#like imagine him making all the software for the hero tech

[undergoing-mitosis]

okay, hear me out: a death note x bnha au where matt is izuku's older brother

[doom-nerdo-666]

Just some random opinions and observations about the Night Sentinel in Doom.

Some of this stuff might be disorganised.

The Night Sentinel are one of the major features of modern Doom because of how they change the setting of a series that was always "fantays and sci-fi".

It does make me wonder if they are a result of seeing Doom as a limited setting.

Specially with D4.10 being a "realistic" take on UAC marines vs demons that even felt deviated from D3: Was it the wrong take on the setting or a "natural end point" that had to be avoided somehow?

Specially if Doom's setting always had potential for more as seen in fan mods and fanart, unless the fact that fans "over explored" the setting is why id Software had to "reinvent" the setting (Whether or not the later Doom games took influence from fans and how is also debatable).

If you look at the image above and even some interviews/behind the scenes stuff, you can tell that the Sentinel/Slayer stuff came late during D2016's development.

I think you can even find material related to D4 and D2016 where Doomguy could have been a cybernetic soldier (And if reactions to the Praetor suit mean anything... "insert Master Chief comparison here")

Unlike Doom, Quake had knights not just the enemies but even the Ranger looks like a viking.

It's as if modern Doom not only took features that originally came from Quake but even had a new setting and characters that could have suited Quake: Imagine the Ranger as a Night Sentinel or the Marauder fighting alongside a Death Knight.

Because the Doomslayer has a new background tied to Sentinel Prime, some fans get the impression that even after Eternal, he doesn't feel like he came from Earth or is the original Doomguy.

Specially because if classic Doom is a seperate universe from Eternal, Doomguy is fighting for an Earth that he's not native to (Which isn't really out of character for a hero like him).

There's also the fact that modern Doom is somewhat influenced by fans and maybe even certain memes (Doom comic up, reactions to Death Battle, maybe copypastas or a certain mod etc) but the concept of the Doomslayer and Sentinels is also somewhat different from how fans would think of Doomguy.

Before the Sentinel, the "fantasy" part of Doom was always the demons obviously (Even if they had sci-fi elements like tech or some looking alien).

Then there's the D3 Martians who were barely there/mostly mysterious.

The idea that Doomguy's face is based off Davoth (Or whatever revealed that Doomguy was always related to Davoth all this time) could be another arguement for "maybe the Slayer could have been a different character" since Doomguy's appeal was "unlucky UAC marine that became Hell's worst nightmare".

Sometimes i do wonder if certain ideas could still exist in Doom without Sentinels.

Like if the UAC just had certain weapons/tech that enhanced their soldiers or if Hell just had knight enemies based off medieval knights from years ago or native Hell knights.

(Or if the UAC was crazy enough to form a goofy army of tech knights)

There's also when people thought Doomslayer could have been the Betrayer, whose son was turned into the IOS (Before Valen was revealed in Eternal, he was pretty much just pieces of text).

At least putting knights in Doom justifies how the original games had what appeared to be knight helmets as armor bonus pickups (Unless they're still UAC tech or Hell native; also D64 makes them UAC helmets).

It is kinda funny seeing people wonder if 2016/Eternal could have had expansions where you play as UAC/Elite/ARC marine just to "play as a regular guy that isn't the Slayer" because in a way, those "regular marines" would be closer to the classic Doomguy for being non-special since Doomguy was originally a blank slate.

(Imagine if one ARC guy ends up going to classic Doom's timeline and becomes the Doomslayer in that universe)

I always thought that if Doom gets a next game after Eternal, the UAC would either team up with Sentinels or at least copy their tech.

(It could also depend if the Sentinel are meant to be cooler than the UAC)

In fact, i recall 2016 having an obscure symbol (Somewhere both in singleplayer and SnapMap) being a sword stabbing in flames.

(Image by Doomwiki)

Because a sword unto fire is the meaning of the Slayer mark, so it's as if the UAC was copying Sentinel stuff before.

What if the Sentinel existed in old Doom?

An easy way to look at this is looking at "neighboor" titles like Heretic/Hexen and Strife, in terms of mixing fantasy with sci-fi.

Specially if you're aware of aesthetic trends and influences (If you look at fans of older Blizzard games or the PS3 Demon Souls, you'll see why they don't like later designs in Blizz' newer titles or the PS5 remake).

(Come to think of it, how many people compared Doom to Warhammer or Berserk before the Sentinel were implemented?)

And because Eternal reveals that the Sentinel are ascendents of Eearth humans, i wonder if there could be an "inverse" version in a different timeline.

You know how D2 has a text about humanity evacuating Earth with a spaceship? Imagine if that ship landed on a planet similar to Earth and due to time dilation, years pass and a new civilization builds better tech than the UAC but everyone has a medieval aesthetic for some reason.

So you still have magic sci-fi knights and if you recall my ideas of a "classic Urdak/Heaven", that could mix up with this "classic Sentinel" idea.

There could also be a symbol that resembles a generic crucifix/cross with some slight alterations to also resemble a sword like a pointy/triangular bottom and the upper parts somewhat resembling a hilt; This symbol could coexist with the Slayer symbol.

But what about the future? Like if Doom had another reboot or take on its setting, would there be different takes on the Sentinel like there's of UAC and Hell? What about a new addition to the setting?

Who knows, because there's still stuff that could be done with Sentinels, even if some prefer them to be mysterious.

Also, i might have said this before but: I think the Crucible should have been a chainsaw instead of a sword:

And i got two reasons for it:

Mechanically, the Crucible doesn't offer much in terms of melee so it feels like an extension to the Chainsaw as it works in modern Doom.

Chainsaws are more essential to Doom as a trademark melee than swords.

Otherwise, it'd be cool if Doom did more with melee and you could've had a "moveset" or stuff like parrying projectiles etc (Who knows, maybe Doomguy could have had a real shot at Smash lol).

Valen's hammer for example felt like a more interesting weapon because of its slam function.

Edit: I also thought of something.

If the Sentinel didn't exist, how would Doomguy get a legendary status or something?

I guess even under the UAC (Or rather, UAAF), he could be like an older general with an eyepatch or whatever the cancelled Doom 4 was going for.

Like an older Doomguy with a higher rank in the military and people still tell tales about him and maybe he has to command an army.

I think either TNT or Plutonia had some story context about Doomguy having a changed rank, no?

[puff-yy]

Heyo! So as I was writing this I felt that it would be better just to send it as a submission. So here are my ideas for Class 78, minus the Despair Sisters, as Remnants of Despair.

Sayaka Maizono: Using her popularity and idol talent, she would bring in millions of followers with her siren like voice. Legions of fans would turn to despair as her new songs revolve around embracing the beauty of despair and tearing the old world apart. Sometimes she orders her followers to capture rival idol singers and force them to compete against her. The publicity of having her compete, defeat, and execute, the idols would bring upmost despair to any non-fans.

Leon Kuwata: He uses his baseball talent to attack enemies and topple buildings. He uses a specialized bat and explosive balls that can destroy anything on impact. Sometimes he partners with Sayaka on her tours and plays guitar alongside her. The guitar also comes equipped with a flame thrower that can burn people

Chihiro Fujisaki: Is in charge of manufacturing Monokuma drones and weapons for the Remnants. Thanks to Alter Ego, they can hijack the software systems o manufacturing buildings and weapon-themed facilities to use for the despair agenda. During the first stage of the Tragedy, Chihiro implemented virus software on a majority of the world’s government systems making it impossible for them to fight back against the Remnants. 

Mondo Oowda: Leads the Crazy Diamonds to destroy everything in their path. They pillage and plunder the largest of cities destroying using their weapons and bikes. Mondo’s bike was modified to use rocket launchers and gadgets capable of taking down foes on the road. Mondo also has a preference for fighting one on one with any rival gang leader or authority figure who stands in his way. His preferred weapons include a heavy chain and the stop sign from his splash art as a hammer.

Kiyotaka Ishimaru: A vigilante hero who hunts down politicians and public figures who claim to be noble/good-natured but have actually committed heinous deeds in their past. Ishimaru would hunt them down and interrogate them on their wrongdoings and force them to confess. All of this is done while recording them for the world to see how corrupt those figures really are. He also wields a katana and kills them using it.

Hifumi Yamada: Creates propaganda themed artwork and posters that celebrate the new era of despair. He and his Monokuma helpers go around plastering his artwork around to highlight the aesthetic of despair in the cities he visits. He rarely kills people but he does use his art supplies to fight back and is quite deadly when provoked.

Celestia Ludenberg: Organizes killing games where she kidnaps elite or wealthy people and forces them to participate. She uses games and traps similar to the ones from the Saw movies only with a casino theme to give it some showmanship flare. When she’s not holding those killing games, she’s residing in her makeshift mansion being attended by her brainwashed servants and treated like the queen she believes herself to be. She also goes all out with Victorian and Gothic dress designs 

Sakura Oogami: One of the main fighters in the frontlines. She enjoys the challenge and is always eager to fight back against Future Foundation or anyone who would be a threat to her beloved friends. She’s a strong as ever and isn’t afraid to hold back when it comes to delivering devastating blows. Some people say that she’s capable of destroying buildings if she’s really mad.

Yasuhiro Hagakure: A television preacher who proclaims the word of despair to the public. Using his visions of the future, he would preach about the upcoming horrors that await for them and how the only salvation is by embracing despair. He also gets help from Chihiro as the programmer granted him high tech TV screens that can broadcast his “visions” for the public to see. He’s gained alot of followers who give him all their worldly possessions. Money, gold, fancy cars, deeds to their property, even their own children. 

Aoi Asahina: She mainly goes around providing supplies to her fellow Remnants. Either by driving armored cars or going through aquatic systems, she delivers her packages to help her friends continue the despair agenda. She’s also an exceptional fighter and often accompanies Sakura when she fights enemy forces.

Touko Fukawa: She spends her days wandering the ruins of fallen cities to write about them. She now publishes despair inducing novels and retellings of the Despair Wars and how it’s impacted the world around them. She personally enjoys seeing victims and random civilians succumb to despair and tries very hard to copy those emotions for her writings. 

Genocider Syo: Now that Gloomy is part of a terrorist organization along with the world having gone to hell, she doesn’t have to worry about holding back anymore so she’s tehcnically the only one who wasn’t tempted by despair. She’s free to continue killing cute boys as she sees fit and isn’t afraid to do so in public. Although she still proclaims that Togami is her one true love no matter what. She often teams up with either Sakura or Mondo when it comes to fighting Future Foundation. 

Byakuya Togami: He mainly spends his days inside a makeshift manor that he calls his empire. He employs brainwashed servants to rob people and buildings of their resources and riches to make his empire stronger. He sits in a gold and ivory throne reminiscent of the one Xerxes used in the 300 movie and is dressed like an emperor in white. 

Kyoko Kirigiri: Kyoko is the only one I have trouble with as a Remnant. I figure that she would be the only one who didn’t fall into despair as she knew about Junko’s plan and was able to escape and join Future Foundation. But it still eats her that she didn’t stop her in time and allowed her classmates/friends to become monsters. 

Makoto Naegi: I imagine he would be the Izuru Kamakura of the group as his grim presence would inspire despair and chaos all around him while he’s too stoic and passive to stop them. He mainly just wanders the ruins of the world as he sees his friends tear it farther while innocent lives continue to be lost. However, once in a blue moon, if he were to meet with an unlucky civilian, he does offer some words of encouragement or helps them through a difficult moment. Even though he disappears, his “kindness” would allow the victim to move forward to confront despair another day. Kinda like the Pandora’s Box fairy tale where all the evils of the world are unleashed, the speck of hope remains and is shared sparingly.

And those are my ideas for Class 78 as the Remnants of Despair. What do you think?

-----------------

HOLY SHIT THEY ARE SO GOOD 10/10

[gffa]

WHY I WILL ALWAYS DEFEND THE CGI IN THE PREQUELS--They were doing some pretty mind-bogglingly new stuff that had never been done before and creating all these tools and techniques that are still being used today and, honestly, while not everything holds up, a shocking amount of it does.  The work that went into The Phantom Menace really was amazing: ‘ALL FILMS ARE PERSONAL’: AN ORAL HISTORY OF STAR WARS: EPISODE I THE PHANTOM MENACE [x] ‘Well, This is the Future’ Once in production, The Phantom Menace would lean heavily on digital effects and technology, with more visual effects shots than any film in ILM’s history. John Knoll: I think the first time I really got exposed to what was ahead of us — I suppose the first thing was we read the script. There were, I think, three or four of us: myself, [visual effects supervisor] Dennis Muren, I forget who else was there. I think there were three or four of us, went out to the Ranch. There was one copy of the script [Laughs] and so basically what it is, we sat together in a room, and somebody started and would hand off the page that they had just read to the next person in the line. I don’t know, I was third in line or something, and I would get the pages and read them and hand them on. It was pretty overwhelming. I had a million questions because you’re reading it written on a page, you can imagine a lot of different ways that that could be executed. That could be a full set, the alien character that’s being discussed, I haven’t seen a design yet so I don’t know whether that’s just a guy in a suit or what. Initially reading through the script it seemed like it was a pretty big and ambitious thing. Sometime later we had — and there’s video of this, I think it’s on the making-of video — we saw the storyboards. George had the art department draw up storyboards for the whole movie. It was 3,600 storyboards, something like that. George walked us through all the storyboards. It wasn’t just telling us what was going on and this is this and that, he was also kind of mixing in what he was thinking about [for] shooting methodology. He had a number of colored highlighters, he had a magenta, a blue, and yellow highlighters, and as he was going down, things that he was going to shoot in front of a blue screen he’d scribble blue where he’d imagine the blue screen would be, and I think yellow was for live-action, and magenta was for CG characters like Jar Jar or battle droids or whatever. He sort of went through that, he went, “Yeah, it’s going to be this,” sort of telling us what was happening in all the frames. I was used to a situation where almost every show we did there was something that we were doing that was new, that we’d have to develop new tools or new techniques to do, but it’s like almost every storyboard was something that we hadn’t done before or didn’t have tools that could do. I was taking notes the whole time, making note of all the things we were going to have to do in R&D, or new things that would have to be developed to handle doing dense scenes with thousands of characters in them, or robust cloth simulations, or rigid body dynamics. There was a pretty long list of things. I walked out of that meeting with my head spinning, because it was not only massive in terms of sheer shot number, but in terms of all the new tech that has to be developed to get it done.

Rob Coleman: I remember going back to California and building the team up, and doing the early animations, and as time went on, I started really suffering in terms of insomnia and stress and freaking out, and I knew the world was waiting for this film. After a couple of months, three months, I actually drove up to Skywalker Ranch to resign the job to George. So I booked the time in to see him, and I went in there and I started fumbling and saying all this stuff through three hours of sleep, or whatever I had. He’s like, “What are you talking about?” I said, “Well, just, the world is waiting for this, and the pressure of this, and I’m not sure if I can perform, and…” He goes, “Hey, hey, hey, wait. You’re working for one person. You gotta make one person happy. That’s me, and I’m happy. I think the animation you guys are doing is great.” I said, “Y-you do?” He said, “Yeah. It’s great. It’s my problem to worry about the world, and I’m not even worried about them. We’re making these films for me. You’re making me happy, so you can relax, and you can go back down to ILM and everything will be fine.” I was the happiest guy driving back down Lucas Valley Road. I was like, “Oh, my God!” From that point on, I was fine. I slept like a baby, I was able to do it, I was able to focus on it. George Lucas: You don’t really start something unless you think you’re right, and think that you’re on the right track and what you’re doing is going to be great. It never occurs to you that it’s not going to work. Otherwise you wouldn’t do it. That’s what keeps people from doing things. So I didn’t worry about that part. I knew that the process of making a film was very difficult, and most of it was grounded in nineteenth century technology — or older than that, actually. And it had just reached its limits and there wasn’t anything anyone could do about it. That was especially true in visual effects. And it was through visual effects that I began to realize we had the power and the knowledge to develop something that really would make a big difference. I started that whole process. I wanted to raise my kids, so I retired, but I spent my time building up the company and at the same time developing this digital technology. Rob Coleman: As reference, I think there were around 200 [effects] shots in Men in Black, and there were 2,000 shots in Phantom Menace. John Knoll: I’ll give you an example of some of the things we had to develop. I think prior to Episode I, the most complicated CG animation we had ever done was on Mars Attacks!, years before. We had one or two shots that had like 16 or 18 Martians in it, and they all had the little spacesuits and the helmets and their props and all of that. But that nearly brought the whole system down to its knees because having that many rigged characters in a scene at once just was more than the systems could handle at the time. I was regularly seeing shots where there were 50 battle droids, or a big battle scene where there are two characters fighting in the foreground, but the background had hundreds or thousands of characters back there. This is a whole order of magnitude of higher complexity than we dealt with, so we’re going to need to have systems for managing that level of complexity. And then a few years before, I think it was maybe ’95, we had done Spawn. There was a number of shots where Spawn’s cape does something magical, and we’d done cloth simulations for that that didn’t look super realistic, and it was fine for the movie because it was kind of stylized. The cape was almost a character in itself. We didn’t have a particularly good or usable cloth simulation system. But looking at the designs of the characters, they’re all wearing clothing. Jar Jar has clothing, and Boss Nass has clothing, and Watto has clothing, and we’re going to have to do digital doubles of the Jedi to do some of stunty things that we can’t shoot for real, and they need to have their cloaks and all of that. We’re going to need to have a good cloth simulation package in there. And we said, all right, we’re going to have to develop that. And then we had — there were lots of shots of Jedi cutting through battle droids, so the pieces of the battle droid clatter down onto the ground and that’s hard to animate completely from scratch, and there were so many shots, that, all right, we can’t fake it through that. We need to have a rigid body dynamic system. These were the things I’d been seeing at SIGGRAPH and technical papers about how to do those believable physical collisions, and we’re going to need a robust rigid body simulation system that’s integrated into our pipeline. It was just a lot of that kind of stuff. All these things that I knew were technically possible; we didn’t have any tools that did that. Rob Coleman: Part of my problem was, for months, there was no crowd system, which meant there was no Gungan battle. No ability for my team to animate hundreds of characters back then. It just didn’t exist. I remember there was one line in the script that said something along the lines of “The Gungan army walks out to battle.” That was six months of work — that one sentence. You were like, “Holy [expletive], how do we do that?” And that was one sentence out of a 100-page script. Ultimately, it was a matter of acquiring the right tools to accomplish what George Lucas was asking, using the latest versions of software already available, or developing new techniques. Rob Coleman: We had a database with all the different Gungan walks, runs, throws, falls, fights. We had little vignettes. We’d have Gungans and battle droids, upwards of five of them together in a little cluster, and we’d animate that. And then we could put that cluster into any shot, and we could rotate it, and it wouldn’t look the same to the camera. So we could create a finite number of those and then we could place them, and we’d actually get a fair amount of movement into the shot. We’d just be able to use it over and over again, and we’d put some hero work in the foreground, and the audience would never know.  Jean Bolte: Back then they called it Viewpaint, it was the first software that was developed to paint onto computer graphic models. I was the Viewpaint supervisor. Most people know this, but Viewpaint was a huge leap forward in Jurassic Park. Dennis [Muren] has always acknowledged that. As I have stated publicly, I don’t want to make it sound like I think my job was the most important contribution to computer graphics, but it was a very important one. The work that we were able to do, because we could paint onto the models, transformed the look of everything. Up until then we’d had The Abyss water tentacle, we had the mercury man in T2, very simple, very rudimentary, you know, the shading on things didn’t allow for very much believability, really. What we were able to do with the paint software, even in the very early, early stages there on Jurassic — I didn’t work on Jurassic, but I was having a good look at it. They were able to contribute a bump surface and a paint surface to give things the scale pattern, the aging, obviously the color, the different qualities of specularity. And in addition to that, for anything that was hard surface, there’s the aging that comes into making something rusty or dented or scratched. And when you have that, suddenly a thing has a story. It has a history. In addition to it having the believability, you can introduce the backstory as to, why did it get dented here? Why are the scales roughed up in this area? What kind of creature is this thing? Is it dry? Does it hunt? Is it an apex predator? Is it moist? All of that stuff is the story. So even if you’re making a creature that has never been seen before, you can kind of establish what its niche is in nature, and then contribute all of that to the look of it. The dinosaurs in Jurassic, that was a huge breakthrough to be able to see that. So the software being very rudimentary still functioned and continued to update. Every project there were things that were written into the software and in our technique and approach that allowed us to get more and more realism. The Phantom Menace featured several completely digital characters. Jar Jar Binks, played through motion-capture by Ahmed Best, would be the most high-profile, a supporting character that shared screen time with our heroes. Initially, the idea was for Best to perform in a suit and have Jar Jar’s neck and head created digitally, but this proved more costly and labor-intensive than just using a full CG model. Watto, the junk dealer, and Sebulba, Anakin’s rival podracer, were two other completely CG characters that played prominent roles. Ahmed Best: George wanted a character that was part-Goofy, but very physically aware. He really moved me toward what eventually became the walk. He wanted me to move slower, longer. Jar Jar was taller than I am, so he really wanted Jar Jar’s head to move in a specific way, so that forced me to try to come up with a physicality so that Jar Jar could move in a way that would work once animated. But a lot of it was just a collaboration of movement, me giving George options, and him saying, “Yeah, more like that.” The voice was the same thing. It was just me giving George options, and he was like, “Yeah, do that one. Do that voice.” George Lucas: I was tired of putting masks on people. I was much more interested in having them be all-digital so you could do more things with them. More freedom.

Ahmed Best: Jar Jar’s character, the movement and the motivation, was really based off of Buster Keaton. George really honed into that aesthetic when it came to me. Jean Bolte: Casper had a speaking character, Dragonheart, that was a speaking character, but there was something about Jar Jar being a character in this film that was a huge step further. I mean, he had to work in so much of the film in so many different environments. He had to sit there and interact as if he was somebody George had cast and put into a suit. Ahmed Best: It was great. I loved it. It never really felt like I was this other thing. It felt like we were all actors in the movie working together. This whole idea of me being in the movie or not being in the movie never occurred to all of us while we were shooting. It was never a separate thing and, subsequently, that’s what mo-cap has become now. It’s become actors in the movie, doing the motion, and then animation later building the realized, fantastical look of the character. But the actors are an integral part of the filmmaking and an integral part of the collaboration. And that kind of started with Phantom Menace. Rob Coleman: I believed in my crew, and I believed that I’d understood what George was looking for from a performance point of view. Ahmed Best: After principal [photography], I spent probably another year and a half, maybe two years, going back and forth between ILM and New York working out some of the kinks. That final battle scene with all the Gungans and the droids and the battle tanks, that was me, George, Rob [Coleman], John [Knoll], everybody at ILM, up in San Francisco figuring it out. It was just us in a room, there was nobody else there. I was doing all the motion that Jar Jar did in the final battle scene. George really wanted that to feel like not only just a live-action battle, but he wanted it to have the same physical comedy as a Buster Keaton movie. We worked really hard on that final battle scene. Jean Bolte: One of the things about this film is that this is what George wanted. He wanted them to have a similar kind of quality to the animatronic characters who also were not necessarily always 100 percent believable. But they had a charm to them, they had a life in them. That was more important than anything. I think Jar Jar has this quality. Ahmed Best: For me, it was just such a joy to be as creative as I wanted to be because I knew I had so much room. And George was really generous with the amount of room he gave me to bring Jar Jar to life. Doug Chiang: Watto was completely out of nowhere, and that scared me, because the genesis of Watto was that I did an early trader baron portrait that George really liked. The story of that character changed eventually, but he liked that. One day he came in and said, “Remember that portrait of the trader baron? Take that portrait, let’s put on a body, and add the feet, and add bat wings.” And that was the brief! It scared me because it didn’t make any sense, and I thought it was going to be a complete cartoony character that people are going to laugh at. I remember we spent weeks and weeks designing it, trying to make it very real, and George kept saying the same thing. And then literally one day I said, “Okay, I’m going to take George exactly at his word, and draw exactly that.” And it worked. One of my big appreciations for George is that he can push us quite a bit. I learned to trust him that he knows what he wants, and he will then stop us if we’ve gone too far. And right now Watto is one of my favorite characters. Rob Coleman: The amazing thing about The Phantom Menace, I think, certainly for the ILM animators, is we were moving from putting creatures in scenes to actually being actors in the movie. This is what I was trying to get across to them. The notion of getting up and acting things out. Talking about what’s happening internally inside a character’s head. Do they believe in what they’re saying? What do they want from the scene? Everything you would talk to an actor about I was trying to teach these animators. Jean Bolte: The main characters, Sebulba, Watto, and Jar Jar, were things that I had painted. Those were great. I mean, Jar Jar, obviously, was an important character. I remember that Doug Chiang [paid] very, very close attention to him. After there was artwork from Doug, and the model, then I would do the texture paint on it, and then Doug Chiang would take a frame render and paint on it. The next morning I’d come in, I’d see what he had done, have a meeting with him, I would incorporate those changes into Jar Jar. That process went on every day for weeks and weeks and weeks. Rob Coleman: I remember showing [a test of Watto] to George, and he was so excited that he showed him to Frank [Oz], who was doing the actual rubber puppet of Yoda on that first one. And then Frank said to George, “Well, this is the future.” And George was just beaming. The centerpiece action sequence of the film is the podrace, a fast, furious race between Anakin Skywalker and a smattering of strange aliens, through a course that includes a stadium, caves, rocky terrain, and the occasional Tusken Raider sniper. John Knoll: I had been playing around with a desktop tool that did two-dimensional physics simulations. It was called Interactive Physics. You could draw 2D shapes and you could have gravity and drag, and you could attach springs or chains to them and let them collide, and kind of do what they do. Seeing the designs for the podracers, they’re supposed to be suspended on repulsors, like Luke’s speeder, where they just sort of hover, and if you disturb them they have a kind of springy action to them. So they’re supposed to be just kind of hovering there, and then the cables go back to the cockpit. I just kept thinking that they should be, as they’re driving along, bouncing and springing and kind of look like they’re being held up by springs.

I used this Interactive Physics program to build a top down version of a podracer in 2D, where I had two engines and chains that went back to a cockpit. Then I attached thrusts to the engines, and I hooked them together by a spring network. I would jostle them a little bit and they would have this nice secondary springy motion that you would never have the time and patience to animate believably. I just really liked the look of it. I talked to Habib Zargarpour, my friend that was doing all that [computer animation software] Maya beta testing, and I said I want to try setting something up like this in 3D where we make up a frame and we suspend the pods from springs that attach to the frame. Basically, what we’re going to animate is, we’re going to animate the frame, we’re going to jostle it around, and when we animate the pods we’re basically just animating this frame. The pods are just going to hang from that, and when we move the frame, they’ll kind of bounce around and we’ll get all this really nice secondary motion. So that’s how the animation system worked, we weren’t actually animating the pods directly. We’re animating this frame that was holding them up. That was, I think, the first time that we’d done vehicle animation that was all being driven by rigid bodies and dynamic simulation system. Jean Bolte: I remember the first time I saw the podrace come together on the screen, and I was like, “This is it. This is amazing and it’s a beautiful collaboration.” The model makers and the computer graphics department come before me in the [process]. It’s first artwork, then the model makers get busy, the CG model department gets busy modeling, then it’s passed off to paint. Often it goes back to model and back to paint and back to model. John Knoll: Yeah, it’s a mixture. Doug and the group had designed this racecourse that had all these very distinctly different-looking regions. It was all pretty deliberate because George wanted you — if you saw two racers in one particular terrain — to immediately understand where you were in the racetrack. “Oh, that’s the area right past the stadium,” or “There’s the arches,” or “That’s the area where they get into this narrow canyon.” So if you kind of understood what that racetrack is like, then you cut to this character and you kind of know, “Oh, he’s like 10 seconds behind Anakin because he’s still in the crater field,” and that kind of thing. We had all these different terrains we had to create, and some of them were more closed in than others. A couple of them, like Beggar’s Canyon, and there was another sort of cave, this stalactite cave, I figured were closed in enough that we could do in miniature.

(The stunning podrace arena miniature.)

(Thousands of painted Q-tips stood in for audience members in the podrace arena miniature.) The podrace stadium was another one where I really felt like we’d get a lot of benefit out of building a miniature of that. Partly I was kinda looking back at how people had done things in the past, and the Ben-Hur stadium from the chariot race, that always really impressed me. Those were done in miniature and they just looked amazing. We’ll build a miniature of that arena, and we’ll shoot all the elements outdoors, and we’ll get that really nice, realistic daytime look. And then there were other terrains where it was just wide open and we were going at 600 miles an hour, and it seemed like the only way to do it was this CG projection technique. It was a whole mixture of whatever technique would work. Ben Burtt: I followed through with the podrace from day one to however we ended it. [Laughs] Even in the earliest stages of temporary assemblies of the race I showed George, I always was starting to put sound in. I, of course, had a library to start with of aircraft, and some automobile, cars, and things that had high-speed racing-type sounds that I could manipulate. I would sketch those in a temporary way. As we went along and the podrace developed, I would go out and record new vehicles, as would [sound designer] Matt Wood and a few others. We’d send them out to races to get drag strips, cars, we did some — everything from antique biplanes with wires humming on them to running an electric toothbrush up and down a harp string. It wasn’t just restricted to aircraft or anything. We did a lot of cars, a lot of aircraft of different types, and then manipulated other sound effects. George Lucas: The podrace was the direct result of my lifelong fascination with racing. I thought it would be fun to build really intense race vehicles that were as much sort of chariots as they were anything else, like two horses and a chariot. I took that idea, and plot-wise, it was necessary to get them off the planet. Obviously, you could come up with a million different ways, but I have a tendency to always go toward the racetrack. It was very dynamic. And it’s fun. I love it. The digital revolution of which The Phantom Menace was part did not stop with effects; it played a big part in the editing of the film and the entire delivery method. Still, the movie was ultimately made utilizing techniques both new and traditional. George Lucas: I’m not sure where my embrace of technology comes from. All art is technology. Film, or the movies, were the highest point of technology in the art world. You just had to learn a lot, and there’s a lot of technical things to deal with. So that wasn’t the issue as much as it was the fact that I didn’t mind change. And I didn’t mind change because I actually physically worked in it. I worked as an editor, I worked as a cameraman, and I know how difficult it was just working in the medium where you have little splices of film, you can’t find them, when you go to look for something you have to go through reels and reels of film. It takes a long time and it’s very frustrating on lots of levels. Just the whole idea that back in the Kodak days, you’d shoot the film, and then you have to send it in to the drugstore to get it processed, and then bring it back to see what you have, is slow and frustrating. And the whole thing was built on that, whereas if you do it electronically, digitally, you can see what you’re doing as you’re doing it. So you know exactly what you’re doing. Ben Burtt: Phantom Menace was shot on film. It was the last of the ones shot on film, but it gets transferred to a digital form, then we’re cutting on Avid editing machines. Once you’ve got the image in the digital realm, rather than a physical piece of film, of course then it opens up the door to the amenities of working digitally. You can cut and paste images, and you can duplicate them, and you can flip flop and enlarge them and shrink them, doing all kinds of stuff with a lot of fluidity that you would never have if you were working on a physical film. George loved that world of manipulation after the fact. You learned working for George that no shot as the camera saw it was final. [Laughs] It could be thought of as just an element for further development.

(Jean Bolte paints a Sebulba maquette.) Jean Bolte: When Jurassic came out, the company offered to train those of us who were interested in making the switch — they referred to it as “making a switch to computer graphics.” I had no intention whatsoever of making a switch [from the model shop]. What I always wanted to do was to train on this, in the new technology, learn as much as I could about it, but also keep the door open in the model shop. I had to fight kind of hard to make that work. But I think I was fairly successful because during Episode I, I was still able to go back to the model shop and paint maquettes, sort of keep both doors open. I loved that. John Knoll: To be perfectly frank, I was getting a lot of pressure from George and Rick to do less with miniatures and more with digital techniques. And what George told me, this was, I think, during Episode II or III, he was pushing back on me wanting to do so much with miniatures. He said, “Listen, the future is in computer graphics with these digital techniques, and you’re using miniatures as a crutch. You’re going to have to get better at doing this computer graphics work and expand the palette of things you’re going to be able to do that way. And the way you’re going to get good at it is doing it, so I’m going to kick the crutch out from under you and it’s for your own good. Don’t build so many miniatures. Do this stuff more with digital techniques because you need to be doing that.” Even though my preference would have been to keep doing what I was doing on Episode I. I look back on a lot of the miniature work we did on Episode I and I think it still looks amazing. Like Theed city, I think a lot of those shots are completely convincing. You’d never know. And I think the podrace stadium looks pretty good, and the podrace hangar looks really good. And there’s a lot of extensions that I don’t think people even know are extensions that are in the Nemoidian ship, of the corridors and the bridge and all of that. You’d never know. 

[kingdomofkitten]

Pretty-Rage & Kamen Haida: Part 1

Narrator: Tokyo. A bustling metropolis for the modern age. A prime target for the imperialistic forces of the Byriam Empire, whose goal is to conquer, or destroy, every single being on Earth. But not to fear! For within these city walls lie two of the greatest heroes of our generation! Both are seemingly normal accountants in a boring day job. But secretly, they are the magical red panda of love, Pretty-Rage, and the hyena hero of justice, Kamen Haida! Together, both in battle, and in matrimony, they swore to keep the city safe, and the Byriams at bay. Here they are now, walking with their trusted friend, and tech associate, Fenneko, and their precious son, Ikari, talking about protecting the Earth, no doubt!

Retsuko: Agh, I can’t believe I forgot to pack myself a lunch today! I skipped breakfast too!

Haida: Retsuko, it’s alright! We’ll just quickly walk by some place, and get something for you to eat.

Fenneko: No can do. We’re crunched for time, Ton’s got a lot of work for us.

Haida: ...who told y-Tsunoda?

Fenneko: Tsunoda.

Haida: Figured.

Retsuko: Well, there’s a convenience store coming up, you sure we can’t ju-*noticing a fight breaking out in front of the store*

Haida: ...come on! *the two run towards the two men fighting*

Customer: *pinning the store clerk to the ground* You son of a bitch! You gonna rob your customers too?!

Store Clerk: I-I’m so sorry! I don’t understand it, myself!

Haida: *pulling the customer back* Hey, HEY! Cool it!

Retsuko: *gets the store clerk back up* What’s going on, here?!

Customer: People are starving out here, that’s what!

Haida: ...huh?

Fenneko: *looking inside the store* Uh, guys? I think you might wanna see this.

*they look inside, and see all the food in the convenience store is gone! Not a single morsel left!*

Retsuko: ….what?!

Customer: It’s not just here! The whole town is out of food! Restaurants, lunch rooms, everywhere! I don’t know what kinda strike, or prank this is, but I won’t stand for it! *storms away*

Haida: What the hell…?

Today’s episode: Retsuko’s Starvation! The Gluttonous Monster Attacks!

*later at work…*

Retsuko: *stomach starts growling badly* Why today? WHY?

Fenneko: You know, you give yourself crap for this, but actually, I was gonna make myself something for breakfast, but I couldn’t find anything in my place.

Haida: ….come to think of it, I didn’t see anything in our place too! I know we’re not the richest, but we CAN’T be that broke.

Ton: *distant* WHERE IS MY TEA?!

Tsubone: THERE WAS NONE MADE! WE CHECKED!

Ton: WHAT?! Ugh, *stomping over to check* as if the women in here aren’t lazy enough already! ….wait, where is everything?!

*the other employees begin running towards the tearoom, to discover, like was revealed earlier, there is no consumable object in sight*

Haida: ...oh, I hoped that was just an exaggeration.

Fenneko: Okay, something is going on. Come on. *she grabs out her laptop, and places it on the lunch table the three usually sit*

Retsuko: You think it’s the Byriam?

Fenneko: “Think?” Retsuko, I know. We just gotta figure it out. Lucky me, I happened to hack into all the major security cameras in Tokyo.

Haida: ….why?

Fenneko: The less you know, the better. Anyway, it’s apparently been going on all morning, so let’s see if we can figure out what happened last night. *opens up software, to reveal, indeed, security footage spread all across the city* And it looks like the cannibals are out and about this lovely day.

Retsuko: *seeing people attack one another* Good grief…

Fenneko: Anyhoo! Let’s see if we can turn back time a wee bit. *starts rewinding footage, to last night, early in the morning* Now, let’s take a looksie at the convenience store we checked out. *finds the cameras for the store, and checks out the footage*

*at around 2:00 AM, the back door flies open, and suddenly a ton of food starts floating out, into the sky…*

Fenneko: ...what the fu-

Haida: Look! *he sees other cameras, showing food from all across Tokyo, floating off, in a similar way* What’s going on?!

Fenneko: Actually, look. It’s not all going to the sky, looks like it’s going to that forest over there.

Retsuko: ...isn’t that Koajiro Forest?

Haida: ...we should probably check it out.

Retsuko: Let’s go! *the two almost take off, before her dress is tugged by something* Huh?

Ikari: Mamaaaa! *whines a little, as an audible growl can come from his stomach*

Retsuko: Aw, Ikari! *pats his head* We’ll get you something to eat soon. Okay, sweetums? *to Fenneko* Can you get him, like, some water, or something, to hold him over?

Fenneko: I can try.

Retsuko: Thanks. *to Haida* Come on!

*the two begin to run off, as the rest of the office is trying to find something resembling food*

Ton: Any luck?!

Komiya: N-no, sir!

Ton: WELL, KEEP LOOKING!

*outside, just on the side of the office building, Retsuko and Haida stand*

Retsuko: *grabbing out a pink microphone, with a heart on top* Ready?

Haida: *revealing his golden belt, with a switch on it* Ready!

*Retsuko twirls the heart on the microphone, and Haida flicks the switch on the belt buckle, as the two do some poses, before shouting out…*

Retsuko and Haida: HENSHIN!

*and with that, they transform, into the adorable, but angry, Pretty-Rage, and the tall, and deadly, Kamen Haida, complete with a motorcycle!*

Kamen Haida: *mounts the motorcycle* Hop on!

Pretty-Rage: *mounts behind him* Let’s figure this out!

Kamen Haida: Right! *drives off, as they head out to Koajiro Forest…*

*meanwhile, in said forest, a gigantic pile of food has been accumulated, by various Byriam foot soldiers (named Cronions), and monitored by two monsters, one being a creature resembling a Kabuki actor, except being considerably obese, named Kuishinbō, and the other being a burnt-red, slim, demonic bird looking being, named Phoenixia*

Kuishinbō: Ohohohohoho! Oh, joyous of days! So much food, ripe for the taking!

Phoenixia: Yes, but this is just the beginning. With all of this, the Earthlings’ energy and morale will be dwindling considerably, giving the empire the perfect time to strike….obviously not the primary concern for you, I imagine.

Kuishinbō: Not at all! *charges at the food pile, and begins chowing down*

*while all this is going down, Pretty-Rage and Kamen Haida are hiding in the bushes, seeing all of this going down*

Kamen Haida: So that’s where it all went.

Pretty-Rage: *getting irritated at the monster eating the food* That bastard...come on! Let’s get them!

Kamen Haida: Right! *the two jump up, causing the Cronions to look around*

Phoenixia: Agh, damn it! They’re here! Get into formation!

*the Cronions prepare themselves, as the two heroes land*

Pretty-Rage: Using my death metal anger to make this a world of happiness! PRETTY-RAGE!

Kamen Haida: A punk at heart trying to bring order to this land! KAMEN HAIDA!

Phoenixia: *sigh* So it appears we meet again.

Pretty-Rage: It appears so, Phoenixia! That food belongs to the civilians of Tokyo! Give it back, now!

Kuishinbō: *jumping up and down* Noooooo! They want to take away my snacks! Cronions! ATTACK!

Cronions: *high pitched squeaks, as they charge towards the two!*

Pretty-Rage: Let’s do this! *jumps up, and screams, causing some Cronions to fall back!*

Kamen Haida: Let’s go! *grabs one goon, and punches it right in the gut, before throwing it aside!*

Phoenixia: Agh! FIRE!

Cronion: *nods, as a few of them grab out uzis, and begin firing at the two heroes!*

Kamen Haida: YIPE! *he and Pretty-Rage jump away from the blast, but when they do, he notices her...squirming* ...are you okay?

Pretty-Rage: *clenching her stomach* I-I’m fine! Come on! *runs after the monster*

Kuishinbō: Ohohoho! Feeling a touch weak, are we? Well, maybe this oughta make you feel worse! *grabs out a sword from his side, and slashes her multiple times, causing her to fly back!*

Pretty-Rage: AAAGH! *falls to the ground, unconscious*

Kamen Haida: PRETTY-RAGE! *runs to her, and looks at Kuishinbō* Bastard!

Kuishinbō: Yooooooo!!! *laughs maniacally* I got one! I got one!

Kamen Haida: Ugh! *charges at the monster, and tries to perform a jump-kick*

Kuishinbō: Ohohoho! *grabs Kamen Haida’s foot, and begins swinging him around*

Kamen Haida: What the-?! *gets sent flying to the ground* GAAH! *hits the dirt, next to his knocked-out comrade* Dammit, we’re not up to full strength! I gotta get you out of here! *picks her up* This is not the end! *runs off*

Phoenixia: Oh, it will be. *to some of the Cronion soldiers* YOU! Go after them!

Kamen Haida: *reaching the motorcycle, and drives off, Pretty-Rage carried on his back* Come on, Retsuko, stay with me here! I’ll find some food for you! Someho-*he suddenly hears gunshots* GAH! WHAT THE-?! *he turns, and sees Cronion soldiers, on motorcycles, firing at them* No, NO! *he sees an exit, and immediately makes the turn*

Cronion: *high-pitched scream, as they TRY to make the turn, but crash*

Kamen Haida: Okay…don’t worry, Retsuko. We’ll get you feeling better…*starts feeling dizzy* …no….no, not now...damn it, now I’m getting hungry...and thirsty….and….tired…*suddenly crashes the bike, leaving the two rolling on the ground on the ground, unconscious*

So, um...as you can see, it’s quite the biggun. :P Yeah, I really wanted this to be one big thing, but I wanted to get something out to you guys, so that there’s something to tide everyone over. And as it turned out, even Part 1 (which is the HALFWAY POINT, I should mind) is a big fella! So, hopefully, you guys enjoy this, while I try to put together part 2.

[threewaysdivided]

Idea for an Age-swap AU

We’ve recently seen some age-swap and role-swap AUs floating around the DP fandom.  The most common of these are the direct reversals, where Vlad is the teenage protagonist and Danny is the adult villain.   Now, I’m not the hugest fan of the straight-swap versions because it’s not particularly interesting or in-keeping with the canon characters.  If Danny becomes the amoral villain and Vlad the plucky protagonist then you basically just have the original Danny Phantom again, except with the characters wearing each other’s skins.

However, a version of the age-swap that keeps the characters closer to their canon personalities has great comedy potential.

Imagine this:

Young!Vlad is a disaffected but highly intelligent freshman whose ‘genius’ is seemingly unrecognised by everyone in town.  Pretty much everything sucks for him - he’s bored at home because his parents are always away on work, he’s bored in class because he finds the material too easy, the school’s head jock and posse make a policy of ruining his day, the student body president is ‘inept’, and - despite Vlad’s intelligence and apparent ability to analyse people - he never seems to make it into the spheres of the influential or popular classmates.    He’s aloof and vaguely disdainful towards everyone around him, except for his two best friends; the naive and eccentric but occasionally brilliant Young!Jack, and the beautiful and sharply intelligent Young!Maddie.  He hangs out with them partly due to their mutual interest in the paranormal, but also because Maddie is the only person in town he sees as an equal and he really wants to date her (too bad she’s always making eyes at Jack).   [If you’re looking for a reference he’s basically a cross between Sue Townsend’s Adrian Mole and Velma Dinkley from Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated]

Like in the original series, the three of them attempt to build a proto-ghost portal as a step in their research.  This one goes even worse (after all, it was built by teenagers) and Jack rushing to activate it gets Vlad blasted with way more ectoplasm than in canon.  Just like the original it lands him in hospital for a bit - but in this case only a few months.  On coming back to school he is very resentful (mostly towards Jack though he’s a bit miffed that Maddie didn’t come to visit his room while he was awake) both for the accident and the Danny-like power-problems he’s experiencing.  Although in Vlad’s case he hides them from his friends and outwardly acts like everything’s been forgiven.

As he gains controls of his powers, Vlad decides to put them to use ‘correcting’ some of the ‘wrongs’ in his life; serving disproportionate comeuppance to the jocks, subtly embarrassing Jack in from of Maddie, scheming and manipulating his way through the school’s systems, and generally messing with people to alleviate his boredom.

It basically turns into a Deathnote-like moral situation, in which Vlad is a nominal ‘hero’ on the best days and an entitled, arrogant person at worst.  He may be the protagonist but he’s sure not the ‘good guy’ of this story. (He still makes himself a vampire-style suit and goes by Plasmius in ghost-mode because despite being highly intelligent he’s also a dumb 14-year-old who unironically thinks it looks cool.)

How does Danny get involved?

While Vlad is still in the nominally-heroic part of the story (dishing out retributions to people who actually had it coming, chasing away some minor ghosts that were attracted by the portal explosion, manipulating outcomes that fix genuine problems etc.) he starts to notice an older person hanging around and following him. At first Vlad’s concerned - has someone caught on?  Is it an enemy ghost?  A rival trying to take out the competition? - until Phantom introduces himself.  Danny’s a lot of things but subtle is not one of them.

Older!Danny is in his early 30s.  His parents were some of the first modern ecto-scientists and successfully built a working portal (the source of the accident that gave him his powers) but because the hauntings stayed localised near the portal (never spreading beyond his own hometown) their ecto-research didn’t reach mainstream science beyond a few ‘professional ghost-hunters’, paranormal aficionados and an obscure branch of government that mostly just makes messes bigger in their attempts to ‘contain and study all unauthorised ectoplasmic entities’.

Despite his unease, Danny is honestly happy to meet another half-ghost. He might have reservations about actual teaching (“I’ve got an Engineering degree, not a Dip. Ed.”) but he genuinely wants to help this new kid through what he remembers being a tough period of power-adjustment and guide him to use his abilities productively.   Unfortunately, Vlad is having none of it - who is this condescending fool to tell him what to do?  In his eyes Phantom is either trying to recruit him so that he can use his power (after all, that’s what Vlad would do) or he’s an idiot for wasting such potential. Actually, he must be an idiot either way because who else would try to manipulate someone of Vlad’s intelligence?

Eventually this devolves into a cat-and-mouse game in which Young!Vlad uses his brains and abilities in attempts to manipulate his way into Maddie’s affections, positions of influence and possession of powerful items, with Phantom having to step in and ‘defeat Plasmius’ before someone gets hurt.  Unlike in canon, where Vlad mostly toys with Danny to demonstrate his superiority, Young!Vlad learning techniques from their fights is intentional on Older!Phantom’s part. Phantom really wants to give this kid a chance to turn things around, and figures that letting Plasmius experiment with his powers in a relatively safe space might help Vlad get under control and avoid the temptation to do something truly stupid.  Unfortunately, all this actually does is teach his accidental-arch-rival to be a more competent villain.

Shenanigans ensue:

Vlad deliberately creating dangerous situations so that he can impress Maddie by ‘dramatically rescuing’ her from the ‘evil Plasmius’.  What he forgets is that, under her pretty face, Maddie is a top-tier asskicker - at least a third of the time the love of his life hands his ecto-hide to him long before Phantom can intervene. He’d find it attractive if it wasn’t so humiliating.

Jack also proves disturbingly competent with his ‘anti-creep stick’.  It’s literally just a baseball bat with a cross-stitched handle and the club logo sprayed on the side but Vlad still makes a point of stealing and destroying them whenever Jack makes a new one.

Maddie concludes that Plasmius and Phantom are both evil and working together.  

Vlad: “Of course, but as the older and stronger, Phantom is clearly in charge.  If we get rid of him then surely Plasmius will leave.”

This results in Vlad doing a very careful dance whenever he and Danny are in ghost mode while Maddie and/or Jack can see them.

In attempt to ‘eliminate the competition’ Vlad considers alerting the Guys in White to Phantom’s status.

Danny: “Look, kid. Vlad. If you go to them with that intel they’re going to wonder how you got it.  I might survive - my company holds the patents for a lot of their tech - but you’re a high-schooler.  You really want to risk outing both of us?”

This is one of the few things they eventually agree on: Under no circumstances is anyone to intentionally involve the GIW.

Vlad tries to recruit other ghosts in attempt to keep Phantom distracted.

This mostly consists of him failing to intimidate Skulker with his scrawny teen stature, then flattering him into it because “surely as the first and strongest of his kind Phantom would be a much worthier prize for such a skilled hunter.”

He has more luck with the resentful Yiddish vultures, although they can’t do much beyond being a nuisance.

The Box Ghost offers his services.  Repeatedly.

Vlad travels to Amity Park in attempt to steal ecto-tech from Fentonworks.  On arrival he is horrified to see just how haunted the town is due to its permanently active portal.  He beats a fast retreat after getting cornered and resolves to come back with better plans.

Vlad returns to Amity Park in attempt to recruit more minions from the thronging masses. This is somewhat successful, but a few rogue ghosts follow him home - forcing him to try to contain the situation while hiding it from Maddie and Jack.

Youngblood starts messing with Vlad’s schoolmates (interfering with some of his social schemes in the process).  As an adult Danny is incapable of seeing him, and Maddie and Vlad’s tendency to act older than their age means that Jack is the only one with a real handle on the situation.  Eventually (to his intense horror) Vlad has to do things Jack’s way to solve the problem

Jack: “You know what V-Man, I’m glad to have you back.  You’ve been so serious these last few months, I was worried you’d forgotten how to have fun!”

Vlad: *audible teeth-grinding*

Vlad refuses to swear because he thinks it’s a sign of inferior intellect and therefore beneath him.  Danny doesn’t swear because he’s desperately trying not to teach this kid any more bad habits.

Vlad makes a deal with Technus to steal some software for use in a financial scheme. Too bad that they make this arrangement in the same week that local Information Technology rising-star Tucker Foley is invited to speak at the school’s career day.

Vlad’s plans failing because his ‘superior intellect’ leads him to over-engineer excessively complex schemes.

Danny: “You know you could just have done this, right?”

Plasmius later tries Phantom’s suggestion and Danny is kicking himself because darn it I was trying to get him to knock it off, not give him pointers.

Vlad attempting subtler social schemes (e.g. overshadowing staff and student council members to make changes).  These sometimes work but other times Jack messes up the plan with his overenthusiastic support for his ‘best friend’.

Danny eventually recruiting one of Vlad’s classmates Red-Huntress-style because look, I’m running my parents company, volunteering at the observatory and trying to keep the ghosts under control.  I can’t be constantly flying to another town to make sure Plasmius isn’t bringing on the ecto-apocalypse.

Out of respect for Vlad’s privacy Danny doesn’t reveal the secret identity thing. Instead he asks them to keep Plasmius under control and also look out for Vlad Masters because the ghost might be interested in him.

What Danny didn’t notice was that this kid really doesn’t like Masters and has a pretty big grudge against Plasmius after being on the receiving end of one of his schemes.  What should have been a simple recon job instead ends up with them aggressively pursuing an intense rivalry with both of Vlad’s halves.  They also get overzealous in their ecto-hunter task and start going after Phantom as well.  So now Danny has two problems.

Jazz Fenton (a qualified and practicing psychologist in this AU) takes a job as the school’s councillor.

While there she works to convince Vlad of the benefits of altruism, tries to wheedle him into confessing his connection to Plasmius (Danny told her everything) and attempts to foil his social manipulations.  The first two aren’t met with much success but she does get in the way of the third a few times.

For his part Vlad tries different schemes to get her fired or make her leave so that he can continue plotting without interference.

Vlad sneaks into the Ghost Zone in attempt to steal a powerful item (Ring of Rage, Pandora’s box, the Fright Knights Soul Shredder etc.).  This goes about as badly you’d expect.  Unlike in canon, where Vlad bails and makes Danny deal with it, Older!Phantom drags Young!Plasmius back by the ear because you made this mess so now you’re going to help clean it up.

Phantom: “So, did we learn anything today?”

Plasmius: “I should do more research before handling powerful objects.”

Phantom: *aggrieved sigh* “You know kid, I honestly thought you were smarter than this.”

Whether Young!Vlad eventually learns his lesson or keeps spiralling until he becomes a canon!Vlad level criminal chessmaster is something that could go either way.  

What I’m getting at is:  Can someone please do a version of the age-swap AU where Vlad Masters/Plasmius is an intellectually snobbish, overly theatrical, entitled adolescent ‘mastermind’ (who isn’t quite as bright as he thinks) and Danny Fenton/Phantom is the well-intentioned and experienced adult hero (but poor teacher) who really wants to give this kid a second chance but is getting more and more done with all the villainy nonsense.

[olmopress]

take me home to sillycon valley

week 3: Tim O’Reilly, “What is Web 2.0″ / Richard Barbrook & Andy Cameron, “The Californian Ideology”

sooo i think that this week’s readings are in fact a truly magnificent, wondrous study case in ideology. our first reading is nothing less than a seminal blogpost by tech guru tim o’reilly on web 2.0. writing back in 2005, timmy tells us all about how the economy of the internet managed to survive after the *TOTALLY UNEXPECTED I MEAN WHENEVER ELSE THIS HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF CAPITALISM* dot-com crash of the year 2000. the post is a business lesson in, basically, how to develop companies like facebook or twitter – timmy from the block has got it all: the web as a platform, software as service instead of commodity, the long tail, folksonomy over taxonomy, sites that act as “middlemen” in communication... boy he had it all figured it out.

this is especially true, and particularly interesting, when our boy casually drops definitions like “architecture of participation,” “users [who] add value,” and “architecture of politics.” in these three formulations there is, frankly anything that is truly relevant about the web 2.0. to careful and hopefully critical readers, “architecture of participation” should draw attention towards the need for the web 2.0 to make users feel that they’re making the internet, that they participate in the beautiful amazing blissful perfect not-at-all-solely-for-profit enterprise of the web company. “users [who] add value” is something else we know fairly well: it refers, of course, to the economic value that users produce by using the free platform. this economic value, yes i know everybody knows it these days, is the users’ data. but the one that should really really really ring a bell to anyone who is sane enough not to be a disgusting individualist is “architecture of politics.” now. kids. can we please stop believe that nobody had figured out in advance how the internet is first and foremost a political tool? look, hey, this totally un-influential guy knew it very well in 2005. we were only mesmerized enough not to see that. and now, too bad for us, dystopia is reality and internet rigged our elections and surveillance is rampant except that it is enforced by private organizations instead of the state. which is worse. way fucking worse.

but enough with the anxiously depressive part. i wanna talk about how this is all ideological mumbo jumbo produced by the hideous neoliberal bourgeoise apparatus. and to do this i need barbrook and cameron. their article is so damn good in explaining to us young padawns how the hell could happen that hippies could ally themselves with reaganite enterpreneurs obsessed with their ridiculous ideals of dEmOcRaCy and tHe InDiViDuAl. just like all great story, that of the californian ideology starts with a fake revolution: that of the 68. ok moment of awareness 2.0: can we all please make a big big circle and repeat all together that “NO, THE 68 WAS NOT A REBELLION AGAINST THE BOURGEOISE, IT WAS JUST SPOILT BOURGEOISE KIDS MESSING UP WITH THEIR RICH PARENTS BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO SCREW MORE, MAKE MORE DEBTS, CRIPPLE ECONOMIC SYSTEMS, AND DESTROY OUR ECOSYSTEMS TO SATISFY THEIR VERY BOURGEOISE NARCISSISTIC «NEEDS»”? ok thank you kids. need that every now and then.

so, we were saying. Californian Ideology™ is a direct descendant of the 68. it is the deformed and demonic son of late capitalism. it stemmed out of two different utopias: one pathetic – the electronic agora – and one horribly dystopic  – the elctronic marketplace. and it wonderfully showed us that wonderful social liberal ideals are nothing if people do not organize to contrast those who own to much wealth: as the history of the californian ideology shows us, those who want money for themselves and slavery for others always win, if they’re not contrasted harshly enough. drop that knowledge on them, comrade Mao.

and so here we come to the crucial point. as barbrook and cameron wonderfully illustrate, unfettered libertarianism and techno-utopianism leads us back to the good old plantation. except that now we’re all slaves to bezos and zuckerberg, which btw funnily enough means “sugar hill:”

anyways, remember our bro timmy? think he was explaining a neat little business plan to make us all successful cyber-enterpreneurs? no, karen, i am very sorry. he was just starting to plan world cyber-slavery. so screw him, say barbrook and cameron: the state – that is the people – should get back control over what they produced. and this is the exciting part of the article, because my new heroes barbrook and cameron subtly suggest that we should start nationalizing (yes!!!!! nationalizing!!!!!!) parts and infrastructures of the internet. and at this point i am getting so much excited because imagine give back to the people platform like facebook google and amazon, and use this operation of creating a united european public digital economy to start building...

if you’re starting to feel spicy down there in your panties, well, you’re not the only one. but now on to culture time.

first, we should appreciate of Raphael prophetized the slaughter of cyber-capitalism by a socialist EU in his 1503-05 painting “Saint George Fighting the Dragon.”

then, you may want to imagine all of this to be enforced while this song from Megadeth plays in the background.

it’s your choice you can have also Ariana Grande in the background i don’t really care.

talk to you later!

Image Sources: Reddit, DeviantArt, Web Gallery of Art

[please note that this post deliberately ignores certain conventions in punctuation because i am still experimenting on the aesthetic aspect of the blog]

[douchebagbrainwaves]

HERE'S WHAT I JUST REALIZED ABOUT RAILROADS

You don't have to be willing to change your product. There are already signs that startups may not spread particularly well. The bad news is that the inhabitants consider it a great treat to fly to Europe and spend a couple weeks living what is, for the simple reason that if there were something that large numbers of people urgently needed and that could be built with the amount of stock you retain. I've found that people who are quite timid, initially, about the idea of making really large amounts of money involved are larger, millions usually.1 When I was in grad school, especially at first. Paraphrased for the Web, use links to rank search results, and have clean, simple web pages with unintrusive keyword-based ads. What does the Social Radar, and this is the same as another but with a couple things changed. Imagine talking to a customer support person who not only knew everything about the product, but who want it urgently. Once you've got a great idea, it's sort of like having a paint factory where the air is full of soot.2

Few people know so early or so certainly what they want.3 Because I had to do before they evolved succinct notations, they wouldn't be any easier to read, because the longer I spend on the trail, the longer I spend on the trail, the longer I have to say, and the present center more like forty.4 The trouble is, they're not. So another advantage of private universities is that a dollar from them is worth one dollar. And while this was happening, the acquirers used the delay as an excuse to welch on the deal. Was generated by our own button generator, incidentally. An area without railroads or power was a rich potential market.

When you reach the point where it IPOs, and you have to learn. The most likely scenario is 1 that no government will successfully establish a startup hub deliberately. Lots of people are mildly interested in a social network for pet owners. It's hard for us now to understand what it must have felt like for him. Mass-market digital cameras are doing it to Avid. But after a while I learned the trick of speaking fast. It's not what people learn in classes at MIT and Stanford that has made technology companies spring up around them.5 And it's clear why: there are an increasing number of idea clashes. But when you choose a language, you're also choosing a community. The happy Macintosh face, and then fix it immediately, while you were on the phone with her. Like a parent saying to a child, I bet you can't clean up your whole room in ten minutes, a good manager can sometimes redefine a problem as we think.6 It turns out to be mistaken.

Experienced founders learn to keep an open mind: Now I don't laugh at ideas anymore, because I realized how terrible I was at knowing if they were obviously good, VCs would already have funded them. Kenneth Clark is the best combination. Back in the 90s, to get users you had to get mentioned in magazines and newspapers. As I'll explain later, this is true. The biggest change was that you got to program even less: Your job description as technical founder/CEO is completely rewritten every 6-12 months. If Microsoft used this approach, their software wouldn't be so full of security holes, because the less smart people writing the actual applications wouldn't be doing low-level stuff like allocating memory. The real value is in things that are imprecisely defined. It's harder to say about other countries, but in the personalities of the people who have them. Startups are powerless, and good startup ideas seem bad: If you are persistent, even problems that seem out of your inbox?7 It's so subjective.8 One would be to have lower capital gains taxes. They're started by the poor and the timid; they begin in marginal space and spare time; they're started by people who are great at something are not so overwhelmingly great.

He was standing in Robert Morris's office babbling at him about something or other, and I don't expect to. One thing it means is that we see trends early. If investors are easily convinced, the startup should have lawyers.9 And startups are in turn the most important source of growth in mature economies.10 At one of the greats, but he's an especial hero to me because of Lisp. The history of ideas is a history of gradually discarding the assumption that it's all about us. There is a train running the length of a program is proportionate to its complexity, and a vehicle for several different types of work, instead of simply arguing that they are able to develop software in: Comparisons between Ericsson-internal development projects indicate similar line/hour productivity, including all phases of software development, rather independently of which language Erlang, PLEX, C, or Java was used. It would be hard to find startup ideas.

I say this, some will say it's a ridiculously overbroad and uncharitable generalization, and others will say it's a ridiculously overbroad and uncharitable generalization, and others wouldn't. Computers would be just as happy to be told what to do if you're not sure, you're not just making a technical decision. Probably not. And startups are in turn the most important source of growth in mature economies. While the best way to put it might be interesting to work on projects with the wrong infrastructure. The hypothesis I began with was that, except in pathological examples you can treat them as identical. And not just because she's shy that she hates bragging. This is supposed to be companies at first. So I bet it would help a lot of potential energy built up, as the market has moved away from VCs's traditional business model.

But it's certainly possible to do things that make you stupid, and if you're 21, hiring only people younger rather limits your options. As with office space, the number has to be finite, and the macro is itself ten lines of code every time you use it more than once. If you have a thesis about what everyone else does. He grew up in the country. The qualities of the founders, and others wouldn't. Reading Period, when students have no classes to attend because they're supposed to decide quickly. If you see pictures with man-made bits of America. In the long term it's to your advantage to be good to think in rather than just to tell a computer what to do directly in machine language.

You have to keep trying new things.11 Performance isn't everything, you say? Their defining quality is probably that they really love to program. Early YC was a family, and Jessica was its mom.12 Google and dream of buying islands; the next, we'd be pondering how to let our loved ones know of our utter failure; and on and on. The EU was designed partly to simulate a single, large domestic market. There's a market for writing that sounds impressive and can't be disproven.

Notes

With the good ones. They hate their bread and butter cases. As far as I know of one investor who invested earlier had been with their decision—just that they're practically different papers. So where do we draw the line that philosophy will suffer by comparison, because there was when we started Viaweb, if you're not sure.

But an associate cold-emailing a startup, unless the owner has already happened once in their voices will be interesting to 10,000, the jet engine, the only function of prep schools is to do whatever gets you there sooner. A smart student at a famous university who is highly regarded by his peers, couldn't afford it.

Just use the word content and tried for a startup in a couple hundred years ago it would do it well enough to supply the activation energy required.

There are also exempt. Sullivan actually said form ever follows function, but which didn't taste very good job. And for those founders.

Disclosure: Reddit was funded by Y Combinator in particular took bribery to the truth about the origins of the next one will be coordinating efforts among partners. But it's useful to consider themselves immortal, because even if our competitors hate most?

Deane, Phyllis, The Quotable Einstein, Princeton University Press, 1973, p. My guess is a dotted line on a consumer price index created by bolting end to end investor meetings as closely as you get bigger, your size helps you grow.

In fact since 2 1. One of Europe's advantages was that professionalism had replaced money as a motive, and eventually markets learn how to achieve wisdom is that it refers to instant ramen would be enough to guarantee good effects. To be fair, the more powerful version written in C, which is not to have to sweat whether startups have over established companies can't compete on tailfins.

The wartime versions were much more analytical style of thinking, but that we didn't, they are to be when I said by definition if the growth is valuable, because neither of the medium of exchange would not be able to distinguish between gravity and acceleration.

The need has to be some part you can fix by writing library functions. The solution to that knowledge was to realize that in effect what the earnings turn out to coincide with other investors doing so much about prestige is that parties shouldn't be that some of the former, and Smartleaf co-founder before making any commitments.

73 billion. Design ability is so contentious is that the Internet was as bad an employee or as outside counsel, they did not start to spread them.

The quality of production. But that is exactly my point. Now many tech companies don't advertise this. But in most if not all are.

There should probably start from the other sense of the company. Like the Aeneid, Paradise Lost that none of your universities is significantly lower, about 28%.

Thanks to David Hornik, Jessica Livingston, Ron Conway, rew Mason, Fred Wilson, Jacob Heller, Trevor Blackwell, Teng Siong Ong, and Sam Altman for reading a previous draft.

[mikebrackett]

5 Inspiring Stories of Executives Who Started at the Bottom

Trusting in your career path can be challenging, whether you’re in your very first job or stuck at one you haven’t loved for months. That’s when you turn to the inspiration of others. Every one of these executives have started at the bottom, and now hold their title, and the work that comes with it, as a true badge of honor. Use these stories to find the inspiration you need to take the next step in your career, leave a job you hate, or pivot into a position you never thought possible.

The Tech Transformer

20 years later, Brandon Ridenour is CEO of ANGI Homeservices (parent company of HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List and Handy). This pre-law, political science major, achieving just average performance, was immediately jolted into a new world when he saw a video about the future of technology from Andersen Consulting, which would be his future employer.

He changed his major and worked for five hard years—including summers—to learn what he needed to move head first into the world of tech. He soon started his career as a Technology Consultant at Andersen Consulting where he was already transforming tech; as he says, “I was working on internet type ideas before the internet.”

Though only his first professional position, he was already taking a giant step toward his future—even if he didn’t know it yet. Ridenour says, “This job offered me the opportunity to work with Fortune 50 companies on projects of over $1B in size. As my first professional experience, this was such an important learning experience.”

Now, he no longer works as a “technical expert” but believes his experience in the burgeoning tech world helped him reach the level of CEO. “I started my career as a deep technology expert and then branched out to product and strategy, but the technical experience gave me a heads-up over other product peers. It gave me a much deeper understanding of the technology and product side and how it impacts the business side of the house. I wouldn’t be in the position I am today without this experience,” he explains.

What drove him so successfully from one position to the next? The same trait we see in all of these successful executives: passion. He says, “I am only successful when I’m engaged in things that I’m passionate about.”

The Entrepreneurial Salesman

Sales is merely a shadow of what it used to be, and Sam Meenasian, Owner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Operations, USA Business Insurance, start at the very bottom 12 years ago. “I began in a small cubical in another insurance agency where every hour my manager did a drill meeting where we would practice on how to speak to customers to sell products.” Meenasian spent years going door-to-door, putting flyers on cars, all in hopes of getting one call out of hundreds.

In all that time, though, he always knew there was something bigger for him. He says, “I knew from day one that I wanted to own my own business and it didn’t take me much time or thinking to realize once I understood how important insurance is.” This desire to do something bigger fueled him through the months when he walked away with $500 after paying for expenses, like rent and food.

He made his first big move at a time when others may have given up. He was forced to leave his office, due to relocation of the company, and instead of walking away he took that first giant leap: he found a small space for himself that cost no more than $500 each month—willing to give up the little he had left each month to build this business.

With his own space, he still pushed through rough patches, with major personal lines losses that rocked his business. Again, this encouraged him to take another big step: shifting from personal insurance into business, “to balance out my loss ratios.” From there, he continued growing his business to be a successful and honest business insurance agency.

To this day, Meenasian appreciates where he is and the work he does, “There is not a single day I take for granted or work any less harder. I work full hours plus overtime and know all my customer base on an individual level and never try to change my morals and values to grow my business any faster or make more money.”

The Career Changer

Dawn Anderson, founder and CEO of OHi Food Co, found her calling in Maui, Hawaii, late in September 2013. Her story starts far from where she is now, as a Doctor of Chiropractic, running a practice with her husband. Yet, her passion took her somewhere she didn’t even know she could do:

“Realizing how much I love the CPG (consumer packaged goods) world, the opportunity to provide healthy food to our communities, I would have liked to have started earlier in my career and life, but I had no idea this was ever a career option!” Anderson says.

Luckily, that didn’t hold her back. “I started this little food company out of a passion I had for healthy food and having a positive impact on consumers and my community, making bars by hand out of my own Maui kitchen, selling them at local farmers markets”

With so much support and love from the community, she and her husband quickly branched out to selling on the mainland, and before they knew it, they were selling in California. She went from making one hundred bars a day to tens of thousands.

Though she found her career late in life, she looks back on every step with no regrets: “Hey, everything I have done in the past has led me to this amazing opportunity in front of me now. So I wouldn’t change a thing!”

The Farm Boy Turned Executive

The Chief Consumer Security Evangelist for McAfee, Gary Davis, is focused on strategic alignment of products for one of the most well-known antivirus software companies in the world. But he wasn’t always driving change and success at this high level.

“The skill set and experience to do this has taken a lifetime to acquire,” Davis says, who started as a “farm boy,” with a high school graduating class of 37 students. His T.V. had three stations and his home phone was shared between seven households. If this is a journey you can’t possibly imagine, Davis agrees: “If I took myself back to that point, I could never in a million years paint the path to where I am now.”

In fact, those around him couldn’t imagine his path either. Instead, he was encouraged to become a dairy farmer or corrections officer—but neither felt right. He took his own path and joined the U.S. Navy, where he went to night school to pursue this Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

Between then and now, Gary has been learning, from growing into our connected world to developing his skills to assimilate a mass amount of data about the security space into a tool to inform their product strategy. What’s more, he and his team have to “distill the otherwise complex topics into material that educates and informs the consumers and businesses via a variety of channels such as blogs, social media.”

And no, he didn’t get here with just the degrees he earned: “It’s not something taught in any school, but rather a lifetime of experiences that shaped my mindset to do this.”

The Glass Ceiling Shatterer

This female CEO started at the bottom both professionally and personally. Not only has her 24-year career taken her “from the sales floor to the board room,” but Alessandra Lezama, CEO at AbacusNext, was also a minority immigrant in a new country and a single mom striving for a better future for her family. All while making her way through a career in a male-dominated industry. Lezama looks back and sees that her journey “was an odyssey of obstacles and shattered glass ceilings.”

Despite the challenges, she worked herself up the ranks of many of the largest telecom companies in the world, including Comsat International, acquired by Lockheed Martin during her time with the company. Her first executive roles included EVP and COO, after which she proceeded to hold three CEO positions before her current CEO role with AbacusNext.

She owes much of her success to her drive, instilled in her by her father a bullfighter and her ultimate hero. She’s also used a simple mindset shift to take her career on this remarkable journey:

“Over the years I have learned that as essential as fast-paced, dynamic decision making is to running a successful business, it’s equally important to slow down and take time to reflect and realign. Using these reflective moments to seek out and listen to the advice of my peers and mentors has proved invaluable to my career,” Lezama says.

Now, as CEO, she’s taken all of her experience and learnings to make a huge impact, growing her current company from 30 employees to more than 500, with international offices in San Diego, Toronto and Edinburgh.

After all this time, she’s also made another important shift: instead of worrying about proving herself more capable than her peers, she’s focused on helping others succeed. She says, “As the years have gone on and I have achieved the personal goals I set out for myself, my focus has shifted to supporting the people around me and empowering them to grow both personally and professionally.”

Find Inspiration to Build Your Career

We all start somewhere, whether you’re a farm boy or a door-to-door salesman. The journeys of these executives teach you to not only trust your career path, but pursue each step with passion and drive. Move toward what you want and take every step necessary to get there. The end of that journey may just have you sitting in a boardroom, making decisions for everyone else who’s just starting their career.

This article originally appeared on Glassdoor.com and was written by Jessica Thiefels.

Interested in refinancing student loans? Here are the top 6 lenders of 2019!

LenderVariable APREligible Degrees  Check out the testimonials and our in-depth reviews! 1 Important Disclosures for SoFi. SoFi Disclosures Student loan Refinance:

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The information provided on this page is updated as of 0318/2019. Earnest reserves the right to change, pause, or terminate product offerings at any time without notice. Earnest loans are originated by Earnest Operations LLC. California Finance Lender License 6054788. NMLS # 1204917. Earnest Operations LLC is located at 302 2nd Street, Suite 401N, San Francisco, CA 94107. Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest.com/terms-of-service, email us at hello@earnest.com, or call 888-601-2801 for more information on ourstudent loan refinance product.

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FIXED APR Fixed rate options consist of a range from 3.75% per year to 5.80% per year for a 5-year term, 5.14% per year to 6.25% per year for a 7-year term, 5.24% per year to 6.65% per year for a 10-year term, 5.30% per year to 7.05% per year for a 15-year term, or 5.61% per year to 7.27% per year for a 20-year term, with no origination fees. The fixed interest rate will apply until the loan is paid in full (whether before or after default, and whether before or after the scheduled maturity date of the loan). The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 3.75% per year to 5.80% per year for a 5-year term would be from $183.04 to $192.40. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.14% per year to 6.25% per year for a 7-year term would be from $142.00 to $147.29. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.24% per year to 6.65% per year for a 10-year term would be from $107.24 to $114.31. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.30% per year to 7.05% per year for a 15-year term would be from $80.65 to $90.16. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.61% per year to 7.27% per year for a 20-year term would be from $69.41 to $79.16.

However, if the borrower chooses to make monthly payments automatically by electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a bank account, the fixed rate will decrease by 0.25%, and will increase back up to the regular fixed interest rate described in the preceding paragraph if the borrower stops making (or we stop accepting) monthly payments automatically by EFT from the designated borrower’s bank account.

VARIABLE APR Variable rate options consist of a range from 3.48% per year to 6.30% per year for a 5-year term, 4.85% per year to 6.35% per year for a 7-year term, 4.90% per year to 6.40% per year for a 10-year term, 5.15% per year to 6.65% per year for a 15-year term, or 5.40% per year to 6.90% per year for a 20-year term, with no origination fees. APR is subject to increase after consummation. The variable interest rate will change on the first day of every month (“Change Date”) if the Current Index changes. The variable interest rates are based on a Current Index, which is the 1-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) (currency in US dollars), as published on The Wall Street Journal’s website. The variable interest rates and Annual Percentage Rate (APR) will increase or decrease when the 1-month LIBOR index changes. The variable interest rates are calculated by adding a margin ranging from 0.98% to 3.80% for the 5-year term loan, 2.35% to 3.85% for the 7-year term loan, 2.40% to 3.90% for the 10-year term loan, 2.65% to 4.15% for the 15-year term loan, and 2.90% to 4.40% for the 20-year term loan, respectively, to the 1-month LIBOR index published on the 25th day of each month immediately preceding each “Change Date,” as defined above, rounded to two decimal places, with no origination fees. If the 25th day of the month is not a business day or is a US federal holiday, the reference date will be the most recent date preceding the 25th day of the month that is a business day. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 3.48% per year to 6.30% per year for a 5-year term would be from $181.83 to $194.73. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 4.85% per year to 6.35% per year for a 7-year term would be from $140.64 to $147.77. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 4.90% per year to 6.40% per year for a 10-year term would be from $105.58 to $113.04. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.15% per year to 6.65% per year for a 15-year term would be from $79.86 to $87.94. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.40% per year to 6.90% per year for a 20-year term would be from $68.23 to $76.93.

However, if the borrower chooses to make monthly payments automatically by electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a bank account, the variable rate will decrease by 0.25%, and will increase back up to the regular variable interest rate described in the preceding paragraph if the borrower stops making (or we stop accepting) monthly payments automatically by EFT from the designated borrower’s bank account.

4 Important Disclosures for LendKey. LendKey Disclosures

Refinancing via LendKey.com is only available for applicants with qualified private education loans from an eligible institution. Loans that were used for exam preparation classes, including, but not limited to, loans for LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE preparation, are not eligible for refinancing with a lender via LendKey.com. If you currently have any of these exam preparation loans, you should not include them in an application to refinance your student loans on this website. Applicants must be either U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents in an eligible state to qualify for a loan. Certain membership requirements (including the opening of a share account and any applicable association fees in connection with membership) may apply in the event that an applicant wishes to accept a loan offer from a credit union lender. Lenders participating on LendKey.com reserve the right to modify or discontinue the products, terms, and benefits offered on this website at any time without notice. LendKey Technologies, Inc. is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse, any educational institution.

5 Important Disclosures for CommonBond. CommonBond Disclosures

Offered terms are subject to change. Loans are offered by CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS # 1175900). If you are approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your credit profile, your application, the loan term selected and will be within the ranges of rates shown.

All Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed assume borrowers enroll in auto pay and account for the 0.25% reduction in interest rate. All variable rates are based on a 1-month LIBOR assumption of 2.5% effective February 10, 2019.

6 Important Disclosures for Citizens Bank. Citizens Bank Disclosures Education Refinance Loan Rate Disclosure: Variable rate, based on the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) published in The Wall Street Journal on the twenty-fifth day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month. As of March 1, 2019, the one-month LIBOR rate is 2.48%. Variable interest rates range from 2.98%-9.72% (2.98%-9.72% APR) and will fluctuate over the term of the borrower’s loan with changes in the LIBOR rate, and will vary based on applicable terms, level of degree earned and presence of a co-signer. Fixed interest rates range from 3.89%-9.99% (3.89%-9.99% APR) based on applicable terms, level of degree earned and presence of a co-signer. Lowest rates shown are for eligible, creditworthy applicants with a graduate level degree, require a 5-year repayment term and include our Loyalty discount and Automatic Payment discounts of 0.25 percentage points each, as outlined in the Loyalty and Automatic Payment Discount disclosures. The maximum variable rate on the Education Refinance Loan is the greater of 21.00% or Prime Rate plus 9.00%. Subject to additional terms and conditions, and rates are subject to change at any time without notice. Such changes will only apply to applications taken after the effective date of change. Please note: Due to federal regulations, Citizens Bank is required to provide every potential borrower with disclosure information before they apply for a private student loan. The borrower will be presented with an Application Disclosure and an Approval Disclosure within the application process before they accept the terms and conditions of their loan. Federal Loan vs. Private Loan Benefits: Some federal student loans include unique benefits that the borrower may not receive with a private student loan, some of which we do not offer with the Education Refinance Loan. Borrowers should carefully review their current benefits, especially if they work in public service, are in the military, are currently on or considering income based repayment options or are concerned about a steady source of future income and would want to lower their payments at some time in the future. When the borrower refinances, they waive any current and potential future benefits of their federal loans and replace those with the benefits of the Education Refinance Loan. For more information about federal student loan benefits and federal loan consolidation, visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/. We also have several resources available to help the borrower make a decision at http://www.citizensbank.com/EdRefinance, including Should I Refinance My Student Loans? and our FAQs. Should I Refinance My Student Loans? includes a comparison of federal and private student loan benefits that we encourage the borrower to review. Citizens Bank Education Refinance Loan Eligibility: Eligible applicants may not be currently enrolled. Applicants with an Associate’s degree or with no degree must have made at least 12 qualifying payments after leaving school. Qualifying payments are the most recent on time and consecutive payments of principal and interest on the loans being refinanced. Primary borrowers must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or resident alien with a valid U.S. Social Security Number residing in the United States. Resident aliens must apply with a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The co-signer (if applicable) must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a valid U.S. Social Security Number residing in the United States. For applicants who have not attained the age of majority in their state of residence, a co-signer will be required. Citizens Bank reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at anytime. Interest rate ranges subject to change. Education Refinance Loans are subject to credit qualification, completion of a loan application/consumer credit agreement, verification of application information, certification of borrower’s student loan amount(s) and highest degree earned. Loyalty Discount Disclosure: The borrower will be eligible for a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction on their loan if the borrower or their co-signer (if applicable) has a qualifying account in existence with us at the time the borrower and their co-signer (if applicable) have submitted a completed application authorizing us to review their credit request for the loan. The following are qualifying accounts: any checking account, savings account, money market account, certificate of deposit, automobile loan, home equity loan, home equity line of credit, mortgage, credit card account, or other student loans owned by Citizens Bank, N.A. Please note, our checking and savings account options are only available in the following states: CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, and VT and some products may have an associated cost. This discount will be reflected in the interest rate disclosed in the Loan Approval Disclosure that will be provided to the borrower once the loan is approved. Limit of one Loyalty Discount per loan and discount will not be applied to prior loans. The Loyalty Discount will remain in effect for the life of the loan. Automatic Payment Discount Disclosure: Borrowers will be eligible to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction on their student loans owned by Citizens Bank, N.A. during such time as payments are required to be made and our loan servicer is authorized to automatically deduct payments each month from any bank account the borrower designates. Discount is not available when payments are not due, such as during forbearance. If our loan servicer is unable to successfully withdraw the automatic deductions from the designated account three or more times within any 12-month period, the borrower will no longer be eligible for this discount. Co-signer Release: Borrowers may apply for co-signer release after making 36 consecutive on-time payments of principal and interest. For the purpose of the application for co-signer release, on-time payments are defined as payments received within 15 days of the due date. Interest only payments do not qualify. The borrower must meet certain credit and eligibility guidelines when applying for the co-signer release. Borrowers must complete an application for release and provide income verification documents as part of the review. Borrowers who use deferment or forbearance will need to make 36 consecutive on-time payments after reentering repayment to qualify for release. The borrower applying for co-signer release must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If an application for co-signer release is denied, the borrower may not reapply for co-signer release until at least one year from the date the application for co-signer release was received. Terms and conditions apply. Borrowers whose loans were funded prior to reaching the age of majority may not be eligible for co-signer release. Note: co-signer release is not available on the Student Loan for Parents or Education Refinance Loan for Parents. 2.54% – 7.12%3Undergrad & Graduate

Visit SoFi

2.54% – 7.27%1Undergrad & Graduate

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2.67% – 8.96%4Undergrad & Graduate

Visit Lendkey

3.23% – 6.65%2Undergrad & Graduate

Visit Laurel Road

2.54% – 7.43%5Undergrad & Graduate

Visit CommonBond

2.98% – 9.72%6Undergrad & Graduate

Visit Citizens

Our team at Student Loan Hero works hard to find and recommend products and services that we believe are of high quality and will make a positive impact in your life. We sometimes earn a sales commission or advertising fee when recommending various products and services to you. Similar to when you are being sold any product or service, be sure to read the fine print understand what you are buying, and consult a licensed professional if you have any concerns. Student Loan Hero is not a lender or investment advisor. We are not involved in the loan approval or investment process, nor do we make credit or investment related decisions. The rates and terms listed on our website are estimates and are subject to change at any time. Please do your homework and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

The post 5 Inspiring Stories of Executives Who Started at the Bottom appeared first on Student Loan Hero.

from Updates About Loans https://studentloanhero.com/featured/5-inspiring-stories-executives-started-bottom/

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5 Inspiring Stories of Executives Who Started at the Bottom

Trusting in your career path can be challenging, whether you’re in your very first job or stuck at one you haven’t loved for months. That’s when you turn to the inspiration of others. Every one of these executives have started at the bottom, and now hold their title, and the work that comes with it, as a true badge of honor. Use these stories to find the inspiration you need to take the next step in your career, leave a job you hate, or pivot into a position you never thought possible.

The Tech Transformer

20 years later, Brandon Ridenour is CEO of ANGI Homeservices (parent company of HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List and Handy). This pre-law, political science major, achieving just average performance, was immediately jolted into a new world when he saw a video about the future of technology from Andersen Consulting, which would be his future employer.

He changed his major and worked for five hard years—including summers—to learn what he needed to move head first into the world of tech. He soon started his career as a Technology Consultant at Andersen Consulting where he was already transforming tech; as he says, “I was working on internet type ideas before the internet.”

Though only his first professional position, he was already taking a giant step toward his future—even if he didn’t know it yet. Ridenour says, “This job offered me the opportunity to work with Fortune 50 companies on projects of over $1B in size. As my first professional experience, this was such an important learning experience.”

Now, he no longer works as a “technical expert” but believes his experience in the burgeoning tech world helped him reach the level of CEO. “I started my career as a deep technology expert and then branched out to product and strategy, but the technical experience gave me a heads-up over other product peers. It gave me a much deeper understanding of the technology and product side and how it impacts the business side of the house. I wouldn’t be in the position I am today without this experience,” he explains.

What drove him so successfully from one position to the next? The same trait we see in all of these successful executives: passion. He says, “I am only successful when I’m engaged in things that I’m passionate about.”

The Entrepreneurial Salesman

Sales is merely a shadow of what it used to be, and Sam Meenasian, Owner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Operations, USA Business Insurance, start at the very bottom 12 years ago. “I began in a small cubical in another insurance agency where every hour my manager did a drill meeting where we would practice on how to speak to customers to sell products.” Meenasian spent years going door-to-door, putting flyers on cars, all in hopes of getting one call out of hundreds.

In all that time, though, he always knew there was something bigger for him. He says, “I knew from day one that I wanted to own my own business and it didn’t take me much time or thinking to realize once I understood how important insurance is.” This desire to do something bigger fueled him through the months when he walked away with $500 after paying for expenses, like rent and food.

He made his first big move at a time when others may have given up. He was forced to leave his office, due to relocation of the company, and instead of walking away he took that first giant leap: he found a small space for himself that cost no more than $500 each month—willing to give up the little he had left each month to build this business.

With his own space, he still pushed through rough patches, with major personal lines losses that rocked his business. Again, this encouraged him to take another big step: shifting from personal insurance into business, “to balance out my loss ratios.” From there, he continued growing his business to be a successful and honest business insurance agency.

To this day, Meenasian appreciates where he is and the work he does, “There is not a single day I take for granted or work any less harder. I work full hours plus overtime and know all my customer base on an individual level and never try to change my morals and values to grow my business any faster or make more money.”

The Career Changer

Dawn Anderson, founder and CEO of OHi Food Co, found her calling in Maui, Hawaii, late in September 2013. Her story starts far from where she is now, as a Doctor of Chiropractic, running a practice with her husband. Yet, her passion took her somewhere she didn’t even know she could do:

“Realizing how much I love the CPG (consumer packaged goods) world, the opportunity to provide healthy food to our communities, I would have liked to have started earlier in my career and life, but I had no idea this was ever a career option!” Anderson says.

Luckily, that didn’t hold her back. “I started this little food company out of a passion I had for healthy food and having a positive impact on consumers and my community, making bars by hand out of my own Maui kitchen, selling them at local farmers markets”

With so much support and love from the community, she and her husband quickly branched out to selling on the mainland, and before they knew it, they were selling in California. She went from making one hundred bars a day to tens of thousands.

Though she found her career late in life, she looks back on every step with no regrets: “Hey, everything I have done in the past has led me to this amazing opportunity in front of me now. So I wouldn’t change a thing!”

The Farm Boy Turned Executive

The Chief Consumer Security Evangelist for McAfee, Gary Davis, is focused on strategic alignment of products for one of the most well-known antivirus software companies in the world. But he wasn’t always driving change and success at this high level.

“The skill set and experience to do this has taken a lifetime to acquire,” Davis says, who started as a “farm boy,” with a high school graduating class of 37 students. His T.V. had three stations and his home phone was shared between seven households. If this is a journey you can’t possibly imagine, Davis agrees: “If I took myself back to that point, I could never in a million years paint the path to where I am now.”

In fact, those around him couldn’t imagine his path either. Instead, he was encouraged to become a dairy farmer or corrections officer—but neither felt right. He took his own path and joined the U.S. Navy, where he went to night school to pursue this Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

Between then and now, Gary has been learning, from growing into our connected world to developing his skills to assimilate a mass amount of data about the security space into a tool to inform their product strategy. What’s more, he and his team have to “distill the otherwise complex topics into material that educates and informs the consumers and businesses via a variety of channels such as blogs, social media.”

And no, he didn’t get here with just the degrees he earned: “It’s not something taught in any school, but rather a lifetime of experiences that shaped my mindset to do this.”

The Glass Ceiling Shatterer

This female CEO started at the bottom both professionally and personally. Not only has her 24-year career taken her “from the sales floor to the board room,” but Alessandra Lezama, CEO at AbacusNext, was also a minority immigrant in a new country and a single mom striving for a better future for her family. All while making her way through a career in a male-dominated industry. Lezama looks back and sees that her journey “was an odyssey of obstacles and shattered glass ceilings.”

Despite the challenges, she worked herself up the ranks of many of the largest telecom companies in the world, including Comsat International, acquired by Lockheed Martin during her time with the company. Her first executive roles included EVP and COO, after which she proceeded to hold three CEO positions before her current CEO role with AbacusNext.

She owes much of her success to her drive, instilled in her by her father a bullfighter and her ultimate hero. She’s also used a simple mindset shift to take her career on this remarkable journey:

“Over the years I have learned that as essential as fast-paced, dynamic decision making is to running a successful business, it’s equally important to slow down and take time to reflect and realign. Using these reflective moments to seek out and listen to the advice of my peers and mentors has proved invaluable to my career,” Lezama says.

Now, as CEO, she’s taken all of her experience and learnings to make a huge impact, growing her current company from 30 employees to more than 500, with international offices in San Diego, Toronto and Edinburgh.

After all this time, she’s also made another important shift: instead of worrying about proving herself more capable than her peers, she’s focused on helping others succeed. She says, “As the years have gone on and I have achieved the personal goals I set out for myself, my focus has shifted to supporting the people around me and empowering them to grow both personally and professionally.”

Find Inspiration to Build Your Career

We all start somewhere, whether you’re a farm boy or a door-to-door salesman. The journeys of these executives teach you to not only trust your career path, but pursue each step with passion and drive. Move toward what you want and take every step necessary to get there. The end of that journey may just have you sitting in a boardroom, making decisions for everyone else who’s just starting their career.

This article originally appeared on Glassdoor.com and was written by Jessica Thiefels.

Interested in refinancing student loans? Here are the top 6 lenders of 2019!

LenderVariable APREligible Degrees  Check out the testimonials and our in-depth reviews! 1 Important Disclosures for SoFi. SoFi Disclosures Student loan Refinance:

Fixed rates from 3.890% APR to 8.074% APR (with AutoPay). Variable rates from 2.540% APR to 7.115% APR (with AutoPay). Interest rates on variable rate loans are capped at either 8.95% or 9.95% depending on term of loan. See APR examples and terms. Lowest variable rate of 2.540% APR assumes current 1 month LIBOR rate of 2.49% plus 0.04% margin minus 0.25% ACH discount. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. If approved for a loan, the fixed or variable interest rate offered will depend on your creditworthiness, and the term of the loan and other factors, and will be within the ranges of rates listed above. For the SoFi variable rate loan, the 1-month LIBOR index will adjust monthly and the loan payment will be re-amortized and may change monthly. APRs for variable rate loans may increase after origination if the LIBOR index increases. See eligibility details. The SoFi 0.25% AutoPay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. *To check the rates and terms you qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit inquiry. Unlike hard credit inquiries, soft credit inquiries (or soft credit pulls) do not impact your credit score. Soft credit inquiries allow SoFi to show you what rates and terms SoFi can offer you up front. After seeing your rates, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit inquiry. Hard credit inquiries (or hard credit pulls) are required for SoFi to be able to issue you a loan. In addition to requiring your explicit permission, these credit pulls may impact your credit score. SoFi rate ranges are current as of March 20, 2019 and are subject to change without notice.

Terms and Conditions Apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in an eligible state and meet SoFi’s underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. To qualify for the lowest rate, you must have a responsible financial history and meet other conditions. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, a responsible financial history, years of experience, income and other factors. Rates and Terms are subject to change at anytime without notice and are subject to state restrictions. SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Financing Law License No. 6054612. SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp., NMLS # 1121636. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) 2 Important Disclosures for Earnest. Earnest Disclosures

To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen or possess a 10-year (non-conditional) Permanent Resident Card, reside in a state Earnest lends in, and satisfy our minimum eligibility criteria. You may find more information on loan eligibility here: https://www.earnest.com/eligibility. Not all applicants will be approved for a loan, and not all applicants will qualify for the lowest rate. Approval and interest rate depend on the review of a complete application.

Earnest fixed rate loan rates range from 3.89% APR (with Auto Pay) to 7.89% APR (with Auto Pay). Variable rate loan rates range from 2.54% APR (with Auto Pay) to 7.27% APR (with Auto Pay). For variable rate loans, although the interest rate will vary after you are approved, the interest rate will never exceed 8.95% for loan terms 10 years or less. For loan terms of 10 years to 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 9.95%. For loan terms over 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 11.95% (the maximum rates for these loans). Earnest variable interest rate loans are based on a publicly available index, the one month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). Your rate will be calculated each month by adding a margin between 1.82% and 5.50% to the one month LIBOR. The rate will not increase more than once per month. Earnest rate ranges are current as of March 18, 2019, and are subject to change based on market conditions and borrower eligibility.

Auto Pay discount: If you make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic, monthly deduction from a savings or checking account, your rate will be reduced by one quarter of one percent (0.25%) for so long as you continue to make automatic, electronic monthly payments. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment and forbearance.

The information provided on this page is updated as of 0318/2019. Earnest reserves the right to change, pause, or terminate product offerings at any time without notice. Earnest loans are originated by Earnest Operations LLC. California Finance Lender License 6054788. NMLS # 1204917. Earnest Operations LLC is located at 302 2nd Street, Suite 401N, San Francisco, CA 94107. Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest.com/terms-of-service, email us at hello@earnest.com, or call 888-601-2801 for more information on ourstudent loan refinance product.

© 2018 Earnest LLC. All rights reserved. Earnest LLC and its subsidiaries, including Earnest Operations LLC, are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

3 Important Disclosures for Laurel Road. Laurel Road Disclosures

FIXED APR Fixed rate options consist of a range from 3.75% per year to 5.80% per year for a 5-year term, 5.14% per year to 6.25% per year for a 7-year term, 5.24% per year to 6.65% per year for a 10-year term, 5.30% per year to 7.05% per year for a 15-year term, or 5.61% per year to 7.27% per year for a 20-year term, with no origination fees. The fixed interest rate will apply until the loan is paid in full (whether before or after default, and whether before or after the scheduled maturity date of the loan). The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 3.75% per year to 5.80% per year for a 5-year term would be from $183.04 to $192.40. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.14% per year to 6.25% per year for a 7-year term would be from $142.00 to $147.29. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.24% per year to 6.65% per year for a 10-year term would be from $107.24 to $114.31. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.30% per year to 7.05% per year for a 15-year term would be from $80.65 to $90.16. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.61% per year to 7.27% per year for a 20-year term would be from $69.41 to $79.16.

However, if the borrower chooses to make monthly payments automatically by electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a bank account, the fixed rate will decrease by 0.25%, and will increase back up to the regular fixed interest rate described in the preceding paragraph if the borrower stops making (or we stop accepting) monthly payments automatically by EFT from the designated borrower’s bank account.

VARIABLE APR Variable rate options consist of a range from 3.48% per year to 6.30% per year for a 5-year term, 4.85% per year to 6.35% per year for a 7-year term, 4.90% per year to 6.40% per year for a 10-year term, 5.15% per year to 6.65% per year for a 15-year term, or 5.40% per year to 6.90% per year for a 20-year term, with no origination fees. APR is subject to increase after consummation. The variable interest rate will change on the first day of every month (“Change Date”) if the Current Index changes. The variable interest rates are based on a Current Index, which is the 1-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) (currency in US dollars), as published on The Wall Street Journal’s website. The variable interest rates and Annual Percentage Rate (APR) will increase or decrease when the 1-month LIBOR index changes. The variable interest rates are calculated by adding a margin ranging from 0.98% to 3.80% for the 5-year term loan, 2.35% to 3.85% for the 7-year term loan, 2.40% to 3.90% for the 10-year term loan, 2.65% to 4.15% for the 15-year term loan, and 2.90% to 4.40% for the 20-year term loan, respectively, to the 1-month LIBOR index published on the 25th day of each month immediately preceding each “Change Date,” as defined above, rounded to two decimal places, with no origination fees. If the 25th day of the month is not a business day or is a US federal holiday, the reference date will be the most recent date preceding the 25th day of the month that is a business day. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 3.48% per year to 6.30% per year for a 5-year term would be from $181.83 to $194.73. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 4.85% per year to 6.35% per year for a 7-year term would be from $140.64 to $147.77. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 4.90% per year to 6.40% per year for a 10-year term would be from $105.58 to $113.04. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.15% per year to 6.65% per year for a 15-year term would be from $79.86 to $87.94. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.40% per year to 6.90% per year for a 20-year term would be from $68.23 to $76.93.

However, if the borrower chooses to make monthly payments automatically by electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a bank account, the variable rate will decrease by 0.25%, and will increase back up to the regular variable interest rate described in the preceding paragraph if the borrower stops making (or we stop accepting) monthly payments automatically by EFT from the designated borrower’s bank account.

4 Important Disclosures for LendKey. LendKey Disclosures

Refinancing via LendKey.com is only available for applicants with qualified private education loans from an eligible institution. Loans that were used for exam preparation classes, including, but not limited to, loans for LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE preparation, are not eligible for refinancing with a lender via LendKey.com. If you currently have any of these exam preparation loans, you should not include them in an application to refinance your student loans on this website. Applicants must be either U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents in an eligible state to qualify for a loan. Certain membership requirements (including the opening of a share account and any applicable association fees in connection with membership) may apply in the event that an applicant wishes to accept a loan offer from a credit union lender. Lenders participating on LendKey.com reserve the right to modify or discontinue the products, terms, and benefits offered on this website at any time without notice. LendKey Technologies, Inc. is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse, any educational institution.

5 Important Disclosures for CommonBond. CommonBond Disclosures

Offered terms are subject to change. Loans are offered by CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS # 1175900). If you are approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your credit profile, your application, the loan term selected and will be within the ranges of rates shown.

All Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed assume borrowers enroll in auto pay and account for the 0.25% reduction in interest rate. All variable rates are based on a 1-month LIBOR assumption of 2.5% effective February 10, 2019.

6 Important Disclosures for Citizens Bank. Citizens Bank Disclosures Education Refinance Loan Rate Disclosure: Variable rate, based on the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) published in The Wall Street Journal on the twenty-fifth day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month. As of March 1, 2019, the one-month LIBOR rate is 2.48%. Variable interest rates range from 2.98%-9.72% (2.98%-9.72% APR) and will fluctuate over the term of the borrower’s loan with changes in the LIBOR rate, and will vary based on applicable terms, level of degree earned and presence of a co-signer. Fixed interest rates range from 3.89%-9.99% (3.89%-9.99% APR) based on applicable terms, level of degree earned and presence of a co-signer. Lowest rates shown are for eligible, creditworthy applicants with a graduate level degree, require a 5-year repayment term and include our Loyalty discount and Automatic Payment discounts of 0.25 percentage points each, as outlined in the Loyalty and Automatic Payment Discount disclosures. The maximum variable rate on the Education Refinance Loan is the greater of 21.00% or Prime Rate plus 9.00%. Subject to additional terms and conditions, and rates are subject to change at any time without notice. Such changes will only apply to applications taken after the effective date of change. Please note: Due to federal regulations, Citizens Bank is required to provide every potential borrower with disclosure information before they apply for a private student loan. The borrower will be presented with an Application Disclosure and an Approval Disclosure within the application process before they accept the terms and conditions of their loan. Federal Loan vs. Private Loan Benefits: Some federal student loans include unique benefits that the borrower may not receive with a private student loan, some of which we do not offer with the Education Refinance Loan. Borrowers should carefully review their current benefits, especially if they work in public service, are in the military, are currently on or considering income based repayment options or are concerned about a steady source of future income and would want to lower their payments at some time in the future. When the borrower refinances, they waive any current and potential future benefits of their federal loans and replace those with the benefits of the Education Refinance Loan. For more information about federal student loan benefits and federal loan consolidation, visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/. We also have several resources available to help the borrower make a decision at http://www.citizensbank.com/EdRefinance, including Should I Refinance My Student Loans? and our FAQs. Should I Refinance My Student Loans? includes a comparison of federal and private student loan benefits that we encourage the borrower to review. Citizens Bank Education Refinance Loan Eligibility: Eligible applicants may not be currently enrolled. Applicants with an Associate’s degree or with no degree must have made at least 12 qualifying payments after leaving school. Qualifying payments are the most recent on time and consecutive payments of principal and interest on the loans being refinanced. Primary borrowers must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or resident alien with a valid U.S. Social Security Number residing in the United States. Resident aliens must apply with a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The co-signer (if applicable) must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a valid U.S. Social Security Number residing in the United States. For applicants who have not attained the age of majority in their state of residence, a co-signer will be required. Citizens Bank reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at anytime. Interest rate ranges subject to change. Education Refinance Loans are subject to credit qualification, completion of a loan application/consumer credit agreement, verification of application information, certification of borrower’s student loan amount(s) and highest degree earned. Loyalty Discount Disclosure: The borrower will be eligible for a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction on their loan if the borrower or their co-signer (if applicable) has a qualifying account in existence with us at the time the borrower and their co-signer (if applicable) have submitted a completed application authorizing us to review their credit request for the loan. The following are qualifying accounts: any checking account, savings account, money market account, certificate of deposit, automobile loan, home equity loan, home equity line of credit, mortgage, credit card account, or other student loans owned by Citizens Bank, N.A. Please note, our checking and savings account options are only available in the following states: CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, and VT and some products may have an associated cost. This discount will be reflected in the interest rate disclosed in the Loan Approval Disclosure that will be provided to the borrower once the loan is approved. Limit of one Loyalty Discount per loan and discount will not be applied to prior loans. The Loyalty Discount will remain in effect for the life of the loan. Automatic Payment Discount Disclosure: Borrowers will be eligible to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction on their student loans owned by Citizens Bank, N.A. during such time as payments are required to be made and our loan servicer is authorized to automatically deduct payments each month from any bank account the borrower designates. Discount is not available when payments are not due, such as during forbearance. If our loan servicer is unable to successfully withdraw the automatic deductions from the designated account three or more times within any 12-month period, the borrower will no longer be eligible for this discount. Co-signer Release: Borrowers may apply for co-signer release after making 36 consecutive on-time payments of principal and interest. For the purpose of the application for co-signer release, on-time payments are defined as payments received within 15 days of the due date. Interest only payments do not qualify. The borrower must meet certain credit and eligibility guidelines when applying for the co-signer release. Borrowers must complete an application for release and provide income verification documents as part of the review. Borrowers who use deferment or forbearance will need to make 36 consecutive on-time payments after reentering repayment to qualify for release. The borrower applying for co-signer release must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If an application for co-signer release is denied, the borrower may not reapply for co-signer release until at least one year from the date the application for co-signer release was received. Terms and conditions apply. Borrowers whose loans were funded prior to reaching the age of majority may not be eligible for co-signer release. Note: co-signer release is not available on the Student Loan for Parents or Education Refinance Loan for Parents. 2.54% – 7.12%3Undergrad & Graduate

Visit SoFi

2.54% – 7.27%1Undergrad & Graduate

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2.67% – 8.96%4Undergrad & Graduate

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3.23% – 6.65%2Undergrad & Graduate

Visit Laurel Road

2.54% – 7.43%5Undergrad & Graduate

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2.98% – 9.72%6Undergrad & Graduate

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Our team at Student Loan Hero works hard to find and recommend products and services that we believe are of high quality and will make a positive impact in your life. We sometimes earn a sales commission or advertising fee when recommending various products and services to you. Similar to when you are being sold any product or service, be sure to read the fine print understand what you are buying, and consult a licensed professional if you have any concerns. Student Loan Hero is not a lender or investment advisor. We are not involved in the loan approval or investment process, nor do we make credit or investment related decisions. The rates and terms listed on our website are estimates and are subject to change at any time. Please do your homework and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

The post 5 Inspiring Stories of Executives Who Started at the Bottom appeared first on Student Loan Hero.

from Updates About Loans https://studentloanhero.com/featured/5-inspiring-stories-executives-started-bottom/

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5 Inspiring Stories of Executives Who Started at the Bottom

Trusting in your career path can be challenging, whether you’re in your very first job or stuck at one you haven’t loved for months. That’s when you turn to the inspiration of others. Every one of these executives have started at the bottom, and now hold their title, and the work that comes with it, as a true badge of honor. Use these stories to find the inspiration you need to take the next step in your career, leave a job you hate, or pivot into a position you never thought possible.

The Tech Transformer

20 years later, Brandon Ridenour is CEO of ANGI Homeservices (parent company of HomeAdvisor, Angie’s List and Handy). This pre-law, political science major, achieving just average performance, was immediately jolted into a new world when he saw a video about the future of technology from Andersen Consulting, which would be his future employer.

He changed his major and worked for five hard years—including summers—to learn what he needed to move head first into the world of tech. He soon started his career as a Technology Consultant at Andersen Consulting where he was already transforming tech; as he says, “I was working on internet type ideas before the internet.”

Though only his first professional position, he was already taking a giant step toward his future—even if he didn’t know it yet. Ridenour says, “This job offered me the opportunity to work with Fortune 50 companies on projects of over $1B in size. As my first professional experience, this was such an important learning experience.”

Now, he no longer works as a “technical expert” but believes his experience in the burgeoning tech world helped him reach the level of CEO. “I started my career as a deep technology expert and then branched out to product and strategy, but the technical experience gave me a heads-up over other product peers. It gave me a much deeper understanding of the technology and product side and how it impacts the business side of the house. I wouldn’t be in the position I am today without this experience,” he explains.

What drove him so successfully from one position to the next? The same trait we see in all of these successful executives: passion. He says, “I am only successful when I’m engaged in things that I’m passionate about.”

The Entrepreneurial Salesman

Sales is merely a shadow of what it used to be, and Sam Meenasian, Owner and Vice President of Sales and Marketing Operations, USA Business Insurance, start at the very bottom 12 years ago. “I began in a small cubical in another insurance agency where every hour my manager did a drill meeting where we would practice on how to speak to customers to sell products.” Meenasian spent years going door-to-door, putting flyers on cars, all in hopes of getting one call out of hundreds.

In all that time, though, he always knew there was something bigger for him. He says, “I knew from day one that I wanted to own my own business and it didn’t take me much time or thinking to realize once I understood how important insurance is.” This desire to do something bigger fueled him through the months when he walked away with $500 after paying for expenses, like rent and food.

He made his first big move at a time when others may have given up. He was forced to leave his office, due to relocation of the company, and instead of walking away he took that first giant leap: he found a small space for himself that cost no more than $500 each month—willing to give up the little he had left each month to build this business.

With his own space, he still pushed through rough patches, with major personal lines losses that rocked his business. Again, this encouraged him to take another big step: shifting from personal insurance into business, “to balance out my loss ratios.” From there, he continued growing his business to be a successful and honest business insurance agency.

To this day, Meenasian appreciates where he is and the work he does, “There is not a single day I take for granted or work any less harder. I work full hours plus overtime and know all my customer base on an individual level and never try to change my morals and values to grow my business any faster or make more money.”

The Career Changer

Dawn Anderson, founder and CEO of OHi Food Co, found her calling in Maui, Hawaii, late in September 2013. Her story starts far from where she is now, as a Doctor of Chiropractic, running a practice with her husband. Yet, her passion took her somewhere she didn’t even know she could do:

“Realizing how much I love the CPG (consumer packaged goods) world, the opportunity to provide healthy food to our communities, I would have liked to have started earlier in my career and life, but I had no idea this was ever a career option!” Anderson says.

Luckily, that didn’t hold her back. “I started this little food company out of a passion I had for healthy food and having a positive impact on consumers and my community, making bars by hand out of my own Maui kitchen, selling them at local farmers markets”

With so much support and love from the community, she and her husband quickly branched out to selling on the mainland, and before they knew it, they were selling in California. She went from making one hundred bars a day to tens of thousands.

Though she found her career late in life, she looks back on every step with no regrets: “Hey, everything I have done in the past has led me to this amazing opportunity in front of me now. So I wouldn’t change a thing!”

The Farm Boy Turned Executive

The Chief Consumer Security Evangelist for McAfee, Gary Davis, is focused on strategic alignment of products for one of the most well-known antivirus software companies in the world. But he wasn’t always driving change and success at this high level.

“The skill set and experience to do this has taken a lifetime to acquire,” Davis says, who started as a “farm boy,” with a high school graduating class of 37 students. His T.V. had three stations and his home phone was shared between seven households. If this is a journey you can’t possibly imagine, Davis agrees: “If I took myself back to that point, I could never in a million years paint the path to where I am now.”

In fact, those around him couldn’t imagine his path either. Instead, he was encouraged to become a dairy farmer or corrections officer—but neither felt right. He took his own path and joined the U.S. Navy, where he went to night school to pursue this Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees.

Between then and now, Gary has been learning, from growing into our connected world to developing his skills to assimilate a mass amount of data about the security space into a tool to inform their product strategy. What’s more, he and his team have to “distill the otherwise complex topics into material that educates and informs the consumers and businesses via a variety of channels such as blogs, social media.”

And no, he didn’t get here with just the degrees he earned: “It’s not something taught in any school, but rather a lifetime of experiences that shaped my mindset to do this.”

The Glass Ceiling Shatterer

This female CEO started at the bottom both professionally and personally. Not only has her 24-year career taken her “from the sales floor to the board room,” but Alessandra Lezama, CEO at AbacusNext, was also a minority immigrant in a new country and a single mom striving for a better future for her family. All while making her way through a career in a male-dominated industry. Lezama looks back and sees that her journey “was an odyssey of obstacles and shattered glass ceilings.”

Despite the challenges, she worked herself up the ranks of many of the largest telecom companies in the world, including Comsat International, acquired by Lockheed Martin during her time with the company. Her first executive roles included EVP and COO, after which she proceeded to hold three CEO positions before her current CEO role with AbacusNext.

She owes much of her success to her drive, instilled in her by her father a bullfighter and her ultimate hero. She’s also used a simple mindset shift to take her career on this remarkable journey:

“Over the years I have learned that as essential as fast-paced, dynamic decision making is to running a successful business, it’s equally important to slow down and take time to reflect and realign. Using these reflective moments to seek out and listen to the advice of my peers and mentors has proved invaluable to my career,” Lezama says.

Now, as CEO, she’s taken all of her experience and learnings to make a huge impact, growing her current company from 30 employees to more than 500, with international offices in San Diego, Toronto and Edinburgh.

After all this time, she’s also made another important shift: instead of worrying about proving herself more capable than her peers, she’s focused on helping others succeed. She says, “As the years have gone on and I have achieved the personal goals I set out for myself, my focus has shifted to supporting the people around me and empowering them to grow both personally and professionally.”

Find Inspiration to Build Your Career

We all start somewhere, whether you’re a farm boy or a door-to-door salesman. The journeys of these executives teach you to not only trust your career path, but pursue each step with passion and drive. Move toward what you want and take every step necessary to get there. The end of that journey may just have you sitting in a boardroom, making decisions for everyone else who’s just starting their career.

This article originally appeared on Glassdoor.com and was written by Jessica Thiefels.

Interested in refinancing student loans? Here are the top 6 lenders of 2019!

LenderVariable APREligible Degrees  Check out the testimonials and our in-depth reviews! 1 Important Disclosures for SoFi. SoFi Disclosures Student loan Refinance:

Fixed rates from 3.890% APR to 8.074% APR (with AutoPay). Variable rates from 2.540% APR to 7.115% APR (with AutoPay). Interest rates on variable rate loans are capped at either 8.95% or 9.95% depending on term of loan. See APR examples and terms. Lowest variable rate of 2.540% APR assumes current 1 month LIBOR rate of 2.49% plus 0.04% margin minus 0.25% ACH discount. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. If approved for a loan, the fixed or variable interest rate offered will depend on your creditworthiness, and the term of the loan and other factors, and will be within the ranges of rates listed above. For the SoFi variable rate loan, the 1-month LIBOR index will adjust monthly and the loan payment will be re-amortized and may change monthly. APRs for variable rate loans may increase after origination if the LIBOR index increases. See eligibility details. The SoFi 0.25% AutoPay interest rate reduction requires you to agree to make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic monthly deduction from a savings or checking account. The benefit will discontinue and be lost for periods in which you do not pay by automatic deduction from a savings or checking account. *To check the rates and terms you qualify for, SoFi conducts a soft credit inquiry. Unlike hard credit inquiries, soft credit inquiries (or soft credit pulls) do not impact your credit score. Soft credit inquiries allow SoFi to show you what rates and terms SoFi can offer you up front. After seeing your rates, if you choose a product and continue your application, we will request your full credit report from one or more consumer reporting agencies, which is considered a hard credit inquiry. Hard credit inquiries (or hard credit pulls) are required for SoFi to be able to issue you a loan. In addition to requiring your explicit permission, these credit pulls may impact your credit score. SoFi rate ranges are current as of March 20, 2019 and are subject to change without notice.

Terms and Conditions Apply. SOFI RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. To qualify, a borrower must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident in an eligible state and meet SoFi’s underwriting requirements. Not all borrowers receive the lowest rate. To qualify for the lowest rate, you must have a responsible financial history and meet other conditions. If approved, your actual rate will be within the range of rates listed above and will depend on a variety of factors, including term of loan, a responsible financial history, years of experience, income and other factors. Rates and Terms are subject to change at anytime without notice and are subject to state restrictions. SoFi refinance loans are private loans and do not have the same repayment options that the federal loan program offers such as Income Based Repayment or Income Contingent Repayment or PAYE. Licensed by the Department of Business Oversight under the California Financing Law License No. 6054612. SoFi loans are originated by SoFi Lending Corp., NMLS # 1121636. (www.nmlsconsumeraccess.org) 2 Important Disclosures for Earnest. Earnest Disclosures

To qualify, you must be a U.S. citizen or possess a 10-year (non-conditional) Permanent Resident Card, reside in a state Earnest lends in, and satisfy our minimum eligibility criteria. You may find more information on loan eligibility here: https://www.earnest.com/eligibility. Not all applicants will be approved for a loan, and not all applicants will qualify for the lowest rate. Approval and interest rate depend on the review of a complete application.

Earnest fixed rate loan rates range from 3.89% APR (with Auto Pay) to 7.89% APR (with Auto Pay). Variable rate loan rates range from 2.54% APR (with Auto Pay) to 7.27% APR (with Auto Pay). For variable rate loans, although the interest rate will vary after you are approved, the interest rate will never exceed 8.95% for loan terms 10 years or less. For loan terms of 10 years to 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 9.95%. For loan terms over 15 years, the interest rate will never exceed 11.95% (the maximum rates for these loans). Earnest variable interest rate loans are based on a publicly available index, the one month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). Your rate will be calculated each month by adding a margin between 1.82% and 5.50% to the one month LIBOR. The rate will not increase more than once per month. Earnest rate ranges are current as of March 18, 2019, and are subject to change based on market conditions and borrower eligibility.

Auto Pay discount: If you make monthly principal and interest payments by an automatic, monthly deduction from a savings or checking account, your rate will be reduced by one quarter of one percent (0.25%) for so long as you continue to make automatic, electronic monthly payments. This benefit is suspended during periods of deferment and forbearance.

The information provided on this page is updated as of 0318/2019. Earnest reserves the right to change, pause, or terminate product offerings at any time without notice. Earnest loans are originated by Earnest Operations LLC. California Finance Lender License 6054788. NMLS # 1204917. Earnest Operations LLC is located at 302 2nd Street, Suite 401N, San Francisco, CA 94107. Terms and Conditions apply. Visit https://www.earnest.com/terms-of-service, email us at hello@earnest.com, or call 888-601-2801 for more information on ourstudent loan refinance product.

© 2018 Earnest LLC. All rights reserved. Earnest LLC and its subsidiaries, including Earnest Operations LLC, are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

3 Important Disclosures for Laurel Road. Laurel Road Disclosures

FIXED APR Fixed rate options consist of a range from 3.75% per year to 5.80% per year for a 5-year term, 5.14% per year to 6.25% per year for a 7-year term, 5.24% per year to 6.65% per year for a 10-year term, 5.30% per year to 7.05% per year for a 15-year term, or 5.61% per year to 7.27% per year for a 20-year term, with no origination fees. The fixed interest rate will apply until the loan is paid in full (whether before or after default, and whether before or after the scheduled maturity date of the loan). The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 3.75% per year to 5.80% per year for a 5-year term would be from $183.04 to $192.40. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.14% per year to 6.25% per year for a 7-year term would be from $142.00 to $147.29. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.24% per year to 6.65% per year for a 10-year term would be from $107.24 to $114.31. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.30% per year to 7.05% per year for a 15-year term would be from $80.65 to $90.16. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.61% per year to 7.27% per year for a 20-year term would be from $69.41 to $79.16.

However, if the borrower chooses to make monthly payments automatically by electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a bank account, the fixed rate will decrease by 0.25%, and will increase back up to the regular fixed interest rate described in the preceding paragraph if the borrower stops making (or we stop accepting) monthly payments automatically by EFT from the designated borrower’s bank account.

VARIABLE APR Variable rate options consist of a range from 3.48% per year to 6.30% per year for a 5-year term, 4.85% per year to 6.35% per year for a 7-year term, 4.90% per year to 6.40% per year for a 10-year term, 5.15% per year to 6.65% per year for a 15-year term, or 5.40% per year to 6.90% per year for a 20-year term, with no origination fees. APR is subject to increase after consummation. The variable interest rate will change on the first day of every month (“Change Date”) if the Current Index changes. The variable interest rates are based on a Current Index, which is the 1-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) (currency in US dollars), as published on The Wall Street Journal’s website. The variable interest rates and Annual Percentage Rate (APR) will increase or decrease when the 1-month LIBOR index changes. The variable interest rates are calculated by adding a margin ranging from 0.98% to 3.80% for the 5-year term loan, 2.35% to 3.85% for the 7-year term loan, 2.40% to 3.90% for the 10-year term loan, 2.65% to 4.15% for the 15-year term loan, and 2.90% to 4.40% for the 20-year term loan, respectively, to the 1-month LIBOR index published on the 25th day of each month immediately preceding each “Change Date,” as defined above, rounded to two decimal places, with no origination fees. If the 25th day of the month is not a business day or is a US federal holiday, the reference date will be the most recent date preceding the 25th day of the month that is a business day. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 3.48% per year to 6.30% per year for a 5-year term would be from $181.83 to $194.73. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 4.85% per year to 6.35% per year for a 7-year term would be from $140.64 to $147.77. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 4.90% per year to 6.40% per year for a 10-year term would be from $105.58 to $113.04. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.15% per year to 6.65% per year for a 15-year term would be from $79.86 to $87.94. The monthly payment for a sample $10,000 loan at a range of 5.40% per year to 6.90% per year for a 20-year term would be from $68.23 to $76.93.

However, if the borrower chooses to make monthly payments automatically by electronic funds transfer (EFT) from a bank account, the variable rate will decrease by 0.25%, and will increase back up to the regular variable interest rate described in the preceding paragraph if the borrower stops making (or we stop accepting) monthly payments automatically by EFT from the designated borrower’s bank account.

4 Important Disclosures for LendKey. LendKey Disclosures

Refinancing via LendKey.com is only available for applicants with qualified private education loans from an eligible institution. Loans that were used for exam preparation classes, including, but not limited to, loans for LSAT, MCAT, GMAT, and GRE preparation, are not eligible for refinancing with a lender via LendKey.com. If you currently have any of these exam preparation loans, you should not include them in an application to refinance your student loans on this website. Applicants must be either U.S. citizens or Permanent Residents in an eligible state to qualify for a loan. Certain membership requirements (including the opening of a share account and any applicable association fees in connection with membership) may apply in the event that an applicant wishes to accept a loan offer from a credit union lender. Lenders participating on LendKey.com reserve the right to modify or discontinue the products, terms, and benefits offered on this website at any time without notice. LendKey Technologies, Inc. is not affiliated with, nor does it endorse, any educational institution.

5 Important Disclosures for CommonBond. CommonBond Disclosures

Offered terms are subject to change. Loans are offered by CommonBond Lending, LLC (NMLS # 1175900). If you are approved for a loan, the interest rate offered will depend on your credit profile, your application, the loan term selected and will be within the ranges of rates shown.

All Annual Percentage Rates (APRs) displayed assume borrowers enroll in auto pay and account for the 0.25% reduction in interest rate. All variable rates are based on a 1-month LIBOR assumption of 2.5% effective February 10, 2019.

6 Important Disclosures for Citizens Bank. Citizens Bank Disclosures Education Refinance Loan Rate Disclosure: Variable rate, based on the one-month London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) published in The Wall Street Journal on the twenty-fifth day, or the next business day, of the preceding calendar month. As of March 1, 2019, the one-month LIBOR rate is 2.48%. Variable interest rates range from 2.98%-9.72% (2.98%-9.72% APR) and will fluctuate over the term of the borrower’s loan with changes in the LIBOR rate, and will vary based on applicable terms, level of degree earned and presence of a co-signer. Fixed interest rates range from 3.89%-9.99% (3.89%-9.99% APR) based on applicable terms, level of degree earned and presence of a co-signer. Lowest rates shown are for eligible, creditworthy applicants with a graduate level degree, require a 5-year repayment term and include our Loyalty discount and Automatic Payment discounts of 0.25 percentage points each, as outlined in the Loyalty and Automatic Payment Discount disclosures. The maximum variable rate on the Education Refinance Loan is the greater of 21.00% or Prime Rate plus 9.00%. Subject to additional terms and conditions, and rates are subject to change at any time without notice. Such changes will only apply to applications taken after the effective date of change. Please note: Due to federal regulations, Citizens Bank is required to provide every potential borrower with disclosure information before they apply for a private student loan. The borrower will be presented with an Application Disclosure and an Approval Disclosure within the application process before they accept the terms and conditions of their loan. Federal Loan vs. Private Loan Benefits: Some federal student loans include unique benefits that the borrower may not receive with a private student loan, some of which we do not offer with the Education Refinance Loan. Borrowers should carefully review their current benefits, especially if they work in public service, are in the military, are currently on or considering income based repayment options or are concerned about a steady source of future income and would want to lower their payments at some time in the future. When the borrower refinances, they waive any current and potential future benefits of their federal loans and replace those with the benefits of the Education Refinance Loan. For more information about federal student loan benefits and federal loan consolidation, visit http://studentaid.ed.gov/. We also have several resources available to help the borrower make a decision at http://www.citizensbank.com/EdRefinance, including Should I Refinance My Student Loans? and our FAQs. Should I Refinance My Student Loans? includes a comparison of federal and private student loan benefits that we encourage the borrower to review. Citizens Bank Education Refinance Loan Eligibility: Eligible applicants may not be currently enrolled. Applicants with an Associate’s degree or with no degree must have made at least 12 qualifying payments after leaving school. Qualifying payments are the most recent on time and consecutive payments of principal and interest on the loans being refinanced. Primary borrowers must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident or resident alien with a valid U.S. Social Security Number residing in the United States. Resident aliens must apply with a co-signer who is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The co-signer (if applicable) must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident with a valid U.S. Social Security Number residing in the United States. For applicants who have not attained the age of majority in their state of residence, a co-signer will be required. Citizens Bank reserves the right to modify eligibility criteria at anytime. Interest rate ranges subject to change. Education Refinance Loans are subject to credit qualification, completion of a loan application/consumer credit agreement, verification of application information, certification of borrower’s student loan amount(s) and highest degree earned. Loyalty Discount Disclosure: The borrower will be eligible for a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction on their loan if the borrower or their co-signer (if applicable) has a qualifying account in existence with us at the time the borrower and their co-signer (if applicable) have submitted a completed application authorizing us to review their credit request for the loan. The following are qualifying accounts: any checking account, savings account, money market account, certificate of deposit, automobile loan, home equity loan, home equity line of credit, mortgage, credit card account, or other student loans owned by Citizens Bank, N.A. Please note, our checking and savings account options are only available in the following states: CT, DE, MA, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, and VT and some products may have an associated cost. This discount will be reflected in the interest rate disclosed in the Loan Approval Disclosure that will be provided to the borrower once the loan is approved. Limit of one Loyalty Discount per loan and discount will not be applied to prior loans. The Loyalty Discount will remain in effect for the life of the loan. Automatic Payment Discount Disclosure: Borrowers will be eligible to receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate reduction on their student loans owned by Citizens Bank, N.A. during such time as payments are required to be made and our loan servicer is authorized to automatically deduct payments each month from any bank account the borrower designates. Discount is not available when payments are not due, such as during forbearance. If our loan servicer is unable to successfully withdraw the automatic deductions from the designated account three or more times within any 12-month period, the borrower will no longer be eligible for this discount. Co-signer Release: Borrowers may apply for co-signer release after making 36 consecutive on-time payments of principal and interest. For the purpose of the application for co-signer release, on-time payments are defined as payments received within 15 days of the due date. Interest only payments do not qualify. The borrower must meet certain credit and eligibility guidelines when applying for the co-signer release. Borrowers must complete an application for release and provide income verification documents as part of the review. Borrowers who use deferment or forbearance will need to make 36 consecutive on-time payments after reentering repayment to qualify for release. The borrower applying for co-signer release must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. If an application for co-signer release is denied, the borrower may not reapply for co-signer release until at least one year from the date the application for co-signer release was received. Terms and conditions apply. Borrowers whose loans were funded prior to reaching the age of majority may not be eligible for co-signer release. Note: co-signer release is not available on the Student Loan for Parents or Education Refinance Loan for Parents. 2.54% – 7.12%3Undergrad & Graduate

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[how2to18]

WE FACE a crisis of computing. The very devices that were supposed to augment our minds now harvest them for profit. How did we get here?

Most of us only know the oft-told mythology featuring industrious nerds who sparked a revolution in the garages of California. The heroes of the epic: Jobs, Gates, Musk, and the rest of the cast. Earlier this year, Mark Zuckerberg, hawker of neo-Esperantist bromides about “connectivity as panacea” and leader of one of the largest media distribution channels on the planet, excused himself by recounting to senators an “aw shucks” tale of building Facebook in his dorm room. Silicon Valley myths aren’t just used to rationalize bad behavior. These business school tales end up restricting how we imagine our future, limiting it to the caprices of eccentric billionaires and market forces.

What we need instead of myths are engaging, popular histories of computing and the internet, lest we remain blind to the long view.

At first blush Yasha Levine’s Surveillance Valley: The Secret Military History of the Internet (2018) seems to fit the bill. A former editor of The eXile, a Moscow-based tabloid newspaper, and investigative reporter for PandoDaily, Levine has made a career out of writing about the dark side of tech. In this book, he traces the intellectual and institutional origins of the internet. He then focuses on the privatization of the network, the creation of Google, and revelations of NSA surveillance. And, in the final part of his book, he turns his attention to Tor and the crypto community.

He remains unremittingly dark, however, claiming that these technologies were developed from the beginning with surveillance in mind, and that their origins are tangled up with counterinsurgency research in the Third World. This leads him to a damning conclusion: “The Internet was developed as a weapon and remains a weapon today.”

To be sure, these constitute provocative theses, ones that attempt to confront not only the standard Silicon Valley story, but also established lore among the small group of scholars who study the history of computing. He falls short, however, of backing up his claims with sufficient evidence. Indeed, he flirts with creating a mythology of his own — one that I believe risks marginalizing the most relevant lessons from the history of computing.

¤

The scholarly history is not widely known and worth relaying here in brief. The internet and what today we consider personal computing came out of a unique, government-funded research community that took off in the early 1960s. Keep in mind that, in the preceding decade, “computers” were radically different from what we know today. Hulking machines, they existed to crunch numbers for scientists, researchers, and civil servants. “Programs” consisted of punched cards fed into room-sized devices that would process them one at a time. Computer time was tedious and riddled with frustration. A researcher working with census data might have to queue up behind dozens of other users, book time to run her cards through, and would only know about a mistake when the whole process was over.

Users, along with IBM, remained steadfast in believing that these so-called “batch processing” systems were really what computers were for. Any progress, they believed, would entail building bigger, faster, better versions of the same thing.

But that’s obviously not what we have today. From a small research community emerged an entirely different set of goals, loosely described as “interactive computing.” As the term suggests, using computers would no longer be restricted to a static one-way process but would be dynamically interactive. According to the standard histories, the man most responsible for defining these new goals was J. C. R. Licklider. A psychologist specializing in psychoacoustics, he had worked on early computing research, becoming a vocal proponent for interactive computing. His 1960 essay “Man-Computer Symbiosis” outlined how computers might even go so far as to augment the human mind.

It just so happened that funding was available. Three years earlier in 1957, the Soviet launch of Sputnik had sent the US military into a panic. Partially in response, the Department of Defense (DoD) created a new agency for basic and applied technological research called the Advanced Research Projects Administration (ARPA, today known as DARPA). The agency threw large sums of money at all sorts of possible — and dubious — research avenues, from psychological operations to weather control. Licklider was appointed to head the Command and Control and Behavioral Sciences divisions, presumably because of his background in both psychology and computing.

At ARPA, he enjoyed relative freedom in addition to plenty of cash, which enabled him to fund projects in computing whose military relevance was decidedly tenuous. He established a nationwide, multi-generational network of researchers who shared his vision. As a result, almost every significant advance in the field from the 1960s through the early 1970s was, in some form or another, funded or influenced by the community he helped establish.

Its members realized that the big computers scattered around university campuses needed to communicate with one another, much as Licklider had discussed in his 1960 paper. In 1967, one of his successors at ARPA, Robert Taylor, formally funded the development of a research network called the ARPANET. At first the network spanned only a handful of universities across the country. By the early 1980s, it had grown to include hundreds of nodes. Finally, through a rather convoluted trajectory involving international organizations, standards committees, national politics, and technological adoption, the ARPANET evolved in the early 1990s into the internet as we know it.

Levine believes that he has unearthed several new pieces of evidence that undercut parts of this early history, leading him to conclude that the internet has been a surveillance platform from its inception.

¤

The first piece of evidence he cites comes by way of ARPA’s Project Agile. A counterinsurgency research effort in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War, it was notorious for its defoliation program that developed chemicals like Agent Orange. It also involved social science research and data collection under the guidance of an intelligence operative named William Godel, head of ARPA’s classified efforts under the Office of Foreign Developments. On more than one occasion, Levine asserts or at least suggests that Licklider and Godel’s efforts were somehow insidiously intertwined, and that Licklider’s computing research in his division of ARPA had something to do with Project Agile. Despite arguing that this is clear from “pages and pages of released and declassified government files,” Levine cites only one such document as supporting evidence for this claim. It shows how Godel, who at one point had surplus funds, transferred money from his group to Licklider’s department when the latter was over budget.

This doesn’t pass the sniff test. Given the freewheeling nature of ARPA’s funding and management in the early days, such a transfer should come as no surprise. On its own, it doesn’t suggest a direct link in terms of research efforts. Years later, Taylor asked his boss at ARPA to fund the ARPANET — and, after a 20-minute conversation, he received $1 million in funds transferred from ballistic missile research. No one would seriously suggest that ARPANET and ballistic missile research were somehow closely “intertwined” because of this.

Sharon Weinberger’s recent history of ARPA, The Imagineers of War: The Untold Story of DARPA, The Pentagon Agency that Changed the World (2017), which Levine cites, makes clear what is already known from the established history. “Newcomers like Licklider were essentially making up the rules as they went along,” and were “given broad berth to establish research programs that might be tied only tangentially to a larger Pentagon goal.” Licklider took nearly every chance he could to transform his ostensible behavioral science group into an interactive computing research group. Most people in wider ARPA, let alone the DoD, had no idea what Licklider’s researchers were up to. His Command and Control division was even renamed the more descriptive Information Processing Techniques Office (IPTO).

Licklider was certainly involved in several aspects of counterinsurgency research. Annie Jacobsen, in her book The Pentagon’s Brain: An Uncensored History of DARPA, America’s Top-Secret Military Research Agency (2015), describes how he attended meetings discussing strategic hamlets in Southeast Asia and collaborated on proposals with others who conducted Cold War social science research. And Levine mentions Licklider’s involvement with a symposium that addressed how computers might be useful in conducting counterinsurgency work.

But Levine only points to one specific ARPA-funded computing research project that might have had something to do with counterinsurgency. In 1969, Licklider — no longer at ARPA — championed a proposal for a constellation of research efforts to develop statistical analysis and database software for social scientists. The Cambridge Project, as it was called, was a joint effort between Harvard and MIT. Formed at the height of the antiwar movement, when all DoD funding was viewed as suspicious, it was greeted with outrage by student demonstrators. As Levine mentions, students on campuses across the country viewed computers as large, bureaucratic, war-making machines that supported the military industrial complex.

Levine makes a big deal of the Cambridge Project, but is there really a concrete connection between surveillance, counterinsurgency, computer networking, and this research effort? If there is, he doesn’t present it in the book. Instead he relies heavily on an article in the Harvard Crimson by a student activist. He doesn’t even directly quote from the project proposal itself, which should contain at least one or two damning lines. Instead he lists types of “data banks” the project would build, including ones on youth movements, minority integration in multicultural societies, and public opinion polls, among others. The project ran for five years but Levine never tells us what it was actually used for.

It’s worth pointing out that the DoD was the only organization that was funding computing research in a manner that could lead to real breakthroughs. Licklider and others needed to present military justification for their work, no matter how thin. In addition, as the 1960s came to a close, Congress was tightening its purse strings, which was another reason to trump up their relevance. It’s odd that an investigative reporter like Levine, ever suspicious of the standard line, should take the claims of these proposals at face value.

I spoke with John Klensin, a member of the Cambridge Project steering committee who was involved from the beginning. He has no memory of such data banks. “There was never any central archive or effort to build one,” he told me. He worked closely with Licklider and other key members of the project, and he distinctly recalls the tense atmosphere on campuses at the time, even down to the smell of tear gas. Oddly enough, he says some people worked for him by day and protested the project by night, believing that others elsewhere must be doing unethical work. According to Klensin, the Cambridge Project conducted “zero classified research.” It produced general purpose software and published its reports publicly. Some of them are available online, but Levine doesn’t cite them at all. An ARPA commissioned study of its own funding history even concluded that, while the project had been a “technical success” whose systems were “applicable to a wide variety of disciplines,” behavioral scientists hadn’t benefited much from it. Until Levine or someone else can produce documents demonstrating that the project was designed for, or even used in, counterinsurgency or surveillance efforts, we’ll have to take Klensin at his word.

As for the ARPANET, Levine only provides one source of evidence for his claim that, from its earliest days, the experimental computer network was involved in some kind of surveillance activity. He has dug up an NBC News report from the 1970s that describes how intelligence gathered in previous years (as part of an effort to create dossiers of domestic protestors) had been transferred across a new network of computer systems within the Department of Defense.

This report was read into the Congressional record during joint hearings on Surveillance Technology in 1975. But what’s clear from the subsequent testimony of Assistant Deputy Secretary of Defense David Cooke, the NBC reporter had likely confused several computer systems and networks across various government agencies. The story’s lone named source claims to have seen the data structure used for the files when they arrived at MIT. It is indeed an interesting account, but it remains unclear what was transferred, across which system, and what he saw. This incident hardly shows “how military and intelligence agencies used the network technology to spy on Americans in the first version of the Internet,” as Levine claims.

The ARPANET was not a classified system — anyone with an appropriately funded research project could use it. “ARPANET was a general purpose communication network. It is a distortion to conflate this communication system’s development with the various projects that made use of its facilities,” Vint Cerf, creator of the internet protocol, told me. Cerf concedes, however, that a “secured capability” was created early on, “presumably used to communicate classified information across the network.” That should not be surprising, as the government ran the project. But Levine’s evidence merely shows that surveillance information gathered elsewhere might have been transferred across the network. Does that count as having surveillance “baked in,” as he says, to the early internet?

Levine’s early history suffers most from viewing ARPA or even the military as a single monolithic entity. In the absence of hard evidence, he employs a jackhammer of willful insinuations as described above, pounding toward a questionable conclusion. Others have noted this tendency. He disingenuously writes that, four years ago, a review of Julian Assange’s book in this very publication accused him of being funded by the CIA, when in fact its author had merely suggested that Levine was prone to conspiracy theories. It’s a shame, because today’s internet is undoubtedly a surveillance platform, both for governments and the companies whose cash crop is our collective mind. To suggest this was always the case means ignoring the effects of the hysterical national response to 9/11, which granted unprecedented funding and power to private intelligence contractors. Such dependence on private companies was itself part of a broader free market turn in national politics from the 1970s onward, which tightened funds for basic research in computing and other technical fields — and cemented the idea that private companies, rather than government-funded research, would take charge of inventing the future. Today’s comparatively incremental technical progress is the result. In The Utopia of Rules (2015), anthropologist David Graeber describes this phenomenon as a turn away from investment in technologies promoting “the possibility of alternative futures” to investment in those that “furthered labor discipline and social control.” As a result, instead of mind-enhancing devices that might have the same sort of effect as, say, mass literacy, we have a precarious gig economy and a convenience-addled relationship with reality.

Levine recognizes a tinge of this in his account of the rise of Google, the first large tech company to build a business model for profiting from user data. “Something in technology pushed other companies in the same direction. It happened just about everywhere,” he writes, though he doesn’t say what the “something” is. But the lesson to remember from history is that companies on their own are incapable of big inventions like personal computing or the internet. The quarterly pressure for earnings and “innovations” leads them toward unimaginative profit-driven developments, some of them harmful.

This is why Levine’s unsupported suspicion of government-funded computing research, regardless of the context, is counterproductive. The lessons of ARPA prove inconvenient for mythologizing Silicon Valley. They show a simple truth: in order to achieve serious invention and progress — in computers or any other advanced technology — you have to pay intelligent people to screw around with minimal interference, accept that most ideas won’t pan out, and extend this play period to longer stretches of time than the pressures of corporate finance allow. As science historian Mitchell Waldrop once wrote, the polio vaccine might never have existed otherwise; it was “discovered only after years of failure, frustration, and blind alleys, none of which could have been justified by cost/benefit analysis.” Left to corporate interests, the world would instead “have gotten the best iron lungs you ever saw.”

Computing for the benefit of the public is a more important concept now than ever. In fact, Levine agrees, writing, “The more we understand and democratize the Internet, the more we can deploy its power in the service of democratic and humanistic values.” Power in the computing world is wildly unbalanced — each of us mediated by and dependent on, indeed addicted to, invasive systems whose functionality we barely understand. Silicon Valley only exacerbates this imbalance, in the same manner that oil companies exacerbate climate change or financialization of the economy exacerbates inequality. Today’s technology is flashy, sexy, and downright irresistible. But, while we need a cure for the ills of late-stage capitalism, our gadgets are merely “the best iron lungs you ever saw.”

¤

Eric Gade is a freelance writer and programmer, previously the project manager of the Declassification Engine project of Columbia University’s History Lab. He is also a contributor to the Encyclopedia of American Recessions and Depressions.

The post The Long View: Surveillance, the Internet, and Government Research appeared first on Los Angeles Review of Books.

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[benrleeusa]

[Eugene Volokh] Lindsay Lohan, Grand Theft Auto V, the First Amendment, and the Right of Publicity

[Lindsay Lohan attends DailyMail.com & DailyMailTV Holiday Party with Flo Rida on December 6, 2017 at The Magic Hour in New York City. (Photo by Steven Ferdman/SIPA USA)]

The popular Grand Theft Auto V computer game has two characters allegedly based on Lindsay Lohan and on Karen Gravano (Mob Wives). Lohan and Gravano sued the game company (Take Two Interactive Software), claiming that this violated what is generally called their "right of publicity" (but "right of privacy" in New York). That right is often labeled the exclusive right to control the use of one's name, likeness, and other attributes of identity for commercial purposes -- but that shorthand can't be entirely accurate, since that would ban a wide range of First-Amendment-protected speech, such as unauthorized biographies and even newspaper articles about people (since movie, books, and newspapers are generally commercial ventures).

The New York intermediate appellate court rejected the claim, based on New York precedents that have narrowly read the relevant New York statute; the New York high court then agreed to consider the matter for itself. Shortly before Christmas, my Scott & Cyan Banister First Amendment Clinic students -- Alexandra Gianelli and Tracy Yao -- and I, with the indispensable and generous help of our local counsel, Daniel Schmutter (Hartman & Winnicki LLP), filed an amicus brief supporting the narrow view of the right of publicity, and a broad view of free speech protections. (The brief was on behalf of fourteen law professors who are knowledgeable on First Amendment law and intellectual property law, Profs. Eric M. Freedman, Brian L. Frye, Jon M. Garon, Jim Gibson, Eric Goldman, Stacey Lantagne, Mark A. Lemley, Raizel Liebler, Barry McDonald, Tyler Ochoa, Aaron Perzanowski, Betsy Rosenblatt, Rebecca Tushnet, and David Welkowitz.) Here's a quick summary of the case, from the intermediate appellate court decision:

[E]ach plaintiff alleges that defendants violated her right to privacy under New York Civil Rights Law § 51 by misappropriating her likeness for use in the video game "Grand Theft Auto V." This video game takes place in the fictional city "Los Santos," which itself is in a fictional American state of "San Andreas." Players control one of several main characters at various points in the game, engaging in approximately 80 main story missions as well as many optional random events. Plaintiffs allege that during certain optional random events, the player encounters characters that are depictions of plaintiffs.

Gravano alleges that in one of the optional random events in the video game, the character Andrea Bottino is introduced, and that her image, portrait, voice, and likeness are incorporated in this character. Specifically, Gravano argues that the character uses the same phrases she uses; that the character's father mirrors Gravano's own father; that the character's story about moving out west to safe houses mirrors Gravano's fear of being ripped out of her former life and being sent to Nebraska; that the character's story about dealing with the character's father cooperating with the state government is the same as Gravano dealing with the repercussions of her father's cooperation; and that the character's father not letting the character do a reality show is the same as Gravano's father publicly decrying her doing a reality show.

Lohan alleges that defendants used a look-alike model to evoke Lohan's persona and image. Further, Lohan argues that defendants purposefully used Lohan's bikini, shoulder-length blonde hair, jewelry, cell phone, and "signature `peace sign' pose" in one image, and used Lohan's likeness in another image by appropriating facial features, body type, physical appearance, hair, hat, sunglasses, jean shorts, and loose white top. Finally, Lohan argues that defendants used her portraits and voice impersonation in a character that is introduced to the player in a "side mission."

Here is the Summary of Argument from our brief, though you can read the entire brief here:

Using characters based on real people in works of fiction is a longstanding practice protected by the First Amendment. Creators often try to make their works true to life, and a large component of that life is celebrities. That has been done in a vast range of works, such as Brave New World, Forrest Gump, Midnight in Paris, and Seinfeld. The creators of video games, which are as protected by the First Amendment as are books and films, must have the same right.

When the state legislature enacted § 51 of the New York Civil Rights Law, it did not intend to restrict this commonly used artistic technique. Section 51 of the New York Civil Rights Law provides a limited right of privacy that prohibits the nonconsensual use of a person's voice, picture, name, or portrait for "advertising" or "trade" purposes. And New York courts have generally narrowly construed the statute as applying only to commercial advertising, to avoid conflicts with the First Amend­ment.

Because videogames are constitutionally protected creative works, like books and movies, the right of privacy statute does not apply to them, or to advertisements for them. Thus, Gravano's and Lohan's claims that Take-Two impermissibly used their likeness in Grand Theft Auto V, or in material promoting Grand Theft Auto V, must fail. (We accept for purposes of our argument the plaintiffs' assertion that the characters were indeed deliberately based on Lohan and Gravano -- though they appeared under other names -- and that viewers would recognize them as such. Of course, if that assertion is incorrect, that is even more reason to reject liability in this case.)

And this historical limitation on the right of privacy has helped New York avoid the problems faced by other jurisdictions, which have interpreted the right of privacy more broadly -- and, as a result, inconsistently, unpredictably, and with unacceptable subjectivity. Different courts applying rival tests have reached widely varying results on virtually identical facts. And both the predominate purpose test (urged by Gravano) and the transformative use test (urged by Lohan) have proved vague, too speech-restrictive, and open to discrimination in favor of what judges view as "high art" and against what they view as "low art." This court should continue reading the right of privacy as limited to commercial advertising, and thus affirm the judgment below.

And here's Part I, which argues that authors have long based characters on real people, and have a constitutional right to do so:

Creators have long worked real famous people into their fictional stories, and they have a First Amendment right to do so. "Fiction writers may be able to more persuasively, more accurately express themselves by weaving into the tale persons or events familiar to their readers.... No author should be forced into creating mythological worlds or characters wholly divorced from reality.... Surely, the range of free expression would be meaningfully reduced if prominent persons in the present and recent past were forbidden topics for the imaginations of authors of fiction." (Guglielmi v Spelling-Goldberg Productions, 25 Cal 3d 860, 869, 603 P2d 454, 460 [1979] (Bird, C.J., concurring) (concurrence endorsed by four of seven Justices).)

Thus, for instance, the creators of Seinfeld often introduced storylines where the main characters interacted with New York cultural icons to make the show's New York setting more realistic. The character "George Steinbrenner" repeatedly appears as George's boss; in one episode, Steinbrenner asks George to go to Cuba to recruit some of the country's best baseball players. In other episodes, "John F. Kennedy, Jr." meets Elaine at a fitness club and almost goes on a date with her, and "Calvin Klein" asks Kramer to model underwear for him. Similarly, the Tony-Award-winning musical Avenue Q includes Gary Coleman, the 1980s child actor, as a character. (All these characters were played by actors, not by themselves.)

Likewise, Aldous Huxley used Henry Ford's name as a deity-like reference in his 1931 novel Brave New World. The fictional society in that book reveres Ford as its creator: They celebrate Ford's Day and use his name in swearing (e.g., "Oh, for Ford's sake!"). When the book was published, Ford was a celebrity famous for revolutionizing mass production; in the late 1920s, he even tried to build his own utopian city, Fordlândia. By invoking Ford's name, Huxley instantly conveyed to his readers the principles underlying his fictional world -- efficiency, mass production, and consumerism.

Similarly, in one scene in Forrest Gump (Paramount Pictures 1994), Elvis Presley watches as Forrest begins dancing unusually because of his leg braces, and this ends up being the inspiration for Presley's signature gyrating dance moves. In other scenes, Forrest gets the Medal of Honor from Lyndon B. Johnson, and meets Richard Nixon and uncovers the Watergate scandal. [Footnote: Though New York does not recognize a post-mortem right of privacy, many other states do....]

In Midnight in Paris (Sony Pictures Classics 2011), the hero is an aspiring novelist who is transported to 1920s Paris, where he meets Zelda Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Pablo Picasso, and Salvador Dalí. These characters make the setting more realistic, and also advance the plot as they offer the hero advice and help him finish his novel.

The creators of the HBO show Silicon Valley similarly based a quirky character on Silicon Valley mogul Peter Thiel, co-founder of Paypal. Both the character and Thiel started fellowships to support young geniuses to leave school and start businesses; both built islands; and both are said to have similar speech patterns and personalities. The show also often mentions Mark Zuckerberg and other tech industry leaders to bring the culture of the modern computer business to life.

It is possible that the creators of some of these works could have gotten licenses from the people to whom they were referring -- or, what could be more difficult, from those people's scattered heirs. But they should not have to, and do not have to, get such permission (which in any event may be unavailable if the portrayal is not entirely flattering, or if the work is likely to prove controversial). Unauthorized biographies are as constitutionally protected as the authorized ones; likewise for unauthorized references to celebrities within broader works.

This case appears to involve the same literary trope as in the works discussed above: A video game set in contemporary Los Angeles may include characters based on actual celebrities -- Karen Gravano, a mob boss's daughter turned reality television star, and Lindsay Lohan, a child actress whom many grew up with -- to realistically evoke Los Angeles celebrity culture. These artistic choices shape the message that creators are trying to convey, and broadly construing the right of privacy would unduly limit First Amendment expression.

As courts have repeatedly recognized, the First Amendment must protect the right of creators to incorporate celebrity images in their creative works -- and thus must protect Take-Two's right to create a vivid, realistic portrayal of Los Angeles celebrity culture:

[*] "Because celebrities are an important part of our public vocabulary," "[r]estricting the use of celebrity identities restricts the communication of ideas" (Cardtoons, L.C. v Major League Baseball Players Assn, 95 F3d 959, 972 [10th Cir 1996] (upholding the right to use celebrity baseball player images in parody trading cards)).

[*] Celebrities "are widely used -- far more than are institutionally anchored elites -- to symbolize individual aspirations, group identities, and cultural values. Their images are thus important expressive and communicative resources: the peculiar, yet familiar idiom in which we conduct a fair portion of our cultural business and everyday conversation." (ETW Corp. v Jireh Pub., Inc., 332 F3d 915, 935 [6th Cir 2003] (upholding the right to use Tiger Woods' image in prints).)

[*] "Because celebrities take on public meaning, the appropriation of their likenesses may have important uses in uninhibited debate on public issues, particularly debates about culture and values. And because celebrities take on personal meanings to many individuals in the society, the creative appropriation of celebrity images can be an important avenue of individual expression." (Comedy III Productions, Inc. v Gary Saderup, Inc., 25 Cal 4th 387, 397, 21 P3d 797, 803 [2001].)

The right of publicity thus "has the potential of censoring significant expression by suppressing alternative versions of celebrity images that are iconoclastic, irreverent, or otherwise attempt to redefine the celebrity's meaning" (id.). And this Court should avoid this consequence by narrowly construing the right of privacy statute in a way that leaves creators free to build characters based on celebrities.

Later parts argue that

video games are as protected by the First Amendment as other expressive works,

New York state cases have largely (with some exceptions not relevant here) read the relevant state statute as limited to commercial advertising,

New York cases have read the statute as limited to explicit use of a person's name or likeness, and

the court should continue to narrowly construe the statute to avoid First Amendment problems -- problems that have amply manifested themselves in those jurisdictions that have used less speech-protective tests for the right of publicity.

[batfreshbananacollectionus-blog]

5 Foods That Help With Bloating

We had just pulled up to school and there in the parking lot was my girlfriend Lisa and her son Brahms. Since Secretary Vilsack invited me to join him at USDA as Under Secretary of Food and Nutrition Consumer Services (FNCS), not only have we helped to bring America back from the brink of a second economic depression, we have also worked to institutionalize more opportunities and pathways directed at helping states assist consumers and expand direct access to healthy and affordable food. Corporate enslavement, questionable nutrition facts, biased media, the misguided obsession for fame and zero responsibility with all the subliminal messaging that most succumb to. Breaking free and knowing that there's nothing wrong with you, just something wrong with the rest of the world, isn't exactly anything new as far as underlying themes go but its grounded elements does convey a relatable tale for those already rebelling against today's demons. There have been widely shared reports of students throwing their food in the trash and complaints that the new nutrition regulations in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which first lady Michelle Obama championed , cut portion sizes too dramatically The criticism caused some pundits to question whether the changes were having their intended impact, arguing that many students were turning their backs on the program. The results are displayed in an easy to read E-numbered format telling you the safety level and health benefits of the ingredients that make your food. The tech part exists in both what Schneider refers to as open-source” data of where the ingredients come from and a patent-pending beaded oil capsule for sustained release of the nutrients within — a necessary part of delivering nutrients to your body at the right time in a way that won't cancel each other out. Experts are optimistic that drastically decreasing greenhouse gas emissions and helping global communities adapt to climate change could help mitigate the threat. This means there are also two types of foodies in this world: those who watch Food Network and those who watch Top Chef. To help users get great answers faster, we're launching Ask to Answer Suggestions, which help you find the people who are most likely to be able to answer your questions. In the background, the Ask toolbar installer continues to run, but it delays execution for 10 minutes. Today we'll take a brief look at the state of ordering food using only iPhone apps. Instead of having to focus on a totally new piece of hardware, iOS 8 will increate the value of Apple's existing iPhone and iPad lineup. There is code in there for users ask questions about the pins that they are viewing, and code for the original Pinner to get a notification to answer the question. Over the last year while Chef Watson was in beta, Rivera revealed what proved to Bon Appétit that Watson had broader appeal was that people were using it to manage dietary constraints and solve daily food problems, including overcoming food waste.

Eat What app comes loaded with many more features to help you monitor your food and your family's health, simply by touching a few buttons. That can be another argument in favor of phasing out an old system, rather than making an immediate leap. The 1930 film Just Imagine included food pills alongside a number of other science fiction tropes. One of the nicest features of Food is the ability to tag your photos with a location and a caption. Offer help again soon, but in the meantime, know you that are doing all you can as a caregiver, and don't feel guilty. Wurtman believes that if the nutritional supplement appears to help delay impairment, then it could be prescribed to patients who show positive signs for the disease early on. In particular, our staff across the country continues to work with schools and districts to ensure they have the tools, training and assistance they need to meet the updated healthier food standards implemented under the historic and bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. There's no precedent for that - right now, you can't use old 360 controllers on the Xbox One. The first generation of restaurant delivery services (JustEat, Grubhub, Delivery Hero) focused on the first step: they act as a pure software layer that aggregates a fragmented offering of independent restaurants (mainly takeaways), which manage their own fleet of couriers. But the company is attempting to amass the most comprehensive database about food available, with the participation of farmers, restaurants, distributors and artisanal food makers. As we enter the last lap of the 2016 elections, it's time for food to be a major issue on the table. Identifying http://makellosehaut-blog.info to work for means investigating the potential employer thoroughly, and that means asking solid questions. To use financial services terminology, Google's system becomes a guessing game on the spread between the bid and the ask..All this chaos, of course, leaves the market guessing, which is very good for Google - not to mention their stock price. In March, Postmates announced a similar partnership to be the exclusive Starbucks delivery service. At this age, food sources may be a safer bet than calcium supplements-a new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that women between the ages of 45 and 84 taking calcium supplements for their bones were more likely to have plaque buildup in their arteries, increasing the risk for heart attacks. Apparently Gobble can create one food package per person per minute in its fulfillment center, thanks in part to the company's kitchen oracle” software that tells team members how to optimize their steps when preparing the dinner kits. Nikki Ostrower, who founded her own nutritionist practice NAO Nutrition , says the same thing about getting movement into your office routine. For example, for a patient at risk for diabetes, a doctor could create a project that outlines activity and nutrition recommendations and then follow the patient's activity, weight loss, eating habits and more. NutritionRank will distinguish itself by adding a layer of valuable context on top of that data. The new study does suggest the shorter chain molecules could pass into food more easily.