kengr

The world rocks, the colors of the memoria draining to a pale, despairing grey that overwhelms him, and doubtless, overwhelms every slumbering life trapped in this sick, sweet dream. As quickly as it appears, it’s gone. The power of the Nihility...it’s a thing that can save just as readily as anything else. Too much of anything destroys, but just a flash can save. The Aeons, they’re all a bit like the Destruction, countering each other in a perfect balance throughout the universe, yet always seeking domination.

But this brief moment of Nihility, the reminder of sadness, of pain, of despair and hopelessness, it rouses the souls of dreamers to remind them of life. It reminds them of the truth he had known when he first rattled the bars of his IPC cage, raging that he’d rather die free with an IPC baton bashing in his skull then live another second like this.

Pairings: Unrequited Hanu | Gallagher/Mikhail Char Legwork, Background Tiernan/Mikhail Char Legwork

Content Warnings: AU - Hanu Is Gallagher, Emotional Hurt/No Comfort, Canonical Character Death, Mourning, Identity Issues, Canon-Typical Violence

Lyric Prompt: "There's a hole in my heart and I don't know why" from Slipping Away by Sum 41

--

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superfangirl1 posting in

scans_daily

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kaffy_r

Alert the Press

I have finally put in my I-90 application for a renewal of my Green Card into to Citizenship and Immigration, along with the $415 it costs to start the process. That's a lot of money I could do a lot of things with, but I need to remain legal in this second country of mine, so one bites the bullet when one has to. Sigh.

I'm happy, though; I'd been putting this off because for some reason I had convinced myself that it was going to be a lot more difficult than it was. Somehow, I geared myself up enough to tackle the job and - surprise - it wasn't all that difficult. There are further things that I'll probably have to do; get my picture taken again, since the picture on my current card was taken a decade ago, and possibly have some biometric information taken. I don't know if all of that will involve further money heading the goverrnment's way, but I wouldn't be surprised.

The one thing that truly disgusted me when I went to the CIS home page on the .gov website: up at the top, in very gaudy gold, was an advertisement for That Man's credit card. I fucking kid you not. I have no words.

Still, I did what I'd been putting off. I adulted! Huzzah!

Current Mood: accomplished
Current Location: the home office
Current Music: The furnace. Mmmm, heat ....

yohjideranged posting in

holiday_wishes

I hope everyone is doing well. I am going through a mental health breakdown. The last few years battling cancer took its toll. But, I am almost 2 years into remission and I have some wonderful caregivers helping me through this rough patch. So grateful for this community because it gives me a chance to look at everyone's lists to see if there are any wishes that I can grant (which is pretty uplifting right now.) Here's mine:

Gifts for everyone:

Battling Cancer has taught me two things that I really want to pass on.

1. Your time is more valuable than money. Not everyone will be worth your time. For those that are, please tell them how much you care about them and how much they mean to you. Tell them often. Go on that outing, take that picture, call that friend. Anything can and does happen. You never want to regret time lost and you never want them to suffer with your loss.

2. Work on your baggage. Unpack that stuff. A lot of it was hand-me-downs anyway. You down need to carry all that stuff that just weighs you down and makes life harder. Find a therapist, a shadow work book, a faith leader - someone to help you dissect your mental junk drawer and put things in a perspective that heals you. Don’t wait…deal with your baggage so that you can live better now instead of later.

My wishes:

3. Movie, series, or documentary recommendations - I'm way behind the curve, so if you have seen something good that you recommend, let me know. I have full access to a library and I am not afraid to use it. Any genre - I also have access to Netflix, Disney, Hulu, HBO/Max, and many free services like YouTube.

4. Enamel pins - I collect and wear enamel pins - they can be any kind/theme.

5. Whimsical care package - My aesthetic is a combination of goblin/gremlincore, dark fairy/cottagecore, and witchcore. I don’t have any major food allergies or sensitivities. I love nature and nature colors. I believe in fairies, elementals, and forest spirits. But overall, I am a big child so I’m pretty easy to please. I am autistic, so no clothing, lotions, cosmetics, or overpowering smells.

6. Tarot/oracle decks - I collect and read these for myself. I will absolutely take a used, well kept deck.

7. Resources - I am deconstructing from internalized racism, patriarchy, ableism, etc. - I welcome books, sites, Ted talks, or any other resources you may have that would help me on my journey. I am here to listen, learn, and appreciate.

8. Recommendations for books by or about marginalized voices: POC, Native, LGBTQIA, Disabled, etc. Genre doesn't matter, I read everything. This is a princely gift!

9. Music recommendations - Hit me with your latest earworm, favorite band or artist, or song that hits you in the feels. Bonus for a themed playlist (I am on Spotify).

10. Cat food - My boy’s favorite flavors are Fancy Feast Pate tender chicken and liver,; Fancy Feast cod, sol, and shrimp feast; and the delectables chicken and vegetable push up. My boys are Bodhi (16), Wilbur (14), Henry (10), and Jasper (6) and they are all such great cats.

NOTE: I am absolutely ok with hand-me-downs, thrifted, and used items.

( My Address )

pedanther posting in

fancake

Fandom: Tangled
Pairings/Characters: Flynn Rider/Rapunzel
Rating: General Audiencees
Length: 714
Creator Links:

lalaietha
Theme: Amnesty, Old Fandoms, Comfortfic

Summary:
"You know," Eugene's voice comes from the side of the tower, "I am really out of practice in climbing up sheer rock-faced walls and across rickety shingles. D'you think I should start a workout regimen again? I mean, I'd kind of let it slide because these are skills commonly associated with thievery and I'm all reformed, but - "

Reccer's Notes:
In which Rapunzel is feeling overwhelmed by her first birthday celebration that involves more than one person and a chameleon, and Flynn offers sympathy and helpful(?) advice.

Short and sweet, and seemed appropriate for Fancake's birthday.

Fanwork Links: The Next Birthday on AO3

marycatelli

I essayed

minoanmiss

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Current Mood: exhausted

kaberett

I continue extremely grateful to no longer have ureteric stents.

( a bit of stock-taking )

shipperslist

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lanternglass posting in

fandomcalendar

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sovay

At this point if I have a circadian rhythm it seems to be measured in days, but last night after two doctor's appointments and an evening of virtual seminars through the euphemistically designated career center, I fell over for something like a cumulative thirteen hours and still got through this afternoon's calendar of calling more doctors and the next stage of the career center in time to run out into a cold pastel sunset out of which the occasional flake of snow drifted with insulting singularity. I am delighted by the rediscovery of silent Holmes and also by my camera's cooperation when trying again for the beautiful fungi I had spotted on an earlier walk, clustered on the stump of what used to be a sidewalk tree and has now pivoted to Richard Dadd. I dreamed intensely and have no idea what Alex Horne was doing in there.

Current Music: Paul Westerberg, "Dyslexic Heart"

sholio

I normally do this at the end of the year, but I'm doing it early this year because I'll be out of town 'til the 27th, and I don't really expect much to change; all my publications for the year are publicated. See the tag for previous years' updates!

This year's cover grid:

3 full-length novels, 2 novellas, 1 collection. That's honestly much better than I was expecting; I spent most of the year clawing my way back from burnout, and the final two books were slammed out at the end of the year when suddenly my creative brain came back online.

( Checking in with last year's plan )

( Next year's plans )

( Edited to add: one more thing )

merridia

Still at work. Still cold. Still in pain, but it's steadily pivoting to just a deep soreness in the muscles of my back, which is a big step up from the seizing agony whenever I move, so hopefully that means whatever the fuck I did is healing up nicely. Getting my eating back under control to start easing gently back into my goals. I had such high hopes for the month and they were all derailed so abruptly!!!

Finished reading The Lord of the Rings. Started watching Sailor Moon from the beginning for some reason? 10-year-old Leshia is thriving right now while the current version falls the fuck apart.

I really like the idea of the Letterboxd Video Store and hope it does well, even if twenty bucks will always be way more than I can justify for a single rental. I think five dollars is probably my ceiling, especially for something without a dedicated streaming app. Blockbuster prices, you know?

( Album #500/1001: The Velvet Undergroud - White Light/White Heat )

Movies Watched in December: In the Mouth of Madness, Ghosts of Mars, Prince of Darkness, The History of Sound, Five Nights at Freddy's 2, Big Trouble in Little China, Escape from L.A., Zootopia 2, Escape from New York, Christine

chopwood_carrywater_feed

Posted by Jess Craven

https://chopwoodcarrywaterdailyactions.substack.com/p/chop-wood-carry-water-1211-249

Hi, all, and happy Thursday!

It’s been quite a week. Hope you’re holding up OK. I’ve got a sick husband now—this flu seems to be everywhere!—so never a dull moment in our house.

Speaking of sick, the Senate just voted on two different versions of a healthcare bill. Neither passed.

Democrats proposed their three-year extension of existing federal subsidies, but that measure failed 51 to 48. Four Republicans joined with them to vote yes: Susan Collins of Maine, Missouri’s Josh Hawley, and Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan of Alaska. It needed 13 Republicans to pass with a filibuster-proof majority.

Republicans proposed the Crapo-Cassidy bill, which would have provided qualifying Americans up to $1500 a year in an HSA account to pay for their healthcare. It’s a laughable, cruel plan. It failed. Good.

Now it’s up to House Republicans to try to propose something. Every Democrat, of course, has already signed on to a discharge petition that would bring an ACA extension bill to the floor, but not a single Republican has. Why don’t they add their votes? Because they’re cowards. Trump wants the ACA to die. They are still, inexplicably, in this thrall. So they won’t support it.

Instead, Mike Johnson is proposing some amalgam of the Senate Republicans’ bill and his own jumble of ideas. No one I’ve spoken to—and this includes Democratic Senators on the leadership team—has any idea what will ultimately be in it. Neither, for that matter, does Mike Johnson.

Meanwhile, new PEW research shows that most Americans (66%) now say the government has a responsibility to make sure all Americans have health care coverage. As in, Americans support Universal Heathcare! It’s the only way, and more and more people can see that now. I will unabashedly call for it every time I speak to any lawmakers about healthcare, and I hope you will as well.

One more note on polling: only 31% of adults now approve of how Trump is handling the economy. This is his lowest economic approval in an AP-NORC poll ever. That is BAD, folks. Once the “healthcare apocalypse” kicks in we’re going to see even worse numbers. Because there is absolutely no doubt who’s responsible for our current mess; Trump can blame Biden (wrongly) for today’s high prices, but the entire country just watched him shut the government down for 50 days to stop these subsidies from being renewed. Anyone who tries to blame the impending calamity on Democrats will get laughed out of the room.

Remember, the difference between Hitler and Trump is that Hitler brought some measure of economic prosperity to Germany—for those he didn’t want to subjugate, anyway. Trump is bringing economic catastrophe all around. It will make it much, much harder for his authoritarianism to succeed.

So take heart. It’s a bad day, as so many are right now, but we are winning the larger battle. Make no mistake, people will die because of Republicans’ vote today. But we will use the wreckage they’re creating of our healthcare system to build something new, just and effective in it’s place.

Dream about the long game, but act in the day.

That, my friends, is how we win.

Call Your Senators (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is ______.

[If Democrat, Independent, or Collins, Murkowski, Hawley or Sullivan:]

I’m calling to thank the Senator for voting for the ACA premium tax credit extensions today. I am beyond disappointed that this bill didn’t pass, but I appreciate his/her being on the right side of it. If there is any chance to revisit this issue I urge the Senator to do so. We are going to face a healthcare apocalypse next year without these subsidies. Please ask the Senator to keep fighting to extend them and then start working towards Universal Healthcare. Thanks.

[If GOP other than the 4 above]

I’m calling to tell the Senator that I am furious s/he didn’t support the ACA premium tax credit extensions today. If there is any chance to revisit this vote I urge the Senator to do so. We are going to face a healthcare apocalypse next year without these subsidies. The ACA isn’t perfect, but until Republicans can suggest something better it is that or bankruptcy for millions of us. Please ask the Senator to do better next time. Thanks.

Call Your House Rep (find yours here) 📲

Hi, I’m a constituent calling from [zip]. My name is _______.

I’m incredibly disappointed that the ACA premium tax credit extension bill just got voted down in the Senate. I want the Congressmember to fight to pass a three-year extension of these subsidies so that that bill can be sent back to the Senate where they will hopefully reconsider and pass it. The ACA isn’t perfect—personally I support Medicare for All—but until Republicans can suggest something better it is the ACA or bankruptcy for millions of us. Please help us. Thanks.

Extra Credit ✅

just launched Resistance Wrapped—a fun low-lift digital mini-campaign to celebrate our movement’s accomplishments and build social proof to bring more people into the resistance!

Go to www.resistancewrapped.com to share this video lookback of the past year of resistance and take a buzzfeed-style quiz to find and share your personal resistance archetype. Then share the highlight reel and your personal resistance archetype on your socials! THIS IS SO FUN! I got “hardcore resister.”

Here’s my wrapped! 👇🏼👇🏼

Get Smart! 📚

This week on the Practivist Pod, Steve and I celebrate yet another night of Democratic victories. We also discuss Trump’s latest racist, xenophobic, and completely unhinged rant. Then Steve does an interview with Joel Rubin on the Trump Regime’s foreign policy. I think you’ll find it super helpful.

Here is a link to the episode.

Resistbot Letter (new to Resistbot? Go here! And then here.) 💻

[To: all 3 reps] [H/T ] [Text SIGN PADWKS to 50409, or to @Resistbot on Apple Messages, Messenger, Instagram, or Telegram]

(Note that for the most effective RESISTBOT it’s best to personalize this text. More about how to do this here. But if you’re short on time just send it as is using the above code.)

I’m writing to urge you to support and advance the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act, legislation that would finally hold corporations accountable for the extreme and accelerating pay gaps between executives and the workers who actually keep those companies running.

The situation today is indefensible. In many of America’s largest corporations, CEOs earn 300 to 600 times what their median workers make. Meanwhile, frontline employees are pushed into poverty wages, unpredictable schedules, and jobs that barely cover basic living expenses. These disparities aren’t the product of “market forces” — they’re the result of corporate policies designed to extract value from workers and funnel it upward.

The Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act creates a simple, fair mechanism: if a company chooses to maintain an extreme CEO-to-worker pay ratio, it will pay a higher corporate tax rate. If it raises workers’ wages or reins in excessive executive compensation, it pays nothing extra. This is a market-based incentive to reduce inequality without imposing wage mandates. It rewards companies that treat workers fairly and asks more from those that don’t.

The surtax is modest — only 0.5% to 5%, depending on the pay ratio — yet over 10 years it could raise an estimated $150 billion. That’s revenue that could strengthen Medicare, fund public education, support workforce development, or reduce the deficit. This is responsible budgeting and responsible capitalism.

Most importantly, this legislation addresses something Americans across the political spectrum agree on: the economy is rigged for the wealthy. When CEOs receive windfall stock awards after mass layoffs, when corporations spend billions on stock buybacks while workers rely on food assistance, something is deeply wrong. Congress can’t keep ignoring this.

I’m asking you to cosponsor, support, and publicly champion the Tax Excessive CEO Pay Act. Working families need a government willing to stand up for them and challenge a system that has become wildly imbalanced. Please help bring this bill forward for hearings and action. It’s time for Congress to take a stand against the extreme corporate greed that has hollowed out our middle class.