#they care about money first and foremost and none of this has been profitable for the government

[michaelgovehateblog]

My sister is a massive covid conspiracy theorist. She's been wearing masks and social distancing only because she had to. She believes that all the new variants "they're bringing out" are just fearmongering and that they're actually just common illnesses such as sickness and diarrhoea or hay-fever. She also believes they're exaggerating cases and says the "real numbers" are closer to 1000 new cases. She doesn't believe covid can actually kill you!

So im maybe a little bit worried about the current state of affairs and the fact that this mindset is scarily common. When will Jezza C come and save us all

I feel like people who sincerely believe covid conspiracies like that fundamentally misunderstand this government and what motivates them

[algernoninwonderland]

It’s been three seasons and I’m still not sure what Miraculous wants to be about

TL:DR: Every single one of Miraculous’s themes, and there are so many of them the show wants to tackle, is dealt with in the most superficial fashion, making none of them stand out. By trying to be a show about lots and lots of different things all at once without a strong focus on its meagre overarching plot, it ends up being a directionless mess. 

Is it a cartoon about love? Sure, if it’s romantic, one-sided, bordering-obsession love, I guess. That’s only one flavour of love but sure, let’s roll with that… Except the directors and writers are so afraid that the audience will lose interest in it that they have characters say “look how in love they are” about our main duo all the time. Showing Marinette blushing and stuttering and Chat Noir doing his, err, thing, had gotten stale. The writers and directors have understood that problem but haven’t come up with anything new, it would seem.

It’s a show about the hardships of growing up, right? But before the New York Special, none of the characters outside of Adrien were allowed to feel down for more than a minute without being akumatised or inspirational music and uplifting music popping up instead of letting the scenes carry any emotional weight. Plus, the characters can only achieve so much growth before the episode hits its magical reset button, and it often feels like the characters change to fit the plot instead of following any kind of progression (or regression, for that matter).

A show about school life, then? This isn’t a slice of life anime, most of the secondary cast is too one-dimensional for it to work anyway, most episodes take place when our heroes aren’t in school, Marinette and Adrien’s friends have been demoted to glorified Adrienette shippers as the show went on and that’s a shame because Alya was really cool when she was something other than that and the mouthpiece for most superhero titbits. The classroom drama is too caricatural to be compelling, even for its target audience of schoolchildren.

Could it be a show about family? Parents are mostly out of the picture in most cartoons, otherwise they’d get in the way of all the adventuring. Miraculous has the occasional “that one family member comes for one episode and is never talked about ever again” episode but that family member is turned into the Monster of the Week. Confrontation, all the time. It could be dealt with in a way that could resound with the viewers emotionally, but no, have dumb sound effects, forced accents and Kung-Food, that’ll do the trick. Oh, and we get crumbs of “Adrien loves his dad who is mostly Bad but still cares about him... Or does he?”. Man, the Adrien side of the show is the one they created with the more effort, didn’t they?

Is it a show about life in Paris? I made a whole post about how Paris doesn’t work as a space in Miraculous, and yeah, sure, it’s a nice commercial for tourism, shows us a bunch of iconic buildings and monuments, but that’s just neat and doesn’t feel very intimate.

Surely it’s a show about heroism? There are snippets of that, but heroism as envisioned in Miraculous is mostly “fighting the bad guys when they manifest themselves, our heroes tried to track them down that one time but we were afraid we’d run out of plot so that ended up leading nowhere”. That’s simplistic, even for a cartoon aimed at children. Even the Instagram pages showed more of the daily lives of its heroes, the smaller, less spectacular and yet meaningful acts of heroism they did. Superman saves the cat from time to time, and it feels just as emotional as him punching the baddies if not more so.

In an interview with the Times Magazine in 2000, Matt Groening of The Simpsons fame had this to say about television, and I think this quote resonates pretty well with Miraculous:

"Television touches on an issue then dances away from it and never comes back to it. So it has the illusion of having a strong point of view, but the real point of view of television is that nothing matters, because it's going to be replaced in the next millisecond by something different, and then replaced again and again.

The thing is, Miraculous has a plot. Well, if you want to get into details, it has a shoestring for a plot in 90% of its episodes instead of a narrative thread, or rather, there is a narrative thread but it’s buried so deep within most episodes you need a degree in archaeology to be able to dig it up. Still, it could make these themes it dances around an inherent part of the narrative. 

The showrunners and producers just seem to have forgotten that running a show doesn’t mean “making an episode and then another and then another still” but “ensuring that there’s a sense of direction to it all that makes the show as a whole more gratifying to watch.”

It’s an entirely directionless franchise as a whole, not just the show, but that’s on ZAG. There were these comics that may or not be canon, and now a manga for some obscure reason (money, the reason is that ZAG is after profit first and foremost and does everything it can to rake in as much money as possible before it goes bankrupt).

[whatzaoverwatch]

The Reaper of the Opera Chapter 1: The Opera House

Oh no it’s finally happening. Can’t stop me now from doing this long time wish of the Overwatch Phantom of the Opera crossover AU. Please enjoy the madness.

Next

Present Day

The abandoned opera house lingered of dread and mystery. Dust covering every inch of the place, no trace of life anywhere to be seen. That is until a group of the wealthy standards began waltzing in. Opening the aged door with great force. Guided by an omnic of red eyes, he lead them into the theatre quietly.  Dressed in a black suit to present his class; giving him a polished look in comparison to his surroundings. Stepping upon the tattered stage floor, the creaks and old wood echoing the vacant space. Various articles of clothing and antiques were on display, covered in rags to prevent any dirt from touching the surface.

“Please take your places ladies and gentlemen,” The omnic informed his guests, their footsteps heard from behind. Various sneezes and murmurs filling the air. Taking his place upon a mahogany podium as he rose his voice to gain their attention, “Do make some space for everyone. Spread out if you must, I do not wish to be here all day.”

Everyone gathered closer to their places. From the elderly to the youth they arrived. Taking in the sights and musty air. Some grimacing at the display, while others take in the broken chairs and the burnt curtains. A door closes shut behind by two men in similar suits to the omnic.

“That is everyone Maximilian.” They informed the omnic before them. Max looked to the crowd seeing everyone present and accounted for.

“Very small crowd…although I hardly expected an audience at all,” he critiqued, fixing his tie before drawing his attention to the small audience, “First and foremost, I would like to thank you all for coming to the auction this evening. Tonight, we may present you with many of the salvaged items that belonged to the Overwatch Opera Company. I can assure you that aside from its worn out appearance, we are pleased to honour it’s history by its salvaged treasures.”

None of the guests truly had any care, looking rather bored and uninterested in his speech. The back of his mind wondered if it truly was worth the money spent to make this possible. Gesturing to his men, the two bring over a covered item to set in the middle of the group.

“Let’s begin with our first item of the auction,” The men pulled away the cloth to reveal an old looking box. Carved and engraved with paint chipping the edges. Receiving a fair number of giggles and scowls from the sight, “Here we have what you believe is an ordinary box. However, when you open its casing, you will be amazed.”

One of the men slowly opened its casing to present a music box, with one little monkey figure playing the cymbals. A gentle and quiet tune echoing the theatre. The lullaby withered away the doubt of its value. The patrons listened in wonder at the music box. If Max could smile, he would be doing so from their change of demeanor.

“We shall begin the bidding at 50.”

Various hand raises commenced, the price raising higher with each call. 70 to 85, reaching up to a mere 120 by an older woman. The bidders thinning out, leaving the older lass to be the victor.

“Going once, going twice…sold to the lady in the front,” He gestured to the older woman. Watching her frail face beam with delight at the music box, “All payments will be required before departure. Now onto the next item for bid.”

Throughout the hour, each item was proceeding to sell off. From old tattered costumes, to various props from previous productions. Although the profits were selling lower than Max anticipated, he had one more item to reveal. A finale worth this tiring event.

“And now for our final item of the evening. Gentlemen.” He beckoned his audience to turn around and face where a crowd would once sat long ago.

The men proceeding to their places as rehearsed, grabbing the chains on either side and pulling them firmly. Lowering before them is a cloaked chandelier that enveloped nearly the entire ceiling. Patrons backed away swiftly while Max looked upon them in amusement.

“Here before you is the very chandelier that has hung in the Overwatch Opera Company for decades. Lighting what once was a beautiful theatre to all its magnificent performances. Unfortunately, just mere moments before the infamous fire took place, the chandelier was struck down and collapsed before everyone. Some say it was a broken chain, or perhaps a lazy backstage hand. But allow me to reveal to you people the truth: The chandelier was struck down by a spirit.”

“A spirit?” One person sneered in doubt, turning to Max in disbelief of his tale, “You’re saying some ghost decided to take down that big thing?”

“I understand your doubts, believe me I do. However, what I speak of is no tall tale. You see, this Opera Company had its glory. But within it was a rather dark secret. A monster of anger and vengeance far beyond ones imagination. I believe they had called him: The Reaper of the Opera.”

Dead silence filled the air as a sense of misery came upon the crowd. Some even swore they heard an organ playing within the distance. The air grew cold from the very mention of that name. The doubter still fixing their gaze upon Max as he proceeded.

“Let’s begin the bidding shall we?”

-

Ten Years Ago

“Ah my friend, why must you be so glum? It is a glorious day!” The booming voice of a larger man encouraged his shorter companion beside him.

His hair white and slicked back to show a scar over his one eye. A beard as jolly as his voice. His smile as bright as his heart as he strode with pride. Walking down the cobblestone path, passing pedestrians and vehicles on the side of the road. The man he spoke to was very much shorter than him. A yellow beard plastered on his scowling face. An eyepatch covering one eye as he walked in larger steps to keep up with his companion.

“What’s there to be excited about? We are just going to the theatre to meet with the manager.” The shorter one grumbled. Not surprised that the larger one gasped in shock.

“Torbjorn! This is no ordinary theatre; we are approaching the Overwatch Opera Company! The most extraordinary theatre in the world!” He boasted, gesturing the rather polished and luxurious building before them.

The building polished and carved with marble. A large stair case leading to an archway filled with glass doors. Posters and faces of the various performers of the company. One common face being a cheerful young woman with brunette hair and pink striped cheeks.

“To think that we have been hired to take over the company. It is a great honour!”

“You are lucky that Ingrid has a passion for this sort of junk,” He confessed, looking up at the building. Unable to hide the impressed look he had on how lavish the building looked. That amusement completely subsided by his companions knowing look, “Don’t give me that look Reinhardt…”

“Admit it, you are just as thrilled as I. Even passed that grumpy facade. Come my friend,” He beckons the bearded man towards the entrance, “The company awaits!”

Torbjorn merely groaned at Reinhardts passion as they headed to the front door. Making their way up the steps, preparing to open the large antique doors. Before they could enter, a rough voice cut their actions.

“The theatre isn’t open to visitors right now.” The two men looked to the side to see an older man leaning against the wall.

Hair completely white and receding, showing off two rather alarming scars on the mans face. A complete opposite to the blue eyes that gazed upon them. The man in a long blue coat, black trousers & black boots, taking in the cloudy morning air. His scowl just as equal to Torbjorn if not more exhausted. The two men exchanged glances from the strangers comment.

“Ah, we have some business with the manager of the company. A mister Jack Morrison if you will.” Reinhardt informed, having the man leer in his direction.

“Well, you’re unfortunately looking at him,” The man reluctantly introduced himself with his arms crossed, “What do you want?”

“Oh! It is such an honor to meet you Mr. Morrison! I have been a huge fan of the Companys work fo-“ Reinhardt began to express with great enthusiasm. Jack’s patience grew thin, evident as he turned for the door.

“If you are only here to praise then save it for the presses. I don’t have time for that crap anymore.” He grumbled.

“Forgive my rather obnoxious friend here,” Torbjorn interrupted, receiving a rather insulted ‘hey’ by Reinhardt, “My name is Torbjorn Lindholm and that is Reinhardt Wilhelm. We are the new managers for the Opera Company. I believe you called to meet with us.”

Jack turned himself around to observe. A stone-cold look plastered on his face. Releasing the tension by opening the doors.

“Fine, come in.” He grunts, heading inside while the two men follow suit.

Inside held two spiral staircases leading up to various doors and potted plants. More posters from the outside were displayed in frames. A miniature chandelier lighting the entire room. A ticket booth found on the side, enclosed with a sold-out sign while the other way lead towards some backstage hallways.

“We can speak more of the details in my office. Just some paperwork and guidelines we have to go over.” Jack explained heading towards the hallways.

The two men followed suit, only for the sound of an operatic note being heard from the other side of the doors. Reinhardt held his companion in place while he listened in wonder.

“Do you hear that? It is the sound of passion and power!” Reinhardt gasped, halting Jack in his steps.

“They are just rehearsing; they have a show tonight. Just leave them to their business.” He dismissed, leaving Reinhardt to feel a little broken.

“But we must see their progress!” Reinhardt demanded, feeling Torbjorn pull away from his friend.

“Come on Reinhardt, we can see their performance tonight.” He stated, only to receive a rather stubborn look.

“But we should introduce ourselves! It’d be in good manager spirit if we tell them to break a leg!” He reminded, only to receive rather uneasy looks from the old men. Shrinking back with a shrug, “It’s a theatre figure of speech…”

Jack pinched the bridge of his nose before shrugging, “Alright, we can take a quick look. Have to break the news to them anyhow.” Before the two could question that statement, Jack lead them up the stairs and into the grand theatre.

Inside was rows of red velvet seats all in a formal U-shaped curve. Boxes pampered in curtains and gold that hung against the walls of the theatre. Brightening the entire theatre was a glamourous chandelier that sparkled against the tapestry. Painted mosaics covered the ceiling. Columns separating each sets of rows, leading towards the stage at the very end. A scene was being played out of the upcoming performance. A forest themed background was lit against a set of dancers. All graceful and synchronized to the music being played by the man by the piano. Before them was a young woman moving around the stage. Brown eyes filled with determination as she sung to the empty seats. The two men were left in awe until the woman completely halted her actions.

“Stop stop STOP!” She barked towards the pianist. The dreadlock haired man looking to the woman rather exhausted by her abrupt halt. Clearly showing that this was not the first time this happened today. She approached the man with a glare, “You are going way too fast on my part. How many times to I have to tell you to go slower?”

“Here we go…” A grumble from Jack could be heard behind Reinhardt and Torbjorn as they listened in.

“I told you that is how the piece works. You are supposed to be in a faster tempo!” He exclaimed, grabbing the music sheets to show to the woman. As much as he protested, the woman was having none of it.

“The show will not be perfect if it doesn’t go my way! My way is having my parts be slow!” She pouted looking at him, “Lucio you are making me work too much...”

The argument was interrupted by the sound of a cane hitting the floor. All the attention turning towards an older woman with silver hair. Braided and covered in a hijab.  A tattoo under her one eye as the other was covered in a black eyepatch. Her dark skin hidden in her black and blue attire. Her presence giving an authoritative stature to everyone around her.

“That is enough Hana,” The woman spoke to the brunette. Making her turn around to the older woman. The dancers standing by her side, upright but exhausted, “As much as you desire for more presence on the stage, changing the direction of the original music will overthrow my dancers.”

“I believe she is correct my dear!” Reinhardt chimed in, gaining the attention of the rest of the group. Hana rather displeased by the unfamiliar input.

“And who are you?” She demanded. Reinhardt, quickly making his way on the stage. Much to Torbjorns protests, Reinhardt greeted the young woman with a grin.

“I am simply a man with passion for the theatre. I am also aware that you are none other than the great Hana Song! The songstress of many awards and fans, including myself,” His charm and ego brushing was not to be desired by those around him. However, the flattery was already working, evident to Hanas charmed smile, “A show must be memorable and driven with emotions to let the audience leave with satisfaction! Even in a higher tempo, you may work wonders! Grasp every beat like a lover and sing your heart to the world.”

“Oh brother…” Torbjorn groaned. Jack’s attention was drawn to the older woman. Seeing her hardened stare before intruding.

“Let everyone take five, we will take it from the beginning of Act 2,” She announces, having the other stage members relax with a few more stretches. The dancers free from their poised manners until the old woman turned towards them, “Each of you needs to polish their work. Lena, more grace. Amelie, let your motions become fluent. Fareeha, keep on your toes. [Name], your eyes must look ahead and not in the clouds.”

The women nodding to their critiques as they make haste in their work. Leaving them to their notes before approaching Jack and Torbjorn. Amused by the new faces first impressions.

“I thought we had an agreement to no early visitors Jack.” She teased, having Jack shrug nonchalantly with a sigh.

“There is a reason that I bent our rules a little,” He gestured to the two men, having Reinhardt pull away from praising Hana, “This here is Torbjorn Lindholm and Reinhardt Wilhelm.”

“And who may this lovely woman be?” Reinhardt asked politely, taking the hand of the woman with endearment. She hummed at the loving look of the larger one with a smile.

“This here is Ana Amari, she is the dancing instructor to our company.” Jack introduced receiving an amused hum from the woman.

“All these years and all you have to title me as is dancing instructor?” She teased Jack, having him mumble an apology, “Well that’s all I am nowadays.”

“I think not my dear, I see a fire within you that can bring a thousand men to their knees.” Reinhardt complimented, making Torbjorn rightfully intervene.

“Will you give the woman some space? No need for you to woo everyone you meet.” Torbjorn warned, seeing the love struck daze Reinhardt had on Ana. Jack couldn’t help but snort.

“You might want to ease up on her. Although she is divorced, she is not that open for a replacement at the moment.” He muttered to the two men, his words hushed by Anas knowing gaze.

“I see that you two are exceptionally charming. Are you the new stagehands? Our current one could use the assistance.”

“Not quite…” Jack muttered before taking himself to the stage to draw attention to the performers, “Might as well announce this while we are here: These men right here are my replacements. They will oversee the opera company from now on.”

The group were soon in disarray of the news as even Ana was taken back. Murmurs and gasps filled the stage at the retirement. The two men approached while Jack placed a hand on Reinhardts back.

“Although I had my doubts, I can be certain that these two will continue to uphold the Opera houses reputation. Please take them in as one of your own as you have done with me. I apologize for the short notice, but I do wish all of you the best of luck…or break a leg rather.”

The group left to chatter about the sudden news, only for Ana to tug at Jacks arm.

“Jack, a word?” She muttered, taking him to the side. He was already uneasy as he rose his hands.

“Look, I know I should’ve told you this earlier, but I had my reasons.” He assured the doubting young woman.

“Are you certain that those two can handle this?” She questioned, the two men began introduced themselves to some of the members.

“Well to be honest, not entirely. But I know I can also trust you.” He places a hand on her shoulder with a small smirk. Unable to diminish Anas disbelief as she held him still.

“And have you told the new managers about their…specific instructions?” Jack left frozen in his place, as it was evident that they hadn’t a clue. Rummaging in his jacket as he pulled out an envelope.

“I was instructed to give them this, but I’d rather let you give it to them. It seems he already knew before I had a say,” He hands over the note, stepping away with an apologetic look, “Forgive me, I can no longer follow his instructions anymore.”

“Jack…”

Suddenly, cold shift in the air was felt, the lights flickering causing the members to stiffen in their place. Torbjorn and Reinhardt left puzzled, looking about as they could’ve sworn they heard whispers from the walls. A now spooked Reinhardt is left judged by Torbjorn. Ana stared up at the ceiling, a hand firm on her cane at the tension. Returning her attention to now the empty space before her. Just like that, Jack was gone before her eyes. Taken back a bit as she held the note, looking at the red skull in the wax stamp on the envelope.

“It’s probably the damn wind, you big lug.” Torbjorn grumbled at the paranoia.

“No it isn’t! It’s the Reaper of the Opera.” Lena chimed in, only to be hushed by her fellow dancers.

“The Reaper??” Reinhardt spoke confused towards the young womans’ proclamation. His nerves calmed as Ana approached the two of them. Torbjorn looked behind the woman to suddenly find Jack gone.

“Hey, where did Mr. Morrison go?” He questioned, only to be handed the note.

“He had to take his leave, however he told me to bring you this.” She informed, stepping away to let them read.

“A fond greeting to the new managers. I congratulate you on this highest honor. Just as Mr. Morrison has endured, I have provided a set of instructions that must be kept,” Torbjorn read, as Reinhardt followed along, “For every performance that the Opera Company holds, Box 5 should never be occupied whatsoever. I also expect my monthly wages to be paid on schedule and at the select location. Should my instructions be left abandoned, I vow that much dismay will befall the company. From your most generous patron – R. Now wait a damn moment, what’s all of this for??”

“It is your instructions as the new managers, you must follow these regulations.” Ana informed holding onto her can tightly. Torbjorn left unimpressed as he approaches.

“Now listen here, I won’t be casting aside any money to some stranger! I have my own wife and kids to feed at home,” He tosses the letter to Reinhardt with a grunt, “If some prankster wants to demand money, they oughta just show themselves right now!”

As cursed as Torbjorns words be, a spark and flicker of the lights was seen. Causing a disarray within the performers. In one swift movement, a weight bag from above landed towards a no expecting Hana as she fell to the floor in pain. Letting out a cry as she was struck to the ground with the weight on her leg.

“Hana!” Lucio cried out as the group huddled to see the damage. Unaware of the shadows that wandered above them.

To be continued

[blackgirlblues]

Being A Black Girl: And Chasing Your Dreams.. Yikes.

Hi, 

It’s me, your resident black girl back with some new shit to rant about. I’ve been posting a few screenshots of short poems and paragraphs I’ve been writing on my phone as a way to heal and get over Capricorn boy from my last post on here and I see you guys like and reblog. Thank you for showing love, although it makes me sad that so many of you seem to be going through the same range of emotions I am. I’m sorry. 

I know it’s a lonely place to be in. 

But, on the bright side, I’ve got a lot of new followers joining the diary/manual/rant page that is blackgirlology and it’s nice cause I think it’s becoming a little bit of a community. So, in a way, were never really going through any of these emotions alone. If you’ve found this page-you’re part of a community. Bask in it. 

Anyways, that aside, a lot has happened since I last spoke to you. I don’t know if any of you may remember, and for some new people this will be a surprise. But I’m actually a singer songwriter from Ireland. Moved to London a year and a half ago to pursue my music dream and that’s how I met Capricorn boy whos been the source of all my poems. 

Throughout this time in between, I’ve been trying to chase my dreams, and chase them relentlessly. and this summer i did just that, let me tell you, what im about to tell you guys, is to put it simply, wild. I’ll just cut to the chase. 

It all started in July. I’d been in London for quite a long time now, over a year and now have a manager who’s my best friend first and foremost. We’ll call her Maya. I met her in my first week of moving to London in the student halls I was staying at and we became best friends pretty quick. She studies music business, so it made sense and she just naturally ended up taking up the role as my music manager. Shes seen everything. The songs I wrote about Capricorn boy, the tears, everything. And she saw everything this summer. 

I saw an ad for a record label opportunity in London. It was advertised on my university facebook page; a new indie label, looking for demo submissions for a competition they were setting up to find their new signee. I sent a screenshot to Maya who agreed I should send my stuff in. I did, they liked it, I got a meeting, we were sent terms and conditions for the competition. We signed it, the rest was supposed to be history. 

Big yikes. 

There’s so many layers to this story that I will be shortening it, just because it can get very draining for me to talk about or even write about. I’ve healed from it i think, but I still want to put it here and write it about to finally close that chapter and be done with my feelings about what happened to me and my music. 

Basically, the whole competition, the record label, the dickhead CEO, it was all a scam. I had accidentally signed away the master rights to my new song to a record label started by a fake CEO who was committing fraud and known for tricking young artists into handing over their master rights so he could profit off of them, for power. 

It was a mess. Another contestant told me and Maya when we were outside of their office. Just minutes before we were under the impression that I was doing an interview for Billboard Magazine. Honestly, I never truly believed it. Shit was too good to be true. 

But she told us everything. How he was actually a run away from Spain, where he was caught and exposed for doing the exact same thing to artists there, how he didn’t have any money to fund the competition he had somehow roped all of us into, how he was illegally avoiding paying his team, how none of the creatives we had collaborated with for photoshoots etc were paid, how everything was a lie, how he didnt have any connections, and how he was trying to convince me specifically to sign a 360 deal with his label. 

Which, guys, I’m not stupid. After the first week of being with the label for the competition and letting my song live through their disastrous marketing campaign, Maya and I long decided that regardless of what they said, I would not under any circumstances be signing anything with any entity of their company. 

After being told the truth, I had to sit down. You see, when I came across this opportunity, I thought this was finally the life I’d been manifesting coming true. I had begun to grow in my spirituality and start journaling, writing down my manifestations, and getting to work with a record label who would later offer me a fair contract before I turn 20 was one of the manifestations I had written down every night before I went to bed. However, what I’d gotten was the exact opposite. 

I remember, me, Maya, and 2 of the girls from the competition all stood around in a circle outside of their new office that the CEO also hadnt paid for wondering what our next move would be with this new information. There was still 2 other contestants inside who had no idea what was really going on was an elaborate scam. One of them wanted to go in and expose them on the spot. I said no, we had to go in and pretend like everything was normal until we figured out what to do afterwards. 

So in I went, plastering the fakest smile on my face and pretended like I still thought I was about to be speaking with Billboard Magazine. Once I got out, I broke down in Maya’s arms. 

I went home to my flatmates, Ellie and Bea and cried for hours before I had to go work a 7 hour shift at a pizza place. 

I stayed in bed, and cried, and cried. and cried again. I didn’t get out of bed unless I needed too. The only people I talked too were my flatmates E and B and Maya. 

Everything was sorted out eventually, a lot more happened, but as I’ve been writing this article for you guys, I realised that all of that stuff is no longer relevant to my journey and isnt something I want to bring back into my energetic circle because I’ve made peace with the fact that a lot of people who betrayed me when I was at my lowest, peace with the fact that these contestants who wanted to “work together” to get out of this mess, actually wanted to save their own asses and leave me in the cold. 

But I still got out of it and I’m still here. 

I nearly got sued by a man with less than 20 pound to his company account online, but hey, I’m here.

I guess why I’m telling you guys this really short account of my summer is to both record it for myself but also to say its okay to flop, its okay to fail. I did both this summer. and thank god i did. it was the best thing that ever happened to me. 

following your dreams is scary, doing it as a black girl is terrifying because society has already kind of set you up to fail. there’s already misconceptions about what you do, who you are, where you come from and how good you’re going to be at what you do. its almost like we cant fail and we need to work 10 times harder to obtain half of what the average white person will get. and sometimes it can feel like we dont have any space to fail or make mistakes because of this but let me tell you thats not true. 

if anything, the universe will put you in places that will force you to grow through the mistakes you make. and thats exactly what happened to me this summer. 

i chased my dream so relentlessly i ended up in an environment i thought i manifested, i thought was good for me, only for the universe to show me that that specific environment i’d been wishing to be in is the furthest from what i need right now in my life. 

this so called failure showed me that not everybody who smiles can be trusted, and that people can be way more deceiving than i ever thought, especially when push comes to shove and they need to save themselves. you start to see the real them when it starts to get tense. the people who seem to be around you when you’re doing good will most likely dissapear when things start to go south, including some of your oldest friends. you will get radio silence on their end. be upset. cry. but after that be glad that this situation revealed their true colours. 

and then never put any more energy into them again. 

this failure showed me how fucking strong i am. how resilient and kind i am even in the face of disrespect and actual evil. it showed me how much i can care for someone who i believe is at a risk of losing it all, and showed me that this will not always be reciprocated. and for a while i thought that meant that i had to harden myself up and grow a shell. but i dont think so. i will not allow the things ive been through to make me into a hard person when i was born soft. i mean now, im a little rough around the edges, jagged enough to cut anyone who comes too close with some of that bad energy, but soft enough to hold myself tight and glue myself back together when i need to. soft enough to hold the people who held me this summer. soft enough to help people who i know deserve it. 

im a good person in a shitty world, i don’t need to match the world and become a shitty person to survive. 

after all of this happened, i stopped writing music. 

i haven’t written anything properly or produced anything in months and sometimes i get worried that ive completely lost my talent. but thats another thing that this failure taught me, i can never truly lose whats meant to be mine. i know that i was put on this earth to create change, to inspire, to be an activist and a voice for people who dont have one. i know i was put here to do it through a creative medium and right now i still think that is music. 

i think i just need to stop being so scared to start again, to learn my craft again.

i used to be so scared of failure but now i am so thankful for it and the lessons its taught me. i had so much hurt and pain and hatred in my heart for the universe for, in my head, doing this to me. but then i realised that the universe never does anything to you, it does it for you. all of this happened in my best interest and while i definitely didnt understand at the time, i get it now.

thank you universe for the worst summer of my life. 

and my black ass will be continuing to chase my dreams relentlessly, failing, tripping and falling on my ass until i get to the very top. 

besides, if everything had just gone right, that wouldnt have been very interesting, would it?

[confessionsfromachristian]

As a millennial myself, I’m not particularly surprised by this.

Organized religion increasingly feels hollow and insincere in a world where religious leaders play politics both within and without the church, literally everything important turns into another power struggle, and no one seems interested in discussing the important questions.

Pretty much every public religious figure treats their religious text of choice as if they, and they alone, definitely have it all figured out. And if their interpretation (which is definitely, 100% correct, mind you) happens to benefit their interests at the expense of other people, then that’s fine, because it’s religion and therefore it’s good. Televangelists are what most people see of organized religion, and frankly most televangelists seem to be interested first and foremost in what you and God can do for them.

Which isn’t what religion is supposed to be, or what it has to be, but it’s often what it looks like in the here and now.

On a personal level, organized religion is designed astonishingly well to break faithful hearts. If I didn’t have someone to pull me back into church (someone whom I care about deeply, and want to support), I probably wouldn’t ever attend church, between the heartache religion has inflicted on me on a personal level and the disgust I get watching it on an organizational level.

(Story under the cut, because it’s rambling and still fueled by a lot of pain. TW: parent death)

I grew up Catholic, and I left the Catholic church in college because, increasingly, Catholic doctrine started having more holes than substance (at least, to me and my reading of the Bible) and none of the priests I reached out to were willing to give me anything more substantial than “the Bible says so,” even when I couldn’t find where the Bible actually said anything about the matter at hand.

Add on the longstanding problems in the Catholic church (where priests’ jobs have been repeatedly placed ahead of innocent children’s physical and psychological wellbeing, and the few authority figures who try to take local action keep getting told to wait for a comprehensive plan), and, well… I realized that I was getting more stress than fulfillment, and I felt like an outsider every time I went to Mass, so I stopped going.

So I turned to Methodism, because I was raised to be a Good Christian Girl™ and not going to church just wasn’t really an option. I ended up really involved in the Methodist Church in the mid-2010’s, and particularly in the children’s program at my own small church. And that was great for a while.

My conversion to Protestantism was always a sticking point between me and my mother, and I will always regret that a difference of religion meant that many of the times I saw her in the last months of her life were filled with bitter, frustrated arguments.

The day I finished the long process of writing and defending my undergraduate thesis, I drove 3 hours to my hometown with my roommate (a friend from my pre-college years), and didn’t go home because I was too proud of my pro-same-sex-marriage thesis (this was pre-Obergefell) and too tired to put up with another argument about my Protestantism, my liberal views, and my different interpretation of the Bible from the priest at my former church. I called her, told her I was done, that I’d done well, and that I’d see her the next evening, but I was going to crash with my roommate at her parents’ house.

My mother died the next afternoon, before I could call her again. I missed my last chance to see her because I feared another fight about religion. I would give anything to take that decision back.

My father was not thrilled at my conversion, but he’s come around since my mom passed away; he supports me finding a place where I feel spiritually filled, I think more or less because he’s lonely and he’s afraid to lose me (but I won’t ever let a difference of religion come between us). He volunteers at the church I went to as a child, and, up until the events that led to me leaving my small church, he always supported our kids’ programs to.

Although my church always had problems that left me frustrated, I got a lot of fulfillment out of teaching the kids in the church. But then, in 2016, I ended up as an Annual Conference delegate, and I think that’s where things started to spiral, happy as I was to go at the time.

AC was great, and I’m a law-brained sorta person, so all that legislation was wonderful. But I also had the opportunity to see the gritty reality of a world where religion is designed to make money, not just to fill spirits. Churches that don’t make money - even if they don’t lose any - can be closed, regardless of the negative effects, if someone in power thinks that a different kind of church can be more profitable. And if people at AC express dismay over the results? They’re probably good Christians, or they wouldn’t be at AC. Call for a prayer so they’ll shut up and you can move on.

But, you know, power corrupts. So I went back to my small church to try and fix everything I could on a local level, because I while I couldn’t fix the United Methodist Church, I could fix MY church. And, as an AC delegate, I had a spot on the Church Council to help with that goal. But, as it turns out, sometimes even people on a local level really just want the church to make more money. My dream (shared with a couple other church members, admittedly, but by no means all) was to use our children’s program to reach unchurched and underserved kids and bring them to Jesus. That, unfortunately, is not a financially profitable dream. Kids cost money, and unchurched kids are usually not rich ones. And their families often don’t come for more than the children’s events - and they only come for the children’s events because it’s free babysitting.

So every step was like clawing my way out of quicksand. Getting volunteers was like pulling teeth. Getting supplies was usually a matter of “do what you can with the church budget, and donate the rest.” Without volunteers, setup became “work until you’re about to pass out, go home, sleep two hours, then come back and finish before the kids get here.” Meanwhile, programs meant to draw in rich retirees from our community (so that they could give donations while they were in the building, of course) had more volunteers than they needed, and no one questioned whether practically every single man in the church was going to stay after on Sunday to help set up.

And the pastor at the time really was great. But they were a peacekeeper; any problems that arose always had two sides, and always ended in whatever decision kept the status quo because the status quo was safe, and easy.

But then the next AC came, and my pastor retired. The pastor that replaced them had wanted to retire, but had been encouraged by the district superintendent to take on our church instead, as a “part-time full-time assignment.” And I hoped and prayed that they’d bring with them change, but I should’ve been more careful with what I wished for.

They cannot tell the truth to save their life. They would approach me about an issue that was “very important” to them. We’d talk, and come up with a solution. At Church Council, without fail, the pastor would come in and insist that, in fact, we had decided on some entirely different plan. The pastor rarely showed up at children’s ministry events, so getting volunteers got even harder (why care about VBS if the pastor doesn’t?). Slowly, but surely, the church eroded every program I had helped put in place, watering it down or trying to monetize it. So, the Book of Discipline actually mandates a YA representative have a spot on the Church Council. For a while, I and one other millennial (also an AC delegate) fulfilled that role. But the pastor felt it was more important to send the church treasurer, so he could learn to make more money for the church. And that was fine; I and the other millennial approached the pastor at the end of the year about having a YA rep on the council either way (I’d always gone as an at-large delegate; our church was small enough that we only needed 1 lay delegate), and he more or less told us that the Book of Discipline didn’t apply when it was inconvenient for the church.

That’s where I realized that the bridge I was standing on would, inevitably, crumble. But I told myself it was worth trying to fix what was wrong. So I tried. And for a short time, I thought my biggest problem was going to be ensuring that the 2019 General Conference decision didn’t change the way my church embraced its LGBT members.

This new year had brought someone I’d always viewed as a friend into a position of authority in the church. I was excited for her, and I really hoped and prayed that she could do good for the church, and that we could work together to build an inclusive church with a healthy outreach to the underserved and unchurched, things I had always thought she agreed with me about (because she’d told me to my face that she did).

But no sooner did she take the reins than she implemented the volunteer dress code. Which was a far worse thing than it sounds.

We live in Texas. The dress code? No tank tops, no shorts. Ever. Apparently, some anonymous complainer had, at some point, seen an underwear slip or a bra strap. And rather than talk to the volunteers, they wrote a policy. Side note, apparently skirts of any length were fine for women.

Goodbye VBS. I can’t in good conscience ask anyone to monitor children outside, in June, in Texas, in full-length jeans and a t-shirt.

Also, no going barefoot in the sanctuary, ever, for any reason. I was one of two people who regularly shed my shoes during kids’ events where we used the sanctuary. But rather than talk to me about it, it was better to make a policy about it that literally everyone I spoke to knew was a rebuke.

Then, in one of the brand-new children’s oversight committee meetings, they decided to dismantle the children’s program bit by bit. Children’s church? Cancelled. Apparently, we were running a renegade program without pastoral approval anyway.

VBS? “If we can’t charge for it, let’s just cancel it. Add on a few lies about how poorly it was run (by me, in part) to make it seem like a logistical problem.” The children’s director objects to a sexist-worded dress code and refuses to impose it on those under her? “Fire her, no need to look at whether there’s a problem. Make the volunteers (including me) sign the policy before you’ll let them teach the kids on Sunday. Remind them explicitly that this is a prerequisite to working with the kids, so that they don’t feel they have any choice if they want to say goodbye, because they already know that it’s over and they don’t want to blindside the kids.”

I posted about it on Facebook in my frustration and pain at watching them tear apart everything I’ve tried to do for kids that I love like they were my family. I received a termination letter in my e-mail the next day. They proceeded to send a newsletter to the entire church (except me and my family) informing the church that I had been removed as a volunteer for lying on Facebook. No goodbye for the kids. No warning. They couldn’t handle public dissent.

I hadn’t told a single lie. I dared the person who drafted the newsletter to tell me where I lied. No answer.

Of course I left. And it still hurts to walk into a church building. It still hurts to see the kids on my FB feed. I’m still friends with a few of the moms, because I still love their kids. And it will keep hurting me, because I trusted my church. And even though I still go to church now and then, I know damn well not to trust anyone inside.

[mitchmarner]

Lol please just stop liking Dylan Strome, OR stop tagging the Blackhawks if you consider honoring a Native American racist. You don't need to like him just because he was part of the 2015 Draft Class that you follow. We don't need your hate of our team in our tags. You're young, and you're judgmental. You'll learn someday, but I can tell it won't be today or soon.

You’re clearly not going to get out of my ask box any time soon, so let’s just make some things clear.

First, I am not Native American, and seeing as you have not made any claims to be either, I’m assuming you’re not either. So first and foremost, anything either of us has to say about the name or mascot is secondary to the words of actual Native Americans, who are actually impacted by the brutal history of white colonists. So what do they say?

From The Atlantic: “The Blackhawks have the support of the Chicago-based American Indian Center, which has received grants from the team. But this is tricky. The center’s director, Andrew Johnson, who is Cherokee, told me the center held a town hall meeting where many Indians denounced the team name as racist. He said native culture requires “respect” for those different opinions. There’s also a public wellness standard: The American Psychological Association declared a decade ago that Native American names and mascots created a “hostile learning environment” for native students.”

Obviously, there is not one unified public consensus from Native Americans, because people don’t have one cohesive opinion just because they’re a part of the same minority group. People use the support of the American Indian Center to cite that the team name/mascot is acceptable. But the mere fact that there has been public disagreement on the name expressed by Native Americans, the fact that the use of Native American caricatures has had an APA-cited negative impact on Native students— if none of that is enough to give you pause and consider whether that is a name and mascot acceptable for a franchise of white people to profit from, you should reconsider your priorities instead of coming into my ask with some condescending tone about being “young and judgemental.” The Blackhawks currently profit off of the imagery and name of a Native American. You can claim that it’s net good if they’re giving back to Native Americans in the end, but the amount of money they net profit from a caricature of Natives is not comparable to how much they donate (unless they’re giving back 100% of proceeds, which they just aren’t). Nor is it necessary to use the name and image of Native Americans to give back to these communities. 

Do you know what teams with actual respect for indigenous and native communities do? They celebrate the culture like the Winnipeg Jets. From the linked article: “True North has collaborated with Red River College graphic design student Leticia Spence, from Pimicikamak First Nation (Cross Lake, Manitoba), to develop a special version of both the Winnipeg Jets and Manitoba Moose logos that incorporate the artwork and symbolism of several Indigenous cultures, including her own Cree heritage. T-shirts with each logo will be sold on the concourse […] with proceeds going toward WASAC.” They invited indigenous children to watch the game, to skate with indigenous NHL alumni, to have indigenous youth participate in puck drop and have indigenous music highlighted with the anthem and drums. 

Teams that respect native communities name arenas after local tribes like the Coyotes did with the Gila River Indian Community; not to use the tribe as a mascot that they’d profit off it, but to honor how meaningful Native tribes are to the culture and history of the region. 

Teams and players that respect indigenous communities are ones like the Edmonton Oilers: Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation committed “$85,000 over three years to the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Program in support of the Ever Active Schools initiative which helps facilitate sport and physical activity in Indigenous communities.”

Teams that respect Native Americans have broadcasts in Cree to make the sport accessible to new communities, like during the Hurricanes vs Habs game. 

Note that none of these teams are profiting off the use of an Indigenous or Native American’s name or image. They respect and honor them without the use of controversial imagery that causes oppressed groups to negatively internalize the stereotypes associated with it. 

These are just a few examples of the way that teams and players can uplift Native Americans and provide financial and cultural support without hurting those within the communities. I am positive there are plenty more that I have not included or heard about, these are just ones I knew off the top of my head. The justification of this imagery with “oh, we give money back to Natives, so it’s okay,” is unreasonable. You should not have to be profiting off the historical oppression of a group of people in order to give back, and other NHL teams have proved that it is not necessary. 

I am not “hating” the Blackhawks because of hockey rivalries. I am hating them because Native Americans have publicly professed feeling uncomfortable as a direct result of this team’s imagery. You can take your condescending attitude to the ask box of someone who cares. 

[batllame-blog]

Book of Ra Deluxe Fundamentals Explained

Book of Ra Deluxe Fundamentals Explained

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Because of distance and weather conditions, individuals get it difficult to visit the casinos to play this famed game. Now your favourite slot doesn't seem like a museum piece anymore. It would not be possible to take all of it in on a normal land tour. You will locate all the items which you need within this game. NovoMatic games aren't available at all casinos since there are just a few casinos with a license to provide Novomatic games. Simple to use nice looking slots game which you are able to play all days. It's an easy way to begin with slot games for real money.  

The more similar symbols you've got, the more profit you become. Scarabs are located in crude crypt. The decrease value symbols are created up out of card values that were modified to fit the theme. Unlike some other on-line slots, but the gamble feature at work with Book of Ra is really impressive. Book of Ra slot is just one of the initial games on this subject. It's the Book of Ra symbol itself, which provides you with the opportunity to go through ten totally free spin bonus rounds. There are a lot of websites that provide the Book of Ra on their site and you'll be able to gamble for cash prizes. The ideal advantage provided by Book Of Ra 6 might be the 6th reel appearing whenever the excess bet is activated. The theme carried on from the very first Book of Ra slot but within this slot the design is only a little more modern book of ra deluxe and players may indulge in classic fun. Neglect of a company may also be its downfall. Hitler didn't need to visit war with England. All styles include optional accessories to supply curb appeal. One of the greatest things about Novomatic is that gaming developer goes the additional mile to be certain that the theme seeps through the plan, sound and general layout of the slot including the bonus features. During the feature, you've got to guess the appropriate colour of the following card drawn for an opportunity to double your winnings. It's simple to play, straightforward, and most importantly, it's fun. The digital currency employed within this game is named Slotpark Dollars' and can be bought in the Shop' using real money. Clearly, players may opt to gamble after every win, and may also collect a win after a gamble with no minimal requirements. Now, besides the differences that include the bonuses provided by these casinos, there aren't any fundamental changes or differences. Nearly every bit of internet casino software it is possible to download is totally free to achieve that. The majority of the casino sites where it's available are offering the selection of the timeless edition or the new Deluxe version. Our online casinos provide great bonus features and offer real money progressive jackpot slots that are second to none.

There are some new modern features but the total context and setting and the experience has not yet been tinkered with to remain in sync with the satiation encountered in the original. If you currently have an account, you can't use the code because they are generally meant for new accounts. The important differences lie in that the deluxe edition has a bigger outlook and buttons.

[chrono-logy-blog]

Ativision/Blizzard layoffs and community DoomSaying

There have been a lot of discussions and emotions in the world of Activision and Blizzard Entertainment in recent days, and events have sparked a lot of thought and responses from the business world and the gaming community. For those who are unaware, on Tuesday, February 12th, Activision/Blizzard laid off approximately 8% of their workforce, around 800 workers, this coming after the company reported their quarterly profit analysis for the 4th quarter of 2018, as well as the yearly report for 2018 as a whole. There were a lot of layers to the report and the decision to lay off so many workers, so it is understandable that people may be unable or unwilling to process all the information provided to them. Like many others, I myself had a very emotional and passionate reaction to the whirlpool of information and misinformation that surrounded Tuesday. While pondering my own feelings and how to best express them, it became clear that there was a lot to say, and that a blog post would be the only appropriate and efficient way to get out both information and my reactions. So I am going to take a brief moment to introduce myself, give you a little background, and then we will get to breaking down the profit reports, the layoffs, and what all of this information means for Blizzard in the future. If you wish to know more about me, I am an open book in DMs or comments, as well as available on multiple other social media platforms. This introduction, however, is focused on the information you need to know about me for the relevance of the topic at hand. My name is Michael, and I am known over gaming social media outlets as "Chrono." I have been playing World of Warcraft since 2009, specifically near the release of Patch 3.2.0, otherwise known as "Call of the Crusade" during Wrath of the Lich King. After playing WoW for a few months, I fell in love with Blizzard storytelling and began expanding my interests in the company. 10 years later I have played every game produced since then, fallen in love with countless other Blizzard stories, specifically Starcraft II: Legacy of the Void and the original story of Diablo III. I am something of a staunch defender of Blizzard and the decisions they make, and it that will probably become more clear as the article goes on. In the interest of full disclosure, yes, I love Blizzard Entertainment and I always will, and I think they do a much better job than their community gives them credit for.

That being said, let's dive right into the information that probably had the most emotion attached to it on Tuesday, which was the layoff of about 8% of employees at Activision/Blizzard. There is nothing one person can say to ease the pain of so many lost opportunities. I have read several tweets and statements from former employees, expressing their sadness about what happened to them. Nothing I write here is meant to diminish the struggle those people and their families now face. Every single person who lost their job as a result of these layoffs has my sincerest and most heartfelt sympathies. I wish every single one of them the very best, because they deserve it. I don't know anyone personally affected, but I can imagine none of them will ever be able to replace their work at Blizzard. I know I wouldn't be able to if I was in their shoes. With that in mind, it's a struggle to witness. I know companies have to make hard decisions like these, but at the same time, I personally cannot help but believe there is always a better path. I would never presume to know better than the leaders of the company, but it is frustrating that in 2019, we still cannot find a better way to restructure a company aside from scrapping such a large portion of the workforce. At the same time, it is important to remember that these lost jobs were not overly about money and profits. Granted, its big business, everything ultimately comes down to money and profits. We'll get to the profit analysis in a moment, but suffice it to say that 2018 overall was a very good year for the company, profit-wise. So these layoffs are about the structure of the company and bringing in fresh blood and new ideas on how to grow into the future. This is not to say that there is a viable excuse for huge cuts to jobs, especially when these people worked day and night to get the company where it is now, but Blizzard seems to understand this, and is doing some small gestures to try and ease the pain of their decisions. After the layoffs happened on Tuesday, Blizzard President, J. Allen Brack, had this to say:

"This was an extremely difficult decision, and we want to acknowledge the effort of everyone who has contributed to Blizzard. To assist with the transition, we are offering each impacted employee a severance package that includes additional pay, benefits continuation, and career and recruiting support to help them find their next opportunity. These people are members of the Blizzard family—they’ve cared deeply and contributed greatly to our work here and we are extremely grateful for all they’ve done."

This does not, of course, instantly absolve the company of the layoff of about 800 workers, but at least there is an acknowledgment of the struggle of their former employees. It is also important to note that quarter 1 of 2019 is the first real business quarter of the Presidency of J. Allen Brack, who took over for Mike Morhaime towards the end of 2018. This is important because historically, when you have a change of hands like that at such a high level in a big company, the change flows down the corporate ladder and positions will change. Again, this is not an excuse or a justification, but before the intolerable Blizzard fan base starts screaming about their world being on fire, it's important to take a breath and look at the facts.

Speaking of those facts, these layoffs came at the heels of the company's earnings report for quarter 4 of 2018 and the year overall. This is the part where a lot of the misinformation occurs. There is a lot to this report, and admittedly, I am not business savvy enough to understand every aspect of it, but there are some clear defining points, and plans by Blizzard for 2019. First and foremost, so that no one misunderstands this one simple, indisputable fact: Blizzard made more money in 2018 than any year in their history. This seems on the surface to conflict with the layoffs that occured at the same time. If the company is on strong foundations, why would they layoff so many people? There are a couple answers that seem to make the most sense and likely a combination of them is the truth. First, even though 2018 was an amazing year for Activision/Blizzard, the fourth quarter of 2018 did fall short of expectations. The reasons for this are entirely speculation, unless someone has some insight into the minds of the corporate board and CEOs. Likely, however, everyone speculating on why the fourth quarter was a strugglebus experience is simply speculating based on their own broken experiences. Another firm reason for the layoffs despite record profits is, as previously mentioned, the change of hands at the highest level of the company is often met with countless changes flowing down the ranks. The third reason, and the one the company is putting forward the most, is the simple fact that they are reimagining every team and all their development and marketing tactics. Put simply, Blizzard wants new people involved, and cannot or will not hire waves and waves of people without first cutting jobs. Again, none of this is supposed to make anyone feel better about the layoffs, but it is meant to state one thing very clearly: The company is not falling apart. Their PR struggles with Diablo: Immortal or Battle for Azeroth are not tanking the company. There's no impending doom for Blizzard games, and there's certainly no reason for "fans" to abandon ship or throw around their usual doomsaying attitude. The community responses to just about everything since the release of Battle for Azeroth has been atrocious, and if by some miracle this article catches the eye of any Blizzard game developer, I appreciate the fact that you are too nice to lash back at the community, so I am going to do it for you. The sheer disrespect towards people who spend their entire lives making games for us to enjoy, almost entirely over senseless and trivial matters, is ridiculous and unacceptable, especially in the wake of serious matters like 800 people at the company being out of work. One of the Warcraft content creators I have the most respect for, The Lost Codex said it best with a Twitter post aimed at inspiring positive feedback for the developers, mere days before the layoffs occurred:

"The vitriol from the Community has been heartbreaking to witness. Passionate & beautifully creative people have been demonized & instead of spiting at every tweet, let’s cheer them on. Remind them why they started their career path & acknowledge their passion that we all share."

So what does this mean for the company going forward? Well, according to their statements, Warcraft, Hearthstone, Overwatch, and Diablo will all see an increase of around 20% to their development teams. This means more hires and supports the idea that Blizzard is looking for new people and new ideas, rather than hitting the big red button over money problems. It also means that at a minimum, these 4 franchises are continuing into the foreseeable future. As for the other Blizzard IPs, its likely they will conversely take a seat on the back burner, with Starcraft II's WCS the highlight of the other IPs, which is unlikely to die given its massive global following. It's also important to note that World of Warcraft has a set content timeline that cannot and will not be affected by the massive employment changes. Warcraft and Overwatch are clearly set to be the highlights of 2019, with the 3 major Warcraft projects still in motion, and the emphasis on eSports in 2019, which Overwatch has become a pillar of in the Blizzard community. This is about all we know beyond the layoffs at the moment. As a huge Starcraft fan, I'm disappointed that the prospect of the franchise dying after falling in love with the characters and plot lines. I also, however, believe that Blizzard will continue to develop into the future if we the community just give them a chance. They are not evil, they are not out to spite anyone.

Finally, a special message to the Diablo community. Now is the time to quit the whining. Diablo is getting so much future attention. Regardless of what people may think of Diablo: Immortal, there have been no cancellation announcements. Neither have there been any such disappointing news on the subject of Diablo 4, which we know is in the works. The Diablo community is getting everything they want from Blizzard, despite the selfish reactions to Diablo: Immortal and the wait for Diablo 4. (Obviously people have already forgotten how long the wait was for Diablo 3) So, in short, now is the time to be optimistic and give the Devs a chance to please your inflated egos.

To sum up, it was a sad day for the company and the community on Tuesday. I cannot stress enough how much my heart goes out to the 800 workers who lost their jobs. I would be lost in their position, but I know they are stronger people than I, and they will bounce back. It's going to be an off year, a disappointing year to some, but no one should simply be a fan of Blizzard when everything is going well. If we want to call ourselves part of the Blizzard family, now is when the company needs our understanding the most. You can be against the layoffs, you can have constructive criticism of game mechanics, marketing plans, and IP franchises. But I ask... I implore everyone reading this to stay positive and not lash out. Be the Blizzard family everyone deserves. No matter how bleak things seem at the time, I can hold my head high with tears in my eyes, and be proud to be a fan that knows Blizzard will grow from these sad times and create even more amazing gaming experiences in the future. I hope you will join me. Thank you for reading. En Taro Adun, Lok-tar Ogar, and Cheers, Luv.

[bardiccircle]

Resh Chapter Two Self-Exegesis

Over the past two weeks, we have gone through the second chapter of Resh, so here is a reposting of the updated chapter with the full analysis, for anyone who would like to revisit or catch up, beneath the “Keep reading” link.

Chapter Two

1. The practice is, at its core, individual. Communion with others is advisable, as individuals may empower each other through the collective, but this fact should not be forgotten.

2. Any organization which seeks to limit or restrict the individual, barring cases in which said limitations or restrictions prevent the encroachment on the rights of others, should be dismissed.

3. Freedom and community, in pursuit of knowledge, is the joy of communion.

4. Simplification to negation is a trick; organized on shared love and values above hate and opposition.

5. Shared responsibility denies hierarchy. Discuss ideas, not idols.

6. Individuals become community through volition. A fox gnaws off its leg to escape the trap.

7. Perfect agreement is not necessary, as members learn more from each other while growing in different directions, but consistency in agreed practice is needed for healthy engagement. Policy may shift as the group grows, but caution must be employed to avoid chaos and tyranny.

8. The individual must always be able to raise concerns. Discomfort is cause for examination.

9. There is a distinction between debate and argument, namely respect and curiosity. All ideas profit from discussion, none from competition.

10. The rights of the individual supersedes organization and tradition.

11. Do not let any outside source dictate your worth. Self-worth is above all, sourced from love and compassion as with any other.

Verse One

The practice is, at its core, individual. Communion with others is advisable, as individuals may empower each other through the collective, but this fact should not be forgotten.

First and foremost, what is “[t]he practice” being referenced? The text is a collection of principle ideas, analysis of fairly universal concepts; the closest it gets to “practice” is merely principles for gathering under this interpretational framework. “The practice is, at its core, individual”, ergo it is not defined by the text, it is defined by you. It may seem strange to generalize about a concept defined individually, but regardless of the spiritual or religious practice it will differ based on the practitioner. As explored in Resh Chapter One, our perspectives are unique to ourselves and influence how we behave in the world.

“[T]his fact should not be forgotten” suggests that this verse goes beyond identifying the individual variance in how a practice is considered and carried out. Even if you have never been a solo practitioner, even if your only engagement with your practice is through others, your relationship to it is still your own. The practical end of this consideration is that how you practice is volitional, it should be based in what is beneficial* to you, not what is the status quo. This brings us to “[c]ommunion with others”.

Rooting “[t]he practice” in the individual does not discount the benefit of gathering with others, nor does centreing the empowerment of individuals make it a transactional affair. This simply dismisses the idea of the group being anything else than a collection of individuals, in the sense that the focus is on empowering the individuals around you rather than getting lost in the abstract idea of The Group. Keeping the consideration of “[t]he practice” on an individual level defends against dogmatism and groupthink.

*It is worth clarifying that this should be in no way construed as simply meaning material gain; in many practices the beneficial aspect experienced by the practitioner is emotional or spiritual rather than material.

Verse Two

Any organization which seeks to limit or restrict the individual, barring cases in which said limitations or restrictions prevent the encroachment on the rights of others, should be dismissed.

This verse is fairly common sense, but is worth saying and expounding. Humans are social creatures, to the point that being separated from others can be physically detrimental. Beyond the social aspect of gathering, it also allows us to find power in numbers, take care of each other and be taken care of, to learn from individuals whose path of research differs from our own. Unfortunately, some will take advantage of this human inclination, so it is important, especially in esoteric practices, to know the signs of a noxious cult.

The characteristics of a noxious cult are (source):

The group is focused on a living leader to whom members seem to display excessively zealous, unquestioning commitment.

The group is preoccupied with bringing in new members.

The group is preoccupied with making money.

Questioning, doubt, and dissent are discouraged or even punished.

Mind-numbing techniques (such as meditation, chanting, speaking in tongues, denunciation sessions, debilitating work routines) are used to suppress doubts about the group and its leader(s).

The leadership dictates sometimes in great detail how members should think, act, and feel (for example: members must get permission from leaders to date, change jobs, get married; leaders may prescribe what types of clothes to wear, where to live, how to discipline children, and so forth).

The group is elitist, claiming a special, exalted status for itself, its leader(s), and members (for example: the leader is considered the Messiah or an avatar; the group and/or the leader has a special mission to save humanity).

The group has a polarized us-versus-them mentality, which causes conflict with the wider society.

The group's leader is not accountable to any authorities (as are, for example, military commanders and ministers, priests, monks, and rabbis of mainstream denominations).

The group teaches or implies that its supposedly exalted ends justify means that members would have considered unethical before joining the group (for example: collecting money for bogus charities).

The leadership induces guilt feelings in members in order to control them.

Members' subservience to the group causes them to cut ties with family and friends, and to give up personal goals and activities that were of interest before joining the group.

Members are expected to devote inordinate amounts of time to the group.

Members are encouraged or required to live and/or socialize only with other group members.

A large number of these can be boiled down to limitation or restriction: isolation, the dictation of thought, the dictation of action and expression, etc. There is a reasonable exception to this warning against restriction: “prevent[ing] the encroachment on the rights of others”.

“When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression” (Unknown), ergo it is important to make the distinction between restriction for its own sake versus creating guidelines to ensure the protection of every individual’s rights.

Verse Three

Freedom and community, in pursuit of knowledge, is the joy of communion.

The idea of “communion” is the foundational aspect of this verse, so let us start there. It is a coming together, a sharing of something. This can differ based on your practice, but in the context of The Bardic Circle (Vau Chapter Two) it is coming together to share music, food, and, most importantly, knowledge. This is the crux of “community, in pursuit of knowledge”, so in terms of joy let us start there.

While it is undoubtedly a venture of learning, The Bardic Circle is in no way dry academia. The benefit in being unfettered by the sentimentalism of blasphemy is crafting a joyous pursuit of knowledge. We still respect the ideas of others, but they are just ideas. It is ridiculous to get together “in pursuit of knowledge” and deny the human element of joking, sarcasm, satire, etc.; the point is the ideas, not how they are expressed.

In this community we can find freedom to think, feel, and express ourselves without judgement. And that freedom, that relief from the burdens of posturing, is joy. There is a balance to be struck, however, as the legitimization of bigoted talking points naturally attracts bigots. This can be addressed through the application of Resh.2.2 and Lamed.1.1.

Verse Four

Simplification to negation is a trick; organized on shared love and values above hate and opposition.

The meaning of “simplification to negation” can be seen in the last part of the verse. The “trick” is boiling down an ideology or organization to what you are against. It is easy to parse being against something, easy to feel like you are doing something positive because it is easy to act against something in the negative. That is the “trick”: presenting a simplified worldview where the answer is stopping one particular thing.

The key to stopping this is “organiz[ing] on shared love and value”; it may be hard to reach that point, and it will likewise make it hard to direct said organization to positive means. This is why “The Bardic Circle is of singular pursuit” (Lamed.2.1). Despite this difficulty, when members come together for a cause they know they are acting out of love and for their values.

Verse Five

Shared responsibility denies hierarchy. Discuss ideas, not idols.

The threat of “hierarchy” is the threat of power. Having a de facto leader creates a power dynamic, and beyond creating a status quo it attaches undue weight to the words of just another individual. However, having leadership allows for direction and structure in group proceedings. The solution is “shared responsibility”.

The way this plays out in practice is down to the group, but Vau.2.4 suggests it work on a rotating basis. The main goal is avoiding discussions over who said something rather than what was said.

Verse Six

Individuals become community through volition. A fox gnaws off its leg to escape the trap.

It is important to stress that the “volition” referenced is an active willful engagement with the community. The “community, in pursuit of knowledge” (Resh.2.3) is formed through communion, ergo said communion requires the continual consent of the individual. Naturally, community will develop amongst members outside communion as well. Here is where volitional engagement with community becomes the most important.

It is a common tactic to use social bonds as leverage in order to keep someone within a group, or even as a way to quash dissent. Certain cults common in the USA, for example, have policies in which members are barred from community with outsiders, especially those who have left or have been expelled from the group. This verse recognises the painful sacrifice which must be made to escape such groups, and the fact that said sacrifice is a matter of survival. As in all things, prevention is the best antidote. However, as well prepared as you may feel, it is foolish to assume you are immune from said “trap[s]”. If they were obvious, they wouldn’t work.

Verse Seven

Perfect agreement is not necessary, as members learn more from each other while growing in different directions, but consistency in agreed practice is needed for healthy engagement. Policy may shift as the group grows, but caution must be employed to avoid chaos and tyranny.

The avoidance of dogma necessitates disagreement. Without disagreement communion would not have discussions, but exercises in reaffirmation. As members explore ideas “in different directions”, they can offer alternate perspectives which may help others suffering from academic tunnel vision. However, some baseline agreement is necessary in practical matters for orderly proceedings.

As the group grows, either in number or in spirit, proceedings must accommodate. This must be a time for caution, as any transitory period is vulnerable to abuse. This is in no way applicable only to giant changes in policy, as it is often a slow road to the breakdown of order, either through stagnation or inattentiveness, or to the warping of egalitarian standards to the vision of the power hungry few.

Verse Eight

The individual must always be able to raise concerns. Discomfort is cause for examination.

Beyond blind acceptance of the status quo, the dismissal of concern provides ample ground for tyrants to rise. Due to the internalization of capitalist dogma, we tend to place too much emphasis on productivity and efficiency. This can cause an ostensible pressure to keep moving, to keep the conversation fresh and exciting. This is the impulse to watch out for.

If interrupting the flow of conversation is the objection, keep notes and the main thread can be resumed. It is the duty of all to stand against bigotry and abuse, ergo when concern is raised or discomfort expressed everything else must be put aside to examine the machinery and ensure our values are being upheld.

Verse Nine

There is a distinction between debate and argument, namely respect and curiosity. All ideas profit from discussion, none from competition.

Many supposed proponents of “debate” merely argue; they seek not perspective, only victory. This is weakness, to be so bound up in an idea to close your mind. These people will waste your time and suck the very life out of you. Don’t play their game, there is nothing to be gained.

The nature of social media inundates us with this reductive, combative way of engagement. The exceptions only prove the rule. We would be better off to cultivate a community from the ground up with a common understanding of “respect and curiosity” than trying to inject that standpoint into a toxic environment. Competitive rhetoric has leaked out into the real world, causing further polarization.

Verse Ten

The rights of the individual supersedes organization and tradition.

The appeal to tradition is a common thought ending cliche. Somehow, the rights and sanctity of the individual gets positioned as secondary to the organization, but “[t]he collective is a beneficial illusion formed to empower the individual” (Vau.1.1). “The sure sign of a dead tradition is an inability to adapt to modern times” (Vau.3.3), but some would rather oppress their members than acknowledge this fact.

Verse Eleven

Do not let any outside source dictate your worth. Self-worth is above all, sourced from love and compassion as with any other.

It feels good to be validated by others. We are social creatures and it is in our nature to desire approval in our communities, an affirmation that we belong. However, it is easy to tie our self worth to this social affirmation, especially when social media makes it a quantifiable metric.

A large part of the social approach in The Bardic Circle is the idea that love and compassion is fostered internally, then applied externally (Resh.3.2). Once we learn to accept ourselves as individuals, we can seek to internalize the fact that others are individuals in the same way and extend that love and compassion for ourselves to them. This is why “self-worth is above all”, as it gives us solid ground for our self-love. Likewise, the understanding that worth is not externally dictated both prevents us from devaluing ourselves and from applying the same misapprehension to others.

[socialjusticeartshare]

‘I Have No Idea Where My Daughter Is’: Migrant Parents Are Desperate for News

With a record 20,000 migrant children in shelters and detention facilities, many parents have waited weeks to learn what happened to their children after they crossed the border.

When Maria Ana Mendez left Honduras a decade ago to earn money in the United States, her daughter Cindy was still in pigtails and playing with dolls.

But settled now with a job and an apartment in upstate New York, Ms. Mendez was ready to bring Cindy to live with her. Because she is still undocumented and could not legally bring her into the country, she paid a guide $8,000 in February to take Cindy, now 16, across thousands of miles to the doorstep of the United States.

Three weeks later, Ms. Mendez heard from her daughter for the first time: She had crossed the Rio Grande on a raft and was being held in a temporary U.S. border camp in Donna, Texas. She had not showered in five days, and was sleeping on the ground. She did not feel well.

Days without news turned into weeks of anguish as Ms. Mendez made repeated phone calls to a U.S. government hotline to learn her daughter’s whereabouts. On April 3, Cindy was able to call — from a hospital in San Diego. She was “very sick” with Covid-19, she told her mother.

“I can’t take this anymore,” said Ms. Mendez, who booked a flight to San Diego.

A surge of arrivals on the border has put nearly 20,000 migrant children in government custody — the largest number in recent memory — creating chaos and confusion as immigration authorities scramble to care for them, contact their parents and process them for release.

The Biden administration has rushed to open emergency intake sites at convention centers in San Diego and Dallas, a coliseum and expo center in San Antonio, a former oil camp in Midland, Texas, and at the Army base at Fort Bliss, Texas. Other sites, including a convention center in Long Beach, Calif., are expected to accommodate children soon.

But the government is still struggling to bring in people to staff them, and immigrant parents across the country, who often have no idea what happened to their children after they entered the United States, are growing increasingly desperate.

Some children have gone weeks or longer without being able to contact their parents.

In Austin, Texas, a Honduran woman is waiting for news of her two children, 6 and 9, who were brought to the border in March by a family member but then separated from the adult relative and taken to an unknown destination.

A Honduran father said he had been told that his 14-year-old son, who arrived in March, is one of 2,000 migrant boys being housed at the convention center in Dallas. But he has yet to speak with him.

Keep up with the new Washington — get live updates on politics.

A Guatemalan woman living in Iowa City has filled out two packages of paperwork to try to reunite with her 16-year-old sister, who has been in government custody since crossing the border on March 4. She recently learned that the teenager had been moved from a shelter in Texas to another in Pennsylvania.

“I am very worried about her,” said the woman, Juana Cuyuch Brito, 32. “I don’t know why they transferred her or what is going on.”

Lidia Cuyuch Brito, the 16-year-old sister of Juana Cuyuch Brito, photographed in Guatemala before leaving for the United States.

The problem appears to be one of sheer numbers, as the new administration struggles to hire enough people to staff the temporary shelters, make contact with parents and verify that children can be safely released to them.

Administration officials say they are doing the best they can to handle the latest rush to the border, trying to provide safe housing and secure placements for children who have already faced substantial dangers traveling through Mexico and crossing the border, often with no adult guardian.

“I can say quite clearly: Don’t come over,” Mr. Biden said last month. “Don’t leave your town or city or community.”

Yet hundreds of children continue to be intercepted and transported to processing centers each day. In the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, border facilities were operating at 743 percent capacity last month. A tent structure in Donna was at 1,707 percent capacity.

About half the children arriving at the border are coming to reunify with a parent, like Ms. Mendez, who has been residing in the United States for many years.

Often the children were raised by grandmothers and other close relatives who are now aging and can no longer care for them. Like their parents, many are teenagers who do not see a future in their home countries.

Because the parents lack legal status or have asylum cases stuck in immigration court backlogs, most are unable to sponsor their children to immigrate legally to the United States; they resort to smuggling networks to transport them.

Nearly 16,500 migrant teenagers and children who crossed the border without a parent are being housed in Department of Health and Human Services facilities until they have met the requirements for release. Roughly 4,000 more are stranded in Border Patrol stations waiting for beds in those shelters to open.

The emergency facilities provide clean sleeping quarters, meals, toiletries, laundry and access to medical care, including coronavirus screening. Services are provided by a combination of contractors and federal staff.

But there is still a severe shortage of case managers to handle the bureaucracy. It is these social workers who contact parents and request documents to start the process of releasing their children to them.

Once a parent has submitted the paperwork and passed a background check, the child’s placement must be approved by a specially designated officer, to ensure that a child will be safe.

The dearth of staff at every level, according to child-welfare experts, is one of the main reasons that, on average, only about 300 minors a day are being released, creating a frantic race for new bed space as more children cross the border.

Migrant children last month in a pod at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility in Donna, Texas, the main detention center for unaccompanied children in the Rio Grande Valley.Pool photo by Dario Lopez-Mills

Leecia Welch, a lawyer whose team interviewed about 20 children in several intake facilities in Texas on March 29 and 30, said none of the children had been assigned a case manager by that time.

The lawyers found that many children were waiting several weeks before being permitted to speak with family members.

“What these kids want first and foremost is to be reunited with their families,” Ms. Welch said. “They were desperate to hear their parents’ voices.”

One child she interviewed in Dallas, she said, teared up as he told her that he had gone three months without contact with his family and that he had made his first call the day before.

Many parents already had undergone weeks of anxiety as their children undertook the dangerous journey through Mexico, often in the hands of smugglers. Customs and Border Protection officials this week released a video of a sobbing 10-year-old Nicaraguan boy who had been found wandering in a remote area of Texas after he was abandoned by the group he was traveling with.

“The inhumane way smugglers abuse children while profiting off parents’ desperation is criminal and morally reprehensible,” the secretary of homeland security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, said in a statement in March. “Just this month, a young girl died by drowning, a 6-month-old was thrown into the river, and two young children were dropped from a wall and left in the desert alone.”

Since arriving in the United States a decade ago, Ms. Mendez, 42, has juggled jobs as a housekeeper, a packer at a seafood processing plant and a chef’s assistant at a diner, sending $200 to $300 every two weeks back to her family.

Last year, Ms. Mendez watched her daughter graduate from high school by video. Cindy wanted to fulfill her dream of becoming a computer programmer, and the time to do that was now, she said.

As she headed north toward the border, Cindy checked in with her mother every few days.

To prepare for her arrival, Ms. Mendez painted her room pink, furnishing it with a new bed and a colorful princess spread. She hung helium balloons to make it festive.

Cindy reached Texas in early March and was intercepted by the Border Patrol, which took her to a processing center.

After an initial phone call from her daughter, Ms. Mendez waited anxiously for more news.

But weeks went by, and every time Ms. Mendez phoned a call center at the Office of Refugee Resettlement, which is responsible for sheltering migrant children, she heard that her daughter’s case was “pending.”

“I have no idea where my daughter is,” Ms. Mendez said in an interview on March 26. “No one is telling me anything at all.”

Ms. Mendez hired a guide to bring Cindy from Guatemala, entering the United States via the Rio Grande.Adrees Latif/Reuters

The agency has not responded to questions about staffing and reunification procedures, though it has said generally that children are being carefully accounted for and put in touch with their parents as quickly as possible. Rushing the process risks the possibility of releasing children into unsafe conditions, officials say.

When Ms. Mendez could learn nothing of her daughter’s whereabouts, she contacted an immigration lawyer, Kate Lincoln-Goldfinch, who filed a complaint with the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services. The handling of Cindy’s case, it said, represented a “gross deviation” from the Biden administration’s stated policy of reuniting unaccompanied minors with their parents as swiftly as possible.

“We fear that the child has either been lost or unaccounted for by the agency,” the letter concluded.

Nothing happened.

Then, last Saturday, Ms. Mendez’s cellphone buzzed. It was Cindy.

“Mami, I am in the hospital in San Diego. I have Covid,” she told her mother, her voice feeble.

She said that she had been staying at the convention center in San Diego before she began feeling very sick and was transferred by ambulance to the hospital.

“How could they leave her alone in the hospital and not advise me?” Ms. Mendez said.

It took a day before she would receive an update about her child’s condition. Ms. Lincoln-Goldfinch called the hospital, but a charge nurse and social worker initially refused to release any information, referring her to the Border Patrol, she said.

In an interview from the hospital on Monday, Cindy said she had been isolating in a room at the convention center, which holds about 1,400 girls, with 20 others who had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Finally, on Tuesday, Ms. Mendez learned that Cindy had recovered from her illness and would be discharged soon. The government had approved her release from custody, she was told.

Ms. Mendez immediately flew to San Diego, and went straight from the airport to the convention center late on Wednesday.

Mother and daughter emerged 15 minutes later, holding each other in tears.

Ariana Drehsler for The New York Times

Article Source

[joshuajacksonlyblog]

3 Things People Get Wrong About Bitcoin, According to an Early Investor

Famous Bitcoin early investor Jeffrey Wernick — who also got into Uber and Airbnb as an angel investor — recently told Business Insider that people get a lot of things wrong about the first and foremost cryptocurrency. Here’s some of what he had to say. 

When asked by Business Insider‘s Sara Silverstein what “most people get wrong about bitcoin or cryptocurrency,” the successful financial expert had a lot to say on the matter.

‘It’s a People’s Money’

Firstly, Wernick claims most people today have either neglected to recall or totally forgotten the philosophical purpose which underlined Bitcoin’s creation — namely, that it would be an alternative currency outside the reach of governments and traditional financial institutions. He explained:

People who have got into it now talk more about blockchain than bitcoin, because they’re just looking for an alternative model to make money and they don’t care about — they’re agnostic to the initial philosophical framework that drove people to adopt bitcoin to begin with and kept it alive from 2009 through 2013 or ’14, when all of a sudden, adoption started to grow. There was a small universe of people that actively worked to keep it alive by continuing to mine and continuing to buy and they were doing it because of the concept that they believed in, and that it’s a people’s money.

Indeed, one doesn’t have to look very far to see that every traditional financial institution under the sun is looking to utilize blockchain technology for their own purposes — none of which align with Bitcoin’s ethos.

‘It Only Faces Headwinds’

And while the eyes of the market focus firmly on the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s pending exchange-traded fund decisions, it might be worth examining what such derivatives have done to another ‘people’s money,’ silver. Also, is Bitcoin meant to be a speculative investment or a currency that undermines an unfair and unjust global financial system, which itself aims to destroy Bitcoin?

Wernick explained:

Since bitcoin has been created in 2009, it’s outperformed every currency, even with governments hostile to it, and a regulatory regime that’s an uncertain regime and the governments have been designing, have been managing it in a way so people cannot know what to expect. So it’s amazing the valuation it has today given the fact that it only faces, it only faces headwinds, no tailwinds. Every government throughout the world is trying to figure out how to stop and kill bitcoin.

The ‘Only Answer’

Investing in Bitcoin, according to Wernick, should be seen as a form of protest against the government and its financial policies — and it’ll probably be a profitable investment at that. He explained:

I think over five years, you’re going to accumulate a lot more wealth than you would in any other alternative investment, but again, you don’t want to buy more than you can afford to lose, because I could be wrong, and you’d be making a statement to the government that says, “What you’re doing is completely unacceptable.” Because if you think about how the financial system works, the financial system punishes the saver and benefits the borrower, but only benefits a small classification of borrowers.

Then the question is, is what, what for a typical middle class person — how do they accumulate wealth? And I think their only answer is to put a certain percentage in crypto.

What do you think about Jeffrey Wernick’s thoughts on Bitcoin? Let us know in the comments below! 

Images courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post 3 Things People Get Wrong About Bitcoin, According to an Early Investor appeared first on Bitcoinist.com.

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[the-royal-courier]

The Legalities of Vice

Op Ed by High Magistrate Theodore Bennas

(Editor Note: This editorial opinion was written and submitted in response to the Op Ed written by our reporter Dunnedin Stratford on February 26th. Neither express the opinions of the Royal Courier.)

As an attorney of the Kingdom of Stormwind, I took my practice of the law extremely seriously. As High Magistrate, I have made it my life’s goal to remedy the ills I have seen through the scope of Stormwind law. It is easy to imagine then, my surprise, when I read Dunnedin Stratford’s opinion on the current events of Stormwind. This opinion inquires whether or not that the establishment of an exclusive club that utilizes prostitutes in a foreign land alongside a licensed gambling hall in the Kingdom of Stormwind marks ‘the beginning of a legal shift in our city’. It does not.

First and foremost, the elite club mentioned is in violation of the Laws of Stormwind Part 6. Section 31 which states that “[a] citizen shall be guilty of Pimpery, if they should organise, manage, or materially assist in the selling of sex for money or goods in a public and open venue here forth referred to as any street or open location within the realm of Stormwind” and Section 28 which prohibits “knowing possession of substances, literature, or any other items considered contraband by His Majesty”. Or such a club would be in violation if it was within the realm of Stormwind. As the writer of the previous opinion himself noted, this is permissible on Alteraci soil due to the lack or unenforceable of any Alteraci law illegalizes prostitution or drugs that would be considered illicit in Stormwind. In conjunction with the fact that the Alliance has not placed a prohibition on these behaviors, Stormwind is inhibited from acting on this known club.

It would be a gross violation of the purpose of law and an unprecedented disrespect of sovereign authority for an agent of Stormwind’s Judiciary to hold a foreign aristocrat or any foreign citizen culpable for actions illegal under Stormwind law but not under Alliance law that occurred outside the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Stormwind and in a region where the action was itself legal. As such, so long as the behavior remains relegated to territory outside of Stormwind, the hands of Stormwind’s judiciary are thus tied and I, despite being morally repulsed by prostitution, cannot act to cause the club to cease.

The esteemed writer next addresses the King’s Cut Gambling House, a rather amusingly named gambling house that I personally licensed. Here, the writer makes a slight misstatement of the law by describing the main section of the heading but not including the subsection which reads “[a] citizen shall not be guilty of illegal gambling if they are within a licensed gambling house established within the kingdom proper or any territory owned by the Kingdom of Wrynn.”. As such, the power to authorize licenses for gambling houses lies with me.

I spoke with Mr. Hudson at great length about his proposed gambling house, I gained a deep understanding his goals, and I made my decision accordingly. The license I wrote for him was not a blank bank note for which he could do as he wish. I had severely limited Mr. Hudson to a single type of game in a single building and subjected his business to all the due taxes and regulations expected of such an establishment. I gave provisions that would allow agents of Stormwind to inspect the premises once every six months. To all these provisions, Mr. Hudson assented. If he so wished to expand, as the author claims, Mr. Hudson would require my consent and likewise my scrupulous attention to his plans.

Similarly, I, and I presume many of the Royal Courier’s readers, have not forgotten Darkshire nor the trouble it has undergone not merely during the past few months but in the previous years. In my days as a younger knight, I faced the dangers of Duskwood first hand. I had heard the people of Darkshire grumble about the apathy of the Crown in the precarious position the townsfolk found themselves it. Though relief comes in more forms than the blue and silver of Stormwind footmen. I am of the belief that the rebuilding of business and establishment of means to attract others to Darkshire will help revitalize the economy and will lead to a safer and more prosperous Darkshire if supported by the military of the Crown.

I will set aside the issue of the discrimination of the Illidari for the time being as it is not explicitly related to the rise of vice. Though, I am deeply concerned and I am well aware that there are far too many in this kingdom that suffer due to the arbitrary basis of their race. This cruelty can be plainly seen in the treatment of half-elves by many but it does not stop there. I have seen elves of both varieties, gnomes, dwarves, and pandaren discriminated against in Stormwind. I will be drafting legislation that will punish racially motivated crimes and forbid discriminatory hiring practices in the civilian context in the Kingdom of Stormwind.

In the writer’s final three paragraphs, the writer questions whether the Lady Treasurer and I wish to be remembered for our authorization of this gambling house. While I cannot speak for Lady Holt, the answer is yes from me. I wish to be remembered as a man who carried out the duty he was chosen for. I wish to be remembered as a man who, after careful thought, analysis, and reason, that he believed would strengthen and protect his kingdom, looked at a controversial issue and made a decision. I want to be remembered as the man who authorized a perfectly legal institution despite his own personal distastes on gambling because it was consistent with the law he has been entrusted to uphold.

The writer also wrongfully suggests that by some means, I and, I presume, the Council of Ministry are somehow personally profiting from this. This is grievously incorrect. The only beneficiaries of the King’s Cut Gambling House, outside of those involved in its operations and its patronage, are the Royal Coffers that receive revenue in taxes. None of the Council members receive any sort of personal financial benefit from the establishment of this gambling house.  As for this Silk Road? There is no profit to be had for any member of the Council as we simply have no stake in it.

Similarly, the House of Nobles is not funding either of these two establishments. The very notion of this is simply laughable. The most money that the House had spent in regards to the gambling house occurred with the ink and parchment used to draft the license. Even further, the House of Nobles has not even addressed the Silk Road. While it is possible that some of the constituent lords and ladies of the House have attended the club, it is not officially endorsed, supported, or even acknowledged by the House.

Though, I take issue with the distinction between the two establishments that the writer mentions here in his opinion and his excusing of adult entertainment in Booty Bay. The esteemed writer is quick to condemn an elite club run by the aristocrat of a foreign land and a Stormwind exile that offers the services of prostitutes in far off Alterac but declares that adult entertainment is acceptable in Booty Bay. This dissonance is puzzling to me.

The House of Nobles seeks to act in the best interests of the Kingdom of Stormwind and her people, noble or otherwise. Human or otherwise. The decisions we make may not always be popular but they will always come from a place of careful, nuanced reasoning and a true desire to do what is right by the people of the Kingdom we love so very dearly.

@theodorebennas

[airoasis]

How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-great-leaders-inspire-action-simon-sinek-21/

How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek

How do you explain when matters do not go as we anticipate? Or better, how do you give an explanation for when others are in a position to gain matters that appear to defy the entire assumptions? For instance: Why is Apple so innovative? 12 months after yr, after yr, they’re more revolutionary than all their competition. And but, they’re just a pc corporation. They may be just like everybody else. They have got the identical entry to the equal skill, the identical businesses, the same consultants, the equal media. Then why is it that they look to have something specific? Why is it that Martin Luther King led the Civil Rights movement? He wasn’t the only man who suffered in pre-civil rights america, and he undoubtedly wasn’t the one quality orator of the day. Why him? And why is it that the Wright brothers were capable to figure out managed, powered man flight when there were certainly different groups who have been better qualified, higher funded — they usually did not achieve powered man flight, and the Wright brothers beat them to it.There’s anything else at play here. About three and a half of years ago, I made a discovery. And this discovery profoundly modified my view on how I proposal the arena worked, and it even profoundly transformed the best way wherein I function in it. Because it turns out, there’s a pattern. As it seems, the entire first-class inspiring leaders and organizations on the planet, whether it is Apple or Martin Luther King or the Wright brothers, they all believe, act and keep in touch the specified identical method. And it is the complete reverse to everybody else. All I did used to be codify it, and it’s probably the arena’s easiest thought. I call it the golden circle. Why? How? What? This little proposal explains why some companies and some leaders are equipped to encourage the place others don’t seem to be. Let me define the terms rather speedily. Each single individual, every single group on the planet knows what they do, one hundred percent. Some understand how they do it, whether or not you name it your differentiated value proposition or your proprietary approach or your USP.However very, very few humans or corporations be aware of why they do what they do. And by way of "why" i don’t imply "to make a profit." that is a influence. It is constantly a influence. By means of "why," I mean: What’s your reason? What’s your purpose? What’s your perception? Why does your institution exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why will have to any individual care? As a consequence, the way we feel, we act, the way in which we keep in touch is from the external in, it can be apparent. We go from the clearest thing to the fuzziest factor. However the inspired leaders and the influenced companies — despite their measurement, despite their industry — all feel, act and be in contact from the within out. Let me provide you with an example. I take advantage of Apple seeing that they may be handy to realize and each person will get it. If Apple had been like each person else, a advertising and marketing message from them could sound like this: "We make pleasant computers. They’re beautifully designed, simple to make use of and person pleasant.Need to purchase one?" "Meh." that is how most of us keep up a correspondence. That’s how most advertising and sales are achieved, that is how we keep up a correspondence interpersonally. We are saying what we do, we are saying how we’re distinctive or better and we assume some form of a conduct, a purchase order, a vote, something like that. This is our new regulation firm: we have the satisfactory legal professionals with the most important customers, we normally perform for our clients. Here’s our new automobile: It gets great gasoline mileage, it has leather seats. Purchase our automobile. However it’s uninspiring. This is how Apple truly communicates. "the whole thing we do, we think in challenging the status quo.We consider in thinking in a different way. The best way we assignment the fame quo is with the aid of making our products fantastically designed, easy to use and user friendly. We simply happen to make first-rate computers. Wish to buy one?" totally one-of-a-kind, proper? You’re in a position to buy a pc from me. I simply reversed the order of the information. What it proves to us is that humans don’t buy what you do; men and women purchase why you do it. This explains why every single character in this room is perfectly at ease shopping a computer from Apple. But we’re additionally flawlessly at ease purchasing an MP3 participant from Apple, or a cell from Apple, or a DVR from Apple. As I said earlier than, Apple’s only a pc manufacturer.Nothing distinguishes them structurally from any of their rivals. Their competitors are equally certified to make all of these products. Actually, they tried. A number of years in the past, Gateway came out with flat-monitor TVs. They’re eminently qualified to make flat-display TVs. They’ve been making flat-monitor monitors for years. No person purchased one. Dell came out with MP3 gamers and PDAs, they usually make great quality merchandise, and they can make flawlessly good-designed products — and nobody bought one. In fact, speakme about it now, we can not even suppose purchasing an MP3 participant from Dell. Why would you buy one from a pc corporation? However we do it everyday. Humans do not buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The purpose is not to do trade with everyone who wants what you’ve.The purpose is to do business with folks who believe what you believe. Here’s the nice section: None of what i’m telling you is my opinion. It can be all grounded in the tenets of biology. Now not psychology, biology. In case you appear at a pass-portion of the human mind, from the highest down, the human brain is truly broken into three foremost add-ons that correlate perfectly with the golden circle. Our latest brain, our Homo sapien mind, our neocortex, corresponds with the "what" stage. The neocortex is accountable for all of our rational and analytical inspiration and language. The center two sections make up our limbic brains, and our limbic brains are liable for all of our feelings, like trust and loyalty. It’s also liable for all human conduct, all decision-making, and it has no ability for language.In different phrases, once we be in contact from the external in, yes, people can realize immense quantities of intricate understanding like aspects and advantages and facts and figures. It just doesn’t power habits. After we can keep in touch from the within out, we’re speakme instantly to the a part of the brain that controls behavior, and then we permit persons to rationalize it with the tangible matters we say and do. That is where gut decisions come from. Sometimes that you could give somebody all of the facts and figures, and they say, "i know what the entire tips and details say, but it surely simply doesn’t consider right." Why would we use that verb, it would not "consider" proper? On account that the part of the brain that controls decision-making would not manage language. The satisfactory we can muster up is, "I do not know. It just does not think proper." Or routinely you say you are leading along with your heart or soul. I hate to break it to you, those don’t seem to be other body parts controlling your behavior.It’s all taking place here on your limbic brain, the a part of the brain that controls choice-making and no longer language. But if you don’t know why you do what you do, and persons respond to why you do what you do, then how will you ever get persons to vote for you, or purchase something from you, or, more importantly, be loyal and wish to be a part of what it’s that you simply do. The purpose is not only to sell to folks who want what you could have; the goal is to sell to persons who suppose what you consider. The intention is not only to hire humans who need a job; it is to hire persons who think what you suppose. I continually say that, you realize, should you rent humans just considering that they are able to do a job, they’ll work in your money, but if they suppose what you suppose, they will give you the results you want with blood and sweat and tears. Nowhere else is there a better instance than with the Wright brothers.Most persons have no idea about Samuel Pierpont Langley. And back in the early twentieth century, the pursuit of powered man flight was like the dot com of the day. Everyone was once making an attempt it. And Samuel Pierpont Langley had, what we count on, to be the recipe for fulfillment. Even now, you ask individuals, "Why did your product or why did your company fail?" and men and women at all times provide the identical permutation of the equal three matters: underneath-capitalized, the incorrect persons, unhealthy market conditions. It is normally the identical three things, so let’s discover that. Samuel Pierpont Langley was once given 50,000 dollars by way of the struggle department to determine this flying computing device. Money was once no hindrance. He held a seat at Harvard and labored on the Smithsonian and used to be incredibly good-connected; he knew the entire colossal minds of the day. He employed the pleasant minds cash could to find and the market conditions were exceptional. The new York occasions adopted him around everywhere, and all people used to be rooting for Langley.Then how come we have now not ever heard of Samuel Pierpont Langley? A few hundred miles away in Dayton, Ohio, Orville and Wilbur Wright, that they had none of what we don’t forget to be the recipe for fulfillment. That they had no cash; they paid for their dream with the proceeds from their bicycle store. Now not a single man or woman on the Wright brothers’ crew had a school education, not even Orville or Wilbur. And the brand new York times followed them around nowhere. The change was, Orville and Wilbur have been driven by using a reason, with the aid of a purpose, via a belief. They believed that if they would figure out this flying desktop, it’ll exchange the direction of the world. Samuel Pierpont Langley used to be one of a kind. He desired to be rich, and he wanted to be noted. He was in pursuit of the influence. He was in pursuit of the riches. And lo and behold, seem what occurred. The men and women who believed within the Wright brothers’ dream labored with them with blood and sweat and tears. The others just worked for the paycheck. They inform reports of how whenever the Wright brothers went out, they might have to take five units of materials, since that’s how many times they might crash before supper.And, ultimately, on December seventeenth, 1903, the Wright brothers took flight, and no one used to be there to even expertise it. We found out about it a couple of days later. And further proof that Langley used to be influenced with the aid of the mistaken factor: the day the Wright brothers took flight, he give up. He would have said, "that is an mighty discovery, guys, and i’ll toughen upon your technology," but he didn’t. He wasn’t first, he didn’t get wealthy, he didn’t get noted, so he quit. Humans do not buy what you do; they buy why you do it.In case you speak about what you suppose, you’ll appeal to those who believe what you believe. But why is it important to draw folks that feel what you feel? Whatever called the regulation of diffusion of innovation, if you do not know the law, you realize the terminology. The primary 2.5% of our population are our innovators. The following 13.5% of our population are our early adopters. The subsequent 34% are your early majority, your late majority and your laggards. The one cause these individuals purchase contact-tone telephones is considering you can’t buy rotary phones anymore. (Laughter) all of us sit at more than a few locations at various times on this scale, however what the legislation of diffusion of innovation tells us is that if you need mass-market success or mass-market acceptance of an inspiration, you can’t have it unless you obtain this tipping factor between 15 and 18 percent market penetration, and then the approach suggestions.I love asking companies, "What’s your conversion on new business?" They like to inform you, "it can be about 10 percent," proudly. Well, that you would be able to trip over 10% of the customers. All of us have about 10% who simply "get it." that’s how we describe them, correct? That’s like that intestine feeling, "Oh, they simply get it." The challenge is: How do you to find those that get it before doing business versus those who don’t get it? So it can be this here, this little hole that you just ought to shut, as Jeffrey Moore calls it, "Crossing the Chasm" — considering that, you see, the early majority won’t try some thing unless anybody else has tried it first.And these guys, the innovators and the early adopters, they are secure making these intestine choices. They may be extra secure making those intuitive choices which can be driven through what they suppose in regards to the world and now not simply what product is on hand. These are the individuals who stood in line for six hours to purchase an iPhone when they first got here out, when you could have purchased one off the shelf the next week. These are the people who spent 40,000 greenbacks on flat-display TVs once they first came out, although the technology used to be substandard.And, by the way, they did not do it when you consider that the technological know-how used to be so quality; they did it for themselves. It is considering they desired to be first. Humans don’t buy what you do; they purchase why you do it and what you do effectively proves what you believe. In fact, persons will do the things that show what they consider. The intent that character bought the iPhone in the first six hours, stood in line for six hours, used to be considering of what they believed about the world, and the way they desired every person to peer them: they had been first. Persons don’t buy what you do; they purchase why you do it. So let me provide you with a famous instance, a famous failure and a noted success of the law of diffusion of innovation. First, the famous failure.It is a industrial example. As we said earlier than, the recipe for achievement is money and the proper persons and the right market stipulations. You must have success then. Seem at TiVo. From the time TiVo got here out about eight or nine years ago to this present day, they’re the one highest-best product available on the market, arms down, there is no dispute. They have been extremely good-funded. Market stipulations had been super. I mean, we use TiVo as verb. I TiVo stuff on my piece-of-junk Time Warner DVR at all times. (Laughter) however TiVo’s a business failure. They’ve not ever made cash. And when they went IPO, their stock was once at about 30 or forty dollars and then plummeted, and it’s on no account traded above 10. In fact, i do not believe it’s even traded above six, besides for a couple of little spikes. For the reason that you see, when TiVo launched their product, they advised us all what that they had. They mentioned, "we now have a product that pauses are living tv, skips advertisements, rewinds are living television and memorizes your viewing habits without you even asking." And the cynical majority said, "we do not consider you.We don’t need it. We do not find it irresistible. You are scaring us." What if they had stated, "If you’re the variety of character who likes to have total manage over each part of your life, boy, do we have now a product for you. It pauses reside television, skips classified ads, memorizes your viewing habits, and so forth., etc." humans do not buy what you do; they buy why you do it, and what you do with no trouble serves because the proof of what you feel.Now let me offer you a successful illustration of the legislation of diffusion of innovation. In the summertime of 1963, 250,000 folks confirmed up on the mall in Washington to listen to Dr. King speak. They despatched out no invitations, and there was no website to check the date. How do you do that? Good, Dr. King wasn’t the only man in the us who used to be a best orator. He wasn’t the only man in the usa who suffered in a pre-civil rights the us. In fact, some of his recommendations were dangerous. But he had a gift. He failed to go around telling people what wanted to change in the united states. He went around and instructed men and women what he believed. "I think, I feel, I believe," he advised humans.And people who believed what he believed took his cause, and so they made it their own, and so they instructed humans. And some of these persons created buildings to get the phrase out to even more folks. And lo and behold, 250,000 people confirmed up on the correct day at the proper time to listen to him communicate. How many of them confirmed up for him? Zero. They confirmed up for themselves. It can be what they believed about america that bought them to travel in a bus for eight hours to stand within the sun in Washington in the core of August. It is what they believed, and it wasn’t about black versus white: 25% of the viewers was once white. Dr. King believed that there are two varieties of legal guidelines on this world: these that are made by way of a larger authority and those which can be made by guys. And now not until the entire legal guidelines which are made by using men are consistent with the legal guidelines made with the aid of the greater authority will we are living in a just world. It in order that happened that the Civil Rights action was the perfect thing to support him convey his intent to lifestyles. We followed, now not for him, but for ourselves. Incidentally, he gave the "i’ve a dream" speech, now not the "i have a plan" speech.(Laughter) take heed to politicians now, with their complete 12-factor plans. They’re not inspiring anybody. Due to the fact there are leaders and there are folks who lead. Leaders maintain a function of vigor or authority, but folks who lead encourage us. Whether they are members or organizations, we comply with people who lead, no longer considering that we must, but because we want to. We comply with individuals who lead, no longer for them, however for ourselves. And it can be people who begin with "why" which have the ability to encourage these round them or find others who inspire them. Thank you very much. (Applause) .

[batterymonster2021]

How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek

New Post has been published on https://hititem.kr/how-great-leaders-inspire-action-simon-sinek-21/

How great leaders inspire action | Simon Sinek

How do you explain when matters do not go as we anticipate? Or better, how do you give an explanation for when others are in a position to gain matters that appear to defy the entire assumptions? For instance: Why is Apple so innovative? 12 months after yr, after yr, they’re more revolutionary than all their competition. And but, they’re just a pc corporation. They may be just like everybody else. They have got the identical entry to the equal skill, the identical businesses, the same consultants, the equal media. Then why is it that they look to have something specific? Why is it that Martin Luther King led the Civil Rights movement? He wasn’t the only man who suffered in pre-civil rights america, and he undoubtedly wasn’t the one quality orator of the day. Why him? And why is it that the Wright brothers were capable to figure out managed, powered man flight when there were certainly different groups who have been better qualified, higher funded — they usually did not achieve powered man flight, and the Wright brothers beat them to it.There’s anything else at play here. About three and a half of years ago, I made a discovery. And this discovery profoundly modified my view on how I proposal the arena worked, and it even profoundly transformed the best way wherein I function in it. Because it turns out, there’s a pattern. As it seems, the entire first-class inspiring leaders and organizations on the planet, whether it is Apple or Martin Luther King or the Wright brothers, they all believe, act and keep in touch the specified identical method. And it is the complete reverse to everybody else. All I did used to be codify it, and it’s probably the arena’s easiest thought. I call it the golden circle. Why? How? What? This little proposal explains why some companies and some leaders are equipped to encourage the place others don’t seem to be. Let me define the terms rather speedily. Each single individual, every single group on the planet knows what they do, one hundred percent. Some understand how they do it, whether or not you name it your differentiated value proposition or your proprietary approach or your USP.However very, very few humans or corporations be aware of why they do what they do. And by way of "why" i don’t imply "to make a profit." that is a influence. It is constantly a influence. By means of "why," I mean: What’s your reason? What’s your purpose? What’s your perception? Why does your institution exist? Why do you get out of bed in the morning? And why will have to any individual care? As a consequence, the way we feel, we act, the way in which we keep in touch is from the external in, it can be apparent. We go from the clearest thing to the fuzziest factor. However the inspired leaders and the influenced companies — despite their measurement, despite their industry — all feel, act and be in contact from the within out. Let me provide you with an example. I take advantage of Apple seeing that they may be handy to realize and each person will get it. If Apple had been like each person else, a advertising and marketing message from them could sound like this: "We make pleasant computers. They’re beautifully designed, simple to make use of and person pleasant.Need to purchase one?" "Meh." that is how most of us keep up a correspondence. That’s how most advertising and sales are achieved, that is how we keep up a correspondence interpersonally. We are saying what we do, we are saying how we’re distinctive or better and we assume some form of a conduct, a purchase order, a vote, something like that. This is our new regulation firm: we have the satisfactory legal professionals with the most important customers, we normally perform for our clients. Here’s our new automobile: It gets great gasoline mileage, it has leather seats. Purchase our automobile. However it’s uninspiring. This is how Apple truly communicates. "the whole thing we do, we think in challenging the status quo.We consider in thinking in a different way. The best way we assignment the fame quo is with the aid of making our products fantastically designed, easy to use and user friendly. We simply happen to make first-rate computers. Wish to buy one?" totally one-of-a-kind, proper? You’re in a position to buy a pc from me. I simply reversed the order of the information. What it proves to us is that humans don’t buy what you do; men and women purchase why you do it. This explains why every single character in this room is perfectly at ease shopping a computer from Apple. But we’re additionally flawlessly at ease purchasing an MP3 participant from Apple, or a cell from Apple, or a DVR from Apple. As I said earlier than, Apple’s only a pc manufacturer.Nothing distinguishes them structurally from any of their rivals. Their competitors are equally certified to make all of these products. Actually, they tried. A number of years in the past, Gateway came out with flat-monitor TVs. They’re eminently qualified to make flat-display TVs. They’ve been making flat-monitor monitors for years. No person purchased one. Dell came out with MP3 gamers and PDAs, they usually make great quality merchandise, and they can make flawlessly good-designed products — and nobody bought one. In fact, speakme about it now, we can not even suppose purchasing an MP3 participant from Dell. Why would you buy one from a pc corporation? However we do it everyday. Humans do not buy what you do; they buy why you do it. The purpose is not to do trade with everyone who wants what you’ve.The purpose is to do business with folks who believe what you believe. Here’s the nice section: None of what i’m telling you is my opinion. It can be all grounded in the tenets of biology. Now not psychology, biology. In case you appear at a pass-portion of the human mind, from the highest down, the human brain is truly broken into three foremost add-ons that correlate perfectly with the golden circle. Our latest brain, our Homo sapien mind, our neocortex, corresponds with the "what" stage. The neocortex is accountable for all of our rational and analytical inspiration and language. The center two sections make up our limbic brains, and our limbic brains are liable for all of our feelings, like trust and loyalty. It’s also liable for all human conduct, all decision-making, and it has no ability for language.In different phrases, once we be in contact from the external in, yes, people can realize immense quantities of intricate understanding like aspects and advantages and facts and figures. It just doesn’t power habits. After we can keep in touch from the within out, we’re speakme instantly to the a part of the brain that controls behavior, and then we permit persons to rationalize it with the tangible matters we say and do. That is where gut decisions come from. Sometimes that you could give somebody all of the facts and figures, and they say, "i know what the entire tips and details say, but it surely simply doesn’t consider right." Why would we use that verb, it would not "consider" proper? On account that the part of the brain that controls decision-making would not manage language. The satisfactory we can muster up is, "I do not know. It just does not think proper." Or routinely you say you are leading along with your heart or soul. I hate to break it to you, those don’t seem to be other body parts controlling your behavior.It’s all taking place here on your limbic brain, the a part of the brain that controls choice-making and no longer language. But if you don’t know why you do what you do, and persons respond to why you do what you do, then how will you ever get persons to vote for you, or purchase something from you, or, more importantly, be loyal and wish to be a part of what it’s that you simply do. The purpose is not only to sell to folks who want what you could have; the goal is to sell to persons who suppose what you consider. The intention is not only to hire humans who need a job; it is to hire persons who think what you suppose. I continually say that, you realize, should you rent humans just considering that they are able to do a job, they’ll work in your money, but if they suppose what you suppose, they will give you the results you want with blood and sweat and tears. Nowhere else is there a better instance than with the Wright brothers.Most persons have no idea about Samuel Pierpont Langley. And back in the early twentieth century, the pursuit of powered man flight was like the dot com of the day. Everyone was once making an attempt it. And Samuel Pierpont Langley had, what we count on, to be the recipe for fulfillment. Even now, you ask individuals, "Why did your product or why did your company fail?" and men and women at all times provide the identical permutation of the equal three matters: underneath-capitalized, the incorrect persons, unhealthy market conditions. It is normally the identical three things, so let’s discover that. Samuel Pierpont Langley was once given 50,000 dollars by way of the struggle department to determine this flying computing device. Money was once no hindrance. He held a seat at Harvard and labored on the Smithsonian and used to be incredibly good-connected; he knew the entire colossal minds of the day. He employed the pleasant minds cash could to find and the market conditions were exceptional. The new York occasions adopted him around everywhere, and all people used to be rooting for Langley.Then how come we have now not ever heard of Samuel Pierpont Langley? A few hundred miles away in Dayton, Ohio, Orville and Wilbur Wright, that they had none of what we don’t forget to be the recipe for fulfillment. That they had no cash; they paid for their dream with the proceeds from their bicycle store. Now not a single man or woman on the Wright brothers’ crew had a school education, not even Orville or Wilbur. And the brand new York times followed them around nowhere. The change was, Orville and Wilbur have been driven by using a reason, with the aid of a purpose, via a belief. They believed that if they would figure out this flying desktop, it’ll exchange the direction of the world. Samuel Pierpont Langley used to be one of a kind. He desired to be rich, and he wanted to be noted. He was in pursuit of the influence. He was in pursuit of the riches. And lo and behold, seem what occurred. The men and women who believed within the Wright brothers’ dream labored with them with blood and sweat and tears. The others just worked for the paycheck. They inform reports of how whenever the Wright brothers went out, they might have to take five units of materials, since that’s how many times they might crash before supper.And, ultimately, on December seventeenth, 1903, the Wright brothers took flight, and no one used to be there to even expertise it. We found out about it a couple of days later. And further proof that Langley used to be influenced with the aid of the mistaken factor: the day the Wright brothers took flight, he give up. He would have said, "that is an mighty discovery, guys, and i’ll toughen upon your technology," but he didn’t. He wasn’t first, he didn’t get wealthy, he didn’t get noted, so he quit. Humans do not buy what you do; they buy why you do it.In case you speak about what you suppose, you’ll appeal to those who believe what you believe. But why is it important to draw folks that feel what you feel? Whatever called the regulation of diffusion of innovation, if you do not know the law, you realize the terminology. The primary 2.5% of our population are our innovators. The following 13.5% of our population are our early adopters. The subsequent 34% are your early majority, your late majority and your laggards. The one cause these individuals purchase contact-tone telephones is considering you can’t buy rotary phones anymore. (Laughter) all of us sit at more than a few locations at various times on this scale, however what the legislation of diffusion of innovation tells us is that if you need mass-market success or mass-market acceptance of an inspiration, you can’t have it unless you obtain this tipping factor between 15 and 18 percent market penetration, and then the approach suggestions.I love asking companies, "What’s your conversion on new business?" They like to inform you, "it can be about 10 percent," proudly. Well, that you would be able to trip over 10% of the customers. All of us have about 10% who simply "get it." that’s how we describe them, correct? That’s like that intestine feeling, "Oh, they simply get it." The challenge is: How do you to find those that get it before doing business versus those who don’t get it? So it can be this here, this little hole that you just ought to shut, as Jeffrey Moore calls it, "Crossing the Chasm" — considering that, you see, the early majority won’t try some thing unless anybody else has tried it first.And these guys, the innovators and the early adopters, they are secure making these intestine choices. They may be extra secure making those intuitive choices which can be driven through what they suppose in regards to the world and now not simply what product is on hand. These are the individuals who stood in line for six hours to purchase an iPhone when they first got here out, when you could have purchased one off the shelf the next week. These are the people who spent 40,000 greenbacks on flat-display TVs once they first came out, although the technology used to be substandard.And, by the way, they did not do it when you consider that the technological know-how used to be so quality; they did it for themselves. It is considering they desired to be first. Humans don’t buy what you do; they purchase why you do it and what you do effectively proves what you believe. In fact, persons will do the things that show what they consider. The intent that character bought the iPhone in the first six hours, stood in line for six hours, used to be considering of what they believed about the world, and the way they desired every person to peer them: they had been first. Persons don’t buy what you do; they purchase why you do it. So let me provide you with a famous instance, a famous failure and a noted success of the law of diffusion of innovation. First, the famous failure.It is a industrial example. As we said earlier than, the recipe for achievement is money and the proper persons and the right market stipulations. You must have success then. Seem at TiVo. From the time TiVo got here out about eight or nine years ago to this present day, they’re the one highest-best product available on the market, arms down, there is no dispute. They have been extremely good-funded. Market stipulations had been super. I mean, we use TiVo as verb. I TiVo stuff on my piece-of-junk Time Warner DVR at all times. (Laughter) however TiVo’s a business failure. They’ve not ever made cash. And when they went IPO, their stock was once at about 30 or forty dollars and then plummeted, and it’s on no account traded above 10. In fact, i do not believe it’s even traded above six, besides for a couple of little spikes. For the reason that you see, when TiVo launched their product, they advised us all what that they had. They mentioned, "we now have a product that pauses are living tv, skips advertisements, rewinds are living television and memorizes your viewing habits without you even asking." And the cynical majority said, "we do not consider you.We don’t need it. We do not find it irresistible. You are scaring us." What if they had stated, "If you’re the variety of character who likes to have total manage over each part of your life, boy, do we have now a product for you. It pauses reside television, skips classified ads, memorizes your viewing habits, and so forth., etc." humans do not buy what you do; they buy why you do it, and what you do with no trouble serves because the proof of what you feel.Now let me offer you a successful illustration of the legislation of diffusion of innovation. In the summertime of 1963, 250,000 folks confirmed up on the mall in Washington to listen to Dr. King speak. They despatched out no invitations, and there was no website to check the date. How do you do that? Good, Dr. King wasn’t the only man in the us who used to be a best orator. He wasn’t the only man in the usa who suffered in a pre-civil rights the us. In fact, some of his recommendations were dangerous. But he had a gift. He failed to go around telling people what wanted to change in the united states. He went around and instructed men and women what he believed. "I think, I feel, I believe," he advised humans.And people who believed what he believed took his cause, and so they made it their own, and so they instructed humans. And some of these persons created buildings to get the phrase out to even more folks. And lo and behold, 250,000 people confirmed up on the correct day at the proper time to listen to him communicate. How many of them confirmed up for him? Zero. They confirmed up for themselves. It can be what they believed about america that bought them to travel in a bus for eight hours to stand within the sun in Washington in the core of August. It is what they believed, and it wasn’t about black versus white: 25% of the viewers was once white. Dr. King believed that there are two varieties of legal guidelines on this world: these that are made by way of a larger authority and those which can be made by guys. And now not until the entire legal guidelines which are made by using men are consistent with the legal guidelines made with the aid of the greater authority will we are living in a just world. It in order that happened that the Civil Rights action was the perfect thing to support him convey his intent to lifestyles. We followed, now not for him, but for ourselves. Incidentally, he gave the "i’ve a dream" speech, now not the "i have a plan" speech.(Laughter) take heed to politicians now, with their complete 12-factor plans. They’re not inspiring anybody. Due to the fact there are leaders and there are folks who lead. Leaders maintain a function of vigor or authority, but folks who lead encourage us. Whether they are members or organizations, we comply with people who lead, no longer considering that we must, but because we want to. We comply with individuals who lead, no longer for them, however for ourselves. And it can be people who begin with "why" which have the ability to encourage these round them or find others who inspire them. Thank you very much. (Applause) .

[asafeatherwould]

Corporate Lawyer Salt Lake City Utah

Salt Lake City was referred to as the “Center of Scenic America.” Since the early part of the century, when the “See America First” movement was founded in the city, community leaders had promoted it as a tourist destination. It was not hard to find a place to stay in Salt Lake City since motels lined Highways 89 and 91, which ran north and south along the Wasatch Front. Motels sprang up along Second West and State and Main Streets because they were the major arteries through the city. Highway 40 continued its way east at Twenty-first South Street, and some motels did cater to travelers along that route.

As Salt Lake City became a common tourist destination, the number of motels increased. In 1947 the Salt Lake City directory listed thirty-six hotels (some of them residential like the Belvedere) and sixty-two lodging houses, many of them small tourist homes akin to today’s bed-and-breakfasts. None of them used the label motel; nearly all were listed as hotels. A decade later, the 1957 directory listed lodging under two headings: hotels, and motels and auto courts. The number of hotels had risen from thirty-six to eighty-six, and the number of motels and auto courts nearly doubled to a total of 109. Of these nearly all chose the name motel or motor lodge, which implied a larger motel with a coffee shop. Later on the number of motels decreased and many motel owners put their motels up for sale. If you are considering selling your business in Salt Lake City or considering buying a business that is up for sale in Salt Lake City, speak to an expert Salt Lake City Corporate Lawyer. There are many pitfalls in buying and selling a business. To succeed in the sale or purchase, you need to avoid these pitfalls.

Selling the Business outside the Family

A business has been built over the years. The children have developed their own careers. The owner’s spouse has seen more than enough of this business and would like both of them to retire. This situation is not unusual; it is the norm. Of every one hundred family-owned businesses, by far the dominant form of business throughout the world, only a third are transferred to the next generation of the owner’s family. As most closely held businesses are family owned, this simple statistic reminds us that two-thirds of them change ownership through sales to outsiders, or through dissolution and sales of assets. These sales should be arranged to obtain as much after-tax money as possible for the owners with as little risk as possible.

The first critical question for a buyer is: “Why is this firm for sale?” The second is like unto it: “Who is selling?” The answers to those questions may significantly affect the value a buyer would have to pay, and the negotiating strategy most likely to be effective.

Company Estate Sales

In an estate sale, for example, when the owner/manager has died and no one from the family is taking over, trustees will liquidate the estate’s assets. In many cases, the trustees will not be industry-knowledgeable. That means they may be little help in providing useful information about industry trends, historical meanings of financial records, hidden assets, and so on. Due diligence will need to be more exhaustive, rely more on employees, and be more exposed to competitors. In other words, the risks will go up, and hence the value is likely to go down along with the price. It is also possible that the trustees will be willing to accept a lower price to have a clean, all-cash transaction that allows them to close the books on the estate and distribute the funds to the beneficiaries. Conversely, some trustees or inheritors are emotionally wedded to their family’s firm, without having the business acumen to understand its value to the buyers—or the expertise to run it competently themselves. They may sell for less than it is really worth, or hold out for more than buyers will pay, eventually damaging the firm’s value that way as well. In both cases, a buyer faces the prospect of having to educate the seller, and that education is likely to have a price as well—if the buyer is even willing to supply it.

Business Retirement Sales

When the owner is retiring in good health, however, the circumstances change. He or she may be available to help with a transition, may even need the emotional progression associated with a gradual change in status. He is likely also to have valuable expertise about the inventory, other assets, employees, suppliers, and customers. If those values can be incorporated in the sale, new owners are likely to pay a higher price, because they would be receiving a more valuable, less risky package. Transition roles, staged payments, performance guarantees, expert consulting, training contracts, and other features may come into play as part of the transfer process. They are likely to affect both price and terms. They do provide many additional ways for the parties to transfer (or withhold) value.

Carefully consider what kind of buyer is the best fit for the business being sold and vice versa. Bad fits will cost both parties money, and often lead to “walk-aways” instead of successful deals. A well-prepared buyer has to know what she has to offer, and what she needs, or what it will cost to buy those additional resources. Then you can begin a useful search and head into negotiations with a workable plan.

Conversely, a smart seller has to target the sale for a market where several possible buyers exist, so some form of auction can be started and the business will be sold to the buyer willing to pay the most. When a sale is targeted for a market of one, the buyer has all the negotiating power. Worse, when the sale is targeted for a market with no likely buyers, not only will a sale not happen, but the value of the business will likely be damaged by a selling period with no takers, and the eventual sale price will be further reduced as perceptions of a damaged property accumulate. In most markets, there are sources of capital available for a kind of intermediary financing. A third party could have been found to provide the cash the seller needed to exit the deal, in return for the repayment of that investment by the cash-strapped buyer. Neither party had the financial acumen or networks to find such an intermediary. Hardly anyone would think of buying a house this way. We almost always use mortgage financing to allow us to buy a much more valuable house than we could afford in an all-cash deal. The seller of the house gets cash, and the buyer pays down the mortgage over time. Without mortgages and professional real estate brokers, the housing market would be severely constrained. Similar facilities exist in business markets.

The Art of Know What You Are Getting

The first and foremost principle in buying any business is to understand what is really being bought. This includes both tangible and intangible assets. Besides the positive assets, the transaction should also address the existing liabilities that the buyer would have to assume and possible future ones inherent in the deal. It is important to value both assets and liabilities in terms of what it would cost the proposed buyer to replace them. In doing that, one must be careful not to use their book or historical cost accounting values—particularly for real estate—although the history of those book values may be very useful in discovering hidden assets. The firm’s specific assets should be examined and assessed, even if the firm will be valued as a going concern, to be sure these things are as they appear, or at least so the buyer does understand what they represent.

Structuring the Business Sale

One of the important things to consider when structuring the sale is the tax implications. Both the seller and the buyer will have certain tax implications arising from the transaction. An experienced Salt Lake City Utah corporate lawyer can help you structure the sale to deal with the tax implications.

Sellers usually try to structure sales to get the most money, as soon as possible, after taxes. This objective requires careful planning in organizing the business for tax purposes well before it becomes time to consider selling. There are two basic ways that a closely held firm can be structured for taxes. It can be operated as a regular C corporation, which pays taxes as a business before its shareholders pay again on any dividends they receive. Alternatively, the firm can be formed as a single-tax entity, such as a partnership, or Subchapter S corporation. More recently, owners have the additional option of using a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), in which all profits annually flow through to the owners, who then pay the taxes at their personal income tax rates.

At first glance, paying taxes once sure looks better than paying taxes twice. But one must look closely. When taxes are paid twice (regular or C corporation), all the wages and benefits paid to the owner/manager are tax-deductible (for the business)—including medical insurance and contributions to retirement plans. These benefits must also be made available to all employees, however, not just the controlling shareholder, to be deducted by the corporation. Furthermore, the IRS goes to great lengths, particularly with retirement plans, to make sure that they do not just benefit the highly paid workers in a firm, a group that most obviously includes the owner/ manager. Although they can be deducted from taxable income as business expenses, those employee benefits are still expenses, still costs to the business. Do they pay for themselves in reduced taxes and increased employee morale, productivity, and loyalty? That’s the trade-off.

Limited Partnerships

Another option to minimize taxes when transferring ownership is to use a limited partnership. This technique only works when the children do not want to run the business. If they are materially participating in the firm’s operations, the IRS will not recognize this form of transfer for its favorable tax treatment. The original owner/manager remains the general partner, still running the business. Children receive ownership positions, with a minority interest discount even when they have over 50% ownership. Once the ownership position is transferred, the entire business is sold, triggering capital gains treatment.

Good advice on tax strategies is always recommended. U.S. tax laws change frequently, and the Internal Revenue Code has become very complicated. After-tax wealth is one of the primary objectives of a sale; good advisors can be very valuable in helping owners reach that objective. Conversely, bad advice, or aggressiveness to the point of fraud, can be very expensive. Therefore, one should check with an expert on trusts for the latest rulings and corresponding IRS treatment before proceeding. Any lawyer can point to at least a dozen cases in which large sums of money — in taxes and legal and accounting fees — could have been saved if only question had been asked, a single phone call to an expert made. Speak to an experienced Salt Lake City Corporate Lawyer. The lawyer can help you structure the sale or purchase depending on whether you are buying or selling the business. Whether you are the buyer or the seller of a business, you will need sound legal advice. As a seller you need to be aware of what you are selling and as a buyer you need to be aware of what you are getting in return for the money you are shelling out. There is also the tax implications to be considered. As a buyer, you must conduct proper due diligence before you sign the contract. The last thing you want is to be straddled with liabilities that have nothing to do with you. Speak to an experienced Salt Lake City Utah corporate attorney and get invaluable advice.

Free Consultation with a Corporation Attorney in Salt Lake City

When you need legal help with a company in Salt Lake City Utah, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

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Source: https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/corporate-lawyer-salt-lake-city-utah/

[michaeljames1221]

Corporate Lawyer Salt Lake City Utah

Salt Lake City was referred to as the “Center of Scenic America.” Since the early part of the century, when the “See America First” movement was founded in the city, community leaders had promoted it as a tourist destination. It was not hard to find a place to stay in Salt Lake City since motels lined Highways 89 and 91, which ran north and south along the Wasatch Front. Motels sprang up along Second West and State and Main Streets because they were the major arteries through the city. Highway 40 continued its way east at Twenty-first South Street, and some motels did cater to travelers along that route.

As Salt Lake City became a common tourist destination, the number of motels increased. In 1947 the Salt Lake City directory listed thirty-six hotels (some of them residential like the Belvedere) and sixty-two lodging houses, many of them small tourist homes akin to today’s bed-and-breakfasts. None of them used the label motel; nearly all were listed as hotels. A decade later, the 1957 directory listed lodging under two headings: hotels, and motels and auto courts. The number of hotels had risen from thirty-six to eighty-six, and the number of motels and auto courts nearly doubled to a total of 109. Of these nearly all chose the name motel or motor lodge, which implied a larger motel with a coffee shop. Later on the number of motels decreased and many motel owners put their motels up for sale. If you are considering selling your business in Salt Lake City or considering buying a business that is up for sale in Salt Lake City, speak to an expert Salt Lake City Corporate Lawyer. There are many pitfalls in buying and selling a business. To succeed in the sale or purchase, you need to avoid these pitfalls.

Selling the Business outside the Family

A business has been built over the years. The children have developed their own careers. The owner’s spouse has seen more than enough of this business and would like both of them to retire. This situation is not unusual; it is the norm. Of every one hundred family-owned businesses, by far the dominant form of business throughout the world, only a third are transferred to the next generation of the owner’s family. As most closely held businesses are family owned, this simple statistic reminds us that two-thirds of them change ownership through sales to outsiders, or through dissolution and sales of assets. These sales should be arranged to obtain as much after-tax money as possible for the owners with as little risk as possible.

The first critical question for a buyer is: “Why is this firm for sale?” The second is like unto it: “Who is selling?” The answers to those questions may significantly affect the value a buyer would have to pay, and the negotiating strategy most likely to be effective.

Company Estate Sales

In an estate sale, for example, when the owner/manager has died and no one from the family is taking over, trustees will liquidate the estate’s assets. In many cases, the trustees will not be industry-knowledgeable. That means they may be little help in providing useful information about industry trends, historical meanings of financial records, hidden assets, and so on. Due diligence will need to be more exhaustive, rely more on employees, and be more exposed to competitors. In other words, the risks will go up, and hence the value is likely to go down along with the price. It is also possible that the trustees will be willing to accept a lower price to have a clean, all-cash transaction that allows them to close the books on the estate and distribute the funds to the beneficiaries. Conversely, some trustees or inheritors are emotionally wedded to their family’s firm, without having the business acumen to understand its value to the buyers—or the expertise to run it competently themselves. They may sell for less than it is really worth, or hold out for more than buyers will pay, eventually damaging the firm’s value that way as well. In both cases, a buyer faces the prospect of having to educate the seller, and that education is likely to have a price as well—if the buyer is even willing to supply it.

Business Retirement Sales

When the owner is retiring in good health, however, the circumstances change. He or she may be available to help with a transition, may even need the emotional progression associated with a gradual change in status. He is likely also to have valuable expertise about the inventory, other assets, employees, suppliers, and customers. If those values can be incorporated in the sale, new owners are likely to pay a higher price, because they would be receiving a more valuable, less risky package. Transition roles, staged payments, performance guarantees, expert consulting, training contracts, and other features may come into play as part of the transfer process. They are likely to affect both price and terms. They do provide many additional ways for the parties to transfer (or withhold) value.

Carefully consider what kind of buyer is the best fit for the business being sold and vice versa. Bad fits will cost both parties money, and often lead to “walk-aways” instead of successful deals. A well-prepared buyer has to know what she has to offer, and what she needs, or what it will cost to buy those additional resources. Then you can begin a useful search and head into negotiations with a workable plan.

Conversely, a smart seller has to target the sale for a market where several possible buyers exist, so some form of auction can be started and the business will be sold to the buyer willing to pay the most. When a sale is targeted for a market of one, the buyer has all the negotiating power. Worse, when the sale is targeted for a market with no likely buyers, not only will a sale not happen, but the value of the business will likely be damaged by a selling period with no takers, and the eventual sale price will be further reduced as perceptions of a damaged property accumulate. In most markets, there are sources of capital available for a kind of intermediary financing. A third party could have been found to provide the cash the seller needed to exit the deal, in return for the repayment of that investment by the cash-strapped buyer. Neither party had the financial acumen or networks to find such an intermediary. Hardly anyone would think of buying a house this way. We almost always use mortgage financing to allow us to buy a much more valuable house than we could afford in an all-cash deal. The seller of the house gets cash, and the buyer pays down the mortgage over time. Without mortgages and professional real estate brokers, the housing market would be severely constrained. Similar facilities exist in business markets.

The Art of Know What You Are Getting

The first and foremost principle in buying any business is to understand what is really being bought. This includes both tangible and intangible assets. Besides the positive assets, the transaction should also address the existing liabilities that the buyer would have to assume and possible future ones inherent in the deal. It is important to value both assets and liabilities in terms of what it would cost the proposed buyer to replace them. In doing that, one must be careful not to use their book or historical cost accounting values—particularly for real estate—although the history of those book values may be very useful in discovering hidden assets. The firm’s specific assets should be examined and assessed, even if the firm will be valued as a going concern, to be sure these things are as they appear, or at least so the buyer does understand what they represent.

Structuring the Business Sale

One of the important things to consider when structuring the sale is the tax implications. Both the seller and the buyer will have certain tax implications arising from the transaction. An experienced Salt Lake City Utah corporate lawyer can help you structure the sale to deal with the tax implications.

Sellers usually try to structure sales to get the most money, as soon as possible, after taxes. This objective requires careful planning in organizing the business for tax purposes well before it becomes time to consider selling. There are two basic ways that a closely held firm can be structured for taxes. It can be operated as a regular C corporation, which pays taxes as a business before its shareholders pay again on any dividends they receive. Alternatively, the firm can be formed as a single-tax entity, such as a partnership, or Subchapter S corporation. More recently, owners have the additional option of using a Limited Liability Company (LLC) or Limited Liability Partnership (LLP), in which all profits annually flow through to the owners, who then pay the taxes at their personal income tax rates.

At first glance, paying taxes once sure looks better than paying taxes twice. But one must look closely. When taxes are paid twice (regular or C corporation), all the wages and benefits paid to the owner/manager are tax-deductible (for the business)—including medical insurance and contributions to retirement plans. These benefits must also be made available to all employees, however, not just the controlling shareholder, to be deducted by the corporation. Furthermore, the IRS goes to great lengths, particularly with retirement plans, to make sure that they do not just benefit the highly paid workers in a firm, a group that most obviously includes the owner/ manager. Although they can be deducted from taxable income as business expenses, those employee benefits are still expenses, still costs to the business. Do they pay for themselves in reduced taxes and increased employee morale, productivity, and loyalty? That’s the trade-off.

Limited Partnerships

Another option to minimize taxes when transferring ownership is to use a limited partnership. This technique only works when the children do not want to run the business. If they are materially participating in the firm’s operations, the IRS will not recognize this form of transfer for its favorable tax treatment. The original owner/manager remains the general partner, still running the business. Children receive ownership positions, with a minority interest discount even when they have over 50% ownership. Once the ownership position is transferred, the entire business is sold, triggering capital gains treatment.

Good advice on tax strategies is always recommended. U.S. tax laws change frequently, and the Internal Revenue Code has become very complicated. After-tax wealth is one of the primary objectives of a sale; good advisors can be very valuable in helping owners reach that objective. Conversely, bad advice, or aggressiveness to the point of fraud, can be very expensive. Therefore, one should check with an expert on trusts for the latest rulings and corresponding IRS treatment before proceeding. Any lawyer can point to at least a dozen cases in which large sums of money — in taxes and legal and accounting fees — could have been saved if only question had been asked, a single phone call to an expert made. Speak to an experienced Salt Lake City Corporate Lawyer. The lawyer can help you structure the sale or purchase depending on whether you are buying or selling the business. Whether you are the buyer or the seller of a business, you will need sound legal advice. As a seller you need to be aware of what you are selling and as a buyer you need to be aware of what you are getting in return for the money you are shelling out. There is also the tax implications to be considered. As a buyer, you must conduct proper due diligence before you sign the contract. The last thing you want is to be straddled with liabilities that have nothing to do with you. Speak to an experienced Salt Lake City Utah corporate attorney and get invaluable advice.

Free Consultation with a Corporation Attorney in Salt Lake City

When you need legal help with a company in Salt Lake City Utah, please call Ascent Law for your free consultation (801) 676-5506. We want to help you.

Ascent Law LLC 8833 S. Redwood Road, Suite C West Jordan, Utah 84088 United States Telephone: (801) 676-5506

Ascent Law LLC

4.9 stars – based on 67 reviews

Recent Posts

How to Fix Real Estate Title Problems in Utah

Corporate Lawyer West Jordan Utah

How Long Does It Take To Get Divorced?

What Is A Trademark?

Slip and Fall Accidents

Divorce With a Child in Utah

from Michael Anderson https://www.ascentlawfirm.com/corporate-lawyer-salt-lake-city-utah/

from Criminal Defense Lawyer West Jordan Utah https://criminaldefenselawyerwestjordanutah.wordpress.com/2019/07/07/corporate-lawyer-salt-lake-city-utah/