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readjthompson · 2 months ago

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Well, since my novelette Cancel Toby Chalmers! (copyright me, now) has been sitting around, completed, for nearly 16 months, I’ve decided to share it for free, until it’s later released as part of a Toby Chalmers collection.

Here's Chapter 10.

Chapter 10

“Wow, they actually did it,” Toby announced to a hypothetical audience, alternating between primal rage catalepsy and giggly nihilism. He closed his laptop to avoid smashing it, then massaged his temples, blinking frantically. He clamped his jaw shut to stifle his screams.

All of his books’ Amazon listings were gone, as was his Author Page. So, too, had every trace of his fiction been expunged from Goodreads. Google searches turned up no literature, neither synopses nor cover art. Years upon years of honing his fiction yielded no evidence whatsoever online.

Toby had purchased author copies of his own titles before the great erasure, however: a hundred of each book, stored in boxes in his garage. Attempting to list them on eBay, he’d found his account deactivated. He’d left a copy of each in his local Little Free Library bookcase, and planned to do so again, probably. Otherwise, he wasn’t sure what to do with ’em. Would door-to-door selling gain me sales or bullet wounds? he wondered.

After composing himself slightly, feeling half-spectral, he reopened his laptop, to search for traces of his existence on social media. There, too, all evidence of his books and references to him as an author had vanished. Posts and replies branding him a racist remained, though, along with screenshots of his drunken meditation on blackness.

Joseph McCarthy Jr.’s call to action post had been edited, with every mention of Toby removed. Lest Toby feel entirely neglected, however, Joe had crafted a brand-new post in his honor, released to the masses just a few minutes prior. And, boy, was it a doozy.

Toby saw his own photo staring back at him—a squinting, smirking portrait that he’d always hoped conveyed wit, but feared imparted the opposite impression—the one he’d been using as his author photo for the last couple of years. Aside it was a second photo, its subject a strangely hirsute grade-schooler that Toby had never seen before. Beneath them, it read:

AN UNCLE’S ORISON

Oh, my wonderful, diverse social justice superstars, my much-valued supporters in horror fiction renovation, my Rocks of Gibraltar in the tempest, my radiance in the howling void, I beg of you, right now, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, please, please, please attend my plea.

After the opioid epidemic seized ahold of my sister Clementine, after she let horses sodomize her for bindles of heroin and became famous on the internet, after she overdosed in the carwash with nary a vehicle in sight, she made the courageous choice to check herself into rehab. The good gal’s been an addiction center patient for just over two months now, showing extraordinary progress, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.

Clementine has a tremendous heart and I love her dearly. So, naturally, I volunteered to take care of her son while she gets the treatment she needs. I’ve paid for his food out of my very own pocket, introduced him to some of my favorite horror films (Jordan Peele’s first, natch!), and ensured that he kept up with his schooling. Overall, Shadrach’s a great child—smart as a whip and nearly as handsome as his dear old uncle is—but he’s had some, let’s say, moral deficiencies that I’ve been helping him overcome.

As much as it shames me to admit it, the boy’s shown evidence of insensitivity to the black cause. I caught him laughing at an African American that he saw on TV, as if that individual was less human than those of other races.

Well, you know that Joseph McCarthy Jr. won’t permit bigotry in his radius, especially when it’s coming from his own family! Immediately, I devised a series of role-playing exercises to make poor, misguided Shadrach sympathize with black folks and their culture. The boy was showing great progress; congratulations were forthcoming. Then infamous racist Toby Chalmers came along and spoiled everything.

I don’t know how they first communicated—some sort of clandestine message board, I’m assuming—but one night, a fully grown fellow showed up on my doorstep, asking for Shadrach by name. The boy’s just eight years old. No way would I let him near a cisgender, racially challenged, straight man I don’t know.

“Who are you?” I asked.

“Toby Chalmers,” the man answered.

“That evil fellow from social media who thinks that blacks are worth less than dirt?”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Toby then declared. “Don’t you know that those coal-coated animals will never accept you, that they’ll rob and rape you any chance that they get?”

“Lies!” I shouted. “Black is beautiful! It is! Stay the heck away from my nephew or I’ll call the police!”

Silly me, I assumed that Toby Chalmers possessed enough intelligence to realize that I’m not a man to be trifled with, that I have pal-o-roonies all over the planet, linked by a love of horror fiction more powerful than religion. Your strength is my strength; my strength is yours.

But then I began sighting Toby Chalmers when Shadrach and I were out in public—lurking in a parking lot’s periphery, seated behind us at the movie theater, even browsing at the comic shop. As I couldn’t prove that he was stalking us yet, I tried to photograph him with my cellphone, but the man kept hiding behind his hands every time I snapped a picture. Clearly, he was planning something terrible.

My worst fears were confirmed just a few nights ago. Shadrach and I had spent the entire day together, shopping and singing, dancing and gaming, grubbing and gabbing, as close relatives do. After an invigorating supper of lobster ravioli, I left the boy to his own devices while I attended to some Transylvoria correspondence. There are many exciting things in the pipeline, believe you me (OMG, OMG, OMG, one of my favorite movie stars is thinking about writing a monthly column for us! Keep those fingers crossed, fam).

A couple of hours later, with my evening’s editorial duties behind me, I looked at the clock and realized that it was my nephew’s bedtime. Naturally, a nurturing fellow such as myself would rather die than miss an opportunity to tuck that boy into bed. My heart was so full of love; indeed, I couldn’t stop smiling.

That lip curl upended itself when my door knocking went unanswered. Entering the guestroom that I’d donated to Shadrach for the duration of his stay, I found him absent. Most of his clothes were gone. The screen was missing from the window frame.

Indeed, it seems that evil Toby Chalmers has abducted poor Shadrach, undoubtedly to indoctrinate him further in Toby’s black-hating ways. I’ve already contacted the police, but I need the help of all of you good people, too. Spread these photos and this story all across social media, so that if either of the two shows their face anywhere, the authorities and I will be notified, and Shadrach can be deconditioned, and Toby Chalmers can face justice.

Now and beyond forever, I love all of you, my exquisite, intelligent, diverse pal-o-roonies.

“What…the…fuck?” said Toby. Before his eyes, by the thousands, Joseph McCarthy Jr.’s words accrued likes and reposts. Replies sprouted every second: “Toby Chalmers can’t get away with this,” “We’ll stomp that child rapist to mush,” “Stalkers don’t belong in our country,” and myriad variations.

This smirking sack of pudge actually thinks that I visited him? Toby wondered. He thinks that I abducted his strange, hairy-faced nephew? Do I have a lookalike out there? Nah, Joe must be fabricating this story, for attention. Where’s this asshole live, anyway?

A quick internet search revealed that Joseph McCarthy Jr. and Transylvoria were based in Georgia. That’s like three states over. No wonder the cops haven’t bothered me yet. Will they, though, sometime soon? Do the posts of social media jackals carry much clout with authorities? I doubt that there are many Transylvoria fans with badges, but how can I be sure?

Whatever the case, I can’t keep letting this lit scene fascist take shots at me. People incapable of writing horror fiction don’t deserve to control it. No one does. Art should always, always, always evolve unrestrained, and have its existence acknowledged. I’m gonna have to kick this loser’s ass, aren’t I?

Grinning at the thought of Joseph McCarthy Jr.’s mouth imploding under a clenched fist, at watching that slanderous scumfuck writhing on the ground, choking on his own teeth shards, Toby navigated Transylvoria’s website.

“Holy mackerel,” he soon exclaimed. “Transylvoria’s Media Outreach Luncheon—whatever the fuck that is—is just a couple of weeks away. Joe is signing autographs there and everything.”

Perhaps I can’t fight cancel culture as a whole, Toby thought, but I can at least hurt this malefactor, this prime pile of dog shit. How satisfying will that be? I can wear a disguise and devise an escape route. If I do happen to get caught, assault’s just a misdemeanor anyway. Totally worth it.

He flexed his fingers and stretched. A mad impetus had seized him. I’ll start a literary blog under a false name on a free site and whip up a dozen quick reviews, he thought. That oughta get me through the luncheon’s registration page. Their website doesn’t take payments, so I’ll pay the fifty bucks there, in cash. I can do this. I’ve gotta do this. Fuck Joseph McCarthy Jr.

#jeremy thompson #horror #horror fiction #indie author #am writing #indie #horror reads #novelette #free novelette #free story #scary story #scary stories #cancel toby chalmers #cancel culture

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smltwnechelon · 3 years ago

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Amazon stole nearly $1,000 from me and closed my account with no real explanation! Yes really!

I don't normally post rants like this on social media.. but I am livid. I have been battling with Amazon for 19 days now, spoken to nearly a dozen customer service reps, sent countless emails and they will not do anything to resolve this issue.

On November 23rd I received a vague emails stating that my account had been closed. For weeks I spent hours each day calling Customer Service trying to get some answers and no one could seem to tell me why my account was closed. Many tried to contact other departments, submit help tickets, and inquire.. but nothing.

In this time, not only have I been unable to make purchases, but half of my devices don't work. I have an Echo Dot, 3 Fire TV sticks, a kindle.. etc. All of which don't work without an Amazon account. I am unable to access any of my video, music or e-book libraries. All of my purchased digital content, giftcards balance.. nearly $1000 worth in total.. GONE!

Finally a couple days ago (after my relentless inquires) I received another email that this time stated my account had been closed because my giftcard usage violated their Terms of Service. After reading the entire TOS document I surmised that my "violation" might be that I bought a $20 e-card from a 3rd party. However, at checkout, Amazon had automatically selected my payment method and I never thought anything of it. No warning, no error message, nothing. Instead of contacting me or asking me to pay the $20 with another method.. they deleted my entire giftcard balance (HUNDREDS of dollars) and closed my account with no initial explanation?!

Sound fishy? Oh it is! While reading the TOS I also learned that Amazon states "We reserve the right, without notice to you, to void Gift Cards (including as a component of your Amazon.com Balance) without a refund." So right there in their Terms of Service.. they say that they can steal your money without any reason and without having to tell you. By using Amazon.. you give them the right to steal from you at any time for any reason that they see fit.

Everyone already knows that this company is huge. A billion dollar company that doesn't care about anything but money. It's convenient and fast shipping.. etc. However, I would warn anyone who uses it to be very CAUTIOUS with how much you rely on it and how much content and/or money you hold on the account.. because it could all be stolen from you with the click of a button by someone sitting at a desk with nothing better to do than fill Jeff Bezos' pockets.

I had my Amazon account for over 15 years. I used it for EVERYTHING!! But I will NOT be creating a new account or giving this greed machine any more of my hard earned money. Buy local if you can. Buy from small businesses if you can. Buy from anywhere else but Amazon.. if you can! Amazon doesn't care about it's customers. That has become painfully clear.

I hope no one else has to go through what I have dealt with for the better part of a month. It's absolutely ridiculous and borderline fraudulent! #FuckAmazon

#amazon #Amazon.com #stolen money #theft #beware #warning #account stolen #giftcards stolen #1000 dollars stolen #amazon is evil #fuck amazon #jeff bezos stole my money

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a-lil-perspective · 4 years ago

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I have been silent for some time now. I have refrained from exhibiting any plaguing thoughts that might warrant me the label of “that person”, but I’m at the point where I’ve had my fill.

Ramble under the cut so as to not... offend or inconvenience anyone. There’s absolutely no obligation to read this. It’s Tumblr. You can block/ignore me. The option to do so is readily accessible.

I’ve been a Bad Batch fan since day one. While I didn’t start creating that very same day, it was relatively close. Point being, I’m a long-time dedicated fan. As the premiere to their series draws closer, I feel like there is going to be a great shift, rift here. That being said, I figured now is as good a time as any to make this post.

I love those boys beyond words. They’ve been the one constant in my life amidst a rapid and debilitating change. I love getting to give them life, even if my interpretations aren’t the most accurate.

Yes, I am a new Writer and yes, I am new to Tumblr, as I am sure both of those things are painfully apparent.

I get that it is impossible to please everyone. It’s something I’m learning more and more with each passing day. It’s something that gets harder to swallow, even more so.

I’d like to say that being here has been a largely positive experience, with all of these great connections and opportunities. But honestly? It’s been more isolating than anything. I’ve actually never felt more isolated than since I joined a year ago.

As a content creator or even just a general blogger, I don’t ask for much. I don’t ask for anything, in fact. I consider myself very low maintenance. I don’t demand/harass/play the martyr for reblogs. I have never mentioned it once, and never will. Some people on here are so damn passive-aggressive about it, and quite frankly, it’s embarrassing. It’s very stigmatizing. While I completely understand the frustration surrounding the like-to-reblog ratio, I think it’s neither tasteful nor reputable to threaten to call people out for not reblogging your fics. I wish I could say I was joking on that one. But I’ve seen it profoundly. Not cool.

And yet, no one says anything or raises any concern there.

Yet I make metas, harmless rambles, and I get shot down? Seriously?

—I need to “chill”, it’s “overkill”, I’m “overthinking”. I and my content are apparently just so damn arduous to interact with.

If you don’t like me, please just move on. There are plenty of other Bad Batch creators for you to enjoy. You know that. My work is absolutely not the final say, and I’ve never claimed it to be.

What is so wrong, with sharing one’s thoughts? Why do people inherently have a problem with other’s creative efforts? I see it time over again. Why do I feel like if I was making a bunch of smutty posts it wouldn’t be as much of a problem, that it in fact would be infinitely more welcome? (Absolutely NO shade to people who create smut, okay? I’ve made my own share. I admire those bold enough to do so regularly. I absolutely love them. Please teach me your ways).

This ramble really has nothing to do with the most recent event regarding my contributions. Rather, it’s a culmination of experiences over the past several months that have brewed and festered to the point where I can no longer keep downplaying it.

Social media, at its core, is one big popularity contest. It always has been, it always will be. But I’m not here to win. That’s never been my objective. That’s not what I’m about. Surprise (or not), I am not a popular blog. Not by a long shot. I’ll never claim otherwise.

I don’t ask people to view/interact with my content, I’m not an activist, I can’t even fathom exuding that kind of confidence. Even though I, admittedly, crave it. I suspect I crave interaction as much as the next creator. It’s a nice feeling. Yet there’s never been any obligation for it, especially with me, so I don’t understand what the problem is. As I’ve said, there are ample ways for you to block/avoid me. It’s the internet. In this day and age, there’s no excuse for viewing anything you don’t want to.

I came here in the hopes of finding like-minded individuals, uplifting and interacting, and exercising some otherwise stunted creativity.

All Tumblr as taught me is that creating and contributing is largely a thankless, empty endeavor. You can give and give and give and be reduced to nothing. There’s a profound imbalance between “giving” and “receiving”, and in regards to both ends of the scale, it’s became apparent to me that if you don’t cater heavily and in unreasonable degrees or get “noticed” by a popular blog, you get nothing, and your efforts are null and void.

Truthfully? I constantly feel like I walk on eggshells here, and it’s all I can do to not crack under the pressure, even though it’s my blog and my headspace. I should feel comfortable and free to express myself here, and I don’t, and I’m unsure of how to achieve that sense of stability. To be completely honestly I feel like a constant bother and a nuisance. When I post, I literally feel like there is a collective eye-roll that comes with people receiving a notification from my blog. Even though I know, rationally, that can’t be true, that’s an absurd level of thinking. I can’t say I can pinpoint exactly where it stems from.

But regardless: I hardly ever talk about/create the things I actually want. I only recently just got ballsy enough to share some metas, and we all know how well that’s going. I try not to have smut out of respect for my asexual/minor mutuals, even though the tag to blacklist is very much an option. I try not to bring up conflicting topics, Tumblr, political, or otherwise, even though with proper tagging I could. But I try not to even bring that into existence. Even though it’s my right to, I don’t.

I don’t actually feel like I fit into any narrative here, especially in the Bad Batch fandom; even though we are all basically the same steadfast group of bloggers. We all know who we are. We all coexist in the same space. It’s nearly impossible to be unaware of each other, at this point.

And yet, I’m not in a bunch of Discord servers or backed by a team of beta readers and all that jazz. It’s basically just me talking to myself out here. It’s very isolating.

Part of that—most of it—is my own crippling social anxiety, and the genuine belief that I don’t deserve to be in the same space/servers as all of these brilliant creators. Because I’m just me, and there’s not a whole lot of value there. With that mindset, it’s hard to actually feel like I belong anywhere. I know that is a mindset I have to conquer alone.

My excitement over my creations has largely dwindled into nothing. I seldom ever bounce my ideas off of others—another issue that stems from the fear of presenting as a burden—and even though I try to write for myself, even that fire has pretty much died out. I’m not even sure how or if I could even reignite it, at this point. It’s really quite sad. It makes me very sad, actually. All I wanted was to safely ramble, project all my thoughts and creativity that has otherwise been repressed through prolonged detrimental circumstances.

More than anything, I wanted to find and hold onto something that makes me feel useful, meaningful, happy. More and more I wonder if that’s even possible. I don’t think it is, not here. I often wonder if joining and sharing on Tumblr was a horrible mistake. I miss the innocent joy of when I first started creating. It was so simple. I’m trying to find that simplicity again.

But I’m burned out. I’m running on fumes. I have been for some time.

At this point it goes beyond just “taking a break” from Tumblr. It’s the fact that it all feels like this meaningless, monotonous cycle. I wonder every day if I am an isolated case in experiencing these emotions.

And yet, come tomorrow I will still be here, business as usual.

I’m not asking for sympathy or playing the victim or attacking anyone or trying to guilt-trip into more interaction. I am very aware of my shortcomings and incorrect mindsets. I’m just trying to make sense of it all. I feel very disconnected from everyone here and it’s lonely. This took a lot for me to share. I will most likely delete this because anxiety will eat me up, as it does with everything I post. Yes, everything.

#personal #lil rambles

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is6621 · 4 years ago

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TikTok Deepens its Fashion Influence with #TikTokFashionMonth – Jude Greenspan

While the fashion industry was initially slow to embrace TikTok, the popular app has made headway in recent months as fashion brands and influencers have increasingly recognized TikTok as a platform to showcase their creativity in a new way. Most recently, TikTok announced its hosting its very own Fashion Month. With the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the global fashion industry’s most important season – Fashion Week – TikTok is filling the void by partnering with major brands to bring immersive virtual events to users around the world.

According to articles on the announcement, TikTok fashion week is running from September 10 through October 8, and is featuring virtual runways, style sessions, and other opportunities for brands to showcase their latest collections straight from the platform. Brands participating in TikTok Fashion Month include established labels such as Louis Vuitton, Alice + Olivia, Saint Laurent, and Puma. Gen Z style icons who have risen to prominence on the platform are also set to participate in a number of the virtual events, including a final event that will feature top TikTok influencers strutting the virtual runways. And the events are already underway – just this past Tuesday Dior presented its Spring/Summer 2021 show live on the platform, and Louis Vuitton is set to do the same for its show next week.

This month-long event is just another sign of how TikTok is playing an increasingly influential role in the luxury fashion market. A growing number of major fashion brands have recently launched official TikTok platforms, including Balenciaga, Fendi, and Gucci. Major fashion figures have also forayed into the TikTok world, including high fashion models like Bella Hadid and Cara Delevingne as well as influencers of Instagram fame like Brittany Xavier.

Despite this recent growth, some brands were initially hesitant to venture into TikTok for a number of reasons. As UK Vogue editor Naomi Pike pointed out, “On TikTok, imitation is the highest form of flattery – traditionally something the fashion industry has railed against.” Furthermore, TikTok’s very format of simple, short-form videos initially seemed at conflict with the luxurious, polished images that many high-end brands have cultivated. But fashion brands have started to see many benefits of the platform – including that it provides the opportunity to gain insight and build relationships with the Gen Z consumer.

As luxury brands have grown more comfortable with TikTok, these companies have increasingly been finding new ways to leverage the platform to engage consumers in an authentic manner. Kristina Karassoulis, who leads luxury brand partnerships for TikTok in Europe, explained how fashion brands are adapting their typical strategy for TikTok users – who prize more authentic, self expressive content vs. the glossy, perfect-life image that is the norm on Instagram. As Karassoulis said, “With luxury there was this real unattainable strive for perfection, but we’re now saying that there’s this flawed side that our audience loves. It’s not about changing the brand’s message or core brand values, but it is about changing the way that you speak to the audience.”

As such, luxury brands that have found success on TikTok thus far have done so by tapping into existing TikTok trends. For example, Gucci joined in on the #GucciModelChallenge – a trend originated by TikTok users that involves mimicking a traditional Gucci model look. Even though users joining in on the challenge weren’t necessarily wearing Gucci clothes, the brand nevertheless took some of the chic TikToks that utilized the challenge and re-posted them to the official Gucci TikTok page. Balenciaga has also tapped into existing TikTok trends, like the popular use of ASMR, in its own TikTok videos.

I see TikTok’s growing use by the fashion industry as another win for the company. Since nearly the dawn of social media, fashion brands and influencers have been a major part of social media culture – and fashion brands clearly present a major revenue opportunity. I also see fashion partnerships as a natural fit with TikTok’s platform – which allows for creative expression. On the other hand, Instagram still remains the dominant platform of choice for many apparel brands – with its polished aesthetic and multitude of fashion influencers who have risen to fame on the platform. With the recent launch of Reels, some influencers and brands may be even more hesitant to invest in TikTok. It will be interesting to see whether brands continue to view TikTok as a unique opportunity to connect with younger consumers and promote their brands, or if competition with Instagram and other concerns over TikTok’s future ultimately prevail.

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lognecro · 4 years ago

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I’m getting job training at Bonehaven learning center

I’m typing this on my phone because I don’t have a computer, but i’m hoping to get one in the next month. Anyways, my name is Logan, and I had no direction in life. I was born on March 22, 2003, so i’ll be 18 in about a month. I have a few interesting things about me that might be important for this blog. I am autistic, I suffer from several mental disorders that cause psychosis, anger issues, and in general destructive behavior. I dropped out of high school midway through junior year, and have been through the process of getting my ged while holding down a job at a grocery store.

I don’t know when but my parents found out about a program called Job Corps, and I filled out an application. I’ll be going to the Bonehaven center in Oregon, where I will be trained in SAPS(Security and protective services). This should be happening in the next few months, but since right now my life is doing pretty poorly social wise, I thought writing a journal might help. I don’t like being trapped in my own bubble though, so i’m doing a blog. Instead of screaming my thoughts onto paper, i’ll be doing it into the void that is the internet.

My hobbies include reading and writing, listening to music, and practicing bass(I’m not very good at it). I’m hoping in the future though to write my own music, or at least perform in a band. My main dream is to become a ghost and monster hunter though, traveling the United States checking out hotspots of folklore and supernatural activity. Sadly I have to focus on reality, and that’s why I am doing SAPS with Job Corps, I’m not an idiot but i’m not the smartest guy either, and despite me having a bit of a weight issue, when i’m working out regularly I have body builder muscles and i’m absolutely swol.

Right now me and my friends are going through a rough patch, I spend too much money and time on my friend Ivy, while I barely spend time with Jenny. It doesn’t help that they hate each other and refuse to be in the same room together. Ivy is super needy and texts me every day to hang out, which makes me irritable most of the time so I usually lie and say I’m working because I need my alone time. Jenny never texts me and I rarely see her cause she lives a couple towns over, and I don’t have my license yet so I always have to ask for a ride.

I’m hoping to get my license soon, but with this pandemic, it’s been nearly impossible to get an appointment set up. I have this old convertible Chrysler that my grandma gave me, it needs a new battery and hood, and before I take it in to get fixed, I have to scrub the inside down with bleach because of all the mold. It’s a really nice car though and I hope to have it running in a couple months. I have a bit of an energy drink addiction and right now I’m in love with these zero calorie, 300 mg caffeine drinks. I get the new red dragon flavor and it’s just a really good and smooth fruit punch flavor.

At my job, I’m the closing parcel, so i’m the guy pushing carts and cleaning the restrooms, though I refuse to clean the womens restroom after I had done my whole *knock knock* “HOUSEKEEPING, ANYBODY INSIDE?!?!?” routine, and nobody answered, so I walked in and in the first stall, a woman was...having some fun I guess, awkward thing was she stared me in the eyes and only did it more furiously, so I just don’t go in there anymore. My bosses are generally very pleasant and easy to work with, except for Big Bitch and Little Bitch, who I will not say their names as to not reference their names.

Big Bitch has no idea how to manage people, and has a thick accent that makes it very hard to understand him. He’s the one that tells me to go vacuum the front lobby when the cart bays are over flowing and people are complaining. Little Bitch has absolutely no empathy or awareness of his surroundings, he generally wanders off to go talk to customers or check his phone, while he lets the assistant manager do all the hard work of managing the front end. The assistant managers are the people I can actually respect, because they’re real people instead of an annoying character that only exists to make my day harder.

In general I don’t have to do much most days, and take long breaks because people often don’t use carts or make massive messes, you’d think they would but it’s only happen a couple times in the year i’ve worked here. At home I live in a repurposed bathroom, where the sink, bathtub, and toilet had all been removed and paved over to turn the room into an exceptionally large storage room, where I have a twin sized bed, a tv, and an xbox that I never play. Often at night, I can hear my parents having sex over my music because the walls are so thin. Getting drunk or high helps, but most days I just turn the tv up high or listen to music via my headphones.

I’m going to be switching to a flip phone, because I want to stop using social media as often, and I just think they’re cool. I love old tech. I’m making the switch after I get a laptop, so that i’ll still have a way to update this blog. Anyways I’ve, recently been getting into the occult, mainly to explain my prophetic dreams that are either random events that i’m going to experience or end of the world scenarios that happen in other universes. My mom had the ability to see and conjure the dead, and my brothers inherited that ability, but I didn’t. While i’m sensitive to the supernatural, I can’t perceive what’s around me, only what’s in my head

I initially thought it was some sort of schizophrenia the voices in my head, but even after taking anti psychotics and getting monthly injections, they never went away. I never told anybody though, because I don’t want to go to a hospital again. I’ve been trying to categorize and place the voices, but they’re not the same every time, and they’re not talking to me. They’re just talking, it’s like eavesdropping on a conversation that doesn’t exist, but yet some how, the information I hear is usually about the people around me, some random stuff, and me. I’m currently in the small break room, with an ear bud in my right ear and two conversations going on to my left.

One is my coworkers talking to each other, and the other one is a man talking to a woman, I don’t really know what it’s about but a few snippets are “Yeah I piss in the milk, they can’t tell though. I’ve managed to open a door, gonna try to do that again soon. I made about 3 kids cry again, honestly if I could I’d make a career out of it”

Just random things like that, in general though the conversation seems to be about somebody named and I don’t know how this is spelt so this is a guess, “Hephitus” I have no idea who that is, but it seems like they’re talking about a person. I hear this name every now and then, but they dropped this name a few times and in general it’s them just verbally shitting on him/her, pretty much what I do when i’m talking about somebody. I typically ignore these convos but right now i’m bored, so I got nothing better to do. I have to go back to work now though, so Imma go. I’m going to try posting daily, so let me know what you think. This has been Logan or LogNecro, and this is my blog

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newstfionline · 4 years ago

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Thursday, February 18, 2021

Climate Change Means Trouble for Power Grids (NYT) Huge winter storms plunged large parts of the central and southern United States into an energy crisis this week, with frigid blasts of Arctic weather crippling electric grids and leaving millions of Americans without power amid dangerously cold temperatures. The grid failures were most severe in Texas, where more than four million people woke up Tuesday morning to rolling blackouts. Separate regional grids in the Southwest and Midwest also faced serious strain. As of Tuesday afternoon, at least 23 people nationwide had died in the storm or its aftermath. Analysts have begun to identify key factors behind the grid failures in Texas. Record-breaking cold weather spurred residents to crank up their electric heaters and pushed power demand beyond the worst-case scenarios that grid operators had planned for. At the same time, a large fraction of the state’s gas-fired power plants were knocked offline amid icy conditions, with some plants suffering fuel shortages as natural gas demand spiked. Many of Texas’ wind turbines also froze and stopped working. The crisis sounded an alarm for power systems throughout the country. Electric grids can be engineered to handle a wide range of severe conditions—as long as grid operators can reliably predict the dangers ahead. But as climate change accelerates, many electric grids will face extreme weather events that go far beyond the historical conditions those systems were designed for, putting them at risk of catastrophic failure.

‘A complete bungle’: Texas’ energy pride goes out with cold (AP) Anger over Texas’ power grid failing in the face of a record winter freeze mounted Tuesday as millions of residents in the energy capital of the U.S. remained shivering with no assurances that their electricity and heat—out for 36 hours or longer in many homes—would return soon or stay on once it finally does. “I know people are angry and frustrated,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who woke up to more than 1 million people still without power in his city. “So am I.” In all, between 2 and 3 million customers in Texas still had no power nearly two full days after historic snowfall and single-digit temperatures created a surge in demand for electricity to warm up homes unaccustomed to such extreme lows, buckling the state’s power grid and causing widespread blackouts. More bad weather, including freezing rain, began arriving Tuesday night. Making matters worse, expectations that the outages would be a shared sacrifice by the state’s 30 million residents quickly gave way to a cold reality, as pockets in some of America’s largest cities, including San Antonio, Dallas and Austin, were left to shoulder the lasting brunt of a catastrophic power failure, and in subfreezing conditions that Texas’ grid operators had known was coming.

Military recruitment (Foreign Policy) A meager job market has given military recruitment a boost around the world, the Wall Street Journal reports. In Canada, applications to join the armed services surged 37 percent over the last nine months of 2020 compared to the previous year. Australia reported a 9.9 percent annual increase in applications. The United Kingdom met its military recruitment targets for the first time in seven years and in the United States, 92 percent of eligible personnel re-enlisted, compared to just 83 percent the previous year.

Volunteer paramedics patrol streets of Venezuela’s capital (AP) Venezuela’s deepening crisis has gutted emergency ambulance services, so a group of volunteer paramedics has stepped into the void to offer life-saving help on the tough streets of Caracas. Calling themselves Angels of the Road, the volunteer corps relies on donated medical supplies and funding from international organizations. Despite receiving no paychecks, its roughly 40 paramedics are ready at a moment’s notice to jump onto motorcycles and fire up their single ambulance and race into the streets. Jonathan Quantip, 44, said he and co-founder Zuly Rodiz launched the project two years ago after watching their native Venezuela precipitously decline over years of political and social crisis. “We Venezuelans have to solve our own country’s problems,” Quantip said. “We have to use the skills we’re each good at.” The group works on a shoestring budget with nothing left over for wages, so each paramedic relies on another source of income. Some donate their off-time after working in hospitals and firehouses. Others flip burgers in fast-food restaurants.

‘We are like captives’: life in Britain’s quarantine hotels (Reuters) Mohamed Noor faces 10 days in COVID-19 quarantine in a hotel room near London’s Heathrow Airport after falling foul of new border controls because of a flight delay. “I don’t have a book. I don’t have a Koran. I don’t have nothing here,” Noor, a 55-year-old Muslim, said by phone after his arrival on Monday, a day later than planned, landed him with a 1,750-pound ($2,400) bill. In another hotel nearby, 61-year-old Sole, who declined to give her surname, said she realised too late that the new rules would kick in before she returned from visiting friends in Chile. “We are like captives in these rooms,” she said. Britain says the measures, effective since Monday, are needed to protect its COVID-19 vaccination programme and guard against new coronavirus variants. People returning from any of 33 “high-risk” countries where travel to Britain is banned must pay 1,750 pounds for a 10-day quarantine hotel package. After being taken by bus to government-contracted hotels, they must spend most of the time in their rooms and have meals delivered to their door.

Toothless travel restrictions (Foreign Policy) Irish holidaymakers have suddenly shown a keen interest in dental hygiene as they attempt to shirk strict lockdown measures to escape the bleak North Atlantic winter. Traveling for “essential medical, health or dental services” is allowed under Ireland’s coronavirus restrictions, leading to a surge in dental surgery appointments in Spain’s Canary Islands. Roberta Beccaris, a receptionist at a dental surgeon’s office on the island of Tenerife, reported taking multiple calls from prospective Irish clients, who have demanded e-mail confirmations of the bookings. Police can issue fines to rule-breaking travelers of roughly $600, although they are powerless to stop those with proof of a medical appointment. “Obviously as they are not turning up, we now understand it is just an excuse for a holiday,” she told RTÉ radio.

Spain betting on vaccine passports to revive summer tourism (Reuters) Spain hopes the introduction of vaccination passports combined with pre-travel COVID-19 testing will allow British tourists to return to Spanish destinations this summer, a tourism ministry source told Reuters on Tuesday. The government has no plans to introduce quarantines on foreign visitors, and was also counting on a wider agreement to be hammered out between Europe and Britain to remove restrictions on non-essential travel, the official added. Over 2020, as global travel was dramatically curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic, foreign tourism to Spain—one of the world’s most visited countries—fell 80% to just 19 million visitors, a level not seen since 1969.

China steps up online controls with new rule for bloggers (AP) Ma Xiaolin frequently wrote about current affairs on one of China’s leading microblogging sites, where he has 2 million followers. But recently, he said in a post, the Weibo site called and asked him not to post original content on topics ranging from politics to economic and military issues. “As an international affairs researcher and a columnist, it looks like I can only go the route of entertainment, food and beverage now,” the international relations professor wrote on Jan. 31. Ma, who often posted on developments in the Mideast, is one of many popular influencers working within the constraints of China’s heavily censored web who is finding that their space to speak is shrinking even further with the latest policy changes and a clean-up campaign run by the country’s powerful censors. Beginning next week, the Cyberspace Administration of China will require bloggers and influencers to have a government-approved credential before they can publish on a wide range of subjects. Some fear that only state media and official propaganda accounts will get permission. The latest move is in line with ever more restrictive regulations under President Xi Jinping that constrict an already narrow space for discourse. The Chinese leader has made “digital sovereignty” a central concept of his rule, under which authorities have set limits and increased control of the digital realm.

Japan’s ruling party wants more women at meetings—unless they talk (Reuters) After a sexism row sparked by Tokyo Olympics chief’s saying women talked too much at meetings, Japan’s ruling party wants women at key meetings—but only if they don’t talk. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party has proposed a new plan that allows five female lawmakers to join the party’s key meetings as observers. Toshihiro Nikai, the party’s 82-year-old secretary general, said on Tuesday that he heard criticism that the party’s board is male-dominated, but added that the board members are elected. But it is important for the party’s female members to “look” at the party’s decision-making process, he said. Those female observers can’t speak during the meetings, but can submit opinions separately to the secretariat office, the daily newspaper Nikkei reported. Requiring female observers at meetings to remain quiet has drawn criticism that the party is out of touch.

Big protests across Myanmar as UN expert fears violence (AP) Demonstrators in Myanmar gathered Wednesday in their largest numbers so far to protest the military’s seizure of power, as a U.N. human rights expert warned that troops being brought to Yangon and elsewhere could signal the prospect for major violence. U.N. rapporteur Tom Andrews said he was alarmed by reports of soldiers being transported into Yangon, the biggest city. “In the past, such troop movements preceded killings, disappearances, and detentions on a mass scale,” he said in a statement issued late Tuesday by the U.N. Human Rights office in Geneva. “I am terrified that given the confluence of these two developments—planned mass protests and troops converging—we could be on the precipice of the military committing even greater crimes against the people of Myanmar.” Wednesday’s turnout in Yangon appeared to be one of the biggest so far in the city. Protesters have adopted a tactic of blocking off streets from security forces by parking vehicles in groups with their hoods up and the excuse of having engine trouble.

Anti-Chinese Sentiment in Myanmar (Foreign Policy) Widespread protests against the Feb. 1 military coup in Myanmar have taken on an increasingly anti-Chinese tone, with rallies held outside the Chinese Embassy in Yangon, Myanmar and calls growing for boycotts of Chinese goods and services. Misinformation is spreading, including rumors that Chinese soldiers have infiltrated Myanmar and that Chinese software will be used to set up a Great Firewall. On balance, it seems unlikely that China supported the coup, especially given its relatively good relationship with the National League for Democracy. Anti-Chinese sentiment has a long history in Myanmar, both on the national level and at the local level, due to conflicts among ethnic Chinese communities and others. Chinese investment projects have been major flash points, especially the Myitsone Dam, which was suspended in 2011 following the move toward democracy. Locals have decried the environmental impacts and forced relocations associated with such projects, while Beijing has been keen to get them restarted. There is also growing anti-Chinese feeling across Southeast Asia. Many young people see parallels between the 2019 Hong Kong protests and their own resistance against local authoritarianism. China’s tactless authoritarianism and resentment toward outsiders contributes to that solidarity, but the main driver is the willingness of local autocrats and the uber-rich to suck up to China for their own ends. That can mean, as in Myanmar’s case, that China is blamed even when it hasn’t actually done much.

Sidelining MBS (Foreign Policy) The United States will downgrade its engagement with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as part of the Biden administration’s drive to “recalibrate” relations with the kingdom, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Tuesday. President Joe Biden will instead conduct diplomacy through Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz, dealing a blow to the crown prince’s standing in Washington.

Gunmen kidnap at least 20 boys from Nigerian boarding school (Washington Post) Gunmen stormed a north-central Nigerian boarding school early Wednesday, kidnapping at least 20 teenage boys, the local governor said—the second mass abduction of children to shake the country in three months. The attackers raided the Government Science Secondary School in the town of Kagara before sunrise and dragged the classmates into the dense woods. Three teachers and 12 family members also vanished into the night, Abubakar Sani Bello, the governor of Niger state, said on television. Schools in the region have been shuttered. Helicopters hovered over the treetops as security forces continued their search and, by midmorning, authorities were still counting the missing.

#headlines #news

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solastia · 5 years ago

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Dear Authornim | 2

Pairing: Kim Seokjin x Reader

Word Count: 1,862

Summary: You’re a writer of BTS fanfiction. rockstarjin is your favorite reader that you’ve actually come to be friends with…and maybe had a bit of a crush on if you were honest. You’re up for quite the surprise.

Warnings: Not really much this chapter. Single instance of the word whore, but no one was calling someone that. It was just a comment. Semi-vague sort of sexting (you’ll see).

Notes: I might make a separate chapter after this is done - like a bonus type thing - featuring some comments from rockstarjin, if you guys are interested. I wasn’t sure if everyone would want to see them or if they’d bore you, so I kinda glossed over that. Let me know if that’s something you’d want! Commissioned by @kimseokmomjins

Being a writer - even if it’s simply for fanfiction - you take comments and reviews very seriously. A good comment or review can lift your spirits and leave you smiling for a whole day. A negative comment often leaves you questioning everything and going over your chapters with a fine-tooth comb. The rare unicorns were the readers that took the time to leave long and detailed comments, stating exactly what they liked and disliked about the latest chapter. Many of these were filled with valuable suggestions and helped you decide the path that your stories would take.

One such unicorn was named rockstarjin, a reader that had been following your work for nearly a year now. His first comment had practically been drabble-sized, and had covered everything from his enjoyment over how realistically you characterized Kim Seokjin to how he was certain he would never use the “W” word (he literally typed out “W” word instead of whore, something you still teased him over to this day).

That first review of his was only one of many. He took the time to give detailed reviews on every single chapter you posted until you discovered that in your head you were practically writing for him. It had even gotten to the point where several of your stories were ideas that the two of you had chatted about on tumblr for months, working through every detail. He still seemed a little iffy on the smut, but he’d gotten you to consider the idea of writing Seokjin as “Less aggressive” in the bedroom.

Your friendship had grown until you were now friends on practically every social media app - nevermind that his profiles were always suspiciously void of personal information. The more that you talked to “Rocky” (you started calling him that months ago since he didn’t seem excited about telling anyone his name, though he knew yours), the more you looked forward to interacting with him.

You couldn’t even explain really why you were getting so attached to some blank face behind the screen. You didn’t even know all that much about the real him, just small observations from chats. Like, you knew that he seemed similar to Seokjin in a lot of ways, which is probably why he claimed him as a bias.

Rocky was very fond of puns and dad jokes, often sending you one first thing in the morning on KKT instead of a hello or good morning like a normal person. This morning it was, “Why did the tomato turn red? Because it saw the salad dressing.” You were ashamed that they always made you laugh at least a little bit, but it made you happy that one of the first things he thought to do in the morning was send you something.

He was also fond of talking to you about food and recipes, acting affronted whenever you mentioned not knowing what something was. He would literally bully you into going to the grocery store and buying the ingredients he’d list out, demanding pictures of the final product like he was Gordon Ramsey. You had to admit he had good taste in food, even if you didn’t think your cooking skills were quite on par with his. It sometimes made you wonder if he was a chef, but the one time you’d brought it up he’d claimed to be too damn tired to cook and was living vicariously through you. Of course, that led to you asking what he did that got him so tired and he gave you another vague answer, stating he was in entertainment. Whatever the hell that meant.

It bothered you sometimes that even after all this time he was disinclined to tell you anything, but you couldn’t help it as your feelings slowly evolved from those of friendship to...well, something more. You were a little hesitant to use the L word, considering you only knew what he wanted you to know, but you definitely had a crush at least. Not surprising considering he seemed to be everything you were looking for. He was considerate and compassionate, funny, creative, and so many other things. However, the fact that he was so very loud and proud about his love for Seokjin made you avoid looking at your feelings too closely. Because while you were over here pining for him, the only person that praised Seokjin more than Rocky was Kim Seokjin himself. And that could mean any number of things.

Even when he helped you with smut ideas he got you excited. He had slowly gotten you to lean away from always writing Seokjin as some powerful dom - something your other readers had begun to notice and comment on - and now most of your scenes had him as being the more submissive one. He seemed to like it best when the main character was more of a soft dom, willing to take charge and take care of Seokjin. Rocky claimed that a man like Seokjin who was always working hard and worrying about one thing or another would relish the idea of being taken care of. You had to admit it made sense.

You sigh and glance at your phone again, noting the lack of notifications. Your morning pun was the last you’d heard from Rocky today, something that had been happening for a few days now. Considering BTS was on tour right now, you’d expected a lot more messages about how he thought Seokjin was especially handsome today. Instead, for almost a week it had been nothing but your morning jokes and once he sent you a picture of his fancy looking dinner complaining about the portion size. You were beginning to really miss him, but you figured he must be busy.

You wanted to scream with him today, considering BTS was finally going to be in your city in a couple days. You’d bought the tickets months ago, and Rocky had even convinced you to get pit tickets, something you never do because it’s basically a gladiator stadium up there. You were currently waiting for one of the boys to show up on vlive since the last concert before they traveled to your city had just finished a bit ago. It had been a fantastic show and Seokjin had looked as beautiful as always. You hoped he would be the one to go live, but that was rare unless he was with another member.

Suddenly, your phone beeps and shows a message on KKT.

Rocky: Kill me

You smile widely, excited flutters starting in your belly. It was ridiculous how pleased you got just to hear from him.

You: Is there an option B?

Rocky: We could run away and start a new life on a deserted island. Our descendants will become known as the most beautiful people on the planet.

You blush and force yourself to cough to cover up the giggle that threatened to escape.

You: Is that so?

Rocky: Naturally. They all take after me, of course.

You: Of course.

You: What brought this on?

Rocky: I’m so damn tired. My body hurts and I just want to sleep for a week.

You: Oh no! Do you have time to soak in the bath? Epsom salt works wonders.

Rocky: I’ll be able to soak later. Right now I’m just forcing myself to stay awake long enough to eat. I feel like a zombie.

Rocky: Hey, why did the zombie cross the road?

You: Why?

Rocky: TO EAT THE CHICKEN 🤣

You: 🤭

You: Really though, take care of yourself. I don’t want you getting sick on me.

Rocky: How would you take care of me?

You gasped, peering hard at the phone. This was new. Of course, you could be reading this the wrong way, and he’s simply asking to ask.

You: Depends. Are you asking for tips or in the white boy “What would you do if I was there with you” way?

Rocky: Let’s try it this way. Say I’m Kim Seokjin. I’m tired and hurting after another long night of performing. You’re waiting for me in my hotel room. How would you take care of Jin?

You: Omigosh, are you voluntarily helping with a smut scene?

Rocky: Sure

You: Ok, let's see. This scene can’t get too crazy if he’s tired like that. I think mostly I would focus on his comfort.

So, he’d show up and I’d already have a bath waiting and food on the way. Maybe some aromatherapy candles are lit and some quiet instrumentals in the background. I’d let him soak until the food got there, hang out in the bathroom with him and let him vent to me if he wanted.

After his meal, I would put a towel on the bed and have him lay on top so I could rub him down with massage oil. Naked, of course ;)

I’m sure he gets it from professionals, but I think he’d appreciate it right after a concert and bath.

Then, it would just depend on what kind of story it was. I could either rub him down like that until he falls asleep, or it could go the smut way. There are lots of options for that too depending on the story. I could give him a handjob while I talk sweetly to him, I could ride him and tease him, maybe peg him if he’s into that. Anything that would keep him soft and pliant, because the goal is to get him comfortable and happy. To show him he can just let go with me, let me be in charge of his pleasure. Show him he’s loved and cherished.

Rocky: Fuck

You: Too much? 🙊

Rocky: No

The phone was silent for a whole two minutes. Surely he’d heard worse from you, so you didn’t think you’d freaked him out or something. When another message came in you breathed a sigh of relief.

Rocky: So, I’m gonna be in your city for the concert

You: No shit?! I can suggest so many great places for you to eat!!!

You: Or if you wanted, we could meet up? No pressure and I totally won’t be offended if you don’t want to. Stranger danger and all that.

Rocky: You know what

Rocky: Let’s meet

#btssmutclub #bts #bts fanfic #kim seokjin #seokjin #jin #seokjin fanfic #seokjin x reader #dear authornim #solastia

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greatbritishsimchallenge · 4 years ago

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That’s it for today

After nearly a full year of design and play, today I shared the GBSC.

This is a huge deal for me. I have NEVER shared anything on the internet like this before. I don’t even have social media accounts.

I’m not really expecting anything from this. It is possible that this challenge will disappear into the internet void and no one will see it. That’s OK. I had so much fun designing it, it would all have been worth it anyway.

When I first started making this challenge, I hadn’t played TS4 for months. I would often play for a bit, but then get bored. Then, one day, I discovered the History Challenge. Then the Decades Challenge. Those amazing challenges brought so much fun back into The Sims for me. It would be awesome if my challenge could do the same for someone else.

I have more plans for the challenge: I want to create a save file that prepares all the eras for you; I want to upload households and lots to the gallery that meet era requirements/are already dressed; I want to create a Spotify playlist of era-appropriate music that you can play in the background; I want to keep adding more to the challenge with the release of new packs... But I also have a spouse, two cats and a full-time job. Plus the pandemic keeping us all at home is nearly over. So all this will all take time. But I will do my best to keep posting and sharing updates in the meantime.

So, here’s to you: the imaginary first player of my very first Sims challenge. Here’s hoping you’ll exist one day.

EmersedCrown

#GBSC #ts4 legacy #ts4 #ts4 challenge

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incorrect-spiderson · 5 years ago

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Second Chances: Chapter 1

“Wrra!”

“You don’t need to do that. Because uh... you’re just holding position” Tony says as he positions his fingers. His hands forming the goal for a game he’s played thousands of times. Nebula flicks the paper football but it veers off to the right.

“Oh yeah, that was close.” Tony sighs. It’s easy to see the frustration in Nebula’s eyes. Losing limbs for failure can do that to someone.

Nebula flicks another paper football and it soars through the finger goal. “That’s a goal. You’re now one apiece.”

“I would like to try again.” Nebula growls.

Tony repositions his fingers and nods. Nebula flicks the paper football and it, once again, flies through the goal. Tony gives a small smile and picks up the paper football.

“We tied up. Feel the tension? It’s fun.”

Nebula only looks at the man and positions her fingers. Tony adjusts the football to veer to the left. He flicks the football and, like planned, it misses the goal. The blue girl’s eyes widen and she looks to the man in surprise. Tony could only shake his head in fake shame.

“That was terrible. Now you have a chance to win.”

Nebula takes the paper football and prepares. Tony can see the concentration in her eyes. He makes his finger goal a little wider and nods to his new friend.

The football goes through the goal and Tony smiles. “And... you’ve won. Congratulations.” He reaches to shake her hand and takes in her expression. Like usual her lips are tight and her face is relaxed. But in her eyes he can see the happiness. The joy at finally winning something.

“Fair game. Good sport.” Tony tries again for the handshake. Nebula frees herself from her trance and shakes his hand.

“Have fun?”

Nebula gives a small smile. “It was fun.”

“Yeah. I know a few other games. I played them in college. And there’s one that Peter... he showed me them in the lab.” It had been two days since his child turned to dust in his arms. Tony could feel his chest begin to tighten and tears prickling in the corners of his eyes.

Nebula stands and walks behind the man. She places a hand on his shoulder and crouches to his eye level. She isn’t good with emotion, but she knows what pain looks like. The blue girl sighs and gracefully exits her comfort zone. She wraps her arms around the man as he crumples into tears.

Tony usually would never show emotion in front of anyone. But nothing about the snap had been usual. His son. The light of his life was gone. He had held Peter in his arms, felt the weight of his child who was trembling in fear. Then the weight disappeared. Nothing but dust. God and what about Steve? What would he tell his husband? Was he gone too?

~time skip~

It’s been almost a month since the snap. Their ship had lost power and things were looking grim. Tony leans forward and taps his helmet. He needs to give his family one last message. Even if they’re all reduced to dust.

“This thing on?”

Tony leans back, not able to hold himself up any longer. Dehydration and malnutrition were kicking his ass. The helmet emits a blue light that quickly scans him. Tony smiles as a little light blinks on. It was recording.

“Hey Mr. America... Steve.” God was he ready for this? Tony sighs. “If you find this recording, don’t post it on social media. You wouldn’t know how to anyways. But it’s gonna be a real tear-jerker. I don’t know if you’re ever gonna see this. I don’t even know if you’re... if you’re still... oh god, I hope so.”

Tony closes his eyes for a second. Exhaustion nearly taking over. He pushes himself to open his eyes and continue.

“Today is day 21, uh 22. You know, if it wasn’t for the existential terror of staring into a void of space, I’d say I’m feeling better today. The infection’s run its course, thanks to the blue meanie back there.”

Tony turns a little to look at the blue woman that is watching him worriedly. “You’d love her. Very practical. Only a tiny bit sadistic.” He looks back at the helmet and sighs.

“Some fuel cells were cracked during battle, but we figured out a way to reverse the ion charge to buy ourselves about 48 hours of time. But it's now dead in the water. We're 1000 light years from the nearest 7-11. Oxygen will run out tomorrow. And that'll be it.”

His face drops and he sits up. “And Steve, I know we weren’t speaking before I left, but I was really hoping we could get over this Accords bullshit. But it looks like... well you know what it looks like. Don't feel bad about this. I mean, if you grovel for a couple of weeks, and then move on with enormous guilt. I should probably lie down. Please know that... when I drift off, I will think about you. It's always you.”

Tony turns off his helmet and falls back against the wall. Nebula quickly moves to his side and carries him to Drax’s chair. She gently lays him in the chair before walking away. This really would be the end. This would be the point, if his life were some kind of movie, where the credits would roll.

But the universe would give him no such release. A light grew brighter and brighter, to the point he was forced to open his eyes. If he wasn’t dying he would have laughed with relief. There was a glowing woman outside the window. She smiled at him and waved. Tony mustered a small smile. She flies over the ship and begins pushing.

#peter parker #avengers endgame #fanfiction #writing #superfamily #irondad #Captain Dad #spiderson #mcu #marvel

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richrubies · 6 years ago

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The Worst (Simon D x Reader)

You knew that technically you and Kiseok weren’t a couple. You were one another’s non-secretive secrets; or in simpler terms, everyone in AOMG knew you were sleeping together, but weren’t actually together. And for a while, it worked for you – you had a busy career that made it hard to give your partner the time and attention they deserved. But there had come a moment where you had started to catch yourself looking at Kiseok in a different light…a loving one.

But it wasn’t reciprocated – or more so, Kiseok just didn’t bother to really acknowledge what was obvious to him. He was rather good at burying his head in the sand at moments like this. Just thinking about what label you would put on yours and Kiseok’s relationship, gave you a headache.

You’d met Kiseok through Ju-kyung. You were into underground rapping and by chance had met Duck years ago at one of the scenes and had been good friends ever since. He was the one who had encouraged you to get your degree in music, specializing in composing.

You’d moved up in the world since then and had seen some of your best work become real songs sung to sold-out stadiums through a variety of artists. Kiseok wasn’t one of those artists.

He was always determined to write his own lyrics and musical sheets which was something you had admired – loved, even. Hell, there were a lot of things you loved about Kiseok.

The way he said your name in his deep tone, accompanied by his Busan accent; the way he was surprisingly soft when it came to his parents; his determination and talent. Yes. There were a lot of things to love about Kiseok.

But as you watched from the V.I.P section of the club as Kiseok made out with another girl – a junior of yours, no less – you really couldn’t find anything admirable about Jung Kiseok in that moment.

But what could you do?

You weren’t a couple.

You were just friends with benefits – despite the fact that you wanted more; despite the fact that Kiseok knew you wanted more .

‘Aish,’ you scowl before tossing back another shot whilst Ju-kyung threw his arm over your shoulder and pulled you back into the moment having also witnessed the scene.

‘You good?’

You gave him a small smile and nodded, pushing away the hurt, ‘I’m good.’

Sunghwa took the empty space beside you, sandwiching you between the two men and blocking your view, ‘Yah, yah, yah. Let’s just drink huh?’

You laughed slightly, embarrassed at their efforts, ‘You guys don’t have to go this far…I’m fine…really.’

The two did their best to keep you entertained, both of the men with their arms around you as if holding you together while you did your best to engage with the remainder of the group; still, you couldn’t help but send a text to Kiseok, forcing yourself to hold back and delete your original message before you caused a scene in the club.

Fueled by anger at his response, your shots became double as you drank into the night with the encouragement of Sunghwa and Ju-kyung.

It was almost four in the morning by time you had gotten back to your apartment – you stumbled into the house only to be followed by Kiseok who had drunken just as much as you had. Despite the alcohol, you still hadn’t forgotten his actions and the fact that he’d gone off with another girl, and because of the liquid courage, you had the guts to actually confront him on it as you took off your shoes, ‘Don’t you have somewhere better to be?’

Kiseok was in the middle of removing his boots as you said it, groaning as he sat back, ‘Yah, drop it already!’

‘—I don’t want too,’ you mumble as you move toward the kitchen and pour yourself a glass of water.

You couldn’t let it drop – not the fact that he had ignored your feelings for him, nor the fact that he was willing to throw it back in your face by kissing one of the junior composers who’d just joined your team. You were tired of it all.

‘Why’d you even follow me home Kiseok?’ you ask him tiredly, ‘What are we even doing?’

‘Are you seriously starting this up again?’ he asks with a huff as he grabbed his own glass and turned on the tap while you watched him with crossed arms.

‘Again?’ you say incredulous, ‘Yah, since when have we ever had this conversation huh? You always run away when it gets too serious!’

Kiseok rolled his eyes as he left the kitchen and walked through the apartment, unbuttoning his shirt as he went – he had become so accustomed to your place that he knew it almost better than yourself. You followed him as he removed the shirt and laid it out nicely on the chair in your room, ‘What are you doing Kiseok, I’m talking to you,’ you say with annoyance.

‘Look, Y/N. I told you before we started this – I’m not ready for a relationship, and that still stands to this day. And newsflash, Y/N, our relationship isn’t exactly about talking, now is it?’

You knew he was saying it because he had drunken enough to do so, but even so, it still hurt. As tears welled in your eyes, you tell him shakily, ‘Just get out Kiseok. Even if you don’t see me as more than what we are now, the least you could do is respect me.’

Your words must have sobered Kiseok up as you threw him his shirt, ‘Y/N…’

‘Just go Kiseok…I’m tired of this. I don’t want this anymore.’

His eyes flashed with an emotion you couldn’t quite decipher as he asked half angrily and half surprised, ‘Are you saying you don’t want to do this,’ he waved his hand between the two of you and your neatly made bed, ‘anymore, or argue right now?’

‘Both,’ you tell him honestly, your shoulders sagging as you sat on the edge of your bed now with the realization that loving him as you were, just wasn’t going to work anymore.

Kiseok swore under his breath, a hand running through his hair with agitation. Huffing with annoyance, he paced for a moment or two before asking you once more, ‘Are you being serious right now?’

You’d had a fight similar to this last month, but you’d given in to him and done the same thing you’d always done – but this time was different, and Kiseok didn’t know how to handle it other than to scoff and mutter, ‘Whatever. You’ll cave eventually, Y/N, you always do,’

As the front door closed shut, you murmured to the empty apartment, ‘I hope not…’

Ju-kyung sat leisurely on the couch of Kiseok’s studio while scrolling through his Instagram, waiting for him to wrap up so that they could follow their scouting schedule. The men of the label had been taking turns in watching over him for the last few weeks out of worry for him – he could deny it all he wanted, but the moment Kiseok was blocked from all your social media pages and he realized you were really done with him, he’d become increasingly agitated and angry.

Even with Dark Room having been released for two weeks, the strange break-up of something that wasn’t originally together, had Kiseok writing non-stop, practically preparing himself for another album release.

‘I don’t get it 형,’ Duck draws, ‘I thought you liked Y/N.’

‘I do like her.’

‘So why won’t you date her?’ Duck further questions, looking up from his phone to Kiseok who was hunched over his desk, his hand going crazy as he scribbled out lyrics. From what Ju-kyung had seen earlier, it mentioned all sorts of metaphors that described you.

A sun so bright, can’t love a void like me,

But the truth came out through naked curiosity.

‘I…’ Kiseok began.

Why didn’t he date you? Why was he so afraid? Had his previous girlfriends fucked him up that much that he was scared to go through it again? Was he scared that having something so good would come unraveling as soon as he got too greedy?

He couldn’t answer; instead he shrugged his shoulders with a heavy sigh while Ju-kyung rolled his own eyes and went back to scrolling through Instagram. It was there that he saw your latest story post on your private page – the video caused him to gasp out loud.

You were dressed completely opposite to your normal get-up; your face was fully done, your hair was put up in a do that made you look…Ju-kyung hated to say it, but you looked sexy. Even the low-cut jumpsuit you wore had Ju-kyung curse out loud as you mouthed the lyrics to the song playing in the background of whatever club you were in. Even more reason for him to curse was the man who was dancing behind you, his chin on your shoulder, staring directly at the camera as you both grinned, ‘Oh shit!’

The last time Ju-kyung had seen you dressed like that, you were at your cousin’s wedding and trying to upstage her out of pettiness. He couldn’t help but play the video over and over, each time letting out a curse.

‘Yah, Ju-kyung, you’re being too loud, turn it down,’ Kiseok scolded, ‘I’m nearly done, so just make sure you know the rappers Jay wants us to find are still performing at Club 88 tonight.’

Fumbling to turn down the sound, Ju-kyung nodded with wide eyes, looking between his phone screen and Kiseok, and then back down to the video where the clear sign from behind you in the club read ‘88’.

Well. This ought to be good.

Taking a break from the dancing, you sat at the table talking happily over the music – your childhood friend, Sun-kyu sat across from you with his permanent smile etched on his face.

‘I’m so sad that you’re leaving so soon!’ you tell him with a pout. He’d been crashing with you for the last two days and was due to fly down to Jeju tomorrow to visit his parents for their anniversary. You’d been grateful for his company – if it wasn’t for him staying at your place, you probably would have caved and called Kiseok by now.

Your mind had given you every reason not to call, but your heart…well…You couldn’t help but be attracted to the guy despite him being a bit of an ass sometimes.

Okay. Maybe a giant ass.

‘You’ll just have to visit me in the States,’ Kyu tells you with a grin, before looking around the club, ‘Didn’t you say that some U.G. rappers were going to be playing here?’

You nodded – after the breakup you’d thrown yourself into doing more work to keep your mind occupied, only slowing down when you’d heard that new artists were going to be performing. None of the names were familiar to you, but you wanted to check it out anyway. You never knew what talent you’d run into; you informed Kyu by shouting over the music, ‘Club 88 is one of the few places that lets U.G. artists play without restriction. That’s why you never know what you’re going to get here. Bar fights, horny crowds, it’s always a surprise and it’s rarely the same.’

As soon as you heard one of your favourite tracks come on, you threw back your drink and took Kyu’s hand, leading him to the corner of the dance floor not too far from your table, ‘Yah! Dance with me!’

He obliged, though you should have known that being a pro dancer meant he would go way harder than you could ever have hoped to keep up with. Forced together due to the crowd, you danced in sync to the dance-hall playing throughout the club with Kyu’s hands on your hips for balance.

You were enjoying the moment when you suddenly felt Kyu being shoved away, nearly taking you with him if it weren’t for the arm that was wrapped around your waist.

You looked at Kyu in surprise as he picked himself up off the floor, still surprised at someone pushing at him. After doing a quick check that he was okay, you began to struggle against the hold the person had on you. Instinctively, your fists clenched as you turned, and your arms swung in the direction of whoever had a hold of you, ‘What the fuc—Kiseok?!’

‘What the fuck are you doing here, Y/N?’ Kiseok growls, ignoring Kyu who Ju-kyung had appeared out of nowhere to help.

‘What are you doing?’ you yell at him, attempting to pull away, only for him to hold you tighter, ‘Yah! Let me go!’

Kiseok refused, glaring down at you with cold eyes, his mouth turned into a frown. He was so handsome, but that didn’t matter right now. Right now, all you wanted to do was hit him.

‘Let me go!’

‘형,’ Ju-kyung says as he grabs at Kiseok’s arm gently, urging him to take it somewhere private, ‘형, come on, people are watching.’

Without a second’s notice, Kiseok turned and pulled you back up to the VIP section, bypassing your table all together as he dragged you through the crowds.

‘Kiseok!’

‘Yah!’

‘Jung Kiseok!’

He ignored you completely as you yelled his name until you finally snapped, ‘Yah, Simon! What do you think you’re doing?’

Pushing you into the private room that over-looked the dance floor through tinted glass, Kiseok said nothing as you stumbled in.

Before you could even speak, Kiseok had pushed you against the wall, his mouth instantly seeking yours as he kissed you with every ounce of anger and love he had in him.

You were out with another man? While he sat in a studio writing fucking love songs about missing you?

For a moment, you let him kiss you; you enjoyed the way his hands cupped your cheeks and the soft and familiar feeling of him took over. But it quickly shattered as you realized what was going on.

Pushing at his chest, you managed to shove him away now that he had his guard down, ‘What the hell is going on Kiseok!’

His chest heaving, he glared at you and asked with that thick accent you loved so much, ‘I could ask you the same thing, who the fuck is that guy?’

‘He’s a friend!’ you throw at him, ‘and it doesn’t matter who he is, why would you shove him like that?’

‘A friend?’ Kiseok scoffs, ‘Friends don’t grind on each other, Y/N!’

‘Well we were friends and we did much more than grind,’ you bite back at him spitefully.

Kiseok turned away from you and let out a laugh. Not the happy kind – the kind you do when you hear something you can’t quite believe. You let out a squeak as his hand swiped at the glass tumblers sitting on the table near the booth, smashing them against the wall and floor.

‘So, what?’ he asks quietly after a moment, still facing away from you as he lifted his hands to run them through his hair, ‘Are you sleeping with him? Did all your ‘emotions’ for me suddenly just drop once you found another guy?’

‘Are you seriously asking me that Kiseok?’ you ask angrily, ‘I’m not like you. I don’t divert any emotion I have for someone, onto the next best thing!’

‘Then why the hell did you let him touch you like that?’ Kiseok seethes, turning to look at you, this time with tears in his eyes. You faltered in surprise, but before you could say anything, Kiseok continued, ‘Why haven’t you called me? Why am I the only one who’s locked up in a room filled with regrets?’

Kiseok sat on the edge of the couch, his elbows on his thighs as he rubbed at his face and the tears that threatened to fall, ‘Why do I feel like you’ve already left me before I had even let you in?’

You remained where you stood no matter how much you wanted to hold and comfort him. Your chest was filled with a range of emotions, and you knew that if you didn’t get it out of the way now, you’d regret it forever. So, you did the next best thing .

You let it out.

‘Yah, 개새끼, are you seriously going to sit there and feel sorry for yourself? I told you three weeks ago that I had feelings for you and you rejected me! Now you suddenly want to act like this?’

Your reaction surprised Kiseok as he looked up to see you glaring at him, ‘You just assaulted my friend, who by the way, is just a friend, and dragged me through a club in front of a lot of people, to act like this?’

‘I…’

‘You what?’ you ask, ‘You thought that I wanted to be rag-dolled?’

‘No, I just got angr—,’

‘Why do you get to be angry, Kiseok? I’m the one who should be angry! We were sleeping together for ten months! I’ve seen you make out with numerous girls! But the second I dance with someone, you appear out of nowhere and hit him? You act like a juvenile? You’re thirty-four years old! Grow up!’

Kiseok blinked as you schooled him – the way you counted off the terrible things that he’d done that had hurt you, the way you jabbed your finger at him from across the room and the way you stood your ground, not daring to back down. Of all the times he’d seen you, both naked, clothed and doing something you were passionate about, he’d never seen you look as good as you did now.

You turned your back to Kiseok and looked down at the crowds who were now cheering for a rapper that had come on to the stage. You could see everything from up there, including Kyu who was sitting in the both with Ju-kyung, smiling once more. Bless him.

With your throat sore from the yelling, you said quietly, ‘This isn’t fair, Kiseok.’

‘I’m sorry…’

‘You can’t just swoop in and act like a boyfriend after all that’s happened. It’s not fair to me,’ you continued to look out the window as you mutter, ‘You’re not ready for a relationship and I don’t want to wait anymore…So please just leave me alone if you’re not serious about us. I don’t want to be given false hope. Just tell me straight whether you want this or not…’

You hadn’t heard him move from the couch, but as soon as his arms wrapped around your torso and his chin rested on your shoulder, he muttered tiredly, now able to answer the question Ju-kyung had asked earlier, ‘I’m not ready for a relationship because I’m the worst boyfriend you could have, Y/N. I forget dates, anniversaries and birthdays. I sometimes work more than I should. I disappear in to my studio for days on-end. I don’t make a lot of money, and I travel all the time. I can’t be a good man to you, Y/N.’

Leaning into his embrace, you refused to let your tears fall as you stared out over the crowd, asking him the ultimate question – the make or break of this relationship for real this time, ‘So what will you do?’

‘I’ll be the worst man you’ve ever known and stick to you like glue,’ he replies quietly, a hint of nervousness in his tone, ‘I’ll be the worst, most loving boyfriend you’ve ever had, because I really don’t think I can let you leave my side again, Y/N.’

Unwillingly, you let the tears slide down your cheeks as you nodded in acceptance, your hand slowly moving to cover his entwined ones resting on your stomach. Letting out the breath you’d been holding, you tell him with a sniff, ‘I’m okay with that…’

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dailyaudiobible · 5 years ago

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07/06/2019 DAB Transcript

1 Chronicles 2:18-4:4, Acts 24:1-27, Psalms 4:1-8, Proverbs 18:16-18

Today is the 6th day of July. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian, of course, it's my name my whole life and I'm sure you have that by now. The thing is every day…every day there's…every day it's hello to someone new. So, I'm Brian. It's great to be here with you today as we take the next step forward in our journey through the Scriptures this year and we have reached the conclusion of another one of our weeks together and we’re just getting going in the book of first Chronicles and we talked about that yesterday and so we’ll continue that journey. We’ve been reading from the Christian Standard Bible this week, which is what we will do today. First Chronicles chapter 2 verse 18 through 4 verse 4 today.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for Your word. We thank You for bringing us into this 7th month safely, we thank You for bringing us through nearly the first week…full week of this month. And as we continue the journey forward in all of the stories, we thank You for what they reveal to us. As we continue to read the genealogies in the book first Chronicles, we remember these people are remembering who they are, and these people are our spiritual ancestors. And as we watch the apostle Paul defend himself but also be protected by his captors, the Romans who have him in prison, he is sharing the good news of the gospel with prominent and powerful people on a regular basis. And, so, we recognize that as his story continues out in front of us. Come Holy Spirit into this weekend. Come Holy Spirit into tomorrow, which is the Daily Audio Bible long walk we pray in Your mighty name. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, home base, and it is where you find out what’s going on.

And tomorrow, we’ve been talking about this for a couple weeks, tomorrow is our own little Daily Audio Bible holiday that we have as a community each year. We call it the long walk because that's really what it is. It's a day and you probably already know this but if you just kind of…kind of tuning and hearing this for the first time, it's a day that you set aside on your calendar and allow nothing interfere with the time that you set aside to regroup with God for a day. And, so, we just all go somewhere beautiful. I’ve got my place picked out. We just go somewhere beautiful and go for a long walk. And not…sit down and say whatever you want to say…it's a day to speak to God all that's in your heart, it's a day to listen for his reply and all that he might have to say to you today, right here in the middle of the year to regroup and reset and understand what the second half of the year is supposed to look like. So, make plans for that tomorrow. It’s conveniently on a Sunday this year, so, just set it aside, even if you got plans for tomorrow and the Holy Spirit is speaking to you to come away then cancel all of the things…all of the things that crush us, that are swirling around us and distracting us and keeping us occupied, they'll wait, like they'll still be there. We can actually take this day and set it aside and give it to God and just allow rest and shalom to wash over us as we go out into nature and just listen. And you’d be surprised. So, make plans for that. It's obviously an individual experience, but it is also a community experience. We will be doing this together all over the world. And, so, I'm sure you'll have your phone or whatever. Just take a picture, take a video or whatever of wherever you went and post it back to facebook.com/dailyaudiobible and watch the mosaic, watch the windows open and the patchwork come together as we look into each other's long walks and as we see the beauty of the world all over the world on the same day. That’s tomorrow. That’s the Daily Audio Bible long walk. So, make plans. I've got…I've got my plans and I’m ready to go.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible you can do that at dailyaudiobible.com. There is a link and it lives on the homepage and I thank you beyond words for your partnership. We would not be here if we weren't…if we weren’t in this together. So, the links on the homepage. If you’re using the app, you can press the Give button in the upper right-hand corner or, if you prefer, the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment, 877-942-4253, is the number to dial.

And that is it for today. I'm Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hello family, I’m Jevosan here and I have been a listener for a very long time, but this is the second time and calling in. I listen to all your prayers and pray for every one of you. As the daily audio Bible long walk is approaching I wanted to share something with you. So, almost 15 years back when I was in college I started having a long walk with God, but it is not the type of long walk that you’d want to. So, I walk every day all alone and then I have thousands of complaints put them to God. So, every day I walk with bitterness and kept on complaining to God. That’s how my life was. I was very sad, very disappointed, and completely unfortunate in everything that I did. But one day after a lot of years I realized what I was doing and then I stopped complaining. It did not happen in an instant, but it took a while and in the end I was able to make it. So, all the years I stopped complaining. The moment I stopped complaining I started receiving the blessings of God. And today after many years of what I have followed I am probably blessed beyond every single thing I could imagine of. So, today I’m going to welcome all of you to follow the same. Take it as a challenge for a month that I will never complain to God and then let’s say how God is doing miracles in your life. Thank you, family.

Hi, this is Valerie am calling from South of Atlanta. I just want to thank everybody who has listened to God’s urging and called in about finances and giving to the Daily Audio Bible. I have listened to this…this is my second year listening to the Bible with Brian and it has changed my life dramatically. I have been looking for a church. My husband and I haven’t been attending a local church but I’ve still been tithing to my local church and the Lord has just really laid it on my heart ever since a gentleman called in about giving where your fed, pay for where your fed. And I’ve just really been praying about that, about maybe changing my tithes for my local church that I haven’t been to in several years and giving it to the Daily Audio Bible in addition to what I was already doing. And it’s just like God has just reaffirmed and reaffirmed. So, it’s like okay, I get it, I hear you Lord. So, all of you that have called in and mentioned giving to the Daily Audio Bible, I hear you. I hear God’s word and I feel like this is where God is leading me. So, I wanted to thank you for being obedient and calling in. And the rest of the DABbers, please know that I’m praying for you, I’m praying for your children, I’m praying for your estranged marriages. Every time I hear prayer, immediately I start praying. And then there’s that minute of silence at the end where Brian just let’s see scenery play in the background and I use that one extra minute to just lift up your prayers. So, thank you, thank you family. Again, thank you Brian. This has become my church home, my church community. God, bless.

This is Candace from Oregon. I am so thankful to God that he gives us the power to be way better than we are, to be like Jesus. We’re halfway through our year 2019 together. And, so, I wanted to mention that at the new year the word that we had is a community for the year was “maintain.” And one of the callers called in and said this, “If we will maintain our path, He will maintain our place. If we will maintain our pace, He will maintain our priorities. If will maintain our perspective, He will maintain our purpose.” I love that one. Keep Your eyes on Jesus. “If we will maintain our purity, He will maintain our harvest. If we will maintain our prayer, He will maintain our power.” Thank You, God. We can’t do anything without You. God, I want to give You every minute of this year and I’m quoting Frank __ but saying it as my own prayer, “I shall try to keep You in mind every moment of my waking hours. I shall try tHe let You be tHe speaker and direct every word. I shall try to let You direct my act. I shall try to learn Your language.” Oh Lord, thank You for everything that You’re doing in this community and in Your bride, tHe church across tHe world. Pour out Your Holy Spirit. Help us to just drench ourselves in Your presence in Your word and keep our focus upon You and lean on You and look to You Lord for all things. In Jesus’ name. __ .

This call is for Crystal, the homeschool mom whose call was aired on June 30. First Crystal, you asked for our prayers for your drinking problem and you have them. I’m praying for you now and your permanently in my prayer book. I think that a lot of people who have addictions like alcohol, drugs, social media, and the need for constant input from cell phones are trying to fill a void. I used to think that __ was not close enough to God and that I was not worthy. This is not exactly the best approach to get closer to God, but I did get some help one day and I __ to someone speaks with authority. And there are quite a few lessons but the one that is simplest and the most obvious is, when you’re impaired or constantly distracted there’s no space in our head for the Holy Spirit. We’ll never get close to God. I remind myself of this every day. So, I pray that going forward you can say no to the alcohol, clear space in your head for the Holy Spirit, and begin the journey of getting closer to God every day for the remainder of this life. May God bless you Crystal.

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petuniatom · 6 years ago

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Dangerous Animals || Tom Holland x Reader Mystery AU

Pairing: Tom Holland x Reader

Summary: In which you are an unsolved mystery enthusiast and when a murder happens in your own town, you don’t even know where to begin. It’s now up to you and your friends to uncover the truth.

Warnings: language probs, also mentions of death

A/N: welcome to the new & improved ch. 1 of “dangerous animals”

Series masterlist

Want to be on my tag list for this story?

You woke up that Friday morning much earlier than you were used to. Glancing back now, it feels almost like your body was warning you that something was coming, something unnatural for your city and for you all together. You should have paid more attention then, should have seen the signs before it all happened.

It was strange stirring in your bed at the time, only to hear the chirping birds outside your window as they greet the first burst of sunlight on the horizon instead of the quietness of the afternoon you usually hear. It was still fairly dim in your bedroom, and Tom — usually the early riser — wasn’t even up. You glanced over at the clock on your nightstand, noting the time of 6:03 a.m. that sits on its screen in red type. And while you want to go back to sleep, you know that you’re already up, and there’s no going back now.

So, you slid out of your bed, being careful not to wake up your boyfriend whose light snores were currently echoing around the room. He looked adorable, almost angelic, in between your white sheets. His hair is mussed and his face is void of any tension. It’s the last time you’ll see him this calm for a while.

You avoided that spot in your hardwood floor that usually creaks when someone approaches it, and slipped out of your bedroom. You decided to take a quick shower and once you saw a big red star marked on your calendar for the next day, you figured that a nice breakfast would help your boyfriend a lot.

You whipped together some French toast, eggs, and breakfast potatoes, all of which you knew Tom favored in the mornings. When you finally wrapped up, your bedroom door swung open again and Tom stepped out. He had a confused expression across his face, which quickly disappeared once he laid eyes on you.

“Morning darling,” he greeted, coming up to give you a quick peck on the lips. You smile and hand him a plate full of food. “You didn’t have to do this, you know.”

“I know,” you replied, “but I was up anyway and I figured you needed it. Is it the short film you helped out with coming up?”

He shook his head. “Nah, just a wedding video, but these are some fairly important clients that could lead to something bigger in the future. I told you that Harrison is filling in for me today?”

You nod your head. “He knows what time we start?”

“I gave him the full brief of how things work and he knows to call if he has any problems.”

You let out a long sigh. “It’s gonna be weird without you. First pod you’re not there for.” He frowned and gave your hand a comforting squeeze.

“I know, love, but it’ll be great.”

***

Some people were interested in Greek mythology, others in science. Growing up, you were always worried when you didn’t quite find your niche thing to be obsessed about. While all the other kids talked about their love of horses or in Pokémon, you always tucked yourself in the back corner and buried yourself in a Nancy Drew book.

Soon, Nancy Drew and Scooby Doo turned into an obsession with Psych, Criminal Minds and Law & Order: SVU. You remembered when you were younger, how you laid across your floor to listen to Nancy Grace figure out more about the Casey Anthony trial. You’d obsessively scroll through Washington Post, CNN, and other news outlets’ justice or crime section. It wasn’t until you were older that you realized true crime was your hobby, your niche.

So, you went to school and got a degree in journalism. And about halfway through your university career, you’d gone to a college party, gotten drunk, and started talking about the details of the Texas Killing Fields. Other people slowly floated away, becoming uninterested in the conversation and not understanding why you wanted to talk about something so horrific. Across the room, there was a girl who looked at you with pure excitement stretched across her face. She practically leaped over to you and said, “Tell me everything.”

About a year later, you and her became best friends. Her name was Zendaya Coleman, different than yours, but you were pretty sure she was a carbon copy of you otherwise. You’d watch Psych together, and then rewatch it over and over again once the series ended. Other times, you’d stay up late and watch documentaries about unsolved cases and general ones centered on the justice department.

One day, you had a broadcast journalism cast final you needed help with in terms of filming. You’d been recommended Tom in passing conversation for help, and soon, you met him for coffee and told him all the ideas you had. (At the time, you hadn’t noticed the sudden glimmer in his eye when he looked at you. It wouldn’t be for a few more months that you would.) When he came over to your house later that week, you finished the project together, with Zendaya co-anchoring, and celebrated its completion over wine.

When both you and Z went into your usual drunk talk about unsolved cases, Tom looked at the two of you with interest and then spit out, “Holy shit, have you guys ever thought of making this a podcast?”

And now, nearly three years later, a drunk idea led to success you never could dream about. It took you a while to actually kick off the podcast — two years after that fateful night. Now, a year into the whole gig, your podcast was consistently in the top 50 on the iTunes charts, and you had a whole fan base that always engaged with you on all social media.

You hosted it with Zendaya once a week. Episodes usually ranged for about an hour and a half, filled with your dialogue surrounding situations with serial killers or cults. Tom worked as the quiet producer, who always sat silently in the corner to make sure your microphones were consistently operating at the level they should be.

It was a nice way to live. You had a flexible schedule, and though you had plans for an upcoming tour, you could all stay in your respective homes within your quiet town.

When the knock came at your door that day, you took a quick peek through the peephole in your door, smiling when you saw your best friend on the other side. You swung the door open, immediately greeting her with a hug.

“Hey Z,” you greeted. You opened the door wider, noticing she had a bag in hand.

“I went to Cheesecake Factory earlier, and you know I hella brought cheesecake back,” she said. She plopped the bag on your table. You opened the bag, a smile coming to your face when you saw the slice of Oreo cheesecake she bought for you. You thanked her, shuffling around your drawers and cabinets for plates and cutlery. When you returned with the proper dishware, you noticed the off expression on your friend’s face. She was looking around thoughtfully, like something wasn’t quite sitting right with her.

“What’s up?” you asked, passing the plate over. She pulled out her own slice of cheesecake from the bag.

“I think this is the first time I’ve come to your home and Tom hasn’t been here,” she joked. “Even when we’re not recording, he’s almost always here.” You laughed at the observation.

“He actually chose to go to his home today. He’s got a big deadline coming up this weekend, and said I was ‘too distracting.’” You pulled out the air quotes at the end, and Zendaya rolled her eyes playfully.

“Boy needs to learn to keep his dick in his pants,” she teased, taking a bite out of her cheesecake. “But if Tom isn’t here, who’s gonna be the sound guy?” You bit your lip.

“Okay, so hear me out,” you said, raising up your hands already defensive. Zendaya deadpanned.

“Please tell me Tom didn’t hire Colton Lancaster,” she begged. You narrowed your eyes.

“What? No, ew.” She let out a sigh of relief. “Why would you even—“

“He’s the only other audio guy I know in town! His news podcast is a little bit boring content wise, but he’s got some nice audio going.” You giggled and shook your head.

“Nah, apparently, Harrison has audio experience.” Zendaya raised her eyebrows.

“Quiet one? Stutters when he does talk?” You laughed.

“He was only nervous because he thinks you’re cute! But yeah, him. Tom told me when they did theater together back in high school he was always the sound guy before he made his debut on the stage.”

“Oooh okay Harrison, I see you. When is he coming?” You checked your watch.

“He said he’s going to run a little bit late, but he should be here in about three more minutes.”

As if you summoned him yourself, the doorbell rang. You glanced at the door, then back at your friend, “Or maybe right now.”

You strode over to the door again, swinging it open and greeting the man of the hour. Harrison looked a little bit lost as he stepped into the foyer of your home. He had a backpack slung on his back and his hands were digging in his pockets.

“Hey Harrison,” Zendaya called out. “You like cheesecake?” Harrison blushed slightly.

“Uh, hey Zendaya. And uh, yeah, I do…” He looked back over at you, seeking some reassurance. You gave him a nod.

In truth, you still didn’t know Harrison that well, despite dating his roommate for a little over two years at this point and seeing him more than a handful of times. Yet, you still considered him a good friend, and Tom told you Harrison thought the same of you. Maybe you weren’t knowledgeable on the intimate details of his life, but you understood him and his quietness. And most of all, you respected each other.

“Zendaya bought some from Cheesecake Factory,” you explained, as you stepped into your main dining area.

“You can have the other half of my slice,” Zendaya offered. “I’m stuffed.”

“Oh, thanks,” Harrison replied. “I should probably start on getting you lot set up though.”

Zendaya waved it off and said, “No rush.” He shot you a look, silently asking for your permission.

“Yeah, c’mon Harrison, hang out with us for a bit. We’re just chatting.”

With that, he smiled, plopped in the chair next to Zendaya, and started eating the cheesecake she offered him.

“So, what’s the tea in your life, Harrison?” you asked.

He raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Anything exciting going on? New shows you’re involved in?” He shook his head.

“Just summer classes, lots of studying. I work at Soul Cycle, which is laid back.” He shrugged, then seemed to mull over something. “Though, we did have a couple arguing today in the shop. Don’t know about what, but it’s the most exciting thing to happen in there in a week.”

“That’s the trinket shop on the east side of town right?” Zendaya asked. Harrison nodded his head.

“Very small, but pays well.” Zendaya looked at you pointedly.

“We need to go there.”

You let out a short laugh. “Why?”

“They have crystals! With all the shit that we talk, we probably need to cleanse our energies,” Zendaya insisted. “Besides, we can see Haz.”

He blushed at the nickname and you tried to hold back a smile.

“It’s not a bad idea,” he murmured. Zendaya gave you an “I-told-you-so” look. “Really, I never used to believe in any of that. Always thought it was rubbish, but then Madame Auboin changed my life around.” He shrugged. “You never quite know what’ll happen to you. Best to take some preventative measures to make sure you’re keeping all of that out.”

And so finally, you agreed to go with Z and Harrison after enough convincing. Besides, everyone in town loved the owner, Diane Auboin.

After more conversation and eating, you finally went into your spare room that acted as your recording studio. Harrison sat at the computer, prepping everything up in the room, while you went over your unsolved crime again silently in your head and scrolled through the main talking points on your phone.

He gave you both the cue to start and you gave the introduction. “Welcome to ‘Anatomy of a Murder,’ where we dissect all the creepy shit serial killers pull so you don’t have to. Because let’s face it, it’s hard balancing work life with fighting off creeps.”

You were about halfway through the show when your phone started ringing loudly. Zendaya stopped mid-sentence and asked, “Did you forget to put your phone on Do Not Disturb?”

You shook your head. “Um, no, it’s Tom actually. He knows we’re recording, so he wouldn’t call unless something’s up.

Harrison pressed the stop recording button on the computer and you picked up the phone.

“Hey babe, you okay?” you asked, stepping out of the room.

“Oh, Y/N, thank God. You’re at home, right? Harrison and Zendaya are still with you?” he asked. There was traces of panic in his voice and you grew more concerned.

“Yeah… why? What’s going on?”

“Stay put, I’m on my way to your house right now. Don’t move, okay darling?”

“I won’t,” you promised, hanging up. You stepped back into the recording studio. “Tom just did the weirdest—”

But you stopped speaking when you saw their facial expressions. They were both staring in horror out of something on Zendaya’s phone. They both looked up at you and you saw Harrison visibly gulp.

“What’s up?” you inquired. Zendaya looked up at Harrison, then back at you, clearly at a complete loss at words.

Finally, she spoke, “They found a body out by Kinakee Lake. Well, two actually.”

She passed you the phone and you saw a photograph of police vans over by the lake on the outskirts of the city limits. The headline read, “Two found dead at Kinakee Lake,” and naturally, had Colton Lancaster’s byline.

You heard the door ring and swallowed, passing the phone back over. “That has to be Tom,” you said.

You usually check the peephole before you open the door, but in your pure panic and eagerness to see your boyfriend, you neglected to do so. So, you swung the door open again that day, shocked when you saw a man and a woman standing at your front door with police badges adorning their suits.

“Are you Y/N Y/L/N?” the female officer asked.

“Yes, that would be me,” you answered.

“You’re wanted at the police station for questioning over two bodies recently discovered at Kinakee Lake.”

#tom holland fanfic #tom holland #tom holland smut #tom holland imagine #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fic #tom holland x reader #tom holland x y/n #tom holland multi-chapter #tom holland story #mystery #shits lit!!!#tom holland au

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save-jacksepticeye · 7 years ago

Text

Puppet Week Day 8

Make any post you want centered around Anti’s second major appearance.

First, thank you to the amazing @fear-is-nameless for both putting this whole thing on, and inspiring me to write this story. Without their encouragement, it may never have been written.

Don’t Listen to Them

Jack, I know you probably won’t see this, but I just wanted to say that I love your videos, and that finding your channel was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. You are a wonderful human being and I hope you can continue to do what you love for the rest of your life.

The message made Jack smile, and he felt a lump rise in his throat, as it always did when he saw the wonderful things his fans sent him. It never ceased to amaze him how much influence he truly had, and how many people he had touched, how many he had helped, simply by playing video games and posting his escapades on YouTube. It was a wonderful feeling that always made his day better and his own burdens easier to bear. Most of them, anyways.

As if the thought had conjured it, a low chuckle echoed from somewhere behind him. Jack’s eyes widened in fear as every muscle in his body tensed. Slowly, he set his phone on his desk and sat rigid and unmoving in his chair, unwilling to face the figure he knew would be standing there when he turned around. Maybe if he just ignored him…

“Jack,” the figure crooned, “don’t listen to them.” A burst of white-noise and suddenly, the voice was right next to his ear, the figure’s breath freezing against his cheek. “You know they don’t care about you. All they want is me. That’s all they’ve ever wanted.” An icy blade traced his jawbone, and Jack’s breath hitched in his throat.

“Go away,” he said shakily, “You’re not real, you can’t be here.”

“Are you sure? I was real enough for them,” the voice hissed in his other ear, slithering back and forth like a snake. It sent an uncomfortable chill down Jack’s spine.

“S-Stop. They would never do that. They’re innocent.” Jack shook his head, his fear making his throat tight and strangling his voice. He was almost shaking now, and he could feel the temperature in his recording room plummeting. He could have sworn he saw frost blooming on his desk. Jack’s breath billowed out in ragged breaths, hovering in midair for a second before dissipating.

There was that damned laugh again. It sent another wave of chills raking down Jack’s spine and made him feel like he was going to vomit. “Oh, Jack, you know I’m right. Deep down, you know that I will always win, that I am forever.”

A hand grabbed the back of Jack’s chair and whipped him around. He flinched away from the figure, his hands flying up to cover his throat and face, and his eyes squeezed shut. Anti giggled in amusement and wrenched Jack’s hands away from his pale, fear-filled face.

“Such a fragile creature you are,” he mused, dropping Jack’s hands. He sighed, and blood spurted from his slit throat. “I might as well let you get on with your recording. See you soon.” A high, piercing noise erupted in Jack’s head and he yelped, lurching forward and falling to the floor, hands clasped tightly over his ears. Then, it was gone, Anti was gone.

Jack lay on the floor for a minute, allowing his heart time to calm and his breaths time to steady. Slowly he rose to his feet. He felt something warm trickle down the sides of his head and when he pressed his fingers against the area, they came away wet with blood. His knees went weak and he nearly fell again as he stumbled to the bathroom. He thanked God that he was the only one home.

He glanced in the mirror, studying his haggard features as he wiped the blood away. “It wasn’t real. He’s not coming,” Jack told himself, “He’s not coming back, he won’t take control, not again.” He turned on the tap and splashed ice-cold water in his face, gasping as the cold sent a bolt of energy shooting through him. After patting himself dry, he felt he was ready to finish recording for the day.

Looking back on it, he realized how foolish he had been, how ignorant he had been. After all, it hadn’t taken Anti long to wrench control from his grip and send him into that empty void, that hell, at the back of his mind, and masquerade as him.

The game was called Detention. He remembered that much. He remembered the beginning, where he played as a young boy. He remembered when the boy ended up dead. He remembered the telephone ringing in one of the rooms in the school-building, and his new character answering it. After that, there was nothing. Nothing but the suffocating blackness.

After sitting in that hellhole for a few days, running Anti’s words over and over in his head, he was beginning to get desperate. The sheer nothingness of the place was driving him to the brink of insanity, and Anti had begun to talk him, slowly sinking his hooks into Jack’s head and tearing away at his brain and doing everything in his power to exacerbate Jack’s doubts and break him. He had to do something, he had to let them know that who they were seeing wasn’t him. He had to push his way forward and send some sort of signal. He had to fight back.

It was like pushing his way through Jello, but he did it. He screamed and howled until his lungs burned and his throat was raw, and he pounded at the invisible walls keeping him trapped. He could feel it whenever he broke through, that split second of fatigue and nausea before the hole closed back up. He fought tooth and nail, going at it until he was about to pass out, and then some, but it proved to be worthless.

Anti began to speak again, his static-laced words echoing throughout the void, louder than drums, like railroad spikes driven into his skull, every word grating and painful. “You thought I wouldn’t notice?” He laughed derisively. “I know everything you do, Jack, every word you screamed into the void, every action you did to get their attention. And you know the funniest part? You think they noticed.”

Suddenly, Jack was blinded by light, and as he adjusted, he realized he was looking out of his own eyes. His computer, his desk, everything was just as he remembered it. The only difference was that he wasn’t the one sitting in the gaming chair. Stunned, he went to move, to raise a hand, to touch his face to make sure it was real, anything, only to find he couldn’t. He was stuck, an observer.

Anti was playing Detention again, reacting just as Jack would, right down to the slightest of movements. It was flawless, a perfect imitation. Unnervingly so, in fact.

But this wasn’t all that Jack saw. Memories that weren’t his flashed in front of him, hundreds of thousands of posts from different social media sites, all inspired by his cries for help, his fight for control.

Anti’s back!!!! anti is that you? MORE GLITCHES?!??!! Yay!! Antisepticeye is so cool!

All of them read the same. All of them had failed. All of them thought it was Anti, and the sense of betrayal was like a knife twisting in his chest, making it hard to breathe, hard to think beyond the pain. He turned to the camera, hurt and desperation and hopeless realization mingling in his features, terror in his eyes. He realized now that no one was coming for him, they weren’t his salvation, they were nothing more than Anti’s puppets.

How?

How could Anti have been right all this time? Was he really nothing to them?

His chest tightened painfully when the thought crossed his mind. Hot tears pricked the corners of his eyes as he was shoved back into his dark prison, where he would undoubtedly be left to rot for the rest of his short, pitiful life. He had held out for almost three months, screaming for help, fighting desperately to keep control of his own body. And they didn’t even notice. Not a single one of them cared, not one of them heard his cries.

Strange emotions surfaced in Jack, strangling, suffocating, devoid of life, feelings that he couldn’t explain. All he knew was that it was their fault. All of it, all of it was their fault! Anger flickered inside of him, fueled by his grief. And he let it. His only hope, his one chance to finally escape Anti’s grasp, and they had failed him. They must truly hate him. All they wanted was Anti.

Jack sank to the ground and wrapped his arms around his legs, tears staining his cheeks as he cried. There was nothing left to do but give in. There was no hope now, no reason to continue. He was destined to lose this fight from the beginning; the fans had made sure of that.

He appeared not long after, a mocking expression of sympathy on his face. Blood soaked his front, and it was pouring in torrents from his throat. “I warned you, Jack, I told you not to listen to them,” Anti said, pity coloring his words. “You poor wretched creature. You were nothing but their puppet, a mere toy for them to tear apart, to break and leave behind.” A flicker, and he was kneeling in front of Jack. When Jack refused to look up, Anti tilted his chin with the tip of his knife. Anti struggled to hide the grin that tugged at his lips as he saw the infinite misery in his once-bright blue eyes. It was delicious.

“Poor, poor, helpless Jack. ‘They’re innocent’ you told me. 'They would never do that!’ Now you see the truth. Don’t listen to them singing their false praises, or plastering your face all over with their artwork. Deep down, you know that they don’t care about you. You are nothing more than a means to and end for them.” He placed a cold hand on Jack’s shoulder. The man jerked away from his touch, but didn’t look away.

“I…” Jack desperately wanted to say no, wanted to believe that he could say no. But no matter what he tried to say, the words felt hollow and meaningless. He began to realize there was only one thing he could say. “I shouldn’t have listened to them,” he murmured. Anti cupped an ear with his hand.

“What was that, Jackaboy? Do you have something you want to say?”

Tears streaming down his face now, Jack repeated his statement, louder this time, and more firmly. “I shouldn’t have listened to them. They want you, not me. I am nothing more than a toy to them.” His voice cracked and he looked away, pulling his knees tighter to his chest. “I shouldn’t have listened.” He repeated the sentence like a mantra, over and over, his voice growing more and more hoarse and hollow as he went on.

Anti watched it all with a gleeful expression, feeling a sense of satisfaction bloom inside of him, lifting him high and making him glitch spastically with ecstasy. He gave Jack a pat on the back, feeling another pang of satisfaction when the broken man didn’t react. Anti rose and resumed what he was doing, recording the final episode of Detention. This time, when Jack came forward, Anti didn’t fight. Instead, he sat back and grinned. This one wasn’t a cry for help, it was a cry for vengeance.

Anger could be manipulated, could turn an innocent man into a malleable, impulsive being ripe for the picking. In other words, he was ready to be the perfect puppet. After all this time of waiting and watching and tormenting, trying every which way to ruin the man’s mind, he had done it. And Anti would savor every minute of his newfound power. Oh, what glorious plans he had for his little puppet.

#puppetweek #jsepuppetweek #jacksepticeye #antisepticeye #jacksepticeye egos #jse #creek's imagines

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patriotsnet · 3 years ago

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What Republicans Are Running For President

New Post has been published on https://www.patriotsnet.com/what-republicans-are-running-for-president/

What Republicans Are Running For President

How Mitt Romney Could Wind Up Running The United States 6 Years After Losing The Presidential Election

If, as expected, Mitt Romney wins his race for a Senate seat from Utah he may become the most powerful man in the United States Senate. As many of us remember, Romney, former Governor of Massachusetts, ran for president in 2012 and lost to Barack Obama. It wasn’t one of those totally humiliating losses—the map did not turn blue—but we assumed Mitt Romney would fade into history.

Well, maybe not.

Here’s how. Just a few months ago, conventional wisdom was that while the Democrats had a good chance of taking control of the House of Representatives, the Senate was out of reach. In 2018 there will be at least 35 Senate seats up—of which 26 are held by Democrats. Democrats need a net gain of 2 seats to take control of the Senate. In an ordinary year this would be tough for two reasons. One is that incumbents usually win, and secondly, 10 of those Democratic senators represent states that went for Trump in 2016—so a somewhat popular president might be able to use his clout to win a Senate seat back from the Democrats. But this is no ordinary year as poll after poll and special election after special election indicate a “blue wave” for Democrats.

EKamarckrecent pollspolling aheadpolling close

Us Election 2024: Who Are The Likely Republican Candidates To Run For President Against Joe Biden

Mike Pence, Ivanka Trump and Ted Cruz are among the rumoured candidates to become Donald Trump’s successor

The 2020 presidential race has only just finished, but the Republican candidates for 2024 are already preparing themselves for their shot at the White House.

We take a look at who may be looking to get themselves in to the race.

Nj Primary Elections 2020: The Five Republicans Who Want To Take Over As Us Senator

Colleen O’Dea, Senior Writer and Projects EditorNJ Decides 2020Politics

Five Republicans are vying for the chance to try to do something no one else has been able to do in almost a half-century: Convince New Jersey voters to elect a Republican to serve in the U.S. Senate, where Democrat Cory Booker now sits.

It has been 48 years since New Jersey voters have sent a Republican to the U.S. Senate, and registered Democrats outnumber Republicans by nearly a million. In 2018, Republican and former pharmaceuticals executive Bob Hugin spent more than $39 million, including $36 million of his own money, and lost by 11 percentage points to incumbent Bob Menendez, who had been considered vulnerable after his trial on political corruption charges ended in a hung jury.

“Statewide races are the toughest ones of all for a GOP outnumbered by a million more registered Democrats in the state,” said Micah Rasmussen, director of the Rebovich Institute for New Jersey Politics at Rider University. “But even before party registrations were so lopsided, Republican Senate candidates have fared more poorly here than almost anywhere else in the nation.” Since New Jersey last sent a Republican to the Senate in 1972, “the GOP has lost a staggering 15 Senate races in a row,” he said.

Thoughts On New Poll: Most Republicans Want Trump To Run For President In 2024

John Fletcher Jrsays:

May 29, 2021 at 11:48 am

There may not be an American Presidential Office to run for when Joe Biden is done. I still believe Joe Biden is a Counterfeit President. One thing is certain, Barack Hussein Obama is happy that Joe Biden now reigns as worst American President. America get yourself ready for HYPERINFLATION, it’s coming.

May 29, 2021 at 3:43 pm

I have hats of Trump that read ” make America Great Again”, Trump 2020?,and “KEEP AMERICA GREAT”,I also have flags of him ” TRUMP ON THE TANK”, “TRUMP 2020, NO MORE BULLSHIT”. and I just got a new one,“TRUMP 2024” and then I have a MASK that reads, “TRUMP 2024 and has 2 AMERICAN FLAGS .So I really hope he runs, otherwise all of this means nothing ! TRUMP 2024 and TRUE FIGHTING REPUBLICANSIN 2022 !! NO RINOS NEEDED ! STAND UP OR SHUT UP !

May 29, 2021 at 5:19 pm

IT is more than if he runs or not. YOU are sending a message that you stand for freedoms and still support that hard work he did while still in office. Trump stands for AMERICA FIRST and that is also part of your message to the leftists.You are sending a great message no matter what he decides….You know as well as I do that he is all about what is best for the AMERICA and All Americans….SO IF he supports someone else to run then we know that person is worthy of what we all need as AMERICANS.Don;t loose hope and wear your attire with pride knowing there are many others still hoping for another win.

Yes we want Donald Trunp be our presidentin 2024.

Republican Lawmakers Are Terrified Of Trump Running For President Again

A new report by Politico cites multiple unnamed Republican lawmakers – even those who publicly praise Trump – who say that they REALLY don’t want Donald Trump running for President again in 2024. They would much rather see Trump working “behind the scenes” to help shore up support for the Party as a whole, and they insist that the Party is stronger now than it was five years ago. Ring of Fire’s Farron Cousins discusses this.

Transcript:

*This transcript was generated by a third-party transcription software company, so please excuse any typos.

Recently, Politico interviewed several Republican lawmakers, who of course all chose to remain nameless. But Politico says that these were Trump supporting lawmakers, still are Trump supporting lawmakers, by the way. And each one of them said that they do not want Donald Trump to be the Republican party’s nominee in 2024. In fact, they don’t want Trump to run for president ever again. I’ll read a couple quotes from some of these lawmakers here. Here’s what one of them said, he’s one of the best presidents we’ve had in terms of policies. But having said that if it were up to me, I would never have Trump on any ballot ever again, because it’s such a distraction. I would love for him to play a behind the scenes role and not be on the ballot. Another one said, I’d like to see a fresh face. I think we have a lot of them.

Eight Republican 2024 Candidates Speak In Texas Next Week But Not Trump

Steve Holland

WASHINGTON, April 30 – A Republican Party event in Texas next week will hear from eight potential candidates for the party’s presidential nomination in 2024, without former President Donald Trump, a source involved in the planning said on Friday.

The May 7 event at a hotel in Austin is being co-hosted by U.S. Senator John Cornyn and Texas Governor Greg Abbott, to thank donors who helped fund a voter registration drive and get-out-the-vote efforts in the state.

High-profile Republican politicians who are considering whether to seek the party’s nomination in 2024 are expected to speak to the crowd of about 200 donors.

They include former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and U.S. senators Marco Rubio, Tim Scott and Rick Scott, the source said.

The event comes as Republicans wrestle with whether to try to move past Trump in the next election cycle or fall in line behind him. Trump told Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo on Thursday that he was “100%” considering another run after losing in 2020 to Democrat Joe Biden.

Trump was not invited to Texas, the source said. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley was invited but was unable to attend, the source said.

Many Republican insiders doubt Trump will follow through on his musings about running for president in 2024, leaving a void that other party leaders will seek to fill.

Fact Check: Trump Did Not Call Republicans The Dumbest Group Of Voters

5 Min Read

An old quote falsely attributed to Donald Trump has recently resurfaced online. The viral meme alleges Trump told People magazine in 1998 that Republicans are “the dumbest group of voters in the country”. This is false.

While the quote has been debunked several times since it apparently surfaced in 2015, users have recently been resharing it on social media. Examples can be seen here , here , here , here

The meme reads: “If I were to run, I’d run as a Republican. They’re the dumbest group of voters in the country. They believe anything on Fox News. I could lie and they’d still eat it up. I bet my numbers would be terrific. – Donald Trump, People Magazine, 1998”

Snopes first wrote about the false quote here in October 2015 . Since then, the quote has been debunked multiple times .

People magazine has confirmed in the past that its archive has no register of this alleged exchange.

“People looked into this exhaustively when it first surfaced back in Oct. . We combed through every Trump story in our archive. We couldn’t find anything remotely like this quote–and no interview at all in 1998.”, a magazine spokesperson told Factcheck.org that year .

In December 1987, People published a profile on Donald Trump titled “Too Darn Rich”. The article quoted him saying he was too busy to run for president .

The Long Race For The 2024 Republican Presidential Nomination Begins

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa — In the past week alone, Nikki Haley regaled activists in Iowa, Mike Pence courted donors in California and Donald Trump returned to the rally stage, teasing a third campaign for the White House.

The midterms are more than a year away, and there are 1,225 days until the next presidential election. But Republicans eyeing a White House run are wasting no time in jockeying for a strong position in what could emerge as an extremely crowded field of contenders.

The politicking will only intensify in the coming weeks, particularly in Iowa, home to the nation’s leadoff presidential caucuses and a state where conservative evangelicals play a significant role in steering the direction of the GOP. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas is slated to visit on Tuesday, and others, including Pence, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are expected to appear in July.

The flurry of activity is a sign that there is no clear frontrunner to lead the GOP if Trump opts against a 2024 campaign.

“It definitely feels early, but it doesn’t feel like it’s a bad idea based on the situation,” said Mike DuHaime, a longtime Republican strategist. “The party has changed, the voters are changing and I think the process has changed. And I think many of the candidates have realized that.”

“We won the election twice,” he said. “And it’s possible we’ll have to win it a third time.”

As for Trump?

Are You Ready For Republican Tim Scott To Run For President In 2024

The Senate’s lone Black Republican member, Tim Scott, is opening eyes and creating conversation about his 2024 political prospects.According to Fox News, Scott has brought in $14.4 million in campaign fundraising, after posting $9.6 million during April-June. The total amount in his campaign coffers has led many to believe that Scott is eying higher office than just the U.S. Senate.Scott has kept his name ringing in the political arena during his tenure in the Senate, especially after delivering a GOP response to President Biden’s primetime address to a joint session of Congress earlier this year. Scott has also led his party in negotiations with congressional Democrats on a major police reform bill.

While Scott has downplayed the hype surrounding his political aspirations, people on the Hill and talking heads on camera are noting that he could possibly be a 2024 Republican presidential nominee.

“Tim Scott is a force,” Jim Merrill, a New Hampshire-based Republican consultant said to Fox News. “His strong numbers reflect how he has inspired activists and business leaders alike, good for both his reelection next year and for a potential presidential campaign in 2024.”

Fear of a Black Landowner

With Scott previously downplaying the notion of running for president and his recent declaration that he won’t run for Senate after 2022, Black America will just have to see if Tim Scott will lean-in to the dollars raised to bankroll a potential campaign for the White House.

Reaction

New Poll: Most Republicans Want Trump To Run For President In 2024

A new Quinnipiac University national poll released this week revealed that two-thirds of Republicans want former President Donald Trump to run for president in 2024.

The Quinnipiac poll surveyed 1,316 U.S. adults nationwide from May 18-24. The poll’s margin of error was +/- 2.7 percentage points.

Three key Republican findings of the survey included:

66% of Republicans want to see Trump run in 2024

66% of Republicans do not think Biden’s victory was legitimate

85% of Republicans want candidates that mostly agree with Trump

“The numbers fly in the face of any predictions that Donald Trump’s political future is in decline. By a substantial majority, Republicans: believe the election was stolen from him, want Trump to run again, and , if they can’t vote for Trump, prefer someone who agrees with him,” said Quinnipiac University Polling Analyst Tim Malloy.

Malloy is right. The poll reveals what many American already know — Trump still serves as a top conservative leader.

But is Trump still up for another run? And if he does, can he win?

The first question looks like a yes. Trump recently told radio host Dan Bongino people will be very happy with his answer. However, Trump has also previously said he would not announce whether he is running until after the 2022 midterm elections.

The more important question is can he win? If two-thirds of Republicans already support Trump, how many more will be required, especially in key battleground states, to reach the needed electoral votes?

Native American Voting Rights Are Under Attack In Republican

Paul Blumenthal

After turning out to vote in record numbers in 2020 despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Native Americans are now one of the biggest targets of Republican-backed voter suppression efforts in states where their votes mattered the most.

Republicans in states with significant Native populations like Arizona, Kansas, Montana and more have enacted new laws that limit voter access in ways that disproportionately impact Native voters. Imposing strict time limits on correcting a mail-in ballot, prohibiting third-party ballot collection, implementing strict voter identification requirements and making it harder to pay for election resources all negatively impact Native Americans in these states, largely due to specific circumstances on reservations where many of them live.

“The laws the state legislatures are passing are lethal to every Native American living in those states,” said OJ Semans, the founder of the Native voting rights group Four Directions and an enrolled member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe in South Dakota. Such legislation, he said, “is going to knock us back 10 years” after “what we’ve been working through for the last 18 to 20 years to get more and more Native Americans to participate in elections.”

It wasn’t until 1962 when New Mexico’s laws blocking Native voting fell. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 also provided important protections for Native voting rights.

Trumps Role As Republican Party Leader Is Becoming Stronger

This weekend’s CPAC straw poll results showed that Trump’s popularity — along with DeSantis’ — in the Republican Party has grown in the last six months, according to Forbes.

In February, only 55% of attendees of a similar CPAC event in Orlando, Florida, said they wanted Trump to lead the ticket in 2024, Forbes reported.

If Trump stayed in political retirement, or at least stayed off the presidential primary ballot in 2024, DeSantis lead the poll with 43% attending Republicans choosing him in February’s hypothetical presidential primary.

Inside the newsroom: Words matter, including the hateful ‘Murder the media’

When Presidential Primaries Started They Weren’t Decisive

Woodrow Wilson.

The Progressive Era at the beginning of the 20th century saw a backlash against local party machines and their bosses dominating American politics. This backlash was especially pronounced in Western states, where reformers implemented ideas like legislating via ballot initiative at the polls.

Progressive reformers also invented the presidential primary. In 1910, Oregon became the first to use a popular election to pick its delegates for national conventions, with the delegates pledged to support specific candidates.

But these primaries lacked the efficacy and decisiveness of those we have today, in part because most states didn’t have them and in part because the ultimate nomination decision was still made via a multi-ballot process at a national convention.

In 1912, ex-President Theodore Roosevelt decided to challenge his successor William Howard Taft for the GOP nomination. He crushed Taft in the primaries, carrying nine of the 12 states that held primaries, while Robert La Follette won two and Taft just one.

But that still left 36 other states, which mostly sent pro-Taft delegates to the convention, securing him the nomination. And that led Roosevelt to bolt the party and launch an independent bid for the general election.

But while McAdoo didn’t have enough support to win, he did have enough to block the party bosses’ favorite, New York Gov. Al Smith, a Catholic.

Why Donald Trump Is Republicans’ Worst Nightmare In 2024

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large

Earlier this week, amid a rambling attack on the validity of the 2020 election, former President Donald Trump said this: “Interesting that today a poll came out indicating I’m far in the lead for the Republican Presidential Primary and the General Election in 2024.”

this on Trump’s future political ambitions from Politico“Trump is confiding in allies that he intends to run again in 2024 with one contingency: that he still has a good bill of health, according to two sources close to the former president. That means Trump is going to hang over the Republican Party despite its attempts to rebrand during his exile and its blockade of a Trump-centric investigation into January’s insurrection.”new Quinnipiac University national pollhis growing legal and financial entanglementsAs CNN reported on Wednesday night“Manhattan prosecutors pursuing a criminal case against former President Donald Trump, his company and its executives have told at least one witness to prepare for grand jury testimony, according to a person familiar with the matter — a signal that the lengthy investigation is moving into an advanced stage.”

The Contenders Who Competed To Run Against Donald Trump

Tom MurseTom Murse

Within weeks of Donald Trump taking the oath of office as the nation’s 45th president, challengers began lining up to see who would attempt to unseat him in the 2020 presidential election. The controversial president faced early challenges from within his own party, but by and large, the focus remained on the candidates put forth by the opposing Democratic Party.

During one of the most crowded primary seasons in recent memory, several high-profile Democrats, including multiple sitting senators and rising stars in the party, competed for the party’s nomination. Ultimately, it was former vice president Joe Biden who won the party’s nomination. He selected Senator Kamala Harris, another primary candidate, as his running mate, and the ticket won the 2020 general election with 51.3% of the vote and 306 electoral votes to 46.9% and 232 electoral votes for the incumbent Trump/Pence ticket.

Here’s a look at the Democrats, and even members of Trump’s own Republican Party, who ran campaigns looking to unseat the controversial commander-in-chief.

Democratic Challengers

February 7, 2020

Former Us Ambassador To The United Nations Nikki Haley

Haley, 49, stands out in the potential pool of 2024 Republican candidates by her resume. She has experience as an executive as the former governor of South Carolina and foreign policy experience from her time as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Haley was a member of the Republican Party’s 2010 tea party class. A former South Carolina state representative, her long shot gubernatorial campaign saw its fortunes improve after she was endorsed by Sarah Palin. Haley rocketed from fourth to first just days after the endorsement, and she went on to clinch the nomination and become her state’s first female and first Indian-American governor.

As governor, she signed a bill removing the Confederate flag from the state Capitol following the white supremacist attack at the Emanuel African Methodist Church in Charleston. She left office in 2017 to join the Trump administration as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Quinnipiac poll found she was at one point the most popular member of Trump’s foreign policy team.

“I think that she’s done a pretty masterful job in filling out her resume,” said Robert Oldendick, a professor and director of graduate studies at the University of South Carolina’s department of political science.

Haley criticized Trump following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol by his supporters, saying she was “disgusted” by his conduct. Oldendick said he thought her “pretty pointed criticism of the president will potentially cause some problems.”

Republican Candidates Running For The Us 2020 Election

Bill Weld was married twice and has five children.

Weld ran for vice-president as a Libertarian on the Gary Johnson ticket in the 2016 presidential election.

As a conservative, Weld is strongly pro-choice on abortion issues.

The presidential race is on and the candidates are being whittled down to the very few. Who is running on the Republican side? Current President Donald Trump is going for re-election, and the only candidate now challenging him for election as president of the US this coming November 3rd, 2020 is Bill Weld, a former Massachusetts governor.

The 2024 Republican Presidential Candidate Wild Cards

The first Democratic debate back in 2019 had 20 — TWENTY! — candidates, so don’t be surprised if the Republican field is just as large or larger. We could have some more governors or representatives run, or even other nontraditional candidates, like a Trump family member, a Fox News host or a celebrity, like Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who’s said he’s “seriously considering” a run. Stranger things have happened.

Who Wants To Run For Governor As A Republican In 2022

Pennsylvania Republicans have been battling with Gov. Tom Wolf since he unseated incumbent Tom Corbett in 2014. Many of them are eager to take Wolf’s place, but there is no clear frontrunner this early in the race. Several Republicans have already announced their bid, and a few others have hinted or shown interest in joining what is expected to be a crowded primary. Thus far, it’s hard to find a Republican candidate without some sort of ties to former President Donald Trump.

With a heated race to fill U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey’s seat next year, the GOP will have to be strategic about what candidates it wants to back for the Senate and for governor. Potential candidates will also have to weigh their options and decide where they fit best and can compete.

There are plenty of names that could be added to this list in the coming months, but here is our second iteration of potential Republican candidates for 2022. A couple of candidates have been added since the last edition.

Running

Former U.S. Rep Lou Barletta

Montgomery County Commissioner Joe Gale

Gale was the first Republican to formally announce his candidacy for governor back in February. An avid Trump supporter, he has criticized the Pennsylvania GOP and pledged to be a conservative populist. He’s also caught attention for and saying Trump’s presidency was sabotaged.

Former Corry Mayor Jason Monn

Pittsburgh attorney Jason Richey

Dr. Nche Zama

Charlie Gerow

John Ventre

For These Republicans 2024 Is Just Around The Corner

Mike Pence. Mike Pompeo. Rick Scott. They share big ambitions, but one name hovers above them all …

President Biden told reporters last month that his “plan is to run for re-election,” despite already being the oldest person to have won a presidential election. So, for now at least, the question of who will lead the Democratic ticket in 2024 has been put to rest.

On the Republican side, however, certainty is in short supply. It’s beyond early to be talking about the next presidential election — but that’s only if you aren’t planning to run. Some Republican candidates have already made trips to Iowa and New Hampshire, and others are laying plans to go, in what often represents the first step in building out a campaign operation in those early-voting states.

And on Wednesday, in a conspicuously forward-looking move, former Vice President Mike Pence announced the formation of a new political organization, Advancing American Freedom, whose advisory board is stacked high with former Trump administration officials and allies. The news came on the same day Simon & Schuster announced that it would publish Pence’s autobiography as part of a two-book deal.

The G.O.P. is badly fractured, trying to hold together a dominant base of those loyal to former President Donald Trump and a stubborn minority of pro-decorum, anti-Trump conservatives. Anyone looking to grab the Republican mantle will have to find some way of satisfying both camps — and maybe even expanding upon them.

Rivera Another Candidate Who Is Trying A Second Time

Another candidate making her second Senate attempt is Natalie Lynn Rivera. A social services coordinator from Sicklerville, Rivera ran as an independent under the slogan “For the People” in 2018, garnering about 0.6% of the vote.

Rivera, 44, said she wants to give typical New Jersey residents a voice in Congress. On her Facebook campaign site she calls herself a conservative. Among her priorities are restoring Second Amendment rights that she says are “under seige” in the state and outlawing abortion.

What sets her apart from the other candidates, she said, is that she “will be a servant to the people … I think I am authentic and will serve from the heart to put their best interests at the forefront.”

Another candidate running a shoestring campaign is Eugene Tom Anagnos, a retired middle school teacher who taught in Newark and Elizabeth schools. A Greek immigrant who now lives in East Hanover, Anagnos is an Army veteran who holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Indiana University.

General Election Candidates On Five Or More Ballots

In addition to Biden, Hawkins, Jorgensen, and Trump, the following candidates have qualified to appear on five or more ballots:

Roque De La Fuente Gloria La Riva Jade Simmons Jesse Ventura/Cynthia McKinney Sheila Tittle Kyle Kenley Kopitke Ricki Sue King/Dayna Chandler

Incumbents are bolded and underlined The results have been certified.

Total votes: 158,379,904

0 states have not been called.

Here Are The Republicans To Keep An Eye On For 2024

Bradley Devlin

Republicans are paying extra attention to a number of Republican governors, senators, and former officials that might consider making a run for president in 2024.

The contenders come from various contingents of right-leaning thought, and will be fighting to capture parts of former President Donald Trump’s base. Whichever Republican hopeful prevails will not only become the Republican Party’s nominee, but also help determine the ideological trajectory of the Republican Party in the post-Trump era.

Vice President Mike Pence

It’s not uncommon for vice presidents to follow up their stint as second-in-command with a run for president. Former President John Adams, the nation’s second president, was America’s first vice president under President George Washington. More recently, President Joe Biden became the 46th president four years after he ended his eight-year tenure as former President Barack Obama’s vice president.

Vice President Mike Pence might decide to do the same, but Pence’s relationship with Trump seems to be severely tarnished after Pence did not contest the certification of the Electoral College results, as reported by The Hill.

Senator Ted Cruz

Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz could run for president again come 2024 after he defended his senate seat in 2018 from Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke. Cruz’s bid for the presidency in 2016 ended in failure as Trump captured the Republican Party’s nomination.

Senator Josh Hawley

Governor Ron DeSantis

Poll Results Are Fake Unless Theyre Good Trump Says

During his speech at the Dallas convention Sunday night, Trump said he only would have believed the results of CPAC’s straw poll if they were his favor, Business Insider reported.

“Now, if it’s bad, I just say it’s fake,” the former president told the crowd, reported Insider. “If it’s good, I say that’s the most accurate poll, perhaps ever.”

In the past, Trump has decried similar things he doesn’t like as false, like referring to unfavorable media coverage as “fake news.”

Early Nomination Contests Didn’t Involve Primaries

Presidents Andrew Jackson and Martin Van Buren.

Intraparty disputes over who should be nominated for the presidency are as old as the republic itself. But the modern system of determining nominees through a series of state primary elections is essentially an innovation of the 1970s. Before that, parties deployed a wide range of methods.

The Democratic-Republicans, the dominant political party of the early 19th century, used to select candidates via a vote of the party’s members in Congress.That method let it control the White House for 20 years, and lasted until the rivalry between John Quincy Adams and Andrew Jackson made the party splinter into the Democrats and the Whigs in the aftermath of the 1824 election.

Back in 1836, in the early days of Whig versus Democrat competition, the Whig Party even tried nominating several candidates simultaneously in their bid to block Martin Van Buren from succeeding Jackson in the White House.

In most Northern states, William Henry Harrison appeared on the general election ballot, while Hugh White got the nod in most Southern ones. And Massachusetts Whigs went with Daniel Webster , while Willie Magnum was nominated in South Carolina.

But it did not work. Van Buren won the election, and in subsequent contests the Whigs emulated the Democrats, picking a single nominee at a broad national convention with representatives from all states.

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