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psychicdreamfriendoperator · 2 years ago

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Suppose the Inarigumi got to kidnap a male Cherryton student similarly to how the Shishigumi kidnapped Haru, an all-female Black Market gang going after a boy just as an all-male gang already did with a girl. Which male Cherryton students would make for the most appealing targets? *lecherously licking my chops*

I wasn't very certain of how to approach this ask, and it wound up going into "hyperdug headcanon" territory.

In any case ... here goes!

— Psychic

The Shishigumi compared to The Inarigumi

The Shishigumi is your average organised crime ring; they offer ‘protection’ from the other criminal organisations in return for a fee. Basically: they're hired thugs.

You could even say that it's their specialty.

You don't see much of the Inarigumi, but I imagine they run a similar racket.

The Inarigumi embrace the "females can be as ruthless as males (and still be elegant)" mindset, with Ten admitting that she wants to change the world’s view of vixens.

As such, I can't really see the Inarigumi stooping so low as to resort to kidnapping.

But for the purposes of this ask, we’ll say that the Inarigumi are responsible for advising herbivore-run hyperdrug facilities on which carnivores to seek out for ... ‘ingredients’.

The Value of a Carnivore’s Species

Carnivores are valuable for their bodies, which have an alleged medicinal value.

However, certain patterns & colourations are held to signify a more potent effect.

As a general rule of thumb “rarer traits > common traits”.

Birth defects and mutations are a more complicated affair; a tiger with a unique colouration? Good. A tiger born without stripes? Bad.

The more a carnivore "matches" the effect their body allegedly produces, the stronger the hyper drugs’ effects.

For example: A prospective buyer would choose to have hyper drugs made from from a cheetah if they wanted to increase their speed — since cheetahs are fast, that attribute is assumed to be passed down through the hyper drug.

The above belief is part of the reason why ... "ingredient collection" is usually done in front of the buyer.

Buyers are willing to pay extremely well to have specific hyper drugs made from specific animals, and to ensure they don't get one thing instead of another, they watch as the part is harvested from the carnivore.

The Value of a Carnivore’s Age

Surprisingly, the phrase “the younger, the better” doesn't always apply here.

Younger carnivores are scouted for their youth (who doesn't want to feel young, again?)

There is also a market for older carnivores.

It's a belief that older carnivores have more wisdom. So, ingest part of one, and you naturally gain some wisdom (or so the hyperdrug clinics claim)

Choosing a Target

Obviously, no one is going to go for a difficult target — at least not without any sort of plan in place.

When kidnapping animals, their size-class and natural abilities have to taken into consideration:

A smaller carnivore, like an owl, will almost always be easier to handle than a bigger carnivore, like a lion or tiger.

Physical attributes such as horns, claws, venom, et cetera also need to be planned ahead for.

The 3 Most Likely Targets (+ Why)

[in order of most to least likely to be kidnapped + why]

Pina

a (presumably) pure white Dall sheep — his colouration is eyecatching.

Bill

by all appearances is a healthy Bengal Tiger — useful for hyperdrug creation.

Dom

a peacock — although he curiously lacks the feather tail, male peafowls are still considered valuable in the Black Market.

#beastars #beastars headcanons #beastars imagines #beastars inarigumi #ask #beastars dom mention #beastars bill mention #beastars pina mention

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sayakas-dr-imagines · 5 years ago

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Hello! May I request Hiyoko and Mahiru with an fem s/o who is a reserve course student? Thank you! (Some angst would be nice :3)

AI don’t know a lot about the reserve course, so this was challenging. I tried though, and I hope you like it nonetheless!

- Mod Sayaka

Mahiru Koizumi and Hiyoko Saionji With A Fem S/O Who Is In The Reserve Course!

Mahiru Koizumi

- You have always been interested in photography ever since you were a child. Despite having no desire to actually participate, you decided to learn as much as you could, and become as experienced as possible just in case your view changed when you were older.

- Due to this, Mahiru had been your friend well before she was scouted to attend Hope’s Peak. At first it was just a nice little routine, you would visit her, and she would talk to you about photography, with you either telling her facts of your own or taking small mental notes.

- But then it evolved into talking about more things - other likes, dislikes, and even home life. She would talk, and you would listen. You would talk, and she would listen. It was nice. All of the memories you two had together are nice to look back on in the end.

- The time you two were spending together gradually increased overtime, and then it became daily for you two to run off, and try to find places to take photos. You were always able to help with angles and were always honest with how you felt about her pictures. She appreciated that.

- She always told you that even if somebody isn’t an ultimate, she believes that they can still take a talent and build a career on it, just like any other ultimate could. That was always your motivation in life.

- But when Mahiru was scouted by Hope’s Peak Academy, you were ecstatic. Of course, neither of you wanted to have to leave each other, but your thought process was that “as long as one of us achieve our dream, then none of us can lose, right?”

- Mahiru never approved of this thought process of yours. She said that it’s only a win for her if we both turn out to have successful careers in things we want to do. You knew that she was right, but by sticking to the same idea that you always have, you were trying to convince yourself just as much as you were trying to convince her.

- And you thought that as long as you stuck to it and pretended to believe your own words, eventually you would genuinely start to believe it. But your mind doesn’t change so easily.

- The truth is, you were horribly upset that she was scouted to attend Hope’s Peak. You felt happy for her, you were so happy that she finally has the chance to achieve her dream - but at the same time, if she does achieve that dream, then what will happen to that duo you grew up with? Will you be forgotten?

- You were eventually confident enough to be vocal with these concerns and told Mahiru you were worried. She was thankfully very understanding, and made a mutual promise that we would never forget about each other.

- Despite this promise, you were still nervous. You didn’t want to grow apart - you wanted to stay together.

- That’s why, when your parents agreed to pay the fee to let you be a reserve course student, you were so excited. Your first instinct was to tell Mahiru, and she had a similar reaction to yours.

- “That’s amazing, S/O!” She wrapped her arms around you and pulled you close, and you did the same. You didn’t even realise what you were saying, or doing. It just slipped out.

- “I love you Mahiru.” There was a moment of silence between you two, before she finally broke the agonising silence with her own words.

- “I love you too.”

- You two made a solemn promise to each other that those feelings would never change. That your relationship would never change into something more unappealing, or something unhealthy.

- You promised each other. And in your entire life, all of the promises you’ve made with Mahiru have never been broken. Never before have you ever had a reason to be suspicious of her breaking a promise - because you trusted her with your life.

- “Mahiru?” Until now. The redhead in question wasn’t responding to your texts, and she was never around you in school. You hadn’t seen her for a while, so you thought she was sick. But then you saw her with a group of people you didn’t know.

- She spun around, and looked almost shocked to see your face. The group of people were confused. They were obviously ultimates - they all had that aura around them of their personality and general presence. Something you and a lot of other reserve course students lacked.

- “S/O, hi.”

- “Mahiru, who’s this?” One of the girls asked. She looked unwelcoming, and her aura had a sort of “leave here, and never come back” feeling to it.

- Mahiru, supposedly in her panic, turned back around and said, “Nobody. Anyway-” You didn’t cut her off, but you tuned her out. Nobody? These new friends of hers didn’t even know who you were, and now she wasn’t even going to bother to introduce you, or give you the chance to introduce yourself?

- Your body was moving on its own at this point. You grabbed her hand and pulled her away to another area - not far away enough to not be in public, but far away enough for her to basically be inclined to speak to you.

- “S/O! What are you doing? Jeez, I’m just trying to talk to my friends.”

- “I get that,” you say. Your face must be red from anger at this point, you think. “But I’m your friend, too! And you’re not even going to bother to say “oh, yeah, that’s S/O”, I mean, c’mon, Mahiru!”

- Mahiru looked almost offended at that comment. “S/O. I swear, I’ve finally made some more friends, and you can’t even be happy for me?”

- “I can’t even be happy for you? What the hell do you mean?” You have to stop yourself from yelling. “You’ve been refusing to talk to me or be anywhere near me for the past few days!”

- “Well maybe I want some friends who actually have talent.”

- She seemed to cut herself off after that, looking terrified of what just escaped her mouth. She slapped a hand over her mouth and her eyes brimmed with tears, as did yours. “Wait, S/O- I didn’t mean it. I swear.”

- “No, Mahiru... Just don’t.” You turn around, wiping your tears away as you run off to any secluded place you can use to cry without anybody bothering you. Nobody could see you in this state - absolutely nobody.

- Because even if they did, they wouldn’t care, right? I mean... who would care about somebody who doesn’t even have any real talent?

- You look up, and see the mountains that you told Mahiru to take a quick picture of as a memento a few months ago, and can’t help but feel sick.

Hiyoko Saionji

- Just like Mahiru, you two had the fortune of growing up together. Back when she was younger, she was far more trusting than she is now. You knew about her misfortune from a very early age, so you were always her shoulder to cry on whenever she felt like she needed help.

- You two were the perfect duo - you being a perfect balance to her mischievous and childish behaviour. She often referred to you as “big sis” when you two grew older, and she stuck to you like glue.

- Whenever she felt upset or threatened in any way, she usually ran to her father as support. But if by chance her father wasn’t around and you were, she’d immediately go to you for any sort of help you could give her.

- She was always very protective of you. She believed that because you were her friend and you grew up together, that you deserve the same treatment that she deserves, which is to be treated as a superior. You never agreed with her on this, but there is no arguing with her. You learned that a while ago, and the hard way too.

- You two were simply jumping around, with her babbling on about whatever nonsense crossed her mind. You joyfully listened, and then stopped yourself when she mentioned something about both of you being higher-ups in the world, and with both of you deserving to be treated like royalty.

- You told her that you weren’t royalty though, and that although you would be okay with Hiyoko being treated like a princess, you just want to be known as a normal girl with a normal backstory.

- She cried. Loud. She threw a tantrum until you took it back, and said that you should be treated as a superior too. Ever since that day, you learned to just go along with what she things is right, because it’s not worth the heartbreak of hearing her wails.

- Hiyoko believes wholeheartedly that you are just as talented as her - even if you aren’t an ultimate. She says that whoever doesn’t think so should go back to the pig den where they belong, since obviously they escaped there a few years ago.

- You were always there to protect her from people who made her cry out of nowhere, even if she was actually being nice to them for once. This led to assumptions being made about you. People began to spread rumours that you were just as bad as Hiyoko.

- You didn’t care, and continued to defend Hiyoko with your life. She was simply misunderstood, right? She would never turn on you. She would never turn on anybody she truly cares about.

- When Hiyoko was scouted by Hope’s Peak Academy, she wasn’t happy. Rather, she was upset that you wouldn’t be there with her - protecting her, helping her. You reassured her that she’d be fine without you, but it’d be a cold day in hell before she believes that.

- She would constantly whine about having to be alone in a whole new area without her best friend, without the one person she could turn to other than her father.

- So in order to make her happy, you convinced your parents to pay the fee. It took my begging, whining and compromising, but eventually, they caved, and paid the fee to allow you to be in the reserve course with some other students just like you.

- “Hey, Hiyoko! I have something to tell you.” You tapped her on the shoulder, and she turned around. Upon seeing you, her face lit up like a small child.

- “Oh hey! It better be good news!” She smiled, looking up at you with excitement. She really did remind you of a child sometimes. Not just her looks, but her attitude and overall aura was that of a small child’s.

- You nodded. “It is- I got into the reserve course.” She immediately threw herself at you, wrapped her arms around your midsection.

- “Yes! I knew it - you’ll will be with me forever!” Hiyoko sounded so amazingly happy that you got into the reserve course, and so you couldn’t help but hug back.

- “Of course we wi-”

- “I love you, S/O!”

- There was a moment of awkward silence between you two, before Hiyoko desperately tried to cover up her tracks by going back on the statement. “No- no, I mean like... y’know...”

- “I love you too, Hiyoko.” You smiled fondly down at her. She grew silent. The silence this time was far from awkward, it was in fact, a very comfortable silence. A comforting quiet, a nice change from the usual ruckus that happens whenever you’re around Hiyoko.

- “Yeah. Yeah, love you, S/O.”

- That was the happiest day of your life. Where you were both finally able to confess your feelings for each other, and also the day where you confirmed that you would be going to the same school as her.

- But little did you know, that going to the same school would be the root of both of your issues. It was your dream, and Hiyoko’s, for the longest time. But neither of you anticipated that your shared dream could cause the biggest nightmare of your lives.

- “Go away, you fat pig!” Hiyoko spat, stepping in front of you. You were having a civil conversation with Mikan, and apparently, Hiyoko wasn’t very pleased with this.

- “I-I’m sorry! S-so s-sorry!” Mikan hurried away, around the corner. Hiyoko huffed, pleased with herself, and turned back to face you.

- “We were just talking, Hiyoko.”

- “Yeah, well why were you talking with that useless bitch instead of me? You said you love me, remember? So why don’t you spend time with me?” Hiyoko whined, stomping her foot down.

- “I do spend time with you, Hiyoko! But sometimes I want to hang around with my other friends, too-”

- “Oh, yeah, riiiiight. What kinda moron would willingly be around a reserve course student?”

- She seemed to not notice what she said for a few seconds, because it took her a moment to look just as taken aback as you did.

- “Apparently you’re the kind of moron that would, Hiyoko.” You turn away, your eyes stinging with the unwanted tears that threatened to spill at any moment.

- “W-wait!”

- You hastily walked away. There was no point in hiding anymore - your tears were already flowing down your cheeks, showing no sign of stopping.

- Nobody asked what was wrong. Nobody even gave you a passing glance.

- Of course they didn’t. After all, what kind of moron would willingly be around a reserve course student?

#i hope this was alright #danganronpa #hiyoko saionji #hiyoko saionji imagines #hiyoko saionji x reader #mahiru koizumi #mahiru koizumi imagines #mahiru koizumi x reader #dr #sdr2 #danganronpa goodbye despair #sdr2 imagines #danganronpa imagines #dr imagines #imagines #imagine #mod sayaka

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renegade-is-in-my-blood · 5 years ago

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Being in the blogging business for around 8 years now I came to learn a lot. Let’s hear from the old bitter blogger about the difference between being an ambassador and being a customer. When you’re investing more than you’re gaining from the collaboration it’s not really a collaboration you’re looking for.

There is a new trend going around social media, especially Instagram. I’ve been getting collaboration offers on a daily basis even pre COVID times but now the amount of pseudo collaborations increased.

Hands down it is an incredible business strategy from the business point of view.

Everyone wants to be an ambassador.

Ambassador became an even more prestigious title than an influencer. Influencer posses some sort of responsibility for their actions whilst ambassador is just being paid for simply being.

Who wouldn’t want that?

Many brands use this knowledge to the fullest and offers these pseudo collaborations.

So what is a pseudo collaboration?

Well, it starts off by being contacted by a brand.

You’ll receive a ctrl+c ctrl+v message from a brand-name-scout. The message contains several cute emojis and addresses you as a gorgeous, pretty, cutie, love, honey, sweety, and if they really want to get you, even by your Instagram name.

It’s usually followed by a bunch of compliments about your fashion style, vibe, Instagram, or whatever. Then there is a lie about following or just generally noticing you for a while without ever seeing your insta story, like any of your posts, or even actually following you.

Now it’s time for an offer beneficial for you.

Usually, it’s free products, a way to earn a commission, or just the sheer option to be able to call yourself an ambassador. Every single brand out there offers a “support” like anyone really knows what’s that supposed to mean. I had several ones even offering me a travel trips, but never elaborated on it after my further questioning.

Now comes the hook with a “do you want to learn more?” question.

If you think I’m exaggeration for the story and I can’t be generalizing all of the collaborations offers into a simple standard form I wish you were right. Here are some of the screenshots of my current Instagram DMs:

You might think: “What’s wrong with that? They’re trying so don’t be mean. Just ignore them.” let me remind you how dumb Instagram algorithm is.

If your account is followed by bots, messaged by bots, liked by bots Instagram assumes you’re one of them or you got hacked by them. Sweet of them for trying to protect you thought, but holy hell did that made everything super complicated for me.

I got several messages from the brand scouts messaging me again because their previous account got deleted.

No shit Sherlock, it’s like you can’t keep creating accounts, following and messaging a bunch of people at once and ask for money anymore.

So now every time my account gets suspicious activity such as too many likes/follows/messages Instagram suspects my account got hacked. Each time they require I change my password and let me tell you I ran out of password ideas months ago.

That’s not the worst part though.

After each time I change my password I’m blocked for 7 days from liking, following, or adding tags to my posts and that sucks. Just to get a better picture of this issue I’m blocked approximately once sometimes twice per month.

The block comes hand in hand with a shadowban that lingers for god knows how long, meaning Instagram is not gonna support you in any way. That’s why I have around 40 likes on a posts with 47K followers most of which are bots anyway.

I loath Instagram app yet I spend hours a day on the hellish site and I’m not only one.

We spend so much time on Instagram anyway so when a chance to earn money form it comes along you’re tempted to take it. Brands know that.

Imagine you’re a small-town girl with around 400 followers on Instagram. You already feel pretty popular right?

Now imagine you get the messages I shared above but you get just one. Someone out there thinks you’re so popular they want you on their team, you are just like the big influencers, you get job offers for being an Instagram star. You’re the next Kardashian.

You can have all of the things they said to you BUT you need to do something for them first. You have to pay for it.

And here is the catch with all of the pseudo collaborations.

What they don’t say to you in their first message is what it’s gonna cost you.

Many offers you free stuff but you need to pay for the one-time shipping. Some brands offer you a unique discount of around 40-60% off so you’ll pay just a part of the price and you can call yourself an ambassador.

I don’t know about you, but I thought that was called the customer. You buy a product, you wear it and occasionally you take photo of it on your social media sites. The new term is an ambassador apparently.

I get why so many people agree to this kind of collaboration. It’s new for you. It makes you feel good and successful in your friend’s and families eyes. And there is that hopefully undertone of making money from it.

Aren’t the brands unprofitable when they give away discounts and free stuff?

In a theory, yes, but there is one thing all of the brands that messaged me had in common except for the audacity.

Overpriced products.

I got messaged by jewelry stores, fashion stores and gym equipment stores most of the time. I took the time and did my research on every one of them.

When a store sold jewelry, they had the same products as the rest of the jewelry stores I got contacted by. A small variety of around 8 products most of them sold out anyway. And let’s not forget the ridiculously high prices. You can’t charge a cheap Chinese necklace you can get on amazon or aliexpress for under a 1$ for 40$.

So even if you’re paying just around 30$ for your ambassador order they are still making a profit on your wannabe Instagramer need cuz they purchased said items for far less.

Well, I’m being a little miss know it all right?

How can I talk about pseudo collaboration like this when it’s all based on assumptions. Well you know me, I’m curious as hell and I actually went through 3 pseudo collaborations myself just to prove a point.

I literally spend money so I can tell you about it right now so here is how my 3 pseudo collaborations went like.

All of the ones I choose were jewelry based pseudo collaborations. With the corona times, post offices are overwhelmed with parcels. I ordered big parcels in recent times and they arrived with around a month delay. I figured smaller jewelry in an envelope form would be quicker to arrive and I was right.

Pseudo collaboration number one VONACHI:

A simple yet luxurious-looking website with very few decent pieces of jewelry, offered me 3 free pieces to take a photo in and promote. I would also get a 60% discount code and every time my code would be used I would receive 30% of the money amount. Incredibly overpriced amount in the first place.

Here is the list of all of the benefits they offered.

The scout that approached me was very eager. They kept insisting I place my order right away. No time to waste.

To make it clear I got a simple code to apply in a check out that subtracted the price and I got the pieces for free. All I had to do was pay a 20$ shipping fee what seems like nothing but for 3 small necklaces, it is way too much.

Another thing that was odd was that I was required to take a screenshot of my order and send it back to scout. I guess to prove I was legit.

After bunch of further compliments and claims how excited they are to be working with me we ended our conversation.

If you think I was being reckless to give my credit card and home address to such a questionable site don’t be.

Honestly, I trust zero people, sometimes I don’t even trust myself. I used a card I have no to very little money on and I got it shipped to a work address.

My parcel from china arrived in around a month and a half. I got one black box with one necklace and the other 2 necklaces were in small plastic bags. I received a note about welcoming me to the program and asking me to contact vonachi’s official Instagram account for setting up my discount code and that’s exactly what I did. The official page responded after longer time period with just a “this is your code” message. I took a photo, tagged vonachi as a business partner, and shared my code. I did my part and I was never contacted by them again.

My 60% code is VONAMBNAT and as you might have guessed no one used it so far.

Or at least no one told me it was used. If someone were to use my code I would be contacted by vonachi and here is the problem. I’m supposed to trust them with their credibility cuz there is no other way for me to check it for myself. This is what it’s missing from the old Time collaborations of mine. I would get a tracking code, an account login, graphs, statistics, and one on one communication with a brand in my previous collaborations. But you know Golden times for influencers are long gone.

Now I’m left to just simply trust them.

Why would they ever confess someone used my code? If a customer gets 60% off and I’m getting 30% from already discounted item there is just a very little left for vonachi. They don’t say anything and get to keep my 30% share.

They didn’t put much effort into tracking system cuz they are not expecting their ambassadors/customers to make any sales anyway.

The products were not that bad. They came in a bit rusty and tangled but I was excepting much worse.

Hell, I was not expecting them to legitimately arrive.

Pseudo collaboration number 2: ENGELSINN

I initiated this pseudo collaboration myself. Engelsinn paid a significant amount of money to Instagram promoted post and that’s where I found out they are looking for ambassadors.

I filled out an application form.

This one felt more legit cuz they actually asked for followers count and all of the communication occurred via email. Automated emails but still it reminded me of good old days.

I was given a 40% discount code to use on my first order. The shipping was free but it still cost me another 20$ to get the product. Since placing my first order I got a 20% discount code “nat7x20” for my followers to get 20% off their engelsinn order.

When my code is redeemed 2 times I get one jewelry of my choice for free.

Do I even need to mention that I didn’t get any email since?

Well, that’s not exactly true I got 2 more emails each with another discount code I could use for 24 hours and buy more of their stuff. But none about redeemed code.

Engelsinn is a german based brand and living so close I got my parcel in around a week. I got myself a rose gold knot bracelet and I feel like a hypocrite but I actually really love this one and wear it every day. I know I wouldn’t get it if it wasn’t for the research but I’m glad I did.

Btw the ad about engelsinn looking for ambassador is still up there and it still says they have only a few places left. It’s been 2 months.

Pseudo collaboration number 3: CUZETTE

I got messaged by them on my Instagram and their offer was super confusing. They promised it all. 3 free stuff now, free stuff every month, paid trip to several destinations, and even 50$ voucher. The scout called me sweety exactly 9 times during our conversations. It was super annoying.

So I choose another 3 free items and paid another 20$ for shipping. When I asked about the 50$ voucher I was told I would need to refer 5 friends who would also become cuzette ambassador or delegate as they named it, to get the 50$. No info about the travel trips though.

I was told to contact the official page for more info but it took days for them to finally reply with nothing new just more compliments and excitement about the future. It’s been 2 months and I still haven’t received my order just as I was expecting.

Later on, I endorsed in conversation with several other brands asking for more info, looking for something different than standard copy and paste form. Unsuccessful.

Every time I asked how many ambassadors they have in their program the answer was always “around 3000“. Once again, you have 3000 customers and not 3000 ambassadors. If the only people who buy from you are people you ask to buy from you, you’re doing something wrong.

But your business plan is on point.

When I asked about who and where makes their products I was either met with a silence or a sweet talk about a responsible brand.

These brands are providing people with content. You get to take photos of the items you ordered and you get to be as creative as you want. In these COVID times so many brands had to cancel or postpone their collaborations with bloggers or Instagrammers. I saw huge travel/luxurious instagramers switch form hotel and travel collaborations to promoting kitchen wipes. Times are tough and you got to do what you got to do.

Yet these small businesses with hight prices are thriving?

You know it’s not about the product but about the potential.

Profiting on greediness.

So smart.

To prove my point even further I got to confess one more thing. I mentioned before that I manage Instagram accounts for different brands and among them is one fashion store. I was not only at the ambassadors’ side but on the scouting side as well.

All I had to do was search for people who looked like they would be willing to become an ambassador for our store and had decent amount of followers. I had saved message form and all I did was try to guess peoples names so the message seemed more personal. Once they agreed to a discussion I let my boss take the lead.

So yeah, try to really think about the offers you get.

Look at it from all points of view and ask yourself if it’s profitable for anyone else but the brand.

If you want to have offers pouring your way try adding #ad #spon #collab to your next Instagram posts. That’s how they look for their next ambassador.

Everyone wants to be an ambassador.

Pseudo Collaborations- Everyone wants to be an Ambassador Being in the blogging business for around 8 years now I came to learn a lot. Let's hear from the old bitter blogger about the difference between being an ambassador and being a customer.

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orbemnews · 4 years ago

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Within the 12 months since, with much less fanfare, the financial institution has additionally constructed up a enterprise to assist recruit administrators for these boards, which has expanded to cowl public corporations as effectively. “It turned very clear to us early on that board variety is one thing that’s vital — and must be — to all of our purchasers,” mentioned Ilana Wolfe, Goldman’s head of company board engagement. For its half, JPMorgan Chase has had a board advisory service since 2016. It’s not targeted completely on variety, however that has been a precedence since its early days. Of the 42 board members the service has positioned, 30 are ladies and 5 are individuals of shade. Large banks getting concerned in serving to boards diversify suggests that there’s a enterprise case for it. Or, put extra bluntly, there are future charges to be made. For the banks, there’s the twin attraction of serving to society normally, by way of larger equality, and their enterprise particularly, by assembly a requirement from purchasers and forging relationships with administrators who could also be a supply of future income. Once I referred to as Ursula Burns, the previous Xerox chief government and director on many boards, she urged me to not make this “a financial institution story.” For good purpose: advocacy teams have been pushing for larger board variety lengthy earlier than banks took a severe curiosity. To formalize this work, Ms. Burns, the primary Black girl to run a Fortune 500 firm, helped begin the Board Range Motion Alliance final 12 months to deal with the “glacial” progress of hiring racially and ethnically numerous board members. Certainly, ladies account for round 1 / 4 of administrators at S&P 500 corporations and roughly the identical share of board members self-identify as a race or ethnicity apart from white, in accordance with the Convention Board. Solely 5 % of the three,000 largest listed corporations in the USA have a board with an equal gender steadiness, per the group Girls on Boards. Progress on these measures has been gradual, regardless of some analysis that exhibits extra numerous boards are linked with higher monetary efficiency. Stress for change is now coming from all sides. A renewed deal with variety from the Biden administration, expressed in a number of government orders, places a highlight on fairness and inclusion that will filter down into boardrooms. The swearing-in of Vice President Kamala Harris, the primary girl and the primary individual of shade to carry the nation’s second-highest workplace, was additionally a landmark second. Mr. Biden’s decide for chairman of the Securities and Alternate Fee, Gary Gensler, is predicted to push for firm disclosure of variety knowledge. Enterprise & Economic system Up to date Jan. 22, 2021, 7:23 p.m. ET Final 12 months, California handed a legislation mandating a minimal degree gender variety on company boards. Beginning this 12 months, State Avenue will vote towards sure board nominees at corporations that don’t disclose variety knowledge, and BlackRock could do the identical. Nasdaq is searching for regulatory permission to require numerous boards and associated disclosures at corporations that record on its trade, or face expulsion. (When asset managers and exchanges converse up about variety, it follows that banks would take discover.) “The outdated guard has moved out,” mentioned Rebecca Thornton, who leads JPMorgan’s director advisory service. “Many stood in an ivory tower with a bias that ‘this board is barely CEOs and we aren’t going to commerce on high quality to get variety.’ Those that are advanced sufficient to disregard the title and take the assembly see the worth of getting that numerous voice within the room.” However boards are additionally aware of getting the recruiting course of proper, lest they offer ammunition to critics of quotas and different mandates. This week, Arthur Levitt Jr., the previous S.E.C. chairman through the Clinton administration, referred to as Nasdaq’s proposals “political at their core,” questioned the hyperlink between director variety and monetary efficiency, and mentioned new guidelines wouldn’t break hiring habits that “rely upon casual social networks the place mates suggest one another.” That’s the place teams like Ms. Burns’s Board Range Motion Alliance, the Government Management Council, Latino Company Administrators Affiliation and Girls Company Administrators come into play, increasing networks past the standard suspects. “Discovering certified numerous administrators just isn’t unduly troublesome. In a rustic with over 330 million individuals, there are many certified candidates,” wrote John Rogers and Mellody Hobson of Ariel Investments in a letter to the S.E.C. supporting Nasdaq’s variety proposal. Ms. Burns additionally defined the fallacy of the so-called pipeline drawback at DealBook’s On-line Summit in November: Gloria Boyland, a former FedEx government, joined the board of the economic expertise firm Vontier final 12 months, with the assistance of JPMorgan. (FedEx is a crucial shopper of the financial institution.) Conversations with representatives from JPMorgan, earlier than that they had a board opening to pitch her, gave the financial institution’s staff a greater understanding of her, she mentioned. That was notably vital as a result of her job at FedEx was in operations and repair help, a much less simply categorized position than, say, a finance position. (She retired from FedEx final 12 months.) “The dialog was actually round understanding my expertise, and what I’d carry to a board,” she mentioned, quite than instantly scouting for a particular alternative. Ms. Boyland, who’s Black, was already a director of Chesapeake Power on the time she joined Vontier, a place she obtained via her community. Karen Francis, Vontier’s chair, obtained to know JPMorgan’s recruiting service via of its annual conferences for administrators. She later referred to as them when she was constructing a brand new board after Vontier was spun off from its former dad or mum. She didn’t essentially require that administrators have previous board expertise, so long as they “had a extremely good comprehension of what the board does,” she mentioned. “What I’d say to chairs who don’t need to carry on first-time individuals could be: ‘Effectively, aren’t you skilled sufficient which you can practice that individual?” Ms. Francis mentioned. Her first precedence was discovering somebody with audit committee chair expertise, and she or he discovered Andrew Miller, a white man, to fill the submit. Later, Ms. Thornton of JPMorgan recommended Ms. Boyland as a candidate for a director position, who Ms. Francis mentioned was an excellent match for the board’s wants. Banks, in fact, aren’t the one means for corporations to faucet numerous expertise swimming pools, however maybe by placing their appreciable assets behind selling boardroom variety, they are going to encourage others to do the identical. What do you suppose? Is there a greater approach to recruit administrators? What’s the enterprise case for boardroom variety? Tell us: [email protected]. Supply hyperlink #Boardroom #Business #Case #diversity

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gordonwilliamsweb · 4 years ago

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Black Women Find Healing (But Sometimes Racism, Too) in the Outdoors

It would be the last hike of the season, Jessica Newton had excitedly posted on her social media platforms. With mild weather forecast and Colorado’s breathtaking fall foliage as a backdrop, she was convinced an excursion at Beaver Ranch Park would be the quintessential way to close out months of warm-weather hikes with her “sister friends.”

This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free.

Still, when that Sunday morning in 2018 arrived, she was shocked when her usual crew of about 15 had mushroomed into about 70 Black women. There’s a first time for everything, she thought as they broke into smaller groups and headed toward the nature trail. What a sight they were, she recalled, as the women — in sneakers and hiking boots, a virtual sea of colorful headwraps, flowy braids and dreadlocks, poufy twists and long, flowy locks — trekked peacefully across the craggy terrain in the crisp mountain air.

It. Was. Perfect. Exactly what Newton had envisioned when in 2017 she founded Black Girls Hike to connect with other Black women who share her affinity for outdoor activities. She also wanted to recruit others who had yet to experience the serenity of nature, a pastime she fell for as a child attending an affluent, predominately white private school.

But their peaceful exploration of nature and casual chatter — about everything from food and family to hair care and child care — was abruptly interrupted, she said, by the ugly face of racism.

“We had the sheriff called on us, park rangers called on us,” recalled Newton, now 37, who owns a construction industry project development firm in Denver.

“This lady who was horseback riding was upset that we were hiking on her trail. She said that we’d spooked her horse,” she said of a woman in a group of white horseback riders they encountered. “It just didn’t make any sense. I felt like, it’s a horse and you have an entire mountain that you can trot through, run through, gallop through or whatever. She was just upset that we were in her space.”

Eventually, two Jefferson County sheriff’s deputies, with guns on their hips, approached, asking, “What’s going on here?” They had been contacted by rangers who’d received complaints about a large group of Black women being followed by camera drones in the park; the drones belonged to a national television news crew shooting a feature on the group. (The segment aired weeks later, but footage of the confrontation wasn’t included.)

“‘Move that mob!’” attendee Portia Prescott recalled one of the horseback riders barking.

“Why is it that a group of Black women hiking on a trail on a Sunday afternoon in Colorado is considered a ‘mob?’” Prescott asked.

A man soon arrived who identified himself as the husband of one of the white women on horseback and the manager of the park, according to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office incident report, and began arguing with the television producers in what one deputy described in the report as a “hostile” manner.

The leader of the horseback tour told the deputies that noise from the large group and the drones startled the horses and that when she complained to the news crew, they told her to deal with it herself, the report said. The news crew told deputies that the group members felt insulted by the horseback riders use of the term “mob.” The woman leading the horseback riders, identified in the incident report as Marie Elliott, said that she did not remember calling the group a mob, but she told the officers she “would have said the same thing if the group had been a large group of Girl Scouts.”

In the end, Newton and her fellow hikers were warned for failing to secure a permit for the group. Newton said she regrets putting members in a distressing — and potentially life-threatening — situation by unknowingly breaking a park rule. However, she suspects that a similarly sized hiking group of white women would not have been confronted so aggressively.

“You should be excited that we are bringing more people to use your parks,” added Newton. “Instead, we got slammed with [threats of] violations and ‘Who are you?’ and ‘Please, get your people and get out of here.’ It’s just crazy.”

Mike Taplin, spokesperson for the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, confirmed that no citations were issued. The deputies “positively engaged with everyone, with the goal of preserving the peace,” he said.

Newton said the “frustrating” incident has reminded her why her group, which she has revamped and renamed Vibe Tribe Adventures, is so needed in the white-dominated outdoor enthusiasts’ arena.

With the tagline “Find your tribe,” the group aims to create a sisterhood for Black women “on the trails, on waterways and in our local communities across the globe.” Last summer, she secured nonprofit status and expanded Vibe Tribe’s focus, adding snowshoeing, fly-fishing, zip lining and kayaking to its roster. Today, the Denver-based group has 11 chapters across the U.S. (even Guam) and Canada, with about 2,100 members.

Research suggests her work is needed. The most recent National Park Service survey found that 6% of visitors are Black, compared with 77% white. Newton said that must change — especially given the opportunities parks provide and the health challenges that disproportionately plague Black women. Research shows they experience higher rates of chronic preventable health conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. A 2020 study found that racial discrimination also may increase stress, lead to health problems and reduce cognitive functioning in Black women. Newton said it underscores the need for stress-relieving activities.

“It’s been studied at several colleges that if you are outdoors for at least five minutes, it literally brings your stress level down significantly,” said Newton. “Being around nature, it’s like grounding yourself. That is vital.”

Newton said participation in the group generally tapers off in winter. She is hopeful, though, that cabin fever from the pandemic will inspire more Black women to try winter activities.

Atlanta member Stormy Bradley, 49, said the group has added value to her life. “I am a happier and healthier person because I get to do what I love,” said the sixth grade teacher. “The most surprising thing is the sisterhood we experience on and off the trails.”

Patricia Cameron, a Black woman living in Colorado Springs, drew headlines this summer when she hiked 486 miles — from Denver to Durango — and blogged about her experience to draw attention to diversity in the outdoors. She founded the Colorado nonprofit Blackpackers in 2019.

“One thing I caught people saying a lot of is ‘Well, nature is free’ and ‘Nature isn’t racist’ — and there’s two things wrong with that,” said Cameron, a 37-year-old single mother of a preteen.

“Nature and outside can be free, yes, but what about transportation? How do you get to certain outdoor environments? Do you have the gear to enjoy the outdoors, especially in Colorado, where we’re very gear-conscious and very label-conscious?” she asked. “Nature isn’t going to call me the N-word, but the people outside might.”

Cameron applauds Newton’s efforts and those of other groups nationwide, like Nature Gurlz, Outdoor Afro, Diversify Outdoors, Black Outdoors, Soul Trak Outdoors, Melanin Base Camp and Black Girls Run, that have a similar mission. Cameron said it also was encouraging that the Outdoor Industry Association, a trade group, pledged in the wake of the racial unrest sparked by George Floyd’s death to help address a “long history of systemic racism and injustice” in the outdoors.

Efforts to draw more Black people, especially women, outdoors, Cameron said, must include addressing barriers, like cost. For example, Blackpackers provides a “gear locker” to help members use pricey outdoor gear free or at discounted rates. She has also partnered with businesses and organizations that subsidize and sponsor outdoor excursions. During the pandemic, Vibe Tribe has waived all membership fees through this month.

Cameron said she dreams of a day when Black people are free from the pressures of carrying the nation’s racial baggage when participating in outdoor activities.

Vibe Tribe member and longtime outdoor enthusiast Jan Garduno, 52, of Aurora, Colorado, agreed that fear and safety are pressing concerns. For example, leading up to the presidential election she changed out of her “Let My People Vote” T-shirt before heading out on a solo walk for fear of how other hikers might react.

Groups like Vibe Tribe, she said, provide camaraderie and an increased sense of safety. And another plus? The health benefits can also be transformative.

“I’ve been able to lose about 40 pounds and I’ve kept it off,” explained Garduno.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

Black Women Find Healing (But Sometimes Racism, Too) in the Outdoors published first on https://nootropicspowdersupplier.tumblr.com/

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stephenmccull · 4 years ago

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Black Women Find Healing (But Sometimes Racism, Too) in the Outdoors

This story also ran on NPR. It can be republished for free.

But their peaceful exploration of nature and casual chatter — about everything from food and family to hair care and child care — was abruptly interrupted, she said, by the ugly face of racism.

“We had the sheriff called on us, park rangers called on us,” recalled Newton, now 37, who owns a construction industry project development firm in Denver.

“‘Move that mob!’” attendee Portia Prescott recalled one of the horseback riders barking.

“Why is it that a group of Black women hiking on a trail on a Sunday afternoon in Colorado is considered a ‘mob?’” Prescott asked.

Newton said the “frustrating” incident has reminded her why her group, which she has revamped and renamed Vibe Tribe Adventures, is so needed in the white-dominated outdoor enthusiasts’ arena.

Newton said participation in the group generally tapers off in winter. She is hopeful, though, that cabin fever from the pandemic will inspire more Black women to try winter activities.

Cameron said she dreams of a day when Black people are free from the pressures of carrying the nation’s racial baggage when participating in outdoor activities.

Groups like Vibe Tribe, she said, provide camaraderie and an increased sense of safety. And another plus? The health benefits can also be transformative.

“I’ve been able to lose about 40 pounds and I’ve kept it off,” explained Garduno.

Kaiser Health News (KHN) is a national health policy news service. It is an editorially independent program of the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation which is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.

USE OUR CONTENT

This story can be republished for free (details).

Black Women Find Healing (But Sometimes Racism, Too) in the Outdoors published first on https://smartdrinkingweb.weebly.com/

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camp-counselor-life · 2 years ago

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A sort of serious question you totally don’t have to answer, but as someone I respect in the camp world I’d definitely value your opinion on: what do you think of the labor ethics of standard camp practices? I’ve never worked for a Girl Scout camp, though I attended them as a kid, but I’ve worked at other national org camps and well as local non profits, and at all of the resident programs I’ve done, I feel like camp employees (both seasonal and year round) are vastly overworked and underpaid. I’m not sure how GS camps do it, but at camps I’ve worked at, working 23 hrs/day for 6 days a week, 7-10 weeks in a row is not uncommon. With average pay, say, $600/week, even if you only count the 15 or so waking hours counselors are working, that comes out to like $6 and hour. Considering that counselors are also on duty all night….I don’t even want to do the math. Am I crazy?? Are other camps not like this??? I know some of the justification for not paying more is because housing and food are provided but it’s not like counselors usually have the option to stay or eat offsite. Idk I know a lot of camps—especially non-profits—don’t make a ton of money, and I think they’re important for kids, but it feels like we really overlook the physical and mental well-being of staff to run them. So I guess I’m wondering, have you seen these issues at camps? Do you think most camps are ethically run?

So this is a huge can of worms in the camp industry and I know it's a touchy subject with a lot of followers and camp people in general. I think it varies A Lot between camps. Like, an absolutely wild amount.

First, $600/week for an overnight camp is fairly high in a lot of places. I won't get into what the overnight camps I know of pay, but suffice to say it is significantly less than that. The hourly wage (should you dare to do the math) is appalling. Hours wise we also less in my council: we have 2 hours off a day (we talked about changing to 3/day also) and then 5 day work weeks for the most part. A lot of camps (my old council) did a one night a week off as well.

Day camps are different, because many have to pay hourly, and many pay above minimum wage to be competitive. I know some camps (day camps) paying $18-20/hour (or more). Obviously this is not all camps, but especially in places like California and the Eastern seaboard, where minimum wage laws are different. We now pay hourly for 0-12 hours during the school year, although not at that rate, and a daily rate for overnight programs. The overnight rate is a significant increase from when I was seasonal staff.

Full time staff are also low on the pay rate, and I see a lot of FT camp director positions in the 35-40k range of salaries. Sometimes year round housing is included, but how much of a perk is it really (also a big debate) to live where you work and never really escape? Unfortunately, that extends to a lot of nonprofit jobs. I made a little over $17/hour when I started, including when I transitioned to exempt, but I've negotiated and earned many raises and bonuses, so now I make not a great wage, but not a terrible wage, and better than a lot of camp positions (I'm not technically camp, but it's a similar pay scale).

I think from a "reasoning" standpoint, it's difficult because staffing is such a huge expense and A Lot of funders don't want to pay for it. Many, many grants are restricted and can only be used for program supplies, or maybe food. Staff salaries though? Difficult to fun through grants. So you have to pay for them with kid's fees. But how do you do that and still be affordable? Still be a price people are willing to pay, beating out the competition? I think that's where a lot of camps struggle, but also, camp staff are necessary, you can't run camp without them, so how do you balance that budget?

Is it ethical to significantly underpay and overwork? Not really. It's bad for staff mental health and it decreases the pool of staff to privileged individuals who don't need the money. But I think that it is getting better, in a lot of places. Not everywhere, but a lot of places. And the conversation is there. I expect that camp wages and hours will drastically change in our lifetime. Will there always be camps that exploit legal loopholes? Yes, absolutely. But I think that the camp industry is changing, and it's going to change more.

#camp director life #anon

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neptunecreek · 5 years ago

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After Nonprofits Protest at ICANN, California's Attorney General Steps Into the .ORG Battle

Once appearing to be a done deal, the sale of the .ORG registry to private equity is facing new delays and new opposition, after a successful protest in front of ICANN last week by nonprofits and an intervention by the California Attorney General. Private equity firm Ethos Capital’s proposed $1.1 billion purchase of the Public Interest Registry (PIR) has raised nearly unanimous opposition from the nonprofit world, along with expressions of concern from technical experts, members of Congress, two UN Special Rapporteurs, and U.S. state charities regulators. ICANN, the nonprofit body that oversees the Internet’s domain name system, has found itself under increasing pressure to reject the deal.

“ICANN, You Can Stop The Sale!”

Last Friday’s protest at ICANN’s Los Angeles headquarters was the culmination of two months of intense backlash to the sale by nonprofits from around the globe, from The Girl Scouts of America, Consumer Reports, and the YMCA to Wikimedia and Oxfam. Nonprofit professionals and technologists gathered to tell ICANN their concerns in person: a private equity–owned firm running the .ORG registry would have strong incentives to undermine the privacy and free speech rights of nonprofit organizations, and to exploit them financially, in pursuit of new revenue streams for its investors. Besides potentially raising annual registration fees, PIR could censor nonprofit organizations at the request of powerful corporations or governments, or it could collect and monetize web browsing data about the people who visit .ORG websites.

The day before the protest, ICANN and PIR agreed to extend the contractual deadline for ICANN’s review of the sale by nearly a month, until February 17th. Although ICANN initially demanded transparency from PIR; its owner, the Internet Society (ISOC); and Ethos Capital around the details of the sale and the legal framework of PIR’s new for-profit status, very little of this information has been released to the public. ICANN even seems to be ignoring a formal request [.pdf] for information by the Address Supporting Organization, part of the “Empowered Community” that was created to oversee ICANN after its independence from U.S. government control. Despite its initial lack of transparency, ICANN now seems to be feeling pressure from the public not to rubber-stamp the acquisition.

The protest was organized by EFF, NTEN, Fight for the Future, and Demand Progress. Shortly before it started, ICANN staff seemed ready to talk to the protesters, reaching out to the organizers and offering to meet with them in person after the event. The organizers agreed, and suggested ICANN staff and the board join during the protest as well—standing with protesters, if they’d like, or observing, to learn more about the coalition and their concerns. But on the day of the protest, ICANN staff canceled the in-person meeting.

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As ICANN’s board of directors met inside, EFF’s Elliot Harmon explained to the crowd outside what was at stake: the .ORG ecosystem is "not a product to be sold. It's not this asset that you can let acquire a bunch of value over 16 years and then sell it to a private equity firm. It's something special. It's part of the infrastructure that the global NGO sector relies on.” Supporters joined in chants of “1,2,3,4, profit’s not what .ORG’s for!” and “ICANN, you can stop the sale!” As Amy Sample Ward, CEO of NTEN, said, “This is [ICANN’s] job. This is their responsibility… if we were to make a decision about who could own and manage the .ORG domain that truly had nonprofits and the public's interest at heart it would not be a private equity firm. So we understand the role that ICANN has apparently more than they seem to, and we are calling on them to step in, stop the sale, and to immediately open up a multi-stakeholder process.”

At the end of the rally, surprising the protestors, the entire ICANN board came out to meet them in person. Organizers handed copies of two petitions, signed by 34,000 individuals and over 700 nonprofit organizations, to Board President Maarten Botterman, in a powerful moment that signaled ICANN’s willingness to consider the protesters’ concerns.

Protesters gather at ICANN in support of nonprofits and .orgs

ICANN's board receives the petition

Also last week, well-known international NGO’s including Amnesty International, Access Now, and the Sierra Club held a press conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, to tell world leaders that selling .ORG puts civil society at risk. Numerous recent stories in the press have covered nonprofits’ concerns as well, from the lack of transparency in the process and the failure of ICANN to consider alternatives to the danger the sale could represent to ICANN’s own governance.

California Attorney General Asks for Unredacted Financial Info On Sale, Questions ICANN’s Authority

The California Attorney General’s Office has also reached out to ICANN, according to correspondence published on the ICANN website [.pdf], and asked for in-depth information on the sale. Some of its questions overlap with the questions ICANN has asked of PIR. According to ICANN, the Attorney General’s request constitutes an order that overrides confidentiality agreements which previously let ICANN hold back information, and requires them to respond with the confidential documents. On account of that request, ICANN has asked PIR for two more months to review the sale, meaning that the sale cannot be completed before April. In the meantime, the Attorney General’s office will be “analyz[ing] the impact to the nonprofit community, including to ICANN.”

Among the documents requested are not only the financial agreements, meeting minutes, documentation, and correspondence related to the transfer itself, but also:

Detailed information about the removal of domain price caps, which occurred just months before the sale was announced, and which ICANN, ISOC, and PIR have continuously (and curiously) claimed was unrelated to the sale.

Detailed information about ICANN staff and ICANN’s conflict-of-interest policy, indicating the Attorney General’s concern that at least some of those involved in the sale are self-dealing.

Historical information about ICANN’s own authority to manage the top-level domains, which could mean the Attorney General’s office is concerned enough about this transfer to put its trust in ICANN’s governance ability at risk.

We’re glad to see the Attorney General investigating the sale on behalf of nonprofit organizations. In addition to answering the Attorney General, ICANN should also respond to the many questions posed by the nonprofit community itself, many of which overlap. Three big questions the nonprofit community continues to ask of ICANN and PIR: How does Ethos plan on paying back the debt it will accrue in the purchase of PIR, without negatively impacting .ORGs? What “new products and services” does Ethos intend to offer to the .ORG ecosystem that makes this sale necessary? And will those new products and services serve the needs of nonprofits, or exploit them?

People who work on Internet governance issues get nervous when governments throw their weight around, and for good reason: ICANN volunteers have worked hard to keep the domain name system and other parts of the Internet’s governance structure out of government hands. Since 2016, ICANN is no longer formally supervised by the U.S. Department of Commerce, and no national government can dictate policy there, as much as some may want to. Instead of answering to governments, ICANN is supposed to answer to the community of Internet users. ICANN’s independence is an important check against censorship and government surveillance through the DNS. But that independence is fragile. It depends on ICANN maintaining legitimacy through good processes for public input and by being responsive to the concerns of Internet users who are most in need of protection, such as nonprofit users. If ICANN can only give rubber-stamp approval to billion-dollar deals that don’t protect Internet users from surveillance and censorship, then why does ICANN exist?

To avoid government intervention here, and the dangerous precedent it would set, ICANN needs to insist on more transparency around the sale of PIR, and to actively solicit public input through a multi-stakeholder process. Over the last few months, it’s been increasingly obvious that the public needs to be involved. That’s why EFF thanks each of the 34,000 individuals and over 700 organizations who signed a petition to ICANN, all who expressed their fears or requested more information about this sale, and those who helped rally in support of their favorite nonprofits at ICANN. The nonprofit and .ORG community have been united in their concern that this deal presents to civil society since it was announced, and we’re glad to see the Attorney General join us in questioning the value that this sale supposedly brings to the nonprofit ecosystem.

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The sale of the .ORG registry will impact the nonprofits we all care about. Please take a moment to add your name to the petition demanding a stop to the sale. If you represent an organization that would be affected by the sale, then you can find instructions there for adding your organization’s name to our coalition letter.

Thank you to our friends at NTEN, Fight for the Future, and Demand Progress—and especially to NTEN CEO Amy Sample Ward—for your work in organizing the protest.

TAKE ACTION

STAND UP FOR .ORG

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razieltwelve · 8 years ago

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Multiply (Final Rose AU)

Day 0

Lightning smiled. “Are you building a robot, Diana?”

The little girl looked away from the even littler robot she was building and grinned. “I am, mom. But it’s a special robot. It’ll take me a couple of days to build, but it’ll be able to build robots.”

“A robot that can build robots?” Lightning chuckled. “Better be careful there, Diana. We don’t want to make too many.”

Diana shrugged. “Well, I can’t make too many. It’s hard to find all the parts and stuff.”

Robot count: 0.

Day 2

Diana finished building the robot.

Robot count: 1.

Day 4

The robot built another robot.

Robot count: 2.

Day 6

The two robots built another two robots.

Robot count 4.

Day 8

The four robots built for more robots. Diana smiled and patted each of them on the head. They preened, quite pleased with themselves. They sat down beside her to watch some cartoons.

Robot count: 8

Day 16

Lightning frowned. The number of robots had increased quite a lot. They were actually taking up a reasonable portion of the living room. Moreover, Diana had cheerfully ordered her robots to go scrounging around the neighbourhood for bits and pieces that people didn’t need. Most of their neighbours were used to Diana’s tinkering, so they were happy to hand over any old toasters, broken electronics, and the like.

Diana had used those bits and pieces to craft what was essentially an ungainly but effective flying drone, one that seemed to be designed for maximum carrying capacity.

Robot count: 128.

Day 24

Lightning was no officially worried. Diana had used the drone to collect parts from the scrapyard. Apparently, people were just throwing away all kinds of things… all kinds of things that Diana’s robots could use to build more robots.

There were now too many robots to fit into the house. Diana had used her puppy dog eyes and the substantial amount of money she’d earned delivering newspapers via drone to purchase a warehouse in the bad part of the city to house her growing number of robots. She kept in constant contact with them via video uplink, and the robots themselves saw to the repair and security of the warehouse.

They’d even started patrolling other warehouses for a small fee.

Robot count: 2048

Day 30

“Vanille,” Lightning said. “I’m starting to worry. I think Diana is building a doomsday robot army in her warehouse.”

The fox Faunus laughed. “Lightning, it’s not that bad.”

“She has thousands of robots, Vanille. Thousands.”

“Well, yeah, but I’ve done the math. You’d need several billion of those robots, at the very least, to conquer the world.”

“Do I want to know why you’ve done the math?”

“Nope.” Vanille shrugged. “Besides, think of it this way: maybe she can use those robots to fight against the Grimm. They’re not as tough as what I can build, but their sheer numbers will eventually begin to take their toll on the Grimm.”

“I guess…”

Robot count: 16,384

Day 40

The robots were no longer simply building more robots. Diana had managed to install a rudimentary collective processing system that allowed them to share their processing power. The result was a network of growing capacity that was maniacally devoted to several tasks: improving itself, making more of itself, hanging out with Diana, and watching Gary cartoons.

The increasingly efficient production process had also given them time to do other things. With nothing else to do, the robots began to help out, doing the jobs people didn’t want to do and just generally doing their best to keep everything in as good condition as possible. They weren’t very good at first, but they learned quickly, and there was a lot of them. They also kept an eye on local criminal activity. If there was one thing they’d learned from Gary, it was that evil could not withstand the might of truth, justice, and friendship!

In fact, there were so many that some of them began to leave the confines of civilisation, scouting the surrounding area and investigating other possible materials for construction. Individually, they weren’t smart. Collectively, they were tremendously powerful.

In her bedroom, Diana enjoyed a game of ninja death tea with Averia and two of the robots.

Robot count: 524, 288

Day 42

Lightning could only stare in shock as the robots hurled themselves at the Grimm that had breached Vale’s defences with maniacal fury. They were small things, each of them only as big as a small dog, but there were so many of them. They weren’t particularly durable either, but that scarcely mattered when they simply piled onto the Grimm, attacking weak spots, tangling limbs, and generally getting in the way so huntsmen, huntresses, and soldiers could attack with impunity.

The most interesting thing was what happened after. The robots pieced themselves back together. Lightning asked Diana about it, but the girl just grinned and said her robots were smart like that. Plus, they’d started studying the Grimm, learning, and Diana was certain they’d do better next time.

Lightning shuddered. Better? They hadn’t lost a single robot. They’d either fixed themselves or been repaired by the others. What was more, they’d still found the time during the day to multiply.

Robot count: 1,048,576

Day 50

The robots were now waging a full-scale war against the Grimm. With the robots serving as the front line and taking the brunt of the damage, humans and Faunus alike were able to strike with terrible force, driving the Grimm back and back. Thousands of robots had been damaged, but they had all repaired themselves. They were even learning to combine, forming larger constructs that were even more powerful and durable.

Diana had given Lightning and the others the ability to command them, and every person who took the field of battle could count on an escort involving hundreds of robots.

Robot count: 16,777,216

Day 70

The Grimm were gone. They had been dragged under by a tide of robotic fury. With the Grimm dealt with, people wanted to know what the robots would do. They were worried that they would be next. But the robots simply went back to what they were doing, only this time, apart from helping out, they were researching, studying, learning.

“What are they doing?” Lightning asked.

“Well… it would be cool if we found another planet, right?” Diana asked. “That would be really fun. So I asked them to see if the could work out how.” She paused. “I also told them that there were enough of them for now.” She giggled. “I don’t know if the planet could handle anymore, so we’ll have to wait until we find a new planet before they make any more of themselves.”

Robot count: 17,179,869,184

#final rose #fanfiction #lightning farron #diana yun-farron #oerba dia vanille #diana yun farron

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bestutahattorneys3 · 6 years ago

Text

Charitable Contributions for Taxes

Charitable contributions, also known as charitable donations, are gifts made to qualified organizations that have obtained 501©(3) tax status, such as educational institutions, religious organizations, government entities, and other charities. Qualified organizations typically receive most of their funding and support from gifts, grants and contributions from the public.

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From a tax perspective, charitable contributions are tax-deductible. Taxpayers may lower their yearly taxes by claiming an itemized deduction on their tax return based on the cash or fair market value of the donation, subject to a few limits. Because charitable contributions are tax deductible, taxpayers often increase their charitable donations during the holidays or before the end of the year.

What Constitutes a Charitable Contribution?

Generally speaking, a charitable contribution is anything that may be of value to a qualified charitable organization. This includes money or property in the form of cash, clothing, household items, cars, real estate, securities and other assets or services.

According to the IRS, donations to the following entities are tax-deductible, so long as they do not benefit any specific individual:

Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other religious organizations

Federal, state, and local governments, if your contribution is solely for public purpose

Nonprofit schools and hospitals

Public parks and recreation facilities

War veterans groups

Expenses paid for a student living with you, sponsored by a qualified organization

Out-of-pocket expenses when you serve a qualified organization as a volunteer

Salvation Army, Red Cross, CARE, Goodwill Industries, United Way, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, and many other non-profit organizations.

Conversely, contributions to the following are not tax-deductible:

Individuals

Political groups or candidates running for public office

Professional groups (such as lawyers, doctors, civil leagues)

Value of blood donations

Cost of raffle, bingo, or lottery tickets

Dues, fees, or bills paid to country clubs, lodges, fraternal orders, or similar groups

For-profit hospitals and schools

Tuition

Value of your time or services

Things to Keep in Mind When Making a Charitable Contribution

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It is important to remember that charitable contributions must be made to a qualified organization to be deductible. Furthermore, charitable contributions may be made anytime during the tax calendar year to qualify.

Below are additional tips for making charitable contributions.

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Charitable Contributions must be itemized using IRS Form 1040.

Clothing and household items must generally be in good used condition or better to be deductible.

The amount of your donation might be reduced by contributions from which you may benefit. For example, if you pay $250 for the price of a $50 ticket to a charity ball, only $200 is tax-deductible, whether or not you attend the event.

To claim a deduction for cash, check, or monetary gifts, you must keep a bank record, payroll deduction record, or written communication from the charity organization that includes the date and amount of the contribution. For contributions totaling $250 or more, you must also include a description of any property contributed, and whether any goods or services were given in exchange for the gift.

Additional forms may be required to claim deduction for contributions over a certain amount (for example, Form 8283 for non-cash contributions over $500, and Section B of Form 8283 for contributions valued at over $5000).

Free Consultation with a Utah Tax Attorney

If you are here, you probably have a tax law issue you need help with. If so, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

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from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/charitable-contributions-for-taxes/ from Best Utah Attorneys https://bestutahattorneys.tumblr.com/post/183791622319

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vernicesalgado · 6 years ago

Text

Charitable Contributions for Taxes

youtube

What Constitutes a Charitable Contribution?

According to the IRS, donations to the following entities are tax-deductible, so long as they do not benefit any specific individual:

Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other religious organizations

Federal, state, and local governments, if your contribution is solely for public purpose

Nonprofit schools and hospitals

Public parks and recreation facilities

War veterans groups

Expenses paid for a student living with you, sponsored by a qualified organization

Out-of-pocket expenses when you serve a qualified organization as a volunteer

Salvation Army, Red Cross, CARE, Goodwill Industries, United Way, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, and many other non-profit organizations.

Conversely, contributions to the following are not tax-deductible:

Individuals

Political groups or candidates running for public office

Professional groups (such as lawyers, doctors, civil leagues)

Value of blood donations

Cost of raffle, bingo, or lottery tickets

Dues, fees, or bills paid to country clubs, lodges, fraternal orders, or similar groups

For-profit hospitals and schools

Tuition

Value of your time or services

Things to Keep in Mind When Making a Charitable Contribution

youtube

Below are additional tips for making charitable contributions.

youtube

Charitable Contributions must be itemized using IRS Form 1040.

Clothing and household items must generally be in good used condition or better to be deductible.

Free Consultation with a Utah Tax Attorney

If you are here, you probably have a tax law issue you need help with. If so, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Hazardous Waste Law

Tax Audit Law

The Right Estate Plan for You

Stock Markets and Listing Requirements

How To Register a Trademark with the USPTO

Reduce Divorce Risk

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/charitable-contributions-for-taxes/ from Family Law Attorney West Jordan Utah https://familylawattorneywestjordanutah.tumblr.com/post/183791661013

0 notes

mikkimcfall · 6 years ago

Text

Charitable Contributions for Taxes

Charitable contributions, also known as charitable donations, are gifts made to qualified organizations that have obtained 501(c)(3) tax status, such as educational institutions, religious organizations, government entities, and other charities. Qualified organizations typically receive most of their funding and support from gifts, grants and contributions from the public.

What Constitutes a Charitable Contribution?

According to the IRS, donations to the following entities are tax-deductible, so long as they do not benefit any specific individual:

Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other religious organizations

Federal, state, and local governments, if your contribution is solely for public purpose

Nonprofit schools and hospitals

Public parks and recreation facilities

War veterans groups

Expenses paid for a student living with you, sponsored by a qualified organization

Out-of-pocket expenses when you serve a qualified organization as a volunteer

Salvation Army, Red Cross, CARE, Goodwill Industries, United Way, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, and many other non-profit organizations.

Conversely, contributions to the following are not tax-deductible:

Individuals

Political groups or candidates running for public office

Professional groups (such as lawyers, doctors, civil leagues)

Value of blood donations

Cost of raffle, bingo, or lottery tickets

Dues, fees, or bills paid to country clubs, lodges, fraternal orders, or similar groups

For-profit hospitals and schools

Tuition

Value of your time or services

Things to Keep in Mind When Making a Charitable Contribution

Below are additional tips for making charitable contributions.

Charitable Contributions must be itemized using IRS Form 1040.

Clothing and household items must generally be in good used condition or better to be deductible.

Free Consultation with a Utah Tax Attorney

If you are here, you probably have a tax law issue you need help with. If so, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Hazardous Waste Law

Tax Audit Law

The Right Estate Plan for You

Stock Markets and Listing Requirements

How To Register a Trademark with the USPTO

Reduce Divorce Risk

via Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/charitable-contributions-for-taxes/

0 notes

marysandra · 6 years ago

Text

Charitable Contributions for Taxes

youtube

What Constitutes a Charitable Contribution?

According to the IRS, donations to the following entities are tax-deductible, so long as they do not benefit any specific individual:

Churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other religious organizations

Federal, state, and local governments, if your contribution is solely for public purpose

Nonprofit schools and hospitals

Public parks and recreation facilities

War veterans groups

Expenses paid for a student living with you, sponsored by a qualified organization

Out-of-pocket expenses when you serve a qualified organization as a volunteer

Salvation Army, Red Cross, CARE, Goodwill Industries, United Way, Boy Scouts, Girls Scouts, and many other non-profit organizations.

Conversely, contributions to the following are not tax-deductible:

Individuals

Political groups or candidates running for public office

Professional groups (such as lawyers, doctors, civil leagues)

Value of blood donations

Cost of raffle, bingo, or lottery tickets

Dues, fees, or bills paid to country clubs, lodges, fraternal orders, or similar groups

For-profit hospitals and schools

Tuition

Value of your time or services

Things to Keep in Mind When Making a Charitable Contribution

youtube

Below are additional tips for making charitable contributions.

youtube

Charitable Contributions must be itemized using IRS Form 1040.

Clothing and household items must generally be in good used condition or better to be deductible.

Free Consultation with a Utah Tax Attorney

If you are here, you probably have a tax law issue you need help with. If so, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

Hazardous Waste Law

Tax Audit Law

The Right Estate Plan for You

Stock Markets and Listing Requirements

How To Register a Trademark with the USPTO

Reduce Divorce Risk

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/charitable-contributions-for-taxes/ from Salt Lake City Estate Planning https://saltlakecityestate.tumblr.com/post/183791628582

0 notes