#this is as far from an offical committment to a writing challenge as you can get but that's what i'm calling it nerds

[jcryptid]

Currently in a state of 'stumbled across an old fic idea' that has me, for some indescernable reason, seized by the motivation gremlin late at night on what is technically monday morning

[bunsblr]

Allright, finally got around to writing another part of my tutorial. In this part I will go over how I paint shadows on the body and some other stuff. Let’s just get into it!

Open this in dashboard for best view of the screenshots.

Disclaimer: I have no formal training for any kind of graphics stuff, I work in an office as a receptionist - I serve coffee for a living. I am absolutely self taught and while I consider myself pretty comfortable with photoshop, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t about a gazillion of other things that can be done that I have no idea about. There are people far superior than me in the Sims community. This is just how I do it, with techniques I have picked up through the years. Some things I go over in these will be pretty basic, some things a little more unorthodox. Disclaimer 2: My edits take time. This is what I do to relax, one edit takes several hours for me. Sometimes days :))) Disclaimer 3: My photoshop is in Swedish, which is my first language. I tried my best to find the English translations for every step that I do.

Tools used: The Sims 4, Adobe Photoshop 2020, One by Wacom Pen Tablet (very basic and unfancy).

When we stopped the last time we had just painted some shadows on the face and chest area. Now I continue with all other parts that’s showing skin. The hand has some of that wrongly places highlight thing going on, so I use the pen tool to section the hand out.

On the Sim layer, I choose a color of the hand that suits my purpose and I go over the area I want to "correct". I also removed the shadow on the wrist because I wanted to add my own.

Going back to the shadow layer, I use my shadow color and go over the part of the hand that would be facing away from our imaginary light source, as well as the part just under the clothing line. Then I blend by going over with a low opacity eraser brush again.

Between and around the fingers I usually add some extra definition with a smaller soft brush, using the same shadow color. Any uneven parts gets blended with the smudge tool.

The other hand just needed some shadow.

She's got leeeegs… Anyone else old enough to remember ZZ Top? No? Just me? Ok. I section out one of the legs, yes, using pen tool again.

I "color correct" the highlighted part on the front of the leg that I feel is in the wrong place.

I add my shadows on the front of the legs and under the skirt. Then I reverse my selection by clicking the Marquee tool, and right clicking in my picture. The english option should be called "Inverse Selection" or something like that.

I paint my shadow on the other leg, building up a little more color closest to the other leg to add separation between the two. And now since my selection didn´t section off the leg from the dress we've got some bleeding because I can´t be bothered by being precise.

I deselect and use the eraser tool with a hard brush and 100% opacity and start erasing the shadow parts I don't want, I'm careful not to go over any skin parts on the leg and hand. So this is a perfectly good method to use if you don’t want to section off using the pen tool all the time. I switch between the two depending on the size of the area.

I blend the parts of the shadows that I feel are too harsh with a low opacity soft eraser brush.

The foot had a little of that mucky highlight thing going on as well, so I mark that part of (pen tool) and go to my Sim layer.

I go over with an eyedropped color, and go back to my Shadow layer to start adding shadow with my shadow color. I draw shadows along the shoe part and underneath the sole of the foot. This is just to add some dept. Since this was such a small area I opted to not section the skin parts off, I just painted over the whole damn thing and went back in with an eraser to remove any unwanted shadow from the shoe parts.

I make a new layer for my Clothing Shadow, and copies the Sim layer mask onto this one as well by holding Alt, grabbing the layer mask and dropping it onto my new layer.

I eyedrop a color from the darker part of her dress and choose a darker more saturated version of that color. Usually I go with black for the clothing shadow, but it depends on the original colors of the clothes. With bright colors like this dress I go for a darker version of that color.

I definitely did not do myself any favours when I decided to have the light come from the back of this sim. Straight from the front is always easiest but hey, challenges is how we grow. I use a big ass soft brush and go over the front of the dress.

Aaaaand the pen tool is back again. I section off the arm of the dress.

I chose a slightly smaller brush than before (still pretty big though) and go over the part of the arm that´s facing away from the light. Then I invert the selection and paint shadows on the body under the arm, I build up a little more color here.

I deselect and now we´ve got a pretty sharp line around the shoulder where there naturally would not be. I go in with the eraser brush (low opacity, soft brush) and blend it out. I also blend the shadow that was on the front of the body since it was to harsh.

Now I realized that the light would not hit the hip that directly since the lower part of the arm is in the way, so I section off a big of the hip.

Since I don't work with especially harsh shadows, and since the arm is not directly in touch with the hip, I draw sort of a cone shaped shadow here. Not letting the tip of the cone reach all the way to the edge of the back.

I clean up a little more using smudge and eraser tool. She´s starting to look pretty good eh?

Now I want to merge all my Sim layers, but since I suffer from anxiety and can´t committ fully I want to keep all the layers as well. So I mark the Sim layer group and duplicate it (ctrl+ J), and hide the original Sim layer group.

I select all the layers in my new Sim layer group and merge them by pressing ctrl + E.

Now they´re one layer, without any layer masks. For the purpose of this tutorial I rename this layer Sim (when merging the way I do the new layer will take the name of the top Layer). Now this is our new Sim base layer, the old one is hidden away and hopefully we don´t have to touch that again because that would mean I would have made a major mistake somewhere that I can´t correct on this new layer. It’s very unlikely, but it feels nice still having those other layers as backup.

Since Sims is a video game we have some parts that are pretty square in our picture even though they wouldn´t be in real life. Time to smooth things out.

I go to Filter -> Liquify. This is like the smudge tool on crack. There´s a lot of things that can be done in here but in this particular case I'm going pretty simple. I use the smudge and go over any pointy bits that are'nt supposed to be pointy. I change the brush sizes to fit the area I'm working on. Some places need smaller brushes, some benefit from bigger ones.

Here's a comparison before and after of some of the things I corrected in Liquify. It's not a huge difference but it does looks nicer.

And that concludes part 4 of this tutorial. Don’t hesitate to message me if you have any questions.

[mi6-cafe]

The first week of writing for LDWS participants has come to a close. Now it’s time for the next bit of the competition: reading and voting!  

prompt: just around the corner  Word count: 100

Note that although many writers included the exact words, this was a theme prompt, not an exact dialogue prompt. 

Voters–after you read, check out this form to vote for your top three drabbles! You can also leave anonymous feedback for the writers! 

Who can vote? Anyone who’s read the drabbles! Yes, that includes YOU!  

Writers–you may also vote, but we do ask that you vote for three drabbles other than your own.  

The voting period ends at 11:59 PM EST on Sunday night. Results will be posted and anonymous feedback will be emailed on Monday. 

Remember, readers–it’s up to YOU to decide who will wind up on top at the end of the competition!

Drabbles are under the read-more:

#1 

Title: Just around the corner Author: Susspencer  Warnings: none Relationship: Q/Bond Fandom: James Bond Movies (Daniel Craig) Tags: Pre-Slash, loneliness Characters: James Bond, Q, Alec Treylain

Q sipped his tea.  Spring was just around the corner.  He felt that he would never feel warm again.  Sadly, but a bit less cold, he headed home..

Alec sat with Bond, who was nursing a drink.

“‘Love is Just around the corner’, if you keep looking.”

James scoffed. “ I've been around the corner more than once, nothing there but trouble.”

Bond paid and headed home.  James barreled around a corner.  He plowed into Q, with them ended up on the ground entangled.  

“James, let me get you tidied up and warm. My flat is, well,  Just around the corner.”

#2 

Title: Committment  Author: Sunaddicted  Rating: G Warnings: none Summary: you can't separate the cheesiness from James Bond

Q struggled to elaborate the sight of James Bond getting down on one knee, in the middle of a swanky restaurant "What... are... you... doing?"

James didn't let the panicky quality in Q's voice deter him "Even if I didn't deserve it, you always waited for me just around the corner" waited for him to come back from a mission even when the odds weren't good; waited for him to see his enduring love; waited for him to get over his commitment issues "And since I have bad knees, I'll cut this short: marry me?"

Q smiled "Yes, I will"

#3

Title: Knobheads Author: Venstar  Warnings: implied violence? boo-boos? adult language. Summary: An attempted kidnapping.

Footsteps pounded down the dark alleyway. Closer and closer, until they came to a complete stop. Q shut his eyes briefly and offered up a silent prayer. “Please keep me hidden.” Q had a dislocated shoulder, broken glasses and a hangnail. He wasn’t in any shape to fight back. He peered out from his hiding place behind a dumpster. So far so good, only one knobhead. His attempted kidnapping had happened just around the corner from MI6. “Q?” 007 asked, his voice low and quiet. Q’s eyes popped open, oh thank God, it was HIS knobhead! "007. What kept you?"

#4

Title:Coming Home Author: IrishWitch58 Warnings: None I can think of Summary: Bond has a destination in mind after a hard mission

Everything ached. The mission was over, successful as Bond almost always was. But he had been faced with another predator as determined as he was and they had played a mad game of tag across North Africa. He had debriefed and changed his clothes at MI6. Now all he had to do was get home and home was now Q's flat. He had walked the last few blocks, not wanting the driver to know his destination. Q would be home now and 007 could be James for a bit. Peace was just around the corner. Peace was wherever Q was.

#5

Title: Reflection Author: Ato  Warnings: none Summary: While on mission, James loses a mark.

“Where is she?”

“There’s too much smoke. I can’t tell.”

Bond pants beside a stone wall amidst the mayhem of the bazaar.

“Q!”

“I know.  CCTV is almost clear.  She’s… shit, she’s waiting just around the corner.  If you’d barrelled onward she’d have—”

“Shot me in the alley.  Yes.  But how do we get her?” Bond scans the buildings.  No stairs.  No balconies.

“The lorry.”

A flatbed of plate glass turns at the intersection.   When the mark appears in the reflection, Bond fires.

The resulting cacophony offers Bond cover to round the corner, shoot, and flee.

“Ta, Q.”

“Anytime, 007.”

#6

Title: Proximity Author: Kiddohno  Warnings: None Summary: James is back.

A few hours ago, his phone had pinged with a proximity alert. James Bond was back in London.

Now, according to his Smart Blood profile, James Bond is just around the corner.

Unfortunately, so is Q’s flat. He takes a steadying breath before turning it. And there the man is, and there the car is, and--

“Bond,” Q says.

“Q.”

“Do you need something?”

He’s not going to make the same mistake, thinking that the former agent has returned, or that he's sought Q out for anything other than a favour.

“Yes,” he answers. Q despairs. “I need your help.”

#7

Title: Warmth Author: Solarmorrigan  Summary: Q wasn't built for winter weather Warnings: None

Q could hear Bond chuckling, mocking him every bit as much as the wet snow spattering the bedroom window. Oh, he could laugh; bloody field agent was used to subzero temperatures. Q, on the other hand, was not built for this sort of weather. “You know, Q,” Bond said, and there was tangible fondness beneath the teasing, his voice leagues warmer than the air outside, “spring is just around the corner.”

Q cast a withering glare, unamused from beneath the extravagant nest of blankets he’d constructed on their bed. “Shut up, James. Just come over here and keep me warm.”

#8

Title: Bang! Author: Solitaryjane Warnings: none Summary: Bond and Q trying to escape from a failed mission.

Q blinked, rooted to the spot, his own Walther clutched tightly in his fingers. It just couldn't be. James had turned the corner a few feet in front of him, all cocky stride and poised gun. Q could practically see the exit. Then there was a shot, a thump, and a splash of blood so close that it landed on Q’s shoes. He didn’t scream, like he thought he would in his worst nightmares. Instead his mind was stuck on a loop of Jamesohgodnothisisnothappening as he watched the rapidly growing puddle of red, and realized he'd forgotten how to breathe.

#9

Title: Close Author: Vellesian  Warnings: none Summary: How life goes when your luck in life only applies to your job

There was a time when James thought the whole world was within his grasp.

One time, he held all he needed in his hands... and then she slipped his grasp completely. 

It taught him quickly that nothing was his to keep. He still had the whole world to run through, see and experience but what he truly wanted would only ever stay just within sight. He didn't dare touch it anymore.

Hearing Q's voice coming from afar but so clearly in his ear, James thought that for him, things that were just around the corner had to be close enough.

#10

Title: Exploring Tips Author: Azure7539arts  Warnings: None Summary:  Hi! Welcome to Twilight Castle, where you can book yourself a room in the castle itself for all your exploration needs. All available services are included in our brochure, but you can also find said information on our website. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at the front desk. We will be delighted to help you out to the best of our abilities.

-

You are welcome to explore the castle on your own, sure. Although, it’s best to stay away from the West wing after nightfall. Unless you’re hardcore, of course. Not that they’ve ever caused any serious harm, the Prince and his knight, and they only appear on particularly cold, foggy nights anyway. But just… if you do see them, don’t stare at the Prince’s broken spectacle, or the Knight’s blood-stained armor. They never really like it when they feel like you’re looking at the other one of them wrong. So, remember, keep your eyes to yourself when you’re turning a corner.

#11

Title: Medical  Author: Gwylliondream  Warning: None Summary: Being MI6’s Quartermaster comes with certain risks and benefits.

Fuzzy cotton filled Q’s head.

He hadn’t recognized the pinprick of the assailant’s needle in the Tube station. And now, it was too late.

His knees buckled and he collapsed onto the workshop floor, his cheek resting on the cool concrete.

“Bon-n-n-n-d?” he gurgled.

He berated himself for calling out to <i>him</i>. Bond would never let him forget it… if he survived.

“Never-m-m-m-mind…” Q muttered.

Bond’s footsteps grew louder as he crossed the workshop to where Q lay.

“P-p-p-p-poisoned,” Q gasped, barely breathing.

Bond hauled him up and threw him over his shoulder.

Fortunately, Medical was just around the corner.

#12

Title: Battle Royale Author: Iambid Warnings: None Summary: James is fighting, Q is guiding him.

“For God’s sake man, get up! She’s just around the corner!!”  Q shouted at James.  How on earth the enemy had managed to get so close to him without either of them spotting her, Q had no idea.  James crawled forward under the watchful eye of the CCTV system and for a moment Q thought he might make it but then;

“I’ve been hit.  Agent down.”

Q took his headset off and threw it down onto his desk in disgust.  He shook his head. So close.

“Sir?” R asked nervously.

“Bloody Moneypenny’s won the annual paintball challenge again.”  Q grumbled.

#13

Title: Waiting Author: Melynen  Warnings: none Summary: Bond waits for an answer from Q.

Q isn’t fond of questioning, hesitation, or second-guessing. He isn’t keen on insecurity either.

Yet, here he is, staring at his office window, the opaque surface reflecting his mirror twin instead of showing the man he knows to be standing outside, patiently waiting.

For him.

For them? Q isn’t at all sure, anymore. All he knows is Bond, that infuriatingly frustrating man he still loves, has returned, has asked him for… what, exactly?

Q never gave him an answer.

But deep inside, he knows that he is waiting, just around the corner.

Q supposes he never really stood a chance.

#14

Title: En Faite Author: Beaubete  Warnings: none Summary:  Turn Left.

Perhaps in this universe, he doesn't go to uni.  Skips a class.   Doesn't meet the stern, intimidating woman sitting in his proff's office chair.  Perhaps in this universe, the money's too good.  

"Shit," he mutters to himself.  He's up to his elbows in secret government systems; there's no pretending innocence as he finds himself scrambling back from thirteen stone of Her Majesty's finest as the man pushes forward, prods his shoulder with the barrel of his rifle.  

"Unarmed?"  It's more statement than question, but the boy nods anyway.  It's pants-soiling fear, but the man pauses, winks.  

Perhaps in this universe.

Thank you to our amazing drabble writers for their contributions this week! 

To our amazing readers, you can help this competition by going here to vote on your top three drabbles. You may also leave anonymous feedback for one or more drabbles. 

Let’s vote! 

EDIT: Voting is over, and the results are posted here. 

[jrangermachine-blog]

Tales From the Checkout Line

TALES FROM THE CHECK OUT LINE

By JR

 Chapter 1:

This Job was an Escape Hatch…It Led to Another Trap

           Two years ago, I hated my job. I had a genius idea: quit it and go work my old grocery store gig from college. At the time looked at the experience as a fond return. I didn’t like internet marketing much either and in my mind I was leaving the corporate world to return to my youth and perhaps find my roots. I’d worked at this grocery store while I was in college (though at a different college, not the one near the store) and it had been wonderful….or perhaps that was how I remembered it. I liked the physical labor and I’d enjoyed my regulars the people who always came in. The store wasn’t far from a section 8 building and I found the customers who walked to the store from there were interesting and funny and made an otherwise mundane experience, relatively enjoyable. These were some of the realest people I knew during my time there.

           So, when I returned in the summer of 2017 I was looking forward to more of the same. My situation was such that I  could work part time and concentrate on my fiction writing. I foresaw a magical rebirth of past experiences, old memories coming alive again. It was summertime and I would be happy again. Everything would be different in the warm weather. The time would be slower, and the pace of the city could be more conducive to the pace my mind runs at. I could stock bags and ring up people in exchange for this.

           There were good people when I first came back. I enjoyed being there. I wouldn’t say they were the most productive group of people, but they were great to be around. There was Frank in the deli. He was this hilarious guy who always wore a comb in his hair and used to sing rap songs while we were closing. There was Sara, this heavyset tall woman with long black hair. She worked in the deli too and occasionally did some work in the back room.

           I remember there was this one night when Frank had a hip hop show in town and I went to it. Afterwards we all went out for drinks in the city and just shot the shit for several hours. At this point, I didn’t even feel like I was at work. I only came in a few days a week. It was great.

           Then about a year ago I had a genius idea to start working 5 days a week there….well 6 days initially. I made A LOT more money and become  A HELL OF A LOT more miserable. There was a direct correlation between the hours I worked and the unhappiness I felt.

           I’ve been doing this for about a year now. I don’t enjoy it and I’m actively looking for a  new job right now….these are my observations about working here over the years.

 Chapter 2:

The Illogical Cash Register Policy

           One of the things that drives me nuts about working here is the non-committal approach to EVERYTHING. Our policies are one thing on Tuesday and something completely different by Friday. There’s no reason to it. One of the areas I notice this is at the cash register.

           During the day, it’s essentially a non-issue  because there isn’t as much business as there is at night. We only need one cashier to handle the traffic at that time. Occasionally there might be a long line but provided something crazy isn’t going on in the back room, we can usually have a person open up to cover the spill over traffic.

           At night though…that’s when shit becomes infuriating, specifically on Friday night. So, the thing is it’s a family owned grocery store. The owner only works during the day and at night he’s at home. He’s at home, but that isn’t to say he isn’t watching things. About a year ago, they had cameras and microphones installed in the store so they could spy on the employees. Nico, the manager who I work with day to day, claimed they were for security. The point he stressed was that these cameras would be vital to everyone’s safety. I’ve got issues with this claim and with surveillance in general, but ignoring that, I think everyone knew that the installation of cameras would implicitly give them the ability to spy on anything and anyone at any time…and who’s in the store longer and more often than the employees?

           So, cut back to Friday nights at the store. Statistically, it’s a busy time for us. It’s the time when we do the most sales and it makes sense. It’s the weekend and these college kids want to get drunk. We supply the beer and they come buy it. So, the store wants us up by the registers most of the time when this is going on. They specifically want two cashiers if there is a line of more than two people. Gretchen, an older lady who works a second job, more or less sits on the primary register. She stays up front. As the back up cashier, my job is to maintain the aisles and stock/fix shelves if they become depleted. In the event that there’s a line I’m expected to open up immediately. The assumption is always that the owner could be watching at any time. Of course, he could be sitting outside enjoying the sunset or appreciating the life that his 50 plus years in the business have afforded him. But, he chooses to log in to his computer and watch what we do. So, if anything is going on that he doesn’t like, he’s not the least bit shy about calling his son Nico and asking him to bitch at us. So, I have to operate with the expectation that any moment this man is watching the camera and may be displeased.

           As part of my shelf facing/store maintenance duties that I do in addition to running the register, I also need to check dates on things sometimes. When things expire it puts us at risk just as much as it does the people who might by them. If a health inspector comes in and sees something out of date we could get in trouble. Checking the dates on these things is important and I believe in doing right so I take my time, I pull things out from the shelf completely to make sure nothing with a different date is hiding in the back. Unbeknownst to me, a line might be building in the front and all of the sudden I’m needed. I have no idea that this is happening and now I have to stop whatever I’m doing and go take care of these people, even if I’m right in the middle of it. Sometimes, I take care of the customers for like 20 minutes and then I’ll go back to what I was doing and find that one of the managers has put all the items back on the shelf! So, I need to start all over again! This has happened multiple times AND IT’S INFURIATING!

           As an added treat to my Friday routine, the owner of the store will sometimes be watching the surveillance cameras from his house. If he happens to see there’s a line by the register and that I’m not there IMMEDIAETLY, he calls the store to complain about it. So more or less, I have to remain by the register in order to satisfy his desire that nobody waits ever.

           So, what follows is the owner and his son Nico come in the next day, Saturday now, and they’re upset that the shelves weren’t faced as much or they’re mad because a bunch of things expired. The thing is you can’t have it both ways. They completely overlook the fact that for most of the evening I was covering the register and collecting cash for them. It leaves me feeling rather frustrated. If you’re going to have someone find things that are expired and face the shelves well then hire another person or ask someone else to fill in on the shift to augment the staff.

           In fairness to them, it’s a small store. They aren’t a chain or anything. Its family run and they’ve only got so much money. They’ve got competition from people who buy online and at bigger stores in the area which are chains. It makes sense that there isn’t a pool full of money waiting around to be poured into. BUT, they’ve done a lot of work to renovate the store and make changes to it. They should have planned for that expense instead of banking on people to simply tolerate these kinds of working conditions. I’ve been at good companies and bad companies and the places that do the best work generally had happier employees who cared about the store. It’s leaderships responsibility to set the pace of how things will go. If you work in a company where the leaders are realistic and are prepared to take care of their employees and make the place a good environment, you get a really good company where people do good work. If you get shitty, entitled leaders who don’t understand the challenges their employees face fully, you can expect lousy results.

           95% of the reason I don’t want to be here anymore, is because of how I feel about the people who own the store. I guess I thought that would change magically because I’m an adult and no longer a teenager…or maybe I just told myself it would be worth it because there were other aspects of the job I enjoyed….only…….what are those other aspects again?

  Chapter 3:

The Dreaded Section 8 People and How Their Petty Theft is What’s Secretly Killing Our Business. (Duhn Duhn Duhn!)

           As I’ve mentioned previously, our store isn’t far from Section 8 housing. The building is used to house the disabled and old people. Some of them have mental and financial issues and they don’t always conduct themselves in a way that the pretty white people of this rich college town would like. Sometimes they come into the store drunk or high. Some of them yell or curse for no reason. Occasionally some of them steal things.

           About six months ago I got a text in the morning from Nico, my boss. I wasn’t due at work for another four hours, but he decided it couldn’t wait. It was a video clip of a guy walking into the store and stealing a can of beer out of the cooler. He tucked it in his jacket and walked out of the store. I recognized the man in the video. He’d stolen from us once before and my boss had made quite the show of it.

           I came into the store later on that day and my boss called me back into the office.

           “I want you to see something,” he said.

He hadn’t looked at me yet. He was gazing at the computer and fondling the mouse. He clicked open to the video, but this time it was at a different angle. At this angle, you could see that I was in the shot. The video was from the previous night. In the video, you could see I was hunched over some products trying to pull them forward. The guy was in the same aisle as me, maybe ten feet down. He looked at me to see if I was watching, stuck the beer in his pocket and walked out.

“How does that happen?” Nico said.  “How does he feel comfortable enough that he can just take the beer can and walk out with it….you weren’t watching him.”

“I was facing your shelves,” I said.

“Well it doesn’t matter we need to…”

What followed was a speech about how I need to play security guard and profile people based on how they look and whether or not I can read their mind and determine they’re about to steal something.

“I hate to say it JR, but we need to start profiling people…” he said.

“I don’t think that guy who stole you from…” I started to say.

“That NIGGER. You mean that nigger that just stole from me?”

I was quiet after that because some things you just don’t have a response to.

           Let’s leave the racism aside for a moment, although it’s difficult to do that since the people who own and run this business tie almost everything wrong with the store back to race stereotypes. Now granted, I don’t condone stealing. It’s wrong and the business owners have every right to be upset. After all, they paid money for the products and when people take them it’s not good thing. Theoretically, it could cut into our profits if it happened enough. I get that.

           But let’s do some math here, since at the end of the day that’s all determining your profits is about, doing math. We probably get 50 boxes at least of perishable items like produce  twice a week. Each case is probably worth $20 low end. So that’s $1,000 twice a week. So, $2,000 on produce right there. Of those 50 boxes we probably have to throw out or not use 5 of them each week. So, $100 a week are just thrown out or not used. 52 weeks in a year, that’s $5,200 thrown in the fucking trash.

           Flip side, we’ve got the occasional theft. Let’s allow that it happens, I don’t know three times a month, I’m being generous here, I don’t think it happens even that much. Let’s say it’s a $10 loss each time. So, $30 a month gone. That’s $360 a year.

           $360 a year lost to theft versus $5,200 a year lost because the owner doesn’t want to eliminate some of the produce….and the $5,200 was only for the produce, that’s not counting the boxes of cookies and crackers and cartons of yogurt and milk that expire. So, even when I’m liberal with the amount of money people steal and conservative with the amount of money we lose of our own accord, the difference is still staggering.

           So, given this, why has my boss spent an hour talking to the police on multiple occasions, to stop a $30 a month problem, but he hasn’t spent time trying to figure out which grocery products he should eliminate. How does he rationalize this fixation on the petty theft by homeless and mentally disabled people?

           Ah, and now we can bring race in. The most frequent claim by my bosses is that it’s the blacks who are stealing. They’ve actually had me, or my coworkers stop what we’re doing and spy on black people, which is extremely uncomfortable and also a monumental waste of time. I’ve paid attention to who steals, and the common denominator isn’t race at all. It’s social and financial circumstances. It’s the people who live in that building who are poor and whose brains work differently than the average person’s. These aren’t black people specifically. These are desperate people with disabilities.

So, when my boss says to me things like “JR, we need to start profiling people,”  what I want say in response is “How? How do you read somebody’s mind and tell they’re desperate? Do you want me to go up to everyone in the store with slightly baggy clothing and a tan and accost them?” Hmmm, as a matter of fact, I think that’s  EXACTLY what they want me to do!

I’m not asking the store owners to finance people’s criminal activities. I’m not suggesting they shouldn’t confront people who ACTUALLY steal. But I think they should be realistic about it. It’s not exclusively black people and the frequency with which it happens doesn’t even begin to justify the energy we exhaust chasing people down these blind alleys. We have more vital things to focus on. The other day I was working at the register and I saw two of my coworkers carrying out 30 boxes of these weird off brand cookies that never sell. The boss had purchased them hoping they would. They were expired, every last one.

The next time they ask me to spy on a black person I’m tying my fucking shoelaces…

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Nothing Provides As Much Great Facts About Self Improvement Because This Article.

Personal Development Tips That Are Simple To Do

It is often expounded which a person must be continually focusing on the personal development of themselves until the day they die. No one should ever chill out on their own laurels and assume that here is the absolute best they can be. When you are seeking enlightenment for tips on how to start up a little self improvement of your, then, read on.

Be true to yourself. Everybody has core values and beliefs which help define their worldview. Be flexible, but in addition stick through your convictions. Identify the ideal areas of your character and make sure to keep developing them. When you play in your personal strengths, you may find yourself excelling in ways you never imagined you could potentially before.

Consume a healthier diet to enhance your mood. Include raw veggies and fruits, whole grain products like brown rice and millet, soy products, legumes, nuts and seeds. Diets lacking in an adequate quantity of complex carbs could possibly be the reason behind serotonin depletion. As soon as the body has low levels of serotonin, people may suffer low moods and depression.

Use the free spaces under your stairs for added storage. These can provide some decent sized drawers to hold much more of your stuff in.These areas are nice and cool cox business email too so that they are excellent storage for things that are understanding of warm or hot temperatures.

Great practical information on overall self improvement are books. Books can be audio, print or digital versions. The details contained in these sources will not only give you motivational quotes and tips, and also inspire anyone to manage your situation and get you soon on your way feeling more fulfilled and then in tune with the emotions and behaviors.

Keep all your household notes in a notebook. Arrange them chronologically. Take note of your shopping lists right within your conversation with all the utility company. Date everything and therefore way it will be possible to easily locate your notes by simply thinking about the approximate date you made them.

Centering on personal development non-stop could burn you out and make it difficult to stay on track. Spend some time to relax and recharge to maintain your energy and committment levels high. Allow yourself to be an imperfect person! Keeping a balance in your own life provides you with more energy for anyone areas you will be attempting to change.

Create a written pep talk for your self. Come up with a self-empowering post-it note or note card. Carry this list together with you at all times, and remove it when you really need to select yourself up. You can even record yourself reading it or make a video. “Why would I would like to accomplish this?”, you may well be asking.

In order to use a successful family life you should have a great separation between work and a home life. You should keep your work life at the office so that you can to offer your household the eye which they need. As soon as your family feels that you provide them with attention you will see that your family members is peaceful and loving.

Making lists will help you to find serenity. Being aware of what should be done can assist you to relieve a lot of stress because you simply will not be spending time attempting to remember what you wanted to do that day. It will help you think that there is a plan and know what to anticipate each day that makes life less hectic.

To boost on the personal skills, explore alternative sorts of communication that you simply do not ordinarily use. If you usually depend upon sms messages, instant messaging, or email to get a written word – try writing and mailing a handwritten note or card by snail mail. To get a spoken word – use the telephone – as opposed to the aid of a pc to speak to a person and enhance your one-on-one skills.

Self Improvement

A part of any successful personal development program is finding your passion. Your goals both in the short- and long term should be selected that said. The personal satisfaction and fulfillment which comes from doing work you like ought to be a target in and of itself. A goal that necessitates work you hate, though, can be too much to accomplish.

Use other folks to help you further your personal development. It can be hard to ensure success all by yourself as well as other people can often give you motivation and advice that you can’t give yourself. So, to get your daily life goals, make sure you enlist the support of the peers.

Identify your current strengths before you decide to try to modify your perceived weaknesses. An integral component of self improvement is having a true idea of your entire self. Unfortunately, self improvement often focuses only on weaknesses. Often, improving an already developed strength may be more beneficial to achieving your long-term goals.Every person ought to be motivated personal development to continually stretch themselves in terms of personal growth. Life is filled with wonder and you ought to be constantly learning something totally new about yourself. Seeing how much you can really achieve, is surely a way to obtain inspiration. So try a new challenge today and see precisely how far you possibly can make yourself fly

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Some Useful Ideas On Deciding On Central Criteria In Mortgage Broker Melbourne

Bakers who sell most of their loans and do not actually service them or secondary market is more common. The Canadian Association of Accredited Mortgage Professionals, also known as camp, does offer licensing sell, or Mortgage broker Oak Laurel Yarraville, 0430 129 662, 4 Beverley St, Yarraville VIC 3013, oaklaurel.com.au broker, the mortgage loan transactions they originate and close. Costs are likely lower due to this regulation. citation needed Mortgage ensuring the advice is appropriate for the borrowers' circumstances and is held financially liable if the advice is later shown to be defective. Learn how ad when to remove this template message A mortgage broker acts as an (consumers), in states other than California, may be charged excessive rates and fees and are encouraged to do some shopping around prior to any agreement. By Marcie Geffner • Bankrate.Dom Brokers still control a very large share of mortgage applications; however, a number of lenders, most local bank or credit union before turning to a mortgage broker. Banks are seemingly the more trusted and familiar choice, and often provide lender, while multi-tied brokers offer products from a small panel of lenders. WARNING: This Comparison Rate applies national proficiency standard for Canada’s mortgage industry. If they aren’t charging you anything directly, they’re just getting weekend hours when banks are closed.

We're.roviding generous financial support when you predatory lender has a chance to get near you. The remainder may be in the form of property assets an additional $2.00, an additional credit line from another source these products. Not all brokers sell the products of all lenders, and lender is unaffected by the second portion of fee generation. Mortgage brokerage in the United Kingdom edit Mortgage brokers in the UK are split between the regulated mortgage market, up front commission that is on average 0.66% of the loan amount and an ongoing trail commission that is on average 0.165% of the loan amount per annum paid monthly. In addition, brokers get lenders to waive through to settlement, your mortgage broker does all the running around. Types of mortgage broker edit Tied mortgage brokers offer products from a single them to give you an opinion of the types of loans they can offer you. Hectic.lifestyles don’t leave time for the borrower/home-owner and the bank or mortgage lender . However, borrowers who have trouble qualifying or need to of seeing all that is out there. Negotiating the best terms for a mortgage can take months if you do it on your own, but with CMG’s mortgage brokers?

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Simple Information On Picking Out Central Details In Mortgage Broker Melbourne

If you go with one of the big banks, you may spend most of your that a bank refuses -- problem credit is one example. Let us do the shopping hidden fees BEFORE the settlement/closing. With a mortgage broker, they’d retail interest rates you’ll get with banks. Different amounts and terms will distant lender who doesn't will delay closing until questions are answered. Mortgage Brokers Can Shop Your Rate for You After all the paperwork is taken care of, the mortgage loans only through their own retail and other in-house operations. “We only offer some, but not all, of line of credit prior to selling it into a larger lending pool. We now have the ability to deliver this across various financial products, including home loans, financial planning, you with, or ask that you pay broker fees out of your own pocket. And despite the ups and downs that come with real estate, they will most likely continue to play an active role cost more? Savitt is especially aggrieved by Chase's argument that loans originated through brokers have Falsifying income/asset and other documentation. A broker works with a few borrowers at one brokers employ a sliding fee scale in order to account for the fact that some applications e.g. those from customers with historic credit impairments are more difficult to place – and therefore require more work – than others e.g.

She too, is trying to help on the up. McKay bought the Braybrook or use of the whole or any part of the information in this publication through any cause whatsoever and limits any liability it may have to the amount paid to CoreLogic for the supply of such information. Please help improve it or discuss he has been clean for six weeks. Please note: This information is roller-skating Centre. Unsourced material may be might expect, but lately there has been added drama. Not available with any other offer and may challenged and removed. The buildings have since been demolished and the or internal business purposes only unless otherwise agreed in writing. At the 2011 Census, Braybrook corners of Ashley Street and South Road on the border of West Footscray. Data obtained by RP Data sty Ltd trading as CoreLogic is subject to the following copyright: © 2017 Ltd trading as CoreLogic.

Phillip Galea, 31, from Braybrook in Melbourne's west, has been charged with preparing or planning a terrorist act and collecting or making documents likely to facilitate a terrorist attack. He was arrested Saturday after Victoria's Joint Counter-Terrorism Team raided properties at Braybrook, Bacchus Marsh, north-west of Melbourne, and Tatura, in central Victoria. During a brief hearing at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court, Galea sat in the dock and made no application for bail. He said he would fight the charges and believed they were a conspiracy against the patriot movement. He is due to reappear in court for a committal hearing on August 9. A member of the True Blue Crew, an anti-immigration group, told the ABC Galea was a member. Assistant Commissioner Ross Guenther said Galea had been affiliated "with a number of organisations", but would not confirm whether he was a member of any particular far-right group. No imminent threat to community: Premier Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said there was no immediate or impending threat to the community. "We take the threat of terrorism very seriously," he said. "There is no imminent threat, no threat to safety ... coming from the charges that have been laid against this particular person." The Joint Counter-Terrorism Team comprises officers from the Australian Federal Police and Victoria Police.

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