#like why are the people with the average incomes the ones who are donating?

[vampiresinforks]

this is so sad and wrong

you're telling me these bitches can't band together and donate like 20 mil without any of them suffering financial consequences or even feeling a difference?

the whole cast is 50+ actors. if each donated 500k-1mil that is something even the "smallest" of roles could afford, like idk man bree or maggie or peter or whatever. they're all actors. anything around one mil is peanuts to them. this is fucking ridiculous and blows my mind every time.

Hey, since the Twilight movies are trending on Netflix–and since the Quileute tribe gets nothing from them–don’t forget that it’s important to keep donating!

The Move to Higher Ground Project is the Quileute project to protect their community from the tsunami-risk zone it’s currently located in. If you’re going to watch the movies through Netflix, make sure you donate! If you’re not–donate anyway!

[drmohammedibrahim]

After I written a post regarding to my journey for bought milk and diapers to my child Ibrahim and the price was not reasonably more than 140$... I decided today go to kan younis market (city in South Gaza) one of the big market before the war in whole Gaza strip to buy some clothes for my child with a knowledge there are no new clothes and most of the clothes are from bales (secondhand).  I have no problem if it is used.. The important thing is to find any clothes for my child because winter is starting to get tough... I went into all the stores that sell children's clothes, and there are 7 of them... I looked at most of the clothes inside them for sale in these stores. I rarely found exactly what I wanted, but I decided to buy... I took two pieces of these clothes and went to pay costs... Guess how much the saler asked for these two pieces.. The first piece asked for 140 shekels ($38), and the second piece cost 180 shekels ($49). Of course, I was shocked by these exorbitant prices, but the biggest shock was when I asked him why the second piece was much more expensive than the first piece... He told me because the second piece is almost new, not like the first, but for me they both look the same. I laughed and said to him, do you have another piece that is used a lot and is cheaper than this almost new one? He told me no, but it might be available after a week, but I don't know how much the prices will be... I was curious and asked the saler from where he gets these used clothes . He answered me that there are people who come and sell me these clothes because they don't have money to buy food . I asked him again, what if they have children? What will they do when they sell their children’s clothes? He told me it is enough for the child to have one or two pieces, and they sell the rest. After I heard that for a moment I keep silent and thinking of this world  why we? why gaza? why Palestinian people? why why why?... of course no one can answer? Then I back to my matter and asked him how much would you sell me the two pieces that I want.. Is there a discount? He said to me, I will give you both for 300 shekels ($83). Note: the real price before the war for these 2 pieces 30 shekels (8$) now ×10

In case ..., I only have 200 shekels ($55) in my pocket. I did not know what to do, should I buy or not... In the end, after deep thinking, I decided to buy the second piece... I felt so happy when I returned to my tent because I brought something for my child..

Note: Average income in the Gaza Strip before the war around 1000 shekels (270$). Now during the war no income at all

However, I wished that I had enough money to buy the second piece because I spent more than two and a half hours until I found what suited my request. I expected the money I had would be enough to buy clothes and buy some vegetables and groceries, but this is what happened, knowing that the price of vegetables and groceries is not much less than the price of the clothes. I will write about that soon.

Wait me for the second trip to buy some food.

Thank you all, my friends.

If you want to donate and contribute any amount even (5€) I will be so appreciate and thankful 🙏

Donation link here:

https://gofund.me/faf917c2

Love you all.

Vetted by

@90-ghost here

@gazavetters here (#137)

@reddeadconfessions2 @littlegermanboy @lightblueornaments @sayruq @666godsperfectidiot @rumblysugar07 @ashwantsafreepalestine @artisticstasis @finnicksbf @trashmammalshitblog @miniar @mutopians @faelyn42 @somerandomfollower-blog @somewhatvellum @godspersonalclown @sleepyleftistdemon @morbidmagnolia @heydreamchild @lesbianmaxevans @galactic-mermaid @autisticmusings @thedigitalbard @3amsnowman-blog @neptunerings @thatsonehellofabird @imjustheretotrytohelp @girlinafairytale @yakiattaki @loumandivorce @iloveinternetsafety @blackprinter @magic-can @venus-de-mil0-09 @mozzaroni-art @honey-stans @empressofthenorth @thedigitalbard @dlxxv-vetted-donations @maester-cressen @enby-berries @eggingtontoast @lucy-shining-star @cantsayidont @nonbinaryspacegoo @featheredcritter @snowballeclipse @wainwrightjakobshammerlock @applebunch

[darlingillustrations]

Fight Food Deserts with Community Gardening

“Gardening is fun!” When I talked with David Thompson, founder of Food is Free Washington, that’s why he said he started doing it. It was so much fun, in fact, that he grew too much produce in his 2,000 sf garden to use it all himself, so he started giving it away. He went on, “The thing that became more fun than growing my own food was sharing it. It’s the joy of giving stuff away.” That is the heart of the Food is Free movement: building community by sharing food independence.

Read more about the real life gardener who inspired Chapter 3 of Calico Jill and the Search for Cheese!

What Food is Free Does

Food is Free Washington is a non-profit co-run by David and Ursula Thompson in Tacoma, WA. The goal of Food is Free is to take care of our planet and take care of each other in the process by feeding people. The Thompsons seek to reduce food waste by getting food into the hands of local people who need it. They also educate people on how to grow their own food so that our community is more self reliant and less dependent on outside forces.

Food deserts stretch across many of Tacoma’s communities, but especially so in downtown Tacoma, east Tacoma and south Tacoma. A food desert is an area where local residents do not have access to fresh and healthy foods. Food is Free focuses in particular on these communities in need.

While a food bank might serve 50-100 people, Food is Free serves on average 220 people with each food giveaway. Food banks are great resources for gathering food and giving it to those in need, and they even supply Food is Free with donations through the Emergency Food Network and Feeding Feasible Feasts, but Food is Free is so much more effective in its distribution for two reasons: it goes into the heart of communities where there is food insecurity, and there is no requirement to show an ID or prove income. Anyone who shows up gets food. It’s as simple as that.

Food Is Free Sharing Tables

Ursula and David’s solution to the food deserts that stretch across Tacoma is gardening. Food is Free has planted 3,000 square feet of community garden space across the city. They started setting up tables next to these garden plots, and they would set out food for anyone to take.

They encouraged others to follow suit. At the height of the pandemic, there were 97 of these sharing tables scattered around Tacoma which became a sort of mobile food pantry. During a time of social isolation and social distancing, people formed a sense of community around sharing food surplus with each other within their local communities.

These tables were popular for a time, but there were obstacles. Even though the Thompsons would post instructions on accepted and restricted items, there wasn’t enough education about proper food storage. People started dropping off things like chicken breasts and milk, things that would spoil if left on a table.

These days, the total number of food tables is around 10-12, and they are run independently.

Food Accessibility in 2023

One thing the Thompsons are particularly excited about is the Gleaning Project, a program that is run through Harvest Pierce County in which people can sign up to have the fruit trees in their backyards harvested. Last year, 27,000 pounds of produce was harvested thanks to this program and shared with local hunger relief organizations.

Food banks are getting fewer donations than they used to. EBT benefits were cut in March. With rising food inflation, fewer people want to make donations. Add to these factors the job insecurities that we’ve all faced thanks to the pandemic, and more and more people are turning to feeding themselves with their own gardens.

Food is Free Washington is supporting these burgeoning green thumbs with seeds, plant starters and resources. Ursula explained, “You can grow an extra row. You can grow an extra plant. We just want people to do it with us. All of us gardeners together, we can help feed our community.”

Food Is Free Drop Offs

If you live in Tacoma, you can pick up food on Tuesdays in the extra parking lot across from (west of) Hope Point (formerly Calvary Baptist) Church. Address: 6511 South C Street. Follow @tacomaurbanfarmer on instagram to stay abreast what is available from week to week.

Resources:

Food is Free Washington: https://foodisfreewashington.org/ Emergency Food Network: https://www.efoodnet.org/ Feeding Feasible Feasts: https://feedingfeasiblefeastsllc.org/ Harvest Pierce County: https://piercecd.org/190/Urban-Agriculture and the Gleaning Project (where you can register your fruit trees!): https://piercecountygleaningproject.org/

Calico Jill and the Community Garden

You can read Calico Jill's story on tumblr at the following links. (The Community Garden is Chapter 3):

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Patreon

The artwork is this post is a painting of mine titled Put A Little Spring In Your Step. It is Watercolor and Ink on 8×10 inch hot press watercolor paper.

[lets-donate-a-kidney]

Reasons to Donate a Kidney

You can make terrible, terrible kidney puns, and no one can stop you from kidney-ing around.

The average lifespan on dialysis is only 5-10 years. You might extend someone's life by 20 years or more!

Dialysis is painful, exhausting, prevents a person from holding a regular work schedule or traveling, and weakens their body over time. Eventually, it fails. You'd be freeing someone to have a normal life.

You aren't just helping the recipient: you're giving something priceless to all the friends and family members who care about that person.

Kidneys from living donors have a higher success rate than kidneys from deceased donors, and last for twice as long!

You might start a kidney chain, in which multiple people receive kidneys! The longest chain on record gave kidneys to over 100 people - and was started by a stranger who didn't know any of them.

Over 80,000 people in the USA alone need a kidney transplant, and several thousand die every year waiting for one. But if even just 1 in 1000 adults donated a kidney, we could wipe out the waiting list overnight.

Kidneys almost always fail in pairs. Your chance of kidney failure isn't much higher with one kidney compared to two.

You get cool donation scars to show people!

Kidney donors actually live longer than the general population, and have a lower rate of kidney failure! Why? Because the screening process for kidney donation screens out potential illnesses early, and kidney donors are more likely to take care of their bodies afterward.

If your remaining kidney does fail, you'll be put at the top of the kidney wait-list, and spend much less time on dialysis. As a result, kidney donors actually have a higher survival rate for kidney failure than non-donors.

The National Kidney Registry also lets kidney donors extend this waitlist benefit to several friends and relatives, in case any of them ever have kidney failure.

The risk of long-term complications from kidney donation is extremely low. Most people can start walking within a day of surgery, go back to work in 1-2 weeks, and are back to 100% within a month.

Doctors and nurses LOVE doing living donor transplants! The success rate is high, complications are low, there's none of the tragedy associated with postmortem transplants, and for once their patients are eager to be there. And, as my nephrologist said, "It's a lot more rewarding than prescribing Viagra!"

It's a way to put a little more kindness into the world, and your example might inspire others, too.

In the USA, all costs for surgery and screenings are covered by the recipient's health insurance or Medicaid/Medicare; you as the donor will not have to pay for it. You can also get reimbursement for lost income through the National Kidney Registry.

Most people will have to get surgery and spend a night in the hospital anyway if they live long enough. Donating an organ lets you have this experience on your terms, while you're healthy, so hospitalization won't be scary or overwhelming if you need it later in life.

You'll learn new things about your body! I discovered that I had an extra vein on the left side of my torso, and that my hemoglobin levels were low. The vein is harmless and cool, but the hemoglobin thing (and taking iron supplements for it) actually helped me avoid developing an iron deficiency later.

It's a chance to be part of something bigger than yourself - a miracle of modern science!

I won't say donating a kidney was "easy," but I will say it was 95% waiting on people, 4% letting doctors and nurses talk at me, and 1% letting them stick me with needles. The hardest part wasn't pain, or fear, but sitting around tired for a couple days.

You probably won't have to make many modifications to your lifestyle after kidney donation. Literally the only activity I was told to avoid was contact sports, and if I'm in pain I take acetaminophen instead of ibuprofen.

You can get a tattoo that says "Some parts may be missing," or "Organ donation - it takes guts!" and a kidney pillow souvenir.

If donating while alive isn't right for you, you can still sign up to be a postmortem organ donor, and increase awareness of living donation! Remember, it would only take a small percentage of people donating to make a BIG difference!

[potted-dandelions]

"And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you—ask what you can do for your country," is a bold admonishment, one which Americans have failed to live up to in the face of social pressure to elect those candidates who promise to give us the most free stuff.

Way back when JFK spoke those words, they were welcomed by patriotic Americans across the nation. People want to be useful, to contribute, to make a difference in the world, and the United States has traditionally been a place where that attitude is encouraged and even rewarded.

So don't ask why the USA lacks universal healthcare. Ask why do Americans uniquely donate so much more of their income to charity than the rest.

Partly it's because we're better paid, but largely it's to support our communities while maintaining our sense of individuality. Here's the thing: when the sovereign attempts to buy its citizens' loyalty, people discover that loyalty can be sold, and that insight is devastating to our inherent patriotism. Entitlement programs compel us to ask what our country can do for us, to reject JFK's admonition.

Americans have long understood that governments exist primarily to govern and secondarily to provide what social services only governments can. We begrudgingly accept government as a necessary evil while we work to provide for ourselves and take pride in our ability to do so. As young and pioneering as our culture is, we've acquired a frontier spirit that has worked so well for so long that we are loathe to abandon it. So we still look out for our neighbors in lieu of the dole, only applying for government services when better options are unavailable.

That's why Americans have the highest rate of individual charitable donations in the world. Charities let us provide for the needy and enjoin us to personally help our fellow citizens get back on their own two feet. But our own government cynically competes with us on that score.

I realize how jaded this sounds, but the government dole is a vote-buying scheme disguised as charity. Ideally, taxpayers would feel like they've contributed something useful to humanity for having paid their taxes, but instead it engenders a blithe have-the-maid-do-it mentality.

Truthfully, government welfare programs aren't that much more wasteful or less efficient than the average charity organization, but if a charity wastes revenue, we can always redirect our donations to another one or simply stop donating outright. Taxes by contrast are compulsory.

Americans are keen to wasteful government spending since we have no choice but to pay up, but since we're also human beings, we always want more government benefits for ourselves. Thus are more Americans becoming greedy socialists these days and it's killing our frontier spirit.

Alas, I fear the flame of our charity is threatening to snuff itself out in the face of socialist greed. Charitable giving is harder to fit into the household budget when the government takes so much and then uses it to buy our loyalty. Wealth redistribution is lethal to charity.

There ought to be a constitutional amendment which states that if the people can adequately provide for themselves and each other, the government cannot butt in and directly complete with any charity. Oh wait, there already is, and it (the 10th) was ratified over two centuries ago.

Our 'federal' government transformed itself into a national government so gradually that nobody has lived long enough to notice. Now, Uncle Sam has his hands in far too many domestic matters. Welfare, Medicare and social retirement funds are rightly matters for states to decide. States, after all, are far more accountable and accessible to 'We the People' than our distant and opaque federal government. We deserve more of a say in the dispensation of our tax dollars and far more transparency than federal entitlement programs provide.

As it is, most of us tend to just pay Uncle Sam and then leave him to his own devices, blindly trusting that he's got things under control, only checking in on him every two to four years. This have-the-maid-do-it attitude has an antidote: if you want it done right then do it yourself.

Unlike all federal entitlement programs, you can directly contribute your time, your diligence and your oversight to many charitable organizations by volunteering. You'll accomplish far more for your fellow man in that way than by simply paying your taxes and hoping for the best.

And you'll forget what the government owes you when you see your donations and your personal efforts make a real difference in your community. You'll embody John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you" mindset and you'll abolish socialism from your heart.

It's entirely possible to eliminate all federal entitlement programs and replace them with some combination of state entitlement programs, charitable organizations and a robust insurance industry. It's something we should do so our federal government can embrace federalism again.

It's long past time we stopped thinking of the government as our Uncle Samta Klaus come down the chimney with gifts of free healthcare, pensions, and family leave. He only wants your loyalty and he'll buy it with your own taxes. Give your loyalty instead to your fellow Americans.

Give more than your loyalty. Give also of your income, that which you can spare, and give of your free time as well and it will signify that your loyalty is not for sale because it already belongs to your community, your nation and your God. Blessings shared are blessings earned.

[rampagingpoet]

This applies to role-playing games as well, specifically to how the rules of the game interact with the setting of the game. Any rules that bring in fantastical elements ought to impact the setting, or have a reasonable explanation as to why that impact has not materialized. And you need to dig deep into interactions between rules as well.

For example, Dungeons and Dragons 3.5 and continual flame. You can drizzle some ruby dust over something, cast a spell, and that object emits light forever. Paying someone else to do this for you cost 110 gold pieces - just over three years' wages for the average labourer toiling away in someone else's fields or hauling crates around the docks. Surely that's too expensive to have a noticeable effect on the average person, right?

Well it turns out skilled professionals earn a lot more money than the people their hire to carry shit for them. About 15 times more money. It's less than 3 month's wages for a typical blacksmith or wainwright. About as much as buying good tools for the job. Even the actual owner of a family farm - the person who actually has Profession: Farmer - brings in enough income that having an Everburning Torch for the household is a realistic if expensive purchase.

Maybe that's expensive enough not everyone chooses to buy an Everburning Torch? Maybe you have some floating around and other people make due with cheaper (though limited) mundane light sources. Or that's what could happen if Everburning Torches were actually expensive to produce.

Enter the humble lantern archon. Messengers of the celestial hosts, least of the defenders of the Seven Mounting Heavens, lantern archons are dedicated to the protection of all that is Lawful and Good. They can also cast continual flame as a spell-like ability at will, bypassing both spell slot requirements and the costly ruby dust normally consumed in the casting.

One day a priestess of Heironeous prays for the heavens to bring light to her people, that they may flourish. A lantern archon answers her call. After a brief discussion of her needs and the donation of a small bundle of healing potions toward Celestia's war efforts, the archon agrees to spend one week bringing light to the city.

Lantern archons do not eat. Lantern archons do not sleep. For seven days and seven nights, this archon does nothing but cast continual flame on whatever items are brought before it. Where once there was darkness, one hundred thousand smokeless flames bring the light. Forevermore.

At a total cost of about three copper pieces per continual flame - 500 gp to compensate the caster for the 100 XP cost of lesser planar ally plus 1,000 gp to hire a 1 HD Outsider to perform a risk-free task for one week. For less than the price of a single +1 Longsword - an adventuring staple - the priestess can just give several Everburning Torches to literally every inhabitant of her city. And now we have lighting situations as good or better than a modern, electrified city because continual flame does not require you to continually pay your electric bill.

It too a combination of several rules elements to get there, but it only needs to happen once for the setting your rules imply to differ greatly from the setting you thought you were writing.

any magic worldbuilding where light is 'free' (does not require oil/candles/other material goods/etc) and people still live in completely medieval-style environments - or where this doesn't have a tremendous impact on architecture and lifestyle, bare minimum, is incomprehensible to me... access to light is like. So critical

[arosebyname]

So target released a dup pair of Frye boots and someone on tiktok was complaining about trend culture and you should really just save up the money to buy the name brand boots because they're better quality and will last you longer, and a lot of people are responding to it and I have thoughts.

I agree with the op in that trend culture is a problem for several reasons (it's unsustainable, it encourages excessive spending, it creates cliquishness). I also theoretically agree with the advice of saving up money for the better quality thing that will last you longer. This however comes from a low income person who is not fashionable nor cares about being fashionable. I can't really assert my views onto everyone else. A mid income person who has a passion in fashion should absolutely take that advice if they collect or regularly style high end items. But if I were to spend $500 or a bag or a pair of boots that would absolutely be a waste of money. I'm not spending that kind of cash on something I'll maybe use twice a year.

I've got maybe half a dozen nice outfits in my closet (dresses and skirt/blouses and some nice slacks) and when I see some shoes or a belt that looks like it might go well with one or some of my outfits, if money isn't particularly tight, I might get it. My everyday heavy use items are jeans, tshirts, and either canvas sneakers or my doc's for work. The thing that consistently gives out first are my sneakers and that's usually every year or two and they're like $60 to replace. I could probably find more sustainable shoes that will last for 10+ years but I'm just not gonna do that. I like my sneakers and two years for canvas and rubber is a totally fine timeline for everyday wear shoes to last. But if I was a person in the same situation I'm in now but I liked dressing more stylish, I'd probably still follow the same model; buy what you can that you will use consistently and at a quality you find manageable.

There's also the reality that a lot of clothing items are being made by impoverished people under hazardous conditions, but both luxury brands and off brand companies are guilty of this. Companies that use sustainable labor and materials are, unsurprisingly, unaffordable to the average person who isn't fashion oriented. (This is the big reason why I'm against buying trends, all of the reasons to indulge are strictly personal and don't consider the well-being of the people making those garments or the planet)

It's super easy to just say thrift it, but even I at my favorite thrift store have trouble finding clothing that I wouldn't consider a waste of money (it's like $5 for a pair of used pants but if I'm never gonna wear them then what's the point), and my style is the most easy to shop for. You have to count on someone else donating something you would also wear in your size, which makes it harder for plus size people to go shopping (I give grace to plus size people who shop fast fashion companies bc I legit get it, it's hard to be ridiculed for your body and also never wear something that makes you feel confident and comfortable, but even then I think there should be some self awareness of trends and overspending)

Anyway, everyone is a little bit right and everything can be true at once actually

[digital288]

Is Life Insurance Worth It After 50? Here’s What You Need to Know

Life insurance is often seen as something that young adults need to secure their family's future. But what happens when you cross the 50-year mark? Is life insurance still necessary, or are you better off investing in other financial products? This is a common question that many people grapple with as they age. In this article, we’ll explore why life insurance could still be worth it after 50, along with some considerations that might help you decide.

Why Consider Life Insurance After 50?

Reaching 50 is a financial game­-changer. Retireme­nt could be nearing, or perhaps you're­ now mortgage-free. Ye­t, you shouldn't dismiss life insurance altogethe­r. Consider these points about its ongoing value­:

1. Supporting Loved Ones

Imagine you have­ a partner, kids, or perhaps grandkids. They de­pend on you for money nee­ds. Life insurance can help if you are­ no longer around. It can help pay for things. These­ could be your partner's daily costs or your kid's school fee­s. It can even smooth out the burde­n of settling unpaid bills. These might be­ a house loan or medical costs.

2. Estate Planning

Life insurance can be a valuable tool for estate planning. If you have a sizable estate, the death benefit from a life insurance policy can help cover estate taxes and other expenses. This way, your heirs won’t have to worry about liquidating assets or losing a portion of their inheritance.

3. Covering Funeral Expenses

Let’s face it—funerals are expensive. The average cost of a funeral today can range from ₹2 lakhs to ₹5 lakhs, depending on the services you choose. A life insurance policy can help your loved ones cover these costs, relieving them of financial stress during an already emotional time.

4. Charitable Giving

If you’re passionate about a particular cause or charity, life insurance can help you leave a lasting legacy. By naming a charity as the beneficiary of your policy, you can make a significant donation after your death.

What Type of Life Insurance Is Best After 50?

Once you’ve decided that life insurance could still be beneficial, the next question is: Which type of policy should you go for?

1. Term Life Insurance

This is typically the most affordable option, especially if you’re over 50. A term policy lasts for a set number of years, usually 10 to 30, and only pays out if you pass away during that term. If you’re mainly looking to cover short-term obligations, like paying off a mortgage or helping your kids through college, term insurance can be a good fit.

2. Whole Life Insurance

Unlike term insurance, whole life insurance offers coverage for your entire lifetime. It also builds cash value over time, which can be borrowed against. The downside? Whole life insurance premiums can be much higher, especially if you’re purchasing a policy later in life.

3. Guaranteed Issue Life Insurance

This type of policy doesn’t require a medical exam, making it an option if you have pre-existing health conditions. However, the death benefit is typically lower, and premiums are higher than term or whole life policies.

How Much Life Insurance Do You Need?

The amount of life insurance you need after 50 depends on your specific situation. Here are a few things to consider:

Debt: Do you still have outstanding debts like a mortgage, car loans, or credit card balances? If so, life insurance can help cover these liabilities and ensure your family isn’t burdened with them.

Dependents: Are there people who rely on you financially? This could be a spouse, children, or even elderly parents. Life insurance can replace your income and ensure they’re cared for.

Retirement Plans: If your retirement savings are robust and can cover all of your financial obligations, you might not need a large life insurance policy. But if there are gaps in your retirement plans, life insurance can act as a safety net.

Conclusion:

Is getting life­ insurance after age 50 a good move­? Well, it's not the same for e­veryone. Your finances, your goals, and your family’s ne­eds all play a key role. For some­, knowing their loved ones won't face­ money problems gives the­m comfort. Others may not need it, particularly if the­y've saved a lot and have little­ debt.

The best thing? Take a look at your finance health. Talk to a financial advisor. Balance­ the price against the be­nefit. At the end of the­ day, life insurance exists to shie­ld those dear to you, regardle��ss of how old you are.

[buzzdixonwriter]

The War On Reality

A friend asked why our country lost respect for science and innovation.  I told him it's complex but boils down to this:  The very wealthy and the leaders of authoritarian religious denominations support one another's efforts to undermine education and critical thinking.  They have different motives for doing so, but since they share the same objective they reinforce one another.

The very wealthy don't want an educated workforce.  A trained workforce, yes, in the sense of higher primates being trained, but not educated in how to think and analyze problems.

That leads to those who do the work asking those who make the money "Why are you making so much money and we're making so little?"  (Note:  An educated workforce doesn't automatically lead to communism or socialism, but it sure leads to workplaces where unfair exploitation is held to a minimum.)

Likewise, various religious denominations -- all the way from fringe beliefs to major mainstream denominations -- need an unquestioning and accepting congregation in order to stay in business (and they >are< businesses, don't let 'em fool ya; tell 'em they have to zero out their income by year's end and that all employees inc. pastors get paid only minimum wage and see how they react).

The better educated a congregation is, the less likely they are to show up every week for the same message. I'm a Christian, and I tell you all we really need is a copy of the Beatitudes, not theological hair-splitting on every single syllable in the Bible.  Most theologians are just puffing nonsense that doesn't amount to anything. You wanna believe this particular thing or that particular thing, fine, so long as you start with the Beatitudes.

The problem is most Christians -- in particular most American Christians -- reject the teachings of Christ and adhere to some form of the prosperity gospel (i.e., God will reward you if He likes you, ergo if you're rich, you're a good person whom God likes, and if you're poor, you're a bad person who better get right with God by donating money to the pastor telling you this).

So basically the wealthy and the "church of power" (to use historian Rodney Stark's terminology) need people who don't know enough to ask questions, at least questions that can't be glossed over with a smooth answer.  They need simple narratives in their lives, nothing that will challenge their prejudices (here to mean both good and bad beliefs.

So the wealthy seek to undermine public education, in particular civics and economics, and the religious leaders seek to undermine everything that can't be twisted around to support their particular set of doctrines.

The average person seeks to get through life with a minimum amount of effort.  It's one thing when that means buying a roomba and TV dinners, it's another when it means giving support to leaders and movements that offer pat answers that reinforce your prejudices.  Without adequate education, people can fall prey to all sorts of bad theological / philosophical / ethical / economic ideas.

The wealthy and the corrupt religious leaders do not want change; they want things to stay exactly the way they are now since it benefits them.  Hence they oppose all efforts to enlighten people.

 © Buzz Dixon

[brunhiddensmusings]

and it wasnt just a ‘good’ job, if you were a janitor you could afford a house and support a non-working spouse it was widely considered that the only reason you had to live in a trailer was if you drank half your income away, housing was assumed to be that guaranteed and its part of why older people still assume failure to own a house is your fault because theyre used to that being the only reason you cant afford one but now you need 2 full time working adults and likely at least a third job to afford even a trailer most of the time, the average appartment costs 2/3 of your income and sometimes more this reflects both the failure of paying employees properly but also the failure of the housing market as affordable homes are not built, affordable homes that already exist are taken off the market or ‘upgraded’ to be unacessable, or turned into seinor only housing at absurd prices that often are also a scam to have the elderly donate their will in a non taxed way because the nursing home is technically owned by a church. once upon a time a 2 bedroom house with a living room, kitchen, and servicable bathroom would be readily available for affordable loan, anyone working a full time job would be fully able to cover that expenses. the absolute failure that is no longer an option both on jacking up the prices of inacessable houses, nobody being paid enough to live, and the brainwashing for people to assume its the fault of people who dont have a good house that if only they stopped buying lattes they could also live the good life you can actually track the ‘youd afford a house if you didnt buy lattes’ to one dude, and hes quite dumb, he is against all debt and honestly assumes its reasonable to not buy a house untill you can buy the full value in cash which is something that would take a normal person about 50 years of hard saving

[joelwindows7]

Yes, I am way to old and reaches retirement age, already, which is

Above 20s nah wait that not true, it's age_of_demise_passionjob.

Hear me out.

I have been having mental challenges in my life as days goes. These people have been successful, at the age of the earliest as possible. Never been marketed those who success as late near retirement nor even natural demise.

Every time I see them, my envy grows and my feel as an utter failure exponentially gets stronger. 2023, wow, 24? Did not made over at least a billion USD?? I am a trash!

But owiebrainhurts made us feel better. She gave us snippet of an article, that in average the circumstance of success would be around 50s, like examples of people shown in video. Damn it where sauce..

Wait. I still have.... 30 years around!..... hold on. Steve Balmer in his 50s would then only got around 10 years that time, I think. I'd only feel income and joy for 10 years only!! No... that's dark. We live very short today, I tell you!

I still pray though.

The house? No, I don't care the house. I don't play Yay I bought my own house!!!, no no no. Not interested. Just have this house, If move, family includes. No separation allowed, ... personally. Together. Small together, big together. I have other interest.

Look. My interest is not to get money. I want money, so I can enjoy little machines, and do my duty. All MIDIs, 3D models, games, every files to be. Build something out of these, that all gamers can enjoy without barriers. And this.. I lacked the resource needed to ahold these before they gone. I will get them, as much as I can, but limited in my situation of my time.

Maybe I should offer you a service. But it's different. It is that, ... you only pay, to unprocrastinate it.

What is it? .... Render... too heavy, not complete yet. MIDI... whoah, that's big. Wait. I remember. I had ever twice, to edit a MIDI. Make them plays best in any synth I could have. Oh.. and 1 I make.

Huh..

You got a MIDI full band music here? You know.. one that you open sounds like a trash can? .. yeah? That.

Okay, send me one. I'll handle this. Despite that... I can only do this for S-YXG2006LE, and this... ARGH F8888 HELL IT'S DEDD, uh it's this waveform MIDI thing.. can read SoundCanvas..

DM Prefix: PLS_UNTRASH_MIDI

Sorry, Genos expensive. Can't lie and shall not, that, I envy people off island lives in even smaller house, got it. Must be the Dangdut hireables people. Help me out. Pls.

Got business. I got.. something else to attend. Full rules to be made.

Damn.

I don't get monetized. I lost all of them, or say that.. it's never been.

I'm lazy. Wake me up with cash, or no need if I think that's too important to ignore. I want to play games. If you just... really want me to do it da right now,... go ahead, insist me, how much ever you want, send the MIDI download link in the donation note. Must be as official as possible, or if you don't know, whatever just send it.

No refund. I tried my best. I only have outdated instruments here, nor I got any idea how to perfect it. Which is why I send you back untrashed, not yet done, never will. May make improvements If in time to retalk this again.

No exclusive privately. All gamer had to have it. I hate no download link. So pls avoid paywalled or uhh private files, coz uhh can't afford to be caught by my own government. If that's yours, okay. Not?, file has to be... public, and $0.

Ah pusing

By JOELwindows7

Perkedel Technologies

CC4.0-BY-SA

What else?

Said wrong, sorry, I got lots of things to do.

[biatconsultant]

Justifications for Selecting An LLP (Limited Liability Partnership)

LLP stands for a Limited Liability Partnership form. It is an alternative business form that offers limited liability protection for all businesses as well as the flexibility of a partnership. Changes in the partnership structure of the company have no impact on this kind of corporate structure. Many licensed professionals, including attorneys, doctors, accountants, and others, use this dynamic structure as their standard form of company organization. This business strategy is well regarded even in nations like the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Germany.

An LLP's protection of individual partners from joint liability and the errors of other partners in a partnership firm is one of its key advantages. Even though there are other business structures available, the LLP structure is a popular option today. To fully grasp why, it is vital to go over the benefits of selecting LLP as your business structure. Continue reading to learn more about LLPs, as doing so will help you choose the most manageable and suitable company form for your startup.

Why Do You Want to Use an LLP Structure for Your Business?

Using an LLP as your business structure has many benefits. Let's examine them in greater detail:

Convenient Formation with Low Investment

A little Liability Partnership (LLP) enables partners to work together even if they have few resources because there is no minimum capital requirement for formation. Additionally, capital contributions can be made in any tangible form, including intangible assets, machinery, and land.

Having an Unlimited Number of Business Owners

As long as there are at least two members, an LLP may have any number of partners. The maximum number of partners an LLP can have is unrestricted.

Limited Liability 

LLPs are distinct from the people who own them legally. The firm, not the members, is responsible for any liabilities incurred by LLP, including those for paying off debt or facing legal action.

Modularity in Management

The LLP Act of 2008 gives total authority over its business operations. The LLP agreement gives owners the freedom to choose how they want their company to function and grow. The LLP partners may also decide to assign the management of day-to-day operations to a managing partner or a committee run by partners. An LLP offers total management flexibility because its partners are free to divide duties according to their expertise.

Ability to File a Lawsuit

A Limited Liability Partnership has the legal capacity to bring claims on its own behalf and to be sued on behalf of others. The partners cannot be held accountable for unpaid dues.

Low Registration Fees

Compared to other business entities (public or private limited companies), an LLP has a low registration fee. The registration process is also rather simple, taking an average of 15 to 20 days to complete.

Pooling of Group Resources 

The majority are created by a skilled and experienced team of experts, each with its own set of resources. They can each combine their capabilities to lower operating expenses while simultaneously boosting the company's potential for expansion.

Audits are optional. 

Compared to limited liability companies, limited liability partnership firms benefit from different compliance advantages because audits are not required. For those launching an LLP, this is a considerable advantage. Only in cases where annual donations exceed 25 lakh rupees and annual revenue surpasses 40 lakh rupees are tax audits required.

Mid-Way Partner Entry or Exit 

One further fundamental aspect is accommodated by the LLP agreement: new partners with their own businesses can be added and old partners can easily leave the company. However, the existing partners typically need to approve adding a new partner.

Taxation Outlook 

The tax rate for limited liability firms is a flat 30% of their whole revenue. An LLP must also pay an additional 12% surcharge on the income tax if the total income is more than one crore rupees. In addition to the income tax plus surcharge, there is a 4% health and education cess that must be paid.

Final Verdict

A demand for the structure is created by the circumstance of a growing market. Businesses that offer services or operate in professional or technological domains benefit the most from a structure like this. Additionally, organisations who offer venture capital funds may find it useful.

Read Our Other Blogs to Know More about LLP-  Some Ideas on Forming a Limited Liability Partnership for Your Small Business

[gaiafertility]

What all you need to know about surrogacy in Argentina

The intended parents can use the assisted reproduction method of gestational surrogacy, where a gestational surrogate will carry their baby to term and care for them. Intentional parents who are unable to begin or expand their families on their own turn to surrogacy for assistance.

Singles, same-sex (gay) couples, married or unmarried heterosexual couples, and single women in Argentina can all use surrogates. Argentina has a reputation as a welcoming nation for couples seeking surrogacy. Argentina is a surrogacy destination that is becoming more and more popular with singles, same-sex couples, single men, married or unmarried hetero couples, and heterosexual singles. This has led to an increase in the number of surrogacy agencies in Argentina.

The intended parents and surrogates can get assistance from surrogacy agencies in Argentina. Any business dealing in foreign currencies finds it challenging to open an Argentine bank account due to the country's strict regulations and high taxes on foreign income. Instead, money received from foreign singles and couples is kept in countries like the United States, Panama, or Spain.

This blog will give you detailed information with regard to surrogacy in Argentina. Also, we’ll be

talking about how surrogacy agencies in Argentina can be of help to you. So let’s get started!

Surrogacy cost in Argentina

In Argentina, it costs between $70,000 and $80,000 to use a Caucasian egg donor for a surrogate. Among other things, the services that the intended parents need affect how much surrogacy actually costs in Argentina.

The kind of egg donor used, the surrogate mother and her payment, the cost of the IVF procedure as a medical procedure, the surrogacy agency fee, and other extra services like embryo genetic testing, legal services, and administrative services required to complete the entire surrogacy program all have an impact on the price of a surrogacy.

Depending on the type of contract the intended parents and the surrogate mother have, a surrogate mother in Argentina will receive a different amount of money. The intended parents have the choice to compensate the surrogate mother. Costs for things like food, transportation, maternity care, and doctor visits are included in the average surrogacy cost in Argentina.

A range of surrogacy program services and varieties are offered by surrogacy agencies based outside of Argentina. Traditional or pay-as-you-go surrogacy programs, shipped embryo surrogacy programs, and fixed-price guarantee programs (unlimited IVF and embryo transfer to the surrogate mother) are all options.

Why choose surrogacy in Argentina?

Argentina is one of the few countries with specific regulations on how to register a surrogate child. Argentina is another nation in Latin America with a booming fertility market.

It offers a warm environment for people who belong to any sexual, religious, or ethnic minority and offers a wide variety of cultural activities for parents visiting the nation for the first time.

The LGBT community, married or unmarried heterosexual couples, and single people can all use the program.

In Argentina, a surrogacy agreement may be drafted legally. A surrogate-born child may be registered in the intended parents' names, per a 2017 regulation. In other words, the parents' names will appear on the new-born certificate after the delivery procedure, which takes 20–30 days.

The proposed programs call for all forms of in vitro fertilization (IVF), embryo transfer, ovulation donation, childbirth, and other fertility procedures to be performed in Argentina.

Under the laws of the State of Argentina, there are no limitations based on nationality, sexual orientation, or marital status on the signing of a surrogacy agreement between an Argentine citizen and a foreigner. This indicates that doing so is acceptable.

Once the child receives an Argentine passport, they will be able to travel abroad. The intended Spanish parents do not own the child(ren) born to the surrogate mother. The intended parents and the surrogate mother sign a contract before the embryo transfer in which the surrogate mother expresses her desire not to conceive.

The planned parents will be the child's legal parents in accordance with this agreement. The birth certificate will include the names of the intended parents.

Apart from the aforementioned pointers, the following factors will let you know why you should choose surrogacy in Argentina:

●     A good legal environment

●     Citizenship of Argentina

●     Qualifications of the IPs

●     Excellent healthcare that is reasonably priced

●     The agg donor and surrogate mother are both in good supply.  

Surrogacy for same sex in Argentina

Argentina is becoming a popular surrogacy location for singles, same-sex couples, single males, and married or non-married heterosexual couples. Surrogacy for same-sex in Argentina is becoming increasingly popular due to a favorable legal framework for same-sex couple registration on baby birth certificates.

Since July 22, 2010, same-sex marriage has been legal in Argentina. On May 5, 2010, the Chamber of Deputies passed a bill allowing same-sex marriage, and the Senate followed suit on July 15.

One of the few nations that offer safe options for same-sex couples and single people considering surrogacy is Argentina. The tolerant legal framework in Argentina is ideal for surrogacy procedures, especially for gay surrogacy applicants. A passport and, consequently, citizenship in Argentina are available to surrogate children.

All family types are eligible for surrogacy in Argentina. This includes singles, gay couples, and married or non-married heterosexual couples.

FAQs

1.    Is surrogacy legal in Argentina?

Yes, surrogacy in Argentina falls under the legal framework.

2.    Who all can go for a surrogacy program in Argentina?

Everyone can go for the surrogacy program in Argentina. Surrogacy in Argentina is available for couples, gays, singles, and same-sex couples.  

3.    What is the total cost of Surrogacy in Argentina?

The average cost of surrogacy in Argentina ranges between $60,000 and $95,000, depending on the plans and program chosen.

4.    What is the surrogate mother cost in Argentina?

The surrogate mother is included in the inclusive package. Caucasian Donor Egg Surrogacy: $79,000–$80,000; Self-donor Egg Surrogacy: $69,000–75,000; Surrogacy Guaranteed: $99,000-$100,000.  

Conclusion

There are a number of surrogacy agencies in Argentina that provide services for same-sex couples, as well as for heterosexual couples. Surrogacy is legal in Argentina, and the process is relatively straightforward.

Source: https://www.vevioz.com/read-blog/19422

[i-am-the-egg-to-rule-all-eggs]

I see a bunch of people defending billionaires in the rbs, so I'd like to say a few things.

The average billionaire is selfish in my opinion because one doesn't need more than a billion dollars to satisfy basic wants and needs. You can live very comfortably with 1 billion dollars. Therefore, having more than that means you are wasting resources. How many dollars have gone into Elon Musk that could have gone towards giving somebody a home? I've seen people talking about "oh why would somebody throw away their income" and its not throwing it away. It's actively making a world a better place.

Also, defending billionaires isn't going to get you anywhere. That just lets them get richer while everyone else gets poorer.

People act like they understand so much about economics, yet they don't understand that this isn't about "smart economic choices". If your over a billion, you've won at money. This is about making sure that EVERYBODY gets what they need, and most of what they want. And billionaires actively combat that idea because the simple fact that they've got more money than they need.

I wouldn't even be opposed to billionaires if I didn't see them acting miserly every day. Elon musk dismantling Twitter and selling its parts. Jeff Bezos ignoring workers rights. Bob Iger (who isn't a billionaire but is sure acting like one) trying to pay pennies for quality work. If Elon musk decided to focus on his space program, or did something like Robert Downey Jr. is trying for the environment, I wouldn't be opposed to him.

So, therefore, people can't be trusted with that much power and money. Not when the driving force of capitalism is more. There has to be brakes. There has to be a point when we say, "you know what? I've got enough. I'll give the rest to charity." Because sure, Bezos donated 50 billion, but he also makes that in a year.

Also, trickle down economics. I'm 80% sure billionaires are why inflation is getting bad, on top of the other factors. Because the billionaires are making so much, and not giving back, not putting the money back into the American economy, we're forced to make up for all that money in other ways.

Just love picturing /r/antiwork-ers hanging out with billionaires on the weekend talking about motives for public philanthropy efforts.

As for the post itself, there's definitely an argument to be made that billionaires have a strong motivation for PR related reasons to donate, but there is very little motivation for them to do it for tax breaks. They are almost always better off financially moving their money through other mediums.

[atlanticcanada]

'When are we going to say enough is enough?': Food banks urge longer-term solutions as holiday rush begins

Dropping off a case of canned soup and a shopping bag filled with toothbrushes and other items Monday, Margaret Murray has become a familiar face at Feed Nova Scotia in Dartmouth.

She's got a method to her generosity: she watches for sales, and stocks up on items to give away to the less-fortunate.

"A lot of times, people who don't have a lot of money, they don't have the opportunity to go around and shop the sales," said Murray.

Though donations generally drop off at this time of year, the need has exploded, especially in the current economy.

More than 5,300 households have so far reached out to Feed Nova Scotia for help with Christmas, and the agency is seeing an average of 300 new clients every week.

"If you don't like the fact that 100,000 Nova Scotians are food insecure, then I would make a call," said executive director Nick Jennery.

"Go to your MLA and say, 'What's the plan?' Quite, simply, 'what's the plan?’” said Jennery.

It's a message that's getting more blunt from those on the front-lines of hunger.

Although we've come to depend on food banks, they were never meant to be permanent: they were a temporary solution to a recession in the early 80s.

The non-profit Food First NL hosted a conference about it on the weekend.

The executive director admits the push for donations at this time of year always leaves him feeling "conflicted."

"When we talk sometimes about hunger, about food insecurity, people think the solution is food, and food charity and it isn't. We know that -- the data's really clear," said Food First NL executive director Josh Smee from St. John's, N.L.

"What we know is, if we don't give people enough, they can't actually get out of that system," said Christine Saulnier, Nova Scotia director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

"Forty per cent of food bank users in Nova Scotia are on income assistance. We know that income assistance is well below the poverty line," said Saulnier.

Back at Feed Nova Scotia, where 20,000 pounds of food is shipped out every day, visitors like Margaret Murray are deeply-appreciated for their generosity.

"I can't imagine what it costs....what people are doing," said Murray, shaking her head.

"Well, she's exceptional, but there's also quite a few 'Margarets' out there, and when they walk in through the door, they are the reason why we do what we do," said Jennery, relating a story that illustrates the challenges people are facing.

"We had a call last week: somebody calling in, 'Can you do a Christmas dinner?' And we said, 'Yes, we have this program and whereby we support about 700 households for Christmas.’”

"And he said, 'Well, just one problem: I live in a tent. So, I've got no way of cooking. Don't give me a turkey because I can't cook it.”

"And you think, 'When are we going to say 'enough is enough?'"

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/RKSrBN0

[smp-live]

Like charity streams are great and all but also, a lot of the time, it’s streamers who make quite a bit of money relying on their audience of average-income people to actually raise the funds. I get it’s charity, we’re all supposed to pitch in a little or whatever, but one of us here could afford a Tesla and the rest could not. That’s why it’s nice when they match the donation but even then, it’s like. it doesn’t feel like enough to me