#it would be a financial game changer tbh

[ozcarr]

Applied for a job I'm not qualified for please fucking pray for me

[dropoutconfessions]

I wanna start off by saying that I agree with the fans who say that the rep of trans women and transmisogyny affected comedians on dropout isn't enough (because it is orders of magnitude less than the rep of cis people and less than 1/10 the rep of transmisogyny excluded trans comedians iirc).

But I have to disagree with some folks I see calling Sam and Brennan greedy rich assholes as an explanation for why they don't wanna platform transfemmes. Because when we talk about class, it's very important to separate specific levels of "rich" between comfortable and ultra wealthy.

Robert Reich of all politicians is not going to hoard wealth, but he probably did make Sam's life growing up more comfortable than most people and gave him some financial grace to pursue comedy. But Dropout as it used to be was bleeding money in 2020. They have less than a million paid subscribers, and they share profits with the cast AND they're paying the wages of the crew. However much money Sam and Brennan are making, it is nothing compared to a billion dollars. It's not clear how much they make, but say Sam is worth $50 million (a high random number that I think is still way too high for what he'd have). That's still only 5% of $1 billion. We are all closer to Sam's level of wealth than he is to, say, Jeff Bezos. Any kids he and his wife may have are going to have a comfortable life, and he is probably going to have a good retirement, but I think you still have to look at the scale of things. And Brennan is likely making less than Sam while still being financially stable, but he clearly knows what it's like to be broke and starving and is still heavily affected by that past to this day.

Is it possible that Sam and the folks in charge of hiring casting at Dropout think TMA folks are less likely to bring profit and that's why they don't hire them? I don't know. I'm not psychic. But the image of them some people push in regards to their class is straight up wrong.

DEFINITELY more TMA comedians besides Persephone (I love her and I would actually want to see more of her in addition to other new cast members) should be hired as cast for Dropout shows in general. I think Sam should/could also pass off hosting duties of Game Changer at the very least and possibly Make Some Noise, too, bc the amount of cis men representation from him and Brennan alone in comparison to any trans people but especially TMA people is insane. They're always going to have the seasons they ran, and they can still be cast once in a while.

But I really think this lack of representation started as a blind spot rather than evil intent to squeeze as much profit out of Dropout as possible the way some people think it is. If it continues after all this conversation about it (they film like a year in advance, so maybe some grace can be given), yeah, I'm going to be upset. I already canceled my subscription, though, tbh just because the statistics of rep in terms of cis men/women and transmascs/transfemmes is extremely disproportionate for the kind of work they do.

I haven't personally seen people make it a "greedy white cis men" thing, but yk, I'm not omniscient, could be a part of tumblr doing that. I personally don't think it's an intentional thing, that's the vicious part of normalized bigotry/lack of diversity, you don't notice it until you do.

I will say though, I don't think Sam needs to stop hosting either Game Changer or Make Some Noise, he's addressed them being his dream projects and like, a love letter to game shows, I don't think either would be as good without him.

But like, they're creating a lot of new shows, there's clearly space for new regulars on Dropout. There's space for us to be included, just gotta wait for them to answer our ask for an invite and all that.

[nothingunrealistic]

review roundup: billions 7x07 “dmv”

a week for philip to shine! even though he did so by having a terrible time throughout! what did reviewers think?

New York Times: ‘Billions’ Season 7, Episode 7 Recap: The Way of the Ocean

Well, that was a nasty bit of business. One of the best episodes of “Billions” in recent memory,

agreed, tbh.

Philip gets a turn in the spotlight this week when he reels in Prince Cap’s latest whale: bioengineered, self-repairing concrete, invented by one of his mentors in college, Dr. Mike Rulov (Timothy Busfield).

that is not how you spell marc ruloff’s name. check imdb, my man!

With the legal and financial resources of one of the smaller G7 nations, Prince would make the new concrete a bigger deal than Rulov could, even with his own high-rollers backing him. But there was clearly no chance of such a sale, even before Prince started making veiled threats.

and prince started making those threats pretty early!

If Rulov cares about the concrete so much, Prince reasons, then tying it up in litigation for years will force him to sell because of his simple but irresistible desire to see his creation out in the world. Not that Mike is in any hurry for that to happen, even if he wins the fight: At the suggestion of the increasingly sinister Kate Sacker, he considers keeping the technology under wraps until he can roll it out as part of his 2028 re-election campaign. Such is the transactional nature of Mike’s do-gooding at this point. Desperate, Philip turns to Wendy — not for her advice, although that’s the front he puts up, but rather for her connection to Chuck. He knows that if he tells her the whole story, she will reach out to her ex, who will see an opportunity to stick it to Prince. But Philip’s hope that Chuck can shut down the entire patent-sharking sector is a pipe dream. All Chuck can do is have a friend at the Defense Department classify the patent as a matter of national security, seize Rulov’s efforts, and prevent either man from being the sole controller of such an important invention. Of course, the government will most likely sit on it forever, benefiting no one. But if that’s what it takes to stop Prince from getting his hands on this potential game-changer, so be it.

two objections to this description of events:

sacker’s suggestion to keep the concrete technology classified until it’s time for prince's 2028 campaign comes after it’s been classified by the department of defense, not before, as is suggested by the order in which those scenes are summarized.

presenting philip going to wendy as if he thought of it himself, rather than it being at taylor’s advice (at least to some extent), obfuscates taylor’s role in putting philip in a position where he’d want to act against prince.

Even after this debacle, Philip still wants nothing to do with the plot against Prince, the existence of which Wendy intimates to him after many a knowing glance between herself and Taylor. Philip storms out of her office, all but yelling, “Deniability! Deniability!” with his fingers in his ears.

and his ability to identify wendy and taylor but not wags as part of the plan is why taylor’s role in his plotline matters!

Banding together, they elect Victor and Rian to tell the committee Mike assembles to take his place — Wags, Scooter, Taylor and Philip — that they reject the committee’s authority to conduct the reviews. They pitch postponing them for a year and detaching their annual comp from the review process in the meantime. Mike caves and even throws them a gala casino night as a morale-building exercise. Or so it seems. In reality, he and Scooter have colluded to have the whole evening recorded, employing the real-life poker ace Vanessa Selbst to analyze their behavior and risk patterns — a performance review without the consent of the performers.

another strange description of events — this time implying that prince had any role at all in the casino night / performance review other than “i’m recusing myself. wags and scooter, you do it” and then fucking off to ruin ruloff’s life. he didn’t! there’s no proof he even knows the casino night happened!

Which members of the Prince Cap Movie Night crew understand that “The Wolf of Wall Street” is intended as a cautionary tale rather than a how-to manual? According to Wags, they are Kate, Victor, and Rian — not that it has stopped any of the three from acting rather wolfish.

lol. lmao, even.

Normally I’d come down pretty hard on a needle drop as narratively obvious as playing R.E.M.’s “Drive” after a kid passes his driving test, but I’m choosing to believe the song was chosen not for its title but for its somber tone, reflective of the mood of the rest of the episode. Otherwise, “I Can’t Drive 55” by Sammy Hagar was sitting right there.

you expect brian koppelman, known van hagar hater, to put a sammy hagar song in an episode of billions? in the crucial closing slot, no less? i think not!

Vulture: Billions Recap: Leave It to Senior

another four-star review! significantly more justified this time!

I’ve always believed in the “less is more” adage, and even though it took half a season, Billions finally got that memo this week. After last week’s plotline-packed extravaganza, co-creators Brian Koppelman and David Levien gave their audience a much-needed breather with the stripped-down “DMV.” By simplifying the narrative, the result was Billions’ strongest season-seven episode yet.

i think 7x05 is up there also, but of course i’m biased.

As Mike Prince continues to propel himself onto the political stage, we’re now looking at a potential alliance between Chuck and Wendy. But more importantly, we’re seeing more cracks in Prince’s inner circle — namely, with the billionaire’s protégé (and Scooter’s nephew), Philip Charyn.

and i love that for us!

“DMV” was also an unexpected treat because Jeffrey DeMunn got to double down on the hilariously vile Charles Rhoades Sr. character, and we, the audience, benefited immensely from his performance.

that, not so much.

Over at Michael Prince Capital, Philip has connected his former Stanford professor, Dr. Mark Ruloff (Timothy Busfield!), with his billionaire boss.

closer, but still not the right spelling of marc ruloff!

Except Ruloff isn’t selling, and he’s not budging on this decision. Neither is Prince. “Fins up,” he tells Philip, who’s now caught in an awkward position between his college mentor and his workplace mentor.

no, “fins up” was prince’s instruction to sacker, to get started on the patent sharking. philip just happened to be in the room and remember its significance later.

Okay, we all know that Chuck and Wendy are hardly parents of the year. But for Senior to present himself as the only one willing to “risk life and liberty on his [grandchildren’s] behalf” is, to use a word from Senior’s generation, a load of malarkey.

honestly! i still remember the scene in which senior gave kevin a slinky for his birthday and told chuck & wendy that if he was still playing with it the next day, they should focus all their attention and energy on eva instead. that’s not a man that cares about the wellbeing of all his grandchildren equally!

Ruloff is in a sour mood because Philip’s “good guy” Prince has begun buying rival patents. This is a problem because — thank you, expository dialogue! — now Ruloff, just by doing his own work, could be seen as infringing upon Prince-owned patents.

the exposition in that moment did feel exceptionally clunky, lol. but i guess it works from the angle of “ruloff is explaining this to philip in an overly didactic manner because he’s mad that philip was so naïve as to not see it coming. and also the whole former professor thing.”

Philip, who has been slowly morphing into season-four Taylor Mason, with his soul up for grabs, then receives a stern, albeit familiar warning from Ruloff: Get away from MPC while you still have a modicum of self-respect.

what did i say about philip’s plotline here running parallel to several of taylor’s past subplots!! 2x11 and 3x10 and 4x07! (that link is to the 4x07 recap, not incidentally.)

Taylor notices Philip’s inner turmoil and promptly sends him to Wendy to unload. While we don’t see the details of their session, it’s not necessary. All we need to know is that Philip’s cry for help is the incentive for Chuck and Wendy’s burgeoning alliance against Mike Prince.

do you have anything else you want to say about that interaction between taylor and philip? maybe something about how it relates to taylor in season 4, as you were just talking about one paragraph ago? possibly based on a comparison that taylor themself draws during that conversation? no? okay then.

And Prince’s shark attacks just get more and more brazen. First, he buys the biotech firm that creates the indispensable enzyme for Ruloff’s process.

well, he tried to buy the biotech firm. he didn’t succeed.

Prince is totally fine with undermining Ruloff with his endless supply of cash: Philip, who knows Ruloff best, assured his boss that it’s the professor’s stubborn nature that will ultimately be his downfall. But if you catch the moment the camera falls on Toney Goins’s face throughout Prince’s slow annihilation of Ruloff’s company, it’s impossible to ignore the guilt seeping out of Philip’s pores. Will this be useful to the Fifth Column down the line?

correction: philip tries to convey to prince that everyone will be better off if ruloff is allowed to remain in control of his company, and prince instead takes away the message about ruloff’s stubbornness being his downfall. (this is why you should never share backstories in this show! they’ll always get used against you!) sure also hoping this does eventually put philip on team kill prince, though!

Philip is on to Wendy, noticing that the moment Chuck got involved, the situation with Ruloff got exponentially worse. He knows Wendy and Taylor are organizing a mutiny, and he wants them to leave him out of it. But the way his voice breaks during this scene and his insistence on “complete deniability” suggests a vulnerability that somewhere, deep down, he knows they may be right.

oh absolutely. if he wanted to rat them out, he could! he only needs complete deniability if he expects there to be something for him to deny knowledge of that he can’t or won’t stop before it happens!

Wasn’t Dave Mahar supposed to be leading the case against Mike Prince? Is that still happening?

my best guess is that it Is still happening and that her leadership of the case has pushed chuck out of the inner circle, hence him having nothing to do with the prince case in this episode or the last. (though maybe if philip had given him something illegal on prince, he would have taken it to dave.) this season really hasn’t been giving dave her due as a series regular.

Fan Fun with Damian Lewis (Damianista): Billions on Showtime, Season 7 Episode 7: DMV

Even though the boss recuses himself from rewarding and punishing anyone on the team, the employees are feeling uneasy with the composition of the review panel; e.g.  Scooter, who is not in touch with them at all (they do not even invite him to the movie night because they know he would never show up!) is sitting on the  review committee.

i wish we could have heard any objections they might have had to the other members of the review panel too.

And lo and behold, combining Selbst’s raw research with Prospect Theory (that is my turf!) Wendy has performance reviews for everybody. So what is Prospect Theory? Developed by two economists, Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, and awarded a Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002, Prospect Theory, in a nutshell, says the following. Kahneman and Tversky propose that losses have a greater emotional impact than a gain of the same amount. They argue that, when an individual is presented with choices two ways – both offering the same result—they will pick the option offering perceived gains. Just to give an example: Suppose we have the end result of receiving $25. One option is to give an individual $25 outright. The other option is to give an individual $50 and but then they have to give back $25. The net utility is $25 in both options. According to prospect theory, individuals are most likely to choose to receive straight cash because a single gain is perceived as more favorable than having more cash at the outset but then suffering a loss.

i’m no prospect theory expert, but wouldn’t it be a factor that one of those options only involves one step while the other involves two? i’d think the simpler option would then be preferable. but what if you instead compared receiving $50 and giving back $25 to receiving $30 and giving back $5?

So I understand the reasoning behind the performance reviews conducted at the casino, but I am not confident that an individual’s casino behavior directly translates into their workplace behavior.  Especially when you are encouraged to enjoy the casino experience, you do, and after all, you are playing with your money that when you lose, you lose your own money. However, at the workplace, you are investing someone else’s money, and when you lose, you lose other people’s money which has serious implications. Thus, while there is certainly some correlation between how one behaves at the casino versus at the workplace, one does not directly translate into the other. Because if it does, then how come either Ben Kim or Tuk Lal still keep their jobs at MPC? Oh, and how about Peach winning the big prize? I would not be surprised if she made PM soon!

thank you!!! (and peach, who presumably has no experience or skills in trading equities, winning the night is just further proof that success in one realm doesn’t equate success in the other.)

I find Philip’s words to the professor about the Nobel prize going to the inventor and not the hedge-fund dude extremely naive. I do not think Philip seriously believes in what he is saying and I believe that the professor is quite right when he tells his former student that he is selling his soul to MPC.

well, i’ve said before that philip has a naïve streak, and the way he acts in the sessions with wendy sure suggests he really believed in what he was saying and doing re: ruloff.

Taylor is the one who notices that something is off with Philip. Inspired by Will Guidara‘s best-seller book Unreasonable Hospitality they do not give a hard time to the guy who misses two meetings in a row but asks after their well-being. . Taylor is quite familiar with the emotion / business conflict that Philip is in – they had to break up with Oscar in Season 3 Episode 10 Redemption. It was Wendy who helped Taylor back then so Taylor now encourages Philip to Wendy. But I think Taylor does that also because they feel like the time may be right for Wendy to turn Philip against Prince – which I think will ultimately happen.

again, if you’re gonna make a specific comparison between taylor’s past and philip’s present based on this scene, you should be bringing up their relationship with their father, because that’s the comparison they themself make — and rather than wendy helping back then, she took information confided in her to someone who brought about the downfall of the beloved mentor’s business, as she does here.

I still think Kate is there to take down Prince and she chooses to come across as soulless this season because she plays the game very carefully.

and i still think you’re incorrect about that.

Philip remembers Ruloff’s 1966 emerald-green Karmann Ghia 1300 that he really loved. Those cars were not known for their durability so Ruloff bought a brand new one just for the parts to save the green one! And while a number of people on the Board of Trustees at Stanford wanted to buy his car, Ruloff never sold it. I guess Philip tells Prince this story to argue that the professor is very stubborn and he will not back down but it helps Prince to figure that Ruloff should have a backer at Stanford.

people keep saying this! just because prince takes away “ruloff is too stubborn to back down willingly” from philip’s story doesn’t mean it was The Point philip was trying to make.

And it will not be easy for Philip to recover from this. I think he needs time to digest all that happened but I do think he will ultimately join the  ranks of Wendy, Taylor and Wags against Prince.

hoping for exactly that 🙏🙏🙏

I love the chemistry between Chuck and Wendy more than ever. These two belong together.

hoping against exactly that 🚫🚫🚫

Entertainment Weekly: Billions recap: Morals vs. Business

This week's Billions begins with a little bribery, but it's not from the usual suspects of the business world. Instead, Chuck Sr. is attempting to bribe a driving instructor into giving Kevin a passing grade on his driving test, which he's failed miserably. The bribe doesn't go over well, as the instructor calls the cops, and before long Chuck and Wendy are wrapped up in sorting out the situation and getting Chuck Sr. off the hook with the law.

it is kind of funny to contrast senior’s failed attempt at bribery with all the times people on the finance side have bribed people with ease. maybe it’s only a problem when you go after government officials and don’t have blackmail to back it up?

I've been on record this entire season saying that the whole "Michael Prince is a dangerous fascist" storyline isn't working at all, and while I still think that's true I also think this episode does a good job of putting in some character work to show how some of those closest to Prince could start to turn against him.

my “i don’t think michael prince is a dangerous fascist” t-shirt has people asking a lot of questions already answered by my shirt.

This time around it's Philip. He comes to Prince with a pitch from an old college professor that he considers a mentor. The man's life work has been dedicated to building bio-concrete, which is concrete that can repair itself.  Prince sees how monumental this opportunity is. He wants to buy the whole company, squash any competition, and get it to market. Plus, he can use it as a campaign tool, floating the idea of a slogan like "changing the foundation of America." The professor refuses, but Prince still wants the company. So, he starts "patent sharking," which essentially bogs down the professor's research, making sure that he can't bring his own idea to market. Philip, after talking to Wendy about how he's feeling about Prince's ruthlessness, tries to get Chuck to use his legal magic to stop Prince, but there's not much he can do. In the end, the federal government takes control of the research under the name of national security, the professor's life work is now completely out of his control, and Prince has the potential to use that research to his political advantage once he's in office.

“the professor” is definitely not the correct spelling of marc ruloff!

Fan Fun with Damian Lewis (Gingersnap): The Unbeatable, Unstoppable, Unparalleled MVPs from Billions Season 7 Episode 7, “DMV”

Gingersnap […] Iconic Innuendo – Chuck and his Jaws reference. What better way to put a stop to Patent Sharking than to reel in a Spielbergian. “You’re gonna need a bigger boat!” and that boat’s name is the Department of Defense (DoD). Way to put the kabash on Prince!

so that’s what chuck meant by spielbergian! (that’s not how you spell kibosh, though.)

Food For Thought: Chuck and Wendy. This right here, folks. This. Left me aching for what once was, and yearning for what it could be.

[CROWD BOOING]

Damianista Perfect Chemistry – Chuck and Wendy

[CROWD BOOING]

Most Voldemort-like Move – Mike Prince

i don’t normally say this, but given that this is a repeat offense: READ ANOTHER BOOK.

Lady Trader […] The “Eyes” Have It Award:  Taylor said so much in this episode without saying a word. The looks they give Wendy, Philip, and even Ruloff were speaking volumes. This can only be done because Asia Kate Dillon is amazing.

SO fucking true. if you’re trying to get into my good graces, it’s absolutely working.

The Time Machine Award: The writers are really bringing us back to the first few seasons of Billions in some major and minor ways this season. In this episode, they harken back to S2E3 “Optimal Play” when we  were first introduced to the poker skills of Taylor at the Alpha Cup Charity Poker Tournament.  This time is a full blown Casino Night, and it was just as much fun and telling!

wish this episode had given us more of taylor playing poker, though! (and hey, since we’re talking about it, can you think of any other ties this episode has to earlier seasons? maybe something related to taylor? maybe something they bring up themself? no?)

TheTailThatWagsTheDog Most Reprehensible Person – Chuck Sr – he is on quite the streak here. First he disparages any and all who practice a faith last week, and this week he pulls the “I am better than you peons because I’m rich” schtick.

two equally reprehensible wrongdoings: antitheism and bribery!

Best Poker Game – Craps – thank you Rian and Dollar Bill!  

craps, famously not a poker game or even a card game!

Best Cultural Reference  – Mo Greene – the Godfather. There was a time in the first couple seasons when the writers would regularly quote from one of the greatest movies (and sequels) ever. This was a welcome return.

you know they’ve been referencing the godfather all week every week in the recent seasons too, right? are you enrolled in the lady trader school of watching the show you’re reviewing?

Most Notable Closing Song – Drive by REM. Drive is off their ‘Automatic For the People” album. Brian Koppelman considers this to be their best album. He is a HUGE REM fan so I respect his opinion, but I also respectfully disagree. Life’s Rich Pageant to me is their best work. One of my favorite moments still occurs at the end of Season 2, Episode 3 “Optimal Play”, when Bobby closes with “well it’s a good thing I’m a rich, fucking man” which then leads right into the opening riff of “Begin The Begin”. Just an incredible moment. It also turns out that that was the episode when Taylor showed their prowess in poker. Coincidence???

i do like the R.E.M. connection being made between poker episodes here. though it is kind of funny that they put an R.E.M. song in an episode without axe when he’s the show’s biggest R.E.M. fan.

Last But Not Least – Chuck and Wendy – I am loving how they are drifting toward each other. Please let them reconnect before all is said and done. Of all the tumultuous relationships in this show, this one worked the most and was the most believable for me. Please!!!

[CROWD BOOING]

Fan Fun with Damian Lewis (Lady Trader): “From the Trader’s Desk”: Breakout the Tux, it’s Casino Night! Billions S7E7 “DMV”

From bringing his grandson to the road test in a Jag, to trying to bribe the instructor, Charles just thinks he can do whatever he wants (that is a running theme with the men in this show, isn’t it?).

i mean, it is the People Who Think Rules Don’t Apply To Them show.

I think this whole scenario was a way to lay the groundwork for Chuck and Wendy to “communicate” better, which could lead to them getting back together. And to that I say no, No, NO! They broke up for a reason, and that reason hasn’t gone away. Chuck is still a self-centered, jealous, insecure man.

[APPLAUSE]

Wendy is so much fiercer since she has been unshackled from that dreadful marriage. Let her stand on her own two feet. She has earned it.

*so-so hand gesture*

Also in this process, he is making Philip rethink the idea that Prince is one of the “good guys”. I think Taylor saw this coming and was happy to let it play out this way so they can add another member to the “We Hate Mike Prince” club (by the way, I’m a unofficial member of that club). Taylor pointing Philip in Wendy’s direction was pure manipulation, and it was brilliant. Taylor knows a thing or two about not combining personal emotions with business. I think we all remember what happened to Taylor and their dad in S4, and how that didn’t work out well. In that case, Wendy used Talyor’s feelings for their father against them, whereas know Wendy wants Philip to open up to her so she can use what he tells her against Prince.

finally someone gets it!! and makes the correct connection to taylor’s relationship with their father crumbling in 4x07! (still could be clearer about taylor drawing that connection themself, though.)

Philip tells Wendy he knows what she’s up to, but won’t join the posse, but I have a feeling this affected Philip more than he is letting on, and I’m sure he will step up when it comes time to take Prince down. Philip seems like a good guy, and I think the seed that was planted in his head by Dr. Ruloff about not being happy at MPC will certainly take hold.

we’re hoping 🙏🙏🙏

Watching MPC Casino Night made me happy. I have been to a few Casino Nights at Gotham Hall and they are always a good time.

add that to the “things in billions i didn’t realize were real” list. i could have guessed that casino nights happen but didn’t know gotham hall already regularly held them.

However, as much as seeing the Roulette wheel spin brought a smile to my face, I disagree with the premise that observing people (without their knowledge) gambling their own or the house’s money will give you insight into how they will trade. From my point of view, it’s totally different. When I am at the Blackjack table or the Roulette wheel, I’m playing with my money so I can be a bit more aggressive with my wagering. If I’m playing with money that someone gave me to have a good time with, as the $5K was giving the Prince Cappers, then I’m really going to push my luck. Gambling at a casino or waging on sports is not my job – it’s entertainment. When I’m trading my money or investing for someone else, I’m much more careful and conservative. Is there some overlap of the skills and instincts that go into gambling and trading? Absolutely. Knowing the odds and having a gut feeling come into doing both. But good traders and portfolio managers know how to separate work from entertainment. Managing money for a pension fund means I’m trying to get a good return for the teacher in Sioux City, Iowa or the firefighter from Queens, NY. And I would never gamble with their money. I would invest it. Big difference.

exactly!!

I also tend to have a few adult beverages when I’m playing cards, and I would never do that at work!

now that the prince cappers would do, lmao. dollar bill especially.

I also think the whole performance review kerfuffle was a bit overdone. Don’t get me wrong, performance reviews are a thing. It’s a chance to talk with your supervisor to see how you have done the past year, and to set any goals for the upcoming one. However, compensation and bonuses are rarely based on the review. Most traders and portfolio managers at hedge funds have contracts that specifically spell out your base salary, and bonuses are based on a formula. The formula could be derived from the returns of an overall fund if you are part of a team or based on your individual stock selection performance. So, you kind of know what you will be getting paid before the review. If you have done exceptionally well and the fund manager feels you are very valuable, they can certainly add more to your bonus to keep you at the firm. Or if you may have had an off year, but have a consistent track record, you may see a bit more than you are owed (or if you had a negative return year a little something to show the manager still has faith in you) in your bonus. 

more connections to taylor in s4: they didn’t do performance reviews because the numbers spoke for themselves, as lady trader is describing here. and surely the prince cap review panel has all the necessary data they could want.

I also do not think the “Mutiny on the Bounty” way that Victor and Rian handled the situation would fly. The traders, portfolio managers and researchers are key to any fund, but the head guy is the head guy, and I seriously can’t see someone like Steve Cohen or Axe putting up with those kind of shenanigans.

okay, but axe isn’t in charge of the fund right now. (nor is steve cohen.) prince is, and he gives so few fucks about the performance reviews relative to his presidential ambitions that he might not even know wags & scooter replaced the reviews with a casino night.

[quintessentialdreams]

portland has that power because the men’s team is also invested in them. they are the only team in the league that regularly interacts with the men’s side and has a relationship with them. i l o v e this supporters group and i hate relying on men, but if mls teams also backed their women’s teams in the same city it would be such a game changer. lafc had already said they weren’t officiated with a women’s team but hopefully them or the galaxy step up

Ehh, I mean there are other teams in the league who have working relationships with their men’s side, it’s not just Portland. The Dash, Pride, and Royals all have MLS affiliation. Even if it’s not necessarily to the extent of Portland- it still exists. Just because the teams aren’t as “close” to the men’s team as PTFC are to the Timbers doesn’t mean they aren’t being financially subsidized by them.

It seems like LA doesn’t really need the men (from either LA team tbh) to step up or foot the bill with the grocery list of celebrities, ex football players, and digital millionaires that are backing them. Not to mention the crowd that this team is about to drawn in?? I suspect it will be comparable, if not larger, than PTFC. This will draw in more money to the league, comparable to PTFC, and help out in massive ways.

[trevorendeavors]

1. Take pleasure in the things you’re allowed to do now that you’ve crossed this arbitrarily assigned barrier

2. Realize that you’re exactly the same person you were right before you hit your birthday

3. Marvel in the arbitrary nature of said barrier and why the marker from 17 to 18 has been laden with so much value.

4. Scream in frustrated bewilderment at the responsibilities and expectations heaped on you despite your lack of change.

5. Scream some more

6. Begin the process of undoing the expectation that everyone just magically has their shit together at this age and accept the fact that everyone matures at different paces. Avoid comparisons.

7. Find community in fellow struggling adolescents.

8. Question everything as soon as you have the financial independence to do so.

9. Give yourself the grace to make mistakes and take things more lightly whenever possible. We’re all figuring this shit out. None of us are perfect. Extend to others the same patience you wish for yourself.

Tbh I’m still working on that sixth one. Twenty one years old and it’s still a work in progress.

And real talk, growing up, I was told that this is the age where you’re supposed to man up and you’re officially held accountable for all your actions. From that point in, you had no one to blame but yourself for most things.

But realistically? At least for me anyway? This was the age when I started to realize the ways I’d been screwed over when I was younger, do damage control, and begin the process of healing things I was previously unaware were even issues to begin with. I’d begun to recontextualize the many things I told myself would make sense when I was older (namely toxic religious beliefs) that, sadly, just didn’t. I allowed myself the privilege of examining my life in the greater context of things: realizing how my background and prior ignorance influenced me as well as what mindsets contributed to my most regrettable decisions. Learning to find a balance between the extremes of blaming everyone and everything vs blaming myself for everything.

This too is an ongoing process, and if you’re struggling you’re not alone. It’s difficult, and these past five years have been utter whiplash for me in every sense of the world.

Oh yeah, and get therapy if you can afford it. It’s a game changer and you don’t need some big life crisis in order to consider it. It can be helpful in navigating the turbulent feelings of adulthood as well

Sup everybody I'm a legal adult now how do I adult :D