#tax preparation chicago

[sysmedsaresexist]

Today we're once again reminded of the levels of cruelty people are capable of.

I missed most of the drama with the bait accounts, but I want to offer some positivity and solace to those affected.

Many of you actually cared about the fake child behind the screen. You wanted to help, you sent kindness and support, and I watched many of you worry in private on discord-- everyone was very realistic about the claims. Obviously they were probably wrong, but goddamn, they needed help.

Don't be embarrassed or ashamed that you fell for it.

You are a good person, who sees good in the world.

You aren't gullible or easily manipulated.

You are still capable of trust, and you should be so proud of yourself for manging to hold on to that trait after everything you've been through.

Don't let this do further damage to you. Don't be angry with yourself, don't lose that faith in the good of humanity.

Don't let sick people trick you into thinking the world is full of only horrible people. Don't let yourself become more skeptical, because that's what they want.

Continue to believe survivors

In Canada, we have a saying.

"Better that someone abuse the system, than for someone who needs it to not have access."

Stay with me, I'm going somewhere with this.

When we talk about Universal Healthcare with Americans, this topic comes up a lot. "But people will abuse the system."

Yes, but more people actually need and use the system appropriately. You can't allow bad people to harm everyone. Everyone loses in that case.

As proof:

We pay less in taxes than Americans, and still get free Healthcare. I take home more money than you, and still get more out of it. The myth that our waitlists are months long is fake and orchestrated by American insurance companies.

Consider, for a second, how your background plays into your beliefs and skepticism regarding these topics. Maybe I was just raised to be more trusting, I don't know.

But I certainly don't think the mindset is harmful.

You can read interviews on the isstd website with clinicians that were working during the satanic panic. One interview stood out to me in particular.

Imagine for a second that you have a patient sitting in front of you. They tell you that they have dreams about being abused by a satanic cult. They give you details of these dreams and you talk through them together. For now, you're focused on how these dreams affect them. Are they losing sleep? Is their daily life affected? Anxiety? They begin to tell you about their paranoia, and how people they recognize are in the dreams.

You probe a bit deeper.

They wonder aloud if maybe it happened in real life.

How do you respond? Really think about how your response will come across.

This was the satanic panic.

The ISSTD didn't find their patients themselves. Doctors from across the world referred their patients to the ISSTD's treatment program in Chicago. The doctors at the ISSTD trusted the referring doctors, who had already done the majority of work and background gathering (meaning the ISSTD met these clients long after they had made their claims, rather than "implanting" those memories themselves). Police were involved trying to sort through all the information to find real culprits. Everyone was terrified. No one knew what was happening or who to trust or believe. It looked real.

In the back of every doctor's mind was the question, "What if they're telling the truth?"

Many doctors didn't believe their clients, but telling them that to their face would be bad practice.

This large scale hysteria was something no one was prepared for. They were flying by the seat of their pants, hoping for the best and that an answer would fall from the sky.

Yes, many of the claims were fake. Whether they were consciously made up, or stand-in pseudomemories for real abuse (a well-documented thing), and the rare cases mixed in that were genuine-- doctors tried to take their clients' claims at face value.

Imagine you tell your doctor about your abuse and they say, "that sounds a bit extreme, I don't think that's possible."

Programmed DID existed before the panic, it exists to this day. Just because you can't find the research doesn't mean it isn't there.

By claiming something specific isn't real, you also discredit the abuse leading up to it.

Let me put it another way, who cares if programmed DID is possible? Organized and ritual abuse is real. Trafficking, CSA films, war crimes, conversion groups, churches. DID is real.

Grey Faction and TST want you to stay in the mindset that it's more important to weed out fakers and malingerers than to trust people in the hopes you help just one person in a real way. They want you to be skeptical of everyone and everything in order to maintain their public image, because if you look too hard, you'll see the terrible things they have done.

GF has a bad habit of being like, "The TST doesn't take part in LARGE SCALE MURDER AND CANNIBALISM, that's not even real, it was debunked during the panic," as if to say anything less severe isn't worthy of note and also must not be real. It's surprisingly effective, and by connecting more absurd ideas with RAMCOA and the ISSTD, they manage to discredit huge swathes of the field.

Some people like to think they took the red pill, and that they've ascended to a higher level of intelligence with a new, better ability to look at things impartially, when they're really just assholes falling for bullshit. They hurt real survivors and still think they're in the right.

It's vile behavior done for cheap kicks and internet brownie points. Even 4chan types wouldn't go that far or be that pathetic.

Who else could look someone in the face and say, "I don't believe you."

They want you to think they're better than you, but which is better?

Outward and vocal skepticism and dismissal, or quiet, thoughtful reflection with the longterm goal of helping this person find their truth?

Some of you would make much better doctors than others.

The bad people aren't the ones "faking" or lying. Those people at mentally ill and still deserving of help.

The bad people are the ones who want to dismiss every claim because one person once lied about it.

Don't lose your faith. Don't let this set you back. We need more people like you.

I'm proud of you for caring about people.

What happened will further stigmatize survivors, it did real damage to people. You're not alone.

Don't let them win, you did the right things.

Stay safe, everyone.

We survived this kind of discourse once on a much larger scale. We'll do it again.

[copperbadge]

Hi Mr Starbuck! Some friends and I are moving in a few months and we're eyeing various places all over the US. Chicago came up as a relatively affordable big city (compared to LA and NYC) and I have to ask the resident Tumblr Chicagoan his opinion. As a resident who lives and works in the windy city, what's your big pros and cons of residing there (especially things you might not encounter as a tourist)? (also, how accurate is your "guide to chicago" still, since its been a few years!)

Well, I definitely have opinions!

The guide to Chicago is no longer accurate -- too many places have closed or moved, and the pandemic altered a lot (for example the Money Museum still exists but I'm not sure if it has regular hours even now). I should do a new one but like, I really don't get out much anymore so I can't talk about restaurants outside of a VERY local area, and I never could talk much about hotels, which just leaves points of interest mostly already covered by Atlas Obscura. :D At this point it'd just be kind of moot, others are doing it better than I am.

Chicago is inexpensive compared to New York or Los Angeles, but like, that's everywhere in America. Chicago is still a quite pricey city to live in, mainly because the taxes are so high -- 10.25% sales tax, for example, and my property taxes are also pretty steep. People joke about Taxachusetts, but I'm pretty sure Chicago at least has it beat (and 2/3 of the state's population lives in Chicago or the outlying suburbs). Housing is not at a premium in the way it is in NY and LA but depending on where you want to live and how far you want to commute it can still be very expensive. My housing was never less than half of my monthly income until I bought this place, and then ONLY because the job I'm in now came with a $10K/yr raise from my last one.

Chicago does have great culture, great museums, great food, and it's a liberal island in a pretty conservative region. It is however quite segregated, so if you are any race other than white, living here can get a little more complicated than I've portrayed it as a white dude. There is significant crime and particularly gun crime, but it's generally confined to specific regions of the city. That said, even if you discount crime, the Chicago PD are corrupt as fuck and uninterested in being helpful, so if you are from a demographic the cops enjoy harassing, it will not be different here.

I do love the city, warts and all. I like the water, I like the people, I like the midwestern vibe. I'd find it very hard to leave, especially because I have a network of friends here, but also because I just plain like it and I know it really well. There is a very short list of cities I'd consider leaving Chicago for, and most of those would have to have a well-paying job waiting for me. But it did take me time to fall in love with it -- it took a few years before it felt like home.

It's a little difficult to get more specific without knowing more about your situation -- what you do for work, what your budget is like, what your goals are in leaving where you are. Do you prefer to drive most places? (Parking and traffic can both get dicey.) Can you tolerate taking public transit if driving is inconvenient? Is the industry in which you work something that has a lot of openings here? Do you want to live in an urban environment, and if so are you prepared to live in a likely somewhat shitty apartment to do so? If you prefer to live in a house, are you prepared for a long commute? What do you like to do for fun and is there a thriving culture for that here? What is it important to have access to -- museums, concerts, theater, sport? Where do you need to travel to regularly (ie, I go to Austin several times a year) and how do you prefer to travel there?

Anyway, yeah -- like, I love it but I have few illusions about it. If you want to chat further feel free to hit me up by email, happy to answer more specific questions!

[misfitwashere]

We thank you, Joe

Tonight is for you

Robert Reich

Aug 19, 2024

Friends,

Tonight’s opening of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago will be an opportunity for the Democratic Party and the nation to take stock of Joe Biden’s term of office and thank him for his service.

He still has five months to go as president, of course, but the baton has been passed.

Biden’s singular achievement has been to change the economic paradigm that reigned since Reagan and return to one that dominated public life between 1933 and 1980 — and is far superior to the one that has prevailed since.

Biden’s democratic capitalism is neither socialism nor “big government.” It is, rather, a return to an era when government organized the market for the greater good.

The Great Crash of 1929 followed by the Great Depression taught the nation a crucial lesson that we forgot after Reagan’s presidency: markets are human creations. The economy that collapsed in 1929 was the consequence of allowing nearly unlimited borrowing, encouraging people to gamble on Wall Street, and permitting the Street to take huge risks with other people’s money.

Franklin D. Roosevelt and his administration reversed this. They stopped the looting of America. They also gave Americans a modicum of economic security. During World War II, they put almost every American to work.

Subsequent Democratic and Republican administrations enlarged and extended democratic capitalism. Wall Street was regulated, as were television networks, airlines, railroads, and other common carriers. CEO pay was modest. Taxes on the highest earners financed public investments in infrastructure (such as the national highway system) and higher education.

America’s postwar industrial policy spurred innovation. The Department of Defense and its Defense Advanced Research Projects Administration developed satellite communications, container ships, and the internet. The National Institutes of Health did trailblazing basic research in biochemistry, DNA, and infectious diseases.

Public spending rose during economic downturns to encourage hiring. Antitrust enforcers broke up AT&T and other monopolies. Small businesses were protected from giant chain stores. Labor unions thrived. By the 1960s, a third of all private-sector workers were unionized. Large corporations sought to be responsive to all their stakeholders.

But then America took a giant U-turn. The OPEC oil embargo of the 1970s brought double-digit inflation followed by Fed Chair Paul Volcker’s effort to “break the back” of it by raising interest rates so high that the economy fell into deep recession.

All of which prepared the ground for Reagan’s war on democratic capitalism. From 1981 onward, a new bipartisan orthodoxy emerged that markets functioned well only if the government got out of the way.

The goal of economic policy thereby shifted from the common good to economic growth, even though Americans already well-off gained most from that growth. And the means shifted from public oversight of the market to deregulation, free trade, privatization, “trickle-down” tax cuts, and deficit reduction — all of which helped the monied interests make even more money.

The economy grew for the next 40 years, but median wages stagnated, and inequalities of income and wealth surged. In sum, after Reagan’s presidency, democratic capitalism — organized to serve public purposes — all but disappeared. It was replaced by corporate capitalism, organized to serve the monied interests.

**

Joe Biden revived democratic capitalism. He learned from the Obama administration’s mistake of spending too little to pull the economy out of the Great Recession that the pandemic required substantially greater spending, which would also give working families a cushion against adversity. So he pushed for and got the giant $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan.

This was followed by a $550 billion initiative to rebuild the nation’s bridges, roads, public transit, broadband, water, and energy systems. He championed the biggest investment in clean energy sources in American history — expanding wind and solar power, electric vehicles, carbon capture and sequestration, and hydrogen and small nuclear reactors. He then led the largest public investment ever made in semiconductors, the building blocks of the next economy. Notably, these initiatives were targeted to companies that employ American workers.

Biden also embarked on altering the balance of power between capital and labor, as had FDR. Biden put trustbusters at the head of the Federal Trade Commission and the Antitrust Division of the Justice Department. And he remade the National Labor Relations Board into a strong advocate for labor unions.

Unlike his Democratic predecessors Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, Biden did not reduce all trade barriers. He targeted them to industries that were crucial to America’s future — semiconductors, electric batteries, electric vehicles. Unlike Trump, Biden did not give a huge tax cut to corporations and the wealthy.

It’s also worth noting that, in contrast with every president since Reagan, Biden did not fill his White House with former Wall Street executives. Not one of his economic advisers — not even his treasury secretary — is from the Street.

The one large blot on Biden’s record is Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden should have been tougher on him — refusing to provide him offensive weapons unless Netanyahu stopped his massacre in Gaza. Yes, I know: Hamas began the bloodbath. But that is no excuse for Netanyahu’s disproportionate response, which has made Israel a pariah and endangered its future. Nor an excuse for our complicity.

***

One more thing needs to be said in praise of Joe Biden. He did something Donald Trump could never do: He put his country over ego, ambition, and pride. He bowed out with grace and dignity. He gave us Kamala Harris.

Presidents don’t want to bow out. Both Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson had to be shoved out of office. Biden was not forced out. He did nothing wrong. His problem is that he was old and losing some of the capacities that dwindle with old age.

Even among people who are not president, old age inevitably triggers denial. How many elderly people do you know who accept that they can’t do the things they used to do or think they should be able to do? How many willingly give up the keys to their car? It’s not surprising he resisted.

Yet Biden cares about America and was aware of the damage a second Trump administration could do to this nation, and to the world. Biden’s patriotism won out over any denial or wounded pride or false sense of infallibility or paranoia.

For this and much else, we thank you, Joe.

[hecatemoon87]

This story will eventually have smut. Minors DNI.

Chapter 4

Summer had come to an end in Chicago. And now the crisp air of autumn started to change the leaves from emerald green to brilliant shades of amber.

Johnny had helped Amelia move into her new apartment almost four weeks ago. They stayed in touch as friends, which was fine with Johnny. He could see she was coping with some pretty traumatic things and decided to focus on his biker club.

He even started having a little fling with one of the biker girls, though to him, it wasn't serious.

Amelia hadn't stopped by Sal's for some time. He wondered if she decided to keep her distance from the activity that caused her mother to physically abuse her.

Either way, he wanted to keep moving on with his life, but hoped Amelia would be okay.

However, one late afternoon, Amelia was suddenly there. Johnny was seated at his usual table, his biker girl sitting on his leg as he played cards. At first, he didn't look over, but once he glanced over and recognized it was her, his mouth went dry.

She was holding two boxes that looked like they were for taxes, and she was heading to the bar's back office. She made eye contact with Johnny and managed to give him a little wave and a smile before disappearing in the back.

Johnny quickly, but gently pushed the biker girl off his leg and stood up. Benny almost fell to the floor laughing, his other friends grinned like a bunch of jackels.

"Hey, what's the big deal?" The petite biker girl said, folding her arms and glaring at Johnny.

"Nothing for you to worry about," he said, adjusting his jacket and glancing in the mirror that shelved the hard liquor behind the bar. He made sure his hair was neat and sat back down at the table, sitting in a way that made the biker girl understand she was no longer welcome to sit on his lap.

After about thirty minutes or so, Amelia came back around the bar. Johnny waved her down and walked her out.

"I haven't seen you in a while. How you doing?" Johnny asked.

"Been busy with work, I got a promotion, so a lot more responsibilities. And also helping Uncle Sal prepare his taxes for next year."

"Congratulations. I'm glad you're doing well," Johnny said earnestly.

"So, um, who was that woman?" She asked, off handedly.

"Who?" Johnny said, not recalling the biker chick.

"The woman that was sitting on your lap?" Amelia said, laughing softly. She moved a lock of hair behind her ear, making Johnny weak in the knees.

"Julie, she's just a friend," he said, then smiled, "Are you jealous?"

"Huh?" Amelia's eyes got wide, and her cheeks grew slightly pink. "Jealous? Oh, I...you know...I didn't..." she said, stammering over her words.

"Amelia, I'd really like to take you on that second date," Johnny said. He knew he needed to take charge of the situation because she would never outright tell him she was interested.

She nibbled on her bottom lip, her honey colored eyes looking deep into his before she quickly looked back down again.

"Yeah, John. I think I'm ready. That'd be great," she said shyly.

"You sure? I'm not rushing you into something you don't want?"

"Yes, John. I'm not that fragile, but thank you for asking," she said.

"I know, I know, just making sure we're on the same page," he said, smiling. "I'll call you, let you know when and where."

"Maybe...I choose this time. I mean...I'd like to choose where we go," she said.

"Yeah, wherever you want to go, Princess," he said.

"Okay. There's an Opera in the city, La Traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi," she said, speaking the Italian flawlessly.

"An Opera?" Johnny asked, not entirely sure what it was. He knew it was like a play and strange singing, but never in his life had he attended one. "Sure, alright"

"Great! I'll get the tickets and call you," she said happily.

Johnny returned to the card table, and Cal delt him into their new card game. "So, you finally get her on the hook again?" He asked.

"Yeah, but I let her choose the place. Now I need to find a suit," Johnny said.

"What? You going to a wedding or something?" Another biker asked.

"Opera," Johhny said.

There was a pause at the table, then an eruption of laughter. Johnny let them have their fun. Hell, he'd laugh, too. But this was Amelia. There was just something about her that pulled him in. And if she wanted to go to the Opera, then that's exactly what they'd do.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Rob Rogers

* * * *

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

January 13, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

JAN 14, 2024

Last night a woman and two children drowned in the Rio Grande that marks the border between the U.S. and Mexico near Eagle Pass, Texas. 

U.S. Border Patrol agents knew that a group of six migrants were in distress in the river but could not try to save them, as they normally would, because troops from the Texas National Guard and the Texas Military Department prevented the Border Patrol agents from entering the area where they were struggling: Shelby Park, a 47-acre public park that offers access to a frequently traveled part of the river and is a place where Border Patrol agents often encounter migrants crossing the border illegally. 

They could not enter because two days ago, on Thursday, Texas governor Greg Abbott sent armed Texas National Guard soldiers and soldiers from the Texas Military Department to take control of Shelby Park. Rolando Salinas, the mayor of Eagle Pass, posted a video on Facebook showing the troops and saying that a state official had told him that state troops were taking “full control” over Shelby Park “indefinitely.” Salinas made it clear that “[t]his is not something that we wanted. This is not something that we asked for as a city.”

The Texas forces have denied United States Border Patrol officials entry into the park to perform their duties, asserting that Texas officials have power over U.S. officials. 

On December 18, Abbott signed into law S.B. 4, a measure that attempts to take into state hands the power over immigration the Constitution gives to the federal government. Courts have repeatedly reinforced that immigration is the responsibility of federal, not state, government, but now, according to Uriel J. García of the Texas Tribune, “some Texas Republicans have said they hope the new law will push the issue back before a U.S. Supreme Court that is more conservative since three appointees of former President Donald Trump joined it.”

On January 3 the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the new law, saying: “Texas cannot run its own immigration system. Its efforts, through S.B. 4, intrude on the federal government’s exclusive authority to regulate the entry and removal of noncitizens, frustrate the United States’ immigration operations and proceedings, and interfere with U.S. foreign relations.” 

Abbott and MAGA Republicans are teeing up the issue of immigration as a key line of attack on President Joe Biden in 2024, but while they are insisting the issue is so important they will not agree to fund Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s 2022 invasion until it is solved, they are also unwilling to participate in discussions to fund more border officers or immigration courts. Today, once again, Biden reminded reporters that he has asked Congress to pass new border measures since he took office, but rather than pass new laws, Republicans appear to be doubling down on pushing the idea that migrants threaten American society and that an individual state—Texas, in this case—can override federal authority.

Abbott has spent more than $100 million of Texas tax dollars to send migrants to cities led by Democrats. These migrants have applied for asylum and are waiting for a hearing; they are in the U.S. legally. In September 2023, Texas stopped coordinating with nonprofits in those cities that prepared for migrant arrivals. 

Yesterday, Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker wrote to Abbott, calling him out for choosing “to sow chaos in an attempt to score political points.” Pritzker noted that Abbott is “sending asylum seekers from Texas to the Upper Midwest in the middle of winter—many without coats, without shoes to protect them from the snow—to a city whose shelters are already overfilled with migrants you sent here.” Chicago’s temperatures are set to drop below zero this weekend, Pritzker wrote, and he “strongly urge[d]” Abbott to stop sending people to Illinois in these conditions. “You are dropping off asylum seekers without alerting us to their arrivals, at improper locations at all hours of the night.”

Pritzker wrote that he supports bipartisan immigration reform but “[w]hile action is pending at the federal level, I plead with you for mercy for the thousands of people who are powerless to speak for themselves. Please, while winter is threatening vulnerable people’s lives, suspend your transports and do not send more people to our state. We are asking you to help prevent additional deaths. We should be able to come together in a bipartisan fashion to urge Congress to act. But right now, we are talking about human beings and their survival. I hope we can at least agree on saving lives right now.”

Speaking on the right-wing Dana Loesch Show last week, Abbott said, “The only thing that we���re not doing is we’re not shooting people who come across the border, because of course the Biden administration would charge us with murder.” 

On January 13, 1833, President Andrew Jackson wrote to Vice President–elect Martin van Buren to explain his position on South Carolina’s recent assertion that sovereign states could overrule federal laws. “Was this to be permitted the government would lose the confidence of its citizens and it would induce disunion everywhere. No my friend, the crisis must be now met with firmness, our citizens protected, and the modern doctrine of nullification and secession put down forever…. [N]othing must be permitted to weaken our government at home or abroad,” he wrote.

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[cardcaptorsakura96]

Masterlist of Written Work

Hi. The following is a list of all the fanfics and original stories that I have done so far. I will also post updates here too. Happy reading!

Series

My Everything: (A Supercorp fanfic series)

Lately: A slice of life story. Lena is trying to balance her life at L-Corp with home life with Kara and her twins. However, things don't always go so smoothly.

Fairy Tales: Lena finally has the work and home life balance that she wants and is excited to get to spend the next two weeks that she has off with the girls while Kara is away. She believes that it will be smooth sailing, but things are not as they seem.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

Sweet Love: Lena is stressed about about family and work decisions that need to be made. Kara believes that a family vacation is in order to get away from everything. However, things don't go according to plan.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

Something Wicked This Way Comes

Kara and Lena's Adventures at Nevermore

World Collectors Trilogy

Unwitting Rescue: Kara Danvers finds a box of kittens on her way to work. Things don't go according to plan.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9/Epilogue

Preparing for the Future: Kara, Lena, and the Zen girls start preparing for the upcoming battle. The training is hard, but they meet interesting new people along the way that will help them on their journey.

Chapter 1

Oneshots

Difference of Taste: This is for the Rewrite Challenge hosted by @choicesprompts This is a rewrite of a scene in the Wednesday tv series using Supergirl characters. Lena and Kara have a difference of opinion of their room and what it means to be roommates.

Something Wicked This Way Comes: The Superkids are participating in a decathlon, but unusual series of events start to happen. This is a part of the 1k word challenge. I got the word smoke. This is in the same world as my series My Everything. Alexa, Liza, Billy, and Zatanna are a couple of years older. You can read this independently of the series. Not sure if I will keep this as a one shot or continue. If you want to see more, let me know!

An Unexpected Journey: Lena is going on a forced vacation with her best friend Sam and her daughter Ruby. However, things don't go exactly as planned when they reached their destination. This story I did is for the AO3 Tag Roulette: July 2023 from Prompt Roulette. The tags that I used from this were the following: Opera singers; sudoku; magnolias; wicked eyes and wicked hearts; fox. I am not sure if I will continue it our not. Let me know in the comments if you want to see more.

Through Susie's Eyes: A doll is given to a teenage girl. Will she treasure it or think it is something trivial?

An Unfortunate Error of Judgement: Amy's whole world changes in an instant.

Lost In Time: Tinker Bell comes across the ultimate lost thing, an alien spaceship crash landed on Neverland.

Taxes, Taxes, Taxes: What if superheroes had to pay a property damage tax every time they had a fight in the city?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23, Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26, Chapter 27, Chapter 28, Chapter 29

About Last Night: Lillian Luthor is eagerly wanting to get to her daughter's destination wedding. However, a couple of detours with the docile Kara Danvers changes her life in a big way.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

Getting To Know You: Kara and Lena run into a familiar face while on a trip to Chicago. Whether it is a good or bad thing remains to be seen.

Two Truths and a Lie: Will a game of two truths and a lie strengthen Kara and Lena's relationship or make it worse?

Midnight Run: Lena is overworked. Luckily, she has Kara in her life to force her into a much-needed break.

Finding Peace-Lex is actively trying to kidnap Lena while she is seven months pregnant. Lillian offers her protection but can Lena and Kara really trust her?

Unknown Glimpse Into The Future- Kara is finally moving in with Lena. However, an unknown box on their doorstep leads to an unexpected surprise.

Everything All At Once- Lena and Kara agree to bring their children over to Lillian's house for Halloween. However, they don't realize that Lillian has a few surprises up her sleeve.

Blackout- Lena arrives home after being kidnapped and tortured by Lex. Right as she tries to calm down, a blackout hits the entire block. Still traumatized from her recent abduction, how will Lena get through this?

A Christmas Miracle-After her last two breakups, Lena doesn't think there is love out there for her. However, will Ruby's wish to Santa make Lena a believer in miracles?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

A Change of Plans: Kara has the perfect wedding proposal planned. However, outside forces altered what she had in mind.

We're All In This Together: Kara, Clark, and Barry are taken off guard by a request by the imp Mxyzptlk: watch over and protect the children of their alternate selves from a different Earth. Will our heroes rise to the occasion?

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7

A Pleasant Ruse: Lena runs into her ex-Andrea who wants her back. Lena panics and tells her that Kara is her girlfriend. Will Kara be willing to help Lena keep up the ruse?

Finding Each Other: Clark Kent always knew he wanted a family. He just always thought it would be traditional like his parents. Little did he know that destiny had something different in store for him.

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

Shortly after wrapping up an inaugural legislative session in 2019 that included hiking the state’s minimum wage, legalizing cannabis and passing a historic $45 billion statewide construction program supported by expanded gambling and a host of increased taxes and fees, Gov. J.B. Pritzker sought to reassure a group of Chicago business leaders that he wasn’t just another tax-and-spend liberal.

Addressing the Executives’ Club of Chicago, Pritzker, a billionaire heir to the Hyatt Hotels fortune and a prominent tech investor, said he would pursue a “rational, pragmatic, progressive agenda” that ultimately would pay dividends for the state budget and Illinois’ economy.

“I’m a businessman. I’m a progressive. I’m a believer in growing the economy and lifting up people’s wages,” Pritzker said at the time.

Now in his second term and preparing to play host to this summer’s Democratic National Convention in Chicago, while also eyeing his own future White House run, Pritzker’s identity as a self-described “pragmatic progressive” is being put to the test. The state faces its most challenging budget outlook since the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor continues to grapple with controversies over his handling of criminal justice issues and leaders on both sides of the political divide say Pritzker’s approach sometimes falls short of fully addressing the state’s biggest problems.

The latest assessment of Pritzker’s strategy will undoubtedly play out in Springfield in the coming weeks.

With March primaries come and gone, work is underway in earnest on approving a state spending plan for the coming budget year before the General Assembly’s scheduled May 24 adjournment. The proposal Pritzker laid out in February attempted to build on past progressive successes — such as last year’s expansion of state-funded preschool programs — without overpromising and potentially jeopardizing the state’s hard-won credit upgrades, a core accomplishment the governor guards jealously.

It’s a balancing act that’s key to Pritzker’s political persona as he builds his national profile, and one that will hinge on the governor’s ability to satisfy Democratic lawmakers who want more money for their legislative priorities while not resorting to the kinds of budgetary gimmicks that created the state’s long-running fiscal instability.

“Obviously the governor and his administration carry forward sort of a number of elements of the core progressive banner in terms of policy and program, and that’s a part of an identity,” said Joe Ferguson, president of the Civic Federation, a nonpartisan budget watchdog. “What is not usually coupled with that identity is fiscal responsibility. … This sort of fiscal responsibility is a kind of kryptonite against the narrative that would usually come from conservatives.”

‘ISN’T ROOM FOR OTHER SPENDING’

While Pritzker promotes the “pragmatic progressive” agenda publicly, he also pushes it privately. In a February text to state Rep. Jehan Gordon-Booth of Peoria, the top budget negotiator for the House Democrats, the governor noted that “almost all of the few new things” he was introducing in his budget plan were at “no cost (or very low cost).”

“There is a bunch of stuff focused on the Black caucus, including addressing maternal mortality,” Pritzker wrote to Gordon-Booth in the message, obtained through an open-records request. “But there really isn’t room for other spending this year.”

Indeed, Pritzker’s plan both dabbles in progressive priorities — a child tax credit and a sales tax measure that will skim some funds away from big retailers — while also keeping an annual increase in school funding to the minimum amount required by law and steering clear of more structural tax changes pushed by progressives.

A few points the governor made in his proposal seemed tailor-made for bipartisan appeal: a $12 million child tax credit for low- and moderate-income families and the elimination of the state’s 1% sales tax on groceries.

While also popular with Republicans, elimination of the grocery tax has progressive appeal because Pritzker has framed it as an effort to abolish a regressive tax that hits those on the lowest rungs of the economic ladder the hardest. It’s also a tax cut that is easier on the state’s bottom line in a tight budget year because revenue from the tax flows not into the state’s coffers but to local governments.

The day after Pritzker’s budget address in February, state Sen. Donald DeWitte, a St. Charles Republican, said he was “thrilled” Pritzker proposed scrapping the grocery tax, but he said the governor should also be devising a way to ensure local governments don’t pass the burden of the lost revenue onto residents. While it’s possible Pritzker could be trying to appease the GOP, the proposal doesn’t go far enough, DeWitte said.

“Any opportunity to take stress off of Illinois families is a good thing,” said DeWitte, a former mayor of St. Charles who also serves as one of the Senate GOP’s budget negotiators. “But there are always ramifications that have to be dealt with, and so far, I don’t think the administration has been willing to deal with the ramifications of simply removing that tax without considering the other side of that revenue equation, which is the hit that will go to local governments.”

The Civic Federation still is evaluating the governor’s budget proposal, including the idea of eliminating the grocery tax, but Ferguson said it’s important to look at that idea in the full context of all the state funds that flow to local governments.

“You have to do the math on what additionally has been sent to the local level with what is essentially being taken away with the grocery tax and see what it amounts to,” Ferguson said. “It amounts to a far less dire situation than the localities appear to be projecting.”

Another idea with the potential to attract Republican support is the child tax credit. But both DeWitte and some progressives find themselves in the odd position of agreeing with each other in supporting the idea but also thinking it could be more ambitious.

“The governor has allocated $12 million for this, and that just doesn’t get you very far,” said state Rep. Will Guzzardi, a Chicago Democrat who co-chairs the House Progressive Caucus.

Democratic state Sen. Mike Simmons of Chicago has introduced a more robust tax credit than the one pitched by Pritzker; it would cover families with children up to age 17, rather than age 3.

Negotiations for the credit, as well as the rest of the budget, are ongoing.

“It was a win that the governor put this in his budget. It allows us to have this discussion at another level,” Simmons said.

TIGHT FISCAL REINS

Several of the governor’s belt-tightening measures — from increasing school funding by the bare minimum to cutting back on state-funded health care for immigrants who are in the country without legal permission — have drawn scrutiny from his political left.

While Pritzker speaks frequently about the importance of education funding and brags about boosting funding for elementary and high schools by more than $1.4 billion since taking office, the reality is that he’s only kept up with the minimum target of increasing state funding by $350 million per year.

Advocates long have warned that those increases are not enough to meet the state’s goals of adequately funding public schools under a state aid formula signed into law in 2017 by his predecessor, Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner.

Failing to go above the minimum increase has been a long-running source of frustration for Rep. Will Davis, a Democrat from south suburban Homewood who was one of the sponsors of the 2017 school funding overhaul and chairs the House Appropriations Committee that oversees K-12 funding.

“We tried to put a trajectory out there to try to get to full funding. And the reality, I don’t think we’ll ever actually get to that,” said Davis, who for years has pushed for at least a $500 million increase annually. “But we have to make bigger strides to at least show that we’re trying to get to what we would call full funding.”

Although Davis notes the education funding formula was crafted when Rauner, not Pritzker, was in office, the Democratic lawmaker said that doesn’t alter his overall message to Pritzker.

“Governor, why not work with us? Let’s make sure that we find the resources so that we can ramp up the funding in a different way,” Davis said a few days after Pritzker pitched his budget.

This year, Pritzker and state lawmakers will face added pressure to boost school funding from the politically progressive Chicago Teachers Union, which has signaled it will be looking to Springfield for more money for Chicago Public Schools as it negotiates a new contract with a City Hall run by its strongest ally, Mayor Brandon Johnson.

Tensions between Pritzker’s progressive ideals and his pragmatic approach also have arisen over state-funded health insurance for older Illinois residents who are in the country without legal permission.

The debate over how to deal with ballooning costs in the program delayed passage of the state budget last year, a dispute between Democratic factions — including Black and Latino lawmakers and moderates and progressives — that was only resolved when Pritzker agreed to a deal that gave his administration the power to rein in the program’s costs.

His moves to close enrollment for younger participants, begin charging co-pays and, more recently, to stop offering the program to green card holders who are in a five-year waiting period for federal Medicaid benefits, have drawn the ire of immigrant rights and health care advocates and some progressive lawmakers.

Last month, for example, Rep. Norma Hernández, a Democrat from Melrose Park elected in 2022 with the backing of progressive stalwart U.S. Rep. Jesús “Chuy” García, criticized the latest move as a “short-term cost-saving measure, not a long-term” solution.

In his proposal, Pritzker suggested spending on the program from the state’s general fund be reduced to $440 million, which is $110 million less than what was committed this fiscal year. But the administration is also proposing spending nearly $200 million more on the program from other funding sources, with much of that money coming from a federal match to emergency services funding.

The maneuvers have created some dissonance between Pritzker’s actions and political rhetoric. In a news release touting the expansion of eligibility to those ages 42 to 54 in 2022, he declared: “From day one of my administration, equity has been — and will always be — our north star. Everyone, regardless of documentation status, deserves access to holistic health care coverage.”

‘GROW THE PIE’

In the longer term, some progressives are looking for additional moves that would bring in more revenue from the richest Illinoisans and large corporations, Guzzardi said.

A tax change for retailers was one example that made it into the proposed budget, Guzzardi said. Pritzker proposed capping the money retailers can keep from sales taxes, essentially resulting in higher taxes for those businesses and more revenue for the state.

Beyond that, progressives have other ideas “about how we could grow the pie,” Guzzardi said.

“The governor’s introduced budgets don’t include those ideas, that’s true. But working within the framework of the dollars that we have, I think the governor has done a really strategic job of investing those dollars in our shared progressive priorities,” he said.

Since Pritzker’s boldest progressive proposal to change the state’s tax structure — a state constitutional amendment to create a graduated-rate income tax — was resoundingly defeated at the ballot box in 2020, thanks in large part to efforts by the state’s business community, the governor has focused on more arcane ways of boosting state tax revenue.

Aside from the retailer sales tax change for next year, an idea that’s been proposed and rejected previously, Pritzker is also suggesting limiting an inflation-based increase in the personal income tax exemption, essentially increasing taxes on individuals by $93 million.

PRISONER REVIEW BOARD TUMULT

The state budget isn’t the only arena in which Pritzker at times has had to triangulate his progressive policy positions with pressures from the political center and the right.

Recent tumult at the state Prisoner Review Board brought the spotlight back on the Pritzker-controlled institution that decides which state prisoners are paroled.

The makeup of the Prisoner Review Board has changed noticeably during Pritzker’s time in office — early on being labeled by Republicans as too liberal and later being criticized by some prisoners’ rights and criminal justice reform advocates for taking too hard of a line and preventing older inmates from getting the paroles they sought, moves conservatives applauded.

But in March the review board became a focus yet again when parolee Crosetti Brand was charged with stabbing 11-year-old Jayden Perkins to death and seriously injuring his mother, with whom Brand used to be in a relationship.

Released on parole in October for a separate crime, Brand was back in state custody in February after he allegedly tried to break into the residence where Jayden and his mother lived. But a three-member review board panel decided to release Brand after determining the panel didn’t have enough evidence from Jayden’s mother’s allegations to keep him behind bars.

Days after the attack made headlines, the board’s chairman, Donald Shelton, and another member resigned.

In announcing one of the resignations, Pritzker said it was clear “that evidence in this case was not given the careful consideration that victims of domestic violence deserve” and suggested reforms could be made to the way the board functions.

For Pritzker, the resignations should be “a feather in his cap,” showing that he’s willing to admit there was a grave mistake within an agency that falls under his purview, said Christopher Mooney, an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

But Mooney also said the board’s actions in the Brand case could entice Republicans or any other detractors to politicize Jayden’s death and use it against Pritzker if he tries to run for president.

It’s been done before, Mooney said, referring most notably to the 1988 presidential election when Republican George H.W. Bush used the early release of Willie Horton, a Massachusetts murderer who went on to commit other crimes, to paint Democrat Michael Dukakis as soft on crime.

Already, Senate Republicans have used Jayden’s death against the governor.

Illinois Sen. Jason Plummer, a Republican from Edwardsville who sits on the Executive Appointments Committee, blamed Pritzker in two lengthy social media threads about the board’s shortcomings, criticisms he echoed at a news conference and in an appearance on Fox News.

Although Pritzker called for additional training for review board members on how to handle cases where domestic violence is involved, the Senate Republicans are pushing for broader changes.

Their proposal includes requiring that appointees to the board have 20 years of experience in the criminal justice system as a prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, judge, probation officer or public defender. The GOP plan also would require victims be immediately notified of a prisoner’s release under certain circumstances and increase transparency requirements for the board.

While Senate Republicans were previously successful in 2022, when crime was a key campaign issue both statewide and nationally, in pressuring Democratic colleagues to oppose a couple of Pritzker’s appointments to the board, it’s unclear whether the GOP’s superminority will be successful again.

But Mooney and other observers have questioned how effective the Republicans will be.

“As it stands right now, it doesn’t sound like it’s going to go very far,” Mooney said the day after the board’s resignations were announced. “No. 1, because Pritzker’s all over it.”

[nice-bright-colors]

Remember When…

In my previous life in Chicago, and I needed to use the weekend hours to attempt to get caught up with the previous work-week bullshit?

Well, now I get to use the weekend, and in fact an observed holiday, in order to get caught up with my Administration Bullshit.

I now understand why the old Bossman had the other people to pick up all the pieces, while he just bought personal shit on the company credit card.

I liked it much better when I wore only one professional hat; architect.

Now I have to wear multiple hats; Owners Rep., Construction Project Manager, Design Team liaison, General Contractor’s liaison, accounts payable, accounts receivable, administrative staff, travel agent, accountant, personal organizer, business organizer, tax preparation organizer, sole bread winner, financial advisor, banking associate….you get the idea.

Starting the New Year off on the Left Foot. Mostly because I metaphorically shot myself in the other one.

Now if I can just figure out a way to easily track all my time working, everyday, so I can bill for all this time spent on my business. That, and easily add 10-15% pad to everything.

[i-had-sex-with-a-shark]

PSA: if you have a KIA or HYUNDAI

MAKE SURE YOU HAVE COMPREHENSIVE CAR INSURANCE

Or any other type of car, really!! Just check!! Make sure!!

If you have comprehensive car insurance and someone steals or attempts to steal your car, your car insurer will pay for your car to be repaired or replaced. If you do not - you will have to pay to repair or replace it by yourself.

CURRENTLY (2022-2023) there is a DRAMATIC increase in Kia and Hyundai car thefts because of a Tik Tok trend.

In Chicago, there is a over 700% increase (I think 723%?) in vehicle thefts.

Some fucking idiots tried to steal my 2010 Kia soul, but were unable to because it's too fucking old. But I don't have comprehensive car insurance (apparently! I thought I did!) so I may have to pay about $500 to get the window replaced and fix the damages to my car. I don't want other people to be in the same position!

Getting your car broken into or vandalized is emotionally taxing enough without the price tag; please take a moment to check if your car has coverage, especially if it's a Kia or Hyundai regardless of if it's affected by the defect or not! They will still try. They're teens.

I hate that it's like this too. But please, even if you park in a garage, make sure you're protected.

It takes 2 minutes for them to get in there and hotwire your car with the vulnerability, so if you go into a store or run inside to get something, your car can be gone when you get back. There are tons of stories on nextdoor in my area of people getting their cars stolen due to this trend - many from their driveways.

I say this not to scare you, but to make sure that you're prepared and don't get stuck with the bill from an event that you can't control.

Do your research. Don't assume you have coverage like I did.

[palmoilnews]

VEGOILS-Palm rises on stronger rival oils, crude prices KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 (Reuters) - Malaysian palm oil futures rose on Friday after the market reopened following a holiday, buoyed by strength in rival oils and crude prices, while a firmer ringgit capped the rise. The benchmark palm oil contract FCPOc3 for January delivery on the Bursa Malaysia Derivatives Exchange gained 67 ringgit, or 1.43%, to 4,763 ringgit ($1,089.68) a metric ton in the early trade. The contract is so far up 3.53% this week, on track for its second consecutive weekly gain. FUNDAMENTALS Dalian's most-active soyoil contract DBYcv1 rose 1.42%, while its palm oil contract DCPcv1 added 1.7%. Soyoil prices on the Chicago Board of Trade BOcv1 were up 1.62%. Palm oil tracks price movements of rival edible oils as it competes for a share in the global vegetable oils market. Oil prices extended gains, climbing more than $1 a barrel to pare weekly losses, as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East rose following reports that Iran was preparing a retaliatory strike on Israel from Iraq in the coming days. Stronger crude oil futures make palm a more attractive option for biodiesel feedstock. The ringgit MYR=, palm's currency of trade, strengthened 0.09% against the U.S. dollar, making the commodity more expensive for buyers holding foreign currencies. Cargo surveyor Intertek Testing Services estimated that exports of Malaysian palm oil products rose 11.5% in October, while AmSpec Agri Malaysia's data is due later in the day. Indonesia raised its crude palm oil reference price for November to $961.97 per metric ton from $893.64 in October, a trade ministry official told Reuters. The new price will put the export tax for November at $124 per ton. MARKET NEWS Asian markets started a likely momentous month on the cautious side, with shares mostly lower and Treasury yields near three-month highs on Friday, while investors wait for U.S. payrolls data, although a rate cut next week is largely baked in.

[dbunicorn]

Too stupid to fix it from here to Chicago &California

Kelly, amber, cher, Teresa, Shannon Stacy????

How many pink shirts and lifelong abusers need tax dollars? How many shitty teachers can you reward?

The feeling is more than mutual fucking weak twat.

Don't eat the tomatoes asshole. How many useless doctors

My first inclination was to never set foot in the fucking hole warped by idiots like naomi klein. Aaron mate. It was 100 % right. I get to see my grandkids. I.fucking loathe the assholes of bc.

[vibranttexas]

Things to Know Before Moving to Texas: A Comprehensive Guide

Texas is a land of vast opportunities, diverse landscapes, and a culture all its own. Whether you're moving for work, seeking adventure, or just ready for a change of pace, the Lone Star State has something to offer everyone. Before you pack up your belongings and head south, here are some things you should know to make your move smoother and more enjoyable.

1. Size Matters

Texas is massive. It’s the second-largest state in the U.S., behind Alaska, and driving from one end to the other can take over 12 hours. That means everything from road trips to daily commutes may involve a lot of driving. Be prepared to spend time behind the wheel, and make sure your vehicle is in top shape!

Pro Tip: Get used to the phrase “everything is bigger in Texas” – because it's true for highways, cities, and even weather events!

2. Diverse Climate

One of the most significant misconceptions about Texas is that it's all desert. In reality, the state has a wide variety of climates, ranging from arid in the west to humid and coastal in the east. Summers can be scorching, particularly in central and southern parts, where temperatures often exceed 100°F. Winters vary from mild in cities like Houston to colder snaps in the Panhandle or Dallas.

Recommendation: Make sure your new home has a reliable air conditioning system and, if you're building a shed or cabin, consider insulation and ventilation to withstand the heat.

3. Cost of Living

Texas is known for having a lower cost of living compared to other states like California and New York. Cities like Houston, San Antonio, and Dallas offer affordable housing options, but costs can be higher in rapidly growing areas like Austin. Property taxes are higher than the national average, which can surprise new residents, especially those moving from states with lower rates.

Fun Fact: Texas has no state income tax! However, that’s balanced by higher property and sales taxes.

4. Texan Pride is Real

Texans are fiercely proud of their state. From the state flag flying high to BBQ cookouts and Friday night football games, the sense of community and local pride is palpable. If you’re moving from out of state, embracing the local culture will help you settle in more smoothly. Learn the basics of Texas history, pick up some local slang, and you’ll fit right in.

5. Job Market and Economy

Texas has a robust economy with thriving industries in technology, energy, healthcare, and agriculture. Cities like Austin have emerged as tech hubs, attracting startups and large companies. Houston remains a global energy leader, particularly in oil and gas. This strong economy, coupled with Texas' friendly business climate, makes it a great place for entrepreneurs and job seekers alike.

6. Outdoor Adventure

If you love the outdoors, Texas won’t disappoint. The state is home to everything from vast plains and deserts to lush forests and stunning coastlines. You can hike in Big Bend National Park, swim in the Gulf of Mexico, or explore the Texas Hill Country. For nature lovers, the opportunities for adventure are endless.

Pro Tip: Invest in a sturdy shed or cabin for your outdoor gear. Having a dedicated space for bikes, fishing equipment, or camping gear will make it easy to take advantage of all that Texas has to offer.

7. Friendly People

You’ll hear this a lot: Texans are friendly. The state's strong sense of hospitality means you’ll likely be greeted with a warm welcome. Neighbors are quick to lend a hand, and people generally look out for one another. Expect to engage in more conversations with strangers than you might be used to – it’s just part of the charm.

8. Transportation and Infrastructure

Texas’ public transportation infrastructure is not as extensive as in places like New York or Chicago. If you’re moving to a big city, like Houston or Dallas, you’ll likely need a car to get around. While some cities, like Austin, are trying to expand public transit, most Texans rely heavily on their vehicles.

A Recommendation for New Texans: Consider a Shed or Cabin

Whether you're settling in a city or a more rural area, having a quality shed or cabin on your property can be incredibly useful. Texans love the outdoors, and with the state's variable climate and vast landscapes, a shed provides valuable storage space and even expands your living area.

Benefits of a Shed or Cabin in Texas:

Storage for Outdoor Equipment: If you plan on hiking, hunting, or enjoying water activities, a shed is a great place to store all your gear.

Extra Living Space: Many Texans use sheds as guest cabins, workshops, or even home offices. With a bit of insulation and some creative touches, a shed can become a cozy space for you or your guests.

Weather Protection: Texas weather can be unpredictable. High-quality sheds are built to withstand the heat, wind, and rain. Make sure to invest in a shed with durable materials to protect your belongings year-round.

Customization: Cabin sheds are incredibly customizable, whether you want a rustic, countryside look or a more modern, practical design. You can add ventilation, insulation, windows, and even solar panels to enhance the usability of the space.

Conclusion

Moving to Texas is an exciting adventure, but there are a few things to keep in mind as you make the transition. From the hot summers to the warm hospitality, Texas has a lot to offer, and knowing what to expect will make your move much smoother. And as you settle in, consider adding a shed or cabin to your property. Not only will it add value, but it will also make life in Texas a little more comfortable and organized.

Welcome to Texas, y’all!

[goldstone-financial-group]

About Goldstone Financial Group And Its Management

Guarding and caring for money or funds is in no way a small task, not to mention in this world that continues to become more cutthroat and expensive. Well, let’s be thankful for such agencies as the Goldstone Financial Group for offering the management of his/her finances and tax, as well as other matters to do with investment. 

Goldstone Financial Group is an organization based in Chicagoland and the greater Nashville region in America and its purpose is to satisfy the needs of the people with the right financial products. Under the law, any fiduciary including Goldstone Financial or an individual who started the firm must do so as much as he/she can for the benefit of the client. What comes out of this is that there are quite many differences that can be noted to exist between them and deciding to focus on those who work as an advisor exposes the undertaker to special fiduciary duties which are not necessarily applicable to other FIG investors. 

Goldstone Financial is a company; that recommends what should be done concerning retirement and its income as well as hiding the qualities. We will always ensure that the needs of the client are met and at the same time the client makes more profits more frequently in the future and where these profits come with associated losses, such losses will be paid within the shortest time possible on the client’s behalf. 

Goldstone Services is an experienced company that is already functioning in the sphere of providing the necessary financial services to solve people’s and families’ financial issues, as well as making necessary preparations for retirement and investing money in the final stage of working activity. In comparison to most firms where the focus is placed on the investments, Goldstone Financial does not concentrate primarily on the investment but there are certain areas that receive more attention from the company. 

Requirement of Financial Planning

It is therefore important that everyone who is planning to retire or has already retired undertake retirement planning. It implies taking a critical look at all the potential sources of income and coming up with a plan that ensures one has a consistent source of income for the rest of his or her life. What the plan should do is guarantee that fundamental costs will be met while also enabling the achievement of suitable personal priorities. Goldstone Financial Group focuses on creating such kinds of retirement plans for you so that you can live a worthy life in retirement as you deserve upon making such sacrifices.

About the Management

Regarding the management, there are some discussions concerning the propensity of details and info regarding the owners of the bar Anthony Pellegrino and Brian Korienek. Most users come to our website with such a question in their mind, and they would like to know more about such owners as Anthony Pellegrino and Brian Korienek, asking themselves how old are these gentlemen. The answer to this question is that Anthony Pellegrino is 47 years old whereas Brian Korienek is 34 years old. 

Anthony Pellegrino is the top executive of Goldstone Financial Group and develops suitable plans to meet the goals of the client’s projects. It is owed to him that the company’s encouraging promise of providing consistent profits, no matter the volatile environment and unpredictable prices, is in place. Anthony Pellegrino in Nashville TN, is very happily married and he has three sons. He is kind and at times goes further in trying to support the U. S. military. He is an empath and is also proactively participating in different local charitable trusts of Chicagoland. 

It is for this reason that in 2011, Brian Korienek landed a job as an analyst at the Chicago Board of Trade for an agricultural commodities company. In as much as he admires the fact of being a specialist in his line of formation, he enjoys finance and the stock market but dislikes vendors or sellers, he loves people hence the reason he took up the post of an advisor. Brian Korienek is a fiduciary advisor from Illinois having a life & health insurance license & has done series 7 & 66 licenses. He has made an appearance on Fox 32 Chicago, and can also be heard on a radio show on WLS 890AM titled Securing His client’s financial future. Brian particularly enjoys designing the most efficient investment strategy down to the character of his clients, and he has developed this aspect over the years to deliver complete and comprehensive wealth management. 

Brian Koreienek is also engaged in many socio-conscious activities in the same way as Anthony Pellegrino for which he and his family are very much interested. Some of them include the following; American Cancer Society. 

[agentcable]

Chicago Fire Season 5 Ep. 22 "My Miracle"

In the Season 5 finale, a warehouse fire puts the team at risk; Dawson's dad overstays his welcome; Casey fights for his first responders bill; Mouch makes a major life decision; and Herrmann goes to tremendous lengths to make a young boy smile.

If you want to watch the series for yourself, stop reading! This post contains spoilers to the storyline.

Alderman Mark Blakeslee says Alderman Matt Casey wants to give tax dollars to his friends in the CFD. He plans to stop Casey. Matt Casey says he's not a typical politician, but a firefighter for the CFD. People aren't impressed and say they need funding for schools, not for his friends. He tries to calm the crowd, but they won't let him speak.

He goe shome to his fathre-in-law, Ramon Dawson, and asks him to watch TV with him, but he says he's tired. Ramon teases him, saying it would be great if he could buy skim milk instead of 2%. Matt goes to bed and asks Gabby how long her father will stay. Gabby isn't sure. She welcomes him to life with the Dawsons.

Mouch asks Joe Cruz if he can speak with him. It's clear Cruz hasn't forgiven him for the 60-day suspension. Lt. Kelly Severide watches the awkward exchange. The alarm sounds. The crews are called out to a vehicle accident.

As Otis drives the rig to the scene, he asks Casey if it's normal to leave the south side of the bridge up. Matt tells Otis to put out the fire while Herrmann climbs onto the van to comfort the boy inside. Herrmann climbs into the van, but his crew runs out of extinguishers as the flames spread and the other crew is 5 minutes out. Mouch sets up the ladder and Matt tells Herrmann they have to move. He apologizes to the boy and yanks him up to safety. Gabby and Sylvie attend to their young patient, Hogan, who is upset that all his cards are inside the burning van. Herrmann learns they were autographed Cubs cards.

Backt at the firehouse, Mouch talks to Cruz in the coat room. Mouch says he tried his best and is sorry, but Cruz says he trusted him and now knows he's out of touch. He has to tell his brother he can't go to college next semester. He tells Mouch he tried, but he can't make the call. Mouch is speechless.

Herrmann asks Gabby how the boy is from the accident. She says he has a bad fracture and may need surgery. Matt asks for a date. Gabby says he needs his daughter, but Matt says he needs tough love. They disagree, and Gabby storms off.

Matt shares his problems with Severide, who laughs at him. Matt asks Severide to ask his wife how long her dad is staying. Matt changes the subject to ask about Cruz. Severide thinks Matt is out of touch, but Matt is trying to do the right thing. He just needs time off. Alarms sound for the ambulance. Matt says they should do this more often because life is short. Severide agrees and Matt apologizes for making him think about Anna.

Gabby and Sylvie arrive at the call and learn the police were called because the tenant is whipping someone. Gabby kicks in the door. They find their patient whipping himself with a cat of nine tails. CPD rush in after he shoves Sylvie. Gabby and Sylvie restrain the man and give him a sedative. They tape him up and prepare to transfer him.

Tamara Jones meets with Matt. Blake wants the gold coast beach renovation funds. He's making it look like a firefighter wants a first responder bill. Matt says Mark Blakeslee is presenting next week, but Matt hasn't had a chance to present to the full council. Tamara tells Matt to give Blakeslee what he wants so Matt can get what he wants. He tells Tamara to tell him how it goes at the next town hall.

Chief Wallace Boden tells Severide that if they don't keep an extra man on Squad 3's roster, having Jason Kannell makes it complicated. Boden leaves it up to Severide to choose who goes into the floater pool. Severide agrees that the best man gets the job. He sees some of the squad looking at the table but notices Cruz alone outside. Severide asks Cruz if he's okay. Cruz says he's okay, but Severide thinks he's not. Cruz says he's there and looks away. Severide thanks him and walks away as Cruz calls his brother, Leon.

Mouch learns he can have the job Nick told him about, selling gas detectors. He is told the complany plans to expand to clothing and boots. Mouch nods. He says it's a great opportunity and gives him until the end of the week to decide. Nick leaves as Mouch listens to everyone laughing in the other room.

Herrmann visits Hogan at Chicago med. He has a Cubs cap. They sit together, laughing about the Cubs winning the World Series. Herrmann promises to get him the cards he lost in the car fire, but Hogan suddenly has a seizure and stops breathing. It seems he had a bad reaction to some of his medication.

Cindy follows the noise to her basement and sees Herrmann has made a mess. He learns his baseball cards are gone because he sold them in 2002. He says "Utah", but you can see he's determined. The next day, Herrmann goes to Wrigley Field and tries to bribe the security guard with cookies his wife made.

Meanwhile, Ramon keeps drinking beer. Sylvie says they should name a bar stool after him.

Cruz is drinking shots at another table. Severide says he should slow down, but Cruz says he doesn't have to pay since Mouch will. Severide tells him to calm down or leave. Cruz yells at Severide, "Loud and clear, Lieutenant," and leaves. Herrmann looks annoyed and concerned.

Oliver meets Matt, who says he's doing this for the city and not for himself. Matt says he'll help Oliver as long as he can help his people. He'll support Matt at the town hall tomorrow. They shake hands and agree to help each other. Then a drunk Ramon comes to their table saying Gabby and Matt have told him about Oliver and his double dealing. Matt tries to stop him, but Ramon says Matt thought he was disgusting. Oliver tells Alderman Casey to keep his bill and leaves Molly's. Ramon tells him to leave. Matt is angry at Gabby. He says he'll find another place to sleep.

After the bar closes, Herrmann asks Mouch what he thinks. Moch talks about Scott Bell, a great firefighter who died in the Superior fire. Herrmann says only three of the 30 in his class are still working. The rest have retired or died. Herrmann says he shouldn't let Cruz get to him. Mouch says it's about him, not Cruz. He feels old and asks what he's doing. Herrmann says he's doing what he was born to do. Sgt. Trudy Platt comes to see what her husband is doing. Mouch and Trudy sit. He says it's time. She smiles and nods. Mouch looks at photos in his locker and sighs.

Gabby says Matt is selfish for not coming home. He says he texted her, saying he was sleeping at Severide's. She closes the office door and says this isn't how marriage works. They talk, and Matt says she isn't listening. He's angry that his bill will probably die today thanks to her father. Herrmann interrupts, asking if they can go for a ride. Matt tells Herrmann to do what he has to do.

Sylvie finds Gabby upset in the bathroom. She says Ramon is staying at their house and Matt left without coming home. Gabby says her dad has been mean, but it's hard to see him fall apart in front of her. Sylvie says she needs to tell Matt right away.

Hogan is released from the hospital and his friends greet him with the fire truck. Herrmann says he wants to give him a ride on the firetruck. His parents say it's okay. When asked where they're going, Herrmann says they're finishing what he started and tells Otis to go.

Oliver is trash talking Alderman Casey at town hall when Matt shows up in his fireman gear. He says the bill has nothing to do with being a fireman, but with being a human being. He says first responders should know the city has their backs in case of an emergency. He admits some men and women who answer the call don't come home. He likes being a firefighter, but his job has gotten in the way of being an alderman and a husband. That isn't okay for the best city in America. He says he's stepping down as Alderman and nominates Tamara Jones as his replacement. He urges them to vote for her because she'll be heard. He tells her to speak to the crowd, and she does. The crowd claps and cheers.

Herrmann takes Hogan to Wrigley Field, where he meets Kris Bryant. Bryant signs Hogan's cast. He meets Arrieta and Tirico. Hogan asks Herrmann to sign his cast. They learn of a fire and race off.

All crews arrive. Mouch tells Herrmann this is his last shift because he is retiring. Boden says they have four minutes in the building. Matt looks at Gabby before rushing inside. Severide and his team go the other way. They rush through the burning building to get people out. There's an explosion, and Boden orders everyone to leave. Herrmann yells for Mouch to get out, but he collapses. Herrmann yells "Mayday" and thinks Mouch is having a heart attack. Herrmann starts CPR, and Boden tells Cruz to stop. Cruz wants to go back in to help Matt with a patient. There is another explosion, trapping them. Boden learns Severide can't help them. Sylvie tells Gabby to stay focused.

Herrmann says they're trapped by fire after the last explosion. Cruz says they can get them out. He tells Capp and Tony to get a hose line and runs towards the building with Cruz until a fireball stops them. Cruz screams "No!" as Boden holds him back. Boden tells Herrmann to leave Mouch and orders Matt to evacuate. Severide and his team try to break through the brick wall as Cruz says he has to leave. Herrmann can't talk, and Cruz cries, saying he's sorry and he can't die. The building is on fire. Gabby watches in horror. Herrmann shouts "NO" as he looks at Mouch. Matt watches the wall bubble and says there's no exit. Matt asks Gabby to speak with him. He removes his mask and says she means a lot to him. He says he wants to hear her voice. She tells him to put his mask on and leave. He says she's the best thing that's ever happened to him. She begs him not to say it, but he wants her to remember them happy. He says she's his miracle as she cries. He loves her as the fire surrounds him.

[heartlandfundinginc]

Inheriting a house can quickly turn from a blessing to a burden if you're not prepared. Issues such as property taxes, maintenance costs, and family disputes are common. Discover what can go wrong when you inherit a house in Rockford and how to handle these challenges.

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Tax Preparer Sentenced After Filing 900+ False Income Tax Returns

Tax Preparer Sentenced After Filing 900+ False Income Tax Returns

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