#MY PCS REFUSE TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT!!

[notoriousdogooder]

School Li's finding out they're infertile

Whitney

masc whitney + fem pc: oh thank fuck I love creampies too much to get anyone pregnant

fem whitney + masc pc: like id let your dumb fucking kid ruin my cunt *spits on you*

masc whitney + masc pc: yeah ok

fem whitney + fem pc: yeah ok

Robin

masc robin + fem pc: we can still adopt if you're up for it :) but only when we're rrreaalllly ready

fem robin + masc pc: i guess my secret hot chocolate recipe dies with me. that's ok, maybe we could adopt or get a pet?

masc robin + masc pc: uhm okay, adoptions an option, i-if you're up for it

fem robin + fem pc: I saw a cute dogboy today, maybe he could be our son lol

Kylar

masc kylar + fem pc: W-what..! No No No No No!!!!!!!!!! THIS CAN'T BE!!!! My seed must must enter your womb, so you can be filled with my kids because you are mine mine mine!!!!!! why has god punished me....??? I-I was made for this, made to carry the perfect sperm, to fill you, to have you, I-I can't believe this... am I even worthy of living...? *pulls out knife*

fem kylar + masc pc: W-what..! No No No No No!!!!!!!!!! THIS CAN'T BE!!!! My womb must must be filled with your seed, so I can be filled with your kids because you are mine mine mine!!!!!! why has god punished me....??? I-I was made for this, made to carry the perfect womb, to be filled by you, to have you, I-I can't believe this... am I even worthy of living...? *pulls out knife*

masc kylar + masc pc: NOOOOOOOOOO NOONONON NO NO IT CAN'T BE THIS ISNT HOW IT WAS MEANT TO BEE?!!?? IF ONLY I WAS BORN A WOMAN HATE HATE HATE ANGUISH *pulls out knife*

fem kylar + fem pc: AAAAAAAAAA AAAAAAAAA!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANONONONONONON!!ONONO!!!NONONO NO NO !!! *pulls out knife*

Pure Sydney

pure masc sydney + fem pc: o-oh, I mean, I was thinking of starting a family with you, beloved... I guess this is ok... *prays for the infertility to go away*

pure fem sydney + masc pc: t-thats sad..! I wouldn't mind carrying your kids, b-but I guess it's for the best, I'm always so busy... *prays for miracle pregnancy anyways*

pure masc sydney + masc pc: I mean, Its not like you cant *blushes* d-donate, or we can't adopt.. I've always wanted a family with you beloved

pure fem sydney + fem pc: I mean, you could always donate your eggs, if you'd like to... starts a family.. with me........ *blushes and looks away*

Corrupt Sydney

corrupt masc sydney + fem pc: oh, that's disappointing, i would've liked to have a family with you. but hey, more creampies *winks, you look down and theres already a boner*

corrupt fem sydney + masc pc: that sucks, it would've been nice to have your kids. but it also makes sense since weve never used a condom and I've never missed my period. it means unlimited creampies too *rubs her legs together*

corrupt masc sydney + masc pc: you think if you fuck me hard enough I'll get pregnant? *winks* ("you know that still won't work, right?")

corrupt fem sydney + fem pc: I mean, this strap does use water based lube as "semen" not sure what else we could've expected

[satansaidnottoday]

Obey me! Human AU Characters.

More information about the characters in my Human AU.

Warnings: Child death, implied child abuse, talk of anxiety and depression.

The brothers

Lucifer:

He spends most of his day working, and then the rest worrying about his brothers.

Not only the ones that still live with him. He will visit Mammon, Leviathan and Satan on the regular.

He's constantly tired.

He only ever goes out when it's a family event or a work dinner. Diavolo tries every day to convince him to grab drinks with him and the rest of his co-workers, but he refuses every time.

His only hobby is drinking wine while he plays his records late at night.

Has an undiagnosed anxiety disorder he refuses to admit he needs help for.

Mammon:

When Lucifer gained custody over their brothers, he had already aged out of the system. They kicked him out of the home the day he turned 18.

He moved into Lucifer's couch, swearing he would move out the moment he got a job.

Lucifer convinced him to do a bartending workshop and that's how he got his job at a bar in the center of town. He only works there on the weekends.

He ended up moving to the studio apartment on top of Mc's Café. It doesn't have a separate entrance and only has one window, but it's affordable and Mc doesn't mind him being late on his payments.

Has some modeling gigs here and there. Recently got accepted into an agency, but hasn't gotten any important stuff.

Lucifer has offered him to put a good word in for him at his job, but Mammon refuses to accept his help.

He does take any opportunity to eat out on Luci's dime, tho.

He has a lot of free time he spends most of it pestering Mc for free food, going to parties and getting high.

Leviathan:

While living in the home he would find refuge in his anime and manga.

For his 14th birthday Lucifer bought him a cheap laptop and he filled it with pirated games. It was his most priced possession. When it broke he cried even tho he already had built himself a Gaming PC.

He came out to his family as transgender a few weeks after moving in with Lucifer. It was very emotional, he cried the whole time. His brothers were very supportive.

Got a job at a manga shop. Ended up as the manager because of how good he was at selling people extra stuff.

He streams regularly and makes a few extra bucks, but he's not big enough to make real money.

Rents a small apartment near the mall he works at.

Complete shut in. Only leaves his house for work or family events.

Has a lot of self esteem issues.

Secretly pays for Mammon's rent when he's behind.

Satan:

He's Lucifer's biological half-brother. Neither knew about the other until Satan was taken from his dad custody when he was six. He was the last one of them to arrive at the home and the one Lucifer spent the least time with before being kicked out.

He has anger management issues, which caused a lot of conflicts for him. He would regularly lash out at Lucifer.

Eventually he got help and learned healthier coping mechanisms. It's still a problem sometimes, but he knows how to deal with it now.

He works as a librarian.

He inherited a small house from his father after he passed. He lives there as he reforms it.

Has a garden he takes care of.

Loves going to the cafe and volunteers to help with the cats.

Has 4 cats of his own that he adopted because no one else wanted them.

Asmodeus:

He had a very rough life before ending up at the home. In many ways it was an improvement for him.

He enjoyed having a family that took care of him.

He would draw a lot, mostly outfits for his dolls. He started to make them out of scrap fabric and had little fashion shows with them.

He was a very beautiful child and everyone always remarked on it. But it was Satan that told him he had a real talent for design. That was the first time anyone praised him for something other than his looks.

It became his life goal to be a fashion designer.

When they moved together, Mammon got him a sewing machine. It wasn't the best, but with it he started to make clothes for all of his brothers and himself.

He made his own high school graduation suit.

When Lucifer took one of his suits to work for the first time he cried.

He was accepted into a very prestigious private fashion school. Lucifer insisted on covering his tuition so he could focus on school.

He still lives with Lucifer.

Beelzebub:

He is Belphie's dizygotic twin.

After Lilith's death he got really bad anxiety and ate as a way of dealing with it.

He would eat his nails, nibble at his fingers, and chew the inside of his mouth.

He had to get proper treatment to stop hurting himself. One of the things the therapist suggested was baking classes, since he had always loved cooking.

It helped him greatly, and gave him some direction in life.

He is now a culinary school student.

Lives in Lucifer's house and doesn't have plans to move out until after college. It was Lucifer's idea.

He started to exercise too as a way to burn away anxiety. He's part of his schools Rugby team.

Self proclaimed foodie with an Instagram full of pics of the food he tries. Has a top 10 restaurants for their city.

Mc's café is in there of course. He loves their pastries.

Usually follows Belphegor around when he has nothing to do.

Belphegor:

Narcoleptic.

He got extremely depressed after Lilith's death. He stopped taking care of himself and would sleep all day if allowed.

He had to start taking meds for his narcolepsy, but Lucifer was advised against giving him antidepressants at such a young age.

He went to therapy almost daily the first few months.

They tried to enroll him at just about any activity, but nothing caught his interest. Until they visited the planetarium and he became infatuated with the night sky.

Leviathan gifted him a telescope for his 13th birthday. It came with a book that detailed all of the constellations he could watch and how to find them. He still uses it every night.

He's a criminology student.

He wants to move out on his own, so he got a part time job at Mc's Café. He's saving up to hopefully move soon.

It is not that he doesn't appreciate everything Lucifer did for them, it's just he doesn't want to be bossed around anymore.

He resents his authority, but any time he feels bad he looks for comfort in Lucifer.

He's the only parent he's ever had after all.

The side characters

Diavolo:

He's Lucifer's best friend.

His dad is the owner of the law firm he and Lucifer work at.

He had a very privileged upbringing, but was mostly raised by nannies. His dad was always at work and he never met his mom.

He didn't have many friends because he found all of the kids at his school boring.

When he left for college, the same public one his father went to, it was like a bucket of cold water fell on his shoulders. Hearing his classmates stories made him feel like he was raised in a different world.

He wanted to help Lucifer in any way he could, even if his reasons were selfish. That worked well for them, since Lucifer is not used to people helping without expecting anything in return.

Diavolo lives near the bar Mammon works at and goes there regularly. They got high together once, which led to Lucifer and Barbatos having to bail them out of jail. It wasn't even that much, Diavolo was just acting out what he thought drugged people do.

When he heard about Levi's news, he did some investigation (one google search) and bought him a binder. It was too big for Levi, but he was still very grateful.

In his free time he likes to play chess. Not that he has a lot of free time.

Barbatos:

Diavolo's personal assistant.

Has been taking care of Diavolo since he was child, yet Barbatos doesn't seem to be a day older than 30.

Only Diavolo doesn't think that is strange.

He's very closed off and no one knows much about him.

He does enjoy baking a lot, tho.

Simeon:

He lives next door to the brothers. He was really surprised when he saw them all together. They shared a home for a short while, when his parents lost custody of him.

It was a money problem and when his dad got a job he was able to get Simeon back. He always wondered what had been of those kids.

He was very happy to see them all together and offered to help with the renovations in their house.

Lucifer helped him in the process of adopting Luke.

The brothers made him a surprise party the day he took Luke home. He was so happy that he couldn't stop crying the whole day, Solomon still makes fun of him for it.

He's a very successful author and makes all of his money out of that. He still helps out at Solomon's store from time to time.

He doesn't know. He can't know.

Luke:

Simeon's son. He was given up by his birth mother to his grandmother, who took care of him up until her death, when he was only five.

He spent the next few years bouncing around from relative's houses to foster homes. He met Simeon at a reading event for kids in the system. They had a really strong connection from the start and after some visits, Simeon started the process of adopting him.

He was seven when he moved with Simeon.

He had a hard time adjusting to the idea of actually having a home of his own. It took a lot of reassurance to convince him to unpack his things. He loved Simeon, but all of his experience told him he was going to be let down one way or another.

He wasn't a difficult child, just a very hurt one, and Simeon did his best to help him heal.

He didn't like the brothers at first, they were all too loud. He did end up warming up to them, but it took a lot of time.

He loves baking and sometimes makes cakes for Mc to sell at the café. They give him all of the money from those sales. It's his little entrepreneurship.

Solomon:

Simeon's best friend/Mammon's Dealer/General menace to society.

Owns a holistic shop as a cover for his drugshop. He only sells natural stuff, tho. All from his garden!

Owns the store and the house behind it.

He has a very keen interest in natural medicine, spiritualism and magic.

Very witchy aesthetic overall.

Has a pet squirrel that was actually just a really big brown rat.

Simeon had to tell him.

Her name is Mikey.

That's all of the characters that are currently part of this Au!

Thanks for reading.

[thatjayjustice]

Your Life Has Value Beyond Measure: Disability and Poverty In the United States

This is a story about why it’s so important to get medical help, even if you can’t afford it. It is so hard to break the habit of ignoring our own pain because poverty won’t let us get help. Because we have to.

The number one killer in the US isn’t heart disease. It’s capitalism.

I have been permanently disabled and chronically ill since I was a child. I live with severe chronic pain and debilitating damage in my entire body. I am also on SSDI, which means that I am not allowed to earn more than $15k a year or I lose my disability insurance. This makes medical care unaffordable.

The combination of extreme, constant pain & the knowledge that healthcare is unattainable, leads to not getting help until it is too late. It is a trap that has taken countless lives. People who deserved to live but were told that healthcare was only for the privileged. Not us.

Because I couldn’t afford treatment, I didn’t try after the first huge medical bill. I ignored headaches, vision & hearing loss, & periodic paralysis. I crowdfunded a wheelchair. I tried my best to survive. And then I fell in love with someone who forced me to get an eye exam.

I moved in with my girlfriend. She immediately noticed how massive the fonts on my pc are & asked if I had ever considered glasses. I hadn’t, because that involved going to the doctor and that was for rich people. She would not take no for an answer. So off to the doctor I went.

The first doctor I saw was alarmed at the amount of nerve damage in my eyes and referred me to a colleague. The second doctor I saw was very alarmed at the massive amount of swelling in my eyes and brain, as well as nerve damage & asked how quickly I could get to a top neuro-ophthalmologist he knew.

I knew this would be expensive, but I was now being told that there was a very high risk for stroke, blindness, and/or death, so away we went. We were at the hospital for over 24 consecutive hours. My eyes were dilated twice because the dilation wore off before they could finish all the tests. So many tests.

The neurology team discovered that I had over 4x the amount of pressure on my brain that a person is supposed to have, & they did their best to relieve it. The cause is still unknown. I have been prescribed medication to treat the condition, but the optic nerve damage is permanent. My eyesight will not improve.

The doctors say that if I had not gotten treatment when I did, I could have died. Without ongoing treatment, I am still at risk of dying. I have to be extremely diligent with my new medication to prevent this. Medicare refused to cover it so I had to pay out of pocket. 1 month of the generic version of the prescribed medicine costs $260. That is over 1/3 of my SSDI check.

I have several more medical follow-up apps & neurological procedures and all of this is mandatory for my survival but costs more money than I am legally allowed to earn. The US Government’s mandate to permanently tie disability status to income limits is killing disabled people.

Millions of people are living with the uncertainty of inadequate healthcare coupled with inescapable mandated poverty. Medical care shouldn’t be a privilege. It should be free. Instead, it’s denied to those who need it most & gatekept behind a paywall thousands of dollars high.

All of this is why I avoided treatment for over 20 years until it was clear that I had no choice. Regardless of your ability to pay, you deserve to live. Poverty is not a moral failing. Your life has value beyond measure. If you are in pain, please get help before it’s too late. Medium article for this post: https://jayjustice.medium.com/your-life-has-value-beyond If this post helped you and/or you'd like to support my work: jayjustice.net gofundme.com/justice-on-wheels http://www.patreon.com/ThatJayJustice http://www.ko-fi.com/thatjayjustice https://www.venmo.com/ThatJayJustice https://cash.me/$ThatJayJustice

[llazyneiph]

Sharing my experience! What people do not understand is: That in fact 'bypass and skipper' won't protect you from getting "Trojans" on your PC via ADFLY.

Even if your Virus Protection is up to date! It does not mean that you are safe!

If the new Heuristic is unknown to the Virus Software, you can get still infected. The danger is potentially very high that you will have to face huge damage. Depending on the purpose a hacker has. It can even block your pc and there is nothing you can do about it except, shut down and reinstall your PC.

Those creators are not going to fix and pay the time you will need to fix the mess they caused for few cents.

Imagine how scary it is, when suddenly you cannot control your pc. Someone else is moving your mouse. That case happened to me, last year! Also, my CPU was damaged because of that! ADFLY? Hell no, never again!

Trust me I'm experienced and yet it did happen to me! So I don't want to imagine if this happens to a child, an elder, or regardless of who in our community. We should all refuse to support those irresponsible creators.

Shifting responsibility to Simmers regardless of their age is an irresponsible attitude by CC Creators who still use ADFLY. There are way better alternatives as you mentioned. So thank you for spreading the awareness, Neiph. 😏😌😘

Wow actually having someone remote control your computer is scary af... but if I got something that damaged my laptop like I’d be seriously screwed, I would probably fail this semester of uni. 

It just baffles me that people just blatantly refuse to care about others or think I’m some kind of monster because I do actually care lol

Thanks for sharing your experience!

[moomeecore]

do you draw on pc or a ipad? id be happy to send u money for procreate if u have an ipad :)

i do have an ipad,  but if i used money sent, it would be 2 by the premium (no ads) ver of medibang ! anon thank u SO much for offering that is insanley generous

this is the 3rd time someone had offered 2 pay me 2 help me out w medibang?? initially id refused bc i really don't need the money THAT bad and id feel guilty taking it....but idk with 3 people offering i think i might as well link my ko fi at this point bc its kinda ridiculous to pass this up...

https://ko-fi.com/cadend

im absolutely shaken to the core u guys this is insane i really just posted abt this in a split second decision where i was like "im really upset. should i complain to the void abt this on tumblr? why not" & barley expected advice much less this!!! honestly amazed!

for those of u who saw the (now deleted out of emberassment, b4 i even saw any of these msgs lol) post where i talked abt buying premium but complained a bit abt my financial situation in the notes.... please don't feel guilted by that information !

we're not doing too well.. but things r looking up ! bc my mom is taking my dad for court over the child support money - it's been an on going legal battle for months now but we r approaching the end of it soon & its VERY doubtful hes gonna win

+ its not that i couldn't afford medibang premium & need to raise money - just that id feel guilty using up our money on it when we dont have any income atm ... so just like. dont feel like u have too please

i prob shohldve had kofi linked here in the first place tbh so ygegah.... thank u guys sm, its insane trying to process the amnt of kindness ive received. esp since its for a problem that Objectivley really isn't that important but is a big deal for me personally.  im overwhelmed with how nice ppl are being!!!

[a-trainers-tale]

Hello there! I'd like to request a paid pokemon team description if you please! I had previously sent in the ask for the free one but changed my mind and decided to pay for one instead. Hopefully that's alright. Lol. So where to start. I'm a 21 year old female Leo. Personality wise, I would basically boil it down to, I’m an amiable introvert. I’ve always been really shy and quiet around strangers, maybe even a bit cautious of friendships as I’ve had too many experiences in the past of (1/?)

toxic friends. However, once I perceive a person to be real and genuine, I can open up to them easily, becoming who I truly am around them: fun-loving, excitable and talkative. I have MBTI personality type INFP also known as The Mediator, which makes sense as I'm definitely the peacekeeping type. In my small group of friends, I'm basically the one who keeps them from getting into fights with each other or other people. I'm also the one who diffuses situations. I myself dislike conflict and (2/?) will do everything in my power to actively ignore it, which may be one of my downfalls. For more positive traits, I have a high level of patience, meaning that I won’t give up on people easily even if everyone else has. I’m also very nurturing towards the people I love. I love raising people up and giving them all the support and affection I can. I’m definitely a hugger. However, more negative traits include my stubbornness and pride. These two go hand in hand really. I pride myself in my (3/?) ability to lead and keep a cool and level head when stuff hits the fan but sometimes even a situation can be too much for me and I’ll quickly begin to crumble. However, in an effort to still appear as the cool, kind leader everyone looks up to, I’ll straight up lie about how I really feel and oftentimes will refuse help. This isn’t just with feelings either. It’s with anything from homework to projects, etc. It’s probably worth mentioning that I can also be incredibly lazy sometimes. My (4/?) bursts of hardworking spirit can often be met with equally long periods of me just going, “Meh…” My hobbies and interests include my top three: Drawing, writing and playing video games. I draw mostly cartoon looking things with maybe a dash of anime sprinkled in there. There’s definitely a lot of video game fan art in there too. When it comes to my writing, I generally like to write a lot of fanfiction (the non-cringy sort. lol.) about different video games and of course, I write my own (5/?) do, so much so that sometimes the story never even gets written. My favorite kinds of video games range from adorable friendly things to horrifying video games. Things like RPGs, strategy, action, horror, etc. I don’t have any consoles so I mostly play PC and mobile games. My top three favorite franchises are Pokemon, Animal Crossing and Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. I also enjoy Minecraft, Destiny 2 and Tomb Raider. I’ve also been playing Pokemon since Generation 2 with my first game (6/?) Pokemon Silver. Other things I love include baking, reading (especially history), movies (love studio ghibli, anime, horror, action, thriller, comedy, etc.), TV shows about true crime, history and the paranormal. Speaking of, I'm a huge fan of the paranormal and come from a family of people spiritually sensitive to those sorts of things. I also love animes like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure, Hetalia and My Hero Academia. My favorite music includes hardstyle, edm, pop, 80’s/90’s hits, etc. (7/?) My favorite artists consist of Gorillaz, Melanie Martinez, Fleetwood Mac, Journey, etc. I also love going on hikes, swimming and just getting to experience nature. I will admit, I’m a kid who loves to snooze. Sometimes when there’s nothing else left to do, nothing’s better than curling up in bed with the blinds closed and room freezing cold with a warm blanket. I think the reason why is because I’m a vivid dreamer. Most of my inspiration comes from the things I dream up of and my dreams (8/?) always provide me with what may not be obtainable in real life. I’m currently going to school to become a preschool, elementary school or daycare teacher. I’m glad knowing that someday, I could make a difference in a child’s life with my kindness. I love Pokemon because it's given me a sense of joy all these years later after initially discovering it as a child. It's the one thing that had always stuck. This had been a lot of asks but I hope it's enough. Thank you for your time. (9/9)

Trainer class: Nurse

You have a naturally nurturing and caring heart and mind. You like to be able to help people and take care of people, this comes from both a genuine desire to help and also a likely subconscious desire to hold that kind of power in any relationships you have. You have a lot of patience and are willing to wait for things. Nurses do not initiate battle, they will wait for people to come to them directly, and after the battle will heal their opponent's pokemon. This is similar to how you approach your relationships with people, you wait for them to come to you and then dedicate yourself to listening, helping, and diffusing problems. Some people might not really understand you and think that your way of life seems boring or irritating but the way that you view it, helping others is also helping yourself. By not going out of your way to be a rockstar pokemon trainer, you are able to better focus on what you care about, namely helping those who need help and bonding with your pokemon who are safe in your care. Your determination comes and goes, some days you are content to relax with those closest to your and your pokemon, but other days you are out trying to find new methods of helping trainers and pokemon alike. You are creative in how you help pokemon and you pride yourself on your work when you are feeling passionate

Starter: Chikorita

Your starter pokemon is Chikorita. Like you, Chikorita really loves laid back activities and taking naps. Chikorita is often found sunbathing and relaxing in comfortable spots outdoors. Chikorita spends a lot of time looking for the perfect nap conditions and once it finds them it is hardpressed to leave before having its fill of a wonderful afternoon nap. You and Chikorita spend a lot of time relaxing and napping together, and you bond over enjoying simpler activities. Chikorita's lower energy makes it a good fit for you, and it doesn't often pick fights so it will never be a cause for concern for you. 

Partner: Steelix

Steelix is also a very patient pokemon, living for over 100 years sometimes, these pokemon will slowly become harder than diamonds. Steelix is also a very stubborn and very individualistic pokemon, which makes it somewhat of a challenge for you to get it to work with your other pokemon sometimes. You relate to your Steelix's desire to hole itself up in a cave somewhere and ignore any responsibility it may have, but you also relate to how it very often pulls itself out and helps out the rest of your team with you. Steelix is also fiercely protective, you so never have to worry about your other pokemon getting into trouble with Steelix around.

Team: Meganium (starter), Bastiodon, Darmanitan (zen), Dragonair, Hatterene

Hometown: Icirrus City, Unova

Your hometown is Icirrus City in the Unova region. This town is very humid and covered in wetlands, so most of the buildings are on higher ground and there are a lot of inclines. This town is also nearby Dragonspiral Tower, which is the oldest building in Unova and is said to be the home of legendary pokemon Zekrom and Reshiram. Because of your early life consisting of brave trainers venturing here to seek these legendary pokemon, and people fighting over the right to study and unearth these pokemon, you came to realize that you prefer to stay out of the mess most of the time and sometimes help people stuck within it. Your dedication to yourself and your pokemon is very rooted in your decision when you were younger to live a simpler life than a lot of the people who came through your hometown. You also gained some creativity due to growing up in an area that required creative architecture. Your experiences with rather difficult terrain and an interesting social climate made you the kind of person you are, namely that you keep your head when things get weird and you are willing to wait and be patient when others are more inclined to rush in head first.

Battle style: Slow and steady wins the race

You are a very patient and slow battler. You take your time and are very cautious. You tend to come overprepared, with lots of healing items and stat boosting items. Your pokemon are not necessarily hard hitters, but you prioritize their ability to be reliable and predictable for you to use. You prefer pokemon who will consistently do a set amount of damage, for instance, over a pokemon who might or might not do a ton of damage in one hit. You prefer pokemon that work well in groups, you like a team that can work together and help each other over individualistic and self reliant pokemon. You help your pokemon learn to work together and learn to love being a team instead of competing with one another. You enjoy being able to take your time in battles and observe your own pokemon and your opponents for areas they could be more creative or more consistent. Your pokemon all trust you deeply and know that if they take any damage or have any conflict they can't solve themselves, you will be there to help them out of their bind and comfort them after the fact. 

[bilobasblogs]

What I’ve Accomplished and Learned in 2019

My fear of making this post and, in turn, solidifying my entire year’s-worth of lessons has brought a slight feel of malaise into the back of my mind; something I’d think of for a moment then try to forget about because of how exposing and ‘final’ it may feel. It made me feel a bit sick thinking about. Maybe because I felt like.. I had something to live up to? A certain criteria to meet? Maybe so.

All that being said, I’ve somehow, by the grace of God, motivated myself enough to write this in full. As the title implies, this is a (somewhat) cohesive list of what I’ve both accomplished and learned in this last year, 2019. I’m not sure if I will do this every year or not, but eventually I did realize it’s something I have to do for myself, and for my journey of self-evaluation. That's why I gave in. So without further ado, let’s move on to the first on my list. :’)

ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

1. Removing myself from a toxic situation: A storytime.

Let me elaborate on that a little, so you’re not so lost.. Anyways! Back in 2017, I struggled a lot with depression and thoughts of self-hatred, even suicide. My home life has never been great, but at that point I had lost all my IRL friends and was alone. To make a long story short, I turned to Instagram as a home for my friendless self. I joined fandoms and posted regularly, but it led to me making friends with very manipulative and toxic people. And it wasn’t healthy. I would talk to them everyday, all the time. Eventually, everything came to a grand finale when my closest friend accused me of hacking/stealing his account that I apparently ‘had the password to’. (I had an old password. It was changed so I could no longer use the old one) He blasted me all over his account with a decent following, calling me names, and getting his friends to DM me messages of physical-appearance shaming. Top it all off with a “Go rot in hell or whateva” message from him, and I basically lost everything I thought I loved. I made a vow to myself that I wouldn’t end up in that situation ever again. I promised to focus on me, myself, and my mental health ONLY, in 2019. And I’d say I accomplished that. I’m proud of myself for that.

I was originally going to put this in the “things I’ve learned” category, but because of how big a deal this was, it had to be delved into a little deeper. And it ends with a big accomplishment; the restoration of my sense of self-worth and ability to appreciate myself. I’d call that a win!

2. Finally getting that new computer I needed.

Okay, not much of an accomplishment.. But I added it on this list because of how long I’ve actually had my previous computer. Probably for more than 5 years, if I’m being honest. It was an old, rusty, 32-bit disaster running Windows 7. The main motivation for me getting a computer was not actually how slow or glitchy it was, but it was because I bought Sonic Adventure 2 on Steam and couldn’t play it on my PC. I was pissed so convinced my parents to help me get a new one. Now I bask in all my Chao World Extended mod glory!

3. Concert tickets get!

Shortly after getting my new computer at the beginning of the year, my favorite artist and songwriter, Marina, returned to the music industry after a 3-4 year hiatus. As soon as a supporting tour was announced, I knew I had to get those damn tickets. It had been too long since the last tour, there was no way I was passing this one up! So after months of begging my dad, he FINALLY ordered them and we attended, not just any concert, but my FIRST live show ever. Forever grateful for that experience... for the most part. Eh, I’ll get back to that story later. On to the next!

4. Not one, but TWO dental surgeries!

Yes, it’s true. I actually got my braces on this year (my teeth were abysmal, to say the least...) and had to get two separate dental surgeries to remove my teeth. One for wisdom teeth, one for my back molars. This was to make room for my teeth separating and straightening out. It was hell. But not because of the recovery process, but because of how anxious I was while I was getting put out for the surgery. They kept trying to get me to fall asleep and I kept on talking! I was actually scared as the world went black, but before I knew it, I was lying in my bed at home in severe pain. Ahh, good times.

5. Self-expression and my venture into deviantART..

I’ve saved this one for last, as I feel it’s the thing that benefited me the most this year. I’ve taken the time to figure out what makes me feel creatively realized as a person. What makes me happy? What makes me feel good after I’m completely finished? I’ve learned that two things check those boxes: Drawing and writing. Even more specifically, songwriting.

I always had known from my earliest years that I wanted to be an artist. I clearly had the passion and was willing to always learn and grow. I never cried over ‘failing’ as a child, I always just wanted to do better. I think that quality pays off for me in the long run, because in January this year, I created my deviantART account. I was in need of something to fulfill me after the loss of my friends, and it seemed that making a DA was the the right thing. It combined social and artistic aspects, which was perfect for me. Now I have a fantastic, small little following on a profile where I just draw fun NiGHTS, Sonic, and Crash Bandicoot doodles. I’m really happy now.

LESSONS I’VE LEARNED:

1. Never let somebody tell me my character, unless I know them extremely well and vice versa. I know myself well enough, and shouldn’t think differently of myself just because somebody else does.

2. Along those same lines, always listen to my gut. Never let a whisper here or a quip there influence me when I have a deep gut feeling about something.

3. An error and a mistake are not the same things. An error is when I fall down, which all humans do because we’re imperfect creatures. A mistake is when I choose not to get up and learn from the error as a lesson. A lesson will also be repeated again and again until it is learned and I decide to pull myself off the ground and continue going.

4. True forgiveness does not mean “I accept what you caused to occur”, it is saying “I accept that it has happened, and I’m letting go of the past I thought I wanted. And I am willing to move and do something with what I learned.”

5. There are two different ways to say sorry. First, is when you say sorry but actually mean “please forget whatever I just did”. The second is genuine and is when you say sorry and mean “I apologize for the wrong that I did, and am willing to learn and move on from it.”

6. I cannot shut myself down in front of people. I can’t shut people out. If I do that, I lose out on a precious time that could be spent with other amazing people. Sometimes it can seem like investing will lead to heartbreak, but it won’t always be like that. I have to invest, but I won’t invest in more than I can afford to lose.

7. Sometimes it’s better to let myself be wrong and learn than to try to be correct and refuse to grow.

Alrighty! That’s all I could think of for this very long, personal post. I know I don’t talk about my personal life too much on social media, so I wanted to make this end-of-year recap for myself so I don’t forget the lessons I’ve learned along my journey. If you got something out of this.. yay! I’ve sorta accomplished my goal! I also understand if this was boring as hell to read. But it’s special to me and I don’t want to forget 2019. David of the future will thank me later.

Anyway.. here’s to an even better and more fantastic 2020! Goodbye 2010s, I forever love you. The majority of my life has happened in the 2010s, and I’ve made so many memories in this decade. From the growth and blooming of the internet and memes, to more real/raw things like personal self-growth. I’ve gained a lot and lost a lot, but in the end I’m thankful for it all. I hope everyone’s holiday season was amazing and I wish you a great upcoming New Years into the next decade! Talk to you next time, loves.

much love, bilobasideya 💜

[lystelle]

my name is carly, i'm a young artist studying applied arts towards an animation major. in june 2018 i was hit at an intersection by an uninsured driver with no license and a child in the car. she ran the red and t-boned my small car with her large ford expedition, sending me spinning out across the street into a road divider, where i then flipped and rolled several times until my car was left destroyed, me hanging upside down by my seatbelt. miraculously i did not break any bones, but as i was rushed to the hospital i did not know that i had smashed my head into the driver's side door during the crash, causing a severe concussion where i blacked out for several minutes, not even remembering i had done so.

the following days my head was swollen up on one side and i experienced regular concussion symptoms, but little did i know that i would not heal from this injury for months and months, during which suffered from a mental breakdown, splitting migraines, warped double vision, feelings of unreality/derealization, exhaustion, strong light and sound sensitivity, suicidal ideation, and panic attacks that sent me to the ER more than once a week at times. at one point, the panic attacks caused by the injury were so severe and constant that my stomach developed high amounts of acid and ulcers, which caused my throat and stomach to swell, causing nausea and pain so intense i dropped nearly 20 lbs. and couldn't eat anything more than water and crackers for weeks.

since the worst parts of the injury, i was finally told that i had PCS (post-concussive syndrome), a traumatic brain injury which affects 10% of those who sustain severe concussions and causes regular concussion symptoms to elevate to excruciating levels and last for months or years. since then i've been unable to drive because of my vision or work because of the panic and exhaustion.

since then i have gone from barely being able to get out of bed to doing some chores around the house that i can handle and attending therapy groups three times a week. there is very little i can do to speed up the healing process, but vestibular therapy and concussion rehabilitation are two things i am trying to get referrals for with my doctor, though they are making it a difficult and slow process.

i live with my father and brother in a two bedroom apartment, my father struggles to make the rent payment every month along with other overwhelming bills from the fact that i am no longer able to help him. i have only $100 in my savings account to my name and cannot stretch it very much longer for my own bills and co-pays. my mother is mentally ill and abusive, living in the house we used to live in, charging up my father's credit cards and demanding alimony he can barely scrape up every month. she refuses to help me (or us) financially or emotionally.

because of my high stress medical condition, living situation, and lack of ability to go back to work or drive, i am asking for donations from my heart to support myself and my family. anything, even a dollar is appreciated and will not be taken for granted. thank you for your time spent and i hope to soon to get the treatment i need in order to get back into the life i had before all of this and work to support my family again.

[ozzysherlock13]

Hey Y'all. I know 1/2 my followers are p0rnbots but I’m going to throw this out here anyway. 

My names Amanda and I am currently attending NC State University. I am majoring in Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, Concentration Urban Horticulture. What does this mean? I am basically studying sustainable growing practices! Specifically, I am focusing on making fresh and healthy food avaliable in urban areas so that people living in underserved areas can have access to nutritious food and affordable rates. I don’t know if you have ever heard the words “food insecurity” before, but that is basically what I am focusing on. I wish to focus on research and public education. People overlook how food accessibility plays a role in both environmental and social justice issues but it is so so important. I have been studying plant science since high school and I have always wanted to apply my plant knowledge to environmental issues and this is how I'm choosing to do that! 

Not to get on my soap box or nothing, but I have worked extremely hard to attend NC State to study this major and to do it at the least amount of cost for my family. My mother is a single mom, I have 2 other sisters, and she does her best on a teacher’s salary to keep everything afloat. We never had a lot of money to begin with, but my dad has refused to pay my mom alimony and child support for my younger sister for the past several months and it has damaged my family’s financials to an unbelievable degree. Before this was known to me, I applied to a Study Abroad Program in Ireland. This program would help me understand environmental issues in growing on a global scale. Because I could not afford to go away for a whole summer or semester, I picked a 2 week program that will be going to Dublin, Galway, and Cork. This length of trip is not eligible for most online scholarships. I have gotten nearly no support from my university and I am getting very scared. I am committed to the program and have been talking about how exciting I am about it for months. I believe that traveling abroad is so important to gain a wholistic view of issues in our profession. I also think personally, it will be enriching and enjoyable. This may be my only chance to study abroad and I wish to expand my world view.

If anyone out there has any information on resources for scholarships, grants and support, I would highly appreciate it. Also, I will attach my GoFundMe if anyone can spare any amount of money at all to help me with the expenses of travel. If anyone would prefer to Venmo me directly to bring the cost of donating down you can PM me. 

https://www.gofundme.com/amanda039s-study-abroad-trip-to-ireland&rcid=r01-15483596723-145a29651eb24d43&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_w

TL;DR: I need support for my trip to Ireland because my family’s financial circumstances have changed dramatically. 

If you can’t spare any money, I totally understand! I would appreciate all the support you can give in Reblogs! You have no idea how much this means to me. 

[lunarymagic]

11 Questions Meme

Tagged by @edgeoflight! <3  :)

Answer 11 questions and then come up with 11 of your own and tag followers.

1. What place would you visit if money and time were no object?

Japan and New Zealand seem to be a tie for me!

2. What book have you read that influenced you the most?

It’s an obvious one but: Tolkien’s books. He saved me in so many ways (and in fact, some of the things he has said about himself makes me think he too suffered from bouts of depression.) His writing never ceases to give me hope. I watched the films when they first came out before reading Lord of the Rings but I was still heavily impacted, and when I got to The Silmarillion: damn. <3

3. Tell me about a time when deciding something differently would’ve changed your whole life.

I was an Art and English double major for a year before deciding I wanted to become a pharmacist. I always wonder what would have happened if I decided to just stick with that plan (FWIW, the first semester after my change in studies was one of the biggest highlights of my life both personally and creatively. So! :D *shrugs* )

(and putting the rest behind a cut because this got so long!) 

4. What do you see as being the next big revolutionary technological innovation?

I want to see A.I. become a thing, and they are on their way. Unfortunately, governments are apparently already requesting for war machines because of fucking course. Meanwhile I’m thinking how wonderful it would be to marry a robot. Because I always was fascinated by them. I’d love to hold a philosophical conversation with a robot, at least. Why should everything be about war? That’s so primitive! Let’s have intelligent robots who can help carry humans from one room to another in hospitals while also holding friendly conversations with them! Or just keeping the sick company? Keeping elderly in nursing homes company? Keeping anyone who is lonely and doesn’t have family company?! Or nanny/babysister robots you can trust! Or even friendly robots you can just...feel safe around! Seriously, people stop being so fucking primitive we’ve had over hundreds of thousands of years of evolution just to make a fucking war machine WTF NO WONDER GOD HAS ABANDONED OUR ASSES!

*takes a deep, calming breath* I hate war. Anyhow:

5. If you reached out with your left hand, what would you touch?

A bunch of books, sketchbook, loose papers, tons of sketches, hand-drawn maps of the Ironverse, some open mail for some reason, an old tablet for some reason. Nail clipper. Is useful. Some cheap color pencils for idea sketching. And for some reason a box of unplayed-with puzzles. All stacked in a neat matter on a small table, too.

6. Which is the most important: truth, beauty, freedom, or love?

Truth is beauty, truth sets you free, and being true is to be love. So, truth! :D 

7. What’s your relationship with your parents like?

...Complicated. Well, with one of them at least. With Dad it’s pretty much good and stable and normal. With Mom it’s...it’s a roller coaster ride. Things have gotten very ugly several times before (don’t even ask about the past) but also? She has supported me in ways so-called “friends” never did and we would literally kill someone if they hurt the other even if we’re ready to mutually kill each other so...yeah, complicated! :D 

8. If I gave you a million in your own currency but told you that you couldn’t spend it on yourself – you had to give it away – what would you do with it? You can divide it up as much as you like, but you can’t keep any of it.

There are so many charities I would give to. And research funds, holy crap. If there’s anything that can help pancreatic cancer patients I would do that in particular because even with advancements in treating cancers, with there being more and more survivors now than ten, twenty years ago, PC continues to be a fast killer and I’d want for the next research focus to go on early detection and treatment.

9. Do you believe that patriotism is a good thing or a bad thing?

It depends on what we’re talking about. In the country I was born in, there are people trying to erase my entire heritage and culture and history. I’m patriotic in the sense that I will not back down, will refuse to be erased or written out of history. 

At the same time, I do live in America, am an American, and have seen the more toxic form of patriotism. There’s a balance to be reached. Patriotism when it is not about only you. When it’s love for your land but not at the expense of others or snubbing others. 

10. How would you define romance?

Ew. XD Well, that was my first thought when I saw the question! Which is weird because I’m considered shipper trash? I honestly don’t know how I would define it. I don’t care much for it in RL? And in fiction my ships come in a wide spectrum from the fluffiest shit to...the most violently abusive shit ever that I don’t even post on AO3 (yes I’m talking about the Valttu/Lalli stuff.) I just like the dynamics and that’s it I guess? I dunno! And in RL I literally do not even care or pay attention to it. Too busy making love to the Ironverse. XD

11. Imagine you are very old and dying. What do you think you will regret, if anything?

Nothing, maybe. Not because my life is perfect -- it is far from that -- but because I have learned to not ever live with regrets. Everything happens for a reason, even if it’s damn painful, and I learn something from them. That’s how I’ve lived all this time. 

And my questions:

1. Autumn or Spring?

2. What sort of dreams do you typically have?

3. Thirteen hungry dwarves have come uninvited to your house! Quick, what do you prepare for them?

4. Five songs or groups you've been into lately?

5. Would you rather be saved by an Elven prince plagued by a terrible Oath or a Space Alien princess overcome by grief?

6. This world is falling apart but a portal has opened up. Which fictional world would you like to live in for the rest of your life?

7. The most hilarious mishap you've had or had witnessed?

8. If you’re a fanfic writer: do you remember the first ever fic you ever wrote? Or if you write mainly original fic: first story? Artists: first art piece? 

9. What book or show or movie or game was dearest to your heart as a child?

10. Any book/movie/show/game rec for your followers?

11. Is the absence of evidence an evidence of absence?

And I tag: @inside-the-mountain, @pyropelove413, @superheroladies, @eatyourgrapes, @naryrising, @the-wavesinger, @squirrelwrangler, @sathinfection, @kainoliero, @independence1776, @yuuago

And, of course, anyone else who wishes to do this! :)

[allianceinternational-blog]

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I would try to keep my effort to improve, yet I am continually knocked from every direction, except for my family, friends and environment at school.

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The notion that at fourteen I was running three small successful businesses and keeping my own accounts, budgets, cash flows and creating my own marketing, apparently didn't count for everything to my teachers and careers officer.

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[entergamingxp]

Riot Games’ Project A is called Valorant, and it plays like a Counter-Strike killer • Eurogamer.net

If there can be only one thing taken from my time at Riot Games’ vast, lavishly fitted LA campus, it’s that the mega-developer is desperately keen to prove they know what they’re doing. Riot’s pitch for Valorant, its upcoming tactical shooter seemingly named after a kind of industrial carpet cleaning fluid, is one based almost entirely on competence: the game will have the best infrastructure, the best attention to detail, the most committed, communicative ongoing support, and the most rigorously balanced gameplay of anything like it – even if it comes at the cost, seemingly, of character and heart and anything else like it. I’ve played about four hours and moment-to-moment it really is brilliant, right across the board. Exacting, oddly approachable, tense. The potential is there for Valorant to be the pinnacle of tactical shooters – but it also feels a bit back-to-front. This is a game that exists purely to excel, like the child of two parents who only agreed to conceive so their kid could ace its homework. A game that’s very good at doing what other games have already done, but better.

Valorant

Developer: Riot Games

Publisher: Riot Games

Platform: PC

Availability: Summer 2020

Perhaps that impression is just a result of the way in which Riot has chosen to introduce Valorant. At times it’s felt almost comically self-conscious, the developer obsessively anticipating every gripe and grizzle before it comes about. Recall the initial teaser reveal, amidst Riot’s multitude of ten-year anniversary celebrations, where lead producer Anna Donlon talked at length about “Project A”‘s ambition to eliminate such essential woes as “peeker’s advantage”, and bless the world with 128-tick servers. Sexy! Dedicated servers are old news, it seems. The schtick of schmucks. Such is the world of games, in this time of subreddit megathreads and so many direct lines from community to creator, that one of the largest developers on earth announces a massive new game by correcting their audience’s complaint-jargon before they’ve even used it.

From the moment you equip your knife to move faster, you know Valorant will feel incredibly familiar to Counter-Strike fans.

Still, Valorant is impressive, and as weird as it is to lead with the technical firefighting stuff, so is that. If you buy it, Riot’s promises are hugely encouraging. In opening presentations at the studio, developers cited twelve games as inspiration, ranging from the obvious, like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive to Crossfire and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier (curiously, and perhaps cheekily: no mention of Overwatch), and the game itself feels like a surgical piecing together of the best of them. Each game’s minor gripe or community grumble extracted and eliminated before it ever came about. To describe it in brief, imagine Counter-Strike in a just slightly more colourful world, with better attention to the little touches, from a nice little ping system to slightly more playfulness in the maps, with things like fixed teleporters allowing for baiting and flanking. Above all though, its standout addition is the highly strategic abilities, each tied to your characters (“Agents”) that sit between the rigid grounding of Rainbow Six Siege’s Operators and the more cartoonish skills of Overwatch.

The abilities themselves are quite Overwatch though, as much as Riot wants to avoid saying the name. The main difference is the intention: with Valorant the aim is to be a “tactical shooter first”, with everything else in service of that. That means all the Agents still deal damage primarily through shooting (disappointingly, with real-world guns, which lead designer Trevor Romleski told me was in order to preserve a sense of inherent, “intuitively satisfying” feel and recognisability), and Agents’ abilities are always in service of that, whether it’s through zoning, or scouting, or debuffing, or just bluntly walling off entrances. Even the Agents that feel especially out-of-this-world or Overwatch-y, such as the Hanzo-like Sova (renamed from Hunter mid-way through my time there), who can fire off a scouting pulse arrow and a larger ultimate that can pass through walls, still rely on gunplay first – and the same guns as everyone else.

Combining abilities ostensibly for one purpose – like that green wall – with position and tactical play like this will be essential for the more advanced players.

Those guns are also at the centre of the in-game “economy”, which is very similar in concept to Counter-Strike again, or indeed the gold-based shopping of League of Legends. Games are played in a first-to-twelve format, which takes a good half an hour, or longer if it’s a close one. Matches are attack versus defence, with one team trying to plant a bomb and the other trying to prevent them. The maps, of which there’ll be four at launch, Riot says, will have a mix of two or three points to attack and defend. You win a round by either killing all five of the enemy team members or successfully planting a bomb and seeing it through to detonation – or defusing it once planted, if you’re on defence. And you play the game in chunks, so you’ll be defending for several rounds then attacking for several and, coming back to the economy, it’s between these individual rounds where you have a chance to buy weapons, armour and – crucially – more charges of your abilities. That economy is intended to be “team-based”, so the better your team does in a round the more money you have to spend before the next one, on those bigger and better guns and the like. In a nice touch that you’d hope would encourage teamwork, you can also ping a weapon from the menu and another teammate can buy it for you with a single click, helping the wealth trickle down from that one ringer on the squad.

As an aside on modes themselves, it’s just this one at launch but Romleski did say the team was “interested in exploring” other, faster or more casual modes, and that the core one’s length may change slightly if the community deems it necessary. Anna Donlon also added it’s “definitely” on the team’s list. “The team has been very focused on the competitive part… The questions we’ve been kind of debating amongst ourselves is: would you hold that back to wait to establish the more casual mode or would you put competitive mode out for the audience we think it’s for, start building that audience and start building a community – and then also at the same time be working on something that could be maybe a little bit more broad reaching or something that you would just want to play to decompress? … Do we wait to launch the game so we have that? I think the answer is probably no. Do we prioritise that work? I think the answer there is probably yes.”

Maps are crisp and readable, but that’s at the expense of them looking a little flat.

Looking for lore

Character and lore might not be the first thing on people’s minds when a hardcore shooter launches, but it’s been a key part of games like Overwatch’s success in particular. So why the silence on that compared to everything else?

Valorant creative director David Nottingham said he’s “a big believer in environmental storytelling”, and so the plan is to introduce it in-game, rather than via the “incredible” CG trailers of games like Overwatch – although they may do something similar “at some point”.

One in-game example: “You’re playing a map and you’re like, “Oh, there’s there’s a billboard up,” it’s maybe a sort of recruitment poster for Kingdom, right? Kingdom is a big faction, a company that exists in this world… and then you come back on a Tuesday and you log in and you’re like “Woah!” – someone’s gone in and defaced it. So for people who are paying attention it’ll be like, “Oh, there’s actually dialogue happening, and things happening within the world that I’m seeing play out in front of me.” And so for those who want to discover that stuff it will deepen their understanding.”

Back to the economy, and successfully gaming it will be what sets the top players apart from the merely skilled. I’d expect deep strategies and metas and all that malarkey to appear pretty fast around what you spend your first bits of cash on and who buys what for the rest of the team. The other side of that, of course, is that I expect the ubiquitous lone wolf players will probably refuse to share. Playing in the cocoon of Riot’s in-house “PC Bang”, on teams of five who speak the same language – and are happy to even use the game’s built-in voice chat in the first place – it would be easy to say that Valorant feels wonderfully tactical, with cooperation and character synergy baked in. The reality is that while, yes, the Agents’ abilities synergise quite beautifully at times, I’m sure that’s also down to having the right people to play with. The ringer on our team was Riot’s David “Phreak” Turley, for instance – a well-known professional League of Legends commentator who mains the support role when he plays. In other words: an unusually supportive, communicative environment off the bat.

Without a squad of chatty friends or some particularly good luck with online matchmaking, it’s very easy to anticipate an issue with toxic communication coming from such an incredibly tense, competitive game with both text and voice chat. As much as it might seem like a laboured point, this is something that many see as inseparable from League of Legends, and that Riot has already had to work enormously hard at combating. It’s arguably failed to really fix the issue, ten years on, and that’s despite League only featuring text chat in-game. Voice chat’s issues, most notably with the exclusionary effect it has on female players in particular, have been well documented. When I asked about this, game director Joe Ziegler promised to draw from Riot’s “centralised efforts” at battling the issue and apply some “specific salves around certain features,” but wouldn’t go into more detail during our chat. You can read more of his thoughts in our full interview with Ziegler and Valorant’s lead producer, Anna Donlon, but a suggestion would be to axe the voice and text chat altogether and go with Apex Legends’ nuanced ping system (something League of Legends itself made good early strides with). It’s also worth noting Riot’s already promised to improve on the pings they have. As Romleski put it, the implementation I saw was “not the grand vision” of the ping system: “we want to make sure players are comfortable if they don’t use voice or they don’t [feel confident in] calling out all the right information at the correct times.” Fingers crossed.

This is one of the zones where you’ll need to plant or defuse a bomb. Riot placed huge emphasis on its work with verticality, sightlines, cover, map-knowledge and more, and they’re all evident here.

Toxicity notwithstanding, Valorant’s intense competitiveness is also one of its greatest strengths. If you do get a good team, or just a good group of pals to play it with, I found there was a remarkable thrill to most of the rounds I played, especially so when we swept ahead to lengthy leads before almost throwing matches at the final round, or clawed matches back from the brink. Games frequently built to a natural climax of tension, and some higher-level plays – last-gasp, “clutch” one-versus-three kills or team-wide strategies coming together – can be incredibly satisfying. The game feels built to surface those particularly vivid, Rainbow Six Siege-style moments in particular, when there’s one player left and somehow they pull it off, turning things around with nothing but spit and hope and a little John McClane gumption.

It’s hard to pin down a single, quantifiable thing that brings that sort of heightened tension about, but Riot would argue it’s all in the basics. To go right back to their initial pitch, this is a game built on competency first, and apparently what that means is a tangible difference to all the little things. The art team emphasised their creation of a “clean zone”, for instance, where anything within the playable height range of the maps was slightly more muted and stripped back, whilst the areas above (roofs, skylines, and the like) was allowed to pop. Other elements are illustrated in accordance with a “readability hierarchy”, where Agents stand out above the playable space, which stands out above the visible parts of your gun, which is above the non-playable stuff altogether. Cover, on the maps themselves, is allocated with great precision, forming a curated spaghetti of “long lanes” of clear sniper paths and intentionally obstructed sightlines. All characters have equal-sized hitboxes. There’s tagging, and specific walls you can shoot through, and on and on and on it goes with a seemingly infinite string of minutiae that Riot has thought about (and talked about) at exhaustive length.

This balcony, and its longer sightlines to and from the room you’re trying to attack ahead, is a key spot for snipers.

Above all of that, though, is a technical effort that on paper sounds quite remarkable. As we all know by now, Riot boldly claims to have eliminated peekers’ advantage, something that I’d expect no-one but the most ardent of CS:GO nerds to have heard of or cared about until now, but makes a demonstrable difference to how long-term players will play the game. In most shooters like Valorant, you can briefly pop out from behind a wall to “peek” at what’s going on and quickly dart back with the shimmy of a button, and do so with no risk of getting picked off, because the delay between you performing the peek and the enemy seeing you is too high. You’re back behind the wall before it’s humanly possible to react and shoot. It’s become a time-old part of playing tactical shooters at a decent level, but in Valorant it no longer flies. Riot seems to have tackled this entirely by cracking open one of those League of Legends coffers, that I imagine they have lying around the place, and simply throwing vast amounts of money at the problem.

To get briefly technical, as I understand it Riot claims to have struck a deal with internet service providers that will route internet traffic directly from you to Riot’s servers, via service called Riot Direct, which it says means an average of 35ms ping for at least 70 percent of players at launch. I can feel the eyes glazing over, don’t worry, so in basic terms: much less lag, regardless of where you are. At the top end of the scale, competitive players and streamers that have been known to move across the continent of North America to get physically closer to servers, so that their ping is low enough for high-level play, can breathe a sigh of relief. For myself and most others, it’s just another quiet reassurance.

As well as the peeker-busting 128-tick servers and promise of super-stable ping for (almost) everyone, Riot’s also built Valorant to be playable on a huge amount of machines. David Strailey, who works at Riot in the netcode and software engineering side of things for Valorant, said that a $120, ten-year-old laptop with an i3-370M CPU (which equates to 88 percent of current League of Legends players) would be able to play Valorant at 30 frames-per-second, while 66 percent of LoL players could play it at 60. Slides were used to show off some apparently remarkable strides to improving the accuracy of hit registration. Riot even showed footage supporting a promise to upscale players with low FPS and lag, through some special server magic, so that even if they jittered about and jumped all over the place on their own screen their movement would appear entirely smooth on yours.

Wind all that back into the important stuff – the gameplay – and it raises interesting questions around where true originality and fun really comes from. Sometimes players coming up with clever ways to work around things that are technically problems or imbalances can actually lead to the most interesting gameplay. To go back to peekers once again, in Romleski’s words: “Let’s say we’re playing against somebody who’s peeking, you might ‘jiggle peek’ yourself as like a counter-way to deal with it, and I think it’s good that players are being ingenuitive and trying to come up with ways to deal with it.” The difference in Valorant, he says, is that Riot wants to build the “tools” for breaking sightlines and using space to your advantage into the game intentionally, so you can “find your own way to break that puzzle of some people holding that position,” rather than relying on server delay to do it for them.

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/03/riot-games-project-a-is-called-valorant-and-it-plays-like-a-counter-strike-killer-%e2%80%a2-eurogamer-net/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=riot-games-project-a-is-called-valorant-and-it-plays-like-a-counter-strike-killer-%25e2%2580%25a2-eurogamer-net

[dwestfieldblog]

‘’A GREAT DAY FOR CIVILIZATION’‘

THE BLACKNESS OF DARKNESS FOREVER

'Verily a polluted stream is man, One must be an ocean to receive a polluted stream without becoming unclean'. Indeed...November-December '2019'...Anarchy for the UK? Looks as if Boris is working for the other side in a similar way to Trump. Ride the populist wave and spark a gathering civil war. I remember reading some years ago about how the SAS were trained in knowing exactly where to place a small amount of explosive to bring down machinery, rather than a James Bond type explosion. Just set it right and allow the machine to destroy itself through its own natural momentum. Every time these two fat blonde fools open their mouths it reminds me of this. They appear to be helping to destroy it all from the inside...will the constitutions of these two noble (arf) countries survive their egos? The education system is breeding a mass of fools and large parts of social media are indeed being weaponised to stir up emotions, working hard to pull it all down.

A looming election in Britain and a current party in power who has received millions from Russian oligarchs to encourage various unions to split apart. Hexagram 23 is thrown again. The other choices are just as dangerous. Nobody of any use whatsoever to vote for. Don't look back, good days ahead eh? Anyone remember Boris saying in 2018 that Britain was 'truly headed for the status of colony'? Yes Mr Johnson, but not a European one. Meanwhile, onwards...

Children are born with a strong sense of curiosity to explore their senses and ask questions. By the time they leave College and University this often seems to have been reduced to mere drug taking without any actual increase in perception...and the need to join a political or religious group. The leaders of such groups do not encourage the curious in nature, as individuality is less than essential to to a leader who requires obedience and the transference of energy. Stirring up righteous emotions takes the place of both rational thought and instinct...and the inquisitive rebels become fervent drones or else passive without actually being tranquil. Never forget the accurate part in Monty Python's Life of Brian where the gathered mass repeat (apart from one) 'YES, WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS!' Small wonder the butchers smell easy meat on a daily basis...but at least the lambs are ‘’woke’’, eh?

I recently read the long paragraph of topics NOT to be used by comedians in universities in America and Britain. Ready? 'Racism, sexism,classism, ageism, abelism, homophobia, biophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, Islamophobia, or anti-religion or anti-atheism; These topics can be 'discussed' but 'in a respectful way'. Comedy kids! The PC snowflake future of these countries will be devoid of humour, only safe jokes on the mundane...and at some point even skits on mass murderers will be banned so as not to cause offence to killers several sandwiches short of a picnic.

P.C quote...'I happen to agree with the P.C. cult about many things. (In fact I only differ with them in not liking their intolerance, their fascist tactics, their introduction of Maoist brainwashing to our groves of Academe, their utter lack of humor, their continuous violations of ordinary common sense, their evident desire to destroy our Constitution and their lack of simple human decency') Robert Anton Wilson Cosmic Trigger Three, Hilaritas Press 1995/2018. Speaking of whom...

'The secret of power and wealth? You know how dumb the average guy is? Well, by mathematical definition, half of them are even dumber than that'. RAW. And therefore simpletons to manipulate for votes, money, sex and power. Endless slogans of 'Vote for me, I appear to share the same prejudices as you and of course I believe our country should rise again'. Etc. And so things will remain, until a few more of us consciously choose to edit less and tune in more, changing reality tunnels into reality labyrinths in good humour, there is unlikely to be the fabled phase transition... but it is coming. May Be. Trust me, I am an almost fully realised lunatic. Those with twofold vision will be unable to stop the wheel of evolution. As above, so below, inward is outward. Non simultaneously apprehended events....

China, seventy years of glorious and highly successful communism, well done to the personality cult of Winnie the Pooh. Took them this long to ban South Park. ARF. Don't forget kids, 'the imposition of order=escalation of chaos. The more laws there are, the more crime there will be.' Tell that to the judge...Remember...'The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. IT WAS THEIR FINAL,MOST ESSENTIAL COMMAND' .1984  

Trump said Greta Thunberg 'seems like a very happy girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!''. She then put that as her description on her facebook page:-) Goddess bless her. Fascinating but not surprising the papers with editors connected financially with concerns that involve oil etc, are writing editorials about how she is being manipulated and that her Asbergers (which she calls a superpower) makes her a loony. Love that she rejected the environmental award. And now she is Time magazine's Person of the Year, Trump will steam all the more and twitter out yet more methane. ('Every time he sits down, his voice gets muffled'.) Eve was the first human to think for herself...and men like you have never forgotten this eh? Grimly amazed to hear his female press secretary Grisham say his former Chief of Staff 'was totally unequipped to handle the genius of our great president'. She wasn't being sarcastic just applying more brown lipstick. North Korean platitudes in the USA. Cheese Boy and the Old Dotard, coming soon to a nightmare near you...

(A day after I wrote that paragraph, Trump did indeed tweet his disgust and jealous sarcasm, whereupon she promptly took his words once more and updated her biography again to 'A teenager working on her anger management problem. Currently chilling and watching a good old fashioned movie with a friend'. Perhaps she reminds him of a similar smart girl who refused his clumsy advances when he was that age and is seeking delayed revenge. Or just trying to make his oil/resource friends laugh.  His gimp master Putin certainly is. 'Condemned to eternal bullshit' to quote Mr John Lydon. Meanwhile away from the chaos, the darkness and the gate of the land of Night and entropy defined as a gradual decline into disorder, some levity is needed to slow the descent into bleakness ...)

Artificial Intelligence is to be given intellectual property rights...is this really a good idea? Discuss between yourself. Being Terminated by a robot is bad enough but being sued by a machine? Or do the Free Laws apply here? Well, when we cannot believe what we see, we see what we can believe. The state is concentric but the individual is eccentric eh? A random shuffle of cut ups, amazing how often they can make coherent sense, depending on what state the brain is in...I used to be a Libertarian but they had too many rules.

Or, as Alien Sex Fiend once said..'Everybody wants what everybody's got and everybody's got what everybody wants,soldier lies bleeding where a church once stood.' I love you cos you got green hair...Live fast, die young and leave a beautiful corpse, like Curt Cobain. I am a work in regress. Conditioned reflexes are built onto the imprints. Imprints are only changed through work or by a shock of one type or another. Bad news for the lazy cowards among us. 'Apothecary, give me something to sweeten my imagination!'  

...Some days later, a new campaign slogan from Boris to 'forge a new Britain'. In the meaning of fakery and counterfeits? I spent five minutes today reading Trump's Twitter account and felt my mind shivering in horror. This man seems to be seriously mentally ill. And suddenly impeachment (albeit a long time coming) is on the table.  Lurve the quote today from a Republican that 'abuse of power is not a crime'. In a democratic country? Could he be dirt on the road by next year? A smear on the wind shield, a nasty smell in the corner of a locked room? Will the Land of the Free (ARF) have a fresh awakening? Delicious to hold this thought for a while.....

One week later...

And so it was that Boris won an outright majority. And that is where we are in Britain, the other choices were so dreadful, we chose the evil of three lessers. You CAN fool most of the people all of the time. Let's keep repeatedly mentioning the millions of pounds donated to his Conservative party by oligarchs, the four jobs he lost because of lying, the children he does not pay child support to, the absolute lack of respect he commands on the world stage, his endless endless mask of buffoonery, avoidance of questions with a charade of good humour, his lack of manners, ridiculous failed projects paid for by public money, his cover ups, Brexit NHS lies and...and... and all of this happened before he was elected prime minister. THAT'S how poor the alternatives were. And his friends who are shorting stocks in order to cash in on Brexit. These businessmen, like those in the apocalyptic religions, looking forward to the End, to be raised higher in the rapture of Big Money. Nice grip on decency and morality to wish for the destruction of your country for the sake of your pockets. Mutton dressed up as a wolf in a judas goat's clothing, bleating,'This is the way, follow me and ignore the rotating knives;...

Wish and hope to be proved wrong, I have no problem whatsoever with being shown I am wrong when I am. I learn something positive about human nature then and my cynicism is overcome for a while. Not sure what we offer the world other than what we already have given and of course, weapons. Our best minds fled to America, Switzerland, New Zealand etc a long time ago. I expect Scotland to rid herself of English bullshit in no short order. Much as the USA, we became united through violence, the force of manipulation and then the desire to be stronger together. If a large part of the kingdom wishes to split in order to maintain previous relations with Europe, who seem to have behaved far better to it than did England, then go for it ye Celts. Looks as if the English really enjoy being told what to do by posh boys with a shaky grasp of morals. Pathetic. If I wasn't a Christian I'd...oh wait, I'm not...

Sick of these alpha male dumb foul-hearted swine equating power with only brute force and see those who care to evolve as weak. Those who believe respect comes only through fear will have a rude awakening, sooner...or much later. 'So this is how liberty dies, with thunderous applause'.  

And once again for all you Aristotelian black and white types, no I am not a Socialist or a Communist or a Liberal. I just have a deep dislike and mistrust of poncey arrogant lying snobs whose behaviour is far worse than those with a quarter of the education and opportunities they had. Again, perhaps I am wrong and Boris will suddenly rise and show his mettle and be the exact opposite of all he has been and done before. There is a percentage of possibility. My instinct says 'Don't hold yer breath'.  Or...'All things are a coincidence of opposites' Bruno of Nola. So, hope.

Peptides select the reality you experience, so get working on widening the spectra of possibilities and get neurotransmitting all ye psychonauts...at least laugh more...

I am sure it seems lazy just to dump yet another load of favourite quotes in these blogs as ballast,with which to add weight to my rather vague or ranted writings but you deserve some actual mind food during these screeds eh? So...'...brains are made of cells which are made of atoms which are made of electrons which are superimpositions of waves'. And the waves are influenced by...'The hidden variable theory of consciousness asserts (1) there is a sub-quantal level beneath the observational/theoretical structure of ordinary quantum mechanics; (2) events occurring on this sub-quantal level are the elements of sentient being.' Dr. E H Walker and N Herbert. Page 174. I need add nothing to that because it is all there, but...Imagine, if you Will...

And thus...

'We find that our consciousness controls physical events through the laws of quantum mechanics'

'The sum total of all minds is one'. Schroedinger.

'I don't ask that my opinion be made into law'.The republican's favourite hated comedian Bill Maher, speaking about prejudices on weed, sex, comedy, childbirth, books, films etc etc. 'Society runs at the speed of its slowest member'...Thus spake Jim Jeffries, explaining very clearly why various human made laws exist...and why the 'train' of evolution is scarcely moving thanks to all the dead weight it has to pull behind the engine/the first car. (Where within, all the scientists, philosophers, poets and engineers are thinking...; If I just pull out this peg and separate the cars 'Do you know how fast we would be moving?' ) Go for it lucid 3D dreamers...soon.....

An insane God burning its infinite energy on lower things, well why not? It passes eternity in the Akashic hologram eh? 'The hardware remains local, but nobody can localize the software'. Hope this is clear enough.  

'Beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror which we are barely able to endue and we are so awed because it serenely disdains to annihilate us. Rainer Maria Rilke. while listening to Swans from another dimension. I have never read anything from RMR, Kahil Gibran or Rumi that wasn't as magickal as Blake or Yeats. Eternity manifested in the light of day, something infinite behind everything appeared...

Time for us to step back out and away from all the old repeating news. To pay it no mind and certainly no heart. Just let go and leave it behind, allow them to get on with their ruin as we step discreetly to one side. Play your part by standing apart.

A lot of this year has felt pretty foul for various self induced reasons but has been enlightened (literally) considerably by good friends, great books, a couple of summer months on weed, and the beauty, grace, blood and power of PJ Harvey, Thighpaulsanndra, Puscifer, Swans, Killing Joke and the immortal COIL. Readers, I wish you a healthy, good hearted 2020... See you later, perhaps in a fulgurous exhalation conglobed in a cloud by the circumfused humour...

'If you have been on the upside of luck, build longer bridges, not higher fences'  

SPIRAL OUT...KEEP GOING...AND ILLUMINISE NOW )+(  LOVE.

[declankhan]

Work at Home Scams

You can find ads like this everywhere — from the street light and telephone pole on your corner to your newspaper and PC. While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can’t work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises.

Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don’t disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or “tutorial” software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.

Call a Utah Business Lawyer to Be Safe

Several types of offers are classic work-at-home scams. Ads for pre-packaged businesses — known as billing centers — are in newspapers, on television and on the Internet. If you respond, you’ll get a sales pitch that may sound something like this: There’s “a crisis” in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open.

The promoter also may tell you that many doctors who process claims electronically want to “outsource” or contract out their billing services to save money. Promoters will promise that you can earn a substantial income working full or part time, providing services like billing, accounts receivable, electronic insurance claim processing and practice management to doctors and dentists. They also may assure you that no experience is required, that they will provide clients eager to buy your services or that their qualified salespeople will find clients for you. Make sure you’re getting a paycheck and it’s legit. You never have a pay to get a job.

The reality: you will have to sell. These promoters rarely provide experienced sales staff or contacts within the medical community. The promoter will follow up by sending you materials that typically include a brochure, application, sample diskettes, a contract (licensing agreement), disclosure document, and in some cases, testimonial letters, videocassettes and reference lists. For your investment of $2,000 to $8,000, a promoter will promise software, training and technical support. And the company will encourage you to call its references. Make sure you get many names from which to chose. If only one or two names are given, they may be “shills” — people hired to give favorable testimonials. It’s best to interview people in person, preferably where the business operates, to reduce your risk of being misled by shills and also to get a better sense of how the business works. Few consumers who purchase a medical billing business opportunity are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues — let alone recover their investment and earn a substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce and revolves around a number of large and well-established firms.

Promoters usually advertise that, for a “small” fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later — when it’s too late — you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer. Instead, for your fee, you’re likely to get a letter telling you to place the same “envelope-stuffing” ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you’ll earn money is if people respond to your work-at-home ad.

These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them. For example, you might have to buy a sewing or sign-making machine from the company, or materials to make items like aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs. However, after you’ve purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, fraudulent operators don’t pay you. In fact, many consumers have had companies refuse to pay for their work because it didn’t meet “quality standards.” Unfortunately, no work is ever “up to standard,” leaving workers with relatively expensive equipment and supplies — and no income. To sell their goods, these workers must find their own customers.

Legitimate work-at-home program sponsors should tell you — in writing — what’s involved in the program they are selling. Here are some questions you might ask a promoter: • What tasks will I have to perform? (Ask the program sponsor to list every step of the job.) • Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission? • Who will pay me? • When will I get my first paycheck? • What is the total cost of the work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? • What will I get for my money? The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work-at-home program is appropriate for your circumstances, and whether it is legitimate. You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work-at-home program that interests you. But be wary: the absence of complaints doesn’t necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.

If you have spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience. If you can’t resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations: • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. • In Utah, call the Utah Division of Consumer Protection over at the State offices. • The Attorney General’s office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you’re protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs. • Your local consumer protection offices. • Your local Better Business Bureau. • Your local postmaster. • The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices. • The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you’ve had with the company.

Work at Home Lawyer Free Consultation

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

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Repost: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/work-at-home-scams/ “Steven E. Rush / Divorce Lawyer Utah” http://www.ascentlawfirm.com/

Repost: https://stevenrushutah.wordpress.com/2019/01/25/work-at-home-scams-5/ * Steven E. Rush * https://stevenrushutah.wordpress.com/

[winniegist]

Work at Home Scams

You can find ads like this everywhere — from the street light and telephone pole on your corner to your newspaper and PC. While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can’t work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises.

Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don’t disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or “tutorial” software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.

Call a Utah Business Lawyer to Be Safe

Several types of offers are classic work-at-home scams. Ads for pre-packaged businesses — known as billing centers — are in newspapers, on television and on the Internet. If you respond, you’ll get a sales pitch that may sound something like this: There’s “a crisis” in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open.

The promoter also may tell you that many doctors who process claims electronically want to “outsource” or contract out their billing services to save money. Promoters will promise that you can earn a substantial income working full or part time, providing services like billing, accounts receivable, electronic insurance claim processing and practice management to doctors and dentists. They also may assure you that no experience is required, that they will provide clients eager to buy your services or that their qualified salespeople will find clients for you. Make sure you’re getting a paycheck and it’s legit. You never have a pay to get a job.

The reality: you will have to sell. These promoters rarely provide experienced sales staff or contacts within the medical community. The promoter will follow up by sending you materials that typically include a brochure, application, sample diskettes, a contract (licensing agreement), disclosure document, and in some cases, testimonial letters, videocassettes and reference lists. For your investment of $2,000 to $8,000, a promoter will promise software, training and technical support. And the company will encourage you to call its references. Make sure you get many names from which to chose. If only one or two names are given, they may be “shills” — people hired to give favorable testimonials. It’s best to interview people in person, preferably where the business operates, to reduce your risk of being misled by shills and also to get a better sense of how the business works. Few consumers who purchase a medical billing business opportunity are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues — let alone recover their investment and earn a substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce and revolves around a number of large and well-established firms.

Promoters usually advertise that, for a “small” fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later — when it’s too late — you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer. Instead, for your fee, you’re likely to get a letter telling you to place the same “envelope-stuffing” ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you’ll earn money is if people respond to your work-at-home ad.

These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them. For example, you might have to buy a sewing or sign-making machine from the company, or materials to make items like aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs. However, after you’ve purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, fraudulent operators don’t pay you. In fact, many consumers have had companies refuse to pay for their work because it didn’t meet “quality standards.” Unfortunately, no work is ever “up to standard,” leaving workers with relatively expensive equipment and supplies — and no income. To sell their goods, these workers must find their own customers.

Legitimate work-at-home program sponsors should tell you — in writing — what’s involved in the program they are selling. Here are some questions you might ask a promoter: • What tasks will I have to perform? (Ask the program sponsor to list every step of the job.) • Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission? • Who will pay me? • When will I get my first paycheck? • What is the total cost of the work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? • What will I get for my money? The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work-at-home program is appropriate for your circumstances, and whether it is legitimate. You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work-at-home program that interests you. But be wary: the absence of complaints doesn’t necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.

If you have spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience. If you can’t resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations: • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. • In Utah, call the Utah Division of Consumer Protection over at the State offices. • The Attorney General’s office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you’re protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs. • Your local consumer protection offices. • Your local Better Business Bureau. • Your local postmaster. • The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices. • The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you’ve had with the company.

Work at Home Lawyer Free Consultation

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/work-at-home-scams/

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Work at Home Scams

You can find ads like this everywhere — from the street light and telephone pole on your corner to your newspaper and PC. While you may find these ads appealing, especially if you can’t work outside your home, proceed with caution. Not all work-at-home opportunities deliver on their promises.

Many ads omit the fact that you may have to work many hours without pay. Or they don’t disclose all the costs you will have to pay. Countless work-at-home schemes require you to spend your own money to place newspaper ads; make photocopies; or buy the envelopes, paper, stamps, and other supplies or equipment you need to do the job. The companies sponsoring the ads also may demand that you pay for instructions or “tutorial” software. Consumers deceived by these ads have lost thousands of dollars, in addition to their time and energy.

Call a Utah Business Lawyer to Be Safe

Several types of offers are classic work-at-home scams. Ads for pre-packaged businesses — known as billing centers — are in newspapers, on television and on the Internet. If you respond, you’ll get a sales pitch that may sound something like this: There’s “a crisis” in the health care system, due partly to the overwhelming task of processing paper claims. The solution is electronic claim processing. Because only a small percentage of claims are transmitted electronically, the market for billing centers is wide open.

The promoter also may tell you that many doctors who process claims electronically want to “outsource” or contract out their billing services to save money. Promoters will promise that you can earn a substantial income working full or part time, providing services like billing, accounts receivable, electronic insurance claim processing and practice management to doctors and dentists. They also may assure you that no experience is required, that they will provide clients eager to buy your services or that their qualified salespeople will find clients for you. Make sure you’re getting a paycheck and it’s legit. You never have a pay to get a job.

The reality: you will have to sell. These promoters rarely provide experienced sales staff or contacts within the medical community. The promoter will follow up by sending you materials that typically include a brochure, application, sample diskettes, a contract (licensing agreement), disclosure document, and in some cases, testimonial letters, videocassettes and reference lists. For your investment of $2,000 to $8,000, a promoter will promise software, training and technical support. And the company will encourage you to call its references. Make sure you get many names from which to chose. If only one or two names are given, they may be “shills” — people hired to give favorable testimonials. It’s best to interview people in person, preferably where the business operates, to reduce your risk of being misled by shills and also to get a better sense of how the business works. Few consumers who purchase a medical billing business opportunity are able to find clients, start a business and generate revenues — let alone recover their investment and earn a substantial income. Competition in the medical billing market is fierce and revolves around a number of large and well-established firms.

Promoters usually advertise that, for a “small” fee, they will tell you how to earn money stuffing envelopes at home. Later — when it’s too late — you find out that the promoter never had any employment to offer. Instead, for your fee, you’re likely to get a letter telling you to place the same “envelope-stuffing” ad in newspapers or magazines, or to send the ad to friends and relatives. The only way you’ll earn money is if people respond to your work-at-home ad.

These programs often require you to invest hundreds of dollars in equipment or supplies. Or they require you to spend many hours producing goods for a company that has promised to buy them. For example, you might have to buy a sewing or sign-making machine from the company, or materials to make items like aprons, baby shoes or plastic signs. However, after you’ve purchased the supplies or equipment and performed the work, fraudulent operators don’t pay you. In fact, many consumers have had companies refuse to pay for their work because it didn’t meet “quality standards.” Unfortunately, no work is ever “up to standard,” leaving workers with relatively expensive equipment and supplies — and no income. To sell their goods, these workers must find their own customers.

Legitimate work-at-home program sponsors should tell you — in writing — what’s involved in the program they are selling. Here are some questions you might ask a promoter: • What tasks will I have to perform? (Ask the program sponsor to list every step of the job.) • Will I be paid a salary or will my pay be based on commission? • Who will pay me? • When will I get my first paycheck? • What is the total cost of the work-at-home program, including supplies, equipment and membership fees? • What will I get for my money? The answers to these questions may help you determine whether a work-at-home program is appropriate for your circumstances, and whether it is legitimate. You also might want to check out the company with your local consumer protection agency, state Attorney General and the Better Business Bureau, not only where the company is located, but also where you live. These organizations can tell you whether they have received complaints about the work-at-home program that interests you. But be wary: the absence of complaints doesn’t necessarily mean the company is legitimate. Unscrupulous companies may settle complaints, change their names or move to avoid detection.

If you have spent money and time on a work-at-home program and now believe the program may not be legitimate, contact the company and ask for a refund. Let company representatives know that you plan to notify officials about your experience. If you can’t resolve the dispute with the company, file a complaint with these organizations: • The Federal Trade Commission (FTC)works for the consumer to prevent fraud and deception. • In Utah, call the Utah Division of Consumer Protection over at the State offices. • The Attorney General’s office in your state or the state where the company is located. The office will be able to tell you whether you’re protected by any state law that may regulate work-at-home programs. • Your local consumer protection offices. • Your local Better Business Bureau. • Your local postmaster. • The U.S. Postal Service investigates fraudulent mail practices. • The advertising manager of the publication that ran the ad. The manager may be interested to learn about the problems you’ve had with the company.

Work at Home Lawyer Free Consultation

It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when. Legal problems come to everyone. Whether it’s your son who gets in a car wreck, your uncle who loses his job and needs to file for bankruptcy, your sister’s brother who’s getting divorced, or a grandparent that passes away without a will -all of us have legal issues and questions that arise. So when you have a law question, call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How To Handle Business Debt

Parenting Agreement

Terminating Parental Rights

When Is Bankruptcy An Option For a Small Business?

Utah Law on Child Support

Business Structures

Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/work-at-home-scams/