#disaster planning and response

[optionalcausality]

Things that can be true at once:

Panic about the storm is quite possibly overblown.

By the time Hurricane Hilary reaches Southern California, it will actually be a Tropical Storm rather than at Hurricane strength.

Flash flooding will be a real danger for a very wide area.

Power outages will be a very real possibility for a significant area.

Non-flash floods will also be an issue for a while, with flooded roadways affecting travel and with delayed effects from waterways overrunning their banks.

Other areas will be affected significantly more badly, and will have fewer resources to deal with the situation.

There will still be cities / communities / families in Southern California that were in no way financially ready to handle the situation, and will suffer for it.

[optionalcausality]

Rewilding is one of those concepts that took me a while to even process. But it's likely to be really important in the coming centuries.

Protecting large swaths of Earth's land can help stem the tide of biodiversity loss—including for vertebrates like amphibians, reptiles, mammals and birds, according to a study published in Nature Sept. 27. The study, led by the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center (SERC) and Conservation International, emphasizes the importance of proper governance for the success of protected lands, and offers much-needed support for the United Nations' "30 by 30" initiative to conserve the world's biodiversity. Human activity has accelerated the natural extinction rate of vertebrates by 22 times. Such biodiversity loss can destabilize food webs and jeopardize the many benefits biodiversity provides to people, including crop pollination, healthy diets and disease control. "Humans are inextricably dependent on biodiversity for survival," said Justin Nowakowski, SERC conservation biologist and lead author of the study. "It provides food, fuel, fiber and other ecosystem services that we depend on for life."

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[hylianengineer]

Me, on the website of yet another organization that does events I'd like to go to: this is a terrible idea. I will never have the spoons to do this thing and the emails will just make me sad that I can't go

Also me: *signs up for the email list anyway*

[ajaydmr]

Global Disaster Preparedness Systems Market 2025: Industry Size, Share, Growth Factors & Forecast

In today’s volatile world—marked by rising climate emergencies, cyber threats, and public health crises—the Disaster Preparedness Systems Market is gaining significant traction. It offers advanced technologies and solutions that help governments, institutions, and industries prepare for, respond to, and recover from unforeseen disasters.

Market Overview

The global disaster preparedness market is projected to reach USD 415.4 billion by 2032, expanding at a robust CAGR of 9.2%. From early warning systems and communication tools to recovery planning and consulting services, this market supports every phase of disaster management.

It addresses a wide range of hazards—natural disasters such as floods, wildfires, and earthquakes, as well as man-made crises like cyberattacks and infrastructure failures.

What’s Driving the Growth?

Climate Change: Extreme weather events and natural calamities are occurring more frequently and with greater intensity.

Digital Vulnerability: Cybersecurity threats and IT failures have pushed businesses to adopt comprehensive disaster recovery plans.

Compliance and Regulation: Stricter policies in sectors like BFSI are fueling demand for structured disaster preparedness frameworks.

Key Market Segments

✔ Surveillance Systems

Commanding 37.15% of the market share in 2023, these systems provide critical real-time data to support early intervention, threat detection, and post-event analysis.

✔ Disaster Recovery Solutions

Crucial for business continuity, these tools ensure organizations can rapidly restore operations, protect data, and maintain compliance during emergencies.

✔ Emergency Response Radars

These technologies lead the communication segment, offering precision alerts and enhancing emergency coordination during fast-moving crises.

✔ Consulting Services

With the highest share in the services category, consulting helps businesses build customized disaster strategies, conduct risk assessments, and align with evolving regulatory standards.

✔ BFSI Sector Leadership

Due to its critical economic role, the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) industry is a major user of disaster preparedness systems, ensuring security of operations and customer data.

Regional Outlook

North America remains the leading region due to its strong investment in infrastructure and emergency technologies.

Asia-Pacific and Europe are emerging as high-growth regions driven by increased awareness, climate-related vulnerabilities, and regional collaborations.

Competitive Landscape

Top players like IBM, Siemens, Honeywell, and Motorola Solutions are driving innovation with AI, IoT, and smart analytics. Strategic partnerships with governments and public agencies continue to expand their global footprint and solution offerings.

Impact of COVID-19 and Recession

The COVID-19 pandemic reshaped global priorities, placing disaster preparedness at the forefront of infrastructure and digital planning. Even amid economic challenges, organizations are prioritizing investments in technologies that ensure safety, continuity, and resilience.

Recent Developments

December 2023 – Yukon’s government launched 42 new disaster-readiness and sustainability projects under its Our Clean Future strategy.

December 2023 – Education Cannot Wait allocated a $2.8M grant to the Global Education Cluster to improve preparedness in emergency education.

September 2023 – Google launched an Earthquake Alert System in India for Android, using accelerometers in smartphones and developed with NDMA and NSC.

June 2023 – The World Bank introduced Climate Resilient Debt Clauses and a comprehensive toolkit for disaster response and financing.

April 2023 – WHO’s PRET Initiative was rolled out to improve pandemic response strategies through transmission-specific planning.

Who Should Engage with This Market?

Government agencies responsible for disaster planning and emergency services

Corporations focused on business continuity, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance

Technology providers and consultants building intelligent response and recovery tools

Explore the Report

📥 Request a Free Sample Copy: https://dimensionmarketresearch.com/report/disaster-preparedness-systems-market/request-sample/

🛒 Buy the Full Report: https://dimensionmarketresearch.com/checkout/disaster-preparedness-systems-market/

Final Thoughts

As the risks facing our world grow more complex, disaster preparedness is no longer optional—it’s essential. The Disaster Preparedness Systems Market is enabling smarter, faster, and more reliable crisis management strategies, shaping a safer and more resilient global future.

[leafunia]

🕊️ The Tragic Crash of Air India Flight AI171 – A Moment of Reflection for Future Leaders

On June 12th, 2025, tragedy struck the skies over Ahmedabad. Air India flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London Gatwick, crashed shortly after takeoff from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. The aircraft slammed into a residential area, including a medical college and hostel, claiming the lives of nearly everyone on board — 241 out of 242 — and causing devastation on the ground.

The aftermath, captured in heartbreaking footage by BBC News, shows rescue teams, emergency services, and local authorities navigating a scene of utter chaos. The crash not only cut short countless lives, but also left medical professionals, students, and families traumatized in its wake.

This moment is a stark reminder of how crucial emergency planning, leadership, and organizational responsibility are — areas that are deeply analyzed in professional courses like the CIPD. Students and professionals studying people management, crisis leadership, and health & safety in the workplace will find that real-world tragedies like this add profound context to their academic journey.

If you're struggling to keep up with your coursework during such emotionally charged times or need support balancing practical insight with theoretical depth, you can get trusted CIPD Assignment Help to stay on track.

Let’s not just mourn — let’s also learn, reflect, and build a future where better preparedness and leadership might save lives.

[asestimationsconsultants]

Cybersecurity Considerations in Cloud-Based Estimating Service Platforms

Introduction The rapid adoption of cloud-based tools in industries like construction, manufacturing, and engineering has revolutionized how businesses handle estimating services. Cloud-based estimating service platforms provide immense benefits, such as accessibility, collaboration, and real-time updates, which help companies improve efficiency and reduce costs. However, the increased use of these platforms also raises significant cybersecurity concerns. Protecting sensitive data, ensuring platform reliability, and maintaining secure access are all critical components of ensuring the success of cloud-based estimating services.

This article will explore the cybersecurity considerations that organizations must take into account when utilizing cloud-based estimating services. We will highlight the importance of robust security measures, best practices for mitigating risks, and the role of the cloud service provider in safeguarding data.

Understanding the Cybersecurity Risks in Cloud-Based Estimating Services Cloud-based estimating services store vast amounts of sensitive information, including cost estimates, project budgets, pricing data, and contract details. This data is crucial for project planning, and its loss or theft could result in financial, legal, or reputational damage. The cybersecurity risks in cloud platforms include data breaches, unauthorized access, data manipulation, and service outages that can disrupt operations.

Hackers and cybercriminals may target cloud-based estimating services to access proprietary cost data, sensitive client information, or intellectual property. This makes cloud security a critical concern for businesses that rely on these services. Additionally, the remote nature of cloud access increases the potential for data exposure, especially if users access the platform from unsecured devices or networks.

Choosing a Secure Cloud Service Provider One of the first steps in ensuring cybersecurity for cloud-based estimating services is selecting a reliable cloud service provider (CSP) that prioritizes security. Reputable CSPs offer advanced security features, including end-to-end encryption, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and continuous monitoring of their networks. They should also comply with industry standards and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), depending on the industry.

Before selecting a CSP, organizations should thoroughly evaluate the provider’s security protocols, certifications, and track record. It’s also important to assess the provider’s ability to scale security measures as your business grows. A strong partnership with a reputable provider ensures that security is embedded into the platform from the ground up.

Data Encryption and Secure Storage Data encryption is one of the most effective measures for securing sensitive information in cloud-based estimating platforms. By encrypting data both during transmission and at rest, companies can ensure that even if hackers intercept the data, they cannot access or misuse it.

In addition to encryption, secure storage practices are crucial for protecting estimating data. Cloud service providers should store data in secure data centers equipped with physical security measures, such as biometric access controls, surveillance, and disaster recovery plans. These physical and digital safeguards help protect against both cyber threats and natural disasters.

User Access Control and Authentication Controlling user access is another essential aspect of cybersecurity in cloud-based estimating services. Businesses must establish strict user access protocols to ensure that only authorized personnel can access sensitive project data and cost estimates. This includes defining user roles, limiting permissions, and requiring strong authentication methods.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a powerful tool for enhancing access security. By requiring users to provide additional verification, such as a code sent to their mobile device, alongside their username and password, MFA ensures that only legitimate users can access the platform.

Organizations should also regularly review and update user access permissions to ensure that former employees or contractors do not retain access to sensitive information after their engagement ends.

Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Plans Data loss is a major risk for businesses relying on cloud-based estimating services. Whether due to a cyber attack, natural disaster, or technical failure, losing critical estimating data can severely disrupt project timelines and budget management. Therefore, having a solid data backup and disaster recovery plan is crucial.

Cloud-based platforms should offer automated data backups to prevent loss of estimates and other project information. It is important for businesses to regularly test their backup systems and ensure that data can be quickly recovered in the event of an incident. The disaster recovery plan should also outline clear steps for restoring access to the platform, rebuilding project estimates, and ensuring continuity of operations.

Monitoring and Incident Response Continuous monitoring of the cloud environment is essential for detecting potential security threats. Cloud service providers should implement real-time threat detection systems to identify unusual activities, such as unauthorized access attempts or unusual data transfers. Monitoring tools can also track user behaviors, alert administrators about security anomalies, and provide insights into potential vulnerabilities.

In addition to monitoring, businesses should have a clear incident response plan in place. This plan outlines the steps to take in the event of a cyberattack, such as isolating affected systems, notifying affected parties, and coordinating with cybersecurity experts. A well-defined response plan helps minimize the impact of a security breach and ensures that the organization can recover quickly.

Employee Training and Security Awareness Even with the best technology in place, human error remains one of the largest cybersecurity risks. Employees who are unaware of security best practices may inadvertently compromise data by clicking on phishing emails, using weak passwords, or accessing the platform from unsecured devices.

To mitigate this risk, organizations should provide regular cybersecurity training to all employees who use cloud-based estimating services. Training should cover topics such as identifying phishing attempts, using strong and unique passwords, and securing devices. A culture of cybersecurity awareness helps reduce the chances of a successful attack and empowers employees to play an active role in protecting company data.

Compliance and Regulatory Requirements Depending on the industry, businesses using cloud-based estimating services must comply with various regulations related to data security and privacy. For instance, the construction industry may need to adhere to data protection laws, while healthcare-related estimating services might be subject to HIPAA regulations.

Cloud service providers should be transparent about their compliance with these regulations, and businesses should ensure that they understand their obligations when using cloud-based platforms. By partnering with a provider that meets the required compliance standards, companies can avoid legal and financial penalties while safeguarding their data.

Conclusion As cloud-based estimating services become increasingly integral to project planning and execution, securing sensitive data and protecting against cybersecurity threats are paramount concerns. Organizations must take proactive measures, such as selecting reputable service providers, implementing data encryption, controlling user access, and creating robust backup and disaster recovery plans. With a focus on cybersecurity, companies can confidently leverage cloud-based estimating services while minimizing the risk of data breaches and service disruptions.

By investing in the right security tools, maintaining ongoing monitoring, and ensuring employee awareness, businesses can strengthen the cybersecurity of their cloud-based estimating platforms and protect the valuable data that drives their projects forward.

[justposting1]

Weather Preparedness and Safety: Essential Guide for Hurricanes and Wildfires

Weather Preparedness and Safety: Essential Guide for Hurricanes and Wildfires Weather-related disasters, such as hurricanes and wildfires, pose significant threats to life, property, and the environment. Preparing for these events is crucial to ensure the safety of your family and home. This article delves into how to effectively prepare for a Category 4 hurricane, the best survival kits for…

[rypulmedia]

Emergency Preparedness: Essential Guide for Readiness

Did you know over 60% of American households aren’t ready for a disaster? This shows how important emergency preparedness is for safety and resilience. In today’s world, having a plan for crisis management is key. It helps communities respond well to emergencies. Being ready is more than just reacting. It’s about planning, training, and having the right supplies ready. The disaster survival guide…

[optionalcausality]

For US folks, any recommendations for stocking up in the near future?

The list so far is brief, but:

- vanilla, tea, coffee

- bay leaves maybe, we do grow a fair amount in California

Any thoughts on this appreciated.

[kyreniacommentator]

Iskele Response To Disasters Planning Meeting Held

Iskele Response To Disasters Planning Meeting Held An Expanded District Safety Board Meeting was held in İskele within the scope of the AFAD Operation Canters Exercise on responding to disasters that may occur within the borders of our country. Continue reading Iskele Response To Disasters Planning Meeting Held

[ismailfazil1-blog]

Top Earthquake Safety Tips: What to Do Before, During, and After a Quake

Earthquakes are unpredictable natural disasters that can strike without warning, causing significant damage and loss of life. While we cannot prevent earthquakes, we can take proactive measures to ensure our safety and minimize the impact when they occur. This article provides essential information on earthquake safety, including preparation tips, actions to take during an earthquake, and steps to follow after the shaking stops.

[fawniswriting]

𝐝𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Synopsis: After a mission filled with close calls and bad decisions, the team comes home to find an even bigger threat waiting at the door—your wrath.

Warning(s): THUNDERBOLTS SPOILERS!!! platonic!thunderbolts x reader. no use of y/n. use of the nicknames doll, honey, and pretty girl. canon typical violence. descriptions of injuries. descriptions of explosion, gun use, etc. established relationship. profanities. kissing. VERY suggestive content (minors be advised). talks of having a baby. bucky being a little feral (very briefly). slightly hurt/comfort. basically bucky and reader being the parents of the group.

Word Count: 3.6k-ish

Author's Note: GUYS I saw this fanart on instagram and instantly knew that I had to write something inspired by it!!! I've been itching to post a thunderbolts fic since last week 😭 welcome back 2012-2014 era of avengers' tower fanfics ✨️ anyway I hope they're keeping the revolution hair for bucky in doomsday or else I swear I'm gonna RIOT!!! (I know seb's head is shaved rn but wigs exist yk 😔) don't forget to comment, like, and reblog loveliesss 🩷

Bucky Barnes Masterlist

Bucky Barnes doesn't understand a lot of things since he returned to society.

Cryptocurrency is one of them. Social media is another. Anything that involves more acronyms than actual words is an immediate no on his list.

Above all else, Bucky Barnes struggles to comprehend how exactly he became responsible for the group of walking disasters now hailed as earth's newest, mightiest heroes.

Looking at the pack of hellions in front of him, Bucky has serious doubts about that title.

Right in the middle of the tower's lobby, the Thunderbolts—the New Avengers now, apparently—are scattered like barbie dolls in the aftermath of a toddler's tantrum. John is standing against a column with a tight jaw, his left leg lifted gingerly, wrapped in a makeshift splint that looks suspiciously like someone's utility belt. Beside him, Yelena sits on the ground, legs sprawled in front of her as she cradles a bruised shoulder with an equally bruised hand. Alexei leans atop the front desk with a dried blood streaking down his temple, the young receptionist gone in fright the moment the team walked through the tower's entrance. Even Ava, usually one to disappear before debriefs, is visible for once, propped against the wall with her suit half-glitched and her expression blank.

Everyone is accounted for. Everyone is breathing. 

But they all look like they rolled down a hill of bad choices where they banged their heads at every rock.

The mission was supposed to be a quiet recon, a simple surveillance on a rumored underground tech sale in an abandoned shipyard, low risk with minimal engagement. But then someone—Bucky still doesn’t know who—decided that they could handle it. 

No heads-up. No plan. 

Just four impulsive thrill-seekers interrupting a high-stakes black market deal involving high-tech plasma rifles and an offended buyer with too many goons. 

By the time Bucky caught wind of what was happening, it was already chaos. He had to go in solo, extract the squad under heavy fire, disrupt the shipment, and reroute an entire response team of hostiles to avoid further catastrophe. They got out—just barely—and none of them seemed particularly eager to look him in the eye about it, especially after the thirty-minute tirade he launched into somewhere between fourth gear and a traffic jam.

From his place in front of the elevator, Bucky crosses his arms. “If any of you pull something like that again, you're all getting benched. Indefinitely.”

“What?!” Alexei roars.

Yelena scowls. “That’s ridiculous.”

“You don't get to make that call, Bucky,” John protests.

Ava nods. “We're not children. You can't just ground us whenever you feel like it.”

“Yeah?” Bucky laughs. Sarcastically. “Watch me, kid.”

As if on cue, the elevator arrives with a ding. Bucky gestures curtly towards the opening metal door. “Inside. Now.”

Reluctantly, the team shuffles in like a group of sheep being herded back into their pen for a much-needed nap time.

For a beat, the only sound that settles inside the cramped space is the low mechanical hum of the elevator ascending. 

That is until Ava decides to speak up.

“I’m just saying,” she begins, “it wasn’t like we meant to crash the deal. We were just improvising.”

“Improvising?” Bucky exclaims, glaring at her. “You call tossing a grenade into an active negotiation improvising?”

“It worked, didn’t it?” Yelena argues, crossing her arms. “Sort of.”

“Sort of?” Bucky screeches, his tone rising. “Walker nearly lost a leg!”

“It's just a sprain,” John clarifies. “Probably.”

“See? It's just a sprain!” Yelena repeats a little too cheerfully. “He'll be good as new in no time. Right, John?”

John nods, failing to conceal his wince when Yelena bumps her unharmed shoulder to his.

Bucky rubs his temples. “I can’t believe I’m in charge of you people.”

The elevator dings again at the top floor.

“You know,” Yelena says as the team stumbles out of the metal trapbox, “we technically stopped the deal. You're not giving us credit for that.”

“That’s because you weren't supposed to stop the deal. You were supposed to observe.”

“Back in my day, observe meant punch first, ask questions later,” Alexei quips.

Bucky lets out a scathing scoff that echoes through the air. “Right. Remind me again how many years you spent rotting in that Siberian prison, Alexei?”

“Well, that's not very nice,” John mutters.

“You know what else isn't nice, Walker?” Bucky growls. “Getting your asses lit up by dozens of machine guns because none of you seem to grasp the basic concept of following orders.”

The group swelters in a momentary silence.

“I mean, in our defense,” says Ava, “none of us actually got shot.”

Before Bucky can tell her off even further, a voice suddenly intercepts, “How fabulous! You guys didn't get shot? Geez, someone really should give you all a medal for that.”

The whole team stops in their tracks.

One by one, everyone turns their head towards the direction from which the voice has come. The view that greets them could probably send a perfectly healthy man straight into an early grave.

On the platform floor a few paces away, they find you standing with arms folded across your chest. Despite the bright lilt of your voice, your eyes are cutting as they assess the entire team with the judgement of a juror who has already decided on a guilty verdict. It's clear from your attire that you were freshly off work before going straight to the tower, and since everyone knows that you were supposed to be on a work trip to Philadelphia for at least another two days, it’s safe to assume that your ticket back was booked right around the time someone shouted “mission compromised!”.

It's a full ten seconds of shared disgrace before Yelena finally breaks the silence.

“You called her?” she hisses, landing an accusatory glare in Bucky’s direction.

“I did not.” Bucky scoffs. “And why does it matter if I did?”

“Bucky didn't call me,” you interject, your posture still rigid, your gaze still icy.

“Then who—no.” Yelena's eyes drift towards the kitchen, squinting as she takes in the figure trying to hide behind the doorway. “Bob.”

Ava snaps her head up. “Bob, you little shi—”

“That’s enough,” you jump in, moving sideways to conceal Bob from Ava's murderous line of sight. “He's got nothing to do with this. This is about you—all of you—and what a stupid, reckless, dangerous thing you just did.”

Under your scrutiny, the whole squad shifts like a pack of raccoons caught rummaging through the kitchen trash. The weight of your stare seems to age them all by a decade.

“I'm gonna give all of you two minutes to explain yourselves,” you declare, the authority in your tone indisputable. “And I already know what happened, so don't even think about trying to trick me.”

There is a lull in the air where everyone seemingly tries to process your demand.

When their mouths open again, what follows is not so much an explanation as it is a verbal dogpile. Everyone starts talking all at once—too loud, too fast, and entirely contradictory. John tries to lead with the logistics, only to be steamrolled by Alexei shouting something about creative liberty. Ava attempts to downplay the situation with a jovial “it was barely an explosion!” while Yelena throws her under the bus with a hasty “she started it!”. 

Bucky—standing to the side with the posture of a man watching his funeral getting turned into a Dollar Store circus—doesn’t even bother stepping in. He knows better. 

You hold up a single finger and the room quiets instantly, like someone pressing mute on a trashy sitcom argument. The stillness that follows is so heavy, even the lights begin to flicker in anticipation.

“But we got out fine!” Ava sputters, desperate to fill in the quietness, though her voice immediately thins when she adds, “Mostly.”

“Yeah! I mean, it's just a bruise here, a bruise there—everything's great.” Yelena grins.

Your sharp stare slides towards John, the lines between your eyebrows tightening as you take in the awkward angle of his injured leg. John nearly cowers under your piercing gaze.

“How bad is the damage?” you question, your voice booming throughout the surrounding space.

“What, this? Oh, it's not that bad. Probably just need to ice it then I'll be good as new—”

“Walker.”

It's hardly a secret that John is perhaps your least favorite person in that room, with you still clearly holding a grudge towards him for what happened with the Flag Smashers. The man is used to your constant cold shoulder by now. He expects it, even. More often than not, John finds himself wondering if you would ever warm up to him the way you have with the rest of the team.

And yet, as he now stands at the end of your long stare, John can't help but think that perhaps your silent treatment isn't really that bad. Especially if it means he doesn't have to be on the receiving end of the critical scrutiny you're currently aiming towards him.

The blond gulps.

“There's a forty percent chance it might be broken,” John admits. “But it's likely just dislocated. No big deal.”

You pinch the bridge of your nose.

“Get to the medbay and tell them to run a scan,” you command. “Alexei, go with him.”

“That's not necessa—”

The sharp glare you're sending him causes John's words to lodge in his throat.

Alexei springs right into action, steering John away from your ferocious perusal and back towards the elevator.

“C'mon, big guy,” Alexei bellows. “Let's go pay a visit to our doctor friends.”

As soon as the two men disappear into the elevator, your glower shifts towards the remaining two people standing behind Bucky. Yelena pretends to check her nails while Ava's eyes are roaming the ceiling with faux nonchalance, both a pathetic attempt to avoid the clear daggers in your stare. The ridiculousness would've made you chortle were you not livid beyond salvation right now.

“I want you two to go back to your rooms, clean yourselves up, and be back here in no more than thirty minutes,” you proclaim. “We'll continue our discussion after dinner.”

“Wait, hold on—”

“That's not—”

“Just go, you two,” Bucky interrupts, the blue in his eyes colder than the Arctic ocean. “That wasn't a request.”

The two figures slump in defeat, teetering towards the staircase with the speed of a turtle in a morning rush hour. You hear Yelena grumbling something in Russian under her breath, and you force yourself not to think about what the phrase might mean lest you want your skin to crawl in an even higher degree of vexation.

“Good gracious.” Bucky shakes his head.

Behind you, Bob emerges out of the kitchen, his shoulders drooping ever so slightly as he approaches you like a wounded kitten.

“They're mad at me, aren't they?” Bob murmurs. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you guys fight with each other.”

“It's not your fault, sweetie,” you assure him, extending your hand and offering a comforting squeeze around his palm. “They're just being idiots right now. You did good, okay? Give it a few hours and I promise you, they'll forget about this already.”

Bob nods solemnly, his voice quiet as he excuses himself and trudges towards the common area. You release a breath as you observe him diving head first onto the sofa, burying his face in the cushion like a Victorian widow fainting onto her chaise.

Turning around, your eyes lock with another pair in blue. The smile on Bucky's face grows as he takes you in, his arms opening with all the intention to collect you in his embrace. 

“Hey, doll. I've missed—”

“No. Stay right there.” You raise your palm, taking a step back. “I'm mad at you, too.”

Bucky blinks. 

He watches you turn around and walk away from him, his arms coming down limp by his sides before he scutters after your retreating form. Bucky lingers in the doorway as you move about the kitchen, taking out pots, knives, and pans while slamming the cabinet doors shut in the process. You don't even spare him a glance as you start retrieving fresh ingredients from the fridge.

“Honey?” he calls out, voice meek beneath the echo of your knife slicing through onions on the counter. “C'mon, doll, you're really not gonna talk to me?”

“No.”

The chopping continues.

Bucky rubs his face.

“You know I'm just as disappointed in them as you are, right?” he begins. “Swear to God, doll, I had nothing to do with this. Didn't even know what those rascals were planning ‘till I got the call from Alexei. Told ‘em off as soon as I extracted them outta there.”

“Hm.”

Sighing, Bucky takes a tentative step forward, then another, finally closing the distance when he's sure you wouldn't smack him across the head with the chopping board in your hand. His fingers find purchase around your elbow, halting your movements, the gentleness aching as he spins you around to face him. The knife and half-sliced onion lie dormant on the counter.

“Hey,” Bucky utters, so softly that the air nearly swallows the word whole. “Talk to me?”

You heave in a shaky breath, evading his eyes. “What's there to talk about? I told you I'm pissed.”

“Okay, that part I already got.” Bucky chuckles, brushing the back of his palm on your cheek. “Help me understand why? At least tell me how I can fix it, pretty girl. Hm?”

Your silence quivers at the edges, growing more brittle with each swipe of Bucky’s touch on your skin. The walls around your heart crumble under his infuriating tenderness.

“When Bob called and said the team had gone radio silent, I—” you pause, swallowing hard, “—I thought something terrible happened. I booked the first train out of Philly before I even hung up.”

Bucky stays quiet, watching you with careful eyes.

“I couldn’t reach anyone. Not John, not Yelena, not Ava, not Alexei—not you. And the longer I waited, the worse it got in my head. I pictured the mission going sideways. All of you gone.” You inhale sharply. “I pictured all of you coming home in body bags.”

Bucky's heart breaks at the shudder he feels running through your back. His soul is already mourning over the loss of light he would usually find shining so brightly out of your eyes. It makes him cling to you just a tad bit tighter.

“Bob finally called me again to tell me that you're all fine. That you're on your way back. But that's not the point, Bucky.” You look at him then, your fingers flexing. “The point is, I should've never heard about all of this from Bob in the first place. I should've heard it from you.”

Bucky's shoulders sink. “I didn't want you to worry.”

You shake your head, eyes burning with the threat of unshed tears. “But I do worry, Bucky! That’s the point. I worry every single time. The moment all of you step out of this building, I'm counting down the minutes until you guys return to me again. You can't shield me away from that.”

He steps closer, removing what little bit of distance between the two of you until all of your atoms are nearly merged as one. “You're right. You are. I should’ve called. Should've trusted that you'd want to know, even if it might scare you.”

“It did scare me,” you whisper. “And I didn’t want Bob’s voice telling me everything was okay. I wanted yours.”

“I’m sorry,” Bucky murmurs, his arms pulling you nearer. “No more leaving you out. I promise it’ll be me from now on. I'll tell you everything, doll. Always.”

A shuddering breath leaves your lungs, and just like that, you completely melt away under Bucky's touch. Your forehead drops against the line between his shoulder and chest, your fingers gripping his sides as though he was the very force keeping you tethered to earth. Meanwhile, Bucky's lips ghost over the top of your head, whispering sweet nothings, the contrasting temperature of his palms appeasing you with random patterns against your back.

“I don't know how this all started,” you confess. “I'm not sure when I began caring this much about those idiots, but I do. The thought of something happening to them—to you—to all of you…”

Bucky's arms tighten around your frame. “I know, honey. I feel the same way.”

“This is not what I had in mind, you know?”

You tilt your head back to stare at his face, your fingers tangling themselves in the soft waves that Bucky has been growing out over the past few weeks. He almost cut them all off several days ago, but after some convincing on your end—which may have included activities that found your fingers buried in the soft tendrils and his face buried somewhere else—you managed to talk him out of it.

Bucky's eyebrows lift. “What do you mean?”

“Well… when you said that you were joining this team, I thought I'd never seen a more dysfunctional group of people in my entire life. I figured it'd be a miracle if all of you last a whole month without someone quitting or accidentally blowing each other up.” You chuckle, your eyes softening. “I didn't think I'd end up pacing the hallway every time you guys went out, worrying like some overworked mother of five.”

Bucky huffs out a laugh, his forehead falling onto your own. “I get it. This wasn’t exactly how I imagined myself stepping into the dad role either, but… here I am.”

“Yeah?” Your lips quirk up. “How did you imagine it then?”

“Well—” Bucky's voice drops, his breath warm where it fans against your skin, “—I figured it’d start with a little house, somewhere quiet. Nothing fancy. Just enough for us to start building a life in. I’d fix the place up real proper. You’d hum to yourself as you whip up one of those famous pies of yours, and I’d pretend not to stare.”

The cheeky grin on Bucky's face grows, prompting a laugh out of your chest. His thumb continues to trace idle circles upon your waist.

“Then, when you feel the time's right, we’d try for a baby. The old-fashioned way. Real slow, real sweet. I’d kiss you like I got all the time in the world, and make love to you like I didn’t.”

Something flutters inside your chest, like stardust stirring in a forgotten corner of the galaxy. The way Bucky is looking at you makes you feel as if you were the first breath of the universe itself.

“That's how I pictured us becoming parents,” Bucky adds, brushing his lips along your jaw. “Not… this. Whatever this is.”

You smile at the graze of his beard on your cheek, angling your head to capture him in a brief kiss. 

“You know what I think this is, Buck?” you ask, teasing your lips against his own. “I think we should view this as a practice run. After all, how hard can it be to parent our own kid if we can do it to a group of five ridiculous, chaotic misfits, right?”

“Doll.” He sighs. “Are you saying what I think you're saying?”

“Depends.” You hum, your lips twitching in feigned innocence. “If you think I'm imagining you putting a baby in me… then yeah, you're absolutely right.”

Bucky swallows your cheeky grin with a kiss, grunting against your mouth as he presses you back against the counter. The muffled moans you let out are music to his ears, a lascivious melody that rushes straight towards places he reserves explicitly for you. His hands slip under your blouse, roaming the expanse of skin, drifting lower and lower in search for the one place that could send him straight to heaven and—

“Yelena! Give it back to me!”

“I told you it wasn't me!”

Bucky groans.

The shrill voices resonate all the way down to the kitchen, followed by the unmistakable echoes of footsteps thundering down the staircase. Bucky makes a guttural noise of frustration as his face slumps into the crook of your neck.

“I swear to God, I’m gonna ship them to Asgard one of these days,” he mutters.

You snort, brushing your fingers through his hair and pressing a soft, lingering kiss to his lips. 

“Let's put a raincheck on the baby-making, soldier,” you purr, smirking when it spurs on a rumble from Bucky's chest. “Looks like I've got a fight to break up before we have two dead superheroes on our hands.”

He groans again, this time at the loss of your warmth as you slip out of his arms. From the kitchen's doorway, you raise an eyebrow towards the common area, perching your palms on either side of your hips as you take in the havoc ahead.

“What the hell is going on here?” you snarl.

“She stole my snacks!” accuses Ava.

“I don't even like Jammie Dodgers, you lunatic!”

“What a lot of crap. We all know you'd even eat chicken off the ground given the chance, you pig!”

“Fucking asshole—”

“Hey!” you interrupt, your voice sharp as you march towards the two fuming Avengers. “You call each other any more names, then I promise you, you're gonna wish you got shot on that mission today.”

Bucky watches the whole interaction from the kitchen with his arms crossed and a slow grin spreading across his face. He leans against the counter, studying you with the quiet reverence of a man who has found the meaning of home after decades of searching. Even in the midst of this domestic madness, even with the team’s antics grinding on his last nerve, he wouldn't trade a single thing in his life for anything else.

There are still a lot of things in this world that Bucky struggles to understand.

But with you by his side, and his entire team watching his six, he knows that he's got nothing to worry about.

[ms-demeanor]

Sometimes college professors like to hop on my posts lamenting the sorry state of syllabi these days and joke about how they haven't thought that far ahead in the course themselves, or talk about how they struggle to complete a schedule for their students.

With all due respect, that's your job. If you can't do your job, you should have a different job. If you need help, ask your colleagues or your department chair or *someone* because I know that professors aren't given a hell of a lot of education on how to educate, so you probably *need* help.

But every single time I make one of those posts I get anywhere from ten to thirty messages, replies, reblogs, and asks say "oh man, that's exactly why I had to drop out of school; I couldn't keep up with the assignments because I didn't know when they were due until the week they were due."

I have been a college student in three separate decades, and "not having a schedule of assignments in the syllabus" is new to my experience. That shit didn't fly in the 2000s or 2010s and I think it likely has to do with professors being overly reliant on apps.

AT A MINIMUM your syllabus should have:

Contact information (including preferred method of contact) for the professor

Office Hours

Grading Policy

Assignment schedule.

Your assignment schedule doesn't necessarily need to have the exact page numbers of every reading or a full assignment sheet for each project, but it should have things like:

December 1st - Major Project 3 second draft due December 9th - Quiz 10 December 12th - Major Project 3 final draft due December 15th - Final Exam

If you end up presenting a more thorough schedule with readings and homework later, that is acceptable to present a week or two into the semester but it is absolutely insane to me that students these days don't know what homework they're going to have to get done over Thanksgiving break during the first couple weeks of class.

If I had three professors at once who didn't give me a schedule, how on earth would I know if I was going to have to read three chapters of a novel, take a midterm and turn in two stats homework assignments, and complete a history research paper the same week that I'm planning to travel to see family? If I'm aware of this from the beginning of the semester I can make sure not to pick up extra shifts, or I can plan to leave a day later to accommodate the midterm, or I can start working on the paper early to complete it before the due date but if I don't know what's going to be due when, I'm going to have a big problem.

If you don't give your students a schedule you are communicating that you don't care about their schedule, and that you think it's their responsibility to contort their life (and their job, and their other classes) around your class, and honestly my advice to students in that situation is "drop in the first week and pick up another class". That's actually part of why I recommend signing up for one more class than you can really manage - if you get a professor whose class looks like it's going to be a disaster because they don't have a schedule, you can bail before the withdrawal period and get a refund for the class.

I'm only in one class this semester but the professor's response has fully dropped me into "Fuck it, I guess I'll fail" mode and I don't even know if I can pull myself out of my current D grade because I don't know how many assignments we have left in the semester.

This is a shitty way to run a class. If you can't do better than this, you shouldn't be running a class.

[ifindtaxpro]

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[marvelsmostwanted]

Today in 🍂✨October surprises✨🍂

• Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg and Secretary of Labor Julie Su quietly assisted in winning labor rights for dockworkers, ending a strike that could have had catastrophic economic consequences. (10-4-24)

• In Springfield, Ohio, where Haitian migrants have been blamed for the disappearance of local animals with Trump claiming “‘migrants are walking off’ with geese in the town” and “they’re eating the dogs” - a lie also promoted by JD Vance, Ohio’s own sitting Senator, with no evidence - it turns out that the missing geese were actually the victims of a 64-year-old white man who was hunting illegally. (10-3-24)

• A Trump-appointed federal judge blocked Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan again after another judge reinstated it earlier this week. (10-3-24)

• Republicans and crazy Facebook uncles everywhere have spent this week spreading disinformation about the FEMA response to Hurricane Helene, including AI photos of Trump standing in floodwater and wild claims that Biden is sending money to undocumented immigrants. In reality, the Biden-Harris administration has provided substantial emergency assistance and both Biden and Harris have visited the region. Meanwhile, it turns out that Trump was the one who redirected money from disaster relief to send to ICE during his presidency. Shocker. (10-4-24)

• Seriously, though, Trump is not who you want to call in an emergency. Before allowing disaster relief to reach victims of wildfires in California, then-president Trump forced aides to show him an electoral map to see if he had voters there. He evidently intended to withhold the aid if he found out it was going to mostly Democratic voters. This would be a career-ending scandal in any other political era but alas, we are living in this one. (10-3-24)

• Finally, far-right extremist and Oklahoma superintendent of schools Ryan Walters intends to put Bibles in public schools, which is already disturbing, but in a stunning display of corruption, the only ones that meet his specifications are the so-called “Trump Bibles” that include the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. They go for $60 apiece and Trump gets fees from each one. (10-4-24)

No, wait, I’m going to say that one again:

In Oklahoma, taxpayers’ money will be used to put Trump Bibles in public schools. Their money will go directly to Trump. Not a joke!!! Not an exaggeration!!!

…Surely the voters who are still undecided are lying, right?? Right?!

30 days until Election Day.

Go to vote.org for a sample ballot, early voting dates, and more. Seriously, we have to win.