#should be allowed to own any property in america

[a-god-in-ruins-rises]

[midwestbramble]

Foraging in Witchcraft

I'm a big fan of working with the land, and one of the easiest ways to do so is by gathering your own plants. This is also free! No having to stop at an occult/metaphysical shop to pick up that random plant you forgot you needed. I will be making individual posts on different plants that can be foraged in my own bioregion, but first we should go over a few tips and housekeeping notes about foraging and witchcraft.

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Contents:

Natural Isn't Always Safe

Laws and Foraging

Invasive vs. Native vs. Naturalized

Animistic Foraging

Conclusion

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Natural Isn't Always Safe

First thing I want to get out of the way is that not everything you find outside is going to be safe to put in your body or even touch. On top of that, not everything that is safe for someone else is going to be safe for you. We each have different bodies and how we react to something will not always be the same. When you first start foraging, it's important to have a guide book that will tell you of any safety measures to take when dealing with a plant. Some will interact with medications in ways that are not healthy, some have fluid that can make your skin photosensitive, and some... some people are just allergic to.

When it comes to medications, you can find contraindications (when not to ingest something) with a quick google search of "[plant name] contraindications." Generally this will give you a safe answer, however always check with your doctor if you are unsure. Better to pay for a consultation than a hospital visit.

Some risks come from the environment that the plant grew in. If you are foraging near train tracks or buildings that could leach lead into the soil, the plants will pick that up as well. Contaminated soil and pesticides sprayed onto the plants can also lead to health risks. Be very mindful of where you are foraging.

Some plants that are safe will also have toxic look-alikes. A famous look-alike is wild carrot and poison hemlock (thank you Oregon Trail video game). Unless you know what characteristics you are looking for, it's very easy to confuse the two plants. One is a delicious snack, while the other is highly toxic (the poison hemlock), to the point of causing muscle death and kidney failure. This isn't to scare you away from foraging. Only to drive home the importance of making sure you know what you are gathering.

*credit to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Laws and Foraging

I am a resident of the United States so these will be more geared towards that country. It would be to your benefit to look into the foraging laws of your own country/state anyway, as it can still differ. The majority of states in America prohibit foraging on public lands, which makes it really hard for those who don't own their own property. If you live in Alaska and Hawaii, however, congratulations your local government allows it. Even among those states that do allow it, there can be designated areas where it's not allowed such as a nature preserve. Breaking these laws tends to come with a hefty fine and possible jail time, if caught. Though these laws are hard to find with a quick google search, especially for a specific area.

The laws in the United States prohibiting foraging are generally colonial, imperial, classist, and racist (surprise, surprise). Foraging was protected by law well into the 1800s (except for Native Americans who were pushed off their ancestral hunting and gathering grounds), even when doing so on another person's private property. After the Civil War, many newly-freed African-Americans would sell their foraged and hunted goods for an income, while also using the practice to become self-sufficient. The southern plantation owners needed this system to go away so they could chain what used to be their "property" to their old line of enslaved work. Starting with criminal trespass laws. Eventually anti-foraging laws spread to the average white rural American. Outside elites began to believe that the "backwards" people of the countryside, who made a subsistence living off the practice of foraging, fishing and hunting, could not be trusted with the stewardship of the land; using "conservation" as a way to "protect" it from the people who lived there (Linnekin, "Food Law Gone Wild: The Law of Foraging" p.1008-1014).

I do believe we need to protect our resources and lands. However, foraging can be regulated, not outright outlawed as it is. Learning about the plants and animals that live around us and can help us in our lives, leads us to learn more deeply about their role in the environment and just WHY we should protect them...

All this to say, look into your local foraging laws (and how local law enforcement actually enforces them, if they do at all) and then you can decide if you want to follow them or not. At your own risk.

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Invasive vs. Native vs. Naturalized

There is a lot of talk in foraging communities about invasives vs. natives. Sometimes even bringing in naturalized plants. So let's talk a little bit about what these words mean in ecology and how this may effect your foraging habits.

Invasive and naturalized plants have one thing in common; they are both transplanted outside their natural ecosystem. A plant that is invasive in one place, can be naturalized in another. What matters is the impact the plant has on the ecosystem it has been transplanted into.

Invasive =  plants or animals that harm regional ecosystems.

Naturalized = plants that have successfully established and reproduced in a new environment, integrating into their new home without inflicting ecological harm.

To make things a bit more complicated, let's introduce the 10% rule. According to the Huron River Watershed Council, "the '10% rule' postulates that of all species introduced to a region outside of their native range, only 10% will survive to reproduce in their adopted environment. This 10% of non-native survivors are often called 'naturalized' plants. Of that 10%, another 10% (or 1% of the original non-native transplants) may thrive to such an extent that they dominant their new home, out competing their native neighbors. These prolific competitors are known as invasive species."

So what makes a native plant? The US Forest Service defines a native plant as "plants [that] are indigenous terrestrial and aquatic species that have evolved and occur naturally in a particular region, ecosystem, and habitat. Species native to North America are generally recognized as those occurring on the continent prior to European settlement."

Some native species can be endangered due to habitat loss from agriculture and/or competing invasive species. It's good to have a list (many state DNR (Department of Natural Resources) will have a list available on their website) printed so you know which ones should be cultivated in your garden if you wish to work with them. Avoiding these and working with invasive species can help with conservation efforts as well. Native species can still be worked with in the wild if they are not endangered.

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Animistic Foraging

You'll often see witches giving advice about asking the plants permission before harvesting. This is from the belief that the plant has a spirit, an animistic belief. Asking permission to harvest isn't the only way we can forage mindfully and with respect to the plant. The way that I do this is by following the Honorable Harvest set out by Robin Wall Kimmerer (a Potawatomi botanist, and the director of the Center for Native Peoples and the Environment at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry) in her book "Braiding Sweetgrass."

Know the ways of the ones who take care of you, so you may take care of them.

Introduce yourself. Be accountable as the one who comes asking for life.

Ask permission before taking and abide by the answer.

Never take the first, never take the last.

Take only what you need.

Take only what is given.

Never take more than half. Leave some for others.

Harvest in a way that minimizes harm.

Use it respectfully. Never waste what you have taken.

Share.

Give thanks for what you have been given.

Give a gift in reciprocity for what you have been given.

Sustain the ones who sustain you and the earth will last forever.

The first rule really helps you to follow the rest of them. Know the plant. Walk by it several times, offer water even if you aren't taking something, say hello. These plants are our neighbors and when we harvest we are asking for their help.

⸙༄𓆤𓆩𓆪❁𓇢𓆸🏵

Conclusion

Each plant will have it's own method of harvest to minimize the harm done to it. Some you have to pull the whole thing up, but there are ways to repopulate it. It's so individual that I couldn't add it to this post. Hopefully what's written here can help you keep a few things in mind when going out and learning about your local flora.

Foraging can be a great way to connect with your land and learn about it. Getting your hands dirty and making you feel as if you are a part of the landscape. Hopefully the first couple of sections didn't scare you off. Get a couple of good guidebooks for your region (the local library is a good place to start) and you're good to get out there and start identifying plants you want to work with!

[beardedmrbean]

The FBI violated private citizens’ constitutional rights when it seized contents from hundreds of safe deposit boxes during a 2021 raid on a Beverly Hills business suspected of money laundering, a federal appeals court ruled last week.

"This was a resounding victory, not just for our clients, but for the hundreds of people who've been stuck in a nightmare for years because of what the FBI did," Institute for Justice Senior Attorney Rob Frommer, who represented several plaintiffs in the case, told Fox News.

The U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals found the bureau violated U.S. Private Vaults box holders’ Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures by opening and cataloging the contents of 1,400 safe deposit boxes without individual criminal warrants for each.

The Jan. 23 ruling reversed a 2022 lower court decision siding with the FBI and requires federal officials to destroy any inventory records of the hundreds of box holders not charged with a crime.

Agents took about $86 million in cash from the boxes in the March 2021 raid, as well as a trove of jewelry, gold bars and coins, silver and other valuables. In May of that year, the FBI "commenced administrative forfeiture proceedings" against an unspecified number of the boxes, according to court documents filed by the government.

Civil asset forfeiture is the process through which the government seizes money or other property believed to be linked to a crime, even if the owner isn't charged with a crime.

The FBI's raid on U.S. Private Vaults was part of its investigation on the company, which ultimately shut down and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to launder drug money. The government argued before the 9th Circuit that its warrant authorized the FBI to seize the deposit boxes and inventory their contents in accordance with standardized policy.

'LEGAL THEFT': TEXAS POLICE SEIZED MAN'S LIFE SAVINGS. NOW THE STATE IS PUTTING HIS CASH ON TRIAL

But unsealed court documents showed neither the FBI nor the U.S. Attorney's Office told the judge in their warrant request that agents planned to confiscate the contents of every box containing at least $5,000 in cash or belongings.

The warrant only authorized authorities to seize business computers, money counters and surveillance equipment. The judge also allowed them to seize safety deposit boxes and keys, but specifically wrote that agents should only "inspect the contents of the boxes in an effort to identify their owners … so that they can claim their property," and that the warrant "does not authorize a criminal search or seizure of the contents of the safety deposit boxes."

In its decision, the 9th Circuit panel wrote that the government had gone beyond the scope of its warrant and violated its own rules by taking inventory of property that wasn’t the subject of a warrant.

Circuit Judge Milan D. Smith Jr. wrote that it was "particularly troubling" that the government couldn’t explain the limitations to these types of inventory searches and questioned how they differed from the "limitless searches of an individual’s personal belongings" like those seen in colonial America.

"It was those very abuses of power, after all, that led to adoption of the Fourth Amendment in the first place," Smith wrote. 

THE FBI TOOK HER LIFE SAVINGS. NOW SHE’S FIGHTING TO HELP OTHERS GET THEIRS BACK.

Jeni Pearsons, one of the plaintiffs in the class-action lawsuit said the win was "incredibly gratifying."

"Hearing these judges just knock them down a peg and talk through the situation, this extraordinary overreach and an actual breaking of civil rights … it was just really, really gratifying," she told Fox News. 

Pearsons and her husband Michael Storc had $20,000 in silver and $2,000 in cash seized from their rented security deposit box during the raid. She teamed up with the Institute for Justice to fight for her property and ultimately prevailed, but said she found the FBI had lost the $2,000 when she went to reclaim it.

"I do think that the FBI is watching this case," Pearsons said. "And I hope that if they do continue with civil forfeiture processes, that they put structure in place so that it's transparent and that it's not just a free-for-all all, which is what this seems to be."

"It's a free-for-all all within a ridiculous defense," Pearsons added.

But Frommer said while this ruling helped "expose the government's attempt to steal innocent people's things," he doesn’t think it will end civil forfeiture abuse.

"I think this ruling on its own is important, but it won't stop the FBI's grasping hand," he told Fox News. "Yeah, they got their hand slapped just now. But unless there's real consequences, they'll just view this as a dry run for the next time."

The FBI declined to comment on the ruling. Thom Mrozek, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles declined to comment on the ruling but said the prosecutor's office was "prepared to destroy records of the inventory search, which is the relief sought by the plaintiffs in the case." ____________

4A= Illegal search and seizure, aka come back with a warrant.

[intermundia]

As a queer person living in conservative, rural America, and as a Star Wars fan who posts about the Jedi Order, my thoughts are frequently turned to the concept of family, and what it means in different cultures. I’ve written a longish (1k words) post about this lmao, so I will put it beneath the cut, but it unpacks a lot of assumptions that are frequently made in discussion of the Jedi.

The ideology of the family where I live is closely related to patriarchy, individualism, and property rights. The narrative of the ideal family life is this: a man falls in love with a woman and courts her until she agrees to marriage. When they marry, they become one person, or rather the man acquires a helpmeet, and the woman legally loses her personhood, becoming Mr and Mrs X. She is now a larger part of the man’s personhood, and any children they have are also inside that umbrella. They are his property, not individuals in themselves. This is why conservatives resent public school and free access to information, as they are interfering with his right to maintain his property the way he wants them. Once the children are grown, the cycle continues, the son finding a wife, etc. That is a certain kind of ideal of society. The idea of sending a child to the church to be raised, is kind of like sending a valuable, heirloom cup to be used by the community, it’s hypothetically a meritorious sacrifice to god, but the cup still really belongs to the family. It belongs at home. If the child grows up to join the church, it’s something that happens later, during the transition from being property to being an individual.

This is not a universal or necessary mode of life.

In a different culture, where a child is born and is understood already to be a member of the wider community that is being raised by their parents, the idea of allowing an institution to adopt and take over raising the child is not a violation of some man’s property rights. In a culture where there is a temple that is an honorable place, where being a monk is a livelihood that is respected and important, something that parents would wish for their child to experience, it is more of a privilege to get your child into that place where they can become an important figure in the community. The parents would miss the child, that is universal, but there would also be a sense of relief for them, to know that they’ve gotten access to a stable future that they can be proud of, especially if they were in a situation where they couldn’t guarantee that child an equally stable and important future. With the force-gifted Jedi this is even more stark; their powers should be trained and directed for their own good too. Growing up communally at a temple is a different kind of family, where there is a sense of brother and sisterhood, with teachers and elders making up a dense web of social relationships. It is a different life, but not a worse one.

The conservative American ideology is something that I have felt my entire life to be very closed and full of the potential for abuse behind closed doors. A child is not a person and is not treated like one, and a wife is not a person either. The only individuals are the men who own these families. It’s a system that I yearn for relief and escape from, and so of course I am drawn to the Jedi, an imaginary culture that is based on real values held by real cultures outside of my own. I know there are places in the world where sending a child to the temple is an honorable and good thing. I know that the Jedi think of each other as family, it’s well attested in canon and legends content. It’s not abusive or wrong for those children to be raised in that communal culture, just because it’s different from the norms of individualistic, patriarchal values. Just because it’s different, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Just like being a queer person, who doesn’t fit into the system of romantic pairing and nuclear families, being different doesn’t mean being wrong.

People raised with the conservative ideology think the absence of romantic love is inherently abusive, but if you were raised to prioritize other things, would you miss it as much as if you were raised to chase it? Is it not a worthy effort to dedicate your life to serving other people? It may be difficult, but it’s not a life without love. Jedi have romantic feelings, they’re not forbidden, but they are deprioritzed. It’s not the ultimate goal of life, but rather more of a distraction from a very noble duty. Many, many people in the world choose that path. The Jedi aren’t jailers, we have examples of people leaving when they couldn’t walk that path, but most stay, because they have an important role to play in the wider galaxy and a great use of their potential. Anakin wanted to stay so that he could have the status and power of a ranking member of the Jedi Order, but he also wanted to have private property, possessing other people and controlling their destiny. You can’t have both. I think the story of the prequels and the path of the Jedi are both fascinating because they push against the cultural norm toward romance and patriarchal individualism. It’s just nice to have something that says you can find home with friends and mentors, and meaning with duty and service. It’s important to me on a very personal level.

[plasticfangtastic]

Cozy Corner Kintober Day 8 (Day 2 for me)

Prompts: 12. Nursing/lactation, 4. Overstimulation, 11. Double penetration, Alt. prompt: Switch (dunno if bdsm switch or vers, so I went with vers)

No codiciarás los bienes ajenos

A Homelander x Ashley Barret x Butcher fanfic.

A/N: told myself this would be a short thing but no... hope y'all like it!

R18: Homelander ‘nuff said, threesome, smut, porn logic, R18, Bottom Homelander, Bottom Butcher, Pegging, dudcon, love triangle, everybody is Bi, slow burn, angst, not proofread sorry.

Word Count: 8K approx.

God had funny ways to speak directly to his favorites, it hadn’t registered at first and frankly he hadn’t care– but the larger she got the more and more difficult it became to ignore, building a slow burning anger spreading inside America’s favoritein return– it was a cheap knockoff of what he had endure with Madelyn but instead of bitter jealousy and rage, he was upset and mad that she would dare to act without his authorization..

Ashley was his property… She was not her own, she was not Vought’s, she was not of her family… she was Homelander’s– she should have asked him permission before spreading her legs like the town’s wench, he thought grinding on his teeth.

As her stomach engorged, the defiance of her actions brought him closer to a boiling point.

Ashley had simply opted to play stupid, acting as if her actions hadn’t threatened to cause a riff in their relationship, as if she wasn’t actively being hostile against him after all the good that he had done for her– how could she dare hurt him like this?

Homelander was the first to informed her, smelling the cocktail of hormonal changes taking place within, peeking under her skin to catch the despicable clumps of cells forming, she had been stunted, running towards her assistant to get her a test for something Homelander had already confirmed with more accuracy than any piss soaked stick… she had been a nervous mess for the remaining week, even more than what Homelander was accustomed to.

 He had approached her after a meeting, cornering her with a stiff look on his features.

“You getting rid of it?” He would’ve made a demand but at the time, he didn't think the idiot would’ve jeopardized her career to play with dolls– the labs downstairs can do it discreetly and free– just so you know.” 

She stared at him with her big round exhausted green eyes, and for a moment Homelander was left speechless for she held back a sob, just shaking her head lightly and thanking him for his concern.

Leaving him behind as her kitten heels clicked on the polished floors.

But with every passing week the thing continued to grow, and grow, and so did Ashley… their relationship hadn’t changed, he was still behaving the same around her but as she got closer and closer to the end of the race, he was forced to held back in public– he couldn't be seen as the bastard yelling at a pregnant woman, he had to watch his tone, never raising his voice if people were around, and Ashley knew just how dangerous this was becoming, worried that one day she wouldn’t make it to her apartment in one piece, feeling she would be in a freak accident that her own people would cover up.

Ashley had stared at her fourth pregnancy test in the comfort of her own bathroom…

Thinking heavily on Homelander’s words she stumbled into her bedroom, her mother’s picture taken at 16th birthday watching over her– her mother would get diagnosed a few weeks after that party. But there she was smiling, her hair a light brown and her eyes just like hers, still so happy and loving as she held her daughter.

Why was she alive?

She was a ghoul clinging to her unlife, as she stroked her stomach thinking of what was germinating within, Ashley thought of her life… What was she living for? Work? What else…? Everyday felt like her last when Homelander was around, everyday was just another day she was allowed to continue existing, always caught in his grasps, surrounded by wicked souls that had taken almost all of her humanity, she had to become like them in order to survive… but why was she surviving, for? She had no boyfriend or girlfriend, she could barely maintain friends, her father had remarried some bitch twenty years younger than himself and now had kids he liked more, she had no siblings, and her cousins lived on the other side of the country, she dedicated her life to the grind, her best days behind it seemed– she was climbing the ladder just like her mother had always hoped for, for she thought of her as brilliant… Now she mingled with people of importance as a member of their flock… but above all she was in Homelander’s very small social circle, which was amazing!

But why did she live for? To be afraid of Homelander? That’s all? She thought.

Looking around at the house, at the empty rooms, and the lack of life– it was just an expensive oversized shoebox holding nothing, nothing to come back home to… she could sleep on a park bench and it wouldn’t be that different from her current state of being– maybe I could live for this? She mumbled wondering if it could hear her.

The money and her career were good but now she had something that she could dedicate her life for… something other than Homelander.

It was stupid and selfish to bring a child into this poisonous paradise, but she could be her anchor, to keep her from steering into the iceberg, to keep her holding on to life.

She only had a single name in her head, only one man responsible for this conundrum.

William Butcher had tracked her, appeased to her decaying humanity for assitance with the Homelander dilema, she wanted to run away from him but the bastard was just as bad as Homelander when it came to taking no for an answer, in this brief exchanged Ashley was finally able to speak her mind, years of torture flooded out of her chest and this man the devil’s priest sitting in its mold infested confessionary box listening to her, absolving her in the process– she was so afraid of him, so scared of Homelander’s heart, and for the first time there was somebody she could speak to, who understood her pain and had been doing things against him, in a sense this was the closest she would get to personal retribution against her demon.

Somehow during those brief moments (possibly do to the whiskey) both had woke up with their entire bodies sore, William turned on her sheets glad to have a soft mattress under his back, feeling the sharp pain of raw flesh where she had bitten and clawed, letting a soft chuckle thinking about how hard and frantic she had fucked the brit, she was so demanding William couldn’t believe she wouldn’t dare give the caped cunt some lippy, after spouting all her exigencies to Billy eagerly without care.

They didn’t see each other much after that, the Brit had found the hard way that Ashley for all her hatred and fear… was loyal to Homelander, terrified of ever leaving his side, of knowing what lay on the other side of the river.

William had to give it to Homelander, he had completely brainwashed her into pure misplaced devotion.

So as she let the city fall asleep around her, she dared not contact Butcher.

The more it felt real, the more she gave herself something to wake up tomorrow for, even if now she had to deal with Homelander, but it would be alright… it would be alright, she kept praying that it would work out.

“You taking maternity leave?” Homelander had entered her office slouching on her couch while pretending to read some marketing reports for an upcoming hair product line with his name on it–I need to know how long– have to find your replacement.” he said with sharp snark.

“Only one month. I already have been interviewing nannies.” She said meekly, fidgeting with her pen as she stopped work to give him undivided attention– "can't afford too many setbacks– especially those I caused.”

“Why?” He looked so confused.

“You’re also my priority.” She hadn’t meant for it to sound so personal, but she was so exhausted, pregnancy insomnia had devoured her brain and these piles of paperwork didn’t shrink any further– I’ll be back before you know it.”

Her sheepish smile didn’t even register on her own brain, Homelander fixed his posture, pursing his lips back and forth between a wobbly smile and anxiety, as he looked at Ashley and her glowing skin.

As he stood in the Seven’s boardroom looking down at his kingdom, Homelander thought of Ashley’s words, like a knife in his back… how could she? How could she dare toy with him?

As he looked at the bipedal ants beneath… Homelander could only wonder who was the ill-born shithead that had dipped; Ashley didn’t smell of anybody other than herself and her perfume– all hypoallergenic goat soap and sea-salt shampoo mixed with adrenaline and hopelessness, he had heard the tinder notifications go off from time to time tho… was it perhaps a one night stand? Of course ‘His Ashley’ would be so irresponsible– he recoiled at his own thoughts… His… was she his? Of course she fucking was! She was his property! The louder voice in his head reminded him of what he was and what she ultimately was… a lackey, his servant, no different from a dog… He had been a good owner so why did she stabbed him? He mused on the thought.

The whole month her replacement had been tempted to quit five times, cried fourteen times, writen a 2-week notice three time, almost attempted suicide once and considered twice. 

Homelander had let out months of frustration on the poor man, he was no Ashley… so fucking weak and pathetic, never dressed properly and stinking of axe and hugo boss, no amount of telling him that the smell was irritating got thru his thick skull, never speaking the way Homelander could bare to listen to, never fast enough or efficient enough in his eyes… he quit the same day Ashley showed up back in the office, baby in hand… and that’s when the nightmare truly began… payback for his mistreatment of her substitute.

God must’ve been laughing.

God must’ve been inviting the devil to the watch party.

Homelander hadn’t had a second to admire the bodily changes before, so angry to notice… It wasn't like Madelyn whose every inch and line he had registered… every inch made to hurt him as she abandoned him for somebody he could never hope to replace.

Ashley wasn’t ugly, just a step above average, but plain compared to every other woman in his life, and her eyes were just so big and weird to him.

But as he caught her breastfeeding in her office… he noticed just how much her breast had grown… maybe 2 ½ sizes bigger, they were so swollen, so heavy and that tiny little girl didn’t want anything to do with them. She much rather the bottle much to the first-time mother’s frustration, who assumed she would just latch immediately, it was the most natural thing for a newborn after all, but there she was getting frustrated– she really couldn’t do one thing right, she cried.

Homelander just closed the door behind himself trying to look away, Ashley jumped slightly covering her baby and herself with a cloth.

He licked his lips, swallowing sand, as he tried to distract himself from the smell of fresh milk waltzing towards his nose… he looked at his boots, trying not to beg for the forbidden.

“Try tickling her mouth with your finger… give her a breather then try again… don’t force it” Homelander said gently, putting the flowers down the table, his ears a dark shade of pink– I’ll come later…”

“Oh” She looked at the arrangement shocked that he had brought her a present to congratulate her on her delivery, albeit a bit late but...god this was somethign remarkable– is okay… just give me 1 minute to get the bottle.”

“Is not good to give up so easily, Ashley.” His voice had an odd firmness to it.

The impromptu meeting went smoothly Homelander doing everything in his power to look away, to hide his face as the smell of milk and the sounds of that baby drinking mocking him– god it smelled so fucking delicious, his mouth filling with spit in between words.

This was punishment.

If watching it wasn’t an adrenaline rush… his ears were plagued by the sounds of her breast pumps, of the sloshing of her milk as she shook the plastic bottles before packing them, every other time she was in the building, coop in her office.

Homelander would find himself planted firmly on the spot as he caught the sound of the machine sucking… of her little whines and moans of relief as the pressure on her tits loosen.

God must’ve been pissing himself laughing when he watched him grow unbearably hard to the sounds of Ashley tasting a little drop of milk off her wrist that had spilled… her tongue’s quick flick provoking him.

Ashley was his property… she had no right to tease him like this.

That night Homelander waited ‘til Ashley left the building before heading in the dead of night to wander into her office, and here he could almost hear the angels giggling as he looked into her fridge and found himself in a very familiar scene.

He tucked his arms behind his back hiding the bottle with his cape, as he hurried upwards– in the solace of his penthouse, undressed one hand pumping his cock, caressing the lenght of his shalf as his pre-cum slicked the tip of his cock, he moaned with every short sip, letting it pool in his mouth and mingle with his spit– Ashley cradling him in her arms and her breast in his mouth, fantasizing of his hollowed cheeks sucking on those swollen breast, who gave a shit if it was Ashley of all people!? Not him… not when she tasted so freaking sweet. Not when she was all he could smell, all he wanted to smell, all he wanted to cover himself with, just to fill his stomach with… he laid in bed with his twitching cock, cum all over his abdomen and a light head.

He had come so hard his eyes had grown unbearably heavy, he dared not wash the taste of milk off his lips, he looked at the chewed up nipple and the light puddle of milk at the base of the bottle before just passing off with a full stomach.

He would have hated Melody had he actually given two shits about her, but with her arrival he at least had an excuse to satisfy a craving, glad that the baby would latch but still prefer plastic… not knowing how lucky she was.

On the occasion Ashley brought the child, he gave her deadstares which the child seemed to find amusing, squealing in approval.

Melody Barrett didn’t bother him until now.

Curiosity got the best of him, and maybe Ashley hadn’t been as clever as he had given her credit because there she was arguing with him… with HIM!!! in her apartment, this traitor, this wench, this bitch had never been loyal! He wanted to burn her down, and shower himself on her ashes.

All it had taken was her coming to work one day with something more than unusual clinging to her dress… cigarette smoke, he had smelled this flavor before, he had smelled it on Maeve, but above all he had smelled it on William Butcher.

Cheap cigarettes.

So he flew to her apartment just past 10 pm, in all their years Homelander had never once actually seen the 2 bedroom loft, it was big with high ceiling most likely an upgrade from her previous residency, not that it mattered… the building could come down and he wouldn’t care about all the broken kitsch or its residents… What mattered was that his property was interacting with his mortal enemy… and killing them both right now the only thing in his mind.

William had calmed down, demanding to know if the parasite was his or not which Ashley was so hesitant to answer, squirming in her skin trying to deliver the news without the other man snapping, as she spoke Butcher dropped to the nearest chair, pressing his hands into his face trying to wash away his disbelief, he let a light chuckle out murmuring to himself before ignoring her completely as he headed to the baby’s bedroom– all pink and girly, within laid a sleeping baby, her hair just a light shade of brown and her eyes now that Homelander thought about were… hazel green. He signed and gave up on the spot slouching on the bar not daring to touch her.

How sweet, Homelander thought.

Butcher emerged telling the woman that he wouldn’t be around for the kid if Ashley continued to be bound to Homelander, he didn’t want a new wife or a sex friend but he was fine with being there if she returned to the living.

Ashley just stood there twisting a strand of hair, nervous, her skin covered with goosebumps at the thought of running away– Melody was that bridge to freedom, but in all the time she’d known of Butcher he hadn’t succeeded at harming Homelander… who was he fooling? He was a failure just as much as she was! But he still believed he could win… he still refused to give up… that’s all she needed to believe.

“I… I wish I could.”

Homelander saw red.

How dare she think she could leave?

No… she couldn’t… no… not to him… don’t run to him… he thought, as Butcher's whole demeanor changed, the woman he could barely stand now looked so frail, he dared comfort her, trying to poison her mind with hopes.

When had Homelander enter the home? When did he break the handle off the balcony door that he still had scrunched in his hand? All he knew was that Ashley was cowering behind her arm chair and Butcher was standing in the way.

“why…?” Homelander’s lips shivered– why…w-hy wou-would y-you leave?”

He pushed Butcher out the way, flinging the man right into the other end of the living room, dragging his feet towards Ashley, she dropped backwards crawling away from him as his hand reached after her.

He lifted her effortlessly feeling how thin her neck was around his gloved hand.

“Why would you leave, Ashley?” 

Ashley sobbed lightly, not putting any resistance just clinging to his wrist without any force.

“I will never let you go.” he let go of her neck, his arm took her shoulder pushing her right against his chest, the faint glow of his eyes looking at her face– you’re mine… there’s no world out there for you if you leave me.”

Her heart was so obnoxiously loud, but he liked the sound.

His nose touched her own, their lips so close she could almost feel his smile kissing her.

“Is that clear?”

She nodded, holding back with every ounce of will she had left her tears, he cradled her in his arms, cooing and stroking her back, forcing her into a tender embrace, watching Butcher as he emerged bloodied.

“Was he a good fuck? Did you have fun?”

She could’ve tried escaping his grip but the thought of putting any resistance terrified her, the thought of dying and not knowing what would happened to Melody was enough to keep her still– yet the man wanted an answer as her shoulder began to ache, as she winced and cringed from the agony.

He let her go, throwing her into the ground just to meet Billy head on.

“Was Maeve not enough? Did taking her from me wasn’t enough for you, William?”

“Seems to me she was never yours, cunt.” he spat into the carpet– can’t blame you for being attached… She could bend a pipe with that pussy.”

He couldn’t say that of the mess trying to collect itself behind the boy scout.

“You want a list? Do you want a list of all the women I’ve fucked just so you can rub it on my face, you cretin!”

“Man I really missed out on fucking Madelyn, I bet you would’ve thrown a bigger tamtrum.” Butcher tried to get a step towards the door, but Homelander took him by the arm– keep the bitch I don’t want your sloppy seconds.” He growled.

Homelander was silent, ignoring Butcher’s complaints as he tried to free his arm, Ashley barely regaining her composure as she watched Homelander lost in thought.

Punishing Ashley would be easy, she was easy to scare back in line but Butcher… this was the second time… if he let him go there would be a third time and then he would be nothing but a fool for the rest of his life.

Butcher who had promised him so much, who devoted his life to him, who molded his whole being to him… Homelander scoff at the perversion… much like Ashley… William was his… he was HIS enemy… the closest thing to an equal… his equal if he crossed the line and took the V.

Butcher struggled putting his whole weight trying to free himself, knowing his bones  would break if he pulled any harder– Homelander turned his head around just to dare look him straight in the eyes..

Butcher was a dog… all dogs needed an owner… just like Ashley was his dog… He had the space for another dog, the voice susurrated.

Homelander tugged at the arm bringing them so close, now it was Butcher in a strange embrace.

“You’re a stray mutt that needs to be fixed… you got my cute widdle Ashley pregnant… leaving me a half-mutt to take care of… so William what should I do with you? Should I take you to the shelter or take care of you myself?”

Butcher growled, punching him and bruising his hand instead.

“Don’t you dare touch the kid, you sick fuck!”

“I won’t touch the kid. I’m not an animal– you two on the other hand…”

Homelander took the man’s chin pushing his thumb in between his teeth, chuckling as he tried to bite the gloved finger teasing a broken tooth in return.

“If you wont leave my Ashley alone… I guess I have to take care of you too… I know you… I know your weaknesses… you won’t leave that kid alone, you’re not heartless… you are soft.” He said with genuine mockery and malice in his tone.

Homelander stroke Billy’s temple, gentle fingers trace his face returning to those lips, so soft looking, he could see the charms that tried to steal his Ashley away, that seduced Maeve into the dark side and that kept Becca so devoted, behind the gruff and scars the man was cute, handsome even– but ultimately soft looking, those eyes so dear and pretty.

“I’ll take care of you both.” He smiled leaning closer until his lip brushed Butcher’s lips– you’re mine too.”

Butcher tried resisting but Homelander was too much, no pulling on his suit could get him to move as he intensified their kiss, his tongue forcing his open, his lips bruising his, leaving them tender and sore, Homelander moaned and shuddered as he felt the resistance, tasting him to the core, rejoicing as the man slowly lost his footing and will– Butcher tried to pull him by the hair but all he gained from the man was a loud moan, the more he ran out of breathe the more he realized Homelander reaction were abnormal. He let him lead rubbing his nail behind the blond’s ear catching the moment Homelander shivered and let out a whispy moan, how much he liked it when Butcher pulled at his hair and tickled his bare skin... whatever was happening here– Butcher had a plan on how to make it out alive, make it out unharmed, to make sure that Ashley and the baby could get out in one piece, he would find a way to get Mallory to help them but first… first he had to sink low.

He had to play along and sign him praises, he would be a martyr if he had to for the child he should’ve never had– why did he do this to himself? He should have drank those questions instead of confronting the chihuahua, why did he need to know? Now he was here about to degrade himself, as punishment for his curiosity.

Homelander was shocked awake from this maladaptive dreams by Butcher wild kisses, he moaned, panting into the supe’s steel silky lips, one hand had left the scalp and found himself digging into the supe’s tights already a couple fingers touching bare back.

Homelander whined separating them finally, his toes squirming as he felt Butcher’s calloused fingers try to reach his ass.

“Ticklish aren’t we?”

Homelander dare not humor him, but as the man managed to find treasure Homelander gasped… his fingers were so rough, it was like sandpaper, no wonder Ashley fell for his trap, his hand was so masculine and rough… it was domineering… he squeezed him– Butcher wouldn’t admit it outloud but Homelander had a perfect ass, it was so big and squeezy, so heavy yet malleable… why hide all these cheesecake behind the cape, idiot? He thought.

“You want to own me don’tcha?” He growled into Homelander’s lips– "you want to be my owner then play with me, young master.”

Homelander nose flare-up, feeling small in the arms of the taller englishman.

“I got a lot of pent-up energy,” he purred.

“I guess… I guess… I guess we can p-play” He mumbled.

“Please not in the living room…” Ashley muttered, now collected and looking annoyed as she picked a large piece of a broken trinket, and admired the broken door swinging lightly– William… Homelander, sir.”

“Of course… my bad” Homelander freed himself from Butcher, dragging him by the hand as he complained, picking Ashley and heading towards her bedroom on the way – let’s have fun!”

The personality switch obnoxious.

Okay he had not anticipated this, Butcher thought, blaming a possible concussion for his lapse of judgment and poor planning.

The moment that door closed behind Homelander, he jumped Butcher once more, throwing him in the plush bed, surprised to see just how soft and bouncy it was, Homelander examined the older man beneath him, and the scowl in his face.

“Ashley you pick”

“Excuse me?”

She looked at them both perplexed, biting on her thumb as she caressed her wrist.

“Pick who fucks who, silly.” His smile creeps her out– you want to see him pinning me down and fucking me like the wild dog he is, or you want to see him bouncing on my cock like a good bitch?”

It must’ve been a trick question, but something in her brain must’ve been broken by Homelander ages ago, so she fixed her composure and gave it a real thought. Either picture was good… in her bed were two beautiful older men, two men who clearly hated each other whoul whould be sinking into a violent and heavy dirty hate fuck session… looking at Butcher she had an inkling that the man would rejoice at the thought of making Homelander into a sow and she herself would like to see that man begging for mercy and his enemy’s cock, but on the other hand… did she want to risk pissing Homelander off if she didn’t let him top first? The way he worded things made it seem there wasn’t any real choice… and Butcher had the look that he would turn to putty if that happened… After all, the man had been more than willing to make her happy during their exchange.

“Give her a minute you can almost hear the porno playing in her head” Homelander whispered with a shit eating grin.

Butcher rolled his eyes.

“You top first, sir.”

He smiled in approval, it was a trick question after all.

“Prep him… like you did the last time.” He dismounted resting on the bed by his side– don’t look at me like that William– is her making the decisions… don't worry it’ll be your turn next!” he winked– bring the toys I wanna see them!” he said playfully.

Ashley was almost robotic as she took to the night stand and took her toys and lube out, Homelander counted with both hands at the amount of stuff she kept, running out of fingers by the time she was done.

Butcher had nothing to say as Homelander picked the silicon anal beads, watching him with mild disgust as the man licked one of the beads.

“Aren’t you forgetting something, Ashley?”

“What?” she said weakly.

“The ones in the closet… Jesus did you go during a closing down sale?” he looked at the toys on the bed, all the vibrators and dildos.

“I think this enough, mate.”

“Ashley get the ones in the closet.” His voice is sweet but firm.

The woman obeyed heading to grab the box in the walk-in closet, she took it to the bed blushing hard as Homelander waited to see the contents.

A double sided dildo and a themed strap-on.

“You are freaky” Butcher chuckled unable to look at the spread and believed it belonged to her… no wonder she was eager to eat his ass that time– so if you’re fucking me… what is she doing?”

“Me or you…”

He hopped out the bed smoothly and began to undress, letting the suit thud by his foot.

Something about it registered poorly for Butcher, it was abnormal to see, but he gave it little thought as she caught the sounds Ashley was making on the other side of the bed.

Ashley's mouth watered slightly as she took the double sided dildo in her hand then looked at Homelander as he turned around to take his thighs off, then back at the Brit mouthing an apology that he didn’t want.

She should’ve picked the secret third option which was herself.

Ashley took her silk nightgown off with ease, and that confident arrogant prick jaw shook as he saw those swollen breasts, as he looked at her curves and the little drop of milk falling off her nipple.

His gaze fixated as she moved to the bed pushing some of her toys aside to take the lube bottle, Butcher took to removing his shirt, kicking his shoes off towards the Supe, Homelander dare not budge from his spot content to just watch for the time being.

Billy pulled on Ashley letting her naked frame fall on him, and as if Butcher pressed the wrong button the woman was quick to let her plastic dick take over her brain… Butcher was a manly man, much better than her usual cheap cock, he was rough, his muscles firm even if his stomach was getting soft by age, his chest so hairy-- a thrill to squeeze and pull. His sight focused on the other man in the room, watching Homelander irritation and then sudden amusement as Ashley started to pull down on Butcher’s pants.

She wanted to fuck this man and make him call her ‘daddy’-- mostly ‘cuz  Homelander would probably like that, and not for devious reasons, she negotiated with herself there.

Homelander let himself sit on the edge of the bed watching with detachment as William 's arms were pinned over his head as Ashley grinded herself gleefully, biting on his lips, and Butcher’s plan was simple make the bastard happy and find a moment to get the baby and run, Ashley would survive, she was always resourceful otherwise how else had she made it this far under his thumb, and he would get her help, Homelander wouldn’t care for the baby, afterall.

“You've done this before, haven’t you?” 

She turned to him a thread of spit still connecting her with Butcher, she nodded lightly following Homelander as he moved behind her.

“Get him nice and wet for me while I take care of you.”

Ashley mewled as his hand pulled her hips upwards and towards himself, Butcher hated himself as his cock throbbed at the sight, her face was elated she was starting to let go, getting drunk on their kiss and the manly musk of William– Butcher shimmied upwards as Homelander pulled them away, knowing the man was secretly envious from the look on his face.

She was still plump from the baby, her body had more meat to hang on and squeeze, he gave her cunt a light slap, watching her shudder and jump from luscious pain, Homelander chuckled pulling her silk panties aside, spitting on his fingers before teasing her cunt, Ashley had never expected his fingers to be so freaking smooth yet so fucking warm, as he slid a finger into her folds, it was as if he had boiled his hand before touching her, it was so hot it made her writhle in pleasure, her juices coating his fingers instastenously, as he increased the speed of his strokes.

Butcher took his pants off finally regaining her attention, he adjusted himself in the bed as he threw the pants to the side and spread his legs unsure if this was the right position or not.

And just as Homelander teased the entrance, Ashley hopped forward looking back at Homelander for permission which he quietly gave as he teased her further.

“Lay on your back some more” She said to Butcher.

He followed instruction glad that she owned a king size bed, laying down with just a couple pillows and his arm for support, the other giving his cock a few tugs just to start building friction, His cock blocking half her face, her hands reached out after him caressing his thighs as Homelander fingers entered her, spreading her inside, rejoicing at the sound of her pussy drenching his fingers, sloshing sweet juices around– she was reacting better than he expected… that he had ever wanted… just for him… it made him happy that Ashley continued to be so good for him, pulling at his fingers as he drew them back, moaning under her breath with pure neediness, he looked up watching the back of her head bob up and down as she took Butcher thick rod into her mouth, it was salty, the smell drowning her, she let go letting Butcher jerk himself as her hands forced his hips upwards, forcing himself to take one of his legs, pulling his knees closer to his chest as her mouth kissed his cunt.

She slobbered all over, licking every inch of his mancunt as if it was a delicacy, the taste was strong but addictive, licking and teasing the entrance and his folds with her tongue all while Homelander did the same to her, his fingers going faster and faster, her pussy weak to his relentless abuse as he pumped another finger into her opening, his other hand caressing her ass after “mellow” tap after tap, her whole body electrocuted with each slap, feeling a hand-print burnt on her skin.

Homelander couldn’t believe just how good this was, hearing Butcher grunts and hisses as Ashley reduced him into a slave to his sexual desires, bucking his hips lightly to get her to reach further, she lifted herself spit down her chin reaching after the bottle of lube and a bullet from the spread.

Taking the tip of the bottle towards his entrance, she smiled as she squeezed the cool gel around his ass, Homelander begrudgingly let go of her to let her work.

Fingers and toys digging into Butcher, the Brit trying to contain his enjoyment but his body was betraying him, he hated having to admit that Ashley was making him feel good, his cock leaking heavily into his happy trail, as he chocked as the toy teased the tip of his cock.

“That’s enough.”

Butcher almost brays as she lets go, wanting to feel her massage his prostate even further.

It was Homelander’s turn, picking her up just enough to put her on the man’s chest, she looked back after being put down shocked about how easy it was for him to lift her, Butcher had a hard time breathing for a second until she perched above him, before Butcher could say something Homelander pulled him slapping his hips against Butcher’s lifting him long enough to place a cushion under hips, placing Butcher’s face mere inches from Ashley's pussy.

Butcher had no time to protest before he felt the heat.

His whole being writhe, pulsating as the man let a sharp wet hiss… Homelander filled him, resting his forehead against Ashley’s back as he felt the soft insides. Butcher was divine so warm and soft, so forbidden, so perfect.

Here he was fucking him as he gasped and croon into Ashley, his body assaulted from both ends, glad he couldn’t see the man fucking him so roughly and deeply, glad he couldn’t see the man making him feel so good.

It must be some divine joke that this bastard would have no issue turning him into a woman, if he had wanted him from the get go.

He sped up, knowing his cock had gotten thicker, he was about to finish.

Ashley was screaming behind her hands, not wanting to wake up her kid, but Butcher was eating her better than any of those Spaniards ever did.

“Turn around Ashley!” Homelander growled, his voice hiding the desperation in his heart.

She didn’t hesitate, and before she could say a word there he was– her personal demon kissing her fiercely, pumping his hips and handling Butcher like a pocket pussy, lifting his legs into his shoulder to hit his prostate spot on with every rough trust, as he kissed her he melted into her. Fuck he loved kissing, his whole body twitching as her tongue made a home in his lips, somehow she had gained the confidence to pull at him, to demand him to kiss her harshly moaning as Butcher had his fill with her pussy, sucking her lips, and pulling on the folds, as Homelander squeezed at her breast and twisted her nipples just hard enought to make her squeal and squeeze at Butcher’s tongue.

Dangling by Homelander’s shoulders as he kissed her, drowning in his taste, leaving Butcher further and further behind, pulsing lips taking a breather, sore and raw, but William doesn’t want to stop… so his hand chases after her, fucking her selfishy.

Homelander had slowed down giving his lover slow and deep trust, making sure to fill him to the brim as the two sudden lovers turned selfish too, above him.

She looked down seeing the bouncing twitching cock leaking all over his stomach.

“I have an idea…” she whispers, leaning into the blond’s ear away from Butcher.

He lowers the leg, manhandling Butcher with a glint in his eyes as he helps Ashley, taking the older man into the edge of the bed, he grins making sure to never let Butcher free, her sopping pussy kisses the tip of Butcher’s cock, the man whines biting his lip squeezing at the sheets as she drops and takes him effortlessly, sheathing him with her wet warmth that he had worked so hard to give her, she’s gasping into Homelander’s ear as the man pulls her by the neck.

Biting into the flesh sucking at her pale skin, leaving a trail of hickeys to mark her with, letting Butcher know this was also his.

Butcher saw white as both ends of him were tormented with pleasure, sweating profusely and ready to cum.

He let out a loud grunt as his body lost the battle.

Crying as his cock was squeezed and Homelander's thick cock kept pumping, Homelander wrapped his arms around Ashley as he cummed feeling Butcher tightening around him so suddenly, breathless as he rolled his hips deeper wanting to mark Butcher the same way he had marked his loyal plaything.

Curving her hips as she rode her orgasm, a dazed smile crossed her lips as Homelander kissed her so lovingly, as his hands eager to explore her curves, giggling as Butcher lifted himself to kiss her body the moment Homelander pulled out.

Feeling the warmth enveloping from inside and out.

“My turn…” He mumbles into her chest and Homelander catches it, unable to control his amusement– get in the bed you cunt.”

Homelander jumped into the bed, his knees a little weak at first.

Ashley almost falling into the ground as Butcher gets her off of him, he was eager to fuck Homelander, staring with her mouth dropped as Butcher took one look at the younger man and took a dildo from the spread, giving it a few licks.

He took the head of the pink toy towards the Supe’s mouth.

“Make it nice and wet for daddy because that’s all you’re gonna get from me.” His voice so low and guttural.

Homelander doesn’t hesitate taking the toy into his mouth, spooking the older man by his eagerness.

Watching him as he hollows his cheeks, watching him attentively as his tongue brushes his fingers, licking every nook with such technique Butcher almost threw the toy aside and shoved his cock into those thin lips, his free hand pulling at Homelander’s nipple, delighted to hear the man moan loudly as he pulled at the sensitive nub.

Homelander took the toy out with a wet pop, his hand already looking for the real thing.

“I rather have this” he stroked him– let me see what made my Ashley betray me.”

“Oh you’ll see.” That was more threat than flirt she noted.

Butcher wanted to record this for prosterity, the sight of his blue eyes rolling back into his skull as he fucked his mouth thoroughly, pre cum and spit bubbling in the corners of his lips, old cum spilling from his nose, and lose pubes stuck to his face, but Butcher didn’t allow him to stop sucking him, always reaching the throat, glad to feel it tightened around him, glad to see his hands wanting freedom but those glazed eyes were too good to watch.

Wanting to always have this image of Homelander playing with his nipples, pulling on them until they were pink and puffy, and crying as Ashley gave him a lazy blow-job, glad to see the twitching cock begging for more friction and kisses.

The sight of the most loved man in America, covered in cum, all flushed and needy, his hair just a complete mess– that made this whole ordeal worth it for Butcher and Ashley.

Homelander was pinned to the bed, his body shuddering, he whimpered as the two bastards teamed up against him, it had been an experiment, dragging his nails on his back as he fucked him with the vibrating toy, Homelander flounder, biting on the sheets as Butcher teased his sensitive skin.

He had been foolish to undress, to expose himself, Butcher had thought it was a powerplay, to make himself appear harmless and approachable, to make Butcher comfortable with the idea of fucking him… and it probably was but now Homelander wished he would stop, that they both would stop, the moment she touched his sides he was begging her to stop, but Butcher wouldn’t let her, licking his chest, and sucking on his nipple rolling her tongue on the swollen nub.

His skin prickly and hot and the light in his eyes blinking back and forth as Butcher pressed another toy into his entrance as his chapped hand massaged his member, he clung to Ashley as she came up to kiss him, as Butcher teased him more and more, as he grazed his skin with those jagged nails.

“Just fuck me please!!” He begged.

His skin had betrayed him, punishing him for taking the suit off, for being so bold.

Butcher grinned licking his lips, watching the tears building in the corners of his eyes, the unbelievable sight of Homelander fucking himself on those toys but wanting more, Ashley looked back at Butcher feeling sorry for the blond, and eager to see this play out.

“I guess I am soft.”

He took the toys out, watching it gape and beg for him, Butcher gave himself a couple strokes.

And the man almost cried when he finally felt Butcher inside him.

Butcher was rough. squeezing at him, slapping his ass, pushing him down and lifting him.

If he slowed down Homelander would roll his hips back at him, biting down on his arm, staining the sheets with his blood as Butcher marked him.

The sound filled the room as Butcher pounded him. 

The two had been so consumed with each other that Butcher had ignored the other person in the room, surprised when Ashley came behind him, teasing the wet entrance with her perfectly manicured fingers.

“Let me help you out, baby.”

Butcher felt the tip of something big pressing against him.

A nervous smile crossed his lips, and all he could do was adjust the position.

Guess he couldn’t complain about being too spoiled.

Homelander grinding himself in the front, kissing Butcher, his hand pulling on the older man drowning on his tongue, it didn’t matter if it was Butcher or anyone else, he wanted to feel loved no matter how twisted it was, no matter if Ashley helped the gentleman keep up.

Butcher gave up.

Relenting to the pair.

Never did he imagine he would be so drunk on Homelander, unable to stop himself from biting and licking at the man’s neck, letting him crook his neck in every angle he could to get a taste of the older man, he tasted so clean– only now had he began to sweat, even the rare salt tasted sweet, looking at his enemy reduced to nothing but a man controlled by nothing but hunger, his hair messy and stuck to his forehead, his eyes glowing back and forth but so loving and sweet, this was somebody else’s wearing an enemy’s face, now there was some meek man looking at him with pure adoration.

This must've been a taste of heaven, Homelander thought.

Feeling Ashley, tug and pull at Butcher's hair, squeezing his sides and biting whenever, she was mad with power as she fucked him harder than her hips would prefer, but she wouldnt slow down no matter how much pain it caused, not when she was so close to the edge, when her pussy was squeezing so hard.

Billy cursed falling into the crook of John's neck.

“Please cum inside me” Homelander cried into Butcher’s ear.

Butcher let the pleasure take the lead, let Ashley fuck him into her orgasm and let Homelander wrung him dry.

William melted into the blond’s arms, melted into their kiss as his cock charged into him– filling him with his thick hot seed, Homelander could feel his cum travel inside, coating him, feeling his feeble attempts to breed him, glad it was Butcher doing this so boldly.

Ashley cursed behind his back, dropping behind him satiated and exhausted, enjoying the heat coming from Butcher’s, listening to his heartbeat, swayed by his breathing.

The woman took it out, falling to his side looking genuinely happy with her life.

Shifting closer wanting to stay warm, Homelander stretched his arm offering her space, as Butcher took to one side.

She took her place by his side, the man was a hot water bottle in winter, perfect for any cold night, at this moment with his messy hair and his tired eyes this wasn’t her terrifying boss… this was just a hot guy she worked for. 

“Give me a minute before it’s your turn,” he said, trying to catch his breath.

“I’m too old for this, you two have fun.” Butcher spoke too exhausted to move from the spot, his hips painfully sore.

Homelander could only offer a placid smile.

“I’ll take care of you, don’t worry about your hips… daddy.” he said with a short laugh.

Butcher would’ve loved to rest, to fall asleep and begin his plan but those two had too much pent-up bullshit to deal with.

Ashley seemed over the moon as the supe showed her what it was like to fuck the world’s strongest and fastest man, drooling as he fucked her and stuffed her spare empty hole with one of her toys, pulling on the toy as he trusted inside her with his actual being, being stuffed so compeltely by his cum and her toys she wanted to be left empty... Homelander wanted one thing and that was for this woman to understand that she was owned.

Fighting the exhaustion drifting in and out of consciousness, Butcher would wake to his penis being kissed and licked, Homelander sucking with gentle force, wafting in the flavor, savoring his precum and his own leftover taste, his hand pulled harshly on the scalp letting himself be lost in the feeling, enjoying the long wet tongue exploring William as the redhead joining him seconds later.

There wouldn’t be an inch the two weren’t enjoying.

In a lost second Homelander would mount him, fucking himself as Ashley squeezed at his chest and grazed her teeth on his shoulders.

He could only smirk at the sight of Homelander… at the drool on his chin, and his lost stare.

He could only smirk as the man felt forward covering them both with holy milk, as Butcher’s seed was cleaned out of him by her tongue.

The night became too heavy for the trio.

Butcher had only one thought in his mind but as Homelander nuzzled his side, wanting to feel him as he slept, as Ashley wrapped herself from behind him, Butcher postponed his plans… just for a night.

One night wouldn’t hurt.

By morning they all would realize the enormity of what they had done… the magnanimity of their actions, he thought.

Instead…

There she was cooing, looking refreshed and delighted, she shushed at Butcher as he woke up groggy and sore, the man looked down gaining awareness, remembering what had transpired.

One look and he was more than just awake and sober.

Homelander latched on her breast, sucking shamelessly, suthering as she caressed his ear, his other hand softly massaging his free breast, well aware of the milk spilling as he gave light squeezes.

Bliss.

That’s all he could feel, the taste all consuming, all divine, his body reborn as he enjoyed the taste of her, Ashley had only done so by accident, joking as he stared at the milk he had accidentally managed to squeeze out from her moments before while titty fucking, he had come and almost passed out to the sight of his cock covered in milk, coming so hard he had cringed and cried for how good he felt-- instead of runnign away Ashley hadn’t hesitated to showered him with affections as she moved upwards... offering him what he had dreamed off...as his tongue took the soft pink nipple into his mouth, he smiled.

Quivering as he took those first few gulps, as he squeezed her nipple with his tongue and found gold.

Wanting more and Ashley was glad to provide.

This was all he had ever hoped for… feeling the swollen bud on his lips… savoring every drop as the woman cooed and caressed him with all the loving tenderness she reserved for her child just now lended to him, seeing him like this brought an euphoria unlike anything before, seeing him so small and needy, whining as she adjusted herself to help him feed, seeing his nose nuzzle and press on her chest as he seeked her out… to know she could exert so much power over him with just a simple action, was a rush.

Homelander was in heaven squeezed between the two lovers, Butcher smirking to himself as he squeezed the man’s side, knowing he could use this ammo for the rest of his life.

Then the baby woke up.

Somehow it had slept peacefully the entire night, and Homelander could smell the reason for her interruption, he cried as she parted promising to come back, Butcher took to homelander mockingly offering his chest as a pacifier, staring at him with lost blue eyes before taking on the offer afraid that Butcher would change his mind.

He squeezed at those big beefy pecs seeking nourishment but finding nothing, Butcher drowning in the wanton of Homelander’s, how much the man wanted his mouth to be filled, sucking on fingers that dare try to part him from his comfort, it was strange but refreshingly good sensation for William.

Butcher would think about escaping another day… This was something he could use against him.

A trap designed by its victim, so he smiled and copied Ashley.

Homelander rested… happy, content, eager to wake up later, knowing that he had done a good job teaching them that they belonged to him.

[morlock-holmes]

@jambeast

"There’s a lot of conflation between things...

-Being art -Being *good* art -Being morally permissible to make

Like whether The Fountain is art or not, and that’s a question that doesn’t have an answer because it’s more of a question of how we define art than what properties the fountain has... everyone’s fully within their rights to think it sucks. If I saw the fountain at an art exhibition and I was expecting something pretty I’d be disappointed and I wouldn’t enjoy myself and I personally wouldn’t like it.

Which is fine! Nobody’s under any obligation to like and of this. Nobody’s under any obligation to think that it’s good. You can think it sucks and then go home and stop bothering anyone about it.

It feels like a mistake on the part of the Art world to put forward the message (Or... at least an unfortunate turn of events that people got the impression that that they were putting forward the message) that Jackson Pollocks and Rothkos were Good Art and that if you can’t recognise how Good the art is then you’re an idiot philistine who needs to learn to appreciate Real Art; lead to a lot of resentment towards the whole culture, and to a lot of neurotic people pretending to like them far more than they would if they weren’t told to.

Like at the end of the day you can like what you like, and disengage with what you don’t like, but any time spent arguing over what is Real Art and what is Objectively Good Art just... doesn’t *go* anywhere."

Okay, when I was talking about Fountain I didn't want people to focus on any qualities possessed by that particular urinal, I wanted people to focus on the fact that The Society of Independent Artists really, really really did not want to display it.

I want to tell the story again because I think it got lost.

Flashback: France, the late 19th century. The world of art in France is rigidly controlled by a small group of elite gatekeepers. Wikipedia:

During the Second Empire, artists not backed by the official Académie de peinture et de sculpture in charge of the exhibits at the annual Salon or without support supplied by actual political constellations had little chance to advance. From year to year the number of artists working in Paris, the number of artists submitting works to the official Salon and the number of works refused by the jury increased, but neither the Second Empire nor the Third Republic found an answer to this situation.

In other words, although the number of artists were increasing, display space at the annual Salon was tightly controlled by a jury which determined who would or would not be shown, based on whether the members of the jury felt that their art was worthwhile.

In opposition to this elite old guard, a group of artists founded the Société des Artistes Indépendants, and began holding their own Salons.

Wikipedia again says,

Article 1 of the organization's statutes reads,...the purpose of Société des Artistes Indépendants – based on the principle of abolishing admission jury – is to allow the artists to present their works to public judgement with complete freedom.

The Society, and their salons, are works of radical egalitarianism; rather than rely on the artistic judgement of the elite to determine what art the public should see, and how the public should understand those works of art, they simply display and allow each individual to come to his or her conclusion about each piece.

This, eventually, is successful, and even popular, with artists like Toulouse-Lautrec or Van Gogh displaying deeply unconventional pieces of art which would not have appealed to the juries of the Académie.

And while the pieces in the show are often controversial, they do begin to attract both critical acclaim and attention from buyers, leading to some major art sales and trends in the art world.

Keep that latter part in mind.

So, by 1916 word has spread to America, and a bunch of American artists, Marcel Duchamp among them, decide to form a similar society, the Society of Independent Artists.

This society decides to put on its own exhibition of currently working artists, on the same model as the French Société: Anybody who pays the admission fee will have their art displayed. The art will be arranged alphabetically by the last name of the artist, to avoid any kind of favoritism.

Again, this is a radically egalitarian movement; rather than having an elite impose their aesthetic sensibility on the common man, we allow each visitor to bring his own sensibility and make his own judgements.

Well, Duchamp wonders just how dedicated is the Society to this radical egalitarianism?

So he decides to test it by, if I may editorialize, submitting something that the vast majority of people would consider stupid and obnoxious: A urinal attached to a pedestal.

The Society is scandalaized, and, breaking their own rules, refuse to display it.

This is the important part. It's hard to even imagine now, when none of us would blink at the thought of, I dunno, a Jeff Koontz gold plated toilet selling for millions of dollars.

But this was more than a century ago, and the Society debated and finally came to a conclusion of,

"I know we said that we weren't the arbiters of what is or is not worthwhile art and that we had no authority to say it. Except in this case. In this case we definitely are the arbiters of what is and isn't art and this ain't art."

Duchamp immediately resigns in protest and the art world is blown open.

The twentieth century then sees a number of artistic movements that ask, first, "What parts of the human experience can be art?" and ask that question so many times that eventually the question of the 20th century becomes, "Do we even need to bother to define art in the first place?" and I would say that the answer we settle on is,

"No"

Here's the problem.

By Warhol at the latest (And I suspect much earlier but I'm not well enough versed in art history) the kinds of gesture that Duchamp was making in 1917 have become far less radical and far more expected in the world of fine art; Warhol and Lichtenstein ask the question, "Can this low art that most people pass over actually be high art?"

But unlike with Fountain, there's little effort to excise them from the world of art, and instead they make money hand over fist selling to exactly the kinds of rich, elitist toffs which Fountain was challenging.

Fountain itself is reproduced and held in the Tate Modern behind glass for cultured people to examine and ponder, and nobody would dare contend that maybe it was just a piss pot.

And so, in one of the cruelest ironies of modern art, Fountain comes to symbolize exactly the kind of elitist control it was originally created to challenge.

"Why," you ask, "Are these elitist pricks trying to force me to appreciate a bloody urinal when I know damn well that I don't? Why don't they understand that people like what they like and don't like what they don't and elite attempts to define art in these narrow ways are obnoxious and doomed to fail?"

Which is exactly what Duchamp was trying to say with Fountain in the first place, which is why his friend Brian Eno peed in it.

[noneatnonedotcom]

@suncrysthyper so with the modern set up of hyperboria being local republics federated into larger and larger citizen republics under the social and religious rule of the suncryst church with only warriors who've served their tour of service given franchisment, lets look at how industrial era institutions take hold and evolve towards more modern times. tax: with the publishing of progress and poverty by irishman Colm J. mac Kavanagh. in 1590 A.D the only tax is a land value tax based purely of of the price of the land itself and not any private property on it. this tax along with various terrifs on outside goods is more than enough to fund all government expenditure while still incentivising individuals to work harder and not taking away capital from people. furthermore what taxes do not get used are granted back to the people as a citizen's dividend. there are still rich people and poor but those who have fought for the empire will have not only their pensions but their citizen's dividend to pay for their needs after. and given the nature of the land value tax the various large landowners and incentivised to sell non productive land to citizens who will in turn develop it increasing the land value and thus the tax received. with the empire's continued defense of the republic of jerusilum there will always be a need for more warriors. "what is earned by the individual is given to them but what is earned by society is given back to society"

trade: free trade within the church is enforced but terrifs on other peoples like the french germans russians romans and Spanish ensure that internal development is encouraged rather than dependence on outside economies. unions: are allowed but they must be able to prove they actually work in the shops they are said to represent. banking: credit unions with members receiving dividends based on successful investments by the board. each ting-meet has it's own credit union which work together to form and fund the greater credit union of the kingdom which all work to form and fund the credit union of the empire. the stated goal of the imperial credit union is investment in the development of the empire's territory via industry and expansion of home ownership. political parties: there are only two, libritarians who argue that the government works best when not trying to insert itself into everyday life and focusing only on it's stated responcibilies, and the imperialists who feel that the empire has a responsibility to set up and protect suncryst republics across the globe in the same way the did with the americas. environmental protection: the church and royal family own certain areas in trust tax free that are basically national parks and have rules about pollution of waterways and air. since business men being rich grants them no greater power in the political system it's much easier to crack down on people who violate these regulations. meaning that the environment is far healthier in this industrial society than the environments of even the agrarian cities of medieval Europe their closest competitors. active wars: currently there's only one active war but it's one that seems to have no end in sight. the defense of Alexandria and jerusilum for the continuation of pigramages to these holy cities, though only jerusilum is a holy city for the church of suncryst the areas around these holy cities are under the rule of the republic of jerusilum a sister republic to the hyperborean empire. constant war is a result as the caliphates of the ottomans and and mamlukes have declared an eternal jihad against the empire and republic. the republic of constantinopal is also under the protection of the empire acting as a gateway into the black sea and it's trade. though the city itself is still greek orthodox. lemme know if you think of anything else that should be touched upon

[lunarsilkscreen]

House and Rent prices and Inflation (and real estate speculation)

What the previous post implies is that it's housing and rent prices that are the primary driver of inflation.

This includes prices at your local store and restaurants. They typically pay rent to a landowner (who doesn't own the business, and just allows people to setup there.) Which means that the rent is the base-price of doing business.

They don't lower rental prices, because it's *just business* they'll get somebody else who can afford it soon enough. Even if the customers can't really afford to do business with you.

In some cases, they're trying to pay off mortgages and loans on the plot, and that's a real estate speculation thing. See, what happens is people try to sell their home, building, or land to the next bidder at both their loan and profit. (They wanna make an easy flip.)

And if the economy allows it, the next person will do the same thing. These peak highs that we're seeing on real estate are because of this. Because people have to pay off their mortgages. (And in some cases, reverse mortgages) and the city (in America) will tax about 0.1% in taxes per year on the value of your property. (on top of the loan) *unless* like in many places; they only tax the value of the land it is on. (You should thank Kant & Descarte if you both love their philosophy but hate land tax. They are the reason for the season after all.)

People get caught taking these high loans for homes *because* they need a house, and supposedly; a mortgage payment should be about the same as a rental payment. The difference is if you need to fix your own stuff, which is how you *should* eventually*per the systemic design* actually pay off your home loan. (If your landlord isn't fixing stuff; you have a problem.)

Because of a whole class of unregulated landlords and shady business practices in the Franchise market; we have the current issue of high rent.

So for an average person; don't rent from somebody who is unaffiliated with some larger group. They will do what individuals tend to do, and freak out when things go sideways. They'll also charge more and provide less.

Never rent directly from a landlord is what I'm saying.

For the businesses? There's not much that can be done except; don't pay for any place to do business. If you don't own the land outright, they'll just charge more, and that will increase your own prices going out.

And nobody needs that stress if it isn't something affordable to begin with.

Anyway, if you're looking for cheaper rent costs, 70$ a day at a hotel for 30 days is only 2100$. (It's between 30$ and 50$ in the warm months because you could also go camping instead).

So if you're paying that much for a studio apartment... Maybe think about it... Just saying.

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I decided I wanted to read a little something extra today and something told me at least one of you would want to read it too.

Afrofuturist Abolitionists of the Americas

Anarchism / Intersectionality / Decolonization

Feedback Loop

1. Anarchism

2. Intersectionality

3. Decolonization

For Anarkatas, Black Intersectional Feminism and Decolonization aren’t optional ideological stances. Together they are instrumental in addressing the complexities of systemic ableism, cis hetero patriarchy, transmisogynoir, Racism, anti-indigeneity, imperialism, colonialism, poverty, class, land, property, prison abolition, cultural theft, exploitation and capitalism, providing a map to areas of need and a course of action respectively. Informing and informed broadly by the principles of Anarchism and guided more specifically by our own Black anarchic traditions, the centering of these struggles and analyses in tangible ways should form the core of our focus and efforts.

1. Anarchism

This is the first filter we will apply to a set of conditions in order to arrive at a course of action. Anarchism is now understood to encompass all anti-racist, anti-authoritarian, anti-state, anti oppression etc struggles but the core tenets of anarchism (anti authoritarianism, anti statism, horizontalism, decentralization, mutual aid) are routinely idealized and presented in a uniformly colorblind, universalist manner. Universalism as conceived by those locked within the white identity construct can never truly be universal, and it could be argued that the urge to universalize phenomena is itself a protective mechanism of the white identity construct. In any event, anarchism gives us the rough blueprint for the outcome we want and pitfalls to steer clear of. Anarchism in this sense is an ideal. But it can’t be one size fits all. Next, we have to compare the ideal to what we actually see. To do this we need a tool with which to analyze the material conditions. That tool is Intersectionality.

2. Intersectionality

Our second filter is intersectional analysis. Intersectionality, coined and illumined by Kimberle Censhaw and particularly the Black feminist identity politics of the Combahee River Collective grew out of a desire to reconcile Marxism with the unique experiences of Black women. Like old school anarchism, Marxism provided a rough blueprint for the structures of class struggle under simpler conditions; the most oppressed were in the position to see that it needed a serious upgrade.

Intersectionality is a microscope.

It allows us to analyze any given situation on a structural, multidimensional level and steer to the locus of the most compounded oppressions. In this way, we can attack the monster closer to the source, and through the perspectives and leadership of the intersectionally oppressed, especially Black women, provide adequate aid to the largest swath of people, starting with those who need it most. Intersectional analysis is indispensable in conflict resolution, resource allocation, navigating interpersonal relationships, and representation to name just a few areas of applicability. It should be apparent that while intersectional analysis certainly chips away at the universalized flatness of barebones anarchist and Marxist doctrine, anarchist and Marxist analysis are better for it; in fact, intersectional analysis strengthens both Marxism and Anarchism.

Now that we’ve analyzed the conditions through an intersectional lens, we must decide on a course of action. That course of action is the path of Decolonization. Decolonization is central to Anarkata praxis.

3. Decolonization

Decolonization is our third analytical filter, our praxis, and our immediate material goal all in one.

Through analysis of the material conditions, we have seen that the only remedy is complete abolition of the existing structures of oppression. We have seen that the relationship between oppressor and oppressed and the planet is intolerable, untenable, irreconcilable, and unreformable and to make room for the world we want to see, the dream of a world which isn’t built on our oppression, we have to sweep away the old one. This is the meaning of decolonization. Decolonization isn’t a return; we can never return. What’s left is to take what is ours now and build the world we want to live in now. We do this by any means necessary. By ceasing to perform for the gaze of whites or provide more free labor to oppressors. By learning our radical history. The validity of the white cis hetero patriarchal identity construct (the “norm”) is called into question, ridiculed and mocked. Our own identities are celebrated in their multiplicity. All accepted norms are questioned and placed in a decolonization context. These are decolonizing imperatives that arise from the ontological needs of the oppressed and can in no way be encroached upon or dictated by colonizers. Decolonization isn’t a polite or abstract process; to the oppressor, it’s rude, inopportune, adversarial, contrary, mean, emotional, unintelligible, etc. To the oppressed every drop of scorn heaped on the oppressor in our name is a show of love. Decolonization demands fearlessness beneath the white supremacist gaze. Decolonization is a constant practice, requiring a radical posture. Full Decolonization is militant, often bloody.

By now, our filters have skewed the picture of our anarchist city on the hill. The edges are blurrier, the walls have revealed some cracks. The world we wish existed is far in the distance. The real world has thrown us a few curveballs (racism, sexism, ableism, racial power dynamics etc) to contend with, things we have to attack structurally as well before we can begin to have the world we want. Different times, places, and populations have different material conditions and we need to meet people who want to build where they are and work with the tools that are at our disposal.

“Decolonization never takes place unnoticed, for it focuses on And fundamentally alters being and transforms the spectator crushed to a nonessential state into a privileged actor, captured tn a virtually grandiose fashion by The spotlight of history. It infuses a new rhythm, specific to a new generation of (human), with a new language and a new humanity. Decolonization is truly the creation of new (humans).

But such a creation cannot be attributed to a supernatural power: The “thing” colonized becomes a (human) Through the very process of liberation

— Frantz Fanon

(https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/anonymous-a-i-d)

[dramatisperscnae]

Headcanon - Bucky

Age and Appearance

Bucky Barnes was born in the year 1918, his father a WWI veteran. That makes him roughly 105 now, though he still looks like he’s in his early 30s.

He stands 5’10”, weighing in at 260 lbs; likely 50 lbs of that is due to his left arm.

He favors neutral or darker colors, nothing that stands out too much and blends into a crowd. Preferably clothing that is durable and low-key, stuff that doesn’t show the wear and can be worn for two or three days before it really starts to show. He doesn’t buy new clothing these days; everything he owns came either off someone’s clothes line or from a thrift store. Faded, worn, something no one would look twice at on the street. Which is kind of the entire point.

He tends to avoid short sleeves when it comes to shirts, unless it’s a situation where it’s not going to matter - like a pitched battle, for instance - and generally wears gloves at all times. Cotton and wool are his go-tos when he has the luxury of being picky about material; both of them breathe well, and wool has this amazing property of not staying wet that is incredibly useful.

Generally he wears boots rather than running shoes or other such things; again, durable. Boots tend to last longer than sneakers, and they’re hardier and work better in all weather and on pretty much all terrain.

His hair is brown, shoulder length and generally tucked under a baseball cap or a hood out of grey-hazel eyes.

Said eyes, due to their coloring, can look blue, green, or grey - or any combination thereof - depending on what he’s wearing at the time.

Abilities (taken from 616 Wikia, Comicvine, and Wikipedia)

Bucky’s left arm has been replaced with a fully-functional bionic arm. The arm has superhuman strength, speed, and reflexes, and is fitted with sensors that allow it to pass through metal detectors with ease. It can also shield other metallic objects such as knives or guns.

His arm is capable of releasing bolts of electrical energy or electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) from the palm that can stun opponents or render electronic devices useless.

If necessary, should it become separated from his body, James can control his arm remotely thanks to cybernetic implants received at the same time as the arm.

Bucky is a master martial artist and hand-to-hand combatant, able to go toe-to-toe against the likes of Captain America and Wolverine alone and win, or at the very least hold his own. He is also a skilled acrobat and Olympic-level athlete, his abilities honed first during the war and later by the Russians.

He is an expert marksman, skilled both in sharpshooting and knife throwing, and is one of, perhaps the, most lethal assassin in the Marvel universe.

His body - strength, speed, endurance, agility, etc - is close to, if not at, the peak of possible human condition.

He is an expert spy and advance scout, highly skilled in stealth and concealment as well as covert operations skills such as demolitions, survival, communications, tracking, etc.

Bucky is fluent in English, Russian, German, and Japanese, conversational in Spanish, Portuguese and Latin, and understands a little French.

Personality

He doesn’t talk much these days, answering only with the bare minimum and only explaining when asked.

He tends to avoid people for the most part. SHIELD, or what’s left of it, is probably hunting him, and Hydra, or what’s left of it, would probably like to have its weapon back. He wants no part of it; just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you.

Bucky has made a habit out of constantly studying his surroundings and depicting what he can and cannot do in whatever situation he should fall in, scoping out ways of entrance and exit without being detected and the best ways of neutralizing the minimum amount of security necessary to do so.

His fight-or-flight instinct is almost permanently hardwired to fight first, run later. That is to say, if he feels threatened, he will make the first strike and he will strike to incapacitate or kill, and then if he feels he cannot handle the situation alone he will run. If he’s facing SHIELD or Hydra personnel, the strike is most likely going to be to kill, with very few exceptions.

That being said, if he has the opportunity to run, he will. Nearly a century of being used as a weapon has left him with a bad taste in his mouth for killing if he doesn’t have to.

He rarely makes eye contact with anyone, keeping his focus on their chin or their chest.

If told to do something followed by the words ‘that’s an order’ he will do it, or at least move to begin; years of conditioning have left that as a trigger phrase.

When uncomfortable he occasionally mutters to himself in Russian, often nonsense rhymes or the specs of whatever weapon comes to mind first, as a calming and grounding mechanism.

Miscellaneous

He will still occasionally [especially on his bad days] answer to Soldat [the Russian for ‘Soldier’], to Winter or Zima[the Russian for Winter], and occasionally to James(but never to the Russian version of his name). He will also look up at the word ‘asset’, as that was often how he was referred to.

He does have some of his memories back - probably more than he thinks he does - but he’s given most of them up as lost forever due to the extended trauma he went through with Hydra.. The clearest ones are those from his time under Hydra’s control. Especially the people he’s killed under their command.

He’s not as stable as he appears to be. Memories from before Hydra are still sketchy at best; he basically cold-reads whoever he’s talking to – especially Steve – and plays along most days. If he’s being honest with himself, he doesn’t think he ever will actually remember Brooklyn or the pre-war days clearly.

Bucky’s always had a habit of biting his thumbnail if he’s really stuck on a problem. He doesn’t really chew on it or try to shorten it, he just bites at it. Theoretically it helps him think.

[polkadotsunshine]

this rules! i've always wanted subway stuff in my house.

When I was learning about perimeter and area in school, we had a project to sketch the floor plan of our dream house and calculate various properties about it. I made my dream house as extravagantly huge as I could imagine. I drew up a giant bedroom to house all my stuffed animals. The living room was big enough to fit a 60 inch plasma TV. There was a play room dedicated to all my toys. I had both a shower and a bathtub in the bathroom.

The whole house ended up being less than 2000 square feet.

My teachers expected something bigger. The mathy part of the assignment didn't work with so few rooms and such small numbers, so I went back to the drawing board. I gave myself a home office like my Dad's, I added bedrooms my friends could stay in, and I made each room larger.

It still wasn't enough.

I grew up in a big house in a neighborhood with somehow bigger homes, so I knew that my dream was small compared to the rest of suburban America. However, because the assignment was to make a place I wanted to live in, I only included things I wanted. A number of students in the class had the same problem.

Our teachers encouraged us to base our designs off of mansions from MTV. We should have an indoor pool or a private bowling alley. I supposed that it would be more convenient to have my own bowling alley rather than drive 45 minutes to the nearest place; in that moment, I took a big step towards believing the American dream. I completed the assignment by taking random places I could think of and stapling them to the side of my house. My favorite restaurant at the time was Subway, so I put one right next to my bedroom. I went to my teachers to hand it in.

It still wasn't enough.

Our teachers expected numbers magnitudes larger than anything anyone in the class was making. All of us ended up including an indoor ski slope, even though only one person in the class liked skiing, because it was an easy way to add a massive rectangle to the layout. Along with all the other nonsense I slapped onto my graph paper, I added a second Subway right next to my kitchen. For good measure.

This time, the teachers accepted it.

I haven't stopped thinking about putting 2 Subways in my house.

For reasons only kind-of related to money, I've always had a hard time getting myself to buy food. I fear that if I mismanage my money, I'll mess up and inevitably die. Any time I buy food, I think of how many days it will keep me alive per dollar. Any time I buy anything else, I think of how much food it's worth. I will jump at any opportunity for free or cheap food regardless of the quality, regardless of how it makes me feel, and—truthfully—regardless of the actual efficiency. I force myself to eat rotten food.

I know that I am not at risk of starving or becoming homeless; I make a big tech salary now. Yet, I think about it nonstop. Paradoxically, this fear of waste makes me eat 1 or less meals a day so I can "save" more. I have been unwinding this mindset for years now, but it takes time. The best way I’ve healed is by setting aside a food allowance and preventing it from stockpiling too much.

I clung to the idea of having 2 subways in my home because it represented stability in food and housing.

When I drew it in class, it was as silly as everything else, but people still went out of the way to ask me how it worked. Was it a regular part of the franchise that reported back to HQ? Did I hire staff to run the shop? I don’t fucking know dude; I just needed to pump up the area of the building. But maybe, what I really needed was a guarantee that every day I could eat food. A guarantee that it would be good food. I needed something to ease the weight of surviving.

Even as a kid I sort-of understood that these mansions were isolating themselves by personally owning what were usually public spaces. Yet, I couldn’t discern the subtle difference between a personal bowling alley and a personal Subway. The frog had been boiled; I was already used to kitchens personalizing cooking. The American dream strips us of our community, but seeing you take free furniture from Subway feels pretty damn good.

Particularly, seeing these Subway paintings in your home brings me immeasurable joy. Every time I set foot in a Subway I think about stealing those. Sure, it’s funny, but they represent a comfort I’ve been struggling so long to achieve. Your life isn’t a joke; having furnishings by any means is a fantastic victory.

It is with great pleasure for me to announce, to no one in particular, that yesterday I moved into a house. The kind with a mortgage and everything. Its square footage is smaller than my first sketch, but it’s all I need. And wouldn’t you know. There’s a Subway across the street.

my favorite work memory from this store will always be “hey remember when the subway inside the store closed down and they let me take a bunch of their shit for free and now it lives inside my house?”

my life is a joke

[sydneycleanserviceau]

Commercial Cleaning Services

Commercial cleaning services are specialized in cleaning specific industries and locations. The scope of their work includes emptying trash cans, sanitizing doorknobs and light switches to reduce germs, washing dishes in break rooms and kitchens, and dusting ceilings and furniture.

They also clean hard floors, including linoleum, tile, and hardwood. They can also wash windows and wipe surfaces. They can also clean food processing plants and medical facilities.

Pritchard

The Pritchard family name is derived from the Welsh commercial cleaning services surname of Richard combined with the prefix “ap,” which means “son of.” The name first appeared in Glamorganshire, where it was common among wealthy landowners. It later spread to other parts of England and Scotland. People with the name usually trace their maternal lineages to haplogroup H. This group is prevalent in European populations, and it can also be found among royal families. For example, Marie Antoinette’s maternal lineage belongs to haplogroup H.

Spotless Cleaning offers cleaning services to small and large-scale businesses in New York City. Their crews use eco-friendly products to wipe reachable surfaces and sanitize light switches, bathroom toilets, and door handles. They can handle onetime or recurring cleaning schedules.

The company has a strong reputation for providing high-quality cleaning services. Its employees have years of experience and are committed to customer satisfaction. In addition, it uses a cleaning management system that allows them to track progress and provide feedback.

Spotless

Spotless is a commercial cleaning company that offers re-occurring weekly and daily cleaning services as well as one-time cleaning services such as post-construction clean ups, event clean ups, and emergency cleaning. They also offer flexible cleaning plans to fit any budget. Their staff is trained and professional and are available 24/7.

Spotless cleaning services are available in and around the city of Phoenix and provide a variety of cleaning and maintenance services. These include powerwashing exterior facades, cleaning awnings, and deep-cleaning carpets. They also offer floor stripping and waxing, restroom service and maintenance, and trash removal.

The owner of a class A office building wants to preserve the integrity of their building as long as possible before expensive renovations are required. That’s why it is important to hire a cleaning service with experience in this area. They should have references, be bonded and insured, and run background checks on employees. In addition, they should have a reputation for providing thorough cleaning services at an affordable rate.

Pro Cleaners

Commercial cleaning services provide a variety of tasks that help keep businesses clean and tidy. These services can include vacuuming, mopping and dusting, as well as kitchen and bathroom cleaning. Some companies also offer more specialized services like wall-to-wall disinfection. Keeping a commercial property clean can increase customer satisfaction, encourage employee morale, and boost sales.

This company offers professional cleaning services for retail centers, banks, and office buildings. Its cleaning technicians are trained to handle all of your business’s needs, including janitorial, floor care, and trash removal. They can also clean carpets and hardwood floors, as well as sanitize restrooms and kitchens.

JAN-PRO Cleaning & Disinfecting’s local teams use high-coverage disinfectants and cross contamination prevention methods to ensure your commercial property is clean and safe for your customers and employees. They’re also committed to improving their services through the use of the JAN-PRO Tracker system, which measures 50 different aspects of cleaning performance. The company serves a diverse clientele in various industries, including retail, healthcare, food service, and education.

Clean America

Clean America is a family owned and operated ndis home cleaning company in New York, NY. They provide janitorial services, commercial cleaning, stripping and waxing floors, post construction cleanups, and property maintenance. They are insured and bonded and offer high-quality service at an affordable price. They use a color-coded cleaning system to prevent cross-contamination and are trusted by facilities nationwide.

Clean American provides office cleaning services for El Dorado Hills and surrounding areas. They are experts in VCT floor stripping and waxing, window cleaning, carpet cleaning, tile floor cleaning, and commercial office cleaning. They also offer regular cleaning programs that include trash removal, paper product restocking, and floor maintenance. Access detailed contact information for Clean America, Inc. with a D&B Hoovers subscription.

[americamortgages]

Secrets Banks Won’t Tell You (Real Estate Bridging Loans)

Looking to access liquidity quickly and easily from your U.S. real estate? AM bridge loans can help! Bridge loans are short-term loans that help cover immediate financial needs until longer-term financing is secured. This is excellent for non-resident investors and U.S. expats who need quick access to liquidity.

What is a Bridge Loan?

Bridge loans provide fast approval and flexible repayment terms, allowing investors to act on opportunities quickly for a purchase or release equity from a property when “conventional” bank options are not available or are not practical. There are a variety of reasons sophisticated real estate investors use bridge funding – it can be used to purchase a new property while selling an existing property, fund renovations on a property before renting it out, or obtain almost immediate access to liquidity tied up in real estate for higher return investments.

As reported by CoreLogic, in Q1 2024, the total home equity for U.S. mortgage holders exceeded $17 trillion, nearing the previous record set in 2023. The increase in home values and equity growth suggests many homeowners have significant potential capital. AM Bridge loans allow foreign nationals and U.S. expat investors to leverage their existing equity to finance short-term needs or seize investment opportunities.

How Can Bridge Loans Help?

Bridge loans can be a vital tool for non-resident U.S. investors and U.S. expat investors. Unlike conventional mortgage bridge loans can be structured to the exact needs of the borrower. Often with high LTV, no monthly debt servicing, and quick closing times – often as short as one week. Bridge loans can provide the needed capital to:

Facilitate Property Purchases: Investors can secure properties quickly without waiting for the sale of another asset.

Avoid Foreclosure: Quick access to funds can prevent the loss of property due to foreclosure.

Expand Business Ventures: Investors can use the equity from high-value properties to invest in other business opportunities.

America Mortgages Case Studies:

A Canadian businessman owned a $10 million property in California. To expand his business, he pulled out 65% of the LTV from his property, amounting to a $6.5 million loan. With an interest rate of 10% over a 12-month term, this bridge loan provided the necessary liquidity to invest in his business without selling the property.

Bridge Loan Helps U.S. Expat Avoid Foreclosure

Facing foreclosure, a U.S. expat property owner sought help from America Mortgages. We helped to secure a $500,000 bridge loan at a 70% LTV and 12% interest over 18 months. This quick access to funds eased his financial strain, preventing foreclosure and protecting his investment by paying off the existing lender and structuring the loan so that he did not have to make monthly payments for 6 months. This allowed the client to relax, reset, and focus on getting back on track.

What is Needed to Qualify?

Equity: Qualifying for a bridge loan is primarily based on the existing equity in the owned property. Bridge loans will typically allow for up to 70% of the current value of the existing property.  If there is an existing mortgage, it will need to be paid off through the transaction.

Income: Normally, there are no income requirements for these types of loans. However, the borrower should be able to either service the monthly payments or have sufficient equity to “roll up” or pay any interest payments due upfront out of the loan proceeds.

Credit: No U.S. credit is required

Eligible Loan Types: Purchase, refinance, and cash-out refinance

Term Lengths: 12-24 months

No U.S. Credit Required

Loan Amounts: US$100,000 to US$100m

Payment Options: Monthly, interest-only, interest rolled up, no prepayment penalty

Purchase Loan-to-Value (LTV): Up to 75%

Refinance Loan-to-Value (LTV): Up to 70%

Cash-out Refinance Loan-to-Value (LTV): Up to 65%

Property Types: Single-family, multi-family (5+ units), duplexes, triplexes, quadplexes, condominiums, townhomes, commercial, industrial

America Mortgages offers bridge loans designed to bridge that gap for non-resident U.S. mortgage investors and U.S. expats. Our fast approvals and flexible terms empower investors to access liquidity quickly, whether buying, renovating, or avoiding foreclosure. With substantial home equity available, our bridge loans help leverage existing assets for short-term needs and investments. Trust America Mortgages to support your U.S. real estate goals with tailored solutions that ensure confidence and success.

Schedule a meeting with one of our loan officers using our 24/7 calendar link. Contact us today at hello@americamortgages.com to start your investment journey!

Reference: https://www.americamortgages.com/secrets-banks-wont-tell-you/

Contact Us

Address:  1341 W. Mockingbird Lane, Suite 600W, Dallas, Texas 75247 (HQ)

North America: +1 (845) 583-0830

[insanechayne]

Ok so I was actually homeless for 4+ years (2018-2022), and have some perspective here that may help in this conversation.

While there are people who are homeless due to illness, drugs/alcohol, or some other issue that may be more inside their own control, the vast majority of homeless people are those of us who ended up in that position due to no fault of our own. It’s about a 70/30 split, 70% being actual victims who ended up in a bad situation, 30% choosing homelessness or drugs or something else.

Speaking from the 70%, I can tell you that sometimes no matter what you try, you’ll still get fucked. Places of employment will actively NOT hire you if they know/find out you’re homeless. Shelters do not often have opportunities in which someone could possibly do some work in exchange for food, nor does nearly any other place in the country (in America). Shelters are also too full and overcrowded and can only do so much to help. Even having rules about not being able to have drugs/alcohol, they’re overrun because that’s not the majority of homeless. And many shelters also have rules like “you can’t keep/park your car on the property”, “you can’t bring a pet with you”, “men and women can’t be in the same spaces, even if they’re family/married”, “kids can only stay with the women”, “you can’t bring more than one small bag of belongings with you if you try to stay here.” Even if you follow all of those rules and manage to get in, you’re only guaranteed that one single day that you happened to get in there, nothing more.

There truly does come a point in which homelessness is/can be a societal problem. If there is no help available to the homeless, then how will they leave that situation? Sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you try to take charge of your life, or make changes to your situation, or try everything possible you and everyone else can think of to get out. You can’t climb a vertical piece of slate on your own, you know?

And as an aside, from experience, once you’re homeless you’re no longer seen as human by about 98% of the world/society around you. Regardless of how you ended up there, if it was your fault, if you’ve tried everything to get out, if you’re still struggling and trying to survive day by day, it doesn’t matter: you’re not a person anymore. There truly are not enough resources or opportunities or anything available to help homeless people, or even allow them to help themselves, because most people do not seem to consider it very important to actually help the homeless.

Last point I’ll make here, everyone has all the answers until they actually go through it. So many people know sooooo much about what the homeless should do to fix their situation, until they themselves are actually homeless and see how little those solutions they have actually work. In reality, majority of those solutions and ideas do not work, nor are they helpful.

[dailyanarchistposts]

B.2.5 Who benefits from centralisation?

No social system would exist unless it benefited someone or some group. Centralisation, be it in the state or the company, is no different. In all cases, centralisation directly benefits those at the top, because it shelters them from those who are below, allowing the latter to be controlled and governed more effectively. Therefore, it is in the direct interests of bureaucrats and politicians to support centralism.

Under capitalism, however, various sections of the business class also support state centralism. This is the symbiotic relationship between capital and the state. As will be discussed later (in section F.8), the state played an important role in “nationalising” the market, i.e. forcing the “free market” onto society. By centralising power in the hands of representatives and so creating a state bureaucracy, ordinary people were disempowered and thus became less likely to interfere with the interests of the wealthy. “In a republic,” writes Bakunin, “the so-called people, the legal people, allegedly represented by the State, stifle and will keep on stifling the actual and living people” by “the bureaucratic world” for “the greater benefit of the privileged propertied classes as well as for its own benefit.” [Op. Cit., p. 211]

Examples of increased political centralisation being promoted by wealthy business interests by can be seen throughout the history of capitalism. “In revolutionary America, ‘the nature of city government came in for heated discussion,’ observes Merril Jensen … Town meetings … ‘had been a focal point of revolutionary activity’. The anti-democratic reaction that set in after the American revolution was marked by efforts to do away with town meeting government … Attempts by conservative elements were made to establish a ‘corporate form (of municipal government) whereby the towns would be governed by mayors and councils’ elected from urban wards … [T]he merchants ‘backed incorporation consistently in their efforts to escape town meetings.’” [Murray Bookchin, Towards an Ecological Society, p. 182]

Here we see local policy making being taken out of the hands of the many and centralised in the hands of the few (who are always the wealthy). France provides another example:

“The Government found…the folkmotes [of all households] ‘too noisy’, too disobedient, and in 1787, elected councils, composed of a mayor and three to six syndics, chosen among the wealthier peasants, were introduced instead.” [Peter Kropotkin, Mutual Aid, pp. 185–186]

This was part of a general movement to disempower the working class by centralising decision making power into the hands of the few (as in the American revolution). Kropotkin indicates the process at work:

”[T]he middle classes, who had until then had sought the support of the people, in order to obtain constitutional laws and to dominate the higher nobility, were going, now that they had seen and felt the strength of the people, to do all they could to dominate the people, to disarm them and to drive them back into subjection. […] ”[T]hey made haste to legislate in such a way that the political power which was slipping out of the hand of the Court should not fall into the hands of the people. Thus … [it was] proposed … to divide the French into two classes, of which one only, the active citizens, should take part in the government, whilst the other, comprising the great mass of the people under the name of passive citizens, should be deprived of all political rights … [T]he [National] Assembly divided France into departments … always maintaining the principle of excluding the poorer classes from the Government … [T]hey excluded from the primary assemblies the mass of the people … who could no longer take part in the primary assemblies, and accordingly had no right to nominate the electors [who chose representatives to the National Assembly], or the municipality, or any of the local authorities … “And finally, the permanence of the electoral assemblies was interdicted. Once the middle-class governors were appointed, these assemblies were not to meet again. Once the middle-class governors were appointed, they must not be controlled too strictly. Soon the right even of petitioning and of passing resolutions was taken away — ‘Vote and hold your tongue!’ “As to the villages … the general assembly of the inhabitants … [to which] belonged the administration of the affairs of the commune .. . were forbidden by the … law. Henceforth only the well-to-do peasants, the active citizens, had the right to meet, once a year, to nominate the mayor and the municipality, composed of three or four middle-class men of the village. “A similar municipal organisation was given to the towns… ”[Thus] the middle classes surrounded themselves with every precaution in order to keep the municipal power in the hands of the well-to-do members of the community.” [The Great French Revolution, vol. 1, pp. 179–186]

Thus centralisation aimed to take power away from the mass of the people and give it to the wealthy. The power of the people rested in popular assemblies, such as the “Sections” and “Districts” of Paris (expressing, in Kropotkin’s words, “the principles of anarchism” and “practising … Direct Self-Government” [Op. Cit., p. 204 and p. 203]) and village assemblies. However, the National Assembly “tried all it could to lessen the power of the districts … [and] put an end to those hotbeds of Revolution … [by allowing] active citizens only … to take part in the electoral and administrative assemblies.” [Op. Cit., p. 211] Thus the “central government was steadily endeavouring to subject the sections to its authority” with the state “seeking to centralise everything in its own hands … [I]ts depriving the popular organisations … all … administrative functions … and its subjecting them to its bureaucracy in police matters, meant the death of the sections.” [Op. Cit., vol. 2, p. 549 and p. 552]

As can be seen, both the French and American revolutions saw a similar process by which the wealthy centralised power into their own hands (volume one of Murray Bookchin’s The Third Revolution discusses the French and American revolutions in some detail). This ensured that working class people (i.e. the majority) were excluded from the decision making process and subject to the laws and power of a few. Which, of course, benefits the minority class whose representatives have that power. This was the rationale for the centralisation of power in every revolution. Whether it was the American, French or Russian, the centralisation of power was the means to exclude the many from participating in the decisions that affected them and their communities.

For example, the founding fathers of the American State were quite explicit on the need for centralisation for precisely this reason. For James Madison the key worry was when the “majority” gained control of “popular government” and was in a position to “sacrifice to its ruling passion or interest both the public good and the rights of other citizens.” Thus the “public good” escaped the “majority” nor was it, as you would think, what the public thought of as good (for some reason left unexplained, Madison considered the majority able to pick those who could identify the public good). To safeguard against this, he advocated a republic rather than a democracy in which the citizens “assemble and administer the government in person … have ever been found incompatible with personal security or the rights of property.” He, of course, took it for granted that ”[t]hose who hold and those who are without property have ever formed distinct interests in society.” His schema was to ensure that private property was defended and, as a consequence, the interests of those who held protected. Hence the need for “the delegation of the government … to a small number of citizens elected by the rest.” This centralisation of power into a few hands locally was matched by a territorial centralisation for the same reason. Madison favoured “a large over a small republic” as a “rage for paper money, for an abolition of debts, for an equal division of property, or for any other improper or wicked project, will be less apt to pervade the whole body of the Union than a particular member of it.” [contained in Voices of a People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove (eds.), pp. 109–113] This desire to have a formal democracy, where the masses are mere spectators of events rather than participants, is a recurring theme in capitalism (see the chapter “Force and Opinion” in Noam Chomsky’s Deterring Democracy for a good overview).

On the federal and state levels in the US after the Revolution, centralisation of power was encouraged, since “most of the makers of the Constitution had some direct economic interest in establishing a strong federal government.” Needless to say, while the rich elite were well represented in formulating the principles of the new order, four groups were not: “slaves, indentured servants, women, men without property.” Needless to say, the new state and its constitution did not reflect their interests. Given that these were the vast majority, “there was not only a positive need for strong central government to protect the large economic interests, but also immediate fear of rebellion by discontented farmers.” [Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, p. 90] The chief event was Shay’s Rebellion in western Massachusetts. There the new Constitution had raised property qualifications for voting and, therefore, no one could hold state office without being wealthy. The new state was formed to combat such rebellions, to protect the wealthy few against the many.

Moreover, state centralisation, the exclusion of popular participation, was essential to mould US society into one dominated by capitalism:

“In the thirty years leading up to the Civil War, the law was increasingly interpreted in the courts to suit capitalist development. Studying this, Morton Horwitz (The Transformation of American Law) points out that the English common-law was no longer holy when it stood in the way of business growth … Judgements for damages against businessmen were taken out of the hands of juries, which were unpredictable, and given to judges … The ancient idea of a fair price for goods gave way in the courts to the idea of caveat emptor (let the buyer beware) … contract law was intended to discriminate against working people and for business … The pretence of the law was that a worker and a railroad made a contract with equal bargaining power … ‘The circle was completed; the law had come simply to ratify those forms of inequality that the market system had produced.’” [Zinn, Op. Cit., p. 234]

The US state was created on elitist liberal doctrine and actively aimed to reduce democratic tendencies (in the name of “individual liberty”). What happened in practice (unsurprisingly enough) was that the wealthy elite used the state to undermine popular culture and common right in favour of protecting and extending their own interests and power. In the process, US society was reformed in their own image:

“By the middle of the nineteenth century the legal system had been reshaped to the advantage of men of commerce and industry at the expense of farmers, workers, consumers, and other less powerful groups in society… it actively promoted a legal distribution of wealth against the weakest groups in society.” [Morton Horwitz, quoted by Zinn, Op. Cit., p. 235]

In more modern times, state centralisation and expansion has gone hand in glove with rapid industrialisation and the growth of business. As Edward Herman points out, ”[t]o a great extent, it was the growth in business size and power that elicited the countervailing emergence of unions and the growth of government. Bigness beyond business was to a large extent a response to bigness in business.” [Corporate Control, Corporate Power, p. 188 — see also, Stephen Skowronek, Building A New American State: The Expansion of National Administrative Capacities, 1877–1920] State centralisation was required to produce bigger, well-defined markets and was supported by business when it acted in their interests (i.e. as markets expanded, so did the state in order to standardise and enforce property laws and so on). On the other hand, this development towards “big government” created an environment in which big business could grow (often encouraged by the state by subsidies and protectionism — as would be expected when the state is run by the wealthy) as well as further removing state power from influence by the masses and placing it more firmly in the hands of the wealthy. It is little wonder we see such developments, for ”[s]tructures of governance tend to coalesce around domestic power, in the last few centuries, economic power.” [Noam Chomsky, World Orders, Old and New, p. 178]

State centralisation makes it easier for business to control government, ensuring that it remains their puppet and to influence the political process. For example, the European Round Table (ERT) “an elite lobby group of … chairmen or chief executives of large multi-nationals based mainly in the EU … [with] 11 of the 20 largest European companies [with] combined sales [in 1991] … exceeding $500 billion, … approximately 60 per cent of EU industrial production,” makes much use of the EU. As two researchers who have studied this body note, the ERT “is adept at lobbying … so that many ERT proposals and ‘visions’ are mysteriously regurgitated in Commission summit documents.” The ERT “claims that the labour market should be more ‘flexible,’ arguing for more flexible hours, seasonal contracts, job sharing and part time work. In December 1993, seven years after the ERT made its suggestions [and after most states had agreed to the Maastricht Treaty and its “social chapter”], the European Commission published a white paper … [proposing] making labour markets in Europe more flexible.” [Doherty and Hoedeman, “Knights of the Road,” New Statesman, 4/11/94, p. 27]

The current talk of globalisation, NAFTA, and the Single European Market indicates an underlying transformation in which state growth follows the path cut by economic growth. Simply put, with the growth of transnational corporations and global finance markets, the bounds of the nation-state have been made economically redundant. As companies have expanded into multi-nationals, so the pressure has mounted for states to follow suit and rationalise their markets across “nations” by creating multi-state agreements and unions.

As Noam Chomsky notes, G7, the IMF, the World Bank and so forth are a “de facto world government,” and “the institutions of the transnational state largely serve other masters [than the people], as state power typically does; in this case the rising transnational corporations in the domains of finance and other services, manufacturing, media and communications.” [Op. Cit., p. 179]

As multi-nationals grow and develop, breaking through national boundaries, a corresponding growth in statism is required. Moreover, a “particularly valuable feature of the rising de facto governing institutions is their immunity from popular influence, even awareness. They operate in secret, creating a world subordinated to the needs of investors, with the public ‘put in its place’, the threat of democracy reduced” [Chomsky, Op. Cit., p. 178].

This does not mean that capitalists desire state centralisation for everything. Often, particularly for social issues, relative decentralisation is often preferred (i.e. power is given to local bureaucrats) in order to increase business control over them. By devolving control to local areas, the power which large corporations, investment firms and the like have over the local government increases proportionally. In addition, even middle-sized enterprise can join in and influence, constrain or directly control local policies and set one workforce against another. Private power can ensure that “freedom” is safe, their freedom.

No matter which set of bureaucrats are selected, the need to centralise social power, thus marginalising the population, is of prime importance to the business class. It is also important to remember that capitalist opposition to “big government” is often financial, as the state feeds off the available social surplus, so reducing the amount left for the market to distribute to the various capitals in competition.

In reality, what capitalists object to about “big government” is its spending on social programs designed to benefit the poor and working class, an “illegitimate” function which “wastes” part of the surplus that might go to capital (and also makes people less desperate and so less willing to work cheaply). Hence the constant push to reduce the state to its “classical” role as protector of private property and the system, and little else. Other than their specious quarrel with the welfare state, capitalists are the staunchest supports of government (and the “correct” form of state intervention, such as defence spending), as evidenced by the fact that funds can always be found to build more prisons and send troops abroad to advance ruling-class interests, even as politicians are crying that there is “no money” in the treasury for scholarships, national health care, or welfare for the poor.

State centralisation ensures that “as much as the equalitarian principles have been embodied in its political constitutions, it is the bourgeoisie that governs, and it is the people, the workers, peasants included, who obey the laws made by the bourgeoisie” who “has in fact if not by right the exclusive privilege of governing.” This means that “political equality … is only a puerile fiction, an utter lie.” It takes a great deal of faith to assume that the rich, “being so far removed from the people by the conditions of its economic and social existence” can “give expression in the government and in the laws, to the feelings, the ideas, and the will of the people.” Unsurprisingly, we find that “in legislation as well as in carrying on the government, the bourgeoisie is guided by its own interests and its own instincts without concerning itself much with the interests of the people.” So while “on election days even the proudest bourgeois who have any political ambitions are forced to court … The Sovereign People.” But on the “day after the elections every one goes back to their daily business” and the politicians are given carte blanche to rule in the name of the people they claim to represent.” [Bakunin, The Political Philosophy of Bakunin, p. 218 and p. 219]

[centralparkproperties]

Central Park Properties : Neo Classic Interior Design Ideas for Central Park Properties

If you are someone who loves muted color schemes, elegant furniture pieces, and clean design lines for your home then neo-classical interior design is your calling. The neoclassical design is a rendition of classical and archaic interior styles with a unique touch of modern sensibilities. This form of design emerged during the 18th and 19th centuries in parts of America and Europe. This form of design used to be popular among the richer upper sections of society, people who preferred minimalism but with a touch of impressionistic designs over opulent interiors. 

Since then, this form of design has always been popular because of its timeless charm. The flexibility of neoclassical designs allows designers to add their own modern and contemporary interpretations. In today's era, this style is the representation of class and sophisticated interior design themes. 

In this blog, we are going to understand Neoclassical design in detail and how you can incorporate different styles in your Central Park Properties to make them even more lavish and grand than they already are. 

Muted Colors: The Representation of Neoclassical Interior

Muted or calm color palettes are the epicenter of any neoclassical interior design. Colors from cream, and grey to yellow and green are the favorites of any interior designer who wants a neoclasscial touch. You can also go for mild metallic colors if you want a sparkly touch to your Central Park Properties. Using accent colors like black, red, gold, silver, and more can prove to be a beautiful touch as well. Beige color is known to be a popular color choice for the hotel industry that has neoclassical interior theme. Adding floral art can exhibit a refreshing twist to your home in Central Park Gurgaon. 

Simple and Symmetrical Furniture 

The easier way to differentiate between contemporary designs and neoclassical designs is by looking at the furniture. Neoclassical designs often feature simple, clean, and symmetrical furniture pieces. These designs can easily be compared to the contemporary minimalistic design because you will find a lot of elegant and geometrical furniture pieces that include armed upholstered sofas, french chairs, dark wood low coffee tables, rectangular wooden beds, and more. You can use these ideas to make the Central Park Properties appear lavish and minimalistic. 

Use of Natural Materials

Neoclassical Interior designs use a lot of natural materials. For the furniture, you can choose dark and light hardwood or even metallic chairs for your home at Central Park Gurgaon. You will see more white marble floorings and stone top tables in the neoclassical designs. You can go for white marble and medium-toned hardwood to exhibit very exquisite lavishness in the Central Park Properties. 

These ideas keep your home look polished and keep the design sensibilities of the neoclassical theme intact. Adding decorative elements like porcelain, ormolu, silver and more is also a great way to fit in the theme. 

Conclusion

You should remember that neo-classical interior designs are known to bring magnificent sensibilities to the Central Park Properties along with a relaxed and calm theme. Going for the right color schemes and choosing the appropriate furniture can showcase the design’s classic and elegant charm. 

If you want to make your Central Park Gurgaon homes an epitome of sophistication and want to make a classy yet bold statement then go for a Neoclassical form of interior design.