#FORBE 2023

[naijablinks]

Full list of Forbes’ 25 world billionaires in 2023

American business magazine, Forbes, in its 2023 list of 25 richest people in the world, featured Bernard Arnault on the No. 1 spot, followed by Twitter Chief Executive Officer, Elon Musk. In its previous list in 2022, Musk was on the No. 1 spot. Forbes described the drop of Musk from the top spot as ” this year’s second-biggest loser”, adding that “Elon Musk, had it worse.” Musk lost his title of…

[venusbyline]

i can fix them (but i kinda prefer them crazy lool)

[fashionobsessed3]

[elliott-the-queer-artist]

Like Minds (2006) walked so Jennifer's Body (2009) could run so Saltburn (2023) could become an olympic marathon runner

[laurelwen]

[captainsophiestark]

The Perfect, Fail-Proof Plan

Caroline Forbes x Reader

Masterlist - Join My Taglist!

Written for my Year of Olympians and part of a bigger challenge being run by @yearofcreation2023​! It features a ton of other awesome creators and runs all year, so go check it out!

Fandom: The Vampire Diaries

Prompt: Hephaestus; fire

Summary: Caroline and her girlfriend celebrate the last bonfire of their high school career, sending the tradition off right.

Word Count: 1,104

Category: Fluff

Putting work into an AI program without permission is illegal. You do not have my permission. Do not do it.

I smiled as I made my way through the crowd of my drunken peers, two beers in hand. Everyone had gathered for the last bonfire of our last year of high school, and every single one of us was having the time of our lives. It was only right to go all out for a tradition that had carried us through from our freshman years.

A moment later I found my girlfriend, Caroline Forbes, leaning against a tree and chatting with Elena and Matt. I grinned as I reached them, holding out one of the two beers I'd retrieved to Caroline.

"Sorry, I didn't realize I'd need two more," I said, shooting a smile in Matt and Elena's direction as I sidled up next to Caroline.

"That's okay," Elena said, waving me off. "We were just about to go make a trip ourselves."

She shot me and Caroline a meaningful look, then dragged Matt after her and back into the rest of the party. Caroline turned to me with a grin.

"So, how are you enjoying our last ever bonfire?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Last ever bonfire feels a little dramatic. Last high school bonfire, sure, but I plan to go out and drink in the woods around a fire far into my twenties."

Caroline shook her head and smacked my arm, but she was still smiling.

"You know what I meant! This is a big moment for us. The end of an era."

"As far as I'm concerned, it's just the start," I said, leaning in a little. "The start of an amazing future with you."

Caroline giggled, a smile as bright and warm as the sun shining in my direction, her eyes crinkling at the corners. My heart leapt a little in my chest.

"A future of drunk fire parties?" she asked, her voice teasing. I just grinned and leaned in further.

"Yes. Drunk fire parties and idiotic activities and just being unreasonably, ridiculously happy, together."

Caroline bit her lip and glance down before looking back at me, a slight blush on her cheeks. Or maybe it was from the cold.

"Do you want to go down and look at the falls with me?"

I beamed. "Absolutely I do."

She took my hand, and I followed after her through the woods, the noise and light of the party fading behind us as we went. I sped up to walk next to Caroline, dropping her hand and linking our arms instead. I leaned into her, and she shot me a little smile.

"You know, I used to want to get a guy down to the falls with me so badly," she said. "I had this perfect plan that just never quite worked out. I've gotta say... I'm glad I'm coming down here with you instead."

I beamed. "It almost killed me to watch you try your moves on Stefan and Matt and every other guy you had a thing for. I never thought... I don't know. If you'd told junior-year me that I would've had a chance with you, I don't think I would've believed it."

"Well, I can tell you right now that I'm much happier to be here with you than if I'd ever had success with any of those guys."

I stopped as we finally reached the falls, an immovable smile plastered on my face. My heart hammered in my chest. I'd been in love with Caroline since the seventh grade, and the fact that we'd been happily dating for the past few months still didn't totally feel real to me.

"What?" she asked, giggling a little as she noticed my stare. I let out a long, happy breath.

"Nothing. Just... happy. Happy to be here with you."

"Me too," she said, moving a little bit closer to me. I mirrored her movements until we were close enough for me to put my arms around her waist, pulling her into me. She smiled, lazily draping her arms around my neck, then leaned in and kissed me.

No matter how many times I got to kiss my girlfriend, I don't think the magical, sparkly feeling in my chest I always got would ever fade. The water of the falls crashed onto the rocks next to us, creating a natural ambiance as I deepened the kiss. I reached up to cup Caroline's cheek as she tangled a hand in my hair, and when we finally pulled apart, I couldn't keep a smile off my face.

"I love you, Care," I said. She blushed, but smiled right back.

"I love you too."

I leaned back in and gave her another soft kiss, then finally pulled away with a sigh.

"We should probably get back," I said. "It is our last bonfire, after all."

"Last bonfire might be a little dramatic," Caroline parroted in a bad imitation of my own voice. She made a face and put her hands on her hips, and I tried and failed to hold back a laugh. "Last bonfire of high school, I guess, but-"

"Alright, alright, your impression of me is truly unmatched," I said, holding out a hand to Caroline. She took it, lacing our fingers together, and I swung our hands back and forth as we headed through the woods together. "So tell me, my favorite person on planet earth: what would make our last high school bonfire the best one for you? What would give it a worthy sendoff and celebration for the end of this four year era?"

Caroline pulled me to a stop in the trees just beyond the firelight, the sounds of the party beckoning to us from a little ways away. She turned me to face her, smiling at me as she took my other hand.

"This has already been the perfect night, because I got to spend it with you."

"Aw," I said, leaning in to give Caroline one more quick peck before we headed the rest of the way into the bonfire clearing. "Is it also because your 'do you want to go to the falls with me' master plan finally worked?"

"Maybe. Although, since I was clearly meant to go down there with you at the perfect moment on our last bonfire night... I think it's fair to say my fail-proof plan never actually failed at all. I just wasn't meant to go down there with any of the boys."

I laughed, enjoying the lightness in my heart with the warmth of the fire in front of me and the warmth of Caroline's smile beside me. Maybe she had a point.

"Yeah, Caroline. I think I'd agree that your plan ended up working perfectly."

****************

Everything Taglist: @rosecentury

The Vampire Diaries/The Originals Taglist: @elenavampire21

[halseygray]

Halsey for Forbes 30 Under 30

[hooked-on-elvis]

FRESH NEWS. ✨ WHO'S THE GOAT?

Published on Forbes, Dec 28, 2023,08:00am

Read article here:

Impressively, “Blue Christmas” isn’t Presley’s only hit on this week’s Rock Streaming Songs chart. He also sits at No. 12 with “Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane).” That tune has previously broken into the top 10, and this frame it lifts from No. 23, improving considerably as people get into the holiday season.

♥

[slutisnotabadword]

I love the vampire diaries, but my god, I have never seen bigger dick riders in my life. You can’t say SHIT about Klaus, Stefan, Damon, Caroline, Hope, or damn near anyone. Like calm down 💀 I swear to you it’s not that serious. 90% of the people in this fandom are TOXIC AS FUCK.

Like it’s not even fun anymore 😐. I’ll just sit here and write my lil fics and not say shit anymore (ESPECIALLY ON TIKTOK OH MY GOD).

[lewishamiltonstuff]

Toto was having a blast when the PETA supporters came on 😂😂

No seriously look at himmm 😭

[michaeltrevinosource]

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Michael Trevino and Candice King | April 14, 2023

[allieconfyart]

Michelle Forbes as Maryann Forrester (True Blood) Material used: - Grey cardboard (297 x 420 mm); - White charcoal; - Black charcoal. ➡️ COMMISSIONS: open! DM for infos.

[elliott-the-queer-artist]

normalize being co-dependent and evil

[fingerprint-insurance]

Like Minds fandom introduced me to Saltburn and not the other way around and I think that's hilarious and great I love both of these movies <3

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

The June 24, 2022 Dobbs v. Jackson landmark decision by the United States Supreme Court held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer the right to abortion. This decision returned to individual states the power to regulate any aspect of abortion not protected by federal law. Since this ruling, multiple states have limited or completely banned abortion care for people who are pregnant. In at least nine states, abortion is blocked with no exceptions for rape or incest.

Multiple states have banned abortion after 18, 15, or even 6 weeks gestation. These time restrictions make it impossible for patients to use medical information from ultrasounds and/or genetic testing, available later in pregnancy, to determine if a fetus has an anomaly and/or a life-threatening or lethal condition.

These abortion restrictions and laws permitting any citizen to sue anyone “aiding or abetting” an illegal abortion for up to $10,000 has created uncertainty and fear among health care providers trying to provide medical care to pregnant patients experiencing miscarriage, tubal or ectopic pregnancy (when the embryo implants in the fallopian tube, where it cannot become a full term pregnancy; can be lethal to the mother if not treated promptly and correctly), or those who need prenatal genetic counseling. Clinicians are unclear where the lines stand between providing care and committing a felony that could equal jail time, and this means that pregnant people aren’t getting the appropriate and timely care they need, even outside of a healthy, viable pregnancy.

But did you know that the Dobbs decision has also prevented non-pregnant women from receiving the medications they need to treat lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, and other conditions treated with medications like methotrexate?

Chris Stallman, MLS, MS, is a certified genetic counselor, an expert in medication impact during pregnancy, and a Clinical Instructor of Pharmacy Practice-Science at the University of Arizona R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy. “Methotrexate is a medication used to treat many conditions, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and other autoimmune diseases. If a person who is pregnant uses methotrexate, it could increase the chance of miscarriage, birth defects, and other issues in pregnancy or after birth.”

For this reason, girls and women of child-bearing age who are taking methotrexate as treatment for their autoimmune or other diseases are not able to take methotrexate – even if they are not pregnant.

This critical problem is not hypothetical – treatment with methotrexate has already been withheld from female, non-pregnant patients with serious medical conditions in multiple states.

A 48-year-old woman in Tellico Plains, TN received an automated call from her CVS Pharmacy in July 2022 indicating that her prescription for methotrexate wouldn’t be refilled. This patient, who has inflammatory arthritis and a neuromuscular disease called myasthenia gravis, stated that methotrexate allowed her to resume simple, yet previously painful tasks like putting on her pants and rolling over in bed.

In June 2022, not 24-hours after the Dobbs ruling, a patient in Maryland who has Crohn’s disease received a call from her insurance company indicating that methotrexate, used to treat the chronic inflammation and pain associated with this condition, would no longer be available to her.

Within a week of the Dobbs ruling, a woman in Virginia who has Lupus received a letter from her doctor’s office indicating that it was pausing all prescriptions and refills of methotrexate because of the Supreme Court decision on abortion. Before taking methotrexate she experienced flares of Lupus so severe that she had trouble walking and needed to use a shower chair to wash.

Another woman from Missouri had been taking methotrexate to treat rheumatoid arthritis. When she went to the pharmacy to pick up her refill she learned from the pharmacist that they needed a specific direction from her doctor that the medication would not be used for an abortion. The pharmacy, Walgreens, confirmed with this customer that they do not require the same procedure from their male clients.

A 14-year old girl in Arizona was denied a refill of methotrexate to treat her debilitating rheumatoid arthritis and osteoporosis. Her angry physician tweeted that her patient was denied this critical medication because she was female. The withholding of life-saving or -altering medications from the women who need them has forced some of them to consider surgical sterilization.

Could denying women of childbearing age (who may or may not be sexually active, fertile, heterosexual, or pregnant) methotrexate be just the beginning of problems for women who need prescription or over-the-counter medications? Stallman says, “This certainly could lead to more medication denials – and not just for people who can get pregnant. If my husband or children need medication that could increase risks to a pregnancy, would they be denied the medication simply because they live with a person who could get pregnant? Will health care providers have to stop handling or dispensing such medications if they or their partner could get pregnant? And before saying ‘that will never happen’, remember that is what people said about the overturning of Dobbs. We don’t know how far this will go.”

Let’s take this thought experiment a step further. Is it possible that young girls will have to present a letter from their pediatricians indicating whether they’ve started having periods before they can receive the medications they need? Will adult women have to present written proof of tubal ligation, menopause, or infertility from their physicians before filling their life-saving medications? Will other medications that can affect the health of a fetus, even the highly regulated acne medication Accutane, require such additional proof? Could pharmacies use the data they have on prior purchases, like tampons and lubricant, to determine if a woman may be of child-bearing age and/or is sexually active?

The Dobbs decision is just the beginning of our government interfering with womens’ bodies, their personal choices, and their medical care. This decision is already impacting health care outside of pregnancy and could force women and their family members to disclose personal information about their fertility, sexuality, sexual and medical history with pharmacists, medical systems, the government, and the databases that all of them use. Our federal government must act swiftly to ensure that this decision doesn’t lead to further government overreach, discrimination, interference in proper medical care, and tragedy.

[burningfudge]

Variant cover by W. Scott Forbes

Scarlet Witch (2023) #8