#and roger has to be here per my contract so

[alienandstrange]

haven’t drawn the diamond himself before so i tried my hand at it. hi syd!!!! (and rog)

[ladykailitha]

Not All That Glitters Is Gold Part 2

Hello! Welcome to part two of my omegaverse. Just a heads up. This chapter is a bit dark. Trigger warning for sex trafficking. Not Steve. This was a way for me to show how well tuned Steve is too his clients.

Part 1

***

Steve packed his bag and stood up to see Robin waiting for him.

“You ready to go?” she asked, holding out her hand for his bag.

He handed it to her. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

They walked out to the waiting car. Once inside Robin asked, “Here’s your phone. The word for you being in danger is kitten. The word for spontaneous heat is catnip. And the word for bonding talk and contract buying is tower.”

Steve took the small flip phone. He had his own smart phone, but those weren’t allowed anywhere near clients. The last thing a Starcourt omega needed were crazed alphas stalking them. He handed her his. She slipped it into her purse.

“Just go a message from Dillon’s PA,” she said, looking at her phone, “he has just gone into pre-rut. Fever, irritability, and mood swings.”

Steve sighed. He liked to get there before that happened. “Did he start early?”

Robin sent off a message and moments later she growled at the response. “Apparently not. Apparently, he didn’t want you there for pre-rut and lied.”

He growled too. “Put him on the black list and tell his PA if he so much as twitches wrong during this, I’m leaving.”

She nodded. “I’ll also let management know. There’s a reason for omegas to be there during the pre-rut and that’s the safety of the omega. If he can’t follow a simple rule like that, what other rules is he going to break?”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “You think I should pull out?”

Robin thought about it a moment. “It’s up to you. One lie isn’t a deal breaker per se. Lots of alphas do stupid shit the first time because they think they’re impressing you.”

Steve nodded. “There is something about this lie that makes me itch, though.”

“So pull out,” she said. “If you’re getting the skin crawlies, don’t go into something you can’t get out of.”

He thought about it all the rest of the trip, until they pulled up in front of the building.

“I think I’m going to go in anyway,” he murmured. “It could be as you said before about it just being fragile alpha ego or it could be a clusterfuck. But the only way to find out for sure is if I meet the client.”

Robin patted him on the shoulder. “You’ve got good instincts, Steve. I’ll back you up in whatever way you need.”

“Right,” Steve said, tapping his lip. “Stay with the car until I text you.”

She nodded again. “Roger that!”

Steve smiled at her and gave her hand a squeeze of reassurance. “Alphas are stupid. I’m glad I never have to deal with them outside of work.”

Robin laughed. “I know, right? But we’re here now. Go show that loggerhead who’s boss.”

Steve grabbed his bag and kissed her cheek. When he got out onto the pavement he looked up at the high rise penthouse. Dillon’s wasn’t the top suite, but he wasn’t near the bottom either.

The doorman stopped him at the door with a critical eye on what he was wearing. All of Steve’s clothes were designer, but comfortable and something he didn’t care about being ripped off him. The Victoria’s Secret PINK sweatshirt he’d cut into a croptop was paired with baggy sweatpants that fuck on the ass and power on one leg and bottom on the other.

Steve just cocked his head to the side. “Dillon Forrest is waiting for me, doll.”

The doorman was about bluster something about not letting in the trash when Dillon’s PA came bursting through the door.

“Oh thank god you’re here!” she said. “His pre-rut is progressing faster than usual!”

Steve rolled his eyes. “That’s why the omega needs to be there before any of that shit goes down.”

She sighed. “I know, I tried to tell him, but he said it was fine. He had a meeting this morning that he didn’t want to put off.”

Steve sighed. Ego. Especially alpha ego was the worst.

He looked back over at the doorman who was opening and closing his mouth like a guppy fish.

When Steve raised an eyebrow suddenly he was spewing apologies and stuttering excuses.

“Take me in,” Steve told the PA, completely ignoring the doorman.

She nodded and led him to penthouse. It was bright and sunny. And that was a problem. His client was on the sofa practically shaking from the pre-rut symptoms.

He found the remote to the shades and closed them, casting the room into dim light. Immediately the twitchy actor breathed out a sigh of relief.

The PA’s eyes narrowed at the drastic change in behavior.

“You act like this is your first rut,” Steve snapped, pulling out a bottle of water from his bag.

Dillon and his PA exchanged a glance and Steve’s eyes went wide.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Steve growled. “How long were you on suppressants?”

Dillon blushed, looking away then back up at the PA. “Since I presented when I was sixteen.”

“And you’re twenty-two now?”

Dillon nodded. Again he avoided looking at Steve and kept looking at the PA like she was in charge, not him.

Steve looked around and put his hands on his hips as he pursed his lips.

“This is a completely different situation then the one that was presented to the company,” Steve bit out. “I have to call my handler.”

He pulled out the phone and called Robin. He explained everything to her as he eyed Dillon and his PA. There was something off about the whole situation. The PA kept her eyes on Dillon, her fingers drumming on her arm, both arms crossed in front of her chest.

Steve listened to Robin, tilting his head further and further as he watched the two them.

“Kitten,” he said. “I think I left something in the car, I’ll be down to grab it okay?”

The PA frowned and stepped forward. “What did you forget?”

“It won’t take long,” Steve murmured, not bothering to answer her. There was a knock on the door and he went to answer it.

“Oh good you’re here,” he said with relief and then quickly closed the door behind them.

“Run!” he whispered to Robin.

She grabbed his hand and opened both elevators and got in one and told Steve to get in the other and go to the first floor and then down the stairs.

Steve nodded. Once in the elevator he called her.

“What’s going on?” Robin asked, panic rising her voice.

“I think Dillon was raised in sex trafficking ring,” he explained, “and you need to send someone to get him out of there now.”

Each omega had their own driver. Big, burly fellows for fending off large crowds of fans or very persistent alphas. And like extreme cases like this where they needed two pairs of hands, the handler and driver would work together to keep their omega safe.

Steve driver was a man named Xander Poulson and had been with Steve since the beginning. Robin had hand picked him and they relied on him for everything when Steve was on the job.

Robin opened her mouth to ask for particulars but closed it, messaging the driver to get Dillon out that suite instead. “All right, Xander will meet us at the car in five minutes.”

After that everything just happened so fast. Dillon sat listlessly between Robin and Steve as Xander sped away.

“How did you know he was in danger?” Robin asked as she rapid fire texted Starcourt management.

Steve ran his fingers through Dillon’s hair softly and the alpha sighed. “He was about to experience his first rut with an escort after having been on suppressants for six years.”

Robin looked down at the now almost delirious actor. “Shit. The only reason for an alpha to be on suppressants was if they were a danger to omegas.”

“Or if they being forced to have sex with other alphas,” Steve muttered darkly.

Dillon whimpered.

“Your flat is being set up for a first rut,” Robin said. “Management is okay with him being there because he’s too out of it to know where he is.”

Steve nodded. He wasn’t sure he could trust anything in the dossier considering most of what they now knew was a lie. “Shit Robin, I can’t even scent him! He smells duller than a beta.”

Robin frowned. “I’ll have a doctor sent over as well.”

They arrived back at Steve’s building and were quickly ushered in. The doctor saw to him first and administered medicine and tranquilizer to put him to sleep for a couple of hours to try and equalize the rut.

*

Dr Sam Owens, Robin, and manager, Jim Hopper were standing with Steve in his living room.

“Do you think you would have been harmed?” Hopper asked gruffly.

Steve shook his head. “I think they forced the rut because of what happened with his scent. I think they were hoping to jump start it so that he could be pimped out to omegas. But they couldn’t have it be any omega, they had to have someone who could gently see him through it.”

Dr Owens shook his head. “It wouldn’t have worked. He was too far gone. If you hadn’t acted as quickly as you did, there’s a good chance he would have destroyed his secondary gender when he came out the rut.”

Steve just shook his head.

“I just want to know how long they’ve been controlling him,” Robin hissed.

Hopper shook his head. “Dillon was a child actor, there is no telling how long they’ve had their claws in him.”

“Do we know anything about the ring he was being trafficked in?” Dr Owens asked Hopper.

“I’ve spoken to the FBI and INTERPOL, they have a pretty good idea which one it is,” Hopper growled. “The Upside Down, run by Henry Creel. And if Dillon willing to give them information they can probably take it down for good.”

“That’s a relief,” Robin said.

Hopper turned to Steve. “How did you know he was being trafficked?”

Steve blushed and rocked back on his heels. “No hot shot alpha actor was going to defer to their PA not unless it was a relation. Plus there was the fact she never introduced herself. Add to that all the lying about what it was and how little they both knew about ruts, it just really couldn’t be anything else.”

“You did good, Steve,” Hopper said. “You saved that man’s life and may have just taken down one of the biggest sex rings on the North American continent.”

“I was just doing what I do best,” Steve said, “take care of alphas in need. That’s what rut servicing is at it’s core, after all.”

“Well, I’m going to want to keep this hush hush,” Hopper said. “At least as far as the company is concerned. I don’t want to paint a target on your back.”

“I’ve already begun the scrubbing process regarding their files and contract with us,” Robin said. “The process should be done in two hours.”

“Good.”

“How long until he wakes up?” Steve asked Dr Owens.

Dr Owens looked at his watch. “In about an hour.”

Steve nodded. “That should give me plenty of time to get ready.”

He excused himself and went into the bedroom.

“That was not how wanted to spend my morning,” Hopper growled.

“I feel you, boss,” Robin agreed. “I wanted to pull out of the job when we were in the car, but Steve sensed something else was going on right away.”

Hopper nodded. “He isn’t our highest paid omega by a long shot, but he is the best.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Dr Owens said.

“Well, gentlemen,” Robin said, stowing away her laptop. “You really don’t want to be here when the fucking starts.”

Dr Owens and Hopper made faces and allowed themselves to be ushered out of Steve’s apartment.

Robin went through and made sure that the fridge was stocked to her specifications and then locked the door behind her.

***

Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17

Tag List: @spectrum-spectre @estrellami-1 @zerokrox-blog @artiststarme @swimmingbirdrunningrock @gregre369 @pyrohonk ​@a-little-unsteddie @chaosgremlinmunson @chaoticlovingdreamer @lexirosewrites @goodolefashionedloverboi @messrs-weasley @maya-custodios-dionach @val-from-lawrence @i-must-potato @danili666 @carlyv @rozzieroos @wonderland-girl143-blog @justforthedead89 @emly03 @bookworm0690 @itsall-taken @bookbinderbitch @redfreckledwolf @littlewildflowerkitten @vecnuthy @scheodingers-muppet @mira-jadeamethyst @cinnamon-mushroomabomination @genderless-spoon @yikes-a-bee @anne-bennett-cosplayer @awkwardgravity1 @irregular-child @nburkhardt @apomaro-mellow @yellowdevilkitten @lingeringmirth @rememberthatiloveyou @demolvr @ellietheasexylibrarian @slowandsteddie @mangoinacan13

[acaseforpencils]

Victoria Roberts Talks about Animation.

Today's interview on Case is a little bit different—I had been seeing Victoria's lovely animations on Instagram, and asked her if she might be interested in talking about them on here. She kindly obliged, so I sent her a loose list of questions to consider, and she sent me back such an incredible rumination on her experiences that I replied back to her "This is so cool! You are so cool!" because though I was expecting something incredible (Victoria being Victoria after all!), it wouldn't be dramatic for me say that I was thunderstruck! Anyways, I hope you all enjoy reading what she has to say as much as I did! —Jane

Find this print here!

On Animation

I’m so fortunate to be working on what I love.

It’s been a long haul in a way. I came to New York City from Sydney, Australia, because I wanted to run away with the Wooster Group-that is, do theatre. Or film. I was already a cartoonist, and I became one under contract to The New Yorker, an enormous privilege, thirty odd years ago.

But since last month, thanks to a software named Callipeg, I make an animated short every week, for which I do the voices, called “Axolotl Mondays.” Finally, I’m in the movies!

To be a performer and tell stories, or at least vignettes, is my passion. At nineteen, with $5000 from the Creative Development Fund of The Australia Council, we made “Goodbye Sally Goldstein”, a five minute animated film. I had three collaborators:

Rob Rogers, composer and musician, Kathryn Pentecost, and Jacqueline Field who drew and painted. From the sound recording, inking and painting, to the shoot, it took six months to complete. My favourite task in all of this was doing the sound breakdown, which consisted of manually running the soundtrack tape through a reader (not sure what the device was called) and jotting down the length of each sound so that you could animate to the soundtrack.

David Deneen founder of Film Graphics was my inspiration and coach. What I knew about animation came from time spent over the school holidays in his studio thanks to my mum, who worked in advertising and got me the gig. They were making an animated ad for Witchy Brew, an ice cream, and I remember they said it wasn’t until they boiled spaghetti that they got the right sound for the witch’s cauldron. 

Every animator had a different style, and each animator’s desk, covered in drawings, felt like a different universe. Val Udowenko and Don Mackinnon were stars in this creative shop that went on to win the Academy Award for Bruce Petty’s “Leisure” in 1976, Best Short Film. To watch David Deneen solve a problem from idea, to script, to film, was my university. 

I left school at sixteen and got a job painting cels for Hannah Barbera. The studio was run by Zoran Janjic, and his mum Zora, ran the painting department. Her “quiet girls please!” in a rich Yugoslavian accent resounded often. It was a big studio.

Sometimes we were on a network deadline so tight that Bill Hannah came to Sydney. We were paid per painted cel, working overtime, and we would try to get scenes with many mouths, as lips were very quick to paint. We stayed in over lunchtime and Mr. Hannah ordered in for us, fried chicken and coleslaw. “Would anybody like more slaw?” he offered, and the painting department cracked up at his American pronounciation of “slaaaaaaaaaaw.”

Again I had the good fortune to hear the soundtrack for a series called “Wait ‘til Your Father Comes Home,” an animated sitcom. I loved the soundtracks, and again remember the sound more than the drawings, and longed to be a creator of some sort.

Some characters come to the world with more dialogue than others. A cartoon strip though roomier than a gag cartoon with a drawing and one line of dialogue, isn’t enough space still for some characters like Nona Appleby, an Australian octogenarian character I have drawn since I was 16. Finally I started to play her on stage, and that gave Nona the opportunity to say everything that is in her heart (it’s a lot!). I maintain that I am a vessel, and the characters do all of the work. 

“Axolotl Mondays” is mid-step between the page and theatre. There is the element of time in a video, which is delicate and wonderful. A friend gave me gift of a six week editing course at MEWSHOP in New York City, which gave me a very good base for cutting and thinking about time. We learned at one of their lectures that “Annie Hall” started out as a film with a stream of consciousness dialogue, but that Diane Keaton’s performances were so extraordinary that it became another film in the editing room. I mention this to underline the malleability, possibility and difficulty of film.

These videos start out with a soundtrack usually, but I learn something new each week about how movement and time on screen works. My animation style is very basic, which fortunately suits my drawing style. It’s detail and timing, and other possibilities which I am learning about that make a piece “sing.” As with most of my work, I rarely know what I am doing. It’s the mystery, the discovery, that keep me on board. 

Callipeg is like having an old-style animation studio at your fingertips. Everything is done on the iPad. It’s so much faster than paper and cels, and cameras-and so accessible. Really a beautiful software, plus the creator’s tutorials are delivered in a native French accent!

Instagram Links:

Kathryn Pentecost is at BohemianPalaceof Art

Rob Rogers is rogers_bob

Jacqueline Field

Don Mackinnon

———-

If you enjoy this blog, and would like to contribute to labor and maintenance costs, there is a Patreon, and if you’d like to buy me a cup of coffee, there is a Ko-Fi  account as well! I do this blog for free because accessible arts education is important to me, and your support helps a lot! You can also find more posts about art supplies on Case’s Instagram and Twitter! Thank you!

[the1918]

Read anything good lately? I’m looking for good Stucky to read… I mean other than rereading your fabulous Stucky stuff for the millionth time. The bar is high!!

Here's what I've been reading lately:

WIPs:

Virgin River by Willbakefordean (@willbakewithstucky) - idk, maybe you've heard of this one, it's kind of a the queen of all mpreg fics for me...

still there by OhArtemis - hurt/comfort, 1940s a/b/o with medical experimentation, very soft and sad

Omega Services: Rut Assistant by roe87 (@jro616) - sex worker omega Bucky and silent, mysterious Steve, very interesting plot

I'm Wanted (Dead or Alive) by Becassine (@becassine) - if you know me then you know i hardly ever read shrinkyclinks, but this cowboy AU really got me good. fully written, still posting

Maybe we'll get it all (If we choose one night) by sourwolphs (@sourwolphs) - really addictive story about an omega bucky who is a rut/sex worker for alphas, falls in love with client Steve, just truly great a/b/o content. fully written, posts on thursdays

Dream Daddy by JBankai89 (@jbankai89) - a young Bucky becomes a contract sugar baby for rich Steve Rogers, who turns out to be a really great guy, and some fantastic plot comes through

The Very Thought Of You by Nospheratt (@nospheratt) - possibly the softest recovering Bucky fic I have ever read with so much happy!crying that I have to carve out a specific time in the day to read updates so I can make sure to get the full effect

Complete:

The Wedding Date by TrekChik (@trekchik) - the plot is pretty much what it says on the tin (with a fake relationship trope to keep you warm). but i recommend waiting to read it until you can sit down and really read the 4k words with no distractions because the artful pacing and dialogue is best enjoyed like you're getting to watch the story unfold in front of you. the kind of fic that leaves you smiling for sure.

Deviant Ways by MelanieKS (@itsfeistyred) - Steve is the detective assigned to a serial murder case where Bucky is the only victim who escapes the killer's grasp, and they fall for each other despite the rules and consequences. really scratches my need to read protective!steve stories <3

Express Yourself by Kalee60 (@kalee60) - I'm still making my way through this one, but I don't know what to say other than "report: Kel hits it out of the park again to absolutely no one's surprise"

there is a house built out of stone by inevitablemeow (@theycallmeinevitable) - i'll just copy and paste the comment i left on this one, says it best: "You have a way with words that I am deeply envious of as a writer and deeply enchanted by as a reader. The way you describe building emotion is just so visceral and it sucks you in, drags you along for the ride. It’s so hard to capture that bone deep, ancient feeling of pain and loss that always underlies stucky, but you did it so perfectly."

Captain Bodyguard by darter_blue (@darter-blue) - Engineer Bucky gets assigned hot bodyguard Steve for an evening, a night of adrenaline ensues, Bec is a literary genius as per usual. the by-line should be enough to get you to click.

the catch 22s are all catching up with you by ixalit (@ixalit) - hydra trash party, the most beautiful of painful hurt/comfort pieces. max's writing always has a way of reaching riiiight up into my ribcage.

Hold On To Something (Hold On To Me) by dixons_mama (@dixons-mama) - homeless steve rogers gets caught in a bad winter storm and lonely, isolated bucky takes him in. just a really warm cuddle of a story about two men getting close and finding happiness.

The Fist of HYDRA by HaniTrash (@hanitrash) & ixalit (@ixalit), art by @kocuria - this is a tentacle!winter soldier AU with bottom steve, written by two of my favorite authors and illustrated by one of my favorite artists. enough said.

anyone who’s read any of the above, feel free to reblog and @ the author to let them know you enjoyed it, too!

[natromanxoff]

Record Mirror (July 14, 1979): 119/?

THE QUEEN BACKLASH ENDS HERE

WITHOUT DOUBT Queen are among that elite number of bands universally hated by the rock press.

The rancour is, make no mistake, mutual which is understandable. If you find yourself on the receiving end of an inveterate dislike at the outset of your career and watch it being nurtured and carefully cultivated over the next six years you’re bound to retaliate.

Queen’s hatred manifests itself by their continued habit of ignoring the music press i.e. refusing to give interviews. There is the occasional token “chat”, pointless as it is innocuous, but in the main it amounts to a blanket “No.”

One of the last interviews Freddie Mercury gave was the last nail in the perspex coffin. Under a headline which boldly asked ‘Is This Man A Prat?’ the king of the leotards was demolished by one of the old school Queen haters and Freddie obviously came to the conclusion, in its wake, that interviews in future would be both superfluous (he was popular enough) and detrimental.

The curtain, velvet naturally, closed.

Roger Taylor, a little wary, a little weary, sits stiffly in an armchair. The juggernauts rattling the Chelsea Street outside create a sonorous buzz bomb hum in the room.

You expect a member of Queen to look elegant. In fact Roger is only wearing a wine colour mohair jacket, black shirt and blue jeans.

He apologises for being a little late and explains how he went to the wrong address. Roger seems to be the only member of Queen left who is prepared, albeit rarely, to open his mouth in the presence of a hack. A question springs to mind . . . why?

“We all sat around a table before I flew over from Munich to discuss the press situation and we agreed I should be the one to represent the band. Freddie is very uncompromising and refuses to have much to do with journalists.

“Obviously, he’s had a few raw deals with them in the past,” observes Taylor.

Roger himself has a rather low view of the music press.

“Most of it is rubbish. There was something I liked recently, a piece on Malcolm McLaren, but in the main I think I’m the only one of Queen to actually read the music papers.”

Why does he think the band are systemically slagged?

“I think it’s because Queen have always come across as being a rather confident band. We seemed, to other people at least, to be very sure of ourselves. I think the press may have misconstrued the confidence, mistaking it for a form of arrogance. Hence they became wary of our motives which bred a dislike for our music.”

Now that’s what I call a neat conclusion.

At the risk of being sent to Coventry by my colleagues I’d like, if I may, to come clean. I love Queen (you’re fired, Ed).

I think it all began with a simple pre-packed but indisposable line – “Dynamite with a laser beam” and has continued uninterrupted (despite the occasional flaw) right through to ‘Queen Live Killers’.

A combination of reasons, Freddie Mercury’s lascivious lisp – the most attractive intonation known to man . . . Brian May’s reel ‘em off rococo riffs that would, in his capable hands, transform the theme music for ‘Waggoners’ Walk’ into a meisterwork . . . John Deacon’s almost stoic stance, incongruous yet integral . . . Roger Taylor’s intense power, so unexpected from one so slight . . . the ability to go over the top without failing into the trap of caricature . . . a desire to give the punters what they want without pandering . . . that cast iron confidence . . . those nine glorious winter weeks of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ which kept the cold away from my soul . . .

Yes, I love Queen.

Roger explains the story behind ‘Killers’ which features just about every Queen classic which ever found its way into a silk lined memory bank.

“We always knew that one day we would make a live album. I think it was well planned. About 90 per cent of our last European tour was recorded on a mobile unit and we then spent weeks sitting through the songs in the studio.

“The result is a 100 per cent LIVE album. Nothing has been touched up in the process of selection, I think that’s pretty rare these days. Many ‘live’ albums are tampered with.”

The choice of single is unusual – ‘Love Of My Life’. “It’s not so unusual when you hear the way it came out. The song seems to have such a wide appeal. Everywhere we go the reaction to it is the same. The audience are just bursting to sing along.”

The result is Queen’s best single since ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ (that was their LAST one crawler, ED)

As I mentioned earlier the band are currently residing in Munich where they are “experimenting” in the studio.

“We are recording in a totally different way for us,” says Roger who speaks with a delicate London accent only typical of cockneys with dramatic training and David Essex.

“Every time we entered a studio in the past we had a good idea of what we were going to do. This time we started from scratch and the result is amazing. The music is nothing like anything we��ve done before, I guess you could say it’s much simpler.”

And this novel approach to their music also extends to their shows. On their next British tour – in the late Autumn – the band will be playing much smaller venues than they are accustomed to.

“In London for example we went to play to audiences of about two or three thousand in different areas. I think it’s much fairer to the fans.”

But won’t this affect their stage show which is after all a crucial factor for any powerpomp outfit?

“Not really. We will just scale down the show accordingly. Besides,” he says taking another bite out of the biscuit, “we haven’t used dry ice in years.”

The monkey on Queen’s back, as corpulent and cantankerous as ever, has been put there by those who firmly believe the band can never emulate past achievements. Roger is cognizant of its presence but refuses to unpeel its bananas.

“That all began after ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’. When it stayed at number one all those weeks we were kindly informed that we would never be able to make another single to rival it both artistically and from the point of view of sales.

“Yet ‘We Are The Champions’ sold a great deal more and has since become the biggest selling single in the entire history of Elektra Asylum – our label in the States.

“We don’t do the amazingly complex things any more because we’ve moved on from that. We concentrate on the music we are doing now and we intend to do it the best we can, it’s ridiculous looking behind and and what you’ve done.

“There’s nothing like going back on the road to re-unite the bond between the four personalities and strengthening our belief in the band. We are a real working unit and, in my experience of the music business, one of the most democratic bands around today.”

A statement like that cries out to be expounded.

“People think every member of all the bands, not naming any names, are treated equally that is get the same money as their colleagues. That’s rubbish. In many bands there are a couple of guys that get all the money. The rest are on wages. Queen share the profits equally.”

And they don’t have a manager taking his cut either, John Reid departed a couple of years back and now the band themselves make all the major policy decisions. Why did they decide to dispense with the services of a manager?

“Basically because we were fed up with giving other people money. Y’know it never ceases to amaze me how naive those guys are in bands who have just had their first hit. After all this time I’ve forgotten just how naive we must have been at the beginning.

“I mean, everything seems so great when you get into the charts for the first time. You’re living on cloud nine and nothing else matters. But in truth that hit means absolutely nothing. So few people achieve any amount of financial success in this business.

“Oh, you think, you’re really living . . . for a while. Somebody gets you a flat in Chelsea and it’s all free. But one day the rent stops being paid for you and you realise you’re skint.

“Since John Reid has gone the four of us have always made a point of discussing everything together. We have various people working for us but all the important decisions are made by us alone. That way we get freedom of choice – and financial independence.”

My attention is suddenly diverted.

“FORTY-LOVE!” Wimbledon, the Persil White opiate for the hoi polloi squashed in a strawberry crush wrings out its perspiring petticoats on the TV in the next room.  Roger’s girlfriend, an extremely attractive French girl called Dominique, is engrossed. The couple have lived together for two years. Crippled old marriage questions permeate the air.

“I don’t believe in marriage,” says Roger. “It’s simply a contract and the fewer contracts I enter into the better. If you get on well with someone then there isn’t any harm in living with that person – but marriage is something else again.”

They live in a six bedroomed Victorian house just outside London, which is set in 20 acres. Roger has a “tiny” town house in Barnes as well. What’s it like having a bank full of money at the age of 29?

“I don’t hide away from life. Queen have never been one of those ‘being grabbed in the street’ type bands. It may happen when the four of us are together – but when we are out alone we are seldom bothered. That gives me the opportunity to enjoy myself. I go to clubs a lot. I like having a good time. I don’t think you could describe any of the band as leading sheltered lives.

“But I have completely lost touch with how much things cost. When you find yourself living in hotels for so long you never really deal in money as such. Everything is available whenever you want it – but you never see the cash actually being handed over.

“I’ve forgotten what it was like to be penniless which Queen were for years. I guess that must happen to many successful rock bands.”

Another thing that happens to many successful rock bands – they quit the country. But not Queen it appears.

“We have always based ourselves in England and I see no reason why we shouldn’t continue to do so. We could leave at any time but we choose to stay. People believe we are tax exiles because we spend a lot of the time out of the country recording in studios all over Europe and touring.”

And what will happen when the band finally trudge wearily down the road leading to that  ivory strewn elephants’ graveyard . . . ?

“I know it’s bound to happen one day. I suppose I’d take a long, long holiday . . . and then make a solo album.”

[freddiemercurydaily]

20 May 1977, ‘The Queen EP’ is released in the UK; ‘Death On Two Legs (Dedicated to...)’ is on the A side, accompanied with ‘Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy’“You suck my blood like a leech, You break the law and you preach” Freddie Mercury’s mean ‘hate’ letter:Queen’s legal troubles in the latter part of 1974 and most of 1975 were well publicized at the time. Despite their successes, the hit records, the tours, the band was virtually broke as they received hardly any of the money from their previous albums as Trident Studios placed them on a 60 pound per week wage, unbelievable. 

 The band signed a publishing contract with Trident Studios who then sold their records to a record company.  Brian May recalled in a documentary that “it was the worst decision they ever made.” Queen were making hits and not reaping the rewards while their management team were riding in expensive cars and wearing fur coats.  It was so bad that Roger was told to not drum so hard as they couldn’t afford to purchase new drum sticks.  Trident also denied John Deacon an advance for a deposit on a new home he wanted to purchase.  The band said as they were preparing to record ‘A Night At The Opera,’ they were on the verge of bankruptcy. With their next manager on board, John Reid, he spent a lot of his initial time working with the band clearing up their finances and resolving the bad deals they had gotten themselves into. He told them to go and make the best album they could and he’d deal with the financials.Freddie was so angry,  he wrote this scathing song! “Now then...’Death on Two Legs’ was the most vindictive lyric I ever wrote.  It was so vindictive that Brian felt bad singing backing vocals on it.  No-one would ever believe how much hate and venom went into the singing of that song, let alone the lyrics themselves.  Just listen to the words carefully, kiddies.  It’s a nasty little number which brings out my evil streak.  I don’t usually like to explain what I was thinking when I wrote that song, but it’s about a nasty old man that I used to know.  The words came easy to me.  I decided that if I wanted to stress something strongly, like that, I might as well go to the whole hog and not compromise.  I had a tough time trying to get the lyrics across.  I wanted to make them as course as possible.  My throat was bleeding - the whole bit.  I was changing lyrics every day trying to get it as vicious as possible.  When the others first heard it, they were in a state of shock.  When I was describing it, they went, “Oh yeah!” but then they saw the words, they were frightened by it.  But for me the step has been taken and I was completely engrossed in it, swimming in it.  I was a demon for a few days... the song has made its mark!”Freddie Mercury In His Own WordsAlthough, the song makes no direct reference to Norman Sheffield, he sued both the band and the record label for defamation. This resulted in an out-of-court settlement, with a £100,000 severance and one percent royalties on Queen’s subsequent six albums. Mercury said that his lawyer had cautioned him against discussing the lyrics, but that it was written from a “very emotional” place for which he felt music was the best outlet.  Don’t cross Freddie “I did see Freddie once, in the years following our fallout, in 1986, when I took the family to their Knebworth concert. He was friendly, as if the rows of the past were forgotten. It turned out to be their last live concert, which meant I was at their first and last.Years later, after his death, I went to the Freddie Mercury Memorial Concert at Wembley, where I saw the three remaining members being photographed.John Deacon pointed at me and said: ‘And if it hadn’t been for that man we wouldn’t be here.’Brian and Roger looked at me and nodded. That gesture went a long way towards exorcising the ghosts of the past.”Norman Sheffield (1939 - 2014)‘Life On Two Legs’Here’s a clip  https://youtu.be/kqVpk0qxmfA

[allandoflimbo]

Take It Back (Chapter 1)

Summary: About five years ago, a one night stand with Y/N tore Bucky’s life apart. It was also the night before his wedding. Now he’s married to her sister and she needs a place to stay.

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader / Steve Rogers x Female Reader (briefly)

Warning: This story has a lot; Cheating, heavy angst, drama, lovers to enemies, enemies to lovers, unplanned pregnancy, contracted marriages, pinning, very strong language, minor character death, abuse of power, refrences to depression, betrayal, love triangle, PTSD, and heavy SMUT. 

A/N: Most of this is already written on my other link. I personally didn’t want to upload it to Tumblr just because I’m not good at managing two platforms at once. But after getting several messages, I’ve decided to upload it here. Someone pointed out to me that not everyone reads stories on AO3 so I should try take advantage of the opportunity to put it somewhere where more people could read it! I’ll be updating this Masterlist daily (2 to 3 chapters a day) since most of it is already written. That is all I will do in a day since most of the chapters are very long.

[Prologue] Chapter word count:  1640

MAIN MASTERPAGE - FULL STORY |

Bucky Barnes was humming Bohemian Rhapsody while he reached his arm out to grab a carton of milk from the fridge. His left hand wore his golden ring, like five thousand pounds of disruptive vindication.

The hand barely wrapped its way around the jug handle when a familiar voice made him yelp, causing him to bang his head on the top shelving of the refrigerator.

He was sure his wife had gone to the office early that morning, like she usually did, to catch up on some paperwork that remained to be due at the end of the month; he recognized that she wouldn't pass up the opportunity at an opening for another promotion.

Naturally, he figured he'd spend his morning alone, so it was no surprise that a second voice in the quiet space caused him to jump about with one foot into the air, his heart beating at nearly one hundred beats per second.

A soft and feminine chuckle echoed through the large and open kitchen.

A deep groan left his lips as he rubbed the sore spot on the back of his head, the flesh there, hot to the touch.

Shamefully, he spun around to see Ashlyn leaning on the kitchen island, a small smile playing on her pretty rosy lips.

His eyebrows furrowed together.

"I thought you were gone," he mumbled.

She eyed him up and down with a smirk on her face.

"Yeah, about that, change of plans."

Bucky stretched out his right arm as he used his left hand to roll the sleeve of his tight white dress shirt up to his elbow, which still held a lingering tan from the summertime.

Walking up to the counter, he does the same thing with his other arm, switching the milk from hand to hand as he does so.

Ashlyn's smile dropped slightly, and Bucky raised a brow, noticing her changed worried demeanor.

Slowly, he sat the cold milk down next to his white bowl and then crossed his arms - leaning forward on the cold counter. 

Not allowing his eyes to drift away from hers, he moved in until their faces were inches apart, and he watched her intently.

She averted her gaze, looking everywhere, except for at him.

"What's going on?" He demanded, voice dripping with concern.

Ashlyn bit her bottom lip.

He peered down at her finger, drawing his attention as it traced an invisible drawing onto the marble countertop. Her gel nails were rosy pink, a ring fairly similar to his on her left hand.

"You know my sister, Y/N?" After a moment of hesitation, she spared a glance up at Bucky.

The millisecond your name rolled off her tongue, it's like a butcher knife was jammed into his lower chest, very slowly dragging its way up to his throat.

There could be a multitude of reasons why Ashlyn would bring you up, but the one he feared the most, he quickly opted out because she hadn't killed him yet. 

The thought, the fucking reminder of that day, of you, made everything different again. Things hadn't been different in five years, and they weren't supposed to be, not now.

Especially not now.

To say he was distraught by his wife's question was an understatement. He was unquestionably moments away from cardiac arrest or, at the least, some form of mental breakdown. He hated you. He took secret therapy sessions for the first few months of his marriage because of you.

Ashlyn knew the two of you didn't get along; she just never knew why. It was weird because the first year and a half that she'd dated Bucky, you'd both gotten along exceptionally well.

Actually, looking back, you were categorically best friends. But then one day, he was avoiding your name in every conversation, settling for the titles of her, she, or your sister.

Whenever anyone brought you up, he would subtly change the topic at hand. He even wanted to have thanksgiving with just his family instead of with yours. Ashlyn had considered asking you what happened that made Bucky completely detest you, but she was afraid for some reason.

She didn't know why.

She eventually decided not to delve into it any further and made sure you were both never in the same room together.

But your call changed everything.

You had called her two days ago, crying your eyes out and begging to stay with her for a bit, until everything was "okay again". Ashlyn figured it had to be severe if you were willing to stay in the same home as the man who couldn't stand you. So, of course, she said yes.

Plus, you were her little sister.

"Yeah... I know Y/N." His tone was hesitant and uncertain. It was apparent he did not want to know what he was about to.

"Well," Ashlyn started, hoping she wasn't making a big mistake. She brought her slightly trembling hands to her mouth and took a deep breath. There was something in her husband's eyes as he waited for her to speak; she couldn't tell what it was. "Some things went wrong, back home, and she doesn't have a place to live."

"No," He snarled.

He didn't even let her finish, his head snapping away from her, his that one word hanging between them.

She knew getting him to agree to her request wouldn't be easy, but now the slightly tricky part was over.

Now the begging commenced.

"Babe, come on. It'll only be for a bit."

His mind was running on horsepower now. He began spewing out excuses and any bullshit he could think of, anything to turn Ashlyn against her stupid idea.

Memories flashed in his mind, awful tear-jerking memories. Memories of your voice, your skin, and the way your hips moved against his. Red clouded his vision.

His words spewed out.

"I don't trust her, Ashlyn."

His eyes were blurry as he scanned his and Ashlyn's massive living room. The high ceilings only made the whites of the walls more glorious, and the charcoal wood floors stretched from the open kitchen into the living room, creating an inviting but also sophisticated space.

His eyes panned over to the floor-to-ceiling windows that lined the entire south side of the apartment. The extravagance of it all, that must be why you wanted to move in.

His voice raised a few octaves as your possible motives dawned on him.

"So, all of a sudden, after we just moved into our new penthouse, she wants to move in here too?" He puts air quotes around 'all of a sudden' for emphasis, an angry snarl taking over his features. "It's so obvious what her intentions are, babe. I don't know how you're falling for this."

Ashlyn's face fell, voice smaller somehow.

"I highly doubt that's why." She says.

Bucky rolled his eyes dramatically and dropped his arms to his sides.

"You're my wife. I love you. But she's my sister-in-law that I refuse to remember exists. Did you forget that?"

She was the angry one now as she stood taller on her feet.

"Look. I'll never understand why you hate each other the way you do. But it would be best if you got the hell over it, Bucky. She's my baby sister, and she has nowhere to live."

Bucky breathed harshly, silently contemplating her words. Nervously, he ran a hand through his hair. An overwhelming amount of emotions had hit him the moment Ashlyn said your name; when she had followed that with the idea of you moving in, panic began to set in. Now, with every passing second, the feelings were building, and he could no longer control it.

He gazed over at the living room, the piano, the stairs, the elevator, and the foyer one more time. 

You were going to be there.

You were supposed to stay in the past. 

There was no way there weren't other motives behind your coming to stay with them; you always had an ulterior motive. There were a million possibilities of what you could be up to, the thought making his fury swell, leaving the pit of his stomach in knots.

Ashlyn noticed how Bucky was turning an odd shade of red; she began to grow worried.

She walked around the counter and took Bucky's face in her hands. She lures his eyes away from the home decor, and then finally, he stared down at her.

He let a decadent breath escape his lips, and he leaned his forehead against hers. Ashlyn allowed the calm to overtake her, too, lowering her voice to just above a whisper.

"Bucky, it'll be fine. It won't even be for long, only until she finds a place to resettle."

She ran a tentative thumb across the top of his cheekbones.

He itched his forehead, a nervous tick of his, his tongue clicking in annoyance soon after.

"Does she at least have a job?"

He figured, if you had somewhere to be, that'd mean less chance of seeing you for most of the day. And surely you would make enough money to find a place of your own, sooner rather than later.

"She's going to start looking at soon as she gets here."

Bucky growled lowly as he looked at his milk and bowl, appetite swiftly vanishing.

A raging fire ignited in his gut.

"She better not think I'm going to give her one."  

After a beat, he demanded to know how much time he had to collect his thoughts, to control his emotions. He was afraid he didn't have enough.

”When does your sister get here? I'm assuming you told her yes before you even asked me."

Ashlyn didn't take offense to his tone because he was right.

"She'll be here tonight."

Bucky let her words marinate for a couple of seconds and then nodded, his reluctant concession causing a small smile to form on Ashlyn's face.

She stepped forward and kissed Bucky on his forehead before announcing that she would step out to run some errands and then catch up on work later that night.

By the time she was halfway to the elevator, he was already leaning on his arms over the sink. He closed his eyes and tried to control his breathing. 

He hadn't seen you since the night before his wedding day, five years ago.

All those emotions he had been harboring down for years suddenly came rushing back, in the form of bile rising in his throat. 

He swallowed it down, thickly.

"Also, I haven't told her about the baby yet. So, try not to mention it for a couple of days." Ashlyn called back.

The elevator dinged, and then she was gone.

 Part 2

[lunarr-rrose]

What is the Deal with Property Insurance?

https://u109893.h.reiblackbook.com/generic11/the-storage-stud/what-is-the-deal-with-property-insurance/

Crum-Halsted is a full service insurance and risk management agency headquartered in Sycamore, IL with six offices in Illinois providing outstanding service, security, and peace of mind for businesses, families, and individuals for over 90 years.

Greg Jones is the Vice President of the Chicago Real Estate Council and Director with the Rogers Park Builders Group as well as a Deacon at Christ Community Church in Lemont. When not working, he enjoys watching the cubs with a good cigar and a great whiskey in hand, playing poker, and riding motorcycles.

https://crumhalsted.com/

Fernando O. Angelucci is the Founder and President of Titan Wealth Group. He also leads the firm’s finance and acquisitions departments. Fernando Angelucci and Steven Wear founded Titan Wealth Group in 2015, and under his leadership, the firm’s revenue has grown over 100% year over year. Today,

Find out more at

https://www.thestoragestud.com

https://titanwealthgroup.com/

Listen to our Podcast: https://thestoragestud.podbean.com/e/what-is-the-deal-with-property-insurance/

Titan Wealth Group operates nationwide sourcing off market investment properties for Titan Wealth Group’s acquisition as well as servicing a network of thousands of active real estate investors world wide. Prior to founding Titan Wealth Group, Fernando worked for Dow Chemical, a Fortune 50 company, rolling out a flagship product estimated to gross $1B in global revenues.

With an engineering background, Fernando is able to approach real estate investing with a keen analytical mindset that allows Titan Wealth Group to identify opportunities and project accurate pictures of future performance. Fernando graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a B.A. degree in Technical Systems Management.

Titan Wealth Group was founded in 2015 with the vision of gathering individual investors that have the means to invest but lack either the time to find high-yield investment opportunities or the access to these off-market deals. All too often, founders Fernando Angelucci & Steven Wear came across investors who had deployed their capital only to regret the lack of consistency or degree of returns their investments were producing. In response, Titan Wealth Group provides access to highly-vetted real estate secured investments and off-market acquisition opportunities primarily in the Greater Chicago MSA. Today, Titan Wealth Group not only assists individual investors but has grown to support the acquisition goals and capital deployment of investment groups, private equity firms, and real estate investment trusts (REITs).

As a facilitator of wealth growth, Titan Wealth Group believes that success is not limited to the sum of our efforts and is infinite with what can be accomplished through partnership.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Fernando Angelucci (00:16): Hey everybody, welcome back. We're doing a special Thanksgiving podcast here today. So on this episode of What's The Deal, the real estate podcast that gives answers, we'll be covering What's The Deal with Property I nsurance. Real estate is one of the few investment vehicles that you can purchase in property insurance for, you now, yay for hard assets. So joining me today to provide some coverage on the topic of Property Insurance is my good friend and colleague Greg Jones. So how are we doing Greg?

Greg Jones (00:51): Good. How about you, Fernando?

Fernando Angelucci (00:53): Doing good. I'm doing good. It's 72, 73 degrees outside in California. I'm glad I'm not in Chicago at the moment.

Greg Jones (01:01): It's not quite that nice here right now.

Fernando Angelucci (01:06): Okay. So Greg, on this podcast, we have all types of listeners from super professional, you know, multi million dollar portfolio, all the way to the new investor or someone that is trying to become a new investor. So let's back up a little bit and, you know, explain who you are and what you do.

Greg Jones (01:26): Got it. So my name is Greg Jones. I am a risk advisor with Crum Halstead Agency. So I work with real estate companies and developers as well as contractors around consulting around risk and placement of insurance.

Fernando Angelucci (01:42): How'd you get into the business?

Greg Jones (01:45): I was introduced to a guy that owned an agency shoot, this is probably almost 10 years ago now. Right place, right time. I grew up in a background of construction, both my dad and my brother owned construction companies. Had friends that were in real estate, didn't want to do construction for a living. So I figured I would give insurance a try and it ended up being a really good fit.

Fernando Angelucci (02:10): Oh, okay. I didn't know that about you.

Greg Jones (02:13): Yeah.

Fernando Angelucci (02:14): Figured it would come up in one of those late night poker games.

Greg Jones (02:17): Yeah, exactly.

Fernando Angelucci (02:20): Okay. So for people that don't know what is Property Insurance and what does a risk advisor do?

Greg Jones (02:31): So property insurance is realistically, it's a like a contract. So the owner of the property has a contract in place with an insurance company, say whether that's a Travelers or a Hartford or whoever the carrier might be. And in that contract, it will lay out in the event of a claim. Here's what the insurance company is going to pay out. And that covers both damage to the property as well as if there's an injury to someone at the property. So the contract States, what the limits are, what the causes of that claim are covered versus certain kinds of causes of claim might not be covered, unless you buy that or purchase it as an add-on, a good example of that is earthquake coverage. Earthquake isn't automatically included, but you can purchase it as an additional coverage line item, but it's all built into a contract that lasts for 12 months between the owner and the insurance company.

Fernando Angelucci (03:28): Okay. And then with those types of con, let's bring it into reality with some examples. So say I'm a new investor. I'm going to be buying a four flat property in Chicago. I'm going to live in one unit myself, rent out the other three units, let's say each units, 1200 square feet and the buildings' a hundred years old, what am I looking at for coverage? Or what should I be looking at for coverage? Where are the premiums going to fall? And what are some things that I should be paying attention to or looking for in those contracts?

Greg Jones (04:04): Right. So the first question you have to answer, especially because you're living in one of those units, is how are you going to cover the property? You could cover it on a personal insurance policy, or you could cover it on a commercial policy because it's four units, that's the breaking point. You could cover it either way. After you get to five units, it's always considered a commercial policy.

Fernando Angelucci (04:27): Okay.

Greg Jones (04:27): If you go the route of commercial, which is typically what I recommend the coverage form is a little bit broader in what it will cover you for. The downside is you have to treat yourself because you're living in one of those units as a tenant, you're a tenant within your own building. So your personal property as the resident, isn't going to be covered, but your asset, the building contents within the rental properties, those are covered under the contract.

Greg Jones (04:59): When you're looking at a four unit building, based on the square footage, there's typically a dollar amount that insurance carriers will look at in terms of we're want to cover this for what it will cost to replace it. If you have a catastrophic loss, right? Every carrier has their own algorithms they'll use for this, but typically it comes down to a dollar amount per square foot. The average we're seeing at least in Chicago right now, if it's joist and masonry or better is typically anywhere from 150 to $170 a square foot is what it would cost to completely rebuild. So we would look at what does that cost look like? Then you can set up whatever deductible structure you want. Deductibles go as low as, I mean, realistically, you can go as low as you use the $500. I never seen anybody go that low. Usually the average is, you know, 25 to 10,000 for a deductible. So then if you do have a loss, everything that it's covered under that contract is paid out minus the cost of your deductible.

Fernando Angelucci (06:00): Exactly. Now, one of the things that occurs quite often in Chicago is we have these pockets, these neighborhoods, where the cost of buy the property is significantly below the replacement value. For example you know, my partner, Steven?

Greg Jones (06:16): Yeah.

Fernando Angelucci (06:16): He has a property where, you know, it's 140 year old masonry and limestone building the cost to replace that type of building would be a 1.4, 1.3, 1.4 million, but he bought it for significantly lower than that in those types of situations, what do you recommend doing with the coverage amount with the policy?

Greg Jones (06:42): So it really comes down to as the building owner, what is your goal in the event of a claim, right? So you want to make sure you have enough coverage so that if there's a partial claim or a partial loss is what they call it. So let's say hale comes through and destroys the roof. It's not a total loss. You want to have enough to repair that roof.

Fernando Angelucci (07:03): Right.

Greg Jones (07:03): The question is, if you were to have a catastrophic loss, the building is completely destroyed or it's damaged so much that the city comes in and says, you have to take this building down. It's now a safety hazard, right? In that kind of scenario, what do you want to do? Do you want to rebuild something there? Or would you rather just take the money and go buy something else and sell the land after the debris has been removed, right?

Greg Jones (07:28): So the answer to that question really drives how we advise, typically in these situations, I find the investor really would rather just take the money and go buy something else because that coverage amount that you've got for that partial loss is more than enough to buy at least another building like it in that area, or maybe even more, right? So you get this dilemma of, I bought it for, you know, say 250,000, but it will cost me 1.5 million to rebuild it. Right? Insurance companies will allow you in some cases and it depends on the carrier, but they will allow you to do what's called a stated amount, or it's a, some carriers call it a loss limit. So, you as the building owner can say, this is how much I want to cover my building for. I recognize it's not enough to rebuild it, but I want to cover it. So let's use this building and as an example, you buy it for 250,000 let's say it's 1.5 to fully rebuild it. And you say, I only want to cover it for half a million dollars, half a million will cover any partial loss that happens. If it's a total loss, I'd rather just take the money and go buy something else. The rating for that is typically a little bit higher, but it still ends up coming out much less than it would be if you were to fully insure it for $1.5 million.

Fernando Angelucci (08:51): And when you say rating, what do you mean by that?

Greg Jones (08:54): So, the premium for insurance for property is driven by a rate. So whatever value is selected for that building. So let's say a million dollars for round number purposes. So you take that million dollars, divide it by a hundred and you multiply it by a rate, and that equals your premium. So let's say it's you're getting a 20 cent rate. So for a million dollar building divide it by 10, multiply it by 0.20, that's your property premium.

Fernando Angelucci (09:24): I see.

Greg Jones (09:24): Rates vary based on the asset type. So typically you'll see multi-family tends to be the highest rated asset class out there where retail is considered a little bit less hazardous, office and industrial tend to be considered the least risky. So you could have a building of the same square footage. Let's say you're at a 18 cent rate for apartment building, same size building would be a, what? 10 to 12 cent rate for retail. You might get as low as 8 to 10 cents on office or industrial, just depending on what the asset class is and where it's located.

Fernando Angelucci (10:06): Interesting. Now with, let's say someone in what situations would somebody opt for the full replacement cost is that if you have like a super custom property that, you know, you can't find anywhere else, or?

Greg Jones (10:20): If you have a super custom property, or if the idea is I like where I'm located, the land has significant value. Even if I was going to take the money, I would rebuild something here. I might not rebuild the same thing. So another way that you can do it is some carriers offer what's called Functional Replacement Cost. Right? I seen this particularly with real estate related to older church properties and some need, especially you think about Chicago land. There is all of these churches that were built in the 18 hundreds, the architectures' crazy. You're not going to rebuild one of those just like it stands right now. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (10:58): Right.

Greg Jones (10:59): But you look at, if we were to have a total loss, we would want to rebuild something, same purpose, but we're not going to rebuild it the same way. And so you can use, what's called a Functional Replacement Cost, where you'll estimate based on, if we had a loss, what would we rebuild? What would the square footage be? Same questions, but you're not basing on what's there, you're basing it on what you would build.

Fernando Angelucci (11:24): Right.That's interesting. With the property insurance business, there's a lot of moving parts and it's one of those vendors in the real estate space that usually a lot of the investors don't actually know what goes on behind, right behind the curtains here.

Greg Jones (11:43): Right.

Fernando Angelucci (11:43): Walk us through. When I talk to you, it almost seems like every person that works within your organization, It's almost running like it's their own little business with inside of the organization. Almost like you're not entrepreneur or entrepreneur, some people would say, what is the day in the life of a risk advisor look like, what are you doing on a day-to-day basis?

Greg Jones (12:04): So on a day-to-day basis my time is usually split in a few different categories, right? So there's the time that goes into just the day to day servicing of your existing clients, right? That's helping guide through the process of whether it's an acquisition, that's coming up a disposition, a refinance, there's always moving parts, particularly within real estate. Right? And so there's a lot of day to day servicing. I mean, the interactions with a real estate client versus let's say a manufacturer is completely different.

Fernando Angelucci (12:38): Right.

Greg Jones (12:38): Right. Just because of all those moving parts. So part of the time is spent with that servicing with myself and my team. There's another element of it, of I'm trying to connect with new people. So before we hit a, you know, pandemic that involved going to lots of events and networking and, you know, all that came to a screeching halt in March. So now it's been a lot more time on the phone working through marketing, trying to figure out different creative ways to connect with people, to bring in new clients. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (13:09): Right.

Greg Jones (13:10): And then once you open that opportunity and you're starting to work on a new client there's a lot of time that goes into underwriting. So if an investor says, Hey, we want you to look at our portfolio. There's a lot of detail that you work through with them to gather the right information. And then you're compiling that information and really painting a picture for your underwriters. So, I mean, people have asked me before, what's the difference between a good broker in a bad broker or a good adviser, bad advisors is it's really making sure that you're painting a picture for an underwriter to make that client look really good versus here's 12 locations, here's all the basic raw data, what's my rate? You know, if you actually go into more detail and explain, like here's what the company does, here's what their practices look like, here's what they require of tenants of vendors coming in and out of the space to do work. You can actually derive a much better result than just providing a spreadsheet asking for someone to get you a quote.

Fernando Angelucci (14:12): Interesting. So almost painting a picture of the whole business, not just that one property, you're looking for.

Greg Jones (14:18): Exactly.

Fernando Angelucci (14:18):

To quote on.

Greg Jones (14:19): Exactly.

Fernando Angelucci (14:20): Interesting. How about on the other side? So that's, you know, that's your prospect side, if you will, but how about the actual carriers that you match up with? How do you find these guys? How do you know if a deal is gonna be right for a certain carrier? Cause I know there's hundreds of insurance companies around.

Fernando Angelucci (14:38): Hundreds.

Fernando Angelucci (14:38): In Iowa and I saw every one of the buildings.

Greg Jones (14:42): We're all headquartered there.

Fernando Angelucci (14:42): Yeah.

Greg Jones (14:42): Well, maybe not all of them, but a lot. So yeah. Every, so every insurance company has a different appetite, right? So there is some time spent with those and what those underwriters figuring out what that appetite looks like. So some carriers will, every carrier will say they like real estate in some capacity. Right? But the question is what kind of real estate that you like. So back in the day is when carriers would stop by the office and, you know, have a catch-up meeting with us, you know, they would talk about their appetite, what they've been hitting on recently where they've seen success. And so the first question is always, what kind of real estate are you writing? So in some cases, it's, they really like office and industrial, some carriers really like apartments, few carriers, like every asset class, there are a few. And then I would say in today's market, it's even changing beyond what it has been historically, just because of the unknowns of, you know, what will come of the pandemic and particularly around office and retail and what that's gonna look like. So we've even seen carriers backing away from those asset classes where they historically have been of the most appetite.

Fernando Angelucci (15:55): Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. So for example, how many carriers do you work with if you had to guess?

Greg Jones (16:03): So in the real estate space, I would say we probably have 15 or 20 that really focus in on real estate that specialize in that. So the team that I came over with that help launch our Chicago office has really put a lot of emphasis into partnering with the right companies that work with real estate because real estate is our focus. And so, if there's a market we've come across, that we find is really competitive in the real estate space, we do what we can to get a contract with them. So there's very few markets that specialize in real estate that we don't work with.

Fernando Angelucci (16:36): Yeah. And it's funny, we've worked with each other in the past and you really know which carriers have an appetite for what type of assets. You know, we do some niche style assets, not only the single family, multifamily, but also the self storage buildings.

Greg Jones (16:51): Uh-huh.

Fernando Angelucci (16:51): And you've gotten quotes to me not only quickly, but usually beating out almost all the competition on the premium. And I think one of the things that really helped us, is the fact that you do have a really good ability to paint kind of that picture. Here's what the company's like. Now I have, I'm somebody that always believes that you should get insurance and, you know, plan for the worst, but hope for the best I have come across a lot of investors that do the opposite.

Fernando Angelucci (17:20): I survived.

Fernando Angelucci (17:20): And swear by real estate insurance is a scam and the carriers never pay out. So for you, what would you say? Why should a real estate investor have property insurance? And on top of that, why should they use a risk advisor or a broker as opposed to just contacting a company directly?

Greg Jones (17:43): Good question. So I would say, why should they have property insurance? The short and simple answer is in most cases, if there's a bank involved, it's going to be required.

Fernando Angelucci (17:54): Right.

Greg Jones (17:54): Where it's an option is where you actually own the asset a hundred percent. There's no lending requirements. You can choose whether you're going to insure the building or not. I've seen this particularly be the case when you've got developers who are buying, let's say a vacant property that they're going to repurpose, right? So usually they'll in a lot of cases, they'll buy it for cash or there won't be a bank involved if you will. So they have a choice whether they want to cover that building or not. The, I would say the reason you want to is because you want to have something that protects your investment, right? And it's not just the asset itself, especially when you're looking at development projects, you might purchase a building for, let's say a million dollars.

Greg Jones (18:43): You're going to put a couple of million into it, repurpose it. It's not just covering that initial million dollar investment. It's also looking at what is the potential income that you stand to lose if you lose that asset. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (18:58): Right.

Greg Jones (18:58): So insurance is, I mean, if you think about it, there's not a product out there where you can spend, let's say, I mean, I'm thinking back to one that I did for a client a while back bought a vacant building for it was like half a million dollars. Once he was done with the repurposing of it, he would have been into it for probably about 2.5. And the monetary return on this was going to be over half a million dollars a year. Once it was all done, the coverage of insurance was like $8,000, but we were covering the building for $2 million. Right? So you're spending eight in the event of a total loss. You're getting all of your investment back minus your deductible for 8K to protect an investment of significantly more. So, I mean, being someone that's fairly risk averse I would strongly recommend it.

Fernando Angelucci (19:59): Yeah. And so you're talking about the significant income that, that property would bring in. Is there some type of a rider that you can get for say, instead of it being a total loss, but say something happens where all of a sudden you lose your income generating potential from that building. Is there some type of like loss of rents protection or income protection that you can put on as a rider?

Greg Jones (20:20): So typically you'll have a loss of income or what's called business interruption coverage that's built in. So once you have a stabilized asset, it's generating rental income, you can cover that two ways. You can do it on a stated amount. So you're stating for every location that you have, this is what our annual income is. And if there's a claim, so let's say there was a fire at the building, right? The tenants have to relocate because you're doing all these repairs, it's going to take six months to do the repairs.

Fernando Angelucci (20:51): Yeah.

Greg Jones (20:51):The policy will pay out that loss rental income for those six months until you're back up and operational again. That's based on a stated amount, it functions the same way. A lot of companies prefer to do what's called actual losses sustained, which means you report what the rental income is, but you're not capped at that number. This is particularly important on portfolios where tenants change, right? You don't want to have to go back and report every single time. Well, this tenant moved out, this tenant, moved in. The rents went up a little bit, you know, and change that number all the time. So having actual losses sustained what they will do if there's a claim, they'll look at at the time of the claim, what was the rental income? And that's what they start paying until the repairs are done.

Fernando Angelucci (21:42): And I know we're skipping ahead here, but what are your recommendations on the two methods stated income versus actual? What do you prefer? What do you advise people to go with?

Greg Jones (21:54): Oh, I always prefer actual losses sustained. If you can get it just because it makes it very clean. So, I mean, a lot of times when you'll have an investor that's buying a new asset, they're typically inheriting tenants, right? They might be doing things to the building, providing more value, updates, all kinds of things. Right? And with that comes typically at lease renewal time adjustments in the lease. And if you have actual losses sustained, it doesn't matter what those adjustments are. You can have a unit that's going forward $2,000 a month. You put a lot of value into it, updates, improvements. You're going to increase that from, you know, $2,000 a month to 2,500 a month or whatever the case might be. You don't have to go back and report it every single time. So you don't want to have a cap on what could be paid out for lost income. Actual losses sustained is a much cleaner way to do it.

Fernando Angelucci (22:49): Gotcha. So what are some of the decisions that an investor or someone would be faced with when choosing insurance, what should they be looking out for? What are the things that you're recommending they look for, or pushing them or nudging them towards getting, if it's additional riders, if it's certain types of policies, kind of walk us through that.

Greg Jones (23:13): So there's a few things that I always look for. First time I see a policy. So one of those things is co-insurance which is a very confusing thing for most investors, co-insurance has to do with how much you're going to cover your building for. So the average investor will always cover their building for replacement costs. Typically that's the most standard way to do it. So let's say you have a building that's valued at a million dollars at replacement cost. Co-insurance allows you to insure it for a little less than that. So typically you'll see either 80% or 90%, but if you go below that, there's, what's called a co-insurance penalty, which means, let's say the buildings' a million dollars in value. You have an 80% co-insurance clause in your policy. That means that you can be fully insured up to 80% of the value.

Greg Jones (24:08): So in this case it would be 800,000, right? If you are insured for less than that, and there's a claim, even if it's a partial claim, they will subtract a percentage off of what would have been your claim paid amount based on how far under that 80% you are. So let's say you're insured only to 60% value. Well, you're 20% below where you should have been any claim that gets paid out is going to be docked 20%.

Fernando Angelucci (24:38): I see.

Greg Jones (24:38):

So what we do is, we look at trying to put everything on what's called Agreed Amount, which waives co-insurance, which basically is stating, I mean, we've gone through the process to make sure we're insured adequately, right? But we don't want any risk of co-insurance or penalties. If there's, you know, evaluation difference between the time we wrote the policy and the time of claim happens. So we are going to the carrier is a green in their contract. They will pay out up to X, no questions asked if that is on agreed amount. So that's one of the big ones we look at. One of the overlooked coverages I think is sewer and drain backup. And it's oftentimes put at a very low limit, but if you've gone through claims before, water damage, and you're a lower level, that can cause a significant damage to repair.

Fernando Angelucci (25:31): 60 to $80,000 worth of damage. Greg Jones (25:34):

Exactly. So that's something that I always want to make sure is at a very good limit. That's included in the Chicago market the other one is ordinance and law coverage.

Fernando Angelucci (25:46): Yeah.

Greg Jones (25:46): So it's not automatically included, but it provides coverage for, let's say you have a catastrophic loss and you're dealing with a building that was built in 1912.

Fernando Angelucci (25:56): Right?

Greg Jones (25:56): It's been updated, but there's a lot of things that are grandfathered in, just because of the age of the building. When you reconstruct, you have to reconstruct according to 2020 building code.

Fernando Angelucci (26:09):

Right.

Greg Jones (26:10): And that's an additional expense that is not automatically covered. So making sure that you have those kinds of things. So we, I really focus on trying to get into the weeds on this kind of thing, to make sure you know exactly what it is you're purchasing, and that it's actually protecting your asset, right? Because there's nothing worse than you go out and you purchase a policy from your broker, you have a claim. And then in that process, something's not covered. And you're like, well, I paid for this policy. Why is this not covered? It's like, well, this wasn't included, or this was sub limited. So only a certain amount of it gets paid and you're left spending money out of pocket. The last thing you want is to spend money out of pocket after you've had a claim, and you're already dealing with that headache.

Fernando Angelucci (27:00): Right. How would you advise someone choose the right coverage for their building in a word? It seems like property insurance is kind of like this pull lever here lose a little bit on the other side, pull lever on the other side, loses a little bit here. Usually it's with premium or with, which coverage amount, you're talking about things that are, let's call them named coverages versus unnamed.

Greg Jones (27:26): Right.

Fernando Angelucci (27:26): You know, issues. So what would you advise for someone and how they should approach choosing the right coverage?

Greg Jones (27:35): So typically the way I've always approached it is, I want to lay every option out there. That's on the table, right? These are the coverages that are available. Here's the tiers at which you can get these coverages. Right? So think about sewer and drain backup. For example, I can show you if you want 25,000 of coverage, it's going to cost of this. If you want 50, it's going to cause this, if you want 250, it's gonna cost that. Right? And then based on the size of the building what's your lower level construction type, right? Is it all block and stone? Okay. You probably don't need as much as then you're looking at, you know, fixtures and things like that versus yeah. We have a frame drywall, carpeted, you know, lower level, right?

Fernando Angelucci (28:19): Yeah.

Greg Jones (28:19): That's gonna sustain a lot more damage. So there's a lot of consulting around, based on what you have. This is what's recommended, but here are all the options. And so you lay that out on the table, make a recommendation but at the end of the day, it's up to that investor to choose what they want to proceed with.

Fernando Angelucci (28:37): Okay. What is the most common mistake or mistakes you see real estate investors make when it comes to property insurance?

Greg Jones (28:46): I would say the most common mistake I see is that the first thing they do is they look at what the premium is and they make the decision based on the premium without actually diving into all of those little ancillary coverages. Right? So they'll look at what the premium is and how much is the building covered for, they won't look at things like co-insurance, they won't look at is there any limitation on what my business interruption coverages, is equipment breakdown included all of those little things that if there's a claim will have a big impact. They're just looking at my billings cover for a million dollars and it costs this much. That's the least expensive one. Let's go with that. Or also looking at, what carrier are you partnering with? How does that carrier respond? If there's a claim. Or they carry that really will push back and try to find any possible way, not pay a claim or do they have a good track record of really working with their insurance, right?

Fernando Angelucci (29:47): How do you find that information?

Greg Jones (29:50): So that's where I think working with a adviser comes into play, especially one that's ingrained in the industry by the industry. I mean the real estate industry. So someone who's worked with multiple carriers has been able to see claims walked out from multiple carriers, and be able to say, I've seen experience with this carrier, They're all willing to offer you terms. Here's the pros and cons of each one and what I think their strong suits are.

Fernando Angelucci (30:19): Gotcha. How about on the flip side, what are some of the common mistakes you've seen risk advisors make?

Greg Jones (30:29): I would say the two that I see the most would be not going into full detail and doing the full underwriting themselves on the front end. So, like I said before, there's a lot of brokers out there. I mean, there's thousands of insurance brokers, right? I mean, you can go to anybody, you want to get insurance pretty much.

Fernando Angelucci (30:48): Right.

Greg Jones (30:50): But if they are not going into that full detail and figuring out all of the things on the front end before they start quoting something with a carrier. There's a lot of things that can get missed. Right? Not actually doing the legwork to make sure are we covering the building adequately, are we running the right reports to make sure that this asset will be fully protected up to the investment level that the investor has, right? Are we including the right coverages?

Greg Jones (31:20): Are we asking for the right endorsements or add-ons right. I would say that's probably the biggest mistake because that's where you find they rush through the process, they get a quote, something happens and then there's an item that wasn't covered, and then it's up to that broker to make that right. So I would say that's probably the biggest mistake I've seen. The other is just not actually, like I was talking about before painting that picture with an underwriter, the difference that you can get for a client through that is huge. It's really, that's a way to create value for an investor when you do it that way versus just spit balling out there to any carrier you can to get a quote. And it's also a way to potentially lose the client in the long run, because you're going to get the best pricing when you paint that picture, versus you're just marketing it out to everybody and taking a shotgun approach. It's very easy for somebody that really knows what they're doing to come in and create that value drive down that cost, and then you lose the client. So.

Fernando Angelucci (32:37): One of the things that I have seen is trying to do everything yourself, as opposed to building out a team to help you with that. And you've alluded to it multiple times that you have a team around you that helps you fill these duties. What does that look like? What does your team look like? And what are they responsible for each?

Greg Jones (33:00): So on the team is built out of there's multiple advisers in my firm multiple ones of us that focus in real estate. I think one of the real advantages is the way we've built out this office is we have professionals that are focused not only within real estate, but within various aspects of real estate. So you have guys that are really focused in the multifamily space. You have guys that are focused in commercial, meaning like office retail, industrial. You have others that are focused in condominium associations, right? So it creates a wealth of knowledge that you can pull from. So let's say you're working on something that's a little bit outside of your wheelhouse. You have that resource that you can bring in to make sure that nothing's getting missed through that process, right? There's expertise there. There's also a service team that handles a lot of the transactional pieces that happen within a real estate account. So when you're going through a refinance there's documentation that the lender needs to see based on what you have on your insurance policy, you know, evidence of coverage, et cetera. We have a team that one processes, those changes provides those certificates when they're needed, helps process the day-to-day things of those transactions that you're doing on the front end behind the scenes with the carrier, so that people like myself, the advisers can really interact more with their clients and do the consulting piece.

Fernando Angelucci (34:31): Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. So let's move back to say new investor, new real estate investors looking to get involved, just saw this podcast. What advice would you give them when they're looking to buy their first investment property or start their first project? Let's say maybe it's inside of a rental, It's a fix and flip property.

Greg Jones (34:57): Right. I would say as someone new that's getting into it, the, I think the most important thing you have to think about when it comes to insurance is partnering with the right broker, because a lot of people are generalists that'll say, sure, I write real estate. I also write restaurants and I write manufacturing and I'll write a trucking company and they're not ingrained into the industry. And there are, there are brokers that really specialize within an industry like myself, that's real estate. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (35:29): Right.

Greg Jones (35:30): As a new investor, there's a lot of education that comes with that first investment, that first project, even the first few. Right? And so being able to partner with someone that is part of the team with you, that can say, okay, based on what you're investing in, or the project that you're doing, these are all the things you want to consider. Right? You don't have to go with all of them, but at least you have the information and you can make an educated decision.

Fernando Angelucci (35:58): And then how about on the flip side, what advice would you give to somebody considering becoming a risk advisor or an insurance broker?

Greg Jones (36:07): I would say if you're going to become an insurance broker or an advisor. The most important thing I think you need to be able to do is specialize in an industry.

Fernando Angelucci (36:15): Okay.

Greg Jones (36:15): For the same purpose. Right? There's obviously a lot of change happening within the insurance industry, right? I mean, online rating systems are on the rise. I mean, think about your home and auto insurance. Right?

Fernando Angelucci (36:31): Right.

Greg Jones (36:32): You don't have to go through a broker to get home and auto insurance. You can go online, plug in your information, the quote will get spit right back out at you. It's turning it into very much of a commodity. Right? I think in the commercial space, there's still a lot of room to bring value to clients. Right? But the only way you bring value is if you can bring consulting and advice and you can't bring consulting and advice on 12 different industries, you have to really be able to understand how your client's business works and speak to that versus taking orders or reacting to what they're asking for when maybe what they're asking for isn't actually going to protect them the right way. And you want to be able to bring value. And that's the only way you can do it.

Fernando Angelucci (37:24): I always tell people, especially new investors for real estate investors, it's good to be a Jack of all trades and master of none. But then you surround yourself with investor or with advisors that are the opposite.

Fernando Angelucci (37:38): Exactly.

Fernando Angelucci (37:38): The advisors is a master of one thing, not a Jack of all trades.

Greg Jones (37:41): Right.

Fernando Angelucci (37:41): So, you know, I worked with you in the past. I know you, I know a lot of people that worked with you in the past, what can a real estate investor do to make themselves a good partner, a good client to you? So that is the interaction between the two is seamless. And you don't want to scream every time you see Fernando calling you on the phone.

Greg Jones (38:07):

Yeah. I would say communication is probably the biggest thing. Right? I was talking with a colleague about this a couple of years ago, and I was like, you can tell a difference between a client that views you as a vendor and a commodity. Versus a client that views you as an advisor and part of their team. Right? And the difference there is, they're bringing you into conversations about what the future looks like in advance. So I've got some clients that are really good at this, where we have quarterly meetings and we'll talk about this is what's in the pipeline. What do we need to be thinking about? Let's prepare for this in advance. They'll ask a lot of questions, and you particularly see this where if you've got an investor who's maybe changing their direction of their focus, right? So let's say I've talked to some groups recently where historically they've done a lot of work in the office and retail space.

Greg Jones (39:05): They want to launch a multifamily division. And so they'll say, okay, we're changing direction here. What do we need to be thinking about as we start looking at a different kind of investment versus what we've done in the past? With those kinds of conversations, the process is much smoother versus the I have a portfolio of office and retail and, Oh, by the way, I forgot to tell you, I'm closing at noon tomorrow on a 80 unit apartment building. I need you to get this added for me, which if there was no conversation on the front end, who knows if the carrier that you're with, you could even add that location to, or you have to go and get something from scratch and you're on a you're on a deadline to do it. So I would say the communication and just having open dialogue about what's going on within the company and asking questions and keeping that line of communication open is the best thing a client can do.

Fernando Angelucci (40:03): Yeah. I mean, that makes a lot of sense with almost any advise you work with. You've got to really make sure you're, you're communicating not only often, but well in advance of when you need things to be done by a certain deadline.

Greg Jones (40:20): Right.

Fernando Angelucci (40:20): So with that being said, how can, you know, how can people reach you and what should they know, or what should they prepare before trying to contact you or reaching out to you?

Greg Jones (40:34): So I can be reached my contact info I believe is on our website www.CrumHalstad.com. I also can be reached by phone, email. I don't know if you'll have that information up later, but that's typically the easiest way to get ahold of me phone and email. As far as what to have prepared, I mean, typically I like to start just by having a conversation with, what is it you're looking for? What do you have? What's the plan? One of the things that I've tried to do that's a little bit different with clients is not just looking at what your particular need is right now, but also like what's the next 12 months look like? Right. So I was a good example of this. I was talking with an investment group that so far all of their investments have been in Chicago. Right? But over the next 12 months, they're trying to start investing in multiple States. And so, having an overview conversation around what the plan is, is really helpful because you want to set a platform that a client can grow from. Right? So as far as what they have prepared, just have a conversation and then we can kind of direct from there, what information we need.

Fernando Angelucci (41:55): Yeah. That makes sense. Come prepared, that I know you like to get involved a little bit earlier in the process and what most investors will involve you in the process. Right?

Greg Jones (42:06): Correct.

Fernando Angelucci (42:06): How many let's say I got a closing on December 30th, when should I call you?

Greg Jones (42:13): I mean, I would say as far in advance as possible but.

Fernando Angelucci (42:18): Right as you to go into contract then?

Fernando Angelucci (42:19): Yeah right as you go into contract. So it really has to do with, it's not so much what our timeline is, really. It comes down to what the carrier's timeline is, right? Because when we get that phone call that says, you know, hey, I'm closing in four or five days, there are some carriers that could be really competitive in that space, but they can't turn it around that quickly. They, because they already have so many files on their desks that they're trying to work through. They're not going to jump on the last minute one that just came in and push everything else they've been working on to the side typically. So as much in advance as you can is great. That being said, there's always options. I mean, I've done it before where I get notification two days before we put something together, it doesn't allow us time to go out to all of the options. Right? But it still allows you to provide some, right?

Fernando Angelucci (43:14): Yeah.

Greg Jones (43:14): And then you talk at that point of, okay, so what's the strategy after we move forward with this, you know, do we try to remarket it down the road at next renewal? Start the process earlier, et cetera.

Fernando Angelucci (43:27): That makes sense. Alright Greg, I really appreciate you coming on. Thank you for giving us the scoop in on Property Insurance and Risk Advisers. Everyone that is watching, they'll have a link to your contact information below as well as the website there, if with whatever you'd like to provide.

Greg Jones (43:50): Awesome

Fernando Angelucci (43:51): And thanks again, everybody for tuning in to What's The Deal, the real estate podcast that gives you answers. If you have any questions or if you have certain topics you'd like us to cover, feel free to comment below, and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. And that is our Thanksgiving edition of What's The Deal. Hope everybody has a safe and happy holiday.

[stone-man-warrior]

February 25, 2021: 12:52 pm:

====================================================

The old “Stalking Order Trick”.

It never works.

It’s getting old though. This is the fourth time.

They do this when I report terrorism.

Instead of stopping the terrorism, instead of granting an interview to talk more about the terrorism, they send these two actors from Hollywood dressed in sheriff outfit, to hassle me, scare me, make me go into the controlled environment at the courthouse. Last time I was at the courthouse for this same terror scenario, Joe Satraini was portraying a Bailiff, attacked be with a sword in the courtroom, and was killed or injured in defense, then, I went home afterwords.

The reports of terrorism is answered with more terrorism, what you see there happened moments ago, the paper is still on the front porch, I did not open the door or invite the SAG terrorists into my home.

The one on the right looks remarkably similar to one of three men who claimed to be Secret Service, US Army, and FBI representatives who came to my home about this same time last year, I wrote about that, it’s on this account somewhere from the day it happened. I referred to them as “The Three Bozos” because they each had ID indicating that they indeed were from the agency’s mentioned, but were wearing casual street clothes. That one on the right looks like the “FBI” representative from that day, who was wearing a black leather or fake leather jacket that day. That one was dressed more “down town“ in the leather and slacks, while the other two Bozos were dressed for cutting some fire wood, in flannel and blue jeans.

That day one year ago, the NAMM Winter Music Industry Trade Show had just ended, or was under way, my assessment was that the three were musicians, disguised, came to kill me for my Medicare status to perpetuate my prescriptions with help from Paine Specialists of Southern Oregon in Medford.

So, that looks like the same guy there on the right, is dressed as Josephine County Sheriff Deputy today.

That other one on the left did all of the talking, said my neighbors went to the courthouse to file a “stalking order”.

Co-incidentally, my swollen leg with internal burning sensation is so bad today and yesterday that I can barely walk, I cannot feel my right foot, it’s as if it’s not there, except that my right foot feels frozen, is very painful, but like a club on the end of my leg ... hurts bad, is frozen cold, and when I try to walk it’s as if I have no foot to stand on sort of feeling from the poison gasses that the people who filed the stalking order have been poisoning me with by blowing the gasses into my home through the weep holes in the windows and cracks around the doors, forced through the weatherstripping they ruined years ago, and the gas is also blown through the laundry dryer vent, and condensation vent for the heating unit. and down the chimney with a long extension tube made of fiberglass folding tent supports.

The coincidence is that I am having trouble wearing socks to warm my foot, the sock is hindering the circulation, makes it feel colder, so, I tried a different sock. I put on one black sock, and one white sock on the other foot while trying to find one that will help warm up my frozen painful foot, but nothing is working.

I put the black sock on, and just a short time after having one black & white sock on my feet, the black & white shows up, within about an hour or two. There must be a camera inside my house for that to have happened, or, someone saw through the window that much about what I am wearing on my feet.

That is how terror is done, they will say my foot hurts because it was cold out when I was stalking the terror army in the neighborhood.

==========================================

3:53 pm:

This asshole right here:

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1364984502133657602

This fucking guy here:

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1365019986104836109

That one, on the left of the screen there:

https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1365032380705087488

It’s a symbolic snuff movie.

You need to watch the signer, there are two signer’s, one is the guy the signed the contract to kill me, and the other is the one who is using church gang signs to say there is a snuff movie online somewhere.

Savvy sleuths could find the web address where a series of live murders took place today, that’s my call on that Joe Biden terror snuff pay-per-view infomercial from the @POTUS Twitter account today.

Most likely at a “Voyeur” website where cameras are arranged in a house, and everyone thinks that the people who live there do that for free intentionally just for you to watch. Reality is that an advertisement from @POTUS can say when and where the web site for a live steaming snuff murder is to take place online. It all happens within a short time, the camera feed is changed from the actual location via blue tooth temporarily, and the snuff video feed is inserted into the Voyeur website, where no one is ever there anyway, is just a cat and dog running around in a recorded loop. Club members are invited to watch.

Hint: If the Twitter account says: “He/Him”; “She/Her”; “They/Them”; “We/Us” or one of a few other “Pronoun‘s” that are described better at Whitehouse.gov “Contact Us” web site, are all “Club Members” and know where and how the find access to the “Voyeur” URL’s. Don’t report terrorism to the White House, that is one of the most dangerous things a person could ever try to do.

Try 376 Jackpine Dr., 97526 for the source of today’s Presidential murder fetish and baby raping entertainment study.

The thing that makes all of that worse is that Joe Bides in only a place holder for Ann Wilson and Roger Waters, who are the people who are really running the activities of the White House and Congress, and it’s all done from a place called Kauai Ranch in the state of Hawaii.

There is no Joe Biden any more. The videos are all from his Vice Presidency time, edited by Hollywood movie professionals to fool you.

Below are some of the parts to the hit order commanded on Twitter yesterday to have those fake deputies come to do a snuff set-up. Maybe they were supposed to cart me over to Chartrand’s at 376, or to the usual torture center next to my house at 520 Jackpine. I may have fouled up that attempt when I showed that I had a camera.

There are still many other scenarios in place as mentioned in other entries on this account.

Yesterday, the Monroe terror cell saw that I was unable to walk to the mailbox because my leg is hurting so bad, that I was limping and the pain got worse as I walked towards the road, so I turned around and walked back home because of the affects of the constant poisoning the Monroe’s and others are subjecting me to. So, they saw I was injured, and am an easy to capture prey, and Twitter arranged the hit order as a result, having had Monroe’s confirmation that I am hurt bad, can‘t get to the mailbox, and am limping in pain.

This is the first parts of the hit order from yesterday.

Here, Paski’s shirt has a hole in the side. That is representative of me, the victim marked for take out. They have not decided how to do the hit yet, just the order to to a “Tiger Woods Hole in One w/Leg Injury on the back of a Grand Jury notice in the mailbox”

https://twitter.com/ABCPolitics/status/1364637337045590017

This is not well known in circles outside of Hollywood DC terrorism, but I know what that spiral staircase is, that is a “Mitt Romney & The Mormons at Red Rocks”, is the same as “Allah & The Virgins at the Hollywood Bowl” terror comm. That puts Mitt Romney’s signature on the hit at my house.

There is a lot talk about “The Saudi King” in today’s 2-25-2021 WH Press Briefing, and all of that is about Mitt Romney. There is way too much more to add here, I should not have to solve my own murder, I need an interview from US national security and some medical attention.

https://twitter.com/NatGeoTravel/status/1364590974400421891

This below means: “Old Knowledge came out of the China Hutch” means old Christian secrets are exposed, is specific to Heroin use and Heroin driven terror soldiers. Ultimately the “China needs to be hidden away, deleted” is what that is presented on Twitter for.

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1364762178079842306

This one is simple: “Stone Take Out”

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1364621187238793218

There is more I need to find, I am having trouble finding Psaki’s Wardrobe change yesterday where she took off the dress with the hole in it, and put on a black & white dress with a Chevron Print Design feature on the bust of the dress. That is when the means to do the hit at my house was decided to me a “Black & White Sheriff ‘Shove Ron’ Build Back Heart Attack, Better American Rescue Plan” (Ron Howard’s Master Class Signature went on the hit order at that time.)

There is much more, dozens of ingredients to the hit order with those two deputies as the set-up and potential carry out order operatives are available to find on Twitter over the past 24 hours, and, are also contained in Music Industry Promotional Email today from Kramer, Robert Keeley, Eastwood Guitars, Premier Guitar Magazine, Vintage King Audio, D’Angelico new York, AMS, and Zzounds Music, all of them have put a signature onto the Twitter Presidential command to kill me and take down this account, is all still active and ongoing.

I need to find the Psaki Wardrobe Change from yesterday to the black & white “Shovron Dress”, and add it here.

What are the odds that it’s still on Twitter? There were multiple tweets from a variety of major news networks, I think they have all been deleted because it’s too easy to see that it’s a “Shovron“, and Ron Howard does want to go to the gas chamber for Treason for having directed the World Trade Center Collapse in 2001, and, the others he was working with who directed and took part in the attack at the Pentagon that day, also don‘t want to face a firing squad in Texas for their participation in the treason, and Ron is going to sing like a little Twitter Bird, live, at 376 Jackpine on a voyeur channel, when the real police find him.

Ron‘s friends will do it for free, coming soon, to a war theater near you.

There is no where to go Ron.

Either the real police find you, and you get the gas chamber, or, your friends at the Pentagon find you, and they make it hurt at the One Hour Martinizer at 520 Jackpine.

That was a bad idea Opie.

=====================

Twitter, says, that FOX news says, that Mitt Romney says, that all of the GOP is signing the contract on the hit to kill me at my house:

https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1364533033806663684

This is all because I asked the White House to send some help. I informed of the mass murders, again, to the White House ... I think I have made about ten or twelve official reports to the White House  over the course of time since Gearge W. Bush was president, and have made at least two tries to reach each of the US Presidents since Bush, they sent confirmation of receipt. Obama sent a little bug that deleted the email receipt, and Joe Biden sent the exact same one, but I still have the receipt the White House sent, last time I looked. They all want to play stupid, as though they did not recieve any important news about US Takeover by a Canadian terror army the uses poison gasses to kill the US Citizens so the Canadians can replace the US citizens.

The reason for that, the reason that the WH won‘t send help is that everyone of the elected officials in DC and all of the State Governors were all “elected” by Canadians who are using the names of millions of murdered US Voters.

All of the US Government was elected by murderers, who are also impostors.

That is why there has been no help sent to stop the terrorism.

911 Emergency Phone Service is manned with Canadian terror soldiers and SAG actors who are waiting there to dispatch assassins to anyone who reports terrorism, murder, poison gas, etc.

Same at FBI.Tips.Gov. It’s manned with terror soldiers. When I make a report there, assassins come to my house to kill me.

I have made a dozen or so attempts to get help from FBI. I called a few times, and was attacked by state police who filled me with tasers. The taser guns have two darts, they used the two darts, then went back to the squad car to get another taser gun, and shot those two darts at me when I telephoned FBI.

I went to FBI in Medford in Person twenty years ago, that did not work for getting any help when the terror army was murdering the Fourth Graders at Manzanita Elementary School by taking the students on one-way feild trips, the buses returned without any kids on them.  I think I remember Celine Dion was on one of those buses to animal park in Eugene or Salem Oregon area.

no one will help.

The celebrity women are too pretty, and they serve the terrorism by distracting any real police that might do an investigation. no one is going to arrest Celine Dion, even if she is on the bus where no students returned from the field trip.

That is the kind of services that SAG can provide to the murders. As long as Antonio Bandaras and Vanna White are around, there will be no investigation, just a hotel room by the hour is all that will happen for entertaining federal investigators.

==========

5:38 pm:

This part here takes the Psaki involvment to Angela Merkles doorstep, then, it takes another step to D’Angelico Guitars of new york.

Today’s WH Press Brief included Psaki saying “There is a Range on the Table”. This Tweet says the range is between -24 and 18, is German, is nation wide, if think about what the tweet really is suggesting, nation wide is the message, German is the nation. The Range is on the table, that cannot be good. Go listen to Press Secretary Jen Psaki for yourself from today, that press brief was live as the sheriffs came to my house, they had a live view of what I was doing on my computer as I was arranging the photos, getting them from the hijacked Yahoo mail, and saving them after putting the Stone Man stamp on them. The people at the news brief commented about the label I used as I was doing that in Microsoft Paint and commented live in code of that, as it was not expected that I would put a water mark on my photos so Monroe can’t easily steal them to change the story.

https://twitter.com/bbcweather/status/1364595973717123077

Jen Psaki’s Wardrobe change videos that were available yesterday at the same time when she was also wearing that blue/purple dress with the hole in it are all purged in classic Google fashion.

The hole in the side of Paski’s dress means “Pay-Per-View”. The “ShoveRon” Black & White dress she changed into videos are all gone, not available to see on Twitter today.

The terror nieghbors are coninueing to release airborne poison gasses right now and all day. My symptoms are worsening.’

My vision was nearly perfect this morning, but now I can barely see, Monroe’s are still blowing the poison gasses into the ambient air and around my house.

Do your own math.

It’s no wonder why there are no reports of real terrorism anywhere other than on this Tumblr account, no one can survive unless they have the kind of knowledge that I do, that the nitrous gas is flammable, but this other gas that causes the circulation problems and rash, and leg swelling, I don’t think is flammable.

I suspect A-1 Exterminators on 7th Street in Grants Pass to be a source of the so called “Boutique Gasses” the terror army has developed, and also “Blue-Star Gas” on Pleasant Valley Road across from the Moose Lodge in Merlin Oregon located on the rail road track that comes by on Russell road.

That train has been running at odd hours, is way off the usual schedual, and has been nearly silent when it has been going by since the time I made the terror report to the White House and is likely the source of the poison gas I am experiencing the poor vision and leg circulation symptoms from. The train tracks are less than 1600 feet away from my house. They use gas tanker cars to release gas along the track, and they have special vehicles that can ride on train tracks, then ride on paved roads to disappear into freeway traffic, refill, and start over again in Merlin at the rail crossing at Pleasant Valley Road next to “Blue-Star Gas” which is labelled as a propane dealer, has a lot of pressure tanks for carrying airborne gasses.

This looks like orders to use the rail road to release gas in the neighborhood.

https://twitter.com/ABC/status/1365105999896408067

The poison gas symptoms on my leg have increased from swelling at the right foot and shin area with a substantial very itchy rash on my shin and calf, to both feet are swollen now, I can’t feel my foot on the right when I try to walk, it feels icy cold on my foot, is burning intensity all inside my whole right leg, and the rash on my shin is making tiny blisters that pop and ooze a clear liquid. There is no where I can go for medical services.

US Citizens cannot get medical treatment in COVID USA. It’s a slaughter, not a virus.

US Population is being snuffed out like bugs in a jar, by the government that was hijacked by terrorists long ago. They have been taking over hospitals for decades in preparation to roll out Corona Virus, where “boutique” poisons make the symptoms as Twitter promotes the fear and concern that makes the people go to the hospitals where Ron Howard kills them on camera, and Nancy Sinatra casts a look-a-like replacement from Canada.

Betty White and Tom Hanks do the hosting at the awards celebrations, while Metallica and MegaDeath play as the musical guests at the events.

==================

When someone reports terrorism and points out who the murderers are, all the murderer needs to do is claim that the person is stalking them, and in the courtroom the Judge always sides with the plaintiff on that, and the defendant who needs to reach help to stop the murders is ordered by the courts that they are no longer able to use the name of the murderer publicly.

That is one of the ways the courts serve the terrorism, they can make sure that the murders name is not spoken, revealed, written, or otherwise mentioned. Meanwhile the terror murders continue while the eye-witness is persecuted, held captive in their home, forced into silence and ultimately killed and replaced by a SAG or Canadian terror operative.

The courts will effectively force me to delete this whole account with that stalking order if I am told not to say the names of the people who are killing me with poisons, shooting at me daily, holding be captive for decades.

=========

7:51 pm:

As it stands right now, these listed items below are some of the pre-arranged scenarios that are already in place for a “Ivanka Trump Opportunity Zone attack on a Jesus Gauntlet”

This Gauntlet is planned with events all in place for an attempt to kill me, all include set-up for a frame of some crime they will say I did, and all include the author of this account is not harmed. Instead, it will be said the someone else was killed, and a stand-in replacement will take control of this account. The way it sits right now, the account is set-up in advance for a court ordered deletion, where my replacement look-a-like will delete the account because the Judge ordered it due to so many mentions of so many terror soldiers and terror leaders all over the world.

The “new me” will just access the account controls after I am killed by a rock star bailiff in disguise, and no further mention of it will be made after that.

USA will lose.

Terrorism and murder, slavery and captivity will prevail.

Court day for stalking order.

Groceries at the Walmart.

Drivers License renewal at Beacon Ave DMV. They will say I need a vision exam for corrective lenses.

The Eye-Doctor Visit is one I need to survive.

Then, back to the DMV again if I survive the Eye-Doctor.

Dr, Visit at the terror SAGClubMed fake doctor at Pain Specialists of Southern Oregon,

Walgreen’s if I survive, if not, the Rock Star Bailiff picks up my prescriptions increased to “MAX: Maximum Allowable per Medicare Part-D Rules” so that SAG Musicians can get high on a disabled guys medicine.

There is a day I need to go to JP Morgan Chase Bank every year, the bastards know that I need to do record keeping, and created a situation where I must go to the Chase Bank rather than do any other way of doing the record keeping I am required to do, Carpenters Union participates in that one every year, and they want their share of the loot when I am killed also. Los Angeles Carpenters Pension Trust specifically.

Centurylink has those trenching markers out front, so I have to survive that when the start digging.

There is Grand Jury they say I am forced to participate in. That is really just for the successful assassin to go check in with the sheriff office and Courts when they kill me, but also they do take out work at both places.

The Pacific Power Corporation Asplundhe Tree Service Power Line Easement Inspection and “Standing Dead & Proximity Trimming” event at my house is in place if I survive some of those other “Jesus Gauntlet” scenario’s.

that makes nine or ten major events that I need to survive and a few small ones.

So, that, plus survive the usual daily attacks and poisonings.

And worst of all ... I need to get my mail out of the mailbox, walk down my driveway past the Monroe’s terror cell, and make it back to my house alive during that time frame, and beyond that if I am able to survive the Jesus Gauntlet this next two months or so.

So, fair warning, I am not likely to make it through these pre-arranged Ivanka Triump Opportunity Zone murder scenario’s. Each one of those listed events has at least one written screenplay to use as a basis for the attack plan. The screenplays have all been done thousands of time by the terror cells who run the murder scenario’s. They have it down to a science for killing most unsuspecting US Citizens who simply are trying to run some errands, do some shopping, deal with some banking, go to a doctor appointment, or were roped into having to appear in a court hearing. Most don‘t make it back from the mailbox at the end of the driveway.

==========

8:41 pm:

Trending on Twitter now:

It’s a command order from Google high command (Vatican Choir; Amp Guru; Kauai Ranch Members of “The Green‘s of Olde Three Ply” terror cell; and the Pope) to do a “Ben Hur” or a version of that one movie about Jesus I forget what it’s called, or, “Faces of Death” (That one has been in discussion all day coded into the Twitter news stories from most of the Verified Accounts I read. Go look for the photos in news today featuring famous people making funny faces, means “Jesus Face Toast”, translates to “Christian Cinema” “Krysten Sinema” today)

The “Christian Cinema” command order is to produce a wicked snuff movie, one that is equivalent of the one they made at north Valley High School in around 2003 - 2004 or so, when the students were forced to do a Olympic Style Competition, were killed at the various events, each event was transformed into some kind of medieval contraption at the Decathlon ... it was forever known as the “Decapathon” by the surviving students at the school. The movie is called “The Making of Ben Hur” I am pretty sure, is composed of about 200 high school students being horribly murdered with machinery all disguised as part of the Decathlon track & field events. The people that made the movie had very expensive professional movie making equipment including the kind of “Rabbit Cam” that are used at a Dog Race Race Track, the thing the dogs chase after around the track, is on a rail. That was used at the “Hurtles” event, where the “Hurtles” were regular hurdles fitted with blades that spring out as the running high school student tried to clear the obstacles on the track at the Junior Varsity Football Field at the school. The students were laying in the track with severed limbs as that rabbit went around from victim to victim to get the best angle for the movie that was produced that day.

I am talking about dead high school students here, and the movie that was made of their murders.

no one cares about US High School Students, or disabled people, or elderly people in the care homes who cannot possibly defend against James Hetfeild when he is killing them to get high on pain meds.

Christian Cinema (Krysten Sinema) is a unpleasant thing to see this evening on Twitter.

Do you remember the final scenes of Braveheart? On that stage where he was disemboweled? That is a real thing that is done in Oregon when people are tortured at 520 Jackpine next door to my house.

So, Twitter is still Tweeting, that means no help is ever to come to Oregon, or anywhere, they are going to keep doing the slaughter, and keep making movies of the murders.

Trending on Twitter: “Christian Cinema”

https://twitter.com/search?q=Sinema&src=trend_click&vertical=trends

=============

9:23 pm:

In other news:

This thing here reminds me of my visit to the Dole Pineapple Plantation in Hawaii. I think it’s close to the Maui Isthmus. There is a maze/labirynth there sort of like that snow maze there.

At Dole, there are assassins that shoot at people in the maze from tower sort of structures that are in there. The shooting does not start until the marked victims are deep in the maze, it takes about an hour to make it out of there.

Also, that trap door I sometimes mention that  is in the floor of the sheriffs office in Josephine County, where there is a chair that tips over, and dumps the unsuspecting sheriff visitor down into the tunnels that are below the sheriffs office and go all under the whole city of Grants Pass Oregon.

That trap door works with the same kind of mechanisms as does the table on the marble maze game called “Labyrinth”. The trap door tips over one direction, then another direction, and the victim who is seated at the sheriff’s desk is dumped into a hole under his office on F Street behind the Walmart.

The man who built that door is the same man who’s wife made the exploding statue that blew up a big bus, and a number of people who were on it, a deputy Strohmeyer, Frank Skraw sheriff of Klamath Falls was on that bus for awhile, maybe he exploded on it, some deputies from Grants Pass were on it, and some from Jackson county were also on the bus that exploded in Medford at the Sears a few years ago, February 7 2017 I think is was.

Any way, the man that built the sheriff office trap door in the floor, was Dan Fauley, former address 344 Tunnel Creek Road in Hugo area. Dan’s wife Lynn made the exploding C-4 Statue, I was supposed to have been put on that bus.

I wrote about all that stuff before, it’s all been documented for many years, no one cares.

Dan Fauley also built the remodel work that was done at the Washington Ave Post Office Facility on the corner of Hillcrest Ave. at the front entrance after the place exploded once long ago. There are no reports of any explosion happening there, but the entrance and other parts of that building did blow up. Dan Fauley did the remodel work. I think he transformed what used to be the lobby rest room into some other kind of holding pen for keeping captive victims inside of where that rest room used to be in the Post Office Lobby on Washington Ave. That place is called the “Postal Annex” by most of the older local terror soldiers and is “The Stork” terror cell HQ for this area. The name “Postal Annex” is a decoy, detour, road block, distraction service put in place by the terror army. When someone asks about the “Postal Annex” while trying to report terrorism to the Postal Inspector General in Portland Oregon, the Inspector General denies that such a place exists at all, they claim that there is no postal office facility there on Washington Ave, and that the person making the report about what they saw should contact the Oregon Better Business Bureau in Salem Oregon instead. Inspector General claims that the place is a private company and is not a USPS facility.

The Inspector General insists that the only 97526 Post Office is on the corner of  6th & G Streets in Grants Pass.

Oregon is a breeding ground of terrorism, it’s a training center, the whole state is a place where “Terror Policy” and “Models of Terror Systems of Murder” are perfected, and then duplicated, rolled out the same in other cities around the world.

https://twitter.com/CNN/status/1365158181098442752

For some perspective about how long Oregon has been hijacked, by whom, when and where killing systems were installed, and how to find the responsible people, you need only study the boat ramps on the Rogue River from Shady Cove to Galice Oregon.

Almost all of the boat ramps are installed backwards.

Most of the boat ramps are secluded, that also is part of the planning of the backwards boat ramps. That seclusion assists the terror army to take victims at the backwards boat ramps on the Rogue River. The boat ramps are all installed such that as you back the boat into the water, the ass end of the boat is directed into oncoming river flow. The boat, trailer, truck, dog, wife in the passenger seat, ice chest and fishing gear all go down river as a result of backwards boat ramps on the Rogue River. There is always a two foot tall cliff under the water where the trailer wheels are at as the boat should begin to start to float. When the trailer wheels fall off that little cliff, the boat is still attached to the trailer, and the trailer to the truck that pulls it. The current is very strong, and inexperienced boaters go down river every time with all of their stuff.

Three Boys Towing is just around the bend, in the tow truck, waiting to get word from the “Friendly Canadian Fly Fisherman who is at every boat ramp tying flies” at the side of each boat ramp, he is there with his wife waiting for tourists to launch a boat, and calls Three Boys Towing as soon as the trailer and truck are under water while using the nitrous oxide to capture the boat owner as he is trying rescue his wife, kids, boat, motor and trailer.

Three Boys gets all of that stuff out of the water, they do it every day, no problems. Then, DMV makes the necessary VIN changes after some Lithia Dodge mechanics do a cleaning, get the water out of the carburetor, and, title switch, and licensing is transferred to some other person if needed. If not, then an attack team takes all of that stuff back to the victims home to prey on their family and friends, and the terror army grows exponentially that way, in fifty states where the tourist boaters come from.

The boat ramps are state wide like that. The boat is not supposed to go ass end into the oncoming current, the ramp is supposed to go with the current as the boat is launched into the water, which also allows that the boat goes into the current to put it back on the trailer, as it should be.

It’s not the way should be though, it’s all backwards.

All of the boat ramps have some metal brackets, rebar, chunks of iron just below the surface of the water, and at the sides of the ramp, all of them have an accident waiting to happen built in to them, and the hospital never has been close by, even before they were all hijacked, so, it’s all for terror advance of Global Domination, has been there a long time at the boat ramp, installed by Kitzhaber government.

=================

11:20 pm:

Please send help to Oregon.

I haven‘t opened my door yet today, presumably that paper those fake sheriff’s brought is still on the front porch.

I don‘t know the details the fake stalking order says.

There were two time today after that when terror soldiers where hiding under my kitchen window, they are waiting for me to open the door, but that is not unusual, waiting under the window is unusual, they usually don‘t make so much noise like today, so, they wanted me to open the door. That was when the blurry vision gas was thickest this afternoon.

I am not going to get the mail until my leg feels good enough to walk on it without as bad as does now, so, no local conditions will be happening tonight.

There are no signs of helpful people, around here you get a visit from a sheriff only to make trouble, make life more difficult, to bring the victim into the bottleneck kill zone at the courthouse where the fingernail clipper is taken away so the rock star in disguise bailiff can use the sword on a unarmed disabled citizen in the fake hearing.

They don‘t do law enforcement, public safety, or national security work in Oregon.

Please send help. Please send US Military. Bring your own hospital. Stay away from local authorities.

[winterironbang]

Art Previews

Below you will find the art previews for this year, remember authors that its not quite time for claiming yet!

Take a good look and pick 2-3 favourites and remember which Number they are for when claiming does begin.

1. Prompt: Tony was taken by Hydra not long after the New York invasion and experimented heavily on Tony. The Winter Soldier escapes his captivity and kinds Tony locked up in his dragon form in a huge cell and decides he should break this poor creature out as well.The Winter Soldier could be his own personality next to Bucky, and if so he doesn't like Steve if that would come up. Restrictions: No Rape/Non-con, No OT3 (Stuckony), preferably a rather happy ending, or bittersweet. No sad endings. CLAIMED

2 Prompt: Tony has always had a thing for swimsuit models.Limitations: go wild.Additional notes: happy to be as involved or uninvolved as the writer wants! CLAIMED

3. Warnings: None that I can think of? Prompts: Definitely don’t have to stick to this, but this was just what was in my mind drawing this — They’re a Shoulder Angel and Shoulder Demon each trying to do a good job for their assigned Human - Natasha Romanov. I’d love it if maybe they’ve been working together over time to help Natasha (maybe to get out from under Red Room) without actually really seeing each other for a while until eventually they do. Not-Quite-Identity!Porn of some sort, with a bit of oh no he’s hot when they meet. Just imagine the hijinks with a little Nat and these boys as her conscience! Ha! Limitations: I know Tony is depicted as a Demon here, but this is Tony, please don’t make him out to be the actual Devil? He’s just doing his job but - oh no! - he gets attached to his Human and adversary and only wants the best for them, screw Hell’s policies CLAIMED

4. warnings: none i thinkprompt: Post-apocalyptic AU! Scrappy mechanic Tony meets badass loner and fighter Bucky (with a clunky metal arm)? Maybe some getting to know (and later: trust) each other and surviving (together?) in a hostile world? Trying to make a living? limitatons and any additional notes:  No dubcon/noncon between Tony/Bucky, no sad ending, no super descriptive toture/body horror, Tony and Bucky should survive. Angst/Pain/Suspense otherwise are fine :)The second art is optional. CLAIMED

5. Desired collaboration level(s): I would love to be included with the writing/brainstorming process, even just so much as being a cheerleader for it!-Additional details/requests/Prompt: Pre-WI/getting together fic. Wing Au. Maybe something like "Winged beings are discriminated against/unliked/people are nervous of them. Picture scene is: Tony was sitting out in the rain/stuck in the rain, Bucky comes and sheilds him from it with his wing. -Do Wants: Hurt/Comfort, angst is fine too, must be happy ending please, I prefer canon-divergent, but total au is fine too. -Do NOT Wants: Beastiality, Mpreg, A/B/O dynamics, BDSM, D/S verse, Hardcore kinks, Genderbends, Non-con, MCD, underage/age-changes/de-aging, Sad endings!(I would prefer no other/background ships, but can be discussed!) CLAIMED

6. Warnings: blood Limitation: non-negotiable absolutely no Steve Rogers bashing Wants: OUAT crossover (non negotiable). Jefferson IS Bucky OR Bucky is Jeffersons twin. Steve as a main character as well. Prompt; Bucky goes missing after a mission, with seemingly no reason. A year later They find Bucky, only he's calling himself Jefferson and crying about a broken hat, and a horrific scar around his neck.

7. warnings: possible gun violence, languageprompt: loosely based on Killing eve "you hired me to kill you!?" "I wanted to see you..." basically, Tony and Bucky (established relationship? Mutual pining? ) haven't spoken in awhile for reasons (are they fighting? Busy? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯) so Tony Hires Bucky to kill him. limitatons and any additional notes: none that I can think of but if you think there's something that could be squicky/a no go, just lemme know. I'm very open to collaboration with my author. CLAIMED

8.  No warnings or limitations.  CLAIMED

9. Warnings: None Prompt: Tony Stark meets Bucky Barnes in 1993 and they both fall for each other. One night, Bucky starts to cry. Tony asks what's wrong and Bucky tells him what happened to his parents. Notes: It really doesn't matter how you end this fic as long it includes some good old fashioned angst! CLAIMED

10. Warnings: noneNotes: Was thinking of a Brookly-99 spin on it, something cute and funny for some feel good happy, but very open to anything really :) CLAIMED

11. warnings: None Prompt: (Description: View is outside of a building. In one window Tony plays the violin. In the other Bucky types away.) CLAIMED

12. Warnings:NonePrompt: (description: Bucky is sitting atop a motorcycle. Tony is approaching him, offering his hand for a handshake. Scene is dusk on an empty road.) CLAIMED

13. prompt: tony is one of the last of his kind (inherited from his mother’s side). he hides his wings from the world, and only pepper, happy, and rhodey know what he is. everything else is canon as per the mcu. it’s up to the author to decide how far in the universe they want to take it, and if they wish to incorporate his wings elsewhere in the series, but tony is iron man and it must be post winter soldier. pre-relationship to getting together. limitations: please no graphic depictions of rape, suicide, or self-harm (specifically cutting. other forms of self-harm are okay, but please no self-inflicted cutting). no character bashing, ESPECIALLY of steve. no major character death. things i would like to see: BAMF!tony, ptsd (from either bucky or tony, or both!), a COOL secret reveal, angst, hurt/comfort, and fluff. some smut is okay! i would love if tony keeps the arc reactor. arm maintenance!! please!! tony being terrified of bucky finding out about his wings, and bucky being scared of hurting tony. relevant notes: tony’s wings are 18 ft (5.4 m) in diameter, and are red and gold. bucky still has hydra arm. that’s about it! i’m flexible on most things :) CLAIMED

14. Description/Prompt: John Wick AU in MCU Open for brainstorming or alternate interpretations Warnings: canon typical violence for story (john wick levels or mcu levels up to author?) Limitations:  DNWs include a/b/o, mpreg, noncon, dubcon between major protagonists, death of major protagonists, unhappy/ bad endings CLAIMED

15. Description/Prompt: any frontier myth/ old wild west tropes welcome Open for brainstorming or alternate interpretations Warnings: canon typical violence for story? Limitations:  DNWs include a/b/o, mpreg, noncon, dubcon between major protagonists, death of major protagonists, unhappy/ bad endings CLAIMED

16. Prompt: Romancing The Stone AU. Tony is a tech reliant city boy who is out of his depth in the South American jungle while trying to save a friend. Bucky is the broke traveller who he convinces to be his guide. Adventures and hijinks and a happy ending ensue. Notes/Limitations: Doesn't have to follow the movie if you're not familiar with it. I don't want Tony to be a damsel in distress that needs to be rescued, just a fish out of water who adapts to his new environment. Any rating is fine, smut is welcome, no character bashing.  CLAIMED

17. warnings: general audiences prompt: Bucky is part of the Avengers but he and Tony keep their distance. On a mission Tony saves Bucky from another fall. Later he asks Tony why he didn't let him slip when he knows he killed his parents. He doesn't believe Tony forgave him and confesses that he sometimes hates Steve for not catching him limitations: no Steve/Bucky/Tony, preferably no Stony, no ABO, no mpreg, preferably no BDSM or dom/sub CLAIMED

18.  warnings: malnutrition, (minor) injuries, shackleslimitations: anything involving children and/or pregnancy CLAIMED

19. Warnings:none Prompt: Mage Tony and assassin/rogue Bucky. Limitatons: No major character death, no infidelity, no unhappy ending, Bucky did not kill Tony's parents, would be absolutely fine with graphic sex Additional notes: Art will have at least one more companion piece featuring Bucky/Winter in Assassin type garb and probably wielding daggers. CLAIMED

20. warnings: none? prompt: Dreadful pirate Bucky with a heart of gold! limitaions and any other notes relevant to the authors for claiming: I'd prefer it if Bucky wasn't actually a bad guy. Go easy on the gore, and please don't do any noncon or dubcon between the OTP. Angst or pain are good as long as there is at least a hopeful ending! CLAIMED

21. Prompt: After the death of King Howard Stark, his son Anthony had to step up to the throne as the rightful heir. James Buchanan Barnes, a knight and new member of the Royal Guard, is sworn to protect his king no matter what. Even if that means protecting Anthony from his own damn feelings. Warnings: N/A Limitations: major character death, terminal illness, homophobia, transphobia, sexism, racism, incest, ableism Notes: Their designs are fantasy-influenced more than historical, and even though I was using MCU as reference, I aged Tony down since canonically Howard died when he was younger anyway! Also the scribble of a background is supposed to be inside the castle, during a party/ball or something? CLAIMED

22. Artist Withdrew.

23. Warnings: None Prompt: The Addams Family AU Limitations/notes: None CLAIMED

24. warnings: none? prompt: Warlord Bucky gets a new conquest: Tony. (How? tribute? prisoner? Marriage contract?) Tony may expect the worst, but slowly discover Bucky isn't so bad... limitaions and any other notes relevant to the authors for claiming: please no evil Bucky. I like getting to know each other and slowly falling in love. No dubcon/noncon between tony/bucky. CLAIMED

25. Warnings: implied violence, kidnappingPrompt: I went with four comic panels sort of depicting a kidnapping scenario. Bucky (probably) wouldn’t be the kidnapper — i'm gonna try and make him look more surprised in the final draft. Limitations: Go wild. G ratings through Explicit is fine with me. Preferably no M-Preg though.  CLAIMED

26. Warnings: None CLAIMED

27. Warnings: None CLAIMED

28. Description/Prompt: fluff or comfort? Warnings: - Limitations:  DNWs include a/b/o, mpreg, noncon, dubcon between major protagonists, death of major protagonists, unhappy/ bad endings CLAIMED

29. Desired collaboration level(s): I would love to be included with the writing/brainstorming process, even just so much as being a cheerleader for it! Additional details/requests/ Prompt: Human!Tony/Werewolf!Bucky. Werewolf au. Do Wants: Hurt/Comfort, angst is fine too, must be happy ending please, I prefer canon-divergent, but total au is fine too. Do NOT Wants: Beastiality, Mpreg, A/B/O dynamics, BDSM, D/S verse, Hardcore kinks, Genderbends, Non-con, MCD, underage/age-changes/de-aging, Sad endings!(I would prefer no other/background ships, but can be discussed!) CLAIMED

[a-heart-inscribed]

Operation Eros - Part 5

Steve Rogers x Reader

Word count: 1481

The staff working at the shop the next morning ambush you as you arrive for your morning shift. They have a field day trying to find out all the details. You had made a point not to share with the others even though they knew you had become close to the team. However, one of them apparently followed all of the official Avengers social media accounts and there were a few pictures of you up. Considering you had spent the night glued to one member of the team are another, you aren’t that surprised. You look over the pictures with your staff to find they show a variety pictures like you and Loki side by side, his arm around you and the two of you laughing, a picture of you with Natasha, both holding a drink and listening intently to Carol tell a story, and a picture of you dancing with Tony. You are a little surprised that there are no pictures of you with Steve as you were with him so much throughout the night.

That is until you walk into the break room and find the pin up board plaster with pictures of you and Steve. There were around five pictures that they had printed over and over to pin up. One of you and Steve dancing, the two of you being hugged by Thor, you laughing as you look up at Steve who is hiding a smirk behind his drink, one where Tony is between the two of you with an arm around each of you and the three of you smiling, and one with Steve holding you close to his side and looking down at you with a smile as you look off to your side laughing at something. As your staring at them a thought crosses your mind and you have to wonder if the whole world can see just how smitten you are with their Captain. After taking the pictures down, except one of the one with you Tony and Steve, you get everyone back to work.

Your days return to normal after that, no one coming into the shop noticing you were the mystery girl in all those Avengers pictures. Tony, however, has taken to joking around with you that you should just stick with them, that they would take care of you, and that your hours would ‘rock’ if you worked at the tower. You always laughed and played along. Until the day Tony came in just after closing and you had just sent the last other employee home. He handed you a printer size envelope and gave you that cocky grin.

“I figured you would never take me seriously without this.” He tapped the envelope a few times and leaned against the bar. “Of course, it is open to negotiation.”

Slowly you peal open the seal and pull out a stack of papers. “A contract?”

“It outlines everything. Your hours would revolve around the team, but you would get to pick your days off, two or three a week depending on the hours you work the other days. A few paid weeks of vacation per year. The pay is an increase from what you make here. And you’ll get a full benefits package. You’d also have the option of keeping your own place and commuting or moving into the tower. Yo-”

“Woah, woah Tony, hold on! You’re serious?” You try to scan the pages, but you can’t help but keep looking up at him in shock.

“Always have been darling. You’d be a great addition to the team.” He winks but then straightens up. “Go home. Take that with you. Look it over. You don’t have to get back to me right away. It’s a standing offer, won’t expire.” He pushes off the counter and turns to walk out the door.

“Tony! Wait… you’re serious? But… what would my job even be?”

Tony shrugs a bit. “Barista mostly. Anything you wanted to expand to, just say the word. But really, you’d get paid for what you already do out of kindness. The late nights making sure we have something warm to eat and drink when we are too weary to do it on our own. Making sure we remember to laugh and unwind.” His little smile is genuine as he looks around you for a second. “You’ve boosted moral, sweetheart, and I’ll do whatever I can to make sure those who are good for the team stick around. And to do what is right by them. You’re ready to move on past this little shop. You’ve grown as much as you can here with not much chance of moving any further up…” He’d moved back to you in this time to wipe some coffee smudge off your face and push your shoulder. “The team doesn’t know yet but if you accept, we can tell them together.” He turned a way and quickly moved to the door before he gives you a wink. “Get some rest tonight and read that over.”

And you do. You spend three days, in fact, combing it over, talking about it with your sister over the phone, and even reaching out to ask the shop owner what their plan would be if you needed to move on. It took you two more days to ask them to put that plan into motion and to set a meeting with Tony to accept. It was a great offer, honestly, and looking at it solely from a career aspect, it was a hell of a step up and offered you more in possibilities than managing the shop ever did. Looking at it from a personal stand point, you would get to be working with people who had become some of your dearest friends.

You and Tony announce your new employment to the team after your last day at the shop. Unfortunately, there was a small mission underway and Sam, Bucky, and Steve were out when you made the announcement. Steve had told you before he left it would be a long one, but two weeks ago when he told you, you hadn’t realized just how long he meant. You’ve been working for the team for two weeks when Natasha switches out with Sam, but Steve and Bucky don’t come home. Sam is thrilled when he finds you working the morning he gets back.

That first three weeks you commuted to work until you realize it just make more sense to be in the tower. Your life was pretty much there, and you just had to drag yourself back and forth just to sleep and get up and go straight back. Tony lets you pick from a few different suits that are basically their own apartments, and you pick one that is on the same floor as Steve’s and near Natasha’s.

You are half way through your fifth week working for the Avengers when you get a page from F.R.I.D.A.Y. as you are getting out of the shower. Apparently, you are needed in the lower lounge as soon as possible. At 11:23pm.

Quickly you throw on a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. You don’t normally get pages that sound this urgent, so you hurry down, towel drying your hair on the way. It’s not far and soon you’re hurrying into the room. “Hey Tony, what’s u….. Steve! You’re back!”

At the first sound of your voice he had started to turn towards you and now his eyes meet yours “Hey, Y/n!” He opens his arms wide as you move at him and practically throw yourself into a hug. “What are- what are you doing here? I didn’t get a chance to text you to see if you’d be at the shop.”

You pull back a little so you can look up at him in surprise. “Nat didn’t tell you?”

Steve’s brows furrow together in that way you like but that means he is confused or thinking hard. “Tell me what?”

“I work for the Avengers now. I took Tony up when he formally offered me a job about a month and a half ago and moved in around two weeks ago.”

“That’s great! I mean… if it’s good for you and something you want…”

You smile widely and nod up at him. “I’m happy, Steve. But we’ll talk about the details later. You’re home! And safe!” You hug him again and he lifts you slightly off the ground when he returns the hug.

“And what am I? Chopped liver?” Bucky crosses his arms and pops his hip out a little with a smirk.

“Hey Buck.” You pull away from Steve and move over to hug the other man, who also lifts you slightly off the ground.

“You guys should go shower or freshen up or something. Let me make you something to eat and maybe some coffee?”

They both laugh.

Tag List:

@georgialeighc13 @denzmallows

[synchrosk8er]

My Olympic Journey...Just Kidding

“Synchro is not a sport.”

“Is there a time element? How do you score?”

“No, it is an art. That’s why it’s not included in the Olympic games.” 

The Synchronized Skating community bends the already stiff boundaries of how a sport is defined. I was curious as to what the internet had to say on this matter, so I looked it up: 

...and got this. Thanks, Merriam-Webster. 

Unfortunately, the “sport” I currently participate in and have dedicated so much of my life to is not even defined in one of the largest dictionaries the world has to offer. Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you to the struggle of being recognized as an Olympic sport in Synchronized Skating. 

Defining Synchro

Because Merriam-Webster was unable to define it, Synchronized Skating, or more commonly known as “Synchro”, is a branch of skating tailored for people who do not fit the stereotypical “ice skater” look. Teams recruit long (we’re talking 5’10”+), lean women (and on occasion, men) over the typical short (usually 5’), more muscular freestyle skaters. 

The difference between freestyle skating and synchro is all in the numbers; freestyle is a one-man show. Synchro contains up to 20 people per team, 16 of which skate in a synchronized fashion on the ice at once. We all dress the same, we all have similar body measurements and some teams even have their skaters dye their hair the same color (I’m looking at you, Team Canada).

(I’m the girl farthest to the right, in what we call a “death spiral”.)

My Story

I’ve skated since age two, but I’ve also been in the synchro community for a hot minute. I started when I was in first grade in Philadelphia. I grew a lot by the time I hit middle school, and was recruited in 6th grade to skate with the collegiate girls of the University of Delaware. I skated there for five years, until I got a very special email.

That email was from Team USA. I could not believe my eyes when I opened it. I clicked on the email, and it was a formal recruitment letter. As anyone would, I dropped my contract with the University of Delaware and headed for Stamford, Connecticut to practice with my new team. 

I trained like an Olympian in my Junior year. 40 hours of practice per week in Connecticut for Skyliners synchronized skating was the equivalent of holding down a full-time job along with keeping up in the most difficult year of high school. It was grueling, and at times it felt like it would never end. I lost 30 pounds that year, and was eerily thin, yet built with lean muscle. My friends did not see me for a while, as I was away every weekend, and my social life back home was gone before I knew it. To say this was a miserable year for me would be an understatement. 

That being said, the prior year, my team was ranked third in the country. If we moved one place up, we would go to the World Championships; my dream ever since I first got on that ice fifteen years prior. We competed across the globe together; we beat anyone who attempted to step in our path.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3HZRgwdV2M&t=443s

(Here is the video of us from Austria.)

Then, the qualifying competition happened; formally called the U.S. National Synchronized Skating Championships. 

 That year, we went on to be the first year my new team attended a World Championship. Ever. 

(Here’s the world team roster, and me after we won gold abroad in Austria.)

Here’s the catch: this all happened in 2018, a Winter Olympic year. Yes, we attended a World Championship and I am very grateful for that. But imagine putting in all of that work, and all of those hours, and all of that practice, only for the Olympic committee to tell you straight to your face that your craft has no place in the Olympics. 

I could have been an Olympian.  

Inclusion in the Olympics

Now. I have a lot of passion for this sport. Obviously, I put a ton of effort into it and it was my life for a while. But, for the sake of writing a factual argument, I am ready to set those thoughts aside (for the moment). 

Public Enjoyment

The public loves this sport; it is fresh, and entertaining. There is no other sport quite like it; 16 girls on the ice at once is a pretty cool thing to witness. Stephen Murray, a male synchronized skater (and friend of mine) from Team USA in Boston says, “When you see 16 skaters on the ice doing the exact same thing at the exact same time, there’s nothing like it,” Mr. Murray said. “I’ve been competing in this for 12 years and there are still programs that I’ll watch and get the chills because it’s just that incredible what you can do with that depth of skill and what stories you can tell and what feelings you can portray. When you get the music right on the note with the lifts or the pivoting block, it’s something you can’t describe, unless you see it for yourself.” (Rogers, 1). One of the reasons excuses as to why the sport is not in the Olympics yet is because people will not want to watch it; this is honestly the least of our problems. 

Swimming? 

Synchronized swimming is a relatively popular Olympic sport. It is so popular, that when I accidentally tell people I do Synchro and not Synchronized Skating, they ask me how long I can hold my breath for. Awkward. Instead of 16 girls, swimming uses 8. The IOC says that synchronized skating should not be in the Olympics because there are “double the girls”. *eye roll*. 

To note: Synchronized skating is not to be confused with 

team skating; an event where solo skaters compete separately, but

with their home country’s other competitors.

Athleticism

When I first started skating synchro, I saw it as the sport that was for people who were not good at the other four disciplines of skating. As the sport became less new and more developed, it started to attract the athletes that you see now; long and lean people. As the sport has evolved, it started to incorporate the skills that you would normally see in those other disciplines. Because of the difficulty of this, the sport should receive some sort of recognition. Which leads me to my next point. 

The Odd One Out

“The summer Olympic Games have synchronized swimming, even synchronized diving. But the winter games are once again taking place without the inclusion of synchronized skating...It is the only skating discipline not included in the Olympics.” (Rogers, 1). As I mentioned previously, synchro is the only discipline in the skating community that is not in the Olympics. There is a stigma around the sport and this does nothing but throw more fuel to the fire. Why is this? 

Synchronized skating is a sport of power, will, and perseverance. I don’t think my (or a lot of people’s) life would be anywhere near where it is now without it. My dream is to one day, have the sport that I cherish so dearly in the Olympics.

I think that is ready to be shared with the world. 

(OK, we have a few years before this sport is truly “shared with the world”. But for now, take action and share it with your friends! Just use:

#WHYNOTSYNCHRO?

[blackgirlsuperherorants]

I know Freddie Mercury isn’t a superhero, but he’s also maybe a superhero, and I guess I’m gonna put this movie discussion here, because... this blog is already used to my bullshit.

No, but, this is actually a serious thing. This will be lengthy, because I’m approaching this not as a rant, as per usual on this blog, but as a study? I guess? I mean, without research, because I’m in grad school and my brain will crumble if I add any extra research, but yeah. 

I have seen a lot of criticism of the Bohemian Rhapsody movie that I have been giving a lot of thought to. To be completely fair, I sort of have always had this view of Freddie Mercury as a godlike figure. And I love Rami Malek. So, I have been checking and double-checking myself for bias, which is the thing to do in this situation. 

I really enjoyed the film. I am also a screenwriter (MFA student) and I understand and cannot totally ignore the problems with the film. 

One of the things we’ve been taught to do, in my MFA program, is pay attention to things like cultural markers and identity markers in our writing. As in, if we write a bisexual character, what makes them bisexual? If we write a South Asian character, what makes them South Asian? Often, writers will write “diverse” characters just for the sake of having them in the picture, but they will inadvertently be devoid of whatever it is that makes them... part of their culture. This is not my criticism of BoRhap. In fact, this post will not be a criticism, per se. It’s... it’s an examination, and a question. And, full disclosure, I should absolutely be working on stuff for class, right now.

This will be focusing on the portrayal of queerness in BoRhap more than anything. 

When I saw the movie, being queer myself, I was very... excited to hear Freddie say, on screen, that he thinks he’s bisexual. Like, what a moment, in film. I don’t think that happens, often, and I don’t think screenwriters write shit like that. I believe it’s because bisexuality is misunderstood. People assume bisexual men are gay. People assume bisexual women are straight. People think of bisexuality as something you do while you’re in college out of curiosity, or the last stop over to gayville. People think bi people who date or marry members of their same gender are gay/lesbian. People think bi people who date or marry members of a different gender are straight. It’s just a very, very misunderstood sexual orientation, and those of us who identify this way (I mostly do, although I kinda like queer as a general term) really walk on eggshells all the time trying not to ... be constantly judged from all parties, I guess. So, to hear a character say it in a film? And it’s sincere and not a character flaw or played for laughs? I C O N I C.

But the film also undercuts that line immediately, with Freddie’s girlfriend yelling at him that he’s gay. Because a man can’t be bisexual, yenno? If he likes dick at all, he’s gay. (Of course this is wrong as hell, but whatever.)

I guess, that’s part of the reason so many people are unhappy or even angry with the portrayal. One criticism I keep seeing is how it treats queerness as a cautionary tale. How Freddie gets caught up in this “gay underworld” lifestyle and it literally kills him. How redemption is him “straightening up”. (Which actually does not happen in the movie. The movie... ends with him finally settling down with JIM, a man, JIM! How that was read as “straightening up” or I guess becoming hetero to some people is beyond me.)

And mentioning that, there’s criticism of showing Paul Prenter, who I understand re: Queen fans, to be a slimy slimeball piece of crap, as the villain, because Paul is also a gay man. 

So, this is my concern, or I guess, my issue, with these criticisms: much of this is based in the reality of the situation. I’m not suggesting that this film is historically accurate. I’ve seen discussions of timeline issues, invented moments, and Freddie actually never told his bandmates he had AIDS until the day before he died (unlike in the film). But I struggle with the argument that it presents queerness as a cautionary tale when Freddie’s battle with AIDS is actually what happened. He actually died of AIDS related illness in 1991. That’s not to say being gay killed him. A lot of people were gay in the 1980s and did not contract HIV or die of AIDS. But unfortunately, Freddie did.

So, what is the line? When we’re handling stories based on true events, based on real people... what are we supposed to write? Would it have been worse to show Freddie as a healthy man who died in his sleep of natural causes, ignoring his battle with AIDS completely? 

What about the Prenter situation? The man wasn’t a good person, and wasn’t good for Queen or Freddie. I’m not extremely well versed in Queen history, but I do know that Paul Prenter is, well, a villain in the eyes of Queen’s fans, and he did do snake shit to Freddie. Does the fact that he’s also gay mean that should be left out? Or should they have erased Paul’s queerness, so that it’s not suggested that the evil gay person ruined Freddie’s life?

Some of my opinion on that matter should be clear, but I also don’t really know the way they should’ve handled this stuff. I thought, personally, that they handled AIDS delicately, and maybe a little too delicately, but... I thought it was done fine. Freddie wasn’t even blamed for having the disease. And the invented scene where he tells the band before Live Aid (I don’t know that he had even been diagnosed, yet, in real life), was a touching, beautiful scene. Nobody scolds him, or says “you shouldn’t have fucked all those people!” They aren’t angry. They cry together, and tell him he’s a legend and they love him. Then they go get a drink. It wasn’t... at all... very “cautionary tale,” to me. Especially because directly after that moment, he goes and finds Jim Hutton, the man he’s been wanting for a long time, and finally pursues being with him for real. So, what’s the caution, here? Don’t be gay, just be gay? I don’t... get it....

Like, it’s a hard line to tow. Do you... make a huge show of an icon dying from a horrible disease that ravaged the LGBT community terribly during the 1980s? Or do you.... not mention it at all? Or ... do you do what they did and mention it lightly, and try not to make it a huge deal? I don’t know. I’m sure you don’t really know, either. You’d probably try your best, if you were writing this, but ultimately, it’s hard to know what the move is, here. 

That’s not to say that the movie doesn’t have faults. It doesn’t know which story it’s telling. It sort of moves like a “brief history of” type of thing. It’s also 2 hours and 30 minutes long, and still feels like it didn’t go in depth at all. 

I also agree that we see much of Freddie’s vices and little of the other members’ vices. I mean, we get hints of Roger’s affinity towards being with multiple women, but barely. And John and Brian were basically angels. Which... can’t have been realistic, considering they were hot rock stars in the 1970s, when everyone was fucking everyone and everyone was snorting cocaine. I do wish they would’ve showed them all behaving like rock stars, more, instead of showing Freddie throwing lavish parties and the other guys sort of shaking their head and going home to their wives. But also, we don’t see very much of Freddie’s wildness, either. The movie is very, very tame, as rock star biopics go. There’s not even a sex scene. There’s cocaine on a table, but nobody snorts it on screen. There are parties with lots of boys making out and whatnot, but Freddie isn’t even shown really participating in that shit. I honestly think it’s even this tame because the living Queen members had a say.

Like, if Brian May and Roger Taylor weren’t involved in the production, I’m sure we would’ve seen more of their vices, too. And probably more of Freddie’s vices. I think it’s silly for people to suggest they are jealous of Freddie and made it look like Freddie was the only one partying to make themselves look better, because I think Freddie looks damn near innocent in the film, and I think that’s thanks to Brian and Roger protecting his legacy. For instance, we learn towards the end that Freddie has AIDS. But WE NEVER SEE HIM CONTRACT HIV. We don’t see him sleep with some dirty bear in the back of some gay bar in NYC or something. We just... learn he has AIDS. 

That can either be cause for criticism or praise, I guess. From a writing perspective, generally you wouldn’t randomly reveal a character has AIDS without some hint as to how they contracted it, in a narrative like this one that spans like 15-20 years. And also, maybe you could stretch it as an example of that “cautionary tale” business, like “even though Freddie was a good boy, he still got AIDS because of all the gay.” Which... is a reach, and I’m sorry I pulled it out of the sky. They also did one of my least favorite movie tropes, which is “character coughs up blood, so you know he gon die.” Although, IDK if that’s something that every happened to him. Singers can cough up blood just from damaging their throat while doing certain things with their voice, and getting infections and things...

Anyway...

I just... I get the criticism, and I get the instinct to be hypercritical of this movie. After all, Freddie was one of the most unapologetic and influential queer artists in the world. In history. You want to make sure it’s done right and with respect.

But, I genuinely don’t know how they could’ve approached this differently. I mean, I see how changes could be made to make it a better film, narratively speaking. But I’m not sure how I’d write a movie about Freddie Mercury and discuss his battle with AIDS... without the reality that Freddie succumbs to the illness in 1991. Or, how you write about the doomed dealings with Paul Prenter, without acknowledging that he’s a creep, even if he is gay.

See, when shit is based on a true story, it’s harder to navigate these things. Because, I totally understand the reaction to what many perceive is a slight against their people. But, IDK, if I’m writing a Freddie Mercury film, I’d know that he’s going to die, and from what, and I’d know that he kept it to himself, and explore why that is. 

And as for Paul Prenter, fuck that guy. One can be evil and gay. Just as one can be a sweet baby angel and gay (like Jim Hutton.)

The movie has problem. (Another topic for another day). These aren’t problems it has, to me. 

I’d be open to hear others’ opinions, here, but only if you promise not to yell at me (CAPS IS YELLING) or call me names or be a general jerk about things. 

[maxwellyjordan]

Symposium: The “intensely factual” question of physicians’ admitting privileges

Robin Fretwell Wilson is the Roger & Stephany Joslin Professor of Law and Director of the Epstein Health Law & Policy Program at the University of Illinois College of Law.

Last month I lost someone close to me after an infection that began as double pneumonia ravaged her body. In the space of a day, a mother of nine in the prime of her life slipped away. It was so improbable. So permanent. And if that loss was not tragedy enough, the husband she left behind contracted MRSA, an antibiotic-resistant bug that can be deadly. MRSA lurks in the very facilities that care for us. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 90,000 people die from healthcare-associated infections every year, more than double the number of people who die in auto accidents.

That my friend could die from an infection so suddenly is hard to process. But complications often arise during the course of medical treatment, including at large hospitals and small clinics.

This forum considers the Supreme Court’s decision in June Medical Services v. Gee to stay Louisiana’s latest regulation of abortion providers — one that the sponsoring legislator explained as providing “a safe environment … that offers women the optimal protection and care of their bodies.” Louisiana would require physicians performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital within 30 miles of the abortion clinic.

Two simple questions have occupied me: Are women experiencing medical complications when having abortions? Would Louisiana’s new requirement actually help them if the cataclysmic occurs?

What I’ve learned

In the most recent year for which CDC provides data, 2013, the number and rate of reported abortions across the nation reached “historic lows,” due, in part, to increased access to contraception. In that year, four women died as a result of complications from legal abortions — a year in which medical professionals performed 664,435 abortions.

Between 1973 and 2014, 437 women died from complications after a legal abortion — women whose deaths are as devastating as my friend’s death from septic shock brought on by pneumonia. These women also leave behind families, friends and futures cut tragically short.

Abortions carry risks including blood clots, heavy bleeding, cuts, tears, perforations, and infection.

Simply being in a healthcare facility carries risk: Roughly 4.5 infections occur for every 100 hospital admissions, a risk that extends to office-based surgical suites and free-standing surgical centers. Still, given the tens of millions of abortions performed since Roe v. Wade, the procedure is remarkably safe.

Didn’t we decide this already?

It feels like we just had this conversation about admitting privileges, in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. There, the Supreme Court struck down Texas’ dual regulation of abortion — an admitting-privileges requirement and a requirement that abortion clinics meet the physical-plant rules for ambulatory surgical centers. The court held that both requirements imposed an undue burden on a women’s right to seek a pre-viability abortion.

Like Louisiana, Texas required physicians to “have active admitting privileges at a hospital that … is located not further than 30 miles from the location at which the abortion is performed or induced.” Previously Texas required that a physician have privileges or a relationship with a physician who does. Texas justified the stricter requirement as “help[ing] ensure that women have easy access to a hospital should complications arise during an abortion procedure.”

The rub: Statistics and testimony showed it is “extremely unlikely that a patient will experience a serious complication at the clinic that requires emergent hospitalization.” Instead, most complications “occur in the days after the abortion, not on the spot.”

Abortion-rights advocates skewered Texas for requiring abortion providers to have privileges while ignoring dentists, cosmetic surgeons and other providers whose patients also experience complications.

And at oral argument Texas’ attorneys could not cite a “single instance in which the new requirement would have helped even one woman obtain better treatment.”

The requirement erected a “substantial obstacle in the path of a woman’s choice.” Why? Because some Texas hospitals will not extend privileges unless the physician admits so many patients per year. Indeed a physician who had “delivered over 15,000 babies” across 38 years “was unable to get admitting privileges at any of the seven hospitals within 30 miles of his clinic.” The Supreme Court ultimately concluded that “the record contains sufficient evidence that the admitting-privileges requirement led to the closure of half of Texas’ clinics.”

All eyes on Kavanaugh

Already, observers are reading the tea leaves about whether the Supreme Court’s new composition will affect the outcome in June Medical.

In a striking dissent from the grant of the stay, Justice Brett Kavanaugh emphasized the “intensely factual” question of physician admitting privileges.

Because the law had not taken effect, he observed, “the parties have offered, in essence, competing predictions about whether those three doctors can obtain admitting privileges”:

Louisiana has three clinics that currently provide abortions. As relevant here, four doctors perform abortions at those three clinics. One of those four doctors has admitting privileges at a nearby hospital, as required by the new law. The question is whether the other three doctors—Doe 2, Doe 5, and Doe 6—can obtain the necessary admitting privileges. If they can, then the three clinics could continue providing abortions. And if so, then the new law would not impose an undue burden for purposes of Whole Woman’s Health. By contrast, if the three doctors cannot obtain admitting privileges, then one or two of the three clinics would not be able to continue providing abortions. If so, then even the State acknowledges that the new law might be deemed to impose an undue burden for purposes of Whole Woman’s Health.

The district court concluded that the three doctors likely could not obtain admitting privileges and enjoined the law. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit concluded they could and lifted the injunction.

Facts will matter, as will the justification for the law

Already, two courts have made wildly different predictions about Louisiana’s law — based on facts surmised in a facial challenge.

The 5th Circuit chalked up the possibility that a physician might struggle to get privileges to the physician’s own “intervening … failure to apply for privileges in a reasonable manner.” The “almost-universal requirement” by Texas hospitals that their medical staff “maintain minimum annual admissions” operated as “a per se bar.” But here:

There is an insufficient basis in the record to conclude that the law has prevented most of the doctors from gaining admitting privileges. Similarly, any clinic closures that result from the doctors’ inaction cannot be attributed to Act 620.

What drives admitting privileges?

Importantly, Louisiana’s legislature offered a different spin on requiring admitting privileges. It heard testimony that Louisiana women experiencing complications “had been treated harshly by the provider.” A patient who “began to hemorrhage, [was told] ‘to get up and get out.’”

For Louisiana lawmakers, admitting privileges were crucial not only for responding to complications, but also for ensuring “continuity of care, qualifications, communication, and preventing abandonment of patients.” This meant all patients. Louisiana’s requirement brought abortion providers “into the same set of standards that apply to physicians providing similar types of services in [ambulatory surgical centers].”

Admitting privileges have long operated to bind patients to their physician: When a person seen in the emergency room is admitted to the hospital, their primary-care physician takes over their care, assuming that physician has privileges. This both ensures continuity of care and avoids patient abandonment. It makes good on the duty of physicians to follow through in caring for patients during the spell of illness. It also prevents hospitals from poaching every emergency-room patient who is regularly seen by a member of the hospital’s medical staff.

The weakness of this traditional model is obvious: Not everyone has a primary-care physician and not everyone gets sick near their physician’s hospital. Over time, hospitalists developed to admit patients to the hospital when their own primary-care doctors could not. But that development has largely passed Louisiana by. Although the number of hospitalists in the U.S. has grown from 10,000 in 2003 to over 50,000 in 2016, in 2013, Louisiana had the lowest number of hospitalists in the country. This places an even greater premium on one’s physician having privileges somewhere.

Some reflexively assume that Louisiana hospitals, many of which are religiously affiliated, will deny privileges to doctors who perform abortions. After all, Louisiana, like Texas, is a stronghold for opposition to abortion. Louisiana is a heavily Catholic state.

Although requirements for admitting privileges differ from institution to institution, the one thing facilities that receive certain federal funds cannot do is “discriminate” against physicians based upon their religious or moral beliefs about abortion. These conscience protections have insulated physicians who want to do abortions in their private offices or clinics from losing their livelihoods, just as they protect abortion objectors.

What does all this mean?

Perplexingly, few people seem to be asking these fact-dependent questions. Instead, ideology about abortion seems to drive how many view Louisiana’s law.

If Louisiana’s law could prevent the kind of loss I recently experienced, I think many people would approach it with an open mind. But without a thicker factual record– without more from lawmakers about the value and feasibility of the physician-privileges requirement or, at this juncture, without waiting to see whether the doctors can in fact obtain admitting privileges and what effect this has on access–it is hard to tell whether Louisiana’s law will actually do that.

And that is part of the problem. In what remains the most divisive conflict in America, lawmakers would do well to develop the facts instead of asking for our blind trust.

***

Past cases linked to in this post:

Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973) Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, 136 S. Ct. 2292 (2016)

The post Symposium: The “intensely factual” question of physicians’ admitting privileges appeared first on SCOTUSblog.

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[blog-concrete-paver-molds]

A Purchased Concrete Paver Molds Production

He provides that he finished far rapidly than he expected and that the stroll maker is easy to scrub afterward. A reviewer also states that the concrete path kind works exceptionally well and that he made a 400 ft patio with it without encountering any issues. He extremely recommends it as the best stroll maker obtainable. If you're searching for a method to make a stone path rapidly, you may contemplate this stroll maker offered by Quikrete. Users love the standard of the mildew, however some do notice that the form arrived broken. The Kenley authentic path maker measures 17” x 17” x 1.6”, and it contains a weight of 2.9 kilos, 9-stone patterns for patios and driveways, and a PP resin development see the full article.

You can play with this by including water to help mute the colour. Blend these colors into the stone and into one another the means in which you might with a watercolor painting. If your pigment is a powder, then combine some water in with it. In addition, for every colour you've, you should also have one cup of water, plus you may discover it useful to have another further cup of water. Round them somewhat, and push them inward to create extra of a curve if you'd like. Now go ahead and add the charcoal colorant to the remaining mix you had separated and blend it in nicely.

Creates an effect of cracked concrete paver molds ice on concrete paving slabs. Choose a concrete combination best suited for replica of your stepping stone and properly combine it. We had some SureCrete Xtreme Concrete Mix laying around our store, so we used it for the purposes of this demonstration. Carefully pour the rubber into one corner of the mould box and permit it to flow across the mannequin. Pour rubber into rubber; avoid pouring rubber instantly onto the model. Do not scrape the edges of the bucket as you pour as unmixed materials tends to cling the sides of the blending container.

A purchaser also states that the Kenley mould is made from high quality materials and that it works perfectly. However, some prospects have complained that the Quikrete mold is overpriced and that it’s messy to use it. Some customers additionally noted that an eighty lb bag of concrete was too much and they advise that you simply use a 60 lb combine.

Though we now have many forms of concrete molds, can also produce it by your requirement. Creates a cobble design in 4 rows of 4 on concrete paving slabs. Creates a small cobble design in 5 rows of 5 on concrete paving slabs. Creates a crazy paving design on concrete paving slabs. Creates a diamond cobble design on concrete paving slabs.

Shop a wide selection of mold making materials, including latex, silicone, and more. One reviewer advised us that they added coloring and mortar mix in order that the completed patio would have enhanced traction- and even supplemented with some glass beads for a sparkling appearance. The producers say that you do not actually must lubricate the mold previous to pouring in cement, in contradiction to other reviewers who've ceaselessly suggested that that is the case. However, some clients have complained that it’s not very straightforward to use the random path for and that it’s onerous to maneuver.

Of course, you don’t should make concrete stepping stones that look natural. You can comply with much of this tutorial and make regular round stones, using the same stepping stone mold I used for these. If you make a concrete stepping stone mildew after which install them separately you’re going to should level the bottom first. This is because the underside of the mould would have been flat.

Diy Driveway Garden Pavement Brick Mildew Cellular Paving Stone Mildew

Concrete Success options a extensive variety of mildew shapes to create interlocking patio stones as nicely as stones for backyard paths. With so many molds to choose from, you are certain to search out one which matches your backyard. Since adding stones and pavers takes time and effort, and the outcomes aren't simply moved as quickly as they're put in, take your time to pick out the proper appear and feel on your garden. In right now's world of huge field home and backyard shops and smaller specialty garden centers, you may marvel why utilizing a mold to make concrete pavers is better than shopping for ready-made pavers.

As properly, when you solely want to use one square part of the mold, you'll have the ability to add the concrete simply to that using a small carton like a espresso can. A professional contractor informed us that after the entire concrete has set, it's a good suggestion to do some stress washing on the finished stone patio and apply some semi-transparent stain. You'll wish to fill-in any gaps and crevices between the stones with sand and use some black weed block previous to laying within the concrete to guarantee that weeds do not become a nuisance. Concrete is porous and is vulnerable to stains like leaf stains.

If you feel a reference price is inaccurate or deceptive please report it with the URL for the listing to report- Whether you need a driveway cutter, hydraulic side skirts, adjustable side partitions, or even changing profiles, Miller Formless can design a mildew to swimsuit your slipforming needs. These molds can be utilized tons of of occasions if cared for per instructions.

Tap the mildew together with your hand to eliminate any air bubbles.

In most situations, controlling the moisture, rather than the mud, is much extra desirable.

The path was already there however was coated in pebbles, so I shoveled all the unfastened pebbles out the areas I would be placing the stones.

Color the concrete and mould it into the form of actual fieldstones or flagstones. [newline]A main side to the manufacturing of concrete pavers or blocks would be the durability of the mildew being used.

Immediately after pouring, spray Pol-Ease 2300 Release Agent throughout the floor of the liquid rubber to assist take away surface air bubbles.

The distinctive mould manufacturing technology utilized by Lammers leads to concrete molds which last longer and constantly produce the highest quality products. The most likely place to make use of concrete pavers is the garden pathway. Choosing pavers for walkways provides a sublime contact to backyard pathways. Depending on what sizes, shapes and colors of stepping stones and pavers you choose, you probably can add an air of ritual or nation charm to the backyard path.

For an attractive natural-stone stroll, do this DIY information exhibiting you the means to build a bluestone path. Watch along here as Roger walks you thru developing a brick patio. For most of his patio design ideas, This Old House landscaping contractor Roger Cook favors 1 ½- to 2-inch-thick bluestone, a tough sandstone quarried in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont. Mankind has called the hearth home for the centuries, it's true, but today persons are going ultra-retro and getting their warmth from stone-walled pits set into the earth. On cool summer time nights, you presumably can soften marshmallows and nibble s'mores when you lounge in an Adirondack chair, ft propped up on the rock ledge.

Established in 2000, PIM plastic mildew firm provides design of plastics, contract plastic mildew making, and customized injection molding service. It employed 15 people with a 500 sq. meters plant in Huangyan, a so-called Chinese mold town with over three thousand Chinese plastics firms and manufacturer. The final reusable concrete walk mold we examined is the Scepter Pathmate mildew. It supplies a random sample engineered to allow contractors and amateurs alike the power to shortly layout attractive-looking pathways, guaranteeing random designs for curved walkway paths.

Keep the trowel at a slight angle and just sweep it backwards and forwards. If this is easiest for you then go forward and simply pour it directly into the mould. It will most likely be best should you combine what you suppose you’ll need for the entire stone, but separate a piece that would be the prime ½”.

Our High Pick: The Quikrete Walkmaker

The Pathmate Paving Stone Mold provides an ideal approach to mold a walkway in a yard with pace and effectivity. It's constructed of a plastic material that is out there in black colour. This paving stone mildew options various shapes and sizes so you will get artistic together with your pavers. It can be reused after cleaning so you could make as many as you need. This concrete paver mould permits you to design your own path with numerous colors and designs.

The concrete paving mildew measures 17.12” x 17.12” x 1.57”, and it features heavy-duty, plastic development. This nation stone sample stroll maker is a Chinese-made choice designed to create engaging patios, courtroom yards, and walks. All you should do is fill the mould with a concrete combine, easy the floor and then remove mould. Such as plastic paving molds, plastics grass brick molds, curb stone molds, slope safety molds, concrete slat molds and so forth.

Paver Molds For Concrete, Lot Of 14 Interlocking Octagon Patio,walkway,Backyard

Suzerain Ltd is a provider of high-density polypropylene paver moulds and accessories used for paver brick manufacturing. Allow the concrete to set for a maximum of five minutes, then rigorously take away the mould. For the following stretch, rotate the mildew a quarter-turn and place it beside the paver simply accomplished, angling barely when you're creating a curving pathway.

To simplify my quantities, I figured I had the equivalent of 9 giant stepping stones. The strategies are actually fairly easy, however since the concrete is heavy to cope with and this project would require a lot of crouching and squatting on the ground. If you’re not satisfied about making your personal stepping stones, then take a glance at my article discussing all the pros and cons of constructing stepping stones vs. buying them and having them put in. A reference value is supplied by the seller of the item . Percentage off and financial savings amounts are primarily based on the vendor's reference price. The reference value can give you an indication of the worth of the product butsome shops might promote the item for lower than the reference value.

As we previously mentioned- when you have a large project to do, you may wish to rent a cement mixer quite than hand-mixing the concrete. Buyers advise to purchase multiple of these walker maker molds at a time to make the job go easier- laying out multiple molds at a time. So the subsequent most efficient method of blending the concrete combine is to make use of a bucket and a drill with a particular concrete mixing bit. The info on the bag of the concrete mix should provide this info, but when not, you probably can often find that info on the manufacturer’s website. And be sure you do a check patch first to ensure it doesn’t change the color or darken the concrete stones in any undesired means.

In general, customers are extraordinarily happy with the functionality and usefulness of the Pathmate random stone mold. A purchaser feedback that he made a 16 ft path very quickly and that you have to wait only two minutes earlier than eradicating the frame. He also says that the form is sturdy and light-weight, and he recommends that you buy two for comfort.

Our paving stone molds are made out of the liquid rubber that hardens to mould and recreate all pure stone texture and grain detail. The first stepping stone mould we study is manufactured by Quikrete- it is a Chinese made walker maker designed to build out patios, walks and courtyards. All you want to do is fill the mold in with a concrete mix, smooth surface, after which remove the walker maker mold.

In addition to being highly sturdy, stamped concrete doesn’t include any gaps or grooves that pesky weeds can development by way of, making your path safer and more aesthetically pleasing. Stamped concrete walkways are relatively maintenance-free, only requiring sealing every few years to take care of the color and texture of the walkway. Stamped concrete is also significantly less prone than other materials to the frost freeze cycle widespread in colder climates. We use actual stone molds to give your walkways the same look and texture solely present in nature, and can customized colorize to your choice. Stamped Ashlar Pattern Walkway with Brick Stamped decorative concrete patterns pair properly with other hardscapes, such as brick, and can be colored to enrich your exteriors.

Instead of wearing a path into the grass, join spaces purposefully with a stone walkway. Watch TOH landscaper Roger Cook work with a home owner to make a flagstone walkway in a day’s time. For a patio well price the view, let a fence, hedge, or facade function a wall, and a pergola, tree cover, or wide umbrella as a roof. Then furnish your outdoor room for eating, entertaining, or gathering around a fire. With all the brilliant thing about a well-manicured garden however without the maintenance, a stone patio makes a sublime addition to any home.

It may be washed off with water after the mold making course of. If you've a very porous mannequin, like the one in this tutorial, you may have to use a couple of coat of Poly PVA Solution. We applied two coats of this sealer, waiting for it to dry (~ 1 hour) in between coats and earlier than transferring on to the next steps.

[thesevillereport]

In Focus: IPO Hopes and Disappointments

It looks like the markets are finally getting it, the Airbnb IPO. After years of sitting, waiting, and hoping it's almost here, supposedly. The company filed it's paperwork to go public back in August, and recent chatter suggests that the company will go public in November or December of this year.

The last several years have been an interesting time for Airbnb. Since 2017 it's constantly appeared on lists of the top companies coming public during the year, but it never quite makes it to the public markets. In 2019 it appeared all set to go public, but the disappointing initial public offerings by Lyft and then Uber made going public a tough go in the first half of 2019. The back half of 2019 was shaped by the infamous WeWork debacle. Eventually 2019 became the year of the overhyped unicorn, and Airbnb looked to 2020.

Early 2020 would be no better in terms of going public. The global coronavirus pandemic stopped unnecessary travel in its tracks and caused a real strain on Airbnb and many entrepreneurs who rent spaces through Airbnb. At one point, the talk of Wall Street wasn't about Airbnb's IPO, it was about whether Airbnb could survive as a company through the pandemic.

The middle of a pandemic was not an ideal time to go public. The expectation was that investors would hoard their cash and ride out the pandemic, which would make securing capital difficult for Airbnb and others, but luckily for Airbnb and others, the U.S. Federal Reserve decided to prop up the markets / economy, making investment dollars a little bit easier to get a hold of during the pandemic, and Airbnb was saved.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, going back to May 2019, Airbnb was valued at over $35 billion, which was more than Hilton, $25 billion at the time and Expedia, $18 billion at the time. But in the early stages of the pandemic Airbnb's valuation took a major hit, dropping to $18 billion in April 2020.

What the Bulls Say

While the current economy isn't booming and the conditions don't appear to be their rosiest, there are still professionals making a bull case for Airbnb.

Nilay Patel, Editor-in Chief at Verge, stated to CNBC that the pandemic may have helped Airbnb reinvent their business for the better. Patel pointed to the exodus from urban areas to more rural areas in the U.S. for work and leisure. Santosh Rao of Manhattan Venture Partners noted in his interview to CNBC that travel is picking up, and travelers are looking for locations they can drive to to get away.

What the Bears Say

But not everyone is as in love with Airbnb as they once were. Some people have pointed to the company being forced to go public in a climate that is less than ideal due to expiring employee stock options, a move that would help insiders but hurt investors who purchase shares in the open market. Then there is the current economic environment, which isn't great. Also, the coronavirus is still with us, and its spread is expected to pick up as the U.S. and other parts of the world get colder.

Now is the Time

Now is the time for Airbnb to go public. The company has been EBITDA positive in the past and has the market share and mindshare for its target sector. Can you name an Airbnb competitor off hand that is not a hotel? Then there is the shift to domestic travel and getaways that people can drive to. This plays even in a pandemic, as it's not so much about the differences in regulations between places like Maine and NYC, but it's about the availability of space that is so limited in urban communities. To be able to drive to a suburban location with a backyard or near a large field where you can social distance but not feel as confined as you would in a typical suburban city is a play for Airbnb.

This may not be an ideal time for Airbnb to go public, but it is a great time for investors to see the company go public. Investors are going to see a cheaper stock price for Airbnb than they would have back in 2019 or early 2020.

There is value here. The coronavirus may be with us for several years, but it wont be with us forever. If Airbnb does decide to go public smart investors will take advantage of the situation, buying Airbnb cheap and holding it for the long term. When companies like Airbnb meet situations like a global pandemic the natural impulse is to avoid, and wait until things get better. The thing is, when things start getting better, when those data points start turning positive, by the time they trickle out to the average investor Wall Street will have already bid the stock up.

I'm not a big fan of buying IPOs or newly public companies, but I'd make an exception in the case of Airbnb.

Palantir

Palantir is another one of those companies that constantly made the top companies to go public lists over the past few years, but never quite found its way to the public markets Now it's finally a public company and currently sitting at $9.20 per share with a $20 billion valuation.

The stock went public on September 30, 2020 and hit the market at $10.00 per share, once available to the public the stock hit a high of $11.41 per share, and then slowly faded from there.

The shroud of darkness that hangs over Palantir is thick. Links to Donald Trump, the FBI, local authorities, and ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) have turned many investors off. On the other side of that it's been rumored to have helped with locating Bin Laden, the company has never confirmed or denied the rumor.

The company has been in business for 17 years and has relied mainly on government contracts for its revenue but that is changing. Currently, 53% of the company's revenue comes from commercial customers.

Both Airbus and BP have taken advantage of Palantir's services, Airbus used Palantir to help it respond to manufacturing problems and is said to have helped accelerate the production of the Airbus A350. BP used Palantir to analyze drilling data, which led to increased production in the North Sea.

Wall Street and Main Street's Confusion

Another reason of the many reasons that investors haven't fully embraced Palantir's stock is because investors don't have a comparable company to link it to. Wall Street still isn't sure if the company is a low margin consulting company or a fast growing SaaS company.

Roger Monteforte, one of Palantir's early investors even stated upon his initial investment that he saw the company as a consulting firm.

Without a solid comp Wall Street doesn't know what box to place Palantir in, and so it stays away and watches from the sidelines. Even though Monteforte has now updated his outlook and believes that Palantir is a uniquely positioned SaaS.

I've Seen This Before

When Facebook went public in 2012, there were many that didn't know what to compare the social media company too. At that time on the brink of going public, Facebook was the furthest any social media company had travelled. Friendster never made it to the public markets and MySpace was private when it was purchased by News Corp for $580 million.

Many people, myself included, were confused by the Facebook business model, and Wall Street and Main Street's confusion caused Facebook to trade down to around $14 per share after it's IPO. Now trading at over $250 per share, Facebook has gained 1700% off of its post IPO low.

Similar to Facebook, what Palantir specializes in is data. Its software wrangles lots of data and makes it actionable for governments and companies. Palantir is unlike the software companies that Wall Street has become accustomed to valuing like Slack, Zoom, or Salesforce.

Palantir is niche, it's targeting companies with $500 million in revenue, which is about 6,000 companies according to a CNBC report. It's software has been described as heavy by people familiar with the company's offerings. Palantir's software is not built to attract small start-ups, that's not where the company's focus rests at the current moment.

Despite a niche focus the company has been able to grow revenue, but has been unable to turn a profit even after 17 years in business. This is another reason Wall Street has watched from the sidelines and has not fully engaged yet.

However, Wall Street has bid Snowflake (SNOW) up to a $63 billion valuation and Crowdstrike (CRWD) up to a $30 billion valuation, and both companies reported less revenue than Palantir did in 2019, and both companies have yet to turn a profit, but Wall Street knows what box to put those companies in.

Don't be Confused

Palantir is a data play. Data, data, data, we've heard the words over and over and over again since 2014 when Wall Street realized what made Facebook and Google so valuable, But now it appears Wall Street has forgotten or is still confused.

My advice is don't be Wall Street, get in early, get in cheap. let Palantir show you how profitable the gathering of actionable data for governments and large companies can be. Palantir sees a $56 billion estimated market for its Foundry product geared towards commercial businesses and a $63 billion estimated market for it's Gotham offering geared towards governments, those are pretty sizable markets. If Palantir can continue taking bites out of those combined markets Wall Street will have to notice and invest no matter what box the company eventually ends up in.