#even as i undervalue most of my work in hopes of selling enough to make rent this month | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

matildainmotion · 4 years ago

Text

Making Waves by Sophie Lovett

Mothers Who Make’s is hosting a series of guest bloggers, to celebrate and give space for the diverse views and voices within our movement. I am delighted to introduce our first of these: please read on for the Question of the Month, as posed by home-educating mother of two, writer and activist, and MWM Hub co-ordinator for Exeter, Sophie Lovett.

Before you read this post I feel that I should apologise: in case you disagree with me, in case what I’ve written is too much, in case it offends you. But this is Mothers Who Make, and we don’t apologise here for showing up as our whole selves, so instead I will take a deep breath and begin.

This has been a tough year. A tough year after a tough decade. One which, on a personal level, has been filled with many moments of joy – but where the weight of the world has pressed ever harder on my shoulders.

We’ve never lived through a pandemic before.

It’s brought out the best in us, and the worst. It’s brought us closer together, and deepened the divisions in values and circumstance that are tearing our society apart. And it has made the priorities of our government - to put profits above people – very, very clear.

This neoliberal agenda has its roots way back in the 20th century, and over the years we have pretty much come to take it for granted. Notions of unrestrained economic growth, wealth which is available to everyone if they just work hard enough, and the promise of freedom which is earnt by playing by the rules of society - alongside a reality of gaping gaps between rich and poor both on a domestic and international level. In many ways the Coronavirus pandemic has provided precisely the kind of crisis that the neoliberal elite love: an overwhelming distraction that they can use to impose more unpopular policies, accusing people of being unpatriotic or even undemocratic if they oppose them.

Yet it has also sowed the seeds of something new. Off the back of years of campaigning from environmental and social justice organisations, many more people are beginning to realise that the future could perhaps look very different. That the planet cannot handle this unfettered capitalism for much longer – and neither, given the explosion in mental health issues even before the challenges inflicted by 2020, can we. That there might be different ways of living that could be more fulfilling for us and our children, whilst at the same time starting to reverse the destruction we have wreaked on the global ecosystem.

And this – this imagining of a different world – is making some people very uncomfortable.

In England, the government released guidance last week which told teachers not to use resources from any organisation which has advocated abolishing capitalism – even if the materials themselves did not express such a view – as it would imply support for an “extreme political stance” on a par with racism and opposition to freedom of speech. Aside from the obvious hypocrisy of a statement which alienates many anti-racism campaigners and seeks to silence the voices of those who might want to legitimately challenge the status quo, this is a sign to me that they know their power is waning. The neoliberal story is coming apart at the seams, and a new narrative is taking shape which could take things in a very different direction.

As actors in that narrative we have a choice to make about the future that we want to see. And as mothers – and especially as mother makers – we hold in our hands a huge amount of power to shape the world our children will grow up into.

It might not always feel that way.

One of the most effective strategies of neoliberal capitalism is to convince us that we are not enough. That we are deficient in a myriad of different ways, and powerless to take control. It makes us the perfect consumers – hungry for the things we can buy to improve ourselves and make life better for us and our families. And if we can’t buy them – if we are part of the huge swathe of the population struggling to even afford the basics we need to live – we are taught that it is our fault, that we’re just not trying hard enough.

In motherhood especially this can lead to a real sense of disempowerment – a lack of trust in ourselves and our ability to provide for our children. There is so much that is marketed to that desire to give our children the very best start in life: elaborate toys, sleep training programmes, gorgeous clothes, endless baby classes. It plays into the competitiveness which fuels the capitalist fire, the fear of being left behind. It sells us baby walkers (and mini trainers) to get those little people up on their feet as soon as we can, electronic learning games for toddlers in the hope that they’ll know their ABCs before they start preschool, tutors to help seven year olds pass their SATs with flying colours. It rushes us back into the workplace before we’re really ready, no matter that our salary barely pays the childcare fees. It tells us that teachers know our children better than we do, that school is the only place they can get an education, and that compliance with authority is the most important lesson they can learn.

None of this is bad in and of itself – if it works for you then that’s awesome. But if it doesn’t, if the treadmill is making you tired and you’re fed up of searching for the next best thing then stop. Breathe. And work out what it is you truly need.

Our role as mothers may be woefully undervalued by the capitalist system, but we do have the power to choose where we focus our energies, to withdraw our consent from expectations that we disagree with, to challenge the assumptions around the status of mothers (and children) in wider society.

We can choose to raise our children with principles we believe in, to communicate messages to them that deviate from those which dominate the mainstream, to be their allies and their advocates instead of colluding in their oppression.

And, little by little, we can build a kinder, more inclusive world – one where everyone has value.

If as mothers we hold the future of the planet in each act of care we carry out for our children, as mother makers we are doubly powerful in our ability to reach beyond our inner circle and inspire through the particular capacity of art of all kinds to reshape the narrative and reimagine what is possible.

Creatives are uniquely placed to lead the revolution – and this is I believe a significant reason why the UK government shows such disdain and disregard for the arts and creative industries.

Just as Media Studies is decried as a ‘mickey mouse’ subject because it directly exposes the techniques the government and their allies use to manipulate the opinions of the population, the Arts in schools are sidelined because they nurture exactly the kind of creativity and independent thought that can be used to challenge the status quo.

It starts in the Early Years, when days that should be dedicated to open ended play are instead filled up with increasingly formal literacy and numeracy, and can be seen right through the education system: ten year olds spending whole terms doing nothing but exam preparation, teenagers being told they can’t study the creative subjects they’d prefer because they don’t fill the right assessment bucket. And it continues in the world outside, as the government response to the impact of Covid has shown so starkly.

Our art is important. Our making is important. It holds a mirror up to the present and shows how life could be, it inspires, it sustains – and it can be an escape route from the treadmill our leaders would rather keep us tethered to.

From the stories we tell to the songs we sing to the materials we choose to the business models we adopt to share our work: we are creating the fabric of the future.

And so this month, wherever you are in your mothering and your making, I would invite you to consider these questions: What are the changes you would like to see in the world? How are you making waves in your mothering? And in your making? What changes (small or large) could you make in either to help create the future you dream of for yourself and for your children?

To read more from Sophie go to: www.raisingrevolutionaries.co.uk and https://www.instagram.com/raising_revolutionaries/

2 notes · View notes

buyingahomespring · 4 years ago

Text

How do these changes influence Real Estate prices?

It’s been many years of a solid seller’s market; prices increasing by double digit returns, homes selling before they were even listed and multiple-offer bidding wars becoming the norm. But this year, Vancouver has finally seen a change. Changes have been imminent for some time, but not everyone was ready for it. Many homeowners are now left wondering what their “forever increasing” Real Estate assets are currently worth.

Is this reason to panic? Of course not. Vancouver is a beautiful city with both domestic and international demand. This is just another cycle and there will always be a market, and a buyer for your home.

What are the main factors driving this market change? Mortgage rules – As of January 1, 2018 the government has made it mandatory for all borrowers to pass a stress test when qualifying for a mortgage. What this means is you will have to qualify for your mortgage at a higher “qualifying rate”. This rate will be the higher of the Bank of Canada 5 year benchmark rate OR the rate you have been offered, plus 2%! Many buyers will now qualify for significantly less, which subsequently filters through reduced ability to purchase and lower demand in the marketplace. Decreased international demand – China is still a “closed” economy and Chinese authorities have now enacted harsher punishments for anyone caught exchanging money outside of official channels. Right now, Chinese citizens are only allowed to exchange equivalent of $50,000 through their own banks. The new restrictions stem from concerns over the Chinese economy and the recent weakening of the Yuan. Foreign Owner Tax / Property transfer tax – As of Feb 21st, 2018, If you are a foreign buyer in Metro Vancouver, then you will have to pay an additional 20% tax of the fair market value of the property. (increase of 5%) City of Vancouver Empty homes tax – each home deemed “empty” (not principal residence or rented for at least 6 months of the year) will be subject to a tax of 1% of the 2018 property tax assessment. BC’s Speculation and Vacancy tax – based on the Dec 31st registered owner, for 2019 and going forward all foreign owners will pay 2% of the assessed value and other Canadians who are not exempt will pay .5% of the assessed value. Increasing interest rates – we at at the highest rates since January 2008, and higher rates mean higher mortgage payments, and decreased affordability. Consumer sentiment – Would you purchase something today if you think it will be a lower price in the future? Probably not. Same goes for how consumers view the new Real Estate market conditions. More people are on the sidelines waiting, and this is contributing to the decreasing demand and prices.

youtube

How do these changes influence Real Estate prices? All of these extra taxes, costs and regulations are contributing to decreased affordability and diminishing demand. It is estimated that the new mortgage stress test alone has decreased affordability on average by 20%. That means that consumers either have to look for a smaller home, a less desirable location, or save more money, before they make their purchase.

This market is confusing to many because it changed so fast – buyers and sellers are getting mixed signals. Some sellers are realistic about today’s value and pricing their home according to current market conditions and demand. Some sellers are still back in 2017 and asking for the price they ‘could have’ received then. Many sellers start out in a 2017 price range and slowly drift towards something that a buyer will pay today.

Most buyers on the other hand are happy to pay much less and are looking for value. We’ve worked with clients that have submitted bids WELL under the fair market value in hopes the seller might take it, given the lack of overall demand.

What data can I use to determine the new value of my home? Assessed value Assessed value is a place to start and only provides an estimated valuation. This major limitation with this method of valuation is timing. You receive notification in January, based on data from July 1st of the previous year…and a lot can change in 6 months! Also, the assessor only looks at actual sales in your area, not your specific property. If you have completed significant renovations or have something special on your property, it likely won’t be accounted for. Assessed value is a better benchmark for condos than it is for detached homes, as condos tend to have more similarities.

Bank Appraisals Have you ever asked for a mortgage, increase or refinance? The first thing the bank does is send an appraiser out to your property to obtain a “lending” value. Usually this value disappoints the homeowner, as it is often much lower than the market value. Remember, the bank is considering lending you money on this property for the long term. They want to make sure that even if the property value decreases, you will still have enough equity in your property to keep your debt in good standing. Canadian Banks are not in the business of buying and selling properties, so they have no interest in repossessing, unless absolutely necessary. Therefore, they will usually lend based on a more conservative, lower valuation.

Comparables Looking at similar, recently sold properties in your area is a great place to start. We need to stress that “recent” and “similar” are key words here. A good comparable is a similar property that has sold in the same market conditions that you are in. When the market is changing rapidly, as it is today, then we wouldn’t recommend looking back more than a month or two. This method is also best for condos or townhouses that have very similar features.

Talk to Tim or Shannon Walters, your local Realtors If you are thinking of selling or are just curious what your home might be worth today, talk to us. (You may be interested for an equity take out, a later sale or just to update your personal balance sheet). We have the experience and expertise you can rely on. Tim has been selling homes in Vancouver for over 23 years. Shannon has valued homes for lending purposes with Canada’s largest chartered bank for over 22 years. Our team reviews new listings on the MLS every day, watching for trends, value and anomalies. We read economic data on the markets; interest rates, growth rates, immigration, government policies and data forecasts, and determine how this will impact current market prices.

We are experts in investment properties and can help put your capital to work for you. Our service includes advise on specific renovations (what adds value and what doesn’t) or finding you a distressed, undervalued property. Ask us anything about the rental market, cap rates or how to make the most out of your investment property.

We can help you accurately value your detached home. Not only will we review what your lot and building are worth, we also advise you on the highest and best use. Sometimes this can mean subdividing your lot prior to sale, or looking for the ‘perfect buyer’ to take it over as it is. We also help you get the highest price for your home with proper staging and marketing. Every situation is so unique, but we ensure you understand this market and get the best price. We look forward to hearing from you!

source Article : Brixwork Also Find in https://brixwork.tumblr.com/post/184452071598/vancouver-real-estate-prices-up-down-or-flat

#Homes For Sale Spring #Spring Commercial Real Estate Agent #Commercial Real Estate Spring

1 note · View note

joeys-piano · 5 years ago

Note

For the ask: Fyodor, Gogol and Dazai and #5 :3c

Damn Feu, did you literally have to send me the hardest number on the entire ask list? And with this cast of characters…good heavens…

Send a number + three characters

Kill: DazaiI’d ask him if it’s what he wants. I’d ask if he’d have any regrets dying at my hand. I’d ask if he wants it to be painless and quick, or slow and agonizing. I’d ask if he has a preference on how to die, and he’d give me a gun and three bullets to seal the deal. I’d ask if he’d want to see me do it, and he’d face me with that whimsical smile that reveals so little and yet so much about what he’s thinking inside. I’ve never been a good shot, never actually shot. The weight of the firearm in my hands feels like the weight of every unsaid thing that Dazai is holding back inside. He’s gentle, smiling softly, and guiding me along how everything works.

We both know it’s a distraction. Just one pull and everything is over. If he’s particularly stubborn, there are two more bullets after the first. But with the way Dazai is guiding me for this, one bullet is all it’ll take.

I’d ask him why he wants me to do this. His silence is his only answer. Great. I lower the gun. It’s not in my moral code to just shoot someone because they asked for it. Even if this is what Dazai wants, I can’t be the one that delivers him to his end. Three steps back are all it takes before Dazai takes three steps forward. Reaching out for the first time and points the end of the gun at his chest. His finger over mine, barely grazing the trigger. He wants me to to do this. I refuse.

I ask him if this is what Oda would’ve wanted. Dazai is still. Unbeknownst to me, I had already killed Dazai as soon as those words left my mouth. I left him with a wound that no bullet could’ve given him.

Betray: FyodorThe thing about betrayal is that it never comes from your enemies. Fyodor is intimately aware of this. He knew this from the beginning when he organized the Rats of the House of the Dead and the Decay of Angels. He knew this when he found someone willing enough to play double-agent against the Armed Detective Agency and the Port Mafia. He knew this as soon as I stopped responding to his calls from the burner phone he gave me, as soon as I started selling information about him to his enemies in exchange for protection, and as soon as I found a group of people that I felt comfortable enough to refer to as my friends. He knew all of this and yet, I wonder if he still feels that bitter sting of betrayal every time we meet again on opposite sides.

Is he going to kill me? I knew I was dead the moment I consciously decided to betray him. I knew there was no turning back, and I still did it. Whether he’ll torture me first or kill me with his hands, with his ability, I don’t know. In a strange way, that comforts me. Not knowing how I’ll actually die. It gets me to believe that I’ll actually survive this ordeal. Wouldn’t that be something?

I don’t have an ability of my own. I don’t know how to use firearms or a sword or grenades or how to talk myself out of trouble. The only thing that is keeping me alive right now was knowing when to choose sides and knowing when to switch to another one. I am a walking liability to whichever front that chooses to have me and in a sense, that puts me in the most dangerous yet safest position in this entire war. Fyodor already knows that. He’s probably outlined when I’ll come back from the Port Mafia and from the Agency after betraying them, too. He’s probably outlined the anxious nights where I’m trying to pull together an utterly bullshit excuse as to why I betrayed him and now I’m coming back. He knows that my will to survive trumps everything else. He’ll use that to his advantage, try to coax me back.

The thought of Fyodor trying to coax anyone is both laughable and terrifying at the same time. What the Hell was I thinking when I agreed to all of this?

Have on my apocalypse team: NikolaiAgainst a legion of zombies and hellbent individuals hungering for blood lust, I thought I would’ve died a long time ago. Either as a perishable to nourish the growing hoard or to have my head mounted on a stick, a grim reminder of what happens to the weak and pacifists of this shitty world. Speaking of which, you kind of need the weak and pacifists to reestablish peace and society back into the world. I guess people didn’t care about it at the time.

And here I am, mulling these thoughts over as I lick a packet of mayonnaise within a crack in the wall. From what I’m aware of, this is the last packet of condiments in the area. Good gosh, food is going to be bland for a while. Slowly squeezing out more mayo, I rest my head against a bed of crumbled bricks and try to grasp at what little imagination I have left. What happened to all of those stories and ideas I used to have? What used to come so easily to me felt more and more like a stranger these days. It’s hard to think about stories and fictional characters when you’re constantly fearing for your life. It’s hard to do anything that has some semblance of normalcy when your life is anything but normal. But lest, I try.

I try because I want to tell a story to a good friend I made in the apocalypse. Can you believe that? Making friends in the apocalypse? I guess there are some normal and decent people left in this world. Unlike me, my friend actually has a sense of humor and he’s pretty imaginative on the spot. Not only that, he’s got this incredible ability. Able to teleport you anywhere you want to be, able to incapacitate zombies and gung-ho individuals that can last an hour without blood lust, and his whimsical yet dark humor has been a hope spot during these trying and difficult times. I have no clue where he is, but he mentioned he’d come back before sundown. I’d just have to think a little harder to entertain myself until he comes back.

Having humor, having someone that you can crack jokes with when the world is bleak and over the deep end, and just having someone that can alleviate the stress on your shoulders and help you feel normal again is highly undervalued in these kinds of situations when it’s the most invaluable thing you could possibly have. Every now and then, I like to be distracted from zombies and the prospects of dying. It’s not much, but it means a lot to know that not everyone is out to kill you or make your life miserable or a living Hell.

#bungou stray dogs #bsd #dazai osamu #fyodor dostoyevsky #nikolai gogol #i made 3 little ficlets~#bsd ficlet

9 notes · View notes

douchebagbrainwaves · 3 years ago

Text

CALDER'S SCULPTURES NEVER GET BORING

This is part of what big companies pay extra for is the next Apple, or the market wasn't ready yet, b the founders solved the wrong problem. While writing the prototype, the group has been traversing their network of friends in search of angel investors. I think new theorems are a fine thing to create, but there are few outside the US, startups will do a rolling close, where they can choose for themselves, rely instead on the opinions of other investors. Big companies think the function of office space is to express rank. I think a bigger problem is that the kind of things most people use computers for, a tenth of your time working on new stuff. The smart ones learn who the other smart ones are, and together they cook up new projects of their own, they'd screw it up. Even worse than the spectacular abuses might be the overall decrease in efficiency that would accompany increased secrecy. You don't have the clean, sparse feel they used to be for getting users. A lot of investors hated the idea, but not because of some right turn the country took during the Reagan administration, but because it gives you another source of ideas: look at big companies, you'd need an impressive-looking sales force to sell it to them as a web service. But with company names there is another possible approach. In fact, the reason startups do better when deprived of this crutch anyway. The first stories about Jaynes cited this source, but now that the things we build are so complicated, there's another way to convince investors to let you do it like a pilot scanning the instrument panel, not like a detective trying to unravel some mystery.

The url is in such cases practically enough by itself to determine whether the email is neutral, the spam probability will hinge on the url, and it was like trying to run through waist-deep water. For some reason this seems to be toward the merely unpalatable. That means it has to stay popular to stay good. As long as you're profitable. Or rather, my inbox is a todo list. After we fund startups we work closely with them for three months outweighs the inconvenience of moving. In such rounds they won't get the 25 to 40% of the company and demand that it take immediate action to cure any past violations of securities laws. At best you end up with a statistical sort of correctness. Can't you just think of new ideas. In fact, the language encourages you to be omniscient, but actually they tend to be about 15? We're just working on search. One of our axioms at Y Combinator is not to try to create a startup hub.

And when people seem to share a certain prickly independence, whenever and wherever they lived. We hated our last TV so much that a competitor will trip them up as that they will trip over themselves. You don't need to raise money, but also as a way of saving you work, rather than carry a single unnecessary ounce. In theory you could stick together ideas at random like this, but others haven't decided what they'll do afterward. To me she seems the best novelist of all time. Don't be evil. But investors are so fickle that you can learn from them. On the other hand, startup investing is a very strange business. When you have the degenerate case. For a startup, then hand them off to VC firms for the next round. Good ideas and valuable ideas are very close to good ideas, use them, but more than full-time.

So the lower we can get the response rate—whether by filtering, or by redesigning the product in the way of redesign. There's a real difference, because an assertion provokes objections in a way that seemed to reflect the personality of the city. And while governments might be able to pinch it off at the point where they're used. And no one can tell you, that requires your complete attention. Only a few do so far, startups that turn down acquisition offers is not necessarily that all such offers undervalue startups. There will be many different ways to learn different things, and some may look quite different from what happens in college. That's orders of magnitude better than desktop software. Our startup begins when a group of people they didn't already know. If you're starting your own company, because you're only replacing one segment instead of discarding the whole thing. Though I'd really like to know how she does what she does, I can't imagine they'll work any less hard to feed stories to bloggers, if they built whole towns, market forces would compel them to pay attention to you. Now survival is the default, instead of paying attention to what users needed, or c the company spent too much and burned through their funding before they started to make the implementation easier to port, but it turned out that many did. You release software as a series A round, the round is going to solve this problem, but it can be good for writing the kinds of programs they want to write desktop software, because desktop software has become a lot less money.

But I think that while stricter laws may not decrease the amount of memory you need for each user's data. One solution to this problem, without waiting for the government. When he rides the Eunicycle, people smile at him. How are they to hear? What a wonderful thing, to be able to reproduce the error and release a fix. US News & World Report. Some time before the release date you assemble a new version of your software by a certain date? And when someone can put on my todo list, I looked to see if there was a problem with acquisitions is that they lead to more ideas.

And then there is the question of what this new Lisp also had powerful libraries for doing what hackers want to do it. Their format is convenient, especially when you're generating code, to have operators that take any number of arguments. This should yield a much sharper estimate of the probability. You have to make their fortunes will continue to work for people with high standards. Last year one founder spent the whole first half of his talk on a fascinating analysis of the limits of the conventional desktop metaphor. And it has to be modified to: stay upwind for as long as you're still actively developing the product. One way of using patents that clearly does not encourage innovation is when established companies with bad products use patents to suppress small competitors with good products. Result: if it can't contain exciting sales pitches, spam becomes less effective as a marketing vehicle, and fewer businesses want to use. This was not how things worked at Viaweb. He said their business model is a down elevator. Another great thing about Web-based applications. The problem is, the USPTO are not hackers.

One easy way to build such a whitelist is to keep a list of the n most admirable people. And the way founders end up net ahead it's not coming out of organs not designed for that purpose. And put this kind of bug is the hardest to find, and also occurs once or twice in a big program is to start from the symptom and hope to fix the underlying causes. It also has to convince instead of commanding. They just want to invest in you, or his only duty is to the advantage of investors. This time the evidence is a mix of good and bad. In effect, this structure gives the investor a free option on the next round of investors can decide in a couple days. You can afford to be candid about what you haven't figured out yet. Writing is the same reason readers like them.

But it's also because money is not the hours but the responsibility. I had to predict now, I'd say that startups will build on, they have to understand the advantages startups get from being in America. Jack Lambert. The defining feature of spam in fact, that would not only not eliminate great variations in wealth, but might even exacerbate them. You might say that it's an accident that it thus helps identify this spam. If anyone is dishonest, it's the reporters. The problem in more traditional places like Europe and Japan goes deeper than the employment laws. A throwaway program is something that more and more programs may turn out to be really useful.

0 notes

orbemnews · 4 years ago

Link

Richard Feigen, Gallerist and Champion of Art, Dies at 90 Richard L. Feigen, a prominent gallerist, dealer and collector whose influence in the art world in New York and beyond included brokering top-dollar deals of all sorts for museums and magnates while championing both old masters and new talent, died on Jan. 29 in Mount Kisco, N.Y. He was 90. His daughter, Philippa Feigen Malkin, said the cause was complications of Covid-19. Mr. Feigen had a hand in numerous headline-making art sales during his more than 60 years in the business. At his galleries in Manhattan, Chicago and elsewhere, he hosted countless exhibitions, including early ones by emerging figures like the Pop artist Gerald Laing and the sculptor Enrique Castro-Cid. For years he represented the elusive collagist Ray Johnson, and he was a big booster of the assemblagist Joseph Cornell, the painter and sculptor Jean Dubuffet and the painter and printmaker Max Beckmann, all of whom received shows at his galleries. At various points he advanced Surrealism, German Expressionism, Italian art from the 13th century to the Baroque period, and, especially, anything involving old masters. A headline on a 1987 article in The New York Times about him and his work on behalf of the freshly minted collectors of the day said simply, “Old Masters, New Tycoons.” As that article noted, with his interest in old masters he was shaking up a traditionally staid corner of the art market — he had “brought the style and pressure of Wall Street to a trade still steeped in the notion of aristocratic gentility.” Whatever artist or genre he was bidding on or showing in his galleries, Mr. Feigen, despite having little training in art or art history, showed a keen instinct for spotting value — or, more important, future value. “Richard was always ahead of the curve,” Frances F.L. Beatty, who from 1980 to 2017 was vice president and then president of Richard L. Feigen & Company, said by email. “He did not like being a follower; he wanted to shine a spotlight on great art that was underappreciated.” Mr. Feigen traveled in heady circles, befriending artists and jet-setting about to cajole those who collected them. His hard-driving style put off some of his more reserved colleagues. “He can manage to work four English dukes, three financiers and two movie stars into one of his long-running sentences,” one of them once complained. Whatever his passion of the moment, Mr. Feigen came to understand that to appreciate the art’s importance and value required knowing how it fit in its time period. “The artists that I like take chances,” he said in an oral history recorded in 2009 for the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art. “They’re not painting in their rearview mirror. They’re painting through the windshield.” Richard Lee Feigen was born on Aug. 8, 1930, in Chicago. His father, Arthur Paul Feigen, was a lawyer and real estate investor, and his mother, Shirley (Bierman) Feigen, was a homemaker. By the time he was about 10, he was already developing a rudimentary theory of collecting. “I think I was interested in the future potential of things,” he said in the oral history. At 11 or 12, as he told the story, he bought a watercolor by the Scottish artist Isaac Cruikshank caricaturing the French Revolution, which had caught his eye in a local antique shop. He paid $100, he said, money he had earned by selling teacups with flowers in them. Why would a child buy such a thing? “I liked it and I felt it was undervalued in terms of what it would cost me,” he said in a 2019 interview with Christie’s, the auctioneer. Updated Feb. 3, 2021, 3:22 p.m. ET By the time he was in college at Yale University, he had accumulated enough of a collection that he worried the pieces were “somewhat endangered by a bunch of rowdy roommates,” he said in the oral history. He earned a bachelor’s degree there in 1952 and a master’s degree at the Harvard Business School in 1954. He was being groomed for a spot in a company owned by relatives, the Beneficial Standard Life Insurance Company of Los Angeles, and at 25 was assigned to start its investment division. But his passion for art collecting kept pulling him back east. He bought a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, thinking he could work Wall Street and pursue his art passion at the same time, but that didn’t prove feasible. In 1957 he jumped into the art world with both feet, opening the Richard Feigen Gallery on Astor Street in Chicago. “I had to use my own collection as my opening show,” he recalled in the oral history. It was titled “Masterpieces of 20th-Century German Art,” Mr. Feigen having been enamored of the German Expressionists. But soon he was showing Beckmann, Francis Bacon, the Romanian sculptor and painter Victor Brauner and other important artists there. He also took to representing some Chicago-area artists, among them the painter George Cohen. Their eagerness to have their work seen in New York, he said, was one of the reasons he opened his first New York gallery, on East 81st Street, in 1963. In 1965 he opened a second Manhattan gallery, in SoHo, focused on contemporary art. In this period he had a piece of a gallery in Los Angeles, and, for four years in the early 1990s, he had a gallery in London. Over the years his New York galleries occupied various spaces, including the current one on East 77th Street. Mr. Feigen enjoyed working with his artists, even mercurial ones like Mr. Johnson, who died, apparently by suicide, in 1995. Once Mr. Johnson indulged in a sort of performance art, dropping 60 hot dogs out of a helicopter over Wards Island in New York City. He talked Mr. Feigen into picking up the tab for both helicopter and dogs. “He was relentless in his devotion to particular artists and movements (never the most obvious ones),” Dr. Beatty said. While showing artists at his galleries, Mr. Feigen built a reputation as a wheeler-dealer in the art world. He often turned up as the bidder behind a high-priced sale at the big auction houses, and even was cast as a version of himself in Oliver Stone’s 1987 film, “Wall Street.” Often at such auctions he was representing buyers he had schooled on the value of investing in art. “There are few ready-made clients in this business, particularly Americans,” he told The Times in 1987. “You have to convert them.” Museums often turned to Mr. Feigen for important acquisitions. But sometimes he was buying for himself, either for inventory for his galleries or for his private collection, which over time became formidable. “I’ve never bought a great object for myself that I could afford,” he admitted in the oral history. “I never knew where the money was going to come from. I managed somehow to conjure it up.” Several times late in life Mr. Feigen, who at his death lived in Katonah, N.Y., sold pieces of his collection to finance his retirement. Christie’s handled one such sale in 2019. “I hope none of them will sell,” he said at the time, “because I want them back in my living room.” Mr. Feigen’s marriages to Sandra Elizabeth Canning in 1966 and Margaret Culver in 1998 ended in divorce. In 2007 he married Isabelle Harnoncourt Wisowaty, who survives him along with a daughter, Ms. Feigen Malkin, and a son, Richard, from his first marriage; two stepdaughters, Stephanie Diana Harnoncourt Wisowaty and Léonie Allison Harnoncourt Wisowaty; a stepson, Alexander Karl Richard Wisowaty; a sister, Brenda Sue Feigen; and three grandchildren. Mr. Feigen, a staunch Democrat, recorded the Smithsonian oral history in January 2009, during the final days of the administration of President George W. Bush, whose eight years in office he had viewed with dismay from a cultural standpoint. He spoke about stewardship and where art should fit in society’s value system. “It has to start out with a belief that is not universal: that the arts are fundamentally important,” he said. “Now, not everybody agrees with this, and some people would call it elitism. The fact is that I believe that what we leave behind in terms of the arts is what really matters, and not the bombs we make and the craters we dig and the structures we build, which will turn into rusty piles in time.” Source link Orbem News #Art #Champion #Dies #Feigen #Gallerist #Richard

0 notes

austinpanda · 4 years ago

Text

Dad Letter 083020

30 August, 2020

Dear Dad--

Good Sunday morning to you! I’m reviewing everything I’ve done online over the past week to find interesting things to talk about, and I don’t have a whole lot! I spent the last week keeping the house tidy and interfering with the kitties, whenever doing so seemed likely to result in entertainment. I’ll include some pictures. Samuel L. Jackson and The Horta are making quite a pair! We took the new kitten to the vet on Monday and he declared “DIAGNOSIS - HEALTHY ANIMAL,” which, I gotta say, felt good after the rough shape we found her in. She’s free from parasites (and getting freer every day from roundworms) and is growing like a weed. Her ridiculous level of energy, eagerness to hurl herself on Sam, spread-eagle, in play attack, and her curiosity are very fun to watch.

I was sad about Chadwick Boseman dying! He was the fellow who played The Black Panther. Turns out, he got diagnosed with cancer four years ago, and only his inner circle knew about it, and no one leaked it, the whole time. Now everyone who likes The Black Panther is just now learning that when he filmed that movie, and during all the other Marvel Comics movies where he played The Black Panther, he was fighting colon cancer. He may have been a semicolon (heh heh heh heh heh) but apparently he had some big brass balls, as well.

September starts in two days, and I am inappropriately excited about it! Not only do I begin my two months of scary movies marathon, culminating at Halloween, which is also on a Saturday, and a full moon this year. But also, it would seem, fall begins here around now! For someone who’s lived in Texas for so long, this space around me is fascinating with its changes, and its mildness. We’re already having highs in the 70s and the leaves are going to start turning soon. Zach and I keep standing outside, where it’s sunny and 65 degrees, and thinking, “It’s 101 degrees in Austin right now.” We don’t like to spend a lot of time dwelling about the nice weather with our southern friends, but we do have a big ol’ private gloat about it every so often. But this isn’t schadenfreude. I’m not happy if my friends and loved ones are suffering from the heat. I just wish they’d all move up here where I am! Something tells me we’re less than a month from our first freeze.

I should probably address what you wrote to me over the last week! I appreciate your words of wisdom. It’s undoubtedly true that I haven’t a very robust self esteem, and that I spend a lot of time worrying and doubting, and undervaluing my own intelligence. At the same time, a lot of me is working just fine, and in order to be a better-functioning me, I’ve had to reject the notion that living a quiet, self-sustaining life here in Maine without having attained some sort of greatness is equivalent to failure. I guess I’m trying to suggest, with deference and subtlety, that instead of suggesting how much greater I could be if I just did X, that you instead try to nurture a curiosity about what I really do wish to accomplish. I sometimes feel directionless, but I definitely know a few things I wish to avoid. I would like to get some of my writing published at some point in my life, because I’m good with words, but I’m not going to hang all my hopes on it, because it’s not that important to me. Certainly I have no cognitive dissonance about being gay.

Perhaps this is all a massive rationalization, because I was someone who could have been a best-selling author, or a gifted attorney, or a Dallas Cowboy. But I think not. My goals in life have more to do with enjoying myself, bringing joy to others, reading some good books, not being stuck indoors too much, and having a small handful of friends who genuinely love me, and would stand up for me if something ever happened that called my question into character. “No, officer, there’s no way Rick could have stampeded those women and raped those cattle. Rick has more empathy than that. Rick is more the type to agonize for weeks about whether to purchase a toy lightsaber.” Right now, the thing that seems like it’s holding me back the most, is the coronavirus. We lived here long enough to make one good friend, and then we had to virtually cease all face-to-face contact with new people, because we still can’t even get tested here, unless we’re symptomatic. I’ve made a few friends online, any of whom might turn into very good friends, watch a movie with ‘em friends, except for Covid. Seriously, eat a bag of dicks, Covid.

So that’s my goal in life. I want someone, somewhere to figure out a cure for Covid, or a vaccine, or at least a fast and easy test that I have access to. Once that’s done, I can meet all my new friends in person. I can find a job doing something interesting. I can have my neighbors over for Thanksgiving, or marihuana. I have two neighbors that I know of who get high (four, if you count that each has a partner who also gets high. I like Maine!). Until then, I’m able to do a lot of that online, including meeting my neighbors.

The cats have, just in the past 15 minutes, begin to tussle. First time they’ve tussled! We were waiting for it! Usually what happens is: Horta runs up to Sam, or leaps upon him from above, all spread-eagle and committed, and tries to face-hugger Sam. Sam hates this, sometimes growls or hisses, then he flees elsewhere. This morning, for the first time, Sam invested some serious ass-whooping time on little Horta, complete with biting and those bunny kicks of disembowelment that cats do. I had to show a video to some friends and ask if I needed to discourage their behavior, but I’ve been reassured, they’re playing. Let them play. And it’s true, no one is hissing, or growling, or trying to draw blood, and no one has a big fat tail, like they get when they’re genuinely full of murder. Their friendship grows.

Three weeks until fall starts! Sending all my love to you both!

0 notes

thesevillereport · 4 years ago

Text

You Need to Start Investing NOW! Pt II

In part one of this blog we touched why you should start investing, how investing allows you to participate in the success of companies you're familiar with, and the beauty of owning a business without running a business. In part two we touch on why some people have avoided investing in the stock market. We tackle these issues head on including the risk of losing money. To be an investor, and a good investor - which I'm sure you're capable of - you need to have all the information, the good and the bad..

So many people go their entire lives not investing because they believe the stock market is a scam, which is the mindset of someone who just doesn't understand how it works, and to be honest with you, that is by design. Yes, it's by design that you weren't taught about how the stock market actually functions, but that's another topic for another day, for now let's address the stock market is a scam issue.

The Stock Market is a Scam.

This mindset plagues a lot of people, According to Statista only 55% of American adults are investing, and of those people that are not investing, some have been told that the stock market is rigged or it's a scam.

One part of that last sentence is absolutely correct, the stock market is rigged. It's rigged for investors with patience to win in the end. It's rigged to take the money of anyone buying without an understanding of what they're buying and why they're buying it. It's rigged to leave anyone who believes they will get in, get out, and get rich quickly with nothing. I cannot deny it, it's definitely rigged. But I will argue against the stock market being a scam where only the rich guys win.

In part one I mentioned McDonalds and Johnson & Johnson, are those companies scams? Nike (NKE), Clorox (CLX), General Mills (GIS) the cereal manufacturer, Campbell the soup company (CPB), Dick's Sporting Goods (DKS), Target (TGT), Walmart (WMT), United Airlines (UAL), JetBlue (JBLU), Delta (DAL), Facebook (FB), Google (GOOGL), Netflix (NFLX), Apple (AAPL), Microsoft (MSFT), Amazon (AMZN), these are all publicly traded companies. To say the stock market is a scam is to say the products of the stock market, the companies I've just mentioned are a scam, and you're smart enough to know they are not. You wouldn't buy scammy shoes to put on your feet, or shop at a scammy store, or fly a scammy airline would you? If your answer is no, then you agree with me that Nike,Target, and JetBlue aren't running scams.

But from speaking to new investors about why they didn't invest earlier we usually hear the same story. A friend, cousin, uncle, or parent got a stock tip, bought in - without doing any other research - the stock price went down, and they lost their money, but the person that gave them the tip made out very well from the investment. This story is centuries old, and the last time I heard it, won't be the last time I hear it. It's unfortunate that it happens, but remember what I stated earlier, the market is rigged to take the money of anyone buying without an understanding of what they're buying and why they're buying it. A stock tip does not qualify as understanding what you're buying and why you're buying it.

Something else we've gathered from speaking to people that have had bad experiences in the market, their market outcomes had a lot to do with their mindset around money.

We've listened to people who were used to paying top dollar for everything. Getting the most expensive watch, car, wardrobe, house, meal, drink, et cetera, because they could.

That mindset is counterintuitive in investing.

Investors don't make money when they purchase shares of a company for $15 billion if the company is only worth $10 billion. Investors make money when they find a company worth $15 billion, but the market is selling the company for $10 billion. That $5 billion difference between the price the market is currently selling the investment for and what an investor believes the investment is worth is where the money is made.

For an investor to have success investing they have to be bargain hunters. Whether they decide to invest in value companies or high growth companies, they have to search for the bargain in order to make money. The same thing goes for real estate, buying a house for top dollar is an unwise move for a real estate investor. Buying high for the sake of buying high doesn't work in investing.

I hope this does a little bit to clear up the stock market is a scam notion. How can it be a scam when some of the largest companies in the world are a part of it? If an investor is constantly losing money and seeing more loses than gains over a long period of time, it's not because the stock market is a scam, it's because they aren't investing correctly, and are overpaying for their investments.

The Fear of Losing

Another reason many people avoid the markets is because they're scared of losing money. I was up front with you on the markets being rigged, and I'll be up front with you here, if you invest, there will be a time when you will lose money. There is no way to sugarcoat that.

The greatest investors in the world, the billionaire money managers that are featured on CNBC and Fox Business have all lost money investing at some point, and these are the worlds best and brightest investing minds. Losses happen, and this is why it is important when investing to think long term.

On the bright side, every dollar lost is a lesson learned in investing. It's a lesson on what to look out for on the next investment.

If we buy McDonalds at a value price with plans to hold it long term, we increase our chances of making a very good return on our money and decrease our chances of losing money.

McDonald's may have a rough quarter or a rough year, but it will likely be here long after you and I are gone, and it will likely be worth more money ten years from now than it is today.

There is Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself

Today investing is easier than it's ever been. More importantly it's easier to start small than it's ever been. I started investing when I had to call a broker, listen to that broker chuckle at the few dollars I had to buy the few shares of stock I wanted, and then pay that broker's commission for taking my order.

It's so much easier today. First, everything is online, and setting up a trading account is as easy as filling out a job application. You can log in to your trading account, deposit money, withdraw money, buy stocks and sell stocks without speaking to anyone at all.

Also trading apps like Robinhood and WeBull initiated the zero-commission trading phenomenon, which eventually caught fire and forced larger investment houses to adopt a zero-commission fee structure. Now investing is easy and almost free, in addition some sites even allow investors to buy fractional shares. Now investors don't have to buy a full share of stock outright, they can buy a fraction of a share, and still enjoy in the success of that company to the degree of the ownership stake they have.

Why Stocks (and ETFs Sometimes)?

There are enough people yelling at you in those four minute YouTube commercials about the best, easiest, quickest way to get rich, I want to avoid that crowd, but still explain to you why The Seville Report is focused on stocks/equity.

First and foremost stocks are incredibly easy to buy and sell. Open an app, enter the stock symbol, enter the number of shares I want, hit the buy button and I'm done. If I need to know the value of my investment I can easily find it. When I'm ready to sell the stock it's just as easy; open the app, enter the symbol, the amount of shares I want to sell, hit the sell button and I'm done. I just can't beat the simplicity of conducting a stock transaction compared to other investments.

Also stocks provide the ability to gain exposure to a multitude of markets. For example a stock in a Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) can provide exposure to the real estate markets. A REIT that pays a monthly dividend can give me the sense of collecting rent, without having to secure a mortgage, locate a property, and qualify tenants.

If I foresee something great happening that will positively impact a specific industry, I can buy an ETF and gain exposure to that industry. An ETF like the SPDR S&P 500 Trust ETF (SPY) tracks the S&P500, and this one investment instrument provides investors exposure to the best companies in the United States.

Also, I find the process of researching publicly traded companies easier than researching most other types of investments. I also enjoy that as long as I have an internet connection I can research a company from anywhere, and there's the euphoric feeling I get when I find an undervalued gem. Life is hard, so I try take the easy way when I can, and stock investing is just easy to me.

Invest Now!

No matter what you decide to invest in, it doesn't matter to me, I just want you to invest. We can all use a money multiplier, something that grows the money we have, while we're trying to make more money, and there is no easier way to do that than by investing.

A case for investing in stocks is that investing in stocks gives you the opportunity to own a business without the huge cash outlay needed to start a business. Also, owning stocks allows you to participate in the success of companies you know and whose products you use.

Remember the stock market is not a scam. Real companies are traded every day in the stock market, companies that you know. Don't fear losing money, because you will eventually take a loss if you're investing, that's in stocks as well as real estate, losses are a part of the territory. But when all is said and done the wins should more than outweigh the losses.

Don't let the process overwhelm you, opening an investment account is like filling out a job application or opening a bank account. Once your account is established you're ready to start funding your account and investing.

If you weren't investing or never thought about investing, I hope that you are seriously considering it after reading this. If you're ever in need of investment ideas, we publish our investment newsletter quarterly, and it can be purchased here. In our newsletter we discuss undervalued opportunities in the market. Good luck, and may your next investment be your best investment.

#Investments #Investing #Research #Education #Financial Education #Investment Education #Money Education #Stocks #Stock Investing 101 #How to Invest in Stocks #Stock Market Education

0 notes

eclair · 7 years ago

Text

Some random thoughts about art and making a living

I should be working but I might have sounded offensive to someone without meaning to. Social media is indeed sometimes a hard place to interact, especially when character count is a limit.

In any case, certain things that frustrate me in my country in terms of performing arts:

* To be a book gigs as a performer, you have to be the most ideal looking as you can and be skilled too. Age can also factor in. Weight factors in. Nobody would believe that I can dance with a hula hoop with how I look. I was able to book some hoop dance gigs in the past when I was in my relatively leaner days. But I’ve gotten rejected because I was too old, too short, too fat, etc for a certain gig. And I was also told that getting me booked for gigs is a challenge because, well, looks and I don’t dance as well as many other people. * Call times can be shitty af. You have to be early but you are not given the space to practice in. You have so little space to change clothes in, do your make up, etc. And you’re running out of time. * Some will want to book a gig at the very last minute. Or almost the very last minute. Or they book you early but give you so many additional details at the last minute. If you’re doing a performance gig by yourself or if you were doing this full time and your group has a lot of set performances - it wouldn’t be as troublesome. But a lot of my friends and I haven’t really been full time when this happened. Granted that it was a bit doable, tracking this is a bit hard. And yes, the client should have informed us of all the specs as soon as they can in order to coordinate a big group quicker. Maybe it was also inexperience on our end, partly, but still. That’s a bit hard. * The client sometimes wouldn’t understand why there are additional fees or why rates are higher for certain things. Isn’t a performance the same, regardless? Not really, since some performances require special props, etc. Sometimes you even need one more person to come along as a safety but usually clients would only pay for the performers so you might have to take turns as safeties for each other. * Performers are not always respected. Just because you wear something a bit sexy, you get hit on by some people or treated differently. And it’s just so awkward but you take it as part of the job. Because you can move your body a certain way, it doesn’t mean consent for people to harass you or ask you out. When I was in a gig in a big posh place, we were reminded to not take drinks offered, etc while we were working. Just to avoid any untoward incidents is important.

* Sometimes you don’t even get a talent fee for appearing on tv. Even if they invite you etc, they just give you exposure, a decent meal and a ride home. That’s it.

And when it comes to graphic arts:

* People don’t expect to pay you so much. To be honest, market research on pricing and stuff is hard. It’s like how low can you go versus how high quality can you get when it comes to getting physical merchandise made. And factoring in the time you spend on the artwork itself.

* If someone commissions you to do something, you also end up looking at market prices and how much people generally charge. It’s not like you want to be dirt cheap to get your work out there. But it usually feels like it. Imagine seeing an artist friend sell framed artworks but wouldn’t be willing to pay you a particular amount for yours hurts a lot but I’ve seen it, I’ve felt it. It sucks so much. Or you have friends who are amazing, they open their commissions and their price is honestly so low but they’re also comparing it with other existing prices. You wanna pay them more and sometimes they feel too shy to take your money because they feel they don’t deserve it even when they do. There are also artists who are aware they of their value but they get frustrated because the market cannot see this because of other artists who have undervalued their work.

* Some people have the right connections, the right timing and the market is oversaturated with a lot of artists as it is. Because the market is tiny and there are just so many artists as it is, sometimes if you were able to get there early, people remember you a lot and you could get their attention more. Or if there’s something totally unique about your art and your timing is right, then people would also remember you quite a lot and might flock to you for your style.

In general:

* The economy sucks and we can all feel it. But yeah, our current local scene doesn’t seem friendly to artists in making them transition into making art for a living. No matter how much a lot of artists I know and love are trying, I personally know a bunch of them who either have day jobs or have other side businesses or small jobs here and there.

* People need to get educated about the value of art. As artists, we could say no when people undervalue us when they ask our rate sheets and negotiate for much lower fees. That is a way to let people know that we value ourselves too.

* Should artists never ever do things for free? I think artists can do things for free. But it should be something that they strongly believe that they’re ok with doing for free, and it shouldn’t be something that they’d be coerced into at all. They have a choice. If that’s a cause they want to champion, or an event they strongly feel about - why not?

* We should all get into our heads that artists also need to feed themselves, nourish themselves. If we can’t afford their art, maybe we have friends who do. We could refer these artists to other people who can help support their art. In a way, we could be helping them too, albeit indirectly.

* If we find an artwork that we like, but cannot afford at the time we find it, we can save up for it. We can follow the artist on their social media and watch out for prints instead of the original piece until we can possibly afford them. I don’t know if there’s an etiquette to negotiating prices for artwork, but really, I don’t want to negotiate lower pricing for an artwork. It feels so awkward. When it comes to commissioned pieces, I get it why some people prefer smaller sized not so complex works because they’re more affordable, or just the right size for their room, etc. But yeah, it feels so weird to negotiate down a price since it feels like putting a low value to the time and effort that has already been made for a piece. If you cannot afford the specific piece you asked about, you could also check their commission rates. If there is a size of artwork + style that you can afford to commission, why not go for that? It will be unique and it will be just for you.

* But also note when commissioning an artist that you might have to think about the details because revisions take time and effort. Usually the artists are transparent about their process. If the thumbnail/study/rough sketch they show you is not quite how you envision the piece, think about it harder and try to describe the details in such a way that they could picture it better. Hopefully this will save you both time and it will be more specific, so this might help make the piece. Artists would usually also mention their terms regarding the number of studies/thumbnails they can make, and also the number of revisions. Please make sure to remember those details and don’t be rude to artists when things are within those terms.

* I know some people have had bad experience/s with commissioning artists too. But please don’t think that all artists are the same. Instead, use that as a way to learn and maybe someday that could help you when discussing the details of a commissioned piece, as well as possible terms before finalizing it. Most artists I’ve met seem to be amenable to discussing details so just open the topic if needed.

* Making art for a living is a valid thing. In this country, it seems that it’s not. And that’s why I have friends who don’t do it for a living. Or if they do, it’s not full time. Or if they do it full time, they’ve sacrificed a lot. Either they’re young enough to take a risk or something. But really, most people I know seem to do this on the side because of the unstable nature of it. It’s just that we can hope to make a difference by making sure artist friends don’t just get exposure but also get paid for this. If someone’s art has helped you get through the day, if they made you smile, if they made you feel things, why not show it in a tangible way like buying their art, promoting their art, etc? At some point, we’re going to have to do things to also help artists feel they are valued too and if we can start today, let’s do it. Ok?

/steps away now that I am able to explain my thoughts on the matter without a limit to character count

#art #some art discourse

5 notes · View notes

agilenano · 5 years ago

Text

Agilenano - News: "Destroyed by Margin Call" by bedofnailz May 9, 2020: "To all the retards out there gambling with margin thinking you are Bradley Cooper or something, here is why you don’t do it unless you got the cash to cover the call." -

https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/ ○ “The Dangers of Buying on Margin” By Joshua Kennon "Like the flashing lights and sounds of clinking coins at a casino, buying stocks on margin is one of those things that might appear on the surface to be a great way to make money. The pitch usually goes something this, "If you have a few thousand dollars in your brokerage account, you might qualify to borrow money against your existing stocks at a low interest rate to buy even more stock, leveraging your returns!" The reality is that trading on margin is an inherently speculative strategy that can transform even the safest blue chip into a risky gamble. It allows people and institutions desiring to get really greedy aggressive to buy more shares of a company than they could otherwise afford. When things go south, it can get really ugly, really fast, even leading to personal or corporate bankruptcy. The Risks of Buying Stocks on Margin: In the past, I've used some real-life case studies to demonstrate how terrible the consequences of buying stocks on margin can be. One man, Joe Campbell, woke up to find himself $106,445.56 in debt to his stock broker due to a margin position that went against him. Many, many other individuals lost everything when they swung for the fences, some using margin debt, buying more shares than they could afford of a company called GT Advanced Technologies, which went bankrupt. Entire retirement accounts were wiped out and some investors talked about contemplating suicide. (And some did it... - CP) To top it off, if you open a margin account, rather than a so-called cash account, you introduce something called rehypothecation risk. If the financial world ever falls apart, again, which it inevitably will, you might not realize that you've exposed far more of your assets than you knew to losses that aren't even yours. There is simply no reason to go through life like this. I feel so strongly about it that one of the first things I did when sitting down and planning the global asset management group my family is launching was to include it in a list of policies for our private accounts. Kennon-Green & Co. only manages money in cash accounts as margin debt is neither welcome nor necessary except in a handful of extremely limited cases such as structured risk arbitrage transactions, which certainly is not appropriate for new investors self-educating to run their own portfolio. I don't care if it could generate higher fees for the firm. I don't care if a client wants it. That's not what we do. This might seem to be a bit old-fashioned but there are certain risks that I believe are imprudent. Margin is one of them. With all of that said, if you still aren't deterred about margin, and you want to employ margin debt in your own portfolio, keep reading. In the rest of the article, I'll explain some of the basics of how it works to provide what, I hope, is a better understanding of the mechanics involved. The Definition of Margin: In the most basic definition, trading on margin is essentially investing with borrowed money. Typically how it works is that your brokerage house borrows money at rock-bottom rates then turns around and lends it to you at slightly higher (though still objectively cheap) rates, floating you funds to buy more stocks - or whatever other eligible securities you desire - than your cash alone would permit you to buy. Or, I suppose, if you're really going for speculation, sell short. All of the assets in your account, as well as your personal guarantee, are held as assurance that you will repay the debt no matter what happens in the trading account itself. Even if the account blows up, you are on the hook for the money immediately. No payment plan. No negotiating terms. If you don't pay, the broker can haul you into court to start getting judgments to seize your other holdings, ultimately requiring you to throw yourself at the mercy of a bankruptcy judge. Meanwhile, as your credit score plummets, you might find everything tied to your credit rating getting destroyed, too. Your insurance rates could skyrocket. Your other lenders could restrict access to borrowing capacity, leaving you no ability to pay your bills. Utility and phone companies may demand cash security deposits. Potential employers may look at your credit and decide not to hire you. All because you were impatient to make money, not satisfied to compound prudently over time, collecting dividends, interest, and rents along the way. Margin Maintenance Requirements: Each brokerage house establishes a margin maintenance requirement. This maintenance requirement is the percentage equity the investor must keep in his portfolio at all times. For example, a house that maintains a 30% maintenance requirement would lend up to $2.33 for every $1.00 an investor had deposited in his account, giving him $3.33 of assets with which to invest. An investor with only one or two stocks in his portfolio may be subject to a higher maintenance requirement, typically 50%, because the broker believes the probability of not getting paid is greater due to the lack of diversification. Some assets, such as penny stocks, aren't eligible for margin trading at all. Frankly, this is wise. Investing in penny stock is almost always a bad idea, anyway. Adding leverage on top of it would be deranged. The Power of Leverage - An Example of What a Margin Trade Might Look Like: A speculator deposits $10,020 into his margin-approved brokerage account. The firm has a 50% maintenance requirement and is currently charging 8% interest on loans under $50,000. The speculator decides to purchase stock in a company. Normally, he would be limited to the $10,020 cash he has at his disposal. However, by employing margin debt, he borrows just under the maximum amount allowable ($10,000 in this case), giving him a grand total of $20,020 to invest. He pays a $20 brokerage commission and uses the $20,000 ($10,000 his money, $10,000 borrowed money) to buy 1,332 shares of the company at $15 each. Margin Debt Scenario 1: The stock falls to $10 per share. The portfolio now has a market value of $13,320 ($10 per share x 1,332 shares), $10,000 of that is cash from the margin loan, $3,320, or 25% of the margin loan, is the investor's equity. This is a serious problem. The speculator must restore his equity to 50% within twenty-four hours or his broker will liquidate his position to pay the outstanding balance on the margin loan. This 24-hour notice is known as a margin call. To meet his margin call, he will have to deposit cash or shares of stock worth at least $6,680. Had the speculator not bought on margin, his loss would have been limited to $3,333. He would have also had the freedom to ignore the decline in market value if he believed the company was a bargain. However, his use of margin has turned his loss into $6,680 plus the commission on the forced sale of stock and the interest expense on the outstanding balance. Margin Debt Scenario 2: After purchasing 1,332 shares of stock at $15, the price rises to $20. The market value of the portfolio is $26,640. The speculator sells the stock, pays back the $10,000 margin loan and pockets $6,640 before interest and the selling commission. Had he not utilized margin, this transaction would have only earned him a profit of $3,333 before commissions. The Lesson You Should Learn About Investing in Stocks on Margin: The lesson is that margin amplifies the performance of a portfolio, for good or ill. It makes losses and gains greater than they would have been if the investment had been on a strict cash-only basis. The primary risks are market and time. Prices may fall even if an investment is already undervalued and/or it may take a significant amount of time for the price of a stock to advance, resulting in higher interest costs to the investor. An investor who found an undervalued stock is speculating ipso facto by using margin because he is now betting that the market will not fall far enough to force him to sell his holdings. The Basics of Trading on Margin: When you sign up for a margin brokerage account, generally: • All securities in your account are held as collateral for a margin loan, including stocks, bonds, etc. • The margin maintenance requirement varies from broker to broker, stock to stock and portfolio to portfolio. The brokerage firm has the right to change this at any time so you might find yourself with a demand to immediately pay off your margin debt balance with no warning or face having your portfolio liquidated. • If you fail to meet a margin call by depositing additional assets, your broker may sell off some or all of your investments until the required equity ratio is restored. • It is possible to lose more money than you invest when using margin. You will be legally responsible for paying any outstanding debt you may have to your broker even if your portfolio is completely wiped out. • The interest rate charged by your broker on margin balances is subject to immediate change. In some extreme cases, margin caused serious economic troubles. During the Crash of 1929 proceeding the Great Depression, maintenance requirements were only 10% of the amount of the margin loan! Brokerage firms, in other words, would loan $9 for every $1 an investor had deposited. If an investor wanted to purchase $10,000 worth of stock, he would only be required to deposit $1,000 upfront. This wasn't a problem until the market crashed, causing stock prices to collapse. When brokers made their margin calls, they found that no one could repay them since most of their customers' wealth was in the stock market. Thus, the brokers sold the stock to pay back the margin loans. This created a cycle that fed on itself until eventually prices were battered down and the entire market demolished. It also resulted in the suspension of margin trading for many years.” -https://www.thebalance.com/ ◆ Now you know why it's called a casino... a $2.4 QUADRILLION global casino of derivatives. Margin call that! And the government gave them at least $23 trillion of your money to bail them out after the crash of 2008. Totally insane... But these days, what isn't?

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) https://agilenano.com/blogs/news/destroyed-by-margin-call-by-bedofnailz-may-9-2020-to-all-the-retards-out-there-gambling-with-margin-thinking-you-are-bradley-cooper-or-something-here-is-why-you-don-t-do-it-unless-you-got-the-cash-to-cover-the-call

0 notes

illizitaffairs · 7 years ago

Text

Taylor deserves better by fucking everyone

When I think about the success I’ve had, the life I have built, it all comes back to the path Taylor shaped for me. And I’m really fucking tired of holding back my thanks for her and not defending her.

As a dean’s list post-secondary student studying media, communications and PR I am exhausted of seeing Taylor’s legacy continually beaten and worn - but more so, I am disappointed in myself for not defending her the past couple of years.

I am fucking exhausted of seeing her work not recognized in the way it should.

I am fucking sick of this culture of not being able to accept that a strong, young woman is better at this than people who have been in the industry for double the amount of time she’s been alive.

And I am so, so fucking disappointed in myself for not saying this sooner.

The more educated I become in the background work involved in making Taylor the phenomenon she is, the more I understand the hardship, innovative thinking and uncelebrated strategy involved in her legacy. As a woman, I should be celebrating this. Instead of using my education and voice to defend this, I have done nothing to stop a culture of assumptions, stereotypes and uninformed opinions that clearly hurt her.

This is my (educated) analysis of how under appreciated Taylor Swift is and how the world (including me) has done her legacy wrong.

I write this from a class discussing how best to formulate social media cross-promotion, and the importance of shaping trends that your target market will follow versus following trends they establish for themselves. As I listen my anger and frustration is bubbling over. This is what Taylor has done since she was still on myspace. This is what she has continued to do through the cross-promo for anything she has ever released or done.

I don’t have the time to find stats to back up my points, but in summary:

1. Taylor defined cross-promo marketing. Look at what she’s done with Reputation. Millions of people are buying multiple copies of her album and merch to have a higher chance of getting access to pre-sale. Not even to buy the actual tickets! Just to improve their fucking chance at getting in. She’s making millions off of the hope her fans have of seeing her live. This is because of the decade-long career of tours that have sold out in minutes due to other equally-as-successful cross-promo campaigns. This also applies to her reposting photos of fans buying albums on release week - just the chance of getting noticed is enough to make people go out of their way to make a big scene when buying her album.

PEOPLE. THIS IS LEGACY DEFINING STUFF. The excitement of music-buying or tour ticket purchasing may not be new, but the way the Swift team navigates it and uses social media to push it is iconic. THAT is why she is only artist to sell over 1 million copies of her album during release week. THAT is how she has set so many records. Her strategies are flawless and executed perfectly. It’s like all of what I learn in my degree done right. She deserves a standing ovation for this work.

2. Taylor has built her career on the only reliable thing in her world: herself. Without going into an entirely separate rant, there is lots of pieces of culture that tie into Taylor’s brand whether she wants there to be or not (you know the article I could @ here). Instead of focusing on those pieces she can’t control, she has shaped her success based on her stories, her perspectives, her world. The choices she chooses to PUBLICLY voice (more on this later) only build on to her brand of self-sufficiency and self-love. This is a strategy that will sustain her for generations to come. By not getting overly controversial about anything she allows herself to only be critiqued for her choices and actions - which she clearly believes in and stands in strong in. We’ve seen that this is a double-edged sword and has opened her to the vicious, personal attacks that have nothing to do with her artistry. These attacks are childish and undermine the strategy behind her.

This strategy allows her to build a brand that has longevity to it - so long as she stays true to herself and genuine in her work (which! she! has!) she is timeless.

THAT is why her career is still booming after a decade with little sign or slowing down or losing momentum. THAT is why she will always find supporters.

Her brand is hers alone to define, and she has yet to attempt to stray or change that. Reputation has proven that she understands this and will continue to own it for as long as she chooses to make music.

3. She has gone through a media cycle that has spiralled others out of control. And she has turned out fine. The hypocrisy the media has displayed to this point is outstanding. I just love (sarcasm!) how media rips apart people who over publicize their good deeds - they call they fake-feminists and attention-grabbers, and then say the same about Taylor for choosing to keep her efforts quieter.

It is easy to find hundreds - nay, thousands of good deeds and standings of good will that Taylor has done that she has never publicized. Hospital visits, private donations to fans and organizations both big and small, packages, house visits, school visits - THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. She does wonderful, beautiful things with the position fame has put her in. What qualifies that as shame-worthy?

Which leads me to my next frustration: how many people can honestly understand what it is like to be her? A multi-millionaire with one of the largest young, impressionable followings? She has done remarkably well to not stray into dangerous habits (at least that we know of). She deserves recognition for being one of the only people in the world who understand that. Comparing her to other famous women in the same demographic, how many of them deal with that scale of fan-following and mania? Or wealth? Or both while also being framed as a man-eater, cry-baby or worse?

Most recently, she doesn’t speak out on issues and they dub her as anti-feminism. Yet her sexual assault trial gets little to no coverage the way it should, her donation after the trial got 0 recognition as well. Taylor Swift should be considered a fucking warrior for handling this, and she got absolutely nothing.

Look at what she’s just done on Jimmy Fallon. No agenda, just a beautiful and genuine offer of love and support to someone in their time of need. That is who Taylor Swift is. That is what Reputation is about. That is what her career should be defined by.

I’ve been a Taylor Swift fan since 2009. Middle-school was filled with t-shirts, posters covering my room, demanding only Taylor birthday cards, learning to play guitar and countless other interests. This went on for years. Like many of you, I became “that” Taylor Swift fan.

But it went beyond my material involvement, Taylor’s example helped shaped me into a strong, self-sufficient and confident person. Throughout those formative high school years where we all struggle to find ourselves I managed to unapologetically strut my talents and personality with minimal struggles with self-love. I credit this to learning early on how to express myself and work through difficult emotions - a lesson learned by watching Taylor’s example.

Honestly, watching her career made me want to understand what makes people successful. Carefully analyzing and watching her over the years is what led me to my dream degree. Now, I’m top of my class and research how to build success like she has. I found my niche, my passion, my path in life because of watching her success. I found something I’m really fucking good at and do work I’m really fucking proud of because of watching the work her team does. I’m so thankful for that.

I never thought Taylor wasn’t worth defending. But like so many young, impressionable women, I was scared of making myself a target. I was scared of defending her while she got dragged for her work. This is where I failed her. I was scared of being outcasted for being a marketing nerd, so I shied away and explored other interests. I wish I had continued to vocalize my support for her the past couple of years rather than shying away. It’s a big regret for me.

Taylor has never shied away from a spotlight that has continually targeted her, framed her poorly, victimized her or shamed and blamed her for playing the victim. She barrelled through establishing her dominance, owning her brand, and then reclaiming it like a fucking queen through Reputation.

I never had the strength to do this in my life until recently. In my own life, I’m reclaiming my time, reclaiming MY reputation (which, without going into a backstory, has seen it’s own unfair blows recently and has hurt me tremendously), and reclaiming my fucking life because Taylor has shown me, yet again, how to come out on top of struggle.

As a public relations student, I look back on the work Taylor has done and I see her not just as a music icon or role model. I see her marketing intelligence, thorough understanding of her fans and how to reach to them, and how to manage her reputation which has been thrown under the bus and pulled through the mud for over a decade.

As a fan, I see how she’s grown, strengthened and shined through unchartered waters, and how after all these years she is still underestimated, undervalued and under-loved.

As a woman, I see my sister who needs more support for the brilliancy in which she’s handled the cards she’s been dealt. I see an example set for me and girls after me. Taylor didn’t ask for that when she released Tim McGraw, but she’s done it anyway on her own terms. I value that. I stand by that. I won’t be silent any longer.

I hope there are fans like me out there who see this and agree. I’m tired of being the only fucking person I know who thinks this. And I hope it’s not too late for these words, for my to label myself as a Taylor Swift fan and own it. I just hope I’m not alone in this anymore. (Is the term Swifty or Swifties still a thing? Is that like a ten years ago thing? I’m so out of the loop now.)

#taylor swift #taylor swift rant #taylurking #taylornation #reputation #taylor swift reputation #swifties #taylor #swift #i dont even know what to tag anymore i just hope someone out there agrees lol #taylor defense squad #reptaylurking

4 notes · View notes

douchebagbrainwaves · 4 years ago

Text

I'VE BEEN PONDERING RECORD

There are just two or three of you, and it will take years. If we want to get rich if the product succeeds, and get nothing if it fails. Plus in four years it will be easy to raise angel rounds about half the size of the round can even change on the fly. They dropped out of the way things are going to get replaced. But I don't think you're going to see record labels or tobacco companies using this discovery. Well, I'll tell you what tends to be missing when people lack experience. I was thinking recently how inconvenient it was not to have much power in big companies than small ones, and product development. As I was doing it I tried to imagine what a transcript of the other guy's talk would be like, and you'll probably also do a better job of presenting that aspect of your startup, and misleading them about how far along you are.

Who do I use as examples when I'm talking to companies we fund? Much of what VCs add, the acquirer would have been better for him. They're responding to the market. The interesting thing is, no one knows, including him. Why do Segways provoke this reaction? But the real costs are the ones you never hear about: the company that would be the best supplier, but doesn't bid because they can't spare the effort to get verified. The way to handle rejection is with precision. A lot of people seem to think we're on to something. Why do Segways provoke this reaction? In this model, the research department functions like a mine. But it's probably not that dangerous to start worrying too early that you're default dead, we probably need to talk about whether a startup is not like applying to college, where you can spend as long thinking about each sentence than it takes to say it.

If you're a good con artist, you'll never convince investors if you're not convinced yourself. There are no meetings or, God forbid, corporate retreats or team-building exercises. So naturally the people at the startup work a lot harder. Is the cost increasing or decreasing? The problem with not having the. Of course, someone has to take money from novice investors, or there would never be any experienced ones. You can't hire that kind of talent. My friend Trevor Blackwell is a great hacker? What does that mean for founders? Well, we humans are as conspicuously different from other animals as the anteater.

Make something people want. Which of course makes me um even more, because I find new books to read en route. Tie yourself to the mast. If you're Sam Altman, you don't really understand them. How likely are they to offer you a term sheet? More money can't get software written faster; it isn't needed for facilities, because those can now be quite cheap; all money can really buy you is sales and marketing. But only graduation rates, then you'll improve graduation rates you made classes easier. The math is brutal. Investors rarely grasp this, but much of what they're responding to when they lose interest in a startup is default alive or default dead: they assume it will have expanded to include the efforts of all the great programmers I can think of names.

But if you're looking for companies that hope to win by writing great software, but through brand, and dominating channels, and doing the right deals. Consulting Some would-be founders may by now be thinking, why deal with investors while the others keep the company going. So I think VC funds are seriously threatened by the super-angels don't like. An office environment is supposed to be the CEO. If you know what? Fred Brooks wrote about it in 1974, and the time preparing for it beforehand and thinking about it afterward. The rate at which individuals can create wealth as well as consuming your attention they undermine your morale. Whenever someone in an organization is a kind of Segway. If he wants to be on this list, he's going to be a rule with them that everything has to start with no more than an outline of what you want, you can take. I was working on spam filters I thought it would be good; you could tell from the case. I'm sure most of those who want to decrease economic inequality want to do it, why not undergrads? Really there should be two articles: one about what to do if you are yourself a programmer, and one about what to do about it.

And if there are people who could, if they can just hire enough people it somehow will be. Well, I'm now about to do that in a spectacular way: I think undergraduates are undervalued. There are always new ideas right under your nose. And when you look at the history of stone tools, technology was already accelerating in the Mesolithic. In every field, technology magnifies differences in productivity. There are startups that have succeeded despite any number of different mistakes. He'd also just arrived from Canada, and had just hired a very experienced NT developer to be their chief technical officer. He was the original author of GMail, which is one of the most powerful forces that can work on founders' minds, and attended by an experienced professional whose full time job is to buy companies, and the reactions that spread from person to person in an audience are disproportionately the more brutish sort, just as the greatest danger of being hard to sell to is not that you overpay but that the best ones actually prefer to work hard. And I've heard several hackers say that after drinking even half a beer they can't program at all. Morale is tremendously important to a startup. For example, Web-based applications are hot now, but within Microsoft there must be a lot of the company as they can in each one.

#automatically generated text #Markov chains #Paul Graham #Python #Patrick Mooney #money #others #hacker #attention #programmers #number #Canada #office #audience #talk #GMail #exercises #names

0 notes

allenmendezsr · 5 years ago

Text

The Chattel Report

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/the-chattel-report/

The Chattel Report

Buy Now

The Chattel Report 12 WEEKS TO FREEDOMWhat this information represents is how one man was able to ditch his job, and live a life of pure freedom – and to not only live but thrive, by buying and selling personal property, also known as chattel.

Wouldn’t you like to do the same too? To find out how… READ ON!

COULD THIS BE THE PERFECT BUSINESS FOR YOU?

Small investment, start with only 100 bucks, which means:

NO loans from banks or investors.

NO borrowing from relatives.

NO hassles.

No overhead. Work at home.

No equipment to buy or lease.

No office or store to go to.

NO ROAD RAGE in rush hour traffic.

No LATCH KEY kids in your house.

REALISTIC AND DOABLE.

NO skills. No special talents. NO education required.

NO BOSS. Hey let’s repeat this one: NO BOSS!

NO customers, clients or pain in the neck EMPLOYEES.

Unlimited Potential.

PRIVATE– NO one even needs to know you do it.

And it is so SIMPLE, even my 11 year old does it.

DOES WHAT?

Buying and selling of CHATTEL. Personal property. It is a MULTI BILLION dollar industry that is available to everyone. Many have learned how to do it and have made a great living – with no boss! You could do it part-time or full-time – whatever fits your lifestyle!

Any extra cash be used for anything a person wants to do. For example…

Pay off ALL the bills, and live totally debt free.

Start a DREAM BUSINESS…

Build a dream CASTLE. Become the KING or QUEEN of the world – Your world that is.

Take a VACATION anywhere in the world!

Here’s a FACT. Living your dreams is often dependent on how much MONEY you earn. And that is why you may be looking into money making opportunities. That’s how you came to this site, right?

Maybe you are tired of not making enough money to fulfill all of your dreams.

Perhaps you have a JERK for a boss. Or you have a long drive on smog covered expressways full of angry people ready to shoot you at the push of a break pedal.

Whatever the reason, there is a good chance that you are NOT making enough MONEY to do what you really want to. But of course, you may not even know what you want to do.

Here is what I believe to be a truth. If you had ENOUGH MONEY, to take the daily pressures off, then you could spend some TIME to find out what would really make you happy.

But as my old friend Joe Karbo used to say:

“Most people are too busy earning a living to make any money.”

And it was Joe that taught me about the “world’s most exciting business” the DIRECT RESPONSE BUSINESS. Some call it Mail Order. Or Remote Direct Marketing. And I have been involved in this business, it seems, forever.

But it was ALSO Joe who taught me about CHATTEL. And how buying and selling of chattel could get me the START-UP capital for any type of business. At the time I was a student at Golden West Community College in Huntington Beach, California. I think I was taking Surfing 101 as I remember it. Mostly just hanging out. And Joe was at Sunset Beach when I first ‘bumped’ into him, literally. Well, anyhow, that story is not important.

Here’s What’s Important…

Joe told me about how he made money BUYING & SELLING surplus boxes after he got out of the Service. (We were kindered spirits, he was a Pharmacists Mate, I was a Commissaryman).

And that is the money he used to buy a brand new car (with CASH), moved into a handsome apartment, and put over $10,000 in the bank, all through BUYING & SELLING.

Joe also BOUGHT a boat (which is CHATTEL) for a fraction of what the owner had paid. And when Joe sold that boat, he made a very substantial PROFIT.

Joe Karbo is considered by many to be a marketing genius. And I agree with that. What most people don’t know about Joe, he was “accessible” and helpful to people and he gave this young college student more than the time of day. He gave me a way to make money, anywhere, anytime I needed to.

Are you too busy earning a living that you don’t have the time to make any money?

Let me introduce you to what I affectionately call Joe’s OTHER direct response business: the BUYING & SELLING of CHATTEL. And as I mentioned, it is so simple my 11 year old does it.

You probably DO IT too. Or have. Have you EVER bought anything from some other person? At a garage sale? Or yard sale? Or swap meet or flea market? Or from the classified section in the newspaper?

Almost EVERYONE has bought and sold some of their PERSONAL PROPERTY at one time or another.

But have you ever considered it as a way to MAKE MONEY?

A way to: RAISE INSTANT CASH?

Well I have. After one of the greatest marketing minds the world has ever known OPENED MY EYES to buying and selling. And if was good enough for Joe Karbo, friends, it is good enough for me.

Now I also, like Joe did, develop products and do Direct Response Marketing. That is what I’m doing right now. I’m trying to sell you a product that I have created, just like Joe taught me.

I want to sell my special report to YOU, directly. And I’m adding an element I learned from one of my other mentors, Benjamin D. Suarez. I’m doing it REMOTELY.

Ben Suarez owns a debt free 100 Million dollar international direct response company. He employs nearly 1000 people here in Northeast Ohio. And Ben personally recruited me from a seminar audience to come and work for him. Based upon what I had learned from Joe Karbo, and Melvin Powers and a few other “mentors”.

And although I did take a position with Ben’s company, (he made an offer I couldn’t refuse), I CONTINUED to work my little operation of BUYING & SELLING of CHATTEL. And made more in one fifth of the time than I did working for someone else.

It’s Time To Reveal My Secrets!

So I thought it was time to share my secrets with those of you that might be ready to get out of the rat race, and into the CHIPS. ARE YOU READY?

BUT FIRST, let me get this off my chest. CHATTEL may NOT be the way for you to make money on a PERMANENT basis. It takes time and effort. I personally don’t believe in FREE lunches. I don’t like people that sit around their kitchen table in their underwear and tell people how they can “get rich” doing practically nothing. And then have the gall to sell you a 500.00 “course” in doing what they did. This really peeves me.

But, WHATEVER! I mention this because I’m not going to sell you a course. I will however sell you a brief report that I put together, with the help of my teenagers, based on what I KNOW and DO. A report on CHATTEL. And how buying and selling chattel can make you money. OH, I am going to be making some money from selling you this report. Do you mind? I hope not, after all YOU are going to learn how to make money.

But don’t you judge information by volurme or weight. If you want lots of pages, I’ll send you a phonebook? OK? This report is around 60 pages. It contains everything you need to get started. REAL LIFE information like:

The BREAD & BUTTER of chattel.

MY personal areas I avoid. (You’ll be surprised).

How to build NETWORKS of cash laden buyers.

The PSYCHOLOGY behind this billion dollar industry.

You get the information you really NEED to get started. In fact, you will be doing exercises within the first hour that teach you how to find UNDERVALUED chattel, and WHERE you should sell it.

And even if you don’t do it on a REGULAR basis, it still can give you ALL THE CASH you need to start a business you really want to do. Perhaps a REMOTE DIRECT RESPONSE BUSINESS. (Hey maybe I can help you with that one also, AFTER you have raised some money, because in “mail order” it takes money to make money, and I don’t care what anyone tells you to the contrary).

So, PLEASE don’t BUY THIS report, if you are not seriously interested in doing something about your current financial situation. This is NOT a magic wand that eliminates your problems. But it CAN help you make money.

I have written this report with the average person in mind.

Because I consider myself to be VERY average and ordinary.

So this little money maker:

Does not take BRAINS. Hey I was 760 in my high school class. Out of only 900+ people. I’m a long way from brainy. (Although I do have some pretty good common sense.)

Requires NO education. Did I mention I went to college mostly to meet the ladies? Nothing wrong with that is there?

Can be started for 100 dollars. I think most AVERAGE people like myself can come up with 100 bucks to get started.

Builds step-by-step on the profits you make from the previous TRANSACTION.

See, I designed this report for those people that have been burned. Or scammed. Or had their dreams stolen by the unscrupulous. Or had their hard earned money taken by some fast talking swindler. And FRIENDS, there are plenty of them on the internet.

I (and my teenagers) put this report together so that anyone with the ability to read can understand it.

I hold you by the hand, and teach you how to crawl. How to invest that 100 bucks, so that you get a SUBSTANTIAL return on your investment.

I encourage YOU to go as slow OR AS FAST AS YOU DESIRE. I’m not about to limit anyone. Want to go faster, skip ahead a few weeks. I set up the GROW-PLAN to have you do ONE transaction a week for 12 weeks. But, feel free to do it at your own speed and comfort. Just keep going, and you’ll make it!

If you have never done anything like this before, then I teach you to CRAWL. Then in week 3 to TODDLE. Then in week 8 to walk. And in week 12 you can RUN AT BREAKNECK SPEED, if you so desire. Run all the way to the bank.

I call this THE G-PLAN. G stands for GROW. The grow as you go plan.

My teenager calls it the 12 STEP PLAN. 12 weekly, easy to follow steps, buying and selling. And re-investing your profits each week, until you reach YOUR GOALS.

And I say your goals, because maybe $1.000.00 a week from some part time effort does nothing for you. So set YOUR GOALS higher. Make as much as you want, or take the money you make from THE PLAN and invest it in something else. Hey it is YOUR LIFE. DO AS YOU PLEASE.

Now to receive this special report on CHATTEL, simply click on the link below. It costs just $47. It’s a digital download, so shipping is free!

Keep the report for 60 days. If you don’t make money, or it is not for you. Simply let my friend Dien Rice know, and he’ll give you a full refund.

And for those of you that do not know me, if this is our first encounter, and you are concerned about the fly-by-nighters, I don’t blame you, there are plenty of people to worry about taking your money in this world. PLENTY. But I’m not one of them.

Lived in Cuyahoga Falls since 1960. Graduated ’68. (Yea 760th in my class). After the service, and travelling and going to school in CA, I have chosen to live here today (hey maybe I am a little crazy?). I’m not going anywhere except on a few vacations every year. You can find me at the GOLF COURSE or the Natatorium or down at the new family aquatic center floating in an inner tube around the lazy river, gleefully splashing my kids.

If that does not ease your mind a little, then please don’t order the report. And don’t ask for details about my business or my private life. You won’t get them. So there. Hope you’re not offended. Hey, I trust YOU enough to be honest with me about the report. OK?

Just Like Joe Karbo said to me many years ago; “TRY IT. AND JUDGE FOR YOURSELF.”

If you have questions, e-mail me via my buddy Dien at [email protected]. We talk often, he’ll let me know of any questions he can’t handle.

NO QUESTIONS? Then go ahead and click on the order link! You’re only a few short steps away from a lifetime of FREEDOM.

Thanks for your time and attention.

Get THE CHATTEL REPORT – 12 WEEKS TO FREEDOM here…

Gordon (Mr. CHATTEL) Alexander

P.S. The price is 47 dollars U.S. You can download it immediately (it’s in PDF format), so there’s no shipping charge!

I reserve the right to remove this offer at any time. And if you DO know me, then you know I will.

I guarantee you’ll make moolah – or else you can use the no conditions 60-day money back guarantee.

P.P.S. My buddy Dien Rice bought one of my original reports – and he’s been successfully “chatteling” for years now. I’ve asked him to add a few pages at the end of the report on how to do it – quickly and easily – using the internet. With this “twist,” the profits are now easier to come by than ever before!

P.P.P.S. There’s also a special new section about how one of the world’s richest men – an American multi-BILLIONAIRE – got started, just by doing this. You’ll find out who he is – and how he did it! What are you waiting for?

Get it Now

Contacting Dien Rice and the Chattel Report. Email: [email protected]. Telephone: +61 4 1955 0447. Address: P.O. Box 1323, Carlton, VIC 3053, Australia.

0 notes

thewhiterabbit42 · 7 years ago

Text

On The Edge

Summary: While Sam and Dean try to beat Lucifer to Cas and Kelly, you’re left behind with Crowley who isn’t acting like himself.

Pairing: Crowley x Reader

Word count: 6975

Warnings/Tags: smut, unprotected sex (wrap it up folks), foreplay, ummm, filth? (Jesus, how did Crowley come out with tamer tags than Gabe?) a little bit of everything as far as feels go.

Written for my 100/200 follower celebration

Requested by: @devilsnevercry1388 Quote: “This must be what going mad feels like.” Kink: Surprise Sex

Author’s Note: The poetry Crowley uses is from Part II of Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. They are my absolute favorite lines from that entire piece and just jumped into my head as I was writing this.

Special thanks to: To my wonderfully amazing beta @sumara62, aka my Jedi Master wise in ways of the force and the comma. You don’t just catch my mistakes, you help me bring to life what I’m trying to convey and I am grateful you know what my wordy ass is trying to say ;) I also want to thank the lovely @blondecoffeecake for keeping my muse fed and helping me take a direction in this story when I got stuck. Oh, and extra thanks for the future crack fic. Probably coming around Christmas.

***Please do not repost or copy my work to any other site without my permission. Giving credit does NOT count.***

The world sits on the edge of a precipice, the Winchesters scrambling to keep it from toppling over. You, on the other hand, sit back at the bunker, arguing with a rather pissed off Crowley who does not like having his hand attached to the furniture. Not that you blame him. You’d be a little miffed if your friends got a little stabby as well.

It doesn’t matter how many times you tell Dean not to leave you with the king of Hell. You might as well be telling him that one day Sam will die. It skitters across his radar before he deftly bats it far out into the stratosphere where reminders of his own mortality have taken up residence. For the most part, you’ve been able to avoid any close, direct contact, but everyone’s luck has to run out sometime.

You just hope yours is the only one that does today.

The problem isn’t that you don’t like Crowley or you think he’s a danger. It’s that you don’t know how you feel about him. The last few years have been especially confusing, the boundaries blurring between ally and enemy, and he’s taken to walking that fine line of cooperation until it benefits him to step off again. The uncertainty puts you in dangerous territory, walking something equally as thin and fragile and you don’t know anyone in their right mind who would want to star in a tightrope act without having a safety net in place.

Yet, out the door your friends run, though you can’t be mad at them. Not only are they trying to stop the devil and save the world, but leaving you behind is their way of protecting you. Leaving Crowley, however, is the one thing they are doing to cover their own hides, and you can’t blame them after the secrets the demon has kept.

Though it does leave you with a royal pain in the ass.

“Crowley, we’ve been over this…”

Over. And over. And over… to the point where you’re one nerve away from finding a spell that will seal his mouth, temporarily or otherwise. He cocks a brow as if he’s heard that and you wonder how privy he really is to your thoughts and how much he just plays dumb.

“You’re not their lap dog, you know,” he tells you. You expect for there to be a hint of disdain accompanying the phrase, but there’s nothing, save that familiar rasp and something that pushes just beyond the fringe of neutrality.

“You’re right,” you agree, though what you’re conveying is far different than the portrait of the undervalued sidekick he’s trying to paint. “I’m not.”

“You’re so much more than they give you credit for,” he continues as if you haven’t even spoken. Then again, that’s Crowley. When all the doors he’s tried are locked, he’s persistent enough to circle back around again to see if there’s any he’s missed.

He’s never tried to pit you against the Winchesters before. Then again, you’ve never been in his sights. Just as you’ve always preferred to stay on the periphery during any dealings, he’s always seemed more than content to overlook your presence.

There’s a heady moment as your eyes connect and there’s no doubt about where his attention is focused now.

“Always tucked away in their shadow, kept on the sidelines, and told to stay behind,” that touch of something in his tone grows louder, and you feel your stomach flutter beneath his unwavering stare. “The truth is, they can hide you all they want and you’re still going to steal the show. Every. Single. Time.”

Your heart picks up a few extra beats and it’s a reminder of why you avoid him in the first place. Your stomach also rumbles and the hunter in you reminds you there’s plenty of space between Crowley and the kitchen. The woman, however, is starving in ways that go beyond not having eaten since that morning, and she is what makes you linger longer than you know is wise.

You expect a smug smile. A little mocking amusement to round out the look. Instead, he simply looks tired, worn in a way that’s beyond your understanding. You wonder if it’s connected to the fact that you only have a single lifetime to endure when he’s had so many.

You also wonder at what point timeless beings lose track of what number they’re on.

Whatever the look is, it’s not one he wears well, and he is most certainly wearing on you as he scrapes the bottom of the barrel trying to get beneath your skin.

“Let me up, kitten,” his tone is lined with silk that caresses over you, ensnaring more than just your hearing. The sudden nickname has you so distracted you almost step straight off the safety of that wire. Despite the weariness that clings to his features, there’s an energy simmering beneath the surface. Your instincts flare, warning you that something is off, and it’s enough to keep your feet firmly planted where they belong.

“I can’t let you up,” your voice comes out a little more breathy than you intend, something that does not go unnoticed. His gaze fixes more intently on you, becoming increasingly uncomfortable, and you unconsciously shift your weight.

Whatever he’s selling, you don’t want any of it.

You don’t even know how you feel about the fact he lied about Lucifer. Is it betrayal churning in the pit of your stomach when you look at him? Is it resistance to the hope that descends now that your anger has abated, insisting that he must have had his reasons? Or is it possible you’re unnerved at how close you came to never seeing him again?

If you’re being honest with yourself, you know which one it is. Most days, however, you don’t like to be. Today is no exception.

You rise from your seat next to him, intention clear in the way your eyes drift to the door.

“Wait,” he insists, his good hand shooting out to grab you by the wrist. Electricity sparks beneath his touch and you almost gasp at the way it shoots up your arm. It ricochets back down the length of you, sending smaller shockwaves off within your chest and stomach. You’re not the only one that feels it and you watch as the darks of his eyes suddenly swallow the cinnamon flecks sprinkled around the centers. It leaves only uncharted and vast green seas staring back at you.

“I can’t do this, Crowley.”

You’re not sure what this even is, only that you don’t intend to stick around to see what he has to say. Surprisingly, he doesn’t stop you. You slip through his grasp with ease, a final jolt sliding through you as his fingers trail lightly over your pulse before dropping away entirely. You can’t even look at him as you leave the room, as you focus on simply getting away.

***

You try to eat something, but find yourself checking your phone more often than bringing food to your mouth, which only results in cold chicken and an even colder appetite. You push your plate away, letting out a long, drawn out breath.

You don’t like that you’re stuck here while your friends are off trying to outsmart the devil. You don’t like how they feel more like family than your actual one does anymore and you’ve let them leave to defuse the most unstable nuke in existence without you. You most certainly do not like the restless energy that thrums until you can’t sit still and your hands itch to do something other than press a button and tap a screen.

Your options, however, remain limited.

You decide clearing the table and doing dishes is as good of one as any. It won’t occupy your mind, but it will help keep your hands busy. You let the water run as hot as it will go, using the scalding temperature to keep you grounded. It’s not enough to drown out the buzzing on the edge of your senses that rises steadily, culminating in an electrifying crescendo.

It’s strange. You can’t remember ever being this keyed up. Not during the apocalypse. Not even when Amara was on the brink of destroying existence. Your friends have come back heroes from worse odds and yet you’re coming apart, stitch by unraveling stitch. It’s more than that, though. You feel as if you’re slowly stepping onto the wrong side of sane until even the simple task of washing silverware requires far more concentration than necessary.

By the time you realize you’re not actually going crazy, it’s too late.

He’s already there by the way the hair on the back of your neck stands on end and his presence crackles on the air. It makes it harder to breathe, or maybe it’s just the sudden realization of how much trouble you’re in depending what side of the line Crowley decides he’s on.

“I’ve tried so hard to stop this from happening,” his smooth voice reaches out from across the room. You have no idea what he’s talking about and with everything that’s happened, you’re not sure if you should be reaching for a weapon, running, or offering him a glass of scotch as a peace offering.

“Day after day, day after day, we stuck, nor breath nor motion…” His voice starts as a murmur, words taking on a smooth, seductive cadence that speaks of something long-endured which rises palpably in the air around him.

“As idle as a painted ship, upon a painted ocean…”

You’ve considered the possibility he went insane the moment he decided to alter the plan to put Lucifer back in the cage. The fact that he’s speaking English but still not making a lick of sense is certainly not helping his case. Then again, at least he’s saying something, since the only way you can track him is through his words.

The way he moves, however, has instincts whispering with warning. You recognize the feeling. It echoes of cases that have slipped beyond your control and you immediately still.

“Water, water, everywhere,” he continues, his presence a slow stalk that inches closer and closer. If you had to guess where he was, it would be just passing the kitchen table.

“And all the boards did shrink…” His voice reappears much nearer than that and he’s closing in faster than you anticipate. “Water, water, everywhere…”

The silence that lapses is deafening. You’re on edge, ears straining, but the only sound you can make out is the rapid beating of your heart. There’s a heady rush as the air around you becomes charged, thick, overwhelming to the point it’s almost suffocating.

This time when he speaks, he’s close enough for his breath to ghost over the shell of your ear.

“Nor any drop to drink.”

His hands move to the counter on both sides of you, and you can only hope this is all just some elaborate plan to unnerve you and not actual insanity.

“I have tried so hard to be good,” he murmurs, his nose pressing lightly against the back of your ear just before he inhales. Deeply.

The fact the king of Hell is smelling you right now suggests his eggs are, indeed, a little more scrambled than usual.

Your body is just as confused as your mind, adrenaline rushing out to combat the threat even as your stomach flutters with excitement. Your hand, however, instinctively closes over a steak knife, the action hidden beneath the foamy layer of bubbles that sway across the water’s surface.

You wonder how much of a head start you could get if you catch him someplace good with it.

“Put the knife down.” This is neither a suggestion nor a threat as if he, too, can hear that song of dissonance that often hums when he’s around.

You do as you’re told, the weapon slipping through your grasp before you pull your hands out and place them on the rim of the sink in plain sight. You know you’re caught. The question is, what is he going to do with you?

“Turn around,” he instructs and, as with the knife, you have no choice but to obey. He steps back, allowing you room to move and as soon as you do, you find yourself face to face with something unexpected.

“Crowley?” This isn’t just a question of what he’s doing. You’re also wondering just who it is you’re looking at because the Crowley you know is many things. Calm. Collected. Clever. At least three steps ahead of everyone. The man in front of you? Looks like whatever thread of logic tying his plan together has become significantly frayed.

The only time you’d seen him this out of sorts was when he’d been hit with a spell that melded his mind with his vessel’s until each personality was wrestling for dominance. You can’t help but wonder if Lucifer had done more than just try to put him in the ground.

“So this is what going mad feels like,” he remarks, and it’s the last thing you want to hear. There’s an odd glow in his eyes, one that echoes with the same manic buzzing skittering between the small gap between your bodies. You don’t know what it is, only that it leaves goosebumps racing across your skin in not an entirely unpleasant way.

“I’m worried about you.” You pause, watching as the darks of his eyes swallow more color in response to your words. “You’re not acting like yourself.”

“Or perhaps I am myself more than I’ve ever been,” he counters, his fingers caressing your cheek. There’s an intimacy beneath his touch that has your eyes going wide, and once again your instincts are telling you to freeze. He pushes your hair back from your face, tucking it behind your ear before fingertips dip down along the curve of your jaw. That same electricity sparks again, this time jolting straight into your pulse until it’s forking through your system to the point your nerve endings are positively tingling.

You do your best to ignore the rush of blood that accompanies it, though you’re aware most is rising to the the surface in a heated flush that is not just limited to your cheeks.

“What do you want?” How you manage to ask is beyond you. Coherent thought is a concept swiftly abandoning you, as is your ability to take in any air.

He smiles, and you have a feeling whatever he’s about to say is not going to bring you any relief.

“Just a taste,” he insists, and there’s no doubt about what he’s after as his gaze drops to your lips. He doesn’t wait for a response, his hand taking you by the chin to guide you toward him. He does move slowly enough, however, to let you know he is asking.

The question, though, appears time limited.

Your mind is present enough to understand this is a terrible, terrible idea, and it transfers that memo to your hands which fly up to his chest as he starts to lean in. Pushing him away, however, is just as decisive as pulling him to you, and once again you cannot move, too scared to leave the safe confines of that careful line in either direction.

It doesn’t stop his lips from meeting yours. It doesn’t prevent the searing heat that unexpectedly blossoms beneath the contact. It most certainly is not stopping it from unfurling across your cheeks, creeping down the length of you or melding with that previous warmth that still has color singing across skin. Once together, it sinks lower, slipping beneath the surface, and sending tendrils through your system as if in search of something.

You have a feeling whatever it’s looking for is a lot more than just a taste.

You feel your legs grow shaky, his tongue sweeping languidly along your lower lip before he draws it into his mouth. The way he suckles it, though, is what has your balance faltering. You almost lose it completely with the gentle nibble that follows and as before, the only thing keeping you from plummeting over the side is that sustained, cautious, lack of response.

He doesn’t try to push for more, but the pressure of his mouth is increasing, that persistent edge within his gaze beginning to enter his movements. With every subsequent kiss, he seems less satisfied, as if the taste he seeks only parches him instead of bringing relief.

You’re proud of yourself for keeping it together, for not letting your senses become ensnared by the scent of his cologne or the lingering taste of scotch that transfers indirectly to your tongue. You do not succumb to the warmth of his body that hovers so close to yours, and you convince yourself if you can just hold on to something, you can keep keep from getting swept away.

Unfortunately, your fingers decide that something happens to be Crowley.

They slip beneath the lapel of his suit, clutching the smooth fabric. You’re not sure if you’re the one that’s dragging him closer, or if he’s taken it as a sign of encouragement and is now moving toward you. Either way, the small gap between your bodies disappears and the world shifts a little sideways as his hips meet yours. The moment he backs you into the sink, your stomach abandons ship, dropping somewhere beneath the floor, and you’re not certain if the noise that catches in the back of your throat is one of alarm or anticipation.

Whatever it is, it spurs him to action, and the fingers beneath your chin break away to thread through the back of your hair. The way he handles you is tender, bordering on the familiarity of a lover’s touch, and the unexpected gentleness has your heart fluttering in ways of which you don’t approve.

Gently he guides your head back, mouth breaking away from yours, but instead of ending the madness, he takes it one step further. Lips and tongue dance over your jaw before dipping down the side of your neck where teeth take hold of your pulse and tug.

“Crowley,” you gasp, his name just another shade of gray on this spectrum of ambiguity you’re caught in.

Part of you knows you shouldn’t be doing this. He’s a demon, the king of Hell, and everything about those two things, and the fact you’re practically a Winchester, should have you ending this. Yet, it’s also not that simple.

He has stood with you against greater evils. He has saved your life on more than one occasion. He has even gone out of his way to protect you. You. Someone who really is just a sidekick to the more important characters in this ongoing cluster for which Chuck has set the stage

“Tell me you don’t want this and I’ll stop,” he rasps, soothing over where he’s just nipped. “Tell me to stop and I’ll leave.”

Desire roughens the smooth edges of his words, but as he draws back for a fraction of second, you notice his voice and gaze are at odds with each other. A fleeting glimpse is all you catch, but you almost swear his eyes hold a plea for you to end this. Yet, his lips are descending down the other side of your neck, his tongue teasing its way to your ear where it grazes along the outer edge.

The moment you feel his teeth upon your earlobe, your resolve to remain neutral vanishes.

You grab the sides of his face, fingers splaying over coarse stubble as you pull his head back. His breath grows as still as yours does, or perhaps it’s just the entire world stopping in that brief moment before you give your response. Even you’re not certain what it will be until the words are tumbling from your lips.

“Don’t you dare stop,” you warn, stepping straight off that line into the unknown as your lips rush forward to meet his. Your permission strips away the barriers of his control, his tongue hastily pushing into your mouth, eager to explore.

Your fingers card through his hair, holding his head to yours as if afraid he may pull away at any second. His hands, however, are everywhere, rising up your back, sliding around your side, ghosting over the sides of your breasts before smoothing down the length of you. They land briefly at your waist, fingers taking possession in the form of a light squeeze before slipping down around the back of you. He grabs you right where your thighs meet the curve of your ass, and he takes a moment to appreciate this part of you before deftly hoisting you into the air.

You fold against him, your arms resting on his shoulders and legs instinctively wrapping around his waist, trapping his increasingly hardening length between your bodies. You’re vaguely aware he’s taking you somewhere, but that tongue of his is doing things to yours that makes it hard to think of anything else. It’s not until he sets you down on something solid that you realize he’s brought you to the kitchen table.

You take some time to get a taste of him, but it’s clear neither of you are satisfied with just this. You need to feel his hands on your skin, his body pressed to yours, and neither of those is happening with how much clothing you both still have on. Your fingers begin to pluck at the buttons on your shirt when his hands come up and cover yours.

“Allow me,” he offers, and a sudden chill washes over you as your entire top layer disappears in the blink of an eye.

He hardly gives your bare skin a glance, foregoing sight to take in this new aspect of you through touch. His mouth comes down on your shoulder and he places hot, open mouthed kisses along it before making his way lower. Teeth and tongue come out to add taste to his exploration, and they expertly tease along the ridge of your collarbone, drawing from you an appreciative hum.

His hands slide up to the band of your bra, though only one of them takes hold of the fabric before deftly undoing the hooks. A smile tugs at your lips. It’s such a subtle and very Crowley-esque move.

“Show off,” you tease, and for a moment, he looks like himself again, a cocky smirk stretching across his features as his head hovers just over the swell of your breasts.

“If you think that’s impressive, I’m just getting started.”

His gaze never leaves yours as his hands resume their course, moving up behind your shoulders with that same, feather-light touch. He hooks his fingers beneath the straps, drawing them down your arms before he removes the article altogether. The sudden coolness has your nipples hardening, and even as he tosses the garment over his shoulder, his eyes are still on yours and that confident grin remains in place

The promise that gleams within hazel breathes vitality back into his features, and that heat burning its way through your blood pools straight between your legs

The king has returned and the way his stare slides down the length of you, his entire kingdom now sits before him.

His eyes linger, as if committing every curve to memory, before his hands reach up to cup your breasts. You exhale, a soft sigh passing your lips from the breath you didn’t realize you were holding. Tension releases though there’s a different one slowly growing in its place as his thumbs tease over hardened nubs. A band of pleasure begins to stretch beneath your stomach, growing tauter as his mouth dips down, tongue teasing languid circles around sensitive peaks.

Your hands splay out along his lower back, and luxury resonates in the smoothness of the garment that whispers through your touch. You grab a fistful of fabric, hastily untucking it from his pants before delving within to grab his ass. It’s firmer than you expect, and your fingers take ownership before pulling him tight against you.

The table begins to sway as you roll your hips against him, a soft creaking underlying your gasps and sighs that punctuate the silence. You feel him twitch against you, a low moan rumbling in the back of his throat.

“Easy, kitten, or I’m liable to just bend you over and take you right here,” he warns. He’s only partially joking. The energy beneath his skin suddenly spills over onto yours, and the frantic cadence to which it beats leaves you wondering just how he hasn’t just taken you already.

“Then why don’t you?” You question, enjoying the way his eyes flutter as you rub yourself against him again.

“This isn’t exactly how I imagined this.” Everything gives a sudden shift, apology lacing his words and vying for a spot within his gaze. As he drinks in the sight of you – your lips swollen from his attention, your skin ablaze with your own heightened desire, the way your sex is so wet the dampness is spreading to his pants – there’s an undeniable thirst that overtakes everything other than the driving need to quench it.

“I’m not complaining,” you breathe, and his stare turns wholly unapologetic as you take hold of him through his trousers, thumb smoothing over the tip straining through the dark material.

“Eager, are we?” He chuckles. “So am I. Though perhaps we should move someplace a little more comfortable?”

You expect him to magic you into your bed. Any bed, really. What you don’t expect is to find yourself in his lap in the middle of the library. There’s just enough room for you both in the giant, antique leather armchair you’ve dubbed the throne by how he never fails to commandeer it when around.

“I may have imagined this however…” You blink and your last remaining article of clothing disappears along with all of his. “On a number of occasions.”

You’ve always wondered what lay beneath that suit of his. It takes you a moment to wrap your head around the fact that for a moment, it’s all yours.

Your hands take in the lean planes of his chest, smoothing over the tops of his shoulders before dipping down along the corded muscle of his biceps. They come to rest at the crook of his elbows, and you look up at him through lashes with a combination of coyness and shyness.

The latter is something you’re not used to feeling, though you suppose you’re also unaccustomed to sitting astride an actual king’s lap.

“Touch yourself, darling. Show me how you like it.”

A thrill sings straight down the center of you, and you’re not sure what turns you on more: the sensual lilt his voice takes on or the wickedness that burns within his stare. You want to obey him, but you are all too familiar with what your touch is like, and you have waited far too long to feel his.

“I have a better idea,” you tell him, lips curling carnally as you raise off the chair. He tilts his head curiously as you turn around before lowering yourself again. You settle your legs on either side of him and his breath hitches as you sit back down, intentionally rubbing yourself against him in the process.

“Well, you certainly have my attention,” he murmurs, his hands gliding along your inner thighs before coming up to rest on your hips. The sensation fuels your excitement, and it’s a concentrated effort to keep your movements slow and steady. Your hand overlays his, index finger lining up tip to tip, before you pluck his grip from your side and place it over your mound.

“You want to know what I like?” You purr, dragging his finger along your folds, wetting it with your slick. “I like the thought of you touching me.”

“As do I,” he drawls, his free hand sliding up over your stomach, brushing along your rib cage before finally closing over your breast. You let out a whimper and guide the finger in your possession to your clit. You start him with slow, sensual circles, teasingly light in pressure. His other hand takes a sensitive bud between fingertips, alternating between rolling and gentle tugs.

The combined sensations has you mewling and the embers of your desire catching fire. You allow him to take the reins, rewarding his efforts by rocking back against him. You relish the way his breathing begins to pick up, matching yours as an increasing tempo of ragged gasps interspersed with moans.

“Is this really the way you like it?” He rasps, his tongue flicking out around the shell of your ear, sending goosebumps skittering across skin. “Or are you someone who likes things a little rougher?”

He pinches your nipple harder, your pleasure soaring as he simultaneously increases the pressure with the finger between your legs.

“I like anything, so long as you’re the one doing it.”

You’re not sure where the confession comes from, only that it’s stumbling past your lips faster than you can catch it. His cock twitches against you and the moment you realize what buttons you’ve pushed, you can’t resist hitting hitting them again

“I’ve always wanted you to touch me,” you continue, “To know what it was like to have your hand down my pants.”

Deep down, you always wanted it to be him fucking you into those cheap motel mattresses, instead of all the random drunks from the bar.

The snarl that rises in the back of his throat suggests he does, indeed, hear far more than he lets on, and his teeth flash out across your neck, his nip wholly ungentle. His finger picks up speed and you let out a whine, your legs beginning to shudder as those flames lick more insistently at your core.

You’re so close, teetering on the brink of release, when you feel his breath fall heavily against your ear.

“I’m going to show you exactly what you’ve been missing,” he promises, and it’s the decadent silk within his tone that ignites your senses, sending those flames into a crescendo of heated bliss that sings across your system.

As your walls shudder around nothing, however, you feel more than a little incomplete.

You barely finish coming when the world shifts around you in a blur. You don’t even have time to blink when you find yourself face to face with him once more. The odd glow remains in his eyes but it’s grown so much brighter, pushing the fringe of feral as he grabs you by the back of head and drags your lips back to his.

His tongue slides over yours and as he’s in the process of reclaiming your mouth his hands shift. The fingers digging into the soft flesh of your hips are as demanding as his kiss. His cock is positively throbbing, and you reach between the two of you to give him some relief. There’s a half-growl, half-moan that hums against your lips as you work your hand over the shaft, sliding up around his tip which is dripping with pre-cum.

His grip over you tightens as he jerks you up to your knees. You know what he wants, and the fact he wants it now has your legs trembling with anticipation.

The manic energy buzzing beneath his skin hits a fever pitch as he lines himself up with your entrance. His fingers become possessive, tips pushing to the point it’s almost painful as he pulls you down upon him. The movement is faster than you expect, and he swallows the sharp cry you give with his mouth. You’re so wet, the only resistance he encounters is from the fact it’s been awhile since you’ve slept with anyone.

After a few, short thrusts he’s fully sheathed and there’s a satisfied rumble that spreads through his chest. He holds you there a moment, allowing you to adjust, or perhaps he, like you, is simply taking the time to savor how he feels inside you. You can’t remember the last time you felt this good, your walls stretched to the max, but not uncomfortably so. It brings with it a feeling of completeness you’ve always been missing with other men.

You have a feeling it has nothing to with Crowley’s size, though it certainly is kingly.

His hands slip down the curve of your ass, resuming their insistent grip as he urges you to start. You begin to move slowly, enjoying the feel of him languidly dragging across your walls and the way he perfectly hits that sensitive spot inside from this angle. The moment his grip passes the threshold of pain, however, you decide you’ve both waited long enough.

The next time you raise up, you take a moment to tease his tip along your entrance, in and out, in then out, before abruptly slamming down onto him. You catch him by surprise and are rewarded with a guttural half-grunt, half-groan. You repeat the movement, and this time he moans, deep and loud, and before you can do it again he’s taking control, thrusting up into you with slow but hard strokes.

The sudden roughness awakens something in you, and you realize just how much you need this – him. Your nails rake over his back, leaving raised paths of pink in their wake. Your teeth take hold of his bottom lip and you don’t just tug, you bite. The next breath he takes hisses in through his teeth and for a moment you’re afraid it’s too hard.

“The kitten has claws,” he murmurs in approval, picking up the pace.

The chair begins to rock beneath you, wood groaning in protest, and every now and then there’s a high pitched squeak as the entire seat jerks across the floor. His hand flashes up to the back of your head, pulling your hair and drawing you back, exposing your throat to him. His teeth leave a trail of stings in their wake and the sensations he’s creating has heat lapping at your core once more.

Your eyes slip closed, and you’re amazed at how fast he already has you ascending back up that blissful summit. Everything suddenly stills, from the noises unconsciously slipping through your lips to your very breath as you focus entirely on him. The way he’s pistoning in and out of you. How it feels as he hits that inner wall whenever he gives a particularly deep thrust, burying himself as far as he can go. From how surprisingly warm his body is to the feel of his skin against yours, you have an inexplicable urge to remember every detail you can about this encounter.

“Look at me,” his voice breaks through the riptide of sensation you’re all but lost in, drawing you back.

You do as he asks and something shifts. That driving need he’s been battling slides a little further beneath the surface, his thrusts slowing as his hand comes up and cups your cheek. The thumb that grazes along your lower lip is tender, his penetrating stare speaking with an emotion far less casual than you’d ever expect from him.

He doesn’t just want you, he wants all of you, and that does more for you than seeing him wild with desire ever could.

“You are perfection,” he marvels, and the way he looks at you it’s like he’s seeing you for the first time. In many ways you feel the same, this man before you almost a stranger in comparison to the one you thought you knew. The weariness still clinging to the lining of green has a different word whispering across your mind: human.

You don’t have time to dwell on the revelation. His thumb brushes across your clit, causing you to shudder as sparks shoot from beneath his touch. You clench around him, wanting this to feel as good as he’s making it feel for you, and you realize just how little you’ve given in return.

It’s time to fix that.

“Enjoy the ride, sire,” you tell him, loving the way desire darkens in his gaze at the term. You give a few slow roll of your hips before you begin to raise up off him, bouncing on his cock at a steadily increasing pace.

He allows you to take over, eyes riveted to your features. He’s drinking in every detail, watching every nuance and expression as if enraptured. Perhaps, like you, he feels the need to commit you to memory. Whatever his reason, he pays more attention to you now than he has the entire time he’s known you, and that bundle of nerves is receiving the majority of it, his finger swirling around and around as he continuously adjusts the pressure.

It isn’t long before both your sensitive spots are singing, from one of his tips or from another. The symphony he creates is carnal, filled with decadence and heat, much of which flows from his stare alone. He’s proud of the song he’s creating, the notes striking chords within him as well that have him humming right along side you. He holds back, however, waiting for your blissful tune to finish before he writes the rest of his.

The chorus is rapidly approaching, a crescendo building until you’re standing at that edge once again. You’re so close you can peer right over it, but as your eyes slip shut in preparation for the fall, his voice draws you back.

“Look at me,” he rasps and you realize he wants to watch more than just your features when you tumble over the brink. You open your eyes again and you’re surprised at the depth in which green has become illuminated, a stark contrast to the darkness in his pupils that are so vast and wide. Impulse takes you by the hand, drawing your palm against his cheek. As an unexpected tenderness settles within your chest, you realize just how deep you are in this.

The way the sentiment echoes within his gaze, you also realize you’re not alone. It takes you a few moments to work your way back to that peak. You’re still wrapping your mind around the fact this is, by far, the most intimate thing you’ve ever done with anyone. You manage to maintain the eye contact, daunting as it is, as you line yourself back up with that ledge. The sweet symphony sends its final wave of notes singing through you and you take that final leap, your movements stuttering as you drop straight into the heated verdant waters that continue to stare at you.

This time, when you come you feel so full and whole, it almost aches.

You have yet to hit the ground again when his hands slip down your waist and you can tell he’s grappling to remain in control. His grip is bruising, and suddenly he’s slamming into you at such a breakneck pace you can’t even make a sound. The impassioned gleam within his gaze carries with it that touch of madness, releasing it in a final, bright burst as soon as his rhythm grows unsteady.

He gives a few final thrusts, his hips rising off the chair as he pushes into you as far as he can go. His cock pulsates before spilling his seed inside of you, something you don’t normally allow anyone else to do.

Perhaps Crowley’s crazy is catching.

Your body melts against him. You know you should move, but you can’t seem to extricate yourself from him, You don’t want to let him go. You don’t want this moment to end. You know beyond a doubt there’s no going back from here, but you’re not sure what going forward means either, and hiding a few more moments while you’re both in limbo seems far less intimidating.

“It’s always been you.” He breathes his ragged confession against your neck and this time the entire universe grinds to a halt. It’s probably as close as he’ll ever be able to come to saying the three words that hold more power to create or destroy than any spell or ritual ever could. For the king of Hell, this is immense, and brings with it a startling burst of clarity, that has all but a few pieces of today’s puzzle sliding into place.

You swallow, head slowly drawing back so you can look him in the eye.

“Crowley…” Your tongue almost fumbles at the rising emotion that threatens to cut off your words. “What’s going on?”

The smile he gives is open, full of adoration and a sadness that squeezes around more than just your throat. It feeds the fear rising in your chest, and you can’t help but feel like something awful is going to happen. It makes your grip over him grow tighter, more possessive, and now you have no intentions of letting him go.

“For once, I’m going to do the right thing,” he says, an unmistakable apology resonating beneath his tone. A heavy sense of foreboding washes over you. Logic becomes bypassed and you no longer care what it is he’s talking about. All you can think about is the sudden, visceral need to tell him no one else has ever meant anything to you, either. It’s always been him.

A sudden weight dampens his features, one that has weariness returning ten fold while something suspiciously looking like guilt and regret mutes his stare. You have a feeling you don’t need to say a word to him, but it doesn’t stop you from trying. The moment you open your mouth, however, he vanishes, leaving you with nothing but the fading warmth of his heat on leather and the chilly bunker air.

All the Tags: @girl-next-door-writes @wayward-mirage @fand0maniac @feelmyroarrrr @omgreganlove @jannalionheart @baritonechick, @deaths-maiden @lucifer-in-leather @stone-met @the-moose-of-baskerville @summer-binging-spn @raspberrypuddle @ourloveisforthelovely

#Crowley/reader #devilsnevercry1388 #smut #spn fanfic #reader insert #rabbit celebrates 100/200 #rabbit writes

448 notes · View notes

junker-town · 5 years ago

Text

A good NFL quarterback isn’t *that* hard to find

Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images

This week, the best quarterbacks in the league were undervalued, and some of the most vaunted sucked out loud.

The NFL and NFL-adjacent people are so bad at evaluating quarterbacks, it’s scary.

It feels perfect to bring this up now, considering the weekend we just had. Colin Kaepernick held a workout and proved he’s still the same really good player he was when he was forced out of the league — all while golden children and heirs apparent stunk up my TV so bad I wanted to change the channel on multiple games. Of course, the opposite is true too, and you might see a theme here while we break down the best and worst quarterbacks of the weekend.

Lamar Jackson posted a QB rating of 139.2, his fifth game this season finishing with a rating over 100. This from a guy who some honestly, fervently believed was going to have to move to wide receiver in the NFL in order to be effective.

How the hell has Dak Prescott’s season been so quiet? I understand we all have this unspoken oath not to compliment anything the Cowboys do, but like ... damn he’s been phenomenal. On Sunday, Prescott became the first Cowboys quarterback to throw for over 3,000 yards in the first 10 games of a season. At this pace, he will finish with over 5,100 yards and 34 touchdowns. Prescott wasn’t taken until the fourth round of the 2016 draft. It’s early to say it, but we can go there: He might be the best QB of that class, period.

Then there’s Jacksonville. This one is a little more complicated. On the one hand I get it; the Jags paid a lot of money to Nick Foles, and the old NFL adage is that guys shouldn’t lose their jobs due to injury. On the other hand, no team deserves more of a pass in breaking unwritten rules than the Jaguars. They hadn’t seen inspiring quarterback play through two presidents, maybe longer depending on how highly you value David Garrard. Then finally someone exciting comes along in Gardner Minshew and gives fans hope. Sure, he struggled a little recently, but Minshew was whisked away just so Foles could return and get blown out by the Colts.

Meanwhile in Carolina, the Panthers learned that maybe, just maybe, Kyle Allen isn’t the second coming of Tom Brady. On Sunday, he threw four interceptions against one of the league’s worst pass defenses, helping the Panthers to a 29-3 loss against the hapless Falcons. Remember when Allen was so transcendent Cam Newton was out the door? Yeah, that was 10 days ago ... lol. So dumb.

Mitchell Trubisky ain’t it — at least not this season. The Bears have a good enough defense that they could probably make waves right now if they had someone who didn’t need 43 throws to get 190 yards.

And a reminder:

Mitchell Trubisky was drafted 2nd overall in the 2017 NFL Draft. Patrick Mahomes was drafted 10th and Deshaun Watson was drafted 12th. pic.twitter.com/6ft35Uzq2a

— NFL Research (@NFLResearch) November 18, 2019

The point of all this is to note just how dumb the NFL has gotten when it comes to the quarterback position. There’s such a thing as overthinking the obvious, and passers have been turned into pretzels with tenuous hyperbole, overexaggerated criticism, and bizarre, tangential justifications for potential failure like hand size or “ability to process information.”

My tip to the NFL teams out there trying to find a quarterback in 2020 and beyond: If you have a guy and he doesn’t suck, don’t part ways with him. If you don’t have a guy, find one in college who is good and can win games, and then draft him. Done. The rest is all noise.

My second tip to NFL teams in need of a quarterback: If you’re hovering around the .500 mark thanks to your defense and running back, but keep getting let down by the guy throwing the football, sign Kaepernick, you dumbos. I know someone out there might convince you he’d be a “distraction,” but I promise you watching Kyle Allen throw four interceptions, or Trubisky average 4.4 YPA is way more distracting that anything Kap could do. Hear me, Panthers? Listening, Bears?

Anyway, let’s jump around the league before I get death threats.

The customer is always right.

"Sell the team! Sell the team!" pic.twitter.com/0oM1vdHtdx

— Jim Brady (@jimbrady) November 17, 2019

This chant should be legally binding. I don’t know how we’d enforce it, but I’m sure there’s some way we could claim the Washington NFL team by eminent domain. I want to give this team back to the fans. By all accounts, the franchise is worth $3.4 billion. That means if we just tacked 86 cents on everyone’s taxes a month, we could all claim ownership of the team.

I’m not a legal expert but I am 100 percent sure this will work. I mean, it can’t be worse than the alternative, which is seeing $10 home tickets not ever sell out in Washington.

Rules don’t make sense anymore.

As a leader in the NFL, we need someone new in New York deciding calls. https://t.co/szdHjWhKbR

— Deandre Hopkins (@DeAndreHopkins) November 17, 2019

That was not called a penalty, even after a challenge. Then:

This was called DEFENSIVE pass interference on the #Cardinals pic.twitter.com/crTCZYz5EE

— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 17, 2019

I know people are saying the 49ers’ non-call is payback for a blown call earlier, but I think we should just accept that NFL refs try to have make goods. They should have to turn to the camera and make the physical embodiment of the shrug emoji when they know a call is coming down that everyone hates and it will make no sense. That way, at least we could be a little more understanding.

I’d like to file a missing person’s report on Jared Goff.

What has happened to our beautiful, sweet, football boy? The last time I really paid attention to him, Goff was this 4,000-yard, MVP-maybe player who took the Rams to the Super Bowl.

Now he’s basically Sam Darnold, but with a better haircut, an intact spleen, and a greater chance I’d mistake him for Ryan Gosling while squinting. Don’t believe me?

Oh, you probably wanted a stat comparison ...

Darnold: 148/234 (63.2%), 1,600 yds, 11 TD, 10 INT, 81.1 rating Goff: 225/373 (60.3%), 2,783 yds, 11 TD, 10 INT, 82.1 rating

Anthony Miller with the sneak of the week.

pic.twitter.com/lh6nLzHBtc

— Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) November 18, 2019

I totally respect the “sneaking one more cookie from the jar” kind of hustle on this play. Who cares if you’re in a stadium full of people? You only need to fool a few zebras to make this all pay off.

The NFL’s most emotional hip.

The Bears say Mitch Trubisky has a hip injury and is questionable to return.

— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) November 18, 2019

The Bears didn’t take this hip news well.

If you’re watching on TV, you saw NBC capture this. Of course, we’ll have questions for Matt Nagy after the game. #Bears pic.twitter.com/QECPMY4irn

— Rich Campbell (@Rich_Campbell) November 18, 2019

Shameless self-promotion for my memes.

Ron showing up at Cam's house tonight like pic.twitter.com/2YiVBNKCka

— James Dator (@James_Dator) November 17, 2019

For the love of God, don’t get rid of Cam Newton, Panthers.

0 notes

agilenano · 5 years ago

Text

Agilenano - News from Agilenano from shopsnetwork (4 sites) http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Agilenano-News/~3/ygsz02cUykg/destroyed-by-margin-call-by-bedofnailz-may-9-2020-to-all-the-retards-out-there-gambling-with-margin-thinking-you-are-bradley-cooper-or-something-here-is-why-you-don-t-do-it-unless-you-got-the-cash-to-cover-the-call

0 notes