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phoenixyfriend · 2 years ago

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Time for some tracts:

"How do we create jobs?" You raise the minimum wage, because if people don't need to work three jobs to make rent, those other two jobs will mysteriously open up.

"How do we support small businesses?" You raise the minimum wage, staggered to the biggest corporations first.

"How do we reduce homelessness?" You raise the minimum wage.

"How do we make sure raising the minimum wage doesn't negatively impact prices or--?"

Prices are already rising faster than wages are, this is playing catch up.

Put a cap on CEO salaries and bonuses, they can't earn more than 100 times more than their lowest paid workers. Current US ratio is 342, which is insane. (This list is mostly about the US.)

Hit corporations first, give small businesses time to adjust. McDonald's and Walmart can afford to raise wages to $20/hr before anyone else does, they have that income.

Drop the weekly hours required for insurance from thirty to fifteen. This will disincentivize employers having everyone work 29hrs a week, partly because working only 14hrs a week is a great way to have undertrained, underpracticed staff. Full time employment becomes the new rule.

Legalize salary transparency for all positions; NYC's new law is a good start.

Legislation that prevents companies from selling at American prices while paying American wages abroad. Did you know that McDonald's costs as much or more in Serbia, where the minimum wage is about $2/hr? Did you know that a lot of foreign products, like makeup, are a solid 20% more expensive? Did you know that Starbucks prices are equivalent? Did you know that these companies charge American prices while paying their employees local wages? At a more extreme example, luxury goods made in sweatshops are something we all know are a problem, from Apple iPhones to Forever 21 blouses, often involving child labor too. So a requirement to match the cost-to-wage ratio (either drop your prices or raise your wages when producing or selling abroad) would be great.

Not directly a minimum wage thing but still important:

Enact fees and caps on rent and housing. A good plan would probably be to have it in direct ratio to mortgage (or estimated building value, if it's already paid off), property tax, and estimated fees. This isn't going to work everywhere, since housing prices themselves are insanely high, but hey--people will be able to afford those difficult rent costs if they're earning more.

Trustbusting monopolies and megacorps like Amazon, Disney, Walmart, Google, Verizon, etc.

Tax the rich. I know this is incredibly basic but tax the fucking rich, please.

Fund the IRS to full power again. They are a skeleton crew that cannot audit the megarich due to lack of manpower, and that's where most of the taxes are being evaded.

Universal healthcare. This is so basic but oh my god we need universal healthcare. You can still have private practitioners and individual insurance! But a national healthcare system means people aren't going to die for a weird mole.

More government-funded college grants. One of the great issues in the US is the lack of healthcare workers. This has many elements, and while burnout is a big one, the massive financial costs of medical school and training are a major barrier to entry. While there are many industries where this is true, the medical field is one of the most impacted, and one of the most necessary to the success of a society. Lowering those financial barriers can only help the healthcare crisis by providing more medical professionals who are less prone to burnout because they don't need to work as many hours.

And even if those grants aren't total, guess what! That higher minimum wage we were talking about is a great way to ensure students have less debt coming out the other side if they're working their way through college.

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Linda P requested something either really interesting or really silly and this is... definitely more of a tract on a topic of interest (the minimum wage and other ways business and government are both being impeded by corporate greed) than on a topic of Silly. Hope it's still good!

#economics #politics #personal #ko fi prompts #ko fi

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breelandwalker · 8 days ago

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so, I know you've been vending at a lot of different craft fairs and witch markets for awhile now (sadly, too far away for me to attend!). would you happen to have any tips for someone looking to do the same at their local fairs? thanks!!!!!! ❤️

Sure! To start, brush up on three things - networking, recordkeeping, and people skills. Get an idea of what's going in on your area, talk to the organizers, see what the particulars are for the events. Here are some questions to ask:

What's the venue like? (indoors, outdoors, parking, accessibility)

Do I need to bring my own table and chairs?

Is there electricity / wifi available?

What is the table fee?

When is the event and how long does it run?

Is there a theme or target audience?

Is there advertising being done for the event? (Signal boost!)

Based on the answers you get, you can start putting your stock and setup together.

Do as much as you can WAY ahead of time. If you need to make things, start now. If you need to buy things, give yourself at least a month before an event to make sure everything arrives in time. Get yourself a 6-foot folding table and a comfortable folding chair or camp chair for events where they're not provided by the venue. Sign for Paypal, Venmo, and Cashapp as well as a card payment processing service like Square to give your customers the most payment options possible. And of course, plan to carry some small bills for cash patrons. (You don't need a register or cashbox, a simple bag of appropriate size will do. I literally use a pencil case that says Resting Witch Face. Works great.)

You'll want to get some displays for your merchandise. The type will vary depending on what you have, but it should be simply and sturdy and preferably easy to pack in and out. Vertical visibility is important at these events, so if you can find some kind of stand or tiered display, that will help you get noticed. I'd also suggest some simple clear plastic standups that you can put a printout price list and a basic sign in. A table banner helps people notice your table from afar and you should definitely have business cards to hand out with your shop info and socials. (I use Vistaprint for both.) Decorations are nice, but don't overload the table with them. They should augment your setup, not overwhelm it.

You may also want to get an 8x8 or 10x10 popup canopy and canopy weights if you plan to do outdoor events. Also, GET A COLLAPSIBLE WAGON. Best investment I ever made was a $45 collapsible wagon. It fits in my backseat and makes hauling things in and out of venues SO much easier.

Keep track of everything you spend related to your endeavors, including event fees, supplies, stock, setup items, displays, signage, business cards, and gas and food on the day. Keep those receipts - you can deduct them on your taxes later to offset your earnings. (Because registering as a business can be a pain and comes with fees, but if you don't do it, you may owe money for not collecting sales tax. Put aside some money for that tax bill, just in case.)

Prep your setup and stock the night before an event. Check your merch, charge your card reader (and bring a fully-charged auxiliary power pack and cord, just in case), make any updates to your inventory or pricing that you need to. It really cuts down on stress when you're loading up if you know you've already get everything set. I suggest reusable shopping bags or clear plastic bins to make things easy to haul, plus they can double as storage.

Plan to leave as early as you need to in order to account for traffic and pit stops. Pick an outfit ahead of time so you don't have to dither over clothes. It should be something appropriate for the event and the weather that looks neat and clean and is easy to move around in, including comfortable shoes. (Look to other vendors for examples.)

Make sure you bring water, snacks, and anything you'll need to get through the day, i.e. medicine (headache pills and stomach medicine at minimum), energy drinks, a fan for hot days, an extra layer for cold ones, etc. Get to the venue as early as the organizers allow. The more time you have to park, load in, and set up, the less stressed you'll be. Make sure things are arranged in a way that's accessible and makes sense. Place signage where necessary to explain items and pricing.

GO TO THE BATHROOM BEFORE THE EVENT BEGINS. TRUST ME.

During the event, you're gonna have to do a LOT of socializing, so prepare for that as best you can. Try to stand if possible when there's a lot of foot traffic so you're more noticeable. Be personable - you don't have to grin constantly, just try to keep a pleasant expression and greet people as they pass, especially if they look in your direction. Don't be afraid to invite passersby over if they pause to check out your setup. Welcome them in, invite them to check out your stuff, and let them know you're happy to answer questions. (And ALL questions are good questions. There are no dumb questions. Even if the question is the dumbest thing you've ever heard or it's the fifteenth time you've been asked that day.) Chat and banter a bit where possible. If you can get people smiling or laughing, they're more likely to stick around and possibly purchase your wares. Make sure as many people as possible take your card when they leave.

Yes, you will be exhausted when the event is over, even if you're a naturally outgoing person, and you'll still have to break everything down, haul it out, load your vehicle, and drive home. If you happen to have somebody who can help you out, that really comes in handy.

In any case, know your own capabilities and personal limits and plan for that when you're deciding where to vend. If a venue is too far away for your comfort or doesn't have what you need or the table fee is too high (be wary of any thing over $75 for a single day event), don't sign up. If an event is too long or too far outside your target audience, don't sign up. If you don't have an appropriate setup or don't have the stock / can't get it in time, don't sign up. If something about the event or the venue or the organizers rubs you the wrong way, DON'T SIGN UP. Talk to other local vendors to get an idea of where to go and what to expect. Most will tell you right away what works, what's good, and what to steer clear of.

This is all just the basics. You'll learn a lot more when you start to vend, as far as what your individual needs are, where to go to find reliable business, and how best to connect with local venues and customers. Keep records of everything you do (spreadsheets are your friend!), network with organizers and other vendors, and practice that sociable game face.

And trust me - if a disorganized introvert with social anxiety and ADHD and absolutely NO sales experience can figure out to do this, I think pretty much anyone has a chance.

Good luck!!!! 😁

#A. Nonymousse #witch market #vendors #practical advice #witch tips #life hacks #Bree answers your inquiries

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rhondafromhr · 6 months ago

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Expanding on my “the Monroes adopt Max and he becomes an even worse person” AU

- they take him in not long after he turns sixteen. His dad dies in some kind of freak accident, it makes the news and Linda recognizes the name because she knows everything there is to know about the history of the Honey Queen pageant and his mom won about ten years ago. She also knows that, like every other winner of that pageant, she left Hatchetfield and never looked back, meaning Max is completely alone now. She’s not sure why she cares about this complete stranger, but her heart breaks for him not having a loving home and she decides she can provide that. She’s a great mother, after all, and they already have four beautiful boys, what’s one more? Gerald isn’t as invested at first, but he agrees to it because he supports Linda in basically anything she wants to do.

-Linda keeps trying to give him expensive new things to cheer him up and make him feel like part of the family and she doesn’t understand why he’s reluctant to accept them. His dad was the type to act like providing basic needs (food, housing, etc) was a huge burden and always came with strings attached, saying stuff like “I put a roof over your head, I pay all your sports fees and you couldn’t even win that game?”. She and Gerald eventually figure it out and the next time Linda gives him something, she makes sure to tell him he doesn’t have to take it if he doesn’t want to, but it’s a gift that they got for him because they like him and they’re glad he’s here. That makes him smile for the first time since he moved in. He tells her that he’s glad he’s there, too.

-they try to stick him in an expensive private school, but he wants to stay at Hatchetfield High because he doesn’t want to give up his power there. They go back and forth over it for a few weeks and during that time, someone overhears them discussing it while out for dinner. This leads to a rumor going around school that Max is leaving and it gives all the nerds so much false hope that things could get better. In the end, they let him stay. There’s not a lot Linda and Gerald can’t get away with, but even they’re not willing to risk pulling the star quarterback out of school and making the Nighthawks lose to Clivesdale.

-Pete, Ruth and Richie do end up transferring out to get the hell away from him when he starts becoming even more of a menace, as impossible as that seems. Richie begs Paul to let him finish out high school at Sycamore and Paul reluctantly helps him get a variance. He joins the anime club and the swim team there. Sycamore isn’t as cliquey as Hatchetfield High and a lot of the kids who go there are just as “weird” as he is, so he’s actually kind of popular there and he’s much happier. Ruth starts doing online school. Being away from the constant bullying, her anxiety starts to get better and her confidence improves. She joins a local theater troupe for teens, makes tons of new friends there and lands her first ensemble role. Pete just works his ass off and graduates early, then goes off to UCLA (he gets his own CaliforMIA reprise). Lex and Hannah make it to California in this universe too because why the hell not and Pete ends up being their roommate. I just think he and Lex would be an iconic duo. They’d hate each other at first (she’s a retail worker and Pete’s canonically a rude customer, natural enemies) but then they’d start vibing and the levels of snark would be off the charts.

-When Linda and Gerald see how Max is struggling in school, they hire a tutor for him and his grades actually improve a little. He’s still a nightmare to deal with and doesn’t try that hard, but they pay this tutor such an extravagant amount that they’re willing to put up with just about anything. Just for funsies, maybe the tutor is Ziggy. Idk could be a fun comedic pairing and I like to think Ziggs is smarter than they let on and tutors on the side so their only stream of income won’t be drug dealing - they don’t want people getting suspicious of how they’re making a living.

-Linda and Gerald start going to every single football game with the boys. The whole family is decked out in an obnoxious amount of Nighthawks gear and they cheer for Max louder than anybody else. Max pretends not to care, but he secretly loves it. They’re proud of him and it’s not conditional on whether he wins or not. They prioritize him, clearing their schedules so they can come to the games and always show up when they say they’re going to. His dad never did that for him.

-Max injures his knee during one of these games and he insists he’s fine, but the coach forces him to sit out for the rest of it. He’s worried Linda and Gerald are going to be mad at him for not playing or think he’s weak for not toughing it out, but they’re both just worried about him and want to make sure he’s okay. When they get home, Gerald makes him stay off of it and ice it. Linda fusses over him and his new brothers keep him entertained while he’s laid up on the couch.

-every so often, the school calls the Monroes and tries to talk to them about a bullying incident. It’s pretty rare because Max is the star football player and the administration doesn’t really care what he does, but if it’s a particularly violent one they’ll at least make a half-assed attempt to address it for appearances’ sake. Gerald tells them “if you have that much of a problem with it YOU do something about it.” Linda then reminds them that if they do, their generous donations to the school just might dry up. Whenever Max comes home after, Gerald just laughs about it and claps him on the back, then says something along the lines of “That’s my boy, keeping those nerds in line!” Obviously, this only encourages him more.

-Linda decides to impart her wisdom on him and show him that brute force isn’t the only way to keep people in line and get what he wants. She and Gerald start to teach Max more creative, underhanded ways to hurt people and encourage him to use their wealth and connections to his full advantage. As they say, what’s the point of having money if you’re not going to enjoy it?

-As part of this lesson, Gerald fondly recounts what Linda did to that girl’s skis in that competition back in college and how it was the moment he knew she was the one. He goes on about how hot, successful and smart she is and says that Max should take her advice because she knows what she’s talking about. Max can’t put it into words, but there’s something so healing about seeing the way Gerald and Linda love and support each other. Maybe seeing this modeled teaches him how to have (somewhat) healthy romantic relationships down the line and he and Grace eventually get together and have a similar “horrible to everyone else, loving and supportive to each other/enabling to each other’s bad behavior” dynamic.

-When Max joins the family for dinner with Roman and hears the way he talks to Linda, he can’t control his temper and tells him he doesn’t care who he is, he’s going to smash his face in if he doesn’t shut the fuck up because nobody talks to Linda like that. Gerald, of course, is absolutely delighted. Linda half heartedly scolds him, but is secretly so touched that he stood up for her like that. She and Gerald discuss it, decide Max deserves a little reward and buy him a brand new Range Rover.

-After the incident with Roman, Linda tells Max that he just might be her new favorite. River overhears and this ignites a lifelong, largely one-sided sibling rivalry with Max. He starts kind of emulating Max’s bad behavior and lashing out at school to try and get Linda’s attention and when that doesn’t work, he becomes a huge overachiever instead as a way to distinguish himself from Max and make himself feel superior since Max isn’t very academically gifted. He does genuinely study and work hard but he also pulls every dirty trick imaginable to sabotage any other students standing in his way (some…unfortunate things end up happening to his competition for a few scholastic awards and the one student who’s ahead of him for valedictorian his senior year). Linda’s proud of him and showers him with praise, but all he can think about is that moment Max displaced him as the favorite. He wonders if anything he does will ever be good enough to earn that spot back.

#npmd #nerdy prudes must die #nmt #max jagerman #linda monroe #gerald monroe #geralinda #gerald/linda #river monroe #hatchetfield #jagertitty

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notasapleasure · 5 months ago

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actually fuck it no, I'm done cringingly fawning to people who were never going to be happy about this. I so viscerally remember the misery of 2010, watching the wrangling go on through the morning and knowing Clegg had already made up his mind never to engage with Brown, knowing that power had flipped and in the crisis state following the recession we were going to get a government determined to cut and cut and cut and undo so much of the good that thirteen years had tried to entrench (SureStart centres, do you remember those, and the massive impact they had? Gone in England, Wales and Scotland, like they never existed. Libraries in rural areas! Remember when we had those? Regeneration in sad little market towns and unloved post-industrial areas, that was a thing once upon a time!). Utter misery on that Friday in 2010. I've rarely been angrier than I was that day. I will never forgive Clegg and many of his contemporaries. But I can still be delighted by the Lim Dems' 71 (SEVENTY-ONE!!) seats today. I was on the No Cuts march in London, and what an atmosphere. What hope, to think a new government formed on a hung parliament might actually listen to the approx. 1 million people who took to the streets (it wasn't as big as the Iraq protests, which also didn't work, but it was one of the biggest since, and it felt like it might be effective, in the flush of democratic fervour just following an election...) - and then the cuts went ahead anyway and we've had fourteen years of Tory entitlement and lies and misrule and sleaze and scandal and people who were fired for misconduct spinning round the roundabout and slotting right back into another job in high office after a token slap on the wrist. The repeated narrative that people want tax cuts and bootstraps rather than public services and basic rights...I'm so, so incredibly glad that's over. I cannot tell you how relieved I am.

Anyway, here are some things from the 2019 manifesto that we have just voted in with this government:

Bringing the railways back into public hands as each contract comes to an end. This is no different from Corbyn's policy. GB Energy, a nationalised energy provider, which is a development of the unplanned ambitions of 2019. Stopping the special treatment of fee-charging schools (by charging VAT on fees, it's an easier fix than removing their charitable status but achieves a similar thing). Building a vast number of new houses.

Other notables: no one is getting deported to Rwanda now. Do I like the rest of their language on immigration? No, but this is still a significant victory against what would have been a horrifying precedent. Unequivocal support for Ukraine's right to defend its soverign territory, no Putin appeasement. Also, a legal review of arms sales to Israel. It might not give the result I want to hear, I remain cautious, but the willingness to review this, and the committment to acknowledge the Palestinian state, is a big shift in the conversation from a sitting government that is undoubtedly a step in the right direction. Votes for 16 year olds! Many of them may turn out to be reactionary little shits, but if they're old enough to join the army and fuck, they're old enough to vote. Scrapping the Troubles Legacy Act in Northern Ireland, which was designed to protect British actors who committed war crimes and has brutally reopened old wounds here. Good fucking riddance to that.

And I just think Ed Miliband should be allowed to have a little chaos and tax a few oil giants. Just for funsies :3

#uk politics #gonna leave reblogs on....for now.

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wolfliving · 6 months ago

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Meanwhile, in Brickland

Cory Doctorow:

Analog companies can raise their prices, or worsen next year's model of their products. *Digital* businesses can *travel back in time* and raise the price of something you already own, but need to pay a "subscription" fee for. They can reach back in time and remove features you've already paid for. They can even go back in time and take away things you already own. The omniflexible, omnipresent digital tether between a device and its manufacturer creates *so many* urges that they can't resist:

Are you one of 4,000,000 people who built "smart home" products from Wink into your walls, ceiling and foundation slab at any time since they started shipping in 2014? Surprise! Now you have to pay a "subscription" for all of those gadgets or they'll *brick your fucking house*:

Did you buy a "Mellow Sous Vide" gadget? Surprise, it now costs $48/year to use that gadget!

Did you buy an Exogen ultrasound device to stimulate bone growth after a fracture? Surprise, it bricks itself after you've used it 343 times! Enjoy your e-waste, Hopalong!

Did you *buy a Ferrari performance sports-car*? Surprise, it bricks itself if it detects "tampering" - and the only way to un-brick it is to connect it to the internet, so you'd better hope it doesn't brick itself deep in an underground parking garage. Oops!

Did you buy a Peloton treadmill? Surprise, your $3,000 "smart" treadmill no longer works in standalone mode - unless you pay $480/year, that treadmill is now a clothes-drying rack:

Did you buy an Epson printer? Surprise! It will brick itself after you print a certain number of pages, *for your own good*, because otherwise its ink-sponges might leak:

Did you get - no, wait for it - *did you get a neural implant?* Surprise. The company's new owners don't want to continue supporting your implant, and they won't let anyone else do so either. So now, *part of your brain* has been bricked:

This is like a lifetime money-back guarantee - *for companies*. Any company that experience's seller's remorse can cancel or alter the transaction, retroactively. It's as if Darth Vader opened an MBA program whose only lesson was *I am altering the deal. Pray I don't alter it further":

Darth Vader has the Force. Corporate enshittifiers have something even more powerful: IP law. Companies can cleverly arrange overlapping layers of IP - anticircumvention, trademark, patent, trade secrecy, terms of service, cybersecurity law, contracts - to criminalize otherwise legal activity, like reverse-engineering, jailbreaking, creating alternative clients or third-party parts:

That means that companies know that they can enshittify to their heart's content without fearing a competitor's disenshittification products. Raise the price of ink all you want, because you've figured out how to criminalize generic ink cartridges:

That's a lesson Spotify took to heart. Aaaallll the way back in 2022, Spotify started selling $90 "Car Thing" tablets - little car-vent-mounted gadgets that made it slightly easier to connect your car stereo to your Spotify account. Now that a suitable interval has gone by, Spotify has decided to remotely brick every one of these solid-state devices, no later than December of 2024:

Now, this may seem like a loss to all those Car Thing owners, who are out $90. But consider this: our descendants are *gaining* thousands of pieces of immortal, infinitely toxic e-waste.

So there's that.

Then there's this: Jason Koebler just published a breakdown of a leaked sSamsung repair contract on 404 Media, revealing how Samsung requires its "independent" repair partners to trick you, abuse you, spy on you, and literally destroy your phone:

First: every time you bring a phone to an independent Samsung repair shop, the company has 24 hours to notify Samsung, providing your name, email, phone number, address, the IMEI of your phone, your warranty status and complaint.

Then, the technician is required to inspect your device for any evidence that you have had it serviced by unauthorized technicians or fixed with third-party replacement parts. If they believe you have failed to act in accord with Samsung's shareholders' interests, the technician is required to *immediately destroy your phone* and notify Samsung.

(This is radioactively illegal, and has been since 1975, when Congress passed the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, which protects your right to use third-party parts:)

Why does Samsung do this? They can't help themselves. It's in their nature.

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ailendolin · 2 months ago

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Live Reaction to TRoP 2x08

I dreamed of Celebrimbor tonight aka I woke up already emotionally compromised this morning. I am not prepared but here we go:

and we're off to an emotional start with Durin and Disa. I love the kiss they shared and how he did not even look at her afterwards because he probably knew that if he did he would not be able to go

but also Durin no, do not go down into the mines. Please

oh that is very reminiscent of Pippin and the well! I love it!

and the sound the Balrog makes! Shivers!

"You're strong enough to wield an axe but are you strong enough to wield it against your father?" Powerful words

is it bad that I wish Durin had cut off his father's hand? I am seriously so afraid for Durin right now

oh fuck the lighting change from blue to red

the growling!

omg the Balrog looks great! Its shadowy wings when it tries to climb! I am in awe!

he is taking off the ring! Yes! Oh I love that Durin got to see his father again at the end, and that Durin III got to be a father once more too

that shot of Durin III leaping at the Balrog? Epic

and we're back in Rhûn. The thing is, at this moment I honestly do not care about any of the storylines apart from the Elves and Dwarves. I'm sorry but that's just how it is right now

wtf happened to the Stoors btw? Did the Dark Wizard get them? I guess he did

I still love Ciarán Hinds btw. Such a great actor

not the Dark Wizard using Nori and Poppy against the Stranger

huh? So the Stoors were just ... hiding? I'm confused

"Pity will not defeat Sauron" - so different from Gandalf's teachings

and that's how the Stoors will set out to find the Harfoots and the Shire, right? Right?

Numenor!

oh shit, Pharazon is not going to let this go, is he? Pulling the Sauron card, I can't

let's jumpstart the Akallabêth - why not? What could possibly go wrong?

the tree is not happy about this either

Eärien, love, you must see that this is wrong. Please. I'm glad you're warning your father but you must realise none of this is right

Anarion mention! Anarion mention!

and of course Elendil's first thought is of Míriel. I love them so much

"And where is mine, if not with you?" I am crying, guys. Crying

NARSIL

oh this is so like Aragorn with Anduril. I love these visual callbacks

oh fuck, here we go. We're back in Eregion

hello Galadriel! Yes, good, get those people to safety

that little girl. Oh my heart. The way she's clinging to her mother

Galadriel bartering with the rings. I swear she should not be allowed to carry even one of them given how willingly she provides the enemy with information about them (no, I have not forgotten that she basically painted a target on Elrond's back)

oh. Oh. Oh fuck. Celebrimbor. No

Annatar, honestly, what the fuck is wrong with you? Valar, I hope Celebrimbor haunts you throughout the next seasons when you try to forge the One. I swear I need that to happen. Just Celebrimbor in the background taunting him when things go wrong. Amazon, take notes

the way he turns away from the touch - as if my heart wasn't already broken enough

"Look what you have done to yourself." Screw you, Annatar, and screw you for pushing at that arrow too

GONDOLIN MENTION? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? That is my favourite Silm story! Valar, I wish they had the right to the Silm so I could see it come to life on screen

that fucking arrow. I want to strangle Annatar right now

no, no, no, don't you pick up that spear

btw I love that nothing Annatar does works on Celebrimbor anymore - not the sweet-talking, not the threats, not the promise of glory, not the torture. The illusion is broken and Celebrimbor is free and there is nothing Annatar can do to sink his claws into him again

on the contrary, now it's Celebrimbor who is sowing doubt by speaking words of doom. I love this

oh fuck, here we go. Celebrimbanner

oooooh Lord of the Rings!

Celebrimbor. No. I do not want to say goodbye to him

Lol I love how Sauron's go to reply when someone asks him if he's Sauron is, "I have many names."

why do I get the feeling that Glûg is going to side with Sauron against Adar?

and we're back in the South with Isildur and co. Time to brace myself for more Estrid (I just really, really do not like her, I'm sorry)

Isildur and Theo bonding over their mothers aka Isildur kind of, sort of adopting Theo, I guess?

Isildur and Estrid are going to kiss, are they? Ugh. Can we skip that, please, and go to Elrond? I need to know how my boy is doing

okay, the music is pretty, I'll give it that

"Come with me." No, don't. I don't want to see more of her

Kemen you little shit. What are you doing here? Come to fuck more shit up?

lol Kemen's face when he saw Isildur. He knows he fucked up with Valandil and that Isildur will have his head, and it amuses me greatly

Berek! The goodest boy in Middle-Earth

Kemen, don't you dare lay a hand on Berek! You little shit, Isildur is going to feed you to that sea monster if you do that

"They're only trees." Yeah, nope

Adar, are you okay?

ooooooh look at him! LOOK. AT. HIM! What a glow up!

noooooooooo I want to know the name you were given! Tell us!

aw it's not permanent. And yet he gives her the ring

"Let us create a lasting peace." Yeah, that's not going to happen

Glûg? Wtf happened to him? Or is that Sauron in disguise? No, wait, Glûg really deserted, didn't he?

Fuck of course he did! Time for another Ides of March

and Sauron has the crown. Will he kill Adar with it like Adar killed him?

btw if I were Galadriel I would high-tail it out of there. Just saying

oh shit is he going to take Elrond and Gil-galad captive?

Sauron really has a weird definition of the word heal

GIL-GALAD! ELROND! FUCK YEAH! FINALLY

ooooh did he just turn Vilya around so no one will see it? Clever!

goodbye statue of Fëanor

Elrond pleading with the Uruk not to destroy Celebrimbor's notes. I'm not crying, you are

also Elrond fighting himself free because Gil-galad is in danger? And then that mournful version of his theme playing when he is captured again and sees the scrolls burning? I am not okay

but Arondir is alive, thank fuck

omg the way I cheered when Galadriel yeeted Sauron over those stones. You go, girl!

no, not him going back to the Halbrand form. This is so funny

oh okay, but this is cool! Him taking on forms of herself and people she loves? I'm here for that

no, I wanted to see him as Elrond and Gil-galad!

"The door is shut." Go, girl! Also the way he screamed in anger? Goo-boy is not used to people defying him and he's had to deal with two of them in one day

oh, the crown. Ouch. Nenya is going to take care of that, right?

bye bye to the Nine

THE DWARVES! DURIN! DURIN DID COME!

Okay, maybe not personally, but he sent Narvi! Yes!

oh is Galadriel going to pull an Elrond? Is she going to throw herself off the cliff?

SHE IS!

NO! WHAT? SAURON! WTF? NOT GLÛG!

Oh Elvish healing! This is beautiful! And Elrond is going to use Nenya, isn't he?

NO WHY DO WE NOT GET TO SEE IT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? GO BACK!

Did Nori just push away what is going to be become the Stanger's staff?

Disa's hand on Durin's shoulder. Elrond turning away from Ost-in-Edhil with the tower falling, Elendil riding away, Sauron with Fëanor's hammer - the imagery is so good

Grand-Elf - Gandalf!

YES IT IS THE STAFF!

the amount of love I have for Tom Bombadil's hedgehog tea kettle

"Now let the song begin" YES LET'S SING

"Eregion has fallen. The survivors have fled to a valley North of here." IMLADRIS! AND ELROND LED THEM! YES! BUT I WANT TO SEE IT! PLEASE!

also I stand by my headcanon that Camnir showed them the way

Durin's not going to have an easy time next season, huh?

lol not Gil-galad roasting Galadriel the moment she wakes up

I still need a moment between him and Elrond btw. If the show won't give it to me, I will write it myself

I love that Arondir has now finally joined the rest of the Elves

VOROHIL! FUCK YEAH, HE LIVES! AAAAAH I AM FREAKING OUT RIGHT NOW! THIS IS HONESTLY MY HIGHLIGHT OF THE EPISODE!

Imladris is so gorgeous, I can't. But why is this not Elrond's great moment? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love the ending but I wish there had been more focus on Elrond there because this is his home

Anyway, what a great finale! I can't believe we now have to wait at least two years until the next season.

#the rings of power #rings of power #rings of power spoilers #trop #trop spoilers #lin reacts

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rjzimmerman · 2 months ago

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Electricity That Costs Nothing—or Even Less? It’s Happening More and More. (Wall Street Journal)

Excerpt from this Wall Street Journal story:

Most people pay a fixed price for each kilowatt-hour of electricity they consume throughout the day. The price is set by their power company and only changes at infrequent intervals—once a week, a month or even only once a year.

Van Diesen, a software salesman, recently signed up to receive electricity from two providers that charge him the hourly price on the Dutch wholesale power market, rather than a fixed price that resets monthly or annually. When the price of electricity falls low enough, smart meters in his house begin charging his two electric cars.

Wholesale prices swing wildly each hour of the day, and even more so as a larger share of electricity flows from wind and solar installations. Because the generation costs of wind or solar farms are negligible, market prices will be near zero when there is enough renewable power to cover most of a region’s electricity demand.

Electricity market dynamics get weirder when renewable-energy producers don’t have an incentive to stop feeding power into the grid, usually because of government subsidies. Then grids can be flooded with excess power, pushing prices into negative territory.

Van Diesen said he’s made 30 euros, equivalent to around $34, over the past five months charging his car, enough to cover the service fee from his power supplier, a Norwegian company called Tibber.

“I’m charging the car for free,” said van Diesen, who is part of a group of clean-energy enthusiasts in the Netherlands who call themselves green nerds. ��To me it’s also like a hobby and a game—how far can I go?”

Doing laundry in the evening? The electricity could be free a few hours later when demand dies down and the wind picks up. Likewise, in regions with lots of solar power, charging an electric vehicle in the morning is usually far more expensive than powering up under the midday sun—or whenever the price is right.

In the U.S., most states don’t currently allow such real-time pricing, but many think that will change. Already, in some of the world’s biggest economies from Western Europe to California, the occurrence of zero and negative wholesale power prices is growing fast.

Wholesale prices across continental Europe have fallen to zero or below in 6% of all hours this year, up sharply from 2.2% in 2023 and just 0.3% in 2022, according to data collected by Entso-E, the group of European transmission system operators. In markets with lots of renewable capacity, this year’s figure was higher: 8% in the Netherlands, 11% in Finland and 12% in Spain. Analysts expect those numbers will grow as more solar panels and wind turbines are installed.

The changes sweeping Europe’s electricity markets, which were accelerated by the energy crisis brought on by the war in Ukraine, show what could happen in the U.S. in a few years when renewable capacity reaches a similar scale. In 2023, 44% of EU electricity was generated by renewables, compared with 21% in the U.S.

#renewable energy

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eaglesnick · 6 months ago

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The NHS will last as long as there are folk left to fight for it” – Aneurin Bevan

I’m no fan of Keir Starmer or Rishi Sunak. Sunak is completely out of touch with ordinary people and Starmer will promise just about anything to get himself into power and then break those promise when it suits him. However when it comes to the future of the NHS I feel it will be safer under a Labour government than one run by free market, neo-liberal Tories.

From a purely selfish perspective - something the Conservative Party excels at - the NHS saves all of us a small fortune. When your child needs medical care it is free at the point of use; when your parents need medical care it is free at the point of use; and when YOU need medical care it is free at the point of use.

Of course we pay for this through taxes and national insurance contributions but the clue is in the phrase “national insurance”. Medical treatment in Britain, is, at the moment, paid for through collective funding. It is a system based on community, social responsibility, and the old fashioned concept of caring for your neighbour. . Aneurin Bevan, the "Father of the NHS” said:

“No society can legitimately call itself civilized if a sick person is denied medical aid because of lack of means."

It is a sad fact that Conservative Party members, many of them rich individuals who can afford private medical treatment, have been undermining the NHS because of their unwavering adherence to the ideological belief that all things run by private enterprise are good while all public sector institutions are bad. . The Tory’s will, of course deny this, claiming the NHS is save in their hands and that they have no plans to privatise it.

Lets look at the facts.

Despite Prime Minister David Cameron promising there would be no cuts to the NHS this was the headline in the Daily Mirror when the Conservatives took over from Labour in 2012.

“David Cameron cuts NHS spending by £500million.” (06/11/12)

Two years later and we have this headline from the Guardian:

“David Cameron accused of hypocrisy over £1.4bn ‘raid’ on NHS funding." (06/07/2012)

By 2014 NHS staff were on strike because of the Tory government refused to give them a 1% pay rise. Rows over poor pay and under-funding continue to this day.

While Jeremy Hunt was Health Secretary patient experience and staff moral took a dramatic turn for the worse. Despite presenting himself as a “champion of patient safety”, targets were missed, waiting times increased, and the very fabric of some hospitals began to crumble, leading to Hunt being labelled “the man who ruined the NHS”. (Open Democracy: 08/07/22)

In 2016 The Independent ran this headline:

“Jeremy Hunt co-authored book calling for NHS to be replaced with private insurance.” (10/02/2016)

Is it any wonder the NHS has been seriously under-funded and run down when the man in charge was an advocate of private medical health insurance? Millionaires like Cameron (£40m) Hunt (£15m) and Sunak (£651m) can afford to pay for expensive medical care but the rest of us are not so fortunate.

This brings me back to the purely selfish reason we should vote for the party most likely to protect the NHS. Below are some AVERAGE costs for private medical procedures and treatments in the USA provided by Statistica 2021

Heart valve replacement…….$170,000 £133,390

Heart bypass………………….......$123,000 £96,518

Cornea (per eye) ……………......$17,000 £13,339

IVF treatments ………………......$15,400 £12,084

Hysterectomy ………………….....$5200 £4,080

In addition, Americans have to pay for their stay in hospital. This fee is on top of medical treatment costs. According to Debt.org (30/11/23) the price for the average stay in hospital of 4.6 days is $13,262. (£10,406)

Whatever your political leanings, the protection and restoration of the NHS should take precedent over all other electoral considerations because we will ALL need medical treatment at some stage in our lives be that as a child or as an adult.

We know the Tory mantra "private sector good public sector bad” just doesn’t live up to reality: we only have to look at our polluted waterways to realise this. Whether Keir Starmer would be any better at protecting the NHS from profit motivated private companies is a moot point.

With headlines like:

“Can Wes Streeting’s private sector plans save the NHS?” (Guardian: 14/04/24)

and

“Labour’s Wes Streeting just used the SUN to talk up NHS privatisation” (Canary: 08/04/24)

we cannot rely on the Labour Party leadership to protect the NHS from the profiteering private sector, not least because Wes Streeting has been paid £175,000 from donors linked to private health firms. (National: 14/04/24) There is no such thing as a free lunch so one doesn’t have to wonder to hard what these “donors” might want in return for their money!

Even so, I feel there are those within the Labour Party who would work very hard to stop the leadership of the party from running down the NHS to the point of collapse, as is the Tory plan, so with great reservation I will be voting Labour in the coming elections.

Save Our NHS

#uk politics #rishi sunak #jeremy hunt #NHS #privatisation #wes streeting #keir starmer #private health care. medical insurance #social responsibility

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shotgunrider428 · 3 months ago

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Urgent Humanitarian Relief for Evacuation from Gaza

Dear friends, supporters of humanitarian causes,

I am Mohammed Emad, and I write to you with a heavy heart and a plea for urgent assistance during this time of unprecedented crisis for my family.

For the past nine months, we have been caught in the relentless crossfire of conflict in Gaza. Our once peaceful home in Khanyounis has been reduced to rubble, and we now find ourselves displaced in mawasi khanywns, living in dire conditions in a makeshift tent on the streets. The war has not only robbed us of our physical shelter but has also destroyed our dreams to live normally. The daily struggle for survival is compounded by the scarcity of basic necessities such as clean water, adequate sanitation, and essential medical supplies.

Our primary objective now is to ensure the safety and well-being of my loved ones through their urgent evacuation from Gaza. This campaign is our lifeline, aimed at raising critical funds to cover immediate expenses. These include exorbitant border crossing fees, transportation arrangements to a place of safety, and essential provisions to sustain us during the precarious journey ahead.

Your compassionate support, regardless of the amount, will make an immediate and tangible impact on our lives. By contributing to this campaign, you are not only providing financial assistance but also offering hope for a future free from fear and uncertainty. Your generosity will empower us to rebuild our lives with dignity and security, beyond the devastation we have endured.

I humbly ask for your solidarity and compassion in our cause. Please consider donating to our campaign and sharing our story within your network. Your voice has the power to amplify our plea and reach individuals who may be able to assist during this critical time of need،We have been in danger for a long time and have not reached our goal. My family and I are in danger. I ask for your support, even if it is just a little

Thank you deeply for your kindness and generosity. Your support is a lifeline we desperately need, and we will forever be grateful for your empathy during this challenging chapter of our lives.

With heartfelt appreciation and hope, Mohammed and family

Of course! I'll support however I can, starting with this. To everyone seeing this, here's the link to Mohammed's GoFundMe:

Please donate and support if possible! If you're unable to at this time, then at least reblog to help spread awareness!

I made sure to check if it was vetted and it seems like it is. According to peoples notes on Mohammed's blog, @90-ghost confirmed the campaign as legitimate, just when it was under a now terminated account. I wasn't able to find anything else on it myself, but there aren't any red flags either, so I'm trusting peoples' word on it!

I wish the best for you and your family, and that you're able to meet your goal!

#palestine #free palestine #gaza #free gaza #ceasefire #gazaunderattack #from the river to the sea palestine will be free #all eyes on rafah #save palestine #save gaza #i stand with palestine #all eyes on palestine #donations #gofundme #signal boost #mutual aid #fundraising #palestine fundraiser #politics

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pagesfromthevoid · 8 months ago

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this is me trying | g.d. | 3

Ex!Gale Dekarios x fem!tav

Bargaining --individuals may attempt to negotiate or bargain in an effort to avoid the pain of the loss. They often turn to a higher power. It can provide a sense of temporary relief, but ultimately, it cannot alter the reality of the loss.

Word Count: 1.2k

Warnings: Raphael needs a warning in and of himself. Bargaining of souls; suicidal ideations

Series Masterlist | Talk to Me! | AO3

“I’ve done it before –snuck into his home,” she reminds Helsik, leaning on the counter. Her movements are erratic, her eyes darting around the room as she whispers. “You know I can do it. I got you those gauntlets –I’m not gonna steal anything, not this time but –what do you want? I’ve got plenty of gold now.”

Even though the diabolist does not give a number, Tav still dumps a pouch of gold onto the counter, then another –then another.

“I need to get into the House of Hope. I need –I have to.”

Helsik stares at the pile of gold in front of her, brows raised in both greed and confusion. The last time Tav had been here, she had been far less desperate and far more convincing –more confident too. But as the diabolist looks over the Hero of Baldur’s Gate, she must come to the same conclusion most people had when they saw Tav:

She is broken.

There is a bit of hesitation, but not a lot, as Helsik slides the pile of gold into the drawer of her counter. Then she slides the necessary ritual items over.

“Try not to die, hero,” is all she says as Tav snatches the satchel of items and runs up the once familiar steps of the Devil’s Fee.

*****

The portal into Raphael’s home spits her out directly in front of his archive, where the doors are open and a handful of debtors look on vacantly. Most are tending to the house, some are sneering at her as she presses forward into the House of Hope. Raphael will be less than thrilled that she, once again, has broken into his home –but she has a hell of a deal for him this time around and she is desperate.

She hesitates a moment outside the door of the boudoir –once again, a familiar feeling creeping up her spine as she recalls the last time she was here; recalls when he had scolded her for doing something so reckless like sleeping with an incubus.

Tav had thought he would leave her for that.

He hadn’t.

Sometimes she wishes he had. Would it have made his departure easier?

“Come back to play, little mouse?”

The barrier blocking the door shifts then disappears, leaving it up to her to step inside. Haarlep is lounging in the restoration pool, naked and in Raphael’s form like the last time she’d seen him.

“Where’s your master?” She asks, tone clipped as she steps up to the edge of the pool.

Haarlep wades over to her, peering up at her from his new perch at her feet, cheek resting on his arms. “Oh, somewhere I’m sure –we could play with him and see if he’ll come running, if you’d like. I know I have been dying to see you again.”

A knot forms in her stomach, and Tav knows that this isn’t anything more than a reaction to the incubus and his effects on people. She has felt phantom hands and touches several times since they last met, and while his effect on her now is tempting, the reminder of him using her body to pleasure others immediately makes her blood run cold.

“Or I could kill you, and find him myself.”

“You remember what happened last time you broke things of mine, little mouse.”

She whips around, eyes narrowed at the cambion that stands in the doorway. Raphael looks, as expected, displeased that she is there without permission again. When he steps forward –no doubt trying to look intimidating and angry –she stands in place, staring him down.

“I’m here to bargain with you, Raphael,” she states, stepping forward to meet him now. Toe to toe, he is significantly taller than her. Stronger than her. More wicked than her. But she has something on her side that he doesn’t:

She is crazier than him.

She is more desperate than him.

She is more than willing to risk everything to get her life back.

“And what could a little mouse offer the cat that he does not already possess?” Raphael coos, leaning down close to her. Their noses almost touch.

“The crown.”

Raphael draws back, brow furrowed in both disgust and disbelief. “You had your chance, mouse. I recommend –,”

“I can get it back,” she cuts in, reaching up to grab the front of his tunic. Raphael’s expression shifts to confusion as she touches him. His claws pry her fingers from him —and for a moment, as his eyes catch a glimpse at her nails, Raphael sees the truth behind the mouse’s bargain: bitten down to the quick, bruised, maimed from herself. Empty. Desperate.

Instead of dropping her hands, he simply looks over the offending appendages as she continues to ramble. She doesn’t notice that Raphael does not care what she has to say. “Gale –he…I know he took it. I know he went back on our deal, and he broke the contract and you didn’t get to collect your end. I never intended for that to happen —truly.

“I can get it back,” she repeats, voice rushing out now. Her words are frantic, watery from holding back tears. She doesn’t even realize Raphael is touching her —if she had, wouldn’t she have pulled away by now? “I just —I need you to get me to a portal to Elysium. You don’t even have to help me enter. You just —I can’t —there’s no documentation on how to get there, or enter, or travel.

“But if you bring me there, I can get the crown back from Gale. I can bring him home, and fulfill my contract and if I fail, then —well that’s that, isn’t it?”

“That is…that,” Raphael finally manages to say, dropping her hands away from him. “Unfortunately, little mouse, I have no interest in your soul any longer.”

“What?” Tav blanches, tear stricken eyes wide as panic begins to set in. “No, no, no —but Raphael, I’m the hero of Baldur’s Gate. My soul is invaluable. I am promising it to you —I am giving it up if I fail —why —I don’t —,”

“What use is the soul of the great hero when the soul is barely existent anymore?”

Tav’s hand reaches up and clutches her chest —over her heart where one would assume the soul rests —and looks blankly down at it. “My soul…it’s fine. My soul is fine. I am fine —,”

“I have no use for your soul or the crown, mouse,” Raphael repeats, adjusting his tunic back into place. “I have no desire to accept your deal.”

“But —I thought —you wanted it before —,”

“When it was whole,” he snaps at her, eyes narrowed and dangerous. “In the quiet corner, the cat watches his prey. But the mouse falls ill and cannot run away. No longer a challenge, the cat loses his thrill. A sickly little mouse holds no interest still.”

“Raphael, please —,”

But the cambion snaps his fingers and flames engulf Tav —sending her back to the room in the Elfsong that she still lives in. She sways on her feet a moment before dropping to her knees, eyes blank and unseeing.

So much for bargaining.

#raphael bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #raphael x tav #house of hope #raphael the cambion

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jellymellydraws · 9 months ago

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Masterlist ~ <<Previous Chapter ~ Next Chapter >>

Astarion x Dark Urge Chapter 15 Rating: E Tags: Angst, Fluff, hurt/comfort, slow burn, two guarded people fall in love so hard it makes them stupid

Chapter Summary:

Astarion begs Rose to gossip about Gale's super secret but very obvious condition. She learns that the resident sassy elf might be starting some rumors about her promiscuity. Withers makes his services available, for a fee. With all their scouting and prep done, the whole camp marches towards the Selune Temple.

Whether it was foolishness, desperation, and a deliberate step towards openness: Gale revealed there was something going on with him. Eyes were on her as she departed from the wizard’s tent. The questions were clear on their faces, but she wasn’t going to be the one providing answers. They had to know that much, by now.

Rather than entertain their curiosities, she continued towards the command tent. Aside from distributing the magical items, she still had to prepare her own pack for their visit to the Selune Temple. Anything could happen once they arrived, and she was going to be prepared.

Goblins could be wielding more powerful weapons, or have new mastery of magic. Drow soldiers could be hiding within the shadows. Spiders as large as the arachnid matriarch could be lurking in the rafters. All of this was a possibility. Not to mention: surprises.

Detestable surprises.

Of course, hoping to do this prep in peace was as reasonable as hoping a fish could breathe air. She didn’t need to look up at the shadow which stalked over to her. She already knew who’d be ballsy enough to ask. Only one very nosy and gossip hungry elf: Astarion.

“We all saw that— you can’t honestly believe that you can pretend none of us saw that!”

“I can, and I will,” Rose couldn’t help the small smirk which snuck across her face.

Astarion didn’t understand the concept of ‘minding his own business.’ That was a cute little trick he pulled that morning— toying with his tone to imply he was being coy, stating he heard nothing but sounding like he did. His words spoke true, his tone tricked.

Clever man. Too bad he sucked at committing to the act when very valuable information came to light. In this case, bright purple lights emanating from their wizard. But oh, his desperation to know what was going on was the sweet confirmation she was waiting for. He had absolutely no clue what happened between her and Gale that morning.

The elf wasn’t going to leave it alone. Not until he knew what the hells he saw. Even if that meant stalking after their leader while she meticulously prepared her pack for the rest of the day. She tried to feign her next steps a few times, looking one direction but turning towards another. He kept up with the fancy footwork, and somehow managed to keep up with her speed.

”Right outside his tent,” the elf continued, “what was that— he hugged the damned things and—“ he crouched next to Rose as she sifted through their potions crate. His voice suddenly hushed, “can he make our stuff more powerful?”

”Wouldn’t that be something?” She sassily answered, stowing a small healing potion in her pack and tying it closed.

“Do you know how useful that would be?”

“I do.” She stood up, turning towards the rest of the camp.

”You still aren’t going to spill, are you?”

”I’m not.”

She playfully bumped her good shoulder into his as she walked by him. He groaned with defeat.

But he continued to follow.

Alright, fine, she’ll give a little. What was a little fun before heading into uncertainty?

Rose turned on her heel, arms crossed in front of her chest as she faced him. “How about a trade?”

Astarion’s brows raised, before a tempted smirk crossed his features, “A trade? For?”

“Information,” she offered, stepping closer to him as her words softened, “Gale said you have quite the imagination, I’m still intrigued: what exactly did you say to him this morning?”

“Oh, my dear,” his finger hooked beneath her chin, gently tilting her face towards him, hovering closer, “I just asked him if you left him satisfied with…” he pulled away with a devilish smirk, “whatever it was you two did in that tent.”

“Gods above,” she stared incredulously, “you asked him if he fucked me in there?!”

He burst into laughter. She dragged her hand down her face, only briefly stopping to pinch the bridge of her nose. Her cheeks darkened and she could hear her blood rushing into her ears. This only made him laugh more boisterously. Wasn’t she supposed to be the one having fun, here?

Mission: failed. Miserably. No— not miserably.

Laughably.

“You think I’d be so tactless as to ask outright?” He gasped, remembering to act scandalized once he regained control of his amusement, “Well, maybe I’d ask you, but Gale?! He’s much too, erm,” he circled his hand in the wizard’s direction, searching, but finding nothing but a frustrated tut, “he’s Gale. ”

She knew she should’ve changed assignments. Of course she should’ve! She knew better— she knew Astarion better!

“But,” the elf continued, much to her delight, “if you weren’t having a quick one in there, what was all the sneaking for?”

”He entrusted me with a private, personal, matter,” she stated with finality, despite his pout. She rolled her eyes playfully towards him, “he’ll divulge the details when he’s ready. Or I’ll do it when I find it necessary for the camp to know.”

“I thought we had a trade,” he continued to poke his lips out, dramatizing his pouting.

”We did, and I kept my end of the bargain. We talked about something private, and I won’t share the specifics. That’s it.” She smirked at him, triumphantly. “Don’t sulk, I’d do the same for you.”

“Hm, I suppose you would ,” his tone shifted. Less playful. “Seems you owe it to me, afterall.”

”What is this about?” Her eyes narrowed warningly. Sounded like their fun was over.

“Heeding your advice,” Astarion answered plainly, pretending to examine his nail beds, “something about favors?”

“Don’t underestimate the power of a favor owed,” the words felt like an echo as she recited them.

“Yes, that was it,” he shifted his gaze towards her, lifting a brow at her cautionary expression, “at least you can remember some things.” He hissed his emphasis, not-so-subtly slicing with his words.

“And what is it that I owe you for?” Her tone dropped out of its playful lilt in response. “Remind me.”

“Oh nothing much,” he began counting on his fingers, “just for keeping quiet about your quirky little bursts of murder. Or perhaps for being so discreet about your memory problems, especially considering how easily Lae’zel reaches for her blade. Oh, and you know, Shadowheart asked me about your scars— I kept that to myself too, in case you were concerned. Quite a debt you’re accumulating, it seems.”

Her eyes widened with disbelief. A speech given several nights ago, a mantra that came to her in the moment that she gave no thought towards. It meant more to him than she intended. He was keeping score in a game she had no intention of playing.

And yet, she had a finger on a piece, in need of completing her next move.

“The favors thing doesn’t apply to the camp,” she clarified.

“Sure it doesn’t!” He scoffed, throwing a hand up flippantly, “you just gave Gale whatever he asked for?”

”Yes!”

”Must not have been so important then, if he doesn’t need to pay you back.”

Her blood simmered as he glanced at her from behind his nose. Through her fury, she saw a slight smirk tugging at the edge of his lips.

No. No, he would not trick her into whatever the hells he wanted. Whatever outburst he hoped to pull from her, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction.

”I’m not falling for this,” she finally managed after taking a controlled breath, “I’m not going to tell you what he wanted. I’m not going to tell you what that magical light show was about. I’m not going to tell you anything.”

”And why’s that?” His red eyes burned towards her. The creases of a scowl began to form.

“Because I take care of my team,” she articulated slowly, “no favors required. If you need anything Astarion, I’ve got you; just ask and I’ll see what I can do.”

He stared at her, brows furrowed. Examining her face for traces of a lie, of deceit, of trickery. “Just ask ? Just like that?”

She nodded, “just like that. Exactly like how we got you that violin. If it’s that hard to believe that I’m a woman of my word, that’s your problem. Not mine.”

Waves of expressions washed over his face like phases of the moon. Everything from doubt to relief to disbelief flashed over him. Watching him closely, she was just realizing how weary he looked. Bags had begun forming under his eyes, which in turn made her see how pallor his face was. In short, he looked like hells.

Her eyes couldn’t help but soften. She released another heavy sigh, running a hand through her violet locks as she pushed back her frustration.

“Astarion,” she met his gaze, sincerely, “if you need the score to be settled, we’ll go over who owes whom later. I have to focus on our mission right now.”

He said nothing as she left towards the edge of camp to finalize prep for the afternoon.

The living corpse marked an open scroll with a quill that never needed to be dipped in ink. No one knew where he found such a thing. He muttered in a voice that forever carried from the beyond, faintly echoing at the end of his words.

“Withers,” Rose announced herself as she approached. He didn’t move his eyes from his task. Frustrating as it was, she became accustomed to it. At least, in some capacity, she knew he was listening. “We’ll be departing soon, can you handle watching over the camp?”

“I shall be here in thy camp, for whenever thou hast need of my services.” A practiced response.

If his voice didn't hint at his age, his manner of speech could make it obvious. She was sure it was in the range of twenty years to twenty centuries.

“Services like....watching over the camp?” She pressed, somewhat sarcastically.

But, to be fair...would he actually do that? Someone was ALWAYS back at camp to keep watch, never just Withers. For the most part, he might as well not be there. He haunted the outermost edge of their camp, hardly said a word, and hardly made a sound. If no one else saw him, she’d be convinced it was her mind playing tricks.

There was still time for that. Best not to get too sarcastic, unless she wants to accidentally curse herself further.

Finally, he paused his scribbling. His next line of thought needed his full attention and effort, it seemed.

“A mending of threads between life and death.” He lowered the scroll, eyeing her dully, “that is what I can offer.”

Her brow raised, intrigued, “go on.”

“For a pittance of coin: should thou or any of why compatriots perish, I will cleave soul to body once more.”

Both brows raised. “How much?”

“200 pieces of gold.”

Her eyes would've popped out of her head, had they not been firmly tethered to her skull. Suddenly the price of Astarion's violin felt like copper pieces by comparison. Gods, they haven't even been to a proper storefront! Where in the hell's would they get that amount to do coin?!

This was a joke, right?

It had to be?

This was Withers they were talking about-- where the hell would he even spend that money?!

...this was Withers she was talking to. No, this wasn't a joke.

No, he probably wouldn't answer where the money would go.

“Huh, well...that’s,” she adjusted her stance, trying to make light of the price. “That’s a pittance of an assassin’s contract.”

“I know.”

She shifted her weight again, chewing her lip as she stared at the living corpse. She took a quick glance around, making sure the coast was clear before lowering her voice, “do you know anything about me; my bloodlust?”

“Yes.”

“Keep talking,” she demanded.

“For a pittance of coin--”

“How much?”

“--should thou or any of thy compatriots perish--”

“You already said that--”

“I will cleave body and--”

“Withers.”

Uninterrupted by her attempts to disrupt him, unphased by her frustration, he continued. As she rubbed her temples, a dull thudding started to come on as he completed his speech.

“Are you going to charge me,” she quickly interjected, before he could start another rehearsed line, “if I ask you to watch over the camp?”

“No.”

“Okay,” she sighed with relief. “One last thing, then: if the owlbear shows up, give it some food.” She pulled a small parcel from her pack, passing it along to the animated undead being.

Wrapped carefully in a piece of torn cloth, were pieces of meat that had been dried overnight while traveling. Some of the last pieces of meat that she had for herself, but untouched. Withers held the package with an open palm, as if he collected payment from her. He said nothing.

“Well then. That's that.” Rose turned on her heel, ending the interaction on her own terms (seeing as the skeleton wasn’t going to). From her pouch, she removed her journal and a piece of charcoal, opening to a fresh page towards the back, “I guess we’ll…” she muttered as she scribbled words to the page, “start a revival fund…”

The entirety of the camp marched their way through the destroyed village. With their reputation of being True Souls, the guards were eager to ask Rose if she needed anything.

An escort. They needed an escort.

Utilizing one of the goblins, they were able to walk by the guard post with ease. The power of their status continued to intrigue Rose. A thrill ran through her veins with every passing acknowledgement. ‘Yes True Soul,’ ‘right this way, True Soul,’ ‘the temple is just up ahead, True Soul.’

Very few people would question their reasons for being there, none dared to ask. She could get used to this.

Once they were beyond the guard post, their escort was dismissed and free to return to their position by the village.

”Here we go,” Shadowheart sighed, “walking right into a goblin camp. Most would think we’re insane.”

”Aren’t we?” Astarion hummed with a smirk.

”Speak for yourself.”

Rose couldn’t help but shake her head at the banter behind her. They approached the wooden bridge, leading to a stone entrance that was dirtied over time. Statues of similar form to those in the village guarded each side, both in various states of destruction. The bridge was decorated with spike traps, and whatever railing existed had been torn from their posts.

From the looks of it, the goblins were prepared to destroy this bridge, if they needed to. Her eyes scanned along the top of the wall, looking for signs of guards and other goblins who they needed to be wary of. No one watched atop the walls, despite the bits of activity she saw beyond the doorway.

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?” Rose asked Alfira, who stood beside her clutching the lute in her hands. The bard hadn’t said a word as they got closer, and most of the color drained from her face now that they were mere steps away from the heart of the nest.

“I have to be, right?” She tried to chuckle, weakly.

As they approached the bridge, their footsteps began to feel heavier. Rose’s heart thundered in her chest, the hairs on her arms began to raise. Reflexively, she grabbed Alfira’s arm, stopping immediately.

“What’s wrong?” The tiefling asked, looking around with caution.

“Hear my Voice,” a feminine voice spoke calmly, steadily. “Obey my command.”

“Shit!” Rose fell to her knees, head aching to the point of her vision blurring.

“Is it the tadpoles again?!” Alfira’s voice started to sound distant.

The others behind her were all brought to the ground, straining to get up or even move.

Then everything went dark.

“These are my Chosen,” the voice continued, echoing around her. “They speak for me.”

A soft light forced her vision to focus on three figures before her. Her chest tightened. Fists clenched. Blood boiled. The longer she stared, the louder her head pounded.

An old hardy elf stood at the front of their formation, looking down at her with an unfeeling expression. Yet, she couldn’t help but feel he was annoyed by her. Disgusted. He wore heavy armor, carrying himself like a commander would. But the voice she heard in her head was feminine, it did not fit this man. His chest piece was illuminated by a colored gem.

Behind the elf was a human man wearing a draped coat adorned in gilded thread. He did not look as old as the elf, but his face was aged by a lifetime of troubles. She saw it in the creases of his brow, the tiredness in his eyes. Old enough to be tired, but young enough to have fire. His smile was easy, sleazy, but oh so charming in a dangerous way. Arrogance oozed from his stance as he looked at her with a cocked brow. Intrigue. Curiosity. Another pang in her chest, joined by a sickly turning in her stomach at the sight of him. She wanted to scream. She couldn’t. Embedded in his shimmering gauntlet was another gem, much like the elf’s, which softly illuminated his features as it glowed.

Opposite of the human was another elven woman-- elven-like, more precisely. Pale was the only descriptor appropriate for her. Pale hair, pale skin, pale eyes. Pale like the corpse she deserved to be . Rose clenched her jaw. The desire to drown this woman in her own blood grew. How beautiful she would be, a blank canvas covered in red. The woman’s grin appeared to grow, burning down onto Rose. Taunting her. She was frozen in her stance, licking the curve of a red blade, which glowed with another gem centered in its hilt. Rose reached towards the blade, but the weight of darkness forced her hand to the ground.

The voice continued.

“Aid them, and you will be worthy to stand beside them. In my presence.”

It was tempting. Delicious.

Power.

Authority.

Next Chapter >>

#bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #dark urge #astarion #astarion x dark urge #baldurs gate 3 #durge #astarion x tav #oc: rose #I've Got You

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astroyongie · 1 year ago

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Solists July Reading 2023

Note: Please take it light with a grain of salt

Woodz

Career: His career s going well, not only he is able to show a more true self on camera, he is happy to be free to communicate with his fans without much pressure or rules. Woodz also has a good communication and relationship with his company and honestly he is able to decide what he wants and what he doesn’t

Love: He is currently dating someone, and this person is the base of his self esteem. Thanks to his partner he works on himself, he tries to be a best version of himself and it honestly helped with his self esteem issues. He is happy

Spiritual: His energy is rather very neutral, I don’t sense negativity nor positivity, he is just patient and taking whatever comes his path and his way to work with

DRP Ian

Career: I believe there’s a lot he doesn’t say, either to his fans and to his company. Ian keeps things to himself he doesn’t like people to know he struggles with x or x reason. I think he tries his best to portrait his idol image the best he can but Ian has troubles to show his true emotions and true self in front of the camera when it comes for work

Love: I do believe he is in a relationship as well, but his partner I someone that his inner circle don’t approve/don’t like. However he has kept himself deaf to the comments of people and he has fought for the relationship. I also fee like communication might be hard for them and Ian sometimes feels very frustrated.

Spiritual: I have no idea how his relationship with Mito is but at the moment I feel like the real Ian is slipping away since his energy is getting very low and it’s fading in a way to let space for something else.

Dawn

Career: When it comes to his career he is actually happy with his situation. Dawn doesn’t need to be constantly providing something, he likes to have time for himself and for his own projects. He has been kind to people who work with him and also thoughtful to their needs so he knows not to ask for too much

Love: Love is complicated, I feel like he is still healing his inner child and he is still trying to learn to live with himself and learn all about his own needs and what makes him happy or not.

Spiritual: There’s something that bothers me on his energy is the lies that he might spread around him about his situation, about his relationships or about his state. The fact that he isn’t being honest with people and with himself affects his energy greatly

Park Jihoon

Career: There’s a lot going on here, when it comes to his career, his company as full authority and power over him. He cannot do anything without their approval and all projects are decided for him. he doesn’t really has his word to say on this which is kinda of sad.

Love: He is in a relationship at the moment, his relationship is rather stable and cute, things are going well for them and it’s probably the only thing he has power over.

Spiritual: He is coming to an end of something, probably an awakening he had or to an energy he has around him. At the moment I see him more neutral, but he definitely came out of a difficult period.

Yongguk

Career: Thankfully everything is going well on his career, Yongguk calls the shots, he is the one planning his things out and he has total freedom on what he does and what he wants. Thankfully his experienced has helped him choosing something that works fo this mental and physical health

Love: He is dating as well, his partner is someone he protects so much that he makes sure he doesn’t leave any clues for anyone to know who they are. He wants them to be protected from the public eye or at least from rumors so it doesn’t stain their image either

Spiritual: His energy is complicated, since it changes whenever he is with someone. but Yongguk still struggles a lot with self esteem and how he sees himself and his worth so whenever he is on a lower mood, it’s complicated for him to see the true

Hanbin

Career: This boy is preparing something new for his fans, new music, new videos, new shows, new activities ! he is happy with where he is now, he has no regrets and Hanbin is able to grow properly and with love around him.

Love: He is also in a relationship, a strong one and the way he loves them is quite impressive. He is also extremely loyal to his partner and his partner to him, it’s honestly a beautiful union

Spiritual: However his energy is dark at the moment, probably because he has been dealign with unhealthy habits and a lot of non heal darkness that keeps haunting down. Hanbin struggles a lot with his mental health

Somi

Career: in her case, her current situation isn’t making her happy, Somi feels betrayed ad abandoned by her company, she is basically doing nothing for herself and she feels that everything that she needs to do isn’t earning her anything. She feels alone and unheard by her company

Love: She isn’t in an official relationship, but on a on and off fling with someone she has faith will become an official thing one day. Things are complicated enough that she doesn’t have time to actually enjoy a couple life

Spiritual: At least her energy is peaceful and light, Somi works a lot on herself and on her inner self, she probably meditates a lot and works on her health too. The fact that she takes care of herself is actually helping her keeping her energy balanced and positive

Hyuna

Career: She is definitely enjoying herself with people around her, with people she work with. She is very close to her coworkers and she goes out with them and has fun. Hyuna also spends a lot of money on her friends and on the company. I don’t think she has other artistic plans for now

Love: She is healing, being resilient when it comes to love, she doesn’t want it nor does she wants to think of it for the moment. She believes she isn’t ready and that unless she heals what she needs to heal a relationship is off limit

Spiritual: Her spiritual part is rather blocked, she doesn’t believe that much on that, and her mind is more focused on proper and material things. Like I said, Hyuna spends a lot of money on things to make herself feel better

Kim Jaejoong

Career: New opportunities are arising for him, Jaejoong has been talking with his company and sponsors to find new horizons and new projects to develop. I believe he wants to show his public he is a versatile artist and that he can do more things that what he has been sowing so far

Love: I believe he came out of a relationship very recently, this person simply left but so did he. It wasn’t taking them anywhere, they both didn’t had the same dreams or values and they have parted ways peacefully. They are friends just not a couple anymore

Spiritual: His energy is soft and very balanced. Like most of them, it seems like he is able to control and process emotions and events in order not to get overwhelmed. Jaejoong is a spiritual being that has a high intuition and he uses it for his good luck.

#kpop #Kpop reading #kpop tarot #woodz #hanbin #hyuna #dawn #parkjihoon #kim jaejoong #somi #drp ian

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jordanrosenburg · 11 months ago

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I just need to rant for a second because I'm so aggravated. Amazon Prime is $139 annually or $14.99 monthly. It used to only be like $100 annually, or $50 annually if you were a student. I do the $139 annual charge because it's actually cheaper overall than the monthly plan. (14.99 x 12 = 179.88) A lot of services are cheaper annually. But most people see the "lower" monthly fee and figure that's more manageable.

Amazon Prime Video is one of the "perks" of having an AP premium membership. The movies and tv shows on there don't have commercials, rightfully so. However, subscribers will soon start seeing ads unless they want to pay an extra $2.99 a month. So, for those monthly folks, that's now $17.98 a month. FOR WHAT?!

"We are writing to you today about an upcoming change to your Prime Video experience. Starting January 29, Prime Video movies and TV shows will include limited advertisements. This will allow us to continue investing in compelling content and keep increasing that investment over a long period of time. We aim to have meaningfully fewer ads than linear TV and other streaming TV providers. No action is required from you, and there is no change to the current price of your Prime membership. We will also offer a new ad-free option for an additional $2.99 per month*..."

That's funny because, they cancelled The Wilds after 2 seasons. (Netflix does the same thing! And Netflix just very sneakily got rid of their $7.99 a month low-res option. So now if you don't want to pay $11.99 a month which is the new "basic" plan, you have to pay for ads.)

"Access to exclusive and broad streaming video content (including Prime Video exclusives like The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, The Boys, Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, Citadel, The Wheel of Time, Reacher, and The Summer I Turned Pretty, as well as blockbuster movies such as Air, Creed III, Dungeons & Dragons, Candy Cane Lane with Eddie Murphy, and exclusive live sports including NFL Thursday Night Football). Access to Prime Video Channels, which provides an unmatched selection of subscription channels like Max, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, BET+, MGM+, ViX+, Crunchyroll, PBS KIDS, NBA League Pass, MLB.TV, and STARZ—with no extra apps to download, and no cable required. Customers only pay for the ones they want, and can cancel anytime."

All of those "channels" are extra costs. And they're saying this as if you can't just download the apps to your TV as if everyone only has firesticks or Amazon TVs these days nowadays.

And also, what if I don't like any of the original programming? What if I didn't care about football? All of the original programming I was invested in, was cancelled! I'm hoping The Summer I Turned Pretty doesn't get cancelled after the third season, but who knows?!

And what's different with APV as opposed to other streaming services is that this is just included with AP. This isn't something you can opt out of to save money. So, you may as well use it, right? What aggravates me the most is the fact that when I go to search for something, it'll either say, "Video not available, watch with [insert extra channel I'd need to pay for here], rent for $x.xx, or buy for $x.xx". I SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY EXTRA TO WATCH SOMETHING ON A SERVICE I ALREADY PAY FOR! NOR SHOULD I HAVE TO DOWNLOAD ANOTHER APP OR CHANNEL THAT ALSO REQUIRES PAYMENT.

I am so sick of having to surf between Hulu, Netflix, APV, MAX, Paramount+, Peacock, Apple TV, or Disney+. My Hulu is included in my Spotify because I was grandfathered into that option, so I don't pay extra for Hulu. However, I can't watch everything on Hulu unless I want to pay for the Hulu Live option which is $76.99 a month WITH ADS! So, between paying that or $10.99 for my Spotify/Hulu plan, yeah, I'm gonna keep the $10.99 a month plan. With Hulu Live, you still have the issue of not being able to watch everything you want to watch! There are still movies and TV shows that are unavailable. And I'm not talking about original content. I'm talking about if I have the urge to watch an old movie or binge an old TV show, I should be able to do that without flipping between services or having to pay extra!

I'm aware that rights and ownership come into play here. I know these services have to pay the networks to be able to stream certain shows. However, Amazon is a multi-BILLION dollar company. I think they can afford to eat the cost. They wonder why piracy is still a thing. How could it not be? All of this costs so much money and you still can't watch the things you want to watch!

People turned to streaming services so they could go ad-free and to save money on cable. Now, it all costs the same, even more, as cable depending on how many services you're paying for.

I also think APV is pulling this bullshit as a punishment for the strikes. "We lost so much money because the writers and actors were gone for so long, so now we need to make up for that lost time and also we have to cancel certain shows because they take months to put together and cost so much to film. So now we have to raise our prices so we can try to salvage what we can afford to do." That's essentially the message they're sending.

Amazon has generated approximately $553.7 billion in revenue over the last year. So, this is clearly just the usual corporate greed. Breaking even isn't an option anymore. Every quarter, every year needs to make more money than the last. Meanwhile, Amazon treats their warehouse workers like garbage. (I hope the workers keep unionizing because they literally keep the world running. We're able to get just about anything delivered same day or overnight because of the warehouse workers and drivers.)

The writers went on strike because they were being run ragged and so were the actors. When you have a speedy three month production, that means those people need to find other jobs for the other months of the year. That's why the next season would take a year to make because people found other jobs, so they needed to work around those schedules. And that's not to say some writers and actors and behind the camera workers aren't working multiple jobs at the same time, because they are, but this creates more and more time conflicts. They weren't, and probably still aren't, paying these people enough. So, now that things have been renegotiated, the streaming services are upping their fees for bullshit reasons all because they legally have to pay their workers more and god forbid they don't turn a billion dollar profit.

It costs more money to market towards new subscribers than it does to maintain the ones you already have. But who am I to say anything?

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widthofmytongue · 2 years ago

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The other night, ahead of Purim, I had some drinks with colleagues. Later in the evening, a conversation with one of them turned to politics. Obviously. I asked her why she’s not a member of a union, and she said pretty bluntly ‘well, I’m a lot more right wing than you’. In the spirit of the mitzvah to drink until unable to distinguish between Mordechai and Haman, friend and foe, I decided to hold back my impulse to hiss, and simply asked her ‘in what ways?’

In truth, she and I agreed on most basic political points. The Tories are abusive, selfish pricks; Labour is wet and stands for nothing; privatisation has all but destroyed Britain; everyone deserves basic necessities like food, housing, even education; we have more in common with each other and with the homeless than we ever will with either Charles III or our bosses. She was also very supportive (far more so than most Brits I meet) of my experiences of antisemitism and transphobia.

Here’s where her right leanings shone through:

1) She obviously believes in meritocracy; those who are best suited to specific tasks deserve recognition. But then this is hardly an alien sentiment on the left, is it?

2) She believes hierarchies are necessary for systems to function; certain people are required to take responsibility for the group, and they supposedly must therefore be above the others. This directly contradicted something she said earlier, that we should all take more responsibility for our shared situation, with which I agreed, but she considered a right wing view. I also gave peer-review as an example of a fully functional non-hierarchical system, which she essentially ignored. An odd response given we work at a university.

3) She believes ‘socialism has never worked’. When I responded to this by saying ‘it’s working right now’ and pointed out that Cuba is thriving and has passed the most progressive LGBT and family rights legislation to date, and that China is the most populace country on earth with the highest GPD and a sitting communist party, she said she’s not informed enough about either of those, ‘but Nordic countries...’ which I interrupted, and we agreed that Nordic countries are not socialist, nor especially good examples of capitalism. We also agreed that capitalism isn’t very viable in the long term, and I made the point that any criticisms of socialism can be made tenfold of capitalism, plus dozens more condemnable. So I think this is just about a fundamental misunderstanding of what ‘socialism’ even refers to, resultant of hegemonic propaganda?

4) She believes issues like transphobia and antisemitism (etc.) are problems on ‘both sides’. Now, I agree with this, but what I said was, the difference is that such prejudice or hate is a betrayal of leftist principles, whereas the same prejudice and hate actually props up many - if not all - right wing values.

One of our main talking points was my assertion that things like the NHS or Right To Buy council housing or tuition fees or whatever are really a question of priorities. I said that there are some things everyone deserves: healthcare, housing, food, power, education, transport, and we should prioritise them, especially as it’s entirely within our (or the state’s) capacity to provide these things. She agreed. However, she seemed stuck on the idea that the government should be expected to provide food. I am entirely unclear on why, but when I mentioned that supermarkets throw away enormous quantities of food she agreed it was despicable. I suggested that such food waste could be legislated against and/or wasted food could be claimed by local authorities to redistribute to those in need, but she seemed dubious. She did agree that local food programmes would be possible, though, yet she called this ‘traditional conservatism’, relating it to some imagined precept of charity. Now I don’t know what kind of topsy-turvy Bizarro world conservatism invests in practical charitable measures (rather than e.g. laundering the money of the rich), but I did assert: ‘when the Black Panthers were doing it, I don’t think anyone called it conservative’.

Anyway, my point about priorities was that strengthening the NHS or ensuring people are housed and fed are simply more important to me than the military, for example, so I suggested we could defund the military in order to re-allocate funding to more important services. Her response to this was, I kid you not, ‘well we can’t just tax the rich and assume that will solve all our problems’. I replied ‘well we could actually, and it would certainly go toward solving some problems, but my suggestion was to defund the military, not tax the rich.’

Now what can we learn from all this? As I said, I actually agree that we should all take more responsibility for our shared plight. The crucial difference, in my mind, is that the reason for doing that is so that we can all lessen one another’s loads, make things easier and more comfortable and even enjoyable for one another. C'est assez, languir en tutelle; l'égalité veut d'autres lois! But the conservative psyche has no desire to make things easier. Perhaps this is obvious from the constant overcomplication of adding obstacles in the form of strawmen. ‘Socialism has never worked!’ It has and it does, but who mentioned socialism? ‘We can’t just tax the rich!’ Yes we can, but who mentioned taxing the rich? ‘The money necessary to keep the NHS going is more than we have available!’ How much is being spent on the Coronation, and where is that money coming from? (spoiler: not ‘the rich’) ‘Helping the needy is a conservative value!’ Okay seriously WTF dude, but also, why then do conservatives stop leftists from doing it every time we try?

These aren’t just rehearsed talking points. These are symptoms of targeted hegemonic misinformation. No one is born conservative, one is made conservative, perhaps even by force. But to be conservative is also at odds with the fundamental experience of social beings; caring for one another, empathy. Part of right wing psychology is the desire to impose one’s own trauma on others, because after all one’s own experience, however brutal, must be the natural order.

Of course, dialectical materialism illuminates precisely the opposite. My experience and hers and indeed yours are not the same, and yet they are all true, even if they are at odds. The difference is that where the right wing practices an ongoing separation into ever smaller in-groups, our immortal science teaches us to understand, to reach out, to gather together and to unite. The revolutionary personality is driven by love, a desire to confront injustice, to heal the world. This is the final struggle, so let each stand in our place...

And tomorrow the International union shall be the human race!

#politics #c'est la chai #chag Purim sameach

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