship. I believe they’re also the building blocks that ZZX as a character would want to cherish in his romantic relationship. All ZZX needed to do was to shift his point of view a little when it came to JY and see how he felt about it.

As big of a mental turmoil as I’m sure ZZX went through, I think it’s safe for us to assume what his resolve was. I might be too generous with my interpretation but this moment made Zhanyi canon in my head (ch. 209):

ZZX didn’t exactly return JY’s feelings in the same sense but he accepted them. He might not be ready to give all the things JY wants yet but he made a promise that JY will have a future with him. JY won’t have to feel insecure because ZZX will always be beside him. He just needs more time, and JY has to be patient.

But I suppose that once again the question of ZZX’s current orientation remains. And I don’t have a solid answer this time, either. I still read him mostly as a heterosexual, though. Just like MGS, I can’t really see ZZX in a relationship with another guy besides JY. However, I think that ZZX is also the type of character who puts more emphasis on the bond of the relationship rather than his partner’s gender. But...still, I imagine it would be quite a hump for him to discover that he could have feelings for guys in general, too.

“in this kind of comic is usually characters are just in love with someone but no anyone else”

This is very true and also partly why saying anything one way or another is quite difficult. In the story, the characters are in love with one other person, but you can’t make assumptions or conclusions based on just that. Just because you’re in a same-sex relationship doesn’t mean you’re a homosexual. Whenever I wonder about the orientations in 19 Days, I try to keep this in mind but I also feel like the vagueness allows readers to make multiple interpretations. I get certain vibes that point me in certain directions but I completely understand if others end up with other kinds of readings.

However, this kind of “he’s only gay for him” is also something I’ve seen BL been criticized for. It makes it look like men being attracted to other men isn’t a real thing but rather something that happens under special circumstances. Personally, I don’t have a major problem with that - it is what it is, I suppose - but I can see why that would bother people in BL. Do I wish some characters (for example, JY) would come out as LGBT at some point in the story (if you don’t think he already has)? Sure, I’d be interested in seeing that. And I think it would be a natural development for his character. Do I think that’s going to happen? I’m somehow doubtful, not at least in so many words. But that doesn’t really mean the comic can’t tell a story about discovering oneself, as we’ve already come to see.

Thank you for your question, dear anon-san!

[immortalbarnes]

A Cabin For Two | Chapter 1: Here Comes the Sun

Bucky Barnes x Reader

summary: you and Bucky live another day in paradise and visit an old friend

warnings: just a little angst... and some internalized anger towards Steve Rogers

A/N: mainly a setup chapter, also this is my way of letting out pent out emotions towards the writers of endgame’s decision of sending Steve back in time

prologue

A normal day in the cabin consisted of semi-early mornings with something sizzling on the stove and the strong fragrance of coffee wafting through the dewy morning air. To the normal person, life in the middle-of-nowhere-New-York seems isolating and boring, but for two ex-hydra elite super soldiers, there is nothing better.

As Bucky brews a fresh batch of dark roasted perfection, you flip the finale of the stack of pancakes he suggested to make in bed some time earlier, and there is comfortable silence between the two of you, as you hear the coffee maker sing and feel your pristine white cat, Alpine, rub against your ankles.

Bucky comes up behind you and wraps his built arms around your waist, humming a Sinatra song you both originally missed out on in the 50’s. You smile, tossing the final silver dollar pancakes onto the tray to your right. He slips back away from you in time to turn off the stove and turn to see him now reaching out for you to dance with him as he begins to sing the words of a totally different song, probably from an entirely different era. (70 years of music is hard to catch up on)

“Here comes the sun…” He quietly sings to you as you step into his embrace, “And I say… It’s all right.” He serenades you, off key as his voice is still sleepy and gravelly, as you slow dance in the kitchen, Alpine circling you two.

“That’s not what you were humming earlier.” You contentedly point out.

“Forgot the words to that one,” He replies and continues singing The Beatles song.

“Doo-dun-doo-doo”

After he slowly closes out the tune, you gather your pancakes, syrup, coffee (of course), and some assorted fruits, and go out to the front porch. Out there, a small picnic table on your porch basks in the rising morning sun. You splay out your food and utensils, sit, and merrily eat, listening to birds chirp and watching bunnies scurry back to their homes.  Bucky’s eyes are shining as he watches the sun slowly rise. Neither of you know what time it is, your best guess is 7 or 8, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no missions to be sent out on, no reports to file, and  no one ordering you where to be. It’s you, Bucky, and mother nature, and you couldn’t ask for anything more.

“Y/N?” Bucky asks after a while, snapping you out of your content haze. His voice is quiet and soft, as if he intended to not startle you.

“Yes?”

“What should we do today?” You knew he was going to ask this question, for he asks it everyday. Somedays you go fishing or hunting, others you curl up by the fireplace and read to each other, and others you go on hikes, but no matter what the answer turns out to be, it’s the perfect answer.

“I don’t know, my love, is there anything you want to do today?”

“Can we visit Steve today? It’s been a while since…” He begins to attempt to justify, but you don’t need to hear it. Nothing broke your heart more than when Bucky found out Steve went back to the 40’s. You loved Steve, for he was everything to Bucky, and you do your best to be everything for him.

“Of course. Do you want to pick wildflowers to bring him? I want some for a centerpiece in our dining room too.” You offer, knowing that bringing Steve small gifts, like pies or paintings, helps Bucky know he’s doing everything he can for his best pal. Part of it hurts to see it, for it angers you that he would leave you two, that he would leave Bucky helpless and alone in a new world far from the one you knew.

…

It’s a short walk to a hill behind your cabin that’s draped in flowers. Having a lot of time on your hands, you began studying the natural floral of the state. Your personal favorite was the Trientalis borealis, or starflower, for it reminds you of the star on Bucky’s old arm, the one you used as a symbol for hope in your days with hydra. Waking up from cryo, you always searched for that deep red star, so you could know your soldier was there with you. Bucky loves Claytonia caroliniana, the spring beauties, only because he loved putting them in your hair. He claimed that the pale pink complimented your y/h/c strands perfectly.

Bucky picked some trout lilies, their petals a vibrant yellow, and you added some white wood aster to go with them. After adding some other plants you’re yet to learn about, you march back to your cabin and tie off the bouquet with some twine before getting into Bucky’s silver Jeep and heading to the city.

…

Steve’s eyes light up when he sees you and Bucky walk through the door, just like how Bucky’s light looking at the morning sun. Supposedly, there’s not much for America’s Golden Boy at Sunny Acres Nursing Home, so maybe Bucky is his sun.

“Bucky! Y/N!” Steve weakly greets the two of you as you walk in. Bucky is like a child, smiling at his wrinkled best friend, holding the small bouquet behind his back. He happily skips to the right side of the bed Steve is currently in, grinning ear to ear.

“We brought you these,” Bucky says as he presents Steve with the twine bound wildflowers you had picked this morning, “I hope you like them, we picked trout lilies this time to brighten up your room.”

“Geez, punk, don’t go soft on me now,” Steve jokes, “I love them.” With those simple words, Bucky beams. He can’t bear to think about how he was no longer there for Steve during his years on ice, so he tries everything to make it up to him during his final years.

“Jerk.” Bucky mumbles.

“Hey, Buck, y’all catch up. I’ll put the flowers in a vase.” You pitch in, taking the flowers to the small kitchenette on the other side of the room. Replacing the last bouquet you brought him now dried out and wilting, you find a nurse there preparing a meal. “Oh, sorry, I didn’t see you there!” You politely greet her, “My names Y/N.”

“Oh, I know, if it wasn’t for the news stories, it would be from Steve constantly talking about you and Mr. Barnes,” she says, “My name is Helen. I’m Mr. Roger’s primary caregiver.”

“Thank you for all you do for our friend. You said he talks about us a lot?” You inquire.

“Oh, all the time. He’s told me so many stories of the Avengers, and of course of  him and Mr. Barnes from before World War II. His stories are incredible!” Her smile is genuine as he continues the soup for Steve, “You know, as much as some of the other heroes try to come and visit him, nothing compares to how happy he is after Bucky visits. It’s really incredible how close they are.”

“Yes… It is.” You can’t help but feel a ting in your stomach when she said that. A small part of you will never forgive Steve for leaving Bucky, but you gotta get over it at some point.

Suddenly, you hear Steve erupt in a wheezy laughter at something Bucky says. Interested, you lean against the frame of the kitchen’s entrance to get a better ear to what they’re saying.

“...and Sam couldn’t stop laughing! It was one of the craziest things Alpine has ever done. Maybe I should bring him here! He’s quite the cuddler.” Bucky finished a story about your beloved cat, and you smile at the two super soldiers talking as if nothing ever happened.

“‘Scuse me,” Helen squeezes past you through the door, soup in hand, “Here’s your lunch, Mr. Rogers.”

“Helen, dear, please call me Steve.” Steve chuckles, “So how is Sam? He was here a couple of weeks ago. Is he still working with the shield?”

“He is. Sometimes he comes over, so I can help him get used to it. I guess it’s not as easy for someone without the serum.” Sam resided in a cabin not too far from yours, and he came over a good amount. If there was anyone who came close to filling the whole Steve left in Bucky, it was The Falcon himself.

“That’s good. The three of you should come up together sometime… with Alpine too!” Steve says, his attention then shifts to you across the room, “How are you, Y/N? Keeping Bucky busy I hope.”

“Oh definitely!” You laugh, striding to his bed, “‘few days ago, we shot a buck early in the morning. My guess was a good 160 pounds. We cooked it and invited Sam over for ribs that night! Had enough leftovers for two days.”

“Didn’t know deer-pot-pie was a thing until she figured out how to make it!” Bucky added, pulling you in by the waist and kissing the top of your forehead. You can’t help but glance down at the portrait of Peggy on his bedside table; right next to a picture of him and Bucky from the war.

The three of you converse for hours, and before you know it, Helen is bringing Steve his dinner. She politely points out that visiting hours are almost over, but that you’re welcome back anytime. You bid farewell to Steve and return to your vehicle for the drive back home.

“Buck?” You timidly say in the car, “Do you ever wish you went back to the 40’s with him?”

He thinks for a while, until he finally speaks, “I don’t think there was anything for me… besides Steve of course. Now, I have you. As long as I have you, I’m happy in any century.”

You bathe once again the happy silence for the rest of the car ride. How did you get so lucky? You did terrible, unimaginable things during your time under Hydra control, so why did the universe let you have someone so magnificent as James Buchanan Barnes?

…

You’re greeted by Alpine as soon as you step over the threshold of your front door. By the time you got back, the sun had begun to set, so you began to start on dinner. Bucky marinated fish you had gotten at a local farmers market the other day, while you washed vegetables from the garden you had out back for a salad.

The two of you sat together at your mahogany dining table, centered with a bouquet of wildflowers similar to the one you gifted Steve. The two of you made small talk, nothing but plans for the next day and compliments to each other on dinner… Until Bucky suddenly says:

“Y/N?” He began, “You know I love you, right?”

“And I love you.”

“You’re everything I’ll ever need, doll, you’re the hope I had in Hydra, and you’re the life I had after it. Ever since I first laid eyes on you at that war camp, I knew you were the gal for me. You’re my world. Never forget that.”

A tear begins to slide down your face, but you didn’t notice it until Bucky wiped it from your cheek, “Thank you, Bucky, I love you so much.”

The sun leaves you and your lover, ending another perfect day in the middle-of-nowhere-New-York.