(via History of the world): Penny auction at foreclosed Michigan farm (1936). At penny auctions farmers would conspire to offer low bids, resulting in a low return to the creditor. The final buyer would then return the property to the destitute farmer. Hangman nooses served as a warning to squirrelly bidders.
This haunting photograph from 1936 captures a penny auction at a foreclosed farm in Michigan, one of the most defiant and ingenious acts of resistance to emerge during the Great Depression. When banks repossessed farms after families could no longer meet their mortgage payments, local communities often took matters into their own hands.
Farmers would gather in large groups and agree beforehand to bid only pennies on each item — from livestock to land — driving the auction prices down to virtually nothing. The final “buyer,” usually a trusted neighbor, would then return the property to the original owner, ensuring the family could remain on their land.
The nooses seen hanging in the background weren’t decorative; they served as chilling warnings to outsiders who might attempt to outbid the crowd. These were not empty threats — solidarity and survival left little room for betrayal.
The penny auctions became powerful symbols of rural unity and defiance. They weren’t just about saving one farm, but about preserving a way of life, one desperate bid at a time.
Wow, look at this place- it's on a pre-foreclosure auction. What a shame, someone really loved this 1954 home in Norwalk, CA, and some buyer will get a bargain- the 3bd, 1ba, 1,289sqft home is estimated at $724,800.
Cute patio out front.
Look at this. Murals, all decorated, and up for auction. Sad.
It says nothing about coming furnished, but it would be incredible if it did.
Looks like the owners invested a lot in this home.
Well, at least the new owner will get the wall art, lighting fixtures and fancy carved wood doors.
I hope no one comes in and does it all white and gray.
Look at the kitchen cabinets. They really decorated the outdated ones, but it looks professional.
Cute little area for a table.
Very cozy room with a fireplace. Note that they even put little stenciled designs on the beams.
It's a nice little room.
I'm shocked at the work they did on this home, and that it's in foreclosure.
I hope someone loves it the same way. This is some fancy home office.
It looks like these are supposed to be bedrooms that they're not using.
It has one bath, and this is it- look at the sink.
I don't see any of the rooms set up as a bedroom.
Fanciest little hallway I've ever seen.
Outdoor area.
They've got a patio w/a pergola. Note that the w/d is outside, on the left.
Lawn and garden on the side of the house. 5,275.12sqft lot.
Actor Mickey Rourke Creates GoFundme Begging Fans For Money
Associates Of Actor Mickey Rourke Create GoFundMe Account To Save Rourke From Being Evicted From His LA Home
Actor Mickey Rourke has found himself in legal trouble again. His landlord has filed an eviction notice with LA County Superior Court. The landlord alleges Rourke owes $60,000 in back rent on his Los Angeles home.
Rourke’s management team have allegedly launched a GoFundMe to help the…
Wednesday— Work In Progress Snippet Post a New Fic
I was going to post a snippet but I decided to post a fic instead. Not betaed.
Title: Bankers, Fairies, and Foreclosures, oh my!
Word Count: 1475
Rating: General
Characters: Reader, Dean Winchester, Sam Winchester, Castiel, Faries, Bankers (background)
Relationship: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Summary: This is when the banker begs you to get them to stop and you try but you have no idea how, so you search online and come across the Hunter Network to discover Sam Winchester.
A/N: Not betaed. Had this in my WIP folder forever and was waiting for my beta but it’s fine as is. Enjoy. Thanks for plot development help from @masoena and @winchesterfields67 .
Ch 1
This is when the banker begs you to get them to stop and you try but you have no idea how, so you search online and come across the Hunter Network to discover Sam Winchester. Sam and Dean show up.
At first, they’re like, “You want us to kill them?”
You’re like, “No, no, they’re nice to me but they’re mean to the bank and their employees. I don’t know how to get them to stop.”
Sam looks at Dean with a raised brow. “Dude, doesn’t the Fairy King owe you or something?”
Dean just gives Sam a wide-eyed look between that and says ‘What the fuck are you thinking?’ and ‘Why did you have to bring this up?’
“You know Fairies too?!” You smile and jump up and down like an excited puppy, then realize you’re doing this and stop.
Dean gives you a small smile. “I was kidnapped by them after killing one of them,” he half mumbles.
You’re confused why this guy would have a favor owed to him by a Fairy, let alone the King of them.
“Maybe, you can talk to them?” You offer.
Sam shrugs. They follow you out to where the fairies live on your property and find it this amazingly, beautiful garden. “See, they like me and are nice. I try to find cute things that they can add or make their homes out of.” You start to fidget with your shirt and quietly explain the whole situation, “It’s just that money has been tight and this was my Nana’s house. I’m trying to pay the bank but fell behind. Can’t really pay them if I can’t eat, you know? So, I had to stop paying them for a while when I got laid off from the grocery store going out of business. The fairies must have seen the letters from the bank, and then I got a Notice to Foreclose on the house, so the fairies started being mean to the people at the bank.” You purse your lips to the side, looking at your bare feet, and add, “I didn’t know they could read English.” You watch your friends. “Sometimes, we eat together. I’ll bring them different kinds of honey and milk from the farmer’s market every Saturday.” You smile, brilliantly.
“Hang on a second,” Dean advises and grabs Sam to take a few steps away.
“Is there a limit on the card Charlie gave us?” Dean asks Sam.
“No, she said she made sure it wouldn’t get hit for limits. Why?”
“Why not have us buy the house? That way she and us stay in good with the fairies. The bank should be left alone. Everyone is happy?”
Sam gives Dean one of his classic bitchfaces that turns into a thoughtful expression. “You want to add bees to her garden so Cas can come to visit and hang out with the fairies and insects, don’t you?”
Dean sighs heavily at having gotten caught, his cheeks reddening. “Cas was just telling me that fairies get along with them and thought it’d be a win-win, okay?”
Sam smirks at his happy older brother wanting to do sweet things for his Angel. He pats Dean’s shoulder and squeezes. “Yeah, Dean. We can do that but you have to talk to her.”
Dean grumbles then walks over to you, pouting his lips in thought.
You’re distracted, kneeling in front of the flowers and mushrooms that separate the fairies’ area from your own, talking to them.
Dean stands there behind you watching.
Sam comes over when he doesn’t hear anything after a few seconds and Dean stops him, pointing. They both watch you as you converse and laugh.
“You understand them?” Sam asks, eyes wide, mouth relaxed, and eyebrows near his hairline.
Turning around, you look at Sam. “Doesn’t everyone?” You ask.
Both boys shake their heads, their faces now matching.
“All I ever heard was chimes and bell noises,” Dean admits.
You stand up and walk over to Dean, your head is tilted, brow furrowed, and slightly frowning. “My Nana could understand them too. It’s why they’re here. I don’t know what happened other than she saved one once. Ever since they’ve always been around.”
Dean turns his head back and exclaims loudly, “Ca-a-a-s.”
Ch 2
The air around you changes pressure, making your ears feel weird and then seem to pop. Suddenly there is a tall man in a khaki trench coat and an ill-fitted navy blue suit. It matches his eyes. “Your eyes are beautiful,” you tell him without thinking.
Castiel smiles. “Thank you.” He looks to Dean, expectantly.
“She can talk to fairies,” Dean tells him.
Castiel’s brow furrows and he looks into your eyes. He leans closer, eyes suddenly aglow as they skim you from head to toe and back.
It feels like he did a scan or something. You shiver and take a step back. Three fairies appear around you and, to Dean and Sam, tinkle like bells.
To Castiel and you, the blue fairy asks, “Are you alright, sweetheart?”
The yellow fairy nearly growls, “Are they being mean?”
The red fairy asks, grumpily, “Should we make them go away?”
“I apologize,” responds the angel. “I did not mean to make you uncomfortable. It seems you are descended from fairies. You’re very sensitive to changes in energy. I did not realize. Please forgive my intrusion.”
“You can be descended from fairies?” Squeaks Sam.
“How does that even work?” Asks Dean, mouth agape and eyes squinting looking at the fairies.
Castiel glances at Dean and rolls his eyes before returning to you. “That is why you can understand them so easily and probably your parents and before them.”
You chew on your lower lip as you listen and shake your head. “I don’t know if my parents did. I was raised by my Nana. She could though.”
Castiel smiles and nods. “Is there something I can do to be of assistance?”
“Oh, Sam and Dean I think had a solution to the fairies being mean to the bank and their employees because they won’t stop even when I asked.”
“Fairies love trading and having favors owed. Perhaps if you trade them something of great value, they will stop.” He turns to the brothers. “Have you tried that?”
“We just got here, Sunshine.m,” Dean explains.
Sam nods.
Castiel turns back to you and takes a step next to Dean. “What’s the plan?”
“Well,” the freckled hunter begins. “We were—“
“Eh uh. This was your idea, Dean.” Sam argues.
Dean huffs and starts again. “I was thinking of buying the house from the bank and seeing if she’d be cool to have beehives…for you, so you could…you know,” Dean pauses and fiddles with his shirt. “So, you could hang out with the bees and fairies like you were talking about a few weeks ago.” Dean’s cheeks were turning a nice dark shade of pink which made his freckles pop out on his face.
Castiel rubbed his thumb along the blush and nodded, sweetly at him.
Your mouth is open, your eyes are wide as plates, and your heart is racing. You’re trying to gather yourself but all that comes out before true thought forms is “I like bees.”
Dean looks up with a smile that could eclipse the sun. Castiel takes his hand, interlacing it in his.
You turn to the fairies. “Is that okay? Would y’all be ok having a bee colony here?”
They gather together and discuss among themselves before the red fairies reply, “We’d love that. We need a bigger garden though.”
“That’s fine. Just let me know what to get, and then we can plant them together.”
Dean inquires, “What do they need?”
“They want to make the garden bigger to accommodate the bees and maintain their own area,” you explain.
“Get us a list and we will buy them. Castiel has a large garden back at the bun—back at home,” Sam explains. “Maybe Dean and Cas can help plant them with you?”
“That would be wonderful.”
The fairies all chime and tinkle excitedly.
“Guess they like the plan.”
You have a sudden thought. “Will you be owning my house or would I?”
“You will,” Sam instantly says. “That way the fairies and you should be good.”
You grin wide and toothy at their help. Glad nothing bad happened with their assistance. You were worried the bank would try to hurt the fairies or force you to leave but now you don’t. That’s wonderful.
You and the fairies are excited to expand the garden. You can’t wait for the bees to arrive. You’re hoping Castiel or Dean know how to manage bees because you have no idea. At least you get to keep your home and the fairies are happy again. So excited to hang out with your new friends too.
During Ben Bernanke's tenure as chair of the Federal Reserve from 2006 to 2014, some 6,665,045 families lost their homes. While Bernanke refused to help these families, he was bailing out the billionaires. The head of the Fed pumped trillions into banks and other corporations that were “too big to fail.”
So why was Bernanke awarded the 2022 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences along with Douglas Diamond and Philip Dybvig? Capitalists like to give awards to each other as well as to their trusted servants like Bernanke.
