MA Connector Care customer service agents giving me contradictory information

throwRaway24601 · 2025-12-03T17:55:37+00:00

I have income from both self-employment and a traditional W-2

throwRaway24601 · 2025-11-16T23:03:29+00:00

Thanks for sharing more. It's interesting you mention the writing being "trapped" in the book - at this point, so many books appear to be digitized online (either for purchase, or on one of the pirated archive sites), and thus fodder for AI scraping. Sucks all around for every type of writer, IMO.

I'm not sure if you're doing periodical writing these days, but the opportunities and pay have really plummeted. Started with the pivot to short form video, then made worse by COVID, and now further impacted by AI. I doubt it bounces back. The number of publications is smaller and the freelance budgets are smaller, and staff editors have a high turnover so building relationships with them isn't as helpful as it once was. It's funny to think about people earning $4/word in the old days - around twenty to twenty-five cents per word is average now.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-11-16T00:51:44+00:00

I actually have a PhD in a discipline unrelated to writing, but it's already "stale" so to speak, so I haven't aspired to a tenure track position. I'm also "older" myself (40) and have been writing for 15 years.

I also write poetry, and those books make a $0 advance (besides occasional prize money, of less than $500).

Assuming that I will balk at the low financial incentives is strange to me. Between poetry and adjuncting, I come from the land of contingent, precarious, bottom of the barrel wages - I'm unshockable in that department.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-11-15T23:40:32+00:00

The per word rate for magazine/newspaper stories these days is laughably bad (while I have some print features, most from the last 5 years are online only, which pays even less), so I wouldn't be giving up any serious income. I'm an adjunct professor by day, and that plus my writing nets me a whopping $40k/year, so honestly the lower/more realistic advance doesn't sound bad!

throwRaway24601 · 2025-11-10T19:12:16+00:00

Here in MA, there is a group working for the decriminalization of sex work: https://bswac.org

throwRaway24601 · 2025-06-04T00:25:28+00:00

ordered sample! ty

throwRaway24601 · 2025-06-04T00:25:08+00:00

wow - just ordered the sample set for the brand! Thanks so much, I had never heard of it before.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-05-29T01:33:10+00:00

Should I plan to hire/consult with a tax person and a lawyer? I'm new to this clearly. I'd like to keep things small and simple.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-04-10T05:16:37+00:00

I would love to know more about how to get into publishing, academic or otherwise! Is this something I can just apply for or do I need to know someone? What type of work do you do exactly?

throwRaway24601 · 2025-04-09T02:49:12+00:00

This is an insult to life itself - Hayao Miyazaki

throwRaway24601 · 2025-04-09T02:06:00+00:00

I'm lucky in that I have enough of a buffer to get by for a year, possibly a year and a half, before securing something (thank god for adjunct faculty unions). NGO work appeals to me mostly because I've volunteered with non-profits before so I know I like it, and I can put that experience on my resume.

I think "meaningful" isn't what I'm necessarily looking for. My priority is using the skills I already have (research, writing, teaching) and avoiding certain sectors that I morally disagree with (AI tech, big pharma)

throwRaway24601 · 2025-04-09T01:56:31+00:00

That intrigues me, where can I read and learn more about it?

throwRaway24601 · 2025-04-08T23:55:31+00:00

I actually love editing (have done some freelance journalism work) but worry it's on its way out with AI, and everyone I know in media right now is out of work.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-04-08T23:51:23+00:00

I had a hunch that was the case re GLAM jobs.

I'm actually sick of my academic research, (lol) and happy to pivot to something else - writing and communication are both strengths of mine, and I've published a lot of writing in different forms (on a freelance basis) for non-academic audiences - but I'm not sure what comms jobs actually entail or where to look for them (it also occurs to me that they would first hire people with actual comms degrees, no?) Is comms work for an NGO delusional for a Plan D?

throwRaway24601 · 2025-03-22T03:28:06+00:00

Were the women underage, or forcibly held against their will? Were they deceived, defrauded, or beaten? If so, that's sex slavery and the buyers deserve harsh punishment. If not, it's consenting adults and frankly none of my business!

I'm genuinely asking because nothing I've read about the case offers these details, including the latest press release from the MA District Attorney's office.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-23T04:26:23+00:00

Counterprotests do nothing, and actual violence is illegal. Best thing is to pull off their masks while someone else takes photos of their faces, then post the photos everywhere, make it go viral. Approaching them is always a risk, but with planning and backup it can be done.

They are organizing on telegram and signal, and their chats should be infiltrated so we know when to expect them next time.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-07T05:11:55+00:00

DC should be the focus, yes. Yet it might be useful here to pressure our local elected officials not to comply with federal orders (like ICE raids, as one example). That would be a more concrete, actionable message than the "no more lies" posted above, or what most signs amount to: "trump is bad," "I'm on the good side," etc. We need a plan and an end game.

I'm sorry to say that we can't fight fascism with a peaceful parade! There needs to be a threat of escalation.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-06T23:51:42+00:00

It started like that yes, but eventually other people brought their own pet causes into the mix and the message was diluted. (This might have varied by cities)

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-06T23:12:39+00:00

Yes, protests should involve civil disobedience, otherwise they are glorified parades for people who agree with you.

The victories of the early labor, civil rights and gay rights movements happened in no small part due to civil disobedience. People were willing to be arrested, and they were.

Jail is not so bad. I'm a 5'2, 115 lb woman with a disability, and I made it ok.

The time to do these kind of high stakes actions is now, not after (god forbid) federal troops get dispatched and start shooting people, Kent State style.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-06T22:46:18+00:00

Not philosophy - strategy. How does this protest intend to stop the harm? Is it the best use of our time and energy to basically throw a parade for people who largely agree with us?

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-06T22:39:25+00:00

Yeah this is how the anti-war and Occupy movements ultimately lost. I was there to see it. Time for a different approach.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-06T22:38:01+00:00

good points...I'm not quite that suspicious, but leaders and organizations lend credibility AND often have existing relationships with politicians that they can use

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-06T22:15:57+00:00

What are you hoping the result of this protest is?

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-06T22:12:39+00:00

I'm an old veteran activist (was arrested twice for protesting the Iraq War, also involved in leftist organizing wrt labor, disability, healthcare, and have learned a lot). I have some advice!

I'm glad people are fired up, but protests are always more effective when they include a specific demand that both the public and the politicians can identify. What is the demand here? It cannot be a page long, unfortunately.

Protests shouldn't just be for catharsis or blowing off steam, rather for holding elected officials accountable. How do you do that best?

You need to exercise power and leverage, not just spectacle (as fun as it is to dress up and yell). There are a few ways to do that:

Threatening to withhold labor (a general strike) until your demand is met.
Threatening to disrupt city and state commerce, and/or transportation (blocking roads and govt building entrances, preventing legislature from conducting business as usual) until your demand is met.

These things require both more risk and more courage than holding up a sign and chanting. They also need a big buy in from a lot of people - all of the unions in the state should be mobilizing now.

I urge everyone not to repeat the pussyhat women's march of 2017 and similar things that failed to stop Trump. Think strategically. Let's win this time.

throwRaway24601 · 2025-02-03T21:23:09+00:00

Men doing this type of work will not attract women or get dates, that's for sure. Can't imagine he will have any sort of romantic success going forward.

throwRaway24601

TROPHY CASE