#how can i buy cryptocurrency

[eosnox]

Smart Investors Choose Crypto: Unlocking the Potential of Crypto Investment

[cryptophillia]

Altcoins push crypto through the $1 trillion

Altcoins push crypto through the $1 trillion

Over the past few days, cryptocurrency prices have skyrocketed as a result of Bitcoin’s role in bringing the market out of its slump. Altcoins also pumping… Unexpected growth the significant upward surge has caused the market cap of all cryptocurrencies to surpass $1 trillion, a figure not reached since early November of last year. Things had not been looking good for the crypto asset class,…

[mostlysignssomeportents]

“Carbon neutral” Bitcoin operation founded by coal plant operator wasn’t actually carbon neutral

I'm at DEFCON! TODAY (Aug 9), I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). TOMORROW (Aug 10), I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

Water is wet, and a Bitcoin thing turned out to be a scam. Why am I writing about a Bitcoin scam? Two reasons:

I. It's also a climate scam; and

II. The journalists who uncovered it have a unique business-model.

Here's the scam. Terawulf is a publicly traded company that purports to do "green" Bitcoin mining. Now, cryptocurrency mining is one of the most gratuitously climate-wrecking activities we have. Mining Bitcoin is an environmental crime on par with opening a brunch place that only serves Spotted Owl omelets.

Despite Terawulf's claim to be carbon-neutral, it is not. It plugs into the NY power grid and sucks up farcical quantities of energy produced from fossil fuel sources. The company doesn't buy even buy carbon credits (carbon credits are a scam, but buying carbon credits would at least make its crimes nonfraudulent):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/31/carbon-upsets/#big-tradeoff

Terawulf is a scam from top to bottom. Its NY state permit application promises not to pursue cryptocurrency mining, a thing it was actively trumpeting its plan to do even as it filed that application.

The company has its roots in the very dirtiest kinds of Bitcoin mining. Its top execs (including CEO Paul Prager) were involved with Beowulf Energy LLC, a company that convinced struggling coal plant operators to keep operating in order to fuel Bitcoin mining rigs. There's evidence that top execs at Terawulf, the "carbon neutral" Bitcoin mining op, are also running Beowulf, the coal Bitcoin mining op.

This is a very profitable scam. Prager owns a "small village" in Maryland, with more that 20 structures, including a private gas station for his Ferrari collection (he also has a five bedroom place on Fifth Ave). More than a third of Terawulf's earnings were funneled to Beowulf. Terawulf also leases its facilities from a company that Prager owns 99.9% of, and Terawulf has *showered * that company in its stock.

So here we are, a typical Bitcoin story: scammers lying like hell, wrecking the planet, and getting indecently rich. The guy's even spending his money like an asshole. So far, so normal.

But what's interesting about this story is where it came from: Hunterbrook Media, an investigative news outlet that's funded by a short seller – an investment firm that makes bets that companies' share prices are likely to decline. They stand to make a ton of money if the journalists they hire find fraud in the companies they investigate:

https://hntrbrk.com/terawulf/

It's an amazing source of class disunity among the investment class:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/08/money-talks/#bullshit-walks

As the icing on the cake, Prager and Terawulf are pivoting to AI training. Because of course they are.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/09/terawulf/#hunterbrook

[crtter]

I’ve been seeing some people getting a bit confused and getting some stuff wrong in the comments of that one post telling the story about the creator of Neopets throwing a hissy fit (Hissi fit lol) over people disliking his idea of a game “that’s just like Neopets but with crypto” and I don’t want to add anything to it to not bother the OP but Neopets has been a hyperfixation of mine since I was 13 and I physically can’t stop myself from going “Um, ackshually ☝️🤓” so I’m gonna do it in my own post. Here’s what happened:

The guy who got super pissed off and started badmouthing Neopets users, ending his tirade with a selfie of him giving Neopets users the finger, Adam Powell, did create Neopets, yes, but he doesn’t own it anymore since it was sold to Viacom in 2005. He has been involved in a few game ventures since but they haven’t been very successful.

His idea wasn’t to “implement NFTs in Neopets”, he’s developing (or planning to) another game that’ll apparently be free to play with some extra paid features, and said features would be paid in some sort of cryptocurrency.

Sadly, the parent company of Neopets, JumpStart, already tried to implement NFTs by partnering with Metaverse back in 2021, with disastrous results, both in the eyes of Neopets players (who hated the idea because NFTs are a scam and terrible for the environment and all) and in the eyes of NFT bros (because the NFTs in question were VERY overpriced given their poor quality and made using stolen assets from Neopets fan sites). The project is apparently still underway but it’s hugely unpopular and tweets made by the official Neopets Metaverse account mostly only gets engagement from NFT bots, if they get any at all.

Back to Adam. He apparently thought people would be “excited about his new game because of the Neopets Metaverse thing”, without knowing how much the fanbase hated the whole thing, and tried to peddle it in the Discord server of the r/Neopets subreddit, a subreddit that has always been VERY vocal against the Neopets NFTs. And well. You can guess how much people weren’t interested in his game. Then, just to make matters worse, people went on the Discord server of his game and saw that it was badly moderated and chock full of homophobic comments made by cryptobros.

Adam gets pissed off at people disliking his game idea and not taking kindly to his comments that “they just don’t understand what crypto is about” and goes on an angry tirade, saying stuff such as how much he wished he never made Neopets because the fanbase sucks, saying he’s going to buy it back just to destroy it and ending in the aforementioned middle finger selfie, all while people clowned on him like crazy. This ended in him getting banned from the Discord server AND from the r/Neopets subreddit. He then started trying to defend himself and demanding to be unbanned in… the comment thread of a news article relating the incident in the Neopets fan site Jellyneo. Last time I checked he was still at it.

He blamed his outburst on “having drunk alcohol while on Sertraline” and has said he wasn’t aware of the homophobic comments in his server and claimed that he doesn’t have anything against LGBT+ people, but he has also made it very clear he doesn’t think he’s in the wrong and won’t apologize for anything.

[canmom]

how much power does tech really use, compared to other shit?

my dash has been full of arguing about AI power consumption recently. so I decided to investigate a bit.

it's true, as the Ars Technica article argues, that AI is still only one fairly small part of the overall tech sector power consumption, potentially comparable to things like PC gaming. what's notable is how quickly it's grown in just a few years, and this is likely to be a limit to how much more it can scale.

I think it is reasonable to say that adding generative AI at large scale to systems that did not previously have generative AI (phones, Windows operating system etc.) will increase the energy cost. it's hard to estimate by how much. however, the bulk of AI energy use is in training, not querying. in some cases 'AI' might lead to less energy use, e.g. using an AI denoiser will reduce the energy needed to render an animated film.

the real problem being exposed is that most of us don't really have any intuition for how much energy is used for what. you can draw comparisons all sorts of ways. compare it to the total energy consumption of humanity and it may sound fairly niche; compare it to the energy used by a small country (I've seen Ireland as one example, which used about 170TWh in 2022) and it can sound huge.

but if we want to reduce the overall energy demand of our species (to slow our CO2 emissions in the short term, and accomodate the limitations of renewables in a hypothetical future), we should look at the full stack. how does AI, crypto and tech compare to other uses of energy?

here's how physicist David McKay broke down energy use per person in the UK way back in 2008 in Sustainable Energy Without The Hot Air, and his estimate of a viable renewable mix for the UK.

('Stuff' represents the embedded energy of manufactured goods not covered by the other boxes. 'Gadgets' represents the energy used by electronic devices including passive consumption by devices left on standby, and datacentres supporting them - I believe the embodied energy cost of building them falls under 'stuff' instead.)

today those numbers would probably look different - populations change, tech evolves, etc. etc., and this notably predates the massive rise in network infrastructure and computing tech that the Ars article describes. I'm sure someone's come up with a more up-to-date SEWTHA-style estimate of how energy consumption breaks down since then, but I don't have it to hand.

that said, the relative sizes of the blocks won't have changed that much. we still eat, heat our homes and fly about as much as ever; electric cars have become more popular but the fleet is still mostly petrol-powered. nothing has fundamentally changed in terms of the efficiency of most of this stuff. depending where you live, things might look a bit different - less energy on heating/cooling or more on cars for example.

how big a block would AI and crypto make on a chart like this?

per the IEA, crypto used 100-150TWh of electricity worldwide in 2022. in McKay's preferred unit of kWh/day/person, that would come to a worldwide average of just 0.04kWh/day/person. that is of course imagining that all eight billion of us use crypto, which is not true. if you looked at the total crypto-owning population, estimated to be 560 million in 2024, that comes to about 0.6kWh/day/crypto-owning person for cryptocurrency mining [2022/2024 data]. I'm sure that applies to a lot of people who just used crypto once to buy drugs or something, so the footprint of 'heavier' crypto users would be higher.

I'm actually a little surpised by this - I thought crypto was way worse. it's still orders of magnitude more demanding than other transaction systems but I'm rather relieved to see we haven't spent that much energy on the red queen race of cryptomining.

the projected energy use of AI is a bit more vague - depending on your estimate it could be higher or lower - but it would be a similar order of magnitude (around 100TWh).

SEWTHA calculated that in 2007, data centres in the USA added up to 0.4kWh/day/person. the ars article shows worldwide total data centre energy use increasing by a factor of about 7 since then; the world population has increased from just under 7 billion to nearly 8 billion. so the amount per person is probably about a sixfold increase to around 2.4kWh/day/person for data centres in the USA [extrapolated estimate based on 2007 data] - for Americans, anyway.

however, this is complicated because the proportion of people using network infrastructure worldwide has probably grown a lot since 2007, so a lot of that data centre expansion might be taking place outside the States.

as an alternative calculation, the IEA reports that in 2022, data centres accounted for 240-340 TWh, and transmitting data across the network, 260-360 TWh; in total 500-700TWh. averaged across the whole world, that comes to just 0.2 kWh/day/person for data centres and network infrastructure worldwide [2022 data] - though it probably breaks down very unequally across countries, which might account for the huge discrepancy in our estimates here! e.g. if you live in a country with fast, reliable internet where you can easily stream 4k video, you will probably account for much higher internet traffic than someone in a country where most people connect to the internet using phones over data.

overall, however we calculate it, it's still pretty small compared to the rest of the stack. AI is growing fast but worldwide energy use is around 180,000 TWh. humans use a lot of fucking energy. of course, reducing this is a multi-front battle, so we can still definitely stand to gain in tech. it's just not the main front here.

instead, the four biggest blocks by far are transportation, heating/cooling and manufacturing. if we want to make a real dent we'd need to collectively travel by car and plane a lot less, insulate our houses better, and reduce the turnover of material objects.

[bitchesgetriches]

{ MASTERPOST } Everything You Need to Know about Investing for Beginners

Fundamentals of investing:

What’s the REAL Rate of Return on the Stock Market?

Do NOT Make This Disastrous Beginner Mistake With Your Retirement Funds

The Dark Magic of Financial Horcruxes: How and Why to Diversify Your Assets

Dafuq Is Interest? And How Does It Work for the Forces of Darkness?

Booms, Busts, Bubbles, and Beanie Babies: How Economic Cycles Work

When Money in the Bank Is a Bad Thing: Understanding Inflation and Depreciation

Investing Deathmatch series:

Investing Deathmatch: Managed Funds vs. Index Funds 

Investing Deathmatch: Traditional IRA vs. Roth IRA 

Investing Deathmatch: Investing in the Stock Market vs. Just… Not 

Investing Deathmatch: Stocks vs. Bonds 

Investing Deathmatch: Timing the Market vs. Time IN the Market

Investing Deathmatch: Paying off Debt vs. Investing in the Stock Market 

Investing Deathmatch: What Happens in a Bull Market vs. a Bear Market 

Now that we’ve covered the basics, are you ready to invest but don’t know where to begin? We recommend starting small with micro-investing through our partner Acorns. They’ll round up your purchases to the nearest dollar and invest the change in a nicely diversified portfolio of stocks, bonds, and ETFs. Easy as eating pancakes:

Start saving small with Acorns

Alternative investments:

Small Business Investing: A Kinder, Gentler Alternative to the Stock Market 

Bullshit Reasons Not to Buy a House: Refuted

Investing in Cryptocurrency is Bad and Stupid

So I Got Chickens, Part 1: Return on Investment

Twelve Reasons Senior Pets Are an Awesome Investment 

How To Save for Retirement When You Make Less Than $30,000 a Year

Understanding the stock market:

Ask the Bitches Pandemic Lightning Round: “Did Congress Really Give $1.5 Trillion to Wall Street?”

Season 3, Episode 2: “I Inherited Money. Should I Pay Off Debt, Invest It, or Blow It All on a Car?” 

Money Is Fake and GameStop Is King: What Happened When Reddit and a Meme Stock Tanked Hedge Funds

Season 3, Episode 7: “I’m Finished With the Basic Shit. What Are the Advanced Financial Steps That Only Rich People Know?”

Wait… Did I Just Lose All My Money Investing in the Stock Market?

Season 4, Episode 1: “Index Funds Include Unethical Companies. Can I Still Invest in Them, or Does That Make Me a Monster?” 

Retirement plans:

Dafuq Is a Retirement Plan and Why Do You Need One?

Procrastinating on Opening a Retirement Account? Here’s 3 Ways That’ll Fuck You Over

How to Painlessly Run the Gauntlet of a 401k Rollover

Ask the Bitches: “Can I Quit With Unvested Funds? Or Am I Walking Away From Too Much Money?”

Workplace Benefits and Other Cool Side Effects of Employment

You Need to Talk to Your Parents About Their Retirement Plan

Season 4, Episode 5: “401(k)s Aren’t Offered in My Industry. How Do I Save for Retirement if My Employer Won’t Help?” 

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Recessions:

Season 1, Episode 12: “Should I Believe the Fear-Mongering about Another Recession?”

There’s a Storm a’Comin’: What We Know About the Next Recession

Ask the Bitches: How Do I Prepare for a Recession?

A Brief History of the 2008 Crash and Recession: We Were All So Fucked

Ask the Bitches Pandemic Lightning Round: “Is This the Right Time To Start Investing?”

[kremlin]

it is really, really funny to see these bush-league never-was dumbfuck crypto losers go out and spend $300k of borrowed money on gray market A100s in an attempt to mine cryptocurrency (which they will have no success with) just solely on the premise that those things are called "GPUs"

i was reading one account of a guy on reddit with a throwaway account freaking out because he bought SXM socket A100s which, like, it was pretty clear his thinking was that because he could manage to put together a embarrassing gamer PC, he would have no trouble with this. even experienced datacenter techs will avoid SXM if they possibly can, that shit is meant to be installed by the vendor, doing it yourself (especially on 300% marked up gray market hardware) is completely bonkers:

if you ever had an AMD cpu back in the day (i remember way back when i had a top of the line phenom 2 lol) you might remember pin sockets:

you had to align all of these incredibly fucking fragile gold pins right above their corresponding hole on the socket, you had to drop it in just perfectly and if you didn't, you absolutely could not nudge it in place otherwise you'd bend a pin and the whole thing is fucked

(i remember fucking one up & freaking out, i had worked at a grocery store all through summer in middle school to buy it, i took it to a jeweler who couldn't fix it, eventually found the pinout, and the pin i bent was unused, by the grace of god)

anyways, SXM is this but a billion times worse. the vendors that sell the server packages have special jigs they use to align them properly, trying to install freehand is just, rofl

and that isn't even the end of the story, if homeboy gets past seating it without fucking a pin up, he'll 100% not torque the cooler down properly, it won't be flush, and the thing will cook itself the moment its powered on

not that any of this matters though, even if all done correctly, the core concept would not work. if you try and run vertex CUDA mining routines on these ""GPUs"", it'll be like trying to make pesto with your garbage disposal. that is how little foresight these people have. lmfao.

[hikari-hellspawn]

ART COMMISSIONS OPEN! FINANCIAL HELP DESPERATELY NEEDED!

The title is what it says on the tin; I'm opening up art commissions, because after my next paycheck I don't know how much I'll be getting after that, or how much, and I'm desperate for work and some kind off income because I am literally in danger of losing a place to live. I need need NEED income if I want to continue to, well, live.

My Ko-Fi

My deviantART

NOTICE: I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO REJECT ANY COMMISSIONS THAT I DEEM INAPPROPRIATE. THIS INCLUDES ART CONTAINING HATE SPEECH/HOMOPHOBIA/TRANSPHOBIA/APHOBIA/RACISM/BIGOTRY/ANTISEMITISM/ETC.

How do I pay you? I take payments via my Ko-fi or PayPal (h.m.reed@mail.com), half before I start the sketch and the other half on delivery. That is set in stone; I will not accept any kind of cryptocurrency or things like Amazon or Walmart gift cards as payment. None of those can be used to pay rent, and paying rent is exactly what I need.

Do you do NSFW? Not at present; I'm not comfortable drawing NSFW content, though doing shirtless and swimsuits are fine. However I won't draw sex, and I won't draw straight-up full-frontal nudity.

Do you do furries/anthros? I'm not gonna lie, I don't have much experience drawing anthros--THAT BEING SAID, if you want to commission me to draw an anthro character or your fursona, it's definitely on the table and I'll do my danged best--even if it takes a bit longer than non-furry/anthro characters.

Do you draw mecha? I...have zero experience drawing mecha. Do I like mecha anime? Yes (Evangelion my beloved). So this is a soft no on my part, purely because of my own lack of skill with the subject matter.

Do you draw horror and/or gore? Hard no. Not simply because I can't draw said gore (which I can't, same reasons as the mecha explanation above), but because it's another one of those things that I'm not 100% comfortable drawing at the moment.

^HOWEVER, this question comes with a caveat: I will draw eldritch horror. Y'know, eyes where they don't belong, tentacles, pulsating masses, bodies that're just...weird? Those are fun. So, negotiable, but keep in mind that if you want slasher-type stuff that ain't my jam.

Will you send me progress pics? YES. At every stage of the process, I'll both scan the image and take photos to make sure that what I'm working on is the direction you want to go.

What about reference images? If you have references you want to provide, whether they're drawn by you, someone else, google image search, etc, then I'd appreciate it so I have an idea of what your character looks like. Written descriptions are also fine if you don't have any visuals--basically, if you know what your character looks like and you have some way to communicate that to me in a way that puts us both on the same page, we're good.

Can I use your art as an NFT? NO. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL I ACCEPT A COMMISSION TO CREATE NFTS, IF THAT IS THE REASON YOU WANT TO COMMISSION ME THEN GO FIND SOMEONE ELSE.

Can I use your art to train an AI algorithm? NO. AI art is the reason why artists like myself are being pushed out of work; if you're only commissioning me to get hold of some works so that you can train an algorithm to make more based on my style, then you don't actually want to buy art; you're just looking for some excuse to screw yet another artist over.

If I don't have the money right now, can I just pay you the full amount later? While I understand the desire to buy art but not having the funds, the whole reason I'm opening commissions is because I don't have enough money to survive. Paying me half now and half upon completion is non-negotiable, because I can assure you my need to be able to make rent and feed the Fuzzballs (aka the cats, please ask me about them I will go total Maes Hughes on them because they are PERFECT) is as strong as yours to make sure your expenses are covered as well.

Are the prices negotiable? To an extent, though the prices you see in the image above are the minimum; I won't go lower than these.

I want something that isn't listed on here/I have an unusual request, can you do it? That is something we'd have to negotiate, but it's not off the table. I do some weirdo drawings for myself in my free time (I've graced several servers I'm in on discord with the little wonders known as Eyeshrooms, no I will not elaborate here), so I can do other weird stuff too (as long as it's SFW).

Do you have more art examples I can look at? Yes! I have a deviantART page, though due to the company's own exploitative and artist-harming features they've rolled out, I've been working on glazing everything in my gallery there (if you haven't heard of Glaze and Nightshade, they're both really cool and you ought to check them out, seriously I really really really want to start using them both on my art SO BAD but I CAN'T) and migrating to Inkblot and Cara.app. Once I have links to both of those, I'll add them to the post!

You said traditional art...can you do digital? No, unfortunately; I don't have a device powerful enough to run a good art program (not for a lack of trying; attempts at experimenting with Krita have only resulted in it crashing the laptop I've been using, which is bad because it isn't even mine), nor do I have the funds to be able to get one--and I don't know when, or if, that'll happen. This circles back to the initial problem; I don't have the funds to pay for what I need to survive, which means I literally cannot afford to save for a new, more powerful laptop for myself. As it is, I've been borrowing my roommate's laptop for everything I need to do that requires the use of a computer, as mine died back in 2020 and I haven't been able to scrape together enough to even get a bare-bones basic one myself.

If there are any other questions you need me to answer, then please please PLEASE send them to me in a DM here and I'll do my best to answer them! And please, I'm begging you, I'm begging you so much, even if you don't buy something please spread this around I need the income desperately. I'm not lying when I say that my ability to continue living is in danger, I literally do not know if I'll even be able to pay my rent next month. I need every penny I can get, just to be able to have a chance of surviving, and what determines if I can keep a roof over mine and the cats' heads and if we're out on the street with nowhere to go is very much determined by if I can get commission work. So even if you can't buy anything, or only get a headshot or two, please spread the word. Reblog this. Share it in tweets. Post the link to this post on Facebook, link it on Discord, if you have friends who are looking to commission art tell them because I'm desperate and terrified that I might not have a place to live come October. I'm begging, please, I need the help. I need the help more than I can put into words. I don't want to die.

(Also big shoutout to @nomnomroko for putting together the commission sheet, thank you so much!)

[brazenautomaton]

hey you know what?

there's just so many different types of crypto out there that you can't really make any kind of claim about crypto as a whole and have it be true. crypto is a widely diverse field with a lot of vigorous internal debate!

and what crypto is really about is that people should be able to buy things without the state oppressing them for it. everyone should agree with that, right? we all agree it's a good thing if LGBTQ people can buy LGBTQ books without the state tracking them and killing them for it. you can all agree that's good, right, so why can't you say crypto is good? do you want those people to be murdered by the Saudi government for being gay?

crypto can't be a scam, there's so many different types of crypto! for example, there's the kind fo crypto that's bad and wrong, but there's also the crypto I like, which is good until proven otherwise. I mean, there's cryptocurrency, NFTs, blockchain ledgers, and so much more, can you really say anything is true of ALL of them?

Okay, yes, OneCoin was a scam. But that shouldn't even count, because it wasn't really crypto, because crypto isn't a scam. Crypto is obviously good at its core.

Okay, yes, FTX was a huge fraud. But that shouldn't even count, because it wasn't really crypto, because crypto isn't fraudulent. Crypto is obviously good at its core.

Okay, yes, Beanstalk was a massive theft waiting to happen. But that shouldn't even count, because it wasn't really crypto, because crypto isn't badly engineered. Crypto is obviously good at its core.

There's just so many other types of crypto, and most of them have to be good, obviously, because crypto is good at its core! Don't you agree that not being murdered by the Saudi government is a good thing? Without crypto, they'll all die!

So how can you possibly say crypto is a scam? What crypto? What type of scam? It's so diverse! All those different cryptocurrencies mean you can't identify any kind of trend about them. If you think there are problems in crypto, then the solution is obviously to become part of the crypto movement to improve it from within. All of the problems you identify from crypto are really because crypto isn't accepted widely enough!

That's why you're morally obligated to invest in my new currency, FeminismCoin.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Kevin Robillard at HuffPost:

In June 2015, former President Donald Trump infamously came down a golden escalator and declared himself the man who couldn’t be bought. “I’m using my own money,” Trump said in the opening speech of his presidential election campaign. “I’m not using the lobbyists. I’m not using donors. I don’t care. I’m really rich.” Trump, who did self-fund large portions of his 2016 primary campaign, would return to this theme again and again. He would run against a field of more mainstream GOP politicians, each backed by super PACs filled with million-dollar checks from wealthy donors, and then against Democrat Hillary Clinton, who many voters saw as the embodiment of a moneyed class of Washington insiders. Now, almost a decade later, he is running as a candidate who is openly for sale. He has said he’ll offer plum jobs to major donors like Elon Musk, promised favors to oil executives, bragged to the wealthy about the tax cuts he can deliver and has even taken time away from his campaign to pitch a cryptocurrency project for his sons.

Americans can even buy DJT on the stock market, in the form of shares in the publicly traded holding company that owns his social media site, Truth Social. That company’s revenues are meager, with the share price hitting all-time lows, but it’s still being propped up by the former president’s loyal political fandom. “He just thinks he operates in his own world,” Fred Wertheimer, a veteran of decades of fights over campaign finance and government ethics, told HuffPost. “What he’s doing is incredibly brazen in both asking for large amounts of money and telling people what he’s going to do for them in return.” “Bottom line, I’ve never seen anyone do what he’s doing,” Wertheimer said. Trump’s campaign did not respond to an email seeking comment for this story. His new strategy may have created an opening for Democrats, if Vice President Kamala Harris and her campaign can seize it.

[...] Trump’s image as an outsider/businessman, unafraid to upset political apple carts, powered his run through the 2016 GOP primaries. He took special aim at former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, the beneficiary of the outside group Right to Rise, which had stunned observers with its explosive fundraising. “They will be bombarded by their lobbyists that donated a lot of money to them,” Trump told a crowd in Iowa of his primary rivals, not long after his campaign’s launch. “Jeb raised $107 million, OK? They’re not putting that money up because it’s a wonderful charity.” Standing on a debate stage in Boulder, Colorado, that October, Trump decried how super PACs were corrupting his fellow candidates. “Super PACs are a disaster,” he said. “They’re a scam. They cause dishonesty. And you better get rid of them because they are causing a lot of bad decisions to be made by some very good people.”

Republicans who worked on the campaigns against Trump remember the message as particularly devastating, if not especially novel. Alex Conant, who was then the communications director for the presidential campaign of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), noted plenty of candidates had tried to run as outsiders taking on the establishment before, but said the tactic was far more effective for a New York real estate developer. “That was his most salient message in 2016,” Conant said. “He was a uniquely good messenger for it, because he was such an outsider, and it also kind of excused all the unconventional stuff — attacking John McCain, attacking Republican Party leaders. A more typical politician, if they were doing that, you would think they were idiots. For him, it was part of what made him so authentic.” In the general election, Trump relied more on outside groups and traditional fundraising than he did during the primary campaign. But as he took on a rival from a second political dynasty ― Democratic nominee Hilary Clinton, who was battling scandals about her email account and a trio of paid speeches she delivered to Goldman Sachs — he still ran as an insurgent.

[...]

‘Always Will Be A Con Man’

Despite his rhetoric, Trump did little to “drain the swamp” upon taking office. He failed to follow through on a promise to divest his business holdings. His hotel quickly became a gathering spot where those hoping to win Trump’s favor could also line his pockets. He appointed lobbyists to key government positions overseeing defense, trade and environmental protection. He took in up to $160 million from international business deals while he was president. “He has and always will be a con man who’s really only looking out for himself and whatever helps him to obtain power,” said Tiffany Muller, the president of the Democratic campaign finance group End Citizens United. “All his promises went out the window. Instead of draining the swamp, he brought the swamp to him and his properties and cashed in.”

Donald Trump and his supporters have long pushed the baseless refrain that “he can’t be bought.”

Well, I have some news that the MAGAdonians don’t like: Trump didn’t drain the swamp but expanded the swamp and has been bought by Super PACs to fulfill their agendas.

[danielfuckingricciardo]

23 + Fernando Alonso (can't wait to see what you come up with!)

Hi anon! Thank you so much for the request ♥︎

Sorry this is a little late, but better late than never, right?

When I saw the song I instantly knew what I wanted to do for this one, it practically wrote itself and I really enjoyed writing it, so I hope you enjoy reading it too!

+ Much like the Esteban fic, this is my first Fernando fic which is super fun! I really want to write more Fernando so if anyone has any more inspiration or any ideas do drop into my ask box and say hi!

Song 23 - These Boots Are Made for Walkin’ // Nancy Sinatra

Pairing - Fernando Alonso x Reader 

Word Count - 1.2k

Content Warnings - Swearing, sex references

These boots are made for walkin' And that's just what they'll do One of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you

To you, rich men were boring. Each and every man who would aim to win your affections was just a carbon copy of the next, from the immaculately coiffured hair, to the gaudy watch they would flash to prove they were moneyed, and to the Maserati they had stashed away in their garage hoping it would make up for their tiny cock.  

The vast majority cared about little but themselves. Their egos sat atop mountains of cryptocurrency and NFTs. Mountains that were just as fragile as the identities they held up. A slight gust of wind could send them toppling to the ground, their masculinity destroyed and their wealth worthless. 

You were a hurricane, a destroyer of men. You knew exactly how to do it, and would leave a trail of destruction and male tears wherever you went. In the past, you had enjoyed watching as they fell from their pedestals, the silver spoon they were born with falling from their mouths with a clatter. But now, it was simply boring. You had lived out the same story over and over again, and you wanted something new, something exciting and different. 

And you had found that something new on the day that Fernando Alonso had approached you in a bar in Monaco. 

———

“If you’re looking for a sugar baby, you should know I make six figures a day, so you’d better be offering me seven. Then I might consider it.” You say, not lifting your eyes from your half-empty espresso martini on the bar. 

“I was going to offer to buy you a drink, but I see you don’t need me to pay for you.” He says, and you finally look up from the counter and raise your eyebrow. 

“Hm. How about you buy the first drink, and if you can prove to me that you’re worth my time, I’ll buy you one in return?” You say, and he offers you a sly smirk. 

“Deal.” He says, and he flags down the bartender who immediately makes his way over to the two of you. 

“I’ll have a martini. Dirty.” You say, and the bartender nods.

“Make that two.” Fernando says, and you smile to yourself. 

“What’s so funny?” He asks, and you shake your head. 

“Are you always this easily influenced by the women you meet in bars?” You ask, and he smiles. 

“Only when they have good taste.” He replies. 

“Correct answer.” You say, before finishing the remains of your espresso martini, setting the glass down before you. 

You fish out the remaining candied coffee bean from the bottom of the glass and pop it on your tongue, before biting down with a satisfying crunch. Fernando’s eyes watch you intently as you do so, gazing at your lips with a look filled with hunger. 

The bartender returns with your drinks and you give the man a small smile as Fernando taps his bank card. You notice the familiar logo of a private bank reserved only for the most affluent of society emblazoned on the top of his card and smile to yourself. 

“I must say you’ve lasted longer than most men who agree to play my little game. I usually end up getting stuck with the bill when Daddy’s credit card declines.” You say, and Fernando smiles at you, raising his glass. 

“I have never played a game I cannot win.” Fernando says, and you raise your glass to his, gazing into his dark brown eyes as you clink them together. 

“Well I’ll drink to that.” You say, before taking a sip of your martini. 

“Are there any rules to this game I should know?” Fernando asks, and you press your index finger to your lips in thought. 

“There are no rules. I find life to be more fun without regulation and restriction.” You say, and Fernando nods. 

“Then I can ask your name, yes?” Fernando says, and you nod. 

“It’s (y/n), (y/n) (y/l/n), feel free to google me when you next go to relieve yourself. You’ll find a nice little article from Forbes designating me the seventeenth most successful businesswoman in the world.” You say, and Fernando tuts. 

“I don’t care about that.” He says. 

“Correct answer once again. Now, may I ask your name?” You say, and Fernando smiles. 

“Fernando Alonso.” 

“Wow, you’re three for three so far, and I think you’re the first man to do so in my extensive experience of being approached in bars.” 

“What would be the wrong answer?” He asks, and you chuckle slightly. 

“The most common one is, ‘don’t you know who I am?’ Had you said that, I would have pretended I had no clue who you were and walked away.” You say, and Fernando laughs. 

“So you do know who I am?” He says, and you nod, taking a sip of your drink. 

“I know of you, but I don’t know you. Yet.” 

“You would like to know me?” 

“You intrigue me, I’ll admit. You quite clearly have a strong ego, but you aren’t intimidated by me and my equally large ego in the slightest. So you’re as secure in your identity and your sense of self as I am, and I find that to be incredibly attractive.” You say, and Fernando nods, clearly impressed by your honest assessment of him. 

“Your honesty is welcome. I like it.” Fernando says, taking a final sip of his drink and placing the empty glass on the counter. 

You give him a small smile and empty your glass, placing it beside his before standing from your bar stool. 

“So, will you be buying me a drink now?” Fernando asks, and you chuckle at him as you store your phone away in your handbag and tuck the handle into the crook of your arm. 

“I already have. There’s a bottle of champagne on ice in my hotel room. Let’s go.” You say, and Fernando smiles, clearly holding back a laugh. 

“How are you so sure I would come back with you?” 

“You approached me in a bar, signalling that aesthetically, at least, you were interested in me. You then proceeded to stay while I nursed my martini, made some rather cutting remarks, and played the part of the aloof millionaire. If you weren’t still interested in sleeping with me, you would have excused yourself by now, presumably under the guise of catching up with the man in the booth over there who I believe to be Nico Rosberg, and promptly made a swift exit.” You say, and Fernando laughs in disbelief. 

“You are very good at this game. I think you win.” He says, and it’s your turn to chuckle.

“Oh, love, I invented this game, I always win.” You say as Fernando opens the door to the bar and allows you to step out first into the night before following you onto the street. 

[daswarschonkaputt]

so a few select people know that i've been working on these bad boys for a few weeks now. this collection started because @mortimerlatrice had the audacity to try and tell me that fem!kinn wouldn't wear skirts and dresses and i pretty much broke my tablet pen in the rush to prove her wrong. also i felt like redesigning my fem!kinn and fem!porsche ideas. beneath the cut are my thoughts on these outfits plus the fashion collections they're inspired by/referencing.

fem!kinn businesswear looks

fem!kinn i feel like is the type of person who weaponises her gender expression. every part of how she presents herself is a carefully cultivated power play. she smokes cigars and drinks scotch and can talk at length about stocks and cryptocurrency, but she wears high heels even though she had to teach herself how to run in them, has long hair even though styling it is a nightmare, and is never seen without make-up, because every part of her must straddle a line of being masculine enough to be respected without being dismissed as butch, or a transgressor of gender norms. so: power suits and heels.

most of these are just riffs on the show's suits, so no real reference images, though hilarious @elnotwoods and i managed to parallel brain the exact same corset + suit look bc we are bloggers of TASTE.

fem!kinn occasionwear looks

the product launch -- upon rewatching clips from this episode i realised that the product launch apparently has a roaring 20s theme? which be wildin'. i spent so long looking at pictures of 20s style dresses until i found eliza jane howell who is a tiny british designer who has an entire collection of 20s inspired gowns. the inspo for kinn's dress was the miranda dress from her eveningwear collection.

the diamond auction -- i've drawn fem!kinn in this dress before, and i stand by it. this is a dress from ralph and russo's fall 2015 couture collection, specifically look 12. i first saw this dress months ago when i was looking for clothes for a project i was working on and it's lived in my brain rent free since.

date night i and date night ii -- both of these dresses i saw on pinterest somewhere and forget to save the link bc when i do art i usually have abt 50 billion tabs open. (i make firefox weep each time i open a new one.)

looks that almost made it in: michael cors rtw fall 2022 look 24; and schiaparelli couture spring 2022 look 24.

fem!kinn misc looks

okay so the theme for this one was actually "iconic kinn looks" and you know what? the towel was iconic. there i said it.

the sleepwear look -- *cries in detail work* yes all that lace is hand-drawn YES MY WRIST ACHED SO BAD AFTER FINISHING IT, this one is just conjured out of my head, no inspo look

the suspenders -- real ones know which kinn look this one is based off. just google kinn in suspenders or something i guess because we were ROBBED that it wasn't in the show. ROBBED.

the towel -- since drawing it multiple ppl have told me that they think fem!kinn would just wear the towel on her hips, tits out, no shame, and they are all so valid.

family portrait -- when i was drawing this, i got sent a look by siv that i initially discounted because it was a skirt suit and fem!kinn all about those power suits. and then i was looking for thai designers and i saw the same look and i was like, "okay but she'd only wear this in a family portrait," and then i was like hhrrrrnngngn family portrait outfits for all of them, so now it's a category. this is a recoloured version of poem bangkok's fall 2022 rtw collection look 19.

fem!porsche "pre-kinn" looks

okay so my thoughts on fem!porsche are as someone for whom gender is almost an afterthought, whose main friends are all guys, who drinks bear and kicks ass and cuts her own hair whenever it gets too annoying, who buys male toilettries because they're cheaper, who's made a career out of being rich girl's experimental whirl into lesbianism, and who can get them off real easy but isn't so good at getting herself off. she's hooked up with her fair share of guys, and considers herself more of a male-leaning bisexual. like, girls are fun and all, but she tends to have a better time when she hooks up with guys. (kinn's gonna blow that out of the water, hahaha.)

the fighter outfit -- originally this was going to be just a sports bra + jeans, but then i saw a pic of a cropped hoodie and my brain just sort of blanked out and when i was done the art was finished. porsche's abs are very important to me. as are her arms. and her thighs. she's an itty bitty titty committee member tho and i stand by that.

the bartender outfit -- i've drawn this one before, but yes! all the buttons undone! cheapest black shirt and slacks! converse!!! YESS

the casual outfit -- bike shorts, big t, big shirt? yes. fem!porsche sits somewhere between jock and gonna-fix-your-appliances on a fashion basis and i am here for it.

fem-porsche "kinn era" looks

one of the big ideas i had going into this project was the idea that porsche feels divorced from her femininity in a way that she's not altogether satisfied with and that kinn helps her reconnect with it. because, like, let's be real: porsche has no major feminine influences in her life growing up, and she's literally always got bigger concerns. she defo plays up the idea that she's above it all, whilst also completely lost as to how to get to there. kinn is probably both an object of envy and attraction for her.

(also i have in my head that the sauna conversation goes something like: porsche: do you have a boyfriend, then? kinn: i've never once found a man that truly wants a powerful woman. porsche: huh, that's weird. i've had no trouble finding guys who want me to hold the up against a wall.)

anyway it's important to me that kinn makes porsche feel dainty and feminine.

the bodyguard look -- hrrrrngngng waist. that is all.

clubbing with tankhun -- you know how i said somewhere between jock and owns a monkey wrench? meet porsche out clubbing. love it for her.

first public date with kinn -- so the background i had imagined for this outfit was that porsche and kinn are going public, and kinn sends her a box with a dress to wear plus heels, only porsche can literally not stand for more than two seconds in the heels and hates them, so she wears her converse instead. this is almost a direct copy of look 12 from monse's spring 2021 rtw collection.

black tie date with kinn -- obvs this is a dress that kinn picked out for her, so i thought long and hard about what kinn would choose. in the end, i figured kinn would probably want her to look regal. i looked at so many dresses for this one, esp bc there was a secret requirement where i wanted the skirt to be loose enough that kinn could eat her out in it. look, i just think it would be gender if kinn dressed porsche up in this dress and porsche felt all pretty and feminine and then kinn ate her out in the bathroom at the event or something. you know. girl things. this dress is look 6 from valdrin sahiti's spring 2022 bridal collection and i had to download a pdf to get a reference picture, so appreciate my work. also shoutout literally the only time porsche is wearing heels. kinn had to give her like three hours of walking lessons.

fem!porsche minor family head looks

michael kors collection saved my bacon here. i really struggled to figure out what fem!porsche's overall aesthetic would be for her minor family head position. i wanted something distinct from kinn, but didn't think she'd go full androgyny. in the end i settled on a well-tailored suits with a military flare in their cut.

first business look -- this one is based on look 19 from michael kors collection's fall 2022 rtw collection. dem arms.

second business look -- same song, different verse. same collection, but look 7. the thigh-high boots were added by me, though. i wasn't drawing lesbian kinnporsche without putting one of them in thigh-high boots.

visiting mum -- a couple of things. this one is based on this photo i found on pinterest, because i just really liked the neckline. details you might miss: this is arguably porsche's most femme outfit here, but she doesn't have the perfectly styled hair that she has when she's on mafia business, and she's still wearing her ratty beat-up converse. she's feminine, but trying to be authentic. it's a specific kind of messaging she's trying to get across to her mum. she probably agonised for hours over what to wear. kinn definitely really likes her in it.

family portrait -- again, plucked from my own imagination. the original inspiration for this look was look 9 from altuzarra pre-fall 2020 but if you click that link you'll probably be able to tell i went completely off-script. the more i drew it, basically, the more the altuzarra look looked too japanese, which is understandable, because that collection's whole thing was about blending modern and traditional japanese fashion. in the end, i pivoted, and brought it more in line with kinn's look, because i really did want them to have similar vibes. (couples outfits? couples outfits!!)

near misses -- these ones almost ended up involved: altuzarra pre-fall 2020 look 6 for the family portrait; michael kors fall 2020 look 60 also for the family portrait; michael kors fall 2020 look 30 for minor family mafia business; look 17 from alexander mcqueen's 2011 pre-fall collection also for mafia business; this look from pinterest for mafia business that got discounted bc i was going in a different direction; and this dress from rouba.g's spring 2019 rtw collection for the black tie dress which literally only avoided inclusion here because i couldn't make the sheer fabric look right.

anyway the takeaway here is don't get into an argument with me because i will bring receipts. mort learned their lesson, don't worry.

also @yeetlegay i gave you adequate warning. you knew it was coming.

[system-of-an-up]

I'm so clever

Stay safe artists.

How to recognize an art scam?

1. Hi can you draw a picture of my son and his pet? I'll pay you anything what are your prices?

That's the most common question I got several times on other websites. Whether you gave prices or not they won't look into it. They never looked at your account, in fact. They pish you into making high prices for them to get refunded later.

2. They don't follow you, or they didn't like your art a while ago.

When you're commissioning an artist, it's because you enjoy their art. The least you'd normally do is give their art likes, comments, or follow you.

3. Just do it

A normal client would totally understand your suspicions and would prove they're not a scammer by explaining what they like in your art. For example, the choice of color palette, the graphic paw (funny way to say signature style), etc. They can also make you feel guilty about your questions. Don't.

4. They'll insist on a certain payment method that could give them advantages, and/or pay you AFTER.

Okay, let's say you're gonna buy bread. The baker hands you your baguette. You are right in front of them, so it's okay to pay after.

Now, you are asking for a developer to make you a script. They have no guarantee that you are real, nor that you are honest. It's normal for them to ask you to pay them first. Or 50% before 50% in the middle.

If you take PayPal, don't. They have a 180d refund policy, and even if the client was hobest at first, PayPal is by the buyer's side and not yours. It doesn't matter if you did the commission, the buyer CAN be refunded.

Solutions?

KYC. Know Your Customer. Sniff shady customers. But it's not really 100% working.

Use a middleman. This one decreases trust from the buyer's side but someone who has seen your commissions before and trusts you from the beginning wouldn't be too affected.

Make them sign an online contract before the commission. A lawyer can make you one or you can make one yourself. Email them, and if they're not a scammer they would sign it. Then you could contact PayPal in case of refund with this contract that person signed with their REAL information + their username and PayPal acc.

Ask for CRYPTOCURRENCY or set up a private XMR <your crypto currency> wallet. Few people really use crypto though.

DMCA them in case they use your art after refusing to pay you. Keep reverse-searching (Google Lens/Images) your art after getting scammed. As long as you have screenshots of the conversation with the client, you have all rights to do so.

[gryficowa]

The most difficult thing about boycotting Google is that it is everywhere, seriously, it has bought YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, but if we do not use these platforms, the chance that someone will find out about the genocide that is taking place is too small, so unfortunately, we have to accept that there are things that cannot be boycotted, no matter how much we want to boycott them, alternatives to, for example, YouTube almost do not exist, or they are based on cryptocurrencies, because if social networking sites exist as alternatives, then we have a problem, YouTube is the dominant platform, so any information about Israel's crimes has a greater chance of getting through, unfortunately, YouTube was bought by Google at the very beginning of its existence, so Google gets something and that's the worst

The second problem is Intel, because it is usually found in cheaper devices (Notebooks), unfortunately, only those who have money can afford an alternative, seriously, many alternatives are expensive as hell, because even when buying smartphones you have more options to choose from, in notebooks it uses mainly Intel, which can be frustrating, because the Intel company is in the occupied Palestinian lands, so yes, the colonizers get money and that's the worst

Unfortunately, these two are the most difficult to boycott due to many factors, because in the case of food and smartphones you have a lot of alternatives, but here there are few of them, do you want to talk about Palestine so that people know about what Israel is doing? Use YouTube, you have a greater chance of reaching, you want to play and have equipment for e.g. graphics, but you can't afford it? Laptop with Intel

Seriously, many things can be boycotted, but these two are the hardest (Okay, Intel may be easier, but Google? Well, not so much)

I mainly use laptops (Because smartphones irritate me, yes, writing is a nightmare), so that's why I say I have a problem with Intel, I use a laptop, I listen to music on it, I look for information, etc…

People who use smartphones may think my problem is stupid, I know, it's strange, but I seriously don't like touch screens (phones used to have keyboards, I'm a zoomer), every time I write, I keep pressing the wrong letter and so on endlessly, which for me is irritating (I have ASD, risk of meltdown), so I prefer to avoid this type of problem, laptops, at least they haven't lost their keyboards, unfortunately, as I mentioned, the problem starts when you use notebooks, and they use Intel, alternatives almost do not exist, and when they do, they are expensive, which can be a big limitation, because if you don't want to use Intel, you can't , and laptops have a built-in graphics card, so you're screwed, I have laptops because I don't have room for a PC, so even if I wanted to build a computer, it's impossible

Unfortunately, I am doomed to Intel, especially when the laptop starts to die, which will force me to buy a new one (Because not everything can be replaced), and therefore, give money to Intel, which, as I mentioned, is in occupied territories, standard laptops are not enough, because I draw in digital and play games, something that an ordinary laptop cannot handle (I had it, so I know)

So if you can boycott it's ok, if you can't boycott it's ok too, these two are at the top of the hardest things to boycott, so it's nothing bad that you can't do it, the most important thing is that you boycott everything else (Including Eurovision where the tumblr people failed)

[kentai345]

East Highland's Notorious - Chapter 2

AO3 l Chapter 1

Fezco x reader

Summary: You never proclaimed yourself to be a nice person or a good girl because no one expected you to be one. If someone perceived you as one that was their fault. Life wasn't easy but Fez made it bearable.

Things had been weird since the whole Mouse incident as (Y/N) was ignoring me still pissed about the money and she was ignoring Fez too. She didn’t hate him she was just putting distance between them to give her time to get over her crush. So it went from talking every day, to every other day, and less and less. If she did respond it was just one-word responses. She missed staying at Fez’s as things were starting to get rough at home. She was depending on the money that she saved over the summer to feed her and her parents since the money they got they used to buy drugs and on nights when they were on a bender she would end up locked outside the house having to sleep on the porch until they got back. She was having a bad week.

“Bitch are you listening?” Maddy said snapping me out of my thoughts. “No stopped listening around long-distance.” I said remembering the last thing we were talking about was Cassie and Mckay.

“What’s up with you?”

“It's been a rough week.” I said with a sigh as I got another text from Fez which I ignored leaving him on read. “Still ignoring Fez.” Maddy asked.

“I’d rather go back to talking about Cassie and Mckay.”

“Stop being such a coward and fucking talk to him, you put up a fight for everything else. Why not him?”

“I’d rather die than put myself in that situation and once I get over him I’ll talk to him like normal again. Besides I have bigger worries right now.”

“Like what?”

“Money problems.” I said glaring at Rue from across the cafeteria and she looks away when our eyes meet.

“Hey do any of you guys know how BitCoin works?” Kat suddenly asks. Maddy and Cassie shake their heads and I take advantage of the situation. “No, but for 10 dollars I can take you to someone who does.”

“You can’t just take me for free.”

“Did you not just hear me say I’m having money problems? I need gas money and you got the friend discount I usually charge 25.”

“Fine.” Kat agrees and I tell her to meet me after school.

After school I call Ash asking him if he was at the store and I was gonna bring a friend who needed information on BitCoin. “Why? You know how it works.” He said.

“Ok we know that but she doesn’t and I need cash, so I ain’t telling her for free.” I said and saw Kat coming my way. “Just do me this favor.” After hanging up we get in my car and after she gives me the money I drive her to the gas station. I was so busy focusing on getting cash I completely forgot that Fez would be here too. Fez was outside smoking when we got here and I avoid looking at him as we go inside and I call for Ash.

“Hey, (Y/N).” Fez said as I sat atop the counter next to the register.

“Hey…” I said staring at my feet finding them entertaining. I was glad Ash had come out from the back and he sat down next to me on the counter to breakdown BitCoin for Kat.

“It’s a worldwide cryptocurrency and digital payment system.”

“I literally have no clue what you’re talking about.” Kat said and I shake my head.

“There’s literally no easier way to explain it.” I said and she looks at me suspiciously. “I thought you didn’t know how it works.”

“I don’t, but I can’t help you if you’re stupid.” I said and she looks at me taken aback. “Shit sorry, I’ve been getting no sleep.”

“Look why don’t you just tell us what you’re trying to do, and we can tell you how we can help you.” Fez said.

“Unless it’s human trafficking. I don’t fuck with human trafficking.” Ash said.

“I’m not human trafficking.” Kat clarifies. “Yeah, us neither.” Fez said.

Kat starts to explain what she was trying to do but I quickly stop her. “First give me another 10 dollars.” I said to Kat holding out my hand and rolling her eyes she gives me the cash. “I was just wondering if it’s like a good way to anonymously get money online.” She explained.

“That’s literally what it’s made for.” I said like it should have been obvious.

“Dumbass.” Ash said and I nod my head agreeing. “What a waste of a trip. Oh wait I got 20 dollars out of it.” I said laughing. “If you give me 5 dollars I’ll drive you home.” I said and she glares at me.

“I’m fucking with you. Get in the car.” I said getting down from the counter. I say bye to Ash and give a half-hearted wave to Fez as we walk past him but he grabs my hand.

“Yo, can we talk for a second?”

“No time I gotta go to work after I take her home sorry.” I said slipping my hand out from his.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I started taking on more hours to make up the cash I had lost which meant getting off later and getting less to no sleep if my parents locked me out. But it made avoiding Fez easier except for when he showed up at the restaurant giving me no choice but to talk to him. I should have expected to do this sooner or later, especially after blowing him off at the gas station.

“How long are you gonna stick around?” I asked him as I came to clear his plate and give him the check.

“Till you get off, didn’t see yo car thought I could drive you home and could finally talk.”

“I’m working late, so no need to wait up. I’m sure there’s money to be made somewhere.” I said and left for the kitchen setting the plate down. I go back to Fez to get his money for the bill and he hands me a 50.

“Keep the change.”

“That's too much for a tip.” I said not wanting to take his money. “Don’t worry about it.” He said not taking no for an answer and reluctantly I keep the change.

After clocking out I go to the bathroom to change out of my uniform and I consider just sneaking out the back to avoid Fez but like he read my mind he waits for me near the bathroom giving me no chance of escape. Once we’re in the car he doesn’t start it right away so we just sit in awkward silence as I find anything to stare at out the window.

“So like what's going on with us?” He breaks the silence.

“Nothing, just been crazy busy.” I said playing with my fingers.

“Can you at least look at me.” He said and hearing the sadness in his voice I comply. He reaches for my hand but I pull it back from his reach “I’m really tired so can you just take me home, please.”

“Can you at least tell me, why you been avoiding me? Like for real.” He said starting the car. “I’m just trying to get things back to how they were, you know before the summer.”

“And like what does that mean?”

“You see me like a little sister and I don’t see you- look I don’t know how to explain it.” I said frustrated and looked out at the passing scenery.

“Don’t do that, just say what you gotta say.” He said and finally taking Maddy’s advice to stop being a coward I decide to just spill. I could always just jump out of the car and hope it kills me if it doesn’t work out.

“Fine. Am I really just a little sister to you? Like nothing more?” I asked looking down at my lap. “That’s what- hold on.” He said and pulled over. He brings his hand to my chin making me look at him and I become even more nervous under his gaze.

“Is this about that shit, I told Mouse?” I nodded my head at his question. “Nah, I just said that so he wouldn’t try no shit on you. Of course, you are more than that to me.” He clarifies but it's still not enough clarification for me.

“Like a friend you fuck around with more or like-”

“Like your my girl, more.” He states cutting me off and I smile. “I would love to be your girl.” I said shyly and leaning in he kisses me.

“Can’t believe you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder over that.” He said in disbelief.

“What did you expect from me? You weren’t exactly defining what our relationship was and I was trying to figure it out all summer.”

“Didn’t think I had to, thought it was obvious. And shit, you didn’t say nothin.”

“Like hell I would, you know what this isn’t about me.” I said kissing him as a distraction. After sharing a few more kisses he continues taking me home and as my house comes to view I see my dad’s car gone which meant the house was empty and I was locked out. I didn’t want to worry Fez so I didn’t tell him and pretended everything was normal. After much convincing, I told him he didn’t have to wait for me to go inside and after kissing him goodbye he leaves. I walk up to the front door hopefully trying the door knob but it was locked and I sigh defeated.

I sit on the ground leaning against the front door and prepare for a long night outside again wishing I could just change the locks and lock them out for a change. However, I would never do that cause even though my parents were practically fucking useless except for somehow keeping a roof over our heads I’d seen them angry and I’d hate for it to be targeted at me. It’s just a rule you don’t piss off a drug addict especially when you have to live with them. As I was accepting my fate I was considering sucking it up and calling Nate and hear a car stop in front of the house and when I look up I see Fez getting out of his car. I should’ve known he was gonna circle around and catch me in my lie.

“How’d you know?” I asked him as he got closer.

“Yo dad’s car is gone which means they’re out doing whatever and you're locked out.”

“Well aren’t you a great listener.” I said sarcastically as I stand up and hug him. “Thank you.” I whispered into his chest and he kisses the top of my head. “Let me take you home.” He said grabbing my bag for me off the ground and taking my hand with the other.

“Your house feels more like home than mines does anyway.” I said as I got back in his car.

“Good to hear, 'cause even though he won’t admit it Ash misses having you around.”

“Of course he does, who else is gonna bother him.”

When we get to his house I go to take a shower and when I get out I realize I don’t have any clothes to change into and walk into his bedroom with just a towel and see Fez putting some clothes down on his bed. When he sees me he looks away shyly with a light blush on his cheeks and I smile to myself finding his shyness cute. “Sorry, can I borrow some clothes?”

“Uh yeah here.” Turning back to me he hands me the clothes he had set down on the bed. It was actually some of my clothes that I must have left behind from previous times. “Thanks.” Without thinking I start to remove my towel and he immediately turns back around sitting on his bed with his back to me. “Sorry.” I apologized for not warning him.

“Okay, I’m done.” I told him as I sat down on his bed and he turned back to face me. We fall into a silence staring at each other before I release a nervous laugh looking away first. “It feels different, now that we’re together.” I said playing with my fingers in my lap.

“Different like how?” He asked scooting closer to me and takes my hand into his. “A good different like I’m nervous because I’m used to sleeping on the couch instead of in here with you.”

“Don’t be.” He reassured kissing me. “We can take it slow or whatever you want.”

“Thank you for everything Fez.”

“No need.” He kissed me again. I feel his tongue against my bottom lip and I open my mouth for him letting his tongue intertwine with mine. His hand goes to my hip kneading at it lightly and I lay down on his bed pulling him with me as we continued kissing until we have to pull apart for air. Cuddling into his arms I end up falling asleep as a week's worth of lack of sleep caught up to me.

I woke up early in the morning to catch up on homework and make breakfast for Fez and Ash. I was working on my homework at the kitchen table when Ash woke up before Fez and came into the kitchen smelling the food making himself a plate. “What are you doing?” He asks sitting with me.

“ Late homework. Help me out?” I said passing him my math homework with a 20. He takes it and starts working on it as he eats breakfast. Fez came into the kitchen smiling as he saw us at the table kissing my cheek before grabbing some food and sitting with us. “You want a ride to school?” He asks me.

“No need, Nate’s gonna take me.” I answered not looking up from my assignment and missing his look of annoyance. “Nah, I’ll take you.”

“And once again no need.” I said not wanting to inconvenience him.

“Just tell him, I got you.” He said and I finally look at him. “Nate already’s on the way. Why are you making this such a big deal?” I asked and my phone rings getting a message from Maddy telling me they were outside. “And he’s here. Thanks again.” I told Ash grabbing my homework from him and putting it in my bag and Fez walks with me to the door.

“See you later.” I said kissing him.

“I’ll pick you up after.”

“Thanks but-” I stop seeing his smile drop. “I would appreciate it, miss you already.” I said kissing him again before leaving.

“Uh are you good?” Maddy asked me as we were walking to class. “Yeah, I need some advice. So you know I’m used to using Nate for stuff like rides to school or getting him to spoil us on our shopping trips and stuff. And I think Fez is like…”

“Is jealous?” She finishes and I shake my head.

“Not jealous more like bothered by our friendship.”

“I get that Nate’s been your friend for a long time and you two trust and depend on each other. But you need to start depending on Fez the same way or it's gonna seem like you don’t need him and you don’t want him to feel like second place.” She explained and I sighed annoyed yet still confused.

“Is that how you feel about Nate and me?”

“No, after you set us up you took a step back giving us space, which is what you need to do for Fez.”

“Why is dating so complicated?” I whined.

“At least you’re not dating Nate he’s even more complicated along with being a dick.”

“Don’t I know. What’s the new trouble in paradise?”

“You’re not gonna believe me if I tell you.”

“Now you have to spill.” I said curiosity piqued and she pulls me aside in the hall lowering her voice.

“Okay, so last night I went through Nate’s phone and…” She looks around and I wonder if she found the messages between him and Jules. “And?”

“He had dicks on his phone.”

“Like his own or…”

“No other guy's dicks.” She said and I can’t attempt to hide my look of shock.

“I actually have no words and that’s too crazy to be made up. You don’t think he’s gay, do you? Cause Nate’s like the definition of straight toxic masculinity.”

“I know he’s like super straight but…” She says in thought.

“I think you gotta talk to Nate about it, he might not like you going through his phone but it is weird.” I advised.

“Ugh, you’re right dating is complicated.” She complained hugging me and I smile hugging her back.

After school I see Fez’s car waiting for me outside and on the way to his car Nate comes up to me to remind me about the carnival. “My parents wanted me to invite you to come to help out at the booth for the chili contest."

“Why?” I whined. I had only met Nate’s dad and brother before and that was enough for me.

“You made a good impression on him and now my mom wants to meet you and you know they both-”

“Hate Maddy.” We say simultaneously and he nods his head. “No offense I’ve met your dad and your idiot of a brother I don’t wanna meet your mom.”

“Look I’m not fucking thrilled either but just do it, just stick around for Maddy I invited her too. Stay for a few minutes and that’s it.” He said then looked at my hands. “And get a manicure.”

“I’m sorry you’re forcing me to spend time with your family and get a manicure.” I scoffed annoyed walking off but he grabs my wrist roughly stopping me. “I’m not joking (Y/N), just do what I say.” He said coldly giving me some cash for the manicure before walking away. I rub my wrist to ease the pain before remembering Fez and rush to the car.

“Sorry about that.” I told him as I got in the car. “It’s alright, what did he want?” He asks gesturing to the money in my hand and I put it in my pocket.

“Just paying me back for something.” I shrugged not wanting to explain the complicated ways of Nate Jacobs.

When we get back I got his room to put my stuff down and wanting to talk to him we sit down on the bed. “I wanted to say sorry about this morning, I’m so used to figuring stuff out myself or having Nate do stuff for me that I don’t want you to feel like I don’t depend on you or need you.”

“Nah, I get that you been friends for like a long time or whatever but I would appreciate it if you let me help you out like he does for you.” He said.

“I swear I’ll try, no I will. I just don’t wanna make you feel bad or anything.”

“It’s alright baby, we’re good.” He said kissing me and grabbing my waist pulls me into his lap. I straddle his lap, wrap my arms around his neck, and bit his lip teasingly and he squeezes my waist in response. His lips trail from my lips to my jawline down to my neck sucking lightly on the skin and I hum in delight. He goes to my collarbone and I roll my hips into his causing him to release a groan but before we go any further there’s a loud knocking and banging coming from the front door.

“You expecting someone?” I asked sliding off his lap.

“Nah, but don’t move alright? I’ma go get rid of them.” He said kissing me one last time before getting up and I nod my head obediently. The banging on the door didn’t ease up until Fez got there and after waiting for awhile I heard yelling and banging coming from the door again and go to see what was happening. As I get closer to the door I hear Rue’s voice.

“Open the door! Open the door! Open the door.”

“I can’t do it, Rue. I’m sorry.” Fez says leaning his head on the closed door listening to Rue blame him for her problems. He faces away from the door and I see the sad heartbroken look on his face and take him into my arms.

“I’m so fucking serious. If you don’t open this door right now, I swear to god, I will hate you, till the day I fucking die.” She threatens and shaking my head I take Fez’s hand and take him away from the door.

“I’m sorry.” He tells her one last time before we walk away and we sit down on the couch together just hugging each other.

“You did the right thing. There’s not much we can do but it's a start.” I tell him attempting to cheer him up. “And she didn’t mean any of it, its what addicts do, she’ll calm down and come to her senses eventually.”

“I know.” He whispered. “Thank you for being here.” He kissed my forehead and I smile at him cuddling further into him. We spent the rest of the day just watching movies Ash eventually joined us later and I can’t help feeling truly at home with them.

[a-d-nox]

hypothesis of monetary efforts: your spending habits, what you like to buy, and how you can budget/save money

yall know i'm a fan of persona charts - the same applies here. we are going to look at the 2h ruler's persona chart.

but first!

my 2h in aries - my mars is in the 7h in virgo so already i can tell you a lot of my money goes towards food, health, books, and craft supplies... i'm not someone who overspends like the typical 2h in aries stereotype tend to lead people to believe (I don't have the impulse control of a child lol).

but that makes sense because looking at my mars persona chart (the ruler of my 2h). my 1h is ruled by virgo - my monetary mindset tends to be to save or budget; virgos are like natural bookkeepers. mercury (the ruler of my monetary mindset (a.k.a. the asc of my mars persona (the ruler of my natal 2h's ruler))) is in the 2h! which emphasizes that i am someone who is conscious of my spending habits.

the 2h can tell me what i spend a majority of my money on and what i see are essentials - its virgo ruled with moon and mercury positioned in it. so again: food, health, books, and craft supplies. the moon tells me its comfort food (when i have a bad day i want a good meal - lobster risotto balls AND crab mac and cheese are my go to when its a really bad day), but also it emphasizes that i could be spending marital/familial money (lol my husband is going to give in to my spending habits - my mother and grandfather too loves to help me out monetarily). the moon also shows that i tend to buy objects the are comforting to me (a weighted pink dinosaur - lol I should do a dinosaur post on here, I love dinosaurs), things from family ran / woman owned shops, one of a kind shops, etc... i am tend to buy habitually - if i’m in a barnes and noble - i am buying a book, if i’m at the grocery store - i'm getting eggs, butter, nutella, etc every trip, etc. mercury here tells me that i am aware of the price of everything i buy (sign me up for the price is right). i like to buy books, car stuff, shopping bargains and sales (I will purposely bulk buy if the unit price is less than the unit price of the size I was originally going to get or if I have a coupon I will make sure I use it), and plants.

the 8h of this chart can tell me how i can save money that i typically would spend (so can saturn - its the long game of saving). it's empty but in pisces - 5h neptune and 11h jupiter. i could benefit from change bottles, an emergency fund account, cryptocurrency, and envelope stuffing based on neptune. having objectives, having a group/friend savings challenges, bullet journal icons to fill in, monetizing hobbies, and entering the lottery / raffles are all to my benefit to gain and receive passive money worth saving given the 5h and 11h placements of these lords.

that's all for now!

a.d.

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