#simplified banking

[quality-choices]

Transforming Trade Finance: How Cleareye.ai Addresses Industry Challenges with Advanced AI Solutions

The trade finance industry is a vital component of global commerce, facilitating the movement of goods and services across borders. However, it is also an industry beset with challenges. From operational inefficiencies and compliance scrutiny to workforce shortages and rising costs, trade finance institutions face numerous hurdles. Cleareye.ai offers advanced AI-driven solutions to address these challenges, revolutionizing the way financial institutions operate and ensuring they remain competitive in an increasingly complex environment.

Operational Challenges: Overcoming Inefficiencies

The trade finance industry has long been burdened by manual processes and paper-based workflows. These traditional methods lead to significant inefficiencies and increase the risk of human error. Tasks such as data entry, document examination, and decision-making are labor-intensive and prone to mistakes. As a result, financial institutions face potential losses and delays, impacting their ability to serve clients effectively.

Cleareye.ai’s Digitization module offers a powerful solution to these operational challenges. By leveraging advanced Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Machine Learning (ML), and Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms, Cleareye.ai automates the classification and extraction of unstructured data from trade documents. This automation reduces errors, improves efficiency, and enables faster, more accurate transaction processing. With Cleareye.ai, financial institutions can streamline their operations, reduce manual workloads, and enhance overall productivity.

Compliance Challenges: Navigating Regulatory Complexities

Compliance is a critical aspect of trade finance, with financial institutions facing an ever-changing and increasingly complex regulatory landscape. Manual processes struggle to keep up with the demands of thorough compliance and auditability. The risk of non-compliance is high, with severe penalties and reputational damage at stake.

Cleareye.ai addresses these compliance challenges through its Compliance & Trade Based Money Laundering (TBML) module. This module automates the identification of TBML red flags, fair price, dual-use, and high-risk goods. Additionally, the Sanctions Screening module enhances compliance by using comprehensive noun extraction and eliminating duplicates, ensuring efficient and accurate sanctions screening. By automating these critical processes, Cleareye.ai helps financial institutions stay ahead of regulatory requirements and mitigate compliance risks.

Workforce Challenges: Bridging the Talent Gap

The trade finance industry is also grappling with a shrinking workforce. High turnover rates and the retirement of experienced professionals have created a talent gap. Those who remain possess specialized skills that are difficult to replace, making it challenging for institutions to maintain consistent and accurate operations.

Cleareye.ai’s Automated Document Examination module offers a solution to this workforce challenge. By automating document checks and enforcing examination rules, Cleareye.ai reduces dependency on human expertise. The module leverages a dynamic rules engine that adheres to industry standards such as UCP, ISBP, URC, and URDG rules. This ensures consistent and accurate document handling, even with a reduced workforce. Financial institutions can rely on Cleareye.ai to maintain high standards of document examination without being constrained by workforce limitations.

Cost Challenges: Managing Rising Costs

Rising costs are a significant concern for trade finance institutions. Maintaining manual compliance screening teams and managing manual processes come with substantial expenses. As the cost base increases, it becomes increasingly challenging for institutions to remain competitive and profitable.

Cleareye.ai’s modular design allows for seamless integration of various solutions, including Digitization, Sanctions Screening, Compliance, TBML, and Auto Document Examination. This integration reduces costs by streamlining operations and enhancing efficiency. By automating labor-intensive tasks and reducing the need for large manual compliance teams, Cleareye.ai helps financial institutions control costs and improve their bottom line. Institutions can achieve greater operational efficiency while maintaining high standards of compliance and risk management.

Cleareye.ai: The Differentiators

Cleareye.ai stands out in the trade finance industry due to several key differentiators that set it apart from other solutions. These differentiators highlight the unique capabilities and advantages of Cleareye.ai, making it the ideal choice for financial institutions seeking to overcome industry challenges.

Streamlined Modular Design: Cleareye.ai's solutions are designed for seamless integration with existing systems. The modular approach allows financial institutions to adopt specific solutions based on their needs, ensuring a smooth transition and minimal disruption to operations. Whether it’s Digitization, Sanctions Screening, Compliance, TBML, or Auto Document Examination, Cleareye.ai’s modules work cohesively with existing infrastructure.

Comprehensive TBML Module: The TBML module is empowered with multiple checks for enhanced maritime intelligence, detection of dual-use goods, embargoes, and automated transactional red flags. This comprehensive approach ensures thorough monitoring and mitigation of trade-based money laundering risks, enhancing the institution’s overall compliance posture.

Intelligent Noun Extraction Process: Cleareye.ai employs an intelligent noun extraction process that drives sanctions screening efficiency by reducing false hits by up to 70%. This process ensures more accurate and reliable results, minimizing the risk of overlooking critical sanctions-related information and improving overall screening effectiveness.

Dynamic Rules Engine: Cleareye.ai’s dynamic rules engine adheres to International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) defined rules for various trade products. It allows for customization of bank-specific business rules by operational users, ensuring flexibility and alignment with specific institutional requirements. The engine ensures that all transactions are processed according to industry standards and best practices.

Intelligent Interpretation: Cleareye.ai’s solutions recognize and interpret Letter of Credit (LC) clauses (46A, 47A) and cross-verify them against ICC rules and associated documents. This intelligent interpretation ensures compliance with industry standards and reduces the risk of errors in document processing and transaction execution.

Seamless Integration Capabilities: Cleareye.ai's solutions are designed for easy integration with core banking systems, trade finance platforms, and other workflow systems within the bank. This seamless integration capability ensures that financial institutions can leverage Cleareye.ai’s advanced solutions without significant changes to their existing infrastructure.

Conclusion

The trade finance industry is at a critical juncture, facing significant challenges that require innovative solutions. Cleareye.ai is leading the transformation of trade finance with its advanced AI-driven solutions. By addressing operational inefficiencies, ensuring regulatory compliance, bridging the workforce talent gap, and managing rising costs, Cleareye.ai empowers financial institutions to streamline their operations and remain competitive.

Cleareye.ai’s unique differentiators, including its streamlined modular design, comprehensive TBML module, intelligent noun extraction process, dynamic rules engine, intelligent interpretation, and seamless integration capabilities, make it the ideal choice for financial institutions seeking to overcome industry challenges. As the trade finance landscape continues to evolve, Cleareye.ai remains at the forefront, driving innovation and efficiency.

In an industry where accuracy, efficiency, and compliance are paramount, Cleareye.ai solutions offer a strategic advantage. Financial institutions can rely on Cleareye.ai to enhance their operations, mitigate risks, and achieve sustainable growth. With Cleareye.ai, the future of trade finance is not just promising—it’s transformative.

[bmpmp3]

fellow lesser known vocal synth fans TELL ME ur favourite underappreciated synths if u please I WANT to draw some obscure singing robots

[spiderssvinegaroons]

he's like my comfort character to draw but he's not actually a character but a real person but it's still so much comforting when i draw him i can't explain

[its-all-business]

Digital Platforms' Key Role In Financial Inclusion

In a world that's rapidly becoming more interconnected, financial inclusion has taken center stage. The power of technology, especially digital platforms, is playing a pivotal role in bringing a broader spectrum of people into the financial fold. Let's explore how these digital platforms are making a significant impact on financial inclusion.

Digital Banking for the Masses

Access to traditional banking services has long been a challenge for millions in India. Rural areas, in particular, have been underserved for years. Enter digital banking. With a smartphone in hand, anyone can access their accounts, transfer money, pay bills, and even apply for loans. The ease of use and accessibility of digital banking apps have empowered individuals who were once excluded from the formal financial sector.  Abhay Bhutada believes that digital lending is revolutionizing credit access in India, aligning with the RBI’s financial inclusion goals.

Also Read: The Unseen Financial Side of Homeownership

Payments Simplified

Remember the days of carrying cash for every small expense? Digital payment platforms like UPI (Unified Payments Interface) have transformed the way we handle money. No need for cash; just a few taps on your smartphone, and you can settle bills, split expenses, or even pay for your daily chai. This has not only made transactions more convenient but has also brought many small businesses into the digital era.

Microloans at Your Fingertips

Traditional banks often have stringent criteria for loans, making it hard for small entrepreneurs to secure funds. However, digital lending platforms have changed the game. They use innovative algorithms and alternative data sources to assess creditworthiness, enabling even those with no credit history to access microloans. This has fueled the growth of countless small businesses and individual ventures.

Investing for Everyone

Investing was once the privilege of the wealthy. However, digital platforms have democratized the investment landscape. Apps that allow people to invest with small amounts have gained popularity. You can now invest in mutual funds, stocks, and gold with just a few hundred rupees. This opens the door for financial growth and wealth creation for a broader section of society.

Insurance for All

In a country where many are underinsured, digital platforms have made purchasing insurance policies more accessible. These platforms simplify the process, offering a wide range of insurance products. Whether you need health, life, or vehicle insurance, you can easily compare policies and make an informed choice, all from your smartphone.

Financial Literacy at Your Fingertips

Financial inclusion isn't just about access; it's also about knowledge. Many digital platforms offer educational resources, making it easier for individuals to understand financial concepts, manage their money, and plan for their future. This empowers people to make informed financial decisions.

Also Read: Unveiling Why Entrepreneurs Prefer MSME Loans

Conclusion

Digital platforms have come a long way in driving financial inclusion in India. However, challenges remain, such as ensuring access to smartphones and internet connectivity in rural areas, and addressing cybersecurity concerns. But the future looks promising, with ongoing innovations that continue to break down barriers.

[theangryfeministwriter]

"kamala is a cop"

but you don’t understand! When she was a prosecutor, she pissed off California police unions when she didn’t push for the death penalty for a man convicted of killing a police officer. She chose to push non violent, first-time offenders into education programs instead of prison because she wanted “to create a system to decrease the likelihood that the revolving door will continue”. As Attorney General, she prosecuted for profit colleges, and banks following the 2008 crisis. In the face of Black Lives Matter, her office launched implicit bias training and she was proud of her work in reforming the criminal justice system of California. As senator, she shined when she questioned Brett Kavanaugh in his senate hearing. When you say “she was a cop” you simplify her impressive record as a prosecutor, attorney general, and senator into just “cop”. While there is valid criticism to her record as Attorney General in her response to Black Lives Matter, as well as her stance on Palestine, there is more nuance to Election 2024 than just “kamala is a cop” and “another time picking the lesser of two evils.” Kamala Harris is the obvious choice for 2024.

[vamptastic]

whoever scheduled european history (favorite subject, only history class offered beyond the basic required curriculum) and the fourth (and final, and very important!) year of my drafting class for only one class period each at the same time needs to die. my heart is divided in two and every time my drafting teacher lectures me about the quality of my air conditioning plans i daydream of charts of monarchies.

[blogborsa]

CREVH - GOLD

QuickBooks is a renowned accounting software that offers a seamless solution for small businesses to manage their financial tasks efficiently. With features designed to streamline accounting processes, QuickBooks simplifies tasks such as tracking receipts, income, bank transactions, and more. This software is available in both online and desktop versions, catering to the diverse needs of businesses of all sizes. QuickBooks Online, for instance, allows users to easily track mileage, expenses, payroll, send invoices, and receive payments online, making it a comprehensive tool for financial management. Moreover, QuickBooks Desktop provides accountants with exclusive features to save time and enhance productivity. Whether it's managing income and expenses, staying tax-ready, invoicing, paying bills, managing inventory, or running reports, QuickBooks offers a range of functionalities to support businesses in their accounting needs.

Utilizing qb accounting software purposes comes with a myriad of benefits that can significantly enhance business operations. Some key advantages of using QuickBooks include:

- Efficient tracking of income and expenses

- Simplified tax preparation and compliance

- Streamlined invoicing and payment processes

- Effective management of inventory

- Generation of insightful financial reports

- Integration with payroll and HR functions

These benefits not only save time and effort but also contribute to better financial decision-making and overall business growth. QuickBooks is designed to meet the diverse needs of businesses, offering tailored solutions for various industries and sizes.

When considering accounting qb software options, QuickBooks stands out as a versatile and comprehensive choice. To provide a holistic view, let's compare QuickBooks with two other popular accounting software options - Xero and FreshBooks. quick book accounting package and offers robust features for small businesses, including advanced accounting capabilities, invoicing, payment processing, and payroll management. Xero, on the other hand, is known for its user-friendly interface and strong collaboration features, making it a popular choice among startups and small businesses. FreshBooks excels in invoicing and time tracking functionalities, catering to freelancers and service-based businesses. By evaluating the features, pricing, and user experience of these accounting software options, businesses can make an informed decision based on their specific needs and preferences.

[guyoftheego]

People stop trying to simplify the actual most complicated situation in the world challenge.

Yes, Netanyahu's government is horrible and we should oppose all of its terrible actions. Yes, Palestine deserves to be a free state with its own government.

No, this does not mean we support HAMAS, which mistreats its own citizens and puts them in the line of fire. And No, Israel itself can and should not completely stop existing, the Jewish population in Israel is too populous and too well established for them to ever be able to "go back to their old homes" which don't even exist anymore. And considering the atrocities commited by Israel against the Palestinians, I don't doubt for a second that the hurt Palestinian goverenment would lead a campaign of genocide right back against the Israelites.

You guys *need* to realize that this issue will never be as simple as "Palestine owns everything" or "Israel owns everything" because that will lead to nothing but more loss of life down the line. You *need* to realize that Israel is no longer made up of people who migrated there, and its now mostly people who have lived there their whole life. On the other side, you *definitely* need to realize that Palestinians are not horrible monsters for the sins of one extremist group in the Gaza strip, and you need to realize that the Palestinian people have just as much of a right to self-determination as any Israelite, and deserve to be able to live without fear of the IDF bombing their home.

There's nothing I myself can do personally to lead to peace, but I can at least hope for Netanyahu to be ousted one day, for the West Bank and Gaza to be free and not have to worry about their livelihoods being ruined by the IDF, for HAMAS to eventually no longer have the influence they have, and for Israel and Palestine to be able to exist with eachother without any sort of encroachment on eachother.

[philcon-programming]

Philcon 2024!

Do you love Science Fiction, Fantasy, or Horror? Are you a Writer, a Gamer, a Costumer, or a Filker? Are you looking for a weekend of distraction in your life? If you’re in the vicinity of Philadelphia- or more specifically, Cherry Hill, New Jersey- there’s an event coming up on November 22 – 24, 2024 that we’d love for you to come check out. If you aren’t already familiar with PHILCON, here’s what you should know: * We started out as a literary-centric SF convention in 1936, but have grown to embrace all mediums of storytelling (movies, television, comics, podcasts, etc) as well as expanding to cover the Fantasy and Horror genres. Most of our participants are authors, and there will be Readings by them and Autograph sessions all throughout the weekend, in addition to their participation on discussion panels. * While many of our Literary panels are about SF, Fantasy, or Horror topics in general, we also have an emphasis on panels discussing the craft side and business sides of writing, for those looking to develop as authors. * One of our content tracks for the weekend is dedicated to Science & Technology itself, not just how it is used in fiction. * We will be screening several movies over the weekend, and Anime will also be shown in our Anime & Animation room at certain times. * There will be Workshops and Demos for Costuming (including "Fabric Manipulation", "How to Make Foam Armor", "Make-up for The Stage", and "A Pox on Patterns!") and Art (including "Using Alcohol Inks", "Block Printing With Your Own Designs", "How to Make A Controlled Color Palette", and "Making Wire-Wrapped Jewelry"), and if you’ve got an outfit you made that you’d like to show off on stage, we’ve got a yearly Costume Contest. * If you are a Filker- or just enjoy listening to other people sing and play music- Philcon has a room dedicated Filk room, and this year’s Musical Guest of Honor is Cecilia Eng. As Cecilia is not often on the east coast, if you’d like to see her play in person, now is an excellent change to do so without flying to the other side of the country. Lynn Gold, another west-coast Filker, will also be joining us this year. There are also Concerts scheduled for Sirens & Liars, Half a Slime Devil, Brenda and Chuck Shaffer-Shiring, and Sara Henya. * Since the Gaming track moved from an upstairs suite to the “Gallery” room on the first floor, it’s had the literal room to expand the number of games it can run, and we’ve got a bevy of them on the schedule for 2024, as well as a bank of games for you to choose from during Open Gaming hours. There's also a LARP Workshop Series being run by Spectacle INK. * Our Artist Guests of Honor for 2024 are Gina Matarazzo and Matthew Stewart. Each will be giving a presentation on our Main Stage on Saturday afternoon, as well as having their art displayed in our Art Show. * Our Principal Speaker for 2024 is MAX GLADSTONE, and we also have Nghi Vo as our Special Guest. Both will be doing Readings, Autograph Sessions, panels, and a main stage Q&A session. An interactive version of our schedule can be found HERE. While a simplified, static overview, organized by track, can be found HERE. Our LinkTree can be found HERE. We would especially value your support this year, as Philcon’s Covid-19 policy in previous years (which required both mandatory masking and proof of vaccination in an attempt to avoid becoming a super-spreader event as several other conventions had) has led to a slow but noticeable decline in attendance. While masking in public spaces is still heavily encouraged, neither proof of vaccination nor masking are required to attend the convention in 2024. We’d love your help in making this year a success, so that we’re in a good position to bring you all something really fantastic for our upcoming 90th anniversary. We’d also love to give you a great weekend right now, for reasons I doubt we need to explain. Here’s to surviving the next few years! ~ Lynati Head of Programming, Philcon 2024

[transgenderer]

The origins of The Game are uncertain. The most common hypothesis as is that The Game derives from another mental game, Finchley Central. While the original version of Finchley Central involves taking turns to name stations, in 1976 some members of the Cambridge University Science Fiction Society (CUSFS) developed a variant where the first person to think of the titular station loses. The game in this form demonstrates ironic processing, in which attempts to suppress or avoid certain thoughts make those thoughts more common or persistent than they would be at random.

How this became simplified into The Game is unknown; one hypothesis is that once it spread outside the Greater London area, among people who are less familiar with London stations, it morphed into its self-referential form. The creators of "LoseTheGame.net", a website which aims to catalogue information relating to the phenomenon, have received messages from multiple former members of the CUSFS commenting on the similarity between the Finchley Central variant and the modern Game. The first known reference to The Game is a blog post from 2002 – the author states that they "found out about it online about 6 months ago".

Finchley Central is a mind game in which two players take turns naming stations in the London Underground. The first person to name Finchley Central is the winner. Of course, the first player could say "Finchley Central" straight away, but as mathematics professor Jonathan Partington notes,

An opening move of "Finchley Central" is too much of a cheat, and you might wish to start with, say, Liverpool Street, when, assuming that your opponent isn't rude enough to reply with Finchley Central, leaves you with a mate on your second move (though you probably would prefer to stall by playing, say, Bank, in the hopes of a more spectacular win later).

It is clear that the ‘best’ time to say Finchley Central is exactly before your opponent does. Failing that it is good that he should be considering it. You could, of course, say ‘Finchley Central’ on your second turn. In that case, your opponent puffs on his cigarette and says, ‘Well… Shame on you.’

I think the American mind cannot comprehend the nature of finchley central

[ryin-silverfish]

how does rebirth and reincarnation work in Buddhism

do memories carry over and Can personality traits or characteristics also stay the same

or does being reborn erase everything and basically reboot a person

is everyone reincarnated or just some people and what causes rebirth

if you don’t want to explain it can you please reply with links to websites where I can find information on the topic

Disclaimer: Everything I write here is less Indian Buddhism, and more "sinicized Buddhist concepts", aka "Chinese adoptation of the ideas of karmic laws and reincarnation, with a bunch of tweaks".

-There are 6 paths of rebirth: Heavenly/Deva, Asura, Human, Beasts, Hungry Ghosts, Hell. In practice, because of unfamiliarity with the Hindu Asura ("wrathful demigods"), it often gets simplified into 5 paths instead.

-Based on one's karma (consequences of one's causes), one is reborn into one of these Paths after death. The first 3 are commonly seen as the "3 good paths", while the last 3 are the "3 bad paths".

-Technically, even being reborn as a celestial being does not free you from suffering, since, despite the incredibly long lifespan of celestials and the pleasures they enjoy, their stay there is still not infinite, and they'll be reborn into a lower path once their Good Deeds Bank runs out, so to speak.

-However, in lay practice, being reborn in the Heavenly path is often considered "Good enough".

-Similarly, in more doctrinal Buddhism, the concept of "non-being" and the lack of a permanent, eternal self is a big thing (where there's no continuation of the self between each life, memory-wise or personality-wise).

-Yet after its spread to China, it was adjusted to fit, and syncretized with existing beliefs about souls and ancestor worship, and honestly, folks pretty much assumed that there is a...soul thingy that gets reincarnated, and some sort of continuation exists between each life.

-In Northern-Southern dynasty and Tang legends, there are a lot of tales about people who remembered their past lives, or people who suffered misfortune/got a lawsuit from ghosts in the Underworld bc of bad things they did in another life.

-However, in the latter case, they often don't remember. It is kinda implied that reincarnation itself blurred/erased their memories, but never explicitly explained.

-The much later Ming-Qing addition of Mengpo and her amnesia soup could be seen as a "fix-it" to that question: people don't remember their past lives bc the amnesia soup is mandatory, and the few who remembered are folks who had found a way to avoid drinking it.

-Like all folklore stuff, it's far from universally adopted, and in Liaozhai, you can still see tales like Lian Xiang's, where the fox spirit in question died, reincarnated into a human body, and remembered her old ghostly rival-turned-best-friend upon seeing her again.

-In vernacular novels and tales about reincarnated immortals and celestial deities, like JTTS and JTTN, it's more common for the protagonists to remember their original self from start to finish, or recover their memories after being informed of that fact and settle on working their way back into their old position.

-As for "does everyone have to go through reincarnation?" Unless you are a Buddha, a Bodhisattva, or Arhat, technically yes.

-After Daoism adopted the Buddhist ideas of karma and reincarnation, there were also works that suggested, by attaining immortality, you wouldn't have to reincarnate again...

-But I personally saw that as more of a "immortality just means no natural death, not unkillable" situation——the immortal in question won't have to reincarnate bc they can no longer die of old age, but if sth comes along and kill them, or they got demoted by the Heavenly Emperor for breaking celestial laws, their soul will still re-enter the cycle.

-Lastly, what causes rebirth? Well...existing. As long as you are within the Realm of Desire and a being of the Six Paths, you are subjected to the cosmological cycle, and to Buddhists, the only way out is attaining enlightenment.

[probablyasocialecologist]

Being a “centrist” sounds eminently reasonable, doesn’t it? A centrist is a moderate, right? Someone who is rational and practical and takes the middle ground. Someone who isn’t extreme like those crazy ideologues on the far right or far left. A centrist, logic dictates, is really what everyone should strive to be. But stop for a moment and ask yourself how you would define a centrist in more specific terms. When you start spelling out what the word really means, it becomes clear that it obfuscates more than it illuminates. The word does not describe a set of ideas so much as it reinforces a system of power. This, of course, is a feature not a bug of political language. As George Orwell wrote in his famous essay Politics and the English Language: “In our time, political speech and writing are largely the defence of the indefensible. Things like the continuance of British rule in India, the Russian purges and deportations, the dropping of the atom bombs on Japan, can indeed be defended, but only by arguments which are too brutal for most people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of political parties. Thus political language has to consist largely of euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness.” Orwell wrote that essay in 1946. Today, 78 years later, it feels just as relevant. Look, for example, at the carnage in Gaza and the West Bank. Look at the statements from Israeli leaders that clearly suggest genocidal intent. Look at the tragedies that barely make a dent in the public consciousness any more. Last week, for example, an Israeli airstrike killed four-day-old twins, along with their mother and grandmother, when their father went to collect birth certificates in central Gaza. Look at the levels of brutality that barely seem to register any more: there is video evidence of the sexual abuse of Palestinians at a notorious Israeli military prison (though the more accurate term is “torture camp”) and, even with that evidence, we know there will be no real accountability. Look at the dead. Nearly 40,000 people in Gaza are now dead, including nearly 15,000 children. When you look at the scale of devastation, it seems likely that those figures are an underestimate. Further, counting the dead is excruciatingly difficult: kids are being blown into fragments so small that their surviving relatives have to collect pieces of them in plastic bags. Then there are the tens and thousands more who are now dying from starvation, or facing a looming polio epidemic. Look at the West Bank, meanwhile, where Israel has published plans for new settlements, which violate international law. Since 7 October, the Israeli army and settlers have displaced 1,285 Palestinians and destroyed 641 structures in the West Bank, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. Ethnic cleansing is taking place before our eyes. Now look at how all of this is being justified. This war isn’t just being waged with bombs, it’s being waged with “euphemism, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness”. When you lay out what is happening in clear language, it is indefensible. So political language dresses all those dead and starving children up in euphemism. It obscures ethnic cleansing with vagaries. Don’t believe your eyes, political writing says. What you are seeing is far more complex than your eyes can possibly comprehend.

[...]

In order to defend the indefensible, politicians and political writers move away from concreteness, from clear language, and hide behind the respectableness of terms like “centrism”. Pro-Palestinian protesters are labelled the far-left or extremists. Continuing to unconditionally send arms to Israel and shield the country’s far-right government from accountability, however, is considered a centrist – and therefore reasonable – position.

[...]

As Orwell wrote, atrocities can be defended, “but only by arguments which are too brutal for most people to face, and which do not square with the professed aims of political parties”. If the Democratic party were to be honest about why it is doing very little to stop the carnage in Gaza and the settlements in the West Bank, the bluntest argument would be along the lines of: “Israel is an important tool in maintaining US imperialism and western interests. The ethnic cleansing of Palestinians is expedient to those interests. Human rights law doesn’t apply to atrocities enabled by the west.” Of course, being pro-ethnic cleansing doesn’t quite square with the do-gooding branding of the Democratic party. Instead, we are bombarded with the idea that massacring children is somehow a centrist and moderate position.

22 August 2024

[probablybadrpgideas]

Since Background sare bascically just Skill Proficiency bundles, simplify everything by making them skills.

Look the GM dead in the eyes and tell them you have a total of +8, at level 1, in bank robbery.

­Your character, too!

[kyra45]

What is a pet donation scam?

While I have explained the basics of how to spot a pet donation scam, I will also explain what a pet donation scam is for those who have yet to see one or have not yet heard about them. These scams are extremely common on tumblr, but it is understandable that some users may have not yet learned what they are. This explanation is simplified and should be easily understood since it will give an idea on what these are.

A pet donation scam is when a user goes into Facebook/GoFundMe/etc and looks at the fundraisers listed for cats and dogs. They will then find a photograph that looks suitable and save it to their computer/phone where it will be edited slightly sometimes so reverse image search won’t locate it. Often these images are from a private source which also makes locating it difficult.

Once the photograph is saved, alongside vet bills sometimes, the user will then either copy the story they had obtained from the legitimate fundraiser or simply make up a new story which will then be edited to use a fake cat/dog name while rarely bothering to match what their photographs claim. The fake story is always changing! The pay date will not state a specific month and be as vague as possible.

The user will then reblog multiple posts across their blog and generally use them from trending tags. Sometimes these posts are all from OP and have no tags while being shared rapidly minutes apart. After about 20 posts, they will then make their fake fundraiser post using stolen photographs and a story either stolen from the real fundraiser page or a fake story they made up and have reused across multiple accounts with the cat/dog name changed and the date varying.

Eventually, the account will then start sending asks that request being answered privately. The address to support them is usually a name they’ve stolen from a real person in order to look more legitimate but closer inspection would reveal the country doesn’t match the currency or vet bill. The account however banks on no one looking up anything and to share the post without doing a bit of research first.

In closing, a pet donation scam is when a user uses the content of a stolen fundraiser in order to get funds for an animal that doesn’t belong to them. Any updates they have are generally stolen off Facebook. Unfortunately due to the method the scammers use for payments, those who attempt to help will rarely ever get their money back. No funds given will actually reach the real animal.

Please make sure to always be careful of asks sent that request private answers and come from accounts that have no prior interactions. They are, generally and most commonly, a scammer trying to get your money or your followers money.

[rhyperographer]

No problem! Let me know if its still confusing.

So Banks aren't just vaults that hold money.

They take the money they get, either from people depositing, or from other sources like loans from other companies or investors and invest that money in turn. Banks may invest by lending money to people to buy houses, cars, commercial purposes, etc., or other banks, companies, the government, into the stock market, property, all sorts of stuff.

The classic bank model is you take deposits from people for interest, lend that money to other people for more interest and pocket the difference.

The money you get from people is a liability, because you owe them it back if they ask, and you owe them interest. What you have on hand ready to spend is capital.

The money you invest elsewhere is an asset. Your car loan (if you have one) is an asset on some lender's balance book because it makes them money.

Now there's lots of different kinds of assets and liabilities and usually banks specialise somewhat. But still diversify, by investing in different things, or getting money from different places to reduce the risk if any one thing fails or has a downturn.

Some assets and liabilities are considered safer or "less risky" than others. Because the chance of something going bad is lower, be it rarer, or less bad if it does happen.

But even with low risk options, it can be bad if you put all your eggs in one basket, then drop the basket.

Enter Silicon Valley Bank.

Now, they thought they were smart. They didn't lend a lot of money as loans to the public or other companies, so they didn't have to worry if people defaulted and couldn't pay.

Instead they leant money to the government. In the form of a government bond. The government isn't going to default right? Low risk.

Now government bonds are fixed loan, basically you agree at the beginning that you give the gov X and they'll give you Y interest every year for Z years. Lets say 4% on $ 1million for 5 years.

Now to lend them the money you gotta have $1 million.

SVB is mostly funded by consumer deposits. That's people who come and give them their money, either as savings, or their every day transaction account and SVB gives them interest.

That $20 in your transaction account? Your bank has spent most of that on an investment.

So SVB might be paying 2% to you and a bunch of other people in interest in your savings. So 4% - 2% = 2%. They make 2% NIM, or net interest margin. That 2% profit is used to pay their staff and grow their bank.

Now loan rates start going up. Other banks are now making more money from their loans. So they want to make more money by lending more. To raise that capital needed to lend more they raise their savings account rates.

Now people who bank with SVB might take their money elsewhere! And if they want to do that SVB has to have money (or capital) on hand to give to them. If too many people try to take it at once they might not have enough. They can't get it back from the gov, it's all locked up for Z years.

So they raise their savings rates so people don't leave. Only now they aren't paying 2% and making 4%, they're paying 3% and making 4%... their NIM goes down, they have the same costs, they're scrambling.

Then its 3.1%, then 3.2%, and before you know it they aren't making any money. They start selling off what they can and try to recover, but they can't.

Bank goes pop. Its done.

I hope that makes more sense!

For anyone wondering what happened to make Silicon Valley Bank here's the TL:DR:

SVB had very few consumer loans. Their investment base was primarily government bonds. A government bond is basically a loan to the gov at a fixed rate for a set period.

Their liability base was primarily consumer and investor savings.

They made money on the difference between what they were paying people in interest for their savings, and what the gov was paying them for the bonds.

They were then investing their profits into startups and tech businesses.

Then the loan rate rose, the interest rate on savings went up in the market, and to stay competative they had to put their rates up. They can't reclaim their investments as startups don't have the money to give back. The rate rises, their profits shrink, and they go boom.