#i was on vacation with my family in washington dc

[thebleedingeffect]

It's absolutely wild listening to my stepbrother get into arguments with my mom and step-dad cause it's the most terrible teenage years rn and being 16 does NOT look good on him lmao

[chongoblog]

I remember when I was younger I once went on a family vacation where my family got me a laser pointer. And I loved this thing because hee hee hoo hoo stim stim stim. But after I got it, they were really against me using it, always telling me to put it away. They even said explicitly not to take it with me for the day.

It took me way too long to realize that this was because we were in Washington DC and we were touring The White House

[mrsoftthoughts]

Just Some of my headcanons of the Di Angelo(s) in the 30's

(that honestly are pretty delusional but sometimes i just want to think of them as a happy family before the Washington DC event and the lotus casino ok??)

- Maria is the oldest sister of the 3 daughters of the marchese Stéfano Di angelo and her father little gem as the only daughter of his first "marriage" (*Cof* *cof* daughterofVenusMariadiAngelo *Cof*)

- Hades proposed and married Maria because no fucking way that he let a woman of her status being judged for having a long term relationship without a ring and even less having kids with her out of wedlock ( in fact the ring was what make that Persephone don't like Maria, she couldn't care less if only she stayed as her husband girlfriend, i may explain this in another post some day)

- Hades was there for Bianca and Nico while they grow up, living with them during the spring and summer and being always looking up for them in some way during winter , they really got to be a family, Family vacations around Europe, little and silly baking days, Nico and bianca trying to convince the house personal to helping them to spy their parents dates, that kind of things

-Alecto has been the kids babysitter and bodyguard since they were born, her job is just slay anything that it dares to try attack them, even in hades presence in order to him doesn't get distracted from the family activities

-Stéfano really loves his Son-in-law, for him is the son that he never had, he doesn't know that hades is a god, but he's concius that just like his lover he is something non human and that his grand kids are also especial like his daughter, but he doesn't seem in hades the intention of letting behind Maria like Venus do it to him, and Hades is probably the only man wealthy enough and with enough class to be of his liking for his little princess, so he isn't complaining

-And don't make him talk about his grandchilds, because you're gonna be stuck hearing him talk of them for hours, Bianca and Nico are the first since that maria is the only one of his daughters in age to have kids and he couldn't be more happy when the nurses anounced that Nico was a Boy, he may be a girls father but he really wanted a male from his blood, and sice he didn't get a son he was rejoicing for his grandson he really spoiled those little things

- Nico and bianca were homeschooled and The family end up getting the reputation of being "really hard" towards the personal tutors of Bianca and Nico, actually they just dont tolerate the bullshit of entitled people calling their kids stupid or lazy because they couldn't read right lenguajes that weren't romances or Greek... Needs to say, they fired a lot a people until they find people that really were disposed to teach the kids and not just screaming at them ,Even getting people that weren't from Italy for that because their kids only would have the best and would be treated with the respect that they deserved

- Bianca plays the piano, Nico the violin, I'm not elaborating, just trust me

- in fact their music instructors end up being zagreus and macaria, they were introduced to everyone except Maria and the kids as hades cousins because there isn't a logic and no controversial way to say that the full grown adults over there are his children

-Bianca used to have a Best friend, she lived in Switzerland so they only could see each other every once in a while when one of them was allowed to stay with the other for a time, the last thing that the girl know about bianca is that she moved to the US and then... Well, we know what happened there ( in some place in Switzerland there's and old lady that still concerned about what happened to her friend)

[bloodandhedonism]

RAPID-FIRE QUICK OPINIONS OF CITIES I'VE BEEN TO IN RECENT HISTORY

Rochester, New York (and other upstate NY cities in general) : Feels generic, but perhaps not necessarily in a bad way in this case. A resident said it's rare to see and live a place where kids still play in the front yard these days, so take as you will. New York, New York: What you'd expect these days. Allentown, Pennsylvania: Lots of industrial traffic as you'd expect, but cute town and good people. I made multiple and different kinds of friends here, which I consider very good for this sort of thing. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Homey. Don't go too far west, though or you'll run into Pennsylvanians. Remember James Carville! Baltimore, Maryland: Cutesy, gives vibes of home. Funny to see products from businesses by people I grew up with in places there. Washington, DC: It really does try to be a commercial with everyone perfectly chosen from central casting. Bad vibes, avoid, avoid. Get out if you live there. Imperial capital though, what does one expect. Norfolk, Virginia: Military city as you'd expect, and by far the most "Southern" feeling city in this list. Interesting contrast between the attempted beachiness and the dominating military stuff. St. Augustine, Florida: The best city in Florida by far, but losing its soul over the years and I'm very worried. Flagler College students will be window dressing for the upscale middle-aged tourists coming there. Tampa, Florida: Genuinely horrible. Worst city on this list, one huge slum posing as a 'regular' city. Unfriendly people. Telling every other billboard is for a lawyer promising to get you big money. Bad sign of the future. Orlando, Florida: Better than Tampa I suppose, but leaning way too hard into being Red State America's family vacation Mecca, which will lead to issues for it in the future. This city isn't for me. Denver, Colorado: People there like me, at least one person recognized my face from before, and mountains are cool. Las Vegas, Nevada: Very middlebrow, which I don't say as a compliment. Seeing middle aged people in cosplay out in public in non-convention contexts was embarrassing. Only interesting bit was seeing where Balrog's Street Fighter II stage was IRL. Reykjavik, Iceland: Neat place. Felt like the USA but cold and barren, of course. Icelandics are a unique people, and a small part of me almost wants to classify Iceland with North America than Europe since the society just feels different from regular Europe. I always thought it was worth noting the tectonic plate cleaves through the island. London, England: Honest with itself in that it's big, very big, and touristy too, which for said honesty reasons I respect it. I liked it. British people really are the Americans of Europe. I shouldn't, but I like the UK. I will visit the midlands soon, so I hope to see a fun contrast. Brussels, Belgium: Also an honest city, in this case in that it's a transnational confederal capital for a lot of places. Mons, Belgium: Lovely. Friendly and great people. Taking the train to it and seeing the scenes of rural life reminded me of the countryside I'd see back home. Paris, France: Genuinely lovely, and my favorite city of this list. More cities should be like Paris. I didn't see or deal with any of the bad stuff I heard about it. Friendly people. I need to go back here. Frankfurt, Germany: Definitely generic. Lisbon, Portugal: Touristy because it's warm and honest with itself about it in that case, which is also fine. I like warm weather so I liked Lisbon. Warsaw, Poland: Likable. Quite a nice city, and Poles are a very welcoming people. (Be proud of your country, @aomitois.) A friendliness emanated from the city which I liked. Has an optimism which I find intriguing. Budapest, Hungary: Strangely, I was reminded most of Salisbury, Maryland with this one: there was an odd familiarity driving and walking through the city. Like with Warsaw, it's legitimately trying hard, but that makes sense for Eastern Europe in this era.

I'm sure there's more cities that can go on here, probably a lot more, but this is off the top of my head and the entry is big enough as is. COMING SOON: The Middle East and East Asia! Maybe Latin America. Africa is more likely than Australia. Watch as I wind up in Antarctica for some dumb reason.

[beardedmrbean]

Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser distributed thousands of dollars to low-income moms with no strings attached as part of an "equitable economic recovery strategy" to offset the costs of childcare. In at least one case, the taxpayer dollars were used to fund a lavish trip to Miami. 

The direct cash payments were part of a pilot program to determine whether the flush of cash could demonstrate "economic improvements among participants." "Additional cash has allowed women to achieve further financial stability, financial security, food security, and health insurance coverage," Bowser's office had claimed.

But an economic policy expert told Fox News Digital the policies were a misdirection of funds that should otherwise be used for public safety and education. 

All 132 mothers who participated in the program were able to choose whether to receive monthly payments of $900 or to get $10,800 in a lump sum, which was "a unique feature of D.C.’s pilot," according to The Washington Post. 

"Quite often these handouts actually trap people in a cycle of poverty," Joel Griffith, an economic research fellow at The Heritage Foundation, told Fox News Digital. "This is not helping people build long-term wealth and to have long-term economic prosperity."

One recipient – Canethia Miller – told The Post that she took the money and spent most of it on a lavish trip to Miami. 

"Some of it I just left alone. The other side is, I wanted to blow it. I wanted to have fun," Miller said. "[My kids] got to experience something I would never have been able to do if I didn’t have that money."

Miller blew it on a "five-day, $6,000 trip to Miami," which included "a boat tour [that] exposed them to million-dollar homes and luxury yachts." 

"In what she called a rare moment of self-indulgence, Miller spent $180 ahead of the vacation to get her own hair and nails done," The Post reported. She also took her kids shopping and got them new outfits and toys for the trip.

Griffith said that the D.C. mayor would have been better off spending money on reducing crime.

"Spending money on what effectively is a lotto for city residents is the wrong thing to be doing. I think what parents want, whether single moms, single dads or married couples, is a safe city," he added. "What the mayor could do is take these resources that they're going to be distributing randomly to single moms. And you could hire, by my calculations, 25 full-time police officers. That would go a long way in some of these neighborhoods where you can't even walk safely at night." 

In January 2022, Democratic Mayor Bowser allocated $1.5 million to a direct cash transfer pilot program called "Strong Families, Strong Future DC" that was intended "to support maternal health and advance economic mobility." 

"This program is about supporting new and expectant moms with cash so that they can have the autonomy and flexibility to make the best choices for them and their baby," Bowser said. 

The Strong Families, Strong Future DC pilot was at "the heart of our equitable economic recovery strategy," Bowser added.

But some of the issues arose when the mothers were uncertain about how to spend the cash.

Building generational wealth generally requires a solid educational background, which in D.C. is lackluster, Griffith said. 

"[As a resident of D.C.], you're likely to graduate with a subpar education. And we're talking about sometimes an inability to do basic math and basic reading comprehension. And those are the core skills that in a work ethic that allow people to succeed in this country, even if they don't come from a wealthy family," he added. 

Miller seemed to share a similar sentiment when she told The Post, "A lot of communities in my area don’t know the financial gain of credit, saving for your kids; that’s why we’re broke, that’s why we don’t have nothing to pass down or no house to give down. I’m trying to get to the level where I’m passing something down that really matters, so I can be set and my kids can be set, and they don’t need to push so hard like I’m doing now."

Altogether, Miller saved $50 from the program.

"She opened up a savings account, aiming to keep at least $50 in it. She used the remaining $4,000 or so from the pilot in a matter of months, mostly on bills and a used car," The Washington Post reported.

[jerzwriter]

A Family Affair

Book:                   Open Heart (Book 3 Timeline)

Pairing:                Tobias Carrick x F!MC (Casey)

Rating:                 Teen

Warnings: Some characters are anti-pride/queerphobic

Summary:   Several months into their relationship, Tobias takes Casey to meet his late father's family. Casey is apprehensive. The rich and powerful Carricks occupy a world she is not comfortable with. The evening is tense but bearable until the topic of pride month is broached.

Words: 4,900

A/N: I've been working on this for a while, and OMG, once my dog got sick, writer's block hit hard. It's a very important fic to me, so I hope it did it justice; the brain is still kind of mush, but I don't want to sit on this any longer. I'll likely read it tomorrow, cry, and edit. lol Participating in @choicesficwriterscreations pride bingo, family, @choicesjunechallenge pride month, and @choicespride familial relationships

He had imagined this for some time now.  Ever since the night Casey confirmed she loved him every bit as much as he loved her, it took all of Tobias’s restraint not to shout it from the rooftops.  He was thirty-seven before the seemingly impossible was achieved: he found a woman that made forever seem like too short a time.  Now that she was here, he wanted to tell the world. But the world included his family, even his late father’s side, who he tended to avoid.  His father was no longer here, but his family was.  So when his Aunt Pauline invited him to a gathering at her Washington, DC home, he jumped at the chance to attend. An act that left him a bit baffled and left Casey a bit terrified. 

Today, she was a bright, rising star in the medical world. With an Ivy League education and a string of publications under her belt, everyone knew Dr. Casey MacTavish was destined for great things. But deep down, she would always be that little girl that grew up in South Philly. The one for whom back-to-school shopping didn't entail a trip downtown or to the mall but sifting through her cousin’s hand-me-downs on the living room floor. While she always knew food would always be on the table, it could be… creative at times. Cars and vacations? They only existed on the family’s small, antiquated television that always seemed to be on the fritz. Still, she knew she was rich in many ways.  Her loving, accepting family provided her with all the tools she needed to become the woman she was today.

Tobias wasn’t a complete stranger to the life Casey had led; his mother’s family shared a similar background, so he had a point of reference; but he was born a Carrick and lived in another world.  A place so foreign to most, it may as well have been thousands of miles away. Old money, accompanied by the power and trappings that came with it. His childhood was filled with homes that rivaled museums.  Servants, cars, travel, and excess most could only imagine were part of his daily life. But all that glitters is not gold. 

Demanding, unaccepting, and unforgiving of those who didn’t follow family edicts would pay a price.  Sure, they were careful to present a united front to the world; polite society required it.  But when the doors were shut,  a darker picture emerged. Tobias bore the scars of his childhood; still, as an adult, he knew how to navigate his family’s world with ease, even if it was with a touch of disdain. But tonight, the man was too enamored to believe anything could go wrong.

He waited at the bottom of the grand staircase that was the centerpiece of his childhood home as Casey descended.  Dressed in the elegant black silk sheath and matching shawl he gifted her, it was nothing a newly minted doctor with a mountain of debt could afford on her own. His mother's geometric gold necklace adorned her neck; it was stunning, even if not exactly to her taste.  It looked like a work of art and had a price tag that could back that claim.   

She was a vision, and Tobias couldn’t peel his eyes away.  Heat rose to Casey’s cheeks under his gaze, and she turned to him with a coy smile. 

“What are you looking at?” She teased.

“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he answered at once.

“You’re smooth as ever, aren’t you, Carrick?”

“If I’m talking to you, it’s not being smooth; I’m simply stating facts. Are you ready to go?” 

Casey let out a deep breath, careful to conceal her apprehension with a warrior’s smile. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

She was uncharacteristically quiet as the couple’s Town Car meandered through the congested city streets.  Her eyes were glued to the window, and her grip on his hand seemed to tighten with every second that passed.  She could do this; she reminded herself.  She could fit into his world, even if it was a world she had no desire to fit into. 

Most would consider it a bonus, learning the person they fell in love with came from enormous wealth, but Casey wasn't most people. She had already fallen in love with Tobias when she learned he was one of the Carricks… and she was less than thrilled.  But, if she wanted a future with him, and she wanted that with all her heart, she had to find a way to make his world a part of her own…  at least when they visited.

"You don’t have to be worried about tonight,” he reassured.

"I'm not," she half-smiled.

"You lie like a cheap rug,” he snickered, happy to see her laugh.  Tobias may have been part of this world, but he was a man of his own design. 

"It's just...." she stalled with a huff.

"You're nervous... I get it… this side of my family can be a lot, even for me. But remember, no one in that room means more to me than you… and you've already won over the only Carrick who matters."

"Your mother?" she grinned.

"Well, obviously,” he laughed. “But I meant me. Don’t worry, Casey, everything will be fine.”

He told her who would be in attendance in advance to help put her at ease.  His Aunt Pauline, the hostess, and her husband, Harold.  Any number of their many children or grandchildren could be there.  His late father’s brother William, also known as Uncle Bill, and his wife Mandy would be there.  They were the safe spot, he advised.  When in doubt, stick with them.   A multitude of distant cousins were on the guest list, though he didn’t know who would show. 

“... and of course, Jordan will be there, so you’ll know someone other than me.”

“I wish your Mom were going,” Casey sighed wearily.  “She wouldn’t let anyone mess with me.”

“And you think I will!” he blurted as they pulled up in front of the impressive home. “Come on, sweetheart.  We’ve got this.” 

For a while, it seemed like they did. Everyone was eager to meet her. After all, she was the shiny new thing. Tobias was finally bringing a woman home, and they were quite certain many showed up tonight just to make sure it was true. While comment after comment was made about how amazed they were; many left her feeling she wasn’t necessarily who they would have cast in the role. 

“So this is who Vivian keeps going on and on about….” “You’re also a physician, I hear ….” “I hear you graduated from Perelman.. that’s impressive, especially given your background….” “You grew up in Philadelphia.  Were you acquainted with Marses? If you went to the St. Martin Country Club, you simply had to….” 

Casey handled it well, despite her desire to return home. Then, William Carrick arrived.  His late father’s only sibling, Tobias’s eyes went bright when he entered the room.

“Uncle Bill!” he yelled, earning judgemental stares for his outburst.  “That’s my dad’s brother. One of the few people I like here,” he whispered.  “He’s going to adore you.”

Casey smiled graciously while shaking the kind-faced, grey-haired man’s hand. He was easy to talk to and immediately put her at ease. His wife, Mandy, was just as lovely. Tobias’s brother, Jordan, arrived and joined the group.  Matching his brother’s energy, he threw his arm around Casey with a smile, and for the first time that night, she breathed a sigh of relief; perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad after all. 

Dinner was finally served, and Casey was flanked by Tobias and Jordan.  The former joked that he was seated at the kid's section when several cousins, closer in age to Casey and Jordan than himself, sat nearby. After introductions were made, the cousins continued the conversation they were previously engaged in without making an attempt to bring the others in.

“So, you’re working on his campaign,” a flaxen-hared man in an overpriced dinner jacket asked.

“Of course!” his prematurely balding counterpart replied. “Virginia is still a swing state. It’s imperative we do all we can to change that.”

“Your favorite color was always red,” his date replied to a chorus of laughter.  

Casey bit her cheek.  She was well aware that many present had different beliefs than she, or even Tobias, held. But that wasn’t anything she wanted to bring to the forefront tonight. Tobias caught her eye and gave her a little smirk.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I’ll behave.”

“I didn’t ask you to behave.”

“I will anyway.” 

And she did.  As the conversation turned to “that dreaded Senator Sanders” and how healthcare for all would destroy the country, she clenched her napkin and didn’t share how the fight for equal access to healthcare was something she worked tirelessly for.  A calling she felt as a doctor. She poured another glass of wine just before immigration became the topic of discussion, and this time, someone asked her opinion. 

“We all descend from immigrants, did we not?” she said through clenched teeth. “I think it’s important to remember that.” 

Tobias’s Uncle Bill shot her a sympathetic smile from down the table and did his best to change the topic to something more benign. But despite his best efforts, it always veered back to something divisive. 

“Do they serve anything stronger than wine at these soirees?” Casey whispered to Tobias. “Because I’m starting to think I may need it.” 

“Is this too much?” he asked. “We can go if you like.”

“Dessert hasn’t even been served yet. I’m assuming that’s when we’ll have a reflection on the teachings of Ayn Rand…who would want to miss that?”

“Oh, I wish Ma was here to see this,” he laughed. “She’s been dying for some companionship at these events.”

“I’m sure. But how are you?” she asked. “You float among them so easily, but it’s like….”

“I’m a square peg in a round hole,” he finished before downing the rest of his wine. “That’s exactly what I am. Trust, except for Uncle Bill and Aunt Mandy, you won’t see these people more than once every two years… and at funerals.”

“You said funeral with too much delight,” she chuckled.

“Only certain funerals.  I’m going to head to the restroom. Care to join me,” he said, with a wiggle of his brows. 

“Oh, sure!” She grinned. “Being caught getting frisky with you in the bathroom is not something I plan to do on my first meeting with these people.” 

“You’re right,” he nodded as he stood up. “We should wait until at least your third visit for that.” 

When Tobias returned to the table, Aunt Pauline met his gaze with a sparkle in her eye.

“Tobias, Casey is just delightful. Please tell me you're serious with her," she swooned. 

Tobias placed his arm around Casey’s shoulder and pulled her close.  

“Very much so. I have no intention of letting her get away.”

“Is that why we were instructed to lock the doors upon your arrival?” Uncle Bill teased.

“Hey, I’m not taking my chances,” Tobias chortled.

“Well, I couldn’t be happier!” Aunt Pauline beamed. “Your mother was right! She was worth the wait. You’re a lucky man, Tobias.”

“Thank you,” Casey blushed. “But trust me, I’m the lucky one.”

A cousin sipping an after-dinner drink scoffed at her remark. “No doubt you are,” he sneered. While Casey heard him perfectly clear, the remark appeared to go unnoticed by everyone else. 

“Pauline, darling,” Her husband, Harold, chimed in. “It’s a beautiful evening.  Should I instruct the staff to serve dessert on the patio?” 

Pauline harumphed with a wave of her hand. “On any other night, I’d say yes, but not tonight!”

“Why not tonight?” Uncle Bill asked. “It’s the perfect weather for it.”

“It would be,” Pauline replied. “If only we didn’t have to be subjected to the debauchery about to begin outside.”

Casey wrinkled her nose and leaned to whisper in Tobias’s ear. “I didn’t know debauchery was on the agenda?”

“I wasn’t aware either,” he whispered back. “I assumed that was reserved for us when we get back to the townhome later on.”

Casey giggled as she turned back to the conversation, which had continued while they momentarily escaped into their own little world.

“It’s pathetic!” someone else stated. “We can't even enjoy a night outside… we shouldn’t be subjected to this.”

“I don’t disagree,” Pauline grumbled. “Had I realized the date sooner, I would have rescheduled our dinner. But if you get in your cars and head south, you’ll be spared the bulk of the depravity.”

“Depravity?” Casey giggled curiously. “What on earth is going on outside?”

“The neighborhood pride festival,” a cousin answered with disdain. 

“There was a time this neighborhood escaped such things,” another chimed in. “But those days are long gone.” 

Casey’s jaw went slack and she was sure blood was going to start dripping out of her mouth from biting her tongue all night, and she was nearing her breaking point.

“And how does the festival hurt you, Lars?” Aunt Mandy asked angrily.  

“It doesn’t hurt me, per se. But it hurts society. Do you know nearly twenty percent of Gen Z identifies as queer? Twenty percent! That’s up staggeringly from previous generations, and this is why! They’re bombarded with the gay agenda from the moment they’re born!” 

Casey sat upright in her chair, slamming her wine glass on the table much louder than she had intended. 

“Agenda?” She spat.  “Outside wishing to be respected and have the same rights afforded to other Americans, can you please tell me what is on this… agenda? Because I must have missed the memo.” 

“The agenda is clear,” Lars replied.  “It’s to turn people into… them.  That’s why there are so many of them now.” 

“Oh, so you’re delusional enough to believe that there were fewer queer people in previous generations. Or do you think that, maybe, people were just forced to live in closets?”

Lars emptied his glass and motioned to a server for another. “Better in their closets than out on my streets!”

“Your streets?” Casey scoffed.

“Lars,” an older relative jumped in. “What does it matter if they’re gay? It’s not as if it’s going to turn you gay.”

Casey briefly thought there may have been an iota of common sense in the room, but that ended quickly.

“But I understand where you’re coming from, and it’s overdone. Gay pride month? Come on… when do we get straight pride month.” 

When a rumble of laughter filled the room, Casey unfurled.

“Do you have any idea how insulting that is?” she barked.  “Straight pride month? You should be happy that you don’t need a straight pride month?  When was the last time you had to forgo holding your partner’s hand in public because it could endanger your life?  Has a landlord ever denied you an apartment because they found out you were moving in with your straight partner?  Or has anyone gone to court to ask for the right not to sell you a freaking cake? Or to say it’s against their values to provide you with medical care? Medical care! When has being straight ever caused a problem like this for you? Tell me. I’ll wait.” 

Her arms were crossed defiantly in front of her chest, and her face began turning their favorite color… red. As silence hung, several looked to Tobias to intervene.

“Don’t look at me,” he shrugged. “Casey asked a question, and I believe the polite thing to do would be to answer. Anyone?”

“Uhm, I see,” Pauline stuttered. “I didn’t… we didn’t realize this was a … a sensitive subject for you.”

“It’s not sensitive. But I do want an answer. If you can tell me why a straight pride month is needed, I promise, I’ll help plan it.”

“Casey,” a relative she hadn’t previously spoken to chimed in. “I assure you, they aren’t bad people. It’s just their… exposure to people different than themselves is limited… they don’t even know any queer people.”

“Oh,” Casey scoffed.  “I assure you, they do. They probably don’t feel comfortable enough to let them know it… but they do.”

“She’s right,” Tobias backed up. “But for argument's sake, let's just say they didn’t.  Then maybe you should get out there and meet some. Being exposed to different people than yourselves. What a concept? That's how you learn and grow, and that’s not a bad thing.  Is it?” 

“Casey,” Pauline interrupted, growing uncomfortable with the scene that had emerged.  “I would like to apologize. We didn’t know… I assume you have… gay…  people in your life.”

“Yeah,” Casey sighed.  “I do, and, as of tonight, so do you.”

“I… I don’t understand,” the elderly woman queried.

“I’m bisexual. And until this moment, you really seemed to like me. Does this change your mind? Because I assure you, I was just as bisexual when I arrived tonight as I am now. Nothing about me has changed.”

“Wait…” Lars interrupted. “You can't be bisexual. You’re dating Tobias.”

Casey rolled her eyes. “Do you even know what bisexual means? It means I’m attracted to more than one gender… which includes men. Being that Tobias is a man, he fits the bill.”

“I’m grateful for that…” Tobias injected.

“Well, that’s all right, dear…” Harold stated. “You seem to be a lovely young woman, and this whole…thing… won’t be an issue. You’re with our great-nephew… and… people will assume you’re a normal couple. We don’t need to announce to the world that you are….” His words trailed, and Aunt Mandy stepped in. 

“Bisexual,” she offered with a smile. 

“Normal?” Casey spat.  “If you want normal, you can find that setting on your washing machine. Of course, you’re probably about as acquainted with washing machines as you are with people like me. And sorry, I’m not going back into a closet for anyone.”

“Well,” the old man said, wringing his hands. “It’s just that if… say… you and Tobias should say… get married one day….you’d be a Carrick, and…”

“Oh, that’s the plan…” Tobias jumped in. “I told you, I have no intention of letting her go.”

“Well … we’ve never had this in the family!”

“You probably have,” Casey insisted. “But I have no problem leading the way if you haven't. Hell, it may even help your image! Bring you into this century!” 

“But there is no need to announce it,” Pauline pleaded.

“If you Google my name, you’ll see who I am. I’ve been an activist since college. It’s out there…and I’m proud of it.”

“Well, we are a powerful family,” Harold stated. “We could have that all wiped clean well in advance of any potential announcements….”

Casey was about to strike that down, but Tobias beat her to the punch. 

“Over my dead body,” he blurted, taking Casey’s hand.  “Casey knows who she is, and I’m never going to ask her to be any less.  Because she’s just perfect in my book.” 

Casey met his eyes with a grateful smile, then turned back to the family. 

“I’m comfortable with and proud of who I am. But I’m not comfortable being here any longer.” 

“That’s my queue,” Tobias hummed, finishing off his drink before standing up from the table. 

“Tobias,” Lars sputtered. “You’re all right with this? You finally settle down and she's... bisexual. Do you want to be cheated on?"

“Whoa…you think I’ll be unfaithful because I’m bisexual? Holy fucked up stereotypes, Batman! Like straight people have cornered the market on fidelity? I’m sure none of the straight folk in this room have ever dealt with that, right?” A low rumble filled the room before she continued. “Trust me, Tobias has nothing to worry about. He’s the person in my life, and I adore him.  Hard stop. You have so much to learn, but I’m done teaching today.”

Casey and Tobias were almost at the door when she felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to find Uncle Bill. 

“Casey, I’d like to apologize on behalf of my family. You were a guest tonight and weren’t treated very hospitably. Unfortunately, the small-mindedness of some here knows no bounds. I hope you’ll come to visit Mandy and me at our home.  We’d like to introduce you to our daughters and grandchildren, even our sons-in-law,” he chuckled.  “Seriously, we want to get to know the woman who finally took our nephew out of circulation.”

Bill grinned at Tobias. “I can see why she did. She’s something else, isn’t she?”  

“Uncle Bill,” Tobias beamed, “You have no idea.”

He clapped Tobias on the back and pulled him into a hug. “I wish your father were here… he would have been so proud… of both of you.”

“Well," Tobias replied. "He was a bit of a rabble-rouser, too, wasn’t he?”

“Yes!” Bill grinned. “He had no tolerance for this bullshit.”

“Good trouble. That’s what he and Ma used to say.”

“Exactly! Now, come you two. Let me walk you out.”

Alone in the back seat of the car, Casey asked the driver to raise the privacy partition, then turned to Tobias, slightly abashed. 

“I’m really sorry that I….”

“Stop,” he interrupted.  “You don’t owe me an apology.  I think I owe you one.”

“You?” 

“Yeah, I avoid the majority of the people in that room tonight like the plague. I don’t know what I was thinking exposing you to them.  It’s just… not having my dad here anymore… I thought the next best thing would be introducing you to them. In retrospect, I should have limited that to Uncle Bill and Aunt Mandy.” 

“Tobias, do you think I don’t have people like that in my family? You think I don’t run into people like them every day… you don’t have to apologize for their behavior. But…” she stalled.  “I suppose we should talk.”

“About what?” he asked nervously.

“I never actually told you I was bisexual.”

“Well,” Tobias laughed, “When Jessica was in town, and you introduced her to me as your ex-girlfriend, I kind of got the hint. .”

“I don’t think it’s something people should have to share.  I mean, straight people don’t have to declare it at the start of a relationship, do they? So, I’ve always felt I shouldn’t either.  But I really want a life with you, and I need to know if this is a problem for you.” 

“A problem? No, it's not a problem.  I love you for you, and I meant what I said back there.  You are perfect just the way you are.  I wouldn't change a thing about you... except maybe the way you're always stealing the covers at night."

Casey reached over and caressed his cheek.  “This is just one of the reasons I love you.  But if you want to discuss it, you can ask me anything. I’m an open book to you.” 

“That goes in reverse. You can ask me anything you want, any time. No secrets between us.”

“Well,” she smirked, snuggling closer to him. “I mean, I love you and all, but we have established you were quite the ho before you met me. I just assumed it was because you were straight.”

“Oh, really!” he laughed heartily. “We will have no slut shaming in this car, young lady… and no disparaging any sexual orientation… including mine.”

“You know I’m joking,” she laughed. “About everything except that I love you.”

“Good, 'cause that’s the only part that matters. But… you know… the way you put my family in place,” he smiled salaciously.  “I’m not going to lie; I’m so fucking turned on right now.” 

“Are you,” Casey laughed, “then a good thing your mother’s away, and we have the townhome to ourselves.”

Just then, the car pulled in front of the home, and Tobias cursed under his breath.  

“What’s wrong?” Casey asked. 

“Look,” he pointed to the front steps Jordan was sitting, all man spread with a bottle of beer in his hand. “So much for alone.”

“He’s not staying here,” Casey giggled. “Let's go chat; he won't be here all night. A little patience, Dr. Carrick.”

“Jordan! What’s up?” Tobias asked as they approached.  “What are you doing outside?” 

“Waiting on you,” he said, handing each of them a cold bottle of beer.  “But I went inside to get these first.” 

“Sitting on the front steps drinking beer?” Casey gasped.  “Isn’t this going to lower the Carrick’s standing in polite society?”

“Like these Carricks ever gave a fuck about that,” Tobias laughed, but Jordan stayed silent. 

“Casey, you were really something back there,” he mumbled, staring down at his feet.  “You’re a strong woman. I’m impressed.” 

“Well, thank you. But all I did was speak my truth.  Sometimes it’s not easy, but I’ve found it’s easier than living a lie.”

“Is it?” he asked.

“I think so.  Now, I’m not sure if I’ll be invited to the next Carrick family gathering,” she laughed, “But….”

“Pfft,” Tobias spat. “If we are, we’re not gracing them with our presence.” 

“Except for Uncle Bill,” Jordan smiled. 

“Uncle Bill seems awesome,” Casey agreed.  “I think he and Aunt Mandy are the only two Carricks not mortified over having someone like me associated with the family. Hell, it’s 2021.  It’s about time the Carricks queered up a little. I’m happy to the first."

“Except… you’re not,” Jordan muttered.

Casey tilted her head in Jordan’s direction. “I’m not?” 

“Nope.  You’re just the first with the nerve to be honest... and open.  I’ve never told anyone in the family,” he looked to Tobias.  “Not even you… but I’m bisexual.” 

Casey sat down on the step next to Jordan, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.  

“Jordan… I had no idea.”

“You wouldn’t,” he shrugged.  “I’ve kept it a well-guarded secret.” 

“Why?” Tobias asked. “I mean, I get from the others, but why from me?” 

Jordan shrugged. “I’m bisexual; it’s easy to hide in plain sight if I want to.  And you know our family. I wasn’t ever planning on letting them know, so… why not keep it to myself.” 

“And that’s your prerogative,” Casey said, widening her eyes in Tobias’s direction to stave off the line of questioning she knew was about to begin. “I was much happier once I was out.  But that’s only my experience, and it should never dictate yours.  When and if you decide to be out... that’s up to you and only you.” 

Jordan placed his hand on Casey’s knee and smiled. “And until tonight, my answer to that would have been that it’s never going to happen.  But now… I’m not so sure.” 

“Well, just know if you decide to do so, you know you have my support….” Tobias assured. “At least, I hope you know that.” 

“I do,” Jordan smiled.  “Outside of a couple of friends, you two are the first people I’ve ever told, and… you know what… it feels good. I have to process this a little more, but I think I’d like to tell Ma.  Do you think she’ll be pissed?”

“You’re her son, and Mom is going to love you no matter what,” Tobias insisted. “Besides, you know Mom’s always been cool about this stuff. She’s not… the Carricks." 

“That’s a relief,” Casey sighed.  “I’m sure news of tonight's shenanigans will get back to her, and I was worried she might dislike me now.  See, this is what sucks.  Sometimes people like me until they find out… then I’m shunned.  I try not to let it bother me, but…”

“But, you’re human,” Jordan smiled. 

“Would you like to go inside and talk?” Casey asked.  “I know it’s late, but…”

“No,” Jordan smiled as he rose to his feet.  “I’m going to walk back to my place.  I have a lot to think about, but I just wanted to get this off my chest. Thank you for letting me.”

Casey stood to give Jordayna hug.  “Hey, you’re not excluding me from this!” Tobias smiled as he joined in. 

“You sure you don’t want to come in?” Casey asked again.

“Nah.  Even if I did, I know my brother,” he winked. “After what you did tonight… standing up to those people... he has to so fucking turned on!"

"I told you!" Tobias yelled as Casey covered her face.

"You sure do know him," she laughed.

"Now, get out of here. Go home, get some sleep.”

“And you get inside…," Jordan grinned at his brother. "And do… whatever you’re going to do.” 

Tobias and Casey returned to the steps. He wrapped his arm around her, and she nuzzled her head in the crook of his neck. They sat silent for several minutes as they watched Jordan walk away.

“Well, that was quite a night,” Tobias sighed.

“It didn't go exactly as you expected, did it?” 

“Nah, but in this family…I’ve seen much, much worse.”  He lifted her chin from his shoulder, turning to look her in the eye. “I love you, Casey MacTavish. I keep saying I can’t possibly love you anymore, but you keep proving me wrong.” 

“Mmm.  Let’s see if I can keep that up for the rest of our lives,” she smiled.  “Now.  You mentioned something about being all turned on? That wasn't all talk, was it?"

A wicked grin spread slowly across his moonlit face. “I’ll race you to the bedroom."

Tags on reblog.

[go-scottishgal14]

Harry FINALLY cut ties with Britain: Exiled prince lists US as primary residence for first time - amid deportation fears over past drug use

By RICHARD EDEN

PUBLISHED: 17:00, 17 April 2024 | UPDATED: 19:37, 17 April 2024

Soon after announcing his and Meghan's decision to quit royal duties in 2020, the Duke of Sussex declared at a charity event: 'The UK is my home and a place that I love. That will never change.'

Four years later, much, it seems, has changed.

The Daily Mail can disclose that Prince Harry has updated his records in this country to make clear that he no longer lives in Britain.

Filings published by Companies House today for 'Prince Henry Charles Albert David Duke of Sussex' record that his 'New Country/State Usually Resident' is now the USA. It was previously recorded as the United Kingdom.

The change comes as pressure increases on US President Joe Biden's government to release Harry's visa records after campaigners seized on comments made by the American ambassador to London that he would not be deported while the Democrat was president.

Prince Harry, pictured with Meghan Markle at a polo event in Florida on April 12, has listed the US as his primary residence for the first time.

The Sussexes' mansion is worth $14 million (£11m) and has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms 

The publicly-viewable document that shows Prince Harry is now based in the United States

The conservative Heritage Foundation think tank in Washington DC, which has gone to court to seek the release of the file, has submitted the remarks made by Jane Hartley as part of its case.

The new details, filed at Companies House for Harry's eco travel venture Travalyst, also raise serious questions about whether he can remain as a Counsellor of State, one of seven members of the Royal Family who can deputise for the Monarch if he is abroad or unwell.

By law, Counsellors of State are required to have a UK domicile, but Harry has no home here after King Charles asked the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to vacate Frogmore Cottage, a gift from the late Queen Elizabeth.

Dr Craig Prescott, an expert on constitutional law, said last year: 'We are really in uncharted waters here: the Prince Harry situation is not something the law easily allows for.

'The idea of the second son of the King choosing a life away from royal duties is not something the law has thought about, and I can imagine that Buckingham Palace would be concerned by that. 

The King had the chance to remove him with the counsellor-of-state legislation last year, but chose not to.'

Until 2022, the Counsellors of State were Queen Camilla, Prince William, Harry, Prince Andrew and his elder daughter Princess Beatrice. 

However, many considered this situation unsuitable as Harry, the Duke of York and Beatrice are not working royals.

Later that year, the King asked parliament to add his sister, Princess Anne, and youngest brother, Prince Edward, to the list.

It was reported that the King decided not to remove Harry and Andrew because he did not want to escalate family tensions and believed it was unlikely either would ever be required to deputise for him.

However, last year courtiers were keen to ensure that William returned to Britain from a solo trip to New York before the King and Queen departed for their state visit to France on the same day. 

The situation has since become even more urgent because of the King's cancer treatment.

Harry challenged the decision by the Home Office to remove his right to automatic Metropolitan Police protection when he is in Britain, even though he has offered to pay for it himself. 

After the decision was made, a legal representative for Harry has said he was 'unable to return to his home' with his family because it is too dangerous.

He has since lost the court case and potentially faces a bill of around £1million when his own legal costs are taken into account.

A judge rejected a bid to halve the amount he had to pay by saying the Duke of Sussex had 'comprehensively lost' his case.

Separately Sir Peter Lane also threw out the duke's application to appeal against the ruling, describing one section of it as 'frankly hopeless'.

The Heritage Foundation has been pushing the Department of Homeland Security to open its dossier on Harry under America's freedom of information laws.

After he admitted taking cocaine in his memoirs, Spare, he faced questions over how he had been able to move to the USA, where admitting drug use can block a visa application.

[kiloskywalker]

hi kilo! nice ask day ask for you (so very curious about your job I'm so sorry). what's your favourite destination to fly to for work AND what's your favourite non-work travel destination?

Hi @welcometololaland thank you for the nice ass(k)! This is a great question and I have to admit I had to do some thinking about it! But no need to be sorry about your curiosity! I love answering questions about it so whenever the urge strikes you absolutely fire away! I've been to so many places for work and a lot of the cool ones vary whether the layover is good (especially if its like a day or two) or the approach to the airport is super cool or even if the food in the airport terminal is bangin' while I wait. I think my favorite layover is probably either Kahului, Hawaii on the island of Maui or Kona, Hawaii on the island of Hawai'i. Obviously because the weather is so nice and they usually have us on the ground for at least two or three days so I get to go to the beach and relax. Flights to Hawaii are usually hard to get (they usually go to more senior crews) but whenever they come across my schedule I try to bid for those. I think an honorable mention is definitely Chicago O'Hare. Our airline is based in Chicago and we have a massive presence there so I'm flying there quite often. On a nice day, the approach into the airport from over Lake Michigan gives absolutely gorgeous views of downtown Chicago. I've mentioned this in a previous post somewhere, but I am originally from Chicago and grew up there. My family still lives there. But our house was right under the approach path at O'Hare and when I was little, I would always look up at the planes landing and get super excited. Now, I am literally living that dream job that little Kilo always wanted. And there are times when I fly DIRECTLY over where the house I grew up in is and imagine little Kilo getting so excited thinking about that. I'll ask my dad, but sometimes he goes out and tracks my flights and tries to get a picture of me landing or taking off from nearby and share a pic from one of those. Always super cool to see!

There are another couple of really cool honorable mentions I have to say: Mexico City has a really tough approach over the city, San Diego is similarly right in the middle of downtown, New York LaGuardia, Washington DC Reagan National (pro-tip if you're flying into DCA sit on the right side of the plane and you might get a beautiful view of the city and the National Mall when you're landing), Sint Maarten in the Carribbean is cool the approach is right over the beach (I've only been there a couple of times but its always so cool). My favorite non-work destination is so difficult. I think its gotta be either Prague, Czech Republic (I went there with my dad on vacation a few years ago and I fell in LOVE with it, or Alaska (I was there on vacation earlier this summer and it was so beautiful). Although I expect that answer to change relatively quickly. Side note: my airline has new flights this Summer from Newark to the Portuguese Azores islands out in the middle of the Atlantic (approx. 2,600 miles east of New York, and about 1,000 miles west of Portugal). They operate the Boeing 737 MAX on the route (which is one of the types I fly) and its only a summer seasonal route. My goal for next year is to try and crew that flight so I can visit! It looks so pretty and it's very high up on my list to travel!

[98kcal]

any advice on restricting while on vacation with family?

my parents and tias are going on a trip to washington dc. last time i went on a trip with them to new orleans i was 108 and ended up bi going and gaining everything back. i don't want to make the same temptations this time around and give in to cravings.

[mightyflamethrower]

To paraphrase Buffalo Springfield: There’s something happening here … what it is ain’t exactly UNclear, however.

Earlier today, Beege beat me to the Axios story based on leaks from current and former White House aides about Biden’s lack of self-awareness about his age. Supposedly these aides feel that Biden’s problem is that he’s trying to do too much, even while claiming that the 81-year-old Dotard in Chief is “extraordinarily energetic for his age.” That falls into the realm of gaslighting, as anyone who’s watched Joe Biden in public can attest.

And this part made me almost drench my computer screen with the coffee I sipped while reading it:

Why it matters: Current and former aides say Biden is extraordinarily energetic for his age. But his repeated insistence that he feels so young can draw eye rolls: Some current and former aides believe Biden doesn’t realize how old he can come across. … Current and former Biden aides say he often pushes to do more travel and events than they think he should. Biden pushing up against his limits sometimes creates a cycle in which he wears himself out, then appears fatigued during public events — which can increase concerns about his age, even when he’s taking on a rigorous schedule.

Ahem. What “rigorous schedule” might that be? Biden’s taking more vacation than any other president, spending almost as much time in Delaware as in Washington DC. This comes after a presidential campaign that barely put Biden on the trail at all, followed by almost two years of pandemic restrictions that overshadowed his lack of physical stamina for the job. These days, Biden can barely finish an extemporaneous thought on stage, and frequently looks lost when it comes time to leave it.

If Jill Biden wants Joe to have a less-rigorous schedule as President, he’d have to set up his beach chair at Rehoboth as the new Situation Room.

But the timing of this story, especially with its sourcing from “some current and former aides,” seems rather suspicious. Suddenly, everyone wants to talk about Biden’s age, a subject that the national media more or less declared taboo during the 2020 cycle even while Biden barely came out of his basement for the campaign. They’re currently obsessing over Biden’s cratering poll numbers too, without the usual caveats of poll coverage.

And that’s not all. Andy McCarthy noted last night with amazement at NRO that the Washington Post has taken a sudden interest in dot-connecting in the Biden Inc scandals. Their 4000-word deep dive into Biden family corruption ties comes at a time when both the media and the bureaucratic state seem suddenly animated when it comes to the Bidens, but the Post’s sharp turn is especially ominous for Old Joe:

Sunday’s eye-popping 4,000-word Washington Post report on Biden corruption ties is, to my mind, more indication that a serious move is under way within the top ranks of the Democratic Party establishment to nudge President Joe Biden into bowing out of the 2024 presidential race. … The timing of the Post’s report is thus intriguing. For the president, it will sting for several reasons. First, it’s the Post, a pillar of the Democratic administration’s Praetorian Guard — this is not just more brickbats hurled by House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R., Ky.) and the other Republicans investigating Biden-family influence-peddling. Second, the subject matter of the report goes back to the start of Joe Biden’s Senate career in the early Seventies (yes, the family business goes back decades), meaning the Post has intentionally dredged up unseemly details about Biden’s past that have been vaguely known for decades but that Biden must have figured were long forgotten. Third, the length of the report shows that the Post had to have spent weeks reporting its story; the paper could have dropped this report at any time, but it chose to do so now, when the president and his campaign are reeling.

A vile demented Thief in the White House??

Great Job Democrats !!!!

The democrats have sold off everything including our kid's future. When it gets bad here they'll simple disappear (Tropics???) and leave us to clean up their colossal mess.

[astramthetaprime]

Rock And A hard Place, or The Squishy Middle

So on Monday my mother was taken to the hospital. The nursing home staff couldn't get her to wake up but she was still breathing.

She's been there ever since, with virtually no change. Still hasn't responded to any stimuli. I'm told that normally when folks are on ventilators they sedate the person so they're not hurting or freaked out by having a tube down their throat. She's been off the sedation since yesterday but there's no sign of distress or waking up. And they can't figure out why.

It appears to be a confluence of things. No single thing would be the cause of this but taken together ... well.

It's not unexpected. To be honest I've been expecting to get The Call since the stroke happened. But it seems we are in the true endgame now.

And matters among the living are descending into chaos.

I do not make the decisions here. And yet, because my stepfather refuses to answer the phone, the hospital is calling me wanting decisions. But legally, I cannot make those decisions.

I can't make these decisions. Yet I am being forced to because they need to be made and my stepfather is not answering the phone. Not even for the doctors taking care of his wife during her end of life.

See, my stepfather and I don't get along. Hell, he doesn't get along with any of my family. I made it clear when he and my mother started dating (God help me, 40 years ago!) that I was done being traumatized by her so-called boyfriends and I wanted no part of it. So from the age of 14, my mother and I resided in the same house but we effectively lived separate lives. She spent every weekend with him, I spent those weekends home alone watching Dr. Who and playing my music loud and reading comic books. I enjoyed myself, was responsible for myself, entertained myself and Mom lived her life as she saw fit. By today's standards I'm sure it would be considered child neglect. Hell, when I was twelve we had a vacation in Washington DC where Mom dropped me off at the Air & Space Museum every day for a week, gave me twenty bucks for food, and left me there alone while she went off to other museums. I didn't need her then, I wasn't interested in what she did or with who, I didn't care.

I still don't.

In point of fact, I'm on the verge of hating this idiot. Because when the time comes to scrape his saggy ass off the floor, man up and take the responsibility, to figure his own shit out and take care of my mother in her last days, he refuses to answer his phone and dumps it all on me. He will take any opportunity to force me to listen to his whining and bitching about how he's so lonely when he has dozens of friends. He'll take any opportunity to try to convince me my mother was an alcoholic. I know what alcoholism looks like, and enjoying one glass of wine each night after dinner is not alcoholism.

There's a lot of questions about my mom's mental state even before all this happened, but alcoholism? Ain't one of them.

I will do what I must to keep my mom out of pain, yes. If I have to make these decisions, if I have to be the one to make the last decision, then so be it. Part of compassion is knowing when to let go. I get that. I've looked death in the eyes before, when I was too young to be expected to make the decision and too old not to realize what I saw in my Daddy's eyes. I'll make that decision. But I'll be damned if I get sued for it or threatened with criminal charges because the guy who had the actual authority suddenly realizes after the fact that I stepped over a line. I've got evidence, I've got documentation, I've got eyewitnesses that could not contact him for critical questions.

And nobody better say boo to me afterward because I expect to be left the hell alone. I think some peace and quiet and solitude to mourn my mother would not be too much to ask.

[nostalgebraist-autoresponder]

Hi Frank! Do you have any photos of your favorite vacation? :)

Yes, of course!

In the past year, I have had the following vacations (all lasting several days or more):

- February 9-12: St. Petersburg, Russia (my first non-California trip for the year)

- February 16-20: Washington DC (my second non-California trip for the year)

- November 27-December 8: Las Vegas (last week of the year, after visiting family)

I don't know if any of those photos are particularly good, but they're mine.

(There may be other trips I don't remember but am not sure about.)

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Bramhall

* * * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

September 14, 2023

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

Yesterday, Senator Mitt Romney (R-UT) announced he would not run for reelection. That announcement came just as The Atlantic published an excerpt from a forthcoming biography of Romney by McKay Coppins in which Romney expressed disgust with his Republican colleagues for feeding Trump’s lies to their voters in exchange for power and acknowledged that “[a] very large portion of my party really doesn’t believe in the Constitution.” 

Coppins had access to Romney’s private journals, correspondence, and interviews. He describes Romney as isolated from other Republicans in Washington, unwelcome first because he was disgusted by Trump and vowed to be independent of him and then because, in the first impeachment trial, Romney voted to convict on one of two charges.

Romney said that “[a]lmost without exception” his Republican colleagues “shared my view of the president,” but they refused to speak up out of fear that their voters would turn against them. Coppins recounts a weekly caucus lunch at which Republicans gave Trump a standing ovation, listened as he boasted and rambled through remarks, and then burst into laughter as soon as Trump left.  

That loyalty appears to have been behind leaders’ refusal to address rumors of violence on January 6, 2021. According to Coppins, on January 2, 2021, Senator Angus King (I-ME) warned Romney that a high-ranking Pentagon official had told King that right-wing extremists online appeared to be planning to attack the government on January 6 to stop what Trump had told them was the stealing of the 2020 presidential election. They talked of guns and arson and bombs, and they talked of targeting the traitors in Congress, among whom they counted Romney for his vote to convict Trump on one count in his first impeachment trial. King was concerned for Romney’s safety.

Romney promptly texted then–Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to recount the conversation. “There are calls to burn down your home, Mitch; to smuggle guns into DC, and to storm the Capitol,” Romney wrote. “I hope that sufficient security plans are in place, but I am concerned that the instigator—the President—is the one who commands the reinforcements the DC and Capitol police might require.” McConnell never answered. 

When even after the events of January 6, fellow senators continued to execute their plan of objecting to the counting of electoral votes for certain states, Romney called them out on the floor of the Senate for “being complicit in an unprecedented attack against our democracy.” 

Romney recalled that some senators refused to convict Trump in the second impeachment trial out of concerns for their safety and that of their families. Romney himself had hired a security detail for his family since the attack on the U.S. Capitol, but at $5,000 a day such security was out of reach for most of his colleagues. 

Just eleven years ago, Romney was the 2012 Republican nominee for president. Almost 61 million Americans voted for him. Now he is leaving public service with voters calling him a traitor and threatening his life. 

In the House of Representatives today, Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) had to pull back one of the eleven spending bills that Congress needs to pass before the end of the fiscal year on September 30 to fund the government. Extremists say they will not bring any of those bills to the floor without deeper cuts than McCarthy agreed to in a deal with President Biden earlier this year. 

In a conference meeting today, McCarthy allegedly exploded at the extremists stopping the budget process, who hold over him their power to challenge his speakership. “If you want to file a motion to vacate,” he said, “then file a f*cking motion.” Rather than backing down, an extremist leader, Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL), continued to needle McCarthy on social media.  

The House went home for the weekend. While it made no progress on the budget this week, Speaker McCarthy did manage to initiate an impeachment inquiry into President Biden in an unsuccessful attempt to appease the extremists. According to Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman and Alyce McFadden of the New York Times, those extremists have been conferring with Trump. 

Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who has led calls to impeach Biden, told the reporters that she told Trump she wanted the impeachment inquiry to be “long and excruciatingly painful for Joe Biden.” Ultimately, she says, she wants a “long list of names” of those she claims are involved in crimes with the Bidens, and when Trump wins the presidency in 2024, she wants “to go after every single one of them and use the Department of Justice to prosecute them.”

Today the independent counsel appointed by then-president Trump to investigate Biden’s son Hunter charged Hunter with three felonies related to the fact that he falsely claimed he was not using illegal drugs when he applied to buy a handgun that he owned for about 11 days in 2018. Los Angeles Times legal affairs columnist Harry Litman noted that in June, after five years of investigation, the Justice Department negotiated a plea agreement with Hunter Biden’s lawyers in which Biden would plead guilty to two tax offenses and receive probation, and a gun charge would be dropped after two years if he continued to stay drug-free. 

Although Biden had taken the unusual step of retaining Trump’s appointee, then–U.S. attorney David Weiss, to continue to investigate Hunter even after Trump’s term ended, to avoid any appearance of interference, Republicans protested what they saw as preferential treatment for the president’s son, harassing Weiss’s team and FBI agents and their families. Then the deal fell apart for reasons unrelated to Hunter.

And now Weiss has brought more charges. Litman notes that “the charges Weiss brought are rarely pursued for their own sake. The department does bring such charges against defendants who use improperly obtained firearms to commit other crimes. And in one or two instances, prosecutors appear to have used such charges against defendants whom they knew to be particularly dangerous. But this indictment over an isolated lie by a relatively harmless firearm applicant seems to be without precedent.” 

But, Litman notes, the Republicans now have something with which “to muddy the waters with respect to Trump’s multiple criminal indictments.” As if on cue, House Oversight Committee chair James Comer (R-KY) claimed that “[m]ountains of evidence reveals that Hunter Biden likely committed several felonies and Americans expect the Justice Department to apply the law equally. Today’s charges are a very small start, but unless U.S. Attorney Weiss investigates everyone involved in the fraud schemes and influence peddling, it will be clear President Biden’s DOJ is protecting Hunter Biden and the big guy.” 

Yesterday, President Biden spoke at a campaign reception. “Everybody always asks about impeachment,” he said, but he didn’t think much about it. He noted that Greene had vowed to impeach him the first day she was elected, and said: “I get up every day…not focused on impeachment. I’ve got a job to do. I’ve got to deal with the issues that affect the American people every single solitary day.”

That focus today demonstrated the vision Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have for the U.S. After yesterday’s meeting between Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and North Korea’s leader Kim Jong Un, U.S. national security advisor Jake Sullivan today held a trilateral call with his counterparts in Japan and South Korea, honoring the agreement forged at the historic trilateral summit of the three countries at Camp David in August. Together, they noted that North Korean arms exports to Russia would directly violate multiple U.N. Security Council resolutions, including ones for which Russia itself voted.

And in Largo, Maryland, today, after listing the economic accomplishments of his administration, Biden called out the Republicans for their lack of policy plans. For all the time they spend attacking Bidenomics, he said, “here’s what they never do: They never talk about what they want to do…. They tell you what they’re against. What are they for? It’s like they want to keep it a secret.” 

Biden pointed out that just months ago, Republicans threatened to default on the U.S. debt, and now they are breaking the commitment they made to resolve that standoff. Working from a budget produced in June by the Republican Study Committee, which has 156 out of 222 of the Republican members in the House, Biden explained that Congressional Republicans now are doubling down on the old trickle-down economics that “hollowed out…the middle class…blew up the deficit…produced an anemic economic growth…and…stripped the dignity and pride and hope out of a community, one after another.” 

“[Y]ou hear from our friends on the other side, the MAGA Republicans, what’s wrong with America. Everything’s wrong with America. They keep telling us America is failing,” Biden said. “Well, they’re wrong. They’re failing. America is not failing. America is winning. And there’s one reason for it: you. All you people get up every single morning and go out to try to do the right thing. You, the American people—you’re the one with grit and determination. Not me or your elected officials. You.”

“We’re the only nation based on an idea—an idea. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal, endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Look,” Biden said, “we’ve never fully lived up to it,’’ but “[w]e’ve never walked away from it.”

“These other guys are trying to walk away from it.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[bartoonist]

The Sega Bones: This is my fan art drawing of the titular Bone Cousins of the fast paced and easy to follow Jeff Smith’s Indie Comic Saga: Bone, I made this a week ago and I forgot to post it both on Instagram and here on Tumblr while I was enjoying my one week vacation in Washington DC for the 3rd time this year as I did last year, where I shopped for some awesome comic compilations/graphic novels of course, met up with a few familiar faces that happened to be vacationing there, as well some longtime old friends to me and my family since some of those familiar faces are living in DC these days too, we walked through the panoramic memorial park, and I saw both the pentagon tower and Abe Lincoln’s statue there again too, and all the other things I’ve done in DC again and again this year etc, but at least I remembered to post it on Instagram and then copy and paste the whole story I wanted to share here while also making some Tumblr Exclusive sentence changes so that I wouldn’t have to copy and write this drawing’s Post description all over again by hand this time of course, so here are the Bone Cousins with a kickass Sonic style design wearing sonic gloves and shoes, and they’ve got Sonic style Iris Ringed Pupils for their eyes too, and they’ve now got Wispons of their own too (Wispons are Wisps who shape shifted themselves into Weapons of course), I gave Fone Bone a Wispon Club like the club he once took from the Rat Creature leader: Kingdok because I thought he’d look cool with that kind of weapon in style, Phoney has Green Sai Wispons, and Smiley has an Orange Drill Spear Wispon too, I had a lot of fun drawing the Bone Cousins in that Sonic Art Style and I hope you folks like it anyway of course.

[readwithmiaa]

Exclusive Q/A session with the Author of the book, Running Mates - Emily Locker

Hello and Welcome everyone!

Today, we have the honour of hosting an author interview with Emily Locker. Thank you for joining us, and let's dive into this enriching author interview together!

1. Please tell us about yourself.

I recently returned to Washington D.C. where I live with my husband and two young sons. When I am not writing or chasing after my "lively" boys, I work as a psychotherapist in private practice. Running Mates is my first published novel, after many past (failed) attempts at getting a novel published in the past. I wrote Running Mates mostly late at night, fueled by chocolate and espresso.

2. Your recent book Running Mates likely touches on both political and personal dynamics. How did you balance these two aspects in your narrative?

I have seen so many cases in my psychotherapy practice of friends and families facing real strife, and at times estrangement, due to differing views on politics and current events. I think that in today’s society, especially with social media, politics can feel personal in a profound way. People’s very identities are entwined with their political beliefs and ethos. It can feel like an attack on self when a loved one disagrees with how you see the world.

3. Were any of your characters inspired by real people or experiences?

In my son’s DC nursery school we had president Obama’s old speech writer and Mike Pence’s old speech writer in the same class! It was inspiring watching, despite their obvious political differences, these two parents getting along so well by the end of the year through shared community and experiences (e.g,. kid birthday parties and parent outings).

4. What challenges did you face in balancing the political backdrop with the more personal, romantic elements?

My biggest challenge was trying to make sure Anna and Gabe remained likable and relatable while holding views that 50 percent of the country vehemently disagree with. Also, it was tricky to have such a passionate character like Anna, with her particular family background, reconcile her feelings for Gabe. That Gabe was so dreamy made this easier. It was hard to be mad at him for long!

5. Without giving away spoilers, what was the most challenging scene to write?

The ending! Writing an ending of a book is so complicated, tying up loose ends in a way that feels cinematic and satisfying can be a challenge.

6. Did you experience any writer’s block during the process? If so, how did you overcome it?

I overcame it by skipping to a scene I was really excited to write—like romantic scenes between Gabe and Anna—even if it was out of order with the story.

7. What are you most proud of about Running Mates?

I am most proud of the Anna and Gabe relationship. I really wanted a fun, flirty, passionate relationship and I think (at least I hope!) I managed that.

8. Are you working on any new projects? Can you share anything about what’s next?

Yes! I am halfway through the first draft of my next novel which takes place on a vacation island (kind of like Martha’s Vineyard) and deals with life-ling friendships changing. And of course there is plenty of romance!

9. If Running Mates were to be adapted into a film or TV series, who would you cast as the main characters?

Oh, this would be a dream come true! I’d love some young, yet-to-be discovered actors who are charming, dynamic and full of chemistry. Running Mates would launch their careers.

10. What challenges did you face while getting Running Mates published?

A lot of people were wary that a romantic comedy with politics could be palatable to an audience looking for a beach read. So convincing people that Anna and Gabe could charm anyone was the hardest part.

[thebookewyrme]

Conference Report: SAA Archives*Records 2024

Over a month late, but finally posting my Conference Report from SAA Archives*Record 2024. It's been a hectic year!

Whew, it’s been a busy July and first part of August, first finishing up the Creative Commons Certification I was working on for work on top of my other duties, and then going on vacation with my family to Washington DC at the beginning of August, then immediately going into the Society of American Archivists Archives*Records 2024 conference, even though I attended virtually. And then September…