#do we still need these disclaimers in the big year 2025

[shrinevandal]

one thing that's frustrating but also really sad about the "queer isn't a slur nowadays and has never been one, actually" crowd is the way they completely miss the point of reclaiming it. if queer is a benign word and always has been (provably false obviously, but just to play their game for a second) then what's even the point of identifying with it? you're taking an act of courage and bravery by flipping the meaning of a word used against us on its head, by standing up loudly and proudly and going "yeah guess what? i AM abnormal, i AM unconventional, and there's nothing wrong with that", and instead watering it down to "heh... i'm just such a weirdo aren't i.... i'm not like other gays.... teehee" like it's honestly just really sad to me. the point of reclaiming queer should be to denounce the cisheteronormative fallacy that there is a "right way" to exist, and to honor the people that came before us who were called that and much worse and didn't let it stop them from fighting.

but saying that fight didn't even happen... to me that's somehow worse than using it against people who are uncomfortable with the word. because harassing people and not listening to their boundaries is awful obviously, but what's even worse is denying your own pride and spitting on the efforts of the people who came before us. you go from being shitty to one person to being shitty to an entire community. i just honestly don't get it. does this fulfill you?

[megafreak400]

Mega's Year in Gaming Awards 2024

Hey guy it's the end of the year so wanted to do a quick post highlighting my overall favorite games this year as well as a tier list of every game I played this year. I 'beat' 50 games, though I played way more than that. I'm not gonna drone on too much since I've done write ups for every game I beat already. Without further ado, let's get started with Mega's GOTY Awards Viewer Choice - Favorite one off Stream

Just a note, UFO 50 got equal votes by you guys. But yea you really enjoyed me taking a look at these compilation games this year. Makes me think maybe I should look into more quick burst stream in 2025. Action 52 is not good, but it did make for a fun stream and i'm glad the UFO 50 stream convinced some of you to also check the game out.

Viewer Choice - Favorite Stream Series

Similarly, Pokemon Ranger Shadows of Valentia also had equal votes. But I decided to feature FF6 Pixel Remaster for this spot. My Final Fantasy streams tend to be some of my favorite streams of the year and i'm glad most of you agree. Nothing too crazy happened in this play through but it was a good time and I'm looking forward to another RPG stream in 2025.

Best Song of the Year

Lots of good choices but my pick goes to Sudzsy Swings from Penny's Big Breakaway. The entire soundtrack is incredible, but this one stood out to me the first time I heard it. Shout out also to Kick Club from UFO 50, that song will not leave my head, I love it so much. Biggest Disappointment

As some of you may know I did a Let's Play of Ufouria the Saga over a decade ago. So I was super interested in a sequel, as insane it was that it even exists. While the game looks adorable, sadly game play wise the random level generation just makes the game have no real substance. Add in odd translation issues and easily my biggest disappointment of 2024. Worst game I played this year

Again disclaimer, I played the remake. If the original really has better physics, then I'm sure i'd enjoy it more. But as far as the N sane Trilogy version is concerned, this was awful. Easily the most miserable experience of the year for me, with me only beating this game out of spite to lambast it. At least Crash 3 was cool. Best Old Game of the Year

This game has been on my backlog for over 15 years and I was not expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. With surprisingly hilarious and weird dialogue, engaging game play, fantastic sprite art and a pretty solid soundtrack I had a blast streaming this game. Easily my favorite game that didn't come out this year and it really makes me want to play Guardian Signs. Best Game I haven't finished

Look for many of you, this is my Game of the Year. I played like 120 plus hours, beat over 30 games in the collection. I would not be faulted for just blanket claiming it my game of the year. But I want to stick to my rules and unfortunately I have not beat it by my standards. And since i'll probably beat it next year, I wanted to at least honor it this year because it really is one of the best experiences you can have this year. Don't miss out on what should have been Indie game of the year. Game of The Year

A last minute addition comparatively, but man did this one leave an impact on me. Maybe you could argue recency bias but this game scratched the itch that echoes of wisdom failed to do with clever puzzles that span the entire game, creating a maze you need to untangle. Please check this game out if it at all sounds like your kind of thing, you won't be disappointed.

And there we go. I also wanted to include some tier lists. First off we have a tier list of every game I played this year.

Next just the games that came out this year

And while I haven't beat all the games yet and some of these rankings will change (and I still need to write about most of these,) I did want to give an in progress tier list of the games I beat in UFO 50 so far.

And that's it. I plan on writing about games of 2025 year, One Piece, and UFO 50 still so please give a follow if you want to keep up with what should hopefully be a better year than 2024.

[kickassviv]

Pernille Harder: "I first dared to say that I would be the best in the world when I got away from Denmark"

Danish national team leader Pernille Harder was only a fan of the women's soccer World Cup. However, due to her high profile on and off the field, she left her mark on the tournament. Berlingske has met her for a conversation about love, homophobia, the fight for equality and the ambition to become the best in the world. And about two parties that got the national team leader out of the chair.

Credit to @magdaerikssons for the article and disclaimer, google translate was used to translate into English.

Is there a Danish "Liebes-Spionin", a love spy who helps the Swedish women's team against a victory?

That's how the German newspaper "Bild" speculated about the Danish national team leader and Wolfsburg player Pernille Harder in the heat during the just over the World Cup in women's football in France.

The newspaper had noted that the "Bundesliga's best player with a good knowledge of Germany" was constantly found among the Swedish players because of the girlfriend and defender Magdalena Eriksson. Eriksson plays daily for the London club Chelsea.

Two days before Berlingske meets Harder in the French city of Rennes, a picture of her and her boyfriend, both wearing Swedish national team jerseys, went viral on social media, not least in South America:

“It's a little crazy. I've gained 10,000 new followers on Instagram and I haven't even posted the picture myself. Many are from South America. I don't know what it is about homophobia down there, but it obviously means a lot of two female soccer players openly dare to show their love, ”says Harder, who also notes that she has lost no followers because of the picture.

It's 38 degrees hot, and the blue-and-yellow fans are trying to hide in the shade of bars and cafes before heading out to the stadium where the double world champion Germany, with some of Harder's teammates, waits.

Commander's Tour de France as the roe Instead of just being upset that it missed out on Denmark's participation, Harder has been taken to the World Cup as a Swedish roigan. The qualification smoked on the floor, among other things, as Denmark, due to a conflict between the national team and DBU, could not place teams against Sweden in the fall of 2017 and therefore lost 3-0 at the desk.

Now, instead, she is undertaking her own personal Tour de France in cities such as Nice, Paris, Rennes and Lyon. To support her girlfriend, who otherwise beat Denmark in the World Cup qualification, and to become smarter in her sport:

“It gives me another perspective to be here as a fan. I sense what the football gives off the field to all the fans. When you play a final round, you don't think so much about it off the field. But now I realize how big it all has become with fan march, etc., and that makes me want to put even more heart into it on the track in the future, "says the 26-year-old star, while the Swedish fans agree a new kind of song.

Harder and Eriksson have been together for five years. The Dane has not been exposed to homophobia or hate emails herself, but decided in the spring of 2019 to go actively into the debate on homophobia. This happened after FCK star Viktor Fischer was met by homophobic calls.

In a broadcast on TV 2, Harder openly talked about how she had previously fallen in love with a guy, but fell for Magdalena when they both played in Linköping:

'I didn't really think much about it. It just came very naturally. You have to be with the one you love. I have always felt that if there is something I want, then I do it and do not go into what other people think. And then I also have a good family that totally doesn't care who I love, just like it is pretty normal in the women's soccer world, "says the Wolfsburg player.

According to Harder, in the men's football »a front figure is missing. There are certainly gay and bisexual men in men's soccer too, but they obviously dare not stand out because the tone is different in the dressing room and among the fans. That is a sorry trend. You have to be proud of the one you love '.

More edge in women's football Courage to step up in the homophobia debate, Pernille Harder shares with female U.S. national team leader Megan Rapinoe, who up to the World Cup declared that her team would not accept an invitation from President Donald Trump if they returned home with the World Cup trophy. In addition, Trump was too homophobic and condescending to women:

"There are several in women's football who dare to have an opinion, although that may not be the opinion that other people think one should have. And so it gives something more edge. After all, not one of the really big men's team players actually does. Maybe just with the exception of Zlatan, ”Harder points out. Swedish Zlatan Ibrahimović has, among other things, commented on the Swedish immigration debate.

A party in Basel In addition to the fight against homophobia, Harder's main theme is gender equality. And here we are approaching the canceled match against Sweden and the football conflict with DBU.

Instead of looking back at the conflict, Harder first takes a mental detour to Switzerland. In 2018, the FC Basel football club held an anniversary party that got Harder out of the chair.

Before the party, the club had decided that the gentlemen should attend a gala party with a three-course menu, while their female counterparts were asked to sell the ticket and were literally eaten off with a sandwich:

“It's incredible that it can still occur today. But that's why it's so important that we have enough self-respect to say. And that women know what value we have. If we don't, they just do it again. And that is exactly why we had to take that fight with DBU, 'says Harder.

Similarly, Harder and teammates from Wolfsburg said when the club in 2017 asked the women's team to postpone their championship party until it became clear if the club's men's team avoided relegation.

When the women's team won "The Double" again the following year, no-one was thinking of issuing a ban - even if the men again fought relegation.

The conflict between the national team and the DBU was primarily about the remuneration of the women's team players. A sub-agreement between DBU and the Players' Association was landed in October 2017. But negotiations are soon on a long-term agreement, so that the national team is in control if Denmark should be able to arrange the European Championships in 2025 at home.

And here too the national team leader is ready to make demands. However, she fully agrees that in the future there will also be a difference between women's and men's salaries and bonus schemes, simply because Denmark does not have a women's league that can afford to pay the domestic players sufficiently in salary.

This is why DBU has to step in with scholarships, and then "there is something else you can't get," Harder points out.

The decisive point, however, is not the money, but that the national teams - regardless of gender - must have the same conditions for all the matches:

“Now just take the planes. Now we have to go to Georgia soon and play the European Championship qualifier. It is such a match that we risk playing a draw and thus lose important points to qualify for the European Championships in England. So it's mega important. But we are definitely traveling over there with two stops where we have to get up at 05:00 in the morning. DBU should, therefore, charter an aircraft. After all, they do this to the gentlemen, and so does the German and Swedish Football Federation for their wives, ”Harder points out.

Of other differences, the leader mentions that, unlike the gentlemen, the women travel without a cook and only occasionally have a volunteer analyst who can help understand and illustrate the tactics of the opponents. According to Harder, it is also not OK that the national team has only 18, and not 23, players with:

"It's a problem when we have to play 11 against 11. Then the physical therapist has to get into the field. There, I think we can demand equality and that it must be completely the same regardless of gender. And it's not, ”Harder points out.

The conflict was not the main problem Although the conflict is still filling, it is definitely not the whole story of why Denmark is not on the field in France:

“We simply weren't ready physically after the summer holidays in 2018, when we were going to play against Croatia and Sweden. Before the two matches went well. But we have learned from that and have now got a new physical trainer in Peter Krustrup. "

Harder is also confident that Peter Møller's new director of football, Peter Møller, will address the women's case to the DBU board.

She is aiming for Denmark to qualify for the European Championships in England in 2021, just as she hopes that Denmark can secure the European Championships in 2025:

"It will be crazy for Danish football, but we can learn something from them down here about how to set up fan zones and use modern, hard-hitting discos rather than always horn music for the matches," the national team leader says.

Although the level in France is high, Harder is not intimidated on behalf of Danish women's soccer: “We have a good team, and now we work with physics. This is where we need to put in. We are already fully involved in the technical, football and tactical aspects. "

According to the leader, a number of new talented players are also emerging, such as Emma Snerle from Fortuna Hjørring.

Harder welcomes the high viewership of the World Cup, which has seriously given women's football its popular breakthrough. In England, the fight against the United States was the most-watched TV show of 2019:

"I also don't understand if people can't see the exciting thing in eg. the battle between France and the United States. There are 40,000 at the stadium, high pace, chances, and fighter will. Now I have also seen men's football at the stadium several times, so it is not because I think 'hold it up, where does it go 100 times stronger', 'notes Harder.

Football camp in Ikast As we speak, several fans pass by in national team jerseys with women's names on their backs and no longer just men's stars such as Mbappé, Messi and Müller.

As a child, Harder had only one possible role model, Brazilian Marta, but it was now United gentlemen David Beckham and Ryan Giggs who hung in the children's room. Back in the nineties and nineties, there was also no opportunity to attend a girls' soccer camp.

That's the main explanation that, a few years ago, Harder and her sister and cousin decided to start a girls soccer camp:

“I want to pass on some of what I have learned both on and off the field. I even train the girls some of the time and give presentations. And this year I also had my mental trainer who gave parents some tips on how to be good parents. "

The world's best is the goal In 2018, Pernille Harder was named the second best Danish footballer ever to be Europe's best. The first to achieve this honor was Allan Simonsen in 1977. But despite the lack of World Cup, the goal remains to be the world's best footballer.

“I know it might not be very Danish with the Janet Act and all that. And I also dared to say it out loud first when I moved away from Denmark. But why is it so dangerous to say that I want to be the best in the world? One must dare to put words into one's dreams. And the worst thing that can happen is only that I don't reach it, but then I have pushed myself to do my utmost. "

The dream, which she first put into words when she came to Sweden, was born in Ikast. “Recently, I found a style that I wrote when I was ten years old. And there I wrote that I would be the world's best in ten years, 'says Harder.

The road over there is provisionally over Wolfsburg, where this year the club has invested in five to six new players to be able to conquer the Champions League trophy, which lost after another defeat to Lyon.

But Harder, whose contract expires in 2021, is open to trying her hand at a new country and league - also to learn a new language.

"German is doing very well," laughs Harder and continues:

"Although I do not always have a say in whether the pronoun should come in the middle or at the end."

During the World Cup, there have been rumors that Real Madrid are looking for the striker. As one of the last major clubs in Spain, the "king's club" now also enters women's soccer. Before the World Cup, the women's match between Barcelona and Atlético Madrid set a spectator record in Spain with over 60,000 on the limbs.

“We must say that both Denmark and Germany are behind. In England and Spain, they are targeting a professional league, where big men's clubs also invest in women's soccer. It would be optimal if we also did it at home. But it is clear that e.g. FC Midtjylland does not have as much money as Manchester United, so it will cost in the beginning, 'says Harder, pointing to FC North Zealand as a men's club, which is now also focusing on women's football.

On the team with Magdalena? A new club change could also open for the girlfriend couple Harder and Eriksson to put an end to the long-distance relationship, which is, however, facilitated by a direct flight connection from Hanover to London:

“Right now we are each running our own race. But we are about to be where we can again play on the same team. Defenders are slowing down a bit, but Magdalena has become one of the key players on Chelsea's team entering the Champions League semi-final, "Harder points out.

If the pair are on the same club team, there will also be no danger of the relationship being put to the test in a Champions League match between Chelsea and Wolfsburg:

“None of us can stand to lose. I want to win everything. Also in ludo against children. And so will Magda. If she loses cards to me, she won't talk to me for the rest of the day, 'says Harder, laughing.

But in France, the couple both get something to laugh at. Magda and the other Swedish players secure a bronze medal at the World Cup. Yet another image of the couple kissing each other goes around the world. Although Pernille Harder has not been on the field, much has been noticed by the Dane during the World Cup.

[preppernewstoday]

Here are the latest news items and commentary on current economics news, market trends, stocks, investing opportunities, and the precious metals markets. We also cover hedges, derivatives, and obscura. Most of these items are from the “tangibles heavy” contrarian perspective of SurvivalBlog’s Founder and Senior Editor, JWR. Today, we look at the rise of telecommuting and relocation trends. (See the Economy & Finance section.) Precious Metals: You might have noticed that spot silver bounced back nicely on Friday. In just one day, it was up  7.67% to $21.18 per Troy ounce. That underscores one key aspect of silver investing: It is a thin market, so it can see some large daily price swings. The physical market is still very tight, so dealers are charging hefty premiums. Buy low and sell high, folks.  Oh, and please note that the silver-to-gold ratio is now below 80-to-1.  It is not too late to do some ratio trading — that is, out of gold and into silver.  If you wait until a reversion below 50-to-1, then you’ll feel like kicking yourself. o  o  o Governor Of Dutch Central Bank States Gold Revaluation Account Is Solvency Backstb op. o  o  o Central Banks Are Quietly Buying Gold At The Fastest Pace In 55 Years. o  o  o How Global Markets Fail And Gold Succeeds: Debt, Derivatives & Politicized (I.E., Dishonest) Central Banks. o  o  o Gold Market Roiled As Mystery Buyer Waves In 300 Tonnes. Economy & Finance: At Breibart: Homebuyers Fleeing Big Cities Due to High Inflation and Rates. o  o  o Home Buyers Are Moving Farther Away Than Ever Before. o  o  o Census Bureau: The Number of People Primarily Working From Home Tripled Between 2019 and 2021. o  o  o Video: Zoom towns are booming across America — USA TODAY. o  o  o Shipping firm Maersk, a barometer for global trade, warns of ‘dark clouds on the horizon’. o  o  o 2025: The Government Is Set To Spend More On Debt Payments Than The Entire Defense Budget. Commodities: Copper: the most important metal we’re running short of. o  o  o Will The LME Ban Trading Of Russian Metals? o  o  o European Natural Gas Prices Jump As Cold Weather Closes In. o  o  o Derivatives: At Bond EValue: Credit Suisse CDS Spreads Ease and Bonds Inch Higher After Earnings. o  o  o Global Credit Risks Rise as Recessions, Gas Crisis Loom. o  o  o A primer published last year, at Investopedia: Introduction To Counterparty Risk. Forex & Cryptos: More Central Bank Rate Hikes and Dollar Rises to a Two-Week Weighted High. o  o  o Turkey’s inflation tops 85% as Erdogan continues to rule out interest rate hikes. o  o  o Crypto continues to attract hedge funds and other institutional investors, o  o  o One in three Brits now own crypto. o  o  o The competing priorities facing U.S. crypto regulations. Tangibles Investing: Vintage Aircraft As Investment Strategy. o  o  o Is It Possible To Make A Profit On Private Jet Ownership? Provisos: SurvivalBlog and its Editors are not paid investing counselors or advisers. Please see our Provisos page for our detailed disclaimers. News Tips: Please send your economics and investing news tips to JWR. (Either via e-mail or via our Contact form.) These are often especially relevant because they come from folks who closely watch specific markets. If you spot any news that would be of interest to SurvivalBlog readers, then please send it in. News items from local news outlets that are missed by the news wire services are especially appreciated. And it need not be only about commodities and precious metals. Thanks!

[cryptochurp]

The Ultimate Guide To Cannabis Tokens

Disclaimer: The author does not provide investment advice. This article has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for investment advice.

By now, Bitcoin is as famous as can be.

But deep down, Bitcoin is just blockchain technology disrupting our concept of money.

Blockchain is rapidly revolutionizing more and more industries. And it’s all thanks to tokens, tools that aim to do more than just to replace money.

Nowadays, the legal cannabis industry is just another stage for the blockchain to rock in.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a cannabis enthusiast yourself, an investor or just an up-to-date citizen of the world, the speed at which social and political perception of cannabis are shifting is a sight to behold (see USA and Canada).

Last year, several tokens and coins tied to cannabis emerged, meeting this fast-growing market. Analysts point to an even better development for 2018. Both tokens and the industry are truly flying high.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a user, connoisseur, business-owner or investor, you absolutely must understand how this game will play out.

So, buckle up, because here we are about to break down the cannabis industry, then discuss the most important tokens that will stick to its unstoppable growth. We’ll also get to highlight some talking points along the way.

Because the hard part of this popularity peak of cannabis tokens has led to so many projects and start-ups that choosing the right one has become a huge hassle; so we’ve taken the liberty to do the homework.

Here’s what’s going down.

Cannabis industry

Recreative cannabis was first legalized in 2014 in the state of Colorado. In the following years another 9 states joined the legalization initiative in the US (1). Since then the market has experimented an ongoing boom, creating thousands of jobs and millions in tax revenue.

Some years down the line, historians may well call it the green rush.

An enormous user base and no previous legal competition make this a market ripe for investment. The industry of legal cannabis is expected to grow at least by 16% each year until 2025.

By then, it’ll have reached a market cap of $24 billion.

And the growth is fast. Dispensaries’ monthly revenue has increased from $10 million in 2014 to above $70 million in 2016.

This has impacted cannabis price. In that same timeframe, average price per gram has plummeted from $45 to $12.77 in Washington for example (2). This has been ideal to keep a steadily growing demand.

Credits to Frontier Financial Group

But this infant market could grow faster. Indeed, the tricky legal status of the plant hinders the growth of this industry.

Not only do they have to fight against social prejudices and federal laws in conflict with state regulation. Cannabis businesses still have no access no banking. Their multi-million dollar industry runs mostly on cash.

Besides, there are no standards for product quality, use of pesticides and origin.

It is wild.

But where governments and regulation have failed to make room for a strong, growing industry, blockchain has come to the rescue. Many tokens and solutions have sprung last year, ready to give the cannabis market a turbo boost.

First, let’s check why tokens can be catalyzers for change.

The Tokens: An Overview

  You’re probably asking yourself how on earth can a big business flourish without access to banking.

Picture gas stations, fast food chains or pharmacies working on cash only.

Sadly the federal ban on cannabis prevents banks from servicing cannabis dispensaries and related businesses.

That’s why many cannabis tokens are basically payment solutions like bitcoin is.

This means they’re straightforward ways to facilitate payments between industry players like dispensaries, clients and growers. In a way, then, most cannabis tokens are basically cannabis-related money.

Thanks to a reliable, secure, digital tradable value coin, the logistics nightmare of cash-only dealing may be over.

We can call these tokens cannabis-money.

But there are others which aim even higher.

Projects like Paragon, Hemp Coin, Smoke Exchange and Budbo are trying to not just solve major hurdles in logistics and management. They want to tangibly improve the infrastructure of the whole cannabis industry.

How? By

Making supply chains more efficient and manageable,

Allowing payments between different parties

Increasing transparency when it comes to the origin of seeds and produces

And of course, there’s the odd one out. There’s one blockchain project from AgroTechFarm, that is about cannabis production.

That’s how we will divide the guide: production, cannabis-money, and infrastructure

Production

You’re probably wondering how can a token affect cannabis production. Although it’s not so straightforward, you’ll see that blockchain can be used in many ways.

The cool part: changing how cannabis is produced will transform the industry. Especially if it can disrupt the distinction between industrial producers and individual users.

AgroTechFarm

  AgroTechFarm occupies a blue ocean in the cannabis industry. The aim of the project is to provide a zero-chemical, zero-environmental impact way to grow cannabis and other crops.

Their product uses aeroponics in their smart appliance for organically growing cannabis, tomatoes, peppers and other large crops at home. The appliance allows people to become self-sufficient and produce their own fruits and vegetables. Everything is automated, the yield is optimized and less resources are used.

Since everything grows in the user’s kitchen there is no need for transportation neither for farming land. Considering that these two are among the biggest contributors to global warming.

We could not find any other cannabis token that was dealing with production. And it’s a nice combination of the cannabis industry with organic farming. In one sense, it implies diversification (the art of not putting all your eggs in one basket).

This means that in case the cannabis industry goes down, their other clients will be intact.

More about it in their whitepaper or on their website.

Industry Boosters: Infrastructure

[HempCoin][Paragon][Budbo]

Infrastructure is the backbone of all industries.

A market’s growth potential is worthless without proper infrastructure. Without it, nothing can happen. Think about it this way: even if you have the fastest car in the world, it would be good for nothing if there were no roads.

That’s why some visionary projects want to create a stronger base for all cannabis-related businesses to flourish.

The boost can come in many ways, as we’ve seen. And some projects focus one some over others, but each has something to contribute. This showcases blockchain’s amazing capability to change our markets!

Let’s jump in and see what these projects can offer.

Budbo

Budbo has created a global cannabis blockchain, on which any ancillary service or cannabis related business can utilize and harness its immutable ledger.  

Budbo has been an operating company since 2015, offering an enterprise level suite of business products.  Budbo has a consumer mobile application that focuses primarily on product discovery, a dispensary and product manufacturer dashboard that breaks down predictive AI consumer analytics, and a GPS enabled program it calls Budbo Trax that monitors commercial cannabis shipments through geofencing technologies and electronic documentation.

Their app already has 75,000 individual active users and 2,000 dispensaries within their network. Their application has an interface similar to “Tinder”, in the way it allows users to quickly swipe through 100s of locally available strains and products.  Allowing for online ordering, or getting directions to the dispensary that has the desired product.

Budbo wants to integrate all players in the industry, with a stated mission of bringing together a solid global community.

Their platform currently involves seed suppliers, growers, dispensaries, users, and patients.

The platform will provide not just information, but tracking as well to help with complex local, state, and federal compliance regulations, which will benefit all recreational and medical cannabis users and patients.

Budbo is currently closing out their token sale, having sold more than 130,000,000 utility tokens. The tokens act as the API key for access to the transactions stored on the ledger.

Learn more about them from their whitepaper or on their website

HempCoin

The Hemp Coin project is a bit of a hybrid. It combines a payment solution with a mission to rebrand the industries they serve. In contrast with Dope Coin and Smoke Exchange, this project is one whole thing.

Their eight-page whitepaper does not shed much light on what they mean by this rebranding. The only explanation we get in their roadmap is that implies: “Connecting with agriculture industry to accept HempCoin’’.

A user on Reddit defended the team saying that the information was not made public due to pressure from competitors.

So, what we can make out of this is that they seek to develop a community of people who will be actively pushing pro-cannabis materials like artwork, blog posts and articles. This would, in turn, improve the image of cannabis and its industry.

Paragon

Paragon intends to put the cannabis industry on blockchain through its extensive suite of solutions

Paragon successfully launched its initial platform and functionality in late 2017 and is now progressing towards a fully-fledged release in mid 2018.  

Importantly, Paragon aims to do a lot more than just solve part of the cash problem that the cannabis industry currently faces. Paragon is developing a seed-to-sale tracking solution for cannabis products. All users and governments will be able to verify the entire life cycle of a product for free and be certain that no data was manipulated or deleted. These solutions are all made possible by smart-contracts and fueled by PRG to incorporate all elements of the supply chain.

On top of the extensive blockchain-based solutions that Paragon is creating, the company is also launching Paragon Spaces – these are co-working spaces that serve the cannabis industry with flex desks and office space – all paid for in PRG.

Learn more about them from their whitepaper or on their website

Payments Solution

[PotCoin][Cannabis Coin][Canna Coin][Dope Coin]

All of these tokens are peer-to-peer cash systems devoted to payment within the cannabis industry. The -coin in their names says it all.

But do we really need a cannabis-bitcoin?

As we explained earlier, the industry is handicapped without access to banks. Security becomes a headache, logistics are nightmarish and your consumer base is hindered. This is all because of bad policy.

Crypto has always been praised as a way to go around governments and banking institutions. It’s even how most illegal trading is paid for, sadly.

So it’s inevitable that this new tech can now serve as the safe, easy to use money this industry so desperately needs.

As a bonus, a specialized payments solution allows for reward programs and community building and integration. So, if they become widely used, they do offer some benefits over money.

Let’s take a look at this new cannabis money!

Cannabis Coin and Canna Coin

We bundled these two together since we found them to be quite similar in terms of what they do, when were they launched and how they perform.

Both projects market themselves as the peer-2-peer cash systems for cannabis and aim to facilitate payments to cannabis businesses in a secure way. Similar to a cannabis bitcoin.

Yet, their websites do not offer enough information about the projects or the teams. Information is good, always.

We could not find a dedicated whitepaper for either of them. Whitepapers have become the bread and butter of tokens market for a reason: they’re professional tools that explain all aspects of any token-venture.

The main issue is that dispensaries may not benefit from a dedicated token only for them. They have to pay for for most of their supplies and logistics in cash. It is possible that they will need something more widely used or more liquid.

If you are interested in the code, you can take a look over at Github, where you’ll find both.

Pot Coin

Pot Coin stands out among other tokens in this section. Their website looks professionally made and contains all the information you’ll need.

Also, its whitepaper is well laid out and there is a thorough explanation of how the company aims to reach every milestone on their roadmap.

PotCoin offers some key bonuses: it aims to tokenize seeds and strains through a reward program. People will be able to convert their PotCoins into real cannabis seeds. Also, those who develop a new strain will have the opportunity to sell it on their platform and earn tokens.

These two reward options sound like good incentives to prefer Potcoins over bitcoin or fiat money.

The resources we found were conflicting, one quoting them as the best among the cannabis bitcoins and another that was not so flattering.

So, what can we make out of them? It seems Pot Coin’s success or failure will largely depend on their skill and effort at creating and maintaining an engaged community.

Dope Coin/ Smoke Exchange

Just as the name suggests, Dope Coin is made to serve the underground world.

Their mission is to provide a payment solution for both the legal cannabis market and the illicit one like the darknet silk road.  

Since last year, when governments around the world announced they could now track bitcoin, privacy coins have been big. For example, the price of Monero (a secrecy-oriented cryptocurrency) skyrocketed from around $50 to around $300. This came about because the darknet was switching from bitcoin to Monero, to avoid wary eyes.

Just recently the Dope Coin team announced that they are starting a new project called Smoke Exchange that aims to be a marketing and advertising platform specifically for cannabis businesses. They will integrate dope coin and bitcoin as payments on this platform.

Smoke Exchange is to release a working demo in Q1/2018.

Get more information about Smoke Exchange from their whitepaper. Sadly, Dope Coin does not have one.

The future is even wilder

The cannabis industry is a wild place.

Cannabis tokens have come as a much-needed relief for its main issues, a powerful boost to its infrastructure, and as a new paradigm in its production.

These tokens are definitely a good buy in 2018.

But be cautious when it comes to projects without a working product or that have too much hype around them. We all know that sometimes huge profits can come from investing in tokens with a lot of FOMO surrounding them. Other times, it’s just a loss.

There are many ways to improve your decisions, but the key to all is basically the same: acquire as much reliable information as you can.

Pro tip: look at the whitepaper!

Think about the product, the solution they offer. Whatever your plans for the future, make sure to keep an eye out for the legal cannabis industry. It’s size, its potential and individual characteristics make it one of the most interesting of our times.

And if you’re looking to invest, think about real-world problems and real-life solutions.

Often the not so flashy looking projects turn out to be, you know, the big hits.

The post The Ultimate Guide To Cannabis Tokens appeared first on NewsBTC.

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What Homeowners Need to Know About the New Tax Law

On December 22, 2017, President Trump signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. It amounts to a major rewrite of several provisions of the individual and corporate tax code.

There are several big changes with the new tax bill, and there’s been a ton of analysis around the benefits and downsides of those changes, but we wanted to focus on what it means for current homeowners and those in the market to buy a home in the near future.

There’s going to be a big, bold disclaimer at the bottom of this article because it makes our lawyers (and by extension, me) more comfortable, but before we go any further together, I want to make one point as clearly as possible: While this article lays out several facts about provisions in the new tax law, it is not tax advice. Everyone’s finances are different, and if you’re looking for tax advice, feel free to contact a financial advisor, accountant or other tax preparation professional.

With that out of the way, let’s dive in. All the changes in the tax bill that was just passed took effect on January 1, 2018. This means you won’t have to worry about them until you file your 2018 tax return next year.

However, the calendar turning over does mean that we’ve now entered 2017 tax season. With that in mind, there’s one tax change you should know about for your current 2017 taxes that’s gone under the radar in the midst of all the coverage surrounding the updated tax bill just signed by the president. Let’s briefly touch on that first.

Elimination of Mortgage Insurance Deduction for 2017

Every year, homeowners who have a mortgage receive Form 1098, also referred to as the Mortgage Interest Statement. The mortgage company is required to send you and the IRS this form, which shows how much mortgage interest was paid in a given tax year. If you paid more than $600 in mortgage interest, the interest is fully deductible in most cases.

In the new tax bill for 2018, mortgage interest will still be fully deductible in many cases (subject to new restrictions and limits that we’ll get into below). However, there is an important change that occurred in 2017 for your mortgage insurance deductions that will affect your taxes this year.

Private mortgage insurance payments on conventional loans and mortgage insurance premiums charged on FHA and USDA loans were previously considered tax deductible under the mortgage interest provision. Earlier in 2017, Congress decided not to renew that provision for the 2017 tax year. This means that mortgage insurance payments are no longer deductible, beginning with your 2017 return. So while you may continue to account for your interest deductions, insurance payments will no longer be included.

Let’s take a look at how the new tax law will affect homeowners going forward from the date your current tax bills are due (hint: They’re due Tuesday, April 17, 2018).

Unpacking the New Tax Law

Before we get into what’s changing in the new tax code, we should note that while the portions applying to corporations are permanent, all the items pertaining to individuals, which is what we’re interested in here, have a seven-year lifespan. Those items went into effect on January 1, 2018, and expire at the end of 2025. If the amended portions haven’t been renewed before then, the tax law reverts back to what it was before the amendments.

Here’s what the new law changes regarding taxes and your home.

Increased Standard Deduction

One of the major features of the new tax bill is an increased standard deduction. Although not strictly related to homeownership, it may affect whether you take homeownership deductions that only apply if you itemize your taxes.

Under the new tax law, the standard deduction is $12,000 if you’re single and $24,000 if you’re married and filing a joint return. You can also get $2,000 in tax credits for each child you have and up to $500 for non-child dependents.

This standard deduction is increasing, but personal exemptions that many used to qualify for are going away. Whether you’re a single filer or filing jointly, the increase in the standard deduction will more than cover the size of the old standard deduction, even with all the exemptions you could take. However, there are no more exemptions to add to your standard deduction.

The following deduction changes are specific to homeownership if you choose not to take the standard deduction.

Property Tax Changes

Under the former tax law, you could take full deductions for every dollar of your local, state and property taxes.

In 2018 and going forward, your state, local and real estate taxes are put into one pool for deductibility purposes. Between the three of them, you only can deduct up to a limit of $10,000 total.

Mortgage Interest Deduction Changes

In addition to the mortgage insurance deduction change in effect for the 2017 tax year mentioned above, the tax bill makes several important changes to the mortgage interest deduction provision of the tax code in 2018 and going forward.

Starting in 2018, you’ll be able to deduct mortgage interest on qualifying residences (primary and vacation homes) with total mortgage amounts up to $750,000 for joint filers ($375,000 if married and filing separately). This does mean that if you’re a new homeowner buying a home that’s more on the expensive side, you won’t be able to deduct your full interest amount.

If you closed on the loan for your home before December 15, 2017, you’re grandfathered in under the old limits, which is $1 million for joint filers ($500,000, if married and filing separately).

You used to be able to deduct up to $100,000 worth of interest for a home equity loan. The home equity loan deduction applied to loans taken out in order to do something other than buy , build or improve your home. You could take this deduction if you borrowed from your home equity in order to give a college or retirement fund a boost, for example. As of January 1, 2018, this home equity deduction no longer exists.

Moving Expenses

Under the former tax law, there was a limited ability to deduct moving expenses when the relocation was work-related. Starting this year, this only applies to active-duty members of the armed forces.

Those are the big changes in the new tax law that are impacting homeowners. Here’s more information on this year’s 1098 mortgage insurance deduction elimination.

*Please note that none of this information shall be construed as tax advice. If you’re seeking tax assistance, please reach out to your tax professional or the IRS.

The post What Homeowners Need to Know About the New Tax Law appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

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AADE Report: Mobile Diabetes Management Tools

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AADE Report: Mobile Diabetes Management Tools

Besides the cool factor of "let's take health mobile," one of the recurring themes at the AADE conference this year was recognition of the fact that while the diabetes population continues to mushroom, the ability of healthcare professionals to care for the ever-growing numbers of patients is stagnating. (There are currently 30,000 CDEs working in the US, but at least 43,000 are needed to match the workload of 24 million PWDs; by 2025, at least 54,000 will be needed!) Clearly, there's a demand for tools that can help patients better manage their diabetes on a day-to-day basis.

Here are some mobile tools highlighted:

WellDoc's DiabetesManager: Teaming Up

WellDoc, a mobile diabetes management company we've been following for years, had a chance to show off their stuff in a "Product Theater" at AADE. Boy, has their interface come a long way! Remember, this is the company that recently partnered with Ford to show off a future vision of a car-based glucose monitoring and management system.

They've just received FDA clearance for their WellDoc DiabetesManager System, which is marketed to patients and healthcare professionals together as a team effort. That means patients will not be able to use this phone-based system completely on their own, but will have to do so in tandem with their healthcare providers.

Patients enrolled in WellDoc's clinical study have experienced some pretty amazing results: a full 2% drop in A1c in a matter of months, compared to just a .7% drop in the control group. The system is primarily mobile-based, with patients automatically receiving text reminders to test their blood sugar or get lab work done, and requiring patients to upload their blood sugar results via their phone. Information from the phone and a Bluetooth-enabled glucose meter are sent to the WellDoc system, which allows their healthcare team to track all of the data and make recommendations.

So far, users have only included type 2 patients, which probably makes sense because type 1 patients are far too "spur of the moment" to have automated texts become anything but annoying, no? But for folks with type 2 diabetes, or maybe even very newly diagnosed type 1 PWDs, these automated prompts could help develop a solid diabetes routine, something which is exceedingly difficult (some might even say impossible!).

WellDoc hopes to roll out the system to clinics and patients later this year, but the rep we spoke to wasn't sure about an exact date. WellDoc is also still working on pricing and insurance reimbursement, so much remains TBD.

Telcare & PositiveID: Mobilizing Your Glucose Meter

Glucose meters with wireless capabilities were also an "it" trend at AADE. Two companies, Telcare and PositiveID, were on the expo floor showing off their own spin on these tools.

Telcare, a relatively new company out of Bethesda, MD, has received FDA clearance for their new Telcare Blood Glucose Monitoring System. The Telcare meter automatically uploads your blood sugars to the MyTelcare.com clinical server, which allows you and those you authorize to view your data on the MyTelcare.com web portal. It takes the painstaking task of logging out of the picture. MyTelcare.com also comes with a mobile app, so you can view your graphs on the go. All the features of the system — the wireless BG meter, the data at MyTelcare.com, and the mobile apps — are free when you purchase the meter.

The meter is not yet available (boo!), but VP Matthew Tendler tells us that they plan on rolling out distribution sometime this Fall. They also don't have any pricing info yet, though he says it should be "comparable to one of the higher-end blood glucose meters" already on the market. If you're wondering about insurance coverage for this new meter, for the time being, you're on your own submitting the paperwork with your insurance, so you'll probably want to check with your carrier before you put down any money on a new system.

PositiveID is a Florida-based company that specializes in both medical and security devices. It has introduced a mobile solution that does away with need for the cell phone in your BG management altogether: iGlucose, an add-on device for your glucose meter. It has not yet been FDA approved, but the way it's supposed to work is that patients would attach this device to whatever glucose meter brand they use, via a universal cable, and then automatically download and transmit the most recent data to a server, where BG readings can be viewed on a web portal (similar to WellDoc and Telcare) by you or an approved third party, like your doctor or a family member.

If you're married to your glucose meter brand, for example as many Animas Ping users are, PositiveID could be a great option. But if you're more flexible with your hardware, keep an eye on the Telcare meter. PositiveID has only recently submitted their 510(K) application to the FDA, so it'll be a while before we see any approvals there.

GreatCall: Simple, Helpful Phone Apps

Another thing showcased at the AADE expo in a little corner called the "Emerging Technologies Pavilion" was a set of mobile health services from a company called GreatCall.

They offer five different services, from phone-based coaching (offered in partnership with WellDoc) to weekly "wellness calls" to an emergency service called 5Star Urgent Response, that in case of emergency any time of day or night, puts you in instant touch with a "highly trained response team" out of their call center in Carlsbad, CA.

Limitation: Most of GreatCall's services are currently based on a super-simple Samsung-made cell phone called the Jitterbug. Featuring big, easy-to-read buttons and limited bells and whistles, it is aimed at an older population that might not be ready for intimidating smartphones.

One of their apps, however, is now available for the iPhone: it's a free medication reminder called MedCoach. So if setting alarms on your BG meter isn't cutting it for you, you can install this pill reminder on your iPhone. It also allows you to access some pharmacy websites to order refills.

AperMotion: Monitoring What Patients Do

Finally, a German organization called Apermon was distributing an English-language press release on its AiperMotion 500 tool, a "three-dimensional activity sensor" that "measures your physical activity during the day and informs you and your coach at regular intervals about the intensity of your activity, your calorie intake, and your walking distance." Funny, it looks so much like an insulin pump...

Aimed at type 2 and pre-diabetics, the monitor is part of its ABC (Active Body Control) program. According to the company, "a first study with 'healthy' obese participants led to a mean weight loss of 20.5 lbs after 3 months, which is rarely achieved with conventional diet programs or even with drugs." They've concluded that "telemonitoring is the most effective factor (in behavior change)." Hmm, I'd wager that any kind of intense attention and coaching helps patients do better.

It's Massive?

Although not exhibiting at AADE, we also want to remind you of Massive Health's upcoming diabetes app for the iPhone. This San Francisco-based startup is now beta testing for an app that's unusually consumer-friendly and fun. Actual impact on life with diabetes TBD.

Confession: although fun to test, I personally find it hard to stick with any of the diabetes mobile apps I've tried so far. A lot to fuss with, yet very little value-add to my glucose management. Anybody feel differently out there? Found a "best-of" mobile tool yet? Do tell.

Disclaimer: Content created by the Diabetes Mine team. For more details click here.

Disclaimer

This content is created for Diabetes Mine, a consumer health blog focused on the diabetes community. The content is not medically reviewed and doesn't adhere to Healthline's editorial guidelines. For more information about Healthline's partnership with Diabetes Mine, please click here.

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