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#Find autos for sale
bluecollarmcandtf · 7 months
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Which one do you want?
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Just off a quiet highway somewhere in the Midwest, you might see James advertising my new product. He used to own this car dealership with his wife, but she's long gone. James hasn't thought about her since I pulled out my pendulum and put him in a trance. He just spends his days standing on the side of the road holding up that sign like I told him to.
You can see I marked him at 40 bucks, which is well over what he's worth, but I like to keep him around to advertise and flag down potential customers. His abs are visible even in the rain, and the neon underwear I put him in is sure to catch every driver's eye.
If you pull into my dealership, I'd be happy to show you my selection you can choose from...
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Tyler, here, used to be my brother-in-law, but my sister dumped him real fast after she found the guy was a cheater. Since, he wasn't family anymore, I had no reason not to hypnotize every thought out of his head.
She has no idea I did this to her ex, but it won't hurt to have Tyler out of the picture for good. I like to give him a little punch in the gut every time I pass. It's my form of ongoing payback. He only ever reacts with a stifled groan since his mind is mush, but it's still cathartic to see him in pain.
Tyler will probably go fast since he's so traditionally handsome, but the vengeful part of me hopes a more sadistic client will take him off my hands.
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Next is Caesar. This guy used to work at the auto garage next door, but when I saw him I knew I had to have him. He put on a real tough guy act when I introduced myself, but a pudgy working man like him should act accordingly in my opinion.
After introducing his gaze to my pendulum, he practically fell into my arms. I had my fun warping Ceasar's personality to be more like that of a submissive dog, but even that got a bit old. Sure, I made him love and cuddle me like the perfect partner, but he tracked mud everywhere and he always seemed to stink.
I hope whoever pays for him doesn't mind always telling the oaf to hose himself down every once in awhile. I suppose they could just use Ceasar for the cheap manual labor and just forget about his hygiene entirely.
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This is Mike. He's a real piece of trash. I caught him trying to steal one of my cars in the middle of the night. He sure was shocked when my army of hypnotized hunks ran out and apprehended him, per my command.
He might look mean, but trust me, Mike's been thoroughly hypnotized and broken in just like every other dude on this lot. He wouldn't be standing there holding that 'For Sale' sign all day if he weren't!
Now, I know that his lack of hair might be a turn off for a lot of folks, so I'm willing to go down on the price. 20 dollars is already pretty low, but I want to make sure you all can afford your own hypnotized hunk. It's not like it's too difficult for me to go out and find a couple more idiots to fill their place. Hell, if you really need it, I might sell you a guy for a dollar!
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This boy in blue is Lt. O'Riley. I don't know what his full name is. I'm just going off what it says on his badge. Now, I know that hypnotizing an officer of the law is risky, but O'Riley was being a real pain in my neck, always poking his nose in my business.
I hypnotized his partner too.
I think that guy's name was Brooks or something, but he was real ugly. I would've never been able to sell his fat ass, so I had him hand over his police uniform and turned him into my handyman, who's meant to be neither seen nor heard. He wears an old pair of dirty coveralls now and takes care of all the maintenance work. He's probably off scrubbing my housing from top to bottom right now since it's the middle of the day.
You could do that to officer O'Riley too, if you want, or maybe you keep that precious uniform on him. It's up to you.
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This last guy is Don, and I know what you're going to say! I'm a little light on product at the moment, but don't worry.
I'm planning on driving into town real soon and restocking. Maybe I'll grab a few more officers this time. The police department is right down the street from that Halloween store. I could grab a couple more cops and put them in some stupid costumes.
Customers love a themed product, right?
Anyways, Don here didn't do anything to piss me off. He actually stopped in after seeing the sign. He wanted to purchase one of my brainless studs and pimp him out to all his friends for cheap cash. I liked the idea, but Don was far too handsome to just walk off my lot.
I offered to give him a tutorial of my hypnosis, and the guy naively agreed. His car has been collecting dust in the back ever since, and he's been added into the lineup of hot men standing for sale.
So, please come by if you're interested in taking any of these guys on a test drive! Let me know which one sparks your interest!
No need to be nervous.....unless you're a handsome man yourself. Then I might just have to use my pendulum on you!
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reasonsforhope · 2 months
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"In cities across the country, people of color, many of them low income, live in neighborhoods criss-crossed by major thoroughfares and highways.
The housing there is often cheaper — it’s not considered particularly desirable to wake up amid traffic fumes and fall asleep to the rumble of vehicles over asphalt.
But the price of living there is steep: Exhaust from all those cars and trucks leads to higher rates of childhood asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary ailments. Many people die younger than they otherwise would have, and the medical costs and time lost to illness contributes to their poverty.
Imagine if none of those cars and trucks emitted any fumes at all, running instead on an electric charge. That would make a staggering difference in the trajectory, quality, and length of millions of lives, particularly those of young people growing up near freeways and other sources of air pollution, according to a study from the American Lung Association.
The study, released [February 28, 2024], found that a widespread transition to EVs could avoid nearly 3 million asthma attacks and hundreds of infant deaths, in addition to millions of lower and upper respiratory ailments...
Prior research by the American Lung Association found that 120 million people in the U.S. breathe unhealthy air daily, and 72 million live near a major trucking route — though, Barret added, there’s no safe threshold for air pollution. It affects everyone.
Bipartisan efforts to strengthen clean air standards have already made a difference across the country. In California, which, under the Clean Air Act, can set state rules stronger than national standards, 100 percent of new cars sold there must be zero emission by 2035.
[Note: The article doesn't explain this, but that is actually a much bigger deal than just California. Basically, due to historically extra terrible pollution, California is the only state that's allowed to allowed to set stronger emissions rules than the US government sets. However, one of the rules in the Clean Air Act is that any other state can choose to follow California's standards instead of the US government's. And California by itself is the world's fifth largest economy - ahead of all but four countries. California has a lot of buying power. So, between those two things, when California sets stricter standards for cars, the effects ripple outward massively, far beyond the state's borders.]
Truck manufacturers are, according to the state’s Air Resources Board, already exceeding anticipated zero-emissions truck sales, putting them two years ahead of schedule...
Other states have begun to take action, too, often reaching across partisan lines to do so. Maryland, Colorado, New Mexico, and Rhode Island adopted zero-emissions standards as of the end of 2023.
The Biden administration is taking similar steps, though it has slowed its progress after automakers and United Auto Workers pressured the administration to relax some of its more stringent EV transition requirements.
While Barret finds efforts to support the electrification of passenger vehicles exciting, he said the greatest culprits are diesel trucks. “These are 5 to 10 percent of the vehicles on the road, but they’re generating the majority of smog-forming emissions of ozone and nitrogen,” Barret said...
Lately, there’s been significant progress on truck decarbonization. The Biden administration has made promises to ensure that 30 percent of all big rigs sold are electric by 2030...
Such measures, combined with an increase in public EV charging stations, vehicle tax credits, and other incentives, could change American highways, not to mention health, for good."
-via GoodGoodGood, February 28, 2024
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robbyykeene · 5 months
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Cobra Kai universe tumblr dash simulator
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🙍🏼 abolishdads
important context: my dad sucks
3,452 notes
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🪲 notbluebeetle
guys if this post gets 300 notes i'll make sure to thank Bofa in my sekai tai winners speech
🥋 myfathersdaughter
who????
🪲 notbluebeetle
Bofa DEEZ NUTS hahahahaha GOTCHA
🥋 myfathersdaughter
I'm breaking up with you.
598 notes
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❤️‍🔥 johnny16289293018276377282
i loav compuperrrrrrrshhns snajajakjs d snaa z
237,152 notes
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⭐️sponsored post
🌳 larusso-auto-official ✔️✔️✔️ Follow
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Bonsai! Find your inner peace through our quarter yearly sale and get 5% off premium automotive vehicles!
* exclusions and restrictions apply
#sale #cars #karate #bonsais #great deals #johnny lawrence sucks #fuck johnny lawrence #no not that way #larusso autos
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👾 videogames4life Follow
trapped in the torture chamber again (forced to do karate with my dad)
#if he tries to get me to wax one more of his stupid cars im calling cps #personal
43 notes
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🔁 nicklesanddimes
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🦅 hawkman Follow
not evil anymore i want to be loved now
10 notes
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🔪 nicklesanddimes
“Maiming and killing is bad its against the law” God forbid women do anything anymore
🥋 myfathersdaughter
my sister in christ you literally stabbed me
🔪 nicklesanddimes
and i'll do it again anytime you want princess 😘
2,305 notes
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🙍🏼 abolishdads
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#emo #sadboy #my dad sucks #i hate my dad #daddy issues #mommy issues #sadblr
0 notes
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🐍 neverdies Follow
The karate mob has arrested me for feminism crimes and at dawn I will be canceled without trial. They gave me a computer with one post in the chamber and said to do the honorable thing. I do not recognize my own country
8,745 notes
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❤️‍🔥 johnny16289293018276377282
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🥋 myfathersdaughter
HELLO????
🙍🏼 abolishdads
oh so you've got time to learn how to meme but not to call me back?
🧑🏻‍🔬 onehalfofbinarybros Follow
it feels like only a week ago I had to explain uber to you...they grow up so fast
🦅 hawkman Follow
guys relax @notbluebeetle made it for him
🪲 notbluebeetle
way to kill the joke dude
4,237,152 notes
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🔁 larusso-auto-official ✔️✔️✔️ Follow
☘️ justanothervalleygirl Follow
‼️‼️‼️ ATTENTION TUMBLR USERS ‼️‼️‼️
Alright listen up girls, gals, and nonbinary pals. You probably know a user going by the username @tortureiscool and might have even interacted with them personally. In real life their name is Terry Silver, and despite what some recent publicity stunts will try to convince you, they are deeply problematic. Recently I've seen a lot of thirst posts hailing him as a 'zaddy' and calling him the 'only ethical billionaire' (😒😒😒) so I needed to come on here set the record straight. In this post I'll be going in depth on some of the more fucked up things he's done over the years, so a big content warning for: abuse, grooming, gaslighting, psychosexual torture, unhealthy bdsm practices, drug abuse, the vietnam war, environmental pollution, and most importantly billionaire shenanigans. Also a BIG thank you to @larusso-auto-offical for helping compile this post. Read more
Based on your likes!
31,924 notes
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🪲 notbluebeetle
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reblog if you agree @tortureiscool @larusso-auto-official @neverdies @johnny16289293018276377282
🦅 hawkman Follow
holy shit
4,563,231, notes
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klapollo · 2 months
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some basic tips for getting a job in this horrible market
hi all -- long story short, as many of you know, i just finished a three+ month job search after being laid off. here's what i learned:
Your resume should be your accomplishments, not your tasks. When I started searching, my bullet points in my resume were things like "used x software" or "wrote x content." Your resume should be you bragging. EX: "I used x software to turn around 100 deliverables a month," "I managed [x amount] sales associates and was named highest commission earner x months in a row." These don't have to be lifechanging things or massive projects -- any metric that demonstrates your capabilities well can do the job.
Make sure your resume is ATS optimized. Most jobs/companies use automated resume processing, and lots of great people get rejected this way. If you're getting rejection emails on Sunday morning or in the middle of the night, these are probably auto-rejections. ATS is the automatic system that sifts through resumes -- you can find free ATS-optimized templates online, I got min through resume.com. Do NOT use fancy graphics, headshots, any extraneous info. Use sites like jobscan to see if your resume is able to be parsed by an auto resume processor.
Use numbers. Make sure your resume has lots of numbers indicating your skills. "I helped my franchise achieve X% of revenue growth," "I drove x amount of deliveries daily." Any impressive numerical amounts are useful. If your company is tight-lipped about numbers, go to press releases. Ex: an app I did a considerable about of work for generated a lot of money that my company disclosed, so I put down that i contributed to that revenue via my work.
Have a template cover letter. Cover letters can give you an advantage, but they're tedious. Take note of what qualities are most sought-after in your field/ideal role, and write a generic cover letter that applies to most of them. When applying, do minor tweaks such as including the company name or any unique qualifications. Be careful about typos and leaving in old tweaks!
Use the free month of LinkedIn Premium if you're on there. I got some results from cold DMing recruiters for jobs I was interested in, and Premium lets you do that freely. Remember to cancel at the end of the month!
If you're looking for remote work, here are some boards I used: Remote.co, Otta, Remote Rocketship, Swooped, Best Writing (writing-focused)
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gemini-sensei · 9 months
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So you uhhh... got any more thoughts on poly! Amanda and Daniel x reader? Asking for a friend of course👀
Naturally, I must tag @sensei-venus 🤭 a little bit of smut ahead
Imagine if bimbo!Reader comes to the dealership looking for a job. She's super sweet, giggly, and still has this youthfulness of her twenties about her. Daniel hires her thinking with his dick in all honesty and she kind of can't do anything. Like, she does nothing right at all.
She's good with customers but she knows nothing about cars. She's kind of a hazard driving too. She shouldn't be behind the wheel and so can't drive any cars around the lots at all.
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She's only good at making coffee or bringing in snack cakes for everyone.
Amanda secretly loves her. She watches the new hire from her office, pretending to be on the phone as Reader prances around the dealership in her cute skirts that she bought because they "look so professional." But Reader's thighs barely fit in them, her ass looks so hot, and everything else about her outfit is just a bit too small that her tits and belly are about to spill out. Ugh, sometimes Amanda has to shut the door, close the blinds, and finger her cunt just because she stared at Reader too long.
Daniel is the same way. He takes her under his wing a little but at first, tries to show her the ropes. She's charismatic and cute, so with some help from him, she's talking sales with customers. He watches her but gets a little jealous if the customers are checking her out too. But he can't do anything about that, yet, so he brushes it off and watches Reader jump for joy when she makes a sale. Her tits bounce and Daniel is so distracted by them. Then she hugs him tight in a celebratory hug and he gets hard. She doesn't notice and he's scurrying off to rub one out real quick.
When Daniel and Amanda are together in their free time, they talk about her. They talk about how cute and sweet she is, how she comes to work so happy. They mask these conversations with topics about performance and efficiency, dancing around what they're really talking about until they can't take it anymore. Before they know it, they're fucking to the thought of their cute clueless employee who has no real job description.
"Fuck, I bet you wanna fuck her fat pussy," Amanda moans as she gets pounded. "It's probably nice and tight."
Daniel is so gone too. "I wanna fuck her. Wanna fuck her little cunt. Wanna fill it up and watch my cum leak out of that fat. Little. Cunt!"
The next day they see her, they act like they didn't spend hours talking about and fucking to the idea of her. She smiles so big with a box of donuts for all the employees and they thank her as they take one each. Then she's scurrying off to the auto shop to offer the mechanics some. They watch her, then eat her donuts with knowing looks, Daniel biting into a cream-filled one and Amanda wiping some of the filling from the corner of his mouth and sucking it off her thumb. Then they get to work.
They realize that Reader hasn't come back in a while, so Daniel goes to see what's taking her so long. He finds her bent over a car fixing something under the hood. Turns out she's something of a mechanic and isn't afraid to get a little dirty.
There's music playing and she's shaking her ass to it a lil bit as she helps out the guys in the shop. Daniel watches her for a while before she stands up and announces happily that she thinks she's fixed the problem. They test it and the car starts, but the crew cheers and applauds her. Daniel does too and she's shocked to see him there, so she apologizes for not coming back to the show floor.
"No, no, don't worry about that," he tells her, looking at her oil-covered shirt and the smudge on her face. He thinks it's so hot, but keeps it to himself of course. "Let's go get you cleaned up. You're not in the right clothes to be out here is all."
"You're right," she says as her heels click against the floor.
He takes her to Amanda's office to ask if she has a change of clothes for their sweet little employee. Amanda takes one look at her and 1) wonders what happened and 2) thinks about how pretty she still looks all covered in sweat, grease, and grim.
"I'm sure I have something," she says and starts looking around.
Meanwhile, Daniel leaves and comes back with a warm rag. He starts wiping the oil away from her face, then her hands and whatever little spots are here and there. It's a bit of a tense moment as he stands over her, helping to clean her up. He's shamelessly staring at her tits as they sit so pretty in her bra, her shirt discarded because it was so dirty. She feels the tension and it makes her squirm, but in a good way.
Amanda finally pulls out a shirt. "I think this is one of yours, honey, but it should fit."
Daniel is getting even more excited than he already was. He licks his lips. "Let's try it out."
Amanda comes over and helps Reader slip into his shirt. She helps her button it up and style it with her skirt, but her tits almost don't fit in it. Amanda is moving them, trying to adjust them to sit just right in the shirt, and Reader is biting her lip. Then Amanda finishes up and takes a step back. "Perfect."
Reader is a little flustered after all of this. She thanks them, then leaves the room to get some coffee, asking herself if that really just happened.
Meanwhile, Amanda finds herself bent over her desk, skirt hiked up as her pussy gets plowed by Daniel. They have a quickie while thinking about Reader, talking about the things they wanted to do to her when she was just there in her office.
"I wanted to just rip that bra off and put her tits in my mouth," Daniel grunts, salivating at the thought alone.
Amanda clenched around him. "Fuck, I saw the way she was looking at you when you were cleaning her up. She wanted you to. And I wanted to get on my knees and eat out her fat pussy."
They decide then and there that they have to make her theirs. They just have to have her. Not only because they have the hots for her, but because she is so cute and they've fallen for her. But mostly because they have the hots for her and want her all to themselves.
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roo-bastmoon · 10 months
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With 17 versions to buy and 8 versions combined for 160 streams per Spotify account, plus Melon and FLO streams now counting, of course Jungkook’s Seven is charting high and sweeping awards. Firstly because it’s Jungkook of course, and secondly because it’s been given every possible advantage.
My (perhaps controversial) opinions about that are below the cut.
Honestly? I really can’t feel good about any “first” or “most” or “fastest” records achieved by this single—catchy as it is—which wasn’t written or conceived by Jungkook and has nothing much personal or deeply meaningful about it. It’s a fun feel-good summer pop song, for sure, but no more groundbreaking than, say, Bad Decisions (in my opinion… I have no musical expertise.)
But I can’t feel super great about all the records and awards because this many versions immediately restocked and shipped and auto play and promoted to radio and ads and leadership hyping only this while Jungkook says he wants to be the one and only artist to conquer kpop and pop for the next thousand years… it all just doesn’t really sit right with me.
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When compared to the 10 months Jimin forewent sleep, food, and showers to have a hand in every aspect of his first (and deeply personal and symbolic) album, which was never sent to radio or restocked, got split tracks and delayed playlisting and shady articles, plus not one kudos or congratulations from leadership even after he made history for South Korea and stocks soared…
Forgive me, but it all leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It is ruining the song for me.
Some things like culled streams and sales are out of the company’s control. But the things I mentioned above were all possible for Jimin’s Hot 100 #1. Even if every Tannie has total say in their projects' sales and marketing, and everyone was on board with only Jungkook getting the Hybe America "red carpet" treatment, I can’t lie and say the stark difference feels fine. It doesn't, and I confess I leave the headphones in every time Seven comes up in the playlists now.
I’m not jealous. If anything, I have a warped sense of pride that Jimin has done so fantastically well despite so many, many obstacles stacked against him. I love to champion an underdog and I’m glad I never need to doubt his success was organic. I actually feel extra admiration for how humble and hardworking he continues to be—no resting on any laurels for the It Boy. I'm so glad he is my ult-bias.
*sigh*
Listen to me.
I know Jungkook and Jimin are both genuinely good people. I know they are sincerely talented and hard working. I know they truly love each other. I know all members are legitimately happy for each others' success.
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I know what’s important to me may not be important to them, nor what they want for their careers. And even if I feel their company’s making shitty decisions, I know my place as a fan.
So I trust them. And I simply hang in. I hope lessons were learned for smoother, fairer future releases. Because neglecting assets makes zero business sense, and perceived favoritism can erode the group’s bonds and tear ARMY apart. It is, frankly, just plain stupid.
So I may dislike things about their solo era rollouts and I can't bring myself to sugar-coat it; but I mostly try to keep my negative thoughts to myself and find things I CAN celebrate with other fans on an open timeline.
I never want another Tannie to feel anguished and misunderstood the way Hobi did about JitB’s physicals.
Watching Jungkook’s face here on his London live when he talks about people hating him just haunts me. It guts me. I can't stand it. That kid was going through it and I don't believe he has a malicious bone in his body, so it just really upsets me seeing him like that.
There’s so, so much about this company, this industry, this culture that I just don’t understand. But I trust Park Jimin completely. As long as Park Jimin loves and supports his members, God knows, I will too.
So!! On that note...
We have Jungkook’s birthday to celebrate next week and Taehyung’s album to support the week after that. I’m going to do my best to rest up and gather some good energy for these things!
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And of course, we must congratulate our Jimin, who made history again today, and no matter what, will always set the standard. I just know he's cooking up something else for us with all these weeks of silence, and I cannot wait to go BERSERK for it whenever it drops.
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I’m not really sure I had a point to this post. It’s just that I have been mulling all this over for a long time, and finally felt well enough to sit up long enough to come online and type up my thoughts.
I guess what I mostly wanted to share with my friends here is that it’s okay to feel really disappointed and even enraged at the way some things play out over the (hopefully life-long) careers of BTS members. Don't let folks gaslight you. Call it like you see it. (Maybe keep sensitive things behind a cut or in the DMs--and of course, please change your mind if you get better insight. In the end, only the Tannies really know what's going on with the Tannies.)
But while I’m still side-eyeing the company so hard right now, I’ve decided to love and support the boys as people and artists. I'm trying to believe the best in everyone. I’m still an OT7 Jikooker.
You don’t have to agree with me, and if you need to unfollow, I understand. But I figured I should just tell you guys (especially the new followers) where I am at with all this.
Love, Roo
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Part 3!! I had a good time writing this chapter as well, and it’s another doozy. Hope you enjoy!
Pairings: Jake Kiszka X Danny Wagner ***slash
Warnings and tags: 18+ only please!! Adult themes including: very brief mention of past partner death, very brief mention of marriage problems, some crying, some insecurity, my sad attempt at flirting, very slight suggestive talk, dad Jake AU, uncle Danny
Word count: 5.5k
Mondays were hard for everybody, but this particular Monday seemed to be kicking Jake in the ass.
First he spilled coffee all over his pants so he had to change after already being a little behind on getting up and getting both himself and Luna ready. That made them end up at the back of the line for drop off at the elementary.
He was speeding over to the office after getting her to school. Normally it wouldn’t matter so much if he came in a little late, but someone had the bright idea of scheduling a meeting at nine am on a Monday and he still needed to go over a few things with his team before it started.
They had a big fundraiser coming up soon that he’d spent nearly six months preparing for. One of the local orchestras had offered to put on a concert and donate the ticket sales to the foundation. The event wasn’t going to be too big, but they had managed to secure a guest singer, a couple of soloist, and even a live band to agree to play afterwards while they had drinks and hors d'oeuvres.
Jake was excited about this particular fundraiser because the sales and any extra donations were going to go to giving students private music lessons, a program he’d been working on launching for quite a while now.
Though Jake had been working for the foundation for a few years already, this was the first project he’d put so much of himself into, feeling particularly strongly about the accessibility of musical education for children as a passionate musician with a child himself.
Even after his wife’s passing, Jake’s home was still filled with music to share with his daughter. His record collection specifically ranged anywhere from dusty old vinyls he had inherited from his parents house, to mint condition collectibles and limited editions he probably never would have found without his connections. His prized possessions however, were the first pressings of his and June’s album when it first came out.
The few copies they’d kept for themselves stayed tucked safely away on the corner of the highest shelf where they sat untouched since her passing, Jake still too tender to hear her voice again. Someday though he knew Luna would want to listen to them, and he only prayed he would have himself prepared enough by then.
By the time the meeting was over Jake decided to head back out for an early lunch. With the rush to get out the door this morning he hadn’t packed anything to eat so he decided to treat himself at his favorite restaurant- a spot he didn’t frequent too often since it was in what he considered to be a sketchier part of town.
Since it was just him he didn’t mind making the drive over, at least that was until his dashboard suddenly lit up with about three different warning lights. Of course he would be having car trouble today of all days.
With an annoyed huff Jake pulled over to the side of the road, leaving his car running because he was too scared that if he turned it off now he wouldn’t be able to get it back on. Being a little unfamiliar with his surroundings he pulled out his phone and googled where the nearest service shop was, finding one simply called Rudy’s Custom Auto just up the road he’d hoped would do the trick quickly and without charging too much.
His car managed to make it to the mechanic in one piece- though the sputtering of the engine misfiring was about to give him a heart attack.
The shop was nothing more than two bays behind old garage doors with a small office attached to the side. One of the bays was already occupied by an old body truck stripped of all its paint and covered in multiple patches of bondo. Jake pulled up to the next bay and waited a moment for someone to come out.
When nobody came he braved turning off his car, gripping the keys tightly in his palm as he slowly tread into the open garage. Once he stuck his head in he saw a pair of dirty work boots on the other side of the truck, but the dated stereo system that sat on top the workbench on the far wall kept the person at work from hearing Jake arrive. Jake cleared his throat and called out above the sound of Steely Dan playing loudly, “hello? Are you open?”
“You scared the shit out of me!” The person inside answered him, then their boots started to make their way around the front of the truck.
Jake stood awkwardly at the threshold of the doorway, waiting to see what kind of character worked at a place like this, but oddly enough he felt like he’d heard their voice from somewhere.
“What can I do for you?” They asked with their back towards Jake as they paused to turn down the stereo. Finally he turned around and a huge smile spread across his face when they both realized who it was. Danny was just as shocked to see Jake here as he was, but he also looked really excited.
“You work here?” Jake asked, thinking it was a stupid question as soon as it slipped out. Of course Danny worked here, he was standing inside the shop in a pair of navy dickies covered in oil and white dust with a just as dirty white t-shirt (this one without any modifications to it) tucked into his waistband and tightly stretched across his chest and arms.
“Off and on. Rudy’s a friend of mine he lets me do some body work when I need a job”.
“Oh,” Jake looked around the shop aimlessly, mostly just trying to keep from staring at the tattoo he now knew peaked out just underneath Danny’s sleeve. “There’s umm… something wrong with my car. Could you take a look at it?”
“Well, I’m not much of a mechanic but Rudy is out on lunch right now. For you though I could do some digging around and see if I can’t at least figure out what your problem is”.
Jake knew Danny was giving him special service as he lifted the hood and bent over into the engine. He never once thought having an admirer would come with many perks, but as he stood with his arms folded loosely across his chest as Danny checked hoses and looked for leaks the frustration towards the whole situation started to wear away. By some strange stroke of fate the car he so tediously took care of, nearly never missing an oil change, happened to break down in the same neighborhood he had no idea Danny worked in.
“Hey! Don’t break it any more!” Jake hollered, stepping up next to Danny to see what all the banging around he was doing was.
“I think I might know what it is” Danny popped his head back out, startling Jake as he suddenly came face to face with the other man. Another shock came when Danny grabbed his hand and shoved it down into the engine. “Feel that?”
Jake wanted to rip his hand away, all he could feel right now was the residual heat from the parts around his forearm, his fingers blindly searching for what Danny may be talking about, and the way his chest pressed against his shoulder as they both leaned over so Jake’s shorter arm could reach. Finally he felt the warm liquid and realized the smell he got a whiff of was gasoline.
“Must have a leak in your fuel injectors” Danny backed away, letting Jake pull his own hand out and offered him a rag from his back pocket to wipe it off with. “Gonna be a bitch to get replaced. Let me call Rudy see if he has any spare parts otherwise he can pick some up on his way back”.
Jake wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, not being too familiar with the inner workings of an engine himself, but he figured he should probably start making some calls of his own starting with work. After letting them know he probably wasn’t going to make it back from lunch Danny came walking out of the shop again.
“Good news, he can get the parts and he’s on his way back. Bad news, I could only sweet talk him down to a couple hundred bucks”.
“Right! Of course that’s fine, let me just-” Jake bent over back into his front seat, bracing himself on the cushion with one arm as he searched the console for his wallet. After a few seconds of not finding it he was struck with the realization that he’d had his wallet in his pants this morning. The ones he spilt coffee all over. “Fuck” he grumbled to himself, backing out of the car to see Danny looking away quickly. Was he staring?
“Well actually, I think I left my wallet at home. This Rudy guy doesn’t take ApplePay does he?”
Danny chuckled and shook his head, “no, this is not the kind of place for that. Don’t worry I’ve got you”.
“Oh no, I couldn’t ask you to do that” Jake tried to quickly figure out how he could get the money before Rudy returned. Maybe he could call Josh to swing by his house and get his wallet, or bring some cash. Fuck how long was this going to take anyways? He might have to ask Josh to pick up Luna from school too.
While Jake’s mind was racing Danny turned around and walked back into the shop to get back to work on the sanding he was doing before Jake happened to show up.
“Let me see what my brother is up to right now, he might be able to bring me some cash. How much exactly is it?” Jake followed Danny inside this time, not paying much attention to where he was going as he pulled his phone out.
Abruptly he was stopped when Danny’s hands wrapped around his forearms and pulled him out of the way before Jake could walk into a tool box sitting in the middle of the floor. He looked around the inside of the shop now, seeing the entire place was quite a disheveled mess. Tools were everywhere between the ground and the workbench, and oil pans that looked like they’d been used one too many times were piled into the corner of the second bay. It was like navigating a minefield to get somewhere he could stand and wait.
“I said don’t worry about it” Danny replied once he had Jake situated in a safe place. “Besides there are plenty of ways you can pay me back”. Danny gave Jake a flirtatious wink from where he sat back on his rolling stool on the other side of the truck.
“Excuse me?” Jake scoffed, too astounded by Danny’s suggestive response to focus on making the phone call now.
“Yeah, like a date” Danny continued as he picked up his scrap of sandpaper and started to go over his most recent bondo covered spot.
“A date?” Jake blinked a few times, wondering if he’d heard him right since the radio was still playing quietly in the background. “You want me to take you on a date?”
“Well I was going to say let me take you on a date” Danny chuckled again, keeping his eyes focused on his work, “but if you want to take me out I’m not at all opposed to that either”.
“I- I mean- ” Jake was stumbling over his words, in utter disbelief and embarrassed by his lack of composure right now. He didn’t understand what had gotten into him.
“What? Are you not into guys or something?” Danny let his eyes flicker back over to Jake this time, catching a slight blush creep into his cheeks.
“No, that’s not it…” Jake replied sheepishly. It was true, from a young age he didn’t put much thought into sexuality or gender for that matter. He was always more attracted to the person and how deep of a connection he could make rather than just what was on the surface. Though he’d never actually dated someone of the same sex before, it was never out of the question for him.
“Then what is it?”
The sound of Danny’s sanding stopped as he waited patiently for a response. He had a suspicion he knew where Jake’s reservations were rooted from, having already heard a few details, but he hoped Jake would feel comfortable enough to tell him himself.
“Dates have been hard for me,” Jake began, fiddling with the rim of his phone case to distract himself from mentally screaming stop shut up if you tell him he will only pity you- “since my wife died a few years ago”.
“I know,” Danny replied without hesitation, making Jake realize- of course he knew, his sister was one of Jake’s closest friends, “and I’d respect your boundaries if you said it was still too soon”.
Jake leaned against the work bench behind him and let his head fall backwards, huffing a breath out through his nose, staring up at the ceiling as he thought for a moment. His eyes felt dry and prickly, but he absolutely could not tear up right now. No he’d told himself a long time ago that he was done with that.
Danny seemed to be one step ahead of him on this, already understanding what he was getting himself into when asking Jake for a date. “What if I said it wasn’t too soon?”
“Hmm?” Danny didn’t quite make out his question, either because it was being directed towards the ceiling instead of him, or maybe because Jake was actually only asking himself.
“It’s not too soon” he rephrased as he looked back over at Danny again, a little more resolve in his demeanor. “Are you free this Friday night?”
Danny’s face lit up in a smile, having thought there for a moment Jake was going to officially tell him to fuck off. “I can be”.
A cocky reply, Jake thought, smirking himself a little. “Alright then. Friday night, I’ve got an event to go to. You can come”.
“An event? For your job?” Danny questioned in return as he once again got back to work. “Doesn’t sound like much of a date to me”.
“Look, do you want to come or not?”
“No, no, I’ll be there,” he assured him quickly, “thanks for inviting me”.
It’s not really like I had much of a choice. The truth was he could have declined, could have told Danny to shove it and stormed out of the shop to wait in his car for Rudy to return. He didn’t though, and there was possibly even a part of him who was excited he’d invited Danny.
Originally he was supposed to be going with Josh, but then his brother had something come up that weekend that he couldn’t get out of. Josh’s partner booked them a little mini vacation not realizing the dates conflicted with Jake’s concert, and the hotel and airfare were nonrefundable.
Jake promised him he didn’t mind, ‘It’s just going to be a local group playing a few songs, nothing too special. You guys go have fun’. He was more anxious about it than he’d led onto Josh though. At least now he wouldn’t be going alone and he’d have something to distract him if he got too nervous- Danny being easily very distracting.
“What are you even doing? You’ve been sanding the same spot this entire time” Jake tentatively stepped a little closer until Danny waved him over.
“I may not know too much about engines, but I know a lot about the body” Danny replied with a smugish half smile that made Jake roll his eyes. “Come here, you have to get right up close to see what I’m talking about”.
Jake moved to stand next to Danny, leaning over slightly as he stared at the white blob on the fender of the truck. Danny stood up and got behind him, barely grabbing at his waist as he positioned Jake to get the right angle. Jake’s body stiffened and froze, unused to being freely touched so often without any warning.
“You see how smooth it looks?” Danny muttered behind his ear making the hairs on the back of Jake’s neck stand up. “Run your hand across it now”. Jake did as he was told and placed his palm on the cold metal, feeling a small ripple as he swiped it slowly over the surface.
“You see sometimes things look perfect from the outside, but when you get your hands on it you find tiny little flaws. I’m a perfectionist, I’ve got to get every little dent and scratch out. Sometimes that takes days of just filling and sanding it back down until I run my hand across and it’s smooth as can be”.
“Doesn’t it get annoying?” Jake asked, thinking about how long and tedious that process must be.
“I’m very patient” Danny shrugged, letting go and sitting back on his stool.
Jake couldn’t help but let his mind wander in this moment as he watched Danny from just a foot away now. He wondered what Danny might think if he ever got an up close look at him. Sure maybe from the outside he looked put together, just like this fender solid and sturdy, but once he got his hands on him he’d be able to feel all his flaws- the cuts that dug deep into his very being and had scarred over.
Only about ten minutes later Rudy returned and Danny took a break from what he was doing to help get Jake’s car back in good working order. Thankfully they were done just in time for him to get to the school and pick up his daughter without having to call in reinforcements.
“Wait, could I get your number?” Danny stopped Jake before he could drive off, hoping but also confident that their fix worked. “So we can coordinate the date?”
Jake looked over Danny’s shoulder, seeing his boss tossing more tools around, not even bothering to clean up and not paying attention to what his employee was doing- clearly harassing customers. He gave him his number anyway, finding a text presumably from Danny when he got home. Just a simple wink face emoji.
Before he could save the number in his contact list though, Luna called for his help in the kitchen and he dropped his phone off on the bar. Completely forgetting about the little message left on read.
It wasn’t until Thursday night after he’d gotten off the phone with Josh that he received another text from the unknown number.
What should I be wearing tomorrow?
10:34PM
Jake waited a moment to reply, he’d just about concluded that maybe Danny had forgotten about the ‘date’ because he hadn’t heard from him since leaving Rudy’s shop Monday afternoon. When Danny didn’t show up to Wednesday’s soccer practice either Jake was a little discouraged, but he told himself to get over it. He walked Emma home and her mom looked like she’d had a rough day so Jake didn’t bother asking about her brother's whereabouts. Should he really care anyways?
Something nice but not too formal
10:48PM
No jeans and a crop top
10:49PM
Crop top?
11:00PM
Wait, that’s my favorite shirt
11:00PM
Good to know. Don’t wear it.
11:02PM
Ok I won’t, but you remember it?
11:02PM
Jake panicked for a second as he read the text. Why did he have to bring it up? Stupid mistake.
Danny continued to text while Jake stumbled for a reply, writing something out then thinking it sounded stupid and erasing it, knowing Danny was probably watching him type.
Did Luna see the video I sent her? Of the soccer ball slime? I thought she’d like that one
11:05PM
If Jake didn’t already feel awkward about bringing up the crop top, now he felt even sillier about having thought Danny had sent that video to him. Of course it was meant for Luna.
He debated not responding, just closing the messages app on his phone and going to sleep, but he knew that would be rude- a little white lie might be better.
Yes, she liked it
11:08PM
I’m glad, sorry I wasn’t at practice this week
11:09PM
Danny didn’t offer a reason why he was absent, but at least he’d thought to apologize. Not that he had to, it’s not like Jake was hoping to see him there or anything. Again he didn’t know what to say; it was getting late Danny had to know he was probably in bed right? Before he could reply again another text came in.
I’ll let you get to sleep. I’m excited to see you tomorrow. Good night Jake
11:11PM
Good night
11:12PM
Friday was a frenzy, hustling around between the office, the venue where the orchestra and band were getting to practice with the soloists for the last time before the show, and then home to get Luna ready to stay at Emma’s house while he was out.
The air was heavy at the venue when Jake left, some issues with sound they were able to get a tech to fix, and some tiny adjustments to the breaks in the program had everyone tense and on edge. Jake knew it was just pre show nerves though and he had full faith that the night was going to go over well.
The confidence in his peers didn’t exactly extend to himself however, as he held his breath when he rang the doorbell, Luna standing at his side excitedly.
“Daddy you’re going to a party?” She asked, ever curious about what he was up to.
“I’m going to a work party” he explained to her again, having already told her she was going alone to play at Emma’s house tonight for just a couple of hours.
“Will there be presents and cake there?”
“No presents, but there might be some cake. Do you want me to save you some?”
“Me and Emma?” She asked, grabbing his hand and looking up at her Dad with a pleading smile.
“Of course, I’ll bring you both some” he returned the smile down at her until the front door opened and she bounced inside off to find her friend.
“Thank you for watching her tonight” Jake told Emma’s mom as he waited around for Danny to show. He’d text him when he was on the way, offering a ride since he was coming over anyways.
“Of course any time” she kept the door open, also aware who Jake was waiting on. The silence was a bit uncomfortable, how much did she know about them anyways? The two seemed to be close, but he worried if she thought it was a little strange her friend and her brother were going out together.
“I know someone who gives piano lessons will be there tonight. I can ask them if they have any space for Emma” Jake offered, just to fill the time.
“Oh, that would be nice. We’ve got a lot going on right now though so we might wait until next year”.
“No worries, I can just get her contact information. Has Michael been having to stay late again?” He didn’t want to pry too much, but after a couple of years of knowing them he could tell there seemed to be some new unresolved tension coming from the household.
She sighed and shook her head, obviously frustrated but biting her tongue. He realized there might be a little more to her irritation than just her husband working late, but before she could break and spill her worries Danny finally emerged from the hallway.
“Sorry for making you wait, I was ironing my shirt”.
Jake’s eyebrows shot up when he saw Danny in the doorway, the light from inside the house casting his long shadow across the porch Jake stood on. He was wearing a dark colored button up with a diamond pattern, the sleeves rolled a quarter of the way up his arms with subtle gold chains across his wrists and neck. “Is this okay?” He did a little spin, holding his arms out so Jake could get a good look at his outfit.
“Yeah it’s great. You look great” Jake cleared his throat and adjusted the collar of his own shirt, glancing over to see Danny’s sister watching them with amusement in her eyes.
“Well you two have fun. Jake don’t worry about hurrying home we’ve got the kids”.
Jake nodded and Danny gave his sister a quick side hug before joining Jake on the porch. She shut the door behind him and Danny gave Jake a big eager smile.
“You look great too. I like this” he ran his thumb across the lapel of Jake’s suede coat he’d chosen for the night, already knowing it got cold at the venue they were going to. “I like these too” Danny’s fingers moved next to one of the necklaces that sat against Jake’s chest, picking up the circular charm and examining it.
“Thanks, they were a gift” Jake replied, trying to remain as still as possible and keep his breathing steady.
“Well, shall we?” Danny gently laid the pendant back down and retreated, clasping his hands behind his back like he was reminding himself to behave.
The ride over was nice. They talked about music finding out they had similar taste, Jake leaning more towards blues and Danny towards folk but both sharing a passion for the classics of old rock n roll.
When they arrived at the event Jake had plenty of people to greet and thank for being there. He worried Danny might feel out of place or get bored, but every time he glanced over to him Danny was lit up with a smile and conversing with those around him. Soon it was time to take their seats; Jake showed Danny where they would be at the back of the room, and waited by the stage for his quick speech before the concert started.
Jake held the mic tightly in his hands, not having felt that weight in his grip in years. He’d always had a bit of stage fright, but getting up in front of a crowd with June had never been less than amazing and he tuned into the memory of that feeling when he stepped in front of the audience tonight.
“First of all I’d just like to thank everyone for taking the time out of their weekend to be here with us. For those of you I don’t know, my name is Jacob Kiszka and I work for the foundation who put on this event. All of our ticket sales from tonight are going towards our new program that offers students free private music lessons. I really hope you enjoy the performance. Over the past six months I’ve been overseeing this project, I've gotten the opportunity to know some of these brilliant musical minds and promise they have some treats in store for you. Again, thank you so much for coming and after the show please feel free to check out the live band and refreshments we will have in the conference room next door”.
The crowd clapped for him as he exited the small stage and scurried off to rejoin Danny at their seats. They had the last row reserved to themselves, and with the venue not being close to full there wasn’t even anyone sitting anywhere near them.
As soon as he plopped down next to Danny the lights dimmed, getting darker where they were compared to the stage lights that focused their intensity on the musicians down below and the first song on the program began.
Jake’s focus stayed on the stage, but he felt Danny shift closer to him and whisper into his ear. “You did a good job”.
Just as easily as he’d leaned over, Danny sat back in his seat and enjoyed the performance, letting Jake do the same. Despite any hiccups they’d had earlier, the soloists were flawless, the transitions between pieces seamless, and the audience was loving every minute of it, clapping enthusiastically after each final note.
“Isn’t she amazing?” Jake asked Danny when his favorite performer finished by far the hardest song of the night, The Habanera from Carmen. It was her idea to include it in the program, and although Jake worried it might be too difficult for an intermediate orchestra, he was blown away by their hard work and dedication to the art.
“I actually can't believe I just heard that in real life” Danny’s mouth was agape, his eyes glittering with sheer delight.
Jake’s smile faded as he observed Danny watching the performance now, but it wasn’t because he was upset or anything. Quite the opposite, he was suddenly being filled with an overwhelming sense of relief and reassurance. He expected Danny might like it otherwise he wouldn’t have invited him. Even if he didn’t that would have been ok, but Danny seemed to be genuinely appreciative of his time here and that made Jake even happier he’d come.
Feeling like he was being watched, Danny looked over and made eye contact with Jake who was sitting on the edge of his seat. A shiver broke through undeather his coat when Danny’s eyes took him in next, looking him up and down through hooded lids and finally settling on his hands in his lap.
Internally Jake was screaming at himself to move, say something, do anything, but on the outside he was as calm as ever when Danny reached over and grabbed one of his hands, intertwining their fingers together and giving it a squeeze. Jake let out a shaky breath as his eyes fell to his lap, hoping Danny could not feel his heart pounding in his wrist.
“Jake…” Danny muttered his name in the dark, swiping his thumb over the back of Jake’s hand making him look back up again, only he didn’t look him in the eye this time. Jake found himself staring at Danny’s lips, hoping he’d be the braver of the two again.
Before either of them could make the next move though their moment was cut short when Jake heard someone else start speaking over the microphone.
“This last piece was not included on the programs, it is a special thanks to our Director Jake for all the hard work he’s put in. We hope you’ve all had a great night and be safe”.
Jake snapped his head back towards the stage, shocked and completely unaware of this secret addition to the performance. He gripped Danny’s hand tighter when the song began to play and he instantly recognized it as a rendition of one of his own.
The singer started in after the acoustic guitar opening, and Jake was taken aback when he heard his late wife's lyrics bleeding through the speakers for the first time in over three years.
He could feel the sting but he didn’t even register the tears rolling down his cheeks until Danny sat forward as well. “Hey, are you okay?”
“Yeah, I just-” he felt his voice crack, his face and chest burning hot as he shook his hand free from Danny’s and excused himself.
Jake went out into the hallway to collect himself, furiously wiping at his cheeks until they were rubbed red and drying his palms on his pants. Thankfully he was alone, until he heard the sound of the door behind him allowing someone else out.
“I’m sorry, that just caught me off guard” Jake’s knee jerk reaction was to apologize, suck it up, and walk back in with his head held high. All of that flew out the window though when Danny silently came from behind him and wrapped his arms around Jake’s shoulders, pulling his back against his chest and resting his chin on the top of Jake’s head.
More tears began to pool along his lash line when Jake reciprocated the touch by wrapping his hands around Danny’s forearms and pulling them tighter around his shaking frame.
“Don’t apologize. You’re allowed to feel every emotion coming to you right now” Danny muttered behind him.
Jake shook his head and nuzzled his face into the forearms folded across his chest, waiting for the moment to pass before he popped his head back up and inhaled sharply.
“Ok, I’m going to go to the restroom. People will be coming out soon. Will you wait for me in the conference room?”
“Yeah, I can do that”. Danny released his hold and took a few steps back to give Jake some space now. Though as he watched Jake cover his mouth with the back of his hand and walk away, he wished he’d let him follow.
Tags: @lyndz2names @gracev0609 @lipstickitty @sanguinebats @kultavalo
A/N: So there really is a program called Austin Soundwaves that does offer free private music lessons for children in that area. I was able to go to one of their concerts and the performer really did start belting Carmen, it was awesome. Support your local musicians 👏
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voskhodart · 1 year
Text
Hey, do you want to learn how to play VHS tapes in the year 202X?
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I know this is my art blog, but it has come to my attention that some of you are too young to have experienced the joys of the Video Home System in its prime. Come hither so I can teach you and we can embrace the beauty of physical media together. If you have a thrift store and a TV, this process should work for you.
Step 1: Get a VCR ($4-$15)
DO NOT BUY EXPENSIVE VCR/COMBO SETS FROM THE INTERNET!
The ones you find on sites like eBay and Etsy are insanely overpriced and might not even work. Instead, find a Goodwill, Savers, or independent thrift store near you and go to the electronics section. There’s a good chance they’ll have at least one VCR. If they don’t, try a different shop. You can also check local online marketplaces, yard sales, etc.
Good things to look for:
4 (or more) Heads — Heads are the things that actually read the tape. The more heads you have, the better your picture is going to be.
Auto Tracking — Poor tracking can create a rolling picture, which is a pain to fix. An auto tracking VCR does that work for you.
Pre-2000 — After 2000, electronics started being mass produced with plastic casings and cheap parts. VCRs made after this time are a whole lot easier to break. Ideally, you want something from the late 80s to mid 90s.
Well-known brands — Sony, Toshiba, etc. Japanese manufacturers tend to have the best quality. Early Emersons are nice too.
Generally good condition — If there’s a bullet hole in the case, it’s probably best to pass on. A bit of dust isn’t an issue, but major damage isn’t a good sign. If you can, plug the machine into a power outlet in the store and see if it even turns on.
Head cleaning indicator — Not something you *need*, but I find it nice to have. You’ll want to use a head cleaning tape when the indicator starts flashing.
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This is the one I’ll be using for the sake of this guide. This is an old Emerson that I picked up from Goodwill for $7.95. (Notice the five price tags they slapped on top.)
Step 2: Get Some Tapes (¢10-$1)
This is the fun part. Almost every thrift store will have some VHS tapes, usually near the books/DVDs/records. I’ve seen them as expensive as a dollar, but some stores will just give them away for free. I suggest buying a few movies you like, plus one or two shitty tapes to test out your VCR with.
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You may also find 20 different copies of Titanic in every store. This is a normal occurance.
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Remember to check the condition of any tape you plan on putting in your machine. If the spool looks moldy, you *can* try to clean it, but you’ll need another VCR to do so. If the tape looks wrinkled or otherwise damaged, you can still probably play it, but it will look and sound a lot rougher than you should expect. If the casing is damaged, I wouldn’t risk trying to put it in your VCR at all.
Remember: VHS tapes stopped being produced commercially in 2006. Most tapes you find aren’t going to be in the best shape, because they’re all a few decades old. (Sometimes, though, you will come across a tape with an excellent picture, good sound quality, and subtitles! The Mummy tape that I own is near perfect.)
Step 3: Connecting the VCR to Your TV
For this step, you’re going to want a coaxial cable and a set of RCA cables (the red, yellow, and white ones). If your TV doesn’t have an RCA input, you’ll also need an RCA-to-HDMI converter. If your TV also doesn’t have an HDMI input for whatever reason, you’re shit out of luck.
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You’ll plug these cables into the “out” or “out to tv” connection on your VCR, then plug the other end into the back of your TV.
Note: Not all VCRs have right audio (the red one)! That’s fine. Just leave it hanging free. The left audio (white) is your mono audio, so you’ll just have that instead.
Lastly, put the channel switch on the back of your VCR on 3 or 4. I keep mine on 3. This is the number for the channel you’ll go to on your TV to actually see what the VCR is playing.
Step 4: Setting up the TV
I use a little Roku TV, which is surprisingly steady to set up for VCR input:
Settings ➡️ TV Inputs ➡️ Live TV
From here, you’ll either be prompted to scan for channels OR you’ll have to select “scan for antenna channels”. It will ask you if you want to have channels 3 and 4, to which you’ll say “yeah, I do want channels 3 and 4” and click the button that lets you have channels 3 and 4. If you don’t have an antenna, you can skip the other prompts.
I haven’t done this on any other type of TV, but the process should be pretty similar: get yourself to channels 3 and 4 through whatever means necessary.
Once you’re there, it should look like this. Sad, blank, and lonely. But not for long.
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Step 5: Playing Your Tapes
This is where things can go really really well or really really wrong. If everything is hooked up, you can grab your shitty tape and insert it into the VCR.
(Make sure there isn’t anything else in there first, though. Some people don’t remove their precious Titanic copies before donating these things.)
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You’ll want a tape that’s fairly clean, with no casing damage, and already rewound (black tape in the left window). To insert the tape into a front-loading VCR, slowly and firmly slide it into the slot. Once it’s most of the way in, the machine should “grab” it and pull it all the way inside. You’ll hear the machine make some noises.
(If those noises are really crunchy, that’s probably not a good thing. Troubleshoot with your favorite search engine or head over to r/VHS to see if anyone can help you.)
Once your machine is only making some clunky whirring sounds, it should be safe to press the play button. Enjoy watching your favorite films in the least pleasant format possible. Don’t forget to rewind em when you’re done.
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If you have issues, the freaks over at r/VHS tend to be really helpful, but you can also find decade-old YouTube videos that might answer your questions too.
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lovelyiida · 1 year
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I’m srry if ur not comfy with writing for mha girls but I’ve been wondering if u can find time to write jirou headcannons? Tysm if u do!
OMG IM SO COMFY WITH WRITING ABOUT THE MHA GIRLS DW!! I've actually been waiting for someone to ask me to write about the mha girls for a minute so thank you for your service lol. I also have a Mina fic otw, but that's another conversation for another day ;)
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JIRO KYOUKA HEADCANNONS WOULD INCLUDE:
when the both of you first met, you guys instantly clicked.
it was the first day of class, you had so many thought running through your head at that moment:
were you good enough to become a pro-hero?
did you really deserve to be here?
will you actually make it?
is this even your calling?
sitting at your desk your hands were occupied with a fistful of your uniform. you look down at your legs, lips quivering and eyes watering, you were so nervous.
"hey? are you alright?" you heard a soft voice say. your head rises, snapping out of your nervous thoughts you try and show a smile.
"um yeah! I'm just so nervous." you look away in embarrassment, wiping a stray tear from your cheek. looking back you take in the unknown female's looks.
her dark eyes look into yours deeply, her short dark purple hair laying perfectly around her face. you notice her give you a deadpanned look.
"you're obviously not alright⏤here, we can listen to music together before the bell," she says, she lets out a shy smile as she removes a singular headphone from her ear and extends it out for you to grab.
a little dazed by the confident proposal, you nod and give her a slight bow. placing the single headphone in, you patiently wait for the girl to play her music.
when she presses play, your eyes light up.
"you know this band?" you beamed, the girl's eyes widened as well at your sudden burst of energy. "hell yeah! they're like the hottest thing out on the underground scene! I just went to one of their concerts!" she says back, a light blush on her face forms as she chuckles in excitement.
"what's your name?" you asked.
"Jiro Kyouka! and you?" she says, you tell her your name and the both of you formally greet each other with a bow.
after that day, both of you were hip-to-hip.
it didn't matter where either of you was, because you were always together.
and everyone knew that.
"hey, have you seen L/n? I need help with my combat skills," Mina says.
"y'know they're with Jiro," Bakugo says.
the both of you always went out places or hung out at each other's dorms and listened to music.
you loved it when Jiro would send links to her favorite music, and she'd love it when you'd do the same.
sometimes if the both of you were bored, you guys would make stupid songs on garage band, ultimately leaving the room with stomach cramps with how hard you laughed at Jiro's fried auto-tuned vocals.
there's one time when the both of you were getting tickets to see your favorite popular band, hovered over the computer in the lunchroom waiting for the ticket sale to drop. eyes wide open, staring into the blue LED screen, feeling that if you looked away for one second you'd lose all your chances.
you had all the devices possible, computers, tablets, and phones, the both of you were completely silent clicking any button possible to buy the tickets.
"I got them!" Jiro screamed loudly, the both of you crashed into each other's arms and started to scream like wild banshees. there were a couple of odd stares from people in the lunchroom, but that didn't matter.
and when you guys finally went to the concert, you guys screamed even louder. yelling out the lyrics like your life depended on it, hands entwined the whole night.
taking so many photos together that night, you had so much fun you'd never forget this moment ever.
voices hoarse and eyes tired, you had a sleepover in your room after the concert crashing in the bed...you fell asleep so quick you didn't even notice that you guys cuddled the whole night.
everyone seeing the life drained out of you and Jiro as they first hand witnessed the effects of post-concert depression.
sometimes there would be times when the both of you just co-existed with one another.
no talking, no interaction was needed, just the feeling of each other's presence was enough.
and on days when that wasn't the case, Jiro was there for you no matter what.
if you felt down, she'd be the first person to cheer you up, singing one of the weird songs the both of you made to make you laugh
letting out a weary smile, you huff out a breath and wrap your arms around her waist and embrace her into a soft hug. "what would I do without you, Jiro?" you mumbled into her shoulder.
"I don't know...die?" she says, sarcasm oozing from her lips.
the both of you burst into laughter, she hugs you even tighter now.
"I don't know what I would do without you either, L/n..."
you knew you never felt out of place when you were with Jiro, you always felt so in tune with her. you knew her deepest secrets, she covered all your wounds and healed all your scars.
you were complete.
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is it weird to giggle at your own writing, this was so cute I literally was melting into my bed the more a typed this out. I hope you liked this anon!
⏤lovelyiida<3
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reasonsforhope · 3 months
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"In cities across the country, people of color, many of them low income, live in neighborhoods criss-crossed by major thoroughfares and highways.
The housing there is often cheaper — it’s not considered particularly desirable to wake up amid traffic fumes and fall asleep to the rumble of vehicles over asphalt.
But the price of living there is steep: Exhaust from all those cars and trucks leads to higher rates of childhood asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and pulmonary ailments. Many people die younger than they otherwise would have, and the medical costs and time lost to illness contributes to their poverty.
Imagine if none of those cars and trucks emitted any fumes at all, running instead on an electric charge. That would make a staggering difference in the trajectory, quality, and length of millions of lives, particularly those of young people growing up near freeways and other sources of air pollution, according to a study from the American Lung Association.
The study, released [February 28, 2024], found that a widespread transition to EVs could avoid nearly 3 million asthma attacks and hundreds of infant deaths, in addition to millions of lower and upper respiratory ailments...
Prior research by the American Lung Association found that 120 million people in the U.S. breathe unhealthy air daily, and 72 million live near a major trucking route — though, Barret added, there’s no safe threshold for air pollution. It affects everyone.
Bipartisan efforts to strengthen clean air standards have already made a difference across the country. In California, which, under the Clean Air Act, can set state rules stronger than national standards, 100 percent of new cars sold there must be zero emission by 2035.
[Note: The article doesn't explain this, but that is actually a much bigger deal than just California. Basically, due to historically extra terrible pollution, California is the only state that's allowed to allowed to set stronger emissions rules than the US government sets. However, one of the rules in the Clean Air Act is that any other state can choose to follow California's standards instead of the US government's. And California by itself is the world's fifth largest economy - ahead of all but four countries. So, between those two things, when California sets stricter standards for cars, they effects ripple outward massively, far beyond the state's borders.]
Truck manufacturers are, according to the state’s Air Resources Board, already exceeding anticipated zero-emissions truck sales, putting them two years ahead of schedule...
Other states have begun to take action, too, often reaching across partisan lines to do so. Maryland, Colorado, New Mexico, and Rhode Island adopted zero-emissions standards as of the end of 2023.
The Biden administration is taking similar steps, though it has slowed its progress after automakers and United Auto Workers pressured the administration to relax some of its more stringent EV transition requirements.
While Barret finds efforts to support the electrification of passenger vehicles exciting, he said the greatest culprits are diesel trucks. “These are 5 to 10 percent of the vehicles on the road, but they’re generating the majority of smog-forming emissions of ozone and nitrogen,” Barret said...
Lately, there’s been significant progress on truck decarbonization. The Biden administration has made promises to ensure that 30 percent of all big rigs sold are electric by 2030...
Such measures, combined with an increase in public EV charging stations, vehicle tax credits, and other incentives, could change American highways, not to mention health, for good."
-via GoodGoodGood, February 28, 2024
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cunninghamchrissie · 1 year
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hellcheer thought: eddie learning how to cook a few simple dishes that chrissy likes, especially when she's in college & really busy studying etc... eddie bringing her snacks while she studies on their shitty couch / secondhand coffee table & giving her a kiss on the top of her head
"aaaand voilà!"
eddie carefully sets a bowl on the uneven coffee table, taking care that it doesn't slide off to the floor.
chrissy looks up from the child psychology textbook she's reading with a curious smile on her lips.
"and what do we have here?"
"this, my love," eddie says with a flourish of the dishtowel he's got in his left hand, "is a homemade slash canned lasagna soup."
chrissy's mouth has been watering ever since eddie started cooking, but he gets so focused when in the kitchen that she didn't want to interrupt him to ask what exactly he was making with so many ingredients strewn about the sink and the biggest pot she didn't even know they had.
they've been struggling for cash since moving to indianapolis. they found themselves a shoebox apartment above a liquor store so chrissy can be close to both her community college so she won't have to live on campus, and the little law office she works as a secretary in. as for eddie, he's been working crazy hours between the auto shop and trying to score paying gigs most weekends.
eddie tries not to feel bad about having to rely on the dollar store and garage sales, especially after the life chrissy was used to living, but if she has a problem with it, she's never let it show.
eddie jogs the three steps it takes to get back into the kitchen to grab his own bowl and a beer for himself, and sits next to chrissy on the couch, avoiding the spot where the weird spring pops out. he's thought about getting it fixed (how much can upholstery cost?), but sitting like this means they're nearly in each other's laps all the time, and neither one seems to mind it.
chrissy takes a spoonful of the soup as eddie turns on the tv, and the sound of the news is drowned out by her nearly obscene moan.
"oh my god, eddie, this is amazing," chrissy says around her bite, and eddie's eyebrows shoot up.
"jesus, sweetheart, let a man finish his dinner before making those noises. gonna run me ragged if i don't get my energy up to rock your world tonight."
chrissy giggles an apology, and they eat in comfortable silence as they hear about how many inches of snow they're getting the next day.
chrissy's gotten so much better with her eating issues, but things are still far from perfect. she can't clear her plates just yet, but eddie never makes a fuss about eating her leftovers, joking that, according to her own school books, people don't finish developing until their mid 20s and he's a growing boy who needs all the calories he can get.
after dinner, they fight over who gets to do the dishes, and eddie lets chrissy win just this once. he's so tired, and he's pretty sure he pulled something in his back at the shop.
when chrissy's finished cleaning up, she finds eddie snoring slightly on the couch, with his neck bent at an impossible angle.
she smiles fondly and leans down to place a kiss to the top of his head before waking him up.
"come on, sleepy head." she scratches his scalp, and eddie nuzzles into her touch in a way that reminds her of thumper from bambi.
she loves him so much, she can't even speak sometimes.
they make their way into the bedroom wrapped around each other, chrissy stumbling behind eddie with her hands around his waist and her cheek between his shoulder blades.
"thank you for dinner, baby."
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seat-safety-switch · 1 year
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A couple years ago, back in the before-times (you can interpret that however you want,) my friends and I used to go to the auto show. At the auto show, the dealerships set up little booths and then demonstrate all their new cars by pulling some off the lot. When you buy your new car, maybe it’s been bounced in a few hundred times by toddlers, or had all of its buttons pushed, or been ever-so-slightly scratched by a dude with keys on his belt at this auto show.
That would definitely annoy me, if I were capable of purchasing a new car. All of mine come pre-scratched, from a hardscrabble life of being sent to the junkyard and escaping at least once. In theory, any one of my cars might have been shown at an auto show. Late 1973, early 1974, some asshole would have looked at my Satellite, and gone: yeah, it’s pretty, but the paint doesn’t match. And then things just went south from there.
I’m getting off topic. Here’s the thing that’s important: if you go to the auto show, now, and you go look at the new cars, it gives you a preview of what used, high-mileage garbage you’ll get to choose from in a mere thirty or forty years. Some of the things they bolt onto new cars these days are really cool, although I am sure that the stereo system will stop working once the government finally shoots down the last of the trucker-radio satellites, following the Comedy Radio Rebellion of 2046. In particular, I keep finding myself diving under the electric cars, trying to figure out where I should apply a sawzall to maximum effect in order to “green up” my shitbox fleet. I am told that they are especially competent at burnouts, these lightning-based barge rockets, and surely shaving about three thousand pounds and all the airbags off of the curb weight will only make them more so.
If there’s one downside to the auto show, it’s the crass commercialism. And if there’s two downsides, it’s that every sales rep wants to talk to me. Why? Because when they’re at the convention centre, they’re not able to go into the break room of their respective dealerships and see that blurry photocopy of my face with the words “DO NOT APPROACH” written underneath. I still think it’s kind of unfair that the auto dealer association pulled that shit on me, just because I tried to help myself to some metric bolts over at the Nissan dealer. It’s not like they were using them: based on this Leaf, they mostly hold the thing together with plastic clips anyway.
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olderthannetfic · 1 year
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You've expressed your disdain for Google Docs as a writing tool before and I'm starting to feel the same, especially with what they're pushing with this AI stuff. Do you have any recommendations for alternate (or, dare I say, better) options for writing apps and things (free or otherwise) as it pertains to writing as a whole?
--
These days, I use Scrivener, which I like quite a bit.
I did find it rather confusing at first. And also still now. I think it's a particularly good program if you want to export some specific ebook format for sale, auto-generate tables of contents, etc.
I know people use a lot of other more streamlined apps if they just want something to write in though.
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dragonflycap · 14 days
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5 Trade Ideas for Monday: Apple, Bank of America, Bristol-Myers, BP and eBay
5 Trade ideas excerpted from the detailed analysis and plan for premium subscribers:
Apple, Ticker: $AAPL
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Apple, $AAPL, comes into the week consolidating just under the all-time high. It has a RSI rising in the bullish zone with the MACD flat and positive. look for a push over resistance to participate…..
Bank of America, Ticker: $BAC
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Bank of America, $BAC, comes into the week at a 2 year high. It has a RSI in the bullish zone with the MACD positive. Look for continuation to participate…..
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Ticker: $BMY
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Bristol-Myers Squibb, $BMY, comes into the week trying to reverse higher. It has a RSI climbing out of oversold with a MACD curling up. Look for continuation to participate…..
BP, Ticker: $BP
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BP, $BP, comes into the week at short term resistance. It has a RSI at the midline with the MACD crossing up. Look for a push over resistance to participate…..
eBay, Ticker: $EBAY
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eBay, $EBAY, comes into the week approaching resistance. It has a RSI in the bullish zone with the MACD positive. Look for a push over resistance to participate…..
Start of Summer Annual Sale! Hi all the Start of Summer Annual Sale is on at Dragonfly Capital. Get an annual subscription for 38.2% off or pay quarterly for 15% off. Both auto-renew at that discounted rate until you decide to leave.
After reviewing over 1,000 charts, I have found some good setups for the week. These were selected and should be viewed in the context of the broad Market Macro picture reviewed Friday which with the month of May in the books, saw equity markets showing some signs of weakness following divergences last week.
Elsewhere look for Gold to continue its consolidation in the uptrend while Crude Oil consolidates in a narrow range after a pullback. The US Dollar Index continues to drift to in broad consolidation while US Treasuries continue their downtrend. The short term move higher in the Shanghai Composite looks to be at risk of reversing while Emerging Markets enter a short term downtrend.
The Volatility Index looks to remain very low and stable making the path easier for equity markets to the upside. The charts of the SPY and QQQ look strong on the longer timeframe, but with a possible momentum reset continuing in the short run. On the shorter timeframe both the QQQ and SPY have reset to their 20 day SMA’s where they often find support. How they react next week could tell if this week was meaningful or not. The IWM continues to be the laggard, stalled near the top of a 2 year range. Use this information as you prepare for the coming week and trad’em well.
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ninja-muse · 5 months
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So, as you can probably guess by this post, I've decided to continue posting wrap-ups after all, but not necessarily a review every month. (This month, for instance, I read a bunch of good stuff but nothing I wanted to rave about.) I'm still tracking this stuff for my own edification and I like coming up with snappy one-sentence summaries, so if I'm doing 90% of the work already…. You'll also notice that this year, for spice and transparency, I'm adding in where I got the books from, in case people somehow though I was buying everything.
Anyway, I've had a good start to my reading year, all told. Sadly I've already had a DNF—it's a great fantasy if you're moving from YA to adult, but I wanted something more—and one book that probably should have been a DNF but I pushed through to find out what was causing the horror stuff and … didn't get a good answer. But everything else was good!
I have not, however, done well on my goal of "buy fewer books". Mislaid in Parts Half-Known and the new Rivers of London comic were auto-buys, and The History of Magic is one I've wanted to read for a while but is now effectively out of print in Canada and unavailable at the library so when it showed up to work on sale…. My last book purchase was even more accidental; a semi-coworker reached out with their recent unhaul and asked if I'd like to take anything off their hands. I'd heard of Fantomina and it seemed up my alley—17th-century romance/erotic/feminist fiction—and the price was right.
Oh yes, and my work got Bookshops and Bonedust stickers. I had no choice there either.
And that's about it for updates! Click through to see everything I read this month, in the rough order of how glad I was to have read them.
The Phoenix Crown - Janie Chang and Kate Quinn
An opera singer, an embroiderer, a painter, and a botanist are drawn together by a businessman with a love for Chinese art. Out in February.
7/10
main character with migraines, 🏳️‍🌈 main character (sapphic), 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (sapphic), Chinese-American main character, Chinese-American secondary characters, Argentinian secondary character, secondary character with permanent hand injury and PTSD, Taiwanese-Canadian author, 🇨🇦
warning: misogyny, anti-Chinese racism including slurs
Reading copy
Bunyan and Henry - Mark Cecil
When Paul Bunyan leaves the security of Lump Town on a quest to save his wife, he learns that the tallest tale of all might just be the American Dream. Out in March
7/10
protagonist with disfigured foot and chronic pain, Black and Chinese-American secondary characters
Reading copy
Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands - Heather Fawcett
When Wendell’s past catches him up at Cambridge, Emily and he set out for Austria to search for his door. They know it won't be easy but they weren't expecting this.
7/10
🇨🇦
Borrowed from work
The Book of Doors - Gareth Brown
Cassie inherits a magical book that lets her travel anywhere. Other people will do anything to acquire it. Out in February
7/10
Black and Japanese supporting characters; fat, Chinese, and Egyptian incidental characters
Warnings for gore and violence
Reading copy
How to End a Love Story - Yulin Kuang
Helen’s YA series is getting adapted and she’s in the writer’s room. Unfortunately so is the guy involved in her sister’s suicide and she’s never forgiven him. Enemies to lovers. Out in April
7/10
Chinese-American protagonist, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (sapphic, mlm), Middle Eastern-American secondary character, Chinese-American author
Warning: pre-book suicide, grief
Reading copy
Mislaid in Parts Half-Known - Seanan McGuire
When a student tries to force Antsy to work for her, Antsy and her new friends escape through a Door and begin a long trip home.
7/10
🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (multisexual, trans boy); Japanese-American, Black, Latino, fat, and albino secondary characters, 🏳️‍🌈 author
Purchased
Rivers of London, Vol 11: Here Be Dragons - Ben Aaronovitch and Andrew Cartmel
Peter Grant investigates a series of UFO sightings that have … wings and claws?
7/10
Black-British main character, Black-British secondary character, Muslim secondary character
Purchased
In The Pines - Grace Elizabeth Hale
A woman realizes the story of her grandfather stopping a lynching may have been very untrue, and digs into Mississippi history to reckon with what actually happened.
7/10
focus on Black lives
warning: racism, lynching
Library book
Bryony and Roses - T. Kingfisher
When Bryony tries to take a rose from a mysterious manor house, the Beast who lives there makes her stay. And there might be a curse he wants broken?
6.8/10
physical TBR/Christmas gift
Heartstopper, Vol. 5 - Alice Oseman
Uni is on the horizon and Nick’s unsure what he wants for his future. Charlie wants to take their relationship to the next level, but is he really ready?
6.5/10
🏳️‍🌈 protagonists (gay, bisexual), Black-British, Egyptian-British, Middle Eastern-British and Chinese-British secondary characters, Muslim supporting character, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary characters (trans girl, lesbian, asexual), 🏳️‍🌈 incidental characters (nonbinary), 🏳️‍🌈 author
Warning: author supports Israel
Borrowed from work
Bad Glass - Richard E. Gropp
Something horrifying is happening to the people of Spokane. A young photographer sneaks in to document it.
5/10
Indian-American secondary character, Black secondary characters, 🏳️‍🌈 secondary character (gay)
warning: body horror, dubious consent
Library ebook
DNF
Sun of Blood and Ruin - Mariely Lares
Pantera fights to protect her city from Spanish colonists while hiding her true identity as a noblewoman. Unfortunately, the world might soon be ending. Out in February.
Indigenous Mexican protagonist and secondary characters, Mexican-American author
reading copy
Currently reading
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store - James McBride
The Black and Jewish residents of a Pennsylvania neighbourhood get along (mostly) but tensions build when the government decides to take a local Deaf kid to an asylum.
Jewish and Black cast, major character with chronic illness and a limp, secondary Deaf character, Black author
warning: ableist characters and institutions, racist and anti-Semitic characters
Library book
Eve - Cat Bohannon
A history of human evolution, through the lens of the female body.
reading copy
Music from the Earliest Notations to the Sixteenth Century - Richard Taruskin A history of early written European music, in its social and political contexts.
The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle Victorian detective stories
major disabled character
warning: racism, colonialism
Stats
Monthly total: 11 Yearly total: 11 Queer books: 2 Authors of colour: 1.5 Books by women: 7 Authors outside the binary: 0 Canadian authors: 1.5 Classics: 0 Off the TBR shelves: 1 Books hauled: 4 ARCs acquired: 5 ARCs unhauled: 5 DNFs: 1
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This day in history
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Next TUESDAY (May 14), I'm on a livecast about AI AND ENSHITTIFICATION with TIM O'REILLY; on WEDNESDAY (May 15), I'm in NORTH HOLLYWOOD with HARRY SHEARER for a screening of STEPHANIE KELTON'S FINDING THE MONEY; FRIDAY (May 17), I'm at the INTERNET ARCHIVE in SAN FRANCISCO to keynote the 10th anniversary of the AUTHORS ALLIANCE.
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#20yrsago Internet Archive’s Petabox: a 1,000 terabyte array https://archive.org/web/petabox.php
#15yrsago Pinkwater’s Neddiad: awesome YA novel with ghosts, fat alien cops, shamans, circus animals, triplanes, swordfighting, etc https://memex.craphound.com/2009/05/11/pinkwaters-neddiad-awesome-ya-novel-with-ghosts-fat-alien-cops-shamans-circus-animals-triplanes-swordfighting-etc/
#15yrsago Selling fiber broadband by inviting users to dig their own trenches https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2009/05/norwegian-isp-dig-your-own-fiber-trench-save-400/
#15yrsago Free ebooks’ effects on book-sales https://web.archive.org/web/20090515095615/http://bloggasm.com/did-random-houses-free-online-book-releases-affect-sales
#15yrsago Pirate Bay founder proposes to pay his fine with tiny, expensive-to-receive payments https://web.archive.org/web/20090514014403/http://www.blogpirate.org/2009/05/10/pirate-bay-founder-crafts-distributed-denial-of-dollars-attack/
#15yrsago Canadian MPs don’t want Parliament videos in the hands of citizens https://web.archive.org/web/20090512225709/http://www.thestar.com/sciencetech/article/632164
#15yrsago Cornell says no to restrictions on public domain materials https://web.archive.org/web/20090515100044/http://news.library.cornell.edu/com/news/PressReleases/Cornell-University-Library-Removes-All-Restrictions-on-Use-of-Public-Domain-Reproductions.cfm
#5yrsago Bipartisan groups call on Congress to reinstate the Office of Technology Assessment, which Gingrich killed in 1995 https://www.techdirt.com/2019/05/10/broad-coalition-tells-congress-to-bring-back-office-technology-assessment/
#5yrsago Beto O’Rourke just hired a “senior advisor” who used to lobby for Keystone XL, Seaworld and private prisons https://theintercept.com/2019/05/11/beto-orourke-campaign-staff-lobbyist-keystone-xl/
#5yrsago Facebook’s “celebration” and “memories” algorithms are auto-generating best-of-terror-recruiting pages for extremist groups https://www.securityweek.com/whistleblower-says-facebook-generating-terror-content/
#5yrsago Chelsea Manning’s statement on the occasion of her release https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDZGRRk4MnM
#1yrago 'We buy ugly houses' is code for 'we steal vulnerable peoples' homes' https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/11/ugly-houses-ugly-truth/#homevestor
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