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bridgeseduscholarships · 2 years

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How to Win Scholarships and Grants – State of Indiana

Higher education has a long history in Indiana. According to the school’s website, Vincennes University was founded in 1801, making it the oldest college in the state.

If you plan on attending college or university in Indiana, you should know that the state government offers many scholarships and grants for residents. If you wish to apply for scholarships, the prizes below could be great options that help lower your college costs.

But before constructing an application, you should complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available by visiting the Federal Student Aid Office of the U.S. Department of Education.

You may also want to apply for private scholarships, which are based on merit, financial need, student-specific criteria, and a wide range of other eligibility requirements. To easily find these scholarship opportunities, you can use the free BridgesEDU Scholarship Finder. It’s simple and will match you with prizes from our scholarship database.

Now, let’s get to prizes for Indiana residents.

Indiana Scholarship Programs

Earline S. Rogers Student Teaching Scholarship for Minorities

The Earline S. Rogers Teaching Scholarship for Minorities is available for minority students (defined as Black and Hispanic individuals) who will participate in student teaching or a school administration internship as a part of their degree requirements during the semester in which they receive it. Students must agree in writing to apply for teaching positions in Indiana and, if hired, teach in Indiana for at least three years. The maximum amount a student may receive is $4,000.

Student Teaching Scholarship for High-Need Fields in State of Indiana

The Student Teaching Scholarship for High-Need Fields is available for students who plan to teach in a high-need field (defined as middle or high school level math, science or special education). Students are eligible to receive the stipend in the term they are student teaching as a part of their degree requirements. Students must agree in writing to apply for teaching positions in Indiana and, if hired, teach in Indiana for at least three years. Recipients must also be Indiana residents. The maximum amount a student may receive is $4,000.

Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship

The Next Generation Hoosier Educators Scholarship provides 200 high-achieving high school and college students interested in pursuing a career in education the opportunity to earn a renewable scholarship of up to $7,500 a year for four academic years. In exchange, students agree to teach for five years at an eligible Indiana school or repay the corresponding, prorated amount of the scholarship.

William A. Crawford Minority Teacher Scholarship

The William A. Crawford Minority Teacher Scholarship is available to minority students (defined as Black and Hispanic individuals) who intend to pursue, or are currently pursuing, a course of study that would enable them to teach in an accredited school in Indiana. Students must agree in writing to apply for teaching positions in Indiana and, if hired, teach in Indiana for at least three years.

21st Century Scholarship

Started in 1990, 21st Century Scholars is Indiana’s early college promise program. It offers income-eligible Hoosier students up to four years of paid tuition at an eligible Indiana college or university after they graduate from high school. Students enroll in seventh or eighth grade, and in high school they participate in the Scholar Success Program and are connected to programs and resources to help them prepare for college and career success. Once in college, Scholars receive support to complete their college degrees and connect to career opportunities.

EARN Indiana

EARN Indiana (Employment Aid Readiness Network) is the state’s work-study program. Students with financial need have access to resume-building, experiential, paid internships, while participating employers receive state matching funds—up to 50% of the student’s hourly wage. EARN Indiana partners with Work and Learn Indiana to better match students and employers and to assist employers in finding the perfect fit for their team.

Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship

The Mitch Daniels Early Graduation Scholarship is a one-time, $4,000 scholarship for students who graduate at least one year early from a publicly supported Indiana high school. To claim this scholarship, students must enroll at an eligible Indiana institution no later than the fall semester in the academic year immediately following the year they graduate high school.

Indiana Grant Programs

Frank O’Bannon Grant

The Frank O’Bannon Grant, which includes the Higher Education Award and the Freedom of Choice Award, is Indiana’s primary need-based financial aid program. It is designed to provide access for Hoosier students to attend eligible public, private and proprietary colleges and universities. Eligibility is based on a student’s FAFSA, and the grant may be used toward tuition and regularly assessed fees.

Adult Student Grant

The Adult Student Grant, part of the Indiana’s You Can Go Back program, offers a renewable $2,000 grant to assist returning adult students in starting or completing an associate degree, bachelor’s degree or certificate. To qualify, students must be financially independent as determined by the FAFSA, demonstrate financial need and be enrolled in at least six credit hours.

Workforce Ready Grant

The Workforce Ready Grant, part of Indiana’s Next Level Jobs initiative, pays tuition and regularly assessed fees for qualifying high-value certificates (in the fields of Advanced Manufacturing, Building & Construction, Health Sciences, Information Technology & Business Technology and Transportation & Logistics) at Ivy Tech Community College or Vincennes University. The grant is available for two years and covers up to the number of credits required by the qualifying program.

Child of Deceased or Disabled Veteran

This prize provides regularly assessed fees for children of deceased or disabled veterans. This program funding is limited to a maximum of 124 credit hours and may be used at the undergraduate and professional degree level.

Child of Purple Heart Recipient or Wounded Veteran

This award provides regularly assessed fees for children of Purple Heart recipients or wounded veterans. This program funding is limited to a maximum of 124 credit hours and may be used at the undergraduate and professional degree level.

Children and Spouse of Indiana National Guard

This financial aid provides 100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees for students who are the child or spouse of a member of the Indiana National Guard who suffered a service-connected death while serving on state active duty. This program funding is limited to a maximum of 124 credit hours.

Children and Spouse of Public Safety Officers

This award provides 100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees for students who are the child or spouse of certain Indiana public safety officers (PSO) who were killed in the line of duty or are a permanently disabled state trooper.

Indiana Purple Heart Recipient

This opportunity provides 100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees for students who are Indiana veterans and Purple Heart Recipients. This program funding is limited to a maximum of 124 credit hours and may be used at the undergraduate, graduate and professional degree level.

National Guard Tuition Supplement Grant

This grant provides 100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees at a public Indiana institution for eligible members of the Indiana Air and Army National Guard. Students can attend either full time or part time.

Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s Home

The program provides 100% of tuition and regularly assessed fees for students who are former students and/or graduates of Morton Memorial High School and former residents of the Indiana Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Children’s home. This program funding is limited to a maximum of 124 credit hours and may be used at the undergraduate, graduate or professional degree level.

Fast Track

Fast Track provides qualified 21st Century Scholars and Frank O’Bannon Grant recipients with the option to use additional state financial aid in their current award year, in exchange for deducting additional eligibility units. This program is effective in a term where the student has used 100% of their Frank O’Bannon Grant or 21st Century Scholarship , earned at least 30 credits within the award year and has remaining eligibility.

Win Scholarships, Grants, and Financial Aid

Finding college scholarships that you’re eligible for is the first part of the scholarship journey. Applying for scholarships is the next component of the process. Are you confident about how to construct a winning college scholarship application? If not, check out our masterclass, The Secrets to Scholarship Research & Writing.

Our masterclass offers tailored guidance to help you find more scholarships. It also gives you expert advice on how to win those prizes.

With the cost of education climbing, it just makes sense to put yourself in the best position to win money for school. Don’t wait or hesitate! There’s plenty of money out there for high school students and undergraduates hoping to get a financial boost while they study. Apply for scholarships today!

The post How to Win Scholarships and Grants – State of Indiana first appeared on BridgesEDU Scholarships. Originally published here: https://bridgeseduscholarships.com/how-to-win-scholarships-and-grants-state-of-indiana/

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rhysintherain · 2 years

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HEY my biggest question is are you a professional academic writer by profession or is it like one part of your job along with other responsibilities? I'm so curious about this!

Hello! Thanks for the ask.

Technically I'm not a professional academic writer, I'm a professional academic writing tutor.

Which is a mainly student job at my school, and people start early in their graduate degree or in their undergrad, then stick with it as long as they're a student.

I have a professional certification from the organisation that regulates tutors in my province, and I take several courses a year on various aspects of academic writing and teaching.

My job is part time around classes, so I usually work 4-8 hours a week. I'm an employee, so I get paid an hourly wage (why do people always assume I'm a volunteer? No idea, but they always seem to).

I'm not sure how this works at other universities, especially American ones, but at my school any student at any level can apply for my job, so long as they can demonstrate skill in academic writing. My department does all our training in-house, so you don't have to have any prior experience or training going into it.

#academic writing #writing tutoring #writing tutor asks #if you're good at writing and looking for work ask your tutoring center if they're hiring #we're having trouble finding new employees post-covid

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designsfromtime · 3 years

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Mixing Business & Friendships:

“Friendship is friendship, business is business.”

It’s been wisely said that, “friendship interferes with a business relationship by keeping people from making the right business choices for the sake of the friendship.” Kind of like closing the barn door after the cow escapes, but yeah, I definitely agree...NOW. There are plenty more witty quotes that warn against the pitfalls of mixing friendships with business. So, what does my dumbass do? - I mixed a friendship with my business. Two years ago I brought a friend to work with me as an apprentice, and it blew up back in March 2021 and bit me in the arse - BIG TIME!

So, why doesn’t it work? - I ask myself rhetorically, then elbow my intuition when it says, “Told you so.”

In my personal experience, mixing friendship with business blurred the professional boundaries, and led to multiple abuses on the part of my “friend,” i.e., calling out sick for “PMS,” or other reasons that would never be acceptable if that person were NOT a “friend.” They also may not respect your authority because the person disciplining them for, let’s say, unacceptable communication, or sub-standard work, is the same person they were drinking with at the pub last weekend, or chilling on the patio for a BBQ. In a word, friends (or family) can take advantage of the relationship and feel that the rules don’t apply to them, leaving you to choose between taking care of the friendship rather than taking care of your business! I could NOT have anticipated the horrific outcome at the end of that working relationship, and it’s left me gobsmacked.

The foundations of friendships (or with a family member) and that of subordinate and superior are inherently different. How does a child act as the superior to a parent they hire to work for them? And vise versa, how does a child work for a parent without dragging their interpersonal baggage into the workplace? The same is true of a friendship. In a friendship, the continued existence of that relationship depends on whether both parties can successfully maneuver the intricacies of a friend being placed in the position of a subordinate. But, in my opinion, I think it’s RARE to truly keep your business relationship and your interpersonal relationship separate. I would venture to say it’s close to impossible. One way or the other, your friendship will bleed into the working relationship and it can spell DRAMA and betrayal in the end. Mixing interpersonal relationships with business involves a lot of compromise on the part of both persons, and if one lacks in communication skills and does not respect boundaries, it’s doomed to blow up in your face, as it did for me. Not only does it bring hardship to the business when the relationship ends, but you lose that friendship.

No matter how close the friendship, when you mix business and friendships, the primary consideration should always be what is best for the business. In a perfect world, the business should be treated as an entity separate from the friendship and that distinction needs to be laid out plainly and diligently protected! – and respected by both parties. What happens when the work relationship becomes problematic because that person is not delivering what was expected? Well, I can tell you this much: When it get’s rough, and it will, you cannot rely on the “honor system” you expect from a friend (or a close relative). To save the business, it can involve losing your friend – More especially if that friend doesn’t respect the boundaries that are inherently different in a business setting than they would be whilst slamming wine-coolers at a BBQ.

I’m sure there are plenty of examples where friends and family members have successfully maneuvered the boundaries of business and interpersonal relationships. That said, not all relationships (or people) are evolved enough to handle being placed in a position as a subordinate to their friend, so it will take careful consideration when, or if, you choose to mix the two. The most important part when mixing business and interpersonal relationships, ESPECIALLY if you are the business owner and you extend a friend an opportunity in your business, is to make sure both of you have similar expectations and values - - AND that you write it out in a contract and have both parties sign it!

Where Did I Go Wrong?: Let me recount the ways.

When my business grew to the point that I could not singularly keep up with the demand for commission inquiries, I put the intention out there in the universe that I needed a very particular person to bring on as an unpaid apprentice (with the intention of them graduating to a sub-contractor). First of all, I don’t get paid by the hour, and therefore, cannot afford to pay an hourly wage. I get paid by the pattern piece, i.e., how many pieces in any respective garment that I physically sew together. Most of the time I take a 20% non-refundable deposit to hold a reservation on my schedule, but I don’t get paid until the commission is complete and ready to ship. So it can take 4 or 5 months before I am paid in full. That meant that any candidate for an apprentice would have to possess a deep passion for costuming rather than money being the motivation. It also meant I cannot afford to pay for “student” work, so any candidate I chose would have to approach an apprenticeship with an attitude of “I’m taking classes.” Unless you take out student loans and grants, students are not compensated for attending class. The compensation as an apprentice in my studio was the opportunity to work side-by-side with someone more knowledgeable, with the expectation that eventually, when said apprentice possess the requisite skills and knowledge, that they can eventually begin to take on work as a “monitored” sub-contractor and bill the client directly for their labor.

In my. . . well. . . let’s just call it for what it was…DESPERATION…I took on an apprentice after becoming acquainted through our local Renfaire. I’d been searching for about two years, so when the opportunity presented itself, I took it as a sign from the universe. Boy was I naïve. This person joined our renfaire as a cast member in the Queen’s household (of which I was an administrator). I noted her impulsivity and propensity to be overly enthusiastic and run with an idea without seeking permission through the established chain of command, but I didn’t question how that would come in to play in our working relationship, or in a relationship of superior and subordinate. Her pattern of impulsivity and disregard for procedure wasn’t interpreted by me as the red flag it should have been. Had I been listening to my instincts rather than the desire to be able to take on more work, this pattern would have served as the warning it turned out to be. I see now in the aftermath of the implosion that took place how it should have been.

Don’t Ignore Red Flags: NOW you tell me!

In the early stages of our working association, she appeared enthusiastic – overly so, resulting in me having to rein her in and reiterate the instructions to: “slow down,” and “ask questions.” I told her if she’d never made a certain item before she needed to stop and ask first rather than blunder through and construct it the way she “thought” it might need to be done, she needed to seek guidance about the way I had established it to be done. I would, unfortunately, end up repeating that same instruction ad nauseum throughout her tenure with me. The longer she worked with me, and more especially after about a year or more when she was allowed to begin to take on work as a subcontractor (which was to be done ONLY in my studio under my supervision), she began to ignore that directive more and more. I found myself in the unique and extremely uncomfortable situation of choosing whether or not to say, “It doesn’t meet the same standards as my work, please do it again,” and feeling hesitant to discourage her or coming off as bitchy or overly perfectionistic for fear of how it would affect the friendship. I walked a fine line between necessary criticism and her over sensitivity to that kind of feedback.

I cannot tell you how MANY times when I was learning to sew at the side of my grandmother she told me, “Pick it out, Chrissie.” It was frustrating, and I would moan in complaint, but I always did it because she was never harsh in her criticism but would explain where I had made the mistake and show me how to correct it. In consequence, THIS is how I teach. I always lead with positive affirmation. But there are some personalities who are overly sensitive to any criticism and no matter how you attempt to moderate your tone, or what medium you choose to communicate, they will take it harshly. It became exhausting maneuvering around her bruised psyche. Any other supervisor would not have made the effort. See where I’m going with this?

I also had deadlines constantly looming that placed me in a predicament of letting work go out that wasn’t “perfect” but was “passing.” I HATED being placed in that situation because I am a perfectionist, and the only way to learn is to learn by making mistakes. But I didn’t have TIME for her mistakes – nor could I afford for her to continue to waste fabrics and supplies! Because of this, a pattern began to develop that became increasingly more problematic. I purposefully took on EXTRA work with the intention of sub-contracting out the labor to her, so I “needed” her help. But by virtue of the friendship, an attitude of “I’ll get it done when I get it done,” began to emerge. Now, I don’t know if that was her actual intention, but it certainly began to appear as such. When I allowed her to take hand sewing home, such as working on the edging of a pair of stays, she began to hold on to the work at home but not actually finish it. I told her that after putting in 6 to 8 hours here in my studio I did not expect her to stay up all night and finish the handwork, but if she took work home there was an expectation on my part that she would return it within a few days. Now she was only in my studio 3 to 4 days a week (at least the last year of her affiliation). While I certainly appreciated when she worked in the evenings after her job as the manager of a Super Cuts, or on the weekend, I did not expect it. But, it became an issue when her turn-around times to complete the hand sewing began to take longer, and longer, and LONGER; spanning weeks at a time!

Now, I should mention just for the sake of reference that I can hand sew the edging on a full pair of stays in about 12 hours. She had worked with me over a year before she felt comfortable enough to tackle a pair of stays. While her hand sewing was NOT as neat as mine (even at the end of the relationship), I did make some allowances for the sake of not discouraging her by picking a part her work. I continually had to check in with myself by asking: is it unacceptable because it looks different than yours, or does she have the capability of doing better? She did make progress in her hand stitching with my instruction, but there were definitely times I asked her to fix it, OR I would pick out her work and redo it. There were times I didn’t tell her, which in hindsight was a mistake on my part. Re-doing her work was NOT an efficient use of my time, nor was it conducive to her instruction, but my clients’ satisfaction is my highest priority, so you can see the conundrum I found myself.

In the end, I was trying to avoid upsetting “her” and not cause more DRAMA because she was intent on a scorched earth scenario to punish me for daring to tell her “No.” Many times I was too hesitant to say anything “in the moment,” but would later ruminate on it after the fact, and THEN a day or so later after scolding myself for being too bloody kind, I would be forced to bring it up and say, “I changed my mind,” or just fix it when she left for the day. I should mention, that if she were not a friend I would have set much stricter boundaries about quality control. So why didn’t I do that with HER? I’m still trying to figure that one out!! It all boils down to two VERY different personality types, and the fact that my communication skills and knowledge about emotional IQ was far more advanced. Rather than avail herself of my knowledge in effective communication she was the type of person who did not respond to “touchy feely shit,” as she called it. More often than not, I feared poking the bear. What would I do if I was too critical and she walked out in a huff or quit? *HEAVY SIGH* So, the problem wasn’t that I didn’t know HOW to communicate, it was how that communication would be received on any given day, or “which side” of her personality showed up that day.

The breakdown of the relationship ultimately occurred when I allowed her to take on a client’s commission for two 18th century men’s court ensembles for an event at Versailles Palace in France. She was actually doing VERY well on lining up the embroidery, and construction of the outer portion of the jackets and waistcoat pieces, UNTIL she decided that she had the RIGHT to argue with my instructions and design aesthetics. I told her, for instance, “Make sure you add a layer of stabilizer to the lining.” She balked and said, “I wasn’t planning on adding stabilizer.” Now this wasn’t a statement with a silent question mark at the end, this was an “I’m not going to do it” kind of statement. This began happening more and more and I was at a loss “in the moment” how to deal with it. I was walking a tightrope between a friend and my business, and I wasn’t putting the business first. Rather than ASK me why I felt the interlining needed to be stabilized (since it was silk) she simply made the decision to ignore my instruction and ultimately bulldozed forward with the work at her home without seeking any instruction and using ad hoc techniques when she ran into a problem she didn’t know how to deal with.

But you see, by the time things began to actively boil, I had finally put my foot down on this project and told her I had the final say in ALL design and construction and If I say “do it” she needs to do it and not argue. I mean, who does that? Who tells the owner of the business “No?” Who thinks they have the right to argue? - A FRIEND. I had 40 years of experience under my belt, 20 in historical costume, she had TWO! But you see, her ego was writing checks her abilities and knowledge could not cash, and I was becoming more and more concerned about the work piling up. COVID did a number on my business. I stayed JUST as busy, but buying basic supplies was problematic, and it put me behind by about 4 or 5 months, which is unheard of for me! I always make my deadlines. ALWAYS.

Things kind of happened quickly, like dominos. One drops and knocks over the the other and pretty soon sets off a chain reaction. THE FINAL implosion came when we ran into a situation wherein we both needed to use my sewing machine. I had stated in the beginning that ALL work done on the machine needed to be done in my studio. This was not just because she did not have a good machine at home, it was so that I could continue to oversee the quality of her work. I have a semi-pro Juki straight stitch machine that will sew through leather. In the past she had talked about one day purchasing one. Also, in passing conversation last year I mentioned that I was thinking of moving out of Washington. My daughter wants to relocate to Vermont because the cost for horse property here in WA would cost us in excess of about 2 million dollars! I mentioned that there was no set plans and that it would be 4 or 5 years if we did make that decision. I mentioned that if by then she was trained enough that I was considering letting her subcontract work at home and use Skype or Zoom for any teaching or instruction. This was just a passing conversation mind you!

So when we found ourselves both in need of using my machine one day in March, without consulting with me she took it upon herself to go out and purchase a machine exactly like mine for about $1400 if I’m not mistaken – even though you can get them much cheaper from other sources. But here’s where her long-standing pattern of impulsivity, disrespect for proper chain of command, and her lack of boundaries came into play. She showed up one Saturday afternoon while I was working in my studio and announced, “Guess what I did?” She then proceeded to inform me that she had purchased a machine of her own. Now, we had discussed this possibility in the past two years but I had stated she would need to bring her machine into the studio. Remember, all her machine work needed to be monitored for quality control. Why? While she was making progress, her work was often inconsistent. My expectation was that she would bring her machine into the studio, but SHE had other plans. I honestly believe she felt because she was doing so well on the outer construction of these 18th century coats that she was READY to solo; and in fact, that was her exact expectation. She set up her new machine at home and in the days following the purchase of her machine (before she was scheduled to appear at my studio the following Wednesday), she began construction on the coat pockets at home without my knowledge and without my guidance.

Now, for those who’ve followed me for a while you might remember that I said I’m extremely intuitive? – which is why I’m so mad at myself for not honoring my intuition and setting hard boundaries much earlier. She’s run roughshod over me for two years now, and I wasn’t having it anymore. I sent her a Marco Polo (a video message app) and I set a hard boundary as I mentioned above. I thought that this mode of communication would make it easier to say what needed to be said because both of us were spared the discomfort that usually followed when I DID speak out. So, after I set CLEAR boundaries about who was in charge, I further explained that if it was her intention to start working predominately at home and only coming into the studio when there was embroidery to do or pick up supplies (YES! I was supplying her with ALL the notions and supplies for construction!) then she needed to know that I was not in agreement with that. I told her if coming to work in my studio wasn’t working for her any longer then we would finish the work on the books, and I would cut back and only take those commissions that I could physically handle. I told her to take a couple of days to talk it over with her boyfriend and we would talk on Wednesday about what she decided.

She came in that Wednesday visibly angry and became insubordinate when I attempted to discuss her assumption that I would agree to her working at home on MY client’s commissions without first seeking my approval. She defended herself by bringing up our conversation last year about her working from home “if” i moved out of state. I told her, “Yeah, four or five years down the road!” But she had just assumed that I would be fine with her moving up that time table. She refused to listen and then proceeded to gaslight me, stating that because I had sent her a message via Marco Polo, rather than waiting until she came in on Wednesday, that our working relationship was OVER. I looked at her in shock and said, “So NOW you’re gas lighting me, turning this around to blame ME rather than accept accountability for your actions?” She then proceeded to THREATEN that if I continued to try to discuss these issues with her she was walking out. She went so far as to gather up the coat pieces and started to pack them up! I was stunned! I said, “So let me get this straight. You’d rather QUIT than admit you were wrong for making assumptions about MY business?” Needless to say, she refused to answer and scowled and pouted like a five year old!

I have to say I was actually relieved that she quit. Her attitude and her attendance had become more and more problematic. I had set a boundary with her back in January when she, once again, texted me and said “Just woke up. I feel like crap.” Now she’d complained the day before that she was having PMS (i.e., premenstrual mood swings) and would call out ONCE A MONTH for that reason. Having had a craw full of her taking advantage of our friendship in such a manner (something that wouldn’t be acceptable in any other professional setting, nor was it behavior she would tolerate from her own employees as a manager at Super Cuts), I texted her back stating: “Me too. I woke up with a migraine. Took two Aleeve and two RedBulls. Soldier on.” That was actually the beginning of the end. She was PISSED that I told her to work through her PMS like I do the chronic pain I live with on a 24/7 basis. She even admitted it. That’s when her attitude began to shift, but it was when she was allowed to work on the 18th century ensembles that she became more increasingly uncooperative and argumentative. There’s a saying in the south that describes that behavior: She got too big for her britches.

She didn’t stay long that Wednesday, and no-showed for her scheduled workday the following day, and the day after, without so much as a courtesy text or a Marco Polo - which was also a long-standing issue! During those two days after she bought her machine and set up her sewing room at her home, she took it upon herself to sew the pocket bags into the coats without my permission and installed them incorrectly! She had one a full ½ inch off from the other. This was the SECOND time she’d made that same exact mistake! Rather than measure carefully and line them up exactly using a tape measure and a ruler, she eyeballed them and messed it up. We had to hide this mistake beneath the pocket flap! These ensembles were going to be worn and photographed at Versailles Palace! Half-assing construction like that horrified me! Now, she’d already installed the pocket bags, which meant the outer coat where the pocket “slit” was installed had been CUT. The only recourse to correcting her mistake would have been to buy more fabric and start over! But now there wasn’t time for that! It took four months for her to embroider those coats because she only comes in three days a week and our relationship had now melted down.

Not only did she mess up the pockets, because she was too busy behaving like a petulant, rebellious child and refused to seek my advice, she ran across a problem she didn’t know how to deal with and she “added” embroidery floss to the underside of the buttonholes because she had ignored my advice to stabilize the lining, and she said the fabric was too flimsy around the buttonholes! It was a spiderweb looking mess!!! Yes, it was in the inside, but had she LISTENED to me initially or asked me what to do I could have offered her a better alternative. Once again, I was placed in the position that I had to consider my deadlines and make a decision if the work was “passable” or if I needed to step in and fix it. Initially I said nothing because the tension between us was so thick you could cut it with a knife. I ruminated on it for a day, then ultimately decided I was FINISHED allowing her to bully me and told her I needed her to bring back the ensembles so that I could inspect them further, because I wasn’t happy with her workmanship. She REFUSED. She said, “you had plenty of time to inspect them previously,” and then proceeded to hold the client’s property hostage and tried to extort the client and me! She demanded she be given the client’s billing information before she would return the ensembles for me to “fix.” She knew more than likely she was going to be held liable for her shoddy work, in fact I told her that I would be deducting my labor from what was owed. I was angry but I tried to be reasonable.

The client agreed to release his billing info if she would agree to return his property to me immediately. I offered to write it on a piece of paper and make the exchange with a neutral third party. She refused all fair and reasonable offers, and stated, “I guess we’re at a standoff.” For two weeks I spent searching for an attorney, but ultimately was told that because there was no contract there wasn’t a great deal I could do. On the flip side, neither could she! Not real comforting when your client’s property is being held hostage and the clock is ticking. She was counting on that! She knew there was a short deadline and that their event in France was fast approaching.

After two weeks wherein she had made no effort whatsoever to cooperate and refused to respond to my texts, the client and I put our heads together and we decided that perhaps she might be more reasonable if HE texted her and in essence sent her a demand letter. She kept demanding his PayPal ID in order to bill him for the work, and we agreed. I wasn’t exactly thrilled with giving in to her extortion, but at the time we had no choice – which she was ultimately counting on. I pause in this telling to state how devastated I was by her vicious 180 degree reversal wherein she turned against me! I was stunned by the depths of her vitriol and the pettiness of her retaliation – simply for having set boundaries with her!

But you see, Karma has a way of sorting things out. Due to COVID my clients received word that their event was postponed, so she had lost her leverage. About the same time as the client received that notice from Versailles, I was made aware of a situation she had created with another client! At the end of 2019, she took on a commission for a mutual friend at our faire to make him a doublet, hat, and shirt. She begged me to allow her to take the lead on that project and I wanted to see what she was capable of producing. So, I stepped back and let her make design decisions and color combination of black with silver embroidery (which the client ultimately wasn’t happy with). She spent the next year or more doing multiple revisions, even starting over with four different sets of sleeves as well as the torso of the doublet, because she didn’t have the knowledge to do a proper fitting. Every time I tried to intervene, she would snap at me. Ultimately, I was in the dark about the client’s dissatisfaction. To put a finer point on it, she actually didn’t allow the client to try on the garment after each revision. He lived close to her so she would just drop it off on her way home, and when I would ask her if she took pictures so I could judge the fit, she lied and said she forgot to take them, and stated the client was happy! He was NOT happy.

In the meantime, after multiple revisions and the garment still didn’t fit, she lied to him and stated, “Christine says it’s as good as it’s going to get,” and essentially abandoned the client who had spent $1100 for a doublet, shirt and hat that DID NOT FIT! In what reality would I ever tell a client that? NONE! So, I offered to make it right for him, and stated I would remake the entire order at my expense. Look, I’ve spent enough time in customer service training to know that statistically speaking one unhappy client will tell TEN other people about their experience, and indeed, unbeknownst to me it was already being whispered about that I had authorized the crap she had produced, so I had to do some quick talking and negotiating because my reputation was on the line! I knew damn well at this stage I would never recover the damages, but I invoiced her anyway for the $1200 (I had to buy fabric @ $30 a yard and other notions).

So, after the “Versailles” client texted her and gave her his PayPal ID, rather than honor her agreement to return the ensembles to me, she raised her demands! She was now demanding that she be allowed for the payment to go through BEFORE she returned the client’s property to me! Regardless of how angry I was, I was still offering to allow her to at least bill for half of her labor, after informing her that the client’s event in France had been postponed for a year. I informed her about the damage I incurred in the interim from the client she had abandoned and told her I would be deducting the $1200 from any outstanding balances she was to bill the clients. Just like all the other fair and reasonable attempts to garner a response, she ignored me.

The client and I let another 24 hours pass, and when she failed to respond, I then wrote and informed her that we decided to cut our losses, that she had over played her hand, and that rather than try to negotiate any further with an extortionist, I would be remaking the client’s 18th Century ensembles and she could keep those she had made - and get NOTHING. I should have felt some kind of vindication over that turn of events, but now I had to set aside 6 months out of my schedule to clean up her mess rather than taking new clients who had contacted me. Let me be clear. I happily made the offer to remake these three commissions, it’s just damned frustrating that it is going to take me a FULL year to recover. Not only did I have to refund one client on my books and cancel the order, but I had to contact ALL 20 clients on my books and explain that I am having to spread out work meant for two people over the next several months, and now half my 2022 schedule is full! - Which means I will have to turn away work!

I’m frustrated yes, but I’m stunned by her callousness and the realization that she was never the person I esteemed her to be. No true friend would have turned on me the way she did and scorched the earth to try to hurt me and my business. And for what? Because she didn’t get her way? So in the end, I not only lost a friend, but I’ve also lost in excess of about $1652 in damages all because I mixed friendship with business.

Don’t be Afraid to Establish or Re-establish Boundaries and Expectations:

It’s not fair to you, nor is it ultimately fair to the friend you bring into your business, not to set strict boundaries up front and revisit them often. Now, I DID have a contract I had drawn up and she did review it, but I relied on my expectation of her trustworthiness rather than my intuition BECAUSE she was my friend. I feared offending her. Surely, she wouldn’t abuse my trust? – She’s my friend! If you can’t trust your friends, who CAN you trust? – Right? WRONG!

If I had it to do over again, I would have had her sign the contract EVEN if she were offended. If she had become offended that would have been a HUGE red flag! I also would have held evaluations a minimum of four times a year wherein I sat down and reviewed her performance with her and communicate where I saw she needed improvement, as well as where I saw she had made progress and I would have put it in WRITING. I would have also insisted she keep a journal of the techniques I taught her. Instead, I kept a running dialog with her with the expectation she would remember and follow them.

In the end I take responsibility for not setting hard and fast boundaries and establishing my position as “the buck stops with me.” Looking back I would make her accountable for every mistake she made.

So, take heed of this precautionary tale. Business and interpersonal relationships do NOT mix. What’s the lesson you might ask? Well, clearly I need to bone up on my self-assertion skills for women, but I will never, EVER take on another apprentice let alone someone who is a friend. This means that my availability will be less, and I will have to go back to being booked out a year in advance. But flying solo is the only way to ensure my clients commissions are of the highest quality.

In the end I think John D. Rockefeller has the right of it: “A friendship founded on business is better than a business founded on a friendship.” I have made “friendships” from clients. They’ve become CLOSE friends as a matter of fact. All of these relationships have worked out with the exception of ONE. I wrote about it here on my blog over a year ago (”When it all goes South”). But bringing friends into your business from my experience is just a recipe for disappointment and will result in the death of that friendship.

Lesson learned universe.

#costume design #costume designer #historical costuming #period costume #18th Century #renfair #outlander #washingtonfaire #tudor #16th century

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regrettablewritings · 4 years

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How They Spend the Quarantine (Tadashi Hamada, Lucifer Morningstar, Dewey Finn, Wade Wilson, Harley Quinn, & Benoit Blanc)

Just a fun (?? is that even responsible to say?) little thing I’ve been thinking about while slogging through this neverending hellscape of an extended lockdown.

Tadashi Hamada

When San Fransokyo was ordered to go into a lockdown, there were mixed feelings.

At first, Tadashi had a hint of optimism that this would mean more time to work on his prospective projects . . . But then he quickly realized that his projects mostly required tools and space offered by the campus. He could technically make do at home, but it wouldn’t quite be the same considering the garage was considered Hiro’s space.

Somberly had to clean out his lab and take whatever he could home.

Cue the rest of the group (sans Fred and Hiro) griping that at least his style of science could travel well enough to be somewhat continued off of university grounds.

Helps do delivery for The Lucky Cat. It helps him get out the house, and it’s simply helpful altogether.

Uses Baymax frequently to make sure everyone down to Mochi is sanitized, and nobody’s running a fever.

Nearly as frequent a sanitizer as Aunt Cass.

He starts most days prepared to be productive, only to stop and poke fun at Hiro, who’s almost always got his eyes trained on a video game.

Tadashi realizes three hours later that he, too, has been playing the game as Player 2.

Learned how to make facial masks with Aunt Cass. He already knew how to sew a little but frankly, making the masks made him realize he could have a new hobby on his hands. He’s currently trying to figure out how to make Mochi a little vest . . .

Lucifer Morningstar

B o r e d. A s. F u c k.

At first, he thinks everyone being forced to go home would work in his favor -- surely some rule-breakers would sneak out and try to bunk up with the Devil, right?

Well . . . Kinda? Once Chloe found out and scolded him about it, the idea died real fast. Plus, he realized he wasn’t quite fond of the possibility of being around someone who could pop up with a disgusting human sickness at any point during their time with him. Smearing their snot all over, coughing into his Egyptian cotton sheets . . . Nope, never mind, he is perfectly content having the penthouse to himself, thank you very much!

Except he’s not.

The poor bastard is going crazy by himself -- he’s just not used to being without some kind of company!

“At least in Hell, you could tell there were people around you based on the screaming!” he’d whine at his phone during his hourly video chat with Chloe.

Oh yes: The video chats. He tries to make them hourly with anyone he can get a hold of (namely, his long-suffering detective) but this clearly never plays out as he would like for it to: If he had it his way, everyone would respond in an instant and let him bounce mainly one-sided conversations off of them -- basically, what he did before all this went down.

What usually winds up happening is he gets hung up on or nobody answers him at all out of sheer annoyance over his clinginess.

Ironically, he’s not exactly crazy about when Amenadiel initiates those “family calls”. He insists it’s healthy and normal for them to do this and even calls Luci out on the hypocrisy, but let’s face it: Lucifer finds it obnoxiously gushy and weird.

He works his way into Linda’s video appointment books to help him cope with his boredom and admitted need for interactions. She doesn’t mind offering him counsel, but once Lucifer starts attempting to butt in during others’ appointment calls, it becomes an issue.

Has, at some point, gotten buzzed down in Lux and streamed himself attempting to pole dance. It drew quite a bit of attention.

He’s managed to gain a bit of a following and some companionship by streaming himself playing piano and singing. It’s not the same thing as having an actual audience, in his opinion, but it will have to do for now.

He’s never been one to binge with regards to TV shows or movies, but after the first week, he decided to binge watch every work action star Wesley Cabot was ever in.

Makes sure his staff still gets paid well. After all, he’s pretty well-off; there’s no need to make an innocent bartender’s life a living hell just because some other rich bastard fucked up, yeah?

Going off this, should he need to order to-go or anything, we already know he tends to tip as handsomely as he looks.

Dewey Finn

Kids were being sent to Horace Green on tuitions worth more than what some people saw in half a year -- of course the school was going to continue classes online!

While technically an afterschool instructor, the program is popular enough for parents to expect it to continue, and for Dewey to be kept on payroll.

Initially, he was pretty smug: He’s one if, if not, the youngest teacher-figure at Horace Green, so surely that means he’s more tech savvy than his older, stiffer coworkers, right? For once, he’s ahead of the curve!

Wrong: Figuring out Zoom was a headache, and then there was the realization of just how dependent his classes were on actual physical presence.

Plus, let’s be real: Dewey’s Internet connection was decent on its own, but craptastic when compared to those of his wealthier students. The lag is strong with this one.

Has definitely accidentally messed up the background on his screen. Somehow wound up with the Beetlejuice background and got so frustrated, he wound up keeping it there for two whole sessions.

In spite of the slight issues regarding lag, they pull through and try to resume lessons as best they can.

Tries to keep optimism by pointing out how this is a new form of entertainment they could be pioneers in.

Some days, it’s just going so wack or everyone’s so bleh that Dewey just assigns for them to watch a music documentary or something.

“Okay, kids, Mr. Finn’s hungover and clearly Summer is the only one who went to bed before 3am. So what I’m gonna have you do is watch . . . Prrrbbbb . . . Amadeus.” “How is Amadeus rock-related?” “It had a rock single, shut up. Anyway, we meet back next class and talk about what we saw, m’kay? M’kay. Over and out.”

Next class, he’s filled with dread as Summer produces an in-depth analysis of the relationship or lack thereof between character and the presence of talent as evidenced by Mozart’s abilities juxtaposed with his immature presentation and -- Dewey just can’t keep up. Sure, Summer, why not?

When he’s not busy teaching, however, he’s using the lockdown to work on some new material. Or just screwing around.

Otherwise, let’s be real, Big Boy’s living the high life in a place of his own: Playing video games (Animal Crossing, recently got back into Team Fortress 2, is trying to finally finish Ocarina of Time); eating a not very great diet; staying up late, napping at weird times; all in the name of quarantine.

If he orders delivery or to-go, he tips the best he can.

Wade Wilson

On one hand, murking never goes on lockdown. But on the other . . . He’s already technically not well, why risk that even with his mutation?

Oh, fuck I just remembered he lives at the X Mansion, never mind turn back turn back oh god give us free --

The situation is tense to say the least. There’s Wade, who’s sensible enough to know why the quarantine is in place . . . and then there’s everyone else, who knows Wade’s full of shit.

And by everyone, I “coincidentally” mean Colossus, Nega Sonic, Yukio, Domino, Cable, and Russ because the already small world of the sequel just got smaller by the fact that everyone is bound to a large but nonetheless single estate whose size has probably decreased from that of the First Class timeline.

You know those videos of the usual Quarantine Characters? Wade is somehow yet still unsurprisingly all of them, save for the frequent sanitizer. He raids the pantry frequently, sleeps at all hours, considers scooting a swivel chair down the halls exercise for the thighs, blasts video games, and so on.

Going back to the sanitizer thing, it’s not that he’s just not exactly known for being tidy. Colossus occasionally does drag him out of bed at a decidedly decent time (read: any time before 11am) to try and get him excited about cleaning up around the mansion, but it rarely ends well. At this point, the safest option is to just remind Wade to wash his hands for 20 seconds as necessary.

Has acquired a Switch and visits everyone’s island, often to bonk them on the head with a net or gift them with weird crap they don’t necessarily want. For the “friends” from Sister Margaret’s, he has somehow acquired their Dodo Codes. Nobody knows how he did this.

Facetimes Dopinder frequently.

“Precious, you’re the beacon of light in this cold, cruel world.” “I miss you, too, DP --” “Sshshsh! I’m having a moment . . .” *weeps*

On the many occasions he orders delivery, he tips by giving the delivery person something expensive from the mansion that they can sell. Prof. X is loaded, after all. Plus, he more or less isn’t even present in this universe, it’s not like he’s gonna miss anything he can’t see/probably doesn’t even know exists in his house. The problem is, Colossus does exist and does notice and does care when things go missing. Leading to many a delivery person getting caught up in shenanigans at that weird school in the boonies that they either don’t get paid enough to deal with or couldn’t pay to make up.

“Oh, pawn shops are closed?” asks the man who looks like a skinned avocado if avocados had human skin. “Don’t worry, lemme hook you up -- I know some guys --” “DEADPOOOOOLLL!!” roars a Russian accent from inside the house. “WHERE IS THE BRONZE BUST OF THE PROFESSOR!?” The poor delivery person’s eyes widen as they realize that the odd cargo they’ve been presented with apparently holds some value of some kind. But before they can flee, the avocado man blurts, “Shit! Leave the pizza in the bushes, look me up on my Youtube page, byyyeeee!!”

In his defense, Wade does hold up his end of the deal. Much like the Dodo Codes, nobody knows what strings he pulled. They just accept it and move on.

Harley Quinn

Surprisingly compliant.

She’s crazy, not stupid: Staying at home may suck, but what sucks more is making things harder on people who may not fair so well. Besides, she’s spent time in a maximum security prison -- she can handle staying cooped up in her own home. At least home has TV, books, and snacks.

When she hears people are still going out without masks or plotting to have a protest, she strongly considers firing up the old Fun Gun and popping the next sign-carrying Karen she sees with a tit full of cadmium yellow powder.

Seriously, stay the fuck home and fuck up your own hair; this is the perfect time to make mistakes with your looks, it ain’t like you got anywhere to be or anyone to impress.

“STAY THE FUCK HOME, BITCH!” P O W!!! “JUST GO GREY ALREADY, WE ALL KNOW YOUR HAIR AIN’T THAT COLOR ANYMORE, YOU’RE THREE YEARS FROM BEING IN THE GODDAMN AGE-BRACKET!!!” P O W!!!!

Only leaves her new apartment to grab groceries and to take Bruce on a walk. She actually refuses to steal or cause a scene during this shitshow because she may be a bad guy, but she sure ain’t evil.

So far, there haven’t been complaints about the fact that she’s walking a hyena down a public street. Maybe it’s because there’s hardly anyone out? Maybe it’s because Gothamites just can’t be bothered to be fazed by it . . . Or maybe it’s because she made him a little mask for his snout.

“In this house, we wash our hands for at least 20 seconds, kid.”

Lets the forest reclaim the earth, so to speak. She was never really shaving anything for anyone but herself before, but now it just seems especially pointless.

Spends almost every day in a kigurumi. To give her a semblance of routine, she has a pink bear one she calls her “Sunday Suit.” She doesn’t know it’s not Sunday because the days just blur but Cass just doesn’t have the heart to tell her; she seemed so proud of herself . . .

Like everyone else, she’s gotten Animal Crossing. She’s trying to create an all-preppy island with a few exceptions (Astrid = Aesthetic, m’kay?)

Tips nicely when ordering delivery.

Benoit Blanc

As young and spry in nature as the gentleman sleuth would like to think of himself, he would really rather not test the dangers of the situation and go about all foolhardy -- he’s staying home!

In theory, it’s only logical and therefore perfectly fine. But in practice . . . God, he wishes he’d invested more in things to occupy himself with when home.

It wasn’t that Benoit was never home, he just never felt too much of a need to invest in a fancy entertainment center -- the fanciest he ever got was an iHome.

The beginning of the quarantine served as the perfect time for him to read over case files, catch up on paperwork, even catch up on some reading he’d been putting on hold since God knows when due to cases popping up left and right. But that dried up quicker than he’d assumed, and that’s when he was faced with what a man of his mind dreads the most: Boredom.

Finally caved and decided to hook up Amazon Fire.

Expected to use the one-month free trial on Netflix and be just fine but once the lockdown in his area got extended and he realized he wasn’t going to be able to catch up with Crazy Ex-Girlfriend at this rate, he caves even further and buys a subscription.

Fully delights at the influx of platforms uploading Broadway recordings; when The Show Must Go On put on Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat, followed by The Phantom of The Opera, it was a treat, I tell you!

Sanitizes often, despite hardly ever leaving his house besides to have a smoke or to go grab groceries. Honestly, it’s less about cleaning at this point so much as it is finding something to occupy his focus when he feels there’s nothing else to so.

Takes zinc after every meal to help lessen the intensity of any ailment that might hit him.

Definitely owns a facemask. There’s a good chance it’s from Marta or one of his relatives, and there’s another good chance the pattern is as flamboyant as his clothing. He’s delighted.

Benoit tries not to rely too much on delivery, as he’d much rather just cook. On the rare occasion where tipping comes up, however, he gives as generously as he can.

Bonus: There’s a slight chance he might have acquired a companion to foster early on in the quarantine. Benoit hadn’t had a pet since childhood, a crime of which he was admittedly melancholic of his own involvement. However, his surprisingly busy lifestyle just wouldn’t suit a four-legged friend, now could it?

Well, now there’s time to. Besides, it would certainly ease the potential feeling of loneliness to have someone or something with whom he could interact with.

Admittedly, when shelters began encouraging people to invest time in taking home a companion, he’d been looking more for a comrade on the canine side of the spectrum -- but darn, if Duke wasn’t a handsome cat.

A lovely grey-and-white cat with eyes that matched his own, Duke has become the one Benoit monologues to (because in all honesty, the man is a performer at heart, in need of an audience to speak his mind to and portray a thought before). Plus, he doesn’t appear to mind it when Benoit finds himself belting out in tone-deaf notes to showtunes while washing the dishes: The mark of a true companion.

At this rate, he’s probably not going to keep fostering Duke when things calm down -- he’s probably going to just straight up adopt him.

Stay safe & healthy!

#just a dumb little thing #anyway stay safe and healthy #regrettablewritings #tadashi hamada imagine #lucifer morningstar imagine #dewey finn imagine #wade wilson imagine #harley quinn imagine #tadashi hamada #lucifer morning star #dewey finn #benoit blanc imagine #benoit blanc

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atlafan · 3 years

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sorry if it’s too much but can you give advice for someone that’s graduating college soon? how do we prepare for what’s too cold? like in terms of credit, jobs, resumes, apt lookinh? entering the real adult world? how was your experience? pls and thank you!!!!

First things first, start making small monthly payments to your student loans. Even if it’s just $20 a month, start getting used to that monthly bill, especially before your interest kicks in.

Find your schools career development office, or go to your schools alumni office, talk to your faculty advisor. Tell them what you want to do. All of them should have contacts/connections. What’s your major? Where are you from? I could help further if I know more.

I was really lucky. I had been working in my schools marketing and creative services department for a year doing social media/video work. They offered me a full time admin position. I also had been with my bf for five months, and before I graduated and knew I would be working in the area, he asked me to move in the with him. My advice while you’re job hunting though is get the job first, and then ask about hosing in the area. The company might leads. You could always stay at hote before finding a permanent residence.

Now, when you’re applying for jobs, apply for anything you want to do. Dont worry too much about the qualifications. Make sure your resume and cover letter are specifically crusted towards the job you’re applying for. Use language from the job description in both. Also, on your resume, only put relevant work experience. I was a waitress for 8 years, and I’ve never put that on a professional resume. Wait to mention something like that in an interview.

Before going for an interview, make sure you do your research on the company. What does their site look like? Who works there? Stuff like that. The interview is a two way street. Bring a list of questions. How’s employee satisfaction? Why did the position become open? Why did the previous person leave? What are the benefits like? How’s the work-life balance? Also know that you don’t have to disclose any personal medical information. You can save that for HR after you get hired.

For credit, you can build good credit by paying your student loans monthly. Build credit by paying your credit card off. I had really great credit after I graduated because I always paid my credit card bill, even if it was just the minimum amount. Basically paying all your bills on time helps with credit.

I’m really glad I work at the university I do. Even though I was entering this new world, I had a comfortable familiarity. I got lucky, a month into my admin position I got offered the job of assistant director for annual giving. I did that for over a year. I hated it. Not at first, but there was a supervisor change and I became miserable. Money doesn’t buy happiness if you hate what you do every day. I’ve been an academic advisor for two years and I absolutely love it. I love working with people and helping them. I also love teaching.

Ask about benefits. If you can stay on your parents health insurance, do that. I’m still on my dads, and I’m riding that wave. See if they have tuition benefits, I was able to get my masters for less than $5000. See if they have gym benefits, vision, dental. When you get hired, ask yourself colleagues about their insurance plans. As about PTO, and ask how that works if you’re salaried or hourly.

Make time for yourself, and go easy on yourself. You had the same routine your entire life and all of a sudden it changes. All of a sudden you can’t go to the beach on a Wednesday during the summer because you’re working. All of a sudden your understand why your dad would come home enraged and yell about dishes in the sink. It’s a time for growth. Make sure to treat yourself. Go out and have fun. Be with friends.

That’s all I can think of for now, I hope this helped!

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cranberrymelonmuffin · 3 years

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Questionnaire

The questions come from @tsims Thanks to @perfectlypiper13 for finding it for me!

My current family, the Nagi-Young household, just went though a major changeup, as the founder died and her oldest 2 just moved out with their families, making the household the smallest it’s been since before she had kids. So all these questions are based pre Edwina Young’s death.

1. What does your sim do outside of work?

Edwina didn’t do much that didn’t have to do with her zebras, so outside of making money with them, she’d go on rides giving them free reign, and garden. Her husband always wanted to be the ‘hip’ dad, so he learned martial arts to bond with one of his sons (which he still does now by himself).

2. What does your sim do with their weekend?

Weekends were duo days. My founder & her oldest daughter would spend time riding leading to a competition the younger would compete in (with mother cheering along). One of the boys would take his youngest sister out to teach her how to fish, and the other twin would train with his father. Saturday is also the day I’d try to have them sleep in if they just aged up.

3. Do your sims have hobbies or side gigs/skills? When do they do them? Do they have major life goals they’re working on?

As far as major ‘life’ goals, I don’t like deciding too far ahead, so I see them as ‘life stage’ goals. If my sims work from home, I’ll want them to have a side hussle as well. Some ltw’s seem like something easy, so if they fulfill it before adulthood I give them a mini one. I try to have at least one stage of their life having drama. Whether it be a child with an enemy or a teen with 3 love interests, there’s always something!

4. Do your sims have close friends? Do they keep up with them? When and how? How about dating? Are they in a relationship or seeking one? How to they maintain their relationship or seek one out?

It depends on how I’m playing them, but I tend to have somewhat anti-social sims. Edwina & Youssef never really met anyone when they moved that their kids didn’t bring home, but the kids became pretty friendly. Tank Grunt became a big presence in the house before he moved in, so his family was invited a few times for dinner. My sims are always texting their friends, calling them once a day, and at least once every life stage they hang out somewhere. I try to start friendships early in school, and they keep them their whole life, but usually only 1 or 2 outside of family.

5. How often do you actually keep to routine needs? Do your sims eat at home, restaurants, do picnics, or do they get takeout? How about hygiene? Do you have times when they shower etc?

Even if the needs are static, the Nagi-Young household eats dinner together every Friday night. Edwina & her husband went out on dates twice a week once she became an elder. Not as much to restaurants, but they’d often bring food and a firepit to the middle of nowhere, or go bowling together. When I have kids of the same age group, at least once a week I have them skip the school bus home, work on their homework together, then eat at the diner together before coming home. These things would always be on the same day of the week.

6. Do they have pets (major or minor) or “pet like” hobbies (the sprites from university, or just buying/taking care of plants like university? Do they have routines for that?

The Youngs have the best zebra breeding program in Simnation! But I’d never call what they do with them a routine, because unlike the sims, they don’t have a set time to do things. I like having more than 1 non sims at a time though, so if my sims have too much to do the animals have each other. Edwina had mastered gardening as well, so there is a little garden. After her death, they went through a major renovation & there’s now a greenhouse, and that’s where Edwina’s urn is now.

7. Do you try to integrate your townies into your routines? How? (Say, neighborhood parties etc)

Parties are always a little hard for me for some reason. They never go well without the lifetime reward. I do throw ‘dinner parties’ inviting another household for a big feast. When Tank & Esker started dating, his family was invited over to make sure that every parent knew where it was going. But until they become major players (or family association) I don’t interact often with townies. They’re there as possible contenders for heirs and spares XD

8. How do you manage finances in the game? Do your sims take loans? What do they do with money they make? What are the hinge they save up for? How much money do they make? Do they get paid hourly, get a stipend, or get paid based on sales or odd jobs?

I don’t use many mods, but when I start a save I cheat my households 5,000 that works as a ‘loan’ (I cheat away 7,000 when they get back to there). I think sims have an easy way on making money, so if I’m planning to have a save with 2+ generations, I don’t give them rabbit hole based ltw’s and don’t have them get higher then 7 of a rabbit hole career until generation 3. I don’t do renovations until a new heir, so their money goes to real estate. So big purchases for the spares houses when I kick them out, and then whatever’s left goes to the remodeling.

9. How often do you cheat mundane things like needs?

I started playing like this when I was doing adventures, but I play in an mostly static needs type way. But before their birthday, they fall 'ill', and they will stay in bed asleep the whole day. Since they live on shorter lifespans, A full day of not being able to do anything feels like a good compromise to me.

10. And finally, what mods do you use to maintain these routines?

I don’t use too many from the great Nraas suite, but Nraas Careers School add-on is essential for my kids. Sometimes I don't want to deal with the crowding of the school, so being able to send the odd kid out to another building, or home, makes it easier for the other kids in the same age group to 'talk to friends' that aren't their family. Also, Missy Hissy's careers are coming into play as the heirs get older (Egyptologist & Environmental Scientist). The clubs and activities have always been a great thing in my gameplay because it gives the adults some time for their afternoon 'activities' XD

#sims #about my sims #long post

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springday-aus · 4 years

Text

Tech Kid!AU with Chan

—

Group: Seventeen

Member: Dino / Lee Chan

Genre: fluff, romance

part of the Odd Summer Jobs!AU ⤗ introduction of the Summer Boys!

check out the others on the au masterlist!

Type: Bulletpoint AU

Word Count: 1.6k

so Chan works around his neighborhood as a tech kid

he usually helps the older people, like grandparents or other adults with empty nests

you know, people without a younger generation to rely on

because of that, he doesn’t really do anything that’s necessarily… hard

most of the time he literally just turns the computer on and off

others are just updates on, like, phones or something

(Chan’s mom literally makes him do that shit all the time, which is what made him be the “tech kid” of the summer boys)

because of this job tho, he’s got a rep as their adopted grandson throughout his neighborhood

it’s really sweet

so there are other things he does, but they’re fairly easy

he gets called to help set up new laptops or desktops or something like that

sometimes parents call him to help their children set up like gaming laptops

but, like, they already know what they’re doing and he gets paid just for reading some manual instructions lol

most of the time it usually ends up with him spending like two hours teaching them how to use the mouse and type on the keyboard and all that other stuff

the other summer boys feel really bad for him because sometimes the customers get super infuriating

not in the sense that they’re rude or anything

it’s more of like, who doesn’t know how to use a fucking laptop mouse?

(but also, like, Mark struggles with technology all the time and whenever Chan points this out, the boys are like Mark who?)

the thing is tho is that Chan actually has a lot of patience and he thinks it’s super funny whenever these people struggle against technology

the amount of times he’s been called over to Soonyoung’s place is insane, but Chan thinks it’s super funny whenever he’s practically slamming his hands onto the keyboard

Soonyoung: “so if I click this…”

Chan: “hyung, you don’t have to click the left and right side of the computer mouse”

Soonyoung: “thEN WHAT ARE THEY FOR CHAN”

Chan: “I should really raise my hourly wage”

Soonyoung: “I’m just trying to make a presentation for this class why am I struggling so much” T^T

but yeah, his job isn’t necessarily hard

on some rare occasions it’ll be like programming or something but

he also knows how to do basic coding so

(he thanks his university’s stupid acadmic requirements for that)

and if not, there’s google

so he meets you because you needed some help with your laptop

it’s very old and you are very reluctant to to buy a new one

why?

because you have the mind of a 90 year old

which means you got the hang of this laptop and don’t know how to use other ones

so when a friend gives you an old laptop bc you won’t just buy a new one…………..

things get complicated quickly

because, first of all, the laptop is one of those fancy ass 2 in 1 laptops

and you didn’t even know that

…………. until you opened it to clean it and it started malfunctioning

not really malfunctioning, but more of…….. weird

anyways

your friend knew you were going to need some help, so your friend recommended calling Chan to help you set it up

You: “you want me to pay a guy to help me with something I can google on my phone?”

“try to google it on your new laptop then” :)

“fuck you”

so you get his number from your friend and shoot him a text

a couple of minutes later, he sent a response and you arrange a time together, also providing your address and all the other details

when he comes, it’s a bit awkward but it’s okay

you didn’t really expect him to be this young

but it’s fine

he goes in and makes small talk as he opens your laptop and such

he mentions his university, his major and club activities

and you talk a bit about yourself too

like your summer plans

the things you’re doing and what you’re prepping up for

once he gets your laptop open and started, he turns to you

Chan: “so what’s the problem?”

You: “..... there’s not exactly a problem, it’s more of a complication”

Chan: “complication?”

You: “I don’t… exactly know how to use it”

Chan: “why did you get this laptop then?”

You: “I didn’t really get it… it was more of a gift”

he raises an eyebrow, but he doesn’t say anything else

although there is a hint of a smirk

You: “could you just… help me figure this out?”

You: “I just don’t know the functions and stuff and I really don’t want to break it”

Chan: “okay, okay, give me a bit of time to mess with it and I’ll teach you”

so he messes around the laptop to figure out its functions and such

you’re on the side, just chatting with him as he does his thing

you both bond

it’s like that for a hot bit

but then he passes the laptop to you

Chan: “your turn” :)

You: oh shit

this is when the fun really begins

and by fun, I mean insanity

it was just two hours of you struggling

Chan: “so, there’s a stylus pen included for the touch function”

You: “ooooo, where?”

Chan: “it’s on the right side”

You: “I don’t see anything”

Chan: “you have to press the right side”

You: “press?? the right side???”

Chan: “(Y/N), not literally, there’s a part you have to—oh my God”

your brain cells were struggling to work with the technology

lowkey he was laughing real hard on the inside and failing to contain it

he lost it tho when you were trying to flip the screen into tablet mode and screamed because you thought you broke it for a hot sec

you know he was laughing at you but he looked pretty cute doing it

You: “laugh all you want, but when you’re suffering like this, I’ll be there”

Chan: “trust me, you aren’t as bad as some of my friends”

You: “I doubt it”

Chan: “you haven’t met Mark”

Chan: “I’m pretty sure he still has an ipod somewhere”

You: “..... really?”

so eventually he does have to leave

it took a while but you got there eventually

he also invites you out

Chan: “I feel like you would get along with my friends, would you like to join us for a movie night?”

(you didn’t notice him looking at you from how you were looking at him)

You: “yeah, sure, sounds fun”

and hence your first unofficial date

it was fun

the other boys easily let you in and they were real easy going

you all got along and had a lot of fun as time went by

Mark: “the ending was all interconnected”

Renjun: “you know that’s called a wrap up… you know… as a point of the movie”

and then when it was all over, Chan walked you home

Hansol: “oooooo”

Jaemin: “cute”

(he advised you to ignore them, but the redness of his ears shows how he didn’t even listen to his own advice lmao)

the walk home was a bit short, yet the conversation just kept going

and I don’t mean just the walk, you two kept in touch through texting

so that also meant spending more time together

hanging out

and getting to know one another

it’s cute bc some of the time is spent trying to teach you how to use your technology

Chan: “was this a seduction tactic to provide you with free services?”

You: “100% Channie”

he came over once with some of his video games and the two of you had a blast

(even though it took awhile for you to understand the controls)

at some point he was real close when he was trying to move your fingers along the controls……………….

hm, yes

you highkey just kept staring at his face rather than the controls and you were just………..heavily distracted

anyways

you actually come with him to some of his jobs

his usuals (i.e. the elders) think it’s super cute

“you brought your partner with you!!! hi!!!!”

they gave you cookies and you were sold: you were never going to leave

well, you did bc Chan dragged you out

while he works tho, you kind of just admire him from the side

you do feel kind of bad for him whenever he has to work with people who are just as bad with technology as... well, you

but he always reassures you

Chan: “this is good because you can see what you look like”

You: “...... I can always leave”

Chan: “not with all these cookies you can’t”

You: “goDDAMN IT”

that’s the summary of your relationship lmao

he’s the tech kid and you just…… struggle

but it’s okay

you have him :)

you know what’s cute tho??

bc he like knows how to code and shit

he knows all these cute little things to do for your laptop

(he highkey got inspiration from watching Strong Woman Dong Bong Soon to make your wallpaper into his face with animated heart emojis)

by cute things, I mainly mean messages rather than actual things

he’s not great with his words

he’s trying and it’s cute but like his actions show his affections and you eat that shit up

another thing tho

while he doesn’t say anything about physical affection

he really likes it

one time, you grabbed his hand to show him something at a shopping window

and he just kept looking at it bc he couldn’t look at you

but he also didn’t pull away

after that tho, you did amp up the skinship and he’s just…….. sigh

it’s great

you’re both having fun with each other like a couple of cuties running through a flower field

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doingthingswithphilosophy · 3 years

Text

Will Buckingham

Writer and creative writing teacher

Where and when did you study philosophy?

I started out as a student of fine arts in the north of England, then took a masters degree in anthropology. Even back then, my interest in anthropology was quite strongly philosophical. When you realise that the things you take for granted are culturally determined, and they could be otherwise, it challenges all your habitual ways of thinking, and this can be a powerful way of prompting philosophical questioning. At first, I intended to continue on to a PhD in anthropology, but I fell ill in Indonesia with some kind of weird, recurrent fever, and this eventually put paid to my formal study.

I got better after a couple of years, and I spent the next decade doing two things: writing novels that I’m now glad were never published, and practising Buddhism. This is when I started reading philosophy more seriously, largely prompted by conversations with Buddhist friends. I spent hours studying formal logic. I ploughed through the canon of phenomenology. I read up on the philosophical traditions of Buddhism.

In Buddhist thought, I was particularly preoccupied with the exorbitant ethical notion of the Bodhisattva: the being who strives tirelessly for the liberation of all. As a human ethical goal, it just seemed crazy. And thinking about all of this was what got me into reading Levinas, a philosopher I still find illuminating and maddening in equal parts. Eventually, my philosophical perplexities led me to a part-time PhD in philosophy at Staffordshire University, writing a thesis on Levinas and storytelling. I funded the PhD myself, just about, by teaching adult education classes in philosophy supplemented by occasional hourly-paid lecturing in the university. By the end of the PhD, my Buddhist commitments had more or less come undone (I now see myself as more Buddh-ish than Buddhist). And I thought I should probably get myself a proper, full-time academic job, because that seemed the most sensible option.

Around the time I graduated (back in 2007), my first novel was accepted for publication. At the time, there were more jobs in creative writing teaching than philosophy, and my own slightly off-beam philosophical training wasn’t necessarily a good fit for many philosophy departments. So I got myself a post teaching creative writing, and spent the best part of the next decade doing that, until going freelance in 2016.

What excites you about philosophy?

I love anything that makes the world more interesting: by asking questions you've not thought to ask before, or by providing new perspectives on seemingly intractable problems. My connection with philosophy has always felt more existential than formal-academic: a desire to get to grips with the deep weirdness of what it is to be human, to make sense of the baffling, chaotic experience we have of ourselves, others and the world. And one thing I have always liked about philosophy is the way it allows you to pull at the threads of your assumptions—and how if you keep on pulling, you find that the whole thing can unravel. I love this in teaching philosophy as well: the moment when you realise this unravelling is happening for student, or when you realise that new questions are starting to hit home.

From my earliest days teaching adult education, I realised that what I really like is doing philosophy outside of formal academic frameworks. This came home to me back in 2015 when was invited to be a visiting associate professor at Sichuan University in Chengdu. I liked teaching at the university and had some brilliant students. But the thing I loved even more was the bilingual public philosophy salon I set up in a local bookstore. The idea was to have a public forum where people could come and chat about Zhuangzi and Epicurus and Stoicism and Confucianism in either English or Chinese. We imagined it would be a pretty niche event, but at the first salon, we had eighty people turning up for what turned out to be an evening of riotously good philosophical fun. And I thought, "Yes, this is where I’m most at home."

Could you tell me something about your current career?

I’m not sure I think in terms of “career” (see below). I think more in terms of doing, as far as possible, good and interesting work. And for me, this means work that fulfils three criteria: it should be as far as possible personally engaging and fruitful, it should be of some broader benefit to others, and it should keep food on the table. When I left formal academia in 2016, it was because the first of these was no longer the case. I no longer felt it was possible to flourish in what seemed to be an increasingly marketised world of productivity, targets, league tables and bureaucracy. And I also worried that academia was somehow making me a worse writer.

Since going freelance in 2016, I’ve continued writing and researching, but without the same demands on what and how I write. I tend to be pretty eclectic, writing anything from travel writing (Stealing With the Eyes, Haus Publications 2018) to children’s books (Lucy and the Rocket Dog, Knopf 2017) to the occasional academic paper or book chapter. But the biggest project over the past three or four years has been Hello, Stranger: How to Welcome the World, which will be published by Granta this coming summer. The book takes up some of the themes of my PhD and refashions them through storytelling to explore that quiver of fascination human beings have in the face of strangers: the shudder of xenophobia or fear of the other; and the questing curiosity of philoxenia, or the fascination we have with the newness strangers might bring. It’s probably one of the most deeply personal things I’ve written, and I’m not sure I could have written in it while still in the academy.

It’s also been a delight working on new non-formal education projects. A couple of years back, I co-founded a social enterprise called Wind&Bones with my fellow-writer and collaborator Dr Hannah Stevens, exploring writing as a means of social change. Since setting up, we’ve run projects and workshops in Greek refugee camps, collaborated with educational projects in Myanmar, and we are currently planning a storytelling project with a brilliant Bulgarian NGO that works with survivors of domestic abuse. So all of this has been incredibly enriching—in the sense of being meaningful—as well as being more broadly beneficial and keeping just enough food on the table.

My other current education project, and labour of love, is Looking for Wisdom. The idea is to provide a free weekly philosophy newsletter by email, alongside ongoing but very affordable philosophy courses, supported by a friendly study community. I’m wanting to keep the focus really broad. So I’m taking a global and sometimes anthropologically-tinged vision of philosophy (I’ve recently featured pieces on Amazonian philosophy, Maya philosophy and so on). And I’m also conscious of the need to redress philosophy's woeful gender imbalance, so it’s been good to be writing about little-known figures like Jing Jiang, in the early Chinese tradition.

When I set up Looking for Wisdom, the guiding idea in my head was that I wanted to recreate the adult education vibe I so loved when I first set out teaching philosophy to help fund my PhD, or the relaxed social context for doing philosophy of the salon I set up in Chengdu, or further back, the free-ranging conversation and enquiry with friends that I experienced in my Buddhist days.

How does your philosophical training and formation help you in your current career?

There are two meanings of the word career: either a sedate and stately progress through a professional world; or a swift, erratic and uncontrolled motion. From the outside, I wonder if it sometimes looks as if I have had a career more in the latter sense than the former. But through it all, there have been two things that have remained pretty constant, both of which I owe to my philosophical background.

The first is that I love finding out new stuff. My engagement with philosophy has been such a rich, fascinating journey of finding out new stuff. And the work I am doing at the moment on Looking for Wisdom is a delight precisely because of how it continually opens up for me—and hopefully for readers too��all kinds of new avenues of thought.

And the second thing that has remained constant is my hunch that other people like finding out new stuff too. This is why teaching has always been central to who I am. Finding out new stuff in the company of others: it’s pretty much the ideal for me.

#doingthingswithphilosophy

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grootpoepjeplasjehoofd · 4 years

Text

Here's how the stock market is holding up so well. This is what real looting looks like

Soon after the Federal Reserve’s March 23 assurance that it would make borrowing easier for American corporations, Sysco Corp. sold $4 billion of debt.

Not long after that, the food-service giant announced plans to cut one-third of its workforce, more than 20,000 employees. Dividends to shareholders would continue, executives said.

That process repeated itself in April and May as the coronavirus spread. The Fed’s promise juiced the corporate-bond market. Borrowing by top-rated companies shot to a record $1.1 trillion for the year, nearly twice the pace of 2019. Companies as diverse as Sysco, Toyota Motor Corp., international marketing firm Omnicom Group Inc. and movie-theater chain Cinemark Holdings Inc. borrowed billions of dollars -- and then fired workers.

The companies were under no obligation to behave any differently, but their actions call into question the degree to which the U.S. central bank’s promise to purchase corporate debt will help preserve American jobs.

While the Fed has yet to buy a single bond, its pledge threw a lifeline to the market that undoubtedly kept some people working. Retail chains such as Dollar General Corp., CVS Health Corp., Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc., Lowe’s Cos. and Costco Wholesale Corp. said they’re adding personnel after tapping the bond market.

But unlike the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, which has incentives for employers to keep workers on the job, the taxpayer-backed facilities that the Fed and Treasury Department created for bigger companies have no such requirements. To make sure the emergency programs help fulfill one of the Fed’s mandates -- maximum employment -- the central bank is essentially crossing its fingers that restoring order to markets will translate to saving jobs.

“They could set conditions, say to companies, hire back your workers, maintain your payroll to at least a certain percentage of prior payroll, and we will help,” said Robert Reich, the former Secretary of Labor for President Bill Clinton who now teaches economics at the University of California, Berkeley. “It’s hardly clear that if you keep companies afloat they’ll hire employees.”

Unanimous Senate

The lending programs -- credit for big companies and the so-called Main Street facilities for midsize firms -- are supported by the CARES Act, a law that passed the House with more than 96% of the chamber’s votes and cleared the Senate unanimously. For many supporters, putting conditions on the assistance was a step too far. If Congress had intended any, it would have made it explicit in the legislation, they say.

“Really it’s all about creating a context, a climate, in which employees will have the best chance to either keep their job, or go back to their old job, or ultimately find a new job,” Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said in a May 29 webinar hosted by Princeton University. “That’s the point of this exercise.” A spokesman for the U.S. central bank declined further comment.

Even as businesses around the country began reopening in May after months of stay-at-home orders, helping a battered U.S. economy add 2.5 million jobs in May, prospects remained grim for millions of Americans who’ve been let go since February. An extra $600 a week in unemployment benefits that Congress approved in March is slated to stop on July 31. The prohibition against firing workers in the $25 billion government rescue of U.S. airlines expires Sept. 30, and the biggest recipients have said they intend to shed employees after that date.

Protecting Workers

Reich’s view is echoed mostly by progressive Democrats and supporters of stricter regulatory oversight of the financial system.

“The Fed’s primary motivator in creating these lending facilities is not protecting workers,” U.S. Representative Katie Porter, a California Democrat on the Financial Services Committee, said in an email interview. “The American people should not be asked or expected to loan $500 billion with no strings attached.”

A letter, circulated by the Wall Street watchdog group Americans for Financial Reform and published May 27, urged Congress to attach conditions favorable to workers to any Covid-19-related rescue programs. It was signed by 45 organizations, including labor unions and religious and environmental groups.

Without provisions for employees, “the credit assistance will tend to boost financial markets, but not the broad economic well-being of the great majority of the population,” Marcus Stanley, Americans for Financial Reform’s policy director, said in an interview.

Stanley said the corporate-lending programs don’t have to require companies to keep or rehire workers, but they could give priority to those that do.

In its legislation, Congress did express an intent that workers benefit from taxpayer-funded assistance, but it left a lot of the details to Powell and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

“Our No. 1 objective is keeping people employed,” Mnuchin said during a May 19 Senate Banking Committee hearing after Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, accused him of “boosting your Wall Street buddies” at the expense of ordinary Americans. “What we put in the Main Street facility is that we expect people to use their best efforts to support jobs,” Mnuchin said.

The phrase “best efforts” echoes the original terms for the Main Street program, which required companies to attest they’ll make “reasonable efforts” to keep employees. The wording was subsequently changed to “commercially reasonable efforts,” which Jeremy C. Stein, chairman of the Harvard University economics department and a former Fed governor, called a welcome watering-down of expectations that the central bank would dictate employment policies to borrowers.

Emergency Help

“It was smart of them to weaken that,” Stein said. “You can’t expect companies to borrow to pay employees.”

Companies might not seek emergency help if too many strings are attached to the aid, Stein said. Others question the practicality of tying workers to their companies as economic realities shift.

“To go to great lengths to make companies keep employees that they don’t need, in light of new expectations that economic activity will remain below pre-Covid levels for a long while, doesn’t make sense,” said Mark Carey, a former Fed staff member and now co-president of the Risk Institute of the Global Association of Risk Professionals.

The Fed approached this crisis with the intent of keeping credit flowing everywhere, from municipalities to small businesses to big corporations to households. Powell said the programs are about lending, not spending -- in other words, they aim to ease a financing pinch rather than stimulate the demand companies need to keep workers on the payroll.

Weird Hybrid

“For the Fed to second-guess a corporate survival strategy would be a step too far for them,” said Adam Tooze, a Columbia University history professor and author of “Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World.” Putting explicit conditions on program beneficiaries would make the central bank “a weird hybrid of the Federal Reserve, Treasury, BlackRock and an activist stockholder.” BlackRock Inc. is the world’s biggest money manager and was hired by the central bank to assist with bond programs.

Through the Main Street facilities, which are scheduled to begin operations any day, the Fed will buy as much as $600 billion in four-year loans made to companies by commercial banks with principal and interest deferred for one year. The program is aimed at midsize businesses, with 15,000 or fewer employees or annual revenue of $5 billion or less in 2019.

The central bank’s credit backstop for larger companies is split in two. The $500 billion primary program is designed to buy slices of syndicated loans or new bonds from companies with investment-grade credit scores or one notch below. It’s available to corporations that can prove they can’t borrow elsewhere. The $250 billion secondary facility buys individual corporate bonds already on the market and exchange-traded funds that include investment-grade and junk bonds. The Fed kicked off the program last month; its balance sheet as of June 2 listed ETF holdings valued at $4.3 billion.

European Differences

European countries are charting a different policy course by paying workers directly. The U.K., for example, is offering 80% of salaries up to 2,600 pounds ($3,207) a month. The Netherlands and Denmark have effectively nationalized private payrolls.

The U.S. government paid adults who make less than $75,000 a year a one-time sum of $1,200, with $500 for every dependent child. The cost was $239 billion.

The S&P 500 has jumped 38% since March 23, the day the Fed intervened. Observers of the stock market wonder how it could be so bullish at the same time as the country faces an avalanche of joblessness unsurpassed in its history. The choices companies are making provide an answer.

Since selling $4 billion in debt on March 30, Sysco has amassed $6 billion of cash and available liquidity, enabling it to gobble up market share, while cutting $500 million of expenses, according to Chief Executive Officer Kevin Hourican. Sysco, which is based in Houston, will continue to pay dividends to shareholders, Chief Financial Officer Joel Grade said on a May 5 earnings call.

Junk Bond

Movie theaters were one of the first businesses to close during the pandemic. Cinemark, which owns 554 of them, shut its U.S. locations on March 17. Three days later, the company paid a previously announced dividend. It has since said it will discontinue such distributions. Cinemark borrowed $250 million from the junk-bond market on April 13, the same day it announced the firing of 17,500 hourly workers. Managerial staff were kept on at reduced pay, according to company filings. Cinemark, which is based in Plano, Texas, said it plans to open its theaters in phases starting June 19.

The theater chain opted to go to the bond market over seeking funding from the government because “it didn’t come with any of the strings attached that government-backed facilities can include,” CEO Mark Zoradi said on the April 15 earnings call. It “was really no more complicated than that.”

Sysco and Cinemark declined to comment for this story, and referred to their executives’ previous remarks.

Omnicom issued $600 million in bonds on March 27. In an April 28 conference call to discuss quarterly earnings, CEO John Wren said the company was letting employees go but didn’t say how many. He said the company was extending medical benefits to July 31 for employees furloughed or fired.

Wren added: “Our liquidity, balance sheet and credit ratings remain very strong and we have no plans to change our dividend policy.” Omnicom didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Toyota borrowed $4 billion from investors on March 27. Three days later, the Japan-based car company said it would continue paying dividends to shareholders. Eight days after that it said it would drop roughly 5,000 contract workers who helped staff its plants in North America. Scott Vazin, a Toyota spokesperson, declined to comment.

In a March 24 letter, 200 academics, led by Stanford University Graduate School of Business Professor Jonathan Berk, called lending programs aimed at corporations “a huge mistake.” Better to focus help directly on people living paycheck to paycheck who lost their jobs, it said.

“Bailing out investors who chose to take high-risk investments because they wanted the high returns undermines capitalism and makes it an unfair game,” Berk said in an interview. “If you don’t have a level playing field in capitalism, it doesn’t work.”

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