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squideo · 2 years ago

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How Scrub Daddy Wiped the Floor Clean with Their Competition

In this series, Squideo has examined the best ways to turn advertising content into gold. Now that we’ve broken down the eight key ingredients, it’s time to dive deep into some examples of stellar advertising. This week, the advert in question was picked by Squideo’s Video Producer, Adam Leveson.

Released in February 2023, this is the most modern advert picked for the series so far. When asked why he picked this particular advert, Adam said: “I find Scrub Daddy’s adverts fascinating, as they’re specifically made for a Gen Z audience. They’re high energy with a chaotic nature, the ads even include memes. I think it’s the perfect way to capture people’s attention, but it also shows how much advertising has changed over the years.”

Good Rockin’ Scrub Daddy

A modern company for a modern advert. Scrub Daddy entered the market in 2012 after an appearance by its founder, Aaron Krause, on the American business reality TV programme Shark Tank. The episode in question, which sparked a bidding war between the Sharks, has over 12 million views on the official Shark Tank Global YouTube page since it was uploaded in 2022. That’s a lot of interest shown for a cleaning product.

Scrub Daddy became one of the top grossing products to ever feature on the show and now sells internationally. Its marketing strategy played a massive part in this accomplishment, capitalising on the fun and brightly coloured branding to create an advertising campaign which would appeal to Gen Z.

While the younger members of Gen Z may not be high income earners – yet – since they’re still in school, the influence of Gen Z on household shopping cannot be underestimated. 80% of parents say Gen Z influences their buying decisions and, since the number of people living with their parents into their twenties continues to grow, that has a significant long-term impact.

There is also a growing interest amongst Gen Z and millennials in environmental sustainability – 64% reported they would pay more for a sustainable product – which benefits brands like Scrub Daddy which are designed to be reusable. 85% rely on social media to learn about new products. And where does Scrub Daddy focus most of its marketing campaigns, I hear you ask? On social media.

Scrub Daddy Cool

If you’ve been on TikTok, there’s a good chance you’ve encountered at least one video created by or targeted at ‘cleantokers.’ The accompanying hashtag has been used over 2.7 million times on TikTok, and has racked up even more views on the platform. This content combines formats already popular on social media, including how-to and ASMR videos.

The winners for this trend are household-themed influences and, you guessed it, cleaning companies.

Scrub Daddy has numerous social media accounts, predominantly active on TikTok and Instagram, and additional accounts for its international branches like Scrub Daddy UK and Scrub Daddy Mexico.

Unlike the other guests on Advert Alchemy, all of Scrub Daddy’s advertising is created in-house instead of outsourcing to an agency. Their advertising campaign isn’t as grandiose as Disney’s or haunting like Crusha’s, in fact Scrub Daddy adverts have an obvious home-made feel. Rapid shots are overlaid with animated text and symbols, a voiceover or music, and interjected with memes.

My Heart Belongs to Scrub Daddy

The Damp Duster advert went viral on TikTok, and this Scrub Daddy product sold out numerous times. It was further promoted by influencers and content creators who were already in the ‘cleantokers’ crowd. But what made the advert – and therefore product sales – so successful?

Hijinx Humour

From the title of the Damp Duster advert – “WTF IS A DAMP DUSTER?!?” – and the reputation of the brand, fun was to be expected from the outset. No wonder the video has over 1 million views on YouTube. Creating a funny advert is a delicate balancing act. According to Ipsos, 81% of consumers like it when brands use humour, but only 28% report brands connecting with their comedic sensibilities.

By staying active on social media, Scrub Daddy has been able to track what comedy styles resonate with their chosen audience and what current popular culture they can replicate to their benefit. The Damp Duster uses texting slang, attention-grabbing voiceovers, sparing sound effects, and avoids the use of technical language to keep the video accessible for people beyond the ‘cleantoking’ world. Not to mention the effective use of…

Meme Madness

There has been a rapid growth in the use of memes in advertising over the past five years. Easy to create, highly engageable, and very funny – memes can be great. Provided you choose the right one. Like all trends, some remain classics, while others fall in and out of fashion. Take the Bernie Saunders mittens meme of 2021. It was timely, related to a presidential election, and was utilised to great success throughout that year. By 2023, however, the reference has become dated.

In the Damp Duster advert, the Rock eyebrow meme briefly appears. Given the superstar status of Dwayne Johnson, it was always going to be a safe choice. It adds humour to the product demonstration, a video topic that can easily become dry (even when it’s pre-dampened like the Damp Duster is).

Product Performance

The central feature of this advert is the demonstration of its starring product. The Damp Duster is part of Scrub Daddy’s twenty strong range, and the advert perfectly sets out the unique selling points of this newest member of the family. From unboxing to use, the narrator and footage provides a clear how-to-guide for customers who pick up the product.

Here the lack of special effects in filming pays off, as none of this looks staged. Companies have been criticised in the past for depicting products in more flattering lights than reality would produce. Instead, Scrub Daddy’s advert builds consumer trust and interest in the product. Their depiction is also verified by the numerous ‘cleantokers’ who filmed their own product demos.

Content Worth Gold

What do you think? What made Scrub Daddy’s Damp Duster advert so successful? Watch the full advert below and let us know in the comments.

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shortfeedshq · 2 years ago

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Kevin Gates Net Worth: A Comprehensive Look into the Life and Career of the Multi-Talented Rapper

Kevin Gates, whose real name is Kevin Jerome Gilyard, is an American rapper, singer, and entrepreneur from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He rose to fame with his mixtapes in the early 2010s and has since become a household name in the music industry. In this article, we will delve into the life and career of Kevin Gates, his net worth, and how he has managed to achieve success despite facing numerous challenges along the way. Early Life and Career Kevin Jerome Gilyard, who is now known as Kevin Gates, was born on February 5, 1986, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He had a difficult childhood, with his mother and father both battling drug addiction. When he was still a child, Gates was taken in by his grandmother, who raised him alongside his siblings. Despite the challenges he faced growing up, Gates managed to complete high school and even attended Baton Rouge Community College for a brief period. However, he dropped out of college and turned to a life of crime, which eventually led to him serving a brief stint in prison. Music was always a passion of Gates', and he began rapping at a young age. However, it wasn't until he was released from prison that he started taking his music career seriously. The Rise to Fame Gates' first mixtape, “Pick of Da Litter,” was released in 2007, but it wasn't until the early 2010s that he gained widespread recognition. He released several mixtapes during this time, including “The Luca Brasi Story” and “Stranger Than Fiction,” which helped him build a loyal fan base. In 2013, Gates signed a deal with Atlantic Records, and in 2016, he released his debut studio album, “Islah.” The album was a commercial success, debuting at number two on the Billboard 200 chart and eventually being certified double platinum by the RIAA. Since then, Gates has continued to release music, with his latest album, “Only the Generals, Pt. II,” being released in February 2021. Kevin Gates’ Net Worth As of 2023, Kevin Gates’ net worth is estimated to be around $1 million. The majority of his wealth comes from his music career, with album sales, streaming royalties, and touring being his primary sources of income. In addition to his music career, Gates has also made money through his business ventures, which include his record label Bread Winners’ Association (BWA) and his partnership with Boost Mobile. He has also launched his own energy drink, “IDGT,” which stands for “I Don’t Get Tired.” Personal Life and Controversies Kevin Gates has been married to his wife, Dreka Gates, since 2015, and the couple has two children together. However, Gates has had his fair share of legal issues and controversies throughout his career. In 2013, Gates was charged with battery after kicking a female fan in the chest during a concert. He was later found guilty and sentenced to 180 days in jail, with the sentence being suspended and Gates being placed on probation. Gates has also been open about his struggles with mental health, revealing that he has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and depression. Kevin Gates’ Business Ventures In addition to his music career, Kevin Gates has also ventured into the business world. In 2010, he founded his own record label, Bread Winners’ Association (BWA), which has signed several up-and-coming artists. In 2016, Gates partnered with Boost Mobile to launch the “Make the Switch” campaign, which aimed to encourage people to switch to Boost Mobile's mobile phone service. The campaign featured Gates in several commercials and helped to increase Boost Mobile's customer base. Most recently, Gates launched his own energy drink, “IDGT,” which he named after his hit song of the same name. The drink is marketed as a way to help people stay energized and focused throughout the day. Conclusion Kevin Gates is a talented rapper and entrepreneur who has managed to achieve success despite facing numerous challenges along the way. His net worth, which is estimated to be around $1 million, is a testament to his hard work and dedication to his craft. Gates' music has resonated with fans all over the world, and his business ventures have helped to expand his influence beyond just the music industry. Despite his legal troubles and personal struggles, Gates has remained focused on his music and his fans. He continues to release new music and perform at concerts and festivals around the world, and his fans remain some of the most loyal in the industry. Overall, Kevin Gates' net worth and success are a result of his talent, hard work, and dedication. He has proven that with the right mindset and work ethic, it is possible to achieve your dreams, no matter where you come from or what challenges you may face. FAQs - What is Kevin Gates' most successful album? - Kevin Gates' most successful album to date is "Islah," which was certified double platinum by the RIAA. - What is Kevin Gates' real name? - Kevin Gates' real name is Kevin Jerome Gilyard. - What business ventures has Kevin Gates been involved in? - Kevin Gates has founded his own record label, Bread Winners' Association, and has partnered with Boost Mobile for a marketing campaign. He has also launched his own energy drink, "IDGT." - Has Kevin Gates had any legal issues? - Yes, Kevin Gates has had legal issues in the past, including a charge of battery after kicking a female fan during a concert. - What is the meaning behind Kevin Gates' energy drink, "IDGT"? "IDGT" stands for "I Don't Get Tired," which is the title of one of Kevin Gates' popular songs. The energy drink is marketed as a way to help people stay energized and focused throughout the day. Read the full article

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hardynwa · 2 years ago

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Savvy Prize Winners Announced

Finally, the three finalists who will share the $3,000 Savvy Prize 2023 for Impact-Driven Entrepreneurs, have emerged. This Prize, running for its second year, seeks to recognize and support the efforts of Savvy Fellows working to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems through innovative and sustainable ways. This year’s Prize comes with a lot of benefits including up to $3,000 in cash prizes, product development support, and marketing endeavors. Out of over 3,000 applications from over 130 countries (which is about 500 more than the previous year), and a rigorous judging process, 30 semifinalists emerged from 13 countries. These amazing changemakers proceeded to the final round, which included a public voting process and a one-minute pitch video submission of their projects. We received 21,733 votes from around the world within a week. With a combination of the public voting process (which accounted for 20% of the judges’ decision) and the one-minute pitch, the three finalists were selected. Every semifinalist was very impressive, and it was such a pleasure getting to learn about their amazing projects. However, we are unable to offer every semifinalist a share in the Savvy Prize as we could only select three finalists. The one-minute video pitches we received were extraordinary, and our team was astonished by the vital and inspired work every semifinalist was doing in their communities around the world. We are grateful to every semifinalist for the great work they’re doing, for sharing their vision with us, and for their interest in the 2023 Savvy Prize. For those who weren’t selected as one of the three finalists, we invite them to continue growing their project and applying next year. The three finalists are: 1st Prize Winner: Daniel Oseni (PeriPES) ($1,450)Made up of clay bricks and sand water, PeriPES is a natural cooling system that preserves and stores tomatoes for up to 3 to 4 months without getting spoilt. 2nd Prize Winner: Kobusingye Mackline (Mother Support Foundation) ($1,000)With a mobile clinic, Mother Support Foundation provides accessible, timely, and quality maternal healthcare services to pregnant women in rural Uganda, such as antenatal, delivery, and postnatal services. 3rd Prize Winner: Mahmoud Hachicha (Karni) ($550)Karni provides a Buy Now Pay Later solution to individuals from low-income households, where they can instantly get access to funds to purchase their basic and urgent needs. Every applicant, including every semifinalist, was judged based on if they are innovative, sustainable, community-based, original, and have a high potential for impact. Congratulations to Daniel, Kobusingye, and Mahmoud! Read the full article

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dower · 2 years ago

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The end of cheap

Well, it's been fun I suppose, at least since about 2010, but it had to come to end.

Cheap maybe only served its own purpose. And at what cost? Pollution, over-consumption, waste, global health catastrophes, climate change, crime & corruption, and the deaths of millions caught up in the machine. Aside from an important rise in living standards for the those traditionally living in poverty, the real winners here are emerging economies with the concentration of power into the hands of the corrupt few.

But, as the era if cheap comes to an end, what does this hold for us. And, of course, the compounding effects across multiple areas has created a perfect storm for many to fall back into suffering through poverty, unemployment, living conditions, health issues, and deep financial mire.

The land of no more

No more cheap money due global issues; war in Eastern Europe, problems in China, and panicky markets. Gone with that is cost of retirement, which just got a whole lot more expensive due to the double whammy of high inflation and wobbly financial markets.

Cheap energy has gone, too, electricty prices have quadrupled, oil and gas gone mental - thanks again Putin-cock. It will likley never return as Climate Change is critical and needs paying for, most likely from fossil fuels, ergo distorting the energy market. Energy is used in everything, from making the steel in your car to transport for your grocery deliveries.

Cheap taxes? Yup, they've gone too, with Conservatives acting like big-government Labour and the need to fund a post-COVID world plus pay down astronomical debt after 2 years of COVID. Taxes permeate through to both reduced income and increased costs as margins get squeezed.

Cheap cars? Definately gone. The combination of post-COVID material shortages, inflation, decreased money-supply, increasing regulation plus the shift to electric is bad news for those returning cars on cheap £150 a month leases and even worse for those who buy cars.

Cheap food? All but gone; Ukraine/Russia, costs of shipping, drive to lower carbon-impact production and a move away from animal to plant-based diets is having a huge impact at the tills.

Cheap consumer goods? Rising costs in China and increased transportation costs means these aint so cheap anymore. Can you even buy an iPhone for delivery before Xmas?

Cheap housing? Well it was never cheap, what with a 20%+ rise since COVID struck but houses are expected to fall back 7-10%. But with mortgages north of 5% now (vs sub 1% 2 years ago), the buy prices might stay flat but the monthlies are jumping horrendously.

If it’s the end of cheap, does expensive mean better, or just plain expensive. I don't mind the end of cheap if it ushers in a period of quality - and restrained consumption.

Quality over quantity is to be applauded; buying a pair of shoes that last longer than a season, a phone that still works five years from now, eating food not drenched in fertiliser … these are all laudable aims and dovetail nicely into overdue societal changes such as; reducing carbon footprint, buying local, making stuff last, ending single-use materials, cutting packaging and transportation waste, sustainable farming, and many many others.

However, those that stretched when life was cheap and drenched in plenty probably don't think the same. Those born after 1980 will likely not know what's hit them, many reliant on fast fashion, cheaply processed food, Chinese-made household plastic tat, and limitless cheap credit might not recognise what’s coming.

A new normal, much like the older normal but wildly different from the most recent normal. WTF is normal anyway.

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sideboot · 2 years ago

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Omg yes speak at length on your expertise. Sorry, i promise the god forbid was only at most 5% wariness of people demonizing nate 95% a joke dashed off too quickly in the tired dead of night. Thanks again for your thoughful meta

Correct me if I'm wrong but Warhammer is a game that can be done with two players, while dnd you really need at least four people to have a decent party going. Nate getting an even bigger upgrade in income right when he loses his social circle. Thats right, warhammer as part of nates villain arc.

I love to imagine that post healing arc nate is the dnd dm for the coaching sqaud (also pls let roy play a barbarian. Pls let roy have all the rage based powers) and everyone but particularly ted loves it because he views it as a team building exercise and he likes the variety of win conditions. Ted is absolutely the kind of guy to play like a bard or cleric and rp his way out of fights. I imagine Nate has to start making constructs and nonsentient enemies just to make sure Roy gets a chance to bash things.

But I would love nate to keep up his warhammer hobby because its okay to want to win! And I think his obvious opponent and fellow hobby enthusiast on the squad is Beard.

Beards dnd character is also a munchkin.

I think the coaching squad runs the full spectrum of backstory creation. Teds is like ten thoughtful pages. Beards is a joke that starts getting to real. Roys is one sentence that then also starts getting too real as he starts getting emotionally attached. Ted and Roy are a lot like their characters, whereas beards is more jokey and out there but picks up a few traits from their creator.

Nate post healing would be at his peak dm skills. I see pre-canon Nate as a DM who would fold easily when he got pushback from players, watched a bit of critical role and tried to do character voices but got embarrassed and immediately bails. If his players ever meet up with people from their backstory and have miraculously made a character with living parents, Nate always plays that NPC as kind of an asshole but insists thats not what hes doing, thats just what a loving dad is like hes being authentic. Nobody pays enough attention to get why and that they should soft pitch Nate going to therapy

I'm sure once he starts Nate loves making minis and creating interesting tactical layouts for rooms and statting monsters, but he strikes me as the kind of guy who got into dming and immediately became a forever DM because nobody else would do it. I see him being deeply embarrassed about his nerdy hobbies because of his relationship with masculinity and also growing up in a household with a dad who would shut down any excitement and find a way to insult any positive aspect of Nate's life. I imagine a Nate who had any nerdy hobbies hid the materials in his room and never played at home.

Pre-canon nate also doesnt seem to have a lot of a support network or friends, I imagine that Ted being his main life raft after god knows how long in a sea of loneliness accounts for some of the emotional intensity of their relationship.

(Fuck, that reminds me I need to do the Sam character study that positions him as a partial foil to nate)

I see Nate playing irregularly with a bunch of randos he met through a local game shop who dont give a shit about him or his cool plans. They dont hang out with him outside of session, nobody in the group realized they should have a conversation about what they want out of the gaming experience or talks about any sort of boundaries. they're sore winners and worse losers as Nate resorts to throwing bigger and bigger monsters at them because they keep bullying their way through npc encounters

I imagine to some degree Nate likes the rules of DnD and the formalized permission to say fuck no to people. He's the dm, if he says that this player action doesnt work cause they didnt roll high enough or the monster did this much damage, it's his world his rules. I'm sure a Nate dming in season 2 rolled up to the table with a different attitude.

Actually maybe post healing we start with Beard as DM, and Nate gets to finally make a PC and be like a halfling caster or fighter or something. A creature whose small size is an advantage and whose function is to control the battlefield.

Whoops that got away from me

People who actually know the Premier League, do popular coaches get figurines. I'm not sure if Nate's figure of Ted is hand painted or something he bought. If it's the former that's serial killer behavior.

#my post now #dnd #nate shelley

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anya-ackerman · 2 years ago

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Okay so since my last post my brain has been stuck on dominant Levi so have my self-indulgent brain rot

Sticking this under a read more because this is 10000% self-indulgent towards how I want/prefer relationship dynamics of having a much more dominant and “controlling” partner so if this ain’t your cup of tea no worries!

- Being in a relationship with/being married to Levi means that you seriously, do not have to worry about or think about anything ever again. When Levi is committed to you he’s also committed to you never having to endure hardship ever. He can’t stand it. Be it Ackerman Bonding or not, he hates seeing you stressed/upset/what have you. And as someone who’s had a rough life from the start, he will do everything in his power to make sure you never have to worry or want for anything.

- Levi does have rules though. Nothing that he doesn’t talk over with you first though, of course. And he only does it with the intention of helping you achieve goals you’re working towards or looking after your health and well being.

- If you pick at your skin when nervous or bored, Levi makes it a rule that you can’t do that. And he will check your hands every day to make sure you haven’t started back up with that bad habit. Do you have a habit of not eating enough? It’s now a rule that you have to have to eat three square meals a day and they have to be with him, so he knows you’re eating.

- Levi speaks for you both when you’re in public or around others, especially strangers you don’t know. You speak when the person addresses you specifically but otherwise, Levi is more than happy to speak for you both. Whether that’s ordering food for both of you, talking to someone at the market to make a purchase, talking with someone you run into at the Corps base etc.

- Levi helps pick out your outfit in the morning. He knows your taste and knows what suits you well. Most of your wardrobe is probably outfits he’s bought for you because he thought you’d look beautiful in them. And he knows your sense of style intimately. He’ll help button your blouses up, fixing your dresses and skirts. He’ll even help place your jewelry pieces on, kissing your hand, inner wrist, neck as he goes. If you let him. He’ll brush your hair for it and tie it in a ribbon, kissing the top of your head and gently smiling.

- Levi is old-fashioned and wants to be a provider so he’s more inclined to bring the head of the household and “bread-winner” as it were. I know Isayama confirmed that Scouts are paid the worst of the three branches but, in all honesty given just how horrifically difficult Scouting I have a hard time buying that. And especially given Levi is literally dubbed “Humanity’s Strongest Soldier”. (Plus if I can make BANK in AOT 2 as a Scout like come on)

- My point being that you both are able to live very nicely on his salary. And Levi does prefer to have you stay at home and take care of the more domestic side of things. Levi isn’t opposed to you having means of bringing in income but he would prefer to be the one to take care of you. He doesn’t want you to have to worry about things like money after all.

- If you’re doing a task that Levi is familiar with but you’re unfamiliar with, Levi is more than happy to guide you through what you’re doing. The first time you helped him take off his ODM gear straps, understandably you fumbled a bit. The leather is thick and tightened against his body in order to ensure safe usage of ODM gear in high speeds and altitudes. But he gently placed his hands over yours and showed you how to undo the buckles and straps, guiding your hands and fingers.

- Or when he taught you how to use a knife in self defense, Levi pressed up against your back, hand on yours holding the blade and other hand moving your arm, positioning you for a defensive stance. He hopes you never have to use these skills, as he’s vowed to always be the one to protect you and shield you from things like this. But he’d rather you know the skill and never need to use it.

- Levi enjoys washing you, either in the shower or the bath if you two are able to take one together. In the shower, Levi will usually shampoo and condition your hair, his fingers moving gently and massaging your scalp. He loves feeling your hair in his hands and takes great care. He’ll even wash you gently with soap or body wash, every movement delicate. Of course, he loves when you return the favor.

- Another of Levi’s rules (which is admittedly very easy to follow) is that you’re there to greet him when he comes home. Whether it’s back from a long day at the Corps base or if it’s back from an expedition, all he wants is for one of the first things he sees when he returns to “normalcy” is your face and your smile. He wants the first thing he gets to do when he comes home is hold you close, kiss you and get to feel your warmth.

#levi aot #aot levi #levi snk #snk levi #levi ackerman headcanons #Levi Ackerman #levi x you #levi x reader headcanons #levi x oc #levi x reader #levi x y/n #levi ackerman x female reader #levi ackerman x y/n #levi ackerman x oc #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x you #❤️ The Soldier and his Songbird ❤️

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slugtranslation-hypmic · 4 years ago

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Hey slug, thanks for the hard work you and your team do for the fandom!! me and some friends were discussing this and i thought it would be nice to see ur answer to this (only if it doesn't bother u, of course!!): what characters do you think parents would give a big thumbs up if you introduced them as your partner (in terms of personality and traits)? I personally think Hifumi or Ichiro would be the best son-in-law...

What an entertaining question. Believe it or not, I’ve given the matter some thought before for reasons entirely unrelated to this, so presenting: Hypnosis Microphone Men and Whether or Not You Should Bring Them Home to Your Parents.

Since there’s a wide age range among the cast members, assume that the “you” in question is roughly each character’s age.

Ichirou: Absolutely. This man is objectively a dream boat. Runs his own successful business? Check. Respectful to people of all ages? Check. Cooks? Check. Cleans? Check. Good with kids? Check. Take Ichirou and marry him before your parents marry him themselves.

Jirou: As far as high school boyfriends go, Jirou’s not a bad choice. He’s a sweetheart, popular, plays music. Doesn’t do drugs in the school bathroom. Could have better grades, but hey, you can’t win them all. He seems like he’d have you home by 8 pm. You know what? Sure. Why not? You could do worse.

Saburou: Saburou is the kind of middle school boyfriend that your parents openly like and privately dislike. What I mean is that he’s very polite to most elders and super smart, so he’s the kind of kid who is entirely unobjectionable, but he’s also the kind of kid who would try to mansplain your parents’ jobs to them. Worst of all, he would be entirely correct in what he’s saying. Your parents probably want to punch him, but they don’t because assaulting children is illegal, not to mention immoral. They will breathe a collective sigh of relief when he finally breaks up with you so he can focus on studying for the Science Bowl nationals.

Samatoki: I am so torn on this one. On the one hand, he’s every parent’s worst nightmare. He smokes indoors, has an awful temper, and is a fucking gangster, for pete’s sake. Yet he can also be a sweetheart who cooks for you and does everything to treat you right. I’m really stumped. Probably the best solution, if you’re really wanting to get in on that Aohitsugi ass, is to cut out the middle man and date Nemu instead. She is perfect in every way, so your parents will love her.

Juuto: If your parents watch Antiques Roadshow, then he will have a lot to bond with them about. Otherwise I think he’d be that kind of person who tells stories about himself way too loudly at family dinners, and after he leaves, one of your parents pulls you aside to say, “Your boyfriend’s really kind of an asshole, don’t you think?” I guess date him if you’re okay with your parents thinking you have cruddy taste.

Riou: I feel like the hard part here is luring him out of the woods and into a family dinner, but from there, it should go great. He’s over 6 feet tall. He can cook well. He has a strong sense of purpose and knows what he wants to do in life. Most importantly, he has a wonderful heart AND every survival skill known to man. He will change the oil in your parents’ car, fix the leaky pipe you’ve been meaning to get around to for six months now, clean the hood above the stove, and then swap recipes and heartfelt compliments with whichever parent does the cooking. Who cares if he doesn’t have a stable income? You don’t need that with guns like those. (insert flexing Riou image here)

Ramuda: I’m trying to think about the concept of a) dating Ramuda and b) introducing him to a set of parents, and I’m drawing an utter blank. There is nothing but “???” in my mind. I’m going to hazard a guess that this one would be a terrible idea.

Gentarou: Wow, your parents had no idea you were dating a prince of a tiny little kingdom in the Mediterranean AND a Harvard law graduate AND the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize AND the man who discovered a cure for cancer in an expedition deep into the heart of the Amazon rain forest. Look at you! What a catch. Only attempt this if your parents are gullible.

Dice: As much as I love Dice to death, this one is a no. Your parents do not want you dating a homeless man with a gambling addiction and bad table manners. Plus, the MIL here seems hard to get along with. Nuh-uh.

Jakurai: Absolutely. You’re in your 30s, so your parents are at least middle-aged. Probably they have some joint problems or some back pain. Jakurai can let them kiss that pain goodbye, and in return, they can let him kiss you! A win-win. He also boasts a handsome salary, has a lovely house, and seems like he’d be super respectful in a relationship. Yes. Go. Marry him.

Hifumi: If you’re a girl, you’re probably going to have to sit this round out. If you’re a guy or nonbinary... yeah, you’re probably going to have to sit this round out too. See, if you have a mom, how is Hifumi supposed to meet her? I guess you could... idk... stick a lampshade on her head and expect him not to notice. That could potentially work, but it’d raise a few awkward questions. If you do happen to live in a female-free household, though, you’ve hit upon the golden opportunity to make this man yours. You can replace every instance of the word “wife” in Judy Brady Syfer’s famous essay “I Want a Wife” with the word “Hifumi” and still have it make perfect sense, and it shows.

Doppo: I can’t in good conscience recommend this one. Sure, he’s hardworking and certainly polite enough, but does he have the time to respond to your emotional needs? Hell, does he have the time to respond to his own? If you invited him to family dinner, there’s a good chance that he’d need to work overtime and miss it. He’d apologize and buy you flowers to make up for it, but you know he’d also be worrying about the cost of those flowers, so... is it really worth it?

Kuukou: For some reason, my parents actually like Kuukou (although I think he’s also the only character they know besides Ichijiku), but I don’t think this would hold true for most parents. He sounds good on paper, but he’d probably make a disparaging comment about someone’s ass in the first five minutes. Perhaps if you tape his mouth shut and tell your parents he’s doing a vow of silence, then yes.

Juushi: As far as high school (is he still in high school?) boyfriends go, Juushi’s not that bad either. He’s shy but sweet. Respectful. In a band, but the kind that makes money and doesn’t operate out of someone’s garage. Yeah, you know what? Go for it. You could do worse. Just scroll up on this list if you need proof of that.

Hitoya: Yeah, absolutely. Hitoya has a great career and a fantastic attitude. He doesn’t take shit from anyone but can still be polite in the correct contexts. He also seems like the type who would get into a serious relationship and treat his partner right. Fuck it up. I support your love.

Sasara: Yes. He has the exact type of humor favored by parents of the father variety. Plus, he’s a famous comedian. There is good money to be had right there.

Roshou: Absolutely. Rather shy but very talented, hardworking teacher who obviously puts his heart and soul into his job? Of course. As long as he doesn’t death glare your parents, it will work out fantastically. Plus, he can talk about sports! That’s a thing that parents like, right?

Rei: Absolutely not. You remember last May when your parents answered a call from the IRS telling them they were about to lose all their money unless they gave the nice man on the phone their bank account password right at that very instant? He was the nice man on the phone. Why the hell would you bring this threat into your parents’ home? Look, you’re in your mid-40s. Your parents are getting up in years, and they want to see you settle down and be happy with someone. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but this is not it. Why are you with Rei in the first place? Is it the fur coat? Listen, you are a grown-ass adult, and you can buy yourself as many fur coats as you want. I believe in you. It doesn’t have to be this way - you deserve better.

#not a translation #asks

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oliviajames1122 · 2 years ago

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Starting Salaries

£150,000 starting salaries as firms fight for staff

A professional recruitment firm says it is placing graduate lawyers on starting salaries as high as £150,000 amid a shortage of workers.

Alan Bannatyne, chief financial officer at Robert Walters, told the BBC people in many UK industries were quitting for better-paid jobs amid soaring demand.

"15% is the minimum pay rise we're seeing, but some are increasing their salaries by up to 50%," he said.

"Unless something significant happens, 2022 should be even better for staff."

Robert Walters, which focuses on placing professionals in roles, said firms were in a "fierce competition for talent" and it was "incredibly hard to find the right people".

As a result, Mr Bannatyne said salary inflation was the highest he had seen in 20 years, although there had been "winners and losers" from Covid and not everyone was in a position to pay well many business listings.

"Bricks-and-mortar retailers and airlines have really struggled so will probably not be paying bonuses or giving pay rises," he told the BBC.

"So they become a hunting ground for other high growth businesses, such as online retailers, anything to do with technology and digital, and manufacturers of household goods."

Robert Walters, which has offices in Asia, Europe, and the US, said it had seen its best December ever, with net fee income up 39% globally.

·Sainsbury's raises pay to £10 an hour

·Starter salaries rise at the fastest rate in 24 years

· Job vacancies surge past one million in a new record

Demand in the final three months of the year was strongest in the Asia Pacific, it said, but the trend of staff shortages was apparent worldwide, including in the UK.

'Huge' bonus pool

Skills shortages have been particularly pronounced in sectors such as law, where vacancies for London-based associates rose some 131% year-on-year between January and November last year, according to research from recruiter BCL Legal and data firm Vacancysoft.

Newly qualified lawyers at the best-known firms are now reportedly earning as much as £147,000 before bonuses.

City banks have also boosted starter salaries to retain talent and Robert Walters predicts the bonus pool this year will be "huge".

Wages have also been increasing in lower-paid jobs. Last week, Sainsbury's became the latest supermarket to pay shop workers at least £10 an hour, following similar moves from Morrisons, Lidl, and Aldi.

UK job vacancies have hit record levels since the economy reopened as employers scramble to meet demand.

At the same time, many workers have revaluated their careers during the lockdown and changed jobs or left the workforce, in what some have labeled the "great resignation".

It has helped to drive up salaries across the UK, with growth in average pay including bonuses standing at 4.9% year-on-year between August and October business listings.

More on this story

·Lidl to become UK's highest-paying supermarket

·Where are all the job vacancies?

#Many business listings #business listings #free business listings #promote your business

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llendrinall · 3 years ago

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As we all know, Charlie Weasley could have played for Britain had he not gone off chasing dragons. There’s a lot of gold that comes with being a good international player. What do you think it would have been like if the Weasleys were doing better financially?

Frankly, I don’t think things would change all that much. Not everybody is a Ronaldo or a Messi (to draw parallels with football/soccer) making really stupid amounts of money. At least during the first few years, until Charlie became a Big Name, he would make money, maybe even tons of money, but I doubt it would be enough to change things significantly.

Mostly I think Charlie would be very unhappy and Percy’s break with the family would be much more intense (what! After the way he behaved in canon? Yes, more than that. Percy would be the next Charlie, getting a job far away and visiting home rarely).

The question here is: why are the Weasleys poor? There is a quick and dirty answer, which is that JKR wanted a rich=bad, poor= good - noble, structure. But she didn’t build a reason as to whyit is so. (There is also no reason why the Malfoys are rich, but money has inertia so we can half buy it). Thus, she accidentally made the Weasleys come across as reeeeally financially irresponsible and the creators of their own poverty.

Let’s look at the money. Supposedly, Hogwarts is free for all students, which makes sense because a significant portion of those students will me muggleborns and I can’t imagine how that conversation would go with their parents (“Your child is gifted! Magical! Now let us take them for 10 months of the year and give us money”). Hogwarts budget must come from the Ministry and the expenses are supervised by the Board of Governors. This, together with how big the Ministry infrastructure seems to be, makes me think that taxes in the wizarding world must be pretty high.

(US readers, double whatever number you are thinking).

Let’s say… 40% of income at the very least. That’s a big chunk for the Weasleys, considering they only have one salary. Since Arthur is overlooked for promotions, we can guess his salary isn’t high. He is head of a department, but it’s a joke department.

The books hint that the Weasleys own the land they live in. If they were renting the Burrow, and it would be hilariousif their landlord were Malfoy, then the house should be in a better state and they wouldn’t be responsible for the gnomes or the ghoul. Since there was no dramatic subplot about Malfoy trying to kick them out, I will assume they own the house and the land. Maybe they have a mortgage on it? One with ridiculous high rates, for argument’s sake.

So that’s most of the money accounted for. What other expenses do they have? According to the ONS the average UK household, after taxes, has a budget as follows (simplified):

Housing (rent, interest and upkeep) – 33%

Food and utilities – 20%

Transport – 14%

Recreation – 12%

Holidays – 11%

Restaurants – 7%

Other – 3%

Let’s say that the mortgage has an insane rate, so 40% of the budget, after taxes, is going there. But we can scratch transportation right away since they have apparition and side apparition and, more importantly, they have nowhere to go. The kids are homeschooled and the one person in the household who has to go to work everyday, can simply apparate right before the office. So that 14% of transportation can go to the housing budget.

Next, food. The Weasleys have many more children than average so the food expense should be higher. On the other hand, they have a lot of land. Supposedly a plot of land of 24x30m (80x100 feet or, for the Americans, about the size of a small Starbucks, the kind that is integrated inside a business) is enough to feed one person for a year in an exclusively plant-based diet. My experience is that a plot of 10x10 meters (32x32 feet or a small Subway shop) can feed a family of 4 if they supplement with eggs and milk and they are smart with the crop distribution.

If the Weasleys kept hens and an orchard, they could keep the food costs low enough that the large family size wouldn’t matter. Plus, during the teenage years, when the calorie demand is higher, the kids are in Hogwarts 10 out of 12 months of the year.

This still leaves them with a very small budget. But considering the only thing magic can’t produce is a) food b) a property deed, almost everything else can be procured with a spell. Furniture wear and tear? A reparo will take care of that. Kids are growing and we need bigger beds? Transfiguration. Clothes? Buy the fabric and use a spell. Maybe it won’t be pretty, but it will be cheap. There will be many luxuries they can’t afford. No eating out, no holidays, no fancy broomsticks. And there are some unavoidable expenses, like school supplies (although books could be reused). Although with the exception of Ginny, there are 2-3 years between children so they have time to save. The moment a kid reaches Hogwarts age they have to make a big investment of wand, cauldron, etc. and then they can write them off. The high taxes also mean they have services like free healthcare and free education with board and room.

It’s a difficult situation. But notice that it’s one that I have created myself. We don’t know if they have a mortgage and we don’t know the tax duties. I’m just coming up with reasons for the expenses while not giving them supplemental income, like Molly selling preserves and whatnot.

I still think that things shouldn’t be so tight that they can’t afford a new wand for each kid. Yet Ron went to Hogwarts with Charlie’s old wand and spent a whole academic year with his wand broken. The Weasleys should had been able to afford a wand. Sure, they just bought Ginny’s school package, but Harry gave her some of the books. It might set them back, it might mean no new robes for the family, but they ought to have that money. Books you can reuse and hope the content is pretty much the same. Wands, you cannot. With broken wands, you are putting your child’s education and even life in danger.

Ron didn’t get the new wand because it was useful for the story that his wand was broken, but the internal logic of the story speaks of extreme economic irresponsibility. Despite all the excuses I tried to come up with (high taxes, high mortgage, Molly is working all day at the garden) not giving Ron a new wand points at a situation of extreme financial ignorance.

So, if Charlie went the Quidditch route the Weasleys would do a bit better, they might pay off their debt, but I don’t think they would be able to grow savings because they simply don’t know how. Charlie would have the added stress of not only performing well in his job but also being the main bread-winner for the whole family. Percy, who is quite observant, would have constant fights about what he considers unnecessary luxuries. He would resent his father even more and he would accept the first job that took him out of the country. The twins would probably resent Ron and Ginny a bit, since they would be the ones to experience having new things.

Charlie would have to make truly astounding amounts of money so that his earnings overcome the family’s blundering of the budget.

#asks #weasley family #hypothetical finances #textpost

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bellybiologist · 3 years ago

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Current Dealings and Collecting Some Feedback/Opinions

(This is a post on my patreon, copypasted to here)

Hey guys, Just coming to reiterated what some of my original plans were, what's going on personally, and to collect some feedback on what I want to try to do this November and December.

Currently, since my mom passed, my household BASICALLY lost somewhere between 1/2 to 2/3rds of our income, and my patreon earnings are, atm, the only income I'm getting to pay for rent and all our various other bills until my aunt finds steady employment (she has some income working for a friend, but that friend is a douche and she's trying to get out of that).

It's been real rough for the both of us. Just recently, we paid off the 300+ dollar bill for the electricity that the oxygen compressor my mom required just to breathe at home for the couple months before she died, and only with help from my uncle.

She passed in august, we had her cremated, and we had her funeral and had to deal with a lot of stuff she hoarded in September due to apartment management needing to deal with maintenance. And i'm just currently... not feeling great if i'm being honest, especially after her birthday which was on the 13th of october (3 days before mine which was on the 16th).

Fall/Winter is always rough because its the season my mood drops in general, and the fact that i've recently lost my favorite person this year has my anxiety at an all time high, and energy at an all time low. I'm getting work done slowly, but my constant mood is basically that one meme image of Coraline's dad from the movie.

Anyway. I definitely need a break before i burn out or simply break down. Initially, I planned on taking my month off in January, but I think i'm going to need to take some time off earlier so i dont really crash and burn.

However, I can't really take a break cuz i need the income due to the above reasons. I only have like, 2 months rent saved up at any given point, so I'm feeling very pressured to power through and keep working... which, objectively, is not a great idea for anyone's mental/physical health, especially when I haven't felt like i had time to properly grieve and acclimate, and it's starting to catch up to me.

=====

So here's a proposition that I'd like to collect feedback on.

For November, December, and maybe January, I will continue to produce patreon exclusive content. But during these month's, I will be producing a reduced amount, thus giving me more time to rest, and more time to finally catch up on the commissions i owe (I'm very sorry for those who have been waiting since April. I simply could not predict how devastating my summer was gonna be 😔. I appreciate all of you guys' patience, but if it's still too much of a wait, do remember i still offer refunds as long as i havent sent a completed piece... which basically means you all apply, lmao.)

So for the month's with reduced content, I will still hold theme and character polls for people to exert their voting powers. However! I will only be doing fills for the first top 3 winners, and each will only be getting a single fill (as in, no sequences, similar to the 3rd and 4th place fills).

=====

Let me know what you think! I'm hoping this temporary set up wont last no longer than into January and that i can get back on the ball and have an at least half-way decent 2022, but it's gonna take some doing for sure. Once again, thanks for all of your support! Despite how badly things went this year, the few things I was able to do for my mother while she was sick this summer is all thanks to you guys. So i'm eternally grateful for that. 🙏🏽

#verzi rambles #patreon announcement

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simmerunleashed · 3 years ago

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And the winner is....

Rosemary Hardy!

Rosemary is the middle triplet. Though she is growing up in the middle of a cramped and chaotic household, she shows absolutely no signs of middle child syndrome. She was a bold kid, forming a club with all of the other kids in Henford-on-Bagely, the Hob Knobs, and leading them on many adventures. She is the only child to actually buckle down and squeeze out an A before graduating middle school and her studious nature has truly made her father proud.

Onward to high school, she isn’t scared. She already knows the junior class because of Amaryllis and most of the incoming freshman class. Briar has warned her that Thorn is planning to overthrow her leadership of the Hob Knobs. Briar refuses to take a side, she’s got her own priorities and choosing between her siblings is not one of them.

Also, Jebus H Cricket my sims made Jessica Biel. She’s so pretty.

#whimsy stories legacy challenge #Hardy Legacy #Rags to Riches #Sims 4 Legacy #TS4 Legacy

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sciencespies · 3 years ago

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High testosterone doesn't actually make men more successful, new study hints

https://sciencespies.com/humans/high-testosterone-doesnt-actually-make-men-more-successful-new-study-hints/

High testosterone doesn't actually make men more successful, new study hints

There’s a widespread belief that your testosterone can affect where you end up in life. At least for men, there is some evidence for this claim: several studies have linked higher testosterone to socioeconomic success. But a link is different to a cause and using DNA, our new research suggests it may be much less important for life chances than previously claimed.

In previous studies, male executives with higher testosterone have been found to have more subordinates, and financial traders with higher testosterone found to generate greater daily profits. Testosterone has been found to be higher among more highly educated men, and among self-employed men, suggesting a link with entrepreneurship.

Much less is known about these relationships in women, but one study suggested that for women, disadvantaged socioeconomic position in childhood was linked to higher testosterone later in life.

The beneficial influence of testosterone is thought to work by affecting behavior: experiments suggest that testosterone can make a person more aggressive and more risk tolerant, and these traits can be rewarded in the labor market, for instance in wage negotiations.

But none of these studies show definitively that testosterone influences these outcomes because there are other plausible explanations.

Rather than testosterone influencing a person’s socioeconomic position, it could be that having a more advantaged socioeconomic position raises your testosterone. In both cases, we would see a link between testosterone and social factors such as income, education and social class.

There are plausible mechanisms for this too. First, we know that socioeconomic disadvantage is stressful, and chronic stress can lower testosterone. Second, how a person perceives their status relative to others in society might influence their testosterone: studies of sports matches, usually between men, have often found that testosterone rises in the winner compared to the loser.

It’s also possible that some third factor is responsible for the associations seen in previous studies. For instance, higher testosterone in men is linked to good health – and good health may also help people succeed in their careers.

A link in men between testosterone and socioeconomic position could therefore simply reflect an impact of health on both. (For women, higher testosterone is linked to worse health, so we would expect an association of higher testosterone and lower socioeconomic position.)

Look at it this way

It is very difficult to pick apart these processes and study just the effects of testosterone on other things. With this goal in mind, we applied a causal inference approach called “Mendelian randomization”. This uses genetic information relevant to a single factor (here, testosterone) to isolate just the effect of that factor on one or more outcomes of interest (here, socioeconomic outcomes such as income and educational qualifications).

A person’s circulating testosterone can be affected by environmental factors. Some, like the time of day, are straightforward to correct for. Others, like somebody’s health, are not.

Crucially, socioeconomic circumstances could influence circulating testosterone. For this reason, even if we see an association between circulating testosterone and socioeconomic position, we cannot determine what is causing what.

This is why genetic information is powerful: your DNA is determined before birth and generally does not change during your lifetime (there are rare exceptions, such as changes which occur with cancer). Therefore, if we observe an association of socioeconomic position with genetic variants linked to testosterone, it strongly suggests that testosterone is causing the differences in socioeconomic outcomes. This is because influence on the variants of other factors is much less likely.

In more than 300,000 adult participants of the UK Biobank, we identified genetic variants linked to higher testosterone levels, separately for men and women. We then explored how these variants were related to socioeconomic outcomes, including income, educational qualifications, employment status, and area-level deprivation, as well as self-reported risk-taking and overall health.

Similar to previous studies, we found that men with higher testosterone had higher household income, lived in less deprived areas, and were more likely to have a university degree and a skilled job. In women, higher testosterone was linked to lower socioeconomic position, including lower household income, living in a more deprived area, and lower chance of having a university degree.

Consistent with previous evidence, higher testosterone was associated with better health for men and poorer health for women, and more risk-taking for men.

However, there was little evidence that genetic variation related to testosterone affected socioeconomic position at all. In both men and women we detected no effects of genetic variants related to testosterone on any aspect of socioeconomic position, or health, or risk-taking.

Because we identified fewer testosterone-linked genetic variants in women, our estimates for women were less precise than for men. Consequently, we could not rule out relatively small effects of testosterone on socioeconomic position for women. Future studies could examine associations in women using larger, female-specific samples.

But for men, our genetic results clearly suggest that previous studies may have been biased by the influence of additional factors, potentially including the impact of socioeconomic position on testosterone. And our results indicate that – despite the social mythology surrounding testosterone – it may be much less important for success and life chances than earlier studies have suggested.

Amanda Hughes, Senior Research Associate in Epidemiology, University of Bristol; Neil Davies, Senior Research Fellow, University of Bristol, and Sean Harrison, Systematic Reviewer, University of Bristol.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

#Humans

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kariachi · 4 years ago

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Okay, we’re going to have a go at gymleaders, what their jobs entail and what their salaries are, now. For those who haven’t been keeping track of this series on posts about estimated income for various pokemon-related jobs, here’s where you can find the ones on coordinators and trainers.

Okay, gymleaders are a bitch because when you play the games so many of them have fucking other jobs. So many. So we’re going to go with a combination of consistent things we see gymleaders doing or can infer they’re doing from within the anime and games, along with shit that just makes sense from a worldbuilding perspective.

So, with that in mind, gymleaders seem to be expected to-

Oversee and maintain a pokemon gym

Engage challengers in fair combat

Provide some form of reward to winners

Maintain several teams of varying sizes and power levels of the gym’s type

Mentor young trainers on the topic of pokemon

Act as local experts on pokemon

Act as experts on pokemon of the gym’s type

Act as defenders of their community from outside forces

Act as community leaders

Take part in efforts to maintain local ecosystems

Bit of a lot. Probably pretty stressful. Especially given we’ve seen gymleaders age 16 and younger.

Now, eventually we’re going to get to projected salaries, but first I want to sort out some reasonable ‘how’s, the role of gyms outside of gym battles, shit like that, because with things like this it’s important to have all your ducks in a row.

First, we’re going to go into why I only specify a ‘reward’ up on the list rather than ‘a badge’ or anything like that. Simply enough, it seems reasonable to assume not all gyms are officially certified. We see gyms in both the anime and games that aren’t part of the ‘gym challenge’ and don’t offer badges.

Noncertified gyms cannot give out badges, to prevent trainers being tricked into thinking they’ve become eligible to challenge the regional league when they haven’t. Instead these gyms will give items and sometimes pokemon to those who beat their leader. Reasons a gym may not be certified vary, from a lack of public interest, to not meeting the standards of their regional regulatory body, to simply being too new, and beyond. These gyms receive no funding from the League.

Gyms must be active and open to the public for two years, with a win ratio of 80% or higher against challengers to the gymleader- who must themselves meet the region’s requirements to become a gymleader- to be eligible for certification. Gyms must be recertified every two years.

Gyms must have a specific type focus, though gymleaders are not required to have teams solely of that type (the type must still make up at least 50% of the gymleader’s official teams however). Gymleaders can change their type focus as they wish, but any alterations to the gym itself will have to come from the community or their own pocket unless they recertify as the new type. Upon recertification as a new type the League typically provides set funds to modify the gym.

Certified gyms are often limited to one per town, though particularly large cities have been known to have two.

Gyms often hold several roles outside of merely acting as arenas for trainer battles. Typically they live up to their name, acting as places where locals or trainers specializing in a specific type can come to train their teams, with many noncertified gyms offering membership packages to bring in the money they need to run (certified gyms are restricted from offering membership services). They also often act as places for the community to congregate, as emergency shelters, and some host community support or outreach programs.

Gym trainers are often made up of a combination of local trainers, gym workers, and apprentices to the gymleader.

Certified gyms are funded by their regional League- which itself is funded by the cost of trainer licenses and the various fees to enter or view League-sanctioned events, along with fees paid by media channels to broadcast said events and vendors to work them- which pays the bills nessecary to keep the gym running, along with the salaries of gymleaders, gym workers, and apprentices, and for the care and feeding of gymleaders’ and apprentices’ teams. Additional money comes in the form of loss money from challengers, usually $300-400, which most certified gyms put towards their community-focused programs.

Noncertified gyms receive their funding via donations, membership fees, charging for serves, and loss money from challengers. Start-up money is generally provided by the gymleader from their own personal savings.

The process of becoming eligible to be a gymleader varies from region to region. In some locations an apprenticeship under the current gymleader and their word are enough to grant you the position upon their retirement, while in others the process is long and intense, involving a variety of extremely difficult challenges. Still the majority of regions in this day and age require three things to become eligible-

A good showing in a challenge against said region’s Elite Four and Champion, generally requiring the defeat of 3 of the Elites (a challenge one can’t undergo without having first become a League Champion in that region)

The passing of the region’s GEEs, ‘Gymleader Eligibility Exams’

Either an Bachelors degree in ‘Poke-Human Relations’ or four years apprenticeship under a gymleader

Individuals meeting these standards immediately become eligible to open or inherit a gym in that region.

Now we finally get to move onto salaries for the certified guys.

Gym workers were the easy part. The pokemon world, as mentioned before, doesn’t seem as shit as ours, so one can assume gym workers are getting at least a living wage- already determined to be about $20-25k, but such a prestigious job is also probably going to pay a little more than the norm. So we’ll go with $25-30k for gym workers.

Apprentices are a little harder. Their incomes seem to vary, which makes sense as an apprentice just starting probably isn’t going to be paid the same as one several years on. So we’re going to go with a ‘by experience in the gym’ system.

1-2 years: ~$20-25k

3-5: ~$25-30k

5-7: ~$35-40k

8-9: ~$40-45k

10+: ~$45-50k

‘But Achi, why so high there by the end?’ We’re getting there, loves.

Now gymleaders were what drove me up the wall, because I try to go for equivalences when I do most of my numbers stuff but figuring out an equivalent job was a bit of a bitch. So, I decided to work backwards a bit and asked myself a not-so-simple question-

“How much, based on what we’ve already determined, would it cost to raise nine children as a single parent?”

Because in the anime we’re shown that Brock was raising his nine younger siblings, on his own, with his only job being as leader of the local certified gym. Now, Pocket Monsters: The Animation, wants us to believe that being a gymleader leaves you no fucking money, nobody is being paid, you’re basically living off scraps, but what we’re shown here doesn’t match up with that. We get nine kids, being raised in what appears to be a nice house, by a single parental figure, and there’s no sign that they want for anything. There’s none of the typical shorthand for ‘we’re poor as shit’. So, presumably, being a certified gymleader earns you enough of a salary that you can support a large family on it, though maybe not easily.

So, I used the same budget calculator to work out an estimate on how much Brock would’ve been spending to support his siblings with a modest living. And it had to be estimates because the damn thing doesn’t go higher than four kids a household. Thankfully, as explained in earlier posts, we’re presuming transportation and healthcare costs aren’t a thing in the pokemon world for the standard person traveling around their area, and the pokemon are, again, presumably being fed by the League, so we were able to take numbers from some spots and move them into others. In the end, we ended up with $70-80k as the annual salary of a gymleader.

So, about three times the cost of living, a certified gymleader is certainly a lucrative position. The big question is, is it worth the fucking work.

#more pokemon calculations #gymleaders out there making bank #pokemon worldbuilding

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theliberaltony · 5 years ago

Link

via Politics – FiveThirtyEight

Sen. Bernie Sanders almost certainly won’t win the Democratic nomination after his string of defeats in recent primaries. So the questions around how and when Sanders will end his campaign aren’t really about electoral math anymore, but are instead connected to deeper questions about policy, the Democratic electorate and Joe Biden and Sanders’s personal goals.

These deeper questions essentially are: Does Sanders have any specific goals that he wants — such as Biden taking up one of his major policy ideas — that he could essentially trade with Biden in exchange for dropping out and endorsing the former vice president? Does Biden, who is now racking up endorsements and winning primaries by huge margins, really need to negotiate with Sanders at all? Does the bloc of around 30 percent of Democratic primary voters that have backed Sanders represent a clear constituency that he actually leads, or will Sanders’s supporters be unenthusiastic about Biden even if Sanders embraces him? Will most of Sanders’s supporters vote for Biden in a general election simply to get President Trump out of office, or does Biden need to accommodate them in some way? And are Sanders’s supporters actually open to any accommodation beyond Sanders being the Democratic nominee?

I can’t really answer any of these questions confidently, and despite what you will read or hear on TV, I’m not sure anyone else knows the answers to these questions either. But one way to think about this is through history. Every competitive nomination process ends with a winner, at least one person who can claim to be the runner-up and some bloc of the party that has lost. So here are some models for how the Biden-Sanders primary could be resolved. These are ordered from the least to most favorable for Sanders:

Sanders and the left get basically nothing

Parallel: The 2000 Democratic primary between then-Vice President Al Gore (winner) and former Sen. Bill Bradley.

Bradley didn’t win a single caucus or primary and earned just 21 percent of the popular vote, so he was obviously in a weaker position than Sanders is now. That said, many Democrats view Trump as an existential crisis and now America has a crisis (the novel coronavirus) that could last until November or beyond. With those concerns, Sanders may have less room to get much from Biden because the growing pressure to leave the race and back Biden may at some point become too strong for him to continue.

So Sanders could get nothing, according to Mark Schmitt, who was a top adviser on Bradley’s 2000 campaign. “Not ‘Godfather II’ nothing, but nothing wrapped in a lovely bow of recognition and respect,” Schmitt said.

Sam Rosenfeld, an expert on party politics who teaches at Colgate University, said, “Biden’s victory came so quickly and with so little in the way of extended trench warfare that it’s true that he likely feels less need to assuage Sanders substantively than HRC [Hillary Clinton] did four years ago.”

In this scenario, Biden would pick a running mate, like Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who is similarly resistant to more left-wing ideas. Biden would basically refuse to adopt any of Sanders’s policies and might block their insertion into the Democratic Party’s official platform at the party’s convention, which is currently scheduled for July 13 to16 in Milwaukee.

Changes to the party platform

Parallel: The 2016 Democratic primary between former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (winner) and Sanders; the 1976 Republican primary between then-President Gerald Ford (winner) and former California Gov. Ronald Reagan.

In 2016, Clinton and her allies allowed Sanders-backed provisions, including the abolition of the death penalty and a $15 minimum wage, into the party platform. A generation earlier, Ford and his camp used the platform to placate supporters of the more conservative Reagan.

The Democrats put some of Sanders’s less controversial ideas into the platform four years ago. In the 2020 process, he has pushed four far-reaching ideas in particular: a wealth tax, Medicare for All, the mass forgiveness of all student debt and free college for all Americans. The party platform in theory speaks for all Democratic candidates, even ones in swing districts. Those Democrats want to appeal to more moderate voters and are wary of Republicans linking them with socialism (and Sanders). So is there a compromise on the wealth tax or the mass forgiveness of college debt that satisfies Sanders’s allies and, say, more moderate House Democrats? That’s not easy to see. How far will Democrats go, with a GOP eager to cast the entire party as socialists?

Formal policy and/or appointment promises

Parallel: The 2016 Republican primary between Trump (winner) and Sens. Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio and then-Ohio Gov. John Kasich.

In May 2016, as some establishment Republicans were still thinking of ways to prevent Trump from winning the nomination, Trump released a list of people he would consider for Supreme Court seats. Neither Neil Gorsuch nor Brett Kavanaugh1 were on the initial list, but it was full of conservative legal figures. That list served as essentially a promise to the party’s establishment and conservative wings that Trump would appoint conservative judges to the bench, a key priority of the party. (He has followed through in spades.)

Biden has already promised to pick a woman as his running mate and a black woman as a Supreme Court justice — both attempts to placate other important constituencies in the party (black voters and women). And Biden recently announced that he supported tuition-free public college for Americans in households with incomes of $125,000 or less, moving toward Sanders’s position.

Will he go further? In theory, Biden could promise to appoint some prominent liberals to his administration (Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Sanders himself or some of their allies, for example). He could promise not to appoint people that liberal activists strongly dislike, such as former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg or basically anyone affiliated with Facebook or Wall Street.

In terms of policy, could Biden, in a general election, commit to some kind of tax on the wealthy that is akin to a wealth tax? (The wealth tax is fairly popular with Americans overall.)

Daniel Schlozman, a political scientist at John Hopkins University who focuses on political parties, argued that the left will demand a major federal government response to the coronavirus pandemic if Biden is elected — so the disputes between the party’s left and center-left wings might look much different than they did during the Democratic primary.

“The big left asks of Biden will be on the scale and permanence of government interventions more than on any of the issues in the primary,” Schlozman said.

“Biden is very old and his instincts really do just stem from a different and much more cautious era for [Democratic] domestic policymaking,” Rosenfeld said. “That’s going to matter. That said, it’s important to note that the establishment has itself moved significantly since 2008 … The center of gravity on policy questions has shifted left.”

A leftist vice-presidential nominee

Parallel: The 1996 Republican primary between then-Sen. Bob Dole (winner) and conservative activist Pat Buchanan and businessman Steve Forbes; the 2012 Republican primary between former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (winner) and former Sen. Rick Santorum and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich; the 2016 Republican primary.

Some in the GOP’s more conservative wing doubted that Dole, Romney and Trump were sufficiently right wing in each of their respective primaries. So all three chose running mates — former Rep. Jack Kemp for Dole, then-Rep. Paul Ryan for Romney, then-Indiana Gov. Mike Pence for Trump — deeply trusted by more conservative Republicans.

This route would be complicated for Biden. In theory, the former vice president could excite the younger and more liberal parts of the Democratic base by picking a running mate who is not Sanders but shares many of Sanders’s positions. But few people close to, or as liberal as, Sanders are governors, senators or otherwise serve in positions that might make them natural candidates for the vice presidency. The most obvious figures, Sen. Tammy Baldwin and Warren, would require Democrats to remove a sitting senator and hope that the party can win a special election to keep that seat.

Let’s focus on Warren for a moment. She presents some obvious advantages for Biden in terms of her policy knowledge and high favorability ratings among Democrats. At the same time, Biden’s campaign messaging has been about electability. Would he choose a left-leaning senator from the Northeast like Warren over a more centrist senator from the Midwest like Klobuchar? Also, can a 77-year-old candidate pick a 70-year-old running mate? Can a Democratic Party that is nearly 40 percent Asian, black or Hispanic run an all-white ticket? Also, it’s not even clear that Sanders’s supporters would be super excited about Warren as the vice-presidential nominee.

Sanders is the vice-president nominee

Parallels: The 1960 Democratic primary between then-Sen. John F. Kennedy (winner) and then-Sen. Lyndon Johnson; the 1980 Republican primary between Reagan (winner) and former CIA Director George H.W. Bush; the 2004 Democratic primary between then-Sen. John Kerry (winner) and then-Sen. John Edwards.

The history of the second-place candidate becoming the vice-presidential nominee illustrates one of the challenges for Sanders — he’s not really viable for arguably the biggest prize a runner-up can reasonably expect. Being second on the ticket is potentially incredibly valuable — Johnson and Bush not only served as vice president but ultimately won the presidency themselves (Johnson obviously in very unusual circumstances). But it’s really hard to imagine Biden choosing Sanders, an even older white man (Sanders is 78), as his running mate.

I don’t think it’s worth trying to predict which of these precedents the Biden-Sanders race will follow — I would expect something more than nothing and less than the vice presidency. But this process is worth watching closely, because it won’t happen all at once. Sanders’s exit from the race, the Democratic convention and the time between Biden’s election (if he wins) and the start of his presidency are all potentially points of negotiation between Biden and Sanders, and the center-left and left wings of the Democratic Party. It will take some time to assess what concessions Sanders and the people who support him come away with.

#IFTTT #Politics – FiveThirtyEight #politics #538 #Perry Bacon Jr.

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oliviajames1122 · 2 years ago

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Food waste

More than 900 million tonnes of food is thrown away every year, according to a global report.

The Programmer’s Food Waste Index revealed that 17% of the food available to consumers - in shops, households, and restaurants - goes directly into the bin.

Some 60% of that waste is in the home.

The lockdown appears to have had a surprising impact - at least in the UK - by reducing domestic food waste.

TV cook, Bake Off winner, and food writer Nadia Hussain has joined the campaign against kitchen waste

Sustainability charity Wrap, the UN's partner organization on this report, says people have been planning their shopping and their meals more carefully many business listings.

And in an effort to build on that, well-known chefs have been enlisted to inspire less wasteful kitchen habits.

'23 million trucks of food'

The report has highlighted a global problem that is "much bigger than previously estimated," Richard Swannell from Wrap told BBC News.

"The 923 million tonnes of food being wasted each year would fill 23 million 40-tonne trucks. Bumper-to-bumper, enough to circle the Earth seven times."

It is an issue previously considered to be a problem almost exclusive to richer countries - with consumers simply buying more than they could eat - but this research found "substantial" food waste "everywhere it looked".

There are gaps in the findings that could reveal how the scale of the problem varies in low- and high-income countries. The report, for example, could not distinguish between "involuntary" and "voluntary" waste.

"We haven't looked deeper [at this issue] but in low-income countries, the cold chain is not fully assured because of lack of access to energy," Martina Otto from Unep told BBC News.

The data to distinguish between the waste of edible food and inedible parts - like bones and shells - was only available for high-income countries. Lower-income countries, MS Otto pointed out, we're likely to be wasting much less edible food business listings.

There is likely to be far less voluntary food waste in low-income countries

But the end result, she said, was that the world was "just throwing away all the resources used to make that food".

Ahead of major global climate and biodiversity summits later this year, UNEP executive director Inger Andersen is pushing for countries to commit to combatting waste - halving it by 2030.

"If we want to get serious about tackling climate change, nature and biodiversity loss, and pollution and waste, businesses, governments, and citizens around the world have to do their part to reduce food waste," she said.

Richard Swannell pointed out: "Wasted food is responsible for 8-10% of greenhouse gas emissions, so if food waste was a country, it would be the third-biggest emitter of greenhouse gases on the planet."

Tips to reduce food waste:

Plan your portions and buy the right amount: a mug should hold the right amount of uncooked rice for four adults, and you can measure a single portion of spaghetti using a 1p or £1 coin;

Cool your fridge down: the average UK fridge temperature is almost 7°C. It should be lower than 5°C;

Understand date labels: a "use by" date is about food safety. If the use-by date has passed, you should not eat or serve it, even if it looks and smells okay. If something is getting close to the use by date, you can freeze it. A "best before" date is about quality.

In the UK, the average household could save £700 per year, according to Wrap research, by buying only the food they ate.

The lockdown effect

Throwing away food can also mean that resources used to grow it have been wasted

Where food waste is voluntary, the Covid-19 lockdown appears to have had the surprising effect of revealing precisely how it can be remedied.

According to research by Wrap, planning, careful storage, and batch-cooking during the lockdown reduced people's reported levels of food waste by 22% compared with 2019 free business listings.

·We're worse with food waste than we think

·What do you do with 86 tonnes of celeriac?

·How safe are takeaways and supermarket deliveries?

"Being confined to our homes has resulted in an increase in behaviors such as batch cooking and meal planning," the charity said. "But the latest insights suggest that food waste levels are likely to rise again as we emerge from lockdown."

In an effort to avoid that, well-known cooks and chefs have lent their names and social media profiles to the campaign against kitchen waste.

British TV cook Nadiya Hussain is working with Wrap and offering tips and leftovers recipes via Instagram. And Italian restaurateur Massimo Bottura, chef patron of Modena eatery Osteria Francescana, which has three Michelin stars, has been appointed UNEP goodwill ambassador "in the fight against food waste and loss".

Throughout the lockdown in Italy, his family produced an online cooking show called Kitchen Quarantine, encouraging people to "see the invisible potential" in every ingredient.

What's causing Britain's food waste?

While millions of tonnes of food were thrown away, an estimated 690 million people were affected by hunger in 2019. That number is expected to rise sharply in the wake of the pandemic.

MS Andersen pointed out that tackling waste "would cut greenhouse gas emissions, slow the destruction of nature through land conversion and pollution, enhance the availability of food and thus reduce hunger and save money at a time of global recession".

Follow Victoria on Twitter

#Many business listings #business listings #free business listings #promote your business

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thirteenthspirit · 5 years ago

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A Sustainable Pokéconomy

I thought about combining two of my biggest interests – Finance, the economy, capital markets, etc (basically what I do for a living), and Pokémon (what I wish I did for a living).

Yes, I would call myself a wannabe Pokémon Master. I’m proud to have a career of over 20 years of Pokémon catching, training, breeding (gimme that Ditto) and exploring. Apart from competitive battling, I’ve practically done it all, spanning multiple consoles and generations. And I am still just as excited about it as I was.

That’s my response when people ask me “What do you do for a living?”. Followed by “I also work for a bank”. Then they chuckle and I say “Just kidding”.

……………

Something we’ve been working on, at the bank, is repositioning our Client’s assets under management (AuM) to a more resilient stance – the global economy is pretty late in the economic cycle, so a downturn is expected, in the near future. The last recession hit everyone pretty bad, not just the financial sector. Families worldwide struggled - guess they ran out of PP - Purchasing Power, since many jobs and companies collapsed.

This made me wonder whether they have recessions in the Pokémon world. Certainly an economy where there are state-maintained Pokémon centers in every major town, has a pretty high tax rate – at least judging from how much is deducted from my salary for social security and the like… And given people seem to retire at an early age – at least our mother in one of the generations was a former nurse Joy, and she seems pretty young to be fully retired… But don’t mind me, I’m just taking my fictional mother’s pixelated measurements.

Gym leaders also seem to be state-operated. Maybe the Elite Four has something like the “Pokémon’s Guild of America” (PGA) and funds every Gym and employee. Not to say they have a lot of money, but… Chuck you have LITERAL WATERFALLS IN YOUR GYM AND LIEUTENANT I’M SURE THOSE SWITCHES DON’T RUN ON SOLAR POWER. In gen III our father works at the Petalburg gym, so that’s the family’s main source of income. Yes, because in Hoenn kids don’t send their mothers part of their earnings for safekeeping (and the occasional purchase of Sitrus berries). So trainers come and battle, when they lose they pay the winners - workers for the gym – let’s assume they work (partly) on commission. How many battles they win, directly translates to how much money they get to play the slots at Celadon. So only part of their income is state-funded – maybe even none of it.

Hm. Perhaps instead of reallocating from stocks to bonds, I should start advising my Clients to open their own Pokémon Gym in their local town. I wonder if that’s under the “Real Estate” or “Alternatives” investment space.

They could then create a network of gyms which exist co-dependently, culminating in challenging the Elite Four. Maybe the proceeds could be shared among the gyms, I mean, assuming Clair wipes the floor with her Kingdra much more often than Falkner does with his Pidgeotto…

But the question is – is this model sustainable? Or is the Pokémon world headed for recession, no better than ours?

Well, let’s put the cards on the table – there is a global event that triggers the down cycle. The Fed (Federal Reserve) has no choice but to announce a recession, while Europe is already seeing its GDP constrict more than a Shellder on a Slowpoke’s tail. People get scared. They still remember what it was like in the last one – millennials (for as irresponsible as people like to paint us) grew up during the financial crisis and live fearful of seeing themselves unemployed. “João used Unemployment!“ -It’s not very effective... at sensitizing politicians to the living conditions of lower-income households or avoiding the downturn in the economic cycle.

What is the first thing people do, in a recession? They tighten their purses. They cease spending, they ponder first before spending their entire monthly wage on 5 Fire Blast TM’s (because THEY MIGHT COME IN HANDY AND IN THEIR COUNTRY THEY AREN’T REUSABLE). So let’s assume parents will stop allowing their kids to go on the Gym challenge – the losers have, after all, to pay the proceeds to the victor, so clearing the competition altogether sounds like a plausible reaction. Gyms react. They see their proceeds decrease, and some gyms end up having to fully fund others. And unless they are covertly run by the mob (*cof* Viridian *cof*) or change their layout every year (yes because a ROLLER COASTER WASN’T ENOUGH ELESA), they will have no choice but to close their doors. This in turn means Trainers would skip that town on their quest to be the very best, affecting local Poké Marts, stores and businesses. Companies would relocate, families would follow suit – investment would go to new and profitable areas. It would take years before a certain degree of stabilization could be achieved.

Which is exactly what has been happening since 2007 – that financial crisis was deeper than the 99F dungeons in PMD and we have only now recovered from it. Families were able to save a bit and achieve some stabilization, companies restructured their debt at (record) low levels, unemployment is at an all-time low and earnings are still sky-high. It’s been a long way to recovery. And like the move Recovery, the economy’s just an accurate Dynamicpunch away from losing its entire HP and reverting back to its most vulnerable state.

It’s a frail state, no one knows where the punch is gonna come from, whether it’s gonna spillover from low manufacturing data from Germany, or president Trump’s abuse of Hyper Voice, or the collapse of tech unicorn Sylph CO due to poor sales numbers (because ghost spotting is still more reliable than WeWork’s business model).

So buckle up, grab those Iron Defense-using Torkoal and reallocate your assets to non-cyclical sectors and classes. Because something is coming. No one knows what, or when, but make sure you do something before it’s too late.

And don’t forget to call your mom.

Best of luck with your spawns,

-João A. (Pachiren)

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