#no ransom note; no demands; no publicity

[aslightaddity]

Dappy!verse lore The Penguin

Born the daughter of Gertrude Kableput after an affair with Salvatore Moroni. He was an only child as his birth was incredibly traumatic for his mother, he was born prematurely and with cerebral palsy.

His mother was fiercely protective of him. He barely left his home, when he did it was to the doctors, the store, the library, or the park but always with his mother. He was homeschooled by his mother and his neighbors as a child due to his difficulties speaking and the lack of accessibility in the Gotham public schools.

As a child he knew he was different, past his condition, he knew he was truly a boy, he had no way to communicate this, he had no word for what it was. Until he made a friend, a pen pal really, named Helix, who was like him. She too was trans and sheltered. They bonded over their letters, they shared photos, books, songs they loved, and their crazy stories.

For his seventeenth birthday he was surprised with his own set of arm crutches that his mother and neighbors had pooled together money for and was finally had more mobility that he didn’t need to rely on someone else for.

That was the same day he saw his first dead body. He finally had his own way to visit Helix on his own so he went to visit her but when he arrived at her home the doors were unlocked and in the middle of the room was the bloodied corpse of Helix. The only thing the killer left was a ransom note.

Oswald took the note and went to the worst place he knew to try and find answers, fish mooney’s club. He demanded to know if the person could be identified but Fish refused to tell him anything without assurance that he was loyal. In trade for the information Oswald began working for Fish.

As one of Fish’s employees he was given a spare tuxedo, it wasn’t as fitted as the others had them but he was greatful as he finally looked more like a man in it. He worked as a greater for the club and kept tabs on who came and went, like a look out, lord knows the security was just there for show and the heavy lifting. He also helped Fish hide items, often bringing them home and hiding their food hem under a loose floor board.

His mother wasn’t too happy that he got a job but he assured her it was a good job and that the extra money would be nice.

Over the years he slowly got closer to finding Helix’s murderer and he got closer to Fish herself. She was nice but strict, like a mother, and doted on him, saying how he looked like a little penguin in his suit. A nickname that quickly caught on. With the money he earned he was able to pay for his mother’s dream home in another, safer, city and was even able to pay for gender affirming care and better mobility aids on his own.

Then the day came when Fish called him aside to talk to him. They had found who they believed killed Helix and due to his dedication it was up to him what happened to him. Oswald had long made up his mind, he was going to kill them himself.

When the day finally came he went along with Fish and some of the other men to the man’s apartment. He was given a gun, not a nice one but by no means cheap. It was quick and slow the moment when he shot and killed the man he didn’t even bother to learn the name of.

He finally got revenge but there was more he realized his own potential. He could be just as great as Fish.

Fish realized this too and slowly he improved and became her second in command. She drunkenly told him one night that if she to die that it would all be his.

It was an uncharacteristically sunny day in Gotham when that statement would become true. While in a meeting with Falcone the all to familiar sound of a gunshot rang out. Oswald rushed in the room to find Fish bleeding out. Despite his insistence to help and try to save her, she already resigned herself to the death and reminded him that he was going to be a great man.

Usually when he returned home with blood on his hands from work he would wash it off as soon as he could but when he returned home he found himself unable to wash off her blood.

He took up Fish’s position, cozied up to Falcone despite how much he hated the man. But Falcone didn’t care about him, instead of treating him with the same respect he gave Fish, he made Oswald look after his daughter Sophia. Sophia insisted they were friends but it was very clear that they weren’t. They talked but it was mainly Sophia talking and Oswald responding in short answers.

Becoming more and more irritated with Falcone he began scouring to find others that disliked him and Moroni. Which, naturally, was a lot of people. He promised them better, to his ability he gave them better. It wasn’t long before people started denouncing Falcone or Moroni in favor of Oswald. Far too many people to just kill, far too important too.

It wasn’t long before he was confronted by both Falcone and Moroni. Who had nothing by colorful things to say to and about him, the threatened to kill him if he didn’t put an end to his growing claim on their crime empires.

Oswald wasn’t a fool. He had learned from them and so many other men like them how business worked, after-all he was doing a fine job running his own ‘business’. He knew that all men have a weak point you have to gouge, blackmail was a man’s best friend. So he told them what he had over each of them. For Moroni, it was the knowledge of his slew of affairs and illegitimate children he never cared to be responsible for and reminded Falcone that he knew every detail Sophia did. The blackmail alongside the dwindling support forced them to accept the change.

And for years it went like that, he ran the club, now the iceberg lounge, and managed his empire, both with the threats and attempts on his life that came with them. Never once being tied back to it all. He even took in an orphan that reminded him all too much of his long lost friend Helix, the boy was named Martin and he took him in as his own. But he grew paranoid as the years went by smooth.

Paranoid that someone was out to kill all that he loved, paranoid that every new face could be a threat. It quickly became a habit to blackmail and manipulate people. Afterall it was the only way he kept control. But then he met a man that defied his control, Ed Nygma. A man who when faced with blackmail pulled a knife and aimed for an artery. A man he would become so close to and soft with as the tell him his entire story. A story no one else knew in full.

In some ways he had gained the family he had long thought he lost.

#:) <3 #Dappy!verse #the penguin #oswald cobblepot #penguin #dc the penguin #Batman #batman villians #the riddler #martin cobblepot #lore #long post #text heavy #this took so long to figure out 😭 #gotham

[requiesticat]

Everybody's gotta learn sometime

Chapters: Completed Fandom: Ace Attorney; Miles Edgeworth: Investigations Rating: Gen Notes: Post-Canon; Oneshot

Summary: Blaise has recieved a lot of mail during his tenure as the head of the Prosecutorial Investigation Committee. Not all of these letters are pleasant. Sebastian became privy to it eventually, and it's only now that Blaise realizes what it means.

-

I was thinking about how the general public would potentially react to corruption in the Ace Attorney universe. What would happen if the villains got death threats? Hate mail? Etc. Would they handle it well? It lead me to write a short fic with that premise.

This was partially based on a scene from Koe no Katachi, a manga that has similar themes.

Two o'clock had come and gone. That was when a courier passed out deliveries around the cell block once a week, ensuring letters were distributed to their recipients. Some inmates got packages that had been weighed and stamped, to detect that contraband wasn't overlooked by censors. You were lucky if you did, but most received plain envelopes from family and acquaintances.

Blaise only had one relative left.

He sat at a wooden, government-standard issue desk, staring down at the pile of unopened messages that slowly built up day by day, threatening to topple off onto the concrete floor. One envelope lay crumpled, torn next to a folded sheet of beige stationary. Whoever the sender was, they'd used force when scratching haphazard cursive with a pen, causing ink to bleed in spots. The words swam as he went over them again, reading line after line in silence, face impassive. There should have been anger. And on some level, there was. Blaise could easily have crumpled it up and tossed it in a small trashcan with the others, sent by disgruntled citizens who'd been following recent news. He felt none.

When they still lived together in the townhouse, Blaise had caught Sebastian lighting the fireplace multiple times, to discard envelopes under the guise of fueling flames. Not all. Only a handful from the mailbox, dutifully brought inside and hidden when the teen assumed noone was present. Blaise had yelled at him each time, demanding furiously that he stop - but threats weren't enough to keep it from happening. Sebastian had just stood there each time, head bowed, crying and apologizing profusely as he faced punishment. Did as he was told, for awhile. Then the disappearances continued. Never bills, documents faxed from work, or bribes. Sifting through ashes after the fire died down revealed half of them were addressed to Blaise, though some had been intended for Sebastian, according to the addresses that were included.

Now, he understood why. 

All Blaise could think of was how much of an idiot he'd been.

Blaise Debeste, it read: You are disgusting! Why are our tax dollars used to prolong your execution? Your whole lot is disgusting, and it would be better for society if the whole operation collapsed! I hope you rot in jail. GO DIE!

Most of them were like that. People poured out their hatred for the Committee on paper every week, sending graphic death threats, obscene epithets, ransom notes, all calling him every name under the sun. It should have been obvious, but he had never realized it, not until the very end. These were the ones that got discarded. He'd been so used to getting them initially - even expected it to happen, as his career plummeted into ruins - that the sudden lull seemed almost too convenient.

Sebastian had been trying to protect him the whole time. It stopped when Blaise was arrested, and now noone was left for him to hide behind, or use as a scapegoat. He was stuck living with it; the knowledge of all that he had done. But more than that, he was alone.

Disgusting.

Monster.

How could you?

Coward!

GO DIE-

A tear splashed, marring ink so that it blurred into the paper like watercolor paint. His vision was blurring, now, making it impossible to discern anything legible. Blaise hadn't realized he'd been crying until wetness slid down his cheeks, dripping off his nose. He'd taken off his goggles to prevent them from fogging up, even if there was no point to wearing them.

Slowly, he wiped at his eyes with an arm that hid the letters from sight.

"That kid really... pisses me off."

#seyu talks #my fics #fanfiction #ace attorney #aa investigations #blaise debeste #sebastian debeste #this could be considered part of the reformed villain au i'm working on #sort of a prequel to it #i originally intended for this to be a comic but did a written version instead #will make that in the future though

[papillon82fluttersby]

Famous Five Art Nostalgia #LC04

Introductory post

Introduction to ‘Les Cinq’

Les Cinq au cap des Tempêtes – The Famous Five and the Missing Cheetah

Original publication date: 1972 (France), 1981 (UK)

(Original cover by Jean Sidobre, 1972)

In this volume titled Les Cinq au cap des Tempêtes (lit. Five at Demon’s Rocks), the Five visit their old friend Tinker, who first made an appearance in Blyton’s #19 Five Go to Demon’s Rocks and came back in #21 Five Are Together Again.

As exciting as it is to revisit the extraordinary location that was the setting to the Five’s 19th adventure, don’t get your hopes up too much as the children will only make a brief visit there. It should also be noted that the lore surrounding the lighthouse has been slightly changed: in this story, the Haylings live in a large house in a village a few kilometers away from Kirrin Cottage, and the lighthouse is located off the coast of the same village. The lighthouse is not said to belong to the Hayling family; it is abandoned and in disrepair and has merely been “commandeered” by Tinker, who does not hold any owning rights. By contrast, in Blyton’s original lore, the lighthouse was stated as belonging to the Haylings, and it also seemed further away from Kirrin village as the Five had quite a long drive to reach it.

Now, let’s see what’s in store for our young detectives!

~~~~~~

Plot summary:

(Disclaimer: All provided translations are my own.)

The Five go to Demon’s Rocks to stay with Professor Hayling and his son, their friend Tinker. Along with Tinker’s monkey Mischief, the Five discover that another, rather unusual, pet has joined the Haylings’ household: a tamed cheetah named Attila, which was gifted to Professor Hayling by one of his friends.

(Meeting Attila)

[TRANSLATION: Anne: Aaahhh ! Tinker: Don't be afraid, this is Attila, our pet cheetah. He's as gentle as a lamb. He was given to us by a friend of Dad's, an explorer.]

During their first night there, George is awakened by some noise and sees two shadowy silhouettes moving in the garden... The next morning, Attila has disappeared! The Five search the grounds with no results. Soon, Professor Hayling receives a ransom note that was left in the mailbox: Attila’s kidnappers cheetahnappers are demanding the formula for a groundbreaking, low-cost fuel newly-developed by the scientist. After weighing the pros and cons, Professor Hayling decides not to agree to the ransom.

(Discussing the request for ransom)

[TRANSLATION: Julian: I understand, Professor Hayling, that Attila pales in comparison to such a discovery. Tinker: You can’t possibly give up your formula, Dad. Dick: By the way, have you sent your formula to the Ministry? Professor Hayling: No, not yet. Those bandits are well-informed. Tinker: Why don't you call the police? Professor Hayling: We’re short on time. I won't be at ease until my formula is at the Ministry. Going to the police would mean several hours wasted.]

Per the cheetahnappers' instructions, the Haylings’ housemaid, Jenny, is tasked with bringing the professor’s answer inside a wicker basket to a certain location in the woods. The children keep watch in the area, hoping to follow the bandits, but to their surprise a dog comes to fetch the wicker basket instead! The children follow the dog (a cocker spaniel) to a nearby beach but they are too late as the animal seems to have been picked up by the bandits who have then taken off in a boat.

(Investigating on the beach)

[TRANSLATION: Narrator: Anne makes a discovery at the water's edge. Anne: Footprints! George: And dog paw prints. Dick: All these tracks are heading towards the sea and stop at the water's edge. Julian: Blow!* George: So the bandits left in a boat with the cocker spaniel.]

[*Side note: I am ridiculously happy for this opportunity to use the outdated interjection “blow!” in one of my personal translations. I always find it very difficult to use old-timey language accurately, so this was a boon. 😁]

The next day, a letter arrives for Tinker, telling him to steal the formula from his father in exchange for Attila. Tinker is given four days to accomplish this task and the drop-off is arranged the same way as before. The children spend the next few days scouting the area in hope that Timmy will smell Attila’s trail, but to no avail. They also visit a nearby zoo, reasoning that not everyone is able to handle a cheetah and the culprit may work there, but they don’t accomplish anything other than Mischief living up to his name and making mischief with the resident monkeys.

George devises a plan for them to follow the cheetahnappers' boat after dropping off Tinker’s reply, taking advantage of a local boating festival, but the plan fails when the bandits don’t take the itinerary that the children expected them to.

(The Five get to have fun at the festival, while poor Tinker is on watch duty at the drop-off point – bad luck for Tinker!)

[TRANSLATION: Narrator: The Five enjoy the festival until the agreed time. Narrator (second panel): After a short meal, they get down to business and take up their observation post.]

Tinker receives a new three-day ultimatum and the children decide to capture the bandits' mail dog.

(Making plans to capture the bandits’ dog)

[TRANSLATION: George: It's you, Timmy, who'll catch Filibuster*. Dick: And to be on the safe side, we'll take a fishing net with us. Narrator: A moment later, Tinker writes a note to the bandits...]

[*Note: The children do not know the dog's name and decide to call him Flibustier (lit. Filibuster).]

(An adorable captive)

[TRANSLATION: Anne: Poor Filibuster! You don't look so scary. George (to both doggies): There! Here we go! You two make up.]

Realising that they can’t bring their dognapped hostage to Professor Hayling’s house, it occurs to Tinker that they can hide the dog in 'his' lighthouse.

When they arrive at the lighthouse, they are astonished to find Attila locked up in there, as the bandits chose this seemingly abandoned location to keep their captive away from prying eyes!

The bandits arrive at the lighthouse just as the children are discussing the situation and they only have time to hide. After some difficulties, they manage to evade the bandits and to escape by locking them up in the lighthouse. Meanwhile, a storm has risen, giving the children a few scares on the way back to the mainland.

(The children are stuck in the lighthouse while the bandits are in the next room, and Tinker has an idea: he shows Mischief how to close and lock a door so that Mischief will do the same and thus lock up the bandits discreetly… Monkey see, monkey do!)

[TRANSLATION: Narrator: The Five are desperate to find a solution when, suddenly, Tinker... Julian: Are you nuts? Tinker: Your turn, Mischief! Do as I do!]

(This picture mainly for the view of the lighthouse in the storm)

[TRANSLATION: Narrator: Outside, the storm is raging. Narrator (second panel): Mischief pushes against the door with all his might but... Anne: He'll never be able to do it.]

The police arrest the bandits, who were also wanted for other offenses in addition to cheetahnapping. The children go back to professor Hayling’s to celebrate their victory, and Tinker decides to adopt the cocker spaniel.

(Let’s celebrate!)

[TRANSLATION: Narrator: After the storm has calmed, the children take their boat and head back to Professor Hayling's house. Jenny: Is that Attila? Where did you find him? Tell me all about it! Tinker: Not until we’ve had a good meal!]

~~~~~~

Fun lines:

There’s an adorable moment in the lighthouse when Dick is holding the cocker spaniel in his arms while the children are hiding from the bandits:

« La petite troupe monta ainsi plusieurs marches. Mick avait pris Flibustier dans ses bras et lui parlait d’une voix rassurante en faisant mentalement des vœux pour que le cocker ne se mette pas à aboyer. Mais le chien, qui était d’un naturel placide, était trop heureux d’être caressé pour se soucier de donner de la voix. Il ferma les yeux et se laissa bercer comme un bébé. […] Entendant ses maîtres parler, Flibustier, alias Tommy, écarquilla un œil et agita une oreille. Mais Mick le serra doucement contre lui et Claude lui fourra un morceau de sucre dans la gueule. Béat, le chien resta tranquille. »

Translation:

“The little group climbed several steps. Dick had taken Filibuster in his arms and was talking to him in a reassuring voice, hoping that the cocker spaniel wouldn't start barking. But the dog, who was naturally placid, was only too happy to be cuddled to even think about making racket. The dog closed his eyes and let himself be rocked like a baby. […] Filibuster, a.k.a. Tommy, widened one eye and wiggled one ear upon hearing his owners’ voices. But Dick gave him a gentle squeeze and George stuffed a lump of sugar in his mouth. The dog was content and remained quiet.”

Cuuuuuuuute! 😍 I mean, Dick and the doggy are cute; George is… rather brusque!

[Note: Tommy is the dog's original name used by the bandits.]

~~~~~~

Cover art through the ages:

(Disclaimer: This is not an exhaustive list; sometimes the dates are difficult to pinpoint; and I have purposefully not included editions that re-used similar cover art, with differences only in layout and font style.)

(Cover art by Jean Sidobre, Hachette, 1984 – minor layout changes compared to the original 1972 cover art)

(Paul Gillon, Hachette, 1992 – the Five with their extended menagerie!)

(Quite a peaceful scene depicted by Frédéric Rébéna, Hachette, 2011 – the red-and-white paint scheme makes for a striking visual, although it is not necessarily what I have in mind when I think about an abandoned lightouse in disrepair…)

(Auren, Hachette, 2021 – facing the storm) [Note: You have to wonder where Tinker is, on all the modern covers…]

~~~~~~

Thanks for reading!

#papillon82 reads #famous five art nostalgia #famous five #le club des cinq #les cinq #claude voilier #illustrations #jean sidobre #next: I don't have anything else prepared in my drafts and not sure if I'll have anything ready for next week #honestly I'm happily surprised that I was even able to prepare and post this one! #November and December have been quite rough on me and I'm hoping January will be kinder - let's cross our fingers 🤞 #thanks for your patience!

[dontmeantobepoliticalbut]

After GOP House negotiators bailed on U.S. debt ceiling talks on Friday, around two-thirds of the Congressional Progressive Caucus urged President Joe Biden to "invoke his constitutional authority granted in the 14th Amendment" in order "to end Republican hostage-taking of the economy that could trigger a financial catastrophe."

Led by Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC) Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.), Deputy Chair Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Whip Greg Casar (D-Texas), 66 CPC members sent Biden a letter noting the "unremitting efforts by congressional Republicans to hold the economic health of our nation hostage," and calling on him to "fulfill the executive's constitutional duty to faithfully and impartially administer the funds already enacted by law at the direction of Congress."

The letter—which follows a similar call from some Senate Democrats and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)—cites Section 4 of the 14th Amendment, which states that "the validity of the public debt of the United States... shall not be questioned."

Biden said earlier this month that he has been "considering" invoking the 14th Amendment, "but the problem is, it would have to be litigated," and "I don't think that solves our problem now."

"Congressional Republicans who now refuse to pass a clean debt ceiling increase voted on three separate occasions under President [Donald] Trump to raise the debt ceiling without any preconditions or extraneous, harmful policies attached," the lawmakers noted. "They now threaten the full faith and credit of the United States, which Treasury Secretary [Janet] Yellen warned would 'produce an economic and financial catastrophe' and could occur as soon as June 1."

The letter points out that although House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) "stated that 'the greatest threat to our future is our national debt,' he led House Republicans in passing the 'Limit, Save, Grow Act,' which rescinds funding for [Internal Revenue Service] enforcement against tax evasion by wealthy individuals, which would increase the deficit by nearly $500 billion over the next 10 years."

"Republicans—who in 2017 voted unanimously to pass the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) that increased the federal deficit by $1.9 trillion over 10 years, with 83% of the law's benefits estimated to accrue to the richest 1% by 2027—also rejected commonsense proposals offered by your negotiators to close tax loopholes and raise revenue in the current budget discussions," the progressives added.

The letter continues:

“We believe that relenting to Congressional Republicans' economic ransom and negotiating on devastating budget cuts, additional work requirements for essential food and economic support, and fast-tracking fossil fuel projects that undermine our shared climate achievements is antithetical to our shared Democratic values. Surrendering to these extremist demands also sets a dangerous precedent that emboldens Republicans to pursue additional, anti-democratic hostage-taking, particularly after having been told previously that a clean debt ceiling increase was nonnegotiable.”

GOP leaders insist that any debt ceiling deal would have to come with cuts to social safety net programs, and Biden has signaled his openness to considering some reductions. The CPC letter warns that the Republican framework could take jobs from 780,000 people; nutrition assistance from 1.2 million women, infants, and children; Medicaid coverage from up to 21 million Americans; rental assistance from 640,000 families; and more.

"If the options are either agreeing to major cuts to domestic priorities under the Republican threat of destroying the economy and moving forward to honor America's debts, we join prominent legal scholars, economists, former budget officials, and a former president in advocating for invoking the 14th Amendment of the Constitution," the progressives wrote.

"Not only does the debt ceiling run counter to the Constitution's mandate that the validity of America's public debt shall not be questioned," their letter adds, "it contradicts the appropriations law that requires the Treasury to issue debt for the funding you are obligated to administer at Congress' direction."

#us politics #news #congressional progressive caucus #progressives #2023 #common dreams #tweet #rep. pramila jayapal #president joe biden #biden administration #rep. ilhan omar #rep. Greg Casar #Sen. Bernie Sanders #14th amendment #janet yellen #rep. kevin mccarthy #Limit Save Grow Act #Tax Cuts and Jobs Act #debt #national debt #debt ceiling #us house of representatives

[truecrimecrystals]

Samantha Koenig was kidnapped and murdered in Anchorage, Alaska during 2012. The then-18-year-old was living in Anchorage at her father's residence with both her father and her boyfriend, Duane Tortolani II. Samantha also worked as a barista at a local coffee stand. It was from that coffee stand that she was abducted as she finished her shift on the evening of February 1st, 2012. Unbeknownst to Samantha, her kidnapper had been watching her at the coffee stand for quite some time before the abduction took place. In fact, the kidnapper already knew that the coffee stand closed at 8:00 PM, and he also knew that the female barista was often picked up by a young man - later identified as Samantha's boyfriend Duane - after closing the stand. The kidnapper knew Samantha would be closing up the stand when he approached her on that fateful evening.

Surveillance footage from the stand captured Samantha's abduction. Shortly after 8:00 PM, Samantha is seen closing up when a person approaches the window and points a revolver at her. Per the footage, Samantha complies with the unknown gunman's instructions. Several minutes later, Samantha's kidnapper leaves the stand with her. She is seen walking with him with her hands bound behind her back. Once Samantha was reported missing, police discovered the surveillance footage of her abduction. Very few details about Samantha's kidnapping were revealed to the public at that time. While she was still missing, the various reports about her case stated only that Samantha had been kidnapped and that investigators still believed she was alive. Although this was not shared in the media, Samantha's kidnapping was being investigated as a ransom case. The kidnapper had used Samantha's phone to send texts demanding money for her safe return. Samantha's boyfriend Duane received a text from Samantha's phone on February 24th, 2012. The text contained instructions to go to a local park and look for a message from the kidnapper. At the park, investigators discovered a photograph of Samantha with a newspaper from February 13th - indicating that she was alive as recently as that date. On the back of the photo, investigators found a note demanding that $30,000 be deposited into Samantha's bank account. Samantha's loved ones deposited the money as soon as they could. Unfortunately, though, she was not returned safely.

Days after the deposit was made, investigators were notified that Samantha's debit card was being used. The first debit card ping occurred in Anchorage. Then, the card pinged in Arizona, followed by New Mexico, and finally Texas. Investigators began searching Interstate 10, as it appeared that whoever was using the debit card was traveling eastbound along that route. Investigators also got a major clue from surveillance cameras at an ATM in Arizona where Samantha's debit card was used. The surveillance footage captured a masked man using the debit card. The footage also captured that man driving a white Ford Focus. The mask made the man unrecognizable, but the car gave investigators something to be on the look out for. On March 13th, 2013, a police officer in Shepherd, Texas spotted the car in a hotel parking lot. The police officer followed the car until the driver began exceeding the speed limit, which gave the officer a reason to pull the car over. The driver of the vehicle was identified as a 34-year-old man named Israel Keyes. Police searched Keyes' car and found Samantha's debit card and cell phone. Keyes was subsequently arrested and charged with the kidnapping of Samantha Koenig. Up until this point, the public was unaware that Samantha's disappearance was investigated as a ransom case. Many felt hopeful by investigator's statement that they believed Samantha was still alive. When police found Samantha's kidnapper without Samantha herself, those hopes began to dwindle. However, Keyes was initially only charged with kidnapping, and not murder - which still gave some hope that Samantha would be found alive. Unfortunately, those hopes were completely tarnished on April 2nd, 2012 - when investigators announced that they had found Samantha's dismembered remains in Matanuska Lake in Palmer, Alaska. Shortly thereafter, Keyes was also charged with Samantha's murder. Keyes did not have an in-depth criminal record prior to his arrest. He had a DUI charge from over a decade earlier, but that was it. When he was charged with Samantha's kidnapping, many people had questions. Who was this man? Why did he abduct and kill Samantha? Investigators eventually learned the answers to these questions - but the truth was more sinister than anyone could ever imagine.

[read more]

#samantha koenig #resolved case #israel keyes #serial killer #tw serial killer #true crime #true crime research #tcoriginal #2012 #alaska #sorry this post is 12 miles long and there's even more to it but this is one of the craziest cases

[erabundus]

anonymous &&. said... We have stolen your husband's cat. If you want him back, drop 50.000 mora tonight at a table at the Wangshu Inn and he will be returned. - THE Catnappers

he's  obviously  not  going  to  acquiesce  to  their  demands  —  least  of  all  because  he  doesn't  actually  possess  the  mora  to  AFFORD  THEM.  ❝  ...  ❞   the  wanderer  is  silent,  eyes  seeming  to  bore  twin  holes  through  the  apparent  ransom  note.  ordinarily,  he  wouldn't  entertain  such  foolish  games  at  all  —  but  they  made  the  mistake  of  tampering  with  something  he  loves,  something  KAZUHA  loves,  and  he  simply  cannot  allow  such  a  blatant  display  of  disrespect  go  unpunished.  he  supposes  he  could  just  inform  xiao  of  the  self-proclaimed  catnappers;  surely  the  conqueror  of  demons  is  more  than  a  match  for  some  overly-ambitious  fools  with  an  apparent  draw  to  playing  with  fire.  however,  this  is  far  too  personal  an  affair  not  to  dirty  his  hands.  it  isn't  a  sin  to  strike  back  at  someone  who  tried  to  harm  him  first, the wanderer reasons;  if  anything,  the  note  could  suffice  for  written  PERMISSION.

eyes  sweep  across  the  text  for  what  must  surely  be  the  dozenth  time.  a  table  at  wangshu  inn.  such  a  public  location  guarantees  someone  will  be  in  the  vicinity  to  snatch  up  the  funds.  how  kind  of  them  to  tell  him  precisely  where  to  find  them.

he  can  only  hope  to  settle  this  matter  before  kazuha  finds  out.  although ...  ren  supposes  if  he  does,  he  won't  particularly  mind  THE  HELP,  either.

#anonymous #momijiba #( i love how he doesn't even consider entertaining the idea ) #( he just immediately goes ''hm. perish.'' )

[gatekeeper-watchman]

BREAKING NEWS: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries unleashes a crushing attack on Republicans and they deserve everything they get for failing to fund the government as a shutdown looms — and exposes exactly why they're doing it. These anarchists in my opinion must go! "We the People" who think from our heads and not our pockets are finished with you. Take your soap boxes somewhere else because your days are numbered.

"If we find ourselves dealing with an extreme MAGA Republican shutdown what will it all be for?" asked Jeffries on the floor of the House, and how stupid can the Republicans be. In today's digital age, it is impossible to think you can just erase history.

"Well this week is very revealing because we're considering bills — including the one that is before us right now — that have zero chance of becoming law," he said bluntly. "Zero chance!"

"And they're filled with extreme policy poison pills relating to things like cutting Social Security, criminalizing abortion care, slashing public school funding, taking food out of the mouths of women, infants, and children, hurting the ability of veterans and seniors to meet and make ends meet," he said.

"That's why the government will shut down! Because extreme MAGA Republicans have determined that you want to try to jam your right-wing ideology down the throats of the American people and if we don't pay that ransom note you want to shut the government down."

Jeffries is absolutely spot on. The utterly spineless Speaker Kevin McCarthy can't pass a funding bill because the fascist wing of his party has hijacked the proceedings to demand truly insane, deeply unpopular concessions.

This is what happens when Republicans are given control of Congress. Things grind to a complete halt and the government falls apart. In my opinion, Mr. Jefferies is a fine young man who deserves better than he is getting from our ignorant uneducated hypocrites and bigots in America who have no idea of reality around them from within the vacuum they live.

Americans need to remember this next election. Putting Republicans in power shoots our entire nation in the foot, and the masses will not accept your trash thinking or you personally wherever you try to hide.

From: Steven P. Miller @ParkermillerQ, gatekeeperwatchman.org

Founder of Gatekeeper-Watchman International Groups

Thursday, September 28, 2023, Jacksonville, Florida., Duval County, USA.

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[calimera62]

Today is Julius Caesar’s birthday! To celebrate him, here’s a post about my favourite story about this drama and bisexual icon from Ancient Rome

I. It is suspected he once was the lover of Nicomedes, King of Bithynia and that he was the passive one (homosexuality was accepted in Ancient Rome, as long as you weren’t the submissive one). His contemporaries never made him forget. Among his titles were “queen of Bithynia” “every woman’s husband and every man’s wife” as well as “mattress of the royal bed”. It got so bad he took a public oath that he never slept with Nicomedes. It just made things worse.

II. While in his 20s, Caesar was abducted by pirates who demanded a ransom of twenty talents. Far from being afraid or even impressed, he burst out laughing and demanded they asked for a much higher ransom. While he stayed as their prisoner, he pretty much acted around them like they were his servants, exercising with them, reading poetry… while calling them savage and threatening them to have them all killed once he was free (which he did)

III. He once burst into tears when he realized he was the same age as Alexander the Great when he died and how he accomplished little compared to his hero, and he feared he could never live up to him.

IV. He once tripped ad fell face on the ground while he was getting off his ship while landing in Africa. Such thing was a bad omen to everyone else, but he saved face by saying: “Africa, I embrace and hold you fast”. What a guy.

V. One time, Caesar and his long time political adversary Cato were having a debate in the Senate when a servant came in to give Caesar a note. Thinking Caesar was in touch with an enemy of the Republic, he demanded to have the note being read out loud. It turned out it was a love letter (or maybe a not so innocent love letter) from Caesar’s lover Servilia, who also happened to be Cato’s sister. They basically ended up fighting in the Senate.

VI. While he was boasting after a success, someone remarked such victory would be an easy matter for any woman, to which Caesar replied Semiramis had been queen in Syria and the Amazons reigned over a great part of Asia. Like, I’m sorry “woman”? Did you think it would offend me?

VII. Caesar was something of a dandy, always well dressed and well shaven. He was quite extravagant about the way he dressed. He was reported to have worn quite off and loose clothing. He also knew how to comb his hair which he would do forward because he was embarrassed about his baldness. His laurel crown was also quite the useful item to hide his lack of hair!

VIII. Along with his friend and ally, Mark Antony, he was the man his soldiers talked the most in camp. He was often eating with them, sleeping with them, giving equal share to each of them, without taking most of the money to himself. Needless to say, he was quite loved by his men!

IX. He was was from being extravagant about food. He didn’t drink often and he once ate rancid food at a dinner as not to offend or embarrass his host.

X. He pretty much invented his very own secret code, as to prevent attempts to intercept his personal and, most importantly, his military correspondence.

#julius caesar #gaius julius caesar #history #ancient times #ancient rome #my main source is suetonius

[renee-writer]

Baby Girl Chapter 43

AO3

“Are you sure?” Geillis asks again. A kidnapping wasn’t the best case for her to come back to. Unfortunately, that is what they are investigating.

 

“Don’t worry. I will be in my computer bubble and be fine.”  She assures her boss and herself.

 

It is her first day back after being cleared by Dr. Joe. The team is investigating a series of kidnappings. Everyone is a bit worried about her. Jamie sits by her side and frowns. She tries to smile at him.

 

Mary stands in front of them. “Jane Dean, the third victim in as many days. Each person snatched from a public area. No ransom demands yet. The victimology is everywhere. Jane Dean is in her thirties. The first victim, Sara Heard is in her fifties. The second, Amber Cain , her twenties.”

 

Their pictures are flashed on the screen she is using and their own individual screens.

 

“As you can see, they don’t even look alike.”

 

One blond, one black haired, and lastly, one red haired lass are represented. Nothing in their faces, hair length, are similar.

 

“They are also from different parts of Ireland. The only connection is the note left at each scene.”

 

Again, it is projected across their devices.

 

“Follow the instructions forthcoming, if you want to see her again.”

 

“But, so far, no instructions are given.” She concludes.

 

“Beauchamp…”

 

“I know, find the connection between them.”

 

“Just so.” Geillis replies, “If there is one, you will find it.”

 

“Baby girl, I am a phone call away.” Jamie reminds her. She smiles at him and he is off. With this unsub taken a girl a day, they have no time to waste.

#my writing #outlander fanfic #baby girl #chapter 43 #jamie and claire #cannon divergence #outlander fandom #modern au

[missmcspooks]

The Suspicious Death of Paulette Gebara Farah

This is a very controversial case that took place in Mexico in 2010, regarding the mysterious circumstances around a four year old girl's death. The case was officially ruled an accident, however it’s largely speculated that she was actually killed by the people closest to her.

Paulette Gebara Farah was a four year old girl who lived in the municipality of Huixquilucan de Degollado, Mexico with her mother Lizette, father Mauricio, and her seven year old sister. Paulette was disabled as she was born very light, so the doctors didn’t know if she would make it. Thankfully she did, but this caused her to suffer with developmental problems, and couldn’t walk by herself without assistance and couldn’t talk in sentences. She did attend a normal school, but she needed extra help in her classes and assistance walking. Her family was very wealthy, lived in a HUGE apartment, and even had multiple maids to help around the home. Mauricio took both of his daughters on a little weekend vacation to Valle de Bravo, while their mother was also away for the weekend somewhere else to visit a friend, but it was later revealed that she was actually meeting up with a man who she was having an affair with. Mauricio returned with the girls on the night of March 21st, 2010, while Lizette was already home and waiting to put them to bed. The next morning one of the nannies, Erika, went into Paulette’s room to wake her up and make the bed like she did every morning, but she wasn’t there. Erika went downstairs to notify the parents that Paulette was missing.

THE INVESTIGATION…

Erika and another maid named Martha searched for Paulette everywhere in her room. The closets, under her bed, multiple times. They went and searched her parents room and there were no signs of her there either. When they told Lizette and Mauricio that they couldn’t find Paulette, they both seemed really unphased about it. They were very calm, strangely unbothered by the situation, as if it were just another normal day. The parents didn’t even help the maids search for her, so the maids went and looked around the rest of the apartment and the apartment building with no luck. Mauricio’s brother  informed his sister of her disappearance and she notified the authorities. Later, the Mayor Alfredo del Mazo Maza, notified the Attorney General of The State of Mexico, Alberto Bazbaz.

Forensic teams came in and searched the entire apartment at least five times on the first day they were there, and no signs of Paulette or any evidence of an intruder were found. There were no signs of a forced entry, no signs of a struggle, nothing. The parents claimed that there was nothing off or suspicious about the night she went missing, the dogs weren’t barking, everything just seemed pretty normal. There were many interviews conducted during the time of her disappearance, especially with her mother Lizette. There’s one interview specifically which was recorded while she was in Paulette’s room and sitting on the edge of her bed, which will be important later on. Due to these interviews, Paulette’s picture was EVERYWHERE. She was on billboards, newspapers, magazines, and on TV. It’s believed that this case was so popular due to them being a pretty wealthy family. The public started to become skeptical of the situation due to no ransom notes being left, or no calls from anyone trying to demand money, and people figured if a child from a well off family gets taken, why wouldn’t they try to make money off of it? Of course being taken for ransom isn’t the only reason children go missing.

SUSPICIONS GROW STRONGER…

On March 31st, 2010, Paulette’s body was found wedged in the corner at the foot of her bed, wrapped in her own sheets. This is the same exact spot on the bed where her mother was sitting for her interview. This was nine days after she had gone missing, and this really raised the public's suspicions on what really happened to the child. Not only was her own mother sitting on the bed where her child’s body was, but there were so many people going in and out of that room to search for her, and no one found her. The parents, the maids, the forensic teams, who claimed they searched her room, including her bed at least five times. The maids have entered the room to make the bed since then as well, and no one found her. People have slept on her bed within those nine days as well. Everyone knows a dead body produces a very unique and disgusting smell, so how could no one have smelled the body after so long of it being there? However, forensic investigators claimed that the body couldn’t have been there any longer than three days, so it had to have been a homicide. There was just no way the body could’ve been there any longer without producing a smell or being found.

However, the coroner ruled Paulette’s death to be an accident, and she died from asphyxiation from slipping between her bedpost and the mattress, and her covers compressed her lungs which caused her to suffocate. The authorities even had the nannies reenact themselves making the bed on video, and from the way they were doing it, it’s definitely possible that the nannies wouldn’t have been able to notice her body. Even with this information, it’s still widely believed that this wasn’t an accident, and she had to have been killed by someone in the home. Even if this truly was a homicide, there was no way for anyone to be able to prove it considering how all of the evidence in her room and in the home was so contaminated. Many, many people have come in and out of that home due to the property not being marked off as a crime scene. Footprints and fingerprints everywhere, DNA everywhere, it would’ve been extremely hard to try and pinpoint who the suspect(s) were. A close family friend, Amanda de la Rosa also lived with the family for several days after she disappeared, and slept in her bed every night.

THEORIES…

The main theory is that Paulette’s mother, Lizette, killed her due to frustration and being unable to handle all of her disabilities. People described Lizette as a rather cold person who lacked empathy and emotional attachment, and is someone who would have definitely seen Paulette as a burden. Lizette seemed emotionless and carefree regarding Paulette’s disappearance and murder, and was even quoted saying, “even if I lose Paulette, I still have another daughter.” Whenever she was accused of being involved in her murder, she just became angry and defensive and kind of anxious as well.

The next theory regards Mauricio, her father, as being her killer. It’s speculated that Paulette was already dead before they returned from their trip. However, I personally don’t feel like that’s the case. It doesn’t really make any sense. If they had flown there and back, she couldn’t have been dead. If they drove, where did he hide the body considering his other seven year old daughter was also with them? Wouldn’t she have asked where her sister was? It’s also believed that the Attorney General, Alberto Bazbaz covered up the murder for Mauricio since they were very close friends and the family had a lot of money and he could’ve paid him off or something like that. Alberto was also heavily accusing Lizette of the murder as well.

The next theory regards both parents being the killers. It’s theorized that the family were having some financial struggles and they were scared of not being able to afford their home or the luxurious lifestyle they lived, so they staged a kidnapping in order to get money from the government, the people of Mexico, and Paulette’s grandparents. They believe it’s possible that they stored Paulette in an air vent or something like that, told her they’d be back to get her soon, and were just so busy with the investigators, and the news press, and the interviews, that they couldn’t get back to her in time and she suffocated in the air vent, or wherever they had put her.

Another theory is that the whole investigation was rigged from the start, due to the relationship the family had with the District Attorney. It’s strange that the room and the home were searched at least five times and no one saw the body. The investigators were only ordered to look for signs of forced entry, and when they started looking for other sorts of evidence, they were ordered to stop looking.

Another theory involved the maids being the ones who killed her, due to always having to look after her, and being the ones to discover that she was missing in the first place. People also thought it was strange that they had made her bed after she disappeared and still didn’t notice the body there, but as I said early, it was definitely possible for them to not notice the body with the way they were making the bed.

Another theory was that Paulette’s sister accidentally killed her. They claim that she was probably jealous of all the extra attention Paulette received due to her disabilities, and that maybe her parents could’ve been fighting the night they got home, and it’s theorized that Paulette went into her sisters room scared and upset due to all the yelling, and her sister tried to shut her up, and accidentally killed her. Again, I don’t think this is right either, considering Paulette couldn’t really walk on her own and needed assistance, so how did she get into her sister's room?

I personally believe the theory of her mother being the killer is possible, or her father and everything being a coverup. I don’t believe the maids were involved, or her sister, and I’m kind of skeptical about Paulette being killed before she returned home. I suppose it’s possible, it just seems very odd. Or of course, it really was an accident.

#true crime #true story #truecrime #true crime blog #strange #Crime #blog #blogging #blogger #blog post #blogpost #writing #writers on tumblr #Writerscommunity #controversy

[mariacallous]

In February, attackers from the Russia-based BlackCat ransomware group hit a physician practice in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, that's part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network (LVHN). At the time, LVHN said that the attack “involved” a patient photo system related to radiation oncology treatment. The health care group said that BlackCat had issued a ransom demand, “but LVHN refused to pay this criminal enterprise.” 

After a couple of weeks, BlackCat threatened to publish data stolen from the system. “Our blog is followed by a lot of world media, the case will be widely publicized and will cause significant damage to your business,” BlackCat wrote on their dark-web extortion site. “Your time is running out. We are ready to unleash our full power on you!” The attackers then released three screenshots of cancer patients receiving radiation treatment and seven documents that included patient information.

The medical photos are graphic and intimate, depicting patients' naked breasts in various angles and positions. And while hospitals and health care facilities have long been a favorite target of ransomware gangs, researchers say the situation at LVHN may indicate a shift in attackers' desperation and willingness to go to ruthless extremes as ransomware targets increasingly refuse to pay.

 “As fewer victims pay the ransom, ransomware actors are getting more aggressive in their extortion techniques,” says Allan Liska, an analyst for the security firm Recorded Future who specializes in ransomware. “I think we’ll see more of that. It follows closely patterns in kidnapping cases, where when victims’ families refused to pay, the kidnappers might send an ear or other body part of the victim.”

Researchers say that another example of these brutal escalations came on Tuesday when the emerging ransomware gang Medusa published sample data stolen from Minneapolis Public Schools in a February attack that came with a $1 million ransom demand. The leaked screenshots include scans of handwritten notes that describe allegations of a sexual assault and the names of a male student and two female students involved in the incident.

“Please note, MPS has not paid a ransom,” the Minnesota school district said in a statement at the beginning of March. The school district enrolls more than 36,000 students, but the data apparently contains records related to students, staff, and parents dating back to 1995. Last week, Medusa posted a 50-minute-long video in which attackers appeared to scroll through and review all the data they stole from the school, an unusual technique for advertising exactly what information they currently hold. Medusa offers three buttons on its dark-web site, one for anyone to pay $1 million to buy the stolen MPS data, one for the school district itself to pay the ransom and have the stolen data deleted, and one to pay $50,000 to extend the ransom deadline by one day.

“What’s notable here, I think, is that in the past the gangs have always had to strike a balance between pressuring their victims into paying and not doing such heinous, terrible, evil things that victims don’t want to deal with them,” says Brett Callow, a threat analyst at the antivirus company Emsisoft. “But because targets are not paying as often, the gangs are now pushing harder. It's bad PR to have a ransomware attack, but not as terrible as it once was—and it's really bad PR to be seen paying an organization that does terrible, heinous things.”

The public pressure is certainly mounting. In response to the leaked patient photos this week, for example, LVHN said in a statement, “This unconscionable criminal act takes advantage of patients receiving cancer treatment, and LVHN condemns this despicable behavior.”

The FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) said in its annual Internet Crime Report this week that it received 2,385 reports about ransomware attacks in 2022, totaling $34.3 million in losses. The numbers were down from 3,729 ransomware complaints and $49 million in total losses in 2021. “It has been challenging for the FBI to ascertain the true number of ransomware victims as many infections go unreported to law enforcement,” the report notes.

But the report specifically calls out evolving and more aggressive extortion behavior. “In 2022, the IC3 has seen an increase in an additional extortion tactic used to facilitate ransomware,” the FBI wrote. “The threat actors pressure victims to pay by threatening to publish the stolen data if they do not pay the ransom.”

In some ways, the change is a positive sign that efforts to combat ransomware are working. If enough organizations have the resources and tools to resist paying ransoms, attackers eventually may not be able to generate the revenue they want and, ideally, would abandon ransomware entirely. But that makes this shift toward more aggressive tactics a precarious moment. 

“We really haven’t seen things like this before. Groups have done unpleasant things, but it was adults that were targeted, it wasn’t sick cancer patients or school kids,” Emsisoft's Callow says. “I hope that these tactics will bite them in the butt and that companies will say no, we cannot be seen funding an organization that does these heinous things. That’s my hope anyway. Whether they will react that way remains to be seen.”

[aristocraticvision]

Chapter 37: The Trial of Gaius Verres (Pt 3)

As he began presenting his case, Cicero’s strategy was simple, really. Tackle one charge at a time – theft, embezzlement, extortion, corruption, execution without trial, etc. – and presenting all evidence and witnesses for each charge in sequence.

He began by calling Sosethius, an honor he was entitled to as the originator of the case. Sosethius had waited more than a year for his day in court, and was more than prepared.

Under Cicero's questioning, the Sicilian spoke in heartbreaking detail about his passion for art, the collection he had amassed and the ease and speed with which Gaius Verres had confiscated it, as well as the trumped up charges Verres had filed against him when he dared complain.

His tale told, Cicero yielded to Hortensius for cross examination.

The old dancing master, as he was known, rose with a flourish and he approached Sosethius.

“You tell an emotional story,” Hortensius said. “But answer me this. If you felt so wronged, and were so certain of your case, why, then, did you seek out Cicero to be your advocate? There are others more able, with better reputations and more experience than he. But you sought out Cicero first! Were you afraid that no other advocate might believe your tale? That only one trying to build his career by any means necessary would accept such a flimsy case?”

Sosethius frowned.

“But I did not seek out Cicero first,” he said. “Surely you must remember, Quintus Hortensius, that it was you I asked to represent us Sicilians against Verres. But you refused.”

Hortensius looked stricken.

“I … do not recall ever speaking with you,” he said, as titters of laughter echoed through the forum. “Are you sure?”

“Yes, we did speak,” Sosethius said, smiling. “You told me that no advocate would represent Sicilian scum against a Senator of Rome! And, if I recall correctly, you wondered how one such as I – who had been robbed of all my treasures, could afford to compensate you? Which is why you had already agreed to represent Verres!”

The forum rocked with laughter.

“I have no further questions for this witness,” Hortensius finished, looking suddenly ill.

From that moment on, Hortensius remained silent while Cicero presented document after document, witness after witness – each detailing the horrible crimes committed against them. The treasures he had stolen, the money he had appropriated from Rome’s grain funds … and on and on.

Cicero nearly wept in detailing the public executions of the Roman citizens Gnaeus Manius and Lucius Herrenius.

“Everywhere there is civilization, men know that the words “I am a Roman citizen” will give pause to any tyrant – meriting at least an investigation of that claim!” he cried. “But for Manius and Herrenius, this was not to be granted – for these men knew too much for Verres to allow them to live!”

Cicero continued, detailing the massive ransom that Verres had demanded – and received – for the release of the pirate Heracleo.

At that, Verres had finally had enough.

“Lies!” he cried. “All of it – lies! I can prove it, too. You think you’re so smart, don’t you, Cicero, when you’re nothing but a turnip from Arpinum! But I have you on this one – I do! For Heracleo is here … in Rome. I’ve kept him at my house since I returned. So there! So much for your claim!”

Cicero nearly smiled, but managed to maintain a disapproving look.

“Ah, but there it is, then,” he said. “For in your own records, you noted that Heracleo was executed on the same day as Gnaeus Manius was executed – before hundreds of witnesses, several of which I have here today! So what would you have us believe then, senator? Or do you even know what the truth is?”

The crowd erupted and surged forward, causing Verres, Hortensius and most of the jury to flee. Glabrio yelled for order and called the court adjourned for the day.

BEGINNING | PREV | NEXT

#ts4 story #ts4 simblr #simblr #historical simblr #ts4 historical #ancient Rome #Marcus Tullius Cicero #chapter 37 part 3 #the trial of gaius verres #eviscerating Hortensius #making his case

[hardynwa]

Police arrest 2 students for alleged self-kidnap in Lagos

Two students have been arrested for allegedly faking their own kidnap. The Lagos State Police Command confirmed the arrest on Thursday. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, told NAN that the suspects also demanded $100,000 (about N150 million) ransom from their parents. He gave the names of the suspects as Ayodele Balogun, 21, a 200-level student of Education at the Lagos State University, Ijanikin, and his friend, Dennis Okuomo, 21, a student of NIIT Lagos. According to him, both faked their kidnap and demanded N150 million to assist Ayodele, who is from a poor family. “It was Dennis’s idea because Ayodele is from a poor family and his best friend; he wanted to use it to raise money for him so that he can be able to take care of his family,” Hundeyin said. The command’s spokesman said that on Feb. 2, Ayodele disappeared from home, while Dennis used his (Ayodele’s) phone to inform his father, Mr Balogun, of his son’s faked kidnap and demanded $20,000 (about N30 million) ransom. Hundeyin said the suspects had directed Ayodele’s father to pay the ransom through Bitcoin, which wallet they had sent him while Ayodele was hiding in Dennis’s room in his (Dennis’s) father’s hotel. “Ayodele’s father, a driver with a private company, received the message with many worries, wondering where to raise $20,000.” Hundeyin said when Balogun could not raise the money, Dennis decided to also fake his own kidnap and demanded for 100,000 dollars (about N150 million) from his own father. According to him, both suspects decided to leave the hotel to hide in a bush and remained there for five days while the negotiation and investigation were ongoing. “On March 16, as no money was paid and the suspects were not comfortable with the condition of the bush, they decided to return to Dennis’s room in his father’s hotel. “They told everybody that they just escaped from kidnappers’ den, and quickly called Ayodele’s father to inform them about their purported escape from the kidnappers’ den. ”They took Ayodele to the hospital believing that he just came from the kidnappers’ den. “Investigation so far revealed that the suspects faked their own kidnap. “They are in our custody, two perpetrators of self-kidnap,” he noted. Read the full article

[kudosmyhero]

Transformers (vol. 1) #22: Heavy Traffic

Read Date: May 24, 2023 Cover Date: November 1986 ● Writer: Bob Budiansky ● Penciler: Don Perlin ● Inker: Ian Akin ◦ Brian Garvey ● Colorist: Nel Yomtov ● Letterer: Hans IV ● Editor: Don Daley ●

**HERE BE SPOILERS: Skip ahead to the fan art/podcast to avoid spoilers

Reactions As I Read: ● Yomtov really likes yellow skies in this issue ● Circuit Breaker is still kick-ass, though ● I love that the Transformers really are naturally occuring inorganic materials that can heal ● Insecticons strike again! ● Bombshell can only monitor Optimus’s thoughts but can’t control them ● heheh, Skids having to use tweezers to go through Donny Finkleberg’s wallet

● Donny full-on pouting in the front seat XD ● Megatron’s… smiling ● Dead End is a great name! ● 👏👏👏👏

Synopsis: Circuit Breaker and Walter Barnett go over the footage of RAAT's first mission wherein they captured Blaster, Perceptor, Seaspray, Warpath, Powerglide, Beachcomber, and Cosmos. Although Circuit Breaker revels in the ruthlessness of disrupting them with metal foil and ultimately short-circuiting them, Barnett notes that the robots weren't posing any sort of threat and were actually attempting to communicate with the police cars that first arrived on the scene. Circuit Breaker dismisses this and reminds Barnett that she doesn't trust ANY robot since she was crippled by them months before.

Meanwhile, aboard the Ark, Ratchet checks on a wound that was inflicted on Optimus Prime, unaware that Bombshell has been spying on the Autobots. When nobody is looking Bombshell uses the wound to insert a Cerebro Shell into Prime in the hopes of taking control of the Autobot leader. However, the shell malfunctions and Bombshell can only read Prime's thoughts, not control them. Prime enters Wheeljack's lab where he is fitting Skids with a tracking device so that he can find the seven missing Autobots who recently arrived on Earth. Donny Finkleberg is becoming more and more uncooperative with the Autobots and refuses to go along with Skids to track down the Autobots, until Skids takes away Donny's cheque for 25 thousand dollars given to him by the government to pose as the Robot Master. With the check held as ransom, Donny begrudgingly agrees to go along with Skids to find his missing comrades.

Optimus Prime and Wheeljack then attend to the Aerialbots, whom he has wiped out their personalities and is using the Creation Matrix to completely program them. Overhearing this, Megatron has Soundwave patch him into the Cerebro Shell so that he too can use the Creation Matrix to give life to his new warriors: The Stunticons.

While Skids and Donny are on the road, they postpone their mission temporarily when a storm causes a woman to crash her car near some power lines. Skids blows his disguise in order to rescue her, his incident ending up in a news broadcast. This broadcast is picked up by Walter Barnett who sends Circuit Breaker and RAAT on a mission to track the robot and prompts Megatron to send the Stunticons to prevent the Autobots from getting any good publicity.

That night, Donny grows tired and insists that Skids pulls into a motel for the night. There Skids asks Donny to manually shut him off so that he can conserve energy. The next morning when they leave, they are unaware that the Stunticons have caught up with them and are now tailing them along their route. Caught in a traffic jam, the Stunticons use the opportunity to go on a rampage to get close to Skids. Skids radios in to Optimus Prime to ask for help and Prime sends out the Aerialbots to rescue him.

RAAT arrives on the scene first, attempting to use scrambling foil on the Stunticons, when this fails, Circuit Breaker attempts to attack them directly, however, she is knocked out of the sky by Motormaster. When Donny goes to check on her, he finds that she is okay and is then confronted by Walter Barnett who demands to know what Donny is doing here. When the Aerialbots arrive, Circuit Breaker orders her RAAT units to attack them as well despite Donny's explanations that they are not evil. Walter is almost convinced until the Stunticons suddenly turn to defend Skids, convincing Circuit Breaker that none of the robots can be trusted and storms off to attack.

The Stunticons then merge into Menasor and the Aerialbots into Superion, and the two begin to clash in the middle of the highway. The two are evenly matched until Circuit Breaker intervenes and stuns Superion with a full power jolt, allowing Menasor to land a defeating shot that knocks Superion out. Circuit Breaker runs out of power and begins to fall out of the sky, prompting Walter Barnett to be airlifted by rope to catcher her, saving her from Menasor's clutches. With everyone distracted Skids pulls up and he and Donny make a break for it, having no choice but to leave Superion behind. They later hear in a radio report that the Stunticons escaped and that the Aerialbots were taken into RAAT custody.

Returning for the night, Donny's greed gets the better of him, as after he shuts down Skids for the night he goes to the nearest payphone and calls Walter Barnett asking him how much he'll take for one functional Transformer, with no fuss.

(https://marvel.fandom.com/wiki/Transformers_Vol_1_22)

Fan Art: circuit breaker by WillMangin

Accompanying Podcasts: ● Transformers Chronicles - episode 22

● Transformers University - episode 62

#marvel #marvel comics #my marvel read #transformers #comics #comic books #fan art #podcast recommendation #podcast - transformers chronicles #podcast - transformers university #fanart

[daviddwebb9099]

The Rise of Cyber Extortion: Protecting Clients from Virtual Kidnapping

The Growing Threat of Cyber Extortion

In the dark corners of the internet, a silent predator lurks, preying on unsuspecting individuals and organizations alike. This predator is not armed with sharp teeth or venomous fangs, but with lines of code and an insidious intention: to extort their victims for profit. Welcome to the world of cyber extortion, where ruthless hackers hold data hostage and demand hefty ransoms, threatening to expose sensitive information or cripple entire systems. As our reliance on technology deepens by the day, so does the growing threat posed by these digital criminals. Brace yourself as we delve into this dangerous underworld and explore how cyber extortion has become a menacing force in our interconnected world.

Understanding Virtual Kidnapping: Tactics and Motivations

Virtual kidnapping is an increasingly prevalent form of extortion that targets individuals and their families. Unlike traditional kidnappings, virtual kidnappings do not involve the physical abduction of a person. Instead, perpetrators use psychological tactics to convince victims that they or their loved ones have been abducted and demand ransom for their release.

One common tactic used in virtual kidnapping is voice manipulation. Perpetrators often disguise their voices to create a sense of fear and urgency in the victim's mind. This can make it difficult for the victim to verify whether the supposed abduction is real or not, further enhancing the effectiveness of this crime.

The motivations behind virtual kidnapping can vary, but most often stem from financial gain. By instilling fear and panic in victims, criminals hope to extract sizable ransoms quickly before authorities or family members have time to intervene. In some cases, virtual kidnappers may target wealthy individuals who they perceive as more likely to pay higher ransoms. However, it's important to note that not all virtual kidnappings are financially motivated – some criminals engage in this activity purely for sadistic pleasure or as an act of revenge against specific individuals.

Understanding these tactics and motivations is essential in combating virtual kidnapping effectively. By staying informed on how criminals operate and recognizing warning signs such as unclear demands or inconsistencies in communication, potential victims can take steps to protect themselves from falling prey to this insidious form of extortion. Improved public awareness combined with law enforcement efforts will be crucial in efforts to disrupt these activities and bring perpetrators to justice.

The Impact on Victims: Psychological and Financial Consequences

The psychological and financial consequences endured by victims can be devastating, often leaving an indelible mark on their lives. From the standpoint of mental health, victims experience a range of debilitating emotions such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These conditions can manifest in various ways, disrupting daily functioning and impairing relationships. In some cases, survivors may also develop feelings of guilt or shame, questioning their own judgment and self-worth.

Moreover, the financial repercussions of victimization are often underestimated. Victims may suffer from direct financial loss due to theft or property damage. However, the impact goes beyond immediate monetary setbacks; it extends to long-term consequences such as job loss or decreased earning potential as a result of physical injuries or psychological trauma. Financing medical bills and therapy sessions adds additional burden to victims already grappling with their unfortunate situation.

While societal awareness about these issues is growing, there remain significant gaps in understanding the full extent of the lasting impacts associated with victimhood – both psychologically and financially. Recognizing this is crucial not only for providing appropriate support but also for implementing preventative measures aimed at reducing vulnerability and protecting potential victims from harm's way. Empathy paired with adequate resources should be devoted to helping individuals heal emotionally while simultaneously addressing their immediate financial needs during times of distress.

Strategies for Protecting Clients from Cyber Extortion

As the digital landscape continues to evolve, so do the threats that businesses face. One particularly challenging issue is cyber extortion, where hackers target organizations with the intent of demanding money in exchange for not releasing sensitive data or carrying out damaging activities. To protect clients from this type of attack, businesses must develop comprehensive strategies that focus on prevention, detection, and response.

Firstly, prevention is key. By implementing robust cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, antivirus software, and secure authentication protocols, businesses can significantly reduce their vulnerability to cyber extortion attempts. It's important to regularly update these security measures and educate employees about best practices for online safety. Additionally, conducting thorough risk assessments and identifying potential weak points in IT systems can help businesses fortify their defenses against cybercriminals.

However, prevention alone might not always be foolproof. Detection strategies are equally crucial when it comes to protecting clients from cyber extortion attacks. Organizations should invest in advanced threat intelligence tools that continuously monitor networks for suspicious activities or anomalies. By adopting machine learning algorithms and AI-based technologies that analyze massive amounts of data in real-time, companies can detect potential threats promptly and respond swiftly to mitigate damages.

Lastly, developing a robust incident response plan is essential for effectively dealing with a cyber extortion event if preventive measures fail. This plan should outline clear procedures for reporting incidents internally and externally while maintaining open communication channels with law enforcement agencies and relevant cybersecurity experts. Having a well-prepared team specifically trained to handle such situations will ensure an organized response that minimizes financial losses

Educating Clients: Raising Awareness and Prevention Measures

Educating clients about raising awareness and prevention measures is crucial in today's rapidly changing world. With the increase in cybercrimes, scams, and identity thefts, it is essential for individuals to stay informed and take proactive steps to protect themselves.

One way to raise awareness is by educating clients on common scams and fraud tactics used by criminals. By identifying these techniques, individuals can better recognize potential threats and avoid falling victim to them. This includes understanding phishing emails, fraudulent phone calls, and fake websites that aim to deceive users into revealing sensitive information.

Moreover, teaching clients about prevention measures such as strong password usage, two-factor authentication, and data encryption can significantly reduce their vulnerability to cyber-attacks. Educating clients on the importance of regularly updating software, using a reliable antivirus program, and exercising caution when accessing public Wi-Fi networks are also critical elements in ensuring online safety.

By empowering clients with knowledge about raising awareness and implementing prevention measures against cyber threats, businesses can not only protect themselves but also build a loyal customer base that values their security. Through regular communication channels like newsletters or blog posts containing practical tips on cybersecurity best practices, companies can contribute towards creating a safer digital ecosystem for all.

Collaborating with Law Enforcement: Reporting and Investigation

Collaborating with law enforcement for reporting and investigation can be a crucial step in addressing and preventing crime. While some may feel hesitant to involve authorities, it is important to understand the benefits of working together. Reporting crimes promptly and accurately plays a vital role in ensuring justice is served, as well as providing support to victims.

One key advantage of collaborating with law enforcement is that investigations can progress more effectively. By sharing information about an incident or suspicious activity, individuals contribute to building a comprehensive picture that enables law enforcement agencies to identify patterns and connect dots that may have otherwise gone unnoticed. Moreover, by actively participating in investigative processes, citizens not only assist in resolving cases but also deter criminals from repeating their offenses.

Another aspect of collaboration with law enforcement lies in fostering safer communities through open communication channels between citizens and authorities. Reporting potential threats or criminal activities helps agencies direct their resources towards areas that require immediate attention. Citizens' involvement encourages transparency, enhances trust between the community and law enforcement, while also serving as a deterrent against unlawful acts.

In conclusion, working hand-in-hand with law enforcement for reporting and investigation purposes brings about numerous advantages such as effective investigations leading to swift resolution of cases, stronger communities built on trustful relationships between citizens and authorities, and prevention of future criminal activities by deterring potential offenders. By taking active roles in supporting law enforcement efforts, individuals contribute significantly to maintaining safety within their communities.

Conclusion: Strengthening Defenses against Cyber Extortion

In conclusion, it is crucial for both individuals and organizations to strengthen their defenses against cyber extortion. While there may not be a foolproof solution to completely eliminate the threat, taking proactive measures can significantly reduce the risk. Firstly, investing in robust cybersecurity systems and regularly updating them is essential. This includes using strong passwords, implementing multi-factor authentication, and keeping all software up to date.

Additionally, fostering a culture of cybersecurity awareness among employees is paramount. Many cyber attacks are successful due to human error or ignorance, so educating staff about safe online practices can go a long way in preventing incidents. Regular training sessions and simulated phishing exercises can help identify weaknesses within an organization's defense system and address them before an actual attack occurs.

Furthermore, it is important for individuals and organizations alike to have a reliable backup system in place. Ransomware attacks often hold data hostage until a ransom is paid, leaving victims with little choice but to comply or face significant damage. However, if regular backups are maintained, these attacks become less threatening as data can be restored without succumbing to the extortion demands.

By actively implementing these strategies and continuously adapting security measures as technology evolves, we can collectively work towards strengthening our defenses against cyber extortion. It requires both individual vigilance and collective responsibility from organizations to protect ourselves from this ever-present threat in today's digital landscape.