https://www.daily-journal.com/opinion/moore-in-bidens-america-everyone-is-entitled-to-everything/article_9ea7e6da-e96c-11eb-b9bd-539c03160faa.html
​
“everyone can’t be entitled to everyone else’s money.”
Well, it might have had that wrong because President Joe Biden is supersizing the entitlement state of America at a pace that makes President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society initiatives seem like a fiscal bargain. By the way, that was the infamous War on Poverty that spent more than $5 trillion during the next 25 years, and as the old saying goes: We fought a war on poverty, and poverty won.
But here we go again. Biden already has spent $1.9 trillion on social welfare programs — including unemployment benefits, free health care, more generous food stamps, rental assistance, and more money for schools and state governments. Now, he wants to add to that a $3.5 trillion “social infrastructure bill” — this is the new term for “welfare” — that includes all sorts of new entitlements, such as universal and fully subsidized day care, prekindergarten, free community college and student loan forgiveness for children who went to Harvard University. Democrats also are debating whether to make the weekly $300 “temporary” bonus unemployment benefits permanent. That way, no one ever will have to work.
Most dangerous of all is the planned expansions of Medicare and Medicaid. According to the watchdog group Truth in Accounting, these programs already have a long-term deficit of more than $55 trillion.
So, naturally, Biden and the Democrats want to put more passengers on this fiscal Titanic.
​

So, naturally, Biden and the Democrats want to put more passengers on this fiscal Titanic.
And they are doing it. Look at the so called American Rescue Plan. etc.

Hi all! I'm 26, living in Europe. I just really want to find someone who wants something serious.
A little about me! - I'm 5'7, curvy, dyed hair, hazel eyes. - I play videogames on PC (I'd love someone to game with). Some of my favorites are Overwatch, Siege, COD, and the Sims 4 (: - I'm a huge music lover. I listen to any and everything and can't spend a day not listening to music. I'll happily share my favorite songs of the moment if you ask! - Huge petlover, have a cat and dog myself. - Currently studying from home so have a lot of spare time! - I love binging tv shows/movies. Favorite genres: horror, thriller, drama, true crime - As far as my hobbies go: I love cooking/baking, hanging out by the beach with friends, trying out new restaurants, going on walks aaand hanging on the couch.
What I'm looking for? Someone who wants to get to know me on a deeper level. I'm a huge fan of voice/videochats so I hope you are too. Someone who likes to joke around but can be serious when needed. Someone who doesn't mind my rambles sometimes and who enjoys talking about random things. Location wise I'm not that set on anything, I'm open to long distance. Preferably someone around my age: 25-33
Shoot me a message with a bit about you! (To show that you've read it all, start your message with the word banana) Happy to share pictures in chat if we do end up talking!

Why am I spending time writing this? Because black people are dying, continue to be falsely imprisoned and held, some wrongly kept in prison for decades and just now being let free by a crooked justice system, or purposely targeted in ways that scream: “I hate you” by America.
There are ways to escape the system, make it work for you, or live different for adventure, fun, and more freedom. One of those ways is by becoming a Digital Nomad.
Various things can be posted here, and this is another area black people can explore to leave and see the world. See how people treat you without past racial hang ups or whatever their racist grandma or father taught them. Colors, sights, sounds, air, laughs, love, different styles, and less threat of police entanglements await.
Digital nomads are people who travel freely while working remotely. They generally have minimal material possessions and work in temporary housing, hotels, cafes, public libraries, co-working spaces, or recreational vehicles, using Wi-Fi, smartphones or mobile hotspots for internet.
Global Community of Digital Nomads - Its that big and more people are making it a goal.
Countries have created dedicated visas for digital nomads. This is a way of working in the future besides American corporations forcing workers to come into an office again. Those companies don’t want to lose money on rent, contracts, or whatever meaningless drivel they come up with to force people back in offices.
Buck it and see another way of living. It requires planning and the digitalnomad sub has good content. More can be added on this. Working and living on or near the beach, new friendly faces, good food for cheap, less racism, no American politics, and more. What a life.

One of the most exciting aspects of a new GTA game is the potential for a new map. While there have been no official announcements about the GTA 6 map, there have been several rumors and speculations about what it could look like.
One popular theory is that the game will be set in Vice City, which was featured in GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories. If this is the case, the map would likely be based on Miami, Florida, and could feature iconic landmarks such as the South Beach Art Deco district, the Miami skyline, and the Everglades.
Another theory is that the game could feature multiple cities, similar to GTA San Andreas. This could mean that the game could be set in multiple locations, such as Vice City, Liberty City, and a fictional version of Rio de Janeiro.
It's also possible that the game could feature a brand new location that hasn't been seen in the series before. This could be an exciting prospect as it would give players a completely new environment to explore.
Regardless of what the map looks like, it's safe to say that it will be massive in size and filled with a variety of different environments, from sprawling cities to dense forests to sandy beaches.
GTA 5 Modder 👑 Buy gta 5 accounts http://Furymodz.com // Fortnite // GTA 5 Accounts, Mods 💎 Creator on Patreon: http://patreon.com/furymodz 🎪

Through old sketches and new sketches, Rattus Rattus hosts a chronological look at some of the more strange, sad, and outright Horrible aspects of the entire history of England.

1. Savage Stone Age

• HHTV News: Bob Hale's Stone Age Report (S1E5)
• Song: “The Ages Of Stone” (S3E11)
• Trepanadol, the surefire headache cure.(S2E6)
• Shouty Man: New! Multi-Purpose String.(S3E6)
• A man tries to convince his skeptical hunter friend that settling down on a farm is the wave of the future.(S3E6)
• Cliff Whiteley discusses the many theories about Stonehenge with one of its builders. (S3E12)

1. Broken Bronze Age

• HHTV Early News: Eager customers queue up for the opening of the Bronze Age (S4E1)
• New Sketch: Advertisement: Bronze Age Funeral Homes (Funeral Ad parody)
• New Sketch: Historical Chopped - A bronze age chef prepares traditional dishes like roasted venison and nettle soup.
• New Sketch: Bronze Age warriors on a quest to find the mythical island of Avalon. (mockumentary parody)
• New Sketch: Historical Shopping Channel - The Bell Beaker Hour
• New Song: “Bling Bling Bronze” (Rap parody)

1. Cut Throat Celts

• New Sketch: Bronze Age people decide to take the Celts culture and use it themselves.
• Home decorating with severed heads.(S1E10)
• New Sketch: Strangest Celtic Beliefs (Animated)
• "Horrible Points of View": Taking questions and comments--also severed heads--from the era's viewer mailbag. (S3E6)
• "Historical Wife Swap": An upscale Roman couple moves into newly conquered Britain and swaps with a traditional Celtic family. (S2E7)
• Song: “Boudicca” (S2E10)

1. Smashing Saxons

• HHTV News: Bob Hale Saxon Report (S3E10)
• The host of "Invasion, Invasion, Invasion" inadvertently helps Hengist and Horsa steal Kent from Vortigern. (S3E3)
• King Aethelred is suspicious of witchcraft on first meeting Brother Augustine (S5E5)
• New Sketch: King Oswiu of Northumbria holds a debate over whether England should be influenced by Roman Christianity or Celtic one.
• Suggestions for coping with famine (S2E6).
• HH Movie Pitch: Alfred the Great tries to avoid being typecast as "Cake Guy" (S4E12)
• Historical Desktops: Ethelred the Unready suffers cyberbullying at the hands of Viking raiders.(S3E8)
• HHTV News: Mike Peabody live from the Battle of Maldon (S3E2)
• Stupid Death: Harold Godwinson’s Brothers (S4E4)

1. Measly Middle Ages

• The News at 1066 provides updates from the Norman Conquest via Bayeux Tapestry (S2E10)
• The tumultuous love story of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders is retold in "Mud and Matilda" (S3E10)
• HHTV News: taking a census for the Domesday Book. (S1E5)
• William the Conqueror's increasingly unusual funeral (S1E5)
• William II meets his death in a mysterious hunting accident (S3E8)
• New Sketch: Henry I can’t help it with his lamprey obsession.
• Song: "Matilda(s) and Stephen ... and Henry"(S5E10)
• Historical Desktops: King John's concern for his social media status leads him to accidentally sign the Magna Carta. (S4E11)
• New Sketch: Henry III & his estranged relationship with Simon De Montfort explained through a graphic novel.
• The plague forecast (S2E11)
• A peasant tries to leverage his rare and desirable plague-free status into a pay rise. (S3E12)
• The Peasants Revolt is led by the confusingly named Wat Tyler. (S1E8)
• New Sketch: A mishap occurs from Wat Tyler during the court of Richard II
• New Sketch: “The War Of The Roses” (Game Of Thrones Parody)
• Song: "The Truth About Richard III" (S3E6)
• Lord Stanley literally waits until the last minute to decide whom to fight for at the Battle of Bosworth Field. (S5E9)

1. Terrible Tudors

• "Who on Earth Are You?":Lambert Simnel (S5E7)
• Song: "Henry VII: The Original Tu-Tu-Tudor" (S5E9)
• "This Is Your Reign": King Henry VIII reunites with his dead friends, advisors and wives (S1E2)
• New Sketch: Imagine Spot: Henry VIII leaves a negative review to Six
• Song: “Divorce, Beheaded, Died” Song (S1E2)
• King Henry VIII plays tennis while his Queen Anne Boleyn is executed. (S2E11)
• "Horrible Histories World Wrestling": Francis I of France defeats Henry VIII (S2E12)
• Time to get ready for the Religious Switchover (S5E2)
• Edward VI's whipping boy, Barnaby Fitzpatrick, faces the wrath of the royal tutors. (S4E10)
• New Song: “Edward VI: Growing Up” (Parody of "When I Grow Up" from Matilda The Musical)
• The story of Lady Jane Grey, queen for nine days. (S3E3)
• Song: “Mary the First” (S4E10)
• Elizabeth I takes her search for the perfect consort online. (S4E3)
• Oh Yea! Magazine: Elizabeth I's formidable temper (S4E5)
• Trailer: Spanish Armada I & II(S4E1)

1. Slimy Stuarts

• New Song: “James: King Of Scotland & Ireland”
• New Sketch: George Villiers comes up with new schemes to win wars in Europe and all fail.
• Bonfire safety tips with Guy Fawkes. (S1E11)
• The story of the Gunpowder Plot as action movie "Fawkes' 13" (movie trailer) (S2E1)
• New Sketch: Charles I goes online to scam people with “ship money”
• Two men with their ears chopped off try to talk to each other (S2E1)
• The introduction of a novel new drink called 'tea'.(S2E9)
• HHTV News: Civil War. Bob Hale gives the Civil War Report(S2E7), The English Civil War breaks out (S1E11), while Mike Peabody reports live from the Battle of Marston Moor.(S2E7)
• Song: “The English Civil War Song” (S3E10)
• HHTV News: Charles I's execution.(S1E4)
• Oliver Cromwell bans Christmas celebrations--among many other things. (S2E2)
• New Sketch: What you can and can’t do under Puritan England
• Song: "Charles II: King of Bling"(S2E2)
• Thomas Blood is brought to the court of Charles II (S3E12)
• Charles II literally dines in public.(S4E2)
• New Sketch: How to burn down London
• New Sketch: Gross Designs - Christopher Wren has some grand plans to rebuild London
• "My Stuart Family" tries to keep up with the neighbors with the help of some exotic new foods. (S1E2)
• "Historical Wife Swap": The Miserables & The Merrys (S1E3)
• HHTV News: Mike Peabody reports on efforts to cope with the Great Plague of London. (S1E9)
• Ye Sun newspaper: Plague Special.(Parody of The Sun newspaper.)(S1E9)
• Plague victim finder recruitment comes with some built-in occupational hazards. (S5E9)
• New Sketch: Charles II & Catherine Brackanza go to couples’s therapy
• New Song: “James II: Protestants Watching Me” (Parody of “Somebody’s Watching Me” by Rockwell)
• New Sketch: The host of "Invasion, Invasion, Invasion" meets William and Mary who are storming to take over the Crown
• New Song: "William & Mary" (Parody Of "I Got You Babe" by Sonny & Cher)
• William returns to England from Amsterdam to see how effective his wife is at running the country.
• New Sketch: Shouty Man: New! Bank Of England!
• New Sketch: "Historical Countryfile": Our host explores some of the bizarre and exotic plants grown in Mary II's garden. (Parody of Countryfile)
• New Sketch: William III acts more clueless about running England after Mary's death
• New Sketch: Historical Desktop - Queen Anne & Sophia Of Hanover both wait for each other to die.
• New Song: “The Acts Of Union” (Parody of “Heart Of Glass” by Blondie)

1. Gorgeous Georgians

• Song: “Four Georges” (S1E1)
• Robert Walpole take advantage of George I’s inability to speak English (S3E7)
• New Sketch: George II asks Tomochichi about the ladies in his court.
• Song: “Dick Turpin” (S3E1)
• How to Vote In Georgian Elections (S1E1)
• "Historical Wife Swap": Lord and Lady Posh from the Manor swap with the Peasant family of Poorville. (S1E6)
• "Georgian Come Dine With Me" (S5E6)
• King George III's royal physicians torture him in the name of treatment.(S2E6)
• Song: “George IV: Couldn’t Stand My Wife” (S2E5)
• "George IV: Who on Earth Are You?" (S3E4)
• New Sketch: People at a pub argue over whether the Georgian Era is over or not after George IV’s death.
• New Sketch: Britain abolishes slavery and gives reparation… to the owners

1. Vile Victorians

• Queen Victoria's solemn coronation hits some less-than-dignified snags.(S5E6)
• Queen Victoria pitches her workout regime. (S1E12)
• The Shouty Man presents Victorian Child Chimney Cleaner and Victorian Maid (S1E9 and S2E10)
• Parliamentarians try to find a solution to--or at least, a way to ignore--the Great Stink of 1858. (S1E7)
• An inspector gets a rundown from strict teachers on school punishments. (S1E9)
• New: HHTV News: Bob Hales Reports The Crimean War
• Florence Nightingale arrives at a Crimean hospital clearly in need of her help. (S1E13)
• Song: “Mary Seacole” (S4E5)
• Victoria and Albert's love story (S4E2)
• Song: "Work, Terrible Work!"(S3E4)

1. Evil Edwardians

• New Sketch: Edward VII aspires to reign as long as his mother
• New Song: “Edward VII’s Party Song” (Parody of “Party Rock” by LMFAO)
• Suffragettes try to smuggle themselves in a bag (S5E10)
• Song: "The Suffragettes' Song" (S3E8)
• HHTV News: Live from a schoolboy strike in Llanelli. (S5E10)
• Song: “Edwardian Not Victorian”(music hall pastiche)
• New Sketch: Historical Desktops: David Lloyd George posts his budget plan and uses this as an opportunity to decrease power from the House Of Lords.
• The officers of the RMS Titanic run through a highly dubious safety measures check. (S5E2)
• New Sketch: Imagine Spot - “Beatrix Potter’s Funhouse” (Preschool Show Parody)

1. Frightful First World War

• Song: “Cousins” (From the Frightful First World War Special)
• Outlining the causes of the war as simply as possible - that is, not very (S1E8).
• A naive young recruit to the trenches tries to learn the ropes (S3E3).
• The dos and don'ts of keeping the war effort going strong at home, including a ban on feeding ducks (From the Frightful First World War Special)
• Shouty Man: New! WWI Wee-Wee, the multi-purpose liquid revolution (S3E3)
• Summing up the less-than-encouraging results of the Somme campaign (S3E1)
• Scenes from the poignantly pointless chaos in the trenches, in the few minutes between learning of the 11 November truce and its actual implementation. (From the Frightful First World War special)

1. Awful Interwar Period

• New Sketch: HHTV News: The General Strike of 1926 where the protesters play football with the officers.
• New Sketch: A father tries to controls his son’s radio time
• New Sketch: “Historical Fashion Fix”: Changing an Edwardian woman into a Flapper
• New Sketch: The Suffragettes find new things to protest about after women got the right to vote.
• New Sketch: A group of wealthy, hedonistic socialites discuss their extravagant lifestyles and controversial scandals while sipping on cocktails and dancing to jazz music.
• New Sketch: The introduction of “fish and chips”
• New Sketch: The opening of Penguins Publishing
• HHTV Sport: Profiling Lily Parr (S5E8)
• New Song: “Flappers” (Parody of “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” by Cyndi Lauper)
• New Sketch: The launching of an obscure network you’ve never heard - The BBC
• New Sketch: HHTV News: Bob Hale Reports On The Great Depression, Mad Molly reports on the actual finance of the economy during the Depression (parody of a financial market channel), and Mike Peabody reports live on the streets of Northern England.
• New Sketch:King Edward VII & Wallis Simpson told through a graphic novel.
• New Sketch: George VI goes to speech therapy
• Historical Desktops: Neville Chamberlain gauges the reaction to his new European peace settlement. (S5E11)

1. Woeful Second World War

• HHTV News: Bob Hale's World War II Report. (S5E7)
• The commandant of a German POW camp tries to keep a determined British officer from escaping. (S1E2)
• A prim couple must choose from a difficult set of inner-city evacuee children. (S5E12)
• PM Winston Churchill discusses arming the British Home Guard. Video game: Operation Defend Britain. The Durham Home Guard branch does more damage to themselves than to the enemy.(S2E1)
• Winston Churchill plans D-Day late into the night, much to the dismay of his secretary and a general. (S2E4)
• Wrapping children in brown paper for warmth leads to a postal mix-up. (S2E2)
• An evacuee child from the city thinks he's landed in a den of monsters in "The Farm" (S2E9)
• Song: "The Few (RAF Pilots)" (S4E1)
• Wartime mechanic and future monarch Elizabeth II also stars in a sprightly "Queen-Fit-Fitters" jingle (S5E5)
• An attempt to foil German railway spies creates unexpected problems for the British passengers. (S4E2)
• New Sketch: Winston Churchill is elected out of office after the war’s over.

1. Freaky Fifties

• New Sketch: The war’s over – but many of the aspects of it haven’t
• New Sketch: George Orwell complains to Cliff Whitley about how people misinterpret his novels
• New Song: “Windrush Migrations” (Parody of “Good Vibrations” by the Beach Boys)
• New Sketch: Imagine Spot: A literal Iron Curtain falls between Europe
• New Sketch: Deadly Toys Store
• New Sketch: A family watches Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation, which is the only thing they can watch.

1. Swinging Sixties

• New Sketch: Groovy Man Magazine: Christine Keeler
• New Sketch: "Historical Hospital" - A hippie provides “alternative medicine” to a patient
• New Sketch: The Commonwealth - It’s not an empire but it's close enough (advertisement parody)
• HHTV News: Bob Hales Reports The 1960s
• New Song: “England’s Changed”
• New Sketch: Mods vs Rockers
• New Sketch: The Beatles members argue about who is more popular and talented than the other.
• New Sketch: “Historical Fashion Fix” - Mary Quant joins our host to give a person a hippie design.
• New Sketch: An old man from the Edwardian Era tries to fit in with the hippies and fails

1. Sadistic Seventies

• New Sketch: "Glam Rock Beauty Pageant" - A spoof beauty pageant featuring some of the most outrageous glam rock stars of the era, complete with over-the-top costumes and antics.
• New Sketch: A woman notices her friend still dresses like its the 1950s
• New Sketch: Because of the Energy Crisis, government employees are trying to cram all of their work into three days, causing chaos in the workplace.
• New Sketch: HHTV News: Mike Peabody reports the winter of 1978-79, where a series of strikes by public sector workers caused widespread disruption across the country, including rubbish piling up in the streets and uncollected bodies at the morgue.
• New Sketch: The 1973 wedding of Princess Anne and Mark Phillips, featuring ridiculous hats, awkward dancing, and the Queen trying to keep her corgis under control.
• New Sketch: People at a disco party start to spontaneously combust due to the extremely flammable disco clothing and decorations of the time.

1. Ugly Eighties

• New Song: “Margaret Thatcher” (Parody of “I'm in Love With Margaret Thatcher” by Not Sensibilities)
• New Sketch: Historical Desktop: Margaret Thatcher prevents Argentina from claiming the Falklands.
• New Sketch: "Thatcher's Britain": A clueless host takes a tour of 1980s England under the rule of Margaret Thatcher, seeing protests everywhere. (travel show parody)
• New Sketch: "Rubik's Cube Mania": Contestants compete to solve the Rubik's Cube puzzle
• New Sketch: Customers get frustrated in a video rental store, where VHS tapes were rented out for a few days at a time.
• New Sketch: Heck Yeah Magazine: Punk Rock musicians
• New Sketch: Historical Fashion Fix: Our host gives a man the 1980s fashion, featuring over-the-top outfits with bright colors, big hair, and lots of accessories.

1. Nasty Nineties

• New Sketch: A group of 90s teens try to come up with the coolest thing to happen in England, only to be constantly upstaged by real-life events like the Spice Girls and Tony Blair's election.
• New Sketch: The rivalry between Oasis and Blur
• New Sketch: An ““anonymous”” whistleblower reveals details about the Royal Family, and it's definitely not Princess Diana
• New Sketch: A frustrated former teacher named Terry Deary hates how history is told in school and decides to write some books to make it interesting.
• New Sketch: People are scared of the spread of “mad cow disease”
• New Sketch: HHTV News: Mike Peabody reporting live of the Y2K scare.
• New Sketch: Song: “Horrible England” (Parody of “Rule Britannia” ft. some aspecting of “We’re History”)

So checking out past events, I found out that there isnt a beach event revolving around the male characters. Tequila and Minimalist don’t count since Chaltear and Gavialter are obviously the main highlights. Do you guys think the Yostar would do it? If it did, would you like it, hate it? Which of the male OPs you want to have new summer skin of alter for the event?

First, this might not be the best place to look but here I am. I've tried dating apps before and it seems like swiping is mostly based on physical appearance instead of who would be a good match.
Second, I have cats so if you're not a cat or at least an animal person, hope you're not allergic.
Third, I'm looking to establish trust and friendship first with no lies, games, or pressure and meet in real life not online and not long distance, with the goal of a ltr.
Fourth, for those who are bad at communicating or end conversations without an explanation, its better to just not contact me at all. Communication is a two way street and we all have busy lives, but it literally takes a few seconds to let someone know what's up, especially in an era where everyone is glued to their phone's screen.
And if you've read this far great! A bit about me, I'm Latino born and raised in socal. I rarely drink, dont smoke or do drugs. Non religious, apolitical, have no kids and never been married. While I may not have it all together, I have a full time job, a car, good credit, savings account, pay my own bills, do my own laundry and cook my own meals, so that's gotta count for something.
Im somewhat a homebody, especially after a long work week, but I do like to be out and about, usually spending my weekends outdoors like the beach or mountains, hiking, street fairs, new coffee / tea places, window shopping at the mall, movies, museums and the occasional concert / weekend trip. Shopping for dumb, cat, band and halloween / horror t shirts is one of my favorite past times. I've been told I have that "elder emo" look to me although I don't think so. https://imgur.com/a/aviOnLg
My sense of humor can vary. I can be sarcastic and have a tendency to jokingly give someone a hard time especially if i like being around them.
I'm big on music although I'm more into alt, punk, and metal than any other genre but I've been to a wide variety of concerts and can generally listen to anything with good lyrics or a story.
You:
Single with no kids
Age 27-37
Has a car and a job
Local to the socal SGV area
Similar likes / interests
Positive attitude
Good with communication
Does not base relationships off of qualities out of one's control such as zodiac signs or height
Not looking for a rebound, side piece, poly, ex drama, or in an "its complicated" situation.
While i try to describe myself as best I can, I'd rather focus on similarities rather than differences, and build on that. With that being said everybody has their definition of what they want in a person. For me it's: Someone who not only takes, but also gives. Someone who likes to talk, but can also listen without judgment. Someone who isn't afraid to show affection. Someone who is willing to meet half way and compromise, instead of letting one person bear the load. Someone who does nice things out of kindness, not for reward. Someone who is going to have my back no matter what, not turn their back on me when times get tough.
There's a lot more to me and while I'm not perfect, I'm not looking for perfection either. We all make our own choices or decisions and I can honestly say I've got very little to no baggage, and no exes in my life. I don't carry the past into my present or future and don't believe in keeping toxic / negative people around. Maybe that needs to be put out there too.
So if you think we'd be a good fit for each other, are looking for someone similar, and can put in time and effort to see where it goes send me a message with some basic info and we can go from there.

First, this might not be the best place to look but here I am. I've tried dating apps before and it seems like swiping is mostly based on physical appearance instead of who would be a good match.
Second, I have cats so if you're not a cat or at least an animal person, hope you're not allergic.
Third, I'm looking to establish trust and friendship first with no lies, games, or pressure and meet in real life not online and not long distance, with the goal of a ltr.
Fourth, for those who are bad at communicating or end conversations without an explanation, its better to just not contact me at all. Communication is a two way street and we all have busy lives, but it literally takes a few seconds to let someone know what's up, especially in an era where everyone is glued to their phone's screen.
And if you've read this far great! A bit about me, I'm Latino born and raised in socal. I rarely drink, dont smoke or do drugs. Non religious, apolitical, have no kids and never been married. While I may not have it all together, I have a full time job, a car, good credit, savings account, pay my own bills, do my own laundry and cook my own meals, so that's gotta count for something.
Im somewhat a homebody, especially after a long work week, but I do like to be out and about, usually spending my weekends outdoors like the beach or mountains, hiking, street fairs, new coffee / tea places, window shopping at the mall, movies, museums and the occasional concert / weekend trip. Shopping for dumb, cat, band and halloween / horror t shirts is one of my favorite past times. I've been told I have that "elder emo" look to me although I don't think so. https://imgur.com/a/aviOnLg
My sense of humor can vary. I can be sarcastic and have a tendency to jokingly give someone a hard time especially if i like being around them.
I'm big on music although I'm more into alt, punk, and metal than any other genre but I've been to a wide variety of concerts and can generally listen to anything with good lyrics or a story.
You:
Single with no kids
Age 27-37
Has a car and a job
Local to the socal SGV area
Similar likes / interests
Positive attitude
Good with communication
Does not base relationships off of qualities out of one's control such as zodiac signs or height
Not looking for a rebound, side piece, poly, ex drama, or in an "its complicated" situation.
While i try to describe myself as best I can, I'd rather focus on similarities rather than differences, and build on that. With that being said everybody has their definition of what they want in a person. For me it's: Someone who not only takes, but also gives. Someone who likes to talk, but can also listen without judgment. Someone who isn't afraid to show affection. Someone who is willing to meet half way and compromise, instead of letting one person bear the load. Someone who does nice things out of kindness, not for reward. Someone who is going to have my back no matter what, not turn their back on me when times get tough.
There's a lot more to me and while I'm not perfect, I'm not looking for perfection either. We all make our own choices or decisions and I can honestly say I've got very little to no baggage, and no exes in my life. I don't carry the past into my present or future and don't believe in keeping toxic / negative people around. Maybe that needs to be put out there too.
So if you think we'd be a good fit for each other, are looking for someone similar, and can put in time and effort to see where it goes send me a message with some basic info and we can go from there.

Hi all!
I’m on the market for trying a new uva/uvb broad spectrum water resistant sunscreen ideally spf 100 bc it’s specifically for surfing and I’d rather be extra extra cautious. Ideally a large size bc I’d prefer to use on face and body. Ideally low cost.
Here’s my challenge. I suffer with facial, neck, shoulder, chest and back acne. 😩It’s been difficult finding a sunscreen that doesn’t feel gross on my oily skin in those areas. The closest I’ve found is banana boats kid spf 100. However, I don’t love the lack of spreadability of the product …. And it does feel thick …. And I feel there’s gotta be something better.
I know la rouche posay offers a melt in version, and Neutrogena a sheer mineral that claim to be great for my skin type. However I’m skeptical bc the ingredients don’t look significantly different from the banana boat I’m using.
I’ve also tried supergoops play, but it feels even more greasy than the kids banana boat.
I do like supergoops zinc screen. That doesn’t seem to burn my eyes or make me feel greasy, but it’s way too small for the price for using it all over my body. Totally fine for just my face. But also it’s not spf 100.
The other issue is eye burning. The banana boat and super goop burn my eyes.
Lastly, I do cover most of my body with a rash guard, but there are times where I may change to walk the beach/read a book in the sand, and I don’t have full clothing coverage. Thus, the need for a good body sunscreen before and after surfing.
All to say: any suggestions?

Hey all,
I'm beginning to plan my vacation this year and have decided on a European solo trip. I'm leaning towards UK (splitting time between the various countries if the time allotment makes sense) or Germany just because I know about the rich history each offers, but am more than willing to hear about alternatives.
I guess as an American I'm partial to those two because we learn and see so much about them right from childhood, but I of course know other European countries probably have amazing history that I'm just unaware of, so I'm willing to be convinced!
General details:

• 31 year old American male
• I want to spend about 2 weeks on the ground, but will give myself about 16 or 17 days total to account for travel time
• In any new area, my top interests are:
  • history (monuments, castles, religious shrines, museums, etc)
  • food
  • sightseeing (outdoor experiences)
  • "excursions" when available (catamaran ride to a waterfall or ATV riding type experiences)
  • I don't care much about beaches or water activities, but I'll hit them if available
• I want to feel safe and be able to explore and walk around freely - not being confined to a resort
• Money isn't a great concern, but if one place is currently 2x more expensive than other places due to currently global financial conditions, I'd take that under consideration

Two friends and I spent 2 weeks in Thailand last year, split between Bangkok and Chiang Mai and it was AMAZING. Was my first true international trip (had a previous vacation to Jamaica, but 80% of it was at the resort, and the other 20% was guided excursions and tours). In Thailand we felt safe enough to just explore freely, walk and travel wherever we wanted, eat at local food spots where we couldn't even understand the menu, etc. I thought the culture shock would've hit me but it didn't at all. Best of all, we went during "monsoon" season so the tourist levels were massively down. Almost felt like having the cities to yourself (and it barely even rained anyway).
This makes me think I want that same "totally different culture" type trip this year, which would be an argument against a place like UK. But I don't want to get stuck in one type of travel experience, and I've always wanted to visit the UK anyway, so not ruling them out.
Appreciate anyone who gets through such a long post, and please let me know if you need any other info to help make relevant suggestions!

Sorry for another "should I move?" post. I'm a single 35M on SSDI currently on parole in Albany, NY, unfortunately for a violent offense committed while unmedicated and homeless. I have a criminal record from episodes of unmedicated severe mental illness. I'm originally from Southern California but spent many years in Texas, mostly in Dallas but a little bit in Austin. I've also lived in the Bay Area for a bit, and Long Beach for about two years. I used to have a Class B CDL and did a lot of work in Oklahoma, frequently in Tulsa and surrounding towns... this was all over five years ago, so I'm sure the city has changed a bit. Through my old jobs I've seen most of the US. Anyways, I really dislike Albany and hope to move away from the Northeast, possibly live somewhere closer to family in DFW but not be in Texas.
Family would like to help me possibly buy a house for around 150k. I have Medicare and Medicaid in NY, but I have too much income and assets for Soonercare... if I were to move I'd end up having to potentially pay more for the psychiatric services that I need. Any advice on clinics that take Medicare? Do yall think I could find good people to rent out rooms in my future house, for extra income and to be less lonely? Do you think I could find part time work to supplement Disability as a felon with multiple acts of violence on my record?
I'm pretty simple and laid back, I like the pace of things in Oklahoma. My needs are pretty basic... if I have a nice coffeeshop to hang out at and some people to talk to I'm pretty happy. Crime in Tulsa seems worrying but I've been on the streets of LA and have lived in rough areas, like the one I'm currently in. I've been through a lot and want to live somewhere I can decompress and meet friendly people.
Is it hard to make new friends as a single 30 something in Tulsa? I'd have a church to go to, but besides that. People in Albany aren't friendly overall, very hard to make friends here.
Sorry for long rambling post!

I'd love to have some critiques and feedback as I plan to publish this into something real at some point. This is also a draft. Many thanks
With heavy shoulders slumped, Sebastian Pasquet walked through the door of his house and kicked off his shoes, dropping the suitcase and hanging up his jacket. The turtleneck shirt he wore was covered in specs of dust and dirt, all of which emerged from today's earlier events.
“Ugh. I swear this position is gonna drive me into the bloody ground.” he grunted in a thick English accent. “I’m home.”

His voice caught the attention of a woman dressed in a blue shirt and apron, her hair was a dark silver and her eyes were violet, but her most defining features were a pair of cat-like ears protruding from her head, as well as a tail that stretched down to her feet. 

She walked towards him and instantly embraced him in a hug, causing him to drop the suitcase. He didn’t care and simply returned the love, pushing his lips against hers as he smirked. Greeting him was his wife, Alvia. A Felis from the planet Eria some 230,000,000 kilometers from Fiore.
A world with the lowest population in Eridani at 2.5 billion inhabited by a shy, peaceful race that, while possessing spaceflight and the ability to travel through jump space, had no off world settlements apart from their moon.
“Welcome back.” she said as her tail curved around his leg. “I missed you so much. It’s five thirty by the way, don’t you usually get out by four?”
“There was an accident on one of the launch pads that needed attention.”
“Oh my, I hope no one was hurt.”
“Don’t worry, it was an unmanned test. No crew on board.”
“Ah, great. Well my love, your hard day's work is over for the time being.” She pecked his cheek once more. “Come on, dinner’s almost finished.”

He stepped into the living room where a young boy was sitting on the floor reading a children's book. The area was designed with a modern and cozy aesthetic with the TV embedded in the wall, an L-shaped couch at the center, and family portraits stacked across a nearby table. One of them depicted Sebastian five years ago in his EVA suit, taken just before launch. 

His seven year old son, Jeremy, greeted him with a hug. While he resembled a younger version of himself, he’d been born a Felis just like Alvia, inheriting his mothers ears and tail.
“Hey kiddo.” Sebastian said, picking him up and scratching behind his ears. “What’d you do all day?”
“I got to help mom with dinner.” he replied, in a cheery voice. “Oh, Dad, are we still gonna go to the expo? Mari said she’s going with her parents.”
Jeremy had been referring to the Interstellar Aerospace Expo of 2273, which was to be held on the planet Vandam in two months. The annual thirteen day long convention where space companies, private initiatives, and anti-gravity racers from all across Eridani gathered to celebrate the one thing they all shared in common; flying.
“Of course we are.” Sebastian replied. “But were you good in school today?”
His son nodded.
“Then, I’ll be sure to take you to the anti-gravity race when we go.”

Jeremy cheered at his reply. Upon putting him down, Alvia directed him to wash his hands before dinner. He watched Jeremy head up the stairs towards the bathroom as his wife placed her head against his shoulder. 

“I swear, he can’t stop talking about that event.” she said.

Changing into a t-shirt he plopped onto the couch and turned the TV on just in time to witness a news report taking place. A story discussing a recent development regarding an unknown object floating within space, specifically the Strain Belt, the massive asteroid belt that separated Fiore from Eris. The screen then switched to a photograph taken within the belt via a satellite, depicting a violet light within a field of asteroids. As his wife sat beside him Sebastian became puzzled at the story, his mind curious as to what the supposed entity could be. 

“I read this somewhere earlier. Some are just saying it could be a comet.” Alvia said.
“But what kind of comet stays in the exact same place?” he replied. “It’s probably a defunct probe that’s reached its end.”
Alvia shrugged her shoulders as Sebastian began to massage her ears, which she loved a lot. “Maybe. So, how was today apart from the accident you mentioned?”
“Sorting through paperwork. Supersiving vehicle operation. In short, horrifying.”
“Aw, my peach sounds like he’s been through too much. It’s been two years now since you’ve had this position, director of the astronaut corps.”
“It has its perks. I get to fly in those fancy spaceliners for business trips across the planet or to the moon.”
“Oh? Then maybe you can book us a nice getaway towards those fancy beach hotels.” Sebastian rolled his eyes and smiled at her answer. Alvia slowly raised her head and pressed her lips against his once more, giving Sebastian the go ahead to massage her tail.
“Ew, yuck!”

The two ceased their advances immediately upon hearing the voice of their son in front of them. There, Jeremy stood, mocking his parents' act of love causing the two of them to laugh. When all was said and done they walked towards the kitchen where dinner was served, the entire time Sebastian was subjected to Jeremy’s rambling about the exposition. 

The next day Sebastian found himself quickly jogging through the halls of Ophir Space Complex, the campus-sized facility that managed all launches and missions of the company. He arrived at the designated meeting room and was greeted by the sight of James sitting at the head of an oval-shaped mahogany table. Beside him were Romero and Alex as well, all dressed in matching suit attire. 

Sebastian noticed at the table center a hologram of the planet Fiore, which was odd because this room didn’t have that feature the previous day.
“Sorry if I’m late. Had to drop my son off at school and traffic was impatient on the way back.” Sebastian said, taking his seat.
“Not at all mate. We’re waiting on a few more actually.” Romero replied, shaking Sebastian's hand. “How is your boy anyway?”
“Excited for the expo, that’s for sure. Says some of his friends are going too.”
“Same for me and my little girl.” Alex added. “I hear that there’s going to be a Human vs. Astrean anti-gravity prix.”
“How much do you want to bet they’ll kick our arses?”

Eventually several other suited men stepped into the room and upon closing the door, took their seats and greeted Sebastian and his colleagues. 

“Good. Now that everyone’s here, let's get this meeting started.” Romero proclaimed. “To begin, what is on the schedule for this month in terms of the new models?”
“Fortunately the accident yesterday was only minor and the damage was menial, the engineers over at our plant in Harriet are repairing it as we speak.” Alex replied. “Construction on two other prototypes are underway as we speak.”
“Will it be ready in time for the exposition?” another man asked.
“We believe so. With a little more time.”
“More time? The event is in two months and we have yet to present anything to the board and CEO. If we don’t procure results fast we’ll be coming in fifth place for the fourth year in a row.”
“Easy now, I’m sure our engineers here are on the case. Yesterday’s mishap has not slowed us down before, and it will not slow us down again.”

The hologram at the center suddenly switched to a star map of Eridani, displaying all barren and inhabited worlds within the star system, including the eight planets humanity resided on. Their names were shown just below the tiny sphere they represented. 

Daphne. Rhea. Nova. Antari. Freya. Cascade. . And his own planet, Fiore.

Soon after, a hologram of the spacecraft in question appeared at the center of the map as well. Sebastian was silent for the most part, somewhat annoyed at the constant bickering between the old men. 

“The model comes in one and two seater variants we’ve labeled as the Ichinose-class. Its nickname is Epsilon.” Alex spoke. “We were implementing a two engine propulsion system that not only propels the ship forward, but provides power for the rest of the ship. Sebastian, wanna give the rundown?”
He nodded, shifting everyone's attention to the TV display on the wall which now showed a diagram of the ship.
“Our spacecraft compared to Astreans, while advanced, are relatively primitive in their eyes. Well at least in terms of design and architecture. Astreans ships use deuterium and tritium to power their reactors while we use deuterium and helium-3, with liquid hydrogen remaining as the primary fuel source. But what makes Epsilon different is its engines.”
“Oh?” another man said.
“Typically, our vehicles employ chemically fueled aerospike plasma engines, the newer engines you’re seeing here are fusion powered and designed to not only provide direct thrust, but power to the spacecraft altogether.”

Each of the men’s eyes widened at Sebastians response. Such a design for a spacecraft was unproven on Fiore, but the concept and practicality was very much real. In fact most companies and organizations on other human worlds had recently fielded such designs. Sebastian continued. 

“Speed is also another factor we’ve looked over. A typical trip from Fiore to Eris in this planetary system will take around 7 hours. These engines can cut that flight down to just 2.5 hours of non-stop travel. Especially when you consider that it takes 5 hours to get to the Strain Belt.”

The men then began conversing amongst themselves at Sebastians statement. While some of them were supportive of the concept of lower trips across the interplanetary medium, others were skeptical. When asked if the engines were tested with astronauts Sebastian shook his head. 

“I haven’t assigned anyone to fly it as of yet, but rest assured the tests are coming back with many positive results.”
“Positive, but unmanned,” he replied. “If this were to fail, the amount of bad publicity would damage our reputation for years to come. We cannot proceed further without human ratings.”

Sebastian sighed to himself as he grunted, the men of the table chatting back and forth about the safety and possible outcomes the fusion engines would provide. He tried to find the words to say to appease the table but their corporate tone, mildly annoying political voices hindered that effort. For the past several minutes the meeting continued, with two sides discussing both the pros and cons of having such a design. Finally, after seemingly an eternity of old men debating over coffee as his wife put it, he slammed a hand on the table causing Alex to flinch. Standing from his seat, all eyes were now trained on him. 

“Enough. All this bickering is not getting us anywhere. If you want results, I’ll fly the damn ship myself.”

As if coming to some horrendous realization the table's members simply stared at Sebastian upon his closing statement. For his part, Sebastian was set on fulfilling the test operation. Further explaining that he would assign himself to a manned test of the vehicle as soon as possible. 

“I’m not so sure that would be an appropriate move, as the astronaut office head you’re responsible for ensuring launch vehicles are up to company standards.”
“And what better way to do that than from inside the said vehicle?” Sebastian replied. “Look, everyone in both corporate and engineering is under a lot of stress and worrying about our place at the exposition. I can put all those to rest with a simple interplanetary flight to Eria.”
“I agree.” Alex added. “Sebastian is one of the more experienced pilots in the program as well, especially when you look at his resume.”

Silence filled the room. The diagram of the engine disappeared from the screen as Sebastian took his seat once more, their eyes wandering back and forth as if lost in thought and trying to find counter arguments. As it became evident that there were no further words to say, one of the men had taken a piece of paper and began writing. 

“I will take it to the board then,” he said. “If we’re talking about a spaceflight, then might we add an extra task?”

When Sebastian arrived at the Strain Belt he was fast at work, enjoying the wilderness of space that he’d spent so long away from. A week had passed and he was installing one of many beacons along a column of asteroids, his EVA circulating oxygen and maintaining a stable body temperature. He had departed Fiore a few hours earlier after taking Jeremy to school and kissing his wife goodbye, now conducting a mission which included not only working out any of Epsilon’s bugs, but locating an interstellar object which had been spotted by a company space probe. 

Sebastian jumped from the asteroid and floated back towards Epsilon where the airlock was still open. Pressurizing the interior he assumed control of the vehicle and used the thrusters to gently move into more open space. The thick concentration of asteroids surrounding him resembled a field of death, something no human without the proper experience should be able to survive.

While the ship's hull was sturdy, Sebastian had to maintain constant caution. His senses were on full alert even from inside the safety of the ship. The occasional bumps along the exterior would cause any inexperienced pilot to flinch, but Epsilon was made of some of the best titanium Fiore had. As he arrived at the signal's location Sebastian found himself cast into a sea of dark, the sun barely shining through the asteroids that circled him. 

“I can’t see it yet.” he said to himself. “The news showed that thing to be a bright violet light, but where would it be?”

After floating through the belt for several minutes he was caught by the flash of a bright light, the familiar violet color from the news made its appearance known again. Activating Epsilon’s fusion engines Sebastian sped towards the light as it began to vanish as quickly as it came. He turned on the spacecraft's exterior lights to get a full view of what was before him. 

“Holy crap…”

His eyes took a moment to register what everyone at the space center assumed it to be. A large horizontal object with a shape almost like an oversized satellite with a rod attached to the end, two flat extensions resembling solar panels, and a round dome that covered its opposite end. In fact its shape and various extensions gave it the appearance of a small space station. 

“Control, I think I’ve found it.” Sebastian said through comms. “These markings along the side, those definitely aren’t human made.”
“We read you Epsilon. Are you saying what we’re all thinking?”
“Yeah. This thing is definitely of Xanadu origin.”

The sound of applause could be heard at the end of the radio. Sebastian smirked as he leaned back in his seat upon discovering one of thousands, if not millions of different advanced ancient technologies spread throughout the Milky Way. After relaying the artifact’s location and back to Fiore, his celebration abruptly ended when an alarm began to sound. Glancing at the radar beneath him he spotted two red dots, each representing ships, heading for his position. Sensing something was wrong Sebastian quickly displayed an enhanced frame of the space before him, what he could see were two low grade spacecraft flying towards his position. 

“Aw crap.” Sebastian said, activating the engines. “Control, we’ve got a problem. I’ve got a band of Outcast pirates on my plate now.”
“Well would you look at that.” one of them spoke through comms. “Looks like we’ve got ourselves a butterfly trapped in a thorn bush. No biggie, you hand over that structure there and things don’t have to go south.”
Sebastian sighed. “It was hard enough having to navigate through this freaking death field. Now I have scumbags like you in my schedule? Geeze it just ain’t my day.”
“What was that?!” One of the ships activated their weapons systems.
“Did I stutter? I called you a bunch of low life trash bags who’re probably too stupid to know how a coffee maker works.”

Before he knew it, a concentrated beam of energy came flying through the asteroid field. Using Epsilon’s powerful thrusters Sebastian was only barely able to dodge it. He gripped the stick and began to fly forwards into the fray. To maintain his stability Sebastian had to keep the fusion engine's velocity at a minimum so as to not crash into any asteroids, or worse, the pirates spacecraft. 

“Looks like this butterfly’s been reading too many fantasies. Let’s show em who’s in charge around here!”

He soon found one of the ships now tailing him. Another stream of energy zipped past his ship and grazed the side of the hull plating, setting off another alarm Sebastian quickly silenced. Activating Epsilon's energy shields he quickly formulated a plan in order to gain the upper hand. Despite being a prototype, Epsilon was equipped with defenses including a directed energy weapon and four missiles stored in a lower chamber. 

“Damn. If this keeps up I’ll run out of fuel before I can even plan for the expo’s entrance.” he said to himself, scoffing. “No matter, I’ve got a few tricks of my own.”

As he piloted Epsilon through the dense field he remained calm and collected, knowing that fear and panic would only make the situation much more dire. A common aspect all astronauts followed when venturing in or far from Eridani. Paranoia would only spell certain demise. Sebastian circled another set of rocks before raising his altitude, catching the tailing ship off guard. The ship slammed into the side of the asteroid at an intense velocity. Engulfing the ship in a silent explosion as the flames vanished. 

“One down, one more to go.” Sebastian said. “Hm?”

He stabilized his altitude and ceased all movement to find the last remaining pirate ship before him; it was a few thousand feet away but close enough for Sebaatian to see. Strangely it made no attempts to move, no communication from its crew, all he could see was the low-budget ship flash a red light from its bridge area occasionally. 

“What the heck are they doing…?”

Sebastian realized too late. Within several seconds his spacecraft's systems suddenly began to go haywire, the electricity malfunctioning and life support beginning to fail. Putting on his helmet Sebastian quickly maneuvered Epsilon out of view from the Outcasts using what little power from the spacecraft's backup systems he had. He’d been hit with an EMP. 

“We’ve got him. Finish him off so we can claim our prize.”

Sebastian began to assess the situation as the pirate's spacecraft hovered towards him, the Outcast fired another stream of energy towards Epsilon causing the ship's hull to deteriorate. Using the thrusters Sebastian shifted behind an asteroid to avoid another oncoming stream of energy. Several minutes had passed with Epsilon sneaking around the Outcast ship and avoiding whatever attacks it could. Eventually the two ships found themselves coming within range of a pocket of controlled space within the Strain Belt, Sebastian could spot the orbital infrastructure that made up Ophir Strait. One of only two clear paths of the Strain Belt that served as a trade route between Fiore and Eria. 

“Damn it.” he grunted, hitting the dashboard. “If I don’t end this quickly then we’re both gonna be fired on by the security bots.”
Separated by fifty miles, Sebastian was well outside the exclusion zone of the trade route, and with Epsilon's systems finally back online he ran another scan for the remaining Outcast ship. He spotted him several thousand kilometers in front of him once more, only this time he couldn't see him out the canopy window.
Sebastian squinted his eyes as he looked out the window, his grip firm on the stick as he came to realize that he had to. He thought of Alvia and Jeremy back on Fiore, both of them waiting for his safe return and comforting presence once more. Taking in a breath, he gradually began to speed towards the craft.
“Alright…we got one shot at this.” Sebastian said. “This doesn’t work, then Ophir Strait falls apart.”

Sebastian locked onto the Outcast ahead of him and fired one of the missiles beneath the spacecraft, but not before slightly altering its trajectory. Epsilon increased its speed enough causing the interior to shake and vibrate, the energy shields surrounding the outside were activated once again, as asteroids flew past the canopy glass at a high velocity. Within just a few minutes the Outcast ship came within sight. It fired its directed energy once again straight towards Epsilon which made contact with the energy shield. However Sebastian continued to fly straight towards the craft, ignoring the reducing shield's power. The Outcast panicked, as it appeared that Sebastian would crash Epsilon straight into his ship. 

“Are you crazy?!” the pirate shouted.
Sebastian was unfazed. “Maybe.”

Before he knew it the Outcast was closer than ever, within a split second Sebastian's spacecraft zipped by the pirate in a swift clean motion. Epsilon then used its thrusters to reduce its velocity once more, the pirate beginning to laugh. 

“What the hell was that? No guts to finish it huh?” His ship's energy weapon began to charge. “Looks like this is it then, butterfly.”
“Yeah. For you at least.”

Confused, the Outcast demanded to know what he meant. Sebastian for his part, chuckled as he directed the pirate to look behind him. The two missiles Epsilon fired earlier had reemerged and, with brute force, smashed into the pirates ship from both port and starboard side. A ball of fire engulfed the surrounding space followed by a brief blinding light. All of which could be seen, but not heard. The flames vanished. Filling the space with debris from the destroyed ship that floated off into various directions. Sebastian let out a breath of relief as Epsilon, damaged but still alive, gently raised its altitude to be above the Strain Belt. The sun’s light shone through the glass as he took off his helmet and accepted the light.’ 

“Epsilon, this is Fiore! Epsilon, do you read?” a voice spoke through comms.
“Fiore this is Epsilon, good to hear your voice.”
“Sebastian? Thank God. What’s happening up there? The signal cut out and we’ve been trying to reach you!”

Looking around the interior of the cabin he shrugged his shoulders, taking off his communications cap he responded. 

“Well Fiore, I don’t know how to quite say this….”
Two months had passed since the incident in the Strain Belt, the Xanadu artifact had been secured by the company and taken to an orbital research station on one of Fiore’s moons.

The stadium had been packed to the rim with civilians from all across Eridani filling the twenty thousand seats that surrounded the massive holographic screen at the center of the ring. Fireworks lit the dim sky accompanied by confetti raining from passing overhead ships, and the cheers of all resonated throughout the air. Flags of the various inhabited worlds throughout Eridani flew along the center. 

Among the thousands of civilians, Sebastian sat beside his wife with their son between them.
“Hey, look.” Alvia said, pointing upward. “They’re starting.”

Sebastian glanced towards the sky and his eyes were as wide as dinner plates, as five spacecraft conducting a flyover soared over the stadium in formation. Leaving behind trails blue and white smoke that casted the air in a striped pattern. They were Epsilon spacecraft, the very vehicle that saved his life within the Strain Belt. It was the second day of the 2273 Interstellar Aerospace Expo, hosted by the Astreans that lived on the planet Seira, the day that would kick off with a traditional anti-gravity race between the humans teams from Fiore, and the Jurahan teams from Eden. 

“Dad, are we gonna win?” Jeremy asked.
Sebastian smiled and ruffled his hair. “I sure as hell hope so kid. That way Alex will be getting me lunch when we head back.”
Alvia covered Jeremy’s ears. “Sebastian, language. Not in front of Jeremy.”
“What? If I remember correctly you did the same before we left.”
Alvia playfully punched his arm before placing Jeremy on her lap.

Within moments of the racers being introduced the host of the show gave a brief speech to the people, welcoming all in attendance to both the race and the exposition. Upon finishing the anti-gravity timer began its countdown from ten, with the people all counting in unison as per tradition. The entire Sebastian couldn’t wipe the cheeky smirk off his face as he and his family cheered. Ecstatic that everything in the end worked out, from getting Epsilon approved in time for the exposition, to satisfying his son’s thirst for adventure. As the anti-gravity vehicles sped off into the fray he wrapped an arm around Alvia’s waist to pull her closer. 

“You know you still owe me an explanation about what happened.” she said. “I want to know all about your first time back up in space.”
“Yeah. Well I’ll tell you…most of what happened.”
Sebastian pecked Alvia’s cheek, as the romanticized scale of the fireworks and race continued.

This is my first ever post on reditt, after being a lurker for years. This is not my main acc. Didn't have the courage to post it there. Here it goes.
Old Monk is and will be forever tied to one of my most horrifying memories where I was betrayed and violated. The thought of Old Monk makes me gag and sends shivers down my whole body and makes me feel dirty and disgusting and guilty. I come from a conservative family, I used to still live with my parents, it's normal in my country to. I could have as many friends I want, but going to a guy's house alone in the night, was really frowned upon I (f/26) had a male best friend, let's call him "S" .This was in 2017-2018, I was around 20-21 years old at that time and he was 25 I think. So I met him on a dating app. But right from the beginning our relationship was platonic . He was always fine with it as he knew it from the beginning . The dating app-this was the first time ever that I was trying a dating app, and I had already mentioned in the bio that I'm just trying the app out and this is the first time ever I've tried an app like this. And that I wasn't looking for anything on here . He still wanted to be friends with me. We became really really good friends, he was one of my best friends. He'd get me a flower and some candy everytime we met, because he knew how much i loved candy. We would literally hang out every other day. We'd talk for hours, go to the beach a lot , try different restaurants, cafes. We'd never ever get bored of each other's company. After a few months, he said he wanted to have a romantic relationship with me and I declined and he was fine with but our friendship was still the same. Then we both got busy. I had my finals going on and he had just started working. We slowly started drifting apart and I did not want that because I really loved him, he was my best friend,and I really missed him. Soooo I reached out to him to try to rekindle our friendship. We decided to meet. He came to pick me up. He said he wanted to have some drinks with me, I agreed but let him know, that i had just started drinking and I'm new to drinking. He assured me that it will be fine and we can drink at his place and it's his treat. Soooo he got a huge bottle of Old Monk and like I said i was new to drinking, I didn't really know my capacity . So we started to catch up while drinking coke and rum. We were finishing our drinks really fast (I've learnt after that, that you're supposed to space out your drinks) Suddenly, I was extremely drunk,and I kinda passed out, but I was still awake, just couldn't move at all. This was the first time I actually got super drunk. My speech was really slurred. Everything was spinning I had to lie down. And I really wanted to be okay again, because I lived with my parents and wanted to go home. My parents would have beat the shit out of me if they knew I had started drinking. No one in my house drinks by choice. They were very strict about this and didn't want me to drink either. Annnnd this is where it all goes downhill. He suddenly started kissing me on my mouth and saying "I love you I really love you". I wanted to stop him, but I couldn't move. I would have honestly forgiven him if it stopped there, not that I should have, but my 2018's self would have I feel. But no, he proceeded to take of my jeans and underwear, pulled my top up. Touched me everywhere. Idk if it's relevant here, but I was a virgin and wanted to get intimate only with someone that I actually had romantic feelings for. He took his pants off too, and with one and was touching himself. He licked me, shoved his fingers up my vag. I told him to stop multiple times and that I'm not ready to have sex. He finally stopped after a point of time and started masturbating. When I finally got a little sober I wanted to go home. I had no money on me and it was already late in the night. I couldn't call my dad as I was still drunk and he'd smell the alcohol on my breath,and I had no one else i could call at this time of the night
"S" dropped me home. Not a word was spoken during that ride. I couldn't sleep, even though I was drunk. I lied awake in bed, muffling my cries. I could never tell my parents because I assumed they'd blame me, for going to a guy's house alone at night and drinking alcohol. So I never told anyone just my other best friend and now my partner.
I'm sorry it was too long. 5 years of trying to supress it. Had a lot of say. Thanks

3,659th Quarterly Meeting
Kilometer-long freighters docked and undocked from Port Vesta. Ventral doors opened to let in adamantine loading arms, the size of which existed only in tales of primordial titans for much of human history. Once reloaded, the ships departed for humanity's interstellar colonies at Tau Ceti, Aldebaran and Rigel. So choked with ship-induced warp bubbles was Vesta that stargazing was a fruitless pastime for many millions of kilometers out.
And all this was visible through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the most important conference room humanity had ever known.
Cool air circulated through the 40 by 20 by 5 meter room. 20.4 degrees Celsius, the perfect temperature to keep ambitious minds in line with corporate procedure. And no minds were more ambitious than those sitting in here.
9 of the most powerful human beings alive sat around the rectangular conference table, four on each of its long sides and one at the end farthest from the door. Their perfect faces were reflected in its polished black marble, craftsmanship reflecting in craftsmanship, one working in flesh and the other in stone. Their suits ran the gamut of subdued color, from black to gray to blue to beige to brown, though all but one had a metallic sheen. No one tried speaking before the meeting began. Everything that would be said today had been written and rewritten over the previous weeks. Today was a formality, a tradition practiced by an organization that had existed for 914 years.
Yet everyone in the room knew that the predetermined decision formalized today thrust their organization into foreign territory.
The man at the end of the table stood up. His dark brown suit was only two shades distant from his dark brown skin, most on display on his shaved and polished head. He removed his black-framed glasses from their perch 210 centimeters above the floor and tucked them into his breast pocket, 170 centimeters above the floor.
"Members of The Board," he said, "I declare this, the 3,659th quarterly meeting, open."
A woman, nearest on his left, stood up as he sat down. She wore a beige suit whose metallic sheen paled in comparison to her voluminous blonde hair. In her lilly white hands was the Quarterly Profit Report.
"Mr. CEO," she said in her most authoritative voice, "I'm proud to report that we have once again met the expectations of the founder. From July 1st to September 30th, 2999 CE, we maintained a profit margin of 80.0 %. As of September 30th, we hold a market share of 99 % and a market capitalization of 400 quadrillion credits."
The woman sat down. The other eight clapped their approval.
A man, nearest on Mr. CEO's right, stood up. His gray suit complemented the full head of silver hair installed on his scalp and chin. Strong and youthful hands, grown in a vat and transplanted onto this bicentenarian, held the Readiness Assessment Report from the R&D Department.
"The Instant Sassy program has achieved level 4 certainty as of August 16th, 2999 CE. They can now create a maximum of 1 kilogram of mass and replicate drink and bottle in one go. Mass production of the Instant Sassy vending machines awaits your approval, Mr. CEO."
The man sat down. Clapping ensued.
Five more members of The Board provided their tidbits of information, but everyone knew the best was saved until last.
A young man, actually young in contrast to everyone else's purchased youth, rose from his seat at the doorward end of Mr. CEO'S left side. He wasn't more than 30. He was only 160 centimeters in height. His hair and suit were both pitch black and without sheen. Most of the board wondered if the boy even combed. He certainly didn't shave. His delicate fingers held a one page legal summary.
"Mr. CEO," he said in a monotone lawyer-stating-the-facts voice, "it has come to the attention of the legal department that a small firm at Rigel is selling a 1-to-1 clone of Sassy Cola, though under the branding of Flash Cola. As there is no reliable intellectual property enforcement that far out, we suggest Sassy Cola Company perform a cease-and-desist operation."
The clapping that followed was, as planned, subdued to balance The Board's recognition of his work and the dire situation he described.
Mr. CEO stood once more to give the final address.
"Members of The Board, we stand at a precipice. Military action against a small firm is a bold move. Then again, the Sassy Cola Company is no stranger to bold moves. It was a bold move when in 2085 my great great grandmother started this company in order to sell her sassafras-enriched soda. It was a bold move when we spent the 23rd century expanding Earth's launch capabilities so that humanity could colonize the solar system and thereby create new markets for Sassy Cola. And it was a bold move when in 2610 we invented the FTL warp drive so that humanity could settle the stars and buy more Sassy Cola. So let's put this to a vote. All in favor of sending a cease-and-desist?"
Five members raised their right hand.
"All opposed?"
Three other members raised their right hand.
"Five for and three against. And I vote in favor, giving the issue the 2/3 majority it needs. A cease-and-desist will be sent to Rigel as soon as the ship is ready. I declare this, the 3,659th Quarterly Meeting, adjourned."
All nine stood and clapped, excessively, as if their noise could bury the question of ethics.
Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, a kilometer-long ship (built by Sassy Heavy Industries) docked at Port Vesta (technically Sassy Drive Yards) and loaded up with cargo containers (built and owned by Sassy Shipping) to be delivered to Aldebaran (Sassy Cola Aldebaran, subsidiary).
Dr. Megalomanovich
The walls and ceiling and floor of the office never stayed the same color for long. They meandered through the greens, brighter then darker, strolled along the beach with various tans, took a dip in the water with cyan blue and finished by going back to the greens. They were cymolds, cybernetic funguses, and they formed the surface of every room in the administration wing of Sassy Research Installation #544.
It wasn't a very well publicized installation. No research from here had ever appeared on Sassy Science Direct's Top 10 Breakthroughs of the Year. Of course, that meant what they were doing was very, very important. Another reason to locate the place so far from the rest of human civilization.
Far from civilization is a relative term. To be far on the surface of a planet, you got to be, eh, 100 kilometers away. To be far in the context of a star system, make that 100 million kilometers. To be far from humanity in the year 3535 CE, you have to be 100 light years away. And that's just what we were. 100 light years separated us from the nearest human outpost. Not the nearest built-up star system or lone asteroid city. No, I mean 100 light years from the nearest hitch-em-up, one warpship, sorry excuse for an outpost. Nothing lay in-between and no one was coming to rescue you if you broke down halfway.
But that was the price of admission if you wanted to meet Dr. Megalomanovich.
To the layman, his name means nothing. To the educated, resentment. To the dreamers, hope. He is the greatest mind of our time bar none. And, like all great minds, he has created controversy.
The cymold on these walls was invented by him while he was still in secondary school 150 years ago. He designed the meter-thick mycelium fibers which root Installation #544 to its carbonaceous asteroid in an undergraduate mycology class. Since then he has: led a team which developed an all-biological fusion reactor, led another team that made a proof of concept for matter-antimatter annihilation based metabolism and singlehandedly created a cow subspecies that produces Sassy Cola instead of milk.
This last accomplishment most impressed the one and only financial backer of all human science, the Sassy Cola Company.
It didn't matter that Sassy Cola was already made in the most efficient way physically possible, by assembling it, bottle and all, from the fundamental elements themselves via vending machine MDROM-derived replicators, because Sassy from an udder was cool to the average consumer.
And so Dr. Megalomanovich was scooped up and shipped off to Installation #544. Here he has remained for 120 years doing . . . something. I'm here to find out what.
A chubby man with pudge stuffed unsuccessfully into a white lab coat walked in to the office. His eyes had been replaced by cybernetics—not eyes, but an assortment of twitching miniature radar dishes and antennae. His thick white hair is gelled straight back like the racing helmet of a bicyclist. It took me a minute to realize that this man was the good doctor.
"Dr. Megalomanovich?," said I.
"Who else were you expecting in Dr. Megalomanovich's office?"
"No one. I mean you, but, but—"
"You have only seen my younger self. Likely from my exploits in producing that wondrous strain of cow which produces delicious Sassy Cola."
"I know you from more than just that."
"I don't know why, all my other stuff had nothing to do with Sassy Cola."
He ripped some of the cymold off the wall with one of his olive green gloved hands. Beneath it is barren rock, half-digested by the lithovorous cymold.
"I mean, the antimatter-powered life thing was pretty neat," said I.
"Pretty neat? PRETTY NEAT?!?"
I shrank in my seat and whimpered, "Yeah."
"I'll show you neat my boy. Follow me through the teleporter!"
Rubber fingers pressed a sequence on the door's keypad with inhuman speed. The metal door dissolved away and only a teleporter field remained.
For those who've not seen the new 2D intrabrane teleporters—or thresholds as their called—you're in for a treat. Not only are they compact and have ranges up to a light year, but they allow light to pass through so you can see where the hell you're going. Not all light; hard ultraviolet and above get filtered out as do large energy differences. So if you're traveling from a paradise planet to a spaceship and that spaceship's warp drive has an oopsie, the 1 billion kelvin nuclear fireball won't char your burgers.
We weren't traveling to a paradise planet, at least not in the traditional sense. To a neogeneticist like myself it was heavenly.
I noted three things when I first stepped through. 1, the whole environment was bathed in the orange light of a red dwarf star. 2, the environment was divided between land—the cliffside we were standing on—and a bubbling black sea of what turned out to be Sassy Cola stretching toward the horizon. 3, the animals.
I don't know why the animals stood out to me over what I assumed were plants. They weren't actually plants but a form of lichen—but, but, but the prejudice toward the animals was still there. In fairness, they were pretty enigmatic. One of them crawled along the ground with a head that was entirely tongue, licking up the lichen bulbs like pieces of candy. Another one looked like a tree, but on closer inspection was an amphibious anemone, its roots sunk into the shallow sea's floor and its tentacles reaching out of the water to grasp a third creature—a bird of some kind whose flight was aided by gas bags on its underbelly.
"Behold, my masterpiece," said Dr. Megalomanovich.
"It's beautiful beyond words," said I. "How did it come about?"
"By way of 120 years' hard labor. Shortly after my Sassy Cow achieved galactic fame, The Board granted me with a research installation of my own. In return, I was to do the impossible: abiogenesis."
"To create life from nonlife."
"Yes."
"You had gotten close with the antimatter metabolism trial."
"Indeed I had. And that is why I refused to take any hand-me-down help from Earth's biota. From the beginning I wanted my life to run differently. I couldn't find a way to replace carbon as the backbone, but I was able to swap out water for Sassy Cola."
"You're telling me that in every cell of every one of these creatures is Sassy Cola?"
"It is their water."
"How?"
"Do you have a few years?"
"Yes."
"Unfortunately, I don't. Even this little jaunt is wasting my precious time."
"Speaking of time, how did they grow so fast?"
"Accelerated evolution through computer-aided keystone transcription errors."
"What?"
"Again, I don't have years to waste teaching you. I waste enough time teaching the installation's staff."
"When do you plan on showing your masterpiece to the wider galaxy?"
"My masterpiece will show itself to the galaxy when it is ready. There is no doubt in my mind that a day will come when a creature on this world will take a rock and bash it against the head of another and say 'eureka!' before pondering the philosophical implications of taking a life."
"Anything is possible when your body is 70 % Sassy Cola."
The Bimillennial Celebration
Upon receiving the invitation, I couldn't wait to go to the Bimillennial Celebration at Sol, though I did worry how I'd be received in turn. Few humans outside my corner of space had ever met a nonhuman sapient before. It didn't help that I lacked so much as a species name to give them.
If it were up to me, I'd name us astrographically, by the planet we live on. In that case we would be called the Sasserines after Planet Sasser. It's not a good moniker; too nationalistic when our distinguishing characteristic is first and foremost biological. So I dropped the case and made it sasserine. Yes, much better. It's less proper, more grounded, more biological. It is this species name that I used in my travels.
The first stop on my journey was at the derelict Research Installation #544. Humans abandoned it long ago when the Sassy Cola Company's fortunes took a turn for the worse. Now it was kept up by us sasserines as a heritage site. I left a bouquet on The Good Doctor's shrine, shed a few sticky tears and moved on. The tiny warpship I had chartered had an impatient pilot.
That pilot turned into quite an annoyance during our two weeks together, for he asked questions that became more and more inappropriate with time. I'm not one to disparage curiosity—I'm a scientist after all—but I fail to see the scientific necessity of revealing which variety of Sassy Cola I urinate.
My next stop was Rigel, a blue giant star that shined 1 million times brighter than Sasser's red dwarf. Since Sassy Cola's monopoly of both power and soda had waned, I found many other brands on offering, including one called Flash Cola. Flash's slogan summarized its claim to fame: "Resist the Sass and Drink a Flash!" I briefly wondered what Sasser's biosphere would look like if it were based on Flash Cola instead of Sassy Cola. I purged this thought experiment from my mind upon realizing that the planet would likely be named Flasher and we the flasherines.
Onward to Sol by way of Aldebaran. This leg was much more pleasant than the last as I had booked a room aboard one of the last functioning warpships of Sassy Cruise Lines. Luxury abounded and even my rational mind almost succumbed to the temptation of using the rest of my money to stay aboard til death. But such an act would break the terms of the invitation.
Sol, the most ancient and most populous star in settled space, was the venue for the greatest party ever thrown by humanity. Derelict Sassy Cola freighters had each been converted into a single light bulb and arranged by the hundreds to create a sign at Neptune's distance from the sun reading, "2,000 SASSY YEARS!"
I'm not normally a party person. Secluded reading is my pastime of choice. Yet I couldn't help but crack a Sassy with every human who asked me to join them. Why not?, I thought. After all, without the Sassy Cola Company, I wouldn't be alive.
The solar system felt like it held the totality of settled space within its borders. Port Vesta alone held hundreds of distinct cultural groups from just as many star systems. I met 35 of them on my 5 kilometer walk from Sassy Cruise Lines' designated dock to the hotel where I was to be staying. Sassy Cola's monolithic corporate culture was no longer humanity's culture. People were being themselves again.
And that included being suspicious of outsiders, especially ones from a different tree of life.
I felt eyes all around me. I had drunk too much Sassy Cola, besting even the worst human junkies. I sweat the drink. I urinated the drink. Boys and girls inspected me like a zoo animal every time I went to one of Port Vesta's many street markets. It overwhelmed me and I left early for my meeting on Earth.
Orbital space around humanity's homeworld is so congested with infrastructure that teleporter range around Earth is limited, by law, to a mere 1,000 kilometers, 1 billionth of what it is everywhere else. To get to the planet's surface I had to leapfrog from orbital plate to orbital plate, often having to cross a single plate by way of a couple teleports. Yes, they are that large. Most contain surface areas and populations similar to Earth's 21st century nations-states. After visiting 57 nation-state-orbital-plates against my will, I arrived at Earth's surface.
At least I had reached the top surface. Earth is a shellworld with 15 surfaces, each named after a variety of Sassy Cola. I was on Sassy Orange and needed to get down to Sassy Cola Classic, 7 surfaces below. Teleportation law was even stricter here than in orbit. The technology was used exclusively to ferry people between surface levels and teleporters only existed in the atlas towers which held the next surface.
I was awestruck upon first seeing an atlas tower as they occur nowhere but Earth. From green pasture it rose into the cloud cover above. Through those clouds, ten kilometers up, lay gigatons of diamond hard plating topped with teratons of granite, soil, lakes, rivers and cities. I was under a planet-encapsulating house held up by countless pylons, themselves kept rigid only as long as the power flowed. Luckily, it always did.
The atlas towers also serve as propagandistic monuments, each shaped like a bottle of Sassy, though of the variety which matches the name of the surface level they exist on. The Sassy Cola Company had its detractors, but the fact that the corporate superpower had built Earth into what it is today went unquestioned.
I eventually arrived at surface level 7, or Sassy Cola Classic. The 7 surfaces above had replaced Earth's original troposphere and stratosphere. The 7 surfaces below existed where the planet's crust once did. Together, the 15 shells supported 20 trillion humans living in spacious luxury—though no one had more spacious luxury than The Board.
Their 1 billion hectare estate is a combination art piece, capital, pilgrimage site and tomb. No teleporters exist within its borders. The atlas towers there are disguised as steep mountains on their bottom halves and cumulonimbus clouds columns on their tops.
Dwarfed by these gigantic illusions are the many castles of the estate. One of these castles serves as the estate's north entrance and holds the Sassy Parliament Building. In here convene two houses, a lower house elected by the Sassy Cola Company's 100 trillion shareholders across settled space and an upper house chosen by The Board.
The lower house had drawn up the invitation program and voted 67,306 to 32,694 to pass it. The upper house hesitated, unsure whether they wanted "billions of yokels trampling through the estate." They passed it with the exact bare minimum of votes, 600 to 300.
The addition of a clause limiting it to 10,000 "yokels" that came in tour groups of 50 per hour was the deciding factor in passing the invitation program. Now I was part of one of those groups, an ordinary ambassador for the world of Sasser, though I doubted that cultural and economic exchange, two bullet point motives of the program, were occuring.
Oh well, I thought as I boarded the maglev train to the next destination.
The nine members of The Board lived in nine penthouses atop nine towers near the center of the estate. I'd remark on the penthouses' reported opulence if 200 stories of height and the estate's no-cameras policy hadn't isolated us from them. I imagine they like it up there, otherwise I can't fathom why they'd live so secluded from the rest of their species. I wondered what such recluses thought of Planet Sasser and the sasserines or the invitation sent to me by their personally selected managers. But I'd little time to ponder as the maglev neared my stop.
At the very center of the estate sits a diamondoid hemisphere 10 kilometers in diameter. Inside exists a full recreation of one late 21st century American small town. The maglev line terminated at the entrance to the dome where a bright green sign reading "Tupelo" hung.
The rest of the tour group was just as in awe as I when we walked inside and found ourselves surrounded by single family homes along four lane roads with no sidewalks. From the artificial blue sky above came laser beams which generated holograms of moving vehicles. They veered around our group even though the lasers would cause nothing worse than a slight tingle on the skin. A human dressed in a law enforcement uniform of the time led us to the predetermined sacred sites.
First we stopped at the hospital where The Founder was born, then the double wide trailer where The Founder grew up and, finally, the soda shop where The Founder introduced the world to Sassy Cola in 2085.
I obsessed over this last stop. Burned into my psyche is the memory of the artificial sun rays shining through the shop's stained glass windows and onto the stainless steel counter. I took in every scent and sound and touch; the bittersweet sassafras laying in sacks in the corner, the scratching of our shoes on the artificially cracked and yellowed linoleum floor and the coolness of the counter on my cheek when I laid my head down in defiance of the guide's orders.
At the end we all had a thimble full of Sassy Cola made from the recreated soda jerk. It was inferior to every drop of Sassy that I'd drunk since birth. Even my blood, filled with the wastes of cellular respiration, likely tasted better.
But taste alone didn't determine the value of this thimble. The drink represented conception, its serving the initialization of the two millennia of change that followed. Just as water was a prerequisite for all Earth life, so Sassy Cola was a prerequisite for all life on Sasser.
This soda was the origin of everything I am. I believe that's cause for celebration.
(END)

I have two job offers and I am conflicted in what choice I should make. Both are in retail. However, one is a bookseller position. It is an insanely popular indie chain here in NYC (I’m not going to say the name but is so easily identifiable). I am currently getting my BFA in creative writing and then I intend to get my MFA in Library Sciences with hopes of becoming an archivist in the future. I see this as my way of getting my foot into the literary career space. However, it is well known it is horrible to work at this bookstore. The owner is a pos and the pay is $15 hourly. Glassdoor and Indeed employee reviews from the past year all echo the same sentiment of stay away and it is a horrible place to be and not redeemable in any sense. The second choice is a tea cafe/ceramics position. The pay is $19 an hour and seems nice. Employee reviews are decent. Listen, I know most retail jobs will not be a day at the beach. That does not bother me, I don’t expect perfection or complete content at a job right now as I continue schooling and doing what I need to do. I’ve done years in jobs that are far from great. I don’t know if I should just do the higher paying job or just do the bookstore cause its more relevant to my career and could open my doors for me (possibly transfer to the New York Public Libraries here) could use some advice.

Want to get away from it all? Or maybe you’re in the business of vacations and profit off of those wanting to escape their dreary, boring lives. In this game pack, the world is centered around a stunning resort focused on fun outdoor activities, scenic views and beautiful culture. I think a Brazilian themed world could be awesome, including rich cultural foods, dances and architecture in a colorful coastal community.
Hotel Features - In the middle of the map is a huge resort lot (uneditable except for rooms) that has these venues that don’t need a loading screen to enter: - Waterpark with New Slides - Lazy River with inflatables - Surfing Pool with Waves (can increase level of difficulty, new skill: surfing) - Beach with Surfing, Wakeboarding, and a giant cliff for cliff diving nearby! - Can rent out boats and cruise around, watching fireworks - Hiking trails and cable car overlooking the city - Event rooms with arts and crafts for kids and samba dance classes for adults - Beaches return and beach lots are back (similar to Island Living)
New Lot - Arena - features a racetrack where sims can watch car races
New Careers - Race Car Driver, Hotel Manager, Travel Agent
New Event - Carnaval-inspired festival with dancing and floats that go down the street
Gameplay

• New AirB&B like system where you can rent out your property such as homes and apartments
  
• Can now own more than one house/apartment
  
• Can get positive or negative reviews and can leave positive or negative reviews on lots rented. Can change property to better suit reviews (get a maid service, include more leisure items, etc.)
  
• Land Baron (own and control land and properties) or Getaway Giver (give guests an amazing stay at your rental properties) Aspiration - but be careful! The community around it may dislike your improvements and rally against you, trashing your property and sending complaints!
  

Feel free to add any ideas below! Thanks for reading

Not sure when or if Lana will go on tour again, but I wanted to start a conversation on what people might want the setlist to look like! Here's my dream setlist for a new LDR tour:
​
Lana Del Rey - The ‘Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd’ Tour
​
ACT I
The Grants
White Dress
Candy Necklace
Chemtrails Over the Country Club
Norman fucking Rockwell
Blue Banisters
Thunder
Mariners Apartment Complex
Happiness is a butterfly
Sweet
Paris, Texas
Margaret
Let The Light In
​
ACT II
A&W
Born To Die
West Coast
Brooklyn Baby
Blue Jeans
Tulsa Jesus Freak
Love
Doin’ Time
Young and Beautiful
High By the Beach
Peppers
​
ENCORE
The greatest
Video Games
Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd
Taco Truck x VB / Venice Bitch

One of the most exciting aspects of a new GTA game is the potential for a new map. While there have been no official announcements about the GTA 6 map, there have been several rumors and speculations about what it could look like.
One popular theory is that the game will be set in Vice City, which was featured in GTA Vice City and GTA Vice City Stories. If this is the case, the map would likely be based on Miami, Florida, and could feature iconic landmarks such as the South Beach Art Deco district, the Miami skyline, and the Everglades.
Another theory is that the game could feature multiple cities, similar to GTA San Andreas. This could mean that the game could be set in multiple locations, such as Vice City, Liberty City, and a fictional version of Rio de Janeiro.
It's also possible that the game could feature a brand new location that hasn't been seen in the series before. This could be an exciting prospect as it would give players a completely new environment to explore.
Regardless of what the map looks like, it's safe to say that it will be massive in size and filled with a variety of different environments, from sprawling cities to dense forests to sandy beaches.
GTA 5 Modder 👑 Buy gta 5 accounts http://Furymodz.com // Fortnite // GTA 5 Accounts, Mods 💎 Creator on Patreon: http://patreon.com/furymodz 🎪

This will have a few questions wrapped up in one.
Background: My parents are coming to retirement in the next 2-3 years. They've lived in the same house for 20 years or so, which initially cost them roughly 350k in the early 2000's. In July of 2022 the value hit 1.35M, which was the ideal time to sell but circumstances weren't right. The value is still up, around 1.1M +/- 0.05M. My father is set on retiring in Flordia and would like to build his own home, and when talking to him he mentioned the idea of renting out the current home rather than selling - which leads to the main question.

1. What is the most "industry savvy" way to rent out the home while minimizing taxes and costs, including the capital gains tax when they eventually sell?

I have heard of loopholes that the money is tax free when selling a property and putting it into another within a certain timeframe. As far as renting, the research I've done indicates that any type of maintenance and property tax can be written off. Both of these would be useful to know when discussing retirement.

1. My mother claims that within 20 years of owning, they still owe 80% of the mortgage. This just doesn't make sense to me. The value of the home was under 750k until 2019, so even if they refinanced around 2010 (which is when they did) I don't see how that is possible. My parents combined make around 315k/year and has been over 200k since 2014, with a half year stent of unemployment when the pandemic came about (but even then it was at least 125k). What are the ways that a 350k loan can be less than 50% paid in 20 years?
   
2. I suggested that they rent the house out for 2 or so years while the home is being built, and then if the value of the home consolidates over 1.15M sell it and put that into rental properties in their new area. Thoughts?
   

Thank you for your time in advance.

Title: I Dream of Djinnie
Logline: After discovering a mysterious lamp, a young college student becomes the new master of Djinnie, the free-spirited and mischievous 18-year-old daughter of the legendary Jeannie. But with Djinnie's magical antics and unpredictable wishes, life is about to get a whole lot more chaotic.
Setting: Modern-day, Anytown, USA
Synopsis: Following the legacy of the beloved 1960s sitcom "I Dream of Jeannie," "I Dream of Djinnie" brings a refreshing and modern twist to the magical and whimsical world of genies. Set in the present day, the show introduces us to Jamie, an ordinary college student who is trying to navigate the pressures of school, relationships, and the daunting uncertainty of her future.
One day, while exploring an antique shop, Jamie stumbles upon a peculiar and ancient lamp. Curiosity gets the better of her, and she inadvertently rubs the lamp, releasing the genie within. To her amazement, out comes Djinnie, the 18-year-old daughter of the original Jeannie. Djinnie, with her playful and charismatic personality, quickly forms a bond with Jamie.
However, Djinnie is not your average genie. With a rebellious streak and a longing for independence, Djinnie often finds herself at odds with the traditional genie rules. Her well-intentioned but often mischievous use of magic leads to a series of comical and unexpected events.
As the new master, Jamie quickly learns that having a genie is not as simple as it seems. Djinnie's unpredictable wishes and magical antics add a new layer of excitement and challenges to Jamie's everyday life. From turning a boring study session into a spontaneous beach party to attempting to mend Jamie's broken heart with love potions, there's never a dull moment with Djinnie around.
Throughout the show, Jamie and Djinnie embark on a journey of self-discovery and growth. They learn the value of friendship, the power of choices, and the importance of staying true to oneself. With a touch of humor, magic, and heartwarming moments, "I Dream of Djinnie" is a charming and whimsical tale that brings the enchanting world of genies to a new generation.
Cast:
Djinnie: The teenage daughter of the original Jeannie. Fun-loving, adventurous, and a bit of a rule-breaker, Djinnie brings a modern and relatable flair to the classic genie persona. Jamie: A college student with a kind heart and big dreams. She becomes Djinnie's new master and best friend, and together, they navigate the ups and downs of life with a touch of magic.
"I Dream of Djinnie" honors the spirit of the original series while introducing new characters, stories, and adventures that resonate with today's audiences. Whether it's for nostalgic fans of "I Dream of Jeannie" or newcomers looking for a magical escape, "I Dream of Djinnie" is a delightful and enchanting experience for viewers of all ages.
For the main cast of "I Dream of Djinnie," I suggest the following actors and their corresponding characters:
Djinnie (The Genie Daughter): Actor: Auli'i Cravalho Character Description: Djinnie is the teenage daughter of the original Jeannie. She is fun-loving, adventurous, and a bit of a rule-breaker. She brings a modern and relatable flair to the classic genie persona.
Jamie (The New Master): Actor: Kaitlyn Dever Character Description: Jamie is a kind-hearted college student with big dreams. She becomes Djinnie's new master and best friend. Together, they navigate the ups and downs of life with a touch of magic.
Sam (Jamie's Best Friend): Actor: Marcus Scribner Character Description: Sam is Jamie's loyal and witty best friend. He is always there to support Jamie, even when things get magical and chaotic. He provides comic relief and a voice of reason.
Professor Maxwell (Jamie's Mentor): Actor: Tony Shalhoub Character Description: Professor Maxwell is Jamie's mentor at college. He is wise and insightful, often providing valuable life lessons to Jamie and her friends. He is intrigued by Djinnie's magic and may have secrets of his own.
The Original Jeannie (Djinnie's Mother - Cameo Role): Actor: Barbara Eden (if she's available and willing) Character Description: The original Jeannie makes a special cameo appearance as Djinnie's mother. She offers guidance and wisdom to her daughter as Djinnie navigates her newfound independence.
Note: The suggested actors are based on their talent, versatility, and suitability for the characters. However, casting decisions would ultimately depend on factors such as availability, interest, and alignment with the show's creative vision.

1. "The Lamp Awakens"
2. "A Whole New World of Trouble"
3. "The Love Potion Predicament"
4. "Djinnie in a Bottle"
5. "Wishful Thinking"
6. "Magical Makeover Mayhem"
7. "The Genie's Guide to Time Travel"
8. "A Midsummer Djinnie's Dream"
9. "The Apprentice and the Genie"
10. "Three Wishes, One Big Mess"
11. "Switcharoo Shenanigans"
12. "The Great Genie Escape"
13. "Familiar Faces, Enchanted Places"
14. "The Reality Show Ruckus"
15. "Lamp, Lies, and Videotape"
16. "The Magical Journey's End"

Note: The episode titles are designed to reflect the whimsical and magical themes of the show, as well as hint at the various adventures and challenges that Djinnie and Jamie encounter throughout the season. Each episode builds upon the overarching story while allowing for standalone adventures and character development.