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chemblrish · 1 year

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Hey, First of all, I love your blog. It's literally aesthetic ~ I wanted to ask if you considered job prospects before deciding on your degree because I see people around me saying chem is not worth it because of future possibilities. I also have a background in Biotechnology, but had a similar issue with it being too vague. I am working in a totally different field which I am greatful for but I dont plan on staying here long term. Seeing your blog rekindled my interest in chem so would love to know your point of view on this or any advice you could offer. You can totally ignore this if you want as well <3

[This got SO LONG omg 🙈 But I hope it can be helpful]

Hi there fellow chem enthusiast!

To be honest, it's no secret that finding a job in the scientific field is difficult here in Poland. I was fully aware of it when I chose biotech first and then chemistry second. My reasoning back then was, "I love science more than anything and, since I have the opportunity to study it literally for free, why not take it? Why not spend five years - that are going to come and go anyway - learning something I'm passionate about, broadening my knowledge, and giving myself a chance to create a beautiful future for myself? Even if I fail to get a job in science, at least I will know that I tried my best. I'll have spent five precious years of my life doing something incredible."

Which may sound a little depressing, I agree 😅 But several years later, I still think this way. Even if I can't get a job in chemistry once I graduate, at least I'm so, so happy now. I can't really picture myself doing anything that's not science-related, so I know I have to try.

But at the same time, after a couple of years studying for two different science degrees, I have some insight that I didn't have straight after high school. I have had people tell me getting a science degree isn't worth it too, that I won't get a job afterwards, but I've noticed most of those people belonged to one of the following three categories:

1. People who have absolutely nothing to do with science: distant relatives working in business or trade, my parents' acquaintances with no higher education, everybody who ~has heard things~ but has never really been in the position to see firsthand how these things work.

2. My fellow science majors who have older friends with a science degree: their concerns usually sounded valid to me. After all, they were in touch with people who actually got the degree in question and then tried to navigate the job market post-graduation. Later though I realized a lot of those people belonged to the third category.

3. Science students who honestly don't know what tf they're doing - a category that I like to divide into two subcategories:

a. well-meaning but lost students who really need guidance

b. people who went to uni because eh why not but who don't really care and who refuse to put in the work.

I definitely belonged to category 3a at the very beginning of my uni journey, so there's no shame in that. I'm a first gen uni student, so I had to figure everything out all by myself as I went.

The thing is, I got to talk to a lot of people who complained that a science degree is useless while doing pretty much nothing to sharpen their skills. They floated through uni as if it was nothing but another chore they had to cross out of their to-do list, barely passing, having zero interest in their field of study, not taking any opportunities that were literally out there. No extracurriculars, no internships, no side projects, nothing. Is it surprising at all these people struggle to find a job in science afterwards?

Don't get me wrong, nobody has full control over their life - sometimes you just get lucky. My friend's friend (lol) needed to take a break from uni after his BSc and got a job in an analytical lab straight away. But most often you just really have to work your butt off to get what you want. The people from my old uni who truly cared about biotech worked extremely hard to get to where they are now: with published papers and working with their profs. Harsh as it may sound, I now know that if I don't want to be one of those people with a """useless""" science degree, I have to do more than is expected of me. I have to put my introverted, anxious self out there, because being passive probably won't get me anywhere.

The people who love you and care about you mean well when they say chemistry isn't worth it, but that doesn't mean they're right. Similarly, people who graduate with a science degree and then struggle to get a job aren't all slackers who just didn't try hard enough - that's absolutely not true. Life isn't always what we want it to be. I wouldn't exactly feel comfortable giving you advice since I'm still in uni, but I can tell you my experience, and my experience is people who know what they want and who are willing to work very hard for it, usually get it.

I'd say this is also no secret but it tends to float over people's heads (no shame in this either, it's hard to imagine your whole future when you're like 20) that when your profs tell you to do more, they're being serious. When they say doing extra is important, they're right.

So, I believe in all this stuff and I work hard and I got myself an internship, and will this get me a job in chemistry? I don't know! I've no idea! Maybe I'll fail miserably! Maybe I'll be one of those people who genuinely try hard and then just happen to be really unlucky! But right now I'm doing everything that's in my power not to let that happen. I can't guarantee you success in the scientific field - nobody can - but I can tell you hard work, determination, and faith in yourself increase your chances of succeeding dramatically. It's a cliche, I'm aware, but if you never try, you never know. You only get one precious chance to experience living on this floating rock and everything that comes with it. Why not try to make it good?

#as always insight from more experienced chemblrs is very much welcome!#chemblr #chemistry #inbox #chemistry asks

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shaakyhaands · 1 year

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Court of Darkness Consort Routes Wishlist because I have brainrot:

💐🌸💫 🧚‍♂️Sherry, my beloved🧚‍♂️💫 🌸💐

Violet, because we already have valets as consort options from most of the other kingdoms, it is a crime to not have one from Luxure of all places 😤

Thoma? I haven’t played Rio’s route yet, but people seem to like this guy, so he can come with :)

Hawke, because:

man’s got swag

occupies specific niche, as the only non royal/noble consort option. More chill in that regard, more relatable.

Would be another consort from Ira, thus increasing the utility of Integrity virtue points/items.

3a. No, I’m so fucking serious. Warning: this is about to turn into an economics rant.

Ira, Voleri, Luxure, and technically Colde(?) all have only one consort representing them. This wouldn’t necessarily be a problem in all otome games, but given how CoD is set up with kingdoms, it has repercussions. Specifically, regarding CoD’s virtue system.

Unless you are invested in the one character associated with that given virtue, you have no incentive to care about that virtue. Thus, the demand for items with said virtue values is lessened, as there is limited benefit to obtaining said virtue.

Compare this to Kindness, which is the virtue associated with THREE consorts: Lynt, Tino, AND Dia. Or Charisma, associated with Guy, Jasper, and (spoiler) soon to be/already available on the Japanese server, Aquia. The marginal utility of the virtues associated with these characters are not dependent on any one consort: If you don’t care for Lynt, but you still like Dia, then you still care about gathering Kindness. If you don’t fuck with Guy, but would die for Aquia, then you’ll still want to build up Charisma.

Why does this matter? Because if Otome Romance wants to push items that’ll sell/encourage people to play, then they’ll want to make items that cater to the widest audience possible. Making an item carry Kindness as it’s virtue will benefit players on 3/13 routes (14 with Aquia). Whereas making an item with Honesty as it’s virtue will only matter to a player if they’re playing specifically Rio’s route. That’s it. Nowhere else. The value of Honesty is entirely dependent on Rio’s marketability to the player.

Less utility for a given virtue? Less demand for items carrying that virtue from audience. Less demand for said items? Less supply created. Less supply? Less investment from audience, therefore lowering the demand, thus repeating the cycle. This means Otome Romance will be far more incentivized to make items with virtues that apply to more than just one consort. Such as Charisma, Wit, Kindness, Grace. Which inadvertently fucks over the players who are maining those solo consorts.

So if you are maining Rio, Lance, Lou or Fenn? Items carrying your consort’s virtue are going to appear in-game less frequently than items with virtues that apply to a wider range of consorts.* Which makes it harder to gather said items, and in turn more difficult to raise said virtue rank. This can inadvertently discourage players from pursuing certain routes, as they are less accessible than others. If I’m torn between Lynt and Rio, but my Kindness rank has increased at a much faster rate than my Honesty rank, purely due to the higher abundance of Kindness items compared to Honesty items? I will get more out of Lynt’s route than I would Rio’s.

Personal anecdote: I don’t Main any of the Akedia consorts (no shade. Sloth just isn’t my thing. I’m too uptight). I haven’t tried AT ALL to raise my Kindness virtue. And yet, despite literally zero effort on my part, my Kindness virtue is at 240??? Meanwhile, my Integrity virtue I have been intentionally trying to raise. It’s only with the recent addition of the magician hat (that I got like, 3 hours ago?) that I have been able to break 250. Before? I was sitting at 180. And that was after putting in effort. So if actually trying got me to 180 Integrity, while not try at all got me to 240 Kindness— what gives, dude?

*note: Fenn may or may not be an exception to this, given his status as one of the Big Princes from the Opening Sequence. Nonetheless: if there were a second consort from Luxure, Allure-Virtue items would appear more frequently.

Basically—

uneven distribution of consorts throughout the kingdoms generates uneven demand for different virtues.

This demand is met with matching supply, reenforcing and exacerbating the disparity in the demand.

Big demand gets bigger, smaller demand gets more and more sidelined.

I can understand some kingdoms having two consorts while others have three. I can even understand the unique in-game situation that results in Colde only having Lou. But there is no good reason, in-game or meta-game, for Ira, Luxure, or Voleri to only have one consort option.

IMO? For a more balanced gameplay? For more engagement from the players? Add (at least) one consort for each of those aforementioned kingdoms. Increase the utility of the Integrity, Allure, and Honesty virtues. This will increase the appeal of said virtues to the audience, thus driving up gameplay.

Thank you for coming to my tedtalk.

#court of darkness #codvn #I’m on my shit again #I have Thoughts #and I need to let them Out #idk if anyone else cares about virtues #but this is how I game

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monsooninn · 10 months

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Berakhot 3a: 11. "Isaac."

11. Rabbi Yitzchak bar Shmuel said: Three watches are the night, and at each watch the Holy One sits, blessed is he, and cries out like a king, and says: "Woe to me that I destroyed my house and burned my temple and revealed my son among the nations of the world.'

"Rabbi Isaac, brother of Ishmael said: OH, the Desire, Three watches are the night, and at each watch the Holy One sits, at Zero, blessed is he, and cries out like a king, and says: "Oudz! Come quickly into Refuge! Woe to me that I destroyed my house and burned my temple and revealed my son among the nations of the world. Now zazd! Fear my help, my strength, and my power!"

Recall Isaac and Ishmael were not kings but prophets. They were not part of the Line of Succession, but they kept Watch and set the Conditions.

Recall also the reason the Mishnah exists to illuminate the Torah and help us to achieve its purposes. Isaac was the god of laughter, his brother, Ishmael the god of obedience. Now read his Lament and its recoil out of the deep and distant past.

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tonkini · 2 years

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Peg solitaire pegs left

Bialostocki mentions in a personal introduction to the paper that his Erdös number is 1. The only positions that withstand the symmetry test are the five in Figure 1b.Ī. Therefore, the position in Figure 3b is not possible. But position in Figure 3c is labeled by z. Since the starting configuration has both central and line symmetry, and since moves may also follow any of those symmetries, if, for example, a single peg might be left in the "corner" position in Figure 3b, it would be also possible to leave a single peg in other "corner" positions, like that in Figure 3c. However, not all locations are attainable. Therefore, the only possible locations for the sole remaining peg are those indicated in Figure 3a. This is of course true of any position with a single peg left. In particular,Īny position derived in central solitaire by legal moves has the value of y! In other words, the value of a position in peg solitaire is invariant under the legal moves. So that two pegs x + y are replaced with a single peg z, which means that the moves in peg solitaire do not change the value of the game's configuration. (Does not this remind you of 3-purges?) We can also consider the sum of all pegs in a configuration (See Figure 2b-c.) For example, it is clear that the sum of all pegs in the starting position of central solitaire is y - the value of the sole unoccupied hole. The Cayley table of a group collects all the information about the group operation ("+" in our case) in compact form.Īn additional property of "+" can be derived now from its Cayley table, namely, the sum of all three non-zero symbols x, y, z in any order is always 0: x + y + z = 0. Where the new symbol 0 is required to fulfillĪll the properties of the operation "+" can now be summarized in its Cayley table: Further, the operation "+" has been defined for all pairs of three letters, other than x + x, y + y, and z + z. Indeed, for example, z + x = y, but also x + z = y, so that z + x = x + z. The operation thus defined is commutative. Similar notion are used for the remaining rows of the table, so that, for example, y + x = z and z + x = y and so on. Let's write x + y = z to indicate the fact expressed in the first row of the table, namely, that whenever peg x jumps over peg y it always lands in hole z. We may define an operation "+" on letters x, y, z to shorten move Description. Whenever one of the letters points to a peg that jumps over a peg with another letter on it it always lands in a hole labeled by the third letter. The arrangement of letters is very special and has been noticed yet in the classic WW, page 706. Place letters x, y, z as shown in Figure 2a. Would one trade the distinction? It's this amazing observation that led Arie Bialostocki to developing his nice theory which I am going to outline below. The irony is in that from the same position the player can leave the sole remaining peg in the central hole, thus gaining the status of genius, instead of an outstanding player. in Figure 1 shows the position before the last move. Assuming that, e.g., the peg was left in the rightmost hole, part c. above) where one can leave that single peg. Not long ago, with the help of very elementary group theory, Arie Bialostocki from University of Idaho proved that there are only five locations (b. Anyone who leaves a single peg elsewhere is an outstanding player. According to the game brochure (Milton Bradley Co., 1986), whoever succeeds in leaving the last peg in the center is a genius. In central solitaire, the player starts with pegs filling all the holes, except for the central one. The goal of a regular game is to remove all pegs but one. The peg that has been jumped over is removed. Pegs (red circles) are allowed to jump over adjacent (vertically or horizontally) pegs. Peg Solitaire (also known as Hi-Q) has very simple rules.

#Peg solitaire pegs left

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benevolentbirdgal · 4 years

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“Thirteen″ Tips for Writing About Synagogues / Jewish Writing Advice / Advice for Visiting Synagogues

So your story includes a Jew (or two) and you’ve a got a scene in a synagogue. Maybe there’s a bar mitzvah, maybe your gentile protagonist is visiting their partner’s synagogue. Maybe there’s a wedding or a community meeting being held there. For whatever reason, you want a scene in a shul. I’m here as your friendly (virtual) neighborhood Jewish professional to help you not sound like a gentile who thinks a synagogue is just a church with a Star of David instead of a cross.

Quick note: The are lots of synagogues around the world, with different specific cultural, local, and denominational practices. The Jewish community is made up of roughly 14 million people worldwide with all sorts of backgrounds, practices, life circumstances, and beliefs. I’m just one American Jew, but I’ve had exposure to Jewishness in many forms after living in 3.5 states (at several different population densities/layouts), attending Jewish day school and youth groups, doing Jewish college stuff, and landing a job at a Jewish non-profit. I’m speaking specifically in an American or Americanish context, though some of this will apply elsewhere as well. I’m also writing from the view of Before Times when gatherings and food and human contact was okay.

Bear in mind as well, in this discussion, the sliding scale of traditional observance to secular/liberal observance in modern denominations: Ultraorthodox (strict tradition), Modern Orthodox (Jewish law matters but we live in a modern world), Conservative (no relation to conservative politics, brands itself middle ground Judaism), Reconstructionist (start with Jewish law and then drop/add bits to choose your own adventure), and Reform (true build your own adventure, start at basically zero and incorporate only as you actively choose).

Synagogue = shul = temple. Mikvah (ritual bath) is its own thing and usually not attached to the shul. Jewish cemeteries are also typically nowhere near the shul, because dead bodies are considered impure.

A Bar/Bat/Bnai Mitzvah is the Jewish coming of age ceremony. Bar (“son”) for boys at 13+, Bat (“daughter”) at 12+, and Bnai (“children”) for multiples (i.e. twins/triplets/siblings) or non-binary kids (although the use of the phrase “Bnai Mitzvah” this way is pretty new). 12/13 is the minimum, 12-14 the norm but very Reform will sometimes allow 11 and anybody above 12/13 can have theirs. Probably a dedicated post for another time. Generally, however, the following will happen: the kid will lead some parts of services, read from and/or carry the Torah, and make a couple of speeches.

Attire: think Sunday Best (in this case Saturday), not come as you are. Even at very liberal reconstructionist/reform synagogues you wouldn’t show up in jeans and a t-shirt or work overalls. Unless they are seriously disconnected from their culture, your Jewish character is not coming to Saturday morning services in sneakers and jeans (their gentile guest, however, might come too casual and that’d be awkward). 1a. The more traditional the denomination, the more modest the attire. Outside of orthodoxy woman may wear pants, but dresses/skirts are more common. Tights for anything above knee common for Conservative/Reform/Recon, common for even below knee for orthodox shuls. Men will typically be wearing suits or close to it, except in very Reform spaces. 1b. Really, think business casual or nice dinner is the level of dressiness here for regular services. Some minor holidays or smaller events more casual is fine. Social events and classes casual is fine too. 1c. Even in reform synagogues, modesty is a thing. Get to the knee or close to it. No shoulders (this an obsession in many Jewish religious spaces for whatever reason), midriffs, or excessive cleavage (as I imagine to be the norm in most houses of worship).

Gendered clothing: 3a. Men and boys wear kippahs (alt kippot, yarmulkes) in synagogues, regardless of whether they’re Jewish or not out of respect to the space. Outside of Jewish spaces it’s saying “I’m a Jew” but inside of Jewish spaces it’s saying “I’m a Jew or a gentile dude who respects the Jewish space.” Outside of very Reform shuls, it’s a major faux pass to be a dude not wearing one. 3b. There are little buckets of loaner kippahs if you don’t bring your own and commemorative kippahs are given away at events (bar mitzvah, weddings). Your Jewish dude character not bringing or grabbing one is basically shouting “I’m new here.” 3c. Women are permitted to wear kippahs, but the adoption of a the traditionally masculine accessory will likely be interpreted by other Jews as LGBTQ+ presentation, intense feminism, and/or intense but nontraditional devoutness. Nobody will clutch their pearls (outside of ultraorthodoxy) but your character is sending a message. 3d. Tefillin are leather boxes and wrappings with prayers inside them that some Jewish men wrap around their arms (no under bar mitzvah or gentiles). Like with the kippah, a woman doing this is sending a message of feminism and/or nontraditional religious fervor. 3e. Additionally, prayer shawls, known as tallit, are encouraged/lightly expected of Jewish males (over 13) but not as much as Kippahs are. It is more common to have a personal set of tallit than tefillin. Blue and white is traditional, but they come in all sorts of fun colors and patterns now. Mine is purple and pink. It is much more common for women to have tallit and carries much fewer implications about their relationship to Judaism than wearing a kippah does. 3f. Married woman usually cover their hair in synagogues. Orthodox women will have wigs or full hair covers, but most Jewish woman will put a token scarf or doily on their head in the synagogue that doesn’t actually cover their hair. The shul will also have a doily loaner bucket.

Jewish services are long (like 3-4 hours on a Saturday morning), but most people don’t get there until about the 1-1.5 hour mark. Your disconnected Jewish character or their gentile partner might not know that though.

Although an active and traditional synagogue will have brief prayers three times every day, Torah services thrice a week, holiday programming, and weekly Friday night and Saturday morning services, the latter is the thing your Jewish character is most likely attending on the reg. A typical Saturday morning service will start with Shacharit (morning prayers) at 8:30-9, your genre savvy not-rabbi not-Bnai mitzvah kid Jewish character will get there around 9:30-10:15. 10:15-10:30 is the Torah service, which is followed by additional prayers. Depending on the day of the Jewish year (holidays, first day of new month, special shabbats), they’ll be done by 12:30 or 1 p.m. Usually. After that is the oneg, a communal meal. Onegs start with wine and challah, and commence with a full meal. No waiting 4-8 hours to have a covered-dish supper after services. The oneg, outside of very, very, very Reform spaces will be kosher meat or kosher dairy.

To conduct certain prayers (including the mourner’s prayers and the Torah service) you need a Minyan, which at least 10 Jewish “adults” must be present, defined as post Bar/Bat/Bnai Mitzvah. In Conservative/Reform/Recon, men and women are counted equally. In Ultraorthodox women are not counted. In Modern Orthodox it depends on the congregation, and some congregations will hold women’s-only services as well with at least ten “adult” Jewish women present.

In Conservative and Orthodox shuls, very little English is used outside of speeches and sermons. Prayers are in Hebrew, which many Jews can read the script of but not understand. Transliterations are also a thing. In Reform synagogues, there’s heavy reliance on the lingua franca (usually English in American congregations). Reconstructionist really varies, but is generally more Hebrew-based than Reform.

We’re a very inquisitive people. If your character is new to the synagogue, there will be lots of questions at the post-services oneg (meal, typically brunch/lunch). Are you new in town? Have you been here before? Where did you come from? Are you related to my friend from there? How was parking? Do you know my cousin? Are you single? What is your mother’s name? What do you think of the oneg - was there enough cream cheese? What summer camp did you go to? Can you read Hebrew? Have you joined? A disconnected Jew or gentile might find it overwhelming, but many connected Jews who are used to it would be like “home sweet chaos” because it’s OUR chaos.

In Orthodox synagogues, men and women have separate seating sections. There may be a balcony or back section, or there may be a divider known as a mechitzah in the middle. Children under 12/13 are permitted on either side, but over 12/13 folks have to stay one section or the other. Yes, this is a problem/challenge for trans and nonbinary Jews. Mechitzahs are not a thing outside of orthodoxy. Some older Conservative synagogues will have women’s sections, but no longer expect or enforce this arrangement.

Money. Is. Not. Handled. On. Shabbat. Or. Holidays. Especially. Not. In. The. Synagogue. Seriously, nothing says “goy writing Jews” more than a collection plate in shul. No money plate, no checks being passed around, even over calls for money (as opposed to just talking about all the great stuff they do and upcoming projects) are tacky and forbidden on Shabbat. Synagogues rely on donations and dues, and will solicit from members, but don’t outright request money on holidays and Shabbat.

Outside of Reform and very nontraditional Conservative spaces, no instruments on Shabbat or holidays. No clapping either. Same goes for phones, cameras, and other electronics outside of microphones (which aren’t permitted in Orthodox services either). 11a. In the now-times an increasing number of shuls have set up cameras ahead of time pre-programmed to record, so they don’t have to actively “make fire” which is “work” (this is the relevant commandment/mitzvah) on Shabbat, so services can be live-streamed. 11b. After someone has completed an honor (reading from the Torah, carrying the Torah, opening the ark, etc), the appropriate response is a handshake after and the words “Yasher Koach” (again, Before-Times).

Jewish services involve a lot of movement. Get up, sit down. Look behind you, look in front of you. Twist left, twist right. A disconnected Jew or gentile visitor would be best off just trying to follow along with what an exchange student we had once termed “Jewish choreography.” Some prayers are standing prayers (if able), some are sitting prayers. It’s just how it is, although a handful of prayers have variations on who stands.

#jumlbr #jewblr #jewish #jewish writing help #jewish writing #jewish characters #writing jewish characters #jewish representation #writing advice #writeblr #writing jewish spaces #how to write synagogues #another long one sorry not sorry

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369toys · 1 year

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issuu

#Amazon 代購 #Three zero 3a

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worklabournewsresearch · 2 years

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This Pandemic Has Taken Minimum-Wage Workers from Zeroes to Heroes and Back Again

Csernyik, R. (2022, March 19). This pandemic has taken minimum-wage workers from zeroes to heroes and back again. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-this-pandemic-has-taken-minimum-wage-workers-from-zeroes-to-heroes-and/ UTL Link: http://myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fblogs-podcasts-websites%2Fthis-pandemic-has-taken-minimum-wage-workers%2Fdocview%2F2640517921%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D14771

Rob Csernyik writes: “Yet something remarkable happened in the pandemic’s early days: The long-held disdain – ambivalence, at best – for low-paid customer service workers faded, replaced with a new, vociferous appreciation of their toil. Workers received ‘hero pay’ increases at retailers such as Dollarama, Walmart, Metro, Loblaws and Sobeys – the latter four increasing hourly wages by $2. McDonald’s publicly thanked its owner-operators for pandemic-spurred worker appreciations, which ranged from raises and bonuses to free meals and groceries...But instead of continuing apace, esteem for these workers started crumbling within the pandemic’s first few months. In addition to facing business closings, income disruption and the possibility of getting sick and dying on the job, these workers have been berated and harassed, physically assaulted and even killed while enforcing pandemic rules. Right now, as we cross the pandemic’s two-year-anniversary here in Canada, retail and food services are at a fork in the road. There seems to be less interest in working these jobs, owing in part to poor morale and pay (most ‘hero’ raises proved temporary), but also because there’s a desire for big changes in these industries.”

“It didn’t take long for the reverence toward minimum wage workers to fade. By April, 2020, there were reports of customers spitting and coughing on workers at grocery stores and coffee shops, among other workplaces. And then, as a wider range of businesses opened up in summer 2020, tales of customers behaving badly started to proliferate. It’s been suggested that some customers were pushed too far by COVID-19 and the accompanying restrictions. One KPMG report revealed 37 per cent of those surveyed found dealing with supermarkets and grocers harder once the pandemic began, and 43 per cent said the same of non-grocery stores selling items such as clothing, fitness or technology...In a February and March, 2021, survey, researchers from the University of Toronto and Angus Reid Forum noticed respondents describing a perception that their autonomy was being taken away by others in power. And this rage became a bigger part of the pandemic the longer it went on. But why then do minimum wage workers face a significant portion of this rage?”

“When thinking about the lack of wages and time and privilege many of these workers have, it speaks volumes of why their taking this step is so dramatic. But it’s not their responsibility alone to revamp an industry to be more equitable. To reform minimum wage work is a dizzying process, one not helped by inflation hitting a three-decade high last month of 5.7 per cent. It requires a lot of concurrent work from multiple parties such as businesses and politicians, but I believe customers are the most important in this equation. Customers vote with their money (by spending it at companies that treat workers fairly, for instance) and at the ballot box, by supporting parties and politicians willing to champion higher wages. After all, many of us interact with people working low-wage customer service jobs several times a week, if not more. The heightened anger customers express to workers in the pandemic doesn’t chasten or rebuke a company for policies a customer doesn’t like. It doesn’t stick it to the politicians in city hall, legislature or parliament. It doesn’t earn a customer respect, or magically pass their feelings onto headquarters.”

Additional Information

Doheny, K. (2022, April 13). Respect: How Managers Can Deliver What Workers Want. SHRM. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/people-managers/pages/managers-respect-employees.aspx

Parker, K. & Menasce Horowitz, J. (2022, March 9). Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2022/03/09/majority-of-workers-who-quit-a-job-in-2021-cite-low-pay-no-opportunities-for-advancement-feeling-disrespected/

LaGree, D., et al. (2021). The Effect of Respect: Respectful Communication at Work Drives Resiliency, Engagement, and Job Satisfaction among Early Career Employees. International Journal of Business Communication, 1-21. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/23294884211016529 UTL Link: https://doi-org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1177%2F23294884211016529

(2020). Keeping Up with the Canadian Consumer. KPMG. https://assets.kpmg/content/dam/kpmg/ca/pdf/2020/11/keeping-up-with-the-canadian-consumer-kpmg-in-canada-en.pdf

Schieman, S., Zhou, M. & Kang, K. (2021, July 5). Yes, people do seem angrier thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/life/2021/07/05/yes-people-do-seem-angrier-thanks-to-the-covid-19-pandemic.html UTL Link: http://myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com%2Fnewspapers%2Fyes-people-do-seem-angrier-thanks-pandemic%2Fdocview%2F2548346750%2Fse-2%3F

Photo Source: Wang, T. (2022). A masked barista serves drinks at a Starbucks flagship store in Beijing this past January [Photograph]. The Globe and Mail. https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/article-this-pandemic-has-taken-minimum-wage-workers-from-zeroes-to-heroes-and/

#industrial relations #the globe and mail #pandemic #essential workers #minimum wage #minimum-wage workers

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birdsareblooming · 4 years

Text

Amy Rose the Hedgehog/Echidna

Alright you motherfuckers, Amy Rose is a Hedgehog/Echidna Hybrid and i’m going to prove it to you.

1. The history of Amy Rose

1a. Classic Amy

Amy Rose made her video game debut in 1993's Sonic the Hedgehog CD, as a non-playable character. In this game she is an 8 year old hedgehog girl kidnapped by the new antagonist, Metal Sonic. In the Japanese release, she was primarily known by her nickname Rosy the Rascal, although it is still stated that her real name is Amy Rose. She later appeared as a playable character in several ensemble spin-off games such as Sonic Drift, Sonic Drift 2, Sonic the Fighters and Sonic R. She did not appear in any of the early TV series, although she was included in most comics, including the Archie Comics series, the British Sonic the Comic and the French Sonic Adventures. (Via Sonic Wiki)

TLDR; Amy first showed up in comics, although she was created for the video games. As shown above her first video game appearance was Sonic CD.

Amy Rose was created in response to a request from the character division of Sega's licensing business, who wanted a character that could be the "Minnie" to Sonic's "Mickey" However, it was felt that it would go against Sonic's personality for him to locked into a standard cartoon relationship like Mickey and Minnie. Instead, it was decided that a one-way relationship, where Amy's affection for Sonic is unrequited, would be more interesting ((via Sonic Wiki))

TLDR; Amy was created in response to a request to give Sonic a love interest, but feeling that would “Go against his character”, they made it a one-sided relationship.

Why am I letting you know this? Well to be acquainted and understand the significance of MODERN Amy, you need to know CLASSIC Amy.

Classic Amy had a very different design, although she was still pink, she wore different clothes, has different quills (very important) and is 8. She only showed up in Sonic CD and the comics, pretty much being reduced to a minor character. Even to this day, Classic Amy has no appearance in Sonic Mania (2017), despite having Mighty and Ray, only making an appearance in a holiday episode of Sonic Mania Adventures (2018)

1b. Modern Amy

When Sonic Team reunited and started work on their three-dimensional follow-up to the classic Sonic games, Sonic Adventure, it was decided they would revive the pink hedgehog and give her a starring role in the game. Like the rest of the returning cast, Amy was given an updated design by Yuji Uekawa. While Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all received minor design changes, Amy's clothing and hairstyle were completely revamped. She also had her entire figure redesigned to make her appear older. In addition to her redesign, her official age was changed from 8 to 12. (via: Sonic Wiki)

TLDR; Amy was brought in as a main character in Sonic Adventure, getting a complete revamp in character design, unlike the other characters who only had minor changes.

Remember this. It will come back later.

Now we’re to the Amy we know and love! Short cute hair, colors that actually match and don’t look horrific (why is classic wearing green and orange. Whos idea was that) And older, but maybe not too much more mature, Amy Rose.

Another note, her design might have been revamped, but her personality wasn’t.

2. Why that Matters

I know what you’re thinking, “why is that incredibly handsome he”-no sorry, “why are we going though the history of Amy? Why does it matter just tell us why you think she’s part echidna?”

I’m getting there, don’t worry.

I wanted everyone to be extremely clear on her history, on the changes between CLASSIC and MODERN, which is very important to this theory. Not everyone us super aware of her history.

3. Her (modern) Design

-it was decided they would revive the pink hedgehog and give her a starring role in the game. Like the rest of the returning cast, Amy was given an updated design by Yuji Uekawa. While Sonic, Tails and Knuckles all received minor design changes, Amy's clothing and hairstyle were completely revamped. (Via Sonic Wiki)

Now, Finally, let’s get to her design, and the weirdness of it.

3a. Her quills

Amy is a pink-furred anthropomorphic hedgehog with green eyes and peach skin on her muzzle and arms. Unlike other hedgehogs, her spines are not spiky in appearance - but are rather worn down like that of ordinary hair, somewhat resembling a bob cut. (Via: Sonic Wiki)

I’m going to assume you knew I was getting to this

“Unlike other hedgehogs”, is a totally fair statement. Every other hedgehog we’ve seen (Even non-canon ones with terrible designs ((looking at you sonia))) Have had their quills in a very specific manner.

Out, Long, and Back.

Very much in contrast with Amy’s, Down and Short.

Also note that Shadow and Sonic, on their heads, have six quills, silver having two long ones and 5 bang quills. Basically, their quills are layered, Amy’s however, is not. It’s one right next to each other.

I note the layered quills as very important. Makes sense for mobian hedgehogs right? I mean they have layered quills like that in real life, even if there’s a lot more.

This is very important why? Because there’s another species that has their quills/spines/hair/etc. right next to each other, instead of layered.

Interesting how close it is to Amy’s own hairstyle isn’t it?

it’s even drawn similarly.

In conclusion, her quills are VERY strange for hedgehogs, but very average for echidna’s, weird for a hedgehog huh.

3b. Her Back

“What?” You say, confused.

But listen.

There’s one specific thing that other hedgehogs have, that Amy Rose is lacking.

Back Quills

None on her back. Absolutely zero.

Again, strange and weird for a hedgehog, not at all strange or weird for an echidna.

3c. Other stuff

-The top of her red dress looking like a crescent moon, alot like Knuckles’s own on his body. I just noticed this looking at the two ref sheets above. -Might be crazy, but I feel like with the 3D models Amy’s tail is longer than the other hedgehog’s. Might just be me though -Most (normal) hedgehogs we’ve seen like Sonic and Silver have very cool colors like Blue and White, and Echidnas are very centered around reds and oranges. And I mean, Pink is a light shade of red.

4. Hybrids

This will be a quick one, hybrid’s HAVE existed in the sonic universe

Although an obscure character now, Fang the Sniper has always been a hybrid.

Touma would state on Twitter that he designed Fang with a jerboa (トビネズミ?) motif in his mind.[6] However, the sales departments of Sega decided upon him being half jerboa and half wolf in Japan, and a weasel in North America.[7][8] (Via: Sonic Wiki)

And, you could be wondering why i’m saying she’s a hybrid and not just an Echidna instead of a Hedgehog. Well, She has the hedgehog ears and eye-shape.

5. The whole picture

I’ve shown you the pieces, now to put it together.

Each of these things with her new design sepretly would mean nothing, but together it means a lot.

But you HAVE to be thinking, “There’s no way that was purposeful.” and I get it. When I first thought of this theory, that was the roadblock that kept me from fully believing it, until I did some research.

I don’t belive it was the idea from the beginning. And by that, I mean CLASSIC Amy.

She looks like a hedgehog, she has back spines, she has normal, layered, quills. As well as Amy debuting before Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 3 (1994)

MODERN Amy, however. Is a different story.

Remember when I told you to remember a certain paragraph?

Amy’s design was changed drastically for Sonic Adventure, even saying so in this paragraph. Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles got minor things, like eye colors and more dexterity. Eggman got an outfit change. Amy’s whole body was changed. Quills, Back, Outfit, Everything.

Once again, you’re wondering, “Why does this matter?”

Amy was completely redesigned for Sonic Adventure. A game that include, features, hell, CENTERS around Echidnas.

Every flashback is about the Knuckles clan, and how Chaos ended up like that™️ because of them.

In a game where you have a bunch of Echidnas, I, personally, feel like i’d be difficult to make the mistake of 50% of Amy Rose looking like one.

Anyway Amy Rose is an Echidna/Hedgehog hybrid and either doesn’t know or is too dumb to tell anyone thanks by

#amy rose #theory #sonic theory #sonic

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justanotherlifeff · 4 years

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How 'bout a Bakugou fic where he's in love with an older woman, lets say his senpai. I just love the idea of Bakubae pining after someone who's a little bit older than him 🤤

Not my senpai

Bakugou stared at the big red zero on the test paper in his hand with an angry expression. Ofcourse he, THE Bakugou Katsuki couldn't get a fucking zero on a test! There must have been some sort of mistake! As if Aizawa was reading Bakugou's mind, he looked at Bakugou and stated, "Bakugou, there hasn’t been any mistake in my grading if that's what you're thinking. You got perfect scores in every other test except for English. If you want to be a top hero, your English speaking skills need to be top notch since famous pro heroes are sometimes sent on missions abroad. You need extra tutoring and we'll talk in details about it after classes are over.". "Yes, sensei.." Bakugou grumbled, almost blowing up the test paper in his hand as he crumbled it and shoved it in his bag. The worst part of it all was that he was the only one in class to fail English. Iida, Todoroki and Yaoyorozu came from expensive middle schools which gave them good English skills since they already learnt it all from back there. Midoriya was always good at taking notes which is why he managed to keep up with English as he also took help from Iida and Todoroki. Uraraka and Tsuyu took help from them as well and managed to pass the English exams. Kaminari and Sero knew English from video games while Mina and Kirishima learnt it from american fashion and fitness blogs. Koda learned English from cooking videos while Jirou learnt it from singing English songs. Satou apparently had relatives abroad and therefore, he was taught the language by his parents. No one knew how Ayoama knew such good English while the others simply seeked guidance from Yaoyorozu. Hell, even Mineta knew enough English to pass the exams thanks to watching way too many English porn videos! Bakugou was the only one with the massive ego to not ask for help from anyone which in turn came back to bite him on his own ass.

When class was finally over, Bakugou sat at his chair angrily, waiting for his discussion with Aizawa. He knew that getting extra tutoring would improve his English skills and ofcourse, he didn't want to be topped by "shitty deku". Then again, taking help from people was rather embarassing for him. However, it's not like he had an option in this case. While thinking of all these, he didn't notice the third year student slip in the classroom. Bakugou was currently in the second year of UA. During his first year, he was able to manage English classes somehow but now that lessons got way harder, he managed to get his first failing grade in his entire life. Bakugou's trail of thoughts was broken by Aizawa speaking to him. "I don't have any extra time to give you extra tutoring and nor does the other teachers. (L/N) here would be helping you with English because of that. She's one of the big three of the third year and she's got the top marks in every year so don't underestimate her and behave. Talk to her and set your extra lesson timings." Aizawa drawled before getting out of the class with his sleeping bag, leaving Bakugou with you. "Hey, I'm (L/N) (Y/N) from 3A and I'm glad to help you out with English. So, Bakugou-kun, tell me when you're free and we can work out a time to study together?" you told him with a small smile as you sat on the chair infront of him. "Am free after classes everyday for 2 hours." Bakugou muttered with a scowl. "I see. You're not too friendly are you? Well, it doesn't matter. As long as you cooperate and as long as your English skills get better, you don't need to play friends. I'll see you after class on Wednesdays and Thursdays alright? See ya tommorow." You stood up, your polite smile gone to replace your face with seriousness. Well, atleast you successfully broke his expectations of you being a random extra cause it was like you read him by his expression alone.

"(L/N)-SENPAI IS GIVING YOU EXTRA TUTORING? GODDAMNIT WHY DID I NOT FAIL ENGLISH?!?!?!??!" Kaminari wailed at the information passed onto him for the 100th time. "Why is dunce face acting like that?" Bakugou asked Kirishima, tired of Kaminari's fanboying over you. "You really don't know anything about (L/N)-senpai do you Bakubro? Her quirk is similar to principal Nezu and she pretty much is smarter than a computer. She can tell exactly what you're thinking by just looking at you cause she's so good at reading a person's body language and she apparantly got into the hero course without having any physical quirk just cause she apparantly made a different student hit a building in a certain place that made all the other buildings in Ground beta fall over crushing all the robots. Principal Nezu already requested her to take over his position as soon as he retires. She won the sports festival three times in her year cause she uses everyone's quirk against them somehow. As far as I know, no one really understands what's going on in her mind cause she always has this polite smile on her and so far, no one has been able to befriend her or get anywhere close to her cause she somehow always shuts them out. She's pretty much the prettiest, smartest and the most untouchable girl in UA. Which is why, Kaminari is shitting himself cause (Y/N)-senpai would never go out of her way to tutor someone and you're seriously lucky cause she's probably the smartest person in Musutafu besides Principal Nezu." Kirishima explained. At the moment, Bakugou clearly understood why your expression suddenly changed just because he scowled. You probably understood that he thought you were an extra when in reality, you were anything but one. The whole ordeal, somehow, made Bakugou feel embarassed about judging you without knowing shit.

Wednesday came sooner than he expected and Bakugou knew that he had to compensate for embarassing himself. Ofcourse you probably thought that he infact was the extra cause you were clearly way smarter than he was. While you tried to find his issues with English, he was feeling uncomfortable thinking about the events from back then. "Bakugou-kun, I'm not looking down on you cause you looked down on me. I can understand that you figured out my quirk from someone but it's alright. People tend to judge others and that's normal human behaviour. Now that you feel bad about it, that's enough for me and we can just forget that happened." you told him, again with that polite smile. "Okay." Bakugou muttered feeling awkward since he wasn’t used to people reading him like that. Like Kirishima mentioned, you really were extremely smart and you figured out exactly what made his English skills weak in a matter of minutes. While he had a good understanding of grammer, he clearly had no practice when it came to implementing it. After talking to him for a while, you figured out his interests quite easily and for the next few months, you brought him books that he might like for him to read out loud to you. Bakugou was a smart person as well and it didn't take him any more than the next three months to master English well. By then, the two of you read over a hundred books together in the library. The two days of tutoring turned into all seven days a week and Bakugou found himself drawn to you after the first month. While you were polite and cold at the begining, you started to laugh at Bakugou's dry offensive humour. Bakugou found your smart remarks funny as well, letting out a deep chuckle at times. The books you got him were all up to his interests at the beginning but with time, they ended up being books that you genuinely enjoyed which made Bakugou learn more and more about you. You, like him, were a misunderstood person. You understood exactly what others thought of you which made you detach yourself from people. Everyone always thought of you negatively behind your back and they believed that you wouldn’t figure it out. The only problem was that you always did. People were easy to read after all and you understood why people found you to be too intense. People are naturally made to be scared of the unknown and no one really knew you. Well, except Bakugou. You opened up to this certain boy because he always showed what he felt. To him, there was no reason to hide his feelings, he would say that he dislikes someone on their face. You liked that bold attitude and you found yourself opening up to him, thinking of him as a friend or maybe more.

When Bakugou looked at the red 100/100 written on his English test paper, a smirk formed at his face. He couldn't wait to show it to you and brag about his English skills. He knew that he wouldn't be here without you but then again, you already knew that. He loved that he didn’t have to voice his appreciation out loud to you since you always picked up on his subtle gestures of appreciation unlike everyone else. Hell, you were smart enough to see the good in him, to see everything else other than his prickly exterior. He finally knew why Kaminari was fangirling over you months back since ge found himself doing the same. You were the embodiment of perfection to him and now, three months later, he knew that he was head over heels in love with you. However, unlike you, he didn't have any way of predicting you. You were older than him by an year. Hell, you were a senior student and you always rejected everyone who asked you out. You'd be starting out as a pro hero in less than a few months while he'll still be a high school student and ofcourse that meant that you’d most probably reject him. With all that negative thoughts, he went to the library to meet up with you for tutoring sessions. Given that he already aced his exams, there was no more reason for you to tutor him anymore. The thought that you probably wouldn’t talk to him again made him feel sick at the stomach. "Hey Bakugou-kun! How did the test go?" you asked him with a genuine smile as you sat at one of the tables in the library. With a cocky smirk, Bakugou held out his test paper, showing off his perfect grade. To his surprise, you stood up and did a little weird victory dance as you clearly looked extremely happy. "Damn, (L/N), you seem more happy about my grades than I am" Bakugou teased you, making you blush furiously as you realised that you literally danced like an idiot infront of him. "It's (L/N)-senpai Bakugo-kun! Besides, all teachers feel happy when their students get perfect scores you know!" you tried to defend yourself by teasing him. Usually, he would tease you back with some sort of insulting remark but this time, he was quiet. You knew about his feelings for you for a while. After all, Bakugou wasn’t very hard to read. To be honest, you found yourself falling for him as well. However, you wanted him to make the first move. You were older than he is but that didn't mean that you’d have to take charge in every case. Unfortunately, it seemed as if he couldn’t gain that confidence and now that your tutoring sessions came to an end, you didn't know what to do. "Senpai huh..." you heard Bakugou mutter, his hair hiding his eyes as you saw a small smirk on his face. "I refuse to call you my senpai, (L/N). You may be an year older than I am, you may have a quirk that makes you a hundred times smarter than I am but I saw through you. Don't think that I didn’t notice those blushes on your face whenever I teased you or how you look like the world ended now that our tuition sessions are over. I seriously was confused at the begining but now, I'm pretty confident that you like me, don't you, (Y/N)?" Bakugou asked, looking straight at your eyes as he called you by your first name. To say that you were blushing would be an understatement as you were completely red by his boldness. "As far as I'm concerned, you're not my senpai from now on. You'll be my girlfriend instead. If I'm wrong, then you can walk away from me and I'll not bother you again." Bakugou stated, a blush forming at his face. He didn’t think this through. Infact, as soon as he saw your sad expression, he decided that he needed to confess now. It as now or never. Bakugou was never good with feelings and you understood why his confession sounded more like a declaration that you were his. A small shy smile formed on your face as you looked at him and said, "Alright, I'm not your senpai". The next thing you knew was that you were pulled into a deep passionate kiss.

Bonus: "YOU'RE DATING (L/N)-SENPAI??!?!?!?! WHY DID I NOT FAIL ENGLISH GAHHHHHH" Kaminari was bawling in the 2A common room while Bakugou looked at Kirishima with an annoyed expression and told him, "Tell Dunce face to shut his trap." Kirishima only looked at Bakugou with a shocked expression thanks to the news that Bakugou was dating you being thrown at him moments ago.

[Author's note: I've been wanting to write something like this for a while. Hope you liked it!]

#bakugou katsuki #bnha bakugou #bakugo fluff #bnha #bnha fanfiction #bakugo x reader #bakugou ? reader #bnha x reader #bakugo katsuki #bakugou x reader #mha bakugou #bakugou fanfiction #bakugou × reader

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witchywasteland · 4 years

Text

I don't wanna break any hearts because I loooove that Andrew reads us poetry in this awful times, but as a Chilean I feel the need to tell you we don't fuck with Pablo Neruda anymore, as much as he was a genius, he was a racist asshole and a rapist as well, and he said it himself.

One of the few examples is how he dehumanizes women of color and treat and describe them as wild animals, exotic figures, etc.

Here's part of he's memoir in wich he talks about a woman in Sri Lanka who was there to clean his toilet. After she cleaned his shit he calls her and she doesn't respond, the exact paragraph from the book:

“I decided to go all the way. I got a strong grip on her wrist and stared into her eyes. There was no language I could talk with her. She let me lead her, without a smile, and she was soon naked on my bed. Her skinny waist, her full hips, the brimming cups of her breasts, made her like one of the millennial sculptures from southern India. The encounter was of a man with a statue. Her eyes stayed open the whole time impassible. She was right to despise me. The experience was not repeated.”

Also he abandoned his only daughter,Malva Marina Trinidad del Carmen Reyes, because she was born with hydrocephalus, as himself the perfect poet said, this made her “a perfectly ridiculous being, a kind of semicolon, a three-kilos vampire" wtf.

Knowing this about neruda changes how you see his poems and his passion and lust for women.

I'm pretty sure Andrew doesn't now this and I wich someone could tell him or we can try?? I don't really use Twitter so I have zero followers but I know some of you do and maybe if we work together he can get to know this.

Here are some sources in English:

On the raped woman: https://medium.com/@vcasaisvila/why-i-wont-teach-pablo-neruda-s-poems-69bcf11e8ed2

On malva: https://medium.com/@some_lionheart/malva-nerudas-forgotten-daughter-and-the-moral-sacrifices-behind-male-greatness-d4ec4ac5dc35

Please share, I beg

#hozier #andrew hozier byrne #poetry #pablo neruda #twitter #hozier tweets #tw rape

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anika-ann · 4 years

Text

Homecoming (S.R)

Type: One-shot (long drabble?)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x fem!reader Word Count: 1680

Summary: There is no feeling like this; coming home and having this waiting for you...what else could a girl want?

Prompt: coming home to an eager puppy

Warnings: practically zero plot, maybe some bitching about work and then just fluff and more fluff

A/N: For softbiker’s 25 Things Challenge. Thanks for letting me participate in such a positive challenge! May your blog grow and gain more kind followers in the future :))

⊱⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊶⊷⊰

You whimpered, muttering profanities as you finally reached the top of the stairs, dropping the suitcase on the floor with a thud, grateful that the wheels would be of use at last. You had climbed three floors up with that thing, because the elevator was out of service; because that was just your luck.

Your feet were aching just like your calves from wearing nothing but high heels for almost two days straight, your Converse doing nothing for you now as it was too late to make up for the time spent in the pumps. The conference few towns over was almost nice, but too luxurious as always; your boss had claim to need you there (he didn’t) and had required you to look presentable and a head taller than him just so rich people could admire his choice of assistant (they didn’t care and those who did made you nauseous).

You really needed to change jobs once an opportunity would rise, before you lost your sanity and missed out on too many things in your life.

You sighed and dragged your feet towards your apartment, a brief smile flashing on your lips as you passed 3A, the home of your acquaintance/friend Clint. A muffled bark greeted you from behind the closed door and you hummed a sleepy “Hi, Lucky” in that direction before continuing your path.

You were worn to a bone; your body felt like made of lead, sticky after travelling, your hair was probably a mess and your breathing was heavy after the almost-midnight workout consisting of walking the stairs while lifting weights.

Yet, contentment slowly lifted your spirits as you reached your door and slid the key to the lock. Furious scratching of nails and quick rhythmic tapping on a bamboo flooring welcomed you along with an enthusiastic bark and you were done for, the widest smile spreading on your lips when you were reminded just what was waiting for you in your home.

You barely managed to open the door for a slit when a pair of paws – one tawny and one white, pushed through, raking with vigour to get to you. You chuckled as you carefully opened some more and slid in, your leg already being bounced on, barks echoing through the apartment as your 10-month-old furball couldn’t but express his excitement.

“Shh, shh-“ you whispered, though the giant grin stayed on your face as you manoeuvred your suitcase into the hall and closed the door and finally, finally crouched to give your favourite boy the greeting he deserved.

The moment you got your hands on him, your heart sang, fluttering in your chest. He was such a sweet baby and not for the first time, you wondered how his previous owners could give him up.

It probably had something to do with the fact that they wanted a damn guard dog – straight away, no less – and didn’t appreciate the love the puppy, a tawny-coloured Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever, had been showering them with.

They had called him Fury, for God’s sake. Who does that? He was the cutest thing you had ever seen, a puppy so full of energy and affection that you had been helpless against his charm, falling in love instantly, secretly renaming him despite not changing a thing in his papers. No Fury. Furball. Your adorable loveable ball of fur, tawny, but with a line of white fur on his head and a patch on his chest and looking like he had lost a tiny white sock from his left back and right front leg.

“Hi, sweety, hi!” you cooed at him, giggling as he climbed up, stretching his neck so he could lick your face, nearly chasing tears into your eyes. God, this. This made the two godawful days worth it.

Your fingers ran through the fur, scratching and stroking his back, behind his ears and it was a testimony of how much he needed to show you he loved you that rather than rolling on his back to earn himself some belly rubs, he kept licking at your face, his tail swinging wildly.

“What a good boy you are!” you continued in low voice, marvelling at how obedient he was, truly tuning down the barking and welcoming you in other ways instead. “What a sweet greeting you’re giving your momma!”

“Well, we did miss you a lot,” a male voice, raspy from sleep, explained, causing your smile to widen enough to nearly tear your mouth, familiar warmth spreading in your ribcage.

“We?” you echoed, your head snapping up to the figure leaning onto the wall, your breath catching in your throat.

You felt heat rising to your cheeks, your heart skipping an excited beat.

There he was, a real-life Adonis, blond, broad-shouldered and tall, with face carved by the Gods himself. And he had apparently taken a nap on your couch while dog-sitting your buddy, because he had his left cheek red and a bit wrinkled – and still, you felt ashamed as he looked like the most beautiful human being in the stark contrast to your pathetic messy self.

It all had been Clint’s fault, really. First, your neighbour – a half-retired Avenger! – had had you fall in love with his dog Lucky, encouraging you to get a pup on your own. While it could be difficult to arrange everything with your job that occasionally required short travels, he had said, there were always people to dog-sit. You were sold and brought a new four-legged friend home two days later.

Except Clint had forgotten to mention that he was off the table as a potential help, because Lucky was a special snowflake – adorable and loveable one, yes, but incredibly selfish, unable to stand another dog in his territory.

And then the goofball of a man assured that it was still not a problem, because he happened to have a friend who would be delighted to help with your Furball and even would be ecstatic to wear him out by running in the park; all of that, for free, maybe for a bit of food, because he couldn’t quite get a dog of his own. You, the dumbass you were, accepted Clint’s offer, because it sounded amazing.

Once again, he failed to mention an important detail. His dog-sitting volunteer was Captain America himself. You had nearly fainted when he had rung your bell at 6 am in the morning, claiming that Clint had suggested a test run (quite literally).

And yet somehow… somehow it still worked out. Furball loved Steve in an instant – because you obviously weren’t the only one ready to fall to this god-like golden-haired and golden-hearted man’s feet – and Steve Rogers became your regular dog-sitter.

Now, he was standing in the tiny hall in your apartment, smiling tiredly at the reunion of two desperate co-dependents, probably aware just how ready you were to faint again as he had claimed that both of them had missed you.

He didn’t even have the decency to be bashful about it, the charming bastard he was.

He bounced off of the wall, slowly walking to you, extending a hand to help you up. You patted Furball’s head once more and accepted, letting Steve to pull you to your feet and wrap his arm around your waist, his gaze roaming over you lovingly despite your dishevelled state.

“Well, we missed you a lot,” he had said that one time about four months ago, shocking you into silence as you had simply stared at him, watching the blush creep up his neck and face at your soundless “We?” as he realized what had slipped past his lips.

He had been a lot more bashful then, stumbling over his words, frantically trying to explain— and ending up asking you (and Furball, obviously) out anyway.

Four months later, here you were, midnight approaching as Steve greeted you home, a kiss to your hair before ducking his head to kiss your lips.

“Yeah,” he whispered to your mouth, his nose tenderly bumping yours, half-lidded eyes and goofy smiles. His lips caught yours again, only then breathing out the magical word. “We.”

It became a ritual of yours, that little exchange. A brief heartfelt tribute to the moment of your relationship taking an unexpected turn.

Soft ‘hi’s were whispered, few more pecks alternating with ardent kisses lasting long enough to steal your breath, your already tired feet feeling like made of jello, your brain turned into mush with each stroke of Steve’s fingers in your hair.

A whine and impatient pats on your calf signalled that your furry friend was losing patience and demanding some of the attention too. Both you and Steve chuckled to the kiss, parting and he bent lower, giving your good boy a calming scratch behind his ears, while trying to maintain eye-contact with you.

“You could have called, I’d help with the suitcase. The elevator-”

“Yeah, I noticed. Didn’t want to wake you…”

Steve shook his head tenderly, touched and mentally rolling his eyes at the same time. Sometimes you treated him as if he was not a supersoldier… but you both knew he in fact enjoyed it on occasion, simply because while he loved pampering you, he appreciated to be just Steve around you.

“How was the conference, honey? How was the journey?

You huffed in annoyance, not keen on tainting the wholesome reunion with grumbling about your unappealing job.

“I’ll tell you in the morning. Now I just want a shower and some snuggles if that’s okay,” you mumbled, your energy once again leaving your body at the memory of your draining weekend.

Steve’s brows furrowed in concern, but when you attempted a lame smile, he returned it fully and planted another kiss on your forehead, caressing your arm.

“Yeah. I think we can do that,” he assured you with a light squeeze to your bicep, turning to your companion as he patted his thigh and gestured for the puppy to follow. “Come on, Furball. Let’s leave your momma to clean up and warm the bed for her in the meantime. Then we can give her all the snuggles she wants.”

Steve glanced at you over his shoulder once more, a twinkle in his soft blue-green eyes and you felt your heart grew in size.

It felt good to be home. And coming home to a puppy and a man who could as well be a golden retriever in a human form? There was simply no other feeling like it.

You couldn’t wait to snuggle them both.

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S.R. masterlist

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Thank you for reading! I’m pretty sure that’s the shortest fic I’ve ever written, so I hoped you enjoyed the change ;)

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hldailyupdate · 4 years

Text

This Charming Man: Why We’re Wild About Harry Styles

Variety’s Grammy-nominated Hitmaker of the Year goes deep on the music industry, the great pause and finding his own muses.

“We’ll dance again,” Harry Styles coos, the Los Angeles sunshine peeking through his pandemic-shaggy hair just so. The singer, songwriter and actor — beloved and critically acclaimed thanks to his life-affirming year-old album, “Fine Line” — is lamenting that his Variety Hitmaker of the Year cover conversation has to be conducted over Zoom rather than in person. Even via videoconference, the Brit is effortlessly charming, as anyone who’s come within earshot of him would attest, but it quickly becomes clear that beneath that genial smile is a well-honed media strategy.

To wit: In an interview that appears a few days later announcing his investment in a new arena in his native Manchester (more on that in a bit), he repeats the refrain — “There will be a time we dance again”— referencing a much-needed return to live music and the promise of some 4,000 jobs for residents.

None of which is to suggest that Styles, 26, phones it in for interviews. Quite the opposite: He does very few, conceivably to give more of himself and not cheapen what is out there and also to use the publicity opportunity to indulge his other interests, like fashion. (Last month Styles became the first male to grace the cover of Vogue solo.) Still, it stings a little that a waltz with the former One Direction member may not come to pass on this album cycle — curse you, coronavirus.

Styles’ isolation has coincided with his maturation as an artist, a thespian and a person. With “Fine Line,” he’s proved himself a skilled lyricist with a tremendous ear for harmony and melody. In preparing for his role in Olivia Wilde’s period thriller “Don’t Worry Darling,” which is shooting outside Palm Springs, he found an outlet for expression in interpreting words on a page. And for the first time, he’s using his megaphone to speak out about social justice — inspired by the outpouring of support for Black people around the world following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police in May.

Styles has spent much of the past nine months at home in London, where life has slowed considerably. The time has allowed him to ponder such heady issues as his purpose on the earth. “It’s been a pause that I don’t know if I would have otherwise taken,” says Styles. “I think it’s been pretty good for me to have a kind of stop, to look and think about what it actually means to be an artist, what it means to do what we do and why we do it. I lean into moments like this — moments of uncertainty.”

In truth, while Styles has largely been keeping a low profile — his Love On Tour, due to kick off on April 15, was postponed in late March and is now scheduled to launch in February 2021 (whether it actually will remains to be seen) — his music has not. This is especially true in the U.S., where he’s notched two hit singles, “Adore You,” the second-most-played song at radio in 2020, and “Watermelon Sugar” (No. 22 on Variety’s year-end Hitmakers chart), with a third, “Golden,” already cresting the top 20 on the pop format. The massive cross-platform success of these songs means Styles has finally and decisively broken into the American market, maneuvering its web of gatekeepers to accumulate 6.2 million consumption units and rising.

Why do these particular songs resonate in 2020? Styles doesn’t have the faintest idea. While he acknowledges a “nursery rhyme” feel to “Watermelon Sugar” with its earwormy loop of a chorus, that’s about as much insight as he can offer. His longtime collaborator and friend Tom Hull, also known as the producer Kid Harpoon, offers this take: “There’s a lot of amazing things about that song, but what really stands out is the lyric. It’s not trying to hide or be clever. The simplicity of watermelon … there’s such a joy in it, [which] is a massive part of that song’s success.” Also, his kids love it. “I’ve never had a song connect with children in this way,” says Hull, whose credits include tunes by Shawn Mendes, Florence and the Machine and Calvin Harris. “I get sent videos all the time from friends of their kids singing. I have a 3-year-old and an 8-year-old, and they listen to it.”

Styles is quick to note that he doesn’t chase pop appeal when crafting songs. In fact, the times when he pondered or approved a purposeful tweak, like on his self-titled 2017 debut, still gnaw at him. “I love that album so much because it represents such a time in my life, but when I listen to it — sonically and lyrically, especially — I can hear places where I was playing it safe,” he says. “I was scared to get it wrong.”

Contemporary effects and on-trend beats hardly factor into Styles’ decision-making. He likes to focus on feelings — his own and his followers’ — and see himself on the other side of the velvet rope, an important distinction in his view. “People within [the industry] feel like they operate on a higher level of listening, and I like to make music from the point of being a fan of music,” Styles says. “Fans are the best A&R.”

This from someone who’s had free rein to pursue every musical whim, and hand in the album of his dreams in the form of “Fine Line.” Chart success makes it all the sweeter, but Styles insists that writing “for the right reasons” supersedes any commercial considerations. “There’s no part that feels, eh, icky — like it was made in the lab,” he says.

Styles has experience in this realm. As a graduate of the U.K. competition series “The X Factor,” where he and four other auditionees — Niall Horan, Zayn Malik, Liam Payne and Louis Tomlinson — were singled out by show creator and star judge Simon Cowell to conjoin as One Direction, he’s seen how the prefab pop machine works up close. The One Direction oeuvre, which counts some 42 million albums sold worldwide, includes songs written with such established hitmakers as Ryan Tedder, Savan Kotecha and Teddy Geiger. Being a studious, insatiable observer, Styles took it all in.

“I learned so much,” he says of the experience. “When we were in the band, I used to try and write with as many different people as I could. I wanted to practice — and I wrote a lot of bad shit.”

His bandmates also benefited from the pop star boot camp. The proof is in the relatively seamless solo transitions of at least three of its members — Payne, Malik and Horan in addition to Styles — each of whom has landed hit singles on charts in the U.K., the U.S. and beyond.

This departs from the typical trajectories of boy bands including New Kids on the Block and ’N Sync, which have all pro ered a star frontman. The thinking for decades was that a record company would be lucky to have one breakout solo career among the bunch.

Styles has plainly thought about this.

“When you look at the history of people coming out of bands and starting solo careers, they feel this need to apologize for being in the band. ‘Don’t worry, everyone, that wasn’t me! Now I get to do what I really want to do.’ But we loved being in the band,” he says. “I think there’s a wont to pit people against each other. And I think it’s never been about that for us. It’s about a next step in evolution. The fact that we’ve all achieved different things outside of the band says a lot about how hard we worked in it.”

Indeed, during the five-ish years that One Direction existed, Styles’ schedule involved the sort of nonstop international jet-setting that few get to see in a lifetime, never mind their teenage years. Between 2011 and 2015, One Direction’s tours pulled in north of $631 million in gross ticket sales, according to concert trade Pollstar, and the band was selling out stadiums worldwide by the time it entered its extended hiatus. Styles, too, had built up to playing arenas as a solo artist, engaging audiences with his colorful stage wear and banter and left-of-center choices for opening acts (a pre-Grammy-haul Kacey Musgraves in 2018; indie darlings King Princess and Jenny Lewis for his rescheduled 2021 run).

Stages of all sizes feel like home to Styles. He grew up in a suburb of Manchester, ground zero for some of the biggest British acts of the 1980s and ’90s, including Joy Division, New Order, the Smiths and Oasis, the latter of which broke the same year Styles was born. His parents were also music lovers. Styles’ father fed him a balanced diet of the Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, the Rolling Stones and Queen, while Mum was a fan of Shania Twain, Norah Jones and Savage Garden. “They’re all great melody writers,” says Styles of the acts’ musical throughline.

Stevie Nicks, who in the past has described “Fine Line” as Styles’ “Rumours,” referencing the Fleetwood Mac 1977 classic, sees him as a kindred spirit. “Harry writes and sings his songs about real experiences that seemingly happened yesterday,” she tells Variety. “He taps into real life. He doesn’t make up stories. He tells the truth, and that is what I do. ‘Fine Line’ has been my favorite record since it came out. It is his ‘Rumours.’ I told him that in a note on December 13, 2019 before he went on stage to play the ‘Fine Line’ album at the Forum. We cried. He sang those songs like he had sung them a thousand times. That’s a great songwriter and a great performer.”

“Harry’s playing and writing is instinctual,” adds Jonathan Wilson, a friend and peer who’s advised Styles on backing and session musicians. “He understands history and where to take the torch. You can see the thread of great British performers — from Bolan to Bowie — in his music.”

Also shaping his musical DNA was Manchester itself, the site of a 23,500-seat arena, dubbed Co-op Live, for which Styles is an investor and adviser. Oak View Group, a company specializing in live entertainment and global sports that was founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015 (Jeffrey Azoff, Irving’s son, represents Styles at Full Stop Management), is leading the effort to construct the venue. The project gained planning approval in September and is set to open in 2023, with its arrival representing a £350 million ($455 million) investment in the city. (Worth noting: Manchester is already home to an arena — the site of a 2017 bombing outside an Ariana Grande concert — and a football stadium, where One Love Manchester, an all-star benefit show to raise money for victims of the terrorist attack, took place.)

“I went to my first shows in Manchester,” Styles says of concerts paid for with money earned delivering newspapers for a supermarket called the Co-op. “My friends and I would go in on weekends. There’s so many amazing small venues, and music is such a massive part of the city. I think Manchester deserves it. It feels like a full-circle, coming-home thing to be doing this and to be able to give any kind of input. I’m incredibly proud. Hopefully they’ll let me play there at some point.”

Though Styles has owned properties in Los Angeles, his base for the foreseeable future is London. “I feel like my relationship with L.A. has changed a lot,” he explains. “I’ve kind of accepted that I don’t have to live here anymore; for a while I felt like I was supposed to. Like it meant things were going well. This happened, then you move to L.A.! But I don’t really want to.”

Is it any wonder? Between COVID and the turmoil in the U.S. spurred by the presidential election, Styles, like some 79 million American voters, is recovering from sticker shock over the bill of goods sold to them by the concept of democracy. “In general, as people, there’s a lack of empathy,” he observes. “We found this place that’s so divisive. We just don’t listen to each other anymore. And that’s quite scary.”

That belief prompted Styles to speak out publicly in the wake of George Floyd’s death. As protests in support of Black Lives Matter took to streets all over the world, for Styles, it triggered a period of introspection, as marked by an Instagram message (liked by 2.7 million users and counting) in which he declared: “I do things every day without fear, because I am privileged, and I am privileged every day because I am white. … Being not racist is not enough, we must be anti racist. Social change is enacted when a society mobilizes. I stand in solidarity with all of those protesting. I’m donating to help post bail for arrested organizers. Look inwards, educate yourself and others. LISTEN, READ, SHARE, DONATE and VOTE. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. BLACK LIVES MATTER.”

“Talking about race can be really uncomfortable for everyone,” Styles elaborates. “I had a realization that my own comfort in the conversation has nothing to do with the problem — like that’s not enough of a reason to not have a conversation. Looking back, I don’t think I’ve been outspoken enough in the past. Using that feeling has pushed me forward to being open and ready to learn. … How can I ensure from my side that in 20 years, the right things are still being done and the right people are getting the right opportunities? That it’s not a passing thing?”

His own record company — and corporate parent Sony Music Group, whose chairman, Rob Stringer, signed Styles in 2016 — has been grappling with these same questions as the industry has faced its own reckoning with race. At issue: inequality among the upper ranks (an oft-cited statistic: popular music is 80% Black, but the music business is 80% white); contracts rooted in a decades-old system that many say is set up to take advantage of artists, Black artists more unfairly than white; and the call for a return of master rights, an ownership model that is at the core of the business.

Styles acknowledges the fundamental imbalance in how a major label deal is structured — the record company takes on the financial risk while the artist is made to recoup money spent on the project before the act is considered profitable and earning royalties (typically at a 15% to 18% rate for the artist, while the label keeps and disburses the rest). “Historically, I can’t think of any industry that’s benefited more off of Black culture than music,” he says. “There are discussions that need to happen about this long history of not being paid fairly. It’s a time for listening, and hopefully, people will come out humbled, educated and willing to learn and change.”

By all accounts, Styles is a voracious reader, a movie lover and an aesthete. He stays in shape by adhering to a strict daily exercise routine. “I tried to keep up but didn’t last more than two weeks,” says Hull, Styles’ producer, with a laugh. “The discipline is terrifying.”

Of course, with the fashion world beckoning — Styles recently appeared in a film series for Gucci’s new collection that was co-directed by the fashion house’s creative director, Alessandro Michele, and Oscar winner Gus Van Sant — and a movie that’s set in the 1950s, maintaining that physique is part of the job. And he’s no stranger to visual continuity after appearing in Christopher Nolan’s epic “Dunkirk” and having to return to set for reshoots; his hair, which needed to be cut back to its circa 1940 form, is a constant topic of conversation among fans. This time, it’s the ink that poses a challenge. By Styles’ tally, he’s up to 60 tattoos, which require an hour in the makeup chair to cover up. “It’s the only time I really regret getting tattooed,” he says.

He shows no regret, however, when it comes to stylistic choices overall, and takes pride in his gender-agnostic portfolio, which includes wearing a Gucci dress on that Vogue cover— an image that incited conservative pundit Candace Owens to plead publicly to “bring back manly men.” In Styles’ view: “To not wear [something] because it’s females’ clothing, you shut out a whole world of great clothes. And I think what’s exciting about right now is you can wear what you like. It doesn’t have to be X or Y. Those lines are becoming more and more blurred.”

But acclaim, if you can believe it, is not top of mind for Styles. As far as the Grammys are concerned, Styles shrugs, “It’s never why I do anything.” His team and longtime label, however, had their hearts set on a showing at the Jan. 31 ceremony. Their investment in Styles has been substantial — not just monetarily but in carefully crafting his career in the wake of such icons as David Bowie, who released his final albums with the label. Hope at the company and in many fans’ hearts that Styles would receive an album of the year nomination did not come to pass. However, he was recognized in three categories, including best pop vocal album.

“It’s always nice to know that people like what you’re doing, but ultimately — and especially working in a subjective field — I don’t put too much weight on that stuff,” Styles says. “I think it’s important when making any kind of art to remove the ego from it.” Citing the painter Matisse, he adds: “It’s about the work that you do when you’re not expecting any applause.”

Harry for Variety. (2 December 2020)

#harry styles #harry update #article #variety #hldaily #December 2020

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