#start your own business with zero investment

[shubhbank]

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[theskywaslookingback]

My dad: *texts my mom the day after Father’s Day to see if I was mad at him because I didn’t call him*

Also my dad: *sends me a text on Easter and then radio silence for months* *does not call to ask if I have plans for my birthday* *does not text to check in on me* *does not invite me over to his house for anything ever* *allows my stepmom to use his money to prioritize her kids over me* *literally doesn’t ever act like he wants anything to do with me actually* *cancels or changes plans at the last minute because he decides he wants to drink instead* *offers to help my mom pay my car payments and then never does* *gets us gym memberships and then cancels them without warning because he didn’t have the money and just doesn’t tell me* *cannot hold a thirty second conversation without mentioning ‘the Chinese threat’ or ‘Covid was invented by democrats to replace Trump in office’*

My dad: Why doesn’t my child call me? I am the specialist most important person in the whole wide world. What could she have to be mad about?

[quicklikelight]

Saw a post just now that was like, how do you work full time and still have time for hobbies? And I think that's a great question to ask, as people navigating a world where increasingly our labor is entirely for the benefit of some faceless (or worse, incredibly public) billionaire and no one else.

I'm a person who takes my labor seriously, and I have had the pleasure and privilege of only working for non-profit or not-for-profit organizations throughout my adult career. I worked part-time for a regular corporation once for six months before I quit out of disgust, and I've worked for a couple of family-owned small businesses during college, but the overwhelming majority of my 12+ year career so far has been in a profit void, which does help.

Even still, I have colleagues at my big shiny non-profit who say, "Anne you have so many hobbies! How on earth do you have time for them?" And the key is,

If I don't make time for my personal passions, I'll die.

I'm not being dramatic. It isn't a joke. An intrinsic and necessary part of me -- the part that labors for love, that labors for the desire of it, for the enjoyment -- will die if I do not create time and space to do that labor. And without that love, that passionate hobby investment, the part of me that is left will not then decide, hey I should labor more for money! It will not decide, hey I should invest in my relationships! It will not decide, hey I should invest in myself as a human being! In my environment! In my community! In the world!

It will decide, if there is no time for joy in the world, I will not be in the world. I will doomscroll endlessly on my phone. I will watch re-runs of a beloved sitcom for 3 hours, exhausted on my sofa, and go to bed. I will show up to work still groggy from the day before, and I will be angry in meetings, and I will be exhausted from customer interactions, and I will either want to cry or I will have zero feelings at all as I enter yet another figure into another cell of the universal spreadsheet. I will not be my best self anywhere, for any reason, because my best self is dead.

People say things like, "I don't dream of labor," and I respect that. But a lot of labor is very good. It's work, to knit a sweater. It's work, to write a book. It's work, to raise a garden, or a goat, or a child. It's work to bake bread, and to sew pants, and to rebuild small engines. It's work to create, and that is--in my humble opinion--what we're here for. To spend all day idly eating grapes would drive a lot of us to the brink. The problem isn't labor--it's capital.

To make time for your hobbies means working intentionally to identify those passion projects as a necessary part of your reason for being on the earth. My job on this earth is not to assign training. My job on this earth is to create beauty, and write stories, and make clothes, and connect from my heart. When that truth is accepted, and you put in the effort to rebirth the part of you that died to capitalism, then it becomes very obvious that the relevant question isn't "how do I make time for hobbies."

The question is, "How do I ensure that my job does not take up all the mental and physical energy I have so that I can re-invest that energy into myself?"

A good place to start is to plan your days / weeks / months with an understanding of your mental/physical boundaries and just do that. There are ways to do this most effectively (collective bargaining, creating a schedule that honors the need for focus vs collaboration, bringing your hobbies to work and being open about how they make your work better) but the most important thing, in my opinion, is for you to understand that your full time job isn't you. It's not what makes you special or important in this world, and it's not what people will remember about you when you're gone, and it's not going to feed you if you stop showing up. So give it as little as you can comfortably get by with, preserve that precious energy, and put it into something that sets your soul alight.

When you invest in the labor that loves you back, that provides for you, that keeps you alive... you'll stop accepting a world in which you cannot dream of labor for fear of losing yourself.

And maybe, at the end, you'll have a sweater. :)

[uncookedfeeler]

How it all started 👹

Jessi x Reader

Tags : 5k, smut

Loyalty is a deep and enduring commitment that manifests itself in trust, respect and support. It implies a sense of obligation and responsibility where each individual acts in the best interests of the other. This bond, which grows stronger with each passing week, month and year, is the cornerstone of any successful partnership.

For the investor, it's the guarantee of a long-term financial investment, not without risk of course, but also the exclusivity of every opportunity linked to the person being supported.

For the celebrity, it's the guarantee of permanent and intangible financial support, as long as the terms of the contract are respected, as well as access to other resources in the eventuality of difficulties.

It's been a busy few weeks for you, and as the number of visitors to your establishments increases, so does your workload. The financial returns are excellent, your customers seem satisfied with your services on both sides, and there's no sign of a downturn in business, which in a way doesn't bother you and the last thing you want to see right now is problems like scandal.

Scandals are an integral part of the industry in which you do business, and you are no stranger to them yourself. Before you implemented a 'zero' policy in your establishment, there were a number of outbursts from investors who were a little too physical with your customers, which earned you some minor concerns, but also a great deal of respect and trust for the way you handled these problems.

And nothing prepared you for the one that set the nation alight last night, incriminating your oldest client and long-time friend. So you arranged a meeting with this person.

It's not uncommon for you to appear in public at your favourite club, enjoying your own service and waving to the many clients and staff who fill the place. Amid discreet glances and whispers, you sit down at a table in the middle of the room and lean back.

Quickly, one of your employees, accompanied by the manager, appears in front of you to serve you. 

"Welcome sir, I'm sorry I didn't come to greet you myself", says the manager in a hurry, the little man looks rather stressed and his face doesn't remind you of anything, probably a newcomer, you think.

The young woman next to him, much more stoic, bends down slightly to greet you.

"Good evening, sir, how are you? A double with ice as usual?" The familiar tone seems to disturb the manager, who is about to reprimand her.

"Yes, please, Seola," you say, smiling at the spectacle unfolding before you, and after taking your order, the young woman gives her manager a dark look of authority before returning to the bar.

"I'm sorry sir, I'll make sure she's disciplined, please excuse her", the manager says to you, bowing to show his respect.

"Haha, don't worry newbie, even if you're her boss she'll give you a hard time" you give the manager a light pat on the back before letting him disappear from your sight.

Shortly afterwards, Seola appears with your drink and sits down opposite you as if nothing had happened. 

"So what's he been saying since yesterday?" you ask her in a low voice.

"People seem worried, the fact that it happened right outside the bar doesn't help, especially with the media attention of the scandal", she replies, matching the volume of your voice.

"It's not good at all, is it?"

"Not really, people here know she's directly connected to you, so we need to solve the problem quickly, at least internally"

"Leave it to me, sorry for the trouble"

The young woman gets up and goes back to her work, information gathering is crucial in your field and people like Seola, who are your ears within your walls, make it a lot easier. 

And just as you're enjoying your drink with a clear mind, you hear the sound of heels tapping in the distance, then the surrounding noise falls to a deadly silence, and without even looking in the right direction, you know who's just entered the room, and quickly all eyes follow the progress of the woman who appears behind you and finally sits down opposite you where Seola was just a minute ago.

Under the red and dim light of the room, a small woman with long light brown hair appears, wearing a strappy purple outfit that accentuates her huge breasts, slightly hidden by a large sparkling crystal heart necklace. Her make-up is striking, with heavy eye shadow and a bold lip, giving her a pouty look.

"Sit down Jessica" you say firmly and loudly so that the whole room can clearly hear your order, supported by your furious expression, the young woman obeys without saying a word except for a simple one:

"Oppa ... I" that comes weakly from her trembling voice.

It's a show of dominance that you are preparing to display to your audience. Jessi, the woman with such a charismatic and strong image, is crushed under your authority and you intend to make an example of her.

With a simple, dramatic wave of your hand, you ask one of the waiters to bring a glass of water to your table and, leaning back in your armchair, you light a cigarette, even though it's forbidden inside, but no one will dare reprimand you, given the way things have turned out.

The woman keeps her legs together, doesn't dare look at you, and stares at the glass of water in front of her. She's obviously waiting for you to start your scolding, as usual. But this time she's gone too far and you stare at her for several long minutes.

"Oppa, I... I didn't mean to cause so much trouble, The kid came out of nowhere and my friend just overreacted. It's not like I pushed him myself" The young woman finally breaks the silence and looks up at you for the first time.

You don't know where to start, the situation is so bad from every angle, so you just listen.

"Of course I feel sorry for the boy, but with the CCTV and now the police questioning, it's just nonsense. People really do have time on their hands".

You already knew she wasn't the most mature of the bunch, but her reasoning is completely wrong, so you take the lead.

"Is that all you've got to say to me?" Anger slowly builds inside you, from the tension and adrenaline pumping through you.

"YOUR FUCKING FRIEND HIT A CHILD, A MINOR, IN FRONT OF MY ESTABLISHMENT, FOR GOD'S SAKE!" You throw your half-empty glass down, shattering it into a million pieces as it hits the floor. You continue to make large movements towards Jessi, explaining:

"LISTEN TO ME, JESSICA, I AM TIRED OF CLEANING UP AFTER YOU. YOU PUT MY BUSINESS AND EVERYONE AROUND US AT RISK WITH YOUR BULLSHIT".

"Oppa, I'm sorry, sit down." Her voice shaking, she also stands up to try and calm you down, but to no effect.   

In your exaggerated anger, you rip off his collar, throw it on the table and grab his face, squeezing his cheeks hard.

"NOW YOU'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO ME VERY CAREFULLY, YOU'RE GOING TO SORT OUT THIS PROBLEM WITH THE POLICE AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO LEAVE YOUR LABEL AND MAKE YOURSELF VERY SMALL BECAUSE I SWEAR TO YOU, IF I SEE YOUR UGLY FACE ON TV AGAIN, WE'RE REALLY GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM".

The pressure and violence of your words overwhelms Jessi, who begins to cry her eyes out, her make-up suffering the effects and running down her face. From the outside, the scene seems to have shocked your audience, who are witnessing a public humiliation, but that's all it takes to show that you're still in control of the situation.

You let go of the woman's face, still in shock, and you can see in her eyes that she is terrified and didn't expect this when she arrived.

"Go and freshen up in a private room, I'll join you in 5 minutes, we haven't finished our discussion yet," you order her, snapping your fingers, and the young woman complies before disappearing from the main room,

You turn to your staff to apologise for the mess and you do the same to everyone in the room, the audience seems to have been captivated by the scene, leaving a feeling of respect but also fear. Finally, you make your way to the corridor where the private rooms are located.

Access to the corridor is controlled by scanning a membership card to open a sliding-door that blends seamlessly into the wall. Although entry to your establishments is already by selection, those who wish can pay to gain access to these private rooms.

Once the door is open, you enter a corridor about twenty metres long, with several doors on either side. Each of these rooms is numbered and equipped for total privacy. As you walk along with your hands in your pockets, one of the doors on your left unlocks and you see one of your clients and former idol, Ms Seolhyun, step out:

"Good evening, Madame. I hope you're having a lovely evening? Everything going well inside?" you say with a warm smile as you stop in front of door N°4, greeting her with a simple nod.

“Good evening, Sir! Everything's going great... I..I just need to go to the toilet, thank you so much for your concern!”, replies the young woman as she leans over to greet you, her large breasts on full display.

You notice the delightful sweat on her face and her gorgeous, slightly flushed complexion. You even take the time to pull up the strap of her dress that has slipped off her shoulder, being careful not to drop the access card that is stuck between her two magnificent boobs. Then you move aside to let her pass.

You discreetly peek inside and see one of your old friends, Mr Hang, sitting on the sofa at the back of the room, enjoying the mouth of a short-haired woman while playing with the breasts of another.

You shut the door yourself with your foot until you hear the click of the latch, sealing the privacy of your clients once again, and make your way back to the room next door, wearing No. 6, you take your hands out of your pockets and pull the belt out of your trousers before wrapping it around your hand. Gently, you scan your card again on the badger by the door and enter the room.

You move slowly into the room, your footsteps echoing lightly on the tiles, each inch adding gravity to the moment, and stop before a kneeling Jessi, her eyes fixed on the floor.

Without a word, you drop your belt at her feet, immediately attracting the young woman's attention, her gaze rising towards you with the anxiety she is trying to hide.

You walk past her, staring at her coldly, and sit down on the beige leather bench just behind Jessi, who is still kneeling. She now has her back to you, emphasising the vulnerability of her posture in the face of your lack of response.

And for the first time since you entered, you start talking to her : 

“Come here, darling” you say in a soft, affectionate voice and you see her obey without hesitation. She leans towards the belt on the floor, clutching it between her teeth with total obedience, in a show of deliberate submission. As she moves towards you on all fours, her eyes lowered, she seems to be aware of your penetrating gaze, which follows her without distraction, detailing her every move with silent satisfaction.

Finally, she reaches the seat and gently lifts her head to offer you your belt, her eyes tentatively searching your gaze for reassurance. In that suspended moment, you reach for your belt, then gently loop the strap around her neck, adjusting the buckle with cold precision. The belt tightens just enough to remind her of her existence without compromising her breathing. You take care to use the notch, deliberately drilled a little lower, adapted for this precise use.

“There you go” you murmur in a low, confident voice, Jessi's eyes rise slowly towards you, filled with unreserved submission, but also with a deep and palpable desire, the young woman is waiting for you to set your devotion on her.

“I'm sorry, my darling, for what I did before in front of everyone”, you gently reach out your hand to her, letting your fingers caress her still red cheek with tenderness, your thumb caressing it in a slow gesture, as if you wanted to erase your mistake, the young woman in her vulnerability closes her eyes and slowly lets her head rest on your thigh.

“But... you've been very naughty today and daddy needs to give you a little punishment, do me a favour and take off my trousers” and without further do the young woman complies and starts unbuttoning your trousers and then pulling off your underpants to free your semi-hard cock.

Jessi wraps her fingers around your shaft, gently stroking it to the head in a few thrusts. Then she extends her tongue and slides it along the underside of your cock, from the base to the tip. You let out a soft moan, your head falling back. "Go on girl, just like that..."

She swirls her tongue around your bulbous head, licking the beads of pre-cum dripping from the tip. Then she wraps her lips around it and sucks hard, lowering her head until the glans touches the back of her throat.

"Mmmmh! Now I recognise my little Jessica..." You gasp slightly as Jessi begins to rock her head back and forth, sucking on you with deep desire. One hand cupping and stroking your swollen balls as she works your shaft with her lips and tongue.

In no time at all, your cock is soaked in saliva and throbbing against the roof of her mouth. Jessi gives your swollen head a few more licks before pulling out. "Mmm do you like it when I do this daddy? Let me take care of your big cock a little longer.

She stays on her knees and slowly slides the straps of her tight dress to the side, exposing her huge tits as they bounce under the effect of gravity. You look at her lustfully and your cock continues to harden as they begin to push against each other.

She takes your thick shaft and presses it between her soft mounds, wrapping it in warm, soft flesh, squeezing her breasts around it and sliding it up and down. You just watch blissfully as your cock disappears between the flesh of her breasts, again and again.

Jessi continues to fuck you slowly and sensually, occasionally moving to suck the head of your cock before pushing it back into her cleavage. Her heavy breasts engulf it completely, your thick shaft disappearing each time before reappearing glistening with sweat. The wet, obscene sounds of her movements fill the room.

"What a needy little slut", you growl in approval as she gags and drools on your cock "You like choking on my big cock, don't you?" She hums in response, the vibrations making you roll your eyes.

Saliva drips down her chin as she works you, and you can't resist tangling your fingers in her soft hair, gripping it tightly as you begin to thrust into her mouth. "That's it, take it all in like a good girl", you command.

Jessi relaxes her throat, letting you push your cock deeper until you feel her nose pressing against your pubic bone. You hold her down, your heavy balls resting on her chin before you pull out. She gasps, tears stinging the corners of her eyes, only to see you thrust back in.

You use her mouth like a fleshlight, thrusting into her head and grunting with pleasure. Drool drips down her chin as she gags and chokes on your thick meat. But she was a fighter, she took everything you gave her.

Pulling back abruptly, you slap her face with your saliva-soaked cock, leaving traces of her own saliva on her cheeks. "Open up you little slut," you say, lifting her chin with the tip. "Ah!" Jessi screams as you thrust your cock back into her open mouth. As you start to thrust, you pull on the belt around her neck, tightening it just enough to make her dizzy. Her eyes roll back and she moans like a whore.

Holding her neck tightly, you finally let go of her hair and start slapping her fake tits hard, the impact of your thrusts leaving red marks on her body and you really let go, brutally fucking her face. Her throat swells obscenely with each deep thrust.

"Take it, you cock hungry bitch!" you growl, punctuating your words with particularly vicious thrusts. "Choke on my cock!"

Tears stream down her face as she chokes and spits, her throat convulsing around you, you can feel her dizziness from the lack of air and the rough treatment. But you don't care. All you care about is using your property for your pleasure.

Just before you spit your load, you pull out and point your cock at her face. Jessi manages to get her hands up just in time to grab your thick, heavy balls and stroke your cock as I come. Shot after shot of hot, sticky cum splashes into her face, coating her cheeks, nose and open mouth. She swallows as much as she can but it drips down her chin and onto her breasts.

"Tsk tsk, you're a mess", you say, chuckling darkly as you pull yourself in "Get up and take your dress off, we're going to have a chat while I claim your little pussy again".

Jessi stands up on shaky legs, her tiny body glistening with sweat and cum. Her once innocent face is now covered in your thick, sticky cum. Tears stream down her cheeks as the reality of what has just happened begins to sink in. She looks up at you with pleading eyes, silently begging you to comfort and reassure her.

You pull her towards you, hold her trembling body in your arms and let her rest on your shoulder. "Shhh, it's all right, my little girl", you coo softly, running your fingers through her tangled hair "I'm sorry, Daddy, I was naughty, I didn't mean any harm".

You slowly let her sit on you, her little body spreading out as you stroked her back. Her breasts, now covered with your fingerprints, rise with each shuddering breath. You lean down and take a stiff nipple between your lips, sucking and swirling your tongue around the sensitive bud. A soft moan escapes her as you lavish your attention on her abused breasts.

You align your still rock hard cock with her fully soaked pussy. With a slow, deep thrust, you bury yourself inside her, moaning as you feel her silky walls tighten around you. She lets out a cry, a mixture of pleasure and pain, as you thrust your thick cock into her cunt.

You begin to move, establishing a steady rhythm that makes her pussy throb around your throbbing cock. Her hands come to grip your shoulders, her nails digging into your skin as you fuck her. Leaning down, you capture her lips in a passionate kiss, your tongue thrusting into her mouth to claim every inch of her.

Pulling away, you plant hot, mouth open kisses along her neck before latching onto her pulse point and sucking hard to leave your mark. She arched her back against you, her hips undulating in response to your deep, powerful thrusts. The wet sound of skin against skin echoes around the room, mingling with her moans of need.

"Sounds like someone needed that", you growl into her ear. "Your pussy is really tight, is it my big cock you miss so much?" Grabbing her hips hard enough to leave bruises, you thrust into her, the force of your thrusts bouncing her off your thighs.

Reaching between her spread thighs, you find her sensitive clit and begin to rub tight circles over the swollen bud. She lets out a high-pitched squeal, her head bobbing from side to side as you pull her closer to the edge. Her pussy begins to ripple and quiver around your cock, signalling her impending orgasm.

"That's it baby, let yourself go" you instruct as you pinch her clit between your fingers. "Play on my big cock like a good little slut". Her body tensed, her back on the table as her orgasm overwhelmed her. She begins to convulse, clear fluid gushing from her pussy, covering your cock and balls.

As you feel her tight pussy milking your cock, you let out a bestial grunt. Pulling out, you flip her stomach onto the table, grab your belt again, throw her head back and force your way into her still throbbing hole, giving her no time to come down from her euphoria.

You thrust into her with brutal, punishing strokes, the wet sounds of your cock sinking into her cum-soaked pussy obscenely loud. She moans and sobs, her battered body no match for your relentless assaults. The force of your thrusts shakes her entire body, her crushed tits swaying beneath her with each stroke of your hips.

Leaning over her, you bite her shoulder, growling and moaning like a wild beast as you thrust into her. Your balls slap against her clit with each thrust, bringing her to the brink of another earth-shattering orgasm.

"I'm going to cum, hold your pussy tight", you moan, your thrusts becoming erratic and you tug on your belt as your orgasm approaches. "I'm going to stuff my cum into this fertile pussy." You pound into her a few more times before thrusting deep and crashing against her womb. With a loud groan you explode, painting her insides with thick streams of hot cum.

You continue to rock inside her, driving your sperm into her quivering hole. She moans and gasps as your cock twitches inside her, each spurt sending sparks of pleasure and pain through her body.

Finally, exhausted, you collapse onto your back and pull her onto you. She lies limp, still impaled on your softening shaft, her mixed fluids flowing around your cock. You wrap your arms around her and hold her close as she kisses you lovingly, her small body shaking from the force of her orgasm.

"Shhh, it's all right now", you soothe her, covering her face and neck with soft kisses " I've missed your body, feeling your pussy milking me like that reminded me of all the times I got you pregnant, but we need to talk about what's next, darling". You whisper compliments in her ear until her breathing slowly calms down.

While you're still slumped on the bench, with Jessi resting on top of you, your phone buzzes with an incoming text message. Pulling it out of your pocket, you see that it's from your friend Mr Hang.

When you open the message, you are immediately greeted by an extremely obscene photo. In the shot, three young women - Seolhyun, Choa and Jimin are kneeling in front of the camera, their faces completely covered in huge ropes of thick, creamy cum. Each of their mouths is stretched around Mr Hang's huge semi-erect cock, obviously fresh from an aggressive blow job on its thick shaft. The bulging cockhead, coated in their saliva, glistens obscenely as it emerges between their lips. You can even see trickles of cum dripping from her chin and splashing onto her swollen breasts.

The sheer depravity of the photo makes your cock throb in Jessi's pussy. She moans and clenches around you in response to your arousal. A diabolical thought crosses your mind as to how to respond to Mr Hang's message.

Gently, you encourage Jessi to lift herself off your rigid pole. Cum immediately pours from her gaping hole, her stomach and thighs already soaked in the creamy cum you've pumped into her. It's at this moment that you realise just how much of your cum you've filled Jessica with - it's impossible not to get pregnant with such a load.

Moving surprisingly quickly for having just ejaculated inside her, Jessi collapses onto her back on the table and spreads her legs. Streams of pearly cum continue to ooze from her pussy, running down her slit and spreading over her tanned skin.

You reach out to steady Jessi's right ankle, lift her leg and use your other hand to tilt your phone for the shot. Through the lens you frame the perfect shot - Jessi's cum-filled pussy opening invitingly on the messy table, her swollen pussy lips smooth and glistening with your cum. Swirling ribbons of cum paint the insides of her thighs and the surface of the table a pure white.

You snap a few photos to immortalise the debauchery that followed your crude coupling, the obscene evidence of her well-trained hole. Pressing the screen, you send the most incriminating picture to Mr Hang in response to his obscene message, knowing that he will appreciate it.

As she rests her leg, she looks up at you coquettishly, her face flushed and her eyes heavy with desire. Your palm lands on her ass check with a resounding slap as you rub the pink imprint of your hand across her tanned skin.

"That's how I love you Jessica" you growl, your voice rough with lust. "And I'm far from finished with your wicked cunt, unless I change and hammer your arse".

Jessi moans in need and arching her back, presents her dripping cunt to you like a bitch in heat. You slap her arse again, leaving another red mark on her creamy cheeks. The way she moans and wiggles her hips fuels the fires of your excitement.

You push into Jessi's dripping pussy again as she lies on her stomach and spreads herself for you. "Remember that first night?" You ask, grunting as you sink deeper into her tight warmth. “When my little Jessica spread her legs for her daddy" She lifts her head and gives you a shy smile. "Oh yeah? You really remember our first time together ? When I signed that first contract?"

You grin, remembering clearly. "How could I forget? Eighteen years ago, you were this cheeky 17-year-old young rapper trying to make a name for yourself. So fucking eager and innocent, not realising what you were really getting into with me".

Jessi lets out a small laugh. "Innocent? Please, I knew exactly what I was getting into when I agreed to be your artist and personal fucktoy. I just had no idea how long you'd keep me around once you'd had your fun". Jessi moans, her back arching as she takes you completely inside her "Mmm yes, I'll never forget that Daddy", she moans. "You were so gentle... the first man to claim me completely".

You grip her hips tighter, your fingers digging into her soft flesh as you slap her roughly from behind. "And look at you now", you growl in approval. "My perfect little breeding slut. So eager for my cum."

"Always, my body and my womb belong to you," she says, thrusting herself back against you. "You're the only one who's ever satisfied me... who's ever filled me so well"

"Well, yes... that too. But also that you were the one. The girl I wanted to make mine forever," you slow your thrusts, savouring the feeling of her wet heat clutching you. "And I did. I've kept this tight pussy all to myself for eighteen years now."

"Mmm yeah, and what a crazy ride it's been..." Jessi muses, clutching my cock. "Like when I got knocked up, huh?"

You nod, remembering the panic and subsequent solution. "The first couple of times you told me you were pregnant, I nearly had a heart attack. I couldn't risk you carrying my child yet."

"Yep. Abortions and the morning-after pill have become my best friends'". She jokes dryly. "Although I suppose I should be grateful that you always went out of your way to help and support me afterwards".

You nod. "Yes, it's true. I could never get rid of that gorgeous bum, and I haven't even mentioned your tits" You punctuate the sentence with a hard slap on her hip.

Jessi yelps, then moans as she pushes herself back against me "Ffffuck, keep it up. I'll cum again if you do".

You smile and obey, picking up a relentless pace, watching her ass jiggle with each slam of your hips against hers. You slid one hand down her body to squeeze her tits as you fucked her mercilessly. "That's it, come for me Jessica. Squeeze my cock like the perfect little cock muff you are".

"Ungh, so close!" She gasps, the walls around you begin to throb, signalling her impending orgasm "Fuck, I'm coming again... I'm coming!"

Jessi's pussy tightened and she came with a loud moan, her whole body shaking with the force of her orgasm. The grip on her pussy was too strong and with a moan you buried yourself deep and came violently, shooting thick ropes of cum straight into her quivering pussy, still full from your previous load.

You collapsed together on the table, gasping for breath as the aftershocks rippled through us. After a moment you withdrew carefully, watching with satisfaction as your cum dripped out of her wet, saturated hole.

Jessi lay on her back and look at you with a lazy, satiated expression "Fuck, you really let it all out deep inside me, I'm not going to be able to get any more, look how my pussy is overflowing".

You giggle and take her in your arms. "Yes? Well, get used to it again. Because this body is still mine, as it has been for the last eighteen years. And I still have a long way to go before I'm done with it".

She smiled mischievously at you "Mmm, I love it when you get all dominant and take charge. I suppose this is the part where you stuff my pussy every day with your seed?"

You smile back and kiss her deeply, knowing she was right. "And I intend to keep this pussy mine for at least another eighteen years. At least. So get ready because the rules have changed, no more contraception or abortion, it's your turn to make me drink your milk, Mummy"

.

.

Your bedroom is softly illuminated by the glow of the bedside lamps. The air is thick with the musky scent of sex and sweat. Jessi lay on the king-size bed, her hair fanning out against the silk pillowcase. Her voluptuous body drenched in sweat, the marks of your passionate lovemaking visible on her ivory skin in the form of red scratches and love bites.

You stand over her, your handsome cock still semi-erect, glistening with a mixture of your combined juices. Her freshly crumpled contract, stained with traces of your thick, potent cum, lay forgotten at the foot of the bed, a testament to the depraved acts you'd just indulged in together.

"Please", Jessi moans, looking up at you with desperate, lustful eyes. "Come empty yourself inside me. I need to feel you come inside me again and again until my womb is filled with your seed."

She spreads her thighs in invitation, exposing her dripping, well-fucked pussy to your delight. "Make me pregnant, Daddyy. Now that my career is over, come and start my life as a mother. Please ravage me again!"

You tower over her, a predatory gleam in your eye as you watch the spectacle of debauchery before you. Your aching cock contracts and hardens at her shameless pleas, ready to deliver another massive load deep into her fertile young womb.

[eatmangoesnekkid]

I don’t live my life thinking a lot about money, trying to ‘get’ more money, or not having enough money yet I am not motivated by money either. The act of receiving more money does not make me rush to hurry up and finalize my books or open up my school. I can’t remember the last time I worried about money because having money is an intimate frequency and energy of FREEDOM. You have to break the frequencies of constantly penny-pinching, being stingy, allowing how much money you have in the bank to dictate your mood or living afraid to buy the very things that you need that will expand or evolve you, which is not the same thing as shopping all the time as a coping mechanism for being human, incurring consumer debt or being irresponsible and reckless with your money. And your life force will never thrive when you are a slave or prisoner to money.

The Practical and Spiritual Journey to Making More Money —You Must Enlist Your Warrior and Your Energy

You have to look at earning money like a game and enjoy growing your money and playing the game or else you never win. Not just saving or hoarding it away in your bra but allowing your money to work for you while you sleep like putting it in stocks. I have a degree in Accounting and have always believed that women were born to be skilled in financials but we are socialized to perceive ourselves not. But when you were born with a womb, you are naturally gifted at multiplying a seed into something much larger and intelligent like a whole baby. You are a natural amplifier, nourishing and growing what has been received. Be willing to look into investments and not be afraid of accumulating “healthy debt” and learn to move your money around in order to grow it. Look to investing part of your earnings into different funds, even if it is just cutting back on buying coffee and putting that money you would have paid for a daily coffee into a savings that will accrue and be used to invest in the future. If you already have cash flow, getting rental property to airbnb or sell (everyone I know that is quietly wealth-oriented owns at least 2-3 homes) which can be overwhelming to think about when living pay check-to-pay check but just beginning to think about how you can earn more money from your own money passively gets the ball rolling in your consciousness like what would it be like to open up a laundry mat, build it up and sell it in a few years for huge profit? Laundry mat ownership is such a fast lucrative business, just like what you see in the hood in movies. Or buy a raggedy house, build it up and sell it for a higher cost and incredible profit. Some of you straight and bi women entrepreneurs who are ready for good lovers must find love and attraction with lovers who are builders and handymen and can help to upscale and modernize your home that you can then resale for great profit and stop messing with dusties who have zero skill sets and create more stress on your life. 🙏🏿 Because when you live a highly stressful, parasympathetic, flight or fight life, the first thing you lose is your sexual desire or libido i.e. your umlimited creative power. No thank you!

If you have a spiritual business like me, you can do deals underneath the table but also work towards a LLC to legitimize your company which gives you tax breaks and allows you to earn more money. Something about going through the channels to make something official moves it from just being a hobby to a legit business. As magical spiritual woman, your power move is to attract someone willing to invest in your work as a start-up. If you do, you must cherish this person, love this person with all your heart, hips and soul (if the relationship is romantic but of course it can also be platonic or familial, either way, love this person), adore them deep and true. The person, this angelic being, this God, is saving you massive stress and headache. Their presence in your life serves a larger purpose —you must help them to understand this because our world teaches us to be so fearful and suspicious of being helped or helping someone rather than gracious and honored. Too many people are missing out on great blessings of interdependence because they live afraid and suspicious of the big heart of another human. So sad that many amazing beautiful people are stuck in their little corners hoarding away and missing out on healing, thriving, and experiencing the gifts and/or talents of another human because of how we have been wired to perceive the desire to meet one another’s needs and desires by status quo culture. To be a woman who can love someone in ways that relax their body so deeply that they can finally get out of their head and rest well and regenerate their tissues at night is incredibly priceless.

**This is not the same thing as looking for a handout, walking around broken like the world owes you something or hoping someone will help because you tell a victimization story. It is about being mature and resourceful and consciously manifesting what is needed and not simply what would be cool or cute potentially through love and loving.

But not every woman is ready or qualified for the aforementioned experience because you do have to develop skills that will be greatly useful, nourishing, nurturing, decompressing, relaxing or expansive or beneficial in other ways to another person. You can’t just be attractive or whatever. You have to be a woman who has developed a certain ease and peace in her body and life first and and that is what joining my school and online temple will help you master. And I personally believe you must also really love someone if the harmony is right because 1. love is incredible and healthy for the body to experience for however long it lasts 2. love is essential for the brightest sustained outcome. I’m not talking about the “sprinkle, sprinkle“ foolishness being promoted online. I am advocating for more love between people and all that comes with truly loving someone.

Be so skillful in your mature womanhood that you don't run from challenges, but face and engage them head on, and refine, recalibrate, and evolve beyond them. Never lose the boundaries that you are running a business albeit a spiritual one but still a business. Stay devoted and disciplined, both are essential. Work towards hiring people who can help you scale and grow eventually.

The Spiritual Journey to Making More Money—You Must Invoke Your Lover

The key to having more money is to learn to surrender and trust and truly allow the universe to be your provider, which is not an intellectual idea but a frequency of feminine energy. This is less about gender and more about the willingness to live a little bit beyond the egoic surface layer of reality of urgency that tells you to hurry and produce, to hoard or take or trigger you to constantly need to check off a to-do list, always needing to plan or to cross your t’s and dot your i’s which will allow you to buy that nice house and cute car eventually, but could greatly inhibit your energy from flowing where you never really can feel the joy of a simple moment pulse up your spine because you live in stress and overwork for external things that never make you fully truly happy.

No matter what stage of life you are, the undercurrent of your reality must feel like more relaxation and freedom if you want to have more money but not exhaust yourself in rigorous pursuit and constant labor for it.

I had to learn to draw in the frequency of freedom—to laugh at myself, to play, to rest, to relax, to do silly shit like twirling throughout my day —when life was very stressful, drama was high, and money was low. Neighbors would see me twirling. I would sometimes twirl for customers whose shopping totals were over 200 dollars. Because changing frequencies or weaving new realities is most potent when life is hard. You have to discover strategic ways to do the things you really want to do in life but was told you couldn’t afford. You must also have this hunger and desire to play the game of life to win while laughing at yourself along the way as you refine more and more and develop intimacy with the currencies of relaxation, love and freedom, which naturally include having more money.

But do not just copy and paste and take from others. Give. —India Ame’ye

Keep me away from the wisdom which does not cry, the philosophy which does not laugh and the greatness which does not bow before children.

Kahlil Gibran, Mirrors of the Soul

Chapter: The Money Drop (unedited)

[mage-ical-character-person]

You know looking back on it, rewatching some stuff, I don’t think stuff like the weird stuff Four was doing during Meme Factory and surrounding episodes was him necessarily relapsing because he was never not Like That. (Love him he is so character flaws but also full of silliness and care about friends but bad at friends)

All this and also he way he treated the Leggys was so similar to whatever he was doing to the Toads at the start of what would become the whole IGBP fiasco

This man has 2 objectives in life: make memes and love and protect his friends. He WILL forget which one is more important. Not sure he actually learned much from IGBP I think he’s just burdened with guilt without full understanding of what he actually did wrong.

I MEAN. Immediately after all that Mario invites Four to live with him! After Mar10 day!! With zero hesitation and so much excitement! Despite everything that just happened Mario is still so excited that his best friend will be staying with him! He hasn’t gotten to spend time with SMG4 in so long, and now they get to live together! (Mario is so good in this episode. The well intentioned silly guy!) But SMG4 is pretty quickly fed up with everything Mario does. (What was he expecting?)

He’s back at it. Four, this is Mario’s house and he’s minding his own business frankly. These are normal Mario activities. Yes there are noises but c’mon. Someone tell SMG4 to invest in some headphones for when he’s editing.

You’d think, given the circumstances, Four would be a little more patient with what are pretty standard and honestly relatively tame Mario antics. But…

Right back to the same kind of stuff. Brushing off and being grouchy with best friend who just wants to hang out with him so bad. Because doing his meme stuff is just so important. (Four you idiot you’re supposed to be doing the meme stuff WITH Mario, though, because that’s your Avatar and also Four making memes of Mario is shown to help stabilize him by like siphoning out excess meme energy or however it works. Like that’s a whole ‘nother layer to all this. Four is like Mario’s pharmacist and the meds is making memes of him. Utterly bizarre and screwed up situation)

He has learned next to nothing I love that for him. Genuinely. Traumatic event of Eldritch Horrors does not erase character flaws of bad priorities and being unable to recognize how far is too far. SMG4 be niceys to Mario challenge (difficult but not impossible.) (He can be niceys sometimes)

More reasons Four shouldn’t bring things contaminated with Puzzles’ bad vibes and evil goop to the Showgrounds, which is also contaminated with Puzzles’ bad vibes though there is no confirmed evil goop.

I keep bringing this up. But it’s just cause I’m very worried. And they’re yet to have a episode where they set up the new rides and stuff and so I’m just marinating this in my brain until something happens.

Just… the fact that the Showgrounds used to belong to Puzzles, and nothing much has come from that yet, aside from the implication that maybe it was his first (failed) attempt at an amusement park. And now Four’s bringing more Mr Puzzles stuff there when it’s explicitly shown that the demonic goop from IGBP is present in Puzzle Park… and there’s the fact that Four himself may or may not still be carrying it in some way.

And while he’s fine so long as meme-making/his channel isn’t in any sort of conflict with what his friends want or are doing , when they are he falls into old habits and often picks the wrong one as the bigger priority. He’s still doing the stuff that brought on the perfectionist goop horrors in the first place, all while bringing things afflicted by the goop to his home. (There’s also the matter of SMG4 Inside Out, where he displays character development when he is fairly polite and good to Mario who has interrupted his editing to demand milk, despite Four’s first thought being “Let’s murder this guy please” curtesy of his inner anger, Bob. Four is good to Mario until Mr Puzzles invades his brain. Is he still in there?) It can’t end well.

Well it can end well for us because maybe it can end in the parallels I won’t shut up about finally being acknowledged. Can’t end well for SMG4 though.

(Also with the Showgrounds becoming a proper fairgrounds with the addition of rides from Puzzle Park we get the opportunity for Puzzles to be like “That blue idiot is living MY dream!” When he eventually gets out of the institution. And Three could respond with like “Been there but at least I was never this pathetic about it” I dunno man.)

[rainbowsky]

Hi Rainbowsky,

Hope you had a good weekend, thank you again for all your posts and updates, myself and others really appreciate your time and efforts.

I hope my ask is ok for you to consider, if not, please accept my apologies.

I believe DD's contract with YH ends Oct, 2026, is GG's contract with wjjw still in effect? I may have this incorrectly, it seems as part of GG's attempt to break the contract a few years back, they did reach some sort of a settlement, albeit he may not have had enough funds to buy out his entire contract at that time.

My ask:

(1) Is GG still under contract with wjjw?

(2) It appears according to public disclosure with YH going public last year, DD accounts for 59% (or a significant %) of YH's total sales, and he is a shareholder as well. Do you think this will make it even more unlikely ggdd will reveal their relationship publicly? As any negative reactions from their solo fans will impact YH's market value, and thus directly affect ggdd's bottom line/market value as well.

(3) What do you think of the possibility of ggdd setting up their own company similar to YH or wjjw (or buyout YH)? They can work in front and behind the camera, cultivate new talents and produce their own work.

Again, thank you for your time and effort, and hope you are doing well :)

Hi Dottie, thanks for your kind words, I'm glad you're enjoying my blog. 😊

These issues are frequently discussed by fans, although it's all just speculation. In reality, no one knows - or should know - the details of their contracts. Contracts, income, etc. are very private and personal matters.

DD's current contract term is known because of financial filings that were made when Yuehua was listed on the stock exchange. His current term ends in 2026.

The situation with GG's contract with WJJW is unknown. There are people who will swear it is still in effect in whole or in part, while there are others who swear it's over. It's true he sued the company, and shortly after that XZ Studio was formed. It's believed that was part of the settlement they reached. Based on the timing of his debut, his contract with WJJW - if all or part of it is still in effect - is believed to be expiring in 2026 as well.

2026 is a significant year for turtles because GG once said in an interview that he won't marry until he's 35.

So, on to your questions:

I believe I've answered that. No one knows for sure what - if any - contract terms he still holds with them.

The likelihood of GG and DD ever coming out publicly as long as they are both stars is pretty much zero. There are a lot of reasons for that. Financial/business considerations are definitely one of the biggest reasons. I've talked about this a lot in the past. Both GG and DD are deeply beholden to the business interests that are invested in their success. Not just the investors and management companies, but also all the brands and the stakeholders for every project and endorsement they've done. Anything that could harm their popularity - including coming out with any relationship, let alone a gay one - would be potentially catastrophic to the continued prosperity of their past, present and future projects and endorsements. Not to mention all the people GG and DD personally employ. GG and DD both represent the livelihood of a hell of a lot of people. YH doesn't need to be on the stock market for this to be the reality.

Very unlikely for the reasons I discussed above, at least not publicly. It's not outside the realm of possibility that they'd do something like that through proxies or under pseudonyms, but I don't see them attaching their names together publicly behind a joint venture anytime soon. Buying out YH is a definite no. It's the life's work of Du Hua, and DD aside, it isn't particularly successful as a company. There's no good reason why GG and DD would want to take on someone else's headaches when they could start fresh with something new.

I do believe GG and DD will go into business together, if they haven't already. That's a possibility they even discussed pretty openly in interviews during The Untamed promo. There have been many rumors and speculations over the years about companies they've started, brands people believe they might jointly own, etc. but there is no concrete proof of anything.

However, the likelihood of them doing any of this openly, and attaching both of their names to it, is extremely low at this stage in their careers. They've both got too many years ahead of them in the industry to take such risks, and the financial/business considerations loom large. As does the enmity between their fan groups. It's just too risky.

As long as taking on acting projects is a central interest of theirs, I don't see them changing gears in any major way. Such activities have too much potential to jeopardize their ability to land the best projects and the biggest backers, or to pack theaters and attract viewers, and producers are extremely risk averse. Especially in this economy.

I think we also need to consider that they are individuals building their individual careers. There's no compelling reason why they would want or need to build a joint management venture together, or to join forces in any further way than what we already suspect (sharing some resources between YBO and XZS), just because they're a couple. Their separate projects are separate. There's no need for it to be otherwise.

Unless their future plans are significantly more extreme than I imagine, I think it's highly unlikely. Some turtles might find it sweet to imagine them joining forces in some big public way, but that's not how the real world works.

All of this is just my opinion. Only GGDD know for sure what their plans are.

Regardless, I trust them both to manage their careers and protect their best interests, and I leave it in their capable hands. They're both surrounded by experts whose entire job is to help them make the most of their assets. I don't need to know the details of that.

I hope this was helpful! You can find more on these topics under my 'ggdd contracts' tag.

[waythroughtheice]

One of the best parts of Geo Wily is that Luna will eventually show up.

I can't decide if its funnier if she ignores the cult completely or starts trying to organise them so Geo can actually go to school. She definitely doesn't really blame him in this universe.

She's seen what they can do when Geo isn't holding the toddler leash. (He had a sick day.) They would have broken all of the transportation infrastructure if they didn't get a wheezy call from "boss" telling them to knock it off. This was a couple years ago. Who knows what they'd do now.

If Luna just. Casually ignores them there'd be shenanigans involving the Cult trying to recruit an entire school. Luna'd have enemies.

If she helps organise the Cult the cult thinks they're all dating. Geo has a poly? Dating a superstar girl too? Okay. Kid has skills. (Geo only learns they think this several years later.) But hey. They also listen to his friends now?

When the cult finds out about Megaman they are super supportive about "stealing your enemies' name!" Less supportive about the superhero bit. Mostly because he's being chased by cops already. Why is he making it worse. The cult declares Zero (I hope that's the name Kazuma uses. I might be guessing wrong. Limited knowledge) their enemy arount this time. Balance semi restored.

No matter what all happens Wily is insistent that this is all according to his plan. (There is no plan. Wily is a liar. Wily is just glad his kid has friends his own age.)

Hope knows about none of this. Kelvin was very careful to keep her away from the Cult. She has made friends with the Cultists that drop Geo off regularly. She thinks they're Kelvin's cousins. Geo is sufferig with knowledge. The Cult behaves when Hope is arount. Help Geo. Please?

Omega-Xis and Wily teach these kids swears. They are horrible influences. Tom gets adopted by Wily and the cult. Geo only hears little stories. Geo does not know what is actually happening and asks the Cult to keep him safe from any rivals. Making it worse. Viscous cycle. Boreal keeps increasing security but they "kEEP GETTING IN THEY'RE LIKE ANTS I SWEAR! Oh hey Geo. Can you do something? It usually gets better for a bit when I talk to you. Because today Tom got-" it takes years for everyone to figure it out.

Geo still area hops. Confusing every cop keeping and ear out for the Wily heir. Copper is the only one not worried about plans. Copper has seen Geo yell at his cult that he has no words and then lecture them about not causing chaos for four hours. Copper at this point has seen some shit.

The Cult (and Wily) only really get dissapointed in Geo and Co. when they work for the police in three. And even then The Cult also does not want a meteor to the face so they can deal with it *cue another four hour Geo lecture.*

Kazuma should help with the meteor. I just think it'd be funny if they met while neither was ripping the other's name to shred by mistake. Bonding.

Solo is still normal Solo. The cult wants him. The cult will never get him. They want the rival on their side damn it!

Sorry just now I'm invested. (God fucking damn it I already have things to do.)

LOLOL

Okay, so--

I think Luna would regard Geo as a rival. Think of it! He has so many supporters already, and actually Luna discourages Geo from going to school (Geo never goes back to public school in this verse, too busy with homeschooling multiple grades ahead and his rivalry with one Kazuma Hikari.) They get into shenanigans with each other, and Luna decides she wants a cult following of her own. (The world trembles.)

The cult is so supportive of the tiny Boss. He's doing the Great Wily SO PROUD! He's stealing the enemy's name, taking all their supporters.....more people for the cult! They sell merchandise. Geo is appalled.

When Zero shows up (you got it!), they at first fight then become best friends. The cult decides Kazuma Hikari is absolutely the tiny Boss's right hand man. Look at the tiny boss go, subverting the enemy!

Hope is blissfully unaware of the chaos. The Cult loves her and her glorious cooking and baking. Geo is dying in the background.

Omega-Xis and Wily are best friends, in the vein of two old men cackling together in a back room. Yes yes yes to the swears, and yes to Tom getting adopted--Boreal also gets adopted. No he has no say why would he have a say?

Geo area hops, and the Cult is Confused but Very Supportive of his speed. He's expanded their reach! Look at his initiative! They follow wherever he goes, only to find him gone already. Oh well, guess it's time to start recruiting and sell merchandise......

They're disappointed at first until they realize the tiny Boss can destroy the police from within! Such initiative!

Kazuma is helping with the meteor. Such a terror. The Cult loves their right-hand man.

Solo is the lone sane man along with Geo. Geo and Solo meet up for drinks (read, soda) and to commiserate about their lives.

[shubhbank]

Join our journey as PARTNERS! Together, we'll navigate challenges, seize opportunities, and build a future defined by innovation and success.

[bitchesgetriches]

Hey bitches,

I'm 26, almost 27, and I don't have a savings, IRA, investments, anything. The reason for this is because I was very suicidal for a very long time, so I just didn't see the point of saving or making plans for the future, let alone retirement. I ended up moving back in with my parents because I didn't feel safe living on my own or with people who weren't family. It's only a few months ago that my mental health changed for the better, and ironically, now the fact that I am so far behind everyone else my age causes my depression and anxiety to worsen. Fortunately, finances is something that I know I can do something about, I just... don't know where to start.

Currently, I'm busy paying off student loans, so while I have a savings account, I don't put much into it. My job is fantastic in regards to work environment and coworkers and validating that I'm good at something - it definitely helped me find a will to live again - but it doesn't have benefits and it pays far below the national average for this position. I know finding a new job will help the money + moving out front and maybe even the IRA thing, because don't a lot of employers match what you put in there? But I'm admittedly reluctant/scared to job hunt again, because the jobs I had before this one were horrible and made my mental health issues even worse. I have a Bachelor's degree and everything, but since I was so suicidal all throughout university and up until a few months ago, I just... didn't bother looking into internships or anything, so this is my first job in my actual field. I don't know if it's bad to stay at a job that doesn't have benefits or pay too well while I'm still getting my feet under me and figuring out what life is like when you actually, you know, want to live it. And I know that you are not mental health professionals, so I don't know if you have any input there or not.

But generally speaking, when it comes to finances, I'm just... Not sure where I'm supposed to be. How much should a 26/27 year old have saved? Or in an IRA? Or in investments? And how do you balance all those things while paying for yourself to live on your own? Is it bad to stay somewhere that you know pays well below the national average while you're still figuring this life thing out, and then job search again later, when you feel steadier? Or is that shooting yourself in the foot?

I know this is a lot. Like I said, I'm kind of starting from zero in my late-20s pretty much, so... I don't even know where to start or what to focus on. Retirement, maybe? No idea. But any input/advice/articles you want to share would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you so much for all that you do!

Honeybee... we are SO gd proud of you for staying alive. True--we're not mental health professionals! But we understand mental health struggles and how drastically they can affect your finances. So this is your official permission to forgive yourself for falling behind on money achievements while you were literally battling your own brain for the will to live. That is HUGE. You survived. Don't feel any guilt for that.

Next, stop thinking in terms of where you "should be" at your age. You're starting late by society's standards, and that's society's problem, not yours. Here is our advice on where to get started right now, at your stage regardless of age:

The Financial Order of Operations: 10 Great Money Choices for Every Stage of Life 

[hebrewbyinbal]

We all do it! looking at someone else's achievements (usually in an area we would love to excel too) and asking ourselves, "How did they get so good at this?" It could be anything—learning Hebrew, starting a business, or picking up a new hobby.

There is nothing more natural than looking at others and wondering, "Will I ever be that good? Can I really do this?"

As a Hebrew educator, I hear it all the time. It's so easy to feel overwhelmed when you see how fluent others are compared to where you're starting from. But here’s the thing:

The key to success is in silencing the comparing voices whenever they start going off, and bring your focus back to your own journey and progress.

Everyone who is great at something and once started from zero made it not by worrying about how others were doing but by concentrating on their own next step.

They didn’t get bogged down thinking about someone at step 20 while they were at step 1. They just focused on getting to step 2, then step 3, and so on.

Comparing yourself to others never helps your progress unless it motivates you to push forward. It is quite easy to feel which of the two you are, so just tune in and you'll see for yourself. If comparing does not motivate and push you to work harder to get there too,

next time you catch yourself comparing, invest in shifting your focus back to your own progress. Celebrate every victory - big or small (I mean it! every victory), and remember -

The most productive comparison is between where you are today and where you were yesterday.

Keep your eyes on your path, enjoy each step of your learning, and let your journey be about you, not about anyone else.

[synthy-sizer]

The shuttle moves much more smoothly than the rocket. You glide cleanly out of the hangar and out into the void. It's a vast difference from your previous launches. Suddenly, you feel gravity once again assert itself on you. “Artificial gravity engaged. And look at that view!” You eagerly look out of the window, trying to see what Lust is talking about. Behind you, the huge rocket you came in slowly fades out of view. The thrusters ramp up, the bright blue glow creating an aura around the back. And behind all of it, you can see what you once knew as Otherside, now as Earth. There's lush greens, but equal amounts of earthy browns and grays across the land. “You could see the light from the moon, once,” Jordan sags behind you. “Back before the world ended you could see the outlines of all the cities on the planet that way. But now the only lights are in our little society. You can't see it from space anymore.” So that's what a dead world looks like. “Is there any way anyone survived outside of there?” “Maybe. But it's probably in small groups. The only reason we were able to survive with such a large group is because of our powers. And the Apollo bunkers, I guess.”

Now that you think about it, you've always been so busy and invested in questions about Jordan's beliefs that you don't know much about Apollo. “What exactly is Apollo, anyway? What did they do?” Violence chimes in. “Apollo is what we call a mega-corporation. It was only a hypothetical premise before they existed, though. Turned America into a corporatocracy.” You look at him, confused. He sighs and tries to rephrase. “So a corporation is a big business. They make and sell things. And sometimes they get so big, and so powerful, that they buy a country. Used to be called the united states. Now they're just sectors.” You're still a little confused. “How do they sell things?” “God, to live in a communist place like Luna…” Jordan pats your shoulder. “On Earth, things of value cost money. You need to earn money to buy things. That's what Apollo does, at its basic.” You frown. “It's like a parasite.” All 3 applaud and start shouting in unison, all affirming your words. “Exactly,” Lust yells! “Like I said, she's a smart kid! She knows what questions to ask!” Violence shouts back. “They kick and scream about communism and make a communist town for their own! Fucking hypocrites!” Seems like your questions struck a nerve. Amidst all the noise, though, something else catches your eye. “Uh….guys…?” Everyone peers out of the windows. “It's a parasite…”

The dark side of Luna has been completely overrun by a gargantuan mass of black-silver cables. They grow and spread across the surface as if growing and infesting it like a tumor. Your eyes go wide and you press your face against the cold glass. “Son of a bitch. It's even more out of control than we thought.” You look around wildly. “What is that?” Your voice trembles. “What is that fucking thing?!” “It's the megastructure we told you about. But we didn't know it would look like that.” “I thought you knew what you were doing!” Your heart races and you feel faint. Lust flicks a few buttons and gets up from her chair, holding you tight. “We had our guesses. But it's hard to know when we're not on ground zero and when all the Apollo infrastructure is gone.”

You feel betrayed right now. Your home is being swallowed whole by metal tentacles and no one told you. “I promise, we didn't know it would be this bad. We would have told you otherwise.” “Not when you wouldn't listen to me about it, you wouldn't!” Jordan shouts across the cockpit and walks over. “Don't worry Sofia, once we're done here we'll handle the megastructure. Everything will be ok.” Normally you would be less certain about Jordan's reassurances, but you need it now. You nod shakily. “Ok…” There's a long pause, then you realize something. “Wait, that's the megastructure?” Violence speaks now. “Yeah. They called it a megastructure, but it's more alive than it sounds. They planted it like a seed with a particular directive; Make Luna habitable. And it did. Despite everything, I've gotta admit it's damn impressive.” “And what, now it's growing?” He nods. “Basically. We're going to handle it, though, just like Heresy said.” Somehow, you think you remember something about this. “When I was on Luna, there was an option on a computer…the euthanasia protocol…” He shakes his head. “I'm not sure about that. It might have killed the megastructure before this, but now it might just piss it off. And even then, the megastructure is part of Luna's core. If we kill it we might collapse the moon itself.” You stare down at your home hopelessly. There must be a way….

“Just try to relax, Sofia. There's no sense in panicking about it now. We'll have to try and find a solution when we get down there.” You slowly nod. He's right. “Long trip ahead of us. You might want to try and get some sleep in the crew quarters,” Lust says. “I'll make sure you get woken up for the landing.” You quietly nod and walk back to the quarters, for what is sure to be a restless sleep…

NEXT

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[notfinancialadvice]

Fastest + Safest Way to Start a Business

Step 01 of 02: Open an FDIC insured high yield savings account.

Step 02 of 02: Don't touch the money for as long as possible. One could argue a "step 03" would be to have the interest generate for you, but that's not something you are doing, so I have omitted it.

My work comes in one of three general cycles (make art, write, do business stuff) and I'm coming off of a mini "do business stuff" cycle.

This invariably triggers my social media algorithms into ads about Amazon drop shipping, AirBnB shadow hosting or whatever the fuck you want to call it where someone else owns the property and you run it, every Invest Now in Real Estate with No Money scam, every Invest Now in the Stock Market with Our Money sales course... you get the picture.

If you're reading this, you've seen these things.

Here's a better idea if you are opening a business for the sole reason to make money:

Take your $10 - $10,000 or whatever it is, that you want to turn into a business, put it into a savings account, and since it is 2023, collect (in the USA) an extremely safe roughly 4% per year with zero further effort.

A business could possibly make you more than 4%.

It absolutely will be tremendously risky.

It absolutely will be a lot more work than the 2 minutes it takes to open a savings account.

The above also applies to stock market investing.

If you want to run a shop or business because you want to experience x-y-z in the industry, go for it.

If you want to make money, there are a lot of easier paths.

This post is inspired by, was bothering me until I took 10 minutes to write it, by a hundred scam ads shoved into my face while I'm researching thing for my shop + this video, which I generally agree with (I have a few quibble points, they are irrelevant):

[morkhan]

I've seen a lot of negativity and skepticism about the future of OPLA, which, given Netflix's track record, is very much warranted! But I would also like to offer some counters to that line of thinking, some reasons to be genuinely optimistic about the show going forward:

- Stranger Things is ending, and Netflix desperately needs something to replace it. While One Piece definitely has a different tone and genre - action/adventure as opposed to horror/mystery - they target the same demographic; older children to adults. Netflix's other big shows have much narrower appeal (Squid Game - adults, Wednesday - teens)

- Yes, One Piece is very, very long. But the show has already demonstrated an ability to compress and weave together various arcs without it feeling like we're losing too much in the process. And besides that, Game of Thrones demonstrates pretty clearly that audiences will follow a show for as long as it's good. Possibly longer! (Let's be real; the good Game of Thrones ended at season 4)

- Unlike Game of Thrones, there is almost zero chance the show will run out of material to adapt before its source reaches an ending for it to work towards. One Piece the Manga is on the verge of legitimately coming to an end as we speak. The story is very clearly starting to head towards a climax; at some point within the next year or two, it will almost certainly reach its conclusion. Oda is no GRRM, he's been doing this continously for literal decades.

- One Piece is already a merchandising juggernaut. If they properly capitalize on it, Netflix could easily make back the budget they spend on each season in merch alone. Hell, One Piece is the kind of property that could easily support an entire theme park on its own. Any company that ostensibly wants to make money would be a fool to throw that away.

- And finally, even in the absolute worst case scenario, where it turns out Netflix is run by complete idiots who explicitly want to set money on fire, there is almost certainly going to be another media company not run by clowns to put the fire out and pick the show up again because, you know, they like money and would like to make more of it.

In conclusion, I think it's good to be skeptical and to temper your expectations, but we don't need to be doomers about it. There's a lot of legitimate business reasons why Netflix would want to invest a whole lot into One Piece to make sure it succeeds and continues succeeding. I think a lot rides on season 2 to prove that the show wasn't a fluke, and that they can keep churning out the good shit. So until then, let's just sit back and enjoy what we already have without worrying too much about the future.

[fanworldbuildingfun]

I’m 35% into Valhalla and I need to vent a bit I have such a... Love/hate thing for this game???  I mean. From the “Mythology set” it would be my second-favorite, after Origins

(Which is an undisputed leader for the perfect mix of lovely world, lovely protagonists, and heart wrenching story which - most importantly - ties in to the Assassin lore)

Valhalla gets #2 after Origins for a very simple reason: while I may have issues with Eivor (not the writing; I find them pretty fleshed out, but for the moments when story decides to sod your dialogue choices and defaults to prideful hothead), I did not click with Kassandra, whom I decided to start Odyssey with. A little over 15% in, and I switched to Valhalla. I fully intend to see if Alexious would click better, after I’m done with Valhalla

(and just to clarify: I’m playing the “Let the Animus decide” option for Valhalla, co Eivor is female in main parts of game)

Now. One thing I have to mention: I’m a completionist and I’m easily sidetracked by non-mainline quests. Which means that, while I’m doing main plot quests in power level order and I’m only on Oxenefordscire Arc right now, I have a lever 5 settlement and 200 power for Eivor. Which means, I am at this point invested in the role playing aspect of game

And had a lot of time to tinker Eivor to my preferences Now, the thing I am having issues with: I have, as I mentioned, a love/hate situation for Eivor. I*like* how I got them acting at this point, and am managing to rock, more or less, the Hidden One aesthetic and behaviors now. Which yeah, comes with its own issues since you can’t really join the Brotherhood Point is, my Eivor isn’t going in guns blazing. They also aren’t going to get into your face and will consider other options if it’s beneficial for the situation. Even if it doesn’t exactly go with the “Dane” attitude to the problem Which makes the moments where the game goes more linear a problem Case in point, the start of Oxenefordscire. And the dialogue with Sigurd and Basim hit me right into the face. Because my Eivor isn’t going to toss accusations straight at Basim after seeing them act so odd. Not after having spent time running errands with Haytham and exploring old bureaus. The more likely option they’d entertain would be that someone got to both of them But instead, you have Eivor going all “Odin and Loki” in this situation - without any obvious reason?? I mean it would make sense if you play Eivor as the more aggressive type, but I did not. This kind of defeats the purpose for giving us the option to tune Eivor’s behavior - and in a scenario where, subjectively, Sigurd is the one acting more sus than Basim!  (Subjectively because, at this point, one can either see Sigurd as being influenced by sus Basim who has Agenda OR, as Sigurd being unreasonable and Basim appeasing him to avoid confrontation) Anyway. I’m hoping there will be some shifts further on because this has been frustrating me something awful Moreso than Dag being forced as a critic on Eivor while I’m busy running Eivor around and securing us alliances, and making exactly zero claims at being a Jarl (And I did get a bit spoiled beforehand, so with how the entire Dag situation is supposed to play out? I feel like I’ll be feeling all “sod it, I quit, peace out” by the end but without actual ability to do it. Would have been lovely if there was an option to at least have a talk where you seriously consider joining Hidden Ones but alas) ...This is going to get frustrating won’t it. RPG but not quite. I’d say they should have kept RPG elements at Origins level - at least when it comes to dialogue / personality. Call me spoiled but my basis for good RPG dialogue-pick comes from Bioware’s Star Wars games / Dragon Age series. And those won’t fit into Assassin’s Creed, unless we are talking Alternate Universe / Modern Time line game

[paullapotteritsmynameipromise]

Finished Mandalorian season 3 and I really didn’t like it. The reason I liked this show, the reason it saved my love for Star Wars from the disaster that was episode IX, was that it used to be about its characters and their relationship. The story was small and simple, which was refreshing, and the core of it was the developing relationship between Din Djarin and Grogu. Their motivations were clear and I cared about them.

This season expanded the scope exponentially but it completely forgot or refused to establish any compelling motivations, I have zero investment in their quest. It was abundantly obvious what they wanted to do with the season from its start, and the journey there lacked any emotional connection. The whole thing was held together by cool references and fun pew pew pew scenes.

Grogu felt more like a puppet that was there to be cute when the story needed, than an actual character. In part because the father son relationship was left to the side but mainly because the plot needed him to be older, but the toy selling business needed him to remain a cute baby.

Overall I think my biggest issue is that it didn’t feel like its own story anymore, it felt like fragments of many others and that’s a problem. I’m all for transmedia storytelling, wrote papers on it on college and all, but each story needs to feel complete or it becomes impractical. There are just to many things to watch, listen, read and play, if people need to consume everything to enjoy your story, you will end up in big trouble (even if you are star wars, I think).

And that does not mean that you cannot reference other media, or that you need to retell everything all the time. It just means that you need to tell whats relevant to the basic understanding of the story you are telling, and there are ways to do that while still respecting the people who consume everything. The story can have layers.

Also I’m sick of the let’s make more Star Wars to fix previous Star Wars thing. How about we just make good Star Wars?

Anyway, it felt rushed and it felt like it was missing its heart and I’m sad for it because it because it had potential.