#the only thing i'd want to change about my workplace is where in the country it's situated which is. unfortunate.

[wildwood-faun]

just got a 25% pay raise???

[cazort]

Why I'm Enthusiastic About Kamala Harris

I've seen so much negative talk about Trump and we all agree with that, but I want to highlight what I like most about Kamala Harris and why I'm actively enthusiastic and excited about voting for her:

She is pro-abortion rights and pro- comprehensive sex ed

She would appoint good Supreme Court Justices.

She respects people with a diverse range of political views and would include some voices from both progressive and conservative perspectives in her administration.

She is unambiguously pro-LGBTQ rights, including not just on gay rights but also trans rights.

She would represent continuity with the Biden administration, an administration that I think has done a good job on most issues.

On the issue of Palestine/Israel/Gaza (where I am most critical of Biden), I think Harris is a significant improvement over Biden, and also offers the better path of the only two viable candidates, towards ending the genocide. She has spoken out against the civilian deaths and she has snubbed Netanyahu which is a huge plus in my book.

She has shown a willingness to change her views, such as how she moved from being opposed to decriminalizing sex work in 2008, to being supportive of it in 2019, and being initially skeptical of marijuana legalization in 2010, but coming to support it in 2015. I like a candidate who can change their views, but more importantly, she is changing in a direction I like.

She would be good on the economy; she opposes tariffs, and would continue the Biden administration policies which have led to economic prosperity.

She has a solid and fairly diverse track record of experience, working as attorney general for the largest state, then senator for that state, then VP.

She has worked to combat over-incarceration and cruel treatment of people in prison, doing things like reducing mandatory minimum sentences and working to reduce recidivism, opposing solitary confinement, ending private prisons, and ending cash bail. She has also pledged to use the president's clemency powers to release a lot of people who have been imprisoned unjustly or given unfairly harsh sentences.

She has a concrete plan to enact immigration reform that would adequately fund the processing of asylum applications and fix the backlog of immigrants at the border. And the plan has broad bipartisan support.

On top of this she also has already done some things to address the root causes of migration in Latin America, particularly people fleeing Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador

She is pro-net-neutrality.

She supports universal healthcare, but also has concrete recommendations for how to improve the current status quo.

She is pro-science, including on issues like climate change, COVID, vaccinations, and health and nutrition. Her mom was a scientist!

She is pro-Ukraine, wanting to keep Russia out of Ukraine and ensure Ukraine wins their war of defense and maintains their independence.

She is across-the-board better on women's issues, not just reproductive rights but also sexual violence and domestic violence, workplace equality and the pay gap, and women's issues in Latin America (which is related to the immigration pressure I mentioned above.)

She generally takes stances on foreign policy I agree with, being skeptical of leaders (Putin, Orban, Netanyahu) I want us to be skeptical of, and working with and looking up to the ones I want us to work with and look up to (Olaf Scholz, Emmanuel Macron). She already has a working relationship with many of these leaders too, and has a reputation of being both personable and tough, just what I'd want.

She's smart, well-educated, and surrounded with smart, well-educated, and wise people. Her campaign is stable and well-run, and I trust her to put together a team of competent advisors and run this country competently, probably even more so than Biden has done, and Biden has done a pretty decent job, exceeding my expectations even.

Harris also has an impressive list of endorsements. I can't possibly be comprehensive here, but it includes people as diverse as the most progressive Democrat Lawmakers (Bernie Sanders and AOC), some of the most conservative former GOP legislators (Jeff Flake, Liz Cheney), and over 100 former GOP staffers including a disturbing number of insiders from the Trump administration. This is telling! You don't see this sort of whistleblowing and defection from within the Biden administration.

The fact that Harris has racked up endorsements from people spanning the whole political spectrum from solid-right to solid-left and everything in between, impresses me. This is the sign of someone who is going to be good at getting people to work together, someone who will listen to a wide range of viewpoints and develop better policy and take better courses of action as a result. It's what I always want in a president.

In some elections I have been frustrated that I'm voting for a "lesser of two evils" but this time around I actually feel actively enthusiastic about Harris. I am excited to vote tomorrow and excited to finally be done with this election, and I am cautiously optimistic that it is going to turn out really well.

I encourage everyone to vote and make sure to make sure everyone close to you is also voting!

[megan-loves-surveys]

Haven't used this in forever but I miss Bzoink so here I am instead xD

What are some of your favorite cities you’ve been to?  Hmm, I loved New Orleans, NYC and Boston a lot. Also Melbourne!!

Would you allow your children to date prior to 16? I'm not having kids, but if I did, I'd be a hypocrite if I didn't, cos I started dating at 14 lol.

Did you ever go through a phase where you thought guys in bands were ‘hot?’ Of course, still do!

What’s something about adult life you were never warned of or prepared for? How difficult it would be to find work, they acted like we'd all just waltz into jobs the moment we left school.

Did your parents teach you proper table manners when you were growing up? Yes, but they didn't go overboard.

What was the last thing you baked? I don't bake.

Do you live more than 5 hours away from the nearest international border? I live on an island, so there is no 'border' really to speak of. But if you count the edge of the land going to the water as the border, then no, it's much closer than 5 hours.

Does your town have a farmer’s market? Not that I know of.

What’s the westernmost point you’ve been to? Dunno tbh, I'm not even sure where NZ is when it comes to east/west, cos we're in a weird position xD

What was the last restaurant you made a reservation at? Myself personally? My bf Will got me to make a reservation the other week cos he was busy at work and couldn't do it.

When did you last feel lonely? Hmm, not sure.

Can you easily tell when others are masking their true emotions? It depends.

How often do you wash your car? I don't have a car.

When did you last lend money to a friend? I don't lend friends money as a rule, it's a slippery slope. If they need something, I'll buy it for them.

Which app on your phone do you tend to get the most notifications from?  Facebook probably, or Messenger when I'm chatting to someone. Also, Discord too.

Do you own a Dutch oven? If so, what was the last thing you cooked in it? I don't even know what that is.

What is currently on your kitchen table?  A few decorative things cos we didn't have dinner tonight, we had a huge lunch so we just had toast lol.

What is your favorite time period in history to learn about? History is boring to me.

How old were you when you met your current best friend? I was... 14 cos we met at the start of 2002 before my birthday.

Have you ever kissed a smoker? Most likely.

What is the minimum age to obtain a driver’s license in your state/country? Do you think this is an appropriate age? It's 16, it used to be 15 when I was a teenager. And yes it's appropriate.

If you won the lottery, do you think any of your family members would ask you to give them some of your money? I wouldn't tell them. Only trustworthy people I would give some money would know - like my Mum & Dad, my stepmum, Will and a few of my friends.

What is the craziest thing you’ve seen happen at your workplace? I work at a divorce lawyer's, so I see a lot of extremely angry people. I've had people go into screaming fits, both in person and on the phone, one woman had a meltdown and was throwing a tantrum, one guy punched a wall. It's insane, we have a security officer now.

Do you own any home automation gadgets like wifi thermostats or wifi bulbs? No.

What is something you gave up on after many failed attempts? Driving. I'm too scared to take my practical test lol.

How old were you when you started to seriously think about what career path you wanted to pursue? High school. I kept changing my mind before that.

Have you ever disliked a book so much that you didn’t finish it? Oh yeah, loads. Thankfully most of them were library books so it didn't cost me anything.

Would you rather read a book, or listen to the audiobook? Read. I don't have the attention span for audiobooks, I'd get distracted and my mind would wander.

Do you think tomorrow will be a better day than today? Today's been great, but tomorrow will be even better cos I'm seeing my favourite band live and meeting them!!! <3

Spell your name without any R’s, I’s, G’s, or E’s: My name would hilariously be... Man. I had to get rid of the G and E xD

Is there anyone on your mind? Yep.

Describe your bra: Haha it's a bright purple shade and it's a push up one xD

Do you ever want kids? No thank you. I've never wanted them, and my boyfriend has adult kids and doesn't want any more xD

What are you looking forward to this summer? Summer literally just ended for us haha.

How are you doing in school? -

What color do you like most today? Purple.

Rain or sunny? Sunny. Rain sucks, it rained most of today.

Live close to a beach? Loads, but I never really go to the beach.

What does your hair look like, normally? Depends - the day I wash it, it's quite straight. But by the next day, it's gone wavy and then starts to curl up.

What are your thoughts on marijuana? I don't smoke it, and probably never will. But I don't care if other people smoke it whatsoever, you do you. I also voted for it to become legal when they did the referendum for it in NZ.

When was the last time you spent the night with someone? Last night I stayed at my boyfriend's house.

What song are you listening to, if any? The roaming legendary Pokémon battle theme from the B&W soundtrack.

Pretend that you are five years older, what would you be doing right now? The thought of that scares me, lol.

What subjects are you good in? I was always good at Computers/IT, Legal Studies and English.

Ever kissed someone whose name started with an X? Not that I can think of.

Any complaints? I hope the rain stops before tomorrow cos waiting outside the venue to go in for the concert won't be fun in the rain cos there's no shelter lol.

What’s your favorite alcoholic beverage? Jim Beam, Malibu or Long Island iced teas.

Do you miss anyone? Sure.

What's the highlight of your morning routine that sets a positive tone for your day? Doing my hair.

Are there any new podcasts or audiobooks that have been accompanying your commutes? I don't have the patience for podcasts.

How do you wind down and relax after a long day? Any particular activities or rituals? I play video games, listen to music and watch YouTube videos.

Have you discovered any hidden gems in your local neighborhood recently? Maybe a new cafe or park? Not really.

What's your go-to way of staying organized and managing your tasks right now? Write them on my calendar or in my phone.

Is there a specific dish you've been cooking or enjoying frequently in your current meal rotation? My meals have been all over the place lately tbh haha. I didn't have dinner today or on Saturday, and I won't have dinner tomorrow either.

Have you made any changes to your exercise routine lately? New workouts or activities? I go to the gym 3 times a week, but this week I'm only going twice cos I was super busy today and I also don't have time tomorrow.

What's a recent small achievement or milestone that you're proud of? Going longer on the treadmill when I do go to the gym, lol.

Are there any movies or TV shows you're re-watching and finding new details in? I've been rewatching Big Bang Theory a lot lately, it's hilarious, I don't care what people say.

How do you stay inspired and creative during your work or free time these days? Dunno tbh.

Have you come across any interesting articles, websites, or online communities recently? I've been reading a lot of TVTropes.

What's the latest hobby or interest you've picked up, and what drew you to it? All my hobbies are the same as usual.

What's the most memorable interaction you've had with someone today? I had lunch with my Mum for her birthday and while we were eating, the waitress came to ask how our food was - my Mum couldn't answer cos she was eating her steak, I said it was good. After she'd moved on, my Mum said "I couldn't reply cos I had my mouth full of meat" xDDDDDDDDDD I just stared at her and then we both just broke down laughing xD It was so funny.

How do you inject moments of positivity into your daily routine, no matter how busy it gets? Oh, loads of things.

Are there any personal projects you're working on right now that bring you joy? Eh...

What's a current goal that's shaping the choices you make on a daily basis? Just losing weight.

Have you visited any local events or markets that have given your weekends a unique flavor? Does wrestling events count xD

How do you stay connected with friends and family despite your busy schedule? I talk to most of my friends and my boyfriend via Facebook messenger or text, and my online friends via Discord. I'm allowed to use Discord at work when it's quiet xD

What's the most interesting thing you've learned recently, whether intentionally or by chance? Dunno.

How do you maintain a balance between screen time and other activities in your day? Hahaha, funny. My weekly average of screen time on my phone is 4 and a half hours a day lol.

Have you experimented with any new methods of relaxation or mindfulness lately? No.

What's your strategy for making the most of your weekends and recharging for the week ahead? Um.

Have you been dedicating time to any DIY projects or crafts that reflect your creativity? No.

How do you incorporate learning and personal growth into your everyday life? I read Reddit a lot, and I love looking at random Wikipedia articles xD

What's a unique tradition or habit that you've cultivated recently, making each day special? Uh....

[terresdebrume]

I haven't written consistently since 2020. I haven't written nothing but a lot of what I did write was harder to write than it should have. I participated in two Reverse Bangs to try and get back to it, but they ended up feeling like obligations as much as (if not more than) fun thing to do.

I think probably a lot of it is due to the general circumstances of the world and of my life? I mean, if I try to make a headcount:

COVID finally caught up with Cambodia in 2020, inducing lockdown with high levels of incertitude (which I don't deal with very well) and stress.

I lost my cat Pouet right at the end of the year. She was only 9 months old and I did Not Take It Well.

I spent most of 2021 stuck in a workplace where the general conditions got progressively worse, in large parts because the manager actively and explicitly worked to destroy any kind of solidarity and camaradry there was in the team (and we were a good fucking team, damnit) and also in my specific case because I kept having to argue for my right to do the job I was hired for. In the end, what prompted me to leave was a combo of a) wanting to cry at the thought of going back to work b) getting so sick I got a week of sick leave like. A week after getting back.

This led to about two months of unemployment which, though needed, was also stressful because I had no idea if/when I'd find another job. I didn't have the energy to work but also staying at home and doing nothing was bad for me, so that went bad.

In February of 2022 I started working as an independent teacher with two different structures, both of which changed my hours, class lists and work conditions several times without warning or consultation, which again doesn't work for me. I need to have a certain predictability in my life and I need improvisation or last minute changes to be brought by me not other people's decision that don't take me/my time into account.

In June, one of those two jobs finished, leaving me without my main source of income for six weeks but also (at the time) signifying that I was going to go back to France in December of 2022, meaning I had to start on a lot of prep things to move my cats overseas, look into buying plane tickets in a comparatively short time, and also meant I would have to go back a) in winter (I hate the cold) and b) to my mother's place, for an indeterminate amount of time.

Now said place has offered me a full time contract for the upcoming year, which is kind of scary in its own right (40h a week is A Lot imo) but also means I have more time to prepare for leaving in 2023, which includes preparing for the cats to travel, learning two new languages to maximize my chances to land a job in warmer European countries and, eventually job hunting.

It also means my mother is coming here in December and staying in my flat for however long, which is going to be stressful in its own right but also she's evoked the possibility of coming with my sister, which I Do Not Want. (Like. I'm already not big on my mother staying with me but she's missed/ignored/countered every hint I've given her to take a hotel so far and I'm like... trying to pick my battles I guess?)

The risk of ending up with my cats at my mother's house for an undetermined amount of time is still Very Real and I'm Stressed out whenever I think about it.



... Well shit, I was just trying to explain why I needed to take as easy an approach to writing fic as possible and now I'm like 'Oh. Oh, I'm not doing good actually!' so like.

Fun post, I guess.

[raleighliving]

Raleigh Apartment Culture

So I'm of the mind that Raleigh is a great place to live. It has my favorite things, my favorite people, and I'm too broke to move anywhere else.

Raleigh works for me, but I recognize it doesn't work for everyone. Some people had less than ideal childhoods and wanna escape the state ASAP, some just want to live closer to their dream jobs or have new opportunities. That's all fine, but what if this describes where you are now?

What if, for the sake of argument, you're outside of NC and wanna move in? Moving is expensive, time-consuming, and risky at the best of times; so you wanna make sure that wherever you're landing is at least as good as where you started 90% of the time

"But RL," I hear you say, "you make Raleigh sound like an idyllic dreamscape populated with parks and a diverse kumbayah of peoples living in harmony"

I do talk about Raleigh in a positive light but, like a life saving medicine flavored like ass, sometimes you have to take the good with the bad.

So before you spend thousands of dollars on moving vans, boxes, and grits; here's a crash course on what it's like living in a Raleigh apartment, coming from someone whose majority of Raleigh Living (heh) has been in apartments.

First off, location. Any realtor will tell you that location is 80% of the sale to sound profound, and as anyone who has lived in the middle of ass-backward nowhere can tell you: It sucks having to drive 30 minutes to go anywhere.

Good news: With the Raleigh Beltline and connecting roads, there are very few places in Raleigh where your trip will last longer than thirty minutes one-way. Bad News: where you set down still matters because cutting down on travel is important for car and mental health.

North Raleigh is different from south Raleigh is different from northwest Raleigh, and the locals aren't the only difference you'll find between locations. Each segment of Raleigh has something to offer, with easier access to some attractions than others and neighboring cities for when you need something outside the RDU area.

Using downtown as the center of our wheel, people generally divide Raleigh into North and South Raleigh (with distinction given for NW, SE, NE, etc when needed). N.Raleigh is considered generally more upscale, a slice of suburban living interspersed with plenty of shopping centers for families and the moderately wealthy; but it's boring as all hell.

Want some fun? Excitement in the evenings and a more traditional urban experience with bars, night clubs, strip clubs, and more? South Raleigh is your best bet, at the cost of being the "sketchy" side of Raleigh. That kind of place where you'll see a bunch of auto shops that look abandoned but haven't been closed in the past 5 years and there's at least one customer from time to time.

Of course, this is a lot of generalizing but you'll find that it's still mostly accurate. The main exception in this is Capital Blvd, a highway cutting across north and south Raleigh on the eastern half of the city; a high crime corridor that's undergoing some changes in the northern half that have (somewhat) reduced crime but most people will still associate that area with the majority of Raleigh's crime and debauchery.

More importantly, is the distinction Raleigh citizens put on inside the beltline versus outside the beltline. The I-440 and 540 highways that wrap around Downtown form the mythical beltline, and to a degree what you have access to. Inside the beltline is the majority of workplaces, stores, and shopping centers; while outside you'll still have these things just to a more... dispersed extent.

North Raleigh actually kinda exemplifies this perfectly. Living inside the beltline, you have access to places like North Hills, Crabtree Valley mall, and Triangle Town Center. Live outside the beltline, like I currently am, and you're looking at 10 to 15 minutes to the nearest sheetz for that late night double hot dog fix.

So for point one: How important is it that you're near things? The majority of apartments and rental properties are in or around the belt-line, but if you want to save some cash on rent checks the cheaper properties are gonna extend your trips a bit.

Next, what can you expect in terms of neighbors? Does Raleigh have a hip party scene full of teens renting cheap apartments and blasting trap music at 3AM?

Depends on where you live

I swear not every point is going to be this, but there's an important distinction this time that affects the type of people your complex will likely have surrounding you; are you in North or South Raleigh?

North Raleigh has a ton of pre-schools, k-12 public schools (Leesville, Hillburn, Lead Mine, just to name a few), and office complexes that make up the job market. As a result the majority of apartment renters in north Raleigh tend to be families with a few small kids or so.

As a result, living off of Glenwood North and Edwards Mill I never had any noise problems from neighbors, the worst being kids playing outside at 3PM sounding like they were being murdered (which apparently is a common thing and I apologize to any neighbors I frightened with ghastly shrieks).

What I did have a problem with, however, was the typical Karen's you hear people complain about online. Renting a property now, we have access to our neighborhood's NextDoor page and it's hilarious sometimes to go on and read the comments, but living at a certain property we had a sort of mini-Facebook for residents

That thing was always full of either people who were moving out looking to sell their furniture or people passive-aggressively challenging each other/the apartment managers with comments about things happening around the complex.

Once I logged in to see one man accuse another, without ever actually accusing someone specific ("I know who did it and they should be ashamed" type post) of putting glass beer bottles under the tires of his truck to try and puncture them. Everyone acts civil in public, but then online they'll stir the pot harder than a chef with a hand mixer.

South Raleigh, you have the schools like Shaw University, Meredith, and NCSU; so the people renting down there are typically college kids. You'll see more apartments that cater towards them like University Village or University Woods, but sometimes these places will cater to both college kids and working adults

Avoid these places like the plague, because despite sometimes having a lower cost to live there the neighbors and their shenanigans will drive you up the wall (unless you're the type to join in, then go wild).

I've had friends stay at places like University Village and The Proper (formerly The Vie, formerly Wolf Creek) who've shared horror stories. 3AM parties ending in property damage or vomit in inconvenient places, drug deals not even trying to be subtle, and maintenance workers doing nothing because regardless of the apartment conditions; no school's gonna pull their contract with them unless news articles start getting written.

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/article_898ddf34-82f5-11e7-b3d8-07059d248619.html

https://www.wral.com/vie-at-raleigh-residents-finally-able-to-move-into-clean-units/16887833/

http://www.technicianonline.com/news/article_ea8ed7aa-a092-11e8-a2af-e70af36566d0.html

Otherwise, south Raleigh apartments are largely like north Raleigh apartments; except the crime rate tends to be a little higher and you'll run into more singles and people working full time.

Otherwise, Raleigh apartment culture is like apartment culture anywhere else in the country. You have a mix of apartments catering to those just looking to live versus more ostentatious luxury apartments with fancy pools, exercise facilities, and tech packages to draw people in.

If you're renting in Raleigh, however, do try to get a roommate or two if you can manage. Even with a decent job paying 800+ on a one bedroom one bath apartment can be exhausting at best, but with even one other person that can functionally halve your expenses

So if you're a young professional, or a student, or even if you have a small family, I can safely recommend renting in Raleigh. There's plenty of places that'll accommodate you, and cater towards your needs.

But what about everyone else? Are there people who shouldn't rent in Raleigh?

No

But there are groups who I'd seriously ask to consider their other choices before picking Raleigh as a destination for their new home.

For instance, are you a member of the LGBT community? A trans or non-binary individual? Well then, first off, I want you to know that you're loved and valid. I'm accepting of who you are and appreciate everyone's right to identify how they choose, but I'm not everyone.

Raleigh's bluer than other parts of North Carolina, as I've stated in other blog write-ups, but it's still part of North Carolina unfortunately and as a result, you'll face some challenges.

I doubt anyone's gonna burn a cross in your yard or knock over your mailbox, but Raleigh doesn't offer LGBT protections for housing, jobs, or credit/lending discriminations according to the Movement Advancement Project's website.

We have support organizations for LGBT and NB individuals, plenty of high schools and colleges have Gay-Straight Alliance clubs, and there are numerous businesses downtown that cater specifically to those individuals... but we're also the state that got into a lot of hot water because of a stupid bathroom bill, and our politicians are trying to pass anti-trans sports legislation (because they now magically care about the integrity of womens sports).

By that measure, but to a lesser extent, if you fall outside the Liberal/Conservative political spectrum then be prepared to have no one to discuss your politics with outside of a few sparse networks like the DSA.

Additionally, if you don't have someone to room with or a significant other to split costs with; you may want to try searching somewhere a little cheaper.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Raleigh housing prices aren't terrible for a major metropolitan city, but we're not the best prices in the world.

You can get prices on apartments and rentals lower than say, California or New York. However, compared to other parts of NC like Greensboro or Garner; rentals are still a bit much.

On average, a Raleigh apartment can run you about $900 for a single bedroom and a single bathroom. You can find cheaper, but often times there's some risk associated (Crime levels, quality of the room, quality of the property manager, etc.) Looking for a two bedroom? Then your average price is gonna jump up to around $1,200, and this is all before utilities and cable come into play.

It's true a lot of companies around here will pay more than the $7.25 minimum wage, but most low-skilled jobs will pay around 10-11 an hour.

I guess though, that's kind of an obvious statement. "Don't live in Raleigh if you can't afford to live in Raleigh."

I might expand on these thoughts at a later time, but hopefully for now I've given you some food for thought; or at the very least an entertaining read for a few minutes.

I love my city, and I love the friends I've made in it, but the sad truth is that nowhere is perfect for everyone; leastways Raleigh. If Raleigh sounds like the kind of place you'd like to live in, at least take a day trip to come visit and see how things go that way. Visit some stores, meet some locals, and form an opinion off of more than travel blogs and youtube videos.