#compare the market home insurance

[stillnaomi]

during WW1, the British government was so scared of socialism that it decided to build 500,000 spacious and good quality homes for the higher strata of blue collar workers, in order to avert any chance of revolution. this would give jobs to many of the demobilised troops and would stop a large section of the proletariat agitating about their living conditions. previously, the government had steadfastly refused to interfere in the freedom of the housing market, despite large sections of the population living in slum housing

as Major Astor of the Local Government Board told parliament during a debate on the scheme:

“When we talk of expense and cost let us realise that everything is comparative, and let us measure the cost of our housing proposals by the cost of Bolshevism to the country and the cost of revolution. The money we propose to spend on housing is an insurance against Bolshevism and revolution. What is the cost to the country of industrial unrest and strikes? You have only to realise the conditions under which many men and women live to realise that unrest is fully justified.”

believe it or not, revolution was seen as a serious threat. this is how the minutes record the PM, David Lloyd George, speaking in a Cabinet meeting on March 3rd 1919:

“In Europe we were now faced with very serious conditions. Russia had gone almost completely over to Bolshevism, and we had consoled ourselves with the thought that they were only a half-civilised race; but now even in Germany, whose people were without exception the best educated in Europe, prospects are very black.

“Bavaria was already in chaos, and the same fate might await Prussia. Spain seemed to be on the edge of upheaval. In a short time we might have three-quarters of Europe converted to Bolshevism. None would be left but France and Great Britain.

“He believed that Great Britain would hold out, but only if the people were given a sense of confidence—only if they were made to believe that things were being done for them. We had promised them reforms time and again, but little had been done. We must give them the conviction this time that we meant it, and we must give them that conviction quickly.”

this is what communists mean when we say that the capitalist state only gives out concessions when its power is under threat

read more about the Homes Fit for Heroes initiative and its politics

[chiqelatasblog]

In the Middle of the Night🌙

-> Ao3 link is here.

-> Part Two is here.

Pairings : Bi-Han/ Sub-Zero x You, Kuai Liang/ Scorpion x You, Tomas Vrbada/ Smoke x You

Tropes : Slavery, Past Sexual Abuse, Canon-Typical Violance, Emotional Hurt Comfort, Strangers to Lovers, True Love, Foursome, F/M/M/M, Dark Magic, Eventual Smut

Summary : After a mission gone wrong, Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas find themselves sealed inside a book as love slaves. Whoever discovers the book and utters the incantations within will not only become its owner but also the master of the Lin Kuei’s three deadliest assassins.

For you, grappling with the weight of a solitary life and enduring a particularly rough day, stumbling upon this mysterious book was an unforeseen twist. As you bring the book home, unaware of its contents or the events that led to its creation, the ensuing chain of events will shatter the tranquility of your world, forever altering the course of your life.

Title and work inspired by the “Elley Duhe-Middle Of The Night” song

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CHAPTER ONE : (READER)

You were enduring one of the worst days of your life.

Your alarm didn’t sound in the morning because you were too fatigued to remember to charge your phone the night before. With its poor battery life, it ran out quickly. Living forty-five minutes away from the city center, you should have caught the subway at least an hour ago to make it to work on time. Despite the pressing need for money, uncertainty loomed as you grappled with the inevitability of firing. The job, despite its dreadful conditions and an insufferable boss, stood as your best opportunity in months - too valuable to risk losing.

Although you had graduated from college with a commendable degree, the job market proved bleaker than anticipated. Your once-bright dreams faded as the harsh reality of post-graduation life set in. Most desirable positions demanded experience, yet securing experience required entry into these very positions. While a diploma opened a few doors, the conditions were often as harsh as modern-day servitude, albeit with insurance and a predictable late salary.

Your current role as a programmer at a gaming company offered no respite. Long hours in front of the screen left your eyes bloodshot, encircled by dark rings, and your neck perpetually aching. Despite the hardships, a promise to your distant family fueled your determination to stand on your own. Abandoning everything and returning home was not an option after coming this far. You had shed too many tears to surrender now, enduring the suffocating loneliness of solitary dinners in your cramped kitchen as you pursued your dreams.

Thus, with a reminder of your purpose, you hurriedly left your apartment. Despite the packed subway and the frenzied rush, you managed to trim your commute from fifteen minutes to a mere seven and a half. Yet, upon arrival, your efforts were futile. Summoned to your boss’s office, you were promptly instructed to collect your belongings and leave the company, denied even the opportunity to provide an explanation.

You were keenly aware of the disdain your boss and coworkers held for you; it was an open secret. They resembled vultures, poised to oust you at any moment. As the lone rookie, you were perceived as nothing more than a liability. Despite your efforts to avoid seeking their assistance by tackling most tasks independently, being in your first year of the profession meant there were occasions when you needed guidance or support. Yet, camaraderie was a foreign concept in this office. Compared to other workplaces, the only semblance of unity stemmed from shared breaks and lunches.

A part of you felt relief at the prospect of bidding farewell to a workplace where you found no joy. However, the dominant part, fueled by anxiety, fretted over how you would cover rent and expenses. Although you had a modest emergency fund tucked away, it would only sustain you for about a month. Urgency gnawed at you as you roamed the streets with a cardboard box containing your few office belongings, scouring for job advertisements. Picky was a luxury you couldn’t afford; you were prepared to take on any role, even as a barista or waitress, until you secured a position closer to your aspirations. Survival necessitated prioritizing money above all else.

As the day wore on, you lost track of time. With the setting sun casting a dim glow and street lamps flickering to life, tiny raindrops began to graze your cheeks and nose, soon escalating into a downpour. Despite the onslaught, you mustered the strength to suppress the curses threatening to spill forth. Rushing back to the subway, you braved the rain without an umbrella or proper clothes, mindful of the looming threat of illness. With no funds to spare for hospital bills or medication, resuming your job hunt from the shelter of your laptop seemed the safer option.

Arriving at the subway, drenched from head to toe, you collapsed onto the nearest available seat, your legs barely able to support you. With a heavy sigh, you closed your eyes, feeling the weight of the day’s exhaustion bearing down on your body. The simple act of sitting down was a luxury, a stark reminder of just how fatigued and stressed you had become over the course of the day. You rubbed your weary legs in an attempt to generate some warmth, soothing the cramps and chasing away the chill brought on by the rain.

As the subway doors slid open with a ding, a wave of commuters flooded in, filling the once-empty seats around you. Seizing the opportunity to rest your eyes until reaching home, you leaned back against the seat with the cardboard box resting on your lap. Tired, cold, and hungry, the numbing effect of the rain provided a brief respite from the stress, deserving of a well-earned nap.

When the ache in your neck became unbearable, you reluctantly opened your eyes, realizing that your stop was approaching. Glancing down, you noticed a book lying on the seat beside you, as your grip on the box was dangerously close to slipping from your grasp. Picking it up, you scanned the faces around you, expecting someone to claim the book or acknowledge its presence, but no one seemed to react. Confirmation dawned upon you, the book had been left behind, seemingly forgotten by its owner.

Although the book appeared hefty, its weathered cover hinted at years of use and handling. Despite its age, it felt surprisingly light in your hands, its once vibrant hues faded to muted tones. Adorned with a pale gold cover devoid of any text on the back, the book bore the scars of countless readings and journeys. Turning the book over to avoid catching your tired reflection on its worn and shiny surface, your lips parted in mild surprise. Three striking male figures graced the cover, their details rendered with such realism that they almost seemed tangible, despite the signs of wear and tear. Your finger traced over the hyper-realistic features with impulsive curiosity, only to retract abruptly as if scalded, suddenly aware of your surroundings.

As a sweet ache pulsed between your thighs, you found yourself unexpectedly aroused by a mere image, prompting you to shift uncomfortably in an attempt to quell the throbbing sensation. It had been quite a while since you last shared intimate moments with someone, but even that didn’t entirely account for the sudden surge of desire sparked by a simple picture. Stirring memories long buried within you, igniting a hunger you hadn't realized existed until now.

A blush warmed your cheeks as you examined the figures once more. The trio bore the semblance of warriors or assassins, albeit clad in scant attire. The man on the left possessed a sun-kissed tan, his muscular frame adorned with a large scorpion tattoo on his left arm. His black hair was artfully swept across his face, his golden mask veiling a stern gaze as he brandished a flaming kunai, its rope end poised for action.

Your attention shifted to the figure at the center, whose face remained partially obscured by a silvery black mask. Despite the concealment, a strange sense of familiarity emanated from his features, mirroring those of his companion. His complexion was pale, revealing blue-green veins beneath the surface, while his dark eyes emanated cold, dominating arrogance. Black hair, tied in a low bun with a few tufts escaping to frame his strong features. Massive biceps framed his imposing stature as he wielded a sword of ice, poised to strike with lethal precision.

In stark contrast, the figure on the right differed greatly from his counterparts. Towering slightly above them, he bore little resemblance to an Asian individual, exuding a distinctly European air. His skin was also light, and he wore a grey-colored mask covering half of his face. A thin, light grey smoke emanated from his body. His short gray hair and softer gray-blue eyes lent him a gentler appearance, juxtaposed by the lethal aura exuded by the carambite adorning his finger. Despite his softer features, his lethal prowess was undeniable.

As you scrutinized the cover, a perplexing question lingered: why would the illustrator depict warriors in such a manner if not for a romantic context? Their barely dressed and provocative poses hinted at a fantasy narrative, reinforced only by the presence of their weapons. Without them, the figures might have appeared more akin to love slaves than skilled warriors. “An intriguing choice,” you murmured to yourself, pondering the illustrator’s intentions behind such a depiction.

As you opened the book to look at the chipped pages, curiosity piqued about the contents within, you suddenly realized that your stop had arrived. Hastily tucking the book into your box, you sprang to your feet with a muttered exclamation.

“Oh, shoot!” With a swift maneuver, you barely managed to slip through the closing doors of the crowded subway. Amidst the post-work rush, the mingled scents of sweat and cigarettes engulfed you as you navigated through the throng. Minutes later, emerging from the subway, you drew a deep breath, filling your lungs with the scent of rain-soaked earth.

Your journey to home passed in a blur, your body moving on autopilot along familiar streets and corners. Before you knew it, you stood before your fifth-floor apartment, a small abode consisting of two rooms and an American kitchen. Its most prized feature was the balcony, a sanctuary where you relished summer evenings, savoring the view with a glass of wine by candlelight.

When you arrived home, it was already nine o’clock in the evening. Leaving the box in your hand at the entrance of the door, you went straight into the shower to wash away the fatigue and grime of the day, and to replenish the warmth your drenched body had lost. You lingered under the hot water until it thoroughly enveloped your body, and finally, when the steam filled the small bathroom and you felt like you might faint from the heat, you emerged, clad in your well-worn and hardened bathrobe, with a towel wrapped around your head.

Pouring the last remnants of the red wine you opened days ago into a glass, you placed it in the microwave to heat up the leftover Chinese food you ordered a day ago. As you waited for your meal to warm, your gaze wandered to the box in the corner, reigniting your curiosity about the mysterious book. Crossing the room in a few strides, you retrieved the book and placed it on the kitchen island, settling into your chair with wine and warmed food. “I’ll worry about unemployment later,” you declared, raising your glass in a toast. “Today was stressful enough, and I definitely deserve this wine.” With a sip of wine and a mouthful of noodles, you flipped open the book’s cover with your free hand, eager to have a look at what it held.

‘’What…?” You stared at the glossy golden pages, brows furrowed in confusion, surprised to find them empty. “What kind of book is this? I don’t understand the purpose.” you muttered in disbelief. The worn-out appearance of the book added to your confusion, making you question whether something had happened before it was finished.

As you reached the middle of the book, a shocking revelation left you speechless. Lines, equivalent to about a paragraph, materialized on the previously blank pages before your eyes, causing your entire body to freeze in shock. Tremors coursed through you, as if jolted by electricity, and you grasped desperately for reality, unsure if what you were witnessing was a dream. Gasping for breath, you struggled to comprehend the surreal sight before you.

“I haven’t even had that much wine—I just took a sip.” you mumbled, your voice strained with the effort to contain your rising panic. “I’ve seen enough movies to know where this is going. I’m not reading whatever’s written here,” you declared, the thin timbre of your voice betraying your attempt to stifle a scream.

You closed the cover of the book hard and attempted to get up from your chair, but found yourself unable to move. It was as if an unseen force held you in place. The cover of the book opened again, and as the pages flickered before your eyes, the one you had just turned to was laid out in front of you once more, sending shivers of fear down your spine.

“Read it,” a demanding male voice echoed in your mind, freezing you in terror. Despite your frantic desire to flee, you remained immobilized, unable to move a muscle.

“I-I was just curious about what it says. I didn’t mean any harm,” you pleaded weakly, few tears streaming down your cheeks due to the immense fear you felt at the moment. Another voice, speaking in a foreign tongue filled the air, his tone scolding but directed elsewhere, not at you.

“We won’t harm you, master,” another voice reassured, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the fear.

“Say the words aloud, and we will serve you,” urged yet another voice, prompting a realization of the three distinct voices corresponding to the figures depicted on the book’s cover.

“W-What the…! Are they…”

“Yes, that’s us you see on the cover. We’ve been trapped in this book for a long time. You have to say the words to get us out of here,” one of the voices explained.

“You’re talking as if I had a choice,” you replied in a timid, low voice.

“Read the words, woman,” another voice commanded. It was the coldest and harshest of them all. Despite lacking a physical form, his dominant aura was unmistakable in the way he emphasized his words. His voice resonated with a deep, chilling tone, unlike anything you had ever heard before. You attempted to steady yourself, swallowing hard and clenching your trembling hands into fists on your legs.

“How do I know you won’t hurt me? Each of you had a weapon on the cover; it’s clear you’re some kind of warriors.”

“We are bound to the master of the book,” another voice interjected, his tone notably more welcoming and kind than the others. “We cannot harm you.”

“God, I must be losing my mind. I’m talking to a book,” you muttered, glancing at the pages with audible trepidation. Fear and panic constricted your throat, rendering you speechless.

“This is no illusion—it is the truth,” the same younger voice asserted after a brief silence. “Read what is written, master, and we shall pledge our service to you.”

“I-I’m not anyone’s master. Don’t call me that; this situation is already too surreal for me,” you protested weakly.

“As you wish, master,” came the compliant response.

“You won’t hurt me, will you? I’m too young to die; I haven’t even begun to fulfill my dreams…” you pleaded, your words abruptly cut off by a snarl. If not for the invisible force holding you down, you might have leaped in fear.

“Read these damn sentences!” the voice commanded, his tone harsh.

“Bi-Han, don’t frighten her!” another voice intervened.

“Fine, fine, I’ll read it!” Tears continued to trickle down your cheeks as you began to recite the words aloud, hoping to end the ordeal. And as you prayed to the god or whatever deity might be watching over you, you couldn’t shake the dread that you might be leading yourself to your own demise. “Rise, my servants, from the depths of slumber and bind yourselves to me with your souls, revealing your names. Embrace your new purpose ensnared by passion.’’

As you finished speaking, a powerful gust of wind whipped through the room, causing the towel around your shoulders to unravel and fall. Soon after, you heard the voices of three men speaking in unison, their words echoing loudly.

‘’We rise, Bi-Han, Kuai Liang, and Tomas of the Lin Kuei, bound to your will, for in your presence, we find solace and purpose. We protect and we please, however you see right, however you seem fit. We’re your slaves, and you’re our master, surrendered to your every command, body and soul.’’

With a surge of energy, the wind intensified, knocking over the glass on the counter, spilling wine onto the robe and floor. The glass shattered at your feet, scattering shards across the kitchen. A brilliant light emanated from the book, forcing you to shut your eyes against its intensity.

Then, as suddenly as it began, everything fell silent and still. The wind vanished as if it had never been, and the light that had filled the room dimmed into darkness. Summoning the courage to open your eyes, you were met with the sight of three imposing, completely naked men standing a short distance away.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!” You attempted to gather your thoughts, tearing your gaze away from the men to focus on the scattered glass on the kitchen floor. “There are three naked men in my living room. And—and they emerged from the book? I must be losing my mind. I really must be losing my mind.”

As the words tumbled from your lips, sounding like utter madness to your own ears, you tried to take deep breaths to calm yourself. But when you attempted to rise from your seat, your numbed feet betrayed you, causing you to stumble and fall to the ground. The impact sent a jolt of pain through your knees and feet as shards of glass embedded themselves into your flesh, stealing the breath from your lungs.

“Shh, it’s okay. Calm down, you’re only hurting yourself,” came a gentle voice.

Your gaze was drawn to a towering, bronzed figure looming over you, his powerful physique making you feel small and vulnerable. Sensing your escalating panic, he gently cupped your face in his large hands, the touch of his calloused fingers both rough and tender. With each contact, warmth spread through your body in soothing waves.

“Look at me. Take deep breaths and exhale, just like I do,” he instructed in a soothing tone.

“I can’t,” your voice broken with fear.

“Of course you can. Follow my lead, I’ll show you,” he reassured. As you turned your gaze to his face, you were met with a pair of slanted light brown eyes, framed by long black eyelashes. His gaze exuded warmth and understanding, matching the sensitivity of his touch. “Breathe with me. Now.”

As your brain somehow focused on his instructions, you found yourself synchronizing your breaths with the mighty man before you. With each inhale and exhale, you felt a wave of calm wash over you, dissipating the last shreds of your strength. He effortlessly supported you, preventing you from collapsing to the floor, his touch gentle yet firm. Despite the pain throbbing in your flesh and the warmth of blood trickling down your skin, you remained in a state of confusion and fear, unable to muster the will to move from his grasp.

“Tomas, find something to clean the wound,” commanded the one with the authoritative voice, resonating with incredible depth. The man who held you gently lowered himself onto one of the double seats in the living room, maintaining his firm grasp on you. A faint warmth spread across your face, but you remained ensnared in his hold, feeling as if your mouth were filled with dry cotton.

Your gaze shifted to the man cradling you, his expression clouded with concern as his amber eyes scrutinized you closely as if he feared you might suffer another attack. Despite his gray hair, you were taken aback when a youthful visage suddenly filled your vision. The man was tall and imposing, his large build casting a formidable shadow over you. Feeling intimidated between these two towering figures, a timid whimper escaped your lips as your body instinctively recoiled, yearning to escape despite its weakened state.

“Calm down, master. We won’t hurt you. Let me tend to your wounds; you’ve cut your knees and feet badly. I can ease your pain,” reassured the silver-haired man, his voice carrying a surprisingly gentle tone given his imposing stature. As you swallowed and tried to shift again, a cold sound from across the room froze you in place.

“If you move again, I’ll—” began the menacing voice.

“Bi-Han, enough! She’s already frightened, no need to add to it.” Intervened the man holding you, his voice commanding authority. Though Bi-Han’s threat remained unfinished, its effect lingered, rendering you motionless, afraid to even breathe. As the silver-haired man tended to your wounds while taking advantage of your stillness, the man holding you attempted to comfort you with gentle pats, drawing soothing circles on your back.

Gritting your teeth against the pain as the glass shards were removed, you fought the urge to appear weak and helpless in their eyes. Though you couldn’t see yourself from their perspective, a sense of self-consciousness gnawed at you. In an attempt to shift your focus from the pain, the man holding you soflty interjected, “I am Kuai Liang,” he introduced. “May we know your name?

Struggling to articulate your name through clenched teeth, you managed to utter it in one breath. A faint smile graced Kuai Liang’s face. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, (y/n).”

“Speak for yourself,” growled Bi-Han from across the living room. “Just another fucking master we’re bound to serve.’’

‘‘I thought you wanted to get out of the book.’’

Kuai Liang’s sharp retort silenced Bi-Han, prompting Tomas, who was tending to your wounds, to interject. “And so am I, Tomas. Thank you for calling us into your service.” he said with a small smile that seemed forced, his dull greyish blue eyes lacking genuine emotion. As he carefully tended to your wounds and wrapped them in bandages, a sense of unease washed over you, causing you to squirm away from Kuai Liang’s grasp and retreat to the corner of the seat, eyeing the three men with a mix of confusion and discomfort.

“Can someone please tell me what’s going on?” you croaked, avoiding their look as your gaze involuntarily dropped to their lower parts for a second before you could prevent it, your cheeks burned with embarrassment. “And please cover up your bottoms. You can use the cushions.”

Complying with your request, all three men concealed their private parts with cushions. Tomas took a seat in the opposite double seat, while Bi-Han settled into the single seat. Despite your small apartment being already cramped, the presence of the three burly men made the space feel even more claustrophobic.

“Where would you like us to start?”

“From the beginning,” you replied, addressing Kuai Liang. “Who are you? How did you end up in that book? And why are you here now… Please, tell me everything from the beginning so that I can understand.”

“We are members of a clan called Lin Kuei, known for training assassins, and we are brothers,” he began. “Bi-Han is the eldest, serving as the grandmaster of our clan in the past. I, on the other hand, am the middle one, and Tomas and I served as his second-in-commands.’’

The revelation that they were assassins drained the color from your face, confirming your suspicions from the book cover. A shiver ran down your spine as you realized the chilling reality of being in the presence of trained killers.

“Many years ago, we encountered a demon named Quan Chi on a mission. As you can imagine, the mission went awry, and he sealed us inside this book. Whoever owns the book and says the words becomes our master, and we are compelled to fulfill their wishes and desires.”

Even if you sensed that the information was being presented with some omissions, you refrained from voicing your suspicions. They were strangers to you, and you to them, so expecting complete transparency without trust seemed unreasonable. While you had the authority as their master to demand the truth, approaching the situation in this manner didn’t sit well with you—it didn’t feel right, nor did it feel humane.

For God’s sake, the idea of being anyone’s master was abhorrent. The twenty-first century had arrived, and the notion of a master-slave relationship had long since vanished. It felt nauseating and profoundly unsettling.

“I am not your master. I can’t—I can’t be. No.” You attempted to stand up in panic, desperate to escape the situation, but your injuries held you back. Kuai Liang gently grabbed your arm, urging you to calm down.

“Calm down (y/n), your wounds are very fresh. You’ll make them bleed again.” You clung to his wrist, pleading with your eyes for assistance.

“Is there no way to set you free? I can’t accept this. This is—this is against humanity!”

With your words, a deep silence enveloped the room. As you observed their stunned reactions, it became evident that this sentiment was new to them. Your heart ached at the thought of witnessing these powerful men stripped of their freedom. Despite your fear, the realization knotted your stomach. They appeared intimidating and deadly, yet the severity of their situation suggested that past experiences had shattered them and stripped away their dignity. You couldn’t fathom how long they had endured as slaves within the confines of the book, but the outcome seemed all too predictable, casting a somber shadow over the room.

“Set us free?” Tomas’s voice echoed with longing, his desire palpable.

“Such a thing is possible, isn’t it? If you tell me what I should do I—”

“Why would you do that? What do you want from us in return?” Bi-Han’s voice sliced through your words, sharp and menacing. You fought to maintain your composure, avoiding freezing in your spot as his icy demeanor chilled the room. As your agitated gaze shifted to his pale, muscular arms, you were astonished to see a thin layer of ice extending from his hands. Were they truly made of ice?

“As I said just now, I can’t be anyone’s master, it’s in defiance of human ethics. If there’s any way I can help you, I’d like to do it. I don’t want anything in return except for this situation to end as soon as possible, I’m sure you want the same.”

“Do you expect us to believe that you are just a fairy godmother?” Bi-Han’s mocking half smile sent waves of unease through you. “You are not convincing at all, woman. Favors are done with an expectation of something in return.’’

“Favors are done for nothing; you don’t expect anything in return. That’s why it’s called a favor.” Emboldened by a hint of defiance, you met Bi-Han’s stern gaze head-on. “I can understand why you don’t trust me after what you’ve been through—”

‘’Don’t you dare,” Bi-Han shot up from his seat, his movement swift as a shadow. Suddenly, he was close enough for his breath, cold as winter air, to brush against your face. “Don’t try to empathize with what we went through. Do you think you know us now just because you’ve learned a few things?”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to offend,” you said quickly.

“Brother, please sit down. If you talk like that, we won’t get anywhere.” Kuai Liang intervened, putting one arm between you and Bi-Han. Bi-Han glared at you intensely, his eyes slanted like those of a predator, then he took a deep breath. Watching the mist of his cold breath in the air, everything still felt like an endless dream—or nightmare. When he finally returned to his seat, Kuai Liang’s gaze turned to you.

“Thank you for offering to help, but unfortunately, we don’t know how to undo this dark magic.”

You ventured a suggestion that you hoped wouldn’t sound foolish. “We could try burning the book. I’ve seen it work in some movies.”

“We’ve tried that,” Tomas chimed in, joining Kuai Liang. “Several times. Whatever we’ve done, the book has never been destroyed. It’s protected by some kind of magic, just as it protects its master from us.”

“You spoke as if you had tested the last part before.”

In response, silence enveloped the room. Despite your efforts to stave off panic, the realization that they were assassins and the precariousness of your situation made you feel threatened.

“We have tried to kill several masters before,” Kuai Liang admitted frankly. “But there’s some kind of seal that protects them—you can think of it as a shield. It renders any attack ineffective. That’s why we were telling the truth when we said we wouldn’t hurt you.”

“Of course, if things were different, it wouldn’t mean you wouldn’t try,” you said, averting your gaze and clasping your hands in your lap. Another solution came to mind, prompting you to straighten your shoulders and take a deep breath before continuing.

‘’ If I can’t set you free, then you’re free to do as you please, go where you want. You don’t have to be stuck here.” you offered.

“You won’t give us orders? Isn’t there something you want us to do?” Tomas asked, surprised.

“No, as long as you don’t start killing people, you’re free to do whatever you want.”

“We’re not mindless killers,” said Bi-Han harshly, sounding offended that you would even think of them in that way. Kuai Liang interjected, softening his brother’s tone.

“We serve a noble purpose. We were, until we were sealed in the book… Our clan has been dedicated to protecting Earthrealm from dangers for centuries,” he explained, his gaze softening slightly as he made eye contact with you. “Thank you for the opportunity you’ve given us, but we can’t be away from you for more than a few hours. We have to get back here, to you.”

Your eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “How so? Why? Do I have to say something else?”

“No, it’s part of the magic. It was designed to prevent us from escaping. When we’re away from our master—you, and this period becomes longer, we become weaker and weaker.”

“So at the end of the day… God, what cruel magic this is,” Gulping, you scanned all three men with a heavy heart. It must have been torture for them to endure this existence. Even as you spoke, your heart ached with empathy, imagining what they had been subjected to. Anger and sadness gripped your body as you contemplated their plight. “Is there anything else I can do for you? My house isn’t too big, but I want you to be comfortable during your stay here.”

It was Bi-Han who responded, his narrowed gaze resembling two thin lines, as if he were dissecting your sincerity. You couldn’t help but feel a pang as you tried to discern whether he believed you. While you understood his skepticism, winning their trust seemed like a daunting task.

“You can start by finding us clothes.”

[metamatar]

$200k seems like quite a reasonable cost for a small sterile lab. It's not a plan to make it at home, it's a plan to make it in your town. As of now, there are so few insulin plants that the economies of scale aren't optimal for distribution (but they are for profits!)

did you miss the part that it was speculative? that it has never been demonstrated? also no, the economies of scale are fine for distribution cold chain distribution it is a solved problem. people aren't struggling to get insulin bc it can't be delivered, they're struggling bc its expensive.

im not sure you understand what economies of scale means, it means when you try to do things at larger scale – you are generally able to deploy productive technologies and innovations in organisation (specialisation) which make things easier to produce (less labour and capital input) on average. things become cheaper to produce. it is cheaper to weave cloth at a factory than in a loom you install in your backyard. that's why open insulin can only hypothetically get a vial down to the price of for profit insulin in the uk. big pharma is able to profit from insulin at 7 dollars a vial, ie it's even cheaper to produce. this is like, adam smith pin example.

the existence of a big factory or doing things at scale doesn't create destructive megaprofits... this is such a bizarre worldview of the world. you have to make a very sophisticated argument to prove this, which imo is immediately debunked by the reality of worker organised cooperatives in factories or even state run industrial production. profit tends to be a function of factors like labour relations + market dynamics like supply, demand and competition. us healthcare sucks bc your workers don't have rights, private insurance colludes with hospitals and competitors and the govt doesn't regulate pharma companies who are providing an inelastic good (medicine.)

also addressing this bc some people are mad at me but the only part of my argument that cites a piece hosted on RAND corp is the extremely high price of US insulin compared to every other country in the world. its like 30x. i don't think that is a fact that's a capitalist conspiracy, the data can be confirmed with other sources too, it just illustrates how dysfunctional US healthcare is. like, when your enemies agree...

[fatehbaz]

Indigenous genocide and removal from land and enslavement are prerequisites for power becoming operationalized in premodernity, a way in which subjects get (what Wynter names) “selected” or “dysselected” from geography and coded into colonial possession through dispossession. The color line of the colonized was not merely a consequence of these structures of colonial power or a marginal effect of those structures; it was/is a means to operationalize extraction (therefore race should be considered as foundational rather than as periphery to the production of those structures and of global space). Richard Eden, in the popular 1555 publication Decades of the New World, compares the people of the “New World” to a blank piece of “white paper” on which you can “paynte and wryte” whatever you wish. “The Preface to the Reader” describes the people of these lands as inanimate objects, blank slates [...]. [Basically, "Man" is white, while nonwhite people are reduced an aspect of the landscape, a resource.] Wynter suggests that we [...] consider 1452 as the beginning of the New World, as African slaves are put to work on the first plantations on the Portuguese island of Madeira, initiating the “sugar–slave” complex - a massive replantation of ecologies and forced relocation of people [...]. Wynter argues that the invention of the figure of Man in 1492 as the Portuguese travel to the Americas instigates at the same time “a refiguring of humanness” in the idea of race. This refiguring of slaves trafficked to gold mines is borne into the language of the inhuman [...].

---

The natal moment of the 1800 Industrial Revolution, [...] [apparently] locates Anthropocene origination in [...] the "new" metabolisms of technology and matter enabled by the combination of fossil fuels, new engines, and the world as market. [...] The racialization of epistemologies of life and nonlife is important to note here [...]. While [this industrialization] [...] undoubtedly transformed the atmosphere with [...] coal [in the nineteenth century], the creation of another kind of weather had already established its salient forms in the mine and on the plantation. Paying attention to the prehistory of capital and its bodily labor, both within coal cultures and on plantations that literally put “sugar in the bowl” (as Nina Simone sings) [...]. The new modes of material accumulation and production in the Industrial Revolution are relational to and dependent on their preproductive forms in slavery [...].

---

Catherine Hall’s project Legacies of British Slave-Ownership makes visible the complicity in terms of structures of slavery and industrialization that organized in advance the categories of dispossession that are already in play and historically constitute the terms of racialized encounter of the Anthropocene. In 1833, Parliament finally abolished slavery in the British Caribbean, and the taxpayer payout of £20 million in “compensation” [paid by the government to slave owners] built the material, geophysical (railways, mines, factories), and imperial infrastructures of Britain and its colonial enterprises and empire. As the project empirically demonstrates, these legacies of colonial slavery continue to shape contemporary Britain. A significant proportion of funds were invested in the railway system connecting London and Birmingham (home of cotton production and [...] manufacturing for plantations), Cambridge and Oxford, and Wales and the Midlands (for coal). Insurance companies flourished and investments were made in the Great Western Cotton Company, for example, and in cotton brokers, as well as in big colonial land companies in Canada (Canada Land Company) and Australia (Van Diemen’s Land Company) and a number of colonial brokers. Investments were made in the development of metal and mineralogical technologies [...].

The slave–sugar–coal nexus both substantially enriched Britain and made it possible for it to transition into a colonial industrialized power [...]. The slave trade [...] fashioned the economic conditions (and institutions, such as the insurance and finance industries) for industrialization. Slavery and industrialization were tied by the various afterlives of slavery in the form of indentured and carceral labor that continued to enrich new emergent industrial powers from both the Caribbean plantations and the antebellum South. Enslaved “free” African Americans predominately mined coal in the corporate use of black power or the new “industrial slavery,” [...].

---

The labor of the coffee - the carceral penance of the rock pile, “breaking rocks out here and keeping on the chain gang” (Nina Simone, Work Song, 1966), laying iron on the railroads - is the carceral future mobilized at plantation’s end (or the “nonevent” of emancipation). [...]

[T]he racial circumscription of slavery predates and prepares the material ground for Europe and the Americas in terms of both nation and empire building - and continues to sustain it.

---

All text above by: Kathryn Yusoff. "White Utopia/Black Inferno: Life on a Geologic Spike". e-flux Journal Issue #97. February 2019. [Bold emphasis and some paragraph breaks/contractions added by me. Text within brackets added by me for clarity. Presented here for commentary, teaching, criticism purposes.]

[yippeecahier]

NGL, I come from a place of privilege, given that I am under 25 and have no debt.

I have about $30,000 in assets - just my savings, car, tech, jewelry, and all my worldly goods that could be resold put together, at their current value. If I lost that 30k, which is really just (one) medical emergency away from bankruptcy, I would have to strip everything for the cash. In just cash alone, I'm not even close enough for a downpayment on a starter home, a multi year endeavor.

By comparison, millionaires such as Lady Gaga (130 million) and Keanu Reeves (380 million) are far above me. To be on the same level, I would have to earn and retain in financial or asset form, $129,970,000 or $379,970,000 respectively. Anything I spent on rent, insurance, gas, food, medicine, and other consumables that can't be resold doesn't count towards that net worth total.

That's a lot. But this pales in comparison to billionaires such as Jeff Bezos (117 billion) and Elon Musk (191 billion). I would have to retain $116,999,970,000 and $190,999,970,000 respectively. At my current income of $50k, which is above the median income for people with my level of education, assuming I magically don't need to spend any money on consumables and can just bank it all:

It would take me 2,599 years and 146 days to obtain Lady Gaga's wealth, or almost 26 CENTURIES.

It would take me 7,599 years and 146 days to obtain Keanu Reeve's wealth, or almost 76 CENTURIES.

It would take me 2,339,999 years and 146 days to obtain Jeff Bezo's wealth, or almost 2,340 MILLENIA.

It would take me 3,899,999 years to obtain Elon Musk's wealth. It would take me nearly 3,900 MILLENIA.

Oh, this is after having paid off all my debt and with my existing assets, by the way. For even Lady Gaga, the least wealthy of this list, I would have to work tirelessly from before the Roman Empire was even founded.

But that's just me, a college-educated middle-class American citizen who is both debt and child-free.

It's much more fascinating to compare these to each other.

Lady Gaga makes $25 million a year.

Keanu Reeves makes $40 million a year.

So, if I deduct what these millionaires already have in assets and divide the total of the billionaire's assets by their income to find how many years of just banking money (no consumables):

Lady Gaga would have to bank another $116,870,000,000 to have Jeff Bezo's wealth. Assuming she stops spending on consumables like food or whatever and every penny of her $25 million income goes into future asset wealth, it would still take Lady Gaga 4,674 years and 293 days for her to obtain Bezo's wealth.

Keanu Reeves would have to bank another $190,620,000,000 to achieve Elon Musk's wealth. Again, in a fantasy world where Keanu doesn't have to feed and clothe himself, it would take him 4,765 years and 6 months to obtain Elon Musk's wealth.

The gap between the assets of famous multimillionaires like Lady Gaga and Keanu Reeves (who make MILLIONS every year) and that of famous multi-billionaires is a little less than HALF what it would take me to become as wealthy as Lady Gaga at my income level, which is, again, above the median. I could never achieve that wealth in my entire fucking lifetime, because, even if I assumed my income would go up and actually outpace inflation, I still need to eat and I can only use my body for labor until I'm 80, tops, which is only 56 years of work and nowhere near the thousands.

This sounds very conspiracy-brain, but sometimes I think the United States deliberately undermines math education and the corresponding understanding of how to problem-solve and comprehend magnitude of these kinds of numbers. Because if kids sat down and did the math, they just might realize that there is no way to become this rich on your own hard work.

Sure, you can invest in the stock market - but that's gambling. Most people might be able to hamper the effects of inflation on their asset values with stock investment.

The American dream is a lie.

The middle class is closer to becoming homeless than they are to becoming multimillionaires.

Even multimillionaires are closer to becoming middle class or even homeless than they are to becoming multi-billionaires.

Don't fucking tell me to budget and I'll become a millionaire. It's more likely I'll get hit by lightning or lose it all to medical bills.

If this doesn't radicalize you, I don't know what will.

[allthecanadianpolitics]

A new study has revealed the worst place in Canada to buy a home, and it might surprise you. MetroVancouverHomeSource.com looked at each province's average house price and median annual income to determine its rankings. While British Columbia's housing market makes headlines over and over again for its unaffordability, it's actually Ontario that took the not-so-coveted prize with a score of 20.97 out of 100. "The average house price in the province is a staggering $931,870, while the median annual income is $41,690. Ontario also has high living costs, with high childcare, food, and household maintenance costs. However, the province has the lowest healthcare costs of all ten provinces," the report found. Apparently, BC placed a bit better for the chance of buying a home due to having "the lowest mortgage insurance premiums on average."  But the average cost of a home in 2023 is higher than in Ontario — a jump compared to 2022 and remains more than double what it would cost in Alberta.

Continue Reading.

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[theambitiouswoman]

Heyy

Do you have any advice on starting a real estate business as in just buying and renting out property?

Thanks 🤍

Yes!

**For the record, I have personally done a few flips/rehabs. Apart from that, I knew/know most of the realtors in this city and relating companies as I worked with most real estate/mortgage and title companies here when I had an agency.

First you need to be able to learn the market and research comparables. When looking to buy properties there are important factors to consider to make sure you are not paying overprice for a property as well as that the are is on demand, ensuring it will be easier to rent out the property.

The location of the property and its proximity to amenities like schools, shopping centers, grocery stores, transportation etc. Also that the area is safe.

You also want to look for areas that has future development plans, this will raise the value of your property.

If you have worked with investment companies, you will quickly learn that buying a property that is not in the best condition, a rehab property, could be a very smart play. You want to make sure of course to check the comparables and ensure that the property is underpriced compared to the other homes in the area. Once you rehab the property, it could raise or even surpass the value of the other homes in the area.

Any home that you would look into to buy for renting out should have elements that you intend to upgrade on. There are a lot of reasons for this but the most important one is how it raises your price and potential earnings. Redoing a kitchen or a bathroom can immediately raise the value of your home anywhere from 5-50k. A project that will cost you anywhere from 3-10k on average for a standards nice kitchen depending on your area.

Overall you still want to look at the comps to make sure you are getting a fair deal. Calculate the potential annual rent as a percentage of the properties price. This will give you an idea of the return on your investment. Also make sure that the potential rental income exceeds the monthly expenses. If not it does not make sense.

Check the vacancy rates in the area you want to purchase in, if its high there may be a low demand and not a good area to invest in.

Also you want to think about how easy it would be to sell the property if you need to. In demand areas tend to be more liquid.

So important, to understand the landlord/ tenant laws in your state. Including their rights and eviction process etc. Nothing worst than having a horrible tenant and not being legally able to remove them.

There are a lot of rate plans depending on your specific situation and mortgage rates also vary significantly by state. Make sure to get the best deal for you. Some states a first time can give as little as 1-5% down depending if you are a first time/ entrepreneur etc.

Property insurance is another cost factor to consider when working out your numbers as this varies by area.

Managing a few properties on your own is easy, but after a handful, you may want to consider hiring a property management company to handle these things for you.

I would strongly urge you to get a lawyer to draw up renter contracts.

To grow this business what you want to do, and this is a general overview: down payment for house, fix, rent out, refinance, use refinance to purchase another property and have enough to put into upgrades/repairs on the second purchase and repeat.

I can get into taxes on this too if you want.

[dubairealestate24]

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Applying for a Home Loan in UAE

Applying for a home loan in the UAE can be a complex process, and avoiding common mistakes can help you secure the best terms and conditions. This guide highlights common pitfalls to avoid when applying for a home loan in the UAE.

Understanding Home Loans

Home loans, or mortgages, come in various forms, including fixed-rate, variable-rate, and Islamic mortgages. Each type has its benefits and considerations.

Fixed-Rate Mortgages: These loans have a fixed interest rate for a specified period, providing stability in monthly payments.

Variable-Rate Mortgages: The interest rate fluctuates based on market conditions, which can lead to lower initial rates but potential increases over time.

Islamic Mortgages: Compliant with Sharia law, these mortgages involve profit-sharing rather than interest payments.

For detailed information on home loans, visit home loan dubai.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Not Shopping Around: Failing to compare different lenders and loan products can result in higher costs and less favorable terms.

Overlooking Fees: Be aware of all fees and charges associated with the loan to avoid unexpected expenses.

Ignoring Pre-Approval: Getting pre-approved helps streamline the home search and strengthens your bargaining position.

Taking on New Debt: Avoid taking on new debt during the loan process, as it can affect your financial profile and loan approval.

Not Understanding Loan Terms: Ensure you understand all terms and conditions of the loan, including interest rates, repayment terms, and early repayment penalties.

For property purchases, explore Buy Luxury Property in UAE.

Steps to Securing a Home Loan

Assess Your Financial Situation: Begin by evaluating your financial health. Calculate your income, expenses, and savings to determine how much you can afford.

Improve Your Credit Score: A high credit score improves your chances of loan approval and favorable terms.

Save for a Down Payment: Aim for at least 20% of the property's value to reduce mortgage insurance costs and improve loan terms.

Compare Loan Options: Different lenders offer various products. Compare rates, terms, and conditions.

Get Pre-Approved: Pre-approval provides an estimate of how much you can borrow, making the home search more focused and efficient.

Submit Your Application: Complete the mortgage application, providing necessary documents such as proof of income, credit history, and property details.

Loan Approval and Offer: Once approved, the lender will present an offer detailing the loan amount, interest rate, and repayment terms.

Finalizing the Purchase: After accepting the offer, work with your lender to finalize the purchase. Ensure all legal and financial aspects are in order.

For rental options, visit Apartments For Rent in Dubai.

Tips for a Smooth Home Loan Process

Maintain a Good Credit Score: A high credit score improves your chances of loan approval and favorable terms.

Avoid New Debt: Refrain from taking on new debt during the loan process to maintain your financial profile.

Consult with a Mortgage Advisor: Professional advice can help you navigate the complexities of securing a home loan.

Understand Fees and Charges: Be aware of all fees and charges associated with the loan, including processing fees, valuation fees, and early repayment penalties.

For luxury properties, explore Luxury Properties For Sale in Dubai.

Legal and Regulatory Considerations

The UAE has specific regulations governing mortgages. Ensure compliance with all legal requirements, including property registration and transfer fees.

Dubai Land Department (DLD): The DLD oversees property transactions. Ensure all documents are registered with the DLD.

No Objection Certificate (NOC): If buying from a developer, obtain an NOC confirming no outstanding payments or disputes.

Conclusion

Avoiding common mistakes when applying for a home loan in the UAE can help you secure the best terms and conditions. By following the tips outlined in this guide, you can navigate the process efficiently and achieve your homeownership goals. For more resources and expert advice, visit home loan dubai.

[buyresidentialpropertiesindubai]

Navigating the Mortgage Market: Finding the Best Mortgage Company in UAE

Navigating the mortgage market in the UAE can be challenging, given the numerous options available. This guide will help you find the best mortgage company for your needs, ensuring you secure favorable mortgage terms and rates.

For more insights into Dubai's real estate market, visit home loan dubai.

Understanding the UAE Mortgage Market

Market Overview: The UAE mortgage market is diverse and competitive, with a wide range of local and international banks offering various mortgage products. Understanding the market landscape is essential for making the right choice.

Types of Mortgages: Mortgages in the UAE can be classified into fixed-rate and variable-rate mortgages. Fixed-rate mortgages provide stability with consistent monthly payments, while variable-rate mortgages fluctuate based on market conditions.

Eligibility Criteria: Each mortgage company has its own eligibility criteria, including income requirements, employment status, and credit history. Understanding these criteria will help you identify which companies you qualify for.

For more investment options, explore Buy Commercial Properties in Dubai.

Key Features of Mortgage Companies

Competitive Interest Rates: Leading mortgage companies offer competitive interest rates, helping you save money over the loan term. Compare the rates offered by different companies to find the best deal.

Flexible Loan Terms: Look for mortgage companies that offer flexible loan terms, including various repayment periods and options for early repayment without penalties.

Customer Service: Excellent customer service is essential when dealing with mortgage companies. Choose a company with a strong reputation for providing responsive and helpful support.

Quick Approval Process: The approval time for mortgages can vary between companies. Select a company known for its quick and efficient approval process to avoid delays in your property purchase.

Additional Services: Some mortgage companies offer additional services such as mortgage insurance, property valuation, and financial planning advice. These services can add value and convenience to your mortgage experience.

For mortgage services, visit Mortgage Financing in Dubai.

Steps to Finding the Right Mortgage Company

Research and Compare: Start by researching various mortgage companies in the UAE. Use online platforms, read customer reviews, and compare their mortgage products and services.

Seek Recommendations: Ask friends, family, or colleagues for recommendations. Personal experiences can provide valuable insights into the reliability and efficiency of different mortgage companies.

Consult a Mortgage Broker: A mortgage broker can provide expert advice and help you find the best mortgage deals. They can also assist with the application process and negotiations.

Pre-Approval: Get pre-approved for a mortgage to understand your borrowing capacity and increase your chances of securing a good deal. Pre-approval also makes you a more attractive buyer to sellers.

Meet with Representatives: Schedule meetings with representatives from different mortgage companies to discuss your needs and ask questions. This will help you gauge their responsiveness and willingness to assist.

Review Terms and Conditions: Carefully review the terms and conditions of the mortgage offers. Pay attention to interest rates, loan terms, fees, and any other conditions that may affect your mortgage.

For property management services, visit Apartments For Rent in Dubai.

Popular Mortgage Companies in UAE

HSBC: Known for its competitive interest rates and flexible mortgage options, HSBC is a popular choice for homebuyers in the UAE.

Emirates NBD: Emirates NBD offers a range of mortgage products tailored to different needs, along with excellent customer service and quick approval times.

Mashreq Bank: Mashreq Bank provides personalized mortgage solutions with attractive rates and minimal fees, making it a preferred choice for many buyers.

ADCB: Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) offers comprehensive mortgage products with competitive rates and flexible repayment options.

Dubai Islamic Bank: For those seeking Sharia-compliant mortgage solutions, Dubai Islamic Bank offers a variety of Islamic mortgage products with favorable terms.

For property sales, visit Property For Sale in Dubai.

Real-Life Success Story

Consider the case of Noor and Hadi, who recently purchased their dream home in Dubai. By working with a reputable mortgage company, they secured a mortgage with favorable terms. The mortgage company provided expert advice, handled the paperwork, and ensured a smooth process from start to finish. This allowed Noor and Hadi to focus on finding their perfect home without worrying about the complexities of securing a mortgage.

For more insights into Dubai's real estate market, visit home loan dubai.

Future Trends in the UAE Mortgage Market

Digitalization: The UAE mortgage market is embracing digitalization, with many companies offering online application processes, digital document submission, and virtual consultations. This trend is making the mortgage process more efficient and convenient.

Sustainable Mortgages: There is a growing demand for sustainable mortgages that support environmentally friendly and energy-efficient homes. Mortgage companies are beginning to offer products that cater to this demand.

Flexible Mortgage Products: Mortgage companies are increasingly offering flexible mortgage products that cater to the diverse needs of homebuyers. This includes options for expatriates, first-time buyers, and investors.

For property sales, visit Sell Your Apartments in Dubai.

Conclusion

Navigating the mortgage market in the UAE involves careful research, comparison, and consideration of various factors. By understanding the market, seeking recommendations, and evaluating your options, you can secure a mortgage that meets your needs and financial goals. For more resources and expert advice, visit home loan dubai.

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for failing to commit insurance fraud?

Right, O.K., I know it sounds like a shit motive. But it wasn't supposed to go the way it did, I swear.

Here's the situation. My spouse and I have three children (3, 8, and 12). We live in a country that cares more about appearances than the actual people living here, so when the rich folk got all up in a twist about the Zombie crisis, the govt issued free cure kits and offered a relief fund for households suffering from Postmortem Traumatic Disorders, to cover the cost of rehabilitation.

Now I'll say right here, I don't respect the govt for shit. They have done jack all for the people that actually need the support. My children can barely eat, I have a job but my spouse is mentally disabled and according to the govt they're worthless to society because of it. If they were on their own they would receive no support at all and they'd probably be denied housing, which would leave them on the streets at night where they'd get fucking butchered by zombies. The only reason they're allowed to live as far as the authority is concerned is because they help me with the kids.

It's fucking bullshit.

So my spouse and I agreed on a plan. I bought a specialized gun with zombie bullets from a shady dealer off the black market. The idea was, I shoot them with it, use the cure kit immediately, we take them to the hospital to get them certified for PMTD, and we get the rehabilitation fund (would feed the kids for a full year while we look into immigration). I didn't like it, but they convinced me it should be them who turns, because if the PMTD affected my ability to work we would get nothing out of it all.

I don't usually deal with the black market. So I was naive. I thought I got standard zombie bullets, I noticed my spouse was turning greyer than most zombies. Not green at all really, just pale, and blue, and dry. That's when I realized that the shit I had just shot them with must've been a frost zombie variety. (And for those of you who've never seen a frost zombie in person: they're exactly as fast and vicious as the stories say.)

Mind you we went to my grandparents' abandoned farm for this, out of the way where no one could get hurt. Left the kids at home. Even if something went wrong it was supposed to be fine.

Except our 8y/o followed us here. They'd been hiding behind some old ass structure, and I didn't see them. And they got hit by that same bullet. And when I saw my kid from behind my spouse, I faltered. So before I could administer the cure, my spouse attacked me. I won't go into the details, but it was...... horrible.

Next thing I know, I wake up at a hospital. They saved me and my kid but my spouse is dead. They didn't see them as "worth saving". The PMTD is nothing compared to the grief of losing my beloved and being responsible for the turning of my child all in one night. It was all a big mistake. Or it should've been me in the first place. Or maybe it was foolish to try at all.

I'm not sure whether I'm more furious with myself, or with this godforsaken country I live in. Or if the wrath I feel is just a mask for the hopelessness and mourning. I don't know what I could've done different, but it seems like it's all I can think about lately.

[randomrabbidramblings]

Thanks to Bwahstrella's... questionable policies about her clients' privacy here's her quotes:

Not quite spoilers, but if you want to catch them yourself, don't go ahead. No spoilers about the DLC, just lil' trivia about the characters. There's A LOT of them, I don't even think you could get all of them in a couple of playthroughs, I may have missed a bunch, so if you find some I didn't let me know!

"Augie lives in fear his villagers will discover that their emergency food supplies are just bags of nacho cheese sauce."

"Augie was supposed to build a new temple, but he blew the funds on booking DJ Cheep Tuna for his birthday."

"I foresee Augie will be put on a "performance improvement plan" for using the lighthouse to cook a rotisserie chicken."

"Tell Augie our service hotline is not a free consueling service."

"Find out wich intern told Augie he was doomed and fire them. He is calling like a lunatic now."

"I foresee Augie wearing sweatpants to his parents' anniversary after forgetting to try on his suit until the day of."

"Orion's next cargo ship will catch fire after Salesbot's crates of "furniture parts" turn out to be illegal fireworks."

"I foresee Orion being swallowed alive by a Shovel-Nosed Gobblegazer while star fishing. He REALLY needs a new hobby."

"Magnesio and Vanesia sold MANY "prosperity crystals". The catch? They were ICE crystals. Rabbids got water in the mail."

"I sponsored Telesio in a book-a-thon fundraiser. He read every book in the Winter Palace - TWICE! Cost me a fortune."

"Each postcard of Dr. Vent is stranger than the last. That Rabbid is in dire need of a vacation."

"The balls they throw at the Winter palace are like knitting circles compared to the ones they had there back in my days."

"Woodrow is to recieve terrible dating advice until he rescinds the 5% fortune telling tax on Palette Prime!"

"Woodrow's ex-girlfriend couldn't even read a greeting card inscription without breaking into hives, poor thing."

"The Fates are many, and their voices discordant, but on this ONE thing they agree - they HATE Woodrow's poetry."

"When Woodrow needed money he wrote crude limericks under the name "Bell Chur". Oddly they brought only good luck."

"If Woodrow calls, tell him I am in a seance - DO NOT take a message, especially if it rhymes."

"Yes, it is bad if Woodrow's next poem destroys the galaxy, BUT if we don't have to hear it - mixed blessing."

"Lots of Rabbids from Palette Prime are calling for advice. Woodrow must be working on a new poem. SHUDDER."

"Tell the Palette Prime office I'm eagerly awaiting fresh gossip from the Spellbound Woods about Sweetlopek an the Dryad."

"I foresee the Dryad and Sweetlopek making a fortune selling fall-themed "farmhouse chic" pinecone wreaths to tourists."

"A certain Spark Hunter who is as dense as her name implies owes me for damage to my vacation home on Palette Prime."

"I didn't say Salesbot smuggles artificial pumpking spice into Palette Prime, but I also didn't NOT say it."

"The "authenthic" Paletteville Plaza Farmer's Market scented candles I bought from Salesbot smell like rotting garbage."

"The premium for poetry-related accident insurance on Palette Prime is six times that of our other locations!"

"A golden acorn of opportunity will fall in your lap while you are asleep. It will be eaten by a vole."

"Bea reports that "Madame Bwahstrella Doom n' Bloom Boquets" are a very popular item between mortal enemies."

"Bea's music made a small comeback after DJ Cheep Tuna sampled it for Darkmess Cheese Barber Wrap Tunnel Disco party."

"Tell my publicist to invite Galaxy Confidential to my Doomy Awards dinner party, then seat the Phantom near Bea."

"You didn't need to be psychic to predict the Phantom dumping Bea for one of her backup dancers, but would she listen?"

"Tell Alkementor I need a case of red banana-kumquat-star apple mineral fusion water for my Doomy Awards afterparty."

"I see Sullivan going dateless at the Engineer's Ball if he does not stop blowing me off for his stupid train."

"If Sullivan calls, tell him I'm having lunch with a handsome salesman who prefers electric trains over steam engines."

"Sullivan sent roses to apologize for calling me "vile rabble" after I said his steam train was a "ridiculous fossil"."

"Everywhere I go at the Everbloom I am asked. "Do you foresee more overtime in my future?" Hard to relax."

"I foresee Momma being thougher than leather and harder than steel, with an itch for action and living like there no tomorrow!"

"I wouldn't want to be a certain Spark Hunter when Momma catches up to them with an itch that only revenge can scratch!"

"Tell our Barrendale Mesa location they are absolutely NOT to close during "Big Momma's Bike Rally and Chili Cookoff."

"I foresee Gerspard moving into his Neo-Figurative Hyper-Expressionist Retro-Futuristic Tabloid phase to rave reviews."

"Rabbid Peach wants HOW MUCH for a sponsored post?!"

"Someone tell Rabbid Mario we do not use male models for our gift catalogues before he sends us any more beefcake shots."

"Prof. Backpack's lecture series is postponed until he can find a commercial spaceflight with room for his backpack."

"Can someone remind Salesbot he does not work here? He keeps popping in to help himself to our breakroom snacks."

"My competitor, Madame Bwahstrodamus, could not predict yesterday's weather if she had a newspaper."

"Find out how many lanes the bowling alley in Madame Bwahstrodamus' mansion has so I can build mine with twice as many."

"Sigh... Have my body double do the autograph signing. I need a vacation..."

"I see a new personal assistant in my future if my chicken cheesesteak is cold like last time."

"Curses, hexes, evil eyes... Fortune-telling USED to be fun. Now the Fates most rely on algorithms and statistics."

"I'm Doomed, My Partner's Not - my self-help guide for couples, it's due out this spring."

"Life is short - doom well, doom often, doom much."

[realcleverissues]

An actually great article on some issues with Kamala's housing plan.

tl;dr + my commentary:

$25k downpayment assistance only helps those who have enough money to potentially buy a house. i.e. helps the middle-to-upper class. (Assuming a home is a good investment compared to other options. More on that in a moment.)

Banning corporate landlordship has positive effects for housing for *buyers* but reduces supply for *renters*. This can actually lead to gentrification (as has happened in places where this has been tried). Iow, bad for lower-to-middle income earners. So, in short, those plans help the wealthy but harm the poor.

Fundamentally: Since housing is viewed socially as an investment, homeowners want their investments to maximize profits. This is one reason for zoning laws: Fewer homes make existing homes more expensive. That's precisely why the housing market is so high: not enough homes. Everyone's essentially bidding for the limited supply. (Note: Studies have shown that allowing for more density does not drive down prices. This is because, while a $1M home might be worth only $900K with sufficient home supply, the *property* of the home may now be worth $1.5M. This is because relaxed zoning would allow for more homes to be built on the same spot. So developers can replace a $1M home (now $900k home) with, say, a duplex worth $1.5, or with a 4 story apartment building worth $3M. Additionally, more home availability translates into less poverty, homelessness, addiction, and crime, further raising values. That said, while home values may not suddenly fall, the growth in their value would be slowed tremendously. Instead of, say, 8% value increases each year, it might go to, say, 4%. This means that homes would no longer be as great an investment as they currently are. In this scenario, middle-class earners might be better off investing in something else rather than pouring their money into a house. This is the extra kink related to the first point above.) This is one of the tensions found in capitalism: Businesses love limited supply bc that inflates value and price; consumers love sufficient supply bc it lowers prices toward cost. This creates a tension between homeowners (who like limited supply) and non-homeowners (who want ample supply). Right now, the homeowners are winning. Rules like single family zoning heavily benefit homeowners, and bc changes to local law are made at the local level (i.e. people already living there), it again becomes hard to change.

As a result of the above point, we find an additional problem: Creating more homeowners would, in effect, create more NIMBYs, since again, the assumption among homeowners is that changing zoning laws would harm their investment.

Personally, my top three solutions would be:

a. Eliminate or massively reduce single family zoning b. Institute a land tax. It doesn't have to entirely replace the current property tax system, but even a small change could incentivize positive changes (like smaller lot zoning, less land hoarded for development, etc). c. Financially and legislatively encourage the growth of non-profit rental options and organizations. Landlording is literally the definition "rent seeking" in economic terms: pointless middlemen who make more than their work due to having privileged position. Much like the issue of insurance companies causing increased prices in US healthcare, we could save consumers a lot of money if we cut them out and replaced them with non-profit entities. So instead of your rent paying the landlord's mortgage and lifestyle, renters could see reduced rates that reflect the *lifetime* value of the home (not just the mortgage period, which is often half as much), and the actual costs to maintain it, not the inflated "market value" of what landlords can charge. This could immediately lower rental costs by at least a few percentage points, and would continue to get cheaper over the long run (since prices wouldn't rise with market values). Additionally, unlike something like medicare, we really don't need everyone to participate. Non-profit rentals can live alongside for-profit rentals. Some people may not mind paying extra for more luxurious rentals. And that's great for them. But lots of people would love to have regular, non-luxury options.

[mariacallous]

In the 2016 presidential election, young adults ages 18 to 29 backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump by a margin of 30 points, 58% to 28%. Four years later, Joe Biden received 59% of their vote while Donald Trump increased his share to 35% but still lost this cohort by 24 points. These results helped convince many analysts that young adults were becoming a reliable building-block of the Democratic base, and the strong pro-Democratic tilt of young voters in midterm elections fortified this view.

Against this backdrop, it was hard for seasoned observers to believe growing indications that young adult support for President Biden was softening significantly. But the New York Times/Sienna survey of swing state voters burst this bubble of confidence. This poll found that young adults were split evenly (47-46%) between Biden and Trump, while their older siblings ages 30 to 44 favored Trump over Biden by 47% to 43%. A flurry of national surveys soon yielded similar results, making it impossible to dismiss the NYT/Sienna poll as an outlier.

While observers groped for an explanation, it was staring them in the face. When asked whether economic or social issues would be more important in determining their vote in 2024, 62% chose economic issues, the largest share of any age cohort, while only 29% opted for social issues. And these young adults think that the economy is doing terribly. Less than half of one percent said the state of the economy is “excellent;” just 7% said “good” or “very good;” and the remaining 93% said “only fair” or “poor.” Only 38% of young adults believe that Biden’s policies have helped them personally, while 50% think that these policies have hurt them. By contrast, 53% said that Trump’s policies had helped them, compared to 34% who said these policies had hurt them.

It should come as no surprise that only 21% of these young economy voters think that the country is on the right track. Nor should it be surprising that 62% of them trust Trump to do a better job managing the economy, compared to just 34% of them who think that Biden would.

In line with conventional wisdom, young adults do trust Biden over Trump to address social issues such as immigration and abortion, and they think Biden will do a better job with our democratic institutions. But these young voters simply don’t care about these issues nearly as much as they do about the economy.

But this raises a further question: Why are young voters so down on the economy? Isn’t unemployment at near-record lows? Aren’t wages rising while price increases moderate? Isn’t Bidenomics working?

Not from the perspective of young adults. Soaring housing prices have pushed up rents as well, pricing many young adults out of the market, especially in the urban areas they find most desirable. As a result, record numbers of young adults are living at home with their parents. While this arrangement may ensure a steady supply of clean laundry, it’s not what they had in mind when they left high school to enter college or the workforce. The cost of food, not just in restaurants but also in supermarkets, has also soared. Many jobs come without benefits, and young adults lose their eligibility for coverage under their parents’ health insurance before they turn 27.

Young college graduates are especially disappointed. They aren’t getting the across-the-board cancellation of student loans that they had hoped for, and the job market is not meeting their expectations. Because of cutbacks in desirable areas such as tech, finance, and marketing, many college graduates are being forced to accept lower-paying jobs that don’t make use of their skills.

And they are the lucky ones. Many graduates are reporting that they are having a hard time getting interviews and landing full-time jobs. Large numbers are settling for part-time work while continuing the discouraging process of looking for jobs in a softening market. Overall, 4.4% of recent college graduates are unemployed, significantly higher than the rest of the workforce.

The pervasive economic disappointment of young adults occurs in a broader context that includes all households. In 2019, median household income saw its biggest gain in a generation, surging from $7,3030 in 2018 to $78,250. In 2020, as the pandemic spread, median household income declined to $76,660. By the end of the second year of the Biden administration, it had fallen further to $74,580. No doubt the recovery has continued in 2023, but it would be a lift to get back to 2020 levels, let alone 2019, which—fairly or not—serves for many voters as a mental baseline against which President Biden’s performance is being measured.

In sum: Like a majority of Americans, young adults care most about the economy, they think it’s in bad shape, and they blame President Biden. This could change between now and the 2024 election, of course. The economy might start performing better for them, the weight they attach to the social issues might increase, or an aggressive negative campaign by the Biden forces could persuade them to alter their view of former President Trump. But if the election were held tomorrow, Biden’s share of young adult votes may well be low enough to cost him the presidency.

[renovations24]

How to Find Expert Bathroom Renovators in Eltham

Renovating a bathroom can be a transformative experience, enhancing both the functionality and aesthetic of one of the most important spaces in your home. In Eltham, a suburb known for its picturesque settings and charming homes, finding the right expert bathroom renovator is crucial to ensuring a successful renovation project. This guide will walk you through the steps to find top-notch bathroom renovators in Eltham, offering practical tips and insights to make your search as smooth as possible.

1. Define Your Renovation Goals

Before you start your search for a bathroom renovator, it’s essential to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve with your renovation. Are you looking to completely overhaul your bathroom, or are you interested in smaller updates? Consider factors like:

Design Preferences: Modern, traditional, or a mix of styles.

Functional Needs: Additional storage, upgraded fixtures, or better lighting.

Budget: Determine how much you’re willing to invest in the renovation.

Having a detailed vision will help you communicate your needs effectively to potential renovators and ensure they understand your expectations.

2. Research Local Bathroom Renovators

Start your search by looking for bathroom renovators in Eltham. You can use a variety of resources:

Online Directories and Listings: Websites like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and Google Maps offer lists of local renovators with customer reviews and ratings.

Social Media: Platforms like Facebook and Instagram often feature local businesses and can provide insights into their work.

Home Improvement Websites: Sites like Houzz and HomeAdvisor can connect you with professionals and showcase their portfolios.

3. Check Credentials and Experience

When evaluating potential renovators, consider the following:

Licensing and Certification: Ensure the renovator holds the necessary licenses and certifications required in Victoria. This indicates they meet industry standards and regulations.

Experience: Look for renovators with significant experience in bathroom renovations. A long track record often reflects expertise and reliability.

Specializations: Some renovators may specialize in certain styles or types of renovations. Choose one whose expertise aligns with your project goals.

4. Review Portfolios and References

Reviewing a renovator’s portfolio is crucial to assessing their workmanship and style. Ask for examples of previous bathroom renovations they’ve completed. Pay attention to:

Quality of Work: Check for clean finishes, attention to detail, and overall craftsmanship.

Variety of Projects: A diverse portfolio indicates flexibility and experience with different styles and requirements.

Client Feedback: Request references from past clients to gain insights into their experiences and satisfaction with the renovator’s work.

5. Request Quotes and Compare

Once you’ve narrowed down your list of potential renovators, request detailed quotes from each. A thorough quote should include:

Scope of Work: A detailed description of the renovation tasks and materials.

Timeline: An estimated timeline for project completion.

Cost Breakdown: Clear pricing for labor, materials, and any additional expenses.

Comparing quotes will help you understand the market rate and ensure you’re getting a fair price for the work.

6. Ask the Right Questions

When meeting with renovators, asking the right questions can help you gauge their suitability for your project:

What is your approach to project management and communication?

How do you handle unexpected issues or changes during the renovation?

What warranties or guarantees do you offer on your work?

Can you provide a detailed contract outlining all aspects of the renovation?

Their responses will give you a sense of their professionalism and how they manage projects.

7. Verify Insurance and Safety Measures

Ensure the renovator has adequate insurance coverage, including public liability and workers’ compensation. This protects you in case of accidents or damage during the renovation. Additionally, inquire about their safety measures and protocols to ensure a safe working environment.

8. Trust Your Instincts

Finally, trust your instincts when choosing a bathroom renovator. The right professional should make you feel confident and comfortable throughout the renovation process. Consider their communication style, responsiveness, and overall demeanor.

Conclusion

Finding the right bathroom renovator in Eltham involves careful research and consideration. By defining your goals, researching local experts, reviewing their work, and asking the right questions, you’ll be well-equipped to choose a renovator who can bring your vision to life. A successful renovation not only enhances your bathroom but also adds value to your home, making the effort to find the right professional well worth it.

[haemey]

Ask game my lovely mutual:

Falafel, Bentley, Alpha Centauri

(I had to recite these over and over in my head like a spell so I wouldnt forget them by the time I got to your inbox)

And now I shall have to do the same when I go back to the post to see what they mean... thanks for asking :D

Buckle up, this is a long one

Falafel - a thought I can never seem to outrun.

For me, that would be just your basic, everyday, run-of-the-mill existential dread. I just finished my studies at university and I don't have a job lined up this season. My executive dysfunction makes it hard to send out applications. And there's a bunch of other stuff I need to think of - get my own health insurance (not US, thank someone), find some students to get some money in, figure out how taxes work as a freelance musician and vocal teacher, find an agent, register as unemployed, etc. It's a lot. And all of it is stuff that shouldn't be too difficult. It's a bunch of small, relatively easy tasks. But I just can't seem to get myself to do them. Meanwhile, time is passing and the little voice in my head that goes "are you sure you're cut out for this job?" is getting louder. It's not exactly impostor syndrome - I know I'm good enough. It's more just me listening to the bullies in my own mind.

What a cheerful note to start on! Yay!

Bentley - my most prized possession.

This is a difficult one. In terms of most expensive, it's probably my e-piano. It's almost a decade and a half old by now, but it's still really good, even compared to the ones on the market now. It cost almost 2.5k€ when it was new. I didn't buy it myself, though - it was a gift from someone who wanted to support my plans to become a singer. Which is kind of crazy.

When it comes to emotional value, it's more difficult to say. I'm a bit of a hoarder and I have a hard time letting go of stuff, but I'm also not super attached to anything? Maybe the necklace my sister gave me for my birthday. It's a tiny heart-shaped pendant with an opal in it. The stone is from my late grandma's wedding ring. It had two, and my sister had both of them made into necklaces, one for me and one for her.

Alpha Centauri - where do I run off to when it feels like the end of the world?

Honestly, my bed. I tend to hole up and hibernate when things get tough. Which isn't the best strategy to deal with stress, especially when said stress comes from things needing to be done. I used to flee into games like Animal Crossing or Breath of the Wild, but I'm kind of burnt out from those. So now, it's tea, my beloved plushie I've had for like 18 years, a bunch of pillows, and fanfiction, until my mom calls and tells me to come home for the weekend. She has a weird talent for calling when I least want her to (which is to say when I actually most need her to)... and then I tell her I'll see if I can make it, because I have so much stuff to do (which is usually true, becaude I've let it build up), and of course I make the time, and I go to her place for the weekend, and I still won't feel good, but it's a little better.

Aaaand now I'm crying. PMS at 2:30am be hitting hard, yo

Was that too much information?

Sorry, not sorry

Damn, you really picked the heavy ones forst, huh 😅

[propertybuyindubai]

Understanding Home Loan Options in UAE

The UAE's real estate market is diverse, offering a variety of home loan options to suit different needs. Understanding these options is crucial for making an informed decision. This guide provides an overview of the different home loan options available in the UAE.

Types of Home Loans

Home loans, or mortgages, come in various forms, each with its benefits and considerations.

Fixed-Rate Mortgages: These loans have a fixed interest rate for a specified period, providing stability in monthly payments.

Variable-Rate Mortgages: The interest rate fluctuates based on market conditions, which can lead to lower initial rates but potential increases over time.

Islamic Mortgages: Compliant with Sharia law, these mortgages involve profit-sharing rather than interest payments.

For detailed information on home loans, visit home loan dubai.

Key Features of Different Home Loans

Fixed-Rate Mortgages:

Stability: Monthly payments remain the same throughout the fixed period.

Predictability: Easier to budget as payments do not change.

Higher Initial Rates: Typically, fixed rates are higher than variable rates.

Variable-Rate Mortgages:

Lower Initial Rates: Often start with lower rates than fixed-rate mortgages.

Potential Increases: Rates can increase over time based on market conditions.

Flexibility: Can benefit from falling interest rates.

Islamic Mortgages:

Sharia Compliance: No interest payments; instead, profit-sharing.

Ethical Financing: Aligns with Islamic principles.

Varied Structures: Different structures such as Ijara, Murabaha, and Musharaka.

For property purchases, explore Buy Villas in Dubai.

Choosing the Right Home Loan

Assess Your Financial Situation: Begin by evaluating your financial health. Calculate your income, expenses, and savings to determine how much you can afford.

Consider Your Goals: Determine your homeownership goals, whether it's stability, flexibility, or compliance with Islamic principles.

Compare Loan Options: Different lenders offer various products. Compare rates, terms, and conditions.

Consult with a Mortgage Advisor: Professional advice can help you navigate the complexities of securing a home loan. For expert advice, consider Best Mortgage Services.

Steps to Securing a Home Loan

Get Pre-Approved: Pre-approval provides an estimate of how much you can borrow, making the home search more focused and efficient.

Choose the Right Mortgage: Select a mortgage that aligns with your financial goals.

Submit Your Application: Complete the mortgage application, providing necessary documents such as proof of income, credit history, and property details.

Loan Approval and Offer: Once approved, the lender will present an offer detailing the loan amount, interest rate, and repayment terms.

Finalizing the Purchase: After accepting the offer, work with your lender to finalize the purchase. Ensure all legal and financial aspects are in order.

For rental options, visit Apartments For Rent in Dubai.

Tips for a Smooth Home Loan Process

Maintain a Good Credit Score: A high credit score improves your chances of loan approval and favorable terms.

Save for a Down Payment: Aim for at least 20% of the property's value to reduce mortgage insurance costs and improve loan terms.

Avoid New Debt: Refrain from taking on new debt during the loan process to maintain your financial profile.

Understand Fees and Charges: Be aware of all fees and charges associated with the loan, including processing fees, valuation fees, and early repayment penalties.

For selling your property, explore Sell Your Property in Dubai.

Legal and Regulatory Considerations

The UAE has specific regulations governing mortgages. Ensure compliance with all legal requirements, including property registration and transfer fees.

Dubai Land Department (DLD): The DLD oversees property transactions. Ensure all documents are registered with the DLD.

No Objection Certificate (NOC): If buying from a developer, obtain an NOC confirming no outstanding payments or disputes.

Conclusion

Understanding home loan options in the UAE involves careful planning and knowledge of the mortgage market. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can navigate the process efficiently and achieve your homeownership goals. For more resources and expert advice, visit home loan dubai.