#tractor theft

[that-was-anticlimactic]

i feel like it’s cheating to say kenji for the ask game cause everyone will (unless they Didnt. then please do). but also yosano for the ask game!!

yosano

first impression: yooo erica lindbeck! okay, okay! i know i'll love her and also omg her design is GORGEOUS what the heck also oh god poor ginger snow guy yikes but have fun ig???

impression now: HIIIIII BESTIE OMG um okay so let's kill m*ri together, kay? and then um you should wear a suit bc i think you'd look SO GOOD IN A SUIT!!! also ily btw you are super cool and omgi wanna see your character get explored with guilt bc is hurting people to heal them traumatic at all for you??? i just. oiuyftdrtfgyuhioiuygtfyghuijo i miss youuuuuuuuu

favorite moment: oh gosh... well, i love the moment when yosano greeted atsushi and was like "wanna come shopping with me" and everyone Zoomed out of the room lol but like also... the moment in s4 after the agency got framed and so she, kunikida, kenji, kyouka, and jun killed themselves but they weren't exactly dead yet and then she revived them all like healed them all that scene is just. SO GOOD??? HELLO??? MISS MA'AM ILYSM??? it was just SO DOPE and also SO PRETTY???

idea for a story: hmm i don't have too many yosano fic ideas, but i would like to maybe write a yosano & ranpo found sibling fic sometime or like... a yosano & jun'ichirou fic like idk what it would be about, but i think the two of them interacting would be very interesting. ooooh or a chaotic yosano & kajii friendship fic where they torment everyone with their "friendship" bc they SWEAR they aren't friends!!!

unpopular opinion: i really hate the yosano x k.oyou ship. so much. i cannot STAND it. i would rather yosano never date or be in a relationship with anyone than have her and k.oyou be a thing. also yosano isn't sadistic

favorite relationship: (non-romantic) this is hard bc i instinctively want to say yosano & kajii just bc i think they should become friends after the train incident bc i think they would be the most CHAOTIC friends fr imagine the science-y things they could do together... two people who wouldn't get hurt by kajii's explosions... ough... but also like. yosano & ranpo bc. DUH!!! i mean... ranpo changed her life fr and they are SIBLINGS okay wait here's another unpopular opinion for y'all: the ranpo & yosano are siblings tag should have OS MANY MORE FICS IN IT than the dazai & yosano are siblings tag. i mean. hello??? ranpo is RIGHT THERE???

favorite headcanon: yosano is a trans lesbian and she and ranpo are literally siblings and she gets chronic migraines which sucks bc she can't heal those and also she once lost her watch in jun'ichirou and yes that is a reference to a fic i read once but it made me giggle so hard that it's canon to me now~ oh and also she had a one night stand with agatha christie <333

[marmikmaharashtra]

https://marmikmaharashtra.com/420-went-out-as-soon-as-the-complaint-of-tractor-theft-was-filed-conspiracy-to-clear-the-debt/

[sagan-starstuff]

Bad Days

Scully has an unexpectedly early period. Mulder and Scully talk about their lost sisters. Set some time in late season three. TW: Non-graphic discussion of menstruation.

Disclaimer: Contains brief discussion of femininity and menstruation, but obviously not all women menstruate and not all people who menstruate are women. Scully's comments reflect how I feel she would perceive her own personal relationship with femininity and her body as of 1996.

Edit: Friends, I made a dumb continuity error when it came to the timing of this fic. I fixed it. If only CC and the bunch had been as mindful of continuity then maybe we'd all be a little less insane today.

Dana Scully took pride in her ability to navigate the patriarchal landscapes of both law enforcement and medicine and retain a degree of femininity. She’d been keeping up with her brothers since birth - tomboy Dana shooting and cursing with the best of them when she wasn’t wiping the floor with them academically - but she was grateful to her mother and to Melissa for teaching her that masculinity was not the same as strength, power, or intelligence. It allowed her to deal with the idle comments during rounds from older physicians about how the female medical students were only going to get pregnant a few years into practice and go part time anyway. She was able to turn her frustration at being called “sweetheart” and “short stack” by the tactical defense instructors at Quantico into enough force to land them flat on their back in the next breath. There’s not a leer or a comment from any backwoods deputy that would ever, ever, keep her from conducting her work to the best of her abilities, even in three inch heels. She was woman, hear her roar.

Some days, however, she still felt like tearing out her uterus and throwing it into a garbage disposal.  Today was one of those days.  

She and Mulder had been called out to Weatherford, Oklahoma to investigate the deaths of three young men on the same day. All found in the middle of different fields with full-thickness burns over more than 95% of their bodies, severe lung damage, and no evidence for how they got there. No tracks, no disturbed vegetation - it was as if they’d fallen from the sky. Obviously, Mulder suspected UFO activity, but she was more intrigued by the whitish residue found on the burned young men. Three days of autopsies, interviews, and tromping around more dusty wheat fields than she’d care to count, and she’d found the connection - mass spectrometry analysis of the residue showed that it was primarily made of ammonia-heavy compounds. It turned out that the men had all served prior sentences for methamphetamine production. By all outward appearances they were walking the straight and narrow, but the residue was enough to link them to a series of thefts of agricultural anhydrous ammonia tanks. Apparently, their last job went horribly wrong - a tank ruptured and sprayed them all with concentrated ammonia. All it took was asking around the local hospitals if they’d recently treated anyone else for chemical burns to find two other members of the theft ring who admitted to panicking and dumping the bodies off of tractors driven along previously existing tracks.

Today had been the last day of the investigation, and she’d woken up with a familiar ache in her lower back and blood on her underwear a full week earlier than expected. Ever since her abduction her periods had been occasionally irregular. It was getting better with time, but she still cursed the fact that she hadn’t prepared for this when packing. They still faced a day of finalizing reports and statements before their flight home tomorrow, and if something could have gone wrong, it did. The stash of tampons and ibuprofen that lived in her overnight bag was dangerously low, and she’d had no time to stop into the town’s only drug store on the way to the sheriff's office. The office clerk had mislaid the original mass spectrometry analysis from the third victim, requiring a lengthy game of phone tag with the county lab. One of the suspects started making noise about revoking his statement culminating in a very frustrating conversation with him and his lawyer. All the while her cramps worsened as the day wore on. She tried to massage her low back when she thought no one was looking and masked the twinges of pain from surprise cramps. Mulder cast her a questioning look once or twice but she waved him off as they both tried to tie up the loose ends of the case. By the end of the day she was on both her last tampon and her last nerve. 

Finally they were finished and back at the motel. Scully set her briefcase down, shrugged off her coat and blazer, and flopped down face-first onto the bed. She heard the door connecting her room to Mulder’s unlock and crack open, followed by the sound of him dropping his own belongings. She really should get up and get the car keys from him to run to the drug store before it closes, she remembered thinking, but the bed was surprisingly soft and the pressure on her abdomen from lying prone felt so good that the next thing she knew she felt a warm hand gently rubbing her shoulder. 

“Scully, hey…”

She abruptly rolled over to see Mulder looking down at her from the edge of the bed with a crooked smile. She sat up and pushed the hair out of her face, embarrassed that she’d passed out without even taking off her shoes.

 “God…I’m sorry, I must have fallen asleep.” She rubbed her face and checked her watch - eight-thirty PM, if she was lucky she could still get to a store before they closed for the night. 

She scooted to the foot of the bed and stood to grab her coat, “I needed to run an errand earlier - do you have the keys? I might have enough time before the stores close.” 

He rose and called after her, “Wait, before you go - when I saw you’d fallen asleep I went ahead and got dinner.” He gestured at the takeout boxes on the dinette set, which she could smell contained orange chicken and fried rice.

He paused and looked sheepish for a moment before holding out a white grocery bag to her. “I, uh…I picked up a couple other things, too. You might want to take a look before you bother going out.” 

She cocked an eyebrow at him, dropped her coat back on the chair and took it. Inside she found a box of tampons - not just any tampons, her preferred brand of tampons, as well as two Dove dark chocolate bars, a bottle of ibuprofen, and a travel-sized electric heating pad. Her first reaction was to raise her hackles, flashing back to the times Bill had teased her when he spied the wrappers from her pads sticking out of her backpack in middle school. But when she sharply met Mulder’s eyes she saw only innocent concern mixed with hesitation, like he was bracing for rebuke. 

Her face relaxed as she softened and she sat back down with his gifts. “Mulder…thank you.  But how did you know?”

His shoulders relaxed with a sigh and he sat down next to her, shoulder to shoulder. “You’ve looked uncomfortable all day, rubbing your back and stomach when you thought no one could see. You asked the precinct secretary if they had any Tylenol. You actually ate the chips that came with your sandwich for once.” He counted the tells off on his fingers as he spoke, and she couldn’t tell if she was more touched or annoyed by his perceptiveness. He continued on with a wry smile, “We’ve worked together for three years, and maybe you don’t remember but before I was a paranoid crackpot I was a pretty damned good profiler. I notice things, Scully.”

She chuckled, “Well then, I don’t know if I should be impressed or embarrassed. It’s not something a lot of women broadcast, especially in our line of work.” She thought back to boyfriends past who’d at best tried to ignore the fact that she menstruated or at worst treated it like an annoyance.  To the boys and men who joked about PMS and being ‘on the rag’ when women were rightfully angry about…well, about anything, at any time.

He shook his head gently, “No need to be embarrassed. I’m sorry you’re having a bad day.” His voice was gentle and earnest and pulled at her chest. Again and again, he humbled her with his capacity for kindness. 

She returned his smile and placed one petite hand over his large one on his knee. “Thank you. Really, this means a lot.”

“No problem. Do you still need to run out?”

She shook her head, “No, actually, you seem to have taken care of everything. Want to eat?”

“I’m starving. Why don’t you get comfortable and I’ll make up some plates.”

She squeezed his hand and excused herself to the bathroom to change into an old t-shirt and leggings. When she emerged with a fresh round of NSAIDs on board he’d piled two plates with chicken, rice, and egg rolls and had pulled two beers frosted with condensation from the mini-fridge. He was in his dress shirt and slacks but had loosened the cuffs and unbuttoned the collar, tie, belt and shoes long since tossed aside into his room. Scully stole glances at him and tried to ignore his effortlessly handsome, boyish demeanor. That had been getting harder to do of late, and she pushed the thoughts aside for another time. She stacked some pillows against the headboard and plugged in the heating pad before settling back against it to wait for it to work its magic.  He handed her a plate and a beer and sat next to her against the headboard, the both of them balancing their food on their laps. 

He turned on the TV, flipped around until he found the opening scene of Ghostbusters, and glanced over at her for approval, which she gave with a wave of her beer. He grinned and clinked his bottle against hers, “Cheers.” 

They settled back and dug in. The combination of the salty-sweet chicken, the heat radiating into her lower back, and the companionship of the man next to her suffused her with warmth. They didn’t speak for a bit while they ate and watched the movie, and before long she was full, content, and feeling more comfortable than she had for days. Mulder took the paper plates and utensils and disposed of them, then settled back next to her cross-legged against the headboard.

He gestured at the TV with a wry look. “Hey Scully, if we ever get shut down again we could always start up our own paranormal investigation business. What do you think, should we order some personalized jumpsuits?”

“Have you seen DC real estate prices lately? No way could we ever pull together enough capital to buy a decrepit firehouse. I’m not opposed to the jumpsuits, though, as much as I spend on dry cleaning.” she smirked back.

“Maybe Skinner would invest if it meant getting me out of his hair.”

She shot him a catty look, “Or lack thereof.”

He chuckled and tipped his head back to finish off his beer while she shifted the heating pad from her back to lie low across her hips. The warmth against her cramping muscles felt amazing, and she sighed and let herself sink further into the pillows behind her. 

“Feeling any better?”

“Much,” she nodded, “Thank you, again.” She dug a chocolate bar out of the bag and unwrapped it, snapping off a few squares and passing them over to Mulder, who took them and smiled to himself. He looked almost proud. Loathe as she usually was to admit it, it felt good to be cared for. They’d both been brittle since the deaths of his father and her sister, leaning more on each other than even before. She had some of his spare clothes in her hall closet, he kept her favorite wine in his pantry. Sometimes it felt like they were the only two people in the world who really mattered. She knew that was patently false, that she had her family, but as the years went by and her friends had children or moved for their careers, she craved his company most of all. She thought of Melissa suddenly. 

She chewed thoughtfully before starting, “Missy - Melissa - and I used to do this. Takeout, junk food, cheap wine, a cheesy movie when one of us was having a bad day.” She swallowed more than just the chocolate and met his eyes. “I miss her. She liked you, you know.”

He nodded sadly and took her hand in his, rubbing slow circles with his thumb in silence for a few moments. “When you were returned after your abduction and in the hospital, I was so angry that I couldn’t help you. She gave me a hell of a dressing down. A couple of times, actually. I thought she was even more disconnected from reality than I am.” He swallowed hard, remembering a time they both spoke of so rarely. “She was right, I deserved it. You two were lucky to have each other.”

She nodded and blinked rapidly. His eyes were cast down at his lap, lost in what she was sure were thoughts of guilt and blame for their losses. He was so quick to flagellate himself over things beyond his control. She squeezed his hand. “Mulder, you did help me. You always do. Melissa thought we were lucky to have each other to look out for each other.”

He still wore a hangdog expression but the corners of his mouth twitched up and his eyebrows unknit a bit. 

She continued on, delicately, “You know what I think? I think Samantha was…is…lucky to have you. I think you would have done this for her, too, if you’d been allowed to. And I think one day you’ll get to hear it, one way or another. You’re a good brother.”

His breath caught and for a moment she thought she’d crossed a line but instead she found herself being pulled into a tight hug. She leaned into his shoulder and breathed in, relaxing into his embrace. He rubbed her back and kneaded for a moment before letting go, his expression now placid. “Thank…thank you, Scully. I hope you’re right.”

They hung in each other’s gaze for a moment before the bubble burst and she released his hand. She leaned her head against his shoulder to keep the connection going and they watched the movie in comfortable silence for a while. She considered the man by her side, so unlike any other man she’d ever known. What she didn’t tell him was that Melissa had also been ruthless about prying and prodding into her feelings for Mulder, and his for her. Maybe she was right about that, too, she thought, before chiding herself for dwelling on things that couldn’t be. 

By the time Dana Barrett had transformed into the Gatekeeper her eyes were heavy and her limbs grew slack. She had slipped further and further down the headboard until her head rested on the pillows at Mulder’s side. The last thing she was aware of was the high whine of the TV being switched off and Mulder drawing a blanket over her. She stirred slightly in protest but as she drifted off she felt the brush of his lips on her forehead before hearing the click of the door to his room. She slept, warm, content, and loved.

[frasier-crane-style]

HARVEY LET ME HELP YOU

[cursed-40k-thoughts]

Gw should stop trying to mix "tacticool" with "batshit insane" for imperial tech, they should just stick to "batshit insane" (aka, not stuff those rocketlaunchers for primaris (and a lot of primaris stuff tbh) everything should be in one of the following categories: gun but big, knights and titans, SoBs: "what if we took this vehicle and made it a fucking church", guards: ww1/2 style stuff but stupid and/or make some parts very big and finaly: whatever the femboys (thy are just like me fr fr) admech is doing (except their flying vehicles, I hate them (the flying infantry is perfect tho))

Also the marines should have helmets that look like they are angrily screaming again

I agree with this generally! It is funny to me how universally people agree that the AdMech flying vehicles are too much. Just a resounding “what the fuck are those, James?” all round. Really I think they should be given some sort of retro-looking flying saucer with a tractor beam. I think the general theft and kidnapping they could engage in with it would be very enriching for them, and would make for a fun tabletop model.

I, too, miss the screaming helmets. I don’t mind the sort of sleeker thing they’ve got going on at the moment, but they lack the energy of the D:< helmets.

It would be cool if we could get more krak/melta grenades that were modelled after stick grenades, imo, because stick grenades are objectively the most fun and impractical grenade.

[stevesbipanic]

Ty for all your prompts @wrenegadeone I'll be getting to them all ❤️

Eddie needed to get out of the city, like far out of the city. His dad had been taken in for multiple grand theft auto charges and he didn't want to be pinned for the few times he's helped him if his dad decides to save his own ass. Which is why he finds himself in a small town of mainly farms called Hawkins. Nowhere close to his dad and his bullshit.

He'd discovered a the small town hall a collection of job postings, one of the farms was offering food and board for a farmhand which suited Eddie perfectly since he only had a few bucks to his name, not enough for a room at the inn.

The Harrington farm was on the edge of town, not secluded but still private. It had been a bit of a bitch to walk all the way there but the air was fresher here and made Eddie feel lighter. He knocked on the front door of the farmstead, holding the notice nervously.

"Can I help you?"

Eddie spins around and is met with the most beautiful man he's ever seen, looking rough and sweaty in his work clothes.

"I-Um, I saw the notice in the town hall, I'm new in town and was hoping for some work?"

The man smiles, "Oh! Great, was hoping someone would reply, didn't expect a city boy like yourself, but beggars can't be choosers. I'm Steve, Steve Harrington." Steve holds out his hand.

Eddie smiles back and shakes Steve's hand, "Eddie, Eddie Munson." Eddie hoped that his family's reputation didn't reach this far. Since Steve's smile didn't waver he felt safe.

Steve showed Eddie around the farm, Steve mainly had orchards so Eddie would be helping trim the trees, weeding and harvesting the fruit. His room was small but better than he expected and over dinner that night Eddie found that Steve was a great cook.

Eddie thought that the jobs didn't sound that hard, he quickly discovered he was wrong. It started with the wake up call at barely dawn. Steve who had gotten up even earlier to make breakfast laughed and called him a city boy again when Eddie grumbled out of bed and got into the work clothes Steve had given him.

Eddie had only driven an automatic before and so Steve had told him he'd have to teach him how to drive the tractor another day. The tasks of the day sounded simple, they had to trim the newer apple trees so that they would grow correctly for next year's season and harvest the peach trees.

Turns out Eddie isn't as strong as he thinks he is, the smaller branches are fine but the ones Steve has marked that are a bit thicker take both of his hands to slice with the cutters and he slips, cutting his palm. Steve his quick to reassure him and wrap his hand, telling him that when he was younger he got all kinds of scraps and bruises until he got strong enough for the work. Eddie feels better knowing that Steve isn't going to get rid of him straight away.

The peach harvesting goes much better, at least at first. Steve shows him how to tell which peaches are ready and gives him a step ladder to reach the higher ones. Eddie learns more about Steve as they pass conversation between them moving down the rows. He learns that Steve moved to Hawkins to escape his dad who wanted Steve to become a lawyer like him, Steve didn't want that at all so took all of his trust fund and bought the farm. Eddie almost brought up his own dad then, but didn't want to lose his job so soon.

They'd almost finished when Eddie had tripped with his basket coming down from the step ladder and spilled all of the peaches. "Shit, I'm so sorry," Eddie says scrambling to pick them all back up. "Hey, hey Eddie it's alright, accidents happen, no worry," Steve laughs, laughing softly and bending to help him. "You've been so nice to me, Steve, I just want to do right by you and do a good job." Steve smiles, "You're doing great, Eddie, I promise."

By the time the work day is done Eddie is exhausted, but he insists on helping Steve make dinner, Steve shows him how to make peach cobbler for their dessert and a treat for his first day. Over dinner Eddie comes clean about why he's in Hawkins, not wanting to lie to Steve.

"I don't care about who you were before, Eddie, you're not your dad in the same way I'm not mine. I still want you here."

Months pass and the two men become closer. Eddie gets stronger and learns how to drive a manual. One night Eddie surprises Steve with apple pie, a recipe he learnt from his grandmother when he was young, and Steve kisses him.

Two men once defined by their name become something better together in the fresh air, far away from the city.

[fierce-little-miana]

I will forever remember that one time on a local (I live in the French countryside) fb page about lost/missing pets when I witnessed the following interaction:

A farmer couple had just adopted a Beauceron puppy (4-5 months old) that was nowhere to be found. It had disappeared at their farm and they were worried sick about it: asking people for tips to find it and to keep an eye open.

People asked legitimate questions to understand what could have happened. Was their propriety correctly fenced? Did the puppy had a collar with a tag or a gps? Had they noticed people hanging around their farm recently that they did not know (puppy theft, especially of pure breed puppies, is starting to be a problem around here)? Etc etc.

Turns out while the grounds around the farmhouse were fenced, the main gate was always open during the day. The puppy was left alone there while the farmers went to work in their fields. Gate wide opened, no human presence to care for the puppy for several hours, it wasn’t restrained by any lunge rein or anything. NOTHING.

When someone pointed out that this was an extremely bad idea because puppies are social creatures, that loneliness and staying put are learned behaviors not innate, and that this situation was perfect for them to escape, follow someone or another dog or just be taken by someone else, the owners snapped.

They started saying that you do not take a dog to keep it tied (true but you do not take a dog to leave it on its own without caring for it either), and that farm dogs before did not « live under glass » and that they had always stay put by the farm. The woman even added that it was how her dad had always treated his dogs.

The thing is they are right. We did not use to treat dogs as carefully as we do now. As a result of that a lot more dogs in the past died violently or disappeared plain and simple. The puppy that went roaming on its own and never came back was simply deemed a bad farm dog and the farmer got another one. They did not start crying about losing their precious puppy. Most of the time as long as a dog had not demonstrated its capacity to be useful it was no one precious puppy. People did not really like their dogs like we do today (I could tell you about the farmer in my grandparents’ village who let his female dog run around and get pregnant and then ran over the puppies with his tractor to kill them as soon as they could walk. That’s how some people in the countryside used to treat dogs and while some people thought they were massive assholes for this behavior no legal action was ever even considered against them).

The guy who told them that this was a dreadful idea and asked them to change their way when they would have found their dog was 100% right. If they wanted to guarantee that their dog would grow up healthy and did not just disappear they had to treat it differently than we would have done 50 years ago.

If you insist on treating your dog the old way, don’t come crying when it dies the old way.

[infamousbrad]

"Socialist agriculture" in Julia: A Novel (1984) -- SPOILERS

In George Orwell's 1984, the character of Julia Worthing exists mostly to be a naive mirror to Winston Smith's realism, to make him look smart for having correctly predicted that they weren't going to get away with what they were doing. So when Sandra Newman got the approval from the Orwell estate to tell the story from Julia's point of view, it was up to her to make up a backstory that explains why Julia fully expected to get away with it altogether.

The full explanation doesn't come until late in the book and it's rather obviously a re-skin of a real "socialist agriculture" disaster that happened in our timeline in the Soviet Union, and then again in the People's Republic of China. What startled and pleased me is that Newman's explanation for what went wrong is NOT the version that's taught in schools in the west, not what was in western newspapers. But it's one that I have heard before, and many times since then I've felt like I was the only one who heard it. It left me wondering if Newman heard it too, or if it was just a guess on her part?

There was a Reddit thread that seems to be lost to the misty depths of time, but about 15 years ago I saw, for my first time, that evergreen AskReddit question pop up where someone who's too young to have lived through it asks older people why the Soviet Union fell apart. The top-voted answer was the one we've heard since the earliest dawn of neo-liberalism: they ran out of food because not letting farmers make any personal profit off of their work made them all lazy.

But this one time, someone popped into the thread who said he knew that was what we were all told, but he was there, and that wasn't what happened. Now, I'm not naive. I know that it's easy to pretend a fake identity on the Internet. But so many of the facts he alleged have turned out to be true that most of me thinks he might have been who he said he was and might have been telling the truth as he knew it:

He said he had been one of the first low-level commissars in the Soviet Union's Department of Socialist Agriculture (or whatever it was called). That he was sent to Ukraine before the engineered famine. That he and other similar low-level commissars were sent there to confiscate gigantic slave-labor plantations, liberate the slaves, and invest the money the plantation owners never would have in tractors, combine harvesters, fertilizers, and weedkillers. That the liberated slaves were given an equal vote in the running of the collective farm ("sovietized" meaning "state owned but worker managed"). That they were given a quota of how much food they had to turn over to the national government in exchange for the manufactured goods they (were supposed to have) received, and then told they could vote on how to distribute however much was left.

And he did not deny that it failed catastrophically. But he didn't blame "lack of incentives." He blamed a failure innate to revolutionary soviet communism, but not the one everybody else blames. He blamed a bug in the USSR's constitution.

According to Common Article 6, in order to prevent counter-revolutionaries from weaponizing the newspapers and the courts, no Communist Party member could be accused of misconduct, in the press or in the courts, until his or her case had been heard by the Party Disciplinary Committee; that only if they found probable cause, and revoked his or her party membership, could the accusation be printed or litigated or indicted. But the Party Disciplinary Committee was never adequately funded, and soon practically stopped hearing cases. He said that everybody "knew" they were taking bribes to not investigate cases, that he couldn't prove it himself (despite having in fact tried to denounce his superiors for corruption and theft), so he had no opinion one way or another.

But, he said, it was definitely true that almost as soon as the last shot was fired, with the ink not yet dry on the new constitution, upper-level commissars figured out that they could steal everything not nailed down, and pry lose anything that wasn't nailed down thoroughly enough, smuggle it to European mafia via Albania to be sold for a fraction of its worth, and park their share of the cash in numbered Swiss bank accounts. High- and mid-level Russian commissars, like Chinese Communist Party officials now and kleptocrats throughout third world history, had one foot out the door and were each setting aside millions' of dollars of embezzled wealth in places they could flee to if they were denounced or if the whole system failed.

So, yeah, he said, the collective farms failed, including his, and eventually so did all of the collectively-managed mines and factories. Not because "the workers were lazy," that accusation enraged him. He said bluntly that neither you nor he nor anybody you have ever met has worked so hard for even one day as his farmers did for months on end. Desperate people don't need profit motives. No, they knew there would be no food for them if they didn't hit their quotas despite almost every tractor they were promised, almost every gallon of fuel they were promised, almost every bag of seeds or fertilizer they were promised having disappeared before it got to them. He said they busted their asses, and most of them died, but it wasn't "socialist agriculture" that killed them, it was plain old non-ideological kleptocracy.

Oh, and the money the thieves stashed away in Switzerland? Was money-laundered back into the Russian Federation the first time there was a hiccup in its economy, to buy out the shares of all the newly created shareholder-owned (formerly state-owned) factories and mines. Those kleptocrats founded the Russian mafia, that was how they became the original "oligarchs."

He said that it wasn't "socialism" that destroyed the USSR. It was a two-tier justice system. It was kleptocracy, money laundering, organized crime. It was impunity.

Nobody else but me seems to have heard his side of the story, or remembered it. But it's so close to what Sandra Newman wrote, when she wanted to explain Julia Worthing's attitudes by making her a survivor of a manufactured famine in rural northern England, just a couple of years after the revolution, that I wonder if Newman came up with it herself, or if there's at least one other person out there who heard the same story I did. Either way, it was fascinating.

[seat-safety-switch]

Gas is more expensive than ever, and consuming a lot of it just means that you’re forking over your hard-earned paycheque to a coterie of evil greedheads. Instead, follow these simple tips to drive more efficiently, and you’ll put everyone around you at risk in order to shave cents off of your weekly commute bill. Or: you could quit your job and not have to commute at all. Just saying.

Braking. The biggest way that people use too much fuel is to unnecessarily accelerate hard, and then lose all of the energy in the gasoline they just burned by braking too much. Here’s how you solve this: move to the top of a very steep hill, and never use the brakes. Gravity is free, and it isn’t even covered by your taxes. What about getting back up the hill? Easy: hook a rope around the largest asshole pickup truck you see on the way and let him tractor-pull you up the hill. He probably won’t even notice the extra drag, especially if you stay off the brakes.

Steering. Sometimes, you have to take a corner. Our municipal experts have been working hard at making cities as boring as humanly possible so that you won’t enjoy it, but don’t listen to them. Several hours of immersion into modern racing simulators like Gran Turismo and Grand Theft Auto 3 will teach you how to take corners aggressively, and thereby preserve more of that precious, precious momentum. Plus, it will make you angrier at everyone else on the road, which brings us to:

Running for Office. Once you’re in charge, things are gonna change around here. Now it’s the taxpayer’s job to pay for your gasoline, and your chauffeur can worry about dense traffic, keeping an eye out for protesters, avoiding the paparazzi, and foiling the plans of domestic terrorists who bay for your blood. Sound familiar? It should: our primitive ancestors called this “car-pooling.”

[randomthefox]

So what do you think about AI songs? You know the songs that characters are singing. something they would sing

I found some that are pretty good

Like Thomas, the tank engine: the story of my life

Sandy cheeks: Before he cheats

And Homer simpson: Big green tractor

And those are the three I found on tictok

I mean, when it's done, right? It really makes it sound.Like the character is really seeing it.But when it isn't it? Just sounds like a robot, with a very static voice

( unless said character is a robot with that type of voice)

I thought you were talking about Vocaloids at first lol

I don't have a bug in my butt about AI on principle, I just find 100% of AI generated pictures to look butt ugly. I seriously have never seen a single one that looked at all appealing on any level. And you can ALWAYS TELL they're AI too. Because they look like ass.

I think most complaints about AI are, like. Stupid? It's always "this is gonna take away my job!" but sweety, if your job can be replaced by a machine, then clearly that job doesn't need to exist. You're not entitled to a paid career in a creative outlet just because you've invested time into the craft. If people would rather use a machine to make something instead of paying you to do it, then either they're poor or you just suck. If it's the former then you're an asshole for complaining about it, if it's the latter then you're just being a whiny little bitch.

The arguments that AI art is committing copyright infringement through unauthorized use and replication of peoples intellectual property IS a valid argument, and legal precedent needs to be established about this AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I support any lawsuit movement against machine learning software on the basis of copyright infringement and intellectual property theft. Machine learning needs to get express permission from the IP holder and pay royalties just like everybody else.

To that end - I think AI use of voice acting CAN be fine and good and fun. Using machine voices in fan made projects from shit posts to fan games that would never have the means or finances to utilize a real voice actor seems like a positive outcome. The problem again comes in the intellectual property theft. For voice actors, their voice IS their product, it IS their art. And using someone elses art WITHOUT THEIR PERMISSION KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT is theft. And it's particularly bad for voice actors nowadays because machine voices are getting so good that you can genuinely mistake a machine voice for the genuine article - and that can have serious consequences for them if their voice is being used in a shitpost and a future possible employer decides not to hire them for PR purposes on the basis of their voice being used in a video that they had no knowledge of. This is different from "your job being replaced by a machine", this is "you lost a job opportunity because someone was fucking around after committing theft of your voice and there was nothing you could do about it"

Machine learning generated content should be practiced with the full knowledge and consent of the artists involved. If you want to make an AI video of Homer Simpson singing Big Green Tractor, then you should need to get the express permission of Dan Castellaneta first, or at least source the use of their character voice from a program that he has given his express permission to letting them use it first. And if he doesn't give that permission, then tough tiddies. That's my two cents on it.

But considering people are already making these things "unethically" and they're out there and there's nothing anyone can do about it, I'll answer the question by saying: no videos like that typically do not appeal to me. I'd rather listen to an actual singer. Machine voices are getting really really good, but you can still always tell. It don't sound right to me. And frankly I don't think I'd be interested in Dan Castellaneta himself singing big green tractor, Homer simpson doesn't really have a very good singing voice.

[upsettingandunfortunateclasshate]

2 years - that's a bit eggstream innit

[beardedmrbean]

BROWNSBORO, Texas (KLTV) - The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office is asking for information about a stolen tractor.

The sheriff’s office post said the tractor pictured in the video they shared was stolen from the Brownsboro area of Henderson County.

The owner of the tractor said it was the only possession he had that belonged to his dad, and he mentioned that it has a unique sound that may help identify it.

The sheriff’s office asks that anyone with information about the theft please call the sheriff at 903-675-5128 or, to remain anonymous, call Henderson County CrimeStoppers at 1-800-545-8477,

[hils79]

Hils Watches Love Tractor - Ep 6

Oh, I kind of assumed we'd jump back in where the last episode ended. But Ye Chan is sad. Did Seon Yul leave???

This poor sweet boy

Ah, NOW we're at the point where the last episode ended. Aww Ye Chen was on his way to take Seon Yul some nice corn

I don't even like this guy but this breakup scene is still kind of sad

THE DOGGO IS BACK! Now it's happy again!

Oh my god his little farming hat

Oh no the arms are back. Help.

Seon Yul is enjoying the arms too

Gosh he's so cute. But also arm, and shoulders, and neck. Help.

Excellent! Also an environmentally friendly farm

Haha! I am not sure that theft makes things taste better. Also, laughing at him stealing fruit from a neighbour's farm to help him woo his potential boyfriend

Aww the fresh air, sunshine and stolen fruit is helping him relax enough to rest and now he's pretending to play piano. He's remembering how to live again.

God if you opened your eyes and saw this face and hands shielding you from the sun while you napped wouldn't you just fall in love immediately

I love that all the way through this he always calls Seon Yul 'Chief Baek's grandson'. I'm not even sure he knows Seon Yul's name

I love that he was very firm on 'if the boy you like is seeing someone you back the fuck off and leave him alone' but as soon as he found out Seon Yul broke up with his boyfriend he goes straight into wingman mode

I mean that is definitely true

There's still two episodes left this is definitely a dream

Ehehe! I knew it.

Oh no he can't even look at Seon Yul now. His little faaaaace!

Ah, there's a bit of a situation going on I see

Poor Seon Yul is so confused

Arms. Help.

Aww yay he finally used his words! I'm a bit worried that there's still two episodes to go though. Is there going to be some angst first?

[isfeed]

Thieves stole more than $2.2 million of merchandise from moving tractor trailers: police

Police have arrested one suspect and are looking for two others in connection with a rash of thefts in which thieves gained access to moving tractor trailers and stole more than $2.2 million in merchandise while the vehicles were stopped at red lights. Source: CP24 Thieves stole more than .2 million of merchandise from moving tractor trailers: police

[bicountyinsurance]

Tailoring Farm Insurance insurance in Burlington, IA and Stronghurst, IL for Family Farms

For small family farms in Burlington, IA, operating efficiently and sustainably is more than a way of life—it's a legacy passed down through generations. Protecting this legacy requires safeguarding every aspect of the farm, from the equipment that keeps the business running to the structures that house animals, crops, and supplies. A well-designed

insurance in Burlington, IA, and Stronghurst, IL, is essential to ensuring the continuity of family farming operations, especially in a landscape filled with unpredictable risks.

Family farms can customize their insurance policies to cover their specific needs. From equipment protection to liability coverage and home/farm structure insurance, each element of a policy can help shield a farm from financial loss and ensure smooth operations. Here's how family farmers in Burlington can tailor their farm insurance policies to meet their needs.

Equipment Protection: Covering  Tools and Machinery

Farm equipment is often the backbone of any farming operation. Tractors, harvesters, balers, and irrigation systems are vital to planting, cultivating, and harvesting crops. However, this equipment can be expensive to repair or replace, especially for small family farms operating on tight budgets. Equipment breakdown or failure can halt operations, leading to delays that may cause significant losses.

Customizing the farm insurance policy to include equipment protection ensures that these valuable assets are covered in case of accidents, breakdowns, or even theft. Farm equipment insurance helps cover repair or replacement expenses, minimizing downtime and financial strain. Farmers in Burlington should take stock of their machinery and consult with an insurance provider to determine the level of coverage needed based on the equipment's age, usage, and value.

Liability Coverage: Protecting Against Accidents and Lawsuits

Running a farm involves various risks, especially when it comes to people visiting the property. From suppliers and buyers to seasonal workers and neighbors, farms see foot traffic that could lead to accidents or injuries. Whether it's a visitor tripping on uneven ground or an employee getting hurt while working, liability coverage is essential to protecting one's farm from legal claims and financial damage.

Family farms can benefit from general liability coverage that protects against injuries, property damage, and legal fees resulting from farm-related accidents. Additionally, farmers should consider product liability insurance if they sell goods directly to consumers. This coverage ensures protection if a product causes harm to a consumer, safeguarding the farm from costly lawsuits.

Home and Farm Structure Insurance: Safeguarding One's Property

For many family farms, the farmhouse and surrounding structures are not only places of work but also places of residence. Ensuring that these buildings are covered in case of fire, severe weather, or other disasters is crucial to keeping a farm in operation and maintaining family stability.

Farm structure insurance can cover a wide range of buildings, including barns, storage sheds, grain silos, and greenhouses. These structures often house essential supplies, equipment, or livestock, and damage can significantly impact farm operations. Customizing an insurance policy to include comprehensive coverage for residential and agricultural structures ensures that Burlington family farmers are protected no matter the situation. Whether one needs insurance for a single barn or multiple outbuildings, the farm insurance in Burlington, IA, and Stronghurst, IL, can be tailored to the specific needs of one's farm.

Crop and Livestock Insurance: Adding Essential Coverage

While protecting equipment, liability, and buildings is vital, farmers should also consider crop and livestock coverage. Crop insurance can be invaluable when dealing with unpredictable weather events such as drought, flooding, or hail, which can wipe out an entire season's harvest. On the other hand, Livestock insurance helps cover the costs associated with animal illness, injury, or death, ensuring that farmers are not left in financial peril if they lose valuable livestock.

Customized Coverage for Family Farms

Tailoring farm insurance for small family farms in Burlington, IA, is essential to maintaining smooth operations and securing financial protection against various risks. By customizing policies to include equipment protection, liability coverage, and home/farm structure insurance, farmers can safeguard their assets and ensure their farms' longevity. Additionally, adding crop and livestock coverage further protects the farm's financial stability in facing unforeseen challenges.

Farmers should work closely with insurance providers to assess their unique needs and create the best protection policy.

[buffalobuiltvic]

Building the Perfect Farm Shed with Buffalo Built

A farm shed is more than just a building; it’s an essential part of any agricultural operation, serving as a hub for storage, equipment maintenance, and a safe space for livestock. At Buffalo Built, we understand the unique needs of farmers and rural property owners, which is why we specialize in designing and constructing high-quality, durable farm sheds tailored to meet those needs.

In this blog, we’ll explore the key considerations when building a farm shed and why choosing Buffalo Built ensures a structure that stands the test of time.

Why You Need a Farm Shed

Farm sheds are versatile structures that serve a wide range of purposes on a farm or rural property. Some common uses include:

Storage: Farm sheds provide a safe and secure place to store equipment, tools, hay, feed, and other agricultural supplies. Proper storage can protect these items from weather damage and theft.

Workshops: A well-designed farm shed can double as a workshop where you can repair equipment, build, or carry out other tasks essential to running a farm.

Livestock Shelter: Farm sheds can also serve as shelters for livestock, especially during harsh weather conditions. A shed can provide a warm, dry place for animals, ensuring their comfort and well-being.

Vehicle Parking: Farm vehicles such as tractors, ATVs, and trucks are costly investments. Protecting them from the elements with a shed can extend their lifespan and reduce maintenance costs.

Key Considerations for Building a Farm Shed

Purpose and Design

Before building a farm shed, it’s crucial to determine its primary purpose. Will it be used mainly for storage, as a workshop, or for livestock? Understanding the shed’s intended use will guide the design and layout, including the size, number of bays, and access points. Buffalo Built works closely with clients to customize sheds that fit their specific needs and preferences.

Location and Orientation

Selecting the right location for your farm shed is vital. Consider factors such as proximity to other structures, access to roads or pathways, and exposure to wind and sun. The orientation of the shed can impact its functionality, particularly regarding natural light and weather protection. At Buffalo Built, we provide expert advice on the best location and orientation to maximize efficiency and functionality.

Materials and Durability

The materials used in constructing your farm shed will significantly affect its durability and longevity. At Buffalo Built, we use only high-quality, Australian-made steel designed to withstand the harshest weather conditions. This ensures that your farm shed will stand the test of time, providing reliable service year after year.

Ventilation and Insulation

Proper ventilation is essential, especially if the shed is used for storing chemicals, housing livestock, or serving as a workshop. Good ventilation helps prevent the build-up of harmful fumes and maintains a comfortable temperature. Insulation is also a crucial consideration, particularly in extreme climates, to protect stored items and livestock from temperature extremes.

Compliance and Permits

Building a farm shed requires adherence to local building codes and regulations. At Buffalo Built, we handle all necessary compliance checks and permit applications, ensuring a hassle-free construction process for our clients.

Why Choose Buffalo Built for Your Farm Shed?

Customized Solutions: We understand that every farm has unique needs, which is why we offer customized farm shed designs. Whether you need a small storage shed or a large multi-bay structure, we can create a solution that fits your requirements.

Quality Craftsmanship: Our team of skilled builders uses only the highest quality materials to construct farm sheds built to last. We take pride in our craftsmanship and attention to detail, ensuring a finished product that meets the highest standards.

Experience and Expertise: With years of experience in the industry, Buffalo Built has the expertise to deliver exceptional farm sheds tailored to the needs of our clients. We understand the challenges of rural life and strive to provide solutions that make managing a farm easier and more efficient.

Comprehensive Service: From initial consultation and design to construction and aftercare, Buffalo Built offers a comprehensive service that covers every aspect of building a farm shed. Our team is with you every step of the way, ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience.

Conclusion

A well-built farm shed is a valuable asset for any farm, providing storage, workspace, and shelter that enhances the efficiency and functionality of your operations. At Buffalo Built, we are committed to delivering high-quality, durable farm sheds tailored to your specific needs. With our expertise, quality materials, and dedication to customer satisfaction, you can trust us to build a farm shed that will serve you well for years to come.

Contact us today to discuss your farm shed requirements and discover how Buffalo Built can help you create the perfect shed for your property.