#fast secured loan

[bitnestloop]

BitNest

BitNest: The Leader of the Digital Finance Revolution

BitNest is a leading platform dedicated to driving digital financial innovation and ecological development. We provide comprehensive cryptocurrency services, including saving, lending, payment, investment and many other functions, creating a rich financial experience for users.

Our story began in 2022 with the birth of the BitNest team, which has since opened a whole new chapter in digital finance. Through relentless effort and innovation, the BitNest ecosystem has grown rapidly to become one of the leaders in digital finance.

The core functions of BitNest ecosystem include:

Savings Service: Users can deposit funds into BitNest's savings system through smart contracts to obtain stable returns. We are committed to providing users with a safe and efficient savings solution to help you achieve your financial goals. Lending Platform: BitNest lending platform provides users with convenient borrowing services, users can use cryptocurrencies as collateral to obtain loans for stablecoins or other digital assets. Our lending system is safe and reliable, providing users with flexible financial support. Payment Solution: BitNest payment platform supports users to make secure and fast payment transactions worldwide. We are committed to creating a borderless payment network that allows users to make cross-border payments and remittances anytime, anywhere. Investment Opportunities: BitNest provides diversified investment opportunities that allow users to participate in trading and investing in various digital assets and gain lucrative returns. Our investment platform is safe and transparent, providing users with high-quality investment channels. Through continuous innovation and efforts, BitNest has become a leader in digital finance and is widely recognised and trusted globally. We will continue to be committed to promoting the development of digital finance, providing users with more secure and efficient financial services, and jointly creating a better future for digital finance.

[instacapsep]

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[theresilientmnd]

How I Fixed My Credit & Landed a Job in 7 Days

Just because you’re down doesn’t mean you’re out. When life knocked me down, I had two choices: stay there or get back up and make moves. I chose to make moves—and in just one week, I had a job, a car, and better credit. Here’s exactly how I did it. 1. Get Free Credit Counseling The first step was fixing my credit because I knew that good credit opens doors. I found a free credit counselor…

[marvelsmostwanted]

Today in 🍂✨October surprises✨🍂

• Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Labor Julie Su quietly assisted in winning labor rights for dockworkers, ending a strike that could have had catastrophic economic consequences. (10-4-24)

• In Springfield, Ohio, where Haitian migrants have been blamed for the disappearance of local animals with Trump claiming “‘migrants are walking off’ with geese in the town” and “they’re eating the dogs” - a lie also promoted by JD Vance, Ohio’s own sitting Senator, with no evidence - it turns out that the missing geese were actually the victims of a 64-year-old white man who was hunting illegally. (10-3-24)

• A Trump-appointed federal judge blocked Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan again after another judge reinstated it earlier this week. (10-3-24)

• Republicans and crazy Facebook uncles everywhere have spent this week spreading disinformation about the FEMA response to Hurricane Helene, including AI photos of Trump standing in floodwater and wild claims that Biden is sending money to undocumented immigrants. In reality, the Biden-Harris administration has provided substantial emergency assistance and both Biden and Harris have visited the region. Meanwhile, it turns out that Trump was the one who redirected money from disaster relief to send to ICE during his presidency. Shocker. (10-4-24)

• Seriously, though, Trump is not who you want to call in an emergency. Before allowing disaster relief to reach victims of wildfires in California, then-president Trump forced aides to show him an electoral map to see if he had voters there. He evidently intended to withhold the aid if he found out it was going to mostly Democratic voters. This would be a career-ending scandal in any other political era but alas, we are living in this one. (10-3-24)

• Finally, far-right extremist and Oklahoma superintendent of schools Ryan Walters intends to put Bibles in public schools, which is already disturbing, but in a stunning display of corruption, the only ones that meet his specifications are the so-called “Trump Bibles” that include the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. They go for $60 apiece and Trump gets fees from each one. (10-4-24)

No, wait, I’m going to say that one again:

In Oklahoma, taxpayers’ money will be used to put Trump Bibles in public schools. Their money will go directly to Trump. Not a joke!!! Not an exaggeration!!!

…Surely the voters who are still undecided are lying, right?? Right?!

30 days until Election Day.

Go to vote.org for a sample ballot, early voting dates, and more. Seriously, we have to win.

[ladykailitha]

Heist AU

So I've been thinking about an Italian Job/Leverage-esque with hints of Ocean's 11 vibes.

So hear me out.

Steve is a conman who runs his own team of con artists doing jobs, mostly for profit, but also the occasional 'fuck the rich' type jobs.

The last job he did went bad and half the team quit because of it. So Steve swore to keep things simpler from now on. Just quick smash and grab jobs to keep the coffers from getting too low.

And the half of his team that stayed after the split are in college now, so it's just him and Robin anyway.

Then his grandmother dies. In her will she left Steve all her jewelry because she didn't want let her daughter get her hands on it. As some of the pieces are worth several million.

But all the jewelry vanished before the funeral and he knows it was his parents but he can't prove it.

Then his contact at the British Museum, Chrissy Cunningham, informs him that one of the pieces has shown up on display by an 'anonymous donor'. It's going to be part of a collection being 'loaned' to the museum.

Robin and Steve start plotting out how to get it back with just the two of them when the unthinkable happens. He gets word from his contact that they are moving the collection into storage for god knows how long at the end of the week and now they six days to pull off the biggest heist of their lives.

They bring in duo Jonathan and Nancy to replace Steve as the face (he doesn't want to be near it in case his parents are in town) and Lucas as their hitter. Lucas being part of the two that went to college.

But they need a techie and fast. Dustin is at MIT and can't risk getting caught and losing his scholarship.

"There's only one person better than Dustin," Robin says sliding up to him.

"No." Steve refuses to even engage with the idea.

"What choice have you got?" she reminds him.

"He'll say no," Steve insists.

"Not to me," she assures him. "Not about this."

Steve wants to believe her so he lets her try. All while trying to find a backup because he's sure Eddie will say no.

~

Eddie walks into his apartment and sighs. "How the fuck do you do that?" he curses. "And you better have not drank all my beer!"

Robin cocks her head to the side. "If I told you, I'd have to kill you. And of course I have touched your beer, I have taste."

Eddie chuckles pulling out a can of poor man's beer and popping it open.

"What can I say, it reminds me of home."

"We need your help on a job," she says coolly.

"Steve going to be involved?" he asks and flops on the sofa across from the chair was waiting for him in.

"Well, I wouldn't work with anyone else, soo..." she half shrugs.

"Then fuck off with whatever you have in mind," Eddie snarls. "I ain't going to be his bitch again."

"Jeff forgave him," she said, leaning on her knees. "Why can't you?"

"Jeff's a grown ass adult and can do whatever the fuck he wants," he snaps, sitting up. "But if it wasn't Steve's arrogance and sheer bullheadedness Jeff wouldn't have been anywhere near the bomb when it went off. He could have died, Robin!"

"And he hasn't done a job like it since," she bites back. "I know you're pissed. You have every right to be. But he doesn't want your help. He needs you help. This time it's personal."

Eddie sips the beer and scoffs. "How's that?"

So Robin tells him. "You're the only one capable of getting into the British Museum's security and you know it."

Eddie sighs and settles back into the cushions of the sofa. "All right, I'll do it but only because I've been itching to knock over that place for years and this as good an excuse as any."

~

But when the team gets together, Eddie is insanely jealous of Nancy as she appears to flirt with Steve and Robin starts to suspect something more going on.

She walks up to Steve while he's have a cigarette. "Tell me this job isn't about getting Eddie back as your boyfriend."

"It's not about that!"

She raises an eyebrow.

"Okay, it's not just about that," he amends. "I wasn't even sure he'd agree for starters, but yeah, if I can use this to get him back, to show him I've changed, I'd be a fool not to try. But mostly this is about my grandmother and her jewelry and how she wanted me to have them, not to be stuck in some vault never to be seen again."

~

The plan goes off, they get the jewelry and Steve gives each of them a piece as thank you.

For Eddie he picks out his grandfather's wedding band, a simple band of platinum and gold, with an engraving that says 'to my dearest love' on the inside.

"Steve..." Eddie whines. "You can't give this to me."

Steve shakes his head. "It was always going to be yours. I was going to propose after that heist."

Eddie looks up from the ring. "Oh Steve..."

"This isn't me begging for you to take me back," he pauses and cocks his head to the side, "though I absolutely would if I thought it would work. This is just me giving you something that I always intended to belong to you."

They kiss and make up.

And if they plan a heist around their wedding, with both teams in tow, well, that's just how they say 'I love you'.

[running-with-kn1ves]

Can you do a fem human x yandere alien crime lord(thats slimy both figuratively and literally)? Pretty please? With a cherry on top? 🍒

A/N; i feel like he wasn't SLEAZY enough, but I had fun writing this one-- I feel like he's the type to worship the ground you walk on but gives you nothing but a towel to walk around in when you need clothes, if that makes sense.

Synopsis: You’ve been dealing with the same excessively sweet and debauched alien at work for over a week. You knew he was dangerous, but him robbing your workplace was not on your bucket list.

CW: Robbery, Kidnapping, guns, Yandere themes, Reader is done w/ this guys shit.

“And what can I do for you?”

You barely looked up from your desk, already painstakingly aware of who wore the shiny coat standing across from you. 

“Oh I’m not too sure… what is it that you think I’m here for?”

The plastic divider separating you from outside lifeforms was not enough to keep you safe from the acid-dripping, razor-toothed, tentacled aliens coming to ask for one astral need or another. 

You put down the dull nail filer, barely lifting your eyes from the desktop game sitting on pause on your computer to look at the same alien that’s come in for the fifth time this week. His fake, proficient smile did the opposite effect he was going for; instead of safety, you felt an aura of eerie and subconscious distrust. Pushing aside the unease, you focused on the nuisance he was. 

“Asking for another loan again? Perhaps something stupidly obvious that a felon like you would want, like the code to the bureau’s safe? Please.” You were on the verge of reading him to filth if he tested your patience again. “I suggest you leave before I call security. Again, Demetrius.”

“Really, beautiful, I know you’d rather jump over this divider and come get me yourself; so why don’t you?” 

He was leering at you, pressed against the divider to get as close as he could. His fingers left wet prints on the transparent plastic, as if he was eternally sweating. From within the dark pools of his eyes you could see something akin to fascination-- interest, delving into temptation and desire. The blacks of irises, from too many eyes to count, were all trained on you. They didn’t even glaze over to the file drawers stuck with bills and coins from hundreds of different planet currencies, nor the large vault in view of your desk. 

“Why don’t you pursue someone inside your own species,” You snap, flipping the ‘open’ sign above your desk to ‘closed for break.’ “I’ve already told you, I’m not interested in affiliating with criminals wanted by the authorities-- whether it be on this planet or another.”

You whispered the last part, not wanting to cause a stir with all of the heightened senses the rest of the creatures of the room used to their advantage. 

“I promised you I could get you interested, one way or another,” He smiled in a kind of skeevy way, as if he knew you’d fall to his whims by the end of the conversation. “Now I’m here to deliver that promise.” 

You squint your eyes, annoyed confusion leaving you curious-- and slightly tense for what he was planning. 

With the press of his wet hand, the plastic of your barrier from customers began to dissolve, steam rising from where his handprint was ingrained. 

“I’d duck if I were you; I’d hate for one of my associates to accidentally shoot in your direction,” Demetrius whispered, opening up the side of his latex coat for what you knew was a gun.

His incessantly slimy hand added volume to his slick-backed hair as he pushed it back, the dark violet only a slight contrast to his dull mauve skin. 

“Stay right here, okay? It’s safer; besides, I don’t want to have to scour the building looking for you when we depart.” 

It happened too fast for you to even get a snide remark out, the alien throwing you a mischievous look that you didn’t know how to interpret. 

Demetrius turned around and took only a few steps away from your booth, lifting a small single-shot pistol above his head, aiming it at the chandelier hanging delicately from the alabaster ceiling.

The sound of the gun going off physically made you jump, glass and gold raining from above onto patrons. Some of them screamed, others fell to cover themselves with their tens of limbs and protected their hairless scalps. 

“This is a stick up! Put your hands where I can see em’, and your wallets and bags on the floor!”

The familiar, western-style terminology threw you off. There must’ve been a human in his team, one that knew the inner workings of the intergalactic bureau, of what was to be expected; you wondered if it was one of the warehouse guys. 

“You heard the man. And you,” Demetrius pointed to your coworker sitting in the booth beside you, his hands up and his three eyes widened in fear. ‘Me?’ He asked with his expression.

“Open this door and take me to the vault, “ He aimed the gun straight at the alien’s forehead, straight for his middle eye. “ You know which one. And no dilly-dallying, there’s plenty of other employees here who are still alive for me to ask.”

The alien, a creature far too old to be in such an apprehensive event, slowly rose from his chair. He opened the keypad door with his frail hands, watching Demetrius with worry and a scrunch of his flappy brow. 

Demetrius opened the door the rest of the way with a rough hand, leaving a wet mark against it as he strode through. He had nothing to disguise his face unlike his ‘associates’, fully aware of the security system tracking his every move. He bathed in the pride of still never having gotten caught, and yet so obvious in his maneuvers. 

You knew he did some shady stuff, but to realize he was one of the more notorious crime leaders of an organization around the galaxy-- maybe you should have just let him take you on that date. He’d find out how boring you are as a human, and never would’ve dared to mess with your place of employment. Compared to all the other inhabited planets, Earth’s bureau was poor and barely held enough money to keep itself standing!

You watched as he strode toward the iron circular door at the back, looking agape and wondering if pressing the red button on your desk would do any good at this point. 

“Demetrius, wait,” You found yourself speed walking toward him as another one of his goons came in through the open keypad door to the staff office. “Can’t we just work this out? Zark is shaking in his loafers over there, afraid you’re going to kill him; and so is everyone else,” You wringed your fingers, wondering if he liked you enough to not shoot you for talking while he was in the middle of a robbery. “I just-- we don’t have anything, really. We’re understaffed as it is, most of the people who work here are half a decade away from death-- I doubt there’s anything back here you’d even want!”

Demetrius’s fellow robber pulled forward another human, this time her arm in his grip as he pointed some kind of inhuman weapon at the vault. 

She hesitantly moved toward it, pressing down the buttons on the safe keypad as slowly as possible. 

“You’d think with all these different species mingling someone would’ve developed a weapon to break into safes by now….” You mutter, watching as Demetrius slides his cat-like eyes toward you. 

His wide mouth rested in a serious frown, the heartless and almost smug expression of a criminal-- of course, which turned up in an obnoxious grin when you were the only one capable of seeing his face. 

“We've already done the work. Everything here is coming with us.” He leered at you when he said this, scanning your business-casual outfit as if he weren’t truly paying attention, rubbing his chin with his unoccupied hand. 

The vault popped open with a crisp sound, having been sealed shut since you had started working at the bureau; not enough money came in or out for anyone to need to open it. 

Demetrius looked inside, seeming content with the little bit of foreign cash and multitude of safe deposit boxes that could easily be broken into. He turned back to you as his colleagues brought duffle bags and began stacking. 

“There might not be much here, but it's enough to set you up on Aurelius. Get you a nice apartment below mine that we can share; mine's really just for business, you know,” He slid on a pair of black, lacquered gloves that stopped at his wrist, paying hardly any mind to the frightened bureau workers around him. “And from there, I can take you on a real date. Unless, this was enough for you to fall for me?”

He snickered, as you tried to peer behind him, wondering if your own locked safe of meek life savings would be spared. 

“Wait-- Aurelius? Like, lightyears away Aurelius?! The planet you’re WANTED on?”

“Pshh, I’m not gonna let the mere threat of ‘jail time’ linger over my head and stop me from going home. Besides, you’ll fit right in there. You can meet my family!” 

He smoothened the sides of your arms with his now covered hands, the slimy excretion of his skin blocked by a thin layer of leather. The fabric protecting his hands was cold, but you could feel a radiation of warmth coming from within him; from the open of his collar, a thin, shiny chain dangling with scripts you weren’t familiar with, the black attire underneath his intense coat far nicer and alien-esque than you realized; well, he was a full-fledged leader of an interplanetary crime boss after all. 

Which meant this mini robbing scheme was ultimately useless to him. It really couldn’t have been all for you… could it?

“But why would I--”

“Well, obviously you’re going to need somewhere to stay. And after you realize how perfect we are together, it’ll begin to feel like home;” Demetrius put his hand to your cheek, moving you closer towards him as you continue to squeeze your hands. “And what better place to live than in a place we can share together? And-- Sorry, but there’s no way I’m staying on this garbage of a prehistoric planet; you’ll like Aurelius much better.” 

Leaning down, he brought your cheek against his, squishing your face. He was warm, wet, and far too close for comfort. You didn’t expect the contact and even let out a small yelp as his cheek pushed against your own. The wet silk coating his skin made your cheek tingle, his scent that of a chemical and sandalwood mixture; he must’ve put some kind of men’s cologne on beforehand. You had firsthand experience knowing how... Oddly, some aliens could smell. 

“We’ll live in luxury, with more extravagancy that you could ever get from this life,” He gestures to the rest of the bureau with the pistol in his free hand. “I’ll have you all to myself.. And me to you.” 

You try to push away from the perspiration of his body, your cheek now slick with a substance thicker than sweat. 

“Is this how you planned on ‘getting me’ the entire time? Thinking that robbing where I work and lifting me off my feet would work just like that?” You wipe your cheek with a disgusted grimace on your shirt sleeve, hands entrapped in Demetrius’ as he watched you.

“Yes, yes I did. And you know why?” He gleamed at your inquisitive stare. “Because you don’t have a choice.”

Your eyebrows furrowed, ready to shoot back at him. 

“You never did. But I waited until now to let you know-- to prevent you from doing something stupid, like trying to run away-- which would only end up getting your coworkers here killed.” 

He whined the last sentence, as if he were a child who didn’t want to do something but you were making him. 

“So, with that, why don’t we head to the ship, have a few drinks, change into something more comfortable.. Let these boys do the rest of the dirty work, huh?” Demetrius grinned the depraved smile you had gotten accustomed to. You watched the gold tint in his eyes grow more potent, the small details of gold in his lilac skin burning just a bit brighter.

Slinging a heavy arm around you, Demetrius turns you around toward the exit, leaning close as you hear the scrambling of a scuffle from behind, your elderly coworker letting out a rasp of fear. 

“It takes five months to reach Aurelius, there sure will be a lot of time on our hands. But, I can think of a few things that’ll help it pass.”

You feel the entirety of your body shrivel up at the look on the aurelian’s face, secretion from his smooth skin making it so his cheeks had a glistening sheen, his eyes watery and black-- focused solely on you-- on holding your gaze. 

The sounds of a few women screaming rings throughout the spacious, marble building. Another bullet is released, slightly muted as it fires into something solid.  

His blunt teeth were pearlescent beams coming from his wide mouth, so trained on the way your blouse was a thin cotton in his hands, thin enough he could feel the tepid skin underneath with just a gloved hand on your shoulder. A hand that was slowly lowering itself to the middle of your back, then its curve. 

You stopped in your tracks, going rigid and on the verge of turning your feet to race back around-- but the cold steel digging into your abdomen made you think twice. Demetrius grabbed your hip at the sudden change, determined to find a reason to bring you closer. You were unknowingly doing him a favor, truly. 

You were quick to start moving again as the goons belonging to demetrius watched you halt. Through the glass doors to the outside of the bureau you saw something big and gleaming-- a meteor-sized obsidian rock sitting in the middle of the road as its front ‘doors’ opened. 

Demetrius says something about your fiery behavior being enticing, but that it would get you killed if you didn’t listen to him. Your eyes glazed over, letting his voice travel to the back of your mind as you focused on the loose way he held the cold metal of the gun close to your stomach.

[jtargaryen18]

His Inheritance ~ Chapter 35 Preview

Coming soon...

"You are almost ready," Yelena said with a smile, just after the stylists left. "Now the jewelry."

You paused, looking at your reflection in the mirror. Your gown was an exclusive creation by a top designer, a beautiful sleeveless, a-line creation in layers of tulle, sequins, and matte satin. Shades of pale blue and gold transformed you, enhanced by the ornate way your hair was done, the subtelty of your carefully applied makeup. Beneath you wore the most elegant little gold heels that were surprising comfortable despite their minimal style. The stockings were sheer, hugging your upper thighs just below the skimpy ice-blue panties you wore.

The mention of jewelry brought up an unhappy memory and you knew Yelena recalled it too when your gaze met hers. How your husband's ex-mistress smuggled her necklace in for you to wear on another special occasion had never been solved.Had it been Neal? Hansen? A reminder from the not-too-distant past that your enemies could reach you at any time. A reminder to be vigilant. 

"What jewelry?" you asked carefully.

Yelena smiled. "I picked it up myself," she told you, lifting a delicate strand of diamonds set in gold from a black velvet box on the bed. 

When she draped it around your throat, you smiled at the way it completed your look. There were matching earrings, diamond studs each with a teardrop diamond dangling and catching the light. The set was exquisite. 

"Harry Winston," your friend told you, admiring how they looked on you.

"Nice of them to loan them to us for the ball," you told her, grateful you got to wear them. 

Yelena reached for the golden mask on the bed, holding it to you. "No loan. Steve bought them."

What?

"These must have cost a fortune," you mused. They probably cost more than everything else you owned combined. "Glad you're going with us. I'd hate to get mugged for these."

Yelena grinned. "Security is going to be tight already with the mayor there, one of the state senators. So many wealthy, important people like you."

That had you scoffing. "I'm no one special. At least not in the world of such important, political figures."

"But you are," Yelena told you. 'The fact that everyone wants you has been a powerful motivator in this game of chess. Your husband is completely devoted to you. Barnes would love to get his hands on you."

"Barnes would ring my neck the first chance he got," you pointed out.

Yelena's expression was difficult to read. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Hansen would for sure kill me," you said, putting your mask in place carefully. A soft mask of golden sequins that fit over your eyes. 

Yelena's gaze dropped at the mention of that name and you were ashamed. You needed to work harder not to bring that up to her. And you needed a subject change. Fast.

"Who's going to be here with Nat tonight?" You weren't surprised Nat didn't want to go. She'd been through so much between the horrific end of her abusive marriage and all trauma of years being left to the sadistic nature of Banner. You wanted to make sure she was well looked after while you and Steve were gone.

"Clint is staying here of course," Yelena said quietly. "Dyson will be here too. He's arranged for extra security for the house tonight."

You nodded your approval. "What about Scott?"

"He's coming with us," Yelena explained. 

That had you smiling. Sure, Scott would keep you and Steve safe, but he also got time with Yelena. You were pretty sure Yelena knew Scott's infatuation with her. Would she ever return his affections? You didn't know. Considering her tragic history, you weren't sure she could feel the same way towards him or anyone. But since you'd known Scott, you learned he was a good man who always had your back and never once questioned your authority. You trusted him with your life. You trusted him with Yelena, too.

But would she ever give him - or anyone - a chance after all that she'd been through?

You blew out an exhale, preparing yourself for the night ahead. "I guess we should let Steve know that I'm ready."

"He knows," a deep voice caught you and Yelena both off guard. 

Your husband strolled into the bedroom and Yelena stepped back to allow him a clear path to you. He looked breathtakingly handsome in the classic black tuxedo he wore, tailored perfectly to fit his tall, broad-shouldered physique. His tawny hair was perfectly styled, diamond cufflinks winking in the light. His tie was shades of gold and blue to match your gown, a subtle touch but one you appreciated.

Steve moved to stand behind you in the mirror of your vanity, bending to fit his handsome face in the reflection with yours. 

"You look so beautiful," he said with something like reverence in his voice. "I can't wait to show you off."

"I'll be downstairs," Yelena said, making her way out to give you some privacy. "We worked very hard on her, boss. Don't mess her up."

Steve smiled at what he took as a playful warning, his large hands smoothing over your bare shoulders. Slowly, you removed the mask, placing it in your lap with your hands. His watchful gaze didn't miss the slight tremble of their movements.

"Everything is going to be fine," he explained. "I've been to this event before. All the rich, politic elite of Boston come out dance and drink the night away and wallow in excess. It's probably Tony's favorite night of the year."

You could see it. And you were excited to go to the annual masquerade ball, as Steve's wife and not his trophy, and to enjoy a fabulous night on the town. You felt like Cinderella, going to the ball in the gown that truly looked as if magic had created it.

But you couldn't fight back an impending sense of dread. It had been so quiet in the weeks of your recovery and Steve's. Life went on. You were included in all the family's business meetings. The family business had recovered and was branching out, deals with three of the other four families made things even better. 

Not that you agreed with all of it. You weren't crazy about the loan sharking or protection deals the family made. The casinos and restaurants didn't bother you as much. And at least the family wasn't making any money off drugs or trafficking. Some of the stories you heard now that you were more involved were just horrified. You made up your mind early that no matter what, you'd never allow the family to make money off the misfortunes of women and children. Never.

It had been very quiet where the Barnes family was concerned. Too quiet.

"I'll  be the envy of every man there tonight," he murmured, pressing a kiss into your neck. The soft brush of his beard made you shiver.

A sensual smiled curved Steve's lips. "Are you ready?"

You nodded. You trusted your husband. You were going to do your best to have a wonderful night, just like he intended.

And still that little kernel of dread lingered.

You felt like you were in an old Hollywood movie to walk down the staircase on your husband's arm with the gown flowing softly with your movements. Honestly, you were grateful for Steve's help in keeping you balanced, relieved when you made it to the bottom of the stairs.

Dyson, Yelena, Scott, Clint and Nat were a small crowd, watching in admiration as you approached. Nat's smile was all you needed to feel like you got the look right. Her lovely green eyes lit up as her gaze swept over you. 

"You look perfect," she exclaimed, carefully hugging you. "I knew that gown was the one."

Nat had been the one to find it when the two of you went out shopping. And you were all too happy to give her the credit. You knew very little about fashion, seasons, all of it. You would learn. But until you did, it was nice to have the advice of someone who already understood it.

As Nat stepped back, you forced yourself to smile. She still looked so small, so frail. She had yet to gain weight and regain her amazing figure. Your sister-in-law seemed fragile, even with the protection and love of the man she'd always wanted. Even with the full support and love of her brother. It worried you.

Dyson looked worried too, but as you did, he put on a quick smile. "You two had best get going. The line at dropoff takes forever."

"True enough," Steve said, nodding to Yelena and Scott.

You stopped to hug Dyson. "Keep her safe for me," you whispered.

"You know I will," he muttered.

Steve whisked you away to the sleek black limousine waiting in the driveway. Scott climbed in behind the wheel and Yelena rode shotgun as Steve got you into the back seat, helping you keep your gown away from the doors. Once you were settled, you studied your husband. Something was missing.

"Did you bring a mask?" you asked him. 

Steve smiled, pulling a small black mass from inside his tuxedo coat. No sequins, just a matte black mask he could wear. But he wasn't interested in the mask as he fidgeted with it. He was too busy staring at you.

"Are you excited?" he asked.

You couldn't help the smile that question brought on. "Yes."

Steve looked pleased. "As time goes on and things settle down, we'll get out more. Do more things like this. You look like a fairytale princess tonight."

Tears pricked at the backs of your eyes at his heartfelt words. He meant them. He was taking you out to a society function, dressed you up like you were going to the fucking Oscars. A night out like nothing you'd ever experienced before. You'd been excited since he told you he got the tickets two weeks ago.

[kremlin]

"This event ends the moment you write us a check, and it better not bounce, or you're a dead motherfucker" -- Big Bill Hell

There was a time when you'd see little old ladies paying for the groceries with a hand-written personal check, holding up the line, causing an immediately-forgiven slight sense of annoyance with those behind her. Buddy. Those days are over. They've been over. What, did you think you were going to just pop a couple extra zeroes on the end of your paycheck there? Maybe scan your paycheck, open it in photoshop, make a template, print em out all nice? You think you're the first to think of that, dipshit?

It takes the law a long time to catch up with the state of the art. You're reading this on the internet, which means you never use checks. The law has caught up. Your ass will be going to prison immediately and you will see zero return.

You can't even kite checks anymore, and hell, nobody under 40 will even know what that means, due to the blazing fast, two day settlement on all ACH transactions. Let me paint you a picture.

You get paid on Friday, but it is Monday, and bills are due on Tuesday. And you're broke: $0 in the bank. Goose egg. Pop open your checkbook, go to a store, "buy" some things, write a check for the amount. The cashier takes it!

Now take those things you "bought", across town, to another store location, and return them for cold hard cash. Sweet. Bills paid. Friday rolls around, and you just make it to the bank to deposit your paycheck before it closes. After the weekend, the checks you wrote finally post, and they don't bounce! You've kited a check. You've surreptitiously taken a zero-interest loan. And we know your broke ass. The interest rate on that short-term payday loan should have been straight up usurious. We're talking 29%. That makes predatory fuckers like us horny for sex. We're so mad. Now you are going to Federal Prison. For a good minute. Fuckface.

COST: $0.10 (With banks offering free checking accounts + Bic pen)

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor sleet, if you fuck with the mail, we'll rip your nuts off" -- Ronald Mail (Inventor of Mail)

Many people have this misnomer that the most powerful people in politics are democratically elected. The president, of the United States, of America, is a stupid cartoon hotdog. All of them, I don't care. Way less clout than you'd think. Brilliantly, it is the people that the hotdog president appoints who are actually doing anything significant. The director of the CIA. The fucking chairman of the Federal Reserve. Probably the, like, most senior, uh, general of the military, and shit too. I don't know, we don't "do" army here at Bloomberg. You probably don't even know their names! I don't! These are the ones you should be seeing in your sleep.

There's another position like that. Appointed directly by the hotdog. The Postmaster General. That's a real title. He's the CEO of the mail, and buddy, what he may lack in political power relative to the director of the CEO, he makes up in raw sexual energy. Total Tom Selleck energy. Like an airline pilot. We're talking Donald Sutherland in Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I'm tentpoling in my black business slacks just writing this, and all my Bloomberg newsroom bros are peering over my shoulder and also tent-poling. We're not gay though, and especially me, I'm probably the least gay, but sometimes I just lay awake for hours at night what that mustache would feel like pressed against my lips, the unbelievable and utter, total sense of security I'd feel burying my head into his hard chest.

You get it. He's your dad. And if you fuck with the mail, you've fucked with the tools in your dad's garage. And dad's been drinking. You're in for it, bucko, you are in trouble. Do you think the United States Postal Service actually makes any money? Hell no. It costs like five bucks to mail a box basically anywhere I can think of and they give you the boxes for free. You can just walk in the post office and take them. I do that, and then just throw them away, I don't know why, some kind of compulsion. Being able to move shit around like this, quickly, cheaply -- Jesus H, I've got a huge amount of money in my bank account, probably tens of trillions of dollars (due to financial knowledge gained from reading Bloomberg articles) and I could probably mail every single person ever something and still come out in the black.

No way pal. They've thought of that already. The Postmaster General is going to know every time, and he's going to grab you by the shirt collar, wearing his cool as fuck hat, and you're going to get your pants pulled down, and your bare ass spanke...I need to go use the restroom real quick.

We rely on the mail system to get important shit done. It's not something to be taken lightly, and it isn't. Trust me. This is why, like almost every other person who receives mail in this year 2023, I just fucking put a wastebasket under my mail slot. I don't even shred that shit anymore. I just burn it. Takes less time.

COST: $0.63 (Postal stamp)

"Can call all you want, but there's no one home // And you're not gonna reach my telephone // Out in the club, and I'm sipping that bubb // And you're not gonna reach my telephone" -- Lady Gaga

I read something wild that the children of today do not know what a dial tone is, because of how fucked up and stupid they are. Isn't that super fucked up?

While it's not really our style, allow me to fill you in on some ancient, arcane knowledge about the telephone. You can turn it on, and then you can punch in numbers. Any numbers. Random ones, or maybe not random ones. If the ten numbers you punch in are the same as the numbers in someone else's telephone number, their phone will ring, and then you are talking to them. This is called "Phreaking".

Here's the kicker: You can tell that jackass anything you want. "Oh, Hi, Yes, I am Reginald Sumpter calling from Avalon Consulting LLC, we are just following up on the invoice we sent you. Please remit to ###### routing ###### account."

BOOM! Your name isn't Reginald whatever and that company doesn't exist, but you just received a deposit. It's fucking beautiful. What have you done wrong? It isn't your responsibility to handle who your business' clients/etc are, it's their's. If they want to just pay you money for no real reason, well, that's kind of on them, isn't it? I haven't stuck a pistol in your face and demanded everything in the register.

Well, it's too clever. It's too slick. This is the United States of America. It's one thing to commit a felony like armed robbery, it's another thing to piss off someone in charge of the accounting division who uses a special bathroom you need a key to get into.

You can do it on the computer too, I use a PC Computer at work and send email, so you can see how it'd work there. You can make a document that is indifferentiable from a real invoice and, straight up, 1/3 of the time they will pay that shit. Lmfao.

It's called wire fraud because, uhh, duhhhh, there's wires. What do you think that thing is strung between the telephone receiver and the dialer? And computers? Give me a break. There's so many wires with those.

COST: $0.25 (Coin for payphone)

"People calculate too much and think too little." -- Charlie Munger

It is insane how dumb the common man can be when it comes to our world of expertise. I hear this same sentiment, like, ALL THE TIME:

"Durr hurr I will buy an insurance policy for my car or house or whatever so that in case something happens to it I will get money". And then that same person proceeds to drive safely or not burn their house down. Dumbest crap imaginable.

Let me break it down for you. Insurance is a two player competitive game. There is a winner and there is a loser. Go take out an expensive insurance policy on your American sports car. Buy a neck brace, a football helmet, and pack that bitch with throw pillows. Then get in the left lane of a major highway at like noonish, let it rip and then SLAM on your brakes. Hit from behind! Your fault! Congratulations. You have won insurance. How this gets past people is beyond me.

You can only do this once or twice before the insurance companies catch on. Then they don't want to fuck with you. It is also..I don't know man...something feels off about taking a car or a house, which like, some guy had to build and just destroying it, but that is only a weird emotional thing, since you're making money, more than whatever the destroyed thing is worth, so in reality you've built that house plus some extra. You've contributed.

COST: $106.00 (Average monthly car insurance payment)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

SUBSCRIBE TO MY WHATEVER FOR PART TWO, COMING SOON. i'll post it later today probably. whatever time frame will juice the numbers. have a sneaky peaky

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[matthewswifeyx]

pairing - sweetheart!reader x boyfriend!matt wc - 394 warning - fluff, kissing, pet names

"What do you think about this one sweetheart?" Matt asked. Him and Sweetheart were out trying to pick a Christmas tree to take back to her apartment.

"I dunno Matty." Sweetheart stared at the floor. "It's kinda ugly." Matt brushed the branches with his gloved hand, then looked towards Sweetheart. "Okay sweetheart, we can find another." He laughed it off.

They walked around hand in hand for a little while, and stayed close to each other. Families crowded the wide forest space all looking for their yearly Christmas tree. Matt had introduced this tradition to Sweetheart, as she had used a plastic tree every year.

Matt spotted a loan tree piled to the side of the 9 foot trees, he walked over and pulled it to stand tall. Matt looked over to Sweetheart, silently asking for her opinion. She slowly strolled to Matt's side and gazed at the bristled tree for a while. Sweetheart looked over at Matt, nodded and smiled. "It's perfect," She broke the silence. "I can't wait to decorate it."

"Matt! Wait, you're moving too fast!" Sweetheart whined. She held the stump of the Christmas tree under arm, gripping tightly. Matt had the top of the tree resting on his shoulder, marching enthusiastically, his hand held the top making sure it wouldn't fall. The tree was wrapped neatly in a net.

The couple was nearing their car. Matt was chatting reassurances to Sweetheart and instructions of direction. "Okay sweetheart, now move slowly to your right. Mind out for the other cars." Matt stated. She nodded and acted on her instructions.

They laid the tree on the ground by Matt's car. "You can wait in the car Sweetheart, i'll be right with you when I get this on the roof." Matt smiled at Sweetheart. "Okay." She whispered shyly and then made her way to the passenger seat.

After a few minutes of the car shaking and the branches ruffling. The tree was secured onto the roof safely. Matt skipped to the drivers seat. He sat down eagerly. Sweetheart looked over blushing. "Thanks Matty, for helping me today." She leaned over the centre console and gave Matt a soft kiss to his cheek. He looked into Sweetheart's eyes lovingly and developed the same blush onto his cheeks. "No problem," He spoke. "Anytime." Then Matt winked playfully and started the engine to leave the property.

Hey guys!! I hope you really enjoyed this blurb! If you have any suggestions/requests please do not hesitate to send me a quick message, and i will try and get back to you asap! <33

[ms-demeanor]

$7.25 $1231

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[babyhatesreality]

Hi hi!! Kind of a random thought, but how would daddy!stucky deal with little!reader losing something super important to her?? I lost my glasses today and they were super important to me and not very cheap either :( they were my only pair so now I'm stuck without them and I've cried about it 363739 times. Now I'm dying for some daddy!stucky comfort bc I feel terrible and am so so sad about it :(((((

Hey babes! So I know I'm the worst for taking so so long to answer this, and I seriously hope I'm not reigniting bad feelings here, bringing attention back to this. If I am, please forgive me, and I know that I love you and want you to be happy.

I can tell you that if you lost something important to you, your daddies would move heaven and earth to find it. Forget Apple tags to find stuff- they've got spy gear and the ability to hack into every single camera on the freaking planet. It does not go missing for long.

This one time, you accidentally left Pipsqueak (your penguin stuffie) at Avengers Con. Captain America and the Winter Soldier had made a panel appearance and did some signing, and while they were onstage you were in the breakroom with Aunt Natasha, Wanda, and Pietro watching on the monitor. You'd been playing and giggling and having a great time, when Peter burst into the room, eager to show you all the gifts that people had given Iron Man. In the exuberance and chaos, somehow Pipsqueak got swept into a random bag of other gifts. The last panel was done, and your daddies were done signing, and it was best for all of them to make a quick retreat together. All personal bags got back to each caregiver, and the agents were going to follow later on with the rest of the paraphernalia.

You were back at home before you realized to your horror that Pipsqueak was missing. Steve held you while you sobbed, while Bucky started hacking his way into the security cameras from the hotel so fast he nearly set the screen on fire with his metal fingers. They saw one of the convention volunteers with Pipsqueak in her hands, and before you knew it, the three of you were back on the Quinjet to get to the penguin as fast as you could.

Once the situation was explained, the volunteer of course gave Pipsqueak to your Papa to give back to you. She had been trying to find the owner anyways, and was relieved.

Little did she know that her kindness and professionalism would result in her college loans being completely paid off instantly, as well as a starting position in SHIELD the moment she graduated. All courtesy of your very grateful daddies would truly would walk the world over to get you the blade of grass that you'd misplaced.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Paul Blumenthal at HuffPost:

Before Vice President JD Vance was elected to the Senate from Ohio in 2022, he expressed a radical sentiment now coming to fruition under President Donald Trump. “We need a de-Ba’athification program in the U.S.,” Vance said as he called for the firing of every midlevel federal government employee and their replacement with Trump allies. In likening the U.S. government to the purges of Saddam Hussein’s Ba’ath Party in post-war Iraq, Vance provides a metaphor to explain what the Trump administration is doing now. The MAGA coalition, led by Trump, Vance and billionaire Elon Musk are an occupying force — a provisional authority — operating in wartime conditions to dismantle the U.S. government. As in post-war Iraq, the previously existing legal order is no more. For Americans, that means the Constitution has been effectively suspended. The ongoing destruction of the U.S. government by Trump and Musk is already a full-blown constitutional crisis. The executive branch has seized power it does not have from Congress and the American people to eliminate agencies created by Congress, suspend payments authorized by law, break contracts entered into under law, rewrite the Constitution and, potentially, ignore the judiciary when push comes to shove. All of these actions, tied together, represent not just an unprecedented seizure of executive power by the president, but an intentional subversion of the constitutional order. Or, as Trump’s nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought wrote in 2022, “We are living in a post-Constitutional time.”

The actions Trump and Musk are taking not only threaten the country’s constitutional structure, but also the material livelihood of all Americans. In targeting government services people need to live their lives, they risk forcing people to stop working to perform childcare, throw at-risk people into homelessness, deny disabled people the right to a free life and cut off the elderly and sick from necessary health care. In seeking to end birthright citizenship, Trump threatens the very right of people born here to obtain the benefits granted to them by the Constitution. Potentially more catastrophic, Musk’s seizure of the Department of Treasury’s payment system and the possible tinkering his college-age minions are doing to it could crash a decadesold system that doles out the annual $6 trillion budget to Social Security recipients, government employees, grantees, loan recipients and more.

Musk is deploying the model he used to gut Twitter after he bought it in 2022. It’s an expression of the “move fast and break things” ethos of Silicon Valley. The tech elite believe that laws and regulations should be ignored if it gets in their way of innovation and profit-seeking. Think about Uber’s deployment of subsidized taxis to undercut incumbent competition, scooter companies dumping their product on city streets with no authorization, the mass Hoovering of data by social media companies or AI companies relying on copyrighted material to train their models. They are also happy to break products as they beta test new applications, just as Musk’s X frequently went down after he fired huge numbers of engineers following his takeover. A disruption in the operation of a social media site, however, does not have any meaningful real world consequences. But if Musk decides to “fail whale” the government, the consequences would be catastrophic for hundreds of millions of Americans, not to mention the stability of the global economy.

[...]

Congress, under the sniveling leadership of Republican Speaker Mike Johnson (La.) and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (S.D.), has surrendered its power at Trump’s feet. The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse to fund the government and enact laws creating and authorizing executive branch agencies. The president is then supposed to “take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed.” Trump has inverted this constitutional design with the help of a supplicant Republican-controlled Congress. [...] The Constitution requires Congress to pass laws and make appropriations and for the president to execute those laws and appropriations. If Trump’s actions stand, the Constitution will have been turned inside out. Congress will be swept aside. So will the American people, who elected Congress as a co-equal power to the president. And if Trump and Musk have their way, the judiciary will also be eliminated. When Vance called for the “De-Ba’athification” of the U.S. government, he also opined on what would happen if the courts intervened. [...] What this amounts to is one-man rule. The MAGA royalists have tossed the Constitution aside — at least provisionally — in favor of a king. Will anyone stop them?

HuffPost’s Paul Blumenthal provides cogent analysis on how the Axis of Evil triumvirate between Elon Musk, JD Vance, and Donald Trump, are operating to destroy our cherished Constitutional governance and livelihoods of many Americans.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Degrowth is often associated with austerity, that we have to give up all the luxuries we have. But, not everything, I would say, and we also gain something instead. So, here’s my explanation. First of all, I’m not saying, as I said, that we have to give up all the technologies. I explicitly admit we need renewable energies and electric vehicles. These are the things that we need to develop even more. So, degrowth is not about going back to nature without any kind of Zoom, computer, iPhone, and so on. But at the same time, we have to question whether we need to buy a new iPhone every two years—that’s probably excessive, and we can repair things. Or another question would be, do we really need fast fashion? Do we need so much meat consumption? I’m not saying we should all be vegans immediately. But at the same time, we can start questioning whether our level of consumption might be actually excessive, and there are some people who are actually consuming much more in an excessive way, people that are super rich. So, first, advocate reducing economic inequality because the super rich do not simply exploit workers, but also they’re quite responsible for the current ecological crisis. The top 1% of rich people are responsible for 15% of carbon emissions. So, that’s something that must be reduced. For example, I advocate banning private jets. Do we really need so many private jets? And we should probably reduce cruise ships and industrial meat production. These excessive things must be reduced. That’s my first proposal. And the second proposal is, if we give up some of those things, we will have different kinds of abundance. I argue in my book that this will be an abundance of public goods. In the U.S., for example, education is commodified, and we have to pay a lot of money to go to university, and students have loans. Also, we have to pay a lot to go to a doctor because medical care is privatized and commodified. Public transportation is poor, so we have to buy cars, and we again have to have loans and so on. So, our entire economy is commodified, and that means that we have to pay for everything, no matter how necessary these things are for everyone. And so, you need money and have to work harder, but jobs are precarious; wages are low, so you work longer hours, and when you still don’t have enough money, you have little time to spend with your family and friends, and so you’re unhappy. So, my proposal is in a degrowth economy, all those basic services and goods must be decommodified. Education should be free. Medical care, public transportation, electricity—all these things should be as cheap as possible. And then you don’t really have to work so hard, and you don’t have to worry so much about your housing, future, and applications. These are the things that can make you feel much more happy and secure. That kind of public abundance can actually be realized without constant economic growth. Degrowth is a kind of new radical abundance.

[midnight--sadness]

Okay that last ask lowkey reminded me of a thing I wrote once that I kinda wanted to turn into an AU for inhun but I couldn't figure out a couple of details but now an idea came to me..

Anyway imagine.. no squid game, but Ilnam is some sort of mob boss who has a lot of stuff going on from drugs to brothels to arms anything/everything, he also gets a portion of any local loan sharks' business. Gihun is his fave asset he's collected. He gave him the option of becoming a performer/dancer/prostitute at one of his clubs or settle things with sunshine capital the usual way by losing his organs.

Gihun took Ilnam's offer and convinced himself it wasn't that bad because at least he got some say in his clients and he got to actually make money too and even get his own little place over the club. He's also glad he started working for Ilnam because it's how he met Do-kyun (who is basically like Ilnam's nephew/godson/heir since he's estranged from his own son. Do-kyun wishes he could just take Gihun far away from that life and keep him for himself but he hasn't gotten around to killing the old man yet).

Gihun is actually pretty comfortable overall though he also would prefer if Ilnam was gone already and Dokyun was the boss, but in the meantime he appreciates the perks of the job. Having his own place, always having enough food and money for whatever he wants, not having to worry about any random getting too handsy when they're not supposed to cause there's actually security, and of course Dokyun.

He also has this habit of "picking up strays" just helping any person he finds who looks like they're going through a rough time and giving them a place to stay or some money or contacts so they can get better. (He does this with Saebyeok at some point and basically adopts her).

One night he finds Inho almost passed out and freezing in an alley and he takes him in. Warms him up and lets him stay at his place.

At first Inho doesn't want to stay too long because he's worried about putting Gihun in danger, since some gangsters might be coming for him (Inho's thing here is that instead of joining the games he basically became a criminal after his wife died and had been working for some other org allied to Ilnam's, going on increasingly risky missions). But the next day when Gihun takes him to the club and introduces him to Dokyun (who Inho recognizes at least by name) he realizes staying around Gihun a while longer wouldn't put him in any more danger than he already is by being Ilnam's favorite pet and Dokyun's lover.

So he stays, and Ilnam offers him a job as security at the club and also as an enforcer on the side.

And of course he quickly falls for Gihun too and cue love triangle and jealousy and both Dokyun and Inho waiting for the right oportunity to kill that old man and run away with Gihun

-- sparks

DOKYUN MY BELOVED I'VE MISSED YOU!!!! 💖💖😍😍😍

i absolutely love this idea!!! everything about it is so 🤧

i actually adore the idea of inho not having anything to do with higher ups. he's just a guy who has lost his way and has no influence in the company. it's really refreshing to read!

dokyun being ilnam's heir and wanting him dead is so real, honestly.

inho falls for gihun, but doesn gihun fall for inho? because dokyun is highkey the perfect guy!!! i don't think i'd leave him for inho 😭 but i can see inho befriend all of gihun's friends as a way to get closer to him, youngil style. fellow dancer junhee, the bouncer daeho, barman jungbae, waitress saebyeok (gihun's daughter, as u say, who only works as waitress bc gihun begged ilnam to not put her on stage. he can't protect her all the time, but he can do this one thing; she does job as a pickpocket for ilnam when she isnt working at the club).

dokyun sees inho trying to get gihun and he knows that he needs to kill ilnam fast before inho turns gihun's head around. meanwhile, inho wants to kill ilnam so he get gihun far away.... however, if he ends up as head of the criminal organization, well he isn't going to complain, is he?

also with the exception of dokyun obviously, this kind of sounds like my wife's @elysianwhelve fic the sons of dokkaebi. gihun is also a dancer and inho is part of biker gang and saebyeok is gihun's daughter and there's intrigue and mystery, it's honestly amazing!!! pls check it out 💞🙏

[iteratedextras]

If you ban guns on the basis that you can arbitrarily declare them a public health emergency despite the 2nd amendment (implicitly backed by the threat of "do you want multi-million dollar legal bills?"), or you issue student loan forgiveness specifically to try and get as much in as possible before courts overrule it because you pretty blatantly don't have that power, or when the Supreme Court tells your institutions to stop discriminating and you immediately talk about how you're going to work around it to discriminate...

Collapsedsquid was correct to note that part of Donald Trump's act is, "It's not me they're after, it's you; I'm just in their way," and, 'At the top, it doesn't matter what the law is, there is only power.'

If the law specified everything in minute detail, it wouldn't be law, it would be a computer program. Law depends on people not constantly trying to exploit it to the most minor detail; that allows it to be fast and light enough to be actually used.

In terms of resolving disagreements, first there is interpersonal agreement, then there is law, then there are borders, and then there is war.

If people cannot trust that getting a law will cause a matter to stay resolved, at least until there is another law, then they can't cut that issue out as a matter of their security problem; if they cannot rely on impersonal power, because the interpretation of the law will be too subjective, then they will fall back to relying on personal power.

If you issue a public health order banning all public carrying of guns, then you are not the adult in the room bravely standing up to tyranny, you are part of the Trump Show.

[jangillman]

Jan Gillman-Westgarth

I woke up and as I had my morning coffee, I realized that everything is about to change. No matter how I vote, no matter what I say, something evil has invaded our nation, and our lives are never going to be the same.

I have been confused by the hostility of family and friends. I look at people I have known all my life--so hate-filled that they agree with opinions they would never express as their own. I think that I may well have entered the Twilight Zone.

You can't justify this insanity. We have become a nation that has lost its collective mind!

• If a man pretends to be a woman, you are required to pretend with him.

• Somehow it’s un-American for the census to count how many Americans are in America.

• Russians influencing our elections are bad, but illegals voting in our elections are good.

• It was cool for Joe Biden to "blackmail" the President of Ukraine, but it’s an impeachable offense if Donald Trump inquires about it.

• Twenty is too young to drink a beer, but eighteen is old enough to vote.

• People who have never owned slaves should pay slavery reparations to people who have never been slaves.

• People who have never been to college should pay the debts of college students who took out huge loans for their degrees.

• Immigrants with tuberculosis and polio are welcome, but you’d better be able to prove your dog is vaccinated.

• Irish doctors and German engineers who want to immigrate to the US must go through a rigorous vetting process, but any illiterate gang-bangers who jump the southern fence are welcome.

• $5 billion for border security is too expensive, but $1.5 trillion for “free” health care is not.

• If you cheat to get into college you go to prison, but if you cheat to get into the country you go to college for free.

• People who say there is no such thing as gender are demanding a female President.

• We see other countries going Socialist and collapsing, but it seems like a great plan to us.

• Some people are held responsible for things that happened before they were born, and other people are not held responsible for what they are doing right now.

• Criminals are caught-and-released to hurt more people, but stopping them is bad because it's a violation of THEIR rights.

• And pointing out all this hypocrisy somehow makes us "racists"?!

Nothing makes sense anymore, no values, no morals, no civility and people are dying of a Chinese virus, but it’s racist to refer to it as Chinese even though it began in China. We are clearly living in an upside down world where right is wrong and wrong is right, where moral is immoral and immoral is moral, where good is evil and evil is good, where killing murderers is wrong, but killing innocent babies is right.

Wake up America, the great unsinkable ship Titanic America has hit an iceberg, is taking on water, and is sinking fast. The choice is yours to make. What will it be? Time is short, make your choice wisely!

(Not my words but very accurate and disturbing!)

Feel free to copy and paste. I did.

See 2 Timothy 4:3 and 2 Timothy 3:1-5