#post office small savings schemes

[takapoysanews]

পোস্ট অফিস স্কিম।Indian Post Office। Interest Rates of Post Office 2022 -takapoysanews - TAKAPOYSANEWS

In this particular post you learn details about Indian post office schemes and their lastest interest rates.

There are 9 types of schemes activated by Indian government are popular very much. Among them 1.Post office savings account 2. Post office time deposit / fixed deposit 3.Post office monthly income scheme (MIS) 4.Post office recurring deposit (RD) 5. Post office senior citizen savings scheme (SCSS) 6. Sukanya samriddhi Yojana 7.Kishan Vikas Patra (KVP) 8.Public Provident Fund (PPF) 9. NSC National Savings Scheme .

In this post you learn all the details for this popular schemes in Bengali.

[best-underrated-anime]

Best Underrated Anime Group H Round 1: #H3 vs #H6

#H3: Two guys time-travel through photos. Depression ensues.

Best friends, roommates, and business partners Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang run a photo studio, developing pictures and the like. But that’s not all they do. The Shiguang Photo Studio has a secret extra service—they can deliver messages you never got to send and find information you never got to learn, so long as you bring a photograph, or maybe several.

Their method? A clap of the hands, and Cheng Xiaoshi dives into the past and into the body of the photographer. Guided by Lu Guang, he has twelve hours to achieve his goal, whether that is finding a secret, saying goodbye, or winning a fight.

Assisted by their friend and landlady Qiao Ling, the duo navigates a gallery of corporate lies, interpersonal drama, old regrets, and crime. The recently released second season continues threads that begin in the first episode of season one, showcasing the same level of brilliant writing and even higher stakes for our beloved characters.

#H6: Cozy slice of life about a high school girl with a camera

In her last year of middle school, Fuu Sawatari had trouble dealing with her emotions following the sudden death of her father. Through the help of her brother and childhood friend, she rediscovered her love for photography, an activity she and her father often did together. In addition, she decided to attend high school in Takehara, her father's hometown and a place they often visited when she was younger.

It has been one month now since Fuu moved to Takehara and became close with her current group of friends: carefree Kaoru Hanawa, excitable Norie Okazaki, and quiet Maon Sakurada. Together with them and several acquaintances around town and abroad, Fuu continues her mission of capturing the joys of everyday life using her father's camera, while also helping her friends discover their own passions.

Titles, propagandas, trailers, and poll under the cut!

#H3: Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren)

Propaganda:

(Admin: Five people submitted different propagandas for this. Instead of posting each of them as they are and making this post even longer, I merged them altogether for coherence and brevity.)

Link Click is a show that is criminally underrated outside of China that it’s become a running meme in the fandom (i.e. Link Click fans to everyone they know: WATCH LINK CLICK!!!). Some people are just so resistant to watching anything Chinese that even others in the Link Click subreddit prefer its Japanese dub—which is sad because they don’t get to hear certain nuances in the original audio. It’s also just really frustrating how xenophobic people can get.

Anyways, the beauty of Link Click lies in its simplicity. For a time-travel show, you’d expect our characters to tackle on tasks that involve the fate of the world or something, but no. In Link Click, it’s all about the ordinary person. All the people Cheng Xiaoshi dived into have been your everyday person—an office woman who gets harassed at work, a restaurant owner who’s grown estranged from her best friend, a man who misses his first love and his old friends, a man who wants to gain the approval of his girlfriend’s family, etc. Even when the stakes go high in season 2, the core of the conflicts still lie in the personal problems that the characters face—which may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but they are not any less important.

And I think that’s beautiful. It’s hard to relate to grand plots of saving the world or facing an apocalypse and whatnot, but it’s easy to relate to the day-to-day struggles that humans face. 

But it’s also depressing, in a way. Link Click is very adamant that the past remain unchanged. Cheng Xiaoshi has to go there, do his mission, and then leave the past as it is—which is difficult when he gets to feel the emotions of the person he’s possessing. Many times he wants to change things for the better, but Lu Guang always pulls him back. 

Cheng Xiaoshi and Lu Guang’s relationship is also really nice. Cheng Xiaoshi is the empathic and reckless type, while Lu Guang is the rational and cold (but inwardly a dork) type. They balance each other out, and when they have conflicts, they face it maturely. They also care for each other so so much that the moment the other is in danger, all their personal philosophies get thrown out the window just to ensure the other person’s safety.

The male characters also cry without getting emasculated. They have mental breakdowns that are done so well and feel like a real reaction instead of just the solitary tear down one’s cheek. 

Link Click… is not a gentle show. It will strongly grab your heartstrings and make you cry several times. It doesn’t pull its punches, and it’s always happy to hit you with the “past or future, just let them be” beam. It is cruel, but we wouldn’t have it any other way.

Lastly, Link Click is really about friends being there for each other in hard times, and knowing that while it’s impossible to take all those painful memories back, it is possible to take them with you in the future and turn them into something beautiful.

On Soundtrack: The soundtrack of this show is just amazing. The s1 opening song may seem all fun and games with the finger-tutting, but after s2, you’ll realize how meaningful the lyrics are. The s1 ending is also iconic for us fans. It starts playing before the episode ends, and the ominous start of the song always sends chills down our spines because it signals that something has gone wrong.

The s2 soundtrack gets even better. The s2 opening’s second chorus is basically just the first chorus played in reverse. The director specifically requested for a song that would sound good even when played in reverse, and it’s amazing how the band managed to pull off something so difficult. The s2 ending, like the s1 ed, continues the Link Click style of playing before the episode actually ends, making the last few moments of the episode even more emotional.

Trigger Warnings:

S1: Flashing lights in the opening, attempted and implied sexual harassment, slight panic attack, death, kidnapping, drugging, suicide, blood. Complete list of TW’s for s1 can be found here (it may be spoilery)

S2: Fast-changing images in the opening, domestic abuse, child abuse, emotional abuse, violence, blood, murder.

#H6: Tamayura: Hitotose

Propaganda:

No stakes, only warmth. Tamayura: Hitotose is the single coziest anime I have ever watched. It is like Moomins or Studio Ghibli (without all the excitement), in that after watching it you feel like the greatest magic the world has ever known is a home-made bowl of soup, a trip to the mountains, a photograph of a memory. Which is all true. Animes like this teach you to live right, and that's why we need them. Also to teach us to be "more aggressivu!" If you ever have a really rough day/week/month/year/decade, let your soul be soothed and watch Tamayura: Hitotose.

Trigger Warnings: Unknown.

If you’re reblogging and adding your own propaganda, please tag me @best-underrated-anime so that I’ll be sure to see it.

[sotwk]

Hello! I'm not sure if my question will meet the criteria you posted regarding asks/headcannons/fanfics (itz my first time hehe), but I gotta ask 😅: If Thranduil, his wife, and the 5 brothers had lived in the modern times, what would their lives be like (ex. jobs, lifestyles, modern interests, etc.)? Basically a modern au of sorts...? I understand if you do not answer my question if it really didn't meet the criteria, but if you do answer, thanks in advance!

MODERN AU: THE ROYAL FAMILY OF MIRKWOOD

The House of Thranduil

Modern AU set in the United States (this writer is American and doesn't want to embarrass herself speaking of other countries, lol)

Fair Warning: This entire family is ridiculously accomplished in this AU, but this is clearly fictional so just ride along the fantasy with me!

Apologies for the length and infodump style--my mind really ran off with this concept!

Thranduil, The Patriarch

Businessman/CEO and 4th generation landowner.

Land ownership currently includes 1 million acres of timberland around the West Coast.

Business holdings include logging, saw mills, wineries, and forest-product manufacturing companies that employs thousands of employees.

Attended Wharton School to study business but dropped out in his third year when his father passed; (reluctantly) took over the company at 21 years old to prevent it from being seized by his father's scheming partners.

Met and fell in love with Maereth, a classmate at Wharton, but she was already in a relationship with someone else.

Continued to pursue her over the course of 10 years until they finally wed right before he turned 30.

His family home is a 2,000-acre ranch in Northwest Oregon, but he travels constantly all over the country.

During the economic downturn, saved the business and his people's livelihood by selling off a third of the family's acreage.

Refuses opportunities to expand in favor of maintaining fair wages for his employees and ethical and environmentally sound practices.

Personal hobbies include breeding and racing horses, outdoor activities, wine-collecting, and travel.

Despite rubbing elbows with powerful, rich businessmen like himself, he despises that crowd and spends only as much time with them as necessary for business.

His closest friends are the folks in his small hometown and the employees who work alongside him.

Maereth, The Matriarch

Born to a lower-middle class family from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Father was a construction laborer and mother was a part-time receptionist.

The middle child and only daughter; has 3 brothers.

Only one in her family to attend and finish college.

Practically engaged to her boyfriend at the time she met Thranduil.

Despite her rejecting Thranduil's advances and professions of love because of her existing relationship, she felt attracted to him and could not bring herself to forget him. They maintained a friendship after Thranduil dropped out of Wharton and moved back West.

Once her relationship with her boyfriend ended, Thranduil resumed courting her, but she rejected his marriage proposal out of a desire to pursue a career on her own.

Started her own company and ran it for several years before selling it at a large profit. Used the money to pay off her family's loans and help her parents retire.

Was finally won over by Thranduil's persistence and obvious devotion, and agreed to marry him.

Gave birth to their five sons over the course of a single decade.

Raised her children as a stay-at-home mom until they all reached their teens.

Currently sits on the board of the family's corporation and serves as the Chief HR Officer.

Chairs the family's private foundation that gives millions to charitable causes annually.

Is a talented crafter, craftsman, and builder, more so than her husband and most of her sons (except for Mirion), with enough skill to complete simple remodels on her own. She is the ultimate DIYer who dives eagerly into manual labor, which is one of the things Thranduil admires most in her.

Is also a successful gardener, able to keep flourishing backyard gardens that bear flowers, fruits, and vegetables of different kinds.

Spends most of her free time on endless home improvement projects or traveling as needed to visit her sons.

Mirion, eldest son - The Heir

The dutiful son who accepted his role as the eventual heir to the company. Started shadowing his father as a teen.

Married to his high school sweetheart, with whom he has two children (so far the only grandchildren of Thranduil and Maereth).

Lettered in 3 high school sports: baseball, football, and track, but discontinued sports in college to focus on academics.

Holds a degree in materials engineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Upon marrying, settled his family at a ranch house in Oregon to stay close to his parents and majority of their holdings.

Started his own construction company that eventually became a part of the family conglomerate.

Was a stay-at-home dad for several years to allow his physician wife to return to her small town practice.

Attends many high-profile social engagements on behalf of his parents.

The ultimate dad: very involved in his kids' lives and is beloved by their friends; their home is a popular hangout for the neighborhood kids.

Constantly hit on by single moms and dads; unfortunately for them, he is singularly obsessed with his wife.

Had a very brief stint as a commercial model during his college years, and agents often suggest he return to it--but he has zero interest.

Very down-to-earth and a homebody outside of work. Leans towards introversion.

Favorite past times: DIY projects around his house, fixing up old cars, riding his horses, playing with his dogs, and having neighbors over for big backyard BBQs.

The closest thing the family has to a cowboy. The only one of his brothers to reside in a rural area and the only one besides their parents to own and keep horses.

Turhir, second-born son - The Soldier

Knew early on that he wanted to travel the world and serve his country as a soldier in the armed forces.

Enlisted in the US Navy straight out high school and became a SEAL.

Joined DEVGRU (Seal Team Six) where he became the officer of an assault squadron.

Has been in back-to-back tours of duty since his first deployment at age 19.

Has a running count of 10 combat tours, which would have been more if not for an entire year sidelined while he recovered from a serious spine injury that almost left him paralyzed.

Is quietly the most decorated Navy SEAL in history, with commendations that include two Silver Stars, three Bronze Stars, five Purple Hearts, the Navy Cross, and the highest honor: the Medal of Honor.

The perpetual nomad/couch surfer and the only brother not to own his own residence.

Was cheated on by his girlfriend while he was away on deployment. Never recovered from the heartbreak and has had no serious relationships since.

Favorite past times: Training for triathlons (running, swimming and biking), spending time with his brothers, reading novels.

Has competed in the Ironman World Championship and Badwater Ultramarathon.

Consumes paperback novels like water; buys them from used book stores and then donates to libraries afterward.

Frequently does hands-on volunteer work for charities like Habitat for Humanity and local food banks.

Suffers from PTSD and depression, which he manages with medication and regular therapy.

Absolutely detests social media and refuses to engage in any of it.

Avoids press attention like a plague. Does not attend big social functions with his family unless begged to by his mother.

Stays so far away from the limelight, the press/media sometimes forgets he is part of Thranduil's famous family.

Arvellas, middle-born son - The Genius

A bonafide genius with an IQ of 165, tested when he was only 12 years old; was subsequently accepted into Mensa.

Although he was a clearly gifted child, his mother declined to accelerate his education or place him in a different school from his brothers. She believed it was more important for him to enjoy as normal a childhood as possible.

Started college at Stanford University at the fairly typical age of 17, but completed his premed degree within two years and was a Doctor of Medicine by 26.

Not a practicing physician since he has instead devoted himself to a career in medical research, specifically in developing targeted treatments for aggressive cancers.

In addition to his MD, he holds graduate degrees in biochemistry and biophysics.

Has more trophies and accolades than all his brothers combined, all of them for intellectual achievements in various fields.

Holds over a dozen patents for different scientific devices, processes, and formulas.

A polyglot who speaks 8 foreign languages conversationally, including Spanish, Mandarin, German, Italian, French, Arabic, Hindi, and Japanese. Once he has gained fluency in one language, he immediately starts studying another.

Also speaks at least a couple of constructed languages from sci-fi/fantasy worlds.

On a dare from his younger brothers, took and aced the LSATs and was accepted to several Ivy League law schools, though he never attended.

Stays in athletic shape through biking, swimming, and playing tennis.

Reads (and collects) comics and graphic novels as often as he reads scientific journals.

Goes to at least one comic con a year as his schedule allows.

Wears a coat and tie even more frequently than his father does.

Has been with the same romantic partner for the last 5 years, but has shown no signs of getting married.

Gelir, fourth-born son - The Adventurer

A wildlife biologist and rehabilitation specialist with degrees in zoology and veterinary medicine.

Specialty is working with and rehabilitating wild mammals. His favorite animal is the wolverine, which was the first truly wild creature he had rescued and nursed back to health early in his career.

Prefers to do contract work with non-profit organizations, which enables him to continue travelling due to a a less-restrictive schedule.

Also does a lot of short-lived gig work on the side that allows him to engage in his hobbies while earning. Examples are working as a safari guide, a park ranger, or climbing instructor.

An avid (almost obsessive) outdoor adventurer who avoids spending time in cities as much as possible, and likes to explore new remote locations through camping and hiking.

A skilled climber with experience in nearly all types, including free soloing, mountaineering, and ice climbing.

A licensed scuba diver and skilled surfer and rafter. Swims like a fish.

Licensed to pilot private planes, drive motorcycles, and drive boats.

Most widely traveled member of his family, having been to every continent in the world, including Antarctica.

Only one in his family who can speak an African language (Swahili), which he likes to crow to Arvellas about.

Has made a conscious decision to keep/owns no pets, due to his frequent travels making him unable to properly care for one.

The eternal bachelor whose interest rarely goes beyond a few dates; has never been in a serious relationship and understands his restless wandering would make him a terrible boyfriend.

Was previously reluctant to put himself and his work in front of a camera, but realized (through his brother Legolas) that he can make a good amount of money by creating and posting videos on social media--money that would fund his travels and exploits.

Has been approached by major producers to host his own adventure show series, but prefers to work with independent filmmakers on legitimate documentaries.

Legolas, youngest son - The Celebrity

Professional footballer. Star striker of the US Men's National Soccer Team and the Seattle Sounders FC.

Career achievements include an Olympic bronze medal, an MLS (Major League Soccer) Cup, and a FIFA World Cup (a US first!).

The most independently wealthy of all the brothers due to multi- million dollar endorsements that include Adidas and Pepsi.

Has his own staff that includes a personal assistant, a publicist/social media manager, a private chef, and very hardworking sports agent.

A social media star with a following of 50 million in Instagram and still climbing, making him by far the most famous one in his family.

Is occasionally able to convince Gelir to do adventure/extreme sports-related videos with him, which always go viral. While Legolas does it for the fun and bonding experience, Gelir agrees to do it mostly for the money. On rarer occasions, he is able to convince Mirion to participate as well, when it has a fundraising aspect.

Diagnosed with both dyslexia and ADHD, which he manages with medication.

Aside from playing soccer and other traditional team sports, his hobbies include extreme/adventure sports such as skiing, snowboarding, windsurfing, mountain biking, skydiving, and paragliding.

Also a talented sketch and comic artist who occasionally shares his works online.

His favorite charitable activity is visiting children's hospitals, (including making sizeable donations), and has been requested several times by the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Constantly being romantically linked to celebrities, less than half of which are actually true.

Receives a lot of attention from women and is frequently pursued by them. In all the "noise" on top of being in the public eye, he finds it challenging to find partners to genuinely fall in love with.

Tends to struggle with periods of loneliness, during which he seeks refuge in his family.

For more Thranduil/Mirkwood headcanons: SotWK HC Masterlist

Tolkien Headcanon tag list: @laneynoir @auttumnsayshi @achromaticerebus @tamryniel @friendofthefellowshipsnerdblog @blueberryrock @aduialel @glassgulls @ladyweaslette @klytemnestra13 @creativity-of-death @heilith @fizzyxcustard @absentmindeduniverse @lathalea @tamurilofrivendell @jordie-your-local-halfling @ladyk8tie @scyllas-revenge @asianbutnotjapanese @conversacomsmaug @lemonivall @ratsys @a-world-of-whimsy-5 @entishramblings @stormchaser819 @freshalmondpandadonut @beekieboo

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[lordofthestrix]

Aya & Tristan A short study in plotting and scheming with someone for centuries. I realized that I don't mention Tristan's right hand all that frequently, so this is a post offering some appreciation for that connection. Because I do think that they are quite interesting to think about in some respects. In a universe where most of the significant relationships between immortals that we delve into are primary rooted in familiar bonds, profound romance or hate and animosity, these two are part of just a handful of cases where there are different foundations involved. As cold as the two of them can be, the relationship is always alluded to with certain gravitas by the two of them and by others. equally This is Elijah talking about Aya in the episode where she is introduced: ELIJAH: Aya. Let me guess-- Five-foot-seven, built like a goddess, vicious as a viper? Now this is Elijah talking about Aya in relation to Tristan during the same episode: ELIJAH: You waltz into my city unannounced with your flock of sycophants flaunting news of a threat. All the while, your little lapdog Aya is conspiring with none other than Marcel Gerard. A snide description and intended as such, obviously. But it is curious to see Elijah of all people reducing his former romantic partner, and one he does show to have some complicated feelings towards during the season, to Tristan's lapdog as his way of showing his contempt. It legitimizes the significance of that connection as something noticeably more than superficial. Aya is consistently shown as a paladin and pretty much the greatest defender for Tristan's vision for the Strix: AYA: The oldest society of vampires this world has ever known. We are called The Strix. ELIJAH: Quite the prestigious organization! Responsible for countless wars, numerous plagues, assassinations... AYA: You have to break rules if you want to build a new world. -- AYA: One of our more famous faces. We count amongst our society celebrated actors, artists, politicians... Of course, most of us prefer to live a life outside of the public eye. That doesn't make our talents any less impressive. -- AYA: We're the top of the food chain-- the smartest, the strongest. And, we take what we want. Added to this, she also presents herself as a steadfast advocate for Tristan himself. Both before and after the ocean: AYA: Tristan has been a collector of extraordinary talent for the better part of a millennium. He chooses the best of the best and helps them evolve.

.. AYA: Tristan de Martel guided this organization for centuries. He was a radical thinker, decisive leader, and, to each of us here tonight, both mentor and friend. He was, in a word, irreplaceable. -- AYA: But I did not die! Thanks to the efforts of a true nobleman. Tristan saved us! He earned our loyalty. Tristan, in turn, deposits an intrinsic level of trust in her, not something by any means easily earned from him, even when dangerous circumstances retain him from heading the group:

ELIJAH: The alternative is significantly less pleasant. TRISTAN: I think I will hold off on any confessions. At least until my Strix arrive to free me and burn your home to the ground... Holding no shadow of doubt that someone will provide a valiant rescue from the Original family doesn't involve a small degree of trust. And speaking of that episode it does have one of the most important if subtle moments between them. Tristan spent the episode from torture to torture. Aya spent it trying to make the goal of forcefully saving him from the Mikaelsons not a suicide mission. When she succeeds, he simply looks at her in mild frustration. And goes: TRISTAN: It took you long enough. Aya smiles at him. And that is the moment you receive the strangest "another hard Monday at the office uh?" vibe emanating from them. In that moment you fully believe that yes. These two, cold as they may be, have been having adventures together for centuries by this point. And that is their general impression when they are together. In the little looks they hunt for in the other. In the way they play out of the other as if they were the two on the know whenever they reach the stage.

They are a pretty fun duo.

[randomfoggytiger]

Never Again: An Intensive Essay

This post is its own project, as I felt it necessary to approach 'Never Again' with a lens divorced from my Personality Type post (found here-- more in depth and with play-by-play screenshots.)

Without further ado, here we go~

Loss of Control-- the Cause, or the Symptom?

‘Never Again’ is, on its surface, about three people losing control over their lives-- Ed Jerse has lost his family in divorce, Scully has lost herself to the quest, and Mulder is losing Scully as she questions the decisions in her life. But the truth lies one layer deeper-- why DID they lose control of their lives? What was the mechanism? And that is the episode's true, nefarious 'villain': fear.

Fear, the Disrupting Mechanism

Scully contemplates many things this episode: a rose petal left on a grave, Mulder’s nameplate on his desk, endless lines, and her life. She has given her natural loyalty and tireless devotion to a cause that could save real lives and fulfill her by the same token. The true reason for her devotion, however, was not to the cause, but to its seeker: Mulder. Every loss she has suffered, every small victory she gained, and every fear she faced was at his side and with his strength. It is not the journey that is the never-ending line, because she always gets roped back in when Mulder asks her to (this episode, Elegy, The Ghosts That Stole Christmas, Dreamland I and II, etc.) It is her relationship; particularly, that she has chosen Mulder and his quest above all things-- the respect of her peers, a life, her family, even her fertility-- but that he hasn't chosen her the same way.

In The Jersey Devil, Scully stated to her friend Ellen: “He’s a jerk. ...He's not a jerk. He’s obsessed with his work.” Since then, Mulder and she have grown undoubtedly closer-- their reassignment, her abduction, her coma and recovery, Donnie Pfaster, his father’s death, her sister’s death, his mother's stroke, and many other experiences-- and Scully has aided and abetted willingly all his schemes, teasing and flirting each step of the way. In Home, Mulder set himself up as a candidate for her Uberscullies, and even leaned into her inquiry. There was fertile ground for a more nuanced discussion of their relationship after the Peacock horrors unfolded, with a more somber Mulder and vindicated Scully.

But then The Field Where I Died happened. Scully’s unrivaled closeness to Mulder was shaken by his attachment and grief over the loss of his professed ‘soul mate.’ Equilibrium was restored by the time Mulder paid a visit to Russia, Scully was incarcerated for contempt of court, and John Lee Roche was shot in his undeserving head; but the doubt remained. Scully's priority has always been Mulder; but she's afraid he doesn't return that devotion.

Missed Signals 

Scully gazes at the rose petal on the grave because it is a physical marker of the love someone has for the deceased, conquering even death. She takes it with her, simultaneously contemplating it and the nameplate on Mulder’s desk. The realization that there is no marker of her presence in Mulder’s life leads her to question her life, this quest, her loyalty-- but not to realize, quite yet, what the true root of the problem is. That realization is after her skirmish with Jerse.

Mulder is whirring around the office in preparation for his forced vacation; but is pulled up short when Scully asks him why she doesn’t have a desk. He makes a flippant but sincere remark before redirecting her to a case to do in his absence. Scully debunks its importance, unspooling the informant’s story good-naturedly and trying to avoid her brewing emotions... until Mulder uses that ‘assignment’ word again. Scully balks at this, flinging out a remark not dissimilar to her “macho man” accusation in Syzygy.

Offended, Mulder steams that his files mean everything to him, stating: “You were just assigned here.” This affirms Scully's seed of doubt: that she was assigned and appreciated only for her value to the work (it's not until Fight the Future that this is resolved) and not for something more.

“And it’s become mine.” 

Mulder screeches to a halt, his bravado and irritation disintegrating in a puff of smoke-- "You don't want it to be?"-- so suddenly and shakily that Scully tries to soften the blow, too late. Mulder’s face crumples-- physically folding in on himself-- blindsided and fearful of what she'll say next.

Scully tries to explain that she feels like she's lost herself while everyone else has moved on: “...while my own life is… standing still.”  She gives a tight, false huff of laughter (an outward sign of the raging, internal panic) because she doesn't know what's wrong. Scully believes she knows it’s being trapped by “the endless line”; but if that were the case, she wouldn’t stick with it for as long as she has or continue to do during Never Again and the rest of her time with the FBI. The lesson she learns is that the never-ending line isn't the quest: it's her relationship with Mulder.

Mulder is a man driven by his passion for solving the endless puzzles laid out to lead him to and away from the Truth. He is also a man that has a miniscule support system, and no one else on the planet to understand him. Scully in one fell swoop sweeps his feet from under him, causing him to panic and search for the quickest solution he can find. He deduces incorrectly that maybe he’d gotten under her skin too much lately; and excuses himself from the room and her life as quickly as possible. To Scully, this is the final nail in the coffin of what she assumes is her worth in Mulder's life.

Escaping Confusion in the Arms of the Confused

Scully tries to escape from these feelings by pouring herself into the assignment. She believes her struggle is with the work, and doggedly pursues it to try to rediscover her drive for it. This leads her to Ed Jerse; and her interest is peaked when he makes obvious flirtatious overtures and invites her to dinner. She leaves the interaction feeling better without realizing it's because someone expressed interest in her rather than a job well done.

And then Mulder calls. She is genuinely happy he tracked her down; but the interactions spirals when Mulder refocuses his attentiveness to her case. When he expresses surprise and disapproval in how she wrapped it up (accidentally coming across as chastising when he was just confused and needing a reason), Scully becomes offended. Her anguished feeling has returned; but the satisfaction doubles back when Mulder jealously pokes at her having a date. She hangs up, leaving him to stew.

From here on out, Scully is pursuing that satisfying feeling. Her actions are guarded but curious as she is slowly coaxed to Ed's apartment, then to the crummy bar, then to the tattoo parlor, and finally back to Ed's apartment again. With Jerse, she believes she is finding happiness through breaking the "authority" Mulder has on her life; but what she has done is simply replace him with Ed, centering her face on Ed's reactions at each of her revelations and new experiences. Her date, meanwhile, is feeding both of their self-delusions by giving Scully too much overeager attention and sponging off the bit she gives in return.

The tattoo: Scully gets an ouroboros for obvious reasons laid out in the episode. But she gets it placed directly on her lower back where Mulder rudders and steadies her. This was intentional on her part; but it now serves two mortifying purposes: a continual reminder of her big mistake, and a reminder that she didn't know herself at all.

It's not until Ed Jerse self-destructs that Scully can see clearly her actions for the first time, and why she did them, and why they are different than Ed's. Jerse's fear of women-- how his wife destroyed his life, how Betty 'continues' to destroy it-- tore apart his mind long before the tattoo could or did. And Scully realizes the solutions she had sought from him were the things she wanted from Mulder but believed she would never have: a crummy bar with Ed, a tattoo with Ed, a night with Ed. That is why, when the dust has settled and she is back to the office, Scully is at more of a loss than when she started... because, while she could get a life, she wants Mulder to be a part of it (poking at his lack of one since The Jersey Devil; and continuing to hint about the possibilities from Home onward.)

The Basement Redux 

Scully's depressed and teary spirits are quickly shoved aside when Mulder arrives. She refuses to engage; and his rambling gets worse and worse as he realizes the canyon has widened. His attempts at humor-- "You look a lot better than you did in the hospital", "And congratulations for making a personal appearance in the X-Files for the second time”-- fall flat, and his anguish is visible when he turns to deliver "It's a world record." (See this post for play by play.)

He bridges the gap while reading Ed Jerse's medical diagnosis; giving Scully time to march to her chair. But in the middle of his “better late than never, huh?” he abruptly stops when she reaches for the dried-up rose petal. Launching from the chair, Mulder stretches, tenses, rolls his head, and hunches up his shoulder in another mad quest through his files for a last-minute distraction. He is finally forced to admit defeat: “All this because… because I didn’t get you a desk?”

Scully is shocked he actually asked; and her face softens at his vulnerable voice and confused, hurt expression. She explains in Mulder-speak: “Not everything is about you, Mulder. This is my life.” 

The great misunderstanding of Scully: she is NOT drawing a circle around herself, enforcing boundaries that Mulder can never cross, cutting him out and keeping him from ruining her perfect, private world. What she wants, what she needs, is for him to acknowledge that her loyalty and steadfastness and courage and faithfulness is reciprocated-- beyond the quest, beyond the Truth. That "that unspoken" she feels is felt by him, too.

She gets her acknowledgment; but there is no comfort in it.

Mulder’s unspoken “Yes, but it’s become mine” dies on his lips as Scully’s meaning dawns on him. 

Mulder freezes as he realizes two things at once: Firstly, that Scully wants them to stop circling the drain of their relationship. What she had been seeking in Jerse wasn't a rejection of him-- it was him. But secondly-- he realizes that he can’t take that next step. He at least tries to repeat his confession-- sucking air in, moving his lips-- but can't get the words out.

Scully cocks her head, queuing him to continue, wanting him to continue. But when Mulder's second attempt fails, and his mouth permanently closes, Scully, also, realizes two things: Mulder understands her message; and reciprocates but can't return it. At least not yet. Her gaze falls once again, her hopes crushed. For all that she has "gained", Scully is still on that endless line, looping around and around in perpetuity.

Summing This Disaster Up

Scully is daily motivated by the journey. Her sense of worth to the world is why she left medicine for the FBI; and every day she makes a fulfilling difference. The never-ending line that she is trapped in befuddles her at first, wondering if she's lost herself and her motivations because of a discontent she is deeply feeling. When Mulder walks out on her, Scully misreads his intentions as abandoning her to his bidding; and resentment begins to build. Work was what fulfilled her before, so she tries to do it again; and, by solving the case Mulder "assigned" her, she runs into Jerse and his crumbling issues. Ed's problems seem to mirror hers, and she is interested and hopeful enough to try his solutions. They fall apart; Ed falls apart; and Scully's thoughts of herself and her motivations fall apart with them. She realizes what she truly needed was Mulder, and that Mulder cannot give her what she wants.

Is Leonard Betts or Memento Mori Next? 

Setting aside Morgan, Wong, and Gillian's insistence that Never Again took place before Leonard Betts and is unattached to the cancer arc, let's analyze Scully's actions to deduce a timeline.

It is appealing to place Never Again after Leonard Betts because of Scully's contemplative, dour mood after taking the flower from the gravestone. However: if Never Again were simply a joy ride to express that she'd thrown caution to the wind to LIVE, then it would prove she'd already given up. Then the message Memento Mori would have been useless; because that is when she grapples with her mortality and hopelessness and rises above it; but not before denying there's a problem and refusing to admit she's dying FIRST. Scully cannot both recklessly give up in one episode and be horrified that she is slowly dying the next. (Not to mention her real, fearful concern over the ergot poisoning she and Ed could be suffering from.)

Finally, if this episode were about Scully's reckless abandon because of her cancer (and not about her own fears and priorities), then she wouldn't have needed to be coaxed by Ed each step of the way-- her motel, his apartment, the crummy bar, the tattoo parlor, and back to his apartment. She would have simply given up and jumped on each new opportunity handed her way.

But does it make sense to place it before Leonard Betts?

Yes-- it's the perfect case to pull Scully from her doldrums. Most of Leonard Betts is brimming with medical jargon and theories; and Mulder relies heavily on her expertise to jump from one conclusion to the next while teasing her lightheartedly and taking the time to listen, proving her value. Not only that, but he's just as flummoxed through most of the episode, which gives her ample time to show off here and there. Scully feels valuable again-- which makes the ending even more tragic. She knows Mulder loves her but can't reciprocate, laying to rest the fear of The Field Where I Died; but now she is afraid of terminal cancer in lieu of her MUFON sisters. Knowing Mulder relies on her in ways that no one else can fill and would have that support ripped away (and her own life with it) is a gut punch of epic proportions.

Thanks for reading!

Enjoy!

[r0mantic-f00l]

Wanted

19th March, 1878

There had been many notorious faces on wanted posters, with rewards going from ten dollars to five hundred dollars, with some saying 'bring back alive', and some others saying, 'dead or alive'. It didn't matter how strong these people were though, didn't matter how quick they were with their guns, how smart they were with their schemes, how charming they were with their smiles, the same thing happened to every single one of them – death.

Outlaws were always destined to die, whether it be by rope, by gun, by blade. Death is the only thing these people knew, the only consistency in their lives. The blood that ran through their veins consisted of the memories of their victims' screams, the gold and the paper they stored away tainted with the touch of those who worked tirelessly to grasp it, the guns in their holsters heavy with the corpses the bullets resided in.

But that didn't matter to us. We weren't merciless killers, not when it wasn't necessary. We were kids. Kids that wanted to live a life that wasn't given to us.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

You had established a name for yourself, or perhaps many names.

Lucy Stone, Lana Birch, Ruth Blackwood.

Many false names wrote underneath drawn pictures of you in every small town, the reward you were worth was forty dollars. And you had to be taken in alive.

You'd rather have your horse kick you off, resulting in you landing rather unfortunately on a sharp-edged stone than for an arrogant bounty hunter to drag you into a sheriff's office and have your fate be decided by men who were almost entirely beer and sweat.

You were wanted, an outlaw that lived by her own rules.

What rules you lived by you didn't know. Of course, you had morals, a conscience, a string in your brain that tugged your heart whenever you saw a sad scene of poor, poor people, but you didn't specify to yourself rules to live by.

The biggest one, you supposed, was to survive. To live and to escape and to ride to save your own skin. You had to be selfish in this world you lived in, you had to care only for yourself because no one else did. No one cared for you even when you were a crying little girl calling out for her mother.

However, your wanted posters were always covered up by bigger ones, ones that had no pictures, yet the words 'dead or alive' written in bold black letters stood out. The rewards for their heads varied; sometimes they were a thousand dollars, maybe even two thousand dollars. Their faces were not known, but their gang was.

The Marauders.

People were not afraid of them entirely, but rather of the thought that they could be anyone. They could have been the person walking next to you, the person smiling at you from across the street, perhaps the person serving you whiskey in the saloon.

You weren't afraid of them, you told yourself.

You've stolen from dangerous people; you've killed dangerous animals.

No, you had never killed another person, but you believed you had the capability to.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

It was regular routine whenever you came across another town.

Look around the different stores, watch the habits of the townsfolk, walk into bars with empty pockets and walk back out with pockets full of cash.

It became easy for you, especially since the people you stole from wouldn't even know until the very next morning when you were long gone.

The town was Tombstone, with a small population of innocent people, and rich people.

Rich people who were so very easily distractible.

Nighttime painted the sky black with the white dots in clutters around the moon.

Summer made the air stuffy with heat, and the people sighing with discomfort.

You hitched your horse, Midnight, to the post close to the stairs leading up to the saloon, where sounds of laughter and smacking of glasses against tables flew out in between the crevices and open windows.

You pushed open the swinging doors and glanced across all the drunk men in the room. Some were playing cards quite poorly, some were chatting quite loudly, some were drooling over women who talked to them with coy smiles, wanting their money.

There was only one man, a man who seemed to be your age, who was not making a fool of himself.

The man stood at the bar, his back leaning against the mahogany, with his arms resting on the sticky wood. He held a shot of whiskey in his right hand but didn't drink it. Rather, he was occupied with scanning the strangers around him with a grin, a confident smile that told you he was planning the exact same thing as you.

Well, you couldn't have another person being your competition over the money of these drunken idiots.

With a smile on your lips, you walked over to the bar, standing next to him as you leaned across the wood between you and the barkeep, requesting a tall glass of beer as you placed the money for it on the bar.

You felt eyes on you; you had garnered his attention.

But you would not speak, no, you were never one to talk first. He seemed to follow that rule too, only staring at you with his eyes hidden beneath his black hat as the corner of his lips quirked up into a smirk.

The barkeep had placed your beer in front of you before hurrying over to the men yelling for another drink.

You took a sip; the beer was warm, as to be expected, making you grimace as you silently regretted ordering it in the first place.

His eyes were still on you.

You turned your body to face his, a grin on your lips as you took another sip of the beer and attempted with all your effort to not frown at the warm liquid.

It had been two minutes since you had received your beer, and despite the both of you staring at each other, neither one of you opened your mouths to speak.

Then the man had sighed, and you knew you were winning this unspoken game of yours.

"Hello, miss." He uttered out, his accent unlike the other accents you had grown accustomed to.

"Hey, mister." You answered with a smile on your face, appearing to be a pleasant woman with good intentions.

"You had a good day?" He asked, as if he was truly interested in knowing the answer.

Men were only interested in two things – money and sex.

"Hm, can't complain. You?"

He shrugged and glanced down at the whiskey in his hand like he only just remembered what he was holding.

"Can't complain."

You took another sip of your beer before speaking again.

"You ain't from around here, are you?"

He chuckled and looked up at you, a humoured smile plastered on his face.

"No, miss. I'm from England."

"Ah, so you're one of those fancy, tea-sipping people?"

"I suppose so. Though, I don't like tea that much."

"Then what do you like?"

"Alcohol." He grinned before lifting his shot glass to take a sip of his whiskey, a sigh escaping his lips after he swallows the bronze liquid.

"So, what's your plan tonight then?" You asked briskly, acting like you were interested in more than his money.

"Hm, I don't know."

"You don't have a woman waiting in your sheets at home?"

He shook his head."No. I don't."

You tilted your head at him."Really? A handsome man like you must have ladies flocking at your feet."

"I do." The man took another sip of his whiskey.

Although you would never admit it to anyone, you believed him. There was a charm to him, an alluring and intoxicating warmth that drew you in and made you want to unravel more.

You took a step closer to him, sliding your hand across the bar and onto his forearm as you gazed up at him with eyes that hid your true intentions.

"That so?"

He grinned, turning his body to face yours as he drew closer.

"It is so."You hummed, moving your hand up to his shoulder.

He placed his glass down on the bar, his hands still at his side as his eyes stared deeply into yours.

Yes, he definitely had women flocking at his feet.

"What about you? You must have men worshipping the ground you walk on."

"I do." You stepped closer, a couple inches between you both as his hand landed respectfully on your waist.

Despite the fact you were in a saloon filled with men shouting at each other as if they were a full sea length apart, you felt like you two were the only people in the room. It was strange, he was strange. Perhaps he was strange because although he grinned at you with that arrogant look and talked to you with that typical deep, hushed voice, his hands were respectful and his feet remained glued in place. You thought he did it all on purpose, acting like the honourable young gentleman in his attempt to get you into his bed and forget about you in the morning, yet there was a look in his eyes that was different. It was not greed, it was not lust, it was not arrogance. You did not know what it was. Truthfully, you were unaware that a man could feel something else.

"What's your name?" He whispered, as if he believed your name was something that others did not deserve to know.

You had grinned and slid your hand down his chest slowly.

"Whatever you want it to be, handsome."

The man had seemingly remembered the mood, and his smirk returned once again.

"That so?"

You nodded.

"It is so."

Your hand slowly slid into his front pocket, where you felt a wad of paper.

Success.

He seemingly didn't notice as your hand cautiously drew out his money from his pocket, apparently none the wiser as you quickly stuffed his money into your pocket and returned your hand to its place on his body, resting on his chest as you felt his heartbeat beneath your fingertips.

"What's your name?" You asked.

"Sirius."

It sounded familiar, you did not know why, but you knew the name. You knew the name, for it was an unusual name that was quite memorable, but you could not recall as to where you had heard it from.

"Sirius." You softly repeated, a grin on his lips as you did so.

You took a step away from Sirius, his hand dropping from your waist as your hand slid away from his chest.

You had gotten what you wanted, and you wanted to count your reward.

"Well, I'll be seeing you, Sirius." You took another sip of your lukewarm beer before placing it down and walking away, grinning to yourself.

Another successful evening, another victory from your usual routine.

You strolled to your horse where it had been hitched up, and you dug the money out of your pocket, counting through the paper.

Fifty-two dollars.

Fifty-two dollars was an impressive amount of money to be stolen from one person.

Usually, you would walk away with at least fifteen dollars, at most seventeen dollars. Enough to buy a couple of tinned goods. But with twenty-two dollars, you could buy your food and a couple of bullets, maybe even a chocolate bar to add onto that.

You mounted your horse and secretly revelled in your success, completely oblivious to the fact that you had taken twenty-two dollars away from one of the most dangerous men in the country.

𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒

[sexy-swashbuckler]

10 and/or 23 for the pirate101 questions? :3

10 + 23 :3 here u go

well firstly - i said this in a previous answer - but i made nightingale during the pandemic and it was the first pirate i had actually stuck with after years of creating and deleting characters. in a post i made i said that playing as swash is like playing the game on hard mode. this is the reason that nightingale is so special to me. its because that save took me FOREVER. it took me two years to finish with so much difficulty. but i did it :D.

i'm really big on story telling so i really put a lot of thought into my character's background, even if some of those details are only in my head lol.

nightingale:

when i was making nightingale i was also playing ac: syndicate, so i had this obsession with victorian england (lol) and that's why i chose marleybone as their world of origin. i chose swashbuckler because i loved the finesse/melee animations of the game. looking back, their world of origin and class really compliment each other. i see a lot of marleybonian officers and what-not with sabres so it makes since to me in that my pirate probably learned fencing by going to classes. its suggested by a badge that the marleybonian-raised pirate knows military discipline, so i like to think my pirate was put into fencing classes - not exactly against their will - but the way most kids are put into soccer when they are small.

as for the colors, i wanted to pick something that was neutral and looked good with the gear and ships. at first i wanted black and white (which is the colors i chose for my pirate's clothes in character creation) but then i didn't like how some shades of white looked kinda pink in-game. so i chose beige instead. i absolutely love this color combo and think i made an excellent choice.

i actually changed the coat of arms on the flag when i was in cool ranch. i had the compass/north star thing with the criss-cross swords but i don't remember why i didn't like it. when i was picking a new one, i just thought the fish looked pretty sick :D.

(i'll get into clothes after devereaux)

devereaux:

i have this habit of limiting my worlds of origin to the class i'm going to pick (like i'll only choose witchdoctor if my character is from krokotopia). because again i'm big on story telling and i like things to be very obvious and make sense. but with devereaux i was like "let me switch it up a little. what about an underdog story of a kid from scrimshaw but they are a privateer. they are a natural born leader with hidden talent and potential."

although i wanted to start a new save with devereaux just for the story aspect and for the heck of it, i also realized recently how important side quests are to understanding the lore of the game. i feel i rushed through nightingale really fast because i was so eager to learn more about the main storyline but neglected everything else.

colors: i read this series of poems last year here on tumblr about the colors of the classes that was so beautiful. there's a line in the privateer poem about how the blue in their color scheme is like the blue of the skull island skies and i thought that just fit my pirate so well because they're from scrimshaw. I DONT REMEMBER WHO WROTE THE POEMS IF YOU WROTE THEM AND YOURE READING THIS PLEASE TELL ME SO I CAN GIVE YOU CREDIT. but that's why i chose blue. i tried so many variations of blues tho and colors that complimented them and it was exhausting. i ultimately came up with this color scheme and i think its perfect and exactly what i had imagined. for the coat of arms, i wanted something that looked regal but not too obvious, so i thought the fleur-de-lis was good. devereaux is also a french name so i thought it was a cool nod to irl history.

clothes:

clothes can say a lot about a character. with nightingale, i didn't give their clothes much thought until the very end. i usually just equipped gear that fit in with the theme of the current world so i could get good stats. but when i got to valencia pt.2, i did a clothing stich. i knew that the game was almost over and i probably wasn't going to touch this character for a while so i wanted to give them something that i would enjoy simply looking at. i wanted the clothing to look like an officer's uniform but with a pirate's flare. i went back to marleybone and bought some clothes. their hat is from the bazaar.

with devereaux i plan to do the same thing. i want to stich "great coat" with something that has high armor once i get to aquila or marleybone (whichever comes first i cant remember). but for the time being, i want them to looked at pirate-y as i can make them lol.

that's my answer, i didn't realize it was so lengthy lol

[ladyarrowhead]

Rena (Re-)Watches Downton Abbey: Ep 4

Gosh I am so tired but I have time for an episode today! The problem with liveblogging like this is not being able to watch when I do not have something to liveblog on - so much for doing things "just for me", I guess. Now that Mr. Pamuk veni, vedi,vici and arividercid, it's time to see if actions have consequences. Huzzah!

The Episode

The fair is in town!!! And you know who else? Irish Boy Branson, aka the guy I remember needing a while to grow on? I liked the element of the fair as something that ties everything a little together! And of course how that event creates a little drama of its own. However, how awkward must this be - here you are, going in the evening after work, and then there are your employers right there at the fair? The people you help get dressed and everything? Hey, at least an excuse to leave the house! Mary's position within the inheritance is once again discussed - but I like that the focus is this time a bit more on her and how even with not knowing if she is the heiress or not that still concerns who is going to court her. Lady Violet decides to ask Matthew of all people to look into it, which establishes him as fair. Mary and Matthew talk a bit about her position, too ,which allows her to open up.

Matthew asks Robert a bit more about this, behind Violet's back, and thus kind of offends her, I guess? It certainly seems like a gendered gap vs power gap kind of thing! She is, rightfully, pissed and leaves. Mary asks her father why he is so adamant against not challenging the entail and Robert is all "girl, your mom's money saved you, so I did not nothing to this dynasty and cannot challenge it" - well, Robert, okay, cool, but really not so nice? Marrying Matthew remains out of the question for Mary. Additionally, Robert's love for Matthew's enthusiasm makes it a lot harder for her to entertain the thought of marrying him. Molesley has hurt his hand and suffered some chemical burns bacterial infection. Isobel Crawley just marches down to the doctor's office and helps herself, as member of the board, to something from his cupboard. But I suppose this is meant to show her experience within the medial field - and that I really like! She suggest he wears gloves and I am sure there is a moment where he...is not wearing them and people are shocked?* It turns out, as Violet later on sees him since he is not getting better, that it is not an infection but an allergic reaction to rue - and that wearing gardening gloves will make it go away! Thus, the moral of the story is - wear gloves. *Turns out this must be a different episode. Anna is sick, meaning no fair for her and more work for O'Brien. In a scene that, back during my first watch, clarified the romantic intentions for me, Bates brings her something to eat on a really small tray. It was so adorable!

Gwen shows Sybil she has been asked for a job interview and together they concoct a scheme to help Gwen take it. Sybil even wants to lend her her clothes. The interview is cancelled however as someone else has been chosen for the position (must have come per telegram then, right?). Still, Sybil appeals to Gwen to keep trying! Sybil gets pants made for herself. SCANDALOUS!

The Characters

It's so weird that Lord Grantham has no problem with his chauffeur reading his books as long as he signs them out BUT I remember there was a big thing in Germany going around that was appalled at staff starting to read more and getting library memberships - is it all a ploy? No - I am just shit posting! However I like how this episode provided more insight into his reasons why he is not challenging the entail (which, well, would still be a radical position back then I suppose). Additionally, the scene where Mary explains she will not marry a man she has been told to marry (but wouldn't Patrick have been one of these) additionally unites her and Robert in one thing - being stubborn and adhering to their principles almost a little stupidly. Robert's liking for Matthew, a man he - as Mary already rightfully analyzes here rightfully - eventually will see as his son hurts Mary additionally given that her father made it clear he will not fight for her to become the heir - it's a "misunderstanding" done right with the filming and the scenes, the dialogues - we know where all these characters are coming from and why this leads to trouble!

Mrs. Hughes is taking an evening off to meet an old suitor and, as mentioned in the quotes, chaos follows. I like how this parallels her privacy vs her life in service - we are also this time informed that the "Mrs" is to refer to her standing and not to her marital status, something that I was wondering about since I remembered her not having married before [REDACTED]. Of course that choice between private and public is her thing for this episode - but they do it nicely. She intervenes in the situation mentioned below and William rightfully tells her he has no idea how the house would be running without her. Mrs. Hughes tells Mr. Cars

The Daisy-Thomas-William "Love Triangle" is also further explored and I like how it shows nuances of all of them - Daisy being naivee and starstruck by Thomas, not seeing that William likes her. William taking always a bit too slow to make his move. Thomas, not interested in Daisy, still stringing her along, just to prove a point. The fact that this all happens in front of an audience (Bates, Gwen, I think I also spotted O'Brien?) makes it even more interesting - none of this is really secret, is it? It also provides Mr. Bates with a way to connect to the staff, threatening Thomas to stop teasing/bullying William. MAN and Thomas really does go out of his way to be cruel! The scene where Thomas asks William to do his buttons correctly and everyone watching is SO GOOD! With Thomas Branson being introduced, we already have his romance with Sybil teased - as he will be a character staying in all the episodes, I tried my best to keep my eyes on him! He bothers O'Brien by deciding to eat with the others because apparently the chauffeurs do not do that? He also asks questions which ,as we know, is always bad for a member of staff and mentions his disapproval. Branson also addresses Sybil during their drive, asking follow-up questions to her disapproval of wearing traditional fashion and is happily providing her with political pamphlets. Man, nowadays we need more men like Branson. Sybil voices, like teased in the episode before, enthusiasm for new and modern ideas - also in fashion! She wants to learn more wordly skills, though I cringed a little when she mentioned that one learns hardly anything from a Governness - but that might be my memories being too closely tied to Jane Eyre.

Mary Vs Edith Awfulness Score

No new attrocities were commited against each other.

Other Things

I've realized not directly binging this but limiting myself to 1-2 Episodes per day is much nicer. This show was on TV, right? I like that, it makes the suspense higher!

Beecham's Powders apparently still exist!

I actually watch the chair scene sometimes on its own because it's incredibly hilarious.

Mrs. Patmore trying to gently tell Daisy that Thomas is gay without actually mentioning it was also a sweet scene - she cannot really call it, can she?

Quotes

"I won't wait the table in gloves, I'll look like a footman!" "Mrs. Hughes goes out for one night and we all fall into pieces!"

"Leaving? When would I ever find the time?"

[doctorguilty]

griping about popular post but I don't wanna comment on it and potentially get too much attention and dogpiled

bad and terrible take I'm sorry like the "individual action is not effective" because "the fundamental problem is [higher institution]" is applicable to stuff like, "reducing your carbon footprint by driving electric cars and using metal straws makes minimal impact on the planet because multi billion dollar corporations are deep frying the planet" and even THAT concept has more to do with like personal sacrifice vs personal accountability.

For example if I spend extra money on sustainable eco-friendly food products and exhaust my food budget so that I go hungry at the end of the month, for the sake of individual action to like help save the earth, it is not worth hurting myself for because no amount of only purchasing free-range eggs will make an impact equal to me as a human being with basic needs and rights to food. And being guilt tripped and told I'm selfish for eating cheap eggs instead so that I have enough money to eat every day is bullshit.

At the same time, it DOES NOT mean that because your individual actions are small in the grand scheme of things, it is a waste of effort to do actions that DON'T negatively impact your life, health, or wallet. Like separating recycles from the trash, buying affordable cotton/wool/leather clothing instead of stuff made of plastics, those are still worthwhile things to do if you HAVE the ability, if you ARE capable.

Equating masking to the like, propaganda of "individual actions are necessary self sacrifice, go green at the cost of your well being while we spill 300 tons of oil into the ocean" is stupid, it's not the same thing. It's more like the separating-your-recycles thing but not even that either. Because it's not about the nebulous concept of "the planet" or the "wildlife and forests", it's about your NEIGHBORS, your fellow people at their jobs and at the store and living their lives, doing something individual for THEM, and it does ABSOLUTELY matter and make an impact.

It makes a HUGE impact every single day what you choose to do around other people; wearing a mask could be the difference between, what, you wearing a piece of cloth over your face that is uncomfortable sometimes? versus a cashier getting sick and having to stay home from work and lose a chunk of their paycheck, versus a child at the store catching your infection and bringing it to school with them and they all bring it home to their families, versus an elderly person who lives alone taking care of themselves, becoming bedridden and no one can get them groceries or pick up their medication at the pharmacy.

That stuff REALLY fucking matters and that doesn't even start breaking ground of disabled people, that op was really quick to throw under the bus?? oh society has forsaken them, it's an institutional, such a shame. nothing we can do about it. (also like. who was even talking about cons or events when it came to any of this.......because as far as I know everyone was like, please just wear a mask when you go to the store. to the doctor's office. like wha?)

oh, you feel bad it's being "moralized"? you don't like feeling personally responsible? it's uncomfortable when us undesirables are forsaken by everyone in power and all we can do is beg and plead to be considered by the average person in our vicinity? like honestly, op is right in the sense that the hard statistics when it comes to how much of an impact 1 person in a crowd of 500 don't really matter, but you know when I see that 1 person I think, god at least someone cares. Like. I mean it's complete misinfo to say it does nothing for disease transmission but since people don't care about THAT anyway, then yeah it IS a moral issue and you should feel bad about it! you should feel bad ignoring our voices, you should feel bad when we die, and you should feel bad if all it takes to even communicate to us, "I hope my choice does matter enough to save even 1 person in the world" is wear a piece of cloth on you face and you think that's equitable to corporate ceos guilting you over not driving hybrid cars while they tear down forests to build parking lots over, you think disabled people asking for a sliver of consideration on par with like, taking the grocery cart back to the return so it doesn't smack into someone's car is the same thing as oppressive institutions scapegoating poor people and profit from it...... like I think you've lost the plot, terribly.

[takapoysanews]

সহজেই ব্যাঙ্ক থেকে পোস্ট অফিসে অ্যাকাউন্ট ট্রান্সফার (Account Transfer)করুন সুকন্যা সমৃদ্ধি এবং পিপিএফ অ্যাকাউন্ট, সিনিয়র সিটিজেন অ্যাকাউন্ট ; কিভাবে করতে হবে দেখুন - TAKAPOYSANEWS

[lazaruspiss]

Historic Gotham: Part Two

Novick Building: The Novick Building was built in the early 1800s and was part of Alan Wayne's plans to expand Gotham City into a more modern metropolis. It's one of the tallest landmarks in the Old Gotham district. The Novick Building has been used for various purposes during its existence. It was once the home of a newspaper agency, a library, a bank and temporarily housed the Labor Union before they relocated to the West End. It is now used as an office space for various small- time companies and start-ups. I once considered using the empty dome at the top of the building as the location for what later became the Belfry base but decided against it as there are no easy access points and renovations would have been too noticeable. Notes: The Novick Building provides a good vantage point of the Courthouse and City Hall. Can use it to supervise transport for trials.

Gotham City Post Office: The Gotham City Post Office has been open for more than a century, handling everything from letters to ship cargo. It houses over thirty employees and sends out hundreds of mailmen and women across the city every day. The Riddler once used the post office for an intricate scheme using letters, since they can't be as easily traced as digital information. But the workers at the post office went on strike, which made his whole plan fall apart. I later found the Riddler at Robinson Plaza trying to catch birds to train them to be carrier pigeons. I've since made a contact at the post office who warns me of any suspicious activity taking place there. Along with my other contact at the Dixon Docks, we've managed to find and destroy many packages of contraband. Notes: All of my non-essential packages are sent to the post office under the pseudonym Jack Shaw.

Statue of Justice: The Statue of Justice was originally commissioned by the Kane family not long after the foundation of Gotham City. It's located on a small hill, where it oversees Tricorner Island, and is visible all the way from the Kane bridge. The Statue is blindfolded and is holding a sword and scale. Some say it's because it is casting judgment on the city, while others claim it's protecting it. It's become a popular tourist attraction and many shops, as well as the visitor center, have opened their doors on the plaza. Anarky once attempted to topple the statue for a political statement, but Dick and I managed to apprehend him and deactivate the bomb he had planted. The mayor has tried to bring tourists back with promotional events and festivals, but many have been reticent to return since the incident.

St. Swithuns Church: The St. Swithuns Church was built near the shores of the Gotham City Bay to protect ships coming to Port Adams and the Miller Harbor in the 19th century. It withstood wars and storms alike and was temporarily turned into a makeshift clinic after a hurricane caused a cruise ship to crash nearby. Gotham City General Hospital was overflowing with patients and the nuns of St. Swithuns volunteered to treat the survivors who were still being rescued. They saved the lives of over fifty people, including Oswald's aunt, Miranda Cobblepot. Because of this, the church was named a historical site. Some sailors today still go to St. Swithuns before leaving to pray for safe passage. My father would do the same thing to reassure his crew when came the time to test new ship prototypes.

[pinezcreatez]

Random Sims Challenge ideas :

Note* I'm so new to the Sims community I have no idea if these exist already sorry ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1. Work-Life balance

Choose your career but you are unable to build the skill needed for it while at home until you have reached level 5 in three other skills. This will push you to work your Sims outside of just their work life.

2. The Stomach of Steel

Have a character with the glutton trait essentially live only off spoiled foods and crappy microwaved meals. No real cooking is allowed for this sim until they have read all the cook books available (ie: baking, cooking, gourmet, etc.)

3. Agoraphobia

Your Sim doesn't have access to the outside world. No housemates or neighbors can interact. Penpal via e-mails allowed. One pet may be allowed but it is also not allowed to go outside. They have all their essentials indoors with no windows on site unless they are boarded or curtained. Food delivery is not an option either. Artist career paths must use digital art only as selling easel paintings means going to the post office irl. Authors won't work either because you'd have to publish via a mailbox and that's not allowed either, remember your Sims is petrified of going outside. Is there a fire? Put it out yourself. No firefighters and no finding an escape route outside.

Note* I've had times in my own life where I've been unable to leave my home for months due to this, I am not romanticizing agoraphobia I just think it'd be an interesting way to play in the Sims.

4. From the ground up.

Buy a plot of land, and with only 25,000 or less simoleons you should lay down a basic shelter. This first place will be yours until you've saved up to go elsewhere. No adding rooms. Upgrading & repairing broken things is fine. Live off the grid for this first home. And sustain yourself via gardening and farm animals until you have saved up 50,000 simoleons to purchase a new home. Repeat the process of no remodeling with the new home until you've saved 100,000 to move/reconstruct your home all over again.

5. Monkey see Monkey do

Have a few Sims in a household and have your main sim copy anything their roommates are doing. Did one roommate flirt with another? Go flirt with them too. Did they just go take a shower? You should do that too. Have this sim only build up their skills and relationships via copying what they see others doing.

6. Opposites Attract

Make two vastly different Sims in all : Looks, Style, likes/dislikes, career paths, personality, etc. Get them together and see if they can learn to love each other's differences or if a break up/divorce is inevitable.

7. Color Scheme Build

Your new home should have the following : entryway, living room, kitchen, dining room, study, bedroom, guestroom, bathroom, guest bath, & basement. Each room can only have one color aesthetic with no repeats. Aka: A green room with only green objects, a pink room etc. You can use different hues of the color of course but putting something like a yellow rug on a blue carpet is not.

8. Never enough plants

For the green thumb and gardeners out there, this challenge is to have more green than home. Whether it be a small house with a large gardened yard or a regular home with plants absolutely filling all the shelves and tabletops. Have the plants be everywhere. Bonus points if your Sims clothes have flower patterns and such as well.

9. Four Story Home

I'm not a person who likes switching from up and down the stairs all the time to find my Sims but having it as a challenge could get me more used to it. It's as simple as making a home with four floors but you can make it more like an apartment or something by having bathrooms, bedrooms, kitchens, etc on every level.

10. Do you actually live here?

It's easy to want your sim to have a similar looking household. But what if you had a goth living in a kawaii/bright colored aesthetic home, or a minimalistic sim living in a home full of clutter? However you make your sim out to be, the house has to be the complete opposite.

[joeyrapace]

Tax Planning & About Tax-Saving Investments in India

Tax-saving investments are essential to personal finance, enabling individuals to reduce their taxable income while simultaneously building a robust investment portfolio. In India, the Income Tax Act of 1961 offers various avenues for tax-saving investments, each catering to different financial goals and risk appetites. This blog delves into tax planning and the top tax-saving investment options available in 2024.

What is Tax Planning?

Tax planning refers to evaluating your financial situation and identifying strategies to minimise your income tax burden. The main objective of tax planning is to find opportunities to save on taxes, thereby reducing your overall tax liability as much as possible. This approach increases your disposable income, enabling you to invest more and work towards achieving your financial goals.

Tax-Saving Investments in India

1. Fixed Deposits (FDs)

Tax-saver Fixed Deposits (FDs) are a popular choice for conservative investors. These FDs offer tax deductions under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, allowing you to claim a deduction of up to Rs 1.5 lakh. They come with a lock-in period of five years and offer interest rates ranging from 5.5% to 7.75%. However, the interest earned is taxable.

2. Public Provident Fund (PPF)

The Public Provident Fund (PPF) is a long-term savings instrument with a lock-in period of 15 years, making it suitable for long-term financial goals. Contributions to a PPF account earn an assured interest rate, typically higher than that offered by fixed deposits. You can claim tax deductions up to Rs 1.5 lakh per financial year under Section 80C. PPF accounts can be opened at designated branches of public and private sector banks or post offices.

3. Unit Linked Insurance Plans (ULIPs)

ULIPs combine insurance and investment, allowing policyholders to invest in equity funds, debt funds, or a mix of both. They offer the flexibility to switch between funds based on your financial goals. Investments in ULIPs are eligible for tax deductions under Sections 80C and 10(10D). The returns on maturity are tax-free, making ULIPs a dual-benefit product.

4. National Savings Certificate (NSC)

The National Savings Certificate (NSC) is a savings bond primarily aimed at small to mid-income investors. NSCs can be purchased from any post office or via internet banking if you have a savings account with a bank or post office. The investment amount qualifies for tax deductions under Section 80C. NSCs have a fixed maturity period and offer a fixed rate of interest, which is taxable upon maturity.

5. Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS)

The SCSS is a government-sponsored savings instrument for individuals above 60 years of age, providing a steady and secure income post-retirement. The principal invested in SCSS is eligible for tax deductions up to ₹1.5 lakh as per Section 80C. However, the interest earned is taxable as per the applicable tax slab of the investor. This scheme offers one of the highest interest rates among fixed-income investments, making it attractive for senior citizens.

6. Life Insurance

Life insurance is a critical component of an individual's financial portfolio, providing financial security to the policyholder's family in the event of their untimely demise. Premiums paid for life insurance policies are eligible for tax deductions under Section 80C up to Rs 1.5 lakh. Proceeds received on death or maturity are tax-free under Section 10(10D). Various life insurance plans, including term plans, endowment plans, ULIPs, and money-back plans, offer different benefits tailored to individual needs.

7. Pension Plans

Pension plans, also known as retirement plans, help individuals accumulate a corpus for their post-retirement life. Contributions to pension plans are covered under Section 80CCC, a subsection of Section 80C, with a combined maximum deduction limit of Rs 1.5 lakh. On maturity, one-third of the stocked pension amount is tax-free, while the remaining two-thirds is taxed as per the individual's tax slab. The amount is tax-free upon the death of the beneficiary.

8. Health Insurance (Mediclaim)

Health insurance policies, commonly known as Mediclaim, cover medical expenses incurred due to accidents or hospitalisation. Premiums paid for health insurance qualify for tax deductions under Section 80D. You can claim up to Rs 25,000 for yourself and your family and an additional Rs 50,000 for senior citizen parents. The maturity value received under critical illness insurance policies is tax-free.

9. National Pension System (NPS)

The National Pension System (NPS) is a government-backed retirement savings scheme regulated by the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA). It allows individuals to invest in equity, corporate bonds, and government securities. Contributions to NPS qualify for tax deductions under Section 80CCD, with an additional deduction of Rs 50,000 as per Section 80CCD(1B), over and above the Rs 1.5 lakh limit under Section 80C. NPS offers a flexible and low-cost way to save for retirement.

10. Tax-Saving Mutual Funds (ELSS)

Equity-Linked Savings Schemes (ELSS) invest primarily in equities, offering tax benefits as per Section 80C. ELSS funds come with a lock-in period of 3 years. It is the briefest among all tax-saving investments. They are suitable for investors with a medium to high-risk appetite. The returns on ELSS are linked to market performance, offering the potential for higher returns compared to traditional fixed-income instruments.

Conclusion

Choosing the right tax saving investments can significantly impact your financial health and future security. From conservative options like fixed deposits and PPF to market-linked instruments like ULIPs and ELSS, each investment avenue offers unique benefits and caters to different financial goals and risk profiles. By strategically investing in these options, you can save on taxes and build a diversified and robust investment portfolio.

[ultra-dartconsulting-stuff-blog]

MARKET GROWTH PROSPECTS OF BANKING SECTOR IN INDIA, 2023- 24 – DART CONSULTING FORECASTS HIGHER GROWTH IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

India’s banking sector is sufficiently capitalized and well-regulated. The financial and economic conditions are comparatively better even by comparing with well developed economies. Indian banks are generally resilient and have withstood the global downturn well as can be noted by reviewing previous years records.

The Indian banking industry has recently witnessed the rollout of innovative banking models like payments and small finance banks. In recent years, the Banks are increasingly focusing widening banking reach, through various schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana and Post payment banks. The rise of Indian NBFCs and fintech have significantly enhanced India’s financial inclusion and helped fuel the credit cycle in the country.

Here is a quick overview of key players in the industry.

HDFC Bank Ltd

HDFC Bank Ltd (HDFC) offers personal and corporate banking, private and investment banking, and other related financial solutions to individuals, MSMEs, government, and agriculture sectors, financial institutions and trusts, and non-resident Indians. It provides a range of deposit services and card products; loans for homes, cars, commercial vehicles, and other personal and business needs; insurance for life, health, and non-life risks; and investment solutions such as mutual funds, bonds, equities, and derivatives. HDFC also provides services such as cash management, corporate finance advisory, customized banking solutions, project and structured finance, trade financing, foreign exchange, internet banking, and payment and settlement services, among others. The bank operates in India through a network of branches, ATMs, phone banking, net banking, and mobile banking. It has overseas branches in Bahrain, Hong Kong, and the UAE, and representative offices in the UAE and Kenya. HDFC is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

ICICI Bank Ltd

ICICI Bank Ltd (ICICI Bank) provides personal and corporate banking, investment banking, private banking, venture capital, life and non-life insurance solutions, securities broking, and asset management services to corporate and retail clients, high-net-worth individuals, and SMEs. It offers a wide range of products such as deposits accounts including savings and current accounts, and resident foreign currency accounts; investment products; and consumer and commercial cards. ICICI Bank offers to lend for home purchase, commercial business requirements, automobiles, personal needs, and agricultural needs. The bank offers services such as foreign exchange, remittance, import and export financing, advisory, trade services, personal finance management, cash management, and wealth management. It has an operational presence in Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), the Americas, and Asia. ICICI Bank is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

State Bank of India

State Bank of India (SBI) is a universal bank. It provides a range of retail banking, corporate banking, and treasury services. The bank serves individuals, corporates, and institutional clients. Its major offerings include deposits services, personal and business banking cards, and loans and financing. The bank provides services such as mobile banking, internet banking, ATM services, foreign inward remittance, safe deposit locker, money transfer, mobile wallet, trade finance, merchant banking, project export finance, treasury, offshore banking, and cash management services. It operates in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and North and South America. SBI is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.

Punjab National Bank

Punjab National Bank (PNB) offers retail and commercial banking, agricultural and international banking, and other financial services. Its retail and commercial banking portfolio offers credit and debit cards, corporate and retail loans, deposit services, cash management, and trade finance. Its international banking portfolio includes foreign currency accounts, money transfers, letters of guarantee, and world travel cards, and solutions to non-resident Indians. PNB also offers merchant banking, mutual funds, depository services, insurance, and e-services. The bank operates in India and has overseas operations in the UK, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Nepal, and the UAE. PNB is headquartered in New Delhi, India.

Bank of Baroda

Bank of Baroda (BOB) offers retail, agriculture, private and commercial banking, and other related financial solutions. It includes loans, deposit services, and payment cards. The bank offers loans for homes, vehicles, education, agriculture, personal and corporate requirements, mortgage, securities, and rent receivables, among others. It provides current and savings accounts; fixed and recurring deposits; debit, credit, and prepaid cards. The bank also provides insurance coverage for life, health, and general purposes. It offers services such as treasury, financing, mutual funds, cash management, international banking, digital banking, internet banking, start-Up banking, and wealth management. The bank has operations in Asia-Pacific, Europe, North America, and the Middle East and Africa. BOB is headquartered in Baroda, Gujarat, India.

Industry Performance

The health of the banking system in India has shown steady improvement, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s latest report on trends in the sector. From capital adequacy ratio to profitability metrics to bad loans, both public and private sector banks have shown visible improvement. And as credit growth has also witnessed an acceleration in 2021-22, banks have seen an expansion in their balance sheet at a pace that is a multi-year high. As of November 4, 2022, bank credit stood at Rs. 129.26 lakh crore (US$ 1,585.09 billion). As of November 4, 2022, credit to non-food industries stood at Rs. 128.87 lakh crore (US$ 1.58 trillion).

Given the increasing intensity, spread, and duration of the pandemic, economic recovery the performances of key companies in the industry was positive. The reported margin of the industry by analyzing the key players was around 13.7% by taking into consideration the last 3 years’ data. Details are as follows.

Companies Net Margin EBITDA/Sales

HDFC Bank Ltd. 23.5% 31.2%

ICICI Bank Ltd. 22.3% 30.4%

State Bank of India 10.0% 25.7%

Punjab National Bank 4.0% 10.0%

Bank of Baroda 8.9% 13.9%

Industry Margins 13.7% 22.2%

Industry Trends

The macroeconomic picture for 2023 portends mixed fortunes for consumer payment players. Higher rates should boost banks’ net interest margins for card portfolios, but persistent inflation, depletion of savings, and a potential economic slowdown could weigh on consumers’ appetite for spending. Digital identity is expected to evolve as a counterbalancing force to mitigate fraud risks in the long run. Transaction banking businesses are standing firm despite recent market uncertainties. For many banks, these divisions have been a steady source of revenues and profits.

Over the long term, banks will need to pursue new sources of value beyond product, industry, or business model boundaries. The new economic order that will likely emerge over the next few years will require bank leaders to forge ahead with conviction and remain true to their purpose as guardians and facilitators of capital flows. With these factors in mind, the industry is still showing huge growth potential, some of the growth divers that is propelling the industry are:

Rising rural income pushing up demand for banking

Rapid urbanisation, decreasing household size & easier availability of home loans has been driving demand for housing.

Growth in disposable income has been encouraging households to raise their standard of living and boost demand for personal credit.

The industry is attracting major investments as follows.

On June 2022, the number of bank accounts—opened under the government’s flagship financial inclusion drive ‘Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY)’—reached 45.60 crore and deposits in the Jan Dhan bank accounts totaled Rs. 1.68 trillion (US$ 21.56 billion).

Some of the major initiatives taken by the government to promote the industry in India are as follows:

As per the Union Budget 2022-23:

National Asset reconstruction company (NARCL) will take over, 15 non-performing loans (NPLs) worth Rs. 50,000 crores (US$ 6.70 billion) from the banks.

National payments corporation India (NPCI) has plans to launch UPI lite this will provide offline UPI services for digital payments. Payments of up to Rs. 200 (US$ 2.67) can be made using this.

In the Union budget of 2022-23 India has announced plans for a central bank digital currency (CBDC) which will be possibly know as Digital Rupee.

Through analyzing the performance of the contributing companies for the last three years, we can ascertain that the sector witnessed compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% at the end of 2022. Details are as below.

Companies CAGR

HDFC Bank Ltd. 14.02%

ICICI Bank Ltd. 7.3%

State Bank of India 8.4%

Punjab National Bank 9.2%

Bank of Baroda 10.7%

Industry CAGR 9.9%

Working through partnerships both with NBFCs and FinTech is high on the agenda of the Indian banking sector, and this is an area of focus of the FICCI National Committee on Banking. Banks will have to play a very constructive role as India aspires to be the leading economy in future. The strengthened banking sector has the potential to contribute directly and indirectly to GDP, increase job creation and enhance median income. Technology interventions to strengthen the quality and quantity of credit flow to the priority sector will be an important aspect. The need for sustainable finance / green financing is also gaining importance.

With these attributes boosting the sector, the Indian banking industry is likely to grow 5% more than the reported growth rate and is expected to exhibit CAGR of 10.4% in the next five years from 2023 to 2027.

DART Consulting provides business consulting through its network of Independent Consultants.  Our services include preparing business plans, market research, and providing business advisory services. More details at https://www.dartconsulting.co.in/dart-consultants.html

[olko71]

New Post has been published on All about business online

New Post has been published on https://yaroreviews.info/2024/02/post-office-scandal-10k-payout-cruel-says-bankrupt-victim

Post Office scandal: £10k payout 'cruel', says bankrupt victim

By Emma Simpson

Business correspondent, BBC News

Tony Downey can feel his heart racing a little as he walks up the main street in Hawkshead, a pretty village in the Lake District. It’s the first time he’s been back since he fled abroad after losing his livelihood and health from the Horizon Post Office scandal.

“We didn’t even say goodbye, we were too embarrassed. We just ran,” he says.

He went bankrupt two months after selling his post office and shop when he could no longer cover the shortfalls in his accounts.

But he’s only ended up with £10,000 in compensation so far – way less than what he has lost.

“It’s an insult, it’s cruel… I should still be [in the post office]. I have no career, no money, no pension, no nothing. They took that all away from me.”

Now, Tony’s battle for financial redress is being seen as a test case by his legal team dealing with most of the bankruptcy cases in the biggest and earliest Horizon compensation scheme.

Tony, 56, bought the Hawkshead post office in 2001. Over the next six years he and his wife Caroline were forced to put in £35,000 of their own savings to make up for “losses” which never existed.

Instead, a faulty computer system called Horizon was to blame. They couldn’t afford to put in another £7,000 when the shortfalls continued.

“We had no money left, so we resigned. And I told them I was selling the post office. Which we did manage to do to be able to pay most of our debts off, but we were short, so we were advised to declare bankruptcy.”

Tony was already suffering from stress and anxiety from all the financial pressure. At one point, he says he was suicidal.

“I was terrified of driving because I thought: I’ll kill myself. Somehow I managed to keep it together until it was sold and then that was it… I just fell apart.”

Blaming himself, Tony felt too ashamed to stay in their small community.

Tony Downey

They withdrew their daughter from school and fled, without the chance for her to say goodbye to her childhood friends.

“We just ran away,” Tony says. Afterwards, he had a nervous breakdown and has not worked since.

He and Caroline have been living in a small, rented apartment in southern Spain to be close to his parents for support. His £120-a-week income is made up of benefit payments.

Then, just 18 months ago, he found out about the Horizon failures.

Tony filled out his application form for compensation from the Horizon Shortfall Scheme (HSS). When the Post Office responded with an offer, it admitted that Horizon was responsible for the losses at his branch, but it denied it caused him to go bankrupt.

After Tony sold the post office and shop, he paid off a £60,000 commercial loan which was guaranteed against his wife’s parents’ home as he could not face putting it at risk.

But the Post Office said Tony should have paid off his other debts first. As a result, he’s only been paid £10,000 in damages for personal suffering so far.

Tony was awarded £140,000 to make up for his shortfalls and 26 months of lost income plus interest, but the money’s been swallowed up by his debts and goes straight to the Official Receiver to pay off his creditors. He’ll receive any surplus that’s left.

Tony is now being represented by Hudgell Solicitors who are challenging his offer.

“Tony’s been incredibly short-changed,” says Neil Hudgell, partner in the firm.

He argues that if the Post Office had admitted causing Tony’s bankruptcy, it would have meant far higher compensation – potentially covering 17 years of lost income as he has not been able to work.

“It is a particularly cruel irony for sub-postmasters to be deprived of compensation the Post Office is due to pay, given it was the Post Office which, in many cases, caused the financial collapse which preceded these bankruptcies,” says Mr Hudgell.

Tony Downey

“When we took the post office on we had no debts,” Tony says. The business was running amazingly well. But taking £35,000 from us had a massive effect… we didn’t want to go bankrupt.”

“I now have no career, no money, no pension, no nothing… they took that all away from me.”

“At the moment, they are not even close to putting me back to where I would’ve been, but they have to admit causation to do that.”

There are now 74 bankruptcy cases in the Horizon Shortfall Compensation Scheme.

The Post Office told the BBC that to date, it had accepted causation of bankruptcy in 25 of them. 17 have been settled although it’s not clear if the claimants did so with any legal advice.

Neil Hudgell’s firm is dealing with more than 40, trying to “unravel the true picture” and warns that some former subpostmasters and postmistresses may see time run out before a resolution is reached.

He believes Mr Downey has “a very strong” case and that the HSS has got it wrong when it refused to accept the Post Office caused his client to go bankrupt.

“Tony had essentially no debt before taking on the Post Office. He went bankrupt within two months of leaving… He was cash generative until he’d seen the problems with Horizon,” he says.

Bankruptcy adds a layer of complication to what are already complex cases – they’re taking the longest to solve, adding to years of anguish.

“We need to start giving subpostmasters the benefit of the doubt. They don’t have the documentation that backs up aspects of their claim in many instances. So, it’s about trying to reduce the legal war of attrition, looking at things in the round, and doing the right and fair and proper thing,” believes Mr Hudgell.

On his first visit back to the village he left behind, Tony feels nervous but validated.

His battle is far from over but after all these years he wants to “wave my little piece of paper, saying it wasn’t me… It wasn’t me.”

His old post office is no longer there. It shut more than a year ago. The building has now been let to a nursery.

A Post Office spokesperson said: “We do not comment on individual cases, but we fully recognise that recompensing victims of the Horizon IT scandal who have been declared bankrupt or insolvent as a consequence of Horizon shortfalls has been a complicated and lengthy process – for which we apologise.

“All offers made under the Horizon Shortfall Scheme are assessed by an independent panel which includes forensic accounting specialists. Any individual in receipt of an offer is entitled to dispute the amount and seek legal advice on the offer received, the cost of that independent legal advice is reimbursed by Post Office.”

Related Topics

Companies

More on this story

Why were hundreds of Post Office workers prosecuted?

23 January

‘We’re victims of a second Post Office scandal’

4 days ago

[currenthunt]

Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme

Union government decided to raise the returns on the Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme (SSAS) from 8% to 8.2%, and on the 3-year Post Office Time Deposit Scheme (POTDS) from 7% to 7.1%, for the first quarter of 2024, while keeping the interest rates unchanged for all other small savings schemes. Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme - The Sukanya Samriddhi Account Scheme (SSAS) is a small deposit scheme by the Ministry of Finance exclusively for a girl child and is launched as a part of the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Campaign. - The scheme is meant to meet the education and marriage expenses of a girl child. Eligibility - Any girl child who is a resident Indian from the time of opening the account till the time of maturity/closure. - The account may be opened by one of the guardians in the name of a girl child, who has not attained the age of ten years as of the date of opening of the account. - A family can open a maximum of two accounts under this scheme for girl children. However, exceptions allow opening more than two accounts for twins or triplets born in the first or second order, supported by an affidavit and birth certificates. Benefits - The Minimum Investment is Rs 250 per annum; the Maximum Investment is Rs 1,50,000 per annum. The Maturity Period is 21 years. - At present, SSAS has several tax benefits and the highest rate of interest among all the Small Savings Schemes. Post Office Time Deposit Scheme - The POTDS also known as National Savings Time Deposit scheme is a government-backed savings option that allows individuals to deposit an amount for a fixed tenure and earn a predetermined interest rate on their investment. This scheme is offered by India Post Payments Bank (IPPB). - Features of the POTDS: - It offers four types of accounts with varying maturity periods: 1 year, 2 years, 3 years, and 5 years. - It allows deposits from Rs. 1,000 to any amount, in multiples of Rs. 100. - It allows joint accounts, minor accounts, and nomination facility. - It provides income tax benefits for the 5-year account under Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, of 1961. - Section 80C of the Income Tax Act, of 1961, allows for deductions from gross total income for certain investments and expenses made by individuals and Hindu Undivided Families (HUFs). - It encourages savings and investments in specific avenues, thereby reducing taxable income and providing tax benefits to taxpayers. Read the full article