#zero processing fees

[arkaloans]

HOME LOAN A Home Loan is a secured loan product where the lender provides finances for the purchase or construction of a residential/commercial property. One can also avail a housing loan to buy a plot of land and construct it. Home Loans are also issued to extend/ repair/ renovate/ alter a new or second-hand property. The Home Loan is taken by a borrower against the property/security to be bought. This is done by giving the banker a conditional ownership over the property i.e. if the borrower fails to pay back the loan, the banker can retrieve the loan money by selling the property.

[atdmoney]

ATD Money: Revolutionizing Personal Finance with Flexible Loan Solutions

ATD Money is emerging as a trusted partner for individuals seeking quick and flexible loan solutions in today's dynamic financial landscape. Whether it’s an unexpected medical bill, home repair, or urgent personal expense, ATD Money offers a range of financial products designed to meet immediate needs. One of the standout offerings is advance salary loans, allowing employees to access a portion of their upcoming salary in advance. These loans provide much-needed cash before the next paycheck, with minimal paperwork and fast approval times.

ATD Money also offers zero processing fee loans, ensuring borrowers receive the full loan amount without hidden charges. This transparent approach makes it a preferred option for those seeking cost-effective borrowing. For those requiring urgent funds, instant payday loans provide a seamless way to access money within hours, with fast disbursement loans ensuring funds are transferred quickly and efficiently. ATD Money’s commitment to fast loan processing means customers can manage their emergencies without delay.

Moreover, ATD Money offers loans without credit score checks, making it accessible to individuals with no credit history or those facing financial setbacks. With easy refundable loans, repayment is made simple and stress-free, allowing borrowers to pay back in manageable installments. With customer-centric solutions and a focus on quick, flexible lending, ATD Money is setting new standards in the personal finance space.

Advance Salary Loans: A Bridge to Your Next Paycheck

An advance salary loan is a perfect solution for employees who need quick access to funds before their next paycheck arrives. ATD Money offers these loans with the convenience of fast processing, allowing you to get the cash you need without waiting for your next payday. The application process is simple, and approval is typically granted within hours, so you won’t have to stress about meeting urgent financial needs.

Advance salary loans from ATD Money are designed to provide flexibility. You can borrow a portion of your upcoming salary to cover any emergency expenses, and the loan repayment is conveniently deducted from your paycheck when it arrives. This minimizes the burden of remembering multiple payment dates or keeping track of separate loan obligations.

Zero Processing Fee Loans: More Money in Your Pocket

When taking out a loan, the last thing you want is to be burdened with high processing fees that reduce the amount you receive. ATD Money understands this concern and offers zero processing fee loans to its customers. This means that you apply for the amount you get, without any hidden charges eating into your loan.

With zero processing fee loans, ATD Money ensures a transparent and cost-effective borrowing experience, allowing you to focus on addressing your financial needs rather than worrying about extra costs. It’s one of the key reasons why more and more individuals are turning to ATD Money for their financial solutions.

ATD Money is committed to providing quick, flexible, and customer-centric loan solutions that cater to the diverse needs of borrowers. Whether you need an advance salary loan, a payday loan, or a loan without a credit score, ATD Money has you covered. Their focus on fast processing, zero processing fees, and flexible repayment options makes them a top choice for anyone seeking financial relief.

When emergencies strike, and you need funds quickly, ATD Money is here to provide the support you need, when you need it most. Visit ATD Money today and explore the loan options that best suit your financial situation.

[thatbitchery]

Personal finance is tied mostly to your systems as a person. You could make 6 figures a year and still be broke and in debt or you could make 20k a year and be on your way to financial freedom.I have finally achieved financial freedom, and no I do not make super much, depending on who you compare me to. Mostly it's my financial and personal habits that keep me going.

I do not consider fancy a marker of a good life, as a matter of fact I do not understand it. What do you mean a MEAL costs 1000 its never that serious please. I don't consider Givenchy to be any more elevated than what my tailor can make me for 100$. Fancy is not important to me so when I was building my one year emergency fund I did not consider fancy part of the budget. I do not try to purchase status.

And I can not stress this enough- taking risks with my money. Buying a vending machine is one of the best decisions I made this year. Buying a business, as risky as that was, turned out to be great. I have lost money, too. Like a lot. I bought stocks in a startup that crashed and lost a pretty little buck. I dipped into the VR business not too long ago and that tanked. It is not about making the right decisions- with money that is almost never possible. Its about taking risks.

My end goal is not a career its the money. Meaning? I have worked jobs odd and unclassy and not so fun. I have packaged fish at some point- hated it. I have worked as a cashier once. As the personal assistant to some pig that was always trying to get their hand up my skirt. I have done real estate. Currently doing event (wedding) Planning for my girl. I did forex, once. I have been paid to go as someone's date to some event. I am not picky with my jobs because the job is not the end goal, the money is. The goal is to retire by 30 and I will do whatever it takes to get up there. It's the getting paid part that matters the most to me.

Learning to leverage my skills and the situation plus to recognize the opportunities when they show up. My girl's last organizer canceled last minute and I offered to take it if she tops the fee up because I love her but not THAT much. In the process I have met so many people in this place and making connections in a new country will never be a bad idea. I have zero to none skills in event planning but all i hear is compliments (Pinterest the things I'd do for you) and I can add event planning to the options my future self has for careers especially given the profile of this one. A lady at church was divorced and man left her with a mortgage and a financial crisis (your daily reminder marrying rich isn't all that) and i drew up a contract to cover her mortgage and kid's education in exchange of a piece of her estate plus slowly easing my way into becoming her financial go to person and asset manager. A bargain, seriously, and I've passed it through enough lawyers to know my fancy little mortgage note will make me very very happy in a few years. Leveraging my mentorship skills to work my way into society because the way to anyone's heart is their children. Its free on paper but is it really? These are the next CEOs and I'm building my space this early. Leveraging my relationships for more relationships. Opportunities are not given they are created. 

THIS. ESPECIALLY THIS - having a value system. Knowing what is important to me and what isn't. Being a part of high society is NOT important to me so why would i buy a gala ticket the same price as my rent? Buying brands to keep up a rich girl aesthetic? Winters in Gstaad although I despise snow? Being part of high society isn't something I value at all so I don't play social games I'll just go home. Yes I'll maintain my relationships but everyone that is everyone knows it is not a race I fancy (Which, weirdly enough, has made it very easy for me to navigate it). Like I said, fancy things are not important to me so apart from an Aston Martin I don't care about the price I care about the quality. I will be at a thrift store I really don't mind. My peace is very important to me so I'll pick the fancy overpriced library fees over other libraries and I will pay a ridiculous amount in rent for an apartment in the peaceful part of town and I will splurge on a fancy cafe because I know the price range itself buys me peace. Ramit Sethi (In his book I Will Teach You To Be Rich) gives this as the core point of getting wealthy, knowing your value system. What is important to you? What isn't? If you're not for something you're for everything. 

Minimizing responsibilities. I don't have kids and I don't intend to. I don't stupidly commit to things without thinking real real hard about them. I didn't buy things that require me to keep up with paperwork, I don't take on things I need to track. My greatest responsibility in life is my three cats. 

[batboyblog]

Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #9

March 9-15 2024

The IRS launched its direct file pilot program. Tax payers in 12 states, Florida, New Hampshire, Nevada, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, Wyoming, Arizona, Massachusetts, California and New York, can now file their federal income taxes for free on-line directly with the IRS. The IRS plans on taking direct file nation wide for next year's tax season. Tax Day is April 15th so if you're in one of those states you have a month to check it out.

The Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights opened an investigation into the death of Nex Benedict. the OCR is investigating if Benedict's school district violated his civil rights by failing to protect him from bullying. President Biden expressed support for trans and non-binary youth in the aftermath of the ruling that Benedict's death was a suicide and encouraged people to seek help in crisis

Vice President Kamala Harris became the first sitting Vice-President (or President) to visit an abortion provider. Harris' historic visit was to a Planned Parenthood clinic in St. Paul Minnesota. This is the last stop on the Vice-President's Reproductive Rights Tour that has taken her across the country highlighting the need for reproductive health care.

President Biden announced 3.3 billion dollars worth of infrastructure projects across 40 states designed to reconnect communities divided by transportation infrastructure. Communities often split decades ago by highways build in the 1960s and 70s. These splits very often affect communities of color splitting them off from the wider cities and making daily life far more difficult. These reconnection projects will help remedy decades of economic racism.

The Biden-Harris administration is taking steps to eliminate junk fees for college students. These are hidden fees students pay to get loans or special fees banks charged to students with bank accounts. Also the administration plans to eliminate automatic billing for textbooks and ban schools from pocketing leftover money on student's meal plans.

The Department of Interior announced $120 million in investments to help boost Climate Resilience in Tribal Communities. The money will support 146 projects effecting over 100 tribes. This comes on top of $440 million already spent on tribal climate resilience by the administration so far

The Department of Energy announced $750 million dollars in investment in clean hydrogen power. This will go to 52 projects across 24 states. As part of the administration's climate goals the DoE plans to bring low to zero carbon hydrogen production to 10 million metric tons by 2030, and the cost of hydrogen to $1 per kilogram of hydrogen produced by 2031.

The Department of Energy has offered a 2.3 billion dollar loan to build a lithium processing plant in Nevada. Lithium is the key component in rechargeable batteries used it electric vehicles. Currently 95% of the world's lithium comes from just 4 countries, Australia, Chile, China and Argentina. Only about 1% of the US' lithium needs are met by domestic production. When completed the processing plant in Thacker Pass Nevada will produce enough lithium for 800,000 electric vehicle batteries a year.

The Department of Transportation is making available $1.2 billion in funds to reduce decrease pollution in transportation. Available in all 50 states, DC and Puerto Rico the funds will support projects by transportation authorities to lower their carbon emissions.

The Geothermal Energy Optimization Act was introduced in the US Senate. If passed the act will streamline the permitting process and help expand geothermal projects on public lands. This totally green energy currently accounts for just 0.4% of the US' engird usage but the Department of Energy estimates the potential geothermal energy supply is large enough to power the entire U.S. five times over.

The Justice for Breonna Taylor Act was introduced in the Senate banning No Knock Warrants nationwide

A bill was introduced in the House requiring the US Postal Service to cover the costs of any laid fees on bills the USPS failed to deliver on time

The Senate Confirmed 3 more Biden nominees to be life time federal Judges, Jasmine Yoon the first Asian-America federal judge in Virginia, Sunil Harjani in Illinois, and Melissa DuBose the first LGBTQ and first person of color to serve as a federal judge in Rhode Island. This brings the total number of Biden judges to 185

[yourdakg]

Donation Found!

Remember Ryder? The SoCal pretty boy who was depressed that his life was a vapid, superficial, and party focused existence? He contacted Turnaround Technologies to ask, nay plead for a new body and a new life. See his Donation Request Form.

If only it were that simple. Turnaround Technologies utilizes some of the most advanced science on the market. When a body is fully adjusted, it's a slow and sometimes torturous process! If it was as simple as switching brains, that would be one thing. But the subjects have to physically transform into one another, and then brainwaves are overwritten. Chemistry, genetics, biology, and psychology are all involved in this elaborate process.

So Ryder had to come up with the $325,000 fee. Luckily, he had money saved and he was able to sell off the red Mustang convertible and his yellow Yamaha Sport Bike to meet the target. The final straw was giving up the deed to his WeHo apartment. Don't tell him, but his donor bought the items! Isn't that funny? He covered the rest with personal loans! Well, a little bit of debt won't hurt.

Let's remind you of where Ryder is starting his journey:

And now let's the see information plate for his donor. I think he'll be very pleased! After this, he'll never have to worry about being surrounded by vapid, beautiful people and fending off pesky pool party invites! Yes, this is the ideal swap partner for Ryder.

Meet Dr. Pervus Fondler. And wouldn't you know it? Dr. Fondler was a doctor in Ryder's hometown! They actually know each other. The good doctor cares very deeply for Ryder and was pained when he heard about his current circumstances. He decided that his job as a physician meant he had to step up and give the ultimate sacrifice! You know what they say: First Do No Harm.

Donor Statement: While I am nervous about the process, I am confident that I will give Ryder a new future, one where he won't have to worry about all that vanity and his gym obsession. True freedom for the boy!

Thank you, doctor, for going the extra mile for your patients. Turnaround Technologies will prepare the Exchange Chambers. Both subjects will be stripped down and cleansed before being placed in metallic, moisture wicking bikinis while our technicians prepare for the process:

Now that Ryder is dressed and the drugs are injected into his system, it's time to introduce him to his generous benefactor. I hope he has a positive reaction to the kind of man he will become. Let's check in!

Patient Statement: No! Holy shit! No, not Pervus the Perv! You can't put me in that. Don't force me into that body! I'd be going from a perfect ten to a zero. Please! No... LET GO. Please, oh my God. No, I thought it would be another buff guy like me. I change my mind, I changed my mi--**UMPH HRRMPH**

It's not clear why Ryder objected so strongly to his partner. Maybe it was the shock of knowing who the doctor was from earlier in his life. At any rate, he paid the fee and signed the paperwork so there is, quite literally, no going back. Swaps of this nature are once in a lifetime and, of course, quite permanent.

Subject had to be forcibly gagged and sedated.

Add another $125,000 for the service. Ryder sure is going to pay a lot of money for his new life!

When he came to in the chamber, Ryder was pounding on the door. I think he was crying. His oversize genitalia were mashed against the glass in his silver pouch. It was quite the sight. When the whirr of the machine began and the paralyzing blue light hit, his eyes went crossed. He fell backwards and pumped his hips in the air. Well, the erection is to be expected. I've heard the process somewhat erotic, though painful.

It takes a couple days and the exchange unstable during that time, but I am happy to report the following:

Donor Report: I feel good. Very good. I'm probably going to move to SoCal, sort of take over Ryder's apartment. I'll probably start using his name now too. Don't wanna confuse people. I don't even have my old, perverted urges. I hope he's comfortable with the mental traits foisted on him. Oh... he wants to take picture of me? Ha, okay. I'll flex for $100. Recipient Report: What do you mean I can't go back *whimper* why do I feel so strange. I'm already out of breath. Give it back! What do you mean a name change is included in the package *sob* MY NAME IS PERVUS NOW??!?! Oh. I have to take his medical practice in my shithole hometown? Oh God! I just... oh goodness, seeing it from this angle it's such a fine body. So tight and firm! At least flex for me, my boy? A little. So I can snap a few pics and... use them later. Eehehe. Oh God, what have I become?

[amonsteronmaplestreet]

Let me tell you a story.

A month ago, I'm at Target, and my card gets declined. This is odd, because I've just been paid. Try to run it multiple times and it's declined each time. Finally, I check my bank and see their system is down for maintenance, so I leave without buying anything.

The next day, I see that ALL OF THE ATTEMPTS TO CHARGE MY CARD WENT THROUGH.

What follows is a four day process of me going back and forth between Target (which has zero record of the transactions) and my bank trying to get both the charges and the resulting overdraft fees refunded. Finally, I get some dispute credits and the fees reversed.

Yesterday, two of the credits were reversed and I was overdrafted. Bank claims the credits were reversed because Target says it issued a refund. Target says they still have no record of any of this.

Currently trying to sort this out, but I am now in the process of switching. I essentially need to start over from scratch now, so I would greatly appreciate it if any of you would be willing to help out via my Patreon or Ko-Fi. You can get subscription, buy ebooks from the connected shops, or simply make a one-time donation.

Anything helps. Thank you very much.

Patreon.com/SeannWritesStuff

Ko-Fi.com/SeannB

[melthehoneybee]

A God’s Best Friend

First of all, I’m not a writer so be kind 🥲

I decided to finally write a Hades fanfic based on a little story I’ve had in my head for years now.

This is a Hades x Reader fic centered around an adult aged reader who works in an Auradon animal shelter when the God of Death walks in looking for a new pal.

This is completely SFW and has no warnings. I hope you guys like it! I may continue it in the future depending on if it’s well received. Enjoy!!!

Another night stuck alone at the shelter, counting away the minutes while listening to the chatter of all the rescues in the back of the building.

Of course you loved helping the stray animals of Auradon, but this place is not your passion.

Your parents were just one of the many royals with a whirlwind, magical romance back in their younger days. Your father was a dashing prince and your mother was a lonely princess who animals flocked to when she sang. Once the king founded Auradon they gave up their titles to help the animals without homes find a place of comfort, adopting them out to loving families. Eventually you came along and they forced you in to the dream they had created, letting you work in the shelter once you were old enough. The years have flown by and, despite being a full grown adult, you are still stuck here’s

All was quiet, peaceful, and fully predictable.

Until the barrier dropped.

Most of the kingdom were on board with the decision made by Queen Mal and King Ben. The children over on that island deserved a fair chance at life, despite the decisions their parents made. It was an event that carried plenty of promise, but it wasn’t without its hitches.

Of course most of the Isle children needed to adjust to their new normal, but they had the youth of Auradon to help them. The problem were the adults on both sides. Plenty of villains were set free and all of the adults of Auradon still held on to their fears and anxieties of the past.

Your parents are no different. They are able to accept some of the villains have changed during their imprisonment without magic on that rotten spit of land. However, they were still plenty wary of the handful of the more powerful antagonists, none more so than Cruella De Vil.

It goes without saying, but running an animal shelter with that mad villain on the loose caused your parents to increase the scrutiny of the process of adopting pets.

Before the barrier dropped, they would allow most anyone to adopt simply by paying a small fee and signing a couple of papers. Now they demand to verify the person has no connection to Cruella and they require an inspection of the home the animal will be going to both before adoption and a couple of weeks after adoption.

So far, there have been no issues with the process. There was an influx of adoptions now that the people of the Isle could own pets, most seeking a fresh start with a new companion. All of the homes you and your parents have inspected were suitable to take care of whatever they may be adopting and there have been zero signs of Cruella intending on starting up her fur habits again.

You liked to think her kid Carlos maybe got through to her with his love of animals.

After a couple months of the barrier being down, the rush of adoptions began to slow and life returned to a steady pace of one or two adoptions a week.

The seasons were changing and the days were getting shorter, meaning you would be put in charge of the closing shifts. You often locked up and left well after the sun went down. Very few, if any, customers show up when night arrives. However your parents insist that at least one of the family members are present as often as possible to keep the animals company.

You sigh, tapping your pen on the desk and resting your head in your hand in boredom. Your mind drifted to your own dreams, wishing you weren’t tethered to this place and hoping to have a taste of freedom to explore your passions in the future.

Instead here you are, the clock loudly ticking away the minutes, broken up by the bark or meow of a rescue in the large kennel room behind you.

It’s been days since the last adoption, only a few people coming in to visit the animals and look around to break up the monotony.

You glance up at the frosted glass doors of the entrance to see a tall figure silhouetted in the glass. You sit up and put on your best “I’m ready to help” pose.

The silhouette reached for the handle and popped open the door, the bell attached to it tinkling with a friendly chime. In walks Hades, the villainous god of the Underworld.

Your smile immediately fades and becomes forced to avoid showing fear, looking closer to a grimace.

Sure you’ve helped plenty of VKs but this is the first VILLAIN to walk in to this building.

First he glances up at the tiny bell signaling his arrival then looks around, clearly uncomfortable with the bright surroundings. Finally he locks his eyes with yours. Your heart skips a beat and adrenaline causes a dull roar in your ears, flooding your face with a slight shade of red.

“Is this the place to get a dog?” He asks, his voice firm.

You sit there a moment, your mouth open in slight surprise and your brain trying to process how to handle this. You’re here alone and no one would be close enough to get to the shelter in time if you called for help.

He stands there, his hands finally softly shrugging out in confusion at the lack of answer.

You finally stutter out “A-ah yes this is the local animal rescue.”

He steps forward, his heavy boots sounding extremely alien to your ears “Ok, and you have dogs?”

All you can think to do is follow the script you had been taught to go through “If you’re looking for a dog, we are required to ask if you have or will have any connection to the villain known as Cruella De Vil.”

Your heart is pounding and you shrink a bit when he curls a lip up and narrows his dark eyes.

“Do you Auradonians just think all villains know each other or something? No, I don’t associate with Dog-Nappers.” He growls, rolling his eyes.

Your face turns red in embarrassment “S-sorry I just… it’s something we ask everyone now…”

An awkward silence fills the air and you can’t believe you break it with the question of “What sort of dog are you looking for?”

“I’m not sure yet, I used to have one before the barrier and now I’m looking for a new one.” He says with an air of exasperation, looking around the friendly lobby area.

“We… don’t have any with three heads if that’s what you’re looking for.” Comes out of your mouth before you can stop it. You scream inside your mind, wondering why you keep making presumptuous statements to the literal god of death.

He raises a brow in confusion “I didn’t say I was in the market for one of those did I?” He pauses and shifts a bit “So you already know who I am then?”

All you can do is feebly nod.

He sighs and puts his hands in his pockets “So I take it I’m not welcome then. Fine.” He spins on his heel and steps for the door.

You aren’t sure if it’s shame, embarrassment, or something else entirely, but you launch up from your chair and call after him.

“No no, wait… s-sorry… you are welcome to look at our dogs if you’d like. Everyone is welcome here.”

He turns and glances back “Everyone except Cruella.” He says sarcastically.

“W-well yeah… everyone but her for obvious reasons… we don’t want to risk the safety of our animals.”

He turns and crosses his arms “You don’t see me as a threat to your animals then?”

“So far so good.” You say nervously.

He accepts this answer and walks back to the desk, resting his leather clad hand on it.

“Alright, show me the dogs then.”

Every fiber of your being is screaming not to go further into the shelter with this intimidating figure, but your instincts of doing your job have kicked in and seem to be carrying you along on autopilot.

“Of course, right this way.”

You push open the small door to the side of your desk so he can walk around and join you. You sort of awkwardly shuffle backwards to the door that leads to the kennels, not particularly comfortable with turning your back to this man yet.

“Listen I’ve got basically 20 years of catching up to do on my work. I’m not going to add more to my plate by sending you to the Underworld. Especially when I don’t know you.” He sighs, clearly annoyed at the guard you have up.

You stammer a shaky apology and open the door for him.

“It’s alright. I get it.” He says, a bit less anger in his voice. He walks past, the smell of leather and some sort of cologne following behind him. You look him up and down, your eyes particularly interested in his tall, blue hair. You had always heard Hades had a head of hair made of fire. It certainly seemed to reach skyward in a wavy stance like flames, but it seemed like entirely normal hair to you.

You follow in behind him, the kennels suddenly eerily quiet. All of the animals have stopped chattering and are now pushed to the backs of their kennels, clearly terrified of the dark figure before them.

He stays silent, his hands in his pockets, and his eyes flicker a brief emotion. Disappointment maybe?

He slowly walks down the line of kennels, glancing back and forth at all of the animals who cowered away from him. They all clearly sensed that he was an ancient soul with the task of manning a place like the underworld. You always knew animals had a weird sense when it came to this stuff, but to see it so clearly in action made you shiver.

Despite how this should reaffirm some sort of discomfort with him, watching his reaction actually lowered your walls a bit. The man seemed to sink lower into himself, clearly hurt by the fear of all the animals.

“Maybe this wasn’t a good idea….” He finally sighs, stopping in the middle of the kennels.

You look around, silent and feeling a strange sense of pity for the villain.

Suddenly you’re hit with an epiphany. Your instincts kick in again.

“No hold on. Follow me down this way.” You stride forward with focus now, not fearing putting this man behind you.

You hear his heavy steps follow you as you lead him to the back of long line of cowering animals.

It’s a long shot but you have to test it.

Finally the last kennel lies in front of you and, to your elation, the dog within stands happily looking up at the two of you. The dog is a sort of dark grey-brown, scraggly patches of wiry hair poking out on top of his head down his spine, looking like some sort of excuse for fur. His mouth is open in a friendly grin, its long spotty tongue hanging out of the side. His tail is wagging and he watches you eagerly, eyes looking between you and Hades.

“What the heck is this…?” Hades asks with a tone of disgust.

“This is a Xolo Dog. The only one we have ever rescued actually. They’re kind of rare around here.” I say proudly and look back. He is clearly unconvinced.

“He doesn’t seem to have the same instincts as every other animal here. Is he… I dunno… broken?” He asks, unconvinced that this dog was even a dog.

“It was a theory, but I thought maybe he would be the best option for you. I guess there’s an ancient legend that these dogs were guides for souls in the afterlife. Given that, I thought maybe… he would be… comfortable…” you trail off nervously.

Hades is silent for a moment and he finally steps forward, towering over the dog behind the metal gate.

“What’s his story?”

“His dad was a dog named Dante. I guess when the litter of puppies was born, this one here was kind of the outcast. The other two puppies of the litter were a bit stronger than him. The family that owned Dante thought he might have better chances elsewhere. He’s been here a while… unfortunately, since they aren’t the prettiest dogs to look at, they aren’t exactly sought after.” I explain, crouching down and sticking my fingers through the kennel to let the dog lick them.

“Outcast huh…?” Hades asks, his tone shifting.

I reach up and open the gate, so there isn’t a barrier between the two. The dog happily steps up to Hades and looks up expectantly.

Hades crouches down and looks him in the eye. Rather than shrink in fear, the dog jumps up slightly to lick his face.

Hades flashes an expression of disgust but you swear you see the ghost of a smile on his lips.

“Does he have a name?” He asks, not taking his eyes off of the animal.

“Ah… not a OFFICIAL one but… we um-” You pause, feeling a wave of embarrassment “we sort of took to calling him Cerb. Short for Cerberus, given the whole afterlife story. I totally understand if you’d prefer something else given the history.”

Hades snorts a scoff “Cerb? Really?”

The dog’s eyes light up and he jumps softly at Hades again, bumping his head against his chest.

Hades rests a hand on Cerb and thinks to himself for a moment.

He finally softly speaks “Well hi there Cerb.”

You smile to yourself, a sudden warm feeling flooding your chest. Just like you had seen a million times with other customers, you were seeing this dark, leather clad villain connect with their new friend.

You let them have a few moments and step back. Hades begins petting and looking over Cerb while Cerb happily pants away, his eyes staring off into space.

You kind of snort to yourself “I won’t lie, his dad wasn’t exactly the brightest bulb and it’s rubbed off on Cerb. He’s got a lot of heart though and you’ll never find a more loyal friend.”

“How does this all work?” Hades finally asks, standing up and facing you. Cerb steps up and leans against his legs, grinning up at Hades.

“Adoption? Well we get donations here so we don’t charge any fees. You just sign a few papers and you have to agree for us to do an inspection of your home at the time of adoption and a little bit after, to make sure the animal is comfortable.” You explain.

He raises an eyebrow and his expression sours “Really….? Is that the normal process or the villain treatment?”

You raise your hands in defense “I promise it’s the normal process now. We want to make sure the animals are just as happy with their owners as the owners are with them. It’s all about making sure they’re where they need to be.”

He sighs and taps his foot, thinking for a moment. He glances down at Cerb who looks back excitedly. Hades then locks eyes with you. It’s the first time you’re really looking him in the eyes since he arrived and you feel a momentarily rush of adrenaline. His icy blue stare analyzes you and his eyelids squint subtly.

“You’d do the inspection?” He asks.

“Myself or another staff member.” You answer, the idea hitting you that you’d be going to his lair when you’ve never left Auradon before.

He thinks for another moment “I want it to be you, since you know him so well.”

You feel heat rise to your cheeks but before you can think about it too much you nod in agreement.

He smirks a bit and looks down at Cerb “What do you think? You ready to go home?”

Cerb, who clearly has no idea what’s going on but who’s happy to be included in the conversation, wags his tail fervently.

“So, you’d like to adopt him?” You ask, a smile breaking out over your face. Despite the situation, you still feel a rush of satisfaction when you pair an owner with their new friend.

“Someone’s gotta take him.” Hades says with a shrug. He’s clearly covering up the fact he truly did bond with the dog on some level.

“Fantastic! Let me get him a leash and we will get the paperwork finalized.” You say excitedly, heading back to the front desk with Hades and Cerb following behind.

It only takes a few minutes and one flourished signature on the adoption certificate to officially hand Hades the leash for Cerb.

“Congratulations on your new friend, Hades.” You say with sincerity.

He smiles down at the dog and looks back up at you “So… this is the part where you come see my digs and try to see if I’m unfit for the task huh?”

Your heart suddenly stops and you feel a chill. Sure you’d brought it up several times and agreed to be the one to inspect his place, but now that the time had come it made you freeze.

He smirks when he sees the obvious hesitation on your face.

“Don’t worry, you’ll be back in Auradon safe and sound before you know it. I have no plans to do dastardly things… at least not tonight.” He says cooly.

“Alright … let me grab the keys and lock up.” You say, watching Cerb for any sign of discomfort or unease. You trusted the dog to protect you if Hades DID try anything.

Hades leads you to the door and holds it open for you, an unexpected gesture from someone like him. You feel a blush crawl up your cheeks for some unknown reason.

You jingle the lock closed and stare into the shelter for a moment, as if taking in the sight for the last time.

“Ready? It’s a bit of a walk. Unless you want me to magic us there.” He says raising his palm, blue flames erupting from it.

You jump a bit at the small roar the fire makes and you shake your head “N-no… walking is fine. Cerb needs it.”

Hades shrugs and gestures his hand to dismiss the fire “Suit yourself, Princess.”

You awkwardly begin the walk, feeling extremely small and fragile next to the stomping frame of this god. You know that, if he wanted to, he could just make that fire come back and poof you out of existence in the blink of an eye. You were no stranger to magic, given where you’re from. However, dark magic was an all new thing to witness.

You glance down at Cerb who is happily trotting next to Hades, leaning over to bump onto the side of his legs every once in a while. You smile and look up at Hades again, who’s staring straight ahead calmly.

Maybe he’s more like Cerb than you initially thought. A being that is easy to judge based on looks, but is just like everyone else deep down.

He looks over at you while you stare “Something up, Princess?”

You blush and quickly avert your gaze “S-sorry, I’m just-“ you pause for a moment and quietly continue “I’m not used to seeing someone who looks like you.”

He chuckles “Someone who looks like me? You mean devilishly handsome right?”

You feel another wave of heat rise in your cheeks and you stammer as you try to dismiss his comment “I-I mean someone who dresses like some sort of rock star I guess.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Listen Princess, the world is much bigger than the kingdom of Auradon. There are lots of different ways of doing things. This is just how I like doing it.”

You nod and timidly speak up “I just haven’t ever really been outside of Auradon. The barrier dropping is such a big change. I barely remember the world before it went up.”

“It’s been a change for all of us.” He replies solemnly.

You arrive at the bridge connecting the mainland to the former Isle of the Lost.

“You still have your place over there?” You ask.

“Yeah well… you get used to a place when you’ve been banished there for 20ish years. I’ve spruced it up with my magic and it works for what I need.” He responds, beginning to lead the way over.

As you walk, you take note of the way the permanent gloom that was once clouding the island has dissipated. You’ve never been this close to the island before and you stay keenly alert to your surroundings as you step on its land.

Compared to Auradon, it’s a vibrant mishmash of color, spray paint, and patches of junk holding it all together. It has a sort of charm to it. It’s a place a child would love to freely explore, if the island hadn’t been a prison for so many years.

You look around in wonder but catch Hades subtly grimacing.

“It’s not as fancy as you’re used to, I’m sure.” He says, almost apologetically.

“I mean it’s not what I’m used to but… I dunno… I like it. It feels very free over here.” You say, seeing troupes of VKs sitting around lazily and chatting.

Hades snorts a laugh “Free huh? Not the word I would use to describe it.”

You realize what you said and frantically apologize “No I mean… sorry…. I meant it seems like you can be yourself over here. Auradon has a lot of-” you pause to find the right word “-expectations when you’re there.”

Hades nods and smirks “You’re a prisoner of rules and societal pressures there. Trust me, I remember.” He looks around “We may be a part of Auradon now but I think this island will stay sort of separated in that sense. You’d be hard pressed to find a villain or VK who would want to give up EVERYTHING this Isle once stood for.”

You look around as you listen. You can’t help but wonder what your life would’ve been like if you had lived here all that time. Would you still be following your parent’s plan or would you be following your true passions?

As you navigate through a tiny marketplace, you look in awe at all the little items and trinkets for sale. Small Knick Knacks made from junk litter tables and shelves. You see a few of the younger crowd from Auradon browsing the shops mixed in with the VKs. It’s fascinating to see how quickly some people have adapted to the barrier coming down.

No matter if it’s a VK or an Auradonian, the site of Hades tromping down the walkway makes everyone move to the side and dart their eyes to look at anything but him. You somehow feel incredibly small and yet hugely noticeable walking alongside him. A few people whispered to each other once you got past, surely speculating what you’re doing with the God of the Underworld.

“Don’t mind them. Reputation goes a long way on the Isle. Most people know to stay out of my way.” Hades says, waving his hand dismissively.

This should justify your apprehension of accompanying him, but you find yourself wondering if he still lives up to his reputation at all. So far, the god has seemed almost tame.

As you walk along, looking at all the shops, you slow your pace to admire a rack of sheer scarfs. Each one has a unique pattern on the fabric and is obviously only meant to only act as a visual enhancer, rather than keep the wearer warm. You have never seen fabric like this before, it’s obvious each one is hand made and no two are alike.

“Bet you don’t have anything like this over on the mainland.” Hades remarks, looking back to see why your pace slowed.

You shake your head “Not really. Everything here is so unique… all the stuff in Auradon is usually pretty similar to each other, outside of the dresses Evie makes of course.”

Hades looks a moment between you and the scarfs, he finally pulls a bluish one off the rack and flicks a coin to the eager vendor.

“Here. This one suites you.”

You feel a slight head rush from the unexpected move, your hands grasping the gift before you can truly process it.

“A-are you sure…?” You ask.

He waves his hand again and turns to continue walking “Yeah yeah. It’s repayment for the long walk.”

You smile to yourself and drape the fabric around your neck, admiring the colors and patterns.

“I have one from them myself. I like their stuff.” Hades states. “We aren’t far from home now. The entrance is just up ahead.”

The two of you round a corner and your met with a large, sinister looking gate decorated with scrap pieced together to spell “GET LOST”. Behind the barrier is the entrance to a cave. You look at Hades, feeling that twinge of apprehension come back.

He chuckles to himself and unlocks the gate “It’s all for intimidation. Don’t worry.”

Cerb happily bounds inside the cave which is the biggest factor that pushes you forward.

“It echos a bit in here, just a heads up.” He warns, leading the way inside.

You wind through dark tunnels, illuminated by scattered lighting strung together up on the walls. The ground where you walk has a small track system, indicating this used to be some sort of mine before Hades settled in.

“Nearly there, I promise.” He says almost apologetically.

At long last you enter the main chamber of his lair. It’s a large room where the floor rises and lowers at random places in separate tiers. The place is decorated with everything from old looking Greek statues to vintage music equipment. The walls are scribbled with various designs and writing, one notable wall clearly being a tally of his time trapped here. The sheer number of tally marks puts into scope just how long the barrier was up.

It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen before, things seem to be covered in a layer of dust and an eerie blue light glows throughout the room. In one corner is an old dusty sofa, in another is a large bed covered with tattered blankets.

“I know it’s not pretty to look at but… I am sort of used to it here.” He shrugs, taking off his large overcoat and tossing it on a coat rack absentmindedly.

You look around in awe, somehow fascinated with the lair. However you’re here to do a job and you carefully watch Cerb.

He already eagerly navigating around the room and sniffing at his new surroundings. He hasn’t seemed to have lost any sort of enthusiasm.

“It seems safe enough in here for him but-“ you pause and feel your heart race a bit, scared to offer any sort of critique.

“But what?” Hades asks, leaning against the wall and crossing his large, freshly exposed arms.

“Dogs need to go outside often. There isn’t really-“ you trail off feebly.

“Don’t worry. I already thought of that. Look over here.” Hades beckons.

You follow up to a large door with a doggy door carved out of the middle covered by a flap.

“Open it.” He says.

You reach forward and push against the heavy door, suddenly daylight spills in to the room. A beautiful grassy meadow greets you, a slight breeze tickling your cheeks and birds tweeting away. The faint smell of the ocean radiates through the air and you look at Hades in shock.

“I thought we were in a cave!”

He smirks, clearly impressed with himself “We are. As a god one of my powers is to make myself present wherever I wish. I put a spell on this door to open up here.”

Cerb bolts passed us and zoomies his way through the grass. This place is even nicer than the field you have for the rescues back home. You step out into the grass, feeling a nice warm sunlight hit your skin. Cerb is now on his back and thrashing around happily, clearly enjoying the way the grass feels on his skin.

“Not bad for a dusty old villain huh?” Hades asks, joining up next to you.

“It’s beautiful…. I’ve never seen magic like this before.” You respond, looking back at the door.

In the middle of the field is the doorway, inside is clearly the lair, but nothing appears to be holding the doorway in place.

“Thanks… there is an invisible barrier around the area that will influence anyone outside of it to stay away and for Cerb not to wander too far. I just have to teach him to use the door is all.”

You nod, clearly satisfied with the surroundings.

“I think I’ve seen everything I need to see. I assume you have food and water for him?” You ask, signing off the paperwork you brought while you all walk back into the cave.

Hades snaps his finger, a flash of blue sparks erupting from them, and a bag of dog food and water dish appear in the corner of the room.

You smile widely and hand over the adoption papers “Alright then, Hades. You’re officially Cerb’s owner. We will check back in about a month or so from now just to make sure he’s settled in and you’re used to his personality.”

“We? Or will the inspector be you?” He asks, looking over the papers.

You feel your heart skip a beat “D-Do you want it to be me?”

“Yes.” He answers firmly.

“I-I can make sure that’s notated for you. Um, can I ask why?” You can’t help but probe as to why he’s so specific to get you to help.

“You actually helped me. Sure you judged what I looked like right off the bat but… you changed your mind. It’s refreshing.” He says, crouching down to scratch Cerb’s head.

“Well you seem… nice.” You say softly.

Hades laughs and straightens back up, crossing his arms “Is that what I seem like? I guess I need to work on fixing that”. He winks at you with a cheeky smirk.

You laugh nervously “As long as Cerb’s safe and happy I suppose I don’t mind what you do.”

You look around the lair again and bring your gaze back to Hades, whose eyes are locked on to you.

“If you need anything make sure to reach out. I guess I should get back home, it’s probably super late.” You say, preparing to turn around and go back the way you came.

Hades steps forward a bit “Wait-“ he seems to stammer while finding his words “ah, are you hungry?”

You furrow your brow in confusion “Am I hungry?”

Hades nods, clearly angry with himself for blurting out such a random question.

“I mean it’s late and I haven’t eaten for a while, so I’m getting there. Why?”

“I just was about to cook something up if you wanted.” He says, scratching the back of his head.

If it wasn’t his treatment of Cerb or when he bought you the scarf, it would be this moment that fully convinced you this man was no longer the villain everyone made him out to be.

“Sure I could eat.” You finally answer with a smile.

[barbwritesstuff]

I remember reading how much choice script (or steam??) Took off the profits u made from blood moon. It was an astronomical amount tbh. With that in mind, would you recommend choice script or itch.io for new writers?

It very much depends on what you, as a writer and game developer, are hoping to achieve. There are downsides to writing with choicescript, but there are also benefits. Ditto with Steam and itch.io. I think it's important to weigh up all the options and make your own choice based on your goals.

Breaking it down.

Choicescript is (in my opinion) the easiest coding language out when it comes to making interactive fiction. You really don't need any coding skills to be able to make a game with choicescript, which was why I used it to write Blood Moon. I had zero coding experience back in 2020 and would not have been able to make a game with Twine or Ren'py at the time.

However, choicescript is not an open source language, which means, if you want to make money off your game, you have to publish it with Choice of Games or one of their imprints (Heart's Choice or Hosted Games).

They will take 75% of royalties, which is steep, but they also have a pretty dedicated audience which you probably won't reach if you don't publish through them.

And I think those numbers are significant. My independent games, despite being pay-what-you-want, usually only get a few hundred downloads. My choicescript game has over ten thousand. 25% of $70,000 is better than 95% of $200.

Steam vs itch.io is a very similar situation.

Steam has an upload fee of $100 and takes 30% of revenue from games, but Steam also gets more than 10x the traffic than itch.io. So, while itch.io only charges a small amount in processing fees, you're probably going to get more sales from Steam.

All that said, I am bad at marketing. I also struggle with spelling, so need extra help editing and proofreading, and am still very much a novice when it comes to coding. I also do not have the money to pay for much out of pocket. I get a lot of value from working with publishers like Choice of Games because I get that extra help and support. That might not be true for you.

I've seen some independent game developers create really dedicated audiences, craft amazing games, and market themselves really well. They regularly get thousands of downloads on their games. For them, publishing with an open source language like Twine, and doing so on a more independent friendly platform like itch.io, is 100% worth it.

Doing so also gives you more creative freedom, as choicescript is very limited it what it can do.

Ultimately, it's a choice, and the right choice is going to change depending on the individual, their needs, and their goals. I'm happy to talk about this more and answer questions, because I think writers should help each other, and the best way we can do that is openly sharing information.

Hope that all makes sense. Sorry it was so long. 💙

[skyc47su]

Topic: Concerns over making skycotl figurine sculpt commissions

Hi everyone! First of all, I'd like to say thank you so much over your comments and reactions to my two skycotl elder sculpts! I've worked hard for them, and I just feel so happy to everyone's comments on my work! Especially to some where I've managed to convince people they were real sky merch hehe (note: they aren't x'D). I think that's the highest honor I've ever received being an artist~

I'd like to address this topic, as I've been receiving a few comments on how they'd love to own one and perhaps commission me for custom skycotl sculpts. I hope it's alright with you guys for a moment of a very long text post ;u; So for starters, I'd like to state the fact that I am not a professional artist. I'm just a hobbyist with a background in veterinary medicine. ;w; zero background on art school. I was pretty much self-taught. So if I ever do create sculpt works for sale, they will be made by a hobbyist artist with no art background other than years of self-taught art stuff.

I'd like to state reasons on why I hesitate to make custom figurine art commissions.

I have never made nor sold physical merch/ sculpts -However I have made and successfully shipped sculpt works to friends! They were however made with oven-baked sculpey, which did not handle shipping well and had to be glued together. However, the elder pieces were made with quality air dry polymer clay. This clay, when dry, has the same feel as nendroid or SHFigurarts figurines. They are amazingly flexible and takes a lot to break. So I'm confident with these figures being able to survive shipping.

I cannot guarantee flawless, clean, uniform quality similar to goodsmile and other well-known figurine makers, or even indie makers -The results may be different every time, there may be unwanted notches here and there, I might see something during painting progress that I didn't spot while sculpting and cannot adjust it once the clay dries, my paint job may be flawed (uneven lines, color mistakes, etc.). These are my main concerns. Again, I am not a professional, although I do improve each time I work on something new. Currently, these two were the second time I've sculpted using air dry polymer clay.

From the images above, you guys may spot imperfections such as: -Tsadi's helmet and head being a little rough -Rough-looking paint details (especially the white "glow") my hands were shaky -Tsadi's gloves not being perfectly straight -Little dry paint "dirt" bits which leaves some little bumps here and there (Notice Tsadi's arm having little bumps) -The underside of Teth's hair was hard to reach and paint perfectly -Teth's hands looking a little odd (the clay air-dries fast and the more I worked, the more it risked their fingers breaking apart) -Teth's skirt should've been more flared-out, but the clay decided it doesn't want to hence the skirt flaps became a little limp -Accidental score marks I must've left from being pricked by something (like a fingernail or a tool next to me) before it dried completely 3. Price -Even if I consider my work shoddy, I'd honestly price Tsadi (Golden Wasteland elder) $200 and Teth (Hidden Forest elder) $150, without shipping fees and etc. I think that sort of price will turn people off, but these are completely hand-made, from sculpting to painting. No any sort of pre-made clay cast used. I did lose a lot of skin on my fingertips because of this project. I'm actually still in the process of growing it back ;; I was constantly checking my work everyday for 30 days, leaving the clay to firm up a bit and coming back to adjust it as it dries, so it did take a lot of time and effort. (I'm not complaining however, I really did have fun with this project!) 4. Material supply -The main concern is the clay. It's brand is "Modena" air dry polymer clay sourced from Japan. I've waited half a year just to buy it from one local art shop, and currently I've only seen 4 packs left in stock. I had to use 1 and a half pack of clay just for GW elder, because he's such a big guy x'D

So ah... Yes, these are my concerns if you guys do really want to commission me. I'd be willing, of course! But I'd like you guys to know first of what you guys may receive if you do so. Thank you all so much for your consideration and taking time to read my post! I hope you guys have a wonderful day QwQ your comments have made me so happy! Oh and I still do digital art commissions though :3

[theuniverseisaconspiracy]

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[cooganbegs-blog]

Tomorrow

So tomorrow I’m speaking with the Queen Bee from The Yield. I haven’t spoken with her for quite a few years and the relationship is, uneasy and silent.

The Yield is in the process of being acquired by Yamaha (yes the global fuxkoff automotive, robotics etc corporation). As a result of the mismanagement, ego and hubris of the Queen Bee, all shares except for Yamaha shares are worthless, zero, zip, nada. Everyone is walking away with nothing, except for Ros who has already ripped over a million dollars out, but that’s another story!

There were three of us who started The Yield. John, myself and Ros. We needed the skills and experience of all of us to get it off the ground. Without us, Yamaha would not have a company to be acquiring.

When we agreed to follow Ros when she begged us with words “I can’t do this without you.” we were offered shares, and in particular specified “Founders Shares”. We paid a nominal fee and they were supposed to be the final compensation where we would financially realise the years of underpayment and slaving that we put into The Yield when and if it was ever acquired.

We will get nothing.

John wrote to the chair of The Yield stating our case, he got a platitude filled response about the good of all shareholders bla bla bla.

The message is that legal advice is clear that our Founder shares, as ordinary shares, are useless. There will be no special recompense as an ordinary shareholder.

Ros finally called John yesterday and his response was that John paying $15 for 150,000 shares and me paying $5 for 50,000 shares was not an investment in The Yield but a mechanism to be repaid at a later date for “free”.

So Ros said to John: send her a letter stating (only) his case based only on a goodwill request for recompense for the 15 months he worked for fuck all. Which he’s now done.

Apparently this means that this now separates our claims as founders.

However, this leaves me and what I should or might do. Yes, I’m bitter and hurt and angry and want to tell Ros exactly what I think of her manipulative and selfish behaviour to get what she wanted and demand a share. The other half is terrified as I just don’t really believe I deserve anything. I was the gullible fool who listened and believed her when she told me she needed me, that no-one else could help her like I could, and that she would make sure that I was taken care of. Fuck that stings, after all I’ve learned, I fell for her honeyed words. I believed what I wanted to believe and heard what I wanted to hear.

But hurt pride and bitterness aside. I don’t know what to say to her tomorrow. How to ask for what I believe (maybe) I deserve, not to beg and grovel but to appeal to a better side of her that I have yet to see?

But then I know it won’t make a scrap of difference, she doesn’t a fuck, a global multinational like Yamaha certainly doesn’t give a fuck about a nobody like me. So do I swallow my pride and ask the same as John or shut up and keep my pride in tact.

[arkaloans]

https://www.arkaloans.com/blog/personal-loans-in-vivekananda-nagar-hyderabad?utm_source=pocket_saves

[mostlysignssomeportents]

How Amazon transformed the EU into a planned economy

Amazon is a perfect parable of enshittification, the process by which platforms first offer subsidies to end users until they’re locked in, then make life good for business customers at users’ expense, until they’re locked in, then claw back all the value they can for themselves, leaving just enough behind to keep the lock-in going.

In a new report for SOMO, Margarida Silva describes how the end-stage enshittification of Amazon is playing out in the EU, with Amazon repeating its US playbook of gouging the small businesses who have no choice but to use the platform in order to reach its locked-in customers, making European customers and European sellers poorer:

https://www.somo.nl/amazons-european-chokehold/

The mechanism for this isn’t a mystery. Amazon boasts about it! They call it their flywheel: first, customers are lured into the platform with low prices, especially through Prime, which requires pre-payment for a year’s shipping, which virtually guarantees that customers will start their shopping on Amazon. Because customers now start their buying on Amazon, sellers have to be there. The increased range of goods for sale on Amazon lures in more buyers, who lure in more sellers, with both sides holding each other hostage:

https://vimeo.com/739486256/00a0a7379a

This flywheel creates a vicious cycle, starving local retail so that customers can’t get what they need from brick-and-mortar shops, which funnels sellers into offering their goods for sale on Amazon. The less choice customers and sellers have about where they shop, the more Amazon can abuse both to pad its own bottom line.

There are 800,000 EU-based sellers on Amazon, and they have seen the junk-fees that Amazon charges them skyrocket, to the point where they have to raise prices or lose money on each sale. Amazon uses both tacit and explicit “Most Favored Nation” deals to hide these price-hikes. Under an MFN deal, sellers must not allow their goods to be sold at a lower price than Amazon’s — so when they raise prices to cover Amazon’s increasing fees, they raise them everywhere:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/25/greedflation/

It’s not hard to understand why Amazon would raise its fees: the company has an effective e-commerce monopoly. Like Ozymandias, they have run out of worlds to conquer, and so their growth has to come from squeezing suppliers and/or raising prices, not from bringing in new customers. This is likewise true of mobile companies like Apple and Google, who have run out of people who are so excited about incremental mobile hardware gains that they’ll buy a new phone every year, which means that growth has to come from squeezing app vendors:

https://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/202x/2023/06/09/Pixel-4-to-7

This is likewise true of the streaming companies, which is why Netflix is cracking down on “password sharing”:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/02/02/nonbinary-families/#red-envelopes

It’s true of the movie studios, which is why they want to zero out their wage bills by replacing writers with automatic plausible sentence generators that will write stupid movies that they think we’ll still pay to see because there won’t be anything else:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/06/people-are-not-disposable/#union-strong

It’s certainly true of Uber, which is why they’ve double the cost of a taxi ride and halved the wages they pay drivers:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

Monopolies “grow” by making their customers and suppliers worse off. But they have to be careful about this: if it’s obvious that you’re using your market power to screw buyers, you can get in trouble with competition regulators. That’s because the only part of antitrust law that the neoliberal project left intact is “consumer welfare” — the idea that monopolies should only face enforcement when they raise prices and/or lower quality:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/10/10/play-fair/#bedoya

This focus on price-hikes has given monopolists a free hand to squeeze suppliers and workers, because a monopolist — from Walmart to Amazon — can claim that squeezing your workers and suppliers is necessary to enhancing consumer welfare. The less you pay to produce a product, the cheaper you can price it.

When a company has a lot of seller power, we call it a monopolist. When it has a lot of buying power, we call it a monopsonist. No one ever made a bestselling, family-destroying board game called “Monopsony” so most people haven’t heard of the concept. But monopsony is every bit as dangerous as monopoly, and monopsonists find it far easier to acquire market power than monopolists. Few suppliers can afford to have even 10% of their sales disappear overnight, so a buyer who accounts for 10% of your sales can demand deep discounts and other favorable terms.

Amazon is a monopolist, but it’s also a very powerful and ruthless monopsonist. For example, its audiobook division, Audible, has a 90+% market-share, and it used that market-power to steal at least $100m from audiobook creators, in a scandal dubbed Audiblegate:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/09/07/audible-exclusive/#audiblegate

For Europe’s 800k sellers who rely on Amazon to reach their customers, the monoposony conditions are blatant and shameless. Take listing fees: Amazon’s “flywheel” pitch claims that as the company grows, it achieves “economies of scale” that can lower its cost basis. But Amazon’s listing fees haven’t changed, even as the company experienced explosive growth in the EU (remember, sellers whose Amazon fees exceed their margins have to pass those fees onto buyers, and also raise their prices everywhere else to satisfy the Most Favored Nation requirement).

Amazon books the revenues from these fees — and other junk-fees it extracts from sellers — in Luxembourg, an EU member nation that provides a tax haven to multinational businesses that want to maintain the fiction that they operate their businesses out of the tiny kingdom. There is sharp competition in the EU to offer the most servile, corrupt environment for multinationals, and Luxembourg is a leader, along with Cyprus, Malta and, of course, Ireland:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/05/15/finnegans-snooze/#dirty-old-town

But at least listing fees haven’t gone up, unlike other fees, which have climbed sharply. Amazon falsely claimed that its additional revenues from fees were the result of growth by independent sellers, which Amazon pegged at 65%. Later, the company admitted that the true growth figure was 22%. Meanwhile, fees are up 85%.

The true growth figure might be lower still. Amazon refuses to show the math behind its growth figures, or even say which sellers and sales are included in the figure.

The SOMO report cites research by Juozas Kaziukėnas of the e-commerce research firm Marketplace Pulse, who finds that sellers are now giving 50% of their gross revenues to Amazon, an increase of 10% over the past five years across the whole EU. However, different EU (and ex-EU) countries have experienced much steeper increases in fees — in the UK, fees have nearly doubled (up 98%), and in France, fees more than doubled (up 115%).

Many of these increases come from the Fulfilment By Amazon (FBA) program, which is promoted as an optional service, but which is really obligatory — careful research shows that sellers who warehouse, pack and ship their own goods get banished to the depths of search results, even if they have ratings, costs and times that are competitive with FBA. This is especially true of the “buy box” that lands at the top of most searches. The company refuses to disclose how buy box positioning is determined, but 90% of products in the buy box pay for FBA.

Amazon has used excuseflation to hike its FBA prices, blaming higher energy prices for price hikes that predated the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and blaming covid for price hikes that predated the pandemic.

Italy’s competition authority did yeoman service in uncovering the sleaze of FBA, publishing an investigation that showed that Prime and buy box made the notionally “optional” FBA into a must-have for merchants, meaning that Amazon could jack up FBA prices without losing business.

Another notable source of gouging came in response to the UK and France adopting digital services taxes, which were meant to make up for the tax-base erosion enabled by Luxembourg’s flouting of EU tax law. Amazon passed these taxes straight through to its merchants, without seeing a comparable decrease in the number of sellers using its platforms — an unmistakable sign of market power. If you can raise prices without losing customers, then, by definition, your customers have nowhere else to go.

I’ve previously written about how Amazon’s $31b/year “advertising” market isn’t really advertising — rather, it’s a payola scheme that auctions off the top of a search-listing to the merchant with the most to spend:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/11/28/enshittification/#relentless-payola

This is how you get a simple search like “cat beds” returning results whose first screen is 100% ads, and whose next five screens are 50% ads, many of them for dog products:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/interactive/2022/amazon-shopping-ads/

Auctioning off search results means that every time you search for something you want, you have to wade through screen after screen of listings for products whose vendors spent more on advertising, leaving less to spend on making quality goods.

This is as true in the EU as it is in the USA. The SOMO report shows that European merchants are required to spend ever-larger sums to show up in results for the exact products they sell, leaving them with a choice between making less money, raising prices, or skimping on quality.

But even the “winners” of Amazon’s gladiatorial combat among vendors can still lose. Amazon uses an automated product removal process that can delete some or all of a merchant’s products, without warning or explanation, and no one at Amazon will explain what a merchant did wrong. That remains true even if a vendor pays for Amazon’s “marketplace consultant” service — ask these paid Virgils why you’ve been cast into Amazon’s pit, and they’ll shrug their shoulders (and bill you for it).

And even if you can navigate the junk fees, the Kafka-as-a-service removals, the war of all sellers against all sellers for search primacy…you still lose. Merchants told SOMO that a product that survives Amazon’s gauntlet is likely to be cloned by Amazon and sold as an Amazon Basic or other house-brand product. Amazon doesn’t charge itself 50% junk fees, so it can always underprice the vendors it knocks off, and give its own products permanent top-of-search placement.

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos once testified under oath before Congress that this doesn’t happen — and then refused to return to Congress when multiple vendors showed evidence that he’d lied:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/10/18/amazon-congress-letter-third-party-data/

He definitely lied:

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/amazon-india-rigging/

Amazon has faced investigations and enforcement in the EU over this, and settled a claim with a promise to “not use non-public seller data to compete with sellers,” but given the company’s record of broken promises on this score and the difficulty of catching them cheating, it’s pretty naive to think they’ll stick to this.

The report quotes Thomas Höppner, a lawyer who has represented small businesses that Amazon screwed over. Höppner says the problem is that the EU evaluates Amazon’s bad deeds on a “case-by-case” basis, missing the big picture: “By the time one identified problem was seemingly solved, Amazon had long made amendments elsewhere with the same effect. We require a more holistic approach that considers the entire Amazon ecosystem and the various interdependencies within.”

But the EU’s enforcement approach is about to change significantly. The EU just passed the Digital Markets Act (DMA), which imposes a bunch of obligations on Amazon:

allowing sellers to offer their products on other marketplaces at different prices (Article 5.3),

not obliging business users to pay for one of its services in order to use its platform (Article 5.8),

limiting the way Amazon uses non-public seller data to compete with them (Article 6.2)

preventing Amazon from giving top billing in search results to its own products or sellers that have acquired extra Amazon services (Article 6.5)

The report concludes with a suite of recommendations for improving EU enforcement. First, they argue for a return to traditional competition law, abandoning the “consumer welfare standard” that is so friendly to monopsonies and their abuses of suppliers and workers.

They call for a probe into Amazon’s Most Favored Nation deals (“fair pricing policy”), the practice of sponsoring search results, and spiraling fees. They want the EU to adequately fund DMA enforcement, with “measures to prevent regulatory capture.” And they want Amazon to publish clear explanations for how search results, buy box placement, and other practices hidden behind a veil of secrecy.

Amazon will doubtless claim that disclosing how those systems work will make it easier for spammers and scammers to game their way to the top of search results. We should be skeptical of this claim — content moderation is the last domain where anyone takes the bankrupt idea of security through obscurity seriously:

https://doctorow.medium.com/como-is-infosec-307f87004563

Finally, the report calls for breaking up Amazon, forcing it to choose between being a platform seller or a platform user, calling this the only way to “prevent the conflicts of interest between its role as a platform intermediary, seller, and service provider.”

The technical term for this measure is “structural separation” — a rule that bans platform companies from competing with their business customers. This is the principle at work in the US bipartisan AMERICA Act, which would force Google and Meta to spin off the parts of their ad-tech business that put them in a conflict of interest. Right now, Googbook represents both publishers and advertisers, while operating the marketplace where ad sales take place, and they take 51% out of every ad dollar:

https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/05/save-news-we-must-shatter-ad-tech

Structural separation hasn’t really been applied in the US for a generation, but it’s gained currency in recent years, for the obvious reason that the referee can’t also own one of the teams. I was in Germany last week speaking to regulators and politicians, and they espoused skepticism that the EU would embrace structural separation anytime soon.

But they were wrong! Today, the European Commission announced plans to force Google and Meta to sell off their conflict-of-interest ad-tech lines of business, mirroring the provisions of the US AMERICA Act:

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2023/06/google-may-soon-be-ordered-to-break-up-its-lucrative-ad-business-eu-warns/

Structural separation really is the policy we should be demanding. It’s amazing that lawyers who would never argue a case in front of a judge who was married to the plaintiff will turn around and defend the idea that Amazon can fairly operate a marketplace where they compete with other sellers.

With Amazon dominating online sales, and with in-person retail cratering, Amazon’s decisions have the power to determine the outcome of whole swathes of Europe’s economy. This is the “planned economy” that the EU claims it detests and seeks to prevent — but it’s an economy planned by distant autocrats in a Seattle boardroom, for the purpose of extracting the surpluses needed to launch an endless procession of penis-rockets.

If you’d like an essay-formatted version of this postto read or share, here’s a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/06/14/flywheel-shyster-and-flywheel/#unfulfilled-by-amazon

[Image ID: A desert ruin. In the foreground is a huge Amazon box, with an EU flag in place of its shipping label. Atop the box are the feet and partial legs of an Oxymandias figure.]

Image: Rama (modified) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gladiator_with_sword-Louis_Ernest_Meissonnier-MG_1216-IMG_1223-white.jpg

CC BY-SA 3.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/fr/deed.en

[shamebats]

Time to reflect on how Bitcoin was invented all the way back in 2008 and despite everyone's efforts, no matter how desperately crypto bros tried to somehow justify its existence and how much investor money was thrown at them, it still has zero actual practical uses.

It sucks as a currency because it's so volatile, transaction fees are high, it's slow and hard to use. Every big, ambitious bitcoin/crypto project (and there were just so many) was pointless, bad, unpopular and failed spectacularly.

15 years later, nobody uses it for anything other than trading, and they're wasting enough electricity to fuel an entire country in the process, contributing nothing to anything in the real world. All it really does is waste ridiculous amounts of resources, financially ruin many of its investors, drive GPU prices into the sky for the rest of us and occasionally make a few lucky bastards very rich. Nothing but a net negative for society.

It's peak capitalist innovation. A true symbol of our era.

[cinnasaur]

hey, i've been Going Through A Lot and i really need help getting back on my feet.

there was a huge leak in the basement room i'm renting that took a while to get fixed, and a lot of my stuff got ruined and had to be thrown out in the process of cleaning out my place. the fridge and freezer also broke and mice got into the pantry so basically all my food had to be thrown away... it really sucks to have to start from zero for groceries when they're so expensive ):

i'll need to get a few things to help me settle back in, and now there are ants everywhere that i need to deal with because nobody else is. on top of all this, my landlord decided to raise my rent going forward x_x

i really wanted to start T as soon as i can, but it's not covered by my benefits so i'm kind of resigning myself to having to keep putting it off until i know how i'm going to afford it...

all this to say, i would immensely appreciate monetary help so i can recover from all this and take some kind of step towards more positive change in my own life ;;

i don't have a set goal, but anything would be such a huge help.

you're free to request a pokemon for me to draw if you send a ko-fi as always, but i'm pretty backed up on these since i haven't had a lot of time or energy to draw amidst everything going on.

i'll probably need to start a bigger fundraiser soon because i honestly need to get out of here as soon as possible (among other things, the landlord kind of just painted over the mould on the walls with regular paint after he fixed the leak...) but for now i just need to hang in there. i don't really have any kind of cushion to help in emergencies like this nor family able to help me financially right now.

reblogs would help a whole lot too. thank you so much for your patience and support, and take care

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from the Union of Concerned Scientists:

The U.S. oil and gas industry has sounded its mating call to the incoming Presidential administration with a policy wish list remarkable for its unabated pursuit of profits and defiance of climate science and economic trends. 

The American Petroleum Institute (API) released a “policy roadmap” addressed to President-elect Donald Trump on November 12 outlining five “actions” he can take to bolster their agenda. However, the “actions”—given euphemistic titles like “protect consumer choice”—actually aim to roll back science-based environmental protections in order to maximize already massive profits. The policy details within each action roughly correspond with recommendations in Project 2025, the infamous policy agenda penned in part by figures from the first Trump administration and supported by several anti-climate organizations.  

Here’s a breakdown of the roadmap’s requests along with an explanation of how they would roll back environmental progress. 

API’s anti-environment entreaties 

Fight clean cars. API’s first policy proposal is repealing rules designed to support the shift to electric vehicles that the oil and gas industry has fought for decades. API specifically targets Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rules to reduce carbon emissions from automobile tailpipes and fuel economy standards established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. API also targets an EPA waiver for a 2022 California rule that would reduce pollution from new gasoline-powered cars while increasing sales requirements for zero-emission vehicles.

Pump up gas. The second policy proposal is to reinstate permitting of liquified natural gas (LNG), also known as methane, a fossil fuel that is a potent source of global warming emissions. The Biden administration temporarily paused pending approvals for new LNG export authorizations in January 2024, citing the need to update the review process to best reflect impacts on climate, domestic energy prices, and health—especially as borne by frontline communities.

Reverse protections for public land and health. The third policy proposal focuses on federal lands that API believes should be opened up to drilling, both onshore and offshore. It recommends repealing a Bureau of Land Management rule that would put conservation on equal footing with drilling and ranching as a legal use of public lands, in addition to adding more leasing opportunities from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s offshore leasing program. But the most blatantly anti-climate demand in this area would repeal a Congressionally approved fee on every metric ton of methane that high-emitting oil and gas facilities produce above specific levels. The oil and gas industry is responsible for 30 percent of human-caused methane emissions.

Muzzle environmental reviews. The fourth policy proposal involves the federal permitting process, a perennial enemy of the fossil fuel industry. The statute in their crosshairs is the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA), which the industry has fought since it was signed into law by Republican President Richard Nixon in the 1970s. API and Project 2025 sing from the same sheet in their NEPA-related demands, which would curtail scientific and environmental reviews, limit public notice and comment, and block access to the courts. 

Preserve industry giveaways. API finishes off its wish list with requests to preserve fossil fuel industry tax breaks that cost taxpayers some $3 billion each year, regardless of how much they’re currently paying at the pump.