Quinton Reviews’s video on the History Channel’s Hitler obsession is excellent, and this 1 and a half minutes does a better job deconstructing the superhuman aura people have built up around the Nazis than most academic papers on the subject.
If the Nazis were so great, powerful, and intellectually superior, they would have won the war.
why do we so commonly believe that nazis were superior intellectuals and that their human rights abuses were somehow totally necessary? because our fucking government was riddled with them for decades.
There’s this big misconception in modern culture that the Nazis were bad people, but they were bad people at the cost of being superhuman geniuses. This is reflective of the belief that many people have that cruelty is indicitive of hyper-development. People who believe in this often will state that a lot of our modern udnerstanding of biology stems from experiments done by Nazi scientists on the Jewish people.
This is not true in the slightest. There is not authenticity to that at all, and it’s essentially a white supremacist conspiracy theory. That doesn’t mean that if you believe in it you automatically are a white supremacist, it simply means that you are susceptible to propaganda.
When you actually go back and study all of the things that the Nazis are praised for today, you find not only maliciousness but also stupidity. The Nazis were morons, and this is something people just don’t talk about today. Their ideology of genetic supremacy caused them to be pious, and that led to headstrong tactics that failed them time and time again, because the Third Reich was made up of a bunch of big headed buffoons obssessed with believing in their own worth.
If the Nazis really were geniuses of conflict, if they had technology beyond our wildest understanding, if their skulls swelled constantly to maintain their massively expanding brains, they would have won the fucking war.
Every time I see this I go “oh, neat pony” and scroll past while my brain chugs through the caption like the slowest computer on earth and I have to scroll back up to it
former prime minister of japan shinzo abe was just shot — to honor him and how he denied the existence of korean and chinese comfort women and said that the women who were raped by japanese soldiers are all lying sluts, i will be denying that he was ever shot. he’s a lying slut and he’s actually fine uwu
Hello fresh - last years workers were on strike for shitty work conditions and there’s reports of union busting. Never have i seen a youtuber acknowledge this at all
Adam and Eve - the dildos aren’t all from body safe materials. Don’t risk it with cheap dildos it can fuck your body up
Audible - owned by amazon
Idk which one but one of the vpn ones mined bitcoin from ur computer and they’re useful but generally falsely advertised, not a big tech person but this guy talks about it
All the fit teas and shakes etc are bullshit that just makes you poop and loose water weight short term
Raid shadow legends - lol do i even need to explain this one
All the loot crates - filled with cheap junk they’re getting wholesale
The online coupon thingies are a data harvesting scam. Just google the shop name + coupon when shopping
The online therapy better help was a whole big controversy and i still see this shitty company being promoted
Idk maybe the learning platform ones are the exception but i never looked into them
Story Time: Get a load of what happened to me at Starbucks today.
There’s a running joke among people who know me personally that I unwittingly go out in public with a sign on my forehead stating “I Am Non-Threatening. Come Talk To Me.” Because if there’s a chance a bizarre conversation with a total stranger is going to happen, I’m typically the person it happens to.
Some context: I have been pretty darn sick this week. (It’s not Coronavirus, don’t worry.) Since the work in my queue for my day job is comprised entirely of audio narration right now, and I currently sound like a waterlogged Demi Moore, I haven’t been able to work these last couple of days. As a result, I’ve been using my down time to knock out as much of Manu’s redesign as possible. Today, to ensure I didn’t spend the day languishing in sinus misery, I medicated the crap out of myself and took Manu to the Starbucks down the block from my son’s day care.
I hit the bathroom, then picked an empty table, but as soon as I sat down with my venti Comfort Tea and started tweaking the inks on my iPad, I felt the eyes of the man next to me looking over my shoulder.
When I looked up, he had his phone out. “I’m sorry,” he said (in a thick accent I couldn’t place geographically), “I don’t want to disturb. I notice you art. You are artist!”
I tried to smile. “Yes, I’m... Well, I’m trying to be,” I croaked.
He leaned in, like he was sharing a secret.
“I am artist, too.”
He stuck out his hand.
I gently took it, grateful for the bathroom trip I just took in which I washed the scourge off of my fingers.
“Can I?” he asked, holding his phone up.
“Take a picture? Uh... sure,” I said. It’s not like he would be able to steal Manu out from under me or anything, I figured. The panel I was tweaking was magnified out to Guam.
“I am artist. Architect and Designer,” he clarified while he steadied his phone over my iPad. “I am Ilker. What is your name?”
“I’m Venessa” I said, trying to be polite. This, I thought warily, is precisely how I get myself into trouble. I’m too damn nice.
“You know, I come to America twenty years ago from Turkey...”
I put down my stylus. This was going to be a while.
“I like Turkey,” he explained. “I like the country and I like the people. But I am artist. I am not... religious man.”
I nodded.
“I told my wife I was going to go to America and she said, “what are you going to do? You don’t have job! You don’t have money! No Visa!” And I said, “I am artist and architect. I will paint and sell my paintings.
“So I come to America alone. To New York City. I sit outside, and I paint. And people, they liked my paintings. They bought them. This one for $30, that one for $50.
“One day, a man comes over to me and he say, “I like your painting. I see you are also architect.” And he gives me his number and asks me to go to meeting at his office. Because he wants to offer me a job. He starts to talk about a building contract.
“I tell him I don’t know anything about contracts. I have no Visa. I am not American citizen. But he says, “That’s okay. I will take care of everything. You will have nothing to worry about.” And this man, he gave me a job. $173,000 a year. And my wife, he gave her a job too. She was project assistant. I bring her and my two daughters over from Turkey.”
“Wow,” I said, not fully believing the veracity of what sounded like a full-on immigration fairy tale.
“Here,” said Ilker, unlocking his phone and opening up his Facebook app. “I show you my work.” He paused and looked up at me. “I am interrupting. You don’t mind?”
At this point, I was invested. I had to see. Because whatever he was about to show me would either prove or disprove this yarn he was spinning. “Please,” I said, gesturing for him to go ahead.
He opened his photos and my jaw dropped. His work... was UNREAL.
“This is building I designed on Madison Ave.... And this one in Chelsea...”
Holy crap. I had just been to Chelsea with my sister last month on a trip to see a broadway show. I had crossed the intersection of the building he was, at this moment, telling me he designed.
He flipped through more buildings. These, he’d designed in Washington, DC. In Bethesda. In Arlington. All beautiful, streamlined, modern structures I had visited and parked my car in front of. He told me he did much of his concept work freehand. That he worked exclusively in natural media. His preferred media was pen, ink, watercolors, and chalks.
Between photos of his wife and daughters, he went on to show me photos from the RUSSIAN EXHIBITION OF HIS ARCHITECTURE ARTWORK.
Y’all, I was stunned. I couldn’t believe the talent I was sitting next to. Scattered among these gloriously rendered images of some of the most beautiful building concepts I’d ever seen were paintings of scenes in Central Park, the National Mall, and nudes from a life-drawing session he attends from time to time.
When he was done flipping through his phone, he looked at me and smiled. “I hope you don’t mind that I interrupt you. I show you all this because what you are doing is very good. And you should be encouraged. To draw is to make beauty.”
I nodded, a lump in my throat. “Thank you,” I managed. “Your work is astonishing. I don’t even know what to say. What is your name again?”
He held out his hand once more. “Ilker Kocahan,” he said. “I am getting more coffee. Can I get you one?”
I looked at my still-full venti cup. “No thank you. But here, please take my card.”
He held my dinky business card like I’d handed him a treasure and thanked me.
Then Ilker got his coffee, and left the coffee shop.
At some point in his ramblings he talked about America as a place of dreams. How he credits this country with helping him rise to the top of his field where he is now able to sell his paintings for $800-$1000 a piece now that he’s retired. My heart ached to hear him talk about that, knowing how our leadership’s positions on immigrants have taken such a dark and horrifying turn.
Imagine the buildings and museums and public places that would never have been if a business man in the park hadn’t lifted up a Turkish painter who spoke little English.
And now that painter was paying it forward on me.
I still feel pretty darn sick. I’ve still got body aches and a nose that has taken the rest of my face hostage.
But today was a really good day. And I just wanted to share it with you in case you are looking for reasons to keep drawing/painting/dancing/writing. It all counts and it is all good.
If you would like to see Ilker Kocohan’s work, please click here.
Ilker Kocahan holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design with a minor in architecture from the University of Marmara, Faculty of Fine A
UPDATE TO THIS STORY! I would have posted this sooner, but quarantine has had the unexpected effect of zapping all my alone-time...
As luck would have it, I saw Ilker one last time before my area received the mandate to start social distancing. I came into the Starbucks to work on the “Simon Is On the Ground” comic while waiting to pick up my kid from day care, and there he was, happily chatting with the Starbucks manager, who gifted him with a Starbucks hat while I ordered my tea.
A week had passed since our first meeting, so I wasn’t sure he’d recognize me. Lo and behold, as I turned the corner, I caught his eye, and he waved at me. This time, I asked if I might sit with him, and he warmly offered the seat beside him.
While I settled in, he told me that his project was being delayed and that he was going to leave the area and fly home before COVID-19 could make it impossible to travel. The hat was for his wife, whose only understanding of Starbucks was that Ilker really liked the coffee.
As one might expect, we immediately fell into another conversation about art, except this time, I eagerly abandoned my work to hear him talk.
And friends, did I ever get a master class.
He pulled up a painting on his phone which he’d sold for $800. It was a life drawing in ink and watercolor of a woman in a demure gesture, barely detailed and colored in but for her rose-tinted lips and the shadow cast across her neck. He said he felt sad that he’d sold it because he really loved how it came out.
“This is no detailed like yours,” he said, comparing his painting to my panel of Simon and Baz. “Mine is simple. But in a few strokes, I can capture the life of the lady.”
He took his napkin, turned it over, and pulled a pen out of his chest pocket. “Look there,” he said, pointing to a man sitting a few tables away. He began to scribble away on the napkin, lines and lines and more lines. “You see,” he murmured as he ran his pen over the napkin, “I can, with speed, capture the man. I don’t have hours to ask him to sit. I must let go of the planning.”
In seconds, the man across the room took shape on the napkin in a series of confident if also messy lines. It was incredible to watch.
I could instantly see what he meant. He had not produced a photorealistic version of this person on the napkin. But he had captured the man’s essence. The aura of a real person sitting contemplatively with his coffee while reading the Washington Post. I could feel the life of the drawing radiate from the paper.
(When he was done, to my horror, he crumpled up the napkin.)
I shyly mentioned that I’ve been working hard on my own gesture drawing, but had a long way to go, so he asked to see my sketchbook.
I mean... is there even a word in the English language to describe the combination of dread and embarrassment that precedes showing an art master your crap-ass sketchbook that no one sees but you? I didn’t know what to do with myself as he sat there and flipped through the pages.
Eventually, he nodded approvingly and said, “Okay! Is good. But this is sketchbook like every other.” He gestured at the page. “Where are you?”
I was lost for how to respond, but lucky for me, he’s a talkative guy seemingly incapable of awkward silences.
“The world needs to see you in the lines,” he explained. “Someone can look at my work and know, ‘that painting is from Ilker Kocahan.’ You need to draw more and more so that when people look at your drawings, they will know: this work is Venessa’s work.” Then he shrugged and said, “And who knows. I will maybe see you in two years at this Starbucks, and by then, your drawings will be truly yours.”
I’ve shared this story with some close friends who took mild offense on my behalf at his observations, but I really think it took sitting there watching him draw to understand exactly what he was talking about.
Ilker Kocahan has no imposter syndrome. He is supremely confident in every possible way where his art is concerned. The lines that flowed from his pen were fueled by his soul, not his brain. I didn’t think artists like him existed anymore until I was sitting there looking over his shoulder while he scribbled a man into existence, like it was nothing. When I asked if he plots out the perspective on his building sketches in advance, he shook his head no and doodled this on my cake pop wrapper while he rambled on about the components he likes to include in his architecture concepts:
(Don’t worry. I kept it.)
So when he talked about “finding me” in my sketches, I really think he could sense—by the light scratch of the pencil, the trace evidence on the paper of my erasing and failed attempts—my own lack of confidence, my second guessing and self-doubt. My desire to be as good as other artists instead of my desire to express myself.
And in that sense, everything he was saying about my sketchbook was correct. He urged me to get off the iPad as often as possible. To sketch with ink, which is riskier because you can’t erase it, and in that way, give myself no choice but to commit to the lines.
The conversation turned to lighter things after that. He’s apparently an extremely talented basketball player who loves hanging out with his wife and kids. His daughters are both designers. He thinks quirky viral videos are the best thing about the internet. (I agreed.) He’s weak for New York pizza.
Eventually, he bought me a refill for my tea and asked if I would meet him again in a couple of days so he could talk to me about my artwork and help me with my sketching. He even added me as a Facebook friend. When I left the Starbucks to pick up Colin, I was so excited and overwhelmed and grateful to the universe for bringing me into his acquaintance, I texted everyone in my family about it.
But as fate would have it, that night, the local government released its mandate regarding social distancing. He’s likely in Belarus right now with his wife.
I won’t lie and say I’m not devastated that I lost the chance to be his student for an afternoon. But the impression these coffee shop chats left on me was profound. I think about it all the time. For one who struggles with feeling like the artist version of Pinocchio waiting around for permission to be a real boy, it makes all the difference in the world to linger in the huge, unstoppable energy of someone who lives without an inner critic.
I hope I get to see him again after the quarantine is over. I’d love to see if I can fulfill Ilker’s prophecy and meet back at that Starbucks in two years with a different sketchbook in tow. One that I can hand over knowing without doubt or trepidation that anyone looking for me in the work need look no further than the bold stroke of my hand.
[UPDATE:] I am absolutely gobsmacked and grateful at the way this post has resonated with so many folks on Tumblr, artists and otherwise. Some have asked whether Ilker and I have kept in touch, and yes, we have! He occasionally messages pictures of building designs he’s working on or happy family photos (which I assume he’s sending en masse to his friends list) and I basically gush in return. I’ll also occasionally drop a line to check in; he knows I’m still working on my inking and sketch work. He remains so very encouraging and kind. He wishes me “happy art days.”
That said, you can imagine how my heart sank when last night he sent a message out to his Facebook friends letting us know he contracted Coronavirus and has been hospitalized. He’s been ill for two weeks now.
I asked for his consent to share this with friends in case it could inspire some good vibes, and he agreed. If you felt moved by his wisdom and kindness in the above posts and feel inclined to send a healing thought his way today, I would be grateful. While I believe his constitution is strong thanks to his being so active, this virus doesn’t discriminate, and the world needs humans like Ilker Kocahan right now. (Or at least, I do.)
Thanks, and I promise to report back with any news. ❤️
As promised, I have an update on Ilker’s condition!
I am happy to report that he is back home from the hospital as of this week and reportedly feeling better. He said he feels extremely lucky and credited his healthy/happy lifestyle for his resilience via text message. I quote:
“No smoking No Drunk Basketball Good food Family life enjoying And happy character”
While he was in the hospital he generously texted me photos of little notes he’d scrawled on paper napkins of his vitals (temperature, blood pressure, blood O2 levels) since I had asked him to keep me posted. Of all the notes he sent, this one was the most interesting, as it shows they’ve been making patients sleep in a prone position with some kind of ventilation over the face, presumably to leverage gravity in opening up the lungs?
Anyway, I’m so grateful to everyone who sent well wishes and look forward to passing along those kind messages to him after this. Thank you, thank you for those good vibes. ❤️
I hope that if and when I ever come down with something scary like COVID, I can handle it with as much grace as this guy right here:
I genuinely never thought I’d write this update. I was almost positive Ilker and I would never meet at that Starbucks again—that the universe had swept this one beautiful encounter into my life only to send a pandemic to sweep it back out again—but to my utter shock and astonishment this morning, I got a text message at 7:45 AM:
“In USA now. Same Starbucks. Same chair now.”
And y’all, I got my shit together. Tossed my sketchbooks into my canvas bag, herded the kids into the car to bring them to school, then jetted over to that Starbucks with burning eyes and a lump in my throat. As soon as I saw him, he recognized me instantly (even with my mask on) and gave me an enormous heart-exploding hug. “Venessa! Is so wonderful to see you!” he said at the same time as I said, “Ilker, my friend! I can’t believe it!”, and he put his arm around my shoulder and quickly led me to the counter so he could order me my usual cup of tea.
We only had a little more than a half an hour to chat before he had to go to work—a new architecture project here in DC—during which he told me all the things he’s been up to these last couple of years: the sketching classes he taught in Belarus, the Russian exhibition of his artwork (which included a printed translation of THIS VERY TUMBLR POST), his battle against, not one, but two bouts of COVID, and ultimately, the evacuation of his family after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. And as is his way, he spoke of every challenge he and his family have faced together with gratitude for his health, his resilience, and for the small blessings that enabled him to make his way back to the States. I told him how much I appreciated his attitude toward life’s ups and downs because I’ve been learning to count my blessings as well, in large part because he told me to—via text when I was struggling to stay psychologically afloat in the thick of pandemic parenting: “You have health. You have family You have home and food. All will be well my good friend.”
He then brought up my art. And guess what? I SHOWED HIM MY SKETCH BOOK.
It wasn’t as full as I’d hoped it would be by the time I saw him again, and I sheepishly shared how hard it was to maintain a good sketching practice during quarantine when it seemed I was working nonstop thanks to the day job, proctoring Zoom school for the small man, homeschooling the smaller man, and freelance work. But I had done my best, managing to fill up at least 2/3 of it in addition to the finished work I posted to social media.
Now, we’ve followed each other on Instagram and Facebook since that second meeting two years ago, and while we DM’d on a regular basis and he left the occasional comment on my work, I was never quite sure how much of my finished work he’d seen (or even had time to see given he was still working and teaching abroad). But as he flipped through my book (nearly every sketch rendered in ink) he said, “Is very good! I watch you art change! You grow so much! I am so proud!”
When I tell you I could have burst into a rainbow confetti of heart-eye emojis.
Speaking of rainbows: very gently did he ask about the subject matter of my work, which folks who follow my social media accounts know as being mostly representative of LGBTQ+/BIPOC relationships. With trepidation, I told him that I, myself, was a queer BIPOC artist, and that drawing these relationships was a way to validate and love myself, to validate the diverse love of other marginalized groups, and hopefully paint a world into being where such individuals feel seen, comforted, represented, and protected. He nodded along as I explained this, and ultimately put me at ease when he said, “I am man who love woman. But I do not judge on who is gay, who is not gay. Everyone is welcome. As artist, I care about the lines!”
We returned to talking about family and work after that. I got to spill some secrets about projects I’ve been working on, and he told me he’s still playing basketball. He said he’s 67 but never wants to retire. He told me his daughters are now scattered and nearly made me cry when he said, “I have daughter in Istanbul, I have daughter in New York, and now”—he pointed to me—“I have daughter in DC.” When it was time for him to get back to his office, he asked me to see if I could find a local sketching club where we can sign up for figure drawing sessions, and we scheduled a date on the calendar for us to meet back at the Starbucks to draw.
And I suppose there’s no better way to conclude this little Tumblr saga than by saying there’s no true conclusion. It’s like this little miracle showed up in my life at exactly the time I most needed to practice trusting in my ability to grow and adapt, to stay soft during adversity, hold space for new relationships, and above all, embrace where I am in my creative journey. I’m so grateful to have made this connection and to share the wisdom it’s given me with all of you.
Don’t forget: The world needs to see you in the lines.
so my room turned out to be pretty cute! Exactly how I wanted it to be!! im so happy and it only needs some more plants but im going to shop for some tomorrow. Im excited!!
The sedative properties of valerian make it useful for relieving anxiety, insomnia and tension; it may also provide mild pain relief.
2. Eucalyptus essential oil
A potent antibiotic and antiviral, eucalyptus is excellent for treating colds and sinus infections when used as a steam inhalation.
3. Witch hazel extract
Distilled witch hazel has reported astringent, antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties, useful for treating insect bites and skin irritations. It’s also an excellent base for diluting essential oils for topical application. Do not take it internally.
4. Herbal insect repellent
Herbal insect repellents work well when applied liberally and frequently.
5. Arnica gel or cream
Arnica flowers have anti-inflammatory and circulation-stimulating properties; the gel or cream may help relieve sore muscles, sprains, strains and bruises. Do not apply arnica to broken skin.
6. Grindelia poison ivy treatment
Grindelia, also known as gumweed, contains resins and tannins that help relieve the symptoms of plant rashes such as poison ivy and poison oak.
7. Lemon essential oil
Uplifting, clarifying lemon essential oil can be used as aromatherapy to help dispel mental fatigue. It is also antiseptic, but should be diluted before being applied to the skin.
8. Echinacea liquid extract
Rich in phytochemicals that boost immunity, versatile liquid echinacea extract can be used internally to treat infections and externally for wounds and burns.
9. Calendula/comfrey salve
With calendula’s antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties and comfrey’s ability to help heal wounds, this salve is perfect for minor cuts and scrapes.
10. Goldenseal capsules or powder
A powerful antimicrobial, goldenseal is effective against a variety of microorganisms that cause traveler’s diarrhea. The powder also has antiseptic properties and can be sprinkled onto cuts or wounds to stop bleeding. Do not use during pregnancy.
11. Ginger capsules, tea bags or crystallized ginger
The antispasmodic and gas-relieving properties of ginger soothe digestive upsets. Ginger also has been shown to relieve motion sickness better than Dramamine, the conventional drug treatment.
12. Peppermint essential oil and tea bags
Peppermint soothes an upset stomach, eases congestion from the common cold and curbs itching from insect bites. If you have sensitive skin, dilute peppermint oil before applying. Peppermint tea may aggravate heartburn.
13. Eleuthero standardized extract
An excellent adaptogen, eleuthero can help prevent jet lag. Standardized extracts guarantee you’re getting sufficient amounts of eleutherosides, the herb’s active compounds.
14. Lavender essential oil
Multi-purpose lavender has sedative, anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties. It’s helpful for anxiety, insomnia, headaches, wounds and burns. Most people can tolerate lavender essential oil applied directly to the skin. Do not take more than 1 to 2 drops internally.
Elderberries can help prevent cold and flu viruses from invading and infecting cells. If you’re flying or otherwise potentially exposed to viruses, taking elderberry is a good preventive. If you come down with a cold or flu, elderberry can hasten your recovery time.
17. Aloe vera gel
Cooling and healing, aloe vera soothes the inflammation of sunburn and mild kitchen burns.
Read more at http://www.realfarmacy.com/natural-remedies-first-aid-kit/#IZPKcMS36FshE3gB.99
If you’re pregnant, do not take or handle valerian as it could cause premature labor or miscarriage.
Do not use eucalyptus if you are pregnant or if you have a history of seizures.
If the herbal insect repellant contains pennyroyal, keep it away from anyone who is pregnant.
Do not use arnica if you are pregnant because it is a uterine stimulant and can cause miscarriage.
Do not use goldenseal if you have heart problems, take blood thinners, have a history of seizures, or are pregnant.
Do not use echinacea if pregnant or breast-feeding, and be aware that the herb can have a laxative effect on some people.
Do not use ginger if you’re pregnant, and use with caution if you’re taking blood thinners.
Do not ingest uncooked or under-ripe elderberries and use all elder plant products with caution due to the risk of cyanide poisoning. Avoid altogether if pregnant or breast-feeding. High doses may cause vomiting.
Before taking any herbal cure, it is important to consult a doctor or licensed herbalist, especially if you’re pregnant, on a medical regimen, or if you have a chronic illness of any kind.
[Source: The Complete Guide to Herbal Medicines, Fetrow & Avila, Pharm.D., Pocket Books, 2000.]
one of the clearest and most disturbing examples on the dangers of late-stage capitalism and how billion dollar companies are willing to put the lives of innocent people at risk for financial gain is the crashes of lion air flight 610 (killing 180 people) and ethiopian airlines flight 302 (killing 157 people) and Boeing’s involvement in it
so basically what happened is that the manufacturer Airbus (HUGE Boeing rival) came out with this brand new plane in 2010 called the A320neo which had a larger engine and fuel efficient and was basically going to make Airbus aloooot of money. Boeing, of course, didn’t like this and scrambled together to come out with their own updated plane called the 737 max. the only problem is…….. this new plane design was rushed into production (to keep up with Airbus’s new plane) and had some serious design flaws.
first, the engine on the 737 max was too close to the ground so they moved it higher towards the windows which is just fine and dandy except it would cause the plane to point too far up during take off and cause a stall aka start falling out of the sky. so instead of taking the time to re-engineer the new plane Boeing decided to cut some corners instead (money money money) and add a software system called the MCAS which automatically forces the nose down if the plane begins to stall. this software was extremely faulty however with incorrect readings and was extremely dangerous because it could control of the entire plane and make it go nose down without the pilot’s awareness. and since Boeing also didnt want to spend the money on re-training the pilots they elected not to tell pilots about this new system at all. so can you imagine being a pilot flying a plane that suddenly starts to fucking dive bomb out of nowhere?? because that’s what happened in these two crashes - after take off the plane would receive faulty data and begin to dive towards the ground. the pilots had no clue that this software even existed and was controlling the plane. and since the pilots had no idea what was happening or how to fix it, this software caused them to ultimately crash and kill themselves and all passengers on board
exactly. and the reason that this huge design and software flaw was able to go under the radar is that Boeing and the FAA have an extremely close relationship ($$$) and the FAA actually allowed Boeing to do its own certification check which is extremely unethical when you’re dealing with the safety of millions and millions of lives. it makes you wonder what else slips through the cracks
Hi bitches. Do you have any advice for organizing pay stubs, tuition bills, credit card bills, etc? I have a lot of these papers piling up and it's starting to seem overwhelming.
Oh lawd have mercy you are coming to the WRONG place for advice on this one.
I pay almost all my bills online and stuff the paper bills in a big folder marked “TAXES” that gets opened up once a year at tax season at which time I curse Past Me for not being more organized.
Any advice for this Nonny on keeping financial documents organized, Bitch Nation?
HI HELLO I grew up in a house where my parents were self incorporated and instead of getting a babysitter they dragged me to the accountant for yearly tax meetings. if you don’t know how incorporation works, know you have to keep all your financial records for 7 years in case of an audit
I also grew up in the 90s, before the newfangled digital stuff existed. and too much time on my hands. have two guides for those of us in the analogue world
FOR PERSONAL
INBOX FOR BILLS
For all bills coming in, stick them in some sort of receptacle that is the Inbox. This is the place you put your receipts, bills, pay stubs, etc, to deal with Later
If you receive bills via email, put them in their own folder labeled “bills”
ACCORDION FOLDER FOR BILLS
An actual alphabetical one.
At least once a month, sort through the INBOX and DIGITAL BILL FOLDER. Try to sort it when things need to be paid, so you pay the bills on time. Also use this opportunity to fill in what you have actually spent into a spreadsheet, accounting software, etc
Once the physical bills are entered, put the piece of paper in the respective company name. You can use this to check against your credit card statements for identity theft, too, since you now know where your money went
Anything absolutely necessary for taxes, however, should Not go in here. It should go in:
FILE FOLDER BOX WITH FILES
Filing cabinets are not completely necessary, but a fireproof box that can hold file folders, IMO, is (at the very least, Some sort of thing that can hold various important pieces of paper)
Have one file for warranties. Have one file for pay stubs. Have one file for Very Important Pieces Of Paper. Have one for all things taxes. Have one for your transcripts. Have space for your passport/birth certificate/any ID you don’t carry with you on the daily. Put important photos and letters in here, too
Keep this some place easily grabbed. There’s a reason I said this should be a fireproof box. You wanna be able to grab it and go in case of an emergency, and you want it to survive in case you can’t
The file folder for all things taxes will make you very pleased come tax time. Printing off important receipts from your digital inbox should also go in here
AFTER A YEAR
Buy a new accordion folder (or empty out the old one and recycle the now-unneeded paper), purge any expired warranties in the folder box, get rid of paystubs outside of most people’s timelines for tracking income, delete all the bills in your digital box, see what’s still necessary, and start filling in the new year!
FOR BUSINESSES (INCLUDING TELECOMMUTE)
A BUSINESS ACCOUNT/CREDIT CARD
If you plan on doing long term self employment, get a separate business account, preferably with its own card. This guarantees you that all of the purchases made with that card are Business Expenses. It’s a lot easier to sort out business expenses if they’re on a separate bill
If, however, that’s cost-prohibitive/not viable because you’re employed elsewhere, skip to…
A BUSINESS INBOX
Make all your business related transactions on separate transactions from personal things. If you go to Walmart to get for-your-office-supplies and groceries, put the office supplies on one bill and the groceries on another. Much easier to calculate the business expenses this way, even if you only have one bank account.
Once a month, go through all your business expenses. Put them in a separate spreadsheet/ wallet in the financial software so everyone knows these things are business expenses, which become tax write offs come tax season
Seriously, look at what can be considered a tax write off. Just telecommuting, I was able to claim a percentage of my house, cell phone, and internet bill because they were necessary to do my job. Sex workers can write off makeup, clothing, plastic surgery, shoes, etc. Even your transportation to and from your contracting job can count.
A BUSINESS FILE FOLDER
Sort it the same way you would the personal, but this one doesn’t necessarily have to be a proper accordion folder if you don’t have a lot of business expenses. A 12 folder pocket is fine, just stick them in the respective months
This is the file folder you use come tax season to determine how much you spent for the business, which is then nicely deducted from your income
A BUSINESS PAPERWORK FILE/BOX
Can be put in the personal fireproof box, or can be its own fireproof box if you have a lot of files. This is also where you’d put things like your incorporation paperwork (if applicable), any licences you need for your job (if applicable), basically anything that proves you are a business able to do the business you are doing
AFTER A YEAR
Archive that stuff. If you’re employed elsewhere, ask your employer what to do with it (you might be able to throw it out, or they might need it to prove their staff work from home; you don’t know until you ask). If you’re self-employed, find out the laws on how long you have to keep your financial records
If you’ve been in the game awhile, you might be at the point of tossing out old records.
I love everything said above. Here’s my two cents for the people who like it but need to build up to that level of organized (meee!!):
The best thing that has ACTUALLY worked for me (meaning consistently, meaning for the last four years) is to buy an accordion folder each year and put everything in it ::by month::. Rent bills, pay stubs, important seeming receipts, a letter from someone, medical bills, jury duty summons, union dues, notes on when I paid a bill—if it happened in January, every bit of it is in January’s folder. If I got the bill in January and paid it in February, I’ll jot a note on the bill (filed under January), but plop the payment confirmation in February.
Really what this system is good for is highly organized piles, and that works for me. It means I don’t have to make a different folder for an expense/receipt that was maybe a one-time random thing (infinite labels stress me out). And it’s super easy as piles inevitably grow on my desk to quickly know where everything should go.
Also I keep Important Always Relevant papers (health insurance cards, birth certificates, passports) in the last accordion pocket of the CURRENT YEAR. I just scoop them out of 2018’s folder and pop them freshly in the back of 2019’s. Now there’s no digging for important things in an emergency.
janainaart
germansingergirl
tangentwithtanner
ellievsbear
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romaincrisis
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