Artemis (Cynthia Jeub) 2: Still Grifting

[Ozlsn]

On 10/8/2023 at 4:39 PM, formerhsfundie said:

(Private screeenshot removed)

What happened to being worried their supporters were getting "giving" fatigue?
And really, who cares about rent when you can spend a day at the aquarium?

Being worried about housing is so last month. Try to keep up, everyone!

I'm now wondering what the sister thinks of all this.  Presumably she's paying for her ticket to the aquarium, assuming she's in on this plan.

On 10/8/2023 at 11:37 PM, keepercjr said:

All this begging makes me wonder if they have a true concept of money and what "normal" (employed? Not living in desperate poverty?) make? 

I am starting to wonder about that as well. It doesn't feel like they've looked at the $250 and gone "well that's 12.5 hours of work if you're earning $20/hour", and even less like they've factored in all the rest that comes out of that $20/hour.  

Edited October 14, 2023 by Destiny
Remove private info

[GreenBeans]

6 hours ago, keepercjr said:

All this begging makes me wonder if they have a true concept of money and what "normal" (employed? Not living in desperate poverty?) make?  That even if we live comfortably we still budget and try to save whenever possible. 

 

It does seem a bit out of touch with reality. Maybe they really think “normal” people can easily afford all this? The thing is - many can, but typically they won’t be able to buy/do all of this at once and all the time. Do we eat out? Yes, every once in a while. Do we buy a piece of cake from the fancy-yet-pricey bakery? Yes, on special occasions. Do we order take out? It happens. But none of that is on a daily basis, and that’s what they seem to miss.

[LilMissMetaphor]

Where is Art posting this request? What a lazy wastrel.

[formerhsfundie]

13 hours ago, Bassett Lady said:

I’m trying to remember the last time I spent $250 for an adults birthday. Hmmm, never. 
 

Mr. Basset got heart-shaped pancakes (with little chocolate chips inside) for his birthday breakfast.

That night I made his favorite meal of green-chili Alfredo sauce on linguine with a green salad and a German chocolate cake for dessert. There was a card and foot rub, to round out the festivities. 
 

I think a delicious and cheap birthday meal could be something like pasta (whatever kind they like) with butter and feta cheese (mmmmm...) a bottle of sparkling something, and a pie or a cake for desert. They have a kitchen, Artemis could make mini cheesecakes in the muffin tins for Aramis' birthday. Add to that a poem by Artemis expressing their undying love for Aramis, and you have a truly romantic, adult 31 year old birthday.

Both a special AND fun celebration! For like $20, tops.

In fact, for two self-expressed creative individuals they show a remarkable lack of creativity. They are trying to recreate their homeschooling days. The birthday wish list reads like a fantasy day of homeschooling:

Craft: Beading kit

Reading: The Trilogy

Field Trip: Aquarium

Dinner: CHEESECAKE

The kids are in charge. Or Artemis is trying to buy Aramis' love with other people's money. I don't know.

[waltraute]

I know it has been decades since I was in my late 20s, early 30s, but I didn't have money for birthday luxuries in those years, or luxuries of any type for that matter. My menu was limited, beans, ramen, pancakes, etc... and my outings infrequent. A $50 cheesecake would have been impossible.

I get not wanting to bake, but like we've all stated, there are cheaper and perfectly acceptable options out there. 

There are many museums in Seattle that offer free days once every month, and some, like MoPOP, participate in the museums for all program which allows free admission anytime if you present an EBT card. Having a Seattle library card will also get you free admission to some places. The library itself is a fantastic resource and has a full calendar of free activities, and that's not even taking into account access to all those books!

You know what expense I could get more behind though? If they asked for money to purchase a cheap Kindle during Amazon's upcoming Prime Days or wait and save up for black Friday. You can check out and download books for free from the library using a Kindle and it doesn't require a trip to the library. If purchased on sale (which happens several times a year), this would be drastically cheaper than what was proposed for the birthday outing.

Of course, going to the library would be free, but I understand there might be transportation issues. And now that I think about it, what electronics are they using to connect to social media? Kindle apps are free to download and can be used in much the same way as a Kindle with regard to borrowing library books.

These are things those of us who have had to scrimp much of our lives have thought of and lived through. What is on sale, what is free, how can I have a good time with little resources?

ETA: I just looked it up. A Kindle Fire 7" is on sale for $39 right now. Still an unnecessary luxury in my opinion, but $11 cheaper than the book trilogy that was listed and it would have access to the entire library's digital collection.

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by waltraute

[Jackie3]

2 hours ago, waltraute said:

These are things those of us who have had to scrimp much of our lives have thought of and lived through. What is on sale, what is free, how can I have a good time with little resources?

 

A lot of well-to-do people do these things too. That's often how they became wealthy. 

I think there's a feeling of deprivation and resentment behind all these luxury asks. "Why should I have to . . . use interlibrary loan, buy cake at Safeway, take the subway. . . when ELON MUSK and JEFF BEZOS don't have to?"

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by Jackie3

[Zebedee]

I really am torn. I feel for Art a lot, and their partner too. Very few people want to live off someone else’s efforts, I think. I live off my partner’s work, and I hate that.  Mental health issues have done a real number on me, and, while I am eternally grateful to him, I wish I were more capable and able.
 

All becomes harder since I live in a country whose language I am not fluent in, and even the few things I am qualified for don’t really translate between UK and Germany. The options are limited, but I am very lucky that here and in my home country, the social security networks are reasonably decent. Yes, the peace of mind from that is immense, still, I am in a sort of hopelessness spiral, and I can really understand where Art is coming from, even though I, luckily for me, come from a polar opposite sort of family.

 

all that being said… firstly, I am going to lay a huge amount of the responsibility at Art‘s parents, mostly father’s, feet. He modelled this behaviour, he lived off, it sounds like, other people’s money. I hate that he probably sees Art‘s struggles, and gloats. He’s an awful, terrible person, and Art should be his responsibility, he has hampered them from day one. And deliberately, at that. 
 

But, at some point, Art has to take ownership of their life, and while it is fine to ask for help, I think, when it comes to stuff like a roof, basic medical care,  normal food etc, it does start to take the piss when you ask for brand everything. (Ideally, of course, no one, especially in such rich nations like US/UK etc should need to beg for those necessities.)
 

i don’t want to be an arse about all this, I do think people should have a secure home, with plenty of food, utilities etc, and that people on  low incomes, for whatever reason, should be able to afford some little luxuries. I even think that bamboo alternatives for plastics etc should be among those things. Sadly, however, that is not the world we live in. And asking people who may not even be able to afford non-bamboo toilet paper (oh, the shock, in a cost of living crisis….) to stump up for you to have such things is taking the piss.

 

Like, what, your conscience won’t let you use cheap TP or generic painkillers - but if the people who fund you buy said products, and use the savings to buy you stuff that passes your moral test, you have a clean conscience? After all, you didn’t use your own money to buy that evil single use plastic dishscrubber, you’re in the clear? 
 

like I said, I really do feel for Art and their partner, but I have been reading this thread for a while, and have absolutely lost patience with them. They may be right about their problems with capitalism etc, but all they do is shunt those moral problems onto someone else. Particularly right now, when almost everyone is struggling with their own money, yet they expect branded/eco friendly everything, all the time.

 

and branded acetaminophen? Ffs. In the UK, you can spend 20 or 30 times as much on branded acetaminophen than on generic stuff, it is the same drug. Always the same damn drug. The only difference is, maybe, one capsule has a red food colouring, which you need to avoid. Maybe one generic is easier to swallow, whatever. Still, same damn drug, fifty versions of it to choose from, in 3-4 different shapes.
 

You would be laughed out of court if you claimed you needed the Anadin version of paracetamol/aspirin. And they all come in extended release versions, too, even in supermarket generic versions. I know the UK is not the US, but I do not think that Walmart or Target are selling “fake“ generic OTC painkillers. Sorry, it’s a real bugbear for me-so many people claiming that generic aspirin for eg doesn’t work, when it is the same damn thing, made i  the same damn factory, by the same damn people, most of the time. Just like ethical fashio

[Maggie Mae]

3 hours ago, waltraute said:

Of course, going to the library would be free, but I understand there might be transportation issues. 

The public transportation in Seattle is pretty good for a city of it's size and it's more user friendly for those with mobility challenges than, say, Chicago. It's all above ground and they have tools available to help people plan routes around stops that might not work for someone using a mobility aid. 

3 hours ago, waltraute said:

ETA: I just looked it up. A Kindle Fire 7" is on sale for $39 right now. Still an unnecessary luxury in my opinion, but $11 cheaper than the book trilogy that was listed and it would have access to the entire library's digital collection.

The Kindle Cloud App is free and you can install it on any phone. We know they have phones, since they keep asking for money for Uber. 

[anniebgood]

If she has SNAP and an EBT card, they may have access to all sorts of museums and other services. At least in CA we do. 

They seem rather lazy to me and I wonder if they have clothes that they could wear for an interview or do they just hang in sweats and tee shirts all day long. Not feeling good enough about themselves to get up and get dressed for the day. 

I think they have an awful high opinion of themselves and their needs and they need to read the room. On X people are telling them that a dog is a horrible idea. Cost wise and who's going to be the one to take care of it? What happens if the partner gets deathly ill and has to go back into the hospital? All the extraneous care falls back on them.  

 

[Jackie3]

On 10/6/2023 at 9:45 AM, QuittersTry said:

I love how you talk about fairness towards someone while offending them with pronouns in the same sentence. SUPER TALENTED 👌 

 

If you are worried about offending Art, stop calling their writing "word vomit."

Also, stop referring to them as "begging."  I think they prefer "fundraising."

 

Quote

 

Thank you for the reminder about the pronouns, though!

 

Edited October 10, 2023 by Jackie3

[Maggie Mae]

2 hours ago, anniebgood said:

If she has SNAP and an EBT card, they may have access to all sorts of museums and other services. At least in CA we do. 

If they are eligible for a Flash card, it's free. They also have passes at the library. https://www.seattleaquarium.org/discounts 

And tons of museums in Seattle have discounts for SNAP, WIC, and FLASH card holders. 

2 hours ago, anniebgood said:

They seem rather lazy to me and I wonder if they have clothes that they could wear for an interview or do they just hang in sweats and tee shirts all day long. Not feeling good enough about themselves to get up and get dressed for the day. 

I think the lack of movement creates a sort of spiral or a circle. I know that when I am inactive for a few days I feel like hot garbage and it is harder and more painful to get started again. And that not get up and getting ready also creates a feeling of "ick" and just general laziness. 

2 hours ago, anniebgood said:

I think they have an awful high opinion of themselves and their needs and they need to read the room. On X people are telling them that a dog is a horrible idea. Cost wise and who's going to be the one to take care of it? What happens if the partner gets deathly ill and has to go back into the hospital? All the extraneous care falls back on them.  

Dogs are so expensive. It's only been a few months since they were living in a hotel. Even cats are expensive. We had one cat for like 10 years, then I found another. She didn't eat so much so it wasn't a huge jump in costs, or time since we still had a good ratio of people to cats. 

But then we rescued another one and the food cost jumped. Plus all the vet bills and vaccines and yearly check ups, cat carriers, dishes, treats, toys, carboard scratchers, and just spending time to make sure they are all getting attention and exercise. Even if now we are back to two, I have no interest in adding another one. Three was too many. It's too many dishes and cat food is expensive, and there is SO MUCH HAIR. 

And I know dogs are so much worse. They need so much more attention. You can't just "be sick" and lay in bed. No matter what, someone has to get up to walk that dog. Rain or shine. Pain or no pain. When they get sick, they make bigger messes. You have to bag their poop and toss it every time. You can't really be in a studio apartment with anything other than a small dog, but even small dogs still need exercise and training. They are still dogs, even if they are the size of a purse, and they act like dogs. 

[Jackie3]

Washington EBT recipients can visit the Seattle aquarium for $5 a ticket. I looked it up. Art needs $10, not $50. 

[griffin]

omg, Worlds collide! My dentist sent me home with the usual package of dentalcare stuff today and the toothbrush was bamboo! I would have never known there was such a thing if not for Artemis. (should I send it to them??  🙂)

[keepercjr]

I guess nobody donated to the ridiculous Aramis birthday fund.  Also they did get people to buy them the expensive tylenol and fish oil so another over priced "need" met.

[keepercjr]

They get EBT.  The museums in Seattle that  participate in "Museums for All" (admission is $3 or less for up to 4 people) include:

Burke Museum - focus on dinosaurs, fossils, Northwest Native art, plant and animal collections, and cultural pieces from across the globe.  

The Center for Wooden Boats - The Center for Wooden Boats promotes northwest maritime heritage through education, interpretation and hands-on experience in building, maintaining and using historic small craft.

Henry Art Gallery - The Henry is a museum for contemporary art and ideas.

The Museum of Flight - The Museum of Flight is the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world!

Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)

Museum of Pop Culture - The Museum of Pop Culture’s mission is to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities.

National Nordic Museum - The National Nordic Museum shares Nordic culture, values, and ideas with people of all ages and backgrounds to create connections, generate dialogue, and inspire new perspectives.

Seattle Art Museum

 

So much could be done for free or very cheap (maybe an uber ride?)  I would love to visit several of those listed. We often get a family membership to a museum that is located kind of in the middle of nowhere (no other museums even relatively close) and it includes reciprocal admission to lots of other museums all over the us.  I love visiting museums (especially natural history or cultural museums) when we travel and wish there were more in my area.  If you can't afford $50 to visit the aquarium, maybe the sister will pay for an uber ride to visit one of these free ones? 

[Mama Mia]

1 hour ago, keepercjr said:

They get EBT.  The museums in Seattle that  participate in "Museums for All" (admission is $3 or less for up to 4 people) include:

Burke Museum - focus on dinosaurs, fossils, Northwest Native art, plant and animal collections, and cultural pieces from across the globe.  

The Center for Wooden Boats - The Center for Wooden Boats promotes northwest maritime heritage through education, interpretation and hands-on experience in building, maintaining and using historic small craft.

Henry Art Gallery - The Henry is a museum for contemporary art and ideas.

The Museum of Flight - The Museum of Flight is the largest independent, non-profit air and space museum in the world!

Museum of History and Industry (MOHAI)

Museum of Pop Culture - The Museum of Pop Culture’s mission is to make creative expression a life-changing force by offering experiences that inspire and connect our communities.

National Nordic Museum - The National Nordic Museum shares Nordic culture, values, and ideas with people of all ages and backgrounds to create connections, generate dialogue, and inspire new perspectives.

Seattle Art Museum

 

So much could be done for free or very cheap (maybe an uber ride?)  I would love to visit several of those listed. We often get a family membership to a museum that is located kind of in the middle of nowhere (no other museums even relatively close) and it includes reciprocal admission to lots of other museums all over the us.  I love visiting museums (especially natural history or cultural museums) when we travel and wish there were more in my area.  If you can't afford $50 to visit the aquarium, maybe the sister will pay for an uber ride to visit one of these free ones? 

They can get free passes to the Aquarium with their Library card. There are a bunch of cute bakeries right in that area, that are surprisingly reasonably priced- pick a couple of delicious pastries or slices of cheesecake. Pick up a cute little craft kit after browsing the  market. They could have a really fun, tourist in their own city birthday adventure day for around $25.  If they put 10%of their collective energy into finding actual affordable/ free activities and resources that they do to beg posting - they’d be much better off. 

Edited October 10, 2023 by Mama Mia

[PopRox]

When we were super broke, i remember buying myself a pack of peanut butter M&Ms "as a little birthday treat" when I went to get our bare-bones groceries. A birthday treat can just be something that you don't normally do!

[Jackie3]

The Seattle acquarium will let them in for $5 since they are EBT card holders. From the aquarium's page:

Quote

RECIPIENTS OF EBT/WIC AND PROVIDERONE SERVICES

Discounted one-time-use admission tickets and annual memberships are available to qualifying Washington state resident individuals and families. Discounts are available for Washington state residents only.

Tickets

$5 general admission tickets for adults and youth; children ages 3 and younger free

Limit of six tickets per household (toddlers excluded from maximum).

Tickets are available only at the Aquarium for the next available time slot. Online reservations are not available.

 

[HumbleJillyMuffin]

Whoever it was that said Artemis thinks we all can afford to be laissez faire with our money makes a great point. Art has made numerous comments about how people in their income bracket should be able to order Door Dash regularly, not always have to meal plan, and be able to purchase wants, not just needs. In an ideal world yes, we would all be able to get what we want. But we all have to live within budget constraints, even Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Yes they are obscenely wealthy, but they still have to allocate how their money is spent. Keeping within budget is a part of how they got to where they are now. 

They were complaining once about getting a leather corset with fur trim and how they just don't understand why they can't get luxuries like that. What part of UNNECESSARY don't you understand? They can't even pay their rent and utilities, on what planet do they deserve expensive adult novelties? And a dog? They're already in way over their heads with themselves and the two cats. 

The entitlement and inability to "get their shit together" is astounding. And when they are asking for funds, who do they think is funding them? Ordinary working people, not Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. This grifting lifestyle is totally unsustainable and they aren't trying to find a job or go to school. It's ridiculous. 

[keepercjr]

15 hours ago, Jackie3 said:

The Seattle acquarium will let them in for $5 since they are EBT card holders. From the aquarium's page:

 

How do they not know this stuff?  Do they just want to pretend to not be poor?  I didn't look at the aquarium website, only the museums for all page and something tells me they didn't look up anything to do with discounts due to being ebt card holders. 

One time they made a post saying they didn't want to cook and could someone send them $ for door dash (I know this has happened more than once).  A commenter suggested they but some stuff like frozen pizzas and the like to keep for days like that.  Artemis said they would consider that suggestion.  If you know will have days where the pain or whatever is too much to cook then how are you not planning for that?  Again, it seems that Aramis does not contribute at all to the house hold besides getting SSI.  And yet he thinks he will take sole responsibility for a dog?!

[Howl]

1 hour ago, HumbleJillyMuffin said:

The entitlement and inability to "get their shit together" is astounding.

It's as though they don't understand actual "working."I  It was certainly never modeled for Artemis.  The working part is getting a job with steady income, no matter how low paying, and working one's way up from there.  Yes, having severe health issues is daunting, but thinking, no ASSUMING,  working people should pay the way for luxuries they themselves can't afford is...I have no words.  

I'm wondering if the tired old term "co-dependent" re Artemis' relationship with their partner (who also seems clueless) may be appropriate.  I don't see any insight coming their way without some serious therapeutic intervention. 

[Jackie3]

I also think that they don't realize that they are already very privileged. Having the ability to meal plan, visit food banks, etc. is a privilege many don't have. I know people disabled by strokes, or cognitive issues. Their greatest wish is to be functional enough to do these things.  Others live in places where there are no food banks, and there is too little food to need a plan--you just eat the same thing every day. A Washington EBT card--and food bank food--would be an incredible blessing.

Art has said that one of the reasons they doesn't take a work-at-home job is that they "don't pay very much." You're right, I don't think they understand the concept of gradually working your way towards financial stability.

They also have said that "working hard doesn't work." They must not know many immigrant families--I know many such families who could prove them wrong on that. They start by cleaning hotel rooms, for example, or mowing lawns. They spend very little money, save all their money, and gradually improve their lives. I'm not saying they get rich, but they achieve a certain level of success--perhaps they no longer need help from charities, or they can send some money home, or they move to a slightly larger apartment. They have the satisfaction of seeing their children do a bit better than they did. That kind of success feels a lot better than asking for help online.

Art's very intelligent. Were they really unaware of the EBT discounts?

 

It's not just money. Hard work can help in other areas too.

If you want to improve your physical health, and you work hard at walking, you probably will become healthier.  That takes work. If you want to improve your eating habits, and you work hard at meal planning, you'll probably eat better. That's also hard work. If you want to get better at typing, and you practice and practice, that hard work will probably lead to increased speed.

All this is so obvious. A second-grader struggling with subtraction knows this. I wonder what happened to A&A that they learned helplessness?

Edited October 11, 2023 by Jackie3

[HumbleJillyMuffin]

1 hour ago, keepercjr said:

How do they not know this stuff?  Do they just want to pretend to not be poor?  I didn't look at the aquarium website, only the museums for all page and something tells me they didn't look up anything to do with discounts due to being ebt card holders. 

 

You make an excellent point. I think they don't WANT to be financially savvy and save money. Like heaven forbid they use coupons and a promo code for anything. I don't know exactly why they are how they are, but my brain is always conditioned to save money, and the money of those around me. If someone offers to buy me dinner and I have a coupon for that restaurant, I'll gladly hand it over. I'm sure they also feel the $5 admission to the aquarium isn't "as good" as the regular admission. It's the same damn aquarium, and they aren't going to make you wear a badge of shame. 

[formerhsfundie]

5 hours ago, HumbleJillyMuffin said:

The entitlement and inability to "get their shit together" is astounding. And when they are asking for funds, who do they think is funding them? Ordinary working people, not Jeff Bezos or Elon Musk. This grifting lifestyle is totally unsustainable and they aren't trying to find a job or go to school. It's ridiculous. 

THIS. I just wanted to highlight it because this is real talk.

Unsustainable: Not making your phone bill because you are short $3 and the rest spirals from there.

Entitled: EXPECTING the online community come through in the nick of time to make up for your shortfalls because you have no plan of living within your means.

Ignorance: Not understanding that crowdfunding 5K is not something you can do every time you get kicked out of a place or have to leave on short notice.

I was going to disengage but I can't because I suspect worse times are ahead and I can't look away.  

[Giraffe]

1 hour ago, formerhsfundie said:

I was going to disengage but I can't because I suspect worse times are ahead and I can't look away.  

Same. On one hand I feel like a bit of a voyeur but on the other hand...$3 to make a phone bill. At some point you hey start sounding like an addict! "I only need $5 for this. I only need another twenty. 10 more would help me SOOO much."

 

Edited October 11, 2023 by Giraffe