#marketing campaigns take months to plan | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

justagalwhowrites · 2 months

Text

TikTok Trend

Beautiful decides to take part in a TikTok Trend with Joel. A New in Town drabble.

^We're borrowing Mr. Ben for a late-40s Joel, OK? I desperately need more gifs of Pedro's Joel from that era, I'm too reliant on other characters and actual Pedro gifs for these fics GIVE ME SOMETHING PLEASE

Pairing: Joel Miller x Female Reader from New in Town

Warnings: Not much! Age gap but not the focus of the fic (reader is 36, Joel is 48). No use of Y/N. Minors DNI 18+ only.

Length: 1.4k

A/N: I got stuck thinking earlier how Joel would react to the "call your boyfriend your husband" trend and this is how I think it'd go. This is set about 3 months before the last chapter of New in Town. This can be read as a stand alone fic with the understanding that reader is Sarah's best friend and Joel and Reader have an established relationship of about a year.

“So what’s this for again?” Joel asked as he sat down at the picnic table in the park.

“It’s a TikTok challenge,” you said, settling in beside him. Joel opened the paper bag the two of you had just gotten from a food truck and started taking out the tacos, putting some in front of you and him.

“Right,” he said. “And… I’m sorry, baby, but what’s the point?”

You laughed as you set your phone against your water bottle so it was propped up and ready to film.

“There isn’t really one, I guess,” you said. “It’s just a fun little video you make and then share. Those interns I have until May are all about it, they were showing me some of theirs the other day. Figure if I work in marketing, I gotta keep up with the trends!”

Joel smiled a little.

“So this is the kind of shit Sarah does, huh?”

“Yeah, she does,” you laughed again. “Her and the interns made one for the company social page the other day, actually.”

“Can I see?” He asked, interest suddenly piqued.

“Sure,” you picked your phone back up and found your company’s TikTok, scrolling to the video and handing it off to Joel.

“We work in marketing, of course we over analyze every ad we see,” Sarah said through your phone, a small smile on Joel’s face as he watched.

It made you smile, too. One of the fun parts about being in the strange middle ground between your boyfriend’s and best friend’s ages was serving as a bit of a translator between them. Joel still didn’t quite get TikTok. Sarah didn’t understand why her dad refused to go all in on streaming and still had cable. You, at least, could see both sides.

But this TikTok effort had nothing to do with Sarah. You did try to keep up with the trends on social media to better craft campaigns and content - capitalizing on trends meant that you had to move quick and you couldn’t afford to be out of touch - but your personal TikTok account was mostly empty. It was pretty private, anyway, shared with only a few close friends like Sarah and Maria. All it had were a few reposts of things you liked, some montages of video snippets from you and Joel’s first vacation together, that sort of thing.

“You should do some of the trends!” Jason, one of your interns, said earlier that day.

“Just being in the loop on trends is plenty for me,” you waved him off but smiled. “I don’t need to participate.”

“But it’s fun!” Kenzie, your other intern said. “They’re not all dances and stuff, you know…”

“I know,” you said. “But it’s just not what I want to spend a lot of time doing is all.”

“Some don’t take much time,” she said, opening her phone and scrolling for a second. “Here, this one’s easy. You said you have a boyfriend, right?”

“I do…”

“Cool,” she said. “So all you do is record yourself making a video where you call your boyfriend your husband, just to see how he reacts. No crazy edits or anything, it’s super easy.”

You caved after some light convincing and came up with a plan to get Joel in front of the camera. You told him it was a spicy food challenge, just to see which of you handled the heat better and, while you knew he wouldn’t really get the point, you knew he’d be supportive. He always was.

But there was something about this trend in particular that made you a little nervous. It’s not like the two of you hadn’t discussed marriage. You’d been together a year now, you’d just moved into his house. It had definitely come up. But it had come up in the way that far off things do, something that might happen some day if things fell into place in just the right way. You didn’t want to push it, didn’t want him to feel rushed or obligated, especially since you’d only been cohabitating about a month. Bringing up marriage - even like this - made you nervous.

“OK I think I get it,” Joel handed you your phone back after watching Sarah’s video twice. “But we’re not doin’ that same thing, right?”

“Nope,” you said. “We’re going to see who handles the spice better.”

“Think we both know which one of us is gonna win that one, Beautiful,” he teased, nuzzling his nose against your temple before kissing your cheek. “Us southern men are made of sterner stuff…”

“Yeah yeah,” you rolled your eyes but smiled, leaning close to him. “We’ll just see about that.”

You set your phone up to record again, propping it against your water bottle.

“Here, you gotta get in close because the TikTok format is vertical,” you said and Joel adjusted so you were half beside and half in front of him, his arm going around your waist, hand finding your hip, thumb slipping up below your shirt to find your bare flesh above the band of your pants and brushing you slowly, sensually there. You gave him a look.

“What?” He asked, brows raised, smile barely contained.

“Don’t act all innocent,” you shook your head. “You know exactly what you’re doing…”

“C’mon,” he said. “Let’s make your little TikTik video…”

“TikTok,” you rolled your eyes but adjusted yourself, your heart pounding.

“Whatever the kids are using now,” he said. “Because the sooner we’re done the sooner I can get you home…”

“Alright, I’m going to record,” you cut him off. “Behave yourself!”

“Always do, Beautiful.”

You rolled your eyes again but took a deep breath, leaned forward and pressed record.

“Hi everyone,” you smiled, watching the recording of you and Joel as it was made on the screen. “I’m here with my husband and we’re going to do the spicy food challenge…”

“Your what?” He cut you off and you turned so you could see him a little better.

“What?”

“Did…” he paused, looking at you like he wasn’t sure if you were losing it or he was. You weren’t sure if that was good or bad. “Did you just call me your husband?”

“Yeah,” you shrugged, turning back to the camera. “Anyway, my husband and I both really love spicy food and…”

You didn’t get a chance to finish your sentence. Joel grabbed your chin almost roughly, pulling you around to face him and all but crushed his lips against yours, clutching you close, kissing you deep and hard, like he couldn’t get enough of you. When he finally let you go, you looked at him and laughed a little, watching him.

“What was that for?” You asked.

“You wanna call me your husband?” He asked, a serious look on his face. “Beautiful, we will go to the courthouse right this damn second, don’t tempt me…”

“Joel, it’s 7 p.m.,” you laughed. “The courthouse is closed.”

“Don’t care,” he said, giving you a quicker kiss this time. “C’mon, we’ll grab Sarah on the way, see if Tommy wants to meet us…”

“That’s all it takes, hm?” You teased, heart pounding but for a good reason now. “Just me slipping up and calling you my husband and you’re ready to run down the aisle?”

“Baby, I’ve been ready to run down the aisle for about a year,” he pressed his forehead to yours. “Just been waitin’ on you to catch up.”

“Well,” you kissed him softly. “I’m more than caught up. But think I’m still gonna make you ask.”

“Good luck stopping me,” he said, kissing you again, longer this time, needier, until you pulled away with a groan. “Forget this food challenge, I gotta get you home and devour you. Let’s go, wife.”

You laughed and stopped the recording on your phone, saving the video to drafts as Joel gathered up the food. You made the mental note to edit out that last part before posting, no need for the interns or Sarah to know quite that much about your sex life.

“Sorry for ruining your little video,” he said as you started back toward the car. “We can try again later, promise to actually behave myself then…”

“That’s alright,” you smiled, lacing your fingers with his. “I already got everything I need.”

#fanfic #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x reader #joel miller x you #joel miller x oc #new in town

310 notes · View notes

breelandwalker · 3 months

Text

Willow Wings Witch Shop - March 2024 Newsletter

March is here, the spring equinox approaches, and as the weather changes, new opportunities and new growth begin to emerge. It’s a time for greening, a time for awakening, and a time to set our plans in motion for the coming season.

This month’s theme is Luck Magic.

Whether you’re looking to turn around a run of poor fortune, give your finances a boost, or sway probability in your favor, luck magic can take many forms. Check out the gallery below to see some of the options available in the shop and don't miss our newest arrival - Lucky Day Powder!

(Make sure you sign up for the email list to get monthly discount codes!)

Featured Products:

Upcoming Events:

Haunted Witch Market Sunday, Mar 24 2024, 6pm-10pm Diversity Richmond 1407 Sherwood Ave, Richmond VA Hosted by River City Witch Markets

This month on Hex Positive:

Ep. 044 - THE LAST WITCH with Annika Hylmö, Ph.D. Bree welcomes writer/director Annika Hylmö into the virtual studio to discuss the forthcoming documentary, THE LAST WITCH. This poignant story tells the tale of some very determined Massachusetts middle-schoolers and their campaign to secure exoneration for the last unpardoned victim of the Salem witch trials, Elizabeth Johnson Jr. Make sure you're following on your favorite podcast app!

Follow me on Tumblr, Instagram, and Wordpress for the latest updates and announcements, as well as plenty of tips for growing your craft and building your skills.

Happy Witching! 🍀

#witchcraft #witchblr #witch community #witch shop #luck magic #luck spells #money spells #witchy things

84 notes · View notes

jq37 · 3 months

Text

The Report Card – Fantasy High Junior Year Ep 4 Shrimp and Strudel

Welcome back to the Report Card where we’re gonna waste no time with just getting into it as the last ep ended on a big cliffhanger.

We pick up where we left off–Kristen talking to Cass who is petting Kalina–currently in her cat form and claiming that she’s not bad anymore (with a verbal “meow” which is so unsettling/funny). Kristen isn’t buying it but it’s not a crazy claim. If Cass is bad, she should be bad and if Cass is good, likewise.

Good or bad, she is still very eyes on the prize and immediately starts grilling Kristen on what her plans are as Cass’s sole cleric–a fair question considering she’s all that stands between Cass (and Kalina by extension) and oblivion. Cass tries to keep the peace between her familiar and her cleric and even gives Kristen an out: she’s gotten invitations to quit being a god and be an archfey of the Autumn Court instead. But Kristen doesn’t seem to want to take it. She says she does believe in Cass but she’s kind of hard to evangelize for because her whole deal is a hard pill to swallow even if it’s more true and deeper than the certainty other religions provide. Kalina’s eyes narrow and she says that Kristen’s a shitty saleswoman.

Kalina instead wants to go with a pitch of, “Hey? Do you wanna wield sick ass night magic and crush your enemies?” Which Kristen thinks is kind of a betrayal of Cass’ whole ethos. Kalina thinks they can quibble over details once Cass has more than TWO followers (shoutout Craig) and Cass on one level gets where Kristen is coming from but on a deeper level REALLY doesn’t wanna die. She says that their plans aren’t actually conflicting and they can work on both of them! She asks Kristen when she has the bandwidth to talk about this and Kristen is like, right now! All she cares about is Cass…and her campaign. Kalina is clearly so over this and reminds Cass that though they can’t actually go to the material plane, there are places they can talk to mortals outside of the material plane like the Synod of Spyre (wizard hub where they incidentally just put in a new mall!). Wizards like magic and mystery and stars, right? Cass is all about all of those things! It’s an untapped market!

A plan is set for them to head to the mall over the weekend and Kristen sincerely apologizes for dropping the ball and hurting Cass’s feelings. Cass tells her that she doesn’t need to be sorry, that she’s there for her when things are uncertain, and that she believes in her. She kisses Kristen on the forehead and sends her back to school.

At lunch, Adaine tries to call Aelwyn but gets her answering machine. Aelwyn texts to ask what’s up (she’s in class “looking after bozos”) and Adaine says she’ll call her later. She texts an “I love you” and then deletes it, causing a torrent of divination spells to come in as Aelwyn tries to figure out what the deleted message was.

Before Fabian heads to lunch, he has a banking interlude with his banker at KVX (Alston) who tells him his trust is worth 20 million gold and he gets an allowance of 5k gold a month. Rich as he is, Fabian is staggered by the amount of money and asks if there’s a way to cash it all out now. Alston says that due to a clause left by his dad (meant to encourage him to forge his own path), he can cash out 2 million but then the rest would go to his various nemeses (with a small cut to the bank). They apparently have a whole department just for tracking the nemeses of their clients. Chungledown Bim is listed as one of Fabian’s nemeses so he immediately shuts down talk of cashing out. Chungledown Bim with 18 million gold? Terrifying. Alston offers Fabian a free trial of Nemesis Alert which lets you know if anyone on your planet has sworn vengeance on you but Fabian declines, having the foresight to know that he’ll forget to cancel.

Once everyone is at lunch, Riz uses the Message cantrip to tell everyone that Kipperlily Copperkettle (KP) was spying on them and overheard them talking about Kristen’s god dying. They look around to check if she’s spying on them right down and don’t see her but, on a Nat 20, Fabian senses…something. He immediately signs up for that free trial of nemesis alert and is told that no one has sworn vengeance on him in the last 30 days (but what about before that Alston???? What about before 30 days ago?????). Adaine turns on her wizard feature that lets her see invisibility and walks around the cafeteria, but doesn’t clock anyone.

Gorthalax shows up to hype up the boys for Bloodrush tryouts later in the day and Fabian asks about the Rat Grinders. Gorthalax says that their Barbarian (Mary Ann) is trying out later and offers to tell them where the name comes from. It’s just what we speculated last week. These posers are literally level grinding! They’re farming XP by going to the woods just outside of school (Where the week 2 freshman go to practice) and killing rats, spiders, and twig gremlins. They made it to Junior Year by just killing rattatas on route 1! Apparently, they do this for 3 hours at the end of every day and 9 hours every weekend. Riz is HISSING with rage at how against the spirit of the rules this is. But here’s the thing. Grinding low level monsters to get this far is very uncool. But the focus it takes? Kind of impressive. And that thought strikes Riz through the rage.

After lunch, Gorgug goes to talk to Henry Hopclap (gnomish Artificer teacher with the same last name as the Rat Grinder bard btw). He sees an equation on the board and tries to have a Good Will Hunting moment but ends up just trying to solve for Henry’s email address and phone number. Minor mathematical blunder aside, Henry tells Gorgug that he actually approved his MCAT, but Porter had the last word. He tells Gorgug that he doesn’t actually have to be an Artificer in a school sanctioned capacity just because he’s passionate about it. He can just do it on his own time. But Gorgug is determined so Henry tells him that there’s technically another way: he can take three years of Artificing at the same time and withdraw from Barbarian classes.

I took psychic damage from hearing that and I took even more when Gorgug decided to do that AND take Barb classes (which Henry says that he can do but he has to run that by Porter).

Though Henry is way more supportive than Porter, he still tells Gorgug that this is gonna be an uphill battle. Junior Year artificing is already very hard and there’s never been a Barb/Art multiclass at Aguefort before. Like Porter, he says that he doesn’t really see how the passion you need to be a good Barbarian and the dispassionate focus you need to be a good Artificer mesh together, but he’s rooting for him. The other students filter in and, based on how well equipped they are, it seems like our boy has a lot of catching up to do.

Meanwhile, Fabian gets the other half of his MCAT paperwork signed off by his Fighting teacher (Corsisca Jones who looks a LOT like Aabria who played her younger sister Antiope Jones in The Seven) with barely any conversation or pushback about it. Must be nice!

During a break period, the Bad Kids are hanging out on the quad. Riz and Kristen work together on Kristen’s paperwork and his applications for as many clubs as possible while they both down coffee. Fig is trying to see if she can figure out where in time the fossils Ayda sent her are from so she can send a message but she’s beaten to punch when a weary knight from “Order of the Sacred Scroll” shows up with a message his order has protected for 1500 years. One that he killed his brother for peeking at. One that he’s devoted his life to. Fig opens it up and it’s literally just a “Love you, Miss you,” postcard from Ayda.

Porter (who we learn loves Fig despite the fact and honestly largely because of the fact that she hates him and he appreciates a good rage) shows up and Gorgug goes to tell him that he’s going to triple down on his classes. His friends say that he’s really smart and he can handle it. Porter says that he’ll let Gorgug do it if one of his friends audits the class with him to help him and Fig happily agrees.

After school, Aelwyn calls Adaine and we learn exactly what kind of teacher Aelwyn is as she says that she got sent to the principal’s office for making some of her students cry. Thank you for letting her stay in Elmville, Brennan. Anyway, Adaine rattles off the list of insanely expensive things she needs for class and Aelwyn suggests some solutions: (1) They can find and kill their mom in order to inherit, (2) they can sell drugs, (3) they can sell weapons, (4) Adaine can maybe…get a job? Adaine doesn’t know how to get a job and asks Aelwyn how she got hers. Apparently, she blackmailed the principal. With what, asks Adaine. Photographs Aelwyn says with a coy smile and Adaine requests that Aelwyn not enlighten her any further. Adaine laments the fact that she had to give up all her dragon madness gold and then signs off with a verbal “I love you” that she tries to take back. Aelwyn pounces on it like one of her five cats. “I heard you say it!” she says with a villainous laugh. “I win. You've exposed yourself to me.” She hangs up and, once again, Brennan, thank you.

We cut to Bloodrush tryouts where Fabian gives an honestly really good speech to the team and prospective recruits (tres Jammer). Riz is also at tryouts because, remember, he’s trying out for literally everything. We see a drow student (Hexblade Warlock Max Durden) give a really good showing and Riz give a not so great performance. Then, Mary Ann Skuttle shows up–the Barbarian of the Rat Grinders who’s this tiny kobold girl with aesthetic, kawaii plushies on her backpack. None of that energy is on her face though and she seems very unenthused to be there, answering all questions with short, monotone answers. On the field though? She’s a monster. She absolutely bodies Gorgug, sending him flying across in the field in a way that no one has before (Brennan says that he needed to beat a 33). And she didn’t even get a running start! Gorthalax is thrilled to get her on the team so that they can finally beat their rivals (the Hellions). Riz uses one of his gadgets to cast detect magic and sees that she was buffed with magic (but that’s not illegal in Bloodrush). Gorthalax breaks the news to him that he didn’t make the team and he just runs to the next club on his list. Gotta pad that resume!

After school, Kristen meets up with Bucky who has a lot of the same energy she had on her first day. He’s a Helioic Paladin as we suspected and he’s been telling people they’re going to hell. Kristen doesn’t *love* that but she does tell Bucky to campaign for KP while he’s proselytizing to try to poison the waters a bit. Bucky says that he really misses her and that he hasn’t told their parents about all the gold she sent. Kristen tries to convince him that maybe the concept of hell they grew up with isn’t real, but that’s hard to argue when two separate devils (Fig and Gorthalax) are literally in the room with them. Bucky recognizes the Rat Grinders symbol on the pin Kristen gives him and says the new Helioic cleric from Highcourt (who their parents love) has one of those. We don’t get any more info from him though because Kristen drops an F bomb in front of him and he runs away like a scared puppy.

Fabian drops some hints that he’s lonely in his big empty house so the gang heads to Seacaster Manor for a study party. They Doordash some pad thai and Adaine gets a text from Aelwyn which has a link to job listings at the Synod mall. On a pretty low Investigation check (6) she finds an ad for a place called Oodles of Strudel that pays 2 silver a day and doesn’t require a resume, just an interview.

A lot happens during this study party so I’m gonna go through it rapid fire:

Kristen tells everyone that Kalina is back.

Riz learns (as a residual part of his 30 Investigation roll from last ep) that party comp is announced at the end of their first day and if it changes (ie: someone leaves the party or dies) everyone else goes pass/fail which excludes them from extra credit which would exclude them from scholarships and such. So everyone has to stick together and not die!

Adaine goes to the Synod mall and interviews with a dude named Biff at Oodles of Strudel (where they pump strudel in from a strudel dimension because sure). She gets the job! Though idk if that’s worth celebrating because it’s 8 hour shifts and she has to work the night shift because of school.

Fabian texts Mazey and determines that if he’s going to be a maximum legend like he wants, he has to host a party on the first weekend back and he’s committed.

Fig, shockingly, goes to class AGAIN. It must have been cut from last episode but she learned that warlock classes meet at night and decided to check them out. The teacher is a hot vampire lady with a celestial paramour patron so Fig is like, all in right away. Not only that, she rolls a Nat 20 to catch up and it turns out that, as we already know, when she’s dialed in, she’s really good at this stuff! Plus, warlock is a charisma class and she has charisma for days. With warlocks it seems like it’s all about paperwork but really it’s about relationships, bargains, and exchange. As Zara tells Fig after class is over, these are things that everyone deals with every day, the power is just more potent when the bargains are struck consciously. Zara says she’ll approve her MCAT if she wants and Fig, eager to avoid work on her Sophomore album and genuinely taken by the class, agrees.

Ragh shows up at the manor and Adaine asks how Tracker is doing. He says she’s doing great and the four months of night were honestly great for her whole situation as cleric of the moon goddess. Kristen GRILLS his ass about the “bitch on her lap” on her socials and Ragh (who was supposed to let Tracker break this news but cracks under Kristen’s manic energy) says it’s her new girlfriend, elven princess Naradriel–Nara for short (another girl with a dog name Kristen laments as though her first girlfriend isn’t named TRACKER). Ragh says Nara has been trying to have Tracker and her go Facebook official for a while and that photo she saw was her compromise. Kristen gives Rgh the go-ahead to tell Tracker she can reach out. Ragh says she’s cooler than Nara and he’s rooting for her.

And that’s about it! The next week is hella busy for the whole crew. School crashes down on them like a tidal wave. There’s their actual classes, extracurriculars, and the campaign which everyone is super invested in. They recruit Torek Railgrinder (skater dwarf in the LGBT club and Drama club) to build a ramp off Fabain’s roof so Kristen can ride it off his roof into the pool which he will have filled with tartar sauce because it’s going to be the Ultimate Shrimp Party obviously. The party planning is also in full swing and EVERYONE is invited. That includes freshmen, Hudol kids, even cool middle schoolers. Ragh is buying them beer. The idea is that they can two birds this and make Fabian a Maximum Legend and Kristen super cool at the same time so people will vote for her.

(Also, this doesn’t matter to the plot but Kristen gives a campaign speech at a steel mill for some reason–like a steel mill with adult workers–where Kristen is injured by a buzzsaw and Fig is once again questioned by Agent Clark (who she throws off the scent by saying Wanda left for the Red Waste). Not plot relevant but I HAD to mention it for the sake of posterity.)

But we quickly see the seams start to show. Fabian is forced to skip Bloodrush practice so he can set up the party. Adaine gets the new work schedule and sees that she has to work during the party. She texts Fabian that she has to work but she’ll show up later and doesn’t get a response back. Then she texts everyone else to ask if Fabian is mad at her.

We follow Adaine to work where she’s met by none other than Kalina (in tabaxi form) who is there handing out pamphlets with Cassandra. She asks if Kristen is on her way and Adaine doesn’t know what she’s talking about. As far as she knows, Kristen can’t even get to the Synod without her help. Kalina asks if she can go grab her but Adaine says she’s at work and she can’t just leave.

Back at the Manor, Kristen gets a brain ping from Cass who asks Kristen if she’ll be there soon. Kristen is full deer in headlights–she didn’t realize that she was supposed to be helping with that. She thought she was Team Material Plane and they were Team Synod. (And, in fairness to her, in this instance I understand how she could have thought that if the only conversation they had about this was the one that we saw but wild that they wouldn’t check in day before when Cass can talk in her mind) She quickly tries to finesse the situation and claims that with such a big crowd gathered, she’ll be able to spread the word to tons of people. Cass is briefly excited until she sees through Kristen’s eyes that her supposed recruitment drive is actually an Ultimate Shrimp Party.

Back at the mall, Adaine watches red light burst through Cass’s chest as she cries out in pain and collapses to the ground. At Kalina’s behest, Adaine texts Kristen to get her ass to the mall right away. The non-Adaine Bad Kids try to make a plan to save the party–maybe Fig can do the shrimp jump disguised as Kristen–but the situation at the mall gets more dire. Cassandra, still in agony, yells, "This isn't fair!" She bleeds indigo and the light from her chest sails out and hits a nearby wizard. That wizard grows crazed and buff and kills his friend by smashing his skull open with his quarterstaff. Kalina is horrified. Adaine is horrified. The other mall patrons are horrified–the ones who aren’t getting possessed at least. Cass is on all fours, growing larger, and there are three more of those red light things coming out of her.

Adaine, who now has a special Synod key as an employee, opens a portal so her friends can join her. Everyone (including a kind of reluctant Fabian) joins right as the portal Adaine closes and that’s it for the ep! Next week, showdown at the Synod!

Honor Roll

Kalina for Having Cassandra’s Back

I never thought I’d give this to her but who else is looking out for Cass like Kalina right now? Nobody. I felt so bad for her handing out pamphlets at the mall. I’ve had to do that and it’s NOT fun. I’m glad she has someone sticking up for her and diligently looking out for her interests, even though it’s someone who I referred to as “the bitch” last week, lol.

(Honorable mention to Fig for honestly being a great student. Way to go girl, you might just graduate yet.)

Detention

Aelwyn for Blackmailing the Middle School Principal with Photographs To Get A Job

This is entirely affectionate. Also, unlike Adaine, I’m curious about what the level of blackmail is that allows you to strongarm your way into a job but still subjects you to being reprimanded by the person you’re blackmailing.

((Dis)honorable to Fabian for his rich boy shenanigans which I touch on below.)

Random Thoughts

“Meat mama”

Insane that KVX Bank still exists and they literally just changed their logo from red to blue.

Was anyone else getting Berries and Cream vibes from the new lunch lad? (if you know, you know)

Fig got hurt yet again in this episode and stuck her hand in construction putty. Last episode I called out that both mishaps so far had involved construction equipment but now we’re officially out of two nickels territory and into rule of threes. Brennan, what are you playing at?

She also got food on herself twice (creamed corn and pad thai) and mimed eating it both times. Emilyyyyyyy grossssssss.

Fabian got the confirmation that no one has declared him as a nemesis for the past 30 days but I would have asked for a full list. We know they have one because CDB is from like a year ago at least.

I thought it was odd that Henry said that what was needed for artificing was “dispassionate focus” when I feel like a lot of people I know who tinker irl are actually intensely passionate about what they do.

As a side note, Henry said that Porter couldn’t stop Gorgug from tripling down while taking Barb classes–just that he wanted Gorgug to tell him as a professional courtesy. So I’m not sure why Porter was able to attach a condition to Gorgug’s being there.

Porter’s, “God this sucks” when Gorgug started talking about his feelings was extremely unprofesh but objectively funny.

Actually, roundup of all the funniest parts of this episode:

1)The entire Adaine and Aelwyn conversation but especially (1) The bit about Fig being attached to Ayda’s feathers, (2) Photographs :), and (3) Jawbone no-selling her sinister flirting followed by her immediately moving out.

2)Bloodbath and Beyond

3)Adaine not wanting to use a ladle at her job because of the Trauma (™) from Freshman Year (RIP Doreen).

4)Fabian nodding knowingly when Adaine talks about killing her dad like it’s a normal, relatable experience.

5)“What's the drinking age in Solace, if you're a pirate?”/“You guys have murdered so many people.”

6)“You find Siobhan Thompson.”

Don’t know if this matters but both the Artificing teacher and the Warlock teacher are new hires. Henry is said to be fresh out of college and Zara took over because the last guy (Evan Freem) failed his warlock pact and was devoured. I suspect out of game it’s just so Brennan can bring in interesting new NPCs that fit the plot for this season and he had to retcon whatever names he gave them for the faculty in Freshman Year. Not sure if there’s an in-game angle though.

Brennan asks Fig where she thinks she gets her warlock powers from and she says, “I think it's from my dad or my bloodline or my legacy” That answer isn’t weird but I dunno the fact that he asked about a thing that I thought was already established struck me as off so it’s going on the list of notes.

I loved Fig being rewarded for sneaking her name onto the class list by Zara who rightfully says that when it comes to warlocks, it’s all about what’s on the page. Brennan really invented a teacher to force Fig/Emily to get invested in class.

Kristen trying to talk Bucky out of being scared of hell is another instance of the metaphor of Kristen’s arc brushing up against the reality of their world because some of y’all have *literally* been to hell. This isn’t real life where religion is all nebulous and personal. Hell is a place you can just go and, again, several of you HAVE BEEN. It’s not a silly thing for him to be scared of.

Lol at Adaine who drank half a beer one time getting Bucky starry eyed by her Bad Kid exploits (said exploits being drinking that half a beer).

So the new Helioic Cleric. What’s his deal? Have we been to Highcourt before? I don’t think so but it’s been mentioned as the place that the Applebees want to send their kids for school so they don’t turn out heathens so maybe it’s a bit theocratic or traditional? Also, did the Rat Grinders lose their OG cleric or did they just never have one seeing as they’re just fighting weenie monsters? Why did they suddenly decide to pick up a cleric? To round out their party comp or because they know they’ll be needing one soon? How did they convince this guy to join up with them first day? I wish Kristen had gotten more info but I’m excited to see where this is going.

I wanna get your votes in now. Are the Rat Grinders evil or do their vibes just suck? Because it really could go either way. I really can’t wait to see what the rest of them are like and how they contrast their corresponding BK members.

Sidenote: So far, every time we’ve met a Rat Grinder they’ve been alone. As opposed to the Bad Kids who hang out as much as possible. I wonder if we’re just never catching them together or if they literally don’t hang out when they don’t have to.

The Hangman is so adorable when he’s like, “I don’t wanna do a shrimp jump but if you ask I will because I love you :(“ Big sad puppy energy. Be nicer to your bike Fabian!

Also, I said this in an ask earlier but despite the fact that Adaien’s financial situation isn’t Fabian’s problem–even if he’s 18 he’s still a child–he can’t be mad at her for not going to his party from his pirate ship mansion with his 5000 gold a month allowance. Come on now. The girl is filtering gold flakes from discounted liquor.

I didn’t mention it in the recap proper because school is also kicking my ass right now but we learn in this episode that the Kristen/Tracker breakup was amicable, followed by 3 months of radio silence, followed by WHO IS THAT BITCH ON HER LAP RAGH??? Curious to know what Nara’s vibe is. I want her to be chill but the little disagreement over whether to be public gives me pause. Not that that’s a relationship ender of course, but I’m wondering if it’s meant to hint at further discord or if Tracker just didn't want Kristen to find out like that or something else innocuous.

Nothing was outright stated but for like a second I felt like I caught a vibe that Ragh maybe felt bad about just being used to buy beer? But I could have imagined it.

I really love Kalina being in this episode to just really cut to the heart of the matter re: things involving Cass. Like it’s hard to use humor to deflect when there’s a steely eyed cat there who will just very evenly say exactly what the situation is. I also really love that Kalina can just be casually encountered at the mall. I cannot imagine being Adaine and getting jump scared by that.

(Sidenote: I wonder what Adaine’s other job options were if she didn’t go for the first one she found or if she’d rolled better.)

I know these are high schoolers, full children, but the idea that you would even be thinking about the shrimp party when your friend’s goddess is going supernova and your other friend is already on sight and in danger is WILD to me. People are dying Kim.

I also already said this in another post but my best guess about what’s happening to Cass is that she’s being affected by Kristen’s whole deal–Kristen has been obsessed with getting jacked, hence the buff wizards. It could be something totally different of course but that’s the best connection I can make with the info we currently have.

I understand why this can’t happen mechanically but it seems pretty low commitment to be a follower of Cass and I don’t think she’d be opposed to giving the Bad Kids a level of cleric for their trouble. Like, literally Adaine calling for a medic for Cass is as much if not more than we’ve seen Kristen for her so far this season. Why not help Cass not die and pick up some free healing spells in the process? Like they don’t even need to become clerics, just give them one low level healing spell like magic initiate for the cleric class. It’s not like any of the Bad Kids seem overly religious/like there’s another god they’re loyal to that would prevent them from doing this. Idk man, if I was in this position Cass would just have one more follower is what I’m saying.

#Dimension 20 #dimension 20 spoilers #d20 #d20 spoilers #fantasy high #fantasy high spoilers #fhjy #fhjy spoilers #spoilers #the report card #hit the character limit AGAIN lol #this is the last thing I wanted to say: Cass is so nice guys. I hope she’s OK :(

43 notes · View notes

beardedmrbean · 1 day

Text

WASHINGTON ― President Joe Biden is hiking tariffs on electric vehicles, semiconductors and several other goods imported from China, escalating a trade war between the two world's largest economies as the U.S. accuses Chinese competitors of unfair practices in industries the U.S. is trying to grow.

The moves, which come amid rising tensions between the U.S. and China, are designed to protect American industries in clean energy that the administration has targeted with major investments to try to catch up with China.

Other goods from China slapped with higher tariffs include solar cells, batteries, battery materials, cranes used at ports, and certain medical supplies, as well as steel and aluminum imported from China.

The Biden administration has for months accused China of unfair trade practices by flooding the global markets with goods at artificially low prices, putting U.S. manufacturing of electric vehicles, microchips and other goods at a steep disadvantage.

Lael Brainard, director of the National Economic Council in the White House, said the objective of the higher tariffs is to "make sure that historic investments in jobs spurred by President Biden's actions are not undercut by a flood of unfairly underpriced exports from China."

Biden, whose administration reviewed the tariff rates over the past year, is keeping intact more than $300 billion in tariffs imposed by former President Donald Trump. Biden will announce the new increases during a White House speech Tuesday.

Some of the tariff hikes include:

Electric vehicles from China: from 25% to 100% beginning this year.

Semiconductors from China: from 25% to 50% by 2025.

Lithium-ion batteries from China used in electric vehicles: from 7.5% to 25% this year.

Solar cells imported from China: from 25% to 50% this year.

Steel and aluminum products: form 0%-7.5% to 25% this year.

Ship-to-shore container cranes imported from China: from zero to 25% this year

Hospital syringes and needles made in China: from zero to 50% this year.

China pushed back strongly against the higher tariffs.

Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, called the moves "self-defeating" and against the consensus reached last November by Biden and Chinese President Jinping Xi during a summit in San Francisco.

"More importantly, it will harm the world’s green economic transition and climate action," Wenbin said. "We urge the U.S. to stop repairing and digging up the road at the same time, so to speak, and create enabling conditions for China-U.S. climate cooperation and global green transition."

Another ministry spokesman last Friday said, "China will take all necessary measures to defend its rights and interests."

The moves come as Biden is courting the support of working-class voters in Midwest battleground states including Michigan, the center of the U.S. auto industry, for the November election.

Biden is borrowing from the trade playbook of Trump, the Republican presumptive nominee, who routinely raised tariffs on Chinese goods during his four years in office.

"Where have you been for the last three and a half years? They should have done it a long time ago," Trump said Biden's tariffs, speaking outside a New York courtroom, where is attending day 17 of his hush-money trial. "But they've also got to do it on other vehicles, and they have to do it on a lot of other products. Because China's eating our lunch right now."

Biden has sought to differentiate his tariff approach with his predecessor's plan for new tariffs. Biden last month slammed Trump's campaign proposals as "across-the-board tariffs on all imports from all countries that could badly hurt American consumers." Trump has proposed a 60% or more tariff on all Chinese imports and warned the U.S. auto industry will face a "bloodbath" if he loses his election in November.

Biden has staked his economic agenda on reigniting a U.S. manufacturing boom centered on electric vehicles and clean energy.

The Biden administration says it has helped spur more than $860 billion in private investment through legislation passed during Biden's first two years in office that incentivized the manufacturing of electric vehicles, clean-energy products, microchips and other investments.

Brainard said the tariff hikes will "ensure that American businesses and workers have the opportunity to compete on a level playing field in industries that are vital to our future such as clean energy and semiconductors."

Biden called for the tripling of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from China during a campaign speech last month before the United Steelworkers union in Pittsburgh.

Each of the tariff increases reflect the recommendations of Biden's United States Trade Representative, Katherine Tai, who evaluated the rates as part of a mandatory four-year review.

#nunyas news

9 notes · View notes

honeyjars-sims · 6 months

Text

1.42 Honesty

Ambrose: Chanteeeeelllllll! It’s so good to see you, dear. I’m happy to report that both of your product reviews on Nota have helped bump up sales, which means you’ve earned a bonus!

Nico: Readers love your viewpoint. It’s clear they trust your opinion–and your taste level. If you keep it up, there will be more incentives on the horizon.

Chantal: That’s great news! I’m having so much fun writing these. Thanks so much for taking my idea to create a profile on Nota into consideration.

Ambrose: No, thank you for breathing new life into our social media campaign!

Nico: Our marketing research shows an uptick in customers from the 18-24 demographic and we think that’s largely in part to our social media presence in the last few months.

Chantal: Wow, that’s amazing! It’s so cool seeing all of our hard work paying off!

Ambrose: I’ve got my eye on you, Chantel. I see great things in your future. Now, Nico tells me you’re having some concerns about reviewing some of the products?

Chantal: Oh…well, not concerns exactly. I just wasn’t planning on reviewing some of the sexual health products since I’m not currently in a relationship. I wouldn’t want to put my stamp of approval on something I haven’t used.

Ambrose: I do understand that, honey, I honestly do. But I want to assure you that our products have to pass a very rigorous testing process. Everyone has their preferences, sure, but I’m not putting anything on the market that isn’t at the highest standards. You don’t have to worry about putting your name on a review of a low quality product, whether you’ve personally used it or not.

Chantal: I don’t understand. You want me to lie?

Ambrose: Of course not, no! I’m just saying, you could always do a spot test of the products, or maybe share them with a friend who could get use from them. You don’t have to use them exactly as directed to write an honest review.

Chantal: I guess not…

Ambrose: Of course, it’s up to you, dear. I just hate for you to miss out on earning money for reviewing more content. It would be a shame since you’re doing so well.

Chantal: Okay, I’ll think about it. I know a couple of people who might try some products out for me.

Ambrose: That’s great! Well, I have an interview to get ready for, but do keep me posted! Toodles!

Nico: I’m so sorry, Chantal, I wouldn’t have told her about your concerns if I thought she was going to pressure you about it. I thought she would be more understanding.

Chantal: It’s okay, I see her point of view. And I don’t want to stifle my success if I don’t have to.

Nico: Good. As long as you’re not upset. I was really just trying to look out for you.

Chantal: And I appreciate that. Really. I’m not upset at all, it’s really nice of you.

Nico: Well, you deserve it. And I’ll try to make it up to you. Hey, why don’t we go out tonight to celebrate your bonus? There’s a new nightclub downtown that I’ve heard good things about.

Chantal: A nightclub? Sounds fun, but I’m only 18, remember?

Nico: Oh God, that’s right! I keep forgetting. You’re so much more mature than I was at that age. Well, we could go somewhere else. Have any ideas?

Chantal: There’s a place near DSVU that doesn’t ID if you don’t mind hanging with college kids for the night.

Nico: Hmm, it would be fun to relive my college days. Count me in!

Chantal: Great, I’ll text you the details later.

Nico: I’m looking forward to it.

Chantal: Me, too.

Previous | Beginning | Beginning of chapter | Next

#ts4 #the sims #sims 4 #simblr #ts4 story #sims story #sims storyteling #simlit #what are you doing sir 😒#for context Nico is in his mid 20s #and he's her boss...tsk tsk #stksafeharbor #sh:chapter1 #sh:chantal #sh:ambrose #sh:nico #safeharborstory

26 notes · View notes

fujowebdev · 1 year

Text

After an intense 30-day campaign, The Fujoshi Guide to Web Development has officially raised $18,039. 🎉

We're immensely grateful for your trust and support, and look forward to the journey to come 💜

As we salute this feat, let's now cheer for those who made it happen.

✨Final Spotlight: The #FujoGuide Team ✨

You’ve already met many of our amazing contributors (if you need a refresher on our spotlights, find them at the end), but today we want to focus on those behind the scenes and highlight the incredible team that made our success possible.

While the hot men did a lot of heavy lifting in attracting (😘) people to our cause, a lot goes into successfully hitting ambitious goals like ours: planning, organization, research, marketing, and writing (omg so much writing).

It's impossible to accurately list everyone's contributions. This Kickstarter campaign, pulled off in only 2 months, is the collective work of an incredible team of people who came together with a mission: make programming accessible to fandom in the most hilarious way possible.

As project lead @essential-randomness found out, setting up a Kickstarter is a daunting task, even more than it seems to those who’ve never run one. Thankfully the @bobaboard community came together to her aid and managed to pull off the seemingly impossible.

Together with Slogbait, who did incredibly vital work, like setting up deadlines, budget, & rewards, a team of Kickstarter connoisseurs researched similar projects to understand what would go into making our campaign a success: the incredible @a-brilliant-loser & @elfwreck.

With data on our side, we started building. A fundamental part of this process was the research on expenses and manufacturers for the book and potential merch. Here, Candle provided us with his expertise in publishing and helped us understand the best options available.

At the same time, @tempural, @mizunotic helped us untangle the questions surrounding merchandise. What is popular with our audience? What are the best manufacturers around? What beautiful items can we afford to deliver to our amazing supporters?

Next, it was time for the practical setup: project lead @essential-randomness provided the first draft of our amazing campaign story, while @enigmalea and Heidi whipped it into the beautiful shape that will forever be immortalized on our Kickstarter page.

To decorate our riveting narrative, we needed graphics to match. As is April 1st tradition, project lead @essential-randomness got together with trusty pinch-hit designer CatBathingSun to create character cards and other campaign graphics, including the ones you saw on our socials.

But no Kickstarter campaign page is complete without captivating reward tiers. @a-brilliant-loser led this charge, coming up with our creative "GIT"-based naming and taking care of other copy needs. On the art side, @cmdonovann contributed the Boba-tans decorating our limited tiers.

Launching the campaign was a lot of work on its own. But that work, while important, could not have pushed us to these incredible heights without our incredible social media and marketing team, who worked tirelessly this whole month to reach and inspire old and new supporters.

While many people worked on this, we want to first shout out the amazing work of @owlpockets, who whipped our content calendar into shape, taught us social media strategy (and alt-texting), and helped us navigate the unknown waters of relentless promotion.

Then we have project lead @essential-randomness who spent an uncountable number of hours devising our marketing strategy and writing the threads that entertained you during this campaign.

As she herself writes, "May she now finally get to go back to coding, instead!"

But she could not have done it without collaborators like @elendraug, @enigmalea, and, again, @owlpockets, who painstakingly reviewed and improved her drafts and provided immense support throughout this extremely intense, exhilarating, month-long tour de force.

There are many other contributions-smaller, yes, but not less integral to our success. Like @thebiballerina, who first helped us wrap our heads around the inner workings of social media strategy, or @cmdonovann who kept our Discord updated on the week's happenings.

And then all the people who supported us with small (and big) bits here and there, like our very own Secret Final Boss, @thunder-the-ranger-wolf, Tovanish, @madgastronomer, Cante, Mantra, @PamuyaBlue, @playerprophet, @ignitiondork, @nianeyna, @codeargent and so many more.

Our artists, obviously, like our art director @brokemycrown; character designers @sgt-spank, @mappapapa, and @ymkse_art; illustrators @ikam177, Ererifan915, @kiwipon, @catter-bug, @admiralexclipse, and @tempural. Sensitivity readers, like @admiralexclipse and @angelfeast.

And then our project organizers, like our aforementioned anonymous contributor and @enigmalea who worked tirelessly on logistics and wrangling and showed up repeatedly to pick up all the dangling bits and pieces that a project this ambitious inevitably has.

Last but definitely not least, our project lead and director @essential-randomness who brought-and kept!-everyone together, oversaw and pitched in on every aspect of the project, designed our notepads (she's proud of them), and provided the initial investment that made this a reality.

And with this, our last spotlight comes to a close. We'd pitch the Kickstarter link here, but we're done with that for now. ;)

Thank you everyone for your incredible support. This campaign blew all of our expectations out of the water, and we'll forever treasure this experience.

We'll be back soon with more updates on the road from here. We're incredibly excited to get to work on delivering what we promised, and also pumped to get a small vacation break before we do :)

Find our previous spotlights here ⬇️

Spotlight on Localhost HQ

Spotlight on Browserland

Zine Demo

Backer Rewards

Thank you all, The FujoGuide Team

#fujoguide #spotlight #we did it we did it we did it #thank you all for your support!

70 notes · View notes

louisupdates · 7 months

Text

BMG, FOLLOWING ‘MORE EFFICIENT AND MORE EFFECTIVE’ STRATEGY UNDER NEW CEO THOMAS COESFELD, REORGANIZES STRUCTURE; AROUND 40 STAFF CUT

OCTOBER 28, 2023 | BY TIM INGHAM

Thomas Coesfeld, CEO of BMG since July, has made another major move at the Bertelsmann-owned company.

MBW revealed in September that, under Coesfeld, BMG was taking the digital distribution of its music in-house – bringing its longstanding distribution deal with Warner Music Group/ADA to an end. (BMG has since confirmed that, while keeping digital distribution in-house, it’s inked a deal with Universal Music Group to handle its physical distribution business.)

Now, Coesfeld is enacting another set of significant changes at BMG, which posted an operating EBITDA of €90 million ($97m), up 22.6% YoY, in the first six months of 2023.

Berlin-based Coesfeld this week confirmed to staff that BMG is reorganizing its global structure in pursuit of his strategic goal for the company to become “more efficient and more effective”.

The biggest change under that plan will see BMG discontinue its centralized international marketing department for recordings, which to date has been led by the company’s EVP Global Repertoire, Fred Casimir.

In an internal note, issued to staff on Thursday (October 26) and obtained by MBW, Coesfeld said: “The international marketing team was set up five years ago in response to the needs of the company at the time.

“Our talented team have done a great job, driving international campaigns for artists including Lenny Kravitz, Kylie Minogue, and Louis Tomlinson, but unfortunately on a business level, expectations from this novel structure were not met and it created duplication of functions with local teams.

“The clear business decision is to instead give artists a single contact point with their local repertoire teams.”

In addition, Coesfeld has green-lit four other significant alterations to BMG’s structure: (i) The discontinuation of BMG’s Modern Recordings label based in Berlin; (ii) The closure of the firm’s New York-based theatrical productions initiative; (iii) No more active commissioning of new films to take place at BMG; and (iv) The consolidation of BMG’s New York and Canada-based recorded music operations into its Los Angeles office.

In total, MBW has confirmed, these changes – including the international marketing function closure – will affect 3% of BMG’s global staff, equating to around 40 employees. Fred Casimir will be leaving the company later this year as part of the move.

“These are tough but necessary decisions,” said Coesfeld in the Thursday internal note to BMG staff. “I would like to extend my thanks to the team members involved on behalf of everyone at BMG. They have done us proud. They were given the news only today, and I understand it has been a shock. We are in close contact with them and in Germany with our Workers Council to ensure everything is handled in a respectful way.”

Elsewhere in the internal memo, BMG confirmed that it is “on target” to begin distributing its own recorded music to streaming services such as Spotify from Wednesday next week (November 1).

In addition to becoming a “more efficient and more effective” business, Coesfeld’s comments in the memo outlined three other core strategies that form part of his “four-point plan” for the company this year.

The other points in this plan include “better engaging with our clients and partners”, “renewing BMG’s culture”, and “investing money wisely”.

Referencing the latter point, the internal BMG memo said that the company recently introduced “a new deal-modelling tool and new deal-approval routines to create more rigor in the system”.

As a result of the closure of BMG’s international marketing function, the company’s artists will no longer have two marketing contact points (domestic and international).

Their sole contact point for marketing going forward will be the repertoire team to which they are signed.

“Much like our distribution alliance with Warner Music/ADA struck in 2016, our previous international set-up – established around the same time – was the right decision back then,” said Coesfeld in Thursday’s memo.

“It allowed us to grow and was the ideal structure for the time. Our recordings business is now three times the size it was then and it’s overwhelmingly streaming-based. It is no surprise that the way we manage our business also has to change.

“While the logic of this move is clear, however, we should not underestimate the impact on our colleagues. Our best wishes are with them and BMG will do what we can as a company to help them at this time.”

When contacted by MBW, a BMG spokesperson said today (October 28): “Just as we have insourced our digital distribution because we had outgrown the old set-up, so we are changing the way we do international to reflect the scale we have now achieved.

“A centralised international department made sense when our local repertoire teams were not as strong as we are now. We’ve addressed that and a centralised function is no longer needed. As the only global player outside the three majors, international continues to lie at the heart of what we do. We’ll just do it differently.

“It’s far better to make changes like these from a position of strength when you’re performing well, rather than leaving it too late”

“Obviously these are tough decisions to make, but there’s better ways to invest this money to improve our service to clients and you can expect further announcements on improvements to our service offering imminently.

“97% of the BMG team are unaffected by these changes.”

#bmg #louis tomlinson #louis press #28.10.2023

18 notes · View notes

purplefangirl42 · 1 year

Text

Fireworks

Summary: Following a successful campaign, a local festival provides you with the chance to find out if your feelings for Cody are returned.

Pairing: Commander Cody/Fem!Reader

A/N: This is a birthday gift for @monako-jinn-stories. A day early, but I hope you have a wonderful birthday tomorrow, Jinn. Love you 💜

Tags: Confessions, First Kiss, Reader Wears a Dress

AO3 Link

The festival was in full swing by the time you arrived with a few of your men; lights were shining all around you, children laughed as they ran past, and the delicious smells of various local foods drifted through the air. It was like something out of a holomovie. The men escorting you wandered off in different directions to enjoy all there was available, leaving you on your own.

You had been stationed on this planet alongside the 212th for nearly a month, and the fighting had finally come to an end, just in time for the local festival. Despite the trials of the war, the locals were more than prepared to continue with the festivities as originally planned and had been overjoyed when they learned their saviors would be sticking around to join them.

As you passed a booth, you noticed General Kenobi suspiciously poking at a bowl of food in front of him as Commander Cody stood beside him wearing an amused expression. You walked over to the pair of them and caught the tail end of what Cody was saying.

“Just try it, you’ll like it,” he said.

Kenobi lifted the spoon to his face and sniffed the food before placing it in his mouth. It didn’t take long before he was spitting it right back out again. He coughed violently as he reached for his water. Beside him, Cody laughed loudly at his General’s expense.

“Too hot for you?” he asked.

Kenobi scowled at him as he drank his water in large gulps.

“Can I try?” you asked.

Kenobi pushed the bowl in your direction and gave you a sympathetic look.

“Do so at your own risk,” he said.

Taking a new spoon, you took a bite of the offered dish and chewed it slowly before swallowing. It was a bit spicy, but you had eaten much worse. You shrugged and gave Kenobi a smug smile.

“Tastes fine to me.”

Kenobi shook his head and got up from the table. A stray cough escaped him as he walked away. Cody took his vacated seat and ordered a bowl for himself from the vendor. The two of you sat in companionable silence as you ate. Cody would glance at you from time to time, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

“Were you putting on a show or do you really like that stuff?” he asked.

“I would say ‘like’ is a strong word, but it’s okay. He’s just a wuss when it comes to spicy things, you know that.”

Cody chuckled and finished up his food before returning both your bowls and offering his thanks to the vendor. The two of you got up and started walking together down the street, pausing every so often to look at something before continuing on.

“Will you be going to the party tonight?” you asked.

“Of course, I need to make sure that Waxer and Boil stay out of trouble.”

“That sounds like a big task for one man,” you said, laughing softly.

“I think I can handle it. Will you be there?”

Originally, you hadn’t been sure if you wanted to go or not. But your mind had been made up for you when you saw the dress in the market earlier. It was beautiful and you were sure that it would have an effect on the man that walked beside you. You had purchased it immediately and it was waiting for you back in your tent. You glanced up at Cody and gave him a small smile.

“I heard there’s a local tradition where you kiss someone when they light the fireworks.”

“Oh really?” he said. “I hadn’t heard of that.”

“It’s like when you do it at the turn of the new year. I think it’s a lesser known tradition, but I found out about it from one of the locals.”

Cody looked at you with a raised eyebrow and you could swear you saw the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

“Hoping for a kiss from someone, General?”

“As long as it isn’t Obi-Wan,” you said, trying to divert his suspicions. “I don’t think I’d like the beard.”

Cody let out a loud bark of laughter, which made you grin. You weren’t sure if he shared your feelings, but part of you really hoped he did. Maybe tonight would be your chance to find out.

Later that evening, as you put the finishing touches on your hairdo and makeup, you thought about your conversation with Cody from earlier. You smoothed your hands down the front of the dress and admired your reflection in the small mirror leaning against a box. Satisfied with how you looked, you left your tent.

As you walked across the camp, you lifted the hem of your dress to avoid dragging it through the dirt. Paying more attention to keeping it unsoiled, you didn’t watch where you were walking and ran right into someone. Luckily, they were paying more attention than you were and were able to stop you from toppling over.

“I’m sorry about that,” Kenobi said, taking a step back once you had found a solid footing. “You look lovely. Are you heading to the party?”

“Yes I am. Aren’t you going?”

He shook his head and pointed in the direction of his tent.

“I’m going to take advantage of the quiet around camp and get some rest. You enjoy yourself though.”

You thanked him and started to walk away before stopping when he called your name.

“He’ll be amazed by you, my dear. I promise.”

You stared at him blankly, mouth hanging open in shock. Kenobi smiled at you and waved you off before turning around and heading for his tent. You had no idea how he could know about your feelings for his Commander, but at least you seemed to have his blessing.

When you arrived at the festival center where the party was being held, you were delighted to see so many clones out enjoying the festivities. They deserved this happiness after all their hard work. You scanned the crowd for Cody, but couldn’t find him anywhere near you. You were a bit disappointed, but you still had quite a bit of time to find him before the fireworks show.

As time passed, you grew more and more disappointed by Cody’s absence. He had assured you that he would be here, but you hadn’t seen him at all. You had even come across Waxer and Boil, who he had said specifically were his mission for the night. They hadn’t seen him either.

The fireworks show was due to start in ten minutes, and by that point, you weren’t sure if you even wanted to watch it. You found a bench near the edge of the party and flopped down on it. While you knew it likely wasn’t personal, you couldn’t help but feel hurt by Cody’s absence. Especially since you had talked about this event just that day.

Someone announced that there were only a few minutes remaining before they lit the first part of the display, and you took that as your cue to leave. You stood from the bench and smoothed out your dress. The dress you had hoped to impress him with. Just as you started to walk away, you heard someone call your name. When you turned towards the source of the sound, you could see Cody pushing towards you through the crowd.

He wasn’t dressed for the party at all and he looked frazzled. When he came to a stop beside you, he took a minute to catch his breath before speaking. When he opened his mouth to speak, he stopped as his gaze traveled down your body to take in the sight before him.

“You look beautiful,” he said softly as his eyes drifted back up to meet yours. “I’m sorry I’m late. One of the shinies ate something that didn’t agree with him and he was in a state. I was trying to help him out and lost track of time.”

The truth that he had in fact not ditched you caused a twinge in your heart. How could you have thought so badly of him? He was helping one of his brothers and you had been sitting here pouting.

“At least you’re here for the fireworks,” you said. “I’ve heard they are quite spectacular.”

Cody took a step towards you and reached for your hand. You looked up at him in surprise as he pulled you closer to him.

“I didn’t come for the fireworks,” he said. “At least not to watch them.”

The boom of the first explosion in the sky was nothing compared to the pounding of your heart in your chest. As the bright lights illuminated the festival, you could see the adoration in the brown eyes in front of you. It seemed too good to be true.

Cody snapped you out of your shocked state by surging forward and capturing your lips with his own. One of his arms wrapped around your waist while the other hand found purchase behind your head, holding you as close as he could. You reached up and wrapped your arms around his neck, holding him just as tightly.

After a few moments, your lips broke apart, but Cody didn’t loosen his hold on you. He rested his forehead against yours and brushed your nose with his own. The look of adoration hadn’t faded from his eyes as he looked down at you.

“I wouldn’t have needed fireworks to do that, but they were a nice excuse,” he said.

You laughed softly and moved your head back a little to have a better look at him.

“In the future, we’ll just have to make our own fireworks then.”

Cody smiled brightly and leaned in towards you again.

“I like the sound of that.”

He kissed you again just as another huge explosion of light filled the sky behind him, bathing the two of you in colorful sparks to match the ones surging between you.

A/N: Give this a like, comment, and reblog and let me know what you think!

#commander cody #commander cody x reader #star wars #star wars: the clone wars #star wars fanfiction #gift fic

61 notes · View notes

dontmeantobepoliticalbut · 9 months

Text

New data has revealed the staggering pressure LGBTQ+ Americans are under following the wave of homophobic and transphobic legislation that has swept US states.

The Human Rights Campaign (HRC), an LGBTQ+ nonprofit organization, revealed in data analysis published on Wednesday (16 August) that almost 80% of LGBTQ+ adults feel less safe amid the rise in right-wing laws across the US.

For trans and non-binary adults, this number is significantly higher, with more than nine in 10 (94%) feeling unsafe in the US.

Results were pulled from a Community Marketing Insight (CMI) survey as part of its 17th annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey, which HRC co-sponsored.

Questions were based upon the 550 anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced in more than 40 states across the US since the beginning of 2023, more than 80 of which have been signed into law.

21 states in the country have enacted laws banning gender-affirming care for trans youth under the false pretence that under-18s are being put through surgeries, despite no medical organisation anywhere allowing children to undergo them.

43% of LGBTQ+ adults report that gender-affirming care bans have impacted the physical and/or mental well-being of themselves, their friends and family.

Meanwhile, over 80% of trans and non-binary adults report the same.

“Just two months after HRC declared a national state of emergency for LGBTQ+ people, this survey reveals that the current climate of hostility and fear is only growing worse,” HRC president Kelley Robinson said in a statement.

“Gender-affirming care bans are taking a detrimental toll on the physical and mental health of LGBTQ+ Americans,” she continued.

“Extremist, anti-LGBTQ+ politicians and their allies are waging a dangerous and cruel misinformation campaign that seeks to stigmatise not only gender-affirming care but transgender and non-binary people as well.”

“The rhetoric and misinformation is having a virtually universal impact on LGBTQ+ people, and further plunging us into a state of emergency that’s threatening the health and safety of every LGBTQ+ person.”

FEAR OF SAFETY SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE IN FLORIDA, DATA REVEALS

The report also revealed that LGBTQ+ people in Florida are more likely to feel anxious about their own safety following Governor Ron DeSantis’ anti-LGBTQ+ attacks.

Nearly 80% of trans and non-binary adults living in Florida have said that gender-affirming care bans impact their physical or mental health, while almost 90% have either taken steps or want to take steps to move to a new state or country.

Over 93% have said gender-affirming care bans make them feel less safe in the state.

Equality Florida executive director, Nadine Smith, said in a statement: “The results of this survey make clear that we Floridians will be repairing that damage of anti-LGBTQ+ laws passed in this state for years to come.”

“Conferences are cancelling, talent is fleeing, and the best and brightest are abandoning our universities, while LGBTQ+ people are feeling more unsafe than ever before.”

“These attacks have to stop.”

In April, the Human Rights Campaign issued a warning against LGBTQ+ travelers visiting Florida, telling potential tourists to “reconsider” any plans they may have had.

#us politics #news #pink news #lgbtqia+#lgbtqia+ representation #lgbtqia+ rights #florida #homophobia #transphobia #Human Rights Campaign #Community Marketing Insight #17th annual LGBTQ+ Community Survey #gender-affirming care #gender-affirming care bans #Kelley Robinson #Equality Florida #Nadine Smith #2023

24 notes · View notes

hector-garcia · 4 months

Text

– BASIC INFORMATION.

Full name | Aliases: Hector Oscar García Liddell Gender | Sexual orientation: Cis man | Gay Date of birth | Age: 26th of June | 47 Place of birth: Newcastle upon Tyne Current residence: 10 Downing Street Occupation | Affiliation: Prime Minister of the UK | Labour Party Relationship status: Married to Viktor Liddell. Children: / Positive traits: + Charismatic, brilliant, level-headed, incisive, passionate Negative traits: - Calculating, revolted, idealistic, overly empathetic, intense

– PHYSICAL TRAITS.

Hair color: Salt and Pepper Eye color: Dark brown Height | Weight: 5 feet 9 inches (1.77 m) | 72 kg (160 lbs) Distinguishing features: Strong nose, smooth recognizable voice, Newcastle accent (fading) Faceclaim: Raul Esparza

– BIOGRAPHY.

Hector was born in the working class, to parents who had fled Fidel Castro's regime and made ends meet while they raised him far away from home. Every day, after school, he would do his homework at his mother's desk, who worked as a receptionist in a paper company. His father was a florist working on farmer's markets. They were hard workers, who had big plans for their only son and they saved every month to put him in a proper school. While attending high school, Hector came in second in a competition organized by the British Academy for Science, for his research project on reducing water usage in agriculture, he participated to debate competitions and though he was happy to make his club's victory a collective effort, his extensive knowledge of social, political, economical issues was key into getting 1st place, and it was no surprise that he ended up president of this club as well as 3 others.

He joined college and at the same time officially signed up with the Labour Party as a full member and activist. His parents were involved in politics themselves, and from the moment he was old enough to hold flags at rallies and demonstrations, his father would hoist him up on his shoulders. They both took part in a worker's union, though his mother was the one most devoted to helping both workers and those most vulnerable.

He first did a double licence in sociology and political sciences at LSE, studied in Barcelona for a year with the Erasmus program, and got involved in activism there too. Followed two more years during which he worked on his thesis. He focused on the positive impact immigration had on the country, and while his work was applauded by his peers, he reaped a lot of bile and hatred from the opposition. The dichotomous controversial work ended up in the media. While progressive ones applauded his fresh stance on the question and commented on the depth of his analysis. Qualitative research combined with grounded theory made a solid ground to build his political program on. It didn't matter if some called him a ludicrous dreamer or a clown. Ad hominem attacks only confirmed what he already knew: he needed to take things further, he needed to become a candidate to local elected office.

He ran for council in his borough, Barking and Dagenham, in north eastern London. He fought against gentrification in the area, which would be made all the more painful with the 2012 Olympic Games and the quick evolution of the city in the years that preceded the event. Hector spent most of his free time listening to people who dedicated a lot of their energy, time, or even money for the local community. Eventually, when the time came for him to campaign again, this time for MP, he chose to rely only on their donations, refusing any money that came from corporations and lobbies. The people would be who he represented, not the interest of private companies. It was unconventional. It was risky. He might even lost the election because he fought against Goliaths. Fundraising and media relations was usually handled by professionals who saw the world through a lens filled with statistics and polls.

He shouldn't have won those elections, he supposed. When he won, upspent with a margin of 15 to 1 by his opponents, Hector couldn't believe how much support he had managed to gather through his years as a devoted borough councilman.

Hector, who was now a MP for a little over 10 years, was feeling tight in his shoes, and with the help of his husband, threatened his old LSE pal, none other than the Prime Minister, to reveal the contents of the treaty to the public. He knew the time was right for him. He was quite popular among the party, and his husband's ties with the conservatives made him much easier to accept for the Tories.

His party did get this much right: he represented a breath of fresh air, and those always got people talking. What they didn't get right, however, was this idea that Hector was so much better than your typical politician. Not one bit. He wasn't above shoving people under the bus, or using god awful tactics to get ahead of others. He might have been a likeable personality, with the kind of voice that you could have listened to even if it read the phone book, he also knew when crossing the line was necessary. After all, in a city like London, you couldn't possibly hope to survive being a good guy.

#lfl.intro #hector garcia | biography

7 notes · View notes

felassan · 1 year

Text

Snippets/speculation etc of interest from Mark Darrah part 2 (in parts due to Tumblr character limits. Part 1 link), from his co-stream of The Game Awards, under a cut due to length:

"[BioWare] did have a trailer just 4 days ago [the new cinematic], it was a trailer that wouldn't have gotten, Geoff would not have put that on TGA, so it was too small for TGA and too big to be [inaudible]". He said it would have been a lot at one time to show the new cinematic on DA Day, Absolution releasing and to be at TGA. On why that video was chosen, he said probably because it was done, or close to done

When another game was announced and gave a date in its announcement during the world premieres, he said "Yeah, see, they're literally dating and announcing at the same time, Dragon Age might be thinking of doing the same thing"

When asked in chat "does this mean we're getting DA:D in 2024 tops? Not even late 2023?" he said "no, it doesn't mean that, it means they're keeping their options open and they're just planning to spend their money over their summer, like they're just compressing their marketing so they can have a louder campaign, it doesn't mean anything. It means you're not gonna see it [it's not going to release] in the summer [of 2023], but you were never gonna see it in the summer. 'Cause they have one more big beat. They could drop a big trailer at E3, that's June, if they come out in November that's still tons of time. We'll see something from them in the summer, unless something goes horribly wrong they would have to do something in the summer. I still think they're targeting November 2023, like, eleven months from now. They would do it [push to 2024 if they had to], their financial year ends at the end of March, but the reason they would delay it is for quality reasons, EA wouldn't push it for any other reason"

He said "I don't know, but I doubt DA:D will have a multiplayer at all". Chat asked "the mandate from EA to make DA4 MP when you were running it, did you think it would eventually shape up and work, or was it a bad idea from the start?" and he said "it could have worked, but it was the right choice to move away from it. [...] It could have been made to work, there was work yet to be done there and definitely there wasn't perfect alignment on it. [...] The team wasn't really on-board with multiplayer so it would've been uphill. If the team doesn't wanna do it, it's basically a virtual impossibility to get them to do it effectively and make it good"

He doesn't think the temporal gap between DA:I and DA:D matters really, if the game is good, though "you're definitely not building on momentum. It's a standing start, for sure". "2016 was the best time to release another Dragon Age, but after 2016 you largely lost that moment". Mass Effect is going to have the same situation obviously - "there's enough time between them. [though] it can actually work in your favor because you don't have any drag either"

When asked in chat "wonder if BioWare could have afforded to release DA spin offs in between DA:I and DA:D. Heck why not have some other studio make something? Lack of resources?" he said "EA doesn't like spending money"

"RPGs are expensive and they take a long time". "Probably we need to get used to long development times, but I do think the industry knows, we haven't figured out a way out the other side yet. I think the answer is more true sequels and more [asset] reuse, but there is an active [gaming] community backlash against that sort of thing, so". Not reusing assets much between DA games has happened "for stupider reasons than concern about fan backlash" though

"You just have to treat Frostbite with respect. BioWare has not built upon itself [re: Frostbite] as effectively as it could have unfortunately"

When asked in chat "what did the Dragon Age 'finalling team' do in Mass Effect: Andromeda?" he said "lots of things. The DA team helped shipped ME:A, they came up pretty late, helped with triage, helped with bug-fixing, some level, I think one level was made by that team"

The Alpha phase is much later than two years out from release

"I don't know what it's gonna be like playing DA:D [himself], because there will definitely be stuff in there that was there when I was working on it, so it'll be really weird, I think"

He's not covered by any NDA from BioWare about any upcoming news, but he doesn't ask them for things that he wouldn't want to talk about, because otherwise they would stop telling him things

One of his pitches for Joplin was "no DLC and to make another game in 18 months"

Expansions and DLCs are things you can have devs working on while you're waiting for the next franchise to pick them up. When asked in chat "why were DAI DLCs so short compared to games like The Witcher 3 DLC? Any reason in particular?" he said that the DA DLCs were trying to be more focused, while The Witcher 3 DLCs were stretching up towards expansion packs and CDPR had/has different terminology for things like patch vs DLC vs expansion pack

When asked in chat "has the origin of the Blight plot been modified since DA:O or did the team stick with the original vision?" he said "the idea is always to leave those threads as open as possible so that they can be tied into a lot of different places, so. Broad strokes are still the same, yeah"

"If we don't see DA:D today we won't see it til EA Play or E3, because that would be as late as you could go in date for pre-orders. I doubt we would see anything between now and then, anything like a trailer at least"

Mark and Matthew Goldman were working together on the DA:D teaser trailer from 2018. "More Matt than me, because I was already taking over Anthem at that point". Mark's talked a few times to Matt since he left BioWare. Matt was only on Twitter because of his role in BioWare and is still in game development

For voice acting in DA, Kate Mulgrew became expensive after Orange is the New Black (which released in 2013)

When chat said "I think it would be a bit late to change DA4 based on Absolution's reception" he said "they wouldn't change it based on its reception but they could change their positioning"

When chat said "maybe they want to give some time between showing Absolution and the trailer for DA:D just in case, since new fans may judge DA:D by Absolution" he said "yeah, that's the thing, they might be holding, they might be keeping some powder dry in case, if Absolution stinks they have something to, a palate cleanser. I think that's reasonable thinking"

[source, part 1]

#dragon age: dreadwolf #dragon age 4 #the dread wolf rises #da4 #dragon age #bioware #video games #long post #longpost #mass effect #next mass effect #mass effect: andromeda #anthem #dragon age: absolution

91 notes · View notes

senseicowpoke · 7 months

Text

The Marvels of Marketing

I couldn’t help but wonder… why is there no marketing for the Marvels movie? The Marvels, the upcoming superhero film starring Brie Larson, Teyonah Parris and Iman Vellani, is set to hit the theaters on November 10, 2023. It is the sequel to Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame, WandaVision, Ms. Marvel and Secret Invasion, and the sixth installment of Phase Five of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is also the first Marvel movie to be directed by a woman of color, Nia DaCosta.

You would think that such a big and anticipated movie would have a huge marketing campaign, with posters, trailers, interviews, merchandise and social media buzz. But surprisingly, there is almost no marketing for the Marvels movie. The only official trailer was released on September 25, 2023, less than two months before the release date. The posters are scarce and generic, featuring only the logo and the title. The cast and crew are not doing any press tours or talk shows. The official website and social media accounts are barely updated. The merchandise is limited and bland.

Why is that? Is it because Marvel Studios is confident that the movie will sell itself, based on the popularity and loyalty of its fanbase? Is it because they want to keep the plot and the surprises under wraps, to avoid spoilers and leaks? Is it because they want to create a sense of mystery and curiosity, to generate more word-of-mouth and hype? Or is it because they are afraid that the movie will not live up to the expectations, and that it will face backlash or criticism from some segments of the audience?

As a fan of Marvel movies, I am excited to see the Marvels movie. I am curious to see how Carol Danvers AKA Captain Marvel will team up with Kamala Khan AKA Ms. Marvel and Monica Rambeau AKA Photon, and how they will save the universe from a new threat. I am also interested to see how Nia DaCosta will bring her vision and style to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and how she will handle the diversity and representation of the characters.

But as a writer and a consumer, I am also frustrated by the lack of marketing for the Marvels movie. I feel like I am missing out on the excitement and anticipation that usually comes with a big blockbuster release. I feel like I am not getting enough information or content to satisfy my curiosity and interest. I feel like I am not being valued or respected as a potential customer.

Maybe I am being too harsh or impatient. Maybe Marvel Studios knows what they are doing, and they have a master plan for their marketing strategy. Maybe they are waiting for the right moment to unleash their full marketing power, and blow us away with their creativity and quality. Maybe they are saving the best for last.

Or maybe they are taking us for granted.

And that’s something that no marvel can fix.

#spilled thoughts #blog #marvel #the marvels #diversify #diversity #brie larson #Teyonah Parris #iman vellani #ms marvel #captain marvel #the avengers #movies #films #marketing #feminism

14 notes · View notes

plethoraworldatlas · 1 month

Text

This March, Argentina’s school year began with empty classrooms. The price of learning materials rose by 502 percent over the past year, leaving many children unprepared for the year to come. And the teachers? On strike after President Javier Milei announced deep cuts to their salaries.

There’s something much larger happening here: Workers rights are under attack in an already vastly unequal society. Labor income inequality has been on the decline in many Latin American countries like Chile, Colombia, and Mexico. In Argentina, it’s been on the rise.

Since the 1960s, Argentina has been in an unprecedented period of macroeconomic instability. Stagnating in the lead-up to, and during, the dictatorship years (1976-1983), the country’s economy has reeled from crisis upon crisis — punctuated with the occasional period of recovery and growth. As the decades wore on, public distrust and discontent produced a deep social divide. Argentines call this phenomenon la grieta (“the rift”).

During his successful presidential bid last year, Milei seized upon these conditions. TV personality and self-proclaimed anarcho-capitalist, the eccentric economist promised to correct Argentina’s path and make what he called the “political caste” pay for their mismanagement of the country. Wielding a chainsaw while he campaigned, Milei vowed to eliminate state ministries, abolish the central bank, roll back abortion rights, and dollarize the economy.

Now that he’s had a chance to implement his platform, working families — not an elite “political caste” — are footing the bill for his far-right economic project.

In the two months before Milei took office in December, inflation was running between 143 and 161 percent. In February, inflation soared to more than 254 percent and the poverty rate reached 57 percent — the highest in decades.

Argentina’s labor movement has quickly mobilized widespread and effective opposition to his policies. While strikes and protests continue, we can already begin to draw lessons on resisting the far-right’s rise worldwide.

Milei takes a chainsaw to workers rights

After taking office on December 10, 2023, Milei acted swiftly. Declaring “There is no alternative to shock,” the president immediately devalued the peso by 50 percent, lifted price controls, and dissolved half of the country’s ministries.

Milei’s government then launched an offensive on workers rights. On December 14, the newly appointed Minister of Security announced a new protest protocol. Consolidating control of Argentina’s security forces and creating a registry for organizations suspected of “instigating” the protocol allowed federal forces to use increased surveillance and violence.

Days later, Milei signed the “Decree of Necessity and Urgency 70/2023.” Dubbed the megadecreto (“mega-decree”) for its sweeping scope — cutting severance pay, weakening collective bargaining rights, deregulating the rental market, and otherwise undermining existing protections — the 366-article document is an unconstitutional abuse of executive powers.

Making matters worse, Milei cut public subsidies on utilities and transportation. Hypocrisy shone through his already vague definition of the “political caste.” As one Argentine told a journalist, “The caste doesn’t take the train nor any form of public transit. We workers and students do.”

Milei’s aggressive measures roused a prompt response from Argentine labor. In late December, the country’s largest unions announced plans for a January 24 general strike — the quickest to be organized under any president since Argentina’s return to democracy in 1983.

Millions join the general strike

Forty-five days after Milei took office, 1.5 million Argentines took to the streets. Workers from all sectors joined the strike: transit, aviation, government, banking, and sanitation, just to name a few.

“Not one step back,” one associated union declared on the day of the strike, “for the unity of the workers movement is essential in protecting the rights we’ve achieved.”

The protesters’ outrage centered on Milei’s Omnibus Bill. The proposed legislation contained sweeping changes to Argentina’s economic and political structure, including the privatization of state-owned companies and an unprecedented expansion of executive powers.

The bill would also codify Milei’s unpopular “mega-decree.”

“[Milei’s ‘mega-decree’] destroys individual rights of workers, collective rights and seeks to eliminate the possibility of union action at a time in which we have great inequality in society” said Héctor Daer, the Secretary General of the General Confederation of Labor. One of the world’s largest unions, the CGT represents roughly two-thirds of Argentina’s unionized workforce.

Shortly after the strike ended, the National Congress of Argentina rejected Milei’s Omnibus Bill. Initially approved by the Chamber of Deputies in a 144 to 109 vote, majority support faltered when it came time for an article-by-article review.

The first Omnibus Bill consisted of 664 articles. Now, two months later, they are struggling to push an amended 269-article version — with hefty concessions for the left.

Milei’s uncompromising approach played no small role in killing his first Omnibus Bill. But the general strike served a critical blow to his already weak coalition.

Aftermath in Argentina, implications abroad

Beyond their victories in the streets, Argentine labor has also made notable gains in the courts. Successfully challenging the legality of Milei’s “mega-decree,” the General Confederation of Labor blocked the roll-out of several critical anti-worker measures.

Following January’s general strike, February and March witnessed a patchwork of smaller strikes, placing continued pressure on the government. The most recent have come in the aviation, healthcare, and education sectors. The Argentine Workers’ Central Union (a federation with 1.2 million members) held a “national day of struggle” on March 12 — and united with other groups to block 500 roads throughout the country on March 18. More strikes are planned for March 28.

On March 14, the Senate voted down the Decree of Necessity and Urgency. Though the “mega-decree” remains in force unless the lower house also opts to reject, the upper house vote represents another massive blow to Milei’s government.

Instrumental in defeating Milei’s first Omnibus Bill — and otherwise slowing the pace of his anti-worker disaster project — Argentine labor’s recent victories offer an important reminder: Working-class people are a potent political force.

These victories also offer lessons in resisting the far-right’s rise worldwide: Organized labor can serve as an infrastructure for mobilization and a counterbalance to democratic backsliding. At their best, unions provide checks on abuses of executive power and ensure that working people always have political representation — no matter who occupies the presidential palace.

With nearly 30 percent of the workforce unionized, the labor movement is strong in Argentina. The United States hasn’t seen that degree of union density since the 1950s, though now the tide might be turning.

With 64 countries holding national elections in 2024, this year will be a watershed moment in world history. And with the far right on the rise, there’s never been a more critical time to mobilize in defense of dignity and democracy.

Here in the United States, there are over 85 million poor or low-income eligible voters. As Inequality.org’s co-editor Sarah Anderson writes, “If this bloc voted at the same rate as higher-income voters, they could sway elections in every state.”

#argentina #javier milei #Fascism #authoritarianism #capitalism #far right #workers rights #general strike

4 notes · View notes