#rileys 200 follower celebration

[hesbuckcompton-baby]

congrats on 200! could I get pat riley for the celebration please?

Thank you!!

Pat Riley - 70s Rock Star AU

Put a guitar in this man's hand and the groupies would follow him anywhere. He would've been the only person thriving in Almost Famous, trust me

Helena's 200 followers celebration

[leth-writes]

Requests open!

-200 followers celebration announcement

-my A03

-I'll write for Marvel, DC, and the Twilight Saga and I'm open to writing both regular and dark/yandere dynamics.

-I'll write for Simon 'Ghost' Riley and Konig, both from Call of Duty.

-I'll also write for Aemond, Daemon, and Rhaenyra Targaryen, Jordan Li, and Homelander, as well as the Arcane characters Jinx, Sevika, Vi, Viktor, and Silco.

-I'll write for any character from parts 4,5, or 6 of jojo's bizarre adventure!

-I'll write for the following Slashers: billy loomis and stu macher; the sinclairs; Michael Myers; Kevin Khatchadourian; pelle; JD; the Lost Boys

-I'd also like to write for Chrollo from Hunter x Hunter, if anyone has any requests!

-I also write for both Helluva Boss and Hazbin hotel!

-When it comes to the Twilight Saga, I'll write for the Cullens, the wolves, and the Volturi.

Obvious rules apply:

-no homophobia, sexism, racism, or any other bigotry

-all characters aged up!

-This blog is 18+!

Feel free to ask me anything!

-I also have a ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/lethwrites

-I take commissions: up to 2000 words, $1/100 words. Message me if interested!

my game: https://leth-writes.itch.io/yandere-twilight

Anon list: 🤠, 🌌, 🍄, 🍒, 🐢, 🐿️

(Dividers by cafekatsune!)

Masterlists:

Arcane Masterlist

Hunter X Hunter Masterlist

Slasher masterlist

Call of Duty masterlist

The Boys Masterlist

HOTD Masterlist

Twilight masterlist

DC Masterlist

Marvel Masterlist

[starving-marauder-lover]

50!! (Small but big)

Alright because I just hit 50 followers today and I saw some other blogs doing celebrations for reaching milestones (most of them were 100 or 200 but whatever, let me have this) I decided to do something myself.

Because I am absolutely obsessed with music most of these will be music-based, anyways, below the cut will be all the options!

DM me if you have any questions about anything

To submit, sent my ask box the number and title that you choose

1. I give you music!

You give me 2-5 words and I try to fit a song that matches those words. These words can be anything from genres to describing how the song would sound.

ex. car, bouncy, and friendship- I would choose the song "Platonic Cuddling by Breakup Shoes

(this is totally not a plan to make everyone convert to my music taste)

2. The time saver

You give me a few specific requests you want to read and then I find a fic that matches the requests (marauders-based only please)

3. Promts

You give me one random word and I write a microfic (marauders-based only please) with that word in it. You also specify what ship you want for it, so go crazy! (No nsfw though, I am a minor)

4. You give ME music

It's pretty self-explanatory, you give me a song, I rate then I tell you if it's going in my playlist(s) or not >:)

5. Ego time (mutuals only)

I tell you one fun fact about me!

Again, a massive thank you to everyone following, but especially to my mutuals! When I first joined Tumblr I thought I'd just be some person who makes shitty posts and would be lucky enough to get a few likes on them, but now I (think I can say) that I have some friends on this app! I've had so much fun interacting with them even if it's just on the rp blog we have together, or my other mutuals who I love getting notifications about them mentioning/reblogging my posts. Thank you again!

Some of my favorites :)

@yourlocalbadgerscales @nyx-taylors-version @bartyssimp-riley-16 @anything-for-my-moony-1971 @outromoony @barely-functioning-frog @whydousernamesevenexist @themirrorballfriend @paper-beats-writers-block @daonedaonlyskh @mirrs-ball @unhinged-as-hell

and all my others that for some reason I'm scared to tag? u all are awesome

[halfmoth-halfman]

3k follower celebration 🎉

time to get the good vibes going again with a follower celebration!!

i'll start off by just saying how absolutely stunned and grateful i am that so many of you have not only followed me, but for all the love and support you guys have shown me!! i appreciate every single one of you and thank you from the bottom of my way heart!! 💜

i'm gonna do the same emoji/ask game celebration that i did for my 2k, but this time i've added and changed up the emojis to make things more interesting 👀

starting today through next friday (may 26th) feel free to send me an ask, anonymous or not, along with a matching emoji or two from below the cut!

🎮 fun games

send me a game of your choice - could be fmk, top five, this or that, would you rather, or anything you like

💌 ask me anything

ask me anything you want to know about me

🎼character soundtracks

send me a character or a ship and i’ll make you a playlist with 5 songs for them

🎶 playlists

pick from one of my spotify playlists below and i’ll give you 3 random songs from there 1. here there be monsters (my spooky halloween playlist) 2. stealing these lyrics for fic titles (my fic title playlist) 3. oops, i played it again (songs that i put on repeat to make sure they end up on my spotify wrapped) 4. we do be drivin (roadtrip playlist) 5. a bowl of goldfish (a playlist of the songs that i love but keep forgetting the names of)

🖼️ moodboard

send me a character or an aesthetic (or both!!) and i’ll make you a moodboard

✂️ snippet

i'll give you a snippet from a random wip

👽 the cryptid collection

this one has to be off anon, but send me an ask and i'll tell you which cryptid you remind me of

🌟 faves

send me a subject (video games, movies, books, characters, etc) and i'll give you my top five

⚰️ the retirement home

send me a number 1-20 and i'll talk about a fic idea i had that i scrapped/retired/never got around to

📝 drabble requests

send me a character from the list below, a word or two, and a fic genre and i’ll write you a 100-200 word drabble (Ex: Ghost, Scars, Whump) ✨i don’t write smut, but i don’t mind a little bit of spice✨ alejandro vargas alex keller arthur morgan kyle "gaz"garrick john "soap" mactavish john price phillip graves rodolfo parra simon "ghost" riley

there's no limit to how many emojis you can send, just please don't spam and be polite!!

everything will be tagged with #mothie3kcelebration!!

[coochiequeens]

A transgender swimmer at a New Jersey college has ignited controversy after she broke a women’s school record last weekend after three years competing on the men’s team.

Meghan Cortez-Fields, a senior at Ramapo College of New Jersey, set the new record and took home first place in the 100-yard butterfly at a meet in Pennsylvania last Saturday.

Her time of 57.22 was 0.68 seconds faster than the previous record set in 2017, the school’s latest figures show.

Cortez-Fields, who hails from College Station, Texas, also won the 200-yard individual medley at the Cougar Splash hosted by Misericordia University.

The school initially celebrated her new record in a congratulatory Instagram post, but swiftly deleted it after critics started slamming Cortez-Fields’ win — specifically pointing to how she had only joined the women’s team this season.

Former collegiate swimmer-turned-activist, Riley Gaines, was among those to lead the outrage, posting on X that Cortez-Fields had gone from a “less than mediocre male swimmer to a record smasher competing against the women.”

“Those who choose to remain blind to the injustice of allowing mediocre male athletes to become record-breaking female athletes are either incompetent or misogynists. There is no in between anymore,” Gaines added in an interview with Fox News.

“The incident at Ramapo College shouldn’t be a shock to anyone considering we’ve seen virtually the same story time and time again with no people in leadership positions willing to take a stand for women.”

The Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) also chimed in on X, accusing Cortez-Fields of having “erased a woman’s name from the record books.”

Ramapo College, however, defended Cortez-Fields, saying the school follows NCAA policies and that it “supports all of our student athletes.”

“There are strict measures that the NCAA makes trans athletes go through. You have to meet certain criteria to show that you are able to, as a trans athlete, compete with women,” a spokeswoman said.

“We are an affiliate member of the NCAA. We are in compliance. We have done everything the NCAA says needs to be done regarding trans athletes competing on the team. All of the steps were taken, and documentation was provided for approval of Meghan’s participation.”

The school said the original Instagram post was deleted by a student “who wanted to protect their teammate from insulting comments.”

“We remain concerned about the vitriol that we have seen on social media and the threats of violence against some college members. We are going to continue to post all of our team and individual athlete’s student achievements for all of our athletics programs, as we always do,” the spokeswoman added.

The backlash against Ramapo’s swimmer comes after the University of Pennsylvania’s Lia Thomas ignited a firestorm last year after she started winning meets after competing for three years on the men’s squad.

[theultimatefan]

Bernthal, Gunn, ‘Charmed’ Duo, Cullen, Lee Added To FAN EXPO New Orleans Celebrity Lineup, Jan. 5-7

Jon Bernthal (“The Punisher,” “The Walking Dead”), Sean Gunn (Guardians of the Galaxy, “Avengers: Infinity War”), the “Charmed” duo of Holly Marie Combs and Rose McGowan, Peter Cullen (Transformers) and Jason Lee (Vanilla Sky, Almost Famous) have been added to the celebrity lineup at FAN EXPO New Orleans, set for January 5-7, 2024, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center.

They join a standout roster of stars at FAN EXPO New Orleans that includes Danny Trejo (Machete, The Book of Boba Fett), the "Daredevil" tandem of Charlie Cox and Vincent D'Onofrio, Katee Sackhoff (Star Wars’ “The Mandalorian”) and voice acting stars of “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” Barry Gordon (“Donatello”), Cam Clarke (“Leonardo”), Townsend Coleman (“Michelango”) and Rob Paulsen (“Raphael”).

Bernthal played the lead “Frank Castle” in the Netflix Marvel series “Daredevil” after a popular run as “Shane Walsh” in the AMC hit drama “The Walking Dead.” The classically trained Bernthal most recently starred in last year’s “American Gigolo” on Showtime and has appeared in such large-scale productions as World Trade Center, The Pacific and Rampart, and has had guest roles on top TV series like "CSI: Miami," "Boston Legal," "Without a Trace" and "How I Met Your Mother."

Gunn played "Kraglin" in Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) and its sequels in 2017 and this year, as well as providing the physical performance via motion capture for "Rocket Raccoon" in the films plus Avengers: Infinity War and Endgame and Thor: Love and Thunder. He also portrayed "Kirk Gleason" throughout the seven-year run of "Gilmore Girls" among his 60+ acting credits.

Combs starred in "Charmed," which ran for eight seasons and has adopted a huge, loyal following since, as "Piper Halliwell," one of three witch sisters fighting evil in modern day San Francisco. That followed her breakout role in 88 episodes of the hit series "Picket Fences" and later led to appearances in more than 30 series and movies and a long run as "Ella Montgomery" on "Pretty Little Liars."

Her “Charmed” co-star McGowan played long-lost sister "Paige Matthews" for the final five seasons of the series. The Italian-born actress first caught major attention for her role as "Tatum Riley" in the horror blockbuster Scream (1996) opposite Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox and David Arquette. She has appeared in more than 60 films and shows as an actress and is also an accomplished producer and director.

Cullen is a voice actor in 200+ films and TV shows, notably portraying "Optimus Prime" in numerous iterations of the "Transformers" franchise. Some of his other well-known works include roles in "Winnie The Pooh," "Chip 'n' Dale," "The Flintstone Kids" and dozens of others.

A native of Southern California, Lee is a photographer, producer, director, and actor. Having established a successful career as a professional skateboarder during skateboarding's pivotal late 80s and early 90s period, Lee would go on to pursue acting, which would lead to working in film, television, and voiceover, and with such directors as Kevin Smith, Lawrence Kasdan, Cameron Crowe and Rebecca Miller.

FAN EXPO New Orleans features the biggest and best in pop culture: movies, TV, music, artists, writers, exhibitors, cosplay, with three full days of themed programming to satisfy every fandom. More guest news will be released in the following weeks, including line-up reveals for comic creator guests, voice actors, and cosplayers.

New Orleans is the first event on the 2024 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events/.

[king-star]

AYOOO didn’t know you were doing ships lowkey i wanna see who u ship me with 🤠 i mean u know me pretty well at this point but i’ll give u some fun facts

im latina, i’m 5’0, i have brown hair and brown eyes, i watch children cartoons to feel something and for the last three days i’ve been looking at local dog shelters and imagining adopting all the puppers 😭🤚🏼

Your match is 💜Kate Bishop💜

~ You two are cheeky fuckers and always get up to shit together. Kate is a good deal taller than you and will tease you about your height nonstop. She is the big spoon and loves to cuddle you. The two of you go on a different uber romantic date every Saturday. Kate would love to adopt a dog with you because she is jealous of Clint having lucky.~

A/N: ok ok I’m sorry that im doing this before all the others but like it was so easy. it’s fucking KJ i typed it up in under 5 minutes. also bestie you latina? i didn’t know that.

[alidravana]

Prompt: "I'm...I'm trying. I really am."

Ghost talking to his sibling, Tommy, perhaps....?

I apologize for the whump...but here it is!

“I’m…I’m trying.  I really am.”  Simon mumbled quietly, gazing up at the statue of the Virgin Mary, then wearily glancing at the window out of the corner of his eye.  The flickering candles barely lit up the corner of the church, but enough to cast eerie shadows, making it difficult to see if anyone was approaching through the pounding rain outside.  Nevertheless, this was the best vantage point in the whole building, granting Simon the ability to see all entry points, and so he waited, tapping his finger ever so often against his weapon.

Simon never went to church as a child, his father often too drunk, and his mother not concerned enough with appearances to attend.  He didn’t feel like he missed out on much, all of his classmates complaining about having to go, to wear shiny dress shoes and sit on uncomfortable pews.  Hell, he didn’t even own a pair of dress shoes until he enlisted.  

After Roba, after Simon embraced his new cover, his new identity as Ghost, he veered even further away from places of worship, concerned that one day he might actually catch on fire the moment he entered.  

But this church was nice, almost comforting in a strange way.  The thick walls softened the sounds of gunfire, the screams from the citizens that the Shadow Company were terrorizing were muffled; Simon tried to not dwell on that too much, knowing at the current moment, there was nothing he could do to help.  All he could do was sit there, and wait.  

“I know how much you loved Beth, Tommy,” he continued to whisper, talking to his brother as if he was there next to him.  Who knows, maybe he was there, watching him.  “I-I think-” Simon cut himself off, trying to find the right words but then remembering that the right words didn’t really matter right now.  “I think I might like Johnny…in that way,” he said softly, closing his eyes briefly as he thought of his sergeant.

“I haven’t loved anyone since you three,” Simon’s voice cracked, unable to stop the memories from flooding in, from that dreaded night, when his family was taken from him.  His hands tightened into fists, wishing not for the first time that he could forget, even if only for a few minutes.  

“And I don’t know if I can.”

[maxattack-powell]

Creator Tag Game: EOY 2018

Rules: It’s time to love yourselves! Choose your 5 favorite works you’ve created this year (fics, art, edits, etc!) and link them below (say why if you want) to reflect on the amazing things you’ve brought into the world in 2018. Tag as many writers/artists/etc as you want (fan or original!) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works.

I was tagged by the amazing @katurrade @itlivesbeneath @eadanga & @kennaxval - thank you guys! Much love! 💗💗💗💗

I’m going to do kinda what I did last year Yes, I looked back and totally did this same thing a year ago, and now I kinda feel (fandom) old now lol. Er, okay. Let’s see… sticking with original works…

Fics

1.  Practice Makes Perfect (TFC 2-4b) (NSFW) – There is so much about this one that I love. Freaking love. Chris is absolutely adorable in this one. Smitten is a good word. He is so gentle and caring, so loving and sweet… I can’t tell you more – you should just read it lol. This might actually be my favorite of all time. It will be hard to find a new top choice.

2.  20 Questions (TFC 2-4d) – This is a fun one. Ninja punches?! Flirty, funny banter?! Hot workout peeking?! Shower time?! Sassy James?! And of course, MC & Chris 20 Questions! Yeah this one was fun haha.

3.  Boston Series (TFC) – I love Boston. It shows. I tried to take the readers on a trip with Chris, MC, Ethan, Steph and more in this set. They feel like one fic to me because it’s the same trip. So here you go…

City of Champions (2-8b) (NSFW) – The Green Monster & Monopoly Boardwalk

Girls Like You (2-8c) (NSFW) – A moment alone, a run in with Peter (gasp!) and the amazing Boston Public Library

Just Keep Swimming (2-8d) – A meaningful song battle, the New England Aquarium, Ryan Hawkins(!), and a memorable Greenway Carousel Ride

Until The Next Time (2-8e) (NSFW) – A quiet morning in, sad goodbyes & happy hellos

4.  The Hartfeld Athletic Trainer (READER INTERACTIVE) Series (complete) – my first interactive fic/series! It wasn’t going to be a series at first… but then I just couldn’t imagine leaving this a one shot. It was a challenge, but I love it.

The Hartfeld Athletic Trainer

Heal Me

Wrap It Up

Touchdown (NSFW)

5.  The Bond (AU: Chris x MC x Zig) Series (in progress) – Is it a throuple? A threesome? A love triangle? OMG what will happen..?! Currently in progress, but I think it’s going to be a good one. :)

The Bond

Moving Forward

Honorable Mentions

(almost made it, but still have a special place in my heart):

1.  Steady My Queen (Liam x Riley) – I actually really enjoy writing for Liam and Riley… I want to write for more pairings other than Chris & MC (though they are obvs my fav). I hope to do this more as I go… I have a few non Chris prompts in my inbox. J

2.  Undress Rehearsal (TFC 2-4g) (NSFW) – this freaking thing lol. It stayed in my head for a long… long time. I changed things around many times, switching timelines, plot points, etc. until I had it just right. I think it might be a love it or leave it kinda fic for some. Hmm…

3.  Should’ve Tried Harder (AU: Chris x MC – 300 Followers Giveaway) – my first non The Freshman Chronicles fic! This was a big step for me. While I haven’t made that many non TFC posts… I have a few different things going now, and this was where it all began. It was meant to be a one-shot, but it seems to have a following that wants more so a second has been planned ;)

 Edits

1.  Choices Men and DOGS (@regrettingnathan 200 Follower Celebration) – OMG I love them ALL AHHHH!!!

2.  Cali Trippin: Chris Powell (Favorite LI Week) – he looks so warm… and ready to skinny dip in the ocean lol

3.  Dirty Santas

Drake – Best. Surprise. EVER. 😘

Zigmund – Hellooooooo Santa! 😉

Sinclaire – Freaking. Adorable. That’s why.

Christopher – Heh… he’s trying to be saucy. 😅

Zack – IT’S ZACK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD. 😍

4.  Nature Hike (Chris, MC & Zig) – three of my favorite people & first group edit

5.  A Powell Summer in Maine (Favorite LI Week) – he looks so… natural.

Yes, I did five for fics and five for edits. Edits were new to me this year… and I have @regrettingnathan to thank for it. She is amazing. Very helpful, knowledgeable and beyond patient. SHE IS MY EDIT DUMBLEDORE! So they got their own Top Five. Fight me.

I almost wanted to include the music playlists that build with each book of The Freshman Chronicles… but that’s just because I enjoy music so much and want to force it on anyone who will let me apparently lol. So I refrained! Are you proud..? ;)

Tagging a few people who might want to play..? At this point I’m probably the last one lol. Please feel free to ignore and or join in!

@regrettingnathan @tmarie82 @lizeboredom @choicesfannatalie @darley1101 @lolablackwrites @christopherpowelllover @queen-among-writers @boneandfur @flowerpowell @littlegreenmoo @klaudiana-beaumontkkreal @walkerismychoice @imafictosexual @elles-choices @kinkykingliam @lostinthe-pines @itsalliepg @bobasheebaby @drakewalkerwhipped

[jackalopingintothevoid]

Observing Holidays

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 TBA

Note: I am a white British semirural goy and don’t know shit about Judaism. I’ve done what research I can but if I got things wrong you have to tell me or I won’t learn.

What was wrong with that section of the hallway?

John had immediately realised something was off when doing his rounds that morning, but a cursory check found nothing of concern. The walls and floor were intact and un-bugged, the street-facing window un-tampered with. After he’d given everyone their coffee and confirmed that each cup was to each individual’s specific preference, he’d quietly asked Alouette to have a look as well. She claimed to find nothing out of the ordinary, and he’d tried to trust her and leave it be.

But he couldn’t. It kept nagging at him. He kept going back to that part of the hall, that window. Something was different, and it was distracting him noticeably. Riley, Changming and even Davis asked if he was okay over the course of an hour after breakfast, if he wanted to talk about what was bothering him. It was irritating.

Breakfast had been different, too. It was the first time since he woke up here that Sampoorna hadn’t made potato pancakes regardless of what anyone else was cooking. She just had what Alouette had made like everyone else. Perhaps he should look into that, too, but it seemed less pressing.

Now John had at least narrowed it down to the window specifically that was wrong. He leaned a little closer, and noticed a faint outline in the light layer of dust that hadn’t been swept up yet today from the windowsill.

That was it. That was what it was-- something missing that had been there until today. He was certain that it was here last night, so why wasn’t it here this morning? It was always Sampoorna who did anything with it, so he’d have to ask her.

Speak of the devil. Her careful but heavy footfalls came to a stop behind him. “Are you well, John? You seem to be upset.”

“The candles are gone.” John said, and turned to see her surprised expression.

Then she squinted, turning her head to side-eye him. At 6′3, Sampoorna didn’t have to tilt her head all the way up to meet his eye, and he likewise didn’t have to strain his neck looking down, but there was still more than half a foot between them.

“Yes,” she said at length, an odd note in her voice that he couldn’t identify, “the final night of Hanukkah is come and gone, and so I have removed the Hanukkiah from the window until the next year’s Hanukkah begins.”

“Oh.”

Sampoorna was still looking at him strangely. “Even if you did not know the dates this year, surely you witnessed the light of all the candles lit as one last night?”

John nodded but didn’t know what that had to do with anything.

She took a step closer, challenging. “Why, then, are you so offset by its absence?”

He didn’t quite know how to answer. Clearly, he’d done something to upset her. Was he not supposed to mention the candles? “The... Hanukkiah has been there until today. I noticed something had changed but not what it was.”

After a long moment, Sampoorna relaxed and took his hand in both of hers, rubbing gently at his knuckles.

Smiling sadly, she said, “You need not fret, John. I know it is a hardship, to turn one’s mind and senses from times of war, but this place is safe. If ever you are uncertain, please never be afraid to ask us if it aids you. We will always be happy to assuage your fears until you can feel at peace in our home.”

Feeling awkward at the dramatic assurance, John nodded anyway. “When... when will Hanukkah next be?” The word was one he’d heard before, but it felt unfamiliar in his mouth.

Sampoorna’s hands stilled, and she started giving him that Look again.

When she didn’t speak, John felt the need to clarify. “Are the dates set or do they change each year?” Still, she was silent, his hand still in her grasp, and he tried to swallow the sudden anxiety. “I’m guessing it’s a holiday?”

That got a reaction-- outright shock. “You do not know of Hanukkah?”

Fighting the urge to shrink away in shame (she’d been so patient with him until now) he carefully took his hand back.

Sampoorna didn’t seem to notice. “Were you not taught in your childhood? By your parents, your friends, your school? You have known Jewish people amongst the military, surely!”

Frustratingly, the only answer he could give was, “I don’t know.”

Another beat of silence, then her fingers pressed to her lips. “No. No, you do not know.”

She took John’s hand again, and led him to their rec room. They didn’t call it that, but he always defaulted to it and no one seemed to mind. At Sampoorna’s urging, he sat down on the couch. She didn’t let his hand go, starting to knead it again, and he fought the urge to relax back into the cushions.

And she told him. She told him of King Antiochus III the Great, how he took over the place on Earth called Judea and claimed it a part of the Seleucid Empire of Syria in 200 BCE. She told him of the Second Temple, which stood atop the Temple Mount in Jerusalem between 516 B.C. and 70 A.D., how it was looted and Judaism outlawed.  She told him of the shrine to Zeus erected there, and the order for pigs to be sacrificed at its alter, and why that was such a cruel premeditated attack against the Jewish people. She told him about the Jewish priest Mattathias, his five sons and the rebellion they led against the King. She told him that by 165 BCE, with Mattathias dead and his son Judah the Hammer leading them, the Jewish people had liberated and rededicated the Second Temple.

“They cleansed the temple and built a new altar, untainted, but they needed pure olive oil marked with the seal of the kohen gadol to light the menorah which needed to burn each and every night. They found a flask untouched within the temple, but only enough for one night. Yet, when lit, it burned for eight-- exactly the time needed to prepare new oil. It was deemed to be a miracle, and so each year upon the 25th night of Kislev, the ninth month of the Jewish calendar, Hanukkah begins. Give me your foot.”

Frowning, John was jolted out of the oddly relaxed focus he’d gained. “My foot?”

“I have done your hands, now give me your foot.”

Sampoorna wanted to rub his feet? Somehow that idea was stranger than his hands. Seeking to distract her, he asked, “Why are there nine candles on the Hanukkiah? Is one lit all the way through?”

“It is,” Sampoorna answered agreeably, reaching down to grab his leg regardless, “the shamash is used to light the other candles each night, though I think some branches of Judaism do not use it for such.”

John considered resisting her attempts to manhandle him, but she was quite stubborn and he didn’t want to hurt her so sheepishly allowed it. His foot was rested on her thigh, and she perched on the arm of the couch on the other side so he didn’t have to bend his leg. This was really weird.

“The importance of the oil in this miracle also leads to fried foods being eaten through Hanukkah. Indeed, you partook of both latkes and sufganiyot when I offered them.”

Latkes and sufganiyot... one of those was definitely the potato pancakes, John realised, but he wasn’t sure about the other. He was about to ask when Sampoorna pressed her thumbs firmly into the ball of his foot and he had to clamp his mouth shut again so as not to make an embarrassing noise. He’d never thought that a little applied pressure could feel so good.

“There is more, of course.” Sampoorna smiled. “But I think you have enough information to process for today, yes? You let me talk for a very long time.”

Why wouldn’t he? He enjoyed learning it. But words were still out of his grasp for now, and she didn’t seem to be waiting for an answer. He could always do more research later and pass along any follow-up questions another time.

For now, he was sorely tempted to let his eyes slip shut and just... enjoy the foot rub, strange as it was.

“The house will be going through further change, though this will not be Jewish. Well, Mochou and Changming make dumplings on the Winter Solstice and then predict the weather on the New Year by the weather on that day, but the focus will be on Christmas as Riley and Fiona slowly take over the apartment. It is only I that truly abstains from the Christmas celebrations but I tend to spend that time with my brother’s family and so will not be in the way either. Do you celebrate Christmas, John?”

After a moment of deliberation, John opted to just shake his head. He’d research that later, too. There was so much he didn’t realise he needed to learn. Sampoorna had detailed a historical conflict that John didn’t know about and that just about set a fire under him...

... or, it would, when he wasn’t melting into the couch.

After a few minutes, he managed to get a hold of something to say. “Thank you.”

His eyes had closed, but he heard the warm smile in her voice. “You are welcome.”

[audreyy-fournier]

Retail VS Resale

Image via: @cookiesnkicks on Instagram

Even though something is out of stock on the official website, that doesn’t mean it isn't available somewhere else. You didn’t get those new Dunks (Nike basketball shoe, very popular) on release date? No need to worry- resellers can save you!

In the last post we explored vocabulary and shoe worth, which falls into the purchase, trade, sale and resale of footwear. Now, it would be ideal to understand the difference between buying resale and buying retail and why the pricing is different between the two. To begin, retail is the sale of goods designed, manufactured and produced for the general public (Oxford Languages). Retail pricing is generalized by style, age group and gender. This means that one style of shoe will usually have one set value, consistent throughout most of its variants. Whereas in resale, pricing is influenced by many factors and can fluctuate between different sizes and conditions of the exact same shoe! This can be proven with almost any shoe on the market. Frequently, shoes in resale are a lot more expensive than they would be retail.

Shopping the secondary market can be intimidating, especially for someone new to it. The right pair of shoes can easily make between $200-$1000 if you know how and when to sell them. Knowing what places are reliable for buying and selling ensures you are dealing with 100% authentic footwear. Reliable and user-friendly places to deal shoes online are GOAT and StockX, according to many collectors (Bestandvs.com). They are secondary markets backed by authentication processes which allow them to execute authentic sales and trades between buyers and sellers effectively. Teams of trained authenticators ensure the item purchased is 100% authentic, thanks to StockX’s two-step verification process. The item purchased leaves the second party seller and makes its first stop with the StockX team, where it undergoes two processes of authentication (verification, authentication) done by trained individuals. Once approved, the item is shipped to the buyer (Kosanovich, StockX.com/news). GOAT uses a similar process, which means that you can't go wrong purchasing from these resale giants.

Once comfortable with resale platforms, reselling your own shoes can be a new world to discover. Understanding what shoes are worth investing in and what shoes aren’t is your first step in the right direction. StockX offers live archives of passed sales, bids and other rates to follow based on price point fluctuations a sneaker can endure which is great when it comes to this kind of business. To make the most profit, paying attention to sneaker release dates and pricing is everything. It’s ideal to buy shoes at retail value, which is usually the cheapest for popularized shoes. Retail values can double within minutes once available on the resale market. Nike SNKRS launch calendar is essential for release date tracking. Joining mailing lists and following social media updates can also help guarantee a front-row seat at retail pricing.

The resale market is a tough business which involves great knowledge on your sneakers along with predictability on your own behalf. Using resources like GOAT, StockX, Nike SNKRS can determine your success in this business.

The hottest sneakers/Celebrity collabs:

- Nike Dunk SB Low Paris (2002)

-Nike SB Dunk Low x Ben and Jerry’s Chunky Dunky 

- Lil Nas X x MSCHF “Satan Shoes”  

- Jordan 1 Retro High Dior  

- Jordan 1 Retro High University Blue 

- Travis Scott x Nike collabs:

o Jordan 1 Retro High Travis Scott 

o Air Force 1 Low Travis Scott Cactus Jack 

o Nike SB Dunk Low Travis Scott 

Update:  Air Jordan 6 Retro Travis Scott British Khaki  (April 2021)

------------------------------------------

Works Cited

“Best Place To Buy Sneakers: StockX VS GOAT.” Best and VS, bestandvs.com/best-place-to-buy-sneakers-stockx-vs-goat. 

Jones, Riley. “The Best Sneaker Resale Sites Right Now.” Complex, 10 June 2020, www.complex.com/sneakers/best-sneaker-reseller-sites. 

Kosanovich, Kevin. “StockX: Always Authentic, Never...” StockX News, 10 July 2018, stockx.com/news/always-authentic-never-fake/#:%7E:text=StockX%20Kiboshes%20the%20Fakes&text=Step%202%20is%20Authentication%3A%20A,the%20authentic%20product%2C%20never%20fake.&text=We%20verify%20and%20perform%20a%20detailed%20review%20of%20all%20product,%2C%20no%20pleather%2C%20never%20fake. 

“Nike SNKRS. Release Dates and Launch Calendar CA.” NIKE, www.nike.com/ca/launch.  

“StockX: Sneakers, Streetwear, Trading Cards, Handbags, Watches.” StockX, stockx.com. 

[therealbutterbuttercast]

NEW YEAR'S BUTTER: Snowpiercer, The Poseidon Adventure, 200 Cigarettes, and the BEST New Year's Movies!

Anchor https://bit.ly/39y3bIh, Apple https://apple.co/2vuQKxh, #PaulRudd #BenAffleck #HappyNewYear #poppythepopcorn #buttercast #podcast #movies Spotify https://spoti.fi/2OR91fav The Real Butter™ gang (Peter, Theo, and Alex) celebrates the new year by reviewing Snowpiercer (2013), The Poseidon Adventure (1972), 200 Cigarettes (1999), Four Rooms (1995), and Strange Days (1995), and by taking a New Year's Resolutions Quiz, while Poppy the Popcorn gets the fireworks ready. With special guest Riley!

You (yes, you!) can aid the Glorious Cause for as little as .99 cents a month! Just follow the link: https://anchor.fm/real-butter-buttercast/supportConnect with us on Twitter (@RealButterShow), Instagram, and Tumblr.Then join our mailing list: mailchi.mp/d585bc3fb49b/realbutterbuttershowYou can listen to The Real Butter™ Buttercast on Anchor, Breaker, Google Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Pocketcasts, RadioPublic, and Spotify!

Kathryn Bigelow, Ralph Fiennes, Angela Bassett, Allison Anders, Alexandre Rockwell, Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino, Ronald Neame, Paul Gallico, Gene Hackman, Real Butter, Comedy, podcasting, podcast, movies, film, moviereview, 설국열차, snowpiercer, Le Transperceneige, Bong Joon-ho, Chris Evans, Son Kang ho, Risa Bramon Garcia, Ben Affleck, Casey Affleck, Dave Chappelle, Guillermo Díaz, Angela Featherstone, Janeane Garofalo, Gaby Hoffmann, Kate Hudson, Courtney Love, Jay Mohr, Martha Plimpton, New Years, 1981, 1999, 1972, 2020, 2021, Poppy the Popcorn, Riley, Peter, Alex, Theo, Shoshanna, fun, Paul Rudd, fireworks

[localbizlift]

FTC settles with Devumi, a company that sold fake followers, for $2.5M

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has put an end to the deceptive marketing tactics of Devumi, a company that sold fake indicators of social media influence — like Twitter followers, retweets, YouTube subscribers and views, and more — which was also the subject of a 2018 investigation by The New York Times into the world of social media fraud. The FTC says it reached a $2.5 million settlement with Devumi’s owner and CEO German Calas, Jr., which requires the first $250,000 to be paid, with the rest deferred unless it’s discovered that Calas has misrepresented his financial situation.

According to the Times’ investigation, Devumi had made millions selling fake social media influence to celebrities, businesses or anyone else who wanted to appear more popular online. The company at the time of the report had operated a stock of at least 3.5 million bots (automated accounts), and had sold its customer base over 200 million Twitter followers, combined.

Unlike early and more basic bot armies, Devumi’s accounts were made to resemble real people — they would have the same names, photos, hometowns, and other personal details of real Twitter users, including minors.

The FTC says Devumi wasn’t limited to selling Twitter influence, however. In addition to its website Devumi.com, it also operated TwitterBoost.co, Buyview.co, and Buyplans.co, and sold influence across Twitter, Vine, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and SoundCloud.

Its customer base included actors, athletes, musicians, writers, and other social media celebs or high-profile individuals like motivational speakers, law firm partners, investment professionals, and more.

The company had filled more than 58,000 orders for fake Twitter followers, more than 4,000 orders for fake YouTube subscribers, over 32,000 sales of fake YouTube views, and more than 800 fake LinkedIn followers — the latter to marketing, advertising, and PR firms, as well as software companies, banking, investment and other financial service firm, HR firms, and others.

All this allowed the customers to commit deceptive acts and practices, in violation of the FTC Act.

The FTC’s order imposes a fine of $2.5 million against Mr. Calas, representing the amount he was paid by Devumi or its parent company. He must pay $250,000 of that fine and the remaining amount is suspended unless he’s found to have misrepresented his financial status. (Devumi had shut down last year, in the wake of a probe by the NY Attorney General’s office.)

The Commission voted 5-0 in favor of the proposed final order. 

In a similar case, the FTC also took action against Sunday Riley Modern Skincare, LLC (Sunday Riley Skincare) and its CEO, Sunday Riley, which misled consumers by posting fake reviews of the company’s products on a major retailer’s website, at the CEO’s direction. It also failed to disclose that the reviewers were company employees.

The company sold its cosmetics on Sephora, which was where the fake reviews were posted. When Sephora identified the fake reviews as by the company IP address, the employees were directed to use a VPN.

The FTC ordered the company to halt the illegal activity by way of an administrative order but did not fine them. The Commission was more split on this one, voting 3-2 in favor of the Sunday Riley consent order. (The dissenters believed the punishment should have been harsher, and have a monetary component.)

“Dishonesty in the online marketplace harms shoppers, as well as firms that play fair and square,” said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “Posting fake reviews on shopping websites or buying and selling fake followers is illegal. It undermines the marketplace, and the FTC will not tolerate it,” he said.”

In the broader world of fake influence, companies like Devumi only played a small role. It’s been estimated there were as many as 48 million Twitter bots back in 2017, according to one study. But that number may have been too low. Twitter itself said it wiped 70 million fake accounts from its site just last year.

Meanwhile, Instagram removed fake follows, likes and comments from users’ accounts last November, and threatened accounts that used services to buy their way to influence. Facebook says it removed 2.2 billion fake accounts in Q1 2019. YouTube, at one point in 2013, was half bot traffic — and some employees were worried the ratio would flip in the bots’ favor, a prospect they called “the inversion.”

In fact, studies have found that less than 60% of the web traffic is human, and sometimes, the majority is from bots.

Although Devumi is gone, there are still plenty of places to buy social media influence, so it’s not clear how much of a deterrent the FTC action will be in the grand scheme of things.

[king-star]

hii, i hope you're okay :) for the marvel characters ship:

i'm 5'4, dark and very long blond hair, pale, green eyes, i'm a girl (she/her pronouns) and i'm plus size!

i'm an infp, bisexual, definitely an introvert, very reserved, i've suspected i have adhd for a while now, it's very difficult for me to trust new people and i'm a little scared of abandonment, i'm a very loyal friend, my love language is physical touch (giving and receiving), i love hugs and cuddling, when i finally trust someone i'm more outgoing and funny, i'm really caring and loving, i struggle with my mental health a lot (anxiety and depression), i'm sweet, kind and i really love animals, i don't really have any dating/relationship experience.

i love to read, listen to music, watch movies/TV shows, going on walks (not hiking), spend time with my family and friends, i'm studying to be a counselor, i love to go on road trips, i love traveling even though i haven't gone to a lot of places, i love to sleep and relax.

and i think that's it! thank you so much <3

Your match is 📺Wanda Maximoff📺

~ Wanda and your relationship started as friends who were very touchy. You “platonically” cuddled all the time and just loved each other physically. Eventually emotions developed. Wanda knew you didn’t have much experience dating and decided to make the first move. Both of you are terrified of being abandoned and Wanda makes a point to make sure you know she’s around for the long haul. She does whatever she can to help your mental health as all she wants is for you to be your happiest. Wanda likes the outdoors and when the weather is nice she always begs you to walk around with her, her fingers intertwined with yours.~

A/N: i coulda wrote this one forever tbh but i needed to cut myself off at some point. ENJOY!

[un-enfant-immature]

FTC settles with Devumi, a company that sold fake followers, for $2.5M

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has put an end to the deceptive marketing tactics of Devumi, a company that sold fake indicators of social media influence — like Twitter followers, retweets, YouTube subscribers and views, and more — which was also the subject of a 2018 investigation by The New York Times into the world of social media fraud. The FTC says it reached a $2.5 million settlement with Devumi’s owner and CEO German Calas, Jr., which requires the first $250,000 to be paid, with the rest deferred unless it’s discovered that Calas has misrepresented his financial situation.

According to the Times’ investigation, Devumi had made millions selling fake social media influence to celebrities, businesses or anyone else who wanted to appear more popular online. The company at the time of the report had operated a stock of at least 3.5 million bots (automated accounts), and had sold its customer base over 200 million Twitter followers, combined.

Unlike early and more basic bot armies, Devumi’s accounts were made to resemble real people — they would have the same names, photos, hometowns, and other personal details of real Twitter users, including minors.

The FTC says Devumi wasn’t limited to selling Twitter influence, however. In addition to its website Devumi.com, it also operated TwitterBoost.co, Buyview.co, and Buyplans.co, and sold influence across Twitter, Vine, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and SoundCloud.

Its customer base included actors, athletes, musicians, writers, and other social media celebs or high-profile individuals like motivational speakers, law firm partners, investment professionals, and more.

The company had filled more than 58,000 orders for fake Twitter followers, more than 4,000 orders for fake YouTube subscribers, over 32,000 sales of fake YouTube views, and more than 800 fake LinkedIn followers — the latter to marketing, advertising, and PR firms, as well as software companies, banking, investment and other financial service firm, HR firms, and others.

All this allowed the customers to commit deceptive acts and practices, in violation of the FTC Act.

The FTC’s order imposes a fine of $2.5 million against Mr. Calas, representing the amount he was paid by Devumi or its parent company. He must pay $250,000 of that fine and the remaining amount is suspended unless he’s found to have misrepresented his financial status. (Devumi had shut down last year, in the wake of a probe by the NY Attorney General’s office.)

The Commission voted 5-0 in favor of the proposed final order. 

In a similar case, the FTC also took action against Sunday Riley Modern Skincare, LLC (Sunday Riley Skincare) and its CEO, Sunday Riley, which misled consumers by posting fake reviews of the company’s products on a major retailer’s website, at the CEO’s direction. It also failed to disclose that the reviewers were company employees.

The company sold its cosmetics on Sephora, which was where the fake reviews were posted. When Sephora identified the fake reviews as by the company IP address, the employees were directed to use a VPN.

The FTC ordered the company to halt the illegal activity by way of an administrative order but did not fine them. The Commission was more split on this one, voting 3-2 in favor of the Sunday Riley consent order. (The dissenters believed the punishment should have been harsher, and have a monetary component.)

“Dishonesty in the online marketplace harms shoppers, as well as firms that play fair and square,” said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “Posting fake reviews on shopping websites or buying and selling fake followers is illegal. It undermines the marketplace, and the FTC will not tolerate it,” he said.”

In the broader world of fake influence, companies like Devumi only played a small role. It’s been estimated there were as many as 48 million Twitter bots back in 2017, according to one study. But that number may have been too low. Twitter itself said it wiped 70 million fake accounts from its site just last year.

Meanwhile, Instagram removed fake follows, likes and comments from users’ accounts last November, and threatened accounts that used services to buy their way to influence. Facebook says it removed 2.2 billion fake accounts in Q1 2019. YouTube, at one point in 2013, was half bot traffic — and some employees were worried the ratio would flip in the bots’ favor, a prospect they called “the inversion.”

In fact, studies have found that less than 60% of the web traffic is human, and sometimes, the majority is from bots.

Although Devumi is gone, there are still plenty of places to buy social media influence, so it’s not clear how much of a deterrent the FTC action will be in the grand scheme of things.

[pmsocialmedia]

FTC settles with Devumi, a company that sold fake followers, for $2.5M

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has put an end to the deceptive marketing tactics of Devumi, a company that sold fake indicators of social media influence — like Twitter followers, retweets, YouTube subscribers and views, and more — which was also the subject of a 2018 investigation by The New York Times into the world of social media fraud. The FTC says it reached a $2.5 million settlement with Devumi’s owner and CEO German Calas, Jr., which requires the first $250,000 to be paid, with the rest deferred unless it’s discovered that Calas has misrepresented his financial situation.

According to the Times’ investigation, Devumi had made millions selling fake social media influence to celebrities, businesses or anyone else who wanted to appear more popular online. The company at the time of the report had operated a stock of at least 3.5 million bots (automated accounts), and had sold its customer base over 200 million Twitter followers, combined.

Unlike early and more basic bot armies, Devumi’s accounts were made to resemble real people — they would have the same names, photos, hometowns, and other personal details of real Twitter users, including minors.

The FTC says Devumi wasn’t limited to selling Twitter influence, however. In addition to its website Devumi.com, it also operated TwitterBoost.co, Buyview.co, and Buyplans.co, and sold influence across Twitter, Vine, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and SoundCloud.

Its customer base included actors, athletes, musicians, writers, and other social media celebs or high-profile individuals like motivational speakers, law firm partners, investment professionals, and more.

The company had filled more than 58,000 orders for fake Twitter followers, more than 4,000 orders for fake YouTube subscribers, over 32,000 sales of fake YouTube views, and more than 800 fake LinkedIn followers — the latter to marketing, advertising, and PR firms, as well as software companies, banking, investment and other financial service firm, HR firms, and others.

All this allowed the customers to commit deceptive acts and practices, in violation of the FTC Act.

The FTC’s order imposes a fine of $2.5 million against Mr. Calas, representing the amount he was paid by Devumi or its parent company. He must pay $250,000 of that fine and the remaining amount is suspended unless he’s found to have misrepresented his financial status. (Devumi had shut down last year, in the wake of a probe by the NY Attorney General’s office.)

The Commission voted 5-0 in favor of the proposed final order. 

In a similar case, the FTC also took action against Sunday Riley Modern Skincare, LLC (Sunday Riley Skincare) and its CEO, Sunday Riley, which misled consumers by posting fake reviews of the company’s products on a major retailer’s website, at the CEO’s direction. It also failed to disclose that the reviewers were company employees.

The company sold its cosmetics on Sephora, which was where the fake reviews were posted. When Sephora identified the fake reviews as by the company IP address, the employees were directed to use a VPN.

The FTC ordered the company to halt the illegal activity by way of an administrative order but did not fine them. The Commission was more split on this one, voting 3-2 in favor of the Sunday Riley consent order. (The dissenters believed the punishment should have been harsher, and have a monetary component.)

“Dishonesty in the online marketplace harms shoppers, as well as firms that play fair and square,” said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, in a statement. “Posting fake reviews on shopping websites or buying and selling fake followers is illegal. It undermines the marketplace, and the FTC will not tolerate it,” he said.”

In the broader world of fake influence, companies like Devumi only played a small role. It’s been estimated there were as many as 48 million Twitter bots back in 2017, according to one study. But that number may have been too low. Twitter itself said it wiped 70 million fake accounts from its site just last year.

Meanwhile, Instagram removed fake follows, likes and comments from users’ accounts last November, and threatened accounts that used services to buy their way to influence. Facebook says it removed 2.2 billion fake accounts in Q1 2019. YouTube, at one point in 2013, was half bot traffic — and some employees were worried the ratio would flip in the bots’ favor, a prospect they called “the inversion.”

In fact, studies have found that less than 60% of the web traffic is human, and sometimes, the majority is from bots.

Although Devumi is gone, there are still plenty of places to buy social media influence, so it’s not clear how much of a deterrent the FTC action will be in the grand scheme of things.

via Social – TechCrunch https://ift.tt/32EKZJ5