#12 hr shift here we go

[katanaski-main]

I’m so so sad and it’s time to go to work

[spots-lights]

What are the Star Trek work shifts?

Yeah, i know, the real hard hitting questions!!! I've been thinking about this a lot because I've worked places with 8hr, 12hr and 16hr shifts. They all have their benefits and uh lots of drawbacks.

I think in an ideal situation it would be 3 x 8hr shifts. TNG runs this, they tell us that they regularly run 3 shifts when Jellico becomes captain of the Enterprise and he adds a 4th shift, Delta shift. Everyone loves a nice tidy 8hr shift, plenty of time for leisure and sleep, BUT you need a massive crew. If you have 100 positions over a 24 hr period you'd need 300 crewmen.

I remembered that information specifically because LWD already had a Delta shift. This would imply to me that the Cerritos is running a 4 x 12 hr shifts, with a shift change every 6 hours. BUT we see Beta shift and Delta shift interacting quite often, and there are some rare instances where they do work together. It makes me laugh a little, I think the people who wrote the show haven't worked shifts like these. If they were running 4 shifts A B G D, they would not work together aside from mandatory 16hr overtime, but would also have no overlapping free time. Inversely, if the shifts were A B D G the crew of B and D would have overlapping time off during A shift, but would also be working 1/2 their shift together. I think in a narrative sense, 3 shifts fits better with what we see in the show. But with 4 shifts we can fudge it a little and say "days off"/"breaktime"/"everyone's late all the time" NO you cannot convince me that they're only working 6 hr shifts. To fill 100 positions in a 6hr shift you'd need 100 people each shift (400 crewmen) vs 50 for each 12hr shift (200 crewmen).

I wouldn't be surprised if VOY and occasionally ENT + DS9 are running 3 x 16hr shifts. Voyager for obvious reasons. Over a 24 hr period to fill 100 positions you'd only need 150 people.

Shifts for DS9 are a bit more speculative. On Memory Alpha they say that the station goes from a 3 shift schedule to a 4 shift schedule to be more flexible and allow the crew to rest. This would imply that they go from 16 -> 12 or 8 -> 6. With how many emergencies the station has, I just don't think they're regularly running 8 hr shifts, especially not the senior staff. Do you see how many Raktajinos they're drinking at all hours of the day? People on a healthy sleeping schedule don't do that!!!

And finally I know some people might think "This is a utopia! There's no way they'd be working 12/16 hours!!!!" I have been at several extremely remote work/board jobs (Alaskan seafood processor) and the longer shifts aren't that nasty when you cut out all the extra things you have to do on daily basis. 4 hrs (or less) of free time a day seems brutal, but when most things are only a 2-5 min walk away and groceries/cooking/laundry are done for you, there's plenty of leisure time, especially when you throw in a day off every now and then.

Now that we have the sifts broken down, here's some other questions:

WHO mans the bridge while the Captain/main cast is sleeping??

DO they ever dim those lights???

Does the ship just stay in one spot all night while everyone is getting their ZZZs?

(Also big shout out to the people who wrote the Mem Alpha Duty shift page for being more crazy about this than I am)

[trishxtrix]

The Bench Across the Street

AO3

Part 1 | Previous | Part 7 | Next |

Summary: What if Abby is hurting and forcing Frank to take benzos to “control” his ADHD?

What if few hours after the argument, Frank is brought to the ED on a brink of an overdose and some unexplainable injuries.

TW: Abuse, Overdose, Suicide Attempt

Tags: Dark!Abby | Frank whump | Frank-centric | Miscommunication | Abusive!Abby | abusive relationships | threats of violence | implied/reference child endangerment | is this considered AU? | spousal abuse | men can be victims of abuse too

——————————————————————————————————

Frank

I woke up stiff. The couch, warm where I’d been curled up, pale morning light stretching across Mia’s living room floor like it was trying not to wake anyone. The TV was off. The blanket Mia had tossed my way last night was still tangled around my legs. I haven’t moved much—just folded into the warmth and quiet, like some small animal burrowed under stillness.

For one breathless moment, it almost felt normal. No beeping monitors. No white walls. No shadow behind the door. 

Then my phone buzzed. Not one of those soft, ignorable pings. This was sharp, repeated—a rhythmic insistence that the world outside was waiting. I reached for it slowly, my body protesting every small motion. 

12 messages.

[HR – PTMC]: Dr. Langdon, this is a reminder that a clearance note from your primary physician is required by the 18th if you intend to resume duties as scheduled. If you require a medical leave extension, the form is attached. Kindly respond before Monday.

[AM SHIFT LEAD – THE PITT]: Hey Frank, checking in. You’re on schedule for next week. Just want to make sure you’re good to go or if you need us to process the leave extension. No pressure—just logistics.

[Dana ☀️🎪]: Hey, just wanted to say that no one’s rushing you. Take your time. We’re covering things over here. You’re missed, but we’ve got your back. Don’t worry about the noise.

[Jack 🦿🐇]: Heard you were out. Hope you’re okay. Want to grab a coffee? No pressure. Just say when.

[Robby 🐱🩺]: Frank, we should talk. In person. No lectures. No assumptions, I owe you that much. I’m sorry. Please let’s talk when you’re ready.

Then came the ones I was scared to read.

[Abby 🖤] (7 unread): Where the hell are you? 

The hospital won’t give me answers. 

When are you coming home?

The kids have been asking for you. 

Millie cried herself to sleep last night.

If you care about them at all, you’ll answer me. 

Don’t make this worse, Frank.

My chest tightened. Not metaphorically—physically. Like the oxygen had been snatched out of the air around me. My breath caught halfway up my throat and never made it to my lungs.

Another buzz.

[Abby 🖤]: Why are you hiding? 

If you’re with someone, I will find out.

The screen dimmed, then went black. My reflection stared back at me in the dark glass. Hollow-eyed, gray beneath the skin. 

My hand started shaking. Breath came short and sharp. I curled forward, elbows on knees, pressing my fingers to my temples, trying to breath through it.

In. Out. In. Out.

But Abby’s voice was still in my head. Robby’ disappointment echoing. The smell of antiseptic. The flicker of fluorescent lights. The sound of my own name being called from outside the psych ward door like a sentence. 

And underneath it all—the pitt. The locker. The park. The cold bench against my back. 

In. Out. In. Out.

Don’t make this worse, Frank.

If you care about them at all—

You’re on rotation next week.

I didn’t hear the steps until they stopped beside the couch. “Frank?” Mia’s voice was low—careful, but steady. She was holding something. A mug. Maybe two. I didn’t look at her.

“Just—” my voice cracked, “give me a minute.”

A long pause. Not hesitation—just her calculating the space between presence and pressure. “Okay.” she said softly.

I heard the clink of ceramic on the table. She didn’t reach for me. Didn’t hover. Just left the coffee beside me and walked back into the kitchen with the kind of quiet that said: I’m here if you need me and I’ll still be here if you don’t.

That—more than anything—let me breathe. Not all at once. Not fully. But enough.

Enough to keep the anxiety from eating me whole.

~~~~~~~

I didn’t know how long I sat there. 

The panic didn’t vanish, exactly. It just receded. Like a tide pulling back from the shore, leaving behind cold air and salt on skin. I stared at the untouched coffee on the table beside me until it stopped steaming. Eventually, I picked it up and took a sip. It was bitter. Strong. The kind of coffee that didn’t pretend to be anything but what it was. Mia’s coffee.

When I stood, the blanket slipped off my lap and coiled on the floor like a shed skin. I folded it, slowly, and draped it over the armrest. Small, manageable motion. One thing at a time. 

In the kitchen, she was standing at the stove, back to me. Pan on low heat, bread in the toaster. No radio. No news. 

Just her.

She glanced over her shoulder when I entered but didn’t speak. Just reached for a second mug and poured another cup. 

“Hey,” I said, my voice still rough.

“Hey,” she echoed, quiet but steady.

I sat at the kitchen table, hands wrapped around the mug. I could still feel the tightness in my chest, but it wasn’t choking me anymore. “You saw the texts,” I said after a moment.

She turned off the burner, “I didn’t read them. Just saw your face.”

There was a pause. I tried to find something to say that wouldn’t feel like falling apart all over again. “I thought I was ready,” I started. “To be out. To be…functional.”

“You are functional,” Mia snorted, sliding a plate in front of me—eggs, toast, nothing fancy. “You just also got body-slammed by years of unprocessed fear and half a hospital bureaucracy.”

I let out a dry sound that might’ve been a laugh. “That should be a psych ward discharge summary.”

Mia smiled, brief. “If it helps, I did warn you that the world doesn’t wait for permission.”

I picked at the corner of the toast. “HR, the shift lead, Jack, Dana, Robby.” 

Her eyes flicked to mine at the last one “He reached out?”

“Wants to talk. In person. Says he’s sorry.”

She nodded, slowly. “That’s a start.”

“I don’t want to see him.”

“I know.”

“And Abby…” I trailed off, “she texted 9 times. Some were about the kids. Some were…” I didn’t finish the sentence. Mia didn’t ask me to.

Instead, she poured herself more coffee and sat across from me. We didn’t touch the food right away. 

“I’m not ready to go back.” I admitted.

“To the pitt?”

“To anything.”

Mia nodded again, no judgment in her face. Just the same calm presence that had kept me from splintering moments earlier.

“But,” I continued, “I know I’m running out of time. HR needs paperwork. The shift lead needs answers. And if I wait too long, Abby’s going to start digging.”

Mia sipped her coffee, “You don’t have to go back to the pitt yet. But you can’t stay invisible either.”

“What if I say the wrong thing?”

“Then we clean it up. With a lawyer if we have to. With people who know how to carry you through it.”

I exhaled slowly. My fingers curled around the mug. “So…today?”

“Today,” she said. “If you’re up for it, we can meet up with Reeva, Cynthia, and Morales. We lay out the path. You don’t have to walk it all at once, but you do need to stand on it.”

“And if I fall apart in the middle of it?”

“Then you fall apart,” Mia said, not flinching, “and we keep going anyway.” she stood, grabbing her phone off the counter, and tapped out a few messages without looking up. 

“Meeting’s in an hour. Here. Morales already agreed. Cynthia’s on call. Reeva will pull up.”

I stared at her. “You already had this ready.”

“I had it ready the minute you said yes.”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t have to. Because somehow, she’d become the place where I didn’t have to be okay first, just to show up.

~~~~~~~

The apartment had been rearranged.

Mia pulled the coffee table aside and cleared the living room like she’d done this before—like turning her space into a war room was second nature. Chairs repositioned into a deliberate half-circle that didn’t feel like an ambush but didn’t offer escape either. It wasn’t clinical, but it wasn’t homey either. It felt like a landing pad for something about to break.

She laid out files. A stack of blank forms. Printed documentation I didn’t ask about, but knew she’d prepare just in case I backed out.

I didn’t.

Not this time.

I was sitting on the couch in the same hoodie from last night, sweatpants soft at the knees, feeling like I didn’t belong in my own skin.

There was a knock at the door. Then two more. 

She opened it.

Captain Morales entered first—civilian clothes, hair in a loose bun, eyes sharp but not unkind. She had the gaze of someone used to knowing more than she let on. There was no judgment in her eyes, just assessment and precision.

Behind her came Cynthia, tablet already in hand, smiling gently like she was entering a patient’s room. She looked at me the same way she had during our initial conversation: like she already knew half the story and wasn’t afraid of the rest.

And then Reeva Morrow. I’d never met her before, but I can tell that she was the lawyer Mia had been talking about. You could feel it in her. Cool, poise, eyes that didn’t flinch. She looked at me the way doctors look at open wounds: not afraid, not detached, just…practiced.

They didn’t crowd me. They each took a seat in the circle Mia had formed. A polite perimeter around the space I filled like a fragile center.

Mia didn’t sit. She stayed near the wall. Watching. Guarding. Holding space like she always did—quietly, with intent.

Cynthia started. “Frank,” she said softly, “I know we’ve talked already, but we need to go through some of it again. Just to make sure the timeline is clear—and so everyone’s working from the same truth.”

I nodded.

“We’ll move slow,” Reeva added, “ you tell us only what you can. No one here is in a rush.”

Morales said nothing, just listened. Her pen was already moving,

They started slow. Familiar ground. 

Then:

“Were the medications in your locker prescribed to you?” Reeva asked.

My fingers tightened around the glass Mia had passed me earlier. “They were in my name,” I  answered, “but I didn’t ask for them.”

“You didn’t fill the prescription voluntary?”

I shook my head. “Abby made me. Said I needed to calm down. That I was too anxious. Said if I didn’t take them, she’d take the kids and tell everyone I was unstable.”

“What was it?”

“Benzodiazepines,” I said, barely audible. “Ativan. Sometimes Klonopin. Whatever she told the doctor I needed.”

“And you were taking them?”

“Yes. At first. She’d watch. Count them. Threaten to check the bottle. And when I stopped…she escalated.”

“Escalated how?”

“Emotionally. Verbally. She’d withhold the kids. Say I wasn’t safe to be around them if I didn’t ‘treat myself’. That she’d report me to admin for being unfit.”

“Were the pills you overdosed on the same ones?” Morales asked

I didn’t answer right away “Yes.”

“They were found in your locker,” Reeva said gently. “Can you tell us why they were there?”

I swallowed hard, “I was gonna flush them. I’d finally decided. That morning. But then…an intern noticed I kept checking my locker and thought I was using it on the job. I was pulled out by the attending physician, Dr. Robbinavitch. Confronted about the pills but didn’t let me explain. ”

“You didn’t get the chance.” Cynthia said softly

“I didn’t get the chance,” I echoed “then the mass casualty came in. A festival shooting.” I could still feel the weight of the pills in my pocket. Still feel my heart racing while I try to focus on saving people with adrenaline and grief brewing beneath my ribs.

“I pulled Robby aside after we were given the all clear that no more victims were going our way. Tried to explain what was happening, but it got heated quickly. I lost my temper and said things I probably shouldn’t have.”

“That’s when you—” Morales started, but stopped.

I nodded anyways.

“I grabbed the pills. Crossed the street. Sat on the bench facing the entrance.”

I could still feel the splintered wood beneath me.

“The bench across the street,” I whispered, “the one I always sat on between shifts or when it got too much in the hospital. And I took all of them. Every last one in the bag.”

Silence dropped hard.

“And you intended to die?” Reeva asked

I looked at the coffee table. My voice was barely above a breath. “Yes.”

They let it sit. All of them,

Then Cynthia asked, “Do you believe Abby would continue using medication against you? Or the children?”

“Yes”

“Would she lie in court?”

“Yes.”

“Would she use the children to discredit your story?”

“She already is.”

I could feel it starting again. The pressure behind my eyes. The clench in my chest. The shaking in my hands.

Mia noticed. She came closer—quietly, not too close—and handed me another glass of water. I held it with both hands like it was made of something more fragile than glass.

“Frank,” Reeva said gently, “we’ll need a written statement eventually. But just for today, I need to ask: Do you feel safe returning to your home?”

“No,” I said, voice ragged. “No, I don’t”

She nodded “That’s enough for now.”

And then Mia’s phone buzzed. 

Once. 

Then again. Urgently. 

She checked it, then went still. 

“I’m sorry,” she said, “I have to take this.” and stepped out without another word. 

The door clicked shit and the floor tipped. 

Morales was saying something. Reeva moved on to logistics. Cynthia offered a break. 

But it all felt wrong. The temperature in the room dropped. 

Because Mia—my tether, my constant—was gone. And suddenly, I wasn’t in Mia’s living room answering questions anymore. 

I was back on that bench across the street.

Alone.

[girl-dot-tzt]

Alright results are in, I'm not allowed to finish for 36 days 🙃

Im going to update this as a lil diary to keep me honest💃

Day 1: I'm feeling pretty good, I notice I get really horny when I take my prog the ✨️fun way✨️ so I'm going to use that method to increase the challenge this month. I'm thinking of meeting a friend tomorrow so I'm excited!

Day 2: more of the same, pretty standard, had a great time with said friend. Getting a teeny but pent up but nothing crazy yet.

Day 3: getting more pent up but it's still manageable, made the mistake of reading a ton of horny posts and getting myself really horny. Thankfully I calmed down and now I'm good to go

Day 4: went to work, did some bike wrenching, now im boutta sleep. pretty uneventful but I'm meeting a good friend of mine tomorrow so I plan on making up for the lack of horny twofold. I need to get some Oregonian mutuals bc I'd like to bite someone :3

Day 5: got my tits fondled for like 3 hours while I watched anime and got insanely high, I need like 4 people to hold me down and grope/tease/fuck me... preferably all at once. I've got 31 more daysssssss, does it count if it's hands free? 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♀️

Day 6: got no sleep, very horny, idk what direction Is up, and I need an answer to the question from yesterday 😫

Day 7: got sleep but not railed because if I get railed too well I'll could possibly finish and idk if that's OK yet :3. I'm going to mountain bike today! I'm super excited bc I need something to take the edge off, if I'm really unlucky I'll get too horny from the idea of getting fucked in the woods and make an update here.

Day 8: we're evening out a little, this may not be impossible, tbf I haven't had time to do much lately so when I finally get the time to ride my toys that might change. I'm planning on doing that tomorrow :3

Day 8 update: I accidentally took two progesterone pills because I boof mine, but I accidentally muscle memory-ed taking my prog orally. Got so horny during work that I nearly cried.

Day 9: I broke some spokes while mountain biking and now I'm sad, but horny and frustrated too. I can only think about being bred, but also being sad that my bike broke, damn fucking stupid sticks getting inbetween my fucking spokes. I need railed bad, etcetera etcetera

Day 10:

Girl abs, that is all

Day 11: I'm going to fuck myself on the biggest toy I own until I'm crying or edging with my Pspot🧍‍♀️ I will return

Day 12: I'm pretty sure I ended up getting edged. Pretty sure because I've never actually finished hands free before and my vibrator died right before I was about to finish. One of you witchy mother fuckers knew I was about to cheat or something, no other explanations, couldn't possibly be that I forgot to charge toys like a dumbass. Laugh it up, I got edged hard by my ADHD.

Days 13: I had a threesome and it was awesome! I explained my agreement to them and got teased a bunch as me and my friend dommed the fuck out of a gorgeous girl. We groped and kissed and sucked all over her body as she got more and more worked up, until eventually I was fucking her with my big purple vibrator and she came hands free for the first time! We made sure to shower her with all kinds of praise and congratulations 💃💃

Days 14-16: started a new job, I'm getting so horny these days that rather than feeling butterflies it's like an almost painful NEED. Like I just desperately need to get tied up and ground into dust, getting edged with my vibrator did a number on me because I'm a mess rn😆

Days 17-20: if I may be honest i embarked on this endeavor to try to finish hands free, I've never done it before but I desperately want to. I think I'll be able to do it by the end of these 36 days or sooner. Idk it's just a hunch🧍‍♀️

Day 21-29: 10 hr shifts in a lab will drive you nuts when there's nothing to think about but getting railed and ice cream percentages. On the plus side I am not only paid but required to eat ice cream every hour at my job. On the downside, I got so horny I cried last night🧍‍♀️😵‍💫😵‍💫

[fuck-customers]

(i’m just gonna start using a bread emoji or something at this point but cracker anon here AGAIN)

really gotta enjoy a whole team lead saying “ain’t nobody helping me so i’m hiding back here all night” like my brother in whatever deity you believe in, YOU volunteered to show up for a 12 hour shift. YOU do nothing but complain and act like you know everything, so YOU can do it yourself mr “i got this dont fuckin touch it i gotttt thissss” sitting on your phone all night in the corner LMAO

also i was told to help with bulk initially because somehow, some way, both the supervisors and team lead for the night just. vanished? and so did everyone else save for one person (also one bagger was in the office and the other was on her way back from break)????? AND YOU WERE LITERALLY IN THE CORNER ON YOUR PHONE?????? like how the fuck were we supposed to know you were there so we could help? holy fuck the braincells on third shift never cease to amaze me, this is the second person on this shift that i’ve heard of being a fucking moron, like i really wonder if someone’s gonna go to hr about this guy because he’s got an ego the size of the sun it seems like

Posted by admin Rodney

[criesincomicsans]

WALK? Heh, back in my day we were still under the tyrannical rule of the silverback gorillas of the Congo in nineteen aught six and they made us crawl on our belly. I was working at the shoe shine store to put myself through medical school. Back then folks would work up to 17 jobs just to get home and be whooped by their mama for not working hard enough. I was working on my doctoral thesis when the biggest bear you've ever seen came charging out of the woods at me. I was able to fight him off with nothing but my hands and the pencil I was writing with. Unfortunately before he ran off he snagged the pencil and yelled out "yoink". Think he was one of those German bears trained by the kaiser. That was the only pencil we had in the entire town and I never finished my thesis. And ya see the thing about a doctoral thesis is that one is required to get your doctorate degree, but back in my day you were elected the town's top doctor if you could estimate someone's heartbeat to within 400 beats per fortnight. Of course we didn't have surgical equipment or sanitizer in those days thanks to the great medicine embargo of 1942, in fact if you had to cut someone open you had to use lobster claws! Lobstotomys I think they were called. Now here's where shellfish tools get tricky because after dubya-dubya two the US saw an influx of Jewish immigrants that couldn't be operated on with shellfish so we had to invent a new way of curing diseases. So back then we just gave polio to anyone who was sick and then by comparison their first disease didn't seem so bad. Of course that was before Taft put a ban on practicing religion from February 8th of 1910 to February 10th of 1910, but back then we didn't call the month February, it was known as Jarch, because it came right in between January and the annual Marching parade that occurred on April 2nd. Anyways where was I, oh that's right so back then you didn't get a lollipop for going to the doctor's, no they used to carry around a big staff with a snake on it and if you were bad they'd bite ya with venom!

Then you could always have a medicinal hamburger. Of course back then they didn't serve fries, but diced turnip cause of the war. And we didn't call them hamburgers, they were called Rooooosevelt sandwiches! And we didn't have paper money in those days, so you'd have to work a 12 hr shift for your meal! I remember I was working the day they invented day light savings time, ended up working 13 hrs instead of 12. I spent 14 years outside protesting that 5 Guys after that. Of course back then protesting wasn't effective because people hadn't evolved to see or hear yet! And that's when goats were the only animal allowed to vote in elections, they took a majority of congress in dickety five and passed all sort of crazy laws. But we were a lot tougher back then, so we stormed the capital and beat up all of the Irish. And that's how I became the first man to eat at a Krusty Burger

[sir-subpar]

why have you been so quiet in the past 5 days?

also hope you had a happy 4th

I've been at work.

My job keeps me pretty busy. I work at a hotel and often spend my shifts alone. So I do a lot by myself. Reservations, appliance set up, post-stay charges, room inventory, key card issueing (although that's pretty easy, in my opinion), giving out complimentary laundry/soap/silverware, discounts, cashiering for the snack bar, etc.

And, very excitingly, I have been working with a local art gallery where I will soon sell my art.

I make scratch boards of people's pets. Example:

And on top of those things, I have been working on a collaboration with a very close friend of mine. We are writing an original story together. Is a story has two main protagonist, he is writing from the perspective of one of them, I am writing the other.

I have made concept portraits of some of the characters from our story:

Suddenly Psychic

So I have been pretty busy!

But I am doing well. I left a job that was treating me very poorly and now work at the hotel. Where so far I am much happier. After years of struggling to work with galleries I found one that is embracing my niche passion for Scratch boards. And I am working on a fun story with my best friend.

I had been fighting a rough depressive episode for a while, especially after the loss of our dog Buddy, making the choice to put him down was not an easy one. But it was the right one to end his suffering.

And I tend to have a bit of a depressive episode around the 4th pretty much every year.

As well as a bunch of questionings of my choice in career. A part of me is unsure if I want to pursue a future in psychology, but I'm so close to getting my associates degree. So at least I'll get that because I've spent years for it.

I worked on the 4th of July, but I'm not really a fan of 4th of July anyway, so I actually did it willingly. My manager asked me if I would work that day and I was very happy to accept it.

I don't like fireworks.

All in all, I had some tough decisions to make, still do.

But at the same time, so many things in my life are starting to come together now. I have a chance to really make a career as an artist. If this really works, I might not even have to continue College. I'm not putting all my eggs in one basket however, so I'm still going to classes in the fall. Just in case.

I had become a Psychology major because I wasn't seeing success in my art career. I figured I could just do art on the side and still be happy. But finally, I have a chance. A chance I thought was lost to me.

A chance with a gallery owner that really Believes In Me.

I'm kind of scared. The overwhelming positivity from this Gallery owner does make me uncertain about whether or not I can live up to his expectations of me. Even so, I have to try, I want to try.

I spent a huge part of my life, my upbringing, with very little hope for my future.

But I'm starting to see it. My hope. My chances.

My Future.

It will take years I'm certain. Currently I still live with my mother because I can't afford to move out or find an apartment.

But I feel hopeful. Even... Happy.

Sorry I haven't been on here as much, I do appreciate you all checking in on me after my radio silence. But I'm doing well as of now.

My "father", who wasn't good to me or my family, isn't in my life anymore. I got to spend time with my brother. I am working on a passion project with my best friend. I'm working a job I feel more respected at and pays more than my old one (about $12/hr). I am seeing my art be enjoyed both online and in person.

I even started HRT! Been on T for a little over a year now!

I'm just... Starting to find happiness.

It wasn't easy, still isn't, and it won't be easy going forward, but I feel like it is all worth it.

[ahiddenpath]

Life Update

Life chat beneath the cut. I feel like this one is a bit on the whiney complainy side, but it is where I am now, so I'm keeping it for posterity, lol! But don't read if you're not down for some whine and cheese xD

So I took the last week off from work. I was frustrated, because I didn't go anywhere- it was a staycation. We opted for that mostly because I was going to lose my gd mind if I didn't get some time off. I get 3 weeks off per year, plus a week closure around Christmas "made of" federal holidays that we do not get, so I try to optimize my time off. But... I didn't have the brain space to do anything, and also, as I tried to plan things... Holy damn, everything is so much more expensive than it was even like three years ago.

But now I'm further frustrated because I spent the vast majority of the week just doing damned chores and household projects. Like, I told myself I would stop doing any chores yesterday, but I still spent until 2 PM exercising and doing "a few quick things." The same thing happened today. I'm kind of in, like, a horrible sort of awe of how long shit takes, man. For example, it took my husband and I about 2 hr to take down a broken ceiling fan that was 30 years old and not very user friendly and replace it with a new one. It took me an hour with a hair drier and a scraper to remove like 2.5 cm of hot glue from a doll's head (holding her removable eyes in place) so I could send her out to be painted. And I spent 40-90 min outside for like 8-12 days weeding and doing some basic yard work to prep for a mulch delivery.

I'm trying to be more fit recently. I am, ah. A very unfit human. I think I somehow have not mentioned this in the 12 years of this blog, but... I've had a million surgeries on my hip and spent roughly age 6 months to 2 yrs in a body cast, then until roughly age 4 in physical therapy to learn to move around. I'm clumsy and can just, like, fall over unprompted, I assume because of all that. I don't have the full range of movement in my lower body, so doing physical things can be... Really daunting. I always put exercise and mobility training off.

And of course, it's starting to bite my ass, lmao. I recently learned that humans begin losing muscle mass in their 30s, meaning that weight training is essential. I also learned that using a machine to exercise (like an elliptical) is only good for cardiovascular health. The machine takes on a lot of the... strain?? Work?? Of moving, meaning you aren't working your body in the same way as when you just... Walk. It's meant to help you work out longer, so you can develop your cardiovascular system. (Incidentally, this is why walking and hiking are great exercise).

That's why I took on a lot of the gardening/yard work. I did clear out all of the weeds! And the way my soreness decreased over the days means that I did something good for my body.

But, like. The amount of time caring for your body takes is absolutely gobsmackingly unreal. Holy shit god damn! I've always struggled to keep the balls of work, mental health, creativity, physical health, and social health in the air, not touching on chores and stuff. The physical ball is the one I always put down first.

But I only get this one body, and the American healthcare system is a nightmare. So... Yeah, the priorities need to shift here. My foot has been hurting for a few weeks, now, and it happened last year after Japan, too. It's time to actually go to the doctor for that.

I am sensing more and more that I need to give less to work, too. That's difficult for someone like me to do, because I always feel a deep need to do my best with everything. But... Working this hard just isn't sustainable, and it isn't as if I'm rewarded over someone in the same position who does less.

I haven't had much of an opportunity to rest or do anything creative this week, despite being off. And I'm just as distressed by the fact that um... Just being gone at work from 8:20 AM-5:50 PM every day makes it impossible to do the tasks that built up over the last 3-4 years of being in this home. You know, sometimes people tell me, "But what would you do if you didn't have a job? I'd go crazy!" And I'm like- DUDE. DUDE! I could exercise, walk, work on house projects, and do chores all day every day for like three years and still have stuff to do! That doesn't even touch the personal projects and hobbies I want to work on.

Hopefully, I can figure out some kind of balance that works for me and is healthy. I wish you all the best, my dears <3

[whentherewerebicycles]

ok volunteering at the food bank was great! I want to make a habit of doing that although I think I may have to find one closer to home if I want to go weekly (it took me 45 min to drive there and 1 hr 10 min to drive home). but I am going to help them with grant writing and edit some of their donor communications material which can all be done virtually and then maybe I can commit to one shift a month there. as usual with stuff like that I had a ton of inertia/didn’t want to go right up until the second I walked in and then I was just happy to be there and enjoyed the experience. they have a lot of cool ideas too for developing other programming—like some weeks they’ll get a huge shipment of some random produce item and they want to create little digital booklets of recipes that use that ingredient and are drawn from across the national cuisines of their core clientele. plus they have lots of ideas for language access stuff and building in connections to other social services so people can access different resources while visiting the bank. I love the little team that runs it they are super dynamic and clearly just work SO hard to keep things afloat. anyway I think if I go once a month and then do more regular weekend work virtually that will be a nice commitment to have.

mmkay. I’m TIRED despite not really extending myself all that much today. tomorrow is a loooong day but I think/hope it will go fast because lots of in-person meetings. here we go:

6:30-7:45 coffee, emails

7:45-9 shower/get ready, work on bio, finish tabulating scores

9-10:15 advisory board mtg

10:15-11 drive to campus and maybe pick up something to take for lunch on the way or just bring a bunch of random snacks. ALSO CALL VET ON THE WAY IN AND SEE IF I CAN DROP PIP OFF LATER OR ON FRIDAY

11-12 PSE mtg

12-1 CB mtg

1-1:30 KA mtg

1:30-2 partner mtg

2-4 work session—recover from meetings, catch up on email, finish this blog post jes you HAVE to stop dragging your feet

4-5:30 student scholars event

5:30-6:15 listen to game on the way home

make some kind of dinner sigh it never ends does it you’re always having to feed yourself!

zzzzz

[brookewalkerblog]

Real-Time Insights, Real Growth: The Power of Mobile Apps

Are we living through the most game-changing time for business tech? 100%. In 2025, mobile apps aren’t just tools—they’re becoming the backbone of how companies operate. No matter the industry—manufacturing, finance, healthcare, logistics—you name it, mobile solutions are leveling up productivity, driving smarter decisions, and making businesses more resilient and connected than ever.

Let’s break down what’s happening, why it matters, and how your business can tap into the momentum.

📲 From Clunky to Clean: The Evolution of Enterprise Apps

Not long ago, enterprise apps were slow, desktop-only headaches. Now? They’re smart, sleek, and mobile-first—built to deliver real-time insights, automate routine tasks, and keep teams moving.

Over 85% of global companies are already on board with enterprise apps, and it’s only going up from here. Driving the shift:

More remote and hybrid workforces

The need for faster, data-backed decisions

Bigger focus on security and compliance

Growth of cloud-based systems

At the core of this evolution? A solid focus on enterprise mobility management—giving businesses the tools to control apps, devices, and data securely at scale.

💡 Why Go Mobile? Here’s What You Get

The benefits aren’t hype—they’re real and measurable:

Boosted Productivity Mobile apps can help employees get more done, faster. Think field teams closing tickets in minutes or sales reps accessing data mid-meeting.

Better Security Custom apps come with serious security—think encryption, role-based access, and multi-factor logins. That’s a win for compliance and peace of mind.

Faster Reactions Get supply chain updates, sign off on approvals, or reroute a delivery—instantly. Mobility = agility.

Real-Time Data Access Execs can view dashboards and insights on the fly, helping them make smarter, faster calls.

Cost Efficiency Sure, there’s an upfront cost. But the time and money saved on operations usually pays off fast.

🔮 What’s Trending in 2025?

Six trends are making serious waves right now:

AI & Machine Learning Smarter apps that do more: predict problems, flag fraud, segment users, and even make decisions.

Low-Code/No-Code Tools Business users are building apps themselves—fast and with less IT bottleneck.

Cloud-Native + Microservices Today’s apps are lighter, modular, and easier to scale. Dev teams are all-in on serverless and CI/CD.

Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) Apps that work like native, but no install needed. Faster, smoother, better engagement.

Next-Level Cybersecurity Biometrics, zero-trust models, advanced threat detection. Security is serious, and apps are keeping up.

IoT Meets Mobile Real-time tracking, alerts, and remote monitoring across industries—logistics, healthcare, manufacturing—you name it.

🧰 What Should Your App Include?

A strong enterprise app in 2025 should have:

Real-time data

Offline access

Multi-platform support

Cloud backups

Push notifications

User access controls

Legacy system integration

The best way to get all of this done right? Partner with a solid mobile app development company that gets your industry and nails the UI/UX design. That combo makes sure your app is actually usable, scalable, and secure.

🧭 Which App Type Fits You?

Enterprise apps usually fall into three buckets:

Employee-Level (time tracking, communication tools)

Department-Level (CRMs, HR portals, campaign dashboards)

Company-Level (ERP, supply chain, BI platforms)

Pick based on your goals—whether you want to boost productivity in the field or give the exec team better data access.

💸 What Does It Cost?

Here's a rough idea of what to expect: Complexity Cost Estimate Time Frame Simple App $50K – $85K 3–6 months Medium Complex $90K – $200K 6–8 months Advanced App $220K – $300K 9–12 months

Factors that affect cost: features, integrations, security, and maintenance. Clear goals and a great dev team help stretch your budget further.

🔧 How Are Industries Using These Apps?

Logistics: Real-time route updates, warehouse management, cold chain compliance.

Healthcare: Secure patient data access, remote monitoring, appointment scheduling.

Construction: On-site project tracking, ERP integrations, workforce coordination.

Finance: Fraud alerts, portfolio insights, secure client communication.

Retail: Inventory management, mobile POS, improved in-store experiences.

🚀 From Idea to Launch: The App Journey

Here’s how the best enterprise apps come to life:

Define your goals

Set your budget

Sketch the idea (wireframes, prototypes)

Nail the UI/UX design

Build it (agile dev cycles)

Test and debug

Deploy

Support + update regularly

Working with the right mobile app development firm means less stress, better results, and a product that works from day one.

🔭 What’s Coming Next?

Quantum encryption

Voice-activated enterprise tools

AR/VR for training and collab

Blockchain-powered transparency

AI-driven personalization

The future isn’t just mobile—it’s smart, flexible, and built for constant change.

Bottom Line

Enterprise mobile apps aren’t just another tech trend—they’re reshaping how business gets done. Whether you're scaling up or simply streamlining internal ops, going mobile is how you grow smarter and faster in 2025.

So if you haven’t already, it’s time to team up with a mobile app development firm that gets UI/UX design right—and start building an app that delivers real results.

[nikhilvaidya27]

Hiring for Potential vs. Experience: The MNC Dilemma

By Nikhil Vaidya, Founder – Prism HRC

Hiring decisions at scale are rarely simple. But if there’s one debate that consistently divides hiring panels at large organizations, it’s this:

“Do we go with the safe, experienced hand—or bet on the rising star with potential?”

It’s a dilemma I’ve encountered time and again over the last 14 years consulting with MNCs and fast-growth companies at Prism HRC. And while both options bring value, the context, role, and long-term goals must shape this decision—not legacy hiring habits.

🏗️ Experience: The Comfort of a Proven Track Record

There’s no denying it: experience offers a level of predictability that’s hard to ignore.

You’re hiring someone who’s “been there, done that.”

Less handholding is assumed.

Ramp-up time is shorter—at least in theory.

This is particularly comforting in mission-critical or high-risk roles, where past exposure can translate to faster execution. Many MNCs default to experience, especially in leadership hires, because they associate it with credibility and control.

But here’s the catch: not all experience is equal. A candidate might have 12 years on paper but only two years of real, evolving contribution—repeated six times.

At Prism HRC, we’ve helped clients differentiate between length of service and depth of impact. That distinction is crucial—especially when experience is prioritized at the cost of adaptability.

🚀 Potential: The Investment That Compounds

Hiring for potential means selecting candidates who:

May not have done the job before…

But show signs they could do it better, with the right environment.

These are professionals who bring curiosity, fast learning, creative problem-solving, and resilience—qualities often missed in experience-based filtering.

Across many of our clients, especially in tech, D2C, and new-age BFSI sectors, we’ve seen high-pot candidates outperform seasoned hires within 12–18 months.

Why? Because:

They’re less rigid in thinking.

They question the status quo.

They’re motivated to prove, grow, and contribute.

The challenge? They require mentorship, onboarding depth, and a risk appetite from leadership—which many MNCs struggle to offer at scale.

🔍 The MNC Bias: Structure Over Stretch

Many MNCs operate with deeply embedded hiring playbooks:

Years of experience = competence

Industry pedigree = performance predictor

Seniority = leadership readiness

But in dynamic environments—like transformation projects, innovation hubs, or cross-functional teams—potential often performs better than pedigree.

One global FMCG client of ours shifted their hiring matrix to include “career acceleration signals”—such as early promotions, cross-domain interest, and growth after failure. Within a year, their leadership bench saw a 22% increase in internal mobility scores, driven by hires made on potential—not just past roles.

🧭 So, What Should You Hire For?

The short answer: both—but contextually.

At Prism HRC, our advisory work starts with a single question:

“Is this a role of maintenance or momentum?”

If it’s about sustaining a stable process or navigating regulatory complexity, experience may reduce risk. But if the role demands reinvention, agility, and new thinking, potential becomes your competitive edge.

Our job as external consultants is to help HR leaders and business heads zoom out—look beyond the résumé and ask:

What’s our real goal here?

Who will still be relevant—and thriving—3 years from now?

🎯 Final Thought: Potential Doesn’t Mean Inexperienced

Let’s stop treating potential and experience as polar opposites.

The best hires we’ve seen are often:

Experienced and self-aware.

Skilled and humble enough to relearn.

Accomplished but not entitled.

At Prism HRC, we help MNCs build hiring systems that balance safety with foresight, and pedigree with possibility. Because in the end, it’s not about finding the most qualified candidate.

It’s about finding the one most aligned with your future.

📲 Connect with Prism HRC🔗 Website:Prism HRC 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jobssimplified/?hl=en📲 Connect with Nikhil Vaidya🔗 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nikhil-vaidya-387b1a13

[garryongrowth]

Rippling sues Deel, Deel denies ‘all legal wrongdoing,’ and Slack is the main witness

It’s gloves off in one of the more tense rivalries in the world of startups. HR company Rippling Monday morning announced a lawsuit against Deel, another big player in the same space. The dramatic 50-page complaint alleges racketeering, misappropriation of trade secrets, tortious interference, unfair competition, and aiding and abetting a breach of fiduciary duty. The lawsuit is largely centered on an employee whom Rippling claims was working as a spy for Deel.

Deel has denied the allegations in a statement to TechCrunch in an equally florid way, setting the stage for the airing of yet more dirty laundry:

“Weeks after Rippling is accused of violating sanctions law in Russia and seeding falsehoods about Deel, Rippling is trying to shift the narrative with these sensationalized claims,” a spokesperson said in a statement provided to TechCrunch. “We deny all legal wrongdoing and look forward to asserting our counterclaims.”

Is this town big enough for the both of us? The HR technology space is highly competitive, featuring not only major incumbents — SAP, ADP, Workday among them — but also numerous startups targeting the many different aspects of HR, such as payroll, recruitment, training, compensation and benefits management, and onboarding. Companies like Deel and Rippling aim to provide an all-in-one platform for these services.

When the going is good and the economy is on an upswing — such as during the pandemic, when organizations scrambled for better tools to hire, fire, and manage people across disparate locations — the crowded market is less of an issue. But the love-in ends when times get tougher, especially when two companies are as close in size as Rippling and Deel and target the same customers. (One indicator of how directly these two are competing: Rippling’s valuation is just over $13 billion; Deel was last valued at more than $12 billion.)

Tensions between Deel and Rippling began playing out publicly well before this lawsuit. Last year, Rippling launched a market campaign that took direct aim at Deel, featuring a “Snake Game.” The game, still accessible, portrays Deel as a snake and accuses the company of charging higher fees than Rippling.

The rivalry took another turn when a Deel sales director visited the site to check out the game, engaged with a chatbot on the page, and then later saw the exchange posted on Twitter by the COO of Rippling. (The troll did not play out as expected, with customers alarmed by what they saw as doxxing by Rippling.)

The feud has also involved allegations concerning compliance with Russian sanctions. Rippling’s complaint alludes to the claims, though both companies have faced scrutiny as it relates to the issue. (More detail here.)

Slack forensics played a major role in the suit What is quite notable in the lawsuit is just how much of the evidence for Rippling’s claims is based around Slack activity.

Ripplings’ lawyers note that the company keeps a log of what people do in the Salesforce-owned chat platform. “Rippling employees’ Slack activity is ‘logged,’” it notes, ��meaning every time a user views a document through Slack, accesses a Slack channel, sends a message, or conducts searches on Slack, that activity (and the associated user) is recorded in a log file.”

It was a sudden spike in that logged activity, and specifically how it centered around the word “Deel” that raised a flag to the (HR?) team that tracks that activity.

“Beginning in November 2024, [an employee referred to as] D.S. beginning [sic] previewing channels at a rate orders of magnitude greater than he had before — both in terms of the number of channels previewed, and in the number of times he previewed each of those channels.”

The lawsuit states that many of these channels contained confidential sales and business strategy discussions, with particular emphasis on Deel.

“The channels D.S. previewed during this period have no connection to his payroll operations job responsibilities,” states the complaint. “What they do relate to, however, are all aspects of Rippling’s business development, sales, and customer retention strategies—the most sensitive of the Company’s Sales and Marketing Trade Secrets and confidential business information—with a particular emphasis on a single competitor, Deel.

“Leaving no doubt about the ultimate beneficiary of the brazen espionage scheme, D.S. viewed channels related specifically to Rippling’s competitive intelligence concerning Deel over 450 times during the course of the scheme… Indeed, D.S.’s top 10 channel previews since November 2024 are all sales-related channels, completely unrelated to D.S.’s role in payroll operations.”

The lawyers allege the employee also read and downloaded related exchanges and documents in those channels, and worked on helping try to poach people from Rippling.

The drama is real According to the lawsuit, Rippling set up a “honeypot” to prove out its suspicions. The company created a fake Slack channel, then shared its name — along with the suggestion that it featured embarrassing details about Deel — with key Deel execs. It then sat back to see if D.S. searched for it. (The execs included Deel’s Chairman, Chief Financial Officer, and General Counsel Philippe Bouaziz; Deel’s head of U.S. Legal, Spiros Komis; and Deel’s outside counsel.) The Rippling employee did, claims the lawsuit.

Things got very heated afterward, per the filing, which says that when an independent solicitor attempted to seize D.S.’s phone by court order, D.S. escaped to the bathroom, “locking the door behind him and refusing to come out, despite the independent solicitor’s repeated warnings.”

Rather than comply, it goes on, “D.S. was heard ‘doing something’ on his phone by the independent solicitor, who also heard D.S. flush the toilet — suggesting that D.S. may have attempted to flush his phone down the toilet rather than provide it for inspection.” It did not recover the phone later.

Eventually D.S. left the bathroom, says the complaint, and when confronted one more time with the threat that he was violating a court order, said “I’m willing to take that risk.”

“D.S. then stormed out of the office and fled the scene,” the lawyers note.

Rippling has not responded to questions TechCrunch has sent asking if it intends to also file a suit against D.S. or whether it can confirm the name.

But despite the company giving the alleged spy a set of initials, it has done precious little to hide his identity. Spelling out when the person joined, describing the person as “he,” and describing what role he had at the company made it almost too easy to find on LinkedIn the person it suspects of spying. (The person we contacted has since deleted his profile on the site.)

[voidsuites]

hi shit ass fast food worker here 🙋‍♀️

floors is like sweeping and mopping and stuff, and i don’t like doing it because the action of rolling up the rugs + putting chairs up + sweeping + mopping and having to do that makes my back HURT but dishes is fine i love doing the dishes im in my own little world back there

anyways also side tangent — so i showed up to work tonight even though i wasn’t scheduled (??) i don’t know where i got the idea that i worked today but whatever. i’m getting paid for it but im SCURD because the owner of the store is SO stingy with giving people hours because apparently he just lost like 12k? not my problem give me my money.

it’s actually insane because i said that i couldn’t work a few fridays so he gave me 12 hours in one week and paid me for eight of them. and then i havent seen him since i got that paycheck and trust when i see him i FEAR i may CLCO on his ass.

back to my og point — i showed up and worked for 2 hours and my manager (different from the owner) is mad chill because he said that he’ll tell the owner that he called me in!! even though it was totally my mistake!! whoopsies! someone who just quit CLCOed him and was complaining about how i got 3 shifts while the other new guy got like 6 🤭 . okay rant over !

omg i showed up to work last weekend (sunday) too and i wasn’t scheduled either 😭 but i didn’t get paid lmao my manager just laughed at me (nicely. she’s a g) and i went and got coffee/brekkie. thank god we don’t door floors but sometimes i have to go around with a giant dust mop bc there will be dust bunnies the size of my foot just hanging out by a table. it’s a little funny

and yeah hours are just whack for us rn. post-holiday season is followed by peak holiday return period so we lose sm money to returns. i still get scheduled decently but ik not all of my other coworkers do so it stinks. but yeah. like we hit an all-time sales record this year wdym you don’t have more hrs to give

[harleiquina]

I don't want to go down the easy route of "OP is wrong and is a a*hole" so... let's see.

Maybe what you do, dear asker, is a hobby. An artistic pursuit that gives you joy but you are not in it for the money.

It is fine, I also have them. I decorate things.

But I'm 31. What do I know about life?

What I do know that I have a "blue-collar" job that I hate because I need to create. I am an artist and I would love to have my passion as my job and to be paid for that... because I live in a society that requires you to have money to live and I have a family to support (+ many pets and we all know how demanding those little beasts are).

*A sad violin starts playing while I enter the "read more" link*

I work as an Over the Phone Interpreter. I'm very professional and the topics in the calls do not affect me (trust me some things had made my coworkers cry) still... sitting on my PC with the portal open and with a constant back-to-back flow of calls (now is a little less but I still have them) is devastating to me. I broke down in tears before or after my shift out of the blue, mostly at night so nobody can see me or in the shower for the same reason.

I don't enjoy anything now (mom likes to cook for me, but everything feels the same. I just eat because I'm hungry, not for enjoyment). So yeah... this is taking a toll on me.

My mom was super-concerned when I was doing this piece. Because I put A LOT of detailing in something that was supposed to be just a simple piece of painted wood to stick that broken Christmas' ornament. She loves it, of course... but as soon as I finished I told her "You know that Bettlejuice scene where Delia tells her husband 'I'm an artist, if you don't let me do what I want to this house I'll go mad and drag you down with me'? Well... I feel like that" and her answer was "Yeah, I thought so. That's why I left you alone while you were doing it".

I still do it. Every day from 1PM to 7PM I'm on the line and I add 2 hours of Overtime every time I can. (I used to work 8 hours + OT but due the lack of calls I was asked to reduce my time on the line).

I have a family to support: mom and an aunt. Both of them are over 50 so in my country, Argentina, nobody employs them anymore. Mom used to work in Walmart, she did it for almost 28 years, but due to our never-ending economical crisis they started to close stores and she was fired just like that.

I see this moment as a way to repay her. She feed me, clothed me and paid for my College (I studied Advertising thinking of it as a more profitable career than Scriptwriting... but my aversion to kissing boots got me stuck, so here I am now, making 4dls/hr for an Hondurian company that is one of the many from which a Big Interpretation CompanyTM outsources). So fine... it's fine. Everything is fine.

But my soul... is crushed. And I'm tired... I can't even do anything I want I do not find the will... even if I need to do it. I'm exhausted because my job is draining me... and I feel myself bone-dry.

I love when my friends tell me how they've felt after reading something I wrote. (They are busy now, with not enough time to read, but... ah well).

I love writing. It's MY thing. I enjoy creating stories, putting all the pieces together, the characters, their arcs!! ...

I can create worlds!

Why should I conform myself having an ordinary quiet life?!

I also sort of play the guitar. The time my teacher gave me his friend's 12 string guitar I just fell in love with it... it has such a lovely sound. And those times I play something (in the loneliness of my room because I'm very shy) and by chance mom or my aunt hear me and identify the song... I'm so proud of it!! And I can't even tell you when they like the melody that comes of me just having fun with the strings.

Art puts a smile not just on my face but in my heart. It gives me a purpose.

Why should I destine myself to this darkness that surrounds me and makes me so unhappy when I know that I can thrive and maybe be really good at something I love?

Sitting down and writing isn't less of a job because it is sitting down and writing. As I said, I'm 31, I'm still young (I don't feel it like that but, ah well...) I still have so much to learn and perfect in my writing and the topics that I choose. I started at my 17, and my work then was pityful (some good ideas here and there but really bad executed) and how do I know that? Because I kept on reading anything that I found fascinating, learning from any kind of text, learning from people and their experiences... and even from made-up experiences!

We, artists, draw inspiration from life and this is an endless source. We never receive a diploma that says "Yes NOW you are a writer/musician/dancer/actor/other"... those from College are just a piece of paper with little to no value. The real learning is in the process... in the work...

And how can I get better at what I love when I'm wasting my time in something that I hate? Yes, it puts food on the table, but why can't my writing do the same thing? I do not ask for millions, not even fame, but to get rid of the whole "starving artist" cliché. We shouldn't starve for food, but for knowldege and drive.

I'm sorry Neil, although I love your writing and agree with your opinions on most subjects I have to disagree with you on the writers' strike. No-one should have a more privileged life as a result of being clever and creative. I worked from the age of 15 to the age of 65 in low-paid jobs, taking 1 year off to go to drama school and 3 years off to get a fine art degree. I worked in terrible but necessary jobs, labouring, stacking boxes, unloading trucks, running errands, filing, going to work on a bicycle at all hours of the day and night on shift work in all kinds of weather. Even when I was a student I was still working in part-time cleani8ng jobs and even during periods of unemployment I worked in volunteer jobs for charities and social services.

According to Mensa I have an IQ of 160 and according to Plymouth University I have a BA hons in Fine Art but I cannot accept the idea that writers and other creative people should avoid normal jobs like driving an "Uber" or working in an office/shop/factory/construction site. To accept that idea would be to create a new aristocratic class when we should abolishing the old princes and aristocrats.

What we need, I feel sure, is a redistribution of labour so that everybody who can do so would spend some time each year in blue collar work and everybody who can would get higher education and a chance to make art of one sort or another.

The idea of doing other jobs to supplement writing or drawing shouldn't be seen as a terrible thing, a punishment or a suffering. Sharing the jobs around should be seen as normal.

I mean, I've done my half century of sweat labour and it didn't hurt me too much. I'm retired now and still making art of various kinds and I've never asked anyone to pay me for any art piece I've made. making art, writing, drawing etc. is the fun stuff which we get to do in exchange for the blue collar stuff which puts food on the table.

The worst pop song ever written was Sting/Dire Straits song "Money for Nothing" which ridicules the working class from a position of educational privilege.

So what's my question? My question is: What's wrong with a writer doing other jobs to make ends meet? Sounds perfectly fine to me.

Nothing's wrong with a writer doing other jobs to make ends meet. Writers and artists have been doing that since the dawn of time. Actors too.

But by the same token, there's nothing right about assuming that writing isn't a blue-collar job, or that writers and other people who make art can only make it for love and that thus they need other jobs to subsidise their craft.

I like living in a world in which the people who make the things that make the world worth living in get paid for their work. For me, that includes the people who make films and TV, books, art and music and comics.

Having spent a lot of time on film and TV sets, it's a blue-collar world on set, and everyone is working long and hard to make the shows you love. I'm never going to suggest that the riggers or the gaffers or the make-up team or the focus-pullers should drive ubers in order to have the privilege of being on the set and working there.

Or to put it another way, from the most blue-collar writer I ever knew...

[dinsdjrn]

Hey Meg,

I’ve been where you are, and I know how hard it is. I know the worry and dread and what it feels like to have nothing in your bank accounts. I’ve had to drive 45 min one way to a low paying factory job for a 12 hr night shift and show up to class in a dirty uniform, dead tired, just to make ends meet.

But I got through it. And so will you.

Don’t worry about getting sued, there are so many people in your situation that by the time they actually get you into court your situation could be different.

Keep going, you are much loved around here!

Tricia

This helps to hear and i just really appreciate you for coming in here to offer your support 🤎

it’s so HARD to admit defeat in this way. we look at our accounts and just get so incredibly stressed. i’ve been trying to get an overnight job somewhere but where i live jobs like that are so sought after 50-60 people are applying for one position. and the one skill i have, being a veterinary technician/nurse, the only emergency overnight is the college i attend and they don’t let students do overnights.

i called my bank and have worked something out until march but it absolutely drained any ounce of savings we had (and then some) here’s to hoping that when i do get sued (because it’s likely coming) i can discuss how my situation will change in the next 12 months.

but i will keep going and continue to tell myself that there is so much future to be had. in a little over 12 months i’ll be a veteriarian and able to take care of this and repay those who have shown love that is so genuine and caring toward me.

i am so lucky to have such a supportive group of friends both in my life and in this community that have stuck by me even when i have not been the best person, disappearing at times. and know that if i am to lose my home (which if it happens it happens we figure it out) that i will have somewhere to go.

thank you for this message and your understanding, it truly brings me so much comfort and reminds me to keep going

[theorist-influencer-untitled]

2.13.24 Tuesday

12:19 am

I still have windblow.....Strange missed call from Miles, I don't have extra money for now... hmm... Will reply later am... I know probably it is about money... Or should I avoid him???

Still, on a weird Detention kind of treatment on me/ still on an unplanned training. I need to keep this job coz I need money.

Princess sent me a picture she thought that was the Daddy-Bf that I was telling them but it was a different person.

Revo is in the room now... I said hi and he just smiled and quiet at the back, I think he is our main QA.

I'm with the team of Chloe coz I need to barge in again, I heard her "dry cough"... I told her Chloe it is a serious dry cough, take a meds. I just heard that it is really a dry cough.

Kaede is with someone now on the other bench here in the open field of Conduent...

It is so funny that I figured out this song coz Miles called me Peaches that it is supposed to be just Peach or Peachy. Fine Peaches! But this song is just my senti song whenever I feel that way...

6:52 am

It is a bullshit day today... I knew I said hi to Revo at an early time of my shift... I said hi Revo but he just looked at me then I figured out he is sick today...Our cute QA, but it didn't have any effect on him... Supposed to be he can save me about this matter... I got a suspension letter due to my spiel that I sent to my customer about the dialouge and the full SSN that supposed to be only the last 4 digit of the SSN. But I got the spiel coming from one of the HR personnel, he sent me this important spiel.

I find it so weird this industry, this call center....I feel that there is a conspiracy and it will always be against me.

8:48 am

I'm here in the house now... Well, I need to rest and I need to apply again and tender my resignation together with my explanation coz I don't want to end a relationship in a bad way...

Plus, my 3 condoms are still intact! Still, here angels....Still, complete!

I can't understand Revo, is it bad to have 2 bf's... A black and a white???

I need a job and I need money... I want black-Daddy-Bf but he is not around! Revo is cute but he didn't save me from those hearìngs or issues, I need money...

8:59 am

Yeah! I know Revo is fucking cute half of my age just like I like Black Daddy-Bf coz our road is going to a mature road coz my age now is 42 and my Black-Daddy I think 50 plus...

40 for women, is considered old or wiser women...Since, I can't find Black Daddy for now... I supposed to have a white bf like Revo just to save my dying ass coz I need a job and money and I want special treatment, supposed to be!

10:15 am

My batchmate in Conduent!

1:14 pm

I'm not mad at all but I feel irritated why I can't get success in call center. There is a mystery, I know and it is their right to keep the mystery but why I can't have a closer soul or much more closer friends. I mean I was ohkay with my batch mate in Conduent coz I handled them correctly. I mean there were times that I felt that I wasn't really belong in the group but I have maturity to flow as a mature person and to handle this different kind of camaraderie in a way there were angle that they did care for me like the way I care for everyone. That is what we called professionalism in a work field and maturity! Maturity to have a camaraderie...

I figured it out that in a relationship whether it is about love on love or love on friendship or simply platonic. There is no perfect relationship but we have a smooth harmony by doing give and take or catch me when I fall or I will catch you when you fall... Professionalism!!!

Coz it is the way of mature people....But we have camaraderie... I'm just having a hard time I don't have a buddy, that's why I'm looking for a bf.

A buddy meaning your closer partner even as friends in the circle of any particular group.

It can be Revo supposed to be but we should be really partner there...

On my Black american Daddy-Bf that I saw few weeks ago....I just like him that night that I saw him, I just need a companion much more mature coz it is not bad to work and get a mature bf. I accidentally saw him and I just like him.

1:53 pm

Being fair sometimes I distance myself from them though at the beginning I got some few invites coming from them as well that we should eat together,if I want... But my starter money was so tight, the timing to blend with their invites was not good for me though I wanted to... I was on a THRIFT! I chose to be alone or have some space... I feel conscious...

I have maturity that it is a work place, we are being an autistic in a way coz some should go back like me and some should ride on to the people who are trapped and can't go back. For some people who ride on or blend it is a self-progress for them and doing good to other people is a good act as a child of God. Karma begets Karma... For me it is a recovery and a bit of a temporary self-healing or trying to recall myself.

Plus, we are there as mature people having a mature life meaning we are being in a way an autistic coz in a call center, it will be always have a room for you to be a child again or in a way if you get success it is a "rebirth". Rebirth means the new you!

Plus, my bathroom moment is really hellish for some other people that possibly only my good old friends can swallow it or can take it to their tough tummy.

My old gf like Mitch, yeah! She knew my bathroom habits oh! My Gosh! I'm stiff but I'm the woman of glam it is weird right? I was raised up by a vanity and I wanted vanity until now...

Hating Mitch if she became famous or doing a group as a mickey mouse without telling me since 2007? Is she part of the people who gave me that "simple battery".

So,I can't force other new workmates to be with me in the bathroom coz yeah you can be young again in call center but mainly it is a work place, where people need to earn for their personal expenses or family expenses or to pay their serious credits or to pay bills...

6:16 pm

I'm planning to diet tomorrow.... Bitterish!

6:47 pm

I still have windblow... It feels like someone breaks my heart or someone broke it like Miles who is trying to reconnect but still hurting me for not apologizing but I'm not mad... I just feel numb...

Whew! I ate toblerone a dark chocolate, some red ribbon chocolate cake, spaghetti, I even ate rice with upper pares soup. It feels hurt and bitterish...

I feel ugly and fat....It feels that I wanna have a make over but I don't have money. I wanna do nose perfection and call me crazy a brazilian butt lift but just secondary coz I don't wanna appear super petite.I prefer being curvy...I want to do nose perfection.... It is a mixed up today.

I feel like crying my deep within.....I have complex... Where is my Daddy-bf???

I feel the frustration....Daddy it's time to play... Daddy's home... Home for me???

7:01 pm

When my heart is breaking, I'm in pain... I feel hurt here in my heart that I can't explain... I feel like crying... I feel heavy that my heart will explode.....

But you still need to control, still weird, you wanna sleep and cry and sleep and cry....

7:42 pm

I still have windblow and weird deep inside now...

I remember my first heart ache I cried so loud....I cried as if I was 7 years old... It was funny and weird but I felt that way....

On my 2nd heartache my tears were suddenly falling that I couldn't stop... I don't know how to control not to let my tears fall...