#Forbes - Healthcare

[monsterfactoryfanfic]

if I've learned anything from grad school it's to check your sources, and this has proven invaluable in the dozens of instances when I've had an MBA-type try to tell me something about finances or leadership. Case in point:

Firefox serves me clickbaity articles through Pocket, which is fine because I like Firefox. But sometimes an article makes me curious. I'm pretty anal about my finances, and I wondered if this article was, as I suspected, total horseshit, or could potentially benefit me and help me get my spending under control. So let's check the article in question.

It mostly seems like common sense. "...track expenses and income for at least a month before setting a budget...How much money do I have or earn? How much do I want to save?" Basic shit like that. But then I get to this section:

This sounds fucking made up to me. And thankfully, they've provided a source to their claim that "research has repeatedly shown" that writing things down changes behavior. First mistake. What research is this?

Forbes, naturally, my #1 source for absolute dogshit fart-sniffing financial schlock. Forbes is the type of website that guy from high school who constantly posts on linkedin trawls daily for little articles like this that make him feel better about refusing to pay for a decent package for his employees' healthcare (I'm from the United States, a barbaric, conflict-ridden country in the throes of civil unrest, so obsessed with violence that its warlords prioritize weapons over universal medical coverage. I digress). Forbes constantly posts shit like this, and I constantly spend my time at leadership seminars debunking poor consultants who get paid to read these claims credulously. Look at this highlighted text. Does it make sense to you that simply writing your financial goals down would result in a 10x increase in your income? Because if it does, let me make you an offer on this sick ass bridge.

Thankfully, Forbes also makes the mistake of citing their sources. Let's check to see where this hyperlink goes:

SidSavara. I've never heard of this site, but the About section tells me that Sid is "a technology leader who empowers teams to grow into their best selves. He is a life-long learner enjoys developing software, leading teams in delivering mission critical projects, playing guitar and watching football and basketball."

That doesn't mean anything. What are his LinkedIn credentials? With the caveat that anyone can lie on Linkedin, Mr. Savara appears to be a Software Engineer. Which is fine! I'm glad software engineers exist! But Sid's got nothing in his professional history which suggests he knows shit about finance. So I'm already pretty skeptical of his website, which is increasingly looking like a personal fart-huffing blog.

The article itself repeats the credulous claim made in the Forbes story earlier, but this time, provides no link for the 3% story. Mr. Savara is smarter than his colleages at Forbes, it's much wiser to just make shit up.

HOWEVER. I am not the first person to have followed this rabbit hole. Because at the very top of this article, there is a disclaimer.

Uh oh!

Sid's been called out before, and in the follow up to this article, he reveals the truth.

You can guess where this is going.

So to go back to the VERY beginning of this post, both Pocket/Good Housekeeping and Forbes failed to do even the most basic of research, taking the wild claim that writing down your budget may increase your income by 10x on good faith and the word of a(n admittedly honest about his shortcomings) software engineer.

Why did I spend 30 minutes to make a tumblr post about this? Mostly to show off how smart I am, but also to remind folks of just how flimsy any claim on the internet can be. Click those links, follow those sources, and when the sources stop linking, ask why.

[i-am-aprl]

Yesterday, Palestinian and solidarity organizers disrupted a Biden campaign event 14 times during his speech on the protection of women's rights. These activists called out hypocrisy because Biden and his administration are actively causing a reproductive care catastrophe in Gaza.

50,000 pregnant women do not have access to healthcare in Gaza, and C-sections are being performed without anesthesia. Women and children in Gaza are being killed by U.S.-made and supplied bombs.

described by @winged-wolf-s-collection-of-arts

[ID: Transcription of what the protesters are saying, while security personnel try to get them out:

Israel kills two mothers every hour in Gaza. Ceasefire now! End the genocide! Ceasefire!

Women in Gaza are being murdered. Killing people in Gaza is a war crime. You are a war criminal.

Stop funding genocide! Ceasefire now!

50,000 pregnant women don't have healthcare. Their blood is on your hands. Ceasefire!

Ceasefire now! Stop funding genocide! Gaza is a reproductive issue.

Free, free Palestine!

The end of the video shows article headlines with photos of the protesters or of Joe Biden, from various news organizations:

POLITICO: Biden's abortion rights rally repeatedly interrupted by protesters

ALJAZEERA: Biden speech interrupted by pro-Palestinian protesters

CNN politics: Biden's abortion rights rally in Virginia beset by repeated protests over his handling of Gaza

abcNEWS: Biden campaign speech on abortion rights disrupted 14 times by protesters

yahoo!news: Biden abortion rally in Virginia interrupted by multiple protesters: 'Genocide Joe'

NEW YORK POST: Biden claims Gaza heckler is 'MAGA Republican' as he's interrupted at least 10 times at rally

Forbes: Protesters Interrupt Biden's Abortion Rights Speech More Than A Dozen Times

NBC NEWS: Biden interrupted by protesters more than a dozen times at campaign rally

USA TODAY: President Biden's abortion rally disrupted by repeated protests over Gaza

Reuters: Biden's abortion rights rally in Virginia interrupted by Gaza protests

/End ID]

[gaykarstaagforever]

Oh my god not this shit again.

Another weird plant article from the Sugar Industry about how artificial sweetners are the REAL Nazis!

1. All the participants were middle aged women.

2. Their diets AND rates of depression were based on surveys. That they themselves filled out.

Someone from Harvard worked on this? For what, a check wrapped around a Hershey bar?

The focus seems to be on "ultra-processed foods," a phrase a lot of people are constantly arguing about, because everyone has a different list of foods that should be included under that heading.

We know that diets heavy in food-product from Corn Reshaping Factories are a possible factor in why certain populations get a lot of cancer and heart disease. We also know these same populations are poor, have bad access to preventative healthcare, smoke and drink a lot, live in substandard housing...

Noticing a trend here?

But these guys published a study about how soda with aspartame makes you depressed. And for some reason, Forbes is SUPER interested in it.

I'm not arguing that eating tons of Mountain Dew and Doritos won't kill you. Nature made us capable of easily digesting spinach and apples for a reason. But if the greatest insight you have to add is "everyone should fear diet soda," you are up to obvious shenanigans.

Here is the link to this worthless garbage:

[postitforward]

Mental Health Spotlight: Jasmine Marie, Founder of black girls breathing®

Jasmine Marie is a speaker, breathwork practitioner, and the founder of black girls breathing®. Her work is innovating the wellness, healthcare, and research industry by making mental health services accessible to Black women while filling in the gaps of data and research available on this underserved and underrepresented demographic. Marie plans to impact one million Black women and girls with her work by 2025. She is a serial founder with a past life in global haircare brand marketing and an alum of NYU Stern. The impact and range of her work to date is expansive—ranging from underserved minority communities to stressed-out college students and executives. She’s brought her expertise to elite colleges such as Harvard Business School, Columbia University, and Cornell University, and her client list includes corporations such as Estée Lauder Companies, Under Armour, Capital One, Ford Motor Company, Facebook, and Twitter. Marie has been featured in Oprah Magazine, Good Morning America, VOGUE, Forbes, Harper’s Baazar, Marie Claire, Glamour, Nylon Mag, Wall Street Journal, and Black Enterprise, to name a few.

What is black girls breathing®? And why was it created? black girls breathing® is a safe space for Black women to manage their mental and emotional health and heal trauma in their bodies with breathwork and community.

I created black girls breathing® after finishing my breathwork training and seeing so few facilitators that looked like me yet knowing how much chronic stress and trauma (generational, societal, etc.) and decided to create it. I used my background in business to help me develop a model where we could provide this work accessibly.

Do you have any secret hobbies, skills, or interests?

I don’t think I have any secret hobbies but for a while, I would always feel embarrassed whenever anyone asked that question, as a lot of my hobbies can maybe seem boring to others lol. But I love to read. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. I love having quiet time…any activity that allows me to feel refreshed, sit with my own thoughts and enjoy my solitude. I think because I deal with so many people’s energy that in my spare time, I just like to spend time with self. I love to cook though…it’s a very meditative activity for me that allows me to unwind from my day.

How did you get started in this work? And why is it important to you?

As mentioned above, after my breathwork training, I realized there were so few Black breathworkers. But before that, I found breathwork while being stressed out after graduating from business school at NYU and working in beauty in NYC. My nervous system was so fried I began having physical symptoms…rashes and an inability to sleep. The doctor would see me and always say, “This is stress. How can you reduce your stress?” Fast forward to me finding my first breathwork class and falling in love with the way it allowed me to just feel more space in my mind and body.

WOW — ONE MILLION Black women and girls breathing by 2025 what an ambitious goal! What impact do you see this having?

It is an ambitious goal, but in 2020, we fundraised $55k to make our work accessible for one year. After the year was done, it was so clear that we couldn’t stop there. So many Black women needed this work, and we would hear that over and over again. So I decided if I was going to do this work, I was only interested in creating real impact and a goal that would signify that. Imagining 1 Million Black women using breathwork as a tool to regulate their nervous systems, heal from compounded trauma and reduce the effect that chronic stress has in our community (health challenges linked to chronic stress: heart disease, high blood pressure, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, fertility issues, and the list goes on) will not only affect them but our community as a whole. Ending the passing down of generational trauma and normalizing healing.

What would you suggest to people who feel like they cannot find the time to breathe or practice mindfulness?

I would first affirm that it’s okay they feel that way. Western society has done a great job of making us feel that anything outside of productivity is not only a waste of time but the least important thing we should make space for. Making time for yourself for any mindful activity can be eased into and it can start with being more aware of the present moment and practicing that action on a daily. Maybe you create a routine where every morning for 3 minutes right when you get up, you take a moment to be still, notice your breathing pattern and focus on each and every inhale and exhale.

Why is Black representation important in this industry?

The wellness industry isn’t unlike other industries where Black representation is lacking. I think it’s important to see other Black women caring for themselves because, historically, we’ve been taught to do the opposite for oh so long.

Where do you find joy?

I find joy with my family and my loved ones, in intimate moments with friends, in good food and conversation, and in being able to create something and see it grow, shift, and evolve.

Want to learn more about black girls @blackgirlsbreathing?

Check out their website!

Breathe with us on March 27th @12pm EDT during their Mindful Monday Breathwork for Anxiety session on Tumblr Live

Ask black girls breathing all the questions on your mind for IssueTime on Navigating Anxiety in an increasingly digital, lonely world

Take the pledge with black girls breathing®

[qqueenofhades]

I'm waiting for the day people realize many "socialist" endeavors would not, in fact, tank the economy or drive up the deficit. Take housing. Even if the government did something asinine like buy a 100k house for every homeless person--instead of, like, invest in affordable housing or something reasonable--that'd only be around $55 billion dollars spent! Just slash the US military budget from the 800 billion it currently is down to 750 billion and boom! Money! Take it down to 700 billion (1)

2) and you'd pay for free college as well. (For a source on the college claim, see: this forbes article whining about how it'd cost a ~horrifying~ 47 billion for Biden to enact free college for people making less than 125k forbes(.)com/sites/robertberger/2020/09/04/the-surprising-cost-of-bidens-free-college-tuition-plan/?sh=688bf7396f7f ) Tax the wealthy and we'd raise the money for healthcare. We HAVE the money to improve things. We simply choose not to.

Well... yeah. Of course there's money. Of course there is. It's just that the current economic/late-stage capitalist system has decided that it's better off being locked away by a tiny handful of unimaginably greedy billionaires in order to make them even richer, rather than being equitably redistributed to solve social problems. They have also very successfully convinced the public, for upward of 40 years, that it's actually better to let the billionaires keep those fortunes, all taxation and government is evil, it's immoral to want or expect financial help or justice from said government, if you can't work hard enough to make your own money than you have a personally deficient character, structural and systemic racism/discrimination isn't real and doesn't affect wealth distribution, and etc., etc., etc.

Late-stage capitalism depends on enforced scarcity: if you don't have enough, you'll keep working in whatever shitty job you can get. The Republicans have often cited the tired old Reaganite myth about how welfare recipients are just "lazy" and can't be bothered to Pull Themselves Out of Poverty, and besides, the corporate world doesn't want to be deprived of its control over the working population. So of course they resist any efforts to tax or regulate billionaires or corporations, and they engage in (again, sadly very successful) lobbying campaigns to tie this economic libertarianism to social conservatism/conservative populism/outright racial/white supremacist rhetoric. So plenty of working-class white people consistently vote against their own economic interests, because they like racism more than anything else. See the recent attempt to claim that the Ohio train derailment happened because poor, rural white people were "left out/overlooked by the evil Democratic government for being white!!!" Or the narrative, helpfully pushed by the NYT (as usual), that these towns are "forgotten," "left behind," or otherwise "ignored" by an uncaring federal (read: Democratic) government.

Except... the Democrats under Biden have enacted more legislation, tax credits, infrastructure projects, job opportunities, and so forth, in the last two years alone, intended to help the residents of places just like East Palestine, Ohio, than the Republicans have ever done in all their presidential administrations. It's the Republicans who have starved those places of proper funding, safety regulations, material resources, government oversight, and so on, while telling them that Democrats hate them because they're white. The voters of those places have often enthusiastically voted for that message, and then the national GOP apparatus blames.... the Democrats. Because of course they do, even though the Democrats, by any metric, are the party who actually materially tries to help the working class. Racism, Reaganism, and white grievance is a helluva drug.

[five-miles-over]

hello!! Can I request Villian Tom Hiddles in which the reader is a journalist who is asked to do an interview on him and she beings to snoop around and she gets caught and a bit of teasing ensues. He decides to claim the reader as his own.

You're Never Leaving - Chapter One

(T/W: Mentions of murder, homicide, drug overdose deaths, and drugs)

A/N: Thank you so much for your patience with me, @omgsuperstarg ! I hope you enjoy this fic.

CEO, billionaire, genius, philanthropist, patron of the arts, enigmatic bachelor…Thomas William Hiddleston was a man of many titles and if he wasn't such a terrifying man, he might've been your hero. 

For a long time, no one in the world had ever heard of the name Hiddleston, let alone in Great Britain. But that all changed in 2015, when the blue-eyed, dark-haired CEO of Imperial Pharmaceuticals graced the cover of Forbes magazine as one of the most influential people in the United Kingdom. It was then that the world was first introduced to Mr. Hiddleston.

He vaguely spoke about his childhood during his first interview, claiming Scottish origins and something about British people having difficulty pronouncing his surname. And then he narrated a story to the reporter about him re-vamping Imperial Pharmaceuticals in honor of his late father, who was a physical chemist that often working in matters related to medical science. And that was what inspired him to turn an unknown factory from the 1960s into one of the greatest drug manufacturers in the western hemisphere. it was nothing but a simple wish to honor one of the most intelligent men in Mr. Hiddleston's life…and a yearning to make healthcare accessible to all, despite their socioeconomic status or age.

The media ate it up like a bunch of hungry hyenas. 

But along with all the press related to Thomas Hiddleston's tenacity, business talents and of course, his charisma, a few secrets about the CEO's past began to trickle into the public eye. The most notable secret was that Thomas Hiddleston was allegedly involved with one of London's most powerful mafia gangs, the gang that was known to carry out assassinations for a price, and manufacture cheap copies of prescription drugs for the black market. Some even said that he used money from his criminal activity to fund the drug research that took place at Imperial Pharmaceuticals.

The people at Imperial Pharmaceuticals did their best to hush all related rumors and possible allegations of criminal activity to their best avail. And thanks to their efforts, Thomas Hiddleston continued to remain in the public limelight as a non-scientist trailblazer in the world of drugs and medicine. 

And Thomas Hiddleston's possible criminal past might have all faded into irrelevance if it hadn't been for two deadly coincidences.

The first coincidence was the mysterious death of three corrupt members of Parliament who'd recently been caught in a money laundering scam. They'd all seemingly died in their sleep on the same night, but their times of death were all different due to their bodies being discovered at different points. And the murder took place just two days after Imperial Pharmaceuticals launched their new line of pills to cure insomnia. 

The second coincidence was the infamous mass overdose death that took place in South London in 2019, nearly the same day as when Imperial Pharmaceuticals launched a drug that would help heroin addicts combat symptoms of withdrawal and provide a placebo effect in the place of heroin. 

As if the proximity between the drug launches and the deaths wasn't enough, the mere idea that the CEO of Imperial Pharmaceuticals was linked to a mafia that manufactured counterfeit drugs for the black market was enough to make you speculate that something might be going on behind closed doors. And that there was more to Thomas Hiddleston than meets the eye.

Your initial hunch was bolstered by the claims from a detective living in Baker Street who happened to be very familiar with the drug addicts living in the area of South London affected by the mass overdose. He told you about the drugs taken by the addicts living there, and how similar they appeared to be with respect to the ones from Imperial Pharmaceuticals. 

Now all that was left for you was to approach Thomas Hiddleston himself, the CEO of Imperial Pharmaceuticals. His past and his links to the crime world were the whole reason that this new company could be linked to these two instances of homicide. But none of your speculations would be valid if Thomas Hiddleston didn't confess to his links with a London mafia group. 

And thanks to Lady Luck, you - a journalist for a small magazine - managed to bag a twenty-minute interview with the man himself, one-on-one. No PR team to speak to, no red tape…it was too good to be true. Almost to the point where it made you wonder why someone so famous and busy as Thomas Hiddleston would eagerly accept an interview with a nearly-unknown magazine.

Still, the prospect of interviewing him made you giddy during the entire journey to the headquarters of Imperial Pharmaceuticals. If all went well, and you asked the right questions, you would be on the forefront of uncovering the crime of the decade. Alright, maybe not the crime of the decade - let alone Pulitzer-worthy - but still, this would be far juicier of a story than anything you had ever written about.

When you arrived at the building, a receptionist directed you towards the ninth floor of the building. There, a blonde young man dressed in grey with a thick Essex accent led you to a pair of tall doors, gently pulling a gilded handle towards him. "This is Mister Hiddleston's office, madam. He'll be here in fifteen or twenty minutes - would you like some coffee, some tea, or a glass of lemonade while you wait?"

"No…" You took a breath, knowing it would do nothing for the butterflies in your stomach. "No, thank you. I'll wait here…thanks."

"No problem, madam." He gave you a quick nod, and closed the doors behind you. 

Unbelievable - you were actually inside the office belonging to the CEO of Imperial Pharmaceuticals Thomas William Hiddleston. Everything about his office screamed old money, whether it was the large, Baroque-style mahogany desk in the center adorned with a human skull a la Hamlet, or the mahogany chairs adorned with green cushions and gold accents. He may be shady, but goodness did he have taste.

You reluctantly allowed yourself to explore, first picking up the skull on Mr. Hiddleston's desk. Underneath it was a sticky note that read, in cursive,

'Silence the Baker Street Boys'

Silence the Baker Street Boys...What could that possibly mean? You thought to yourself for a moment before remembering the one testimonial you received...from a detective living on Baker Street. Oh my gods, did he already know about your interest in unveiling him as a criminal?

Anxious to know more about what Mr. Hiddleston did and did not know at this point, you found yourself rummaging through the drawers of his desk, and even opened some of the drawers underneath his bookcase.

You managed to uncover quite a few details, including a recipe for counterfeit cocaine using cornstarch, counterfeit heroine that doubled as a poison, a few emails about a shipment of sleeping pills and methanol, and even a diary filled with notes about different types of medication.

"Can I help you?"

You swiftly turned around to find none other than Mr. Hiddleston, standing behind you in a blue-black, double-breasted coat over a white button-down shirt, black trousers, and an ebony tie. His cerulean eyes narrowed in your direction, but the rest of his body showed no sign of tension. Not a single muscle in his face was tense, and 

You swallowed, trying not to tremble as you stood up, and ignoring the ringing in your ears…almost as if you were slowly losing consciousness. But you knew where you were, and you knew how to maintain a professional demeanor…well, almost. "G-g-good afternoon, Mr. Hiddleston…It's-it's s'wonderful to meet you…in person."

Mr. Hiddleston crossed his arms. "You didn't answer my question."

At that moment, you were lost for words, your throat as dry as a stale biscuit. Mr. Hiddleston took a step closer, and looked you up and down while you closed the drawer, holding the knob to steady yourself. Taking your silence as the signal he has the upper hand, Mr. Hiddleston began to pace the room. "Shame, really. I was looking forward to talking to you today."

You blinked, still trying to process his words all while trying not to slip to the floor.

"You know, most of the journalists that talk to me are from these well-reputed magazines - Time, New York Magazine, Forbes - ones you'd find even in a supermarket or a dentists's waiting room. When my secretary came across your request for an interview, I was intrigued. A budding writer, graduated from university two years ago from…Bryn Mawr, yes?"

Your skin began to tingle, and each muscle in your hands went rigid as iron. Had he conducted a background check on you? Of course it was protocol that you did your homework before coming to an interview, but researching the interviewer? Not something that you could say any one of your interviewees had ever done before.

You nodded, and a small, minuscule smirk formed on Mr. Hiddleston's face. "Bryn Mawr…a women's college in Pennsylvania. You probably have a set of protective parents who didn't want their little daughter falling into the company of the bad boys. Can't blame them for wanting to shelter their princess." He sauntered towards one of the chairs facing the desk, placing his long fingers around the smooth arched top.  "A major in political science, with two minors in the history of art and in English literature. You wrote exactly one-hundred and twenty articles for the Haverford and Bryn Mawr Bi-College Newspaper over the course of your four years of study."

Mr. Hiddleston casually pulled the chair out and sat down, keeping his legs almost half a yard apart. "I read some of your pieces while I was on a plane to Mumbai two days ago. I have to say, I was impressed - the things you wrote about student protests and action films were good enough. Good enough to cater to the tastes of liberal arts majors and washed-out professors who settled on teaching when they've failed to make an impact in their fields. But…" Hiddleston paused, touching his bottom lip with a finger, "I saw potential in you. I thought you could do better. I saw a drive, and perhaps a sliver of professionalism. What a shame, really." Mr. Hiddleston shakes his head, closing his eyes for a moment. "Now perhaps I'll never know."

"What do you mean?" You blurted, eyes wide open for the first time since he entered the office.

He chuckled darkly. "Are you familiar with the term 'intrusion claim'? A method of invading one's privacy that involves interfering with one's seclusion or solitude?"

"These documents belong to the company!"

"A private company." He leans back, "Well, my dear, you've just provided at least three reasons for me to sue you. You've intruded on a private matter of mine; by your tone, you've declared that your intentions to invade my private documents was intentional; and…any reasonable person would find your little transgression to be highly offensive.

That puny little publication that pays for your bread and butter will be out of business faster than they can hide their tails between their legs, seeing as how my company's lawyers are unbeatable. And you, my inquisitive little Amanpour, will be nothing but a disgraced failure with a legal stain so conspicuous that no newspaper or publishing house will ever want to hire you."

"NO!" You shrieked, covering your mouth in horror at the possibility of losing your job, as well as being responsible for the magazine's collapse. "No, please…no!" You gasped heavily, your chest heaving through your blouse. "You can't do this….please, please don't do this. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I wouldn't have done it if -"  You faltered almost immediately, seeing as how Mr. Hiddleston's expression did not change the slightest.

Mr. Hiddleston pointed to the ceiling. "This office is wired with security cameras, recording our each and every move. One display of this footage in court, and your case is over."

"I'll do anything," you boldly declared, placing both hands on his desk. "Anything at all, just don't sue me."

"Anything at all?"

"Anything." You swallowed, holding your head as high as possible…even if all you wanted to do was crawl under his desk and disappear. At this point, you needed nothing more than to save your job, and the magazine you represented. Even if it required…surely he wouldn't, not in his office…whatever it was, you'd still do it. Nothing else mattered.

Mr. Hiddleston smirked a little wider, putting his hands together. He'd easily found your kryptonite, and it would be a shame to turn down a chance to have some fun with it. "There is one thing that you could do for me. Perhaps then I might take back my earlier claims about suing you." He stood up from the chair and placed both hands on the desk, mirroring you, and leaned slightly forward. "You could work for me instead."

Baffled, you took a step back and shook your head. "I'm…I'm not in science…I've never even wrote for a scientific article before."

"You wouldn't have to." Mr. Hiddleston merely replied. "I would hire you as part of my own public relations team at Imperial Pharmaceuticals. You would be the person answering journalists on my behalf, those writers from the most well-reputed magazines - places surely you've dreamed of working at. All those journalists will be begging for a chance to interview you, to spend a meager twenty minutes in your presence just to gain an insider's perspective."

Now was your turn to cross your arms. You may have been desperate, but that didn't stop you from sensing something fishy in Mr. Hiddleston's proposition. "Why would you do this? You just threatened to sue me for an "intrusion claim". Now you want me to work for you?"

"Well, darling…." Mr. Hiddleston apparently decided to switch from 'my dear' to 'darling'. He looked up at you with a devious glint in his cerulean eyes. "Your transgression wouldn't be considered an intrusion if they were belonging to something you were a part of, since you would belong to this company. Unless you would prefer to never work in journalism again."

You closed your eyes for a moment and took a breath. "Fine. Just…bring me the paperwork."

"Why?" He asked, not even asking what paperwork you were referring to. 

Opening your eyes, you forced yourself to look at Mr.Hiddleston at his level. "I'll take the job."

"What job?" Mr. Hiddleston teased, daring you to say it.

You bit the inside of your cheek, trying to muster the words as best as possible. "I'll work for you. For…your PR team."

He tutted. "That's no attitude to bring to your new boss, darling."

Taking another breath, you stretched the corners of your mouth to form as convincing of a smile as possible. "I graciously accept your offer to work for your public relations team."

"And what else do you say to me?" Mr. Hiddleston smirked again, walking behind the desk so he was standing next to you.

"Thank you."

"Thank you who?"

You closed your eyes. Goodness, this man was going to milk everything out of this. "Thank you, Mr. Hiddleston."

He leaned in and briefly pecked your cheek, his lips barely touching your skin just enough for you to feel it. "That's more like it." Mr. Hiddleston began to walk away, striding towards the entrance of the office.

"Wait!"

He turned around on his heels.

"What about the interview?" You asked, picking up the notebook and pens you brought with you.

Mr. Hiddleston stroked his chin for a moment, and put his hands in his pocket. "I'll have my secretary reserve a table for two at Circolo Popolare. 6 PM, and the dress code is cocktail. Don't be late, darling."

Tagging: @lokischambermaid @lokisgoodgirl @thatdummy-girl @holdmytesseract @icytrickster17 @winterfrostlovetriangle @cakesandtom @mischievoushiddleston @lady-rose-moon @turniptitaness @jennyggggrrr @the-haven-of-fiction @fantasyfan4life @hellomadamebutterfly @sallymagnoliaposts

[magdolenelives]

From @MaskTogetherAmerica (bolding mine): "IN-N-OUT’s customer service line confirmed that masks are banned for workers in AZ, CO, TX, NV & UT, unless they have a doctor’s note. Meanwhile, if you work for @innout in CA or OR, it’s up to you but you must wear only company-provided N95s if you choose to #MaskUp! (Different masks may be allowed with a valid medical note.) “N95 masks provide the highest level of protection for C0VID-19 and other viruses and are recommended by OSHA for other respiratory protection.” – the policy stated. @Forbes contributor Dr. Judy Stone shared valuable details in her story: In-N-Out Burger’s New Masking Policy Threatens Their Employees’ Health. Puzzling, isn’t it? 🧐 See CA & OR Mask Policy: https://bit.ly/3Q2LfNJ Call 1-800-786-1000 to let IN-N-OUT know how you feel about their 😷policy. Key points from Dr. Stone’s article: https://bit.ly/3XUR5CB 👉60% of people in the U.S. have underlying conditions that put them at increased risk for severe C19. 👉Forcing employees to disclose reasons for mask exemption likely violates medical privacy. 👉It’s unfair to ask employees to get a doctor’s note which would require seeing a doctor. 👉Requiring proof of a disability might be considered a violation of the ADA. 👉“Fast food workers don’t owe anyone their smiles.” —@jessica.wildfire.writer wrote in her commentary. Fast food workers certainly don’t owe anyone their lives, considering the risk of getting #LongCovid. 👉The CA OSHA regulations state, “No employer shall prevent any employees from wearing a face covering, including a respirator, unless it would create a safety hazard.” 👉The CDC states, “People may choose to mask at any time. Layered prevention strategies — like staying up to date on vaccines and wearing masks — can help prevent severe illness and reduce the potential for strain on the healthcare system. Wear a mask with the best fit, protection, and comfort for you.” 👉HHS tweeted, “The more often you get C19, the higher your risk of complications.” 👉Masking protects you from respiratory viruses as well as pollutants & pollen." PLEASE CALL THE CUSTOMER HOTLINE (1-800-786-1000) AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD THAT YOU DO NOT SUPPORT THIS POLICY AND WILL NOT PATRONIZE IN-N-OUT BURGER AS LONG AS THEY DO THIS. You don't need to be rude and keep in mind the customer service rep isn't the one responsible for putting this policy in place. ANTI-MASKERS, VIRUS-DENIERS, AND OTHER PLAGUE-RATS DO NOT INTERACT WITH THIS POST.

[boreal-sea]

for the israeli healthcare thing: i think the point is that it's weird for us taxes to go to a foreign countries' healthcare + that it's evidence of how involved the us govt is w israels govt?

US taxes go to providing aid all around the world. I do not consider that "weird".

We fund "choir directors in Turkmenistan, filmmakers in Peru, aid for poultry farmers Tanzania, and sex education workshops for prostitutes in Ethiopia" and "$10.1 million for remedial reading programs in Zambia and Moldovia", according to this Forbes article.

If you'd like to deep dive into it, you can go to ForeignAssistance.Gov.

Currently, Ukraine is topping the list as the country we've given the most foreign aid money to in recent years, in support of their fight against Russia.

Israel also receives a lot of aid. They're our ally, and for a lot of political, military, and economic reasons (which I don't necessarily agree with, but which nonetheless exist), the USA is invested in Israel and the region at large. Like, from a purely strategic standpoint, if you know literally anything about global politics, you'll get why the US gives so much aid to Israel. You don't have to agree with it, but it's not "weird" - it's perfectly logical from a foreign affairs point of view.

[odinspattern]

So apparently the «Nordic Diet» is being promoted now as a new, healthy diet that is supposedly soooo healthy, like lowering Diabetes and heart disease.

I was curious, so I went to check it out, and was lead to a Forbes article which y’all can read here; https://www.forbes.com/health/nutrition/diet/nordic-diet-review/

… the fuck. While some of the things written here is technically true, like limiting processed meats is encouraged, and sweets are discoraged, also we do eat a lot of seafood…

Plant. Based????

The fuck it isn’t! In what world is nordic food plant based? A lot of Norway in particular have very poor soil, meaning that there aren’t a lot of vegetables that grow here, and people had to rely on milk products, potatoes, cheese and meat to get through the winter months.

Legumes? Other than our pea soups, legumes are hardly part of our traditional diets!

Not to mention how in Norway we are big fans of food in tubes, which is a convenient way to take food with you on hikes without making your bread soggy and gross. Things like Caviar, mackerel in tomato sauce, bacon cheese and shrimp cheese to name a few…

Also it is funny how the article talks about low fat dairy, as there is currently a push to use full fat dairy now, because of anxieties around ultra-processed food.

What really gets me though is how it refuses to acknowledge that our healthcare and wealth is one of the deciding factors of the good health in the Nordics. And pretty significant reason why we live so long.

[flyingcookierambles]

accidentally engaged with aphobic redditor lol im saving my comment here in case it gets removed by mods lolololololololol

Here are some links you can read with data to back up the claims about feeling excluded, harassment and corrective rape, and even conversion therapy: 2020, the Trevor Project - Asexual and Ace Spectrum Youth Also from this, "A larger proportion of asexual youth were transgender or nonbinary compared to the overall sample of LGBTQ youth." So asexuals are also probably experiencing transphobic discrimination as well. Il Grande Colibri - Aphobia: PRejudices and Discrimination again st asexuality Asexuality Handbook - Anti-asexual bias Stonewall - New research: shining a light on 'dehumanising' discrimination faced by ace people This one focuses more on aphobia in the UK. Forbes - Only 1 in 10 asexual people feel comfortable to be out at work Asexual Survivors - On Sexual Abuse, Repulsion, and Aversion in the Asexual Community This entire website is stories and resources by and for people on the asexual spectrum who have faced sexual harassment and/or corrective rape. Sadly, it seems to have not been updated in some time. [Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assult (MCASA) - Sexual Violence against the Asexual Community, 2022)[https://mcasa.org/newsletters/article/sexual-violence-against-the-asexual-community] John Hopkins University Press Jan/Feb 2023 - Coercive Rape Tactics Perpetrated against Asexual College Students WomensLaw - What forms of abuse are unique to asexual victims? Buzzfeed News (this is from 2018 before Buzzfeed News got weird…) - When you're an asexual assault survivor, it's even harder to be heard Sociologist and Gender/Sexuality Researcher Canton Winer on Substack Much of his recent research is being done on the Asexual and Aromantic communities and he has interesting articles and twitter threads where ace/aro people share their stories of experiencing discrimination. He has a short article about asexuals facing conversion therapy. Slate Op-Ed - It's time to start treating asexual and aromantic people like the adults we are The Maroon Op-Ed (part of Loyola University) - Column: "A" stands for asexuals and not allies Everyday Feminism - Why we need mental healthcare without asexual erasure - and how to get there NLM - Asexual and Non-Asexual Respondents from a US population based study of Sexual Minorities Asexuals.net - Aphobia: understanding the discrimination, and prejudice against aspec individuals Advocate - #21AceStories: including the A in LGBTQIA Carolina Sexual Wellness Center Op-Ed - I am an ally, and it's not about me The Panoptic Op-Ed - A is not for Ally: Spare a thought for invisible identities this pride month The Cataount Op-Ed - A is not for Ally Human Rights Campaign - Understanding the Asexual Community I did also see a comment in this reddit thread asking if the A stands for Ally, that in 70's the A used to stand for ally. However, in the 90's and early 2000's, as more and more asexual and aromantic awareness increased, there was a push for the A to stand for asexual/aromantic and also sometimes agender (although agender also falls under the transgender umbrella). So, it used to be ally, but that is an outdated definition. And again, while cis-het people are appreciated for being allies, they do not and will likely never face the same discrimination and prejudice that people with LGBT+ identities do. They shouldn't be included for doing the bare minimum of human decency. It's like a weird participation trophy that also dilutes the meaning of being LGBT+. People who are questioning or still in the closet are welcome to use the Q as "questioning/queer" or be allies, but it still does not mean that the A is for allies.

[riflebrass]

I've harped about this recently but I wanted to approach this from a different angle. Here's a collection of the top 25 wealthiest Americans. This info is from Forbes but the info is a little outdated. Forbes' website has a more accurate account for the top 100 wealthiest Americans but I'm not interested in scrolling through all that and taking screencaps just to prove a point.

So there's the list. When you combine their entire net worth you are looking at a little under $2 trillion and once you are out of the top 9 there's a sharp drop in how much money they have.

Here we have last year's budget for the fedal government. They received almost $5 TRILLION in tax revenue, more than DOUBLE what the top 25 men are worth combined. Elon alone has enough money to last him a couple thousand lifetimes. If someone wanted to bust out a calculator and spend the better part of an hour cruncing the numbers on Forbes website I'm sure you will find that $4.8 trillion in revenue is more than the combined wealth of the top 100.

All that tax revenue wasn't even enough to run this country for one whole year. We ran at a $1.3 trillion defecit. The combined wealth of the top 12 wealthiest Americans would have only made the budget break even on top of the taxes already collected. That's without universal healthcare, free college, free childcare, or an extra bag of fudge rounds for the folks on welfare lol.

[aquagrand]

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[jenifersohowe]

AMERICANS FAMILY DESIGNERS & MAKERS & PROFESSIONALS SPORT PLAYERS WITH A...

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[leaves-lilies-and-esther]

Reasons we still need feminism (in the US!)

Because out of every 1,000 sexual assaults, only 25 perpetrators will be incarcerated (RAINN)

Because our politicians feel comfortable saying that "if it's inevitable, just enjoy it" (Clayton Williams) and "when you're a star, they let you do it" (Donald Trump)

Because female survivors are routinely accused of lying, even though only 6% of rape accusations are false (meaning that 9/10 are true) (Lisak et al 2010).

Because the US is one of the only countries in the world without maternity leave

Because Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, North Dakota, South Carolina, and Texas all have abortion restrictions modeled on the scientifically inaccurate heartbeat bill (Scientific American)

Because women are already being prosecuted for miscarriages as a result of these rules- even when experts can't prove that their actions caused the stillbirth (google Marshae Jones, Brittney Poolaw)

Because in Arizona, Arkansas, Missouri, Florida, and Texas, you cannot get divorced while pregnant. Meanwhile, the leading cause of death for pregnant women is homicide because of domestic violence (Healthline).

Because women are frequently blocked from getting their tubes tied because they're young/haven't had enough children/ are unmarried. Men never share similar stories

Because people are already advocating against contraception. Idaho's No Public Funds for Abortion Act includes Plan B. Missouri Republicans tried to ban public funding for IUDs and contraception (along with many other examples from Slate)

Because women's pain is not taken as seriously by doctors- 25% less likely to be prescribed opioids for acute abdominal pain, and 2x more likely to be diagnosed as 'mentally ill' for complaining of heart disease (Washington Post)

Because the "husband stitch" is a thing

Because women are routinely under-represented in clinical trials for medication, and get less effective healthcare as a result (The Guardian).

Because pads/tampons are taxed like luxuries

Because roughly 58% of Americans have viewed porn (Institute for Family Studies). We know this fuels sex trafficking. Moreover, exposure to violent pornography makes boys 2-3 times likelier to commit sexual assault (Rostad et al 19).

Because attending strip clubs and similar establishments is still relatively normalized, even though 90% of sex workers want to leave immediately but are unable to (National Organization for Men Against Sexism). Because sex workers are more likely to be homeless, are frequently assaulted, etc.

Because women aren't educated about their bodies to the extent that only half were told about birth control (Forbes). Because my health classes never discussed pelvic exams or breast self-exams. I bet yours didn't either.

Because magazine images are photoshopped until the models don't even look like the models.

Because women are sold a false image of their bodies to the extent that they feel uncomfortable leaving the house without makeup, and 46% of girls worry regularly about their appearance as compared to 25% of boys (Mental Health Foundation).

Because we're told that over-sexualizing yourself at a young age is 'empowering', even though it has outcomes such as depression, disordered eating, and reduced productivity (New York University).

Because we're more likely to encourage our daughters to break gender norms than we are to encourage boys. We still view the feminine as inferior.

Because in 78% of films, the main character was male. And even when the movie is about women, the majority of the dialogue goes to men (Vox).

Because women are 28.7% of the house of representatives in 2023 (Wikipedia) despite being like 51.1% of the population. Because the US has never had a female president.

Reblog and add your own.

[searenbound]

Pronouns Update: she/her

PTN: I hope I made her personality clear, I feel like I’m writing part of rough draft of a Forbes Top 100 article

I made an au where my girl is trans femme, coming back from studying abroad a different person.

She convinces her wealthy conservative Japanese family to accept her as a woman and the future president of the family company with a resounding speech and borderline overqualified resume.

She turns her family’s monopolistic mega corporation — responsible for 75% of the worldwide economic and environmental pollution — into a global multi million dollar eco friendly investment and charity development.

Working for various causes such as environmental protection, affordable quality mental health and medical, lgbtqia+ support, and ethically produced affordable goods and services.

She checks everything meticulously to make sure employees even on the lowest level of the corporate latter are provided with quality healthcare and insurance.

All companies under Yaoyorozu Inc be fully unionized and go above and beyond in respecting all employees and maintain a healthy level of professionalism.

The corporate conscious lives in her, she’s actively trying to spread her wealth and hold herself to the highest moral standards.

Every single thing she owns no matter how minuscule is ethnically source and produced. Including her clothes — which are handmade using recycled materials — and food, which is ethically sourced and produced by local farms — no chemicals, animal abuse, factories etc

She is fully aware of her privilege, making it her personal duty to pay back her and her family’s karmic debt. Very much a martyr complex but extremely efficient. Her friends frequently refer to her as a “literal saint” and “dying for the sins of her fellow 1%”

Sorry for the delay in response, I think ethical ceo is a great direction to take with her!

We’ve seen actual real world examples of it that have worked out great for the companies, Costco is a great example of this actually. The founder believed in fair prices and fair treatment for all employees. Apparently when he retired and a new ceo stepped up, he threatened to kill him if the price of hot dogs in their food court went up because shareholders wanted new guy to bring them up so new guy asked him what he thought.

I think while her shareholders would probably have a problem with it, they can’t afford to challenge her because she already has a reputation for being a “one of the good ones” ceo