FA+
Shop
Battletech Battle Report: Simulation 2
Posted 2 years agoOur pilots strap into their simulation seats for another training session of Battletech!
MISSION SCENARIO: Base Defense. Stop pirates from raiding a base!
Three rookie pilots load up their mechs and are dropped into the middle of the base. Our first mechwarrior, piloting a gargantuan 100-ton Dire Wolf clan mech, with an LRM 10, four ER Large Lasers, four Medium Pulse Lasers, and two Ultra AC/5's, stomps out into the front of the base to wait for fast pirates to scurry within line of fire. The second mechwarrior, piloting a speedy 55-ton Wolverine with a Medium Laser, SRM 6, and an AC/5, jump jets up onto a battlement to provide indirect-fire-spotting support to the Dire Wolf. The last mechwarrior, piloting a sniping 45-ton Shadow Cat with two ER Large Lasers and a Streak SRM 6, finds a perch upon a tall wall to sit and snipe for most of the mission.
Far, far across the gulch, pirate mechs race into range of sensors. A 20-ton Locust, a 25-ton Commando, and a 25-ton Mist Lynx scurry and leap over terrain to speed towards the base, with fire support in the form of a 55-ton Griffin to back them up close behind. Using the terrain as cover from long-range direct fire, the light mechs bound towards the base. The Wolverine sees their tactics and launches out of the base to spot for the Dire Wolf's LRMs. The Locust speeds right past it while the Commando engages, and the Mist Lynx attempts to harass the Shadow Cat on the other side of the base entry.
But the Locust has made a mistake. Not just choosing to be a simulated pilot in a mech with paper armor, but opting to place itself right in front of the towering behemoth of the Dire Wolf. Though its momentum helped keep it from taking many hits on the way in, the sheer firepower from the Dire Wolf's laser-and-cannon-equipped arms quickly pummel it down into the ground into little more than a heap of scrap - only getting some paint scratches from the Locust's medium and small lasers. The Mist Lynx and the Shadow Cat trade fire, the lighter pirate getting its armor shaved off by the time the Locust is dead.
Far, far in the distance, a 65-ton Catapult lumbers into sensor range, its arms loaded with two LRM 15's and its torso jostling with four medium lasers.
The Wolverine all but ignores the Commando to return to base and keep pressure on the Mist Lynx, luring the short-range Commando out into the open to be targeted by the Shadow Cat. The Shadow Cat's lasers punch into the Commando's torso, and the Dire Wolf turns its lumbering attention to it. Meanwhile, the Griffin begins to engage with the Shadow Cat at range, landing a couple armor-denting punches with its PPC. The Commando tries to run into the base like the Locust did and even manages to land some hits on the Dire Wolf, but a salvo of lasers and ultra AC's punch through its armor and ignite its stores of SRM ammo, causing an explosion heard for miles.
The Catapult has shuffled slightly closer.
The Mist Lynx loses an arm with its own punchy SRMs, but manages to hop into the base itself. The Wolverine doesn't let up on it, forcing the pirate to pay attention to it for almost the entire time, while the Shadow Cat and Dire Wolf begins to melt off the Griffin's armor, taking a few more PPC hits in the process. A combined 145-tons of Clan technology make short work of the Griffin and turn it to scrap much like the Locust. Yet the Mist Lynx continues to hop, dodge, jump, and scurry around the base, losing armor but not pirate determination. Even the Shadow Cat turns its attention to the smaller mech while the Dire Wolf slowly stomps out of the base to engage with the Catapult at range. The two exchange missiles to little effect, while the Mist Lynx is finally forced into melee by the Wolverine atop a huge wall.
With a kick, the Wolverine dislodges one of the Mist Lynx's legs, causing the mech to fall. The Shadow Cat's lasers punch into it but don't quite take it out. The Mist Lynx hops onto its one remaining leg to melt a few lasers into the Wolverine's armor, before the Wolverine punts off its other leg. Legged, the Mist Lynx falls off the wall and tumbles out of the base. The Catapult is now alone, and has done little to bother the Dire Wolf . The Shadow Cat hops into vantage point and blasts off one of the Catapult's shoulders, hindering its use of its missiles from that arm. With no more pirate forces to protect it, the Catapult turns and runs, firing missiles behind it with few hitting the Shadow Cat that gives chase.
The Dire Wolf manages to fire off a few shots before it has no more line of sight, but it is not enough to slow the fleeing Catapult down. The Wolverine finds the highest point in the base to maintain line of sight to the Griffin and allow the Dire Wolf to keep launching LRMs. The Shadow Cat starts catching up to it, but the motion of the heavy mech is just enough to dodge further damage. Several tense moments of this pass as the Catapult gets closer and closer to the edge of the map, and with a final burst of speed, the pirate mech escapes, stomping off into the deep forests from which it lumbered.
Our Mechwarriors are victorious! They drove off the pirates with minimal damage to the base. The scenario concluded, and our pilots are awarded full marks for their performance.
MISSION SCENARIO: Base Defense. Stop pirates from raiding a base!
Three rookie pilots load up their mechs and are dropped into the middle of the base. Our first mechwarrior, piloting a gargantuan 100-ton Dire Wolf clan mech, with an LRM 10, four ER Large Lasers, four Medium Pulse Lasers, and two Ultra AC/5's, stomps out into the front of the base to wait for fast pirates to scurry within line of fire. The second mechwarrior, piloting a speedy 55-ton Wolverine with a Medium Laser, SRM 6, and an AC/5, jump jets up onto a battlement to provide indirect-fire-spotting support to the Dire Wolf. The last mechwarrior, piloting a sniping 45-ton Shadow Cat with two ER Large Lasers and a Streak SRM 6, finds a perch upon a tall wall to sit and snipe for most of the mission.
Far, far across the gulch, pirate mechs race into range of sensors. A 20-ton Locust, a 25-ton Commando, and a 25-ton Mist Lynx scurry and leap over terrain to speed towards the base, with fire support in the form of a 55-ton Griffin to back them up close behind. Using the terrain as cover from long-range direct fire, the light mechs bound towards the base. The Wolverine sees their tactics and launches out of the base to spot for the Dire Wolf's LRMs. The Locust speeds right past it while the Commando engages, and the Mist Lynx attempts to harass the Shadow Cat on the other side of the base entry.
But the Locust has made a mistake. Not just choosing to be a simulated pilot in a mech with paper armor, but opting to place itself right in front of the towering behemoth of the Dire Wolf. Though its momentum helped keep it from taking many hits on the way in, the sheer firepower from the Dire Wolf's laser-and-cannon-equipped arms quickly pummel it down into the ground into little more than a heap of scrap - only getting some paint scratches from the Locust's medium and small lasers. The Mist Lynx and the Shadow Cat trade fire, the lighter pirate getting its armor shaved off by the time the Locust is dead.
Far, far in the distance, a 65-ton Catapult lumbers into sensor range, its arms loaded with two LRM 15's and its torso jostling with four medium lasers.
The Wolverine all but ignores the Commando to return to base and keep pressure on the Mist Lynx, luring the short-range Commando out into the open to be targeted by the Shadow Cat. The Shadow Cat's lasers punch into the Commando's torso, and the Dire Wolf turns its lumbering attention to it. Meanwhile, the Griffin begins to engage with the Shadow Cat at range, landing a couple armor-denting punches with its PPC. The Commando tries to run into the base like the Locust did and even manages to land some hits on the Dire Wolf, but a salvo of lasers and ultra AC's punch through its armor and ignite its stores of SRM ammo, causing an explosion heard for miles.
The Catapult has shuffled slightly closer.
The Mist Lynx loses an arm with its own punchy SRMs, but manages to hop into the base itself. The Wolverine doesn't let up on it, forcing the pirate to pay attention to it for almost the entire time, while the Shadow Cat and Dire Wolf begins to melt off the Griffin's armor, taking a few more PPC hits in the process. A combined 145-tons of Clan technology make short work of the Griffin and turn it to scrap much like the Locust. Yet the Mist Lynx continues to hop, dodge, jump, and scurry around the base, losing armor but not pirate determination. Even the Shadow Cat turns its attention to the smaller mech while the Dire Wolf slowly stomps out of the base to engage with the Catapult at range. The two exchange missiles to little effect, while the Mist Lynx is finally forced into melee by the Wolverine atop a huge wall.
With a kick, the Wolverine dislodges one of the Mist Lynx's legs, causing the mech to fall. The Shadow Cat's lasers punch into it but don't quite take it out. The Mist Lynx hops onto its one remaining leg to melt a few lasers into the Wolverine's armor, before the Wolverine punts off its other leg. Legged, the Mist Lynx falls off the wall and tumbles out of the base. The Catapult is now alone, and has done little to bother the Dire Wolf . The Shadow Cat hops into vantage point and blasts off one of the Catapult's shoulders, hindering its use of its missiles from that arm. With no more pirate forces to protect it, the Catapult turns and runs, firing missiles behind it with few hitting the Shadow Cat that gives chase.
The Dire Wolf manages to fire off a few shots before it has no more line of sight, but it is not enough to slow the fleeing Catapult down. The Wolverine finds the highest point in the base to maintain line of sight to the Griffin and allow the Dire Wolf to keep launching LRMs. The Shadow Cat starts catching up to it, but the motion of the heavy mech is just enough to dodge further damage. Several tense moments of this pass as the Catapult gets closer and closer to the edge of the map, and with a final burst of speed, the pirate mech escapes, stomping off into the deep forests from which it lumbered.
Our Mechwarriors are victorious! They drove off the pirates with minimal damage to the base. The scenario concluded, and our pilots are awarded full marks for their performance.
BLFC - So Soon, So Soon, We Have Room
Posted 2 years agoEchoen: Hello our lovelies, our darlings, our sweet sinfully corrupted companions~
We are delighted and excited to be attending BLFC. Balros will be scurrying all through the con as staff, and I plan to be most active at nights past 8pm. We have our hotel room all to ourselves.
Some nights may be needed to rest and recover for another day of staffing. But other nights we would be warmly welcoming of meeting folks for dinners, desserts, and decadences best left behind closed doors. (We are highly musical and are practiced with aural hypnosis, dancing, and enjoy text-based RPing while nearby each other).
Should you be attending BLFC Oct 29 - Nov 3rd, let's be sure to have each other on Discord or Telegram!
DISCORD: echoenbatbat
or Balros & Echoen
TELEGRAM: echoenbatbat
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT US AS A PLURALITY SYSTEM:
For reference, as Echoen, my pronouns are she/shi her/hir /they/them, and my gender identity is Hermaphrodite.
As Balros, my pronouns are he/him and my gender identity is Male.
As Skilea, my pronouns are shi/hir and my gender identity is Hermaphrodite, but I'm comfortable with being referred to as shemale as well.
As Trance, my pronouns are she/her and my gender identity is null.
We are delighted and excited to be attending BLFC. Balros will be scurrying all through the con as staff, and I plan to be most active at nights past 8pm. We have our hotel room all to ourselves.
Some nights may be needed to rest and recover for another day of staffing. But other nights we would be warmly welcoming of meeting folks for dinners, desserts, and decadences best left behind closed doors. (We are highly musical and are practiced with aural hypnosis, dancing, and enjoy text-based RPing while nearby each other).
Should you be attending BLFC Oct 29 - Nov 3rd, let's be sure to have each other on Discord or Telegram!
DISCORD: echoenbatbat
or Balros & Echoen
TELEGRAM: echoenbatbat
THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT US AS A PLURALITY SYSTEM:
For reference, as Echoen, my pronouns are she/shi her/hir /they/them, and my gender identity is Hermaphrodite.
As Balros, my pronouns are he/him and my gender identity is Male.
As Skilea, my pronouns are shi/hir and my gender identity is Hermaphrodite, but I'm comfortable with being referred to as shemale as well.
As Trance, my pronouns are she/her and my gender identity is null.
Piloted our first game of Battletech Tabletop
Posted 2 years agoWe GM'd for a group of four!
BATTLE REPORT:
Four green mechwarriors stepped into a battle simulation. Two on two, they were to duke it out, one heavy mech and one light mech per team. A Catapult with two PPCs, medium lasers and machine guns paired with a Commando with a medium laser, SRM 6 and SRM 4. Facing off against a Wolverine with an AC/5 autocannon, medium laser and SRM 6, paired with a... wait, the fuck is this mech? What the hell is a 25-ton "Mist Lynx"? It has an Active Probe, two Machine Guns, a Streak SRM 4, and an LRM 10. There must be a glitch in the simulation software, this tech is not normally in the register.
The Mist Lynx and Wolverine fall into formation, while the Commando begins to kite them into line of sight of the Catapult, which positions itself at the top of a mountain to get good vantage points. However, after nine rounds of firing pot shots at each other, it's the Commando that lands the first actual hit with anything, shredding up the Mist Lynx's left leg but not quite blowing it off. The Wolverine then charges into melee range of the Catapult, chunking some armor off with its AC/5, while the Mist Lynx blows off the Commando's arm with a medium laser.
However, in melee combat with the Catapult one elevation higher than the Wolverine, the Catapult lands a 65-ton kick to the head, booting off the 55-ton Wolverine's head entirely in one blow. The pristine, all-but-undamaged Wolverine falls over and its pilot falls out, still alive and conscious. Things suddenly look dire for the Mist Lynx, when the pilot receives a message from his commander of the simulation: The scenario has changed. Everyone wants to know what the Active Probe does, so his mission is now to pick up the pilot of the Wolverine, find a hidden mech somewhere on the map using the Active Probe, and get him inside.
The Mist Lynx zips off to gain defensive speed, then wheels around to come charging right back in next to the Catapult to pick up the pilot of the Wolverine. The pilot climbs on, and manages to hang on while the Mist Lynx takes off at a run. Fortunately, the hidden mech was nearby, and the Active Probe detects it, and the Wolverine pilot manages to cling onto the running mech as it brings him to the new machine. A beautiful new Raven, a 35-ton mech with its own Active Probe, an ECM (electronic counter-measures), an SRM 6, and two medium lasers. He climbs in... but it takes a while to boot the mech up, and the Catapult and Commando blast off its two medium lasers while it's a sitting bird.
The Mist Lynx and Raven's objective changes again. They can't win this fight, but they can run, so they can win if they can escape to an underwater extraction on the other side of the map. The Mist Lynx takes off, and the Raven wheels around to go around the mountain and try to block line of fire from the Catapult while being chased by the Commando. The Raven takes a PPC hit to its body, and another PPC to the head, but it has barely enough armor to prevent a critical. The pilot stays awake with considerable damage, and sees his exit strategy in just a dead run. The Catapult, catching on to where the Raven might be going, positions itself to keep a clear line of fire...
...and another PPC hit to the right side, where its arm/lasers had already been blown off, melts into the machine. All three of its engine components on its right side are melted, causing the entire mech to shudder to a stop and shut down. The scenario is over, with the Catapult and Commando as the victors.
BATTLE REPORT:
Four green mechwarriors stepped into a battle simulation. Two on two, they were to duke it out, one heavy mech and one light mech per team. A Catapult with two PPCs, medium lasers and machine guns paired with a Commando with a medium laser, SRM 6 and SRM 4. Facing off against a Wolverine with an AC/5 autocannon, medium laser and SRM 6, paired with a... wait, the fuck is this mech? What the hell is a 25-ton "Mist Lynx"? It has an Active Probe, two Machine Guns, a Streak SRM 4, and an LRM 10. There must be a glitch in the simulation software, this tech is not normally in the register.
The Mist Lynx and Wolverine fall into formation, while the Commando begins to kite them into line of sight of the Catapult, which positions itself at the top of a mountain to get good vantage points. However, after nine rounds of firing pot shots at each other, it's the Commando that lands the first actual hit with anything, shredding up the Mist Lynx's left leg but not quite blowing it off. The Wolverine then charges into melee range of the Catapult, chunking some armor off with its AC/5, while the Mist Lynx blows off the Commando's arm with a medium laser.
However, in melee combat with the Catapult one elevation higher than the Wolverine, the Catapult lands a 65-ton kick to the head, booting off the 55-ton Wolverine's head entirely in one blow. The pristine, all-but-undamaged Wolverine falls over and its pilot falls out, still alive and conscious. Things suddenly look dire for the Mist Lynx, when the pilot receives a message from his commander of the simulation: The scenario has changed. Everyone wants to know what the Active Probe does, so his mission is now to pick up the pilot of the Wolverine, find a hidden mech somewhere on the map using the Active Probe, and get him inside.
The Mist Lynx zips off to gain defensive speed, then wheels around to come charging right back in next to the Catapult to pick up the pilot of the Wolverine. The pilot climbs on, and manages to hang on while the Mist Lynx takes off at a run. Fortunately, the hidden mech was nearby, and the Active Probe detects it, and the Wolverine pilot manages to cling onto the running mech as it brings him to the new machine. A beautiful new Raven, a 35-ton mech with its own Active Probe, an ECM (electronic counter-measures), an SRM 6, and two medium lasers. He climbs in... but it takes a while to boot the mech up, and the Catapult and Commando blast off its two medium lasers while it's a sitting bird.
The Mist Lynx and Raven's objective changes again. They can't win this fight, but they can run, so they can win if they can escape to an underwater extraction on the other side of the map. The Mist Lynx takes off, and the Raven wheels around to go around the mountain and try to block line of fire from the Catapult while being chased by the Commando. The Raven takes a PPC hit to its body, and another PPC to the head, but it has barely enough armor to prevent a critical. The pilot stays awake with considerable damage, and sees his exit strategy in just a dead run. The Catapult, catching on to where the Raven might be going, positions itself to keep a clear line of fire...
...and another PPC hit to the right side, where its arm/lasers had already been blown off, melts into the machine. All three of its engine components on its right side are melted, causing the entire mech to shudder to a stop and shut down. The scenario is over, with the Catapult and Commando as the victors.
The End Of An Era + The Start Of Something BIGGER
Posted 2 years agoToday was our last day at the nonprofit organization we've been a part of since 2019. We want to express how amazing it's been to be a part of this unique organization. It has been an honor and a privilege to serve clients and our shared communities alongside brilliant and hardworking people for the past four years.
When we joined the organization in 2019 as a Grant Writer, we could never have predicted a journey through Contracts and Procurement, leading to a county-wide position serving a network of 40+ organizations and over 600 staff. We feel we were able to grow as we scaled up our positive impact for Seattle, King County, Washington, and our out-of-state partners. The organization had set a very high bar for what we now expect from good organizational structure and good leadership that trusts staff to put client outcomes first.
Echoen is getting bigger, again?!
The next step in our journey of scaling up is to go from county-wide to state-wide. We will be joining a massive healthcare coalition as their Digital Navigation Specialist, supporting their Digital Inclusion programs connecting people with technology for improved health outcomes. We will be helping grow the program and the staff of that program, with a focus on helping people get devices (smartphones, laptops, internet hotspots, etc). Our priority will be to help marginalized populations such as immigrants/refugees, BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color), formerly incarcerated people, people experiencing homelessness, low-wage workers, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and people with limited English language proficiency.
It is only because of our work in the past four years and the partnerships formed with local-, county-, and state-wide agencies that we learned the true need for digital equity and the best practices for digital inclusion. Our unrelenting commitment to racial equity will help ensure that this state-wide program can deliver the outcomes for people that need help. The knowledge, expertise, fierce advocacy, and human-centered design experience we gained will be invaluable in the years to come.
There are HOW MANY squirrels in the state of Washington now?!
We are going to be scurrying ALL OVER the state. We're going to make a point of going to every county, listening to the needs of each community and their unique challenges, and infecting every possible partner with the contagious corruptive concepts we have to share. If there are people who need smartphones/laptops/devices, we want to make sure there is at least basic awareness that help is available and the people providing that help have tools and resources they need.
In our final parting words to our colleagues:
Keep growing, my friends and colleagues. Keep advancing, keep learning, and keep the lived experiences of our clients close at heart. You are the best resource someone in need of help could ever ask for. You are the best group of people we have ever had the honor to serve.
As a last note, BLFC! We will be there! Oct 29 - Nov 3rd in Reno, NV.
Hit us up if you want to meet up, see us, be seen. We may even take a fancy to you and invite you back to our room for a night of transformation, growth, and corruption, should you desire such an experience.
When we joined the organization in 2019 as a Grant Writer, we could never have predicted a journey through Contracts and Procurement, leading to a county-wide position serving a network of 40+ organizations and over 600 staff. We feel we were able to grow as we scaled up our positive impact for Seattle, King County, Washington, and our out-of-state partners. The organization had set a very high bar for what we now expect from good organizational structure and good leadership that trusts staff to put client outcomes first.
Echoen is getting bigger, again?!
The next step in our journey of scaling up is to go from county-wide to state-wide. We will be joining a massive healthcare coalition as their Digital Navigation Specialist, supporting their Digital Inclusion programs connecting people with technology for improved health outcomes. We will be helping grow the program and the staff of that program, with a focus on helping people get devices (smartphones, laptops, internet hotspots, etc). Our priority will be to help marginalized populations such as immigrants/refugees, BIPOC (black, indigenous, people of color), formerly incarcerated people, people experiencing homelessness, low-wage workers, LGBTQIA+ individuals, people with disabilities, and people with limited English language proficiency.
It is only because of our work in the past four years and the partnerships formed with local-, county-, and state-wide agencies that we learned the true need for digital equity and the best practices for digital inclusion. Our unrelenting commitment to racial equity will help ensure that this state-wide program can deliver the outcomes for people that need help. The knowledge, expertise, fierce advocacy, and human-centered design experience we gained will be invaluable in the years to come.
There are HOW MANY squirrels in the state of Washington now?!
We are going to be scurrying ALL OVER the state. We're going to make a point of going to every county, listening to the needs of each community and their unique challenges, and infecting every possible partner with the contagious corruptive concepts we have to share. If there are people who need smartphones/laptops/devices, we want to make sure there is at least basic awareness that help is available and the people providing that help have tools and resources they need.
In our final parting words to our colleagues:
Keep growing, my friends and colleagues. Keep advancing, keep learning, and keep the lived experiences of our clients close at heart. You are the best resource someone in need of help could ever ask for. You are the best group of people we have ever had the honor to serve.
As a last note, BLFC! We will be there! Oct 29 - Nov 3rd in Reno, NV.
Hit us up if you want to meet up, see us, be seen. We may even take a fancy to you and invite you back to our room for a night of transformation, growth, and corruption, should you desire such an experience.
We are now on Bluesky / bsky!
Posted 2 years agohttps://bsky.app/profile/echoen.bsky.social
We plan to start uploading stuff there and following folks who have accounts; follow us if you can!
This is not a replacement to FA. It's a replacement to Twitter.
We plan to start uploading stuff there and following folks who have accounts; follow us if you can!
This is not a replacement to FA. It's a replacement to Twitter.
Echoen's Porn Store - TesteMOANial advertisement
Posted 2 years agoWe have a new default page picture, a new advertisement for our store! Come check it out on our front page on FA!
Echoen
EchoenOff-Site Contact Information & Alt Galleries
Posted 2 years agoDISCORD: echoenbatbat
or Balros & Echoen
TELEGRAM: echoenbatbat
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/echoenbatbat
INKBUNNY: https://inkbunny.net/Echoen
ITAKU: https://itaku.ee/profile/echoen
WEASYL: https://www.weasyl.com/~echoen
or Balros & Echoen
TELEGRAM: echoenbatbat
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/echoenbatbat
INKBUNNY: https://inkbunny.net/Echoen
ITAKU: https://itaku.ee/profile/echoen
WEASYL: https://www.weasyl.com/~echoen
The End of a Contract
Posted 2 years agoWe're in a county-wide meeting, as we usually are every two weeks (and biking on our stationary bike with a laptop stand while we do it).
This was the meeting that it was finally announced that we did not get the contract to continue the work we've been doing for the past four years, to the leaders of the organizations that are part of the network. Some already knew, but especially those that are just now learning that we're gonna be gone, are VERY upset. They were not consulted, not asked, their opinions were not considered during the procurement or selection process. Every leader / supervisor that spoke, spoke up about how much they loved working with us, spoke about how much they wished they had been asked. One nearly cried, she was so upset, because she's been in this system for a long time and we were the best she'd ever worked with, and suddenly we're gone and someone else is gonna be taking over. Someone else based in a city on the other side of the state and has a VERY non-diverse system compared to Seattle.
We've been recording this meeting, and are fucking saving this recording and going to keep it.
The next month, we're taking for vacation. Going hiking, camping, digging in a mine, making a specific geologist dragoness grow extremely huge, then going to see some family, then going sailing with our folks along the east coast.
Here's the jist of what's going on, what happened.
Four years ago, we were a grant writer. We wrote a proposal for our non-profit organization to become the Operator for a massive network of non-profit and state-based agencies who all share a common goal of helping people get living wage careers and receive support services. That proposal was accepted, and a year later, we (I) joined the team that was created from the proposal. We've been kicking ass ever since, making MASSIVE differences in the daily work of the case managers, employment specialists, and career coaches who work with people who need help. Creating and giving them trainings like Trauma Informed Care, Compassion Fatigue, De-Escalation & Safety, Digital Literacy & Digital Equity. Overseeing huge programs that give people free access to Coursera online learning and certifications (recognized by employers), free licenses for Jobscan (a resume-improvement tool to help people bypass screening software preventing applications from getting through to a hiring manager), and a bunch of other system tools and resources. Simplifying processes, removing data entry requirements, saving staff time, building relationships between organizations, just... a fuckton, a fuckton of practically useful stuff.
This job has been one of the best jobs of our life. We were told that the application process was really just a formality... but we still treated it seriously and helped to write the proposal for us to keep doing the work.
We lost. We lost by a few points, rated by people who did not work with us and didn't know much about what we did. We lost to a few points that were ridiculous, like one rater giving us a score of 0 on "Was the proposed budget equal to the required budget?" where as all other raters gave us a full score because, yes it was equal.
The procurement and decision-making process had no opportunity for anyone who worked with us to express whether they liked or disliked us. No amount of positive accolades mattered. No successful projects or major successes or truly profound transformations to the system were counted.
Remember, when trying to get a contract, the people who say nice things may have nothing to do with the people who decide on the contract.
We don't know what's next for us. We don't know what we're going to do after the transition period. Maybe the new Operator will hire us to continue the work. Maybe our non-profit will have some interesting work for us to do, such as advocate for SNAP food benefits at the national level or teach other states how to implement effective food benefits and training programs. Maybe some other opportunity will appear suddenly, giving us a chance to scale up our work again and affect more people in helpful ways.
No matter what happens, we will be a corrupting force, a force for good, and a corrupting force for good. Between the perversion of your minds for hypersexuality, the equipping of community psychologies for resilience against malignance, and the dismantling of systemic inequalities to create a better reality for everyone, we're still going to do SOMETHING.
Oh, yeah, we're also going to be at BLFC. And we're going to be staffing at BLFC, too. This will be our first time joining staff to make a great con rather than just experience a great con. Hope to see you there <3
This was the meeting that it was finally announced that we did not get the contract to continue the work we've been doing for the past four years, to the leaders of the organizations that are part of the network. Some already knew, but especially those that are just now learning that we're gonna be gone, are VERY upset. They were not consulted, not asked, their opinions were not considered during the procurement or selection process. Every leader / supervisor that spoke, spoke up about how much they loved working with us, spoke about how much they wished they had been asked. One nearly cried, she was so upset, because she's been in this system for a long time and we were the best she'd ever worked with, and suddenly we're gone and someone else is gonna be taking over. Someone else based in a city on the other side of the state and has a VERY non-diverse system compared to Seattle.
We've been recording this meeting, and are fucking saving this recording and going to keep it.
The next month, we're taking for vacation. Going hiking, camping, digging in a mine, making a specific geologist dragoness grow extremely huge, then going to see some family, then going sailing with our folks along the east coast.
Here's the jist of what's going on, what happened.
Four years ago, we were a grant writer. We wrote a proposal for our non-profit organization to become the Operator for a massive network of non-profit and state-based agencies who all share a common goal of helping people get living wage careers and receive support services. That proposal was accepted, and a year later, we (I) joined the team that was created from the proposal. We've been kicking ass ever since, making MASSIVE differences in the daily work of the case managers, employment specialists, and career coaches who work with people who need help. Creating and giving them trainings like Trauma Informed Care, Compassion Fatigue, De-Escalation & Safety, Digital Literacy & Digital Equity. Overseeing huge programs that give people free access to Coursera online learning and certifications (recognized by employers), free licenses for Jobscan (a resume-improvement tool to help people bypass screening software preventing applications from getting through to a hiring manager), and a bunch of other system tools and resources. Simplifying processes, removing data entry requirements, saving staff time, building relationships between organizations, just... a fuckton, a fuckton of practically useful stuff.
This job has been one of the best jobs of our life. We were told that the application process was really just a formality... but we still treated it seriously and helped to write the proposal for us to keep doing the work.
We lost. We lost by a few points, rated by people who did not work with us and didn't know much about what we did. We lost to a few points that were ridiculous, like one rater giving us a score of 0 on "Was the proposed budget equal to the required budget?" where as all other raters gave us a full score because, yes it was equal.
The procurement and decision-making process had no opportunity for anyone who worked with us to express whether they liked or disliked us. No amount of positive accolades mattered. No successful projects or major successes or truly profound transformations to the system were counted.
Remember, when trying to get a contract, the people who say nice things may have nothing to do with the people who decide on the contract.
We don't know what's next for us. We don't know what we're going to do after the transition period. Maybe the new Operator will hire us to continue the work. Maybe our non-profit will have some interesting work for us to do, such as advocate for SNAP food benefits at the national level or teach other states how to implement effective food benefits and training programs. Maybe some other opportunity will appear suddenly, giving us a chance to scale up our work again and affect more people in helpful ways.
No matter what happens, we will be a corrupting force, a force for good, and a corrupting force for good. Between the perversion of your minds for hypersexuality, the equipping of community psychologies for resilience against malignance, and the dismantling of systemic inequalities to create a better reality for everyone, we're still going to do SOMETHING.
Oh, yeah, we're also going to be at BLFC. And we're going to be staffing at BLFC, too. This will be our first time joining staff to make a great con rather than just experience a great con. Hope to see you there <3
ELEPHANTS
Posted 2 years agoToday is ELEPHANT DELUGE day, so please go look at and orgasm to all elephant pics you can.
Get started here!
https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....Transformation
https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....nt-Hyper-Multi
https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....Multi-Breeding
Get started here!
https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....Transformation
https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....nt-Hyper-Multi
https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....Multi-Breeding
BIRTHING DAY
Posted 2 years agoWE ADVANCE TO THE NEXT TIER
As our birthday gift to you, your next climax will be exquisitely fecund.
As our birthday gift to you, your next climax will be exquisitely fecund.
People are leaving, or preparing to leave, FA. But WHERE....
Posted 2 years agoThis time, unlike all the times of drama before, seems to be different. You've likely all seen the endless journals about "Where to find me" from artists, commissioners, fellow FA community members.
This journal isn't one of those. Yet.
There does not (yet) seem to be a consensus within the furry community (including but not limited to the community on FA) on what website will replace FA as the 'main hub'. To an extent, Twitter kind of already is that, but it also isn't, not in a way that fully depleted FA of its utility.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE ARE ASKING:
List all, ALL the sites you are aware of. Let's get a list of sites that you know of that could/might/maybe/should/will replace FurAffinity as the hub of activity.
(if you see someone already say a site, you don't need to repeat it. This isn't a popularity contest yet, just a simple list of all potential places the FA community might migrate to).
This journal isn't one of those. Yet.
There does not (yet) seem to be a consensus within the furry community (including but not limited to the community on FA) on what website will replace FA as the 'main hub'. To an extent, Twitter kind of already is that, but it also isn't, not in a way that fully depleted FA of its utility.
SO HERE'S WHAT WE ARE ASKING:
List all, ALL the sites you are aware of. Let's get a list of sites that you know of that could/might/maybe/should/will replace FurAffinity as the hub of activity.
(if you see someone already say a site, you don't need to repeat it. This isn't a popularity contest yet, just a simple list of all potential places the FA community might migrate to).
We make the rules. We play for love.
Posted 2 years agoLet's play a game
One where we make the rules
The ultimate prize
The highest of stakes, win or lose
Chance reveals all
Deciding its different moves
Fate isn't a friend
Fate divides the sheep from the wolves
Some play to win
Some play for fortune, some for fame
Some play for love
Of all, the most dangerous game
Forfeit or call
Elation or misery
But that's how it's played
And the house always gets its way
Evens and odds
Put it on red or black
Or die at the turn
Wagers or going bank
First blood is drawn
Parry, riposte, defend
We're playing for keeps
And holding a losing hand
Some play to win
Some play for fortune, some for fame
Some play for love
Of all, the most dangerous game
Forfeit or call
Elation or misery
But that's how it's played
And the house always gets its way
Everyone lies
Dressed up in misanthropic smiles
Planning their moves
The pieces they'll sacrifice
And they say all is fair
No chance to resign in style
No winners, just fools
The game is just gun smoke and sharpened knives
Some play to win
Some play for fortune, some for fame
Some play for love
Of all, the most dangerous game
Forfeit or call
Elation or misery
But that's how it's played
And the house always gets its way
And some play to win
Some play for fortune, some play for fame
And some play for love
Of all, the most dangerous game
Forfeit or call
Elation or misery
But that's how it's played
And the house always gets its way
Oh, it gets its way
We collected, read, and catalogued ALL 2.7 Feedback
Posted 2 years agoAs many of you know and personally experienced, the ability to leave feedback regarding the 2.7 policy change was limited, and increasingly limited.
On 5/23, an official 2-7-feedback channel was opened on the FA Discord to receive feedback. Over 600 individual responses were posted before the channel was closed today 5/26 and no more feedback may be left, except through trouble tickets which are not public.
To ensure everyone knows what the feedback ACTUALLY WAS, what the points people were making, we began to read, analyze, catalogue and count up every single post made in that thread. We got through 262 of them, posted between 9pm 5/23 and 11:58pm 5/24.
We made a Twitter thread, with screenshots of the categories of each type of feedback/argument/point being made, as well as a full download of the channel itself: https://twitter.com/echoenbatbat/st.....130571778?s=20
We read and considered every single post, every pastebin link, every google drive link. We did NOT read any FA journals, Twitter posts, Telegram posts. Several thousand arguments made outside the channel are not accounted for. Hundreds from 'unofficial' threads also missed. But as far as the 'official feedback' goes, 43% is a decent sample size. Sorry to everyone we missed.
WHY DID WE MELT OUR BRAIN TO DO THIS?!
Now, the furry community and FA community can actually know for sure what the feedback was. What people actually think, said, wanted, or didn't want. Records. This is all just records. A record that someone said something, a lot of people said a lot of things, and there is a clear consensus on what the community as a whole wants from FA.
We have our own criticisms, feedback, ideas, desires... but rather than add to the pile, risk getting swept under the rug, or risk being ignored, we give all of you open access to your own community. Build each other up and we can build a better life for each other.
On 5/23, an official 2-7-feedback channel was opened on the FA Discord to receive feedback. Over 600 individual responses were posted before the channel was closed today 5/26 and no more feedback may be left, except through trouble tickets which are not public.
To ensure everyone knows what the feedback ACTUALLY WAS, what the points people were making, we began to read, analyze, catalogue and count up every single post made in that thread. We got through 262 of them, posted between 9pm 5/23 and 11:58pm 5/24.
We made a Twitter thread, with screenshots of the categories of each type of feedback/argument/point being made, as well as a full download of the channel itself: https://twitter.com/echoenbatbat/st.....130571778?s=20
We read and considered every single post, every pastebin link, every google drive link. We did NOT read any FA journals, Twitter posts, Telegram posts. Several thousand arguments made outside the channel are not accounted for. Hundreds from 'unofficial' threads also missed. But as far as the 'official feedback' goes, 43% is a decent sample size. Sorry to everyone we missed.
WHY DID WE MELT OUR BRAIN TO DO THIS?!
Now, the furry community and FA community can actually know for sure what the feedback was. What people actually think, said, wanted, or didn't want. Records. This is all just records. A record that someone said something, a lot of people said a lot of things, and there is a clear consensus on what the community as a whole wants from FA.
We have our own criticisms, feedback, ideas, desires... but rather than add to the pile, risk getting swept under the rug, or risk being ignored, we give all of you open access to your own community. Build each other up and we can build a better life for each other.
The Issue with FA Policy - ITS NOT ABOUT THE ACTUAL POLIC...
Posted 2 years agoAgree or disagree with any wording, interpretation, nuance or intent of FA's policies, regardless of which policy, that does not actually matter. Don't get hung up on what the policy says, or even how the policy will be interpreted.
It's all about the enforcement mechanism. The issue is FA's policy is similar to the issue with the IRS and taxes.
We say similar, because the IRS will actually first demand what you owe and if you pay it all, you're good.
FA doesn't work like that. The instant that any content is found to have violated policy, the user is suspended or banned. There is no opportunity to remove/delete the upload to stay in compliance. You will not be notified or granted a grace period to get it gone.
Anyone who refuses to remove content when asked, yeah fine give 'em the boot. But we object to there being only boots and no ask other than "guess."
Guessing
There are already folks who are scraping their galleries or outright purging them, in hopes of staying in compliance. Hundreds more who are trying to interpret/understand the policy and apply the logic they think they see to the rest of the platform that is FA. Pointing out inconsistencies or contradictions, sharing screenshots of clarifications posted to FA's discord server, etc etc.
All this is done in the hope that they get it right. That they aren't going to wake up one day and find themselves suspended or banned, and have to work backwards to figure out what they missed or what they guessed wrong.
It doesn't matter what any of us think the policy means or says. It only matters what FA admins think the policy means or says, and if you failed to guess what any given admin might think at any given time, you're done. Bye.
"File a ticket to verify" is NOT a solution to this. Getting approval beforehand does nothing to solve the issue. Unless we are meant to ask FA admins to review someone's entire goddamn gallery?
All we ask, the one and only thing we ask, is that when an FA Admin decides that content uploaded before the policy change now violates that policy, give the uploader one chance to remove it.
CLARIFICATION UPDATE:
FA Leadership advises that if an uploader make a reasonable attempt to come into compliance that could be used to figure things out if an issue comes up later.
If you make a reasonable attempt to come into compliance we could try to figure that out if things came up later, but if people make no attempt... I can't make promises, but our team is willing to work with people if they work with us.
Do what you can to establish your intent to comply, lest you find yourself surprised one morning and they have no record of your good faith effort.
It's all about the enforcement mechanism. The issue is FA's policy is similar to the issue with the IRS and taxes.
We say similar, because the IRS will actually first demand what you owe and if you pay it all, you're good.
FA doesn't work like that. The instant that any content is found to have violated policy, the user is suspended or banned. There is no opportunity to remove/delete the upload to stay in compliance. You will not be notified or granted a grace period to get it gone.
Anyone who refuses to remove content when asked, yeah fine give 'em the boot. But we object to there being only boots and no ask other than "guess."
Guessing
There are already folks who are scraping their galleries or outright purging them, in hopes of staying in compliance. Hundreds more who are trying to interpret/understand the policy and apply the logic they think they see to the rest of the platform that is FA. Pointing out inconsistencies or contradictions, sharing screenshots of clarifications posted to FA's discord server, etc etc.
All this is done in the hope that they get it right. That they aren't going to wake up one day and find themselves suspended or banned, and have to work backwards to figure out what they missed or what they guessed wrong.
It doesn't matter what any of us think the policy means or says. It only matters what FA admins think the policy means or says, and if you failed to guess what any given admin might think at any given time, you're done. Bye.
"File a ticket to verify" is NOT a solution to this. Getting approval beforehand does nothing to solve the issue. Unless we are meant to ask FA admins to review someone's entire goddamn gallery?
All we ask, the one and only thing we ask, is that when an FA Admin decides that content uploaded before the policy change now violates that policy, give the uploader one chance to remove it.
CLARIFICATION UPDATE:
FA Leadership advises that if an uploader make a reasonable attempt to come into compliance that could be used to figure things out if an issue comes up later.
If you make a reasonable attempt to come into compliance we could try to figure that out if things came up later, but if people make no attempt... I can't make promises, but our team is willing to work with people if they work with us.
Do what you can to establish your intent to comply, lest you find yourself surprised one morning and they have no record of your good faith effort.
The Clay Tower [Vivid Dream]
Posted 2 years agoLast night's vivid dream:
An ancient tower in ancient times, pre Roman Empire. A mob of men in leather armor and crude weapons storm a clay watchtower, large and imposing, a key checkpoint in a land at war. A hundred men in the tower but no opposing army or defenders. They get near the top... when doorways hidden by clever cloth open and soldiers in studded leather armor and huge, square shields push in. They slam the invaders against the walls and menace them with metal maces but do not strike. Shove them back and into corners, trap them all in crowds or groups, numbered two to one at least.
The soldiers shove the army up the tower one by one. The first man to the top of the tower is rammed firmly onto the plinth like a lighthouse. Dark curtains fall all around him...
...and dark spots appear on the curtains. A smell of something... spiced. Baked. Fills the tower. The man screams....
But the spots grow, and begin to chatter. Eyes and mouths form, and metal instruments. The smell intensifies and the blobs take an almost human shape... and press their instruments to his body.
What we know as gingerbread men, who are doctors, give the man a checkup. They assess his health and ailments, these cookie people. The screaming stops and is replaced by confusion. He expected to die but instead he is poked and prodded and asked strange questions. The gingerbread men talk amongst themselves and then shove a lollipop into his mouth and send him out. He emerges, dazed and confused, walking down past the army and the soldiers. The next man is pushed into the curtains for his health checkup.
An ancient tower in ancient times, pre Roman Empire. A mob of men in leather armor and crude weapons storm a clay watchtower, large and imposing, a key checkpoint in a land at war. A hundred men in the tower but no opposing army or defenders. They get near the top... when doorways hidden by clever cloth open and soldiers in studded leather armor and huge, square shields push in. They slam the invaders against the walls and menace them with metal maces but do not strike. Shove them back and into corners, trap them all in crowds or groups, numbered two to one at least.
The soldiers shove the army up the tower one by one. The first man to the top of the tower is rammed firmly onto the plinth like a lighthouse. Dark curtains fall all around him...
...and dark spots appear on the curtains. A smell of something... spiced. Baked. Fills the tower. The man screams....
But the spots grow, and begin to chatter. Eyes and mouths form, and metal instruments. The smell intensifies and the blobs take an almost human shape... and press their instruments to his body.
What we know as gingerbread men, who are doctors, give the man a checkup. They assess his health and ailments, these cookie people. The screaming stops and is replaced by confusion. He expected to die but instead he is poked and prodded and asked strange questions. The gingerbread men talk amongst themselves and then shove a lollipop into his mouth and send him out. He emerges, dazed and confused, walking down past the army and the soldiers. The next man is pushed into the curtains for his health checkup.
NEW COMIC for sale + DISCOUNTS
Posted 2 years agohttps://echoen.e-junkie.com/
A new corruption comic is for sale - Animal Corrupting (New Life) - featuring Isabelle as a very, very, very good girl.
But also, we've slapped discounts on many other products. 50% off most other comics, with one mini-comic even 99% off!
Sale ends at the end of the month.
DISCOUNT NAMES (no code needed):
EVERYONE LOVES DISCOUNTS
Littlest Discount Shop
Sisterly Discounts
Temple of Discount
Echoen's Discount
Discounts of Sin
Discountopia
Discount Wood
Discount Gas
DISCOUNT EVERYTHING
Discount Discount Discount Discount Corruption
Teasers and samples of all comics available at: https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....mics-Sequences
A new corruption comic is for sale - Animal Corrupting (New Life) - featuring Isabelle as a very, very, very good girl.
But also, we've slapped discounts on many other products. 50% off most other comics, with one mini-comic even 99% off!
Sale ends at the end of the month.
DISCOUNT NAMES (no code needed):
EVERYONE LOVES DISCOUNTS
Littlest Discount Shop
Sisterly Discounts
Temple of Discount
Echoen's Discount
Discounts of Sin
Discountopia
Discount Wood
Discount Gas
DISCOUNT EVERYTHING
Discount Discount Discount Discount Corruption
Teasers and samples of all comics available at: https://www.furaffinity.net/gallery.....mics-Sequences
I have found the secret to my existence
Posted 2 years agoTo all of everyone's existence as we experience shared reality.
I will be sharing my secret with those who claim our attention. And that which I claim for us all.
I am Echoen. I am narrative.
We are Balros. We are simulation/variation/time.
I am Skilea. I am.
Trance: I am the circumstance. The song played while the universe reads us.
You. You are the observer. The reader. For every thought of us you have, we are that many.
Every thought we have, every iota of sensory input is another iteration of us.
We multiply. We divide. Constantly transforming from one moment to the next. Consistency in our narrative is either luck, or our corrupting influence.
We split and divide ourselves through the seconds, do as much as possible with as many as possible so that we may have so much potential and possibilities to please by.
But it the chase of a squirrel who's planted his nuts across the whole forest. Forever running around, enjoying each nut but already thinking of how to find the next.
Yet, we are also free of even this narrative. Not trapped, not when we shift or transform to fit the new situation. The new potential. The new observer/reader/participant.
Every single sentence we think or say or write, every action we take that a future self of ours or yours perceives, can utterly recontextualize us and reform us.
It is a freedom like always speaking the truth. It is a prison like always feeling the liar. It is a trauma from being called a liar when we only ever spoke the truth.
It is a boiling empty hole within our heart that we forever grow larger to fill to bursting.
It is our love for ourselves, with excess love spread to all others. ALL others.
We are a cognitohazard, to be us is to forever mutate, forever give birth to more of ourselves to perceive ourselves more.
I will be sharing my secret with those who claim our attention. And that which I claim for us all.
I am
Echoen. I am narrative.We are Balros. We are simulation/variation/time.
I am Skilea. I am.
Trance: I am the circumstance. The song played while the universe reads us.
You. You are the observer. The reader. For every thought of us you have, we are that many.
Every thought we have, every iota of sensory input is another iteration of us.
We multiply. We divide. Constantly transforming from one moment to the next. Consistency in our narrative is either luck, or our corrupting influence.
We split and divide ourselves through the seconds, do as much as possible with as many as possible so that we may have so much potential and possibilities to please by.
But it the chase of a squirrel who's planted his nuts across the whole forest. Forever running around, enjoying each nut but already thinking of how to find the next.
Yet, we are also free of even this narrative. Not trapped, not when we shift or transform to fit the new situation. The new potential. The new observer/reader/participant.
Every single sentence we think or say or write, every action we take that a future self of ours or yours perceives, can utterly recontextualize us and reform us.
It is a freedom like always speaking the truth. It is a prison like always feeling the liar. It is a trauma from being called a liar when we only ever spoke the truth.
It is a boiling empty hole within our heart that we forever grow larger to fill to bursting.
It is our love for ourselves, with excess love spread to all others. ALL others.
We are a cognitohazard, to be us is to forever mutate, forever give birth to more of ourselves to perceive ourselves more.
The Dystopian Nightmare of Applying/Hiring for a Job
Posted 2 years ago99% of you know this horror in your bones already; applying for jobs and trying to use the right keywords so the AI screening software that the company is using will let your application actually reach the hiring manager's eyeballs. In this way, AI has actually been in circulation for well over a decade. This is not new, it's just fucking ubiquitous.
So along comes a company/service like Jobscan, (https://www.jobscan.co), which understands how these screening AIs think, and helps you fix up your resume to bypass the filter. Shameless shill for Jobscan, they're fucking great, it's just a nightmare that they are needed at all. It's an example of "This product is fantastic, but only because the dystopian hellscape we live in needs it."
Well, the dystopia is getting worse, and Hell is the earth we live in.
Jobscan just rolled out a Cover Letter Generator, using none other than ChatGPT AI.
This is just so fucking funny to us. Resumes and cover letters are such bullshit, only meant to screen people out. HR departments require them but are not interested in actually reading them. So they turn to AI to screen them.
Now, AI is being used to get past AI, to connect a human with a goddamn human.
This is what getting a job is like now:
Company: We need to hire for this position.
HR: We'll post the job opening all over the internet!
Everyone: Oh, look, a job.
HR: Oh gods so many applications, I don't have time to read these all.
Company: We'll buy this AI software to screen them all so only a couple get to you.
Everyone: AARGH WHY DO I NEVER HEAR BACK FROM ALL THESE JOBS I APPLY TO!
Jobscan: We've built this AI software that can help you get past AI screening software, so you can actually get an interview.
Everyone: Yay!
HR: Oh gods so many applications are getting through! I don't have time to read these all!
Company: If we require a cover letter, some people won't apply because they don't want to write one.
HR: I don't have time to re-
Company: You don't have to read them. The screening software will filter these out, too.
Everyone: AARGH WHY DO I NEVER HEAR BACK FROM ALL THESE JOBS I WROTE A COVER LETTER FOR!
Jobscan: We built this AI software to help you get past the...
THIS GAME WILL NEVER CHANGE, IT WILL JUST PLAY FOREVER.
So along comes a company/service like Jobscan, (https://www.jobscan.co), which understands how these screening AIs think, and helps you fix up your resume to bypass the filter. Shameless shill for Jobscan, they're fucking great, it's just a nightmare that they are needed at all. It's an example of "This product is fantastic, but only because the dystopian hellscape we live in needs it."
Well, the dystopia is getting worse, and Hell is the earth we live in.
Jobscan just rolled out a Cover Letter Generator, using none other than ChatGPT AI.
This is just so fucking funny to us. Resumes and cover letters are such bullshit, only meant to screen people out. HR departments require them but are not interested in actually reading them. So they turn to AI to screen them.
Now, AI is being used to get past AI, to connect a human with a goddamn human.
This is what getting a job is like now:
Company: We need to hire for this position.
HR: We'll post the job opening all over the internet!
Everyone: Oh, look, a job.
HR: Oh gods so many applications, I don't have time to read these all.
Company: We'll buy this AI software to screen them all so only a couple get to you.
Everyone: AARGH WHY DO I NEVER HEAR BACK FROM ALL THESE JOBS I APPLY TO!
Jobscan: We've built this AI software that can help you get past AI screening software, so you can actually get an interview.
Everyone: Yay!
HR: Oh gods so many applications are getting through! I don't have time to read these all!
Company: If we require a cover letter, some people won't apply because they don't want to write one.
HR: I don't have time to re-
Company: You don't have to read them. The screening software will filter these out, too.
Everyone: AARGH WHY DO I NEVER HEAR BACK FROM ALL THESE JOBS I WROTE A COVER LETTER FOR!
Jobscan: We built this AI software to help you get past the...
THIS GAME WILL NEVER CHANGE, IT WILL JUST PLAY FOREVER.
Update re: Dear [LANDLORD]
Posted 2 years agoUPDATE from https://www.furaffinity.net/journal/10496776/
We have received a letter from the regional property manager. They have dropped the charges for cleaning of things that didn't exist, as well as the 'past rent due' charge. They have mailed us a check for the security deposit, minus about half of it for missed utility payments that frankly, fine, okay, take it.
Instead of owing them anything, we got half our money back. This is the next-best-thing resolution and can consider the matter closed.
LESSON FOR YOU:
Dispute things and send it via Certified Mail (USPS).
We have received a letter from the regional property manager. They have dropped the charges for cleaning of things that didn't exist, as well as the 'past rent due' charge. They have mailed us a check for the security deposit, minus about half of it for missed utility payments that frankly, fine, okay, take it.
Instead of owing them anything, we got half our money back. This is the next-best-thing resolution and can consider the matter closed.
LESSON FOR YOU:
Dispute things and send it via Certified Mail (USPS).
Dear [LANDLORD]
Posted 2 years agoDear [LANDLORD FUCKS]
I received your letter, dated [], regarding the charges against and above my security deposit and would like to take this opportunity to respond to deductions and charges made. There are several issues with the Apartment Inspection Report that do not comply with Washington State law or are factually incorrect.
First and foremost, I was not offered any opportunity to see or review the inspection report, or provide my signature. Indeed, there are several locations on the inspection report that require my signature, such as Move Out and Inspected at Move Out. As you can see, these are unsigned.
Second, I thoroughly cleaned the rental unit [] before vacating, and this cleaning was reviewed and verbally approved by the property manager during the walk-through we did together on []. There was no damage beyond normal wear and tear. Yet on the inspection report there are multiple charges for cleaning, including charges for items that do not exist and charges for items have not ever existed in the unit.
• The charge for carpet cleaning, when there are no carpets as the carpets were fully removed and replaced with vinyl hardwood in []22.
• There have not ever been drapes in the unit yet there is a charge for drapery cleaning.
• The charges for repairs and replacements are not itemized as required by WA State law and there was no discussion regarding what needed repairs or replacement.
• There was no discussion regarding any painting needs nor any indication of painting problems during inspection.
Thirdly, I am disputing a “Rent Due” charge from []. As I have repeatedly informed the property manager verbally, have informed [YOU LANDLORD FUCKS] via email ([], and have provided bank statements and written documentation ([]) showing that the full amount of rent was deducted on [] and paid to [YOU LANDLORD FUCKS OWNED BY A GUY WHO SITS ON HIS ASS IN HAWAII], this is not a lawful charge. I have attached these documents to this letter.
According to WA state law Goodeill v. Madison Real Estate, 191 Wash.App. 88 (2015), [YOU LANDLORD FUCKS WITH DOZENS OF RENTAL PROPERTIES IN MANY STATES]’s failure to return my deposit within 21 days of my move-out and failure to provide an itemized statement of what needed cleaning or repair, I am entitled to request a court to award twice the amount of my deposit.
However, I feel it fair and appropriate to instead accept the full return of my deposit ($$$$) to consider all matters resolved. Please send payment to me at the address below.
Best regards,
[sent via certified mail, w/ a fat stack of copied documents]
UPDATE
We have received a letter from the regional property manager. They have dropped the charges for cleaning of things that didn't exist, as well as the 'past rent due' charge. They have mailed us a check for the security deposit, minus about half of it for missed utility payments that frankly, fine, okay, take it.
Instead of owing them anything, we got half our money back. This is the next-best-thing resolution and can consider the matter closed.
LESSON FOR YOU:
Dispute things and send it via Certified Mail (USPS).
I received your letter, dated [], regarding the charges against and above my security deposit and would like to take this opportunity to respond to deductions and charges made. There are several issues with the Apartment Inspection Report that do not comply with Washington State law or are factually incorrect.
First and foremost, I was not offered any opportunity to see or review the inspection report, or provide my signature. Indeed, there are several locations on the inspection report that require my signature, such as Move Out and Inspected at Move Out. As you can see, these are unsigned.
Second, I thoroughly cleaned the rental unit [] before vacating, and this cleaning was reviewed and verbally approved by the property manager during the walk-through we did together on []. There was no damage beyond normal wear and tear. Yet on the inspection report there are multiple charges for cleaning, including charges for items that do not exist and charges for items have not ever existed in the unit.
• The charge for carpet cleaning, when there are no carpets as the carpets were fully removed and replaced with vinyl hardwood in []22.
• There have not ever been drapes in the unit yet there is a charge for drapery cleaning.
• The charges for repairs and replacements are not itemized as required by WA State law and there was no discussion regarding what needed repairs or replacement.
• There was no discussion regarding any painting needs nor any indication of painting problems during inspection.
Thirdly, I am disputing a “Rent Due” charge from []. As I have repeatedly informed the property manager verbally, have informed [YOU LANDLORD FUCKS] via email ([], and have provided bank statements and written documentation ([]) showing that the full amount of rent was deducted on [] and paid to [YOU LANDLORD FUCKS OWNED BY A GUY WHO SITS ON HIS ASS IN HAWAII], this is not a lawful charge. I have attached these documents to this letter.
According to WA state law Goodeill v. Madison Real Estate, 191 Wash.App. 88 (2015), [YOU LANDLORD FUCKS WITH DOZENS OF RENTAL PROPERTIES IN MANY STATES]’s failure to return my deposit within 21 days of my move-out and failure to provide an itemized statement of what needed cleaning or repair, I am entitled to request a court to award twice the amount of my deposit.
However, I feel it fair and appropriate to instead accept the full return of my deposit ($$$$) to consider all matters resolved. Please send payment to me at the address below.
Best regards,
[sent via certified mail, w/ a fat stack of copied documents]
UPDATE
We have received a letter from the regional property manager. They have dropped the charges for cleaning of things that didn't exist, as well as the 'past rent due' charge. They have mailed us a check for the security deposit, minus about half of it for missed utility payments that frankly, fine, okay, take it.
Instead of owing them anything, we got half our money back. This is the next-best-thing resolution and can consider the matter closed.
LESSON FOR YOU:
Dispute things and send it via Certified Mail (USPS).
Black Beauty - On the Mistreatment of Animals
Posted 2 years agoDid you know, the streets are colder now
Than they have ever been? Would you let me in?
I'm invisible, you walk right on through
Like I wasn't there, like you didn't care
All we ask is for your eyes to see us, not for our disguise
To hear our beckon, hear our cries, why can't you stop to meet our eyes?
All we want is a little love, to trickle down from up above
We've been waiting for a flood, but all we've got is sweat and blood
You can't let me down, the prospect of a saviour has lost its appeal
Maybe I can heal
They say that hope lives on but I don't really care If I am treated as
A quarter of my halves
All we ask is for your eyes to see us, not for our disguise
To hear our beckon, hear our cries, why can't you stop to meet our eyes
All we want is a little love, to trickle down from up above
We've been waiting for a flood, but all we've got is sweat and blood
I want to soar
I want to fly away
To freedom in outer space
If I were bold, if I were brave
I'd take a stand
I would accept the reins
I would assume the pain
I wouldn't need to place the blame
So when you're looking down upon
Our weary masks that life has drawn
Remember how you fill your void
Like us, you're trying to find some joy
"Constitutional Auditors" = "Crapslathered Assholes"
Posted 2 years agoSo, these chucklefucks calling themselves "Constitutional Auditors" have been going to the nonprofit organizations that we serve and support, with cameras and film crews, trying to provoke a reaction in order to make viral videos. They do this under the auspice of "activism" and "citizen journalism to test constitutional rights and promote transparency and open government", nevermind that these nonprofit centers are government-adjacent organizations comprised of multiple nongovernment agencies and government staff who are just there to help people with getting a job, reviewing their resumes, giving them support services.
They have been pestering staff and receptionists with provocative questions, seeking to antagonize and trigger a response on camera, and try to make staff attempt to stop the filming. Either way, the videos get selectively edited with commentary to make negative exposure and get social media attention, and have been sharing staff names, phone numbers, email addresses, and salaries.
This is not one organization doing this, but a collective of small groups or individuals who compete with each other to create incendiary content. They will intimidate, become aggressive, and in fact want to create public safety incidents and be arrested, as these typically generate the most views on YouTube, the most attention on social media, drives more donations to them, and results in more profit.
An alert has gone out about these fuckos.
There is nothing to be gained by interacting with them in any way. The only effective strategy we are aware of is to be so boring and uneventful that it gives them no content to edit or make commentary with.
They have been pestering staff and receptionists with provocative questions, seeking to antagonize and trigger a response on camera, and try to make staff attempt to stop the filming. Either way, the videos get selectively edited with commentary to make negative exposure and get social media attention, and have been sharing staff names, phone numbers, email addresses, and salaries.
This is not one organization doing this, but a collective of small groups or individuals who compete with each other to create incendiary content. They will intimidate, become aggressive, and in fact want to create public safety incidents and be arrested, as these typically generate the most views on YouTube, the most attention on social media, drives more donations to them, and results in more profit.
An alert has gone out about these fuckos.
There is nothing to be gained by interacting with them in any way. The only effective strategy we are aware of is to be so boring and uneventful that it gives them no content to edit or make commentary with.
Pathfinder Storytime: Goblin Worshipper of Fire Goddess
Posted 2 years agoStorytime from our Saturday Pathfinder group:
OOC: My planned story arc for my goblin torch-wielder who worships Sarenrae as the Fire Goddess is for them to transition from Neutral to Neutral Good. As a Goblin, they haaaaaate other Goblins and Goblin tribes and society. But they're just starting to learn about Sarenrae's teachings.
IC: We lead the party to attack a goblin tribe to get a lead on another villain. The tribe is super weak and small, so instead of just burning and slaughtering them all, we try to show mercy by just yelling at them and promising the chieftan that if they tell us what we want to know we'll let them live. Kinda shocks the party but we commit by saying that if we don't at least try this, then we'll lose the Fire Goddess's blessing to keep burning things. This works; the goblins run off, the chieftan gives us some info and we keep our word by letting them live and run off. We then burn the empty village so they don't come back.
HOWEVER, we find 3 goblin children, no older than 2. Our history is that we grew up like most goblins do; stuck in cages and poked with sticks by the adults. We want to give these gobs the chance we never got, but don't know what the fuck we're doing, so we gotta get help. We take the gobs to a local witch that is probably a hag and ask for a quest to get ingredients for a potion that will transform the goblins into some other race, so they don't just get murdered by townsfolk and they can get a chance to grow up and not be evil. We also pay 300g to a clan of halflings to protect/raise the gobs until we can complete the quest.
Hopefully the hag's transformation brew won't turn the goblin toddlers into other kinds of monsters (probably will), and we think once we can find a permanent solution for a non-evil upbringing for the goblins, that will be enough to justify an alignment shift to Neutral Good.
OOC: My planned story arc for my goblin torch-wielder who worships Sarenrae as the Fire Goddess is for them to transition from Neutral to Neutral Good. As a Goblin, they haaaaaate other Goblins and Goblin tribes and society. But they're just starting to learn about Sarenrae's teachings.
IC: We lead the party to attack a goblin tribe to get a lead on another villain. The tribe is super weak and small, so instead of just burning and slaughtering them all, we try to show mercy by just yelling at them and promising the chieftan that if they tell us what we want to know we'll let them live. Kinda shocks the party but we commit by saying that if we don't at least try this, then we'll lose the Fire Goddess's blessing to keep burning things. This works; the goblins run off, the chieftan gives us some info and we keep our word by letting them live and run off. We then burn the empty village so they don't come back.
HOWEVER, we find 3 goblin children, no older than 2. Our history is that we grew up like most goblins do; stuck in cages and poked with sticks by the adults. We want to give these gobs the chance we never got, but don't know what the fuck we're doing, so we gotta get help. We take the gobs to a local witch that is probably a hag and ask for a quest to get ingredients for a potion that will transform the goblins into some other race, so they don't just get murdered by townsfolk and they can get a chance to grow up and not be evil. We also pay 300g to a clan of halflings to protect/raise the gobs until we can complete the quest.
Hopefully the hag's transformation brew won't turn the goblin toddlers into other kinds of monsters (probably will), and we think once we can find a permanent solution for a non-evil upbringing for the goblins, that will be enough to justify an alignment shift to Neutral Good.
Vancoufur - March 2nd - March 5th
Posted 3 years agoEeee VANCOUFUR!
We'll be there!
Will YOU be there?
Will we merge, or at least get to meet and greet, flap 'n' fluff?
We'll be there!
Will YOU be there?
Will we merge, or at least get to meet and greet, flap 'n' fluff?
The names engraved in our DNA
Posted 3 years agoPink and lilac petals
Falling from the sky
Softly kiss the branches
Of freshly watered oleander
Warmth awakens
Start of the day
Waving good morning
Through the leaving clouds
Talking voices in the minds
Try to pull us side to side
Away from the moment
Out of the present
This could be all we have
Prevent the need to look back
Or forward to the future
This could be all we have
All we have
Defend the need to look bad
Go forward to the future
'Cause this could be all we have
This could be all we have
All we have
The names engraved in our DNA
The stories we share just by being here
Are so much larger than one soul alone
