#however its an ongoing struggle that isn't recent

[schrijverr]

this fic is kicking my ass, but by god i will win!

[thriplerex]

A few unsolicited (positive) thoughts on cc!Grian

Any mention of Grian henceforth is implicitly cc!Grian, unless otherwise noted.

Please excuse my rambling.

So we've all been in this space a while with the G-man, one way or another.

We've seen more than one back of a build go unfinished, heard his characteristic squeals and screams that cause his microphone to peak, and had a Grian-ism stuck in our heads ("pluck my nose hair and send me to Alaska," anyone?)

It never ceases to amaze me how the fandom has leapt upon every little aspect of Grian's character and run with it, spinning stories of its own—some even based on storylines that never were!

However, avian and solar character associations aside, I'd like to discuss my appreciation for Charles Batchelor, or cc!Grian, if you will, and a few thoughts on his personality.

We need not spend too much time on his creativity. The snails? Civil war? Mumbo for Mayor? More often than not, if he didn't spawn a storyline, he'll catalyze any ongoing plot, no matter how small - taking it, committing to the bit, and running with it all the way to the big moon with his friends along for the ride.

As you might have observed, Grian is a fantastic leader. The Hermits did right when he was invited to join six years ago. While his animated and slightly eccentric demeanor may not be everyone's cup of tea to watch and enjoy, it is undoubtedly a fact that Hermitcraft, and I dare say the Minecraft fandom as a whole, would not be the same if he had not joined. He has this uncanny ability to always bring something fresh to the table when needed.

The man does an absurd amount of leadership-oriented work behind the scenes—recent examples like Wild Life, the live charity event, and the permits notwithstanding—but also his ability to bring everyone together. It comes out in the small groups, too—just look at GIGGS Pico Park and Phasmo (when he isn't messing around, that is).

Furthermore, whenever he gets the drive to do something, especially for others, he's proven reliable time and time again. (That said, while burnout has been a thing, of course, he never seems to let others down.) After all, Skizz affirmed his leadership skills - don't take it from me.

With G, he's spontaneous and gets his kick off making other people happy - his friends. That brings me to the next point: G is incredibly emotionally driven. He's quite a worrywart - but that's also a good thing, as it drives him to do his best. He gets his joy vicariously through his friends - if they're happy, he's happy.

Yet, he's frequently afraid that the next big project could blow up in their faces and be a total flop—again, this has a good side, as it encourages the absolute best final product he can muster. (He previously expressed that panic attacks and chronic anxiety have been things he has long struggled with.)

The Imp and Skizz podcast brought two examples to mind: Third Life and the Guess the Build series. These are two now-very-successful series, but the ones that he initially repeatedly expressed were experimental, to the point of virtual ad infinitum to the others. And yet, every member in the lineup since has brought something different and, crucially, constructive to the series. And while we have Skizz to thank for the idea of GtB, he credited G with the changes that made it the hit it is.

Grian's also a gregarious social butterfly, and his networking skills are something that seems to be overlooked. Especially frequently, we are inclined to associate his character with the friends and Hermits we see him play (specifically Minecraft) with more often than not: GIGGS, the Magic Mountain crew and their PET neighbors, Guess the Build, etc.

However, the magic happens with the people he doesn't necessarily play Minecraft with every week. Sure, he's best friends with Joel and Jimmy in real life, and they're seen together in the block game pretty frequently, but that's not true for everyone.

Take, for example, Oli Orionsound. When was the last time you saw him with Grian? Probably MCC or another variety game. They're IRL friends, and it's reasonable to overlook this relationship relative to those front and center in MC content. Still, it's something worth mentioning - after all, Oli was the one who brought the Trivia Bot's final music to life, and it's the little details he thought of that made that session's gimmick such a hit.

These contacts run deep - Jono, his build team, Wynncraft, the team behind the Wild Life data packs, and McMakistein; they've contributed so much to what Grian has been able to present to the world. I've barely scratched the surface, but what I'm trying to say here is that he's in a hell of a lot of social circles. Wife and cats notwithstanding, of course.

And yet, all things considered, he's quite the private man nowadays - with good reason. In respecting this, I also feel that the less we know, the better; ironically, it makes what is known all the more interesting. For instance, learning something quirky about him (like buying an entire box of cheap, out-of-production headphones he's used to) makes me go, "Of course he'd do that."

He's Grian, after all.

[unicornfairycat]

I wanna hear abt your Shinbaku ideas!!

(Also the way my ass is working on that wip post and I was thinking abt tagging you oops lmaoo)

Thank you 💛 strap yourself in, there's a few

(also that's so real haha I feel that, can't wait to see what wips you have ^^)

My shinbaku ideas wip is a doc i made back in 2022. It was my brainstorming doc for the ShinBaku Big Bang 2023. I remember not feeling anything well enough to start writing it until I settled on my Artist/Lit Student AU

(also, again, I think I was still stuck in a major writer's block during the time ahh)

However, there's some fun ideas that I am now coming back to.

Examples of what's in that particular wip

Radio Show hosts with quirks! 3.1 Radio Show as alternative Job, no U.A. → Katsuki loves to talk a lot and despite having gotten a strong quirk, his attitude robs him of the possibility of becoming a hero. He stops using his quirk and therefore doesn’t lose his hearing. To prove to people that despite having struggles with his hearing and attitude he'd be wildly popular, he goes into radio journalism and interns with the closest person to the heroes, Present Mic. → Hitoshi, who's been told he'd be a villain, wants to prove people wrong by not becoming a hero, but a radio show host with his quirk. It’s tough for him and moat shows do not wish to train him. He finds a willing host in Mic and once he's finished, he starts his own show. → Katsuki and Hitoshi miss one another during internship but after trying and failing with another radio show, Katsuki goes back to Mic's place where he meets Hitoshi. → their banter and chemistry is undeniable and Mic thinks Hitoshi lacks something by himself, deducing it must be a counterpart → they get their own radio show and hit it off, it’s about the next gen heroes

This one I actually did write recently, though I didn't stick to my previous idea too much.

It's called Mindblast's Next Gen Hero Show-

Another wip in that folder is about Ghosts haha and ofc something radio related, this time a podcast. I was obsessed with the idea of them talking with one another and other's listening lmao

Ghost Katsuki and Hitoshi meet in the afterlife. There's plenty of ghosts but not all get the chance to haunt the living. Hitoshi and Katsuki try their best and manage to get their ticket back to earth to haunt humans.

And what better way than to do so by haunting their school with a podcast "What it’s like being dead"

I am still very much interested in writing a Ghost Au. As you can see I did not fully think this idea through yet but it might be written at some point since I've returned to my ShinBaku Ideas Doc this year

Next Idea in that doc that's also its own wip on my tag game:

When life gives you lemons (Canon Divergence) → Hitoshi struggles with adjusting to the hero course → Katsuki finds him after another training session "gone wrong" exhausted, sweaty but not ready to take a break. Hitoshi hits a punching bag until his knuckles get sore. → Katsuki corrects Hitoshi's form, commenting on the fact that whatever crawled up Hitoshi's ass, wasn’t the bag's fault. → they begin talking and Hitoshi opens up about feeling lost etc. → Katsuki takes Hitoshi under his wing and class A notices - Izuku's particularly happy about this, seeing Katsuki care about someone who isn't himself and seeing him support Hitoshi, especially after he first told him to scram back in 1st yr

I am currently writing this one aaaaah... First chapter is here 👀

I was so inspired ofc i'm, again, not sticking entirely to these bullet points but it's ongoing

(and, in case you're interested Lio, in need of a beta 👀 I just didn't want to dump too much on you, since you're already reading over my rarepair fics 💛)

Last Idea was an Actor AU, I personally didn't fully feel. Still not sure I'll ever write it haha

I think the whole Bnha Actor Zine going around way back when inspired me for this au lol

Actor AU → Katsuki and Hitoshi used to be childhood friends but lost track of one another → Hitoshi is cast for Shinsou and once Katsuki meets him again, they hit it off again → both sad their characters don’t interact much; after Katsuki comments on the fact him and Hitoshi know each other from childhood, the two of them get put in interviews together more often; especially once Hitoshi gets a bigger role in later seasons

Also sorry not sorry for shamelessly promoting my fics

WIP Ask Game

[cat-in-a-box13]

Witherburn After School News: The Story So Far

CW: Discussions of death, murder, abduction, and monsters

So, I did not expect to be making this review so soon. I started Witherburn minutes after posting my last podcast review, and then proceeded to listen to all 26 episodes in under 24 hours. From beginning to end, I was hooked, and I'm already counting down the days until June, which is the tentative release date for season 2. Witherburn After School News follows the anonymous Reporter, a teenage girl hosting her own radio show ever since her high school started confiscating her physical paper. One thing I loved about this show is that it is definitely a slow burn mystery. We learn in the first episode that three teenagers have gone missing in recent months, but the Reporter isn't on some quest to find these teenagers. We get to watch over the course of the show as the mystery slowly deepens and the Reporter becomes more and more embroiled in the case.

I also loved how this podcast gave us smaller mysteries to figure out as we inched ever closer to the big reveal. For example, who is the Reporter, and who is her Birdie? Who is the mysterious graffiti artist? And is there any truth to the monsters Mr. Pickler keeps seeing? With a wide cast of side characters, this show never truly loses sight of its roots. Even as the wider mystery unfolds, the Reporter still takes the time to report on many of the smaller ongoings of the town, because that's what her show was designed to do, and she genuinely likes doing it. After seeing several shows slowly abandon their original premises in pursuit of the bigger picture, I thought this was really interesting and something I really liked. There was only one episode besides the finale that I think focused entirely on the missing persons case and didn't include anything else.

Spoiler-free conclusion: Witherburn After School News is an amazing slow burn mystery that relies more heavily on the plot than its characters, although I can definitely see that changing in season 2 as a result of the events of the season 1 finale. However, its plot was just the right amount of complicated, and I'm very interested to see where they take this. The characters are sweet, and the Reporter's reactions to the unfolding tragedy feel incredibly real and true to what a real small-town teenager would be feeling. The Reporter's struggles with being way out of her depth are very heartfelt, which makes the finale all the more impactful. This podcast also isn't afraid to show the Reporter being in the wrong sometimes, and does a very good job of making her feel like a real teenage girl. It also has a lot of really good things to say about the misuse of power and authority, as well as an underlying message of community that speaks to anyone that grew up in a small town. Overall, Witherburn After School News is an intriguing mystery with a lot of heart, and I can't wait to see where it goes next.

More spoiler-y discussion below:

I figured out the Reporter's identity by episode 6 or 7, but I really enjoyed putting the pieces together on all of the smaller mysteries in addition to that one. I'm eagerly awaiting the reveal as to who stole Mrs. Newberry's cookie recipe! One thing that I wish we were able to see more of was the relationship between Alice and Robin, but the fact that this was an anonymous radio show definitely hindered the team's ability to show any more interactions between the two. However, with the reveal of Alice's identity to the community as a result of the final episode, I'm very interested to see how they deal with this in season 2.

The team behind the podcast does an amazing job of giving Alice a real, believable voice, and they aren't afraid to show her being wrong either. Her interactions with Dyce and Mr. Pickler made for some of my favorite episodes because they help to establish Alice as a real person with her own personal biases and flaws. For a show that isn't particularly character-focused, they still do a really good job of establishing everyone as believable characters, which makes it all the more gut-wrenching when things go wrong. Listening to Alice sob over the missing kids, especially her friend Chloe, hurt because of how real she and her feelings felt. The same goes for when she talked about being way in over her head. She's just a scared kid, but she's determined and she loves Robin, and those two things enable her to save the day, even while fully expecting to die in the process. I really like Alice, and I'm so excited to see where she goes next.

I'm also excited to see how they plan to handle the introduction of the supernatural into the show. I mean, Alice has been doing her monster of the week segments throughout season one, but after her encounter with Death, she now knows there may be some truth to the legends. Not to mention the fact that Mr. Clark's death at the end of the finale opens the door to Death possibly gaining a physical form and gaining the ability to wreak havoc on Witherburn. The majority of this show has been firmly rooted in reality, so I'm interested to see how Alice, and the town as a whole, takes this reveal.

I'll be counting down the days until season 2!

Overall Rating: 9/10

[detached-emotions]

02:30 08/28/23

Tonight, my mother and I truly connected during a conversation about space, which was a departure from her usual religious perspective. Recently, she's become more open-minded. After watching a podcast interview featuring a woman who had been to space, she became captivated by the story and displayed genuine curiosity about the subject. As a child, I often tried sharing space facts with her, but my efforts were always brushed aside. Throughout my childhood, she ensured I had food on the table, even during tough times, but unfortunately, she never sought to understand me. What I craved most from her was her time and attention.

The fact that she's now showing interest in my past passions brings mixed feelings. My mother remarked on how mind-blowing it must be to experience space firsthand, leading us into a discussion about its logistics. I informed her that only a small percentage of the universe has been explored, which surprised her. This led her to share her thoughts on the potential afterlife, a departure from the beliefs she might have adhered to in her religious bubble. It's possible that her inclination to talk stems from my grandmother's illness, making her yearn for deeper connections, just as I do.

In contemplating the afterlife, she mused about its nature. I hinted at my own theories but hesitated to share them fully, not wanting to overwhelm her. I hold the belief that the mysterious dark matter in the universe serves as a barrier preventing us from going beyond a certain point. Furthermore, I believe that if we were to breach this barrier, we'd discover that the entire universe constitutes a single entity—an entity of energy, devoid of a perceivable physical form. Yet, it is sensed through infinite versions of itself, simulated within every individual on Earth. This concept explains phenomena like déjà vu, astral projection, ghosts, astrology, parallel universes, and even maladaptive daydreams. This is precisely why I chose to tread lightly with this explanation.

Simultaneously, I was cautious not to arouse suspicion, especially because I had relapsed into substance abuse. Regrettably, addiction has been my coping mechanism due to the trauma I experienced during my early years. A second addiction took hold at the end of 2020, a response to the dehumanizing environment I faced in my retail job. My previous supplier supported me until her arrest in March of 2021. I managed a period of sobriety until connecting with a new source on 4/20/2021. However, this pattern persisted until 7/08/2022, when my stash was discovered by my mother. While our trust wavered, we reconciled after I promised to confide in her if my depression reached the levels of last December. Unfortunately, I failed to uphold that promise, succumbing to a relapse on April 4th.

It's likely that my mother suspects my ongoing struggle, but given the myriad challenges we're currently facing, she might be letting go to some extent. I can't fault her for that, especially since I've been far from an honest and responsible daughter. Fortunately, I've managed to maintain employment, defying the stereotype of a lazy addict.

My lack of fear for the repercussions stems from the fact that my brain chemistry has undergone irreversible changes due to substance use. I've come to terms with this, as I don't anticipate surviving my twenties. My perspective isn't born out of melodramatics but rather a response to the grim state of the world. The current environmental crisis and the economic struggles leave me living paycheck to paycheck. Without my mother's support and that of her friend, I'd be homeless. Adulthood has proven to be a challenge, and my struggles are compounded by my C-PTSD and the early signs of schizophrenia that are emerging within my fragile mind.

Interestingly, at my workplace, I'm perceived as a well-behaved and somewhat aloof individual. Little do they know... Sometimes, I catch myself staring at my reflection, practicing various facial expressions as a means of disassociation. I prepare my "mugshot" expression, acknowledging the possibility that I might need it for a photo opportunity in the future.

LISTENING TO: 🎶“You’re going to reap just what you sow” 🎶 Perfect Day (Lou Reed song)

I'd like to share this picture with you. I've HEAVILY edited it, but the original artwork was created on a brick wall that had been scratched and colored with chalk on Friday. The creator remains anonymous; I stumbled upon this piece on the side of a building in a shady part of town while I was running errands.

[wiltkingart]

Hi, Wilt! I hope this isn't a strange message, but I wanted to give you a heartfelt thanks for sharing your work with the world. While I'm not trans, I firmly believe that your work has helped me grow as an artist, and that deserves all the thanks I can give. There's such a beautifully crafted feeling to all of your work, but especially your most recent paintings - the tenderness and delicacy with which you construct your forms and compositions…the way you push colors and shapes…

I’m certain I’ve lost hours at a time just to staring at the works in your archive. I won’t go on, lest it start to sound like I’m writing your art a love letter, but I can say that you’ve helped me to more concretely identify many things I want to strive for in my own work. I’ll follow your creative pursuits for as long as I’m able, and I hope that making art, in some form or another, will always bring you peace and joy.

hi. i kept this message in my inbox for a few days so that i could keep it in the back of my mind and rotate it like a sparkly marble. to be honest lately my mental health has been affecting my ability to draw, which has been especially rough because art has always been sort of my lifeline through thick and thin. this is one of the reasons why i haven't been posting or drawing as much for the past few months. i love the pieces i've been able to put out on my good days, but yeah. it's been an ongoing struggle.

this message, however, helped me remember to worry less about how little i'm drawing and to just create things that make me happy - even if it's just a sketch, a scribble, a silly fanfic, or something i don't finish or polish. so for the past few days i've been working on more fanart for yet an obscure book series that only 5 other people on planet earth have read, and its been nice. it's slow going but it feels good, and i'm going to hold onto that. i'm going to keep making art because it's what i love to do. so thank you for the kind message. for taking the time to send it. it means more to me than you know.

may art be a patient companion to you as well, for however long you want it to be. <3

[todayisyourturntolose]

speedran tf outta this sooo here's the enby p1 fic

erm tw for maybe some in depth talk of body dysmorphia. rlly half of this is just my own thoughts abt myself just given to p1

also this isn't rlly proofread bcuz its 2 am rn and im tired af so if you seen any spelling errors. no u don't

also @strawbrygashez haaaai methinks you should read this

[platonic p1/p4 fic abt p1 coming out as nb bcuz im nb and i make the rules. sorrrry]

P1 couldn't stand to look at himself in the mirror. Especially when unclothed.

He couldn't stand seeing his thin figure, or the countless scars that littered his body. It seemed like no part of him was safe from some sort of cut or bruise.

What he hated the most, however, were the two flesh mounds on his chest. And even though they weren't large or easy to see from afar when he didn't wear a binder, just the mere thought of them was enough to make him almost gag.

All of this dysphoria didn't go well with his ongoing gender issues, either.

Did he feel like a woman? Hell no. ..Well, maybe sometimes? Being a bit feminine was nice, but he didn't do it very often. Did he feel like a man? ...Maybe? It was what he chose to identify as for almost his entire life, but now he was really doubting if he still felt like one.

At the same time, though, he didn't feel like he was either gender. He felt almost as if he was simply a body, one with no gender given to it.

This internal struggle ate away at him for what seemed like forever, and was made even worse by his already horrible mental health.

Despite all of this, he was finally able to come to a conclusion on how he felt.

He was neither. Not a man, not a woman, and, honestly, nothing in between. In his own eyes, he was simply just a person, someone who didn't feel like they were a specific gender.

Now, with all of that finally figured out.., how would he tell everyone else? On one hand, most of the Dudes were all very supportive of one another, and those who weren't entirely supportive still understood to an extent.

On the other hand, the idea of the others not understanding and even making fun of him for his identity still lingered in the back of his mind. There was a very slim possibility of it happening, but he still feared that it could occur.

The thought had worried him so much that he had avoided speaking to any of the other Dudes for almost an entire week. He only ever saw them if he went downstairs, and even then, he would try to avoid making eye contact with any other Dude.

But before the week had ended, he realized that he couldn't keep his feelings to himself forever. (even if that's what he usually did)

After a bit of narrowing down his options, he decided that there was only one person he could tell without feeling entirely ashamed of himself.

It was P4.

He had a greater bond with P1 than any other Dude, and the two would frequently speak to each other in private quite frequently. Despite P4's age, he understood exactly how P1 felt, and had a solution to nearly all of P1's problems.

So, after giving it some thought, he mustered up the courage to ask P4 to talk privately. He passed the older man in the hall and tapped his shoulder, simply signing, "Can we talk?"

It took P4 a quick second to process the question, given his understanding of ASL was still a bit low, but he nodded and responded with "Sure, whenever you're ready to."

P1 signed "Now, please", and P4 nodded once again, following the other man to his room.

P1 locked the door behind them once they were both in his room. P4 sat down and put his back to the wall, while P1 chose to stand at the door.

"So, what're we here to talk about?" P4 said after a bit of silence.

Almost instantly, P1 could feel his chest tighten. His heart seemed to skip a beat once he realized that he was about to vomit his bottled up feelings to another person.

He began to wring his hands, looking at the ground.

"I'm not too sure how to phrase this, but..."

"I've been doing some.. thinking recently.. about myself and how I feel, and.."

He slowly raised his head up, looking at P4.

"If I tell you this, you won't freak out and get mad about it, right?"

P4 frowned. "Hey, I'd never get mad at you for anything. Whatever it is, I'm sure I can at least understand a little bit."

P1 sighed, a bit relieved at his response.

"..So, I've been thinking about who I am for a while now, specifically about my..gender..and.." He went silent, looking back down and beginning to pick at the skin on his face.

"Hey, if you don't want to continue talking, it's totally fine. We can stop right now if you're not comfortable."

P1 shook his head. "No..no, it's fine. I'm just..trying to figure out how I should say this.."

He took a deep breath, eyes still looking at the ground.

"I not..a man. I not a woman, either. I don't have a specific gender, I guess. Really, I'm just a person, if that makes sense. I don't like the way my body looks, and I don't like being perceived as a gender just because of it."

The room was silent for an uncomfortable amount of time, which made P1 worry even more.

"It's alright if you don't accept me, I just thought I could get it off of my chest without being judged and-"

He stopped once he saw P4 stand up and walk over to him, thinking he was about to get walked out on.

Instead, P4 simply wrapped the other man in his arms, pulling him into a hug.

P1 tensed up, hands at his side. His mouth hung agape, and his eyes widened.

"I understand. I understand completely. I'm not going to hate you just because of how you feel. Hell, I never have hated you, and I never will. Whatever it is that you identify as, I'll support you, no matter what."

And here comes the waterworks.

P1 felt a tear drop, and didn't bother to stop it. He sobbed into the older man's shoulder,and his hands made their way there as well. P4 patted his back as P1 uttered several "thank you"s.

After a good minute or so, P1 moved his head away from P4's shoulder, wiping his face with his own sleeve.

"Fuck, I must look horrible right now." He finally said, giving the other man a slight smile.

P4 pulled away, ruffling P1's hair and smiling back at him. "Not at all."

They stood in silence for a few seconds, neither person not really knowing what to say.

"So, uh, what do I call you now? Is Dude still alright?" P4 said.

P1's smile widened slightly. "Yeah, Dude is still alright. But, I'd prefer if you used 'they' instead of 'he' when you talk about me, if that's ok."

"Got it. So, you want me to tell the others? I don't want this to just be between us, and have them talk about you incorrectly." P4 walked past P1, putting his hand on the door knob.

P1 walked over to him. "Yeah, I think now is a good time to. I'll just stay in here while you do it."

P4 turned the knob, but stopped when P1 suddenly pulled him in for another hug.

"Sorry, I'm just...glad that you support me.."

He pulled away, and P4 grinned. "No need to apologize! It's common decency, really."

"Let's just hope these assholes can understand.." P4 muttered as he opened the door and walked out.

P1 closed the door, sighing in relief.

Being understood felt nice.

[nourattorneys]

Why Should You Avoid Free Legal Services Providing Firms In Dubai?

The most important project for any profit-making enterprise this 12 months, together with any exercise of regulation, is undoubtedly getting returned, heading in the right direction with the aid of being capable of winning and serving clients profitably again. However, constantly transferring ceremonial dinners of demanding situations dealing with regulation corporations every 12 months gives some extra unique, challenging problems.

1. Cybercrime

We have pooled some of our Legal Services In Dubai specialists in the Access Legal group. As a collective, we trust dealing with the present-day regulation company nowadays gives the following new demanding situations, in addition to many recent perspectives. This weblog seeks to mirror every and what the generation panorama can do to help.

2. Fee earner burnout

Most sectors are well known that their humans are their most significant asset. However, this declaration might be even more extensive for a regulation company. Law corporations are promoting legal information in phrases of charge earner time.

3. Lawyer competency

So you`ve constructed your dependable and gifted personnel, and you're doing all you may to appear after their mental protection and average well-being within the legal workplace. So how does the regulation company manipulate the competency of its humans in 2022 and past?

The ongoing education of a group of workers, in addition to the on boarding and education of a recent group of workers, is now below the spotlight. As a result of home-working, the regulation company's conventional strategies of ups-killing new and current humans have modified past recognition, giving some hard-to-crack demanding situations. This has substantially impacted our junior lawyers' possibility to shadow and research their more excellent senior colleagues, which became something taken as a right within-side the pre-pandemic days. Onscreen conversations are scheduled. The threat assembly with a colleague on the steps or using the espresso gadget has gone. There is a much less spontaneous interplay among co-workers.

4. Thriving as a hybrid-operating regulation company

Although we're all struggling with pandemic fatigue, having had visible sufficient Covid-associated articles to ultimate us a lifetime, there may be no escaping the demanding situations that home-working brings to regulation companies. As we rework to the surprising global of hybrid operating, the want for bendy operating represents an epic alternate for conventional office-primarily based sectors, and the operating panorama has altered past recognition forever. There isn't any doubt it's going to stay the situation of evaluation and debate for the long term yet.

Conclusion:

So whether or not you and your colleagues view the 4 factors highlighted on this weblog for regulation companies as ten demanding situations to conquer or possibilities to get beforehand of the competition, it's miles clean that the progressive use of tech will assist the career pass a protracted manner to fixing maximum of them. Having a dependent software program dealer with a big and informed crew that works collectively on regulation company tech daily will genuinely assist flow matters ahead quicker for the legal career.

Nour Attorneys can help you out with all your business related issues. We are the most famous Business Setup Consultants in Dubai. We've helped thousands of businesses to firmly setup their brand in Dubai. Get expert business setup services in Dubai today!

[kayla1993-world]

These Canadian industries are currently facing the biggest labour shortages

TORONTO -- The economic effects from the COVID-19 pandemic are squeezing businesses struggling to find workers as ongoing labour shortages continue to stall certain sectors. Businesses both big and small say they are struggling to find staff and employers have been offering more incentives to attract workers such as higher wages, bonuses, and flexible hours.

However, for those industries trying to recoup losses after months of lockdown, Jasmin Guenette of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business says perks may not be an option. "Only 40 per cent of small businesses are making normal sales at the moment. So increasing wage is not something that is possible for many businesses," Guenette previously told CTV News.

New research published last week from the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) reports that 60 percent of Canadian businesses say labour shortages are limiting their growth. According to Statistics Canada, there were 731,900 job vacancies in the second quarter of 2021. StatCan said these vacancies can be seen across all provinces, with the largest increases in Quebec, Ontario and B.C.

Overall, Deloitte Canada says that 30.3 percent of Canadian businesses are reporting labour shortages. Trevin Stratton, an economic advisory leader and partner at Deloitte Canada, told CTVNews.ca the sectors that have been able to shift to a work-from-home model, such as finance, insurance and real estate, have seen "substantial job growth" throughout the pandemic.

"On the other hand, hard-hit sectors that rely on physical presence, like accommodation and food services, transportation and recreation and tourism, still have a way to go before being fully recovered from the pandemic," Stratton said in an email on Tuesday.

Stratton explained that the relaxation of public health measures in recent months has allowed these sectors to increase their employment substantially, but further gains could be "limited by the unavailability of labour."

As one of the sectors hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, Deloitte Canada predicts that the labour shortages facing the hospitality and foodservice industry won't be over soon. "We expect employment in accommodation and food services and information, culture and recreation to continue to experience substantial growth in 2022 but to remain below pre-pandemic levels for some time," Stratton said.

According to data from Statistics Canada, the number of job vacancies in hospitality and food services increased by 11,600 from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021, reaching an all-time high of 89,100.

StatCan says this increase was "entirely" in the food services and drinking places subsector. The agency added that food counter attendants, kitchen helpers and related support occupations had the second largest increase in vacancies of any occupation over the two years in Canada.

The general manger of Italian restaurant Romeo's in Victoria, B.C. says there is less incentive for Canadians to go back to waiting tables full-time when they can collect pandemic benefit instead. "They say they can only work so many hours because they know if they pass a threshold of hours, they can't collect subsidies on the back end," Christopher Mavrikos told CTV News in September.

However, the BDC report suggests the phase out of the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and other programs like it won't fix the labour problem. While some sectors have lost thousands of jobs during the pandemic, BDC's chief economist Pierre Cleroux says the pandemic didn't create Canada's labour shortage -- it just made an existing problem worse. He said the key problem is demographics.

"Today, 16 per cent of Canadians are over 65. In the next five years, many Canadians are going to retire," Cleroux said. "And not a lot of young people are entering the job market." While the pandemic has increased demand are entering services, many nurses report having left the profession after the stress of COVID-19 made their jobs more difficult and less safe, creating a shortage of health-care workers in certain regions and even forcing rural areas to temporarily close hospital units.

According to Statistics Canada, health care and social assistance currently have the largest need for labour of any sector in the country. StatCan says job vacancies in this sector increased by 40,800 from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021. The agency said the sector currently represents one in seven job vacancies in Canada.

Job vacancies for registered nurses and registered psychiatric nurses had the largest increase of all health-care occupations since 2019, according to StatCan. The agency notes that nearly half of vacancies for this occupation have been open for 90 days or more.

While there aren't yet firm numbers, there are reports that the pandemic has increased burnout among highly-trained nurses, causing them to leave the profession at an alarming rate. Others have chosen to retire early due to stress.

Health advocates say keeping the skilled nurses with better staffing and more mental health supports could help address the problem, as well as putting an end to wage cuts and caps in the profession with campaigns underway in Ontario and Alberta against efforts to limit wage increases in the public sector.

Statistics Canada reported a record number of job vacancies in the manufacturing sector last month. The agency says there were 65,900 manufacturing job vacancies in the second quarter of 2021, the highest number of vacancies for the sector since 2015. The increase was spread across several subsectors, with the largest gains in food manufacturing, such as meatpacking, and wood product manufacturing, according to StatCan.

The Canadian Meat Council -- which represents Canada's federally-registered meat packers and processing plants -- reported in September that there are more than 4,000 empty butcher stations at meat production facilities countrywide, working out to an average job vacancy rate of more than 10 per cent.

Canadian meat packers say the shortage is in part due to the rules governing how many temporary foreign workers meat processing employers can employ at any one time and are lobbying the federal government to increase the current cap of 10 to 20 per cent, depending on the facility, to 30 per cent.

The construction industry has also reported a record number of job vacancies, especially in masonry, painting and electrical work. According to StatCan, vacancies in construction increased to 62,600 in the second quarter of 2021, the highest number since 2015. Carpenters, construction trade helpers and labourers also accounted for a large portion of the rise in job vacancies, the agency said.

Job vacancies in retail alternate improved to 84,300 in the second quarter of 2021, according to StatCan, with the largest gains in food and beverage stores, building material supply dealers and garden equipment shops.

By occupation, the agency said retail salespersons, store shelf stockers, clerks and order filers were among the top 10 occupations with the largest increase in vacancies from the second quarter of 2019 to the second quarter of 2021.

With ‘help wanted’ signs in many storefronts across the country, Charles Kay, owner of Montreal furniture store Prunelle, says the responsibility falls to the employer. "Some employers are getting a little bit burnt out because there just isn't… enough hand to get the job done," he told CTV News.

Trucking HR Canada, a national, non-profit organization working to address workforce issues in the trucking and logistics sector, reports that there was an average of 18,000 truck driver vacancies in the second quarter of 2021.

According to its latest report, the trucking industry had a vacancy rate of five per cent at the end of 2020. In comparison, the vacancy rate across all occupations in Canada was 2.7 per cent. The organization says the impacts of COVID-19, lack of foreign workers and poor working conditions have contributed to the increase in job vacancies. As well, Trucking HR Canada says these factors have contributed to and increase in older truckers retiring with not enough new drivers to replace them.

Trucking HR Canada noted that the trucker shortage will continue to put "pressure and stress on Canada’s economic recovery" if not quickly addressed. "Trucking and logistics supports key economic sectors from retail/wholesale trade to construction, agriculture, forestry and mining, and more," the organization wrote in its report. "One fact remains: the longer it takes to better address driver shortages – the longer it will take for full economic recovery."

[aryvart-crm-blog]

3 Stocks That Could Soar More Than Salesforce

With its stock price up 150% over the past five years, salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM)  is a hard act to follow. Finding a stock, let alone three, with the potential to outperform it is no easy feat. But that's what we charged three of our investors with, and they've chosen  Microsoft(NASDAQ: MSFT) , United Rentals (NYSE: URI) , and The Chefs' Warehouse (NASDAQ: CHEF) as likely candidates to leave salesforce.com behind in the years ahead.

 Up, up, and away

Tim Brugger (Microsoft): It sounded great when CEO Satya Nadella announced Microsoft's new "cloud-first, mobile-first" initiative nearly three and a half years ago. But as in all such endeavors, what matters is the ability to fulfill the vision -- and Microsoft is certainly delivering.

At an annual run rate of over $18.9 billion, Microsoft may well be the leading cloud provider in the world. Not only does the cloud represent tremendous upside, but, as Nadella planned , it is driving jaw-dropping sales of the technology giant's numerous software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings. Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform, enjoyed a 97% jump in revenue last quarter -- and that may not be the most impressive aspect of the company's performance in the period.

Productivity and business-process revenue climbed 21% to $8.4 billion and continues to make up a larger portion of Microsoft's total sales, which rose 13% to $23.3 billion last quarter. Dynamics 365 CRM, delivered via the cloud, jumped 74%, and the much-maligned Bing search was up 10% year over year.

At 2.15%, Microsoft's dividend yield is certainly not the highest in the market, but it certainly beats salesforce.com's zero. And with so many growth drivers at its fingertips, let alone directly competing with its sometime partner, sometime rival in CRM via its burgeoning Dynamics line of software, Microsoft is staring at an awfully bright future.

With a return of "just" 137% over the past five years, Microsoft hasn't quite matched Salesforce. But with continued growth in the cloud, Internet of Things, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence, to name but a few areas the tech giant has entered, Microsoft will likely catch and eventually outperform Salesforce over the next five years.

This stock's growth potential is hard to ignore

Neha Chamaria (United Rentals): United Rentals shares absolutely crushed the market last year, and it isn't hard to see why -- President Donald Trump's campaign promises of rebuilding America's infrastructure were enough to fuel the hopes of investors in the construction-equipment rental company. The stock is, however, struggling to maintain momentum, having lost nearly 14% of its value in the past six months. But if United Rentals' recent bumper quarterly numbers are anything to go by, there's every chance the stock could whip up solid returns going forward.

Last month, United Rentals reported 8.5% higher earnings per share for its second quarter, backed by a 13.5% year-over-year jump in rental revenue. Encouraged by strong ongoing demand for equipment, management upgraded full-year revenue guidance to $6.25 billion-$6.4 billion, representing nearly 10% upside at the midpoint from last year's revenue level. Furthermore, management expects to generate strong free cash flow, to the tune of $825 million-$925 million, this year.

Between its strong operational standing and a potential uptick in infrastructure spending in the U.S. in the wake of Trump's signing an executive order to expedite infrastructure-project approvals, United Rentals' stock appears to have solid upside potential. More so because at a trailing P/E of 16, United Rentals is trading at a significant discount to its five-year metric, as well as the industry average. For long-term investors, this could prove a great entry point even as the leader in the equipment rental space positions itself to ride an upturn in the construction markets.

Cooking up a growth opportunity

Rich Duprey (The Chefs' Warehouse): Restaurants are feeling the heat from declining customer traffic as price deflation at the grocery store makes eating in more economical than dining out.Amazon.com 's acquisition of Whole Foods Market will only add to the pressure, but one company that seems to be able to withstand the heat of the kitchen is The Chefs' Warehouse, a specialty-food supplier to independent restaurants, fine dining establishments, hotels, culinary schools, and the like.

If anything is going to allow restaurants to stand out, it will be distinctive and unique center-of-the-plate specialties that will get a diner's notice, and The Chefs' Warehouse, which provides just such fare, is finding its offerings catching on.

In the company's second-quarter earnings report this month, revenue growth accelerated to 14%, reversing a year-ago loss. The fine-foods distributor posted a $3.7 million profit, while enjoying 10% organic sales growth. It's still struggling to keep expenses in check, so margins weakened a little in the quarter, but the company predicts the investments it's made in its infrastructure will eventually rein expenses in.

The Chefs' Warehouse sees opportunities to expand into chain restaurants, too. That's quite possible as the struggles they're facing now could be ameliorated to a certain extent with hard-to-find dishes the distributor could provide. The Chefs' Warehouse has also been in the direct-to-consumer market since a 2013 acquisition, and doesn't seem fazed by the possibility of Amazon entering the meal kit delivery market, especially after the Whole Foods purchase. Since The Chefs' Warehouse offers high-end dishes, it's probably right in thinking that the threat is minimal.

A highly competitive restaurant market would probably benefit the specialty distributor, so The Chefs' Warehouse could cook up some impressive growth numbers in the future.

10 stocks we like better than Microsoft  When investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor , has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Microsoft wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.