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whywishesarehorses · 4 years ago

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A Mustang Crisis Looms in the West

With too many animals on public lands and too many on the public’s hands, the federal wild horse management program is short of money and palatable solutions.

By Dave Philipps Published March 22, 2020

CHALLIS, Idaho — Dawn broke over the peaks of the Lost River Range, revealing a chase in the wide open valley below. Seven wild horses crashed through the sage, dark manes billowing in the golden light, pursued by a government contractor in a glossy helicopter that dodged left and right like a mechanical Border collie, driving the band forward into a hidden corral.

Within hours, the captured mustangs had been sorted, loaded onto trucks to be stamped with an identification number and sent to the Bureau of Land Management’s wild horse storage system. And the helicopter was back out hounding the hills for more.

All over the West, similar scenes have played out as the federal government fights to control the number of wild horses roaming public lands. Managers say they need to keep the herds down so they don’t destroy delicate native species habitat and threaten the livelihoods of ranchers.

But in recent years, the Bureau of Land Management has been losing that fight on two fronts: It hasn’t been able to round up nearly enough horses to limit the wild population. And it doesn’t know what to do with the ones it has managed to capture.

The roundup operation itself is strikingly efficient — a helicopter and a few workers in jean jackets can catch scores of mustangs in a day. The bureau rounded up 7,300 in 2019.

But once they are caught, they have to be fed and cared for. And the costs and frictions of having so many animals on the government’s hands — 49,000 at last count — have pushed the whole wild horse program toward collapse.

The rented pastures and feed lots where they are kept now devour more than two-thirds of the program’s budget, leaving little money for anything else, including looking for ways to get the bureau out of its current fix.

Low on cash, the bureau cut roundups drastically in recent years. But officials acknowledge that the move just made matters worse, by allowing the population on the range to grow rapidly. There are now about 100,000 wild horses and burros on public lands — more than at any time since the days of the Old West. The government reckons the land can sustain only about 27,000.

Bureau officials warn that the mustang herds are a looming catastrophe for the land, and there is no cheap or obvious solution. Capturing all the excess horses and caring for them in storage for the rest of their lives could cost up to $3 billion. Doing nothing may prove costly, too.

“If we don’t get this controlled, it’s just going to get worse,” said Alan Shepherd, the on-range branch chief for the wild horse program. Mustangs have already destroyed fragile desert springs in some places, and the birds, snakes and butterflies that depend on them, he said: “We are going to get to the point where the public lands are going to be almost unusable by anything.”

Mr. Shepherd started his career 30 years ago working on an emergency roundup on the Nellis Air Force Base missile test range in southern Nevada, where drought and overpopulation killed thousands of mustangs.

Now, near the end of his career, he worries that more herds are headed for a similar collapse.

Wild horse welfare groups argue that the crisis is largely invented. They say the government sets its population targets artificially low to justify mass removals that serve the interests of cattle ranchers and distract from other public land policies that are far more damaging.

“It’s a bait and switch,” said Suzanne Roy, director of the American Wild Horse Campaign, a group that has lobbied against roundups. “They say wild horses are an existential threat; meanwhile, they are loosening regulation on energy extraction. We do agree that roundups are creating a crisis in management, but the claims of overpopulation and horses starving are just not borne out by on-the-ground observations. Generally, the horses are doing pretty good.”

Crisis or no crisis, the number of horses on the range has risen into uncharted territory. Mr. Shepherd estimated that while 7,300 horses were captured in 2019, 17,000 foals were born. “We’re not even keeping at status quo,” he said.

In the early frontier days, wild horses in the West were too numerous to count. Explorers saw herds running on the Great Plains, likening the sight to the roll of waves in the ocean. On early maps, vast areas were labeled simply as “wild horse desert.” Later, as the region was settled, the herds were hunted down. Many were shipped east to pull city streetcars in places like Manhattan. Others were slaughtered for dog food and fertilizer. By the 1960s, only a few thousand mustangs were left.

Congress granted federal protection in 1971 to the remaining herds, which were nearly all on Bureau of Land Management land. With few predators and no hunters to cull them, the herds began to rebound, and land managers realized in the 1980s that they were quickly outgrowing the patchwork of public land allotted to them. That is when the helicopter roundups began.

At first, the program appeared sustainable. The bureau publicized an adoption program that found homes for captured horses, and the wild population stayed relatively constant. But news reports in the 1990s revealed that most of the “adopted” horses were actually going to slaughter, often while bureau employees profited. Regulations were tightened, and a backlog of unwanted horses began to build up on rented pastures in the Midwest.

Some conservative lawmakers from rural districts have pushed the bureau to euthanize excess horses or sell them for slaughter, but those steps remain widely unpopular and have not gained traction in Congress.

The bureau has told lawmakers repeatedly that it could create a sustainable program if Congress budgeted enough money to reduce the wild population to 27,000. Three times in the past 30 years, Congress has done so. Each time, though, the efforts were tripped up by dizzying costs and lawsuits from animal welfare groups.

Now the bureau is asking again. William Perry Pendley, its acting director, is a longtime conservative activist and lawyer who sued the bureau a number of times on behalf of ranchers before entering the administration. In an interview, he said he favors a proposal to remove more than 70,000 horses from the range over five years.

“Right now, it’s the ‘Sorcerer’s Apprentice,’” he said. “We’re carrying water and not getting anywhere.”

The bureau is in talks to open two huge feedlots to hold thousands of horses. But it is unclear if Congress is willing to spend billions to store unwanted horses, especially if an economic downturn drains public funds. Bureau staff say privately that they expect the population on the range to continue to grow toward disaster.

It wasn’t supposed to turn out this way. More than a decade ago, government auditors warned that the cost of storing captured horses would “overwhelm the program.” A 2013 report by the National Academy of Sciences urged the bureau to shift away from roundups and start using readily available and inexpensive fertility control drugs, which are typically administered by dart gun annually in the field.

Bureau leaders acknowledged the warnings and promised to embrace fertility control drugs, but their use actually declined in the years after the report. Less than 1 percent of the program’s current budget is spent on them.

Nearly all of the fertility control now happening on wild horse ranges is done by local volunteers, often retirees, who have learned to wield dart guns in the field.

That includes Andrea Macki, a visual artist who has been darting horses in the Challis herd for more than five years. She says the fertility control treatments have slowed reproduction rates by half, and could do more.

“It’s the obvious solution,” she said as she squinted through the dawn light to watch the helicopter rounding up horses she knew. “I wish the B.L.M. would invest in it, instead of all this.”

Bureau officials say that darting tens of thousands of horses in the field each year is not practical, and would take years to shrink the herds as much as a roundup can in a few days. Congress approved a $21 million increase in the wild horse program’s budget for this year, with the stipulation that the money would be released only when the bureau submitted a five-year plan that includes increases in both roundups and fertility control.

The bureau has also taken steps to dispose of captured horses, including deals that may be sending horses quietly to slaughter. It has ramped up sales of horses it deems unadoptable, charging $25 a head. In 2019 it sold 1,967 that way, often by the truckload in bulk sales; officials have refused to say who the buyers were.

Mr. Shepherd say the bureau tries to screen out slaughter buyers, but acknowledged that it does nothing to monitor the fate of horses after sale.

The bureau also created a program that offers $1,000 to anyone willing to adopt a horse.

Together, the sales and adoptions put about 7,000 horses into private hands last year, not enough even to keep pace with roundups, let alone draw down the number now warehoused.

On the edge of the wild horse range in Challis in central Idaho, Jackie Ingram, a rancher, has shared 168,700 acres of public land with the mustang herds for 46 years. Each spring her family drives hundreds of Black Angus cattle up a steep road through Spar Canyon to graze the high, windswept hills on Bureau of Land Management land.

In some years, she said, the wild horses left so little grass to eat that other wildlife disappeared, and her family had to cut back their cattle herd.

“We like the horses, but we also want to protect the land,” she said. “Every time they do a roundup, we’re happy. If the horses get to be too numerous, it affects the sage grouse, the elk, the antelope and us. All of us depend on the grass.”

#long post #blm mustang #mustang horse #horse news #equestrian #equine

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fyeahengineeringprofessor · 3 years ago

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Singapore's National Wages Council recommends pay hike for workers earning up to S$2,000

low-wage workers earning up to two thousand dollars monthly could see a wage hike under recommendations by the national wages council or nwc now this affects about one in five or 238 thousand residents.

who are employed full time the increments should be 4.5 percent to 7.5 percent of their gross wages or 70 to 90 dollars whichever is higher brandon tonoto with more 61 year old madam chia has worked in the cleaning services industry.

for nearly two years she sees the pay increase as a source of motivation to continue to improve her job skills nwc says it's the first time it has recommended a range of progressive wage growth for workers like madam chair they'll consider increasing it next year.

should the economic situation improve but for employers still facing economic hit wins and considering cutting wages nwc urges them to freeze wages instead and consider building in a pay hike of up to 50 the singapore national employers federation says the recommendations are flexible enough for employers with varying business performance.

and outlook to implement but it cautions that consumers may have to pay more for certain services many of these workers are in outsourced sectors they need service buyers and consumers to play their part by paying a reasonable price for better services.

so that their employers can grant wage increases to them sustainably the government says it'll do its part to uplift lower wage workers through transitional support to help employers absorb part of the additional wage costs i encourage employers to take reference from these guidelines which can help shape business as well as workforce development at the same time the government will continue to support our businesses and workforce where needed other recommendations include using gross monthly wages.

as a new reference for lower wage workers nwc says this will give the workers greater certainty of the pay they can expect for a set of standard working hours what matters most is how much he or she take home how much he or she actually earns per month and this is uh the total package includes allowances it can include some ot it can also include other forms of payment from the employer.

so from their perspective we thought that if we use cross wages it will allow us to then have a more standard yardstick to compare across different groups of lower wage workers in different sectors mr shea explains that this also ensures that the wages of these workers will gradually catch up with median incomes the government has accepted the guidelines which will apply from first december to end november next year with singapore's economy on track to recovery the nwc says wages should move in tandem with the pace of business recovery they should also be based on a flexible wage system.

and we strongly encourage employers to implement the flexible wage system we call it the fws in short if they have not done so the fws has greatly helped employers to respond quickly to pass crisis and allowing transparent wage adjustment to be made based on business condition and ensuring that our workers are rewarded in good times employers.

who have recovered or are recovering in the wake of covid19 are also urged to restore wage cuts and the council says they should roll back wage-related cost-saving measures such as a shorter work week temporary layoffs and no pay leave employers still impacted by cover 19 are encouraged to try to pay workers their annual wage supplement they should also continue to tap on government support measures and minimize retrenchments the focus last year was on helping employers to implement necessary wage cuts and appropriate cost-saving measures in order to save jobs with the economy and the labor market gradually recovering the tripartite partners agree that it is timely to ease the exceptional wage policies that were put in place earlier

#jobs #careers

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littlechinesedoll · 5 years ago

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Graveyard Keeper Review

Platform: Steam

Playtime: 73 hours

Game Stats: 484 graveyard points, 70 church points, 81 tavern points, 91 Gold, 15 or so zombies, +/- 2k red points, +/- 1500 green points, +/- 500 blue points, did not unlock all the technologies.

Mods used: Faster Craft, Increase Inventory, Infinite Energy, Inflation Mod, No Cooldown Teleport, Sprint

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Okay, so I finished the Graveyard Keeper (discounted at 4 or 5 bucks), together with its two DLCs, Breaking Bad (free) and Stranger Sins (6 bucks). Overall for that price it’s pretty good.

Spoilers ahead, of course. Oh, and very long rant if you’re up for the read.

So it starts with you going to a store to pick up some groceries, then you look at your phone while crossing he street and it’s you love calling, and because you didn’t look both ways before steeping on the crosswalk, you die. And then you wake up as the next graveyard keeper.

Honestly, whoever the last one was did a poor job of keeping the graveyard, cos what the fuck are all these bad corpses doing buried here? JK. ANYWAYS.

First, we’re gonna talk about mechanics.

I loved the game. It’s much like Stardrew Valley in a sense that you’ve got pretty much the same thing going on, except that it’s much, much, much more stressful. You can’t just go forage things and then sell all of it expecting you’ll get money and then buy the thing that you need to accomplish this task.

Nope. It’s none of that. it’s goes so far as you have to make your own goddamn ink to write something. But then you’d have to go to the poultry to buy feathers to write with?? There’d been too many time’s I’d say ‘what the fuck’ every time I’d have to craft something to do something as mundane as fucking frying onion rings.

There’s a review on steam that perfectly summarizes what I feel about the game as a whole. It’s a review by Isackender they say:

“I love grinding games like Stardew Valley, Don't Starve or Forager. When you play them, you feel good completing a task because what you just achieved will help you to advance slowly towards your goal. And what's most important, these tasks are fair.

Graveyard Keeper fails miserably at doing this.

A lot of the tasks you're required to complete feel meaningless.

…

That feel of ‘I haven't done anything today’ is constant.”

And that’s true! Every time you go to bed or mediated for energy, it feels like, even though you’ve buried a body, planed some crops, chopped down some wood, crafted all these things, mined a crap ton of stone and marble for graveyard decorations, it’s never enough. You literally have no means of earning other than burying shit-rated bodies at the start, so that you can get money to buy crops that you need to sell in order to make more money. What’s more frustrating, is that if you sell too much of one thing to any NPC who’ll buy your shit, you won’t be able to sell that other 400 pieces of carrots you’ve harvested because they’ll have no money to buy more, and your crops will be of no value because there is too much of it. I mean that makes sense IRL, but god. I was stuck at two silver coins FOR WEEKS.

Though I think I might be comparing it too much to Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley, where everything you do gives you an idea of what you’re working towards: a great farm, with diverse produce, healthy animals, and a good income.

God you’d be crafting for WEEKS and you’d still not be able to earn anything.

I only finished it out of spite. I mean, I’m already here. I already wasted 40 hours on it why not just fucking go on with it? 40 hours! That’s 10 hours more than I work in a week these days.

You’re also confined to a day in a week to do everything you need to do. Many of the NPCs you need to interact with that has something to do with the main storyline are only available once a week. So if you forget what day it is, you’d have to wait for another week to move along whatever it is you want to move on with. I always forget this with Snake, the Astrologer, the Merchant, and Ms. Charm. It’s frustrating to have to trudge through another week and then maybe forget again that Ms. Charm is singing at The Dead Horse today. It’s mad.

And then there’s The Town. You spend MONTHS on earning enough money to get you a Town Pass, only for you to be struck down by lightning the moment you pass the gates. So what’s the point of building up hype and telling you that you need to get to Town, and gather all of these items for you to be able to craft the thing that will get you home? The Town literally does not exist. Which is also annoying because southwest of the Farmer, THERE’S A COAL VEIN THAT I NEED FOR THE FURNACE.

The literal amount of wood you need to advance in this game is insane. I mean I have zombies chopping wood for me but still.

Teleport stone needs way too much time to cooldown, hence, the mod. I hate walking at a glacial pace, hence, the mod. I was frustrated with the money, hence, the mod. It’s not a mod to make me earn faster, but a mod to let me sell as much as the buyer is selling their products. Shit amount inventory, hence, the mod. And I’m not wasting two days for something to craft in the furnace, hence, the mod.

I also hate that big pieces of wood don’t go in your inventory. It’s frustrating because what if you chopped down something on the other side of the map? You’d have to lug that shit one at a time back to your work yard? And then, when you’ve got too many items on the screen, like for example, just because you want to, you chopped down all the trees in your backyard, leaving behind, say, 50 pieces of log. The FPS will drop like a bitch. Seriously. I was at a constant 60fps at the start then by the end, when I’ve got my yard set up, together with the vineyard and my zombie farm, the game is always at a constant 25fps and it’s hurting my eyes. There was a time I left zombies mining at the quarry; the game dropped to 1fps every ten seconds! UGH. JLAKSDJAKSD

Okay. So. Mechanics aside, now on to the story. I mean, alright, it’s cute. I decided to finish the tavern first. The Stranger Sins DLC is where the story of the town comes from.

There’d been an old god and a new god.

I have a lot of questions. Keeper was split in two. Why and where did the old god send him? Why did the old god grant people immortality in exchange for destroying their faith in him? WHY DOES THE DONKEY TALK? I farmed hundreds of carrots for this asshole and he doesn’t even get a story?

Also, what the fuck is up with that shitty ending? I mean, that’s it? It just. Ends. Like that. you don’t go home—your Missus is transported to you and it ends. What the fuck? I wasted 73 hours for that shit?

There’s no replayability either. You finish it and that’s it. you go back to your save and you’re send back to the last time you saved it. It doesn’t even save after you open the portal so you could work on improving your graveyard or make more wine for your tavern.

It’s fun for a while. But if you might not finish it.

#graveyard keeper #lcd reviews games #lcd game reviews #game reviews #game review

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homeaffordabilitysolutions · 1 year ago

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Six Tips to Help You Get a Single Parent Home Loan

Life can be tough as a single parent, especially when it comes to buying your own home.

The good news? There’s a clear route to securing a single parent home loan if you follow the shared equity pathway.

Here are six tips to set you up for success.

1. Compare HAS with the Family Home Guarantee

You may be familiar with the Australian Government’s Family Home Guarantee program. You may not know, however, why Home Affordability Solutions (HAS) knocks it out of the park.

You don’t have to be a first home buyer.

Requires an exceptionally low deposit, no genuine savings are needed.

17.5% shared equity facility.

Interest only at a 3.25% fixed rate for five years. The first three years of re-payments are funded.

There’s no means testing.

You alone are on the title, rather than the government being on the title as part-owner of the property.

Our single parent home loan is a great way to access and climb the property ladder

2. Discover shared equity, with a 2.5% loan deposit

Yes, 2.5% is low! Yet this is all it takes to kick off your home buying journey.

Buying a home as a single mum or dad has traditionally been a hard slog. For many, it seems to be an impossible dream.

It’s infuriating. You know you earn enough to service a loan and have a good rent repayment record. But how do you save for that standard 20% deposit, when you have to pay the household bills on your own?

HAS is the answer. Our shared equity loans offer single parents a low deposit and lower monthly repayments.

-Deposit. Forget the 20% deposit and 80% mortgage. With HAS shared equity, you put forward a 2.5% microdeposit. We put in 17.5%, providing the full 20% deposit without costly LMI!

-Repayments. Pay 3.25% fixed interest on the shared equity part of your loan, for a full five years, before full ownership payments start. Plus, the first three years of monthly payments for the shared equity facility (17.5%) are fully funded. This means you only pay the 80% mortgage for the first three years.

-Versatility. You have the option to boost the HAS shared equity portion to 37.5%, making your loan easier to service.

Shared equity offers outstanding value to Australian home buyers seeking a single parent home loan.

3. Explore grants for first time home buyer, single mum or dad

If you are a first time home buyer single mum or dad, you may be eligible for the Australian Government’s national scheme.

The First Home Owner Grant (FHOG) program offers a one-off grant to first home buyers who meet the eligibility requirements.

You can use this grant, or other stamp duty concessions you may be eligible for, to contribute to your HAS 2.5% micro deposit.

4. Understand your borrowing limits

It’s important to understand your borrowing capacity and be realistic about what’s possible.

The last thing you want is more stress in your life! By setting achievable goals, and having a clear understanding of your financial limits, you give yourself the best possible chance of success.

It will help you secure a serviceable at really works for you.

5. Organise your finances

Spend some time getting your finances in order before you make your application.

This will help determine your serviceability, ensuring you don’t overstretch yourself.

Factor in income and outgoings, draw up a detailed budget and get a real handle on your financial situation.

Remember, you can set up automated transfers of regular savings to help you meet your home loan repayments.

6. Test your HAS eligibility

Why not test your eligibility for our low deposit home loans? Australia is seeing increased interest in shared equity home loans, so be sure you don’t miss out.

It’s the new way to build stability and secure the future, both for you and your family.

Content Source: https://yourhas.com.au/six-tips-to-help-you-get-a-single-parent-home-loan/

#SingleParentHomeLoan #HomeownershipForSingleParents #FinancialEmpowerment #AffordableHomeLoans #FamilyFirstHome #StableHome #HomeLoanAssistance #EmpowerFamilies #DreamHomeReality #SecureHome #Sydney #Australia #HomeAffordabilitySolutions

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rajsinghj · 5 years ago

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Why Timber Flooring Gives Your Home A Personalized Look

New Post has been published on https://propertyhome.in/timber-flooring-gives-home-personalized-look/

Why Timber Flooring Gives Your Home A Personalized Look

Every home is unique. Even the tiniest decorative detail as something to do with our personal lives, memories, and beliefs. However, when it comes to comfort, there are principles one should follow, especially when talking about the flooring.

One might wonder how come the flooring is so important, but the truth is it not only has the ability to make lives cozier but also it adds a lot to the whole aesthetics of the home. So, what would be the ideal flooring for your home? Timber. Here is why.

Hardwood flooring has lots of benefits. It brings nature inside the house. It is easy to clean, easy to maintain and it can last a lifetime. Timber screams warmth and sunlight. It absorbs the natural light and reflects it everywhere in the rooms. And this only starts the list. Here are the other benefits.

Durability and Strength

Choosing timber flooring sets you free of worrying about the possibility of changing it when renovating after several years. It is quite durable and strong and can withstand years of use while still looking like the first day it was installed.

It can withstand heavy foot traffic which is why it is oftentimes the perfect option for spaces where a great number of people walk, for example, offices, reception cubicles and so on.

Valuable and Quality

Timber flooring immediately increases the value of your home. In case you decide to sell your home, you can expect that it is priced high due to the increased number of interested parties for buying the house.

What is more, if you decide to sell your house, you can have it virtually staged, and with the timber flooring, all the elements will get a distinctive flair that instantly catches the eye.

Virtual furniture staging is a technique that sells homes fast and choosing timber flooring in virtually staged photos is a usual technique. And what is better than showing the potential buyers the basics of the house as they are, without the need to change it to look better?

A Vast Range of Choices

The timber flooring has something to offer that other types of flooring lack – the possibility to choose its appearance. The timber and its finish can be adjusted to the undertone you love, so they are really convenient when it comes to style – you will get what you want, in any undertone, and still get to boast about its strength and durability.

A Dream Come True for Music Studios

If you want to use the room as a music studio where you will write and create music, choose timber flooring. It has natural acoustic properties as there are no vibrations or hollow sounds. This makes it one of the best acoustic flooring there is.

Quality Breathing

Another benefit of the timber flooring is that it grants better air quality. This is possible because there are no grout lines, fibres or embossing in timber. This prevents attracting allergens, particles, pollen, dust or animal dander like the carpets and other flooring types do.

Ages like Wine

The final interesting characteristic of the timber flooring is that it ages well. It doesn’t deteriorate or get destroyed, instead, it looks even better after a few years. This is because of the natural composition of the flooring. It is safe to say that when you choose timber, you choose it for life.

The Bottom Line

Choosing the flooring type is not an easy thing to do. You want it to look good with the rest of the home as well as be durable and long-lasting. Choosing timber is never wrong as it successfully checks all the benefits a flooring type needs to have. It is perfect if you want a better quality of life and an excellent looking design.

#Aesthetics #Allergen #Fiber #Furniture #House #Lumber #Paper embossing #Sunlight

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citymaus · 5 years ago

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protestors rallying in philadelphia, 06.06.2020. flickr/joepiette

“First, we must consider the legacy of “placemaking” — and what the word “place” truly means for Black Americans.

Place as routes designed to confine the movement of Black people being treated as cargo and goods, not as human beings

Place as watchtowers to track and police the movement of enslaved people

Place as town square for spectatorship of Black trauma and lynching

Place as slave quarters for forced laborers that are not seen as worthy of decent living conditions

Place as an agent of bondage

Place as home to three-fifths of a human

Place as the severing of kinship ties

Everywhere we look, urbanist practices and our built environment itself continue to be place-based manifestations of racist ideology and the institutions of slavery.

a home owners’ loan corporation map of chicago. “redlined” areas were “undesirable” because “colored” people lived there. redlining increased segregation and decreased housing equity for black people. read more: chicagomag, 22.08.17. and see: mapping inequality.

“While many call for the arrest of the officers that murdered Breonna Taylor, I am calling for the arrest of every system, structure, and policy that engendered her death—starting with urbanism.

Here are just some of the ways that the fields of urban planning, transportation planning, architecture, and civil engineering can meet this moment and answer the call for collective design-centric reparations in the built environment.

Cargo/Freight Prohibition and Revenue Tax. Prohibition of transit storage/maintenance facilities and cargo/freight movement through communities with high concentrations of Black residents, coupled with the redistribution of a percentage of all revenues deriving from freight/rail, rideshare and gas stations to Black American descendants of slavery

Wayfinding Recall and Mobility Fine Reversal. Removal of hostile wayfinding, directional signage and pavement markings that impose Eurocentric superiority through forced movement patterns and travel behaviors in the built environment; coupled with the cancellation of all mobility and transportation-related fees/fines imposed on Black people

Deep Planning and No/Low-Cost Freedom of Movement. Comprehensive, long-range network and public works planning that honors freedom of movement and mode choice through design elements, coupled with free and subsidized transportation, regardless of mode

Divest from Policing and Invest in Service Provisions. Divest from enforcement and policing as a programmatic component of urban planning, coupled with direct investments in Black service providers that meet the behavioral health and resource navigation needs of Black communities

Public Works Prioritization and Universal Basic Income. Moratorium on quick-build transportation and land-use elements in communities that need roadway reconstruction, signal enhancements, accessible pedestrian infrastructure, drainage and floodplain planning/development, and the removal of toxic industry and public works infrastructure. Because extensive reconstruction and repairs are so disruptive and have such long construction timelines, this intervention must be coupled with a universal basic income in neighborhoods undergoing extensive repair and upgrades to prevent displacement of existing residents

Community Planning and Workforce Reclassification. Implementation of a community planning model that reclassifies civil service planning roles by removing academic and background requirements that privilege technical training over lived experience; coupled with a direct low-barrier pathway to civil service for planners/engineers from or living directly in the proposed project areas

Transit Enhancements and Neighborhood Network Connectivity. Enhanced transit amenities, heated/cooling shelter at stops, benches, and boarding docks in communities with high concentrations of Black residents, coupled with prioritizing comprehensive investments in neighborhood transit networks over commuter and Bus Rapid Transit routes that move non-Black commuters through Black communities at the expense of community connectivity and neighborhood network planning

oakland community land trust

Land Trusts, Cooperatives, and Civil Fee Waivers. Fund and subsidize land trusts and cooperatives granting Black communities autonomy in project development; coupled with no-cost access to permits and technical services throughout every phase of project development (including maintenance) in perpetuity

Land Use Reparations Boards and Redevelopment Revenue Distribution. Implementation of local and state-level land-use reparations boards to oversee funding proposals, exclusionary zoning, renewal, and revitalization practices and to establish guidelines for restorative land use measures for all zoning, capital and redevelopment projects; coupled with the allocation of a percentage of all redevelopment revenues to Black residents in the project area

Restorative Zoning and Right-of-Return. Ban speculation and rapid re-development in Black communities. Rezone all predominantly white and high income neighborhoods to allow multi-family unit development, coupled with right-of-return programs, lien dismissals, and payouts as a direct act of atonement for the legacy and impacts of unjust sharecropper arrangements, restrictive covenants, redlining, predatory lending, and rapid redevelopment

Impose Moratorium on Prison Development and Enact Fair Chance Housing. Impose a moratorium on the construction of new prisons and divert funds to housing stabilization, public health, education, and direct services for Black people, coupled with policies that prohibit the consideration of criminal records during housing eligibility determination processes

Homeowner Subsidies and Real Estate Revenue Redistribution. Subsidize downpayment and revitalization costs for Black homeowners/buyers; coupled with easement/eminent domain protections and redirecting a percentage of revenues from real estate transactions to Black communities

Surveillance Prohibition and Tech Tax. Prohibition on the use of technology affixed to infrastructure for the purposes of tracking, surveillance, and enforcement in Black communities; coupled with a redistribution of tech and data industry, rideshare, and micro-mobility revenues to Black-owned businesses and service providers

Anti-Displacement and Racial Composition as Factors in Environmental Protections. Incorporate anti-displacement and prevention of cultural erasure as environmental protections within regulatory environmental review processes (like the National Environmental Policy Act); coupled with the removal of categorical exemptions from environmental review processes where the project footprint is in an area with high concentrations of Black residents. Limit the number of times (and the duration of time) an environmental review process can be used to authorize development in a project area

I suggest the above structural solutions for one reason: because I am not willing to wait for a personal transformation to happen in the hearts and minds of every American, and I can’t commit my life to convincing people that I am worthy of decency and retribution.

a mural dedicated to breonna taylor. flickr/mtumesoul

“Reparations and structural change are necessary, non-negotiable next steps for every industry. Breonna Taylor should be alive and her neighborhood should not have to grapple with literal displacement while mourning her death. While our elected officials convene research boards and advisory councils, cities, agencies, and organizations can act — and begin a process of true atonement today.”

read more by dr. destiny thomas: streetsblog, 27.07.2020.

#black lives matter #racism #america #urban planning #segregation #discrimination #housing #transportation #land use #police

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jamesbrow0 · 5 years ago

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Why Roof Restoration Is Important?

%Roof Repair Perth% %Why Roof Restoration Is Important?% %

One of the most important sections of your home is the roof. Not only does it add beauty and character, but it also protects you and your property from the elements. As such, it is versatile and necessary. Despite being designed and built to last a long time, the roof eventually begins to show signs of wear and tear.

The roofing materials can begin to crack or chip off. In this case, the ideal solution is to restore and repair it. Not only does this reinstate the beauty and function of this part of your home, but it also adds value to your property. Roof restoration and regular repairs can add value and help you sell your home when the time comes.

To restore or not to restore?

You can get the best value by installing a brand new roof altogether as you will increase the structural integrity of your home and make it more formidable against the elements.

A new roof is an investment that is bound to grant you a more handsome return when you put your home on the market. Therefore, it is clear that restoring or repairing your roof will increase the value of your abode. If you neglect or put off any repairs over the years it will hit you harder in the hip pocket in the long run. So constant maintenance will not only save you money in the short term but it will add value in the long term. However, exactly how much value will it add?

There are several factors that determine the value of a new or restored roof:

Current condition

One of the factors which determine how much value you can get from a new quality roof restoration and repair is its current condition. If it is significantly worn out, then some restoration or repair is bound to breathe some life into the structure. This will add value to it. You can visit any website online for affordable roof repair.

Roofing materials

Roofing materials can be quite expensive. Those that are beautiful and durable can cost you a pretty penny. Therefore, restoring or repairing your roof is quite a substantial investment. However, it has a good return because home buyers prefer to purchase high-quality homes. This is because they will not need to perform any repairs in the foreseeable future.

Effect on efficiency

The roof plays an important part in determining the efficiency of your home’s HVAC system. It can provide insulation during the cold season and prevent the transfer of heat to the surroundings. This eventually helps in reducing the cost of energy at your home. If you add some energy accessories such as solar panels to your roof, the value of your home increases exponentially.

Ensure the gutters are in good shape

You cannot ignore the role the gutter plays in making sure your roof is in good shape. A deteriorating gutter will lead to the accumulation of water in your roof leading to faster decay of the materials used to make the roof. Look at your gutter and ensure it has the right slant, remove any debris that may block it, and ensure it is in good working condition. As a result, you will not have to bear the costly repairs that come as a result of carelessness and lack of maintenance.

There are many other good reasons why you should install a new roof:

Improve its look

A new or restored roof is guaranteed to improve the appearance of your home. There are many colors and styles of roofing materials. As such, you can quickly transform the appearance of your home by restoring your roof or installing a brand new one.

Extend the warranty

Roofing materials normally have warranties from their manufacturers. You can extend the warranty period by installing new materials on your roof. If you perform an extensive repair or restoration effort and install some new roofing, they collectively increase the warranty period of your roof. For example, shingles made of asphalt have a warranty period of up to 5 decades. Using them for roof replacement or repair is an ideal way to increase the lifespan of your roof.

Comfort

A brand new roof provides much more comfort than one which is cracked or leaking. Therefore, restoring or repairing your roof is a sure way to increase your physical and mental comfort. In addition to that, having a restored or new roof provides an assurance that your house will fetch a better price if you decide to put it on the market.

Everyone agrees that the roof plays an important role in the overall structure of your home. Not only does it crown your house, but it also provides protection from the elements as well. Notably, restoring or repairing your roof increases the overall value of your home. Therefore, carrying out some repairs or replacements on your roof is an essential activity to perform before putting your home on the market. Consider speaking to several professional roof repairers before committing to one company. It is the safest way to ensure you are getting the best deal.

The post %Why Roof Restoration Is Important?% appeared first on %Roof Repair Perth%

from https://roofrepairperth.com/blogs/why-roof-restoration-is-important/ from https://roofrepair00.tumblr.com/post/625706045004791808 from https://jamesbrown0.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-roof-restoration-is-important.html

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margaremason0 · 5 years ago

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Why Roof Restoration Is Important?

%Roof Repair Perth% %Why Roof Restoration Is Important?% %

To restore or not to restore?

You can get the best value by installing a brand new roof altogether as you will increase the structural integrity of your home and make it more formidable against the elements.

There are several factors that determine the value of a new or restored roof:

Current condition

Roofing materials

Effect on efficiency

Ensure the gutters are in good shape

There are many other good reasons why you should install a new roof:

Improve its look

Extend the warranty

Comfort

The post %Why Roof Restoration Is Important?% appeared first on %Roof Repair Perth%

from https://roofrepairperth.com/blogs/why-roof-restoration-is-important/

from Roof Repair Perth - Blog https://roofrepairperth0.weebly.com/blog/why-roof-restoration-is-important via IFTTT from https://margaretmason0.blogspot.com/2020/08/why-roof-restoration-is-important.html

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roofrepair00 · 5 years ago

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Why Roof Restoration Is Important?

%Roof Repair Perth% %Why Roof Restoration Is Important?% %

To restore or not to restore?

You can get the best value by installing a brand new roof altogether as you will increase the structural integrity of your home and make it more formidable against the elements.

There are several factors that determine the value of a new or restored roof:

Current condition

Roofing materials

Effect on efficiency

Ensure the gutters are in good shape

There are many other good reasons why you should install a new roof:

Improve its look

Extend the warranty

Comfort

The post %Why Roof Restoration Is Important?% appeared first on %Roof Repair Perth%

from https://roofrepairperth.com/blogs/why-roof-restoration-is-important/

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grownwithrespect-blog1 · 5 years ago

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How to Get Started in Real Estate Investing

Introduction This article has been written to present a novice person considering real estate investing some fundamental strategies to consider as you commit yourself to this area of interest. Like many new endeavors explored, it will be to your advantage to have some basic understanding on the particular topic before you can truly appreciate if it is right for you. What Are The Financial Benefits Of Investing In Real Estate? Are various kinds of opportunities that will financially benefit you by investing in realty. Based upon your current financial condition and future investment aims, there are many factors that must be considered when selecting both a small business model as well as a specific project. The following section will provide the on the significant financial benefits that are achievable when you commit to real estate. Property Appreciation Although predicting future appreciation through great certainty is not feasible, by looking at specific market indicators can assist the Real Estate Investor in understanding foreseeable future trends with regards to property value and possible appreciation. Some key indicators are as follows: Job growth Job development is a key contributor in establishing possible future passion. As Primary jobs (those jobs that export goods outside of the local area like the car makers of Detroit) strengthen, the need for Secondary jobs will also increase by 2-3 times the number of Primary jobs. Secondary jobs provide providers to the people performing the Primary jobs. Examples of secondary tasks include the following: Restaurant workers Retail store workers Local tradings (plumbers, electricians, builders, etc . ) School employees Demographic Trends Demographic trends are another factor to consider once trying to determine if an area has the potential for future thanks. Demographic research will provide data on the general population of any area which includes the following: Population Changes Age distribution Source of income Family Size Race Owners verses renters Marital popularity Revitalization Initiatives Another factor that can affect the understanding of an area is any revitalization initiatives the local administration is undertaking. Revitalization can include the following: Improvements of paths and transportation Condemning and removing abandoned houses not to mention buildings Crime reduction Tax credit, grants, and borrowing products to developers and Investors to come into the area plus programs to help keep the current employers from moving away. Market development offices from the local government are typically responsible for implementing and also managing the revitalization efforts. Cash flow Another aspect of easy methods to financially benefit from real estate investing is through the creation regarding cash flow. Although there are many factors that are taken into consideration that derives your cash flow, simply put, it is the amount of money left over for you since of course of the expenses have been paid. The term cash flow is usually related to properties that you are holding and generating income from nightly rental units or homes. The great thing about creating a cash flow stream online is that it will typically continue whether you be in bed all day or off on a vacation. However , sustaining this cash flow will take some effort on your part and could include the following: Maintaining the property Managing the existing tenants Staying the property occupied Managing property management companies Equity Place equity is the difference between the fair market value of your property and the sum of all of the loans against the property. For example , if a property is worth $250, 000 and there is a first of all and second mortgage totaling $200, 000, the property seems to have $50, 000 in equity. Having equity in your place is essential in order to have a cushion in the event the market exhibits regressing value during the time you are holding the property. By utilizing strategies as a refinance or Line of Credit, it will allow you to pull this collateral out of the property and use it as you see fit as well as a return of your initial investment or to leverage this unique capital to purchase another property. Although having strong cash with your properties is vital during your hold times, this source of income stream will disappear if you ever need to sell the property. At some point, it is the equity in your properties that will help set the place for your long-term wealth creation and financial security. Place a burden on Incentives In addition to the benefits mentioned above, there are outstanding tax bonuses that the real estate investor can benefit from, they include the using: Depreciation of the actual property and any capital products that may be utilized in your business. Deductions resulting from expenses from purchasing and managing the property the property as well as business expenses you could possibly incur. IRC 1031 exchanges, this is a powerful tax prepare that will allow you to leverage Capital Gains taxes that you would certainly normally pay on the sale of an investment property plus defer paying those taxes by purchasing a "Like-kind" buying property with the full proceeds you received from the selling. Why Do You Want To Invest In Real Estate? It will be important for you to understand what reason(s) have motivated you to be interested and knowledgeable about real estate investing. Over the years, I have spoken to many new Buyers on this subject and I have boiled it down to the next reasons: Supplement Your Current Income There are some people who are looking at just simply supplementing their current income without the intention of leaving behind their current profession and look at real estate investing because their second job. The Investor's that fall into the group are fortunate because they are not relying solely regarding real estate investing as their primary source of income, this will be highly beneficial during the time you are developing you real estate skill set as well as investment portfolio. Take Control of Your Financial Future Based upon numerous years of speaking with Real Estate Investors, perhaps the most enjoyable reasons people consider real estate investing is the ability so that you can have a significant influence of your financial security and to control the level of income you would like to receive. Create a Retirement Policy for Yourself Using real estate investing as a vehicle to establish or perhaps augment a retirement plan is another common motivator I hear frequently from new investors. It is clear that when economic conditions include downsizing, cost of located increases, and the fear of Social Security meltdown, people are thinking about having an adequate financial foundation to sustain them during their retirement phase of life. Critical Things to Consider Before Taking into consideration Real Estate Investing Investing in real estate is certainly not for everyone also it will be important for you to honestly assess if this is the ideal path for you. The following section will provide some basic things you should ask yourself as you evaluate the feasibility of becoming involved in the form of Real Estate Investor. How Much Time Will You Have To Dedicate When it comes to Real Estate Investing? As we all know, you can't create today time; there can only be 24 hours in a day. Whilst you consider real estate investing, you will need to be realistic with regards to the quantity of time you will have to devote to this endeavor. With today's stressful society that requires multiple income sources combined with the commitments you will already have with your family, many people can be left with a minimum of time to devote towards their real estate investing goals. Are You Able To Motivate Yourself And Have The Discipline Required To Succeed? Capturing the desire to be a successful Real Estate Investor is only part of the equation just for ultimate success. Along with the desire to succeed comes the need for one to be able to motivate and discipline yourself. Real estate investing is simply not for everyone despite the late

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tarithenurse · 6 years ago

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On my Mind, in my Soul - 2

Pairing: Loki x burglar!Reader Contents: Cussing, a bit of violence, some angsting and pining, lemons...and lots of them. Consider yourself warned if you’re underage. A/N: Didn’t plan for the first part to actually be a first part. I’d planned it as a one-shot based on @maladaptive-ninja-returns‘s 3 “prompts”...but then it was nicely recieved and I chatted with them again and we had some fun ideas...so here’s part 2. This time the 3 things have been provided with a sister (who was rather confused as to why I was asking...but it did result in us watching the Bridge of Death sequence from Monty Python and the Holy Grail). Anyhoodles, the things were Earrings. Green. And the song “Put your Records on” by CB Rae. Lyric bits are marked as block quotes.

Challenge

Music’s playing in your ears as you make your way slowly through the museum, keeping the perfect distance to make it seem to the tour guide as though you’re part of the group while to them (a class of history students and their teacher) you’re just some random guest that happens to be going at the same pace. The map of the place in your hand is filled with thin lines by now, indicating camera angles and “alternative” routes.

“And over here we have a temporary collection on loan from London…” the voice of the guide announces through a lull in the song.

He’s beaming proudly as the class oohs and aahs at the glittery reflection of the ornate Crown Jewels. Amateurs. Sure, the lineup of necklaces and crowns looks impressive, but the main items are merely very good replicas made to satisfy the curiosity of people who can’t make it to the Tower of London – the real deal’s safely stored there, only to be removed on special occasions when the queen and her family actually uses it.

However, some of the less impressive items are not fakes. Taking a place before a display case, your eyes fall upon a comparatively drab pair of earrings. Fat, pinkish pearls dangle from golden drops and ovals with a multitude of tiny, white gemstones. Yuck. There are tastier ways of showing off wealth in your opinion, but you also understand that sometimes it’s not about having style per se, rather about flaunting that you can have anything. What in your eyes might be ugly (or at the best of cases kitsch) is probably a blatant show of power because deep down humans are simple creatures that understand a simple language: rarity equals wealth and wealth in turn equals power. And those earrings are rare, no one in their right mind would make more than a single pair.

So why those? Simple. You got a job and the buyer was smart enough to wrap it in a dare, claiming no one could get their hands on that set of pearls. To top the whole deal off, the guy’s willing to do wire transfer but a cash bonus if the job’s completed within a month.

You have to hide a smile as you tug the map and pencil into your purse, slipping your phone out for a moment to skip a tune in the hopes of the shuffle finding something more celebratory for the way out of the museum.

It takes a few tries before you succeed, meaning you’re already back in the grand room by the time you return the device to safety and your fingers brush against something unexpected, causing you to pause in your tracks and glance around, but no one stands out in the crowd of tourists and other visitors. One peek into the depths of the purse’s enough to grant a view of an envelope made of special paper. Or parchment? A cold shudder runs down your spine upon realisation that someone must have gotten close enough to slip it in there although you always keep the damn bag close to your body, even tugged under the arm. Whoever it is…they are good. Too good. It’s as if every camera’s trained on you, like each and every single person’s watching even the smallest movement you make, sending prickly waves of tension to the back of your legs while every hair stands on end.

Forcing yourself to move slowly, you leave the museum. Following the most crowded routes home, you only check for followers a million times. Discreetly, of course, despite the increasing frustration of spotting no one in pursuit or out of place (as much as anyone can look that in New York) not even when walking five times around the block before finally letting yourself into your little flat.

It almost feels safe as the deadbolt clicks into place and you allow yourself to slide onto the floor. Deep breaths tasting of curry from last night’s dinner and book dust helps ground you enough to stop your hands from shaking by the time they pull out the envelope. Turning it around and around, you have to admire the cottonlike quality of the paper and the clearly manually cut edges that shout craftmanship to the heavens. The sender is loaded or makes his own paper.

By the table under the glaring light of a lamp, it’s obvious that the person hasn’t left any other clues on the outside of the envelope, forcing you to open it after a careful examination to avoid any hidden nuisances. You’re holding your breath as you peer into the folds, spotting a photograph which you shake out. What the…?

Trying to pretend that the image’s taken months ago is futile, but still you hurry to the kitchen and slam down on your knees by the cabinet under the sink so hard that you bounce painfully on the linoleum. It doesn’t delay you. Eyes sting with pain as you pull the contents out, scattering the bucket with cleaning agents across the floor. You slam a fist onto a loose board to tip it up, revealing the front of a safe nestled among insulation and rubble. Five beeps and a fingerprint are all it takes for your worry to be proven right.

“Fucking! Alien! Pissflap!” Each exclamation’s punctuated by punches to the cabinet door.

At first glance, the contents could appear to be exactly the way you left them this morning…but the Tiger’s Eye Pendant’s missing.

Maybe sometimes we got it wrong, but it's all right The more things seems to change, the more they stay the same

…

Making the right call can be hard in the heat of the moment, but you managed. More than a week since you’ve been burgled and your thoughts stray all too often to the future and the plans it holds to right the wrong, the only consolation being that the job you have to finish first will be a means to that very end.

Hanging upside down from the skylight, each movement has to be perfectly controlled to stay out of the camera’s view until you’ve reached it and slipped the screen before it. It had taken several tries to get the image just right, but the result was close to perfection. Close enough to get me some minutes. That’s all you need.

Moments later, you’re on the floor. Harness and rope still attached for a quick escape as you work through the hollow pedestal because gods know you’ll be screwed if you disturb the glass encasing the exhibition. Each movement tugs at the restraining tether and gnaws at your skin. You reach carefully through wires for the sensors and lights, the Stark “knife” tugged gingerly away in the palm with nothing but a rubber sleeve to prevent bloodshed. Gloves? Of course you wear them, not only preventing fingerprints but granting a safe grip. Without them your hands would have been slippery with sweat and even now there are a few drops running down your spine before they get soaked up in the top. There. You breathe in deeply a couple of times before unsheathing the knife and cutting through the plate where the loot’s resting. No normal knife would be able to do it and getting this tool had been expensive…but so worth it!

A few more breaths, then you can pack away the fugly earrings and your gear. Just in time, too, as you already can hear the night guard approaching. It’s with a minimal thought of remorse that you ascend, the gears whirring softly as you speed towards the fresh night air.

…

There’s a market for everything whether it’s illegally obtained tools or perfectly made replicas. Studying the simile glinting in the hand, you know that even Loki will have to look carefully to detect the fraud…especially after you’ve added the finishing touch on the back of the pendant.

Part of the bonus has been spent on that piece of work while the rest has gone into setting up your safehouse for a longer stay. You still come and go from your usual apartment, ensuring the façade of a student living there, but everything important has slowly been moved to the other side of upper Manhattan and after the last security measures the place’s close to impenetrable. And impossible to find.

Crouched by the coffee table, you go through the last plans. The private guards’ rounds must have been shuffled, of course, and will take a couple of stake outs to learn. Next, you’re certain that the Asgardian snob must have improved the locks on windows and doors as a pure minimum, leaving a reduced list of access points for a human to use. Question is if he’s considered something like a drone.

…

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favorite song You go ahead, let your hair down Sapphire and faded jeans I hope you get your dreams

The cool air dries the tip of your tongue, but you’re too engrossed in navigating the toy through the chimney to care. Each foot of the descend brings it closer to the smoldering ashes and the thing can only handle a certain amount of heat what with all the plastic components, so as soon as it slips out from the fireplace, you heave a sigh of relief. Now comes the hard part. Orienting yourself through the little screen, the drone whirrs along corridors and through grand rooms in search of a safe entryway fitting a woman. Patiently, you ignore the shingles of the roof radiating cold into your muscles as the minutes tick by until you strike gold in the form of a bathroom window. It’s narrow but not impossibly so and you can’t help but laugh quietly to yourself as you use the flying robot to unlatch it and push it open wide.

Slipping in is simple enough, you only hesitate as you land on the marble floor because you hadn’t expected the dampness of the air. Every hard, cool surface’s laced with a fine condensation, but running a hand over the faucets gives a sense of relief that whoever has showered or bathed must have done this a while ago. It’s disconcerting though. Loki supposedly has a private bathroom en suite with his bedroom, so who would use this? There’s no hamper with laundry, no dirty towels or soaps that have been used. Nothing personal. Perhaps he’s got visitors? It’d surprise you. In fact, you’re almost willing to bet that an employee’s taken the liberty of using the facilities but either way, it doesn’t change the plan.

Silently slipping through the door, you know where to go and within minutes have the display in view from a position in a shadowy corner. There’s still a guard lingering, seemingly taking an interest in a set of blueish daggers. Move…come on…you want to finish the round and get some coffee. Silently willing him on results in absolutely nothing and you can feel anxiousness prickle your back and force you shoulders upwards and forwards. Tomorrow, you’ll need to find a massage therapist to knead the tensions away.

Finally, after agonizing minutes, the guy leaves, whistling a soft tune as if he’s proud of a job well done. At least it might hint of extra time if he lingers in other rooms too.

You’re about to work through the case the normal way when you notice the fault in the glass’s positioning and a brief examination leads to a broad smile stretching your cheeks as you place the glove covered hands on either side of the housing and lift it off – no alarms or boobytraps triggered. The exchange’s quick. A glance on your watch, and then you shuffle over to the nearby shelf with the peculiar knives. Stuck tip-down into a relatively common utensil holder it’s almost as though the eccentric collector only has them for show because he knows visitors might be awed while he himself doesn’t consider them of any specific worth although the blue flaring through the gunmetal-dark material is out of this world. Maybe literally.

It’s when you reach out for one that it shimmers out of existence in a familiar golden haze causing your heart to skip a beat. Cursing inwardly for wasting time, you turn to hightail it out of the mansion but nearly collide with the very same blade you were admiring, the tip now resting delicately on your chest.

“My little thief.” Finally looking past the weapon, your eyes meet Loki’s. “I had almost given up hope that you would come.”

Returning the smirk he grants you, it’s still a careful shrug rolling through your shoulder. “Been busy…but I guess you know that.”

It’s impossible to ignore the quick sweep his tongue makes along the lower lip as he looks you over, the widening of his pupils that sends a flutter through your stomach in anticipation. Never again, you’d promised yourself and still you find the memories begin to team up with the view of the tall figure before you. He’s in command of the situation unless you manage to escape. How? He’s the one with a weapon, its tip felt through the fabric like a pin-prick on the slope of your breast – the tiniest movement and it will be more than just a prick. How?

Looking up at him, you smile innocently to prevent any sudden reactions as you reach out for his free hand. He lets you take it, entwining fingers delicately for a moment before leading it to your face. A tender kiss in his palm, the thin cool skin of his wrist before you let his hand rest on your shoulder, allowing you to reach for him and gently nudge the knife-wielding hand aside though never letting go of the arm. You fingers trace the slender limb lazily, half-forgotten as lips brush along his jaw.

Banzai. Loki’s fingers lock into your hair, folding around the base of your skull to steer you, both your lips onto his but also your body trailing after him as he backs towards the centre of the room. If memory serves you right, there’s some kind of puffy bench or other which means that you only have until you reach that to incapacitate him. Why? I could just go along. Sweet temptation makes your heart flutter against your ribs and a heat pools low in you belly. It’s a dangerous game to play with someone like him and you had promised yourself last time that it would never happen again…just like you had sworn never to return to this place.

A quick glance verifies that you have about four steps before he’ll have you locked beneath him. Grinding against his groin with your hip, the reaction comes immediately in form of a groan and you pray that he’s distracted enough for a few seconds. With a swift snatch you manage to tear the dagger from his grip, brandishing it between your bodies with the tip pointed at his growing cock.

Breathing heavily, Loki’s aware enough of what’s going on to stop moving, his eyes filling with cold fury as he glances towards the alternative hostage situation. “What’s this? Complaints?” Somehow, he still manages to patronize you.

“Consider it a refusal.”

“You didn’t say no last time, my pet.”

He’s right, but you’re not about to give in again and let him get more power over you. “It served it’s purpose. No more.”

“Ouch.” Thin lips curl in a snarl. “It hurts my feelings….especially when you lie that badly.”

It won’t help to discuss past events with him (especially when you don’t want to admit the truth yourself), so you change focus to the situation at hand by ordering the Asgardian to let go of you. Something he only begrudgingly does when you add more pressure with the knife and it slips through the fabric of his trousers with a soft rippling sound as each thread is severed.

You should’ve seen it coming. The moment you step back, creating distance between the god and the weapon, he moves. A sharp pain races up from wrist to shoulder as the metal clatters across the floor, but you don’t have time to register where it lands because your aching arm is twisted behind your back and used as leverage to force you onto the floor with your face smushed into the green velvet of the seat. It smells of sawdust and a hint of camphor, but mostly it just grates against your skin.

A glint of light reflecting of metal captivates you, ensuring that Loki can use less power to hold you still as you stare at the dark grey-blue tip less than an inch from your eye. Shit. You can’t breathe. Can’t move or think. Only one other sentence keeps circling in your mind – unfortunately it’s full of self-deprecation rather than any useful ideas. Shit.

“Don’t mistake my indulgence for weakness,” the cold hiss explains, “letting you go last time was not a show of defeat as you very well know.”

The dagger moves out of sight, leaving you to stare one-eyed at a shade of green you’ll never forget anymore. Then you feel the prick at the nape of your skull. The cocky alien’s in control now even as he lets go of you and this time there’s nothing playful about the current predicament like the previous encounters had been. Sweat’s breaking out all over your body and you have to swallow hard to simply be able to breathe.

“So what now?” Your sneer’s partially muffled by the plush piece of furniture. “Gonna rape me, you sick bastard?”

He hits you so hard that you skid across the polished floor. Black spots dance before your eyes even after you manage to crack the jaw back in place. You’ve been hit before. Hell, it’s one of the reasons you became such a good burglar, but this tops it all and calls forth hot tears that spill down your face. You don’t care. You especially don’t care when he yanks your face skywards by grabbing hold of the messy hair and the freezing length of a by now familiar blade lands on your throat.

“Look. At. Me.” A spark within you wants to resist, but you can’t and your view fills with the emerald irises that burn with hate. “I may be harsh and cruel, but I would never do something like that to you.” He seems to realize what he’s said and adds quickly, “to anyone.”

Just more than I could take Pity for pity's sake Some nights kept me awake I thought that I was stronger

…

The world’s fuzzy and soft in the night by the time you attempt to open your eyes. It takes a moment to get your bearing and another one before the memories return and you sit up with a gasp. You’re back in your little apartment, but you have no recollection of how you got there. The last you do recall are Loki’s green eyes before a sensation of falling.

What did he do? Padding yourself down, it’s with some disbelief that you accept that you not only are wearing exactly the same as when you set out the night before, but there are no other injuries than a few bruises…excluding the deep gash in your pride. No trace of unwarranted contact despite the fact that you must have been completely at Loki’s mercy. Knowing that, you should be relieved. Not afraid. Not shameful. Not…filling with regret as if you had been the one to make advances only to be turned down by him. Messed up. Too messed up. Is it possible to get addicted to a person?

Frustrated, you push off the bed and begin pacing hectically through the small apartment, a scathing, internal monologue running on repeat to remind you of why it’s good you got away from Loki’s mansion without anything else happening.

…

Turning in your bed, you’re vaguely aware that the light has changed to soft grey tones - you must have managed to fall asleep after all. Tugging at the oversized t-shirt to get comfortable again, the feeling of the pendant against your chest solicits a drowsy smile.

…

You near a state of wakefulness in protest of the chill stealing through your limbs. Presuming in the sleepy state that you must have pushed the covers aside, you grope for it. Not covers. The observation flashes through your head and startles you to move quickly for the crevice between mattress and headboard for a knife you keep tugged away there, but cold fingers wrap round your wrists.

“Not so fast.”

Blinking blearily, you stare up into Loki’s face. The glint in his gorgeous, green eyes is mischievous, not unlike the curling smile that broadens as he takes in your exposed form because no, a faded t-shirt and a pair of panties doesn’t count as cover when he’s the one blatantly studying each curve. You see how his eyes darken, hear the shortness of both your breaths, and memories come flooding back followed by a strong heat in your womanhood.

Your attempt at speaking’s a helpless croak until you clear the throat. “Ch-changed your mind?”

The gaze alone could hold you in place as he refocuses on your mouth. Unbiddenly, you wet your lips that suddenly have gone dry.

“I do not deny that I appreciate your body immensely, but that’s not why I’m here.” Loki changes the hold on your wrist with ease, freeing a hand to caress your neck, your throat, before pulling out the pendant from under the cotton. “No…this is why.” Faint embers are reflected onto his cold irises. “I must congratulate you, my dear…your plan was not bad and had I been a mere human, then I would probably not have noticed the exchange.”

The weight of the necklace returns onto your chest, now cold from his fingers that begin straightening the chain. Each stroke ghosts across sensitive skin, sending goosebumps racing over your body and a soft ache warns you how your nipples are initiating a slow uprising against the t-shirt.

“Why d’you want it back? You let me leave with it!”

Your challenge’s meant to distract him from what he’s doing, but he merely glances before beginning to smoothen the fabric. “I knew you’d come back for it.”

“What?” The word pops out hard and mocking. “You think it’s more than financial value to me?” It doesn’t…does it? You’d meant to sell it originally, but then changed your mind and blew of the potential buyers without remorse.

“Pet…don’t pretend we don’t think alike, you and I.” Leaning down, Loki’s lips brush gently against your earlobe and his hair tickles against your chin, its scent of frost and camphor setting off a new shiver that heads straight for your aching core. “You’d come because of your pride. For the challenge. And deep down…because you yearn for something more.”

The Asgardian tugs playfully at your ear with his teeth, hands sliding along your arm and side before reverting and you feel your body betray your mind as it arches into his touch. Cupping your face in a large hand his lips meet yours gently before he pulls back, letting go completely although he doesn’t get off the bed.

“Please…” broken-voiced, you try to formulate what you need.

Light fingertips on your thigh stokes the burning need. “Tell me what you want, kitten. Last time you denied me my fun…what will it be now?”

“I want…I…” Loki stays within reach of your grabbing hands but doesn’t move towards you either. “I want you…need…please?”

“Are you certain?” His grip on your hip’s still soft. Too soft. “I’d like to reward you for the skill it took to swap the pendant, but you have to want it.”

“Just shut up and fuck me!”

Gentleness is obliterated by a bruising urgency as Loki takes over your body. Every inch’s kissed, bitten, licked, or explored with cool hands that booth bruise and soothe the burning traces. Every time you gasp for breath, his lips find yours to swallow each moan that the pressure of his thigh between your legs elicit. Not enough. He’s gotten you to the brink of bliss, but like a mirage it keeps eluding you and the feverish need for more’s burning you from the inside, leaving a hollow sensation that can be filled if only… A whine escapes your lips, warning the god as you reach for the belt buckle in desperation only to feel them snared and forced above your head.

He positions himself between your legs, nudging the knees apart. “So eager…” the growl’s guttural, nearly muffling the words, “longing for more…”

The golden shimmer’s visible even with half-closed eyes, but although you can feel his skin against your legs and arms as Loki repositions himself, your soaked panties still form a barrier between the cockhead as it pushes against your folds, and the old t-shirt insulates you from the chill of his chest.

“Loki…pleeaase!”

Arching against him, you feel the tremble passing through his body and for the briefest of moments it’s as though his eyes are red, but you’re distracted by his skin changing hue and the man, the alien, growing ever so slightly that his physique becomes impressively dimensioned. A scratching like claws diverts your eyes to the now blueish hands where darker talons have replaced the nails. I should be terrified. The logic’s clear yet simultaneously completely irrelevant as icy lips find the tender skin on your throat where they suck, marking a path spot by spot to your clavicle…then past…and as the V of the cotton obstructs the proceedings, Loki shreds it and tosses the scraps onto the floor without taking his burning gaze off your body now exposed beneath him.

“Little pet…if I hurt you…” He forces his gaze to your face, concern simmering in the darkness of lust. “If I hurt you or you want me to stop…say Laufey.”

The request itself is not unfamiliar unlike the word so you nod. “Mighty confident talking wh–“

You don’t get further because he kisses you again, forcefully, hungrily, biting your bottom lip as his fingers slip past the hem of the panties and delve between your soaking folds to the delighted groans of both of you. Perfect strokes mix with circles around the clit and entrance, often with added pressure onto the former that has you crying out Loki’s name like a prayer. Still, he’s got your wrists in an iron grip even if it clearly frustrates him.

“Belt,” you gasp, causing him to pause, “will get…get your h-hand…free.”

The curling smile bares gleaming, pointed teeth. “What a delightfully filthy idea.”

Not only does he use the belt to restrain your hands. No. The god also takes the opportunity to turn you around onto elbows and knees, allowing him to take place behind you. Claws trail your spine all the way to the elastic of the remaining clothes and you can feel it give way, sliding under the curve of your ass and exposing the glistening heat of your cunt. Then they too are torn apart. Cold hands slam onto the butt cheeks, forming an anchor for Loki as he begins to lab up your arousal, his nose nudging at your core with every movement.

Heat and tension builds within you, has you pleading for your god to fill you or let you cum on his tongue and fingers. Again and again, the bastard denies you release. Each time, he chuckles darkly as he has you watch past your own body how the strong hand pumps a nervewrecking huge cock languidly. The tip a dark purple with the exception of the milky pre-cum leaking out each time his fist passes ridges similar to those on the rest of his body. And all you can think of is how badly you want him inside you, to feel the ridges against the smooth walls, and you pout and curse when he returns to the ministrations that has his face glistening.

Balancing on the edge, you nearly scream as he pulls away once more, but this time his strong hands brings your legs together with his knees on the outside, and you gasp from anticipation and the thundering need at the feeling of the cool cockhead tracing your folds, each pass nudging further in until his manhood’s fully covered in your juices and he’s perfectly aligned.

“Don’t hold back, kitten.”

And with that Loki slides into your tight core, stretching you to the very limits which causes a sweet, stinging pain to heighten the sensation of each ridge that delves in and makes you shout with pleasure on contact with your g-spot. Gold shimmers, freeing your wrists so you can brace yourself.

“That’s it,” he growls, “ let me hear you.”

The rhythm’s slow at first, allowing some semblance of adaptation before increasing the intensity. And you let him hear exactly how you feel. Praises and curses mingle with your gasping breath, turning into groans, then shouts until he has you cumming with his name tearing from your throat in a wild scream as you plunge into the darkness of the abyss to drown in ecstasy. Every muscle seizes in your body, leaving it to Loki to hold you in position…and he does as he rams into you haphazardly before reaching his own peak and unloading like an icy flood inside you, stealing the last air from your lungs.

He doesn’t bother with pulling out, rather he tips the both of you, tugging you tightly to his chest as his form reverts to normal. Gasping for air, none of you speak.

Eventually, though, the peaceful silence ends, and Loki abandons you in the bed in favour of cleaning up and getting dressed the same way as when first you’d had sex. Pausing by the door, he looks back. It’s almost a déjà vu.

“I trust we will see each other again, my pet?” The lazy smile negates the questioning tone.

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