#VP of Business Operations

[sailorbryant]

They say write about what you know, so my head has created a VegasPete office!au.

Aka, all the bodyguards are administrative assistants with increasingly ridiculous title names. The main plot is about Vegas stealing all of Kinns administrative assistants, while Pete has to basically be both of their assistants (Which is not his job) due to the constant turnover, because he's the only one they both trust.

I need about two weeks vacation and I am so writing this.

[thehaniverse]

HYBE vs Min Hee Jin - The Full Timeline

[Last updates: June 1st 2024]

Hi guys, Han here, and LORD, this has been one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I hope this is helpful to all those who are trying to follow this mess in its entirety.

Important notes:

I've included the pre-audit timeline to help you understand the history and context of everything that's happened

I will be updating periodically with new information

I will try to keep entries to the point, and highlight the main points given by each side without adding too much of my own opinion - so make your own conclusions!

Credits to TMIKpop on Twitter for most of the translated news articles as I'm far too lazy, busy (and dyslexic) to read all those Korean articles myself.

I tried to include sources as much as possible in the more recent news, but honestly, I'm going to be a little lazy with this as I don't have enough free time to go back and find sources for things that happened way in the past or are already well-known up to this point. Feel free to send me sources in my ask box though!

Green text indicates the latest updates for those following!

Also for reference, here are the key involved characters (and name abbreviations that will be used throughout this post.)

Bang PD (Bang Shihyuk, HYBE Chairman & BigHit CEO)

PJW (Park Jiwon, HYBE CEO, ex-CEO of NEXON Games)

MHJ (Min Hee Jin, ADOR CEO, ex-SM employee)

VP L (Lee Sangwoo, VP of ADOR, ex-financial division at HYBE)

VP S (Shin ??, VP of ADOR)

NJs (NewJeans), LS (Le Sserafim), IL (ILLIT), GFRIEND & BTS

BHM (BigHit Music), SouMu (Source Music), BELIFT & ADOR

Items with * are accusations by either ADOR or HYBE, but that haven't been 100% verified as true or false. Things that have been verified won't have any *.

Similarly, (RUMORS) that seem to have some basis in reality based on existing evidence but have not been explicitly stated by either side are also included. Also disclaimer: I am not pro-HYBE nor pro-MHJ, I have my personal opinion but I've tried to keep this as impartial and unbiased as possible. I've just presented the news that has been released, if it tills one way, that's just how it is.

Without further ado(r LOL), let's begin!

2019~2021

MHJ joins BigHit Ent as Chief Branding Officer for all labels - this is in preparation for Bighit Ent becoming HYBE.

*Between then and 2021, MHJ suggests making a girl group to Bang PD, and they agree to make the group under SouMu rather than BHM. However, MHJ is never officially employed at SouMu.

*Bang PD promises that MHJ's group will be HYBE's first girl group.

All NJs members join SouMu (Minji joined in 2017 / Hani 2019 / Haerin & Danielle 2020 / Hyein 2021)

*NJs' debut is pushed back initially because of COVID, then again due to contract issues, resulting in LS being ready to debut first and PJW telling MHJ that NJs will no longer be the first gg from HYBE. MHJ claims the reason for NJs' debut delay is because they didn't like her creative vision though.

2021

Q1 (Exact Timing Unknown)

Bang PD starts developing LS with SouMu as he wants to create a group featuring known members, Chaewon and Sakura from Iz*one.

*NJs' debut is pushed back initially because of COVID, then again due to contract issues, resulting in LS being ready to debut first

PJW tells MHJ that NJs will no longer be the first gg from HYBE.

*MHJ is upset that another gg is being developed under Source and claims that it's because Bang PD didn't like the direction she was taking NJs and abandoned her to work on LS instead.

MHJ later agrees to the new debut schedule, with LS debuting just 2 months before NJs, and decides that is enough time for her to promote NJs.

Feb/Mar

HYBE is officially established as a company with Bang PD as CEO.

May

PJW is announced as the new CEO of HYBE.

Bang PD continues as CEO of only BGM but only the chairman of HYBE. This means he has no say in the daily operations of HYBE, but can make big decisions that go to the Board of Directors (BOD). Note: Each label under HYBE has its own individual CEO.

GFRIEND is officially disbanded without any notice from SouMu.

*MHJ is accused (by HYBE staff) of taking almost all of the SouMu staff to ADOR resulting in SouMu not having enough staff to manage GFRIEND and LS. SouMu also had a lot of debt from the training of NJs that they would no longer see a return on as the profits would go to ADOR so they needed to take dramatic measures. (RUMOR) SouMu had already sunk a lot of money into LS (and NJs) and expected LS to be more popular as they were debuting under HYBE, so they decided to terminate GFRIEND at the end of their contracts without warning.

November

ADOR is officially established so that MHJ can have full control over her group's image and development, rather than answering to SouMu CEO and Bang PD.

HYBE gives 16.1B won investment for the establishment of ADOR

Bang PD gives MHJ 2B won to buy 2.8B won worth of ADOR stocks (amounting to 20%, 2% of which she later shared out to her two VPS.) He also gave her 2.9B of HYBE stocks as part of her official recruitment package as CEO of ADOR at only 23% of the actual share value (aka she got a 77% discount). However, MHJ sold 1,000 shares in mid-Nov and another 1000 shares on 8 Dec 2022, earning 760M, and walked away with an additional 120M in cash just 15 days after her investment. // Source: Silsa Journal

2022

May

LS debuts from SouMu

*HYBE claims they shortened their promotional period in order to give MHJ enough time to promote NJs ahead of their debut, but MHJ shows Kakao messages of PJW specifying that NJs should not be promoted ahead of LS' debut so they can benefit from the speculation of them being MHJ's group.

LS' debut is overshadowed by the Garam scandal.

(RUMOR) While Garam was later found to be innocent and misrepresented in the media (ie she was protecting a friend from a bully, not actively bullying someone), many believe MHJ was the one who leaked the information to the press to jeopardize LS' debut. This comes from the statements from HYBE that they have evidence of her collecting and leaking artists' private information.

July

NJs debuts with ZERO pre-debut promotion, instead dropping an incredible amount of content for the debut promotions. Note: While MHJ claims HYBE tried to stop her promoting at all before their debut, she has not provided any evidence. It is the responsibility of each individual label to plan and execute their artist's promotions.

End of Year

Thanks to NJs' successful debut, ADOR has paid off a majority of their debt to HYBE, and now only owes 4B won.

2023

Dec // Source: Donga Ilbo

Bang PD lends MHJ money to buy cheap stock options (intentionally discounted by HYBE for her to buy) and MHJ uses the loan to buy a 20% stake in ADOR. This means she gets paid her shares on top of her 1M USD annual salary as CEO. Note: I couldn't confirm this, but it's believed she is the only CEO of any HYBE label that has stocks in her company. BHM is private so there are no stocks and it is owned completely by Bang PD, while the other labels' stocks are owned 100% by HYBE.

MHJ buys the shares on the following conditions: + If she decides to quit, HYBE is obliged to buy the stocks back and pay MHJ 13 times [ADOR's profit from the last 2 years x her % of shares] + She can quit from Nov 2024 and has a non-compete clause for 2 years where she must maintain a 4.5% stake in ADOR. Note: This means as a stakeholder she can not establish her own company or work for a company that will directly compete with ADOR for those 2 years, as she can not do work that can potentially devalue her shares. This is standard in many industries.

MHJ later shares 2% of her shares to executives of ADOR: VP S and VP L. Note: It is unclear if she sold them or gifted them.

Q4 (Exact Timing Unknown)

VP L leaves their position in HYBE's financial team and starts to work at ADOR under MHJ.

*HYBE accuses VP L of downloading a bunch of HYBE's private financial data that he should no longer have access to, and giving it to MHJ to later use to try and blackmail HYBE into selling their ADOR stocks with the investors she is colluding with. This would mean the majority of ADOR stocks would be controlled by people who support MHJ's decisions.

2024

Feb // Source: Donga Ilbo

MHJ tries to negotiate the terms of her contract with HYBE. She requests the following: + The 13x valuation of her shares be increased to 30x. Taking their value from approximately 100B won to 270B won. (This would be 5.5x the amount of profit she actually made with ADOR in 2023.) + The complete removal of the non-compete clause, allowing her to cash out all of her stocks and start/work for a competitor company immediately after leaving the company.

Additionally, she asks for the ability to make decisions regarding outside investors by herself as the CEO without HYBE's input.

HYBE rejects all of her requests because they would be complete financial losses and risks to HYBE. Negotiations stop as neither side will budge.

It is also around this time that HYBE gets the tips that MHJ is planning a management takeover with outside investors.

Mar

HYBE received a tip that MHJ is planning to try and make ADOR independent by gathering investors who support MHJ to buy up the majority of ADOR shares.

[23rd~29th] MHJ and VP L share messages about selling ADOR after 'emptying it like a shell', how to make ADOR independent, and how they should blackmail HYBE and ruin HYBE's reputation. *HYBE believes the 'empty shell' comment means terminating NJs' contracts with the majority shareholder power from the investors MHJ was meeting. Note: MHJ has confirmed the existence of these messages but insists they were just jokes between disgruntled employees. HYBE retorts that these plans are too specific and detailed, and they found additional evidence to prove they were more than just empty words.

[25th] ILLIT debuts with 'Magnetic'

April

[3rd] MHJ submits an internal complaint to HYBE and BELIFT that IL's concept is copyright infringement of NJs and that HYBE has the obligation to protect them. She requests they respond by April 23rd or 24th (not clear.)

MHJ also complains to the parents of NJs that HYBE is trying to sideline NJs with IL.

[22nd] HYBE and BELIFT submit a 6-page response to MHJ. Note: She later claims that she didn't receive any response, but HYBE provides proof that she received it, so she changed that they replied last minute so she couldn't prepare for the audit, but the response doesn't mention the audit because they are separate issues. However, MHJ believes the audit is all because of the IL situation.

HYBE carries out and publically announces the ADOR audit. This results in an 8% drop in HYBE stocks. (Whistleblower will be revealed later!) *They claim to find evidence of her plans, the illegally obtained company and artist information, and more.

[23rd] MHJ holds a 2.5 hour press conference in retaliation. *She doubles down that she believes this is all because of the complaint she filed and that HYBE (and particularly Bang PD) has hated her and NJs from the beginning. Conference Transcript Here:

[24th] This was also the deadline for which all company devices needed to be returned for the audit but MHJ refused to return her work laptop (and still hasn't as far as I know.) *MHJ claims the timing of the audit was intentional to jeopardize NJs' comeback, however, HYBE provided copied devices to all the employees. She has since not given any justification for not returning her laptop and NJs comeback is continuing as scheduled.

[26th] While HYBE initially stated they wouldn't respond on the day of the conference, they later released a full statement addressing the key points of MHJ's argument. HYBE's full response in English:

NJs's fans (Bunnies) sent trucks to HYBE requesting that MHJ stop using NJs and their parents to protect herself and that NJs stay within HYBE.

NJ's parents refuse to accept calls from HYBE but express their support through newspaper interviews.

Both NJs and BTS RM announce their comebacks set for May 24th. (HYBE's stocks recover thanks to this.) MHJ paints this as HYBE trying to crush NJs with their biggest group because NJs surpassed BTS - HYBE retorts that BHM picked the date first and advised her to change the date, but she insisted on having NJs' comeback on the same day.

[30th] HYBE calls an extraordinary general meeting with the BODs, but the ADOR executives and MHJ do not attend, meaning they have to file a legal suit requiring the MHJ, VP S and VP L to attend the ADOR BODs extraordinary general meeting on May 31st instead.

Other things of note that happened between the 22nd to 30th:

News reports broke that a petition for re-investigation regarding a 2017 allegation against BTS for Sagaeji was passed to the KFTC & Ministry of Culture, Sports & Tourism. Days later the organizations responded by clearing the charges and asking that all musicians be as honest and forthcoming as BTS. It was later discovered at the hearing that MHJ was behind this situation, and ordered her VPs to create a buzz around the issue to distract attention from her. // Sources: Link / Yonhap News

Similarly, following the accusation from HYBE that MHJ was talking to her 'shaman friend', a rumor broke that BTS were members of a cult that the chairman of their university (Cyber Global University) is rumored to be part of. The Chairman denied being part of a cult, and HYBE/BHM released statements denying the allegations too.

(RUMOR) "K-ARMYs" sent trucks and funeral wreaths to HYBE dissing the company and pleading allegiance only to BTS until May 7th. The following day, these were replaced by trucks from "Bunnies" showing support for MHJ - contradicting the prior trucks sent criticising her. The suspicious timing, the unusually fast fundraising, the contradictory message, the hiring of bodyguards to protect the wreaths, and other strange coincidences cast doubt on if any of these trucks are actually from fans. Many believe MHJ is funding these herself to paint the image that fans are on her side, or at least hate HYBE, justifying her own discontent with HYBE.

May // Source: Biz Chosun

[7th] MHJ files an injunction to Seoul District Court to block HYBE from using their 80% share of ADOR to vote her out (fire her.)

[10th] ADOR BOD agreed to HYBE's request to hold the extraordinary general meeting to discuss the dismissal of MHj (and the two VPs.)

*The same day, prior to the BOD announcement, MHJ's side said a styling team leader was subject to improper coercion during the audit. // Source: Lee Daily HYBE later retaliated explaining how the audit was conducted and that when the staff wanted to stop, they respected her wishes. Furthermore, HYBE said they found evidence of embezzlement and improper payment receipts for ADOR staff. // Source: Newsen ADOR denied that the payment methods were normal and legal, but definitely they are not. // Source: Newsis However, the staff did come forward to say she felt pressured and blackmailed with the embezzlement claims if she didn't comply with the audit. // Source: Ilgan Sports

[12th] An email from "NJs Parents" to HYBE is released to a newspaper, the contents of the email describing how Bang PD did not greet the girls in the elevator, and how they are their parents were upset by it. HYBE retorted that this was not true, and that the email was fabricated by VP L and MHJ and they had proof of this. // Source: YTN A parent of NJs later gave an interview with Ilgan Sports revealing the email was in fact written by MHJ, based on conversations she had with the parents. She also claimed PJW had said the girls would take a break for 1.5 years in order to find a Grammy worthy producer for NJs and that the parents were worried about their careers. // Source: Ilgan Sports HYBE denies any such statement and that they plan to continue NJs schedules as planned. //Source: Seoul Newspaper

[13th] YTN reports HYBE has selected a new CEO for ADOR to replace MHJ once she's voted out, and that they will reveal all of the results of the audit at the court hearing.

Controversy about NJs new song 'Bubble Gum' being plagiarised from a 1982 song called 'Easier Said Than Done' by British Rock Band ShakaTak. // Source: Biz Chosun

[14th] HYBE filed a complaint with the FSS due to insider trading carried out thanks to a tip from MHJ's side about the upcoming public scandal. Note: It's complicated and is about additional people not mentioned until now, so I will link the thread explaining it. It is relevant however, as it backs HYBE's claim that MHJ had planned to ruin their company image as part of her management takeover plan even before the audit. LINK

[17th] The hearing for MHJ's injunction takes place. Each side has 30 minutes to present their arguments and evidence. The below tweets summarize the main points.

HYBE's Side:

ADOR's Side:

Although MHJ requested her Kakao messages not to be shared publically (despite her already showing some), a reporter did recreate the messages. (He copied them word for word but recreated the image so it doesn't break the rules.) The messages show her hatred for women in general, particularly a female employee who was reported assaulted by one of the VPs. Messages Translation: LINK Message Source: LINK LINK

[17th] NJs members and their parents all submitted petitions to oppose the dismissal of MHJ and request that MHJ and NJs continue to stay under HYBE - these petitions were submitted before the hearing where MHJ's disparaging comments against NJs were revealed. // Source: Hankook Ilbo

A petition signed by 10,000 NJs' fans, and various petitions from ADOR staff members was also submitted to the court in favor of MHJ.

Various staff from HYBE (Pdogg (BTS producer), CEO Han Seongsoo (Pledis founder and producer of Seventeen), CEO So Seongjin (Source Music), Son Seongduk (BigHit performance director), Kim Seonghyun (BTS and Le Sserafim’s creative director), and Slow Rabbit (TXT producer)) filed petitions in favor of HYBE showing strong loyalty from various labels and artists. //Source: News 1

[17th] HYBE's Q1 results were released and showcased how NJs/ADOR is not as valuable an asset as MHJ is painting them out to be. This goes against MHJ's argument that HYBE is trying to crush her because NJs are getting 'too big'. LINK

[17th] The whistleblower who tipped HYBE off to make them do the audit is revealed. Long story short it was one of the associates of the investors MHJ had been trying to get to buy shares of ADOR who reached out to HYBE. MHJ has claimed during her conference she never met any investors and that HYBE should prove who they are. Now that they've been named, she's still deflecting because it was VP L who met with the investors rather than MHJ herself. // Source: LINK / Biz Chosun

[17th - yeah, a lot happened this day] MHJ accuses HYBE of trying to make her commit 'Albun Pushing', as well as complaining about the distribution deal with UMG - HYBE retaliates denying the allegations and provides evidence of MHJ doing the exact thing she accused them of, and also explains how the UMG benefits all artists and has already benefit NJs. // Source: LINK Note: This is NOT Sajaegi, but it is still a tactic to inflate sales. The difference is Sajaegi is the company buying the albums themselves, whereas this album pushing is forcing distributors to preorder more stock and then hold events (like fansigns) to help them sell out after.

[22nd] BELIFT also filed an official defamation suit against MHJ. // Source: Hangkook Finance // Note: In Korea, you can sued for defamation even if what you said is proven true if it is deemed not beneficial to the general public and detrimental to the person/entity who was defamed. If found guilty, this would be grounds for MHJ's injunction to be canceled.

[24th] This day is the deadline by which both sides can submit additional evidence before the courts make their decision on whether to pass MHJ's injunction (stopping HYBE from voting her out) or not. // Source: YNA

[24th~19th] Various text messages, supposedly from HYBE's legal argument are leaked to the public. They contain damning messages that show that MHJ was planning (in detail) the takeover of ADOR/NJs prior to the debut of ILLIT. As the messages are 'leaked' it is hard to prove their validity, but MHJ later states (on the 30th] that the messages were taken out of context (not that they were lies/edited.) // Source: KBS

KakaoTalk Message Translations are available here: PannKpop

[25th] PJW met with 3/5 NJs' mothers and guaranteed that they would be able to carry out their Tokyo Dome performance plans regardless of MHJ's status after the injunction - despite MHJ refusing to share the files/information related to the concert plans. // Source: Ilgan Sports

[30th] The court rules in favor of Min Hee Jin. They admit that while she did plan a management takeover and take action that could be harmful/disadvantageous to HYBE, she did not do anything that would be detrimental to ADOR which is her prime responsibility, and that the loss of MHJ to ADOR could be harmful. // Source: Hankook Ilbo

This injunction temporarily stops HYBE from firing MHJ unless they can prove she is bad for ADOR or that she has committed some sort of criminal offense against HYBE. // Source: Kyunghyang Newspaper

HYBE says they will respect the court's decision and act accordingly (likely file an appeal.) MHJ announces she will do a press conference the following day. She also claims that the dismissal of her two VPs will be against the court's decision, but technically they aren't covered by the injunction. // Source: Seoul Newspaper

[31st] The ADOR extraordinary general meeting takes place.

HYBE fires the two VPs who worked under MHJ and replace them with with three Hybe officers. Kim Joo-young, Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO), Lee Jae-sang, Chief Strategy Office (CSO), and Lee Kyung-joon, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) were appointed at the EGM. //Note: The CHRO is a woman, which is interesting due to MHJ's disparaging comments about working with women according to the messages allegedly leaked by HYBE. // Source: Yeonhap News

This new BoD line-up for ADOR means MHJ is outnumbered 3:1 in any decision and is seen as a way for HYBE to keep her in check.

Note: I haven't included notes from MHJ's conference yet as I haven't watched it for myself yet! I also don't know what parts will be relevant to the main timeline later, so I will update again a bit later.

This is all the information so far, I've skipped some of the common knowledge things like the details of the IL plagiarism or cult accusations because I think they just muddle the whole timeline and are very inconsequential.

I will continue to update this page as things continue to happen. And I want to show out TMIKPOP from Twitter one more time as I wouldn't have been able to put this together without their tweets.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Lincoln Project

* * * *

VP Harris challenges Trump on immigration

September 19, 2024

Robert B. Hubbell

On Wednesday, VP Kamala Harris spoke at the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s 47th Annual Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C. Harris took on Trump's nightmarish threat to deport millions of immigrants if he is elected.

Harris said,

While we fight to move our nation forward to a brighter future, Donald Trump and his extremist allies will keep trying to pull us backward. We all remember what they did to tear families apart, and now they have pledged to carry out the largest deportation, a mass deportation, in American history. Imagine what that would look like and what that would be? How’s that going to happen? Massive raids? Massive detention camps? What are they talking about?

Harris’s speech is here: Harris delivers remarks at Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute leadership event.

As VP Harris said, it is a dangerous fantasy to believe that Trump could deport ten million immigrants. An operation of that scale is beyond the resources of the federal and state governments combined. Although the effort would not succeed, it would lead to economic chaos as the labor pool is jolted by the sudden disappearance of workers who fill entry level service jobs, harvest America’s crops, provide home care for the elderly, and provide significant portions of the workforce in construction, hospitality, and manufacturing industries.

If you don’t have time to watch Harris’s entire speech, I recommend viewing the segment in which she frames reproductive rights as one of the freedoms guaranteed to Americans. She also notes that 40% of Latina women live in states with Trump abortion bans: Harris addresses impact of Trump abortion bans on Latina women.

VP Harris’s comments on abortion and reproductive freedom are powerful and moving. She continues to be an effective, focused campaigner who is sticking to the Democratic messaging of “freedom” and “an opportunity economy.”

As a reminder, Kamala Harris’s Opportunity Economy focuses on making the lives of middle-class Americans better. Her proposals include a $6,000 tax credit for families with newborns, expansion of the child tax credit, expansion of the earned income credit, a $50,000 deduction for new business owners, making rent affordable, incentivizing the construction of 3 million starter homes (as opposed to McMansions), subsidizing $25,000 of the down payment for first time homeowners, and reducing the cost of prescription drugs. See Issues - Kamala Harris for President: Official Campaign Website.

The Federal Reserve cuts interest rates by 0.5%

The Biden-Harris administration significantly reduced inflation levels while sustaining robust growth in the US GDP. As a result, the Federal Reserve announced today that it was cutting the prime interest rate by 0.5% and suggested that additional cuts would be forth coming. See Federal Reserve Board - Federal Reserve issues FOMC statement.

Even Trump admitted that “it was a big cut,” although he suggested the timing was political. In truth, the cut was overdue. The Fed waited too long to reduce rates. See Common Dreams, Fed 'Waited Too Long' But Finally Cut Interest Rates. As noted in the Common Dreams article,

Center for Economic and Policy Research senior economist Dean Baker also welcomed that the Fed is changing course, saying: "This is a belated recognition that the battle against inflation has been won. Contrary to the predictions of almost all economists, including those at the Fed, this victory was won without a major uptick in unemployment."

Kamala Harris and Joe Biden achieved the nearly impossible—avoiding a recession while taming inflation. They deserve great credit for doing so—and voters are starting to realize that fact. See Harris closes gap with Trump on the economy, new Pennsylvania poll shows | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Per the Post-Gazette,

Pennsylvania voters no longer prefer former President Donald Trump over Vice President Kamala Harris on the economy in a poll that shows the Democratic presidential nominee all but erasing the deficit on which candidate can best handle the top issue for voters this fall. In a Quinnipiac University poll of likely Pennsylvania voters released Wednesday, Trump’s advantage over Ms. Harris was just 50% to 48%, a two-point advantage well within the survey’s margin of error of plus or minus 2.7 percentage points.

Harris continues to do everything just right. While there is no guarantee of success, we should be gratified that we have a candidate who is running such a terrific campaign!

Trump's effort to cram voter suppression bill through Congress fails

Trump ordered Speaker Mike Johnson to make a futile attempt to pass a continuing resolution for the budget that included the GOP voter-suppression bill that would require proof of citizenship to register as a voter. (Note that our nation has survived for 235 years without requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.) The bill was doomed to fail—and Mike Johnson knew it. But Trump ordered him to jump and Johnson’s only question was, “How high, sir?”

See Roll Call, Johnson's stopgap funding package goes down to defeat.

To be clear, Trump wants to force the US into a financial crisis for political advantage. He said on Truth Social,

If Republicans don’t get the SAVE Act, and every ounce of it, they should not agree to a Continuing Resolution in any way, shape, or form.

But extremists in the GOP caucus know that Mike Johnson will cave. Per Marjorie Taylor Greene, “Johnson is leading a fake fight that he has no intention of actually fighting.”

Americans deserve better than a House GOP caucus willing to hold the budget hostage for Donald Trump.

Trump's desperation is showing

Trump is promising tax cuts like a man who can smell defeat. On Wednesday, he promised New Yorkers that he would remove caps on federal deductions for state and local taxes (SALT). Trump's position is absurd because he proposed and obtained the SALT caps as a way of punishing taxpayers in New York, New Jersey, and California (among other states). Now that he senses that he might lose, he is telling voters in those states that he will remove the caps he instituted.

Members of Congress immediately trashed the idea. Although capping the SALT deduction was unfair to taxpayers in states that fund their operations and pay into the federal coffers, reversing the policy would add $1.2 trillion dollars to the deficit. See HuffPost, Donald Trump’s Latest Tax Pander Flops In Congress.

Trump's flip-flop is a sign of his willingness to promise anything to anyone to be re-elected. Trump's desperation is a more reliable sign of the state of the race than the polls!

Wall Street Journal debunks JD Vance immigrant / cat story

The Wall Street Journal published an article on Wednesday that reported (a) the city manager of Springfield told JD Vance that there was no evidence to support the cat-eating immigrant story before JD Vance doubled-down on the false claim on social media, and (b) the woman who filed a police report claiming her cat had been taken by Haitians later found her cat hiding in the basement of her house.

See Wall Street Journal, How the Trump Campaign Ran With Rumors About Pet-Eating Migrants—After Being Told They Weren’t True (This article is accessible to all.)

Per the WSJ,

[Vance] asked point-blank, ‘Are the rumors true of pets being taken and eaten?’” recalled [Springfield City Manager] Heck. “I told him no. There was no verifiable evidence or reports to show this was true. I told them these claims were baseless.” By then, Vance had already posted about the rumors to his 1.9 million followers on X. Yet he kept the post up, and repeated an even more insistent version of the claim the next morning.

The WSJ article takes a deep dive into the situation in Springfield and is well worth your time to read the entire article. The WSJ reporters lay out in detail how Vance and Trump are exploiting an immigrant population that is helping Springfield to grow and prosper after decades of decline:

The local economy boomed. Business owners said they were grateful to have workers eager to work long shifts and do what it took to meet production goals. New subdivisions sprung up in the cornfields outside town. New restaurants opened. The Haitian flag flew at City Hall.

Growth came with growing pains. The number of non-native English speakers in the public schools quadrupled to more than 1,000 children. The local clinic and hospital were overwhelmed with people fleeing a country where healthcare had been scant. Traffic increased, as did frustration with drivers more accustomed with the chaotic streets of Port-au-Prince than the orderly grid of Springfield.

One thing is clear: Vance and Trump know the rumors have no basis in fact but continue to promote them—thereby hurting the people of Springfield. Trump claims he will visit Springfield—over the objections of the mayor and the Governor of Ohio (both Trump-supporting Republicans!). The fact that Republicans in Ohio understand the cynical dishonesty of Trump's propaganda is a good sign

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[religion-is-a-mental-illness]

By: Charles Gasparino

Published: Jul 6, 2024

There is a raging debate in corporate America on the future of DEI, aka Diversity ­Equity and Inclusion, because it is literally destroying businesses that go there.

And yet the American public may soon be subjected to DEI writ large in the next president of the United States, if Kamala Harris finds her way to the top of the Democratic ticket while Joe Biden wilts away as the party’s presidential nominee after his horrific ­debate performance. 

Yes, maybe the most irrepressibly fatuous politician in America may become the leader of the free world because the Democratic Party is unable to break its DEI stranglehold. 

Harris is already being hailed as the president-in-waiting as her boss Sleepy Joe — despite his defiant TV vow to George Stephanopoulos Friday night to stay in the race — increasingly faces reality that his chances of besting Trump are slim.

Calls that he should step down are mounting, paving the way for his VP to land at the top of the ticket.

Even if does stay and achieves the near impossible by pulling out a victory, you can bet he won’t survive four years.

Harris becomes the nation’s first DEI president by default. 

For the American people it would be such an unfair and odd coronation.

Remember, she’s part of an administration that gave us inflation, world chaos and an open border that literally invites terrorists to enter the country and kill people.

She has spent nearly four years as Biden’s No. 2 flubbing every assignment given to her, including the border mess. 

That’s on top of her manifest ­unlikability; her word salad whenever she tries to sound smart; her cackle when she laughs; her vaulting ambition.

She once suggested during a 2020 primary debate that her current boss was a racist for being against federally mandated busing.

But Biden’s busing stench wasn’t nasty enough to stop her from jumping at the chance to serve as his VP when DEI came calling. 

Following the 2020 death of ­George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, the pressure on Biden to pick a woman of color as his running mate was intense.

(And he boxed himself in by publicly saying his running mate would be a woman.)

Harris checked all the boxes: Her father, an academic with a Ph.D., is from Jamaica; her late mother, a biologist, was Indian.

VP Harris was a California state attorney general and a US senator. 

Weak record 

Yet if you delved, you would see a weak record of accomplishment, and weird personal tics (that aforementioned laugh), and an intense desire for power.

First Lady Jill Biden is said to have hated her but as one Dem operative told me before Joe Biden made her his VP: “She’s black and that is all that matters.” 

DEI, of course, is a construct first embraced by academia, the lefty political class and then business that posits the world needs to be observed in terms of those historically oppressed (people of color and of diverse gender classifications) at the expense of the oppressor (namely white people and particularly white men).

Jobs, image making, TV programming must be seen through this warped view of reality. 

It’s a topic I cover in my upcoming book “Go Woke, Go Broke,” ­illustrating how DEI had been ­ingrained in the corporate culture before the American people began to revolt.

Examples are endless.

Among them, Disney’s DEI mandates pushed so-called “queerness” into cartoons; trans women found their way into beer commercials; and there was a white-male hiring freeze at many corporations until relatively recently. 

It’s fair to say the high-water mark of DEI was after Floyd’s death and continued for three years.

Now, corporate America is backtracking feverishly because while Americans respect the desire for diversity, they hate DEI’s purely idiotic demands where the offspring of rich South Americans get jobs over a white coal miner’s daughter.

It’s also patently illegal; the SCOTUS ruling outlawing affirmative action for college admissions is a precedent that lots of businesses want to avoid. 

And they are, or at least starting to.

Consider the giant retailer Target.

In 2023, CEO Brian Cornell said, “The things we’ve done from a DE and I standpoint, it’s adding value, it’s helping us drive sales, it’s building greater engagement with both our teams and our guests.”

That was his rationalization for a massive Pride Month merchandising display in his stores — complete with mannequins wearing so-called tuck-friendly bathing suits, books about trans children being sold next to rainbow-colored onesies. 

Then came the customer backlash from those who didn’t appreciate being indoctrinated when they shop.

In 2024, Cornell reduced Target’s Pride displays enough that no one really noticed.

So much for DEI adding value. 

Some Dems I speak to caution me it’s not all DEI giving Harris the edge to replace Biden.

She is, after all, the VP. If she’s on a new ticket, it gets to keep money raised already, not start from scratch. 

OK, but I can’t imagine money will be an issue.

One possible nominee, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, is a billionaire.

The Dem money machine on Wall Street and Silicon Valley is formidable. 

Yet the country might just be stuck with Harris as president if Sleepy Joe wins and stumbles his way to resignation while in his second term, or if Biden drops out in the coming days and she ­becomes the nominee. 

All because DEI is the Democratic Party’s touchstone, no matter how much evidence amasses that it’s a failed ideology. 

--

[militantinremission]

The Freedman's Bank Forum: The Art of Disenfranchisement

Kamala Harris has hit the Campaign Trail & named Gov. Tim Walz as her Running Mate, but she has yet to give a Press Conference or Mainstream Media Interview. She STILL hasn't offered any Policy Initiatives on her Campaign Website. This has lead some in The New Black Media to look at her Policy Offerings as VP. Sabrina Salvati of Sabby Sabs & Phil Scott of The Afrikan Diaspora Channel both looked at Kamala Harris' 2023 Speech at the Freedman's Bank Forum- for ideas of what a 'Harris- Walz Administration' may look like. In her Speech, Kamala gave a history of The Freedman's Bureau 'Freedman's Bank', Created in 1865. She spoke on why a Specific Bank for the Formerly Enslaved was necessary. She also talked about the Farms, Homes, & Businesses that Freedmen were able to purchase & build through Loans from Freedmen's Bank.

Unfortunately, 9Yrs after its inception, Freedman's Bank was Closed; due to mismanagement, & outright theft of Funds by Congressmen overseeing Bank Operations. Over 61,000 Depositors lost their Funds- estimated at over $3M (over $50M in today's Economy). Kamala sounded like she understood the plight of American Descendants Of Chattel Slavery & Our specific need for resources, but she shifted her narrative fairly quickly. She started by shifting a Black Specific Issue, to an 'All Lives Matter' Issue. Kamala transformed the necessity of a Freedman's Bank to jumpstart Reconstruction, into a need for EVERYONE to have access to (Freedmen) Resources. She starts by mentioning 'Minorities' & 'Marginalized Communities', but goes on to include Latinx, Native American, Asian, & Rural Communities in the Freedman's Bank Story.

Kamala went on to describe one of her Final Acts as a U.S. Senator. This was an Initiative that she helped to set up w/ the help of [Secretary of The Treasury] Janet Yellen, [Senators] Mark Warner, Chuck Schumer, & Corey Booker, plus Rep. Maxine Waters. The Initiative, was a plan to invest $12B in Community Institutions for 'Overlooked & Underserved Communities'... My 1st question is: How many of THOSE INSTITUTIONS are Owned & Operated by Indigenous Black Americans? I only know of ONE in My Community, & David Rockefeller has been invested in them for nearly 30Yrs... Harris says that currently, $8B has been disbursed to 162 'Community Lenders' Nationwide, & gave examples of how the Funds are being disbursed:

Native American Bank lent a Tribe $10M to fund an Opioid Addiction Treatment Facility on Tribal Lands in N. Dakota

Carver Bank, in Ga. loaned $500K to 'Black Owned Companies' to help them develop Low Income Housing

Hope Credit Union, in Ms. gave a $10K Loan to a 'Black & Woman Owned' Coffee Business to expand

Aid to Immigrant Communities, including some Asian Communities

Aid to 'Rural Communities'

Maybe it's just Me, but I find it curious how the Freedman's Bank Legacy is being 'repackaged'. Under Kamala Harris, a SPECIFIC INSTITUTION meant for American Descendants Of Chattel Slavery, is being usurped to advance EVERYONE; except the Blackfolk it was designed to help. The numbers don't lie. Native American Tribes get Billions a Year in 'Set Asides' & they don't pay Taxes, but Kamala thinks they should also collect $10M meant for Black American interests? Then she brags about Black Businesses that only received 5% of what Native Americans collected from a measure that was supposed to be for Blackfolk. Apparently, Kamala wasn't lying when she said that she wasn't going to do ANYTHING that would only benefit Black Americans.

Like Joe Biden, Kamala Harris talks to Black Audiences about Equity, but only offers Black Americans a small share of what Everyone Else gets. In 2022, The Biden-Harris Administration & Janet Yellen launched the Economic Opportunity Coalition, along w/ 20 Private Sector Leaders. The Goal was to provide & invest Billions in Capital to Community Lenders for 'Minority Owned Businesses'. To date, this Coalition has currently committed over $1.2B to Community Lenders in 'Minority & World Communities'. From what I saw, Puerto Rico & Guam represented 9 of the 13 Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) awarded Funding. Of the 218 Organizations receiving Technical Awards, 56 were 'MDIs' & 38 were Organizations based in Puerto Rico. True to Form, the Biden- Harris Administration blurs the lines on what a 'Black Owned' Business is; Indigenous Blackfolk, Afro Caribbeans, & Afrikan Immigrants have been lumped into the 'Afrikan American' demographic. Is this Coalition keeping track of how many Freedmen (Male & Female) are receiving Awards?

Kamala's Speech at the 'Freedmen's Bank Forum' completely ignored the Descendants of the Freedmen Community, & Our History of adversity. Despite her disregard of Us, she says this Initiative was created to 'Realize the Vision of Freedmen's Bank'. I see This as a blatant Disenfranchisement of the Black Community that Freedmen's Bank was Chartered to serve. On top of her disingenuous empathy for Black Americans, She has the audacity to call this act of Economic Racism- 'Economic Justice'; & she does it w/ a straight face. I thank Sabrina Salvati & Phil Scott for uncovering this particular Policy Measure. Kamala Harris' lack of Policy on her Campaign Website tells Me that she doesn't want Us to know her Plan for the next 4Yrs. She has been called a Leftist & 'the most Progressive Senator in Congress', but her Policies are as Moderate as Joe Biden's.

I fully understand that the Economic Opportunity Coalition (EOC) isn't Freedmen's Bank. If it was presented as a Measure that stood on its own merit, I probably wouldn't have much to say about it. If we're being honest, it falls in line w/ many other Policies of the Biden-Harris Administration. The Fact that Kamala Harris used the Freedmen's Bank Forum to push this Measure, is mean spirited & an insult to Our Ancestors. There's a Legion of Blackfolk & Afrikan Americans trying to certify Kamala's 'Blackness', but she has yet to affirm their claim. She had a chance to refute Donald Trump's assertion, but only offered more rhetoric. The Truth is, SHE'S NOT BLACK! Kamala's Record shows that she spent her Professional Career disenfranchising Us. As District Attorney, she targeted Blackfolk for Arrest on petty Quality of Life Crimes. As Attorney General & as a U.S. Senator, Kamala supported decriminalization of Illegal Border Crossings & the surge of Illegal Immigrants into Black Communities throughout California.

The Black Population in San Francisco, Oakland, Richmond, & Berkeley has dropped by 50% on her Watch. Kamala vacated over 1,000 Criminal Charges against OneWest Bank, George Soros, & Steve Mnuchin- for 'Foreclosure Violations' that cost Hundreds of Black Californians their Homes. Her action allowed Soros to sell OneWest for Billions, while Mnuchin moved on to become Secretary of The Treasury. At the Same Time, she kept Black Inmates imprisoned past their Release Date & denied others Parole; citing the need to maintain a Prison Labor Force (i.e. Convict Leasing). Black Women are siding w/ her, but Harris abandoned the Mitrice Richardson Case after winning her Senate Seat. Kamala also had a hand in stripping the Estate of Nina Simone away from her Surviving Family & awarding All Rights to Sony Music Entertainment. We're supposed to certify this Woman as 'Black', but she has a Legacy of Anti-Black (Aryan) behavior. Her latest act of disenfranchisement is actually Par for The Course.

Some question why Kamala Harris is getting so much heat from Black America. The Short Answer is- She rides on the Coattail of The Black Experience, but does NOTHING for Us Culturally, Socially, or Politically. What's her Black Agenda again? At This Point, We really can't blame her for being consistent. We need to look at the Blackfolk & Afrikan Americans trying to shame us into Falling in Line w/ her Agenda; whatever THAT is... We have House Cleaning to do.

[uboat53]

Cabinet Endorsements

One thing that's flown a bit below the radar in this election is that former cabinet members haven't been acting like they usually do. Normally, former cabinet members will automatically endorse their former boss for re-election, but Trump's have not been doing that.

This is of particular interest because, while we, the voters, get to see the President give speeches and the like, we don't actually work with him. Presumably a cabinet member is someone who agrees with the president and who the president trusts and who gets to work closely with the president, so their opinion of the president is an important benchmark.

With that in mind, let's take a look at the 44 former cabinet members of the Donald J. Trump administration and the 2 former cabinet members of the Joseph R. Biden administration. I'll put an (E) next to the ones that have endorsed their former boss, an (H) next to the ones who haven't yet, and an (R) next to the ones who have outright refused to do so.

Cabinet Members of the Donald J. Trump Administration (R) VP Mike Pence (H) Sec. State Rex Tillerson (H) Sec. State/CIA Director Mike Pompeo (E) Sec. Treasury Steven Mnuchin (R) Sec. Defense James Mattis (H) Sec. Defense Patrick Shanahan (nominated) (R) Sec. Defense Mark Esper (H) Sec. Defense Christopher Miller (acting) (H) AG Jeff Sessions (R) AG William Barr (H) AG Jeffrey Rosen (acting) (E) Sec. Interior Ryan Zinke (H) Sec. Interior David Bernhardt (H) Sec. Agriculture Sonny Perdue (E) Sec. Commerce Wilbur Ross (H) Sec. Labor Andrew Puzder (nominated) (H) Sec. Labor Alex Acosta (H) Sec. Labor Eugene Scalia (H) Sec. HHS Tom Price (H) Sec. HHS Alex Azar (H) Sec. HHS Pete Gaynor (E) Sec. HUD Ben Carson (H) Sec. Transporation Elaine Chao (H) Sec. Transportation Steven Bradbury (acting) (H) Sec. Energy Rick Perry (H) Sec. Energy Dan Brouillette (H) Sec. Education Besty DeVos (H) Sec. Education Mick Zais (acting) (H) Sec. VA David Shulkin (E) Sec. VA Ronny Jackson (nominated) (H) Sec. VA Robert Wilkie (R) Sec. HS John Kelly (H) Sec. HS Kirstjen Nielsen (H) Sec. HS Chad Wolf (nominated) (E) US Trade Rep. Robert Lighthizer (H) DNI Dan Coats (H) DNI John Ratcliffe (H) UN Ambassador Nikki Haley (H) OMB Directory Mick Mulvaney (E) OMB Director Russel Vought (H) CIA Director Gina Haspel (H) EPA Admin. Scott Pruitt (H) EPA Admin. Andrew Wheeler (H) SBA Admin. Linda McMahon (H) SBA Admin. Jovita Caranza

Cabinet Members of the Joseph R. Biden Administration (E) Sec. Labor Marty Walsh (E) OMB Director Neera Tanden (nominated) (H) Office of Science and Tech. Director Eric Lander

The first thing we notice, obviously, is that there are a whole lot more former Trump cabinet members. This is partially because Biden is still in office so his 23 current cabinet members are not counted (it'd be a huge surprise if they didn't endorse him and they probably wouldn't still be working for him if they didn't), but it's also because Trump had way above average turnover for cabinet officials, 19 in the first four years not including the 5 who resigned due to his handling of the 2020 election results (not included because Biden hasn't reached that point in his first term yet), while Biden has had far below average turnover, only 3 so far.

So a lot more people shuffling in and out of the Trump administration, but we also notice a ton more H's than E's there. Heck, there's almost as many R's among Trump's people as there are E's (5 to 7). Meanwhile, Biden's shooting 2 for 3 and the third one hasn't (at least not that I could find) ruled out endorsing him.

Keep in mind, endorsing the nominee of your party is pretty much the bare minimum that any party operative needs to do. Imagine if you applied for a job somewhere, the first question was "do you think this company should be in business", and you answered "no". You probably wouldn't be getting a job there. In other words, refusing to endorse has some big consequences for the people doing it, not just costing them a job in the potential next Republican presidency, but locking them out of the party entirely, and yet a good deal of the people who worked for Trump disliked working with him so much that they're doing it anyways.

As I said, this tends to fly below the radar because it's kind of a formulaic ritual; of course members of the President's party who are closely tied to him are going to endorse him for re-election! That's why you should pay attention now that most of the people who've worked with Trump aren't doing so. It says something, something big.

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Whooo is Daenyra? I'm aware that's a broad question, but I'm unfamiliar with this character lol . . . and there's just something so delicious with modern day aus of GoT/HotD ocs ^_^

yes yes yes okay thank you thank you thnk you!!! broad question very appreciated because I can say whatever I want lol

canon daenyra in The Prophecy (cw: incest, she's a targaryen)

the fuck canon fix-it incest au Alicent & Viserys' daughter, probably a year younger than Aemond, in an attempt to foster an alliance with the Starks, Otto arranges for her to be fostered at Winterfell but after a near-miss assassination attempt (organized by Daemon), she knows that she will not be safe. Cragen helps her escape beyond the wall, where she spends the next several years just herself and her dragon (does her dragon become an ice dragon maybe so), when Jace goes to the wall with Cragen he’s shocked to find his long lost aunt Daenyra is a dreamer like her sister and her namesake, comes from a connection to the three-eyed raven which helps her survive when she’s beyond the wall she has a vision of the war and how it all ends and spends years trying to find a solution to avoid so much bloodshed Jace finds her beyond the wall, she tells him to get his mother and bring her to King’s Landing once everyone is gathered she tells them she has a solution to their war aka, what if the two future kings simply shared a wife and mended the broken family lines their children will be heirs in order of birth not based on which man fathered them and Alicent immediately refuses, thinking she means for Jace to be with Helaena Dany is just like nope nope annul that marriage, let Helaena marry Aemond only if it will make her happy says i’m going to marry them and no one else will die Dany says no more dead Targaryens and also fuck you Otto Hightower specifically, Rhaenyra might not get to be queen but her son still gets to be king Everyone is happy except Daemon and Otto and she and i both feel like that’s an acceptable solution

modern daenyra (cw: still targ-cest, implied nsfw) – it had a fic title but then i got indecisive so tbd

in modern day Westeros, the Targaryen family owns a very, very old company. I keep debating what it is but my main thoughts are real estate or finance (specifically finance houses or hedge funds) – or the company has grown enough to have branches in a lot of fields. Viserys is the President of the company with Rhaenyra set to inherit it when he dies or retires, Otto Hightower is his VP, Daemon is tentatively chief of operations, and Alicent wants her eldest son Aegon to inherit the company instead of Rhaenyra, but Aegon does not give a shit at all. (also this leans into book lore with Alicent being older than Rhaenyra because she is not marrying Viserys at 14/15)

The Targaryen children all have far too much money and freedom for their own good, but their access to that money (and ability to live at the family house and/or in various family-owned properties) is dependent on them working for the family business I'm still world building some of the details but it is essentially our world but instead of our countries & cities & etc, it's in Westeros) The concept of Daenyra's AU specifically is that 22 year old Daenyra Targaryen, socialite nepo baby princess (except to her parents, who do not care for her) has just graduated university and returned home. Because her father doesn't really care about her, and is still sexist despite having a female heir/only liking his eldest daughter, Daenyra gets a job as Aegon's personal assistant. It's not too bad, really. Sure, it's a lot of work since Aegon doesn't care about his job and she has to basically babysit him, but he's always been her favourite relative anyway, her job is pretty simple, and she has lots of money to do things she actually likes. Unfortunately for Aegon, what she actually likes is annoying and teasing him until he finally fucks her. She knows he's been checking her out for several years now (and Targaryens are still devoted to keeping it in the family, so to speak), and she's been waiting for this moment for far too long

(also, have an excerpt conversation between Aegon and Daenyra on her first day at work

“What’s the matter?  What's the matter? You’re fucking indecent, Dany!” “I could be wearing snowpants and a parka and I would still be indecent, Aegon.  It’s a peril of being one of the most gorgeous creatures on the planet.” “One of?  I would have thought you’d consider yourself the most gorgeous.” “I am exceptionally arrogant, but that doesn’t make me blind.  I am the most tempting creature on Earth, absolutely, but I know full well that our entire family was handcrafted by God.”

[shyanddreamy]

You can't save everyone

Happy Lowman x Reader | Part 5 | Finale

Outside Stockton, there were some bikes waiting. Chibs and Happy were by your side, and next to you were the Mayans Oakland Pres and VP. Marcus Alvarez was there too. Although he no more wore his kutt, he wanted to be there with the rest of you. Two years were a great amount of time to rebuild what had been destroyed, so Mayans and Sons were partners once again. The biggest difference was that this time, there were lot of new prospects to refill the charters.

When you saw Creeper get out of prison, you grinned. His smile grew wide too. He hugged Marcus first and his brothers second. And then, he looked at you. You jumped into his arms at the same time he embraced you tightly.

“I can’t believe you’re finally out”, you greeted him.

“Fuck, me neither.”

After the end of the war, Santo Padre’s charter was blamed for all the crimes Creeper had confessed, so his sentence was changed, and he got only two years. It was all bullshit, of course, but whatever deal Kody made with the person in charge of the operation against the MC, she made sure it would benefit Creeper. Six months later, his request to be transferred to Stockton was approved. There were more Mayans and Sons in that prison, so he was safer, and he was also nearer his future new charter. And nearer you, too.

Once he released himself from your hug, Creeper approached Chibs and Happy to greet them with a handshake and a pat on the back. During this time, they had been working together to reunite both MCs. And they had done a good job.

“C’mon, we have some ladies back home waiting to give you a warm welcome”, Chibs told him.

“Listen to him, carnal”, Marcus added. “SAMCRO has always had great women around them.”

“I’m sure we could find one for you too, old man”, Happy responded.

“Not if I want my wife to open the door for me when I get home. But as long as you have booze in there, I’m in for a welcome party.”

After the war, when SAMCRO voted on the direction they wanted to take, the decision was controversial. Over time, they realised that the porn industry moved a lot of money, but they kept doing smaller business outlaw, as well as threatening or blackmailing their competition. You can take the man out of the criminal life, but you can’t take the criminal life out of the man. Anyway, things were good now.

The fact that Creeper’s welcome party was held at Charming was something meaningful. SAMCRO wanted to demonstrate their goodwill by letting a bunch of Mayans enter their territory, celebrate the return of a brother, and together pay their respects to the fallen.

When you saw Neron coming back from the dorms as he was in pain, you couldn’t help but laugh. He walked towards you and took a sit next to you on the sofa.

“They're treating you more than well.”

“Fuck. Those hoes are going to kill me”, he said. “I really wanted to bang some chick, but now I won’t be able to have a hard-on for days.”

“What were you expecting? You are like a legend here”, you remained him. “The Mayan who convinced his brothers to sit down and talk with SOA. The one who got peace from prison.”

“Just because you kept me alive first.”

“Oh, c’mon, shut up”, you said, shaking your head while smiling. “We’ve talk about that too many times. Don’t start again.”

The first time you talked with Creeper after the war, he was completely broken. Knowing FBI had killed his whole charter was devastating for him. He thought he had lost everything, but he didn’t give up. And when you suggested that he should talk to his brothers to open the door to dialogue, you gave him a new purpose to live for. It was only a matter of time before he was able to heal his wounds. When Oakland’s charter offered him a place at their table, Neron was more convinced that the brotherhood for which he had given his life was not completely over.

“But it’s the truth, Y/N”, he insisted. “I owe you my life.”

“So, just keep living”, you told him. “Don’t let the past drag you down.”

“I won’t. I swear.”

“Good.”

You looked at him with a sweet smile, recognising in him the genuine smile you had loved since the first time you saw it. Despite everything, the deaths, the blood, and the betrayals, that smile was still there. He was there. And that filled you with joy. It was amusing to think that all this had started just because he was in the bathroom you desperately needed to use. Fate was peculiar.

“Have you heard anything more from Kody?”, you asked him since the memory of how you met reminded you of the time Kody called you asking for the bathroom chick.

“Fuck no”, he growled. “And I don’t wanna hear her name again. She’s dead to me.”

You didn’t know what had really happened between them or why she had so much influence in the FBI, and probably you would never know for sure, but you had some conjectures in mind. However, it no longer mattered.

Even if you had wanted to, you wouldn’t have been able to add anything before Tig shouted for you to approach the group who were about to do a round of shots.  

“It’s going to be a fucking long day”, Creeper muttered as he stood up. “Are you in? I’d like to see who’s the first to throw up over the table.”

“Hell yes.”

*

As hours went by, you felt your body getting more and more tired. You didn’t want to go home yet, so you opted to sit down on a stool next to the counter bar. When one of the prospects asked if you wanted something, you said a bottle of water.

“Welcome parties are always hard”, Marcus commented, sitting on the stool next to you with a glass full of some liquor. “I’m glad to finally meet Happy’s Old Lady.”

“It’s my pleasure, Padrino”, you answered. “I've heard great things about you.”

“Half will be lies”, he assured you, smiling slightly. “Good things I’ve done are only because I’m too old. Experience always makes you clever.”

“Those pricks could learn something from you then. I’m pretty sure that some of them just think with their dicks.”, you added. And your words made Marcus laughed. “But I like to see them like that. After all that happened, it’s good to see them having a good time together.”

“Yeah, it is”, he nodded. “When you don’t know war, peace is overrated. I hope they have learnt enough not to repeat the same mistakes”.

“Sounds good, but there’s always going to be mistakes. Doing bad things is their way of living. Is what they do.”

“Did you get to know Clay?”, Marcus asked you suddenly.

“Yeah, for a while. But mostly at the end”, you answered. “With half lung less he wasn’t so intimidating.”

“He did good things, but also bad ones. Now is remembered for the bad ones. Jax did bad things too, but he’s remembered just for the great ones. What I mean is that we all do both. Always. That’s why our successes must be bigger than our mistakes”, he explained to you before suddenly changing the subject. “Happy and you want kids?”

“Nope. We’re good. Kids ain’t our thing.”

“I have a two-years-old boy waiting for me at home. And two teenagers too. Having your own family helps you to think more with the heart and less with the head.”, he told you. “You did it too. Thinking with your heart. You convincing SAMCRO to protect Creeper so he could find out who the rat was helped us a lot after the war. SAMCRO upholding the code between MCs and the brotherhood really meant something to the rest of the Mayans who were tired of so much betrayal and lies.”

“Some of these men wouldn’t say that it was a good thing I thought with the heart. They’d say I did what I did because I’m a woman. That we’re always the weakest and fucking sensitive.”

“So, fuck them”, Marcus answered. “Thinking only with the head is what has caused so much bloodshed.”

“Now I understand why they call you Padrino”, you said with a grin on your face. “And now I really believe all the great things I heard about you.”

Although you would have loved to carry on the conversation for the rest of the night, noticing your phone vibrating in your jeans managed to throw you off. When you took it out of your pocket, you saw a missing call.

“I’m sorry. I have to take it.”

“It’s okay, querida”, he answered, putting his hand on your shoulder in an affectionate manner. “Just take care of your man. And help him to think with his heart too. Happy’s going to need it.”

“I’ll do try.”

With the phone in your hand, you left the clubhouse and walked away from drunks outside. Only when you were far enough, you called her back. She didn’t even bother to say hello.

“Everything’s good? Is Neron out?”, she asked you. It was easy to notice the worry in her voice.

“Yeah. Everything’s perfect”, you confirmed her. “He’s inside the club with his brothers celebrating his return.”

“Great. Great”, he mumbled. And despite the silence, you knew what she was going to say now. Since she stopped visiting him after what happened in Santo Padre, every time you spoke it was the same two questions. “Did he ask for me? Did he say anything about me?”

“Neron has his head in too many things right now.”

It was always the same answer from you too. But this time, it was different. Now he was out, he was a free man without visiting hours or restrictions. And she knew it.

“I was thinking I could go there. He might want to see me and talk. I have so many things I want to tell him if he gives me the opportunity. If you talk to him first, he might…”

“I’m sorry, Kody”, you interrupted her. “I’m really sorry, but it seems that Neron hasn’t forgiven you yet for whatever happened between you two.”

You really felt bad for her, but it would have been even worse confessing that Creeper had told you she was dead to him. Perhaps you should have warned her earlier so that she would not get her hopes up, but you also thought that Creeper might change his mind once he was released from prison.

“Perhaps, if you let some time pass, he…”

“No. It’s fine. I should have known better”, she raised her voice, but this time it seemed angrier. “I’ve already lost more than two years of my life with him. It’s fucking unhealthy and I need to stop. It’s better this way.”

“I’m really sorry, Kody”, you told her again because it was the only thing you could say right now.

“I don’t think we should talk anymore either”, she added. And after talking to her by phone at least once a month for two years, it will be weird at first, but it was the right choice.

“You could save my number”, you suggested. “In case one day you have some information that could be useful to us. We don’t want a repeat of what happened in Santo Padre.”

You had never talk about your private lives. Kody knew you were an outlaw, and you knew she was close to the FBI. Your only topic of conversation had been Neron, but it would be good to have an acquaintance who could warn you in case police became interested in the MCs again.

“It won’t happen again as longer as you don’t leave dead bodies on the streets”, she answered back. “But I’ll do. I’ll save it.”

Kody hung up seconds later and you put your phone back in your pocket with mixed feelings. She seemed to really care about Creeper, so it was a fucked up that he hated her so much. But at the same time, if he felt that way, it was because she had done something really bad to him, so it was better for him to be far away from Kody.

“Everything’s all right over there, doll?”, Tig brought you out of your thoughts.

“Perfect”, you assured him with a smile on your face. “Are you having fun, baby?”

“Fuck yes. I love welcome parties”, he said as he passed an arm around your shoulders. “Weren’t you trying to go home already, were you?”

“Of course not”, you answered. “Indeed, I’d want another beer.”

“You have read my mind, love.”

*

By the end of the night, everyone was either passed out or lying on a sofa or a chair. Some were even on the floor. Nothing you hadn’t seen before actually. You were with Happy on a single sofa, sitting on his lap while you kissed. The kisses could be sweet, but the way Happy stroked your thigh caused a warn feeling inside you.

“The night was amazing”, you told him, aware that no one else would be able to hear you right now. “But you know what a perfect ending would be? You fucking me until we pass out too”.

“Right here?”

“You wish”, you answered. As he smirked, you bit your lower lip.

“Maybe there’s an empty dorm. If not, I’ll kick out whoever is there.”

“Sounds good”, you nodded, but a gasp caught your attention. Creeper had two croweaters on either side kissing his neck and caressing his body. The fact that he was the only one who drank just water could be the reason why he was one of the few who were still awake. “Seems he’s having fun till the end.”

“He’s definitely doing so.”

“Would you want to be him?”, you asked him, looking at Happy again. “Having all the croweaters you want doing whatever you ask, just to make you feel good.”

You felt the hand on your thigh grip you more tightly as the other moved up to the back of your neck.

“I wouldn’t change you for anything”, he promised you with his deep, dark gaze on yours. “You are the only one I want. The only one I’ll ever want.”

Your smile widened at his words even though you already knew that would be his answer. He kissed you more passionately than before, and you lost yourself on the kiss until his fingers grabbed the necklace hidden under your shirt.

“When are we gonna tell them?”, he asked you.

“Don’t know. I’m waiting for the right moment.”

You took your fingers to his necklace too. You had both been hiding the fine silver chain with a ring on it under your shirts for weeks. You didn’t expect Happy to be into the whole wedding thing. You didn’t expect it from you either. But when one night Happy put a ring on your finger while you were simply on the sofa watching tv, you almost started crying. Apparently, he had been carrying the ring in his pocket for months, trying to figure out the best way to give it to you. And until this day, you had been waiting for the right time to announce it to the boys.

“Don’t wanna wait more”, he said. And before you could even process his words, Happy kept talking. “Hey! We’re getting married.”

Between the gazes that were suddenly on you, you focused on Creeper and Chibs.

“Just you, fucking bastards, could choose a moment like this to tell us something like that”, Chibs complained. He was sitting on a stool, leaning on the counter bar with both arms, his sunglasses on, and a cigarette between his fingers. “I’d hug you, but I’d better do it some other time when I don’t smell like a fucking minibar.”

“We all know it’s because you can’t even stand up now, old man”, you said, grinning.

“Fuck you, sweetheart.”

“I’d hug you too, but I smell like something you really don’t want to smell”, Creeper added. “But congratulations, guys. I knew this was gonna happen sooner or later. I’m so happy for you both.”

“Hey!”, Happy raised his voice again, but this time while kicking Tig’s back, who was lying on the floor next to your feet with a women slept over him. “We’re getting married, dickhead.”

“Yeah, whatever you say, brother”, Tig mumbled. He needed some seconds to understand what Happy had told him. And when he did, his eyes opened widely. “Wait, what?”

Tig careless pushed the women who was with him and sat down on the floor before resting his head on your legs.

“Congratulations, man. I guess I no longer have any chance of banging you, Y/N.”

“You’ve never had a chance, Tig”, you answered.

“Don’t know. When you first came to Charming, I thought you might be looking for a daddy, but you preferred that weirdo”, he continued, deadly serious. “But I’m so happy for you both. You’re both as insane as each other. And I fucking love you, guys.”

“And we love you too, Tiggy”, you said while caressing his tousled black curls, which was enough to make him close his eyes again.

“What’s his fucking problem?” Creeper asked, moving his eyes between Chibs and Happy and you, not understanding why none of you were startled by what Tig had said.

“I’d like to say that is cause he’s drunk, but it’s not”, you told him.

“He’s just a sick bastard”, Happy added.

“The sickest bastard I've ever known”, Chibs pointed out.

The death, the dangers, the risks... nothing mattered at that moment. It was a fucked-up life and a fucked-up family, but it was the life and the family you had chosen. And you didn’t regret a single thing. Even if you have your whole life ahead of you or only a few years left to live. Even if you could go back in time to the moment when a prospect offered you to go to a party at Sons of Anarchy Tacoma’s clubhouse, you would do it all over again until you get back to this very moment.

“What the fuck is doing fucking Marcus Alvarez in my room?”

It was quite amusing the way Happy looked at you when he opened the door of his club’s dormitory to find El Padrino on his bed.

“Shit. I forgot. He wanted to leave early to Santo Padre to see his family, so I told him he could sleep in your dorm to not be disturbed.”

“Well, it’s your loss”, he answered. “Now I’m not gonna fuck you.”

“You are not?” you asked him with a raised eyebrow. “Then I’ll ask Tig. He seemed eager to do so.”

“Fuck you.”

Happy took you in his arms and carried you to the bathroom. He kicked out a Mayan who was sleeping over the toilet after throwing up and slammed the door. Suddenly, he put you against the sink, facing the mirror, and dropped your shorts.

“It’s so easy to get under your skin, babe”, you told him, biting your lower lip. He looked at you deadly serious while unbuckling his belt. “And it may have been a set up. Perhaps I wanted you to fuck me in the bath from the beginning. So, I win again.”

Happy pulled your hair apart to be able to kiss and bite your neck. His hands clutched tightly to your hips, and as his trousers were down his knees, you could feel his hard-on against you.

“You’re so fucking mean”, Happy muttered against your skin before pushing your back a little further down, so he could have better access. “And I fucking love you for that.”

“I love you too. So fucking much.”

“Now, try not to shout too much. Or do it if you want”, he said. “I don’t give a shit.”

THE END

←Part 4

[darkmaga-retard]

Welcome to the wars, on terror, health, drugs, CO2, the Constitution, elections and the nuclear family. Believe or not, there is a war for “gender-affirming healthcare” in the United States, which means queers want children and teens to be able to choose genitalia mutilation surgery and chemical castration drugs without any hinderances, including parental consent. The epicenter of the war on gender is spreading like a deadly virus, with the brunt of it now in Minnesota, where Kamala “Commie” Harris’s new VP pick does his gender-fluid governing “business.”

This is all part of the pervert-the-youth movement that the communists and gays are pushing for the whole nation, not just Minnesota. They want the sex-crazed Queer Caucus to become a national refuge for children and teens who have been brainwashed into gayness by social media, so they will only think about sex, sex partners and sex-change operations and drugs 24/7/365, just like they (Queer Caucus lovers) do.

The main goal is to destroy the nuclear family and distract everyone from crooked politics that take away rights, freedoms, health, normal thoughts and self-esteem of the populace. It’s communism to the core, and the LGBTQ-Asexual-demi-pans-gray-cis-trans-non-binary-gender-"neutral" queers are running the drag show from the heart of Minnesota, and from sea to not-so-shiny sea. Will the Queer Caucus Pandemic spread across the country? Get ready for a new queer amendment to the constitution folks. This is not a joke.

Queer Caucus plans to introduce Gender Affirming Rights Act as part of the Constitution to enshrine sex-crazed tranny-ism

[misfitwashere]

Felon Seeks Vice

Trump’s VP Search and the Politics of Impotence 

TIMOTHY SNYDER

JUN 16

Usually, vice-presidential candidates are selected for virtues.  They are expected to bring new voters in November, to complement the presidential candidate, and to be qualified to be president in case of emergency.  

Donald Trump is searching, quite literally, for vice. 

Trump is not so much trying to win an election as he is trying to gain power, so he needs someone who agrees with his Big Lie that he won the election last time, and who will stand with him during his second coup attempt.  He does not contemplate ceding power at any later point, so the question of the qualifications of a vice-presidential candidate is not so relevant.

The vice-presidential candidate cannot be seen to complement Donald Trump, since as a Leader he cannot be seen to have any shortcomings or flaws.  His is a specific kind of fascism, though, without any plan beyond retribution.  Trump's backers at home and abroad understand that the rage will provide cover to dismantle the operations of the American government -- so that oligarchs need not pay taxes, for example, or so that Russians can commit atrocities in Ukraine.

And so those who wish to join the Republican ticket as the vice-presidential nominee must prove not their worth but their worthlessness.  They must demonstrate that they do not challenge Trump in any way, and that they would not, should they become president, provide any resistance to those who would like to see American government fail.  They must engage, in other words, in a politics of impotence, a determined effort to show that they lack determination. 

Vice signaling is tricky, of course, both for them and for Trump.  They have to be bad, without being too good at being bad.  Appearing to be the frontrunner is dangerous, since it can be seen as ambition and talent, which Trump will not like.

According to Michael C. Bender's reporting in the New York Times, the frontrunners are Doug Burgum, Marco Rubio, and J.D. Vance.  Trump has also brought Tim Scott to the attention of donors.  I am not claiming to have any inside information or special insight as to whom Trump will pick.  In different ways, each of these men demonstrates the contortions of the politics of impotence.  As will any other possible candidate.

In media appearances, Tim Scott is craven in his defense of Trump's Big Lie and coup politics.  But the submissiveness is so palpable that it would make the choice of an African-American unsurprising.  Marco Rubio has obvious political ability, and eight years ago was seen (and clearly saw himself) as a plausible alternative to Donald Trump.  He has since caved completely, after being humiliated by Trump in that campaign.  He does though have a long list of historical zingers about Trump ("friends do not let friends vote for con artists"), which the internet will not forget.  And Rubio has not pushed too openly for the vice-presidential slot.  That whisper of a shadow of dignity might be too much for Trump to handle.

Doug Burgum has the problem that he is a successful businessman, the thing that Trump pretends to be -- the basis of his con, as the Marci Rubio of 2016 might have put it.  Trump's reputation as an entrepreneur rests on his performance in The Apprentice, in which he played the role of a tycoon who could hire and fire.  In fact, his wealth is inherited, and the businesses and initiatives he has attempted to found (or endorsed) have been flops: anyone remember Trump Vodka, Trump Fragrances, or Trump Mattress?  Trump's cash position depends upon an inviting deception: I am already wealthy, so give me your money so that you can feel like you are a part of my success.  The presence of Burgum on the ticket will make this con harder, because the press will then focus on Burgum's actual success in founding a software company and his actual wealth.  (If I am wrong and Trump is thinking about gathering votes, Burgum has another problem: Trump is going to win North Dakota anyway, and Burgum's profile as a supporter of a total abortion ban will hurt Trump in states he needs to win.)

Of these four, J.D. Vance is the one who has most consciously worked out a politics of impotence. 

Vance is a man of considerable intelligence and the author of an appealing memoir.  Hillbilly Elegy leads the reader gently to a political conclusion: because Vance believes that his relatives were not helped by government assistance, we should all agree that government should do nothing to help people.  The political nihilism presented as family history is a powerful Republican brew ("libertarianism"), and it has served Vance well. 

Government inaction is of course a nonsensical prescription for the people of Middletown, Ohio, where Vance was raised, or for Appalachia, which is the focus of the memoir.  Like everything about Vance, what the memoir does is suppress any idea of positive policy in the service of a politics of impotence.  A politician is someone who explains why nothing can be done.

After his graduation from Yale Law School, where the memoir ends, Vance became a venture capitalist and a client of Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley billionaire.  Thiel adds a very specific and interesting philosophical layer to the politics of impotence.  He is a follower and interpreter of the brilliant French literary critic René Girard, best known for his theory of scapegoating.  (I should say that I once gave Girard Lectures in Paris and Stanford funded by an initiative of Thiel and that I teach Girard). 

Girard challenges the typical view that societies begin from a reasonable consensus that we should all cease to be violent and instead accept a legal order.  He claims instead that such a moment of social integration requires a scapegoat, someone who can be blamed for prior chaos and be subject to immediate symbolic violence now to integrate everyone else.  In his commercial and personal ventures, Thiel practices what might be called positive Girardism, seeking after structures that allow people to flourish as individuals without the temptation to be conformist and scapegoat.  In his politics, however, Thiel practices what might be called negative Girardism, supporting political candidates (such as Vance) who can be trusted to practice scapegoating and cultivate culture war.  This keeps government dysfunctional and allows Silicon Valley billionaires to continue to shape society as unchecked oligarchs (this is also called "libertarianism"). 

As a senator, Vance has modeled a politics of impotence extremely well.  In both domestic and foreign policy, his line is that American government is helpless.  In international relations, he repeats Russian propaganda claims about Ukraine, in the service of the doomer view that no one can resist Russia and that we should all give up.  But it is a booming sort of dooming: Vance likes to get in front of microphones, puff out his chest, and present impotence as masculinity.  There is guile in this performance: the manly pose substitutes for manly action.  A tough guy à la Vance returns to the safe space of provoking cultural anxiety by choosing enemies within his own country.

There is enormous political potential in Vance's approach.  In the short run, he has proven with his wits that he can always transform the need for action into a rhetoric of aggressive hopelessness, something that will please a certain kind of right-wing donor.  In the long run, he can attract the support of leaders of countries who like to see America weak, just as Trump has done.  It is not at all hard to see a future with Vance posing alongside Orbán, Putin, and Xi as makers of an unfree world. 

And the possibility of such a grand trajectory, of course, is a problem for Vance right now.  He is young. He has much more potential than Trump himself, and Trump will at some point figure this out.

Like some of the others, Vance was also once a Never Trumper ("when we apologize for this man, Lord help us").  Vance's reversal, however, can be seen -- uniquely -- as part of a larger understanding of politics.  One gives up in the face of a challenge, and does so performatively, aggressively.  In this way, one transforms politics into an impotence display, training voters to think that government is just a kind of stage, on which our best leaders vent our feelings, rather than actually do anything. 

Trump was a pioneer of this, but Vance is younger, smarter, and better.  He clearly knows what he is doing: just before each outburst, you can detect a quick moment of calculating pleasure around his eyes.  As he gathers himself, he looks, just for a split second, like someone who is about to tell a joke that he very much enjoys. 

Such are the contradictions of the politics of impotence.  A Tim Scott might be too soft to make any sort of impression.  A Marco Rubio might have too much of a residue of dignity.  A Doug Burgum cannot efface his own successes.  And a J.D. Vance, precisely because his politics of impotence is so thoughtful and practiced, reveals a level of intelligence and skill that will make him a better Trumpist than Trump himself.  As a performer, Vance is only getting better, while Trump is only getting worse. Is that something Trump will be able to tolerate?

[louisupdates]

BMG Layoffs Hit Dozens in Film/TV, Theatrical & Marketing Departments – Billboard

Kristin Robinson | Oct 28, 2023

BMG terminated about 40 employees on Thursday (Oct. 27), sources within the company tell Billboard. The layoffs “discontinued” its international marketing department for recordings as well as its Modern Recordings label and “discontinued” its “New York theatrical productions initiative” and “the active commissioning of new films,” according to an internal memo obtained by Billboard. It took place on the day of the New York office’s annual Halloween party, says a source.

The eliminations include company leaders like Fred Casimir (executive vp, global repertoire) and Jason Hradil (senior vp, global repertoire) and affected employees in its Berlin, New York, and Los Angeles offices. A source within the company fears there are more layoffs to come and believes the layoffs may be a result of the company hiring the consulting firm McKinsey & Company in recent months.

After employees were notified they were being laid off, the company hosted a call with the U.S. recorded music team — including those who were let go — according to a source within the company.

“Everyone at BMG says it feels like a venture capital firm now and not a record label,” laments an employee. “Things got dark real fast, and it bums me out watching a lot of amazing people lose their jobs right before the holidays.”

In a video call hosted by CEO Thomas Coesfeld, the leader explained that the restructuring was part of the implementation of its new strategy, BMG Next, according to an internal memo shared with Billboard. “The international marketing team was set up five years ago in response to the needs of the company at the time,” he said to senior managers. “Our talented team has done a great job, driving international campaigns for artists including Lenny Kravitz, Kylie Minogue, and Louis Tomlinson, but unfortunately on a business level, expectations from this novel structure were not met and it created duplication of functions with local teams. The clear business decision is to instead give artists a single contact point with their local repertoire teams.”

A BMG spokesperson declined to comment beyond providing the memo.

In the last year, BMG — which represents talent like Jelly Roll, Halsey and Lainey Wilson as well as certain rights to the catalogs of Tina Turner, Peter Frampton, Mötley Crüe, and more — has made a number of significant business changes. In January, its longstanding chief executive Hartwig Masuch announced he would retire and would be succeeded by then-CFO Coesfeld, effective Jan. 1, 2024. On April 18, BMG claimed it would be the first music company to fully integrate its catalog and frontline music operations. On May 17, Masuch announced he would accelerate Coesfeld’s transition to CEO to July 1 instead.

In September, BMG announced it was winding down its agreement with Warner Music Group’s ADA and would be taking over direct management of its 80-billion-stream digital distribution later this year. (Digital revenues contributed 70% of BMG’s overall revenues in 2022.) Last week, BMG also announced it would be partnering with UMG’s commercial services division for the distribution of its physical recorded music. Coesfeld described the deal as the first project of a burgeoning “alliance” between the two music companies.

UPDATE: This article was updated Oct. 28 at 7:28 p.m. e.t. to quote an internal memo’s characterization of layoffs across departments.

[faggotryandtransjesterism]

VegasPete Fic Rec Masterlist (Pt. 1)

favorites are marked with a (*)

Lost Pet by @clandestinegardenias | 12k | E

Vegas has very few things he truly allows himself to care for, in this life. Going through the routine of feeding his hedgehog, only to find that a second pet has left him in as many weeks, might finally be the thing that pulls him under.

i can't really point to why i like this one so much, but it was my first vp fic and i always come back to it.

spend the rest of your life (what could have been) by toomoon | 15k | M

“I have an idea,” Pete says slowly, and Pol looks up at him. “But you’re not going to like it.” “I’ll take anything at this point,” Pol tells him. “Tell me.” Pete tells him. Pol doesn’t like it.

Pete and Pol get put in charge of a surveillance operation on a potential business rival. The only way to avoid rousing suspicion is to take over a small family restaurant. Vegas is the only person in the Theerapanyakul mansion that can cook. It's all going smoothly until the restaurant actually becomes a success.

vegaspete running a restaurant, what can i say? i love the vibes and the premise of this fic so much. also features trans!Pete, which was a nice surprise.

Sustenance by @givemeunicorns | 14k | M *

His grandmother told him when he was very young that there was no love in the world so filling as a place at the table. That there was no greater kindness, no greater expression of devotion, than to feed another, no better way to make them whole.

As the smoke begins to clear, Pete waits and wonders.

i adore this fic with every bone in my body!! food as a love language my beloved. i remember feeling like i'd been punched in the gut when i first watched ep. 14 and pete said because I'm hungry, and this fic really taps into that reaction, and builds on it with some beautiful character study for both pete and vegas.

fuck it all back down by @syzyg3tic | 4k | E *

Everything about sex is performative. There is no such thing as fucking without an agenda, at least in Vegas’s experience. He wouldn’t have survived to adulthood if he was precious about shit like that.

Vegas and some of the men he sleeps with in his desperate, rage-filled attempts to be loved or hated--either will work.

unparalleled, genius, the Vegas fic. great character study and really influenced the way i perceive him. also sparked my obsession with big and also with vegasporsche friendship. (obligatory CW for vegas' psychosexual obsession with his cousin. Freak <3)

hoping at the gates they'll tell me that you're mine by puckbaes | 34k | E

Missing scenes between Vegas being gunned down and waking up again.

Pete takes care of an injured Vegas, what's left of the minor family's business and Macau. He's reminded that while he resigned from his job, the family that loves him are not going to abandon him.

Bamf!Pete, found families, and glimpses of life after Vegas wakes up.

nice little fluffy domestic vegaspete fic :) i don't read much fluff for this pairing for obvious reasons, but this one's cute.

Five-Star Southpaw by Anonymous | 106k | E *

When Vegas is handed the keys to a failing major family hotel and told to bring it back to life, he knows it’s not a gift, or a test, or even an opportunity to prove himself. It’s a taunt. It’s a way to set him up for failure so everyone can rub his nose in the shitshow he’s left with, defeated and inferior to his cousins like always. It’s the death sentence of his pride in a gilded cage.

But misery loves company and all that, and he finds a surprisingly fitting cellmate in an unassuming looking employee named Pete. Now if only he could get Pete to stop playing hard to get, this cage could become a lot more comfortable.

Obviously. We all know. this is The VegasPete Fic, it's glorious, it's perfect. i think about it at least once a day.

stay with me a minute (swear i'll make it worth it) by incendir | 2k | M

Pete hadn’t anticipated how much breathing would hurt.

[Or, an unseen moment in 1x13]

incendir is an author i read consistently, all of their oneshots are great, so definitely check out their page after you finish this one!

while I do my thing in the background by TheDameJudiWench | 1k | G

"I have a gift for you. This is Pete."

tankhun-centric vegaspete fic my beloved...

First Impressions to Love Expressions (Chapter 12) by @iffervescent | 6k | E *

this is part of a series of stand-alone kpts fics, but i think this is the only vp one. anyway, it's immaculate. the little delve into pete's backstory, his connection to vegas and the family throughout his life are all amazing. great writing, great characterization, highly recommend.

like a trigger (get me ready to shoot) by @veliseraptor | 6k | M *

sadism: psychosexual disorder in which sexual urges are gratified by the infliction of pain on another person. (Encyclopaedia Britannica)

As far as Vegas can tell, there are normal people who want normal things, and then there's whatever he's got going on.

another marvelous Vegas character study, beautiful characterization. lise is another author i read regularly, so you'll see a lot of them on my lists.

That's it for part 1! I'm just going through my bookmarks in reverse order, so there's no real rhyme or reason to the ordering here. If anyone knows of any more of these authors that are on tumblr, pls feel free to tag them!

[darklydeliciousdesires]

The Dark Passenger - Chapter Twenty One.

Your weekly fix of Camille and EZ is here, besties! As usual, thank you so much for following this and offering your feedback :) Enjoy!

Previous chapters - One  Two  Three  Four  Five  Six  Seven  Eight  Nine  Ten  Eleven  Twelve  Thirteen  Fourteen  Fifteen  Sixteen  Seventeen  Eighteen  Nineteen  Twenty

Words - 3,262

Warnings - 18+ content throughout, minors DNI!

Tag list - In the comments. Please DM to be added/removed

“So, going forward, after our plan has been executed, it would leave the path clear to instead bring in another income. Nothing says we can’t revert back to the heroin trade at some point in the future, but for now, and especially after having your grievances in my ear for the last few months over the growing rate of dead junkies, we need to cease. Stepping back and shutting down the pipeline as well as the LNG will facilitate that entirely. We have to be smart, save us all seeing the inside of a cell for the next twenty-five years to live. I ain’t about to let that happen.”

The figureheads of the various Mayan charters who sat around the Santo Padre table all nodded, everyone in agreement that EZ’s way forward was preferable to the risks they were taking. Much too much heat was on them, with the government sending far too many pairs of eyes in their direction, in order to uncover the supply of fentanyl cut heroin that was causing junkies to drop like flies. Four hundred and eighty-three inmates within the Californian prison systems alone had died in the previous seventy days. They couldn’t continue on that road, which was now ablaze before them; it was only a matter of time before it burned them to nothing, should they continue to ride along it.

The gavel fell, the men all filing out to retrieve cell phones and weapons, EZ, Bishop and Angel remaining behind at the table, the latter smiling proudly at his brother.  

“This was always the way it was supposed to be.” He lifted his chin, nodding. “The way you’re running this club now, using your intelligence, we’re gonna be alright. It was scary for a minute back there, I can tell you. Me and Bish, you had us all kinds of worried when it was your tumour talking.”

“He’s right, mijo,” Bishop confirmed, sinking his drink. “The only thing keeping me awake at night these days is my wife, which trust me, I’m more than happy with.” His wink had them both laughing, the men standing from the table, a sense of relief tying them back together once more, those broken bonds now restitched. His plan, it was flawless. He just had to hope Charming would be on board, since they were the last cog in the machine to get running smoothly once more.  

EZ revealed it all again to a second and third set of ears, in an arranged sit down between himself, his VP, Chibs Telford and Tig Trager four days later, just them present to hash out the initial details they would then take to a vote at their respective tables. The Sons had returned to Teller-Morrow, the clubhouse rebuilt, Wendy selling the garage to the Telford family prior to her departure from Charming, Abigail overseeing the running of it around her other, less legal career.  

It was with a lot of hope for co-operation in mind that EZ and Bishop entered that very clubhouse, getting down to business immediately with a detailed explanation on a way forward.  

“Ultimately, Chibs, it would mean that we of course stop pushing heroin through your turf, which is what you’ve been pushing back against us over, the route of our war. I just need a way to cut the cartel down. What my VP and I are thinking, is that you’re married to that way.”

Chibs leaned back in his chair, his thumb and forefinger slowly stroking his beard. “Aye, lads. If you want decimation, you’ve come to the right place.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled his cell out, tapping around before holding it to his ear. “Darlin’, I need you in church, if you can come up? Got a wee bit of an explosive proposition for ye.”

A few minutes later, and the iron lady of Charming walked through the doors, eyeing EZ and Bishop suspiciously. Looking to her husband, he glanced at the empty chair to Tig’s right, nodding with a smile. Whereas former presidents of the MC would never even entertain the idea of an old lady having a say in the actions of the club, Chibs Telford was different. He realised what a powerful asset his wife was.  

“So, gentleman,” she began, lifting her chin as she eyed them. “I take it my services in eradication are required?”  

EZ nodded, looking to Bishop, who extended the same. If there was one woman within their world, even one slightly on the fringes of such, who they respected without question, it was Abigail Telford. She made Gemma Teller look like a Care Bear.  

“I do, Abi. What I need is for a cartel to disappear, if you can make that happen for us?” EZ put to her, watching the corners of her mouth upturn. Blowing things up was, after all, notoriously her turn on.  

She reached for the pack of cigarettes in front of her husband, taking one out and lighting up. “Aye, lads. It’ll cost you, but I can most certainly make that happen for you. I’ll need a couple of weeks to pull in a few fellas from across the pond to assist me, but just give me addresses and times, and believe me, your little problem south of the border will be eliminated within a blink.”

“Thank you,” EZ began, grateful to her.

Bishop sank his drink, nodding in her direction. “Never has the saying chip off the old block been more appropriate. I met your dad once. I’ve never been so fucking scared of anyone as I was of Michael. Back when my club were importing cocaine through the same port your weapons were arriving in, he met with us to discuss the heat of such, bartering for the Mayans to move our shipments away from the gun porting. Lady, and I mean with the utmost respect, you are all your father,” he spoke, honestly humbled that such a figurehead was willing to help them extract the club from the cancer that had cut into the heart of them.  

Abi smiled, reaching for the bottle on the table, taking a few glugs. “I appreciate your compliments, but truly, I am not my father. Because if I were my da, I wouldn’t be so magnanimous in what I can offer you in return, to boost my business, keep your club in profit, and the Sons clear of the heroin trade flowing through their areas. As you know, the IRA doesn’t involve itself in drugs, it goes against our code, but we can always be open to furthering our weapon trade.  

“Of course, my husband’s club doesn’t have the reach over the border, but you guys do. Take it to the other cartels, reach out and let them know that the Mayans now primarily are movers of arms for our cause, and I assure you, you’ll receive one hell of a discount, and only deal with me directly.”  

EZ leaned back in his chair, side eyeing his VP with a grin. Abi’s thoughts exactly matched his own. He always enjoyed when a plan came together seamlessly, two sides realising how they could join forces to net a substantial profit. Hell, when he thought about it, he could likely move arms for more of a fair cut than pushing the tainted heroin that was causing way too many news headlines for his comfort.  

Life? It was pretty good for EZ as he continued to discuss the finer details, standing to shake hands with Chibs, Tig and Abi before leaving. All he had to do now was survive surgery. Arriving back in Santo Padre hours later, the first place he called in at was the Luna Lounge, giving his girlfriend a very approving whistle as she hung upside down on the pole, just one leg keeping her on, the other extended back, her hand reached to grab it. Sure, she was in hot pink lace that definitely was not the kind of underwear she preferred, or which he liked to see her in, but she looked so elegant to him up there, with a group of rowdy women throwing a paper storm in her direction.  

“God, what I wouldn’t give to offer her a seat right on my face,” one of the women announced as EZ stood next to her. He looked down at her with a soft chuckle, shaking his head.  

“Take it from me, you’d never be happier.”

Her eyes immediately widened as she swigged back her beer. “Jesus! Sorry, man! I didn’t realise she was your girl!”

“S’okay,” he reassured her with, reaching to pat her shoulder. “She’s a cutie, I get it. Believe me, I know how lucky I am.”

“Hell yeah, you are! I mean, I ain’t into dudes, but I can see from her point of view that she’s the same, lucky with you on your arm. Y’all got any kids? I bet they’re beautiful little things if you have.”

Her friendlily delivered words suddenly made something in his chest pull tight. Kids with Camille; it was the future he dreamed of, one day, but would he survive his impending operation in order to actually see it? No matter how confident Doctor Shepherd was, it of course still played on his mind with such risky surgery, being under anaesthetic with his skull partially opened up for a procedure she anticipated lasting for twelve hours at the very minimum.  

“Nah, no little ones just yet. I think I wanna enjoy it being just me and her for a while longer,” he revealed, the woman nodding knowingly.

“Oh yeah, give yourselves time. My wife and I had been together for ten years before we decided to bring kids into the mix. I carried the first, she the second, and they were twins, so we got our hands full!” she chuckled. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go put a nice little wedge in your girlfriend’s bra.”  

She patted his back, grinning before taking a fifty from her wallet and scurrying over to Camille, pushing the money in and receiving a kiss on the cheek, beaming while she was danced for. He hung back until she exited the stage, passing her a large diet Coke and kissing her forehead. “Just thought I’d call in and say hey on my way home. Charming went well.”

EZ had decided to do as his brother had and let the girl he was with know everything. It was easier that way, and Camille appreciated him for it.  

“Oh, that’s a relief!” she began as they moved to a free table and sat down, Camille taking her wedge out from her thong and bra, stacking the bills neatly. “So, I get to finish earlier tonight since I worked the afternoon shift, meaning I’ll be at your place for about ten thirty. Want me to bring Chinese food with me?”  

His stomach rumbled at the thought of chicken noodles. “Please. Can I have my usual and a Szechuan pork? I’m fucking starving!”

“And some plain beef strips for little one?” Oh, how Sally would be excited to be given that particular treat.  

“I dunno who loves you more, me or the dog.” He headed off soon after, kissing her fleetingly, promising her many more as soon as she arrived. Once she’d finished, Camille was glad she checked her phone, EZ messaging to increase the other by quite a lot, telling her the guys had decided to stay and hang out, and that beer munchies were required, an extra one hundred dollars transferred to her account to cover the expense.  

“Get it while it’s hot!” she announced after kicking the clubhouse door open, her arms full with the large box of takeout containers, being ran at by several very hungry men.

“Oh, I will!” Bella purred, wrapping her arms around her waist and kissing her cheek with a giggle. “How was work, peachy?”

“Tiring! I made a nice little wedge though, so I’ll be well stocked up to spend some serious cash come out little shopping excursion.” In fairness, it was more of a girl’s weekend than anything, her, Amelia, Nala and Tallulah (unfortunately Mai couldn’t swing it) all going up to LA to stay overnight and get some serious shopping done, Bella needing new clothes for her long-overdue honeymoon. Being signed with a record label just three months after she and Angel had eloped, and then so busy for the following two years, they’d put it on the back burner until then, heading off to Brazil for two weeks.

Their honeymoon clashed with the time EZ was set to head to Seattle for his operation, both of them wanting to push it back in light of such, with the former telling them in no uncertain terms that he didn’t want them to cancel. The three weeks between that night and the moment EZ sat down aboard a plane two days before his operation passed by in a blur, reaching for Camille’s hand as they took off. He was a nervous flyer, and she knew too, how much that was impacting him with his nerves over the surgery, gripping his hand as she leaned against his shoulder.  

“I couldn’t do this without you,” he told her once they were in the air and clear of the nerve-jangling turbulence.

“True, since nobody else would allow you to cut off the circulation between their hand and fingers.”

“Shit.” He loosened his grip, Camille flexing her hand a couple of times. “Sorry, baby.”

“You will be,” she winked. “That’s my hand job hand.”

He couldn’t help but laugh, releasing her hand and resting it to her thigh instead. Throughout their flight, they separately read, listened to music, chatted, and quietly laughed at Bella’s Instagram stories, she and Angel visiting Christ the Redeemer (‘We’re going to see big Jesus!’ as Bella had comically put it) and Angel’s utter ire in the wake of someone thinking that Bella was his daughter (‘Yo, that’s my WIFE, dude!’) the many stories giving them a lot of much needed comic relief.  

“Fucking hell,” EZ exclaimed quietly as they entered their hotel room not long after landing. “You didn’t tell me you were choosing something this nice.” Camille had put everything in order, telling him to leave all the travel and hotel arrangements to her, since he had enough to deal with, being silenced when he’d attempted to object.  

“Well, I figured since we’re going to be up here for two weeks, then we might as well be comfortable, if not a little luxurious.” If the surgery went well, then Doctor Shepherd anticipated that he’d be all set for discharge around five days post-surgery, but wanted him to remain close by for check-ups for a few weeks before she gave him the all clear to fly home. “So, what do you want to do? Just relax, or head out?”

EZ had said he wanted to see a few of the local Seattle landmarks while visiting, the obvious of the Space Needle as well as a visit to the beautiful natural beauty site of Snoqualmie Falls, but with two days until he was due to arrive at Grey-Sloan, they had plenty of time. EZ wasn’t keen to waste any of it, though, it would seem.

“Let’s head out now, shall we?” Camille changed out of her comfy sweats into a pair of jeans and Timberland boots, figuring sensible footwear would be the best choice, grabbing her jacket before they left the room.  

“Oh god, oh my...” The little squeak that preceded Camille’s turning to bury her face into EZ’s shoulder had him laughing, wrapping his arms around her. “It’s so high! I knew it would be, but...” She gasped a little, looking back out over Seattle, her little hands grasped onto his hoodie before she turned back to hide her face once more.  

“Look out over the bay, though, baby. It looks incredible,” he suggested, pointing towards the water.

She emerged for all of five seconds. “Oh yeah, beautiful. And return to hibernation.”  

He laughed hard, hugging her, taking pictures with his free hand. “You’re so fucking silly. You made no mention of being afraid of heights before now!”

“I didn’t think I was, but I’ve never been up a tall building. Well, actually that’s untrue. I went to the top of the Empire State Building when I was two, but I don’t remember it. Apparently, I hid in dad’s hair the entire time, so perhaps I should have seen this coming!”  

For her sake, he kept the visit short after snapping a couple more pictures, taking a few cute ones of them up there too before they headed to their next attraction, taking a boat tour across the harbour. Camille was much better on water than she was a few hundred feet off the ground. Keeping with the aquatic theme, they moved onto Seattle aquarium afterwards, EZ warmed by the sight of Camille watching her favourite fish, the puffers, her face alight with delight.  

She couldn’t help but notice, though, the fact that he seemed to be in a hurry to fit in as much as possible into their afternoon, only slowing in pace once they reached the restaurant that had been recommended highly to them by the friendly hotel staff, taking a seat outside in the beautiful, casual surroundings of Un Bein, waiting on their order.  

“Baby, are you alright?” She noticed thar he wasn’t still, his leg bouncing, his hand twitching, motion still running through him even though sat in place.  

“Yeah, yeah I’m good.”  

She knew by that point in their relationship when he was lying. She’d noticed all the little tells that would have given him away back when he was under the duress of his tumour now that he wasn’t, the way his eyes darted around for just a fraction of a moment before he concentrated on her. “EZ, that isn’t true. Come on, tell me the truth. I can’t understand the kind of nerves you must be going through with what you have looming, but I’ve noticed how you’ve been rushing through today, so you need to share that with me.”

He inhaled deeply through his nose, letting the breath out slowly, reaching for her hands. “I’m trying to fit in as many memories as I can for you, just in case the unthinkable happens. In case I go into that OR and die on the table. I didn’t want to say it in as many words, I know you’ve likely considered it a possibility too, should a complication arise. All I want is to fill these two days full of things you can cherish, just in case.”  

Her eyes become glassy in a second, her emotions rocked by his revelation. “Oh my god.”

“And now I’ve got you all upset, and I didn’t want that.” Getting up, he moved around to the empty chair beside her, pulling her into the comfort of his arms as soon as he was seated. “Come on, beautiful. It’s okay.”  

She cried softly against him, her hand curling around his neck, stroking, emerging from his embrace to kiss him. “It is, and it will be okay, but hearing that you’re doing this for me is more touching than I can even begin to explain. I love you so much.”

She didn’t need to explain either. EZ felt it strongly in every single moment that passed with her. He just hoped he would have years ahead of him to experience many, many more.  

[beardedmrbean]

Helsingin Sanomat covered Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova's visit to Finland this past week, where she lauded the country's recent presidential elections.

Jourova warned of likely Russian interference ahead of the upcoming European parliamentary elections.

"In the current digital media age, online harassment is constant, it just gets more intense before elections," Jourova said in an interview with HS.

Jourova gave Finland credit for its recent presidential elections, where no significant electoral fraud was detected, although it was anticipated.

"Finland is a special case for me, a kind of miracle. An important factor in your presidential elections was that the candidates themselves ran a civilised and honest campaign," said Jourova.

Jourova also pointed to Finland identifying disinformation better than many other European countries, thanks to education, media literacy and a long-standing commitment by society as a whole.

"You have immunity, but I have heard from Finns here in Helsinki that it is not taken for granted. You have to work for it too," Jourova said.

Researcher warns of escalating border situation

International crisis management expert Timo Hellenberg told tabloid Iltalehti that the situation on Finland's eastern border could become more tense this spring, adding that the possibility of armed clashes could not be entirely ruled out.

"It is quite possible that attempts will be made to test and violate [Finland's] sovereignty on the border. I see no reason why this couldn't happen," the PhD told IL.

Last year, Finland faced instrumentalised migration on its border with Russia. Hellenberg noted that this was just one possible way Russia could try to interfere with Finland's sovereignty.

"Finland should continue to take a firm line on border control and also be prepared for the possibility that border security will be affected through various means, which may be unprecedented," Hellenberg told the paper.

He said there are many people in Russia who could be involved in an armed confrontation.

"A strict analysis of whether it is little green men or Russian intelligence agencies or purely representatives of organised crime is, in my opinion, secondary. The focus should be on what their target is and, above all, on how to respond to it," Hellenberg noted.

A recent article from The Telegraph revealed Russian intelligence documents which plan to use paramilitary forces in Africa to guide migrants to Europe.

Hellenberg also cited organised criminal organisations under the direction of Russia operating in Poland to transport migrants, adding that a similar phenomenon could occur in Finland.

Finland's Sin City?

Tabloid Ilta-Sanomat made the bold claim that the ski resort of Levi in northern Lapland, is Finland's Las Vegas.

While Levi lacks a world-renowned gambling industry, a surplus of Elvis impersonators, or any of the other iconic accoutrements in Sin City, local bartenders claimed that the resort makes up for that with a similar nightlife ethos.

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. It's the same mentality with a lot of the crowd here. What happens in Levi, stays in Levi," local nightclub owner Ville Lehtonen told IS.

Levi is in the municipality of Kittilä in northern Lapland, which has just under 7,000 year-round residents. The resort lies about 170 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle — quite the contrast from Las Vegas in the arid southwestern US.

IS went deep into the Levi nightlife scene with Lehtonen and his business partner Johannes Pärnä. They said that, by Arctic standards, Levi is relatively cheap and Norwegians don't even blink at 10 euro drinks, which brings them in droves to party in the northern Finnish resort. In addition to Finns and Norwegians, Levi also has many tourists from the UK and Germany.

Levi's nightlife gets most lively in the run-up to May Day.

"Here, the word nightlife means all day in spring. Spring is one long night until almost May Day," Lehtonen said.

The nightclub owners pointed out that many of the tourists who come to Levi during March don't even bring skis with them, their main objective is to party.

[gacmediadaily]

EXCLUSIVE: Great American Media, the faith and family-focused company that launched in 2021 under Bill Abbott, is the latest to get hit with layoffs.

Deadline has learned that roughly 13 people were cut from top jobs on Monday, including Loren Schwartz, Chief Marketing Officer; Jamie Kramer, EVP Digital & Strategic Growth; Max Pinigin, Chief Financial Officer; Angela Sullivan, VP Corporate Communications, Brian Pancarik, Exec VP User Experience & Operations; Michael Hough, Head of Financial Planning and Analysis; and Nicole Gardner, Pure Flix Creative Director.

In a statement released to Deadline, the company said, “In 2023, Sony invested in Great American Media and rolled its PureFlix streaming video on demand service into GAM’s business to be run by GAM management for the purpose of maximizing the synergies between the two.  On the heels of a highly successful year, we excelled with our Christmas launch and we kicked off 2024 hosting the Rose Parade, announced the network’s first-ever original series, “County Rescue,” and announced the launch of our own mystery franchises. And we will be launching even more programming, content and experiences throughout the year.”

“We are now looking to maximize the synergies of our brands just as NetFlix narrowed its focus this year, we are taking steps to focus on our strengths,” the statement continued. “We are a streaming platform with a linear audience approaching 70 milion viewers in our platforms and our objective is to maximize the synergies between the audiences.  Technology is critical to our success, so the decision was made to align the technology intersection with content marketing to enhance the viewer and consumer experience across platforms, meet our viewers where they are with the content they want.  With an experienced CTO, we consolidated key marketing functions into our technology team to align our marketing and technology platforms to ensure we maximize synergies between our estimated 70 million linear/cable viewers and our leading faith, family and streaming offering, Great American Pure Flix.”

Before the layoffs, Great American Family has said business has been robust. It says it entered the 2023 Christmas season by posting 12 consecutive months as TV’s fastest growing linear channel. 

And in a statement released Monday, Abbott said, “We are continuing to build on the phenomenal growth of our media brand and are excited to now fully capitalize on the synergies now available with Sony and Great American Pure Flix. Our portfolio of content is a trusted source of family friendly and faith-based entertainment, and our 2023 results greatly exceeded our expectations.”

The statement came with the announcement that GAF is getting into the scripted series business by launching County Rescue, an action-adventure medical drama starring Julia Reilly (Stranger Things) as an EMT in training. The five-episode first season will premiere on Great American Pure Flix beginning February 16 and on Great American Family beginning February 17. Great American Pure Flix is the company’s streaming service that was rebranded in September 2023.

GAF is also planning a Q1 launch of mystery franchises — original movies centered on the lighter side of mysteries and whodunnits and starring fan favorites from the network’s family of talent.

In an interview with Deadline in September, Abbott admitted that running a new network in this current environment has been a challenge.

“I would never have thought we’d be at the point where we still were running pretty hard,” he said. “We’re in the middle of an advertising recession, the strike, and cord cutting accelerating. There are a number of overall macro factors that have made the business that much more difficult in 2023 than we anticipated in 2021. And then you add to that the competition and the model being very much in question around how ultimately programmers get paid for creating great content. We know the streaming model needs a lot of work and is underwater in a lot of places. So there are big challenges out there that make it that much tougher.”

[mistergandalf]

work stuff

So my boss’s last day was yesterday and now we don’t have a general manager until someone new is hired. I spoke to our regional VP of ops (boss’s boss) on Monday about advancement opportunities, and we agreed that I don’t have the training or knowledge required to be GM yet. And THEN he said that there’s not enough business at my current hotel to justify having an assistant GM here while we currently already have a director of operations.

He offered me an AGM position at like 3 other hotels under our portfolio… all out of state. I just moved back to this state 4 years ago, and one of my biggest reasons was to be with my family. Not only that, but I am very dedicated to my church and actively participate on the worship team, and I don’t want to lose that.

I’m really frustrated that I’m being offered everything I want and nothing I want at the same time. The opportunity is there, but not in a place I want to be. It sucks a lot and I really don’t know how to proceed. It’s not like I’m miserable in my current position - I’ve always worked Front Office and I love it - but I know I can do more. Not to mention that the AGM positions offered to me are $10-15k more a year BEFORE quarterly bonuses.

Now I’m looking into hospitality management degree programs so I can continue growing without getting promoted, but it’s so frustrating to have to look into paying for it when I could get PAID to learn this stuff. I just wish things were different and I’m so mad that it’s not working out the way I want it to :/