#3 yearly moving averages

[sharemarketinsider]

Moving Averages- 3 Types, Formula, and Their Calculations

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https://sharemarketinsider.com/moving-averages/

[not-poignant]

Hello! Wanted to ask about Ream. You said that you set your tiers a long time ago, and with current horrors of Patreon and such will you add some tiers to Ream so that once-a-month payers on Patreon could find a tier with same price on Ream and would be comfortable moving? Thanks!

Hi anon!

So this is something I've been thinking over for months actually.

At first I was like 'yes of course' and then a very good friend sat me down and I realised that...actually maybe not.

Here's the reason (tl;dr I haven't increased my income in 10 years and actually cost of living has gone up in that period of time and I need to eat too):

Those prices haven't changed in a decade. I haven't had a 'wage increase' on that front in a decade. You can't change tier prices once they're made, they're locked in place forever (until you delete or retire the tier).

Not only that, but I offer about...3-4 times as much as I used to.

In the end, I increased my prices on Ream (a semi-midway point between charging once and charging twice) because of inflation and cost of living.

I know that everyone reading this is impacted by that too, and that might mean some people can't subscribe to Ream (or can't subscribe on the same tier) for a few dollars more because it's just too much, but I am now drastically undercharging compared to so many other authors on the market who do subscription.

Where I charge $5 USD for base early access, most charge between $10-20. I settled on $9 USD on Ream. Some authors have tiers of like... $100-200 per month, and I couldn't ever dream of doing that. But this is my career, and it's the money I use to pay for food, bills, etc. I don't make a minimum wage with the hours I work, and the idea of just hitting the country's average yearly income feels like a distant dream.

Granted, some of that could be down to my marketing options (like maybe I'd make more if I took all my writing offline and made people pay for all of it, but I don't want to do that, I like the model I do now, but it's dependent on those who can comfortably afford to support it... supporting it - if they want!!)

When I set up Ream, and set up the new tiers, I set them up with how much the cost of living has changed in a decade and how much other authors are charging on the whole. And I thought about it and came to the conclusion that I have 10 years behind me, I'm offering 3-4 times as much as I used to and am only charging about 50-80% more, cost of living has changed, and since I don't rely on book royalties (I love Perth Shifters but royalties work out to about $30 every 3 months), subscription is where the changes need to happen.

I'm not super happy about that, like, obviously I don't want people to feel hard done by, but all I can do is remind myself - and remind you and others anon - that unlike 99% of other authors in subscription, almost all of my writing becomes freely available if folks just have patience. That's something I know for a fact some other authors think I'm stupid for doing, lol, but I prefer doing it this way because it feels fandom and community friendly in a different way.

So even if folks can't afford a few dollars more to subscribe on Ream (you can become a follower though and still get email notifications - no one needs to pay to follow me on Ream, that's completely free), you just need to be patient. Like I get it, that few dollars is the difference sometimes between a bill getting paid and not getting paid - I feel and live that myself. I'm so angry at the Patreon situation, because honestly, if my account goes tomorrow and I get banned there, I may have to quit writing if Ream can't pick up fast. I cannot work for like... 50c an hour.

And I need to make some posts about this on Patreon obviously, but the stress of it is so overwhelming, because it's like staring down the barrel of a potentially career-ending policy decision.

Anyway, re: tier prices, the one exception to not changing / offering half-priced or lower-priced tiers is the merch tier, where I have thought about approaching Ream with getting an ongoing discount code, since I calculated sending merch on the merch tier at the $25 USD rate with the awareness that some people would be paying twice as much, and the leap there is the most significant one. That's a place where I'm willing to compromise if I can work that out, and Ream is typically very accommodating.

Folks who can't afford it still get access to nearly everything eventually - and not in a year, but like...in a few months, or even just a handful of weeks.

Folks who don't think my writing is worth a modest increase can choose to bow out whenever they want (or sign up to a lower tier and still get access to nearly everything eventually)!

I am grateful to any and all folks who choose to support my writing whether it's financially or not, and I do get that like, sometimes the budget just does not allow for an increase of any kind. Or maybe you only signed up this year and don't believe in paying more than what you do already, and so it doesn't matter that my prices have been the same for a decade. Most artists / creators / writers have put up their book prices / art prices / etc. Ream is the first time I've ever done it.

Anyway on the matter of the merch tier, I'll talk to Ream about organising some kind of perma-discount and offering it specifically in that tier. For the rest, I'll keep thinking about it, and maybe talk to Ream to see what they suggest too.

fdsalkfkdjsa

Anyway, I'm just... I am sorry anon, in a perfect world, I would have been able to incrementally increase my tier prices all along with a lot of warning in advance. And I'm also like, extremely and intensely hoping that I can just stay on Patreon, but that seems less and less likely with their new policy changes. I'm not uprooting, I will keep posting on Patreon until the lights metaphorically go out. It's just, they could kick me in an hour and I'd have no recourse and there'd be no point in appealing. Or they could kick me in 5 years, or 10.

In some ways this isn't a problem until Patreon makes it a problem for all of us, but yeah, that's where I'm at. A friend basically reminded me that it's okay for me to value my writing and my 10 years of experience and my track record and my stories a bit more, and I took their advice to heart, and then have felt terribly guilty ever since, lol. I'll keep thinking about my options here, and what I can do, because I obviously don't want to leave a lot of people behind, either.

[artemisbarnowl]

So just wondering basically whatever you can think would be good advice or insight or tips for someone wanting to move to Melbourne from the UK

Doesn't have to be limited to the likes below;

healthcare, prescriptions (I have a few chronic illnesses; nothing too serious, but I do need different medications etc), Visas, nominations, what sort of yearly wage/income would I need to be comfortable, taxes/insurance, bills, education (I don't have a family; but say I wanted to do a uni course, could ?); rent or buy, is a car needed, should I look into city living or suburb living, is it safe for a single female to move there & live on her own... and yeah just anything else you or anyone else can think of, l've never moved abroad before

Oh sis I'm sorry but as a native a lot of stuff like visas or healthcare for an expat I won't know about. I feel like the procedure is fairly similar to the UK in that you go to a gp first for scripts or any tests and referrals. We've got Medicare which is similar to NHS but I don't know when or how you can get a medicare card once you move here.

It depends where you are but I reckon you'd be fine to move and live alone (like misogyny is everywhere but it's not like women don't go anywhere alone), however living alone is EXPENSIVE, almost prohibitively so. The minimum wage for full time work is around 50k a year, or 900 a week before tax, rent for an apartment is at least 350 but that's for a studio that's small and likely old, or in the middle of nowhere where you need a car. The average "entry level" apartment in a major city is going to be around 600k and generally requires a 20% deposit. Repayments will vary with interest rates and size of mortgage. It's very common for people to live in share houses and it's not difficult to find women only ones but I haven't lived in a share house in over a decade so wont know much about good platforms or how the search goes.

Taxes are mostly automatic, your pay is taxes before you get it, sales tax is included in all prices where it's applicable, it's unlikely you'll have to pay additional at eofy unless you're earning a lot more (over 90k) and don't have private health insurance. You can study, but courses will be expensive as you likely won't be eligible for a commonwealth supported place which has reduced fees.

If you need a car depends on where you live. I recommend looking at job listings for things you'd likely be doing to get an idea of wages, and looking for housing/rent prices in different areas. Once you've picked a city, you've still gotta get a feel for where things are in relation to each other, what part of the city etc etc real estate dot com, seek, and the public transport website for each state can help with figuring distances and if you want a car. I don't THINK it's difficult for poms to move here as there are plenty and they do it all the time, there might be websites or forums to discuss common hurdles that can help.

Other important info: footy means one of 3 games (rugby league, rugby union, or AFL), the big beer is nearly always called a pint but the small ones change by state, it's a parma, "how are you?" is a hello type greeting that should be answered with a basic 'good thanks' and not the truth unless the asker is quite a good friend.

[nanairomiso]

Working in Japan

This is a repost of a thread I made on Twitter, but essentially, it's a breakdown of how much I made working as a freelancer in Japan. Consider a cautionary tale if you're thinking about moving to Japan.

So i made roughly 5 million yen last year, right? Highest i've ever gotten after 14 years in Japan (higher than what i made at my old company even). Awesome, right?

Well, since i am freelance, i have to cover my own expenses. this includes lights, internet, software, other equip or transport I need for work. So once you subtract all of that, roughly 3 mil yen, I have about 2 mil yen left. Not terrible, but not great.

Now, from this 2 mil, I have to subtract health insurance, which a monthly payment of about 12000 yen (144,000 a year). Ouch, but like, necessary. 1.8 mil is still not.... the worst.

We still haven't paid into the pension system :smiling_face_with_tear: This payment can be made monthly, but you get a bit of a discount if you pay for a year up front (short for money, jp govt?).

So that's about 200,000 yen. Just gone.

It's just me and 1.6 mil yen left…. okay…

Did I mention there's a city tax? I haven't received it yet, but it's roughly 150,000 for Osaka city. Are you crying? Because I'm crying with my 1.5 million yen. Want to cry harder? If I were to convert this to USD, it's less than 10K for the year......

And that 5 million yen from all my work last year is ABOVE AVERAGE. The average wage in Japan is currently 4.1 million before taxes... IS IT REALLY ANY WONDER PPL AREN'T HAVING CHILDREN?? I CAN BARELY AFFORD MYSELF LMAO

There is one major difference between freelance and fulltime employees though. Companies will cover half of your pension and a certain percentage of your health insurance, so maybe salaried employees end with a 300,000 more in their wallets.

But freelancers? This includes animators, comic artists, video editors, etc. Or people that aren't employed full-time?? We have to cover our insurance and pension.

Freelancers are really out here with no money.

This is all to say, basically, working in Japan is a joke. Honestly the amount I pay for healthcare is too high for quality of care I receive most of the time and I'm not even sure I'll receive pension from the govt (because they have no money)

Did i mention that pay into a separate retirement plan in the states because i do not trust the japanese govt?

XDDD i've moved beyond anger. i can only laugh at my circumstances.

OH and japanese politicians have just been pocketing MILLIONS of YEN. YOU KNOW. THAT AVERAGE JAPANESE CITIZENS AMT IN YEARLY WAGES. THEY POCKETED THAT TASTY UNTAXED MONEY UNTIL THEY WERE EXPOSED A FEW MONTHS AGO

So yeah, the cost of living in Japan is low, and seems affordable from the point of view of the US dollar. But when you work in Japan?? When you make money in yen?????

[emotionalillusions]

All the pretty asks. Mwahahahahaha!!!

As you requested, here are all of them <3 ...even if you only asked for payback lol

angel; is there anyone you’d do anything for? Yes, a small few. 

galaxy; what fascinates you? A great many things inspire my fascination, first I am intensely fascinated with you @mishaps-and-mixtapes , otherwise in general I'd say history, traveling, the universe, books, the human mind, relationships, Ayurveda, writing, parenting.

melody; favorite artists? I have a lot of favs, a list thats far too long to put here. I will answer who I've been listening to most in the last month or two - Ella Mai, Kehlani, H.E.R., Erick the Architect, Mahalia, 6Lack, Banks, DaniLeigh, J Cole, Sade

silk; what outfit makes you feel confident? A pretty dress usually ups the confidence level but I can also feel great in a pair of jeans that hug my curves and a tank top. Ooh, also lingerie! Nothing says confidence like a lace chemise or corset and garter belt.

rose; favorite flower? Lilies, sunflowers, and daisies. And cherry blossoms.

sun; favorite season Autumn, but Spring is a close second.

film; favorite movie/tv show? This topic/question requires a few blunts and an overnight discussion. I can't even narrow it down. 

gorgeous; what do you like in a person? Everything that you are. 

diamond; favorite color? Purple, teal, mauve

infatuation; first crush? Oh, can I even remember the first crush? I'm pretty sure it was in elementary school, I don't even remember the kids name, but I remember he was funny and made me laugh.

dream; how long do you sleep on average? hahahahahaha. Oh, is this a serious question??? I get a few hours whenever my eyes refuse to stay open any longer. 

brilliant; what celebrity do people say you look like? Um, no one has ever really said I look like a celebrity.

perfume; favorite scent? You, yes you are definitely my favorite scent.  

fleece; have any pets? A little scrapper kitten, who is as adorable as he is mean.

pigment; what color is your hair naturally? if you could dye it any color which one would you choose? Naturally dark brown. I've had my hair a ton of different colors. I really like a dark red or purple.

charcoal; do you have a good relationship with your parents? Its always been kind of complicated as both my parents have issues with substance abuse, but I was really close with my mom before she passed. I don't have a bad relationship with my dad currently but he's not a reliable person and not someone I turn to during times of need. He is great for helping with some bigger home related projects when he's around.

ocean; do you take a yearly vacation? I've been trying to make it a tradition to go somewhere once a year, and the last couple years I've made it happen. 

murky; biggest fear? Something devastating happening to any of the kids. Death in general, even knowing it's an inevitable part of life. 

devotion; are you taken? Answered but I'll answer again. I belong completely to @mishaps-and-mixtapes

lingerie; what do you wear to bed? Depends on the night, but typically very little, tank and panties.

daydream; best memory? In the delivery rooms when they put the baby in my arms and get to see their sweet faces for the first time. 

joy; best feeling you’ve ever experienced?  Love and understanding. I've only truly felt that in a relationship with you. It's beyond comparable. 

masque; what’s your skincare routine? I wash my face lol. I've gotten better about using moisturizer and sunscreen since moving to a desert area. Holy dry skin batman.

valentine; best gift you’ve ever received? I appreciate a thoughtful gift, but they aren't my love language. I'd rather make memories than have something material I think. 

parchment; favorite book? I can't pick one favorite. The best book I read in the last year was A Gentleman in Moscow. 

garden; do you have a garden? plants?  A lot of plants. I'd love a garden, to grow my own fruits and vegetables. Oooh, a greenhouse!

oasis; dream destination? Ah, many! Petra, Tibet, Japan, Rome, Bali... 

sense; best subject? favorite subject? I was always good at Math and English, but I love Psychology & Philosophy

footprints; do you want kids? There's a few running around and want more with you, let's practice making them.

rainbow; what’s your sexuality? Straight, with a sprinkle of bicurious.

sweater; do you prefer loose or baggy clothes? Isn't loose and baggy the same thing?

nail laquer; punk or pastel? I swing both ways.

1975; if you could time travel to any time period, what would it be and why? Hm. Maybe the Renaissance period in Florence Italy for the appeal of the cultural and intellectual richness with figures like Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo.

tattoos; do you have/want and tattoos and piercings? I have a lot of tattoos, I stopped counting after getting to double digits. I also used to have more piercings. I'd love to have them redone and intend to.

[froggytimemachineinternet]

some pretty asks :]

@boygenuiss, this is your ask list, im just doing it weird because i had half the questions answered when i realised i hadn't rebloged :[

Is there anyone youd do anthing for? my brother mal. for the sake of being cringe i will not be tagging them. \

what facinates you? astrophysics and the persuit of knowledge, and the application of knowledge

favorite artists? Hozier, and Barbara Levalle (a painter)

what outfit makes you feel most confidant? clothes were i feel as though i am fully covered. (leather/denim) it makes me feel safe

favorite flower? Alaskan SalmonBerry. its the flower im named after

favorite season? Fall. before i moved down to the lower 48, i had never seen fall. it lasted about 2 weeks, if you were lucky, where i grew up.

favorite movie/tv show? i really enjoyed Fairy tail, however i am a hardcore mlp show. i watched the shit outta that as a kid

favorite color? dark raspberry, but the kind you see in a ruby.

infatuation/first crush? a boy in my kindergarten class named Darius, he ended up bullying me later on though. RIP

How long do you sleep on average? As a person with clinical insomnia, not much and the stuff i get isnt very good

what celebrity do i look like? i have never had somone tell me i look like someone

whats your favorite scent? settling cheesecake, i make it homeade and nothing smells better than a cheesecake while its still batter

Pets? i have had 3 in my life. 1 passed away when i was a child, the other 2 are seniors and living their best life.

what color is your hair natually? what color would you die it? I have dark brown hair, that kinda shines yellow. i would die the ends of my hair forest green

do you have a good relationship with your parents? no. neither of them, or my siblings.

do you take a yearly vacation? i do not have that kinda money

biggest fear? not being strong enough to keep myself safe/not being able to outlast my disablity.

are you taken? no. i have chronically low rizz

what do you wear to bed? lounge wear, the comphy clothes i wear around the house.

best feeling youve ever exsperienced? i dont really have any? i lost a shit ton of my memories due to ptsd. so, im sure im gonna make some good memories, later on in life

whats your skincare routine? i wash my face with bar soap and water, whenever i wear makeup. otherwise i just kinda leave my face alone.

best gift youve ever recieved? as a child i got a lightsaber for christmas, after thinking i wouldnt get it because i was a girl. (i really should have noticed i was trans a while before i did)

favorite book? its a toss up between Skullduggery Pleasent and Septimus Heap. and an honorable mention to Pride and Prejudice.

do you have a garden? plants? nope, i live in an apartment and the plants draw in bugs, no sir.

dream destination? ive always wanted to live in Iceland! far, far away free to be someone outside of the shit ive dealt with

best subject? math. for sure math. once i understand the material i fly through it. i would say that science is my favoite subject, considering im planning on becoming an Astrophysist.

do you want kids? no, never, i woudnt be a good parent and i dont wanna bring kids into this world anyway, this place sucks. esp wher i live lol

whats your sexuality? im bi-romantic, and asexual.

do you prefer loose or baggy clothes? i prefer to wear soft heavy clothes. unfortuanly i live in the south. so no warmth for me. well. to much warmth rather

nail polish? i am currently wearing cobalt blue! i like wearing bold colors when i actually do wear it.

if you could travel to any time period, when would it be and why? i would travel far back to when my native tribe hadnt been decimated. so i could see what my ancestors, my family, actually did. the truth is hard to find after they (genocide perpatrators) tried to bury it all.

do you want/have tattoos and peircings? i want another 2 lobe peircings, and i might get some other ear ones! i am a coward however. i am planning on getting a Tlingit (my tribe) story tatooed on my back, and im also going to get some salmonberry flowers on my neck, surrounding my head/neck like a necklace!

tag list (feel free to ignore if you guys dont wanna do it)

@grandwretch you're my first mutual btw :]

@antipasto-the-theif @puffin-smoke @anunmarkedface @no-see-um-incorrect @new-kanon @bagelbucket @psychethebutterfly

[did-i-do-this-write]

Writing Year in Review

2022

Goals

Daily Words: 200

Yearly Words: 73,000

Daily Time: 15 minutes

Yearly Time: 91 hours 15 minutes

[Complete]

Final Statistics

Daily Average Words: 315

Yearly Total Words: 118,914

Daily Time Spent: 21 minutes

Yearly Time Spent: 131 hours 4 minutes

Posted: 57,504

Author's Note: Oh boy!  What a year it has been!  I have so much to say, but I'll try to keep this as brief as possible.  I've learned and grown so much as a writer over the course of this year!  This is the first whole year I've actively written and kept track- in detail- of everything I worked on, how long I worked on it, and what projects I finished and when!

I'm so happy and grateful for everyone who supported me, talked with me, and joined me on this crazy adventure!  From the experiment to sharing ideas to fun interactions and making jokes, I'm thankful for it all and will look back on it fondly!

Here's to another year! 🥂

(Monthly breakdown under the cut)

January

Word Count: 7,569

Time spent: 6 hours 56 minutes

WIPs: How an Angel Gets Its Wings, Ozpin's Case Files

Completed

How an Angel Gets Its Wings: Ch. 13

Ozpin’s Case Files: Police interview

Ozpin’s Case Files: Adam's Return

Ozpin’s Case Files: Qrow goes back to school

Ozpin’s Case Files: Ren and Nora's Intake

February

Word Count: 4,803

Time spent: 5 hours 34 minutes

WIPs: How an Angel Gets Its Wings, Ozpin's Case Files, Prompts

Completed

How an Angel Gets Its Wings: Ch. 14

Ozpin’s Case Files: Schnee's Exit Interview

Ozpin’s Case Files: Salem's Return

Prompt: Library, cold rainy day, cuddles

Prompt: "I love every minute spent with you."

March

Word Count: 9,237

Time spent: 8 hours 43 minutes

WIPs: How an Angel Gets Its Wings, A Man of Misfortune, Ozpin's Case Files

Completed

A Man of Misfortune

Ozpin’s Case Files: Qrow Meets Salem

April

Word Count: 9,640

Time spent: 16 hours 20 minutes

WIPs: How an Angel Gets Its Wings, Ozpin's Case Files, Ozqrow Week 2022

Completed

How an Angel Gets Its Wings: Ch. 15

Ozpin’s Case Files: Raven's Return

Ozpin’s Case Files: Qrow's Apology

The Trial of Ezra Ozpin

May

Word Count: 10,430

Time spent: 9 hours 22 minutes

WIPs: Ozqrow Week 2022, Ozpin's Case Files

Completed

Ozqrow Week 2022: Day 4: Beach Episode

Ozqrow Week 2022: Day 2: Corruption

Ozqrow Week 2022: Day 5: Dancing

Ozpin’s Case Files: Qrow moves in

June

Word Count: 11,118

Time spent: 10 hours 56 minutes

WIPs: Ozqrow Week 2022, Beacon of Hope

Completed

Ozqrow Week 2022: Day 1: Death

Ozqrow Week 2022: Day 3: Pirates

Ozqrow Week 2022: Day 6: Festivals

Ozqrow Week 2022: Day 7: Free Day

July

Word Count: 5,852

Time spent: 6 hours 13 minutes

WIPs: Beacon of Hope

Completed

Beacon of Hope: Ch. 2

August

Word Count: 11,267

Time spent: 9 hours 34 minutes

WIPs: Beacon of Hope, Prompt, Ozqrow Week 2022, Build What You Cannot Find

Completed

Prompt: Qrow with minor injuries

Ozqrow Week 2022: Day 1 (again): Rebirth

Build What You Cannot Find: Ch. 4

September

Word Count: 8,6,79

Time spent: 9 hours 10 minutes

WIPs: How an Angel Gets Its Wings, Build What You Cannot Find

Completed

Build What You Cannot Find: Ch. 5

How an Angel Gets Its Wings: Ch. 16

October

Word Count: 14,822

Time spent: 17 hours 5 minutes

WIPs: Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest

Completed

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest: Ch. 4 (outline)

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest: Ch. 3 (outline)

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest: Ch. 2 (outline)

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest: Ch. 1 (outline)

November

Word Count: 16,314

Time spent: 23 hours 16 minutes

WIPs: Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest, Prompt, Ozqrow Secret Santa 2022

Completed

Prompt: "I chose to love you..."

Ozqrow Secret Santa 2022: Qrow knitting socks for Oz

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest: Ch. 6 (outline)

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest: Ch. 5 (outline)

December

Word Count: 9,183

Time spent: 7 hours 55 minutes

WIPs: Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest, Poem

Completed

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest: Ch. 8 (outline)

Home is Where Your Light Shines Brightest: Ch. 7 (outline)

Poem: The Legacy of the Poem Tree

[transhuman-priestess]

I guess Jimmy Carter is dying which means it’s time for me to remind you that before he was a cutesy old man who built houses, he was a neoliberal nightmare who presided over the deregulation of the airline industry, (which lead to an explosion in inefficient short-haul airlines) railroad industry, (which allowed for anticompetitive mega mergers) and trucking industry. (Which now has an average yearly pay less than 1/3 of what it did 40 years ago when adjusted for inflation.)

Lest you think that’s all he sucked at, he was also all to happy to jump on the racism wagon, either for votes or because he believed in it. In a 1976 interview with the New York Daily News, Carter was asked about the concerns of white residents who were scared of black folks moving into their neighborhoods. His response was to say “I see nothing wrong with ethnic purity being maintained. I would not force a racial integration of a neighborhood by government action.”

When pressed on this comment later, he doubled down, saying “What I say is that the government ought not to take as a major purpose the intrusion of alien groups into a neighborhood simply to establish their intrusion.”

So yeah, fuck him.

[kairologia]

Transit durations + time required for a planet to complete its orbit around the sun & across the zodiac.

(Just in case someone needs a reference post and doesn’t feel like googling the motion of each planet separately. No, I will not be diving into Keplerian motion or precession or other such technicalities. One thing at a time.)

Moon – changes signs every 2 ½ days, transits the zodiac every 30 days.

Mercury – Spends (on average) 2-3 weeks in a given sign, can sometimes extend its stay to 60 days due to retrograde motion which occurs 3-4 times a year. Is never found more than 1 sign (on either side) away from the Sun.

Venus – spends about 23 days in a sign, but can stay a little over 2 months due to retrograde motion. Is never more than 2 signs away (on either sides) from the Sun.

Sun – changes signs every 30 days (0-29°), takes a year to complete one full circuit around the zodiac. note it is because of earth’s yearly revolution around the sun, that the sun appears to move through the ecliptic (i.e the projection of the plane of the earth's orbit throughout the sky) in front of a succession of constellations.

Mars – changes signs every month and a half, unless there is a retrograde which can keep it confined within one sign (& usually the late degrees of the precedent sign as well) for as long as 7 months.

Jupiter – changes signs once a year, completes one full circuit around the zodiac in 12 years.

Saturn – changes signs every 2 ½ years, fully transits the zodiac in 29 – 30 years.

Uranus – changes signs every 7 years, makes a complete orbit around the sun every 84 years.

Neptune – changes signs every 14 years, makes a complete orbit around the sun every 164 years.

Pluto — stays in each sign between 11 and 32 years, makes one complete orbit every 248 years.

And that’s it for today.

[six-of-ravens]

okay I think I got this worked out. ill have to cancel my patreons and max fun donations, and cut some from my spending budget and savings (though only $10 per paycheck from my TFSA contributions which is not bad, my "immediate access" savings will continue to get the same amount bc it's very very empty and its basically my emergency fund so I need to replenish it before Something happens) BUT I can stay here.

grocery budget has remained untouched purely bc prices are continuing to be hiked, according to the news. price freeze when!! basic income WHEN!!

any amount of cuts is worth not moving back in with the parents (I love them but...ye gods they don't understand boundaries), and frankly even though I whine a lot this is a pretty good deal. I have underground parking which is extremely nice in the winters, and my building only has 1 electrical and water meter for the whole building, so they literally can't charge each individual unit and the total yearly price is averaged out in everyone's rent/condo fees (luckily condo fees are baked into my rent) which means no highly unpredictable monthly bill

my spidey senses say prices are going to crash in the next year since everything has become so unaffordable, so maybe...maybe then I can find a new, cheaper place or ideally (but unlikely) buy something....

I am still going to give the landlord a hard time about the elevator that's been broken for 3 weeks though.

[ordinaryhorror]

Love Sunnydale high bc they find a dead body and it takes everyone literally 3 seconds to move on but Buffy is the weird one for asking how he died. I wonder what the average of yearly supernatural deaths in Sunnydale was

[propertykumbh]

Why Homeownership Builds Wealth: Key Benefits of Buying a Home

Why Homeownership Still Outweighs Renting: Understanding Wealth Creation through Property Investment

In recent years, the debate between renting and buying a home has intensified, especially as interest rates continue to rise. Many argue that renting provides greater flexibility and is a smarter financial option, particularly in a fluctuating housing market. However, when it comes to long-term wealth building, the facts strongly support homeownership. Despite short-term challenges like higher interest rates and larger upfront costs, owning a home remains one of the most effective strategies for building wealth. The net worth of homeowners is, on average, 40 times greater than that of renters, and this disparity largely comes down to key advantages inherent in owning property.

Let’s explore the financial benefits of homeownership, and why buying a home still makes sense, even in today's complex market.

Equity Building: Transforming Your Home into an Asset

One of the most compelling reasons to buy a home is the ability to build equity over time. Each mortgage payment you make increases your ownership stake in the property. In contrast to rent, which is an expense with no return, each payment towards a home loan reduces the principal and grows your personal wealth.

Equity represents the portion of your home that you actually own. As you pay down your mortgage, your equity in the property increases. Over time, this could be leveraged for future investments, be it a second property or funding a business.

With renting, you are essentially contributing to someone else’s equity. No matter how long you rent, you never own the property, and your monthly payments don’t increase your personal wealth. This is where homeownership creates a lasting financial advantage.

Appreciation Potential: Property Value Growth

Historically, property values appreciate over time. While there are market fluctuations, real estate typically follows an upward trend in the long run. Even modest annual increases in home values can add significant wealth to homeowners over time. Here's how appreciation works to your advantage:

Home appreciation is the rise in your property’s value over time. This is often the most powerful aspect of owning a home. The longer you hold onto your property, the greater your potential gains. Even during economic downturns, homes tend to regain their value as markets recover.

For example, a home bought for $300,000 that appreciates at 3% annually could be worth approximately $400,000 in just 10 years. This increase in value adds to your net worth without any additional investment on your part, aside from maintenance and property care.

Renters, on the other hand, do not benefit from appreciation. Once your lease ends, the value of the property is irrelevant to you as you move on to your next rental.

Tax Benefits: Savings for Homeowners

Homeownership offers several tax advantages that renters miss out on. These tax benefits are particularly important when considering the overall cost of owning a home versus renting. Some of the key tax advantages include:

Mortgage interest deduction: Homeowners can deduct the interest paid on their mortgage, especially in the early years when interest makes up a large portion of monthly payments. This deduction can result in significant savings come tax season.

Property tax deduction: You can deduct state and local property taxes, which can reduce your overall tax liability. For many homeowners, these deductions add up to substantial yearly savings.

Capital gains tax exemption: When you sell your primary residence, you may qualify for an exemption from capital gains taxes on profits up to $250,000 for single filers and $500,000 for married couples. This is a massive advantage for long-term homeowners whose properties have appreciated over the years.

Renters, unfortunately, do not benefit from these tax incentives. Their monthly rent payments do not offer any tax deductions or savings.

Inflation Protection: Fixed-Rate Loans Shield Homeowners

Another key financial advantage of owning a home is protection against inflation. While rent payments tend to rise with inflation, those who own a home with a fixed-rate mortgage are insulated from these increases.

Fixed-rate mortgages lock in your monthly payments for the life of the loan. As inflation drives up costs for renters, including housing, utilities, and services, your home loan payment remains stable. This fixed cost makes it easier to budget and plan for the future without worrying about unexpected rent hikes.

Renters, on the other hand, are at the mercy of the rental market. As inflation pushes rent prices higher, they may find themselves paying significantly more for the same property over time. This can create financial stress and instability, especially for those on fixed incomes or tight budgets.

Control and Stability: Freedom to Personalize and Stay Long-Term

Owning a home also offers a level of control and stability that renting simply cannot provide. As a homeowner, you have the freedom to modify your home to suit your personal tastes and needs. Whether it’s a simple renovation, landscaping, or major structural changes, the decisions are entirely up to you.

Customization: Homeowners can renovate, remodel, and personalize their homes to fit their lifestyle and preferences. This not only enhances your quality of life but can also add to the home’s market value when it’s time to sell.

Stability: Unlike renters, homeowners are not subject to the whims of landlords or sudden changes in rent. You can stay in your home as long as you choose, without worrying about lease renewals or relocation due to rising rent costs.

Renting, while flexible, often comes with restrictions on changes to the property and no guarantee of long-term tenure.

Renting: A Short-Term Solution with No Wealth Creation

While renting can offer flexibility, particularly for those unsure of where they want to settle, it does not contribute to long-term wealth creation. Renters often miss out on the financial benefits that homeowners enjoy, including equity building, appreciation, tax savings, and inflation protection.

100% expense: Rent is an expense with no return. Each payment you make goes to your landlord’s mortgage or their pocket, while you build no personal wealth.

No equity: Since renters do not own the property, there is no opportunity to build equity. This means that when the lease is over, the money spent on rent is gone without any financial benefit.

Conclusion: Homeownership Remains a Powerful Wealth-Building Tool

Despite rising interest rates and the challenges of the current market, homeownership continues to be one of the most effective ways to build wealth over time. From equity building and property appreciation to tax benefits and inflation protection, the financial advantages of owning a home far outweigh the short-term convenience of renting.

While renting may offer flexibility, it provides no long-term financial return. In contrast, every mortgage payment made towards a home increases your personal net worth and creates a stable financial future.

What’s your take – does owning a home still seem like the smarter choice in today's market, or do you believe renting makes more sense? Let us know your thoughts.

[statisticshelpdesk]

Seasonal ARIMA Modeling in EViews: Complete Assignment Help Tutorial

Seasonality in time series analysis can be defined as recurring patterns and trends in the data over a specific time intervals (such as weekly, monthly, quarterly or yearly). Seasonality plays an important role in forecasting and interpreting the model results. Seasonality factors are taken into account in analyzing sales, stock price data or weather patterns. These patterns, if overlooked, may result into incorrect forecasting and wrongful decisions. For example, a retail store might see a spike in the sales on holiday season. If the seasonality is not taken into account, then the sale forecasting may generate inaccurate results. This is the reason accounting for seasonality becomes important in accurate time series modeling.

To address seasonality, we have the Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) Model available which takes into consideration the seasonal and non-seasonal factors. However, to conduct SARIMA in statistical software like EViews can be challenging and students may make a lot of mistakes that minimizes the accuracy of the forecasting model. This guide will provide a step-by-step tutorial of how to conduct SARIMA modelling using EViews as well as provide examples and recommendations to improve your analysis and forecasting. Further, students can use our EViews assignment help for the reinforcement of the above concept.

What is Seasonal ARIMA Modeling?

The Seasonal ARIMA (SARIMA) model is an extension of the ARIMA model that takes both non-seasonal and seasonal factors into account. While ARIMA models enables capturing trends and autocorrelation in data, SARIMA models also add the seasonality for prediction.

General Form of a SARIMA Model

A SARIMA model is typically expressed as:

SARIMA (p,d,q)×(P,D,Q)s​

Where:

p: Order of non-seasonal autoregression (AR)

d: Degree of non-seasonal differencing (I)

q: Order of non-seasonal moving average (MA)

P: Order of seasonal autoregression (SAR)

D: Degree of seasonal differencing (SI)

Q: Order of seasonal moving average (SMA)

s: Seasonal period (e.g., s = 12 for monthly data with an annual seasonality)

SARIMA models are appropriate for data that shows trend and seasonal pattern, like monthly sales data or quarterly GDP data, which reoccur every year.

Steps for SARIMA Modeling in EViews

Step 1: Plot the Data and Identify Seasonality

The first step in any time series analysis is data visualization in order to inspect for trends and seasonality. Using EViews the data is loaded and the “Graph” function is utilized.

Example: Let us assume that the type of data you are working with is monthly sales. Once you have your data imported into EViews, it is time to generate the plot of the data. In its simplest form, seasonality will be seen if there exists a cycle that recurs after a span of 12 months.

Step 2: Difference the Data to Remove Trends and Seasonality

Before you apply SARIMA, data must be transformed to make it stationary by eliminating the trends and seasonality. In EViews this is done by applying the “Differences” option available in the tool bar.

Non-seasonal differencing (d): If your data shows an upward or downward movement, apply differencing to remove it.

Seasonal differencing (D): If your data has a regular seasonal pattern, apply seasonal differencing (e.g., seasonal difference of order 1 for monthly data would subtract the data from 12 months ago).

In EViews, the differenced series can be created by "Genr" command and indicating the orders of seasonal and non-seasonal difference.

Step 3: Identify Model Orders Using ACF and PACF

To identify the appropriate values for p, d, q, P, D, Q, the autocorrelation function (ACF) and partial autocorrelation function (PACF) plots in EViews can be used.

ACF: Helps identify the moving average (MA) and seasonal moving average (SMA) terms.

PACF: Helps identify the autoregressive (AR) and seasonal autoregressive (SAR) terms.

Generate the ACF and PACF plots by selecting View > Correlogram in EViews. Examine these plots to find the lags that are significant for each component.

Step 4: Estimate the SARIMA Model

Once the model orders have been identified, the next step is to estimate the SARIMA model. In EViews, go to Quick > Estimate Equation and specify your model in the following form:

y c ar(1) ma(1) sar(12) sma(12)

In this example:

ar(1) refers to the non-seasonal AR term.

ma(1) refers to the non-seasonal MA term.

sar(12) refers to the seasonal AR term with a lag of 12 periods.

sma(12) refers to the seasonal MA term with a lag of 12 periods.

EViews will the perform the estimation and display the coefficient estimates, standard errors and a number of other diagnostic statistics.

Step 5: Perform Diagnostic Checks

It is imperative that after estimating the model, diagnostic checks are done to check the goodness of the model fit. In EViews, this involves checking:

Residual Autocorrelation: Use the Ljung-Box Q-statistic to ensure the residuals are white noise (i.e., no autocorrelation).

Stationarity: Check for stationarity of data by analyzing the ACF of residuals.

Model Fit: use metrics like the Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) or Schwarz Bayesian Criterion (SBC) to compare model performance.

Step 6: Forecasting Using the SARIMA Model

When the model has been well-established, one can then predict future values. To do this in the EViews, choose the Forecast and define the period over which the forecast must be made. Any forecast that is generated using EViews will be accompanied with confidence intervals, which can also be plotted and exported.

Common Mistakes Students Make in Seasonality Analysis Using EViews

Some of the challenges that students experience when it comes to analysing seasonality and building the SARIMA models in EViews include the following. Some common mistakes include:

Failing to Test for Seasonality: One thing that many students fail to consider is to check for seasonality in their data. This leads to the cases of developing inaccurate forecasts.

Overfitting the Model: Some students often include many parameters in the SARIMA model in a bid to capture all the minor fluctuations in the data sets which leads to over-fitting. This makes the model too specific with the historical data and minimizes predictability.

Incorrect Identification of SARIMA Components: Differentiating seasonal and non-seasonal components is significant. Students tend to misconceive these factors and this leads to a wrong specification of the model.

Poor Diagnostic Testing: Upon their estimation of the model, students may also ignore other diagnostic checks such as residual analysis for a better model fit. Not checking the residuals for autocorrelation for instance means students are neglecting the chance to fine tune the model to increase precision.

Misunderstanding EViews Output: Eviews computes and displays loads of statistical information. Without deep understanding of these results students may come up with incorrect insights. For example, failing to interpret the results from p-values of coefficients or misunderstanding the Ljung-Box Q-statistic can lead to wrong conclusions.

How EViews Assignment Help Can Resolve These Problems

To resolve such mistakes and have a clear understanding, students must opt for our EViews assignment help that provides detailed step-by-step solution of eviews coursework assignments with comprehensive explanation of results. Our expert guidance can help you:

Correctly test for presence of seasonality through the use of ACF and PACF.

Understand the right combination of seasonal and non-seasonal components for SARIMA models.

To not over-complicate the model by including few relevant parameters in order to minimize over-fitting.

Interpret the eviews output correctly.

 perform residual diagnostics to check assumptions and make your model more accurate for forecasting.

What You Get with Our EViews Assignment Help

The most on-demand EViews assignment help does not only provide the complete solution of your assignment but also gives you a well-structured and comprehensive report covering all aspects of the analysis. This consists of steps to perform the procedures used in EViews from data import to model estimation and forecasting. You shall also get the EViews work file (.wf1) containing all the command used, the graphs and the output. Moreover, we include annotated screenshots to let you see how we proceeded and the steps applied. We provide insightful interpretations, residual diagnostics and recommendations on model improvement.

Conclusion

Seasonal ARIMA modeling is a powerful tool for analyzing time series data with both trends and seasonality. While learning to apply SARIMA in EViews can be challenging, understanding the model's components, performing correct diagnostic checks, and interpreting results accurately are key steps toward success. By avoiding common mistakes and seeking help when needed, students can master this important technique and improve their forecasting abilities.

Are you looking for help with your Time series assignment? Our knowledgeable eviews homework help tutors are available to support you. Learning SARIMA modeling can be made easy. Contact us for guidance and master time series data analysis. 

Also Read: How To Correctly Interpret Your Eviews Outputs And Assignment Help Tips Helpful Resources and Textbooks

For students searching for textbooks to learn SARIMA modeling, the following texts are recommended:

"Time Series Analysis: Forecasting and Control" by Box, Jenkins, Reinsel, and Ljung – A foundational text on time series modeling, including SARIMA.

"Forecasting, Time Series, and Regression" by Bruce L. Bowerman, Richard T. O'Connell, and Anne Koehler – A comprehensive guide on time series and forecasting methods.

[someonelookingpraediti]

Mid Year Book Tag 2024!

I haven't seen any of these so far this year, but I don't follow as many book blogs as I did previously, so maybe they are out there, and just haven't crossed my path. I've just reused the questions from last year.

1. What’s the best book you’ve read so far this year? That's actually a really difficult question, because I just haven't been as enthusiastic with my reading this year. The one I enjoyed the most was The Sunshine Court - but only because I'm so obsessed with AFTG - I wouldn't call it the best book I've read. I think I'm going to have to go with Butter, by Asako Yuzuki. It wasn't what I was expecting, but it was a riveting read, and so well constructed.

2. What’s the best sequel you’ve read so far this year? Probably Lockwood & Co. four and five - they were a brilliant end to the series, and I'm glad I finally went back to these books after I was interrupted last year. I also read books two and three of the Howl's Moving Castle books, and loved those too!

3. What’s a new release you haven’t read yet, but want to? I bought The Familiar by Leigh Bardugo, and The Shadow Key by Susan Stokes-Chapman, full of good intentions, planning to read them straight away. I really enjoyed both authors' previous work, and I'm sure these will be just as good, I just haven't got around to it yet!

4. Which new release are you most anticipating for the second half of the year? I am so, SO excited for Graveyard Shift, by M.L. Rio! I loved If We Were Villains, I can't wait to see what else the author can come up with! Fingers crossed she isn't a one-trick pony, and this one will be just as good!

5. Which book was the biggest disappointment? I DNF-ed Grieving Gold, by Daniel McDaniel, which was really quite awful, but I wasn't too disappointed because I didn't have any expectations. I think maybe A Study in Drowning, by Ava Reid, which I had such high hopes for, but fell well short of my expectations.

6. Which book was the biggest surprise? I can't honestly say I've been surprised by anything so far this year. Normally there's something that absolutely blows me away when I wasn't expecting it, but not this time.

7. Who is your favourite new (to you) author this year? I read a book by Krystal Sutherland, which was really good, and definitely made me want to try another. And Asako Yuzuki, I will definitely keep an eye out for more of her books!

8. Do you have a new favourite character? So many! I recently read the first Magnus Chase book, and what a guy! Or pretty much every single character from The Sunshine Court! I know we technically were introduced to Laila and Cat in the previous series, but they actually got personalities in this one.

9. What was a book that made you cry? Obviously The Sunshine Court had me wailing - poor, sad little Jean Moreau! We Were Liars also made me tear up a little when I finished it yesterday.

10. What was a book that made you happy? The sequels to Howl's Moving Castle (Castle in the Air, and House of Mane Ways) both made me just as happy as the first one. And The Witchwood Knot, by Olivia Atwater. I wasn't such a fan of the author's standalone that I read, but her faerie stories are amazing!

11. What was your favourite book-to-screen adaptation this year? I have seen absolutely zero book-to-screen adaptations this year. I keep meaning to finally watch Lockwood & Co now I've finished the books. I can't think of anything else I'm particularly interested in seeing.

12. Which book had the prettiest cover? Probably A Study in Drowning. I have the Illumicrate hardcover, and it's so gorgeous, even though the book itself was only average.

13. How are you doing with your yearly goals? Well... not great. Rather than a numerical goal, this year I set myself some monthly challenges. Read a backlog book, annotate a book, etc, etc. I've not managed to hit all six monthly goals so far. Assuming that I would use a different book for each goal, I'd have been aiming for at least 72 books. I'm on 34, so I'm two behind at the moment.

14. What’s a book you need to read before the end of the year? I want to read The Familiar and The Shadow Key. I also want to finally get round to Caravel, A Deadly Education, Emily Wilde. And I still haven't read the sequels to Only a Monster or Belladonna. I need to keep making tracks through the Riordan books. I need to at least finish Magnus Chase, and hopefully start Trials of Apollo.

Most importantly, I need to get back into my blogging. I've just been awful the first half of the year - I've been constantly behind. I have a whole day to myself on Thursday, and I'm going to spend the entire day catching up on my posts, and I'll keep it up going forward.

[thats-amnesty-babe]

Please note that many antipsychotics are known to actually CAUSE type two diabetes in people who take them long-term. It doesn’t have to just be genetic. Diabetes can be medication-induced. It is still just as permanent and lifelong.

I had normal A1C and fasting glucose levels in my yearly blood tests for my entire life before starting Vraylar (a second-generation antipsychotic, which my psychiatrist recommended to me because it had “milder” side effects than many other antipsychotics). Taking 3 mg of Vraylar each day for perhaps a year and a half landed me a full-blown diabetes diagnosis. I actually started tapering off of it (with my psychiatrist’s permission… not that I trust psychiatrists much anymore, anyway) very quickly after I was told about my diabetes diagnosis and then did some cursory googling. Turns out this shit is kind of COMMON KNOWLEDGE. And nobody told me.

Source: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/drugs-vraylar-side-effects

This condition will never go away and will affect my health negatively for the rest of my life — in addition to the mental health effects of being unable to consume sugar without health anxiety.

At NO point did a psychiatrist or my general practitioner doctor I see for regular wellness visits EVER mention that this was a possibility to me. That a long-term health condition could come from taking a medication they prescribed to me. I actually saw two psychiatrists in the time period that I was taking this antipsychotic: the initial prescriber and then a different psychiatrist after I moved to another state. Talk about informed consent…

(Content warning for saneism, which is discrimination against people who are perceived as anything deviating from the average societal standards of being sane of mind… such as experiencing any form of psychosis.)

The wildest thing about this is that I do not technically even have a disabling long-term psychotic disorder! As in, nothing that has psychosis as its primary symptom. The frequency and severity of my psychosis symptoms are extremely correlated with my overall stress levels. I am actually in the best mental health state in my entire life now, and I have not experienced any psychotic symptoms at all for months.

It’s been maybe 9 months since I stopped taking Vraylar, and I’ve had only two days where I experienced ANY psychotic symptoms. I have complex PTSD (among other mental health conditions, which feel a little too personal for me to comfortably share publicly). C-PTSD commonly has mild psychosis as a symptom. With adequate treatment and significant progress toward recovery, the psychosis symptoms can actually go away. For me, they have.

I regularly experienced hallucinations and delusions for the majority of my life, since about the age of eight. With the help of a couple of damn good therapists and a whole lot of personal mental health work, I have learned how to navigate the world in a functional and successful manner, even while tolerating and coping with my psychotic symptoms. Which means… I probably never needed to be on Vraylar to begin with. The psychosis was never disabling, just unpleasant and something I could even ignore most of the time.

But, unfortunately, my psychiatrist was terrified to hear I experienced any amount of psychosis at all. It didn’t matter how much it affected my daily functioning or quality of life, nor how well I was able to emotionally cope with it after years of having those symptoms. She put me on a VERY risky and damaging medication because of saneism. And that cost me so fucking much.

You should always be honest with your doctors, right? Give them the full details and context of your symptoms so they are fully informed before making any healthcare decisions for you. But if you don’t want to take antipsychotics, just DO NOT tell them you have psychosis. I am so serious. I believe that every single person with any amount of psychosis reading this post needs to fully internalize this message. You are in control of what information you give your doctor. Be cautious and intentional about what you share. Decide before the appointment starts whether you will disclose your psychotic symptoms.

Do RESEARCH about antipsychotics and their potential long-term health effects before ever mentioning psychosis to any kind of medical professional. There is a good chance that a doctor (psychiatrist or not!) will prescribe you antipsychotics if they catch even a whiff of psychosis.

If you’re okay with that, then that’s fine — do what is best for your overall health, even if that means prioritizing mental health over physical health. Genuinely, take care of yourself in the way that makes sense for your personal goals of long-term wellness. Some people can learn to live with their psychosis. Some people are too distressed by their psychosis to have a personally acceptable quality of life. Whether or not antipsychotics are the right choice should be entirely up to the individual patient whenever possible. Of course, I do know that there are extreme situations where medical intervention is required, but I do think that most antipsychotic prescriptions would not fall under that category.

If you do spend the time to look up what there is to know about various antipsychotics, weigh the pros and cons, and believe that taking one is genuinely the best choice for you — and of course for some people it is; the drugs were developed for a reason, after all — then at least look at various options and pick out the one that seems the safest.

I desperately wish I could send a message to my younger self to PLEASE thoroughly research ANY new medication I am prescribed BEFORE letting it enter my body AT ALL. I am now so anxious about any new prescription I am given and read all about it immediately after the appointment ends. This was so avoidable, and now I’m stuck with it permanently.

Having psychosis means we have to be careful about who we tell. That is, if it’s a possible choice. I understand that many psychotic people cannot hide it, and there is no shame in that. But if you can hide it, that’s really helpful, because you can decide if it’s worth sharing before actually sharing that information — like to a doctor. When a symptom or diagnosis goes on your medical chart, everyone else who sees that chart (like any other doctors within the same medical system) will know you have that symptom. Having medically documented psychosis can severely affect how seriously doctors will take your future health concerns. Be careful, guys. Be safe.

I saw a comment on your blog that says 'the way you eat does not cause diabetes'...are you able to expand on that or provide a source I could read? I've been told by doctors that my pre-diabetes was due to weight gain because I get more hungry on my anti psychotics and I'd like to fact check what they've told me! Thank you so much!

Pre-diabetes was rejected as a diagnosis by the World Health Organization (although it is used by the US and UK) - the correct term for the condition is impaired glucose tolerance. Approximately 2% of people with "pre-diabetes" go on to develop diabetes per year. You heard that right - TWO PERCENT. Most diabetics actually skip the pre-diabetic phase.

There are currently no treatments for pre-diabetes besides intentional weight loss. (Hmm, that's convenient, right?) There has yet to be evidence that losing weight prevents progression from pre-diabetes to T2DM beyond a year. Interestingly, drug companies are trying to persuade the medical world to start treating patients earlier and earlier. They are using the term “pre-diabetes” to sell their drugs (including Wegovy, a weight-loss drug). Surgeons are using it to sell weight loss surgery. Everyone’s a winner, right? Not patients. Especially fat patients.

Check out these articles:

Prediabetes: The epidemic that never was, and shouldn’t be

The war on ‘prediabetes' could be a boon for pharma—but is it good medicine?

Also - I love what Dr. Asher Larmie @fatdoctorUK has to say about T2DM and insulin resistance, so here's one of their threads I pulled from Twitter:

1️⃣ You can't prevent insulin resistance. It's coded in your DNA. It may be impacted by your environment. Studies have shown it has nothing to do with your BMI.

2️⃣ The term "pre-diabetes" is a PR stunt. The correct term is impaired glucose tolerance (or impaired fasting glucose) which is sometimes referred to as intermittent hyperglycemia. It does not predict T2DM. It is best ignored and tested for every 3-5yrs.

3️⃣ there is no evidence that losing weight prevents diabetes. That's because you can't reverse insulin resistance. You can possibly postpone it by 2yrs? Furthermore there is evidence that those who are fat at the time of diagnosis fair much better than those who are thin.

4️⃣ Weight loss does not reverse diabetes in the VAST majority of people. Those that do reverse it are usually thinner with recent onset T2DM and a low A1c. Only a tiny minority can sustain that over 2yrs. Weight loss does not improve A1c levels beyond 2 yrs either.

5️⃣ Weight loss in T2DM does not improve macrovascular or microvascular health outcomes beyond 2 years. In fact, weight loss in diabetics is associated with increased mortality and morbidity (although it is not clear why). Weight cycling is known to impacts A1c levels.

6️⃣ Weight GAIN does NOT increase the risk of cardiovascular OR all causes mortality in diabetics. In fact, one might even go so far as to say that it's better to be fat and diabetic than to be thin and diabetic.

Dr. Larmie cites 18 peer reviewed journal articles (most from the last decade) that are included in their webinar on the subject, linked below.

[safetymarktraining-blog]

How to Become a Traffic Marshal

Looking to become a traffic marshal? This article will give you a breakdown of how to become a traffic marshal as well as their duties and responsibilities.

What is a Traffic Marshal?

A traffic marshal, also known as a banksman, is a designated person who is professionally trained in safely directing large moving vehicles around a construction site. They are trained to place themselves into correct positions and make use of banksman signals, and possibly radio communication, to guide large vehicle drivers when their view is obstructed.

Traffic marshals help to prevent accidents from happening on a building site or loading bay.

Roles and Responsibilities

Traffic marshals are the eyes and ears of drivers of large vehicles, in particularly cranes and heavy goods vehicles. These vehicles are quite hard to move, and due to the driver's position in the vehicle, they don't provide drivers a good line of sight. This is why traffic marshals play a pivotal role in a construction site.

As part of their daily duties, traffic marshals usually receive a risk assessment briefing, to which they use, along with their training, to carry out their tasks.

They ensure there are no obstructions on the vehicle's path while keeping a look out for any potential causes for accidents. While directing vehicles, traffic marshals maintain a healthy distance away from the vehicle, but close enough to be visibly seen by the vehicle driver.

Marshals do need to keep moving to different positions on the site as the vehicle manoeuvres so that the driver can still see them. But as they move, the marshal needs to be fully aware of his or her surroundings and keep a look out for people who might come in harm’s way.

Traffic marshals also need to beware of some of the systematic patterns of some, if not all, of the vehicles.

What Skills and Experiences Do You Need to Become a Traffic marshal?

As the above shows, traffic marshals have important responsibilities to ensure the safety and well-being of drivers of large vehicle and construction workers.

To work as a traffic marshal, they need to have the following skills:

Excellent knowledge of health and safety procedures

Good awareness of environment

Assertiveness

Attention to detail

Clear and confident communication skills

Ability to communicate using complex hand signals

Good fitness levels

What Qualifications Do You Need?

Beside having knowledge and competence, traffic marshals will need to have a valid CSCS green card. To attain the labourer card, you need to complete the Level 1 Award in Health and Safety in a Construction Environment and pass a 45 minute CITB Touch Screen Test.

They will also need to complete an accredited half day traffic marshal course where you will receive a Traffic Marshal Certificate, which is valid for 3 years.

While the qualification is valid for 3 years, we highly recommend that you attend a refresher course on a yearly basis to keep up-to-date with the newest regulations.

Salary Expectations

According to Adzuna, average salary expectations for a traffic marshal in London are £19,850.

How Can The Learning Station Help?

Here at Safetymark Training, we deliver the half day Traffic Marshal Course through online distance learning. This means you can complete the course in your own time and at your own pace.

Our traffic marshal course will give you the competence and confidence to manage and redirect traffic. The course will take you through the basics of the general daily duties, including the banksman signals that you will need to present to vehicle and crane operators.

The course has been designed to meet the legal requirements and regulations set by HSE. All you need to do to complete the course is go through the learning material and complete the short quizzes along the way.

Some of the topics covered in course include:

What a traffic marshal (banksman) is

The duties of a banksman and a traffic marshal

Accidents and injuries

Safety procedures

Complex hand signals

Visibility

We also deliver CSCS training where you can gain your Green CSCS card within a week.

For more information on how Safetymark Training can help, please get in touch via call us at our London-based training centre on 0203 859 5901.