#affordable virtual staff
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hireanydomain · 2 days ago
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Hire Virtual Employees in Any Domain Unlock Flexibility and Expertise with Hire in Any Domain
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In the modern business landscape, flexibility and efficiency are essential for staying ahead of the competition. Hiring virtual employees has emerged as a game-changing solution, enabling businesses to access global talent without geographical constraints. India, with its skilled workforce and cost-effective solutions, is a leading destination for hiring virtual employees. At Hire in Any Domain, we specialize in connecting you with top talent to support your business growth.
What is a Virtual Employee?
A virtual employee is a professional who works remotely, handling tasks or projects assigned by your business. They operate like in-house employees but without the need for physical office space or infrastructure. From administrative tasks to specialized services, virtual employees offer expertise in a wide range of domains.
Why Hire Dedicated Virtual Employees in Any Domain?
1. Cost Efficiency
Hiring a virtual employee eliminates the need for office space, equipment, and other overhead costs. By choosing to hire dedicated virtual employees in any domain, businesses can save up to 60% on operational expenses.
2. Access to Skilled Talent
India is home to a vast pool of highly skilled professionals. Whether you need administrative support, IT services, or creative expertise, you can find the right talent by outsourcing from India.
3. Increased Productivity
Virtual employees focus solely on the tasks assigned to them, ensuring high levels of productivity. You can also scale your team as per your project requirements without worrying about hiring or training full-time staff.
4. Time Zone Advantage
The time zone difference between India and many Western countries allows businesses to operate seamlessly around the clock. Tasks can be completed overnight, giving your business a competitive edge.
Services You Can Outsource to Virtual Employees in India
1. Data Entry Services
Hiring virtual employees for data entry tasks ensures accuracy, speed, and cost-effectiveness. At Hire in Any Domain, we connect you with data entry experts from India who specialize in data management, processing, and reporting.
2. Administrative Support
Virtual employees can handle a wide range of administrative tasks, such as email management, scheduling, and customer service, freeing up your time for strategic decisions.
3. Specialized Services
From digital marketing and graphic design to IT support, virtual employees in India offer expertise across various domains. You can hire professionals tailored to your project needs.
Why Outsource from India?
India is a global outsourcing hub for several reasons:
Skilled Workforce: India offers a large pool of highly educated professionals with expertise in diverse fields.
Cost-Effective Solutions: Labor costs in India are significantly lower compared to Western countries, ensuring you get high-quality services at affordable rates.
Advanced Infrastructure: Indian outsourcing firms leverage state-of-the-art technology and tools to deliver top-notch services.
Cultural Compatibility: Indian professionals are known for their adaptability and excellent communication skills, making them a perfect fit for international businesses.
Hire in Any Domain: Your Trusted Partner
At Hire in Any Domain, we make it easy to hire dedicated virtual employees in any domain. Whether you’re looking for data entry experts from India, creative professionals, or technical support, we provide customized solutions tailored to your needs.
Conclusion
Hiring virtual employees in any domain is a smart, flexible, and cost-effective way to scale your business. With India’s rich talent pool and competitive pricing, outsourcing is a strategic move that can drive your business forward.
Partner with Hire in Any Domain today to unlock the potential of virtual employees and take your business to the next level. From data entry experts to skilled IT professionals, we have the talent you need to succeed
Source: https://medium.com/@hireanydomain/hire-virtual-employees-in-any-domain-unlock-flexibility-and-expertise-with-hire-in-any-domain-1b7b70bcddb9
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project-sekai-facts · 1 month ago
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Was there ever a stated reason that alt vocals by non virtual singer characters for commission songs that aren't their own died out by most units' 5th singles (rui's filament fever alt vocal is an anomaly) or is it just implicitly because they don't feel like making a bunch of alt vocals anymore
Honestly I have no clue. Maybe they just decided only the focus character should do it. Or they did say occasionally they have to rerecord some vocals for the alts, so maybe they decided it was too much studio time (not like they can't afford it).
For the record, every singer sings the entirety of every comm for their unit (with some exceptions due to vocal range), and the vocals are then mixed to make what you hear in game. Alts do exist for every character for every comm, they just aren't released. We KNOW CRaZY alts for all 4 members exist, Umetora tweeted that he made them and emailed them to the seiyuu and I think Fumiyan mentioned it on stream too. They're not staff-made so they can't use them but surely it wouldn't be hard for them to just do the exact same thing.
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candywife333 · 1 year ago
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I Wouldn't Even Touch You with a Stick
PART 4 of Just Want to See You Like That
This series is based on Jungkook's 3D and is probably going to have close to 6-7 parts, depending on where the storyline takes me. I'm feeling a bit dramatic, so expect a lot of angst. Tumblr is going to be referenced in this fic under a different name, Bumblr (I know, totally goofy name).
Summary: Y/N, an overworked employee at HYBE , only ever posted on Bumblr when she was feeling cornered. It was truly her escape. She didn't really do insta or even twitter. Most people would look at her and think this glass wearing quiet girl would most probably be posting pics of flowers and cute animals. But no, looks could be deceiving. Y/N's posts were far from innocent. In fact , they were borderline risque. She didn't expect anybody but a few horny people to come across these pics; people who would view and compliment in the best case scenario. What she didn't expect was that a certain star would be a regular consumer of her material. A star that technically had no business simping after her like that.
Disclaimer: This work is not representative of the real Jungkook's personality and behavior. It is merely fiction and please treat it as such.
Trigger Warning: voyeurism, exhibitionism, some swearing
Please don't read the fic if any of these themes are disturbing or offensive to you.
Taglist is open
I was floored. I had to go to the get together I promised Tae I would attend. But overwhelming anxiety and panic were piling up into the crevices of my brain. Nobody was supposed to find out about my virtual alter ego. It was supposed to just stay a sexy risqué self exploration that never left the bounds of the internet. Now I literally had a celebrity on my hands who knew about my deepest darkest secret. How was he even consuming all the stuff I put out when his league was different. He had models and actresses and other singers at his beck and call, more beautiful than me. He could merely wink at them and have them dropping their panties for him.
Why the hell was he watching my cellulite ridden, thick jiggly ass and fleshy thighs wrapped in cheap red lingerie? He could have his pick of the lot but he was spending every other day commenting on how gorgeous my ass was and how he would love to bury his face in my pussy?!?!?
He has to be my Mr.DaddyofPop. He was the only one of my followers that had such prominent tatoos (as far as I knew anyway). I was flattered but utterly disgusted at the same time. This dude was a complete fuckboy, engaging in hanky panky regularly with literal staff ?!?! Unprofessional, unethical, and certainly lacking dignity. These were all good descriptors for him. He came off as a deep soul on his profile. But I guess the only thing really deep about him was how deep he could thrust into random girls on the regular.
I righted myself in the bathroom mirror, sprucing up my hair and applying some lipgloss and clear mascara. Well, if he thought he knew me, I would just deny it. After his blatant accusation, I had scuttled off nonchalantly, citing that I had some meeting to attend to.
Gathering everything I needed, and taking my bra off, replacing it with nipple covers, I walked out the door, into the crisp winter air ready to deny any and everything he was ready to label me. Acting obtuse would do the trick.
I didn't even want to attend, but if I did not, I would be forced to withstand the wrath of Taehyung. I got into a cab and was dropped off at a restaurant 5 minutes away. As I walked into the entrance of the establishment, I heard the boisterous laughter of many men. Taehyung caught sight of me and galloped towards me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder, pushing me towards a massive table loaded with boys sporting branded clothes I could never afford. Noodle dishes of every shape and size littered the space , " Gentlemen, this is my wonderful, amazing friend Y/N. She recently got promoted from maintenance staff to admin manager. Give her a hearty round of applause please".
I blushed profusely as I saw many grins and heard the thunderous claps directed towards me. I sat down between Taehyung and Jungkook (who I despised at this point) as there were not many chairs left. The dude must've been inebriated because he was not even giving me personal space. His gargantuan thighs were spread wide into a position I disdained the most, the man spread. My particular compunction with this positioning was the same reason every time, it intruded upon the space of the person seated next to criminal ***cough, cough***, aka man-spreader.
My thighs were not dainty little ballerina limbs, so they did take up space. To my dismay, the disgusting man wouldn't even move his legs slightly to make space for me. He encroached upon my territory by jamming his bony knee into one of my plush thighs. Why couldn't he be like Taehyung, who had a sense of personal space.
I sat there minimizing myself into a tiny compartment so as to evade his touch. But Mr. StupidEntity did not get the message, and so even as I withdraw into myself even more, his freaking skeletal knee continued to lean up against my soft warm thigh. I gave up at a point, because if I were to continue caring, I would probably erupt like a volcano at the table, spewing insults and vitriol at him without stop.
As uncomfortable as I felt, I started talking to Namjoon and Yoongi as they started asking me how I liked the new job. "It is alright so far. Mainly secretarial work and keeping track of appointments scheduled for the different teams. The work is familiar to me, so I am not having any difficulty so far".
Namjoon smiled timidly as he crooned in his raspy voice, " That is great to hear. I remember Bang PD always praising you in front of us even a year back, telling us how efficient you were. We didn't understand why he was talking about a maintenance staff at the time. But when you were absent for even just a week last year, so many things started falling part. The cafeteria had run out of supplies for lunch that week because nobody had done inventory and the bathroom sinks were stuck because nobody was there to do a maintenance check on them. Even our practice room had a nonfunctioning speaker that you would have replaced, but since you had left, nobody else bothered".
Yoongi continued with a soft look in his eye, "If it weren't for you, my sound system would have died on me. It is only because of your regular checkups, that I didn't have to replace some of my equipment". I felt warm at all the praise, so happy to see that my work had made difference. I beamed effusively, elated at their acknowledgements ," That makes me so happy to hear. You don't even know how much all this means to me". Caught up in my jubilant glow, I was taken aback when I noticed a black beady glare filled with irritation pointed my way.
Partly disturbed by the continuous glare that I could drilling into my soul, I turned towards Jungkook asking, "Do you need help with anything Jungkook-ssi?" I shifted my upper torso towards him, to see what the issue was. It seemed as though the man was about to say something since his jet black eyebrows pulled back into pointed peaks, cynically shimmering in the light. Expecting a biting remark, I braced myself for the onslaught. However, I was met with a different predicament altogether. The maknae, ingenue, and Casanova of BTS fell onto my tits with a plop face first. His face was smothered into my cleavage, nose stuffed right between my breasts. Holy mother of Jesus!!! wHAT The FUCK Was I suPPOSEd to do?????
The previously loud table of people all became pin drop silent at seeing the rather mind boggling scene playing out before them. Some of the boys felt like they were hallucinating, particularly Taehyung. I was stunned for a second before, I attempted to get Jungkook off of me, his full dead body weight leaning up against me. I screeched in surprise, "Jungkook-ssi please get off of me". I pulled his arms away trying to disengage his soft lips from mouthing at my breasts. Wait. WTF?!?!! Why did I feel soft lips sucking on the skin of my tits?!!?!
I was becoming livid with anger. Not only could this guy not have any decency or manners, but he was literally harassing me in front of a bunch of people way above me. Even as I pushed very hard to get him away from me, I felt his massive arms come around my back, to encircle me in a rather... intimate embrace. He shoved his head further into my tits, almost shoving my shirt down enough to reach my nipples. Thank god for the nipple covers. He wanted to suffocate in them? What was this dude doing?
He whined out, "So soft and warm. Want to live here forever. Smells like home". He continued mouthing at my tits, now involving his teeth to create marks on my skin. All the boys at the table were stunned till Namjoon ran to us, and shoved Jungkook off. Jungkook fell off his chair due to the force of the push, and I covered my tits with my bag in front of me, adjusting my top as I ran off to the bathroom before Taehyung or anyone could stop me.
This dude was a menace, a literal menace. Was he a cave man or something, turning dumb at the sight of tits? He had been staring at them previously also, but why did he do something as ridiculous as this?He was risking his morality ,reputation, and name. As far as I could recount, nobody ever told me at HYBE that this dude harassed women.
Feeling flushed, overheated, and annoyingly enough, aroused to some degree, I adjusted the top after running a damp paper towel over my tits, to get his cooties off of me. I would need a relaxing bath to calm myself down. I shouldn't have even come to this outing. What a nuisance. As I slowly walked out of the restroom, ready to just clandestinely slip out the door of the restaurant to get back home, I felt arms around my waist stopping me. Taehyung whimpered out in distress, "Y/N we need your help".
I turned around to him , with a drained look in my eye, "Not now Tae. That situation was too much for me to process. I need to get home. Have work again tomorrow". He gulped as he squeaked out in clear desperation, clutching my hands in his, eyes looking down at the floor in embarrassment , "Jungkook said that he won't leave the restaurant unless he goes back home with you. He is fighting the rest of the members because he can't see you. Please Y/N! The guy is literally crying, refusing to leave until you take him with you".
I stood there alarmed at this situation. "What the hell do you mean tae? I barely even know the dude. He is so bloody weird. First he smacked his face into my boobs and harassed me. And now he requests to go home with me as though I were his wife or girlfriend?"
Taehyung gripped my hands tighter as he stammered out, " Please Y/N. I know it is a lot to ask, but he has been going through a lot lately, with all his activities and professional commitments. He seems like he is mentally breaking down right now, and if he was with you, he might not completely lose it. Please just do me this one favor. Host him for just one night at your house. Call me if he does any shenanigans and I will rip him away from you otherwise".
My resolve to avoid this dude drained away. I was exhausted. It would just be one bizarre night, that's it right? I would let him sleep the night and he would leave the next morning. Anyway, I had a taser on me. If he tried to get frisky , he'd be zapped the fuck out. I gestured to Taehyung ,"Well bring on the pain, why don't you"?
taglist: @fortunecookiesworld, @sporadicarcadebanana
@darkuni63 , @jessicalynn85 ,
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saintmeghanmarkle · 5 months ago
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James Holts Family Makes & Sells Rosé by u/AM_Rike
James Holt’s Family Makes & Sells Rosé It has been puzzling as to why Meghan suddenly dropped her jam launch plans to “randomly” launch her own rosé. It made no sense since it takes many years to develop a wine and build up a following. Unless you are using your tax free charity to pay some oaf $225K-$300K a year (depending on bonus amount) to do close to no work whatsoever, and that staffer’s family owns a winery. Archewell writes a handful of checks each year and gets a few photo ops. They have no actual original charity services or activities, so no need for high level execs. James also has enough free time to also work for the Invictus Games. So his total pay package could be closer to $500K. The Holt family rosé is low end, retailing at £50 for 6 bottles, making the wholesale cost quite affordable. James’ brother Thomas has been in the wine-making business since 2014. Is it possible that James’ brother will simply sell shipping containers of unlabeled rosè to California where, like her jam, Meghan merely slaps her ARO label on them? This could account for James’ absurd (and illegal) pay package for a charity with virtually no employees on staff. Just James, a female co-CEO and likely one Admin. If this is what‘s happening, that gives more fodder to the IRS should Archewell, Inc be audited. congrats to the citizen journalist on X who found this post link: https://ift.tt/vtpNFhH author: AM_Rike submitted: July 11, 2024 at 12:04AM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit disclaimer: all views + opinions expressed by the author of this post, as well as any comments and reblogs, are solely the author's own; they do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrator of this Tumblr blog. For entertainment only.
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akitoscorpio · 1 year ago
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So Fuck Rooster Teeth
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Lets be real here, they want you to work for them for free. They already shit-caned the majority of the animation team they had working for them, they can't afford to advertise Rwby anymore without tacking the ad for their fucking crossover movie to the end of the last episode of the season. They had to damn near kickstart the JNPR plush set.
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Oh I'm sorry, Did I say "Damn near" They absolutely are running a pseudo Kickstarter to sell merch that issn't a fucking cheep as shit shirt with a Jpeg ironed on to it.
At this point, I am so far against the idea of "Greenlighting V10" it's not even funny. Not because I don't want to see a V10, but because at this point the company is clearly so fucking broke that shit is going to be produced by Child AI's in a Chinese sweatshop. You wouldn't think that RT could even sweatshop some fucking Stable Diffusion AI thing, But RT issn't going to let something like "Non Corporeal existence" stop them from finding a way to abuse the shit out of their virtual staff just like they have a history of abusing their real staff.
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"Thanks for the Kickstarter money to fund V10 bitches" - RT when they drop a whole volume of the ugliest fucking shit they could make with the budget of your average flash video from the early 2000's
Seriously, You all are begging RT to greenlight the next season of Rwby while they are standing in front of you, and all your hard work as fans to prop up the IP with their dicks out and telling you to blow them and give them your hard work for free.
Fuck these guys, we know how they treated their LGBT staff. We saw how hard they had crunched their staff for Literal years, we all read the stories from former staffers and read the glass door reviews showing how absolutely crap they were to work for.
At this stage in the game, the only way I'm going to accept a V10, is in the hands of a completely different studio not owned or operated by anyone connected to RT.
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ooooshetriesss · 20 days ago
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Announcement/Update Cat parents of MALE CATS SPECIFICALLY! If their under 8 &/or u’ve yet to learn about ‘the possibility of obstruction (something that CAN & WILL happen to certain genetically predisposed cats; swap them to wet food for their safety & PLEASE READ)
Hey guys💔 Todays rope had to be canceled. I had to rush one of my boys to ER. It was pretty serious, pretty scary & after 2 days I was finally able to bring him home but, I’m gonna have to keep an eye on him.Because of his size & the meds he needed; they hit him heavy so, he needs help going to the bathroom & using the water bowl.
Thank you to everyone whose reached out via IG as this was going down; if I didn’t get back to you, my apologies; it’s been a bit hectic but Im sincerely grateful for everyone’s concern.
IF U HAVE MALE CATS; SWAP THEM TO WET FOOD FOR THEIR SAFETY if u wanna spare a 1k vet bill,
(I was so shocked to hear both the vet & a lot of my fellow cat owners say “yeah it’s common, most ppl just don’t find out their cats intolerant till the worst happens; & because cats mask so well; at that point, it can truly be serious…)
I know Miami is densely populated but not everyone is 10 mins away from a vet. Also times are tough; I cannot stomach the idea of someone losing their cat cause they didn’t have 1000$ on standby (which who the fk has that these days)
I want to make this last part exceptionally clear..,
I am someone who has had a job since before I was legally allowed to obtain one… I’m one of millions of Americans who couldn’t afford college nor qualify for financial aid… I have worked to the BONE In everything from service industry, to blue collar, to maintenance(both in terms of house keeping & even assembling & maintenance of salt water aquariums..was even a groutsmith) like most Americans, I’ve never had insurance & lived paycheck to paycheck + have made just enough to get by since I was 15.
I didn’t have ‘luxurious purchases’ I had medical bills I couldn’t even afford a regular minimum payment on… I didn’t save for ‘exuberant trips’ … I saved to get a weeks worth of groceries…
I never bought a car..: but some days I spent just as much as I made just to get to work ..(& while the men were praised for riding their bikes & showing “that type of initiative…” I was berated for showing up to work “in such a condition” “It doesn’t matter u come in early /before we open to “fix urself up”
When YOU WALK IN THRU THAT DOOR, U WALK/TALK/COME IN LIKE UR ALREADY ON THE CLOCK… U SHOULD BE COMING IN EARLY ANYWAY (just for them to yell at u for actually coming in early)
The ONLY REASON, I (someone who would literally run into a burning building & d*e for their animals; for animals who weren’t even mine) someone who would miss meals so they could eat THE best food…someone who LOVES & is DEDICATED to their creatures, who would do ANYTHING for them, & MOST importantly..
Someone who was DUMB/NAIVE ENOUGH to be ‘the hardest worker in the room for souless companies/selfish ppl for 30+ yrs was ONLY CAPABLE of getting my baby THAT care NOT because of a “traditional (what yall call ‘honest days work’) IT WAS BECAUSE OF WHAT IS CONSIDERED SW. full fucking stop.
& because I had a women who had both a virtually non interest credit card AND my back♥️ (I’ve told u once, I’ll say it again; Grandmas a gangster)
I know SM likes to frame SW as an option for women who “don’t feel like working/ want expensive luxuries things & are looking for a free ride..”
What we’re lookin for is a career that allows us to still man the ship the way we need to, we’ve been expected to..
It allows us not just means for survival, but the capacity to do so WHILE we continue to be the caretakers of our family & (for some particularly exceptional women) the caretakers of our community…
I wanna make it SO clear this is NOT A DIG to ANYONE, ESPECIALLY the vet& staff that helped us & are appreciated SOOO DEEPLY. These are ppl who are overwhelmed, burnt out like the rest of us, expect unlike nurses, they usually aren’t given a 1/4 of the respect other medical professionals are. PLEASE be kind to them. (I know it’s difficult when emotions are high)
But while this was not my regular content, I know ALOT animal lovers on here… times are tough, there only gonnna get tougher… information is invaluable..
1 week before this happened; 1 woman made a video sharing how she JUST lost her MALE CAT (due to this)
Because of THAT video, I was aware this could even happen…
Because of a incredible vet & her team who TRUSTED me when I said “I will figure out the money, u have my WORD” my boy is safe & while expensive; they made it as affordable as possible…
And because of another woman who had my back w/a piece of plastic at the drop of a hat, I was able to bring him home.
And because of some incredible supporters & community like yall who like my content & share it, push it into the algo, find me on other platforms s & interact, even if they can’t financially contribute.. because of being lucky enough to be supported; I was able to make that happen for my boy. Every single variable is what came together to keep him here today & my heart… can’t even think of how to properly thank you all.
The community looked out for me.. & while this post may be all I have to give back ATM.. it’s what I got..
MALE CATS=WET FOOD TO BE SAFE!!!
(Also, CONSTANT FRESH WATER SOURCE BOTH BY & away from their food ; by their food so they have some to access while eating & some away so it stays fresh & can help them pass more easily.)
Love u guys xoxoxo.
We’ll be resuming to our regular scheduled content next week lol
Till then, xoxoox - hummingbird + ‘Fil’ @ooooshetriesss
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cariantha · 2 hours ago
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Scored
Book: Open Heart, Book 2 Pairing: Dr. Ethan Ramsey x F!MC (Dr. Sawyer Brooks) Rating: General Category: Fluff; Thanksgiving; Christmas Word count: 2.1K Prompt: From @jerzwriter, “Sawyer wants to get Ethan a very expensive Christmas gift that she can't afford. Then, she sees it's on sale on Black Friday at 50% off. Now - she's determined to get it for him, even though she's working that day. How does she get it done?”
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Black Friday...
It had been over a month since the poison attack, and Sawyer returned to work just a week ago. Between her overprotective secret boyfriend, concerned roomies, and nosy coworkers, her every move was monitored as she walked the hospital halls. So when she reached for the handle of the supply closet, she looked to the right toward the nurses’ station. No one was paying her any attention. Then, to the left, finding the coast clear. 
As luck would have it, though, Bryce was paying attention. He leaned back from the nurses' station, catching her slip into the closet. He lingered for a few minutes to see if she would emerge with supplies or something worrisome like tears. 
In the small dark room, Sawyer leaned against the shelving and attempted to load the Williams Sonoma website. 
A couple of weeks ago, she searched online for top-of-the-line espresso makers. The search results left her feeling disappointed. The models were way out of her price range. But thanks to the Google ads tracking her browsing history, she was alerted to an almost-too-good-to-be-true Black Friday sale on the fancy coffee makers. 
“C’mon, c’mon,” Sawyer whispered as the website buffered. She should have guessed the network connection would be poor in this room made of concrete walls. 
The spinning circle on her screen showed no mercy. Defeated, she threw her head back and blew a frustrated breath toward the ceiling. 
Having allowed a reasonable amount of time to grab supplies, a concerned Bryce barged into the closet, witnessing her huff. “Brooksie? What’s wrong? Why are you hiding in the supply room?” 
Sawyer looked down at her phone and saw that the webpage finally loaded. “Of course,” she said to herself and sighed. “I’m okay, Bryce. I just needed a minute.” 
His pager buzzed, and he checked the message. “Shit, my patient is crashing. I gotta go. You sure you’re okay?” 
“Yep. Totally fine. Go,” she shooed him away.
Bryce tackled her with a quick hug. “I’ll catch up with you later,” he promised as he hurried out and down the hall. 
🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒
Figuring she could hide out for a few minutes under the guise of selecting a snack from the vending machine, Sawyer stood in the small alcove and tried to load the Williams Sonoma website again. 
Her heart fluttered with excitement as the page quickly loaded. She added the espresso machine to her virtual shopping cart and clicked the checkout button to finalize the purchase.
Excitement quickly turned to irritation when her PayPal password would not work. “Some of your info isn’t correct. Please try again.” The same message appeared after her second and third attempts. She would have to reset her password, which would mean checking her email and verifying her account. 
She groaned, leaned forward, and banged her head a couple of times against the glass of the vending machine.
“Brooks, is there a problem?” 
With her forehead still pressed against the glass, Sawyer swiveled her head to the side and saw Zaid Mirani facing her with his arms crossed over his chest. 
Though his tone and demeanor hid it well, the fact that he asked her a question rather than barked a demand hinted at his concern. She didn’t want to confess to the chief resident that she was doing something she shouldn’t be doing at work, nor did she want his pity, so she straightened and slapped a button on the vending machine. When nothing happened, she looked back at Zaid with a frown. “The machine ate my dollar.”
🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒
Sawyer sat at a table in the staff lounge on her lunch break, hoping the chrome contraption with confusing buttons and levers was still in stock. While the Georgian chicken leftovers Ethan made last night for their version of Thanksgiving dinner warmed in the microwave, she pulled out her phone, reset her PayPal password, and navigated back to the Williams Sonoma website.  
Because she had previously attempted to check out as a guest, the website didn’t save her previous shopping activity, and her cart was empty. On the home page, she was distracted by another gadget that would be a perfect gift for her dad. It was also on sale. Combined with the espresso machine, the total would qualify her for free shipping. Score! She added the item to her cart and returned to the Breville product page, where a warning glared in red font. Quantities are limited - Order soon! Sawyer cursed under her breath and quickly added the item to her cart. 
Just then, her pager rang out with an urgent message requesting backup in the ER. Leaning forward on the table, she buried her head into the crook of her elbow and whisper-screamed. 
Sienna, who received the same page, saw her friend’s display of distress as she walked past the lounge. Immediately concerned, she stepped backward until she stood in the lounge's doorway. “Hey, are you okay?” she asked as Sawyer stood and quickly repacked her lunch.
“Yeah. Just can’t seem to catch a break today.”
🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒
A couple of hours later, Ethan entered the reception area of the free clinic dressed casually—jeans, a T-shirt, and tennis shoes. His jacket was open in the front as if he had been in a rush to leave home—and he had been after Sienna called to express concern that Sawyer was distressed. 
Despite his unusually casual appearance, the administrative assistant at the front desk recognized Dr. Ramsey immediately and buzzed him through the door that separated the reception area from the rest of the clinic.  
Sawyer said goodbye and followed her patient out of the exam room as Ethan rounded the corner and came into view. “Hi, what a nice surprise,” she greeted when he approached. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to check on you.” He looped an arm around her waist and ushered her toward an empty imaging room at the back of the clinic. 
Ethan closed the door, but Sawyer started speaking before he turned around to face her. “I’m fine, Ethan.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?” she asked, confused. 
“Pretend.” He moved in front of her and reached for her hands. “You know you don’t have to pretend to be okay with me. If you’re having a bad day… if today has been too much, I’ll find someone to cover your second shift or do it myself. I know you’re trying to make up for your time away, but you’ve been through a lot. Everyone will understand if you need to pull back.”
Sawyer cupped his face with her hands and looked him in the eye. “I promise you, Ethan. I’m o-kay,” she emphasized. “Honestly. I haven’t thought about the attack stuff at all today.”
His eyes shifted back and forth between hers while she dropped her hands from his face to his shoulders and squeezed reassuringly. “I promise,” she repeated.
“Okay.”
“Did you really come in just to check on me?” she asked, lacing her fingers behind his neck. 
“Yeah.”
“Why did you think I was having a bad day?”
“Trinh called me.”
“Why?”
“I asked her to keep an eye on you,” Ethan explained. “It was the first day since you returned that I wouldn’t be around.”
“Ethan, I appreciate the concern, but…” she trailed off, racking her brain to think of anything she did or said that would have caused her roommate’s concern. She came up blank. “What made Sienna think I was having a bad day?”
“She said that you were crying in the breakroom and that Bryce found you hiding in a supply closet, and Zaid saw you headbutting a vending machine. She thought you were overwhelmed and was worried about you working another shift tonight.”
“Oh.”
When she didn’t elaborate, Ethan prodded further. “So, why were you crying and hiding in the supply closet?”
“I wasn’t. It wasn’t what it looked like.”
“Then what was it?” 
“It was noth-”
“Sawyer,” he admonished. “Talk to me.”
“Ethan, I wasn’t upset. I was just mildly frustrated about something. It’s not a big deal.”
“Frustrated about what?” 
“You should have become a detective, you know. You’re great at this interrogation stuff,” she huffed.
“And you’re avoiding the question…” he countered, tugging her close and squeezing her waist. “Frustrated about what?”
“Ugh!” she grunted, pressing her forehead against his shoulder to hide her face. “I was trying to score a Black Friday deal, okay!”
“What?” he asked with a surprised laugh.
“I was trying to buy something online but kept getting error messages or kicked off the internet. I tried again on my lunch break, but that got cut short when I was paged to the ER.”
“Were you eventually successful? Did you score the deal?”
“Nooo!” she fake cried, shaking her head against his shoulder. “I’m sure it’s the universe’s way of saying I shouldn’t have been shopping while working.” 
Ethan chuckled again.
She leaned back and flashed her get-out-jail smile that he could never resist. “Don’t tell my boss, okay?” 
He smacked her backside playfully. “Why can’t you ever just stay out of trouble? Huh?”
She shrugged.
“Have you eaten yet?” Ethan asked. When Sawyer shook her head no, he suggested they head to the cafeteria for a quick meal together before she started her second shift. 
After dropping their trays of food on the table, Ethan went to fill their drink cups, and Sawyer pulled out her phone. She opened the internet browser and refreshed the page. Her lips turned down in a frown when she saw the note on the page: "Out of Stock." Deciding the deal was, in fact, too good to be true, she pocketed her phone to focus on more important things like her dinner companion and her job.
🛒🛒🛒🛒🛒
On Monday morning, a loud snore woke Sawyer just as the sun began to rise. Ethan would usually stop snoring if she tugged him into a spooning position, and she could claim another coveted hour of sleep. But a thought occurred to her as she internally groaned that the weekend was officially over. Today was not just any Monday. It was Cyber Monday. With a glimmer of hope, she quietly slipped out of bed and tiptoed to the kitchen. 
Perched on a stool at the island, Sawyer sipped on a glass of orange juice and pulled up the Williams Sonoma website on her phone. She nearly squealed when she saw that the fancy coffee maker was back in stock and on sale again. She quickly added the item to her cart, entered her payment information, and completed the purchase. She pumped her fists in the air when she got the confirmation email.
“What’s got you up early and so excited this morning?” Ethan asked in his gravely morning voice, hugging her from behind and pressing his lips to the top of her head.  
Sawyer quickly flipped her phone over so the screen was face down. “I was hoping some Black Friday deals would be offered again since it’s Cyber Monday. And they were. I was able to score the deal I wanted last week.”
“Mmm, good for you,” he murmured into her hair. “If you’re done, how about you come back to bed and let me score too.”
Christmas Day…
After working all day so that their colleagues could enjoy Christmas with their families, Sawyer accompanied Ethan back to his apartment so that they could spend the rest of the holiday together. 
The leftovers from the meal Ethan had prepared were now put away, and the couple relaxed in front of the roaring fireplace. Sitting up from where she had nestled against him, Sawyer asked, “Can I give you your present now?”
“I told you you didn’t need to get me anything…” 
She ignored him as she moved behind the couch to retrieve the large, heavy, neatly wrapped box she hauled into his apartment the night before. “And I told you I did anyway when you helped me carry it in last night. Here. Merry Christmas.”
As Ethan started to peel away the festive wrapping paper and got a peek at what it was, he paused and looked up at her with surprise. She was smiling so big and proud. He shook his head when he finished unwrapping it and read the details on the box. 
“I remembered you talking with the owner at Derry’s about wanting one and that this was a really good model.” 
“Sawyer, this is amazing… but I-I can’t accept this. I know what these machines cost. You shouldn’t have spent so much.”
“It’s okay. Seriously. I scored an amazing deal.”
“Was this what you were trying so hard to buy on Black Friday?” he wondered, flipping the box over to appreciate the different features. 
“Yes,” and she nodded affirmatively.
“Come here, Rookie.” Ethan set the box on the coffee table and pulled her into his lap, pressing a long but tender kiss to her lips. “Thank you for being so thoughtful and making such an effort.” He looked deep into her eyes. “I love… I love it. I can’t wait to try it out.” 
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mariacallous · 1 year ago
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Today’s newsletter is about a recent report from the White House Council of Economic Advisers.
But it’s also about a major policy initiative that helped lots of Americans even though almost nobody seems to have noticed — and how that lack of attention has made it more difficult to renew the program now that it has expired.
The subject of the report is child care. As you may know firsthand ― or if you’ve read HuffPost’s coverage of the issue ― finding quality, affordable child care providers in the U.S. is difficult. A big reason is that it costs a lot of money to run a high-performing child care center, and the fees to sustain that kind of operation are more than many families can afford.
These problems have existed for years but got even worse during the coronavirus pandemic, when public health closures and illness-related absences reduced revenue for providers, putting some into debt while forcing others to reduce capacity or close. Those that survived struggled to hire (or rehire) workers once demand returned, in part because they were increasingly competing with retail and hospitality industries that could raise wages more easily.
The federal government stepped in by providing $24 billion in emergency assistance as part of the American Rescue Plan, which Democrats in Congress passed and President Joe Biden signed in early 2021. The money went directly to state governments, which, in turn, gave it to providers. Some used it for workers, while others used it to maintain equipment or acquire equipment. Others paid off debts.
All of this made a big difference, according to that new Council of Economic Advisers report I mentioned.
In particular, the council’s economists determined, emergency child care money:
“Saved families with young children who rely on paid child care,”
“Helped hundreds of thousands of women with young children enter or reenter the workforce more quickly,” and
“Boosted the child care workforce and helped raise the real wages of child care workers.”
These conclusions make intuitive sense. And although the council is part of the White House, its staff is composed of well-credentialed economists who have a legal mandate to provide objective analysis ― and these conclusions make intuitive sense. In other words, there’s good reason to think this Biden-Democratic initiative propped up child care at a moment of crisis, preserving access for a significant number of families.
That’s a big deal. Just ask any working parent — or any employer, for that matter. But few Americans even realize Biden and the Democrats in Congress took this action, let alone that it had such an impact.
So what happened? And what does that tell us about how politics works nowadays? I have a few ideas about that...
Why Nobody Noticed The Child Care Money
For one thing, the child care assistance was part of a larger bill that never generated much of a substantive debate, except when it came to its overall size. And it went through Congress at a time when other news stories, such as the distribution of (still new) COVID vaccines, were getting a lot more attention.
What’s more, the assistance wasn’t in the form of checks with Biden’s name on them that went to families. It was money that went through states directly to providers.
Then there’s the fact that the program’s effects consisted primarily of things that didn’t happen rather than things that did. Child care costs didn’t rise as fast as they would otherwise. Providers that would have closed stayed open. Workers who might have left child care for positions in retail or hospitality didn’t. Working parents, especially women, didn’t cut back hours or leave the workforce.
You’re not going to recognize this kind of effect unless you contemplate the counterfactual ― in other words, what might have happened without the assistance in place. And that’s just not how most people think.
What’s Happening To Child Care Now
As it happens, a version of that counterfactual may be starting to play out now, because the temporary assistance program has expired. On Oct. 1, the federal government stopped writing new assistance checks.
That might not seem significant, given that the pandemic emergency is effectively over. But the system’s pre-existing problems are still there ― and now appear to be compounded by other, newer factors, like those tight labor markets that make it even harder for providers to hire and retain qualified workers.
It takes a while for money to work its way through government bureaucracies, so it’s going to take time to see just how big a deal the end of federal emergency funds will be. Many experts (including several quoted in this October Vox article) have raised questions about the most dire predictions, which suggest 3 million child care slots could vanish nationwide.
But it’s hard to imagine there won’t be some fallout. Already there are reports of sporadic closures around the country. That includes in rural communities of western North Carolina, where a nonprofit agency called the Southwestern Child Development Commission announced in late October that seven centers were shutting down.
Sheila Hoyle, the commission’s executive director, confirmed to me by phone that the end of federal emergency funds was the catalyst that led to the closings, which in turn reduced available slots for children by more than 300. And while many of the kids ended up with other providers, Hoyle said, the new arrangements for families — at least, the ones that were able to find them — are generally less well-suited to parent working hours, came with higher expenses for parents, or both.
“We’re asking our parents to patch together programs that weren’t designed to fulfill the needs of working parents, and we need to ask what happens to that child,” Hoyle said. “There’s Grandma or Grandpa on Tuesday, and Daddy gets off early on Fridays, and Mama tries to do Monday and Wednesday, and then you take them to a relative’s house or a next-door neighbor’s house.”
“It’s all just getting by,” Hoyle added, “and just getting by is not what we intend for young children who need a good solid early childhood learning experience while their families work, so that they can succeed in school and eventually become successful young adults.”
How ���Invisible’ Policy Creates Political Problems
The Biden administration and Democratic leaders in Congress want to do something about that, by restoring at least some of the funding, starting with $16 billion for the coming year. The hope is to attach something to a must-pass spending bill whenever an opportunity presents itself.
But it will take political pressure to round up the votes, especially given Republican skepticism of federal spending and conservative doubts about the structure of federal child care assistance. And it’s hard to generate pressure to restore a program most Americans never knew existed.
Of course, this is not exactly a new problem for Biden, or for Democrats more generally.
Programs nowadays frequently operate invisibly through indirect grants to states or via the tax code, in what political scientist Susan Mettler has called “the submerged state.” Other initiatives are more visible but, like the pandemic child care finding, have primarily prevented bad outcomes rather than creating good ones.
Those problems help explain why, for example, Democrats weren’t able to extend another pandemic measure, a tax credit for children, even though its existence had caused child poverty to plummet. It expired at the end of 2021. Now child poverty is back up, and virtually nobody seems to recognize what it accomplished or Biden’s role in initially reducing it ― making it even harder to get such a program going again. It’s even possible that the expiration of these programs is contributing to voter frustration with Biden, saddling him with blame for the end of assistance that he’s been trying to save.
Politics is like that sometimes, with credit or blame for policy falling in ways that align poorly with what elected officials have actually done. But if Biden and the Democrats lose next November, the chances of meaningful new investments in child care — and plenty of other, similar needs — will be even lower than they are now.
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jesawyer · 2 years ago
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Hi Josh,
I'm curious of your opinion as a person with lots of experience in the industry. I've talked to a coworker recently about our experience with Directors in different companies. We both seemed to agree that combining the responsibilities of a Head of Studio and Director into one person isn't the best idea, especially if the studio can afford to separate these roles into two people. I pointed out that I'd much rather see the Lead Designer drive the direction of the game, as they are much closer to the people that actually have to execute it.
Obviously, none of use are in these positions, we are just the recipient of the consequences. I wonder if you have some opinions to provide on the topic on who should drive the game's direction, and how much this person should also be involved in running the studio.
Thanks!
In my experience, the responsibilities of a game director and lead designer are much closer than the responsibilities of a studio head and game director.
In fact, I'd say there's virtually no overlap between what a studio head does and what a game director does. The studio head is responsible for the entire studio, encompassing everything from payroll to outsourcing contracts to interfacing with publishers. They're also responsible for steering the studio's future as a whole. The game director is not responsible for any of that but is responsible for the creative direction of their project, specifically. They interface with developers directly on a daily basis on creative and logistical issues.
A lead designer does the same thing but their scope is limited to design rather than every discipline (and they are subordinate to the game director). Ideally, the game director is giving clear direction but leaving space for the leads to work with their staff to achieve the vision. On larger projects, the game director simply doesn't have the bandwidth (or expertise) to continually direct the entire staff on individual tasks; that's why the leads exist.
Again, in my experience, the studio head spends so much time involved in things completely unrelated to day-to-day development that I think it would be extremely challenging to maintain their vision with the rest of the dev team.
There may be studios where the studio head hands off all of the logistics/admin tasks to other people and operates as the official or de facto game director but that seems odd to me, personally.
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itsawhumpsideblog · 1 year ago
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The Safehouse, pt. 1
Had some ideas, thought I'd start writing. Here goes, I guess?
CW: for institutionalized slavery, mentions of abuse, treatment of people as things
The call came on their anachronistic landline while Angie was washing the dishes and it made her jump. She wanted to grab it right away, but she was in soap suds up to her elbows and had only gotten as far as toweling dry when Tim came skidding around the corner and grabbed the receiver off it's hook.
"Hello?" he asked, breathlessly, as though anyone else would call on that line. Parents and friends would have texted their individual phones; this phone could only ring for one purpose.
Angie finished drying her arms and walked over to lean against the wall, hoping to hear some of the conversation instead of waiting for Tim to hang up and relay the information. To her disappointment, he did a lot of listening and very little talking and there wasn't much she could glean until he thanked the person on the other end and turned to her.
"Well?" she asked anxiously.
Tim sucked in a deep breath as if steeling himself for something serious, which was more or less the case. "They're sending us three of them," he said. "Our contact says we should expect them to arrive tomorrow. They'll be delivered by WRU employees, so don't be surprised by the method of delivery, but he promised the abolitionists falsified records somewhere to get them sent here- no money changed hands. He was very clear about that."
It was no good asking who the contact was or how the delivery orders had been created. For the safety of the whole network, they would never know.
"We'd better get ready," Angie said needlessly. They had a checklist, but it made her feel better- more prepared- to say it out loud. "We'll have to make the beds, make sure we have food they can eat- did they say anything about allergies?"
"No, nothing." They knew better than to ask about preferences. The rescued box boys likely wouldn't be able to have preferences for some time, or at least not express them.
"So beds, food, soap and shampoo for their bathroom, fresh towels." Angie counted items on her fingers. "They'll need clothes- did they give you any information about sizes?"
Tim shook his head. "Just said they were coming tomorrow and that there were three of them- all men. They'll be with us permanently, until they're rehabbed well enough to live independently or in a halfway house. They're-" he winced slightly at the next phrase "-'second hand' so we should be prepared for them to be in... pretty bad shape. Maybe very bad. Our contact didn't know." Tim's voice had gone very quiet as he spoke and he was looking at his shoes.
Angie nodded. "We'll do everything we can," she said. "Do you want to split up and go shopping separately? Get it done faster?"
"Can I go with you?" Tim asked. He looked up at her through his bangs, smiling sheepishly. "I'm- I'm a little nervous. I didn't think I would be. But it would help to go together, maybe talk things over on the way."
"Of course," Angie said. "We can go together if you want. We should get started."
"I'll put my shoes on." Tim went to the front hall and returned a minute later wearing sneakers and a hoodie against the cold weather. He pulled keys out of the pocket and they let themselves out of the single-family home and got in the car parked out front.
The house was not really theirs and neither was the car; Angie and Tim had only known each other for a few weeks and both felt that it would be a while yet before they were comfortable living and working together. They had been paired up after training, a mostly-virtual affair offered in secret and only after volunteers had passed several levels of security and background checks and the like. The abolitionists could not afford to operate too overtly, but they managed to create and staff safehouses and Angie and Tim, along with others they would never meet, had been deemed to posses the qualities necessary to help rehabilitate rescued box boys.
And now, as of tomorrow morning, they would be the caretakers for three young men rescued from... whatever it was that WRU had done to them.
The pairing seemed to have been well made, or at least Angie and Tim thought it was. They had quickly become comfortable with each other and Angie's organized, energetic determination was a useful foil to Tim's quiet, gentle nature. She looked around and saw what needed to be done; his strength was in finding the right way to do it.
As they passed through stores, they talked and debated and made choices as if intentionally demonstrating these choices. It was Angie who steered them directly to the linens and quickly put her hand to the best financial choices, while Tim made sure the items were available in different colors and patterns, so that the new arrivals would each have something to call their own. Later, he ensured that the towels did not match the bedsheets, so the young men would not feel color-coded. Thanks to Angie, they kept the whole thing under-budget. "That leaves more," she said, "that we can spend on them later, when we know what they need."
That night, they ate pizza and stayed up until the early hours setting up the bedroom and bathroom. There was a bunkbed and another single bed to match it, mattresses to haul upstairs and put on the beds, a bathtub to wash out and curtains to hang. The house had come partially furnished, but they had expected more time to get it ready.
No matter, though. By the time they went to their own rooms to sleep, they felt confident that they were ready for the new arrivals.
Next time: a knock on the door and the population of the house grows.
Master Post
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sevenish-spheres · 1 month ago
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Infernal Bestiary: The Stygian Contubernia
The Stygian Contubernia are the unlucky squads of devils assigned to dredge newly-arrived souls from the banks of the Styx in Avernas, and send them on their less-than-merry way along the Pale Roads to the great city of Dis. Stygian Contubernia normally contain eight devils (eight is deemed an unlucky number, insofar as devils believe in luck), reflecting their status as failures within the infernal hierarchy. Alongside this, Stygian Contubernia often make use of constructs such as Shackle Visages.
Furthermore, life on the banks of the Styx is far from easy, as frequent attacks from Acherai Reivers, attacks from wild Vhermas Devils and the many other beasts that prowl the Styx mean mortality rates are exceedingly high. Alongside this, whilst the Styx flows relatively sluggishly in Pandorum, it can still rapidly strip away the body and soul of a being immersed in it, meaning that many say that the devils within Stygian Contubernia often go mad. However, the Contubernia do offer one benefit to devils, as they afford their members far more individuality and personality than most infernal cohorts, at the cost of the fact that few devils ever are promoted out of their Contubernia once they join them.
Therefore, demotion to a Stygian Contubernium is regarded as the effective end of a devil’s career, and most devil's treat the members of such units with a mixture of fear and scorn. Listed below are the five devil types found within a Stygian Contubernium, alongside the constructs often found alongside them.
Kalvereen
Kalvereen are the guardians and overseers of the Styx itself, and appear as fishlike devils wearing pointed, almost featureless masks and wielding vicious, glowing mancatchers enchanted to entrance and ensnare the Pretas that emerge from the planar waterway. For this reason, Kalvereen are virtually exclusively found on Avernas, but do occasionally find employment as bodyguards and soulwarpers in lower layers. They tend to be treated as alien by other devils, as their time in the Styx has made almost every Kalvereen adopt its own strange idiosyncrasies and habits that most devils in the lower layers would baulk at for their unorganised nature. Kalvereens are the leaders of Stygian Contubernia, and generally serve as their representatives when dealing with other devils. They are remarkably powerful, capable of shepherding and controlling even large groups of Preta at once, and stunning or confusing other foes with an array of illusions and light-based spells.
Ixiniels
Although more commonly found serving as infernal scribes and accountants in other layers, disgraced Ixiniels often find their way to Stygian Contubernia, where they brand newly-emerged Pretas with a serial number that they will retain for the remainder of their time as a devil, and keep count of the souls secured by the Contubernium. They appear as humanoids wearing somewhat ragged brown robes and wide-brimmed hats. Their most distinctive feature is their faces, which are nothing more than bloody cavities within their heads, within which has been jammed several metal rods and beads, forming a strange abacus. Most contubernia contain two Ixiniels, one scribe to record the pretas captured, and one carrying the vast brand-staff they use to mark the unfortunate souls. However, in war-torn regions one Ixiniel may do both tasks, with their eighth spot in the unit taken up by a Varazu or similar militant devil.
Varazu
Varazus tend to form the basic fighters and workers of a contubernium. They appear as scaly, muscular humanoids dressed in light armour, and tend to sport curving horns alongside sharp scales where a beard might be on a person. Whilst in their usual regiments Varazu are silent and gruff legionaries, within the Stygian Contubernia they frequently adopt personalities and specialisations of their own. Many favour mancatchers or harpoon crossbows for capturing rogue pretas, but equally many adopt stranger weapons such as flails, falchions and throwing knives. Most contubernia contain 2-3 Varazus.
Stryckna
Dangerous flying devils, Strycknas are used in high-priority message deliveries and as aerial shock troops. Strycknas favour bows and crossbows, and are extraordinarily fast at using the latter. Within Stygian Contubernia, Strycknas frequently serve as lookouts and scouts, easily spotting emerging groups of pretas or enemies on the horizon. Strycknas appear as feathered, birdlike humanoids with generally beaked heads, although occasionally Strycknas with eerily human faces have been reported, and it is these individuals that most commonly serve as members of Stygian Contubernia.
Farfarello
Farfarellos are a form of mutated imp found within and around the Styx. They appear as imps with shrivelled wings, long beards and, most strikingly, fishlike tails. They are capable of surviving short immersions within the Styx, and for this reason are favoured by the Contubernia for driving stubborn preta out of the river and onto the banks where they can be more easily caught, although they equally often serve in similar roles to that of a usual imp, such as as assistants to other contubernia members, or as messengers and occasionally cooks in the contubernia that develop a taste for food (something deemed highly excessive for low-ranking devils outside of Consuuli, the layer of Gluttony). Due to their extended exposure to the waters of the Styx, Farafellos tend to be especially mad by infernal standards, often even talking back to their superiors. This behaviour is tolerated within the Contubernia due to their willingness to enter the Styx, but is likely the reason they haven’t seen much use outside of the ostracised unit. Alongside this, it is likely also the reason generally only one Farafello is found within a contubernium, as any more would likely drive the other members even more insane.
Finally, a construct mostly unique to the Stygian Contubernia and the other infernal units that regularly deal with pretas or prisoners.
Shackle Visages
Appearing as grinning or weeping masks made of whitish clay (or, more rarely, flayed skin) upon which are attached dozens of barbed chains, Shackle Visages are the constructs responsible for chaining up the mobs of Pretas and driving them along the Pale Roads. Despite being constructs, Shackle Visages seem to display remarkably sadistic tendencies, and groups may even gang up on a single preta if they deem it entertaining enough. However, they still unthinkingly obey the Kalvereens within the contubernia, and as such when not shackling pretas they tend to serve as perimeter guards and watchmen whilst the contubernia is on the move or at rest. Most contubernia are accompanied by two or three Shackle Visages at any one time, although due to frequent combat on the Styx this number can vary wildly. Alongside the majority of Pandorum’s constructs, Shackle Visages are manufactured in Kimeron, the layer of Sloth, although a few have been produced in forges within Avernas or Dis.
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hireanydomain · 2 days ago
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seospecialistinphilippines · 2 months ago
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Why Hiring a Virtual Assistant in the Philippines Can Boost Your Business
Let’s be real: running a business, no matter the size, can be overwhelming. From managing daily tasks to staying on top of big-picture strategies, you often find yourself juggling too much. Ever thought of getting a virtual assistant (VA) to lighten the load? 🤔 If not, now might be the time—especially if you're considering hiring a virtual assistant from the Philippines!
Here's why this decision can be a total game-changer for your business!
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28seesaw · 10 months ago
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Dinner
About: A simple, comforting one-shot about Yoongi coming home after a particularly tough day. Pairing: idol!Yoongi x female OC Warnings: - Also on: AO3 A/N: Been writing bits and pieces of Yoongi fic privately but never published anything, so I decided to make a tumblr dedicated solely to it (and also to push me to actually finish the writings). If you stopped by to read this first piece, thank you ♡
It was beginning to occur to Yoongi that even outside of the public eye, he was afforded no privacy. The nature of his work meant that at any given moment, there was an infinite number of hands always in close proximity either doing something for him or with him or to him. From the wiping of sweat from his brow during photoshoots to adjusting a single wisp of his already coiffured fringe, there was quite literally nothing that Yoongi could do for himself before an outside pair of hands would swoop in.
On the tougher, more tiring days, Yoongi almost felt guilty at how angry he would get inside when this all got too much. He knew it was through nobody’s fault that his privacy felt invaded virtually every second of his working hours. It was just the job. Yet, the years and years of being in such a position did not make it any easier to get accustomed to it.
It had been another long day, and in spite of the cold weather outside, Yoongi felt nothing but the stuffy heat from being under hot studio lights all day. Nevertheless, Yoongi took a deep inhale, grateful that the long day was over, thanked all the production staff and hastily made his way to an awaiting car. Once inside, Yoongi shut his eyes and leaned his head back against the leather headrest in an attempt to wind down. Yoongi had almost drifted to sleep when he heard his driver call his name, signaling that they had arrived at his condominium.
Stepping into his private lift, Yoongi rubbed his tired eyes, only to sigh angrily at himself when he realised he had not removed his makeup. In his haste to get home as quickly as possible, Yoongi had simply collected his things and bolted, not even stopping to grab a cleaning wipe which was his usual practice. It did not help that the look today was quite a strong and elaborate one due to the nature of the shoot. He stared at his eyeliner-smudged fingers and felt the sting in his eyes from some of the mascara having gone in. This day was not ending well and there was no other way to describe it but Yoongi was upset.
When the lift doors opened with a soft chime, he was greeted with the comforting smell of his favourite instant ramyeon being cooked. Removing his shoes, he entered the hallway, making a quick left to where the kitchen was. The scene that greeted Yoongi instantly replaced whatever upset there was with amusement. The ramyeon he smelled was bubbling away in its silver pot but was literally moments away from being burnt had Yoongi not quickly walked over to turn the heat off. Yoongi then turned to see a tired, resting figure with its head tucked into folded arms on the kitchen counter. The haphazardly-tied black ponytail fell to one side, concealing the only exposed cheekbone of the otherwise buried sleeping face.
Smiling softly to himself, Yoongi tenderly pushed the hair away from the sleeping face and sat himself on the kitchen stool beside.
“Nari…” he called gently, running his thumb affectionately over her cheekbone.
Nari stirred and looked up with a start.
“Did I burn the ramyeon again?!” she said with a gasp, getting up and running to the stove.
Yoongi laughed, grateful for the way all of the anxiety and weariness of the day seemed to have vanished.
“Almost,” he replied, following Nari only to hug her gently from behind. He could not help but grin as he watched her peer into the pot, stirring at it frantically to check if the bottom had burnt even though Yoongi had already turned the stove off.
“Is this your dinner or were you making me dinner again even though I know you’re dead tired from work?” asked Yoongi, turning her round to face him “Both?” she answered, finally taking her attention away from the noodles and hugging Yoongi properly.   “You could have texted me and I’d have gotten us some dinner on the way home,” said Yoongi.
The both of them stood hugging in the middle of their kitchen in a quiet moment of relief, both simply glad to be in the arms of the other. Nari pulled away first to look up at the face of her boyfriend she had missed all day only to notice the odd charcoal-coloured streaks under his left eye. .
“What happened here?” she asked, gingerly touching the corner of his eyelid. “Forgot I had make-up on…” Yoongi replied, raising his hand to show her the smudge on his fingers.
Clicking her tongue, Nari took Yoongi’s hand and led him to their sofa. When he was seated, she disappeared to their bedroom and reappeared with some cotton pads and a cleansing oil.
“Close your eyes for me?” she asked softly, seating herself beside him.
Yoongi smiled and nodded. He shut his eyes and tilted his head back, relaxing into the comfortable sofa.
Very carefully, Nari applied a few drops of cleansing oil onto the cotton pads and began gently wiping his make-up away. She started with his eyes, very carefully getting as much of the eyeliner and mascara off. Gradually, her hands moved across his forehead, down to his cheekbones and his chin. She did not rush, taking her time to clean every inch of his make-up off. It was then that Yoongi realised that for the first time since he had gone in to work that day, he was feeling calm under a pair of hands. This did not feel invasive, nor harsh, nor agitating. All Yoongi felt was solace, pure and utter solace.
“All done,” came Nari’s voice as she got up to throw the used cotton pads away. However, Yoongi stopped her, placing a gentle hand on her wrist and coaxing her to put her things down. With a small tug, Yoongi pulled Nari towards him and she more than obliged, moving to sit on his lap, slipping her arms around his neck. Yoongi buried his face in her hair and the pair sat just like this, wrapped in the warm comfort of each other.
“Yoongi,” Nari murmured against his neck. “Hmm?” he answered, placing a kiss on her temple. “The ramyeon’s going to get cold.” “Doesn’t matter. I’ll just make us another...”
Yoongi nudged her face towards his and placed a slow, thoughtful kiss on Nari’s lips. She smiled into his kiss, parting her lips slightly to draw more kisses out from him. There was no hesitation as Yoongi’s grip on her tightened, kissing her back in the way they both wanted.
“How hungry are you?” asked Yoongi, reluctantly pulling away from her. “I mean, I could eat,” Nari replied, shrugging casually. “Could you wait a little?” asked Yoongi, moving to plant kisses along the side of her neck.
Nari chuckled softly, closing her eyes as she savoured the feel of his mouth on her skin.
“And how hungry are you?” she asked, a little breathless from the way he was kissing her. “Absolutely ravenous…” Yoongi replied, before sweeping a laughing Nari into his arms, as he rushed them both to their bedroom.
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arthropooda · 11 months ago
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My breathing is getting worse again. This will be the fifth antibiotic resistance I've had. It's by far worse than any bronchitis I've ever heard of. They said I don't have pneumonia anymore but almost all my symptoms are the same severity, and it's in both lungs now.
I can't sleep because I can't stop coughing and internally it sounds like a Geiger counter. I'm just really scared. I'm on 10+ prescriptions. I'm sure all of this is related to having covid in September because I have never before been a fraction of this ill ever in my life. I wear a mask virtually everywhere but finally caught covid doing odd jobs and errands for a wealthy person who did not wear a mask. I've felt weaker ever since that happened but really could not afford to slow down or take a break to get better. I couldn't even rest enough while actually having covid because I was living with a denier and my spouse would not let me come to our house during that time. I did at least get to take paxlovid but was pretty much forced to be active during that time and immediately go back to work after.
Then, a month later, I got extremely ill from a cold my coworker had. I went to urgent care for high fever but because I went during one of the only breaks in the actual fever, I was given nothing for it and it kept coming back until I had pneumonia.
Then, I went to a university hospital where I feel more mistakes were made, like giving me something too weak for too short a time, giving me antibiotics through a bad iv, and not releasing me with any oral antibiotic. They also would not let me have my blood pressure medication so I had extremely high blood pressure the whole time I was there (also a problem I did not have before covid).
Now I have two inhalers and a home nebulizer. Sometimes I feel like I just pass out from not having enough oxygen. It feels like physically moving my lungs to breathe is difficult, even beyond oxygen saturation. I have been to a marginally better hospital, but it takes longer to get to and I know if the ER were busy it would probably be as bad as the university one. I have an appointment with a specialist on boxing day, which was the soonest I could get since this started, even after being admitted (the university hospital made me an appointment for the end of January and I've been back in the ER twice since then). I don't know if I can even wait for five more days. Since the first time I went to the ER I haven't been out of the hospital for as long as a week without then feeling worse and needing to go back even more urgently. Based on all of this, I will probably have to go back by Saturday.
I know there are lots of stories like mine but I just wanted to make a longer post about it in case I feel too badly to do it later.
Cautionary advice:
wear your mask; only take it off if you are specifically willing to get sick from the environment/activity you're engaging in.
If you have persistent high fever, do not lie on your side if you are crying, laughing, or congested; this can easily cause an infection to spread to the lung on the side you're lying on. Also, if you already have an infection of that severity, don't even lean to one side while laughing or crying because that can make it suddenly worse and further spread the infection. I just feel like I need to include this because it can happen so easily.
Everyone probably knows this but if you have a busted vein, do not use an iv on the same vein, even if medical staff say it doesn't matter. It does matter, and getting an infusion that just leaks out of a busted vein instead of actually circulating intravenously will not have the same effect and will cause complications.
If you have antibiotic resistance and you get iv antibiotics and then leave the facility before you're in good health, you need to go home with oral antibiotics. Really this is probably a good idea even without prior antibiotic resistance since an incomplete course just makes resistance more likely.
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weshipyourride · 8 months ago
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2024 National Bike Summit Recap
Our Bikeflights event season shifted into high gear last week in Washington, DC at the 2024 National Bike Summit hosted by the League of American Bicyclists. Each spring, the Summit draws hundreds of bike advocates together from across the US to learn from and inspire each other to create more and safer opportunities for biking and walking.
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Bikeflights was represented by four Ambassadors, including Tina Beecham, Jessica Brunson and Diana Hildebrand all in person and Kecia McCullough joining virtually. 
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Vice President Sue George also made the trip to the nation’s capital.
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Held over three days at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library and on Capitol Hill, the Summit’s energy was overwhelmingly positive. It turns out that now is a good time for bike advocacy. You can see it by simply riding around Washington, DC, where like many other parts of the country, there are increasingly more protected bike lanes, dedicated trails and paths and many other infrastructure improvements that have been proven to increase rider safety, like rumble strips and better lighting and signage.
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And the momentum continues with recent infrastructure bills promising more funding to come to states and localities everywhere. Of course, there’s still plenty more work to be done. We were all reminded of a sobering statistic: there’s been a 55% increase in cycling fatalities in the US in the past 10 years.
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On opening day, we especially enjoyed the presentation by Veronica O. Davis, author of “Inclusive Transportation: A Manifesto for Repairing Divided Communities.” Davis believes everyone should have access to safe, reliable and affordable transportation, and she shared some of her first-hand experiences creating more such opportunities while working for the City of Houston as the Director of Transportation & Drainage Operations. Davis painted a candid picture of what it’s really like to be on the administrative side of bike advocacy, something useful for bike advocates to better understand as they work with other administrators in similar situations.
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Perhaps the most entertaining speaker was Shailen Bhatt, Administrator of the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). With his witty sense of humor, Bhatt made us laugh, even while sharing info about The Active Transportation Infrastructure & Investment Program (ATIIP) and how the FHWA encourages the implementation of projects and programs to improve safety, equity and accessibility for all road users, especially through Complete Streets Planning.
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Another big highlight was getting to see our very own Bikeflights Ambassador Diane Hildebrand receive an award upon being named “Educator of the Year” by the League of American Bicyclists. Congratulations to Diane!
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The second – or middle day – of the Summit was what is called “Lobby Day.” That’s when Summit attendees swap out their bike shoes and helmets for business attire and meet with their respective Senators and Representatives or their staff to advocate for bills and initiatives that will create a more bicycling-friendly America. 
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As we rode bikes and walked around Washington, we were treated to the sight of blooming cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin and everywhere. Mother Nature may have brought peak bloom a week or two prematurely this year, but her timing worked out to be perfect for us to enjoy.
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Our big takeaway from this year’s National Bike Summit is that the most important thing is to simply show up. Again and again. We were reminded by retiring Oregon Senator Earl Blumenauer and Washington Area Bicyclist Association Advocacy Director Jeremiah Lowery that nothing ever happens to make cycling better and safer if no one shows up. 
So while not everyone can take the time or afford the expense of traveling to Washington to lobby their members of Congress for bills that fund cycling infrastructure improvements, there’s a lot we can all do locally…  such as filling out surveys to give rider input about proposed local transportation projects, attending your city or county meetings and getting involved in your local advocacy group.
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Bikeflights is proud to be a long-time sponsor of the League of American Bicyclists National Bike Summit.
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