I've been applying to remote job listings constantly for about 2 weeks. So far the only interviews I got were for sales positions that weren't remote at all (asking to travel to other businesses to promote their services). And my husband keeps pointing out that he thinks all the jobs I've applied for are scams...
For those of you working from home: what websites did you use to find your job? How do you know if it's real vs some kind of MLM or something?
I've been unable to work at my current job more than 1 day a week lately. I've been so stressed there that I'm in the worst mental and physical health decline I've experienced in years.
I need help. Every attempt to get help has failed (disability denied me again, affordable health care isn't affordable, constant micro aggressions and harassment at work despite management promising to address the situation, $2900 bill for IV saline at the ER treating a week long migraine, etc...)

Rainbow Air Purifiers Business Model — MLM?
This weekend I had a booth at a pet fair. The booth next to me was asking folks to sign up to win a free air purifier. They weren’t selling them at the event. When the event was winding down, I was telling my friend a story about Mary Kay MLM. The moment I mentioned MLM, the head guy came over to speak with me. He gave me the website of the the air purifier and he said he was a small business franchise. LOL.
Looking for more information on the business model and ties to MLM.
Is there any connection to rainbow vacuums? They also seem to affiliated with Ritello.

Update 2: I went full Gladys Kravitz and did some internet sleuthing. Here's what I learned:

• Found out the girlfriend has an alias, and located her social media profile.
• They are in Thailand, and have been since March. Looks like they are having a fabulous time, for anyone wondering.
• She's an "influencer". Her current push is a MLM diet drink she invented along with something about a millionaire mindset. She posts a lot but has almost zero engagement from her 25k followers, other than a few likes here and there.
• All of the previous business websites are now defunct.
• He hasn't paid any of the property taxes.
• She's being sued by an assisted living facility on the East Coast, which is where they moved from.
• It does not appear that they are coming back based on some of the posts. Lots of "we followed our hearts and it led us here" kinda shit.
• Cool. Cool cool cool.

Update 1: Had a welfare check done. Police went around the property, looked in all the windows. It appears no one is home.
I hope I don't sound like an asshole here. I've got a neighbor next to me who's kind of a weird guy with an even more bizarre girlfriend (she has lots of strange side businesses, but seems to end up sued in the end after she cuts and runs). He lost his job in Feb/March.
Anyway, since moving in, they've never touched their lawn, and after the drought we had last year, the entire yard wound up dying. Anything that was left, was killed by the leaves he never raked in the fall. A lot of that is likely due to the neighbors prior who planted grass that had to be watered constantly and was maintained by a lawn service, so the yard was weak to begin with. Now nature is taking it back and weeds are growing in its place. Big ones. Which is attracting some new animals. We had a big storm come through, they lost a lot of branches, so we cleaned them up because they were blocking the sidewalk. That was when we realized we haven't seen them in a while.
They normally use their garage for cars, but for the last 2-3 weeks (maybe more?) their car has been in their driveway and the same package sits on their porch. I don't know if they've just abandoned the house and left? I'm worried because of the cut-and-run shady business history that the same thing is happening to the house and it's going to attract criminals or squatters. Something similar happened to a house at the end of the street a few years ago and it turned into a drug den.
I would file a city ordinance report, but they'll just send a letter. Which the neighbors won't receive, because they're gone. I think.
If they're not gone, then I'm very concerned whoever is in the house is dead. The car in the driveway has me a little nervous, I find it odd that they would leave behind a Mercedes. He sold his truck, the only other vehicle was a muscle car that they either took or is still sitting in the garage.
Do I call the police and have them do a welfare check?

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As listed in title, is there a specific logical fallacy for infinite increase?
Some examples might include MLM stated business strategies assuming that each member can recruit x amount of new members, where the entire population of the world would be new recruits within a handful of degrees, or a strict boss describing how a few minutes here or there spent slacking off on the clock will eventually bankrupt the company, or even faulty projections of population size or economic growth/shrinkage where external factors and reasonable bounds are ignored.
Sorry if this is deemed off-topic.

I’m sure you have all seen the reports but if you haven’t, I will keep this brief. 1.) There are multiple short selling firms shorting globe life and alleging massive fraud in the business (ex: Fuzzy Panda and Viceroy) 2.) Warren Buffett completely dumped his position months before the allegations 3.) GL is currently being investigated by the DOJ and SEC regarding customer abuses and insurance fraud 4.) the entire business model is unsustainable, as it is an MLM that requires you to recruit people to make more money. 5.) there are kids under 25 (some with felonies) claiming to make multiple six figures, driving exotic cars and living lavish lifestyles.
Based on the above this smells of bullshit more than a cattle farm. Full Disclosure: I have a small short position on GL and this is my second time shorting it.
EDIT: here are some sources:
https://viceroyresearch.org/2024/05/16/globe-life-foia-update/
https://fuzzypandaresearch.com/category/globelife/

In no particular order, here is my attempt to list all the Pax “types” we all meet every day.

• Car Guy: car guy has an RX Ultima Z800D with a rear defenestrator and 7000 horses a second. But it’s in the shop, and anyway he’s thinking about buying a Chevy Scoophead 9 million with both front and rear engines that runs on farts. Let’s talk about cars for 20 minutes.
  
• Personal Finance Guy: personal finance guy wants to know how much you make per kilometer, per minute, per passenger, how much you pay for gas, maintenance and toilet paper. He wants to know the exact amount in your bank account and then talk about the fuel efficiency of your car for 10 minutes. Finance guy thinks you should be working in finance instead.
  
• Sexual Harassment Guy: Sexual Harassment Guy fucks. He wants you to know he fucks. See that girl? He’s fuck her. Roll down the window. Do you fuck? Oh you’re married? You must not fuck. Hope she’s hot. Want to see the girl I’m fucking?
  
• Trauma Girl: ex-girlfriend of sexual harassment guy. She sits right behind you. She stares straight ahead. If she speaks, it’s only to inform you she has a boyfriend. If you’re a female driver, she sighs with relief. If you’re a big guy, she’s visibly nervous. Big tip if you leave her alone.
  
• Stag Do Steve: Steve’s about to get married, and as a result, is too drunk to stand. If he makes it to the car, which is 50/50, he’ll immediately want to change the destination. Luckily stag do Steve is always accompanied by:
  
• Nice Guy Eddie: Eddie apologizes for Steve and keeps him under control. He tips big because he’s a working class stiff. He makes you feel better about having Steve in the car. Eddie is good people.
  
• Tech Brodie: Tech Brodie works at Uber, or InstaGoogle, as a junior neural framework compiler. He believes he knows everything about everything because he heard about it on Lex Friedman’s podcast. His Tesla is in the shop. Of course.
  
• It Girl : It Girl spends half the time swiping left on bumblr or Twirlr, and taking sexy selfies as you drive by monuments. It girl knows she’s hot, knows you know she’s hot, and expects to be hit on. When you don’t, she’s frankly a little annoyed.
  
• Foreigner Hater Fran/Frank: FHF’s first question is where you’re from. If you’re from one of those good (white) countries, he/she wants to tell you about all those people from those bad (not white) countries. If you’re a foreigner who speaks the local language well, he/she informs you you’re one of the “good” ones. FHF lets you know they have black friends (they don’t).
  
• IDF Guy/Girl Not just a typical Zionist, but a genuinely dangerous seeming person. Wants to know your stance on Israel, and if your answer is to nuanced or neutral they will spend 10 minutes “educating” you on the situation. Avoid politics.
  
• the Nigerian Entrepreneur : this person speaks 6 languages, got an mba from Harvard, and is running 3 businesses while also taking pilot lessons. They will damage your self-esteem by being better than you in every way.
  
• The Motivational Speaker: takes it upon themselves to unilaterally improve your life during a 12 minute drive. They may mention they are in an MLM at some point.
  
• Phone Girl: phone girl’s phone is blowing up fam. She’s texting while calling and getting call waiting about the texts she isn’t answering. Bonus points for leaving her phone on speaker.
  
• It’s your fault I’m late guy: you could have made that light. What is this guy doing? It will be faster if you turn off here. Look I was supposed to be there 10 minutes ago. Come on if I knew it would have taken you this long to get to me I wouldn’t have ordered. No tip. Bonus points for a 2 star “bad navigation” review.
  
• Story Time: you would believe what happened to this person today. You won’t care, but you’ll hear the whole story in exhaustive detail.
  
• Human GPS: you want to get in the left lane here. It’s about 2km on the right. You wanna pass this guy. You better signal.
  
• ”It’s just a minute away” guy: he wants you to take him somewhere else, but it’s just like a minute away. Will refuse to put the new destination into the app, because they know it will cost more. Average of 4-5 minutes away.
  
• 2 Minutes Girl: I swear I just need to run inside, grab something, and come back. It will be 2 minutes. Average of 11 minutes waiting. Will be on the phone when they come back and will not end the call until you drop them off.
  
• Tip You In the App Guy: never tips you in the app.
  
• quietly tips big gigachad: doesn’t say a word about anything. Is polite, gets out, and leaves a monster tip, sometimes as much as the base fare.
  

That’s my partial list. Any other contributions, I’ll be happy to add them.
Edit: some additions

• Suburban Winemom Does Big City: she’s probably a real estate agent, but she’s definitely a closeted alcoholic.
  
• Front Seat Guy : front seat guy wants to sit in front, and doesn’t want to be told no. Bonus points for messing with the aircon or giving you navigation tips you don’t need. Beer breath strongly encouraged.
  
• Yelling in the Car Girl/Guy: YCG yells. In the car. A lot. Sometimes also out of the car.
  
• coming to you guy: coming to you guy is coming to you, even if you ask them not to, even if they have to cross 4 lanes of busy traffic, forcing you to stop on a fire access lane. Coming to you guy must come to you.
  

So I [26M] matched with this girl [24F] on Bumble. She works in F&B as a business consultant and I personally own a small restaurant. Let me write down the chronology of what went down in the conversation here:
1st day - Her first question was which restaurant brand I owned. I was pretty uncomfortable in sharing it so I just said oh just a small joint in X particular niche. I answered her first "2 Truths 1 Lie" which lead to a pretty personal topic on the get-go (about divorced parents from mine and her side). Other than that it got a little dry after. She ended the conversation without moving the topic elsewhere.
2nd day - I sent her a pic of a pizza I ate that morning and told her to rate it (it was pretty bad). She answered and asked where it was. I told her if she wanted to find out (was trying be a little flirty). She said how, and I said I can take her for a nice lunch there for a conversation, either we hit it off or worst case scenario she can just pitch me her consultation services that I might be able to use for my own business.
3rd day - No response
4th day - She responded, "No thanks, you're probably an MLM scheme". I jokingly replied with a badly drawn picture of a pyramid with me on top and her name on the bottom of the scheme. She responded with laughter after. We had a synchronous conversation after that about random things and I pushed the idea of a fun date again (since I thought the mood was pretty playful). She asked me how many shoots have I shot for a date, I said just one, which was her (was honestly the truth, since I found 0 people that is my type after a month of using bumble). She quickly changed the topic into her initial question at day 1 which was what my restaurant was. I finally answered, and she told me she wanted to order 1 for tomorrow. I jokingly said fuck that, I'd rather have a date with you and she replied with a lmao. Afterwards, the conversation just went on about cooking.
5th day - I offered her whether she wanted to buy some of the food from my restaurant in the morning, in which she didn't reply till nighttime where she claimed she was super busy. I said it's not a big deal and the conversation ended.
6th day - I sent her some pictures in the morning on some menus I'm working on and she replied with some valuable insights about them. She asked whether the restaurant was open right now (it was closed) and I said well I can make an exception to cook for you personally. She replied with some enthusiasm and said, ah it's fine you don't have to do it, which I replied with an ok. Afterwards, she told me that there was an event going on that she's organizing and that she'll be there today. She said I should come and join with my friends and mingle if I'm not doing anything. I told her, I'll think about it and ended up telling her that I'm sorry that I'm not coming later that day because I had some stuff to do. Then I told her I'd love to come when we finally have that date. She replied that it's ok I didn't come, thanks anyways (but no referring to the statement for the date). After this, she just doesn't seem interested in talking to me.
After reading what I just wrote, I realize I might've been too pushy for a date. What do you guys think?
One thing to note about me is that I was friend-zoned quite often during my younger days, which lead me to be insecure about it and being a little too forward about my intentions with girls now so that I'm an adult so it never happens again. It's worked before, but maybe not to some women.
Was she interested in the first place? If yes, is there anyway I can fix this? Can I say "let's start over"? I feel like an idiot now that I realize how I approached her lol. I'm very interested in still pursuing her and would appreciate some insights on this.
Edit: Thanks for the perspective kings. Would still like to know how a female sees this though.

So I [26M] matched with this girl [24F] on Bumble. She works in F&B as a business consultant and I personally own a small restaurant. Let me write down the chronology of what went down in the conversation here:
1st day - Her first question was which restaurant brand I owned. I was pretty uncomfortable in sharing it so I just said oh just a small joint in X particular niche. I answered her first "2 Truths 1 Lie" which lead to a pretty personal topic on the get-go (about divorced parents from mine and her side). Other than that it got a little dry after. She ended the conversation without moving the topic elsewhere.
2nd day - I sent her a pic of a pizza I ate that morning and told her to rate it (it was pretty bad). She answered and asked where it was. I told her if she wanted to find out (was trying be a little flirty). She said how, and I said I can take her for a nice lunch there for a conversation, either we hit it off or worst case scenario she can just pitch me her consultation services that I might be able to use for my own business.
3rd day - No response
4th day - She responded, "No thanks, you're probably an MLM scheme". I jokingly replied with a badly drawn picture of a pyramid with me on top and her name on the bottom of the scheme. She responded with laughter after. We had a synchronous conversation after that about random things and I pushed the idea of a fun date again (since I thought the mood was pretty playful). She asked me how many shoots have I shot for a date, I said just one, which was her (was honestly the truth, since I found 0 people that is my type after a month of using bumble). She quickly changed the topic into her initial question at day 1 which was what my restaurant was. I finally answered, and she told me she wanted to order 1 for tomorrow. I jokingly said fuck that, I'd rather have a date with you and she replied with a lmao. Afterwards, the conversation just went on about cooking.
5th day - I offered her whether she wanted to buy some of the food from my restaurant in the morning, in which she didn't reply till nighttime where she claimed she was super busy. I said it's not a big deal and the conversation ended.
6th day - I sent her some pictures in the morning on some menus I'm working on and she replied with some valuable insights about them. She asked whether the restaurant was open right now (it was closed) and I said well I can make an exception to cook for you personally. She replied with some enthusiasm and said, ah it's fine you don't have to do it, which I replied with an ok. Afterwards, she told me that there was an event going on that she's organizing and that she'll be there today. She said I should come and join with my friends and mingle if I'm not doing anything. I told her, I'll think about it and ended up telling her that I'm sorry that I'm not coming later that day because I had some stuff to do. Then I told her I'd love to come when we finally have that date. She replied that it's ok I didn't come, thanks anyways (but no referring to the statement for the date). After this, she just doesn't seem interested in talking to me.
After reading what I just wrote, I realize I might've been too pushy for a date. What do you guys think?
One thing to note about me is that I was friend-zoned quite often during my younger days, which lead me to being a little too forward about my intentions with girls now so that it never happens again.
Was she interested in the first place? If yes, is there anyway I can fix this? Can I say "let's start over"? I feel like an idiot now that I realize how I approached her lol. Would appreciate some insights on this

To become a successful entrepreneur, you must first of all change your mindset from that of poor or middle-class to the new rich mindset. You can do that by reading a lot on business or joining a multilevel marketing programme, where you will be taught valuable business and entrepreneurial skills like selling, public speaking, etc.
Becoming a successful entrepreneur indeed requires a significant shift in mindset and a commitment to continuous learning and skill development. Here are a few key steps and strategies to facilitate this transformation:

1. Mindset Shift

Adopt a Growth Mindset: Embrace challenges as opportunities to learn and grow. Understand that failures are part of the journey and valuable learning experiences.
Think Long-Term: Focus on long-term goals rather than immediate gratification. This involves planning, setting realistic milestones, and staying committed to your vision.
Abundance Mentality: Believe in the availability of resources and opportunities. An abundance mentality can lead to innovative thinking and more effective networking.

1. Continuous Learning

Read Extensively: Engage with a wide range of books on business, entrepreneurship, leadership, and personal development. Some recommended reads include "Rich Dad Poor Dad" by Robert Kiyosaki, "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill, and "The Lean Startup" by Eric Ries.
Online Courses and Workshops: Platforms like Coursera, Udemy, and LinkedIn Learning offer courses on various business topics. Enroll in courses that cover entrepreneurship, marketing, finance, and other relevant areas.
Podcasts and Webinars: Regularly listen to podcasts and attend webinars by successful entrepreneurs. This keeps you updated on industry trends and provides insights from experienced professionals.

1. Skill Development

Sales Skills: Learn the art of selling, as it's crucial for any business. Books like "To Sell is Human" by Daniel Pink and "The Psychology of Selling" by Brian Tracy are excellent resources.
Public Speaking: Join groups like Toastmasters to improve your public speaking and presentation skills. Effective communication is key in pitching your ideas and leading a team.
Networking: Build and maintain a robust network of contacts. Attend industry events, join business groups, and leverage social media platforms like LinkedIn.

1. Multilevel Marketing (MLM) Programs

Evaluate MLM Programs: While some MLM programs offer valuable training in sales and networking, it’s essential to research and choose reputable ones. Be cautious of programs that promise quick wealth without effort.
Skills from MLM: Participate in MLM to gain practical experience in selling, recruiting, and building a network. These skills are transferable to any entrepreneurial venture.

1. Mentorship and Community

Find a Mentor: Seek guidance from experienced entrepreneurs. A mentor can provide invaluable advice, feedback, and support.
Join Entrepreneurial Communities: Participate in local business groups, online forums, and incubators. Surrounding yourself with like-minded individuals can inspire and motivate you.

1. Practical Experience

Start Small: Begin with a small business venture to gain practical experience. This helps in understanding the market, refining your business model, and developing resilience.
Experiment and Iterate: Use the lean startup methodology—build, measure, and learn. This approach helps in quickly identifying what works and what doesn’t, minimizing risks.
By focusing on these areas, you can effectively transform your mindset and acquire the necessary skills to become a successful entrepreneur. Continuous learning, skill development, and practical experience are critical components of this journey.
For further info, please visit:
https://daniel-levy-nor.blogspot.com

I come from a petty-burgeois family. For a while we had a good relationship and similar politics, but then the 2018 Bolsonaro election and their support of it made me deeply reevaluate my politics, eventually leading me down the path of Marxism, then Marxism-Leninism, and now I'm investigating Maoism as well.
The root of my problems, I thought, is that I still cannot fully let go of petty-burgeois emotionalism I grew up with, I still cannot fully hate my family even though they are class enemies. But I eventually came to recognize that politics isn't about what I feel, and came to admit that, uncomfortable as it may be for me, they may very well have to be shot, and I will have to just let it happen. It should be fine, I would live to see them die for one reason or another and if this happens as collateral damage of a revolution it would be overall a really good thing even if I, personally, need some time to mourn later. No revolution with white gloves and all that. I already had people in my family die so I know I get over it eventually and that I can't put my temporary feelings above the whole future of the working class. With this I thought I was useful enough as a ML.
But when I started investigating Maoism it became clear that my petty-burgeois individualism runs even deeper than that, namely, I'm fundamentally unconfrontational and cowardly and reclusive and cannot honestly visualize the revolution actually happening within my lifetime, and this is the kind of stuff that hinders political activism and makes me prioritize personal safety over the movement. Still, I tried getting out of my comfort zone and being politically active anyway in my pre-Maoism days and joined the main revolutionary party in my country (Brazil's PCB), of Marxist-Leninist orientation (revisionist and outdated, as I would later find out in my studies). But where I live it was only a small cell and we were unable to do any significant political activism until it eventually disbanded due to internal conflicts within the party and due to everyone being too busy and too hopeless. And now that I'm studying Maoism, it all makes sense in hindsight. We were more concerned with distributing magazines than being in touch and at the service of the masses and that is a grave error.
But what can I do then? My problem isn't in the outcomes of the revolution or with the kind of society that will follow, which I belive to be overwhelmingly positive and I'm fine with giving up my tremendous privilege for it (I'm studying computer science, a very privileged labor aristocrat position, but it's mostly because it's a subject I enjoy than because of the prestige, I'm definitely supportive of wage equality and I'm fine with doing hard labor in the mines or in the camp or the factories should it be necessary, and I'm also fine with having my petty-burgeois wealth expropriated) even if I still have some things I'm a tad uncomfortable with due to my petty-burgeois upbringing and that I'm trying to change (again, I'm an unconfrontational coward). The problem is that now that I see how only Maoism and MLM can be truly revolutionary, I don't see how I could be in any way useful for helping the movement, as there is no Maoist organization I know of in Brazil (the ones we had that split off the ML party eventually gave up and became social democrats), and even if there was, with me as I currently am with my class background, I don't think I have at all what is required for the type of activism Maoism requires.

Hi all! First time here. A little about me: 28 years old, high school English teacher, DnD player and video game lover. I have been RPing on-and-off for around 13 years and, after a bit of a dry spell, I am looking to get back into it! Obviously, per my profession, I am literate and very capable of multi-paragraph replies - though I am a busy person, and can obviously work with just a paragraph or two!
I am not just looking for a partner (or multiple new friends!) but also someone to vibe with. I write better when I get along with my partner(s), so I love to chat, talk about muses, and share character playlists, art, etc.
What I am looking for: •MLM, MxM plots •MNB, MxNB •OC only - I enjoy creating new characters and prefer not to play any canon characters. •Creation of original worlds/universes - post-apocalyptic, fantasy, sci-fi, supernatural, etc!
Fandoms (in order from most interested): •Fallout (The TV show reignited my obsession with this universe. Love the show and games!) •DnD (Baldur’s Gate included) •Cyberpunk 2077 •Bridgerton •One Piece (Pirate things in general) •Dragon Age •Mass Effect •Stranger Things •More upon request!
I prefer to RP on Discord only. If you are interested, please PM me! I am so excited to write with you :)

To start, I have been with my girlfriend for two years.
Since meeting her she's always held a part-time position at a place called "(insert local town here) Nutrition."
I would come in and see all these shakes and "energy teas" she'd be making, and all the customers who requested additions like "fat reduction" or "collagen" in these drinks, and I didn't really think much of it, but behind the counter all the products are from one company, which happens to be Herbalife.
The owner of the shop proposed for my girlfriend to take over another local store which also happens to be using Herbalife products, which seemed sweet and possibly a good business opportunity, so we went and checked the location out and the store is pretty hidden in a shopping center so we decided not to do that.
Queue my research: I quickly found out Herbalife is an MLM company and realized she won't be making much money from selling their products, only if she starts to get other people to sell in a downline.
I've warned her about what she's getting sucked into but she only responds to my precautions with anger and tells me about how this could buy us a house, retire our family, blah blah blah. On the note of family, her parents are now actively aiding her in getting into this MLM business without doing any research on the company and are speaking to realtors to find a store location so that their daughter can open up a brand new Herbalife front, looking at $2,500-4,000/mo in rent.
Just based off calculations, cost of product, expected sales, etc, I really don't see this making much more $$$ than a job paying $15/hr, but any job she's had since she's been with me she has walked out on.
So her parents are going to foot the bill for the startup costs (looking at about $15-20k) and she's going to be working 54-60 hours a week to run it. I don't doubt that this will end badly, so could anyone give me any advice? She's repeatedly tried to loop me into this and I don't want any part of it because I can see through the get-rich-quick, be-your-own boss bs that the company peddles.

Frank could have slept in the trailer, but he preferred being in the van under current circumstances. He could scare off anyone who got a bright idea to try and steal the vehicle, for one thing. And if something happened in the motel room, if Jenna and Mike needed help, he was closer.
Not that any of that seemed likely; this place seemed dead as hell.
The motel was a not-too-busted-down place. The town it sat at the edge of was a wide-spot-in-the-road type. An out-of-the-way hamlet, some might call it. To Frank's parents, the town would have seemed ideal. Small enough to seem homey and friendly — and Christian, of course — but large enough to have the basic amenities: a pool of suckers for Mama's MLM sales and other schemes, people looking for someone like Papa who could at least seem to fix anything for cheap, and an attitude that led people to mind their own business, even with new folks and strangers, leaving no one too inclined to call in Youth Services or the equivalent at every sign of a bruise or a scrape or bleeding backs or broken limbs.
They'd done a lot of midnight runners out of places where people showed some level of neighborly concern. Left a lot of things behind in rented houses and apartments.
The best time had been when Frank was between the ages of five and seven. They lived with Grampa and Gramma Schnedeker then, and all the kids who were old enough got to go to proper school for a while, like school-school. Grampa Schnedeker needed a lot of looking after, and Gramma wanted the kids out of the house at least a few hours a day so as not to disturb him too much.
Since they got to go to school, Frank and his siblings right on either side actually learned to properly read and do the beginnings of math and such. Mama said all they needed to read was the Bible, and Papa said math was only important as far as helping him measure and cut lumber and pipe for projects, but still, the kids learned. And when Grampa Schnedeker died and the family moved on, the kids who had got school for a while tried to keep up and to teach things to the little ones.
That got stopped pretty quick, and Mama took over the "lessons," which really just meant she handed the kids their little workbooks every morning after breakfast and left them to work — QUIETLY as she always demanded — while she went and schmoozed sales or whatever. All the boys stopped having any "lessons" after 10 years old. That was when they would start going to work with Papa.
All the boys besides Frank, anyway. But that was before anyone besides Frank even knew that Frank was a boy.
And boy, had that been Hell on Earth when he finally outright told them he was a boy. Mama went to scream-praying like she tended to, and Papa tried to beat Frank to death, and then he did other things that really almost did kill Frank, but luckily Susie called 911.
It was Hell after, too. All that time in the hospital, and the stuff was on the news, and then Frank was sent to foster parents practically across the country. Those first ones were okay, except they also didn't believe Frank was a boy. They just tried to send him to a conversion therapist, who somehow luckily realized that there was no converting Frank and tipped off the social workers. Frank got new foster parents who accepted him, helped him get a name change, and even let him stay with them after he aged out of the foster system, until he could get his GED and see about college.
And then there was college, with his new name and his new clothes and finally being himself, and then the year of college, he met Jenna, and everything since then had been almost golden.
He could not sleep, crunched up in the driver's seat of the van with his head full of memories, so instead he just let it all play, the good and the bad, until it was almost sunrise and he needed to piss like a racehorse.
Then he got out of the van and went to knock at the door of the motel room. After he peed, he would ask Jenna if she minded taking the first shift driving today.
Gotta be up early and get everything together. Danna hated cooking, so Derick made breakfast, got the kids settled, and carried a plate back to his wife, still ensconced in the big bed in the back of the RV.
God had said that the wife should be the one to tend to the home and children, had he not? And yet, if the wife was unable to do some part of that, surely the man, in his free moments, should try and help. Thus, Derick would cook and would see that the children had breakfast, since Danna had such trouble sleeping, and then had trouble waking in the morning, especially when she was pregnant.
And if Danna's mother had never taught her to cook, well, that was the sin of Peggy Lynn Sooks, not her daughter. God would punish Peggy for her failures as a wife and mother.
Other than the sleeping trouble and the aversion to some of the arts of housewifery, Danna was excellent. She was really smart, figuring out how to put together all the social media stuff. And she was always ready to go whenever God told Derick they needed to pick up and move on. She greeted each trip, long or short, with joy, and she treated her other wifely obligations with equal joy.
Perhaps too much joy, sometimes. Danna, for example, took great joy in the act of procreation. That was good, of course, for they were to be fruitful and multiply and spread their family over the Earth to carry the Truth of God's message.
But the act of procreation, sacred and holy as it might be, was never something Derick greatly enjoyed. He did not, as he knew some husbands did, press his wife to fulfill her duties every night. In fact, their marriage had not been conssumated for nearly two months after the wedding, simply because Derick was disinclined. It took Danna reminding him that God's holy word also said a husband should satisfy his wife, and then they finally joined fully in their union.
Still, they did not do it often, unless Danna pressed Derick. As the years went on, she did so more and more, and so he let her have her desire. It was his duty as a husband.
Today, they would stay here. God had said they would be here about a week. Danna seemed happy with that, and the children seemed pleased as well.
They always seemed happiest when the family stopped wandering a while.
Derick had tried to explain to the children why they moved around so much, and why they must keep doing so. He thought perhaps the oldest two boys were beginning to understand. The little ones were still far from such wisdom, but there was time yet.
There was time.
3 Table of Contents 5

I need a bit of advice. WFG has been one of the biggest organizations to look out for, but I never realized that one of my best friends was a victim since she was young. I’ll call her Sophia, and my other friend, Jay.
Suddenly, Sophia’s mom called her, asking where she was, and she told her that we were on the court playing basketball just for fun. Sophia’s mom told her to wait to be picked up, and after 40 minutes, her mom arrived with someone else wearing luxurious clothes, like Louis Vuitton and expensive jewelry. We’ll call her Rose. Sophia quickly notified us that Rose would be talking about her business, which didn’t seem fishy at all.
But then, out of nowhere, Rose decided to show us this 4x4 card that included all the bills and told us that we could easily avoid paying taxes, get our brand-new cars paid for by the government, and earn a “passive/residual income.” Rose also talked about how a certain person from their company recently sold her code for “50 million USD.” She also pulled out a picture of her business partner in the Philippines distributing 1,000 wheelchairs to those who couldn’t afford one.
At first, I thought this was just some other MLM organization, and when I tried to ask her the name of the organization, she instantly avoided the question by asking me what my parents’ jobs were. My father works as a janitor, and my mom works in a warehouse. She was like, “Would you like to marry someone whose parents work in a factory or as a janitor?” I kept my composure and told her that I didn’t, but deep inside, I was really pissed about how she insulted my parents. My friend Jay was also shocked at what he just heard from Rose.
After that, Rose asked us if we would like to go to their seminar this upcoming Saturday, and we told her that we were uncertain and would let them know ASAP. After Rose was done talking about her business proposal to us, Sophia came up to us, apologizing and telling us that Rose has been doing this with her friends as well. That’s how she lost some of her friends, who told her that she should stay away from them.
Jay and I knew that this was all WFG’s doing because of the 4x4 card that Rose showed us earlier, and they forgot to exclude the organization’s name on it. We tried explaining to Sophia that WFG is a pyramid scheme, but she kept denying it and telling us to search about the organization ourselves. It felt like she was under an oath not to tell us that it was all part of a scam. The worst part is, Sophia is only 17 and told us that she has been to every single meeting since she was 11 or 12. Her mom is also part of the organization, and after searching a bit, I saw that her mom is part of the manager’s team.
I have one year from now to somehow convince her not to join the organization, but if I decide to report them, her family would be greatly affected. I really want to help her. What should I do?

Hello redditors of antiMLM,
Just this week, I received an email from a relation advertising FOREVER—not to be confused with Forever Living. Searching through this sub, I found a few short references over the last years with little detail. In one, a commentor described FOREVER stating "as mlms go, it seems ethical." Every red light went off while I looked into these “FOREVER Ambassadors.” I then began a search, with much of the ultimate work done by my spouse. It took longer than seemed acceptable to identify this MLM for people who glanced over the internet. FOREVER is not listed on any of the MLM databases I could find from this sub or elsewhere. Based on the mandatory “FOREVER Ambassador Community” on Facebook, now 8 years old, at least 2,500 people have gotten into their clutches at some point (I haven’t linked because I think it might be against the sub rules).
Thus, for the benefit and enjoyment of the people, here are references for the community to identify a yet-another-multi-level-marketing scheme. I am a sarcastic person, so be forewarned. All sources were publicly available and required no logins or access.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
(1) Background of the FOREVER business model
(2) The FOREVER Ambassador program
(3) Costs of serving as an Ambassador
(4) Compensation advertised for Ambassadors
(4a) Income in cash from personal sales
(4b) The downline system used by FOREVER
(4c) Non-monetary-achievement compensation
(5) FOREVER Ambassador Business Training
(6) Conclusion down to brass tax on FOREVER
STUDY OF FOREVER
(1) Background of the FOREVER business model
FOREVER is an online service that advertises it can be a “permanent digital home that lasts for many generations.”[1] This is to be accomplished via a so-called “FOREVER Guarantee Fund” that invests to pay for digital storage for over 100 years.[1] Their website promises me that “permanent” is “not a buzzword”—I think that’s the Platonian ideal of a buzzword.[1] Regardless, this is not a quality review post.
(2) The FOREVER Ambassador program
The sellers used by FOREVER are called “FOREVER Ambassadors.”[2] As advertised, it looks like a classic MLM pitch. You can “earn up to 35%” commission” while having “the freedom to work from home, and the flexibility to make money on your own schedule.”[2] FOREVER lists various opportunities, such as “trainings” and the ability to “learn and grow with friends,” as well as “make life-long friends.”[2] As part of the “Meet our Team” webpage for corporate FOREVER, there are multiple “Executive Ambassadors” listed.[3] There is no barrier to entry on experience required to become an Ambassador.[4] I observed that, throughout the internet and on the FOREVER website, the vast majority of Ambassadors are women—as you know, many MLMs target women and moms.
(3) Costs of serving as an Ambassador
FOREVER has, at minimum, an “Annual Ambassador Fee” that is the primary cost to entry of the program.[2] For $179 a year, one would receive “back office tools,” various marketing materials, and “countless opportunities”—maybe money, but more on that soon.[2] There is a link to an Ambassador’s own selling website.[5, at 22] This Ambassador fee “is subject to change over time.”[5, at 25] There is also a FOREVER Merchandise store where Ambassadors can get their supplies.[6] These include a 40-pack set of catalogs for $44.99 and a $144.99 tablecloth for potential customers during in-person events.[6]
For Ambassadors, FOREVER advertises there are “free training events.”[5, at 25] Each year, for $399 in 2024, Ambassadors can attend the 3-day “FOREVER Live!” event.[7] It is in the destination getaway of… next to their headquarters in Pittsburgh, PA (I’m sorry Pittsburgh, you’re a beautiful city).[5, at 24] It is also possible to pay for a “p2P Virtual Party” and “p2P Live Events,” but is unclear what those mean.[5, at 5] Various “ranks” of Ambassadors receive a “monthly stipend” starting at $25 a month after $15,000 total in personal plus team sales a year.[5, at 9]
(4) Compensation advertised for Ambassadors
(4a) Income in cash from personal sales
FOREVER pays its Ambassadors based on a “cash sales” versus “full sales” system.[5, at 5] The too-long-didn’t-read summary is that some products are paid less commission than others because of “margin” of different products.[5, at 5–6] Critically, the Personal Commission Rate is where our story kicks into gear. At the bottom, an Ambassador who sells less than $2,000 a year in sales receives the windfall of a 15% commission.[5, at 7] The number rises to 34% once sales are $90,000 or greater in one year (I don’t know where the 35% from earlier went).[5, at 7] However, to earn the 20% commission or more once one passes the $2,000 sales amount requires completion of the “FOREVER Ambassador Business (FAB) Training.”[5, at 7] I read it, more on that later.
You might ask, “Is there a sales quota for FOREVER® Ambassadors?” FOREVER says “no.”[8] However, the less one does the less FOREVER pays Ambassadors for what they do (this chart is older than the Compensation Guide cited).[8]
(4b) The downline system used by FOREVER
Of course, while it took forever to reach here, we come to the “downline” process—FOREVER’s words, not mine.[9] FOREVER immediately identified that new Ambassadors “choose another Ambassador to mentor you as you grow your business” (I do not know if this means an upline).[2] Nevertheless, “Team Sales” are compensated by FOREVER down to the 5th Line.[5, at 9] If an Ambassador does not build a team, then they do not earn Team Commissionable Cash Sales Commissions.[5, at 9] FOREVER states that getting new Ambassadors “to sign up under your name” is how you help “further your business.”[9]
However, even if an Ambassador builds a team, they receive a very restricted downline compensation if they do not make a minimum of personal sales.[5, at 9] For future reference, an “Associate Ambassador,” the bottom, makes less than $2,000 and earns no downline sales.[5, at 9] An “Ambassador,” second to last, is the first rank with a downline commission (4% for 1st Line), requiring $2,000/personal a year.[5, at 9] To reach “Senior Ambassador,” third to last, and above, a FOREVER Ambassador must start earning exponentially greater amounts of personal plus team sales to rise in the “ranks.”[5, at 9] A Senior Ambassador requires $8,000/personal but $15,000/gross, and is the first to get 2nd Line commission (4% for 1st Line and 2% for 2nd Line).[5, at 9] It is unclear to me if “new members” must be recruited “each month” to rankup—the website says so, but I see it nowhere in the Compensation Guide.[8]
At the top of hierarchy, there become two “Executive Ambassadors.”[5, at 9–10] These ranks start at $28,000/personal and $250,000/gross a year.[5, at 9] As well, one must have at least three “Team Leaders” in their 1st Line.[5, at 10] Team Leaders refers to Ambassadors who have themselves reached the rank of “Associate Lead Ambassador” ($12,000/personal and $30,000/gross).[5, at 9] FOREVER advertises that the Executive ranks are for—and I am not making this up—those Ambassadors who are “grooming FOREVER Leaders on your team below you.”[5, at 10] Irony is dead folks.
(4c) Non-monetary-achievement compensation
Because being paid to work is overrated, FOREVER will also provide “Additional Benefits” to its various ranks. As an Associate Ambassador, you can join the aforementioned Facebook Group and hear the CEO talk on a monthly phone call.[5, at 11] Regular Ambassadors also get a certificate to put on their wall.[5, at 11] Senior Ambassadors get a standing ovation at FOREVER Live!—you can even be ovated on stage as an Associate Lead Ambassador (I would pay $179 a year to not).[5, at 13–14] My observation is that a lot of ranks mostly provide additional types of standing ovations at FOREVER Live! and reserved seats for dinners there.
But then you can reach the pinnacle of Everest (that much like the real one, other people just carry you up there): the Million Dollar Club.[5, at 20] For making $1 million in personal and team sales in a year, one will earn a single $10,000 dollar bonus.[5, at 20] If you are then a “top-performing Ambassador,” one can be taken on the “Achievement Gathering,” to Jamaica in 2024, to mill around with other top-performing Ambassadors—and the corporate staff.[5, at 24] There is no mention how many people earn it or how much must be earned.[5, at 24]
(5) FOREVER Ambassador Business Training
I mentioned earlier that Ambassadors must complete a “FAB” training to receive more than 15% in commissions.[5, at 7] To hit this post home, I wanted to identify some highlights. The FAB training has 5 Steps to reach regular Ambassador status.[10, at 4] These Steps include such activities as “Meet with your Upline” (Step 1), “Connect with your Upline” (Step 2), “Meet with your Upline” (Step 3), “Meet with your Upline” (Step 4), and “Meet with your Upline” (Step 5).[10, at 7, 10, 12, 14, 16] You also have to join the FOREVER Facebook group and any created by your Team (just “ask your Upline” to find it).[10, at 6–7] There’s a task in Step 2 to create an introductory “Share List,” with five lines each for “Friends,” “Teachers,” and your own “Parents/Grandparents.”[10, at 7–9] For an unclear number of hours, you must attend multiple weekly and monthly “training opportunities” and “calls.”[10, at 6–7, 10] And one last item, to rank up in FOREVER, you must register for an upcoming event.[10, at 12] As of writing, the only one listed on the linked webpage is the $399 FOREVER Live! conference.[11]
(6) Conclusion down to brass tax on FOREVER
I was unable to find an Income Disclosure Statement for FOREVER. However, basic math tells us that an Associate Ambassador, the bottom, can only earn up to $300 a year.[5, at 11] To reach regular Ambassador, which includes signing up and beginning all the time sinks listed above, the maximum personal commission is $1,200, in addition to whatever downline (however big those are on average).[5, at 11] Without a downline, even the top-bracket personal sellers are the only ones to earn more than $30,000 a year.[5, at 7] The Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis estimates that the Real Median Personal Income in the United States for 2022 was $40,480.[12]
There is one way to make it with FOREVER: to build a downline. It’s a multi-level-marketing scheme, and no one should join it. Unless of course, you want to join my downline—I promise you'll be rich just like me.
LIST OF REFERENCES
[1] “Our Story,” FOREVER.com (accessed May 18, 2024), https://www.forever.com/our-story
[2] “Become a FOREVER Ambassador,” FOREVER.com (accessed May 18, 2024), https://www.forever.com/opportunity
[3] “Meet Our Team,” FOREVER.com (accessed May 18, 2024), https://www.forever.com/our-story/team
[4] “What is required of me as a FOREVER Ambassador?,” FOREVER.com Support (accessed May 18, 2024 [updated “2 years ago”]), https://support.forever.com/hc/en-us/articles/215823437-What-is-required-of-me-as-a-FOREVER-Ambassador
[5] Ambassador Compensation Guide, FOREVER (Jan. 31, 2024), https://www.forever.com/app/users/forevealbums/ambassador-kit/f3ii4wzeewd0nfwg4nb40kyw1/files/1043b0c6-de01-4aff-a1e3-83db7e6b1b17
[6] “FOREVER Merchandise,” FOREVER.com Ambassador Training (accessed May 18, 2024), https://www.training.forever.com/store
[7] “FOREVER Live! 2024,” FOREVER.com (accessed May 18, 2024), https://www.forever.com/events/forever-live-2024
[8] “Is there a sales quota for FOREVER® Ambassadors?,” FOREVER.com Support (accessed May 18, 2024 [updated “2 years ago”]), https://support.forever.com/hc/en-us/articles/215142548-Is-there-a-sales-quota-for-FOREVER-Ambassadors
[9] “Downline,” FOREVER.com Support (accessed May 18, 2024 [updated “2 years ago”]), https://support.forever.com/hc/en-us/articles/221072448-Downline
[10] FOREVER Ambassador Business Training, FOREVER (May 14, 2024), https://www.forever.com/app/users/ambassador-training/albums/02-forever-ambassador-business-training-booklet/qcg622q43zy6835w9ojq3wkw/files/f0bd2387-bb14-43a2-a46d-344a91470147
[11] “Events,” FOREVER.com (accessed May 18, 2024), https://www.forever.com/events
[12] “Real Median Personal Income in the United States,” Federal Reserve of St. Louis (accessed May 18, 2024), https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/MEPAINUSA672N
POST EDITS
A few formatting errors and a minor phrasing correction.

Franchisee pays in to own one, but usually multiple locations. Same as an MLM member buying in to “own their own business.” They sell a mediocre overpriced product based on strict guidelines set by the overarching company. They rely on recruiting others to actually gain the bulk of their revenue. Hell it’s arguably worse as they have to rent a physical location on top of all that. People like to blame minimum wage increases for the cost of fast food going up, but I think it’s actually because the system itself is structured in a way that too many “middlemen” are trying to to get their cut.

I joined YL for three years and I was it in lock, stock and barrel. I quit my traditional business to focus on my YL business and growing my community. I have experienced considerable rewards, like gifts and trips. But after Covid, it’s been tremendously difficult to find new people. Everyone I talk to already has diffusers and oils; or they can buy similar cheaper versions online and they’re not interested in networking or MLM. TBH, I am the only one buying my monthly business requirements so I can maximize the compensation plan. I bet my upline Diamond is also doing the same in order to earn her commission from her downlines purchases (mine and my team). It’s a crazy cycle. I have done everything to keep it afloat but there’s really a limit to who else you can offer the products. My regular customers already have too much oils and supplements. I can’t keep on shoving YL products to them. My upline Diamond is an also something else. She’s a controlling nut job who always want things done her way. Toxic. She backstabs fellow leaders, her downlines… This year I decided enough is enough. I will focus on my other business which I have neglected because I was sucked into this community of oilers. I still love the products and would buy occasionally because I’ve been too indoctrinated that nothing else come close to YL oil a quality. It’s hard to let go! But I’m pretty sure the MLM industry is going downhill from here. Only the ones on top are earning; because the rest of the people underneath keeps buying and getting replenishments. But building a YL business that will have a similar trajectory like my uplines will be impossible .The market is saturated and the business model is no longer viable.