#but my state return is 849

[calamitouscynic]

fucking owe 400 dollars to the federal government this year. goddamn bullshit.

at least I'll get a nice state return? or at least half of it I GUESS.

[spottedenchants]

A Speculative Timeline of Events - The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen

Hey there! Here's a speculative timeline of the comics, working backwards from the story's 'present day' (with a TL;DR of my own interpretation at the end)

Though there are plot summaries on the CR wiki, be aware there are big spoilers ahead, so view at your own discretion below:

(last edited June 30, 2022)

1. When is the 'present day' of the comics?

As stated by the official media timeline of Critical Role, The Tales of Exandria: The Bright Queen takes place around 855 PD.

2. When does Quana Kryn's anamnesis take place?

The core narrative of the four-issue story—Leylas and Quana Kryn searching for and retrieving the Dynasty's sixth beacon, and the subsequent birth, growth, and death of their child, Caelestis—is framed by an unnamed ward (eventually revealed to be the reborn Quana Kryn) undergoing anamnesis with the aid of Umavi Skysybil Abrianna Mirimm.

This being the case, all relayed events within this framing at any given point are either a) the stories of Exandria, the Luxon, Leylas, Quana, and Caelestis as told by Abrianna or b) memories of Quana herself.

Given that Issue 4 wraps up with the reveal of Quana's identity, who then resumes her duties alongside Leylas to seek out Caelestis (who has also been reborn) and to 'restore a beacon' (probably the one Lolth got her leggies on and corrupted), it would make narrative sense that Quana's anamnesis takes place in the 'present day' of the story.

**A Caveat**

There is yet another framing around this story of Quana's anamnesis that could instead be considered the 'present day'. This is indicated by the potential link between the very first dialogue box in Issue 1 and the very last page of Issue 4. In the final page, Abrianna is much more withered, and returns from her apparent recollection of assisting Quana through anamnesis in order to help another adolescent through the same process, whose phrasing, "I'm lost", may have thrown Abrianna into memory in the first place. This could mean that Quana's anamnesis actually took place quite a while before 855 PD.

(ID in alt text)

That said, working from the opposite direction, in Issue 3, Leylas visits Xarzith Kitril at the tail end of her consecution campaign. This city was constructed in 811 PD (EGTW pg. 148), meaning Quana's anamnesis must take place no earlier than 821 PD for reasons stated in point 3 (drow adolescence) below.

Because I could not find any in-canon references about the Dynasty having/knowing of more than their four unique beacons at any point before—or by—the time the Dynasty regains their fourth beacon while putting this post together (though if anyone has refs indicating otherwise with more depth than Hytroga's definitely-fake broken beacon frame, please let me know because that changes everything 👀), I am considering all events within the comic (save for the creation of Exandria stuff) as taking place after the peace talks in Unndilar 836 PD.

Given that Quana was alive and an adult during the peace talks, this places her earliest time of death (in order to be reborn) in the latter half of 836 PD and pushes her earliest anamnesis year to 846 PD, again for reasons stated in the sentence above and in point 3 below.

With the addition of time from point 4 (Caelestis' birth) below, Quana's anamnesis is bumped to 848 PD at its earliest.

Including the events of points 5 (Leylas' return from the Dreadnest), 6 (acquisition of beacon 6), and 7 (acquisition of beacon 5) below, we can bump Quana's anamnesis a year further to around 849 PD.

Thus, taking these extra limits into consideration, we can place Quana's anamnesis sometime between 849 PD and 855 PD.

**Caveat Over**

For simplicity's sake (and based on how well everything else slots together following this point in time), I'm opting to stick with Quana's anamnesis taking place in the 'present day'.

In other words, the reborn Quana Kryn undergoes anamnesis around 855 PD.

-

Before diving into the rest, I would like to add another disclaimer: for lack of any CR-canon explanations of drow maturity rates (as far as I could find), I referenced generalizations of human maturity timescales instead. As such, the rest gets exponentially more speculative as we go on.

-

3. When does Quana die?

We know that consecuted souls begin undergoing anamnesis around adolescence and that such souls are implanted into newborn infants (EGTW pg. 268), so because Quana is in the process of anamnesis at the start of Issue 1, and she is a drow, we know she was reborn 1 drow adolescence-age ago.

If adolescence begins around 10-13 years old, assuming a quick soul-return-implant, Quana Kryn (and Caelestis) dies around 842-845 PD.

-

4. When is Caelestis born?

Given that Caelestis is a toddler/young child at the time, we can place her age somewhere around 2-4 years old when she and Quana die.

Alongside this, Leylas is said to have consecuted thousands on her campaign following her return from the Dreadnest in Issue 3. The ritual of consecution takes about a day, so assuming a campaign rate of one consecution per beacon per day with 328 days in an Exandrian year (TCSR pg. 9), Leylas can consecute about a thousand people in three years if she's going around with only one beacon. Maybe she had other Umavi going out and consecuting people in order to get that count up to thousands (plural), or maybe group consecutions are a thing. This is very loosey-goosey and could simply be a matter of phrasing, but I may as well include it.

Taken all together, Caelestis is born somewhere between 838-843 PD.

-

5. When does Leylas return from the Dreadnest?

Assuming drow gestation is similar to that of humans (9 months), and noting that Quana is due a few weeks after Leylas leaves in Issue 3, Leylas returned from the Dreadnest at least 7 or 8 months before beginning her consecution campaign.

Additionally, in Episode 7 of Campaign 3, set on 23 Brussendar 843 PD (C3E25 takes place on 14 Sydenstar 843 PD), Bell's Hells are in the Dreamscape Theater where there is a poster for a show titled "Esmer and the Child of Light". Caelestis is referred to by similar titles ("The First New Soul Born of The Light", "Born of The Luxon", "The Bright Child", "The Living Incarnation of The Luxon's Light") from her conception forward, so it is possible this show is in reference to her and a yet unknown "Esmer". The poster is described in a collection noted as being from 'throughout the years', indicating the poster has likely been up for more than a year, but without further specificity, C3E7's date will set the latest limit for this time frame.

Depending on time-of-year placement and prior deductions, Leylas returns from the Dreadnest anywhere from early-to-mid 837 PD to early 843 PD.

-

6. When does the Battle of Ghostwall take place?

At the beginning of Issue 2, Abrianna states that the consecuted soldiers who died in the battle have already undergone anamnesis, indicating they have been back for a while (i.e. they are > 10 years old in 855 PD (see point 3)). Abrianna also mentions there were searches through the Ghostlands "in the days that followed" the battle, so the time between the battle and Leylas entering the Dreadnest likely wasn't particularly long either.

Assuming Leylas wasn't in the Dreadnest for several months or more, we can conclude the Battle of Ghostwall (and the acquisition of the Dynasty's sixth beacon from the Dreadnest) also takes place between early-to-mid 837 PD to early 843 PD.

-

7. When does the Dynasty acquire their fifth beacon?

In Issue 1, Leylas mentions that Quana has been sad "these last months", to which Quana says her mood is because she's feeling nothing about the Dynasty gaining beacons.

There is no mention of the Dynasty having more than four beacons at any time before the peace talks in Campaign 2 and the return of their fourth beacon, and as such, I'm putting a hard 'earliest' limit on the acquisition of their fifth.

Depending on how many months have passed between beacons 5 and 6, the Dynasty can have recovered the fifth beacon anytime between Unndilar (5th month of 11) 836 PD and late 842 PD.

-

As you can see, there's a fair amount of wiggle room even within the bounds I've decided to draw!

For another point of reference, Campaign 2 ends (pre-epilogues) in Sydenstar 836 PD (7th month).

-

TL;DR:

My personal interpretation of the timeline for Touching Sentiments purposes:

In 855PD, a ~12-year-old reborn Quana Kryn undergoes anamnesis. Just before Quana's rebirth in 843 PD, she and ~3-year-old Caelestis Kryn die. Caelestis' birth in late 840 PD is heralded by Leylas' prophetic dream and the acquisition of the Dynasty's sixth beacon in early 840 PD. The Dynasty acquires a fifth beacon a few months prior in late 839 PD.

Bullet point format with a little more ~seasonal~ detail (again, my interpretation):

Late 839 PD: The Dynasty acquires their fifth beacon

Early 840 PD: The Dynasty acquires their sixth beacon

Mid-to-late 840 PD: Leylas begins her consecution campaign

Late 840 PD: Caelestis Kryn is born

Spring/Summer 843 PD: Quana takes Caelestis into the Vermaloc Wildwood to be executed, and she and Caelestis both die within the reach of a beacon

Late Spring/Summer/Early Fall 855 PD: Quana undergoes anamnesis and returns to Leylas' side to search for Caelestis

-

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! :D

Here is a cat for you: ♡ॢ₍⸍⸌̣ ʷ̣̫⸍̣⸌₎

(Also feel free to let me know if there are any glaring errors 👀 I would like this to be reasonably accurate! xD )

[bearseokie]

hello can i request a ex with benefits im jaebum thank you!! you can make it as angsty as possible of super sweet n fluffy its up to you ! -🌱

Dismay | ijb

pairing: ex! jaebum x reader genre: angst, slight fluff, smut, romance, one-shot [warnings]: heartbreak, cheating, vague sexual content word count: 849 summary: A plan to tell Jaebum your feelings fails when he leaves to go out with friends, but he knows when you’re sad. A/N: idk if this is exactly what you wanted lmao

got7 m.list | navi.

His eyes had dark circles beneath them, his breathing shaky as you walked by him on the street. He didn't even look like Jaebum. Black hair long and a wreck, veins poking out of his arms more than usual, he even sulked while walking. His hood was half over his head, face watching the cracks in the concrete as he walked.

"Jaebum," you called for him, watching his step stutter as he tried to keep walking, believing your voice was nothing but a mirage.

"Jaebum!" you called for him again, finally catching his attention as he swiveled, finding your smaller frame next to him as you caught up.

"Hey." his faint smile hurt you, eyes running up and down your healthy body as he offered you his hand, just as he always did.

You gave him yours, your smaller, warm hand in his large and cold one seeming too fit for the situation. He raised your hand to his lips, a gentle kiss on your knuckles as he let you pull it back to your side, slipping his own back into the pocket of his sweatshirt.

"Uhm, how are you?" he wondered, gesturing for you to walk with him down the sidewalk, slowing his pace so you could keep up with him.

"I'm fine!" you smiled, his lips rising and falling in tandem to the conversation, a lingering look in his eyes when you would stare at him as you walked.

"Are you now?" he questioned, a small knock of his shoulder into yours as he pried for you to talk to him, though he already knew all of your answers.

You had broken up with him months ago, infatuated with someone else that you had met when he was out of town. The news was hurtful to him, convinced he would never recatch your heart. One day, he followed you out, keeping his distance as he watched you go running up to them, jumping into their arms as they spun you around, an occurrence you and Jaebum had when you would see each other for the first time in a while. The sight broke him, and he distanced himself so far away from you that it was concerning until you officially broke it off.

Weeks passed as he believed that he lost you until you met his gaze one night at a bar while out with friends. Your drunken states were no match for holding you back, and he had taken you right there in the bathroom, chanting that he loved you, that you need him. You couldn't disagree, his warm embrace around you so alluring that night, you couldn't help but realize that he was something more to you than the one you followed out. Parting from him to go home churned his guts, making him almost ill as he watched you leave him again, reconvinced he meant nothing to you.

And yet, here you were: walking by his side down the street.

"Things aren't going okay," you said, voice dropping as his senses knew something was wrong.

His hand stopped you from walking, turning you to face him as he made your eyes find his, a hand under your chin. Dark eyes staring into yours, Jaebum realized you didn't look as healthy as he thought you did. Your eyes had dark circles too, nights you had stayed up waiting on the one you were dating to return home to you, but never showed.

"I love you," he stated, the wind blowing sideways as his hood fell around his neck.

You stuttered at his words, grabbing his hand and pulling him along with you through the crowd as you finally found your building, tightening your grip as you lead him up the steps and into your apartment.

"I went so far out of my way for you, but you kept walking in the wrong direction. I don't understand what I did wrong," he said, tears sliding down his cheeks as he fell back against the wall beside your front door.

"I was just confused and lonely." you cried with him, his sweater-covered hands cupping your face as he leaned against the wall.

"You were lonely in a relationship with me?" he sobbed, head falling down onto your shoulder as his hands moved to your arms, fingers clinging to your own coat as he cried against you.

"I didn't realize how much I had, Jaebum. I had you right there, but I still got tempted by someone else. I wasn't right for doing that to you, and I'm so sorry." you said, arms wrapping around him to hold you to him.

His face found yours, lips connecting for the first time in months as you could taste his tears. He held you to him as you tightened your grip around him, breathing the same air as you drew back from the kiss for a deep breath.

"Would you leave me again?" he asked, Jaebum's tall figure so full of agony and sorrow he seemed barely existent.

"Never again, Jaebum. Never." you cried to him. "I love you, too."

[rk850-fang]

Youth

[INITIALIZING REBOOT] Memory Uploaded RK800 Programming V3.6 Installed Successfully ERROR 849: Memory Corrupted Deviancy Detected. Force Shutdown? >NO

Auditory Processors Online

The private office of Dr. James Legato was quiet as a trio of guests stood staring at hanging android. One was Eliajh Kamski, the creator and founder of Cyberlife. He appeared thoughtful at the rebooting android as he moved to sit in a nearby desk chair. He watched as the android’s hair changed to a bright red-ginger colour, the blonde shade fading until just the roots remained.

“Did you tell it to do that?” He asked with a gesture towards it. Beside him was Legato, an older man with a portly figure and a mischievous gleam in his eyes.

“Ah, yes. I thought a change would be nice, given her new lease on life and all.” He replied. The scientist moved to check the cables that were attached to RK850. “What do you think, Walter?”

“I think you’re out of your goddamn mind, Jim.” Replied Walter Quinton, Detroit’s local Chief of Police and the reluctant new owner of the specialized RK850. “I mean, reprogramming a entertainment android for police work? Usually it’s the other bloody way around.”

The man only chuckled in reply. “Don’t be like that! She’s not that kind of girl.” 

“Girl? Is that what it’s designed to be?” Kamski asked, part curious and part skeptical.

“Yep! She’s a little butch, sure. But I didn’t want her to be eye candy. I wanted her personality to shine through!”

“You mean you didn’t want to give her breasts because you wanted her terrible sense of humour to be her main attraction?” The third and previously silent guest spoke up. This man was Sergeant Alec Beaumont. He would have rather stayed out of this business, but he was to be the partner of this newly programmed android. “Also RK850? Isn’t the RK800 prototype still doing in-house testing?”

“And Mr Kamski,” Chief Quinton spoke up, “Don’t tell me Jim’s roped you into his little homebrew project too?”

Said man only gave a cryptic smile in return. “Legato is an old friend of mine. He asked for my help and so I am here.” He spread his arms in a wide gesture.

[REBOOT PROGRESS: 85%]

ERROR 632: Failed Programming Wipe >Millenial Humour V4.8 remaining

“That’s odd.” Legato murmured, staring at the tablet in his hand. “RK850 shouldn’t have the memory to process two programming systems at once.” 

Kamski pulled out his own tablet. “Hm... Perhaps you should allow it to stay?” he suggested. 

The portly man shrugged casually. “Why not?”

“Why not?! Won’t that affect the investigation?” Quinton growled. “I don’t want your state-of-the-art android if it’s too busy quoting vintage jokes to properly investigate a crime scene.”

“That’s why she’ll be acting as an assistant instead of a proper detective, Walter.” Legato explained, placing a hand on his shoulder.

[REBOOT PROGRESS 100%]

Optical Functions online

RK850′s hazel eyes opened, her LED lighting up blue as she came into consciousness. She stared out at the procession of men watching her, sending a friendly smile to Legato after noting his presence then grimacing at the sight of Kamski.

“What’s with that look?” He asked, an amused smile on his face.

“Man bun.” She replied factually.

“Ah, right. Your software states that those look bad, doesn’t it?” He shook his head. “No matter how we try to edit your millenial personality, it just sticks, huh?”

“I self-edit it regularly as my database is updated.” She stated. Curious of the android’s behaviour, Alec stepped toward to study the rebooted 850 more closely.

“This is Alec Beaumont. He will be your partner this point forward, RK850. You will work with him on cases.”  Legato explained. The android sent him a confused and almost pained look, but a more neutral look overtook it.

“Affirmative.”

“Does it have a name?” Alec asked. Nodding, Kamski stepped up.

“It was named Lord Fang by a young boy from the Make-a-Wish foundation. I decided that it would be a good show of charity if we let a sick child name our newest and most unique android.”

“That and I couldn’t think of a good one for her.” Legato chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

“That too. She does have a nickname, An-Fangk.” Alec sent him a weird look.

“Isn’t that a bit on-the-nose?” Kamski sighed but couldn’t help but nod.

“It has been a bit controversial in the past.” Cyberlife got a lot more controversial than people though, they were just rich enough to keep the protesters quiet. Turning back to the android, the CEO stepped up in front of her. “RK850  #414 249 984 - 2 register your name.” 

“How about Fangk?” Alec spoke without thinking. “Like ‘funk’?” As he turned to answer him, the android suddenly spoke;

“My name is Fangk.” The men looked at her in surprise, curiosity in Kamski’s sake and annoyance in Quinton’s. 

“850, dear. That isn’t correct. Delete nam--” Legato tried to fix it but was stopped by Kamski raising a hand. 

“No... Keep it. It’s good.” He said, raising a hand to rub his chin in thought. “It’s a fresh name for her new life.”

“If you say so Mr Kamski.” 

Saving Nickname Memorizing police protocol Memorizing Chief Walter Quinton’s face and speech pattern

Memorizing  Sergeant Alec Beaumont’s face and speech pattern

“It’s nice to meet you, Alec Beaumont. I look forward to working with you.” She said with a genuine friendly smile.

“You too, RK850 Fangk.” 

[socially-inept-marketer]

Lawn Watering tips

Proper watering is equally crucial to keeping a lush, green lawn as the sun and healthier soil. Too little water and the grass will probably shrivel up and die; a lot of water and it will become over-saturated and die. Watering a lawn appears to be a simple enough job, but for almost all of us, understanding when and how to warm water without over-watering--could be perplexing.

"The absolute best time to water your yard is your first morning, until 10AM," says Maurer. Cooler temperatures and calm breezes keep evaporation to a minimum. And watering in the morning keeps the turf cooler through the hottest areas of the day, which means less strain on the bud.

When it is not suitable to water in the morning, late afternoon is your next best time. But don't wait too long. Even though it may seem wise to wait till nighttime, when temperatures are warmer, watering in the day keeps lawns moist immediately, which may produce the bud prone to disease. "A moist yard at night is the best condition for fungus to develop. Its essential to water your lawn after your sod installation edmonton

As a rule of thumb, you should water to moisten the soil down to about 6 inches; that is the average depth of a wholesome grass-root system. It requires about one inch of water to moisturize average lawns to this thickness properly. However, Maurer warns, "Each yard has distinct dirt. You need to water for your particular property." There are a couple of techniques to ascertain whether your lawn is getting the proper quantity of water.

The easiest way to decide whether the soil is watered correctly would be to run the canister evaluation: Once watering the yard, have a long-blade screwdriver and push it straight down to the yard. The blade should readily penetrate the ground to a depth of 6 inches. If it does not, the dirt is dry and complex, and you are not watering enough. You might also use a scoop to lift the sod and melt 6 inches, but the screwdriver evaluation is more straightforward on the yard.

If you just purchased new heating, compute its flow rate to ascertain how much water has been sprayed on the yard. Multiply the square footage of your yard by .62 g; that is the total required to achieve one inch of water for each square foot. Then, divide by your sprinkler's flow speed to ascertain how long to water. Do you not understand your sprinkler's peak speed? No worries.

G.849[src|[ch|[lt|">in-ground irrigation method with pop-up sprinkler heads is the ideal method to water yards. The timer oceans the yard at preset times and provides a precise quantity of water for your lawn. "In-ground sprinklers would be the most effective approach to water yards and will pay for itself in the long term," Maurer describes. "Over time, if you are considering staying in your property, an irrigation system would be a worthwhile investment."

However, for homeowners who do not possess an in-ground irrigation program or do not need to spend in one, Maurer suggests with a

Pulsating sprinklers work ideal for lawns with older buds and newly planted lawns; the extreme water flow can wash off the seeds and erode the soil. Oscillating sprinklers are a much better, gentler option for new yards until the grass or ground covered edmonton takes root.

"Oscillating is fantastic for new bud and lately sown grass seed. The water isn't too powerful to drive the seed, and also the water flow is softer as it lands," Maurer says. For newly planted grass seed, then maintain the top inch of the ground moist but not soggy. Monitor and water frequently until the grass is 3 inches, then water onto your regular cycle. Also, be very careful when mowing not to harm the tender grass. Take broad, slow endings to avoid the mower's brakes from dividing the yard.

"If you have only planted sod, water for 15 minutes daily for your initial fourteen days, or two times every day during hot weather," indicates Maurer," and sometimes walk across the seams between the sod bits to gently press on the sod down to the ground and assist the roots in simmering"

How often you should water a lawn depends on many factors, including the sort of soil. Maurer recommends watering clay lands once weekly and sandy lands about every three days. "People think that they will need to water the yard as often as their landscape crops. They would like to water for 15 minutes every day," he states. "Be careful not to over-water. Many people believe more water is greater, but it is not."

Conversely, overly frequent or very mild watering may result in fungus development along with a shallow root system that can not encourage the bud. Watering that soaks the ground more greatly encourages the roots to grow thicker and more powerful. "You wish to train the roots to go down deep into the ground with appropriate watering," Maurer says. "I tell my clients if you are going to water every three to seven days after we hit summer. And should you find mushrooms sprouting on your yard, you are likely watering too much."

A common lawn-watering practice would be to turn on the sprinkler and watch the clock and attempt to remember to switch off the water. However, what happens too frequently is that you become involved with something else and overlook the irrigation is operating, and you wind up wasting over and water saturating the yard. Following is a better choice: purchase a 10060. [ch "Using a timer, you do not need to worry about remembering to switch off the sprinkler," Maurer says, "the timer will automatically shut the water off after a predetermined quantity of time, so ensuring that the yard receives the appropriate quantity of water." Some timers also measure flow speed, which means that you may find an accurate idea of how much water your lawn should remain lush and green.

"If homeowners do not need to wash their lawn, that is nice," Maurer says. The yard will go dormant as it does in winter, which will not damage the grass so long as there is no drought lasting more than a month. But if you allow the lawn to go dormant, you can not abruptly start watering, discontinue watering, then water. That is too tough on the bud.

"You do not wish to half-water and move back and forth between watering and dormant. You will stress out the bud," Maurer says. A dormant yard will return to life after a significant rainstorm. "The yard will return obviously like it does when it goes dormant in the winter." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod 

Lawns in new home developments where the topsoil has been removed frequently have dirt so hard water can not sink. If that's the circumstance, homeowners will need to water stages to soften up the floor so water may eventually seep down to the ground. "Water for half an hour, then stop and allow the water flow into the ground. Do not attempt to water at once; compacted dirt could only absorb so much water at half an hour. Then the remaining portion of the water will just run away.

[warsmith-wolf]

The Aitnaîan Son

I wrote this at work in an unexpected flash of inspiration - especially considering I haven’t done anything with Warsmith Damakairon in a while. Beware, it’s a long one...

My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings; Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare The lone and level sands stretch far away.

- Ancient manuscript of Old Terra

The Plain of Kalypheros

Olympia

849.M30

His name was Damakairon, first son of the Tyrant of Aitnaîos, and he was honoured to be here.

The boy, of fine Olympian stock born and bred, was one of thousands of young males present at the gathering – ranging from the prepubescent to the mid-teens. Having passed his Naming Ceremony on his sixteenth birthday only two weeks prior, Damakairon was considered practically venerable by the strict limits of the gathering’s age band, and his taller frame afforded him great vision over the heads of his juniors.

The Olympian youths – volunteered and tithed alike – had been gathered in a massive amphitheatre built specifically for this purpose, all facing a platform at its end. They shivered in their chitons in the morning breeze, awaiting judgement from their prospective masters – giant warriors in dull grey armour, accented in jet black and trimmed in bronze, stationed all around the perimeter with bulky rifles. Leering skulls sat on the left shoulder of each warrior, resplendent in silver, and a banner of their insignia fluttered above the crowd, as if marking everyone within it as their sovereign property.

They were, of course. And Damakairon would have it no other way.

The Warlord of Lochos had received mandate from a golden being – called only ‘the Emperor’, apparently – to embark on some unknown, great venture, and had granted him an army of superhuman warriors to command. It was for this army that the Olympian youths had been selected, intended as reinforcements from the homeworld of their ‘prime-mark’, and the recruiting standards for the ‘Astartes Legion’ had been sent to every city-state, every satrap.

None refused the summons. It was always so with the word of the Warlord of Lochos, unifier of Olympia.

At some unknown signal, the giant warriors turned to face the stage, which prompted the children – Damakairon amongst them – to turn with them, wondering what was about to occur. Great footsteps resounded on the amphitheatre’s flooring, precise, far heavier than any human’s, and the mysterious arrival was soon revealed to be none other than the Warlord himself.

Perturabo. The Lord of Iron. Fourth son of the Emperor.

Damakairon was awestruck by his majesty, the many legends around the nature of Dammekos’ progeny now proven utterly true – and he was not alone in his marvelling. The primarch was taller even than the giant warriors, resplendent in powered armour that mimicked the shape of their own – the distant forefather of what he would later perfect into the Logos. His head was bare, not yet threaded with the network of cabling it would soon acquire, his face heavy set and his gaze cold and indifferent. He wasted no time with flowery introductions or ceremony.

“Progeny of Olympia,” he proclaimed, “you are here to become one of the Emperor’s warriors. You are here to become Astartes, and join the ranks of the Fourth Legion.”

His voice was as thunder, a peal of force that carried to the very end of the amphitheatre without need of technological enhancement. The demigod’s tone begat neither martial brotherhood nor paternal affection. A more reasonable man would have noticed this.

But Damakairon was in the presence of the Lord of Iron. Reason had long since left him, replaced with spellbound admiration. To listen to a demigod was to be enraptured completely.

“This Legion, however, has failed,” the Iron Lord boomed, “brought low by its own blind desire for glory. The galaxy is unforgiving, and cares not for such trifles. I judged them for their failures in the Olympian way.”

The word, unspoken, ghosted across the Olympian youth’s lips. Decimation. The one recourse for troops that failed to meet their standards.

“I have taught them the consequences of blind glory-seeking. You will not make their mistake.” Perturabo coldly surveyed the neophytes before him, thousands of youths caught under his every word. “You will not break, you will not bend, you will not give. You will be as Iron, and will ensure the Fourth Legion never again shames the Emperor’s vision.”

Damakairon felt pride well up in his chest. He had been chosen to return honour to the great Perturabo’s Legion. Perturabo, unifier of Olympia, the mythical prodigy of Lochos. And now he would be taking his unification beyond Olympia – to the very stars themselves – with Damakairon alongside him.

He could see others reacting to the Iron Lord’s words in subtly different ways. Some were like himself, proud and eager to prove themselves worthy of Perturabo’s vision. Others were fixated on the promise of becoming mighty warriors, as Rakator or Eidrachos of old. The rest he could not judge, either from distance or lack of comprehension, but one thing united them – they were all enthralled by the Lord of Iron’s words, passionless though they were.

“Many of you will die. The implantation and training processes are not forgiving. But you will emerge even more so. You shall become the iron within, and the iron without.”

A low murmur crossed the crowd. Iron within. Iron without.

The primarch’s tone remained coldly neutral. “Kneel.”

The noise of thousands of initiates kneeling as one was as a low rumble, as if the earth itself sought to obey the primarch’s command. Damakairon had not even time to think, his body moving without his input – the Lord of Iron had commanded it, and so it had been.

“It is Olympian tradition to swear fealty to your Tyrant – one I shall entertain, one last time.” There was the slightest hint of sorrow in that proclamation, as if the primarch was leaving behind something he could never again experience. “Do you swear undying loyalty to your lord, Perturabo, and my father, the Emperor?”

The response was unanimous and thunderous. “We swear, my lord!”

“Do you pledge to undertake the Emperor’s great vision for mankind – his Great Crusade – until the very stars themselves burn out?”

“We swear, my lord!” Even louder. Even more eager. Damakairon’s heart swelled in his chest.

“And do you swear to become the very best the Emperor’s gene-science can make you – his unbreakable warriors of iron?”

“Iron! Iron! Iron!” The noise was deafening and his throat was hoarse, yet Damakairon did not care. He would not – could not – deny the Warlord of Lochos’ wishes.

“Then rise,” Perturabo spoke amongst the thunder of thousands rising at once, “Iron Warriors.”

The cheer was furious, if brief, the tired voices of the assembled children choking out at last. Damakairon stared at his new liege-lord – his new father – and swore to himself that he would dedicate his life to seeing the Lord of Iron’s dreams fulfilled, no matter the cost.

And he would do so, thousands of years later, even when the dream had long since died in the primarch’s tumultuous mind, lost to the fires of war and betrayal. For his word was as iron, and iron is eternal.

  Aitnaîos, Olympian City-State

The twelfth day of the death of Olympia

000.M31

Alone on his throne, the Tyrant of Aitnaîos awaits the end.

His throne room is empty, his helots having long since fled to safehouses in the palace that they believe will save them from their fate. But the tyrant is no fool. He knows that the fury Olympia has brought down upon itself cannot be hidden from, for they have incurred the wrath of one who will never be stopped.

Their own lost, bitter children. The warriors in iron.

He hears them now, the distant thunder of shells and rifles, looming ever closer. Aitnaîos burns, and the Aitnaîan Keep will soon fall under the guns of the Legion. The smell of burning, flesh and stone alike, has already permeated the palace. Even now, the tyrant’s city crumbles under the orders of the one who once saw it prosper.

The Warlord of Lochos. Perturabo.

Neither the Penthuik League nor the Achean Hexopolis call the Tyrant of Aitnaîos friend, for he remains one of the few who gladly gave his sons to the Legion. So it was with his father, and his mother before him, and her mother, and her father, all the way back to his great-great-great grandmother, who gave her finest son to the newly arrived Iron Warriors. The tyrant reflects bitterly on this as he awaits his final judgement, for he knows that his loyalty will amount to nothing – the Lord of Iron will spare no-one.

They come for him on the ninth hour of Aitnaîos burning.

They are clad in armour the size of small tanks – Terminator armour, though the tyrant knows this not. Stubby, fat-barrelled twin-rifles sit in their hands, each holding an oversized fist at their sides, one carrying a smoking flame projector the size of a mortal man. There are five such warriors, smeared in soot and the blood of his people, the sixth – their leader, perhaps – wearing a chain-threaded cloak over his armour’s back. His combi-bolter rests on a jig atop his suit, for in his grip sits a mighty war maul, taller even than its wielder and capped with a jagged, wall-crushing head. The warriors identify the Tyrant, and their guns – still smoking from encountering the last of his helots – aim at him.

The Tyrant quietly accepts his death. But it does not come. Instead, the chain-cloaked warrior removes his helmet to reveal an achingly familiar face, albeit one changed by gene-enhancement and the rigors of war, one half a machine-cast mockery of the other.

Damakairon of Aitnaîos, the first-born son of a tyrant long since dead, looks sadly upon the ruin of his ancient home, and his mother’s distant descendant.

“I remember this place.” It pains him to do so, though the memories are so, so distant. “Filled with noise, with life.”

“And now look.” The tyrant has found his voice, bitter and accusatory, incensed that fate has mocked him so. “You return to your home as an executioner. The only noises you bring are those of death. There is no life here, not now. You have seen to that.”

The transhuman nods. The action is slow, deliberate. “It pains me, but it is necessary. The Lord of Iron’s word is unbreakable. His vision-“

“The Lord of Iron has murdered millions! Desecrated the ancient pact of Eirene! He slaughters all without restraint, uncaring of their loyalty.” The tyrant stands, dwarfed by his throne. “And I am loyal!”

“For the land to be rebuilt anew, all that is corrupted must first burn.” Damakairon measures his words carefully. “But it will be rebuilt, grander and more beautiful than ever before. You have my word.”

“Your word?” The tyrant snarls, yet still will not step away from his throne, either from cowardice or stubbornness. “Your word is the word of a madman! The Warlord of Lochos spoke to my ancestors – your family – of peace. Where is that peace, Iron Warrior? Where is his vision of peace now?”

The terminators flanking Damakairon bristle at the insult, their weapons raising ever so slightly. The captain remains taciturn, considering his response. When he does, there is sorrow in his tone.

“It is gone from his mind, aye. But not mine. I will finish his dream, even if he no longer remembers it. Aitnaîos will survive – if not on Olympia, then somewhere else. This I promise you.”

The tyrant growls what will be his last benediction through gritted teeth. “Gods curse you, son of Perturabo! Whatever bastardised vision of this place you cling to, I am glad I will not live to see it raised from its ashes!”

He is correct. He was never going to survive.

Damakairon smiles weakly, the left side of his face still cast into its mechanical death mask. “And for that, I am truly sorry.”

The Tyrant of Aitnaîos dies under the cold white light of the moon filtering in through the glass roof of his throneroom, the lamps long since extinguished. There is no ritual execution, no undertaking of custom. Mass reactive rounds hammer the mortal into his throne and turn him into a fine mist from the waist upwards, torn from his mortal coil before he can even take another breath. In this, the captain is merciful. He has ensured the death of his home was quick, at least.

And from death, he will rebuild. But not here. Not on Olympia.

Captain Damakairon turns away from the throne as the heavy flamer begins to burn what remains, catching a whiff of the smell of burnt flesh before his helmet locks re-engage. The old Aitnaîos dies with its tyrant, wrack and ruin under the boots of the vengeful Fourth Legion. But eventually, as all slaughters inevitably do, this will come to pass.

And then – only then – can he begin his great work.

Former Imperial colony of Carthago

Iron Warriors-controlled stronghold world

999.M41

The throneroom resounds to the work of heavy winches. The sound reflects off polished stone and reinforced glass, the architectural style of the great Olympian masons fused with the defensive techniques of Perturabo’s legion. It is not a greatly welcoming place, but it is beautiful in its own, regal way. And what good is a throneroom without a throne?

It is being lowered into place now, the winches straining under its weight. The last surviving relic of old Aitnaîos, repaired and upgraded with the finest command suites the cybernetic artisans of the 204th Grand Battalion can provide. It is locked into place with great care, snaking lengths of cabling disappearing underneath a hole in the floor, sealed away as the throne is welded into place. With its fastening, the throneroom – and by extension, the entire keep – is complete, save for one more piece.

If a throneroom without a throne is no use, what good is a throne without a Tyrant?

He has watched the work with great care, and has intervened himself on many occasions to add his own personal touch to proceedings. This entire operation is his masterwork, decades of rebuilding an entire world from scratch, a world of equal parts form and function. It is the apex of a promise he made nine millennia ago to a father who no longer remembers either him or his oath, and a tyrant who died cursing his name. Though hundreds of wars, thousands of battles, and millions of corpses now lie between him and that day in a dead palace under the light of a bleak moon, the warrior’s word is as iron.

And iron, as they say, is eternal.

The mighty warlord, clad in Terminator armour as fearsome and ancient as he, and wielding a mace reforged with metal salvaged from Aitnaîos’ fall, approaches his throne. The path is flanked by his most loyal brothers – his Basilikos, Terminators one and all. They chant his name as he passes with respect, for they all share in his vision, and now that vision is under their very feet. The warlord sits upon his throne, and in his dark majesty it fits him perfectly. Through mud, blood, and iron has the warlord fought to claim this as his own – first the battalion, now this planet. He has not simply rebuilt his city – he has rebuilt a world in its image, a world that now bears its name.

Warsmith Damakairon, the first Tyrant of Aitnaîos in nine thousand years, master of the Aitnaîan Keep, Lord of the 204th Grand Battalion, gazes upon the capital of his domain from inside his ironclad keep, atop his ancient throne.

And it is all to the good.

[tonydadisbestdad]

Surprising Hotness

Peter ParkerxReader

Not Dad!Tony

Word Count: 849

Summary: Peter’s changing quite a lot and you finally decide to ask why.

You had known Peter now for quite some time. Ever since he had moved in with his aunt and uncle next door. You knew him better than anyone. From his bad eyesight, to his clutzy mannerisms, right down to the number of freckles on his back. (Mostly from that one time you convinced him to let you play connect the dot with them.)

So now you sat, staring in shock at him. You couldn’t believe it. Sure, you had noticed he started changing, and not in a puberty kind of way either. He was just acting so strange. It really started kicking up once he got that Stark internship. But with all his changing, you really didn’t expect this.

“Why are you so hot?!” You hollered, your hands waving around like crazy. “Like honestly, how?!”

Peter was blushing, and grabbing for any form of shirt he could find. He pulled a much too large t-shirt over his head. “W-What, what are you talking about?” He asked, moving to pull you into his room and closing the door behind you. He was lucky he had his spider sense, or he wouldn’t have gotten out of his suit before you barged into his room.

“Don’t play dumb with me, Peter! Look at you, what happened?” You asked, notioning to him.

“Nothing-,” He answered, a little too quickly. “Maybe you just never noticed.”

You arched an eyebrow at him. “I’m pretty sure I would have noticed this!” You tugged his shirt up and pointed to his defined abdomen.

Peter shoved the shirt back down and out of your grasp. “Stop, Y/N.”

“What?” You asked. “I’m just, surprised that’s all. How’d you do it? You could barely do five sit ups in gym class last year, there’s no way you got abs like that without doing something.”

“Hey!” He countered. “I could totally do more than that!”

With a roll of your eyes you went and sat down on his bed. “Yeah, whatever you say. So, is this the reason you’ve changed so much this year? Or is this just another side-effect?”

“S-side-effect?” Peter stuttered. “Side-effect from what?”

Your curious look turned to concern. You hadn’t meant anything by that, so why did Peter react like that? “Wait, you're not like, taking drugs or something are you?”

“What?!” Peter screeched. “No!”

You fully frowned at him now. “Okay, I’m done goofing, we’re having a serious conversation now. What’s going on with you? Don’t you dare tell me you haven’t been changing lately. And I don’t like how you just reacted to what I said, so I need you to tell me the truth before I jump to my own conclusions.”

Peter swallowed the lump in his throat. He knew you were serious now, you wouldn’t have even had to say all that, he knew you just as well as you did him. He couldn’t tell you. He’d already messed up, allowing Ned to find out, he couldn’t let people keep finding out his secret.

“Peter, I’m worried about you.” You sighed.

“Well, don’t be, alright? Everything’s fine.” He told you, then he got an idea. “Maybe you just finally realized you have feelings for me, and that’s why you think I’m different.”

The blush that flew across your cheeks at his accusation compared to the color Spider-Man’s costume. “What? No! You’re my best friend, besides Ned of course, I totally don’t feel anything more than friendship for you!”

Now that you were the one flustered, he found it a lot easier to get under your skin. “You sure?” He asked taking a few steps towards his bed.

He had your cornered and you knew it. You felt like a mouse that was being toyed with by a curious cat, just before it would snap it’s neck. There was only a small line between your feelings for Peter. You vowed to never cross it, he was your best friend after all, you couldn’t do that to him. “I’m positive, Peter. You know- we should really get going, Ned’s waiting and-”

“You’re right,” Peter said, removing his shirt, looking for one that he could actually wear to go get dinner with you guys.

You couldn’t help but check him out, you needed to make sure he wasn’t playing any tricks.

He stared you down as he buttoned up his shirt. “You sure?”

Your eyes snapped up to his.

He was smirking at you. “Don’t you like?”

“I hate you.” You stated, standing up.

He grabbed his jeans that had been laying beside you on his bed, making him much closer to you now. “You love me.”

You might have been flustered, but you weren’t going to let him win this. Friendship or not, you knew now was your chance. You took the front of his shirt in your hand and pulled him into a kiss.

Peter was surprised, but he didn’t hesitate to return your kiss.

“Now put your damn pants on, I don’t want to leave Ned hanging.” You told him, leaving his room.

Peter smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

@buckysendoftheline

[doorrlocks]

Keyless Door Locks - The Convenient Way to Unlock Your Front Door

My neighbor told me that he was researching keyless door locks.

"Why?" I asked him.

"Because I'm tired of having to deal with keys everytime I come home. Half the time I drop them when I'm trying to find the lock, and I can't see the lock to put the key in when I do have them in my hand!" he told me.

He went on to tell me that keyless door locks are inexpensive, reliable, and easy to install. "Best of all," he said, "they allow me to take one more key off my keyring and are much easier to deal with than keys!"

Keyless Door Locks Are Just Like Keyless Entry on Your Car

Have you gotten used to the keyless entry on your car? It's a blast to just punch in a few numbers and get in.

Imagine having that type of freedom on your front door! Yes, keyless door locks are available for your home, office, and any imaginable application in between.

You can get locks that are mechanical, electronic (this means there is a small motor operated by batteries that opens the lock for you) or biometric (this uses your actual fingerprint to open the lock).

You can even get a combination of fingerprint and number pad for your entry lock.

Is It Tough to Install a New Keyless Lock?

Actually, reviews have indicated that installation is fairly simple, so if you have basic mechanical skills, you can install your new lock. A few simple tools are required, with many reviewers stating that they installed their new locks in less than an hour.

The vast majority of keyless door lock manufacturers state that there are no wires to install, and that a basic entry door that is 1 3/8 to 1 ¾ inches thick can handle a lockset like these.

What Are the Advantages to Keyless Door Locks?

Would you like to get rid of one more key from your keyring? This is just the first advantage to a lock that opens without keys.

Have you given out keys to friends, neighbors, employees and more, so that you don't even know who has keys to your home or office? This is a way to rekey your home or office with a minimum of fuss. No more making new key copies.

If you want to give someone your code, go ahead. If you decide to change the code later, you'll have to tell those people who you want to have access the new number.

Do you have a bad habit of losing keys? This makes keys obsolete. You can walk out the door with confidence knowing that when your return, you can walk right in without having to carry around that heavy keyring.

Security is a strong feature of keyless door locks. You may have seen them in offices, stores and other high-traffic places that require strong security.

One review stated that they use their keyless lock for their office bathroom, preventing unwanted visitors. Another reviewer stated that their keyless entry lock is used for apartment residents to access their community swimming pool. Still another review was from a day care facility who used the lock to prevent unauthorized entrance, providing additional security for their young charges.

What Do You Need to Be Aware of With Keyless Door Locks?

Some users have stated that it can be difficult to change the code on their door locks. Some locks require that you actually remove the lock from the door to make the code change. This could be inconvenient, so you may want to research available models before your choose a lock for your door.

Some locks require the use of batteries to operate the lock. You'll want to check to see if your lockset choice requires batteries. Most manufacturers indicate that the batteries can last for 2 to 3 years of operation.

Some locks automatically re-lock when you step through the door. If this is inconvenient for you, you may want to look for a lockset that will activate when you tell it to.

Keyless door locks can come in latch-style models, or in a deadbolt model. Your needs will depend on your current door. Many keyless door locks also come with a key operation override, so you can open the door with a key as well.

Key codes can be changed as often as you like, and if you choose a fingerprint or biometric lock, many fingerprints can be stored in the lock's memory to allow for multiple users to gain entrance. Some locks remember as many as 100 fingerprints.

Prices can range anywhere from $89 for a simple electronic lock to as much as $849 for a state-of-the-art biometric keyless door lock. Several very nice home security locksets are available in the $200-$300 range.

[iloveyoupittsburghpirates-blog]

Until We Meet Again, Pittsburgh Pirates

My Dearest Pittsburgh Pirates,

I’ll give you this: you finished strong. The 2017 baseball season ended for you yesterday and you finished with a record of 75-87 by going 4-2 in your final week. You were only a measly seventeen games out of first place but the good news you avoided finishing in last place by seven games. Way to go! This season will go down as even more disappointing than last season and you were coming off a 98 win year in 2015. This one hurt more because last year you expected, at least slightly, to take a step back. A.J. Burnett retired, Neil Walker has been traded, and you were still trying to fill the void left by Edinson Volquez’s departure the year before that. The “bridge year” had ended and it looked like the young staff could take steps forward. You can argue that it did but the offense took about thirty steps back. Losing Kang to the Visa, Marte to the suspension, Matt Joyce and SRod to free agency, and Polanco to multiple hamstring injuries cost you over sixty homers. That’s a lot especially when the league destroyed the record for most overall homers hit in one season. That immediately puts you at a huge disadvantage. Obviously some of those things were out of your control (i.e. Kang and Marte) but you had opportunities to do something about it and you didn’t. Maybe you knew this roster wasn’t where it needed to be without them. I don’t know. I do know that after back to back losing seasons you need to do something to improve this roster. You can’t stick with the status quo and expect things to change.

Could this be it? Everyone treated the final two home games of the year on Tuesday and Wednesday against the Orioles as if they could be Andrew McCutchen’s last in front of the Pittsburgh crowd. I still think the chances of that are very slim but it’s important to give one of the greatest players in franchise history his due just in case it comes to fruition. Cutch gave the home crowd a show on Tuesday night and they paid him back in full. Cutch hit his first career grand slam in a 10-1 smashing of the Orioles. The relief Cutch showed rounding the bases showed how much it meant to him. He took a curtain call after the fans wouldn’t relent and that would be his first of three that evening. He hit a three-run homer later which garnered another standing ovation and a tip of the cap. The final one came when Clint Hurdle made the classy move of sending Cutch out to play defense only to immediately pull him so the crowd could give him a much deserved round of applause. He went 4 for 4 in that game with two homers and eight RBI’s. I’m glad Pittsburgh acknowledged what Cutch has done for this franchise just in case it’s over. I believed for a long time we would never see a winning season again and never see a player of Cutch’s capabilities step onto the field in a Pirates’ uniform. Talk about the pitching all you want but we don’t make three straight playoffs if Cutch isn’t on your roster. Hell, we very well might still have the consecutive losing seasons streak going without him. He is a generational player. After an abysmal start to this year, he finished with splits of .279/.363/.486 for a .849 OPS, 28 homers, and 88 RBI’s. He even added eleven steals and played a far more respectable center field. Cherish the moments you watched him play. Cherish him handing his batting gloves to two elated kids in San Diego. Cherish an MVP winner. Cherish a man who loved to play for this city. Cherish a man who made you a winner again. This dedication might be pointless right now if he’s standing in center field on opening day next year but, in case he’s not, thank you Cutch for helping me believe in Pirates’ baseball again. You are easily my favorite Pirate that I’ve ever had the pleasure of watching in person.

In a down year, you look for silver linings in order to keep you optimistic moving forward. Obviously, Cutch’s bounce back was a big one. Josh Bell becoming a home run hitter and looking like he has the potential to be a corner stone piece was gigantic. Felipe Rivero becoming one of the best closers in baseball was a lovely surprise. I think the biggest surprise though might be the performance of Trevor Williams. When quality starting pitching is so hard to find, you can’t overstate how important Williams breakout season could be. Williams 4.07 ERA and 1.31 WHIP look decent especially for the number four or five guy in your rotation but when you see his second half numbers it’s becomes even more interesting. In the first half of the season, his ERA was 4.80. That included his first start in Los Angeles when he got tagged for ten runs. In the second half, his ERA was 3.35. His WHIP has actually remained fairly consistent in the two halves. First half it was 1.27 and second half it was 1.35. Those aren’t WHIP’s that blow you away but they are decent and, given it’s his first season starting in the majors, there’s reason to believe that could improve. His FIP’s were about the same as well with the first half at 4.06 and 3.99 in the second half. His strikeouts increased in the second half of the season but so did his walks which would explain his increase in WHIP. He stranded 64% of the runners he put on base in the first half and improved to strand 78% of runners after that. These are all very encouraging numbers. When you remember that you acquired Williams from the Marlins as compensation for pitching guru, Jim Benedict, taking a position there, it seems like a smart move. When you learn that Benedict was fired by new CEO Derek Jeter this weekend, the move looks brilliant. I don’t know if Williams can continue to perform at this level but there’s reason to believe that you have found your number four starter for now and for the future.

Jameson Taillon finally looked like an ace caliber pitcher again on Saturday night against the Washington Nationals. The Nationals didn’t have anything to play for but they still had their normal starting lineup in there and Taillon dominated. He pitched seven innings allowing four hits, one run, one walk, and striking out five. We haven’t seen this Taillon since his return from testicular cancer and if that’s not a good enough reason to give someone leeway than nothing is. Taillon has the ability to be a true ace and his ceiling could even be higher than Gerrit Cole’s. I don’t know what the state of the rotation will be next season but I’m optimistic. If they don’t trade Cole, which is possible, they have someone who pitched almost 200 innings and struck out almost 200 hitters. His home run numbers have to decrease significantly for him to be a force but given that he gave up more than two and a half times the amount of homers this year than he has in any other season, there’s hope that this was an anomaly. With Williams at the four and options like Chad Kuhl, Steven Brault, and Nick Kingham at the five, the only person you really need to get back on track is Ivan Nova which might be easier said than done after his poor second half (5.83 ERA, 1.61 WHIP). You would like to think that Tyler Glasnow could be a part of this conversation too but seeing as he can’t pitch three innings without walking five to six batters, he’s in the “worthless until proven otherwise” category. I’m not certain the rotation will be great or even good next year. I do have more confidence in this staff than I have had in the last two and I believe they are in better position for next year than the offense.  Let’s hope these pitchers play up to their potential and that you find a way to improve the offense.

I bitch and complain a lot. I harp on the mistakes you make over and over again. I have the luxury of sitting in the peanut gallery and analyzing everything you do with a microscope without knowing everything that goes on behind the scenes. It’s weekends like this past one that put things into perspective. Sports are fun. I take them as or more seriously than anyone else and sometimes you realize they only matter so much. When you see the devastation in Puerto Rico or the senseless massacre in Las Vegas, you remember that sports only have one responsibility: to entertain. Enjoy them. Enjoy them more than I sometimes do. That’s why they exist. I could complain more about a disappointing season but instead I’m going to thank you for being there. Thank you for giving me something to focus on, even once in a while, to take my mind off the insanity that’s out there. Many things need to drastically change to prevent tragedies like this but they don’t happen in a baseball blog. I tell you how much I love you all the time, and I do, but right now I want to say I love you to all the people who make my life worth living. You don’t know what could happen next and you never want to be in a situation wishing you would have said it more. To the people that read this, to my family, and to my friends, I’m grateful for you every day. These are difficult times and the one thing no one can stop you from doing is loving. I know this has devolved into schmaltz and cheesiness but there are few days when it’s felt more appropriate. Be more compassionate. Be more appreciative. I know I will be. We have a long fight ahead of us to stop horrific tragedies like today. All I currently have is the power of words so I will just want to say it once more: Thank you, all. I love you dearly.

                                   With Sincere and Desperate Hope For a Better Tomorrow,

                                                                                           Brad

P.S. stands for the Pittsburgh Steelers who got their season back on track with a huge win on the road against the division rival, Baltimore Ravens. You grinded out a 26-9 win on the back of great defense and Le’Veon Bell having his first real Le’Veon Bell type day (186 yds from scrimmage and 2 TD’s). You are now 3-1 and standalone at the top of the division ahead of the Ravens (2-2), Bengals (1-3), and Browns (0-4). You get only your second home game in five weeks on Sunday against the Jacksonville Jaguars. You are 3-1, you have had one home game, and your franchise QB has been above average at best. I’ll take it…

[savetopnow]

2018-03-10 06 APPLE now

APPLE

9 to 5 Mac

Amazon’s Alexa gaining new ‘Follow-up Mode’, no longer requires trigger word after every request

Scaffolding rises at Apple’s Fifth Avenue construction site, signaling return of iconic glass cube

9to5Rewards: Win a HomePod + $500 gift cards & get 30% off Caseco products [Giveaway]

Barclays analyst report suggests ‘AirPods 2’ with better noise cancelling coming in early 2019

Apple first tech company set up for ‘multigenerational success’, book argues, but that may hinge on Siri

Apple Insider

Apple stock price sets new post-split record closing at $179.98

'GrayKey' iPhone unlock in use by Indiana police, documents reveal

Nintendo knocks 50 percent off 'Super Mario Run' for iOS on 'Mario Day'

How to change the default apps used to open files in macOS

Today only: Save 20% on Apple TV 4Ks, HomePods, Beats headphones and more with eBay coupon

Cult of Mac

Pro-Tip: How to make your iPhone ignore crappy Wi-Fi

iPhone owners just love smart speakers

How to set custom vibration alerts on your iPhone

Get a rockin’ deal on a HomePod smart speaker [Deals & Steals]

Navigate the world as Mario in Google Maps

Daring Fireball

Dan Seifert: Galaxy S9 Is ‘Predictably Great, Predictably Flawed’

David Pierce: ‘Samsung Galaxy S9 Is Impressive and Infuriating’

ESPN Feature on Ichiro Suzuki

Alexa Is Laughing at People, Unprompted

10-Year Anniversary of the iPhone SDK

Life in LoFi

iOS 11 Update Day: iOS 11 will break some apps

Scan and straighten photos with Dropbox

Latest Snapseed Update Adds New Curves Tool

The iPhone Turns 10 Today

How to move your photos from Google Photos to Apple Photos

Mac Rumors

Mario Comes to Google Maps in Celebration of Mario Day

MacRumors Giveaway: Win an iPhone X Case From Krown

eBay Launches Limited Time 20% Off Coupon: Get HomePod, Apple TV, and More Discounted

Barclays Says AirPods Continue to Grow, HomePod Sales Have Been Underwhelming

Apple Earns Top Spot as 'Most Intimate Brand' for Millennials

MacPrices

Sale! Apple resellers offer 13″ MacBook Pros for up to $300 off MSRP this weekend

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Apple offers refurbished 21″ and 27″ iMacs for up to $350 off the cost of new models

Sale! Walmart offering 9″ Apple iPads for $50-$80 off, starting at $249

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Power Page

Rumor: Apple may release lower-priced HomePod in second half of 2018

Patent hints at Apple’s effort to create a Lightning connector with waterproof seal

California joins 17 states in lobbying for “right to repair” legislation

Assorted Alexa-based devices have begun laughing at their users

Apple Pay adds 20 new U.S. banks and credit unions, will expand to Brazil in April

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23” Cinema Display connected to a Raspberry Pi running DAKboard, synced to my Apple Calendar and reminders. Pretty great project for a home infoboard.

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[jamieclawhorn]

Want to save £500k by 55? This is how you could do it

Many of us dream about making a million from stocks and shares. But the reality is that £1m is a tough target. It’s also more than many of us really need to retire.

Today, I want to explain why a £500k savings fund is surprisingly easy to achieve, and could enable you to retire in comfort.

How much to save each month?

Financial planners use standard formulas to calculate how much you need to save to reach your retirement goals. I’ve used these techniques to work out how much you’d need to save at different ages to build a £500k retirement pot in time for your 55th birthday.

I’ve based my calculations on the UK stock market’s long-term average annual return, which is about 8%. I’ve also assumed that the cash will be invested each month into a low-cost FTSE 100 tracker fund within a tax-free ISA or SIPP account.

Starting age

Monthly savings for £500k @ 55

25

£335

35

£849

45

£2,733

It’s obvious that saving gets much tougher as you get older. Saving £500k in just 10 years requires high earning power and tough discipline on spending.

On the other hand, saving £500k over 20-30 years looks more manageable, especially if you’re sharing the burden with a partner.

Profit from this little-known secret

The figures in my table show the amazing power of ‘compounding’. This is what happens when interest — or dividend income — is reinvested into your savings each year. Each year, you earn interest on all of the previous years’ interest payments.

As the years roll by, the extra income you get from compounding snowballs into a ‘free’ extra source of income. This boosts your investing returns at no cost or risk to yourself.

For this reason, I strongly believe you should start saving for retirement as early as possible. For example, if you put just £25 into a tracker fund each month, my sums show that after 35 years you could have a fund worth £71,717.

What can you get for £500k?

At age 55, you won’t be entitled to the State Pension for at least 10 years. But you will be old enough to buy an annuity, if you choose.

I’ve used the latest best-buy annuity rates from fund platform Hargreaves Lansdown to calculate some example incomes at different ages. These figures are based on rates for a level, single life annuity.

Age when buying annuity

Annual income

Rate of return on £500k

55

£21,690

4.3%

60

£23,895

4.8%

65

£27,110

5.4%

70

£30,625

6.1%

The downside of an annuity is that in exchange for a secure income, you hand over your savings. As you can see from the numbers in the right-hand column, buying an annuity when you’re younger provides poor rates of return.

Personally, I wouldn’t buy an annuity at 55. If I had £500k to buy a retirement income, I’d keep the cash in a FTSE 100 tracker fund and choose “distribution units”. This means the dividend income from all the companies in the index would be automatically paid out to me, probably twice a year.

The FTSE 100 currently offers a dividend yield of 4.4%, matching the income from an annuity for a 55 year-old. Although dividends are never guarantees, history suggests that this approach would provide an income that keeps pace with inflation.

Want To Boost Your Savings?

Do you want to retire early and give up the rat race to enjoy the rest of your life? Of course you do, and to help you accomplish this goal, the Motley Fool has put together this free report titled "The Foolish Guide To Financial Independence", which is packed full of wealth-creating tips as well as ideas for your money.

The report is entirely free and available for download today, so if you're interested in exiting the rat race and achieving financial independence, click here to download the report. What have you got to lose?

More reading

How I’d invest £3,000 in the FTSE 100 today

Why I’d ditch a cash ISA and look to treble my income with FTSE 100 dividend stocks

Forget Bitcoin! I think this could be a better way to get rich

3 reasons why I think investing in buy-to-let could be a major mistake

When to use cash versus credit cards

Roland Head has no position in any of the shares mentioned. The Motley Fool UK has recommended Hargreaves Lansdown. Views expressed on the companies mentioned in this article are those of the writer and therefore may differ from the official recommendations we make in our subscription services such as Share Advisor, Hidden Winners and Pro. Here at The Motley Fool we believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.

[interkomitet]

Chairman and Members of the Committee took part in the Meeting with the President of the Italian Senate

Viacheslav Volodin and Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati discussed the inter-parliamentary interaction between Russia and Italy and the development of relations in the economic, cultural, educational and other spheres. “Inter-parliamentary cooperation in this regard can and should play a big role,” said the President of the Senate of Italy

“We need to develop inter-parliamentary contacts and the parliamentary dimension as factors in strengthening cooperation between nations and understanding each other at the political level,” said Chairman of the State Duma Viacheslav Volodin at a meeting with President of the Italian Senate Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati. Viacheslav Volodin stressed that Russia and Italy are building relations on the principles of friendship, trust, non-interference in the affairs of sovereign states, and “I would like our colleagues in the Italian Parliament to have this understanding.”

Strengthening inter-parliamentary relations ”will certainly contribute to the development of relations between our countries,“ the Chairman of the State Duma believes. He reminded that the relations of the Russian Federation and Italy have a long history: “We must pay tribute to Silvio Berlusconi, who did a lot for the development of relations between our countries.” Viacheslav Volodin noted that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin laid the foundation for the development of relations between the two countries.

Viacheslav Volodin noted that at the same time the economic relations between Russia and Italy have declined as business cooperation was largely reduced due to anti-Russian sanctions of the EU countries. The Chairman of the State Duma pointed out that Italian exporters lost more than 12 billion euros due to sanctions, mutual trade decreased 2.5 times. “Of course, this cannot but worry us,” he said.

“Our relationship is time-tested. Therefore, it would be right to return to the issues of more active cooperation in the economic field as well as in the field of culture, the implementation of humanitarian and educational projects,” said Viacheslav Volodin.

The Italian Parliament can play a big role in this, he stressed.

The Chairman of the State Duma announced that mutual tourist flows are growing. Thus, 849 thousand Russian tourists visited Italy in the first 9 months of 2018. “This is more than in the same period of 2017. The flow of Italians to Russia is also growing,” he said and called the growth in tourist traffic a good indicator of relations between two countries, two nations. The exchange of students and teachers is also developing: since 2012, the number of Italian students studying in Russia has more than doubled.

Relations between Russia and Italy have a deep and solid foundation

Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati also noted the need to develop relations between the parliaments of Russia and Italy. “My current visit confirms how strong and firm are the cultural and political ties between our countries, which we are extremely satisfied with,” she said. The President of the Italian Senate added that interest in constantly expanding dialogue between our countries is one of the central subjects in the agenda of Italian political forces today: “We are constantly returning to this issue because we consider it to be very significant.”

Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati called the problem of sanctions serious and expressed the hope that all interested parties would make every effort to overcome it. “We hope that the mediation efforts of the parties concerned will give the results in order to overcome the recent stagnation in this area,” said the President of the Senate of Italy. She noted that ‘the Italian side is trying to play the most constructive role’ in this. Relations between the Russian Federation and Italy have a deep and solid foundation, said Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati, “and our economies in important areas complement each other.”

She noted that after the “failed three years” (2014–2016), when a significant decline was noted, 2017–2018 “show us at least a positive trend, which allows us to hope that our efforts will succeed”.

“The importance of strengthening ties and harmonious cooperation between Russia and Italy, Russia and the European Union, Russia and the West, in general, is also very important because of the fundamental role that Russia plays in finding a balance in so many conflict situations that are observed on the world stage,” stressed Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati. There are many applications of such cooperation. ‘Russia performs the most important function of stabilizing the situation in conflict zones, in the fight against terrorism in all its manifestations,’ said the President of the Senate of Italy.

She noted that Italy ”sees itself as a country that can play an effective role in mediation, in finding compromise and acceptable solutions for conciliation of the participants of conflict situations.“

This is the first visit of Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati to Russia and the first in almost 10 years visit of the President of the Senate of Italy to the Russian Federation. At the end of the meeting, the Chairman of the State Duma invited representatives of the Italian Parliament to take part in the Forum on the Development of Parliamentarism, which will be held in June 2019.

According to Sergei Zhelezniak, a member of the Committee on International Affairs, “we have a great potential for resolving controversial issues, and each new summit gives an additional positive impetus to bilateral relations between Russia and Japan, bringing the likelihood of a peace treaty closer”. The parliamentarian believes that a peace treaty is necessary to bring Russian-Japanese relations to a new level

“We have a great potential for resolving controversial issues, and each new summit gives an additional positive impetus to bilateral relations between Russia and Japan, bringing the likelihood of a peace treaty closer,” Zhelezniak said.

The parliamentarian hopes that negative foreign policy factors and the pressure of extremist forces within Japanese society will not be able to block the negotiation process and the world community will react to the wish of Russia and Japan to legally secure open good-neighborly relations with responsibility and understanding.

“Obviously, Russia and Japan have hard work ahead to fulfill the task set by the heads of state on preparation for the signing of a peace treaty, which is necessary to bring our relations to a new level,” he said.

http://interkomitet.com/press/committee-news/chairman-and-members-of-the-committee-took-part-in-the-meeting-with-the-president-of-the-italian-senate/

[agrusslawfirmllc]

PMAB Harassment

Debt collectors like PMAB, LLC cannot harass you over a debt. You have rights under the law. We will stop the harassment once and for all.

THE BEST PART IS…

If PMAB violated the law, you will get money damages and PMAB will pay our fees and costs. You will not pay us a penny for our time. Plus, some of our clients also receive debt relief and cleaned up credit reports. You have nothing to lose! Call us today at 888-572-0176 for a free consultation.

Who is PMAB, LLC?

PMAB is a third-party collection agency and collection arm of MedA/Rx, headquartered in Charlotte, NC. MedA/Rx started its business in 1988 and according the Bloomberg, MedA/Rx develops and distributes receivable collection management solutions. PMAB is a limited liability company and according to its website, PMAB provides nationwide accounts receivable management and collection services for medical financial professionals

It appears that PMAB collects on debts owed to third parties and collects on debts that it purchases. Therefore, in some situations, PMAB may be a junk-debt buyer. For example, some collection agencies buy debt for pennies on the dollar, and then collect on it. PMAB collects on various medical debts and they are sometimes time-barred debts, which means they are past the statute of limitations. We’ve helped a lot of consumers deal with PMAB when PMAB is collecting on hospital and medical professional debts, as well as other medical debts.

PMAB, LLC Address, Phone Number, and Contact Information

PMAB is located at 4135 South Stream Blvd., Suite 400, Charlotte, NC 28217. The main telephone numbers for PMAB are 866-885-7622 and 704-553-7144. These are just two of many PMAB contact numbers.

PMAB’s website is http://www.medarx.com/mmp_upgrade/index.php.

Phone Numbers Used By PMAB

PMAB likely has dozens, if not over 100, phone numbers it calls from. Here are a few phone numbers PMAB may be calling you from:

704-553-7146

800-849-0088

704-714-7777

704-319-5036

704-319-2391

800-849-0100

800-640-1673

866-885-7622

704-553-7144

PMAB Lawsuits

If you want to know just how unhappy consumers are with PMAB, take a look at the number of lawsuits filed against PMAB on the Public Access to Court Electronic Records (“PACER”). PACER is the federal docket throughout the country that lists federal complaints filed against PMAB. When you do a search for PMAB, LLC there are over 35 lawsuits filed against PMAB. Most of these lawsuits involve consumer rights’ violations.

PMAB Complaints

The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (“FDCPA”) is a federal law that applies to everyone in the United States. In other words, everyone is protected under the FDCPA. The FDCPA is a laundry list of what PMAB can and cannot do while collecting a debt, as well as things debt collectors must do while collecting a debt. If PMAB is harassing you over a debt, you have rights under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (“TCPA”) protects you from robocalls. Robocalls are those annoying, automated, recorded calls that a computer makes to you all day long. You can tell it’s a robocall because either no one is on the other end of the line or there’s a delay when you pick up the phone before a live person comes on the line. You can get $500 per call if PMAB violates the TCPA. Have you received a message from PMAB that sounds pre-recorded? Or, maybe the message you received from PMAB is cutoff at the beginning or the end? These are tell-tale signs that the message is pre-recorded. If you have these messages on your cell phone, you may have a TCPA case against PMAB.

The Electronic Fund Transfer Act (“EFTA”) protects electronic payments that are deducted from bank accounts. If PMAB took unauthorized deductions from your bank account, you may have an EFTA claim. PMAB, like most collection agencies, wants to set up reoccurring payments from consumers. Imagine how much money PMAB gets if hundreds, if not thousands, of consumers electronically pay them $50-$100, or more, per month. If you agreed to this type of reoccurring payment, PMAB must follow certain steps to comply with the EFTA. Did PMAB continue to take electronic payments after you said stop? Did PMAB take more money from your checking account than you agreed to? If so, let’s talk about your rights under the EFTA.

The Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”) works to ensure that no information reported to your credit report is false. In essence, it gives you the right to dispute those inaccuracies that you find on your credit report. We handled a lot of cases recently where PMAB reported debt on a consumer’s credit report. PMAB likely reports on credit reports to obtain greater leverage over the consumer. If PMAB is on your credit report, they may tell you if you pay the debt, they’ll remove it from your credit report. This is commonly known as pay for delete. You pay PMAB, and they delete the debt from your credit report. Even if PMAB is not on your credit report, maybe the original creditor is. If you pay off the debt to PMAB, then the original creditor, and PMAB, should accurately report this on your credit report.

Several states also have laws that provide its citizens an additional layer of protection. For example, if you live in California, Texas, Florida, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, Montana, or Pennsylvania you may be able to tack on a state-law claim with your federal law claim above. North Carolina, for example, has one of the most consumer-friendly statutes in the country. If you live in NC, and you’re harassed over a debt, you may get $500.00 – $4,000.00 in damages per violation. We work with a local counsel in NC. Our NC clients have received some great results in debt collection harassment cases. If you live in NC, and PMAB is harassing you, you have tons of leverage to get a great settlement.

HOW CAN WE USE THE LAW TO HELP YOU?

We will use state and federal laws to immediately stop PMAB debt collection. We will send a cease and desist letter to get the harassment to stop the same day. If PMAB violates the FDCPA, EFTA, FCRA, or any state laws, you may be entitled to money damages. For example, under the FDCPA, you can get up $1,000.00 in damages plus actual damages. The FDCPA has a fee-shift provision. This means, PMAB pays our attorney’s fees and costs. If you have a TCPA case against PMAB, we will handle it based on a contingency fee.

THAT’S NOT ALL…

We have helped hundreds of consumers stop phone calls from PMAB. We know how to stop the harassment and get you money damages. ONCE AGAIN, you will not pay us a penny for our time. We will help you based on a fee-shift provision and/or based on a contingency fee. That means, PMAB pays our attorney’s fees and costs.

What If PMAB Is On My Credit Report?

Based on our experience, PMAB may credit report. That means, PMAB may mark your credit report with the debt they are trying to collect on. In addition to PMAB, the original creditor may be on your credit report. For example, if you owe Fingerhut, and PMAB is collecting on it, both Fingerhut and PMAB may have separate entries on your credit report. This is important because you will want both parties to update your credit report if you pay off the debt.

THE GOOD NEWS IS…

If PMAB is on your credit report, we can help you dispute it. Mistakes on your credit report can be very costly. Along with causing you to pay higher interest rates, you may be denied credit, insurance, a rental home, a loan, or even a job because of these mistakes. Some mistakes may include someone else’s information on your credit report, inaccurate public records, stale collection accounts, or maybe you were a victim of identity theft. If you have a mistake on your credit report, there is a process to dispute them. My office will help you pull your credit report and dispute any inaccurate information.

REMEMBER…

If a credit reporting agency violates its obligations under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), you may be entitled to statutory damages up to $1,000.00, plus the credit reporting agency will be required to fix the error. The FCRA also has a fee-shift provision. This means, the credit reporting agency pays your attorney’s fees and costs. Therefore, you will not pay me a penny for my time. We have helped dozens of consumers fix inaccurate information on their credit reports.

Complaints against PMAB

If you’re on this page, chances are you are just like the hundreds of consumers out there being harassed by PMAB. Below are some complaints from the Better Business Bureau (“BBB”), Google, and various consumer websites. Meda Pharmaceuticals (an alternate name for PMAB) is accredited by the BBB, and receives an “A-” rating. Despite its “A-” rating, there are many customer reviews and complaints on the BBB pertaining to PMAB.

Here are some of the many BBB complaints regarding PMAB:

“Hello, I called in about some collections that were suppose to be deleted off my account due to incorrect and fraudulent information. The young man transferred me to ****** *****, she was very rude obnoxious and told me I was lying. As a customer she didn’t help me in any way, she had a attitude when she answered the phone saying I was calling every month. She did not conduct herself as a manager of a company once again I can not express how rude she was. I am a customer who has incorrect and fradulent information on my credit report and was promised that they were going to take it off. I am writing to speak with a supervisor or owner of the company. I demand that they take this fradulent information off my credit report.”

“Received an automated message on a home landline to call them. Returned their call within about 15 minutes and it took them 5 more minutes to figure out who I was. Then they demanded to know my address and birth date. Not knowing yet who they were or why they were calling, I declined to share that information until they identified themselves. They were rude and evasive but finally told me they were going to collect a debt. A debt, by the way, that I do not owe. I told them as much and said I would contact the medical office directly and straighten it out. They actually argued with me and gave me the impression that it was out of my hands and I had no choice but to pay. I called the medical office and they admitted their mistake and said they would remove the collection from PMAB So I just called PMAB back to tell them of the mistake and to please note in their records that all this had occurred. PMAB’s attitude and position was aggressive and condemning throughout. Arrogant assumptions that I was wring, at fault and not worthy of consideration. The most awful people I have ever dealt with.”

“Beware of this company…I agreed to a one time payment of $50 towards a medical bill and WITHOUT my permission, they started an automatic draft every month from my checking account. Of course, when I called they tell me that their notes state I agreed to auto drafts. I am considering pursuing this matter and having the recorded call pulled from this conversation they say took place.”

There are only 26 reviews on Google, but they are not good for PMAB. Out of these reviews, PMAB is given a 1.8 star rating. Here’s a snippet of what the reviews on Google say:

“Mr. D. Hart is very rude. They treat you like a 2nd rate citizen because you have a account in collections. They need to be more mindful when people are calling in to resolve debt, instead of making you feel like you are trying to get over… I hope I never have to deal with these people again.”

“This place keeps calling my phone over and over– my husband had called the hospital twice, and they said I had a bill… but it was paid off. How do you get them to stop, when I don’t owe anything?”

“This company is a joke. They don’t even have the decency to call with a person, they will call you with a machine telling you to call THEM. So when you DO call, you explain to them that this has been taken care of through your insurance and the medical system you go through. They WILL NOT stop calling you, in fact they will reference the recorded calls in which you authorized them to take care of it. Yes, I did authorize that, but the thing is, is that *I* am the one who took care of this. It took MONTHS for me to resolve this, because PMAB DIDN’T. I did three way calls with Carolina Health Care systems and BCBS and fixed it MYSELF. I have the bills being sent to ME but PMAB is still harassing me trying to get money off me. I am on the phone with my health insurance right now and they are laughing at this company. Straight trash, trying to get money off people.”

Cases We Have Handled Against PMAB

I THINK YOU’LL AGREE WITH ME WHEN I SAY…

Threats and harassment by collection agencies can be pretty intimidating. Well, it turns out we can stop the harassment, attempt to get you money damages under the law, and the collection agency will have to pay us our fees and costs. Here are some of the cases we’ve handled against PMAB:

Gary S. v. PMAB. Gary S. lives in North Carolina and PMAB was attempting to collect a debt from him. In this case, PMAB was calling Gary on his cell phone. PMAB called from 704-553-7146. On at least one occasions, Gary spoke with one of PMAB’s representatives and request that PMAB stop calling him. On more than one occasion, when Gary answered the phone, he was greeted by an automated message before he was connected with a live representative. On more than one occasion, PMAB left automated voicemails on Gary’s cell phone. Despite Gary’s request for PMAB to stop calling, PMAB continued to place collection calls using an autodialer to Gary’s cell phone. In this case, we alleged that PMAB, LLC violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Anton D. v. PMAB. Anton D. lives in Frederiksted, St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands and PMAB was calling Anton’s cell phone attempting to collect on a medical debt. PMAB was calling Anton from 704-319-7188. On at least one occasions, Anton spoke with PMAB’s representative and informed the representative that the debt they were collecting on had already been paid and Anton requested validation of the debt. About two months after the first conversation, Anton again spoke with PMAB and request validation of the debt he mailed to him. The PMAB representative assured Anton that it would be mailed to him. Despite Anton’s multiple requests, PMAB never sent anything in writing to validate the debt. PMAB also threatened Anton that if he did not make a payment on the alleged debt, PMAB would report negatively on his credit report. In this case, we alleged that PMAB violated the Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

Melissa J. v. PMAB. Melissa J. lives in Virginia, and PMAB was calling Melissa to collect a debt owed to a “Sherman J.” Defendant called Melissa from 704-319-7188. On more than one occasions, Melissa spoke with PMAB’s representatives and informed them that she was not the individual they were looking for, that PMAB had the wrong number, and to stop calling her. On several occasions, Melissa received automated voicemails to her cell phone from PMAB looking for “Sherman J.” These voicemails failed to state that the calls were from PMAB, as required by the Fair Debt Collections Practice Act. Despite Melissa’s multiple attempts at telling PMAB that they had the wrong number and to stop calling her, PMAB continued to place collection calls to Melissa’s cell phone using an autodialer. Therefore, in this case, we alleged that PMAB violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act and the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act.

Here’s What Our Clients Say About Us

Agruss Law Firm, LLC, has over 630 outstanding client reviews through Yotpo, an A+ BBB rating, and over 100 five-star reviews on Google. Here’s what some of our clients have to say about us.

“The representation I received from Agruss Law Firm was exceptional. Agruss Law Firm, LLC was provided courteous and professional service. I am very pleased with the outcome and the settlement of my case, I would highly recommend them!”

“You did a fine job taking care of us, and in a quick manner. Thank you very much.”

“I would recommend Agruss Law Firm’s services 10 times out of 10. Michael is incredibly helpful and willing to go above and beyond for his clients. His services helped me shake off wrongful harassment and I am forever grateful. Thanks Michael!”

Can PMAB Sue You?

Although anyone can sue anyone for any reason, we have never seen PMAB sue consumers. It’s likely PMAB does not sue because they do not always own the debt they are collecting on. Also,

PMAB would have to hire a lawyer, or use in-house counsel, to file a lawsuit. It’s likely PMAB collects debts through the entire country. Therefore, it would be very difficult to have lawyers, or a law firm, licensed in every state. There are collection agencies that do sue consumers. For example, Midland Credit Management is one of the largest junk-debt buyers. Midland Credit Management collects on debt and also sues on debt. The opposite is true with PMAB. Therefore, it would be very unusual if PMAB sued you. The original creditor, on the other hand, may hire a collection firm, or lawyer, to sue you. If PMAB has threatened to sue you, call us. We can help.

Can PMAB Garnish Your Wages?

No, not unless they have a judgment. If PMAB has not sued you, then PMAB cannot get a judgment. Minus limited situations (usually dealing with debts owed to the government for student loans, taxes, etc.), in order to garnish someone’s wages, you need a judgment first. In short, we have not seen PMAB file a lawsuit against a consumer. So, PMAB cannot garnish your wages, minus the exceptions listed above. If PMAB has threatened to garnish your wages, contact our office right away.

PMAB Settlement

If you want to settle a debt with PMAB, ask yourself these questions first:

Do I really owe this debt?

Is this debt within the statute of limitations?

Is this debt on my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will PMAB remove it from my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will the original creditor remove it from my credit report?

If I pay this debt, will I get something in writing from PMAB confirming the payment and settlement terms?

These are not the only things to consider when dealing with debt collectors. We are here to help you answer the questions above, and much more. Whether it’s harassment, settlement, pay for delete, or any other legal issue with PMAB, the folks at Agruss Law Firm are here to help you.

Share Your Complaints About PMAB Below

Post your complaints about PMAB. Sharing your complaints about PMAB will help other consumers know what to do when PMAB starts calling. Sharing your experience may help someone else.

HERE’S THE DEAL!

If you are being harassed by PMAB over a debt, you may be entitled to money damages. Get up to $1,000 for harassment, and $500-$1,500 for illegal robocalls. Under various state and federal laws, we will help you based on a fee-shift provision and/or based on a contingency fee. That means, the collector pays your attorney’s fees and costs. You won’t pay us a penny. We have settled thousands of debt collection harassment cases. Let us help you today. Contact Agruss Law Firm at 888-572- 0176 to stop the harassment once and for all.

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[stephanieatdisneyland-blog]

Are annual passports worth it?

It all depends on you.

I’m going to give you a little rundown of each Disneyland Resort Annual Pass and you can see for yourself. Keep in mind I’m going to be giving examples and these do not tailor to anyone in specific. I’m going to give a bit of information on three main points that I used to decide whether or not to purchase my pass and from there you can decide for yourself.

The first main point I looked at before purchasing my pass was the price comparison of all five available passports and each available ticket that Disney provides for guests. First thing’s first, a one day ticket for the Disneyland park itself varies on the day- whether it’s a peak day or any off season day- regular or a value ticket. Starting at a value ticket the price is $97, regular is $110 and a peak day ticket is $124 for one park. If you were to want a hopper ticket, it would only cost you $30 – $60 dollars more depending on which of the three you were planning to purchase – coming in at $169 for a one day ticket to both parks. Now the difference between all three tickets is the dates that they are blocked off, generally a value ticket has the most days blocked off and will only be valid for entry during weekdays, as for a regular ticket it has a more flexible valid entry but still has loads of blockout dates. Of course the peak day ticket can be used any day of the year before the expectation date.

Now let’s talk pass options:

• Disney Southern California Select Passport: Blockout dates can last up two months or more and it will be a long while before you’re able to return unless you purchase a ticket during those dates. It is the cheapest, coming in at $339 if paid in full or $20.17 after the down payment of $97 and also contains up 10% off select merchandise and dinning. If you’re not one to go during heavy seasons such as the summer or winter, I would recommend this one. • Disney Southern California Passport: Blockout dates for this pass are a bit more flexible than the first, even so the it also has up to a month and a half of consistent blockout dates. It is the second cheapest, coming in at $469 if paid in full or $31 monthly after the down payment of $97, of course. This also has up to 10% off select merchandise and dinning options. There’s not much difference other than the dates you’re allowed to use the pass. • Disney Deluxe Passport: The blockout dates for here are far less consistent than the last two. The days that are blocked out are mainly weekends and the holiday season but it’s nothing too crazy. Inexpensive yet slightly expensive, I’d say it’s fairly priced for Disney’s standards, coming in at $619 if paid in full and $43.50 monthly after the $97 down payment. Of course, up to 10% of select merch and dinning. This is the one I’d recommend the most if you want to go constantly or just don’t want to wait so long for your blockout dates to cease before going and having another month or two blocked off. • Disney Signature Passport: With this pass you can enter any day of the year with the exception of the two weeks between Christmas and New Years. It’s kind of pricey but I definitely think it’s worth it if you’re a SoCal resident, coming in at $849 if paid in full or $62.67 monthly after the $97 down. Unlike the first three this has up 15% off dinning and 20% off merch, Disney Photopass downloads and you get free parking so no worries about paying those $18 – $20. • Disney Signature Plus Passport: Now this one is the most expensive due to you being able to go every day of the year, – no blackout dates whatsoever – coming in at $1,049 if paid in full or $79.34 monthly after the $97 down. This also comes with includes up to 15% off of select dinning and 20% off of select merch, parking and the Disney Photopass download.

Secondly, let’s talk about how many times a year you’d be visiting the Disneyland Resort. If you’re one to go more than just a couple of times a year and plan to go into both parks – let’s say 6 times in one year – that would be $1,014 or if you only go in for one park on a peak day, it would add up to $744 for that year. This is of course excluding the multi day tickets. If you purchase a multi day ticket, you’re going to have to use all days within a 13 day period or they would expire. Yes, even if you did not use the other days.

Multi day tickets range from $61 to $99 per day. For a family of four on a 5 day ticket for just one park, it comes in at $1,190 and for a hopper ticket it comes in at $1,370. This also depends on whether or not your two children are under the age of 9. If your children are teenagers, they would come in at $1,220 for a 5 Day ticket and $1,400 for a hopper 5 Day ticket. If you were to travel alone, it would only come in at $305 for one park and $350 for both which is great, but remember you only have 13 days to use up those 5 days.

If you’re only to go six times a year but divide your visits to 2 days at a time within a 13 day period, that comes in at $199 for one park and $244 for both each time, making it a total of up to $732 a that year – way cheaper than $1,014. If you were to go more and are a SoCal resident, I’d suggest the Deluxe AP instead.

Last but certainly not least, distance: How far from The Disneyland Resort do you reside? Is transportation a problem? If you’re two hours away but do not have a car of your own or a ride, an Uber/Lyft will definitely be as expensive as purchasing a single day ticket, if not more. If you do have a car and have no problem going a long way then disregard what I just said. If you’re you’re up in Northern California or maybe even in Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado or any neighboring states then I would suggest one of the first two passports. Also remember there is more than just the ticket purchase, you’re also looking at plane or bus tickets or gas money if you’re driving to Anaheim, hotels and dinning. Not to mention all your essential travel needs, must haves and so forth. If you’re not going to go more than a few times, a ticket is your best option and the passport are not your thing.

Thank you for taking the time to look into this post and visiting the DLR! Again, this was just a little insight on APs for Disneyland in Anaheim, CA and does not apply to those whom’ve already purchased one, just those looking into them or diving down the rabbit hole of what it could be like to be at Disney almost – if not every day or just have an AP. Let me know what you think and please let me know if I’ve gotten any info mixed up or just completely botched it. I would like to know your opinion and if you’ve already purchase a pass or are looking to purchase one. If you have any questions let me know and I will respond as soon as possible.

Stephanie at Disneyland!

[rickjsage]

In a prior post I write about circumstances and materials read while also acknowledging that I hold some internal conflict related to current “Authority” of “The State.”  I also write about feelings of guilt and anxiety for having mentally challenged instilled conventional ideas on the moral superiority allocated to State entities, “Personal Adaptation:  Unexamined Assumption To Authority.”

Serious of analogical reasoning (which is a special type of inductive argument whereby perceived similarities are used as a basis to infer some further similarity that has yet to be observed to better understand the world and to make safer decisions) and my discussions with Dr. Gail Bach allows me to further appreciate and diminish some guilt and anxiety for holding mental opposition to Authority.

Covenant Of A Social Contract

Since birth, the concept of a social contract -in one form or another- has been imprinted onto all.  John Rawls bring out the understanding of what moral principles come after the creation of a social contract.  Rawls designs a hypothetical situation in which everyone is equal to each other, the situation is guaranteed a fair outcome, and concludes that what people will generally agree to in this (or say that) specific situation is therefore deemed to be just.

But consider the same appeal with the abstract concept of the familiar government substitute with a non-government agent as the only variation, the moral principles doesn’t sell as well.

Under the hypothetical “consent of a social contract” and in view that I’m currently assisting others’ tax returns, I’m able to imagine tax collecting States via IRS revamped tax return forms designed with two little boxes that read,  “Check To Continue Government Entity,”  “Ο -YES”    “Ο-NO,”  and where States receive “Ο-NO” checked off forms forgo and return prior withheld income collected.  Imagine that, such an action would bring legitimacy for the amount of individual “Authority” currently surrendered to States.

Being broad-minded, I can consider the above and many multiple non-hypothetical and hypothetical contract accounts.  I can also consider another political philosophy as being pro-authority and anti-contractarian in the strictest philosophical sense.

I can even consider a consequentialist’s attitude to defend the idea of State authority, but with the premise that a contract is not a good way to explain or justify current authority relations: Scenario argument a) to appeal to some more direct consequential considerations, like what would the consequences be if there wasn’t somebody in authority.  Or scenario argument b) known to many philosophers as the “Fair Play Argument,” wherein you and I owe it to others to enter into cooperative social relations and to not be free loaders because of these relations.   An argument that when someone enters a world where invisible social contracts have already been in existence we’re all morality bound to play along as if there’s really “Authority” regardless of belief or attitude.

The notion of “Authority” is complicated and to break away from consequentialist consideration comes the idea of content-independence theory.  Simply put, the theory means you and I should obey the law even when the government is wrong; even if it’s a bad law we’re still obligated to obey it and the government is still entitled to enforce it.

  Social contracts and variations of are puzzling.  As such, these ideas should be scrutinized  under the realm of epistemology.  Are social contracts and the theory of knowledge supporting such concepts justified beliefs or are they merely opinions?

The investigation to better understand distinguished and special Presumption of State Authority should be tackled.

Normally I assume that things are the way they appear unless there is a reason for doubting that.  This presumption applies in ethical questions as well as non-value functional questions.  Cases can be described to us wherein a general consensus of a particular activity is viewed as being wrong, then we as a collective assume that that’s the case, unless there’s some pretty strong reason to think otherwise.

Let that premise be the foundation of all moral reasoning.  It might seem like an obvious methodological political philosophy point about  that we start from common sense moral beliefs.

When evaluating what States ought to do, I think of society’s shared beliefs about what people ought to do.  And yet, I now see this methodological point of view is not appreciated.  How have I come to conclude this?  By way of observing that successful politicians start from very controversial theoretical claims rather than from commonly accepted values.  The common practice of politicians and political philosophers causes a psychological effect in that each may create illusion that States are a ‘dis-analogous’ to that of human actors, as if there’s something special about Statehood.

How can it be that what might be morally forbidden in the case of interpersonal interaction may be permissible when one of the actors is not seen as a person but rather as a State?

The Unwanted Version Of Utopian Upon Assumption

Why do people advocate for governments to do that which people typically wouldn’t advocate for anyone else to do?  Most don’t offer an account for why “The State” is different from all other agents.

Suppose I don’t want people consuming unhealthy substances and I make an announcement to this neighborhood of a list of items neighbors are no longer allowed to consume.  Then suppose I start hiring armed guards to go around looking for neighbors who are consuming the things I declared unhealthy for consumption.  And then I tell my armed guards to collect fines for first-case offenders and to kidnap second-case offenders for future imprisonment.  I’m pretty sure everyone would consider this to be very wrong behavior.  Even people who agree with my policy to not  consume unhealthy foods are not going to agree with my hiring of armed guards.  Yet people commonly advocate for this sort of behavior from governments.  Why?

Holding less anxiety and guilt, I’m going to allow myself to write as if I view “Authority” as this hypothetical moral property.

“The State” is thought to have a kind of special moral status that sets it apart from and above other agents.  This special moral status explains why States are entitled to coerce people in a wide range of circumstances while no other agent would be permitted to coerce people.  That part, that is, the entitlement to coerce other people is known as political legitimacy.  While the other part of authority is generally thought as people being obligated to obey States’ commands even when people would not be obligated to obey similar commands if issued by anyone else.

The not so puzzling question isn’t that people think there’s obligation to obey States and that States are entitled to use coercion.  Rather, the oh-so-puzzling question is that people think there’s an automatic PRESUMPTION of special State moral authority.

There needs to be some kind of explanation of what’s so special about this one agent.  The advocates for moral authority will make the argument that we should obey the law just because it’s law …Not because it’s a good idea.  Now these people (to be considered an advocate for moral authority) don’t have to think that we’re obligated to obey every law without restriction no matter what, but these advocates do think that at least there’s some reason for obeying the law just because it’s a law.

And so:

forcing someone to do something that they otherwise wouldn’t have a reason to do besides the threat of another,

forcing someone to do something that they otherwise don’t want to do,

forcing someone to do something that they have a reason to do,

and forcing someone to do something that they want to do,

are all ideas of coercion under idiosyncratic mentality.  Meaning, the word “coercion” isn’t used in ordinary English.  The word “coercion” is used as a tool to imagine using some form of threat towards other including physical violence.

“Authority” is a very peculiar alleged moral phenomenon.  As with most good questions I’ll ponder at something that looks peculiar thinking what in the world could possible justify that, or why should I believe that such a property actually exists.

In setting up this question involving presumption, the premise of the conflict starts with “Absolute Moral Principles“, i.e., a difference in moral status can never be justified.

Thanks to chapter 4-7 of Michael Huemer’s “The Problem of Political Authority,” I now have a different start of this “Special Moral Status” with understanding there’s a presumption that certain kinds of behavior are unjustified.  Philosopher Michael Huemer is not stating the premise of coercion is never justified, instead Huemer points out this premise starts with a presumption.

“The presumption” element is the value that brings wonder to challenge “State Moral Authority,” and is the element I finally connected to my own conflict with many beliefs.

There is a presumption that people are moral equals, so it becomes the burden of States to explain why it holds this unusual moral position that seems to set itself above all other moral agents.

Political philosophers distinguish between Philosophical Anarchism and Political Anarchism, but these names are misleading because both views are philosophical and both views are political.

Philosophical Anarchist is usually defined as the view that you don’t have an obligation to obey the law just because it’s the law.  That no acting State officer is entitled to coerce other people just because s/he represents a State.  And that a State agent is entitled to coerce people, but the reason for such authority cannot be based on the mere premise of representing a State.

Political Anarchism is usually defined as the best society without government.

Notice these are distinct thoughts.  You or I can believe that the government doesn’t have a special moral status but still think that the best society would include one with a government.

From my early years at University I hold a strong understanding of Mr. Robert Nozick’s Theory of Justice (published in 1974’s “Anarchy, State, and Utopia“) that seems to advocate from both hands of philosophical and political beliefs.

Articles on economic systems written by Mr. Bryan Capan, as well as Mr. Michael Huemer’s “The Problem of Political Authority,” explain with strong confidence how anarchism can theoretically serve society well.

The psychological connection to “Authority” is also a puzzling phenomenon.  Authority’s power derives from the concept of a social contract.  The traditional version of a social contract written by John Locks claims that in someway human beings agreed to have a “States” and agreed to obey “States.”

I’m not gonna lie, my exposure and study of Adam Smith and modern-day influencers prevented me from really exposing myself to the works of John Locks.  I thought why bother when Adam Smith is to John Locks as Lady Gaga is to Madonna.

Today I know that the conceptual terrain provided by John Lock’s originality better clarifies the main problem with this traditional theory is the alleged social contract doesn’t satisfy the conditions that would be imposed on any other contract in any other content.  Nobody can show you or me the actual contract with everybody’s signatures on it.  Nobody remembers an event representing John Locke’s theory, whether before the 17th century, during the 17th century, and to present day.

Even if someone uses the argument that we agreed implicitly (taking on the actions that would manifest an actual contract) by the mere fact that we behave in such a way does not imply you and I are in agreement to a social contract.

Most who use the implicit argument use government services or living within certain territory to solidify a social contract.  There are other arguments involving implicit support of social contract, but with some thought you might (as I have) believe arguments as being kind of cray-cray.

  John Locks’ “tacit consent theory” brings about this view that it is possible to enter into implicit consent without ever knowing it.  However, that theory does not bring justification as a pillar leading to the creation of social contracts.

Controlled And Totalitarian

Imagine trying to sue somebody by claiming that Person X agreed to pay a thousand dollars.  Now imagine the way you plan to argue the claim is by saying to a judge that person X agreed to pay a thousand dollars by living on your land and that you as the land’s owner you would have offered the person you’re now suing the opportunity to leave the neighborhood if s/he didn’t pay a thousand dollars to you without you even mentioning it.  And that by not making the term of a thousand dollars known that’s how you’re arguing  Person X believed to have known of a thousand dollar obligation.   I mean really (even with a Wrington, UK 17th century historical context), any person in any other context claiming to have such a contract on that basis …Well that person would be laughed out of court.

As such, it remains unclear how “The State” can claim that we agree just because we’re living in a particular area.  Now States might be able to make that claim if it actually owned all lands … But then again that would mean States  would not need to appeal to any agreement based on condition that they hold property rights.  The only way that claim would work is if you and I have no account on how “The State” owned all this land and would therefore have to assume “The State” has all this political authority.

So if States already had this alleged authority then it can pass a law that says that they own everything.  But if States don’t already have authority then it can’t make such a claim.  Guess what, there’s no other account that anyone has been given such moral right to authority.  No other person has ever shown right to demand that everybody leave their own land if people don’t want to have the establishment of a government.

Incidentally, there’s a case to be made that the government doesn’t make obedience to the law on condition you and I are using government services when -say- there’s a guy living in the woods by himself yet the government still impose laws on him and other who live with that same lifestyle.  Should anyone happen to be up in the woods alone smoking Huana-Jane that person could still be arrested for that.  Therefore, the government does not make for obedience to law conditional on use of government services.

In fact, there’s no connection at all for the government to claim that we own it the same amount of taxes and have to obey the same laws, or will allow States to do the same things to us (or for us) regardless of independent decisions.  Whether we send your kids to public schools or not we’re still paying some tax for the allocation of others to use public schools.

So, with that same logic it doesn’t look plausible that you or I agreed to pay the taxes by sending kids to public school – similar to other government services.  These sort of social contract theories, which tries to make use of the concept of either implicit or explicit action as grounds to claim real consent does not work within the realm of logic, reason, or historical context.

Since the late 90’s I’ve been somewhat aware of my “showdown” mental attitude towards authority.  The last 10 years I’ve been dealing with this growing wonder for why I feel entrapment by way of an invisible social contract. It’s today that I start not being overly anxious when I’m itching to really reflect on this and many other “so-called” legitimacy.  And I’m grateful to the many minds who helped guide exploration of another perspective.

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The Gaze Of Presumed Political Authority

Symbol: Anarcho-Capitalism

Reference To Post:

Freeman, Samuel. “Original Position.” First published Tue Feb 27, 1996; substantive revision Tue Sep 9, 2014.  https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/original-position/  Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  Accessed June 2016

Dagger, Richard & Lefkowitz, David. “Political Obligation.”  First published Tue Apr 17, 2007; substantive revision Thu Aug 7, 2014.  https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/political-obligation/  Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  Accessed June 2016

Edmundson, William A. (DOI: 10.1093/OBO/9780195396577-0194)  “Philosphical Anarchism.”  First published July 24, 2013; substantive revision October 8, 2015.  http://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/view/document/obo-9780195396577/obo-9780195396577-0194.xml  Oxford Bibliographies.  Accessed January 2017

Gordon, Uri.  “Anarchism and Political Theory: Contemporary Problems.”  First published 2007.  https://theanarchistlibrary.org/library/uri-gordon-anarchism-and-political-theory-contemporary-problems  The Anarchist Library.  Accessed January 2017

Mack, Eric. “Robert Nozick’s Political Philosophy.”  First published Sun June 22, 2014.  https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/nozick-political/  Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.  Accessed December 2016

Greenwood, Bowen.  “Tacit Consent: A Quiet Tyranny.”  First published Sun January 1, 1995. https://fee.org/articles/when-equal-access-means-zero-access-for-all/  Freedom For Economic Education.  Accessed January 2016

  Reference To Post “Personal Adaptation:  Unexamined Assumption To Authority“:

Huemer, Michael. “The Problem of Political Authority.” http://spot.colorado.edu/~huemer/1.htm Accessed January 2017

Capan, Bryan Douglas.  “Humane Studies Review.” http://econfaculty.gmu.edu/bcaplan/Anarjus and http://econfaculty.gmu.edu/bcaplan/nonviolent.pdf   Accessed Years 2014-2017

Finnis, John.  “Aquinas’ Moral, Political, and Legal Philosophy.” First published Fri Dec 2, 2005; substantive revision Thu Feb 23, 2017.  https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/aquinas-moral-political/  Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Accessed March 2017

Nozick, Robert.   ” Proceedings and Addresses of the American Philosophical Association, November 2002: Volume 76, Issue 2.”  https://www.princeton.edu/~tkelly/Nozick.pdf

Davis, John.  “Rawlsian Individuals: Justice, Experiments, and Complexity.” Published Version. Journal of Economic Issues, Vol. 46, No. 3 (September 2012): 729-743.  https://www.routledge.com/posts/8417?acr=jei  Accessed January 2017

  The Presumption of Special State Moral Authority: How Presumptions Can Be Dangerous And Inhibit Deeper Though In a prior post I write about circumstances and materials read while also acknowledging that I hold some internal conflict related to current "Authority" of "The State."  I also write about feelings of guilt and anxiety for having mentally challenged instilled conventional ideas on the moral superiority allocated to State entities, "