#wasworking

[istjury]

this unpleasant gradient shows up at your front door

i hate being blonde only because it messes up my sona's look 🙁 empty space moment but ummm its a ref sheet thingie but its at least not a silly

[ashesofariandel]

secret: well it s not really a high stakes secret but its still weird. when i was in preschool i remember my teacher tripping over something and twisting her ankle. she got really mad and wanted to know what she tripped over/if she had someone to scold for it. 20 years later i must say i remember very clearly she tripped over my wooden block tower i wasworking on with a friend and i got really mad bc she destroyed it when she tripped on it. </3

HELP ME..... good tho. i once put the principles of my highschool coat on the ground and nobody noticed

[emi1y]

idon t want to be hwre im sicky my throat hurts 3 other students are out sick today but i came in and ir was a mistake and i dont have anything to do bc i wasworking with the people who are out but i can't just stand around visibly not doing anythjng so i need to ask to be given work to do but i don't want to so right now im hiding in the bathroom but eventually either someone else will come in or someone in class will notice that im missing bc technically he did give me other work to do but I don't know how to do it without help but he's doing other things so i dont want to ask and my tunny hurtts and my throat hurts and my heart hurts for unrelated reasons and im tired and im hungry and i want to go home

[brookemedbil]

Open Your Future: The True Cost of Medical Coding Certification Explained

Unlock Your Future: The True Cost of Medical Coding Certification ‌Explained

In today’s healthcare ecosystem, medical ‍coding⁢ plays a ⁤vital role in ensuring accurate billing and regulatory ���compliance. If you’re contemplating a career in this essential field, ‍you may wonder about⁣ the costs associated with obtaining a medical coding certification. This article will‍ guide you through the various expenses involved,⁣ the benefits of⁤ certification, practical tips for success, and ⁣real-world insights from those who have navigated this path.

Understanding Medical Coding Certification

Medical coding is the process of translating healthcare diagnoses, procedures, medical services, and equipment into universal ​medical alphanumeric codes. Certified medical coders are ⁤in high demand due ⁢to the ‍increasing complexities of healthcare billing ⁤and coding regulations.

The Costs‍ of Medical Coding Certification

Becoming‌ a certified medical coder is an investment in your professional⁣ future. Below, we break down the costs you can expect:

1.⁢ Tuition‍ Fees

Depending ​on where you choose to study, tuition​ fees for ⁤medical coding programs can‌ vary significantly:

Type of⁤ Institution

Average Cost

Community Colleges

$2,000 – $4,000

Vocational Schools

$5,000 – $10,000

Online Courses

$1,000 – $6,000

2. Certification Exam Fees

To ​become certified, candidates must take and pass⁣ an exam. The ​costs for these‍ exams can⁣ include:

AAPC Certification: approximately $400

AHIMA Certification: approximately $300

3. Study Materials

Investing in proper⁤ study materials is crucial for your​ success:

Textbooks: $50 – $150 each

Online practice exams: $50 – $200

Study guides and flashcards: $30 – $100

4. Continuing⁢ Education

Once certified, continuing education is necessary ⁢to‌ maintain​ your certification. Expect ⁣to spend:

Annual continuing education courses: $100 – $500

Professional association memberships: $100 – $200 per year

Total Estimated Costs

When you sum all the categories, the total ⁢estimated cost to obtain‍ medical coding certification ranges from:

Low end: $2,650

High⁤ end: $16,300

Benefits of Medical Coding Certification

Despite these costs, the benefits of obtaining a medical coding certification can far outweigh the initial investment. Here are some key advantages:

Increased Earning Potential: Certified ⁤medical coders often earn higher salaries compared ⁣to ⁢their non-certified counterparts.

Job Security: ⁤ With the growing demand for healthcare⁢ services, certified professionals⁣ are more likely to find stable employment.

Career Advancement: Certification can open doors for promotions and specialized roles ‍within‍ the healthcare industry.

Professional​ Recognition: Earning certification demonstrates ‍your commitment and expertise in the field,‌ enhancing your credibility.

Real-world Success Stories

Understanding the experiences of others can provide valuable insights. Here⁤ are⁤ a couple of case studies from certified⁣ medical coders:

Case Study 1: Sarah’s Journey

Sarah wasworking as a medical biller and felt unfulfilled. She decided to ‍invest in certification, ⁢costing her about $3,500 in total. After passing her exam, Sarah landed a job as a medical coder, increasing her annual salary from $35,000 to $50,000 within a year.

Case Study 2: John’s⁢ Career Transition

John was a recent⁢ college graduate with a degree in biology. He decided​ to pivot to medical coding by enrolling in an​ online program for $2,500. With diligent study and preparation, he passed his certification exam and was able to secure employment with a starting salary of $55,000.

Practical Tips for⁤ Success

Ready⁣ to embark on your medical coding journey? Here⁣ are some practical ⁤tips to help you succeed:

Choose the Right Program: Research different programs thoroughly to find one that fits your needs and budget.

Utilize Resources: Leverage online forums, study groups, and professional organizations for additional support and resources.

Create a ⁤Study Schedule: ​ Consistency ⁣is key. Set a regular study schedule⁢ to keep yourself on⁢ track.

Practice, Practice, Practice: ⁢Use practice​ tests to familiarize yourself with⁤ the exam format and types of questions.

Conclusion

while the costs of obtaining a medical ⁢coding certification can be significant, the potential​ benefits—such as increased salary, job security, ‍and career advancements—make‌ it a worthwhile⁤ investment. By understanding the‌ financial implications ‍and ‍taking the necessary steps toward certification, you can truly unlock your future in the rewarding field of medical coding. As⁤ you weigh your options, remember to leverage all available resources and‍ seek the best program for your​ needs. Your future self will thank you!

https://medicalbillingcodingcourses.net/open-your-future-the-true-cost-of-medical-coding-certification-explained/

[blackladisdestrcz]

My new videos - bye YouTube, welcome Fast Share and Datoid (if Ulož.to wasworking there would be link for that too)

Links

Have access to older parts, but not now.  So they will be reuploaded (both version I try to edit for YouTube and full explicit so atleast that time editing won´t be for nothing even if it will be just sit there)

[emmbeth]

Happy (Belated) International Women’s Day! • • • • #internationalwomensday #belated #wasworking #girlpower #grlpwr #tothosewhocamebeforeus #tothosewhowillcomeafterus #iamwoman #hearmeroar #iamwomanhearmeroar #shebelievedshecouldsoshedid #damnrightisupportit https://www.instagram.com/p/BuxCapGn-fJ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=51o8ywc1k3pl

[misha-moose-dean-burger-lover]

Shey... honey... did you finish the project? I really wanna give you a hug rn... ☹ I never gave in a 25 page research project that I had 2 months to do so I feel you

Wait did you take science stream??

Good luck 💙

heyyy, you ^^ and thanks for the luck <3 yup I did, I took PCM rip looks like it worked :3 because yeah, I finished it! it's officially 3:17 in the night morning where I am, and I am done :)

[0ystercatcher]

discord sowing the seeds of. well discord. when it crashes my bfs audio thing so he cant hear me for like a 30 whole minutes and im sittin there like am i being ignored !!!

[imjustafangirl3]

So I remember a thing about wasworking on called the emo gang so I did a little design for onion, will do blackberry next

[messinwitheddie]

So... in a fit if frustration the other day, I gave up on the painting I wasworking on and smeared the rest of my paint onto a sheet of cardstock and set it aside.

I had completely forgotten about it. Found it dry in my art room a few minutes ago. I kind of like the way it turned out.

[froggy-n-tired]

im gonna cry a oneshot i wasworking on completely dissapeared off my phone like it never rxisted 

[adobe-outdesign]

Okay, but get this. Wally wasworking a shift late at night, no one else was in the studio. Well, he DID screw in that bolt a little tighter when he wasn't supposed to. Wally flooded the studio in Joey's demon ink, and now Wally is everything. Wally is Bendy. Wally is Boris. Wally is Alice. Wally is the organ. Wally is the Projectionist. Wally is Allison Angel and Tom. Wally is the organ. Wally is eveything. Except Sammy. He's just Sammy. But Wally is everyone else.

It’s Sammy’s own personal hell, a studio filled with nothing but Wally

[phantom-ellie]

The Art of (Smashing) Crockery Chapter 10: Hellfire and Fuckery

Summary: The party continues, and everything goes to shit.

Click here for CWs/Full Chapter List

Ed dries off his hands in the bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. He had wanted to ask Stede to show him where it was, before that comment, so they could both find somewhere quiet to get away from the jeers, the taunting. They had needed a break. Ed had definitely needed one, because he had removed every environment that would denigrate him for being who he is years ago, and isn’t used to it anymore. He isn't used to the sincere belief by others that a man loving a man was wrong, or weird, or degenerate. Hearing it in this professional business environment was like getting thrown in a freezing lake. He wonders what is wrong with the world, that this is still a thing that happens.

And he worries about Stede, who clearly hasn’t left such an environment, who was subjected to it every day. Stede is straight, of course. He has a wife, children. He loves them very much, clearly he does. But that didn’t stop his coworkers from saying what they had. Stede had said they were homophobic, and Ed believes that Stede knows not to be… but what if he is? What if he really does actually believe that Ed is broken in some way, and is just too polite to say anything?

And Ed suddenly feels something in his chest, a mix between longing, anxiety, affection, and determination. He thinks that Stede can be saved from it. He thinks that Stede is strong enough, good enough, to be an ally and a friend, to fill a hole in Ed’s life, if he can just escape from these people. Ed looks down at his hands and his eyes well up a bit thinking about how determined Stede was to protect Ed, to take all of the derision upon himself so Ed could have a good time.

And he’s out there, alone. Christ, he probably thinks Ed left him to the dogs. Ed doesn’t know if it would be worse if Stede were sitting out there, completely alone and isolated, or if he were surrounded by the Badminton twins or Geraldo or his father. Ed spent years in therapy and with friends, picking up the pieces of his broken emotional state.

Stede had said that Ed was his only friend. Ed knows he has to be there to do the same. Because Stede is worth it, he’s worth saving. Even if Ed gets hurt a bit in the process.

---

Edward Bonnet is standing with his hands behind his back, like a villain out of a cartoon, surrounded by ass-kissers and cronies. He waves them away with his hand when he notices his son looking his way. Stede Bonnet, the failure. The boy who never grew into a man. Edward’s curse.

Edward was a man who knew very much what he wanted in life. He’d always known. A mental health professional would have deemed him unhealthy. Reddit would have said he was a narcissist. He has spent his life pursuing money and power, and the feeling of control it gives him. There is so much you cannot control in the world, after all. As a child he watched his own father, along with his peers, move their lessers about like pieces on a chessboard. He saw the clear differences between how he lived and how the servants (it isn’t politically correct to call them servants, of course, but Edward finds political correctness to be untenable) lived, what they could afford, what they could and could not get away with.

And years later when Edward pointed out these differences to his own son, Stede would answer that the difference is because Stede is fortunate, that he was lucky to be born into a wealthy family rather than a poor one. Another disappointment from his idiotic progeny. Luck and fortune had nothing to do with it. It waswork, a constant and incessant striving for victory and domination over those who want to take all of it away, to give it to those who haven’t earned it. Edward Bonnet believes and has always believed that every single thing he owns is the result of the hard work of his own two hands.

He doesn’t know what shoddy work he must have done to own such a son. A weak, simpering,faggyson like Stede Bonnet. Edward spent what should have been the best years of his life trying to fix this mess of a person, to coax him to be the man he should be, a man worthy to be Edward’s child, trying to replace him with someone better. But another didn’t come. Stede was who he had, and Edward would be damned if he didn’t make something of it.

Edward could say that building and growing his company, Bonnet Gas & Electric, was the greatest achievement of his life. But getting Stede to stop with his utterqueernesslong enough to marry a woman and have an heir and a spare was equally difficult. And he wishes he could say it was just as rewarding. When he sees Alma and Louis, he sees a possible future for the family, if they can be trained up right. If Stede doesn’t ruin them too, like he’s ruined everything else he’s ever touched.

And there he is, prancing about in that disgusting outfit, smiling at the catering staff (full of fairies, Edward notes). Is his family with him? Is Mary pressed to her side, looking up at her husband’s face with deference and pride? No. Are his children bowing and curtsying and making playful, witty comments to impress the adults to get a pat on their head from their grandfather as a reward? No. In their place is this dirty, hairy man in a dress, and the implications make Edward want to strangle Stede to death with his bare hands.

---

Stede strides towards where his father is holding court. The music has changed, the singer’s operatic, angelic voice has started Hellfire from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (the most metal of all Disney songs). There is a flash of light in the corner of Stede’s eye and he sees that the band has pyrotechnics, fire shooting out of the ground at either side of the band. It gives the party an ominous atmosphere as Stede descends into hell to meet his own personal Satan.

Still, he stands up straight and smiles as he offers his father a glass of champagne. His peace offering.

Edward scowls and shakes his head slightly. Stede’s smile fades a bit and he places the extra glass on a nearby table instead. He turns around to observe the party at his father’s side.

Winning father with alcohol was never going to happen.Stede does his best to do his impression, a cosplay if you will, of the man his father wishes were standing beside him, knowing that he will be unsuccessful at that, too. He loves his clothes, loves his costumes, but years of changing his exterior like a chameleon has never made up for the fact that on the inside, he is himself. Stede doesn’t really know who that person, that Stede-himself is, but he knows that it isn’t desirable. But he’s doing his best.

His father will be all he has soon, when mother goes. That thought causes a small twinge of sadness, and a bigger wave of fear. Deep down, Stede has always had a hint of solidarity with his mother. At least they both hate Edward Bonnet, even if they don’t hate him together. But it will be all on Stede, soon. He hopes his mother makes good on her promise. He hopes that one day soon he won’t have to care.

“Geraldo’s first year throwing the masquerade. What do you think? Is it all you ever dreamed of?” Stede asks, knowing that it was a stupid question to ask and will only anger his father. But he can’t think of anything else to say that isn’t,hey, you decrepit old asshole, would it be too much to ask for you to choke on a fucking croissant and get it over with,so insipid pleasantries it is.

“Your family, Stede. Mary, Alma, Louis. The only three things in your life that keep you from being a complete failure to me. Where are they?”

Stede sighs. “They didn’t want to be here, and I’m not going to make them. It’s Halloween. They deserve better than this.”

Edward scowls. “No. They deserve better thanyou.”

Stede wants to protest, but he settles on honesty. “I know they do.”

“Each and every event like this is a chance to show what they are worth, what you are worth to them. A chance to move up, advance.”

“I don’t think my kindergartener cares very much about that, he’s mostly interested in candy.” Stede sips his glass of champagne, suspecting that it won’t be his last tonight.

“And as hisfatherit’s your job toguide himand train him otherwise.”

Stede chuckles at that. “No, I don’t think that’s the way to be a father. Not a good one anyway.”

“You wouldn’t know good parenting if it hit you in the face.”

“Parentinghashit me in the face, that’s how I know it wasn’t any good.” Stede refuses to look at his father, the man who raised him not only through yelling and jeers and withheld affection, but slaps to the face and beatings with the switch. Stede is not a good father, he knows that in his heart. But he’s better. He will never lay a hand on his children. If that’s as much as he can do for him, that’s what he will do.

Edward snarls and grabs Stede to turn and face him.

“You areruiningthem. You ruin everything, and you are ruining your children. We both know it. And now you show your face here with some strange man nobody has ever met, dressed like a couple of faggots and prancing about-”

Stede does it without thinking. The glass flute is in his hand, empty. The champagne drips from his father’s shocked and enraged face, because even poison rejects association with that man.

“You…” Edward sputters, and Stede is just as surprised that it happened, so surprised that he doesn’t even try to duck when his father decks him in the face. The empty glass hits the ground and shatters.

Stede doesn’t turn around to look, but he imagines that everyone is looking over at them, watching the son toss a drink on the father and get hit in return. Edward Bonnet, Founder and CEO of BG&E, physically assaulting an employee, but after all, it’s just Stede. Only Stede. Nothing will be done for him.

And Stede feels that spark of rage that he has so far only managed to conjure up in the confines of Blackbeard’s Breakery, swaddled in safety gear and closed-toed shoes. His hand closes into a fist and he swings it at his father, but also the Badmintons, his mother, and everyone else who will never defend him, leaving him to defend himself, and as he swings he’s thinking that his life is truly over-

Only his arm is caught from behind, and he’s whirled around to see Ed.Ed. Ed came back.

“Don’t do it, mate. I promise, whatever you do to him, it won’t be worth it.” Ed lowers Stede’s arm to the side.

“Ed… you came back.”

“Yeah man, I was just in the bathroom, like I told you.”

Stede almost smiles but remembers his father and whirls around, expecting another blow, panic and rage still gripping at his chest. But Edward Bonnet is stomping away, probably to clean the champagne off his expensive suit, probably to brood, to think up something horrible to do to Stede, as if he hadn’t just done his worst.

Adrenaline fading, tears begin to slip out of Stede’s eyes, and he slumps down into a chair. The extra flute of champagne is there, untouched. Stede pushes it towards Ed, who joins him.

“You okay?”

“No.” Stede is not okay, it’s a ridiculous question. His father hit him, his father called him a faggot, he called his only friend a faggot. Stede feels a surge of triumph that he did it, he took it all himself without Ed hearing or feeling it. But more than anything, he feels humiliation and despair.

“That the first time he’s hit you?” Ed puts his hand around the flute of champagne but doesn’t drink from it.

“In public, yes. In decades, yes.” Stede twists his wedding ring. He’s crying again, he’s always crying.

“My dad hasn’t hit me in decades either.” Ed is looking down at Stede’s hands, and Stede reaches over to touch his arm.

“I’m sorry, I knew it would be… like this, but this ismore, I don’t know how to come back from this.”

Ed moves his hand to squeeze Stede’s.

“You’ll be okay, we’ve talked about this. You just have to hold on a little longer.”

“Are the police coming? Are they going to… arrest me?” Stede’s voice gets quiet.

Ed laughs. “I don’t think so, not unless your dear old dad fancies going down with you.”

“It was in front ofeveryone.” Stede shakes his head. He’s always been foolish in the way that he is hopeful, thinking there is a chance to earn respect or love one day. But he knows that respect is gone, now.

“Mate-,”

“And you know what the worst thing is? They will think that I’m weak because I threw my drink instead of hitting first. That he is strong because he had the strength to punch me. That I’m weak for being held back from returning the favor.”

“Stede. Look around you.”

Stede looks up at Ed instead.

“Is there honestly a single person in this room whose opinion is worth respecting? Name one person who deserves any energy from you right now.”

Stede pauses for a second. “You. I respect you, Ed.”

“And I think you’re fucking great, you know that?” The corner of Stede’s mouth twitches, almost a smile. “You stood up to your dad, you’ve worked so hard all night to stand up for me. Do you think I get that often? Look at me. Nobody ever tries to protect me from anything.”

Stede smiles weakly this time. “That’s what friends are for, I guess.”

“You guess?”

“I don’t know, I’ve never really had any friends. I don’t know how to be a friend.” Stede huffs. He sounds like a child on the playground, or something from an after school special.

“You’re doing a great job. Fuck these people, you know? You have to find what is worthy in life, and stick with it.”

And right now, Ed looks like magic to Stede. Like he could literally hang the moon, or shout his enemies to death. Ed is looking at Stede like Stede is worth something to him. Stede has never felt that before, not even once. It’s taking everything he has not to launch himself into Ed’s arms, and he’s even losing that fight, when-

“You’ve got a massive, titanium, gigantic set of balls to still be here.” Stede and Ed look behind them to see a red inflatable dinosaur, Geraldo’s face sticking out of a circle in its mouth.

“E-excuse me? Geraldo?” Stede stammers.

“This party was going great, Stede! It was rocking! I was earning another promotion, but you had to go and throw your drink at the CEO! Fuck, the whole thing is ruined.”

Ed laughs. “Hate to break it to ya, mate, but the party was shit the whole time.”

Stede nodded. “It’s true. I’m sorry, Geraldo, but it’s the truth. If anything, I probably just distracted everyone from how bad everything is.”

“Yeah, you should be thanking him,” Ed backs Stede up.

“Hey, Stede? Fuck you. I know what I’m doing, everyone knew I was too good to be your assistant, I should have expected you to cause a scene-” Geraldo is interrupted by a large POP followed by the sounds of screaming. All three of them turn around.

The stage is on fire. Uncontrollable flames are shooting up from the band’s pyrotechnics. Hello Kitty Executioner is using his bass guitar to beat at the flames, while the drummer sits very still, face impassable.

“Oh, shit!” says Geraldo, tiny inflatable t-rex arms flapping uselessly at his side.

Ed jumps up and runs towards the flames, and Stede follows him.

“Where are the fire extinguishers?” Ed yells, and Stede pulls his arm to run and grab them. As they reach the box, the ceiling sprinklers come on, drenching everyone.

The emcee for the band’s voice echoes through the room. “Uh, this has been Francis and the Business Professionals, the gig has now ended… bye everyone!” He throws his guitar to the side and grabs the case holding the raffle money. The entire band books it for the door and out the building.

Ed runs with the fire extinguisher to the stage and starts putting the fire out.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck all this fuckery, fuck it all!”

Stede is in a daze. He knows it’s an emergency, but everything is moving slowly around him. He finds himself nearby, at the refreshment table again. Mermaid Man is hanging off of Barnacle Boy’s shoulder as they stand and watch the scene.

“Shouldn't you...” Stede looks at them pointedly and gestures towards the fire.

Mermaid Man shakes his head. “No, I don’t think so. I’m good.” They all jump back a bit as flames lash over the no-longer-chilled bottles of champagne. Commander LaForge and another man, skinny with bushy hair, attack the flames instead with their own extinguishers.

“Get out of there, idiotas!” yells someone with shoulder-length hair in an Indiana Jones costume. “It’s not worth it!”

Stede backs up into the table, watching people run and scream around him. People are panicking, tearing at each other’s costumes to get them off, running but not sure where to run. The sprinklers and the extinguishers are making good work on the flames. And Stede? He feels a smile creep up on his face.

Fuck everything, fuck this place, fuck these people. It’s as if the gods of professional office environments have smiled on him.

Of course, it doesn’t last.

“Stede Bonnet, you fucking… fuck!” Nigel the Left Boob lumbers towards him in a rage.

Stede rolls his eyes. “Me? I didn’t start the fire.”

Chauncey joins his lefter half and growls. “You and your… fucking band of fruitcakes did this.” He points in rage at Stede, Ed, Mermaid Man, Barnacle Boy, and every other member of catering, “You fucking faggots banded together to ruin this night. You always ruin everything.”

“Hey!” says Mermaid Man. “Rude! We don’t all know each other!”

“That’s enough! Stede roars, taking an angry step forward. “I’ve had enough of you two. Every fucking day it’s ‘faggot this, faggot that.’ I’m notgay, butgodI almost wish I were so I could rain legal fire on your asses.”

Nigel starts to speak but Stede waves a finger in his face. “And you know what? I don’tgive a fuckwhat you think of me! You can do your worst! But it takes areal, gigantic pair of assholesto take this grudge you have against me out on other people! You have a problem? Bring it to me. Not guests, not catering staff, not people who depend on you for money.”

“Yeah, you tell him!” says Barnacle Boy, with more bravado in his voice than on his face.

Chauncey scoffs. “Pathetic. So, pathetic,Baby Bonnet. You think we don’t know what you are? We’ve always known. We warned you.” They both take a step forward towards Stede, who backs up against the table again.

Nigel’s voice turns into a low growl. “The harder to fight us, the harder we will ruin you.”

Liquid courage. Stede is 90% there, he just needs a bit more. Whether to drink or to throw in the Badminton’s faces, he isn’t sure. But he doesn’t know what to say to their threats.

“Fuck you!” He turns around to look at the two men behind him.

“I would kill for a glass of that, right now,” he says, indicating towards the champagne.

Mermaid Man gapes at him. “Uh… okay, weird thing to say in this context, but…” he grabs a bottle of champagne while Stede turns a glare to the twins.

“The only reason you two have a career of any kind is because my father is as much of a twisted monster as you are. You would be nothing without him. You should go find your hero, stick your noses up his ass until they’re brown.”

Chauncey starts forward. “This ends here, tonight, Baby Bonn-”

There’s apop, the sound of shattering glass, and Nigel is on his knees, screaming and holding his hands over his right eye. A cork rolls across the floor and under a table. Stede turns around to see Mermaid Man holding the champagne bottle, eyes wide in terror.

“Oh my god, oh my god I didn’t mean-”

“We should go, babe!” Barnacle Boy is tugging at his sleeve.

Stede nods, attempts to find his voice, then has to raise it over the agonized yelling behind him. “It seems as if the party is over. Your catering company has done quite a wonderful job tonight, but I think it’s probably time for you all to head out. And maybe… well, I would reconsider this whole thing.” Stede waves his hand at the party.

The two men just stand there, nodding, and Stede gets impatient. “Go, get out, before someone shows up and decides to arrest you!” Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy bolt towards the rest of their crew and haul them towards the doors.

“Stupid… fucking… Stede… Bonnet…” Nigel growls from the ground as Chauncey tries to staunch the bleeding.

“You did that on purpose! You maimed my brother on purpose,” Chauncey spits.

Stede shakes his head. “No, I didn’t. I’m too weak, too pathetic. I could never stand up to you two. I’m so sorry about… this accident.” He steps over Nigel, not very sorry at all, and grabs Ed.

“We should go,” he whispers. Sirens are sounding outside. “We’ll go out the back.”

“Yeah, sounds good mate,” says Ed, who missed the entire confrontation under the fog of the extinguisher.

“I think it’s probably best… if I’m not wearing this outfit when I leave. There will be questions.”

“You did some damage tonight, for sure. How do you feel about it?”

Stede removes his pirate hat and eyepatch, and tosses them to the floor. His jacket joins them. “Can I borrow your hood?” Ed hands it over.

They ignore the swearing, cries, and sounds of firefighters rushing in as they enter the hallway looking as non-chalant as possible. When they’re alone, Stede starts to giggle. Nervously, hysterically.

“Stede, are you okay?”

Stede bends over laughing, tears running down his face for the… how many times was it tonight?

“No, this is terrible! This was the most amazing and horrible night of mylife!I don’t even know if I should gohometonight!”

Ed holds his hands up to try to calm Stede down.

“Okay… where are we going?”

Stede stops laughing and just breaks into a smile. Ed, his friend. Wants to go with him, wherever he goes. His friend.

Stede grabs Ed’s arm. “Come on, this way,” and they book it towards the back door of the building, giggling like children.

Chapter 11

[gabbyakiocean]

What Does the Establishment of the Virtual World Mean to Us: Reflecting on the Development of "Metaverse"

Affected by the global spread of COVID-19, people requiring self-isolation have to work and attend classes at home, which has promoted the development of non-contact culture. Under the dual stimulation of the progressive technology and social needs, the concept of "Metaverse" gradually aroused people's attention in 2021.

Photo source:https://www.the-sun.com/tech/3897437/meta-meaning-facebook/

In early 2021, Soul App proposed for the first time within the industry to build a "social Meta-Universe". In March, Roblox, known as the first stock of Metaverse, was officially listed on the New York Stock Exchange; in May, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella stated that the company wasworking hard to build a "corporate Meta-Universe"; In August, NVIDIA announced the launch of the world's first simulation and collaboration platform to provide the foundation for the establishment of Meta-Universe; on October 28, Facebook announced that it was renamed "Meta", from "Metaverse"; In November, the virtual world platform Decentraland claimed that Barbados would set up the world's first embassy in Metaverse, which would be tentatively available in January 2022. In summary, although the concept of “Metaverse” has only been proposed in the public for less than a year, it has been involved in many fields such as politics, economy, social interaction, entertainment, etc., which is closely related to the real life of human beings.

Photo source: https://www.theverge.com/2021/12/9/22825139/meta-horizon-worlds-access-open-metaverse

Different from the existing social media, the "Meta-Universe" described by Zuckerberg will no longer be bound by the 2D plane, but will create a new 3D virtual world, which means that our media forms will be changed dramatically in the future. In the media field, the degree of every iteration is no different from the impacts brought by the industrial revolution. As we move from the 2G era to the 3G era, the image transmission becomes more convenient; the popularity of short videos on Tik Tok nowadays is also due to the highly increased Internet speed. As more and more companies have invested in VR equipment, the establishment of a virtual world seems reasonable.

Photo source: https://bernardmarr.com/the-important-difference-between-virtual-reality-augmented-reality-and-mixed-reality/

However, social problems associated with media revolution also cannot be ignored. In terms of security, data leakage and privacy violations have become the norm in the digital economy era. Once the virtual world where people invest more time, attention and money is invaded, the consequences will be very serious. How to deal with the virtual dissension is still a problem to solve since there is no law to restrict it. Internet addiction, meanwhile, has attracted more general wariness both academically and politically. The The Chinese government has declared that Internet addiction is a “public health hazard” (Crouch, 2018), as well as the South Korean government (Block, 2008). Another issue worthy of attention is cyber violence or cyberbullying. According to research, people who live unsatisfactorily in real life tend to be more impulsive and aggressive on the Internet. To make matters worse, if the virtual world is sufficiently simulated, what should be done when people trapped in it cannot distinguish the real world from it?

The Metaverse has not been established yet, but the potential problems it brings are enough to be thought-provoking.

 References:

Andreassen, C. S., Torsheim, T., Brunborg, G. S., & Pallesen, S. (2012). Development of a Facebook addiction scale. Psychological Reports, 110(2), 501–517. DOI:10.2466/02.09.18.PR0.110.2.501-517.

Amedie, Jacob, "The Impact of Social Media on Society" (2015). Pop Culture Intersections. 2.https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/engl_176/2

Bhargava, V., & Velasquez, M. (2021). Ethics of the Attention Economy: The Problem of Social Media Addiction. Business Ethics Quarterly, 31(3), 321-359. doi:10.1017/beq.2020.32

Larson, Keri and Watson, Richard, "THE VALUE OF SOCIAL MEDIA: TOWARD MEASURING SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES" (2011). ICIS 2011 Proceedings. 10.https://aisel.aisnet.org/icis2011/proceedings/onlinecommunity/10

M. Smith, C. Szongott, B. Henne and G. von Voigt, "Big data privacy issues in public social media," 2012 6th IEEE International Conference on Digital Ecosystems and Technologies (DEST), 2012, pp. 1-6, doi: 10.1109/DEST.2012.6227909.

Russmann, U., & Svensson, J. (2017). Introduction to Visual Communication in the Age of Social Media: Conceptual, Theoretical and Methodological Challenges. Media and Communication, 5(4), 1-5. doi:https://doi.org/10.17645/mac.v5i4.1263

[adamarinayu]

(Me trying to remember who made this suggestion; "I want to say I know right off the top of my head who suggested this, but at the same time I'm not 100% sure, let me go hunt down the post... *ten minutes of searching later* Ah, yes, I was absolutely right, wasted ten minutes of my life. Nice.")

So lately I haven't had time to draw, which is a shame (I'm getting ready for the holidays, which includes a 12 hour road trip, about a week without internet, and a 12 hour roadtrip back), but in my free time I wrote this short little blurb. It is short and not the best work ever, but forgive me- I’ve been focusing on other things right now.

"Hey, can you imagine if Donald were to go to a place Dewey wasworking at? And as soon as Dewey sees him he goes I’m so screwed into hiding avoiding Donald at all costs?" - @nefelibaticartist

Dewey was restocking a shelf, humming quietly to himself (quietly, so as not to disturb the manager... again...) as he lined the bottles of soda up together near the front display.

Getting a job hadn't been easy- very few people were willing to actually hire a ten-going-on-eleven year old (and yes, to Dewey, that going on eleven was very important), but when you were raised by Scrooge McDuck you knew exactly how to get by the system. He wasn't allowed to work late or long hours, and was always to be supervised by an adult, but the little bit of money it earned him would help expand Donald's budget by a good bit each week... and that extra built up.

He was just so happy to be doing something good for his uncle, even if he did his utmost best to make sure Donald didn't notice. If Donald had noticed the extra bit of cash when he went to count it, he didn't say anything. If he suspected Dewey was skipping out on Huey's volunteer work to do paid work, he didn't give anything away. Dewey certainly wasn't going to prod, though.

"Yeah, don't let Uncle Donald know," Huey had told him. "Even if you think he knows, don't tell him. He will not let a ten year old "waste their childhood" working like that. Trust me, I've tried."

So Dewey contented himself to working behind his uncle's back, helping him as Donald- hopefully- did not suspect a thing.

The door to the store slid open and a bell chimed. Dewey looked up from what he was doing, intent on greeting the customer when his heart suddenly stopped.

Donald Duck had just walked in.

The older duck's eyes were trained on a checklist as he grabbed a buggy, but Dewey could see him starting to look up.

'What do I do?!' he thought desperately before, in a moment of panic, he dove behind the display, pressing himself against it out of Donald's sight. 'Crap crap crap, his schedule said he was goin' tae do the grocery shopping tonight! He's supposed tae be at work!'

Donald walked past the soda display and paused, brow furrowing. Dewey managed to throw himself behind a large pallette sitting next to the soda display before Donald turned in his direction, clearly scanning for a duckling.

Dewey held his breath until he heard Donald continue on into the store.

"This is nae good," he whispered to himself, peeking out from behind the pallette. He watched Donald move into the fruit and vegetable section. "He cannae see me here, I am so dead."

"Duck," the manager barked, causing Dewey to wince. "Get back to work!"

Donald's head swiveled around, undoubtedly the shout having gotten his attention, but Dewey ducked down so that Donald's sight was blocked by a stand with packaged mushrooms.

"Right-o, Mr. O'Mallard," he laughed nervously, doing his best to pitch his voice down just in case it carried to his uncle. O'Mallard glared at him suspiciously before turning back to his own task.

"Actually," Dewey decided, "I need ta-to use the loo, I'll be right back!"

Donald's back was turned, so he made a mad sprint for the restrooms nearby. He practically threw himself through the door and quickly locked himself in a stall.

"Okay, I should be okay here," he decided, leaning against the door (but then quickly pushed off of it, because ew) and sighing. He'd give it ten minutes- Donald's list was short, after all, and his absence would be noticed by the manager if he was gone too much longer than that.

He stayed there, counting the minutes quietly to himself and wishing he had his phone. It was just past seven and a half minutes when the door to the restroom opened and someone walked in.

"-eed to watch where they're going," a familiar voice muttered indignantly, his unmistakable voice filling the room. Dewey's heart fell into his shoes, and without hesitation he lept up onto the toilet seat (and grimaced), hoping he was fast enough that Donald wouldn't have noticed him through the gaps.

The water suddenly turned on and Dewey squinted, peering through the crack of the door. Donald's back was to him, but his head seemed to be covered in some sort of red liquid- fruit punch, if he had to wager a guess. The duck was doing his best to wash the fruity drink out of his feathers and clothes, grumbling the entire time too lowly for Dewey to understand.

The seconds dragged painfully and Dewey could feel his feet cramping from balancing on the slippery toilet seat so long. Donald turned the water off, but rather than leave he stopped to dry his feathers, and Dewey internally cried, begging his uncle to just leave the room already. He was at least halfway sure his legs were locking up.

He was just about to give up on Donald ever leaving when Donald finally deemed himself dry enough and swiftly left the room.

Dewey let out a sigh and went to jump back onto the floor.

He promptly fell into the bowl.

[kamorth]

That's exactly what happened. The dude who wasworking on the first complete-enough-to-do-a-reconstruction elasmosaur fossil thought that the neck (with 72 vertebrae, compared to the 7 a giraffe has) was FAR too long to be a neck and HAD to be a tail and the head must've been moved around after death. It wasn't until a while later that someone else was like no dude, you had it right the first time.

DINOSAURS OVER THE YEARS

This is a series of posters I made to show how our perception of Dinosaurs and other animals of the mesozoic changed over the years. These and few more are featured in a Youtube video you can watch HERE

this art is available for prints, t-shirts and other goods HERE

http://mariolanzas.tumblr.com/