#pre-engagement counseling

[theexodvs]

If your engagement lasts more than six months, you're playing games.

If you refuse to get counseling before or during your engagement, you're playing games.

If you live together before engagement, you're playing games.

If you don't have a contingency plan involving a barebones wedding with the officiant and the minimum number of witnesses if things go south, you're playing games.

[mariacallous]

On Sunday, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson went on television and mixed up Iran and Israel. “We passed the support for Iran many months ago,” he told Meet the Press, erroneously referring to an aid package for the Jewish state. Last night, the Fox News prime-time host Jesse Watters introduced South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem as hailing from South Carolina. I once joined a cable-news panel where one of the participants kept confusing then–Attorney General Jeff Sessions with Representative Pete Sessions of Texas. I don’t hold these errors against anyone, as they are some of the most common miscues made by people who talk for a living—and I’m sure my time will come.

Yesterday, President Joe Biden added another example to this list. In response to a question about Gaza, he referred to the Egyptian leader Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the president of Mexico. The substance of Biden’s answer was perfectly cogent. The off-the-cuff response included geographic and policy details not just about Egypt, but about multiple Middle Eastern players that most Americans probably couldn’t even name. The president clearly knew whom and what he was talking about; he just slipped up the same way Johnson and so many others have. But the flub could not have come at a worse time. Because the press conference had been called to respond to Special Counsel Robert Hur’s report on Biden’s handling of classified documents, which dubbed the president an “elderly man with a poor memory,” the Mexico gaffe was immediately cast by critics as confirmation of Biden’s cognitive collapse.

But the truth is, mistakes like these are nothing new for Biden, who has been mixing up names and places for his entire political career. Back in 2008, he infamously introduced his running mate as “the next president of the United States, Barack America.” At the time, Biden’s well-known propensity for bizarre tangents, ahistorical riffs, and malapropisms compelled Slate to publish an entire column explaining “why Joe Biden’s gaffes don’t hurt him much.” The article included such gems as the time that then-Senator Biden told the journalist Katie Couric that “when the markets crashed in 1929, ‘Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the princes of greed. He said, “Look, here’s what happened.”’” The only problem with this story, Slate laconically noted, was that “FDR wasn’t president then, nor did television exist.”

In other words, even a cursory history of Biden’s bungling shows that he is the same person he has always been, just older and slower—a gaffe-prone, middling public speaker with above-average emotional intelligence and an instinct for legislative horse-trading. This is why Biden’s signature moments as a politician have been not set-piece speeches, but off-the-cuff encounters, such as when he knelt to engage elderly Holocaust survivors in Israel so they would not have to stand, and when he befriended a security guard in an elevator at The New York Times on his way to a meeting with the paper’s editorial board, which declined to endorse him. And it’s why Biden’s key accomplishments—such as the landmark climate-change provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act, the country’s first gun-control bill in decades, and the expected expansion of the child tax credit—have come through Congress. The president’s strength is not orating, but legislating; not inspiring a crowd, but connecting with individuals.

That said, although Biden’s Mexico mistake might not be a demonstration of dementia, it is a warning sign of a different sort that his campaign would be wise to heed. Recently, the White House declined to have Biden participate in the traditional pre–Super Bowl interview this coming Sunday. The administration framed this decision as part of a broader strategy favoring nontraditional media, but it was reasonably seen as an attempt to shield the candidate from scrutiny. The president’s staff is understandably reluctant to put Biden front and center, knowing that his slower speed and inevitable gaffes—both real and fabricated—will feed the mental-acuity narrative. But in actuality, the bar for Biden has been set so laughably low that he can’t help but vault over it simply by showing up. By contrast, limiting his appearances ensures that the public mostly encounters the president through decontextualized social-media clips of his slipups.

As Slate observed in 2008, the frequency of Biden’s rhetorical miscues helped neutralize them in the eyes of the public. In 2024, Biden will have an assist from another source: Donald Trump. Among other recent lapses, the former president has called Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán “the leader of Turkey,” confused Nancy Pelosi and Nikki Haley, and repeatedly expressed the strange belief that he won the 2020 election. With an opponent prone to vastly worse feats of viscous verbosity, Biden can’t help but look better by comparison, especially if he starts playing offense instead of defense.

But none of this will happen by itself. If the president and his campaign want the headlines to be something other than “Yes, Biden Knows Who the President of Egypt Is,” they’ll have to start making news, not reacting to it.

[0nlythrowharrybeaux]

#4 angst pls!

This one's an AU!

Warnings: Mentions of depression

You knew that Harry was going through it recently. He had been struggling to find a new job and his current job was really draining him. He had an asshole boss and very self-serving coworkers that made advancing in the work and collaborating unnecessarily difficult. On top of that, you were newly married and well, despite what people think, adjusting to living with him had been hard on both of you since you hadn't cohabitated prior to getting married.

It was hard for him to turn his place into your place from one day to the next. Yeah, you had some stuff over there from before, but everything was shared now so it was a bit different. It was hard for you too to feel like his home was now your home as well. And you'd had the proper discussions long before you got engaged and even did pre-marital counseling just to make sure that you two could really do this together. With you both being children of divorced parents you didn't want to take that step if you knew from the start that you had irreconcilable differences.

But all of this to say that Harry felt like he was a bit stuck. He felt drained all the time and absolutely over everything. One of the hardest things for him now was that when he was feeling this way he didn't really have alone time. You knew that Harry really liked to wind down from his frustrations alone at his own pace. His home had always been his safe space to do that and well now, that was a bit different. But today, Harry felt that he was in luck.

He had just returned from a business trip to New York and he was absolutely spent. He decided to get a car service to pick him up as to not interrupt your day and also to have some alone time just in case you beat him home. You knew that he was coming back and that he hadn't had the best time on this trip with his coworker based on what he'd filled you in on briefly, so you made some plans after work to give him some time.

When Harry got home he texted you because you clearly hadn't arrived yet. You didn't say anything about when you'd be back so he decided to wind down with a nice relaxing bath. He kind of started to unpack and had a couple things strewn around the bed before deciding to take care of it after his bath when he was in a much better mood. He had a shower and then got in the tub for a good half hour before he wrapped himself up in his robe and headed back into your bedroom to change. He sat on the edge of the bed and picked up his phone only to see several missed calls from his office and he groaned as he called back.

"Harry!" he heard his name almost immediately after the line rang.

"Yes, Mr. Thomas? Sorry, I missed your call." he said to one of the directors that he got along with a bit better than the other bosses.

"It's alright, I have some news." he said and Harry hummed indicating that he go on, "Tomorrow, Roger's going to announce that he's decided to go with Byron's proposal for the deal with the investment firm." he sighed. Harry immediately frowned.

He felt completely devastated as he heard this. The only thing he felt confident about from this entire trip was his proposal to this investment firm. He had managed to strike up a better deal than Byron's. He had gotten them to agree on early access for new investment opportunities. He had gotten them to remove the "finders" fee that was charged on top of their standard fee as well. And yes, his plan was slightly more expensive than Byron's but based on the financial projections he had run, their company would be making a greater profit now because they'd have access to the more promising opportunities along with the bigger and more wellknown companies. With that profit essentially the cost of the deal would pay itself! He was at a loss and he couldn't help the rage building up inside of his body. His eyes started welling up as his tears threatened to spill over his waterline.

"Harry?" he heard Mr. Thomas call to him and he exhaled shakily.

"Sorry, sir. Just...processing." he said and Mr. Thomas hummed.

"I did what I could. I mean, I even told Roger he was backing the wrong man, but...you know how Byron is. And you know how Roger is..." he sighed in disappointment, "I just ummm...I wanted you to know so that little prick doesn't have the satisfaction of seeing you upset." Mr. Thomas explained.

"I appreciate it. Thank you."

"Of course. And look...you're a bright guy, Harry. And I just think that...maybe this is not the place for you. You're not like these other people, they've no self respect, no principles they adhere to. I'd sayit'll be sad to see you go, but no one here is interested in helping you reach your potential. Just... think about that." he advised and Harry hummed.

"Well thank you, I'll give that some thought."

"Yep. See you tomorrow. Game face, alright?"

"Yes, Mr. Thomas." he said and then hung up.

As soon as he pulled his phone away from his ear he started to cry. He was so frustrated and it felt like he just couldn't get a win, no matter how hard he tried! More than that, he needed to succeed now because your future depended on it. There was so much riding on him having a good job and bringing in money and he was failing at that. He felt like a failure as an employee, as a man, as a husband! He had felt like a shell of himself for months and he knew you saw it and you tried to help, but he felt beyond help. He just felt like giving up. He let himself fall back on the bed as he cried quietly, he'd unpack after...

You got home and were so excited to see Harry. He clearly hadn't eaten since there were no dishes in the sink. So you rushed over to your bedroom and quickly kept in your greeting when you saw him passed out on the bed, breathing heavily. You walked over quietly and you frowned when you saw his tear-stained cheeks. You pushed some of his things aside and gently laid beside him and raked your fingers through his damp curls. He woke up almost immediately with a deep exhale and he turned to you with a frown that soon relaxed upon seeing you.

"Hey, babe. Are you alright?" you asked him softly and he sighed.

"No. I'm just...done." he sniffled, "I feel like I can't do anything right! I'm always tired and irritable, and I work so hard and these people don't even care!" he vented, "My boss is a prick who values getting his ass kissed over actual thoughtful ideas! But I can't find something nearly as good and well now there's us and I can't just quit because I have a responsibility to you now and I just hate my life right now!" he groaned in frustration and you frowned.

You knew he didn't mean that he hated what you guys had now, but it still made you feel bad that he felt like he was responsible for you. Harry was a protector, he wasn't fragile by any means, but lately he had been and you suspected that the struggles at his job were making him depressed. And well, that tends to follow you around to every part of your life and this was the result. You hated seeing him be so unsure of himself, it just didn't make sense, it was wrong.

"I'm sorry." you said simply and he sighed and reached for your hand.

"I'm sorry for saying I hate my life. I don't hate our life. It's just...not a good time for me." he explained.

"I know, baby. And I get that you like to deal on your own before you share things but...we're a team. That's the point of us getting married, we're supposed to help each other out. And well, if you need to find something else then do it! I don't mind having to work a little more to make sure we stay afloat. Your happiness means a lot to me." you explained.

"I just...don't have the energy. Do you ever just feel like...giving up. Or like disappearing?" he asked you quietly.

"I have before, yes." you admitted and he sighed.

"Me too...but, not like this." he confessed, "It feels like...too much. Like it's out of my hands now." he confessed as he teared up again and you just hugged around him as he started to cry again.

Harry knew he had so much to be grateful for, but all the of the bad things felt like they were too overwhelming for him to even mind the good things. He felt like he was drowning, he was barely staying afloat and that scared him so much. He felt foreign in his own mind and body, it worried him, but he was scared of saying it. And now he was saying it to you and he was worried about your reaction, but when you held him and said nothing about it, it did help a little bit. He didn't need you to say anything, he just needed you to be there.

"I love you so much." you said quietly and he sniffled.

"I love you too." he responded as he just stared at the ceiling while you held him. And as you just laid there with him he decided that maybe it was time to get some help. He didn't feel like he could keep doing this alone. Not this time.

[grits-galraisedinthesouth]

Was it worth it Sparry?

"Band aides Don't Fix Bullet Holes..."

AFTER Sparry's unconsciously biased conversation about fathering ginger kiddos, he chose NOT to seek clarification from the offensive family member(s) about what he may or may not have said or heard. Instead, while Sparry & Megain were dating, Sparry (as he told Colbert) assumed that IF their relationship were to go the distance: Megain's African genes would dominate his Ginger genes; however, low IQ Sparry only relayed to Megain whatever he overheard or misheard the Windsor's say so they could document the incident in her middle school girls' burn book as leverage for post-wedding blackmail.

Sparry certainly wasn't shy about entertaining multiple pre-engagement discussions about money, Megain's acting career/income, clothing, security, etc

These discussions led Charles to describe Rachel Megain Markle as "Tungsten."

Megain & Sparry were willing to challenge and debate The Queen of England and The Prince of Wales concerning material things, but refused to address the most important elephant in the room: Megain's DEMAND to work and reside amongst Sparry's unconsciously biased family.

The family came to a workable agreement about Megain's BRF "service" opportunities and Megain eagerly awaited Sparry's proposal.

The public knows that Megain expected Sparry to propose marriage because she phoned Mulroney in the midst of his proposal and said "it's (finally) happening." Rachel Megain immediately accepted Sparry's marriage proposal and wanted to "hit the ground running" for the family and institution that she & Sparry defined as racist unconsciously biased.

These two-faced, full grown, able bodied adults scripted and recorded their very first global lie-fest before the entire world and included how "wonderful" everyone, (particularly Catherine) had welcomed Megain into the Windsor family. Megain proceeded to invade the private homes & intimate spaces of Sparry's family without once telling them the truth about their racist unconsciously biased words concerning Megain's unfertilized eggs.

Megain even gave an unconventional Christmas speech to the ENTIRE extended Windsor family. She recycled how THIS (unconsciously biased) family (unlike the Engleson's) is the family she never had.

If the Meghans were so victimized, why didn't they ask Megain's therapist mother for advice? Megain requested a fast track entrance to the Anglican Church. The Arch Bishop could have coordinated private extended family counseling sessions.

Megain chose to lie before God and to the clergy. As Samantha (BP employee) said, "we have been duped" because Megain always planned for her relationship with the BRF to fail.

While preparing for the wedding, this middle school (adolescent) couple prepared to sell tell their story to NOprah for a biased, 1-sided, televised, air out "hearsay" and our dirty laundry faux therapy session.

These victimized Meghans should have visited with Megain's mom & father over that Christmas holiday. They could have used that holiday to plan for a simple beach wedding in Megain's CA USA hometown. Instead, they invaded the privacy of multiple family members at Sandringham. These intimate engagements provided deceitful opportunities for Me-Me to take note of even more unconsciously biased Windsor family offenses.

This selfish couple displaced the homeless population and billed the UK tax payer for the pre-engagement events, as well as millions of dollars to cover the security costs of their Spring "Spectacle."

The Duke and Duchess of Deceit:

Sparry asked his unconsciously biased father to walk his BLACK fiancee down the aisle.

Sparry asked his unconsciously biased & heavily pregnant sister-in-law to host his BLACK fiancee in her home at Christmas.

After the NOprah lie-fest, Sparry personally contacted CBS & Gayle King to clarify that his racist (unconsciously biased) "conversation" did NOT occur with his elderly grandparents.

The world heard Gayle King relay Harry's "message" and yet today the story has been revised to: "a sussex representative" stated that neither Sparry's grandmother, nor his grandfather were present for "that conversation" (convo Sparry vowed never to discuss).

As of December 2023, "THAT conversation" (relayed to Megain by Sparry) BEFORE they were engaged, BEFORE they were married, BEFORE megnancy has now been revised: an increase from one (1) to two (2) conversations and a decrease from "several conversations" to two (2) conversations.

How thoughtful of Sparry to use his wife's paranoia & her self-hatred to blackmail the entire Windsor family & markle his kids' royal heritage.

Megain hates The Royal Tea House. Please follow the link to subscribe & LIKE

[kipperlillyforpresident]

FAQ / about

I had so many feelings about KLCK that I decided to make this blog to contain them. I genuinely really like her as a character and I've been really bummed out by how a lot of fans talk about her, so here I am.

A self-indulgent FAQ about my thoughts on KLCK is under the cut. You are under no obligation to read them, obviously. But hey, in case you're wondering about the nitty-gritty of my emotions - go on ahead!

q: You know she killed people, right?

Yes. She is being infected by a god of rage and also a lot of our favorite loveable characters have ALSO done murders and also god forbid women do anything <3

q: Strawman question about the affirmative action/DEI hater Kipperlilly interpretation - what do you think of that?

I think that canonically, within the lore of D20, halflings are a colonized race who are seen as a "model minority", and I think it's a little tasteless to go that angle with her character. Purposefully calling this one a strawman question because I admittedly cannot be unbiased on this matter.

q: Don't you think it's fucked up that she was jealous of Riz's dad being dead?

yes of course it was fucked up thats the point thats what makes her INTERESTIING

Also, I must stress this: she told Jawbone about this jealousy in a private counseling session. You know. The place where you are supposed to work through your worst intrusive thoughts.

Finally, my dad died when I was 17, so I'm giving her permission to indulge in this fantasy. Guys its fine its fineeee SHE CAN RECLAIMM

q: Do you think she's right about literally every single thing?

No of course not. She's so wrong. That's what makes her interesting.

q: Do you really think she should be the student body president?

From an in-universe perspective? no she is being infected by a god of rage <3 from a storytelling perspective? absolutely. i've found kristen's campaign to be the weakest and most frustrating arc of this season by far, and i think it'd be narratively hollow for her to actually win after All That.

q: Wait, you hate Kristen's campaign? Is this a Kristen hate blog?

Yes I do, and no it is not! Kristen is an interesting case, because I really do find her interesting from an in-universe perspective. At times, I think she can be one of the most tragic and complex characters. She is just a teenage girl who has had far too many burdens placed upon her!

But when we look at Kristen as the sum of her parts, as a player in the narrative... I'm not a huge fan of a lot of the choices Ally has made. This is supposed to be the season where chaos stops being cute, and as we rapidly approach the finish line, I still don't see that promise being held.

(Also, I hate to have to pre-emptively do this defense, but: I literally have ADHD. I am aware that Ally is playing Kristen as somebody with ADHD. That doesn't change my perspective on much.)

q: What does it say about you that you preemptively made this defensive FAQ?

That I like to hear myself talk too much, and that I have engaged in far too much discourse in my youth.

q: What is your main blog?

@mozukumi :-)

[ethanjhake]

OK! It's been another year! and boy has it been a lot afhdkahfak

In January I asked a girl out who I had a crush on, and in July we got engaged. And then in September we got married afkhkajfakjsl

I got to visit Chicago with a friend and see half•alive perform in the House Of Blues, eat some Chicago style pizza, visit lake Michigan, experience The Bean™, and scramble to find a hotel that wasn't over booked ajfhakda. I was able to spend a few days in Michigan to meet the in-laws, eat hibachi, visit their church, and try Tim Horton's.

In the span of about a month, me and my wife went through premarital counseling, planned a whole wedding, moved into a new apartment, dressed to the nines, said our vows and took the leap, and got to spend a couple days at a lakehouse retreat in Arkansas. And now we live at our own place trying to start our artist/writer careers.

I fought in ArtFight (and won) with a total of twelve attacks. I completed nine prompts for Inktober, which was for me a study of the art of Ari Gibson in Hollow Knight, but couldn't make it through the rest of the prompts, smh.  I did a #sixfanarts challenge as well and had some fun with that.

In March I quite me full time job in place of a part time, to free myself up to work on my personal projects like Songs of the Fallen (my webcomic in pre-production) and finally get my art career off the ground. And speaking of which—I also started a Ko-Fi and opened commissions up again! Check it out!

Over all, so much has happened, and there's still so much more to come! I'm really thankful for this year and all I was able to do and experience. The future can look grim in many ways, but I know God has plans for good and not evil, so we can be ready for whatever comes.

Thank you all for following along, it's been a ride lol, and I hope to see you all in the new year! Cheers!🎉

[minefield-of-a-ninja]

Summary: Jenny isn’t comfortable being vulnerable, but Beau has a way with words.

Characters: Jenny Hoyt x Beau Arlen, Deputy Mo Poppernak

Warnings/tags: explicit, dirty talk, Beau never shuts up, ever

Words: 1300

Author’s notes: We don’t know why Beau goes to counseling, so I’m pretending that it’s something to do with whatever was in his record that he claimed some people may not like.

This will be a collection of random glimpses into falling in love, trusting someone with more than just your body, and finding comfort in intimacy.

Many thanks and all my love to @brrose-apothecary and @stunudo for pre-reads and pom poms and being my friends.

Jenny’s always felt as though she’s a spectator to her own life, a casual observer of her father walking out the door, a bystander to her mother’s corruption,  and the last to know about Cody’s infidelity. It all played out without her engagement or consent.

Maybe that’s why she throws herself into her work.

Sheriff Tubb isn’t an easy man to impress, but he respects her and has been an incredible mentor. When he was shot in the line of duty, she assumed she would fill in for him as undersheriff while he recovered. Instead, he called in a semi-retired Texas deputy with a history of bad behavior.

Saying that Jenny was “red-assed” over an outsider with a record of suspensions taking her rightful place was a bit of an understatement.

Of course, Jenny pulled his file. He opened the door for anybody to look, after all. Turns out Beau Arlen knows quite a bit about drug cartels as well as human trafficking. Some of his most admirable work has been wrapped up in the two while breaking rules and defying authority.

Jenny isn’t the most by-the-book deputy herself, but she kept her guard up with Beau from the beginning and prepped for a cold war.  

“How you wanna do this, darlin’?”

“Darling?!”

Now, Beau looks up at her smugly from his office chair, steadily tapping the insides of her Louboutins with his dusty cowboy boots and murmuring that contentious nickname followed by a barrage of filth that turns Jenny’s skin hot pink and makes her wet between her legs.

She shifts against the edge of his desk where she’s entirely too exposed to his antics.

“I... should get back to my desk,” she tries to sneak away, realizing too late that her knees are already weak.

Beau snags the corner of his bottom lip with his teeth, pitches forward, and hooks a finger through one of her belt loops to easily drags her into his lap.

Jenny squeaks like a toy in the jaws of a puppy. “Someone could walk in any second,” she playfully protests, her palms against his warm, broad chest.

Beau chuckles, wrapping an arm around her middle and tucking one hand up into her hair. He tilts her head and surveys the length of her throat before dipping in to press his lips to her skin.

“Does that turn ya on?” His words graze the shell of her ear as he speaks. “To think about somebody walkin’ in on us? That they’d know just how much you like my hands on you and how easy you are for me.”

Ninety-nine percent of the time, Jenny imagines herself like a vault, impenetrable and imperturbable. Beau and his litany of anecdotes have been chipping away at that percentage for months, though, especially since he added the kinds of things that make her clothes itchy.

“Beau,” she gasps as his lips and thumb brush her throat. His fingers slowly wrap the column and she can’t catch her breath.

“Unbuckle your belt,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “I like it when you do it for me.”

Jenny sighs and rests her temple on his shoulder, pulling the leather tip of her belt from the heavy buckle. His breath is steady and the heat from his body, his hand around her throat and his arm around her waist, make her feel safe where she shouldn’t.

The bustle of the precinct whirls outside his closed door as she finishes her task then opens the brass button of her jeans.

“Good girl,” he says, nibbling along her jaw. “Zipper, too.”

Jenny shudders as his soft and easy tone utters praise and demands. Her bottom lip should be bloody with worry at how hard she’s biting it. She obeys and Beau’s hand slides from her neck to her open jeans.

“What should I do to you today, huh?” he asks as they both watch his fingers trace the edge of her plain black satin panties.

“Just…” Jenny arches her back, throwing one knee over the arm of his chair, and spreading her legs with an impatient grunt.

The sheriff responds with a gravelly chuckle. “Greedy, greedy, greedy.” He relents, slipping his hand under the fabric with a hiss.

“So slick, baby,” he taunts, watching her squirm. He thumbs alongside her clit as he barely notches two fingertips inside her. “Should I let you come now, or rile ya up so you walk around the station wet and wantin’ my dick?”

“God,” Jenny groans, burying her face in his neck and bucks into his hand, forcing his fingers deeper. Her cunt squelches and sucks like an entity of its own, but she’s never felt more in tune with her body in her life the way she is with Beau.  

“Yeah, you wanna come now,” he answers his own question, turning his head to press a kiss to her forehead. They both watch his fingers disappear inside her.

“Beau,” she whispers, reaching up to sink her fingers into his soft, thick hair. She twists and tugs, hoping to make him swear.

“Fuck,” he huffs a quiet laugh. “Maybe you really do want ‘em all knowin’ I’m two knuckles’ deep in your pussy.”

He turns her head to claim her mouth with his. Their lips twist, hot and slow and deep, his wet tongue teases and swipes. He sucks on her bottom lip until she’s panting.

“So you’re really never gonna date another cop?”

“Would it break your heart?”

“You wish.”

The way he looked at her that day made her stomach flip. Jenny had slowly fallen in love with his corny cowboy wisdom, his stories about his daughter, the way he assesses a crime scene out loud just as she puts it all together in her own mind — and, now, to hear him say the things that are for her ears only.

Jenny grips his wrist, convulsing. “I’m-” she groans, and Beau chuckles quietly.

“Shh.” He kisses her as she comes, squeezing his fingers and whimpering.

Jenny returns to reality, slumped in Beau’s lap, head lazy against his shoulder as he licks and sucks his fingers clean. He gently releases his hold around her waist and strokes her denim-clad thigh.

“We got a one o’clock, Hoyt. Get yourself together.” He grunts teasingly, shifting in his chair and letting her up.

She shakes her hair out of her face, tucks her t-shirt in, and refastens her pants. Just as she’s finishing the buckle on her belt, there’s a knock on the door and a jiggle of the knob.

Her heart races and her wild eyes shoot to Beau.

“Just a minute,” he calls, unfolding from his chair and very obviously adjusting his erection as he tosses her a wink.

Jenny huffs and rolls her eyes as Beau opens the door to a baffled Poppernak. 

“Huh.” Beau plays dumb, making a show of examining the lock. “Must’ve locked itself!”

Deputy Poppernak wanders inside, eying Jenny’s flushed cheeks and messier than normal hair. Then his eyes go wide.

Jenny plants her hands on her hips and narrows her own eyes, sending him a silent message to shut the fuck up and don’t you dare or I will kill you.

“Whatcha got, Popsocket?” Beau asks, slicing between Jenny’s death stare and Poppernak’s signature deer-in-headlights impression. He waltzes from the door back to the scene of the crime and proudly takes a seat.

Jenny is torn between hysterical laughter at the batshit absurdity of the situation and running from the deputy’s prying gaze. Instead, she draws a breath and clears her throat

“You were going to phone the neighbors?” She throws Poppernak a bone.

“Uhh... yeah. Neighbors,” Poppernak mutters, blinking down at his notes before hesitantly reporting his findings to his partner and his boss.

Jenny ticks her  impatient gaze to Beau long enough to catch his predictably self-satisfied smirk. She bites into her bottom lip to keep from giggling as a blush creeps across her cheeks and she settles back against the edge of the mahogany desk.

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

* * * *

Supreme Outrage!

April 26, 2024

ROBERT B. HUBBELL

The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Thursday regarding Trump's presidential immunity defense. For clarity, that defense asserts that the president is above the law and beyond the reach of US criminal statutes that otherwise apply to every American. To the shock of everyone—and no one—the reactionary majority expressed sympathy for Trump's defense. The hearing itself was a supreme outrage. While the reactionary majority may not adopt the most extreme version of Trump’s defense, they need not do so to grant Trump a victory. Indeed, they have already granted Trump most of what he asked for: a lengthy delay.

Before I review the debacle that masqueraded as a Supreme Court hearing, let’s skip to the most important part: We have a remedy; we need only be bold enough to claim it. The current court is illegitimate; we must effectively replace it by enlarging the Court to overwhelm the reactionary majority.

Is such a plan reasonable? Constitutional? Wise? Achievable? Yes! Mitch McConnell created an Orwellian rule to deny Democratic presidents the right to appoint Supreme Court justices—and then waived the novel rule as soon as it would apply to an appointment by a Republican. Three justices (at least) lack legitimacy: Gorsuch and Barrett, whose appointments were tainted by the McConnell rule, and Clarence Thomas, who should recuse himself from every case relating to Trump. In short, one-third of the Court that heard Trump's arguments on Thursday had no business presiding over Trump's immunity claim.

Expanding the Court requires only a majority vote in both chambers of Congress and the signature of the president. Those conditions are within our grasp in November 2024. When I first raised this prospect in 2018, it was met with shock and horror by readers, who protested that expanding the Court would undermine its legitimacy. Such objections seem quaint in light of the damage wrought by the Court in six short years.

As Ian Millhiser of Vox wrote today,

One takeaway from today's debacle of a Supreme Court argument is Democrats need to start seriously considering packing the Supreme Court. A Court that would allow Donald Trump to get away with trying to steal a presidential election cannot be trusted.

We have a long list of issues that should drive us to the polls in historic numbers in November. Add to that list that we are burdened with a lawless Supreme Court that cannot be trusted with our democracy or Constitution.

As noted above, the reactionary majority granted Trump a victory before the hearing began by refusing Jack Smith’s request to skip the intermediate step of an appeal to the DC Circuit Court of Appeals. The Court enhanced that victory for Trump by refusing to hear the matter on an expedited schedule. And now it appears that the Court will issue a fractured opinion on the last day possible (June 30) that will order the trial court to engage in pointless pre-trial fact-finding about the difference between “private” and “official” acts.

But most critically, the reactionary majority gave Trump a victory by dignifying ludicrous arguments that should have been rebuked and condemned the moment Trump's counsel gave them voice. In failing to reject those arguments out of hand, the reactionary majority bestowed upon them the veneer of legitimacy and respectability they do not deserve.

For example, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor asked Trump's lawyer,

If the president decides that his rival is a corrupt person and he orders the military to assassinate him, is that within his official acts to which he has immunity? Trump's lawyer responded, “That could well be an official act [and therefore immune from prosecution]”

How did we arrive at this point? How is it possible that counsel for a former president could say with a straight face that a president can order the assassination of a political rival with impunity? How could the justices sit silently and ponder counsel’s answer instead of rising in horror and ordering the attorney out of the courtroom? They are feckless. They have abandoned the Constitution in its hour of need by failing to communicate the horror and repulsion such arguments deserve.

The reactionary majority also gave Trump a victory by refusing to acknowledge the constitutional urgency of the attempted coup and insurrection. Rather than focusing on the facts alleged in the indictment against Trump, the reactionary majority crafted ever more fanciful hypotheticals that had no bearing on the case at hand. As expressed by Professor Laurence Tribe,

Today’s SCOTUS argument was more like a hearing in Congress to design an immunity law for future presidents, with Justice Kavanaugh saying “We’re not taking about the present case” and Justice Gorsuch saying “We’re writing rules for the ages” and Justice Alito joining in.

Only Justice Jackson reminded her colleagues that deciding this case was the Court’s task and that it might not be cool to use it as a vehicle for “answering in advance all these abstract questions”!

By engaging in fantasy rather than focusing on the facts at hand, it is inevitable that the Court will send the case back to the trial court for pre-trial fact finding—an outcome that will ensure the case will be delayed until after the election. The Court will thus deny all Americans the opportunity to cast their vote with the benefit of a jury verdict on Trump's guilt or innocence.

Justice Alito reached the pinnacle of bad faith by arguing that not granting immunity to Trump would increase the likelihood that a future president would try to stay in power. Huh? Every president before Trump relinquished power voluntarily without benefit of presidential immunity. If Trump is told he has absolute immunity and wins a second term, what motivation would he have to leave office—ever?

Alito also summited the peak of hypocrisy. In Dobbs, he wrote that there is no constitutional right to an abortion, reasoning as follows:

Constitutional analysis must begin with “the language of the instrument . . .  The Constitution makes no express reference to a right to obtain an abortion . . . .

But the Constitution make no reference to “presidential immunity.” As counsel for Jack Smith argued,

There is no immunity that is in the Constitution, unless this Court creates it today.

Do not expect blatant hypocrisy to slow Alito’s headlong embrace of presidential immunity that appears nowhere in the Constitution. Alito knows no shame in service of his reactionary agenda.

For additional discussion of the oral argument and potential outcome, see

Ian Millhiser in Vox, The Supreme Court is likely to place Donald Trump above the law in its immunity case (excellent legal summary), and

Chris Geidner at Law Dork, SCOTUS approach to Trump's immunity claim likely to delay D.C. case further (substack.com) (deep dive into argument by counsel and questions by justices).

Millhiser predicts an outcome along the following lines:

At least five of the Court’s Republicans seemed eager to, at the very least, permit Trump to delay his federal criminal trial for attempting to steal the 2020 election until after this November’s election. And the one GOP appointee who seemed to hedge the most, Chief Justice John Roberts, also seemed to think that Trump enjoys at least some immunity from criminal prosecution.

As summarized by Josh Marshall of Talking Points Memo, The Court is Corrupt. Say It With Me. Per Marshall,

The Roberts Court is a corrupt institution which operates in concert with and on behalf of the Republican Party . . . That’s the challenge in front of us. . . . But things become more clear-cut once we take the plunge and accept that fact.

The courts are not going to save us. The reverse is true. A significant portion of the federal judiciary has been corrupted and undermined by judges loyal to a reactionary religious and partisan agenda above all else. They view the Constitution and statutes as convenient “talking points” when they advance their agenda and disposable trifles when they do not.

Our remedy is at the ballot box. We must give Joe Biden control of Congress and a mandate to reform the federal judiciary—starting with the Supreme Court. We can achieve that goal if we are disciplined and tenacious. Put aside all disagreements and reservations to ensure Democrats win control of the executive and legislative branches in 2024. Then we can begin the long, slow work of repairing the damage inflicted in a few short years by the reactionary majority empaneled by Trump, McConnell, and The Federalist Society.

[Robert B. Hubbell Newsletter]

[ukrfeminism]

10 minute read

Thousands walk past every day without noticing it or knowing anything about the lives being transformed inside. Nestled behind the sunflower-hued door of a Georgian terraced house, on a busy Brighton street, the Brighton’s Women Centre (largely known by its acronym the ‘BWC’) – is home to those facing unique difficulties, in particular those at risk of reoffending. 

The need for a place like this is great: statistics show that compared to men, women who receive a custodial sentence (prison time) are more likely to be complex and vulnerable individuals, who’ve experienced trauma and abuse – and while 95% of male prisoners’ children remain in their own homes when their father is incarcerated, the same can be said for only 5% of children whose mothers are jailed.

One woman who knows about this heartache first-hand is Hayley*, an evidently caring and straight-talking 43-year-old mother of five, who has been engaging with BWC for six years.

“I’d reached the point of no return when I first came here,” she tells me, as we sit in a quiet meeting room in the centre’s attic, leaflets about the help on offer scattered across a nearby table. “My life was a mess, a shambles really.” Hayley, like many women who’ve been to prison, has dealt with addiction issues, abusive relationships, and unstable housing, all of which contributed to her committing an offence and serving time whilst pregnant. When she left HMP Bronzefield six years ago, Hayley describes herself as ‘broken’. 

“I’d started to wake up when I was arrested, but when I came here, it was the first time I really felt I was being listened to and that there was hope of change. I was pregnant again, with a set of twins, and I’d already had three daughters taken off me. Was I really gonna go through that again?” she shares, reflecting on how far she’s come since first walking through that sunshine yellow door. “When you go through the justice system, you meet a lot of people and go to a lot of places. You meet probation officers, and they’ve got your file in front of them… you instantly feel judged.”

She adds, “You’re scared to be totally honest about your situation in case it comes back to bite you later on. People get scared they’ll lose their children if they ask for help [with a substance abuse issue]. You feel you’re drowning. But it’s not like that in BWC, it’s a women’s only space that has a different energy. There was no chaos in the building, it was just calm.” 

Hayley was first referred to BWC under court orders via her probation officer following a pre-sentence report, which she says is what ‘saved’ her from another stretch in prison. She now also credits her case worker, Marion, for also ‘drip feeding’ her information about the signs of coercive control, narcissism and abuse too, during their chats over cups of tea. “I started to feel a bit empowered and could recognise behaviour that wasn’t right for the first time.”

Unlike a refuge or shelter (accommodation for those fleeing abuse), the function of a women’s centre can sometimes be confused – which is understandable, given that the likes of BWC seem to… do it all, for anyone in need of help. As well as having staff on hand for practicalities such as housing issues, financial problems, mental health support (counselling and psychotherapy is available) and food poverty (the latter being the service that’s seen the biggest increase in demand over the past year), women’s centres provide a safe space to talk – which can ultimately be the biggest game-changer for many. There’s also a cheerful nursery on site, Toy Box, so that mothers can attend appointments without fretting about childcare.

All of which is why the newly announced £15 million government cash injection into 40 women’s charities and centres in England and Wales, like the BWC, that support those at risk of reoffending, is so crucial. But is it enough, given that a recent Women In Prison report found nearly half of all women’s centres are concerned about their survival? What else can be done to stop women – and mothers in particular – from going to jail, and tearing apart families in the process, traumatising a new generation? Why are 3,219 women ending up in prison each year in the first place, with most having committed a non-violent, low-level offence?

Victims before perpetrators

“We often say that women who’ve gone to prison were victims before they were perpetrators,” says Damian Hinds, Minister for Prisons, Parole and Probation, who joins me at BWC. “We know female offending is typically driven by factors such as drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and mental health issues. Around 60% of women in prison have experienced domestic abuse and about half have some kind of drug problem, so we need to tackle those underlying issues with earlier intervention and better support, to stop the cycle of offending.” 

He praises the Female Offender Strategy that began in 2018, with the aim of tackling the root causes of female offending and reducing prison numbers (Hinds’ team also shares that between June 2018 – June 2022 the number of women sentenced to immediate custody fell by 37%). 

However, whilst news of the funding is a welcome step in the right direction "that provides a much-needed respite for organisations working tirelessly to meet the needs of at-risk women, or those in contact with the criminal justice system”, there's still a long way to go, says Sonya Ruparel, the Chief Executive of Women In Prison (a charity that has supported women in the criminal justice system for 40 years). Their work sees them have a presence inside prisons, in the community and ‘through the prison gate’ as they help women to resettle in their communities.

"The money is providing a temporary solution to a long-term problem, and this £15m available pales into insignificance when compared, for example, with the £200m the government are investing in an extra 500 prison places for women," she explains. "Despite the government’s commitment to reducing the women’s prison population, they are projecting it will rise by up to 35% in the next three years. 

"Without real investment in services that support women to address the root causes of crime such as domestic violence and abuse, debt and homelessness women will continue to be unnecessarily swept into the criminal justice system." 

Female inmates, the majority of whom have been convicted of fraud (14%) or shoplifting (19%), also have to grapple with being incarcerated by a system designed with men in mind, and it is estimated that women sent to prison are seven times more likely to self-harm than men. Each year, 17,000 children are impacted by maternal imprisonment too.

Helping women to break the cycle of trauma is something that Lisa Dando, Director at BWC, and all her staff, are passionate about. They explain that a ‘trauma-informed’ approach is key when dealing with any woman living with multiple disadvantages [something that can be lacking during arrests, for instance, if officers haven’t been specially trained] and that a shortage of decent emergency accommodation sees women who’ve recently left prison instantly set up to fail. 

Too many are housed far from home – away from their support networks that help them to stay sober and happy – and are forced into mixed gender living situations, with shared bathrooms, toilets, and broken locks. All of which see their fight or flight responses fire up, particularly if they’ve been victims of domestic abuse or sexual violence. It’s much harder to stay sober when you’re scared and lonely.

The UK also continues to put pregnant women in prison, when other countries don’t. “Women give birth in prison here,” Dando adds. “I don't understand why the children are being punished for a crime their mothers have committed. The prison system is damaging in so many different ways and I'm also not convinced that the rehabilitation work that takes place inside, especially for women on short term sentences, which the majority are, has enough time to really make a difference.”

She adds, “It seems illogical [to break families up in this way] when there are alternatives, like women’s centres and non-custodial sentences, that are proven to work.” Dando, of course, caveats that this does not mean she supports people who’ve committed violent or very serious crimes going without punishment. 

It’s a sentiment that Hinds seemed to agree with during our interview too, along with the need for better trauma support training to be instilled across the justice system as a whole. “Trauma-informed services and spaces for these women are vital,” agrees Marion Taylor, Manager of the Inspire project at BWC, who has worked with Hayley. “It’s about working with women in a way that recognises they have trauma in their backgrounds, that shapes the way they’ve developed and react to certain things.” Consistency is also key; BWC is able to offer twelve sessions with a therapist, whereas the NHS offering typically hovers at around six to eight.

Part of the newly announced funding, of which BWC has received £761,280, will also be spent on creating better links between women’s centres and the police, which (as suggested by the Casey review) is rife with misogyny, racism and homophobia. “[The review] is a big part of why we wanted to form a partnership with the police, to divert women away from contact with them if possible,” Dando explains. “We want to step in early and provide a different model of support, to protect women from having to experience being in a police cell or the damaging effects of a service that is struggling. We’d like to bring a different view and educate the police on a new way of working.”

In terms of feeling the impact of previous government cuts to services, Dando diplomatically says that since she “joined fifteen years ago, it’s been peaks and troughs” and that currently, the centre looks set to be financially ‘safe’ for the next two years. She highlights the financial gains of custodial sentences being a last resort too, pointing out that incarceration costs around £42,000 per inmate compared with a community sentence coming in at around £2,000. Around 87% of women given a non-custodial sentence do not go on to reoffend either. Dando adds, “And really, we’re all at risk of needing a women’s centre if our circumstances suddenly change.” 

When asked by Cosmopolitan UK as to whether the new £15 million funding allocation is enough for women’s services, Minister Hinds said he feels it’s a “substantial investment” and that the scheme will reduce the £18 billion overall cost of reoffending for the taxpayer. “Female offenders also benefit from other support the justice and health systems provide, like the Probation Service and Government’s £3 billion 10-year drugs strategy investment.” 

Coming back from darkness

Someone who is a prime example of a non-custodial sentence working is Sarah*, a 60-year-old animal lover who explains that she snapped after a long-running dispute with her neighbour escalated during lockdown. The neighbour, she says, made an illegal roof garden on their building, that Sarah repeatedly said wasn’t safe – and her point was proven when a dog later fell off and was injured. Later on, whilst in the vet’s surgery, an argument between the neighbours grew heated and Sarah admits that she pulled her neighbour’s hair. 

Her situation, Sarah points out, is a prime example of circumstances changing in an instant – and to her credit, she repeatedly acknowledges that she shouldn’t have become physical in that scenario. “I do sometimes wake in the night and think how could this happened? I pulled her hair. Yet I've been punched in the past, and it never goes to court. It was all just blown completely out of proportion… I used to work for probation, I spent five years working with one parent families.”

Ultimately, after sleepless nights spent imagining how she’d survive in prison, Sarah was given a non-custodial sentence of community service work, which she completed in a PDSA charity shop, “I was put in a position in court, where if I opened my mouth and tried to stand up for myself, I knew I would go to prison,” she reflects. “So I stayed quiet and left it to my solicitor, who managed to reduce my sentence down to 50 hours of non-custodial work.” Alongside her sentence, Sarah was also issued an eviction order, which is what led her to BWC to seek help with housing. 

“It was last chance saloon,” she shares. “I’d tried to access other services but found they weren’t able to move fast enough for me. It had reached the stage where my family were exhausted with it all too. My kids are older – my daughter is a doctor and my son's a respected musician – they came with me to court, but they didn’t have the facilities to help me, whereas women’s centres do. Even things like utility bills, I've brought them here as I just couldn’t have handled them alone.”

Now, Sarah is in a much better space – both mentally and physically – having found alternative accommodation with BWC’s support, and once her 50 hours in the shop were up, she decided to stay on as she found it good for her confidence and sticking to a routine. 

Hayley now says she’s now able to be there for all of her children and is clean and sober. She is also single, having broken free of her pattern of repeatedly entering into abusive relationships, and tells me she’s teaching her 17-year-old daughter to spot the red flags that she missed early on. “My kids have seen a lot of things and experienced a lot of trauma, they've seen me beaten up, drug dealers come through the doors, windows being smashed… But now it's like, mum's not that person anymore,” she says. “They can see I'm not running to men, or looking for a man to fix me, or putting up with being spoken to in a certain way. I can finally set the right example.” 

For now, it sounds as though the likes of BWC and the forty other women’s centres that have received funding at least have a little space to breathe – but is allowing them a moment to pause and catch their breath really enough? Especially given that new stats show one in five people in the UK are living in poverty right now, and that debt and homelessness are precursors to potentially committing an offence. Is it right that women’s centres have had to fight so hard – and wait so long – to receive adequate financial support in the first place, given the incomparable work they’re doing? And whilst these forty centres can feel short-term relief, plenty of other incredible organisations around the UK are still struggling. Let’s hope this is only the beginning of the recognition, and that the pressure all women’s centres are feeling will be eased on a more permanent basis in the near future. 

*Name has been changed 

You can donate to Brighton Women's Centre here and Bankuet, the food bank association that work alongside the BWC, here

[thewizardcouncil]

Application Form to Be an Evil Wizard. Please file to your local plane, it will arrive at the city of towers as appropriate

Text Only Version:

APPLICATION FORM TO BE AN EVIL MAGIC USER (Colloquially known as evil wizard)

Form A1-B1893-C.59.(p)

SECTION 1: Basic Information

NAME (Last, First, Middle, True, Draconic, Wizard)

AGE (if unknown place general epoch of birth)

MAGIC TYPE

(See Note A)

 _________________

Archmage ☐

Artifice ☐

Angel ☐

Angel (Fallen) ☐

Aboleth ☐

Bard ☐

Book (item of power)☐

Demi-Lich ☐

Devine (Holy)☐

Devine (Unholy) ☐

Diet-Lich ☐

Diet-Djinn ☐

Djinn ☐

Head Mage ☐

Hedge Mage ☐

Lich ☐

Mage ☐

Old One ☐

Other ☐

Sorcerer ☐

Warlock ☐

must be preapproved by patron; Clause 1-A: If not  preapproved by specific patron you accept the wizard council as your patron  and shall abide by the laws of magic created by this Pact (to be discussed in  detail at a later time) by checking the box above you are agreeing tacitly  that this box, uncheck or not without the express written consent of your  patron pre-filed to the wizard council. By checking the box at the end, you  are assuring that you agree that the wizard council is to be your new patron  regardless, by leaving the box at the end unchecked you are giving the wizard  council full wherewithal to contact or arraign your specific patron for  questioning, counseling, capturing, contract transferal, or other power attainment  at the cost of, but not limited to, your own magical abilities.

Warlocks Only->☐

Wizard ☐

 ______________________________________________

 SECTION 2:

Reason For  Evil Wizardry (select all that apply):

I am    choosing to be unaffiliated with the wizard council

☐

I am filing    for an enchanted land that falls within the evil wizard category

☐

I am compelled    by prophecy to duel a known chosen one and so must abide by my destiny

☐

My Patron has    compelled me to fill out this form as punishment/reward for not listening/listening    to him/her/them/it

☐

I am    seeking vengeance via magical means

☐

I am filing    this form out of spite

☐

I give off    evil wizard vibes

☐

I am    attempting to gain unlimited power and none shall stand in my way

☐

Assigned    Evil at Salem

☐

Late-Stage    Capitalism

☐

NOTE A: Not all Magic Types or sources of magic  are fully categorized upon this list. Select the one that is closest to your  source of magic. If you have multiple sources of Magic refer to Note B:

  NOTE B: Select the most powerful source of your  magic, and check the multi-magic source box in Section 3

APPLICANTS DO NOT WRITE  BELOW THIS LINE IN THIS SECTION

(THE FOLLOWING Section  (2-a) IS TO BE FILLED OUT BY A MEMBER OF THE WIZARD COUNCIL)

APPLICANTS ARE TO CONTINUE TO SECTION 3

Section 2-a:  Preliminary approval to the wizarding council: Perform Standard Magical  Interview B17-A and check the boxes below as appropriate.

1.        Is the wizard in question sufficiently evil (see evil as defined in standard magical interview 1A)  

(Y ☐ N ☐)

2.        Will their evil (through  action or inaction) specifically negatively affect the wizard council?          

(Y ☐ N ☐)

  (Continued on Following  Sheet)

 3.        Are they currently engaged in an epic battle  of good and evil?                                                  

(Y ☐ N ☐)

a.        If question 3 was  marked Y, are they on the side of evil in said battle?

                                (Y ☐ N ☐)

4.        Does their magic, magical items, or other  abilities warrant a threat to the planet/plane/multiverse

(Y ☐ N ☐)

5.        Do they have an evil familiar magical or  otherwise (including but not limited to hench persons)?       (Y ☐ N ☐)

SECTION  2-B

Evaluator’s  additional comments:  ____________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

  SECTION 3:

Final Review

To Be Filled out  By Applicant After Interview within Section 2-A

Were you  determined to be a multi-magical source entity by the evaluation performed in  Section 2-A?

(Y ☐ N ☐)

The following  Checkbox asserts that I agree with the assessment that I am a multi-magical  source entity and all sources of magic have been identified ☐ (leave blank  if otherwise)

At any point  were you determined to have a planes-walker spark? (Y ☐ N ☐)

Are you still  intending to be an evil wizard after being informed by an authorized  competent person performing a magical interview? (Y ☐ N ☐)

 SECTION 4:

AFFIRMATIONS AND CERTIFICATIONS OF INTENT

(Check All Boxes)

☐ I hereby certify that despite my affiliation  as an evil wizard I will take no action against the wizard council

☐ I hereby certify that any additional  councils that I may create or be involved in will either be subservient to  the council that created and tracks this form, or, will take no action to undermine,  overthrow, or otherwise negatively affect, or effect, the aforementioned  council.

☐I  hereby affirm that I never have been or intend to be a member of the wizard  council that created this form.

☐I  affirm that any minions/familiars/homunculi/golems or other sentient or  semi-sentient creatures that I create will not take negative action against  the aforementioned council.

☐I affirm that any action that may reflect  negatively or be directly against council action will either be on a plane  the council has deemed acceptable to perform said action or, or will be  contained within a demi-plane

 Sign Here with True Name  ____________________________________________________________________

[avesblues2]

what are some conversations couples should have before marriage/engagement?

I'm not a marriage counselor I think it's best to seek pre-marital counseling! I'm a hypocrite though because my husband and I didn't. We only had a 3 week engagement and got married very fast 🤣

[broadway-dave]

so that was fun

except for the part where @broadway-terezi​ talked over me i wasnt even done

really didnt like that

anyway it was a sad day when he jumped up to that ring

good thing dsprite came in clutch though

lyrics under the cut

[VERSE 1]

Oh Egbert, oh Egbert, oh Egbert, come down

Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?

You're scaring us and all of us, some of us love you

Oh Egbert, it's not much but there's proof

You crazy-assed heir of breath, remember your virtue

Redemption lies plainly in truth

Just humor us, oh Egbert, oh Egbert, come down

Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?

[INTERLUDE 1]

[You know I'm from the future, Egbert, you've got to listen to me. I know vaguely what she's telling you might seem like a good idea at first but you gotta stop and actually think about it man. Like a shortcut? Really? She's toying with you.]

[VERSE 2]

Oh Egbert, oh Egbert, oh Egbert, come down

Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?

The self is not so weightless, nor whole and unbroken

Remember the pact of our youth

Where you go, I'm going, so jump and I'm jumping

Since there is no us without you

Soldier on, oh Egbert, oh Egbert, come down

Won't you get up off, get up off the roof?

[PRE-CHORUS 1]

Loathe the way the game took our homes

But love the sweet shit we've been making

Hurt and grieve but don't suffer alone

Engage with the game and awaken

[CHORUS 1]

Today, of all days, see

How the most dangerous thing is to trust

How you will heal and you'll rise above

[INTERLUDE 2]

[Well, not literally. Seriously, put that thing down. Would you do this in your ghostbusters MMO? If you try to go through with this crazy ass plan the whole timeline will be doo- ]

Oh Egbert, oh Egbert, oh Egbert, fly now

You are absent of cause or excuse

So self-indulgent and self-referential

No Alternian would stay there like you

You crave all the power yet hate all the waiting

So listen, you’ll save your whole crew

I’m not trolling, oh Egbert, so go with it now

It's a pointless resistance for you

[INTERLUDE 3]

[If you just listen to me, you know that I'm speaking logically. Jumping ahead can get you so much loot and power up your whole team! All those rare grist types that'll be there too, you can alchemize some wicked shit. Hear me out here!]

[VERSE 3]

Oh Egbert, oh Egbert, just put down the rocket

Don't listen to what you've been told

It's chaos, confusion and wholly unworthy

Of feeding and it's wholly untrue

You may think its worth it or a chance worth the taking

It's all just bullshitting and gloom

And there will not be meaning, I've been there and seen it,

Do not waste yourself on this roof

[PRE-CHORUS 2]

Hear those bells ring deep in the soul

Chiming away for a moment

Feel your breath course frankly below

And see life as a worthy opponent

[CHORUS 2]

Today, of all days, see

How the most dangerous thing is to trust

How you will heal and you'll rise above

Crowned by an overture bold and beyond

Ah, it's more courageous to overcome

[INTERLUDE 4]

[Egbert, she’s sending you to your death. And if you die, so does Jade. Don't take the risk.]

[BRIDGE]

You want the acclaim, the mother of mothers (it's not worth it, oh Egbert)

To just win the game or shiny grist colors (don't listen, oh Egbert)

But be real and just jump, you dense motherfucker (you're worth more, oh Egbert)

You will not be more than a rat in the gutter (so much more than a rat)

You want my opinion, my opinion you've got (no one asked your opinion)

You asked for my counsel, I gave you my thoughts (no one asked for your thoughts)

Be done with this now and jump off the roof (be done with this now and get off the roof)

Can you hear me, oh Egbert? I'm talking to you

I'm talking to you

I'm talking to you

I'm talking to you

Oh Egbert, come down

Oh Egbert, come down

[INTERLUDE 5]

[I know you're still considering it, but I promise it ain't worth it. This ain't just about the game, we’re best bros. I think Jade would miss you too, but Rose definitely did. So please, man, just listen to me and not that troll. ]

[VERSE 4]

Throw yourself into the unknown

With pace and a fury defiant

Clothe yourself in beauty untold

And see life as a means to a triumph

[CHORUS 3/OUTRO]

Today, of all days, see

How the most dangerous thing is to trust

How you will heal and you'll rise above

Crowned by an overture bold and beyond

Ah, it's more courageous to overcome

[rushibloger]

ChatGPT

ChatGPT is an AI developed by OpenAI that's designed to engage in conversational interactions with users like yourself. It's part of the larger family of GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) models, which are capable of understanding and generating human-like text based on the input it receives. ChatGPT has been trained on vast amounts of text data from the internet and other sources, allowing it to generate responses that are contextually relevant and, hopefully, helpful or interesting to you.

Where can be used this ChatGPT:

ChatGPT can be used in various contexts where human-like text generation and interaction are beneficial. Here are some common use cases:

Customer Support: ChatGPT can provide automated responses to customer inquiries on websites or in messaging platforms, assisting with basic troubleshooting or frequently asked questions.

Personal Assistants: ChatGPT can act as a virtual assistant, helping users with tasks such as setting reminders, managing schedules, or providing information on a wide range of topics.

Education: ChatGPT can serve as a tutor or learning companion, answering students' questions, providing explanations, and offering study assistance across different subjects.

Content Creation: ChatGPT can assist writers, bloggers, and content creators by generating ideas, offering suggestions, or even drafting content based on given prompts.

Entertainment: ChatGPT can engage users in casual conversation, tell jokes, share interesting facts, or even participate in storytelling or role-playing games.

Therapy and Counseling: ChatGPT can provide a listening ear and offer supportive responses to individuals seeking emotional support or guidance.

Language Learning: ChatGPT can help language learners practice conversation, receive feedback on their writing, or clarify grammar and vocabulary concepts.

ChatGPT offers several advantages across various applications:

Scalability: ChatGPT can handle a large volume of conversations simultaneously, making it suitable for applications with high user engagement.

24/7 Availability: Since ChatGPT is automated, it can be available to users around the clock, providing assistance or information whenever needed.

Consistency: ChatGPT provides consistent responses regardless of the time of day or the number of inquiries, ensuring that users receive reliable information.

Cost-Effectiveness: Implementing ChatGPT can reduce the need for human agents in customer support or other interaction-based roles, resulting in cost savings for businesses.

Efficiency: ChatGPT can quickly respond to user queries, reducing waiting times and improving user satisfaction.

Customization: ChatGPT can be fine-tuned and customized to suit specific applications or industries, ensuring that the responses align with the organization's brand voice and objectives.

Language Support: ChatGPT can communicate in multiple languages, allowing businesses to cater to a diverse audience without the need for multilingual support teams.

Data Insights: ChatGPT can analyze user interactions to identify trends, gather feedback, and extract valuable insights that can inform business decisions or improve the user experience.

Personalization: ChatGPT can be trained on user data to provide personalized recommendations or responses tailored to individual preferences or circumstances.

Continuous Improvement: ChatGPT can be updated and fine-tuned over time based on user feedback and new data, ensuring that it remains relevant and effective in addressing users' needs.

These advantages make ChatGPT a powerful tool for businesses, educators, developers, and individuals looking to enhance their interactions with users or customers through natural language processing and generation.

[thelonesomequeen]

Here is a master post of some of your asks. A lot of you had commentary to add after the newest DM podcast and I did get to some asks, but I wanted to make a space to post all opinions that we received. Below are anon submissions, not the commentary from moderators of this blog.

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I have a hard time believing the narrative of his family not liking her but inviting her to all the family events, parties and more./ Anon is forgetting is that in some of those events, Chris was probably the one paying the bill. So she will go and they will say nothing.

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How is Chris rushing to get married? They've been together long enough that I wouldn't call this rushing. I hope it all works out for him. My husband and I had people we were close to doubt our marriage, and it sucked. Every time we've hit a rough patch, I've wondered about the "I told you so's" we would get if it all fell apart. But we're still together almost two decades later, and counseling has been really helpful for both of us and the marriage. So, I say good luck to Chris and Alba. I wish them the best. I wouldn't want them to have to go through the pain of a divorce.

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Man I don’t get this. Even if he is rushing to get married, why are y’all acting like he doesn’t know what he’s doing. He’s a 40 year old man, i’m sure he’s not forcing himself to get married just to be a husband. And i’m sure he’ll get a pre-nup because he hasn’t been in the industry for 20+ years and built up a career by being an idiot. They way some of y’all infantilize him is just insane. I don’t even care for Alba but y’all are acting like she hasn’t had multiple opportunities to use him for money. She could’ve easily gotten pregnant and gotten child support if she wanted instead of living in bumfuck Massachusetts for a year and going through a whole possible marriage. You know how much hate she would get if she divorced him and took his money. Even the five Chris fans who like her now are gonna hate her even more. There are valid reasons to dislike her, but this one just doesn’t stick.

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Ok so if some people in this fandom are gonna believe that his family doesn’t like her, they will have believe that they’re engaged to be married right? Or are they gonna pick and choose the info to believe that best fits their theories.

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I don’t know I just find it hard to believe what dm said about his family. Some of them might not love her but maybe to tolerate her instead of outright dislike. But still I have doubts because he’s so close with his family especially his mother. Plus his best friend of several years seems to like her too. I just don’t think he’ll marry someone when his family doesn’t like her. This also reminds me a lot of what someone said during the Jenny days that his mom didn’t like her either.

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Who in this fandom is happy about the current state of things? Literally no one.// please don’t speak so broadly for everyone! I for one am okay with the relationship (I don’t think Alba is problematic at all- her friends are a different matter), I am very happy he found love and wish them both the best. The only current “state of things” I am unhappy about is the way some parts of the fandom is behaving: the hateful nicknames, the internalized misogyny, the hate based lies, the xenophobia.😞😒

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So why is he marrying her if his family don’t approve?/// My apologies for the light snark but: are you kidding?! You have to be joking?! Irrelevant of his reasons, so what if his family MAYBE doesn’t approve, it’s his life not theirs! Do you live your life based on your family approval over any decisions? College? Career? Love interest?- if you do I feel deeply sad for you. You live your life for you; family advice can be taken into consideration but not dictating it. & He’s online that’s why!

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cause she was 21/22 when he followed her, right? 😬 yikes)// she was 23, and he followed a bunch of other actresses all working for Netflix too, so it’s clear as day the follow wasn’t romantic but likely work related, and likely and unintentionally it eventually turned romantic. Sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants 🤷‍♀️ we don’t have control over who we fall in love with, they’re both legal, she was in her mid 20 she’s old enough. Plenty of high age difference marriage in Hollywood.

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Okay so it seems as though (to me) he’s rushing to get married // rushing? How is dating someone for over a year and being engaged for nearly a year, getting married after being together for over 2 years is a “rushing”?! That’s the standard timeline for many couples I have ever met. They say you know within the first 6 months it you’re in love and if this is the person for you.. sounds to me he knew and acted upon it. Rushing would be if they eloped within a week or even 5 months, that’s rushing

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I think it could be the rushing into it, but he very obviously wants kids and it's always risky to have kids with a partner that potentially will live overseas if the marriage ends. I hope he is at least thinking about that. I mean Chris has money she doesn't, but custody could turn ugly. I would definitely be worried about that if I was a family member.

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For what we know he was seeing/hooking up with other girls before Alba so if that Taxi cab theory was the case why Alba and not the rest?

Also someone that desperate wouldn’t wait 2 years to get married and have kids I don’t know just my two cents 🤷🏼‍♀️

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I don't think there may be issues if she decides to stay home and put her career on hold to have children or just follow him around, like she seems to be doing now. The age difference, expectations in life, cultural difference will enter sooner or later. I don't see this lasting.

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But…I give it a handful of years maybe? I think it’ll get to a point where the age difference isn’t an issue now, but I think it will be eventually

I think he very much wants kids so I can absolutely see them having one or two, staying together to try and make stuff work for them but eventually divorcing. That’s not really saying much considering divorce isn’t exactly uncommon these days.

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Real or not, I agree that it is likely his family is a bit disappointed in his choice. Maybe not Scott, but his mom and sisters seem pretty down to earth and grounded. I doubt they would approve of the age gap or the character of who he chose. After waiting for so long, it is sad to see who he finally picked.

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That man loves his family and I don’t think he will marry anyone that they don’t approve of imo

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Watching them fixating on the part that some of his family members “don’t like her”

[ericosantos]

Title: The Healing Power of Physical Fitness: How Exercise Benefits Individuals with Depression

Introduction:

Living with depression can be an incredibly challenging experience, affecting every aspect of a person's life. While there is no quick fix for mental health issues, incorporating physical fitness into your routine can have a profound positive impact on your overall well-being. In this blog, we will explore how physical fitness can benefit individuals with depression and provide insights into the transformative effects it can have on mental health.

The Science Behind the Connection:

There is a scientific link between physical fitness and mental health. When we engage in exercise, our bodies release endorphins, neurotransmitters that elevate mood and reduce pain perception. Exercise also helps reduce stress hormones, such as cortisol, and promotes the growth of new brain cells, which can improve cognitive function and overall well-being.

Alleviating Symptoms of Depression:

Regular exercise can help alleviate symptoms of depression, such as low mood, lack of energy, and feelings of hopelessness. It has a positive impact on sleep patterns, appetite regulation, and overall energy levels. Physical fitness also improves self-esteem, body image, and fosters a sense of accomplishment.

Boosting Mood and Emotional Well-being:

Physical fitness enhances mood by increasing the production of endorphins, acting as natural mood elevators. Exercise reduces anxiety and stress levels, promoting relaxation and improving overall emotional well-being. It also positively impacts self-confidence, body image, and self-perception.

Improving Cognitive Function:

Exercise has cognitive benefits, such as improved focus, attention, and memory. It stimulates the growth of new brain cells and enhances neural connections, leading to improved cognitive function. Physical fitness also contributes to overall brain health and may reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Creating a Personalized Exercise Routine:

To incorporate physical fitness into your life, start with small, achievable goals and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. Choose exercises that align with your preferences and abilities, such as walking, jogging, yoga, or strength training. Find activities that are enjoyable and sustainable for long-term adherence.

Seeking Support:

It is essential to seek professional guidance when developing an exercise plan, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions or are taking medication for mental health. Consult with a therapist or healthcare provider to tailor an exercise regimen that suits your specific needs and limitations. Joining support groups or online communities can provide valuable connections with others facing similar challenges. Combining physical fitness with other forms of therapy, such as counseling or medication, can create a comprehensive approach to mental health.

Conclusion:

Physical fitness has the potential to be a powerful tool in managing and improving mental health, particularly for individuals with depression. By understanding the science behind the connection and incorporating exercise into their lives, individuals can experience transformative changes in their overall well-being. Every step towards physical fitness is a step towards a healthier mind and body. With the right support and determination, individuals can harness the healing power of exercise to navigate their journey towards improved mental health.

Note: It's important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any exercise regimen, especially if you have pre-existing medical conditions or are taking medication for mental health.

[beardedmrbean]

A federal court in Maryland decided Thursday that parents can't opt their kids out of reading books with LGBTQ+ content in Montgomery County Schools.

In Tamer Mahmoud v. Monica B. McKnight, parents sought to reinstate a MCPS policy that would allow them to opt their children out of reading and discussing books with LGBTQ+ characters in elementary schools. The parents argued the content in these books was a form of indoctrination that violated their families' religious beliefs. 

The court disagreed. Judge Deborah L. Boardman, a Biden appointee, concluded that the parents' "asserted due process right to direct their children's upbringing by opting out of a public-school curriculum that conflicts with their religious views is not a fundamental right." 

The judge denied the parents' request for a preliminary injunction that would allow them to opt-out their kids when school begins on August 28.

"Because the plaintiffs have not established any of their claims is likely to succeed on the merits, the Court need not address the remaining preliminary injunction factors. Nonetheless, because a constitutional violation is not likely or imminent, it follows that the plaintiffs are not likely to suffer imminent irreparable harm, and the balance of the equities and the public interest favor denying an injunction to avoid undermining the School Board’s legitimate interests in the no-opt-out policy," the judge determined. 

"The plaintiffs seek the same relief pending appeal as in their preliminary injunction motion: an injunction that requires the Board to provide advance notice and opt-outs from instruction involving the storybooks and family life and human sexuality. For the reasons stated in this opinion, the Court cannot conclude the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on the merits of an appeal. The plaintiffs’ request for a preliminary injunction pending appeal is denied."

The controversy arose last year when Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) introduced more than 22 new books featuring LGBTQ+ characters into classrooms as part of a diversity initiative. Initially, the school district notified parents when these materials would be used in class and permitted them to opt their kids out from instruction involving these books, as they can with other portions of the curriculum. 

But in March, the district changed its policy and announced that parents would no longer have that right. A group of religious families of diverse faiths sued, claiming the policy violated their First Amendment right to guide the religious instruction of their children. 

But Boardman said otherwise: "The no-opt-out policy does not pressure the parents to refrain from teaching their faiths, to engage in conduct that would violate their religious beliefs, or to change their religious beliefs. The policy may pressure them to discuss the topics raised by the storybooks with their children, but those discussions are anticipated, not prohibited, by the parents’ faiths. The parents are not pressured into violating their religious beliefs in order to obtain the benefits of a public education."

Eric Baxter, VP and Senior Counsel at Becket – the law firm representing the families – said the ruling "flies in the face of parental freedom, childhood innocence, and basic human decency." 

"The court’s decision is an assault on children’s right to be guided by their parents on complex and sensitive issues regarding human sexuality. The School Board should let kids be kids and let parents decide how and when to best educate their own children consistent with their religious beliefs," Baxter said. 

The LGBTQ+ books added to the district's curriculum are included in pre-K through eighth-grade classrooms and feature references to gay pride parades, gender transition and pronoun preference. 

MCPS has come under fire in recent years for a series of sexual abuse controversies. Since 2009, the public school system has disbursed more than $1 million to settle civil lawsuits involving students who were sexually assaulted by teachers or staff, ABC7 reported in 2018.

In 2021, a track coach at Northwood High School in Silver Spring was arrested on felony child sexual assault and molestation charges.