#types of debt investments

[citizencapital]

Debt Investments: Join Our Exclusive Free Live Webinar !

[haunted-house-heart]

yknow one thing about me is that i've never been told i'm difficult to buy gifts for

[yandere-sins]

A Camgirl's Happiness

a/n: To be fair, I know very little about actually streaming or cammodeling, and it's not as easy to read up on, so take my descriptions with a grain of salt. Also, I know that most people doing that job are really into it and I'm very happy for them, but I needed the drama for the story, hope you can understand! I hope you guys enjoy it regardless, it was fun to write!

Warnings: Yandere, Sexual Content (Reader is a camgirl, mentioning of stripping, fulfilling sexual favors for viewers), Fem!Reader, Life struggles (Debts, Mental health problems), Mention of stalking, Obsessive Behavior

You knew exactly what you were doing, pulling your legs up on your chair, squeezing your breasts just a bit more prominently towards the camera.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

"Hi SweetsMaster! Longtime no read! We're just talking today, but I'm so glad you made it to the stream!"

Ding! Ding!

Smiling, you watched the crushing waves of messages, your fanbase as active as ever as they flooded you with their adoration. Even when you had an image to uphold, you couldn't help but be pampered by their compliments, giggling and telling them to stop calling you adorable and their "dream girl".

Still, you played along to their fantasies, hid your face behind your palm coyly, and kept them believing that you were this cute internet star they loved so much. Life was hard, but getting an end to your means barely needed more than an hour or two talking about all the cute things you'd do if you had one of these lonely, unhappy people behind the screen as your partner. You didn't complain that they invested their savings into spending time with you instead of therapy.

Not like you ever considered going to therapy yourself, too ashamed of the truths you'd have to share.

You sighed inwardly, forcing yourself to smile a bit more convincingly at the camera as you took a sip of water, letting some drops fall into your cleavage. "Oopsie!" you giggled, forced to appear bashful, hoping no one clipped that. But what were you thinking? Of course, they did.

"Stop that, guys! How embarrassing! People will think I can't even drink!"

Sometimes you didn't recognize your own voice as you put on a show. The pitch was too high, your words made you cringe. As if you were in a sketch, rather than a life performance. You quickly wiped away the droplets sitting on top of your skin, threatening to run down the curve of your breasts as many of your viewers hoped before continuing to chat with the rapidly growing crowd. Being a camgirl had been fun once—unforced.

When you started doing it, you enjoyed the time with every new follower you got. Some were creeps, but some were genuinely nice people who paid you to do things you enjoyed. You didn't feel strange being yourself back then; people supported you just as you were. Taking off your clothes and doing favors was a fun little side hustle to get you through college. You didn't plan on doing this forever.

But even with your degree, your real job, and all the possibilities you had now, you couldn't stop streaming. You tried countless of times! But every time you said goodbye for good, your life was thrown into chaos, your bills left unpaid. You lost your job, lost your home, lost all the friends that couldn't watch your life being ruined.

And now, you were tired. So, so tired.

You got back on your feet, thanks to streaming. You found a new job, a new home. More and more people joined your shows; they bought you gifts and sent you money. Even if there was no one to share your earnings with, at least you didn't have to worry about your debts anymore. You'd stream after work, on the weekends, vacations. You organized photoshoots and sold your pictures and merch on the side, even though no one ever wanted to get hired by you to help with all the packaging and work it took.

> you're nothing like you were when you first started

Someone typed in chat, and your fake voice began to crack as you read it out loud. Quickly, you composed yourself, but it stung.

"Yeah, well, aren't we all someone different than, let's say, three years ago? I've grown a lot as a person since I first started! And thanks to you guys, I was able to afford better equipment, too!"

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

You laughed at the incoming donations, forming a heart with your hands as you thanked your patrons. "That's going to be a new mic soon!"

> that's not what i meant

The same person from before wrote into the chat, their name—DarlingLover—highlighted in baby pink, revealing they were a superfan. You couldn't ignore them, even though you wished nothing more than for this conversation to end.

> you looked much happier back then

"That's not true!" you chimed up, using all your strength to press down the tears you felt shooting into your eyes. It was bittersweet to be seen in this industry. To not be objectified and idolized, but to have someone truly notice the person behind the on-camera persona.

"I love hanging out with you guys! I made so many new friends, and I'm grateful for all the support and love you guys have shown me! I would never have had the chance otherwise!"

Blowing some kisses towards the camera, your donations went wild, reassuring you that your cover hadn't been blown. You had to keep yourself together, you couldn't risk one perceptive fan to showcase how miserable you were. But perhaps you had to take it as a sign. A sign that it was enough for today. You needed to eat something, and the clock on your monitor—10:47 pm—reminded you that you skipped dinner long enough. And once you had some substance, you'd need the five hours of sleep before you'd have to drag yourself out of bed and to your real work.

"Okay, guys, that's it for tonight! Thank you all for joining our talking stream! I hope you had as much fun as I did!"

Slipping your hand beneath the spaghetti strap of your tank, you pushed it off your shoulder teasingly. "And just as a little reminder," you mumbled seductively, winking at your audience. "Join us tomorrow for a very fun night!"

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

You grinned cheekily, waving at the people and blowing them a few more kisses while the donations kept pinging in. Just two more clicks and you had closed the stream, watching it on your second monitor to see if your 'stream ended' notice got displayed properly. The animation had been damn expensive, and you wanted to use it to its fullest until it would be too outdated that you needed a new one.

Watching it for a while, you noticed that amongst the countless messages notifying you that someone left the stream, a few people still had a very eager conversation even after it ended. Immediately, the baby pink name of the superfan who had chatted with you before stood out, the user vehemently defending their standpoint against some newer fans. You clicked their names and checked them out, seeing the varying times from a few months to a few days of subscription to you, as well as the very sparse donation they made.

> i've been here longer, i'd know if she was truly happy

DarlingLover wrote, and you gulped, feeling the anxiety brewing inside your stomach. You couldn't believe they'd go out of their way to try and pull others on their side. Were they trying to ruin your career on purpose?

>> what an idiot lol >> srsly she wouldn't do it if she didn't want to >> yeah what the hell lol

A sigh of relief escaped you, seeing how the others didn't believe DarlingLover. Once again, your reputation was upheld even if it might cost you this superfan. It was expected in this industry to lose and gain followers. Some could withstand changes with their devotion, and others couldn't. You watched as the number of current visitors to your stream continued to drop relentlessly, the sight calming your mind.

You should have gotten up and made dinner, hit the hay before you could pity yourself any more than you had all evening. Your mood was already down the drain, but you were too exhausted to get up, thinking of just dropping into bed and sleeping until morning instead of doing anything else. You couldn't afford to not care for yourself, but it all felt so meaningless.

> Darling, you there?

A stray message popping up in chat caught your attention. You had three more visitors. Two must have just left it open on the side, but the third one was still chatting. With who? you wondered, waiting for someone to respond. But no one answered, DarlingLover, and a whole minute passed by.

> if you read this, can you message me privately? i want to book a private session

You inhaled deeply.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck," you groaned, letting your head fall back against the gaming chair you had bought for your desktop setup. Pink and cute and so expensive. Private Sessions were the only reason you could afford a 500$ chair in the first place. But you really, really didn't want to. Really didn't want to entertain someone who had ruined your evening enough.

Click.

< Hi! :) You wanted a private session? Thank you so much, I look forward to it! Do you have a date in mind? I'll check with my bookings, but I'm sure we can find some time this week!

Yes, you hated yourself. But this user was a superfan, and you never let anyone down before. For the right price, you could do anything—or so you told yourself repeatedly. Trying to make yourself believe you could do it, burned out and exhausted as you were. It was just one more private session; you'd get through it, just like you always had.

> i've noticed how unhappy you are lately. you don't smile like you used to, don't tell us about what is happening in your life. you're like a pretty doll that sits and entertains us out of habit. i hate it. i want the real you back

That again. You scowled at the screen, your stomach grumbling in agreement (and hunger). "What do you even say to that?" you mumbled into the silence surrounding you. It was pitiful that you still lived in the same two-room flat since college, all your money going into debt and equipment rather than buying nice things for yourself. It made the dark, quiet loneliness so much more derisive. It was your life, but even so you could do nothing but entertain others to live in a way you didn't want to. You were so lost, your whole life purpose seemingly meaningless as the streams and viewers demanded more and more from you.

< I'm sorry you feel that way! :( I'm always trying my best to be myself and kind. I hope it didn't seem like I'm just faking it for the others! Please give me a chance to prove that I'm still me, and I'll do my best to meet your expectations!

Tears stung in your eyes as you typed out the words. You didn't want to grovel or apologize for how the world had ruined you. You couldn't push the blame on everyone else forever, but you truly felt wronged by your own life. Apologizing for being forced into a role you didn't want to have was way worse than when you made an actual mistake, but if you wanted to keep up the image, it was what you had to do.

> it's okay. i know you work so hard, i'm so proud of you for that

Your supporter's sudden shift in attitude made you lean back in your chair, your breath escaping you as you felt the tension being lifted. Perhaps he wasn't as weird as you assumed by his insistence on ruining the little composure you had in your stream. Maybe he was truly just concerned for you.

> that's why i'm going to help you!

Raising an eyebrow, you couldn't help but cringe. Nothing good ever came from someone saying they would "help" you. They were merely justifying themselves for wanting something unhinged from you, mostly something you weren't comfortable with. You relented to them in the past, but did you really have to put up with it still?

< Thank you so much for giving me a chance! ♥ Have you decided on a day then for our session?

> tomorrow night, 8pm, hotel loveline. i'll book the room, just mention my name to the receptionist, and they'll give you a key

You felt all goodwill shatter into a million pieces as you read the line. Bringing your hands to your face, you rubbed over the wrinkles and tension you held in the grimace of an expression you were making, wishing you could just drop the conversation and go to bed. It wasn't the first time someone asked to meet up personally. You had never done it before and wouldn't break your boundary for that guy now.

< I'm so sorry, but I don't do personal meet-ups! If you want a private cam session, please let me know, and I will arrange it! :)

"Please, god, let him get the hint," you prayed under your breath, but you should have known better. He was a persistent one.

> i'll make sure you gain thrice the followers than you do in one month just from our collaboration. surely people will send lots of donations, too. the only thing i want is you, natural, real. mine for the night

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Mister," you grumbled, slowly getting angry at this guy. Why did he lie through his teeth? How in the world would someone get you thrice the subscribers from a private session? Why make big promises that were impossible to keep? And he was paying for it, so there would be no donations for you. But even so, with your teeth grinding in frustration, you typed out the nicest rejection you possibly could.

< Sorry, but I'm really not comfortable with personal meet-ups! And charging you for a whole night also makes me feel bad; my rates aren't cheap, after all. It wouldn't be fair to you. Let me know if you are still interested in a cam session, I'll give you a discount since you've been a fan for so long! :) ♥

There was an eery silence in the chatroom, and you glimpsed towards the bathroom, wondering if you had time to get ready for bed until he replied. Ultimately, you decided to wait it out, just to be polite, while you scolded yourself for offering a discount. This interaction alone should have warranted an extra charge on top of your regular rates.

> you like your current day job, don't you?

This statement caught you off-guard. You hadn't spoken much about your new employment on stream, not wanting to bore your viewers with such trivial things when they were there to be entertained.

> wouldn't you be sad if you were fired again?

"What do you mean?" you typed back, the confusion growing.

> i take good care of my darling, and you'll enjoy what i have prepared for you. if you can no longer pretend to be happy, i will help you find that happiness again, help you choose the right path

< you scare me

You typed the words before thinking them through. This was the real you, not the persona he knew and wanted to see, and she just messed up big time.

< I'm sorry, I meant to say your comments can be interpreted weirdly, and it's a little scary to read them right now. I'd still be up for the cam session if you're interested, though?

Anything, you thought, anything to stop him from saying more weird shit.

Does he... does he know you? You pondered the thought for a while. Trying to find a weird interaction you might have had before in your real life. One where someone spoke to you like he did. But you couldn't recall it. How did you know about your job though? Was he perhaps a colleague? But even they knew very little of you, and definitely not about your other job.

"Do I know you?" you asked when he didn't reply anytime quick.

Immediately, you regretted showing vulnerability in front of this stranger. From the moment he joined your stream, DarlingLover had seen through your charades, the online persona you had kept up so carefully. They were laying you bare in an uncomfortable, personal way. You've always been so careful with information about your personal life, keeping all your stories vague and unidentifiable, never naming brands of the stores you visited, or talking about the companies you were part of. How did he know where you lived and about your work?

You wished he'd just stop and disappear to where he came from.

> not yet :)   > but you will get to know me—all of me—when we see each other tomorrow. i'll make you smile again, i'll make you happy. you'll be my darling star again, just like before! my reason to live, my beloved. i can't wait for tomorrow, see you soon!

DarlingLover left the chat.

You stared at the message for a while, perplexed and dumbfounded as you tried to make sense of it. You replayed the interaction over and over but could find no logic or reason behind it. You didn't know this guy, he didn't know you. At least, not personally. But he did know more about you than any of your subscribers should.

Part of you hated him, but the rest of you was scared. Scared of what would happen if you scorned him, the havoc he'd unleash on your life. You were scared of the embarrassment he could cause you if he revealed your secret sidehustle to your work, feared how the opinion of you would change now that you finally found work that you liked and coworkers that you could have fun with. You were finally one leg into having a normal life, only for some stranger on the internet to come and ruin it again. It made you mad and drove you downright crazy.

Clicking his username over and over, it stated he was offline. You couldn't open a new chat again, couldn't scream at him how you weren't going to do that! How you wouldn't meet him for real because he could very well be a psycho or murderer! Surely, he'd not give you back the time you lost streaming, the friends you pushed away to earn money, or your happiness in exchange for success!

"What do I do?" you sighed, rubbing your face once more. You were so tired, you had to go to bed. Soon, you'd have to get up, get to work, and decide whether you wanted to attend the meet-up.

Wait.

Why was that even a decision?

Of course, you wouldn't go! He couldn't force you! He couldn't—

Did you really have a choice?

Flopping into your bed, you groaned. In a fit of anger, you punched your fists into the mattress a few times before the strength left you. Of course, it was your choice. You had started over before. If the worst came to fruition, you'd just do it again. Nothing was lost. You could do it! You could refuse the offer and live a happy life away from streaming and the judgment of other people! It would be hard. So very hard. But you could do it!

Sleep overtook you before you could prepare yourself for bed. You didn't hear the ping of a chat message. All your body had left in it was to sleep away the exhaustion, even if it meant knocking you out for good and without having an alarm set for the next morning. Big decisions would have to be made the next day, but you were asleep, unaware of the weight resting on your shoulders.

And you didn't notice the red light on your webcam, saying it was still on even though your screen had long closed down.

< sleep well, darling :) ♥

His lips curled into a wicked, lovestruck grin as he moved the window with the video live feed of your bedroom to the second monitor. Finally. Finally, he'd get to meet you. His idol, his darling, his beloved streamer. He adored and worshipped you since the day you started. Watched every one of your streams since the day you joined his life.

Without you, his channel wouldn't exist. People wouldn't adore him, wouldn't watch him. The masses of fans enjoying his lengthy cock-stroking sessions, buying his ASMR audios to masturbate to—they all wouldn't exist without you. Even when he was down when he just started, seeing you smile and do your best for the few followers you had was what made him continue working hard for you.

And now that he had long surpassed you, it was time he gave back the gratitude he felt towards you.

The thought alone of meeting you was getting his cock rock hard, ready to burst. He wasn't even sure if he could look into your eyes without cumming instantly like a pathetic loser. But he wouldn't mind being a loser again if it meant he got to meet you.

"I love her streams," he hummed blissfully, closing the connection to your stream as he palmed himself over his sweatpants. Thanks to your lovely end of stream announcement, showing all your best moments, no one even noticed he'd be off chatting with you. "She's my favorite streamer ever."

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

Donations went off as he pulled down the waistband, revealing the girthy mass that his followers loved so much. He'd been so ashamed as a teenager for having this monster of a cock, but on the internet, he found solace. People loved imagining riding him, giving him BJs, the whole nine yards, but he saved himself. For you. You'd be the first, and if he did his job well, you'd be his last.

"Before we get to the main part of tonight," he teased, gripping his length in his hand, squeezing and caressing it for the whole community to see. Head rolling back, he imagined your warmth spread around him, his cock pulsing eagerly as he wished to know what it would feel like to pop the tip into your tight pussy.

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

He grinned. They loved him so much. Everyone loved the former loser now turned into a hot, sexy internet sensation. And you would, too. Very soon.

"I want to announce that we're going to have the collaboration of the year right here, on this channel, tomorrow. Starting at 8:30pm! Make sure you're here to witness it, Darling."

Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!

[aaravm1]

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[theassetinvestor]

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[loveemagicpeace]

🍯Astrology Notes🍯

🪴Virgo rising- are very caring people. They take great care to ensure that you have everything you need, especially for your health. They will be able to tell you a lot about various medicines.

🌱Gemini rising- funny as fuck sometimes. They are people who talk and don't stop. You can discuss all possible topics with them if you want. They have a very open mind. But when it comes to being able to do something, sometimes they are not so open to new things. Let's say one difference between them and Sagittarius is that they are not traveling types and they don't like to travel that much.

💫You will feel most comfortable talking to people with whom you have the same compatible moon and mercury in your house. for example: mercury in the 9th house and the other person has mercury in the 1st house. With this you can see what topics you can discuss with others.

🪐People who has saturn in 1st house looks better when they are skinnier. Because their bones and body structure are more beautifully emphasized. Many times they can have weight problems(they can quickly lose weight from worry).

🍀Earth signs look very down to earth even when they are joking around. Even when they make a crazy joke, they still look down to earth.

🐚Scorpios quickly stop trusting you. You just have to do one thing and they are done trusting you. When they see that you are dishonest to them in any kind of way, they will not trust you anymore. Especially when they get to know someone from the beginning and notice that they didn't tell them something or hid something from them, and as I said, it could be just one small thing like say you're going to say you're eating pizza, but in reality you're eating hamburger. It is small lie. But this is sometimes also one of the reasons why pisces and scorpio don't go so well together. Because pisces tend not to say everything while scorpios are. Many times, pisces swim off into their fantasy world and sometimes get lost in it. Scorpios are always looking for the truth in everything. I have seen successful Scorpio/Capricorn couples many times.

🍁Fire signs are actually very active people. So you have to prove them love with actions. They want to see how much you are willing to do for them and how much you are willing to risk. When you go beyond your limits and do something really crazy for them, they will really appreciate it.

💷2nd house represents your money & 8th house where you invest money. The 2nd house reflects your underlying relationship to money and patterns around money are often deeply ingrained. With the Moon in Cancer here, your emotional wellbeing rises and falls with your bank balance, both of which may be subject to flux. You can be a rags-to-riches success, but with Saturn in the 2nd you might always feel poor, the millionaire who still buys the budget range at the supermarket. The 8th house is concerned with debt and our relationship to institutions which provide loans, mortgages, and overdrafts. Capricorn on the cusp of the 8th suggests paying your dues and insisting on a proper contract, Sagittarius here you can invest a lot in travel or even illegal things.

☀️The Sun is the central flame of our vitality. Acting according to your Sun sign and engaging in activities denoted by the house it occupies are important ways to increase your energy and vigour. For instance, with Sun in the 1st, you might need time alone in order to recoup your energies - the presence of others can drain you, Or with Sun in the 6th, maybe you like to spend spare time working in the garden or catching up on DIY. The Sun in Sagittarius might mean you like to explore far afield; if in Aquarius maybe you like to holiday with a group of friends. Sun in Scorpio- working in the shadows or researching something no one knows about is best for you. Sun in 7th house you like to devote a lot of your time to your partner.

🧸Some signs are naturally more work-oriented and some more suggestive of needing a slower pace. Capricorn (or its ruler Saturn) is often highlighted in the charts of anyone with a strong work ethic - by contrast, Leo, Libra, or Pisces might engender a bit more need for time off, to play, relax, or dream. Each Zodiac sign has its ideal gap year or holiday. The fire signs might favour adventure breaks, the air signs a chance to meet new faces, the earth signs maybe an eco-trip; and the water signs a sojourn by the sea or in quiet, restful places.

🩰The IC and the 4th house describe home, both as a physical place and as an inner sense of roots, safety, and foundation. If you have Jupiter in the 4th, it might feel natural to you to travel around or you might even choose to live abroad - or with Uranus here, you may experience many changes of home(many unexpected moves). With the Sun or Moon in the 4th, you might be so strongly connected to home and homeland that uprooting yourself will not be easy - your Sun here suggests your life revolves around home in some way, the Moon that your emotional wellbeing is closely tied to it. With Pluto you can feel that your home is intense and that you are always transforming through it (but it can also leave bad memories). With Mercury can mean that you change your home a lot. With Mars you may feel that your home is often chaotic or aggressive and you are looking for a home where you can become independent. With Neptune many times your home is confusing, strange. Many times you find your ideal place somewhere by the ocean. With Venus your home is loving, genuine and you have loving parents to whom you love to return. But it can involve a lot of money or love based on it. So you can feel that your parents never really appreciated you if you didn't have money.

🧚🏼‍♀️About Aquarius: I want to say one thing about them. I would say that if they really really want they will do it. But most likely they are independent people & lost souls sometimes. I think that they are scared of attachment. So that's why they are rather alone. They are looking for someone. Who will be goofy as they are.

💌I think Valentine's Day is for Libras. Libra is a sign of love, romance,beautiful things. And if any sign is inclined to & like to celebrate this day, it's definitely the Libra. But I find it a little strange that it is in Aquarius season.

💘Cupido is definitely a Sagittarius sign. Although people don't believe that Sagittarians are so loving and romantic, but they really are. Cupido shoots into the hearts of people who are meant to be together. If you hit a sagittarius deep in the heart with your love, then you can see the true side of them. Then you can see how loving they are.

🌅The people you attract into your life are usually connected to your North Node.For ex.: North node in Virgo in your 8th house- you will mostly be attracted to people who have a virgo placements, scoprpio placements, or pisces/ taurus placements.

🌊Pluto symbolizes power in whatever house it is. The power you feel in yourself and the people around you. Strong experience of feelings. For ex.: 5th house - privacy, romance, jealousy, strong emotions, strong happiness, attitude towards the things you do, you feel strong love, devotion. Obsession with changing partners maybe or affairs idk. 6th house - obsessed with perfection, control, work, high expectations. 7th house - you attract a lot of possessive partners, obsession with your partner, but at the same time you can be afraid to get into a relationship, mistrust. 8th house rulership- curious, constant control, secrets, power over your secrets, emotional transformations, many dark things, connection with birth and death, great interest in hidden things. 10th house - people can see you as a strong opponent, driven for a career, they can see you as a person who has a lot of secrets, you can present people with challenges. Big influence.

-Rebekah🧚🏼‍♀️🩰🌙

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #10

March 15-22 2024

The EPA announced new emission standards with the goal of having more than half of new cars and light trucks sold in the US be low/zero emission by 2032. One of the most significant climate regulations in the nation’s history, it'll eliminate 7 billion tons of CO2 emissions over the next 30 years. It's part of President Biden's goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions in half by 2030 on the road to eliminating them totally by 2050.

President Biden canceled nearly 6 Billion dollars in student loan debt. 78,000 borrowers who work in public sector jobs, teachers, nurses, social workers, firefighters etc will have their debt totally forgiven. An additional 380,000 public service workers will be informed that they qualify to have their loans forgiven over the next 2 years. The Biden Administration has now forgiven $143.6 Billion in student loan debt for 4 million Americans since the Supreme Court struck down the original student loan forgiveness plan last year.

Under Pressure from the administration and Democrats in Congress Drugmaker AstraZeneca caps the price of its inhalers at $35. AstraZeneca joins rival Boehringer Ingelheim in capping the price of inhalers at $35, the price the Biden Admin capped the price of insulin for seniors. The move comes as the Federal Trade Commission challenges AstraZeneca’s patents, and Senator Bernie Sanders in his role as Democratic chair of the Senate Health Committee investigates drug pricing.

The Department of Justice sued Apple for being an illegal monopoly in smartphones. The DoJ is joined by 16 state attorneys general. The DoJ accuses Apple of illegally stifling competition with how its apps work and seeking to undermining technologies that compete with its own apps.

The EPA passed a rule banning the final type of asbestos still used in the United States. The banning of chrysotile asbestos (known as white asbestos) marks the first time since 1989 the EPA taken action on asbestos, when it passed a partial ban. 40,000 deaths a year in the US are linked to asbestos

President Biden announced $8.5 billion to help build advanced computer chips in America. Currently America only manufactures 10% of the world's chips and none of the most advanced next generation of chips. The deal with Intel will open 4 factories across 4 states (Arizona, Ohio, New Mexico, and Oregon) and create 30,000 new jobs. The Administration hopes that by 2030 America will make 20% of the world's leading-edge chips.

President Biden signed an Executive Order prioritizing research into women's health. The order will direct $200 million into women's health across the government including comprehensive studies of menopause health by the Department of Defense and new outreach by the Indian Health Service to better meet the needs of American Indian and Alaska Native Women. This comes on top of $100 million secured by First Lady Jill Biden from ARPA-H.

Democratic Senators Bob Casey, Tammy Baldwin, Sherrod Brown, and Jacky Rosen (all up for re-election) along with Elizabeth Warren, Cory Booker, and Sheldon Whitehouse, introduced the "Shrinkflation Prevention Act" The Bill seeks to stop the practice of companies charging the same amount for products that have been subtly shrunk so consumers pay more for less.

The Department of Transportation will invest $45 million in projects that improve Bicyclist and Pedestrian Connectivity and Safety

The EPA will spend $77 Million to put 180 electric school buses onto the streets of New York City This is part of New York's goal to transition its whole school bus fleet to electric by 2035.

The Senate confirmed President Biden's nomination of Nicole Berner to the Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit. Berner has served as the general counsel for America's largest union, SEIU, since 2017 and worked in their legal department since 2006. On behalf of SEIU she's worked on cases supporting the Affordable Care Act, DACA, and against the Defense of Marriage act and was part of the Fight for 15. Before working at SEIU she was a staff attorney at Planned Parenthood. Berner's name was listed by the liberal group Demand Justice as someone they'd like to see on the Supreme Court. Berner becomes one of just 5 LGBT federal appeals court judges, 3 appointed by Biden. The Senate also confirmed Edward Kiel and Eumi Lee to be district judges in New Jersey and Northern California respectively, bring the number of federal judges appointed by Biden to 188.

[brucewaynehater101]

I have a really soft and cute au for Lesbian Janet that could work in any universe but I think works best in the Young Justice TV Show Universe.

See, everyone gets really confused when Tim talks about his Mom, sometimes referring to her as Mama. Tim thinks that using two different titles like that should make it Obvious that he has Two Moms but well. The Bats may be Super Geniuses but they are still Idiots. Tim is also an absolute Mama's Boy with Both his Moms. He loves them both So Much.

Oh, where is Jack you ask? He doesn't actually exist. He's the fake name and personality that Tim's Mama came up with and used Magic to disguise as so they could get Legally Married For Tax Benifits. Also to get his Mama a legal identity. Why would she need one of those? Well... as was mentioned, Tim's Mama has Magic with a Captial M. This by extension means Tim is Magic With A Capital M as well. Totally has nothing to do with Janet and his Mama sculpting him from clay and breathing life into him. Woes of pregnancy who? Not Janet that's for sure.

Also Tim does Not tell anyone that he has Magic and he doesn't show it off. The only reason the Bats found out about it is because Tim came to a meeting with Bruce and Diana went "you. Your Magic is Familure but I don't know from where." And Tim was sweating while saying, "Magic? What magic??" And after getting questioned by Diana and Bruce he Caves and tells them a half truth, "fine. I was made from Clay, like you. My Mom didn't want to go through the struggles of Childbirth but still wanted a child. Instead of adopting like any sane and rational person, she made a deal with a God or Godess. I don't know all the details but she owed them something in exchange for Me. I do know the debt has been paid already though."

The debt was simply a tea spoon of blood for the ritual and A Kiss. Janet over paid the second part by a lot.

As for how Janet met and wooed A Goddess? Well, she was on a dig in Greece when her boat she was using to get to another island was caught in a storm and washed up on a different island. The Goddess was expecting violence or anger at being stranded, perhaps even Sorrow. But no, Janet took one look at the Temple in the distance and was pushing past her saying she needed to get to the Temple because it's clearly in *amazing* condition and could bring So Many insights into Ancient Greek culture and building practice. For the first time in decades, as this Random Woman ran her hand along a pillar and started rambling about the design and what the type of collums were called, Circe felt herself blushing.

CIRCE?!?!?

FUCK YEAH.

Anyways, this is absolutely adorable. Fuck. I would love an entire fic of Janet. Here's a general plot line:

Janet hasn't ever really been interested in romance. She's tried dating a few guys in high school for appearance sake, but she usually broke the relationship off when they became too affectionate.

This is when others started referring to her as "cold." She wasn't, but few people got close enough to her to listen to her rambles about ancient civilizations, archeology, and sociality impacts of culture. She enjoyed other stuff, but nothing quite lit her up like those topics did.

In college, she did find and make a few friends with similar interests. This is where she figured out she was into women and not men. The relationships lasted longer, but she was single by the time she graduated with her bachelor's.

Her master's ends up as some sort of work study where she travels the world. She's more invested in her studies and work than relationships at this point. She enjoys learning about people's lives and cultures but doesn't seek out more than friendship.

I'm not sure if Janet has already or is working on her doctorate by the time she ends up lost on an island (or really how archeology even pays bills).

When she arrives on the island, there's a beautiful woman there as well. Janet notices this, but doesn't give a flying fuck in comparison to the architecture.

And Circe? Finds herself amused and confused by this woman who, although is into women, doesn't care about Circe's looks. Janet just keeps asking questions about Circe's life, the temple, the plants, the culture, etc. It becomes endearing watching her work late into the night with her research.

Janet is so enthralled in all that is going on that she doesn't notice Circe's continuous flirting. It's so fucking frustrating for Circe, but makes her unbearably fond as well. Janet starts to consider this drop dead gorgeous woman a close friend of hers as they "work" late into the chatting about ancient Greece, their past experiences, and their lives. Janet, who has some experience with romance but not much, even flirts back. After all, women call each other beautiful all the time and hold hands and shit. Surely Janet can platonically cuddle with her friend while Circe compares Janet's eyes to the night sky.

It's only when Janet is ready to leave that she realizes that she's willing to give up everything she's worked for, all of her findings and education, to have more time with Circe. Janet is in love with her best friend.

Also, Circe is able to get a fake ID as "Jack" due to magic and Janet's connections

[theambitiouswoman]

Basic Financial Skills Everyone Should Learn

Budgeting: Creating a budget is a crucial skill for managing personal finances. A budget helps you keep track of your income and expenses and enables you to plan and prioritize your spending.

Saving: Saving is another important financial skill. It's essential to set aside a portion of your income for emergencies, retirement, or other long-term goals.

Investing: Understanding the basics of investing can help you grow your money over time. Learning about different investment options such as stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and ETFs can help you make informed investment decisions.

Debt Management: Understanding debt and how to manage it is essential for financial stability. This includes understanding interest rates, payment schedules, and strategies for paying off debt.

Credit Scores: Your credit score is a critical component of your financial health. Understanding how credit scores work, what factors affect them, and how to improve them is vital.

Taxes: Understanding the basics of taxes, such as tax deductions, credits, and filing requirements, is essential for managing your finances.

Financial Planning: Developing a financial plan helps you achieve your financial goals by identifying your priorities, creating a budget, and determining the best investment strategies for your needs.

Understanding Interest Rates: Interest rates are an important component of many financial products, such as loans, credit cards, and savings accounts. Understanding how interest rates work, how they are calculated, and how they can impact your finances is important.

Insurance: Understanding the different types of insurance, such as health, life, and property insurance, is crucial for protecting yourself and your assets. Knowing what types of coverage you need, how to choose a policy, and how to file a claim is important.

Retirement Planning: Planning for retirement is essential for everyone, regardless of age. Knowing how much you need to save, how to invest your money, and when to start taking Social Security benefits can help you achieve a comfortable retirement.

Estate Planning: Estate planning involves creating a plan for the distribution of your assets after you die. Understanding the basics of estate planning, such as creating a will and selecting beneficiaries, can help ensure that your assets are distributed according to your wishes.

Basic Math Skills: Having a basic understanding of math, such as calculating percentages, can help you make informed financial decisions. This includes understanding how interest rates are calculated, how much you can save by making extra payments on your loans, and how much you will earn from your investments.

[3liza]

my gen x friend who is dying of brain cancer made a sly little flirt at me via text the other day. i glossed over it completely, which I am an expert at doing after a half-lifetime of being friends with mostly men (although as I type this is realize the gender ratio has changed a lot since I was younger, the attrition of men from my social environment is a combination of men being banished for misdeeds more than women, men not actually turning out to be men after all [i think my mode type of friend is trans woman??], and it becoming a lot harder to impress me as a male friend now than it used to be) but the proposition is tediously complicated.

the pragmatic-humanitarian first conclusion is to have sex with this guy as it would be a cool thing to do for a dying person and likely not injurious to myself. however the immediate refutations that crop up are pretty solid: it would be weird which would mean it could actually be injurious to me (mental health reasons), it could introduce stress and complications into a fragile person's life that potentially kills them faster or hurts them in some way, etc. this dude has been flirting with me for let's see...about twenty years. like many short kings he has figured his shit out to the point that he was considered a serious catch in the scene, and I never heard anything questionable about him either. good for him.

I'm reliving my mother's course of life, she also has whatever quality it is in some women (I think it's partially autism to be perfectly honest) that causes men to fall in love with them like being struck by lightning, and then carry a torch for decades. every time the subject comes up she tells me about yet another man she's known since the 1970s who has confessed he has loved her his entire life and then tried to give her a car or something. one aspect of this type of enchantment that you learn early is you can never accept the car. sometimes you can negotiate the car into a debt that's still helpful but less baggage. also the women who are really successful with this type of social interaction are not actually doing it on purpose or being manipulative, they genuinely are friends with the men. you can't really put the lightning in the bottle, and also by the time you're thirty at the latest you realize that being a trophy wife is a really shitty return on investment anyway

i think the most important thing you can do for your dying friends is not bullshit them or coddle them. when I'm dying I'm going to have zero patience for anyone using customer service voice on me. also I'm not asking for advice this isn't an issue that yields to the brain trust unfortunately

[learnastrowallura]

💜The 8th House in Astrology💜

The source if this information is The Astrology Podcast (Chris Brennan) on Youtube and from the book The Twelve Houses: Exploring the Houses of the Horoscope by Howard Sasportas and I will add a personal example as well

8th house: the occult, loss, taxes, loans, debt, inheritance, banking, accounting, investment expertise, others' finances, others's values, shared assets/values, merging, sexual intimacy, transformation, regeneration, the hidden, the unconscious, mediums, spirits, ancestral work, shadow work, trauma, fear, death, giving things, succedent

What we inherit (money, knowledge, family heirlooms, businesses, assets etc), our relationship with other people's money, how well off financially or in terms of value systems are our partners, how we set boundaries in terms of intimate relationships, our sexual nature, the themes that trigger transformations in our lifetime and how we handle that type of chaos and regenerative process, how we process and handle our fears particularly relating to loss, what kind of destructive thoughts/behaviors we might have or face sometimes, our relationship with our shadow self etc

Personal example: Gemini in an empty 8th house

I have an empty 8th house so it seems that the topics mentioned at the start are not so significant for me, however I am a Scorpio rising so my whole life is "transformative" lol it is just less emphasized like this I suppose

As for Gemini in my 8th house for me, it could indicate an innate ability to advise people on what to do with their money? This was purely an intuitive interpretation tho and since there is no emphasis on my natal 8th house I will let it go for now

What I have witnessed in the past as well is that I've always had a talent for helping people have breakthroughs; however with my Sagittarius energy and Mercury conjunct Pluto I may have come accross as too blunt and intense, and so this has only worked in situations in which the person knew me kind of well/trusted me and/or for some reason was not fazed by my intense energy and demeanor (Note: I have an Aries moon too lol)

With introspection and communicating my thoughts to others I can trigger transformative phases in my life whether good or bad but the main point is my relationships dictate a lot whether it is a start, end, break etc it always affects me and somehow feels like a shedding of my old self which very much aligns with the concept of death and rebirth in my opinion

Another thing to note is that the conjunction between my Mercury (8th house ruler) and Pluto (my chart ruler) takes place in my 2nd house of finances which makes me think that this theme in particular is quite important for me

Oh and rn I'm 19 so I am in my 8th house profection year and I'm healing from past connections that kept me stuck in life as well holding myself accountable for everything which has been cool like lots of ups and downs for sure but I do feel reborn and close friends have noticed and have been talking to me about the transformation as well haha I am receiving a lot of recognition, affection and praise <3

I might make a post resuming profection years in my own style/perspective soon but @lilacstro has posted about in detail already so check that out here x

Thank you for reading <3

Masterlist

Paid readings available

x

[withgreatpowercomesmyfuckingdick]

Hi! Imma do something rare and actually make content, but its 11 at night and i just had a brain worm

for those of you that don’t know, i work at an accounting office. we do taxes. it is tax season. and now im thinking abt how AGSZC does taxes and what their papers are like and im inflicting it on the rest of you even if its gibberish

Angeal: A godsend. Keeps his forms in order and filed properly, calculates everything else himself like a good man. Papers honestly aren’t too bad, maybe 10-12 just because of his career/insurance plus his doubtless donations to charity, but aside from that. straightforward and done at his kitchen table

Genesis: A fucking NIGHTMARE. no doubt pays someone else to do it. and for fucks sake, i know he invests. constantly and consistently and probably in anything he thinks stands the slightest chance against shinra on the market. his 1099-B is a mess and definitely Not Totaled, so his is the bullshit you have to insert one. investment. at. a time. He’s the type that keeps fucking calling too, I can just tell. but, aside from the 1099-B, he’s probably got simple stuff as well. probably several 1099-INTs from several different bank accounts, maybe a couple 1098s floating around from vacation houses or some shit.

Sephiroth: Does his own. In ridiculously early. Makes almost no personal purchases so hardly has anything to pay. I can’t imagine not having a last name or not knowing his birthday doesn’t end up a legal problem somehow, so he likely has to walk directly into a damn tax office to say hey this is me and this is my shit no, someone isn’t stealing my identity. has one singular document and it’s his W-2. Which is. Fucking astronomical. Like, the number doesn’t even look right. His paycheck as a SOLDIER isn’t taxed, so he doesn’t really get much back on his refund. The only first without a healthcare /insurance form because why tf would Sephiroth have healthcare? What’s he gonna do, get sick?

not getting into how doing his own taxes was definitely a fight between him and Hojo at some point and ended up getting hashed out in a board room. Hojo didn’t like him having the autonomy of filing for himself instead of being claimed ad Hojo’s ‘dependent’. Sephiroth deadass threatened to go to court abt it. The President told Hojo to suck it up so they didn’t have to deal with scandal, Hojo wouldn’t tell Seph his birthday to be difficult, and here we are

Zack: Panicking. Late. Doesn’t know if his forms came in the mail, doesn’t know where he put them most of the time. Scrambles around for a fuck ton of receipts, ultimately has to request Shinra send him his shit again. DEFINITELY pays someone else to do it. W-2, 1095-A, 1099-C(s)(he has several debts i can feel it i love him but he screams bad financial decisions), probably some shit for his bike too. He customs it so I can see him listing some parts he buys for it as work expenses. Jokingly puts some money he gave aerith for flowers and what he spent to make her wagon as donations to charity and it actually goes through because the church is still considered a legal entity. Definitely has to pay late fees.

Cloud: Pays Tifa to do it. Filing for both of them is a nightmare cause all their shit burnt in Nibelheim, so once Edge gets right with the WRO they have to do all their paperwork from scratch and get reassigned SSNs. He genuinely has a fuckton of paperwork from doing the Strife Delivery Service. Luckily, only ‘employee’ he has is Tifa, and even then she doesn’t do things regularly aside from pick up the phone. Doesn’t make his business an LLC until he’s literally forced to due to his number of clients and someone trying to sue him for damages. 1099-NEC for TIfa for sure, then once he’s an LLC, some yearly maintenance to keep legal. Mileage and gas expenses go CRAZY on his self employment form, I fucking bet. I bet Cloud’s handwriting is shit tho. Tifa’s at her desk counting up his gains and losses for fucking ages because his fives look too similar to sixes. Eventually she wrangles him into installing some shit on his phone that counts it up, if only to cure her headache. Funnily enough, he does get veteran benefits from what’s left of Shinra’s shit, reparations of sorts, but he doesn’t keep it. All goes to charity, so that ends up in the books too.

alright, that was unnecessarily in depth and way longer than i planned. good night LMAO

[jaylleoo14]

TW// Dark/Yandere themes - tread carefully

So i had a little thought, something my brain just magically thought of because I was thinking of my favorite Tako man :( (hes so cute I wanna just kiss his cheeks!) and then from then on it just kept building! (I had a soda, the sugar is giving me a sugar rush) I need him to be sitting next to me on the couch right now as he tells me about what stocks to invest in as I listen and drink some tea and the TV is running in the background ARGHHHHHHHH TT

You're a quiet person, someone who doesn't usually put themselves out there and tends to keep a low profile. Not that you are shy, but you feel that it isn't necessary to be all that extroverted, at least not here in Twisted Wonderland where it is filled with many flawed people and magicians. So its only natural you have a small tight group of friends, people who you can easily let loose around and be your true self without having to hold anything back. To say in simple terms, yes you are an introvert, but you know how to prioritize your time and values. You work at a coffee house located in a pretty high standing area where you're bound to see many office workers and other overworked individuals in many different industries. You make good small talk, well known to the people who come by often and seen as a industrious coworker who keeps to themselves.

Azul Ashengrotto, the founder of Mostro Lounge who now has branches of other cafes and running businesses. Someone of power and someone not to be on bad terms with. In the light he's seen as a smooth talking and successful business man, a multi millionaire enchanter. In the shadows however, is a crafty con man who swipes up deals in his own favor and dwelling under shady businesses where far too many unimportant people go missing.

Only people who are desperate enough to seek out help even in the deepest of trenches would find themselves eventually in front of Azuls feet, begging and groveling under him. The most unfortunate type of people, the people who are at their lowest parts in their life, and the people who have nothing anymore, a lot of different types of miserable people and situations come racking up and knocking on his door. And of course, as the benevolent and kind hearted man he is how could he just not help them when they are so desperately asking for his help?

Perhaps to pay off their debts, the money they need to pay off their 3 months worth of rent, money to get rid of their ex's, money to get back at their bosses, all in how they need and use money to a variety of usages is to simply sell your organs, your limbs, or perhaps information worth his care. After all, he is a very versatile man ^^

He makes sure no one, especially the public eye, knows this side of him. Of how he runs a blood market, always making sure to stay anonymous yet still making a name for himself in those bloodied and dark waters. "Vanessa" is the name that he goes by, and "the granter" as many know him by. These people would think that this "Vanessa" is a cunning, beautiful, and frail women - making it all the more easier for people to come out of their shells and try their luck. It usually is easier to approach women after all.

Hook, Line, and Sinker.

On a not-so-fateful day you managed to get yourself in quite the predicament. As your old classmate, the Azul Ashengrotto is now here right before your eyes with his coat soiled and drenched with spilt coffee and your hands now shaking and eyes wide open as your heart sinks.

"Aaah? Looks like Shrimpy made a mess."

"It appears so Floyd, and Azuls exorbitant coat seems to have a new design fufu"

A quick apology is pulled out of you and you feel yourself getting cold. Though it was an accident! You didn't intent for this to happen at all! You are a great worker, a diligent one at that. So how could have this happened? Its not like Floyd purposely bumped into you after Jade not so meticulously called you over to position you into that exact spot where it'd guarantee right now's situation.

"Oh dear, whatever shall I do? This coat has nearly cost me a fortune!"

You could scoff at Azul's dramatic words due to him being a very wealthy and well off man - if it weren't for the amount of power he held as well and the status he carries alongside the heavy atmosphere.

For a long while now, Azul has had his eyes on you. Too long in fact. Ever since you two had graduated from Night Raven College he hasn't been able to decipher you not at the slightest. You were always so tight lipped about yourself, keeping your ground low. One could even say it bests Jamil's play of being secretive of ones self. In his words, "you were like a random and unimportant nobody who always made their unexpected appearances when something absurd happen." Yet you were always able to worm into everyones favor, burying yourself in the deepest of crevices of the organ in which pumps blood for its body. How could you have possibly pulled such a thing and yet little to none is reveled about you? At least to him, you dont show your true self. The you that you show to your little group of friends who are also very cautious and wary of what information is being shared about you. The new you that you started to recently show towards Riddle as he starts to slowly reciprocate the feelings you are starting to grow, the seeds of roses slowly coming to bloom as they are starting to get nurtured.

You've always caught his interest the moment he realized how little he knew of you. The moment he realized how you can slip out of his hold with his suckering-like grip. For only a short moment before he underwent a tremendous growth of power, he and you crossed paths when he had lost the interest and sight of you when everyone had departed to do their own things after graduation. It was only then that he remembered his interest in you.

And it was due to that encounter that his interest in you had resurfaced, even more so when he was able to figure out who you still kept in touch with.

So before he could let those pre-matured roses bloom, he's going to do whatever it takes to fish you into his arms. That being making you indebted to him, and now that he has plenty of connections and influence its all the more easier. And while he's at it he might as well take up a more difficult task of getting rid of Riddle, in which its off with his head. In fact, if he thinks about it, it may pay high as well if he were to put it in the market.

"A-ah, Azul. Long time no see. I'm sorry but I don't have enough money to compensate." You know how Azul is. You know how he works, how else have you been managing to stay low and out of his grasp during your high school days?

"Oh of course. I doubt anyone working at a coffee house is going to be able to make enough to pay this off."

He's been watching for awhile, keeping tabs on you, and finally now you'll be his. He's planned this, running different simulations in his head on how he can subtly slip into your life to make it all natural.

Looking up at you, a pleasant and dashing smile on his handsome face as he fixes his glasses, his soiled up coat now hanging over his forearm, you can only conclude and predict that this isnt going to go well.

"Perhaps we can arrange something for you then. The amount of money and sheer work being put into these pieces of clothing only for it to be soiled is something I find hard to over look."

Of course, Azul isn't going to let this go. You're now in his grip, the feeling of his tentacles slowly slithering around your limbs as you wait for him to say his signature words.

"Lets make a deal (y/n), one that I ensure would be nothing but merit for both parties."

There it was. And with the pressuring and piercing eyes of Jade and Floyd on both sides of you, you give a response to which makes Azul delighted.

And so it begins, the process of fishing you out and bagging you up. You're now in the grips of a powerful man, and as he begins to undergo his plan in making you his, "Vanessa" is going to undergo another plan to successfully weed out those pesky garden of roses settling in your heart.

He wants to know the true you. That new side of you that you were showing to Riddle. Dissecting every part of you limb by limb till he's able to see the deepest parts of you. Opening up every dark secret you hold and hide. Your soft and warm body against his as he envelopes you whole. He wants you, the only and true you. And he'll do whatever it takes to ensure that.

Truly, what a predicament you are in. A very very unfortunate one that is.

AHHHHHHHHHHH OMGOMGOMG STOP BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY LIKE SPLURGING AND JUICING OUT SO MUCH IDEAS FROM THIS LITTLE BRAINROT AHHHH. Perhaps I may tweak some of the things here, or maybe make Azul some kinda serial killer in disguise or something! But for now he is an organ trafficker under cover. And not only that, he is totally whipped for you so that may be a great thing for you Reader! :D

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Private equity ghouls have a new way to steal from their investors

Private equity is quite a racket. PE managers pile up other peoples’ money — pension funds, plutes, other pools of money — and then “invest” it (buying businesses, loading them with debt, cutting wages, lowering quality and setting traps for customers). For this, they get an annual fee — 2% — of the money they manage, and a bonus for any profits they make.

On top of this, private equity bosses get to use the carried interest tax loophole, a scam that lets them treat this ordinary income as a capital gain, so they can pay half the taxes that a working stiff would pay on a regular salary. If you don’t know much about carried interest, you might think it has to do with “interest” on a loan or a deposit, but it’s way weirder. “Carried interest” is a tax regime designed for 16th century sea captains and their “interest” in the cargo they “carried”:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/29/writers-must-be-paid/#carried-interest

Private equity is a cancer. Its profits come from buying productive firms, loading them with debt, abusing their suppliers, workers and customers, and driving them into ground, stiffing all of them — and the company’s creditors. The mafia have a name for this. They call it a “bust out”:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/02/plunderers/#farben

Private equity destroyed Toys R Us, Sears, Bed, Bath and Beyond, and many more companies beloved of Main Street, bled dry for Wall Street:

https://prospect.org/culture/books/2023-06-02-days-of-plunder-morgenson-rosner-ballou-review/

And they’re coming for more. PE funds are “rolling up” thousands of Boomer-owned business as their owners retire. There’s a good chance that every funeral home, pet groomer and urgent care clinic within an hour’s drive of you is owned by a single PE firm. There’s 2.9m more Boomer-owned businesses going up for sale in the coming years, with 32m employees, and PE is set to buy ’em all:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/12/16/schumpeterian-terrorism/#deliberately-broken

PE funds get their money from “institutional investors.” It shouldn’t surprise you to learn they treat their investors no better than their creditors, nor the customers, employees or suppliers of the businesses they buy.

Pension funds, in particular, are the perennial suckers at the poker table. My parent’s pension fund, the Ontario Teachers’ Fund, are every grifter’s favorite patsy, losing $90m to Sam Bankman-Fried’s cryptocurrency scam:

https://www.otpp.com/en-ca/about-us/news-and-insights/2022/ontario-teachers--statement-on-ftx/

Pension funds are neck-deep in private equity, paying steep fees for shitty returns. Imagine knowing that the reason you can’t afford your apartment anymore is your pension fund gambled with the private equity firm that bought your building and jacked up the rent — and still lost money:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/02/25/pluralistic-your-daily-link-dose-25-feb-2020/

But there’s no depth too low for PE looters to sink to. They’ve found an exciting new way to steal from their investors, a scam called a “continuation fund.” Writing in his latest newsletter, the great Matt Levine breaks it down:

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/mergers-and-acquisitions/matt-levines-money-stuff-buyout-funds-buy-from-themselves

Here’s the deal: say you’re a PE guy who’s raised a $1b fund. That entitles you to a 2% annual “carry” on the fund: $20,000,000/year. But you’ve managed to buy and asset strip so many productive businesses that it’s now worth $5b. Your carry doesn’t go up fivefold. You could sell the company and collect your 20% commission — $800m — but you stop collecting that annual carry.

But what if you do both? Here’s how: you create a “continuation fund” — a fund that buys your old fund’s portfolio. Now you’ve got $5b under management and your carry quintuples, to $100m/year. Levine dryly notes that the FT calls this “a controversial type of transaction”:

https://www.ft.com/content/11549c33-b97d-468b-8990-e6fd64294f85

These deals “look like a pyramid scheme” — one fund flips its assets to another fund, with the same manager running both funds. It’s a way to make the pie bigger, but to decrease the share (in both real and proportional terms) going to the pension funds and other institutional investors who backed the fund.

A PE boss is supposed to be a fiduciary, with a legal requirement to do what’s best for their investors. But when the same PE manager is the buyer and the seller, and when the sale takes place without inviting any outside bidders, how can they possibly resolve their conflict of interest?

They can’t: 42% of continuation fund deals involve a sale at a value lower than the one that the PE fund told their investors the assets were worth. Now, this may sound weird — if a PE boss wants to set a high initial value for their fund in order to maximize their carry, why would they sell its assets to the new fund at a discount?

Here’s Levine’s theory: if you’re a PE guy going back to your investors for money to put in a new fund, you’re more likely to succeed if you can show that their getting a bargain. So you raise $1b, build it up to $5b, and then tell your investors they can buy the new fund for only $3b. Sure, they can get out — and lose big. Or they can take the deal, get the new fund at a 40% discount — and the PE boss gets $60m/year for the next ten years, instead of the $20m they were getting before the continuation fund deal.

PE is devouring the productive economy and making the world’s richest people even richer. The one bright light? The FTC and DoJ Antitrust Division just published new merger guidelines that would make the PE acquire/debt-load/asset-strip model illegal:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2023/07/ftc-doj-seek-comment-draft-merger-guidelines

The bad news is that some sneaky fuck just slipped a 20% FTC budget cut — $50m/year — into the new appropriations bill:

https://twitter.com/matthewstoller/status/1681830706488438785

They’re scared, and they’re fighting dirty.

I’m at San Diego Comic-Con!

Today (Jul 20) 16h: Signing, Tor Books booth #2802 (free advance copies of The Lost Cause — Nov 2023 — to the first 50 people!)

Tomorrow (Jul 21):

1030h: Wish They All Could be CA MCs, room 24ABC (panel)

12h: Signing, AA09

Sat, Jul 22 15h: The Worlds We Return To, room 23ABC (panel)

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/2023/07/20/continuation-fraud/#buyout-groups

[Image ID: An old Punch editorial cartoon depicting a bank-robber sticking up a group of businesspeople and workers. He wears a bandanna emblazoned with dollar-signs and a top-hat.]

[multiplicationdivision]

Transfiguration

Vic laughed as Chuck cheered at the tv screen.

He had been boisterous since Vic had put him there, excited to spend some free time with his buddy and a few games of prerecorded basketball. Typically, Chuck would be watching these alone at night, coming home at odd hours from work.

It felt good every time Vic could make some time for him. His excitement was always infectious, pushing Vic to be just as invested in the games. Of course, Vic would cheer for the other team to keep it interesting.

The past two games had them cussing each other out numerous times, all in good spirits of course. Vic would mirror his best friend in energy as they both took goals far too personally, shouting at each other to “get fucked” or “suck it nerd!”.

It was a lot of fun every time. Didn’t hurt that these hang outs were directly correlated with the lack of Richard in the apartment. He was an awkward guy and knew it. Got along fine with Chuck but when it was just him and Vic in the apartment, time just dragged. That was unfortunate considering Chuck was the only of the three with an in-person job.

Vic didn’t hate the guy, he was nice in his own right. Never a single problem in their living together, but both men knew they held zero chemistry. Richard was the type of guy to spend his time reading, while Vic just needed a little more fun as a companion. Someone who would go with him to go rock climbing with or to get some wrestling in.

Vic could appreciate Rich though on days like this. Rich was the only reason he got Chuck on weekdays, when the guy was typically so busy. He’d wracked up a big debt to the guy just for the opportunity of getting to kiss his buddy when the big man should be rewiring a house or something.

Vic was just shifting to make a move on the guy when he heard the door lock click. That was a shame. A post-game makeout sesh was his favorite part. When they were both still far too energized to sit with it.

This fun was over though. Chuck groaned beside him, realizing that too.

A familiar face opened the door. That same fluffy brown hair and scratchy stubble that Vic was just fantasizing about, now on a tired face. He still looked fine as hell, but working in cramped spaces with heavy equipment all day always drained the man.

It didn’t help that his eyes immediately locked onto Vic and the other Chuck, face immediately grimaced into annoyance.

“Seriously man” he said, gesturing to his clone. “Stop doing this”

His clone snorted, rolling his eyes. “Shut up man, you're bringing down the vibe”

“Don’t tell me to shut up, you don’t get a say” Chuck snapped, “You’re not even supposed to exist”

That riled up the Chuck on the couch. “Well Vic thinks I’m pretty great! Spent the whole day with him when he needed me”

There was some humor in that, Vic could sort of see. The word need was maybe excessive. Did he need to do this, no. Did he want to do this, yes. Either way, he didn’t feel that bad about it.

“Richard was fine with it, so I don’t see the problem” Vic spoke up.

“You never see the problem and Rich is always fucking fine with it” the uniformed Chuck argued. “You two always end up doing this shit when you’re alone”

That was true. Vic and Rich just couldn’t stand the weirdness between each other. Vic got quickly annoyed at every conversation with the man that was stunted and weird. They’d awkwardly inhabit the same living space and be stuck in that unbearable situation of each other’s presence. Vic was pretty sure it was just some unrelenting sexual tension between the two, but Rich was about his straightness despite the way he evidently got hard watching Vic lift in the living room.

Honestly the fact that they could probably fuck and fix the whole rotten vibe was all the more frustrating to Vic. Rich was just too unfixably emotionally distant.

Fortunately, Vic wasn’t just an excellent at home worker.

Magic ran deep in his family and transfiguration was a specialization of his. Turning one thing to another was easy as pie, with just the snap of a finger.

Vic typically didn’t abuse it, although according to Chuck, he’d been abusing it more and more. Vic personally didn’t think he was at fault for it though. He didn’t even ask Rich this time if he could do it.

Chuck had left in his tight little electrician uniform, leaving nothing to the imagination. Vic had sulked as he was left to his devices, finishing his work super early as usual.

He’d just been about to head off to the gym when there was that oh so familiar knock on his bedroom door. The only time Rich ever really came to his door, equally bored. Coming to lean on the same vice they both used time and time again when they were both lonely and done with work. Rich had even already raided Chuck’s closet for an outfit, ready for what Vic would do.

He’d snapped and Rich’s body expanded and sculpted into the same Chuck that had left just an hour or two before. The distant gaze of Rich smoothed over as that jovial confidence took over, replacing the man in body and soul. The only thing remaining from Rich being that excitement in his eyes at the prospect of free time. Actual enjoyable free time, rather than the lonely free time all three of them would typically spend apart.

It was always wild facing the Chuck that would get angry about his creation of duplicates, considering that every fresh Chuck seemed so happy to be created. They’d come into existence with a roll of their eyes and a quick kiss before they pulled him off on whatever activity Chuck had been waiting for time to do.

The work Chuck would always argue with his double when they met, demanding that Vic turn the other him back into Rich.

Like now.

“You had your fun Vic, just bring Rich back” the uniformed Chuck said. “I just don’t want to deal with this”

“I don’t fucking want to be Rich” his twin argued back. “It’s not like you’re even the original Chuck anyways”

“Fuck off thats not true”

It was probably true. Vic had definitely forgotten which was which after a couple instances of this arguing. Sometimes the uniformed Chuck would shower and change, then go back to bickering with his clone. He’d always dress practically the same as his clone and then it was nearly impossible to differentiate the two. He’d just wait for the two to inevitably pass out and pick at random.

Vic didn’t really understand the drama of it all. There was still always one Chuck in the end. That was far better than what his family did most of the time. Hell his oldest brother had permanently replaced his father with a copy of himself. It wasn’t even a big deal, that shit was common. Now he just had two big brothers and one less shitty father.

Thinking about it, he should probably visit those guys soon. He missed them and they would find this shit funny.

Vic felt the need to butt in again.

“You know, Chuck, you’re not really convincing me that you’re MY Chuck” he said, putting his arm around the Chuck that had spent the day with him. That Chuck preened at the contact. “I quite like this guy”

The uniformed Chuck’s eyes widened in frustration. “I know you fucking like him, because he’s me. Why can’t you just wait for me to come home and hang out?”

“You always come home at like 1 am, I need more than that” Vic argued, using the edge of the basic commitment of a relationship.

Both Chucks cringed at that. For all that Vic probably abused his power, it really could be prevented by them making some time for him. They were more than just friends with benefits.

Chuck seemed to relent a bit. “I know…. It’s just I rather we figure that out than you give me an existential crisis every week. Its fucking distracting”

Distracting was the key word. Vic knew his buddy deep down. Not distressing or terrifying, but distressing. Vic wasn’t a sociopath, even if his views of transfiguration had different ethics than what a normal person would think. He’d seen his family drive people mad with change their minds and bodies before, unable to cope with their identities being putty.

Vic knew his friend wasn’t like that, no matter this weird charade he always put on. Chuck was like Rich in that way, always wanting something without being able to be honest with himself.

Chuck had a knack for that adrenaline, finding way too much pleasure in impermanence. It was the reason they always had such killer sex when there were two of him, Chuck riding high on the feeling of being so deep under Vic’s sway. Knowing that at any moment, Chuck could be shifted into a completely different person.

Chuck was at conflict with himself though and a degree of self preservation always stuck around to make him pissy whenever he discovered another him. It would be frustrating to Vic if he didn’t himself get a good time at watching the two Chucks get hard as they argued.

“I think I should stick around at least for the night” the clone Chuck argued. He definitely was planning to try and switch places with the “original” Chuck.

“Yeah like that’s gonna work”, the “original” argued back, knowing the strategy because he’d used it himself. “I’m gonna take a fucking shower, I don’t want to feel gross and continue this bullshit”

“Yeah well I wanted to take one too”

“It doesn’t matter if you want one, that would be wasting water. It’s not like you’re going to be around for much longer”

They both sprinted to the shower. Vic had seen it before, they’d inevitably go in together. Chuck was competitive like that and both would competitively get each other off. Vic couldn’t understand how Chuck convinced himself that he didn’t enjoy this.

Vic called his bros as the two audibly fought in the shower. They didn’t pick up, the call going to voice message at the sound of both of his older brothers’ pre-recorded message about calling again. He wondered how his brother stayed so invested in keeping another him around. Vic had done it a couple times as a freshman in college, but it had been only interesting for a bit.

He couldn’t keep it exciting like Chuck seemed to be able to. He could hear them audibly fucking in there, arguing with each other about being quiet. He was glad they were bad at that part, rubbing his own dick as he listened to them.

It was times like this that he fantasized about just keeping the two of them. Rich was great but he could always just turn another guy into Rich. Rich probably wouldn’t care, considering the man loved Chuck. There were a couple dicks at the gym that Vic could imagine would make a good Rich. Maybe even Rich(s) plural. Maybe Rich spending time alone with himself would fix his stupid masculinity crisis.

He was almost at completion at that idea when the two Chucks came stumbling out of the shower, fighting over the single towel. He glanced over at their wet brown hair, the two actually towelling each other off even as they still played at not enjoying it.

He focused again on the tv as they got dressed.

As he expected, moments later they were out again. Both were dressed in nearly identical clothes, both wearing comfortable tank tops and joggers. He turned his brain back into their bickering.

“You’re not even the original”

“I’m pretty sure I’m the original”

“I was the one who went to fucking work today, you’re Rich”

“Do you have any proof? Vic just turn him back”

“Eh pass” Vic said, pretending not to care. “Might just turn you both to Rich if y’all don’t feel like actually giving me proof”

The Chucks balked at that. Unconsciously as they both turned on him and not each other, one of the Chuck’s wrapped his arm around the other in solidarity.

“I have work tomorrow, you can’t do that”

“Yeah you can’t do that to us!”

“Again buds, not seeing any proof that you deserve to stick around” Vic said with a mocking threat. It wasn’t a real threat that he’d turn them into Rich. He’d quite decided on keeping the two around. At least until they all got bored of it at least. “need some convincing”

The two Chucks glanced at each other before fighting as they both fell on the couch. This was when the actual fun began. Vic gestured at his cock and the two pushed at each other, taking “turns” sucking him off. Vic sat there taking it in before pushing them off when he wanted a turn, reaching under both of their pants to grip their cocks. Having the two completely at his mercy as they collapse under his rough touch.

It went on like that for what was probably an hour. Vic would push them at each other and in their lust they would fuck as he watched. He made one of them watch as he held the other down, threatening to transfigure him if he couldn’t take it. The whole time the other Chuck taunting his double as he demanded Vic to change him mid fucking.

This was their routine, this weird edge of an identity crisis and an orgasm. Brought back Vic’s memories of the past months, repeating variations of this same scenario over and over in the bedroom. Making Vic fall deeper and deeper in love with this crazy man who revelled in Vic’s twisted little power.

Vic felt so good as they were slumped there, relaxed in the aftermath of it all. The two Chucks on top of each other, having fallen asleep in near perfect synchrony. They’d wake up tomorrow to see he hadn’t changed one of them back into Rich. There would be a whole lot of fun from that. He was so spent but even his dick couldn’t help weakly hardening at the idea of the two of the Chucks doing their morning runs together.

He was definitely gonna have to go to the gym to get another Rich. He couldn’t imagine ruining this shit when it was proving to be such a good idea.

Part 2:

[astroyongie]

Riize December Reading 2023

Note: take it lightly

Shotaro

Love: without a doubt I can say that this man is dating someone and they are definitely another idol in the industry. The relationship seems fresh but it also feels like the person he is seeing have been around more since they advice him a lot about the industry. It is for now a healthy relationship

Career: when it comes to his career, Shotaro is rather well. His investments are going well and he is providing the company enough money to get his debts dealt with (the debts idols pay the company when they debut). He is fine and his career is bound to have success

Self: he has been rather solo lately, other than people he loves he haven’t been going out much and he prefers to spend time with himself. He has been enjoying more and more staying home instead of going out like he did last year

Eunseok

Love: no he isn’t dating,if anything this dude probably comes out of a very complicated relationship with someone while he was trainee and now his sponsorship doesn’t allow him to have any time of love relationship

Career: things are going well for him. Eunseok has a good relationship with his teammates but also with the staff in SM and he is overall happy with his situation. The Seunghan issue doesn’t seem to have had any impact on him

Self: he still has a lot of debts to pay and to work for but he is also in a stable place mentally and physically. Eunseok is the type to take care a lot of his health and putting himself on a priority check

Sungchan

Love: he is recovering from a break up (I remember he dated when he was still in Nct). At the moment he is single and focus on his own recovery of hearts

Career: like the other two, his career also seems to be going well. Sungchan seem to be enjoying the group and their activities. He is also a lot more relaxed compared to when he was in Nct

Self: he works on his self confidence a lot, on his approach and appearance. He wants to be top notch and want people to like him so he puts a lot of effort on his idol image

Wonbin

Love: I do feel like Wonbin is dating someone at the moment, someone who has a stronger energy than him, who’s very independent and unbiased. I don’t know if they work in the industry or not

Career: his work has been harsh on him. He still struggles with the schedules, with the sacrifices he has to make and honestly his dark energy comes a lot from his mental health. I don’t think he was expecting this level of exigence

Self: despite everything he is rather okay physically. He focus a lot on developing his skills as an idol, he trains a lot and he manifests for his own success

Sohee

Love: this boy is definitely dating someone as well. I feel like this relationship has been going on for a while, that the person is smaller than hun, brown hair, white skin, very princess and pretty like.

Career: he is self limiting himself a lot. I think in this case, SM has giving him a personal that he doesn’t like since he has to cover a lot of his personality and limit the type of actions he does. That has been frustrating him a lot

Self: other than that, Sohee is a happy person. He is healthy in every way and he Is enjoying his opportunities and his life

Anton

Love: he is single for the moment but he has a huge crush on someone in the industry (idol). He hasn’t had the opportunity to express himself or confess. For now he is just trying to master his courage to talk to them

Career: he doesn’t have any opinion about his current career. His energy is rather neutral. He is still learning about how to deal with his status and what he should or not do.

Self: Anton is a rather happy guy, no health issues at the moment. He is the type to be liked easily by people around him

Seunghan

Love: not dating, Seunghan is single at the moment. However he is trying to get someone but his hasty attitude gave rather ruined his opportunity to date them

Career: as it is known, there’s a lot of work conflit happening behind the scenes. I don’t think SM is taking him back although his sponsorship has been trying to get him going. They think Seunghan isn’t ready to debut or be an idol

Self: he feels conflicted, frustrated and enraged. At the moment Seunghan feels like he is stuck in this life that he has nothing to do. I believe that he is lost and he doesn’t know what he should be focusing on