Artemis (Cynthia Jeub) 4: Plotting The Grift for the New Location

[mango_fandango]

Random, but in one of my Sims 4 saves I have a female Sim called Artemis. She even has a twin brother called Apollo! She got a degree in Physics and works in the Astronaut career. I haven’t experimented with it yet, but I’ve downloaded an archery mod mainly so I can get Artemis into it (Artemis was the Ancient Greek goddess of the hunt and one of her symbols was a bow and arrow). 

Artemis also makes me think of the Artemis Fowl books where the title character is male.

[MariaariaM]

On 9/8/2024 at 1:16 AM, Jana814 said:

I know a trans person (male to female). It’s been about a year since they came out. Their birth name is Harry but they go by Hari.  Saw new pictures of them today & they look like a natural female. 

I'm assuming you're supportive of your friend but this post kind of makes it sound like she's not quite a real person to you. I'm all in favor of using they for all kinds of reasons - in my case usually in order to further anonymize the people in my anecdotes - but in this case using she is the only logical choice? I suppose she doesn't just go by Hari now but that's her actual name now? And mentioning she "looks like a natural female" is another point that kind of makes it sound like she's an act you're surprised is actually any good. "Cis" would be the morally neutral way to describe a person whose gender aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth and many trans people look just like cis people! Because for a lot of people their styling is way more gendered than their basic body.

Again: I'm not assuming you mean to be anything other than supportive but changing your wording a bit could mean a lot to either your friend or people reading here who are in a similar situation.

[mango_fandango]

I know I’ve said this before, but I just wonder how long Artemis is going to be able to sustain the grifting lifestyle. Surely at some point they’re going to realise that they can’t live like that forever? I’m aware they’re disabled, but surely there’s something they can do. Hell, even the Rod family seem to make more of an effort towards earning money, and that’s really saying something. They at least do their church singing visits and have made CDs - fundie types seem to like donating money to those “in ministry spreading God’s word”. I dunno, maybe I have that wrong. But they don’t just go “we’re poor give us money”.

[MariaariaM]

2 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

But they don’t just go “we’re poor give us money”.

"And if we happen to not be asking for money today it's because we're too tired, not because we don't want need it."

[MargieB]

On 9/7/2024 at 5:26 PM, keepercjr said:

I would say that if Art isn't fundraising, that their basic needs are being met by their income.  Sure they aren't going to go out to dinner or buy lottery tickets but if their basic needs are met, they can work towards other goals without the stress of knowing if they can make rent or pay for utilities.

 

I don't think their grifting days are over.  I think Artemis is reminding us in this post that they are still out there and broke.  I fully expect a new grifting campaign to start soon.

[AverageGiraffe]

I don't really think there's a single problem with Artemis's chosen name. Names are deeply personal and important, there's a reason there's so much folklore about it and why people get frustrated when someone gets their name wrong. Art chose this one for what is likely a variety of reasons, and it doesn't really matter if anyone thinks it's "silly" or not. That type of conversation veers awfully close to the way white folks criticize black folks names: "how is anyone going to take someone serious if their name is *insert "ethic" sounding name here*". And honestly, I read "Artemis" as fairly gender neutral, in as much as a name like Taylor or Morgan might be gender neutral. I can also understand why they didn't go by a variation of their deadname, or something close to it. I imagine that it was important to them to put distance between themselves and their very traumatic upbringing, and to chose something that resonated with them, since they were finally able to figure out and forge and identity outside of the abusive life they'd known. 

 

Ultimately, of all of the things we can criticize Artemis for, I think the name isn't really one of them. In my opinion, it's inappropriate to do so. Trans folx have enough to contend with, and it feels very unkind to be snarky about what is the one thing that most trans folx actually get a say in and control over. 

[MariaariaM]

I'm an idiot who hadn't realized they changed their name because they're trans 🤦 Probably because they also changed their last name? Which is the part I find the most ridiculous, by the way: Artemis by itself would be fine. I'm not really seeing the parallel with names from different cultures (including but definitely not limited to Black names: the amount of people making fun of the Hungarian spelling of Zsuzsanna Anderson's first name when she's done SO MANY problematic things always weird me out a bit). A first name your parents chose because it's culturally significant is different from a name a member of the dominant culture chooses as an adult.

That said: I have a friend who cut ties with their family and changed their name to something extremely flamboyant and while I wonder if it'll have staying power I don't judge them for it because I know how much they've been through and think they're owed all the fun they can squeeze out of life. So you're probably right and I feel ok making fun of Art's choices because I don't like them, much more than because their name is silly. Stardust IS a silly, flamboyant name, but we should be allowed some silliness and individuality. Thank you for pointing that out.

[AverageGiraffe]

1 hour ago, MariaariaM said:

I'm an idiot who hadn't realized they changed their name because they're trans 🤦 Probably because they also changed their last name? Which is the part I find the most ridiculous, by the way: Artemis by itself would be fine. I'm not really seeing the parallel with names from different cultures (including but definitely not limited to Black names: the amount of people making fun of the Hungarian spelling of Zsuzsanna Anderson's first name when she's done SO MANY problematic things always weird me out a bit). A first name your parents chose because it's culturally significant is different from a name a member of the dominant culture chooses as an adult.

That said: I have a friend who cut ties with their family and changed their name to something extremely flamboyant and while I wonder if it'll have staying power I don't judge them for it because I know how much they've been through and think they're owed all the fun they can squeeze out of life. So you're probably right and I feel ok making fun of Art's choices because I don't like them, much more than because their name is silly. Stardust IS a silly, flamboyant name, but we should be allowed some silliness and individuality. Thank you for pointing that out.

It's not so much an exact parallel, just reminds me a bit of it. I think it reminds me of it because while it's not necessarily culturally significant, the names trans folx choose for themselves often have just as much thought put into them as a parent naming a child, and for similar reasons. I agree it's with all cultures! I have a partner who is half Japanese, he was hesitant to give his kids his last name and had discussed with his wife everyone using her (white) name because he remembers getting made fun of growing up. 

I don't disagree at all that Stardust is a bit silly and flamboyant, and it certainly wouldn't have been my choice at all. I really liked your story about your friend, and that last sentence as well.  For all Art has been through, and all the poor choices they make now, I hate to begrudge them some joy or criticize something as important as a name. 

I also want to mention that I wasn't intending to call anyone in particular out! There had been several posts discussing it and the tone of some of them made me uncomfy, and I finally figured out why and wanted to share that perspective. 

[keepercjr]

8 hours ago, MargieB said:

I don't think their grifting days are over.  I think Artemis is reminding us in this post that they are still out there and broke.  I fully expect a new grifting campaign to start soon.

I realize upon re-reading my post, it came across as I thought Art was done "fundraising" - I don't think they are done.  It was more of a thought "well if someone isn't begging for money anymore they must be doing ok".  Art has taken longer "breaks" in the past so we will see what the next few months brings. 

[formerhsfundie]

Thanks to everyone who pointed out that Artemis isn't inherently feminine. I had always thought of it as a goddess name, so it seemed a strange choice for someone who was trying to distance themselves from she/her. I appreciate the clarification, that does make more sense now. I was not aware that Artemis had acquired a non-binary meaning for people, that's cool. Question asked and answered. 

Trans people do not have the market cornered on adult name changing. I'm very used to adults changing their name after using a former name their whole lives. I grew up in a fundie culture where all the adults changed their name to a spiritual name after they were baptised, or if they went into one of the monastic cloisters available in the church sect we were a part of, or if they became priests. Most, if not all the names people chose were off-putting to people in "the World" and drew attention to their religious choice (mostly for those "in the know" who knew what the saint was that they had picked for their moniker). 

I'm not mocking a child's name that they had no control over. I think that's different. This one is not going to look good on a resume, and I think everyone gets that.

[MargieB]

Artemis Stardust does not sound like a serious author name.  

[mango_fandango]

28 minutes ago, MargieB said:

Artemis Stardust does not sound like a serious author name.  

It sounds like a book character’s name, maybe from a fantasy novel. 

[LongTimeLurkerOG]

18 hours ago, MariaariaM said:

I'm assuming you're supportive of your friend but this post kind of makes it sound like she's not quite a real person to you. I'm all in favor of using they for all kinds of reasons - in my case usually in order to further anonymize the people in my anecdotes - but in this case using she is the only logical choice? I suppose she doesn't just go by Hari now but that's her actual name now? And mentioning she "looks like a natural female" is another point that kind of makes it sound like she's an act you're surprised is actually any good. "Cis" would be the morally neutral way to describe a person whose gender aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth and many trans people look just like cis people! Because for a lot of people their styling is way more gendered than their basic body.

Again: I'm not assuming you mean to be anything other than supportive but changing your wording a bit could mean a lot to either your friend or people reading here who are in a similar situation.

A different perspective, people are still learning so it would be great to remember that, too... I've had people jump down my throat for not using a correct pronoun when the person in question (not the angry indignant person) never told me that. So ok, let me know but chill. And I understand what you're saying but OP knows her, we don't. And before anyone comes for me, I've been an ally before it was "the thing," taught students/staff/fac etc. on diversity issues, learned quite a bit in grad wgs classes, and not "some of my best friends " trope but friends and family friends since I was a toddler. While I don't know everything, I do know some things. And have/had conversations w those in lgbtq+ community. Just another perspective 

[Marmion]

On 9/9/2024 at 10:02 PM, MargieB said:

Artemis Stardust does not sound like a serious author name.  

 

I think that even more than assuming their current moniker due to wanting to distance themself from their prior life , and assigned gender , it is what's known as a magical / craft name , as described in these two informative , descriptive articles on the subject .  

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/teaaddictedwitch/2020/10/whats-in-a-magical-name/ 

https://www.learnreligions.com/your-magical-name-2562872

 

If I recall correctly , they starting going by Artemis Stardust , even before coming out as being non-binary / transgender . 

And lastly , it wouldn't be unprecedented for neo-pagan authors to have pen names such as that . Take for example Starhawk , and Silver Ravenwolf .  

[Ozlsn]

And the first post-move post requesting money is up.

Spoiler

Are disability payments tied to cost of living or specific areas?

[raayx01]

42 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

And the first post-move post requesting money is up.

  Hide contents

Are disability payments tied to cost of living or specific areas?

If they go to a coffee shop or a store they can get internet to pay a bill, but they want the Internet to surf the Internet all day while they sit in bed, not to pay bills.

[Giraffe]

3 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

And the first post-move post requesting money is up.

  Reveal hidden contents

Are disability payments tied to cost of living or specific areas?

So the pre-move ask for ID money was just for, what, airport coffee?

[Coconut Flan]

3 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

Are disability payments tied to cost of living or specific areas?

Some states supplement the federal minimum and of course some don't.  Each state can have their own rules for how they calculate any supplement I believe.  

[Ozlsn]

3 hours ago, Giraffe said:

So the pre-move ask for ID money was just for, what, airport coffee?

That was ID to get on the plane. Now they need new ID for the new location.

This is where ID cards would come in handy.

Edited Friday at 04:10 AM by Ozlsn

[Giraffe]

4 minutes ago, Ozlsn said:

That was ID to get on the plane. Now they need new ID for the new location.

This is where ID cards would come in handy.

Ah, ok. So they needed IDs from their old state because they never bothered getting IDs before?? And now they need new IDs. Their lives are baffling to me. 

[LongTimeLurkerOG]

3 hours ago, Coconut Flan said:

Some states supplement the federal minimum and of course some don't.  Each state can have their own rules for how they calculate any supplement I believe.  

Health insurance (company, etc.) can change by area lived in... for Medicaid (the exPOS had it, and disability (ssdi)

7 hours ago, Ozlsn said:

And the first post-move post requesting money is up.

  Hide contents

Are disability payments tied to cost of living or specific areas?

um, your ID can have a old old old residence and still receive ssdi. I dunno about just disability pymt. 

[Ozlsn]

1 hour ago, Giraffe said:

Ah, ok. So they needed IDs from their old state because they never bothered getting IDs before?? And now they need new IDs. Their lives are baffling to me. 

Maybe for utilities connections or voting or local services? There was quite a bit of discussion about being able to get on the plane without them but I don't know how the rest worked.

[LongTimeLurkerOG]

10 hours ago, raayx01 said:

If they go to a coffee shop or a store they can get internet to pay a bill, but they want the Internet to surf the Internet all day while they sit in bed, not to pay bills.

Or...the library, McDonald's (not sure if they still do?). Or... wait, wait ....a Career Source type place!  Computers, print for free, look for jobs, get services, advice, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I need to go back to sleep lol 

Edited Friday at 08:41 AM by LongTimeLurkerOG

[grateful3]

4 hours ago, LongTimeLurkerOG said:

 

um, your ID can have a old old old residence and still receive ssdi. I dunno about just disability pymt. 

Agreed. My legally blind (disabled) roommate is still using a state ID with an address from 9 years ago. It doesn't expire until next July, and no government agency has bothered him even though they send all mail to the correct address.

[Melissa1977]

Is it possible to change surnames in US? It's impossible in my country. We have 2 surnames (one from mom, one from dad), it's possible to change its order, but not to "invent" a surname. I assumed that Stardust was only used in social networks, but legally they are still Jeub. But US is far more flexible in naming than Spain, so maybe Stardust is their legal surname now.

Artemis is a nice name IMO. Some ancient Greek names have no gender I know some men and women called Ares (who in mythology was a male). So probably Artemis is the same.