#and I make double the state minimum wage

[just-rogi]

I bought oat milk, generic brand cereal, frozen samosas, tea, a a and biscuits and it cost me $31 this is getting out of hand what the fuck seriously how can you budget your way out of that???

I bet I could buy a bottle of vodka, a rag, and a lighter for the same price

[beskad]

.

[steal-this-idea]

When I hired at my job (a long time ago), they hired me at 155% the minimum wage (at the time and in my state). Now, after half a lifetime having worked for them I make, uh...124% the minimum wage and my store went from hiring at 155% of the minimum wage to hiring at EXACTLY minimum wage

Yay...

[rikamae]

I understand now. I understand all of it.

All those times politicians claimed something was "too complicated" "not that simple" "we don't have the money" it's all lies to keep us complacent.

They did it about the situation is Israel. "It's too complicated" everyone said. It didn't look complicated when I did my own research, away from those shitty think pieces talking down to me. Israel was a state built off the blood of Palestinians, and they simply do not want you to think about it. Because there is oil in the middle east and Israel is our only "Ally"

Wow, so complicated! The complicated part being that our media is tricking us into thinking this is so complex so they can be evil in plain sight: yes, so complicated of a situation!!

And today I wake up to find that the House of Representatives (the lowest level of US government) has passed a bill offering 14 billion to Israel! It will go to the Senate to vote. Wow, billion with a B huh? I got a question for you.

Where the fuck did we get enough money to fund genocide? Where the hell was all this money when it comes to supporting the Americans you politicians claim to be representing? Where was this money for free college, universal Healthcare, covid precautions, the climate crisis??

"It's just too complicated! You'll make us do cuts on other programs! You'll make us raise taxes!! Think of the taxes!!!"

Then where did this money come from? Oh, the IRS, the fucking company that handles our taxes??? Yeah????? That was an option? Why wasn't it an option before but it is now? Were they over funded and we just didn't notice until now? Or are you taking advantage of the situation to cut funding to another service you hate?? The point being: if they really want something, they can find the fucking money. They haven't because they don't want to.

It's never been complicated. It's their job to move money around. It's their fucking job to raise our taxes and provide for us, but the only people they truly represent are the ones filling their pockets with lobby money. They could have done this long ago, given us what we've been demanding, but they coddled us and said it was too complicated and our baby brains couldn't handle it. And God forbid you be a woman!! That means you're double unable to understand!

Enough. Fucking enough. Every year congress votes to increase their wages and refuses to raise our minimum wage. Every year they take advantage of their medical insurance and benefits they get for "representing" us when nearly every adult I know is left to suffer with their conditions: untreated sicknesses, chronic conditions, the depression that looms over us because we live in the most wealthy country in the world but we can't make ends meet and our government is more concern with funding armies that feeding and housing us

Politics was never complicated. They just told us it was. To shut us up. To make us feel young and idealistic and stupid. And we fell for it. And now evil is moving through the wills of our leaders IN OUR FUCKING NAMES to support a genocide in the middle east. Their only crime was being born on that land. Their only crime is being Arab. That's not a fucking crime.

Our system isn't complicated. It's working as intended. Keep the people blind and claim that it's too hard, leave all the details to them. But we are smarter than they are. We are informed. The world is connected like never before and I refuse to let their propaganda ever reach me again.

Hold them accountable. Know their names. Write it in the history books. Let their legacy be known to the end of times.

Be loud about your anger. Go to protests. Write your reps to tell them your vote is on the line. And for God's sake vote in the damned elections!

THE IDEA THAT YOUR VOTE DOESN'T MATTER IS PROPOGANDA. THEY WANT YOU TO FEEL USELESS. THEY WANT YOU TO GIVE UP SO THEY STAY IN POWER.

They want you to think it's complicated. It never has been. Be loud. Vote. Use your right to protest. Use your right to free speech. Use your right to petition. Next Tuesday is election day. Make it fucking count.

[vimbry]

I'm impressed by how many angles tmbg can approach the theme of 'work sucks' and have it not feel like they're retreading old ground. every single one of them has something new to say, which becomes very depressing if you think about that for too long.

"put your hand inside the puppet head": thinking about a terrible job in hindsight rather than being in the thick of one, and the importance of keeping some perspective instead of falling afoul of romanticising the past, once the bad memories wane with time.

"snowball in hell": the lament of a tedious job that doesn't suit your needs. the past tense makes me think of it as the narrator reflecting on the day after clocking out for the night, and how pretty soon they'll have to face the monotony all over again tomorrow, just to stay afloat.

"someone keeps moving my chair": I dunno how accurate this is, but I've kinda been interpreting this one as illustrating the rigmarole of office politics. all the tasks and busywork and even worse higher-ups to answer to, all new ideas that get brought in and go nowhere - yet somehow, it's the most petty of annoyances that bother mr. horrible.

"hearing aid": there's an almost zen-like attitude towards the managerial pecking order here, which is also alluded to in "puppet head". both narrators mention fleeting sympathy for their awful bosses, knowing they're just as much a victim of a flawed system as they are, but not excusing their actions. I guess it's a vent about not letting the pressure get to you and doing nothing more than your set responsibilities, if even that. real "go out there and give it your 60%" type song from a totally checked-out character.

"minimum wage": a mockery of these types of jobs treating you like a mule (not only from the 'hyah' and whip noise, but the lyric being sung in the style of "mule train"), but oddly playful in a somewhat bitter way. it gives me the same kind of vibe as someone working an early student job they can afford to treat with a bit of levity, because they know they won't be here long enough to care.

"sleeping in the flowers": focuses more on the fantasy of being with a crush than work, but it's in there. the narrator would much sooner ditch their job, regardless of consequences, and spend that time with the woman they're in love with. this is the second song to mention an infatuation with someone working at a copy shop after "snowball in hell"; you could probably theorise that it's the same person.

"memo to human resources": their most serious and haunting song on the matter. the references to an attempt aren't subtle. the lyrics seem to function as both a metaphor of the narrator's state of mind and their plan, and a literal description of the day-to-day tasks that exacerbated their spiral. another double-meaning I like in its title is how it's a report of the incident, as well as a note.

[allaboardthevespa]

Aromatherapy

DC FANS YOU ARE GONNA GET MY FLUFF ON YOUR DASHBOARDS AND YOU ARE GONNA LIKE IT /jk it's awful

So y'all know about my HC of Ellie adoring flowers (the same being true for Gabby) so here's a fic where Gabby treats Ellie to some nice therapeutic floral warmth after a long day at work for her. You can bet that this is a reoccurring event in their cozy lifestyle.

#LETELLIEBEHAPPY!!!

--

It was late one night, and Ellie was being forced to work overtime for that evening, and it left Gabby home alone awaiting her freckled sweetheart.

It’d been a few months since they started dating and living in the same house – and Ellie was still doing her best to find the money she needed to achieve her fashion designer dreams. It wasn’t easy, it never was. But Gabby knew just how to support her beloved. She knew what Ellie loved. And she knew how to bring her girlfriend into a peaceful, happy state, even after the worst days.

That evening, Gabby was busy setting up some candles besides the girls’ bed, fluffing their pillows, and settling some of Ellie’s beloved stuffed rabbits in their bed. She’d even taken it upon herself to wash their cozy, fuzzy blanket using Ellie’s favorite peony detergent.

Admittedly, Gabby made a bit of a mess while trying to do so. Laundry detergent can get everywhere if you’re not careful. But she didn’t mind cleaning up for her girlfriend. She loved her enough that she’d do anything to make her life easier.

It was as Gabby was making the final touches on the girls’ bed that the Tree Hugger heard a few knocks on the bedroom door. The brunette hurried to the door and opened it wide. There, Ellie stood waiting for her. She looked beyond exhausted, hair wildly messed up and dark rings forming underneath her eyes. It wasn’t anything new for the Polish girl seeing her girlfriend so tired, but it was a sobering sight nonetheless. Nonetheless, the redhead gazed at her beautiful girlfriend and managed a weak smile. “Hey, my beautiful Nature Princess.” Gabby gave her beloved a peck on her cheek, “Welcome home, my Sunset Angel!”

The redhead returned the favor with a gentle kiss on the tip of Gabby’s nose, making her giggle. “Thanks, sweetheart…” She stretched with a tired moan. “I wish I could say it was a good day, but…you know what my overtime shifts can be like.” She rubbed her own back gently, “It feels like my bones are threatening to snap in two if I work another minute.” “You don’t have to worry anymore, sweetie,” Gabby comforted her beloved, rubbing her sides gently. “Let’s get you in bed.”

With that, the Minimum Wage Worker stumbled towards the girls’ bed that Gabby had prepared for her. “Wow…you made it look really nice tonight, Gabbs,” she spoke in pleasant surprise. “No trouble at all!” squeaked the brunette in glee, glad her girlfriend liked her handiwork.

Ellie laid backwards upon the girls’ double bed, and already felt some of her stress and pains start to fade as she registered its soft warmth. “Ohhh yeah…this feels so good,” purred the redhead in joy, heart lighting up with warmth as she let her head sink gently into her light pink pillow and pulled the girls’ soft pastel blue blanket around herself. That’s when she noticed its scent – as if it had freshly left a field full of soft pink peonies. The American girl didn’t hesitate and took a deep, long breath, savoring the blanket’s sweet smell, pulling it up to her nose to fill her mind with its delicate aroma. “Mmmm…it smells so nice! Did you wash our blanket for me, too?” She gave the brunette a smile full of gratitude and joy. It was totally adorable. “You got it, sweetheart,” chirped the nature-lover, “Whenever you have a hard day like today, I wanna make sure to pamper you to the best of my abilities until you feel all better.”

Ellie could feel her heart melting as she registered each gentle, loving word of her girlfriend. Her heart fluttered as she gazed up at her Nature Princess. How lucky was she to have this perfect ray of sunshine in her life?

Gabby now brought out a tiny lighter and picked up one of the candles she had set up next to the girls’ bed, on Ellie’s  side. It had bright red wax and was labelled “Angelic Aroma of Reddest Roses”. Gabby gave a little giggle as she lit up the wick at the top of the candle and set it next to where Ellie was lying. “What’s this?” Ellie asked out of curiosity, the tiny flicker of the flaming candle reflected in her azure eyes. “Just close your eyes and take a deep breath,” the brunette instruced her, softly stroking her hair for a moment.

Ellie did as she was told. She shut her eyes and took a breath through her nose – and sure enough…a warm floral scent entered her mind, reminiscent of the freshest, deepest red roses blooming in the summertime. It gently intertwined with the scent of peonies radiating from her blanket, surrounding her with pure aromatic bliss.

For a few minutes, Ellie had forgotten she was in her bed. For that moment in time, Ellie felt like she was in the midst of a field of the most beautiful red and pink flowers, air filled with their wonderful scents. Wherever she turned, she could smell the sweet, light aroma of peony on one side and the deep, rich, intoxicating fragrance of red roses on the other. Every painful memory of that long, awful working day had disappeared from her mind. Now, all she felt was pure bliss. She kept her eyes shut, continuing to breathe deeply, enveloped in the purifying scent of the flowers she was picturing around her.

Ellie might not have realized it at the time, but Gabby was watching her with pure joy. The Tree Hugger knew that she’d succeeded in bringing pure joy to the redhead. Every breath Ellie took in was long and deep, savoring wave after wave of the pure aromatic euphoria she was in. Every breath she let out was a long, happy “aaahhhhhhhh,” face lighting up with the brightest and most beautiful smile. Gabby couldn’t help but tear up a little from joy and adoration of the angel she had in her life. She was so, so very glad to have made her so happy.

Eventually the brunette, gently as she could, climbed into bed alongside the freckled one, wrapping herself up under the warm, comforting blue blanket she’d washed. Taking a moment to breathe the aroma permeating the air herself, Gabby shut her eyes and prepared to let sleep take its hold on her, expecting Ellie to follow soon after.

When… “Hey, Gabby-bear,” purred the redhead, reaching her hand behind her and grasping her loved one’s hand. Opening one eye, Gabby responded, “Yes, my darling Ellie-kins?” “Could we go on a date to the local garden tomorrow?” she squeaked, “Because…I’d love to spend an entire day admiring flowers with you. It just makes me feel…” She took in one more deep breath of the peony-rose scent filling the room, “…so at home. Wherever we are. And it feels even better…knowing I have you by my side.” “Aww, of course we can, my sweet darling Ellie,” Gabby chirped, nuzzling into the crook of her girlfriend’s neck. “I’d go anywhere with you, my beloved.” “Thank you…thank you so much, Gabby.” Ellie turned around and let her nose brush up against Gabby’s, pushing their foreheads together. “I love you so much…my one and only Nature Princess.” Gabby felt herself tearing up one more time, and she wrapped her arms around her freckled soulmate in a tender embrace. “And I love you too, my precious and beautiful Sunset Angel.”

[tomorrowusa]

Another crooked far right Republican.

Republicans become outraged at the thought of raising the minimum wage. But the fanatically pro-Trump Republican National Committee committeewoman from California Harmeet Dhillon paid herself $120,000 for a two-hour work week. And that's just the tip of a corrupt iceberg.

Since becoming an RNC committeewoman for California in 2016, she made hundreds of appearances in conservative media, predominantly Fox News. From 2019, these appearances were often based on lawsuits sponsored by that non-profit she helms, the Center for American Liberty (CAL), and aimed at rightwing bugbears like Covid restrictions, leftist street protesters and gender-affirming healthcare. The Guardian has found that at least $1.32m has been transferred from the CAL to her law firm, Dhillon Law Group, in a move one charity expert described as “problematic”. Additionally, state and federal filings show Dhillon takes a $120,000 salary from CAL for a two-hour work week. Meanwhile, the non-profit has entered into a close relationship with a well-heeled rightwing foundation whose financial generosity has been matched by a seat on the non-profit’s board. CAL was founded in 2018, initially under the name Publius Lex, by California lawyers with extensive connections to Republican politics and rightwing legal organizations, according to state and federal filings.

There a variation of "double dipping" going on here.

Dhillon’s position as CEO in a non-profit whose biggest contractor is Dhillon Law Group is a “conflict of interest”, according to Joan Harrington, a fellow at the Markkula Center for Applied Ethics at the Santa Clara University, and an expert on non-profit law and ethics. Harrington added that non-profits can navigate this, and that “the board can accept conflicts of interest if they are brought to the board’s attention annually”. But another ethical problem “the board can’t fix”, Harrington said, is the issue of compensation.

In the world of Trump-style business practices, ethics is for losers.

[Mark] Trammell, the executive director [of CAL], wrote on the extensive use of Dhillon Law that “the organization’s day-to-day legal operations are managed by me, its executive director”, adding, “I select the law firms the Center for American Liberty partners with on its public interest litigation.” Trammell also wrote: “We select law firms based on their expertise, geographical location, and interest in representing our clients at nonprofit legal rates.” But Harrington added that “transparency protects donors, and this is not a transparent situation”. With Dhillon acting as CEO and legal contractor, running cases sponsored by the non-profit, and making Fox News appearances in both guises, Harrington said: “It looks like Dhillon Law and the non-profit are overlapping to the extent that its hard to tell the difference.”

[elementary-my-dear-daddy]

Earning Your Keep - Chapter 6 "I Really Wanna Make You Mine"

Analogical (Virgil and Logan)

Read the previous chapter here or on AO3!

Chapter Summary: After a very pleasant night with Virgil, Logan wakes up and realizes he's late for work. Virgil has a few ways to convince him to stick around.

Logan blinked awake. He was pleasantly warm under a soft comforter, with his head resting on a cool silk pillowcase. For a moment, he was about to return to his slumber when he realized that this was not his bed, nor his home, and the gentle snoring from behind him was a person and not the pipes creaking. Last night… actually happened. He and Virgil had-

He shifted up to lean on his hands and saw Virgil’s unconscious form snoring softly while deep in slumber. There’s no possible way he was comfortably sleeping with his arm hanging behind his head at that angle. He smirked and reached over to carefully lift his arm, laying it down by his side instead. This caused Virgil to scrunch up his nose and make a disgruntled groan, shifting into another uncomfortable position. Logan just rolled his eyes and scooted out of the bed. 

As he stood up, he noticed his clothes strewn about the floor. Sighing, he gathered them up and began to get dressed, pulling out his phone from his pocket to check the time.

“Shit.” He whispered to himself. How was it 10 already?! He should have been at work two hours ago and it was halfway across town- and 4 missed calls from his boss?!

“Mm, Lo? Where y’goin?” A sleepy virgil slurred from the bed.

Logan slipped on his shirt in a hurry, “Work, I’m late, and can I please use your restroom to get ready?

He looked around for his tie, meanwhile Virgil sat up and watched, “Uh, yeah, sure. You're not gonna call out?”

“I can’t.” Logan rushed into the bathroom to make himself look presentable.

“Why not?”

“I can’t afford it! I don’t live a life of luxury, Virgil! And I should have been there two hours ago which means I am already at a loss so I should really be-”

Logan scrambled out of the bathroom and nearly ran straight into Virgil, who was now blocking the entrance back into his bedroom with his arms crossed. He looked down at Logan with a grumpy expression.

“Can you calm down please.” He stated, “It’s too early for this.”

“Too early- It’s-” Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, “Virgil. Thank you for a lovely night but I don’t think you understand that every minute I’m not at my job is money lost and I cannot-”

“Afford it, yeah yeah I heard you the first time.” Virgil didn’t move, “How much.”

“What?”

“How much do you make.”

“Virgil.” Logan huffed, “Please, just let me-”

“How. Much.” 

Logan sighed, resigning to the fact that bickering would only slow him down and answering Virgil’s questions would let him leave faster, “Minimum wage.”

“Hm. How long’s your shift?”

“Seven hours.”

“Wait here.”

Virgil slumped out of the room, leaving Logan to his own devices. Logan quickly buttoned up his shirt and checked to make sure he had his belongings before slipping out the door of the bedroom. He was, yet again, confronted by Virgil standing in front of him and blocking him from leaving.

“Hey, I thought I said to wait?”

“How many times must I tell you I am late. I’ll contact you aft-”

Logan paused as Virgil held out a few bills to him, “Call out and I’ll pay you double what you make.”

“Oh, um… No, I really, uh-”

“Please?” Virgil asked softly. He couldn’t let Logan go off and work himself to the bone at a place that could barely pay him and probably treated him like shit.

Logan thought about the offer, carefully considering the consequences if he did. He probably would have to pick up an extra shift if he went in today to make up for the hours he missed. And he’d be berated by his boss for not giving notice. Although if he stayed he could very well be fired, but he did have a good reputation as a worker, being consistently punctual for the two years he’d worked there.

“What would happen if I did accept your offer?” He questioned.

“I’ll order breakfast, we can sit and talk for a bit again. Maybe about last night?” Virgil offered, “And of course I’ll pay you. I wouldn’t want you to not be able to pay your rent or something just to hang out.”

Logan frowned, “I want to stay, but I don’t want you to feel obligated to pay me. I refuse to take advantage of your wealth.”

“You saying that definitely helps, but I know you’re not. The fact that you wanted to give me back the money I gave you the first time makes me trust you.” He shrugged, “And if you’re worried about earning it, last night was enough reason to offer compensation.”

“I’m not a sex worker.” Logan said while very cautiously took the offered payment, folding it and putting it in his back pocket. This earned a soft smile from Virgil as he pushed past him to flop back down onto his bed.

“I know, Lo. You’d negotiate first before we did anything if you were.” He stretched out, much like a cat who’d just woken up. Logan just stepped out into the living room to call out.

 It was a short phone call. He called his boss, who expressed worry rather than anger, since he usually never showed up late or called out. A brief explanation of having to deal with a personal emergency was concocted as an excuse, and Logan was free from the hell that was his minimum wage job as a front desk assistant at a shitty hotel for today. He returned back to the bedroom and dared to sit down on the edge of the bed by Virgil.

“Now do you wanna eat and maybe talk about, y’know…”

“That seems appropriate, yes.”

It didn’t help that his answer was followed by a loud growl from his stomach. He quickly folded his arms over it to cover the noise, but it proved useless as Virgil snickered while pulling out his phone.

“Yeah, let's get some food first. What do you like?” He asked.

“It’s fine, Virgil, you’ve already given me-”

“Omelette?”

“I’ll be okay-”

“I am all for consent but this is the one instance I’m not taking no for an answer. Tell me or I’m ordering for you.” Virgil demanded.

Logan sighed, “There’s no way of convincing you to let me pay for my meal?”

“Nope.” He said, popping the ‘p’.

“Fine, just some toast then, please.”

“What else?”

“Nothing else, that will be suitable for me.”

Virgil stared at him with doubt.

“...and some scrambled eggs? If that’s alright.”

He nodded, entering the order into the delivery app open on his phone, “And?”

“Fruit? If they have it.”

“What are you talking about, you have one right here.” Virgil said with a smirk, earning an eye roll from Logan.

“You’re insufferable.”

“You’re hungry. One more thing.”

“Pancakes…with jam if they have it.” Logan offered shyly.

“Good.”

The response sent a shiver down his spine, as he was reminded of a similar tone of voice that Virgil used last night. Meanwhile, the other put in his own order and paid, now just waiting for the food to be delivered. He sat up against the pillows of his bed and tucked his knees up to his chest.

“While we wait, last night?” Virgil looked at Logan expectantly.

“Yes, what about it?”

“Any thoughts? You kinda just passed out there at the end.”

“Oh,” Logan’s cheeks turned a light shade of pink, “I had been up since five and it was late. Not to mention that intercourse is a fairly draining activity.”

“Since Five? Logan!”

“I had to get up for work!”

“Oh my god,” Virgil dragged out the last syllable and put his face in his hands, “How many hours of sleep do you normally get?”

“It depends, six-ish, on a good night?”

Virgil groaned, “That’s so bad for you!”

Logan shrugged, “I know, but either I don’t sleep and I’m on time for work or I don’t eat because I lose the hours that go toward my grocery budget. I’d rather have a meal and lose a few hours of sleep, honestly.”

Virgil knew what that kind of lifestyle was like, he was living it not too long ago, and he knew better than anyone the effects it had on your mind and body.

“Logan. You need to quit one of your jobs.”

Logan pouted, “That is simple for you to say. You have wealth. I have a rent that requires 80% of my income.”

“Then let me help!”

“No!”

“Dude get over yourself! Put your pride and guard down for a sec and just accept that I want to help you out here!”

The two sat in silence after his outburst. Virgil crossed his arms and huffed. He didn’t understand, he wanted to help Logan! It wasn’t like he begged for the cash either, he just needed it and he couldn’t get why he wouldn’t put his stupid pride aside and just take his help. When he realized that he didn’t have to have a shitty life anymore, he instantly bought better foods, dedicated more time to hobbies, and slept in for the first time in what felt like years. And it was great! He knew that he couldn’t help everyone, but he could help Logan, if he would actually let him.

“I thought this conversation was supposed to be about sex.” Logan stated bluntly.

Virgil sighed, “It still can be. Sorry. I’m just a little worried about ya, Lo.”

“It’s alright. Let’s just focus on last night, then.”

“We’re coming back to this.”

“Right.”

Logan was going to be the death of him, “Last night went a little fast. I just wanna know how things went for you.”

“I liked it.” The response earned an eyebrow raise to prompt Logan to give more, “I think you’re quite attractive and I definitely don’t regret anything we did. I just don’t want you to think I intend on taking advantage of your wealth-”

“Ah ah, nope. None of that. Only sex talk right now.”

“Fine. What else do you want to discuss about it?”

Virgil thought for a moment, “Well I took on a more commanding role when I wasn’t sure you were okay with that. I kinda prefer that since I panic when I’m not in control, but I should’ve taken it slower and asked you if that sort of behavior was alright.”

Logan just shrugged, “I didn’t mind it. I like taking a more, well… passive? Role?”

There was a slight blush already rising up on his cheeks. He wasn’t as oblivious to sex as most people in his life thought, since his typically calculated nature led others to believe he was either on the asexual spectrum or that he’d been too focused on a job or school to mess around. Much to their surprise, Logan thought he had a healthy relationship with sex. He experimented throughout college and knew what he liked, but telling Virgil made him… not embarrassed, but something close to the feeling. Meh, he’d always had vulnerability issues.

Virgil hummed in response, “Good to know.”

“Oh?”

“What?”

“Why is that ‘good to know’?”

Now it was Virgil’s turn to blush. He didn’t feel ashamed for what he said, but maybe it was a little too forward. Sex was like the one thing he wasn’t nervous about all the time, because it was supposed to be good, and if it doesn’t feel that way then normally people say something about it. At least in his world, that is. 

“Well, if you want, we could do it again. We both liked it.” He offered.

Logan bit his lip, “It isn’t that I disliked what we did, but perhaps we should slow down. And I really don’t want to-”

“-Take advantage of me, I know. You aren’t. How many times do I have to tell you that you aren’t.”

“Until I’m certain you know that I’m not.”

“Ughhhh.” Virgil groaned and rolled over on the bed to stare at Logan, “If we’re gonna date, I’m gonna spoil you rotten. So you better just get used to it now.”

“Nonsense.” Logan shot back, “If we’re going to date, we’ll put a mutual amount of energy into the relationship, as to not to create an imbalance of effort that leads to a disconnect.”

“If last night was any indication of what you consider effort then I’d say we’ll work out just fine.”

“Are you suggesting our arrangement be purely an exchange of sex and money.”

“No!” Virgil scrambled to sit up again, “No, sorry. I mean, it’s more than that. But I don’t mind that- ugh. Sorry putting this into words is difficult.”

He ran a hand through his hair and exhaled. He knew what he wanted to say, but wasn’t sure how it would be interpreted by the other.

“Logan, do you know what a sugar daddy is?”

Logan paled at the question. Of course he did. Virgil didn’t… He didn’t… Oh. Oh.

“You would like me to be-”

“No! No no no! Well… Not exactly I just- Ugh! Why is this so difficult.” Virgil put his head in his hands.

“Hold on, let me try to make sense of it.” Logan tried, “Are you saying that the exchange of my company for your money appeals to you?”

“Kind of. It’s more like I want to date you and spoil you, take care of you, but I know you want to earn it. And maybe that’s a way to look at how we should do this. Does that…?”

“Make sense? Yes, it does.” Logan nodded, folding his arms, “I’m amenable to trying it, if that’s what you’d like. Although, perhaps we should still restrict our pace. Dates, rather than just sex. If the night leads us to an intimate time then so be it.”

Virgil took a moment to process Logan’s words. If that’s the sort of thing that he wanted, then Virgil would agree. Maybe he was just a little bit smitten, or horny, or a bit of both, but honestly, he didn’t see why that couldn’t work. 

“Okay. Let's try it.”

[chaotic-archaeologist]

Hi Reid!

I recently finished my undergrad, double major history/anthro w a minor (kinda, its complex lol) in animal studies. Im volunteering at a university zooarchaeo lab, since thats what I wanna do, but I'm searching for history/archival/archaeo work bc I Need To Be Paid and really struggling since I don't have a drivers license yet and can't leave where I'm at rn anyway bc of my lab volunteering which is every week (also im working on a GIS cert too so... cant leave city for like 8-10 day shifts lol). Its getting *quite* demoralizing im ngl, esp since I have an undiagnosed fatigue condition on top of it all so stuff like minimum wage customer service isnt suuuuper an option for me tbh.

Was wondering if you had any advice for the archaeologists coming out of undergrad?

If not, a strange history fact that might make me laugh will suffice /j (ya boy needs a laugh)

From,

Currently Sitting In A Tree, Listening to Unreal Earth by Hozier

Hi dirtling, I'm afraid that I don't have great news for you. My answer is going to be more or less the same as the one I gave in this post, which essentially boils down to: you need to go to grad school if you want to be employed in this field.

Working in pretty much any anthropology job is going to require at least a Master's degree, especially ones that require such specialized knowledge like zooarchaeology. Please go look at the post I linked above, because I outlined a good approach for figuring out what kind of qualifications you're going to need.

Also, pretty much every archaeology fieldwork job listing out there is going to require a valid driver's license (at least in the United States). They cannot legally require you to have your own car, but being able to drive a company/crew car (and sometimes a truck and/or a trailer) is a skill that Cultural Resource Management companies are going to be looking for, if you decide to go that route. Lab jobs might be different, but they're less common that fieldwork positions.

I'm sorry—I know this probably isn't the answer you wanted to hear, but somebody needs to give you a realistic assessment of the anthropology job market. Ideally this would've been mentioned as part of your undergraduate education, but better late than never.

There are options out there for you—I really believe that. If you choose not to go to grad school right now or ever, an anthropology degree can be parlayed into any number of jobs that involve understanding humans and culture: public relations, human resources, marketing/advertising, demographics analysis, etc. The GIS cert is also a very marketable skill. Here's a good webpage to look at.

As for a historical fun fact, check out this Smithsonian article about bread that was made with yeast and a recipe from ancient Egypt!

-Reid

[princessnijireiki]

like... the idea that people are getting deeply aroused on some level (sexual, political excitement, what have you) over quite literally fringe radical separatist causes that already are facing criticism for being trans exclusionary and invasively policing the bodies of cis women applicants to "make sure" they're not too "masculine" or "secretly men," regardless of whatever "successes" random twitter user #24601 is claiming on the movement's behalf, is already not fabulous of y'all.

but the fact that thousands of people were willing & eager to believe in this despite literal decades of data on economic impacts on birthrates in east asian nations with regard to brain drain & depopulation from rural areas, increasingly unaffordable suburbs and cities, violently radicalized misogyny being propped up by state & private corporate support feeding into poor mental health outcomes of family dependence and student/worker isolation, and diminished access to healthcare in general is also like. you can't even say you don't know that when y'all make racist one child policy jokes or meme on the japanese PM, and y'all definitely grasp the concept every time a western news page talks about millennials zillennials and gen z not having babies after being very clear to clown us for decades about how, "haha this 1990s bitch can't afford a smoothie," no shit, idiot! minimum wage is like $7! so actually the real answer is you knew, forgot, or never internalized it, and don't give a shit until the statistics can be abused in your favor.

on top of telling me y'all either can't do arithmetic or don't give half a shit about covid to this day, so double fuck y'all & you're not on my survival team at this point lol, but especially its impact on gestational reproduction and what covid means as a consideration for child welfare or health of a pregnancy, because while there was a very real phenomenon of "covid babies" (both re: kids first socialized in comparative isolation and re: kids conceived because families/couples were at home), and ENSUING widely covered news of impacts on childcare WORKERS like teachers, babysitters, nannies, and other domestic labor infection & mortality rates... there were a ton of people who were/are frightened of everything going on and who very deliberately were or are not having kids as a result. so like... where the fuck is the rock YOU'VE been under for 4 or 5 years now? because it sounds nice, must be real quiet down there, you know?

I need some of y'all to stop getting your news from tiktoks of screenshots of tumblr posts of screenshots of tweets of screenshots of tiny snippets of news articles extrapolated wildly out of context and placed next to unrelated screenshots to further an agenda. because all you're doing at this point is announcing yourself as somebody who'd have seen the weekly world news reports at newstands in the '90s and sent some stranger in oregon a blank check for proof that the bat boy who married elvis to the loch ness mobster really existed and had information about bill clinton being replaced by an alien in the white house. grow up!

[mariacallous]

This is from 2022.

The claim: Bob Cratchit was destitute but still earned more than the U.S. minimum wage

The work of Victorian-era novelist Charles Dickens went viral over the holidays, when a tweet used his 1843 novella "A Christmas Carol" to make a point about the minimum wage. 

Posted Dec. 19 and retweeted by over 14,000 users, it centered on Bob Cratchit. The character works as a clerk and accountant for wealthy Ebenezer Scrooge yet struggles to provide enough food and clothing for his wife and six children.

According to the post – which was screenshotted and shared by many Facebook users – Cratchit symbolizes "destitution" in the novella but would have made an inflation-adjusted wage of around $13.50 per hour – almost twice the federal minimum wage. 

"Time for your annual reminder that, according to A Christmas Carol, Bob Cratchit makes 15 shillings a week. Adjusted for inflation, that's $530.27/wk, $27,574/yr, or $13.50/hr," the tweet reads.

"Most Americans on minimum wage earn less than a Dickensian allegory for destitution."

If he were alive today, would Cratchit actually be earning more than the minimum wage?

The wage figure is roughly accurate. But as independent fact-checking organizations have reported, the claim is more complicated than the post makes it seem.

Chris Thompson, who posted the original tweet, told USA TODAY in a LinkedIn message that the claim came from an article published by the site EverythingWhat, which he said he found after "a very cursory Google search."

The tweet drew thousands of comments and shares on Facebook, Instagram and other platforms. More than 30,000 users shared a screenshot of the tweet posted by liberal Facebook page The Other 98% – though it later updated its post to state that "this post has been fact checked and found to be False."

Cratchit's salary roughly equivalent to $14.20 per hour

Inflation is typically measured using the Consumer Price Index, which looks at annual increases in the average price of a standard bundle of consumer goods and services.

But this kind of measurement can't accurately estimate Cratchit's salary, said Samuel H. Williamson, professor emeritus of economics at Miami University of Ohio.

"The term ‘inflation-adjusted salary’ is very misleading because it implies that ... these 'adjusted' salaries can buy a similar set of goods and services," Williamson said. "But over time the bundle becomes so different that the comparison is ludicrous. Cell phones with quill pens, etc.”

While no measure is perfect, What is the relative value of Bob Cratchit’s 15 shillings a week in 1843? of the modern-day equivalent of a 15-shilling wage in 1843, Williamson said. This indicator adjusts a wage based on the inflation of the average worker’s pay each year.

Using this method, Cratchit’s 15 shillings per week would translate to a relative labor earnings value of £611.30 per week, according to MeasuringWorth, an inflation calculation resource that Williamson co-founded. At the current conversion rate, that's about $850 per week and $43,000 annually. 

Keep in mind that, in Victorian England in the 1840s, laborers were expected to work 10 hours per day, six days per week. Assuming Scrooge didn’t make Cratchit work longer hours, that means Cratchit was making the equivalent of $14.20 per hour, adjusting for wage inflation.

That would make his pay nearly double the federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour, though 30 U.S. states have set higher pay floors. 

However, that wage would put the Cratchits below the federal poverty line of $44,660 for a family of eight. 

Cratchit wasn’t 'destitute' for his time

By calling Cratchit "a Dickensian allegory for destitution," the tweet implies he was paid a relatively low wage for a person in the Victorian era. But that isn't the full story. 

Joel J. Brattin, a professor of English at Worcester Polytechnic Institute who has researched Dickens’ work, told USA TODAY that although Cratchit was paid a relatively low wage for his skillset and time period, he wasn’t the poorest person in Victorian London. For example, manual laborers were paid around 8 shillings per week, he said, and there wasn't a minimum wage.

“It is important to note that Bob Cratchit was not destitute,” Brattin said in an email. “Rather, he was paid little, and had a large family – six children and a wife – to feed and clothe.��

Peter Gurney, a history professor at the University of Essex who has studied consumption and consumer goods in the Victorian era, said fixating on Cratchit's wage takes away from the message of "A Christmas Carol."

“The important thing is that the Cratchit family are almost starving all year round, and Dickens shows how Christmas makes things worse, exposing extremes of poverty and wealth and the erosion of Christian charity by laissez-faire individualism," Gurney said in an email.

Our rating: Partly false

Based on our research, we rate PARTLY FALSE the claim that Cratchit was destitute but still earned more than the U.S. minimum wage. Based on wage inflation, his salary of 15 shillings per week translates to around $43,000 per year, or $14.20 per hour with the standard 60-hour workweek of his time. So it's true that he would have made more than the federal minimum wage.

However, he was not "destitute" for his time, experts told USA TODAY. Cratchit's pay as an educated clerk, while meager for a family of eight, was higher than that of many other workers. There was no minimum wage in Victorian London. In addition, the standard and cost of living today are so different that comparing wages directly is misleading.

[kaz-curlymonster]

Rant about an article regarding female voters. Do not misconstrue my criticism of the republican party as support for the democratic party. They’re both abject failures.

This has to be one of the funniest articles I’ve ever read to date. Just bringing up my own points and such, if any of you gyns think of something else, feel free to add.

“…as Ms Soucek lays out her case for the Republican presidential candidate, she avoids mentioning the latest spate of controversial remarks Trump has made, including personal attacks on Democratic challenger Kamala Harris.

“I try to tell people to focus on the policies and ignore the candidates,” she says, knowing that Trump’s brash personality has deterred women previously.”

You can’t entirely focus on the policies being put forward without looking at the candidate. What policies did this candidate support in the past? Is have a history of lying? Accepting or giving out bribes? The candidate can say they support one policy and then enact a different one because they knew they wouldn’t get your vote otherwise. When a politician is making promises, you should ALWAYS assume its just for the sake of getting your vote. Not being forthright about your candidate of choice is deceptive. You should encourage people to be fully informed about your candidate.

Trump’s remarks are unprofessional, and the people touting it as honesty (“But the former president’s campaign rhetoric does not bother some ardent female supporters like *Dixie, a 59-year-old Republican from Door County “He’s not going to tell you what you want to hear. He’s going to tell you the truth,” said Dixie, who declined to share her last name for privacy reasons.”) would clutch their pearls and demand managers if they were told the truth about their behavior towards minimum wage employees.

*Maybe her name really is Dixie, but given the Confederate ties to it, I think “Dixie” just wanted to be inflammatory. Par for the course.

“…some who spoke to the BBC said [Trump’s] campaign had remained fixated on men - not women.

Republican pollster Christine Matthews said Trump’s team is “doubling down on a strategy of motivating the [MAGA] base and hoping to motivate men - particularly non-college-educated men including those who are Hispanic in addition to white - in a way that will overpower the gender gap”.

The Trump campaign has leaned into “bro culture”, emphasising masculinity and a contrast of “weak versus tough”, said Chuck Coughlin, a political strategist who works with Republicans in the battleground state of Arizona.

“That appeals to a lot of men,” he said. “It doesn’t appeal to unaffiliated voters.””

Who could have foreseen that a male dominated party who have, up to this day advocated for the US to return to the way things used to be, including putting women back in “traditional” roles. I also find it hilarious that they ADMIT to aiming their campaign towards non-college educated men. Of course you want them, they’re of the sex you’re trying to put forward as being superior, trying to convince them they’re tough for wanting a “candidate who isn’t afraid to speak his mind.”

“Former Trump adviser Kellyanne Conway, who served as his 2016 campaign manager, told the BBC that voters could not have his policies without his “strong and resolute and tough” personality.

“People, and particularly women, tend to kvetch and converse and complain about what offends them, and then they vote according to what affects them,” she said.”

You absolutely can have his policies without his perversion. He doesn’t need to brag about walking in on 15 year old pageant girls to suggest economic policies. He doesn’t need to call other countries shit holes to discuss his opinion on border control. He is in the highest possible position in the US, and is behaving completely inappropriately and unprofessionally. The last bit there saying “women especially get offended” (as though males don’t get offended to the point of raping and murdering women) is one of the most (but not THE most, we’ll get to that one) ironic comments from a WOMAN who supposedly wants to garner female support for her misogynistic candidate.

The other hilarious part of this is, what I consider to be, a Freudian slip. I believe what miss Conway wanted to say was “vote based on what offends them” given the comment about people taking offense, but what she knows to be true came to the surface. EVERYONE votes based on what affects them. That’s what you’re banking on with economic votes, border policy votes, and so on.

"”If he dials down the attacks and his brand of fiery kind of politics, then he can pick up...female voters in particular," said Ariel Hill-Davis, co-founder of Republican Women for Progress, which advocates for female representation in the party.”

You expect female representation from the people who claim women can’t be the leader of a country because, as Miss Conway (fitting last name btw) put it, and tried to imply, we’re easily offended and try to act on it.

“Republicans in swing states have struggled with another issue that has animated women across the country: reproductive rights.

Democrats have seized on abortion rights as a way to galvanise voters after the fall of Roe v Wade in 2022, while Ms Harris has become the White House’s leading voice on the issue.”

You mean the same way you galvanize republican voters by being pro-forced-birth? Shock and horror.

“Tom Eddy, the chair of the Erie County Republican Party, a swing district in the must-win state of Pennsylvania, said he’d found the best approach is to avoid the issue altogether.

“I tell my candidates, ‘Stay the hell away from it,’” he said. “I can tell no matter what policy you promote with regard to abortion, you’re going to be wrong, because half the people are going to think the other way.””

Soooo, lying by omission? Great. The issue is that more Americans are in favor of abortion than not. And you can bet that, if pressed on the issue, he would dance around an actual answer. We need to stop encouraging this response by not voting for people who aren’t forthright. This is what happens when you look only at what’s being said, and never who is saying it. What ISN’T said is just as important as what IS said.

[Link 1] [Link 2]

“With polls suggesting the majority of suburban women support access to abortions, Ms Soucek said the Republican Party needs to find a unified message.

“It’s just a matter of making sure that we’re sending the right message to women that we care about women, while also caring about unborn babies,” she said.”

The unified message is there, they think women should be forced to give birth. They just can’t agree to what degree. Aborted fetuses also aren’t babies, but that’s an opinion that isn’t likely to change. No, instead I would like to point out that you don’t care about babies after they are born. The “adoption” argument doesn’t take into account the inherent trauma that comes with knowing your parents died, didn’t want you, or gave you up at all. You are punishing the child every single time you force a woman to give birth instead of allowing her to make the choice she wants. If you cared about women, you wouldn’t advocate for us being reduced to breeders/incubators.

“Mr Trump’s former senior adviser, Kellyanne Conway, said that while Democrats are focused on “the waist down”, the Republican Party is concentrating on the “waist up”.

“We women, from the waist up, are where our brains, ears, eyes, hearts and mouths are, so we can figure out all the issues: the kitchen table economics, entrepreneurship, taxes, regulation, energy independence,” she said.”

I know “kitchen table economics” is an actual term and all, but really poor choice of words given the context. Not only that, republicans are the ones literally attempting to subjugate women because of what is below the waist. How is advocating for forced birth, something that sets women back financially, educationally, and so on, anywhere near above the waist? The republican party does not advocate for anyone’s education, hence why they are targeting non-college educated men, let alone WOMENS’ education. Their claims are disproven by their actions.

“Trump could make strides with female suburban voters by directly addressing their concerns about his personality, according to political experts.

“If he were to say something like: ‘You may not like me personally, you may not like my rhetoric, but if you want to worry less about grocery bills .. I'm your guy,’” Ms Fischer Martin said.

“I don't know if he's quite capable of getting there.””

The last comment allows this portion to speak for itself.

And finally, THE most ironic quote from one of the people trying to encourage female swing voters to cast a ballot for Trump;

“

Kellyanne Conway knows Trump better than most. She believes his core message - are voters better off now then when he was in office? - is the same for all Americans, regardless of gender.

“As I told him recently,” she added, “*He beat a woman before. He can beat a woman again*.””

HOOOOOOOOO BOY. Even if you read it in the exact context it’s meant to be read in, instead of overtly DV, it is hilarious that you are trying to win over female voters by lording the 2016 ELECTORAL COLLEGE decision (Hillary won the popular vote, if you’ll recall) over their heads. You are actively rooting for someone to keep a woman out of a position that has been exclusively male since its conception, and think that is somehow going to win swing female voters? I’m sure some will vote for him despite the fact that he is subpar. He doesn’t care about female voters. No politician does. Republicans will take away our rights while the democrats claim they’re “Trying to reach a compromise UwU.”

Rant over

[stardew-bajablast]

i am so god damn TIRED of being fucking gaslit by the wealthy about how the economy is doing.

i’m tired of hearing about how there is no inflation when i can see literally all of my necessities being price gouged by greedy corporations every day before my own fucking eyes

i’m tired of hearing about record unemployment when it doesn’t even fucking matter if you’re employed or not if no one can afford anything! i work TWO jobs, over 50 hours a week, and I make $15 an hour which is more than double the minimum wage in my state and i could not afford an apartment in the city i live in. if something happened to my partner, i would have to move in with my parents, and if something happened to my parents, i would be homeless

i’m tired of hearing about the fucking stock market and the economy booming, like have none of these fucking ghouls considered that the metrics by which we determine how well the economy is doing might be a little bit biased towards the people at the very top?? like of course the elites would say the economy is doing great! they’re the ones raking in record profits by extorting mothers who need baby formula and price gouging all of our fucking food. of course they’re doing great!

maybe, just maaaybe, we should reevaluate how we define a “good economy” if the economy can be “good” despite 99% of people feeling otherwise

[enbyhyena]

So I talk sometimes about how piss-poor the SSI payout amounts are, but I did my math on something slightly different today and I just thought I ought to share my findings. I also just wanted to do a more in-depth, comprehensive post in general. So here you go.

As of the 2023 calendar year, the maximum SSI payout amount is $914 per month.

A full-time worker will work 40 hours a week, or 160 hours a month.

If you take the payout amount and divide it by the hours of a full-time job, you get...

🥁🥁🥁

$5.71/hour.

The federal minimum wage is $7.25.

In order to be completely financially secure and comfortable, you need to make about $233k a year. As of 2021, the median household income is $71,000 a year.

According to this calculator, $914/month ($10,968 a year) is 75.23% below the federal poverty line.

Put another way, if I never spent a single cent of my SSI (which I can't do and I'll talk about why further down), and if my wages were not to increase at all (which it does by a small amount each year, but for the sake of this analogy), it would take me 21 years to make the amount of money that it takes to be comfortable for just one year. (I got this figure by taking 914 and multiplying it by the number of months (12), and then dividing 233k by the outcome [$10,968].)

Multiple resources state that people should aim to not spend above 30% of their monthly income on rent.

30% of $914 is $274.20.

Median rent cost in the United States has climbed to $2,011 per month.

Recipients of SSI are not allowed to have ANY amount above $2,000 in combined income and assets at ANY time, or else they will lose their benefits cold turkey. Meaning that even if they COULD come up with 200% of their monthly income JUST for rent (not factoring in the cost of food, meds, transportation, etc), they would be instantly cut off.

Don't even get me started on what a shit-show Section 8 is. Especially post-pandemic.

Marriage brings the income/asset limit to $3,000. So if you're a double-disabled couple, your limit is cut in half (strongly discouraging marriage). If you're a disabled person and marry to someone who works, your SSI will almost certainly drop or disappear completely—which can trap disabled people in financially abusive situations.

If you claim SSI and try to work to make a little extra money, every other dollar after $63 subtracts a dollar from your SSI payout, BEFORE taxes. So say you work full time for 2 weeks making $9 an hour—$720 before taxes.

Subtract the initial $63, and you're left with $657. Now divide that by two (for every other dollar).

SSI has just taken $328.50 from your SSI payout. Your $914 payout is now $585.50. Subtract another $328.50 for your second paycheck in one month, and that's a $256.50 payout.

This leads to a lot of disabled people, who break their bodies trying to make just a little more in spite of their illnesses, to largely break even. Usually making about the same amount they would have made if they'd just stayed home and taken care of themselves instead.

And to make it EVEN worse, earnings take 2 months to reflect on your payouts. So say you work over the holidays to treat yourself for Christmas. You may get $914 in December and January as normal, but only come February will you finally see that deduction take effect—meaning if anything happens, you have several hundred less dollars to work with.

When I worked, it took over a year AFTER I quit for my payouts to finally go back to normal, as they kept readjusting my earnings and deducting from my payouts saying that they "paid me too much".

So I don't think it needs to be said that you can fight tooth and nail to get accepted onto this program, and be shamed by society for being on it once you finally win, but as an extra kicker be FORCED to stay there with no options to escape without severe punishment.

I have known people who fought for four and ten years. While being considered, you cannot work AT ALL or they will immediately throw out your case. The average wait time is 2 years, but most wait longer. If SSA says no, you'll be sent to court to appeal. If the judge denies you, you have to start all over again. And you can get caught in the same loop over, and over, and over, and over again, getting denied support that you desperately need, and many die hoping to receive.

8,000 people file for bankruptcy and 10,000 people die a year while waiting for their SSI to be approved.

And it just keeps getting worse and worse the further down the rabbit hole you go. I made this post partially to vent my frustration with this system after being abused by it for the past 5 years (and it abusing the people I care about). But I also wanted to create a resource with citations for people to share around and throw in the faces of ANYONE who dares to think that people on welfare/claiming SSI somehow "have it easy".

As a disabled person, I spend over half of my given days either in bed too ill and/or in pain to function, or at a clinic begging a doctor to not call me fat or a hypocondriac or drug-seeking and take my (documented and diagnosed!!) illnesses seriously. I rarely ever get to just SIT there and BE sick. I often have to get up and get shit done in SPITE of being sick, even doing OTHER people's jobs and holding their hands just to make sure they're actually doing what THEY'RE being PAID to do (insurance agents, doctors, etc). Disabled people don't GET days off. Just because we don't work a "conventional" job doesn't mean we're just sitting on our asses mooching off the system. Every single goddamn day is a fight just for the basic human right to survive. And I never want to hear anyone saying that ableist, invalidating, and blatantly untrue shit around me.

[geraskierbrainrot]

This is a collection of Alternate Universe fics that happen in coffee shops where Jasier or Geralt are baristas

the wallpaper inside my heart by @echo-bleu | T | 6k

Jaskier is unfailingly kind, unfailingly cheerful, and unfailingly talkative. And he never, ever says anything about himself.

(not technically a coffee shop AU but this is my list so I do what I want)

Jitters by @lovelyrita1967 | T | 7k

Jaskier is an aspiring musician working in a coffee shop. Geralt is a fancy lawyer in expensive suits. It could never work between them… right? Jaskier turned and found himself looking up into the face of the most beautiful human being he had ever seen in his life. He felt his jaw drop, his cheeks flush a fiery red, and, had he been a cartoon, his eyes most certainly would have done that “boing-oing-oing” thing.  “Good morning!” Jaskier announced, perhaps a little too loudly, eyes a little too wide. “What can I get for you, sir?”  The man met Jaskier’s gaze, and he felt his cheeks burn even hotter. What was happening to him?  “Double espresso, to go. Please,” he rumbled, in the deepest, sexiest voice Jaskier had ever heard.

→ Follow The Sun | M | 7k

Jaskier is an aspiring musician working in a coffee shop. Geralt is a fancy lawyer in expensive suits. Against all odds, they have been dating for 4 weeks. Most of this fic is a flashback to Part 1 (“Jitters”), but this time it's from Geralt’s perspective, plus a little bit of his lawyer world with Lambert and Eskel. And then finally, we see where Geralt and Jaskier are now as their relationship gets a little more serious. (Hint: check the tags!) I would highly recommend reading “Jitters” first! Jaskier was standing at the floor-to-ceiling windows of Geralt’s penthouse condo, high above the lights of Kaedwen, admiring the view. Geralt was admiring the view, too, all long lines, sharp jaw, soft brown hair... Jaskier turned away from the window suddenly to look at him. “You look really fucking hot in that tux,” he said, voice low.

#blessed by aiyah | T | 7k

Sure, the pay at Yeast Meets Zest is great and all (and the food's even better, in Jaskier's opinion), but there's just one thing nipping at his nostrils: being allergic to the unfairly attractive customer who comes every Tuesday and Thursday. In hindsight, Jaskier should've applied to work at Starbucks instead.

Café Morhen series by musicalgalaxy1000 | 21k and ongoing

→ A Fine Night For A Song | G | 3k

Café Morhen is hosting an open mic night. A few new customers could be what keeps them afloat should the land lord raise the rent. Not too many people show up, but one new face in particular seems to want to stick around.

→ Can't Tune You Out | G | 1k

As tired as he is from closing the café from the Open Mic, Geralt can't fall asleep. There's a song stuck in his head.

→ Unexpectedly Sweet | G | 1k

Sometimes the only saving grace of working a minimum wage job was the consistency. Geralt should be fed up with Jaskier's increasingly insane drink orders, but he carries on anyway, learning to expect the unexpected.

The one day Jaskier tells Geralt to make him "whatever's easiest," he just can't bring himself to break the newest consistency in his life. So he makes the sweetest drink he can reasonably muster for a more than just regular customer.

→ Teasing and A Cup of Tea | G | 5k

Two oblivious men are pining for each other and are teased about it while also given reassurance. What are loved ones for?

→ A Call, A Confession, A Kiss | T | 9k

Geralt works up the nerve to text Jaskier, who had gotten a little tipsy while waiting for his crush to reach out. Geralt makes sure Jaskier gets home safe. And Jaskier finally gets to make a move.

i like you a latte (warning: hot contents) by rcfthns | Not Rated | 28k

“It’s not satisfying,” the man states, as he places the coffee on the counter and pushes it back to the barista. I can be satisfying!, Jaskier is about to say in response but bites his tongue at last. “Is there anything missing?” he asks instead.  “There is,” the man answers, shaking his head. He glances at the drink again, displeased. The look doesn’t suit him at all.  He deserves to be pleased. “Ah,” Jaskier acknowledges. The “ah”-s are very fitting around the man. Although “oh”-s would be even better. “I’m sorry, I’m just out of it today. What’s missing?” The man grins, leaning over the counter. “Your number.” Jaskier is a barista at a coffee shop and he isn’t (for sure isn’t!) in love with a customer.

Show love to all these authors by leaving kudos and comments, and happy reading!

[bonelady]

I'm nearing a year since I read Dispatches and realizing just how much it's wormed it's way into my head. when I first read it, it clicked the way that the States has done things really hasn't changed much in the last fifty years other than to make it harder for civilians to understand what is happening or why. For example, we don't have the draft anymore because when every Tom, Dick, and Harry is sent off to another country to kill people so the government can take all of their natural resources and money and whatnot, people pay attention. They want to know where their kids went. They want to know how thigs are going. This puts the government, their interests, their involvement in foreign affairs, under scrutiny. This is bad for the government because they're basically always doing some fucked up shit. So now there's no draft, you get contractors who want to be doing horrific shit, and poor people who are lied to and coerced into doing horrific shit because they simply have no way to make money at home, and all the middle class people can live their silly little lives where bad things happen "over there" and it's "so unfortunate, you know, but what can you do" but it doesn't actually materially impact them.

As I was finishing the book, I had just gotten out of my second year of working in the grocery stores during the pandemic (which is ongoing, despite the prevailing attitude) and into a stupid office job. During those two years I was consistently spit, coughed, and sneezed on, screamed at and threatened for behaving as though COVID were a big deal, while being critically underpaid and overworked as the grocery companies took in billions in profit. For a large chunk of my time there I was doing the pickup service, where employees would get orders from the day before, pick them off the shelves, pack them up, and get them into people's cars. For the first couple months of the pandemic, the department was staffed extra, people had decent hours, wages were raised a few dollars an hour, things were if not good, at least approaching decent. By May of 2020, Kroger cut staffing across the board. Hours were cut. Hazard pay was replaced by a dollar off a bottle of coke coupouns and a 'thank you' email. And our workload doubled, tripled on top of this as it became clear that things were gonna drag on, and the company was gonna make bank off of it.

The moment that sticks out most clearly to me was the 4th of July that same year. Shifts were reduced to near skeleton crews already, but for the holiday we had literally the minimum number of people you could schedule and still have coverage, which was 4. On a normal day, which was pretty busy, we had somewhere between 90 and a hundred orders, and seven or eight people to deal with them and we could usually squeeze by. When I clocked in that morning we had over 200. Every phone was ringing nonstop. Management said they didn't see the orders that we were complaining about (they were looking at the list of cancelled orders, and would not change to the appropriate tab or come to the back to see the labels, which printed automatically and were spilling to the floor) and refused to call anyone else in. It got to the point where our shift lead was just banging the phone off and on the hook repeatedly to hang up calls because if you answered the phone at all it was some suburban freak who never worked a real job before screaming at you that "their order was late and why weren't you picking up, our party is ruined you lazy fuck". We were all sobbing, even while pushing the carts through the store to grab items. It was awful, but we all had bills to pay. Most of the crew had kids to feed. My parents both spent time out of work during this time, and my siblings and I were pitching in to keep a roof over our heads. We had no other choice but to work ten, twelve, sixteen hour days trying to get people their food.

Flash forwards and I now work in the 'nice' part of Seattle. I'm surrounded by middle and upper class yuppie dickheads who've never suffered in their lives, who stopped masking the second it stopped being required, and often before then. They look at me like I'm a freak for wearing a respirator when damn near everyone else is just walking around like nothing is happening as wave after wave of plague rips through the place. People who talk about the last few years as though they were just an inconvenince on their dinner and travel plans, and not like friends and family became crippled, further crippled, or dead serving them. Like I do. Like my friends do. Once a week someone asks 'So when is that coming off?' while hacking coughs fire off in earshot. I hear people talk about their vacations to Dubai while if I miss a bus connection I have to walk a half a mile on the highway shoulder just to get there and pray that some dickhead doesn't flatten me again on the way. All this to make barely enough money to scrape by on my own so that I can have one place in the world mostly safe from the plague.

It's not the same as war, but there are parallels. Poor people in the States and abroad ground to dust deliberately in the name of Capital. No end in sight. Government says it's all going fine. I may not wear the helmet, but I was born to die, man. It fucks you up. But I'm bound and determined to get out, and get as many people out as I can once I've got my feet down somewhere stable. I might be born to die, but that's a ways off yet. I got shit to do.

Peace and Love, y'all.