#with profit being a secondary if any concern

[thedemonsurfer]

"I didn't say art that isn't worth money isn't worth doing. I'm asking why their art is worth money."

Because some rich guy said so.

Like. That's literally it.

You can contact your local museum, submit a proposal, and if you're convincing enough, have an exhibition.

Yes, you can. There's no minimum requirement of fame to have an exhibition in a gallery. There's no receipts needed to prove you're good enough. I've been thinking of getting together my grandmother's work to do just that, just because I want to show off the paintings of someone I never got to meet.

(Now, of course I'm simplifying things a little to make my point. Museums want foot traffic, it's how they keep the lights on, so they want to host a show that they think will draw in foot traffic, and it helps if you're already a little known. There's out of pocket expenses and lots of work involved. However, there are still ways to get your foot in the door, like submitting to amateur shows or local contests.)

And like, @bulldyke-rider, I get it! Why IS their art worth money? What makes their splats on a canvas more valuable than 99 other splats? What makes Banksy valuable but a street artist with arguably more talent a criminal?

Some rich guy said so. Fucking sucks.

It's a harsh reality that the people with the money, who decide if you're 'good', have very little interest in your art as art. They see it as an investment and nothing more. So many artworks are just sealed up in rooms somewhere because they were bought just to insure and then sit on until the value goes up.

Remember how NFTs were said to be 'worth' millions of dollars because that's what they were listed for? Nothing is 'worth' its asking price unless someone pays it. A rich person paid a number with a lot of zeros for this artist's work, so that artist must be valuable.

Van Gogh died penniless and unknown. His works weren't valued until years after his death. Toulouse-Lautrec struggled to find an audience for anything but his playbills. Very few artists make any money right out of the gate, and those that do started with a leg up over the competition.

So no, your name isn't worth anything in the Big Art world. Neither is mine. Neither is that of most artists. And they probably will never be worth anything more than a few dimes at most.

Might as well make art for fun, then.

When people look at abstract art and go "uh I could make that"

Fuck, I wish you would!

I wish you would let this inspire you. I wish that seeing a piece of abstract art would move you to self expression.

I wish you would go to the craft store, buy a cheap canvas and some cheap paint and let yourself play with color and form just to see if you can.

I wish that there were more amateur painters, trying their hand at geometric abstraction and color field painting. That would be so fucking cool.

"I could make that" should be a joyous revelation, not a snarky dismissal.

You could make that? Holy shit. please. Please make that.

Jack Bush

Kenneth Noland

Piet Mondraine

Pat Lipsky

Joan Mitchell

Helen Frankenthaler

Kikuo Saito

Marilyn Kirsch

Mark Rothko

Adolph Gottlieb

[minibatson]

Using my frustration towards the New 52 to create a better story for Shazam!

That title is misleading, slightly. But I have been workshopping ways to keep the New 52 additions (Darla, Pedro and Eugene) while also returning Billy and Freddy to their former feral street urchin glory.

I'm British, so if there's any major cultural or political things that make this questionable, lmk. I try to stay updated on American politics, but oh well.

Character rewrites under the cut!

Billy Batson/Captain Marvel

The front liner himself.

For me, at least, I think it's best if Billy is kept a homeless orphan. I would have him camping out in some abandoned apartment block with Freddy, even before he gets his powers. Billy is a very resourceful boy, and should be written as such.

Billy, to me, is a character that represents hope and kindness even in the face of adversity, and I'd make that the secondary theme of the comics- with family as the main.

I would have him and Captain Marvel be separate entities, like in the 40s run, but I'd take Marvel's personality from specifically Shazam vs The Monster Society of Evil from the 2000s. The concern he shows for Billy makes my heart happy. Billy still has influence over Captain Marvel, but they are technically separate. Marvel could exist in a different host, if a more suited one existed.

I won't talk about trans Billy Batson right now. But it's there. I promise.

Mary Bromfield (Batson)/Mary Marvel

I'm returning Mary to being Billy's age. In fact, to being Billy's twin sister. As strange as the whole 'given away at birth to a wealthier family for the sake money' is, it is possible. That is something I could imagine happening. And it works as a critique on what happens when medical facilities put profit over people!

I would also keep Mary as the "smart" one of the group, in the sense that she is the most academically gifted. Which isn't hard when three out of the six haven't been in school for a while (but we'll talk about that in a bit). I'd say Mary excels in the sciences, where it mostly recall and application, and that she struggles more with more abstract concepts- that's a Billy thing.

As she was raised by a wealthy family, Mary is slightly distanced from the rest of the group, and is far more oblivious to things that the others notice quickly.

As for her hero persona, I think she'd remain in child form. Somewhere around thirteen. I'd make her fighting style based more on kicking, inspired by that one panel of her kicking a guy in teeth while saying 'I'll show you a dance lesson'. She's a difficult fight if only because she's so strong and yet so easy to underestimate.

Freddy Freeman/Captain Marvel Junior

My baby boy!

I'd make him the oldest. Mary and Billy are thirteen in this universe, so I'd put Freddy at fifteen.

Freddy plays the protective older brother role towards the entire group. He will physically wrap his body around Billy or Eugene or Darla or Kit while he sleeps. He can't help it. They're his babies.

I'd make Freddy similar to how he was in the 40s- theatrical and brash and impulsive and angry. Freddy would beat a nazi to a pulp.

Freddy is the mentor when he's talking to Billy. An older street kid who's seen the horrors and made it out alive. He gives out advice and comfort while expecting to receive none back.

Except he does. Because they're his family. And they love him.

Also, I'm giving him his black curly hair back.

Bonus: Kit Freeman.

Kit is Freddy's younger brother, actually called Christopher, who died in Freddy's place when Billy revived (?) Freddy with his magic when Freddy got his powers.

Instead of that, I'd have Kit be alive and well. Just little. I'd put Kit at eight or nine years old. A fairly large age gap with Freddy. Oh, and I'd have Kit's hair be the same loose curls as Freddy, but slightly lighter. A dark brown, like in the comics.

They'd both die for each other.

Darla Dudley/ (???)

Why don't the 52 trio have hero names? At least, I can't find them anywhere.

Anyway, she's ten. A little older than Kit. I imagine that they're friends.

She's the heart of the group. Billy brings the power, Mary brings the smarts, Freddy brings wisdom, she brings love and compassion.

Now, how to get this one onto the streets? I decided to go with something similar to her family's current canon. Rather than abandoning her outright, however, they are just incredibly neglectful and quite poor. This puts Darla in contact with Kit, by virtue of playing on the street together.

I'd say that's how she meets the others. Possibly after the other three get their powers. Definitely after Billy does. Kit just brings a little girl into their (Billy and Freddy's) apartment and declares her 'sister'.

Eugene Choi

I said Mary Brings the smarts in terms of academics, however that's only because Eugene isn't in school in this universe.

I'd put Eugene as the third Street kid, with Billy and Freddy (or fourth, because Kit). I don't believe there is any canon information about his parents, so I decided to put them in prison for unknown crimes and gave Eugene be a kid running from the foster care system. He eventually joins Freddy, Billy and Kit in their apartment and lives with them full time.

He is still brilliant with tech in this universe. Before leaving a foster home, he'd study as much of the technology available to him as he could, as well as taking the occasional pieces. He's made a hobby of making small, useful gadgets for himself.

I'd make him twelve. Younger than Billy and Mary, older than Darla.

Pedro Peña

Second oldest, at fourteen. He's mothered by Freddy the least.

Much like Mary, Pedro has a loving family. Though, made up of his aunt, whom he migrated with a few years ago. His aunt works a relatively reasonable job that pays a reasonable wage. They aren't wealthy, they aren't poor.

Pedro meets the group mostly by accident. He's just wandering around when he sees Billy stealing food from the back bin of a restaurant, and offers him his food.

He got close to the group after that. His aunt cooks food specifically for him to take to them.

He and Mary are yet to go a week without receiving a glare from Freddy.

[disgruntledexplainer]

Hello! I was wondering if you could perhaps explain or at least give some resources that explain what distributism is. I’m curious!

Of course. Distributism is an ecconomic system developed by GK Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc, based off of the Bible, the writings of Pope Leo XIII and Pope Pius XI, as well as to a lesser extent the letters of JRR Tolkien. It's goal is to eliminate class warfare while at the same time making sure that every family has what it needs to prosper. It's name derives from it's more specific goal: to make sure that as many families as possible are able to own property (in other words, to organically encourage widespread property ownership among the working class and small business owners). In particular, every family that wants one should be able to afford to own a house.

Distributists hold to two major principles:

The Principle of Solidarity: The classes should not be at war, but should be in cooperation for the greatest benefit of both. Corporations bad, guilds good.

The Principle of Subsidiarity: Any given unit of work should be performed by the smallest unit of labor capable of performing it, with efficiency and profit being considered secondary concerns, with the smallest unit being the family (such as a small business or small farm). This also applies to a certain extent to government as well, though limiting the government too much can make keeping corporations in line difficult. Corporations and sprawling bureaucracies are bad, while small businesses and voluntary workers co-ops are good.

Distributists favor the use of anti-trust legislation to achieve these goals. Distributists get along with Georgists, Longist Populists, and Anarcho-Monarchists pretty well (though I personally don't understand Anarcho-Monarchists). We are related to, but also diametrically opposed to, Corporatists, who believe that the best method to achieve class solidarity and prosperity is aggressive centralization (they were also inspired by Pope Leo XIII, though how they came to such different conclusions is beyond me).

Anyways, hope that helps!

[chocobochaserstories]

Darker Omegaverse Themes: Breeding Facilities

A darker and more perverse look into an idea within the omegaverse I wanted to explore and world build on. I heavily based this on my own livestock experience, especially dairy cattle.

TW: Dehumanization, forced breeding, sexual/breeding slavery, lack of free will in the omega/alphas, omega/alpha trafficking, and just… be warned and wary if you’re more sensitive.

True omegas don’t exist in the “wild” society anymore. They’re kept in breeding facilities and raised for product.

The ratio of born pups is roughly 25% Alpha and Omega to 75% Beta. That’s 12.5% of each. 

As pups don’t present until 11-12, they’re kept in a nursery until then. Here, they receive care and basic education, but the level varies by secondary gender. 

Betas and Alphas are educated longer, with Betas being educated with the intention of going into higher education or working the “farm” when they come of age. 

Alphas and Omegas are kept as breeding stock. An omega will have their first breeding season around 18, and are expected to bear one litter per year. 

The first breeding occurs the year an omega is to turn eighteen in January, and their dry season (non productive) is from October to December. During this time, they are allowed to recover to be bred again the following January.

Pups are taken after about twenty four hours, to allow the pups to nurse on their mother’s colostrum (first milk that contains important antibodies that are specific to the mother).

Adult omegas produce milk and pups predominantly, however some facilities also sell omega slick as a “miracle elixir”. This is why pups are taken after the first twenty four hours. 

Pups are reared in the nursery by betas, though some facilities use a dry omega or two. Dry omegas are omegas who are older and no longer producing.

Omegas are generally kept in solo stalls, but are turned out regularly to be with other omegas as they are social in nature and cluster. In the summer and spring, they’re allowed grass, and the winter and autumn they’re kept inside and out of the snow to avoid illness.

Omegas are identified primarily by ear tag or tattoos. Some facilities mark them by ear notches, however this is not a universal system and can cause confusion if an omega is sold.

Omegas are periodically evaluated and those who are not producing adequately (poor quality pups, multiple repeated stillbirths, multiple preterm labors, birth complications due to structurally concerns [ie narrow pelvis, prolapsed uterus, etc]) may be culled from the herd. They may be euthanized, or to save profits, many farms will sell them.

Omega auctions generally consist of dry omegas, low/poor producers, and recently presented pups. Dry omegas are generally sold as servants, nursemaids, or nannies. Young alphas are sold at these auctions as studs.

Alphas are kept separate from the omegas for most of the year, and are not kept as long as omegas. Omegas are kept their entire breeding life while alphas rotate between farms to allow breeding back of the pups. Occasionally, if a sire is very good, the alpha may be kept.

Not all omegas are auctioned. Some, especially if they have good bloodlines, will be kept as future dams on the farm.

Betas that stay on the farm are farmhands, reproductive technicians, or otherwise assist on site.

Many facilities now use artificial insemination as opposed to live cover due to liability and efficiency. It’s faster and poses less risk of injury or STD. In addition, it allows for samples to be inspected to choose the best parents for each litter and to catch any mutations or undesirable traits before breeding.

Some farms only keep one or two alphas on site just to calm omegas down the old fashioned way, but they’re generally sterilized to prevent unwanted litters. However, with the availability of alpha hormones on the market, this practice is rarer.

An average omega litter is roughly 2-3 pups, and omegas are given fertility injections starting AT presentation to increase conception rates and litter sizes. 

[eaglesnick]

“A generation which ignores history has no past -- and no future.”  

The National Centre for Social Research Centre's Social Attitude survey, finding that there has been a sharp decline in British national pride in the last decade has driven the pundits and politicians on the right into displays of righteous indignation. 

Peoples pride in being British has fallen from 83% in 1995 to 64% in 2023. Only 53% think democracy works well in this country, down from 60% in 1995, and only 49% would rather be a British citizen than any other country, a decline of 20% since 1995. What has particularly agitated those on the right is the finding that pride in British history has dropped from 86% in 2013, to 64% in 2023.

Nigel Forage, never one to miss an opportunity for self-promotion, went on a “blistering rant" concerning the decline of national pride in British history, claiming he has been “railing against" an education establishment that is constantly  "talking down Britain’s past”.

What’s happened claims Forage is there has been a “Marxist take-over, of people that hate the country, hate what it stands for, and they have done their job” Primary school teachers, secondary school teachers and university lectures all “rejoice” in putting Britain down.

Who would have thought it? That seemingly lovely Mrs Jones, who does so much for the infants in her care, a revolutionary Marxist. The dusty secondary school history teacher Mr Smith, also a Marxist, just waiting to advance the communist revolution on the streets of Britain. Unbelievable! And as for all of those university academics…just don’t get me started.

What a load of utter piffle Mr Farage. But he knows that. What he is doing is dog whistling as usual.

Taking the teaching of slavery as an example , Forage condemns the educational establishment for teaching that Britain was “the only country in the history of mankind that had ever conducted slavery.” What’s more says Forage, Britain  "far from being the one nation, actually, that ended it,..lost a lot of money and a lot of lives driving it out."

Lets examine these claims.

First, no one has ever said that Britain was the only slave-trading nation. Portugal, France, Spain, Netherlands, USA and Denmark ALL profited from slaves.

Second, Forage was right in asserting that  Britain was one of the first major European powers to officially abolish slavery. The Abolition of Slavery Act was passed inn 1833 but not all British owned slaves were covered by this act as it specifically excluded many slave colonies owned by the East India Company and British slaves on the islands of Ceylon and St Helena.

Third, British sailors did die fighting the slave trade but nowhere near as many as has been claimed on social media. Fullfact.org, state that the figure of between 17,000 and 20,00 Royal Navy sailors dying fighting illegal slave traders is untrue, the figure being much nearer 2000.

Forth, did driving out slavery cost a lot of money? Yes it did, but none of the money went to the slaves themselves, only to the slave owners as compensation for their losses.

Despite the repugnant and morally corrupt practice of slave ownership that the 1833 Abolition of Slavery Act represented, a mere four years after this law came into being another piece of slavery legislation was enacted: the Slave Compensation Act 1887.

This is something Forage and those other millionaires and billionaires on the right of British politics often neglect to tell us. Despite the repugnant and utterly immoral practice of slave ownership implicit in the Abolition of Slavery Act 1833, this new act ordered the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt to compensate slave owners in the British colonies to the tune of £20 million pound – around £17billion pounds today. This payout was a massive 40% of total government budget.

What else Forage neglects to say is that the last compensation payment for loss of slaves paid for by the British government was in 2015.

In short, we the British taxpayer, have been paying compensation to slave owners and their dependents for "loss of their property” for the past 182 years!

I only wish we did teach these things in our schools but we don’t. In fact, the Conservative government, in its Education Act of 1996 made the promoting of partisan views by teachers illegal.

So much for Marxist conspiracy theories!

[bigmouthlass]

Title:  We're Counting On You, Lord

Series: Supernatural B-Sides

Author:  BJ

Fandom:  Supernatural

Rating:  Teen

Synopsis: In my headcanon Baby's a bit more tempermental than she is on-camera, and breakdowns happen often enough Sam has a routine down when it comes to busting Dean's balls over it.

Tags:  Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Jody Mills, Baby the Impala, Baby is a brat, Sam is a brat, Dean is a brat, songfic

AN:  Song is "Mercedes Benz," written by Janis Joplin, Michael McClure, and Bob Neuworth, performed by Joplin on the album 'Pearl.' All recognizable intellectual properties are owned by their respective creators and holders of any copyrights or trademarks. This is a not-for-profit work of fan art and protected by Fair Use.

---

If asked, Dean Winchester will call his car the perfect hunter's car.  Sure she drinks gas like water and doesn't do off-road, like, at all, and don't even ask about parking.  But the pros -- bench seats for emergency sleeping, trunk big enough for a small apartment's worth of gear, all sorts of nooks and crannies for hiding spare cash and ammo, surprisingly inconspicuous for her size and age, able to cruise at 70 for days -- far outweigh the cons as far as he's concerned.  Power, beauty, and able to bounce back from everything the job can possibly throw at them.  They're a matched set, Dean will tell you.

If asked, Sam Winchester will point out that the car sticks out like a bobcat at a dog show, the air conditioning barely works no matter how much Dean screws around with it, its zero-to-sixty can be measured in days, it eats brake pads like they're potato chips, and why in the hell hasn't Dean upgraded the suspension because he swears he can feel the car crying whenever it hits a pothole.  And with the amount of time they spend taking secondary highways, that's a lot of crying.

Most of his gripes get shot down with an annoyed glower and, "One word-- legroom."  And Sam will admit, Dean's got him there.  Getting stuck in Brady's Alfa Romeo Spyder had not exactly been the high point of his freshman year.

Questions about reliability will produce similarly opposed responses.  Dean will swear on any holy book you hand to him that Baby's a perfect lady, never breaks down, never strands him in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.  Sam will make sure he's safely out of earshot and swear the damn thing's never completed a journey without going bang, ever, not once in the thirty-odd years he's been riding in it.

The truth of course is somewhere in the middle.  Dean's been working on Baby since he was old enough to hold a flashlight steady and he's brought her back from scrap and spare parts more than once.  But the flat fact of the matter is, the car's a blue-collar broad of a certain age who's lived hard.  She has . . . quirks.

---

bang!

"What--"

cough

"Aw shit--"

"Mmm?"

"Don't-- c'mon Baby, just for me, be sweet to me--"

sick revving noises

"God dammit."

"I think the car just gave you the finger."

"Don't listen to him sweetheart, he's just being a bitch as usual."

bang! car lurches hard enough to throw driver and passanger out of their seats

"Definitely telling you to go fuck yourself."

"Shut up."

crunch of shoulder gravel, engine stops

"Well . . . at least it's not dark this time.  Or raining.  Or sleeting, Or--"

creak of door hinges, pop of hood latch

"Sam, shut up."

"No, you know what?  You're right.  I will shut up."

pop of trunk lock, clink of tools

"Because--"

dramatic clearing of throat

"Oh no you fucking don't."

humming for a note

"Start that shit and--"

voice rises in pitch

"'Like to do a song--'"

"Shave your head in your sleep--"

"'--of great social--'"

"Break every bone in your body--"

"'--and political import.'"

"Tie you to a bed naked and call that Becky chick--"

"'Goes like this.'"

thunking of a hand on a car's side panel

"Oh Lord! won't'cha buy me, a Mercedes-Benz?  Mah friends all drive Porsches, I must make a-mends."

"I will fucking end you Sammy, I swear to God."

"Don't call me that-- I work haaaard all my life time, no help from my friends."

"Sammy-Sammy-Sammykins--"

"So Lord! won't'cha buy me a Mercedes-Benz?  Oh Lord! won't'cha buy me, a color TV?"

"Sammycutiewootiepieface--"

"Dialin' for Dollars is tryin' to find meeee.  I wait for dee-livery, each day until three."

dark muttering about home perms and dye it all bright fucking pink I swear to God

"So Lord! won't'cha buy me a color TV?  Oh Lord! won't'cha buy me, a night on the town?"

soft whine of ultimate suffering

"I'm countin' on you Lord, please don't let me down.  Prooooove that'cha love me, and buy the next round."

"Make mine a double."

"So Lord! won't'cha buy me a night on the town?  Everybody! oh Lord! won't'cha buy me a Mercedes-Benz?  Mah friend all drive Porsches, I must make a-mends.  I worked haaaard all my life time, no help from my friends.  So Lord! won't'cha buy me, a Mer-Cey-Deez-Benz?"

silence

"Are you finished?"

a decidedly fiendish chuckle

"Just getting warmed up.  My car is a . . . "

sounds of two grown men trying to seriously throttle each other by the side of the road

---

"So, you boys wanna run that by me again?"

Sam and Dean glared while the Sheriff of Minnehaha County tried not to laugh.  She made a mental note to show Donna the video later.  The best part had to be the both of them looking up guiltily as Jody barked, "GENTLEMEN," Sam in a headlock and Dean with a bloody nose.

They pointed at each other, "He started it."

---

AN2: Oh, the song Sam started at the end is Psychostick's, "Two Ton Paperweight."

[danny4xb]

Actually "pharma companies fighting to stop an end to the need for insulin" is a good example for why a fallout shelter company would NOT engineer a nuclear war.

A fall out shelter company, like any company, has an interest in maintaining a healthy rate of profit and consistent or growing revenues. Obviously if an all-out nuclear war were to happen, there could be no more revenues, no more growth, shares would be worthless as the stock market would no longer exist (as Eric Levitz points out in the original tweet) and some other bad effects that would fall outside the scope of the quarterly report.

If you want to increase / maintain your sales of fallout shelters you would want to:

1) maintain a constant fear of nuclear conflict - not a fear that it's going to happen tomorrow, but fear that it could happen at a point in time shortly after the installation of a new fallout shelter

2) promote secondary uses for your shelters, such as a "safe room" in the event of a home-invasion crime,

3) avoid the government creating a network of large, free, public shelters that could cater for everyone - this is actually the most logical solution to a need for fallout shelters, as people are not guaranteed to be at home when the bombs start flying.

4) after a few years, once most people have installed a fallout shelter on their property, it would be ideal if nuclear technology could be seen to have moved on - you now need thicker walls, to be buried deeper, and better filters on your air supply. You'll need to stay under ground longer so a bigger shelter is probably advised.

5) a few years after that - "have you noticed that your bulk bought horde of tinned goods have gone past their best before dates? did you buy a poorly thought out mix that's too heavy on corned beef and tinned peaches? well try our new tinned food subscription plan! Constantly cycle your tinned food inventory so it stays fresh and up to date with your changing tastes and dietary requirements! Every month we deliver 2 trays of YOUR CHOICE of tinned food, or choose one of our Nutritional Advisor Fall Out Sickness Prevention Diet Plans - delicious, with or without a war"

6) if after a long time without an atomic bomb being dropped there was a long term decline in fallout shelter sales and associated accessories, then a SMALL use of nuclear weapons, far from the core market, but sure to provide horrifying images to sear into the minds of the consumer, MIGHT be a good idea. You would have to be very careful that it didn't get out of hand.

In conclusion, capitalism would only destroy the world one step at a time, provided each step was profitable to do so and seemed to be in accordance with the principal of maintaining a Going Concern

[realyoungdarius]

question set #9 for pols 648

question set #9 for pols 648

For April 16 please answer the following questions:

Answer Chapter 13 Question #1 25 Points

Answer Chapter 13 Question #2 25 Points

Also, every week please note any questions/comments you have about the readings on the discussion board and we will discuss them there and/or in class.

Your city’s highway department currently operates sidewalk snowplows. During major snowstorms, the department gives top priority to clearing major streets. Consequently, sidewalks are often not plowed until several days after major storms. What factors should the mayor consider in deciding whether to contract out for sidewalk snowplowing?

Should consider utilitarian based ethics? Why?

a. When you consider utilitarian ethics, for instance, you are trying to do great things for as many people as possible. This means that you might even mitigate things to help for things to be better for more people. This means that we most consider consequentialism and focus on maximizing overall happiness and minimizing suffering.

2. You are the mayor of a medium-sized city in a developing country. A company is seeking a contract that would give it rights of way for installing cables to provide television and modem services within the city limits. The contract would specify subscription rates for the first three years of the contract. Should you be concerned about opportunism?

a. Yes. Opportunism is the taking of opportunities as and when they arise, regardless of planning or principle. Consider first movers and secondary movers in the marketplace? Once a business loses its edge in the marketplace, which involves barriers to entry, then other companies can provide substitutes in the marketplace that are better. Also, consider that the hype of a new product on the marketplace could cause prices to rise until later on down the road after the launch of the product. This could be considered to be rent in economics, when an amount of money earned is exceeds what is economically and socially necessary? This rationale, at least, exists in metaphysics (which is an umbrella term which includes Phenomology?) if nothing else?

Opportunism arising from information asymmetry can occur either at the contract negotiation stage or after the contract has been signed (the post-contract stage), but is most likely to be significant after contract signing. Either governments or contractees may generate these costs. Higher task complexity also increases the potential for production externalities; that is, the potential for serious disruption to the rest of the public organization if the contracted service is withdrawn or degraded.24

One study finds that governments engage in more monitoring, and bear more monitoring costs, when the risks of opportunism are greater.17 Additionally, not all forms of contracting out can be expected to lower production costs. In particular, cost-plus contracts, which guarantee the contractee a profit no matter how high the measured costs of production, are unlikely to lead to lower-cost production.18 Second, cost comparison studies should control for quality differences; a few studies have done so,19 but most have not.

The degree to which the activity being contracted for is contestable affects opportunism costs. If the market for the activity is contestable, then opportunism is reduced at the contract stage and potentially also at the execution stage.

Sources:

question set #9 for pols 648

question set #9 for pols 648

For April 16 please answer the following questions:

Answer Chapter 13 Question #1 25 Points

Answer Chapter 13 Question #2 25 Points

Also, every week please note any questions/comments you have about the readings on the discussion board and we will discuss them there and/or in class.

Your city’s highway department currently operates sidewalk snowplows. During major snowstorms, the department gives top priority to clearing major streets. Consequently, sidewalks are often not plowed until several days after major storms. What factors should the mayor consider in deciding whether to contract out for sidewalk snowplowing?

Should consider utilitarian based ethics? Why?

a. When you consider utilitarian ethics, for instance, you are trying to do great things for as many people as possible. This means that you might even mitigate things to help for things to be better for more people. This means that we most consider consequentialism and focus on maximizing overall happiness and minimizing suffering.

2. You are the mayor of a medium-sized city in a developing country. A company is seeking a contract that would give it rights of way for installing cables to provide television and modem services within the city limits. The contract would specify subscription rates for the first three years of the contract. Should you be concerned about opportunism?

a. Yes. Opportunism is the taking of opportunities as and when they arise, regardless of planning or principle. Consider first movers and secondary movers in the marketplace? Once a business loses its edge in the marketplace, which involves barriers to entry, then other companies can provide substitutes in the marketplace that are better. Also, consider that the hype of a new product on the marketplace could cause prices to rise until later on down the road after the launch of the product. This could be considered to be rent in economics, when an amount of money earned is exceeds what is economically and socially necessary? This rationale, at least, exists in metaphysics (which is an umbrella term which includes Phenomology?) if nothing else?

Opportunism arising from information asymmetry can occur either at the contract negotiation stage or after the contract has been signed (the post-contract stage), but is most likely to be significant after contract signing. Either governments or contractees may generate these costs. Higher task complexity also increases the potential for production externalities; that is, the potential for serious disruption to the rest of the public organization if the contracted service is withdrawn or degraded.24

One study finds that governments engage in more monitoring, and bear more monitoring costs, when the risks of opportunism are greater.17 Additionally, not all forms of contracting out can be expected to lower production costs. In particular, cost-plus contracts, which guarantee the contractee a profit no matter how high the measured costs of production, are unlikely to lead to lower-cost production.18 Second, cost comparison studies should control for quality differences; a few studies have done so,19 but most have not.

The degree to which the activity being contracted for is contestable affects opportunism costs. If the market for the activity is contestable, then opportunism is reduced at the contract stage and potentially also at the execution stage.

Sources:

19 For example, see Randall G. Holcombe, “Privatization of Municipal Wastewater Treatment,” Public Budgeting and Finance 11(3) 1991, 28–42; and Russell L. Williams, “Economic Theory and Contracting Out for Residential Waste Collection,” Public Productivity & Management Review 21(3) 1998, 259–71.

24 Steven Globerman, “A Policy Analysis of Foreign Ownership Restrictions in Telecommunications,” Telecommunications Policy 19(1) 1995, 21–28.

[r3adingr00m]

One thing that people don't seem to talk about a lot, even the people who recognize that passport privilege is real and has consequences not just on leisure activities but job opportunities and progression, is how tiring it all is. How every effort at travel emphasizes other, pre-existing, inequalities and inequities, including gender, but especially intersectional inequalities.

I currently have a visa for a country that in itself, isn't very useful (I can visit my siblings, yay! but I can't visit most of my friends, major boo). But this one visa has facilitated my ability to go to a reunion in Turkey, to a professional conference that's being hosted in Morocco in the fall, and will allow me to go to friends' weddings in Mexico (...the flight times and costs from South Asia to Mexico are a different matter!). I received my Turkish visa in under 5 hours and the Moroccan one in 10, both online. I didn’t have to hire an agent, go through a company, coordinate post or travel to the embassy in india.

My colleague is 6 or 7 years younger than me, in her late 20s. She went to university in India and came back a few years ago after finishing. She’s been working since, more or less, while doing a secondary degree in law. She is meant to go to the same conference. She doesn't have any other visas in her passport, and either way, the burden for approval of these visas is significant, which is probably why some countries decide to just accept them as a shorthand for what is ultimately a financial review process. Morocco, like many countries, doesn't have an embassy in Nepal, and consular services are in India. In order to even apply for the visa, she was informed by the consulate (unclear if this was in Nepal or India) that she'd need a no-objection certificate...from her father. Who lives in a completely different part of the country, but could just as easily live in another country, or not himself exist, or be literate.

My colleague is nearly 30. This should be more than enough to indicate her independence, autonomy, and authority to make decisions for herself. If the concern is about her "vulnerability" to exploitation - for which there are few foolproof methods, and certainly not in a State that literally profits off the exploitation and labor of people working abroad, at every stage of their decision to leave, and as the pig butchering schemes in China and Myanmar at present demonstrate - she has a Bachelor's and at least one (if not two) Masters degrees. (Again, not foolproof, but still - nothing is.)

Nepal has a new process whereby we have to get national ID cards (in addition to citizenship cards). In order to apply for this ID, you need a reference from your local government office, as well as various other pieces of paperwork. Among these pieces of paperwork and references is a certificate proving that you are not married.

A certificate proving that you are not married.

The absurdity and sexism of this state. Truly a thing to behold.

[jim-fetter-illustrations]

We are using Artificial intelligence (AI) to design human intellect to something it's not and can't even relate to.

Ya know, it seems to me that airplanes are being manufactured cheaper and cheaper to sustain those maximum profits, while consumers are paying the price of safety concerns while flying on a cheaper built aircraft.

This latest Boeing 737 Max 9 incident is a perfect example of that scenario. A piece of the aircraft falls off mid flight on a relatively new aircraft?!?!?!?!?

I remember illustrating a design for the new Boeing 90 engine to print on T-Shirts for the Boeing employees back in 1996. This new aircraft engine used AI (the simulation of human intellect in computers) to design the new aircraft engine that used 50% less fuel and produced 50% less noise, and was designed in 50% less time than any other aircraft engine in history.

Designed with the first of its kind artificial intelligence genetic algorithm,..... A genetic algorithm operates through a cycle of three stages: Build and maintain a population of solutions to a problem. Choose the better solutions for recombination with each other. Use their offspring to replace poorer solutions.

This new artificial intelligence genetic algorithm did it using a large maze with mice in the maze looking for the best pathway to find their food. The computer was given eyes in the form of 70 cameras over the maze to watch the mice go through the maze seeking their food, and when the mice went down a blocked pathway in the maze they would backtrack and choose another pathway to achieve their goal of getting the food.

This taught the computer that when it came to a wall in designing it would backtrack and redesign over and over again to come up with a positive solution instead of just stopping until the human programmer would tell the computer to do something different, and in this way the computer would recalculate over and over millions of times a minute all by itself until achieving a positive result.

This was the birth of designing computers to understand human intellect in the designing process, and do it better and faster than human beings could,.......... as the GE 90 was the first aircraft engine to be designed in 18 months, when all other aircraft designs by human beings took and average of 7 years to fully design.

.......But at what cost are we today trusting computer Artificial intelligence (AI) to make human life better and safer?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not human by any measure of standard, it's totally logical, human beings aren't.

In wartime scenarios Artificial intelligence (AI) doesn't take into consideration human suffering, pain or life for that matter, it only takes into consideration WINNING THE BATTLE.

Soooooo what makes people think Artificial intelligence (AI) logic for designing aircraft is any different, and the object is to fly from point A to point B cheaper, and airline comfort and safety for passengers is a secondary concern, and why we are seeing airline seating packing human beings into aircraft like sardines for maximum profit, and manufacturing designs that are suppose to be logical, performing illogically, like pieces of aircraft falling off the plane while in flight as we saw in that Boeing 737 Max 9. But the design of the aircraft was sound enough that it could still land without passenger death this time so Way-to-go-Artificial intelligence (AI)?!?!

Ya see now, this is why I take the train, which isn't really all that much safer, because many train designs, routes, schedules and so on are also designed by Artificial intelligence (AI) for maximum profitability, but at least in a train you don't have far to fall when it breaks apart.

Because more people are dying on aircraft a year than on trains, as 99% of train deaths are at unprotected crossings that the train runs down, not people on the train,.........

Just a passing thought on humanity and where we are taking it, and continue to vote for unwittingly........

[needy-nova]

Thank you for being so open with the community, I love reading your design insight. My first 2 paragraphs are small grumbling that have been echoed in other places, and probably can be skipped 😅, the second half is a massive emotional issue, and has drastically changed how I approach the game.

I have started playing again a bit ago in 2022, and I have never known them myself, but I yearn for 3 set blocks. Heading from bloom burrow to dusk mourn to foundations to race cars. In the span of 6 months, gives so much tonal whiplash that it drains my ability to care about any of it. I want something with an arc, with implications, growth, not just a pile of references and objects that are thematically similar.

I love wacky shit, what chances I have had to play with silver border cards I have loved. And when mystery booster 2 was revealed, I wanted that, but the price kept me away. And that sucks, and I am still salty about the fact that I can't draft with playtest cards except by buying a box that is at least 2x the price of a normal draft box. (something that for now and for probably how long they will stay in stock is the case)

Lastly, the big topic. I hate the secondary market with a passion. I hate that every mtg product is evaluated on retail value, I hate that cards are betted on like stocks, that packs are gambling with monetary consequences, that bans impact people's wallets. I want to play a game and discuss design, rules, lore, art, all beautifully things about magic. I don't want concerns about, price, costs, profit to be a part of my game night.

The switch I made to using proxies is the best I have ever made. I didn't do it to reduce costs, I have been printing decks and buying accessories left and right, and it's my main hobby money sink, I am spending more on mtg than ever before. It's the best choice because I don't need to engage with the stupid secondary market, limited offer products, gambling or carry around hundreds or euros of cardboard on a train trip. (And smaller upside, I also have control of the art / border of cards and update old printing with new Oracle text when needed)

As Gabe said, and I will repeat here: "Piracy is almost always a service problem and not a pricing problem". And the emotional toll that the secondary market, that scarcity, that gambling, inflicts is baggage I am glad to have stepped away from.

Stepping away from official products, away from the environment WoTC fosters has improved the game, has improved my hobby, and that Should worry all of you.

I’ve always felt the core role of this blog has been one of information. We make a lot of choices in design, and I try to use my various communications, including Blogatog, to walk the players through what we were thinking when we made key decisions.

The challenge with this approach is that it’s very logic-focused. It uses intellectual justifications to explain actions. But the problems I’m often responding to are emotional in origin. I have a good friend who’s a psychologist. He refers to this (using the words of author Robyn Gobbel) as an owl brain solution to a watchdog brain problem.

When someone is hurting, hearing about why the thing that is causing them pain is the result of intellectual decisions falls flat. That’s what has been causing some tension lately here on Blogatog.

It’s clear that for some Question Marks changes over the last few years represent the loss of something key to what makes Magic special to them. To them, the game is losing its heart.

While I can’t necessarily do anything about that, I want to better understand what you’re going through. So I’m using this post to ask players who are concerned with the recent changes to help me understand their feelings. Let me hear your stories about how your lives have been affected by these changes.

[isocertificationghana]

What are the ways to address the opportunities and risks in ISO 9001 certification in Ghana?

Addressing Opportunities and Risks in ISO 9001 Certification in Ghana

ISO 9001 certification in Ghana is located in West Africa, with a populace of around 27—five million human beings. The capital town is Accra, and the respectable language is English. The forex is the Ghanaian cedi (GHS). Ghana is a member of the United Nations (U.N.), the African Union (A.U.), and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). The America of the USA has a younger populace and a growing center class. There is an increasing call for professional exertions and products and services that meet international requirements.

ISO certification in Ghana. Ghana is a market-based, prominent economic gadget with a liberalized exchange regime. The U.S.. It is a neighborhood leader in manufacturing cocoa, gold, and oil. Ghana is also a considerable producer of manganese, bauxite, and diamonds. The production quarter is tiny, accounting for high-quality 10% of GDP. However, the manufacturing location is growing and becoming more excellent various. The primary industries are meal processing, textiles, chemical materials, and light manufacturing.

ISO 14001certification in Ghana , The company location is the most significant region of the monetary device, accounting for 60% of GDP. The primary offerings are tourism, banking, and telecommunications. Ghana has a younger and hastily growing populace. The median age is 21, and the public is projected to develop to 36 million by 2050. The public is urbanizing, with 41% dwelling in towns.

ISO 45001 certification in Ghana , The literacy charge is sixty-five. Three, and the number one college enrollment rate is 96.2%. The secondary faculty enrollment price is 60.Eight%. Ghana has tropical weather with two wet seasons and dry seasons. The common temperature is 27 degrees Celsius. Ghana is a center-earning country in the U.S. of America with a GNI consistent per capita of US$1,590. The financial system varies with agriculture, mining, manufacturing, and services.

The Importance of Certification in Ghana

ISO 27001 certification in Ghana , Certification can be very vital in Ghana. It permits agencies to decorate their magnificent management structures and to have the ability to show their customers that they will be devoted to providing the best possible products and services. There are many precise varieties of certification that businesses can gather. However, the most well-known and substantially identified is the ISO 9001 certification. This certification is designed to help agencies enhance their outstanding management systems that permit them to meet the wishes of their clients.

The advantages of certification growth are genuinely the improved great management gadget. Organizations that may be licensed are also capable of exposing their customers to presenting the exceptional possible services and products. This can assist in building consumer loyalty and growth profits. Certification can be a valuable marketing and marketing tool, as it can help corporations to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Organizations that might be licensed can use this to their advantage even in advertising their products and services.

ISO 22000 certification in Ghana, Overall, certification can be very vital for businesses in Ghana. It can assist in decorating super manage systems, constructing customer loyalty, and boom earnings. Corporations that can be thinking about certification ought to ensure that they pick out an excellent and expert certification body to paint with.

The Risks of ISO 9001 Certification in Ghana

As with any organization’s choice, common dangers concern pursuing ISO 9001 certification. In Ghana, these dangers are magnified due to the political and economic instability of the USA of America. Here are the five most significant risks of pursuing ISO 9001 certification in Ghana:

Certification may be used as a political tool.

In Ghana, the certification process is often politicized. This manner certification can be used as a device to reward friends and punish enemies, in the desire to as a way to enhance incredible. This can bring about cronyism and corruption and, ultimately, a decline in the quality of certified products and services.

The certification approach can be used to extort coins.

In Ghana, it is not unusual for agencies to be asked for bribes subsequently of the certification technique. This is an excellent rate for companies and may result in higher customer costs.

Certification can be used to limit competition.

In Ghana, groups still needing certification can be excluded from taking elements in government contracts. This can restrict competition and motivate better charges for items and services.

Certification can be used to gain effective organizations.

In Ghana, companies that are licensed may be given advantageous

treatment in the awarding of government contracts. This can distort the market and ultimately lead to higher fees for goods and services.

Certification may be used to restrict alternatives.

In Ghana, groups still needing certification can be excluded from participating in international exchange. This can bring about a decline in the first-rate products and services available to customers and, in the long run, higher costs.

The Future of ISO 9001 Certification in Ghana

There is sometimes no doubt that certification performs an essential function globally in the commercial enterprise organization. It lets businesses to enhance their operations and to win contracts. In Ghana, certification is currently undergoing a duration of reform. The Ghanaian government has these days added plans to improve the extraordinary certification offerings within the U.S. These plans encompass the advent of a cutting-edge countrywide great infrastructure body, an excellent way to be liable for accrediting certification our bodies and setting beautiful necessities.

The authorities are also jogging to enhance the crook framework for certification. This will help ensure that accreditation is extra available to groups and is considerably more diagnosed. The destiny of certificates in Ghana seems impressive. The reforms presently underway need to enhance the exquisite certification offerings and make them extra widely available. This will benefit organizations and customers alike.

Why choose Factocert?

We provide the best ISO consultants in Ghana, who are very knowledgeable and provide you with the best solution. And to know how to get ISO certification in Ghana? Kindly reach us at contact@factocert.com ISO Certification consultants follow the guidelines set by the international organization for standardization and help the organization to implement ISO certification in Ghana in an easy way with proper documentation and audit.

For more information visit: ISO 9001 certification in Ghana

Related Articles: ISO 9001 certification in Ghana

[ayejayque]

The History of Social Entrepreneurship & Understanding what an Entrepreneur is

Social entrepreneurship is an initiative that takes up a social problem for bringing about a revolution in the same. The individual who takes up this contest is known as a social entrepreneur. He uses the principle of entrepreneurship with the idea of making social capital and not being fundamentally profit-oriented. Social entrepreneurship promotes social and environmental goals that have a bearing on the present and the future. Such entrepreneurs are usually attached to an NGO (nonprofit organization). Though profit-making might be an aspect of this concept, it may not be the solitary purpose of the venture. Andrew Mawson worked expansively on social entrepreneurship. He extended it to reform the structure of the community. He also laid the groundwork for the Bow Center in East London. For this, he was made a hereditary peer in Lord Mawson. He develops businesses for renaissance work started by him. Social entrepreneurship is a new-age terminology. It just started a couple of decades ago. But it has been used throughout history. Many entrepreneurs established social enterprises to get rid of social problems and in the process bring about constructive transformation in the society. Robert Owen, of the Cooperative movement, and Florence Nightingale, founder of the first nursing institute and inventor of modern treatment practices can be included in this class. Their exploits were at least 100 years ahead of time. That is much before the concept of Social Entrepreneurship was used in management. In the 19th and 20th centuries, we saw entrepreneurs who made efforts to get rid of social evils. Besides this, we see many societies and organizations that work for children’s rights, women’s empowerment, saving the environment, saving trees, and the treatment of waste products. Social entrepreneurship is not limited to social issues only. It also encompasses recognizing and addressing the environmental issues and financial matters for the rural and urban poor. Some renowned social entrepreneurs of the modern times are Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh, Abdul Sattar Edhi of Edhi Welfare Trust in Pakistan, Bill Drayton of The Innovators for the Public, and Youth United represented by Jyotindra Nath. Major brands and businesses are also jumping onto the social entrepreneurship bandwagon. A popular practice is the establishment of schools in far-flung areas. More themes for social entrepreneurship include educating women about family planning, providing farmers and poor people to access low or no-interest credit schemes, creating waste treatment plants, planting trees, and adopting a green culture. Social Entrepreneurship is now perceived as a separate and specialized branch of Management. The youth is also not far behind in this sphere. They are making programs to volunteer their services and brilliant ideas to transform society as a whole. Social Entrepreneur. Who is one? Entrepreneurs venture into new avenues with the intention of making a profit from the exercise. They are socially aware and socially responsible too. They want to put in their two cents for the betterment of the society in which they operate. This obligation is not their prime focus. In social entrepreneurship, social well-being is prime. The making of any sort of profit takes a rear seat. It may be secondary in nature but is absolutely essential to survival for everyone concerned. A social entrepreneur takes up an unrelenting social problem and counters it with an innovative or path-breaking solution. Because profit-making is a secondary aim, there are still people who are obsessive and resolute about what they are doing. Their motivation levels are very high and they are seen as futurists who bring about a change in the way things are at present. Social entrepreneurs are great people recruiters. They present their concept or solutions in a way that many people start recognizing a requirement for change. This is why they get on board the change bandwagon. So, a main trait of a social entrepreneur lies in mobilizing the masses. This is done with the sole aim of bringing about change in the society. Social entrepreneurs want to change the face of society. It could either be health, sanitation, or education. They are seen everywhere. Some people try to work to bring about a change in modern innovations. This is due to the fact that the impact of these modern innovations has been negative to human life and society. They work for the betterment of improving existing systems, creating new solutions, and laying a framework for fair and just practices. Some very famous social entrepreneurs are as under: - Susan B Anthony: Co-Founder of the first women’s temperance movement. She was a well-known American women’s civil rights leader in the 19th century. - Vinobha Bhave: An icon of Indian modern history. She was the founder and leader of the Land Gift Movement. It aided the untouchables with reallocated land. - Maria Montessori: The founder of the Montessori system. She was a giant as far as early education systems were concerned. - Florence Nightingale: The creator of the very first school of nurses. She worked tirelessly to improve the prevailing hospital conditions. - Margaret Sanger: She founded the Planned Parenthood Federation of America. A true champion of the family system across the world. These are amazing examples of some people who strived for their beliefs. They are responsible for bringing in many changes in their work spheres. Social entrepreneurship has gained in popularity in the past few years. Many new people are getting attracted to it. A healthy competition now exists, and grads from prestigious schools are giving up their established jobs to join social entrepreneurship and contribute in expressive ways towards the betterment of society. Bill Drayton famously said, ‘Social entrepreneurs are not content just to give a fish or teach how to fish. They will not rest until they have revolutionized the entire fishing industry.’ This reflects the passion and commitment that is required of a social entrepreneur. Whether you like it or not, it is more challenging than conventional entrepreneurship!   Read the full article

[funkymbtifiction]

instincts

I’ve been thinking about subtype dynamics and how they play out in terms of dominant instincts / needs and an example popped into my head from The Patriot. Benjamin is an sp/so, and Gabriel is an social dominant (so/sp, I think; you could argue sp-blind, but he doggedly sticks to the war effort even through the bad times in a sp way). The entire story shifts around the initial conflict between them, in whether or not to get involved in the war, which makes the distinction between them apparent.

Benjamin is very much sp-dom in that all of his arguments against it are rooted in self-pres focus: starting with the scene where he stands up in the meeting and asks, “If I go to war, who will care for my children? My wife is dead. Who will provide for them if anything happens to me?” His focus is on their practical needs, in their survival. His reasoning against joining the militia is all about keeping them safe by providing for them, and keeping his head down, and not doing anything to jeopardize them. It’s only after his house and plantation are destroyed that he decides to join the cause -- and that’s only to save his son’s life, after losing another child. Far from being an abstract concept, the war has now come to him, threatened his self-pres concerns, and become personal in an sp-way. When Gabriel confronts him for being a coward, Benjamin states that, “One day, when you have a family, you will understand.” Again, self-pres focus: my family, our survival as a family (sp/so thinking).

“When I have a family,” Gabriel retorts, “I won’t hide behind them.” That’s his social dominant focus, which conflicts so badly with his father from the very beginning. When he wants to join the war effort, he points out that “all my friends are joining... some of them even younger than me.” He doesn’t fear for his own survival, it’s about being PART of something, CONTRIBUTING ahead of any personal concerns. Gabriel believes in what they are doing enough to hate the fact that he can’t do it, that his father won’t let him be part of this movement. He compares himself to other people, to his friends, and is aware of how it “looks” that he isn’t in the army. He thinks using survival as an excuse is cowardice, showing his strong social-focus over his own self-preservation. (The same with his wife; she cares more about the social implications of the war than she thinks about any of their survival, or how they might die in battle; they are both social-doms.) Even how he recruits others, vs. how his father recruits them, is different. Gabriel approaches them with a mentality of -- this is important, you should join up, be part of something meaningful, change the future for others!! Come on!

Benjamin approaches it from an sp-dom perspective: it’s gonna be dangerous, but here’s what you’ll get paid, and you can profit off reselling anything you take off dead enemy soldiers. If after this, none of you show up to the swamp again, I won’t hold it against you -- because we all must protect our families first. It’s an sp/so approach to life: sp first, then banding together. Family survival first. Even Benjamin’s fighting techniques are heavily sp, in that their own survival comes foremost in his mind, so he makes sure to protect them whoever possible, by ignoring the “rules of war” (open combat) and attacking enemy forces in covert ways intended to maximize their losses while minimizing their loss of life.

Your dominant instinct is so intrinsic in you, that you will sacrifice other instincts to meet those needs. If sx is dominant, your fixations and pursuit of whatever attracts you (person, object, interest) means you are willing to lose your own security (sp) or connections (soc) to pursue it; if sp is dominant, any fixations or social contributions come secondary (I won’t do soc or sx if it threatens my sp); if social is dominant, you will sacrifice sp and sx in favor of contributing, connecting, and participating.

[scssenach]

"I'm sorry that anyone ever made you feel as though you have to justify your mere existence." Frowning, Claire had half a mind to ask for names. Whoever had told Fantine it was her own fault, whoever had made her feel as though making mistakes was a condemnable offense, Claire wanted to wring their necks. They were all human, after all. No one lived their lives perfectly. And, in Claire's experience, there were hundreds of people she knew of that had made far graver mistakes than Fantine ever could and paid less than half the cost.

It was the men, she thought. The stupid men and their giant egos. But she knew not all men were like that. She had been lucky enough to get married to two of them. While Jamie and Frank certainly had their differences, both of them were valiant gentlemen in their own rights. If Jamie saw how Fantine has been treated, he would surely want to help, no matter the cost.

Hearing that the woman was concerned about embarrassing herself, Claire thought for a moment. None of the staff would tease Fantine, not while Claire was present. And Claire herself had served alongside men with less teeth than Fantine. If Fergus were here, he might offer some unhelpful observations upon seeing Claire's guest, but thankfully the young lad was off with Jamie and Murtagh. For now, the home was free of any immaturity.

"You are free to eat as much as you can tolerate. If you get sick, I can always have a bath drawn up for you." She didn't want to be overbearing, but Claire couldn't help but want to care for the woman's needs. If she were in Fantine's place, she would find it hard to trust others, but she just had to find a safe medium, a meeting place where both of them could exist comfortably. Somewhere that Fantine felt safe and Claire felt useful.

"Your friendship is more than enough." Claire took slow steps as she moved towards the dining room. She was careful not to describe Fantine's presence as priceless or any other faux pas, lest she bring up any sour correspondences. From what Claire could tell, Fantine had spent a large chunk of her life as a commodity, as an object to be appraised and sold for profit. When was the last time she had been looked at as a person? As a human being who owed the world nothing?

Entering the dining room, Claire paused at the doorway and smiled weakly. The handful of waitstaff still hurried about in the background, rolling short carts of dishes in and out of the room with shocking efficiency. Suzette had acted quick and Claire could already begin to catch whiffs of the fires being lit from the kitchens. Soon enough the scents of hearty stew would be wafting through the room.

“Everyone’s misfortunes are due to their own missteps. Being born is often a person’s first mistake, and everything from there is secondary. No one is perfect, Fantine, and everyone is deserving of kindness. And anyone who says otherwise is a fool."

With a soft wave of her hand, Claire gestured for Fantine to take a seat. There were plenty of chairs to pick from, far more than Claire's little family needed. But she wanted to give Fantine the choice of where to sit. She wanted to give her the autonomy over her life that people had seemed to enjoy taking from her.

“Anyway, you don’t have to accept anything right now. I know I’m throwing a lot at you as it is, but I just want you to know that the option is there, should you find yourself wanting it. My door is always open, my friend. As long as I am here, you will never be alone again."

Fantine couldn't help but wonder why people feared Claire so much. Then again, misunderstanding and more so, a lack of understanding (without a desire to learn) was a pandemic, it seemed. Here she was, an educated woman who still found herself just as much on the periphery of society as Fantine did. Fantine couldn't help but wonder just exactly what women could do that wasn't considered wrong.

Very little, it seemed.

"I brought it upon myself," Fantine answered simply. It was something she hadn't agreed with, but after hearing so many accusations, others' assumptions had started to become her truth. There must be something wrong with her—cursed—otherwise, why did so many agree?

Claire's hand upon Fantine's own brought Fantine out of her head. The question that followed was rhetorical. Regardless, she nodded. The hunger so well subdued cramped her stomach with talk of food, her memories casting back to her farm days where they would eat similarly. There, their food was through the fruits of their labour. If Fantine was lucky now, she could afford some bread here and there. Most of her dishes consisted of bone broths and left overs now.

"I am worried that I will embarrass myself." Her words hung between the two, head bowed in shame. "That I will not be able to stop and make myself ill." When she joined the farm, it was the first time in her life she had eaten regularly. The hunger she hadn't even fully realised was ravenous, insatiable, it seemed. When her body understood food was guaranteed, she managed to find some sort of rhythm to her hunger... Now she was back to that girl before the farm. She hated being so pathetic.

Despite the offer of stew, Claire didn't stop there. Her hospitality had Fantine staring at her with wide eyes, mouth agape like the unmannered woman people believed her to be. "Please, you do not have to cater for me," she replied, "you have already done enough— more than enough. I cannot keep taking when I have nothing to give, Madame. And there must be more deserving people than me out there. People whose misfortunes are not due to their own missteps."

Her mouth was dry, air hitting her hard palate as she tried to regain her breath from the way she spluttered out words. "I appreciate everything you have done for me, but it would be selfish to accept anything more."

[confessionsofanasexual]

Trans Guide

I'm making a trans guide for people parents of a trans kiddo, people that are questioning their gender identity, or people that just need to learn more. Right now, the goal is to make the guide accessible on the non-profit's page for free. After this guide, I'll also work on creating guides for other identities (Asexual and Aromantic will be next).

My experience with gender is very different than other trans peoples, especially since my gender dysphoria is very limited, so I'm trying to get as much feedback on this as possible. What are some categories you'd like to see in the guide? Here's a list of what I already have below (it may change depending on what is needed or not needed). My categories may also not fully describe what I'm going for, so if you have any concerns regarding them, please let me know.

Defining Sex in Humans: Reproductive Organs, Chromosomes and Genes, Origin of the Y chromosome, Hormones, Secondary Sex Traits, Intersex

Sex vs Gender

Gender Identity vs Gender Presentation vs Gender Stereotypes

Transgender: Pronouns, names, gender dysphoria

Transitioning: To Transition or to Not, Common Transitioning Routes, Transitioning Safety

History: Mythology, Gender, Famous Trans People

The Present: Trans Rights, Current Legal Protections and Issues, Trans Symbols

The Future of Being Trans

Personal Experiences

Resources

Glossary