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wilwheaton · 1 year

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The GOP wonders why young people (and others) don't want to vote for them. Some wise scribe assembled this list.

1.) Your Reagan-era “trickle-down economics” strategy of tax breaks for billionaires that you continue to employ to this day has widened the gap between rich and poor so much that most of them will never be able to own a home, much less earn a living wage.

2.) You refuse to increase the federal minimum wage, which is still $7.25 an hour (since 2009). Even if it had just kept up with inflation, it would be $27 now. You’re forcing people of all ages but especially young people to work multiple jobs just to afford basic necessities.

3.) You fundamentally oppose and want to kill democracy; have done everything in your power to restrict access to the ballot box, particularly in areas with demographics that tend to vote Democratic (like young people and POC). You staged a fucking coup the last time you lost.

4.) You have abused your disproportionate senate control over the last three decades to pack the courts with religious extremists and idealogues, including SCOTUS—which has rolled back rights for women in ways that do nothing but kill more women and children and expand poverty.

5.) You refuse to enact common sense gun control laws to curb mass shootings like universal background checks and banning assault weapons; subjecting their entire generation to school shootings and drills that are traumatizing in and of themselves. You are owned by the NRA.

6.) You are unequivocally against combatting climate change to the extent that it’s as if you’ve made it your personal mission to ensure they inherit a planet that is beyond the point of no return in terms of remaining habitable for the human race beyond the next few generations.

7.) You oppose all programs that provide assistance to those who need it most. Your governors refused to expand Medicaid even during A PANDEMIC. You are against free school lunches, despite it being the only meal that millions of children can count on to actually receive each day

8.) You are banning books, defunding libraries, barring subject matter, and whitewashing history even more in a fascistic attempt to keep them ignorant of the systemic racism that this nation was literally founded upon and continues to this day in every action your party takes.

9.) You oppose universal healthcare and are still trying to repeal the ACA and rip healthcare from tens of millions of Americans and replace it with nothing. You are against lowering the cost of insulin and prescription drugs that millions need simply to LIVE/FUNCTION in society.

10.) You embrace white nationalists, Neo-Nazis, and other groups that are defined by their intractable racism, xenophobia, bigotry, and intolerance. You conspired with these groups on January 6th to try to overthrow the U.S. government via domestic terrorism that KILLED PEOPLE.

11.) You oppose every bill aimed at making life better for our nation’s youth; from education to extracurricular and financial/nutritional assistance programs. You say you want to “protect the children” while you elect/nominate pedophiles and attack trans youth and drag queens.

12.) You pretend to be offended by “anti-semitism” while literally supporting, electing, and speaking at events organized by Nazis. You pretend to hate “cancel culture” despite the fact that you invented it and it’s basically all you do.

13.) Every word you utter is a lie. You are the party of treason, hypocrisy, crime, and authoritarianism. You want to entrench rule by your aging minority because you know that you have nothing to offer young voters and they will never support you for all these reasons and more.

14.) You’re so hostile to even the notion of helping us overcome the mountain of debt that millions of us are forced to take on just to pay for our post K-12 education that you are suing to try to prevent a small fraction of us from getting even $10,000 in loan forgiveness.

15.) You opened the floodgates of money into politics via Citizens United; allowing our entire system of government to become a cesspool of corruption, crime, and greed. You are supposed to represent the American people whose taxes pay your salary but instead cater to rich donors.

16.) You respond to elected representatives standing in solidarity with their constituents to protest the ONGOING SLAUGHTER of children in schools via shootings by EXPELLING THEM FROM OFFICE & respond to your lack of popularity among young people by trying to raise the voting age.

17.) You impeach Democratic presidents over lying about a BJ but refuse to impeach (then vote twice to acquit) a guy whose entire “administration” was an international crime syndicate being run out of the WH who incited an insurrection to have you killed.

18.) You steal Supreme Court seats from democrats to prevent the only black POTUS we’ve ever had from appointing one and invent fake precedents that you later ignore all to take fundamental rights from Americans; and even your “legitimate” appointments consist of people like THIS (sub-thread refuting CJ Roberts criticisms of people attacking SCOTUS' legitimacy).

19.) You support mass incarceration even for innocuous offenses or execution by cop for POC while doing nothing but protect rich white criminals who engage in such things as tax fraud, money laundering, sex trafficking, rape/sexual assault, falsifying business records, etc.

20.) You are the reason we can’t pass:—Universal background checks—An assault weapons ban—The ‘For the People/Freedom to vote’ Act or John Lewis Voting Rights Act—The ERA & Equality Act—The Climate Action Now Act—The (Stopping) Violence Against Women Act—SCOTUS expansion.

21.) You do not seek office to govern, represent, or serve the American people. You seek power solely for its own sake so you can impose your narrow-minded puritanical will on others at the expense of their most fundamental rights and freedoms like voting and bodily autonomy.

22.) Ok, last one. You are trying to eliminate social security and Medicare that tens of millions of our parents rely on and paid into their entire lives. And you did everything to maximize preventable deaths from COVID leaving millions of us in mourning.

Source: https://imgur.com/gallery/e8DBZLH

#republicans are garbage #uspol

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mannyrealestate · 1 year

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Understanding and leveraging the true potential of the Australian Real Estate market is crucial for staying at the top of the game. Real more- https://mannyrealestate.com.au/costs-involved-in-investing-in-australian-real-estate/

#Real Estate Agents #Marketing Strategy #Australian Real Estate #rental properties #home loan

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ilovemylender · 2 years

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#home purchase loan #i love my lender #purchase strategy

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bayarealoansource · 2 years

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I am Tony Mendes, a Mortgage Finance Expert for 17 years. I am dedicated to helping my clients obtain a mortgage that fits their specific financial goals. As a licensed mortgage originator, my reputation is built on professionalism.

#helocs #home equity line of credit #heloc explained #helocs for investment properties #home equity loan #heloc strategy #real estate market

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bluecollarmcandtf · 3 days

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Cash Slave, reporting in...

Good morning, master. State Trooper Hernandez reporting!

I hope you're doing well since the last time we saw each other. Again, I can't apologize enough for pulling you over on the highway. I had no idea you were such an amazing hypnotist. Thank you again for letting me get off easy and only making me taze myself twice! I was paralyzed in that muddy ditch for awhile, but you could've given me a helluva worse punishment!

Your instructions aren't negotiable, so I made sure to snap a photo before I started my shift today. As you suggested, I've been eating a box of donuts every morning, and I've packed on a hefty 30 lbs since I've started. My wife has complained, but I know you want me to look more like a cliche of law enforcement!

I'll stop by your house to drop off my paycheck tonight after work. I won't forget to pick up some pizza for you and your friends on the way: extra sausage, just like you said!

See you tonight, master!

Hello sir.

It's been a week since you came into my shop, and I've followed everything you said. I didn't agree with it at first, but you convinced me with that little pendant.

You were right! I really am beneath powerful men like you. Filthy blue-collar workers aren't worthy to lick the dirt off your shoes. You were right to point that out, and you were right to tell me to embrace it. When the world looks at me, they shouldn't see a man. They should see a grease monkey at the bottom of society.

That's why I haven't showered or changed in seven days. My BO is uncomfortable to work in, but I know it's just a reminder of what I am. I used to be proud of my job. Ha! I used to look down on suits like you, but I'm nothing in comparison; just a tool at your disposal.

Anyways, I cleaned and waxed your old car as fast as I could. I know I lent you my convertible, but you're welcome to keep it. I put a lot of sweat and blood in fixing her up, but like you said, fancy cars are meant for you to drive and me to maintain.

Stop back in my garage anytime. White-collar men like you get free service here! It's not the place of any lowly laborer to get in the way of what you want.

Thank you again, sir.

Hello boss.

Just started another long day of window washing! It's another hot one, but I'll keep my head down and sweat through it like usual.

I've gotta say, it's days like this that make me miss the comforts of my old corporate desk job. I'd kill for some AC right now, but I remember how much you made me realize I hated that career. Like you said, I'm much better suited to a life of mindless cleaning.

It turns out you're the real one with a knack for business strategy because all of your advice has been genius! The income is dependent on the hours I put in, and since I'm working for half the price of all competitors, I've gotten a monopoly on the market! I've fully booked all seven days for the next five or so weeks, so I'll be washing windows non-stop!

The business is already booming! I've been billing customers to your bank account, so you should already see all the profit in there!

Later today, I'll make a note of the minimum I need to replenish the cleaning supplies I'm running through. I'd also be grateful if you loaned me a bit for personal use, but it's understandable if you can't spare any! We agreed that I wasn't working for a salary, and I'm fine with that! I've been sleeping in the company van the last few weeks and it's more than good enough for me!

Don't worry, boss. I'll get back to work!

Tell my wife hello for me, master!

Working on a rig has been isolating. The job is brutal, the days are long, and every night I head back to our bunks covered in oil. I thought I'd at least get to bond with the other guys, but most of us are too tired to do anything but eat and sleep after our shift.

The only thing that's getting me through it is thinking about you. I know I also have a girl at home, but you were the one that gave my life purpose. I was never going to make money as an actor, and you helped me see that! You were the one that convinced me to go for this ridiculous job in the middle of the ocean, and now I'm making a ton of money!

You deserve it all.

I wouldn't have seen any of this cash if I hadn't stuck around after your stage hypnosis show. I still remember the wild look in your eyes when you came up with this idea for me. I also remember that hungry look you had when you saw my wife. It was impossible to say no.

Oh, and thanks for keeping my wife company while I'm gone. A man like you deserves her attention more than I do. Like you said, I doubt I was pleasing her to begin with. The only thing I'm good for is earning money, and I hope you're enjoying it because it sure isn't easy to earn!

I gotta get back, but I wanted to let you know that I signed up for another six months like you suggested. It's lonely, but I'm happy to do it, master!

Son, or should I still call you 'sir'?

I'm not sure if I your new title applies through text as well? Being your dad and your servant can be a bit confusing, but I don't mean disrespect you! Just let me know.

My workout is done and I'm headed back to your house. I signed the deed over to you this morning, so you officially own it now! Like usual, I'll clean the place from top to bottom. I've got all the mops and cleaning supplies in my van and ready to go. Since it's Friday, I'll start on the weekly yard work; mowing, weeding, etc... I don't want to bore you with the details, but it'll take the majority of the day to keep your place in tip top shape!

As I understand it, you are having friends over tonight, so I'll prepare a three course meal for eight. I ironed my apron this morning so I should look like a more presentable waiter than last night when I served your food!

As always, please let me know if there's any other way I can be of service today or tonight.

I'll be awaiting your return, sir.

Hey little bro,

I just finished my workout at the gym with dad. We're both hitting PRs and we're really starting to see some results! Still can't believe you hypnotized his dumb ass to think he's your butler! That man looks so stupid changing from gym clothes into a bowtie and gloves. He's constantly calling you 'sir' too, even when you're not around.

He's such an idiot.

Anyways, I'm all dressed and ready for my new job. You were totally right. I'm going to be so much happier as a clown instead of a wrestler. I'm about to head out to my first gig; a ten year old's birthday party. I think he's the kid of someone I used to compete with. It might be a little awkward, but it won't affect my routine. I've got an afternoon of pies in the face and self-deprecating humor ahead of me.

I made sure to tell the guy who hired me that I'm willing to stay after and clean up. Kids make a huge mess after all. I just hope he won't be too weird about me being a clown at his son's party. We may have been rivals in the past, but that was back when I wrestled. Now I'm just a joke for hire. He's technically my boss for the day, so I'll have to get used to taking orders from him.

Wish me luck, bro. I'll give you the money after the dad dismisses me. Let's hope I make a good clown!

#mind control #gay hypnosis #hypno story #gay ai art #hypnotized #servant

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roguerogerss · 4 months

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snow lands on top

pairing: coriolanus snow x covey reader

w/c: 3.2k

warnings: just fluff! a few sexual comments but nothing more, mentions of family deaths, reader is just a poor lil soul

(merry christmas my angels! if you’re having a hard time, i feel you! here’s some soft coryo lovin to help you through it. the holidays r a hard time for so so many people, and my inbox will always be open to anyone who needs someone who’ll understand <3 luv you the most, we’ll get through it all)

Christmas Eve. The soft patter of snowfall, the breeze from your half open window, the bustle of the Corso below. You'd been listening to the Christmas shoppers - stressed or unbothered - the kids playing in the snow, mothers and fathers dragging their children to holiday themed events. Laying around in bed all day in old silk had become your go-to on the run-up to Christmas.

You’d come to hate snowfall. It meant the sounds of merry families, playing outside together. It meant mourning for when you could do that, it meant resenting others, something that the Covey would never want for you.

Christmas was bittersweet. It had been for years, now. No gifts under your small, sad Christmas tree, no family gathering, no over-the-top dinner event, sometimes no dinner at all. You lived alone, in your little apartment which you could hardly afford, and had no family left since the war.

You remembered the good times, of course, that was the 'sweet' in all of the bitter. Remembering your mother's baking and the smell of sugar cookies and Christmas cake. The lavish real evergreen tree that made the ridiculously high ceilings of your apartment look low. The gifts, the dinner, curling up with a mug of hot milk on the plush sofa. You even thought of your Christmases back in District twelve. Never too fancy, never too many gifts, but a family, the Covey, music, a home.

Life after the war had been cruel to you. What once was a young girl, with a family wealthy enough to move her to the Capitol, had become a young woman with no one to turn to, and not a penny to her name. You didn't have the luxury of pretending like everything was fine, like you had your family's riches to fall back on. Everyone at the Academy had found out when you'd had to ask for a scholarship loan to pay for your tuition, one which you'd never be able to pay back.

That was something you'd always envied of a particular classmate of yours. Coriolanus Snow. Crassus Snow's baby boy. You knew he must've been penniless, as poor as a church mouse. But maybe you only knew that because your own circumstances were much the same. Coriolanus was smart about it, always looking classy from an outside perspective, never asking for money, never acting hungry. But, when looked into closer, you could easily see cracks.

His shoes were the same ones he'd had since first year at the Academy, and they must've been achingly too small for him. He'd eat only small amounts at school and pretend he was full up, but you'd seen him once, with no shirt on, and his ribs stuck out like a sore thumb. Wherever there was an academic prize that involved money, he was always trying his hardest to win, pulling out every stop, but if there was no monetary prize, he'd only do half as much.

You saw right through his act, always had, but instead of exposing him to everyone else out of jealousy, you'd helped him out whenever you could. Us poor orphans have to stick together, right?

You'd share food, give eachother your spare trolley tokens so you wouldn't have to walk the hour back to the Corso, discuss strategy over how to win said academic prizes, and split them with eachother when you did.

You'd become close friends, over the years, even although it was kept strictly as a secret from all of your other classmates. And so, when you heard a familiar voice floating in through your window, you smiled to yourself.

"Y/N?" You could only faintly hear him calling from the street, but you started up from your bed and yanked the window open fully so that you could hang out of it.

There he was, Coriolanus Snow, in all of his glory. Blonde curls full of white snowflakes, wrapped in what seemed to be a ratty fur coat, chittering away. You laughed when you saw him. "Coryo, what are you doing out? You'll freeze to death!"

"Wanted to come and make sure you were okay." He called back, and then looked around warily, almost as though he was checking the coast was clear before asking, "Can I come up?"

You nodded, "I'll buzz you in." And then you swiftly closed the window. Goosebumps had raised on your arms and chest and you'd be paying for the next year if you had to put the furnace on.

You crossed to your bedroom door, made your way down the hall, and pressed the buzzer, which always made the most abhorrent sound when it let whoever was outside, in.

You waited by the door, and soon enough, Coryo was coming bounding up the stairs, fur coat now in his hand, nose and cheeks bright red. You let him in and laughed as you took his coat from him and hung it up. "It's Tigris'. I don't have anything warm enough, but it's the rattiest old thing I've ever seen."

"It's quite something." You turned back to see him shivering, arms folded around his body to try to warm himself. "Oh, you poor lamb."

Your Covey accent had never faded. The Capitol had always looked down upon you for it, but Coryo blushed every time you spoke. "I'm fine, I'll be fine."

"But it's freezing in here, too. Come here." You opened the small cupboard in the hallway, which held a few random seasonal items, and pulled out two, old blankets. You smiled at Coriolanus as you draped one around his shoulders, and he smiled back, close enough to you that his breath was hitting your cheek.

"Thank you, honey." Coriolanus' eyes scanned your apartment, peering through the living room door and then your bedroom door, and he frowned when he saw just one Christmas decoration - your tiny little tree. His family was poor, but Tigris was creative, and they still managed to uphold some joy in the form of tinsel and stockings at Christmas time.

"What?" Your face dropped and you looked worried, placing a tender hand on Coryo's blanket-clad shoulder. "You look so sad."

"You just..." Coryo's voice trailed off, unsure of how to say what he meant without hurting, or offending you. "I mean, you don't have too much, do you?"

"Well, I thought you knew that." A crease had appeared between your brows and you sounded upset with him, dropping your hand from where it had previously sat. Coryo corrected himself quickly, shaking his head at you.

"No, I'm sorry, that came out wrong." He racked his brain for something to say that would make you feel better. The look on your face made his chest sting. "I don't know, would you want to spend Christmas with us?"

You cocked your head to the side, looking at him as though he was going insane. Maybe he was, he wasn't even sure what he was saying. He closed his eyes and ran and hand over his face, which brightened you up a bit. You laughed, and he laughed, and he felt his shoulders relax. Why was he so nervous? He never got nervous, not like this, anyway.

"We don't have much either, but it'd mean you weren't alone. I know how you feel, especially at this time of year." Coryo noticed the slight tinge of pink that had dawned your cheeks, and, on a whim, he reached out and, with two freezing fingers, tilted your head back so that you were looking at him. "You could come to our house, Tigris makes bread pudding, and we managed to get some beef mince this year, too. Maybe you could even sleep over tonight, and we could wake up together-"

"Coryo, you're rambling." You stopped him, you knew he could go on for hours, and, although the offer was tempting, and you enjoyed the idea of spending even more time around Coryo, you planned on turning him down. "Thank you. That sounds lovely, but I'd never want to intrude. No, the Covey wrote me to let me know they've installed a telephone in the town hall, I can call them for a couple minutes tomorrow, lift my spirits. I'll be fine."

You waved him off, and pulled your mother's old silk robe tighter around your body. You started towards the living room door, expecting Coryo to follow, maybe you'd sit together on the flaky sofa and talk for a few hours, but he didn't let you get far. He snatched your hand from your side, and when you turned to look at him, his blue eyes were filled with concern.

"Call them from our house." He wasn't going to let you off without a yes. "Please. I can't leave you alone, that's not fair. Plus, I've always wanted to meet them, haven't I?"

You took a breath and adjusted your hand in his. It felt nice, to have him be so affectionate. You could admit you were closer than most friends, the line between friendship and love always slightly blurred and maybe crossed over on more than one occasion, but it always felt good to have him near.

After careful consideration, and a few reassuring rubs at the back of your hand from Coryo, you finally gave in. "Are you sure? I don't mean to be a pain-"

"You're not. You could never be." He stepped closer and took your other hand, close enough to you that, if he leaned forward, your foreheads would be touching. "Honest, Tigris will be happy to have someone other than Grandma'am."

"And what about Grandma'am? I'm District, I don't think she'll like that-"

"She respects your family. It's not the right way, I know, but there are very few district people she doesn't mind. She knew your parents, always says they were very respectable people." A grimace crossed Coryo’s face, talking about his Grandma’am’s views in front of you. He’d agreed with her for most of his life, but that was until he met you, and that Covey accent finally made snow melt and changed his mind.

"Really?" Your face had lit up. The idea of anyone from the Capitol accepting you, no, respecting you, was something you’d only ever dreamt of.

"Really." Coryo smiled, now, and then he joked, “What an honour, huh? To have Grandma'am like you."

"An honour, indeed." You laughed. You let go of one of his hands, but kept hold of the other. You started to drag him with you towards your bedroom, but Coryo stayed put, confused. He’d never been inside your bedroom, he assumed it was off limits. You laughed at him, “I’m not trying to get you into bed, darlin’, if I was you’d know about it.”

His face turned a deep shade of red and you approached him and placed a gentle hand on his cheek. “Coryo, I’m messin’. I’m just going to pack a bag, you can come if you like, but if I’m making you uncomfortable you’re welcome to sit in the living room.”

“No. Oh, no. You’re not making me uncomfortable.” Coryo let you lead him to your bedroom, now, and he looked around the almost bare room as though it was a place of worship. There was hardly anything in there, a mattress on the floor, a small, oil lamp positioned next to it. A couple of books, a wardrobe which held your school uniform and your mother’s old performance dresses, which you wore every day you could. He was just happy to be somewhere so intimate, somewhere you allowed only the closest people in your life. “Sorry.”

You got that cheeky look on your face, now. The one that Coryo loved so much. “It’s okay. I know you’re a virgin, anyway-”

“Hey!” He smacked you with the blanket and you giggled and smacked him back. “That’s none of your business.”

“Oh, but it’s obvious.”

The walk to Coriolanus’ apartment wasn’t long, but it felt different. You’d never made it obvious that you were close, before, but you walked together, through the snow, chatting away like you’d been best friends for years - which was the case, and now people knew. Even when you passed classmates or their families, you’d both smile and wave, and it felt good to know that people would know.

“Are you excited to meet Grandma’am?” Coryo joked. Your cheeks balled when you laughed and gripped onto his hand in an overdramatic way. Coryo thought his heart might’ve burst.

You bounded forward, still holding his hand, and walked backwards in front of him. “Oh, the most excited. I’m sure she’s got great gossip.”

“Only the best. Did you know she had a fling with the President’s brother when they were in school?” Coryo whispered dramatically, and you gave him an equally as theatrical gasp.

“I hope she’ll tell me all about it.”

You arrived at the apartment cold but happy, noses bright red but laughing. Fingers freezing but locked together. You felt pure joy for the first time in a long time, and Coryo decided he could get used to this.

When Tigris opened the door, you knew this was the right decision. Her face lit up, and she clapped her hands together excitedly as soon as she saw you. She didn’t even bother to greet Coriolanus, just started straight for you, “Oh my! It’s so lovely to see you. Please tell me you’re staying for Christmas!”

“I sure am. Coryo managed to convince me.” You looked up to the boy stood beside you, who’d already been smiling down at you with such love in his eyes.

“Well, we are so happy to have you. Lucky to have you.” Tigris squeezed your shoulder and then stepped to the side, gesturing to both of you. “Come in, please.”

You could’ve sobbed, the feeling of being wanted, not being alone. Coryo touched a comforting hand to your arm as you stepped into the foyer, once grand, but now cracked and tired. Tigris took your coat, and the Grandma’am greeted you with open arms.

“Your dress is beautiful.” Tigris commented, and you did a quick twirl to show off the lace-up detail in the back.

“Thank you, it was my mama’s. I try to wear her dresses whenever I can.” You smoothed the ruffles of your dress, looking down lovingly at the shades of green tulle, handmade by your mother herself.

“And so you should.” Tigris reached out to touch your ruffles, too, and she smiled at you as she did so. “She had great taste.”

Coryo led you through to his bedroom, to let you drop your bag off and familiarise yourself with the place. “Thank you.” You muttered as you placed your bag on his windowsill. “For letting me come here, letting me stay. Your family are just beautiful.”

“Yeah, they’re great.” Coryo stood from his bed to join you as you looked out of his window onto the snow covered Corso, at a fresh snow angel and a family you could hear laughing from the penthouse. “I’m sure the Covey are, too. And your parents.”

“My parents were. And the Covey are. I hope one day, you can meet them.” You turned to him, that crease in your brow back.

“I’d love to.” Coryo took hold of your hand, noticing that you’d taken up an unsettled look. “Should we get some air? Grandma’am keeps roses on the roof, might be nice to see them in the snow.”

You nodded. “Yeah. That’d be nice.”

The roof was nice, you could see the entirety of the Capitol from up there - roofs engulfed in white, and the snow-covered roses were such a beautiful sight. You plucked one of the stems, after Coryo said you could, and simply stared at the thing. Back home, flowers were everywhere, they felt like warm hugs, like trips to the lake, like your mama. It was rare that you saw them growing in the Capitol.

“It’s beautiful up here.” You commented as you took a seat at the edge of the rooftop. “You can see the whole city.”

“It is beautiful.” Coryo sat next to you, shoulders touching, pinky fingers travelling closer to eachother and then pulling back, looking forward but watching eachother out of the corner of your eyes. “You’re beautiful.”

Coryo had let it slip, and he took in a deep breath and held it for a while after speaking. You tried not to let your smile get too wide, worried it would border on psychotic-looking if you let it reach it’s full potential. Beautiful, Coriolanus Snow called you beautiful.

“Oh.” Was all you could say, quietly, only loud enough to be picked up by the soft breeze and carried over to Coriolanus. “Thank you, Coryo. I think you’re beautiful.”

Coriolanus looked down and laughed, shaking his head at you. You let your pinkies intertwine, now. “You’re just saying that because I said it.”

“I mean it. Anyone would be stupid not to think it.” Then all of your fingers were locked together. And you sighed and let your head fall onto Coryo’s shoulder. He smiled to himself, and then, in a quick surge of confidence, he pressed a kiss to the top of your head and decided to speak his mind.

“You know I love you, right?" He blurted out. He didn’t regret it, but he was nervous, now. If he’d learned anything this Christmas Eve, it was that you made him nervous.

"I know." You closed your eyes and breathed in the cold air, “I love you, too."

"But I mean, really love you." Coryo took his hand from yours and, instead, draped his arm around your back, fingers reaching up to fidget with your hair. “You're very easy to fall in love with."

"Hm." You hummed and removed your head from his shoulder to look up at him. Your cheeks were flushed and your breath made little clouds in between your two faces. “I think you're very easy to fall in love with, too, Coryo."

You were so close, noses touching, Coryo’s hand still twirling one lock of your hair around and around. And then your lips were on his, his hand gripping the back of your neck, kissing you with a hunger, a passion, you’d never felt before. Not feverishly, not sexual in nature, just real, raw passion. You’d meant what you said. Coriolanus Snow was incredibly easy to love, and you did. You loved him. And he loved you. Nothing else had ever seemed to simple in your entire life.

Coryo couldn’t imagine a world, now, where your lips hadn’t been on his. Where you hadn’t called him beautiful. He was on a high, an all time high, he was convinced. Snow lands on top.

The snowflakes continued falling, landing on your heads, noses, the roses. And you let them, with no resentment, no upset. Because Coryo was there, everything was easy, now.

#coriolanus snow x reader #coryo x reader #coryo snow x reader #coryo snow #coriolanus snow smut #coriolanus snow #the hunger games ballad of songbirds and snakes #the hunger games #tom blyth #tom blyth x reader #coriolanus snow x covey!reader

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thebeast-dennis-etcetera · 2 months

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Girls Night

“You owe me 200!”

“Fine! Just take all my money!”

You laughed, throwing the paper money at her and taking a sip of your wine. It was safe to say that you sucked at playing Monopoly. Ellie had ownership of all the railroads and utilities, Abby had at least 2 hotels on each of her properties, and Alex spent most of her time in jail.

It still wasn’t a match for you, who had 25 dollars to your name, 2 properties that only generated around 30.00 total in rent, and would miss the free parking space every chance you got. When your time came and you rolled the cursed dice, the Monopoly Gods decided to end your pathetic gaming reign by putting you in jail.

“Alright, well I’m out,” you stated defeatedly, taking a long sip of wine as your confirmation.

“Aw, it’s alright Y/N. Maybe you’ll do better the next game!” Abby tried but you shook your head with a quickness.

“Absolutely not. Not only is this game rigged to make me realize how terrible of a homeowner I am, but it lasts forever! Alex knows, she’s been in jail for the last three turns.”

“Hey, I don’t mind it. I just collect all my rent money while I’m in here,” Alex retorted.

You laughed as you heard the front door open and saw Jethro walk in with a grocery bag and a bottle of whiskey. You got up from your spot immediately, happy to see him home finally and walked over as he set the stuff down on the kitchen counter. He had let the team go home earlier in the night but told you he needed to stay behind to do some paperwork on their latest case. Abby was the first one to suggest the girls game night and it didn’t take much convincing of Ellie or Alex when the promise of wine, snacks, and a warm fire were included.

“Hey hun. You just missed my embarrassing defeat in Monopoly. Remind me to never play this game with your team again, they’re entirely too good. And I think Abby’s been hiding all the good chance cards up her sleeve.”

He chuckled as you gave him a welcome home kiss and started noisily poking around in the goods he had brought home.

“Ooh. Chips, dip and whiskey? You trying to butter me up sir?”

He smiled and pried the bottle from your hands. “Whiskeys mine. And it sounds to me like you’re already buttered up,” he teased softly, not wanting his special agents to hear your two’s playful PDA. With another small kiss, he walked out to the group of girls and surveyed the real estate war.

“Doing well Abbs. Bishop, I like your strategy. And Quinn, stop hiding in jail.”

“I’m not hiding! I’m just taking my time,” she defended as everyone laughed.

“I’ll be downstairs if you girls need me. Good night.”

They called out their farewells as he made his way into his little woodworking dungeon and you took your spot back, bringing the new snacks with you.

“Alright Banker Abby. I need a loan,” you pleaded.

————

The clock read 11 pm once the girls left and you cleaned up your game space. In the end, it was Ellie who won, most likely due to her incredible NSA analysis skills and you had ended up with at least more than the small loan Banker Abby gave you. Once you put all the furniture back and glassware in the dishwasher, you made your way downstairs to see Jethro.

There was light country music and a muted tv playing as you watched him slowly move the sandpaper over his newest project. He had finished the boat a while back and offered to build you some beautiful planter boxes for the garden you wanted to start once spring came around.

It was always a treat for you when you watched him work. His movements were smooth and calculated, knowing just how much pressure to apply or what angle to use and seeing him wearing his tool belt and covered in sawdust just did it for you.

“You gonna stand there all night?” he called out with a smirk.

Walking over, you hopped up on one of the counters and took a small sip of his mason jar whiskey, slightly cringing at the taste.

“You know who would be really great for Ellie? Nick. I think their different personalities would really even each other out.”

“Rule number 12, sweetheart.”

You rolled your eyes at his comment. Since when do any of his subordinates follow it, including himself. You knew all about his past with the director and Sloan, he wasn’t fooling anyone.

“Rule number 83. Don’t be a hypocrite,” you quipped, making up your own rule.

He gave you the look that you see from him to his team all the time but it didn’t work on you so you just smiled cheekily back at him. He stopped sanding and came over, taking the glass from your hands and finishing the awful brown liquor, your arms snaking around his neck. He smelt like a lumbermill mixed with a distillery and you loved it. You loved it even more when you pulled him in for a kiss and tasted the leftover vapors of his whiskey on his tongue. The effect of drinking your 3 glasses of wine had you feeling warm and fuzzy and made Jethro’s touch electric.

When you two pulled away, he tucked a loose strand of hair behind your ear before speaking. “Let’s go to bed.”

Not needing any convincing, you nodded and he helped you down, taking off his toolbelt and carelessly dropping it on one of the tables before following you back upstairs.

#gibbs x reader #leroy jethro gibbs #ncis #ncis fanfiction #agent gibbs #mark harmon #ncis request #jethro gibbs x reader #ncis imagine #jethro gibbs fanfiction

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archersarrow-tarot · 6 months

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| The 12 Astrological Houses |

Each house is associated with a zodiac sign and it’s planetary ruler.

House 1: House of Self😬

Aries • Mars

“I am.” The first house influences your image, your appearance, your ego, identity, your temperament, how charismatic you are, your attitude, your dignity, your self-image, your consciousness, first impressions people have of you, your sense of self, how you interact with the world, self-awareness, your outlook on life, self-actualization, and your choices.

House 2: House of Posessions🪞

Taurus • Venus

“I have.” The second house influences your earning ability, how you spend money, personal resources, self-worth, your assets, possessions, finances, values, earnings, loans, accumulations, lending, attachments.

House 3: House of Communication

Gemini • Mercury

“I think.” Third house influences your communication, thought processing, Curiosity, perspective, language, how you transport, technology, early education, learning, your relationships with your siblings and neighbors, reactions, how you learn.,

House 4: House of Roots

Cancer • Moon

“I nurture.” The fourth house influences your home, family, childhood, how you practice self-care, emotional security, private life, you roots, ancestry, genetics, foundations, old age, real estate, traditions, youth, agriculture, mining, nurturing.

House 5: House of Fun

Leo • The Sun

“I will.” The fifth house influences your beauty and what/where you find beauty, love, passion, talents, self expression, pleasure, children, gambling, integration, performance, vacations, romance, hobbies, fertility, casual sex, and inner child.

House 6: House of Service

Virgo • Mercury

“I serve.” The sixth house influences your health, wellness, service, duty, routines, healing, coworkers, forgiveness, pets, diet, mentorship, meditation, hygiene, helpfulness, forgiveness, and skills.

House 7: House of Relationships

Libra • Venus

“I partner” The seventh house influences your partnerships, relationships, connections, marriages, contracts, foreign affairs, feedback, equality, confrontation, invention, and how you relate.

House 8: House of Debt

Scorpio • Pluto

“I desire” The eighth house influences your death, magic, tattoos, inheritance, authority, occult, regeneration, Transformation, how you bond with others, your attitude towards growth and change, other peoples money, reproduction, respect, and your regulations.

House 9: House of Opening

Sagittarius • Jupiter

“I see” The ninth house influences your big ideas, beliefs, education, philosophy, expansion, publishing, media, Internet, legal, understanding, purpose, spirituality, ethics, love, religion, and how you interact with in-laws.

House 10: House of Public Space

Capricorn • Saturn

“I use” The tenth house influences your professional path, social standing, public personal, ambition, fame, career, reputation, social status, power, boss, public space, and business.

House 11: House of Hope

Aquarius • Uranus

“I aspire” The eleventh house influences your groups, networks, aspirations, community, coalitions, social circle, cooperation, earned wealth, teamwork, wishes, strategies, goals, balance, art and culture trends.

House 12: House of Transcendence

Pisces • Neptune

“I dream” The twelfth house influences your introspection, your unconscious, your shadow self, your remedies, your discriminations, what you fantasize about, your secrets, how much you isolate self, your problem-solving, how you release, your addictions, and how you follow orders.

#12 houses #birth chart #archers arrow tarot #aat 12 houses

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vsthepomegranate · 6 months

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Joe Biden lied about seeing Palestinians beheading 40 Israeli infants and four days later a Palestinian American six year old was stabbed 26 times in his own apartment. Under Biden's direction the US vetoed UN Security Council vote calling for an Israeli ceasefire that would allow humanitarian aid, medicine and food into Gaza. Then he visited Israel, embraced Benjamin Netanyahu (who is Israel's Donald Trump, look it up) and co-signed the Israeli lie that Hamas blew up Al Ahli hospital themselves, drafted $100 billion dollar foreign aid package, sent weapons to Israel, and gave the go ahead for a genocide in Gaza.

So, no, we will not be voting for Joe Biden in 2024.

It's very clear that the Democrats are running the Bush 9/11 playbook, i.e. Change the Conversation By Starting A War Based On Lies That Will Kill Millions of Arabs, Sustain That Effort Through Clumsy, Racist (but always effective!) Propaganda, And Endanger Arab And Muslim Americans In The Process.

So Instead of supporting universal healthcare in the midst of a global pandemic, forgiving predatory student loan debt that has hobbled an entire generation of young Americans, safeguarding the Supreme Court or protecting Roe from the decades long relentless attacks from the Right, Joe Biden is going to send billions of dollars to one of the richest countries on the planet to leverage his way back into the white house via manufactured crisis and the fake moral injury of "Fifteen 9/11s." (Someone needs to tell Pop Pop that social media exists and we can see Israelis "at war" partying at the beach, eating sushi and taking duck faced mirror selfies on Tik Tok and Instagram in real time, forty miles away from piles of dead babies...)

So no, we will not be voting for Joe Biden in 2024.

The Democrats have clearly decided that they do not need our votes. And/or the votes of other people of color and/or people under 40 and/or actual leftists across demographics-- who all overwhelmingly support Palestine... And if they think they'll keep working class white votes by playing on their Anti-Arab racism and Islamophobia as they watch the money they were told did not exist for them get funneled to one of the richest countries in the world while they struggle... well, good luck with that habibi.

Now, I can already hear the Neoliberal Hot Take Machine whirring to life with self-righteous posts about how "we" have to prevent Trump or any Republican from taking power in 2024. So I want to say to those folks directly, if you are concerned about the loss of potential votes for Biden in 2024, you should be. But instead of whipping up patronizing posts "explaining how politics work" to people living and dying at the mercy of those politics your energy is much better spent reaching out to the Democrats and letting them know that this is a losing strategy for them in 2024.

And if you doubt that Democrats need the votes of the young/ people of color/ leftists/ white working class people to win the Presidency then you can always ask Hilary Clinton. Just give her a call. She's probably at home.

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shubhmortgage · 2 years

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Mortgage Calculator Service in California:

Use the free California Mortgage Calculator to estimate your monthly payment, including taxes, mortgage insurance, principal, and interest.

A mortgage calculator helps in calculating things in a few minutes. Buying a new home is a time of dreams and opportunity, but navigating the mortgage process can also make it stressful and confusing. Different interest rates and repayment terms can make it difficult to compare mortgage loan offers.

Our mortgage calculator should help you understand everything. This helpful tool makes it easy to find mortgage loans and choose the best deal for you.

How to Use This Calculator:

Our mortgage calculator can help you understand how differences in interest rates and repayment terms affect the size of your monthly payment and the total cost of a home over time. Little information is required to get started. Adding a few more details using the calculator's optional advanced options can give you an even clearer idea of what your monthly mortgage payment might look like for different loans.

- House Price: This is the amount you pay the house seller. If you are in the early stages of home shopping, use the seller's asking price for comparison, but remember that this number is negotiable. If you are shopping in a highly competitive market and expect to be one of several bidders, you may want to bid above the asking price. In slower markets or for properties that have been on the market for a longer period of time, a bid below the asking price could be successful. Work with a real estate professional/ Mortgage Advisor to set your bidding strategy.

- Down Payment: When you enter the house price, the calculator automatically fills in the Down Payment field to reflect 20% of the house price. This is the standard down payment required for most traditional mortgages. Many mortgage lenders, including those who make government-backed loans, will accept lower down payments, usually in exchange for higher interest rates and/or fees - and with the stipulation that you pay for mortgage insurance, which you can factor into the calculator's advanced features.

- Term (in years): Enter the number of years required for the mortgage to be repaid. By default, this calculator assumes a 30-year mortgage, as this is the most common home loan term in America. Other standard mortgage terms include 15 years, 20 years, and 40 years. Adjust this number according to the offer you are evaluating. All things being equal, longer mortgage terms mean lower monthly payments, but also significantly higher interest costs over the life of the loan.

- Interest Rate: Enter the interest rate for the loan you are considering. Be sure to enter the interest rate, not the APR (annual percentage rate). These numbers may be similar, but the APR reflects interest costs plus additional financing costs like fees and mortgage insurance.

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tumblingyeti · 5 days

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A brand mythology that brought a startup into the heart of the nation’s children

I thought for my first belated post, I’d talk about a story of rebranding from an Indonesian start up where I spent four years as VP of Product and reflect how Go-jek’s branding story touches on the concepts of brand mythology and equity, brand architecture, and even friction.

A bit of context

Go-jek was founded in 2010 and is on-demand “super-app” platform that started as motorcycle ride-hailing but now one of the largest SEA tech giants, providing more than 20+ services extending beyond transportation to logistics, food-delivery, grocery-delivery, digital payments and lending, entertainment, e-commerce, and more.

Brand mythology

Go-jek’s registered company name reads “Aplikasi Karya Anak Bangsa” which translates to “an application that is the work of the nation’s children.” This tagline resonated with many people in Indonesia; the fourth-most populous country in the world which was in the midst of the smartphone revolution and which had yet to produce a “unicorn” (tech company valued over $1Bn). By using this tag line as part of their brand mythology, it allowed the company to become more than its on-demand transport and delivery products. It sought to enter the consumer psyche as something that they can be proud of. Go-jek aspired not just to be the story of a company but a story of the nation. The emotional implication was that using the services would feel like an act of patriotism.

Exhibit 1: Photos below show the tag line “Karya Anak Bangsa” as well as the Indonesian flag (and colors, red/white) featured prominently on advertisements as well as the Gojek driver jackets.

The following excerpt from a 2018 blogposts describes this well “There is pride in what GO-JEK has done in Indonesia. And when you talk to Indonesian’s about GO-JEK, you will notice a particular phenomenon: The brand is theirs, their home-grown star, a reflection of a new era in technology.” Source: Medium Blogpost (2018) - “Why Go-Jek is the operating system of Indonesia”

Brand equity and extensions

The mythology as well as smart use of words, was in-part, one of the reasons why Go-Jek was able to expand from 3 services to 20+ within a span of three years. Subsequent product launches included Go-Car (car ride-hailing, think Uber/Lyft), Go-Food (food delivery), Go-Beauty (on-demand haircuts and beauty services, beauticians would come to you!), Go-Pay (peer-to-peer transactions, digital wallets, and more) and so-forth. Because Go-Jek had so much brand power and recognition, there was a lot of built-up trust and it reduced the hurdle for consumers to try out new services immediately after they were launched, even if it was in a completely new vertical. For example, one may not think that a company you trust to get you from place a to b is one that you might also trust to get you a good haircut or one that you may trust with sending money or taking loans.

I personally find it hard to imagine if Uber or Lyft launched a peer-to-peer transaction or money lending service in the US that their brand equity would carry over and consumers would try out those new services. I think if this happened, this would end up like the failed brand extensions that we discussed in class (e.g. the fate of Bic’s perfume and Levi’s suits).

This brand mythology was not a one-time play but a strategy that we continued to invest in as a company. In 2018, eight years after the company was founded, Go-jek launched a campaign titled #AnakBangsaBisa (translates to: Children of the Nation Can) to celebrate the 73rd independence day of Indonesia. Source: Gojek Blog

And in the Youtube comments of the campaign video, we can glean that the emotional impact of national pride is still very much alive:

This perspective of brand mythology / equity / extensions adds a new dimension to my previous reflections on our work at Gojek. What I thought was more of a branding strategy for recruiting and “feel-good” emotional aspect with using our services may have also played a significant role in enabling us to extend to so many different services in such a short time and become the “super-app” that it is today.

Final thoughts on friction

In 2019, Gojek did a rebranding with a new logo, a new look, and new in-app landing page. The new company mission was to “remove friction from people’s lives.” Refer to the LinkedIn post below by one of the CEOs at the time announcing the new homepage. Source: LinkedIn.

In thinking how this squares with the discussions in our last class. In a country where life is chaotic (ask any Indonesian or person who has been to Jakarta, the capital city, and chaotic will be an adjective that is certain to come up), daily life is fraught with friction. In that sense, I do believe that the overall mission to remove friction was aspirational and is still relevant.

However, when thinking of the work I did day-to-day as a product manager considering today’s era of surveillance capitalism, and given the lessons learned in our last class, I am becoming increasingly more cognizant that removing friction in the design of products and applications should not be done at the expense of the user’s agency and should not exploit their resources including their data, time, and money. Sources: “The Age of Surveillance Capitalism” by Shoshana Zuboff and Renee Richardson Gosline’s MIT Sloan 15.846 Branding lecture.

#MITSloanBranding2024B

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