#hope this is enough for a START

[lesbianneopolitan]

I love your art and am curious, do you have something like a thesis statement on the Strawberry Shortcakes ship?

Like how Neo shifted from her original vengeance stance and or gravitated to Ruby post ascension and wat the relationship is like?

I don't have the mind to write a thesis rn, but now that you asked, lemme tell you about the basics LIKE, I got deep into this ship because I'm a RPer, and I wrote a development story with a Ruby and ended up here

It's all post V9, but once my Neo manages to go back to Remnant (with the purpose of trying to get to Cinder to try and take her away from Salem to show true freedom), my Neo is, well, lonely, like she literally has no one to go back to, or talk to, and the Ever After for her was already enough of a torture

So she's a little desperate for real human contact- she still remembers how Ruby looked at her with worry before Neo took her own life to reach a talk with the Tree, and later even the Blacksmith told Neo about how Ruby actually asked if she would be fine, showing some interest despite the fact Neo did such horrible things to her

So once in Vacuo, Neo decides to contact Ruby first, if only because she feels she would give her a second chance, at least to stay on neutral ground, so they meet up, and Neo tells Ruby about her plan, or why she came back

But, she's still lonely, Ruby becomes the only person she has reached out for in a long time, so she inevitably requests for them to hang out more often, and with Ruby actually treating Neo well and giving her a second chance, well, Neo's being treated well and like an equal again, instead of being discarded so easily like Cinder did (even if in this timeline, my Neo and Cinder previously had a complicated relationship lacking a confession of honest feelings), so Neo, inevitably, starts liking Ruby a bit too much

The fact Neo's still a complicated person because of PTSD and her own traumas is another story, but with Ruby also still suffering of PTSD as well, they end up helping each other

Neo left her revenge and hatred for Ruby behind in V9, so it's not a problem anymore, really, it's just really funny she didn't expect falling for the person she was so horrible with in the future

[mitchmotch]

been really into dandadan lately

[milkamel]

This one looked better as a messy incoherent sketch but I spent too much time on this not to post it (also trying to manifest these costumes lol) + experimenting with the art style a bit it's still wonky but I'm getting there

[caffichai]

Recently (finally) upgraded Cement to E2! She's got one of my favourite designs, and I've been having a blast with her!

Was inspired to draw her after being directed to @frostdemigod 's blog after raving about her. I am kneeling out of respect for that dedication

[Bluesky]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Maybe we never had a chance.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[reasonsforhope]

Federal regulators on Tuesday [April 23, 2024] enacted a nationwide ban on new noncompete agreements, which keep millions of Americans — from minimum-wage earners to CEOs — from switching jobs within their industries.

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday afternoon voted 3-to-2 to approve the new rule, which will ban noncompetes for all workers when the regulations take effect in 120 days [So, the ban starts in early September, 2024!]. For senior executives, existing noncompetes can remain in force. For all other employees, existing noncompetes are not enforceable.

[That's right: if you're currently under a noncompete agreement, it's completely invalid as of September 2024! You're free!!]

The antitrust and consumer protection agency heard from thousands of people who said they had been harmed by noncompetes, illustrating how the agreements are "robbing people of their economic liberty," FTC Chair Lina Khan said. 

The FTC commissioners voted along party lines, with its two Republicans arguing the agency lacked the jurisdiction to enact the rule and that such moves should be made in Congress...

Why it matters

The new rule could impact tens of millions of workers, said Heidi Shierholz, a labor economist and president of the Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank. 

"For nonunion workers, the only leverage they have is their ability to quit their job," Shierholz told CBS MoneyWatch. "Noncompetes don't just stop you from taking a job — they stop you from starting your own business."

Since proposing the new rule, the FTC has received more than 26,000 public comments on the regulations. The final rule adopted "would generally prevent most employers from using noncompete clauses," the FTC said in a statement.

The agency's action comes more than two years after President Biden directed the agency to "curtail the unfair use" of noncompetes, under which employees effectively sign away future work opportunities in their industry as a condition of keeping their current job. The president's executive order urged the FTC to target such labor restrictions and others that improperly constrain employees from seeking work.

"The freedom to change jobs is core to economic liberty and to a competitive, thriving economy," Khan said in a statement making the case for axing noncompetes. "Noncompetes block workers from freely switching jobs, depriving them of higher wages and better working conditions, and depriving businesses of a talent pool that they need to build and expand."

Real-life consequences

In laying out its rationale for banishing noncompetes from the labor landscape, the FTC offered real-life examples of how the agreements can hurt workers.

In one case, a single father earned about $11 an hour as a security guard for a Florida firm, but resigned a few weeks after taking the job when his child care fell through. Months later, he took a job as a security guard at a bank, making nearly $15 an hour. But the bank terminated his employment after receiving a letter from the man's prior employer stating he had signed a two-year noncompete.

In another example, a factory manager at a textile company saw his paycheck dry up after the 2008 financial crisis. A rival textile company offered him a better job and a big raise, but his noncompete blocked him from taking it, according to the FTC. A subsequent legal battle took three years, wiping out his savings. 

-via CBS Moneywatch, April 24, 2024

--

Note:

A lot of people think that noncompete agreements are only a white-collar issue, but they absolutely affect blue-collar workers too, as you can see from the security guard anecdote.

In fact, one in six food and service workers are bound by noncompete agreements. That's right - one in six food workers can't leave Burger King to work for Wendy's [hypothetical example], in the name of "trade secrets." (x, x, x)

Noncompete agreements also restrict workers in industries from tech and video games to neighborhood yoga studios. "The White House estimates that tens of millions of workers are subject to noncompete agreements, even in states like California where they're banned." (x, x, x)

The FTC estimates that the ban will lead to "the creation of 8,500 new businesses annually, an average annual pay increase of $524 for workers, lower health care costs, and as many as 29,000 more patents each year for the next decade." (x)

Clearer explanation of noncompete agreements below the cut.

Noncompete agreements can restrict workers from leaving for a better job or starting their own business.

Noncompetes often effectively coerce workers into staying in jobs they want to leave, and even force them to leave a profession or relocate.

Noncompetes can prevent workers from accepting higher-paying jobs, and even curtail the pay of workers not subject to them directly.

Of the more than 26,000 comments received by the FTC, more than 25,000 supported banning noncompetes. 

[analog-television]

the forecast calls for - an 100% chance of deltarune tomorrow !!!

higher res pic of the duo under cut

[starsonablackboard]

local creature gets 30 second of a Character, goes insane

[talisthighs]

I’m crying at the idea of Viktor just storming up to Jayce with his “visions.” Girl You Need Help. You Require Medical Attention

This is literally how Jayvik is talking to each other in the lab

[outer-andromeda]

... I made a thing. And it's angsty.

(TW - Short mention of death, implied transphobia/deadnaming)

Raph has a... very strained relationship with his dad. He holds a grudge against him for not having been present in his and his siblings' lives when they needed a father figure most.

I'm still figuring stuff out but I wanted his dad to be a sort of showman? So he's always been away, always prioritizing his work (and "fame") over the well-being of his own children. Raph admired him growing up, but as he grew up, he slowly started despising him. His anger towards him grew tenfold when he came out as trans and his dad rejected him completely, and he decided it was best for him to cut ties with him entirely the moment he moved out of their house.

So yeah. For Raph, seeing him show up suddenly at his uncle's doorstep, acting all worried and caring... it feels all too fake. He's ain't willing to forgive and forget.

[2129888]

@pkaykim i'm so happy i got to be your secret santa this year wow... your art is like a balm on my soul but also makes me crazy every time i see it cannot stress this enough big fan. anyways until i learn how to write fanfic please take this missing moment in comic form! class 2-4 i pray for you...

@oofurixmas thank you for all your hard work organizing this event! the dedication and love of oofuri fans is always so amazing to see!!

[arcane-gold]

it’s a tradition!!🎄

pls join me this year for another #ocmistletoe in which we all draw our ocs kissing. this year my rook rel is giving out kisses !!

[fuzzandfeathers]

I keep wobbling vaguely off-prompt with fem Blitz but I'm having fun 😌

[xxplastic-cubexx]

Hi!! Your Cherik is so good and gorgeous 🤩🤩 If you don't mind wanna try to draw some Fall of X Cherik please?

thank you so much !!

i have a couple of ideas relating to the fall of x period specifically since theres. A Lot i wanna play with, so i hope this lil thing may be a satisfactory start :]]

and the obligatory bonus:

[transgendz]

My roommate and I are financially unstable while he does through a long, complicated diagnosis process that started as we stopped being homeless. I just got a job, and it's going to pay well and allow us to get caught up and stable, but I don't get my check for a week and a half. We have rent due on the 1st, our storage bill due at the end of the month, and we are out of food.

Dm me for proof or details

I will do art for anyone who gives, just message me @theartistrans I also take commissions there.

Dm me for zelle

$creepiecrippl

V

PP

$0/$900

[swampybogg]