#so that may have decreased the price!

[blorboresidue]

ok yeah there's no way kantarou can afford condoms

you know the wip's getting real when it has you on jstor looking up articles about the history of condom use in japan

[thymewayster]

Really good Twitter thread originally about Elon Musk and Twitter, but also applies to Netflix and a lot of other corporations.

Full thread. Text transcription under cut.

John Bull @garius

One of the things I occasionally get paid to do by companies/execs is to tell them why everything seemed to SUDDENLY go wrong, and subs/readers dropped like a stone. So, with everything going on at Twitter rn, time for a thread about the Trust Thermocline /1

So: what's a thermocline?

Well large bodies of water are made of layers of differing temperatures. Like a layer cake. The top bit is where all the the waves happen and has a gradually decreasing temperature. Then SUDDENLY there's a point where it gets super-cold.

That suddenly is important. There's reasons for it (Science!) but it's just a good metaphor. Indeed you may also be interested in the "Thermocline of Truth" which a project management term for how things on a RAG board all suddenly go from amber to red.

But I digress. The Trust Thermocline is something that, over (many) years of digital, I have seen both digital and regular content publishers hit time and time again. Despite warnings (at least when I've worked there). And it has a similar effect. You have lots of users then suddenly... nope. And this does effect print publications as much as trendy digital media companies. They'll be flying along making loads of money, with lots of users/readers, rolling out new products that get bought. Or events. Or Sub-brands.

And then SUDDENLY those people just abandon them. Often it's not even to "new" competitor products, but stuff they thought were already not a threat. Nor is there lots of obvious dissatisfaction reported from sales and marketing (other than general grumbling). Nor is it a general drift away, it's just a sudden big slide. So why does this happen? As I explain to these people and places, it's because they breached the Trust Thermocline.

I ask them if they'd been increasing prices. Changed service offerings. Modified the product.

The answer is normally: "yes, but not much. And everyone still paid" Then I ask if they did that the year before. Did they increase prices last year? Change the offering? Modify the product?

Again: "yes, but not much."

The answer is normally: "yes, but not much. And everyone still paid." "And the year before?"

"Yes but not much. And everyone still paid."

Well, you get the idea. And here is where the Trust Thermocline kicks in. Because too many people see service use as always following an arc. They think that as long as usage is ticking up, they can do what they like to cost and product.

And (critically) that they can just react when the curve flattens But with a lot of CONTENT products (inc social media) that's not actually how it works. Because it doesn't account for sunk-cost lock-in.

Users and readers will stick to what they know, and use, well beyond the point where they START to lose trust in it. And you won't see that. But they'll only MOVE when they hit the Trust Thermocline. The point where their lack of trust in the product to meet their needs, and the emotional investment they'd made in it, have finally been outweighed by the physical and emotional effort required to abandon it. At this point, I normally get asked something like:

"So if we undo the last few changes and drop the price, we get them back?"

And then I have to break the news that nope: that's not how it works.

Because you're past the Thermocline now. You can't make them trust you again.

[fading-event-608]

You may have seen my previous post [here] where I lament about daily donation decreases while getting large amounts of reblogs.

I still update Falastin's campaign daily, hanging on every donation. The trend of notes far outweighing donations has not only continued - it is getting worse. Despite Falastin’s campaign being vetted both here on tumblr and on Instagram, Instagram nets no donations, and Tumblr nets so few in spite of the campaign receiving constant updates and attention. 

In the last 24 hours she received only 55 dollars. This campaign needs to provide for 24 people - the rate donations are currently coming in is far below the necessary minimum for their survival. Prices in Gaza are astronomically high, but even if they were similar to prices in the US, and even if we take a better day like yesterday, $200 in donations - approximately $8.33 per family member - would not be enough to survive on. Would YOU be able to survive on that money? This must buy food, water, medicine, and all other supplies, including tents. Half of the family is currently sleeping on the street, and what little shelter they have access to will not keep winter off their backs. 

They have been displaced more than twenty times. With each displacement, they lose a great deal, because the time they have to evacuate is not enough for them to pack up their belongings. This is only getting worse for them. Meanwhile, people who have the luxury of turning away seem to do so more and more. Falastin doesn’t have that luxury - these are her loved ones in danger. So many of her family members have been martyred already. She cannot lose anyone else.

You stand at a point in history, and in many years you will look back on yourself now and see either action or inaction. You know which one you will regret more. This is why people are angry at those posts, why they scream of scams - because it's much better for your consciousness to have excuses for inaction.

An action does not need to be some grand noticeable gesture - small actions are just as meaningful, if done at a pace that allows them to add up. If you act alongside everyone, they may add up still more. 

Please don’t just reblog this. Find some other small way that you can help, and take that action. Maybe send this campaign to a friend or a family member, or link it in a groupchat. Even if you can’t personally donate, there’s a chance that someone you know would like to.

Please check today's rates before donating:

10$ = 102 SEK

25$ = 257 SEK

50$ = 514 SEK

100$ = 1,029 SEK

Vetting info: #282 in El-Shab-Hussein and Nabulsi's spreadsheet [here], #957 in the Butterfly Project spreadsheet [here]

Falastin's account: [link]

[familyabolisher]

I've walked past the Barbie branded selfie booth, sat through the reel of old commercials that precede the previews, and watched Margot Robbie learn to cry, and I’m still not sure what “doing the thing and subverting the thing,” which Greta Gerwig claimed as the achievement of Barbie in a recent New York Times Magazine profile, could possibly mean. This was the second Gerwig profile the magazine has run. I wrote the first one, in 2017, which in hindsight appears like a warning shot in a publicity campaign that has cemented Gerwig’s reputation as so charming and pure of heart that any choice (we used to call them compromises) she makes is justified, a priori, by her innocence. This is a strange position for an adult to occupy, especially when the two-hour piece of branded content she is currently promoting hinges on a character who discovers that her own innocence is the false product of a fallen world. But—spoiler alert!—the point of Barbie’s “hero’s journey” is less to reconcile Barbie to death than to reconcile the viewer to culture in the age of IP.

“Doing the thing and subverting the thing”: I haven’t finished working out the details, but I think the rough translation would be Getting rich and not feeling feel bad about it. (Or, for the viewer: Having a good time and not feeling bad about it.) One must labor under a rather reduced sense of the word “subvert” to be impressed with poking loving fun at product misfires such as Midge (the pregnant Barbie), Tanner (the dog who poops), and the Ken with the earring, especially given that the value of all these collectors’ items has, presumably, not decreased since the film opened. Barbie may feature a sassy tween sternly informing Robbie’s Stereotypical Barbie that the tiny-waisted top-heavy billion-dollar business she represents has made girls “feel bad” about themselves, but if anyone uttered the word “anorexia,” I missed it. (There was a reason Todd Haynes told the story of Karen Carpenter’s life and death with Barbies, and it wasn’t because an uncanny piece of molded plastic has the magical power to resolve the contradictions of girlhood and global capitalism.) There’s a bit about Robbie going back into a box in the Mattel boardroom, but Barbies aren’t made in an executive suite; they come from factories in China. On the one hand, it’s weird for a film about a real-world commodity to unfold wholly in the realm of ideas and feelings, but then again, that’s pretty much the definition of branding. Mattel doesn’t care if we buy Barbie dolls—they’re happy to put the word “Barbie” on sunglasses and T-shirts, or license clips from the movie for an ad for Google. OK, here’s my review: When Gerwig first visited Mattel HQ in October 2019, the company’s stock was trading at less than twelve dollars a share. Today the price is $21.40. 

Christine Smallwood, Who Was Barbie?

[codnasties]

kinktober ₊˚ · ♡ ·˚₊ price & gaz ₊˚ · ♡ ·˚₊ help needed

price isn't getting any younger. as days go by, his hips hurt more, and his back is starting to give up on him after carrying so much weight during his military years. and having a young missus doesn't help him at all.

don't get me wrong, he loves you, you are the best thing that has happened to him, and he sometimes wonders if he really deserves you. but he can't no longer keep up with you and lustiflness. especially now that his stamina is rapidly decreasing.

he really wants to give you his everything, fuck you dumb on his hard and thick cock until you are begging for him to stop. but that isn't really an option for him, his body doesn't allow him that kind of stuff anymore. there are days whene the most he can give you is laying down on his back and letting you ride his cock as if it were your personal dildo. letting you get off using him while also milking him dry.

but that's only a temporary solution, he feels like he's failing you by not fully satistying your needs and he fully dreads the idea that he may need help to keep pace with your - what for him seems - continuous aroused state.

but for you he's willing to do anything to make you happy. luckily, there is no better person than gaz to help him with the problem at hand. john knows that the young blooded man would quite literally die for him, and is very much willing to help his captain with anything that he may need. oh, and john also knows that kyle has the hots for the pretty thing that he has waiting for him at home.

he somehow made it work, your - what you called - 'dick appointments' with kyle were amazing. they usually were either at his house or rarely at yours. because if they were at yours, price would have to inevitably hear your loud moans while getting roughly fucked.

truly, jealousy gets the gest of him. but he's also curious. he wants to see how good kyle makes you feel, wants to enjoy the view of your pleasured face that he no longer gets to see that much. and he also wants to look at your pussy fluttering around his sargeant's cock.

but he doesn't get directly involved, you know? he might look. sometimes dirty talk to you telling you how much of a whore you are and that you seem to be enjoying another man's dick too much - all with no bad intent -. he even rarely jerked off to the sight, but that's about it.

and even though your fuck-dates with gaz started for the sole purpose of quenching a thirst john couldn't keep up with, there was only so much the captain could handle before he started waning to be a part of those.

and fucking with gaz soon turned into getting spit roasted. gaz fucking into your wet cunt from behind, getting a good view of your round ass. all while price was sitting right in front of you, having you between his thick thighs, with his heavy cock weighting down on your tongue as you tired to suck him off as best that your habilities alowed through the pleasure that garrick was giving you.

and the mix of slight jealousy and and the lust that brought him seeing you get properly fucked was what made price end up in a position similar to the one that he started at: laying down with you sitting on his dick trying to get off.

the only difference being that gaz was now there. his aching boner sheathed in your tight ass while price was inside your wet cunt. and john was thankfull that kyle was there, making you completely full, arms wrapped around your middle usind his strenght to move you up and down and forcing you even lower, making them reach even deeper inside of you.

what started as a solution to his problemas, made price end up in some kind of poly situation, but now you end up with both holes filled with cum instead of one.

[bonyfish]

HOT N' FRESH COMMISSIONS

Hello friends it is me your pal Livali. As you may know (or may have intuited from the above masterpiece), my day job consists of delivering (mostly) food items to people in my small city via one of those vaguely predatory and largely unregulated gig delivery services. The thing about my town is that during the summer, the college students leave and the town's population--and thus the number of people ordering delivery--decreases by half. This makes it rather hard to make a living.

So anyway I am open for art commissions!

Here are some samples of my work:

More samples, prices, and info are available at my website here!

(I would still love to draw your characters kissing.)

[reasonsforhope]

"Starting in July 2024, California will be the first state to charge an excise tax on guns and ammunition. The new tax – an 11% levy on each sale – will come on top of federal excise taxes of 10% or 11% for firearms and California’s [7.5]% sales tax (x).

The National Rifle Association has characterized California’s Gun Violence Prevention and School Safety Act as an affront to the Constitution. But the reaction from the gun lobby and firearms manufactures may hint at something else: the impact that the measure, which is aimed at reducing gun violence, may have on sales.

As a professor who studies the economics of violence and illicit trades at the University of San Diego’s Kroc School of Peace Studies, I think this law could have important ramifications.

One way to think about it is to compare state tax policies on firearms with those on alcohol and tobacco products. It’s not for nothing that these all appear in the name of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also known as ATF...

The ATF focuses on those products because, while legal, they can cause significant harm to society – in the form of drunken driving, for example, or cancer-causing addictions. They also have a common history: All have been associated with criminal organizations seeking to profit from illicit markets.

Alcohol and tobacco products are thus usually subject to state excise taxes. This policy is known as a “Pigouvian tax,” named after 20th-century British economist Arthur Pigou. By making a given product more expensive, such a tax leads people to buy less of it, reducing the harm to society while generating tax revenue that the state can theoretically use to offset those harms that still accrue.

California, for instance, imposes a US$2.87 excise tax on each pack of cigarettes. That tax is higher than the national average but much lower than New York’s $5.35 levy. California also imposed a vaping excise tax of 12.5% in 2021.

Of the three ATF product families, firearms have enjoyed an exemption from California excise taxes. Until now...

How Much Will the Policy Help?

It’s unclear how the new tax will affect gun violence. In theory, the tax should be highly effective. In 2023, some colleagues and I modeled the U.S. market for firearms and determined that for every 1% increase in price, demand decreases by 2.6%. This means that the market should be very sensitive to tax increases.

Using these estimates, another colleague recently estimated that the California excise tax would reduce gun sales by 30% to 44%. If applied across the country, the tax could generate an additional $1.5 billion to $1.9 billion in government revenue.

One possible problem will come from surrounding states: It’s already easy to illegally transport guns bought in Nevada, where laws are more lax, to the Golden State.

But there’s some evidence that suggests California’s stringent policies won’t be neutralized by its neighbors.

When the federal assault weapons ban expired in 2004, making it much easier to buy AR- and AK-style rifles across much of the U.S., gun murders across the border in Mexico skyrocketed. Two studies show the exception was the Mexican state of Baja California, right across the border with California, which had kept its state-level assault weapons ban in place.

Gun seizures in Mexico show that all four U.S. states bordering Mexico rank in the top five state sources of U.S.-sold guns in Mexico. But California contributes 75% less than its population and proximity would suggest.

So, California laws seem to already be making a difference in reducing gun violence. I believe the excise tax could accomplish still more. Other states struggling against the rising tide of guns will be watching closely."

-via The Conversation, May 21, 2024

[weirdmarioenemies]

Name: Rip Cheato

Debut: Paper Mario

Hello! I am glad you made it. You are just in time, because some guy is here. He's here looking for You! He wants to sell you a Dried Mushroom for 64 coins. Will you buy it? It's not a good deal, but consider this: he has a sort of lamp antenna growing from his scalp. I think that is pretty cool, personally.

He probably makes good use of his lamptenna, since he lives in the sewer. I bet a Sewer Man would know his fungus! Maybe his Dried Mushrooms are impeccable. Maybe he even dries them with his lamp. Don't be judgemental, now. Don't judge someone because his name is derived from "ripoff" and "cheat". Are you the kind of person who would immediately assume someone smells bad, just because their name is Poop Fartley? You better not be. Rip Cheato's name is a little deceiving because while he does sell junk for 64 coins, if you buy what he offers, he'll also sell Star Pieces for 64 coins, and Hoo-Wee! That's a Hot Commodity! I trust him. I think he's just being cheeky for fun.

Name: Chet Rippo

Debut: Paper Mario

Now this guy is whuzzah! What's the deal with this guy! Rip Cheato is weird, true, being strangely human in a game where those are quite limited, but he has a theme going on. He looks like a Sewer Man. Now here we have Chet Rippo, who is some sort of alien platypus clown umbrella? I don't know what he is, but I think it is absolutely splendid. To quote an ancient philosopher:

"Sometimes in life, there is a weird guy." -Opabinia

If I didn't know any better, I might think Chet Rippo would appear from a UFO or circus tent or perhaps a dimensional portal. He doesn't! He just hangs out in Toad Town. He's a weird guy, but a weird guy is still a guy, you know? Except this is no normal guy because he can alter Mario's abilities! For 39 coins he will raise Marios HP, FP, or BP by two points, but- and this is important- he says "heh heh". That means he's shady! For each stat he increases, he will decrease the others each by one!

This makes Chet Rippo far stranger of a guy. Someone in real life could sell you overpriced garbage. But someone in real life altering your stats for a low price? Scary to think about! Imagine someone granting you the ability to remember twice as many bug facts as you currently can, but also making the vision in your left eye worse and making you 25% more sensitive to cold. Frightening magic! But at least the guy doing it is a funny creature.

Chet Rippo appears in The Thousand Year Door as well, but like, does he really? This is a whole different design, and it's not nearly as fun... Eyes In A Void Wizards are fun by default, and so is wearing a barrel on one's head, but this game has a bunch of Eyes In A Void Wizards, and this guy used to be one of the weirdest creatures in the entire game! To hell with this guy. Let's look at his better version again.

Look at him go! Like a flapjack octopus! His arms are even like the fluttering fins! Could he truly just be a big octopus wearing a weird hat? We may never know...

[tinydefector]

Kinktober Day 2

Frame Modification- Rodimus x Reader

Word count: 1.3k

Warnings: Nsfw, smut, genital modification, strap ons?, human/ Cybertronian.

@tf-kinktober2024

Day 1

Day 3

______________

The human stares at Rodimus for a moment with a raised eyebrow looking at the boxes of equipment. "So what exactly is all of this?" They ask looking over the different components in them. Rodimus scratches his helm sheepishly. "Well, uh, you know my size can be, heh, problematic when it comes to interfacing with you. Don't want to accidentally hurt you due to the size" 

He offers a lopsided grin. "So Perceptor and I have been tinkering. These doodads should decrease my, um, girth and increase sensitivity without compromising structure or function, if his calculations hold up." 

Rodimus clutches a box hopefully. "I care for you and I know how much you like what we have going on but i want you to be able to have more" His field radiates shy affection. 

"Your... downgrading, for me?" They nearly whisper while looking over the three boxes. There were more than one spike mod in the boxes and it made them wonder just how long Rodimus had been planning this.

Rodimus rubs the back of his helm sheepishly. "Well, yeah. This is important to me too, you know?" He gestures to the boxes. "Perceptor and I have been working on different prototypes for a while now. Wanna make sure we get it just right, so they are interchangeable."

Chuckling softly, Rodimus adds, "We may have gone a little overboard with the sampling options." Taking his lover's hands in his gently, Rodimus meets their gaze. "I love you. Your happiness and safety with me means everything to me. If modifying myself helps ensure that, it's a small price." 

Squeezing softly, he smiles. "So what d'you say we try 'em out, see which fits and what you like?" He's hoping he hadn't scared them with this information, but he did truly love them and wanted to give them the best he could. 

It makes them laugh. "I'd love to. Do all of the pieces interchange?" They inquire while pulling one of the spike mods out looking it over. This one had bright pink lights up the underside but was a bit too large in their hands larger than their arm. Rodimus perks up at the sound of their laughter, fia warm smile falling onto his face. "Sure do!" he replies. "Perce made 'em with modularity in mind." 

Leaning in, he points out how the piece in their servos connects. "That one plugs into my panel port. Then the shaft and tip snap together for a secure fit, each piece will fit to the others to integrate." Rodimus smiles before continuing "Pink light show's a bit flashy for me though. what'd you think of the sleek navy or copper ones?" Ever keen to please, he holds them up for his loger to look at.   

In truth they never thought they would be sitting there with Rodimus looking at essentially Strap-ons. " I do like the top part of the silver one there, the rest of it is just a little too thick. Might work nicely with the shaft of the Orange one which I do like the lights on and it doesn't look as long as my forearm" they laugh while pointing over to the spike as Rodimus picks it up. The tip wasn't as wide as some of the others. "How do you pull them apart and put them together? Can you show me?"

Rodimus chuckles, field pulsing with affection as he examines the proposed frankenspike. "Good eye! I think you're right - silver tip and orange shaft could be a winner." He deftly twists the pieces apart to demonstrate. "The connector ports are threaded, see? Just twist counter-clockwise to separate, then clockwise to join another piece securely." 

Reassembling the hybrid mod, Rodimus presents it proudly. "Well? What do you think - looks like it'll hit all the right nodes but still leave your ports feeling snug?" They laugh at his wording of it but in truth they were enjoying every moment of this. 

"Never thought I'd be saying that this looks so pretty. Do they connect up with your bio-lights and pulse the same colour? And how exactly do you attach it to yourself?" As much as they were loving the fact that they and Rodimus would be able to be intimate they are so curious over how it all works.

Rodimus grins, field alight. "Never think I'd be so pleased by a compliment on my crotch accessory collection!" It makes them both burst into laughter wheezing. " but Yea, the light circuits sync right up with my biolights so it'll pulse and change colours"

Rodimus releases his interface panel which at the moment didn't have an attachment, he's rather swift with reattaching the chosen mod in its place. pressurises his lines, watching struts and panels adjust flawlessly around the new appendage. "Seamless integration. The connection anchors it securely while also transferring sensory feedback in real time." Rodimus smiles shyly. "Wanna touch it?." He teases revving his engine. 

"Ready for a test drive when you are, sweetspark. I'll go slow and you tell me what you think. Your feelings are my top priority here.” He excitedly remarks. "Can we keep the other pieces too, I think this would be something fun to try and test other pieces over time." Rodimus lights up at their question, excitement filling him. "A collection? I like the way you think!" 

"Now then, shall we?" He radiates eager anticipation, "I'm primed and ready to make you sing, sweetspark. Just give me the word." He slowly strokes the smaller mod as the sensation jolts through him. 

"Eager are we" they tease, It was strange seeing the new one when they were so used to Rodimus' original Spike but in truth it suited him well. "Sure thing hot shot. I want a show" they giggle sitting back eager to watch.

Carefully he braces himself before encircling the new modification digit rubbing across the tip. Slow, steady pumps elicit delightful shivers up his struts as sensory feedback loops. The lights along the spike light up in the deep orange colour and pulse with each stroke. 

A loud moan falls from his vocalizer. His engine purrs louder, Optics half-shuttering, Rodimus meets their gaze with a loving smirk. "Like what you see? gorgeous - just say the word and I'm yours all night."

They shake their heads in amusement. "I want to watch you work that spike Roddy, I like watching you come undone with your servo, dial up the sensitivity" they instruct. Eager to just watch the mech touch himself.

Rodimus chuckles. "As you wish." He begins stroking it much quicker, the sound of his joints popping and grinding join the mix of noises he makes.  "How's it feel?" Rodimus vented softly, digits exploring the synthetic spike's sensory net with increasing awe, he had never had one which felt like this and it was making his joints weak from how quickly it had over charged his system, hot air blasting through his fans.

 "Incredible... it feels so sensitive." Another moan slips from him sounding more like a whimpered whine of bliss. He gazed at his partner in a haze of affection. "Primus i cant wait to see how you feel clenched around my spike, bet you'll be so warm and soft. Might just be overloaded thinking about it."  

"You going to overload, thought you had better stamina roddy" They tease watching the way his plating shutters as he quickened his pace. Rodimus whimpers out while his voice goes rather static. "Hey, cut me some slack - this new array packs way more sensation than the old one. Gonna take some getting used to!" 

He overloads into his servo rather quickly. Their eyes focus on the fluid that runs down his servo, it wasn't the light pink one they were used to seeing come from him. “ Did you also change your fluids?” they hum moving closer to brush their hand against his spike. It makes Rodimus jolt as he loudly moans. “Frag!” he calls out platting, shuttering and overheating as he tries to come down from the overwhelming sensation. 

“mmmm, yea.. wanted something a little more body safe for you” he admits,it earns him a kiss from them. 

_________________

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[icaruspendragon]

The poem you shared - what did the scar I left you feel like .. like love ..

That is exactly exact; words for something indescribable, and yet you did. Is this published somewhere that a person could buy it?

hello and thank you for your kind words. i'm so sorry for whatever event has made my words have meaning.

i actually just decreased the price a couple of hours ago in anticipation that people may have holiday money to spare. lazarus rises (amongst other things) can be found here.

however, if you are unable to purchase the book for whatever reason, i will email you a copy of the pdf. no questions asked.

[partisan-by-default]

Data centers in the United States are consuming so much power that they may be impacting the flow of electricity to millions of Americans.

AI data centers are sprouting up across the country to meet the increased demand for AI, but they're also sucking up the power on which millions of Americans rely.

The new tech is demanding massive amounts of energy from grids that are, in some areas, already stressed. Researchers have estimated that AI centers could need three to five times the power used by traditional facilities, Business Insider previously reported.

A Bloomberg analysis assessed readings from some 770,000 homes from February to October and found that over 75% of "highly distorted power readings across the country are within 50 miles of significant data center activity."

Stresses on the power grid can lead to inconsistent power quality, and as the power quality decreases, the risk increases, Bloomberg reported. Inconsistent energy flow can cause electronics to overheat, leading to sparks or even house fires.

[aurum-stultus]

!! Emergency Commissions Open !!

(Or you can check out my Etsy) !! Please share !! I have a long history on this account of me going back and forth with my awful workplace, from my old terrible manager who psuedo-fired me and then got fired himself, me getting "hired back" and then getting promoted to 2 positions, and now months later the same workplace demoted me from my supervisor position, for reasons I actively complained about and asked them for assistance over.

They kept my pay where it was since I had another promotion there (That I never actually got a pay raise for) but my other position as their mechanic was becoming super difficult because our building was just fundamentally broken and I was still in training and the guy training me only came in on Sundays so half of our building would be out of commission for an entire week.. and then when he tried to train me, 5 minute sessions would become 2 hour sessions because the building was so broken. I couldn't keep up with the maintenance and every time I came up with a solution, the mech team who didn't even work at my location and didn't see the issues, would tell me to fix it differently, then when I did what they told me to and it didn't work, they blamed me for their screw up.

My manager said I would get to keep my pay if I stepped down from my mech position, so I did. Everything was fine up until corporate realized our building was losing money and decided to cut my pay and said it was because I stepped down from mech. A job I still never got a pay raise for and constantly asked when I WOULD be getting a raise for. I fought this for weeks and even contacted HR.. only for the woman from HR to call me and put me on speaker with THE MAN WHO DEMOTED ME to figure out my problem. I chewed her out for this, told her I didn't trust her and that that was extremely inappropriate and unprofessional and her only response, with him still in the room, was "Well is he the problem? Do you want him to leave?" So right after he found out I went to HR to complain about him, bc of HR, he kept fighting even harder to cut my pay. I kept refusing to sign the wage decrease form until I had enough for rent, then put in my two weeks. They retaliated to my two weeks notice by only giving me two work days for my last two weeks, so my next paycheck will be maybe $50 at best. (I tried to ask for PTO for the hours they took from me, but my entire time working there, every time I asked about my PTO they would tell me they'd get back to me and then never did. For a year. Every single time I asked) I have an interview on the 29th and two other buildings on the strip from my old workplace want to hire me but I have to wait on both of them to get back to me and I have no idea how long that will be and need something to at least hold me over enough to pay for groceries or pay back the credit I use for gas before I get charged fees with money I don't have. Plus I only have money for this month's rent, so I'm really hoping someone gets back to me within February. Comm info:

Icons are $10, busts are $14, full-bodies are $30 <- may go up or down based complexity or whether or not I've drawn the subject before (like mechanical or furries) Prices go up by half the original price for extra characters ($5 for icon, $7 for bust, $15 for full-body) and I take PayPal, Venmo and Cashapp

WILLING TO DO ANYTHING EXCEPT PROSHIP OR FERAL !! Can do NSFW but only if I get confirmation that the buyer is over 18

[simply-ivanka]

Germany Should Have Listened to Trump

Tuesday 2.27.2024 Wall Street Journal

By Walter Russell Mead

Trump was right about Berlin’s self-defense and risky energy dependence on Russia.

The lower house of Germany’s Parliament voted to legalize the recreational use of cannabis last week. It was a timely move. Germany’s leadership class is going to need all the mellow it can find in a world that isn’t going Germany’s way.

Russian advances in Ukraine and American paralysis over the next aid package are reinforcing the reality that Germany needs to defend itself but lacks the power to do so. So are developments in the Red Sea, where German manufacturers must cope with shipping delays as the Biden administration fails to keep the vital waterway clear.

Forget the 2% of gross domestic product that Germany has repeatedly promised and failed to spend on defense. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius shocked many observers this month when he said that in the new world situation, Germany may have to spend as much as 3.5% of GDP for defense.

The economic news is also grim. Last year Germany’s GDP shrank 0.3%, and last week the government slashed 2024 growth estimates to a pitiful 0.2%. Economists expect negative growth during the first quarter of 2024, placing the country in recession. The outlook for housing is bleak, with business confidence reaching all-time lows. The news in manufacturing is little better. This month the widely followed HCOB German Flash Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 46.1, the eighth month in a row that the index has pointed to decreasing economic activity.

Energy prices are a particular sore spot. The chemical giant BASF announced €1 billion in spending cuts in its German operations, blaming a mix of weak demand in the German market and “structurally higher energy prices.” Enormous U.S. subsidies under the so-called Inflation Reduction Act are leading German companies to look across the Atlantic.

Chinese competition is another massive worry. China long ago passed Germany as the world’s largest car producer. Increasingly, especially in electric vehicles, it is challenging Germany as both a low-cost and high-quality manufacturer. Beijing aims to marginalize German capital goods and automobile companies in China while Chinese exporters challenge German dominance in world markets.

With the associations representing the small and medium-size Mittelstand firms that make up the heart of the German economy warning in a rare joint open letter about Germany’s loss of competitiveness, Economy Minister Robert Habeck isn’t mincing words. The economy is in “rough waters.” The “competitiveness of Germany as an industrial location” is in doubt.

It isn’t all doom and gloom. The outlook for the service sector is brighter than for manufacturing, and as the Journal reported last week, the Ifo Institute’s business-climate index improved slightly this month. The best that can be said for the outlook? “The German economy is stabilizing at a low level,” according to Ifo’s president.

Meanwhile, Germany’s dysfunctional three-party coalition government is paralyzed by internal struggles. The largest party in the coalition, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s Social Democratic Party (SPD), is deeply divided over foreign policy, with many nostalgic for good relations with Russia and allergic to military spending. The SPD also wants Biden-like government spending initiatives to revive the German industrial machine and expand social benefits. The Greens, the next-largest party, are by German standards foreign-policy hawks but continue to press for a rapid energy transition that drives up costs for business and consumers. The third party in the coalition, the Free Democrats, wants to hold the line on government spending. As if this weren’t enough trouble, the conservative opposition parties have a blocking minority in Parliament’s upper house.

This is not where Germans thought they would be. Sixteen months ago, I visited Berlin and heard from a stream of government officials, think tankers and economists that everything was working fine. Russia was failing in Ukraine. The energy transition would boost German competitiveness and employment. Germany’s Mittelstand would handle anything China could throw at it.

Under the circumstances, it’s no surprise that antiestablishment parties are growing in Germany. The far right Alternative for Germany (AfD) currently has more support than any of the governing parties, with one recent poll showing the AfD at 19%, the Social Democrats at 14%, the Greens at 13%, and the Free Democrats at 4%.

The most bitter pill of all for Germany’s establishment may be the realization that on the most important issues facing Germany, Donald Trump was right where they were wrong. Getting in bed with Vladimir Putin for cheap energy was both foolish and deeply disloyal to the West. German defense policy was self-defeating and dangerous. China wasn’t a reliable partner.

“Ich bin ein Berliner,” was President John F. Kennedy’s message to Germany. If Donald Trump returns to the White House, his message will likely be “Das habe ich gleich gesagt,” or “I told you so.”

[radigalde]

Master post for fear stat counting in OKS

Personally, I went through multiple playthroughs of One Knight Stand, and somehow managed to fuck up the semi-hidden fear stat in most of them. It's rather annoying, since there are statchecks for your fear score as early as the club scenes in chapter 1. Therefore, I decided to make sort of a guide (more of a list) for all stat changes. Hope it will help you too.

Fear level on the stats screen:

0 (or less) - Fearless;

1-2 - Calm;

3-5 - Apprehensive;

6-8 - Nervous;

9-11 - Rattled;

12-14 - Spooked;

15-17 - Anxious;

18-20 - Alarmed;

21-23 - Disturbed;

24-26 - Frightened;

27-29 - Aghast;

30-32 - Terrified;

33-35 - Panic-stricken;

36-39 - AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

THE STATCHECKS

Chapter 1:

Less than 10 for Pippa accident reactions in Polo route (most options have the second condition of vice or type of fear stats).

Less than 7 for somw options in Fencing Club route (but not in the accident itself).

Less than 13 for the hellhound attack (at first can be altered with greed vice or willpower score of 7 or higher; after Merlin appears, it can be altered with greed vice and willpower score higher than 13).

Less than 13 for staying in the corridor of the apartment building after hellhound attack (can be altered with willpower higher than 12).

Less than 13 to open balcony in your apartment during the hell breach.

Less than 17 to succesfully run away from beneath-the-bed-hydra. It has a lot of other conditions, probably going to make a guide for it later.

More than 7 for skip initial Merlin's loredump via having a nap or hysteria fit (also available with negative bold stat and phobias of fear, darkness or death).

Chapter 2:

Less than 13 to not freeze at the sight of the blob in gas station (can be altered with greed vice).

Important note: almost all options that allow you to lower the stat by pretending that nothing happens affect another stat - denial. It was hinted to be rather important for survival, therefore I'll try to highlight each instance. Same goes for other important/rare stats like corruption or apathy. Also, in some situations the statcheck may be failed regardless of the fear level score, if MC has a specific phobia non-compatible with the situation (like trying to stay in pitch-dark hallway with darkness phobia). Those are quite obvious in most cases, and fear phobia is generally fucked in all these situations.

Prologue and Chapter 1

TLDR: by default, you leave your apartment with the fear score of 6 (7 mandatory increases, 1 decrease). You can lower it by 6 at the not so low price of +6 in denial stat. Alternatively, you can lower it by 4 without increasing the denial. Additionally, you can lower it by 1 unless you chose wrath vice or increase by 1 with blood phobia or fear phobia.

Polo club route (Part 1 and Part 2)

TLDR: up to -7 with carrots; +4 for discussing creepy topics (can be +1); -2 (or -5 depending on Adrian relationship) for light chit-chat; mandatory +3 for full conversation; +1 mandatory for scary trailer; -3 (-2 or -1 depending on the outcome) for saved Pippa; mandatory -1 for saved Pippa; +1 (or +2) for dead Pippa; +1 for drink acceptance, -1 for vocal drink refuse; and a ton of other conditional stat changes depending on the choices made.

Fencing club route (Part 1 and Part 2)

TLDR: up to -14 with snacks; +4 for discussing creepy topics (can be +1); -3 (or -6 depending on Adrian relationship) for light chit-chat; mandatory +3 for full conversation; mandatory +1 at the start of changing clothes; -3 (-2 or -1 depending on the outcome) for saved Zain; +3 for injured (and probably dead) Zain; +1 for drink acceptance, -1 for vocal drink refuse; and a ton of other conditional stat changes depending on the choices made.

[primrosedinocat]

Commissions Open! Please Share!

Hello everyone! I am in a tight financial situation right now, so I'm opening for commissions. I do regular furry commissions, as well as LPS and Pokemon!

Below are commission types and starting prices for flat colored artwork. Note that shading will cost more. Some options also have discounts for More information can be found on my carrd, linked below.

Symmetrical Headshot - $15

Chibi - $30

Bust/Headshot - $20

Halfbody - $50

Anhtro Fullbody - $65

Feral Fullbody - $50

LPS - $20

Pokemon - $30 (Price may increase or decrease depending on the pokemon)

Expression Animation - $50 (for two expressions)

For my Full price list, TOS, more examples, and my commission form, visit my carrd:

Reblogs are greatly appreciated!

[zaurae]

𝐁𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨ 𝑯𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝑹𝒊𝒄𝒉 ୧⋆ ˚｡⋆

𝑨𝒔𝒌 𝑨𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒉 𝑺𝒖𝒃𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒉𝒖 𝒘𝒂 𝒕𝒂❜𝒂𝒍𝒂

♡ Always and forever pray to your lord, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala for wealth and success in a healthy and halal way ♡

Make constant dua, repentence, Tahajjud, and perform goodness as well. With goodness, eliminating bad habits and doing good for your lord, repenting, and seeking to our Rabb; Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grants our duas, grants us more than what we asked.

Ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala by the 99 names:

-`♡´- Al - Ghani (The Rich, The Independent One, The Wealthy)

-`♡´- Al - Wajid (The Wealthy)

-`♡´- Al - Razzaq (The Provider)

-`♡´- Al - Mughni (The Enricher)

Never lose hope and know that with every blessing we have and whatever way we earned that wealth being an amazing job offer you received or marrying a good wealthy man--that is all due and thanks to Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala.

Be sure to always thank Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala, and strive to become a good muslim and never be deceived or change no matter how much wealth you have

𝑺𝒕𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑶𝒖𝒕 𝑶𝒇 𝑫𝒆𝒃𝒕

♡･ﾟ:｡.:･ﾟ The more debt you have, the less wealth you will have. Debt is dangerous in terms of becoming rich, as well as limiting your freedom.

Unfortunately, VISA or any form of credit card is a tool that makes us less rich--of course it depends how you use it or repay it--therefore, I suggest you to not always use your credit card and only use it if it is an emergency or that is the only payment method; however, please make sure to repay those debts as soon as possible. Give yourself a 10 day due date to repay the amount owed. ♡･ﾟ:｡.:･ﾟ

𝑺𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈

❥ Saving does not only mean save your money, but it also means saving liquid money--cash--or any item/product that has the value to convert it to cash--with a higher price.

This makes you richer even though it may not seem like it. For instance, your house or your apartment you bought, if you end us selling it you get half the money.

If you have cash, instead of trying to get rid of it and only relying on your debt card or apple pay; save the cash money, those quarters and dimes you think is useless but it is not.

Save your liquid money, those investment objects because that is the true secret of becoming rich.

𝑰𝒏𝒗𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕

As mentioned above, save and make investments through your money like liquid money and physical items that obtains higher value each year or month.

As much as we love shopping, try your best to purchase more of the things that brings more value and more wealth in the long-run. This includes the following:

-`♡´- Full Karat Gold

-`♡´- A Property

-`♡´- Any clothing with higher value each year

-`♡´- Good Quality Device

-`♡´- Books (Especially College/University Textbooks)

-`♡´- House

-`♡´- Car

-`♡´- Diamond or Gem

・❥・There are a lot more items, but basically whatever item that has a increased value/price over the month or year.

𝑫𝒐𝒏❜𝒕 𝑻𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚 𝑭𝒐𝒓 𝑮𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅

Do not think little of a few dimes or dollars. Money is still money and is still worth something.

Whenever you earn lets say a quarter or 50 cents, be grateful and happy as if you earned $100. With this mindset, and treating every amount as it is huge, this will ultimately manifest money itself.

Be grateful no matter the amount--as you are more grateful, Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala grants more.

𝑮𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒚

✧˚ · Giving charity is so important and mentioned a lot in hadiths ✧˚ ·

"Those who spend their wealth (in Allah's way) by night and by say, secretly and publicly, they will have their reward with their Lord. And no fear will there be concerning them, nor will they grieve." (Al - Baqarah 2.274)

When you give charity to those in need, it certainly does not decrease wealth.

And giving charity does not always mean giving it with money. Sometimes others cannot give money; however, there are also many ways such as:

Making dua for that person

Making someone feel better

Smiling

Speaking good to and about someone

Helping others

Respect

Not being indulged to backbiting

Charity means so much more because there are so much to give to someone!

Never hoard your money of your other abilities to help, but instead help others as it also helps you in ranks, wealth, respect, rewards, and the hellfire.

˗ˏˋ 𝐷𝑢𝑎 𝑡𝑜 𝐵𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑅𝑖𝑐ℎ ´ˎ˗ Allahumma akthir malee, wa waladee, wa barik lee feema a'taytanee O Allah! increase my wealth and offspring, and bless me in what You have given me.