#title loans west

[batboyblog]

Things the Biden-Harris Administration Did This Week #29

July 26-August 2 2024

President Biden announced his plan to reform the Supreme Court and make sure no President is above the law. The conservative majority on the court ruled that Trump has "absolute immunity" from any prosecution for "official acts" while he was President. In response President Biden is calling for a constitutional amendment to make it clear that Presidents aren't above the law and don't have immunity from prosecution for crimes committed while in office. In response to a wide ranging corruption scandal involving Justice Clarence Thomas, President Biden called on Congress to pass a legally binding code of ethics for the Supreme Court. The code would force Justices to disclose gifts, refrain from public political actions, and force them to recuse themselves from cases in which they or their spouses have conflicts of interest. President Biden also endorsed the idea of term limits for the Justices.

The Biden Administration sent out an email to everyone who has a federal student loan informing them of upcoming debt relief. The debt relief plan will bring the total number of a borrowers who've gotten relief from the Biden-Harris Administration to 30 million. The plan is due to be finalized this fall, and the Department of Education wanted to alert people early to allow them to be ready to quickly take advantage of it when it was in place and get relief as soon as possible.

President Biden announced that the federal government would step in and protect the pension of 600,000 Teamsters. Under the American Rescue Plan, passed by President Biden and the Democrats with no Republican votes, the government was empowered to bail out Union retirement funds which in recent years have faced devastating cut of up to 75% in some cases, leaving retired union workers in desperate situations. The Teamster union is just the latest in a number of such pension protections the President has done in office.

President Biden and Vice-President Harris oversaw the dramatic release of American hostages from Russia. Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan held since 2018, Russian-American reporter for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Alsu Kurmasheva convicted of criticizing the Russian Military, were all released from captivity and returned to the US at around midnight August 2nd. They were greeted on the tarmac by the President and Vice-President and their waiting families. The deal also secured the release of German medical worker Rico Krieger sentenced to death in Belarus, Russian-British opposition figure Vladimir Kara-Murza, and 11 Russians convicted of opposing the war against Ukraine or being involved in Alexei Navalny's anti-corruption organization. Early drafts of the hostage deal were meant to include Navalny before his death in Russian custody early this year.

A new Biden Administration rule banning discrimination against LGBT students takes effect, but faces major Republican resistance. The new rule declares that Title IX protects Queer students from discrimination in public schools and any college that takes federal funds. The new rule also expands protections for victims of sexual misconduct and pregnant or parenting students. However Republican resistance means the rule can't take effect nation wide. Lawsuits from Republican controlled states, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming, means the new protections won't come into effect those states till the case is ruled on likely in a Supreme Court ruling. The Biden administration crafted these Title IX rules to reflect the Supreme Court's 2020 Bostock case.

The Biden administration awarded $2 billion to black and minority farmers who were the victims of historic discrimination. Historically black farmers have been denied important loans from the USDA, or given smaller amounts than white farmers. This massive investment will grant 23,000 minority farmers between $10,000 and $500,000 each and a further 20,000 people who wanted to start farms by were improperly denied the loans they needed between $3,500-$6,000 to get started. Most payments went to farmers in Mississippi and Alabama.

The Biden Administration took an important step to stop the criminalization of poverty by changing child safety guidelines so that poverty alone isn't grounds for taking a child into foster care. Studies show that children able to stay with parents or other family have much better outcomes then those separated. Many states have already removed poverty from their guidelines when it comes to removing children from the home, and the HHS guidelines push the remaining states to do the same.

Vice-President Harris announced the Biden Administration's agreement to a plan by North Carolina to forgive the state's medical debt. The plan by Democratic Governor Roy Cooper would forgive the medical debt of 2 million people in the state. North Carolina has the 3rd highest rate of medical debt in the nation. Vice-President Harris applauded the plan, pointing out that the Biden Administration has forgiven $650 million dollars worth of medical debt so far with plans to forgive up to $7 billion by 2026. The Vice-President unveiled plans to exclude medical debt from credit scores and issued a call for states and local governments to forgive debt, like North Carolina is, last month.

The Department of Transportation put forward a new rule to bank junk fees for family air travel. The new rule forces airlines to seat parents next to their children, with no extra cost. Currently parents are forced to pay extra to assure they are seated next to their children, no matter what age, if they don't they run the risk of being separated on a long flight. Airlines would be required to seat children age 13 and under with their parent or accompanying adult at no extra charge.

The Department of Housing and Urban Development announced it is giving $3.5 billion to combat homelessness. This represents the single largest one year investment in fighting homelessness in HUD's history. The money will be distributed by grants to local organizations and programs. HUD has a special focus on survivors of domestic violence, youth homeless, and people experiencing the unique challenges of homelessness in rural areas.

The Treasury Department announced that Pennsylvania and New Mexico would be joining the IRS' direct file program for 2025. The program was tested as a pilot in a number of states in 2024, saving 140,000 tax payers $5.6 million in filing charges and getting tax returns of $90 million. The program, paid for by President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, will be available to all 50 states, but Republicans strong object. Pennsylvania and New Mexico join Oregon and New Jersey in being new states to join.

Bonus: President Biden with the families of the released hostages calling their loved ones on the plane out of Russia

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Sympathy for the spammer

Catch me in Miami! I'll be at Books and Books in Coral Gables on Jan 22 at 8PM.

In any scam, any con, any hustle, the big winners are the people who supply the scammers – not the scammers themselves. The kids selling dope on the corner are making less than minimum wage, while the respectable crime-bosses who own the labs clean up. Desperate "retail investors" who buy shitcoins from Superbowl ads get skinned, while the MBA bros who issue the coins make millions (in real dollars, not crypto).

It's ever been thus. The California gold rush was a con, and nearly everyone who went west went broke. Famously, the only reliable way to cash out on the gold rush was to sell "picks and shovels" to the credulous, doomed and desperate. That's how Leland Stanford made his fortune, which he funneled into eugenics programs (and founding a university):

https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/malcolm-harris/palo-alto/9780316592031/

That means that the people who try to con you are almost always getting conned themselves. Think of Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) scams. My forthcoming novel The Bezzle opens with a baroque and improbable fast-food Ponzi in the town of Avalon on the island of Catalina, founded by the chicle monopolist William Wrigley Jr:

http://thebezzle.org

Wrigley found fast food declasse and banned it from the island, a rule that persists to this day. In The Bezzle, the forensic detective Martin Hench uncovers The Fry Guys, an MLM that flash-freezes contraband burgers and fries smuggled on-island from the mainland and sells them to islanders though an "affiliate marketing" scheme that is really about recruiting other affiliate markets to sell under you. As with every MLM, the value of the burgers and fries sold is dwarfed by the gigantic edifice of finance fraud built around it, with "points" being bought and sold for real cash, which is snaffled up and sucked out of the island by a greedy mainlander who is behind the scheme.

A "bezzle" is John Kenneth Galbraith's term for "the magic interval when a confidence trickster knows he has the money he has appropriated but the victim does not yet understand that he has lost it." In every scam, there's a period where everyone feels richer – but only the scammers are actually cleaning up. The wealth of the marks is illusory, but the longer the scammer can preserve the illusion, the more real money the marks will pump into the system.

MLMs are particularly ugly, because they target people who are shut out of economic opportunity – women, people of color, working people. These people necessarily rely on social ties for survival, looking after each others' kids, loaning each other money they can't afford, sharing what little they have when others have nothing.

It's this social cohesion that MLMs weaponize. Crypto "entrepreneurs" are encouraged to suck in their friends and family by telling them that they're "building Black wealth." Working women are exhorted to suck in their bffs by appealing to their sisterhood and the chance for "women to lift each other up."

The "sales people" trying to get you to buy crypto or leggings or supplements are engaged in predatory conduct that will make you financially and socially worse off, wrecking their communities' finances and shattering the mutual aid survival networks they rely on. But they're not getting rich on this – they're also being scammed:

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4686468

This really hit home for me in the mid-2000s, when I was still editing Boing Boing. We had a submission form where our readers could submit links for us to look at for inclusion on the blog, and it was overwhelmed by spam. We'd add all kinds of antispam to it, and still, we'd get floods of hundreds or even thousands of spam submissions to it.

One night, I was lying in my bed in London and watching these spams roll in. They were all for small businesses in the rustbelt, handyman services, lawn-care, odd jobs, that kind of thing. They were 10 million miles from the kind of thing we'd ever post about on Boing Boing. They were coming in so thickly that I literally couldn't finish downloading my email – the POP session was dropping before I could get all the mail in the spool. I had to ssh into my mail server and delete them by hand. It was maddening.

Frustrated and furious, I started calling the phone numbers associated with these small businesses, demanding an explanation. I assumed that they'd hired some kind of sleazy marketing service and I wanted to know who it was so I could give them a piece of my mind.

But what I discovered when I got through was much weirder. These people had all been laid off from factories that were shuttering due to globalization. As part of their termination packages, their bosses had offered them "retraining" via "courses" in founding their own businesses.

The "courses" were the precursors to the current era's rise-and-grind hustle-culture scams (again, the only people getting rich from that stuff are the people selling the courses – the "students" finish the course poorer). They promised these laid-off workers, who'd given their lives to their former employers before being discarded, that they just needed to pull themselves up by their own boostraps:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/10/declaration-of-interdependence/#solidarity-forever

After all, we had the internet now! There were so many new opportunities to be your own boss! The course came with a dreadful build-your-own-website service, complete with an overpriced domain sales portal, and a single form for submitting your new business to "thousands of search engines."

This was nearly 20 years ago, but even then, there was really only one search engine that mattered: Google. The "thousands of search engines" the scammers promised to submit these desperate peoples' websites to were just submission forms for directories, indexes, blogs, and mailing lists. The number of directories, indexes, blogs and mailing lists that would publish their submissions was either "zero" or "nearly zero." There was certainly no possibility that anyone at Boing Boing would ever press the wrong key and accidentally write a 500-word blog post about a leaf-raking service in a collapsing deindustrialized exurb in Kentucky or Ohio.

The people who were drowning me in spam weren't the scammers – they were the scammees.

But that's only half the story. Years later, I discovered how our submission form was getting included in this get-rich-quick's mass-submission system. It was a MLM! Coders in the former Soviet Union were getting work via darknet websites that promised them relative pittances for every submission form they reverse-engineered and submitted. The smart coders didn't crack the forms directly – they recruited other, less business-savvy coders to do that for them, and then often as not, ripped them off.

The scam economy runs on this kind of indirection, where scammees are turned into scammers, who flood useful and productive and nice spaces with useless dross that doesn't even make them any money. Take the submission queue at Clarkesworld, the great online science fiction magazine, which famously had to close after it was flooded with thousands of junk submission "written" by LLMs:

https://www.npr.org/2023/02/24/1159286436/ai-chatbot-chatgpt-magazine-clarkesworld-artificial-intelligence

There was a zero percent chance that Neil Clarke would accidentally accept one of these submissions. They were uniformly terrible. The people submitting these "stories" weren't frustrated sf writers who'd discovered a "life hack" that let them turn out more brilliant prose at scale.

They were scammers who'd been scammed into thinking that AIs were the key to a life of passive income, a 4-Hour Work-Week powered by an AI-based self-licking ice-cream cone:

https://pod.link/1651876897/episode/995c8a778ede17d2d7cff393e5203157

This is absolutely classic passive-income brainworms thinking. "I have a bot that can turn out plausible sentences. I will locate places where sentences can be exchanged for money, aim my bot at it, sit back, and count my winnings." It's MBA logic on meth: find a thing people pay for, then, without bothering to understand why they pay for that thing, find a way to generate something like it at scale and bombard them with it.

Con artists start by conning themselves, with the idea that "you can't con an honest man." But the factor that predicts whether someone is connable isn't their honesty – it's their desperation. The kid selling drugs on the corner, the mom desperately DMing her high-school friends to sell them leggings, the cousin who insists that you get in on their shitcoin – they're all doing it because the system is rigged against them, and getting worse every day.

These people reason – correctly – that all the people getting really rich are scamming. If Amazon can make $38b/year selling "ads" that push worse products that cost more to the top of their search results, why should the mere fact that an "opportunity" is obviously predatory and fraudulent disqualify it?

https://pluralistic.net/2023/11/29/aethelred-the-unready/#not-one-penny-for-tribute

The quest for passive income is really the quest for a "greater fool," the economist's term for the person who relieves you of the useless crap you just overpaid for. It rots the mind, atomizes communities, shatters solidarity and breeds cynicism:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/24/passive-income/#swiss-cheese-security

The rise and rise of botshit cannot be separated from this phenomenon. The botshit in our search-results, our social media feeds, and our in-boxes isn't making money for the enshittifiers who send it – rather, they are being hustled by someone who's selling them the "picks and shovels" for the AI gold rush:

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/03/botshit-generative-ai-imminent-threat-democracy

That's the true cost of all the automation-driven unemployment criti-hype: while we're nowhere near a place where bots can steal your job, we're certainly at the point where your boss can be suckered into firing you and replacing you with a bot that fails at doing your job:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/11/robots-stole-my-jerb/#computer-says-no

The manic "entrepreneurs" who've been stampeded into panic by the (correct) perception that the economy is a game of musical chairs where the number of chairs is decreasing at breakneck speed are easy marks for the Leland Stanfords of AI, who are creating generational wealth for themselves by promising that their bots will automate away all the tedious work that goes into creating value. Expect a lot more Amazon Marketplace products called "I'm sorry, I cannot fulfil this request as it goes against OpenAI use policy":

https://www.theverge.com/2024/1/12/24036156/openai-policy-amazon-ai-listings

No one's going to buy these products, but the AI picks-and-shovels people will still reap a fortune from the attempt. And because history repeats itself, these newly minted billionaires are continuing Leland Stanford's love affair with eugenics:

https://www.truthdig.com/dig-series/eugenics/

The fact that AI spam doesn't pay is important to the fortunes of AI companies. Most high-value AI applications are very risk-intolerant (self-driving cars, radiology analysis, etc). An AI tool might help a human perform these tasks more accurately – by warning them of things that they've missed – but that's not how AI will turn a profit. There's no market for AI that makes your workers cost more but makes them better at their jobs:

https://locusmag.com/2023/12/commentary-cory-doctorow-what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/

Plenty of people think that spam might be the elusive high-value, low-risk AI application. But that's just not true. The point of AI spam is to get clicks from people who are looking for better content. It's SEO. No one reads 2000 words of algorithm-pleasing LLM garbage over an omelette recipe and then subscribes to that site's feed.

And the omelette recipe generates pennies for the spammer that posted it. They are doing massive volume in order to make those pennies into dollars. You don't make money by posting one spam. If every spammer had to pay the actual recovery costs (energy, chillers, capital amortization, wages) for their query, every AI spam would lose (lots of) money.

Hustle culture and passive income are about turning other peoples' dollars into your dimes. It is a negative-sum activity, a net drain on society. Behind every seemingly successful "passive income" is a con artist who's getting rich by promising – but not delivering – that elusive passive income, and then blaming the victims for not hustling hard enough:

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/12/blueprint-trouble

I'm Kickstarting the audiobook for The Bezzle, the sequel to Red Team Blues, narrated by @wilwheaton! You can pre-order the audiobook and ebook, DRM free, as well as the hardcover, signed or unsigned. There's also bundles with Red Team Blues in ebook, audio or paperback.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/15/passive-income-brainworms/#four-hour-work-week

Image: Cryteria (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:HAL9000.svg

CC BY 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en

[yvanspijk]

Frigg's day

Friday comes from Old English Frīġedæġ, literally 'day of Frīġ', the Germanic goddess of love. Frīġedæġ stemmed from West Germanic *Frījā dag, a loan translation of Latin Veneris diēs (which became venerdì in Italian, vendredi in French, and viernes in Spanish). The West Germanic peoples equated the Roman goddess Venus with their *Frīju. Listen to how the day name evolved.

Frigg and Freyja

The Old Norse counterpart of *Frīju was Frigg. Both names stem from Proto-Germanic *Frijjō, a derivation of the adjective *frijaz ('beloved; free'), the ancestor of free. The word friend is also related: it comes from *frijōndz ('loving one').

*Frijjō became Frigg in Old Norse because of a sound change that turned /jj/ (a long y sound, as in hay-yield) into /gg/ (as in egg group). Compare *ajjan > egg, which was borrowed into English and supplanted native ey.

The names *Frīju and Frigg are often confused with Old Norse Freyja, but these words aren't etymologically related in any way. Freyja stems from Proto-Germanic *frawjōn ('lady'), a word that became Frau in German, vrouw in Dutch, and frou in Frisian. In the Middle Ages, these West Germanic words still meant 'lady' but they've now become the default word for 'woman'.

While their names aren’t related, it’s unknown whether Frigg and Freyja originally referred to the same goddess, Freyja possibly being a title of Frigg: 'the Lady'. Dr. Jackson Crawford explains the question very well in one of his videos: https://youtu.be/5eN3wNgPARM?

Cognates

*Frījā dag became frīatag in Old High German and Freitag in the modern language. Middle Dutch had both vriëndach (with a secondary genitive ending -en) and vridach, which became vrijdag. Old Frisian had multiple forms: frīadei, frīdei, and frēde, the latter being the ancestor of modern freed.

The West Germanic name *Frījā dag was borrowed and calqued into Old Norse. A borrowed form is frjádagr, whence the modern forms, such as Swedish fredag and Icelandic frjádagur.The form friggjardagr, with the native genitive of Frigg, is a calque: a loan translation. There was even freyjudagr, which is interesting in the light of the identity of Frigg and Freyja.

Do you like short articles like this? More than half of my posts on Patreon include such an article. Subscribe to tier 1 ($2 a month) or tier 2 ($5) to read the articles that go with my past and future infographics.

[aheathen-conceivably]

Now that we know a little more, clearly Gio is pretty ticked off with the situation - considering the feelings that he has about his and Jo’s relationship already, combined with the guilt and likely irritation of her finding out about his lying, now also combined with her demanding part ownership of the ranch - he doesn’t have a lot of leg to stand on. He has to just, deal with it, because it IS all their lives’ on the line, and nothing he’s tried to do has worked. I voted for Zelda to be most pissed, but I think she and Antoine are really just sad for now, so Gio might run away with the title after all 😭

Oh HELLO my friend! I love that we’re still playing the game of “Who Will Snap First!” (Game show pending). You’re hella right about one thing, as things shift and move, everybody’s numbers start to kind of adjust don’t they? Cause ahem, yeah, Gio is ~not pleased~ at the moment, and like you said, he doesn’t even feel like he has the “right” to be angry (which is its own sort of compounding factor, isn’t it?).

Is it time for a Gio deep dive? Welp. Gather one gather round my darlings because you know I can never resist….

Ted Talk with a Heathen! (Obviously under the cut because I’m a madlad)

First and foremost let me say that for whatever else Jo may do or how she demanded it, she is damn right not to pay off a loan without some legal backing in return. Now does she know this? For sure. But does she also know that she did it to get under Gio’s skin in a way that nothing else could? Absolutely. I’ve talked about it a little here, but Gio’s entire mindset is wrapped up in this farmhouse. It is his American dream. We also need to remember that he did what he said he never would in order to get the money to buy it, which is involve himself in his family bootlegging back in the 1920s. He even admitted to Antoine that after their one deal he tried to get out, but “once they get their teeth into you, once they know where you are, they don’t let you stop.” So Gio saved up this money by going against his own moral code and then ran from it to a place he thought he could establish himself as a “legitimate” American.

And I know yall like to rag on him about “making bad choices,” and while that’s partially true, Gio is just horribly, horribly unlucky. Buying land in the American West was incredibly fortuitous at one point in history, and it’s these stories that prompted Gio to do this at all. He’s an example of how not only can we buy into propaganda with our money and our dreams, but how they intersect with historical circumstances in ways far beyond our control or predictions.

Now to add to this, Gio knows what Jo has just done. She’s essentially taken part of what’s incredibly personal and precious to him as “payment” for what he did to her: which was trying to control her into fitting neatly into his dream when she had told him no multiple times before. In doing so he took away what was most precious to her: control and autonomy over her own life. It’s why he’s not really fighting her, and that deep seated Catholic guilt is simply telling him that this is retribution. But you can only write off someone else’s actions as righteous for so long, can’t you? And to make matters worse, let’s not forget….

Gio is not stupid. He knows something is going on between Jo and Val. How much of him thinks it’s just flirtation? How much of it is genuine or is just Jo once again trying to “get back at him”? But he’s staying quiet about it for a reason, most likely the same reason he’s willing to roll over and let Jo take 1/4th ownership of his dream. He’s motivated by guilt and ideas of righteous payback, yes, but he’s also taking a gamble that Jo is working through his betrayal in a way that he has to let her get through, and he’s attempting to let go of control to show her that he won’t do it again.

Essentially, he’s overcompensating for his actions and using his own compliance as a sort of “play” in their game to keep the other person where they want them. Is this potentially more motivated by love and less problematic than him directly lying to her to get her to stay? Y’all can make the call on that, but now at the very least, he’s the one suffering for it rather than her.

Now with all that going on, how far is this man willing to bend? How intuitive is Jo to when she’s pushed him too far and how much of her even gives a damn? Welp. There’s your questions on today’s episode of 1930s: Arc Two! Who Will Snap First? with more info coming at you tomorrow! 🫡

[bucky-fricking-barnes]

Like Breathing - One

Title: Like Breathing

Word Count: 3.2k

Part Warnings: Dead and injured animals, killing animals, blood, harassment, and stitching up wounds

Summary: Bucky’s life in Cove is far from perfect, mostly because Cove’s residents want nothing more than to scare him away. Luckily for you, Bucky isn’t easily scared off.

A/N: This is the first part of Like Breathing. I hope you enjoy! As always, thank you for reading. Please let me know what you think! Dividers by @firefly-graphics​​

Translations:

Маленький = Little one

Like Breathing Masterlist

Bucky didn’t kill anymore. His therapist reminded him of that daily, which he loathed, but he still nodded along every time she said it. Of course, it wasn’t true. Bucky had killed yesterday.

The sleepy little town he had been placed in as part of his pardon was practically idyllic. Neatly trimmed lawns lined litter-free streets, and each afternoon when the schools let out, children rode their bicycles up and down the sidewalks. They played ball in the cul-de-sac and Bucky swore that one afternoon he’d even seen an ice cream truck turn the corner west of his house. The ranch-style, one bedroom home had been loaned to him by the FBI. It wasn’t something Bucky would have picked on his own, but Steve had reassured him that once he got his bearings, he could decorate it to feel more like his own place. Bucky had not done that. Everything was exactly as it was the day he moved in—basic furniture with no decor. The only personal items he kept were his clothes, a small box containing pictures and other items sent to him by the Smithsonian, and his laptop, which was also given to him by the FBI. It was most likely bugged, just like the house and the phone. The majority of the items in the house were either already there when he moved in or things he’d purchased for Alpine. Bucky always thought of those as her personal items, not his. She was the only other living being that had ever been in his house. Not even Steve had come to visit.

In the four months he’d lived in Cove, he had limited his interactions to the soft-spoken volunteer at the animal shelter and the older woman who manned the register at the pet store. Both of them had been instrumental when he adopted Alpine, a soft white cat who’d been surrendered to the shelter after she’d hissed at the previous owner’s kids. Bucky didn’t think that was a good enough reason to get rid of a pet. He hadn’t planned on getting a cat, or any kind of animal for that matter, but after his therapist suggested it, Bucky hadn’t been able to get the idea out of his head. It turned out that while Alpine had more attitude than Steve, she was affectionate when he needed it. Other than that, she preferred to keep her distance the majority of the time. She was welcome company while Bucky worked each day.

Laughter and jeering from his front yard drew Bucky’s attention from where he’d been reviewing surveillance data on the bugged laptop. He sighed and got up from the kitchen table, pushing his chair back and ignoring the screech it made as the legs scraped across the old linoleum. Alpine darted out from underneath the table at the sound, sprinting down the hall to the safety of the bedroom, just as she did every day at this hour.

As he trudged through the living room, Bucky didn’t have to wonder what was waiting for him when he opened the front door. Every time it was the same: a pickup speeding off with men teetering in the bed and some form of roadkill bleeding out on the sidewalk in front of his house. His stretch of sidewalk was the only one that kids never played on, and for good reason. The brown stains left by months worth of dead animals never seemed to go away, no matter how much Bucky scrubbed.

Jaw clenched, Bucky grabbed the bucket of tools from just inside the door and headed down to the front of his yard. The deer was young, practically still a fawn, and his chest tightened at the sight. Its chest rose and fell unsteadily and the panicked look in his eyes was all too familiar.

Slowly, Bucky knelt down beside the frightened animal, his back to the street. “I’m not gonna hurt you,” he soothed. 

The animal had been hit by a car—he’d seen these wounds plenty of times—and there was little chance it would survive. Most likely, it would bleed out excruciatingly slow on the sidewalk as the sun sank below the horizon.

“Let’s get you into the backyard, huh? It’s okay.” He kept his voice soft and even as he spoke to it, explaining what he was doing. He knew it couldn’t understand him, but after months of practice, he knew that talking to them kept them calm and kept him from getting a hoof or claw to the face.

Bucky unfolded the tarp from the five-gallon bucket and carefully manipulated the poor animal onto the plastic. Dragging it across the yard to the back of the house was easy, and when it was situated with the forest in view, Bucky left it to get his bucket of tools.

He hated every minute of this ordeal. Sometimes the animals were already dead. Those were the good days. He could simply haul the animal into the woods and leave it for the scavengers. This kind of animal, the ones that were left to suffer in plain view of his living room, were the cases he hated. His nightmares were plagued with them now, their whimpers interspersed with those of his victims long ago.

The most humane thing Bucky could do in situations like these was to put the animal down himself. The first time the creature had still been alive when the men had dumped it, Bucky had attempted to take the animal to the emergency vet less than a mile away. He’d been turned away at the door. The police were no help either, as the sheriff was almost always seated in the back of the pickup. He’d tipped his hat at Bucky one day while they sped away. Bucky had punched a hole in the living room wall.

“You’ll feel better soon,” Bucky said, eyeing the deer as he loaded what he would need into his waistband.

He dragged the tarp into the woods, into the clearing near the meadow. The young deer lifted its head, its longing for the rolling waves of grass and wildflowers clear as it groaned and settled back on the forest floor. Blood slicked over the blue plastic tarp beneath it and Bucky looked away, readying his weapon.

“I’m sorry,” he finally whispered. He looked away as he pulled the trigger. The familiar sound of the silenced gunshot didn’t phase him, and Bucky quickly cleaned up the remains, leaving them for the scavengers once he’d removed the bullet.

After hosing down his equipment and leaving it in the garage to dry, Bucky grabbed a bucket of soapy water and the stiff-bristled brush he used to scrub the sidewalk. He stepped out of the garage, but froze almost immediately.

Another animal had been left in the deer’s place, this time significantly smaller in stature. Bucky glanced back at his drying tools, then set his cleaning bucket down on the driveway. Water sloshed over the side onto the asphalt but he ignored it. In just a few long strides, Bucky knelt down at the animal’s side.

The cat’s fur was matted with blood and it whined pitifully as soon as he was within earshot, but when Bucky reached out to touch it, it hissed and tried to scramble away.

“Hey, I ain’t gonna hurt you. It’s okay.”

A flash of white made Bucky pause. He blinked and Alpine was between him and the other cat, her tail aloft as she stuck her curious nose in the injured feline’s face.

“Alpine, leave them alone!” Bucky scolded. “How did you even get out here?”

Alpine simply ignored him and moved to investigate the other animal further. He looked around, spotting the front door open. He must’ve forgotten to close it and Bucky inwardly kicked himself for making such a stupid mistake. It was usually more about what—or who—could get in his house than what could get out.

Sighing, Bucky reached out to pick up his cat. She obliged his touch, affectionately rubbing her head against his hand when he was close enough. The cat laying on the sidewalk watched Alpine intently as Bucky scratched behind her ears, then scooped her up and carried her back up the driveway and into the house. He shut the front door behind her, then went back to the injured animal’s side.

“You gonna let me help you now?” Bucky asked, keeping his voice soft. “Huh?” He reached out a hand and though the cat tensed, he was able to smooth back the matted fur to find the injury.

The cat had a long cut stretching down its right hind leg, from the hip all the way down to the paw. The blood had already begun to clot, which was a good sign, but it was still a cause for concern. If he jostled the animal too much, they could begin to bleed again. 

“You really got into some trouble there, didn’t you?” As if to reply, the cat meowed and laid its head down on the stained concrete. It still watched him, but it had relaxed and Bucky felt a bit more confident in his ability to move it into the house where he could stitch up its leg. 

“Alright, I’m gonna pick you up. I promise I’ll be as gentle as I can,” he said. He continued to softly narrate his actions as he lifted the cat and held it against his chest, then went into the house through the garage. He jabbed his metal thumb into the button beside the door so that the garage would shut behind him, just in case Alpine decided she wanted to do any more adventuring today.

Alpine, true to form, was waiting for him when he stepped inside the house. She immediately started weaving around his feet, and Bucky would’ve tripped over her if he wasn’t as agile.

“Careful, sweetheart. We gotta be nice to our guest,” he chided when she jumped up on the table. Bucky set the cat down on top of the newspaper he’d left spread out during his research earlier that day. He could get a new copy later if he needed to. Right now his priority was to clean and stitch up the cat’s wound. 

After an hour of work, the injured cat had a freshly shaved leg with a freshly cleaned and stitched wound. She had, surprisingly, stayed still and quiet for the majority of the time, only watching Bucky with wide, frightened eyes. He’d discovered that the cat was a girl partway through, which had been more of a relief than anything. Alpine had taken quite a liking to the new animal. Maybe once the animal healed, his little friend could have a friend of her own, given that nobody came looking for her. Friends he could handle, but kittens were a whole other story.

Bucky shook his head as he went back to cleaning up the table. It was a methodical task, one he could appreciate, but he kept glancing back over his shoulder to check on the cat, who’d fallen asleep shortly after he’d finished. He’d set her up near the litter box, and he’d moved the food and water a bit closer so that she wouldn’t be walking as far on the injured leg. Alpine had curled up for a nap of her own on the floor nearby.

When you woke, it took you a second to remember where you were and what had happened. It wasn’t the first time you’d woken up in a strange house in your feline form, but the injured leg and the fluffy white cat snoozing nearby were a first. Rarely did you ever get hurt. Usually the wound healed well enough on its own, but the trauma from being grabbed by the strange man with the grubby hands and then being tossed off the back of the pickup had exacerbated the cut and your healing had come to a halt.

You’d been wary of the dark-haired man who’d found you. He’d had an aura of shame and fear about him, and you’d immediately recoiled. Then, the little white cat had appeared out of nowhere. She was his cat, she’d said in so many words, and the man was good. He fed her, played with her, and the house was warm and safe. You’d relented and taken a good look at him. Warmth had settled into your bones despite your injury and your gut had told you that the white cat was telling the truth. The man with the metal arm was good.

He had carried you inside, cradling you against his chest with the gentlest of touches. He seemed to know what he was doing as he fixed up your leg. At some point after he’d tended to the gash, you’d passed out from the pain and exhaustion.

Now, you were in a soft bed on the floor of his laundry room. You slowly uncurled and managed to prop yourself up without putting too much weight on your injured leg. You had to be careful—if it didn’t heal right, you could get stuck in this form forever, or your human form could suffer the effects of the injury as well.

Alpine lifted her head and blinked sleepily when she sensed your movement.

You’re awake.

“How long has it been since I passed out?” you asked.

She looked towards the back door, where the night sky was visible through several small panes of glass. Only a few hours.

A shout from upstairs made you jump, and Alpine was off like a shot. She raced out of the laundry room through the kitchen, and you heard her scramble down the hall. Another shout piqued your curiosity and you limped after her. Whimpers and a heavy sob were enough of a trail for you to follow.

The man was sitting on the edge of the bed, Alpine clutched against him and his face buried in her fur. He cried as you cautiously hobbled into the bedroom, sticking to the shadows along the walls. Your fur wasn’t dark enough to hide you completely, but it would keep you hidden long enough for you to judge the situation.

Alpine purred soothingly and you listened to the man cry as you looked around the room. The top of the dresser and the nightstand were empty except for a small digital clock and the man’s charging phone. Every space in the house, from what you’d seen, was strangely barren. There was nothing personal to tell you about your rescuer, and while that should have made you uneasy, it only made the sad pit in your stomach grow deeper.

You let out a quiet whimper when a twinge ran down your leg and the man stiffened. He lifted his head from Alpine’s fur and peered around the room.

“Маленький?” he murmured. “Is that you?”

Hesitantly, you crept away from the wall and into the dim light coming from the moon outside. You knew your eyes would glint in the light and he’d be able to find you easier that way. 

Just as you’d suspected, the man’s attention snapped to you as soon as you were in the light. He set Alpine down on the bed and carefully knelt on the hardwood floor, his hand trembling as he reached out to you.

“You shouldn’t be up and moving around so soon,” he chided, and you meowed in irritation.

He hovers, Alpine said from her perch on the bed. You glanced up at her. When he’s worried, he hovers. When he’s scared, he hovers.

You let the man brush his fingers against your fur. He exhaled shakily and you stepped closer until he could run his hand over your back. The feeling was sublime and you arched under his touch. It had been so long since someone had touched you with such gentleness and care, and you knew then that you were a goner. You’d stay with this man for as long as you could.

“Thank you for saving me,” you told him, though you knew he couldn’t understand you in this form. 

The man smiled a little. It didn’t reach his eyes, but he seemed to appreciate the tidbit of interaction you’d given him. In response, you bumped your head against his knee, rubbing against the soft fabric of his pajamas.

“I wonder if you’ve got a name or an owner out there,” he mused. He continued to pet you as you rubbed against his legs. Eventually, you stood still and peered up at Alpine, who had settled with her tail just over the edge of the mattress. She twitched it, knowing you could see, and you narrowed your eyes at her challenge. Alpine was a young cat, and though she was sweet and naive enough to believe that you were just like her, you sensed an air of playfulness and spice about her.

Noticing your change in focus, the man scooped you up and lifted you onto the bed. You wobbled a little on the mattress before batting at Alpine. She flipped over to play and you indulged her, playing as much as you could without putting the health of your leg in jeopardy.

“What’s the man’s name?” you asked, dodging her paw.

Alpine chirped back at you. Bucky, she said. That’s what the men on the phone always call him.

“The men on the phone?” 

They call almost every day. He likes some of them. The others make him sad and angry.

You filed that information away for later use, and you were reaching out to block Alpine’s paw again when Bucky picked her up. He shifted her up near his pillow, then reached for you. On instinct, you backed away, your ears flattening when the metal of his arm glinted in the moonlight filtering in through the window.

“Hey, pretty girl,” Bucky soothed. “I won’t hurt you, remember?”

Another twinge of pain shot up your leg to your hip. You let out a sharp yelp when it twitched and hit the bedpost. Instantly, Bucky’s forehead creased in concern and he eased his flesh hand between your back and the wooden post.

“Easy now. I don’t want you falling off or hurting yourself more. You wanna get down off the bed? Is that what you want?”

You let out a slow breath and stared at him, forcing yourself to relax. You looked down at the floor and then at him in hopes that he would take that as a ‘yes’. When Bucky reached out and moved to pick you up again, you let him. He lowered you down onto the floor without another word. You scooted underneath the bed, closing your eyes when the feeling of being sheltered and safe settled into your bones. 

“She’ll be okay, Alpine.”

Bucky’s voice was barely audible in the silence under the bed and you peeked open an eye, listening.

“She’s gotta be.”

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[penelopelima]

A while back I went on a rant about how the US was complicit with Franco's fascist regime in Spain and how the tale of Spain's neutrality during WWII benefited the allied countries economically and strategically. President Truman denounced the fascist dictatorship publically, while negociating with Franco in secret to establish military bases on our ground, not even five years after the end of the war (of which, by the way, the US claims to be the saviours of democracy and victors against fascism).

Here's an excerpt of a poem by Rafael Alberti, who at the time was exiled to escape imprisonment and death at the hands of the regime.

Juan Panadero against the sellers and buyers of Spain 1 Secret revelations: Blue Spain* is no longer worth even the edge of two pesetas. 2 "Ah, what a yellow business! I am now Truman's Ferrol** and not El Caudillo's*** Ferrol." 3 Ah, Ferrol, Ferrol, Ferrol! over your sea, the dollar— I mean, the sun rises. 4 Who will explain such a mistery? Facing the sun****, do I realize that this sun has the same face, 5 that the sovereign blue of the shirts glitters with northamerican gold, 6 that rather than the Falange are the new bankers, the ones counting bright stars. 7 And please, stop counting now. For all accounts, nothing's left for Spain to count, but tears. 8 Who flies already across her skies? Who marches along her roads? Who scratches her sea with their wake? 9 Who, from the north to the south ties her? who from the east to the west wrings her? who her deep skin tears? 10 Her buyers arrived. Blood wolves, they shared one face with her sellers. 11 The same butcher's howl, the same mourning claws to squeeze her money out. 12 "Here are my wonders." And the blue wolf kneeled and licked the dust from the ground. 13 With his tongue and not his hand, took the money, and for dust was the hispanic bull***** sold. 14 Bull, of such a strong start! Good bull for the war and in the war, to give him death! 15 Bull, for the slaughterhouse! But no spaniard or foreigner can slit that bull open. 16 Bull of courage! Here, little Spanish bull, your time is about to come! 17 You are not in this world on your own. the tide is rising within you, the outer waves are reaching you. 18 Awake are they, are we: your children who remained, and those of us who were forced to flee.

*: Blue is used throughout the poem to represent the Falange, the fascist political party that supported Franco. Blue was the colour of their uniforms' shirts.

**: Ferrol was one of the cities, along with Mahón, Cartagena, Cádiz and Santander, whose seaports interested president Truman so much, that he loaned Franco credits valued in hundreds of millions of dollars in exchange for their military control. All while maintaining the official posturing of condemnation of the regime.

***: El Caudillo (commander) was one of the titles of Franco during his dictatorship.

****: "Facing the sun" (cara al sol) is the hymn of the Falange. This whole strophe is a play on the word, equating the "sun" of fascism with the "sun" of capitalism.

*****: The bull is used throughout the poem as a symbol of the subjugated spirit and freedom of the people of Spain. The rest of the poem is a call to resistance for all those who remained in Spain and those who were forced to leave to save their lives. Such resistance was alive in the time, but met with extreme violence and repression.

The translation is mine and very rushed, and I was more worried over preserving the content than the form of the poem, which is written in a deceptively simple style with rich, painterly metaphors and extremely precise consonant rhyming pattern.

However, this is probably the first translation of this text (other works by the poet have been translated), or any of this book (Coplas de Juan Panadero) into English, since the whole of it is an ode to anti-imperialism and a brutal satire of capitalism and fascism.

[belmottetower]

ur post about jamie’s loan has me thinking soooo many thoughts but the main thing im confused about is this: how was jamie able to get on the starting line-up so quickly after returning from his loan to richmond? city obviously hadn’t originally intended to recall jamie for a while as of 106 — jamie’s loan being pulled and him actually being sent back is presented like a surprising piece of information for everyone in the team, and i just can’t interpret that as “his contract was expiring soon, he just went back a week earlier than normal”. it felt like ted (at the very least) was setting up jamie to stay for a while after that, both strategically and socially. so, if he had spent much less time in richmond than intended (and thus probably developed a lot less than intended), how did he manage to start in richmond’s relegation match? it could have been city trying to give him more minutes against a lower ranked team, but then why would they start him AND let him play the whole game even after it was tied 1-1 if he’s not a consistent part of the starting line up? im a silly little american who knows nothing about european football, but it just doesn’t make sense how jamie could go from “we’re going to give you so few minutes that we basically have to loan u out or else you’re just wasting time” to “you’re going to be on the starting line up/close to it” so quickly once returning to city? was it just him learning to be a team player or is the show just getting fuzzy w the details? (also that was so long im sorry this is just a Very Specific Question and im trying to get it across properly)

This is referring to things from my earlier loan ask, so linking that here.

First of all, I am sure that Jamie's loan was meant to go until the end of the season. However, a loan can be terminated at any point during the season if both parties agree to it. So in this case, City saw he wasn't playing every possible minute with Richmond and they said to Richmond, "if you aren't going to play him, we want him back. We'd rather be the ones training and not using him if YOU'RE not going to use him." They were the ones that instigated the recall of Jamie, Rebecca just simply had to agree to it on behalf of Richmond and Jamie goes home. (Let's not worry about the fact that his agent would have been involved in this process because 2 seconds of digging in that direction makes the plot fall apart.)

But Jamie had been playing for Richmond for almost a full season at this point, from the summer of 2019 to what has to be around the February of 2020. He was there for over nine months of the season, and he went back to City when they only had a couple of months left.

In 1.08, when he visits Keeley, it's late March and he tells her that City were in town playing West Ham. He says "I had ten touches, I had two completed dribbles, and in the 89th minute they let me take a free kick." This implies to me that he was being brought on as a substitute at that point. Because ten touches, for a forward, is not very many during a full 90 minutes. And then the "They let me" in terms of taking a free kick sounds to me like he's still very much not a major power player, more like he's been given a chance, like "give the kid a turn, see how he handles it."

But it still feels to me like City valued Jamie as a player, and when they got him back after around nine months of a loan, they decided to give him a few more chances and see what he could do. And if he's succeeding for them in games as a sub, it's more likely that he will start the next match.

And the thing about the Richmond relegation match is that it's implied City had already secured the Premier League title, weeks before. They are not awarded the trophy at the end of the match. They're not celebrating having won the League. There's no commentary from Arlo and Chris about how City need this to secure the title, unlike they way they explain it in 3.11 and 3.12. So Ted's dressing room speech about giving the champs 90 minutes of hell implies to me that City were ALREADY the league champions, that they'd won it a little earlier in the season. Hopefully it's clear to everyone by now that with a league table, this is pretty common, if someone gets enough points that it is mathematically impossible for other teams to catch up. 

In real life, this year City won the league with three matches left to play. And in this circumstance, once the thing is already won, Pep will shake up the starting line ups quite dramatically and give different players the chance to play. For example, Cole Palmer, who I mentioned in the other post? He started for City in their matches against Chelsea and Brentford at the end of the season, AFTER City had already secured the title, when there were no consequences to City winning or losing. They won against Chelsea and Palmer got an assist on the winning goal, and they actually lost to Brentford in the final match of the season but it didn't matter. Pep uses a high rotation anyway - City does not have a fixed starting eleven, it changes all the time, Palmer has started a handful of other matches in various competitions - but this is very likely what happened to Jamie in terms of the Richmond match. It's the only match we know for an absolute fact that he started in for City, and it's probably because it was a game where the line-up could be changed around and experimented with to give different players opportunities, because they weren't "playing for anything."

Basically, in summary - Jamie played for Richmond for 9-10 months (depending on how early he came in preseason.) By the end of that stay he had played a lot more minutes by then than he ever had before even if he didn't get to stay the whole length of the season. City knew he'd improved and recalled him, deciding that if Richmond weren't going to utilise him, they'd prefer he be with them in Manchester to use when they want. They start using him as a sub in the last couple of months of the season, and he proves himself to be a valuable player for them. So he gets to play more minutes, maybe gets subbed on earlier each game, and eventually he gets to start a few matches, especially ones after City has already won the title and Jamie gets to play the match just for the experience.

In terms of being a team player, I fairly strongly believe that at City, this would have been a given for Jamie no matter what. Jamie got full of himself playing as a 1-up-front striker at Richmond, maybe in a 4-2-3-1 formation, but that's not how he would have ever played at City. Pep's favourite formation during that era of City is 4-3-3 and that's what Jamie was playing in for the Richmond match, he was part of a line of three (the formations are on the Arlo White cheat sheet) against Richmond's 4-4-2. City in this shape favours high possession and passing, so Jamie would have to have been succeeding within the style Pep wanted, i.e., being a team player and passing a lot and not acting as an individual star taking control of the match.

Jamie at Richmond was a selfish player largely because he didn't see the other players as good enough. He saw himself as a cut above them and their only value was to facilitate him in taking control of the match. He's not actually wrong about the skill level objectively, and even Roy admits it in 1.04 - that he knows he should be passing to Jamie but he can't stand Jamie's attitude about it. Because shaping the team to facilitate a star striker like that is not inherently bad football, not if the player isn't a cunt about it - it's a bit like what we saw with Zava, which looked ridiculous to us as viewers but was not actually a situation that anyone other than Jamie resented because Zava made the others feel valued, even if it felt fake to us. But look. Footballers do understand that some players are just better than others, and if your star striker is a nice person who makes everyone feel valued and treats people as proper teammates, there's nothing wrong with the tactic being "get the ball to that person and let them take charge." 

Richmond was Jamie's first taste of being that heroic superstar, where he was the one with all the glory, and because he didn't see the rest of them as on his level, he became a bad "team player" due to not recognising the part the rest of the team played in his success, or helping them improve (playing with people better than you should make you better, generally!) or believing that any of the others could achieve anything. He felt he was doing it all by himself. And George Cartrick clearly also had no interest in training the team in any other way. Very much "just get the ball to Tartt, he's the only one who's any good, and try not to fuck up in the process" as opposed to using Jamie's prowess to elevate EVERYONE. 

At City, where Jamie probably wasn't the best player on the team, where the standards were more equally at his level or better, this factor is not an issue. That's not how Pep trains them, it's not how Pep thinks. Jamie knows that he's not the solo star there. He knows that all the other great players will be contributing to making things happen, that everyone is smart and talented and aren't going to fuck up. Whether he liked it or not, he would have had trust in the way that playing style works, knowing that it's what's being asked of him from Pep and what the situation calls for. But Jamie didn't trust the Richmond players to be good enough to contribute. We see this Sam a lot - his attacks on Sam are often because Sam has failed to put a pass where Jamie wanted it, or missed a shot in training, or whatever. This is not an excuse for his behaviour but it is clear evidence that Jamie is frustrated because the rest of the team isn't at his level. And unlike season 3, he has no interest in working with them on improving, or showing them how best to play with him. Being a good team player isn't always about sharing the ball equally or whatever, it's about working as a team to feed each other's strengths - that's how season 3 Jamie can be both a team player and a total star player at the same time.

Honestly, to me, Jamie making that extra pass in 1.10 wasn't anything to do with Ted, aside from narratively for us as viewers. That's just how City plays football. That's Pep's influence, not Ted's. Ted sees it happen and thinks he's done something to change Jamie's attitude but in my opinion, Jamie is just playing the way Pep wants him to, because he actually values Pep's opinion about tactics in a way he didn't value Ted's. 

There is no way in hell Jamie went from age 13, or whenever he was scouted, to age 23, being a consistently selfish ball hog style player at Man City. Lots of players want to be stars, but I believe that the level we see in season 1 is just how he thought he needed to play at Richmond, because he felt like he was the only one who knew what he was doing and making anything happen on the pitch, and then of course he liked how it felt to have all that attention on him. But the way Jamie was playing at Richmond is simply not how City play football, and season 3 makes that canon to the Ted version of City too, not just an unfounded real life football comparison. City in the show are coached by Real Pep and play Pep's version of total football. That's what Jamie was doing when he made the extra pass,  and it's his experience with Pep's total football that allows Jamie to help Richmond so much in season 3.

[softspeirs]

Okay, so here's a thought, or a prompt, if you like - I imagine it's a little lonely, being one of the only nurses at Thorpe Abbotts. Does Grace find herself looking for some female friends in the Red Cross hut, too?

A/N: Thank you for asking after Grace, Merc! Feeling inspired by the book I'm listening to right now - The Keeper of Hidden Books by Madeline Martin.

The Red Cross hut is a five minute walk from Grace's usual lodgings in the women's quarters with the other nurses, and as she gets closer, she smiles when she hears the soft strains of music on a record player.

Nerves still twist up inside her - she hasn't been able to socialize as much as she might have liked, and she has an embarrassing grade-school feeling in the pit of her stomach. What if they don't like me? What if I say something wrong?

Still, she speaks to Helen and Tatty semi-regularly, and when they told her about their little lending library, she knew she had to check it out when she had a few spare minutes.

When she arrives, the two women are there, heads bent close together as they talk, and it instantly makes Grace feel like she's intruding.

"I don't mean to interrupt--" she says softly, getting their attention.

"Oh!" Helen is the first to look up. "Grace, hi! We were wondering if you were still coming by."

"Got stuck listening to a lecture about the importance of personal hygiene..." Grace makes a face. The girls laugh.

"Here--" Helen leads her over to a battered bookcase in the corner of the room. It's stuffed with paperbacks in varying conditions, and a few hardcovers too.

"Most of these people brought over themselves, and some we've picked up in town when we've had a bit of extra money."

Grace beams at the girls. She can't remember the last time she got to curl up and enjoy a good book. She still doubts she'll have much time for reading, but for those sleepless nights, it'll be a godsend.

"This is wonderful." Her gaze skips across titles, falling on a beautiful watercolor spine. Riders of the Purple Sage sticks in her mind, her thoughts filling with images of the American west and cowboys and robbers.

"Helen's been trying to get through Gone with the Wind for four months--"

"Hey!"

"-- And it's our only copy, so we have to take turns, but you're welcome to it when she's done. I read it before her. We could... we could talk about it afterwards!"

Grace can barely hold in her excitement. "A book club?"

"A base book club." Helen says. "If we can scrounge up some food from the mess, we can try to meet at least once a month, unless we have to share one copy of something."

"Or," Tatty adds, thoughtful, "We could all read separate things, and then meet to share our thoughts. That way someone can recommend something to someone else."

Grace is nodding, already thinking of a few other nurses she knows would enjoy this too. The idea of having regular meetings with other women makes her giddy. She feels like she's seventeen again, gossiping with the girls at school.

Just then, a knock at the door interrupts them. If it was another woman, they wouldn't knock, so Helen smooths her hair before going over to greet whoever it is.

"Ma'am," a man Grace doesn't recognize says, before being welcomed in. He's got a small box in his hands, and when he gets closer, Grace sucks in a sharp inhale. "Thought these could go to better use here. They weren't in any footlockers in particular, but they've been gathering dust..."

Tatty and Helen look equally stricken. It never occurred to Grace that half the books on this shelf were likely those of fallen airmen who either loaned them to someone or who left them somewhere, never to be retrieved.

"We-- we can't take these. Their families--"

The man frowns. "They don't have names inside. We have no idea who they belonged to, and I don't think they'd want their books."

Grace disagrees, though she doesn't say it out loud. Books, especially well-loved books, can be just as sentimental as any personal belonging. She thinks of her copy of The Great Gatsby, the spine lined and cracked with overuse, how she can almost smell her father's pipe tobacco stuck in the pages.

"We'll take them." Tatty says firmly. She looks at the other girls, "If they're not going to have homes, we might as well be the home for them."

Helen is miles away, Grace can tell by her expression. She remembers a conversation in the early morning, Helen trying her hardest to put on a brave face and pretend she wasn't grieving a man she had barely gotten the chance to know.

"We should get the other girls involved," Grace says suddenly. "I think they'd like the chance to get their minds off things. I know a few nurses who probably have books to share, too."

Helen comes back to the present, a small smile growing on her face. "That's a good idea. Some of our girls probably do, too."

"Perfect," Tatty says smiling, clapping her hands together once, the matter settled.

Grace leaves that evening feeling melancholy, but also excited at the prospect of getting to know these girls better. They've all been here over a year now, and they've each been through so much in their own ways. If they can get together once a month or more to get lost in worlds of adventure, of romance, of anything that will take them away from all this, Grace is happy they'll do it together.

A/N: Fun book fact from LitHub: "... by the time Fitzgerald died in 1940, the book had sold fewer than 25,000 copies. Now it sells 500,000 copies a year, if mostly to disgruntled students. It was WWII that rescued Gatsby from obscurity. The US government developed a program to send cheap paperback books to soldiers, and of the 1,227 titles chosen, one of them was The Great Gatsby."

[veryace-ficrecs]

Ted Lasso fic recs

This list will include all ratings and tags, so read at your own discretion! :)

Wings Wouldn't Help You Down by ViolentlyRed - Rated G

He thought the most awkward thing he'd have to endure was a rigid Roy Kent embrace in the Man City locker room months ago. He was wrong. And he’s getting better at admitting when he’s wrong, so. Turning up on Coach's doorstep at two thirty in the morning was infinitely, infinitely more awkward. Or, Jamie's hurt and not about to say much about it, and Ted's a good coach.

Reset With the Sunset by fandomfrolics - Rated G

Sam tries to figure out how to navigate his first Ramadan in the English Premier League. Set in S1.

Mull River Shuffle by bibliothekara - Rated G

Ted falls in the Thames; Beard, Rebecca, and Sam to the rescue.

The First Rule of Fight Club is No Fight Club by Lolapola - Rated T

A few days after relegation, an angry investor pays a visit to the Richmond AFC locker room, and he has his sights set on Ted Lasso. Fortunately, Roy Kent has been well and truly won over by now, and - yeah. He's not about to stand for this.

Diary by TwoAces - Rated G

It’s not a diary, really. At least, not in the traditional sense. It’s supposed to be an appointment book—a gift from Keeley, so she’s not having to text him reminders all the time. He’s promised to use it, and is surprised that it’s actually mad convenient to help remember events, so he starts using it for other things, too.

that mask will never look the same by tensecond_memory - Rated T

“Right. Okay. Is that… it?” “No, actually,” she says after a beat in which she fights back another wave of that mysterious Guilty Face, “there’s one more discussion on the agenda courtesy of one Coach Ted Lasso,” her voice is quieter now, and suddenly something shifts in the air and it feels like she’s the one who’s turned back into a scolded child. Jamie stares at her. “There are some… specifics regarding the… premature termination of your loan last season that Ted, rightfully, believes you deserve to be informed of, now that we’re all more aware of how the decision impacted your well-being,” OR Jamie isn't the only one who owes some apologies.

Little Kitmen Have Big Ears by andrealyn - Rated T

Most people don't really notice when Will's in the room, which leads to him hearing some very unique conversations. Every now and again, though, he's seen and it makes all the difference.

we're not in kansas anymore (we're now in missouri) by ceterum - Rated G

Shortly after the devastating loss on final matchday, the West London’s Finest are back in action. After a compilation of their… innovative plays goes viral, they are invited to play a friendly against Ted Lasso’s home state’s MLS club. AFC Richmond’s pre-season one(-and-a-half)-stop American tour, as observed by Trent Crimm, The Independent.

Adding Steel To The Team by BrittaTheBest - Rated T

“I feel… really weird, Roy.” “Yeah, I’m not surprised. Listen, I think you should lie down, yeah?” - Quick little fic. Ted is stabbed outside Richmond the night before a match. Mostly Roy-centric, but also feat. the rest of the club

Journalism Continues To Be The Villain That Moves The Plot Forward For This Show by MagpieWords - Rated T

When the press finds out Ted uses an unknown intramuscular substance, speculation runs wild while our favorite coach avoids dealing with his feelings. alternate titles lovingly include : "lost in the sauce" and "a saucy misunderstanding"

The Official AFC Richmond TikTok by mariip - Rated T

Keeley isn't there to manage their socials anymore, so when Jamie and Sam ask to make a TikTok for the club, everyone decides it will be a good idea. (Or, completely self-indulgent AFC Richmond silliness)

Make them Gold by mariip - Rated T

Roy realizes he has no idea when Jamie's birthday is, and when he realizes it's only a week away, the only solution is obviously cake in the dressing room after training. Or, the himbos manage to pull off a surprise party.

every boy wants to be like his father by themightyduck - Rated G

"It turned out all right in the end, though," Jamie says quietly, ears burning red. "Oh yeah?" Ted asks. "How's that?" Jamie gestures at the pizza and the beer and the TV. "Watching a game with me old man, ain't I?"

did i really say that? by believeinbelieve - Rated G

For the first time in history - AFC Richmond have won the premier league trophy. It was a tie game until Colin scored a historic goal in injury time. Everything was going perfect for him — until the press conference. The game went to his head and next thing he knew everyone was telling him about how brave and inspiring he was — but he had no clue why. or ~~~ Colin accidentally comes out after a major victory.

stand a little stronger as I walk a little taller all the time by inlovewithnight - Not Rated

Post season 2, Jamie does a PSA for the National Council on Domestic Violence. He does not expect anyone to notice this. He is not aware that he's surrounded by people who notice everything.

The Art of Seduction by jumpfall - Rated G

"Is Coach cheating on us with another football team?" Sam asks. "Worse," Roy says. "An American football team."

[usnatarchives]

#AllAmericanExhibit Trophy Showcase

The #AllAmericanExhibit at the National Archives, titled "All American: The Power of Sports," is a tribute to the role of sports in American society, highlighting how sports have the power to unite people, teach values, and challenge social barriers.

This exhibit, running through January 7, 2024, showcases over 75 items including original records, artifacts, and photographs across four thematic sections: The Power to Unite, Teach, Break Barriers, and Promote. Among the featured items, visitors can view historic sports trophies like Althea Gibson's 1958 Wimbledon trophy and the 1929 West Point Cavalry (Buffalo Soldiers) Football Championship Trophy, along with many others.

Check out some of our collection:

NCAA Basketball Championship trophies, 2002 and 2006, on display at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. Photo by Susana Raab.

FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy, 2019, on display at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. Photo by Susana Raab.

The Commissioner’s Trophy

The 1998 World Series trophy is now on display as part of the exhibit All American: The Power of Sports at the National Archives Museum in Washington, DC. The New York Yankees defeated the San Diego Padres in four straight games in that year’s Fall Classic. The trophy, currently on loan from the National Baseball Hall of Fame, will be on display through November 14. The FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy, two NCAA Basketball Championship trophies, and the Lombardi Trophy from Super Bowl LIV have previously been featured in the exhibit. All American will be on view through January 7, 2024, in the Lawrence F. O’Brien Gallery of the National Archives Museum. Admission to the National Archives Museum is always free, and reservations are not required. National Archives photo by Susana Raab.

1984 Los Angeles Olympics Torch

At the White House on May 14, 1984, Kurt Thomas, a former Olympic gymnast, passed the flame from his torch to that held by Charlotte Pearson, a member of the Special Olympics team. The ceremony was part of the 9,000-mile Olympic torch relay through 33 states and the District of Columbia. President Ronald Reagan momentarily held one of the torches while the athletes adjusted the flame of the other. The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee gave this torch to President Reagan after the ceremony.

Read more:

[spnbangbang]

Title: Talk Dirty to Me

Author: ElsaSigyn

Artist: bluewolven

Primary Ship: Castiel/Dean Winchester

Other Ships: N/A

Length: 5700

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Tags: Teacher Castiel, Student Dean Winchester, Online Classes, Audio Feedback, Dirty Talk, Bottom Dean Winchester, Top Castiel, Anal Sex, Explicit Sex, Runner Castiel

Posting Date: September 12, 2023

Summary:

Dean is enrolled in online classes and finds his teacher has the sexiest voice he can imagine. When he realizes the professor gives audio comments back, he purposefully starts making mistakes resulting in his professor commenting dirty talk back to him.

Excerpt:

Thursday rolls around again and Dean makes his way onto the portal to check his grade and feedback. Just like last week, there’s an audio message waiting for him.

"Dean, I think you have a solid plan for the business. Your initial amount for the business loan was a little low, in my opinion. You may want to consider requesting an additional $10,000 to have for contingencies and other unplanned costs that may arise as the business starts up. Overall, I think your proposal to the bank would be seriously considered. The only real criticism I have is there were a couple of misspelled words. It looks like you didn’t go back and edit your paper after you wrote it. I’ve marked you down only a couple points but as we progress in the semester, I’ll be marking these errors down more diligently. The ones in question are in paragraph one, it looks like you meant to put hand but instead put hard, paragraph three had spit instead of what I assume was supposed to be spot, and in paragraph six you put wet but should be west. Let me know if you have any questions or if these were in fact not errors."

It takes Dean a second to realize his breathing has stopped and his mouth is agape at the sound of that voice saying words like hard and spit. The professor isn’t wrong. Dean was running behind on his paper and didn’t get a chance to read it over before he had to submit it. However, it isn’t long before a plan forms in his head.

[gregdotorg]

Gonzalez-Torres Forbidden Colors, May 2021, acrylic on panel, each 20×16 in., 20×68 in. overall.

The Museum of Contemporary Art owns Felix Gonzalez-Torres’ 1988 work, Forbidden Colors [not shown]. The work consists of four panels painted in the colors of the Palestinian flag. The title refers to an Israeli ban, ended in 1993, on any display of these colors in combination within the Palestinian occupied territories.

Forbidden Colors was first shown at The New Museum, then at White Columns. But after MOCA acquired it, they have only exhibited it a couple of times and loaned it once. [It has been shown twice since I first wrote about it in 2013, including at Noah Davis’s Underground Museum in 2018.]

So far, no one at MOCA from Klaus on down has mentioned this important work in relation to the violence and oppression Palestinians are currently suffering at the hands of Israel, its military, police, and the settlers, who are executing a system of apartheid within Israel, Gaza and the Occupied West Bank.

Gonzalez-Torres Forbidden Colors (May 2021) is a repetition of Gonzalez-Torres’ work, which I am making available for exhibition to any gallery, or museum, or other institution who wishes to show solidarity with the Palestinian people and support for their rights.

It is meant to stand in for the artwork it repeats whenever or wherever that work is needed, but is unavailable. If you want to exhaust your efforts to borrow the work from MOCA, that’s fine, but it’s not a prerequisite for getting this one. I’ll provide as many as necessary, at cost, around $400 for materials and labor and (US) shipping. Or pay someone local make one for you; there are surely artists or painters among your staff who could do it. It took me about six hours to make one, but maybe your art handler already knows all the monochrome protips. Send a photo and credit info if you’d like it recorded. As Rauschenberg once wrote of other monochrome paintings, “It is completely irrelevant that I am making them–TODAY is their creator.”

L: Sturtevant, Gonzalez-Torres Untitled (Go-GO Dancing Platform), 2004, MMK Museum für Moderne Kunst Frankfurt am Main, Photo: Axel Schneider, Frankfurt am Main. R: Untitled (300×404) after Untitled (Cowboy), 2003, 2009

In its title Gonzalez-Torres Forbidden Colors pays homage to Sturtevant’s repetitions of Gonzalez-Torres’ light string and go-go dancing platform works.

In its execution and offering up as a stand-in at a moment of institutional timidity, it is related to an earlier work, Untitled (300×404), which I created in 2009 when MoMA and/or Gagosian wouldn’t permit the use of a Richard Prince Cowboy photo in a Slate review of an exhibition.

When Felix Gonzalez-Torres presented Forbidden Colors he described it as “a solitary act of consciousness here in SoHo.” Gonzalez-Torres Forbidden Colors (May 2021) is a shared act of consciousness with people all over the world.

[originally posted May 2021 on greg.org]

[germanpostwarmodern]

Under the aegis of its new director Klaus Biesenbach the Neue Nationalgalerie in Berlin initiated a reevaluation of its collection that in its first istance resulted in an exhibition covering the years 1900 until 1945. With the second reevaluating exhibition the museum takes a look at the particularly charged period between 1945 and 1990, a time during which the Cold War and the divided Germany cast a spell on art in Germany and globally. At the same time art expanded into new forms, materials, mediums and methods, a circumstance that is also reflected in the exhibition’s title: „Zerreißprobe. Kunst zwischen Politik und Gesellschaft“ takes Günter Brus’ performance of the same name as point of departure for a comprehensive overview of pivotal artistic and social themes of the second half of the 20th century. In fourteen sections the exhibition explores aspects like the controversy between realism and abstraction and thus East and West, the everyday and Pop, politics and society or feminism and identity. In line with this conception the curators added as of yet unrepresented positions to the roster by means of additional loans, e.g. works by Kiki Kogelnik and Ewa Partum.

The exhibition is accompanied by a comprehensive catalogue, published by E.A. Seemann in 2023, which in its structure follows the exhibition’s concept: based on exemplary artists the book elaborates on the previously mentioned topics and themes in art, juxtaposes them with other artists and provides an overview of just how multifaceted art became between 1945 and 1990. By including women artists, marginalized positions from behind the iron curtain just as well as figureheads of GDR state art like Willi Sitte exhibition and catalogue shed light on the tensions within art and society and cleverly combine contemporary and art history. Furthermore it also takes a critical look at the forces and predilections the museum’s collection reproduced. A great read (and exhibition)!

[justsomeectoplasm]

Me every time you mention your characters:

This applies to worldbuilding too

Im late in answering this but THANK YOU! I was always kind of scared of sharing my original oc's since I keep thinking no one would be interested in them.

But I'd like to take some time to actually explain one set of them instead of just throwing vague hints at them. I did draw some of them on this blog but if people like them enough I'll start actually drawing them.

So uh, here take this!:

This world has a bit of a animals (not furries) x criminal underground x martial arts idea. In this world, hybrid animals of all types roam the world. But our characters live in a city called "Zoia", a lawless city full of hybrids that live tough lifes of crime and chaos. In this city, 4 bosses called the "Wilders" rule parts of the city through thier meticulous scheming and martial art prowess.

Monkey:

An aspiring young con-man of 30 years old. He's charismatic, but also kind of a loser that doesn't know when to seperate his outrageous goals from reality, making it his job of doing petty thefts and reselling what he "borrowed" at the kiosks. His arrogance often leads him to get his ass kicked, and he gets in trouble with smaller gangs because of his thefts on their turfs. Still, he likes to think he has a shot at making it big in this city. His current goal? Becoming the next big Wilder.

Snake:

Local 27 year old organ trafficker hiding as a dentist. She works for a small gang because her shitty brother got both of them in debt. She's a nervous and shy girl who tries to cover up her snake-like appearance to look passive and insignificant just so that nobody can disturb her. But underneath all that lies a tempermental snake, and she's one day away from showing her fangs. Cunning and harsh, Snake will do anything to get a one up in this harsh world, even if it means betrayal. She's catching the attention of Tiger, who was coincidentally looking for a doctor. Currently has beef with Mongoose because he keeps fucking around with her orders.

Bunny:

25 year old guy that became a Wilder by pure fucking rage. Because of his hybrid type, he's been seen as weak and small his whole life. After some people tried to mug him, he snapoed and sent them to the hospital. What followed was the rumour of a bunny hybrid that's been going on a rampage and fighting big shots. So, bunny climbed to the top of the criminal food chain by fighting. Other then that he's a quiet and introverted guy that kind of has a weird way of thinking. But since he's so sure of himself, many started following him. He earned the title of the new Wilder and he's making bank by the night clubs he opened up that's actually a back drop for meetings between the dangerous groups of the city.

Lion:

The current leader of the west side and the most powerful fighter next to Bull. A 34 year old Wilder that was recently given the title after his mom stepped down. Stoic and prideful on the outside, but has a strong sense of tradition and justice. He has a close group of friends that are loyal to a fault, and his pride in his work often attracts the younger generation to join. Don't be mistaken though, his work is built on generations of fear and blood, and he's not willing to give it all up. Currently wants to help Mongoose find his sister, as she was a close friend of his mother and a role model.

Shark:

Nonbinary 31 year old that's both smart and eccentric. Neither a Wilder nor weaker then one, they currently run a small organ trafficking business and loan company, but their main job is arms dealing. They travel across the world making deals with all kinds of people, but stop by Zoiac to say hello to her dearly beloved "workers". Charismatic and a bit of a flirt, they'll make you dance in the palm of their hand without you ever knowing it. Currently, they like to bother Snake by pushing her buttons. They really seem to enjoy testing her, but it looks like they have other plans for her?

Mongoose:

A 19 year old outsider looking for his missing sister. He's naive about the ways of the city and often gets himself in trouble by sticking his nose into businesses he shouldn't. But he's pretty smart and knows how to persuade people into helping him. He's very energetic, but also so serious that if you tease him he'll actually get mad at you. Currently, he lives with Monkey as his roommate. They get along suprisingly well, since they both love old kung fu movies. He also believes that Snake has something to do with his sister's dissappearance and they're this 👌close to getting into an all out brawl with each other that'll probably end in bloodshed.

Tiger:

A 35 year old Wilder woman that's hard working and cunning. She's the first of her family that managed to rise their debt induced name into fame and luxury. She's the wealthiest Wilder of the city, and has her claws into multiple famous casinos and clubs. Cold and brutal, she's stubborn into getting whatever she wants in this city, and her plan to have full control of this city is only stopped by some pest she wants to swat away. But she's all to patient to wait for them to wander into her gaze so she could dig her teeth into them. Snake and Mongoose has caught her attention as of recent, and she's debating on whether she wants these two animals to work as bodyguard and an informant for her by 'persuading' them into a deal that's very beneficial for both of them.

Wolf:

8 year old orphaned little girl that's in the middle of a very dangerous world. She has a mutation on her eyes that's causing her to see the future. Because of this, she's sought out by the Wilders and she's constantly running away from them, only to find herself deeper into the city. She's quiet and very meticulous with her plans, untrusting of those who reach their hand out to her. She also may have some form of autism (one od her special interests is dragons). She currently lives with Bull, and she doesn't know whether he pretends to act as her dad for the sake of it or he wants to use her for her foresight. Either way, she doesn't trust him and she's planning on getting out of his grip.

Bull:

40 year old Wilder that's been playing this city's game since he was 20 years old. A family guy that likes people who are "interesting", and likes to tip things slightly on edge to relieve him of his boredom (this bastard). He's friendly and has that leadership vibe that just makes you want to have one drink with him at least. He just went through a divorce and is currently wanting to get along with his 19 year old daughter that seems to have no interest in inheriting the family and instead wants to pursue her love for art. Currently looking after Wolf who he picked up after, uh, "fired" the last Wilder. He slowly kind of sees her as his adoptive daughter (if only she doesn't run away every 5 damn seconds. He swears he doesn't care about her ability to see the future and wants to spoil her, but she's determined to tear each gift up and throw it back into his face.)

[grislyintentions]

|| Theory + HC (Yaoshi) ||

With reference to Yaoshi's title as the 'Plagues Author' and information gleaned from Jingliu's story quest (which I have an abundance of thoughts about /bah dum ts/):

Given that I equated Yaoshi with the abstract concept of disease (to love is to sacrifice), parasitism, parallels to fruit/cannibalism and body horror, it does please me to see that the consumption of an Emanator of Abundance's flesh is one of the potential methods for a short life species to become a warped version of a long life species.

Yaoshi bestows unto others a 'gift that keeps on giving' and I adore the idea that they form a bizarre foodchain: Yaoshi creates emanators by feeding them bits of themselves (the red 'pupils'), the emanators' bodies become further sources to spread their 'gifts' to others when they perish.

As discussed with Willow in a previous conversation, I discussed that spilling the blood of Yaoshi themselves can have terrifying consequences and brought up comparisons to how they could infest and spread to all in the vicinity much like fungi spores dispersing into the air or roots that penetrate into the core of flagships. That Yaoshi never truly dies because they live through sharing the consciousness and matter of their emanators (loaning more credence to the Xianzhou's relentless pursuit over them as well as the Aeon). This is a headcanon I'd like to bring forth here too.

These ideas are formed based on initial observations of the abominations on the Xianzhou Luofu. Certain creatures (like the Malefic Ape, the toad etc) reminded me of the demons and spirits found in the Journey of the West tales I used to read as a kid. The observation of lotus symbolism and discussions of immortality are tied to deities traditionally in my culture as well.

Additionally, yearning for longevity is also a concept touched on by chinese dramas for a long time. Most depict that as well as the very act of reviving someone from death as great sins. There are also comparisons to be made about how consuming the 'Holy flesh' of monks like Tan Sanzang (longevity monk) could grant others immortality as well as greater powers.

Miscellaneous note: Based on the foreshadowing between Luocha and Jingliu's words, could it be possible that their intentions align somewhat with the stellaron hunters? There are plenty of ways to kill an Aeon (presumably) but how does one truly kill one that continues to find a way to survive? Short of stripping them from their predestined path and embodying it far better than them? They can't make a difference now but after...after they just might be able to.

[dubaireaestateconsultant]

The Ultimate Guide to Buying Luxury Properties in Dubai

Introduction to Luxury Properties in Dubai

Dubai's real estate market is synonymous with luxury, offering a wide range of high-end properties that attract investors and homebuyers from around the world. From opulent villas and expansive penthouses to exclusive apartments in prestigious neighborhoods, Dubai's luxury real estate sector is thriving. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the process of buying luxury properties in Dubai, offering valuable insights and practical tips to help you secure your dream home.

For more information on home loans, visit Home Loan UAE.

Why Invest in Luxury Properties in Dubai?

Dubai is a global hub that combines modernity with tradition, making it an attractive destination for luxury real estate investment. Here are several compelling reasons to invest in luxury properties in Dubai:

Strategic Location: Dubai's geographical location serves as a crucial gateway between the East and the West, making it a central hub for business and tourism.

World-Class Amenities: Luxury properties in Dubai come equipped with world-class amenities, including private beaches, state-of-the-art fitness centers, and high-end retail and dining options.

Tax Benefits: Dubai offers tax-free income on rental yields and capital gains, making it an attractive destination for investors.

High Rental Yields: The city provides some of the highest rental yields in the world, making it a lucrative investment opportunity.

Strong Economy: Dubai's robust and diversified economy supports a stable real estate market, providing a secure investment environment.

For property purchase options, explore Buy Commercial Properties in Dubai.

Understanding the Luxury Property Market in Dubai

The luxury property market in Dubai is characterized by its diversity and opulence. Properties range from high-rise apartments with breathtaking views to sprawling villas with private pools and gardens. Key areas known for luxury properties include:

Palm Jumeirah: An iconic man-made island offering exclusive beachfront villas and luxury apartments.

Dubai Marina: Known for its stunning skyline and waterfront living, Dubai Marina offers high-rise luxury apartments and penthouses.

Downtown Dubai: Home to the Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai offers luxury apartments in a vibrant urban setting.

Emirates Hills: Often referred to as the "Beverly Hills of Dubai," this gated community offers expansive villas and mansions.

Steps to Buying Luxury Properties in Dubai

Define Your Requirements: Determine your budget, preferred location, property type, and essential amenities.

Research the Market: Conduct thorough research on the luxury property market in Dubai. Use online portals, consult real estate agents, and attend property exhibitions.

Secure Financing: If you require financing, explore mortgage options. For more details, visit Mortgage Financing in Dubai.

Hire a Real Estate Agent: Engage a reputable real estate agent specializing in luxury properties to guide you through the process.

View Properties: Schedule viewings of shortlisted properties to assess their suitability.

Make an Offer: Once you find the right property, make an offer through your agent.

Legal Checks and Documentation: Ensure all legal checks are completed, and necessary documentation is in place.

Finalize the Purchase: Complete the payment and transfer the property title to finalize the purchase.

For rental options, visit Apartments For Rent in Dubai.

Financial Considerations

Investing in luxury properties requires careful financial planning. Here are some key financial considerations to keep in mind:

Budgeting: Determine your budget, including the purchase price, closing costs, maintenance fees, and potential renovation costs.

Mortgage Options: Explore different mortgage options to find the best rates and terms. A mortgage consultant can provide valuable advice and assistance.

Down Payment: Be prepared to make a significant down payment, typically ranging from 20% to 30% of the property value.

Currency Exchange: If you are an international buyer, consider the implications of currency exchange rates on your investment.

Legal Considerations

Title Deed: Ensure the property has a clear title deed issued by the Dubai Land Department (DLD).

No Objection Certificate (NOC): Obtain an NOC from the developer if purchasing an off-plan property.

Property Registration: Register the property with the DLD to formalize ownership.

Legal Advice: Consider hiring a legal advisor to assist with the legal aspects of the purchase.

Choosing the Right Real Estate Agent

A reputable real estate agent can make the process of buying a luxury property much smoother. Here are some tips for choosing the right agent:

Experience and Reputation: Choose an agent with extensive experience and a strong reputation in the luxury property market.

Market Knowledge: Ensure the agent has in-depth knowledge of the specific areas and properties you are interested in.

Client Testimonials: Look for client testimonials and reviews to gauge the agent's performance and reliability.

Communication Skills: Select an agent who communicates effectively and is responsive to your needs and concerns.

Viewing and Selecting Properties

When viewing luxury properties, consider the following factors:

Location: The location of the property is crucial. Consider proximity to amenities, views, and the overall neighborhood.

Quality of Construction: Assess the quality of construction, materials used, and overall craftsmanship.

Amenities and Features: Ensure the property offers the amenities and features that are important to you, such as private pools, gyms, and security.

Future Development Plans: Research any future development plans in the area that could impact the value and desirability of the property.

Making an Offer and Negotiating

Once you find the perfect property, making an offer and negotiating terms is the next step. Here are some tips:

Offer Price: Work with your agent to determine a fair offer price based on market value and recent sales.

Negotiation Strategy: Have a clear negotiation strategy and be prepared to make counteroffers.

Inclusions and Exclusions: Clearly outline what is included in the sale, such as furnishings, fixtures, and appliances.

Contingencies: Include contingencies in your offer to protect your interests, such as financing and inspection contingencies.

Closing the Deal

The final step in buying a luxury property is closing the deal. This involves several key tasks:

Final Walkthrough: Conduct a final walkthrough of the property to ensure it is in the agreed-upon condition.

Finalizing Financing: Secure your mortgage and ensure all financing details are in order.

Signing the Contract: Review and sign the sales contract, ensuring all terms and conditions are clearly outlined.

Transfer of Ownership: Complete the transfer of ownership with the Dubai Land Department.

For more resources and expert advice, visit Home Loan UAE.

Real-Life Success Story

Consider the case of James, an investor from the UK, who purchased a luxury penthouse in Dubai Marina. With the help of a local real estate agent and a mortgage consultant, James secured a competitive mortgage rate and finalized the purchase within three months. His investment has since appreciated in value, providing substantial rental income.

Conclusion

Buying luxury properties in Dubai can be a rewarding investment, provided you navigate the process with due diligence and expert guidance. By following the steps outlined in this guide and leveraging professional services, you can secure a luxury property that meets your needs and investment goals. For more resources and expert advice, visit Home Loan UAE.