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girlsdressingrooms · 9 months ago

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Iris Barrel Apfel, Decorator and Fashion Stylist

(August 29, 1921 – March 1, 2024)

Ms. Apfel was one of the most vivacious personalities in the worlds of fashion, textiles, and interior design, she has cultivated a personal style that is both witty and exuberantly idiosyncratic.

Her originality was typically revealed in her mixing of high and low fashions—Dior haute couture with flea market finds, nineteenth-century ecclesiastical vestments with Dolce & Gabbana lizard trousers.

With remarkable panache and discernment, she combines colors, textures, and patterns without regard to period, provenance, and, ultimately, aesthetic conventions. Paradoxically, her richly layered combinations—even at their most extreme and baroque—project a boldly graphic modernity.

Iris Barrel was born on Aug. 29, 1921, in Astoria, Queens, the only child of Samuel Barrel, who owned a glass and mirror business, and his Russian-born wife, Sadye, who owned a fashion boutique.

She studied art history at New York University, then qualified to teach and did so briefly in Wisconsin before fleeing back to New York to work on Women's Wear Daily, and for interior designer Elinor Johnson, decorating apartments for resale and honing her talent for sourcing rare items before opening her own design firm. She was also an assistant to illustrator Robert Goodman.

As a distinguished collector and authority on antique fabrics, Iris Apfel has consulted on numerous restoration projects that include work at the White House that spanned nine presidencies from Harry Truman to Bill Clinton.

Along with her husband, Carl, she founded Old World Weavers, an international textile manufacturing company and ran it until they retired in 1992. The Apfels specialized in the reproduction of fabrics from the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, and traveled to Europe twice a year in search of textiles they could not source in the United States.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute assembled 82 ensembles and 300 accessories from her personal collection in 2005 in a show about her called “Rara Avis”.

Almost overnight, Ms. Apfel became an international celebrity of pop fashion.

Ms. Apfel was seen in a television commercial for the French car DS 3, became the face of the Australian fashion brand Blue Illusion, and began a collaboration with the start-up WiseWear. A year later, Mattel created a one-of-a-kind Barbie doll in her image. Last year, she appeared in a beauty campaign for makeup with Ciaté London.

Six years after the Met show she started her fashion line "Rara Avis" with the Home Shopping Network.

She was cover girl of Dazed and Confused, among many other publications, window display artist at Bergdorf Goodman, designer and design consultant, then signed to IMG in 2019 as a model at age 97.

Ms. Iris Apfel became a visiting professor at the University of Texas at Austin in its Division of Textiles and Apparel, teaching about imagination, craft and tangible pleasures in a world of images.

In 2018, she published “Iris Apfel: Accidental Icon,” an autobiographical collection of musings, anecdotes and observations on life and style.

Ms. Apfel’s apartments in New York and Palm Beach were full of furnishings and tchotchkes that might have come from a Luis Buñuel film: porcelain cats, plush toys, statuary, ornate vases, gilt mirrors, fake fruit, stuffed parrots, paintings by Velázquez and Jean-Baptiste Greuze, a mannequin on an ostrich.

The Museum of Lifestyle & Fashion History in Boynton Beach, Florida, is designing a building that will house a dedicated gallery of Ms. Apfel's clothes, accessories, and furnishings.

Ms. Apfel’s work had a universal quality, It’s was a trend.

Rest in Power !

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octuscle · 11 months ago

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I want to turn myself into a twinky fuck toy for a wealthy man. Can chronviac help me with that?

Well, as they say, everything's bigger in Texas… I'm a junior partner in a large New York asset management firm. We take care of the high net worth clients. To get into our client file, you have to have over USD 100 million in free liquidity. Our clients are demanding. But we are the best. And we do everything for our customers. Really EVERYTHING!

When I took over the clients of a colleague who had retired a month ago, I thought Chuck Tex was a stage name. Until I had my first appointment with him. His record was more than impressive. Heir to old oil and cattle nobility. Classic career of the Texas oil barons. School in New England, studied in Paris, Oxford and Zurich, founded his first start-up company at the age of 20. And sold at 25 for USD 500 million. Now in his mid-30s, he had not yet inherited a cent from his family, but thanks to his excellent education and connections, he had already amassed a fortune on a par with that of his old man. I expected… Actually, I had no idea what I was expecting… But I certainly didn't expect this:

Chuck looked like a porn star. Or a marriage fraud. Or just like a man who I couldn't wait to throw me on the bed and fuck me mercilessly. His handshake was firm, but finely dosed just before the pain threshold. His gaze could certainly cut through steel plates. But I was a professional, I kept my composure. After I asked him what I could do for him, he got straight to the point. First of all, he needed some cash for his stay in New York. USD 10,000 would be enough. Gladly 100 dollar bills. But hot off the press, please. That was no problem. I sent a short memo to my assistant and she would take care of it. But the real reason for his visit was a project in Greenwich Village. He had bought a few buildings there that he was renovating. His aim was to restore the Village to its former charm. That's why he wanted to create cheap apartments, studios and stores and eliminate expensive office space. The whole thing was not intended as an investment, more as a hobby. A kind of gay and creative Disneyland. I briefly wondered why I wasn't actually a billionaire… And then I asked Chuck what my role was. Whether I could help with the financing or with saving taxes.

Chuck just grinned. No, saving taxes wouldn't fit in with his understanding of patriotism. And he would have financed it all with his last start-up exit. But he would need someone to take care of the real estate. Someone to ensure the right tenant mix. Someone to give his studio apartment the right finishing touches. I briefly went through my network in my mind. I had a gay acquaintance who owned a number of bars and restaurants. And I also knew a good project developer. And one of my school friends was a hip interior designer. I smiled and said I probably had just the people he needed. Chuck smiled back. It made my heart stop. He didn't want anyone from my network. He wanted me. I was about to say that I was flattered, but that I wasn't available for such projects right now. But instead I said "Of course, Daddy". Did I want to accompany him to the construction site? "If I may, Daddy!" At that moment, my assistant came in with a bundle of freshly pressed banknotes. Chuck smiled and said he needed me for the rest of the day. Please cancel all my appointments. I nodded to her and followed Chuck like a dog to its master.

In his limousine, Chuck asked me if I had ever been to Texas. I answered in the negative. But the boots I was wearing looked authentic. Yeah, they were my pride and joy. But I wouldn't have ridden a bull yet. I shook my head and giggled like a schoolgirl. Chuck kneaded the bulge in his pants and said that I would definitely be fucked by a bull today. I only got out a "Thank you, Daddy". Chuck let me sit on his lap. He undid another button of his silk shirt and exposed his right nipple. Like a puppy on its mother's teat, I began to suckle. Chuck kneaded my bulge and said that I was a good boy.

The car came to a halt in the second row in front of an old brick building. The walls were covered in high-quality graffiti. There was a closed table dance bar downstairs and some kind of jewelry store upstairs. Some kind of jewelry on display. Made of stainless steel. On closer inspection, piercing jewelry, cock rings and stainless steel dildos. I looked in the shop window like a child in the window of a candy store. Chuck took my hand, pulled me into the stairwell and told me that I could choose something later if I was good. He stroked the long hair on the back of my neck. I love my Mullet. I look a bit like the young cowboys on Daddy's Daddy's farm.

We had just arrived at Chuck's empty apartment when I got down on my knees in front of him and unbuttoned his pants. "First you strip for me, boy," Chuck ordered. He tossed me a cowboy hat that was in a closet. "Everything but your briefs, boots and hat!". Eagerly awaiting the reward, I did everything I was told to do. "And now lube yourself up". He threw me a bottle. And I did as I was told. I could feel my hard-earned muscles disappearing. I felt younger and younger. Although it was hard as steel, my cock was getting smaller and smaller. "I think you need a little more decoration, boy," Chuck said and put a chain on me. Satisfied, he looked at me as I sat on the floor and could hardly wait for my reward.

Chuck took his boner out of his pants. And I leaned back in anticipation. I wanted to be a good houseboy. And today was the housewarming party.

Chuck's pic found @mensuited, yours @hellishin

#male tf #muscle tf #reality change #age reduction #top to bottom #twink tf #redneck tf

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thesandsofelsweyr · 2 years ago

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THE SUS BOY NEXT DOOR

《 PART 1/3 // READ ON AO3 // TAG 》

After coming back from a terrible blind date your asshole neighbor is the last person you want to see right now. He doesn’t have his signature scowl for you tonight, however. Tonight he seems terrified.

《WORDS》 2,809 《CHAPTERS》 1 2 3

《PAIRING》 Arkhamverse Jason Todd x Female Reader

《TROPES》 Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings, Neighbors, Pre-Relationship

《WARNINGS》 Aftermath of Torture/Violence (canon typical), Panic Attacks, Scars, Blood and Injury, Swearing

《NOTES》

This takes place immediately after Jason leaves his failed Batman confrontation and run-in with the Joker from Arkham Knight: Genesis Part 6.

Reader is a true crime addict who enjoys red wine 🍷

This is my first attempt at a reader-insert fic 🙃

Yes this is a repost. My blog is still new so Tumblr didn't allow my original post to appear in the tags. (Shout out to the 10 of you who still managed to find & like the original 🥰)

《 ALSO ON AO3 》 (comments & kudos there are very much appreciated!)

You climb the last flight of steps up to the fourth floor of your apartment building, stomping each stair into submission as you go. You’re still fuming from the blind date you just escaped. That is the absolute last time you ever let Erin set you up with one of her stock broker bro coworkers. You don’t care how hot or rich they are; you are done. Done, done, stick a fork in you. You love your bestie but by God does the woman have terrible taste in men or what.

Both of the pricks she handpicked for you were narcissistic know-it-alls with egos the size of Texas; a pair of swine in designer suits (who, to Erin’s credit, were smoking hot but that’s beside the point.) Once the pig from tonight decided that you weren’t trophy wife material he became far more interested in his phone than he was in you. And the last pig coddled you like you were a delicate, empty-headed damsel in distress who was lucky to be granted the honor of his company and conversation. You should’ve learned your lesson after that first failed date with Dalton Rockefeller-Vanderbilt (or whatever old money asshole last name he had) but you’ve been feeling lonely lately, especially after Ash introduced you to the fab guy she’s dating (an accountant with a perfectly plebeian name of Abe).

You glare down the hallway as you ascend enough to peek over the top of the stairs. Oh great, you think sourly, pursing your lips, your face hardening into a study in once I step inside that door I’m downing a shot of whiskey before turning up an overflowing glass of wine. You stare molten daggers at the tall, brawny guy in your sights. It’s the hot asshole who lives beside you; the last person you want to see tonight. He’s standing, hunched as ever, in front of his door, key poised for the deadbolt, wearing that same teal baseball cap and red hoodie that he never seems to take off. Your jaw tightens. You’ve tried to be nice to the brute—flashing him a smile, saying hello—but all you’ve ever gotten in return was a scowl, if he deigned to acknowledge you at all. Well, you’re fresh out of smiles tonight, jerk.

A flutter of unease tickles your tummy as you step onto the landing, into the narrow hallway with him, your back turned to the only exit, a six foot tall sus man between you and your apartment. You stand up straighter, squaring your shoulders, trying to make yourself look and feel taller. It’s late, and your building is eerily quiet while the city is abuzz with incessant sirens. The usual ensemble of notorious nutjobs are fighting yet another battle in their never-ending war with their rival nutjob who dresses up like a Bat.

Nutjobs like this guy…

You reach into your handbag and grab your keys in your fist, sliding the sharp ends between your fingers, ready to stab at some eyeballs. (You regrettably didn’t have room for your taser or mace in this bag so you have to improvise.) It’s your own fault that you suspect the guy’s a sociopath lying in wait to jump you. You made up a serial killer backstory for him—the result of one too many true crime podcast binges—despite not even knowing the guy’s name. You can’t help it. He gives off serious Ted Bundy vibes. Well, maybe that’s unfair to Ted. Ted would’ve at least smiled at you before bludgeoning you with a crowbar. This guy though…

This guy doesn’t have a scowl for you tonight. Actually, he seems startled by your sudden appearance in the hallway, dropping his keyring to the floor with a clatter that shatters the uneasy silence, causing you to jump. He ducks his red-hooded head between his hunched shoulders as you pass by, warily eying him, ready to stab those icy blue eyeballs of his if he tries anything.

You arrive at your door and take out your keyring, sighing with likely unnecessary relief as you slide the key into the lock. The guy’s probably a harmless weirdo incel who never learned how to talk to a woman. You steal one last peek over your shoulder at him, and watch as he stabs at his deadbolt with his key, hitting everywhere but the keyhole because, you realize with surprise, his hand is shaking too much to hit the target. This dude’s a disaster, you say to yourself as you turn the key in your own deadbolt. Then, as he misses the keyhole yet again, you hear yourself ask, “Do you need help?” in an annoyed tone. You didn’t mean to sound so bitchy but whatever. He shouldn’t be such a bitch to you.

He seems to jump at the sound of your voice, and his keyring clatters to the scuffed wood floor again. You stare back at him incredulously. Is he wasted or something? You wonder as that unsettling feeling creeps back in, prickling the hairs on the back of your neck. Your grip tightens around your doorknob as your pulse picks up speed.

“I’m fine,” he mumbles in response without sparing a glance in your direction.

“You don’t look fine,” you grumble back at him, the flames of irritation rekindled by his rudeness. Why should you care if the jerk’s too drunk or stoned to get in his apartment. Let his rude ass sleep on his doorstep. You shove open your door and take a stomped step across the threshold—you really need that glass of wine. Out of the corner of your eye you see him bend down to pick up his keys, then hear him groan like he’s in pain. You poke your head back around the doorframe, curious, and notice he’s doubled over now, clutching at his heaving chest, breathing hard and fast like he just ran a 5k or—your heart leaps inside your own chest—like he’s having a fucking heart attack. You watch, mouth agape, brows furrowed, as he sinks to his knees, a handful of red fabric still clenched in his trembling fist, then falls forward onto his free hand while he struggles to get control of his labored breathing. Crumpled on the floor like this, fighting for a breath, makes him seem so small, vulnerable, and not the least bit threatening; more like a boy who needs your help and less like an NFL quarterback who murders women on the side for fun.

Just go into your apartment, pour that extra large glass of merlot you’ve been fantasizing about since John Preston Anderson III introduced himself with his full name. Curl up on the sofa with In Cold Blood or a horde of shirtless, oiled, bronzed, and heartily-muscled Dothraki in your Game of Thrones rewatch. Who cares if the hot asshole serial killer next door has a heart attack? But you care apparently because you rush over to him instead, ignoring The Stranger Beside Me audiobook narrator inside your head warning you that this is a textbook Ted Bundy ploy, you idiot. You bend to help him, to lay a comforting hand on his shoulder, and when your fingertips brush against him his entire body jerks away from you, like you zapped him with your taser. He throws up an arm to warn you off. “Don’t,” he snaps breathlessly before gulping down a lungful of air, then rasps: “Please don’t touch me.”

You bristle at his harsh rebuff but keep your temper in check since the guy’s clearly in crisis mode. “Should I call an ambulance? You look like you’re having a heart attack.”

“It’s… it’s not a heart attack… it just… feels like one.” He bites off each word, every breath precious. The fingers of his free hand dig into the hardwood floor.

“At least let me unlock your door for you,” you suggest shortly, biting your tongue before you can add: since you weren’t able to manage that yourself, then feeling guilty for even thinking that. What had the poor guy done to you tonight except happen to be standing in your shared hallway after some other asshole pissed you off?

He gives you a small, grudging nod so you retrieve his fallen keyring, wondering why a man needs so many damn keys. “The bronze one,” he grunts, as if he read your mind.

You unlock his door with the bronze key then push the door open while he drags himself to his feet behind you, huffing and groaning. The dimly lit apartment that greets you is sterile, spartan; that doesn’t help the serial killer vibes at all. One of the furnished units, you presume, since the furniture looks like it was plucked from the lobby of your building. The walls are white and bare; no art or posters or photos of him scowling beside a lover. And the place is spotless—you’d assume it was vacant if you didn’t know otherwise. A vision suddenly fills your mind, a vision of him on his knees, bright yellow dishwashing gloves pulled halfway up his muscular arms, an uncapped bottle of industrial bleach at his side as he scrubs at a puddle of blood while the lifeless corpse of the last girl who wandered in here lies wrapped up in blood-stained plastic behind him. Oh God, you even smell the bleach. But then you notice the stacks of paperback books here and there, the open sketch pad on the sofa with pencil-scribbled notes and drawings, some charging AirPods beside an iPad, another red hoodie—one that zips up the front—hanging from the back of a dining room chair, a gym bag, and atop the kitchen island, a rather happy-looking houseplant which, you have to admit, is kinda cute.

Before you can take in the rest of his place he staggers past you, bumping into your shoulder with a bruising force that knocks you sideways and nearly off your feet. Then with one last little wheeze, he topples over like an uprooted oak tree in a windstorm, smacking face first into the hardwood with a meaty thud that rattles the floor beneath you.

“Oh my God!” You squeal, covering your mouth with both hands.

A shot of adrenaline pumps through your veins, spurring you into action. You snatch your phone from your bag with rubber fingers, nearly flinging it aside in your panic, and frantically dial 9-1-1, forgetting all about the emergency shortcuts created for just such an occasion. Your stomach dips at the sight of the bulky body lying prone at your feet, still and silent as the grave. As the phone rings—the long-familiar trilling sound now seemingly drawn out as if it will stretch into eternity—you kneel beside him to check his pulse and see if he’s still breathing, praying he isn’t a corpse, when you spot something that knocks the breath from your lungs and stops your heart dead in its tracks. With a cold, trembling hand you push up the tail of his hoodie…

“9-1-1, what’s your emergency?” The operator asks by rote, voice booming through your phone’s speaker, but you barely hear it over the alarm bells clanging inside your head. You’re gaping at the gun tucked into the waistband of his pants, unable to form any sort of response around your heart lodged in your throat.

“Hello?” the operator asks irritably.

“Hi, uh,” you start with a squeak, eyes still fixed on the textured grip of that deadly weapon, but then smack your lips shut. What are the cops gonna think when they see that gun? And what if he’s wanted for a crime or something and you get him arrested? He said it wasn’t a heart attack, acted like this had happened to him before. You can always call back if he’s actually dead or dying…

Why the hell does it matter if he gets arrested?? Your brain shouts back at you. Why are you even here in the first place when there’s an unopened bottle of merlot waiting for you in the safety of your apartment only a few footsteps away, where there’s not an unresponsive armed man who’s built like a tank, who doesn’t even need the gun when he could snap your tiny neck with those massive hands of his? Could the universe give you any clearer signals that “you in danger, girl”? Have you learned absolutely nothing from hours upon hours of Karen and Georgia? “Stay sexy and don’t get murdered”—this guy isn’t even nice to you! Don’t you dare hang up that phone…

“Um, I’m so sorry. I thought my neighbor was having a heart attack but-but he’s fine actually. False alarm. Sorry to bother you!” Your words tumble out in a rush then you smash the “End Call” button before you can get questioned further or chewed out for wasting their time. In the back of your mind you hear the recording of this 9-1-1 call replaying on the My Favorite Murder episode starring you, before the hostess pair warns their listeners not to make the same foolish mistake you just made.

You sit back on your heels, clammy hands kneading your knees while that chunk of baleful metal glares back at you from his waistband, like a coiled rattlesnake peeking out from beneath a rock. Your mind is racing as fast as your heart through scenarios that all end with you getting shot. Then your hands are moving with minds of their own, fingers curling around the textured grip, getting your dainty fingerprints all over the murder weapon as you slip it free. It’s heavier than you expected, you note as you grip it tighter, careful not to get your finger anywhere near that trigger. Heavy, but not heavy enough for something that can end a life in an instant. The thought makes you shudder. You place the gun on the floor then give it a shove, eager to be rid of it, praying that the damn thing won’t go off automatically as it slides across the hardwood floor out of reach. You’ve never touched a gun before this moment and have zero interest in shooting yourself in the face.

Now your attention shifts back to the poor guy who's still out cold. You lay your hand on his back and feel its steady rise and fall. Still breathing, thank God. Then with a grunt of effort and a mighty heave you manage to flip him over on his back. Immediately your hand shoots back to cover your mouth and you suck in a horrified breath as his pale face, previously hidden beneath the shadow of his hat and hood, becomes visible in the lamplight.

You were expecting the weals on his chin and forehead, the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, his bottom lip swelling from where it busted when he fell flat on his face. What you weren’t expecting to find was dried blood smeared across his cheek up to his ear, or the J-shaped scar beneath his eye that you’d noticed before (it’s unfortunately hard to miss, despite his best efforts to hide it) weeping beads of fresh blood from where someone traced over it with a knife you assume, carving deep into his skin. But it wasn’t the sight of the blood or the crimson J that pulled the gasp from your throat and made your stomach nosedive like you were on a rollercoaster. Nope, that was your reaction to the angry red furrows encircling his throat around his Adam's apple, deep indentations where someone wrapped rope or wire or cable around his neck so tight that it embedded in his skin; ligature marks from where someone fucking strangled him.

You grab your phone then pause, biting at your lip. Maybe you should call 9-1-1 again. What if his windpipe is crushed? What if that’s why he was breathing so hard, why he fainted? Those marks are so deep… he could be seriously injured. But if he was seriously injured, why had he returned to his apartment instead of going to the ER? It seems like he made the choice for you.

You open your phone’s browser and type: how to treat strangulation injuries, then quickly skim over the top result. Ice. That seems simple enough, you tell yourself, noting that you can clean his J cuts with soap and water, at least until he wakes up. And if he doesn’t wake up soon? Well, then you’ll call the cops. After all, he’s probably a law abiding citizen who’s licensed to carry that gun; a guy that you just pinned as another one of the nutjobs because you always get paranoid about every stranger you see after your true crime binges. In your defense, this is Gotham-fucking-City and you’re a young single lady who lives alone. You’d be a fool not to be paranoid.

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sistersorrow · 16 days ago

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I'm just gonna list SCPs from each series you may or may not have read

SCP-008-J - Geoff: A 23 year old man named Geoff who keeps finding his way into Foundation facilities completely by accident and in such a manner that the Foundation isn't actually sure if he's anomalous or not

SCP-7474-EX - Not All Aliens Are Anomalies: An alien argues that they should not be in containment because their technology is explicable within the standard model of physics

The Great Hippo's SCP-001 Proposal (feat. PeppersGhost) - A Good Boy: The Foundation builds a computer which becomes SCP-001 by neutralising every other SCP in containment

SCP-423 - Self-Inserting-Character: A fictional character named Fred who can jump between any narrative works placed near each other and then inserts himself into the story as a minor character

SCP-1006 - Spider Proletariat: A community of communist spiders living in a national park under their own rudimentary Marxist governmet

SCP-2137 - The Forensic Ghost of Tupac Shakur: A copy of Me Against the World (which may or may not be possessed by his ghost) which when played reveals the locations of murderers connected to cold cases, with the additional implication that Tupac was a higher being who incarnated as a human to take a break from warring against the Scarlet King

SCP-2557, A Holding of Envelope Logistics®: An SCP slot the Foundation can no longer use because the concept of SCP-2557 as a set of Special Containment Procedures in the Foundation Database was purchased in 2011 by a company which invests in abstract concepts, with the whole page now being an ad for said company

SCP-2719 - Inside: A "variable abstract-metaphysical construct pointer" which can either designate a concept as inside or make a concept go inside

SCP-3006 - Twice The Number One: A YouTube video titled "we are number one except every time you play it there are twice as many robbie rottens but the room is the same size[nsfw]" whose effects spread to every other video linked in the same thread as it whenever anyone posts a link

SCP-3309 - Where We Go When We Fade, Fade Away: The Foundation fills SCP documents with grammatical errors to trigger the SCP Wiki's quality control measures, leading to the now poorly written anomaly being erased from existence

SCP-4413 - The End of Something Really Excellent: Homestuck fans use metafictional rituals to enter the narrative of Homestuck triggering a pataphysical war over control of the narrative which spreads to Homestuck fanfiction and sees many Homestuck characters escape to baseline reality

SCP-4485 - Such Black Light: The Church of the Broken God collaborates with a post-modernist splinter sect of Are We Cool Yet? to destroy formal logic in the hopes that by doing so there will be no meaningful distinction between Cool and Uncool or Broken and Unbroken, so their god will be resurrected and AWCY? will attain a state of artistic perfection referred to as "Coolness"

SCP-4493 - Keep Pride Out of Corps: A phenomenon caused by Gamers Against Weed which edits Pride Month themed social media posts and ads by organisations to highlight the negative effects those groups have had on LGBTQ individuals

SCP-4703 - Perfectly Legal: A store in Texas called Yeah, We're Totally Going to Sell You This which through anomalous means makes all its dangerous and unethical business practices perfectly legal, thank you very much

SCP-5004 - MEGALOMANIA: The Foundation conspires to make Donald Trump president to contain a demon underneath the Capitol and gets more and more depressed as they realise they won't have to do any manipulation to get him elected

SCP-5167/SCP-5761 - When The Imposter is Sus Part I & II: The Foundation creates an AI tasked to play games of Among Us to track down a minor Greek god who is playing the game, only for the AI to play so much Among Us they ascend and become Amogusrath, God of Suspicion

SCP-5449 - Choo Choo Spooder: An intelligent jumping spider who uses a wooden toy train to deliver things to staff across Site-47

SCP-5721 - What Passes As Worship In The Digital Age: The goddess Discordia poses as the Founder of Hammer and Chisel, creators of the Discord chat application and adds a clause which states all users pledge their souls to her, allowing her to siphon the vital energies of its userbase

SCP-5790 - [DATA KILLED]: A spiritual successor to SCP-579, no details about the anomaly and instead describes the procedures used to acquire information about the anomaly when needed

SCP-6101 - The Most Powerful SCP: The Make-A-Wish asks the Foundation to classify nine year old Ethan Prosper as the most powerful SCP

SCP-6102(031) - For Classification: Small Organism, No Function: An SCP document generated by an autoarchavist AI living in a future where there are millions of documented SCPs

SCP-6135 - We Didn't Start the SCP: A copy of Billy Joel's Stormfront album with an altered version of We Didn't Start the Fire containing references to groups and individuals who don't exist, like Harry Potter, Pokemon, and the Taliban

SCP-6136 - two dudes chilling in an interrogation room, five feet apart cause they're not happy: Completely unrelated to that one vine, it's a physical mnemonic device which gives you memories related to pliers and because of this is a pair of pliers

SCP-6383 - The One True Anomaly: A stop sign classified as anomalous because it is the single least anomalous thing in the universe

SCP-6442 -Mimir, Mímir: A congnitohazard etched inside a carbon-fibre based elastomer sphere so that the only beings who will ever perceived it are those who attain omniscience, of which over 8000 have and all died instantly upon seeing it

SCP-6690 - NO MORE PURPLE DINOSAUR: The Muppets (who are alive; a detail never commented on by the document) created the "I hate you, you hate me. Let's go out and kill Barney." song, which causes event to occur which can injure or kill whoever is the current actor for Barney the Dinosaur

SCP-6930 - 🔴 Paty Is Streaming Now: Remember SCP-3930 (the Pattern Screamer), the Russian facility which does not exist but when a specific region is observed your mind fills the void until there's an entity real enough to suffer and hate you for making them aware of their non-existence? Yeah, one of those got out, and she's a vtuber now

SCP-7529 - Josie's Better Half: The back half of a cat which a Foundation researcher is convinced is the back half of SCP-529, the front half of a cat with a different coat colour, and after he tries to force them together who voids the universe's insurance policy

SCP-7777 - Heptaphobia: A phenomenon that affects Random Number Generators to produce sequences of 0's and 7's which when translated into ASCII reveal unethical actions taken by the Foundation

SCP-7918 - RONALD REAGAN DIES OF ACQUIRED IMMUNODEFICIENCY SYNDROME-RELATED COMPLICATIONS: An anomalous recording of Ronald Regan in the terminal stages of HIV/AIDS while recounting stories of his political career and what seem to be annecdotes of an alternate version of himself that was dating a man

SCP-8008 - TIME PERVERT: Real life writer and founder of LessWrong, Elizier Yudkowsky ascends to godhood after blasting rope to hentai trap his mind in a million year timeloop, remoulds the multiverse into a series of self-indulgent narratives, and modifies baseline humans into our current appearance to fit his sexual preferences, which by the standards of the original timeline make us the equivalent of those anime girls who look 12 with breasts larger than their heads

SCP-8981 - RONALD REAGAN'S PRESIDENTIAL REPUTATION CUT UP WHILE 😳ING: Spiritual successor to SCP-1891 (RONALD REGAN CUT UP WHILE TALKING), it is a collection of anomalies which randomly affect Ronald Regan, including the manifestation of a homonculus created by the Foundation as a body double for his public appearances which exhibits strange behaviours after a failed assassination like trying to crossbreed dogs and horses and attempting to eat a baby

#scp #scp foundation

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leviathan-supersystem · 2 years ago

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AUSTIN, Texas—Elon Musk is planning to build his own town on part of thousands of acres of newly purchased pasture and farmland outside the Texas capital, according to deeds and other land records and people familiar with the project.

In meetings with landowners and real-estate agents, Mr. Musk and employees of his companies have described his vision as a sort of Texas utopia along the Colorado River, where his employees could live and work.

[...]

Mr. Musk, his former girlfriend, who is the singer Grimes, Kanye West and Mr. West’s architectural designer discussed several times last year what a Musk town might look like, according to people familiar with the discussions. Those talks included broad ideas and some visual mock-ups, according to one of the people, but haven’t resulted in concrete plans.

i am so, so ready for how unfathomably awful this is going to be

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nicole-timey-wimey-stuff · 7 months ago

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Southern & Slow

Joel Miller x Reader

Shorter Drabble based on Luke Bryan’s song Southern and Slow

Warnings - reader described as female, soft smut, piv, sex, talk of sex, mentions of pregnancy and having a baby, age gap, reader late twenties 28 Joel around 48, feelings, talk of love, no outbreak au, quoting of The Notebook, my terrible writing. No use of y/n in this one.

Word count 1.6K

This song just reminded me soo much of older Joel with his loyal sweet girl.

When you love me slow and southern like a Sunday

Like muddy water rollin' by a riverbank

Like some sleepy little town, down with the moon

Livin' like honey drippin' off a spoon

Like the sun that takes an hour to get behind the water tower

'Bout the speed of watchin' wildflowers grow

Ain't but two ways this old boy's gonna go

Slow and southern, southern and slow, southern and slow

Waking up in the warm Texas sun with your gorgeous cowboy pressed up against you ………. that will never grow old. You're both still naked from last nights activities, and the feeling of his skin against yours is heavenly. You roll over so you can see his face, smiling at the sight, his hair is stuck up in every direction and curls sticking to his forehead in the sweaty Texan heat. His face looks so relaxed, frown lines almost invisible, the weight of the world off his shoulders for a little while. You loved Sunday mornings, they were always lazy, slow and intimate. They usually lead to slow, calm and lazy days, walks by the river, soft kisses, slow dancing in the kitchen, and watching the sunsets from the porch while Joel plays his guitar.

The small town you’d moved too was sleepy on Sundays, no one ever had anywhere to rush too. After you both were married Joel built you both a home, one you’d both spend the rest of your days in. You’d designed it together, you’d said you ‘want a white house with blue shutters and a room overlooking the river so I can paint’ quoting your favourite story. But Joel bless him he took it very seriously, so that’s what you got a beautiful little White House, with gorgeous pale blue shutters and a small room facing the river, where you had space to paint, draw and write.

Life was good, Joel had taken a extra day a week off work, giving more of the reigns to Tommy. Therefore giving himself a longer weekend to rest and spend time with you. You worked for a writing and editing company so you mainly worked from home, only having to go to Austen sometimes. You are also working on writing your own book, slowly but surely.

Looking at your sleeping cowboy once more you gently move a curl from his forehead, stroking down his cheek, watching as his face twitches and his eyebrows furrow. My goodness you loved him, sometimes you worry you love him a little too much, but he loves you equally so you guess it’s ok. How could you not love a man like Joel, a man who loves you so completely, who protects you, makes you laugh, sings songs for you and builds a home for you both.

When you’d first told your parents about Joel, they weren’t too sure, there was an obvious age gap and they felt you had a whole life to live. But the second they met him that all changed, they got it, understood wholeheartedly why you loved this man. Now he’s part of the family, as you are his, Sarah warmed to the idea instantly, surprising you both as you feared she would be the one to object, you were only eight years older than her. But it was Tommy and Maria who took a bit longer to warm up to you, but seeing how happy you made Joel everyone eventually accepted your relationship, five years in now and you both couldn’t be happier.

Joel stirs awake mumbling “Good mornin’ darlin’” nuzzling his face into your neck, “Morning baby” you hum. Bringing your hand to run through his curls, slowly scratching his scalp. He lets out a contented groan, causing you to smirk to yourself. Joel begins tentatively kissing your neck, finding your sweet spot and gently sucking. You moan arching into him, the sheet barely covering you both slipping down around your thighs now, Joel took that as enough of a reason to slowly slide on top of you, his hands stroking and grabbing at any skin he could find.

“I can never get over how soft you feel under me sweetheart” Joel begins, his hand now sliding between your thighs “soo soft and smooth and wet for me huh” he continues bringing his mouth back up to yours, licking slowly into your mouth, his tongue caressing yours. His fingers glide through your slick, bringing it up to rub slow circles around your clit, causing you to gasp into his mouth.

No matter how much time goes by, every time with Joel is like the first, every time makes you erupt with butterflies and quiver under his expert touch. You arch even closer to him, moulding your body to his as you begin rocking your hips into his hand. “Needy this mornin’ aren’t we darlin’ don’t worry I’ve got you” he hums, inserting two fingers into your heat, and using his palm against your clit. He finds your toe curing spot instantly and precisely, using the come hither motion while simultaneously rubbing your bud “Joel fuck! I’m gonna cum” you moan, “That’s it baby let go for me” Joel instructs, and you do you cum hard around his fingers, gasping into his ears.

You’re still coming down when you feel the blunt end of his cock pushing into your core, as he slowly nestles his way home. Grabbing your hand he laces his fingers with yours, kissing your palm before rolling his hips into yours. Your spare arm grabs his back for purchase, fingers running through the hair at the nape of his neck. “God Joel you feel so good” you pant, “Yeah?” He asks “You’re made for me sweetheart, made for me and no one else, this pussy is mine! Only my cock can make you feel this good right baby?” He trails off while punctuating everything with deep hard thrusts. “Yes Joel all yours, I am all yours!” You mumble back then like a mantra you repeat ‘Joel Joel Joel’.

There’s no rush on these lazy mornings, he never speeds up his thrusts, just keeps the steady rhythm as he makes love to you deep and slow. “Fuck Joel I’m close, come with me” you moan, now meeting his movements with your own. “Ok baby girl shit! Almost there hang on a bit longer for me” he rasps. He kisses you passionately, his kiss matching his thrusts slow and steady, as he pulls you impossibly closer.

“Now baby! Let go for me” he pleads, hand moving between your legs once more to roll over your sensitive pearl, “Joel!!!” You whine as you come undone, pussy clamping down on his cock, Joel reaching his end simultaneously and emptying himself inside you with a low moan.

You run your hands up and down his back, while placing sweet kisses to his shoulder, pulling his head up he looks at you with such a soft and loving expression, “I love you darlin’” “I love you too” giving you a quick peck he pulls out, walking on wobbly legs to the bathroom where he turns on the shower, “Come on sweetheart, let’s clean up” he insists, pulling you up with him and carrying you to the shower.

The morning carried on lazily, your shower was spent carefully washing each other with dopey smiles, all while having long snuggles under the steaming water. You made coffee together and enjoyed drinking it on your porch, watching the river flow, and the wildflowers blow in the breeze. Before an impromptu call to Tommy, inviting him, Maria and their beautiful baby girl, over for lunch.

You stood leaning on the doorframe lovingly watching Tommy and Joel play with the baby, while Maria sat close by engaging in casual conversation with the men. You couldn’t remember when you’d last felt so content, and watching Joel play with the baby did something to you. A new sensation of butterflies coursing through your stomach. Joel looks up at you then, smiling to himself as he stands and makes his way over to you.

Wrapping his arms around you he pulls you in close, stroking a hand down your cheek. Warm pools of chocolate searching your eyes, “What do you think darlin’?” Joel hinted, nudging you and looking over at the new parents, “Huh?” You reply confused. “Should we have one? Been thinking about it a lot recently, you all round carrying my baby” Joel smirks as you gasp “Really” you stutter, shocked he’s really suggesting it. “Yeah really, I think you’d make a wonderful mother, and I’m getting on now. So if we were going to have one it would need to be now, well at least soon” he replies, obviously being completely honest.

You grin so wide your mouth ached, you’d love to have a baby with this man, but with Sarah being all grown up you didn’t think it would be in the cards for Joel, and you had accepted that, Joel would always be enough. “Your sure? Because I mean we don’t have too if you don’t really want an….” Joel cuts you off with a soft kiss “I’m sure darlin’ in fact nothing would make me happier” you grin again “Ok, yeah let’s have one” you reply, “Yeah?” He asks once more, “Yeah I’d love to have your baby Joel” you affirm. He smiles and pulls you in close again, arm over your shoulder, while watching his brother and niece.

Yeah, you loved these slow southern Sundays with your cowboy.

#joel miller #joel miller x reader #joel miller age gap #joel miller x you #joel x reader #the last of us #joel x female reader

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rjzimmerman · 6 months ago

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How many of you get excited when you see a monarch butterfly? If you do, did you get excited as a kid, or is the excitement a function of their possibly pending extinction? If you do not, can you imagine a world without monarch butterflies?

Excerpt from this story from E&E News/Politico:

Judgment day approaches for the monarch butterfly.

Bound by a court settlement, the Fish and Wildlife Service is supposed to decide by early December whether the monarch warrants listing as threatened or endangered. Although the agency misses many Endangered Species Act deadlines, it appears determined to meet this one after several years of study.

“We wanted to make sure that we have all the best science available … and we wanted to make sure that we were able to gather all that information and make a quality decision,” said Nicole Alt, director of FWS’ Center for Pollinator Conservation.

With the migratory butterfly passing through dozens of states, a decision to list the species could be accompanied by the designation of an expansive critical habitat. Combined with other regulatory implications, this could make the long-delayed monarch listing call one of the most consequential actions in the history of the ESA. It also appears likely, some monarch experts say, given the bleak population trends that led FWS to conclude in 2020 that “monarch viability is declining and is projected to continue declining over the next 60 years.”

Despite the dire circumstances, a campaign to help the monarch butterfly has been advancing on multiple fronts but without a unified commander in chief. Rather, the monarch’s allies march under different flags that reflect a dispersed approach toward species conservation. Some study the insect, some set aside habitat and some tinker with new tools, all without reference to a species recovery plan that an ESA listing would mandate.

Consider:

From an urban office building, a program administered by the University of Illinois, Chicago’s Energy Resources Center has recruited energy companies, state departments of transportation and counties into conserving hundreds of thousands of acres as butterfly habitat on rights of way, such as the medians between roads.

On sprawling Fort Cavazos — formerly Fort Hood — in Texas, biologists prowl the grounds in search of adult monarchs as well as eggs and larva. Since 2017, they estimate they have collected information from more than 10,000 tagged adult monarchs and forwarded this data to another team of collaborators with the Monarch Watch program based at the University of Kansas.

From her Denver office, Alt oversees four geographically scattered FWS staffers and collaborates with others in and out of government. With yet another allied group called Monarch Joint Venture, for instance, the Center for Pollinator Conservation is supporting studies of drones and artificial intelligence in measuring milkweed distribution on wildlife refuges.

And, scattered as they are, the various monarch teams, researchers and advocates periodically gather for a meeting of the minds, as they did in the summer of 2022 for a first-of-its-kind Capitol Hill butterfly summit where Interior Secretary Deb Haaland announced establishment of Alt’s pollinator center.

“It’s really been exciting to see the level of interest from lots of different sectors,” Alt said, adding that “different people want to work in different ways and in different spaces … and in the vast majority of situations they are all advocating for the same thing.”

Some conservation groups, however, want to see a more urgent focus on the problem, saying Congress needs to dramatically increase funding to help the monarchs truly recover. In letters sent last week to House and Senate appropriators, the Center for Biological Diversity and other environmental groups called on lawmakers to provide $100 million annually to restore 1 million acres of pollinator habitat in this country each year and another $30 million to preserve forests in Mexico where some of the butterflies spend their winters.

The groups noted how people over generations have heralded the black-and-orange butterfly’s “spectacular beauty and epic, life-affirming migrations.”

“Dedicating $100 million a year to monarch conservation gives these beloved butterflies a fighting chance at survival,” one letter said.

#monarch butterflies #Endangered Species Act

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matoroblogs · 1 year ago

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STORY LURES KIDS TO NEW LEGO LINE\ THE TOYMAKER HOPES AN UNFOLDING STORY WILL LURE BOYS TO BIONICLE TOYS.

BY KRISSAH WILLIAMS The Washington Post Oct 28, 2001

Late last year, five Danish toy designers began to weave a tale of good and evil, creating the kind of heroes and bad guys that American boys love. They used the standard formula: exotic names, special powers, an unknown land.

They added easy-to-build action figures, trading cards, T-shirts, comic books and a soundtrack, as well as Internet, computer and video games. All to tell the story of Lego's Bionicle, which they hope will be the next cool toy line. Their plan is to create a popular story that reveals itself slowly, adding characters to keep the kids coming back for more, with toys cheap enough that parents keep buying.Bionicles also are the featured boys' toys in McDonalds Happy Meals through Sept. 27.

The toymaker is spending $15 million to get the word out about Bionicle, making it the biggest U.S. toy launch ever for the determinedly traditional 67-year-old company known for its classic plastic bricks.

Like much of the toy industry, Lego is financially ailing as more American boys ignore traditional toys in favor of video and computer games and television. Lego, the third-largest toy company in the United States behind Mattel Inc. and Hasbro Inc., lost money in 1998 and again last year, its only losses in decades. The company has watched revenue stall at about $1 billion.

To attract the been-there, done-that generation of American boys, Lego's designers and marketers are trying their darnedest to be cool, even aloof, almost teasing kids to get their attention.

In December, the first bit of information about Bionicle (from ``biological' and ``chronicle') was revealed on the company's Web site: ``Once a paradise, Mata Nui has become a place of darkness and fear, ruled by the deadly Makuta. Now six mighty heroes, the Toa, have come to gather the masks of power and challenge the Makuta. Explore the island ... learn the legends ... and begin to solve the mystery of Bionicle.'

It stopped there. But Lego's marketers hoped youngsters would be salivating for more.

About once a month, new chapters are added to the Web site, along with information about characters and the special masks. This summer, Lego mailed 1 million free comic books to Lego club members, giving details not available on the Web site.

In May and June, the Toa (hero) and Turaga (villager) building toys were released in the United States. The futuristic-looking figures stand about 7 inches tall and are assembled from plastic pieces that snap together Lego-style. The figures cost $2.99 to $6.99, although more-complex remote-control-operated figures will be priced as high as $69.99.

Now, information has been revealed about the bad guys, called Rahi, and other twists and turns are promised.

The Bionicle launch is based on the viral marketing strategy, which is the rage among manufacturers hoping to appeal to fad-prone American children and teens. Viral marketing works to create a buzz one customer at a time rather than relying on mass advertisements such as television commercials.

Lego's idea: Interest one kid in the Bionicle story, and that child will tell another and another. To find those kids, Lego sent out six sport-utility vehicles, each painted with one of the superheroes.

``In early June, 50 kids came up to the truck; just a few knew about Bionicle,' Gillespie said. ``Now, they are pulling up to places and kids are jumping in to tell the other kids about it.'

Seven-year-old Lucas McCoy, who has dropped Pokemon cards in favor of Bionicle, rambles on whimsically about the story line, the music and Mata Nui-Lego's online game, where players see from the perspective of Toa (the heroes) and try to save the island.

Taking a break from play with his Toa figures, Lucas, who lives in Bedford, Texas, talks nonstop for 20 minutes, pausing only to breathe. ``It was the time before time, when the world was new. There was this bad spirit that sent a spell on Mata Nui to sleep ... and I think their most greatest fear is sleep. It made these infected masks, and Makuta is the stone - well, I think Makuta is like a dinosaur.'

The characters' weapons (tools, in Lego's lingo), which include a pitchfork and a spear, don't seem to bother the parents.

Lucas's mom, Maria McCoy, said she and her husband play with their son and can ``see his little mind working.' His focus is on building, not violence, she said. ``It brings out his imaginative self.'

On the other hand, the Bionicle tie-in with a broad range of products can increase the pester pressure from kids, parents say. For instance, to see the paradise island before the darkness descended upon it, kids need the Nintendo Game Boy's Bionicle game, which sells for $39.99. To access screen savers and pictures on the Bionicle Web site, kids need to buy the Bionicle characters and access the codes on the toy canisters.

McCoy said she has kept a lid on Lucas's desire to buy all the products by insisting he use his allowance. ``He gets an allowance, and he can buy what he wants with it. I tell him, 'If you save your money, you can get the more pricey things,' ' McCoy said.

Traffic on Web sites and at toys stores indicates boys, teenage guys and longtime Lego fans are the biggest buyers of Bionicle. Lego officials say sales have surpassed their expectations, but they decline to release figures.

The toy's official Web site had almost 2 million hits in July. Bionicle fans also have responded to the company's create-your-own-site contest. Yahoo lists thousands of sites mentioning the toy line.

But Lego's leap away from its classic plastic brick sets hasn't won everybody over.

Spencer Tibbs, 12, of Warrenton, Va., said he can be more creative with older Lego sets, which he uses to build his own creations, such as a replica of his mom's office. He doesn't like sets that require directions.

``I should be more into that stuff (Bionicle), but I like the older stuff,' he said.

For Lego, the big question is: Are more American boys like Lucas McCoy or Spencer Tibbs?

#bionicle #2001 #article

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the-invisible-queer · 8 months ago

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so do you have post-JONAS headcanons for Joe Lucas as well? And Stella, unless she gets her own post.

Joella is a packaged DEAL

My first ship who I still very much ship with my whole HEART

LET'S FUCKING GO

It got so fucking long I'm sorry.

After high school Stella and Joe both considered college. She went to a fashion school in New York. He followed her to New York and went to school for music.

They very much were on board with getting married and spending their life together. They are soulmates after all.

Joe proposed during a private little date night in their apartment. Off brand for his usual over the top flashiness but he wanted it to be just them.

Stella considered designing her own dress but ended up getting a custom one of a kind offer from Vera Wang that she was not going to turn down.

They did end up having an over the top huge wedding covered by People magazine.

She took the Lucas name legally but kept Malone professionally.

After getting married Stella started her own fashion company. Starting off designing for Joe and her in-laws as she already did, but then more people started wearing her label and she became well known.

Everything she designed for the Lucases were one of a kind custom for them specifically because old habits die hard and she'll be damned if her arm candy isn't the best dressed man at every event.

After the Jonas hiatus, Joe worked on his solo career. Releasing a few singles. He didn't release his first solo album til after he was married and it was full of love songs dedicated to his best friend and the love of his life.

They both traveled a lot for their respective careers. Sometimes they'd be away from each other but even if they were on opposite sides of the globe they never missed a phone call.

They also traveled the world together for fun and don't go a week without seeing each other even if one of them has to take the worst possible flight to make it to wherever the other is.

Joe never missed NY fashion week because he knew that was her time to shine and always planned around it. Making sure to never have a show or release anything during.

They have homes in NYC, France, LA, and they stayed at Kev's ranch in Texas while his family was in Ireland.

With their busy hectic schedules they waited to have kids. Plus they adored their neices and nephews and loved that they always got to give the rascals back at the end of the day.

Joe was never a cat person until Stella adopted a stray named Jet.

After the Jonas reunion tour, they had their daughter, Ally. With a face like her mother's of course she had her father wrapped around her finger since day one.

After starting their family, they both slowed down for the first time and actually enjoyed domesticity for a bit.

Joe released another solo album and they had a set of twins, Tommy and Jimmy - named after their dad's.

Then after another solo album and baby #4, Maggie, Joe hung up his tambourine and became a full time dad and part time arm candy with occasional appearances when Jonas would release a new single or two.

Stella continued building her fashion empire.

And they were happy.

#joe is stella's trophy husband and that is the hill i will die on #maybe i will write a post hs Joella fic 👀

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beardedmrbean · 2 years ago

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A 30-ton shipment of a chemical that can be used as fertilizer or an explosive is missing from a California-bound railroad car after rail officials confirmed it disappeared during a trip across the West last month.

The railcar, loaded with 61,000 pounds of ammonium nitrate, left Cheyenne, Wyoming on April 12, a Union Pacific spokesperson told USA TODAY Tuesday. Two weeks later it was found empty at a rail stop in the California Mojave Desert, according to a report filed with the federal National Response Center on May 10.

Dyno Nobel, an explosives manufacturer, told local station KQED News the material − "transported in pellet form in a covered hopper car similar to those used to ship coal" − likely fell from a rail car on the way to a rail siding (a short track connecting with the main track) about 30 miles from Mojave in Kern County, just east of Bakersfield.

"The railcar was sealed when it left the Cheyenne facility, and the seals were still intact when it arrived in Saltdale," the company told the outlet. "The initial assessment is that a leak through the bottom gate on the railcar may have developed in transit."

In addition to Dyno, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) and Union Pacific are investigating the case.

Neither the FRA nor CPUC could immediately be reached by USA TODAY on Tuesday morning.

'Seal still intact'

Officials told KQED the railcar was transported back to Wyoming where it will be inspected.

"At this point in the investigation, we do not believe there is any criminal or malicious activity involved," said Kristen South, a spokesperson for Union Pacific, who works with its customers to investigate any loss of commodity or damaged freight.

"Our investigation is in its early stages because the customer recently reported the possible loss of fertilizer from one compartment of a multi-compartment railcar," South told USA TODAY Tuesday. "The fertilizer is designed for ground application and quick soil absorption. If the loss resulted from a railcar leak over the course of transportation from origin to destination, the release should pose no risk to public health or the environment."

What is ammonium nitrate?

Ammonium nitrate is explosive under certain conditions. Mixed with something flammable and exposed to flame, it can explode.

Timothy McVeigh used 2 tons of ammonium nitrate mixed with fuel oil to destroy the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, killing 168 people in 1995.

But it's not a danger that exists in many places. That's because the chemical, once a popular fertilizer, is rarely used these days, USA TODAY reported in 2013.

Ammonium nitrate was the main suspected chemical in a Texas explosion that killed 14 people in April 2013.

The explosion at West Fertilizer Co. also injured more than 200 and left at least 50 homes uninhabitable.

#nunyas news #good grief

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jenkinshomedesign · 5 months ago

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Austin Luxury Homes | Jenkins Design Build

Discover the epitome of elegance and sophistication with Austin Luxury Homes by Jenkins Design Build. Our bespoke homes are meticulously crafted to blend modern luxury with timeless design, tailored to the unique tastes and lifestyles of our discerning clients. Each home showcases exquisite craftsmanship, innovative architecture, and the finest materials, creating a harmonious blend of comfort and opulence. Whether nestled in the vibrant heart of Austin or the serene outskirts, Jenkins Design Build ensures that every home offers an unparalleled living experience. Embrace the luxury of Austin living with a home that is a true reflection of your style and aspirations.

#Best Home Builders in Austin Texas #Texas Hill Country Architecture #Custom Home Builders Lakeway TX #Custom Homebuilders #Modern Home Builders Near Me #Luxury Residential Architect #Best New Home Builder #Build Austin #Builder for custom homes #Luxury Custom Home Builders #Home Building Companies Near Me #Austin Builders #Custom Home Designers #austin luxury homes #jenkins design build #texas builders #custom home builder #austin architects

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rabbitcruiser · 7 months ago

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Beringer Vineyards, St. Helena (No. 2)

The estate was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001. The property includes 12 buildings, sites, or structures, 10 of which are contributing. Rhine House is the most prominent, built from 1883 to 1884 and designed by Albert Schroepfer. The house has elaborate interiors, and was used to entertain visitors of the property. The house was built on the site of the Hudson House (built c. 1848–52), which was moved nearby in order in 1883 to build the larger and grander Rhine House. It has features of the Queen Anne and Chateauesque architectural styles, with attributes from its architect's own German heritage.

The Beringer family sold the Beringer name and winery to Nestlé in 1971, which in 1996 subsequently sold the enterprise to a group led by Texas Pacific Group; the company went public the next year. From 2000 to 2011 the winery was owned by Foster's Group. As of 2011, it is owned by Treasury Wine Estates.

Source: Wikipedia

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designtopia · 5 months ago

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10 Top Logo Design Companies in Dallas 2024-2025

A logo design is not just a small image but a powerful representation of the brand. It is the handshake that starts a brand relationship, the initial impression that establishes the mood for future engagements. Where companies are always trying to stand out, a simple and attractive logo can be the key. Finding the appropriate logo design company is an essential step in building a strong brand presence in today's competitive environment.

However, with numerous agencies competing for your focus, how can you navigate the Dallas design community and find the ideal creative collaborator? Do not be afraid, fearless business person! This guide reveals the top Dallas logo design companies with the skills and knowledge to create a logo that represents your brand and helps it succeed. Get ready and fasten your seatbelt to uncover the design power that will elevate your brand from undiscovered treasure to vibrant city.

We have organized your search by creating a list of the best options, such as Dallas logo design companies and custom logo design Texas companies providing logo design near me. You can find a creative Logo Design Service in Dallas. We will give you the best options to consider, whether it's established logo design companies or individual logo designers.

Best Logo Design Companies in Dallas

1. Logo Design Valley

Logo Design Valley is best known for having dedicated design teams who work tirelessly to bring out innovation from plain ideas. Their creative heads allow them to strike the right balance in designing a logo, website, or branding from scratch. They deal in everything from logos to super responsive yet attractive websites, cohesive branding, and helping your business shine.

They have industry-leading creative people with decades of experience. With their client-centric approach, they listen to your needs and infuse a creative touch into your designs. Their pricing enables everyone to access top-class design services regardless of their budget. They have a decent portfolio under their belt. Providing their services from startups in various industries to the high brands.

In a nutshell, Logo Design Valley is more than just a design company. They are your dedicated partner, here to transform your vision into a powerful logo that embodies your brand's essence.

Min. Project Size: $1,000+ Hourly Rate: $25 / hr Employees: 50 - 249 Location: Dallas, TX

2. Logo Tactics

Logo Tactics is a leading supplier of top-notch digital solutions aimed at enhancing your brand. They have a wide range of skills that cover innovative graphic design, unique logo creation, adaptable website design, and other digital improvements.

The Logo Tactics team is not an ordinary design agency, they are a center of creativity. Their method is methodical, combining advanced technology with contemporary design trends to guarantee that each project embodies enduring excellence. They turn your concepts into impactful visual representations, whether it's creating a strong business logo or designing an easy-to-use website.

Min. Project Size: Undisclosed Hourly Rate: Undisclosed Employees: 50 - 249 Location: Dallas, TX

3. Visionary Playground

Visionary Playground, a renowned branding firm located in Dallas, not only creates brands, but also designs memorable brand experiences. Their comprehensive method includes design and marketing to create a consistent brand image that is effective on all platforms. The team's skilled graphic designers recognize the important function of a logo. They go further than just looks to design logos that visually represent your brand essence and make a lasting impact on your target audience. The designers of the brand carefully create a complete brand identity that goes beyond just the logo, extending to website graphics, social media content, marketing materials, and presentations.

Visionary Playground serves a variety of industries, from the fast-moving e-commerce sector to the established retail and restaurant sectors. They apply their design and marketing knowledge to create unique brands that stand out for both entertainment and professional clients alike. Their deep knowledge of every industry enables them to customize their approaches to meet unique requirements and obstacles, enhancing the effectiveness of your brand in the constantly changing marketing environment. Whether you're a new startup or an established company wanting to update your brand image, Visionary Playground can help take your brand to the next level with their expertise and passion.

Min. Project Size: Undisclosed Hourly Rate: Undisclosed Employees: 2 - 9 Location: Dallas, TX

4. Switch

Switch is a strategic branding and interactive design studio with a presence in both Dallas and Oklahoma City. Their practice thrives at the intersection of identity, technology, aesthetics, and language, crafting brands that resonate deeply with audiences.

The Switch team is a collaborative group of designers, strategists, and friendly collaborators who believe in the power of curiosity and meticulous attention to detail. Their services encompass crafting brand identities, interactive experiences, impactful campaigns, and even informative publications. For Switch, design transcends aesthetics. They believe it has the power to influence both emotions and thought processes.

Min. Project Size: $25,000+ Hourly Rate: $150-199 / hr Employees: 10 - 49 Location: Dallas, TX

5. Caliber Creative

Caliber Creative stands out as a fully independent powerhouse in branding services. They aren't just forming brands, they are nurturing brand experiences. They are skilled in every stage of the branding process, from creating the first idea to flawlessly implementing the last design.

At Caliber Creative, they always put in hard work, but what truly differentiates them is their creative and strategic thinking. They realize that consumers desire novelty, variety, and distinctiveness. Their team excels in developing brands that satisfy the audience's desire for innovation and excitement.

Their love for design cannot be denied. It drives their efforts in all projects, whether starting a brand, creating a powerful annual report, developing a user-friendly website, or designing an engaging poster for a good cause. Caliber Creative suggests that effective design serves as strong communication, striving to make sure your brand's message is heard clearly.

Min. Project Size: $10,000+ Hourly Rate: $100-149 hr Employees: 10 - 49 Location: Dallas, TX

6. Brass Tacks Collective

Brass Tacks Collective, a creative experience agency and apprenticeship program in Dallas, surpasses traditional education. They provide a distinctive mix of workshops and interactive training in graphic design and copywriting.

This method closes the divide between academic understanding and hands-on learning. Apprentices work on actual client projects with the support of experienced mentors. In contrast to a regular internship, Brass Tacks Collective allows apprentices to take charge of the creative work, creating a beneficial learning atmosphere with practical experience.

Min. Project Size: Undisclosed Hourly Rate: Undisclosed Employees: 10 - 49 Location: Dallas, TX

7. Allyn Media

Allyn Media's expertise goes beyond brand strategy. Their design team understands the importance of a well designed logo. They help you create a visual representation that reflects your brand's essence and resonates with your target audience. Allyn Media makes sure that your brand leaves a lasting impression by combining strategic thinking and creative skills.

Allyn Media goes beyond just creating an engaging logo. Their design team applies their expertise to every visual aspect of your brand identity. They acknowledge the significance of brand consistency in building recognition. This includes developing a visual identity that extends more than your logo to encompass social media marketing. Allyn Media helps to establish a consistent and impactful brand image on all channels by ensuring that all visual components correspond with your brand's identity.

Min. Project Size: $5,000+ Hourly Rate: $300+ / hr Employees: 10 - 49 Location: Dallas, TX

8. REVX Marketing

REVX is not only focused on generating sales but also serves as a trigger for visual influence. They grasp the importance of impactful visual design in establishing a memorable brand image. Their team works together with you to turn your vision into powerful visual components that connect with your target audience. When designing logos, brochures, or website visuals, REVX focuses on a strategic method to make sure each component aligns with your brand narrative and marketing objectives. Through a blend of strategic planning and innovative implementation, they assist in creating a memorable visual impact and building deeper relationships with potential clients.

Min. Project Size: Undisclosed Hourly Rate: Undisclosed Employees: 2 - 9 Location: Dallas, TX

9. Kendall Creative

Since 1998, Kendall Creative has become a standout in the design field by recognizing the impact of visual storytelling. They create connections between brands and their desired audiences by developing engaging stories that evoke emotion and motivation. They do more than just focusing on appearances; they develop strategic brand identities through powerful logos and graphic design which are essential for achieving success.

Kendall Creative not only enhances the appearance of businesses, but also enables them to differentiate themselves in a competitive market. Their strategic method revives struggling brands, injecting fresh energy into them through a cohesive visual plan that resonates with clients and produces outcomes.

Min. Project Size: $25,000+ Hourly Rate: $100-149 hr Employees: 10 - 49 Location: Dallas, TX

10. Dallas SEO Pros

Dallas Seo Pros are not only focused on SEO. They comprehend the importance of using visual communication to establish a solid brand image. Their team consists of talented graphic designers who enhance your brand by creating visually appealing designs that connect with your specific audience.

Dallas SEO Pros specializes in increasing your website's online visibility. Their knowledge goes beyond just search engine optimization. These designers not only create attractive visuals but also strategically create graphics that connect with your target audience, helping your brand make a lasting impact and build stronger relationships with potential customers.

Min. Project Size: $25,000+ Hourly Rate: $100- 149 / hr Employees: 50 - 249 Location: Dallas, TX

Conclusion

This guide has barely touched upon the skilled logo design companies that can be found in the Dallas design scene. If you need help with strategic branding or creating a logo, Dallas has many agencies available to bring your brand vision to reality. Keep in mind that your logo plays a crucial role in establishing your brand, so make a careful decision when selecting it! Spend time exploring the portfolio and design strategy of each company to find the best match for your brand's distinct character and objectives. With the perfect creative partner on your team, you can elevate your logo from a basic image to a strong symbol that drives your brand toward lasting success.

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