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alotofpockets · 3 months

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The car chronicles | Leah Williamson

Pairing: Leah Williamson x Reader

Request: Leah and rich reader where reader gift her a Rolls Royce because Leah just keeps grabbing hers and sometimes annoys reader so bad like reader need to go out urgently and her car is out of sight.

Woso masterlist | Words: 900

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Leah had left the house early this morning, she had a photoshoot to get to on the other side of London. You on the other hand had worked from home in the morning, needing to be at an out of office meeting later in the morning.

You were the CEO of your own finance company, a business that you had built from the ground up, and was now one of the biggest finance firms in the country. It was safe to say you were doing quite well for yourself. You owned a small manor in the outskirts of London, giving you and your girlfriend a home away from all of the busybess you faced with your jobs in the city.

When you were done preparing for your meeting, you packed everything you needed and headed to the garage. You open the garage door, only to find your Rolls Royce missing, “Fucking Leah.” You say under your breath as you make your way back into your home. Leah had taken a liking in taking your car whenever she pleased, while she had a car of her own in the garage she just seemed to like yours more.

Leah: 😘

You take her car keys from their spot in the hallway, and make your way back to the garage, taking a moment to send her a quick text.

Y/n: Enjoying my car?

After rolling your eyes you pocket your phone, and drive off in Leah’s car. It had been happening more and more lately that your girlfriend would take your car without asking you, and it was getting kind of annoying by now. It wasn’t that you minded her taking it, just that her car definitely didn’t drive as nice as yours.

You loved cars, and often had a new car in your garage. Though you were a big believer in not needing more than one car per person, so you always donated the old car to a family in need of a car, taking care of the insurance and first year of gas.

This sparked an idea, so after your meeting you drove to one of your favourite car dealerships and made it happen. Leah would be home first, so you had some time to set your plan into motion. You knew you should probably not give in to her behaviour, but this would be a win-win situation, so would it really matter?

You drove home in Leah’s car, while one of the dealership employees followed you out with a new Rolls Royce on the back of a truck. After he unloaded the car in the driveway, you give him a generous tip for the help, before you head inside.

Leah was sitting on the couch with her headphones on, so she hadn’t even heard the car getting unloaded, you thanked Dyson for their noise cancelling headphones for that one. Once you make it into her peripheral vision, she takes her headphones off, “Hi baby, how was work?” She smiles innocently, like she doesn’t know damn well that you would ask her about the car again. “Work was fine, getting there was less comfortable. Care to explain?” You tried to look stern, but how could you not break when she was looking at you with pleading eyes. So, instead of making her answer, you hold out your hand for her to take. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

Leah was confused why you were leading her outside, but then she saw an all black version of your car in the driveway, “Wow, it's beautiful.” She walks towards it to admire it. “Why did you get a new one? I thought you liked the one you have.” You smile, realising she has no idea. “I do like it, but it seems like someone else likes it too, since it keeps not being in the garage when I need it. I thought I would get you your own, so you will stop stealing mine.” Leah’s head shoots up, “Come again.”

You hold up and dangle the car keys in the air, “It’s yours.” Leah walks up to you with confusion ridden all over her face. “You’re saying that after I’ve been stealing your car, you are now giving me my own?” You nod your head, “Do you want it or not? Cause I can just give it to someone else if you don’t want it.” You tease. “Yes, yes I want it.” She hugs you, “Thank you so much, but you know you didn’t have to do this right?” You hug her back. “I know.”

Before she takes the keys from your hands, you tell her. “One condition, we’re donating your old one.” She nods eagerly, wanting nothing more than to take the new car for a test drive. “Of course, we don’t need more cars than people, I listen.” You chuckle and hand her the keys.

Leah loved the way the car drove, after driving it around for half an hour. You were just happy that she was happy, and the smile on her face was enough for you to know that this had been a good move.

She was very grateful for your gift, and thanked you profusely over the next couple of days, in more ways than just with words. She was loving the car, and from that point on your car was in the garage every time you needed it.

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💗 If you enjoyed this fic, please consider liking, commenting, and reblogging! You can also supporting me by leaving a tip 💗

#leah williamson #leah williamson x reader #leah williamson imagine #leah williamson x you #woso imagines #woso imagine #woso fanfics #woso #woso x reader #arsenal wfc imagine #awfc x reader

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labete-du-gevaudan · 11 months

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It's a large order, but I'm sure it can be reached!

The International Cryptozoology Museum is looking to restore and inhabit this historical building located in Bangor, Maine! The museum's current locations are small and make the collection they hold seem crowded. It deserves a larger space to thrive in. It was built in 1945 and served as a garage and car dealership. But it was also eventually used as a laundromat, a taxi depot and a recycling center.

A number of things need to be done to this building to make it safe and modern. The money raised will go toward things like replacing windows and pipes. The International Cryptozoology Museum is a non-profit and relies on donations to survive.

Please consider donating and if you can't donate, sharing is so helpful!

The link to the GoFundMe and a lot more information on the project: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-maines-streamline-moderne-gem-490-broadway

#international cryptozoology museum #cryptids #loren coleman #my post #boost #museum #cryptozoology #paranormal #fortean

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outrunningthedark · 1 year

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Buddie in 6A: The Recap

What it says on the tin: a recap of the Buddie scenes from each episode in 6A. I previously made similar posts for 5A and 5B. 6x01 // Let the Games Begin For context: The season-opening disaster involved a blimp crashing into Cal-Am Bank Stadium, home of LA’s two football (soccer) teams. 🌈 Bobby radios Eddie to tell him "Buck is on his way up to help you evacuate the co-pilot.”

🌈 Buckley-Diaz lasagna night that starts with Buck’s disappointment over not being named interim captain and ends with a discussion about “couches”:

(Only took him three tries to get it right!)

Buck: I just want to know what these other candidates have that apparently I don’t.

Christopher: Buck, you don’t even have a couch.

Buck: So what does that have to do with being fire captain?

Christopher: It’s weird.

Buck: My last two couches came with girlfriends.

Eddie: I think you mean your last two girlfriends came with couches. Taylor moved out, what, four months ago, Buck?

🌈 The team responds to a call about an injured golfer. Wanting to prove himself worthy of the interim captain role, Buck “secures the perimeter” even though he wasn’t asked.

Eddie: *is done with him*

🌈 The 118 is called to a car dealership when a competition for a brand new car leaves contestants in poor health. When the owner of the dealership refuses to suspend the competition, Bobby tells Buck to get the “saws and jaws” to cut up the car.

Eddie: *is highly amused*

6x02 // Crash and Learn

🌈 Buck and Eddie observe an overworked Hen (juggling med school and interim captain duties) napping in the fire truck.

Buck: I feel like we should do something.

Eddie: *nods* Get her a pillow.

🌈 After being unable to save a man named Lev at a happiness convention, Eddie and Chim try to get Buck and Hen to go out with them for breakfast.

Per writer & director Juan Carlos Coto, the shared glance between Eddie and Chim prior to mentioning breakfast was Ryan and Kenny’s suggestion:

It was Ryan and Kenny’s idea to do that little look at the top of the scene. Made the whole thing work.

6x04 // Animal Instincts Note: This episode marks the beginning of an individual arc for Buck that, though not related to Buddie, should be mentioned because it may influence future scenes between them - Buck is visited by an old roommate he hasn’t spoken to in years (Connor) and his wife (Kameron), who are hoping that Buck will agree to be their sperm donor. Also important, as it will come into play later: Buck adopts the theory of “radical acceptance” (his phrase, not mine), which is supposed to mean that he will say yes to new possibilities in order to gain new life experiences and figure out what will make him happiest.

🌈 As the rest of the 118 loads an injured birdwatcher into the ambulance, Buck and Eddie (still gathering the supplies) watch as the man who made the 9-1-1 call tries to flirt with the birdwatcher’s sister…and is rejected:

Embarrassed, the man explains that he thought it was “his shot” at asking her out.

Buck: Well, I think maybe you have bad instincts.

Eddie: Better luck next time.

🌈 Eddie discovers that Christopher has been skipping Science Club to hang out at the park with friends and discusses it with Hen (who is supposed to be taking time off) and Chim.

Eddie: I notice you’ve been awfully quiet over there, Buck. Christopher hasn’t said anything to you about these little secrets, has he? Buck (not listening because he’s still pondering Connor and Kameron’s request): Uh, to me? No, no-no secrets here. Eddie: *is suspicious*

🌈 The 118 tends to a bicyclist and the drunk driver that hit him. While Chim is attempting to treat the unconscious driver inside the vehicle, the man suddenly awakens, panics, and speeds off. When everyone realizes Chim has been “kidnapped”, Buck jumps on the abandoned bike and goes after him. Eddie: *is annoyed*

“Buck! Where the hell are you going?!” Note: By the end of the episode, Buck agrees to donate his sperm so Connor and Kameron can fulfill their dream. (Putting “radical acceptance” to the test.) 6x05 // Home Invasion 🌈 The 118 saves a man named Vincent who lost consciousness while trying to insulate/soundproof his sister Marisol’s attic. The rescue involved tearing down the walls of Marisol’s recently-purchased home, so Buck and Eddie decide to recruit some (never before seen) friends to help patch up the damage.

Buck: We thought maybe you could use a hand with some repairs. Eddie: Yeah, we heard somebody really destroyed your house. 6x06 // Tomorrow Setup: formerly known as “Henren Begins”, the 118 must save Karen and her coworkers after an explosion in their space lab. The present day is juxtaposed with scenes from Henren’s early days as a couple. Karen is led out of the building, but collapses and nearly dies because her heart is not pumping enough blood. She is brought back by her wife. At the hospital, Chim informs Athena and the 118 (minus Hen) that Karen made it out of surgery - minus her spleen. Buck questions whether Karen will be able to live without the organ. (Up to you whether you think it was another example of Himbo Buck or he was so anxious he needed verbal confirmation.) Eddie: *bows head and smiles to himself*

“She’s gonna be okay.” 6x07 // Cursed Note: This is the first episode since 6x04 where the sperm donor request is brought up. Buck has multiple failed attempts at “finishing the job” (a sign that he should not go through with it), but successfully completes the first round by the end of the hour. Setup: The 118 responds to a series of calls where a fading Hollywood star (Felisa) finds herself in dangerous situations. The belief is that a bracelet she purchased for good luck has actually “cursed” her, but Eddie disagrees. 🌈 At the firehouse, the 118 plus Athena are sitting down for breakfast in anticipation of Hen’s return to work following Karen’s brush with death. Buck, however, is only drinking green juice because he thinks it will help his overall health when donating. Eddie looked at Buck as he sat down with his green juice, but, well...

“How did the age of absolutely turn into alfalfa smoothies?” Bonus: Bobby: What’s with the, uh, green juice? *eyes land on Eddie* Eddie: *puts hand up* I don’t know. 🌈 (Following a call where Felisa was left unconscious) Buck: So you still don’t think she’s cursed? Eddie. No, but I’m starting to think I am. 🌈 Buck looking on fondly as Eddie attempts to get into contact with Felisa to return her bracelet (that was left in the back of the ambulance) 🌈 Buck backs up Eddie’s stance re: the bracelet not actually causing Felisa’s troubles: “Listen, I’m-I’m starting to think maybe Eddie has a point here. The accident at the crystal shop...bracelet wasn’t even there.” Note: Buck quickly changes his mind about the bracelet after the 118 (excluding Hen, who found out in 6x04) learns of his plans to donate his sperm thanks to an unplanned conversation between Buck, Connor, and Kameron at the firehouse.

6x08 // What’s Your Fantasy? 🌈 The firefam learns that Christopher has a crush on a classmate, but Eddie doesn’t know their name because “he’s not spilling, and I don’t feel like pushing.” Buck, predictably, has Opinions on the matter:

“Uh, isn’t he kinda young to start dating?” 🌈 Back in the truck, the conversation turns to first kisses. Eddie says they’ve “drifted off topic” because “Christopher isn’t kissing anyone.” Buck: *is not helping* Eddie: I know it's normal. I just didn't think Christopher was old enough yet. Bobby: Maybe the problem is it makes you feel old. Chimney: Wait till he starts shaving. Buck: Before you know it, someone's gonna be calling you Grandpa. Eddie: I don't know why I tell you guys anything. 🌈 (Still in the truck) Bobby spots a mysterious man falling from somewhere above, landing on the pavement. The 118 gets out to help the victim and inspect the premises. Buck: There aren’t any tall buildings around here. Eddie: Right. Buck: And unless that song was based in truth, I don’t think it’s ever actually raining men. Eddie: *has no idea how to respond to that*

🌈 The Buddie moments this week concluded with these shots of the Buckley-Diazes in action. 6x09 // Red Flag 🌈 The opening call saw members of the 118 going door-to-door to try and find the owner of a severed hand. Buck and Eddie: *over it*

[link to full set]

🌈 After all attempts are unsuccessful, the 118 catches a bystander running away with their cooler of ice. He and his friends are missing appendages thanks to a fireworks mishap. Buck says he’s “not it” to get out of chasing after the kid. Eddie is displeased. 🌈 A woman sleepwalks (really, sleepdrives) her way into the firehouse, causing an accident. The car does not belong to her. She is also naked. Buck and Eddie try to be gentlemen about it, ofc. 🌈 Buck asks the woman if she always sleeps “in the nude.” Eddie reacts as you would expect. 🌈 The 118 is on the roof of the firehouse, talking and drinking hot chocolate because nobody can sleep. Buck: Who can sleep when there’s cars driving unannounced into the building? Eddie: Would you prefer an announcement? (Answer: Yes.) 🌈 gifsets one + two of Eddie and Buck on the roof, featuring Eddie handing Buck his cup of cocoa 🌈 Buck calls Chim, who’s already on the phone with Hen, because he has some news he wants to share. But before doing so, he decides to “grab Eddie” and add him to the conversation. The news is that Buck’s sperm donation has been successful, Connor and Kameron are finally pregnant. Eddie doesn’t think this is news worth celebrating. He also removes himself from the conversation before Buck expresses how he feels about helping create a new life:

I'll try and take a nap. Chris is gonna be up in an hour. Hey, see you guys tomorrow. Hen: All right. See ya. Hey, Buck, you never said. How are you feeling about this... creation of new life? Buck: I mean, I'm-I'm happy. You know, I'm happy for them. I-I was worried that... what if it didn't work out, a-and me saying yes just ended up setting them up for more disappointment? Chimney: So, you're good? Buck: Yeah. Yeah, I-I think I am. In fact, I feel like I can finally go and get some sleep. 🌈 We say goodbye to Buddie in 6A with these shots of the guys getting a well-deserved rest. Note: the camera transitioned from Eddie to Buck as the scene unfolded.

Bonus: gifset one + two showing just how close they were in the finale. (Queen Brenna was back and she fed us well.) >>See ya in the spring (I hope)!<<

#tina speaks #otp: pretty boy and the kid #buddie in 6A #eddie diaz #evan buckley #buddie #tv: 911 #tv: 9-1-1

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wheelsgoroundincircles · 5 months

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Sir Vival, the two-piece safety Hudson

Sir Vival, Walter Jerome's Hudson-based concept for the ultimate safety car, last moved under its own power sometime around when he showed the car at the New York World's Fair in 1964 or 1965. Since then, it's been split apart, reassembled, shuffled all over eastern Massachusetts, and remained hidden more or less in plain sight, but nobody's made an attempt to get it running again. That'll change now that longtime owner Ed Moore of Bellingham Auto Sales has sold Sir Vival to Jeff Lane of the Lane Motor Museum.

"It'll be the perfect fit," Lane said. "I've been pestering him about it for a while."

Moore, as we reported in November, has decided to close the doors at Bellingham, which he considers the last active Hudson dealership in the world, and has been either selling off his inventory of cars and parts or transferring portions of his lifelong collection to his house nearby.

In 1958, Worcester-based Walter Jerome decided it was about time somebody built a car designed primarily for safety and not for looks or speed. Rapidly increasing numbers of highway deaths - especially in the postwar period - led many to call for greater automotive safety as early as 1947, but the response from Detroit was tepid at best throughout the Fifties. Ford made a few gestures at improving automotive safety, including funding a study on safety cars at Cornell, but it largely fell to independents and individuals to build cars with safety features designed into the vehicle.

Jerome decided to start with a step-down Hudson - which he bought from Bellingham - and split it into two sections "to anticipate the possibility of collision from any angle." Similar to Bela Barenyi's idea for the crumple zone, Jerome intended the front section, mounted via a hinge to the rear section, to absorb a collision rather than deflect one, noting that the rigidity of typical cars was what led to injuries and deaths in collisions. To each of the two sections, Jerome added steel bumpers that acted, in his words, like a second frame, and rubber bumpers around the steel designed to redirect all but direct collisions. Yes, he built a full-size bumper car.

He didn't stop there. The driver controlled the car from a turret-mounted central driver's seat surrounded by a "full circle" windshield for greater visibility. (According to Jerome's literature, the windshield itself rotated past stationary windshield wipers as part of Jerome's quest for maximum driver visibility.) The exterior is fitted with high-visibility marker and signal lamps; the parallelogram doors are designed not to pop open in a crash; and the interior features seat belts, padding, and even a rollbar.

"It is all too obvious that Detroit has no plans to come up with anything really new," Jerome wrote. "Their 1964 cars are already on the drawing boards and spring from the same rigid frames. I hold that human life is important, far more important than Detroit's worry about the cost of retooling to produce an automobile which will save human lives. Adoption of the flexible Sir Vival design would make rigid vehicles obsolete and create a new market, almost immediately, for 65 million vehicles."

Moore and his family assisted Jerome over the years with Sir Vival, including one episode Moore recalls in which he went to Worcester to retrieve the vehicle from the fourth floor of a warehouse, where Jerome had stored it in two pieces, so it could be reassembled and transported to Jerome's house on Cape Cod. After Jerome's death in the early 1970s, the Moores took possession of Sir Vival and brought it back to Bellingham. While Moore had hoped Sir Vival would have gone to Eldon Hostetler's Hudson museum, it turned out fortuitous that he didn't donate it to Hostetler, given that the museum was closed and liquidated in 2018. Sir Vival has thus primarily sat in its pride of place in Bellingham Auto Sales's garage ever since.

"It needs gone right through," Moore said. "It's not really something I want to take home and just let it sit there. Jeff, he's the guy who'd really appreciate it. He'll build it and do it right."

Lane said he's only seen Sir Vival once in person, when he spent an entire day up at Bellingham Auto Parts four or five years ago. "I recall it as not terrible, but also not in great condition," he said. "It's not like it's been outside for 40 years, rusting away." While he won't have a more definitive plan about what to do with Sir Vival until he picks it up later this month, he said he wants to go through it mechanically without restoring the entire car, if possible.

"I'd say the closest it comes to any other vehicle in the (Lane Motor Museum's) collection is the Dymaxion," Lane said. "It's a really interesting story but it's really been pretty much hidden away from the general public."

Moore, for his part, said he'll continue selling Hudsons from his home garage even after the Bellingham Auto Sales property becomes a warehouse. "I still have my new and used car licenses," he said. "I know I can't keep them all, but I've tried."

UPDATE (6.January 2023): The Lane has started restoration on Sir Vival, according to a Facebook post from the museum. "Sir Vival has been separated into two pieces, and the automotive archaeology begins!"

#car #cars #hudson #experimental #sir vival #Walter Jerome

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joelletwo · 7 months

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trying to see if i can salvage like. every part of this outfit from the donation pile lol. gonna make short guy business casual friday at the car dealership swag my whole personality

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stealthneko · 11 months

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INCOMPLETE LIST OF "GOOD GAMES":

"toys" from the "play toys with me" series, checkers (NOT CHESS), magic beans that when you plant them a giant vine appears, a Yamaha OPL3 sound card, heat from a cat, door stoppers, telling a twink to shut the fuck up, stock market manipulation, crying, pirates, fear of bugs, light switch pull cord, Lake Ninevah, kicking dirt, taking apart TV remotes, light roughhousing, bypassing the 10NES lockout chip, fiberglass installation, calculating pi by hand with 20 other people, waiting so long to brush your teeth your gums bleed, canceling a free trial before they charge you, adobe acrobat, pretending the Pringles can is a gun, catching crows with your hands in a car dealership parking lot, watch batteries, cooking fish sticks on a pizza pan, removing an object from a pet's mouth, forgetting to email someone back, WinRAR installation wizard, playing the Viewiful Joe 2 demo on the PlayStation Holiday 2004 Demo Disc with memory cards inserted, naming a child by random password generator, observing the scissor-tailed flycatcher, using Chrome inspect element, experiencing the Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter, making a list of random things, microwavable mugs, asking the home depot worker what screwdriver you need for this, ethical time travel, freeing race horses, entering the Playstation All Stars Battle Royale Online Pass code, donating to Wikipedia, scotch tape, reinventing the wheel, green Zelda shirt with tan cargo shorts, standing in a pitch black room for at least an hour, a window that won't stay open on its own, parchment paper, starting a newspaper route, browsing the Walmart app, removing the front mesh from your microwave, using the promo code in the description, sink dog, being responsible for the titanic, obtaining the Sackboy Target hat plush, spring cleaning, reverting your video card drivers, any GIF less then 95kb, making a huge mess with styrofoam, ignoring the engineers that the o-rings are frozen, "As seen on TV" kitchen gadgets, doing what must be done, printing mostly black pages at the library as a kid, adding too much pepper, photoshopping niche memes, seeing how far you can get into Disneyland if you act like an employee

#lists #games #good games #why did i make this #very cool

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skeletonmob · 7 months

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Crossy is an artist that has been struggling with finances ever since the pandemic. From what I've kept up with, they had to move in with their grandparents to take care of them during the pandemic, but got screwed over by a car dealership in the process. So they've been trying to pay medical expenses, lawyer fees, car repairs and so on for MONTHS, and they're super behind!

I think it'd be a wonderful Christmas gift for them to finally be out of debt. So please reblog and donate if you can! You don't have to commission them or anything! Just throw some money their way if you're able!

#christmas #winter #signal boost #mutual aid #pandemic #social justice #nonbinary #lgbt #artists on tumblr #furry art #furry artist #holidays

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insidecroydon · 8 months

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Dealership donates £100,000-worth of vehicles to Ukraine

Team effort: Kinghams staff outside their South Croydon showroom as they send off one of the 4×4 vehicles to serve as paramedic vehicles in Ukraine Kingham’s, the long-established, family-run car dealership based in South Croydon, has made donations of seven vehicles for humanitarian aid in war-torn Ukraine over the past 18 months worth at least £100,000. “You can’t quantify the value of…

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#Croydon #Kinghams #Nick Mattey #South Croydon #Ukraine

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perfect-jerry-blossom · 7 months

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i’m basically stuck like 300 miles from home because even though i just spent $1500 getting my car fixed LAST WEEK it’s having more fucking issues and on top of that i’m basically unemployed until my coworker goes on maternity leave at the end of this month. so if i can’t get my car fixed here for less than $600 (the amount of money i have left on my credit card before i hit my limit) i am completely stuck here until i can get the part and have it fixed. five hours from home. and i only booked an airbnb until tomorrow so if i can’t fix it today i have to stay with my boyfriend’s dad until whenever it’s fixed. i’m not gonna ask for donations but if anyone knows any good honest mechanics in the Raleigh-Durham area of North Carolina who could replace an inverter coolant pump sooner rather than later i would be extremely open to recommendations. it’s not a very difficult replacement, i would do it myself if i had the tools, i just need someone to help me i want to go home i don’t want to be here for a week waiting for the dealership to fleece me of money i don’t have

#personal

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187days · 8 months

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Day Twenty-Two

I taught my ninth graders how to do their first current event write-up today (find something in the news, write an explanation to summarize what's happening using multiple sources- text and graphic- and why it's significant/what should the response to it be). That was a little bit challenging at the start and end of the day because some of the students in those sections are still developing good listening skills, and I wanted to make sure they understood and were able to follow all the instructions, but once they got started on their own work they all did pretty well.

I felt the amount of energy I'd exerted, though, keeping their attention while I was teaching them what to do, and then darting around to field questions and offer help as needed.

Luckily, I had a break midway through the day with APGOV. While they were preparing for yesterday's discussion on Federalist 10 and 51, some of my students said we should watch Hamilton. I said I'd show Act I today as a recap of everything I'd taught about the foundation of the country (I'll show Act II another time), and that's what I did. I told students it was fine to multitask as they watched, so some read the Constitution (they're supposed to read it by next class), some did math homework, etc... They've all got demanding courseloads, so a bit of a breather here and there is healthy. And Act I of Hamilton really is an excellent recap of what I've taught them.

So that was good.

Also good: a local car dealership donated several hundred dollars to each of our departments to use for supplies, etc... None of us were expecting that, but we're so grateful. Every little bit helps, and this is more than a little bit!

Meantime, the local insurance company brought us Dunkies. Less dramatic, but also unexpected and nice!

What else? There's a new English teacher taking over for Mrs. T now that she's Dean 2. I meet him briefly because he happened to be in Mr. N's room when I went to ask Mr. N a question. I don't know how old he is, and I'm sure he's older than I was when I started teaching, but he looks sooooo young. Or maybe I'm just old now.

Probably both, heh.

#teaching #teachblr #teacher #edublr #education #high school #social studies #free stuff is the best #yay donuts #donations #hamilton #day twenty two #Mrs. T #Mr. N #Dean 2

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mitchipedia · 2 years

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American Gentry

Much of America is governed by a class of wealthy gentry—not billionaires but not middle class either. Their wealth is in the millions and tens of millions.

Patrick Wyman:

This kind of elite’s wealth derives not from their salary - this is what separates them from even extremely prosperous members of the professional-managerial class, like doctors and lawyers - but from their ownership of assets. Those assets vary depending on where in the country we’re talking about; they could be a bunch of McDonald’s franchises in Jackson, Mississippi, a beef-processing plant in Lubbock, Texas, a construction company in Billings, Montana, commercial properties in Portland, Maine, or a car dealership in western North Carolina. Even the less prosperous parts of the United States generate enough surplus to produce a class of wealthy people. Depending on the political culture and institutions of a locality or region, this elite class might wield more or less political power. In some places, they have an effective stranglehold over what gets done; in others, they’re important but not all-powerful.

Wherever they live, their wealth and connections make them influential forces within local society. In the aggregate, through their political donations and positions within their localities and regions, they wield a great deal of political influence. They’re the local gentry of the United States.

Gentry classes have been common throughout history: The Roman Empire, Han China, medieval France, and the planters of the antebellum South.

By definition, they’re local elites.

In the early Roman Empire, for example, local civic elites were essential to the functioning of the state. They collected taxes in their home cities, administered justice, and competed with each other for local political offices and seats on the city councils. Their competition was a driving force behind the provision of benefits to the common folk in the form of festivals, games, public buildings, and more basic support, a practice called civic euergetism.

These local elites of the Roman world served as the linkage between the central administrative apparatus of the earlier emperors like Augustus or Hadrian and the archipelago of cities that made up the Roman Empire. This was how the Roman Empire could function with a central administration of only a few hundred scribes, clerks, and functionaries gathered around the emperor: The central state essentially outsourced the day-to-day running of the empire to the city councillors of Marseilles, Tarragona, Antioch, Athens, Carthage, and a hundred other cities scattered from Britain to Arabia.

…

When we talk about inequality, we skew our perspective by looking at the most visible manifestations: penthouses in New York, mansions in Beverly Hills, the excesses of hedge fund billionaires or a misbehaving celebrity. But that’s not who most of the United States’ wealthy elite really are. They own $2 million houses on golf courses outside Orlando and a condo in the Bahamas, not an architecturally designed oceanfront villa in Miami. It’s not that those billionaires and excesses don’t exist; it’s that they’re not nearly as common as a less exalted kind of wealth that’s no less structurally formative to our economy and society.

There are an enormous number of organizations and institutions dedicated to advancing the interests of this gentry class: Chambers of Commerce, exclusive country clubs and housing developments, the American Society of Concrete Contractors, and fruit-growers’ associations, just to name a small cross-section. Through these organizations and their intimate ties to local and state politics, the gentry class can and usually does wield significant power to shape society to their liking.

It’s easy to focus on the massive political spending of a Sheldon Adelson or Michael Bloomberg; it’s harder, but no less important, to imagine what kind of deals about water rights or local zoning ordinances are being struck across the country on the eighth green of the local country club.

This class is largely hereditary.

Managers run their companies, lawyers look over their contracts, accountants manage their finances, but they’re the owners, whether or not they’ve done a single thing of their own volition to accumulate those assets.

…

Equating wealth, especially generational wealth, with virtue and ability is a deeply American pathology. This country loves to believe that people get what they deserve, despite the abundant evidence to the contrary. Nowhere is this more obviously untrue than with our gentry class. They stand at the apex of the social order throughout huge swathes of the country, and shape our economic and political world thanks to their resources and comparatively large numbers, yet they’re practically invisible in our popular understanding of these things.

Power resides in group photos of half-soused overweight men in ill-fitting polo shirts, in gated communities and local philanthropic boards. You’ll rarely, if ever, see these things on CNN or in the New York Times, but they’re no less essential to understanding how and why our society works the way it does.

#twt

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