#file my state taxes for free

[daandori]

sometimes ill convert my annual salary to usd just to hurt myself

[youarealwaysenough]

TurboTax to advertising directly on my W-2 should be illegal

[the-final-sif]

For anyone in the US who has just realized that they are nearly 1 month away from their taxes being due (April 18th) and is panicking because they don't know what to do,

Calm down.

If you're new to taxes, and in an early part of your life (just earning wages from a company that does withholdings), they're actually pretty easy to do and odds are you're just gonna get some free money (your tax refund).

Collect documents. Specifically, go get your get your W2, a form sent to you by whatever company you work for. Most will send you this online. Some might send you a paper copy.

https://www.irs.gov/filing/free-file-do-your-federal-taxes-for-free

Go to the above link, there's free filing options for federal taxes, and for some state taxes. It took me ~15 minutes to do my taxes in total, and then the government gave me like 1k back.

If your situation is more complicated than just having a W2, then go to the IRS's help page. They have a ton of super helpful tools that can walk you through different situations and what you need to do, they also have a toll-free help line.

https://www.irs.gov/help/ita

I know everyone talks about how much taxes suck, but legit, if you're an average wage earner and don't own a house or anything, odds are your taxes can be done in 15 minutes and then you get some of the taxes you paid back. It's not that scary, and the IRS has been working really hard to make the process as simple as possible.

Good luck!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

The unexpected upside of global monopoly capitalism

I'm touring my new, nationally bestselling novel The Bezzle! Catch me TODAY (Apr 10) at UCLA, then Chicago (Apr 17), Torino (Apr 21) Marin County (Apr 27), Winnipeg (May 2), Calgary (May 3), Vancouver (May 4), and beyond!

Here's a silver lining to global monopoly capitalism: it means we're all fighting the same enemy, who is using the same tactics everywhere. The same coordination tools that allow corporations to extend their tendrils to every corner of the Earth allows regulators and labor organizers to coordinate their resistance.

That's a lesson Mercedes is learning. In 2023, Germany's Supply Chain Act went into effect, which bans large corporations with a German presence from using child labor, violating health and safety standards, and (critically) interfering with union organizers:

https://www.bafa.de/EN/Supply_Chain_Act/Overview/overview_node.html

Across the ocean, in the USA, Mercedes has a preference for building its cars in the American South, the so-called "right to work" states where US labor law is routinely flouted and unions are thin on the ground. As The American Prospect's Harold Meyerson writes, the only non-union Mercedes factories in the world are in the US:

https://prospect.org/labor/2024-04-08-american-workers-german-law-uaw-unions/

But American workers – especially southern workers – are on an organizing tear, unionizing their workplaces at a rate not seen in generations. Their unprecedented success is down to their commitment, solidarity and shrewd tactics – all buoyed by a refreshingly pro-worker NLRB, who have workers' backs in ways also not seen since the Carter administration:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/14/prop-22-never-again/#norms-code-laws-markets

Workers at Mercedes' factory in Vance, Alabama are trying to join the UAW, and Mercedes is playing dirty, using the tried-and-true union-busting tactics that have held workplace democracy at bay for decades. The UAW has lodged a complaint with the NLRB, naturally:

https://www.commondreams.org/news/alabama-mercedes-benz

But the UAW has also filed a complaint with BAFA, the German regulator in charge of the Supply Chain Act, seeking penalties against Mercedes-Benz Group AG:

https://uaw.org/uaw-files-charges-in-germany-against-mercedes-benz-companys-anti-union-campaign-against-u-s-autoworkers-violates-new-german-law-on-global-supply-chain-practices/

That's a huge deal, because the German Supply Chain Act goes hard. If Mercedes is convicted of union-busting in Alabama, its German parent-company faces a fine of 2% of its global total revenue, and will no longer be eligible to sell products to the German government. Chomp.

Now, the German Supply Chain Act is new, and this is the first petition filed by a non-German union with BAFA, so it's not a slam dunk. But supermajorities of Mercedes workers at the Alabama factory have signed UAW cards, and the election is going to happen in May or June. And the UAW – under new leadership, thanks to a revolution that overthrew the corrupt old guard – has its sights set on all the auto-makers in the American south.

As Meyerson writes, the south is America's onshore offshore, a regulatory haven where corporations pay minimal or no tax and are free to abuse their workers, pollute, and corrupt local governments with a free hand (no wonder American industry is flocking to these states). Meyerson: "The economic impact of unionizing the South, in other words, could almost be placed in the same category as reshoring work that had gone to China."

The German Supply Chain Act was passed with the help of Germany's powerful labor unions, in an act of solidarity with workers employed by German companies all over the world. This is that unexpected benefit to globalism: the fact that Mercedes has extrusions into both the American and German political spheres means that both American and German workers can collaborate to bring it to heel.

The same is true for antitrust regulators. The multinational corporations that are in regulators' crosshairs in the US, the EU, the UK, Australia, Japan, South Korea and beyond use the same playbook in every country. That's doubly true of Big Tech companies, who literally run the same code – embodying the same illegal practices – on servers in every country.

The UK's Competition and Markets Authority has led the pack on convening summits where antitrust enforcers from all over the world gather to compare notes and collaborate on enforcement strategies:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cma-data-technology-and-analytics-conference-2022-registration-308678625077

And the CMA's Digital Markets Unit – which boasts the the largest tech staff of any competition regulator in the world – produces detailed market studies that turn out to be roadmaps for other territories' enforces to follow – like this mobile market study:

https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/63f61bc0d3bf7f62e8c34a02/Mobile_Ecosystems_Final_Report_amended_2.pdf

Which was extensively referenced in the EU during the planning of the Digital Markets Act, and in the US Congress for similar legislation:

https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/2710

It also helped enforcers in Japan:

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Technology/Japan-to-crack-down-on-Apple-and-Google-app-store-monopolies

And South Korea:

https://www.reuters.com/technology/skorea-considers-505-mln-fine-against-google-apple-over-app-market-practices-2023-10-06/

Just as Mercedes workers in Germany and the USA share a common enemy, allowing for coordinated action that takes advantage of vulnerable flanks wherever they are found, anti-monopoly enforcers are sharing notes, evidence, and tactics to strike at multinationals that are bigger than most countries – but not when those countries combine.

This is an unexpected upside to global monopolies: when we all share a common enemy, we've got endless opportunities for coordinated offenses and devastating pincer maneuvers.

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/10/an-injury-to-one/#is-an-injury-to-all

[glow-worms-are-believers]

Heya so this is Damian's pov in the chapter 16 of my fic Hostage situations and other romantic activities based on @iguessthisisanewobsession's prompt! I had it written out and though it doesn't fit in with the main storyline, I figured I'd post it here and link it in case anyone was curious. Feel free to ignore this if you haven't read the fic <3

Hope you guys enjoy:) (Spoilers ahead)

Damian’s head hurt. Zsasz had managed to get in a good hit before Damian had managed to knock him out, or at least what he thought had been a knock-out. He’d been sloppy and now the teen’s head was throbbing. At least, he had seen no injuries on Danny though the other boy had been very pale and looked unwell. 

That was another thing. Danny.

Gotham wasn’t a safe place for civilians, and metas had it even worse. That was true everywhere but in Gotham even more so; discrimination, increased risk of violence, even human experimentation. 

It wasn’t surprising that Danny would want to keep his abilities a secret. But something about the blast, how despite clearly having been instinct, the shot had been so very precise that Damian who had been pinned under Zsasz hadn’t felt more than a cold blast of wind made it seem as if there was more to it than that.

And right now, as he was perched up in the tree waiting for law enforcement, there was nothing to do but to speculate.

No, that was untrue, he thought as he took his phone out of his pocket. He could do more than that. 

He could research. And so he did. 

And found nothing.

Oh sure, there was a blurry picture here, an oblique mention there but no proof of existence beyond a social security number, a high school diploma, and one measly article.

No birth certificate, no social media, no medical file, not even a driver’s license.

It wasn’t that Danny Fenton was a ghost. It was more like he was a half-finished person.

Damian breathed out slowly. 

It wasn’t Danny’s powers that made him suspicious. It was everything else.

An hour later, Damian slid down into the now dark forest and started walking.

Damian looked up to see Danny coming down carefully. Damian steeled his expression into a neutral one, unwilling to let his thoughts play on his face.

“Daniel,” Damian started formally. “You went back to the school.”

That was a point in the boy’s favour; at least, he had not ran.

“Yeah,” Danny answered, too casually. “thanks again for saving my butt back there.”

Damian nodded, but abstained from saying anything further in favour of studying Danny’s expression. He didn’t seem any different but Damian knew appearances could be deceiving.

“So-“ Danny started but Damian wasn’t interested in small talk.

“I could not find a picture of you before your fourteenth birthday,” Damian stated clearly.

“Uh,” Danny stumbled. “Ok?”

“Nor could I find a birth certificate in your name.” Damian continued expecting a twitch, a frown, something.

“Yeah,” Danny answered calmly, waving. “Mom and Dad are terrible at paperwork.”

Alright. If that was how Danny would play it. Flimsy excuses could only go so far. 

“No social media, no bank account. Not even a tax return in twenty years.”

“IRS have given up long before I was born,” Danny answered airily. “And Amity’s not the safest place for technology.”

Damian studied the boy in front of him. He looked relaxed and mostly at ease. A bit confused, a bit tired if anything. And Damian wanted to believe it. 

Yet, both his instinct and his experience were telling him not to, and so Damian forged on.

“Why did you come to Gotham?” Damian asked.

“What?” Danny answered, once again frowning in confusion. “Uh, I’m here for school? I think I told you that.”

This was getting insulting.

“Do not lie to me,” Damian said, feeling something brewing.

“I’m not,” Daniel persisted in a stupid simplistic excuse. “I’m really here for school.”

Damian clenched his jaw, keeping his eyes peeled on the deceptive face in front of him. Damian had come for the truth and he was going to get it. 

“You truly had me fooled,” Damian stated as he slowly started to circle the other teen. “I did not suspect you for a moment.”

“What are you even talking about?” Danny said, but Damian wasn’t listening to more lies.

“Why did you approach me?” Damian asked asking from Danny’s side. Because that was the most logical explanation, no matter what Damian wanted to believe. It wouldn’t be the first time mother or another one of his enemies had sent someone to kill him. He had to consider the possibility. Danny turned to keep himself facing Damian.

“I didn’t,” Danny stressed, his voice almost snarling. Good. More likely to let something slip.

“Maybe so, but you did not turn down the opportunity to do so either.” Damian allowed, because it truly would’ve been a convoluted plan to manipulate Damian into choosing Danny.

“What,” Danny’s voice biting. “Like you left me any choice?”

Damian stopped short at that. He knew he could be forceful and overbearing but he would never force anyone to do anything like that. He was nothing like her.

“Damian,” Danny’s voice rose again, kinder, softer. “Im not sure what this is, and we can talk about it, I-”.

No. This wouldn’t work. Damian wouldn’t let himself be pacified like a child. “You have deceived me,” Damian reminded himself and Danny

“I haven’t,” Danny protested but Damian wasn't listening. 

“You are not who you say you are.” That was the truth. And no matter what he said, Daniel knew it too.

“Yes, I am,” Danny refuted strongly and Damian had had enough. There was one thing Daniel could no longer lie about.

 “Are you?” Damian asked clearly. “Tell me Danny, are you human?”

Danny flinched and Damian’s heart sank even as it confirmed what Damian already knew.

“That’s what I thought,” said Damian, more calmly than he felt.

“What does that mean?” Danny asked, still trying to pretend but Damian wouldn’t let him.

“It means, I am ashamed I let you get so close.”

It means I know, Damian thought. It mean there’s no use pretending. It means, please do not try. 

There was a moment of silence where Damian held his breath. For Danny to finally give it up and admit it.

Daniel took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. And Damian held himself straighter. Daniel opened his mouth but closed it again.

And then finally-

“Please leave,” Danny’s voice came and what was left of Damian’s hope froze over.

So this was it then. 

“Fine,” Damain said dispassionately. “I’ll send you the severance pay before the end of the week.”

“I don’t want it,” Daniel bit out and Damian could feel something ugly within him rear its head, and Damian let it take the place of the coldness.

“Waynes believe in tying up loose ends,” Damian said silkily. “It does not do to for past indiscretions crop up at importunate times.”

“Ok no. I’m done with this.” Danny stalked off, and it welled up again, poisonous and mean.

“I would be happy to give a recommendation to any new employer of yours,” Damian shouted. 

He knew he was supposed to be better than this, but he couldn’t help it.

“Screw you!” Danny yelled back and Damian snarled, stopping himself from punching at a tree or something equally stupid and emotional.

Whatever. He turned away and started walking.

It wasn’t like it had been a real relationship. It wasn’t like it had meant anything. Damian started running.

It had done what it was supposed to do, and really, Damian had gotten out of it exactly what he wanted. 

The thought did nothing to appease the empty feeling in his chest as he made his way back home.

[homemadehaunting]

From the river to the sea

hey all! firstgrave here

I was somewhat recently banned on tumblr for “targeted harassment”. the post that got me banned? a post in which I said Israeli settlers and former IDF soldiers had actively engaged in ethnic cleansing and genocide. 

I attempted to appeal the ban but have gotten nowhere, and I do see this as the final reason in why I should stay away from tumblr as a whole. I am no longer interested in coming back to tumblr, and will be making no future efforts to do so.

however, some important updates I want to give: many people whom I was mutuals with were there for my entire law school journey, the passing of the bar, and my entrance into the career of public defender. this is something I’ve been dreaming of and working towards for years now. 

in october, the union which represents the office of public defenders I work with, and the majority of public defenders in NY entirely, proposed a resolution on the genocide in Palestine, reinforcing the rights of union members to speak out against apartheid and ethnic cleansing and calling for an end to Israeli occupation. in response, four Zionist members of the union have commenced a lawsuit in attempt to get an injunction against the union members voting on the resolution. the union has now filed a motion to move the case to federal court, thus removing it from the jurisdiction of conservative Long Island state court judges, but also to have the action deemed as an unconstitutional infringement on free speech. 

since the lawsuit was filed, a supervisor at my office has cursed out myself and the 8 new attorneys I was hired with, telling us to “get the fuck” out of her office if we don’t support Israel, and we do not deserve to work there if we do not agree with her. so now we are also in the process of filing a union grievance and EOC claim against the supervisor. this has put us at significant odds against management and we may very well lose our jobs over this (we are at-will employees for the first 3 years of our contract, so while discriminatory firings are illegal, it would be near impossible to prove in this instance.) I am likely to lose my dream job that I have worked years to reach over this. 

The attempts to silence any and all people who speak out against the atrocities being committed with our tax funding cannot be ignored. When we look back at the atrocities of history and wonder how they were allowed to occur, it is because many people feel more comfortable turning a blind eye to the suffering of those “other” to them, and those that do care are faced with coordinated censorship campaigns armed with threats of loss of employment, homelessness, incarceration, violence, and even death. 

In the time all of this has occurred, thousands of men, women, and children have been senselessly and brutally massacred by Israeli forces, aided by other world powers. The US is actively and happily funding the genocide of Palestinians, as well as Britain, Canada, and other imperial nations. Babies have been abandoned and denied humanitarian aid, cities have been leveled, and families have been devastated. 

Attached here is the proposed resolution of the legal aid union. I stand by it wholeheartedly, and ask others to share it as well. There is no excuse for silence or complacency in the face of genocide. Those who are not in Palestine, have not witnessed and experienced the horrors in which every Palestinian citizen has been forced to endure, do not get the benefit of turning a blind eye. 

May we see a free Palestine in our lifetimes. 

[phantomrose96]

I never understood the concept of "doing taxes". Taxes are just there and you just pay them, like everytime you buy something it includes a tax you have no other choice but to pay it, what do you have to do?? (I live outside the USA)

Oh fun! I get to explain U.S. taxes!!

(disclaimer: if you're a young adult in America who will have to learn to do taxes soon, please don't take this as a reason to panic. It IS absurd and it is kinda stressful the first time you do it, but you get a handle on it, and filing services like FreeTaxUSA walk you through it and do all the math parts for you. [Though learning the math parts yourself is kinda smart if you want to understand what you're doing.])

(other disclaimer: I might have some details wrong because I'm a random blogger and not an accountant. Accountants don't maul me please.)

So it's true that tax is included when you buy something, but the whole "doing taxes" in America is about income tax.

My experience is with a company that does withholdings (god bless all you freelance workers figuring it all out for yourselves.) Withholdings means my company will estimate how much tax I should owe and take it out of each paycheck to give to the government. So from a $1,000 paycheck, they might withhold $300 to pay taxes with, and gives you the remaining $700.

But that might NOT be right. So in April every American has to go crunch all the numbers and figure out if they paid the right amount :) (chances are the answer is no).

We get a form called a W-2 (god bless, I only have one W-2 because I work just one full time job) which includes *adjust glasses*: employer's name, your info, your federal ID number, your social security number (partially redacted), your total wages, your federal income tax withheld, your social security tax withheld, your medicare tax withheld, your deferrals with things like 401k contributions, tips, dependent care benefits, STATE income tax withheld (my state has a 5% income tax, on top of the federal income tax) AAAAAAND other boxes I won't even bother with.

You feed this into software (like turbotax, which CHARGES you to do this, but I used FreeTaxUSA which had free federal filing and almost-free state filing) - RIGHT, you file federal and state SEPARATELY. And you owe/receive SEPARATE amounts.

America has tax brackets, which means you owe x% of money you make between--actually, lemme get the fucking chart

fucking delightful.

So if you make $50,000, as a single filer, you owe 10% of the first $10,275, then you owe 12% of the next $31,500 (that's the amount between $10,275-$41,775, in the second row), then 22% of the remaining $8,225 (cough and then also state income tax if you have it cough). It's a little bit like filling up a thermometer, and the amount between each tick mark is what you owe x% of.

BUT WAIT. THERE'S DEDUCTIONS.

DEDUCTIONS are where most of the complexity comes from. Because there's like 1,000 random things that can give you a tax break. And there's also the standard deduction of $12,950.

What's the deduction? It's an amount of your income that qualifies as tax-exempt. So for the $50,000-earner, if they go with the standard deduction of $12,950, then only $37,050 of their income is taxable. So FORGET that calculation above, it's now 10% of the first $10,275, and 12% of the remaining $26,775

But if your itemized deduction is higher than your standard deduction, it's in your interest to calculate all your itemized deductions and use those, if they add up to more than $12,950

My itemized deductions were almost higher than the $12,950, between my state income tax contribution, property tax contribution, and mortgage interest payments. Other people might have a fuckton of other things--uh like dependents, business expenses, uh I'm not even sure since I skim past all the ones that don't apply to me.

OH, ALSO, THERE ARE OTHER FORMS YOU MIGHT HAVE TO PROVIDE BEYOND THE W-2. There are 1099-INT forms for interest made on bank accounts, 1099-DIV forms for money made from stock dividends, and others I don't even know about.

And all my knowledge and experiences comes as someone with relatively simple taxes by U.S. standards.

(The state taxes then have their own things and own deductions and whatever. They're usually kinda less complicated than federal, but they're a separate thing you have to file.)

And after you do all that, it figures out how much tax you SHOULD owe, how much you ACTUALLY paid, and tells you the difference that you owe/are owed.

I got back a decent amount of money in 2019 and 2020. 2021 was preeettty much even. 2022 I OWE a lot of money because, fuck it, I dunno.

[abyssaldyke]

Oh my god if you are in the USA and filing your taxes yourself this year, please use the irs free file tool to find guided tax software. You can calculate your agi (adjusted gross income, basically the first thing on your W-2) quite easily and if it is under $79k USD, the irs will direct you to free tax software so you can file both federal and state at the same time. I ended up using 1040.com for my slightly-complex return and it took me 2 measly hours. Be not afraid! Go forth and file!

[itsthestutterforme]

“The Look of Love” 1/2 (Steve Rogers x ex!reader)

Summary: After Steve got back from D.C., he made a decision he would soon regret. Now he wants to try and out the pieces back together.

Prompt Credit @promptsforthestrugglingauthor : “Do you love me?” “Do you even have to ask?”

Notes: GIF is not mine, all mistakes are my own, story is set in Avengers: Age of Ultron, minors DNI

**

You clicked rewatch for the third time on your tv, settling back into the covers. You curled up into a ball and wrapped your blanket over your shoulders so only your head was peeking out. More tears continued to free fall when you feel your mind receding into the memories you and Steve shared.

You genuinely thought Steve was your person. And you thought you were his person, but you quickly realized that wasn’t the case. You had to be honest and say you stopped listening after he said, “I don’t think I’m good for you, Y/N.”

It made no sense, really. You thought things were going well. Sure him going on missions could be taxing in the relationship but you made it work. He always came back to you. But when he came back from D.C. after taking down SHIELD, he hasn’t been the same.

It was when the two of you hung out since D.C that he decided to break things off. He wasn’t himself but it wasn’t your place to ask anymore. But you hoped that he finds what he was looking for.

You heard a few knocks at the door and further snuggled into the covers. “Y/N, open the door. It’s Natasha,” her raspy voice calls from the door. “And Maria,” she adds. Letting out a sigh, you lifted from the bed and walked to the door. You closed your robe around your frame before opening the door.

“Oh sweetie,” Maria starts, pulling you in for a hug. Wrapping your arms around her, more tears blurred your visions and your throat burn the longer you held back your sobs. Natasha files in behind Maria and closes the door to your apartment. “I’m gonna kill him,” Natasha says, rubbing your back warmly.

“Please don’t. He isn’t a bad guy. He’s just going through something,” you croaked, sniffling occasionally. “I’m sorry I didn’t answer your texts. I just..” “You don’t have to explain yourself, Y/N. We understand,” Maria says once she pulls away.

“How you eaten anything today?” You shook your head no, causing your hair to shake under your bonnet. “Let’s get some food in your system first,” “Why? What’s wrong?” “Nothing is wrong. It’s just that Tony is having a party and he wanted to make sure you were still coming.” Maria explains.

“I’m sure he’s invited half of New York. Why does Tony care whether I go to his party?” “He wanted to make sure you knew you belonged with us, even if you’re not dating Steve.” Natasha states.

“He said that?” Tears swelled in your eyes and you huffed in annoyance. “I’m so tired of being emotional and crying over everything. I’m sorry.” You pressed your palm to your forehead and tried to take a deep breath.

“Hey, we got time. You don’t have to rush anything into anything. You know what? Who cares, we can all stay in.” Maria offers. “No, no. I’ll.. I’ll at least try to make it.” Natasha and Maria shared a look and Natasha opens the door back up again.

She reached down and pulled out a duffel bag with a gorgeous navy blue dress covered in a plastic wrap. “That’s what I was hoping you’d say,” she says, handing you the dress. “Guys, you didn’t have to get me a..” you trail off when you see Natasha purse her lips. “Tony got for me, didn’t he?”

“I would love to take credit for it, but yes. Say what you want about Tony, but he has taste.” Natasha says, making you chuckle. “You do have a point,” you took a closer look at the dress. “Is this Givenchy?” You asked, turning the dress around to face them. “Yes it is,” “I’m going to kill him,”

“Like I said, we have time so let’s get you some food first before we work our magic,”

**

“Do you still feel good about it?” Sam asks Steve when he racks the pool balls. “I never felt good about it. I didn’t even want to do it. I didn’t want to drag her along with everything that’s happened with Bucky. That’s not what she signed up for.” Steve explains. “So you didn’t want to break up with her?”

“No,” “Have you considered getting back together?” “I’ve been to her apartment a few times but then I hear her crying. And I don’t want to put her through any more pain.” Steve explain, running a hand over his face.

“As much as I want to fix it. I don’t know if I can.” He adds and Sam’s gaze falls to the new group that filed out of the elevator once it opened. “Well it looks like you have your chance,” he tilts his head behind Steve, causing him to turn around and see you with Natasha and Maria.

You were never one for taking revenge because you refused to indulge in pettiness. But it felt nice to have so many eyes on you. You continued to scan the room and you were about to make eye contact with Steve when Natasha grabbed your hand, leading you to the bar.

Steve inhale sharply as he takes all of you in. You’ve worn dresses before but none this revealing. The silk dress was a gorgeous, navy that almost matched the color of Steve’s shirt. You move to sit down on one of the stool and that’s when he noticed the dress was backless. The dress hugged your curves beautifully, outlining the body he used to run his hands over every morning before work.

Your senegalese twists trailed down your toned back just enough to cover the monarch butterfly tattoo you have on the center of your back. But the tattoo would reveal itself whenever you turned to look at Maria and Natasha when they were talking. You looked delectable. Steve thought to himself.

Steve’s jaw clenched when he noticed a group of men looking at you the same way he was. He had no right to feel any protectiveness towards you. You weren’t his anymore. You could talk to anyone you wanted. Flirt with anyone you wanted.

You were completely oblivious to it, on purpose if you might add. If you didn’t engage with anyone, they are less likely to approach you. Or so you thought, but the crowd that Tony runs with are very bold. And you’re not entirely sure if you liked that.

“Y/N!” Tony greets once he noticed you at the bar. He crossed the room to give you a hug and some of his friends followed. “Hi Tony. Thank you so much for the dress.” You said, standing from the stool and wrapping your arms around him. “Dresses are just a piece of fabric. This,” he gestures to your body, “Is all you,”

“Thank you,” your face felt hot from the attention you were getting. “Has he tried to come talk to you yet?” He asked and you shook your head no. “Truthfully, I’ve been trying to avoid eye contact the entire time.” You whispered to him. “You are very funny,” he says with a chuckle but you were dead serious.

Tony introduced you to some of his posse and you were met with a lingering stares and ginger kisses to your knuckles. Steve damn near broke the pool stick and Sam had to nudge him to stop staring so hard. “Sorry,” he mumbled. He lifts the triangle and offered Sam to break.

Most of Tony’s posse went over the couch to talk more comfortably. However there was a man who lingered. Maria went over to talk with Tony and Natasha was flirting with Banner, leaving him with the perfect opportunity. “You mind if I sit here?” The man asks you. “Nope I don’t mind,” you took a sip of your Mai Tai, trying not to make a face.

“Not much of a drinker, huh?” He says. “Not normally. I’m a social drinker and that’s about it.” “I’m sorry, did Tony introduce us?” You added. “Ouch. Am I that forgettable?” “No, not at all. There was just a lot of names to remember and I-“ “It’s okay, sweetheart. No need to fret. I’ll gladly reintroduce myself to an angel like yourself. I’m Bruce,”

You shift a little in your seat the longer you two talked, not particularly liking this conversation with Bruce. And you definitely didn’t like his predatory eyes raking your form. “I have to go to the bathroom. Excuse me.” You tried to stand from the stool and Bruce caught your arm.

“Is that code for something, honey?” “Let go of me,” you said sternly. “Steve,” Sam alerts his friend once he sees what was going on. Maria noticed the interaction and stood from her chair. Once she noticed Steve dropping the pool stick and making his way towards you, she sat back down but still kept an eye on you. “Come on, sweetheart. Don’t be such a prude.” Fed up with his persistence, you grab his wrist and twisted down.

“Ow, ow, let me go you bitch! Ah!” You twisted his wrist even harder when you heard someone approach. You froze when you heard Steve say, “What did you just say?” You let go of Bruce’s wrist and looked to Steve. Your heart skipped a beat when you saw how pissed Steve was.

His eyes narrowed at Bruce who now cradles his hand against his body. “Look man, I didn’t know she was your girlfriend, okay? It was a mistake.” “You’re damn right it was a mistake. Get the hell out of here before you ended up with a broken jaw and a sprained wrist.” He closed the gap between him and Bruce.

Your lips parted in shock from Steve’s reaction. “A-alright man,” Bruce stammers, standing from the stool. “I’ll walk you out,” Sam says, following him to the elevators. You were thankful the scene didn’t completely stop the party because that would have been embarrassing to say the least.

Steve’s gaze fell to you and you quickly closed your mouth. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spoken like that in front of you,” he apologized.

“It’s alright.. and you don’t have to worry about me reading between the lines and seeing something that’s not there. I know you would have done the same thing had it been someone else.” You explain, fiddling with your necklace anxiously.

“It wasn’t just anyone else. It was you,” you abruptly stopped touching your necklace when he stares at you with anticipation. He opens his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He felt like an absolute idiot trying to talk to you. You drank the rest of your Mai Thai in one go. “Could I have a shot of whiskey please?” You asked the bartender. “Make that two,” he corrects.

“I’m sorry for interrupting. I’m sure you and Sam were having fun. You should go back.” you stated. “Do you want me to go back?” “You don’t have to ask me, Steve. We’re not..” you trail off and let out a breath.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you, Y/N. I swear, I just-“ “You don’t have to explain anything to me, Steve. I’m sure you had a good reason and anything else you’ll say will just confuse me so please.”

He presses his lips together and nodded in understanding. “I want to make things right,” Rather than answering, you took your shot and when Steve reached for his, you drank his too. His eyes met yours again and with that you left the bar.

Natasha flags you down and motions you to sit next to her. “Everything alright?” “Yeah. I think I’m going to go actually. I’m starting to get tired.” “No, don’t go. We were about to play a game,” Tony offers. With so many eyes on you, your face felt hot for the second time that night. Tony smiled once you caved and agreed to stay for a bit longer.

As the night continued, more and more people left and now it left the original Avengers and close friends. Sure you were among friends but you felt that you overstayed your welcome and wanted to go home. Not to mention, Sam left too so Steve’s attention was solely on you.

He had sat on the couch in front of you, occasionally looking over at you to see your reaction to the conversation. “Looks like it’s about that time to go,” you state, standing from the couch to stretch. You were met with groans of dissatisfaction and pleads to stay.

“I am not a party animal like some people,” you playfully snap at Tony. “But think of how unstoppable you’ll be,” Tony offers. “Do you want me to take you home?” Maria suggests and you shook your head no.

“No I’ll just call an Uber. I’ll be okay,” you exchanged hugs with everyone, leaving Tony last. “You sure?” Natasha asks. “Of course,” you state, pressing a kiss to Tony’s cheek and gave him a small hug. “Well in that case, I trust that Cap will walk you out,” he says when you pull away.

Before you knew it, Steve was by your side and you sent Tony a glare. To which he responded with a wink. You and Steve walked towards the elevator, his hands stuffed in his pockets while you typed in Tony’s address for the Uber. “I could take you home if you want,” Steve offered when the elevator opened and the two of you walked in.

The elevator closed and you clicked the button for the lobby. You clicked out out of the Uber and bit your lip anxiously. When he noticed your hesitance, he added, “Or not. That’s okay. I don’t want to make to you feel uncomfortable,”

“I just don’t want to get my hopes up, Steve. You.. you make it very easy to fall in love with you and I don’t want to see something that isn’t there.” “It’s there, Y/N. You’re not seeing things. I’m right here.” He steps closer to you just as the elevator dings open.

You stared at each other for a moment, wondering where to go from here. “Do you love me?” You asked after a long pause. “Do you even have to ask?” He brushes some of your twists off your shoulder.

“Then we should have that talk,”

[whiskeydickclaws]

I have nothing, I repeat, NOTHING, against stealing from large big box companies, but I do have three main complaints about all the positivity and encouragement I'm seeing circulated all the time.

Please remember that you can always get caught. No one is perfect, and being caught will result in actual, criminal charges. These charges can ruin your fucking life. Colleges can expel you, jobs can fire you without notice, and it can keep you from getting future jobs. You can even be denied for loans or credit cards. And don't forget, if you're a POC, they WILL throw the book at you. The "justice" system always comes down harder on non-white people, queer people, and non-xtians. You will face high fines, probation under unfair and expensive restrictions and conditions. And you may even face heavy jail time. Be aware of these dangers. Not only that, but as someone who's worked with and in asset protection, a lot of stores do know you're stealing. They're keeping a tally. Stores like WalMart purposely wait until they have proof you stole over a certain monetary limit so that they can press higher charges over you. From misdemeanor to burglary charges in my home state, often. This allows them to then sue you for damages and not only get their money back, but more, including court costs and the cost of the hours/employee wages that were used to follow and document your crimes. Never assume you've gotten away scott-free just because you got out of the store. Don't make a habit of stealing from the exact same location regularly. Small, infrequent hits.

Mom and Pop stores are NOT big box stores. They are often barely making ends meet in this current economy. Don't steal from small businesses, period. Don't file charge-backs on artists, don't fuck over sex workers, don't fuck with that small convenience store run by a single family. Shoplifting is moral and good- against large corporations and evil ass megabrands.

DO NOT POST YOUR SCORES ONLINE. JFC. I have seen so many posts of "theft hauls" and "look what I stole" posts. These can literally and will be used against you in court. It is not unheard of for police to track social media posts back to their owners and proceed with charges from there. In fact, it's even used by the IRS to audit families that flash a lot of cash or goods they aren't claiming in their taxes. If you're committing a crime, shut the fuck up. Don't state things outright online. Don't take pics of your stolen goods. Don't brag about the security holes in the stores you're robbing.

[copperbadge]

Do you have any good recommendations for cheap/free tax software?

So, I've seen posts going around about inexpensive tax software via the IRS, although last time I tried that (years and years ago) it just sent me to the "free" turbotax site, which was only free if you didn't need any special forms and now may not be free at all, I'm told a lot of people get charged hundreds by turbotax.

Most "free" sites are also only free if you earn less than a specific threshold, usually around $70K. The IRS has a list of options here, but I'm afraid I know nothing about any of them (readership, feel free to chime in by comment or reblog). IRS Free File is probably a good bet but I have no idea what their site is actually like, so I don't know if it's at all user friendly, and the one time I filed directly through the IRS I immediately fucked it up and owed them an extra $50 which they came after me for, so, you know. You get what you pay for.

After that first disastrous year, I just went to H&R Block and I've been filing there my entire adult life. They're very intuitive; they just ask you questions and you answer them, and they tell you how much you owe. I'm a homeowner and technically I own a small business, so I have to file extra weird forms, and I earn above threshold now anyway, so I just pay the $50 or whatever it is (the federal and state forms both cost a certain amount but they just take it out of my refund). That also means they store my previous year's return, so that I don't have to go digging for it to add its info into the next year.

I think this is super important: whatever you use, if at any point they show you a PDF of a completed tax filing form, SAVE IT. It is probably the only time you will see it and often if you want it later they'll charge you for it. SAVE THE COMPLETED FORM WHEN YOU SEE IT. Even if it's not an official document it has information you will need next year.

But yeah, I've filed with H&R Block for I think about 15 years now, first as a free user and now as a paid user, and I have no complaints. Otherwise I'm afraid I'm not much help, but hopefully the readership can offer resources!

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Microsoft put their tax-evasion in writing and now they owe $29 billion

I'm coming to Minneapolis! Oct 15: Presenting The Internet Con at Moon Palace Books. Oct 16: Keynoting the 26th ACM Conference On Computer-Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing.

If there's one thing I took away from Propublica's explosive IRS Files, it's that "tax avoidance" (which is legal) isn't a separate phenomenon from "tax evasion" (which is not), but rather a thinly veiled euphemism for it:

https://www.propublica.org/series/the-secret-irs-files

That realization sits behind my series of noir novels about the two-fisted forensic accountant Martin Hench, which started with last April's Red Team Blues and continues with The Bezzle, this coming February:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250865847/red-team-blues

A typical noir hero is an unlicensed cop, who goes places the cops can't go and asks questions the cops can't ask. The noir part comes in at the end, when the hero is forced to admit that he's being going places the cops didn't want to go and asking questions the cops didn't want to ask. Marty Hench is a noir hero, but he's not an unlicensed cop, he's an unlicensed IRS inspector, and like other noir heroes, his capers are forever resulting in his realization that the questions and places the IRS won't investigate are down to their choice not to investigate, not an inability to investigate.

The IRS Files are a testimony to this proposition: that Leona Hemsley wasn't wrong when she said, "Taxes are for the little people." Helmsley's crime wasn't believing that proposition – it was stating it aloud, repeatedly, to the press. The tax-avoidance strategies revealed in the IRS Files are obviously tax evasion, and the IRS simply let it slide, focusing their auditing firepower on working people who couldn't afford to defend themselves, looking for things like minor compliance errors committed by people receiving public benefits.

Or at least, that's how it used to be. But the Biden administration poured billions into the IRS, greenlighting 30,000 new employees whose mission would be to investigate the kinds of 0.1%ers and giant multinational corporations who'd Helmsleyed their way into tax-free fortunes. The fact that these elite monsters paid no tax was hardly a secret, and the impunity with which they functioned was a constant, corrosive force that delegitimized American society as a place where the rules only applied to everyday people and not the rich and powerful who preyed on them.

The poster-child for the IRS's new anti-impunity campaign is Microsoft, who, decades ago, "sold its IP to to an 85-person factory it owned in a small Puerto Rican city," brokered a deal with the corporate friendly Puerto Rican government to pay almost no taxes, and channeled all its profits through the tiny facility:

https://www.propublica.org/article/the-irs-decided-to-get-tough-against-microsoft-microsoft-got-tougher

That was in 2005. Now, the IRS has come after Microsoft for all the taxes it evaded through the gambit, demanding that the company pay it $29 billion. What's more, the courts are taking the IRS's side in this case, consistently ruling against Microsoft as it seeks to keep its ill-gotten billions:

https://www.propublica.org/article/irs-microsoft-audit-back-taxes-puerto-rico-billions

Now, no one expects that Microsoft is going to write a check to the IRS tomorrow. The company's made it clear that they intend to tie this up in the courts for a decade if they can, claiming, for example, that Trump's amnesty for corporate tax-cheats means the company doesn't have to give up a dime.

This gambit has worked for Microsoft before. After seven years in antitrust hell in the 1990s, the company was eventually convicted of violating the Sherman Act, America's bedrock competition law. But they kept the case in court until 2001, running out the clock until GW Bush was elected and let them go free. Bush had a very selective version of being "tough on crime."

But for all that Microsoft escaped being broken up, the seven years of depositions, investigations, subpoenas and negative publicity took a toll on the company. Bill Gates was personally humiliated when he became the star of the first viral video, as grainy VHS tapes of his disastrous and belligerent deposition spread far and wide:

https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/12/whats-a-murder/#miros-tilde-1

If you really want to know who Bill Gates is beneath that sweater-vested savior persona, check out the antitrust deposition – it's still a banger, 25 years on:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2020/09/revisiting-the-spectacular-failure-that-was-the-bill-gates-deposition/

In cases like these, the process is the punishment: Microsoft's dirty laundry was aired far and wide, its swaggering founder was brought low, and the company's conduct changed for years afterwards. Gates once told Kara Swisher that Microsoft missed its chance to buy Android because they were "distracted by the antitrust trial." But the Android acquisition came four years after the antitrust case ended. What Gates meant was that four years after he wriggled off the DoJ's hook, he was still so wounded and gunshy that he lacked the nerve to risk the regulatory scrutiny that such an anticompetitive merger would entail.

What's more, other companies got the message too. Large companies watched what happened to Microsoft and traded their reckless disregard for antitrust law for a timid respect. The effect eventually wore off, but the Microsoft antitrust case created a brief window where real competition was possible without the constant threat of being crushed by lawless monopolists. Sometimes you have to execute an admiral to encourage the others.

A decade in IRS hell will be even more painful for Microsoft than the antitrust years were. For one thing, the Puerto Rico scam was mainly a product of ex-CEO Steve Ballmer, a man possessed of so little executive function that it's a supreme irony that he was ever a corporate executive. Ballmer is a refreshingly plain-spoken corporate criminal who is so florid in his blatant admissions of guilt and shouted torrents of self-incriminating abuse that the exhibits in the Microsoft-IRS cases to come are sure to be viral sensations beyond even the Gates deposition's high-water mark.

It's not just Ballmer, either. In theory, corporate crime should be hard to prosecute because it's so hard to prove criminal intent. But tech executives can't help telling on themselves, and are very prone indeed to putting all their nefarious plans in writing (think of the FTC conspirators who hung out in a group-chat called "Wirefraud"):

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/03/big-tech-cant-stop-telling-on-itself/

Ballmer's colleagues at Microsoft were far from circumspect on the illegitimacy of the Puerto Rico gambit. One Microsoft executive gloated – in writing – that it was a "pure tax play." That is, it was untainted by any legitimate corporate purpose other than to create a nonsensical gambit that effectively relocated Microsoft's corporate headquarters to a tiny CD-pressing plant in the Caribbean.

But if other Microsoft execs were calling this a "pure tax play," one can only imagine what Ballmer called it. Ballmer, after all, is a serial tax-cheat, the star of multiple editions of the IRS Files. For example, there's the wheeze whereby he has turned his NBA team into a bottomless sinkhole for the taxes on his vast fortune:

https://pluralistic.net/2021/07/08/tuyul-apps/#economic-substance-doctrine

Or his "tax-loss harvesting" – a ploy whereby rich people do a "wash trade," buying and selling the same asset at the same time, not so much circumventing the IRS rules against this as violating those rules while expecting the IRS to turn a blind eye:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/24/tax-loss-harvesting/#mego

Ballmer needs all those scams. After all, he was one of the pandemic's most successful profiteers. He was one of eight billionaires who added at least a billion more to his net worth during lockdown:

https://inequality.org/great-divide/billionaire-bonanza-2020/

Like all forms of rot, corruption spreads. Microsoft turned Washington State into a corporate tax-haven and starved the state of funds, paving the way for other tax-cheats like Amazon to establish themselves in the area. But the same anti-corruption movement that revitalized the IRS has also taken root in Washington, where reformers instituted a new capital gains tax aimed at the ultra-wealthy that has funded a renaissance in infrastructure and social spending:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/03/when-the-tide-goes-out/#passive-income

If the IRS does manage to drag Microsoft through the courts for the next decade, it's going to do more than air the company's dirty laundry. It'll expose more of Ballmer's habitual sleaze, and the ways that Microsoft dragged a whole state into a pit of austerity. And even more importantly, it'll expose the Puertopia conspiracy, a neocolonial project that transformed Puerto Rico into an onshore-offshore tax-haven that saw the island strip-mined and then placed under corporate management:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/07/27/boricua/#que-viva-albizu

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/13/pour-encoragez-les-autres/#micros-tilde-one

My next novel is The Lost Cause, a hopeful novel of the climate emergency. Amazon won't sell the audiobook, so I made my own and I'm pre-selling it on Kickstarter!

[hindulivesmatter]

"modi is using it to appease votebanks" bitch when hasn't religion or basically anything was ever used to appease votebanks?

The unconstitutional, Waqf Act? Lol.

“give me vote I'll get ₹1000 to every woman's account” - AAP, Punjab

“give us vote we'll ban cow slaughter” - congress. Then proceeded to copy Jalianwallah Bagh massacre and massacred every pandit that were heading towards parliament to ask for what they were promised.

“Give us vote we'll make buses free” (while state is at major debt lol) - Telangana

I would call BJP stupid if they didn't use this. Congress got 21 lawyers to fight against the ram mandir case. How is that not appeasement?

Congress filed affidavit that Rama is just a myth and entire sanatan is mythical. How is that not interfering with religion? Who the fuck asked congress with their IQ of my little brothers shoes their opinion on my prabhu?

Recently Arvind Kejriwal was caught in corruption, he gave 101 crores I think, that's 1.01 BILLION rupees to Waqf Board how is that not appeasement?

Why are you guys acting so naive???? That's a POLITICAL PARTY they want voters lol and we'd rather prefer them than those who would give our tax money to the godforsaken waqf board.

Continuation of previous anon.

Fuck congress <3

Anon these people don't WANT to change their minds. They're comfortable with their hatred as they are.

[darkmaga-retard]

https://www.globalresearch.ca/9th-circuit-feds-free-censor-anti-vaccine-misinformation/5865023

9th Circuit: Feds Free to Censor ‘Anti-Vaccine’ ‘Misinformation’ Via Pressure on Social Media Companies

By Ben Bartee

Global Research, August 12, 2024

What a wild coincidence: one branch of government (judiciary) doesn’t mind another branch of government (executive) doing whatever it likes extraconstitutionally.

That’s called Democracy™, boys and girls, and it’s sacred. 

Via Reuters (emphasis added):

“Meta Platforms defeated an appeal by Children’s Health Defense, an anti-vaccine group founded by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., challenging its censorship of Facebook posts that spread misinformation about vaccines’ efficacy and safety.

In a decision on Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California, said the nonprofit did not show that Meta worked with or was coerced by federal officials to suppress views challenging “government orthodoxy” on vaccines.

Children’s Health Defense sued in 2020, saying that Meta had violated its constitutional rights by flagging “vaccine misinformation” as false, and taking away its right to advertise on Facebook.”

Not being a legal scholar, I’m sure there’s a good answer to this, but I’m not clear: why would CHD sue Meta and not the government for violating its First Amendment rights, when it was at the government’s behest that Meta acted?

Via Children’s Health Defense (emphasis added):

“CHD’s suit accused the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal agencies of “privatizing” the First Amendment by teaming up with Facebook to censor speech which, “under the Bill of Rights, the Government cannot censor.”

According to the lawsuit, filed in August 2020 — and amended in December 2020 — the CDC and the World Health Organization “collaborated closely with Facebook to suppress vaccine safety speech by using a ‘warning label’ and other similar types of notices which, while purporting to flag misinformation, in reality censor valid and truthful speech, including content posted by plaintiff on its Facebook page regarding vaccines.”

This collaboration amounted to “state action” and was in violation of the First Amendment, CHD said…

The court… ruled that CHD failed to allege any facts that would suggest an agreement between the government and Meta that “required Meta to take a particular action in response to misinformation about vaccines or that the government coerced Meta into implementing a specific policy.””

I must have skipped the day in Constitution Law at Valdosta State University when we learned that the Constitution carves out special powers for the government to interfere in a private company’s affairs in order to cajole them into suppressing speech it finds distasteful. My mistaken impression was that the First Amendment covered that whole issue pretty decisively.

Maybe it’s the ambiguous  “promoting the general welfare” clause, which has been invoked in all manner of absurd government social engineering over the years.

These are not two people “talking to each other.” This is one entity — the government — with immense power to regulate, tax, and even shut down the other entity — Meta — if it doesn’t go with the program a la TikTok.

And Meta is massively exposed in multiple ways: it turns over private user data to shady third parties for cash; it breaches anti-trust laws; it colludes with hostile foreign governments, to name a few. Were the government so inclined, it could flush Meta down the memory hole into oblivion in a heartbeat.

[slayemal-na-nerate]

//Hi again.

So, the walls in our old place finally got fixed like a week before Christmas, but we continued to live in chaos bc we were convinced 2x that we were going to be able to buy a house, so we weren't really trying to settle in.

I did a 2 month long depression treatment that involved driving 30-45 minutes out every weekday to get my head strapped into a machine that tapped on it really loudly for 20 minutes. All I got was a complete absence of free time and an increase in headaches. Also worth noting that I was still living in a tarped up home for the entirety of the treatment, so the effectiveness of the treatments may have been compromised.

Due to a combination of switching from opening to closing shifts in order to make it to the aforementioned treatments, which apparently left me with lower seniority, and scheduling being the hot messes they've always been, I ended up being subjected to a dramatic increase in physical and emotional stimuli. I did not comprehend this extra overstimulation until it was too late, much like one likely wouldn't notice their pipes were leaking if their house had already been caught in a flood. All I knew was that I ended up calling out a lot more, and because I was trying to look good for a home loan, I ended up using all my vacation time to pay myself out. I had been planning to ask for a vacation at the beginning of the year just to give my mind a break for a bit, but honestly, who knows if that actually would've done anything at this point.

Thanks to the bitchiest seller's agent in existence, the house my mom and I should be living in right now got to sit on the market for months longer waiting for a cash offer bc apparently an FHA loan with underwriter's approval for over asking wasn't fancy enough to be trusted to close. Our home-owning dreams unfortunately hit a massive roadblock when the new year started, bc my mom finally had to file her last round of taxes, which decreased any loan we might qualify for to basically nothing in our state.

With the threads my mental health was hanging on by having snapped several times over by now, I finally went on medical leave in February. It just seemed pointless continuing to pretend I was in working condition given all the shifts, meals, and meds I continued to skip. Almost a month in, my mom found a new rental opportunity for us, and we started packing to move out.

April's our first month in this new place. I'm nowhere near being unpacked, and I don't know how I'm going to be when I have to go back to work (which is farther now) until I can quit sometime soon, hopefully. However, I am seeing some progress in my depressive symptoms, and I'm mostly healed from the injuries I sustained during the move-in process. Anyway, I'm obviously not in a stable enough place to completely end my hiatus, but I would like to write a bit on here again, so if that sounds fun and you're willing to be patient with replies in the meantime, hit me up, I guess?