#world's most normal minimum wage employees

[jeyneofpoole]

Can you make a list and a ranking of theon's hookups in the strip mall based on how often they shag? I just know that bitch is fucking someone behind the dumpsters during 7 minutes of their lunchbreak while using his left hand to smoke a joint.

ramsay obviously. we've previously established that he locks theon in the walk-in to get his rocks off but what you don't know is that they're also having terrible, no-holds-barred, freaknasty sex in the back of ramsay's secondhand kia soul and then ramsay drives him home so he can watch through theon's bedroom window as he cries before bed (every night).

barbrey. don't get me wrong, there is no equal division of labor here. she makes him finger her in the back office with latex food handling gloves on while he's on lunch and takes away his hours if he goes over his allotted thirty minutes. she puts her cigarettes out on him. it's that kind of thing.

patrek mallister. woah new entry into the cinematic universe. patrek works at the local shitty gym called the 'thunderdome' or whatever that is carpeted for some godforsaken reason and always smells like wet dog. they absolutely desecrate some lifting benches but they're always doing the 'it's not gay to help a brother out, right? this is just what friends do, bro' and it's mostly terrible hand stuff.

roose. not technically a hookup, but he does watch everything through a ridiculously elaborate camera system he has installed throughout the mall. yeah it's a sexual thing.

[tardis--dreams]

Me panicking because i have 9 missed calls and 5 emails talking about my absence and how "a colleague could take over for me" vs. Me knowing it's really not that important no matter how pushy a client is and that on top of it I'm underpaid and have way to much overtime so i shouldn't even care

[conkreetmonkey]

Splatoon 3 is wild because imagine if you were living in Japan due to a recent economic and cultural boom, and suddenly a space shuttle with a mutant house-sized T-rex riding it suddenly burst from the center of Mt. Fuji and disappeared into space without explanation, and all you ever find out about what the fuck that was about is that Zuckerburg mysteriously disappeared the same day and was never seen again, but still "officially" ran Meta through an open secret Queen-Elizabeth-being-in-good-health gaslighting campaign, and everybody kind of suspected he may have been connected but never figured out anything conclusive.

Also the T-rex is now orbiting the earth in the fetal position like the guy from Jojo, and there are rumors of a substance that, if touched, turns you into a half-dinosaur monster. Nobody understands any of this but Meta employees just keep going to work and pretending Zuck still exists. The same 12 prerecorded voicelines constantly squak from the PA system.

Oddly, the statue in front of Meta HQ of a T-rex eating a human changes overnight into one of a giant human eating a tiny T-rex. Nobody noticed the switch, despite the statue being in a constantly bustling area. It happened shortly after the shuttle incident.

Jack Black's tiny clone, Lil' Jack, now wears a headset at all times and has been acting really shady since the incident. Also they're both hyperintelligent, immortal velociraptors found in an ancient cryogenic chamber who spend their days judging college football and eating the legally harvested flesh of hillbillies. Lil' Jack is probably plotting to kill Big Jack, but Big Jack doesn't seem to care, growing fat and lazy, sleeping on public benches in a bed of throw pillows. Also, he's very open about the fact that, as a velociraptor, humans look delicious, but he hasn't actually eaten anybody aside from the aforementioned hillbillies because he's civil.

Everyone is just expected to move on with their lives after this. This is normal to you.

The local art school was recently attacked by giant sea serpents, which were actually hideously bioengineered hillbillies, fulfilling a biblical doomsday prophecy, and they were driven back by Meta's army of minimum wage, part time child soldiers armed with warcrimey jury-rigged weaponry. The sea serpents had giant frying pans grafted into their mouths, which launched primitive tactical nukes made by filling garbage bags with their explosive blood. They still exist, and occasionally defend their comrades, but spend most of their time in the deep sea.

The local homeless emo twink everyone's attracted to is a closet millionaire who sells bootleg clothing in exchange for live rats, which he messily devours behind closed doors. He's also 8 feet tall and British and only has one eye.

North Korean refugees now flood the western world, after a greasy 14 year old hipster, under the guidance of Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift, beat Kim Jong Un in a mech battle, and the EDM remix of the Japanese national anthem they performed caused like half the soldiers to immediately realize North Korea sucks ass and defect. One of these individuals, 7 foot tall hypergenius, becomes a newscaster alongside a nepo baby rapper with dwarfism who likes to eat entire jars of mayo, and also they're a popular band. Also also, they may or may not be gay. Almost the entire population is gay, so this isn't a huge deal.

The new local newscasters are a famous Japanese lion tamer, an Indian girl with a bloodline trait allowing her to control snakes, and a Brazillian man the size of a smart car who exclusively communicates via grunts.

Gods, souls and zombies are objectively real, and you're effectively immortal because real-life respawning was invented a while ago. It works like a Keurig, but with mucus instead of coffee. Submersion in water kills you.

A good deal of the population is a hivemind. They pretend to be individuals for no reason.

Almost all men are now femboys.

Despite all this, you still have to go to work at 9 tomorrow.

[ghostsontelevision]

i’ve been fucking around w a mob psycho 100 ageswap au. details under the cut

GENERAL PREMISE: mob & tome run a psychic business together, focus is on investigating supernatural phenomena. reigen is a shithead little kid who talked his way into becoming an employee, but they only really let him sweep the floors until he starts complaining, at which point he gets one (1) adventure per week.

MOB: because reigen wasn’t around to keep her from joining the telepathy club, she joined without protest or thought, but she and tome ended up getting along well enough that they became close friends. her egg cracked in high school, and she’s now a shy and withdrawn adult woman. doesn’t have as much of a sense of personal style, though if someone pays attention they might notice her tendency towards things with cute (& a little obnoxious) graphics. avoids using her psychic powers as much as possible because she never worked through her trauma regarding them, so every time she does use them they have a tendency to become really out of control. a pretty blunt sense of humor. she handles most of the “psychic” part of the job (so she does mind readings, future telling, and very basic exorcism), but most of this is “practice reading people”, something she still struggles with, and isn’t actually power based.

TOME: excitable and impulsive adult. worked a variety of shitty minimum wage cashier jobs until she snapped and begged mob to open the psychic business with her. her preference is field work, exploring haunted houses & investigating strange phenomena. has a strong (if occasionally incomprehensible) internet presence. a tendency to rope people into things without really asking if they’re okay with it, which she’s aware of and can occasionally feel guilty about. not a role model except for her zest for life. has never met aliens and desperately desperately wants to. still keeps in touch with the other telepathy club members, who have thrived in normal office jobs and don’t want to quit and join her shady ghost hunting business for some reason????

REIGEN: a middle schooler with a big mouth. unspeakably lonely, hates going home for some reason. has a tendency to bluff his way into situations and still miraculously bluff his way out. has a reputation in school as a loudmouth liar. very very good at reading people. wants to be special but has no clue how to accomplish this, and the concept of becoming an adult both frightens and bores him. wants to join the psychic business because he wants to become a fascinating and interesting person who people look up to, which flatters tome’s ego enough that she lets him “intern”. watches teru’s show and thinks he’s soooooo cool.

TERU: got in a fight with mob in middle school (again, mob didn’t have reigen to preach nonviolence so mob just kinda. wiped the floor with him lmao). teru holds the BIGGEST grudge about it and mob barely remembers it. nowadays, an incredibly popular tv psychic (haters will say its cgi) who is super popular with teenage girls and stay at home moms alike. because mob didn’t have her nonviolence rule, she wasn’t pushed to her breaking point and instead just one-hit KO’ed him, so he didn’t completely lose his dignity as a child, but he did take a hit to his ego and lost his middle school friends. he then rebuilt his following in high school, but also doesn’t really have friends, just lackeys.

RITSU: mob’s estranged brother. they never worked through their complexes regarding each other, so they grew apart and have barely spoken since they moved out of their parents’ place. now a successful office manager and utterly bored with life; going up the corporate ladder out of momentum if nothing else. allies with dimple out of boredom, and is actually more gung-ho about starting a cult than dimple is.

TOICHIROU: BABY TYRANT. runs salt middle school like it’s the fucking navy. aspirations of grandeur, wants to rule the world and frankly would do it tomorrow if he could. student council president, hand picked the rest of the student council (the rest of the super 5). uses psychic powers for intimidation

SERIZAWA: an anxious middle schooler who towers over everyone. his official title is “student council vice president”, his actual role is “hired muscle and toichirou’s yes-man” (yes-boy?). he considers the rest of the super 5 his friends, but doesn’t really know what friendship is. still has the umbrella. he and reigen end up becoming friends by accident, and reigen helps him break toichirou’s hold over him and basically enlists him into working for tome & mob.

DIMPLE: i’m gonna be real dimple is hard to ageswap because he’s like, 100 years old or whatever. so dimple is mostly unchanged, still running scams in an attempt to become god, which keeps not working out for him. this is his 100th attempt, and this time ritsu gets roped in - and might actually be better at running a cult than he is????

SHOU: toichirou’s HUMILIATING dad. maybe a little too lax about the whole “my son wants to rule the world” thing. also a powerful psychic, but only ever uses his powers to complete very mundane tasks, which toichirou views as a waste. unmarried, toichirou’s mom was a one-night-stand and has asked to be out of the picture, which shou is fine with. 

MOGAMI: world weary at the age of 14. former golden child. discovered he was a powerful psychic very young, and used this power to help others. however, this quickly turned into him being consistently taken advantage of, and after a particularly bad incident, he became jaded and withdrawn. has some kind of history w dimple (disrupted one of his cults a year or two ago?). also watches teru’s show and thinks he’s a fucking hack

[atlanticcanada]

'Tip-flation' is getting out of hand for some Canadians: Angus Reid survey

Following more than a year of high inflation, most Canadians believe gratuities for the service industry are getting out of hand, new polling suggests.

A new Angus Reid survey found that 59 per cent of Canadians would prefer a system that has a "service included" model where employees would be paid higher wages and customers wouldn't have to tip based on the percentage of their meal.

The survey also found that Canadians are not only being asked to tip more but they are also being asked to tip more often, even in places that haven't always asked for tips – a phenomena known as a "tip creep."

"Four-in-five (83 per cent) say too many places are asking for tips these days, including at least three-quarters across all regions and demographics," the study results read.

According to the report, 23 per cent reported tipping less than 15 per cent, marking a drastic change from the 43 per cent that reported the same range for tipping in a 2016 survey.

Since the world began to "return to normal" following the closures of restaurants and other public spaces due to COVID-19, a 2022 report found that Canadians were tipping more and likely doing so out of sympathy and excitement to the return of public dining.

The Angus Reid survey also noted Canadians are still tipping regardless and some are still following the socially standard 20 per cent tip. Twenty-one per cent of Canadians said they left a tip of 20 per cent or more, a large jump from the 8 per cent in 2016 who said they tipped the same.

REASONS BEHIND TIPPING NO LONGER ABOUT SERVICE

The report found that the majority of Canadians no longer tip depending on the quality of the service but because tips are a way for employers to underpay their employees.

Approximately 73 per cent of Canadians believe this, while 69 per cent said tips are usually the only benefit to working a service job since minimum wage jobs can only give so much.

In 2020, a Toronto, Ont., restaurant Richmond Station banned tipping and followed a "hospitality included" model where they would increase the prices of their food to better compensate the staff. The restaurant said their staff is paid above minimum wage, with most having salary wages. While many countries around the world have moved to a similar model, the restaurant noted it hopes other restaurants in North America follow suit to end a model that is seen as "unfair."

"The fact of the matter is, tipping has been proven time and again to be sexist, racist, prejudiced and predatory. Every employee hopes to avoid having those traits present in their workplace," the FAQ page on the restaurant read.

METHODOLOGY

The Angus Reid Institute conducted this online survey between Jan. 31 and Feb. 2, 2023, gathering a randomized sample of 1,610 Canadian adults who are 18 and older and members of the Angus Reid Forum. The probability sample size would carry a margin of error of +/- 2 percentage points, 19 times out of 20. 

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/gLRczdr

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

found myself thinking yesterday if i was a twilight vampire i could work so efficiently, only downside is id probably eat the customers when they make me mad

but it got me wondering, do you think any of the cullens have tried to work regular 'normal teenager jobs' to blend in? like say, could we have ever seen edward working at a mcdonalds, alice at a hot topic and so on, for the sake of looking like normal people? i know we don't see it in forks but maybe in a past town or city (actually im lowkey imagining emmett having one of his many accidents in the walmart employee only area now)

I'm going to say no.

Our two chief contenders, those with the best control and most interest in being in human society, are Edward and Rosalie. Alice is perfectly content doing whatever Alice does, Jasper can barely handle school and is just trying not to eat people today, and Emmett doesn't seem to care about people so much he just goes to school because that's the shit the Cullens do.

Rosalie and Edward deeply feel the loss of their human lives and human opportunities. They might, fearing they missed out on something, choose to work just as they choose to pursue degrees in various fields.

Except...

Not entry level jobs.

Edward has a massive ego, and he despises the plebians. If he has to work in fast food, anything customer service oriented, he's sitting their taking your order with a strained smile thinking you're a little bitch because you can't choose between the heart attack on a bun and the heart attack in a drink. He hates you, he hates his coworkers, he hates the smell of grease, he hates his minimum wage, he hates everything.

Edward would much rather have inheritance fraud, passing money down from his "ancestors" to the latest and greatest Edward Cullen, than work at anything that would be entry level.

Now, he could try to do something like a residency if he chooses to be a therapist. Except then he'd have to listen to humans whining about their problems and actively lying to him through their teeth.

Rosalie has a similar experience. She doesn't have the ego, but she's not going to like working behind a counter at Hot Topic, having to do returns or purchases, when she knows she's way more qualified for any other position in the world. And she's not going to go anywhere where teenagers feel free to leer at her or where people aren't going to take her seriously.

Carlisle's paycheck is enough, as is their obvious wealth, that no one would question the kids not having jobs. They clearly don't need to.

[shorkbrian]

I’ve noticed a shortage of yan! Shoto :0 Whilst Kiri is my absolute fave, Todoroki needs some love too! Could I request some Yan! Shoto being absolutely touch starved and obsessed with a sweet, loving, motherly and smol reader? (it can be nsfw if you so wish!) Thank you!! (Btw, I love reading your stories, it’s a blessing in my day, even just looking at your shitposts/memes. And if you ever want to talk, jus say so. I hope you have a good day!! 🥺💞) - Sugar Anon 🧚‍♀️

Sugar anon! That is such a cute identifier and I hope to see you in my asks again!! Hopefully this is along the lines of what you were thinking!!!

It’s a very good concept btw cause like mhm him getting completely overwhelmed and overstimulated during diddly times cause he’s never had anyone be intimate with him.

Like moaning and his cheeks are flushed and oh

(Y/N) is a new doctor  at Shouto’s agency in charge of patching him up between missions and basically being his doctor. Shouto likes her gentle hands and soft touches, lets himself get a bit more scraped up then he would normally.  He’s just so touch starved and she’s so motherly and its such an intimate setting and he’s never had feelings like this before and he doesn’t know what to do.

Has yandere tendencies but tries to squash them down or hide them, tries to be normal.

One day gets hit with an aphrodisiac quirk, stumbles into her office and she’s immediately worried, once she figures out what’s up she tries to get out, lock him in there until someone stronger than he can come escort him home but he grabs her before she can get to the door. 

He’s crying cause he’s so horny it hurts (he’s never been this aroused in his LIFE) and he wanted everything to be perfect and he wanted to woo her but now he’s forcing himself on her and he can’t stop his hips from moving and he’s confessing all the bad things he’s done while he’s known her and she’s absolutely horrified, traumatized.

Warnings - NSFW, noncon, very hard noncon. Aphrodisiacs (spelling?) and a low-key weird comment about Shouto’s mommy-issues at the end. Dude is so twisted and sad and touch starved.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Todoroki-san, I have had to patch you up six different times in two days.”

Shouto cocked his head, staring at you with his bi-colored eyes, studying your face as you tended to the wound on his shoulder. The lilt to your voice suggested you were teasing, making small talk to distract the man as you swiped a disinfectant pad over the cut. You knew what you would be expected to do when you applied for this job, knew that heros were often injured. 

He had overseen the hiring process himself, his last doctor had left the agency for a job in a different country. Shouto held no hard feelings for the doctor, knew that as a hero he often got himself into trouble, needed a lot of attention and care. Not everyone could be expected to spend so much time with him, attending to his health - even if he was paying them a more-than adequate salary.

Most of the candidates had bored him when they came in for their scheduled interviews. Too many of them were looking at this position as a way to launch them into a nice comfortable position in a prestigious hospital. They seemed… uninterested, or too interested, some of the candidates invading his space when they came for a handshake, babbling about how much of a fan they were.

  You weren’t like that. There was a professional distance when you shook his hand, smiling at him pleasantly as you introduced himself. Then you sat down, waited for him and his team to begin asking you questions. Shouto couldn’t keep his eyes from straying to your hands, letting himself wonder whether those hands would be the right ones for the job. You looked so delicate, at least to him, a pro-hero.

But he already liked you better than any of the other candidates.

So you were hired, on the condition that you would be on a trial period for the first two months, with halved pay. It was still far above minimum wage, but Shouto was weary of hiring seemingly-normal employees only for them to turn out to just be trying to get to know him, whatever their reasons. The trial period was for his own sanity.

Currently he was sitting in your office, perched on the edge of the exam table tucked into the corner. Today he had managed to escape his most recent fight with only a few mild scrapes and bruises, but as his doctor, you needed to make sure he was okay, clean his wounds and patch him up before letting him go home for the day. It wouldn’t do anybody any good if one of the top pro heros collapsed on the job because of a lack of medical care. 

Your office was stocked with everything a doctor of your caliber could possibly need. Your “office” was really a mock hospital room, in a medium sized room located at the back of the agency. Having you on site meant that Shouto never had to bother with trips to the hospital, being swarmed by fans when he wasn’t feeling good or having someone who didn’t understand the capabilities of his quirk try to treat him.

It also meant he could relax, know that he was being taken care of. With you being so new, Shouto still had his guard up, ready for any-and-everything. So far you had been nothing but gentle.

You had hardly talked to him, other than the expected “This might sting” or “Deep breath in”. You warned him before you touched him,  but otherwise were very quiet, working diligently and professionally.  Shouto enjoyed it honestly, being able to step away from the buzz and hubbub of his agency and into his doctor’s office, where it was quiet and calm and peaceful.

Being with his mother had felt like this. Felt safe and refreshing and like a secret haven tucked away from the rest of the world.  

Clicking you tongue, you gave the pro hero a thumbs up as you stepped back. “Alright, you’re good to go! Please be safe on your way home Todoroki-san.” Shouto nodded, a stiff smile passing his lips as he rose to his feet. You were a good doctor, always took the best care of him.

“You as well Y/N.”

——

The next visit to your office revealed that you had added a few personal touches. 

A cheesy poster on the wall, directly across from the exam table, a single plant on your desk, A bowl of mini lollipops on the shelf by the door.

Cute.

Today was a short visit, just a quick once-over to make sure there weren’t any cuts or wounds that he hadn’t felt, the normal questions any quirks used against him during the day.  Shouto found himself wishing the visit had been longer as you gave him the all-clear,  moving away from the exam table so he could stand up. Before he walked out the door, you stopped him, silently handed him a lollipop. He took it,  noticing how soft your hand felt against his as he withdrew.

Shouto didn’t like sweets, but he didn’t mind accepting a lollipop from you. He could just offer it to his secretary when he passed her desk, no biggie. It was easier to do that than hurt your feelings by refusing.

Well, he knew it probably wouldn’t hurt your feelings.  He just liked seeing the little twinkle in your eye when he accepted it. He assumed the lollipops were a gag, something usually given to small children for being brave at their checkups.

He wasn’t your only patient, much as he would’ve liked. His agency had several other up-and-coming heroes, and several sidekicks, and you tended to all of them. Shouto liked to think that you saved the majority of your tenderness for him.

One time he had come in while you were setting one of the sidekick’s shoulders. You had asked him to sit down in your office chair, to give you a minute so you could finish up with his coworker. Shouto had done exactly that, watching as your soft hands gripped the sidekick hard, fingers digging in. 

“One, two, three.” You gave a countdown, forcefully jerking the shoulder back in place on “three”. The sidekick groaned at the pain, head shaking as if to clear his head from the intense sensation. You went over to your lollipop bowl, ignoring Shouto as he sat in your chair, returning to the sidekick to give him the sugary treat.

The sidekick sucked on the lollipop while you bandaged his arm into a sling, immobilizing it so it could heal. When you were done, you sent him on his way with a soft smile, before turning to Shouto.

“Todoroki-san, thank you for waiting.  How are you feeling today?”

Todoroki moved to the exam table when you motioned for him, immediately stripping off one of the boots of his hero costume.

“Hello (Y/N), it’s good to see you. I’m feeling good, got nicked by a spike during a fight today. Luckily it hit my ankle, and it’s not very painful.”

“Mm, let’s have a look.”

You kneeled down,  giving him a small warning before pulling his foot towards you, examining the tiny cut gracing his ankle. Shouto paused, closing his eyes as he relaxed at your touch. He didn’t remember the last time he felt this at-ease with another human. He didn’t know what it was about you; maybe your gentle, soft demeanor? Perhaps it was your kind touch, how you never pressed too hard and always respecting his personal space.  

Even as your fingers prodded at the cut, feeling the bone underneath, Shouto felt relaxed, content. He liked being around you, being with you. Even if the two of you hardly conversed. Maybe he could change that?

“(Y/N), how have you been finding working here?”

You looked up at him, bright eyes warm and kind. Shouto felt his chest tighten. “Oh, it’s very nice Todoroki-san! I hope I’m doing a good job attending to everyone.” With a smile, you returned to his ankle, producing an alcohol wipe from seemingly nowhere.

Shouto nodded, hands gripping the edge of the exam table. “I certainly appreciate your service. You have very tender hands.”  Just like his mom.  When he was younger, before his scare… Shouto remembered the care his mother would give to a scraped knee or a bump on his head. The soft touch, the kindness, the gentle hands - Shouto didn’t want to insult you by comparing you to his mother, so he stayed silent.

With a start, the man realized you were beaming up at him, wrapping a bandage around his ankle. He smiled back, felt his cheeks flush a little. What was this?

“Thank you! I know how important my patient is to the world.”

Ah, yes, his job. 

His job that he should probably getting back to.

Reluctantly, Shouto accepted the usual lollipop from your hands, wishing you would linger so he could feel the brush of your skin against his own.

Was he developing feelings for you?

——

It was a startling idea. Shouto never thought himself the type to have /feelings/ for someone else. When he thought of his future, it never involved another person. He didn’t want a family, didn’t want the opportunity to make the same mistakes as his father.

But as he gave the idea more thought, Shouto realized that he was feeling… something towards you. It was different to what he felt for Izuku, for Bakugou and Kirishima. He didn’t crave their touch like he did yours. Had physical contact always had such an appeal?

His last doctor had touched him, it was necessary of course to patch up his various wounds from fights. But somehow it wasn’t the same as when you touched him. 

Shouto spent each exam studying you, your features, the way you moved, how you almost skipped over to the lollipop bowl to retrieve him one at the end of the exam.  He felt drawn to you, wanted to touch your hair, hold onto your hand when you handed him the lollipop. Would you touch him if he asked? A hug maybe?

In his penthouse, Shouto mulled over his feelings, his wants and needs and how you fit in. Would it be prudent for him to start a relationship at this point in his life? Would you even consider him as a partner? No, probably not. You were much too professional, wouldn’t even think of starting a relationship with your boss. 

Maybe he could fire you.

No, no, Shouto couldn’t do that, it would make you hate him. Plus, he wouldn’t be able to see you as often. And Shouto was quickly becoming of the opinion that he wouldn’t mind seeing you more often than he did now.

He wanted more from you. He didn’t know what he wanted, but… maybe he could learn. 

——

If you noticed how frequently Shouto seemed to be visiting you, compared to his usual once-daily check up, you didn’t say anything.

Tabloids were beginning to comment on how eager the pro hero seemed to engage in hand-to-hand with villains. His usual strategy involved using his quirk, only getting his hands dirty if absolutely necessary. But now? He was constantly looking to get hit, kicked, clawed, wounded.

He had to come see you after every over-dramatic scrap with a villain.  You didn’t seem to notice, nor mind seeing his face pop around the door 3-4 times a day, sheepishly asking if you could patch up a new cut, check out a new bruise, make sure his nose wasn’t broken.

Shouto could feel himself falling, further and further into the rigid embrace of love, or at least, his version of it. Did other people experience attraction this vividly? 

He had come to terms with the fact that he was attracted to you, not just your body but your mind, your personality, your very existence.  He wanted to stay in your office, lingering after every visit and awkwardly attempting small talk just so you would interact with him, just so he could be with you a little longer. 

In the privacy of his own apartment, Shouto found himself researching on his laptop. “How to get the girl” “Ways to let her know you like her” “What does love feel like”. He felt so juvenile,  but the man was genuinely at a loss for how to deal with his feelings for you. Telling you outright wouldn’t be appropriate. You would never enter a relationship with your boss, Shouto knew this, you were too good of an employee. Flirting was not his forte, and was completely out of the question. 

So he stuck to what he knew how to do - keep his mouth shut and watch. You never turned him away from your office, never showed irritation when he showed up, never gave any sign that you were becoming tired of his presence. Shouto took this as an invitation, a sign that maybe, just maybe, you had feelings for him too. He found himself bringing his lunch down to your office, asking if he could eat there, just to get away from everyone for a little bit. You always let him, nonchalantly scrolling through your phone as you ate during your lunch break. 

Shouto was a bit embarrassed of himself when he pulled your file from the employee records. If anyone asked why, he would just tell them that he was considering giving you a raise, but wasn’t sure. That’s a valid reason to bring out an employee’s file, right? He just wanted to know where you live, if it was far from the agency. The man couldn’t stomach the thought of you, gentle, little (Y/N)  having to walk home alone at night, or take the train with all the creeps that could be there. 

When he came upon your address, Shouto made a note to ask if you’d like him to drive you home. It was at least a thirty minute drive, he didn’t want to think about how you usually got home. What if something happened to his doctor? When he broached the subject, Shouto thought he did pretty well at acting nonchalant.

“The weather’s getting colder, isn’t it?”

You nodded, wrapping gauze around a nasty gash on his calf.

“I feel bad for anyone who has to walk during the evenings.” He stated.

“Aw, it’s not that bad in my opinion.” You took the bait “I walk home from the train station every night and the weather isn’t awful. It’ll probably get nasty as winter comes though.”

“You have to take the metro to get home? Where do you live.” As if he didn’t know. But you’d recoil if he offered just yet, probably be weirded out that he knew your address.

“Yeah, I live over in the Shikuyu district. It’s a really pretty walk in the fall though, all those trees turning different colors.”

Shouto wrung his hands, taking a deep breath. “Let me drive you home tonight, there’s been some criminal activity going down over there and it’s not one of my sectors. I need my doctor safe.”

You tried to protest, and Shouto let you, but ultimately pulled the boss card, insisting that he needed to take care of his employees, especially one that he bothered so much.

“You never bother me Todoroki-san.” You laughed, dropping a lollipop into Shouto’s lap.

Shouto kept his face from souring, missing the usual contact of your gentle, silky-soft hands as you handed the treat to him. But it was fine, he would get more time with you. In his car, just the two of you, outside of work.

Then he registered what you said, and his head snapped up, eyes wide and roving over you as you turned away, cleaning up the exam table and messy supplies. 

It was all the confirmation he needed.

——

After the first time Shouto drove you home, you refused to let him go out of his way to help you out. Still, he was your boss and he could insist that you at least call an uber, or a cab. He didn’t feel comfortable sending his little doctor off onto the train every night after work. Shouto even upped your pay so you could afford it easier, saying there was no reason to be unsafe.

It was hard for him to know if he was being too suffocating.  He didn’t want for you to regret your statement about him never bothering you.

So he had his agency install new security cameras. 

One was placed in your office, where there hadn’t been one before. You weren’t too pressed when Shouto asked you what you thought of the upgrades, said you could see the sense in making sure the building was safe, especially the doctor’s office, where the heroes would be at their most vulnerable. 

Shouto agreed - he was always at his most vulnerable when he was around you.

But now he could stop letting his body take a beating in order to see you. He could sit in his office, busy himself with paperwork and have the security feed from your office pulled up on his laptop. Half the time Shouto got distracted, abandoning the paperwork in order to watch you work, treating sidekicks and heroes-in-training and anyone else the agency had hired. 

He tried to ignore the bitter pang of jealousy that reared it’s head.

Shouto knew jealousy, knew anger and negative emotions very well. His childhood had been littered with nothing but bad memories and negative moments. The only time he felt at peace was when he was curled in his mom’s lap, the woman running slender fingers through his bi-colored hair. Sometimes, when he was still very small, she would have the time to read him a story before bedtime. 

She was such an amazing woman. 

Shouto saw her in you.

The way you tended to him so gently, delicately treating his wounds. How you carded through his hair, just like his mom used to, when you were checking for head wounds. The way your lovely hands pressed against his back when you felt to see if a rib was cracked, rubbing each rib slow and soft, pressing. It was just like how his mom would rub his back.

The man swore your touch was addictive. He wanted more and more and more and he didn’t have a clue as how to get it.  Shouto had to be satisfied with fleeting brushes when he moved before you were ready, accidentally jostling you against his body. Or telling you (lying) that his body was hurting, sore, it didn’t quite feel right. You would do your best to check for any injuries, asking where it hurt (usually his torso “hurt”) and then skimming your hands very carefully over the skin there.

Shouto imagined how nice it would be to fall asleep with your hands on him. He wasn’t stupid.  He was getting too attached, too invested, was practically stalking your at this point. He shouldn’t be doing this, lying to you, watching you. But he didn’t know what else to do.

Guilt was beginning to take root in his mind.

One day he knew he would have to tell you, confess his feelings and deal with the outcome. You would accept him, hopefully. Shouto felt afraid for what he would do if you didn’t.

——

Shouto felt hot, disoriented, thirsty. He was pretty sure he was in your office, had gotten hit with a villains quirk during a fight. Apparently it had knocked him out, as he didn’t remember even coming into the agency.

Muffled voices could be heard past the closed door, and Shouto winced at the noise, at the light, at the feelings of his clothes against his skin. Everything felt  too much.  He stumbled off the exam table, yup, your office, and moved towards the light switch, stripping off his shirt as he did so. 

The voices outside were still making noise, but with the light off Shouto felt a little better. His remaining clothes were still bothering him. His head felt fuzzy. His boots came off, followed by his pants. He wanted to take off his boxers, but his rational mind supplied how bad of an idea that would be. What if you came in?

At the thought of his little doctor, Shouto’s stomach jolted in arousal. Confused, the man peered down, surprised to find himself completely hard in his boxer briefs. He knew he considered you very attractive, but it usually took a fair bit of stimulus before he found himself aroused. 

Shouto gulped as he climbed back onto the exam table, immediately curling onto his side towards the wall. He was practically panting with the heat of the room, sweating and drooling. Wait, drooling?

The door opened.

“Todoroki-san, I have bad news.”

Your voice was so sweet, like warm honey. Shouto shivered when he heard it, his cock twitching between his legs. He wanted to turn to you, stand up, pull you close. But he… he shouldn’t.

“You got hit by an aphrodisiac quirk. It’s going to take a bit to leave your system, and will probably be uncomfortable until then. I’m going to leave some supplies in case you would like to use them, but I will be taking my leave after getting you settled. The rest of your team and I have decided it’s safer for you to remain in this room than attempt to move you back home. We will be locking the door so no one can come in.”

And you can’t get out.

You didn’t have to say it,. Shouto heard you shuffling around the room behind him, he was so hot, sweat was beading all over his body.

“(Y/N), Why am I so warm?” Shouto groaned out, trembling. It felt like he was sick but with… arousal.

Objects were set down on your desk, before Shouto heard you step towards him.

“The quirk is going to make your libido hyperactive for the next twelve hours or so. It’s very likely that you will be aroused and craving stimulation.”

You sounded so clinical, so robotic, none of the usual warmth in your tone when you talked to Shouto. He wanted to whine, cry that you weren’t treating him the way you usually did.  And when he needed your help too! His rational brain was telling him that you were trying to be professional, give your mostly-naked boss privacy. 

HIs rational brain told him to stay still, wait until you left the room to grab whatever you had left for him on the desk.  It was entirely possible that he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back from grabbing your hands if he turned. He wanted to feel your hands on him, running over his torso, rubbing his back, cupping his cheek. He wanted your touch, so, so bad. 

Shouto decided it was time for his rational brain to shut up.

When he turned over, sitting up, you looked like a deer caught in the headlights, already halfway to the door.

“(Y/N)” Shouto rasped, rising to his feet unsteadily. The arousal pooling in his gut was overwhelming - he couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so hard.  His penis was so rigid that it hurt, throbbing in his boxers.

You took a step back, eyes trained firmly on Shouto’s face, determined to not let them stray below the belt.  

Shouto didn’t know what was happening, couldn’t rationalize any of it. The man wasn’t even in control of himself, feeling as if some demon from hell had invaded his body, taken his dirty thoughts and insisted that he act upon them right now.

The pro hero didn’t even know when he had grabbed you, but then he was pressing you up against his body and it felt so good that the man whimpered. A low, needy sound, softer than the spluttering and shocked noises tumbling from your mouth as you pushed against your boss, trapped in his grip.

“Todoroki-san! Please let go! The quirk-!”

Shouto didn’t listen, didn’t want to. He started grinding his hips against yours, breathing hard through his nose at the pleasure roaring into his veins at the simple contact, his dick pressing into your stomach. 

It wasn’t enough though, he needed more.

Shouto dragged you to the exam table, manhandled you up against the flat surface and bent you over despite your struggling, the shouts of “No! Stop!”. Should he stop? Probably. But he wanted this. Had ever since he realized that he loved you, although it hadn’t been this intense before. With one quick movement, Shouto pulled off your scrubs, discarding your underwear in the same movement. He wasn’t concerned about foreplay - he needed, he needed all of you right now.

But the man couldn’t resist falling to his knees behind you, hands moving their iron grip from your palms to your thighs. His fingertip dug into your flesh, dimpling up your skin as he leaned forward, your pussy exposed oh so prettily for him.

Shouto didn’t know if you were screaming or crying or begging for more. He was too focused on the juicy flesh in front of him, leaning forward quickly to greedily slurp at the pink slit. He felt you jump, try to straighten your back but he let his hold on his quirk weaken, simultaneously heating and freezing each thigh held in his grasp. 

You quickly resumed the position he had put you in.

The pro hero couldn’t get enough, licking and sucking with fervent desperation at your folds, no rhythm or technique whatsoever. He couldn’t think, not with his face buried between your legs, your thighs shaking in his hold, your sweet little cries (“Todoroki-san /please/! Stop!”) filling the air. 

It could have been seconds, or minutes, Shouto had no concept of what was happening, only that you were the best fucking thing he had ever tasted in his life, and he needed everything you had to give him. He couldn’t stop himself from trying to burying his face closer, trying to spread your thighs further and further so he could reach deeper into your puffy pussy.

Your cum gushed onto his tongue, and the man slurped it up, reveling in the stick, wet sensation. 

He couldn’t ignore his dick any longer.

Letting go of your thighs, Shouto stood, pushing his boxer briefs down his legs as fast as he could, desperate to sheath himself inside your cunt. He could barely breathe, was so aroused he was light-headed with need.

With his boxers off, the man pressed close to you again, lifting one of your legs to brace it on the table, forcing you to go on tiptoe. When the head of his dick met your folds, Shouto felt his cock jump, the strange sensation making butterflies rise in his stomach. 

“Mmhm, (Y/N) I don’t know-I don’t know what’s happening.” Shouto confessed, one hand on your hip, the other guiding his thick cock into your pussy. “You just-oh, you look so good, always - always do. I need to feel - need to feel you so bad.”

He could feel your body trembling, and it briefly crossed his mind that you were probably crying. But his arousal slammed into him like a truck the moment he let his hips twitch forward, sliding his length into your wet pussy. “Oh god, oh-oh god, oh!”

Shouto came, crying into your neck, saliva dripping from his mouth and onto your heated flesh.

To his surprise, his dick was still hard, and the arousal was still pushing, urging, needy.

“(Y/N), I don’t - I’m so sorry.” Shouto stuttered, pulling back just to have his hips plunge forward again. You were so warm, so wet from your own orgasm and from his cum sliding inside you. It was heaven. 

Shouto had never touched, nor been touched this much in his entire  life. He didn’t know what to do, how to feel; it felt like his brain was on fire, and with each desperate snap of his hips, he was throwing on more and more gasoline. He had longer stamina this time, pounding you into the edge of the table for what felt like forever until his hips stuttered, his legs shaking as he orgasmed inside you.

When Shouto felt himself steady, he was horrified to find himself /still/ aroused. “I’m sorry (Y/N), This isn’t - I didn’t want to do it like this.” He was crying as he rutted against you, tears dripping hot onto your back. “I’ve been trying to be perfect, plan - plan dates, a relationship, anything, as long as it’s you.”

The man buried his head into the crook of your neck, inhaling raggedly. “It can only ever be you.”

His clarity was returning, each orgasm making him feel less and less feverish. At this point, his cock hurt, and he was too sensitive, but still, his hips wouldn’t stop. 

“I was going - going to ask if we could go out.” A lie, but it felt like the right thing to say. You were definitely crying underneath him, Shouto would be lower than trash if he didn’t try to comfort you. You didn’t need to know that the pro hero would rather have made you his home-doctor than ask you out. That way you’d be at his house, waiting for him, just like a pretty little wife, like a mother.

“I love you… think I always have.”

It felt good for Shouto to admit it out loud.

[anthemxix]

A funny ask for you

Rank the boys on "most Karen tendencies" to "least Karen tendencies"

I'm already cackling and I am SO curious.

I know the boys are all very polite and respectful but.....I mean they aren't perfect right? Haha

- ⚡☕

oh my gosh, i love it. XD you're right that while they're normally respectful, they aren't perfect~

legend - as resident angy boy, leg gets the top spot. sorry, mate.

i once saw a clip of a woman driving a golf cart up to a couple teenagers and telling them off for being disrespectful. they kept asking what they did and all she would say is, "you know what you did." eventually she got fed up with them "playing dumb" and said, "forget it" before turning away to storm off dramatically. but since she was driving a golf cart, she just kinda. slowly puttered away. but still with this indignant, huffy air.

and that, to me, is legend's exact energy.

wind - he gets upset about getting treated as a child, which in my book is evidence that he is Still A Child. thus he is not above throwing a tantrum. besides, this boy can fit so much sass. he'd egg on any of the other links who pull a karen, too.

wild - did not die and come back just to put up with your nonsense.

also has this vibe: "seriously? you're filming me? wow. look! i can film you, too, jerk! oh, yeah? go ahead, put me on your stupid little tik-clock or whatever! i'll sue you!"

four - he's usually level-headed, but the latest update solidified the idea that when push comes to shove, four will ignore reason in favor of stealing your kneecaps.

warriors - he prefers to get his way by batting his eyelashes and exploiting his pretty boy wiles. but if that doesn't work, his "get me your manager" mode will activate. he's not above causing drama, although he more's likely to be the one filming someone else's tantrum and cackling about it.

twilight - every once in a blue moon, he loses his temper and chews out an innocent minimum-wage employee. he feels bad afterwards. mostly.

time - he's learned that making a scene isn't worth it. but he is not above giving you the Disappointed Look, coupled with a world-weary sigh.

sky and hyrule - neither of them have karen tendencies at all. they're the ones shamefully watching all the drama from the sidelines and pretending they don't know the link who's making a ruckus.

[earthly--truth]

What I believe in

These are my beliefs as someone who aligns with democratic socialism and progressivism. Feel free to critique it, challenge it, even just a few sections, whatever, but this is what I believe will make the world a better place, because people (and animals) deserve to live the best possible lives they can live with the only chance at life they got. This is going to be super general and long, and not get into nearly everything, but I hope it sheds a positive light on leftism.

Strong unions so that workers (the majority of people in society) have the ability have better footing to negotiate better wages, work hours, vacation days, benefits, etc. I also believe that in instances where it’s pragmatically viable that there should be a push for more worker co-op’s, in which every employee has a stake in the company they work at, and the ability to give their input (all companies should strive for more democracy). Both of these contribute to healthier, happier, and, and better payed people.

Raising the minimum wage in the U.S to $15 an hour. The current wage of  $7.25 is way too low. It’s just not a livable wage. There’s a reason why McDonald’s and Walmart are called corporate welfare queens, and it’s because they’re employees require welfare to survive, despite being the biggest corporations on the planet with multi-billionaire CEO’s. The richest in society should also pay more in taxes.

Stop investing so much in the American military, cut it by a third if you can. (Firstly this frees up a lot of money for other things) Get the military out of the middle east, and create other more peaceful avenues to ensure it doesn’t crumble like every single time the military pulls out and doesn’t try to actually fix the mess they created. The people in the middle east deserve to be able to rebuild and they’ll need help to do that (just not the type of help where america installs their own leaders).

Healthcare should be universal, paid for by taxes. Every developed nation is capable of doing it. Many developing countries are doing it. Americans pay more in taxes for healthcare than so many other countries, yet a trip to the hospital still can put you in debt for the rest of your life. That is inhumane, and people shouldn’t have to choose between crippling debt and their health.

There’s also an argument to be made for free/way cheaper university, since countries like Canada or America force people to get a degree if they want to live a decent life, yet in order to do that you have to pay $15,000 a year for university. A system like that either forces people to skip out on uni, or again go into major debt. If Europe can figure it out, I think the U.S and Canada can figure it out too.

Black Lives Matter. To be more specific, I want police/criminal justice/prison reform. I want police de-militarized and to stop acting so abusive towards to civilians and real justice for the police that do, I want an end on the war on drugs (this helps drug addicts get help and delivers a blow to gangs and the cartel). I want an end to mass incarceration and laws that make it easier to throw people in jail for years for basically nothing. I want an end to for profit prisons. I want an end to the policy of retribution rather than rehabilitation for inmates (countries who rehabilitate are way more successful at non-returning inmates). I want an end to treating prisoners like slaves so corporations can get cheap labour. I also want the government to actually start caring about the poorest communities, many of which are predominantly black and latino (in cities anyways). (Also the indigenous in Canada). Better infrastructure, better public works programs. These all contribute to the proliferation of these communities and helps lessen the potential for criminality by making their lives better.

The dismantling of gender norms and roles, and de-stigmatization of LGBTQ+ people. I want people to be whoever they want to be. For far too long we have expected men and women to act a certain way. Women have come a long way, but there are still remnants of the old way of looking at things. We still have a lot of social stigma about how women should look, and that they are not worth even paying attention to if they aren’t conventionally attractive. We still have social stigma about sexuality and sex work. We hyper sexualize women in the media, yet shame women as sluts if they have a lot of sex. We shame women who choose abortion as murderers, yet don’t offer any support for the mother once the child has arrived. On top of that, the positions of power are still predominantly very old men. I also believe in helping men. Men are lonelier, men are increasingly staying sexless (not by choice), men are getting more suicidal. I want to address this two ways. One, by tackling toxic masculinity (not masculinity itself, just the bad parts). TM is telling men to man up and not to cry, TM is telling men not to act feminine or gay. TM is telling men to bottle up their emotions and resolve their problems through violence. The second way to address this is through my beliefs about workers. Men are the most suicidal in countries where there is a heavy work culture, like Japan and South Korea. Where they can’t have lives, and live to make money for the company they work at. That isn’t good.

When it comes to LGBTQ+ people, we need more positive representation in the media. We need people to see gay, trans, and non-binary people as normal people. When it comes to trans people specifically, we need to end the constant wars against them. Whether you’re talking about bathrooms, or sports, or children/teens receiving trans affirming healthcare. Let trans people be the gender that they say there are in the places they want to be, and allow them to receive the healthcare they need which is just the overwhelming medical consensus. This, combined with more supportive parents. all goes a long way to reducing the suicide rate amonst trans people.

The proliferation of the developing world. I want developing countries to be more autonomous, and to stop being under the boot of western corporations. I want an end to sweatshop labour or borderline sweatshop labour. I want the west to stop treating these actual people like their robots for pennies to produce our ungodly amounts of junk, and to actually pay these people decent wages. I want the world bank to stop giving money in an exploitative way to poor nations so that they cave to western business interests. These are people, human beings, and they deserve to develop and live good lives just like us. I also want them to fight for democracy in their countries.

Environmentalism. To go off the last section, 100 Corporations are contributing 71% of greenhouse gases. That needs to change. Corporations are participating ungodly amounts of devastations to eco-systems and the atmosphere. Ecosystems destroyed, and the exacerbation of the climate crises. I want a green and blue earth, and that can start by a) changing to green energy as much as humanly possible; solar, wind, and even nuclear (and whatever we come up with in the future) are far better than the fossil fuels we use now, which we’ll run out of anyways. And second we need to hold corporations accountable for destroying the planet. If we don’t do this, we risk the climate crises getting really bad. Oceans rising which will flood coastlines, creating millions of refugees, more periods of extreme dry (no water/bush fires) and extreme cold (look at what happened to texas). Something needs to be done about it.

Finally, veganism, for many reasons. One, the switch to veganism will be a big contributor to saving the planet. Whether you’re talking about the devastation we do to places like the Amazon Rain forest and other ecosystems to clear the way for animal farming, or whether you’re talking about reducing emissions. Most emissions and waste from agriculture are from the production phase of animal farming. So much food, water, and energy is wasted by giving it to billions of animals that we purposefully breed into existence, then slaughter, rinse and repeat, every single year, when we could just grow food and give water to people and skip out the middle man (think about how many people are hungry and without water in the world).

Philosophically, it is also wrong to kill a living creature that desires to live, that is able to connect with other living things and it surrounding, to form bonds. A cow, pig, chicken, lamb, sheep, are no different than a dog, cat, or rabbit, and they should not be killed, exploited, and tortured (confinement, abusive conditions in industrial farms) for pleasure. I know it’s pleasure for most people, because vegans are living proof that you can live happy and healthy lives without animal products. Vegans are statistically healthier than non-vegans, and we can get all the nutrients we need, even on an inexpensive diet. There are exceptions of course. A very small portion of people literally cannot eat plants and can only eat meat, and the developing world doesn’t have the same access to vegan products as the developed world does. Those people are valid, but many many people can make the switch and they should, especially in the developed world

All I see from this is making the world better. Hopefully you can too.

[13thpythagoras]

Yes yes fuck Uber/Lyft rah rah rah meanwhile this is just as much on horrible government tax policy as it is on Uber/Lyft. The working person is getting squeezed between Uber’s rock and the tax code’s hard-place for independent contractors, who pay higher taxes on income than any other company or person in America, roughly 39.5% of all income for independent contractors get taken by the government. This income tax percentage is more like 19-25% for the richest Americans or for Americans who are able to have formal W2 employment in a year when over 50,000,000 American jobs were erased through violent governance and scapegoating a preventable pandemic. 

Make no mistake, I did my homework about prop 22 and eventually voted against prop 22 and encouraged everyone to join me. Only 42% voted against prop 22, meaning that now Uber/Lyft take as much exception to prop 5 as independent journalists, writers, and photographers. 

If the government just started taxing Uber/Lyft/Doordash/Instacart workers at the normal W2 employee rates that employees are taxed at, this whole labor mess (of rideshare drivers getting paid below minimum wage net every expense including astronomical income taxes) would evaporate. Meanwhile California billionaires still pay the lowest taxes in the state of any bracket, and they get to enjoy living in one of the nicest areas in the world essentially tax-free, meanwhile the paycheck-to-paycheck workers who shuttle their porky asses around get taxed at close to double the billionaires’ rate while making less than minimum wage, how the fuck is that fair in any way? If you’re a billionaire you should be tipping every Uber driver you hire like $300, and know that they are paid about $5 an hour to work in the SF Bay Area, one of the most expensive places in the world to live. Why have minimum wage laws at all when it’s this easy to get around them? Holy fuck. 

Sales people get this too, where the paltry “salary” they give you is taxed at W2 rates (aka 19.5%) while your “commissions” are taxed at the 1099 rate of 39.5%. But most companies sell people on earning high commissions as the way they will make the bulk of their salary, but again commissions are taxed double so you keep exponentially less of that than your W2 salary income. I call it total bullshit that stifles innovation to have taxes that high on working class people like myself, while the super-rich pay half that tax rate. And no republikkkan is coming to the aid of this defense because they hate the working class as much as a mosquito hates a cow (like “go ahead get malaria, bitch, i don’t care, i just need to suck your blood” vibes). 

The tax code is slavery to these people, it’s beyond unfair. I see the government basically enabling billionaires to enslave the working class, it’s transparent as fuck and totally pathetic. I blame Uncle Sam because they write the game, meanwhile Uber and Lyft are just playing the game. Hate the game, not the player. Fuck you IRS / state tax systems, this backwards-ass medieval indentured servitude BULLSHIT is totally unacceptable in any society that fancies itself “modern” which America is not and has not been even before Connald Rump came into office.  

[undefined5posts]

Credit: Jordan J. Lloyd

I've been trying to dive deeper into politics, discover the genuine roots of our society, the origins of our beliefs, and the consequences of our economic system. It's a big, long, wide journey and through multiple sources such as articles, images, videos and multiple social media platforms, I've been trying to educate myself more on important subjects.

Communism, capitalism, libertarian, conservative, the left, the right, the history, the impact. It is scary to commit to everything because once you start, you simply cannot stop, once you start waking up your conscience about the horrible reality, the lies, the truths, you cannot put it back to sleep. You can't just ignore prejudice, especially when you're extremely conscious of it's omnipresence. I have continually tried to build my own opinions all while actively creating bullet point arguments in my mind because I just know that at some point I will have to defend my thinking, and I want to do it right.

Now, I am so far from being enlightened, I am a beginner and an amateur in all of those themes, but I am trying, which is the only way to start and grow.

So to tell you about my beliefs, I am a militant human rights activist, I believe in equal opportunities regardless of gender identity, sex, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race and disability. This is a fact, not a belief, but the system was obviously not built to protect all people, its wasn't created to serve everyone equally but to grant a privilege to some and harm others. The current state of the world is not a slip, an accident or a misfunction of our brilliant system but a testament of it operating remarkably well. I believe that equity leads to equality, and I believe that we cannot "fix" methodologies that were immorally created with absolutely no honor whatsoever. I believe in reproductive rights, in legal, safe abortions for anybody who needs one. I believe in the decriminalization of marijuana. I believe that the death penalty is a despicable punition that should be banned as soon as possible. I believe in defunding the police and the military. I believe that it is a shame that I even have to talk about police brutality, I don't want to have to say that it is one of the most horrible things our world has originated, I feel extremely dense when I do because it seems like the most obvious certitude and I refuse to believe that this is a controversial statement. I believe that everything I have just stated, along with many more, isn't anything grand but the bare minimum, the bar is low, and yet, we still have the fight for basic human decency.

Humanity has become an option. We have normalized supporting people that represent everything wrong in this world under the name of tolerance. The left has never claimed to be tolerant towards hateful beings, We have never accepted homophobia, transphobia, racism, ableism and sexism. We cannot, for exemple, accept nazis, as too much tolerance inevitably leads to intolerance. This picture explains it perfectly:

I consider myself a communist/ socialist. The two terms still confuse me a little, some say they are the same, some say they differ quite a bit. What I know is that socialism is the transitional period between capitalism and communism. At the end of the day, the final result and goal is a stateless, moneyless and clasless society that will provide to each his need.

Our capitalistic society has brainwashed us way more than you may think. It is the root of so many of our issues, the underground demon of our problems. Every idea, thought, belief, and misconception of ours were all affected by our current economic system. It has sold us the billionnaire dream which is one of the most toxic things capitalism has offered. We have looked up to billionaires for way too long, why are they so idolized? Most of them come from high upper class families that can easily afford to invest in their inventions and creations. After starting up their companies and occasionnaly stealing other's people ideas to ultimately get undeserved merit, they then can start to properly exploit their hardworking employees's labour. And for unlimited hours and a minimum wage which probably won't even suffice you to survive, you will have to either pick up more shifts or a second or even third job, especially if you have a family to support. All while the CEO barely does any of the work and gets all the praise and money. So no, they don't all come from really poor families and have built everything for nothing.

The worst thing is that we've been so gaslit and brainwashed that we're proud of our own exploitation, we are wired to think that to be successful we have to suffer, work 10 jobs we all hate, constantly pick up extra hours, have 2 hours of sleep, have no free time to do anything we love, waste our entire youth, be depressed our entire adulthood, to finally have a few pennies to spend when we're eighty. We so strongly believe that this is the only right way to be successful that I don't think many of us have dared to question it's authority, and even if we do, we quickly accept that this a truth, a fact we cannot change and this is just the way things are.

We have capitalized water, food, land, forests, oceans, space, and everything in betweeen. Money is social construct and we have deliberately let it take over our lives. To think about the wasted opportunities and the misery that we have to endure so others can enjoy life truly angers me.

Also, communism is not an ideology that has every actually taken place. Despite what they say, there was never actually a communist country. However, every nation that has attempted a socialist system, for exemple Burkina Faso, has thrived. But of course, once capitalist countries noticed that, they decided to murder it's leader. So in conclusion, the only reason socialism failed is because of capitalism and it's interventions.

"As President (1983-1987), Sankara initiated economic reforms that shifted his country away from dependence on foreign aid and reduced the privileges of government officials; he cut salaries, including his own, decreed that there would be no more flying in first class or driving Mercedes as standard issue vehicles for Ministers and other government workers. He led a modest lifestyle and did not personally amass material wealth. President Sankara encouraged self-sufficiency, including the use of local resources to build clinics, schools and other needed infrastructure. [...] President Sankara promoted land reform, childhood vaccination, tree planting, communal school building, and nation-wide literacy campaigns. He was committed to gender equity and women’s rights and was the first African leader to publicly recognize the AIDS pandemic as a threat to African countries. Although Sankara became somewhat more authoritarian during his Presidency, his ideas, and the possibility that they could spread, were viewed by many as posing the greatest threat. President Sankara was assassinated during a coup led by a French-backed politician, Blaise Compaoré, in October 1987. Compaoré served as the President of Burkina Faso from October 1987 through October 2014, when he himself was overthrown."

Via:https://africandevelopmentsuccesses.wordpress.com/2015/02/28/success-story-from-burkina-faso-thomas-sankaras-legacy/

I have been reading and watching some amazing human rights activists, notably Angela Davis, Malcolm X and James Baldwin. The people that were villainized, labeled as violent and radical, when every single word that came out of their mouhs were pure facts. They are probably some of the most eloquent people I have had the pleasure of hearing. Every sentence, every argument, every single detail made so much sense and opened my mind to so many new realizations. This is the perfect exemple of how the media tarnishes the reputation of wise black women and men. I would strongly advise you to research more about them.

"Socialism & communism are demonized in the west to the point of erasing influential individuals' socialist advocacy. Heres a short list of people you may not have known were socialists/ communists:

MLK

Albert Einstein

Nelson Mandela

Frida Kahlo

Tupac Shakur

Mark Twain

Malcom X

Oscar Wilde

Bertrand Russell

Hellen Keller

Pablo Picasso

George Orwell

Shia LaBeouf

John Lennon

Woody Guthrie

Socialism & communism are not dirty words. Some of the most brilliant minds of our history were socialists and communists. Embrace it." Via @sleepisocialist on twitter

So what else can I say, capitalism has ruined our society and the way we act and think. I know a lot of people refuse to support communism because they think it's too much of a perfect ideal utopian world for it to ever actually exist. And to that I say, first of all, so you agree, it is a wonderful theory, and second of all, a world without racism, sexism, homophobia or any kind or discrimination could also be perceived as "too ideal to actually exist", but does that mean I'm giving up on talking, educating myself and others, protesting and trying to build a better future? Absolutely not. This is the objective, it would be so dumb to think that we just couldn't achieve that so let's not even try.

I want to talk more in detail about communism, theory, human rights, etc... but I don't want to make this post any longer. I will however be posting more about it soon enough.

I know this is a little different than what I usually post, but I want to speak, tell you all my own opinions, I don't want to just repost activism related stuff. I'll continue to do that, but not exclusively. I know it won't get as many interactions as my other posts, but this is what I needed at some point in my life, and if I could make understanding some basic informations easier to some people, it'll already be a great accomplishment.

Thank you for reading.

[xpedropascal]

To Be So Lonely [Maxwell Lord x Reader] Part One

Summary: After being struck by a family tragedy, Maxwell Lord finds his legacy in taking over his father’s business, Black Gold Cooperative. Cold and shut-off from the world around him, he decides he does not have time for anything other than his work and cares only about pushing his company to success – but how difficult does that become for him when you enter his life as a ghost from the past?

Pairing: Maxwell Lord x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 1.7k

WARNINGS: mention of financial instability, absent parents, emotional abuse

PART ONE // PART TWO // PART THREE // PART FOUR [coming soon!]

MASTERLIST

KO-FI

AUTHOR’S NOTE: my first ever fan-fiction! please be kind :) flashbacks can be identified through use of italics. To Be So Lonely will have themes of hurt/comfort, angst, fluff etc. i plan on it being an exciting ride. there will be connections to the DCEU and certain characters will be making an appearance... however, for story-telling purposes, this will be in an alternate universe to Wonder Woman 1984 just because the movie has yet to be released. the main bulk of the story will be set in the 80s, with the occasional childhood flashback. please let me know if you want to be added onto a tag list!

♡ ♡ ♡ ONE ♡ ♡ ♡

Stepping foot into the lobby of Lord Manor had you in awe. Their family home was huge, and certainly unlike anything you had ever seen before. Even at your tender age, you were mesmerised by the glistening marble floor and gold décor. It enchanted you. Curiosity filled you and you unlaced your fingers from your mother’s and found yourself drawn to a vase of crimson red roses to the left of the staircase, rubbing at the soft petals. You clambered up the main staircase. It was enormous, but you were so taken in by the traditional oil paintings that covered the walls. They were everywhere but you could still make out the elegant wallpaper that looked as though it had come straight out of the 1800’s. One painting in particular, located at the top of the staircase, stole your attention. It was, perhaps, ten times the size of you and looked almost haunting. Even at your young age, you were able to identify it as a family portrait. It pictured a tall man in a suit with broad shoulders holding a cigar in one hand. His free hand was wrapped around one of the most beautiful women you had ever seen. Very Marilyn Monroe-esque, with pearls around her neck and, blonde curly hair, she looked like she came straight out of a silver-screen movie. But what attracted you most about the painting, was the young boy, suited up in the centre. He looked like a prince- with dark blonde hair and a smile that could light up a room. You reached out your small fingers and touched the boy’s face, feeling the dry paint hard against your skin.

You jumped as your mother hissed your name. She ran up the stairs and scolded you gently for running off. She picked you up in her arms and smoothed down your hair. “Remember you must be on your best behaviour for Mr and Mrs Lord. We need to set a really good first impression.” Your mother informed you and you nodded your head obediently in response.

“Well well well,” your mother spun her heel around to see Naomi Lord standing at the bottom of the carpeted staircase, her ice blue eyes locked on to you both. You recognised her as the beautiful lady from the oil painting. “It seems you have already made yourself comfortable in my family home.”

“My apologies, Mrs Lord,” your mother said frantically as she carefully made her way down the grand staircase, still holding you in her arms. “Uhm- this is my daughter-“

Your mother attempted to introduce you but Mrs Lord raised her hand, cutting her off. “My husband Maxwell Lord III will not be joining us this evening. As you can imagine, he is swarmed with work.” The way Naomi Lord suddenly changed the subject proved that she simply did not care. In fact, it was well-known that Naomi Lord did not involve herself with anyone who she felt like were less than her. Less wealthy, less privileged- she certainly wanted no involvement with you and your mother. Your mother had left her minimum wage job and had travelled all the way from your tiny one bedroom box apartment in Gotham for this job opportunity. “Nevertheless, we have decided to offer you the job, assuming you are willing to take it.”

You felt your mother’s grip tighten around you as you sensed her excitement. “Yes! Yes of course Mrs Lord. I would be honoured.”

Mrs Lord’s lips curved into a devlish smile. “The hours will be those of a nine-to-five. I’m assuming you have a place of residence nearby?”

Your mother faltered. “Uhm,” you watched Mrs Lord’s smirk fall from her face. “Actually no… I travelled here from Gotham and booked into a motel for a few nights.” Naomi Lord probably didn’t even realise her own face was twisting at the thought of an ashy motel, but she made her disgust incredibly evident. “And actually… I can’t afford to take my child to a nursery, or hire a babysitter, and we don’t yet have proper home. I mean, I can’t leave my little girl in the motel all alone. I know I should’ve thought about it more but, we really don’t have much, Mrs Lord. Would it be possible, if, during my working hours, she could occupy herself here? She is well behaved, I promise, and won’t get in the way of you or your husband-“

“You will address my husband as Mr Lord,” Naomi snapped. “I will speak to Maxwell about this… inconvenience of yours, and we will have someone give you a call regarding the outcome. You are excused to leave now.”

Your mother found herself nodding. “It was so lovely to meet you Mrs Lord.”

Naomi chuckled. “Toodles.”

♡

“She will glady take the job Maxwell,” Naomi perched herself on the corner of her husband, Maxwell Lord III’s,  home office desk. Her blonde hair balanced on her shoulders in tight curls and her ruby red lips shimmered under the amber light. “But I have been made aware that she is a single mother, struggling financially. If she is to work here all day, she has nobody to watch over her daughter. Can’t even afford basic level childcare.”

Maxwell Lord III hesitated, fumbling with his gold fountain pen. “Her daughter is… how old?”

“I’m not sure,” Mrs. Lord admitted with a gentle shrug of her shoulders. “I’d estimate a few years younger than our Max.”

Mr Lord looked over at the framed photo of his twelve year old son. Their son, Maxwell Lord IV, was a cheerful young boy. Privately educated, of course, but always achieved the best grades. He was sociable too, always making an appearance at his parent’s parties and events. Still only a child, his father’s business partners were smitten with Maxwell Lord IV, and while Mr Lord didn’t have the closest relationship with his son, he loved him dearly. Max admired his father, and wanted to be just like him when he grew up. His father was the CEO of Black Gold Cooperative, the Lord family business, and what would inevitably go on to be Max’s legacy. His father had a heart of gold, and even his employees would agree that he was a joy to work for. But unfortunately, being the CEO of the empire that was Black Gold Cooperative meant Mr Lord had very little, if not any time to be with his son. Nevertheless, Max loved his father unconditionally, and did not know any different. Despite being sociable, Max was a lonesome child, not having any friends, other than the cooks, cleaners and butlers who seemed to come and go as they pleased.

“We will have Mary-Angela clear out the guest house before she leaves on Monday.” Mr Lord said matter of factly, deciding he had come to a suitable conclusion.

“Wait,” Mrs Lord replied, knotting her eyebrows together in confusion. “You’re not seriously suggesting-“

“That Ms Y/L/N and her daughter are welcome to stay here? Yes.” Mr Lord finished his wife’s sentence. “I know it might seem a little strange but actually it’s quite common… I mean look at Thomas Wayne and Martha Wayne of Gotham. When they had Alfred Pennyworth move in it served as good publicity for Wayne Enterprises. They were seen as caring and relatable. Please darling, we can provide them with financial aid. It is the right thing to do.”

Mrs Lord stood up abruptly, twisting her face. “We are not a charity, Maxwell.” Mrs Lord snarled. “We are the Lord family-“

Mr Lord shook his head, beginning to feel frustrated at his wife’s selfishness. “Family? Really? When was the last time you attended one of Max’s piano performances or took him to the dancing class he has so desperately been wishing to attend?” Maxwell Lord III may have been a kind man but it was his wife who was almost always on the receiving end of his short temper.

Mrs Lord rolled her eyes before walking straight out of her husband’s office. Yes, the Lord family needed a maid, and your mother was the perfect candidate – but Mrs Lord was not willing to associate with locals. Mrs Lord’s heels clicked against the marble floor, and she walked straight past her twelve year old son who had been listening in on his parent’s conversation. Twelve-year-old Max felt tears well in his eyes. He hated hearing his parents fight, and now, it was happening more than ever. Max closed his eyes and sunk against the wall, sobbing quietly.

♡

Of course, your mother was granted the job. The Lord family guest house would be your new home for the next four years. Despite it only being a guest house, it was so much bigger than your boxed Gotham apartment and it was decorated beautifully, much like the interior of Lord Manor. Little did you know that the next four years would be a blessing in disguise.

In his spare time, Maxwell Lord IV would play piano or read works of fiction. He didn’t really have a normal childhood, or learn what fun was, until he met you. The day he made your acquaintance was the day you moved in. Hearing you scream interrupted him from studying literature. He heard you scream again, but this time you were louder and more distressed. On instinct, he managed to find his feet and hurried to the bay window of his bedroom, only to see you running around in a floral dress, continuing to scream. Maxwell spent no time watching you and ran as fast as he could to where you were in the garden between his home and the guest house.

“Are you okay?” he shouted after you. You gasped when you heard his voice and spun around to see the boy from the oil painting. And he was so handsome.

“Oh, my prince!” You gasped, swinging your arms around Maxwell who had once again froze up. “Quick, help me slay this dragon!” Maxwell watched you point at… absolutely nothing. He hesitated for a few seconds and you started to run around, screaming again and play fighting the air. This act you were playing out reminded him of one of his favourite novels, and in that moment, Maxwell knew what he had to do. He pretended to pull out a sword.

“Don’t worry my princess, I’ll protect you!” Maxwell shouted. You watched the boy play fight the imaginary dragon in awe.

Once Maxwell had decided that he defeated the dragon, he stood there, breathless but proud. You sneaked up from behind and planted a kiss on Maxwell’s cheek.

“You’re my hero.”

[cbk1000]

Rant time, because I’m still livid about this, and Mr. Jenn is probably tired of hearing me shout about mouth-breathing edgelords who think they’re anti-authoritarian rebels when the only thing they’re rebelling against is common sense and basic human decency. I’ll put it under a cut because it’ll probably be long.

So today we go grocery shopping, and I decide I want a coffee drink because I need the caffeine and also because I’m far enough along in my healing process that I can use straws now, and normally I wouldn’t care about this, but now I want to experience the food and beverage world in all its variety. (You can’t drink from a straw for a while after having your wisdom teeth out because you don’t want to create pressure in your mouth that could dislodge the blood clots that form to protect the surgical sites.) I decide we’ll swing into a coffee shop that’s on our way instead of going to the Starbucks inside the grocery store we use.

We pull up, put on our masks, and head in. I notice a sign on the door that I just assume is a COVID notice about wearing masks and maintaining social distancing guidelines because all businesses have those nowadays. I do notice the phrase ‘constitutionally compliant’ and something about the governor, which pings my brain because it’s a bit odd, but I don’t think a whole lot about it and don’t actually read it (the sign is actually partially obscured by a Christmas wreath, and I’m starving and just want to get me drink and go home and eat; I ain’t got time to read when I’m hangry).

We walk in, and not a single person is wearing a mask. Not any of the employees, not any of the customers. We are the only ones. No one who comes in after us is wearing one either. It strikes me then that the notice on the door is actually some rant about how they’re not going to comply with mask mandates, probably because it’s ComMUnISm or whatever these fucking morons believe. I am LIVID. I manage not to blow up at anyone because at the end of the day, I really do not want to yell at minimum wage food service workers; obviously they did not set the rules (the owner for sure is a dick, though), and I don’t know if they’re doing this because they agree or because they’re worried about their jobs. Also, restaurants right now are supposed to be at 25% capacity, and only outdoor seating. Probably at least 50% of the tables inside were full. I should also note that they have a drive-thru and have been doing booming business this whole time (there are always lines around the block when I drive past), so this isn’t some owner desperate to save their livelihood; they were always able to remain open, they just were drive-thru only for a while. (And even if they were operating on the downlow because they’ve gotta’ pay their mortgage, that’s no excuse to be a fuckhead about masks. Every business has a dress code. Masks are a temporary, minor adjustment to that dress code. They are the bare minimum you can do in the pandemic. And you can’t even do that? Fine, jerkoffs.)

Some stats: our ICU is full. The hospital leaders right now are brainstorming on how to increase capacity for ourselves, and also so that we can try to accommodate patients from the west side of the state, because the entire fucking west side has almost no capacity in any of their ICUs. I am not a frontline healthcare worker, but the whole organization receives daily updates on COVID, and my boss goes to daily safety meetings on COVID so that we’re kept up-to-date on changes made to our policy; I am aware, better than most, of the situation and how critical a state our local healthcare system is in. And it’s a fucking joke to these motherfuckers. I was so angry I was shaking. As soon as I got outside, I unloaded on poor Mr. Jenn about what stupid assholes these people are. (Barely out the door, and not quietly; I’m sure the customers outside heard me.) I’m fucking tired of people thinking they’re edgy or rebellious because they can’t suffer the most minor inconvenience of having a piece of fabric over their face. I’m goddamn sick of the politicization of this virus. The local death rate is almost two percentage points higher than the state average, and people. Cannot. Do. The. Bare. Minimum. Wearing a mask is your goddamn hill to die on. Meanwhile your clown in the White House thinks he should be Dear Leader for the rest of his hopefully short life, playing out the EXACT SCENARIO you thirsty ass Rambo for Freedom wannabes always think you were put on this planet to Resist, and instead you’re protesting the act of wearing a piece of fabric over your face as you gag on your Kool-Aid and Trump’s tiny orange dick. Fuck you. Fuck all of you.

Anyway, I went home and immediately reported them to the Health Department. Fuck them.

[mariamotrero]

Lack of Money due to Forgotten Opportunities

The current society is divided in different social classes and economic systems. There are people that lack of money, people that have low incomes, middle class and upper class. In Colombia we tend to see a lot of homeless on the street and with the pandemic going on they are seen way more on the street. Ask yourself, why people that lack of opportunities and money continue living that way? It might be because these people have no other option rather than living this way or they do not have the sufficient capacities for a job. Also, there might be different reasons such as the capitalism system current society uses or maybe they prefer living that way; Capitalism can be a good system since it allows people to live in better conditions and lets them create their own businesses, but it has some imperfections that might be the cause of poverty for others. 

 Nowadays the society that people consider normal is the one where people can work and do other stuff to reach a better economic condition compared to the one, they were born in or live in. People can create their own businesses about things they like and get profits from it that permits them to have a better life. This is not the only way in which people can ascend economically, since there are other options to obtain money; people can also work in stores, restaurants and as any other store employee to get the money they need to live in a good way and to be able to save some money, to spend it on vacations, gifts or in something that can help them generate some money and sell it again for a higher price.  However, we must take into account that an employee's salary is not the only priority, the employer must pay the employees a great amount of money that ensures the employees are living good condition; their health, household expenses and transport. Also, we must mention that the minimum wage is different in every country, in some places is lower and in other is higher, but this depends in the living cost of every country; in USA as an example the hourly minimum wage is about 7.25$ and in Colombia the hourly 1minimum wage is of 2.66$ (Word Population Review, 2021) but many things like food or other necessities would have a higher price in US than in Colombia. So, this permits that the things people must pay for and the amount they earn working is balanced. 

 Daily we see poor, homeless people in the streets, there might be a lot of reasons why they are living that way, although in some cases, people are guilty of their own situations. As an example, everyday there are a lot of opportunities that people can have and, in those ways, gain a lot of money, however, the problem starts when people don’t know how to handle the money received, so they can get big amounts of money every month but if they don’t use it well and spend it on things that are not important, they can lose everything, even reach bankruptcy, at the end without opportunities and without a way to live in good conditions. In the same way, people do not have the income for basic needs because they do not take advantage of the opportunities that are given to them, such as studies, jobs, money, housing and more. A lot of people have the opportunity to study in a school with great education but for some reason they do not take advantage of that benefit, instead they play around or leave school work behind, so when they are looking for a job that pays a good amount of money, they will not have much facility to have one due to lack of study and knowledge, and might end up not living in a good way.  An example of this, or an evidence is when parents work hard for their kids to have a good education but the children give up on their education and don’t prioritize it so when they are older, they might not have the same opportunities as their classmates and live off pensions. Another clear example of why these people live in this way is the number of poor Venezuelans in Colombian streets. As Daniel Prado BBC world correspondent in Colombia (2021) says, “Of the almost two million Venezuelans in the country, 90% live in the informal economy and 56% do not have a regular immigration status. This prevents them from receiving social and economic services from the State, having a formal job, renting a property, opening a bank account, accessing the public health system or, when the opportunity arises, being vaccinated against covid-19". They prefer to do nothing, receive help and not accept job offers. Sometimes being on the streets allows them to make more money than having a job that pays the minimum wage. 

 Capitalism could be a bad system because in it many people live in poor or low conditions and the society and the government do tend to do nothing about it, as an example the government and politicians steal people's money with corruption. Some people do things in an incorrect way to get more and more money. This happens because having a lot of money is part of the things that the current society is interested in. However, not everyone has the opportunities because of family situations or economic past. Another huge disadvantage when getting a job is when people suffer from a disability that makes it difficult for them to work in well-paying jobs. As some authors say:

“This form of Capitalism is profoundly mistaken and directs change toward extreme inequality, widespread human suffering, and degradation of the planet. However, other forms of Capitalism can be just as powerful as change engines and do a better job of aligning self-interest with the common good. These forms of Capitalism work, not by replacing traditional moral systems with a price system, but by scaling up the essential elements of traditional moral systems” (View Life, 2020) . 

Besides, capitalism is not a perfect system because even though that is looks for equality, not always this goal is achieved, due to the fact that many people that are in extreme poor conditions will never have a better, it is really hard for the government and for them to live in a better way.

To conclude, most of the people that live in a badly off life live this way because they do not take advantages of opportunities given, they do not manage their money in a good way or they don't have the enough knowledge for a job. We should also take into account Capitalism since it can make people live-in high-end conditions, but on the other hand it does not help part of the population and places them in lower social conditions. Therefore, people should start looking for decent job opportunities, in places they will feel comfortable and will be able to have a balanced life. Don’t let things go; take advantage of opportunities given. All we have is now, and people should realize that in a future all these problems of poverty are going to be the same or worse if people don’t handle money correctly. We should learn to invest the little amount of money that can help to leave from poverty and life a happy and decent life.  

References:

Word Population Review (2021) Minimin Wage by Country 2021, World Population Review. Taken from: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/minimum-wage-by-country

BBC News Mundo. (2021, February 11). Migrantes venezolanos en Colombia: qué derechos tendrán cuando regularicen su situación. Taken from https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-56019820#:%7E:text=De%20los%20casi%20dos%20millones,migratorio%20regular%2C%20seg%C3%BAn%20cifras%20oficiales.

Publius. (April 14, 2020). Why Capitalism Fails. Web site of this view of life. Taken from: https://thisviewoflife.com/why-capitalism-fails/  

[eggnogablog]

Do you have any thoughts on liveable wage and unemployment pay? So I don’t want people to struggle paying for rent/home, groceries, and etc. but I think a $15 min all over doesn’t make sense because every area has different costs. Also some jobs are really basic, but time spent working should be paid for. (Also I recognize people can be rude to employees.) It’s crazy there are jobs but no employees but I wonder how well they pay. What do you think the middle ground to this is?

I think one-size-fits-all solutions are almost universally not good solutions. So I definitely agree with you that having the same minimum wage across the country is a bad idea.

As for basic jobs and rude customers, they’ll always be around. Part of our world, unfortunate as it is. I personally hated most of my summer working 40 hours a week at McDonald’s. But I’m glad for the experience. It’s humbling, which I think a lot of teenagers (particularly sheltered ones like I was, who don’t necessarily depend on that job for tuition or rent) benefit from. We can always help with the latter issue by being kind customers and rebuking those who think it’s OK to throw a temper tantrum at an employee.

But I think it’s better for us to encourage teenagers and young adults to take jobs like that. Everyone starts somewhere, and having your first job NOT be in your field simultaneously takes off some pressure (as in it won’t be on your ‘permanent record’ in your adult career) and provides great perspective down the line.

Jobs but no employees concerns me a lot - Academic Agent was talking about this recently, and I’m seeing a LOT of hiring signs where I live. But they’re staying up longer than they used to. The extreme fearmongering around the China-virus has resulted, I think, in a lot of people who wouldn’t have otherwise been content to stay home unemployed justifying it for their own or their family’s health. Why put in effort and expose your family when you can make as much or more staying home a bit longer?

I know a lot of people (too many) who keep thinking things will snap back to normal once everyone is vaccinated. (And they do mean everyone.) But the longer this goes on, the more people I hope will see that they’re harming their local economy and their own prospects for post-lockdown life by staying unemployed. The entitlement, me-first attitude in America has gotten way too strong. I’m hoping that this year will see it peak, before our economy implodes entirely from laziness, fear, and general incompetence.

[newstfionline]

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Biden Signs Orders to Expand Food Stamps and Raise Wages (NYT) President Biden signed two executive orders on Friday to provide help to struggling families and raise wages for certain workers, turning once again to the power of the executive branch to advance his economic goals as the legislative chances for his broader stimulus package remain uncertain. “The crisis is only deepening,” Mr. Biden said during remarks at the White House, calling the need to help those out of work and unable to afford enough food “an economic imperative.” Mr. Biden’s executive orders are intended to increase the amount of money poor families get for food each month and provide additional meal money for needy students whose schools have been closed as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. A second executive order will lay the groundwork for the federal government to require a $15 an hour minimum wage for its employees and contract workers.

Biden is only the second Catholic president, but nearly all have been Christians (Pew Research Center) The U.S. Constitution famously prohibits any religious test or requirement for public office. Still, almost all of the nation’s presidents have been Christians. That includes Joe Biden, a Catholic who often speaks of his religious convictions, quotes the Bible and attends Mass regularly. One-in-five U.S. adults say it is “very important” for the president to have strong religious beliefs, and 14% say it is very important to have a president who shares their own religious beliefs, according to a February 2020 Pew Research Center survey. A far higher share (63%) say it is very important to have a president who personally lives a moral and ethical life. Historically, about a quarter of presidents—including some of the nation’s most famous leaders, such as George Washington, James Madison and Franklin Roosevelt—were members of the Episcopal Church, the American successor to the Church of England. Presbyterians are the next largest group, with eight presidents, including Andrew Jackson and Ronald Reagan. Unitarians and Baptists (the latter including Bill Clinton and Harry Truman) are the groups with the third-largest share of presidents, each with four. There also have been four presidents who identify as Christian without a formal denomination, including Trump and his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Senate agrees to start Trump’s impeachment trial Feb. 9 (Washington Post) The impeachment trial of former president Donald Trump will begin Feb. 9 under a deal reached Friday by top Senate leaders—delaying by two weeks the high-stakes proceedings over whether Trump incited the violent Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. The House on Jan. 13 passed a sole impeachment article, alleging “incitement of insurrection.” House leaders could have forced the Senate to begin the trial immediately by transmitting the papers across the Capitol. But a delay serves the former and current presidents: Trump has struggled to assemble a legal team and muster a defense, and President Biden needs the Senate to confirm most of his Cabinet appointees. Had no accord been reached, the trial would have started Tuesday and run uninterrupted by other Senate business until the Senate rendered its verdict.

Britain to discuss tighter travel restrictions (Reuters) British ministers are to discuss on Monday further tightening travel restrictions, the BBC reported on Saturday, adding that people arriving in the country could be required to quarantine in hotels. Britain’s current restrictions ban most international travel while new rules introduced earlier in January require a negative coronavirus test before departure for most people arriving, as well as a period of quarantine. The government is considering making it mandatory for travellers to spend that 10-day quarantine period in a hotel for which they would have to pay, as a way to enforce the quarantine rules, the BBC said.

Belgium bans leisure travel for a month to combat pandemic (AP) Belgium is banning all leisure travel abroad for its citizens as of next week and until March, in an effort to contain the spread of COVID-19 and its virulent variants. Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said Friday that visitors from Britain, South Africa and South America will have to quarantine for ten days to make sure they don’t bring dangerous variants into Belgium. In Belgium only essential business, family and humanitarian travel will still be allowed from next week until March. Over the past year, Belgium has seen a spike in cases after popular holidays because of returning travelers. February is the traditional month for Belgians to go skiing in the Alps or fly down south for warmth. The EU itself is also preparing measures that should make travel more difficult, including an introduction of new trans-border “dark red zones” where infections rates are particularly high and where all non-essential travel should be discouraged. Travelers from these areas could be required to undergo tests before their departure and be placed in isolation upon arrival in another location.

More than 2,300 arrested across Russia in protests for jailed opposition leader Navalny (Washington Post) More than 2,300 people were arrested Saturday in protests spanning nearly 70 cities and towns across Russia calling for the release of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny — a massive show of defiance against President Vladimir Putin and his widening crackdowns against challenges to his power. Among the detained was Navalny's wife, Yulia, and many heads of Navalny's regional offices. It was the largest number of protesters taken into custody in a day since the Russian rights group OVD-Info began monitoring demonstrations in 2011. The rallies — from Russia’s Far East to central Moscow — came less than a week after Navalny returned from Germany, where he recovered from a nerve agent poisoning in August during a trip to Siberia. Navalny was arrested shortly after stepping off the plane. The wide turnout sent a powerful message to the Kremlin on the reach and resolve of Navalny’s network. The swift crackdowns by authorities underscored the pressure facing Russian authorities who must decide whether to keep Navalny behind bars.

Wuhan returns to normal as world still battling pandemic (AP) A year ago, a notice sent to smartphones in Wuhan at 2 a.m. announced the world’s first coronavirus lockdown, bringing the bustling central Chinese industrial and transport center to a virtual standstill almost overnight. It would last 76 days. Early Saturday morning, however, residents of the city where the virus was first detected were jogging and practicing tai chi in a fog-shrouded park beside the mighty Yangtze River. Life has largely returned to normal in the city of 11 million, even as the rest of the world grapples with the spread of the virus’ more contagious variants. Traffic was light in Wuhan but there was no sign of the barriers that a year ago isolated neighborhoods, prevented movement around the city and confined people to their housing compounds and even apartments. Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, thousands of residents were locked down Saturday in an unprecedented move to contain a worsening outbreak in the city. Hong Kong has been grappling to contain a fresh wave of the coronavirus since November. More than 4,300 cases have been recorded in the last two months, making up nearly 40% of the city’s total.

Taiwan reports large incursion by Chinese air force (Reuters) Eight Chinese bomber planes and four fighter jets entered the southwestern corner of Taiwan’s air defence identification zone on Saturday, and Taiwan’s air force deployed missiles to “monitor” the incursion, the island’s Defence Ministry said. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, has conducted almost daily flights over the waters between the southern part of Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the South China Sea in recent months. However they have generally consisted of just one or two reconnaissance aircraft. The presence of so many Chinese combat aircraft on this mission—Taiwan said it was made up of eight nuclear-capable H-6K bombers and four J-16 fighter jets—is unusual. Beijing has watched with growing concern increasing U.S. support for democratic Taiwan, especially during Donald Trump’s administration which left office on Wednesday.

On ‘Rooftop of Africa,’ Ethiopia’s Troops Hunt Fugitive Former Rulers (NYT) The politicians and generals of Tigray, who ruled Africa’s second-most populous country for much of the past three decades through their political party, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, or T.P.L.F., are now on the run. Since Jan. 7, Ethiopia’s military has killed or captured at least 47 people from a most-wanted list of 167 senior leaders of the T.P.L.F., including four of the party’s nine-member executive committee, according to Ethiopian state media reports. When Mr. Abiy came to power in 2018, his government quickly unseated many of these T.P.L.F. leaders, who over 27 years had overseen impressive economic growth, but ruled Ethiopia with an iron fist. Several were charged with corruption and human rights abuses, and some of them fled or retreated to their home base in Tigray. Fighting has raged across the region in recent weeks, according to U.N. security reports seen by The New York Times.

And now, a reading from an email according to St. Paul (Reuters) If he were alive today, even St. Paul would be texting, Tweeting and firing off emails to get the news out, Pope Francis said on Saturday in his message for the Roman Catholic Church’s World Day of Social Communication. St. Paul, who lived in the first century of the Christian era, spread the new faith into Europe and Asia Minor and is believed to have written a great part of the New Testament. “Every tool has its value, and that great communicator who was Paul of Tarsus would certainly have made use of email and social messaging,” the pope said in the message, titled “Come and See”. Still, Francis said Paul was at his best while preaching in person, saying journalists and other communicators today should do more “hitting the streets ... meeting people face to face to research stories or to verify certain situations first-hand”. “In communications, nothing can ever completely replace seeing things in person,” he said.