#nikki & rich

[lilithism1848]

[nikki-tine]

Hi guys! Have a little something from back during the holidays :3

Sparky trying to set up decorations, and the next thing you know...

Welp. Here comes Lyuben with a steel mistletoe (and a radio, and every Mariah Carey Christmas meme known to man)!

... Yeah, let's just say Lyuben adores christmas with every fibre of his being, and it may or may not have to do with being able to actually use his huge chunks of money on something other than cosmetic purpose njerngj

[cake-chad]

Finally watched EoM ep 17 today and oh my god, absolutely slurping up all those delicious backstories

[sparklenikki]

omfg i really just wanted the unicorn. now i have only two pieces left …one being the unicorn. LOL but i only have 400 gems now!!!

[stellacaerulea]

Got Nikki some new toys

[sailoreuterpe]

I have far more in common with the Boomer who lives in Section 8 housing and uses food stamps than I do with Mark Zuckerberg.

[nininikki]

random thought but if reader were to have a name it would be naomi

[tomorrowusa]

Nikki Haley intentionally contorts her positions in order to keep voters from knowing where she really stands.

Nobel economics laureate Paul Krugman in the New York Times had a good column about Haley this week.

So it seems worth looking at what Haley stands for. From a political point of view, one answer might be: nothing. A recent Times profile described her as having “an ability to calibrate her message to the moment.” A less euphemistic way to put this is that she seems willing to say whatever might work to her political advantage. “Flip-flopping” doesn’t really convey the sheer cynicism with which she has shifted her rhetoric and changed her positions on everything from abortion rights to immigration to whether it’s OK to try overturning a national election. And anyone hoping that she would govern as a moderate if she should somehow make it to the White House is surely delusional. Haley has never really shown a willingness to stand up to Republican extremists — and at this point the whole G.O.P. has been taken over by extremists.

We pointed out about 10 days ago that Haley is just as anti-abortion as the other GOP candidates. As president, she would appoint justices to the US Supreme Court just like the Republican justices who struck down Roe v. Wade.

She is consistently with the radical right when it comes to economics and income equality.

Haley has shown some consistency on issues of economic and fiscal policy. And what you should know is that her positions on these issues are pretty far to the right. In particular, she seems exceptionally explicit, even among would-be Republican nominees, in calling for an increase in the age at which Americans become eligible for Social Security — a bad idea that seems to be experiencing a revival.

Do you wish to end up having to support your parents because President Haley got a Republican Congress to raise the retirement age to 70?

Republicans say there's a funding gap when it comes to Social Security. But instead of raising the disproportionately low taxes paid by their billionaire donors, they want to slash benefits.

[T]he system would need additional revenue to continue paying scheduled benefits in full. But the extra revenue required would be smaller than you probably think. The most recent long-term projections from the Congressional Budget Office show Social Security outlays rising to 6.2 percent of gross domestic product in 2053 from 5.1 percent this year, not exactly an earth-shattering increase. [ ... ] Anyone who says, as Haley does, that the retirement age should rise in line with increasing life expectancy is being oblivious, perhaps willfully, to the grim inequality of modern America. Until Covid struck, average life expectancy at 65, the relevant number, was indeed rising. But these gains were concentrated among Americans with relatively high incomes. Less affluent Americans — those who depend most on Social Security — have seen little rise in life expectancy, and in some cases actual declines.

Not only would Haley not raise taxes on her billionaire buddies, she would cut them even further.

Haley, of course, wants to cut income taxes. My guess is that none of this will be relevant, that Trump will be the nominee. But if he stumbles, I would beg political reporters not to focus on Haley’s personal affect, which can seem moderate, but rather on her policies. On social issues and the fate of democracy, she appears to be a pure weather vane, turning with the political winds. On fiscal and economic policy, she’s a hard-right advocate of tax cuts for the rich and benefit cuts for the working class.

The libertarian extremist Koch network has endorsed Nikki Haley. That's further proof that she's no moderate.

Koch family-backed PAC endorses Nikki Haley for president

Nikki Haley, a onetime member of the Trump administration, is little more than a more socially acceptable version of Trump. That does not make her moderate. She is to the right of George W. Bush who appointed Samuel Alito, the architect of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision which killed Roe v. Wade, to the Supreme Court.

As Tara Setmayer indicated in that video, just saying that somebody is better than Trump is a very low bar. A snake could walk over that bar.

Don't confuse what Paul Krugman calls Nikki Haley's "personal effect" with her actual far right views. We're voting for a President, not Ms. Personality.

[shiningdesignersreflections]

Sorika: Moonlight Watcher

Designer's Reflection: Moonlight Watcher

Obtained: Moonlight Watcher event

Rarity: SSR

Attribute: Purple/Sexy

Awakened Suit: Night Camouflage

Story - transcripts from Designer's Reflection

Chapter 1 - Fluffy Biscuit

Chapter 2 - Strawberry Shortcakes

Chapter 3 - Candied Cherries

Chapter 4 - Honey Scones

Story - summarized

Sorika grew up in the slums, stealing to survive. But one day, after swiping some biscuits from a bakery, she got caught. The other slum kids rushed out to try and save her, but it was too late. But not all hope was lost - the sheriff recognized what Sorika was trying to do and adopted her.

The police chief had lost his own daughter years ago, so the two bonded quickly. He taught Sorika how to fight, defend herself, and distinguish right from wrong. All was well.

Until one night, when a woman ran to their home, begging for rescue from break-ins. The sheriff took off right away. But the rest of the police force appeared at the house, barging in and destroying everything. Apparently, they caught her father trying to break into a home and harass the family. So they killed him on the spot.

Sorika knew the truth, but the officers didn't care. They stole one of her father's precious heirlooms and arrested her, a slum girl they happily claimed to be an accomplice to crime.

Years later, that same heirloom was up for auction. Sorika waited for the right time to strike. Finally, she broke in. She created enough chaos that no one noticed her - except for one waiter, who claimed she was the Black Queen of legend come to punish sinners.

Sorika walked away with her father's treasure, but not before stopping by the old bakery once more.

Connections

-We've met one of Sorika's descendants in Love Nikki. Sofia loves being an actor and dancer, but as part of the Phantom Thief family, she needed to steal. So, an agent named Lisa pretended to steal the Star Sea dress to give cover for Sofia.

-Qin Yi also grew up in the slums, too. He recounts his poor childhood before joining the troupe in his Reflection for Pollia Mist Silk.

-It's no secret that Pigeon Kingdom is corrupt. Most of Mercury's Reflections from Pigeon, about Pigeon, or including his childhood display horrific abuse and hypocrisy.

Fun Facts

-All the chapters are named after desserts.

-"Biscuit" means "cookie" in Great Britain, and Shining Nikki's translations switch between American and British dialects. So any American wondering why there was "syrup on top" of the biscuit, that's why: it's a cookie, not a bread-roll.

-Sorika is best described as an anti-hero, kind of like Robin Hood: they both commit crimes and do bad things, but only for righteous reasons, like feeding the poor.

[orcelito]

It's been a good while since I've had to interact with Rich People but sometimes I remember the 7 years of my life I spent with rich step family and it's always surreal as fuck

[eggsnatcheskneecaps]

:3

[baku-usagi]

I know I'm being nostalgic but I just want my mutual to know I love you guys. I used to be so insufferable and the amount of people who have stuck around makes me so happy, and when I reblog your posts or see you've reblogged mine it fills me with a weird hope and happiness. Thanks for being my mutuals.

[ag-updates-and-archives]

THE SOUND OF ANIMALS FIGHTING MAKE A LEGENDARY RETURN TO THE WILTERN IN LA

Check out the full gallery here

There’s nothing quite like rolling up to The Wiltern on a cloudy Los Angeles evening for a few hours of hardcore. Maybe it’s the art-deco interior, or the tiered viewing areas or the red curtains draped off to the side that sets the stage so well for energetic music - it rewards intensity and showmanship. You can get sucked into a sonic labyrinth and wander until the walls and ceiling start to resemble some long-forgotten circus grounds. And what might have once felt anachronistic outside before the snack bar entrance can quickly start to seem very much like the here and now.

Not that emo is anachronistic in the slightest. The resurgence of many favorite early 2000’s mainstays could come off as a flirtation with newcomers hopping on a trend, or old hands pedaling legend status. But in the grand tradition of emo, screamo, pop punk, and the ilk- the focus Wednesday night was firmly set on acceptance, vulnerability, and ritual catharsis through music. The grand tenets of which continuously ring true throughout decades. And we had to wait close to an actual decade for some of what was witnessed throughout the evening, more on that anon.

Record Setter kicked off the night and did an excellent job of setting the stage for what was to come with an explosive sound bouncing effortlessly between heavy-hitting screamo and chilling post-rock melodies. Concrete castles took the torch and carried it further with a high-energy set, building up to anthemic guitar-heavy beat drops and pop-inspired vocal melodies.

Hail the Sun lived up to their well-cemented history as a killer live band with a riotous post-hardcore performance. High-octane musicianship and stage presence mix exquisitely well on each song, with frontman Donovan Melero a whirling dervish of a mic stand, cable, and long hair. Halfway through their set Melero switched to playing drums (while continuing on vocals of course). Legend.

TSOAF or The Sound of Animals Fighting. What a performance. There’s always been something about the term supergroup that invites side-eye. As if music could be somehow calculated to some sum of the parts equation. But when it works, it really works. Each member on stage has a well-documented history in music bringing unique flair and creativity. And the chemical mixture indeed goes boom.

The stage was lit by 16 (I think) glowing pillars, calling forth some epic seance to commune with the spirit of a once-thought-dead band. TSOAF was performing their first recorded material in 14 years, on their first tour in 9 years. And with a powerful lineup, fronted by the inimitable Anthony Green - now feted and properly celebrated as the incredible performer that he is.  

Each song brought something new and interesting to the show.  Sometimes soft and dynamic, here a screaming crescendo, there a polyrhythmic duel between the rhythm section. There was a book read out onstage, live painter Norton Wisdom painted his interpretations of the evening in the back (an interesting watch in real time). Green swung around a weird glowing orb that somehow paired perfectly with the rest of the aesthetic. Guitar solos with wah, helium-high vocals, hugs and laughter, and acrobatics. And through it all not a false note.

When the supergroup goes right it goes so right because not only do you get musical creativity and talent, but seasoned performers bringing unique experiences all grafted onto each other in a Frankenstein’s monster of perfect execution. Like the aforementioned circus sucking the anachronism from the room, Wednesday gave us a clockwork of moving parts so smooth that in the moment we lost ourselves amidst the merrymaking and let the grand performers give us a hint of something magical.

[starburstchoir]

other things to make sure you dont forget

update your allies! i dont expect everyone to have ssrs for every type but what i do is upgrade whichever one gets auto picked by the game (i guess unless you know you have someone stronger)

do your beauty courses in guild! this increases your score for certain attributes

and again...dye your items, the more dyes you unlock for an item the more points you get!

if youre still early on i dont expect you to have much but if you've been playing as long as i have and i dont see a single dye im gonna be confused

i get some items are more annoying to dye and resources are a pain to get but always check as many of the permanent stores for doubles of items and resources to dye them!

like maybe you missed a good scoring item in a limited lightchase

but there are several permanent pieces you can work towards improving

chances are if youre struggling in endorsement its one of these 3 things above

i recently upgraded two of my allies and that was juuust the push i needed to finish 100%

[ghazalah2003]

love nikki

🦋🌌check my instagram for more...

@dollglamtrailblazer